Chapter 17 ended with:

Phoebe was crying, frightened by the sight in front of her. And Elladan... was sitting beside her, a blue crayon in his hand, Valerie's arrow pointed directly on his forehead.

Warning: this chapter contains the scene in which Valerie is giving birth to her sons, and it might be difficult for some readers.

Chapter 18 – The Birth of Reborn Kings

"How dare you!" she shouted to Elladan. "You are coveting my daughter, an innocent little girl!"

Legolas could not help but notice how glorious she looked, like a red angel of vengeance... He felt an overwhelming rush of desire for her, an urgency to make this strong elleth submit to his needs... but enough of that, Elladan's life was in danger, if Valerie's determination was to be trusted.

"Valerie?" he called softly, to ensure she would not be startled and release her arrow directly in Elladan's forehead.

"I cannot believe this pedophile has been around our daughter for many months now!" she spat angrily. "We trusted him, and he betrayed our trust in the most vile of ways!"

"Valerie -" Elladan started.

"Shut up!"

"What is a pedophile?" Elrond asked to no one in particular, not recognizing the English word Valerie had used. He suspected it was key in her violent reaction towards his son that morning.

"Someone sexually attracted to children," Liam answered distractedly, still watching his mother with macabre fascination. He had always known his mother had a wild character, but this was... over-the-top!

"How can you think such a thing of me?" Elladan asked, insulted to the core but in a guarded tone. After all, Valerie's arrow was pointing straight to his head and she had proved numerous time that she knew how to use a bow.

"Valerie," Legolas said, "there is no such thing as a pedophile in the elven world. It is just... not possible!"

"Explain why you are spending so much time with my daughter, in a bizarre and unhealthy relationship between an ellon that is thousands of years old and a half-elven girl of five?"

"I love her -" Elladan replied, his ill-chosen words making Valerie gape in horror and move slightly her arrow away, before she aimed it again at his forehead with renewed determination.

"You are a sick ellon, and you will pay for molesting my daughter!"

Phoebe cried louder and threw herself in front of Elladan, trying to protect him, and Elrond's son held her against his chest, maybe for the last time...

"Valerie!" Legolas bellowed before it was too late. Valerie froze, never having seen her husband so infuriated, and against her to make matters worse. "Drop your arrow now! It is an order!"

Valerie understood it wasn't her spouse shouting at her, but her captain. She was a warrior, and owed him absolute obedience. She briefly thought of defying him, but knew he would never forgive her such a humiliation in front of their guests and his father.

She slowly dropped her bow. "I trust that you are planning an appropriate punishment for this felon, Captain."

"I am not," he informed her coolly. It was time that Valerie learned to think before acting. As princess of the realm, she could not act so impulsively and humiliate innocent guests in the process. "You are mistaken about what is happening between our daughter and Elladan. There is no such thing as pedophilia in elven worlds. It is a horribly despicable act that was invented and solely performed by mortals. Phoebe and Elladan are fëa-mates, just like we are. They are attracted by a pull, and there is nothing inappropriate in their bond, not at her age. The purity of elven bonds makes it impossible for an adult to abuse of its younger mate. And the physical attraction will come later, much later, when I will be ready to give them my blessing."

Valerie looked around the room, and seeing she would get no support from anyone, she turned around and left the living room without speaking. The room remained silent for a long time, everyone stunned by the scene they had just witnessed, and they listened to the noises coming from her suite. It was clear she was in the process of destroying a few items in her room, and no one dared interrupt her when she was in such a foul mood, not even Legolas. When they heard her steps leaving the royal aisle, Legolas shook himself out of his trance. He was about to follow her when his father held him by the arm.

"Give her some space," he recommended. "Your mate needs to calm down and cannot do it with us around."

"But she is leaving!"

"Wherever she is going, Cadworon and Brethilon will follow. You know how dedicated they are to her!"

Legolas accepted to sit down and remained silent, feeling his bond with his mate weaken as the horse she was riding was taking her further away from him with each step. He had been rude, he knew, but she had been threatening the life of a royal guest based on unverified suspicions. Her behavior had been absolutely disgraceful, and he had no idea how Lord Elrond would demand reparation. He glanced in the direction of the lord, and as if he had sensed Legolas' gaze, Elrond looked at him with understanding.

"Your wife is still adjusting to the cultural differences between mortals and elves, Prince Legolas. I am sure my son, like myself, will not hold grudges because of what just happened."

Elladan nodded his agreement, breathing slowly with relief while still holding Phoebe against his chest.

"Will my mother come back?" Sean asked, terrified that Valerie had left them for good, now that Legolas had spoken to her harshly.

