Title: A mother's eyes

Words: 968

Today is my begetting day. I was conceived on a late spring day when summer was just a few strides away. It had been raining lightly, or so my father tells me.

"You were such a pink, little thing, Legolas." He says with a smile as we walk through the woods that are closer to the palace. The merry making of our people in my honor will begin soon and we have but little time for each other before it starts.

"Wiggling all around like a little…" He stops his words and smiles sheepishly. He does not have to finish; my mind does it for him in an instant.

"A worm?" I say with a raised eyebrow "Truly, adar? A pink little worm? Could you not have thought of something other to say about your newborn son?" I laugh lightly and he does, too; there is still a little embarrassment tainting his cheeks for he knows his thought was not one a father would usually have.

"Forgive me, ion. It was the first thing that came to mind at the moment."

For this day, my king has braided my hair in intricate designs, and for a change, he has allowed me to braid some into his own. His light crown of little flowers fits perfectly with them and we are both ready for the night to begin.

His face falls somewhat, but there is still a small smile upon his lips.

"When your mother… when your mother died I was so worried about so many things. But… one in particular kept going around my head." He stops and looks at me "I kept thinking, what would become of you? I could be the father you needed, but you had no longer a mother to raise you right. What would become of you without her gentle self?" He takes a strand of my hair and looks at it idly though his eyes are kind "I was no woman and I did not want nannies to look after you all the time, almost none at all really. Your mother would not have wanted it either, that I know.

"Before that moment I had never thought of how much time your mother spent with you. While I was busy ruling the kingdom, she has been busy with her little handful of a leaf." His eyes turn grey for a moment, but he smiles again.

"So I thought: 'What am I to do? How can I become a true mother?'" I laugh at his words and he gives me a light tap to the head in reprimand.

"Do not laugh at your father, child! I do not jest. I am and have always been a very stubborn creature and I was bent on being both mother and father to you in every way I possibly could. You know me, you know it's true."

"I believe you, father! I do not doubt your stubbornness for a second!" He takes my elbow and pulls me forward to the road so we are walking once again.

"So I said to myself: 'How do I become truly a mother? A woman? What should I do?' I thought and thought and tried to make a list in my head. 'What do mothers do? They perhaps… sing lullabies?' Was the first thing I though." He says with a concentrated look as if he were thinking hard "'Mothers perhaps… comfort you when you are hurt or distressed? They surely give you advice.' I can do those, I thought, it cannot be that hard." We laugh again. This is a story I had never heard before and it is without doubt most wonderful!

"So I tried to sing you lullabies –although that was of little use, I had done it before that plan of mine- and tried to comfort you when you were hurt and offered advice when I thought I could give it. And I carried you to the consul rooms and tucked you in at night when I had the time." He laughs deeply like a faraway drum. "My time as a would-be-mother was a bit of a disaster, I think, I was very bent on being one. It got to such point that Galion asked me once if I intended to grow a pair of breasts, too." He sighs content and I try to hold in my laughter without much success.

"I am… sorry I was not the mother you deserved and definitely not the one you wanted." He says ruefully with a small smile "She would've been very proud of you, my green leaf." He looks into my eyes deeply and holding my head in his hands, he lays a gentle kiss on my forehead. "Merry begetting day, my child." He strokes my cheeks for a moment and lets go.

"Adar, I have never needed an ellon and an elleth both to take care of me." I say with sincerity "You are the perfect and only mother I will ever need and I thank you with all my heart for that." He looks at me, a little bit surprised. "When I look at you, I do not only see my father's eyes, but I also see something else." I smile at him lightly. "It's hard to name at times, but when I look at you I can see a mother's eyes too. I need nothing more, adar." I reach up a little and wrap my arms around him "Thank you for everything, father." His eyes look at me and they are gentle and kind and understanding and so much more. He leans his head against me and hugs me back.

The sounds of the party begin to reach our ears and we head to the others for a long and merry night of music and wine.

Sindarin transilations:

Adar: Father

Ellon: Elf-man

Elleth: Elf-maid

Abril: Hi guys, sorry if I went a bit crazy with this one but it needed waaay more words than the rest. It was not quite the point I wanted to reach but, anywho, I liked it. I hope you liked it, too. Have a very nice day :)

This was inspired by TolkienScribe (which is also the reason I remembered to post a new chapter) because when I asked for ideas she kept mentioning Thranduil's wife :D

Give me ideas guys! You know I need them and love them!