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Alas, we are but King and Queen of the May. And tomorrow will come to strip us of our crowns.

Chris Pine and Florence Pugh in OUTLAW KING (2018) dir. David Mackenzie

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𝙹𝚞𝚕𝚢 𝟷𝟸, 𝟷𝟿𝟷𝟸 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙳𝚒𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝙾𝚏 𝙵𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚣 𝙺𝚊𝚏𝚔𝚊, 𝟷𝟿𝟷𝟺-𝟷𝟿𝟸𝟹

[ID: July 12. Her face shone with so much intelligence that I found myself looking excitedly at her for several minutes. Something moved me when I looked at her. END ID]

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Your mother loved you. More than anyone, more than life.

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It's just -- !!!!!

I think generally there will always be an association of literacy as a mark of intelligence, and Éomer himself once said that he possessed no great knowledge of the "deep matters" aka he's sort of associating the more political and philosophical reasonings as a mark of intelligence, but his speech patterns are so very thoughtful and learned in their own way! They hint so much of a rich background rooted heavily in music and meter. They are poetry--- the sound of thunderous hoofbeats joining as one rallying cry, the reach of the tall grasses stretching ever upward to the sky. They evoke a sense of the salt of the earth, the importance of kinship and belonging, a great passion, and undying loyalty. He knows what words will ring true to people's hearts and inspire them to keep going when all they have had is loss.

There is, in his words, all of who he is--- all of who his people are. It really is such an interesting thing to think about and explore with him. He's much more learned then perhaps he gives himself credit for. And it's there in the beating of his heart that manifests in the meter of and choice of his words.

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‘Lord, hear me!’ he said. ​‘Now we feel the per­il that we were warned of. Have we rid­den forth to vic­to­ry, only to stand at last amazed by an old liar with hon­ey on his forked tongue? So would the trapped wolf speak to the hounds, if he could. What aid can he give to you, for­sooth? All he desires is to escape from his plight. But will you par­ley with this deal­er in treach­ery and mur­der? Remem­ber Théo­dred at the Fords, and the grave of Háma in Helm’s Deep!’

(dedicated to @eomer // 'a whole decade!' celebration!)

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Also, I'm on ACOSF, and I just need to say how much I love Emerie, Gwyn, and Nesta.

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I'm still having brain rot for this concept of the Wood-elves choosing not to sail and staying in Middle-earth until they fade into the Fae. I've talked quite a bit about this for Thranduil's end, but I want to get a little more into Tauriel's progression throughout the Third and Fourth Age.

I'll start with the Battle of the Five Armies.

First, whilst I throw out a lot in the BOTFA film pertaining to Thranduil's character (i.e. he isn't war mongering as the film suggests), I DO still keep the fight between Tauriel and Thranduil and I DO still keep Thranduil's banishment of Tauriel.

Tauriel's banishment comes from her leaving the Woodland Realm despite Thranduil's orders (which, really, she already left and didn't know about the orders in the first place, but I'll get to that). The fight she has with her King is born out of the very common theme we see over and over again in Middle-earth: will you go beyond your own realm to protect others and, therefore, the world itself, or not? Tauriel makes the choice to leave because her belief is that if she protects other folk and realms, she is also protecting her own kin. Thranduil holds the position to shield his kin, a decision directly related to Thranduil's own grief over the loss of his kin and home over the ages. Book Thranduil is also highly opposed to fighting, hoping instead for reconciliation before it leads to deadly blows, and though Thranduil makes the call for the Elves to be first to charge in the Battle of the Five Armies, he sees the consequence of that (death) and calls back his forces. Tauriel wishes to fight, and both she and Thranduil make these decisions out of their own belief that it is protecting their own.

So when the Battle is over, where does this leave Tauriel? She has defied her King not only in belief and actions, but also right in front of other Elves in the Woodland Guard. And I think there is an opening for reconciliation between the two, for Tauriel's eyes have been opened to Thranduil's grief and why he has made decisions to protect his kin. On the flip side, Thranduil, who knows Sauron has returned, realizes the Woodland Realm cannot be protected without going beyond the forest (just like Oropher realized this in ages past). However, it's still a messy situation.

I had mentioned in an earlier headcanon that Tauriel temporarily leaves the Woodland Realm after the Battle to observe other realms and what shadows or hints of shadows may also be out there. I still think she does. I think she needs to leave for herself. She needs to understand and process the losses of the battle, her place in the world, and if there are signs of darkness rising elsewhere. Though leaving can help her with these things, she also initially believes she has no choice. She knows of her banishment and she knows that defying her King is not going to win her favors. And so, she takes her leave. At first, she spends quite a bit of time helping with the rebuilding of Dale. Only when Dale is recovered does she go elsewhere.

Tauriel remains Out There until the capture of Gollum, in which she takes part. She returns to the Woodland Realm with Aragorn and Gollum, and whilst Aragorn leaves, Tauriel remains. She is granted a return by Thranduil, for he knew that Tauriel was already gone before he had given the orders of lockdown all those years ago. She is reinstated as Captain of the Woodland Guard.