"Of course she will!" Liam replied to his brother. "She is seven months pregnant, she cannot go very far!" he continued, ever practical.

"Your mother will come back because she would never leave you," Legolas replied firmly. The children needed to know that their mother was absolutely dedicated to them, and it was not a fight with him that would make her decide to abandon them.

"Will she try to hurt Elladan again?" Phoebe asked with a small voice.

"No, she will not," Legolas replied as firmly. Phoebe needed to know that her mother would not hurt the friend that had become so important in her life.

"I want Mommy!" she started crying, leaving Elladan's lap. "I want to be with her!"

"Come here!" Legolas said, opening his arms, but she refused, obviously angry with him to have screamed at her mother.

"I do not want you! I want Mommy!" she insisted, crying louder than before.

That hurt Legolas more than he expected. In her little mind, Phoebe was confused. As much as she had been angry with her mother to threaten Elladan, she was now angry that Legolas had made Valerie leave. He had no idea what to do with the distressed child until he saw Thranduil open his arms.

"Come here, aure nin – my sunlight." Phoebe ran to the arms of her grandfather, the only adult she loved that had not participated in a way or another in this mess.

They all worried for long hours, until Valerie came back after sun down, followed by her two personal guards. What she had done, what she had told them, no one ever knew, not even Legolas. It was something that remained between the three of them. But when Valerie showed up in the living room that night, richly dressed and her hair up like the princess that she was, she went directly to Elladan and apologized for her earlier behavior. She then apologized to Lord Elrond for having threatened his son, and to Thranduil and Legolas for having shamed the realm in front of their guests.

She quietly sat down in front of the fire, beside Allison and Glorfindel, and taking Phoebe's colored pencils, started drawing dresses that Dyvenil, the seamstress, was going to do for her once she had given birth. Drawing dresses reminded her of her former life, and relaxed her greatly. She could think while drawing, and all the wisdom Cadworon and Brethilon had poured into her head during the day was turning over and over in her mind. They had told her about Thranduil and his father Oropher, of Legolas, of the reasons why the realm needed order and continuity. She had understood that day that the last thing the realm needed was an unpredictable and volatile princess who would make them wonder at all times if her ideas would not put them all in danger. She could have started a war between two elven realms earlier that day when she almost had killed Elladan because she had misunderstood what Legolas was trying to tell her. She should have known that her husband would have gruesomely killed Elladan himself if he had heard that the ellon had sexually abused his only daughter. But she had let her emotions take over, and she was lucky that Legolas had been able to shake her out of her trance. It was a mistake she would never make again.

OoOoO

"Valerie?" the ellon asked pleadingly. "May I speak with you privately?"

Valerie looked at the elves gathered near the great gate. The Imladris people were taking their leave before the winter, hoping to make it to Imladris within the next four weeks. Elrohir was on his horse, fully recovered from his injuries. Lord Elrond was waiting for his other son, who was staying near the royal family of Greenwood, unable to leave while his little fëa-mate who would remain behind.

"Yes, you may." She took Elladan's arm and walked away from her family.

"Valerie," he whispered. "I was hoping you would... allow me to visit regularly."

"I thought you were needed in Imladris. You are your father's heir, and are supposed to remain in his realm to learn the politics involved in ruling."

"I know," he sighed. "But I cannot imagine... not seeing her for years... I want to see her grow... Already she has changed from the first time I saw her, she will probably not be an adult at 50 years old like a full elven elfling," the healer in him analyzed. "I want to be part of her childhood, if you will allow me."

"You will always be welcome here, Elladan. You can visit as much as you want, I will take care of my father-in-law. And... try to bring Glorfindel when you do. You are not the only one who will find the separation difficult."

They both looked at Allison, who was crying in Glorfindel's arm. The warrior was obviously using all his self control not to weep with her. Only Phoebe did not seem to realize what the separation would be, too young to imagine that she would not see Elladan for long months, if not years, if the orc bands grew too numerous and violent to travel safely.

"Be safe, my friend, and come back to us as soon as you can," she told the oldest Imladris twin.

OoOoO

"I am simply wondering why, after so many months of marriage with me, you have not decided yet that Valerie should be crowned princess of the realm," Legolas stated calmly.

"She has not expressed the desire," Thranduil mumbled, acting like he was reading a document but his entire focus being on his only son.

"She would not even know what the custom is. Would I have married her here, she would have been crowned right after our bonding."

"Did she ask this?"

"I am asking for this!" Legolas replied forcefully. "You two might think you are fooling me, but you should know better. I know you did not like each other from the very first meeting. You are only tolerating each other, and I am sure that something happened while I was away. It must be awful if both of you consider I should not be informed."

