#prince lorien

[thefoilguy]

Prince Lothric and Lorien from Dark Souls 3 - Aluminum Foil Sculpture

[sesamenom]

Aragorn and Arwen taking a walk through Minas Tirith (she's venting about how maglor disappeared again right before el&el were going to drag him to valinor)

(Aragorn has a very good fashion sense, if he was a Noldorin ambassador living in Numenor during the Late Elros Era. Arwen is also very stylish for early Doriathrim royalty. The rest of Gondor got used to it eventually.)

[lotrthobbit]

Dwarf Princess 

Haldir x Dwarf!Reader

Warning: prejudice from elves against dwarves, angst, happy ending

a/n: For the sake of this story many things were changed in the original, also this has been in my drafts for about a year lol.

Deep within the forests where the birds sang surrounding a beautiful dwarf whom sat against a tree staring at her dear uncle chatting amongst the humans and the hobbits and his new frenemy, Legolas, the prince of Mirkwood.

She would not lie that he was pleasant site, he stood tall with long beautiful hair that fell down his back and broad shoulders that carried a head with a beautiful face adorned to it.

" Y/n" called Uncle Gimli. She got up from her seat and walked towards him," Yes uncle ? " she asked.

" What's got ya sitting by all your lonesome."

" Just thinking."

Legolas smiled at her and placed his hand upon her head, ruffling her hair as she pouted.

" Do not fret, we will soon pass over and then you can sleep peacefully on a bed." She smiled at him at the last word, bed. Oh how she longed to lay on a soft and fluffy bed, Do not get her wrong, she loved the great outdoors but she missed the comfort of her very own bed and the fluffy blankets that kept her toes warm and the morning cup of tea her mother would make her.

" I just hope we get there soon, even if it is just for a night."

" Well Lass, one more night in the woods will not kill ya." replied Gimli as he chucked. She sat down near the fire, feeling the bitter cold nip at her fingertips.

" At this point I feel like the cold will kill me before the orcs do." She chuckled as she looked up to see Legolas hand her some Lembas bread.

" Eat little one we have a journey ahead of us tomorrow."

" I AM A GROWN ADULT !" she huffed before golfing down the bread and beginning to set her cot near the fire. Legolas chuckled, he had grown quite close to y/n, he saw her as a little sister, after all it was her first journey and he felt a need to always protect her, that and her fascination of elves as he recalled their first encounter.

.

.

. flashback.....

" Uncle Gimli, look it is an elf."

" aye aye lass, be careful, they lack coordination and are coy."

Legolas chuckled to himself as he stood tall in front of the dwarf.

" funny for someone who can not even see over the table."

" Why you !!" That began the bickering friendship between the two while y/n was full of questions.

" how tall are you ?! What is your diet ?! Are all elves blonde ?! Where do you reside?!"

Legolas had never been asked so many questions in his life as of right at that moment.

.

.

.

end of flashback....

Gimli looked at his niece, she was in deep sleep.

" She is quite tall for a dwarf." Said Legolas.

" Aye..I believe her father was a human, although my sister never shared anything of it."

He nodded understanding that the topic was sensitive.

" Ill take first watch." said Legolas before Gimli turned around and said," What do yah think I am not capable of-"

" My friends there is no need to argue.." Aragorn spoke trying to defuse the situation.

.

.

.

The next morning was filled with dread, everyone was tired and the cold and hard ground did not aid their back pain. They simply longed for a warm home filled with delicious foods of all kind.

Aragron had pushed them to continue walking for hours without breaks or even lunch. Their stomachs were grumbling and the mud was piling on their feet making them feel as if the world was weighing them down.

" This is where Lothlorien should be." said Legolas as they continued trekking into the woods. It was foggy and ominous, nothing like the rumors that have spoken about the beauty of it. Legolas himself shared some stories he often heard as a small child about it.

"Daro !" spoke a voice commanding from the trees above. They all stopped as Legolas whispered to them to standstill and to not move a single muscle.

"who are they ?" whispered Frodo. " They are elves." replied Sam. Despite the fear in the other hobbits and even Uncle Gimli, Y/n could not help but feel excitement bubble up in her stomach, although she was also weary, perhaps they may not take a liking that they are stepping within their domain.

An elf dropped down in front of Legolas smiling, "Welcome!" They all looked around, they were surrounded by the elves pointing their arrows in case one wrong move was taken. " How many are there of you ?" asked an elf, Y/n's eyes widened as she stared at the elf before her, sure Legolas was beautiful but he, he was simply gorgeous, he stood tall and proud. Legolas replied with," myself, four hobbits, two men, and two dwarves."

" two Dwarves ?!" yelled the dwarf. " Is the woman a dwarf ?!" he questioned taking in her appearance, she was a beauty despite the mud on her clothes and the matted braids on her head, but she still radiated despite that.

" I can not let the dwarves pass." he declared, Frodo had done his best to try to reason with him, but another elf whispered in his ear that the Lady was expecting them. The elf presented himself as Haldir, he continued to explain that he would have to blindfold them in order to be taken to the Lady, whom was expecting them and turned to look at the dwarves, " keep a close eye on them."

Despite the beauty of Haldir, Y/n was hurt at his words, how could he say such cruel things when she had not done anything to hurt his trust. She pouted, but soon widened her eyes as she saw her uncle beginning to unsheath his axe and yell at the elves.

" We are not spies !" yelled Uncle Gimli, Y/n grabbed his wrist as she noticed the elves beginning to take aim.

" Uncle Gimli, we are on their land, we must abide by their rules and customs out of respect, the same way they would in our home." Haldir glanced at y/n she seemed uncomfortable with the accusation as she stared down at her feet rubbing her arm and tried to keep herself from looking at him.

he cleared his throat and put his axe away," very well."

As they began to be blindfolded, y/n could not help but hold her breath. She felt the cool fingers of Haldir push her hair behind her ears, his breath fanning her face as his arms came around to tie the cloth around her head and cover her pretty eyes. He questioned her lineage considering she was almost the size of an average human woman, but still quite a short stature. He grabbed her hand gently and began to lead her, unbeknownst to her, the rest of the company followed by grabbing onto a rope.

After some time, y/n felt the blindfold being removed, the sight before her left her speechless. The trees were tall and beautiful, the sun casting a beautiful glow within the forest, the air felt clear and pure, the aura of Lothlorien was unmatched. It was truly a sight.

" Lady Galadriel knows of your presence, you may wander freely." said Haldir.

As y/n began to walk away Haldir grabber her wrist," my apologies, my lady, can I perhaps show you something ?" He found himself bewildered that he even let his curiosity get the best of him, he wanted to find out more about her, he was also blinded by her beauty.

She nodded and followed closely behind, what choice did she have, he was holding her wrist afterall. From a distance, Legolas held Gimli back and smiled as the two ventured off somewhere else.

" Will you let me go you imprudent fool, that idiot is running off with me nice !" yelled Gimli

" now now, Sir Gimli, let your niece live her youth, she is a young woman afterall, she can make her own decisions." Said Aragorn.

.

.

y/n and Haldir reached a large tree. He let go of her hand and climbed up then looked back down to offer his hand towards her. She smiled and took it as he helped her up the tree.

" Is there something you wanted to show me ?" asked y/n.

