The Great Sacrifice

Valley Of Stars

Spring was over and the days became warmer as summer made its way into the Woodland Realm. Menethil had examined Ari the night after Thranduil's short outburst and her words to the king had been very strict. The mother's emotional stress on that day had disturbed the fëa within her womb and might have slightly affected its development. Elves were highly sensitive beings and the unborn elfling had been influenced by its mother's emotional suffering on that day.

Thranduil, shocked at this realization, had since then been extremely cautious. Menethil had not only warned the king about the possible consequences because of his inappropriate behavior, but had also deterred him from being intimate with his wife. Thranduil had initially objected to the latter, however, when Menethil had explained to him the reasons for taking such precautions, it was not a hard task to convince him. Everything had to be done only after serious consideration for the sake of the health of the unborn elfling.

Legolas was very busy. Today Lord Elrond and Lady Galadriel would arrive in the realm, as they wished to be present at the birth. Legolas had assumed most of his father's duties while Ari had been ill, and even after her recovery, he had continued to support the king in every way possible. There were still tasks undertaken by Thranduil himself, yet the elves in his realm, comprehending the severity of the current situation, would now mostly turn to the prince in regard to the kingdom's affairs. That meant that today Legolas would welcome Elrond and Galadriel. Everything had been prepared, and Legolas was waiting with Galion near the main gate for the arrival of their guests. It was a merry welcome, as the reason for their visit was the birth of the king's second child. When everyone had been accommodated, they walked towards the royal garden.

Ari spent most of her time there. She lay in the grass or, at times, sat on a bench. Her belly had become large and it was only a matter of a few weeks until she would give birth. Elrond and Galadriel also checked on the unborn elfling and were pleased to confirm its well being.

*****

Galadriel and Ari were sitting in the garden and the Lady of Light placed her hand upon Ari's belly and enjoyed the presence of the fлa within her womb. She smiled at Ari.

"Are you worried about the labor?"

Ari shook her head. "No. Women are born for this. I'll survive it."

Ari closed her eyes and felt comfort at the touch of Galadriel's hand, while the Lady of Light looked upon Ari with concern. Her optimism was inspiring, but it also sounded naive. Galadriel looked at Ari with a fading smile and once more she closed her eyes in an effort to look into Ari's future.

*****

Time passed pretty fast and Ari spent most of her time in the garden. Mostly with Galadriel, who always kept her company. She would tell Ari stories about Valinor and as the days of the delivery approached fast, Ari grew more and more tired. Her belly had reached its full size and Menethil expected that the labor would start any moment now.

It was in the early morning of a sunny day when Thranduil had just left their chambers and Hurwen was preparing the bath that Ari felt a warm liquid trickling down her inner thighs. Although she knew that the baby would be born any day now, it took her by surprise. She stood motionless and looked down at her feet, where a small puddle of fluid had formed.

Hurwen walked back into the chamber and smiled sincerely. "My queen, your bath is ready. I will return soon." With these words the maid left the chambers and Ari walked into the bathroom to lie down in the bathtub. It was then that she began to feel the first mild contractions. Unsure of what to do, Ari leaned back in the bathtub and tried to relax.