Legolas sighed when his father did not deny his words. "She is my wife, Adar. I love her deeply. She is all I dream of when I sleep. She is my first thought when I open my eyes in the morning. Only memories of her keep me company when I am on duty in the forest. I love her with my heart, my fëa, my body..."

Thranduil almost snorted. That last part, the entire fortress was aware of it. Despite their attempts at being discreet, everyone could hear their love-making many times a day, and it was quite obvious to the king that Valerie was a little devil in bed and was keeping Legolas quite enchanted in that sphere of their private lives. And by the way she was looking at him, he probably was a wonderful lover too.

"Why are you denying her what she is entitled to?" Legolas asked, his voice turning hard. "You are disrespectful to her and I by postponing this event. Everyone in the realm is wondering why you are not crowning her properly."

"It slipped out of my mind," the king replied pitifully. It was a half truth. The thought had frequently crossed his mind when Valerie had first arrived, and he had dismissed it each time. And now... he had to admit he had forgotten it completely. But Legolas was right, it could not be postponed anymore.

"I am leaving in a week for another two months of duty," Legolas continued, "and I want my wife crowned before I leave."

"Fine. I will ask Ninaelil to organize everything for the day after the next."

"Thank you, Father," Legolas replied, satisfied.

And two days later, Valerie found herself in front of Thranduil in the great hall, with the entire realm in attendance. She was dressed in the Greenwood green, her gown absolutely stunning, even with her huge stomach. She was supposed to kneel in front of the king to say her vows before he put a circlet on her head, officially recognizing her as the princess of the realm and future queen, should Legolas become king. She knew she had to reign in her pride, and she had decided to kneel dutifully in front of her father-in-law without making a scandal. But there was a sentence in the vows she had learned, one that bothered her greatly, and she had thought that she might skip it... People would think she had forgotten, and the words would simply not cross her lips... Thranduil would certainly not do anything about it...

She knelt as gracefully as she could being 7 months pregnant, and she bowed her head in front of Thranduil who was standing in front of his throne. Legolas was standing behind him, watching her with pride and love.

The king extended his hand and she took it, bowing her head.

"I, Valerie Thompson, daughter of John Thompson and wife of Legolas Thranduillion, Prince of Greenwood, hereby vow to serve Greenwood with respect and humility, to protect our people and put their well-being above my own, to respect our traditions and enforce them. I vow to give heirs to the realm, and to educate my children to serve our people the same way that I will. Should the Valar decide so, I will support my husband and mate and become queen at his side, ruling the realm as he will command. I swear this in front of our people, in front of my king, in front of the Valar."

She kissed Thranduil's hand to seal her vow, and lifted her head to look at him. The king was lifting an eyebrow while Legolas was frowning. "You forgot -" he started, but Thranduil silenced him with a movement of his hand.

"My child, your vows were lovely," the king said out loud in front of everyone. "But I am afraid you forgot a part that is absolutely essential." The king's head came closer to hers and he whispered in her ear. "Did you really think I would let you intentionally skip that part?" He smiled to her, and everyone thought he had reminder her the words she had forgotten.

Valerie blushed. There was no way she could get away with that. Legolas was worth it, she repeated to herself. Sighing, she started her vows again.

"I, Valerie Thompson, daughter of John Thompson and wife of Legolas Thranduillion, Prince of Greenwood, hereby vow to serve Greenwood with respect and humility, to obey my king at all times, to protect our people and put their well-being above my own, to respect our traditions and enforce them. I vow to give heirs to the realm, and to educate my children to serve our people the same way that I will. Should the Valar decide so, I will support my husband and mate and become queen at his side, ruling the realm as he will command. I swear this in front of our people, in front of my king, in front of the Valar."

Thranduil was gentleman enough not to smile in triumph. When she kissed his hand again, he turned around and took a wooden box from Legolas' hands. He opened it and delicately took out a golden circlet, giving the box back to Legolas. The king took the circlet and gently placed it on Valerie's head.

"I accept your vows, my child. You are now Princess of Greenwood, with the duties and privileges that come with your royal status. Within the extent that I will allow, you are authorized to rule the realm with myself and my heir. Use this power with wisdom."

He helped her to stand, and made her turn around. Everyone in the room was beaming and smiling in her direction, and she bowed to the people of Greenwood who were accepting her officially as their princess on that day. On one side of the room, Allison was wiping her tears, while Phoebe and Sean were cheering. Liam was more composed, but she could read the pride in his eyes. Brethilon was standing beside his brother, and he nodded to her while Cadworon was smiling in her direction.