" Look ahead."

There she gasped as she the vast land of Lorien, the beautiful light casting on the land, the calm waters and the beauty of nature.

" It is so beautiful." she said as she smiled and felt the wind tickle her cheeks. He stared at her mesmerized by the light in her y/e/c eyes," yes, it is."

She felt herself blush as she turned around to make eye contact with him. " Sir, Haldir, um...."

" just Haldir is fine."

" Haldir, may I ask, why did you want to show me this ?"

".. I...I don't know, I felt compelled to, as if we were destined to see this together." said Haldir.

Her eyes widened as she stared into the blue eyes of Haldir both leaning in, " Lass get down here this instant !" she felt herself almost slip if it weren't for Haldir wrapping his arm against her waist. He then held her and jumped down from the tree.

He landed in front of Gimli and Legolas," Watch yer step !" yelled Gimli as he tumbled back onto his bum.

" y/n/n, you just met this elf and you're already run off and been seduced ?! " yelled Gimli, causing y/n cheeks to turn a crimson red and stomp her feet," Uncle Gimli, I am not a child anymore ! And I am not being seduced ! Hmph." She walked away as Gimli tried to go after her but Legolas held him back sighing as he whispered to Haldir to leave at once before Gimli turned his attention to him.

It did not take long for them to meet again as a small feast was being held. They offered her a change of clothing, a beautiful lavender dress which she had not worn one since she left. She felt comfortable being freshly bathed and groomed. She had long waited to wash her hair and many of the Elven ladies helped comb and braid her hair which had grown throughout the journey. She sat next to her uncle at the table excited to eat, the seat in front of her was taken by no other than Haldir.

" You look beautiful " complimented Haldir, Y/n looked down at her lap and felt her cheeks flush as she thanked him for the compliment.

"tch." Gimli was angry at the interaction his young niece was smitten someone, an elf at that.

but that all changed when he laid his eyes on Lady Galadriel, she truly was a beauty and the air around her seemed to glow as she welcome them. The company could not help but laugh at seeing his cheeks turn red when she spoke to him.

" What was that about being seduced uncle ?" chuckled y/n. Haldir smiled to himself as he stared at her smile.

The feast went on smoothly, many retreating to their sleeping arrangements. Y/n spoke to Lady Galadriel briefly and she spoke about loving someone, y/n was confused as to why she would talk. about that but Lady Galadriel smiled," my dear child, afterall you are still young and have such a long life to live, do not fret and continue forward." She thanked her for such encouraging words as she walked away to go to sleep.

Somehow Lady Galadriel had a worried gut feeling.

The next morning the company was to leave, Haldir felt saddened that he did not get so speak to y/n, but was content when he saw her in his dreams that night. He felt a connection and could tell they were destined."

" Haldir, perhaps we may see each other again." smiled y/n

He smiled as his bent forward to place a kiss upon her hand and looked into her eyes and spoke once more," I have a feeling we will my Lady. " He said and smiled sweetly.

Despite the two barely meeting, they had a feeling that they had lived before, perhaps in their previous life they were lovers.

And yes, they met again but in unforeseen circumstances, as they fought against the orcs in Helms-Deep, protecting the people of Rohan, the elves of Lothlorien came to aid the company and the army of Rohan.

When y/n laid eyes on Haldir, she could not help but smile at his presence. They all fought bravely, to the end, but once the battle ceased, y/n tried to look for Haldir. She was held back by Legolas

" Legolas, let me go, I need to find Haldir." She felt a gut wrenching feeling, " Please y/n.." Said Legolas. She finally broke free and saw the Many dead men and elves. but her eyes traveled to where Haldir laid. HE was still blinking looking up into the sky. She quickly fell to her knees and called out

" Haldir !" she felt the tear rushing down her cheeks as she stroked his cheek trying to clear him of the blood that stained his pale skin.

He reached a shaky hand and placed it against her cheek, he began to speak," I do not know why the stars led me to you, but I...I-I am glad to have met y-"

" please save your energy, you're going to be okay !!" yelled y/n as she gripped his hand tightly. She kept repeating to herself 'you're going to be okay ' , but it was far too late as he let out his last breathe. She placed her forehead against his and closed her eyes as she cried out silently to herself. The company whom had been separated from Master Frodo and Samwise stood looking at the two, Aragorn himself could not contain his sadness as they all mourned the death of many, especially the death of an ally.

Gimli felt pain for his niece, but did not know what to do other than place his hand at her back. She did not want to let go of Haldir but Gimli told her they must. She placed a kiss on his forehead and stood up fists at her sides. She decided in that moment she would avenge his death.

And she did, together with lady Eowyn she found the strength within her and the company to strike down Sauron and many Orcs. She fought bravely.

Upon returning to Rivendell where many elves had now taken their departure to Valinor. It was now time for her departure as well along Bilbo, Frodo and Gandalf. Her uncle and Legolas were going to stay behind but as she looked into her Uncle's eyes she noticed tears within them. " Do not cry Uncle Gimli, we will be reunited soon, please take good care of him Legolas."

She embraced the both of them as she cried and soon they set sail.

Just as Haldir predicted, they soon met once again....

The End

[craig-parker-cravings]

[the-elvenprince]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[thranduilismytherapy]

[lee-pace-yourself]

[the-silmarillioning]

Oropher and Thranduil in Doriath.

Prince Oropher is a workaholic sometimes-over-protective-dad who manages the financial aspects of the kingdom of Doriath, as well as making sure the agencies that regulate the development of the infrastructure, military, rations and economics, etc. are working correctly. He's the Secretary of State, basically. All these qualities served him well when Menegroth was no more and he had to raise a whole new Kingdom in Greenwood. Rivendell and Lorien are elf settlements but small compared to the Oropherion halls which are basically a Menegroth 2.0. where most sindar survivors and green elves live.

As an adult and a King, Thranduil eventually realizes that the workaholic sometimes-over-protective-dad part is genetical. He thinks Oropher would find that hilarious. Somewhere in the Halls Of Mandos Oropher definitively does.

My stories and head canons: AO3

[deadlymistletoe]

Unrequited

Pairing: Thranduil x F!Reader

Request: Anonymous asked: If you're requests are open could you write something angsty with thranduil where reader is an elf in his kingdom but they've been friends for a long time and she loves him but never told him cuz she values thier friendship and thinks shes unworthy of him and she's starting to get sick and poisoned from holding the feelings in and he's getting really concerned thinking she might be dying 

A/N: Thank you so much for giving me my first request! I hope I did your idea justice! Sorry it took so long, I wrote most of it before getting writer's block and taking a break before going back to heavily edit it and changing quite a few paragraphs.

Genre: Angst/Romance

Description: Over the years you’d managed to fall in love with your childhood friend, and kept your feelings hidden, terrified of ruining your friendship, but now years of hiding your feelings are catching up to you, making you unwell.

Warnings: None?

Word count: 1408

You had always been close to Thranduil, since birth, practically. Your mother, a trusted elleth who dealt with the important archives in the palace library, had helped tutor Thrandiuil in subjects such as history, and geography at his mother’s request. And seeing as you were too young to be left to your own devices, and your mother already taught you, you became a class of two with the Greenwood Prince. 

