My goodness, we've finally made it to the end! I can hardly believe I actually finished a long fic like this. TBFF is officially 18 years old as of today and now it is finally coming to a close. In the last 7 months, I've added 200,000+ words to the story and finished my first novel-length fanfic. I'm mostly pleased with how the plot turned out too (I can think of a few things I'd change if I was to redo it, but that will probably be the case with most any story I write). I hope you have enjoyed going on this long journey with me. Cheers!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with Lord of the Rings or Tolkien Enterprises.

ooOoo

To Be Forever Faithful

By: Ponytail Goddess

Epilogue

Five Years Later…

Orophin stood watch before the mirror of Galadriel with the same diligence he used as a warden of Lothlorien a century ago. The scenery around the lady's garden mirror was much different than it was in Caras Galadhon. The terrain was not hilly or rocky as it had been Arda, but instead was quite flat. A small pond rested to his left with its waters clear and still; it was laden with bright green lily pads, complete with pastel pink flowers opening up their delicate petals to absorb the bright spring sunlight.

The dark shaded areas of the leafy mellyrn were not present here. True, there was tree cover, but it was much different than what Orophin had grown accustomed to in Lothlorien. Here the trees were called 'weeping willows,' with their long strings of vibrant green leaves dangling down towards the ground much like the long trains some ellyth enjoyed wearing. It was under one of these foreign trees that Lady Galadriel had a new pedestal built for her mirror.

Today was Orophin's turn to guard it.

Orophin was one of the few remaining elves from Lothlorien who continued to serve the lord and lady in Valinor. It felt a bit peculiar at times, as they had chosen to live in the Noldorin Quarter of Valinor, as Amdir was presently ruling the Lorien Quarter. However, Orophin still felt great loyalty towards the Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel and had opted to live with them, living far away from his family in order to continue serving his leaders loyally.

He was currently working as a personal assistant to Lord Celeborn and spent his days helping him keep their large home in order. He spent his days doing things that ranged from arranging sleeping quarters for guests to helping organize the lord's vast library as he continued to unpack artifacts he had brought from Arda.

Every member of Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel's house took turns guarding the mirror though, as it was rumored that terrible events would occur if someone sought its power with ill intentions. Having experience with the mirror's twin in Mandos' Halls, Orophin fully understood how such power could taint the heart of an elf if left unchecked. Thus, he was happy to fulfill this duty for his lord and lady, no matter how boring the task just so happened to be.

While Orophin had been perfectly happy to discover there were generally no threats in Valinor, he desperately could have used a belligerent elf or a mischievous elfling as a distraction from the mind-numbing task he was currently undertaking. After all, spending the entire day guarding the mirror meant being left alone with his own thoughts and that was currently a dangerous prospect for him. Too much had happened in Orophin's life recently, happy tidings that should have left him feeling jubilant along with his family. Instead, he found himself falling into a slump and feeling sorry for himself because he did not have anything exciting happening in his own life the way his brothers did.

Earlier this year, he had found out Haldir and his sister Belegwen were expecting another elfling; an elleth, much the shock and surprise of his entire family, as there had not been an elleth born amongst them in several generations. There was much elation and anticipation from their loved ones over the arrival of the new elfling.

While Orophin knew he should feel happy and share in his family's bliss, there was a part of him that was a bit jealous. He had done his best to set those detestable feelings aside though, choosing to focus on Haldir's happiness instead, which was boundless. Indeed, Haldir had not been present for the birth of Halendil and was growing more and more eager to witness the elleth's birth with every passing day.

The jealously had become harder for Orophin to ignore when he had eavesdropped upon a conversation between Belegwen and Rumil a couple of nights ago. After Haldir had insisted Belegwen sit down and rest for a bit while he finished setting the table for their family supper, Orophin had overheard Rumil telling Belegwen about how it would be harder to be an uncle to this new elleth who was about to arrive. Rumil proceeded to explain how he had accustomed to being the only family member that Halendil had besides his parents while he was growing up. However, the elleth was going to have several uncles and Rumil was worried he would not get to spend as much time with the elleth as he had enjoyed with young Halendil.

"Rumil, why not get married to that pretty elleth you have been courting for the last three years and have your own little elfling? Then the two can get together and have playdates all the time with their favorite uncles!" Belegwen had teased lightly as she patted her protruding belly unconsciously.

Orophin had expected some spirited comeback from his brother about never settling down or how much he enjoyed the company of many ellyth. However, Rumil had shocked him with his reply.

"Perhaps I might."

Belegwen had caught onto the unusualness of his answer rapidly and had soon poked and prodded him for more information until he finally withdrew a pouch from his pocket. When he emptied it out, they saw there were two silver rings within it, glistening beautifully in the rays of sun that passed through the talan's skylight. Belegwen was shocked and nearly speechless at the sight, immediately drawing Rumil into a big hug and shouting across the room to Haldir about the good news.

This had naturally made Orophin feel worse, as Rumil was about to get everything he had hoped for within his own life. His little brother had been lucky, as many ellyth were interested in dating a retired marchwarden of Lorien. Something about the uniform and status seemed to help him obtain the attentions of ellyth more effectively than ever before.

On top of that, Rumil had finally decided to show some maturity and actually worked to try and make his last couple of relationships less superficial. He had not made rounds with ellyth in the Lorien Quarter the way he had back in Caras Galadhon. Instead, he found one elleth who pleased him and had committed himself to her, following the example Haldir had set with Belegwen. Low and behold, his younger brother would soon be engaged, leaving him as the only brother who had not found a mate yet.

Though he knew it was unbecoming of him, Orophin had grown quite jealous while they celebrated Rumil that night. He said nothing about the matter to either of his brothers, but he was certain his lack of enthusiasm over Rumil's news had spoken loudly enough.

To make matters worse, he had made an offhanded joke about how Belegwen was waddling around these days, which inadvertently upset his sister, much to Orophin's dismay. He only meant to have a quick laugh with her, but he had forgotten how emotional ellyth could get as they came to the end of their gestational period. He instantly regretted the words the moment they came out of his mouth.

