Thanks to Lothiriel for beta-reading.
Legolas was lying in the bed caressing his unborn child when he heard the door open. His eyes filled with joy when he saw his father. He stood quickly and walked toward him. Thranduil wasn't an Elf who loved hugs and kisses but he let his son slide his arms around his neck. After a while he stroked his blond hair and they separated. He looked directly into Legolas' blue eyes and could see the glow in his look.
"He's really happy about this," he thought. "Perhaps Elrond is right about his cooperation."
"Father, I needed to see you, to talk to you. There's so much I have to tell you." He started. "I told Lord Elrond how much I need my family. I am so afraid, Father, my child is the heir of Gondor, I wish it wasn't but this is impossible and I don't know what to do." Legolas was so nervous, he spoke fast and almost didn't breathe between words.
"Legolas, please, calm down. I'm here." He took Legolas hand.
"I am afraid, Father." Thranduil felt his heart break in pieces with those words and could see the concern in his blue eyes.
"Do not worry, son. You know I'm with you and I will help you." He tried to sound normal but he couldn't stop thinking he had almost betrayed the prince. Legolas sighed with relief and rubbed his stomach softly.
"Oh, my little child. We are not alone anymore." He whispered as a tear ran across his pale cheek.
"Come on, son. Take a seat." They sat on the bed. Thranduil didn't know how to start and looked through the window as if he was asking Nature for help. Then he looked at his son who was watching him with eagerness. "Lord Elrond and I decided to help you with your child. He told me you want to keep the baby." Legolas´ eyes were bright with relief. "But there are problems, my son." He paused to see the reaction in his eyes. "Your child is unwelcome here, in Rivendell and in all Middle Earth. We just had a meeting and the council wants you to abort." Legolas face was flushed with anger but Thranduil continued. " They want you to do it tonight, but Lord Elrond thinks we can save you. I suppose the council hopes to convince you to do it and then Lord Elrond will give you a drink that make you abort. They'll believe you need some time for recovery and then we will take you away from here."
"Where?" He asked, anger growing inside him.
"A safe place that Lord Elrond knows. There you will be able to raise your child and of course we will be watching you and never leave you alone. We can talk to Galadriel, she will help you during the childbirth. Only she, Lord Elrond and I will know about your child's existence"
"And what about my friends, Father?" He asked angrily.
"Legolas, this has to be the most hidden secret for us. We'll find a way for you to see your friends but they could not know about your child."
"That's unfair, Father." He replied.
"There is another solution, more drastic and painful for you and you can imagine what it's about." Legolas was angry but he understood that his father was right. He knew he would have to sacrifice valuable things for his baby's sake but any loss could hurt. "I know this is a tough decision but I need your answer right now. If you want some time to think, maybe an half hour or perhaps a little more…"
"It's fine, Father." Legolas sounded serious and decided. "This is not the first time I have thought about it. All those days I was thinking about my life and I understand this is not only my life, I have a new being who needs me and trusts me. My choice is to protect my baby against everything."
Thranduil smiled at him and rubbed Legolas' hand in sign of approbation.
"I couldn't be more proud of you, son." Legolas' eyes turned glassy, this was the first time he heard his father say those words. " So, this is the plan, they will believe I have convinced you to abort. I must arrange a new meeting right now and explain to them your choice. Wait here and try to seem really sad because nobody is expecting that you take this news gladly. Lord Elrond will come in a couple of hours and you supposedly drink the potion. And don't do or say anything until we talk to you." Legolas nodded. "Now, Legolas, stay calm, everything is going to be right." He stood quickly.
"Father, I asked the Valar and the Woods to take care of my child." He admitted as he looked at his stomach with hope.
"Legolas." The prince turned his eyes toward him. "Your pregnancy is a gift from the gods. They wanted this birth. Your baby is a blessed heir." Thranduil felt really happy when he saw the sincere smile drawing in Legolas lips.
