Legolas heard footfalls on the soft dirt and the rustling of canvas at the flap of his tent and was surprised to find Mithrandir standing just outside. The white Wizard rarely spoke since his return from battling the Balrog, his thoughts and council were his own and the Prince would never intrude on his solitude with questions, even if Legolas had them.

"Legolas, my dear friend, you must come with me... and quickly."

He followed Mithrandir, a respectful two paces behind, up a narrow trail to a small cave. Once inside, the Wizard used his staff to create light for them, not too bright, just enough to banish the darkness and cast their shadows on the far wall. "What do you know of Irmo, the Master of Dreams?"

Legolas' eyes widened, "The Sindarin elves call him Lórien."

"Yes, quite right. There is a forest of the same name in Aman which he calls home." Mithrandir rubbed his hands together. "Time moves differently in the lands of the Valar, Legolas. Tonight, your wife needs your strength. For them, your unborn son's Begetting Day was nearly a year ago. For us, much more time has passed. Your son will be born tonight, and the powers of good have a deep respect for your part in the Fellowship and Tauriel's leadership in the exodus from Mirkwood. So, for this night you have been granted permission to enter the World of Dreams with Tauriel and be with her to see her through the birth."

The wood-elf tilted his head, trying to comprehend what Mithrandir was telling him,"Our baby should have been born long before now."

The Wizard's age lined face softened, "If they were still in Middle Earth, he would have been, but the magic which separated this land from Aman causes time to move more slowly across the Sea."

"How much time has passed for Tauriel?"

"Only a little more than five months," Mithrandir assured him. "The babe is perfect and healthy. Though he is ready to greet his first dawn and accept the adoration of his mother and siblings and everyone else who has been waiting patiently to welcome the tiny Prince."

Legolas tried to accept the differences as easily as Mithrandir seemed to, but he found it difficult. "Tauriel is laboring in Valinor, now?"

Mithrandir smiled, "Oh, she is in labor, but Tauriel is not living in a city. The adventurous young wood-elves of King Thranduil have settled in a quiet area, a few hours travel from the coastal city of Alqualondë. There will be plenty of time for your wife to tell you all about her adventures across the sea." He unrolled a bedroll and spread it on the floor of the cave and bid Legolas lie upon it. "For you, this will be like a very vivid dream which you will remember clearly when you wake. Tauriel will join you in the Dream. You will be able to touch her, and hold your son, before you wake." The Wizard pulled a talisman from a pocket in his robe and handed it to Legolas. "I will sit watch over you while you sleep."

Almost as soon as he closed his eyes, Legolas felt the magic pull him under like a river current.

"Relax. Don't fight it," Mithrandir encouraged him, gently. "You are safe."

Legolas opened his eyes and found himself on a balcony carved of creamy stone overlooking a forest he had never seen before.

"Legolas?"

He turned to find his arms suddenly full of Tauriel. "Tauriel," he breathed into her hair. The words were half prayer, half sob of relief. "How is this possible?"

His wife laughed until she started to cry, and after a deep breath to compose herself, Tauriel told him, "I am learning not to think too much about how things get the way they are, and simply accept that it is magic. Explanations are in short supply, and fortunately for us, magic is not."

Legolas kissed her. His hands caressed down her arms and came to rest on her very swollen belly. "You are in labor?"

Tauriel nodded, "The waters broke a short time ago. There are two midwives, plus Eryniel, to watch over me during the delivery. The Lord of Dreams, Irmo, is holding the door to the World of Dreams open for us."

They kissed, again, and Tauriel giggled.

When Legolas raised an eyebrow at her, she made a face at him, "I've missed you, and I feel giddy with relief. This is good. It is enough to have you with me in a dream, if not in truth, tonight. I didn't want to bring this child into the world without you."

"Where are we, Tauriel? Is this the place our people have made their home?" He put an arm around her shoulders, needing constant contact with her, while turning his head to survey the valley and the distant snow covered peaks, then looked up the mountainside behind him. His breath caught in a gasp as he understood. "It's a city carved in a mountain?"

She smiled, nodding proudly. "It is. A very old, long abandoned and forgotten settlement. The High King and Queen of the Valar brought us here. They thought it might suit a group the size of ours, and offer some seclusion while we are settling in to life in Aman and..." She rubbed at a contraction. "While so many of us are having babies. I wasn't the only one who didn't want to be on display in a city full of unfamiliar Eldar."

There was a large, thickly padded chair behind them and that is where she led him. Legolas sat, easing her across his lap and held her to him, soothingly stroking her long red hair.

Tauriel told him of the Grey Havens, the nights under the stars with Ulmo telling them stories and singing songs, of landing in the port city of Alqualondë and meeting the High King and Queen, and then being directed south down the coast and finding the small, lovely city under the cover of the trees.