Tears had glistened in Belegwen's eyes as she crossed her arms in discomfort and walked to the edge of the balcony to get some air. Haldir had glared daggers at him before quickly trailing behind her to try and remedy the situation.

Rumil had smacked him on the back of the head and berated him for being so insensitive once Haldir and Belegwen had left the room. Orophin allowed it to happen, as he knew he deserved such treatment for speaking that way to their sister.

Orophin was thankful, however, that it was Rumil who had overheard him and not Nenrim. Neither he nor Rumil had known Belegwen's brother while he lived in Arda, but they had quickly found out during the last five years that he did not tolerate other elves teasing his sister. While Nenrim could say whatever he wanted to Belegwen, he would give a verbal lashing to anyone who dared to tease her around him, even if it was light-heartedly. Both Orophin and Rumil had been on the receiving end of these tangents multiple times and often went out of their way to avoid him because of it.

Eventually Rumil had let him off the hook, leaving Orophin alone so he could sneak out to the balcony to try and apologize to Belegwen. Haldir was still with her though, so he had said nothing and watched as they interacted with one another in silence. Because Belegwen and Haldir could easily communicate within their minds, they often spoke to each other thusly, rather than their voices. Though they were completely silent, Orophin could tell an exchange was happening by the changing expressions on their faces as they looked at one another.

From a distance, he admired the look in his brother's eyes as he stared down at Belegwen. There was always such love in his deep blue eyes as he gazed upon her. Haldir truly worshiped the ground Belegwen walked upon and probably always would, due to the circumstances that surrounded the beginning of their relationship. There had been several millennia where Orophin had thought Haldir would never get to experience such affection for another elf, so it was a treat to see his brother so happily in love.

Orophin was very pleased with how their relationship had turned out, for he knew how wrecked and wretched Belegwen had left Haldir after she had shouted at him that she would marry no one all those years ago in Caras Galadhon. He had been the one to notice that his brother was not acting normally and finally managed to finagle the problem out of him after watching him mope and then start to fade over a few weeks' time.

Though he had died and been brought back to life by Mandos, he still remembered the start of that conversation as if it had happened yesterday…

"You will tell me what is wrong with you now." Orophin said in a strained voice as he struggled to hold his older brother down. They were in his room in the Warden's Halls, where Orophin had found him pacing for the third night in a row.

The bright light of the moon shined down on them both while Orophin sat on top of Haldir, holding his arms pinned behind his back while his brother squirmed beneath him. Many warnings had been spat at him in anger and Orophin knew that these were not idle threats when it came to Haldir, but he held him down nonetheless. He could not let allow Haldir to continue down this dark path he was on.

He was fading and Orophin was not going to let his brother end up in the Halls of Mandos without a fight. No, he was going to find out exactly what had gotten into Haldir over these last few weeks and they would try to find a solution to it together…

That is, once his brother cried for mercy.

At that precise moment, one of Haldir's arms slipped out of his hold and proceeded to elbow him in the face. Crying out in surprise more than pain, Orophin struggled against his brother's strong body to regain control of him. He expected it to be a challenge, but found that his brother seemed to be running out of steam quite quickly on this night. Orophin was able to get him back under his control in record time.

This alarmed him, as he knew it meant there was truly something wrong. Haldir was not the sort of elf to just give up during a tussle, especially not with his brother, with whom he was normally rather competitive. Orophin was only 75 years younger than Haldir, which made them closer to twins than older and younger brothers, at least by elven standards. They competed in many ways with one another on a regular basis and enjoyed the closeness that their rivalry often instilled within them.

"Tell me what is wrong! Tell me why you are fading!" Orophin insisted, pressing Haldir down even harder into the balcony floor with the hopes of breaking down his defenses. Haldir rarely gave up personal information without a fight and Orophin was not going to just allow his brother to waste away needlessly.

"Is it ada and naneth? Are you missing them?" He pressed as he felt Haldir still beneath his body. Orophin would not have been surprised if it was, as all three brothers had struggled greatly with their loss. Orophin had spent a lot of time comforting Rumil over the last couple centuries, as it had hit him the hardest. It took him decades after they left to decide to become a warden like his adar, which had always been his aspiration before they left.

Perhaps Haldir was struggling with this more than he had previously let on…

"No," his brother grunted from beneath him. "Get off me Orophin! I am tired and I wish to try and rest!"

"Not until you tell me what is wrong brother! You have been spending long hours at the training grounds and you have been shutting yourself away from everyone! Bragolith said he has not seen you in weeks and is terribly worried! Now you will tell me what is wrong or I will not let you up until well after the sun rises!" He exclaimed, pushing his weight heavily onto Haldir's back to drive his point home.

Haldir tried to struggle again, but it was no use. Orophin had him in a tight hold and wasn't going anywhere. He felt his brother huff in frustration beneath him before finally hearing the muffled words he had been waiting for.

"It is an elleth."

Orophin's eyebrows rose up in astonishment as he quickly hopped off his brother's back. "An elleth is the cause of this? Pray tell, who is she and what has she done to you?"

"You would not understand," was the only answer Haldir provided straight away. He rolled onto his back and then sat up as he rubbed his shoulders, staring at Orophin grumpily.

"Regardless, you will still tell me or you will find yourself back on the floor!" Orophin threatened, rubbing his hands together in anticipation of continuing their late-night bout.

Haldir glared at him for the longest time before he finally stared at the ground intently. When he did not look up for a long time, Orophin grew worried.

"I am in love." Haldir murmured almost incoherently. An awkward silence lingered between the two brothers for a minute before Orophin responded.

"You are… in love?" Orophin questioned, staring eerily at his forlorn-looking brother as he quickly tried to deduce the problem at hand. "How is that a bad thing?"

"She does not return my feelings." He muttered, still refusing to meet Orophin's eyes. "She does not wish to marry. Ever. She said so herself."

"Truly? Who is this elleth?" He asked again, placing his hand on his brother's bare shoulder as he awaited an answer. Orophin grew nervous as he waited for the answer, not knowing who had done this to his brother.

It took him forever, but Haldir finally managed to whisper the name aloud.

"Belegwen."