Legolas appeared at her side, and Thranduil let go of her hand to go sit back on his throne. Legolas took her to the middle of the room, and a minstrel started playing a tune so they could dance. Soon, other couples were joining them and Sean went to stand with the minstrel to play a tune with him.

Valerie was extremely happy, having completely forgotten that Thranduil had just won another round.

OoOoO

A few weeks later, Galadriel was standing in her garden, looking at her mirror like she did most days, searching the past, the present and the future for events that could have an impact on the future of Middle Earth. This time, what she saw in her mirror caused her great distress. It was not possible! How could they have been foolish enough to make such an assumption! She left her private garden and ran back to her talan where her husband, Arwen and Mithrandir were discussing.

"I need to be in Greenwood now!" she told them breathlessly.

"My love, it is a two weeks journey!" Celeborn reminded her.

"I will arrive too late! She will be dead!"

"Who will be dead?" Arwen asked.

Mithrandir stood. There was only one elleth whose potential death could create such affliction to the Lady of Light. Galadriel could only be speaking of Valerie, princess of Greenwood.

"Then we only have one option," he replied. "I will bring you myself, on the back of my loyal Shadowfax."

Galadriel smiled in relief. If Mithrandir called Shadowfax, Lord of all horses, they would make it to Greenwood within three days. She might arrive before it was too late.

OoOoO

Legolas had been gone for a month now and would only be back in four additional weeks. Thranduil wondered if his leaving had been a good idea. Valerie was growing restless, having reached 36 weeks of pregnancy. She had 16 weeks to go, and somehow, she looked like she was about to burst like a ripe fruit.

He walked to the garden where he knew he would find his grandchildren, and stopped at the entrance, observing the scene without being seen. Valerie and Allison were singing in English a very rhythmic song, and dancing in a way that was far from appropriate. They were moving their arms in the air and shaking their bottoms, making movements that seemed somewhat practiced, as if they had danced in such a way before. The children were laughing hysterically, and Phoebe even joined them at some point, imitating their movements. Allison suddenly took Valerie in her arms and started to make her twirl, taking the role of the male in their dance. When she tried to make Valerie bend backwards, completely forgetting that her sister was pregnant and therefore, heavier, they both fell on the ground, Allison awkwardly twisting to take the brunt of the fall while Valerie heavily fell on top of her. They stayed stunned on the ground for a few seconds before Valerie, unhurt, burst out laughing while Liam tried to help her to sit.

Thranduil smiled. At least, the family was having fun.

The fun was entirely gone a few hours later.

Thranduil was pacing in front of the door of the healing rooms, angry with himself, with his son, with Allison, with the entire team of healers and anyone who had never contemplated the possibility that Valerie would give birth on human schedule instead of elven schedule. They would all have to live with the guilt of their mistake for the rest of their eternal lives.

During the first few hours, he had been waiting with the children in Legolas' apartment, playing with Phoebe while Miniel was sitting at the piano with Sean. Valerie's excitement to give birth earlier than expected had soon turned into discomfort, then into pain, only to become excruciating torment. Liam had been pacing, asking the king if the screams were normal every ten minutes. As his oldest grandson was growing frantic, Thranduil became worried. At some point, he had asked Miniel to take the children outside, in the garden, hoping that the sounds coming from the healing rooms would not be heard outside. He had reached his current location, in front of the door leading to the healing rooms, knowing that his presence would not help, but hoping to hear some positive news if there were any.

For hours he had been standing there, wondering what was happening in the room. The king had only attended his son's birth, but had definitely heard what was going on behind closed doors for hundreds of elven births, before the elves had stopped having elflings. And using his infallible memory, he realized that he had never heard a birth go as badly as this one was going. Valerie's screams were becoming fainter and fainter. Hours ago, he had sent a messenger to Legolas, begging him to hurry back to the fortress to attend the birth of his sons. He started wondering if his son would be there on time to... No! She would not die! It was not possible!

The door suddenly opened, and Allison came out, distressed, exhausted, her dress covered in blood. She leaned against the wall, and slowly let herself slip on the floor where she sat, still leaning against the wall. She put her head on her knees and started crying in despair.

Thranduil walked to her, realizing the worst was probably happening.

"Allison! What is going on?" he asked loudly, trying to cover the sounds of her sobs.

"The baby that is the lowest in her womb, the first one that should come out... He was not head down. We tried to turn him around, but with the second baby on top... we only made matters worse... The baby is now stuck in a horizontal position... and I believe the placenta partially detached from the uterus wall. That is the only explanation for all this blood!"

