Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit, everything belongs to Tolkien, and this story is not for profit.

Author's Note: I would like to thank everybody who favorited/followed the last chapter. Especially Wildhorses1492, alliesmiley2, joylinn, and jayjay0815 for reviewing! Jayjay0815 made a great point in her review(astute as ever jay!) that the bounty hunters attacked them but Baldrick was somehow already dead at this point. That is true. I just figured in this fantasy world news travels really slowly and even though Baldrick was dead the bounty hunters he hired hadn't got the news just yet. So that was what I was thinking in my head. Sorry to anyone else who thought that seemed a little strange.

Chapter 17

The King held my hand as Padhrion cleaned and sewed the wound up. It didn't hurt very much at all, but for some reason Thranduil had been extra protective and affectionate since I had returned. I suppose it was because he was so happy that I wasn't harmed that he had forgotten to be angry. Sivurd and I were in the same healing room, which was convenient for Esteldes, because she didn't have to switch rooms when she wanted to visit her brother or when she wanted to visit me. From the icy cold look that I saw the King give Esteldes, I learned that he probably was not as calm about what had happened as I had thought he might be, so I had to make a mental note to talk to the King later about forgiving her. She was who she was after all. A trouble loving, rambunctious elleth. But she was his niece and my closest friend in Mirkwood. They would have to make up sooner than later.

But it seemed that it would be a while before I got the chance to tell the King anything.

Every time that we were alone, and I attempted to try and tell him about the pregnancy, he would tell me that I should get some sleep, or he would go and fetch a cook or a servant to bring me something. I had no idea why he was acting in this manner. I was only in the healing room for a day, but he continued to act this way all throughout the next day. When I went to speak to him in his throne room I saw that he was not there as he usually was, and at lunch I went to eat with him alone but I was told that he was working the whole day and would not be dining until dinner. Finally, at evening, I sat beside him as I usually did, but when I put my hand on his sleeve and said, "may I speak with you for a moment?" he told me in just a minute, but then I saw that he had invited Esteldes and Carfon to sit on either side of us. With the two chattiest elves in middle earth at our table I sighed, realizing that there was no chance of speaking to him during dinner. So I sipped my spiced wine and ate the cooked bird and decided to wait him out.

I hated to accuse my husband, but if I didn't know any better I would have sworn that he drugged me. I didn't remember leaving the dinner table, and when I woke up it was the middle of the night and Thranduil was beside me, asleep.

I shook him until he was awake, which wasn't very long. He was a light sleeper.

"Did you put a sleeping draught in my wine at dinner?" I asked.

"Of course not, my queen," he replied in a voice that sounded a little too drowsy.

"Did you have someone else put a sleeping draught in my wine at dinner?"

No answer.

In that dead silence of the room I heard the scraping sound as I gritted my teeth. "Thranduil…"

He did not give me a chance to finish. "Laurwen, I was worried about you. Padhrion told me that it was important for your health that you get some sleep so your body has time to heal. I was afraid that if you didn't take something you would be too anxious about yesterday's events to sleep tonight."

"How…"

I was going to say "how dare you" but I realized that I didn't want to argue at all tonight. We were having a baby and I had been back in Mirkwood far too long now for him not to know.

So instead I whispered, "My King, there is something that I really must tell you…"

And, of course, he muttered, "Tomorrow, love…" and turned away from me.

This wasn't how I had imagined it would go, but at this point he had given me no choice. So, with no other words of explanation I just said, "I am with child. Good night my King." And I turned away as well.

At that moment it was early in the dawn. I knew because although it was pitch black outside I could hear birds chirping in the silence of the room after he had frozen when I told him.

After he got over what I imagined was shock, he sat up in bed, and reached down to put a hand on my shoulder. "Laurwen? Is that true? Are you expecting a child?"

"I am, my King." I whispered.

"Laurwen, please look at me."

Cautiously, I followed his example and sat up. When I saw his face I almost sighed in relief. He wasn't angry. I realized that until this moment I had had no idea how he would take the news. He was such a tempermental elf. It wouldn't have surprised me at all if he had been unhappy at the prospect of another prince or princess, this time one that was half human.

"Is this what you have been trying to tell me?" He said.

"Of course," I said, "What else?"

The strangest look crossed his face, one I could have almost swore was of relief. Although I had no idea why.

The look eventually passed, and he took both of my hands and smiled. "I'm delighted."

Now I breathed a sigh of relief. "Truly?"

"Of course." He said, but then, after a moment, he didn't look quite as happy as before. "Well.."