Orophin shook his head at the very thought of his brother's pain that night. There had been such desolation and longing within his eyes as he explained to Orophin about how long he had desired her; how he had waited for her to come around, only to be inadvertently denied after her darkest moment as a warden. All of this had dropped down on top of Orophin like a load of bricks and he had not known what to do or say to make everything better. He had known one thing though…

He could not allow his brother to fade.

After losing his parents, he knew that Haldir fading would have killed him too, as well as Rumil. None of the brothers could have afforded to lose one another in those days. The wound from their parents leaving was still tender and unhealed; the pain was too great.

He had not understood what Haldir was going through, as Orophin had never been in love at that point in time. Never had he felt for an elleth what Haldir had felt for Belegwen. Orophin knew he needed to give Haldir some sort of advice concerning the matter and so he had…

It had been terrible advice though. What was even worse was that Haldir had actually followed it. Orophin told him he would have to leave Belegwen alone. If she did not want him, he would need to move on without her. He had encouraged Haldir to become the unfeeling ellon he was for all of those years; it was all his fault. He had prayed to Eru Iluvatar that his brother would push his feelings down deep within him and forget about Belegwen so he could move on with his life.

Surprisingly enough, it had worked. When Haldir put all of his heart and soul into his training, he had not spoken of Belegwen again and his signs of fading had eventually vanished.

He was never the same after that though; he never smiled anymore, nor did he seem to harbor any joy within his heart. All who were close to him knew he had changed, though few dared to inquire about it. Those who did often received quite the earful, as Haldir had little tolerance for anyone caring for him in those days. He pushed so many elves away from him as he basked in the pain of his rejection.

His heart had been hardened. Orophin never thought he would smile or feel love for anything or anyone again-

"My lady!" Orophin gasped as the lady of light suddenly appeared, pushing a few strands of willow leaves out of her way with one delicate hand so she could walk under the tree and approach the mirror. He had been so wrapped up in his thoughts about Haldir that he almost forgot to bow out of respect before her. He quickly fumbled his way into a bow, training his face into a serious expression as best he could with the little time he was given.

"Orophin," she greeted him with a strange twinkle in her eye. Even without her ring of power, there was still something very otherworldly about the Lady Galadriel. She seemed to still have pull over elves after all this time, himself included.

In spite of this, he could not imagine serving anyone else.

The blue eyes of the two elves met in silence as the Lady walked up the cobblestone pathway that led to the mirror. Orophin bowed again out of embarrassment as he slowly backed his way down the two stairs leading to the ground, holding out the silver pitcher to her with reverence. Normally he did not get so flustered, but the lady had caught him thinking of his own weaknesses and he had not been anticipating her at that precise moment.

Idly, he watched as she floated away from him with the pitcher held gracefully between her two porcelain hands. She walked up to the pond and dipped the pitcher within the clear waters, filling it to the brim before silently walking back over the cobblestones. Orophin blinked when he saw her eyes flicker in his direction while she poured the glistening water into the stone basin atop the pedestal. Was he about to be invited to look into her mirror?

"Your assumption is correct." The wind seemed to whisper as Orophin continued to stare at the lady, perplexed by what seemed to be happening. Unlike the other times he had seen the lady come here to look in the mirror, today she had brought no one with her.

She had not needed to apparently, for the elf who needed to look in the mirror today was conveniently present. "Noble Orophin, a while ago you looked into its twin, but today my mirror calls out to you. Will you look into it as well?" The voice whispered lowly in his ears. The lady's lips did not move, but he felt her presence deeply within the confines of the willow tree.

Shocked that he would be offered such an honor twice, Orophin felt himself nodding to the lady. Before his mind had even fully agreed to the task, he noticed his feet were walking slowly back up the steps to the pedestal. Immediately, the waters started to roll into small waves as he looked into their shallow depths. A familiar picture soon came into view. Orophin remembered the scene well.

He watched as Belegwen slowly approached where he stood in the forest clearing, right next to where the trees parted and bright sunlight streamed down into the flowers and ferns littering the ground. She had looked timid and a bit unsure of herself, but she had no idea who awaited her from within the white tendrils of light. Orophin smiled gladly as he watched his former self take hold of Haldir's hand in his own. He had then placed Belegwen's hand within Haldir's hand, effectively giving them the second chance at togetherness that had been decreed necessary by Vaire and Mandos.

The look of happiness on Belegwen's face was undeniable as her sparkling eyes met his brother's cerulean ones. Such love and hope could be felt between the two and Orophin had gotten to play a part in helping them obtain it. What a blessing that had been!

Ripples appeared in the water and the scene changed to a vision of a smiling Belegwen holding a small bundle up to Orophin from where she was resting on a small bed. Haldir was sitting by her side and both were watching as he took hold of the tiny blue-eyed elfling who was swaddled in a small pink blanket. While he could not hear his brother's words, his lip-reading skills had always been impeccable and he knew precisely whom his brother was introducing.

"I present to you Beleganna Haldiriel."

Orophin gasped at the beauty of the elfling in his arms as the water rippled again, morphing onto a very familiar place—Rumil and Halendil's woodworking shop. In the top of one of the trees, the large shop had lovely windows that allowed tons of light to stream in from the sky above as the two Ellyn worked to build and carve intricate details into cabinets, bookcases, doors, and other assorted furniture items. Both ellyn were present in the vision and seemed to be taking a break from their work. They appeared to be singing some sort of lively song and clapping with glee as Haldir bent over to dance with a tiny elleth who was no taller than his knee.

When he twirled the wee little elfling around, Orophin caught sight of her vibrant face, which bore the telltale features of Haldir's own face, though they looked much softer on the little elleth. Belegwen's silvery hair swirled around her head as she twirled around most gracefully, moving more like a full-grown elleth than an elfling. The whole family looked ecstatic, as if this was a normal occurrence…

Once again, the waters rippled, now moving even faster than before. Beleganna was taller than before in this one, though still quite small in stature. He watched as she held both Linros' and Halendil's hands simultaneously as they walked down a familiar pathway in the Lorien Quarter. Her older brother and his proclaimed brother lifted her up and swung her back and forth as they walked, laughing as they slung her about for fun. Again, Beleganna's face was gleeful and blithe, full of trust for her brother and his closest friend as they entertained her.