Thranduil did not understand half of the words she was using. But he understood one thing: they had made some sort of mistake, and now a baby was stuck in Valerie's womb, and she was unable to push the baby out naturally. "Surely, the baby can be moved from that position?" he asked.

"Are you listening to me?" she yelled at him. The king disregarded her lack of respect, knowing the healer was under a lot of pressure. "We have tried to move him for the past two hours! He is stuck under the second baby! She is bleeding profusely, the lower baby is in danger!"

"What are you planning to do?"

"What do you want me to do? I certainly cannot perform a C-Section under these conditions!"

"What is my chief healer saying?"

"Why don't you go ask him yourself?" Allison started sobbing again, hitting her head on the wall in a manner that must have been painful. But the pain seemed to make her feel better, as if it was a welcomed punishment for her.

Deciding to investigate further, and thinking that Allison was simply inexperienced in childbirth matters, the king took a deep breath and entered the room where his daughter-in-law was in labor. The room looked like a war zone. The birth of his son had been quick and easy, and had left Thranduil with unforgettable memories of a minuscule blond child being delivered in his hands by a calm and satisfied healer. His wife had been smiling all along, happy to finally give an heir to her husband and king. He immediately knew that Valerie was unwillingly giving him unforgettable memories of a different kind.

She was lying in a bed while the healers were trying to change the bed sheets underneath her. The ones they were removing were torn and bloody. Everywhere around the room were bowls of pink water, proof that the healers had already tried to clean their hands and Valerie numerous times. Valerie herself seemed to be sleeping, her skin white as the sheet, her red hair completely wet with sweat.

"She is sleeping?" he asked the chief healer. The ellon looked at him with grief.

"She lost conscience a few minutes ago. We decided to change her bedsheets while she cannot feel the movements."

"Why did she lose conscience? I demand to know what is going on here," he commanded in a cold voice.

"Your grace, I am sorry. I cannot help her anymore. Lady Allison's comments to you earlier were right. We have made a grave mistake, one that we cannot repair. The babies cannot be born."

"What does that mean?"

"The time to make a choice has come, my Lord. If you do not wish to make the choice, we can try to make the princess more comfortable until the prince arrives to make this choice for you."

"What choice?" the king asked, afraid that he was perfectly understanding what was being suggested.

"We could try to save the babies... they would be orphans, without a mother... I have heard that mortals do this sometimes, when they have no hope of saving the mother. But only the Valar know how we would feed them..."

"What is the other option?"

"We could... let the three of them go."

The king quickly looked at Valerie, understanding that in neither scenarios she was surviving. Her passage in Middle Earth had been too short and painful... He thought of his son, who had certainly received his message by now, and who was probably galloping at full speed to have the joy of seeing his sons being born... What would he find, but the broken body of his dead mate?

Valerie started to wake up, and immediately started whimpering in pain. She turned her head in his direction, and looked at him with hope. She called him softly, and he walked closer to her bed.

"Legolas..." she whispered with difficulty. "Please... tell him that I love him..."

Thranduil looked elsewhere to hide his tears, knowing she was counting on him to transmit her goodbyes...

"Please... look at me..." she insisted weakly. When he complied, she saw the tears rolling on his cheeks. "You have to be strong, Thranduil... for him... for my children..."

Thranduil knew that Legolas was not as strong as he was. Very few elves could survive the passing of their mate without sailing to Valinor, and Thranduil was one of them. Legolas had been mated for a short period of time. The sudden disappearance of his bond with Valerie would without a doubt send him to his grave, unless his father immediately sent him to the Undying Lands.

"Promise me... that you will... send him to Valinor..."

"Valerie," he chided half-heartedly, "they will find a way to help you."

She smiled sadly. "They have talked in front of me... I know I will not make it... Please, promise me that he will sail..."

"I will make sure that he survives you."

"My children?"

"They will sail with him..."

"Do not let them... see me like this..." Another contraction arrived, and Valerie grabbed his hand, tears flowing out of her eyes. "I am so tired..." she cried, bringing his hand to her face and putting it against her forehead to get some sort of comfort.

He supported her while the contraction passed, caressing her damp hair with his other hand. The new bedsheets were already turning crimson red, but Valerie did not notice.

"Do you think... I will be reborn?" she asked eventually, her eyes dreamy, already losing contact with reality.

Thranduil had never thought about this matter specifically. He had never imagined that Valerie's life would end, and so soon, at such a young age.

"I do not know, my child," he said, still caressing her hair. "I am sure the Valar would not have made you come to our world, only to send you to your death a few months later."

"I wish I could see Legolas one last time... Do you think... Phoebe will remember me?"

