Mallorn sighed as he stared at the campfire. They had been searching for Legolas for two days, and still, there was no sign of their missing brother. He and Aredhel had chosen to search the west side while sending some other scouts to the remaining directions. And now, they were still looking, unaware of their little brother's whereabouts. Not that he wanted to find him, anyway. In his opinion, Legolas deserved this little chance of being happy again by keeping Haldir's child. But his father and eldest brother had other ideas.

Mallorn had often tried to convince his brother to give up the search and return to their father, but Aredhel was determined to find their youngest brother and bring him back.

Sensing his brother sitting beside him, he looked up and asked, 'Have you found anything?'

'No.' Aredhel shook his head. 'I couldn't find anything. He must be going through the trees and avoiding the main road.'

'Smart thought,' Mallorn murmured to himself, but Aredhel's sharp ears heard it.

'Yes, it is,' he replied, slightly annoyed. 'But it won't prevent us from pursuing him and bringing him back home.'

'Aredhel, do we have to do this?!' Mallorn looked deeply into his brother's eyes. 'This is not fair... for Legolas at least. Haldir's death was a great shock to him; it left him heartbroken. It's a miracle that he hasn't died yet! This child might be the thing that will bring the Legolas we all knew back again. Let's return to the palace, tell Adar we haven't found Legolas, and maybe try to change his mind about the baby.'

'No, Mallorn. I can't do that,' Aredhel said in a firm tone. 'You and Legolas often follow your emotions and refuse to listen to reason. Bearing a child without an official marriage will bring shame to our Kingdom. I understand Adar's reasons. In politics, my dear brother, there is no place for emotions. Mirkwood's reputation is at stake.'

'So you're saying that Adar would prefer Legolas to die from grief than risk our kingdom's name?' Mallorn snapped angrily.

'I didn't say that, Mallorn.' Aredhel glared at his brother. 'You know very well that Adar would give his life if that meant our happiness... especially Legolas'. You know how much Adar loves him. But what he did isn't acceptable. He threw away our family and Kingdom's name and gave himself to his lover, dishonouring the bond of marriage and its meaning to all elves. Adar is trying to protect our family's name. Legolas will understand that we will return him to Adar once we find him.'

'How?' Mallorn snorted. 'He's as stubborn as Adar. Neither of them will give up.'

Aredhel sighed deeply. 'I don't know... I just hope things won't become bad between them.'

'I hope that too,' Mallorn whispered.

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Three days later

Legolas wiped the sweat from his forehead, breathing heavily. He had been riding through Mirkwood for five days, stopping briefly to rest his horse. He rode day and night, determined to reach the borders as soon as possible. Luckily, he hadn't encountered any foul creatures that swarmed all over the dark woods.

However, he felt exhausted from riding for long hours; his health worsened daily due to the lack of rest and proper food. Feeling sick again, he dismounted his horse and emptied his stomach. He wiped his mouth with a cloth and looked up at the road ahead.

/The borders are only two hours away,/ he thought. /I must hurry and get out before they catch up with me./ With that thought in mind, he re-mounted his horse and continued his journey.

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Two days later...

'I can see the borders ahead of us, Aredhel,' Mallorn shouted to his brother. 'If we go any further, we'll leave Mirkwood.'

Aredhel gently pulled back his horse's mane, urging the beast to stop. Mallorn stopped beside his brother and waited for him to say something.

'I fear that Legolas has left Mirkwood, Mallorn,' Aredhel said suddenly.

'What?' Mallorn asked, raising an eyebrow. 'Left Mirkwood?'

'Yes,' Aredhel nodded. If I were him, I would do the same. Staying in Mirkwood would only mean being caught eventually, so the only logical thing to do is to leave Mirkwood.'

'But where would he go in his present condition?' Mallorn stared at the road ahead of him.

'He wouldn't go to either Gondor or Rohan. They are cities of men, and going there in his condition would reveal Mirkwood's secret,' Aredhel reasoned. 'The only places I could think of are Lothlórien or Imladris.'

'What about Moria?' Mallorn asked. 'You know that Legolas has a dwarven friend there!'