The waters changed the scene again and Orophin saw an almost fully-grown Beleganna dancing with both of her grandfathers outside of the grounds where Belegond and Belegwen taught their swordplay lessons. In the distance, he could see Belegwen teaching a class of a few young ellyth swordplay lessons.

As he watched Belegwen and her daughter together, he could see the similarities between them. Beleganna had inherited her naneth's physical giftings, but chose to use them in different ways. Rather than using her balance, speed, and grace to fight, she used it to dance.

And dance she did. Orophin had seen that both Belegond and Galadir could dance very well, but Beleganna made their movements look slavenly. Their granddaughter moved with absolute precision and a certain refinement that spoke of hour upon hour of practice. Even moreover, she made dancing the way she did look as natural as breathing and she was not even fully grown yet! Her grandfathers seemed to be having a ball though, laughing as they took turns swinging her around while they waited for her naneth to finish her sword lesson.

Rippling faster, the waters revealed something more. A dance studio, complete with light wooden floors and mirrors covering all four walls. Light shined brightly through several built-in skylights as several couples readied themselves to practice. His eyes immediately latched onto Haldir and Belegwen's familiar forms, both facing one another with open admiration in their eyes. They seemed to be communicating with one another mentally again, at least until a familiar face showed up beside them.

It was Beleganna and she was now fully grown. Orophin smiled, as he could see the perfect mix of his brother and sister in their progeny. She looked the same way Belegwen had when she had first come of age—a tiny elleth with a willowy body and gorgeous silver hair. Her eyes, nose, and mouth mimicked Haldir's though and it was quite obvious to all whose daughter she was. He watched in amazement as he realized Beleganna was the teacher of the class; she quickly adjusted Haldir and Belegwen's stance a bit with a smile before moving along to the next couple.

Orophin's eyes went wide as he saw that he was one half of the second couple. The elleth he was with was absolutely gorgeous, with dark hair such as the elves of Imladris often had, along with lovely green eyes that seemed to speak to him of the beauty within her very soul. Orophin immediately recognized the look that he and the elleth he was dancing with shared—it was love! The same look of love that Haldir and Belegwen shared was apparently a thing he too would eventually have and cherish!

Stunned by what he was seeing, Orophin watched as the scene continued with his jaw hanging open. Beleganna adjusted them too, drawing them quite close to one another and laughing as they spoke briefly before she moved on.

Once the room was ready, Beleganna cued a trio of instrumentalists in the corner and the dance began. She took hold of Linros, who was waiting for her off to the side and the two danced along with the class, moving with such smooth perfection that Orophin could scarcely take his eyes off of them. It was because of this that he noticed their hands…

They were both wearing matching golden rings upon their pointer fingers.

Linros was going to marry Haldir's daughter Beleganna! Haldir must have agreed to it too, for they were all in the same room and no one seemed bothered by it! Orophin blinked in shock, but then realized how reasonable the situation was. Everyone knew that Linros spent most of his time at Haldir and Belegwen's talan and was already practically another member of their family. They knew him well and often regarded him as if he was another son to them, as he meant a lot to their family and had earned their respect during their last years in Lothlorien.

Because of this, perhaps Linros was meant to be with Beleganna. If he loved her, it was the best-case scenario to have it be a trusted family friend wed her, one who had already earned her parents' respect over the years. Indeed, the two looked blissfully happy with one another as they danced with such astounding perfection that it brought a small tear to Orophin's eye.

And then the pictures were suddenly gone. The water in the mirror stilled itself and became clear once more, showing him only his reflection within its shallow depths. Orophin gasped as he looked up to find the lady staring at him quite intensely.

"I know what you have been thinking about yourself this week, Orophin Galadirion." She stated lowly. "I also know what it was you saw today. Tell me—why do you think the mirror has shown you these moments?"

Orophin blinked, uncertain of what to say and unwilling to put his foot in his mouth around the lady. "I know not." He answered carefully, "Most of the scenes were not about me, but about Haldir's daughter who is soon to be born. I am uncertain as to how this should be significant to me."

Galadriel simply stared at him for a moment in silence before her face softened at long last. "You truly do not understand, do you?"

Shaking his head, Orophin replied, "You are right. I do not."

Galadriel walked languidly towards him, her white dress dragging over the cobblestones until she stopped right in front of him. Her hand reached out and gently rested upon his shoulder as he stared into her blue eyes nervously.

"What you have seen today was only possible because of one elf—you. Without your interference at Mandos' request, none of these moments of happiness would come to pass." She said and then smiled at him tenderly as her hand slipped down from his shoulder and hung loosely at her side. "You are the reason your family has the joy they share today. If you had not succeeded, such a future would be impossible."

A pang of anguish shot through Orophin's heart as he mentally deduced what would have happened if Haldir had not successfully returned to Belegwen after Helm's Deep.

He frowned at the thought of the darkness that would have overcome his family.

Belegwen surely would have faded, as she was tied too closely to Haldir to go on without him. Her fading would have left young Halendil in Rumil's hands. While Rumil seemed to truly enjoy being an uncle, Orophin was not sure he would have felt as joyous if the full responsibility of being an adar had been involuntarily hoisted upon his shoulders.

And poor Halendil… He would have never known the love of his true adar and naneth as he grew up in Lorien. Would he have turned out to be the same happy-go-lucky elf he was today?

Certainly not. His life would have been much darker and full of despair if he had no parents to love him as an elfling deserved. Though Orophin was sure Rumil would have tried his absolute best, it would not have been the same.

As for Beleganna, well… she would not even exist.

Orophin frowned at the thought, as it had looked as if Haldir's new daughter would bring great delight to their entire family. Indeed, Beleganna seemed to bring along with her great light and life. All that their family had been lacking during their darker days of living in Arda had somehow been encapsulated in one tiny little elleth.

She alone had the power to heal what was yet broken within their family and bring joy to them all once more. This was amazing and Galadriel was giving him the credit for setting these events into motion.

Still, Orophin felt he did not deserve such credit. "I was not the one who came up with the plan. It is Vaire and Mandos who deserve the credit, not myself. I simply followed Mandos' directions. He is to receive the credit for returning Haldir to Belegwen, not me." He argued, despair filling his heart as he refused to accept the lady's words.

