Spring was over and the days became warmer as summer made its way into the Woodland Realm. Menethil had examined Ari the night after Thranduil's short outburst and her words to the king had been very strict. The mother's emotional stress on that day had disturbed the fëa within her womb and might have slightly affected its development. Elves were highly sensitive beings and the unborn elfling had been influenced by its mother's emotional suffering on that day.

Thranduil, shocked at this realization, had since then been extremely cautious. Menethil had not only warned the king about the possible consequences because of his inappropriate behavior, but had also deterred him from being intimate with his wife. Thranduil had initially objected to the latter, however, when Menethil had explained to him the reasons for taking such precautions, it was not a hard task to convince him. Everything had to be done only after serious consideration for the sake of the health of the unborn elfling.

Legolas was very busy. Today Lord Elrond and Lady Galadriel would arrive in the realm, as they wished to be present at the birth. Legolas had assumed most of his father's duties while Ari had been ill, and even after her recovery, he had continued to support the king in every way possible. There were still tasks undertaken by Thranduil himself, yet the elves in his realm, comprehending the severity of the current situation, would now mostly turn to the prince in regard to the kingdom's affairs. That meant that today Legolas would welcome Elrond and Galadriel. Everything had been prepared, and Legolas was waiting with Galion near the main gate for the arrival of their guests. It was a merry welcome, as the reason for their visit was the birth of the king's second child. When everyone had been accommodated, they walked towards the royal garden.

Ari spent most of her time there. She lay in the grass or, at times, sat on a bench. Her belly had become large and it was only a matter of a few weeks until she would give birth. Elrond and Galadriel also checked on the unborn elfling and were pleased to confirm its well being.

Galadriel and Ari were sitting in the garden and the Lady of Light placed her hand upon Ari's belly and enjoyed the presence of the fлa within her womb. She smiled at Ari.

"Are you worried about the labor?"

Ari shook her head. "No. Women are born for this. I'll survive it."

Ari closed her eyes and felt comfort at the touch of Galadriel's hand, while the Lady of Light looked upon Ari with concern. Her optimism was inspiring, but it also sounded naive. Galadriel looked at Ari with a fading smile and once more she closed her eyes in an effort to look into Ari's future.

Time passed pretty fast and Ari spent most of her time in the garden. Mostly with Galadriel, who always kept her company. She would tell Ari stories about Valinor and as the days of the delivery approached fast, Ari grew more and more tired. Her belly had reached its full size and Menethil expected that the labor would start any moment now.

It was in the early morning of a sunny day when Thranduil had just left their chambers and Hurwen was preparing the bath that Ari felt a warm liquid trickling down her inner thighs. Although she knew that the baby would be born any day now, it took her by surprise. She stood motionless and looked down at her feet, where a small puddle of fluid had formed.

Hurwen walked back into the chamber and smiled sincerely. "My queen, your bath is ready. I will return soon." With these words the maid left the chambers and Ari walked into the bathroom to lie down in the bathtub. It was then that she began to feel the first mild contractions. Unsure of what to do, Ari leaned back in the bathtub and tried to relax.

Hurwen returned to her queen's chamber, only to find it empty. The queen was still taking her bath. She was walking toward the bathroom when she noticed the smell. Hurwen looked around and saw the small puddle on the floor and Ari's footprints that led to the bathroom. Realizing what had happened, she knocked on the door in apprehension before she peeked in.

"My queen, did you water just break?"

Ari nodded and asked her to come in. "My dear Hurwen, I know of my husband's commands, but please grant me this moment of peace. Please, do not inform him right away."

Hurwen nodded obediently. "Is there anything I can do for you, my queen?"

"Can you massage my hands?" Ari asked. "It relaxes me."

While massaging Ari's hands, Hurwen occasionally stopped to pour warm water into the bathtub in order to keep the queen comfortable for as long as possible.

After some time had passed, Ari began to feel a little uncomfortable and changed her position constantly. "I have suffered several kinds of pains throughout my life. But this pain is different," she said, looking at Hurwen with concern. "I only hope that this pain will not be too much for me to bear."

Hurwen felt sympathy for her. "My queen, I'm not going to lie to you. It will be rather painful. No other physical pain that we may experience can compare to it. But you may find solace in the fact that this is only temporary. Now that it has begun, the end is in sight. You will get through it, and after this, you will be stronger."

Ari smiled at Hurwen and asked her to help her up. The skin at her fingertips had become wrinkled and she felt the urge to stand.

"Please, help me to dry myself today and to find a night dress that looks presentable. When I am dressed, I wish to call my husband."

Hurwen had not yet finished drying the queen's body, when the king suddenly entered the bathroom. His expression was stern though the glimpse in his eyes betrayed a hint of joy.

"Tell me, my beloved wife, when did you intend to inform me?"

Ari smiled shyly and blushed before she grimaced in pain. Thranduil sent Hurwen away to call Menethil, and he walked with Ari back into their chamber. He selected a gown which Ari found acceptable, and helped her to dress. Ari sighed as she lay down on the bed.

Menethil arrived soon afterwards, smiling excitedly. She checked how far the labor had progressed and assured that everything was under control. Because walking would support the birth process, she sent the king and his wife to their garden for a short walk.