Aredhel shook his head. 'I don't think Legolas would go to that place again. Besides, the dwarves can't take care of him. Legolas needs a place where he can receive health care until the birth of his child.'

'Then Imladris the perfect place,' Mallorn said. 'Lord Elrond is a healer, you know.'

'Yes.' Aredhel nodded. 'But I won't take any chances. Let's separate. I'll go to Imladris while you go to Lothlórien.'

'I don't think he went to Lothlórien,' Mallorn said in a positive tone.

Aredhel stared at his brother, raising a questioning eyebrow. 'And why don't you think so?' he asked suspiciously.

Mallorn cursed himself mentally for his slip. 'I just don't think so,' he said, hoping his voice would sound indifferent.

Aredhel regarded his brother for a while before shrugging.

'As I said,' he spoke, looking back at the road. 'I will not take any chances. If Legolas isn't in Lothlórien, then join us in Imladris!'

'As you wish, brother,' Mallorn said, sighing.

'Don't worry, Mallorn.' Aredhel placed a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. 'We are doing the right thing.'

'I truly hope we are.'

With that, the two brothers parted ways, one heading towards Imladris, the other towards the Goldenwoods.

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Cold sweat ran along Legolas' forehead as he rode through the forest. Twenty days had passed since he crossed Mirkwood borders, heading to Imladris. Those twenty days of riding continuously were starting to take their toll on him. Legolas knew that he was risking his baby's life and his by stressing his body, but his desire to reach Imladris before his brothers could get him was urging him to ride as fast as he could.

'We are almost there, sweetheart,' he whispered, placing one hand protectively on his belly. 'Almost there.'

He sighed in relief as the gates of Imladris came to in view.

A fair horn was sounded, announcing his arrival as he neared. The great gates opened, and Legolas rode through them.

He stopped and dismounted carefully. However, a wave of dizziness hit him as soon as his feet touched the ground. Unable to fight it, Legolas collapsed to the ground. The last thing he heard before slipping into unconsciousness was someone calling his name.

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Aragorn was returning from a walk through the gardens of Elrond's house when he heard the horn of Imladris announcing the arrival of new guests. Curious, he turned around and walked to the main entrance.

It was expected to have guests in Imladris, but the unusual thing was that the time was too early for guests to arrive.

/Who would arrive at this time of the morning?/ The King of Gondor wondered as he walked to the gates of Imladris.

Nearing the gates, Aragorn caught sight of familiar golden hair. His smile brightened as he recognized his friend and secret love, Prince Legolas of Mirkwood, dismounting his white horse. Suddenly, Aragorn's eyes widened in fear as he saw his friend collapsing on the ground. Yelling his name, Aragorn rushed to Legolas' side and gently lifted him into his arms. Carrying the unconscious elf, Aragorn raced like a madman to find his father.

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Lord Elrond narrowed his eyes thoughtfully as he examined the blond elf lying on the bed. He had no doubt now of what ailed the Sindarin elf.

When he first saw Legolas in Aragorn's arms that morning, Elrond thought that Legolas was injured. But when Aragorn told them that Legolas had fainted in front of the gates, the Elven Lord believed that the worse had happened, that Legolas had finally given in to his grief and faded.

The blond elf was quickly taken to his chambers so Elrond could examine him without interruption.

After examining the young elf carefully, Elrond discovered that what caused Legolas to faint was his pregnancy and his body's lack of proper care. Sighing deeply, the elder elf covered his patient with blankets and walked out of the bedroom, allowing the younger elf to rest.

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In the living room, he saw his three sons and Glorfindel waiting.

'Adar,' Aragorn said, standing from his seat. 'How is Legolas?'

'He'll be fine,' Elrond said solemnly. 'All he needs right now is rest.'

'But why did he faint?' Elladan asked worriedly.

'It's merely from exhaustion, Elladan,' Elrond replied half-truthfully. 'It's merely from exhaustion.'

The three brothers looked at each other, unconvinced by Elrond's explanation, but none dared to voice their disbelief.

'Can I see him?' Aragorn asked finally.

'No,' Elrond said firmly. 'No one is allowed to enter Legolas' room until I say otherwise, understood?'

