Chapter 29

Gandalf was the only one permitted to be with Frodo until he awoken, and so everyone waited on pins and needles for him to do just that. I was lying out on my bed, staring up at the ceiling as Legolas began to lecture me. We had arrived back to Minas Tirith that morning while Gandalf had flown both Sam and Frodo back to Minas Tirith after finding them on Mount Doom. Legolas had held off his lecture on the ride home, but now I was getting it.

"So," he rubbed his temples, "how long have you known you were with child?"

"I found out the morning we left to Dunharrow." When I said this, he stopped pacing. I felt his eyes staring at me, but couldn't see him because I refused to look.

"You knew you were pregnant and you still went? And you went to battle and you knew? Why would you risk your health and the health of our child?"

"I know it was stupid of me Legolas," I sat up to see that he was indeed staring at me as I thought he had been, "but I was confident-"

"To think of all the times you endangered both your lives. What if I had not shot the man sent by Lord Denethor? What if I hadn't tackled that orc before he could stab you? Dúlinn you could have…" He shook his head. "Adette…I hope that you are not getting your hopes up-"

"Wait what are you saying?" I narrowed my eyes. Suddenly I realized what he meant, and I shot to my feet. "You don't think this baby will live do you?"

He made quite an effort to calm himself down, closing his eyes and breathing in and out. He then opened his eyes and took a half step towards me.

"All I'm saying is that-"

"You think this baby is going to end up a miscarriage like the first don't you?" I snapped, feeling my cheeks flush from anger. I felt frustrated tears rising in my eyes, but when I blinked to try and make them go away they only spilled out. Legolas's face fell when they did. "Well I don't. Galadriel told me to never give up," my voice nearly gave out, "and I refuse to."

I stomped over to the window seat and sat down on it, staring out the window and into the sky. I heard Legolas's footsteps coming towards me, hesitate, but then he sat down beside me. He let out a sigh, and I then felt his fingers take my chin.

"Adette," he guided my face towards his, "I just don't want to see you so depressed again. That month after we lost the baby was unbearable. I-"

"I'm sorry that I was such a burden Legolas." He let go of my chin and wiped my tears away. He then put his arms around my shoulders and pulled me over onto his side of the window seat. I laid my head against his shoulder.

"I didn't mean it that way dúlinn. That month after the miscarriage, it killed me to see you so upset. It hurt me to not see you smile, or laugh, or to not see you get angry with me and punch me." I looked up to see him smile when he said that last part. But then it disappeared, and he spoke softer. "And I always blamed myself."

I sat up, but he kept his arms around me, although moving them down around my waist.

"Why would you blame yourself? It was entirely my fault Legolas." He shook his head when I spoke.

"I shouldn't have left Mirkwood that day. I knew there was Uruk-hai coming through and I still left."

FLASHBACK

Legolas's POV

"Dínendal why are you not yet courting Alassë?" I asked, turning in my saddle to look back at him as he rode behind me. He quickly caught up, riding past me with a defiant look on his face. "Come now Dínendal, we tell each other everything."

"Well Legolas, we can't all be as forward as you were with your lovely wife."

"I wasn't forward." I argued, quickening my pace to ride beside him. He laughed out loud.

"You just went right up to her and said, 'Adette-'"

But before he could finish his sentence, the sound of hoof beats filled our ears. These were not pleasant hoof beats either. Dínendal and I stopped our horses instantly, waiting for the rider to approach.

"Legolas! Legolas!" Lenwë's voice rang out from the bend.

"Ah, it's Lenwë." I said, relaxing. He rode around the bend and came into view, willing the horse to skid to a stop when he reached us. He looked troubled and flushed and I was about to make a joke when I noticed blood on his tunic. "Lenwë what happened? Where are you injured?"

"It is not me who is injured Legolas." He said quickly, averting his eyes from mine. I leaned down to try and catch his eyes.

"Who?" I asked. Dínendal was growing restless as well, fidgeting in the saddle beside me. Only moments after I asked did it finally click in my mind. "Adette?" I growled.

When Lenwë nodded, I kicked my horse and galloped around the bend, ignoring my friends as they called after me. No matter how hard I kicked the horse, it didn't seem to be going fast enough. I had been gone for only a few hours and Adette was hurt. I tried not to imagine what could have happened to her for when I did I only grew angrier.

It took me an hour less on the trip back to Mirkwood. I rode my horse all the way up to the castle without stopping for anyone or anything. When I dismounted, my feet seemed to have a mind of their own when they slammed against the ground as I ran to find my wife. I went to the hospital wing and stopped to listen for her. Not a moment after I stopped running did I hear a faint cry and knew it was her immediately. My feet carried me to the door and I slammed into it, nearly breaking it from the hinges.

"Adette?" I asked loudly as I broke through the door. The scene before me would be forever imprinted in my mind. Adette was lying in the small bed, her blood staining the white sheets. She was wearing only a skimpy singlet, also stained with her blood. Her hair was drenched in her sweat and stuck to her face and neck, tangling with her skin. What enraged me even more was her swollen lip and the cut beside her right eye that looked as though had just stopped bleeding recently.

"Prince Legolas-"

"What happened?" I snarled, turning to the healer who had been unfortunate enough to speak to me. The only thing stopping me from pulling out my bow and going on a killing spree was the fact that I didn't know who had done this to her. The healer looked frightened.