Tauriel went on to detail the weeks of exploration, the election of their Council, and the awakening of the magic of this land. Once in a while, she would have to pause for a contraction, but it would pass and Tauriel would continue with the story and answering Legolas' infrequent questions.

"If our people are going to maintain the settlement here, we are going to need to learn how to build our own ships." Her eyes lit up, "I like the beach and being on the waves."

"You like sailing?" Legolas was surprised, because as Woodland elves they had no experience with the ocean.

"I don't know how to explain the sensation, the wind and waves... It is like flying." At his surprised expression, she continued, "I was motion-sick a few times because of the pregnancy, but for the most part it was enjoyable." Tauriel turned her head to look into his eyes. "I've done all the talking, I think it is time for you to tell me what you have been doing."

Legolas had been dreading this part. He wished Mithrandir had given him some warning, so he could have prepared something to tell his wife. He didn't want to worry her, not if he could help it. She had enough to occupy her mind here. "The Ring was destroyed by a pair of Hobbits, they were scarcely more than boys when I met them, never before gone from home and they crossed into Mordor on foot without even enough supplies to get back out. Walked right up to Mount Doom and threw the ring in. We were at the Black Gates, making a final stand, and the towers just fell before us. The ground around us collapsed and swallowed the Orcs and their foul beasts."

"Hobbits? Halflings like Bilbo Baggins?" Tauriel frowned.

Legolas chuckled, nodding, "Frodo Baggins, Bilbo's nephew, and a gardener named Samwise Gamgee. I have never seen such love and courage contained in such small packages."

"What of Aragorn? If the war is won, does that mean he will be King?"

He sighed, resting his chin on the top of her head, "That is the plan. There is much rebuilding which will need to be done. He is already negotiating treaties. It won't be an easy thing to reunite Gondor and Arnor into one Kingdom. It may take years before he wears a crown."

"You should stay and see it done. The lives of mortals are finite, and short. Aragorn listens to you, heeds your council, much as Bard accepted mine."

The Prince frowned, "I want to sail."

"You haven't convinced our King to sail. Your work in Middle Earth is far from done. I only wish I could be at your side. My worry is ever that you will lack someone to watch your back without me."

Legolas chuckled, making Tauriel look up at him, "What is amusing you?"

"I have someone, I consider him a friend, who has made it his task to watch my back. You will find it even more amusing and ironic than I."

"Who is this friend?"

He kissed her. "He is a Dwarf. Gimli, son of Gloin."

"No! Not Gimli?!" Tauriel gasped, "Gimli is a child."

"He is no child. To my great surprise, he has proven himself a tolerable traveling companion and we fought many battles together."

Tauriel laughed. "You've made friends with a Dwarf. You. I can scarcely believe it."

"I told you it would amuse you."

She pressed kisses to his cheeks and chin and lips. "I am more than amused, I'm proud of you. And I do not believe I could possibly love you any more than I do at this very moment, my husband."

"Just because I made friends with a Dwarf, doesn't mean I do not miss having you at my side."

His wife nodded, and she patted his chest. "We are Eldar, our lives can stretch on into forever. This separation is small and temporary." For the first time, Tauriel gave a low moan, and Legolas felt a stab of panic at the sound. "Tauriel?"

"Nearly time, I think, meleth nín."

The Prince winced, hating the pain Tauriel had to go through to bring a child into the world. "I wish I could make the pain go away entirely."

Tauriel bit her lip, but tried to muster a stoic expression. "Only one child means he's bigger, but I am not feeling much pain. It is pressure and movement which are uncomfortable, but not agony or anything even close."

"Three is a good number," Legolas muttered to himself, worried.

His wife's eyes widened, "Oh, no. We will have that discussion a hundred years from now, or a thousand. Our twins are almost fully grown, if not matured. Oh, Legolas, you should see the way Legoliôn looks up to Glorfindel. I imagine it drives him mad most days, having a boy as a living shadow, but he tolerates our son's adoration with tremendous patience."

Legolas scrambled to get out from under Tauriel as she gritted her teeth and started to pant. "What can I do, Tauriel?"

"Nothing. The process is almost done." She gave one loud, long cry which seemed to echo around him, and then Tauriel breathed a sigh of relief. "He's free, thank the Valar. I imagine he's squalling and wriggling in blood and other stuff, and I must say I don't enjoy that part."

He winced, "Me either."

A few moments later, a shimmering doorway appeared in the air beside them, and a tall male and female came into view, the woman carrying the cloth wrapped bundle of infant.

