#aragorn elessar my beloved

[vildo]

Unwrap the one you want most

#BOTH #BOTH IS GOOD #i cannot think of more precious gifts #march gave us these kings #star trek #lord of the rings #star trek tos #lotr #james t kirk #captain kirk #jim kirk #aragorn #king elessar #tolkien #j r r tolkien #jirt #star trek: tos #fellowship of the ring #strider #st tos #tos #star trek the original series #the lord of the rings #fotr #lotr fotr #return of the archons #lotr movies #tumblr trash #shitpost #my beloveds

[kylobith]

LotR Week - Day 4 (14th Dec)

friendship | family | loyalty

Word count: 3,668

Flutes, fiddles and harps enlivened the streets of Minas Tirith on the day that the silver crown graced King Elessar’s head. Chants, clamours and cheers resounded from the gate to the citadel in celebration of the rebirth of Gondor. Fairy lights and colourful banners hung between the houses and the royal colours were hoisted high from the roofs, if not from the facades and the ramparts. As the people raised their pints and cried out their elation from windows and doors alike, giddy of heart and red of face, it seemed that the promise of a bright future had reached them at last. All looked up to the White Tree, now certain that it shall flourish and blossom anew. Hope had returned.

At the citadel, a banquet was thrown in honour of the new monarch and his company. In the Hall of the Kings and onto the terrace where the coronation had occurred, distinguished guests walked out and about, goblet in hand and lavishly clad. They mingled and met, talked and shared, bowed and laughed. In the crowd stood Men and Hobbits alike, Elves and Dwarves equal. Hearts were lighter, as were their shoulders now rid of armour, with the exception of military leaders. Common soldiers had been permitted to shed them for the festivities, facilitating movement and dancing.

Aragorn moved from group to group with his beloved Arwen at his arm, in order to thank them warmly for their presence and for their loyal service to Gondor and the greater good. By the end of the feast, he would have met about everyone, now that he had paraded the streets of his new seat, meeting with the people he swore to serve and protect until he last drew breath. His arrival and ascension were met with unanimous enthusiasm by the population, who had long suffered the decline of their realm and the tarnishing of the glory their land had once known. He intended to restore all of it and more. This time, Gondor would never falter again; it would stand tall and proud, strong and loud until any evil-wisher would be vanquished. All the while, he could not help but think to himself how much he wished that Boromir were there to see his cherished city come to life again.

Farther away on the terrace, the remaining members of the Fellowship gathered organically, clinking their glasses and exchanging smiles. Towering over them, Gandalf looked ahead to watch the king, his chin raised and his eyes wrinkling at the corners.

‘It is a new era begun,’ he announced in peaceful solemnity. ‘It should not be long until the White Tree burgeons again.’

‘It is indeed,’ Legolas acquiesced, sipping at wine. ‘I, for one, am honoured to witness this change.’

‘Change will be an onerous task still, whether in Gondor or in Rohan,’ the wizard continued with a nod of his head towards the Elf. ‘Nothing will ever be the same again. And I can only imagine that it also rings true to any of you. Tell me, my friends, what will you endeavour to do next?’

There was a momentary pause as his companions thought about what their future entailed. Their perilous journey, only just completed had left no room for contemplation about what they would do once peace was restored and the enemy defeated. Starved and strained, sore and struggling, the mere idea of home was nothing but a fantasy, a faraway illusion whose existence they so often doubted. At times, it had felt as though their fight had occupied their whole lives. As though they had been born right in the middle of combat and left to fend for themselves, or grown up climbing mountainsides and venturing through cursed marshes. When they were finally given the luxury to ponder about it, ideas and inspiration eluded them.

To nobody’s surprise, it was Legolas who answered first, running his fingertip along the rim of his cup.

‘I will return to Taur-nu-Fuin and report to my father. Then, I suppose we can finally clear our beloved woods of its evils and see it reborn.’

‘I remember the days when Mirkwood was a most inviting forest,’ Gandalf responded, rubbing his bearded chin pensively. ‘When birds and butterflies flew by each other’s side and deer and boars feasted on the plentiful grass. It was nearly as green as the meadows in the Shire!’

The Elf nodded knowingly, his thin lips curving into a joyful grin at the recollection. Yes, there used to be a time when Mirkwood was not so… mirky. His kin had witnessed it, but none of the living Men, Hobbits and Dwarves had been graced with its fulfilling sight.

Gandalf eyed his other companions, wondering whether they had plans once they returned home. The Hobbits shrugged and shook their heads, exchanging innocent glances.

‘We will return to the Shire, yes, but what we are going to do there, we don’t know,’ Merry said.

‘There is this book that Uncle Bilbo started to write,’ Frodo spoke up, his gaze lost ahead of him, as though seeing something that none other could behold. ‘He left blank pages for me to write my own adventure. Perhaps I should do just that.’

‘Yes, that is a wonderful idea, Frodo,’ the wizard chimed. ‘If you do, none of the fallen will have truly disappeared. They will live in your tale.’

Frodo bit the inside of his cheek, the tips of his eyebrows pointing upwards and creasing his forehead as he considered Gandalf for a second. Whether the old man was right or not, he could not tell. Maybe it depended on one’s belief. Or, perhaps, it was another way for the wizard to protect the young Hobbit’s feelings. It was something that had irritated him as of late, although he never showed his annoyance at it. Everyone walked on eggshells around him, weighing their words and smiling more than usual. Why would they do it to him, and not to the others?

As he distracted himself from his frustration by tasting the bitter pale ale of Gondor, it was Sam’s turn to express his enthusiasm.

‘I believe I will return to gardening and add flowers from the various lands we crossed on our adventure to my beds,’ he beamed. ‘But I will also make time to tend to Mr Frodo as he heals.’

‘And we just don’t know,’ Merry and Pippin said in unison, before the latter added: ‘Perhaps I will pester Sam from time to time to keep things fun.’

‘You do that, and I’ll make sure that Farmer Maggot gets his hands on you for stealing his crops!’

All of it was in good fun, of course. As soon as the words had left Sam’s mouth, they were followed by a hearty laugh as he wrapped an arm around the younger Hobbit’s shoulders, squeezing him against his side and clinking their pints together.

‘Well, it seems that there will be much merriness in the Shire after all, and I should worry about neither of you,’ Gandalf chuckled, before bringing his attention to the Dwarf smoking his pipe with a foaming mug of ale in his other hand. ‘What about you, Gimli?’

‘Aye, I would set out to recapture Moria if I weren’t on my own,’ he announced in his husky voice. ‘I’d much like to see my cousin’s hall restored to its former glory. If Minas Tirith can, Khazad-Dûm should know the same fate!’

‘I see. Perhaps you should seek the help of Ironfoot. Now that the Balrog is gone, I am certain that he would be willing to send troops to rid the Misty Mountains of its goblins.’

Gimli blew out the smoke from his lungs and swigged the ale, leaving foam bubbling on the copper hairs of his moustache and the tip of his large nose.

‘Dáin will never agree to it. He lost too many men in the mines already.’

‘He would be foolish to refuse. Besides, the fallen Dwarves deserve a proper resting place, not a forsaken mass grave.’

‘Aye, they do.’

Before he could take another sip of his beverage, a group of children emerged from behind him and jumped on his back. Taken by surprise, Gimli let go of the mug — narrowly saved by Legolas’ sharp reflexes — and his pipe, eyes wide and arms waving around to try and rid him of his assailants. The children held on, roaring with laughter as they laid their hands on the Dwarf’s head. Swinging from side to side, trying not to tumble down, Gimli shouted and protested, cursing his mates for watching the scene in amusement and laughing along with the little ones. Once their cheeky deed was done, the four boys fled, and the little girl accompanying them pecked his cheek before hitching her skirts up and following them.

‘Ah, children,’ Gandalf exclaimed, his shoulders still shaking from his laughter. ‘I believe that two of them are the offsprings of the Lady of Lossarnach.’

‘Noble or not, they are little rascals all the same,’ Gimli grumbled, patting off his sleeves and his tunic. His motion was interrupted, however, when the stifled chuckles of the Hobbits reached his ears. ‘What?’

‘Don’t you think that Gimli smells better all of a sudden?’ Pippin asked Merry, eyes watering as he restrained himself to keep his composure.

‘He sure does, Pip! Like the loveliest lady!’

‘What are ye two blabbering abo—’

As the Dwarf’s eyes lowered to his tunic, he caught sight of daisies adorning his beard. He patted the top of his head and felt flowers in his hair as well, dropping his hand by his side as the pair of Hobbit finally allowed themselves to give in to a fit of hilarity. Gimli snatched his pipe from the ground and proceeded to wipe the mouthpiece from dust and gravel, before retrieving his mug from Legolas.

‘Oh yes, make fun of the Dwarf! I was attacked, I’m telling you! Attacked!’

Gimli’s remark did not quieten his peers’ amusement. Rather the opposite. Merry and Pippin scampered off as he grumbled in their direction, and Gandalf seized the opportunity to talk to Frodo and Sam alone. Left with Legolas, the Dwarf sighed and thanked him for saving his pint. They stood in silence for a few seconds, before Gimli shook his head again.

‘Bairns…’

‘Well, they certainly made you look rather elegant,’ Legolas teased with an eyebrow raised. ‘They managed what I could not.’

‘Nobody can change this Dwarf,’ Gimli scoffed and puffed his pipe.

‘Certainly not.’

The Dwarf peeled one of the daisies from his beard and instantly heard the gasps from the children a few feet away. He met their gazes and took notice of the flowers they had gathered in the palms of their hands. They loomed over him as a threat, ominous and menacing.

‘Ah, well,’ he said loud enough for the children to hear, sliding the daisy back in the coarse red hairs of his beard, ‘I might as well leave them in.’

‘Good choice,’ the Elf acquiesced. ‘Children are not too bad, are they? They have seen their share of suffering here. They should embrace their childhood now.’

‘Aye, aye, they should. Perhaps they should even make me a flower crown. And one for you too, Elf.’

Legolas laughed and finished his wine, watching the little humans tiptoeing through the crowd of nobles in search of their next victim to embellish. There had been a time when he had wished for children of his own. He had longed to hold his flesh and blood in his arms, to look after and coddle until the bairn would have been old enough to train in archery with him. Often, he pictured himself braiding his child’s hair to keep it out of their youthful face until they were able to do it themselves. And such a day he would have fervently dreaded, for it would have meant that his help and love in such simple gestures would no longer be needed.

But after all that he had seen and lived, the idea of producing offspring sounded much less attractive to him than it used to. For once, he found himself yearning to care for the living more than for the unborn. He felt no sorrow at such thoughts; if anything, there was peace in his decision. He would gladly tend to the children of his dearest friends, but having his own would be out of the question.

Lost in thought, it was the unexpected pressure against the side of his neck that dragged him out of his reverie. Blinking in confusion, he caught a glimpse of Gimli folding his arm back against him and looked down at his pale blond locks, among which one daisy was nestled. Legolas chuckled and took it out, tucking it above his ear instead with a smirk.

‘Much better,’ he commented, flipping his hair over his shoulder. ‘See? You are not that much of a grouch after all. You do have a heart underneath that tough shell of yours.’

‘Of course, I do, pointy-eared lad!’

‘You do indeed. You have a lot of it, I must say. It is one of the reasons why I like you.’

Gimli flinched and furrowed his bushy brows as he stared up at the Elf. His heart seemed to have stopped as all colours drained from his face. His mouth opened and closed, yet no sound escaped it. Not a peep. Out of panic, he snapped his head around and called out.

‘What is it, lad? I’m comin’, I’m comin’! Sorry, Pippin is calling me.’

With this said Gimli hurried away, cursing under his breath, leaving a dumbfounded Legolas behind. The latter shrugged it off and approached one of the tables to find something to nibble on.

The celebration continued until late in the night. Dancing was now the main preoccupation, and many were the pairs twirling and pressing their hands together in the lofty hall. Aragorn and Arwen engaged in the most elegant choreography, once taught to them in Rivendell. Sam danced with one of the few children still awake, complimenting her on her steps and spinning her around to trigger a laugh from her. Merry and Pippin leapt around the place, inebriated and their mouths full of food — it was a wonder that they had not yet choked on any of it. Farther towards the thrones, one could see the tall, dark-haired beauty from the coastal lands of Gondor bowing and circling around the unusually bashful, yet pleased king of Rohan in a traditional dance of the realm. Under the arches, resting their weary feet on a bench, Faramir placed his head on Éowyn’s shoulder as she weaved her fingers through his hair, spying on her flustered brother with a bemused stare.

Gimli did not partake in any of that. He leant against one of the columns, drinking more ale and stealing fleeting glances at Legolas. The Elf seemed deep in conversation with Prince Imrahil, unaware of the Dwarf’s scrutiny and scowl.

What did Legolas mean by what he said? Gimli could not wrap his head around it. Was there something on the Elf’s mind that eluded him or that he was too blind to see? Had he done anything to warrant such words?

When Legolas bowed to Imrahil and excused himself, Gimli instantly looked away, focusing instead on Sam and Frodo sharing a pastry while sitting on a bench on the opposite side of the hall. The Elf approached Aragorn and Arwen and whispered something in their ears, which he could not discern with the music and the clamour of the guests cluttering his hearing. The king pulled Legolas into a warm embrace and patted his back, smiling and speaking words that did not reach the Dwarf either. Arwen did the same, and smiled sweetly at the Wood Elf, squeezing his arm before waving at him as he left the festivities.

Yes, he might as well go, Gimli thought while grumbling, lighting up the weed he had shoved into his pipe while observing the scene. If Legolas was in the mood to pronounce such silly words, then he could not be helped.

