First Born

Disclaimer: it ain’t mine, I’m just borrowing it



Disclaimer:
it ain’t mine, I’m just borrowing it. Don’t bother suing, all I’ve got is my Next Gen DVDs.
No Elves or Rangers were harmed in the writing of this
Fanfiction. I put them back how I found them…honest!

As
all ways a huge big thank you and hug for my beta reader. Thanks, I love you
lots.

Chapter 6 - Expecting

‘All right. All right! I’m awake! Stop prodding
me!’ Thranduil had been in a deep sleep and was very grumpy for being poked awake. What did she
want now, a glass of warm milk, or another back rub? He rolled over to face
her, but the jabbing continued.

‘Stop that!’ he demanded.

‘It’s nothing to do with me,’ his wife replied, ‘You’re the one who got
me into this state.’

‘What is it then?’ he demanded again.

‘Don’t call your son and heir an it,’ she admonished gently.

‘What?’

‘Honestly Thranduil, you can be as thick as a dwarf sometimes. It’s the
baby, he’s moving around.’

‘Why is he prodding me?’

‘More than likely things are getting a bit tight in there. It won’t be
long until his birthing now.’ She smiled. ‘He’s just reminding you that he’s
there, that’s all.’

‘Does he do it a lot?’ Thranduil asked, intrigued.

‘Constantly during the night. Why do you think I sleep in my chamber more
now? I don’t want to disturb you. But last night you
were so insistent that I come to bed with you…’

He grinned. Yes, he had been insistent, and it was getting very
difficult to make love now that Athiel was so pregnant, but they had managed
last night and it had been well worth the effort.

‘It was worth it,’ he told her nuzzling up to her neck. His reward was
what felt like a very small foot in the pit of his stomach. ‘He’s strong, isn’t
he?’

‘Tell me about it. I’m sure he’s playing ball
with my bladder. Oh, there he goes again.’ She rubbed the spot that had just been kicked and grimaced appreciatively.

Thranduil was fascinated; his wife’s swollen belly appeared to have
taken on a life of its own. The child within was definitely restless- hands
could be seen pushing against the taut skin, and then suddenly the clear
impression of a foot. He reached out a tentative hand and gently touched the outline;
it was instantly withdrawn and replaced with another lump that he couldn’t identify. He gently stroked this and whispered to
its owner.

‘Hush, little prince, youna
na
and ada want to try and get some sleep tonight. Rest quietly, it won’t be long
now.’

The small one seemed to shiver at the sound of his father’s voice, and
became still as if responding to the request. Athiel sighed in relief and
quickly drifted into sleep again, snuggling against her husband, leaving him
staring into the darkness of the room.

 

Much later, he was awoken by the sunlight streaming
through the windows. Reaching across he found the bed empty and cold. Athiel
was not only up, but had been up for a while. Swiftly dressing he went in
search of her, finally tracking her down in the birthing room, which had been emptied of its contents. Peering inside he saw his
wife, mother and Riawen busily scrubbing the walls and floor.

‘Why are you doing that?’ he asked, ‘The servants can do it for you.’

He was rewarded with glares from all three of
them. They ignored him and continued with their cleaning. Feeling left out of all the feminine bustle he wandered of looking for some male
companionship. There seemed to be no one in the caves so he went outside,
finally arriving in the small glen that was the resting place for their lost
baby. The small bare mound had vanished, to be replaced
by smooth green grass. The beech sapling they had planted in remembrance was
growing well and had green leaves already beginning to sprout on its slender
branches. He sat on the lawn at its base and pondered the future. What sort of
father would he be? Better than his father, he was suret hot how did one become
a father? There were no books in the library on the subject. How did one learn
the skill? When he was learning to use the bow he had to practise, but was he
to go about practising being a
father?

His muse was suddenly broken by what appeared
to be a small whirlwind tearing into the clearing and crashing into him. As he
steadied the apparition he became aware that it was in
fact Riawen, very out of breath and red-cheeked.

‘Quick! You’ve got to come! I’ve
been searching everywhere for you! Hachon says to come straight away!’

‘Calm down child! What on earth’s the matter?
Is something wrong with Athiel?’

‘Yes! No! Oh, I don’t know! She’s
getting pains, pains in her tummy. Maikath says it’s
her time. You must come or you’ll miss it.’

‘All right, where is she? I know that she’s in the birthing room.’
Thranduil suddenly panicked. ‘But it won’t be ready! You were all cleaning it!
Where is she going to have the baby?’

Riawen was already pulling him towards the birthing rooms; the caves
seemed to be full of people and many with knowing smiles on their faces. Many
married elves had been through this before, but it was nice to know that even
royalty panicked when faced with the birth of their first-born. They finally
arrived at the birthing room, where Hachon was waiting outside. He deftly took
Thranduil’s arm, nodded to Riawen in dismissal and then held the king firmly
with his back against the closed door.