Tolkien reader inserts/one shots

Too Proud (Haldir x fem!reader) Pride and Prejudice AU

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?"