Blowing out a cloud of smoke, the Dwarf pressed the back of his head to the pillar behind him. Despite everything that was happening around him, he could not get the damned Elf’s words out of his head. He had tried to follow conversations, but it took less than two sentences for him to find his mind wandering back to his embarrassment earlier. Gimli scrunched up his face and grunted. He needed to know.

Once in his quarters, Legolas stretched his back and sighed in relief, his head buzzing after leaving the constant hubbub of the coronation feast. He delicately removed his belt and unbuttoned his silken tunic, lifting the intricate circlet from his brow and placing it back on its velvet cushion on the nightstand. Disrobing and carefully folding or hanging the pieces of his garment, he entered the bathroom and picked up the satin robe he had left there in the morning, covering his bare body with it.

Before he was even done tying it around his waist, there was a soft knock upon the door.

‘Ent—’

A loud bang thundered across the room as a furious Gimli kicked the door in and entered without letting him finish his invitation. The Elf shrieked and nearly tore the robe off himself in a start. Not giving him a chance to protest this violent entrance, the Dwarf pointed his finger at him and stomped over to him.

‘What did you mean earlier? I’ve thought about it over and over again and it makes no sense to me!’ he roared.

‘What are you talking about?!’

‘You said that you liked me! Now, what was that about?!’

Legolas stared at Gimli for a few seconds, before erupting in a fit of laughter. He squeezed the Dwarf’s shoulder as he passed him by to close the door, relieved to see that it was not damaged despite the forceful kick it received. His friend watched him in confusion, an eyebrow raised as the Elf went to sit on the edge of the bed and patted the space next to him.

As Gimli joined him, maintaining some distance between the two of them, Legolas grinned and tilted his head.

‘What I meant by that,’ he started, his voice quiet, ‘is that I like you. Nothing more, nothing less.’

‘I don’t understand, lad.’

The Elf snorted and rubbed his bare heel against the wooden floor.

‘Is it so difficult to conceive that I might consider you as my friend?’

‘Well, it’s odd comin’ from an Elf.’

‘Ah, that is what worries you.’

‘Mh. Not really.’

Gimli sighed and relaxed his shoulders, dropping his hands onto his lap. Now that he knew for sure that there had been no hidden meaning behind any of it, he felt rather foolish. The heat rising to his cheeks reddened them into a similar hue to that of his hair and beard.

‘You know,’ Legolas intoned, tucking his hair behind his pointed ear, ‘now that the Fellowship is dissolved, I fear that I will lose most of what I hold dear. And you are part of it. I sincerely hope that the end of our journey does not mean that we must sever our ties.’

‘Nah, laddie, don’t worry ‘bout that,’ Gimli guffawed, patting him sharply in the back and sliding a little closer to his mate. ‘We’ve been brothers in arms through the worst our world has seen. There’s no way that I’ll let this happen.’

Silence settled in as Legolas gave him a nod of gratitude. He noticed that Gimli’s hair was still full of drying flowers, and he could not help the grin from forming on his lips. Indeed, the Dwarf had much more heart than he had originally given him credit for when they met in Rivendell at the start of their saga. And even after the horrors they had encountered, he would not trade it for anything in the whole world. Neither would Gimli, although he did not express it openly.

What Gimli did express, however, was his desire to see Legolas again once the celebrations ended.

‘Will ya visit me in Erebor?’ he asked bashfully.

‘I would love nothing more. And you are welcome anytime in Mirkwood. After all, we do not live so far from each other, do we?’

‘No, I suppose not.’

Another moment of contemplation lingered as they gazed at each other. An idea bubbled in the Elf’s head, but he hesitated to voice it at first. When the Dwarf raised his eyebrows, taking notice of his conflicted expression, Legolas yielded.

‘You spoke of retaking Moria,’ he intoned. ‘I can try to speak to my father about it so he can send some of his men to accompany you. It will take some convincing, but I am sure that we can find a compromise with him. And even if he refuses, I will gladly help you reconquer your cousin’s hall if you accept me.’

Gimli grinned and bowed his head.

‘Aye. There’ll always be a place for you in my company. It’s about time that Elves and Dwarves bury the hatchet. It’s caused more harm than good to our kin, and your deeds likely earned the sympathy of my kind.’

Legolas placed his hand over his friend’s and squeezed it gently, smiling from ear to ear. The twinkle in his eye pushed the Dwarf to say something else.

‘Besides, counting dead Orcs is only fun when it’s you I’m competing against, lad.’

‘You stand no chance against me, Gimli.’

‘We’ll see about that!’

They shared a hearty laugh and Legolas cupped the back of Gimli’s head, tilting it closer to his until their foreheads touched. Understanding it as a gesture of affection and acceptance from the Elf, the Dwarf held Legolas’ head in turn and grinned.

‘I’m glad that I know you, brother.’

#I want their friendship #me and who #Legolas #Gimli #Sam #Frodo #Gandalf #Aragorn #Merry #Pippin #Peregrin Took #Pippin Took #Merry Brandybuck #Meriadoc Brandybuck #Legolas Greenleaf #Gimli son of Glóin #Dwarf #Elf #Dwarf/Elf friendship #Gigolas #lotrweek #Friendship #Family #lotr #lord of the rings #lord of the rings fic #lord of the rings fanfic #lord of the rings fanfiction #lotr fic #lotr fanfic

[glitteringaglarond]

How I would rewrite the LOTR movies aka my thesis statement in fixing what they did to Faramir (and others):

They should have been exactly like the books.

Aaaaand post.

But no I actually want to put some thought into this, because I truly hold that even with (most of) the changes, the PJ LOTR movies are truly works of art. I want to explore the idea of how to rewrite them within the framework of what they are, although obviously pulling from the books. A lot of this is an exercise in reframing movie scenes in order to better match book characterization.

My restraints are not to add something without taking out something of equal or similar length (with the exception of adding just one or two lines to a scene). For example, I could add in Tom Bombadil but then would probably have to take out Caradhras. But also if I wanted to include Eowyn's entire speech to the Witch King I wouldn't need to take anything out to do it.

I'm also not going to be sticking 100% to the books either. There are moments that will basically be "this isn't canon either, but it's closer to canon, and doesn't ruin this character in the process".

So let's do this!

The Fellowship of the Ring:

The first movie is, in my opinion, adaptationally the best of the three. There is a lot of excellent stuff that is cut out (Merry organizing the Conspiracy to smuggle Frodo out of the Shire, Tom Bombadil, Glorfindel, etc.), but all in all I would not change much of it.

Key word: Much

The two characters in the FOTR movie that I would tweak slightly, while still fitting within the time, structure, and pacing constraints of the movie, are Aragorn and Elrond.

---

So we get to our first change: the infamous "men are weak" scene between Elrond and Gandalf. Because we all know that Elrond Peredhel, beloved brother of Elros Tar-Minyatur, foster father of Elessar Telcontar, and lore-master of all people, would never hold that opinion. So instead, I want to reframe this conversation.

Instead of being bitter and angry, I want Elrond to be sad. Instead of "men are weak" I want "What is the strength of even the men of Gondor against the power of the Ring," before going into a flashback where he watched Isildur take the Ring and made the mistake of not recognizing it. Frame it as building up the deceptive power of the Ring (which will then come into play later with how it fools Boromir), and how because of this mistake the power of the Ring overcame the strength of Men. "I was there, Gandalf. I was there 3,000 years ago when the strength of men was usurped by darkness. I was there when the shadow began to grow anew, in the same moment it was vanquished, and I could not recognize it."

(you get the idea).

---

So now that we've changed Elrond, the changes to Aragorn's character that ostensibly come from the self-doubt he grew up because of movie!Elrond's "men are weak" policy need fixed as well.

Again, without just making movie!Aragorn into book!Aragorn, but just creating something within the movie framework that is more aligned with book!Aragorn, I suggest the following.

The scene with Boromir is mostly fine, so I shall leave it as is. The changes I make will happen when Arwen shows up and in his conversation with her. Her "Why do you fear the past..." will not be answered with "the same blood flows in my veins - same weakness" but rather "The very darkness that destroyed Isildur is growing. I have spent countless years being hunted by it, and now I must face it head-on", (implying that's what his fear is) which ties in rather perfectly with her "The Shadow does not hold sway yet; not over you and not over me." Thus we still get the impression that she is older and wiser than him, and even allowing him some level of vulnerability that he doesn't really have in the book, without removing his greatness.

---

One final scene I would re-frame is the conversation between Elrond and Aragorn at Gilraen's memorial.

First of all, while I wholeheartedly accept that there is a memorial to Gilraen in Rivendell, I refuse to believe that it would be allowed to be so un-tended that Aragorn literally has to wipe off leaves and dirt.

Secondly, I want Elrond to be there first, and for Aragorn to join him. Elrond has been sitting beside the memorial of his old friend, because the return of Aragorn makes him miss her all the more keenly. "She wanted to protect her child..." etc. is a decent bit of dialogue and I would keep it as is. But now I'm making a change.

Elrond: "She knew in Rivendell you would be safe. In her heart, your mother knew your road would be full of peril if you were ever to come to the light at the end of the darkness."

Aragorn: "A light she could not find the hope to survive long enough to see."

Allow this to sit between them for a moment, before having Elrond ask a question: "And do you have the hope needed to find that light, Estel my son?"

This does multiple things. 1) It frames Aragorn's future as a choice. One he has already made in the book, but a choice I don't see a problem with making part of the main plot. It's no longer about not wanting "that power" or his fate, but rather whether or not he has the necessary hope to see it through (spoiler alert: he does). 2) It establishes the father/son bond the two of them have 3) It name-drops Estel. Which I love for reasons.

This would then cut to Anduril being re-forged, and Aragorn would have it throughout the entire rest of the movies.

Because I have now added something, I must take something away. Obviously, because Aragorn is no longer hiding from his destiny, we can take away the "you are afraid... scared of who you are, of what you are" scene between him and Boromir.

---

Other than that, the only real changes I would make are let Aragorn be a little bit more involved in choosing their course. I'm fine with Gandalf being the one not to want to go to Moria, but Aragorn should suggest it as an alternate route instead of Gimli.

---

The Two Towers:

I want to change just about everything about this movie, as it's the worst of the three adaptation wise. However, I am still going to stick to the general constraints of pacing and structure of the movie.

To continue on from the changes to FOTR, I'm going to talk first about how the changes to Elrond and Aragorn will have an impact on TTT.

First of all, Aragorn will be walking forward with the weight of his legacy on his shoulders and will act accordingly. This includes being dramatic about being told to leave Anduril at the door before going in to see Theoden.

Most of the whole "I do not want that power" plot is absent in this movie, but the dynamic between Elrond and Aragorn in those flashbacks would be massively different because of the changes I've made to FOTR.

---

First, a minor change to the Aragorn/Arwen flashback. I don't want Aragorn filled with as much doubt as he is in the movie. Instead of "You must go with Frodo; this is your path" "My path is hidden from me..." "It is already laid before your feet, I want to reframe their conversation slightly.

Arwen: "You must go with Frodo and follow the path you have chosen. Follow your path through the shadow, to the light."

Aragorn: "And if the shadow proves stronger than the light?"

Arwen: "That is yet to be seen, but you cannot falter now."

And then we can keep the lines about "If you trust nothing else trust this... trust us" because my romantic heart loves them.

Once again, it reframes this into being about Aragorn knowing that his role is to be one of Hope that will bring about light after the darkness, but because his mother has just died, and very explicitly without any hope, he is allowing himself to privately express doubts. But it still does not take away from his greatness.

---

Next is a change to the Elrond and Aragorn scene where he basically tells him Arwen is leaving and that's final. I feel I must repeat, this exercise is not me making everything like it was in the book, but rather making small changes that bring the movies closer to what they should have been while still sticking to the structure and pacing provided.

Once again, this is a reframe, and not getting rid of it entirely, because to stick with the structure we do need Arwen to start to leave.

Elrond: "Our time here is ending. My time is ending. Soon I will sail away to the Undying Lands and leave much that I love behind me - including you, Aragorn. Do not ask me to leave behind my daughter as well."

Aragorn: "You know that choice does not belong to me."

Elrond: "Her choice depends on you, Aragorn. Should you come to the light at the end of the shadow and take her hand, you will bring to me a bitter parting - one of the bitterest I have faced. And still, you will not spare her the grief that mortality ends in."

Once again, Aragorn won't really answer Elrond, but their conversation hangs heavily in the air between them. When he goes in to speak to Arwen, instead of trying to sneak off like in the movie, I would now reframe it to echo the conversation he just had with Elrond.

Aragorn: "You have a chance for another life. Away from war... grief... despair. A life where the bitterness of partings will not weigh heavily on you."

Arwen: "Why are you saying this? I made my choice long ago, to accept both the bitter and the sweet."

Aragorn: "But what of the griefs you force others to bear? Can we really inflict this sorrow on Elrond? On your own mother, who even now awaits you?"

Arwen: "Would you have me depart, Estel?"

And then cut out of this scene to the one in the movie where Eowyn is asking about Arwen, and have Aragorn answer "she is sailing to the undying lands."

Again, it's not exactly like the books, but it's much less "Dad doesn't approve of his daughter's choice in boyfriend" and more "This choice that they are making is one that brings as much grief as it does happiness". Also, it allows for another name drop of Estel. Which I love. For reasons.

---

Shockingly, I would not change very much about everything going on in Rohan. Because the whole under-a-spell thing going on with movie!Theoden is easier for a general audience to understand, I would keep it. However, I would change Theoden going against Gandalf's advice to go to Helm's Deep. I would have Gandalf suggest going there, as in the books, and Theoden agreeing to do it.

I would also get rid of the entire Aragorn-falling-off-a-cliff side plot, and replace it with some Eowyn material.

Before Theoden departs to Helm's Deep Eowyn, of course, expresses her desire to join them. Instead he orders her to stay behind and rule Edoras, and we get a scene of her being dressed in armor and knighted. This makes it clear that while she is being left behind, her duty to Edoras is deemed just as important as Theoden's duty to Helm's Deep, even if it's something that irks her.

