The days were getting shorter, for winter was only but a few days away. Through the thick trees of Greenwood, there was still a remnant of Sun that warmed his fair face. He intended to enjoy that last bit of Sun for the Day before he went back into his Chambers where lay his wife, smiling despite her obvious exhaustion. Bearing a Child was tiresome, especially when the child in question could not Settle in their mother's womb.

The child could be coming any time from now, the parents were well aware of it, yet They still had their duties, hence they sat all Day on their Thrones, listening to their subjects' questions and remarks until Caledhel could take no more of it and went to rest.

Her husband had joined her for an hour or so before he had to return to the great hall. Now was his last moment of peace before going back to his duties.

But as he opened his eyes, his eyes did not find Caladhel first but one of his close guards, Erebion, a distraught expression slightly distorted his features.

"My King" he started. "A couple is at the door, begging for your hospitality"

"Don't you see that I am indisposed ?" the King hissed.

He was about to harshly dismiss his guard but a hand came bringing warmth to his forearm. He turned his head to look at his wife.

"Thranduil" she said calmly. "Go. I Will wait for you"

King Thranduil nodded and reluctantly followed his guard back to the main hall.

There he saw a couple: An Elf and a human Maiden. The elf was holding what seemed to be his wife by the waist, another hand on her large stomach.

She was with Child, just like his wife, and by the look of pain on her face, he could easily guess that she was very close to giving birth as well.

The Ellon begged the King for Shelter, recounting their encounter with orcs on the Borders of Greenwood.

"Please" the Ellon kneeled. "Loeawa cannot travel anymore, not until she gives birth"

As to illustrate what her husband was saying, Loeawa writhed in pain, holding back a cry. At the same time, another cry of pain could be Heard from Afar.

Caledhel.

Thranduil looked at the corridor leading to his Chambers, where his wife lay painfully, then back to the couple. Another scream echoed in the hall, Loewa's.

The King turned to his guards.

"Give them a room" he ordered. "Fetch healers, to mine and theirs"

Without a look back to the couple, he ran to his Chambers, as fast as he could. Meanwhile, two guards accompanied the couple to a room at the other end of the hall.

The Sun had just begun to set when Thranduil barged into the room, eyes Wide open in pure anxiety. His wife was lying on the bed, in the same position as he had left her earlier, but this time her hands were not lazily playing with the fabric of her covers, no, They were gripping it as someone would grab a Rope at the Edge of a Cliff.

On the other end of the corridor, Loeawan cried as the pain paralyzed her once more. Humans were less tolerant of pain than elves, nevertheless, this one seemed to be more resilient, more calmer despite the pain.

The Moon started to rise and it was only the beginning of a very long night, for both couples, filled with screams, words of love, words of pain, and Hope for a healthy Child.

The Hours went by until finally the first cry of a Child could be Heard, then the other.

Two children were born under an almost full Moon of October that shone through the trees: a brown-haired half-elf and a blond Sindarin elf.

As the Moon faded to let the Sun rise again, the two new fathers walked out of their rooms and met each other by chance on the balcony.

Both looked terrible, although their endurance could help them tolerate the lack of sleep, They could much less tolerate such vivid emotions when They came flowing into them, swallowing them whole.

They were exhausted, but definitely happy.

"Thank you for your hospitality, my King" the elf said, bowing.

"There is no need to thank me" Thranduil smile softly.

"No, my king, I owe you greatly"

"You owe me nothing, except maybe your name, which I did not quite catch"

"Maendir, my Lord. Son of Echuiven"

"We meet on a peculiar night, Meandir Echuivenion" the lord of Greenwood stated. "How are your wife and Child ?"

"They are great my lord" Maendir smiled. "My daughter is the most pure and precious thing I have ever held in my arms"

He stopped and his smile grew, no doubt he was recalling the very first time he saw his daughter.

"Fatherhood is a precious gift, is it not ?" He went on.

"It is" Thranduil agreed. "For I feel that with my son born into this world, my Life is finally complete and my Family is whole"

Two days later, the King and Queen of Greenwood proudly introduced their son along with the other Child born on the same night: Legolas and Athelia. 

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Hiiii :) 

I'm addicted to reading Legolas fanfics so I decided to write my own! 

Please keep in mind that I am not a native English speaker (I am French but for reasons I ignore I keep writing in English), so if you spot mistakes, please do inform me! 

Also, it might take some time for me to write this and I change my mind about my outline every two days so be patient! 

-Lucie