His children were born in the spring.

They were twins, like Dis had predicted, a male and a female.

She'd refused to be kept in Mirkwood and had gone home shortly after she'd been healed.. She'd refused to take any aid from him, as was to be expected and had refused to let him order his subjects not to mock her. She didn't speak to the elves at all while she was within his halls and preferred to leave the parentage of the babes that grew within her a mystery. Dis would not be persuaded to stay, even though Váli and Dáli had been brought to her. Her children were scared and kept asking when their Ada was and when he would return. Dis told them that he was dead and that they were being held in Mirkwood because she'd needed to identify his body. That, of course, begged the question of why they were staying for nearly a month. She had no answer for that. Luckily for her, she'd only had to lie to her children for a short time before she'd been able to travel safely back to her village and shut him out of her life once more.

He knew he shouldn't have gone after her, that she couldn't have possibly wanted to see him, but he needed to see them. Their children together. One glimpse would be enough to last him a life time and he would never bother her again. He swore this to himself as he entered the village under cover of nightfall, a hood obscuring his face. He wore the guise she'd known him under. It would be easier to enter the tiny town with a familiar visage and not be questioned. Besides, he'd rather not have her shoot at him right away. He'd drop it once he arrived. The king padded silently through the empty village, heading directly for the dwarrowdam's house. The lack of rain had hit this place harder than the surrounding areas, and evidence of famine was still present. The one animal he'd seen since entering, a cat, was severely emaciated and rubbed against his leg, hoping for food. He shooed it away, murmuring that he had nothing for it. It skulked away and he worried that his former family might have been going hungry. This only quickened his step.

There were no lights in the windows of Dis's house and fear coiled round his heart. They hadn't left, had they? It was possible, though she'd just given birth little over a week ago. If she could break out of Mirkwood while heavily pregnant, surely she could manage to travel out of a small town. He rapped quickly at the door and the beating in his heart did not calm until he saw her. She looked unchanged, for the most part, but when she looked up at him, he saw once more that burning hatred. It was just a flash, and it quickly died down to a cold fury. "Did you come to see them?" Her tone was clipped, careful. She would not dignify his presence by showing any emotion. He issued a curt nod and she turned away from him leaving the door open. "You have ten minutes." He entered and tried not to look too much like an overeager puppy. It had been several thousand years since a new child was born into his household, and never had he had a daughter. He was excited, but his happiness was dampened by the knowledge that the mother of his children would see him dead.

She lead him to her room, past the closed doors that Váli and Dáli slept behind and the halls he'd grown familiar with in the year of his stay. It was quiet, save for the muffled gurgling sounds of two infants in their cribs. "Ten minutes." She repeated, but he barely heard her. Two new ives that he'd help create lay not ten feet from where he stood. Thranduil moved to advance, but she caught his wrist. "Stop pretending." They stared at each other for a moment before he dropped his disguise and grew two feet, the once comfortable room seeming tight. Dis didn't seem satisfied. "I said, stop pretending." He blinked down at her and his shoulder's slumped as he dropped the glamor from his left cheek, revealing the network of scars and holes. "They will know your true face." She released his wrist and nodded for him to approach the cribs.

They were so small, these children he'd created with Dis. For elven children, at least, they were minute. He could have held them both in his arms if he'd wanted to, and he desperately did. He lifted them, first the boy and then the girl and sat down on the bed he'd shared with their mother little over four months ago. They were beautiful, and as different as day and night. The boy in his right arm was pale, like he was, with the beginning wisps of straight white-blonde hair growing on his head. The girl child cradled on his left was ruddier in complexion, like her mother, and loose curls of black spilled over her forehead and into her eyes. They both had their eyes closed and were whimpering softly, but otherwise did not make any movement. It was unusual, but he would sate his curiosity later. "What are their names?"

"I told you already." His shoulders slumped slightly, but he did not let his disappointment show.

"Raenion and Gweriaeth." He sighed and looked over at the Dwarrow in the corner. Even seated and slouched, he was still taller than her. "Did you name them that to spite me?"

"I named them that because it was true. I will not hide the fact that you betrayed me and that you are a coward, Thranduil." It was the first time she'd spoken his name without adding a curse after it. He felt that it was simply because she no longer cared.

"Why are they so-"

"Listless?" He nodded. "They're sick. Elven. I can't cure it. Fancy that, my two newborns catching an illness only their estranged father had the ability to heal." Her voice was cold, apathetic, as if she were merely watching her life play out on a stage. Thranduil swallowed.

"What would you have me do?"

"Save them." Blue eyes lowered to lock on the ashen faces of his two newborns. There was never a question in his mind that he'd do anything for them and the woman who'd carried them. Hed known them such a short while, but he'd give them Nauglamir itself if they had but asked. He could tell from the look on Dis's face that she would not have asked him if the situation had not been dire and he accepted his task with a small nod.

"I wil return for them in two weeks time. Please let you guards know that I am coming. I do not fancy being shot again."

"I will."

"And Thranduil?" He rose, already bundling his children up so they'd be warm for the ride back. Blue met the ice blue of Dis's eyes and he once more felt the familiar longing for her head on his chest. He knew they could never go back. Even if he had acted on his urges and asked Dis to marry him while he was still human she still would have turned cold toward him. She could not have left him, though. Dwarrows didn't believe in divorce. He could not have added to her anger now even if he'd wanted to. It would have broken him beyond what he could bear. "Do not mistake this privilege for forgiveness. I have allowed you here, but I have not forgotten what you-"

"Ama, I had a bad dream." Thranduil would have almost mistaken the child for Váli had he not seen the mop of dark, curly locks. Dis's son had grown in his time away. She issued him a quiet command in Khuzdul, but the boy didn't listen, turning his eyes toward the elf who stood in the middle of the room, holding his siblings. "You're the one who-"

"Dáli, go back to bed."

"But, Ama-"

"Bed. Now." The boy gave the elf one final, hard look before turning and slowly returning to the hall. "Take them and go." Dis muttered."Before Váli wakes up. She's gotten rather good at Archery and she blames you for the death of her father."

-/.\-

It was nearly dawn before Thranduil arrived back in Mirkwood and Legolas greeted him, falling in step on his own horse. His son allowed him only a brief moment of peace before his questions began. "Where have you been?"

"Away."

"Did you go back down to the human town? Did you go see it again?" Thranduil doesn't answer his son, knowing that he already knows the answer. "Did you?" The king pulled his horse around and nudged it into a trot, wanting to leave the ther elf behind. Legolas sped his horse up and pulled in front of his father. "What is that creature to you?" It was then that Raenion let out a plaintiff cry. Thranduil didn't meet the prince's eyes.

"Let me pass."

"Not until you explain yourself. You owe me-" His head snapped up and the king became himself once more.

"Legolas I am your father, but first and foremost I am your king and I owe you nothing. I am an adult elf long passed my majority by at least 10,000 years. I saw the fall of Gondolin and Mordor, witnessed Ancalagon the Black block out the sun and saw Sauron himself smite hundreds with a single down swing of his sword. I have ruled over this forest for millennia and have never had an enemy take my kingdom from me. I have perpetuated the longest stretch of peace this kingdom has ever known. Do you honestly think I need to explain myself to you?" Legolas didn't answer him. "Now would you kindly let me pass? Your brother and sister will catch their death of cold in this air."