(obviously Eowyn not traveling to Helm's Deep changes the framing of her conversation with Aragorn about Arwen, but they can have this conversation as he is getting ready to depart).

I would also change the elves coming to Helm's Deep to the arrival of the Dunedain. Yes, this is a little bit before when they were supposed to show up in the book, but it that's a smaller change than bringing in a bunch of elves. We can also have Halbarad die here instead of at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, as opposed to Haldir meeting his end.

---

You all know the point of this exercise all comes down to what Peter Jackson did to Faramir, so let's talk about Faramir.

Objectively, the Osgiliath plot fulfills two purposes: 1) it extends Frodo and Sam's story, which in the book is much shorter than everybody else's story, so that they can still get about as much screentime as everybody else as each movie progresses and 2) it clues people in on what is happening in Osgiliath and in Gondor in general.

So let's fulfill these purposes without completely ruining Faramir.

First of all, instead of Faramir having his men bind Frodo and Sam's hands when he's taking them to Henneth Annun he tells them "Bind their eyes as we lead them onward - we must keep our secret paths a secret". This immediately keeps the momentum going, but instead of framing him as somebody who has the possibility of having a cruel streak (as is later proven true in the movie by him having an emaciated halfling brutally beaten), it shows that he's very practical in these dark times, but not cruel.

When Faramir mentions that Boromir is his brother go ahead and have both the flashback to his vision of the boat, as well as to him and Boromir at Osgiliath. However, we are getting rid of the retcon that ruins Boromir's motivations/character, and is part of everything going sideways with how the movies portray the line of Stewards. Instead of a victory speech after retaking Osgiliath, have the flashback show Faramir and Boromir fighting side-by-side, and being unable to stop the Nine from crossing over the bridge and then riding off into the distance. (Towards the Shire, being inferred). And when the Nine pass over safely, most of the forces draw back. So it becomes a victory, but a very cautious, uncertain, terrifying victory.

Give Boromir a moment where a young soldier, barely more than a boy, dies in his arms. This then ties in to how close he was to the Hobbits and how willing he was to die for them. When the boy dies, have Faramir pull Boromir to his feet and comfort him, showing that while Boromir is the support for the soldiers - Faramir is the support for Boromir. After taking a moment to compose himself, have Boromir joke about how he's not sure how he'll manage without Faramir when he leaves for Rivendell to get counsel from Elrond in the morning, and then switch back to the present.

This will be longer than the flashback in the movie, but now we don't need Faramir to take Frodo and Sam to Osgiliath to get an idea of what's happening there.

Now we have started establishing the kind of person that Faramir is, even if it's not completely book accurate, and can keep moving forward.

We will keep the sequence of flashback -> catch Gollum -> conversation with Frodo and Sam, instead of having the conversation where he finds out about the Ring before catching Gollum, but we will still change things a little bit. Namely: completely get rid of the scene where Faramir has an emaciated halfling cruelly beaten.

After catching Gollum, Faramir talks with Frodo and Sam. We're going to let him have a little bit more information than he does in the books, and he is able to guess who and what Gollum is.

Faramir: "Gandalf came to Minas Tirith searching for answers not long ago. It seems to me you two and your companion spell out the question he wanted the answers for. I do not doubt that Fate has bound you with the errand of my brother, who went in search of answers about Isildur's Bane."

Frodo: "Your guess is close to the mark, Faramir, but I am bound to secrecy and cannot say more."

Faramir then pieces the rest of it together and guesses that Frodo's burden is the Ring, and then says something to echo Boromir's words when he tried to take the Ring - which terrifies Frodo. "So your Burden is the weapon of the enemy, and you are traveling towards Mordor. Will you then destroy it? Is that your purpose? Deprive these lands of a powerful weapon?"

And of course Frodo and Sam do not trust Faramir. They've known him for a single day, so they jump back and draw their swords, but Faramir waves them down. "Put down your swords. I am wise enough to know that there are some perils from which a man must flee. Sit at peace! I would not pick up this thing and use it if I found it by the roadside - I know too well of the darkness, and do not doubt that the Ring would destroy all light, no matter who wielded it."

(Again. Not as good as book!Faramir, and we don't really get him realizing what happened between Frodo and Boromir, but certainly better than what the movie gave us.)

Also keep this entire conversation, because it's beautiful:

'Well, Frodo, now at last we understand one another,' said Faramir. 'If you took this thing on yourself, unwilling, at others' asking, then you have pity and honour from me. And I marvel at you: to keep it hid and not to use it. You are a new people and a new world to me. Are all your kin of like sort? Your land must be a realm of peace and content, and there must gardeners be in high honour.'   'Not all is well there,' said Frodo, 'but certainly gardeners are honoured.'

But now we run into a problem, in regards to the two reasons mentioned above as to why the Osgiliath arc was included: even with the extended flashback sequence, this still is not quite as long as what it needs to be to extend this portion of the story to match what's going on with the rest of the Company.

It's closer to the mark, but if we want to end Frodo and Sam's portion of the story at the end of the movie to them walking together at the edge of Ithilien after leaving Faramir, this needs to be a bit longer.

So follow Faramir as he goes to Osgiliath, departing from Frodo and Sam in friendship. Have him escort them as far as their paths coincide, and then leave them behind to go to Osgiliath. And have Sam say something about "He's like Boromir, this Faramir is. Only... only different" and have Frodo somberly agree.

Then have a scene with Faramir at Osgiliath, tension heavy in the air because they know another attack will come soon, and they only won the last attack because the enemy drew back. This will be intercut with the victory at Helm's Deep, and Sam's "folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't" speech.

Then we can get the scene of Gandalf, Theoden, Aragorn, Legolas, and Eomer's stunt double looking out in the direction of Mordor, and then cut back to Frodo and Sam with their "will we ever be put in songs or tales" conversation.

And there we go! We killed some time, didn't destroy Faramir, Boromir, or Denethor, and got to understand what's happening in Osgiliath a little bit better.

---

Also, as it's relevant to mention this now, change the majority of Galadriel's voiceover at the start of the stuff with Faramir, because most of it sets up the arrival of the elves to Helm's Deep and the ruining of Faramir. Because the movies have established a connection between Arwen and Frodo, with Arwen taking Glorfindel's place, have the mental conversation be between Galadriel and Arwen, not Elrond. During this conversation Galadriel can talk about "the strength of the ringbearer is fading", but also talk about how Sauron's darkness is growing and hope dims. Imply that Galadriel's words, along with Arwen's conversation with Aragorn, is part of what convinces her to leave. So basically make the conversation about Frodo, Aragorn, and Arwen, and not about... ruining Faramir.

And then related to this, in the scene in the movie where Elrond talks about the future and Aragorn's death, I want to make a couple of changes. Arwen has had the mental conversation with Galadriel, and is now nearly convinced to leave. So she asks Elrond... what would my future be if I were to stay? And he tells her - similarly to what he tells her in the actual scene. And this, knowing the grief she will bring to her family and that she will not, in the end, escape herself, is what makes her choose to leave.

---

One more change I would make is that the Ents decide at Entmoot to attack Saruman. Merry and Pippin helping convince them with the whole "the closer we are to danger the farther we are from harm" bit added very little time to the movie. And while that line is fantastic, I would rather see the Ent's come away from their entmoot singing and booming like drums.

Also, don't make Gimli the butt of the jokes, and give him his angsty but badass Helm's Deep injury.

---

The Return of the King

A lot of the first bit of this move I'll leave mostly untouched. As much as I'm sad we don't get the scouring of the Shire I get why it wasn't included, so Saruman dies at the beginning of ROTK. Arwen also chooses to stay in Middle Earth after having a vision of Eldarion, and yes... even the bit with Gandalf taking Pippin to Minas Tirith because Sauron thinks he has the Ring. Although I will change what exactly it is that Pippin saw, and instead just make it that he was questioned by Sauron. And now they have to get him to Minas Tirith so that he's safe behind those strong walls before a Nazgul can get to them. (this can even be where we include an alteration of "the closer we are to danger, the farther we are from harm" line, because if they're riding for Minas Tirith they're actually getting closer to Sauron).

---

The first major change (if I'm remembering the sequence of the movie correctly) is the scene where Elrond brings Anduril to Aragorn. Because remember, in my rewrite he has it from the time they leave Rivendell.

Instead of Elrond showing up with the sword, we'll have Arwen show up with the standard that she made for Aragorn and with a message from Galadriel, reminding Aragorn of the Paths of the Dead. Aragorn travels with her, Legolas, Gimli, and the Dunedain (who remember showed up at Helm's Deep in my rewrite) on that road.

I would also change absolutely everything that makes the Paths of the Dead humorous, absolutely including Gimli blowing away ghosts. It's going to be exactly like stepping into a horror movie. We also will not see them get to the ships, because I want the arrival of the ships at Pelennor Fields to be a moment of horror and doom until Aragorn is revealed to be on them.

When they arrive at Pelennor Fields, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Arwen, and the Dunedain attack and kill orcs, while the ghosts are merely helpful in frightening them. They might not be able to be killed, but they can't kill foes either. They can just get them to drop their weapons so our heroes can kill them without any trouble.

Arwen can also continue traveling with Aragorn everywhere he goes, and can be part of the final battle at the Black Gate.

(again, not exactly like the books, but more in line than what we got while still sticking to the pacing and structure provided in the movies).

---

Denethor is the other major thing I would change, predictably.

First of all, like in the books I would have Pippin and Gandalf see the beacons have been lit as they ride towards Minas Tirith, which increases Gandalf's fears. This, however, means we don't get the scene where Pippin has to light the beacon, so I'm replacing that with something else.

After the initial conversation with Denethor, which will automatically be a bit different because Denethor has already lit the beacons, but which will include Pippin offering his service, Gandalf and Pippin talk. Gandalf says Denethor is very wise and very powerful, but he fears how he came to have the information he has. Because Aragorn has not yet revealed himself. While this conversation with Pippin is going on, show Denethor in his tower with a Palantir, watching as Sauron's armies move slowly across Middle Earth and towards Osgiliath.

Cut to Faramir in Osgiliath, and the attack/retreat towards Minas Tirith.

Slightly reframe the scene with Faramir and Denethor, and make it clear that Denethor is so upset about Faramir sending Frodo towards Mordor with the Ring because he knows some of what is coming. "You did what you deem to be right, and yet you are sending a halfling alone to confront an entire army. He will fail, and all will fall."

Also don't make the ride on Osgiliath a suicide run, but an actual strategic move to buy time for Rohan to come.

Then when Faramir is injured, give Denethor another scene in his tower with the Palantir. This time, instead of just watching, have him seem to truly try to force more information out of it... and he catches Sauron's eye. "You think these armies are all you need to worry about? You know nothing. Hope is ended, and only time stands between you and death", he hears in his head as Sauron forces him to look upon the black ships, the massive armies, and Osgiliath smoking in ruin.

And that is when he goes truly insane.

Finally, instead of running a 5k off the wall, when Gandalf saves Faramir from the pyre, have Denethor pull out the Palantir and give Gandalf an echo of Sauron's words. "Hope is ended, and only time stands between us and death. So I choose my own time" before lying down on the pyre and burning, due to the oil poured all over himself, before anybody has the chance to save him.

---

Frodo. Never. Tells. Sam. To. Leave.

We can extend their stay in Mordor a little bit to make up for it, time-wise. After they escape from that party of orcs they get caught up in, give them one last encounter with a couple of orcs deserters. The deserters see the two of them and try to kill them, but Sam fends them off. This encounter has an upside and a downside. The upside: these orcs had water, so now Frodo and Sam have more than they did before. The downside: they are now even more exhausted then they were before.

---

Actually give Faramir and Eowyn more time in the Houses of Healing to make the movie romance work. Partially fixing Faramir's character goes a long way in making it work better now, but one scene where they stare at each other is Not Enough.

---

Not all of this is perfect, of course, but that's how I would effect a rewrite of the PJ LOTR movies without massively changing the basic pacing, structure, and scene-placement that we were given.

If you made it to the end, what do you think? Is this better or worse than what we got?

#lotr #the lord of the rings #lord of the rings #my op

[smallhandsdowhattheymust]

Small Hands 2: Ioreth of Gondor

Can we talk for a second about the most overlooked hero of the siege of Minas Tirith? I mean my girl Ioreth, an assistant at the Houses of Healing, who is probably the character across the entire legendarium who is the most egregious combination of wise and totally disrespected.

When we first meet Ioreth, we're told right away that she's an old woman. That's based both on the physical description of her as an old woman and the fact that her name literally means "old woman" in Sindarin (leaving us to wonder exactly what Ioreth's parents were all about when they settled on a name for their little infant child many years ago). Whenever she talks, which she tends to do in a rushing stream of extremely verbose thoughts and digressions, you can practically hear everyone around her roll their eyes and start to tune out. More often than not, someone cuts her off before she's done talking. But even when she gets a complete thought out, her ideas and opinions are ignored or even outright mocked. In essence, Ioreth is roundly treated like a batty old grandma whose presence is tolerated but no one takes seriously.

That reaction, however, misses several major truths about our Ioreth. For one, she's incredibly brave. Let's not forget that she chose to remain in a city under siege. While all the other women have been evacuated, Ioreth remained in order to treat the sick and wounded--a monumental task, given the conditions--for as long as the city still stood. Based on the information available to Ioreth at the time, she couldn't have had many illusions about ever getting out of Minas Tirith alive. She could probably hope, at best, for a death that wouldn't be too brutal or prolonged. But she still stayed!

