It was a quiet and calm night in the forest, although a lingering sadness was present among the stars. It had only been a few weeks since the queen of Greenwood had lost her life, and the kingdom was still in mourning.
Thranduil was in the nursery, a place where he had been recently spending much of his time when he was not needed on the throne. His little elfling, Legolas, was all that he had now for family. The elfling meant the world to him, and he was the only thing that brought comfort to the grieving king.
He leaned over the beautifully crafted cradle, where his two year old baby was settled. The cradle was moved out onto the open terrace, because the night was clear and the sky would help settle the elfling to sleep.
Legolas was at an age where a cradle was not needed, but Thranduil was not ready for his child to make the transition to a different bed. He still seemed so small for an elf of two, and besides, he was still not verbal. The elvenking could not help but want to indulge and dote on his baby for as long as he could.
Speaking of which, Legolas had yet to succumb to the stars. His grey-blue eyes were wide and attentive as he smiled up at his ada, one thumb tucked behind his teeth. It was another habit that Thranduil ought to break, but once again he felt no desire to.
He leaned down further, his long hair cascading onto the blankets surrounding his son, and smiled playfully.
"Legolas, can you show Ada your ears?"
The elfling returned the smile and obliged instantly, tracing his pudgy little fingers over the tips of his tiny ears.
"Well done!" Thranduil praised, kissing his soft baby-silk hair. "Now can you show Ada your tummy?"
Legolas moved his hands down until they found his stomach, bare and milky white against the blankets. He was trembling with excited anticipation, because this game was played quite often, and he knew what to expect.
"That's right!" Thranduil beamed, pleased with how smart his elfling was. He leaned down and peppered kisses over the exposed flesh, causing the little one to let out a happy shriek as he curled into himself.
The king finally relented, pulling back to allow his elfling to recover from their game. Instead of continuing with his kisses, he gently rested one hand against the little belly.
"I love you Legolas," Thranduil crooned. He waited a moment, half-expecting to be answered with an 'I love you too Ada!' but, as always, there was only silence. It did not bother the king, for the expression that Legolas had on his face said enough. The little one held nothing but earnest adoration and love in his eyes.
For awhile there was only a pleasant silence between them as Thranduil rubbed gentle circles on Legolas' stomach. Sometimes he still couldn't believe how fragile the little elfling was, or comprehend the fact that he was Thranduil's to raise and love forever more. Had Legolas not been here, Thranduil would have surely gone mad with grief at the loss of his queen.
Finally the elfling was succumbing to sleep. His eyes became glazed over with the wonders of the stars, and Thranduil knew that he had drifted into a world of dreams. He placed one more tender kiss upon the baby's brow before deciding to take his leave.
"Sleep peacefully," he whispered, and left the nursery with a tight throat and trembling hands at the thought of entering an empty bedroom.