Lórien placed a hand on his shoulder, "Congratulations, Legolas Thrandullion. Your wife has blessed you with a second strong, healthy son." His smile grew as the babe was placed in the Prince's eager arms. "You should tell your King this boy is going to strongly favor the Sinda blood in him. That should please him, as I remember Thranduil's vanity well," he added, smirking in great amusement.

It was not an unkind comment, just a little jab, and Legolas had every intention of passing the message on, if only to see his father's expression.

The woman, Queen Estë, sat beside Tauriel and her smile was gentle, full of tenderness. "You make the most beautiful babies, Lady Tauriel. You are to be commended. You've earned a long, blissful rest. I will stay this night with you, to see that your rest is deep, healing, and completely undisturbed."

The Master of Dreams nodded, adding, "On the subject of rest, the High King has made it known to all Eldar in all the land that guests are not welcome until your babe, and the other wood-elf babes, are born and grown to an age when your people feel comfortable having visitors. You will decide when the time is right for those eager to meet you and establish relations with the Woodland elves, of course, but we want you free of worry while the children bond with you."

"As for you, Prince, we thank you for allowing us the company of your people. They are a constant source of joy and wonder, and we are doing everything to make Aman a beloved home for them, and you as well, when your work in Middle Earth is done and you are called to the sea."

Legolas felt a lump form in his throat and had to swallow twice before he could speak, "You honor us, my Lord, my Lady. Tauriel shared with me stories of the last few months and the burden of worry in my heart is lifted to know of the kindness and generosity of the Valar."

"Generosity is hardly needed," Estë told him. "The Woodland elves work hard from the first light of dawn until there is no light left of each day, and ask little of us. Your beloved Tauriel tirelessly sees to everyone's needs, not once asking anything for herself, when she more than has a right to put her needs first. We saw her heart's desire, for you to hold her and your child, and she did not need to ask us for this. This we felt owed her, and you, for sundering your young family, even temporarily, while you aid in the defeat of Sauron."

Legolas lowered his head, "Thank you." He pressed his lips to the child's forehead, smooth with peaceful sleep.

"We will give you one last precious hour, and then you will wake back in the cave with your Mithrandir. There is much work still to be done cleaning up after the banished one." Almost as an afterthought, Lórien said, "Keep the talismans, both of you, and perhaps they can be of use at times when you are missing each other most. A small amount of magic remains in the stones, and can grant you brief moments together in the World of Dreams." With that, they disappeared.

Time seemed to stand still, Legolas felt such incredible joy and peace, "Is it always like this here, calm and serene?"

"Yes," Tauriel told him. "The children are loving it. They are still children, though, and no amount of magic can keep them from mischief."

"No, I don't imagine it can." Legolas thought of something, "Are you going to get rest with a new baby?"

She pulled a face. "It has been decided that I am not allowed to sit on the council until the baby is two years old. I've done enough, and I've been told I must let Lindir handle things, now. He's even training Eryniel as his assistant the way Lord Elrond trained him."

"You aren't happy about that." It was a statement. "Tauriel, you don't have to do everything. What would you have done if it was Sigrid or Tilda who was Queen and gave birth to a child tonight?"

Tauriel frowned, but she finally admitted, "I am going to be too busy with the baby to worry about running out of wine with Midsummer just next week."

"You can't have any wine, so let Lindir send someone up the coast to buy some, if he thinks they will run out."

"Will we call our Sindarin looking child Tharanden?" she asked him, smirking, "Your father is already quite vain."

Legolas wrinkled his nose, "And he has a very high opinion of himself. What if by naming him after my father, he becomes like him?"

"Tharanden will have us to see that he isn't spoiled or vain."

The air around them started to shimmer, and they knew it was time to say goodbye, of only for a short time.

"I love you, Tauriel."

"And I love you, my Prince."

They kissed one final time and Legolas felt the tugging of the magic in the stone, this time rather than dragging him under, it was pushing him upward. He startled awake.

"Welcome back. So, what are we to call our new Elven Prince?" Mithrandir asked him.

Legolas bit his lip, determined not to shed tears. He drew in a deep breath and sighed, "His name is Tharanden."

"Oh, dear." The Wizard clucked his tongue. "I imagine a certain King is going to be quite pleased by your choice of names."

The Prince sat up, stretching tight muscles in his back from the hard ground. "We are going to have to make sure father doesn't spoil him like he did with the twins."

Mithrandir laughed, "Best of luck with that endeavor."

"How long was I asleep?"

"Three days, give or take a few hours."

Legolas raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Three days?"

"I imagine you are hungry."

And he was, too. "Tauriel needed me."

"Of course, she did. She is your wife."

"Will you tell me more about Aman?"

Mithrandir nodded, "I will."