"If she has even an ounce of elven memory, she will remember you."

"You should let the healers do it... Once I am gone... Take the babies out of my womb... Who knows... maybe they will survive... Reborn kings... The Valar would not let them die..."

"Is that your wish?"

"Yes. Save them... Nothing can be done for me... I want my babies to live."

The king put his forehead against hers, his tears falling on her face. She was facing death like she had faced him, without fear, with a challenge in her words and in her eyes... She did not deserve to die. She was so young, only 31 years old! Had she been born an elleth, she would not even be an adult now... And there she was, a few minutes away from her death, still beautiful despite her ordeal, still thinking of her children and mate...

She was far more deserving than he had ever given her credit for... He had hated the constant challenges, and had seek to put her back in her place at all costs... never realizing how worth of his regard she truly was... how he could have loved her, had he given them the opportunity to get to know each other! He could have had a daughter, someone to love beside his son and his realm... He watched her face as she fell back asleep, her small hand in his... His eyes went from her hand to her shoulder, where the word archer could be seen... her tattoos, he thought, still wondering what had gone in her head when she had gotten them... And now, at this very moment, he would have allowed her to cover her entire body in markings if it could mean that she would survive... He would have left her omit the obey my king in her vows...

"Valerie," he whispered in her ear, "I will not let you die like this... You do not have the right to die! I am forbidding you to die! I command you to live, do you hear me?"

"My lord," the chief healer said behind him, "please do not fool yourself, when I say there is no hop-"

"Silence!" the king ordered. "Allison?" he called louder, and an instant later, Valerie's sister entered the room, her eyes so swollen that he wondered how she could still see clearly.

"What would be done if you were in your world? What would you do?"

"An obstetrician would perform a C-section. He would surgically remove the children, close her womb and her stomach, give her powerful pain medicine and she would recover within a few days."

"What is stopping you from doing the same?"

"I have never done a C-section. This is not my specialty."

"You have taken care of gruesome wounds on my warriors, please do not tell me it is worse than this."

"No, but... chances are that under the current sanitary conditions, she will get an infection and die."

"She will die if you do not do it."

"You forget the small matter that I do not have medicine to make her sleep through the surgery. Can you imagine what she will feel while I cut her open, remove the children and sow her back together?"

"What can we do about that?" the king asked the assistant healer, an elleth he had rarely seen so distressed.

"We have nothing strong enough to make her feel no pain. Whatever we could give her is not strong enough, she would wake during the procedure..."

"And if we mix it with alcohol?" he asked, trying to find a solution. He knew mortals used alcohol when they had no sleeping draught.

"Are you seriously considering this?" Allison asked, stunned.

"I have not given up on her yet. Did you?" he challenged her.

"I... I do not know if I can do this."

"This is your sister. Save her!" He saw her mouth twitch with uncertainty. "I will be there to support you."

"My lord!" the chief healer said, scandalized.

"This is my daughter we are talking about! I will help if I can!" he said forcefully, calling Valerie his daughter as he should have called her the minute she had crossed the portal.

"This is a little late in the game to suddenly grown fond of her!" Allison spat. "This is too little, too late!"

"We can argue about it with her once you save her. Let her die and she will miss the opportunity of fighting with me about my calling her daughter."

"You really think... you think I should do it?" she asked, dropping the aggressive tone.

"Yes. I trust you. Attempting the surgery will at least give her a chance she would not have should we let her go..."

Allison studied him for a long time, breathing deeply. The healers in the room were holding their breaths. They thought it was folly to attempt to save the princess. They thought it best if they waited until the princess was deceased to remove the children from her womb in the following minute.

"I will do it," Allison said.

"Your grace, please allow me to expl -" the chief healer started. His assistant recoiled.

"Your opinion on the matter has not been requested," the king cut rudely. "I suggest both of you help Allison as much as you can, and observe. You obviously are lacking some knowledge here, and it might be required for you to perform such a procedure one day."

The healers bowed respectfully. The king had issued a command and they could only obey, even if they thought the attempt of saving the princess was futile.

Allison took out her instruments, and requested large quantities of alcohol to be brought to her.

"Prepare her while I sterilize the instruments," she commanded. When the healers did not move, she turned around and saw they did not know what was expected of them.

"Wake her up, give her the strongest sleeping draught that you have, and make her drink some alcohol with it. Once she sleeps, change the bed sheets for clean one. Get her naked and pour as much alcohol as you can on her stomach and chest."

She turned her back on them to sterilize her instruments with the alcohol that had been on a shelf.

"What are you waiting for?" the king asked to the healers when they did not move. The question put them into action.