More importantly, Ioreth might not be book smart or sophisticated, but she's the Gondorian equivalent of street smart. She has that wisdom that comes from a long life of experience and a deep respect for traditional ways and customs. As a result, Ioreth is the only one to remember the critical old adage that the hands of a king are the hands of a healer, thus giving Gandalf the idea that Aragorn could heal Faramir, Eowyn and Merry. It's been more than a thousand years, at this point, since Gondor had a king, and the serious and learned men of the land have long since forgotten this ancient wisdom or dismiss it as (in this case literally) an old wives tale. But Ioreth remembers, and if she hadn't spoken up--and had at least one person in Gondor willing to actually listen to what she said--everyone in the Houses that had been afflicted by the Nazgul would probably have died. No happy reunion of our hobbits, no love story of Faramir and Eowyn, no happy end for Eomer, and perhaps no peaceful transition of power in Gondor without a living steward to hand over authority to King Elessar.

Old women are easily overlooked and dismissed even here in our world, and it's a shame that the fantasy world of Middle Earth is no better on that score. But the fact is that Ioreth's commitment to the traditions and knowledge of her ancestors and her willingness to give her opinion EVEN WHEN SHE KNOWS SHE WILL ALMOST ASSUREDLY BE IGNORED ends up not only saving the lives of 3 beloved and important people but probably shoring up the political stability of Gondor itself and, thus, ensuring the happy peace that King Elessar is able to preside over for all of the disparate lands of Gondor and Arnor.

#lord of the rings #lotr #tolkien #middle earth #small hands #minas tirith #ioreth

[hate-the-am-hate-the-pm]

previously: kaitogeijutsu

for myself:

-> #private: thing for myself i wanna remember

-> #personal: anything related to me or anything i want to keep for some reason

-> #stories: self explanatory

-> #e: miscellaneous stuff hfjwhdjd

-> #classic posts: classics lmao

-> #beatdown: when people are just getting absolutely beatdown in arguments its funny or just something/someone getting a beatdown

-> #life: just. yknow. stuff abt being alive and making life as good as you can and enjoying yourseld ans loving yourself and loving others and yknow living

-> #long post: looooong boy posts heh

-> #nsfw: anythin nsfw

-> #heritage posts: heritage posts fjjsjd

law and political stuff:

-> #law: stuff related to law

-> #court: stuff related to court

-> #politics(?): stuff i think??? is sorta related to politics maybe??

books/show/anything else literary:

-> #sherlock holmes: sherlock holmes stuff

-> #writing: stuff that's original work or something

-> #analysis: analysis stuff, jokey or otherwise

-> #poetry and quotes: self explanatory

-> #oda: anythin related to oda that isn't really like really really related to one piece

#op: ONE PIECE STUFF! i love one piece with such a burning passion but yes anything one piece related

#strawhats: the strawhats fjjdkfkqkq or anyone in the strawhats

#heart pirates: anythin heart pirates related

-> #honor among thieves, #dndhat, #hat, #dnd movie: the dnd honor among thieves movie stuff jdnakkdjs

#xenk yendar, #xenk: anything related to this hot ass paladin that i love with my whole entire being my gods

#edgin darvis, #edgin, #ed: edgin my beloved bard??? rogue??????? anyways he's somethin alright

#kira darvis, #kira: the child

#holga kilgore, #holga: gods ifbkadjskjdkfjwkjsjfjwjsj hot mommy

#doric: MY BELOVED TIEFLING DRUID JRJSKDJDKA

#simon aumar, #simon: simon hehe

-> #marvel: marvel stuff

#spiderman: anythin spiderman related

#atsv: across the spiderverse stuff

#hobie brown, #hobie, #spiderpunk: HOBIE BROWN MY BELOVED MY ANARCHIST MY EVERYTHINGJDKSKDD

#miguel o'hara, #miguel, #spiderman2099: the truamatized old latino man that i am absolutely feral for

#miles morales, #miles: miles sweetheart i love him hes so bby

#gwen stacy, #gwen: gwen the drummer my beloved also

#pavitr prabhakar, #pavitr, #pav: pav my bby boy i loooove him heheh

#miles 42, #prowler: MILES 42 HHDKSKDJE I LOVE LOVE LOVE

#peter b. parker, #peter: tired man whos' sexual appeal i get cause he be hot man😩

#mayday parker, #mayday: MAYDAY BBY SHES SO TEENSY SO CUTE MY BBY ARAÑA

#mj watson, #mj: my wife.

#spidernoir: my malewife.

#peni parker, peni: sweetest girl, she deserves the world

-> #cod: anythin call of duty

#price, #john price, #captain price: anythin price relateddd

#soap, #john mactavish, #johnny: johnnyyyyyy my bby

#ghost, #simon riley: ghost my mofo beloved gods id die for him

#gaz, #kyle garrick: the prettiest fuckin man i've done laid eyes on

-> #dc: dc stuff!!!

#batman: the batman stuff or batman comics stuff so also the robins and shit

#robin: robin stuff!

#superman: superman stuff!!

#wonder woman: the queen the absolute boss the best the man the myth the legend wonder womannnnn

-> #tolkien: anythin tolkien related that isn't really lotr or the hobbit (or i cant tell which is which jdkadfkak)

#lotr: lord of the rings

#aragon elessar, #aragorn -> aragorn

#gimli -> gimli

#legolas greenleaf, #legolas -> legolas

#thranduil oropherion, #thranduil -> thranduil

#the hobbit: the hobbit

#bard -> bard omg i love the man hes so fjqbkdndnd

#kili -> kili my sweetheart my beloved

#legolas greenleaf, #legolas -> legolas

#thorin oakenshield, #thorin -> thorin

#thranduil oropherion, #thranduil -> thranduil

-> #lok: legend of korra

#asami -> asami sato

-> #star wars: star wars duh

#anakins -> the anakins

-> #classic lit: literature considered classics ig

#shakespeare -> shakespeare?? obv??

-> #fanfics: fanfic stuff fjandj

-> #mythology: mythology

#greek myths -> greek mythology/stories

#aztec myths -> aztec mythology/stories

#mayan myths -> mayan mythology/stories

#egyptian myths -> egyptian mythology/stories

#norse myths -> norse mythology/stories

-> #movies: any movies, films, short films

-> #drama: anything drama related (think like live stage productions)

-> #musicals: musical related stuff!!

-> #anime: anything anime hfjajdj

-> #comics: anything comic related honestlt

-> #books: books! all kinds any kinds!

anthropology/archaeology/paleontology/other sciences and history:

-> #environment: stuff related to earth, the sun, positionings, nature, etc etc.

#ocean: anything ocean-related or ocean-based

#forest: anything forest-related or forest-based

#air; anything air-related or air-based

#earth: just everything nature in general

-> #animals: animals but like informative and like cool facts and stuff

-> #aminals: animals but like the dump posts not infortmative jdjahd

-> #plants: plants fkhajsja

-> #prehistoric creatures: self explanatory

#dinosaurs: DINOS!!!

-> #humans: self explanatory

-> #paleo: paleontology stuffsssss

-> #anthro: also human stuff but recent

-> #archaeo: human stuff but like looooong ago

-> #bio: biology stuff

-> #astronomy: planets! stars! more stars! galaxies!

-> #invasive species: invasive species!

-> #history: more modern history of science and so like archeo/paleo and others but... like... younger

-> #social issues: just stuff going on around the world and issues that've happened and also anything related to that

-> environmental issues: issues that involve the environment and stuff

-> #languages: languages! and posts that involve the use of languages!

-> #religion: anything about/on religion

-> #science: literally just anything science related jdksjf

arts:

-> #art: just art stuff

#modern art, #contemporary art -> modern art

#classic art -> art from like other periods in time like the renaissance and stuff

#my art -> my art if i ever post it

-> #music: anythin music related

-> #fashion: fashion stuff! includes dresses, suits, etc. but also jewelery!

games:

-> #ttrpg: tabletop rpg stuff!

#dm, #gm: dungeon/game master stuff (tips and tricks)

#campaigns: campaigns! all types!

#dnd: dnd related stuff

#pf: pathfinder related stuff

sports:

-> #sports: sports stuff

#vball: anythin volleyball related

#bball: anythin bball related

resources for stuff:

-> #resources: resources (art, history, etc.)

[xihe1874]

This fic is inspired by the prompt of the lovely @janeeyreofmanderley on Tumblr! Here is the original prompt.

I planned to post this on Christmas, and then New Year, and... I decide to fight against my procrastination and post it now!

I want to thank them for their beautiful prompt!! I really love this idea, and I hope that you will like this story 😉

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Rating:

G

Relationships:

Éowyn/Faramir (Son of Denethor II)

Boromir (Son of Denethor II) & Faramir (Son of Denethor II)

Aragorn | Estel & Faramir (Son of Denethor II)

Aragorn | Estel & Boromir (Son of Denethor II)

Éomer Éadig/Lothíriel

Éomer Éadig & Éowyn

Character:

Elboron (Tolkien)

Additional Tags:

Fluff

Love

Letters

Married Couple

Long-Distance Relationship

Post-War of the Ring

Boromir Lives

Yule

Celebrations

Pregnancy

Sweet

Eowyn and Faramir love each other so much

Family

Word Count:

1125

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 1 The First Winter: Five Letters and One Discovery

----------------------------------------------------------------------

My dearest Faramir,

Winter is approaching - I can feel it from the chill in the air and the water. This morning I woke up and found my feet freezing. I have to ask Holdwyn to add logs in the fireplace - can you believe it, my dear? I never feared coldness before.

Rohan is as beautiful as always, and I didn’t realize how much I missed her until I returned. However, my darling, I miss you more. Every day when I am walking in the garden, I think of you, and every night when I close my eyes, I will see you. I can’t believe I still have to wait two weeks to meet you again.

How is your expedition with the King and Boromir? It’s such a shame that I can’t go with you! Remember the night before our wedding? When we rode together to the outskirts of Minas Tirith? That was such a heavenly night. I still keep that leaf in the last letter you sent me, and the stone shaped like a diamond is now on my desk. When can we go out to explore again? Maybe next spring, what do you say, my dear Faramir? We can ride out at dusk and spend the night watching the stars.

I spend a lot of time with Lothíriel these days, and she is the loveliest lady I have ever met. Sometimes it’s still hard to accept that my brother has married - and to this perfect girl! I almost feel like my crude brother doesn’t deserve the fine lady. 

I am counting the seconds until we see each other again. Please take care of yourself.

With all my love,

Eowyn

____________________________________

My dearest Eowyn,

Receiving your letters is the most wonderful thing these days, and even the precious messenger has been influenced by my enthusiasm - He was still laughing when he turned around to ride back to Rohan. (The innocent gentleman has no idea how jealous I am! I shouldn’t be, I know that without any doubt, but he will be much closer to you than I am now.)

My dear, you have been correct. Winter is lurking around imperceptibly, and the sharp coldness is flowing in the wind. Please, my dear Eowyn, adopt the assistance of fire and garments or anything that can protect you from the harshness. I know you are in the habit of walking around barefoot to feel the ground - I adore that, but please look after yourself for me.

I miss you more than anything. Today, when we arrived at the western side of Minas Tirith, I read the map to provide directions for our beloved King Elessar, but all I could think was that we had ridden along a similar river before! Our King, the benevolent ruler as he is, didn’t scold (or even address) my awkward fluster. He shook his head and took over the map with an indulgent smile. But Boromir was not that merciful, as he chortled and almost startled his poor horse.

As you can see from my recount, our expedition is going very well. We have completed our investigation of the western district and will move on to the north tomorrow. My darling, I sincerely wish you could join me on this journey. You will surely love the vast expanse of fields. However, Rohan needs her white lady as much as I need my magnificent wife. 

I remember that night like everything is still visible before my eyes. I remember the limpid stream bubbling between the stones and your hair floating in the breeze. I remember you under the moonlight, softly glowing, and when your beautiful eyes met mine, I was sending my gratitude to all the Valar for their blessing. You said that King Eomer is fortunate to have Lothíriel’s love - though I assure you, my darling, they are made for each other - but I believe I am the luckiest one.

Boromir is now roaring to the King, saying terrible things like, “That lad is writing to his wife again, I assure you, my King”. So I am afraid I will end this letter now to avoid his further teasing.

I will be reborn when I see you again, and now I am living for the promise of our stargazing night. Please take care of yourself for me.

Always yours,

Faramir

____________________________________

My dearest Faramir,

Your incident with the map made me laugh (Eomer said I was giggling, but you shouldn’t listen to him). My poor Faramir! Are you talking about the river we went to after we got married for a week?

Sometimes I wish we are just the populace, a pair of the average couple, instead of Steward of Gondor, Prince of Ithilien, or White Lady and shieldmaiden of Rohan. Don’t take me wrong, my dear, I love our countries, and I will fight for them until the day I die. But the separation is almost overwhelming. I know we have our duties, but I wish we could spend every day together! You have only been away for two months, but I feel you have taken half of my soul.

How are your sword wounds recovering? Do they still hurt? I am praying to Estë that the winter will go easy on you.

People are preparing for the Yule, and the joys of the holiday are in the air. Everywhere I can see feast and wine, everywhere I can hear laughter. Our people are coming out of the shadows of the war, and that warms my heart. There are still struggles, but there will be hope.

Something strange occurred today when I practised sword fighting with Eomer this morning. My stomach cramped, and I felt nauseous - that had never happened before. I had to drop my sword to retch several times. Eomer has requested (forced, more accurately) me to be examined by a doctor, who will arrive soon. But please don’t worry, I have rested well, and my stomach is much better now.

Only one week left, but time is still passing too slowly.

With all my love,

Eowyn

____________________________________

My dearest Eowyn,

Your letter broke my heart as I am not by your side right now. You tell me not to worry, but how could I? I have reported this to the King, who allows me to finish the mission now to go to you. Boromir will escort the King for the rest of the expedition. 

The messenger is here now, so the letter will arrive earlier than me. I shall be there in two days.