It was safe to say not many others could say they’d been as close to the Prince as you were. And they definitely couldn’t say they knew him as well as you. 

As years passed and you got older, you and Thranduil only got closer. You snuck out together, you hid from your parents together, you laughed and played together. You cried together. 

You couldn’t say exactly when it was that your feelings for the Prince changed. Maybe it was when he made you a picnic to have on the balcony to cheer you up after some of the other young elves played a prank on you. Or maybe it was when he held you when you cried at the news of your mother’s death. Maybe it was when he spoke so eagerly on what he’d learnt on his trip to Lorien and you could only focus on the way his eyes lit up.

Maybe it was everything together. The only thing you knew was that you were steadily falling for the Prince.

But after a night spent lying awake, mulling it over, you realized that Thranduil could never know of your feelings.

Thranduil had only ever thought of you as a friend and you had no intentions of ruining that friendship. Even if he did feel the same, there was too much of a risk that it wouldn’t work out and your relationship would never be the same again.

Besides, Thranduil needed someone worthy of him, who could rule beside him when the time came - not an archivist who’d never dealt with politics in her life - not someone like you.

So you buried your feelings as you continued your mother’s work in the library, drawing away from Thranduil ever so slightly.

By the time Thranduil had been crowned King after his fathers death, (a very hard time in which you’d spent hours holding the devastated blond - even more so after his mother left to sail not long after, only waiting long enough to see Orpher laid to rest in the garden and Thranduil take the crown) you’d mastered hiding your feelings, and as the days grew darker and Greenwood slowly transformed into Mirkwood you continued to hide them. 

And it was hard.

And as the days grew colder you could feel the years of holding yourself back, attempting to force yourself not to love him, catching up to you.

You tried to ignore it, pulling away from Thranduil, burying yourself in work, and brushing off any concerns your fellow elves may have with a breezy answer of how the cold must be affecting you.

It was a flimsy excuse, and you knew it. After all, elfs didn’t get sick from the cold like humans did. But it seemed to do the trick for a while at least.

Over the next month, you ignored the way your heart ached as you slowly felt yourself deteriorating. You ate less, forced smiles when you had to, cried yourself to sleep when no one was around to see. 

Your glow was fading.

And Thranduil knew it too. After all, despite the way you’d seemed to pull away from him over the past few years, he was still your best friend, and he could tell that you were hurting, and ill, and who knows what else.

At first, he’d tried to casually bring the topic of you up with your friends, and it eventually came back to him that you were saying it was because of the cold.

The cold didn't affect elves. But other things could… An unusual panic seemed to take over him as his mind ran over the few illnesses that could affect elves. What if you were dying? Was that why you were pulling away from him? You didn’t want him to know?

And so Thranduil left his study with a stubborn resolve to find out exactly what was happening to you.

You looked up from the book you had sitting open in front of you as you stared into space when the library door was opened with enough force that it banged off the wall behind it and the reason your heart was aching stood in front of you, looking far from impressed.

Thranduil was clearly far from happy as he scanned you up and down. His eyes were cold but you could see the concern, a bit of anger and something else you couldn’t make out mixed in.

You furrowed your brows as he stood there in silence. You had to say something, but you couldn’t say his name. It was too hard to be so informal when you weren’t being informal in the way your heart wanted.

“My lord?”

That did it.

“Don’t call me that!” The blond seemed pained by the title as he rebuked you. “After all this time, you're going to start calling me ‘My lord?’”

You didn’t get a chance to say anything as he plowed on. “I don’t know what’s happening, I don’t know why you're pulling away from me, or why you look like you're about to pass out and not wake up!”

You blinked as Thranduil listed off things you’d thought you’d been able to keep hidden from him. Your attention went back to the king as he finished his torrent of words with a sentence, a word, that snapped you out of your daze. “But I need to know, you need to tell me, because I'm your friend, and you’re supposed to be able to come to me when you’re not okay.”

You let your book fall to the floor as you stood up, an unusual display of violence towards a book on your half, and tried to blink back the tears that had begun to push forward. 

Unbeknownst to Thranduil, he had just put your problem into words, but it was too late to leave and pretend his words hadn’t just unintentionally broken your heart into pieces.

Suddenly you didn’t care if he knew. You didn’t care if the whole world knew. After all, he was the one who had said you needed to tell him.

Your heart pushed the rational part of your mind aside as your emotions reared up, ready to make you say words you might live to regret.

You couldn’t stop the words from spilling out, tears finally falling as you finally spoke of your problems to the one who had unintentionally caused them.

“Well that’s just it, isn’t it? I’m your friend, and that’s all I ever will be, although I'd wager not at all after this, when my heart yearns for more, and has done so for longer than you can imagine!”

You ignored the blonde’s shocked expression as the words kept tumbling out.

“You are my problem! You who could never love me the way I love you!”

You broke off as your brain finally caught up to what you were saying, tears still falling from your eyes.

You let out a sob as you realized you’d done what you’d feared, ruining your friendship forever and pushed past Thranduil, who was still frozen in shock at your outburst, and made for the door, fully prepared to gather you things and leave, when a firm hand wrapped around your arm, stopping you from leaving the room.

You shut your eyes in shame as you felt him turn you to face him, a gentle hand lifting your chin, you his breath brushing against your ear as he spoke in a low voice. “My dear Y/N, you have never been more wrong in your life.”

And his lips pressed firmly against yours, one hand still holding your chin, the other on your arm.

And as you melted into the kiss, your mind finally catching up with what was happening, a final tear, this time of relief and happiness fell.

What tomorrow would bring, it didn’t matter. You were content in the moment, and things could only get better with Thranduil by your side, not only as a friend, but as a lover.

[sotwk]

Haldir, Marchwarden of Lothlorien

Haldir Headcanons

The following HCs are written for the purposes of Haldir as a supporting character in "Sons of the Woodland King".

Dedicated to @creativity-of-death, in honor of her love for Haldir and in answer to her request for HCs that might have gotten a *little* out of hand from my end. Thanks for the inspiration! :)

Family History

Haldir was born in Lorinand during the rule of King Amdir, in Second Age 1528. 

Haldir’s father, Belorfing, is a Teleri originally from Lindon. As a young elf he came under the service of Celeborn and Galadriel. He traveled with the Lord and Lady as they migrated from Lindon, to Eriador, and then Eregion. Finally, he followed Galadriel and Celebrian when they moved to Lorinand (Lorien), where he settled down after meeting his wife.

Haldir’s mother, Ninniel, is a Silvan who served in the royal household of King Amdir.  

Haldir’s two younger brothers Rumil and Orophin were both born within 100 years after him, making them close in age by Elven standards. 

History as a soldier and marchwarden 

When he was just a young soldier of about 150 years, Haldir marched under the banner of Prince Amroth to fight against Sauron’s forces during the Sack of Eregion. 

Even after the loss of Eregion, he continued to participate in the War of Elves and Sauron, joining the armies of Gil-galad that defended Eriador. 

He once came close to Sauron himself on the same battlefield (although he did not engage with him directly), which forever left an impression on him.

