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Hi everybody sorry for the delay in the update I typed as fast as I could- hope you enjoy.

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"Legolas, you must stay here"

Thranduil stood towering over his small son, desperately trying to keep the stern expression on his face.

Legolas stood, obeying his father but not liking it.

A scream rang through the hallway and Legolas paled considerably. The young prince had been awoken during the night by a piercing scream coming from his parent's room.

~

The elfling shot up from his bed, he could hear people rushing about outside his door and decided to investigate.

With all the curiosity of a child he crept out of bed, Lornie the wolf under his arms and his blanket in the other.

He opened the door and watched healers and maids rush past with towels and cloths and water. His eyes widened and a feeling of panic began to rise in his chest.

Another scream pierced the air and he cried out, it was his atara's scream, somebody was hurting her.

"Cemt'"

Legolas darted out from behind the door and caught the robe of a healer whom he knew quite well.

The tall blond elf knelt down in front of the little prince and smiled.

"What's wrong Cemt'?"

The healer grinned and pulled the younger elf into his arms.

"Your little sister is arriving"

Legolas eyes grew wide; half with excitement half with worry over his mother.

Seeing Legolas' expression the healer cuddled him closer and whispered soothing words to him.

The elfling listened carefully to each word and was soon calm once more.

"Why is Atara screaming, is she dying?"

"No, no little one. She is not dying. It is merely a little painful for her. It will be over soon. Do not worry"

Legolas took little comfort in his words and scrunched his face in confusion.

"I do not understand"

the healer laughed quietyly and made his way down the ahll to the kings chambers, Legolas still in his arms.

As they neared Leoglas became nervous. He could hear people rushing about and his mother crying quietly, he could hear his Adar talking to her softly as he did when he put him to sleep.

He cuddled his stuffed wolf tightly to his chest as the healer knocked lightly on the door and waited for it to be opened.

Thranduil stopped talking to his wife and opened the door to find his head healer Cemethal holding his very frightened looking son.

Thranduil motioned them in and took Legolas from the healer. He kissed the elfling gently before taking him over to his mother who lay quietly on the bed. Her face was blotchy and red and she was sweating more than anyone could; or so Legolas thought.

"Atara"

Legolas sat on the bed, his wolf in one hand and his blanket still firmly clutched in the other. His expression was saddened and his eyes brimming with tears.

Eloria opened her eyes slowly and smiled at her son.

"Atara, when will baby come?"

Eloria grimaced as pain rippled through her body; she refrained from screaming, as she did not wish to upset her child more than she already had.

"Soon leaf, soon"

A single tear made it's way down Legolas face, as he looked his mother in the eye.

He leaned forward and kissed her before tucking Lornie the wolf under her arms.

"He'll protect you Atara, don't be ascared"

Eloria opened her eyes and looked at her elfling; memories of his birth flooded her mind and she once again marvelled at him as he sat beside her. She smiled brilliantly at him before opening her arms to him.

Without a though he crawled into his mothers embrace and hugged her as tightly as he could, trying to memorise each and every thing about her. Her smell her hair her body. He loved the curve of her neck where he could fit his head comfortable, and he loved the ways he would hold him when he sat on her knee and he loved the arms that always held him with such love, and he never wanted to forget it.

Thranduil stood to the side, leaving his wife and son to a moment on their own. Their son was confused and upset; he did not know what was happening and was upset. It was only natural. He had intended to explain everything to him but he had had no time to spend with his son; something he felt guilty for and hoped that he would be forgiven.

His wife grimaced and bit her lip desperately trying not to scream. He moved forward to take Legolas but one look from his wife told him otherwise. The small child shifted so that his head lay on her shoulder and his arms circled her neck.

Eloria focused on her son; she let the world around her and the pain of her labour disappear and allowed her son to take over. She took in the smell of him; lavender mixed with cinnamon and his silky air as if fell across her shoulder. She took in everything about her baby; down to the soft lips that pressed against her neck trying to soothe her.

She could feel her strength waning with each moment; but she could feel the strength of the child within her. She would die, she knew this. But in dying she would bring new life and in leaving her family she would also be joining them. A precious piece of her would remain her with them, with her daughter and within their hearts.

"Legolas go to your room"

Legolas sat up and looked once more at his mother.

She cupped his cheek lovingly and pulled him down to kiss him.

"I love you"

"I love you more Atara"

Legolas hugged his mother and climbed down off the bed.

"Keep Lornie with you, he will keep you safe"

He whispered before leaving her bedside.

"Leaf"

Eloria called out before he left the room.

"I love you"

He smiled and left the room, all the while keeping his eyes on his mother.

Thranduil stood, oblivious to the message passed between mother and son.