With the knowledge she has gained, she takes part in questioning Gollum, and uses what she has learned to train the Woodland Guard for a War she understands is coming. She fights in the Battle of Dol Guldor, led by Thranduil. Her part in the War of the Ring is a part that abolishes Sauron's attempt to get a foothold in the Northern part of Middle-earth (for if Sauron had that victory in the North, he could have surrounded Gondor in the South at all sides).

In the Fourth Age, as I have previously mentioned, there is a large portion of Wood-elves who stay and fade. This is due largely to the Wood-elves way of life, which is supremely connected to the forest. Tauriel stays, for she is part of a long line of Wood-elves who had rejected the invitation of the Valar. She knows only the love of Middle-earth and has no desire to leave it. Some of the Elves in Lothlórien come to live in the Woodland Realm, also, and Tauriel lives in company with them.

Tauriel will eventually fade into (essentially) an extension of the forest. The forest fae, if you will! She may maintain the outward appearance that we understand her as in the films for pretense only (perhaps to lure you into the forest or to gain trust), but if you were to look at her through a hagstone, she would be nothing more than a conglomeration of the forest--- leaves for hair, bark for limbs, vines and moss for "clothes", etc.

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I know I have not been here, and I do apologize. <3 IRL things have really worn me down and made me hide in reading and fanfic writing where I can.

But I'm coming on here to say that I've been reading the ACOTAR series for the first time (yes, I know, I'm late and it IS odd I haven't read a fae book series but here we are), and I really just wanted to say that I was heavily invested in the Suriel to the point where I was like getting nudged to write here again and maybe even add the Suriel whom Feyre talks to....

And then chapter 60 of ACOWAR happened and I'm distraught.

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Karl Urban as Eomer THE LORD OF THE RINGS: The Two Towers (2002) dir. Peter Jackson

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Casually crawling onto the dash because I'm presently reading Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands, and running true to form with my reactions whilst reading Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, I have been consumed by thoughts of Fourth Age Thranduil (who does not sail, see here and here) turning into full on Fae. (Additional Fae adjacent discussions here and here)

In taking Galadriel's foretelling of what will happen to the Elves should they not sail (i.e. fading into a rustic folk slowly to forget and be forgotten), I just think it fits! Let Thranduil be entirely consumed by the forest until he is a projection of it-- made of branches and moss and vine-like fingers with leaves as hair and eyes as deep and dark as the forest. I will not stop thinking about it!

And not only that but like....

The concept of Thranduil Never Being Able to Forget about what happened at Mordor (and also being one of the very few who believed Sauron would one day return) eventually fading into remembering None of It. Like... I do think that this would be the only way he could rest. Sailing wouldn't give him that peace, or at least, he does not believe it will. The only way he can find peace is to let the forest completely fold into him until he is a projection of it.

ANYWAY, these books make me think of Thranduil constantly.

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He had seen the horror of Mordor and could not forget it.

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If you see this you’re legally obligated to reblog and tag with the book you’re currently reading

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The Priory of the Orange Tree, Samantha Shannon // Clockwork Princess, Cassandra Clare

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« Have you forgotten what happened to Dale? Have you forgotten those who died in the firestorm? »

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@therapardalis sent: 🥂💋 [Bard - let's get this party started!]

The ever present damp chill, amplified by the clear sky, persisted on the Long Lake this night. The stars winked down upon the people, and the moonlight glossed the lake in light. On any other night, it would have been a sign to stay in, curled up in whatever blankets or furs were afforded to the people of the Lake. But on this night, most of the people were out, passing out mulled wine for warmth and spirits.

Even the Master of the Lake seemed more tolerable, as evidenced by his turning the other way to such protocols pertaining to curfew and noise. After all, the loudest amongst the masses were the Master's band trumpeting on into all hours of the night.

Bard navigated his way through the gathering crowd that began to huddle in pairings. His boots were heavy upon the wet, wooden boards, and yet he moved with a level of agility that could only come with repeated travel on these floating walkways. He nodded to those who called out to him as he passed-- some in slightly inebriated jeers over whether he had any prophecies to give for the new year, whilst others were more truehearted wishes.

"Are you still glad to be on the Lake tonight?" Bard asked, slipping in next to Thera. At that precise moment, several of the musicians played off key, causing him to wince slightly before the gentleness appeared across his face. "Even when the Master's band is no Elvish entertainment?" Despite the lines that etched along his brow and eyes--- a gift from the harsh living conditions--- there was mirth and warmth there. "Thera, I--"

All around them, the people of the Lake began their countdown from ten. The sea of the crowd swelled, bumping Bard closer to Thera as his arms wrapped around her. Any such hope for exchanging words were lost now, for the countdown grew louder and louder and the band braced themselves for a grand finale.

And so, Bard simply lifted a hand to Thera's face, his thumb sweeping gently across her cheekbone.

3...2....1.... Happy New Year!

As the band trumpeted out their song, Bard leaned in, pressing a kiss to Thera's lips. "Happy New Year, Thera," he whispered by her ear, grazing kisses there, too.