Around SA 2100, Haldir and his brothers all moved to Greenwood with their father, Belorfing, to join the household of Prince Thranduil. (see section “Connections to Thranduil and his family” for more info)

Haldir, Rumil and Orophin all fought in the War of the Last Alliance, but because they (fortuitously) marched under the banner of Prince Thranduil instead of King Amdir or King Oropher, they all survived, although they suffered grave injuries. Only Haldir returned years later to participate in the Siege of Barad-dûr.

Once the war was over, Haldir and his brothers made the decision to return to Lorinand, for the sake of their loyalty to their birthplace and out of a desire to support King Amroth after the grievous losses suffered in Dagorlad. 

The brothers took positions as marchwardens, with Haldir quickly promoting to Captain.

Haldir is recognized as one of the kingdom’s best warriors and is also assigned to train all new marchwardens. 

Romantic Relationships

I have not given this much thought and would prefer to leave it open to interpretation/imagines, but I do HC at least that by the War of the Ring he is already happily married to his one true love, a wonderful Silvan elleth, and has at least one child  (a daughter) with her. 

He is an amazing husband and father. His wife and daughter are his greatest weaknesses. 

I utterly reject the Two Towers scene of Haldir dying at Helm’s Deep. I don’t reject much of the things Peter Jackson contributed to LOTR canon, but this is one of them. Haldir is alive and well, PERIOD.

Personality, skills, and interests

Haldir’s experiences with war and death, which surpasses that of most of the Galadhrim of his generation, led to his somber personality.

Haldir and his brothers are able to converse easily with one another through ósanwe (telepathy), a rare skill taught to them by Lady Galadriel herself. 

He also communicates via ósanwe with his wife, especially when out on patrol. 

Haldir is wiser and more learned than the average Galadhrim because of his innate intelligence and his love for reading and traveling. He inherited a thirst for learning from his father, who is a scholar and scribe of the highest order. 

Haldir speaks fluent Silvan, Sindarin, and Westron, but can also understand some Quenya. (In contrast, his brothers only speak Silvan and Sindarin.)

Haldir’s outpost talan has an ever-present stack of books, which he reads during his breaks from watch duties. He has a special fondness for poetry, which he often memorizes and quotes. 

He has excellent penmanship and enjoys writing letters. He writes constantly to his parents and wrote countless, passionate love letters to his beloved when he was courting her.

He inherited his mother’s gentle and soothing nature and is an excellent caregiver, skilled at healing (as much as a battle-hardened warrior can be) and surprisingly domestic.

He is clean and organized, in a military OCD sort of way, and tends to get irritated by chaos and messes. 

He has a wonderful singing voice, but hates to perform. He would sing only for special people one-on-one, or in a group as part of a community celebration (as Silvan elves are known to do).

He is too self-conscious to be a good dancer. 

He is an utter momma’s boy. 

Connections to Thranduil and his family

Haldir’s father, Belorfing, moved to the Woodland Realm at about SA 2100, at the invitation/request of Prince Thranduil, to help him establish the library at Bar Lasgalen (the Prince’s palace). This great library would become the first and only center for education in the history of the Woodland Realm. 

Haldir’s mother, Ninniel, eventually followed her family to live in Bar Lasgalen and became a handmaid to Thranduil’s wife, Princess Maereth. 

When Thranduil and Maereth began to produce children, Ninniel transitioned into the role of royal nursemaid. Thus, Haldir’s own mother helped raise all five of the Woodland Realm’s royal princes, including Legolas.

Haldir’s father Belorfing features in Chapter 4 of “Greenleaf’s Day Out”: Link

Haldir’s mother Ninniel features in Chapter 5 of “Greenleaf’s Day Out”: Link

[tinnictheguardian]

Finwe, Miriel and Indis: No Happy Ending

I read a lot of "Am I the Asshole? (AITA)" posts on Reddit, and one thing I have noticed is how much of the posts are about blended family drama.

Even assuming that most of the posts are people just having a bit of fun and doing a writing exercise, the sheer volume means that even a fraction of them being true stories is still a lot.

I think that goes to show why people gravitate to Feanor so much because his blended family drama is so relatable. Also because there was no possibility of a happy ending.

So here's a question people don't often ask in the Finwe x Miriel drama, would Miriel have escaped to Mandos if Finwe wasn't pressuring her to get better so they could have more children?

Miriel didn't die during childbirth. She survived and spent some time raising Feanor with Finwe. It's only when Finwe started wondering about more children that Miriel didn't want to have that Finwe suggested she go into the Garden of Lorien to heal properly. I don't think it's a misreading of the text to suggest that Miriel might have opted to go to Mandos because she was so distressed by the idea of having more children that she couldn't really rest and heal.

There is an alternative universe where Finwe accepts Miriel's no more children stance. So Miriel never goes to Mandos and lives happily raising her only son and busying herself with her craft. But then Finwe would not have been happy. Not to mention, Indis would forever be doomed to have unrequited love, and her children may not be born.

Even if divorce was a concept among the elves, there was no way to have a happy ending for all because it was just not possible when one person, Finwe, wanted more children, and another person, Miriel, no longer did, and their son, Feanor, just wanted his parents to be together.

The AITA posts on blended families have the same themes. The children from the first marriage don't approve of the second marriage. There is favouritism of one set of siblings over another. Parents are willfully ignorant and want to force one big happy family vibe, but in truth, the half-siblings hate each other, or there is continuous rejection from at least one half-sibling.

A lot of the stories ended with estrangement in adulthood or recommendations for going "no contact" or "low contact" from the AITA community. But that was not possible for Feanor because he loved his father and also did not want to give up his birthright as the crown prince of the Noldo.

I don't think it ever made clear how old Feanor was when Finwe remarried, but I don't think it would make a material difference in Feanor's attitude if Finwe waited until Feanor himself was married and with children to remarry. But perhaps you can say that if Finwe had waited until Feanor was an adult to remarry, Feanor's attitude towards the second marriage would be more clearly unacceptable.

It is not unreasonable for minor children to not want to be thrust into a blended family situation. But once the children are adults, the parents have done their duty and can put themselves first again. But again, someone was going to be unhappy when not everybody is on the same page!

All this leads to an important question: who would Finwe choose at the end of Arda? Assuming Eru Illuvatar only allows Finwe to have one wife with whom he can live in Arda Remaid and Unmarred, who would it be? Miriel or Indis?

[akzgaj]

The Lost Love

Maedhros x Elf-Maiden

fanfiction

He saw her. He saw her dancing on the grasslands of Valinor. Her hair, which absorbed the glow of the Two Trees, was imprinted on his mind. His father begged once Galadriel to share her hair, which on them were the bright hidden within it; he himself wanted to beg for one, the smallest hair from her braids, of this beautiful maiden who was floating above the ground.

He didn't have the courage to ask her name. And he wanted to know it so badly. He was trying to get to her. Through the crowd of dancing elves, through the gardens that paved his way, he had to delay meeting the beautiful elf-maiden for some time.

The next opportunity came in the next days, but as soon as he saw her, he lost his courage, his tongue hardened, his lips closed, and he lowered his eyes out of shyness, making him feel ashamed of himself; he, the prince, is afraid to approach a beautiful and young maiden!

However, he gathered his courage and spent many days creating a beautiful speech about his fiery feeling, a poem about her beauty, about her sweetness like the nectar of the flowers of the garden of Lorien.

The day he gathered his courage turned out to be the day of his undoing.