~

Legolas sat in his room, curled up in the middle of his oversized bed, his blanket clutched to his chest tightly. His eyes were closed and his jaw set; he knew that he would never see his mother again. She would never be there to tuck him in at night and kiss him one last time that day, and she would never bathe with him again. She would never go riding with him and she would never sit and read with him during the dark nights.

The memories of his mother flooded him and he could feel his cheeks becoming wet with tears.

Outside Cemethal stopped at the door, he frowned as the sound of muffled sobbing reached his ears.

He entered the room unnoticed and sat down on the bed beside him.

As he did so a scream rang through the halls, they waited and a baby's wail followed.

Legolas sniffed and sat up.

His face was red and his eyes puffy, his lip quivered and his eyes were narrowed.

The healer grinned and his eyes shone as he looked at the elfling.

"It would seem that your sister is here little prince"

Legolas nodded, unable to muster the courage to speak for fear of crying.

There was a knock on the door and the king entered.

Thranduil looked haggard and old; tears coursed down his face like small rivers unable to be stopped. His tunic was undone half way and his sleeves were rolled up; a most unusual outfit for the king.

The bundle in his arms squirmed but lay silent; as if aware of the mood.

Legolas blinked back tears and chocked as he sat up on his knees and patted the space beside him.

"Legolas"

The king whispered and fresh tears slid down his face.

"Adar"

Legolas cried, sounding heartbroken.

Thranduil sat down on the bed and Legolas immediately flung his arms around his neck, burying his face in his father's neck and crying bitterly; too bitterly for an elfling. The light in his eyes had gone and what was left was an elf old before his time.

"Legolas"

The child raised his head and looked at his father.

"This is your new sister"

Legolas smiled at her and stroked her cheek gently making her stir and open her eyes.

"What is she called?"

Thranduil smiled at his sons wonder and chuckled, his sorrow ebbing for a moment.

"I thought that we could name her together"

A grin made it's way onto Legolas' pale lips and his eyes shone,

"What do you want to call her leaf?"

Legolas furrowed his brow in thought and ran his hand over the small tufts of silvery blond hair blanketing her head.

"We should call her Nienna. Atara liked that name"

Thranduil kissed his sons forehead and moved the bundle in his arms to allow Legolas to sit on his lap.

Once settled, the elfling opened his arms to allow his father to place the baby in them. They sat quietly for over an hour, watching the newest arrival and mourning their loss.

"Nienna Eloria Thranduilielle"

Thranduil announced quietly.

Legolas nodded his head and kissed Nienna' s head. Thranduil sensed the elflings grief and tiredness and laid him down gently.

He sat and marvelled at his son. The blond hair and his wide blue eyes, the pale skin and the thin lips that were so like his mothers. As he thought more tears flowed and he cried; he cried for everything. Sobs racked his body and he shook uncontrollably.

Cemethal entered the room and took the baby from his king's grasp. Sitting beside him he wrapped his arms around him, not knowing what to do. He himself had never lost a wife and the he could feel the grief setting in. if they were not careful Thranduil would pass and follow his wife into death.

But he knew that the king would not pass, not while he had elflings to care for.

He stood with the king and helped him from the room, leaving Legolas with the baby in his arms for a few moments.

Leoglas looked down at her and smiled sadly.

"Atara thinks you are pretty, I know she does. She always wanted a little girl you know why?  Cos she wanted to dress her in pretty dresses and teach her to dance. I promise that I will teach you all those things and lots more. I'll even teach you archery if you are good"

He stopped and sniffed, unable to stop the tears.

"I love you 'Ennna. And so does Adar, he is just sad. But we should not be sad cos Atara is watching us and she would not like us to be sad. You know what? We should go asleep now cos we is tired and Atara always says that you cannot play when you are tired, it is not allowed"

He bent down and gathered his blanket; rolling it into a long cushion so that she would not fall off the bed. Not that she could but he wanted to be sure that she was safe. Then he placed a pillow behind the blanket and then laid her down carefully, keeping his hand on the back of her head as he had seen mothers do.

He then lay down beside her securing her in his arms.

Nienna yawned and closed her eyes as her brother kissed her tenderly.

"You go to sleep 'Ennna Las will keep you safe until Adar comes back"

Legolas yawned and fell asleep as the dawn broke over the trees outside.

A few minutes later the distraught king entered the room to find his precious Greenleaf curled up asleep with his sister.

He sight broke him and he collapsed on the floor his sobs muffled by his hands.

Outside the servants themselves were reduced to tears as the broken sobs of their king echoed through the halls

The dawn broke and Mirkwood mourned the loss of not only their queen but also their king.

Thranduil would never be the same again.