Chapter 17

Love All Around

Merida's POV

I pulled on one of my nicest dresses on and helped Haldir straighten his tunic. I smiled and gave him a light kiss.

"~You look as beautiful as ever.~" he told me.

He held out his arm and I took it. We made our way to the celebration and Eruraina came to me.

"~Aunt Merida will you sing for me later?~" she asked.

I smiled and brushed her hair behind her ear.

"~Of course I will.~"

She smiled and hugged me. When she pulled away she smiled at Orophin's wife Silivrenniel. She went back to her and I looked at Haldir. He smiled at me and then I saw Rumil walk over to Verya. I smiled and squeezed Haldir's hand.

"~Verya do you remember the day we met? You were so beautiful I could not believe I had not seen you before. Then again perhaps I had and could not believe you were real. But now here you are before me, more beautiful than I could have imagined. So now I have only one question for you. Will you be my wife?~"

I saw the smile come to her face.

"~Yes Rumil! Yes I will!~"

He stood up and she wrapped her arms around him. It reminded me of the night Haldir asked me to be his wife. Haldir put his arm around me and then kissed my head.

"~I wish my mother and father were here to see this day. Their youngest child has found the woman he loves.~"

I looked at him. His eyes were on the ground. I turned his face towards mine.

"~They are here. They never left you or your brothers. They will always be with you. You know that Haldir, I know you do.~" I whispered.

He stared into my eyes and then smiled.

"~They live in you Haldir.~"

He nodded and then pulled me out to dance. I raised my brows.

"I thought you did not know how to dance." I said.

He chuckled and pulled me to him.

"I learned."

I smiled and laughed as he danced with me.

"I love you Haldir."

He gave me that dashing smile. He twirled me around and then pulled me back into his arms.

"~Would you mind if I danced with the princess?~"

We turned around and there was Beleg. Haldir looked suspicious and he narrowed his eyes.

"~What are you up to Beleg?~" He asked.

He smiled.

"~I am simply requesting a dance from the princess. If that is alright with you of course.~"

Haldir hesitated before nodding. I took Beleg's hand and he started to dance with me.

"It truly amuses me how forgiving and trusting you are." he whispered.

I looked up into cold and unforgiving eyes.

"You will never belong here among elves. You are a disgrace, a blight of nature! Your father may be a prince and your grandfather may be king but he was a fool. He allowed his son to marry a half-breed. You do not even belong in this world. Nor does your mother." he hissed.

I pulled back from him and back handed him. I heard gasps and whispers among the crowd. I ignored them and ran off into the forest. Tears streamed down my face as I ran and I came to a stop near a small hill. I fell to my knees and laid down. Fireflies flew around here and there and the scent of fresh flowers filled my nose.

"~Why did you marry grandmother? She was an elf, and you were a dwarf. I do not understand.~" I whispered.

I turned on my side and closed my eyes. I knew Haldir or one of the others would eventually find me, but for now I wanted to be alone. I listened to the sounds of the forest and eventually fell asleep.

Haldir's POV

I scoured the forest for her. I knew Beleg had lied about her just wanting to hit him. Merida was not like that. I came to a secluded cluster of trees. I walked forward and found her fast asleep. I walked over and knelt down beside her.

"Merida." I said gently.

I shook her a bit and she slowly opened her eyes. She looked at me at first smiling, but then tears came to her eyes. It broke my heart to see her cry.

"Oh Merida I am so sorry. I knew Beleg must have been up to something."

She threw herself into my arms.

"Forgive me meleth nin. I should have known better. I will have a talk with him! I promise you he will never be able to hurt you again." I told her.

"He said such horrid things! About me, about my family! He called my mother a half-breed and my papa and grandfather a fool! Why!? Why would he say such cruel things?" she asked me.

I did not know how to answer her.

"I cannot say. But you must know that none of what he said was true. You and your family are good and kind. There should be more like you in the world. Strong, beautiful and brave." I whispered.

"I love you Haldir!" she cried.

I smiled and closed my eyes.

Merida's POV

Haldir held me there in his arms. We stayed silent and I calmed down. I pulled back and looked up into his eyes. Those wise grey eyes I loved so much were full of sorrow. I pushed him onto his back and touched his face.

"~You should not be so sad Haldir my love. You are not to blame for this.~"

He sighed and his hand rested on the small of my back.

"~I am sad because you are my wife and I hate seeing you cry. I want you to always be smiling and laughing. When you fled Eruraina started to shout at Beleg as did Orophin, Rumil, Silivrennial and Verya. Then we all went out to look for you. We were all so very worried. I promise you I will never let him hurt you ever again. I kissed him gently and then I just lay there in his arms.

"~You do know that nothing any elf or dwarf says would make me want to leave you right?~" I asked.

He held me tighter.

"~I know. I just worry sometimes.~"

I smiled and closed my eyes.

"~I would never leave you. Someone would have to kill me for that to happen. And no one can kill me. No one can kill my mother and I believe I inherited that gene. You never need to worry about me leaving Haldir. You are stuck with me for all time.~" I said.

He chuckled and I smiled. I loved to hear him laugh or chuckle. I brought my hand up to his chest and sighed.

"~We cannot ever tell my father or mother about this. They will hunt Beleg down to the end of the earth. And so will both my grandfathers and my brother. He may not act like it but he is very protective of me.~" I said.

"~You have a strong family. Your brother and sister are beautiful children. And your parents…..they look so happy. And I know your grandfather, Thorin, comes to you when you sleep. Even beyond the grave he is looking over his family. I had always heard tales of him. Knowing who you are now…..I know he must have been strong. Especially marrying outside his dwarves race. It is strange which to souls love chooses to unite is it not?~" he said.

I smiled.

"~Indeed it is. My mother looks exactly like her mother except for her eyes. I think the mother looking like daughter runs in our family. I look like my mother but I have my father's eyes. But then there is Tawariell, she looks like our father but has our mother's eyes. So I have no doubt that if we were to have a daughter she would look like me." I looked into his eyes. "But she would have your eyes.~"

He smiled and looked thoughtful.

"~It would be better if our children looked like you.~"

I smiled in amusement.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

He just smiled at me and I laughed with him. Apart from Beleg, there was so much love around me. People accepted me for who I was and they no longer looked at me in disgust or confusion. I was happy there with Haldir.