I am praying so hard.

Always yours,

Faramir

____________________________________

My dearest Faramir,

I really should wait a few more hours to send out my last letter. See you tomorrow.

With all my love,

Eowyn, and our first child

#faramir x eowyn #eowyn #faramir #lotr #lord of the rings #boromir #aragorn #eomer #writing prompt

[a-deadly-serenade]

really into This type of man lately

#aragorn elessar my beloved #ik they would treat me rght #i just know

[lostsolace]

all that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost. from the ashes a fire shall be woken, a light from the shadows shall spring; renewed shall be blade that was broken, the crownless again shall be king.

the riddle of strider, the fellowship of the ring by j.r.r. tolkien

#lord of the rings #lotr #lotredit #aragorn #aragorn elessar #aragorn son of arathorn #my beloved #jrr tolkien #the fellowship of the ring #return of the king #in honor of fotr turning 20 #myedit

[erynalasse]

When Elrond sails to Valinor at the end of an Age, he leaves two children behind him. His only daughter, his beloved Arwen, who chose mortality and the Gift of a fate with her husband. And Estel, his foster son grown to King of Gondor—a true credit to Elros’ line in every way that matters.

Elrond leaves them behind, but they write to him. The end of the Third Age is the end of the Elves in Middle Earth, and a steady stream of Círdan’s ships carry letters sealed with the Tree of Gondor and the eight-rayed star of Elrond’s own house.

Elrond does not open them.

He tucks them safely away in chests beside his bed, stacked in neat rows with unbroken seals. Instead, he spends the first 150 years of life in Valinor relearning his marriage with Celebrían. She sailed a full five hundred years before him from her wounds, and so much happened since their bitter parting.

Elrond tells her of Arwen, a woman grown, and her radiance upon her wedding day. He tells Celebrían of her deep, contagious laugh and her sure shot with a hunting bow that can still outdo the twins. He tells her of Arwen’s choice—the choice she made for love, but just as much because it suited her nature to seek the vast unknown. She is so much like Elros. Elrond never realized how true it was until now.

And Elrond tells Celebrían of Estel, the son of his heart that she never met. His shy little boy Estel, who became Thorongil the king-servant and Strider the wandering ranger and Elessar Telcontar, king of Gondor and Arnor reunited. A father, a husband, a protector, a leader. He too is so much like Elros—the best of Men come back to rule his own wisely and well, facing the dawn of a new era.

Elrond leaves Estel and Arwen together to usher in that new Age free from the Shadow, and he cannot stop comparing himself to Ereinion Gil-galad. He and Elrond talked on the eve of the Last Alliance—and Elrond had refused to consider taking the Noldóran’s crown if. Refused to consider what that if meant until he saw Gil-galad crushed by Sauron’s hand. But that night, alive and breathing still, Gil-galad had laughed at his refusal. Regardless, I leave Endórë in capable hands if I do not live to see the fruits of our victory.

Elrond knows ends and beginnings. He has seen three bitter fights against the Shadow and twice rebuilt their world up again after. Elrond cannot bend his hand to this new beginning, but neither can he bear to see it unfold. Not yet. Peredhel he may be in birth and name, but Elven he is by choice, and Elves accept change and loss only grudgingly. Elrond supposes there are worse ways to show that tendency than by delaying opening those letters, these last records of his children that he shall see.

Elrond still does not touch their letters to him. Celebrían wraps herself up in her husband’s stories of their daughter and son, and that is enough for them both. Until their other children, their twins Elladan and Elrohir, sail West themselves with the news that Undómiel and Elessar have passed—their legacy secure, their kingdom prosperous, the throne passed to their son, Eldarion Telcontar, first of his name. A new beginning, passed on to new hands.

Elrond and Celebrían mourn, but mourning seems an insult towards lives lived long and full. Elrond, at least, knows this feeling too, and he can picture Elros laughing at him. A few centuries sitting upon a throne made me ready for my well-deserved rest. Do not begrudge your own children the same!

Elrond does not. Truly, he is glad for Arwen and Aragorn, glad that they chose and found their greatest desires. And yet, he is an old, foolish Elf and it is his habit to deny an ending until it is upon him at last. But a story, completed and yet ever-continuing… that gives Elrond peace.

Elrond and Celebrían weep, and dry their tears, and then they sit together in the light of dusk with candles around them. They open the first letter, and the second, and the next and the next, reading until dawn breaks in the eastern sky.

Ammë, I gave this letter to Atya for when he sails West to find you…

Ada, three months as King of Gondor and I already understand why you told me to enjoy my early years as a mere Ranger…

Our son is here! Ada, he is so perfect I cannot describe him. He is ‘Eldarion’ to my beloved and ‘Arvarad’ to myself, and our son is already everything good and precious to us…

Atya, they say that Elros choose his time at the end, and I think I shall as well. The healers say that Aragorn’s end draws near, and I know I shall follow him. I want you to know I am content even still, and rue none of the choices that led me here…

Old age gives me plenty of time to reflect, and I find myself proud of what I shall leave behind. Only the last great journey awaits. I will send Elros your love, Ada, should I see him. When we meet again in Arda Remade, Arwen and I shall find you again.

#my writing #my post #tolkien #silmarillion #lord of the rings #elrond #celebrían #arwen #aragorn #elros #btw ‘arvarad’ is a mashup of the standard ar(a)- prefix of aragorn’s line #and ‘barad’ (tower) with lenition for aragorn’s friend halbarad #i think that aragorn and arwen would have imported the father/mother name system from their raising in rivendell

[thespiritoflife]

Pairing: Legolas x reader

Warnings: grammatical errors, mention of character's death, angst, sad,..

A/N: Probably you all know this beautiful song. I love this song even though it is sad. It inspired me to write this story. Elves live forever, right? And what if one of them (specifically Legolas) fell in love with a man?

Who wants to live forever?

Who wants to live forever?

At the beginning of his life, Legolas was glad that he could live forever.  He lived for incredibly many years.  He did not reveal his age to anyone, he kept it to himself.  But if anyone looked into his wise eyes, he saw old age and sadness.  Great sadness.

Years have passed.  Centuries have passed.  Millennia have passed.  And Legolas was still here and not old.

But it was terrible.  It was incredibly painful to see all his friends die.  To see how they got old, and finally died.  To see their descendants die.  And their descendants ... and he was still here.

At first, it was his faithful friend once called Aragorn, now the revered King Elessar.  He was with him as he was laying on the bed, dying slowly.  He saw that he was happy. He got happy life. And Legolas had to reconcile with this.

And then Gimli.  His beloved dwarf friend also left this world.

Legolas buried him at Glittering Caves.  He was crying softly. He kissed the top of the grave and whispered, "You are forever in my heart."

When Legolas was really old but still young in body, he left his kingdom and went to the mountains to live.

Aragorn's descendant once visited him.  He didn't even know exactly who his descendant was, but many, very many years passed after Aragorn's death.  His descendants also slowly became extinct.  However, this one lived.

This descendant was incredibly similar to Aragorn.  With his appearance and behavior.  It hurt Legolas when he saw him.

He wanted to see the famous Legolas Greenleaf, the friend of his ancient ancestor, who was very helpful to his father.  In everything.

"How did you find me?"  Legolas asked him.

"It was easy.. You love the mountains."

Legolas nodded silently.  He was no longer the same as in the days of Aragorn.  He changed.  Especially in the soul.

"Legolas," he asked cautiously.  "What happened to you?"

Legolas blinked sharply and sighed.  It was a sad sight.

"My dear visitor, believe me, you would not want to live forever. It would destroy you. Their deaths."

"Whose death?"

"My friends,"  he replied.

Aragorn's descendant looked at the beautiful portrait of the young woman in the frame.

"Who's this?"

Legolas just smiled sadly.

Y / N was one of the few women that Legolas loved.  They met long after the War of the Ring.  She was very young, but they still fell in love.

However, Y / N was a man.  She wasn't an elf.  She didn't live long.

Legolas knew it, he knew it, but he married her.  He loved her sincerely.  She changed his life.  After the death of his friends, the people he loved, he no longer believed he would find someone to love.  He didn't believe he would start smiling again.  To be happy.

But Y / N proved to him that it was possible.

Everything is possible.

They lived long and happily.  But Y / N slowly aged.

Once at her favorite river, where she used to swim, Y / N decided on old age to at least get her feet wet.  Legolas went with her.  It hurt him that everything hurt her ... but human life was like that.

She was wearing a long black dress.  She looked beautiful.  She died in his arms, in that river.

Legolas buried her on the shore of the river.

It destroyed Legolas.  They didn't even have children, although they wanted. Very much.

She just left.

When love must die!

Legolas also considered taking his own life and ending this affliction, but ... he knew Y / N wouldn't want it.  She would never forgive him that.

Life must go on.  And he believed he would meet her again.  There must have been some justice in this world.

Forever is our today...

#lord of the rings #legolas x you #legolas x reader #legolas x y/n #lord of the rings legolas #lotr fanfiction #lotr fanfic #lotr fic #legolas imagine #imagine legolas #legolas fanfiction #legolas fanfic #legolas fic #legolas story #who wants to live forever #queen #freddie mercury #orlando bloom #Spotify #story

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Saturday, May 29th

SPIKE: You don't come near the girl, Doc. DOC: I don't smell a soul anywhere on you. Why do you even care? SPIKE: I made a promise to a lady.

~~The Gift~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

in my dreams (you're touching my face) (Buffy/Willow, G) by blackedouthaze

Can't Win (Buffy & Spike, T) by dragonprincess1988

Needles (Buffy & Spike, T) by dragonprincess1988

[Podfic] Transporter Malfunction (Buffy, Star Trek crossover, T) by Jet_pods (Jetainia)

Training (Faith/James "Bucky" Barnes/Natasha Romanov, The Avengers crossover, M) by Phantom_Queen

Ode to the Night (Buffy/Spike, K+) by ManyPlotBunnies

[Chaptered Fiction]

A Mother Reincarnated, Chapter 19 (Buffy, Charmed crossover, T) by Brenna's Urbangirl Projects

Bring Me To Life, Part 52 (Buffy/Angel, T) by Jean-theGuardian

Alexandra (Xan) Harris, Chapter 9 (Xander, K+) by DOROTHY-CHARISSE

The Past Is Only The Future With The Lights On, Chapter 14 (Buffy/Angel, T) by butimbroken

When in Rome, Chapter 49 (French language fic) (Spike/Dawn, T) by OldGirl-NoraArlani

The path to redemption, Chapter 34 (Ensemble, T) by Aragorn II Elessar

The Heart Of Me, Chapter 12 (Buffy/Angel, T) by butimbroken

Purging the Darkness, Chapter 2 (Willow/Tara, Harry Potter crossover, K) by lateVMlover

Slayers and Trollhunters, Chapter 9 (Buffy, Trollhunters crossover, T) by Starfox5

Spike and the Amulet of Syntyche, Chapter 1 (Spike, T) by Thedragoness821

Sweeter El Paso, Texas, Chapter 9 (Buffy/Spike, R) by rkm

Almost Paradise, Chapter 26 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Holly

Mortal Allies Series, Episode 4: My Turn, Chapter 35 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Passion4Spike

Bereft, Chapter 10 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Twinkles

Dead Ringers, Chapter 13 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by AlloSpoike

Meet Me at Midnight, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Dusty

The Lost Reasons to Live, Chapter 5 (Xander, Rambo/John Wick Trilogy/Expendables Trilogy/Other crossover, FR21) by ShadowMaster

A weapon of victory, Chapter 2 part two (Buffy, Lord Of The Rings crossover, FR7) by fpb

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork: Free Buffy and Spike print (worksafe) by bwanadevilart

Artwork: Willow (worksafe) by narwain-ineffable-art

Artwork: Who doesn’t indulge in the odd Kate Bush Hounds of Love from time to time? (Xander/Oz, worksafe) by reelbigchip

Artwork: Homosexuals in the house make some noise (Xander, Oz, worksafe) by reelbigchip

Artwork: Faith, Buffy, Kendra (worksafe) by space-sheep08

Artwork: Willow Rosenberg vs Hermione Granger Death Battle (worksafe) by Gary Erskine

Icons: 35 icons of Buffy Summers and Faith Lehane (worksafe) by fuffygifs

Manip: “Damon pranked Buffy. It did not turn out well for him.” (The Vampire Diaries crossover, worksafe) by little-miss-buffy

Fanvid: Buffy/Faith by faithlehanesb1tch

Playlist: Drusilla my beloved by sunnyhellcalifornia

Artwork process video: The First Slayer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Adult Coloring Book (Coloring Book Art Time-Lapse) by MrJuniorer

Fanvid: Buffy Summers | it's brutal out here by HostilePoet17

Fanvid: O Hush - BtVS music video by Elizabeth DMN

Fanvid: buffy summers || survivor by icey edits

Fanvid: Slim Shady - Spike Edit II by Sunnydale Sunset

Music: Walk Through The Fire cover by Koyah Stone

Video: Buffy Fire Metaphor by Tasha Here

[Reviews & Recaps]

The Prodigal - the episode that transformed Angel? by PuckRobin

Discussion of 6.11 "Gone" - Aired 1/08/02 (UPN-US) continued by thrasherpix

Discussion of 2.09 "The Trial" - Aired 11/28/2000 (WB-US) continued by Stake fodder

Discussion of 2.10 "Reunion" - Aired 12/19/2000 (WB-US) continued by Stake fodder

Discussion of 2.11 "Redefinition" - Aired 1/16/2001 (WB-US) continued by Stake fodder and others

Discussion of 2.12 "Blood Money" - Aired 1/23/2001 (WB-US) continued by Stake fodder