Thranduil started pacing around, watching the healers work. Valerie was awake, but barely had enough strength to swallow the sleeping draught. She was wondering what was happening, and looking around the room, searching for someone familiar. Her eyes fell on the king, silently questioning him.

He got near her bed, and took her hand. "Sleep, my child. When you wake up, you will have your babies with you." She closed her eyes and fell asleep again.

He looked elsewhere when the healers removed her thin night gown, knowing Valerie would never have allowed him to see her naked body.

Behind him, Allison snorted. "If you want to help, you will have to look eventually," she commented. "In fact," she wondered out loud, "this will not be a pleasant sight. You are sure that you want to remain?"

"Yes. I am sure I have seen far worse."

"I doubt it. I myself am not looking forward to the procedure."

Her instruments were ready, Valerie's body had been washed with alcohol, and the three elves were looking at her, awaiting her instructions. Allison realized that if something went wrong, like she was sure would happen, she would regret it for the rest of her now immortal life. She came closer to her sister and kissed her forehead. "I swear, Val, that I will take care of your children should you not survive because of me. I will dedicate my life to their well-being, and will never marry or have children of my own to ensure that I will take care of your family."

Thranduil listened to her, wondering why Allison was putting additional pressure on herself. Maybe she performed better under pressure? It was a possibility. Otherwise, she would have realized that Valerie's children, should they lose their mother, would only need an adoptive mother for 50 years.

"My Lord, please sit beside Valerie, stay close to her. Should she wake up during the procedure, you will have to take care of her. She cannot... move much. My instruments are... very sharp. You will need to restrain her..."

The king nodded and sat while Allison was asking the assistant healer to clean her hands to help her during the procedure while the chief healer was to check Valerie's pulse at all times, acting like a machine she used in her world. And she started working.

The king was pleased at first. With Allison's hands being bloody and the assistant healer at her side giving her the instruments she was requesting, it was clear that she had started opening Valerie's stomach. Thranduil could not see anything since Valerie's stomach was hiding what was happening on the other side.

But Valerie suddenly jerked and opened her eyes, watching him with incomprehension. She opened her mouth on a silent shout, until she found her voice back and screamed in agony, her body arching on the bed, her shoulders barely touching the mattress.

"Hold her!" Allison yelled, while the chief healer helped him holding her down on the bed. Valerie lost conscience again, unable to cope with the pain of her body being cut open like this. It only lasted a few seconds, but it had felt like minutes for them. Once she was immobile, everyone started breathing better.

"Hurry before she wakes again," the king insisted. At that point, the smell of blood was strong in the room, and Allison's dress soaked with blood. Blood, blood, blood, everywhere you looked. Valerie's life force was flowing out of her body like a fountain.

Allison grunted as she tried to enlarge the opening of the cut, and started pulling on the child that was stuck horizontally. Valerie's body was moving up and down on the bed, following Allison's strong movements.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry," the surgeon kept repeating to herself like a litany. Once Valerie was open, she only had little time left before she needed to close the incision. Otherwise, Valerie would simply bleed to death. And she had already lost a lot of blood before she had started the C-Section.

After half-a-minute, she grunted again, pulling harder and suddenly, she found herself with a small baby in her hands. She quickly passed the elfling to the assistant healer, and started retrieving the second child. This one came more easily, being properly placed and the stomach having more room. Allison looked for someone to give the second child to, and walked to Thranduil, giving him the elfling before going back to finish the surgery. It took her a second to realize that the blood was no longer pouring out in spray.

"Did her heart stop?" she asked the chief healer who was supposed to check her heartbeat. "Did her heart stop?" she yelled, when he did not answer.

"Yes. About a minute ago..."

"You were supposed to tell me!" she shouted. "Incompetent idiot! Move!" she asked, rudely pushing the healer from the bedside. The ellon walked back, wondering what she would attempt to do. The princess had died in the procedure, just like he had predicted.

"I need you to breathe in her mouth when I tell you to," she told the king who was still sitting near Valerie. "Pinch her nose when you breathe."

The king put the elfling on the bed beside his mother, and did as he was told while Allison was frantically pumping Valerie's heart.

"Breathe!" she was telling the king on a regular basis. "Start closing the incision!" she asked the assistant healer. She put the first child on another bed, and started preparing the suturing needle and thread, the special one that Allison had brought from her world, the one that miraculously dissolved in the body.

The healer started working on closing the uterus. "Maybe we should just remove it," she suggested, thinking it might be easier.

