To all my readers and reviewers: Thank you all so much for your kind thoughts and prayers. This has been a really rough time for me, and I appreciate your support so much. I would love to respond to all of you individually, but it would take far too long to respond to everybody! I apologize for keeping you waiting so long, and this chapter is a little short (I wrote in on the plane, before I ended up with a serious motion sickness problem!). Hopefully, it won't be too long before I get the next chapter up. I've completely lost my train of thought on this story, and I kind of don't know where I'm going with it at this point.

Disclaimer: you know, don't own it. wish i did. yadda ya

Chapter 33

Elenayave sat huffily in her bed, the sheets pulled up around her waist. Her hair was a mess and her face was drawn and streaked with tears. Frustrated with the strap of her chemise that kept sliding down her shoulder, she yanked the garment off, nearly ripping it, and threw it across the room. She peeled herself out of the bed and stomped across the chamber to her closet. Muttering to herself, she whipped out a pair of riding breeches and a new tunic that had just been made for her and pulled the clothes on hastily, then set about brushing her hair. Unfortunately, the tunic decided that it did not want to cooperate with her, and the stitching snagged on the brush. Somehow managing to inadvertently rip out half the thread from the sleeve, she finally detangled herself from the bothersome shirt.

Once again, she made her way to the closet. Not really paying attention to where her feet carried her, she slipped on the same tunic Legolas had, and ended up sprawled very ungracefully upon the floor. That was most certainly the last straw. The elleth burst into tears for the third time that morning, half from the dull ache in her rear and half from frustration and sorrow. Elenayave grabbed the offending garment, with the intent of throwing it across the room, but she halted her movements and slowly pulled the shirt to her face. She inhaled deeply, letting the familiar smell of her husband seep into her senses, knowing that it had always calmed her in the past. Her fingers traced lightly over the soft material, and she smiled wistfully.

"Oh, Legolas," she whispered. "What have I done?"

The Mirkwood prince paced moodily in front of the window. Elenayave had not emerged from her chambers yet, and their argument had been more than three hours ago. Perhaps he had underestimated how upset she actually was with him. Maybe he should go back and check…

No. He wouldn't. Legolas stopped himself long before he ever reached her door. She was the one acting like a spoiled child. He would not go running back to her when she was the one who owed him an apology. She would come to him when she was ready to grow up and behave like an adult.

A soft thud reached his ears from the other side of the door, immediately snatching his attention away from the window. He heard a string of curses pour from her mouth, and he grinned in spite of himself. Apparently, the princess wasn't having a good day either. Another thump followed, this one louder than the first, and then…tears. Legolas resisted the urge to go in and comfort her, knowing that if their problem was ever to be resolved, she had to come to him.

Donning Legolas's tunic, she wiped the tears from her eyes and stood. Elenayave gazed around her momentarily and frowned. This was not the way her trip to Rivendell was supposed to be. She had planned a quiet, relaxing trip with her husband and her brother. Instead, she found herself falling down steep embankments and arguing ceaselessly with Legolas. And about what? A child that didn't even exist? It was ridiculous really. She crossed her arms over her chest and sulked. Taking a glance into the mirror on the wall, she looked at herself and let out a bark of hoarse laughter. Shame. Disillusionment. Frustration. Regret. She was truly disappointed with what she saw in her reflection. She knew Legolas loved her. She was well aware of the fact that he would willingly give his last breath for her, if need be. How had this happened? And most importantly, why was she acting like a spoiled little brat?

Legolas had always provided her with everything she'd ever needed or wanted. Never once had he denied her anything. He'd allowed her to join the guard, despite the inherent dangers of being a warrior. He'd packed up and traveled with her to Rivendell whenever she had wanted, regardless of the work he would have to finish when they returned home. Legolas had given much of his time and effort to be with her when she was struggling to adjust to the different lifestyles of Mirkwood, after they'd first married. And he'd spent night after night without rest, watching over her after she'd been taken. He'd endured her verbal tirades and diatribes without so much as a protest. Not once had he ever raised his voice to her in anger. Not once had he ever criticized or complained. Legolas gave without any thought of reward. And he had never asked anything of her, save her love and little of her time each day. True, he wanted a child. But, he'd never really demanded it of her. And he wouldn't. It wasn't in his nature at all.

Elenayave sighed as she eased herself back down onto the bed. She had made a big mistake. It wasn't her place to doubt how he felt for her after he'd sacrificed so much for the sake of their relationship. It just wasn't fair. Sure, Thranduil wanted and pushed for Legolas to produce an heir, and of course it had been engrained in his mind that it was a necessary duty of one in his position, but Legolas didn't want a baby because his father stipulated it. Legolas wanted a child so he could enjoy the same experiences he'd had with his father. So he could have a little boy or girl to show off to his friends, a physical sign of his love for her. Because he wanted know the feeling of looking into his child's eyes and seeing that complete love and trust that a child only gives a parent. In fact, if Legolas truly had a say, there would be more than one addition to their small family. Growing up an only child in a royal household had been hard enough for him. He didn't want to subject his offspring to the same difficult path. Was that so much to ask?

The elleth shook her head in consternation. She was so disappointed in herself. If Legolas could unconditionally give her everything she ever asked for, why could she not do the same for him?

"It can't be that bad," she whispered to herself. "It's just a baby, after all."

Finally, she stood and made her way to the door. She had some serious explaining to do, and hopefully her Elf would be receptive. But a sudden thought crossed her mind and she stopped in her tracks. How did an elleth go about having a baby, anyway? Was it the same as humans? And if so, why hadn't she already conceived? It wasn't as if she and Legolas had used protection. Did they even have means of birth control in Middle Earth? She wasn't sure, but she highly doubted it. There was only one person that would know the answer to her questions, and she was sure that he was waiting for her in the living quarters.

Again, thank you all. I should be up next week with a longer chapter. Or maybe sooner. I don't know yet.