"Yet you were the one closest to Haldir and the only one in the Halls who he would actually listen to regarding the matter. You were obedient too, stopping at nothing to ensure he was convinced he needed to return." She replied in an attempt to convince him otherwise. "There is no need to lose hope Orophin, for now that you have seen to your family's happiness, you will receive your own eternity of joy through the future you were instrumental in creating."

Orophin cocked up an eyebrow, perplexed by what Galadriel was tell him. "She was beautiful, was she not? A fine match for you, I am certain. Your eyes spoke of your love for her, as will your heart when the time is right." Orophin flushed a bit as he realized she was talking about the dark-haired elleth he had been dancing with in the mirror. Galadriel disregarded it though as she continued, "You will find her because you helped your brother's family. Without having done your part to unite Haldir and Belegwen, none of the events we witnessed this afternoon would ever come to pass." She reminded him gently.

While he knew Galadriel was trying to ease the pain he harbored in his heart recently, he could not easily let it go. After all, he did not fit in with Haldir, Rumil, and Belegwen in the way he hoped he would. They had all grown terribly close to one another during those last few decades they spent in Arda. Orophin did not feel close to any of them now and often felt as though he was a third wheel when he heard their special stories, as he was not part of any of their recent ones.

"That too will change." Galadriel's voice whispered on the wind around him, giving him gooseflesh as it chilled him in more than one way. "For tonight you will once again prove your worth to your family and earn your place amongst them. Go now to Belegwen and hurry. When you arrive, you will know what to do."

"What?" He questioned immediately, his eyes widening with shock. "I do not understand."

"Go. If you waste time, you will be too late. Help her and you will finally see just how important you are within your family." She replied with slight impatience, though Orophin could not blame her, as he did not trust her judgment currently in the way he normally would.

"But… who will look after the mirror?" He asked reluctantly, confused about what was happening.

"Already one of my lady's in waiting approaches to take over for you. Trust Orophin; trust in my words and let your destiny finally take hold as it should." She murmured. The air around him tingled with power and finally Orophin found his footing. He stepped backwards down the stairs, struggling to take his eyes off the intensity radiating off the lady. Finally, after stumbling a bit, he turned and ran as quickly as he could to the Lorien Quarter in the light of the newly setting sun.

Orophin was uncertain of what awaited him, but he the lady had never been wrong before and he was as obedient as ever…

He would see this task through, no matter what.

ooOoo

Belegwen's eyes suddenly opened as she felt the elfling moving about within her. The elleth was kicking her insides with such great vigor that Belegwen thought she might just plow right through her skin to make her grand debut into Valinor. She frowned, as this was the third time the little one had woken her up from her nap this evening. The elleth was more active than ever tonight, causing her significantly more discomfort than usual.

"Please come out of me soon." Belegwen muttered to herself in exasperation as she eyed Nimrodel, which was hung decoratively on the wall right beside Haldir's own sword. It had been months since Belegwen had been allowed to engage in any swordplay and she dearly missed it. There were only three more weeks of her pregnancy to go and then she could get back to it. At least, that was what Eltirwen had told her last week at her checkup.

Three more weeks until she could meet her daughter and then her sword could rest comfortably in her hands once more. Belegwen was excited about both of these events, but even more so, she was excited to get the elfling out of her so that she could feel comfortable in her own body again.

Never would she have guessed that being pregnant all the way through the entire year would be so incredibly uncomfortable and awkward. When she had Halendil, she had only made it three-quarters of the way through her term and had not reached the stage of discomfort before she birthed him. This second pregnancy was something else though. There were few things that Belegwen could do now that did not tire her out and she had been unable to bend over and pick anything up from the ground in weeks.

To Belegwen, who enjoyed being active all the time, it was nearly unbearable. Haldir, Rumil, Galadir, and her own adar were constantly nagging her to do less. While she understood that they cared about her and only wanted the best for her, such treatment was still rather upsetting from her standpoint. Belegwen wanted to do as she pleased and was tired of being bossed around and treated like a china doll. Indeed, she was very much ready to meet her daughter and have the ability to go about doing what she wanted once again.

She also wanted to have the ability to see her feet once more.

Belegwen stared down at her stomach and rubbed it gently as a frown marred her otherwise perfect face. She was becoming more and more uncomfortable by the moment and needed to find something to distract herself from the feelings coming from within.

After a moment, she spotted an easy task—one of Haldir's council robes, which he now wore on a regular basis. No longer having a job as a Marchwarden, Haldir had thrown himself wholeheartedly into his council position, which Amdir operated much in the same way as the lord and lady had in Lothlorien. Similarly, Belegwen was now accustomed to Haldir coming home and complaining about whatever topic he had quarreled with Eregdol about each day, which also brought back memories from their time in Arda.

The forest green robe that was haphazardly thrown in the basket had a small snag at the bottom and needed a quick mending job. It had been sitting in the sewing basket by the door for nearly a week now, as neither of them had found any time to deal with the small task.

Hoisting herself up from the chair was no easy feat currently. Belegwen struggled to wiggle her way to the chair's edge and then steadied it as best she could before awkwardly getting to her feet and standing up.

Immediately, she regretted it. An odd feeling instantly filled her lower half and suddenly she felt liquid dripping down her legs and splashing onto the floor. "Oh Valar…" She whispered in fear as she grabbed at the wall nearest to her for support while she tried to figure out what to do. Clearly, the elfling had decided to make an early arrival, but Haldir was not home yet. He had went running with Halendil earlier in the evening while Nenrim had been regaling her with a story from the second age. He had long since went home though, leaving when Belegwen had started dozing on and off in her chair.

Currently, there was no one in the talan to help.

"Haldir!" She called to him within her mind, instantly garnering his attention. Through his eyes, she could see that he was at the archery field all the way in the Greenwood Quarter. He and Halendil sometimes ran there to practice archery with Prince Legolas, who had become a good friend of the family during their first few years in Valinor.

"Meleth?" He asked in return as he expertly aimed his bow at a distant target. "Do you need something?"