Aragorn and the twins were shocked at Elrond's firm voice. The three nodded, knowing no argument would change their father's mind.

'Good,' Elrond said. 'Now, will you three be kind enough to attend to your business and allow Legolas to rest?'

Aragorn and the twins glanced at the bedroom door before they left.

'Glorfindel,' Elrond addressed the blond elf. 'Would you come with me to the study? There is an urgent matter that I want to discuss.'

'Yes, my Lord,' the blond elf said, standing up. With that, the two Lords left the room as well.

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Legolas sighed deeply as he sat on the balcony, watching the sunset. When he woke up in the morning, he found himself in his bedroom in Imladris with Lord Glorfindel watching over him. The look in Glorfindel's eyes told Legolas that the blond Lord knew about his condition. In fact, when Lord Elrond joined them, Legolas discovered later that the two Lords of Imladris had already formed a clear idea of what might have happened between him and his father. Legolas sighed again, remembering their conversation.

FLASHBACK

'And that's what happened, my Lords,' Legolas said softly, lowering his gaze in sorrow. 'I came here seeking your help to prevent Ada from forcing me to abort the baby.'

'Legolas,' Elrond said, sighing. 'Your Adar is trying to protect you and your kin.'

'I know,' Legolas whispered. 'But still, I can't do it. This baby is the only thing connecting me to Haldir now. I can't kill it.'

'Young one,' Glorfindel said softly. 'You must understand that this child has been conceived out of wedlock. This is not acceptable among many people, especially royalty. You shouldn't have slept with Haldir before you were officially wed.'

'It's too late to say now, Glorfindel,' Elrond said. 'What happened has happened. Now, we must find a way to repair the damage that has been made.'

'Saes, Hir-nin. Carú degi nîn hên. [Please, my Lord. Don't kill my child.]' Legolas looked up at Elrond with eyes full of tears.

'No, child,' Elrond said with sympathy. 'I would never do that, for I don't wish you to lose another beloved. However, you must understand that marriage, my Prince, symbolizes the pure connection that two souls share. It's the normal end for true love; that's why it has great value among all races in the Middle-Earth. And what you have done has dishonoured that meaning. In addition, your pregnancy out of wedlock would reveal your kin's secret. For so long, the Wood-elves had kept the secret of their natural fertility under the cover of magic and spells. All know that the male elves' can only bear children through magic, which cannot be performed without a willing marriage. If news of your pregnancy spreads, many questions will arise and not only may your kin be a target to those with ill intentions, but all of us. The situation is more complex than you may see it, Legolas. All the elves' safety is to be considered. Thus, we must find a solution to this problem as soon as possible. I'm afraid I must send for your Adar, informing him that you're here and asking him to come.'

'I understand,' Legolas whispered.

'Don't worry, my Prince. I promised I'd help you, and I will,' Elrond said, smiling warmly.

'So will I, Legolas,' Glorfindel said.

'Thank you,' Legolas replied.

'Try and get some rest, young one,' Elrond said. 'I'm sure that you are still tired. Would you like Estel and the twins to come and see you later? I'm sure that they are very worried about you.'

'I'd love that, my Lord,' Legolas said, smiling slightly.

'Then I'll let them visit you this evening,' Elrond said, smiling.

'Are you going to tell them about Legolas' condition, my Lord?' Glorfindel asked.

'It's up to Legolas,' Elrond replied, looking at Legolas. 'I'd prefer to inform them about what's going on, but if you don't wish me to do so, Legolas, I will not.'

'No, my Lord. I don't mind if you do,' Legolas said. 'I could not hide such a thing from my friends. You may inform them, Lord Elrond.'

'As you wish, my Prince.' With that, the two Lords of Imladris left.

END OF FLASHBACK

Legolas sighed deeply, wondering how his friends would take his pregnancy news.

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"Legolas is WHAT?" Aragorn looked wide-eyed at his foster father.

