Aragorn and Legolas laid together in their gigantic bed, enjoying the peace of a new morning and the privacy of their private chambers. They'd had a minor disagreement when Legolas refused to spend even one night in the Houses of Healing, but the elf – having more experience at being immovably stubborn – had swiftly gotten his way. Houses, in his opinion, had too many healers that were always popping into the room; all Legolas wanted was to be alone with his husband and bask in the knowledge that a life was growing inside of him.
The sun of the new morning cast its light on the couple, illuminating Aragorn's face as he nuzzled his husband's stomach. "I love you," he murmured.
Legolas smiled down at him. "Which one of us?" he teased.
"Both." Aragorn lifted his head to kiss his husband on the lips. "Now why do you feel like you have to ask such a question? Have I been neglecting you this morning, meleth?"
"A little," whispered Legolas serenely. "I need a lot of attention, after all. But I can forgive you."
"It's just so amazing," stuttered Aragorn, not being able to resist lowering one hand to the slightly bulging stomach once again. "How many gifts can Eru bestow on one Man? In my lifetime I've seen the fall of Sauron, rested my eyes on the most beautiful being imaginable, been lucky enough to have said being fall as much in love with me as I am with him – even married me – and now this...." His voice trailed off and tears glistened in his eyes.
"I know," Legolas told him, putting his hand on top of the Man's splayed one, lacing their fingers together. "I was blessed from the moment I saw you, even though it took me eleven years to realize it."
"I wish that I could freeze this moment in time," sighed Aragorn. "This is perfect. It should always be like this."
"Where is the king? We demand to see him at once!"
"And yet it's like this all too often," groaned Legolas, rolling his eyes at the sound of an advisor's voice. "Did he just say 'we'? How many of them do you think are out there?"
"The king and prince will see no one this morning!"
"Not so many that the guard can't subdue them," commented Aragorn, immensely pleased with himself that he had the foresight to post a guard just outside their chambers. "Don't worry, my love. That guard is very, well, dedicated. I told him not to that no one is to enter unless the circumstances are dire, and he's good at taking instructions."
"I thought that you didn't want the people of Gondor to fight amongst themselves," Legolas reminded him lightly.
"This doesn't count," protested Aragorn. "They're not people; they're advisors."
"We have come here for some answers and we're not leaving until we get them!" shouted one of the advisors from the other side of the door. "It is in the best interest of Gondor that we know everything. Prince Legolas mysteriously collapsed yesterday. He should be in the Houses of Healing, but when we went there to check on him this morning –"
"And you wanted me to spend the night there," groused Legolas pointedly. Aragorn shuddered and pulled him closer.
"- and he was not there!" the irate voice continued. "Now there are preposterous rumors flying all around the city. How can we advise King Elessar if we are not sufficiently informed as to what is going on?"
"We must know the prince's condition," added a voice that Legolas and Aragorn noted – with more than a little disgust – belonged to Cirion. "A serious illness in the monarchy will cause an unacceptable amount of political instability unless plans are made. We need to be prepared for any possible circumstance."
"And just what circumstances do you expect to find here?!"
Legolas shot straight up, dragging Aragorn with him. "What is my father doing here?" he asked in a hissing whisper. "How could he possibly know anything that happened yesterday."
"There's nothing faster in all the lands than gossip, especially court gossip," replied Aragorn with a groan. "All of Minas Tirith knew that you collapsed within an hour of it happening. The news must have reached Ithilien –"
"And Ada came here at once."
"Do you think that I do not know what passes through your shriveled minds?" Thranduil continued to rage from outside the chambers. "The lot of you dream that one day my Legolas will...depart, leaving that husband of his unattached. For the sake of peace, I hope that never happens! Ai Elbereth, who would dare to guess what state the rule of Gondor would be in if one of your brainless daughters were queen?"
"That's Ada," stated Legolas, sounding remarkably detached. "Making friends wherever he goes."
"Did you hear that?" asked Aragorn excitedly. "He said something that could be interpreted as positive about us being together!"
The comment that would have accompanied Legolas' sideways glance was cut off by Cirion's indignant cry. "I will not be spoken to like that!"
"Especially not twice within 24 hours," Aragorn told his husband, feigning wide-eyed seriousness.
"He's not terribly bright, is he?" clucked Legolas.