"What is it?"

"It's just I wish you had talked to me about this first. We've only been married a little while, after all. It is a little soon for a child. And you didn't even tell me that you wanted children or ask me what I thought."

"What are you talking about?" I said, starting to get angry now. "It's not as if I could control it! And anyway you're just as much to blame as I am…"

A look of shock passed his face. "Oh yes, I suppose you are right." He said.

I was trying to make sense of what he meant when a memory suddenly struck me. Someone had told me many years ago, or perhaps I read it somewhere in a book, that elven women could control when they had children. Now it made sense to me. He must have forgotten that once a human made love having a child was fair game.

"Yes," I told him, "I'm sorry, but I can't exactly control it…" Now I was blushing, although he probably didn't notice in the darkness.

"Well, it's good news all the same." He wrapped his arms around me and pulled us both down to the bed. "Any birth is a cause for celebration. Especially that of a new prince or princess. We will make the announcement at dinner tomorrow night and start planning the celebrations. Do you know when it will be due?"

I realized that the baby had to have been conceived the morning after he came home and we made up after our fight. "Sometime in the late winter or early spring, I think."

"Excellent." He said.

I thought about reaching up to kiss his neck, but I knew that now that I was pregnant there was no way that he was going to touch me until the baby came out. So instead I just laid in his arms and tried to fall back asleep.

Just when things were getting hazy, I heard him speak.

"Laurwen?"

"Yes?" I muttered.

"I really am pleased."

I smiled. "So am I."

….

And so was everybody else. For weeks I was congratulated so many times that I began to avoid going out.

People seemed so genuinely excited; it was all very strange to me. In Lebinnin we celebrated birth as well but there were so many babies born every year that it was more of a private family affair. I realized that since it was a very rare occasion when an elf had a child that they made a spectualar affair out of it. Since I had arrived in Mirkwood I did not even think I had witnessed a single birth. And the birth of a prince or princess was something that only happened many once in hundreds of years.

"What do you think it will be, your highness?" Delia asked one afternoon as we all sat together sewing baby clothes.

"I have no idea," I said, patting my stomach, which was visibly round at this point.

"But what do you want it to be, really?" Esteldes said, winking conspiratorially.

I blushed. I seemed to be doing that a lot often. Every since the pregnancy my emotions were running rampant. "I hope it's a little girl." I said.

"Any reason why?" Delia asked.

"Not really." But even as I spoke a memory crossed my mind. Aieliel and I riding horseback across the country. She was listing off names that she liked for a child and names that she did not like. And I remembered looking over at my friend and hoping that we would have daughters that would be able to play together some day.

But that was ridiculous. Even if I had a girl there was little chance that Aeiliel was alive, and an even smaller chance that I would ever see her again one day.

…..

I spent most of my pregnancy in the music room that Thranduil had given to me before we were married, composing songs and playing my harp.

Legolas and Thranduil both said that my recent work was some of my best.

I smiled when I thought of Legolas. When Thranduil had raised up his glass at dinner and made the announcement that I was carrying his child, and proposed a toast to my health, I had been most worried about Legolas's opinion.

After all, he was Thranduil's first born son, and born of a different, now deceased mother. Who could blame him if he was upset that his father would now have another child?

But I needn't have worried. To my greatest pleasure, Legolas had seemed genuinely excited when he had come to congratulate me…

"I can't tell you how happy I am, Auntie." He had said, taking my hands and squeezing them gently. "This is the best news we've had in Mirkwood in years."

I laughed, so pleased at the genuinely happy expression in his face that I didn't even scold him for calling me by that hated "Auntie" nickname.

"I know my father is very pleased." He said, tucking my hand into his elbow as we took a walk outside among the trees.

"Do you think so?" I said, looking up at my step son.

"I do." He said, still smiling. We walked on in silence for a moment before his face grew serious. "I think that in many ways, my father felt that all the joy in his life was over. His own father, my grandfather, was dead, my mother had died, Coruven and I had grown up and had our own affairs, and the glorious times of the past and of Mirkwood were over. I think he felt that all he had left to do was his job. To rule over his people as best as he could and naught else…." He paused and then looked back at me happily. "And then he met you and now he's married again and excpecting a new child. I think you have proven to him that life still has many joys left in it."

"It pleases me to hear you speak so, Legolas." And it did indeed. A weight had been lifted from my mind. On the other hand, I couldn't help but think about Legolas's response without thinking about Coruven.

