To Tie The Knot

CHAPTER FIVE:

" Marchwarden... A moment, if you please."

Haldir came to an abrupt halt and executed what was arguably the second most ungraceful bow ever given to the Lord and Lady of the Golden Wood.

" My Lord, my Lady. Of what service may I be?."

Haldir managed to keep his voice neutral, although he was fairly jumping from impatience to be off after that accursed, Mordor-sent, blight of a female who was about to meet her demise for what, Haldir was sure, would be the betterment of all of Arda.

With a mental wink to his spouse, the Lord of LothLorien addressed the Marchwarden.

" I have been contemplating a change to a certain passage in a book I am writing about our fair home here, beneath the bounty of the majestic Golden Wood. The passage goes something like this..."

And with that Lord Celeborn, the renowned ' Silver Tree', launched into a long, winding monologue that had Haldir seriously contemplating whether it was possible for an elf to fade, just from sheer boredom.

At last, after what seemed like a millenia, the Lady of Light laid her hand upon her spouse's sleeve.

" My Lord. Although I am sure that Haldir would agree with me when I say that the subject at hand is utterly fascinating, I do believe we have kept him from his walk for quite long enough. And I daresay, that I would like to resume our own pleasant stroll as well."

She smiled at Celeborn and then at Haldir, who almost broke into tears of gratitude at her words. Celeborn smiled.

" Far be it for me to deny my Lady's wishes. Haldir, I do hope you are not too dissapointed if we postpone the rest of this discussion until a later time."

" Off course not. My Lord, my Lady."

Haldir bowed respecfully, before walking away as fast as he could, while still maintaining some modicum of decorum.

As they watched his form receding down the forest path, The Lord of the Golden Wood turned to his Lady.

" Do you think we detained him long enough?." He asked.

" I think so, though it matters not. I simply just had to put an end to our ploy, for I was about to collapse under the weight of insensate boredom." She answered.

the Lord looked at his beloved Lady and arched an eyebrow in mock indignation.

" Are you, penchance, calling me an ancient, long-winded fool?." He growled.

Galadriel looked back at her powerful, imposing and handsome silver-haired Lord, her eyes twinkling.

" Ancient, yes.. Long-winded, rarely.. A fool?.. Never." She smiled at him, her eyes soft with love.

Celeborn laughed and executed what was definitely the most graceful bow ever given to the Lady of Light, before offering his arm in courtly gesture. Galadriel playfully curtsied, then took her Lord's offer.

And thus, the Lord and Lady of the Golden Wood resumed their regal stroll beneath the canopy of the mighty Mallorn trees.

Haldir had gone quite a ways into the forest, when he caught a rippling movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head he saw a thorn bush swaying, as if ruffled by the wind, with something snagged on one of its branches. Twas no more than a few threads, really, but to the Marchwarden they were a crystal-clear sign of his quarry. With a feral smile, he turned his steps towards a new direction.

Off course, had he been less blinded by his vengeful pursuit, he would have immediately noticed that there was no breeze at all blowing through the woods on this fine, still day...

As he continued on, he saw more and more threads, until it seemed as if every thorn bush in the path had some minute bit of her clothing on their branches. This was most certaintly true, for the mischievous plants had had themselves a grand time carrying out Galadriel's wishes. More than a few even snagged some threads from Haldir's own clothing, just for good measure, you know..

At last, the Marchwarden saw his final destination. He felt his anger crest anew as he approached the well-concealed cottage. So... The ill-mannered little shrew though herself clever enough to hide from his wrath. Well, he was about to show her just how wrong she was.

Annaien looked around the inside of the cottage with eyes filled by wonder. The private retreat was a surprise of luxurious sensuality. She could not help but blush at the thought of what the Lady of Light obviously meant when she had said that she and her Lord came here for...solitude.

The dominant feature of the room was a beautiful four-poster bed, carved to resemble four swans, their long necks extended as if reaching to the sky. the bedding itself was delightfully plush, as were the two divans banking a low table upon which, an unopened bottle of miruvor waited, beside two exquisite crystal goblets. A much taller dining table was ladden with a basket of fresh fruits and a wedge of LothLorien's finest cheese, surrounded by wafers of Lembas.

If Annaien had not been so relieved to have successfully escaped that noxious and stiff-necked Marchwarden, she would have wondered just why the room was thusly laid out, when the Lord and Lady of the Wood had certaintly not been heading in this direction when she encountered them earlier.

But this was not the time for speculation. The rich feel of the room surrounded her with it's languorous welcome and Annaien unbuckled her sword-belt, eager to partake of the comforts offered.

It was at that moment, that a tremendous crash sounded, as the door slammed open...

TBC...