Aragorn had been extremely worried about Legolas' health since he brought him unconscious to his father. His concerns reached their limits when Elrond came out of Legolas' bedroom and said nothing about Legolas' condition except that the blond elf was merely exhausted. Legolas was exhausted, but there had to be a reason for it. And he knew very well that a trip from Mirkwood to Imladris wasn't that reason. In addition, when he carried Legolas, he noticed some disturbing things. For example, Legolas was deathly pale and was barely able to breathe. His body was thinner than usual, and he barely weighed a thing.

Aragorn knew it was more than mere exhaustion, but after seeing Elrond's serious face, the man decided not to push the matter. He hoped to see Legolas and find out what was wrong with the elf, but Elrond clearly ordered that he and the twins would only see Legolas when they were given permission.

Aragorn thought of sneaking into Legolas' room at night, but seeing Lord Glorfindel entering the room right after dinner had forced him to change his mind.

He had spent the next two days wondering what was wrong with Legolas. His mind was full of terrible images of what might have happened.

Finally, his father took mercy on him and called him and the twins to tell them about Legolas' condition. Aragorn expected to hear that Legolas was fading due to his grief, but what his father said was...

"Legolas is pregnant, Estel. How many times do I have to repeat it?" Lord Elrond said quietly.

"But that is impossible!" Aragorn exclaimed, waving his arms in the air.

"No, it not," Lord Elrond said. "It is possible!"

"Ada is right, Estel," Elladan said. "It is possible."

"How? Legolas is a male!" Aragorn asked in disbelief.

"It is possible through a magic spell, Estel," Elrohir explained. "When a couple of the same gender wishes to have children, they usually ask a powerful Istar (wizard) to perform a spell that allows it to happen."

"And how would that be?" Aragorn asked, curious about this new information.

"Well, the spell makes the necessary organs grow in one of the mates, and everything goes the usual way after that," Elrohir replied, his cheeks slightly flushed. "However, this spell cannot be performed unless the couple were married and their souls were bound."

"Legolas isn't married, is he?" Aragorn asked nervously.

"No, he's not," Lord Elrond said.

"If Legolas isn't married yet," Elladan asked. "Then how...?"

"That's what I want to tell you all," Lord Elrond interrupted. "It's a secret that concerns all the Wood-elves."

The three brothers looked at each other, puzzled, then looked back at their father.

"What secret, Ada?" Elrohir asked.

"Before I say anything, I must warn you that whatever I'm going to say must remain between us until I find a solution to the problem at hand." The three nodded and listened carefully to their father's explanation.

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Legolas was still on the balcony when he heard a soft knock on the door.

'Minno,' (Enter) he said, looking back at the door. The door opened, and Elladan's face appeared.

'I heard that a certain Prince of Mirkwood had arrived early yesterday morning,' the Noldo elf said as he entered the room, followed closely by Elrohir and Aragorn. 'But I couldn't believe that the ungrateful Legolas of Mirkwood had finally remembered that he had some friends in Imladris and decided to pay them a visit.'

'Don't be too hard on him, Elladan,' Elrohir said, smirking. 'He is one of the war's heroes. He must have been too busy in his home to remember his worthless friends here.'

Legolas chuckled softly. 'It's nice to see you too, Elladan and Elrohir,' he said with a smile, gesturing for his friends to sit on the chairs beside him. 'I see that you still possess your annoying, teasing selves.'

'Why wouldn't we be?' Elrohir said, grinning as they sat on the offered chairs. 'It's part of our unique charm.'

'That's true,' Legolas said. He then looked at Aragorn and smiled slightly.

"Aragorn," he nodded in greeting. It has been too long since we last saw each other."

"Yes, it has, Legolas Greenleaf," Aragorn said, sitting beside his brothers. "How do you feel now, my friend?"

"I'm as good as I could be," Legolas whispered, looking away from his friends.

"Legolas," Elladan said compassionately. "Ada told us about your condition. I don't know whether I should congratulate you on your pregnancy or be sorry you couldn't share this news with Haldir. I know he would have been happy to hear it."

"Yes, he would have, Elladan." Legolas looked at his friends, smiling sadly. "And if he were still here, none of the things that happened between Ada and me would have happened."

"Don't worry, Legolas," Elrohir said. "We are all with you."

"Thanks, Elrohir." Legolas smiled gratefully at his friends.

