Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable characters in this story, and make no money from them. This story is purely a work of fanfiction and written for fun. However, I do own the OC's, and I ask that you don't use them in your own writing without consulting me first.

Thankyou AndurilofTolkien, Guest, and CoffeeRanger for reviewing the first chapter! I hope you all enjoy this one as well.

Un-betaed. I blame any mistakes that are found on the Plot Bunnies.

Talking about PB's...

This chapter would have been up sooner, but as I was giving it a final read through, one Plot Bunny suddenly turned into an architect, another one turned into an interior designer, and they began procreating. I had to wait until they'd had sufficient children, and had agreed on names for them all. I hope the result is worth the wait.

Bloody Plot Bunnies.

Tales from Mirkwood: Aftermath

Chapter 2

Thranduil laid on his bed, staring blankly at the roof. Despite his weariness, he was unable to find any rest.

Beside him, Tathardis slept soundly. One of her arms was wrapped around Garavon, and the other was cuddling Braigneth, who was tucked into her side. It hadn't been Thranduil's choice to let that happen. Garavon yes, as the boy was his son, but Braigneth was not related to them in any way.

And, while he intended to look after the little girl and help her to have a full and happy life, Thranduil really did not want to set a precedence for when the elfling got older. However, the little one had hardly stopped crying since her mother had dropped her off a few days ago. Tonight, when Garavon had been endlessly fussing and refusing to settle down, Tathardis had decided to try something different. Thranduil had reluctantly agreed (he really was incapable of saying no to his wife when she started giving him that look), which was how the two elflings had ended up in bed with them.

And wonders of wonders, as soon as they'd cuddled down together, Tathardis and the two little ones had gone straight to sleep.

Thranduil wished he could do that, but the events of Dagorlad were still too fresh for him to find true rest. Losing his father, losing so many of their people, almost losing his son…

Thranduil involuntarily shuddered at that memory.

Consequently, he hadn't been able to sleep properly in weeks. And it didn't look like tonight would be any different.

Finally giving sleep up as a lost cause, Thranduil slipped out of bed. Careful not to disturb those who were sleeping, he pulled on a robe over his nightclothes and found a pair of soft felt boots. Seeing he couldn't sleep, he reasoned, he might as well do something useful. And the stack of paperwork resulting from being king never did seem to diminish. Thranduil seriously wondered how Oropher had done it.

On his way to his main office, the King passed the rooms belonging to Legolas and Lothwen (Belegon and Golwendir, both being older and married, had their own suites of rooms in the next corridor. Lanny, Tordir and Aeweth's rooms were also located there, near their parents). He thought he might as well check on his younger children, seeing he was here.

Softly opening the door to the big room that functioned as a combined lounge area/playroom/private balcony area for the two young elves, Thranduil immediately saw a light shining under Legolas's bedroom door, and heard soft voices. While they shared a common area, each young elf had their own bedroom suite leading off it. They would have liked to be in the same bedroom, but Thranduil had been looking to the future when he'd had the rooms designed. They wouldn't be children forever. Thranduil knew from experience that, no matter what they said now, there would come a time when they both wanted their own space. He had already been a father for many centuries after all, and his older sons had not been easy when they were young.

Knocking gently on the door, Thranduil called out softly to his children.

"Legolas, can I please come in?"

There was a momentary pause, and a lot of whispering, before his son answered him.

"Yes, Ada."

Thranduil pushed open the door, and entered Legolas's room. He was not surprised to find Legolas and Lothwen curled up together in the single bed, cuddling the dolls Thondir had bought for them not long ago. They had an open story book in front of them, and had clearly been reading it to each other. Thranduil sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Couldn't sleep?"

Both the youngsters shook their heads as Legolas spoke.

"Lothie couldn't. I am having trouble. We decided to read for a while, see if that helped."

Thranduil brushed some of Legolas's hair out of his s face so he could see his son's eyes.

"And has it?"

Lothwen shook her head, as she reached out the hand that wasn't clutching her doll for Thranduil to take. Which he immediately did.

"No."

Thranduil squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Anything I can do to help?"

Legolas answered immediately.

"Stay with us? We can make room."

Thranduil smiled gently.

"Of course."

But, try as they did, the bed simply was not big enough for the three of them to be comfortable in. When that became obvious, Thranduil felt an idea niggling at his mind. His bed was big enough for them all, even with Tathardis and the two little ones already in it. As Legolas and Lothwen tried to rearrange themselves for the umpteenth time, Thranduil stilled them gently.

