Haldir felt uncomfortable. He never wanted to come to this dance anyway. It was too...informal. There was very little sense of dignity or propriety. Sure, the dances were sometimes lively and the men and women kept a decent distance from one another, but it was a bit too much for Haldir's liking. Still, when Legolas begged him to join him, Haldir could hardly refuse.

So that was how Haldir found himself standing on the sidelines, head held up proudly, with his eyes scanning the room. Legolas had found himself a willing dance partner(not that it was hard for him to do) and was proceeding to dance the night away. Haldir let his mind wander far away from the dance. He had better things to do with his time. And, even if he had been inclined to dance, there was hardly anyone suitable.

"They make a fine pair, do they not?" a voice asked, causing Haldir to break his gaze away from all the couples in the room. He glanced over to find you smiling at him. "I suppose so," he answered stiffly, "She does seem to be the most tolerable woman in the room. Unlike that woman over there. You would think her husband would do something about that."

You let out a giggle. "I'm sure he would if he could. Mother has always had a bit too much personality for Father to rein in." Haldir blustered a little at his error. While he felt his words were true, insulting someone's family wasn't what he'd set out to do. "Perhaps you should be more like your friend over there. He doesn't seem to hold such prejudices against us. Relax a little and dance." Haldir frowned at your lack of propriety toward him. You seemed to speak without thinking. It was as if you didn't care who heard you.

"No, thank you. Even if I were so inclined, there is not a partner here tolerable enough to tempt me." At that, your smile faltered a bit. "I see, well then, I shall leave you to find better company. Good evening." You gave a little curtsy and left Haldir looking after you.

Since that night, Haldir had not been able to stop thinking about you. He had tried. After all, his patron, Lady Galadriel, was insisting on him finding a suitable wife. His mind should be focused on that and his estate, not on a woman who had no respect for those of a higher station. Yet, he couldn't seem to help himself. And it didn't help that Legolas was practically dragging him to your home every other day.

Legolas' partner at the dance had been your sister. He had taken quite the fancy to your sister and insisted on seeing her as often as possible. Haldir couldn't let his friend travel an unknown countryside alone, so he went with him. That meant seeing more of you as well.

At first, the visits had been awkward. Then, they turned passionate. Not in the romantic way, no. Your passion came through in verbal sparring. You had a quick wit that matched your quick mouth. You never hesitated to let your opinions be heard, much to the dismay of your poor mother, who'd been trying to get you married off for years.

It had been going on for weeks when Haldir finally realized why he felt himself put walls up around you. Without meaning to, he'd given you the ability to crush him with just a simple word. He'd given you his heart, despite trying his hardest not to. He had to admit that he had met his match in every way. So, why was it so difficult to say that to you instead of fighting?

Deep down, Haldir knew why. He knew that the two of you, while perfectly matched in most ways, were not the ideal couple. His patroness wanted him to marry a woman of good standing. You weren't. It wasn't that your family didn't have money, but you certainly weren't of the same class as Haldir. That was why he tried to force himself to forget his feelings. So neither of you would be hurt in the end. But that all came crashing down one day.

As usual, the two of you were arguing. This time, you were outside in the garden. You had been adamant about it even though it was going to rain any moment. Haldir couldn't even remember what you were arguing about, if he was honest. But he would never forget what happened after you snapped at him. "Are you so arrogant to think that you know everything? That you know, for a certainty, that I shall never have the prospect of a good match?"

"I am not arrogant, Miss Y/L/N! I simply do not wish you to have another prospect. How can I when I have fallen utter in love with you?" In that moment, the world froze. You stood there, staring at him with wide eyes. "I beg your pardon?" you whispered as the rain began to fall. Haldir sighed.

"I love you, Y/N. Most ardently. Despite everything. Despite how willful you are and how sharp your tongue is. Despite the lack of propriety shown by everyone in your family. In spite of my better judgment. The judgment that tells me I should just leave and never come back because there is no hope for us cannot keep me from telling you that there is no one else for me. And I hope, though you have shown no inclination toward me, that your feelings are the same."

For a few moments, you merely gaped at him. Finally, your jaw tightened and your fists balled at your sides. "How dare you, sir?! How dare you say such things to me?!" Haldir's mouth dropped open and he began to protest. "No. For once, you will let me speak uninterrupted, without arguing with me. You say you love me, sir and expect me to just fall at your feet. I tell you, I will not. Not because I do not believe that your feelings are true, for I know you do not possess false feelings, but because you chose to tell me that you love me against your better judgment."

You took a breath before continuing, "And, as if insulting me were not enough, you have also insult those I hold dear to me. All of this brings to mind on thing and one thing only; were you the last man on this earth, I would still never be yours!" With that, you turned on your heel and ran back inside. Haldir was left speechless once again, in the pouring rain.