Then there was only fire and the pursuit of honor.

Then betrayal and pain.

He couldn't leave his brothers and he only watched the ships burn; its burned like his heart with pain, knowing that the hope of seeing her face, her small figure trembling on the other side, burned with them.

He wanted to scream and cry about it, to tear out his hair, burning like blood, like spilled blood from the blade of his sword.

He decided to complete the mission faster. He wanted to see her on the other shore, holding his father's Silmarils, lifting them up with his brothers to reconcile the warring families, to end the conflict. And see her face. And ask her for forgiveness.

However, he had to complete a mission that led to further failures. Another unnecessary blood shed. He wanted to end this suffering faster, which soon led him to captivity. When he was chained to the rock, after the torture, he thought about her, comforting himself with a fatal hope. About her lips like rose petals, about her smile, about her twinkle in her eyes in which the light of Varda's stars was hidden.

However, no tears flowed from his gray and lifeless eyes because the dry wind tugged and plowed his face with its claws, marking it and his body with more and more scars. But how afraid he was of death! He was afraid of the dark, afraid of the darkness without stars, without the light above his forehead.

Suddenly, the aching elf saw the coming rescue and another pain. His deliverance paid for in blood. His hand. A hand that wanted to feel the delicacy and smoothness of her hair, her wonderful hair and the softness of her skin... To hold her hand in his, stroking and enjoying her touch...

But this remains only in his mind.

In his dream. Until the dream became reality.

------

I almost year ago published this short fanfiction in my other blog. I re-writed this again and put on here.

[siriuslychessi]

Okay, I need to follow new people (because I love my jily friends but I'm missing my anime friends I think they left tumblr T_T) so, I'll do this old school, because most tags are fucked up but trying to be "trendy".

If you don't mind me ranting about Marauders half of the time please give me a follow and I'll do the same.

Or if you want new followers and want me to check your blog please reblog if you like:

BOOKS

PJO

Red Rising Saga

Lorien Legacies

NON ANIME

Friends

House

Fairy Odd Parents

ANIME

Anime/Mange in general

Ghibli

BNHA/MHA

FMA/FMAB

Sailor Moon

CLAMP (Card Captor Sakura)

JJK

SNK/AOT

Prince of Tennis

These are the most recent obsessions, but you can tag other series/animes that you like and I'll make sure to check your blog!

And if we are already mutuals you can tag whatever other things you love aside from HP/Marauders 💚 (if you want me to check your blog and you are part of the marauders fandom is valid too, just wanted to find some other great blogs out there!)

[animatorweirdo]

Imagine being there to witness everything and watching your beloved die

(Well, this is almost an series forth headcanon. I do love some angst in stories, but this one was sad one to write, so be aware of the warnings)

Requested by anonymous

Warnings; ANGST, violence, goes a lot with the canon, doomed love and doing nothing to save the day. Angst level cruesome. 

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

- You know how the story goes. You loved every Tolkien’s work, the most favorite being the lord of the rings and the hobbits. However, you did not expect to get thrown into the same world at the point where it all began. 

-You have read Silmarillion and know its deep history, so you know how it all went. You did not know how to react because the first age was all about war and bloodshed over three jewels everyone was obsessed with having. 

-Meeting the valars and the infamous elves was something, so those parts were exciting, at least. 

-Most of the time, when someone gets suddenly transported to another world. It was either mysterious or reincarnation, like in every fanfic and novel you managed to cross.

-Surprisingly, you had a purpose in Arda. 

-There was a voice who asked you to record history firsthand, then you woke up in the gardens of Lorien with an empty book in your hands. 

-The valars were uncertain when you spoke about your situation to them. You were a human and appeared out of nowhere. They did conclude the mysterious voice who brought you to Arda was Eru himself. 

-They believed your story, but since humans were not supposed to awaken yet. They made you wear enchanted earrings that helped you to appear as an elf to the firstborn. 

-They then gave you a tour around Aman and allowed you to walk freely. 

-It was exciting because you had the chance to meet all the famous elves from the books like Galadriel, Fingon, and Finrod. Well, the whole Finwean house itself. You even bore witness to the family drama between Fingolfin and Feanor himself. 

-Feanor was scary as hell. He always looked like he always had a scowl on his face and appeared as Noldor prince should, but surprisingly he was pretty chill when you went to meet him with a Vanyar noble, who also acted like your guide. 

-He was respectful and welcoming, which was a surprise when you know what he would later do for his most prized creations. You used to think of him as a bit self-centered and arrogant for a character, so it was a lovely surprise that he might have been an average person until the grief and loss of the silmarils got him. 

-However, the scowl always returned when any of his half side of the family was around. You did not know why, but it was funny to watch. It was like their existence was a war crime against his life. 

-You didn’t have much to do in the beginning and had no idea what to write since you knew what would happen in the future. You chose not to write anything about the future because you didn’t want to change the course of the story. Even the tiniest change could change the story drastically, so you desired to avoid that. 

-Living as an elf was fun for a while, but it got boring pretty quickly. 

-You sometimes wrote things you saw in events, but sometimes you simply wrote stuff like you saw a squirrel one day. 

-The elves were also too refined and collected. You missed human things like wild parties and shenanigans without too many rules. 

-Maybe you were too human for an elf. 

-Also, your earrings were itchy as hell. You have several times almost removed them in front of elves till you remember you’re not an elf, which was troublesome because you were not used to wearing earrings 24/7. 

-It almost happened again when you were chilling in a local garden, and your ears itched like lice. You tried to make sure no one was around and tried to scratch the spot until someone suddenly appeared out of thin air, scaring the soul out of you. 

-It was awkward, and the special someone was the red-haired prince Maedhros or Nelyafinwe Maitimo since Maedhros was his sindaring name. 

-He smiled in embarrassment and apologized for the scare. You were scratching your ears quite aggressively, and he heard you curse like a sailor, so he was curious if you were alright.

-You quickly assured him everything was alright and told him you just had itchy ears. 

-To your surprise, he was fully aware of who you were from a party you once attended with the Vanyar. You looked nothing like the golden-haired people, so he was curious to meet you. 

-You told him your made-up background as an elf, then the conversation flowed from there like a breeze. 

-He was super sweet and knew how to keep the conversation going. 

-You know how to talk with people, but you felt shy around him and couldn't help but just listen while he spoke. 

-You almost couldn't believe this tall redhead was this innocent and kind before all the atrocities his house would later commit for the sake of the oath. 

-You thought it was going to be one time encounter, and he kind of gave you a nickname, the itchy-eared maiden. It was an embarrassing nickname. 

-However, you started meeting up much more and hanging out like two casual friends. 

-You learned a lot about his family and brought you to meet some, especially Fingon, who was super friendly. 

-You liked hanging out and going out with him, but then you realized something. You had an actual crush on this elf. 

-Sure, you might have simped for some fictional characters in life, but since you were actually in Arda and got to know him as a person. You knew it was real. 

-It was wrong since you know how the story goes, and you promised not to tamper with it by including yourself, but you couldn't help but feel conflicted since Maedhros continued being sweet, and you just adored that aspect of him since he was like that with everyone. 

-You hoped it was temporal, so you decided to have a little break and excuse you were busy with other things. 

