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Chapter Twenty-four

Legolas was sitting on a heavily cushioned chair that Lord Elrond had thoughtfully brought to his room after noticing the way Legolas had begun to struggle to get comfortable in the traditional wooden chairs placed in most of the bed chambers.

It had been moved out on to the balcony to allow Legolas to slowly watch the world go by while he sat in thought and wrote in his journal. He had begun his journal the day Estel had left with his brothers on their way to an unpreventable war.

He did not begrudge his lover his adventure for as foster son to Lord Elrond it was his place to protect his home, but he desperately wished that could have journeyed with him. Even if he had been made to stay permanently with in the safety of the camp, so that he was there to comfort his dear human as he returned to rest it would have been enough.

Closing up the leather bound book that his father had given him to write in he placed it down on the floor by a chair leg and then drew his feet up into the chair as best he could.

Looking up at the sun he knew that it would soon be time for his father to bring him his noon meal.

He had come to dread meal times.

The child that still rested safely with in his abdomen was placing increasing pressures on his tiring body. It required constant energy and nourishment, taking from him what it needed and leaving very little for Legolas himself. He was constantly hungry but the more he ate the more the infant took, it was a no win situation, and with the continuous pestering from his well meaning father Legolas had long ago stopped enjoying the pregnancy and was beginning to wish that the child would just hurry up and be born.

He smiled slightly as he thought of what Estel would say if he could see him now. His stomach had swelled now so that it was unmistakeable that he was with child.

He had gained far more weight than Lord Elrond and the range of healers had expected him to and told him often that they were concerned that if the child grew much more that he would undoubtedly have difficulties during the birth.

Sighing loudly he stared defiantly out across Rivendell. It had been eerily quiet since the patrol's had left all those months before the only noise coming from young maids chatting as they walked about the gardens and courtyard and from Lord Elrond's advisers who often scurried around back and forth from Lord Elrond's study and the library.

Legolas wondered if Arwen would take it upon her self to visit him again this afternoon. He sometimes believed that she now saw him as a pet that needed to be checked up on very so often so that it did not could to harm and it was beginning to frustrate him. At first he was appreciative of her care and enjoyed their in-depth conversations but after so long the conversation had all but dried up and now they regularly sat in silence just waiting for the time to pass.

"Legolas." His fathers anticipated voice shook him from his thoughts, but he did not move to greet the voice knowing that with in moments Thranduil would appear by his side.

The king balanced the tray he had been carrying on the safety rail of the balcony, shacking his head slightly in concern. He had refused to return home until the child was born and he was certain that his youngest son was well leaving his older children in charge of his realm in his stead.

"Legolas how are you feeling?" He asked but knew the answer as it was always the same; it had become a kind of ritual. He would ask after the welfare of his son and his son would state that he was fine although he clearly was not.

"Well as always ada." Legolas sighed, finally turning his head to acknowledge the presence of the other elf.

"I have brought you up a meal that Lord Elrond prepared himself, he sends his best but apologises that he is unable to give it to you in person." The king picked up the plate from the tray he had carried and balanced it upon Legolas curled up legs in the chair, holding it in place until Legolas reached for it himself.

"Thank you." Legolas murmured his reply, he spoke with out emotion.

"You are welcome." Thranduil watched as Legolas picked at the food, eating small pieces here and there. "You should eat more it is not healthy for either you or your child."

Legolas ignored him, maybe if he ate less the child would demand to be born earlier in order to sate its ever growing hunger.

He silently cursed himself for being so cruel, he did not mean to blame the helpless infant that was so reliant on him for the situation he was in, he did love it or at least hoped he would when it was born but sometimes it was just so hard to see beyond his current problems.

Finally placing the plate with its half eaten food back in his fathers hands and took the herbal cocktail with out question. He remembered when he used to protest and refuse to drink it complaining of its awful taste but he soon realised that life was simply easier if he drunk it without fuss.

"I was planning to stroll around the gardens later this afternoon, perhaps when the sun is not so high would you like to join me?" Thranduil asked his voice full of hope. Legolas rarely left the confines of his chambers and Thranduil was determined to get his son out even for just a few moments, and hopefully find away to help Legolas forget his troubles for a short time.

"Maybe ada, I will see how I feel." Legolas sighed, he was feeling tired again.

"Then I shall call for you later." Thranduil forced himself to smile, anything to lift the princes spirits.