" Trust me, young prince, this drink will help you to relax during the travel." Elrond offered the dark glass to Legolas. He swallowed with an apprehensive look. "Don't be afraid. Your father and I only want to protect you and your baby." Legolas finished the drink and made a grimace.
"How long will the trip last?"He asked after swallowing the ugly liquid with effort.
"Just a few weeks. We'll pray to the Valar for it. If the winds and snow ease it could be shorter. You just only can travel during the night. We must be careful with the Queen's spies. They can find you anyplace." Elrond noted Legolas eyes starting to fall so he gently guided his tired body to the bed. "Stay here. Elrohir will be here in a few hours. He will carry you to the Green Meadows. Are you afraid?." He asked as he covered the prince with a comfortable blanket.
"I still have faith, Lord Elrond." He laid his head on the pillow. "The elves of the council want to force me but I know my elven ancestors won't let them hurt us. They have been there for me since my conception and I know they wouldn't forsake me now."
"Your faith gives you the strength that you need in this struggle." Elrond smiled paternally. "Good bye, brave prince."
He closed the door slowly and sighed deeply. He didn't want Legolas to note the concern in his face. He walked toward his chamber to meet his son.
"This is one of the most difficult decisions I have had to make in the last thousand years. I asked myself if I'm doing the right thing. I've always loved Legolas as a son but I wonder if this time I'm acting as the Lord of Rivendell or just as an ordinary Elf whose actions couldn't start a war. The future peace is in our hands and my most important thought is the prince's momentary happiness. Besides I am concerned about his health. He seems pale and tired. Perhaps we should wait a week at least." He arrived at his chamber door when he saw Lord Erinwid coming towards him. He was one of the most influential Elves in the council and he was the one who proposed to make the abortion that night.
"Lord Elrond. I was waiting for your return, I hope there were not any inconveniences with the Prince. The healer told me he hasn't recovered yet."
"You didn't seem concerned about the Prince's health during the meeting, Lord Erinwid. I didn't hear you say a word about that when King Thranduil confessed to us that he was devasted after giving his son the tragic news." Elrond could barely control his sarcasm because he hated liars and he felt insults against Legolas as against himself. He opened his chamber's door and motioned to Erinwid to come inside. Both took a seat facing each other. "I gave orders to my servants and guards. I don't want anybody to bother the Prince until he feels a little better. He needs to rest for awhile."
"I hope you don't misunderstand my intentions, Lord Elrond, but I don't wish to contradict your orders" Elrond tried not to show how much he disliked the Elf he had sitting in front of him but his efforts started to fail. "I don't want my words to go out of these chambers but a few members and I…Oh, Valar, how I can say…We don't trust in the king. I meant in this particular situation." Elrond realized he was reaching the end of his patience. "We know how hard the last months were for Prince Legolas - King Aragorn's death and then this unexpected pregnancy, so we understand Thranduil's feelings as his father and perhaps this decision, he would think it is not the best for his son…"
"King Thranduil," Elrond interrupted, his patience lost. "He's the best king I have known. He knows his duty and despite his paternal feelings, he remembers how much we had to work to keep the peace in Middle Earth. Now my apologies, Lord Erinwid, but my son is waiting for me."
Erinwid perceived the anger in Elrond's eyes and left the chamber quickly. As soon as he had gone Elrohir knocked.
Elrond sighed after ordering his son to come inside. This chat had shown him the prince couldn't stay in Rivendell any longer.
In the middle of the dark night a tall shadow crept toward the large bed where the blond Elf dreamt his last dream before the tough trip. He was so tired that he couldn't hear the noise it made moving the chair to gain access to the bed. A pale hand with large fingers stroked the sleeper's hair.
"Good bye, my son." He whispered. Thranduil's voice was broken by emotions. " I should wait till you wake but in my thousands of years no one has ever seen my tears and I can't let you do it and still less in your delicate condition. I want to tell you I admire your courage. You are more brave than I was at your age. I pray the gods let you keep your baby safe. Gondor will have the most wise heir it could have if this child is raised by its parent. You are my best son." He ran his fingers across Legolas´ arm and rubbed it in sign of affection. The prince moved softly in the bed and relaxed his breathing, still asleep. The king started to walk toward the door and before opening it, he took a last look to the slumbering form hoping he could see him safe and healthy in Green Meadows.
