Thanks to Lothiriel for beta-reading.

Rivendell. The winter had brought a cold and strong wind which made the naked woods blend. The snow had covered the gardens of Rivendell. Inside the palace, in a room at the east wing, the blond prince lay on the bed with his eyes closed.

"So that's the reason of my weakness and my nausea", he thought putting a hand inside the blanket to lay it over his stomach. He tried to sit on the bed but he still felt weak. So he laid his head on the pillow. "So, my love, this is your gift." He smiled gladly thinking of his beloved Aragorn and closed his eyes to remember his face one more time.

After a while he heard the door opening and looked over at it.

"I hope I didn't wake you," Lord Elrond came into the room and sat in a chair near Legolas bed, "but I wanted to know how you feel."

"Tired", his voice sounded as a whisper from the trees.

"No, my prince, I mean how you feel about this news."

"Happy." he smiled peacefully, "My own child, I feel I have a reason to live again. Those last weeks I have been alone, I thought my sickness was because of my pain and isolation and I was considering the insane idea of dying. But now for the next few months I will be with someone all the time and a new life depends of me." He laughed softly, "Now I have new strength. All because of this little one." He caressed his abdomen sweetly.

As Legolas spoke, Elrond could feel the love though his words and a paternal bond started to grow inside the eldest Elf.

"I'm really happy for you. The healer explained to you about male pregnancy in elves. Any question you have about it, you know we are here to answer." Legolas nodded with a delicate glance. "So, I suppose the father is who I think, isn't he?"

The blond prince looked toward the window on the opposite side. He didn't want him to see the sadness that nested in his face, directly from his heart.

Elrond understood the answer and felt glad that the prince's back was to him so he couldn't see the worry in his eyes. He stood up and started to walk toward the door. But he stopped when he heard Legolas´ soft voice.

"I know there will be trouble with the father." He had turned his face and was looking at Elrond's eyes. "My child is the heir of Gondor, the only one, and the kingdom won't accept its Elvish blood."

"So you do think about it."

"Yes, I do. That's the reason why I want to stay here in Rivendell, I know you, my people will not leave me alone with that."

"You must rest, young prince." Those words were the only he could think of as an answer. "Those last weeks were tough for your body and you have to recover your strength."

He closed the door behind him just after seeing Legolas fall into a deep sleep. In the hall he met Thranduil who was waiting for him. Elrond didn't blame him for not wanting to face his youngest son.

"How is he?" He asked eagerly.

"He seems calm and he is very happy with the news." Thranduil sighed sadly. "He loves that child with all his being. He told me it brought him a new reason to live. And the worst part is he will stay here only because he wants our help."

"But what can we do? We must consider the elves' safety and you know this could mean a new and bloody war."

"He trusts us, we are his family." Those were the only words that came out from his mind.

"I know, he's my son, my most beloved son, but he must learn to control his actions."

"But he's so young, full of love and hope, and the late king, he really loved him."

"My pain is intense but a lot of lives are in our hands and a lot of them will be lost if this child is born."

"But if it doesn't the only life lost will be your son's." Elrond knew he was very sad to continue arguing so he turned his back and walked away.

Thranduil stood in the hall looking at Legolas door. He had expected Lord Elrond to speak to the prince about the only solution that could keep the peace in Middle Earth. He thought about his youngest son, how he suffered when he saw him with his heart shattered by the king's death. All the nights he spent awake, from horrible nightmares. They showed him Legolas dying after choosing death. He had been worried about the prince's unknown illness and in a peak of tension he thought that may be it could be his end. In the bottom of his heart he felt a great happiness when he knew about the unborn child but this happiness soon became sadness when he understood the destruction that it could bring. He and Lord Elrond decided not to say a word to the prince about the news but the healer was faster than they were and now Legolas had hope in someone who didn't deserve life.

A couple of days had passed and Legolas had recovered his strength. He was an Elf so his health had come back. He was bored to be inside this little bedroom but the guards outside had orders from Lord Elrond. Legolas thought about why his father hadn't seen him yet because he knew he was in Rivendell.

"He must be really upset about my condition," he thought with sadness, "I disgraced my family with this child conceived out of wedlock. Besides my father has always worked for peace and he knows what will happen with this baby's arrival." He looked down and sighed thinking about all the prejudices that he had to face if he wanted to keep his child's rights. Then he thought about his father and how much he needed his family's support in this struggle. "If he just let me talk to him I could explain to him how important this little person is to me, and then he would realize how much his support means to me."

He walked to the closed window and looked through the almost dingy glass. He saw the extended white gardens caressed by the wind and sighed deeply trying to communicate with Nature.

Meanwhile, in the throne room there was an important meeting. The members of the council decided that the time had come. Elrond and Thranduil had to talk to Legolas and his undesirable pregnancy had to end that night. When the meeting was over, all of them left the room except Elrond and Legolas father. Elrond glanced at Thranduil who was looking absently toward the door. He seemed as worried as he was.

"We can't delay it anymore. The time has come." Thranduil broke the silence. His eyes lost in painful thoughts. "If I don't speak with him before tonight they will force him without explanations."

"What will you do?" Elrond was really concerned about the young prince. The image of his innocent smile when he explained to him how glad he felt with his baby's arrival had been torturing him during the last couple days.

"I have no choice, Elrond. I can't let them hurt my child in this way, I …" The king of Mirkwood couldn't continue, his voice was broken.

"I don't think this is an honest idea but you can lie and tell them your son is still weak."

"And then what, my friend?" He looked intensely at Elrond with tears in his eyes. "More time, more risk for his body. And the bond he has created with the child would be stronger and more painful to cut. I know I have to do it now. Not for my son but for Middle Earth." He started to walk toward the door.

"Thranduil, wait!" he exclaimed. "Maybe abortion isn't the best idea. Perhaps, if you gave me time I could find a hidden place where Legolas could raise his child and the secret would be safe and you and I could be the only who knew the truth."

Thranduil smiled painfully. Despite all the ideas, despite the love he felt for Legolas, he knew the only solution was this sad conclusion. But Elrond didn't give up.

"Please, listen carefully, just a moment. I know a spell to cause the abortion. I can act as if I gave him that. We explain to Legolas the plan and then we ask him to pretend be sick and deeply depressed and that could be the perfect excuse to bring him to that place."

"And keep them from strangers' eyes for how long? One hundred years? And what about the other elves? Don't you think they would start to ask questions when the pregnant Elf disappears for long months? Be realistic, Elrond. We cannot protect him for so long. Even if we could keep him safe during his long pregnancy (don't forget we are talking about one year at least) he would have to raise his child with fear, and alone. I don't want that for my son."

"Thranduil, perhaps our mistake is to decide about his life without his permission, if you just explain to him this plan and let him choose what he actually wants."

"He is still too young to make that kind of choice. I'm his father, I must do it for him."

Elrond shook his head.

"He is too young for your paternal eyes. But let me tell you that you have raised a responsible son and I am sure he will make the right choice. The pain he went through with Aragorn's death has made him grow and we have to trust him in the same way he's trusted us. Please, my friend, try."

Thranduil didn't say a word but Elrond knew he had convinced him. In the last glance the king of Mirkwood gave him, he could see hope and relief.

TBC