Legolas just nodded and Thranduil picked up the empty tray and left over food then left his son once again to his thoughts.

~*~

That afternoon Legolas had refused to accompany his father around the gardens claming that in his fatigued state it would be best if he was left alone to sleep, and he had dismissed Arwen the moment she walked through his door.

"I apologise for his state of mind my lady." Thranduil murmured as Arwen closed the wooden door to Legolas's chamber behind her.

She smiled softly. "Do not apologise, it is understandable that he wishes to be left alone."

"True." The king sighed, as both turned and walked down the long corridor towards Lord Elrond's study. "He is not used to being fussed over like this and so is feeling sorry for himself."

"He misses my brother my lord." She replied as they reached the door to the main study. "He does not know whether to feel concerned that Estel is out fighting or to feel envious of the fact that Estel is there and he is stuck in Rivendell."

Thranduil nodded his agreement while wishing that was all that was wrong with his son.

He opened the door in front of them with out knocking and stepped in side, Arwen following closely behind him. She watched as the king strode across the room his loose tunic flowing around his strong form, he did not seem to care that he interrupted Elrond after he had specifically requested to be left alone.

"Thranduil of what service may I be to you this time." The Lord of Rivendell never looking up from studying the papers on his desk.

"Is there nothing that you can do to reduce the dark cloud that seems to have settled upon my son?" Thranduil sat himself down in the wooden chair facing the desk, clearly ready for a long conversation.

Arwen merely lingered by the door listening to them.

"As I have explained in great length on a number of occasions *King Thranduil*" Elrond sighed, placing his quill back into the pot of ink, and finally looking up. "There is very little I can do, Legolas will be fine once the child is born. Now I am afraid that I have far more pressing matters to deal with at this moment in time, so if you will please leav."

"There is nothing that matters more than the welfare of my son!" Thranduil stood crashing his fists down upon the desk in front of him.

"I am afraid my Lord but there is." Elrond picked up his quill again and began to make small marks on what looked like an over used map, completely ignoring the kings threatening tone.

"Ada what is wrong." Arwen interrupted, trying to stop the dispute before it really started.

"Our lines grow thin." He muttered, not looking up.

"Then send for aid." Thranduil stated as if it were an obvious solution.

"But how long would that take." Elrond growled back. "It would take days for a messenger to reach Lothlorien and then days for them to assemble and army and so on, they would arrive too late to make any difference."

"But surely it can not hurt to try." Arwen said her voice soft, trying to infuse calm into the situation.

"But we can not spare a group of elves to travel that far everyone is needed, or will be needed over the next few days." Elrond frowned.

"I will ride."

Arwen and Elrond glanced up at the elf king.

"But this is not your fight." Arwen gasped.

"My son is here so this becomes my fight, I will leave as soon as a horse can be readied." Thranduil confirmed, turning and making his way out of the door before the others had a chance to speak.

"Well I never thought the day would come when the King of Mirkwood would risk his life for Rivendell." Elrond shook his head in amazement glancing at his daughter who shrugged.

She was just as shocked as he was.

~*~

Estel's horse stumbled slightly, due to exhaustion but he forced it to continue. They could not afford to stop. Elladan and Lysander raced on either side of him and he could hear Glorifindel shouting out a mixture of orders and curses to groups of elves a few paces behind them.

Glancing across at the dark haired elf, he still could not bring himself to trust Lysander. The elf was now his foster brother in law, Estel shook his head at that thought and turned back to look at the foot and hoof trodden track in front of them. Lysander had fought just as well and just as hard as anyone, but still Estel could not be persuaded to see the elf any other way.

They still had almost half day's ride a head of them and they all knew that they would have to stop in order for their horses to rest but no one spoke it out loud.

The sun was beginning to set and through the foliage in the trees red and orange beams of light scattered across the earth and trees all around them, lighting their way but for how much longer.

Sighing loudly in frustration as his poor, exhausted horse stumbled again he called the beast to a sudden halt, those around him following his example.

"We can not go on like this." He shouted making sure that all those near to him could hear his words clearly, his expression and tone of voice alerting the warrior's of his irritation. "If we let the horses rest now for a short while we can ride all the faster afterwards and still make the gates of Rivendell by day break." He was being optimistic and everyone knew but still they followed his example and dismounted.

~*~

TBC.

Authors Note: Wildfire2 & Gershwhen will Leggy fight. well you will just have to wait until the next chapter (I promise some action). Thanx for reviewing.