#gwindor son of adrahil

[anghraine]

While I'm being self-indulgent (is Self-Indulgent Sunday a thing?) wrt the Aranor (f!Aragorn/f!Faramir) fics/verse, some of my favorite details that have yet to appear in the fics:

—Andreth (f!Denethor) had a much more complicated path to the Stewardship than in canon and was the first woman to ever rule Gondor in her own right. In a case of extreme dramatic irony, Andreth's successful fight for the Stewardship helped pave the way for Aranor to become the first Ruling Queen.

—Andreth married relatively late in life for a first marriage. Although her marriage to the much-younger Gwindor of Dol Amroth was forwarded by both their families, they were passionately devoted to each other. But Gwindor longed for the sea of his home and wasted away in Minas Tirith, under the shadow of Mordor. (I particularly enjoy the reversal here, ngl.)

—Andreth refuses to leave Minas Tirith when she sensibly evacuates most of the other women and children, including her daughter and last surviving heir, Míriel (f!Faramir). Before Míriel's departure, Andreth places her in charge of the evacuees and instructs her to take up the Stewardship and lead their people to Gondor's refuges should Minas Tirith fall.

—The Northern Dúnedain have long prided themselves on the unbroken father-to-son line of the heirs of Isildur. But Arathorn dies leaving only a daughter, Aranor, far too young to forward her claim as heir of Isildur. The N. Dúnedain are inclined to pass the heirship to the nearest patrilineal male relation, ideally one already grown—until Elrond intercedes on toddler Aranor's behalf and takes on her care.

—When Aranor, a lean, greying, middle-aged woman, arrives in Gondor at the head of the army of the Dead and leads the defeat of the Corsairs, the southern Gondorians are grateful but also a bit "bzuh?" That was definitely not on their fantasy bingo cards.

—Even without an Aragorn/Arwen situation (Aranor's love is real but unrequited), Elrond comes to Gondor to see Aranor—as beloved as his natural daughters—become Queen Elessarnë. He ends up having a very kind talk with Míriel, who faces an uncertain future even as she still dreams of Númenor.

—Speaking of the unrequited Aranor/Arwen, Aranor is so used to loving Arwen in a very fairy-tale kind of way that she herself doesn't realize her feelings have shifted until well after the fact, and later, when she realizes she's in love with Míriel, it seems natural to assume this will also be unrequited. (Pining. This is a verse for pining.)

#anghraine babbles #genderbending #fic talk #fic talk: aranor #long post #andreth daughter of ecthelion #aranor #gwindor son of adrahil #míriel daughter of gwindor #otp: love was kindled