"You will and you have been!" declared Thranduil in disgust. "Now leave my child to his rest before I have the finest elven archers in Ithilien make you wish you had."
As Aragorn could attest to, the elven king was quite intimidating, especially when he was furious. The couple wasn't at all surprised to hear several footsteps scurry away from their door and down the corridor. "Now let me in," Thranduil ordered, his voice full of threats.
The Man was aghast. "I thought he wanted you to be left to your rest!"
"Ada sees himself as a calming influence," Legolas explained.
"I'm – I'm terribly sorry," squeaked the guard. "I was left with strict instructions to not let anyone get past unless the circumstances were dire."
"If I'm not allowed to see my son right now," Thranduil growled, sounding downright feral, "then I'll see to it that things get exceedingly dire right away. Now either open that door or get out of my way!"
The click of the door opening came a second later and Legolas' father burst into their bedroom – without knocking. "My poor Little Greenleaf," he cried, rushing to the bedside.
"Ada," greeted Legolas.
"Good morning sir," chimed in Aragorn.
Thranduil eyed them, the censure in his eyes making them both keenly aware that the Man still had his arms around Legolas. "I beg your pardon, Aragorn," he said, though his tone made it clear that he believed that Aragorn should be the one begging his pardon. "But my Little Greenleaf is ill. Now is not the time to try and engage him in any such – acts."
Legolas let out an exasperated sigh as a red-faced Aragorn sheepishly let his arms drop. "We weren't doing anything," he said with an annoyed singsong. "And it wouldn't matter if we were because I'm not ill."
"You collapsed in the streets!" protested Thranduil as he stroked his son's hair. "What other explanation could there be?"
"It's good news," Legolas told him. "Wonderful news, actually."
"The best kind of news," added Aragorn.
"What is it?" asked Thranduil cautiously.
"I'm pregnant, Ada."
The mild expression on Thranduil's face made it seem like Legolas had just told him something more along the lines of 'the sun is really bright today'. "Ada?" he pried carefully. "Did you hear what I just said? I'm pregnant."
"What makes you say that?" his father asked. His tone remained calm, though its hurried rhythm revealed vast amounts of emotion.
"The fact that I'm carrying a child," replied Legolas happily. He grabbed Thranduil's hand and pressed it against his stomach. "Do you feel that, Ada? That's your grandson."
"Oh," the elder elf breathed, indeed feeling the life that was inside his son. He blinked several times as tears sprang to his eyes. "Oh my child. My Little Greenleaf! You yourself were a miracle and now Eru has seen fit to give you a little miracle of your own. There are no words that can describe my joy!"
Aragorn just sat there as they embraced, feeling like an intruder in his own bed. 'Oh for Elbereth's sake, stand up for yourself!' "I said something like that!" he blurted out. "It's really wonderful."
Thranduil looked over at him as if startled by his presence. "Yes, well," the elf king hedged, realizing how uncomfortably close he was to having to face the fact that his son had at least once had sex with his husband. "Does – does anyone know how this came into being?"
"My brothers are trying to find an answer to that right now," Aragorn was feeling a little bit bolder. "It wasn't like we planned this or anything. This all came as a bit of a shock."
"Indeed," said Thranduil shortly, squirming a little.
"Perhaps they have some news already," interjected Legolas, ever the peacemaker. "I think it would probably be better to hear it in smaller pieces rather than having to listen to the entire explanation all at once. Guard!"
The young guard peered timidly into the bedchamber. "Yes, my lord?"
"Please bring the Lords Elladan and Elrohir here right away," instructed the prince. "And tell them to bring any information that they may have uncovered."
The guard bowed hastily and sprinted off. "There," Legolas declared. "We should learn something now at least. Would you like anything to eat before they come, Ada? Or something to drink – water, tea...wine?"
"No," said Thranduil. "I want nothing else but to stay at your side. You are going to need me, Little Greenleaf. Perhaps I should stay in the city so that I will always be on hand..."
Stay in the city? It was difficult enough having him in Ithilien! With images of his father-in-law staying in bed with them until their son's birth flying unbidden into his head, Aragorn silently begged his brothers to hurry.
To be continued...
A/N: This is kind of short; I'll write a longer chapter next week when this current batch of papers is completed and I have my sanity back.