A half hour before midnight Elrohir opened the same door slowly and with the help of a candle illuminated the prince's face.
"Legolas." He whispered smoothly as he shook his hand. Legolas awoke slowly and recognised Elrohir's voice between the shadows. "We must go now. Everything is ready for our trip." Legolas sat in the bed with effort. He was so tired, this was the first time in the last weeks that he could sleep comfortably.
Elrond's son helped him to get up and with short and pausing steps they started walking toward the exit.
Despite snow falling since the night before, the moonlight showed through the room's window, dark horses standing ready outside.
"We have no time, Legolas." Elrohir admitted after they looked through the window. "My father told me the members suspected. They could be watching us."
Legolas made his greatest effort to follow his friend's steps for the long and dark hallway. As soon as they opened the outside gate, a blast of cold beat them in the face. Legolas stood at the gate covering his body with a cape and Elrohir ran toward the horses and brought them to the blond Elf.
"Are you comfortable?" He asked him after helping him to mount it. Legolas nodded and they started riding, showered by the moonlight.
In Rivendell two forms stayed looking at them from inside and they both sighed when they lost sight of the horses in the woods.
After three intense weeks of riding, Elrohir and Legolas reached the top of a hill, where they could see the peaceful Green Meadows covered by white snow. They could see a little and quiet town on the side of the road.
"The sun is setting." Elrohir said. "Perhaps we should spend the night in the town."
He walked toward his horse. Legolas was still sat on his. Suddenly he remembered they had been riding since this morning.
"How do you feel." Elrohir asked the prince worriedly.
"I'm fine. Don't worry about me. I can speak." This intentional comment emerged because he was bored of the constant questions about his health. They seemed to forget how strong he was before Aragorn's death.
Elrohir didn't reply but thought how annoying Legolas had became in the last weeks. "Despite all our care he still feels bothered."
The night fell before they could find a place to stay in the town. Luckily Legolas saw a tavern where they could find meal and warm beds. Elrohir didn't like the idea of being surrounded by strangers and took a hood and reached another to the prince for disguising their pointed ears.
"It's seems quiet from outside." Legolas said trying to hide the fear he felt every time they had to be exposed to unknown looks. But he was wrong, as soon as Elrohir opened the door they heard the noise of voices speaking at the same time in many different languages. They stood at the doorway hesitantly.
"That always happens in the towns near important roads." Elrohir explained just to say something. These crowded spaces made him feel nervous. "Come on. Take a seat at that window. Meanwhile I will ask for a place to spend the night."
Legolas glanced at the table that Elrohir talked about and realized it was darker than the others. He went toward it acting as he was looking for something in his pocket with his head down. He sat in front of the window, hiding his face from the strangers. He tried to ignore the noise and started to imagine how he would spend the rest of his life in such a place as Green Meadows. He had never been there. Perhaps once when he was an infant but he always heard about how silent and calm it was. May be a little lonely for a kid, but perfect for someone who needed to live hidden. Anyway he did want his baby to live with friends. He wanted his child to play as an ordinary kid with others like him. He wouldn't raise his baby to live with fear, he would teach it how to protect itself from the people who could hurt him. He wanted his child to have the quiet childhood he had before his mother left him.
Wrapped by his thoughts he didn't see the lonely man who was watching him intently since they got inside. He was staying against the wall and had a knife hidden between his clothes. He rubbed the blade as he thought that it would not be a bad idea to kill or just hurt the hated son of Thranduil. He moved the weapon when Elrohir approached the table. He recognized him immediately and chose to leave them alone. But as soon as he could he left the tavern and disappeared under the pale moon.
He rode three long days until he arrived at the majestic gates of Gondor.
TBC