"If it is going back to its normal size, it will heal properly. Leave it there," Allison decided as she was still pumping her sister's heart. She jerked and stopped, and Thranduil confirmed that he had felt Valerie breathe by herself. They all stopped working, listening to her weak breathing and heart beat.

"She is back," Allison sighed. "Do not let her go!" she commanded to the chief healer who was standing beside the bed. "If her heart stops again, you do like I did, is that clear?"

The healer nodded. The scene was just beyond his comprehension. How could the princess' stomach be wide open and she still be alive? Did Allison not realize that the Vala Namo wanted her in his Halls in Mandos? Allison was actively interfering with the plans of the Valar!

The elflings started crying one after the other, and the king grabbed them both and cradled them in his arms. It was for them that Valerie had suffered so much. These two little ellyn, absolutely elvish in features but dissimilar since they were two elven kings that were probably not related. He looked at his daughter-in-law. Valerie was paler than before, if it was even possible, and her breathing was shallow.

Allison and the assistant healer were working efficiently, now closing the skin, getting ready to clean the incision once more before putting bandages on the stomach that was still swollen but now much smaller in size.

Everything was done a few minutes later. They moved Valerie's body to another bed, knowing they would need to burn the ruined mattress and the bed sheets. They covered her body with a warm blanket, and Allison sat down to look at her sister while the healers were cleaning the room and the instruments. Guards came in discreetly and took the bloody items for disposal, not looking in the direction of the bed where the princess was lying. Everyone in the fortress had heard, thanks to their acute hearing, and they all knew Valerie's life was in the hands of the Valar.

Once the guards left the room, Thranduil sat beside Valerie, still holding his new grandchildren, who were quietly sleeping now. Allison sat on the other side of the bed, and they both watched Valerie without talking. They both knew what the other was thinking. Valerie was alive. Barely. And would probably not make it through the night.

And they would have to tell the children.

Many of you believe that Valerie's life is difficult, with Thranduil being constantly unpleasant with her and Legolas being away all the time. But things had to get worse before they get better. From now on, Valerie's life will greatly improve, and we will get a few chapters with a lighter mood…

In the next chapter - you will know the identity of the reborn kings!

Aureleis: it is in the next chapters that Thranduil and Valerie's relationship will really improve. And Valerie will start controlling her reactions too...

Cathael: Legolas is usually able to stop Valerie when she goes too far…

Angel: thank you for the compliment! I might think about an original story one day…

Paperlanterns86: you are right, Valerie couldn't kill Elladan, what would have become of Phoebe?

Glory Bee: we will see the true mothers towards the end of the story – but that is still in a long, long time!

ShueYun: since Thranduil and Valerie will get along better from now on, their exchanges will be less dramatic but I will try to still make you laugh!

Faye50free: Legolas was there to stop her, and Cadworon and Brethilon to make her see the errors of her ways… She will try to act like a princess from now on.

Motoko the Red Queen: I hope you liked how Thranduil finally admitted to himself that he was too harsh and that he quite likes her in his life! He will try to make peace with her, but will Valerie accept? That's a whole different story!

Aralinn: Legolas should have known not to drop such a bomb without telling her all the information, especially considering how temperamental she is!

Magic Janet: Legolas spends so much time at the borders, and when he is home, he is very stressed. They are happy together, but they have the stressful lives of a Captain and a pregnant princess with many children already… They will always make up after their fights, that's the most important thing!

Glassary: Of course Elladan will make it to his bonding! You cannot imagine how many scenes with an adult Phoebe I already have in mind!

Gris: the warrior markings on her face on the battlefield were purely accidental. She had blood on her hands and simply wiped her face… triggering this whole mess. But they found a way out…

Guest: I wished I knew your name – Thranduil will become much nicer with Valerie, and maybe one day, he will deserve to have his name on her back!

Gginsc: yes, couldn't get any better, right? I blame Legolas – he should have known his mate much better!

Legolas Fan: The children are born – you will know who they are soon!

Pheebeee: you have a nice name! I am sorry that I cannot give you an elvish warrior, but I do wish you to meet one in your dreams tonight ;-)

Friskypixie100: this chapter was more dramatic than the last one, I hope you enjoyed it nevertheless.

purpleXorchid: the guns are Valerie's easiest way to survive in battle – this is how she can defend herself in her world - it doesn't mean that the elves will ever use her guns. This is giving her the security that she needs to accept her responsibility as a warrior of Greenwood…

Lunah: well – I hope you will forgive me for the dramatic birth of her children! Her life will become easier after this, I promise!

World-classgeek: no, I am not planning such a sad destiny for Phoebe – I really do love her dearly (not that I didn't love Emily – but she had to be with Legolas in the end!)