"This isn't going to work. How about we go to my bed? It is big enough for us all to lay down and cuddle together."

His children nodded in agreement, and Lothwen curled into his side.

"Carry me Ada? Please?"

Thranduil immediately scooped her up, and held out his hand to Legolas. The older elfling shook his head, and held up his arms.

"Can you carry me too please Ada? Or am I too big?"

In response, Thranduil scooped him up with the other hand.

"I can carry you if you want me to, ion nîn. You aren't that big just yet. Are Lasson and Elhel coming with us?"

The elflings cuddled into Thranduil, clutching their dolls to their chests. Lothwen spoke.

"Can they? Will there be enough room for them?"

Thranduil nodded as he started to carry the pair (and their dolls) out of the room, making sure to blow out the lamp they'd lit before he left.

"Yes, there is room for them. Now, you must be quiet when we get to my room. We don't want to wake your mother and little brother."

Legolas perked up.

"Is Garavon with you?"

Thranduil nodded.

"Yes. Braigneth is as well. She wouldn't stop crying, and your mother convinced me to let her cuddle in bed with them."

Both the elflings grinned.

"Naneth always gets her way."

Thranduil sighed in mock resentment.

"Yes, she normally does. I find it very hard to say no to any of you. Completely ruins my image it does."

Legolas cocked his head.

"But Belegon told me that you've always been like that."

Thranduil seriously wished his eldest son would stop telling the little ones all about his life history. The newly-made Crown Prince seemed determined to share a lifetime's worth of knowledge about their father with his younger siblings, none of whom had yet seen half-a-century.

"That is true. But I am the King now, and must be seen to maintain some resemblance of order in my personal life, so other's will see me as a worthy leader, and be willing to follow me. Life is going to be a bit different for all of us now that I am King."

By this stage, they'd reached the door to his suite. Thranduil managed to open and close it surprisingly successfully, seeing he had an elfling in each arm. Quietly walking into the bedroom, Thranduil was pleased to note Tathardis, Garavon and Braigneth had not stirred in his absence. Gently shepherding Legolas and Lothwen into the bed to wait for him, Thranduil swiftly removed his boots and robe and climbed in after them. As soon as he laid down, the two older elflings immediately cuddled up to him. Legolas curled into his side, and Lothwen flat on top of him.

"Night Ada."

Lothwen's face was squished into his chest, but Thranduil still heard her clearly. Gently stroking her fair hair (which he was not so secretly thrilled was not too dissimilar in colour to his, same as Legolas's. Tathardis had derived no end of amusement from his reactions over their hair colour when they'd been born) Thranduil smiled.

"Good night, nin hîn." (my children)

Legolas murmured something indecipherable, even for elvish hearing, and snuggled closer to his father. Lothwen did not move. From the steady breathing next to him, Thranduil knew that Tathardis and the little ones were also asleep.

Thranduil still did not feel tired, so he laid awake for a while longer. Though he did feel more at peace then he had previously, and realised having his family around him was helping his state-of-mind. What had happened at Dagorlad was horrible, and had affected them all. But, together they would get through it. They may have lost people who were dear to them, but they still had each other.

They were family. And family should stick together no matter what happened, and always be there for each other.

That was especially true now that Thranduil was the King. The Sindar elf was fully aware that his new job would not be easy, and had always hoped he'd never have to take the crown for that reason. But, with the support and love of his family, he knew he could do it.

He had to do it.

For their sakes if nothing else.

And Thranduil would anything if by doing it, he could keep his family safe and happy.

The End.

No story preview this time. Though I do have a few ideas for more stories in this universe, and several are in the process of being written, so hopefully there will be more before too long.

But, in the process, I thought I'd ask you, my readers, what you'd like to see happen. Are there any specific scenarios you'd like to see certain characters in? Any character you'd like to know more about? (there are A LOT of OC's in this universe, even I have trouble keeping track of them all). Any interactions between certain characters you'd like to see happen? I will do my best to try and incorporate anything anyone tells me they would like to see into future stories. I cannot promise I will, as I am totally at the mercy of Plot Bunnies, but I will do my best.

So, if there is something you would like to see, leave a review and let my Plot Bunnies know! I'm sure the sadistic little glowing red-eyed monsters would be delighted to get personal reviews full of ideas of new ways to torture me...