20 Year Rewatch - Looking for a research partner for an Angel podcast by Ohigetjokes

Video: Buffy Review - 2x6 Halloween | Reverse Angle by Reverse Angle

Video: Angel - 5x01 "Conviction" Reaction by Liam Duke

Video: Everything Wrong With Buffy the Vampire Slayer [movie] in 19 Minutes or Less by CinemaSins

[Recs]

Fanvid rec: "Buffy The Vampire Slayer - Blue by Angie Harst - Conversation With Dead People" by Tito Luiz Pereira recced by blackittenoir

[Fandom Discussions]

S4e7 The Initiative is just one big Riley/Spike parallel by emmathompsonegot

Angel losing his soul by fangirl93

How much do we think Giles can cook? by firemanwhenthefloodsrollback

Monsters of the week I wish we’d got by firemanwhenthefloodsrollback

Archive.org has a Buffy the Vampire Slayer collection by ifeveristoday

Dawn knocking out Xander by lqvewillow

1996 in LA, Buffy Summers (15): by millennialslayer

If a vampire paid taxes by msbug31

Buffy as a student by sunestellar

Why do you, or don’t you, read fanfic? continued by sunestellar and others

Angel’s Ruse in School Hard by Stoney

Random Whedon Related Thoughts continued by Stoney and others

What’s in it for employees who work at Wolfram and Hart? by American Aurora

Kristine Sutherland interview (2016) recced by Cheese Slices

Buffy and Angel Youtube reactions continued by Silver1 and others

Q&A The Darkling by OffYourBird continued by kats_meow and American Aurora

Spike’s voice by Priceless

I get it now (Bangel) by Kermdog15

If you watched Angel first what did you think of the Buffy originals when you saw them on Buffy? by LightBlueSky55

Mourning Cordelia by payscottg

Spike vs William the Bloody by killercylon

In Grave, does anyone else get annoyed when Giles laughs? by Excellent-Durian-509

Spuffy is cringe, change my mind by CheerBear2112

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

#btvs #buffy the vampire slayer #angel the series #ats

[ofloudvoices]

GALLAGHER HALLOWEEN PARTY 2020 || CLEMENT HENDRIX COSTUME

And last but not least, my main bitch; Clement. And he is gonna dress up as one of my favorite characters; Aragorn II Elessar. Clem isn’t really one for playing dress up. He likes to go dressed in his own clothes. But Aragorn had always been a character he related to. Mostly the whole brooding thing. So he went all in. Finding the closest replica of Aragorn’s coronation armor, crown and his beloved ring.

#gallagher:event

[ladyideal]

This Is Us Chapter 6

Pairing: Legolas x OC!Reader

Word Count: 3392

Warnings: Canon violence, character death

Summary: When the One Ring was found, it becomes a journey across Middle Earth to destroy it. Watch as the Fellowship is formed, and crossed the continent, where loyalty will be tested, and love will blossom at the most unexpected places.

A/n: Sorry for taking ages to write this up, but here it is! Thanks everyone for patiently waiting. But y'all know what happens here.

Chapter 5 ~ Masterlist ~ Chapter 7

An elegant ship, carved in the likeness of a swan, flows through a river. Galadriel stood in it. On shore, cloaks were fastened around each of the Fellowship with green, silver-veined leaf-brooches.

"Never before have we clad strangers in the garb of our own people. May these cloaks help shield you from unfriendly eyes," The Lord of Lothlorien spoke as he watched.

As elves prepared for the departure of the Fellowship, Legolas stood among them, shifting parcels into a set of boats provided by the Galadhrim. He held up a thin wafer for Merry and Pippin to see, as they sat within one of the boats.

"Lembas! Elvish Way-bread. One small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man." The elf prince announced.

You rolled your eyes at him in turn, stepping back onto the shore for last minute provisioning.

"Every league you travel south, the danger will increase. Mordor Orcs now hold the eastern shore of the Anduin." Celeborn continued. ""Nor will you find safety on the western bank. Strange creatures bearing the mark of the White Hand have been seen on our borders. Seldom do Orcs journey in the open, under the sun, yet these have done so!"

You sighed. It had to be Saruman doing, that you were sure of. You paused in your steps, and looked down. Celeborn held an ornate dagger before you. 

"Le aphadar aen." (You are being tracked.)

You gently grasped it, and unsheathed it, watching as the blade glinted. "We can still finish this."

He nodded slowly. "By river you have the chance of outrunning the enemy to the Falls of Rauros."

You took one last glance at your reflection on the blade before safely sheathing it away. "It is time, Celeborn. Le hannon." (I thank you.)

"Alena," Haldir whispered, pulling the half elf into a tight hug. "Stay safe. Im mel cin." (I love you.)

They shared a quick kiss, before the marchwarden released his fiancee, and watched as she carefully climbed into the same boat with Aragorn.

"Ai! laurië lantar lassi súrien,

Yéni úntimë ve rámar aldaron!

yéni ve lintë yuldar avánier

mi oromardi lisse-miruvóreva

Andúnë pella Vardo tellumar

nu luini yassen tintilar i eleni…"

(Alas! Like gold fall the leaves in the wind,

long years numberless as the wings of the trees! The long years have passed like swift draughts of the sweet mead in lofty halls beyond the West,beneath the vaults of Varda wherein the stars tremble in the song of her voice…)

"My gift for you, Legolas, is a bow of the Galadhrim, worthy of the skill of our woodland kin," Galadriel spoke when you sat safely within the boat with Legolas steadying you. 

Ever since that fateful night, you had cautiously grown fond of him. Your smiles were less forced when around him, and your laughs were infectious. Love came hard for the elven, and when it did happen, it was an immortal kind. You patted his hand as the elven prince stared in awe of the beautifully gifted carved bow. 

Galadriel smiled at his thanks, and turned to Merry and Pippin next. "These are the daggers of the Noldorin. They have already seen service in war."

Pippin seemed unsure of the weapon in his hand, almost trembling. 

"Do not fear, young Peregrin Took. You will find your courage." The Lady of Light spoke with a gentle smile before turning to Sam. "And for you, Samwise Gamgee: Elven rope, made of hithlain."

"Thank you, my lady," He glanced sidelong at the blades held by Merry and Pippin, then looked up hopefully. "Have you run out of those nice, shiny daggers?"

Galadriel smiled at him, but turned to Gimli, who diverted his eyes downwards. 

"And what gift would a Dwarf ask of the Elves?" Galadriel spoke, her golden hair shining beneath the poignant blues and whites and greens of the forest.

Nothing." He frowned as though he was changing his mind. "Except to look upon the Lady of the Galadhrim one last time, for she is more fair than all the jewels beneath the earth."

You grinned at his words, while the elf lady giggled. He turned away to face the front of the boat before looking back at her again.

"Actually, there was one thing , ah, agh, that's quite impossible. Stupid to ask."

Once his request was fulfilled, she next turned to Aragorn. There was silence for a moment. Branches shook, a spider web's glimmering strands swayed in the wind.

"I have nothing greater to give, than the gift you will bear. Take care of her well. She only has me left." She paused, looking out at the river. "But You have your own choice to make, Aragorn, to rise above the height of all your fathers since the days of Elendil, or to fall into darkness with all that is left of your kin."

He nodded. 

"Namárië. Nadath nâ i moe cerich. Dan ú-'eveditham, Elessar." (Farewell. There is much you have yet to do. We shall not meet again, Elessar.)

Aragorn nodded once more, turning away. Galadriel turned to the last of the hobbits, and handed him a crystalline vessel shaped like a teardrop, filling with a clear water and a shining light.

"Farewell, Frodo Baggins. I give you the light of Eärendil, our most beloved star." and kissed him briefly on the forehead. "May it be a light for you, in dark places, when all other lights go out."

Next, she turned to Alena, who grinned up at her grandmother. "I too have nothing to give to you, as you have the greatest gift of all. Cherish it well, my granddaughter. I have taught you well, and I hope you may come out victorious."

You watched as Alena dipped her head, and spoke quietly in return. A tender smile appeared on Galadriel before she turned to the last member of the Fellowship.

You.

"And what will the daughter of the High Valars want?" She spoke within your mind.

"You know what I wish for," You spoke instead, watching her. 

There was a moment before the elf lady acquiesced with a nod of her own. "You have my word, Y/N."

And drew out a compact compass. "For when you lose sight of yourself and of the Fellowship. I hope that this will guide you in the right direction."

"Thank you," You replied, reaching out to grasp it, half in awe.

"Rinn- safelui bar." (Return safely home.)

A paddle splashed loudly into the water. As the Fellowship rows through the river, past the Elves onshore, out onto the river, leaving Lórien behind. White mountains rise starkly beneath blue skies and green trees. In the boats, Gimli talks to Legolas.

"I have taken my worst wound at this parting, having looked my last upon that which is fairest. Haugh, henceforth I will call nothing fair unless it be her gift to me."

"What was it?" The elf smirked from behind you.

"I asked her for one hair from her golden head. She gave me three."

You smiled at the interaction, paddling along. Soon it didn't take long for Legolas to take over the owing. Before long, the Fellowship's boats passed through a canyon. Alena glanced worriedly at Frodo's boat across the water, as she gently rowed hers and Aragorn's boat.

"Frodo, look! The Argonath! Long have I desired to look upon the kings of old. My kin," Aragorn spoke, lifting his head, half-smiled and tapped Frodo on the shoulder.

Two, marble white, majestic statues proudly stood on each side of the Anduin. Their left arms held aloft, their palms facing outwards in a simple gesture of warning. Voices sang out softly in the light.

"Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien. Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta!'" 

(Out of the Great Sea to Middle-Earth I am come. In this place I will abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world!)

"Beautiful statues," You commented, laying back comfortably as Legolas rowed. Alena from your left in agreement.

"They certainly are," The half elf replied.

It didn't take long for the group to disembark on a gravel beach, a spectacular roaring waterfall behind. Boromir looks troubled, as though he was fighting a conflict within him. Frodo skirted around the Captain of the White Tower, looking afraid.

"We cross the lake at nightfall. Hide the boats and continue on foot. We approach Mordor from the north," Aragorn spoke as he carried the items from each boat onto the shore.

Alena and Legolas left the makeshift camp to hunt for any nearby game. You and the hobbits started making camp, a little more cozier than just the dirt and sand for comfort.

"Oh, yes?! It's just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil? An impassable labyrinth of razor sharp rocks! And after that, it gets even better!" Gimli sarcastically replied, dragging the heavier weapons towards where Sam was forming rocks in a circle.

"Frodo, Merry, let us gather wood for the fire," Boromir beckoned the two hobbits away. Frodo's eyes locked onto yours briefly, and all you could recognize was the helplessness, the weight of the evil ring around his neck, and the fear, before he followed after the others.

You shook your head.

"Festering, stinking marshlands, far as the eye can see!" The dwarf continued, although half of the company was gone.

"That is our road. I suggest you take some rest and recover your strength, Master Dwarf." Aragorn drawled.

"Recover my-?! Nooo."

"We could leave now," You suggested, interjecting into the conversation with a shrug.

"No. Orcs patrol the eastern shore. We must wait for cover of darkness." Aragorn argued with a matter of fact tone.

"It is not the eastern shore that worries me. A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind. Something draws near. I can feel it," Your gaze turned towards the dark pine woods, with a dark, brooding statue nestled amongst their needles. "We are not alone."

"Where's Frodo?" Merry piped up, returning with some wood in his arms. 

“Didn't he go with you and Boromir?" You stood up, dusting the dirt off your knees.

"We got split up."

Aragorn turned his gaze toward Boromir's shield laying amongst the rest of his belongings. Then turned to you with that knowing look within his eyes.

Something bad was about to happen. Evil lurked around every crevice and corner.

You cursed loudly, sprinting after Alena and Legolas. Aragorn was hot on your heels, all the while calling for the two.

"Frodo?"

"Frodo?"

"Frodo!" Aragorn called from your right, rushing towards the hobbit. Before him was a high structure on the cliff edge, surrounded by the pines. A stairway ran up through its center, to a seat dwarfed by stone eagles on top.

You hurried to the other side of the hobbit, equally concerned. "Frodo, what happened? Where's Boromir?"

"Huh?! It has taken Boromir." The hobbit looked startled. 

"Where is the Ring, Frodo?" You asked.

"Stay away!" The hobbit scrambled up and retreated from Aragorn, who went after him.

"Frodo, please," The Ranger pleaded. "I swore to protect you!"

"Can you protect me from yourself?!" The hobbit turned back to you and Aragorn, holding the ring upon his palm. "Would you destroy it?"

There was silence as the breeze blew. Slowly, the Ranger approached the hobbit, seemingly entranced by the power of it. You on the other hand, grounded your feet into the ground, refusing to let the evil sway your beliefs.

The power was small, compared to yours, but the promises within still affected you. A trial, you realized a little too late, to test your very being.

Aragorn reached out towards the Ring. With both hands slightly shaking, he closed Frodo's hand over the Ring and pushed it back towards the Hobbit's chest. "I would have gone with you to the end, into the very fires of Mordor."

"I know. Look after the others, especially Sam. He will not understand." He turned to you afterwards, and you nodded in turn.

Suddenly Aragorn straightened up, drawing his sword. "Orcs."

"Go, Frodo. Run." You grabbed your bow and an arrow. "Run!"

Quickly, you and the Ranger ran out from beneath the ruin and found a troop of Uruk-hai advancing.

Briefly, he tapped his sword once to his forehead before charging towards the nearest Uruk-hai.

You drew an arrow, and letting it go to see an Orc fell to it.

"Find the Halflings! Yaggh! Find the Halflings!" One of them chanted. 

"Elendil!" Aragorn yelled, slicing two more out of his away. 

In response, Legolas, Alena, and Gimli ran forward from behind the the ruin. As Legolas shot down several Uruk-hai, Gimli landed blows with his axe. While Alena sliced through multiple with her dual swords, you eagerly shot those that came too close to anyone. 

