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"Atara"

Thranduil leapt out of bed at the sound of his son crying out his mother's name, the elfling sounded terrified and hollow as he shouted.

He flung open the large door of his son's bedroom and rushed to his bedside. The elfling was pale, tear tracks marred his smooth cheeks and his brow was furrowed as he continued crying out with desperation.

"Atara!"

"Legolas, Little leaf wake up"

Thranduil whispered quietly to his son. He watched as the elfling slowly opened his eyes, tears still falling.

"Adar!"

Legolas shot up and threw his small arms around his father's neck and clung to him with all his strength.

Thranduil stoked his son's fair head and sang quietly, soothing the elfling back to sleep.

The king lay with his sleeping son cradled in his arms for some hours before he heard the wail of an infant.

A part of him wanted to leave her, give her away to be raised by a loving couple. But one look at his precious Greenleaf told him all he needed. He needed to keep her, she was a part of their family as Legolas was, and even if she would never know her mother she was still her daughter.

A soft knock came before one of the maids entered carrying the quiet child. The maid smiled before handing the baby to her father, who took her with slight hesitation.

"She has been fed my Lord, she is just fussy but she will quieten down soon"

"Thank you"

His voice was hushed and his eyes never moved from the baby in his arms. Nienna shifted and opened her eyes slowly, upon seeing her father she smiled the way only a baby can and filled him with love.

He sat there for a while before taking her back to her crib and soothing her back to sleep. This done he returned to his son.

Legolas shifted in his sleep and his small hands clung to his pillow. Thranduil smiled down at his children. A shape caught his eyes from under the pillow and carefully, without waking Legolas he picked up the stuffed wolf. Images of his wife clinging to the wolf came into his mind.

-

She had held the wolf close to her heart with one hands, her other hand held that of her husband as the last of her labour pains struck her. Her eyes were tired and were becoming dull as she prepared to leave Middle- Earth. Silently she said goodbye to everything she held dear.

"Thranduil. Look after Legolas. He will grow and he will be strong. Listen to him and be patient"

He watched in silence a she closed her eyes against the pain. He studied every detail about her face. The way a few stands of her hair curled around her forehead and the way her long eyelashes fluttered against her cheek. She had dimples in her cheeks and her nose was small, almost like a child's.

The king watched helplessly as the elleth he loved slowly passed, and he could do nothing to stop it.

She opened her eyes and screamed one last time as she pushed with everything she had left within her. And with that, she brought a daughter into the world.

The healer handed Thranduil new daughter and left the couple to their last few moments. Eloria was pale and her breathing shallow as she struggled to breathe. Thranduil, ignoring his tears sat beside her and let her see her daughter for the first and last time. She smiled, a beautiful smile, her fingers gently and tenderly stroked her elflings cheek. Thranduil bent down and kissed her lips gently. She smiled gratefully at him and let her eyes flutter shut.

The tears flowed down his cheeks in rivers and he was unable to stop them. He kissed his wife's forehead and stood from his place beside her, his daughter in his arms.

-

Thranduil looked down at his tired son and sighed. His elfling had not slept well since his mother's death; his only reason for getting out of bed in the morning was his excitement in seeing his sister. He doted on her. He spent every free minute with her. He gave her toys and drew her pictures and sang to her. But he refused to talk with anyone else.

Legolas shifted on the bed, his keen eyes watching his adar. Thranduil bent down and picked his son up. Cradling him in his arms he rocked his son soothingly. Listening as the elfling began to cry.

As he did so a cry came from Thranduil' s bedroom, Nienna had awoken from her sleep. Legolas sat back, wiping his eyes,

"'Mon adar"

He hopped off of Thranduil's lap and dragged his father to his bedroom. In his free hand he held Lornie, on his face was a smile that could only be rivalled by his mother.

They reached the room and Thranduil picked up his daughter and sat on the bed, Legolas sat beside him, a displeased look on his face.

"Why won't she stop crying?"

Thranduil chuckled and lifted Nienna onto his shoulder, his hand rubbing her back, lulling her back to sleep.

"She is just restless little leaf, she does not like to be left alone"

Legolas paled and averted his eyes to his sister; he sat up on his knees and ran his fingers gently over her head.

"Why? Does she think that atara left her?"

Thranduil looked at his son in disbelief.

"Little leaf, is that what you think?"

Legolas shook his head and hugged his father.

"No, but what if 'enna thinks that. She doesn't know and I know she misses atara"

Thranduil smiled down at his son and kissed his forehead.

"She will always be watching little leaf. She is proud of you and she always will be"

He watched as his son smiled,

"But 'enna doesn't know that"

"Of course she does"

Leoglas sat back, a look of disbelief on his face. His nose was scrunched up and his eyes narrowed,

"She knows because your atara is a part of her, as she is a part of you and me. Just because you she isn't here anymore, does not mean that she is gone. She will never be gone Legolas, it is impossible"

"Where is she?"

Thranduil stood up, being careful of the baby that still lay sleeping on his shoulder. Legolas followed his adar to the window, holding his free hand.

Thranduil picked his son up and stood him on the windowsill.

"Do you see that star there?"

He asked, pointing to the one that shined the brightest. Legolas nodded enthusiastically.

"That is your atara, and she is watching you right now. She loves you Legolas. And she loves Nienna"

Legolas grinned and turned round to see his adar,

"And I love you adar. You're not going to go away are you?"

Thranduil felt his eyes well up with tear and he cradled his sons cheek in his hand.

"No little leaf, I am not going anywhere"

With one last look at the star in the sky Leoglas hopped off of the windowsill and jumped into his adar' s bed. He squirmed around to make himself comfortable and lay grinning at his father. He watched with bright eyes as his father kissed Nienna and laid her down in her cradle.

Thranduil sat down at the side of the bed, his fingers stroking his son's hair gently.

"Are you coming to bed now adar?"

"No, not yet leaf"

Legolas nodded and burrowed into the covers.

Thranduil kissed his son and left the room,

"Adar!"

Legolas shouted from the bed, Thranduil rushed into the room thinking that there was something room,

"Where's Lornie?"

Legolas asked quietly, his eyes tearing as he couldn't remember where he'd left his stuffed wolf. Remembering where it was Thranduil left the room to retrieve it. When he returned Leoglas was lying in bed, his eyes glazed over in sleep.

He went and sat beside him; tucking the wolf into his son's arms he kissed him softly.

"I love you little leaf, I promise that I will not leave you"

He stood from the bed and kissed his daughter before moving to the window and looking at the star that shined the brightest.

"I love you Eloria"

As he sat by the window watching his children sleep, he felt a small part of the hole in his heart mend.