*short time skip*

Haldir thought it best to give you some space. He stayed away for a few days, but you refused to see him when he returned. Clearly you were still angry and needed more time. So, he went away again. He returned a couple of weeks later to find that you still would not see him. Then, another week passed and he was met at the door by your father.

"She's not here." Haldir frowned. "Where is she? I...really must see her." Your father gave a little shrug. "She's gone to visit her dearest friend. She left no clear date of when she will return. I would suggest writing to her. You know how she loves the written word." Haldir nodded and left. Perhaps your father was right. It was time to make things right and perhaps the best way to start was by writing to you. Surely you would not reject a letter of apology. Haldir raced his horse as fast as he could and began writing as soon as he was able.

Meanwhile, you were at your friend's small cottage, gazing out the window. "You shouldn't have been so hard on him, Y/N. He comes from a different world than you or I. He is expected to marry a lady or a duchess or some such. I'm sure it came as a great shock to him when he realized how he loved you." You gave her a smile. She was good at that.

"Maybe I was hard on him, but I believe it was for good reason. I think he needed his pride to take a hit." Your friend laughed softly. "And what of your pride? Do you believe yourself too good for him?" You shook your head and whispered, "No. Quite the opposite. I know I am not good enough for him. And that's what scares me. What if he were to wake up one day and realize what I have known all along? If I gave my heart to him and that happened, I would be too broken."

Your friend gave your shoulder a squeeze and a kiss on the cheek as a knock sounded through the home. Y/F/N got up while you waited. She returned a moment later. "It's a letter for you." You took it gingerly. Who would be writing to you? You opened it and read the neatly scrawled writing.

To Miss Y/F&L/N,

Once again, I find myself at the disadvantage of not being afforded the chance to do this person. It was your father's suggestion that I write you instead. I must apologize for what transpired between us. While I know my heart was in the right place, I realize now that my words were not. You deserve better than what I have tried to give. I only hope that, one day, you can put aside your prejudices about me and forgive me for mine. I eagerly await your return home so that I may speak to you in person and tell you once more that I love you.

Yours,

Haldir

You felt the tears rolling down your face before you could stop them. "Oh, Y/N, what is the matter?" You shook your head and smiled a little. "Nothing...nothing at all. Forgive me, but I must answer this." You left your friend to write your own letter.

It went on like that for weeks. You and Haldir wrote back and forth until the day you returned home. It seemed that Haldir expressed himself much better through letters than face-to-face. You learned about him and why he acted the way he did. You learned that he was forced to be a grown man before his time. He had a sister to raise. You learned of how he had been required to mend his sister's broken heart and how he'd given up all hope of finding love because of this. As time went on, you found yourself forgiving the man you once thought was too proud. In fact, you found your feelings for him changing entirely.

*another time skip*

The day you returned home was a beautiful day. The sun was out and a light breeze carried through the gardens. And even better, your entire family seemed to be in a wonderful mood. Your mother came out to greet you with a hug and a smile. "What is everyone so happy about?" She didn't answer, just shuffled you inside.

You sister tackled you in a hug. "Oh, Y/N! It is the best of news!" She pulled back and you could see tears in her eyes. "If it is such good news, why are you crying?" She sniffled and laughed at the same time. "I'm crying because I am so happy. He proposed. Legolas proposed! Just this morning!" You squealed as you wrapped her in a hug.

You were happy for your sister, but you couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit jealous as well. You weren't sure if that kind of thing would ever happen for you. Your sister pulled you away from the rest of your family. "Legolas' friend was by too. I think he was hoping to see you." You felt your heart skip a beat.

"He was? What did he say?" Your sister shook her head. "Nothing other than he was simply here to support his friend. Can you believe that? He actually was happy that Legolas proposed." You smiled. If only she knew. "We were wrong about him, Y/S/N. Me most of all. If anyone has been too proud, it was me. I judged him too harshly."

"I am happy to hear that." You both jumped at the sound of Haldir's voice. You faced him as you felt your skin heating up. "Might I have a moment alone, Miss Y/N?" You nodded. Your sister flashed you a cheeky smile. You lead Haldir to an empty room in the house. "How may I help you, Mr. Haldir?"

Haldir looked uncharacteristically uncomfortable, but still as determined as ever. "Miss Y/N, I have come back to you to confess that my feelings that you once spurned are still present. In fact, they are stronger than ever. I wish to tell you that I have every intention of taking you as my wife. Unless, your feelings are still as they were before. Then I shall go away and never speak of this again."

You took a cautious step toward him. His eyes never left your face, as if he were afraid you'd disappear if he looked away. You gently clasped his hands in yours and brought them up to your lips. "In that case, you should never leave my side again. I do love you, Haldir. I was too proud to admit it, but you are my match in every way." Haldir actually smiled for the first time since you'd met him. "Shall I speak to your father then?" You nodded happily and Haldir, in his joy, swooped down and let his lips meet yours.