Across the way, Merry and Pippin hid in a space under some fallen tree trunks, before spying Frodo close to them.

"Frodo!" Merry hissed, gaining the attention of the other hobbit.

"Hide here! Quick! Come on!" Pippin indicated a spot beside him.

Frodo glanced at them, then sadly shook his head.

"What's he doin', Merry?"

"He's leavin'."

"What?! No!" Pippin lept out of his spot and toward where Frodo hid.

"Pippin!"

Soon, both hobbits found themselves out in an open. Several Uruk-hai sprinted down the hill, towards them and brandishing their weapons, teeth bared.

"Run, Frodo! Go!" Merry quietly spoke, before cupping his hands, and shouts louder at the oncoming orcs. "Hey! Hey you! Over here!"

"Hey!"

"Over here!"

"This way!" Pippin jumped up and down, arms flailing around.

As both Hobbits ran away from Frodo, the Uruk-hai troops followed with a loud roar of anger. Taking the chance, Frodo made a break for it, running in the opposite direction.

Back at the hilltop, you, Alena, Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli continued to fight the Uruk-hai. In one smooth move, Legolas stabbed one Uruk with an arrow then shot it out at another. Gimli wielded his axe. As Aragorn stabbed one behind his back, Alena sliced cleanly through another.

In a hurry,, Merry and Pippin ran across an old stone bridge. At its far end, they stopped in horror as the Uruk-hai closed in, both in front and from behind. As an Uruk runs up to them, raising his battleaxe, Boromir came  charging into the mix, roughly knocking the Uruk back, and killing him with his own axe.

Yet more closed in.

"There's too many!" You called, slicing the head off an orc cleanly off its shoulder. Before anyone could respond, three loud horn blasts were heard from down the slope. 

"The horn of Gondor!"

"Boromir!"

Aragorn was the first to run down the slope towards the sound, but numerous Uruks stood between him and Boromir. The Captain sounded the Horn of Gondor again. This time, the Uruks rose their weapons, and charged at Boromir.

"Run, hobbits! Run!" He cried out, slicing through the first of many enemies that came at him. Soon you and the rest of the Fellowship followed in kind, shooting arrows and stabbing through the troops of Uruk-hai in a futile attempt to reach the Captain.

The captain of the Uruk-hai stepped forward from within the safety of his troops, and aimed a black-fletched bow and arrow before letting go.

You briefly closed your eyes, grimacing as you heard the gasp from Boromir, and the thud as he fell to his knees.

Merry stopped in mid-throw of a rock as Boromir, in shock. As the Uruks came closer again once more, Boromir let out a battle cry, rose, and swung his sword at one, who fell.

The Uruk chieftain growled, walking down the slope. He lifted his bow, and shot again, just as Boromir turned to look at him.

A black arrow flew into Boromir's stomach. He dropped to his knees again, gasping. Merry and Pippin still stood in shock, rocks in hand. You heard a scream from beside. Was it Alena?

He dropped his heavy head again, both gasping and panting at the exertion for air. Boromir stared at them for a moment before getting back up, and swung his sword at another Uruk.

 The captain shot at him one last time, in the chest. Boromir fell to his knees, and this time stayed there, swaying a little and blinking, as though he was surprised that this was it. His horn cloven into two. Merry and Pippin watched him, aghast. 

In turn, they took up their swords and attacked the Uruk-hai. "Ahgh!" "For Boromir!

However the Uruk-hai simply lifted them up and carried them off. Merry and Pippin waved their arms frantically. "Help! Help!!!"

The Uruk-hai troop walked away from Boromir, wholooksed on helplessly. The captain stopped before his foe, who defiantly swallowed and glared back.With an ugly snarl,the chieftain pulled his bow back, ready to deliver the final blow.

Instead, you and Legolas both let go of your arrows, one hitting the neck, and the other at the hand. Now angry that his arrow went awry, the Uruk-hai turned to you, not noticing Aragorn until it was too late.

As Aragorn closed in on the Orc and in a flurry of swordplay, sliced his arm off and then stabbed him through the chest. The captain pulled himself up on the sword, closer to Aragorn, snarling in both pain and anger.

You let go of your arrow, watching with narrowed eyes as it hit the forehead. Before the orc could respond, the Ranger pulled his sword out of the Orc, and hacked off the Uruk-hai's head. 

Panting, you and the rest of the Fellowship lowered your weapons. After a brief pause, Aragorn beelined straight for Boromir. "No!"

"Go! Go after them. Aragorn and I will catch up," You turned to the rest, whom swiftly left. Save for Alena, who hesitated, before agreeing with a nod.

Boromir, pale and bloodied, laid on his back. Aragorn kneeled beside Boromir, who grabbed the other's shoulder. "They took the little ones."

"Be still."

"Frodo! Where is Frodo?"

"I let Frodo go."

"Then you did what I could not. I tried to take the Ring from him."

"The Ring is beyond our reach now."

"Forgive me. I did not see it. I have failed you all."

"No, Boromir, you fought bravely! You have kept your honor," You spoke instead, kneeling on the other side of him. Aragorn placed a hand on an arrow protruding from the captain.

"Leave it! It is over. The world of men will fall, and all will come to darkness; and my city to ruin."

"I do not know what strength is in my blood, but I swear to you I will not let the White City fall, nor our people fail!"

"Our people? Our people." He reached for his sword. Instead, you placed the hilt in his hand, and helped Boromir clasp it to his chest. "I would have followed you my Brother, my Captain, my King!"

You placed a hand on his chest, and smiled slightly at Aragorn. "Go on. I'll follow soon."

With a kiss on the captain's forehead, the Ranger straightened up, and followed in the direction after the others.

"Boromir, son of Denethor, Captain of the White Tower," You spoke quietly, grasping his hand in your other. "Listen to me very closely."

"Y/N?" He croaked in confusion.

You leaned into his ear. "You have fought bravely, honorably. For your friends, for your people, for your country, and for Middle Earth. You have done much to keep the peace, and I need someone like you in the future."

You paused.

"Sina na- vamme i tyelde, captain. Ni indóme cen- tye en-. Tenna i lú, phata hendulya ar n- at senda. Ni am i -iel -o i valaina manwë ar vesse varda. Let sina n-.       

(This is not the end, captain. I will see you again. Until the time, close your eyes and be at peace. I am the daughter of the Valar Manwë and his wife Varda. Let this be.)

Boromir's eyes brightened up at the recognition, and looked more at peace atthe words, as though he was guilty for earlier. He squeezed your hand one more time with the last of his waning strength in agreement, before closing his eyes. 

And took his last breath.

N- a captain an men. Yare dagor dagornath, tye are -esse maure, yondo -o denethor.       

(Be a captain for men. When Dagor Dagornath, you are in need, son of Denethor.)

Eats Everything: @asraime @mournthewicked @aspiring-ginger

#legolas #prince legolas #legolas x oc #legolas x reader #legolas greenleaf #lord of the rings #lotr #lotr fanfic #tolkien #this is us #deb writes

[tolkienuntangled]

Fact for Fans #2 - The Tragedy of Lord Elrond

Picture that moment on the shores of the Grey Havens. Picture Frodo, Bilbo, Galadriel, Gandalf, and Elrond standing on that White Ship, and picture them departing Middle Earth in the final minutes of the Third Age. Now I've already done a fun fact about sailing West from the perspective of Bilbo and Galadriel, and I'll certainly write one about Gandalf in the next few days, but today's fun fact is going to focus on Elrond, and I hope to try and untangle what this moment truly means from his perspective.

Now I have to be honest, in my opinion Elrond's character is a little short-changed in Peter Jackson's movies. That's not to say I don't enjoy Hugo Weaving's performance, but I feel that by the power of the butterfly effect, changing Aragorn into a more reluctant king, changed Elrond into a more stern and less sympathetic version of himself. My favourite quotation of Tolkien's, about Elrond, comes from The Hobbit, and it goes: "he was as noble and fair as an elf-lord, as strong as a warrior, as wise as a wizard, as venerable as a king of dwarves, and as kind as summer." Now I'm not sure that Hugo Weaving's Elrond is quite as "kind as summer," in fact I can't think of any Elf in the movies who truly embodies Tolkien's idea of Elven kindness and compassion. They're all a bit too severe.

Anyway the reason I flag this up is because in Tolkien's tales, Elrond is strong, wise, and noble, but he's also warm, and loving, and kind. And these traits lie at the centre of his character. Now the reason that I think Elrond's kindness is so significant, is because it's not something we should automatically take for granted. After all, Elrond's long life is not a particularly happy one. When we think of immortals in Middle Earth we tend to think of timelessness and of preservation, but to an extent, in Elrond's case, he's defined more by the abundance of things that he loses. Yet he's also defined by what he doesn't lose. And he never loses his kindness.

So in order to fully understand this, we're going to have to go back to the very beginning of Elrond's life; right at the end of the First Age. Now Elrond and his twin brother Elros, were born to two very important characters in the Legendarium. And yet neither one of them was a particularly active parent. When Elrond was only two years old, his father Eärendil went off to sea, and Eärendil never saw either of his sons again. Only four years later, when Elrond was six, his home came under attack, and he and his brother were carried off by their attackers. And Elrond's mother Elwing threw herself into the ocean to avoid the same fate. Now technically both Eärendil and Elwing did survive this, Elwing turned into a bird and Eärendil turned into the planet Venus (no joke, things were weird back then), but neither of them ever returned to their children. And for all intents and purposes, Elrond was orphaned when he was only six years old.

Now it wasn't entirely a case of doom and gloom for young Elrond and Elros, as both twins were eventually adopted by the brother of the guys who attacked their home in the first place. But as with many of Elrond's familial relationships, this one didn't last. You see, only forty-nine years later, Elrond's adoptive father, an elf called Maglor, simply disappeared from the annals of history, and his fate remains one of the great mysteries of Tolkien's Legendarium. But we can be sure that he never saw Elrond again. And so for the second time in his relatively short life, Elrond endured the loss of a beloved family member. Which, if you think about it, must be especially traumatic for an immortal!

Anyway, after the loss of Maglor, a new Age began for Elrond. The Second Age. And this was the Age in which Elrond would truly make a name for himself as one of the key players in the fate of Middle Earth. And his twin brother Elros would do the same. But despite the fact that Elrond and Elros came into the world together, they would not leave it together.

So due to a complex web of Elves and Men making babies in Elrond's family tree, both he and Elros were given the choice to either live as Elves, or as Men. Now obviously Elrond chose to be counted as an Elf, and thus he was given an immortal life, but his brother Elros made the opposite choice. He lived as a Man. He lived a (very) long life as a Man, and he ruled as the mightiest King of Men that Arda had ever seen. But he did not live forever. In his five hundredth year of life, Elros gave up the Sceptre of the King, and he allowed himself to die.

Now Elrond certainly isn't the only Elf in the Legendarium to lose a brother. Galadriel loses all three of her brothers in the space of ten years, but they're not gone forever. Usually when an Elf dies, their soul (their fëa) departs to Valinor where it will be held, and judged, and eventually rehoused and set free; to live an afterlife in the Undying Lands. So when Galadriel sails West, she's sailing to be reunited with her brothers. But this isn't the case with Elrond and Elros. Elros chose the fate of Men. His fëa does not depart to Valinor to be rehoused like an elf's, instead it eventually departs Arda entirely. The soul of Elros simply disappears from the world, and his fate is a mystery to all. Such is the Gift of Men. And so even in death, Elrond and Elros will never be reunited. Just like Eärendil, and Maglor, and (possibly) Elwing, and of course Arwen, Elros is lost to Elrond forever.

But Elrond kept on going. He had responsibilities after all, and throughout the Second Age he became a close advisor, and even closer friend, to the Noldor's High King; Gil-galad. In fact throughout all the drama of the forging of the Rings and the first war against Sauron, Elrond became Gil-galad's "vice-regent" in Eriador, the founder of Imladris (Rivendell), and eventually, Gil-galad even bestowed upon Elrond his own Ring of Power - Vilya, the Ring of Air. But once again it did not last. Gil-glad was slain in the War of the Last Alliance, and Elrond was forced to enter the Third Age without him.

However Elrond wasn't entirely alone, and his story is not entirely tragic. You see, in the 109th year of the Third Age, Elrond finally married the love of his life. The Lady Celebrían; the daughter of Galadriel and Celeborn. And Elrond and Celebrían represent one of the happiest Elven unions in the Legendarium. At least for a while. Celebrían inherited from her mother the Elessar, the Elfstone, the same stone that would eventually be given to Aragorn. And this is a beautiful detail, because the original Elessar was first given to Elrond's father by his grandmother, so it's a really lovely family heirloom. And together, in this period of peace, Elrond and Celebrían build a really lovely family.

First Celebrían gave birth to the twin hunters Elladan and Elrohir, and then 111 years later, she gave birth to Elrond's beloved daughter, Arwen Undómiel. And for the next two and a half thousand years, everything was wonderful. Well I mean, the Witch-king did his thing in Angmar, and there was a terrible plague, also Uruk-hai were invented at this time, but in Rivendell, between Elrond and Celebrían, all was good.

Until it wasn't.

So in the year 2509 of the Third Age, tragedy struck Elrond once again. In this year, Celebrían made the journey from her home in Rivendell to her parent's home in Lothlórien, (a journey she'd done many times before), but on this occasion something terrible happened.

Whilst crossing the Misty Mountains, Celebrían was waylaid and captured by orcs of the Redhorn Pass. And Celebrían suffered misery and torture at their hands, which forever changed her. She was tormented and she was poisoned by the orcs, but they did not allow her to die. Instead they kept her prisoner in their dens, and her spirit was broken.