Just as he went to release his shot, Belegwen said, "The elfling is coming now! Please hurry home!"

The shot went wide, completely missing the target as Belegwen felt shock wash over Haldir. "Now? Rhiach! Sweet Valar, do not panic. I am coming home right away! I will be there soon!"

Belegwen watched as he ran off into the trees, Halendil hot on his heels and asking him what was happening. With a blink of her eyes, she found herself back in their talan, standing in the liquids that had come out of her body. Quickly she wandered into their bedroom, changing into a dry dress before hobbling back into the common area. The elfling was already settling into a low position within her, just as Halendil had when he was about to be born.

Oh dear, she hoped Haldir would get home soon!

Just as Belegwen started to inch her way towards the window seat to wait for her hervenn, the front door caught her attention as it swung open violently and slammed against the opposite wall. A disheveled Orophin stood in its wake, breathing heavily as if he had run a great distance involuntarily.

"Belegwen, are you well?" He asked in between deep breaths, as he clearly had not run so much in a very long time. If he had ran all the way from where he lived in the Noldorin Quarter, that was quite a distance indeed. "Lady Galadriel has sent me to help you!"

"Lady Galadriel?" She questioned, momentarily surprised before she decided to just go along with what fate had dealt her. "I do need help. I am starting to have the elfling and I need assistance getting to Eltirwen's talan. Haldir is coming, but he is quite far away and I am uncertain if I can wait until he gets here to take me."

Orophin's eyes became huge as he quickly assessed the situation. Belegwen knew she probably looked horrible as she hunched over, holding her stomach while battling against her own state of panic. He pulled himself together rather quickly though and said, "I will take you. Can you walk as you are?"

Belegwen nodded in response, but when Orophin saw how she was hobbling to the door, he came closer to her and gave her a questioning look with his eyes. "Oh, very well then." She muttered, giving in to his wish. She gasped as he clumsily picked up her up into her arms.

"Is this okay?" He asked nervously as his pale, freckled face stared down at her with concern. When she nodded, he carefully maneuvered them both through the doorway and set off down the stairs of the mallorn tree. Upon reaching the ground, he sped down the pathway in the direction of the healing telain, thanking Elbereth that he did not have far to go.

There were some elves on the pathway who observed them, giving them odd looks and whispering amongst themselves. Belegwen paid them no heed. She was simply thankful that her brother had come to help her in her time of need.

"Have you told Haldir where we will be?" He asked anxiously as they passed yet another group of whispering elves in the darkening light of the setting sun.

"Yes." She murmured, then squeezed her eyes shut for a moment as the sensation of pressure seemed to grow within her abdomen. "Oh no… I fear it is almost time." She said in a tiny voice.

When she finally managed to look up, she saw Orophin's blue eyes staring down at her with alarm. "She is coming now?"

"Yes, she is coming now. Hurry!" She exclaimed, then squeezed her eyes shut again. The elfling was coming fast, just as Halendil did. She was beginning to worry that the elfling would make her appearance right there in the street. Though her eyes were closed, she felt Orophin walking even faster now, trying his best to get her to Eltirwen's talan on time.

"Belegwen! Are you unwell?" Came another familiar voice through the murky clouds that were lingering in Belegwen's mind. When she opened her eyes again, she saw Linros walking quickly beside Orophin, his eyes equally concerned for her well-being.

This did not surprise Belegwen, as Linros had been part of their family for nearly 80 years. He had more than kept his promise to be Halendil's gwador, spending nearly every day of his life by the young ellon's side. For this reason, Belegwen and Haldir often regarded him as if he was their own son.

"She is having the elleth now. Run ahead and let Eltirwen know we will be there in a couple of minutes." Orophin urged him. Linros obeyed, instantly running towards the large mallorn that housed the healing telain, running up the stairs in front of them.

Belegwen grew more and more nervous though as they approached the stairwell leading up to Eltirwen's talan. "What if Haldir does not make it on time?" She moaned, drawing Orophin's attention back to herself as he started up the stairs.

"He will." He said in a reassuring voice. "He would not miss this. Can you not feel him coming?"

She nodded after a moment, for she could. Within her mind's eye, she could see how he was tearing down the pathway back to the Lorien Quarter at a breakneck speed. Belegwen was uncertain if she had ever seen him run so fast in her entire life. "He will be here." She whispered to herself, closing her eyes once more in an effort to stay calm.

"Next talan—Eltirwen is not in, so you will need to bring her to Linedhel!" Linros' voice chimed. Belegwen moaned as she felt Orophin switch directions. Why was Eltirwen never available when she needed her most?!

"Linros!" She called out to her son's best friend, "Will you fetch Haldir and I's parents? Rumil and Nenrim too?"

"Yes, I will go and get them. Best wishes—I cannot wait to meet the new elleth!" Linros called back as he feet softly thumped down the stairway behind her. Belegwen could barely hear him though, as the sensations in her lower body now seemed to be the only thing she could think about. She was struggling to think clearly now as the pressure grew in intensity.

It was almost time now.

Somehow through the fog in her mind and the uncomfortable sensations racking her body, she noticed Orophin had laid her down on a soft bed. Voices were speaking around her, though she was struggling to make out what they were saying.

Suddenly a damp cloth was on her forehead and when she looked up, she saw Orophin's concerned eyes gazing down upon her. "You are doing great Belegwen. Try to hold on for a couple more minutes; I am sure Haldir will be here any minute now." He said. She felt the gentle squeeze of his hand in her own and felt momentarily reassured through her distracted haze.

"You are good at this, just like Rumil." Belegwen murmured, trying to smile up at him. She vaguely noticed that he looked surprised by the comment for a moment, but then smiled down at her as if her compliment had touched his heart in some way. "I am glad that you are here with me Orophin. I would not want to go through this by myself."

"I am happy to help gwathel." She heard him reply, as she closed her eyes again. She could feel her lower muscles starting to engage, working of their own volition to start pushing the little one into the world. She bit her lip in frustration, as Haldir still had not arrived yet. However, there was so much pressure below that she was uncertain she could hold the elleth in much longer.