Thranduil had said something at dinner about perhaps sending some scouts out to find Coruven and tell him the good news at dinner one night. I had almost spilt my drink from horror, and too my surprise, when I looked over at Legolas, he had an equally upset look upon his face. "Father," he had said, "I rather think that we should let Coruven do as he will. When he wishes to return to Mirkwood he can see the child for himself. No need to hunt him down."

"Maybe you are right." Thranduil had said, and to my pleasure had not said anything else about finding Coruven.

As I walked beside Legolas then, I could not help but bring Coruven up to Legoals.

"Why did you not want the King to find your brother?" I asked Legolas.

He raised an eyebrow. "Do you wish for Coruven to be told about the birth?"

"That's not the point," I said.

"I think it is."

I stared at him for a moment. "How did you know?"I asked.

"How did I know what?" Legolas said.

"That I did not want Coruven to be found? That he would not want to come for the birth?"

Hearing my breath beginning to grow heavy, Legolas stopped and let us stand for a moment by the river. In the distance we watched some elves practice their archery.

"I just knew." He said. "Now, don't misunderstand me, Auntie. I love my brother very much. Feircly, even. But he has always been troubled. He was young when our mother died and they were very close. And then I know he has always been very jealous of me, although he has no reason to be. It's as if he can't see that our father loves us both the same, and very much. Knowing Coruven, I doubt he would have taken the news of this marriage and this birth very well. My brother still has some growing up to do before he really is ready to return to Mirkwood for good."

I Pray that never happens, I could not help but think.

As if sensing my unhappy thoughts, Legolas pointed to Carotene running out in front of us. "I think your fox might be jealous of the new baby." He said.

I laughed. "I doubt it. He has been spending a lot of time out lately. I think he has found a female. Mayhap he will be having children of his own soon."

Legolas laughed with me this time. "I hope so. It's a wonderful thing to get married and start a family." He said wistfully, and I saw, out of the corner of my eye, his gaze, which watched Tuariel at the archery targets in the distance.

…..

There was nothing to do for months but wait. And wait I did.

It was a miserable business.

Pregnancy was harder for some people than it was for others, and I did not take to it very well. Not only were my ankles completely swollen and my head always sore, I was huge.

Esteldes joked that I was either carrying a boy or a very fat girl. After nine months had passed and the child had still not come, Thranduil finally commanded me to stay in bed until I gave birth.

"The longer you have to wait, the larger the child will grow and the more dangerous the birth will be. It will be safest for you and for the child if you stay in bed until your birth pains begin."

I had scowled when he said that, but I eventually gave in. Walking had become a pain, anyway. And Thranduil came to see me everyday, and he also had my harp moved into the room so that I could sit on the edge and play it when I felt well enough.

Thranduil still shared the bed with me, which I found pleasing and at the same time embarrassing. I had grown so big and ungainly that I was afraid I kept him up with my tossing and turning.

The baby was a lively one. It always seemed to be kicking. Esteldes loved to place her hands on my stomach and feel it kick. Thranduil on the other hand avoided touching my stomach at all. I scolded him for it sometimes, but in an uncharacteristically nice manner he said it was impossible for him to pay attention to his unborn child when its flawless mother was sharing the same space.

It was in the middle of the night, during one of those early spring storms that there was a crack of thunder and lighting that woke me up. My labor had begun.

It was a long labor.

My pains, which started in the middle of the night, went on for three days until I finally gave birth on the third night. All the hours in between I was surrounded by elves wishing me well. Well, most of them at least. It stormed the whole three days and I heard Ellis, honest as ever, grumbling that it was a bad omen. I was glad Thranduil wasn't here or he would have been angry at that. Legolas was there at the moment and I saw him shoot Ellis a reproachful look. "The queen is in a lot of pain and stress at the moment. Let's try not to make her more upset."

Thranduil tried to visit me as much as possible between his duties. I looked forward to the moments when he would push past the crowd and come to sit at the chair by my side and let me hold his hand as hard as I wished. He was nervous, I could tell, about how long and painful this labor was. Padhrion assured him that I would be fine, that they had enough medicine and knowledge to take care of me and the child if there were any sort of problem.

When I finally started to push, everyone else left the room except for Thranduil and Padhrion.

The king held my hand as I screamed and screamed. I wasn't conscious of much of what was going on. I heard the storm outside, I felt my hair sticking with sweat to my forhead which I was too weak to wipe away, and I felt an unbearable pain below my waist which I could do nothing about other than push like they both told me to.

I did as they said; I pushed as hard as I could until they pulled my son out, and then my second son, and then, several minutes later, my third.