-Maedhros was understanding when you said you had some business and wished you well till you see each other again. You felt bad because you were technically avoiding him. You did not want to lie, but you had to. You can’t utterly fall in love with him. Even though; you most likely already have. 

-He just made it worse by telling you you could count on him if you had troubles with your business. 

-You left quickly, trying to think through your feelings for him. 

-You stopped at Alqualonde, and some of your friends there didn’t make it easy when you revealed your feelings for someone. They kept encouraging you. 

-Your crush calmed down a little because you told yourself that he might think of you as a good friend, not a possible lover. 

-However, he didn’t make it easy when he started sending letters to you, asking how you were doing and keeping you updated on his family drama. It was falling hard for feelings all over again. 

-You were stupidly in love with him. It turned out to be a grave mistake because you realized too late that the events of the Silmarillion were taking place. 

-You agreed to meet with Maedhros one day and catch up. You dumbed on a strange tall man, and when you saw him, you almost froze. 

-You had seen a lot of descriptions and fan art about the dark valar, but seeing him with your own two eyes was something else. 

-Melkor was tall and eerily beautiful in his way, but the way he spoke left you to have goosebumps. And you almost shivered because he looked like he knew something was strange about you, especially when he asked about your book. 

-Luckily, Maedhros came to the rescue and helped you leave the conversation and leave the dark Vala's sight. 

-You panicked when Maedhros told you Melkor had been free for a while, which meant the story had started.

-It took all your willpower to have a panic attack. Things were about to go down, and you didn’t take notice because you were too busy living your life in this world. 

-Maedhros sensed your distress and comforted you. He thought you were afraid of Melkor, so he tried to assure things were okay. You appreciated the effort. But you were not certain about accepting his affection when you knew what was coming. 

-You watched from the side when things started to go down. The family drama in the house of Finwe became dire, and you were there when Feanor threatened Fingolfin with a sword. 

-Maedhros tried to offer his comfort from time to time, but his family got banished for a while, and the pressure almost became too hard to handle since he stopped sending letters. 

-You returned to Alqualonde, trying to calm your nerves. You even begged Eru to send you back to your world because you didn’t want to witness what was coming.

-You wrote everything in the book, but it didn’t ease the ache and fear for the future. 

-You went for a walk one night to calm down your nerves and admire the stars. It helped for a moment until everything went dark. 

-It was pitch black, and you couldn’t see anything. Luckily, the stars showed enough light then the realization hit you. It's the darkening of the trees. 

-You were alone, so it was terrifying, especially when you saw the giant spider and Melkor with the silmarils in his hands. It was like a force struck you down because you couldn't move when you saw them. 

-Luckily, they didn’t notice you, so you were left unscathed. You couldn't say much about Finwe thought. 

-The fear left you frozen for a while, but you managed to get yourself free and return to Alqualonde. 

-However, what you saw next were fire and blood. 

-Maedhros stood among the fire, blade in his hands, coated with blood. You recognized many faces that lay around him, dead. 

-You felt like deer in headlights because you got frozen with shock. You have never seen death before, so your body wasn’t reacting well. 

-Maedhros tried to catch your attention, trying to make an excuse, but when he took hold of your arm. You panicked and started struggling in fear. You pushed his face away with the blood of his victims and ran away when you got free. You ignored his calls and just ran. 

-The aftermaths weren’t pretty. You remained hidden with a couple of Teleri and helped them when things calmed down.

-There were so many dead. You felt awful because some were your friends and neighbors. They never did anything wrong, so they didn’t deserve it. 

-Fingon found you mourning in the street. You told him about Maedhros, and he felt awful because he and his father helped the feanorians with the conflict. He almost broke down because you lived in the city and most of the Teleri were your friends. 

-You didn’t honestly blame him because you knew what would happen next. Fingon was at least kind enough to help you bury your telerin friends. 

-Even though; you shouldn't have. You decided to join the journey through Helcaraxe after burning the ships. The event didn’t surprise you, but you did wonder what Maedhros thought as he watched his family burn the stolen ships. 

-The journey through the icy wasteland was brutal, more horrific than in the books. 

-You watched as Turgon’s wife died, leaving him with their only child. You watched as the elves struggled and died from the cold, and they couldn't do anything to avoid it than curse Feanor and his sons. 

-You tried to hold on to good memories with Maedhros, but it wasn’t easy. 

-You took time to rest and record everything when you finally reached Middle earth. The sun was finally born, so you embraced the day. 

-Fingolfin’s people were tired and pissed with the feanorians. You couldn't blame them. You were angry and hungry as hell. 

-You weren’t surprised when they told Maedhros had been captured. It was going to happen, but it didn’t stop you worry about him because Angband was an evil place. You didn’t want to imagine the tortures he would suffer. 

-You gave Fingon a hint when you caught him sneaking out to save Maedhros. It wasn’t too revealing. You said you just made some investigation about Angband. 

-Fingon was grateful and returned with Maedhros upon the great eagle. 

-You avoided confrontation until you got worried about him when he received backlash for giving up the crown and being a former thrall. 

-He looked broken, so you mustered the courage to talk to him. 

-Maedhros didn’t look you in the eye when you arrived. He only asked why you followed. You saw what he did to your home. 

-You did not know the answer. Your task was to record the history that was about to happen, but at this moment, you were just worried. 

-His eyes were filled with guilt when he turned to look at you. It broke your heart to see that, so you just stayed with him, offering comfort and company like all those years ago. 

-You didn’t see each other often. Maedhros was busy with his duties, and you continued writing down everything in the book. 

-You would spend time together, drinking and talking. 

-You kept him informed and sometimes used dry humor to describe how cruel and stupid his father was to abandon a loyal addition to the army just to spite his half-brother for one final time. 

-Maedhros allowed you to talk like that because he agreed and felt even more guilty when you told everything that happened in Helcaraxe. 

-You sometimes helped him with his hair since he had trouble with one hand. It was to help him relax, and you enjoyed the calm silence it would bring. 

-Maedhros was hardened, but he was still that sweet elf you met in the garden all those years ago, and your still existent feelings didn’t make your situation easy. 

-You tried to avoid your feelings, pushing yourself to be an unimportant character who technically doesn’t exist to anyone. 

-However, you noticed some things about Maedhros. 

-He was more gentle with you than anyone else and didn’t refuse anything when you asked him for little favors. Fingon does it too, and he was the high king.

-He said he didn’t have the right to refuse anything from you after what happened. When he wronged the Teleri, he wronged you, so he was willing to do anything you wanted. 

-You would have thought it was sweet, but it was just sad because the Teleri deserved the compensation, not you. 

-Things didn’t look up when the battle of the unnumbered tears finally happened, and you lost Fingon. 

-You can still remember the moment when you hugged him one last time before the battle because you knew it would be his last.  

-You wished you could have done something because the pain was unbearable when Maedhros brought back his mangled body. 

-You wished you could have done something, but you didn’t want to change the timeline. It would have been too dangerous and unpredictable. 

-Maedhros turned for the worse, and you tried to support him, but it wasn’t enough. 

-You wished you could have interfered and stopped him from making the worse mistakes, but you kept telling yourself you couldn't because it was not in your right to change anything.

-You watched as he killed more elves for his damned oath and everything just went wrong.