The news spread quickly over the palace. In no time Legolas arrived in the garden, followed closely by Galion. Elrond and Galadriel appeared soon after them, and congratulated them on the imminent birth. Ari was not in the mood to speak, and the elves quickly left the garden again.

Around midday, Ari began to feel highly uncomfortable and was greatly annoyed by her husband's constant suggestions. She finally turned to him angrily. "Please spare me your advice. I do not want to hear it! I know that Lord Elrond is here and Menethil as well. They surely know what to do. I don't need your… aaahh..." Ari hissed through her teeth in pain and stopped briefly to speak.
"I greatly appreciate your desire to help me, but if you really wish to help me, then just shut your mouth and hold my hand. The last thing I want to hear now is your voice. Your constant comments on every contraction I get are making me even more miserable than I am already. But I want you to be close to me."

Thranduil felt slightly insulted, but remained silent. He understood her. Due to their bond he shared her pain to a certain degree. That's how he had known in the morning that the birth had begun. He had felt her pain.

In the afternoon they returned to their chambers, where Elrond and Menethil had prepared the bed. Ari lay down and they examined her. They said that it might take two to three more hours until her child was born. Ari stood up and Elrond shook his head.

"It will be better if you lie down," he cautioned.

Now Ari shook her head. "When I lie down, the pain is much more difficult to bear. Please, let me stand and walk across the chamber."

Ari looked at her husband who nodded in agreement. Time went by slowly, and Ari started to feel desperate because of the increasing pain. Elrond had tried to ease her pain a few times, but it did not help much. She tried to focus on Hurwen's words. It was a temporary pain that would be over soon. The end was definitely near.

The contractions had been extremely painful during the past hour and Ari felt she would not be able to endure any longer. Her womb and lower back hurt extremely when the pain flooded her body before it slowly ebbed away, only to return with renewed force and much greater intensity soon afterwards. She stood near the balcony, looking out over the forest when suddenly her knees began to shake uncontrollably. The nature of the contractions had changed. She felt an immense pressure in her loins which covered the pain of the contractions. Thranduil picked her up and carried her quickly over to the bed, where Elrond and Menethil examined her.

"I can feel the head," Elrond said with a satisfied smile. "When the next contraction comes, you will have to push," he explained.

Ari nodded. She knew this already, as Menethil had told her a lot about the delivery in the last few months. The next contraction came and Ari pushed, as she had been told.

It was not long before Menethil said, "One more time, and the head will be through."

Ari smiled at her husband, who stood by her side holding her hand firmly. After a few minutes, Ari's body was flooded with relief. Their son had been born. It was absolutely quiet in the royal chambers and Thranduil looked at the baby with obvious concern. Elrond began to chant elvish words into his ears and laid the little elfling on Ari's chest. As she beheld their son for the first time, tears rolled down her cheeks and she looked up at her husband. Thranduil leaned down and placed a kiss upon his wife's sweaty brow lovingly. Then he lay next to her on the bed, caressing his newly born son.

Elrond and Menethil took care of the afterbirth, and Ari and Thranduil had only eyes for their son. The tiny elfling looked beautiful. He definitely took after his father. Ari did not mind. He was her little star. Elrond and Menethil left the chamber to give them a moment of privacy and Ari closed her eyes in exhaustion.

Sleep claimed her, but Thranduil woke her up soon again. Their son was hungry, and Menethil had returned to show Ari how to breastfeed him properly. The small elfling claimed her nipple eagerly and began to suck. Ari was fascinated by this wonder of nature.

When the young prince had fallen asleep, Menethil helped Ari to wash before she dressed her in a comfortable dress.

Now it was time for family and friends. Legolas was the first to enter their chambers. He did not manage to hold back a tear when he saw his little brother cuddling peacefully in his mother's arms. His cute little pointy ears and the hair color reminded him of his father. Even his eyes matched his father's, not only in color but also in intensity. He looked like an exact replica of the king. Thranduil junior yawned and clumsily brushed his little button nose with the back of his tiny hand.

"Ada, are you sure that mother was involved in the conception of this child? He looks exactly like you," said Legolas with a grin.

Ari's eyes welled up as Legolas had called her 'mother' and Thranduil laughed at his son's words.

"Yes, my dear son, I am absolutely certain about her involvement."

Thranduil picked up his youngest son from his mother's chest and placed him into Legolas' arms. The prince cradled his tiny brother in his arms and felt immensely proud. He had always wished for a brother or sister. But he had never dared to hope that this day would actually come. It had seemed an almost impossible thing to happen, because of his father's ill disposition. But fate had changed their fortune. He was a brother now. He would be his younger brother's protector, he would be his companion to introduce him to this new world.

Galadriel, Elrond and Galion entered the chamber, and each of them proudly held the tiny prince in their arms and spoke ancient elvish blessings into his ears. Ari was touched upon seeing them with her son. She began to comprehend a lot more of the elves' culture. They were a folk that was united even if they did not seem to be so at times. To her, they looked like a large family now. Not like humans, who were always fighting wars against each other. She had seen many wars in the south between men. Each one of them had thought that they were better than the other. And so they had killed each other in the name of their gods or demons. Ari sighed. She did not want to see their son grow up in this world. She had other plans. She looked up at her husband and decided to address this topic at a later time.