The four friends talked with each other until the late hours of the night. Legolas tried his best not to show any weariness to his friends but was caught as usual by Aragorn's observant eyes. Wishing Legolas a good night, Aragorn and the twins left him to sleep.

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Aragorn walked alone through a long corridor the following day, lost in thought. The news of Legolas' pregnancy was as shocking as much as it was saddening.

/He's pregnant with Haldir's child/ The thought rang in his mind the previous night, reminding him that the one he loved would never be his. He admitted that he had envied the Lothlórien Marchwarden for possessing Legolas' heart. However, he had never tried to win his heart; he respected their love and wished them happiness. After Haldir's sorrowful loss, Aragorn wanted to console Legolas, hoping that he would open his heart to another, namely him, and find happiness again. But Legolas shut out the whole world around him and lived alone with his grief and pain. And now...

Aragorn shook his head in denial, clutching his fists tightly. Now, Legolas was carrying Haldir's baby. A claim that would live forever, symbolizing the love between the two elves. Aragorn breathed deeply, trying to control and hide his pain from the others. No one could know about his feelings towards the elven Prince. He would bury his feelings deep inside him and never show them to anyone.

A hand on his shoulder snapped Aragorn from his thoughts. Looking behind him, Aragorn saw Elladan and Elrohir looking at him sympathetically.

"Don't trouble your heart, Estel," Elladan said softly. "One day, you will find happiness. You just have to have hope."

Aragorn snorted softly and looked away. "It seems that every time I try to grasp it, it slips away from my hands," he whispered. "Every time I think I've gotten closer to Legolas' heart, I find myself farther away."

"This isn't his fault, Estel," Elrohir said. "Haldir was his first experience with love. He was wrapped in a dream of love and roses; then came Haldir's death, and he woke up in a world of pain and grief."

"Why didn't he try to find comfort? Why didn't he see how much I love him?" Aragorn asked bitterly. "I would have given him my life if he had only asked for it."

"Estel, Haldir's love had blinded Legolas' heart from anything else," Elladan said. "Legolas doesn't have too much experience in life that allows him to overcome the loss of Haldir yet. He needs time, Estel."

Aragorn sighed deeply. "I've been waiting for him since I met him 69 years ago. Wasn't that enough time?" he asked with hurt.

"Estel, when you met Legolas, he was already in love with Haldir," Elladan said.

"I know," Aragorn said. "Nevertheless, I allowed myself to fall deeper and deeper in love. Why? I don't know. Even when I met Arwen, Legolas' image did not go from my heart." He looked at his foster brothers. "I thought that Arwen's love would erase my love for Legolas. But I was wrong. As soon as I laid my eyes on him again that day in the council, all my feelings towards him surfaced again." Elladan and Elrohir sighed, gazing at their brother sympathetically. "And when Haldir died, I hoped Legolas would turn to me for comfort. I hoped that he would open his heart for love again. But again, I was mistaken. He closed himself off in a shell of grief and sorrow. And now..." Aragorn closed his eyes as his voice trailed off.

"Now he needs you more than anything, Estel," Elladan said. "He needs your love and support. If Legolas is forced to abort his child, he'll surely die."

Aragorn opened his eyes and stared at Elladan, terrified. Elrohir gasped in horror.

"Elladan, that can't be true!" the younger twin exclaimed.

"I wish it weren't, Elrohir," Elladan said. "Legolas is already grieving from Haldir's loss; what do you think will happen to him if he loses his child as well?"

"He'll die from a broken heart," Aragorn whispered. "I can't allow this to happen," he continued, looking at his brothers determinedly. "I will do whatever it takes to ensure that Legolas' child will live."

Elladan and Elrohir smiled at their brother.

"And so will we, brother," Elladan said, placing a comforting hand on Aragorn's shoulder. "You and Legolas will always have our support."

Suddenly, the three heard Imladris' horn announcing the guests' arrival. The three exchanged looks and ran to the main gate to see the newcomers. They held their breaths as they spotted the Crown Prince of Mirkwood, Prince Aredhel, approaching them on the back of his black horse.

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To Be Continued...