Moaning in frustration, she heard Linedhel direct her to start pushing. Just as she was about to, the door to the room they were in slammed open roughly and then Haldir was next to her, holding her face in his hands to inspect her and then kissing her on the forehead. "Meleth, I am here. How are you doing?"

"Better now that you are here." She breathed, suddenly feeling very relieved. Traditionally, an elfling's adar was always present at their birth to catch the little one and cut the cord. Belegwen knew Haldir had longed for this role, as he had missed the opportunity with Halendil. Knowing he was there to receive the little one and hold her safely in his arms took a lot of fear out of Belegwen's mind.

"You can do this meleth. Start to push, just as Linedhel has said and soon we shall meet our little elleth together." He said, stroking her cheek before bending down to kiss her once more. Then, as he went to take his place by her legs, Belegwen took a breath to calm herself and focused on doing just that.

However, someone was missing…

"Orophin," she gasped as she glanced over and saw him heading towards the door. "Please stay and hold my hand. I do not wish to be alone right now."

"Truly?" He asked after turning around to stare at her. "Are you certain you would not rather have Rumil? I could go get him, if you would like."

"Don't be silly—you are doing a fine job of helping me and I want you here to help finish the job." She said, then scrunched up her face as she went to push. When she opened her eyes, she saw Haldir give Orophin a nod of approval before he bent down to listen to what Linedhel and his interns were saying.

She felt his hand return to her own and she smiled up at him tiredly. "Thank you for getting me here. I could not have done this without you."

"Anytime gwathel…" He said softly, squeezing her hand as she went about pushing again. "Anytime."

ooOoo

"I present to you Beleganna Haldiriel."

It had happened just as he had seen it in the mirror, with Belegwen holding the swaddled elfling out to him and Haldir introducing her, though Orophin had already known her name beforehand. The elleth was just as beautiful as she had appeared in the mirror too, with large cerulean eyes just like his brother's and a small sprinkling of silver hairs atop her head, which would soon become just like his sister's.

What Orophin had not seen in the mirror was the look of amazement and absolute admiration that had come over Haldir's face when he had received the elfling into his arms as Belegwen pushed her out. Though Orophin had not seen the birth, the image of his brother's face upon seeing the elfling for the first time would be emblazoned in his mind forever. There was love there, a deep love such as he could not yet understand, for the elleth he had just received. Haldir had barely been able to let the crying elleth out of his arms so the interns could clean her up because he had been so entranced by the little one.

Orophin had then watched as Haldir took the little elleth in his arms once more, now clean and swaddled in a light pink blanket, and walked her over to Belegwen. The way he looked at the elfling… Well, it seemed as if Haldir thought she was more precious than any gold, silver, or gem. Orophin had now heard numerous stories about how Belegond had reacted upon having Belegwen as his daughter, showing her off all around Caras Galadhon to anyone who might listen and admire her.

It was already clear to him that Haldir was about to do exactly that with his new daughter.

Haldir handed the elfling over to Belegwen with reverence, kissing her on the forehead as he watched her reaction to the little one intently. Orophin had stepped out of the way, wanting to allow them a few moments to themselves to marvel at the elleth on their own. Admire they did, whispering quietly back and forth to one another and caressing the elleth's chubby pink cheeks and astoundingly small hands.

"They are beautiful together, are they not?" An unfamiliar voice had said from his side. When Orophin finally tore his eyes away from his brother and sister, he nearly gasped in shock, as the dark-haired elleth he had danced with in the mirror was standing right next to him. She appeared to be one of Linedhel's interns, wiping her hands off on a small white towel next to him as she surveyed the scene he had previously been watching.

"That was the first elfling I had ever birthed. How beautiful it is, the miracle of life." She continued, smiling up at him as her vibrant green eyes met his cool blue ones.

"Yes, it is," he had agreed, slightly amazed that he was meeting her so soon after having seen her in the mirror.

"You are now a proud uncle, yes?" She asked, smiling even more brightly when he nodded with delight. "Congratulations—what a blessing it must be to have your family grow. She will prove to be a wonderful niece indeed."

Once she had set about cleaning up the room once again, Orophin watched her with interest, noticing the delicate motions of her hands and the graceful stride of her legs beneath the tan healing robes she was wearing. He did not wish to rush things, as he felt that might ruin his chances with her, but he could not help but stare at her as she went about her work in the room. This went on for several minutes; Orophin hoped she did not notice how obsessed he had grown with her already.

However, even his curious thoughts about the green-eyed healer had flown from his head when he held Beleganna for the first time. Because he had taken Belegwen into the healer's talan, he had been given the privilege of being the first member of the family to hold the tiny elleth.

Perhaps he was a valued member of their family after all.

Indeed, he mused as he watched Haldir lead the rest of the family in, Orophin had simply needed a reminder after that terrible dinner that he too, was valued and loved. It was easy to assume he was not, as he had missed out on so much after he passed away in Arda. He had not gotten a chance to know Belegwen the way Rumil did, nor see the budding romance grow between her and his brother Haldir. Still, the way Belegwen had adamantly asked him to stay with her during the birth showed him that he had somehow wheedled his way into her heart…

…and that was all he needed.

Once he had cradled the elleth for a while, he handed her gently over to Halendil, who was ecstatic to finally meet his tiny sister. Then he watched as elf after elf held the little one carefully: Teluial, who had practically fainted at the idea of having another elfling in the family, and then Galadir, who had simply gazed upon the elleth with pride glowing in his eyes. Rumil had been next and he had complimented Belegwen over and over again on how beautiful this elleth was and how happy he was to become an uncle once again.

The elleth was then passed to Belegwen's side of the family, being held first by Nenrim, who promised to tell the elleth every story he knew. Belegwen's naneth Nenwen held her next, speaking softly to the elleth and singing to her when she briefly woke. She then made her way into Belegond's arms, where he carefully held her up in one arm while lightly touching her forehead with his free hand. He stood there with his eyes closed for a few minutes, before opening them and allowing a smile of great joy to brighten his face.

"My darling Belegwen, she is just like you!" He exclaimed quietly, clearly overjoyed with this new discovery. "Her spirit—her fëa, it feels just like yours! What a mighty gift she is indeed—you have named her well!"

