Silhouettes

Chapter 11

12 MONTHS LATER
Thranduil waited outside his and Sophia's sleeping chambers, a mug of ale in his hand, trying to use the effect of alcohol to take his stress down.
After an hour two, and several drinks, the midwife came out.
"My lord. It's a boy!"
Thranduil's heart leapt.
"Wonderful! Can I see Sophia?"
"Not just yet."
"Why not? I'd like to see the beautiful expression on her face at seeing our baby boy."
Thranduil imagined how excited Sophia would be and pictured her face when he entered the room.
But as he came back down to earth, he noticed the tears in the nurse's eyes.
"What? What is it? Is Sophia ok?"
"I'm sorry my lord. There were... some complications."
Thranduil dropped his mug, splashing ale all over the wooden floor; not unlike his mother's wine glass. The room started to spin and his world was engulfed in darkness. He pushed the nurse aside and burst into the room, hoping beyond hope to see his wife laying in their bed holding their son and crying tears of happiness because he had his father's eyes, but instead walked in on Sophia laying in their bed, cold and lifeless. He ran to her and fell down at her side, not unlike how she herself fell down at the side of the deer. He held her hand as he had done after rescuing her from the orcs, and he put his head on her chest as she had done that same afternoon. He cried into her white nightgown as she had done to him and he felt on his head, the last tear his wife would ever cry.
Later he held his son as he sat next to his wife. It was true, he did have his father's bright blue eyes. He looked into the little baby's eyes and was taken back to when he and Sophia laid under green leaves and looked into each other's eyes.
That was it. He named the little boy Legolas, meaning green leaf.
Thranduil said the name out loud as if waiting for Sophia's approval, but he heard instead a small noise from his baby. He looked down and saw the little boy smiling up at him and sucking his toes. Seeing his son do this was approval enough for the king. This little ball of life was a new beginning, for the king who had lost everything.