"Princess Adette was…raped and beaten." She answered softly.

My pupils shrank and my skin drained of its color when the words left her mouth. Before I could stop myself I let out a fierce yell and picked up a chair. I slammed it into the wall, breaking through and making a hole. I had never before in my life been as angry as I had been at that moment.

"Who did this!" I roared, unable to calm myself down.

"T-the band of Uruk-hai that had been spotted. Lenwë found her." As I went for the door the healer grabbed my arm gently. "Please stay Prince Legolas, she needs you-"

Adette let out a sharp cry and I whirled around, flying to her side. Her eyes were barely open, but I knew she was awake. Her lips parted but before she could speak I placed a finger to her lips.

"Hush dúlinn, I am here. Sleep my love." I forced myself to speak calmly for I didn't want to scare her. Before I had finished her eyes had closed once more.

I stretched a hand out, carefully lifting up the singlet. When I did I looked away instantly, pulling it back down as tears flooded my eyes. Not caring that the healers were all staring at me, I buried my face into her stomach and cried the hardest I ever had in my whole life.

END OF FLASHBACK

"Legolas," I cupped his cheek, "it was not your fault. I shouldn't have been out by myself when I knew Uruk-hai were about."

He laughed tiredly, placing his hand over mine against his cheek.

"But that's how you are dúlinn. You do what you want to and that is why I love you." He then picked me up and laid me out on the bed so that my head rested on a pillow. He straddled my hips and began to kiss from my lips all the way down to between my breasts.

"Legolas, Legolas." I breathed, my fingers tangling in his hair as he gently burrowed his head into my stomach. He let out a sigh, his hands holding my hips in place.

"Le bróg nin hén Adette." He said in disbelief.

(You bear my child Adette.)

"Lín hén?" I asked in an amused tone. He lifted his head, grinning.

(Your child?)

"Mín hén." He crawled up to lay beside me, kissing me tenderly before laying beside me on the next pillow, arms folded behind his head. "Mín laes."

(Our child.) (Our baby.)

Legolas's POV

Frodo had awoken, and Merry and Pippin had gone in first to see him. They were followed closely by Adette and Gimli, but Aragorn and I waited outside for awhile before going inside. We sat on the bench outside of his room.

"So King Aragorn, what do you plan on doing first? Now that you've decided to accept your crown?" I asked, turning to him.

"Well," he turned to me as well, "my first demand as king is for you to answer me a question."

"Ah, and what is this question?"

"You've been smiling ever since you and Adette came downstairs when Frodo first woke up. What secret are you keeping from me?"

He was right – I had been smiling like an idiot ever since Adette and I had spoken about the child. I couldn't help it…we were finally going to get what we had wanted for so long. Adette had told me that she wanted to wait to tell everyone for awhile, but I was about to burst.

"Adette's na garo nin laes." I rushed, still smiling from ear to ear.

(Adette's to have my baby.)

Aragorn's eyes widened and he smiled widely.

"Congratulations mellon."

"Just don't tell Adette that you know-"

"Don't worry ada, your secret is safe with me." Daddy. I liked the sound of that.

(Daddy.)

The door opened suddenly and Adette appeared. She grabbed my hand and Aragorn's pulling us to our feet.

"Come in you two, we're reminiscing." She laughed, pushing us inside of the room. Frodo was sitting up in bed looking happier than I had ever seen him look before. Merry, Pippin, Sam, and Gimli were all sitting on his bed laughing and talking. Gandalf sat in a chair near the bed, joined in on the conversation as well.

"Legolas! Aragorn!" Frodo cried upon seeing us. Adette went to sit on the floor but Aragorn stopped her.

"You can have the chair sister." He insisted.

"Alright." She looked at him oddly before sitting beside Gandalf in the empty chair. Aragorn sat on a corner of the bed while I simply stood.

"Legolas sit down." Adette told me, motioning to a free spot on the bed.

"Yes ada, sit-" Aragorn instantly knew what he had said and bit down on his lip, looking at me apologetically. Adette looked at Aragorn.

"Ada?" She then looked at me. "Legolas!"

"I'm sorry Adette I couldn't help it." I said, sticking out my bottom lip. Aragorn went to his sister and gave her a hug.

"Congratulations nana." He muttered.

(Mommy.)

"Ada a nana? Im míl tó." Adette said, not seeming to mind that I had spilled the secret to Aragorn.

(Daddy and mommy? I love that.)

When Aragorn had sat back down on the bed, and I had taken a place as well, Frodo began to tell us tales of his adventure. He told us about Gollum, about nearly being caught outside the Black Gate, the giant spider, Sam coming to his rescue, and Mount Doom. We all listened to his stories until finally he was ordered to rest some more.

"I want to know the secret." Gimli whined when we had left Frodo to rest.

"What secret?" I asked innocently, my arm around Adette's waist.

"Lass, tell me the secret."

"There isn't a secret Gimli." When she said this, Gimli stormed away. "Oh wait Gimli I'll tell you!"

"Well when you put it that way." He turned back around to us.

"I'm going to have a baby." She told him, glancing sideways at me with a grin on her face.

"Congratulations lass." He gave her a big hug, nearly causing her to topple over. "You'll be naming him after me now won't you?"

"And if it's a girl?"

"She'll grow to like it." He waved his hand. Adette and I laughed, imagining a little Gimli running around in Mirkwood.