The room burst into light-hearted conversation upon hearing that. All the elves were speculating who the elleth would be most like, Haldir or Belegwen. Orophin just listened though, secretly smiling when Linros held the elleth for the first time. The young elf was totally unaware of the fact that he was holding his future wife.

Already, Beleganna had brought great joy to their family, which made everything Orophin had endured worthwhile. He was excited to find out how much more happiness was in store for them over the years. He already knew Haldir and Belegwen were at peace, having finally found one another and committed themselves to each other as they should have a few millennia ago. Rumil also had found someone and would soon be engaged and on his way to a life of marital bliss.

As for Orophin, he knew he had quite the road ahead of him before he committed to any elleth. However, when the dark-haired healer winked at him from across the room, his heart skipped a beat and his body filled with an unnatural warmth. Suddenly, he just knew this was going to be fun and without overthinking it, went over to speak with her once more, effectively stepping into the destiny he had created for himself the moment he agreed to help Mandos and Vaire.

And he too found joy; the greatest joy indeed.

The End.

*The name Beleganna translates out to "mighty gift" in Elvish

ooOoo

Glossary of Story Terms

Adar-Father (also ada for short)

Caras Galadhon-Main city in the Lothlorien Realm

Daro-Stop

Edain-Used to reference men, otherwise known as the second born

Eldar-Used to reference elves, otherwise known as the first born

Elfling-Baby Elf (or an elf who is not at his/her majority yet)

Elleth-She-Elf

Ellon-He-Elf

Ellyn-Plural of Ellon; He-elves

Ellyth-Plural of Elleth; She-Elves

Eru Iluvatar-Creator of the Valar/Elves/Men. A god over all of Arda.

Fëa-An elf's spirit or soul

Galadhrim-References any residents of Lothlorien. This is often used in reference to all the Lothlorien wardens in this story.

Gwador-Brother in this fanfic (I recently found out muindor is more meant to be be familial brother and gwador is more of a 'brother in all but blood.' Therefore, Bragolith and Haldir should call each other gwador, but Haldir, Orophin, and Rumil would more appropriately be calling one another 'muindor.' Sorry-I'll get it right next time folks!)

Gwathel-Sister in this fanfic (this truly should have been muinthel for a brother-sister relationship; gwathel is a 'sister in all but blood.')

Halls of Mandos-A place where elven spirits go upon dying unnaturally. They receive healing here and are often reborn after a long waiting period.

Hervenn-Husband

Hervess-Wife

Ion-Son

Ion-nin-Son of mine

Iel-daughter

Lembas-Elvish bread; one bite can supposedly keep an elf full for an entire day.

Mae Govannen-Welcome/Greetings

Mallorn-an extraordinarily large tree that grows both in Lothlorien and Valinor. In this story, the leaves turn gold in the daytime and silver at night. When I started this fanfic, this was how many fanfics were written, though I understand it is not a correct assessment of Tolkien's vision now.

Marchwarden-Commander ranking in the Lothlorien army

Meldir-masculine version of friend (Rumil calls Belegwen this so that he's not treating her any differently than any of the other wardens, even though it is the masculine version of the word)

Meleth-love (as in calling a dear one 'my love' or meleth-nin)

Mellon-friend (can be masculine or feminine)

Mellyrn-plural of mallorn

Naneth-mother (also nana for short)

Rhiach-Elvish curse/profanity

Rohirric-Language of men spoken in Rohan

Talan-large tree platform that can be a home or a landing for watches on the border

Telain-plural of talan

Valar-Creations of Eru Iluvatar who helped design Arda. Valar generally refers to the male entities, such as Mandos or Manwe.

Valier-Creations of Eru Iluvatar who helped design Arda. Valier generally refers to the female entities, such as Elbereth or Vaire.

Warden-A guardian soldier of Lothlorien

Westron-the Common tongue amongst men

*If I missed important words used in the story, do let me know and I'll add them into this section.

ooOoo

I have several people who have helped me along the way who I would like to thank:

To Arwan and hrtiu—You are both the reason I finished this fanfic. Had you not let me know last spring that you were still hoping for the ending of this fanfic, I never would have done this. I thought it would be too daunting of a task, but you convinced me to try and I am very pleased that I can now say I've written a novel-length fanfic. Thank you so much for your support and encouragement!

To ObsidianEmbrace—Though you did not beta this story for me, I feel like the year you spent as my beta a decade ago improved my writing significantly and I am very grateful still for all of your help. You helped make me the writer I am today! Thank you!

To my husband—You had never seen the side of me that liked to write because I had tucked it away, growing busy with many other tasks over the last decade. You have been very supportive though and have given up a lot of time with me so I could finish this project. Aside from all the light-hearted jokes about how I'm supposedly over here writing elf-on-dwarf porn, you have been a wonderful support. Truly, you are the Haldir to my Belegwen—thanks for being so awesome!

To all of the story's fans—Thank you! Whether you are newly reading this story now or have been reading the story since I started it in 2002, I want to thank you for your continued readership and support. At its pinnacle this summer, TBFF was receiving 3,000+ hits every month, which is more attention than I had ever dreamed of getting from a fanfic. Knowing that so many people love this fanfic brings me great joy. All of your reviews have made me feel quite special over the years, along with helping me to improve my craft. I cannot tell you enough how much I appreciate my readers and how happy I am that you came along on this special journey with me. Thank you very, very much for all of your support!

What's next P.G.?

In truth, I'm not sure. I have one Harry Potter fanfic entitled "Her Secret Obsession" that is only half a chapter away from completion that I hope to finish. I have a couple of other incomplete HP fanfics I could finish, but I also have a couple of ideas for new LotR fanfics. I'm not sure which I will choose yet or even if I will have the gumption to write another novel-length fanfic at all. Should you wish to stay in the loop though, I would recommend putting me on Author Alert so you don't miss out on the next adventure.

In the meantime, feel free to check out my C2 group "Haldirmance." I am compiling a large number of satisfying Haldir romance stories there, comprised of all different ratings and writing levels. There's a little something there for every Haldir fan, so go check it out!

Thanks again to all of my fans for your wonderful support throughout the years! I bid you a fond farewell!

-P.G.