Now from the orcs' perspective this was probably the most foolish thing they could possibly have done, because by torturing Celebrían they'd brought upon themselves the unbridled wrath of not only Elrond, but of his sons Elladan and Elrohir. And so with a magnificent fury, the twins rode up into the mountains, and we can only assume that they would have slaughtered every single orc in that Pass. And when Lord Elrond found his wife, he freed her, and he held her, and he healed her body, but he could not heal her spirit or her mind. The torment was simply too great.

The following year, Celebrían's despair of life had grown so great that she departed Middle Earth, and she sailed away, leaving her husband and her children behind her. And for Celebrían and her daughter Arwen, this would mark the final time they'd ever meet.

So let's fast forward now back to that moment on that ship at the end of the Third Age, where Elrond and the other ring-bearers prepared for their own departure. We know that this was a bittersweet moment for Elrond, after all he was not only leaving his realm of Imladris behind him, but also all three of his children. Even at the very end, Elrond had one more great loss to endure.

So as we all know, Arwen faced the same choice that Elrond and Elros faced all those years ago, and just like Elros, Arwen chose a mortal life. She was blessed with love and happiness, but she was doomed to be parted from her father forever. Just like with Elros, even in death, Elrond would never see his daughter again. Nor would he ever meet his grandson. And this is made even more poignant, because not only does Elrond lose his daughter, but he loses Aragorn, an orphan not unlike himself, who he'd adopted and raised just as Maglor adopted and raised him. And we don't know the fates of Elrond's sons, but we know that for a long while they too remained in Middle Earth, sundered from their father, and perhaps they too chose a mortal life, and they too were lost to Elrond forever.

So picture yourself in Elrond's position. Picture yourself looking back towards the East, as the White Ship sails into the West. Imagine all the things that Elrond is losing, and all the people he will never see again. But now imagine Elrond turning around and looking forward. Looking west. Imagine that bittersweet emotion as the lands of his children disappear behind him, and he faces the direction of his wife. The direction of Celebrían. For although Elrond had so much to lose by leaving Middle Earth, there was someone waiting for him on the other side. After more than five hundred years apart, in the West, Elrond would find Celebrían. And after a lifetime of losing that which he'd loved, he'd finally be reunited with that love which he'd lost.

From the perspective of a more prideful character this may seem like a sad ending, but from Elrond's perspective I don't think it is. I find that from this perspective, Elrond is an incredibly optimistic character. More so than most Elves, he'd experienced permanent loss many times over, and yet he never loses his kindness. Perhaps at the end of all things, Elrond is not defined by who he lost in Middle Earth, but by who he found again in the Undying Lands.

So, thank you all for reading. Over the course of this year’s lockdown I’ve been working on a series of Tolkien themed YouTube videos called Tolkien Untangled. So far I’ve uploaded 10 episodes explaining the beginning of the Simarillion, the Beginning of Days, and the tale of Fëanor and the Silmarils. I’ve also released four episodes about the differences between the Lord of the Rings books and movies, and I’m currently releasing a weekly series of Tolkien lore videos. So check out Tolkien Untangled on YouTube if you’d like to learn more.

Thanks again everyone. Much love and stay groovy ❤️

#Tolkien #Elrond #Elves #galadriel #lord of the rings #silmarillion #jrr tolkien #sad #numenor #unfinished tales

[morwensteelsheen]

lmao just saying the words “royal affair AU” scratched such an itch in my brain that

In the year 3018 of the Third Aga, Arwen Undomiel, the Evenstar of her people, sailed to the Undying Lands. In the year 3019, the One Ring was destroyed, Aragorn, son of Arathorn was crowned King Elessar Telcontar outside the gates of Minas Tirith, reuniting the great kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor. In the year 3020, he wed Lady Éowyn, the Wraithslayer, younger sister of King Éomer of Rohan. Faramir, son of Denethor II, was made Prince of Ithilien and retained the Stewardship of Gondor, becoming an invaluable ally to Elessar as he worked to establish himself as ruler.

The early years of the reign of King Elessar were glorious. The receding of the Shadow in the East brought brightness into lands untouched by light for centuries. The people of Gondor, who had for so long cried out for the return of their King, were blessed with a good and decent man to rule them. He worked hard to restore the Kingdom to a level of glory befitting such an ancient and beloved land, and was aided in his efforts by his Steward, loved by all, and his Queen, loved by the people.

Soon, Elessar’s ambitions turned to the East and to the South. The lands that had once been Gondor’s by right had been stolen by tribes of barbarous men, men who had allied themselves with the Enemy in the War of the Ring. Desiring to give Gondor all that it deserved, the good King elected to ride forth to these lands and reclaim them for their rightful owners.

The King was beloved and trusted for his acts of valour in the struggle against the Enemy, and so was unopposed in his imperial ambitions. Unopposed by all except one.

The Lord Steward, Prince Faramir of Ithilien, was a man for whom war had little allure. In his past life, he had fought not for a love of war but for a love of Gondor, and saw that Gondor’s problems — lessened though they were by the labours of the King — would not be improved by the expansion of her territory. Privately, he expressed his concerns to the King, but privately he stood alone. In the first year of the Fourth Age, King Elessar and the Army of Gondor rode forth to Harondor, intending not to return until the desert land was reclaimed in full.

Prince Faramir, whose flaws laid in his imprudent idealism and a predilection for self-enforced isolation, harboured a terrible secret. Since the moment Lady Éowyn of Rohan had stood before him in those uncertain days after the Pelennor, her arm bound in a sling and her face bruised and battered, demanding a room that faced Eastwards, he had been hopelessly, desperately in love with her. She had, for however unaware of it she may have been, been crucial to his healing. When he had learned the truth of his father’s betrayal, it had been by her stern and unwavering hand that he was pulled back from the brink. Thereafter, it was by her grace and her grace alone that he had maintained his connection to the world around him.

When she wed King Elessar, he swore that he would never marry. He was the last, broken son of a broken house, and he would not prolong his ancestral misery by postponing the end of his line. He would fulfil his duty to the King until the end of his days, and then he would pass to the Halls of Mandos hoping that he had restored some dignity to his kin.

In Minas Tirith, now Minas Anor, the Queen of Gondor (who did not hold power in her husband’s absence, for it passed instead to the Lord Steward) began her long months of solitude. Éowyn of Rohan was a woman not unaccustomed to the pain of loneliness and had, in her youth, been condemned to the miserable fate of watching her King uncle and country fall into a mean dotage at the hands of a servant of the fallen wizard. Éowyn of Gondor, older and more powerful, was no less a stranger to loneliness than her past self.

Her love for then-Lord Aragorn had been an earnest love, and it was her desolation at his rejection that sent her forth to the Pelennor Fields where she slew the Lord of the Nazgûl, and the promise of his love that had drawn her from her sickbed in the Houses of Healing and into the light of the new day. Their wedding had been a joyous occasion, a moment of triumphant happiness among many others at the end of the War. But Éowyn soon found that she had desired the love of Aragorn, not King Elessar, and that the life of a Queen was not the life she desired.

She was well loved by her people, who saw her courage and her strength and took comfort in it. In turn, she took comfort in them and became their champion, which was well for she lacked friends and allies elsewhere. The court of Minas Tirith did not take well to the young Rohir interloper, seeing her slaying of the Black Captain not as the single greatest martial act of the Ring War, but as an unwomanly and unseemly abdication of her duty to her people. They could not shun her, for she was the Queen, but they did not elect to make her as welcome among them as they did her husband. Her drawing rooms, when they were filled, were filled not by friends but by those who sought to curry political favour with her husband by appeasing her. She, who had grown up in the shadow of the fell manipulations of a snake, knew all too well what it was they aimed to do, but could do naught to prevent it, so weak was her power.

Her sole friend, the first friend she had made upon waking from her cry for death in the War, was Prince Faramir. When Elessar ruled from the White City, the fair Prince resided at the seat of his house in Emyn Arnen, across the Anduin in wild Ithilien. In those days, she dwelt in seclusion in the Palace of Kings. When Elessar rode out to Harondor, the Prince returned by law to Minas Tirith, taking up the white rod and ruling on behalf of his King. Upon his arrival, the Queen’s life became, however briefly, less desolate.

Their friendship was based, beyond having a shared healer, on mutual admiration and respect. It was not in the ways of those of Gondor to argue with those who outranked them (and oftentimes those who did not) but Queen Éowyn had had little time for such mores, even when she had been simply Lady Éowyn. For Prince Faramir, who was little impressed by simpering acquiescence, the Queen was company unparalleled by any in the Kingdom, particularly since the death of his beloved elder brother.

They found many things to argue about: she, a true daughter of the Rohirrim, saw little of concern in what the Prince labelled the King’s ‘reckless expansionism’, while he, a son of Númenor, was slow to recognise the merits of the simpler lives led in Rohan. In the first few months of Elessar’s reign, their arguments were just that: arguments. As the months passed into years, their arguments, though rarely changed in topic, became something more. When the Queen argued for the single bed-chamber arrangements of the Royal Apartments in Meduseld, her words were not about efficiency or aesthetics, but a confession that it had been many months since the King had last visited her bed. When Prince Faramir complained about the valorisation of war, he was admitting that he wished that his character had stood up in her eyes to the character of the King.

King Elessar remained in Harondor for half a year. During those six months, the Queen and the Steward forged a harmonious accord in the White City. She told him she had grown bored with the indolence of a Queen’s duties, and he had taken it upon himself to show her how to manage the running of the City. It was, they both reasoned when challenged on it, just good sense. The Steward could hardly be expected to maintain the affairs of the City, the Kingdom, and his own princedom to a high standard of excellence if he could not accept assistance. The Queen took well to her new portfolio, enjoying it all the more for the opportunity it gave her to escape the oppressive walls of the Citadel and be amongst people who loved her for her bravery, not hated her for her foreignness. When, in the evenings, she returned to the uppermost echelons of the City, she was greeted with good conversation by the Lord Steward, who, with each passing day, pursued her counsel with greater and greater frequency.

In time, their conversations turned from the political to the personal. Both had been raised in homes where candour had been a liability, and so were equally restrained in what they revealed. At first, their speech lingered in the shallow: complaints about especially egregious lords, jibes about their pernicious wives. One month before the return of the King, when the Queen had been subjected to a particularly nasty castigation for her failure to yet produce an heir, she had sought out Prince Faramir to bear witness to her righteous and desolate anger.

The King returned and all was well. The City and realm had been well maintained in his absence, and Prince Faramir once again crossed the Anduin to his home in Emyn Arnen. In the daytime, the Queen returned to her solar, and in the nighttime, to her empty bed.

For a year, the King remained in Minas Anor, the southern border having been secured with some success. For a year, Queen Éowyn foundered, alone yet again but now haunted by the memory of the days when she had felt not quite so lonely and inert. The whispers in the court worsened. She was barren, they said, because she had been touched by the Black Captain. A suitable punishment for a deserter, but not a punishment deserved by the people of Gondor, and not at the hands of the northern barbarian.

For months she endured the gossip with the silent temerity that had kept her alive under the tyranny of the Worm. Then the news came, at the second Mettarë of the Fourth Age, that conflict had broken out in Harondor once more. The Haradrim had pushed through to the River Poros and now threatened the south of Ithilien. The King, eager to establish the might of his crown, prepared to ride to war once more.

The Queen, who had been told enough times that she was nearing the end of her child-bearing years to believe it, but not enough to pin her self-worth to it, swallowed her pride for her duty to her country. She sought out a private audience with her husband, and spoke the words to him that she had hoped she would never need speak aloud. She did not ask for his love, she did not ask him to turn away from Undomiel, but she did ask him to give her the life she deserved. She could be his Queen and his wife without having his love — that, she had made her peace with long ago — but she could not bear to live a life marked out as a failure.

King Elessar, who was ever a good and honourable man, and who loved his Queen as he loved his people, saw sense in her logic. In the warm spring evening, he took her to bed, and did so every night until, a fortnight later, he marched through the gates of Minas Anor to the far south.

The Prince returned, and with unpracticed elegance they fell into their old routine, she managing the City and he managing the realm. She listened with pleasure of the progress of the rebuilding of Ithilien, imagining (for she had never seen it) the great green glades and verdant fens, the cool, clear burns and the ancient, soaring trees. The house at Emyn Arnen, finally completed, now had a guest house fit for the Queen and King, should they ever desire to pass through. With her hand on her belly — a belly that had not grown or curved since the King’s departure — she teased Prince Faramir about the emptiness of his house, how he ought to fill such a magnificent place with a doting wife and lively children. He demurred, dodging the question with an artful grace whose implication she knew well.

The war persisted, and Steward and Queen did their duty to their King. In spite of the acute demands of yet another extended conflict, Queen Éowyn found herself happy. She rose early and well rested, spent her day among her people, making tangible impacts on the lives of those who she had sworn herself to protect, and returned each evening to the care and company of Prince Faramir. They had made a habit of meeting on neutral ground, taking their dinner and their late night conversation within the state rooms of the Tower of Ecthelion to safeguard against any accusations of impropriety. As the weeks passed and the strength of their working relationship was reestablished, they met instead in the Queen’s apartments, which were both more comfortable and more private.

There, as a levee breaking after a terrible storm, the personal flooded out. She admitted her desperation to fulfil her duty and bear the King’s heir; he confessed his indignant anger that the King had provoked a war with the Harardrim it now seemed they could not win. She spoke of missing her brother, of her guilt at her actions in the war, he spoke of the night terrors that plagued him, of the knife and the blaze.

In the third month of the King’s campaign in the south, when Éowyn could deny no longer that she had not yet fallen pregnant, and found that the thought filled her with relief, not desolation as she expected, she knew there was something more she needed to admit to herself. It had been a long time since she desired to be a Queen, but now she desired another man’s love.

#e writes #farawyn #trying to not make Aragorn look like a douche despite What I Want To Do #incomplete draft