-You stopped talking for a while because you focused on trying to help raise Erenion because he was the last thing you two had from Fingon. 

-Maedhros sometimes sent letters, asking how you two were doing and if someone was causing you trouble. Nothing else. 

-You tried asking yourself why you kept forgiving and seeing him, knowing his fate was near. Maybe because of your feelings. Because you still loved him and hoped there might be an alternative ending.

-The day finally arrived, and you met little Elrond and Elros. 

-They looked innocent, and you never imagined meeting the lord of Rivendel when he was just a little child. Pure yet subjected to violence at such a young age. 

-You already knew the explanation Maedhros and Maglor were going to give you, so you just tried to welcome the little twins with open arms. 

-It was peaceful for a while. The twins warmed up to you quickly and enjoyed all the stories you had to offer. They were just the sweetest beings in the world. 

-You and Maedhros barely talked at first, but he slowly opened up and apologized for failing everything. You wanted to forgive him but couldn't. 

-You and Maedhros sometimes stayed all night, admiring the stars and drinking something warm with blankets. You two sometimes talked about better things that could have happened. 

-It was peaceful, and your little group started to feel like a family. You hoped things would have turned out well in the end, but they didn’t. 

-Maedhros and Maglor decided to give the twins to you and go for the last silmarils. You knew begging would do nothing, but you asked Maedhros to consider and not leave you.

-He looked at your tear-struck eyes, stepping closer to cup your face as you both looked into each other’s eyes for the last time with sadness and guilt. 

-He whispered words in forbidden Quenya and apologized one last time because he would not be able to fulfill your wish this time before placing a gentle kiss upon your forehead. 

-He then left. 

-You watched as he stole the silmaril and jumped into the fiery pits of the earth. You watched as Maglor threw the silmaril into the sea and vanished to forever lament the wrongdoings of their house in regret. 

-You were glad for them since the oath was finally gone, but it didn’t heal the pain of knowing you could have done something, yet you did nothing to spare them from this fate. 

-You sat upon the cliff, gazing into the ocean as the book lay on your lap. The first age was over, so you were finished. You begged the voice to let you go home, but no answer came from heaven. 

-You finally broke after hundreds of years. 

-Years of watching from the sides and watching the one you love kill himself finally got to you. You got left with nothing but a task you did not want in the first place and earrings so you could appear as a fake elf. You did not belong in this world, so why couldn't you leave?

-You did not move until Elrond and Elros came looking for you. They sensed your distress like it was their own, but to their shock, you revealed your ears and told them the truth of your existence. 

-You expected them to hate you because that’s what you deserved. However, the two forgave you. Elrond asked you to live because you were all they had left, and it broke you because they were also all you had from Maedhros. 

-Your pain did not heal. You had difficulties finding joy, but you mustered the strength to continue because you couldn't bring yourself to leave Elrond and Elros. The two needed someone to support them, so you decided to be at least that to them. 

-You hated Eru for giving you this task as you found no reason to smile anymore. You hated yourself, and you had no power to change anything. Maedhros was gone, and you remained.

[craig-parker-cravings]

[swordoaths]

Thranduil Headcanons

I would like to spend some time talking about Thranduil’s timeline and experiences that inform his rule as King, others’ perception of him and his rule, and his relationship with Middle-earth and others beyond that of Elves. My interpretation of Thranduil for this blog is quite a mixture from the books, my own hcs, and the films, so it just might be nice to lay out the how and why to my interpretation of Thranduil. This shall be long.

We don’t have a hard and fast date for Thranduil’s birth, so I’ve just made it that he was born in FA 317, having thus come to age in Doriath. He would have been witness to the Second Kinslaying in mid-winter FA 506. I personally headcanon that his mother was not amongst the survivors, and Thranduil and Oropher were the only ones of their family to survive. With his home destroyed, Thranduil remains with his father, being amongst the Elves who chose to stay in Middle-earth. (Key point here to my rambling, as we shall soon see.) Oropher does also take a few surviving Sindar (of these few survivors, I headcanon that Thranduil’s future wife is amongst them) with him until they find settlement in Eryn Galen.

And during this time, one of the big things for Thranduil, I think, is that he sees his father’s grief--- sees the way his father assimilates with the Silvan Elves and culture as if the grief of being a Sinda and the memories of the ruin of Doriath are too great--- that it is perhaps less painful to reject Sindarin ways in favor of Silvan ways. This next quotation will show this desire of assimlation to Silvan ways, but I must stress that I take the usage of “they” to include Thranduil because he, too, is a Sinda who merged with the Silvan Elves:

“Oropher had come among [The Silvan Elves] with only a handful of Sindar, and they were soon merged with the Silvan Elves, adopting their language and taking the names of Silvan form and style. This they did deliberately; for they came from Doriath after its ruin and had no desire to leave Middle-earth, nor to be merged with the other Sindar of Beleriand, dominated by the Noldorin Exiles for whom the folk of Doriath had no great love. They wished indeed to become Silvan folk and to return, as they said, to the simple life natural to the Elves before the invitation of the Valar had disturbed it.” (The Unfinished Tales, Appendix B, The Sindarin Princes of the Silvan Elves).

And as Oropher and Thranduil continue to find their place in the Woodland Realm, hoping that after the horrors of losing home, there is this sense of impermanence. So, when Celeborn and Galadriel and the dwarves start getting too close to Oropher and his people and the life they wanted, Oropher is like, “Nope! Too Close for Comfort!” and takes his people further into the woods. But, and I must stress this, the decision to move further into the woods to put distance between other settlements was not entire isolation, for communication and relationships still continued. Oropher simply wanted a safe-place--- a place of protection-- for his people, especially after what happened to the Ruin of Doriath. Sound familiar? Perhaps like Thranduil? Keep in mind that Thranduil is learning from this leadership style and will emanate it.

“In the Second Age, their king Oropher had withdrawn northward beyond the Gladden Fields. This he did to be free from the power and encroachments of the Dwarves of Moria, which had grown to be the greatest of the mansions of the Dwarves recorded in history; and also he resented the intrusions of Celeborn and Galadriel into Lorien. But as yet there was still little to fear between the Greenwood and the Mountains and there was constant intercourse between his people and their kin across the river”  (The Unfinished Tales, Appendix B, The Sindarin Princes of the Silvan Elves).

Now, let’s fast forward a bit into the SA and the War of the Last Alliance. Oropher knows that there’s no way peace would come to Middle-earth whilst Sauron lived. And though it was in Silvan nature not to be involved in the affairs of others, Oropher knew that his folk would have to be part of the world, lest they lose it all to Sauron:

“Despite the desire of the Silvan Elves to meddle as little as might be in the affairs of the Noldor and Sindar, or of any other peoples, Dwarves, Men, or Orcs, Oropher had the wisdom to foresee that peace would not return unless Sauron was overcome” (The Unfinished Tales, Appendix B, The Sindarin Princes of the Silvan Elves). 

Knowing this, Oropher leads his army (Thranduil is also there fighting!) into battle, but Oropher led an early charge in the Battle of Dagorlad whereupon he and many of the army would be slain. After the war was over, Thranduil, who became King of his people in the midst of battle “led back home barely a third of the army that had marched to war”  (The Unfinished Tales, Appendix B, The Sindarin Princes of the Silvan Elves). So, not only does Thranduil lose his father in this fight; he also loses the majority of his army--- his kinfolk. 

And though the war had “ended” and it seemed that Sauron was slain, Thranduil wasn’t convinced. He was one of the few who believed that the Darkness would not end:

“But there was in Thranduil’s heart still a deeper shadow. He had seen the horror of Mordor and could not forget it. If ever he looked south its memory dimmed the light of the Sun, and though he knew that it was now broken and deserted under the vigilance of the Kings of Men. fear spoke in his heart that it was not conquered for ever: it would rise again.” (The Unfinished Tales, Appendix B, The Sindarin Princes of the Silvan Elves).

There are moments of happiness-- we know that Thranduil and his wife are together for some (undisclosed) time and that they have a son. And whilst we don’t know what really happens to Thranduil’s wife, we learn in The Hobbit films that was captured and slain by Gundabad Orcs. I do headcanon that it is the death of his wife that is the last straw-- that all the grief and loss he has suffered over thousands of years (as seen above) has now come to a tipping point. It is at this point that his grief is so great that it is passed to nature and the forest in Eryn Galen. Soon, the growth of the forest turned to decay.  And this is where I get the concept of Thranduil’s connection to nature, and this little quote I’m taking from his biography on here:  

“And it was said that all that Thranduil had lost manifested with every leaf that turned from green to brown. And though precious few would ever see it, there were rumors that his grief had been so great that it had manifested in a scarring upon his skin*, which he kept concealed. But more still, he would not speak of his loss.”

*I took this scarring bit from what we see in the films, but I’m just explaining its cause differently than what the films suggest.

Eventually, the grief and decay of the forest will become appealing to Darker forces, as we know from canon. Still, despite Thranduil’s grief and the darkness of the wood, the place is not entirely uninhabitable and that Thranduil is still very much seen as a great king by his people (and by others as we shall soon see).

In The Hobbit (book), Thranduil is described as “their greatest king” who created a “fortress of his people against their enemies”.  In The Unfinished Tales, it notes that “Thranduil established his realm in the north-east of the forest and delved there a fortress and great halls underground.” According to The Hobbit (book), his people “lived and hunted in the open woods, and had houses or huts on the ground and in the branches. The beeches were their favourite trees.” The fortress of the Woodland Realm is described as a “great cave, from which countless smaller ones opened out on every side, would far underground and had many passages and wide halls; but it was lighter and more wholesome than any goblin dwelling, and neither so deep nor so dangerous.” In other words, Thranduil kept and maintained a safe place for his people. The Elves were not trapped in the fortress; in fact, many lived outside. Nor were they surrounded by what the Elves in the film deem as an “ill-tempered” King. 

And here comes the main point of Thranduil’s rule. As King of the Woodland Realm, his first and primary duty will always be to his people, as any leader of any kingdom should maintain. But my diversion from the films comes here: Thranduil isn’t an Elf who doesn’t care about Middle-earth or any other race or civilization. Is he hesitant to jump headfirst and risk the lives of his people? Yes. Does his grief and losses in life make him strive to create a safe and protected place for his people, which can come across as isolationist? Yes. Can he come across as cold at times? Sure, and read this headcanon for more details. Will he entirely forsake Middle-earth and all other peoples and does he also not care about other peoples? Absolutely not. From the First Age, he chose to remain in Middle-earth, thereby showing his love for the world. He’s one of the very few who believes that Sauron will return and, as the book reveals, still goes to battle for Middle-earth and all who inhabit it numerous times (War of the Last Alliance, Battle of the Five Armies, War of the Ring).

With specific emphasis on the events of The Hobbit, Thranduil first hears about Smaug’s death via the birds (which I love so much btw).“The Elvenking had received news from his own messengers and from the birds that loved his folk, and already knew much of what happened” (The Hobbit). Upon this news, Thranduil originally was going to march to the Mountain. BUT! The moment he hears from Bard that his people are in need of help, Thranduil turns his entire focus to help the people of Lake-town. Why? Because Thranduil liked Bard and the people of Lake-town:

“But the king, when he received the prayers of Bard, had pity, for he was the lord of a good and kindly people; so turning his march, which had at first been direct towards the Mountain, he hastened now down the river to the Long Lake. He had not boats or rafts enough for his host, and they were forced to go slower by foot; but great store of goods he sent ahead by water.”  (The Hobbit)

And this feeling is mutual, for Bard also thinks well of Thranduil. When Thorin questions Bard on Thranduil, Bard explains that Thranduil is his friend who helped the people of Lake-town out of friendship, not out of any greed for the gems as the films suggest:

"‘The Elvenking is my friend, and he has succoured the people of the Lake in their need, though they had no claim but friendship on them,’" answered Bard.  (The Hobbit)

And when it comes to a fight between Dwarves, Elves, and Men, Thranduil is not inclined to war and fighting. He would rather come to an agreement in reconciliation, not violence. In fact, Bard is prepared for war, and Thranduil is not:

“’Fools!’ laughed Bard, ‘to come thus beneath the Mountain's arm! They do not understand war above ground, whatever they may know of battle in the mines. There are many of our archers and spearmen now hidden in the rocks upon their right flank. Dwarf-mail may be good, but they will soon be hard put to it. Let us set on them now from both sides, before they are fully rested!’

But the Elvenking said: ‘Long will I tarry, ere I begin this war for gold. The dwarves cannot press us, unless we will, or do anything that we cannot mark. Let us hope still for something that will bring reconciliation.’”  (The Hobbit)

And of course, when it finally comes down to it and the enemy is attacking the Mountain, it is Thranduil and the Elves who charge into battle first:

“The elves were the first to charge. Their hatred for the goblins is cold and bitter. Their spears and swords shone in the gloom with a gleam of chill flame, so deadly was the wrath of the hands that held them.” (The Hobbit)

To highlight others’ views on Thranduil, Bilbo preferred the company of Thranduil over the others and chose to stand by Thranduil, if this was to be the final stand of his own life:

“On all this Bilbo looked with misery. He had taken his stand on Ravenhill among the Elves-- partly because there was more chance of escape from that point, and partly (with the more Tookish part of his mind) because if he was going to be in a last desperate stand, he preferred on the whole to defend the Elvenking.”  (The Hobbit)

Now, in the aftermath of the battle, Thranduil continues to show his alliances as King of the Woodland Realm. We see this in the way Thranduil takes Orcrist and lies it upon Thorin’s tomb, symbolizing the peace and unification between dwarves and Elves. On the return journey, Thranduil names Bilbo “Elf-friend and Blessed”, which is very much a sign of Bilbo’s lifelong relationship with the Elves in general.

And so, all of this informs how I interpret Thranduil as Elvenking. His grief and loss does affect his ruling and makes him more predisposed to protect his people from other harms, which can come across as isolating at times. But his ruling is viewed as a good one, and his lands, despite sickness, still give protection to his people. His relationship with Middle-earth and other races is still there. He does not hate or forsake other people, if he can be of help, and his preference to be with his own people and live more simply in the Wood does not change the fact that he will still help others when he can. He will not launch headfirst into war, but he will fight if he needs to. 

(personals, please don’t reblog!)