#Gil galad: didn’t you abdicate?

[stormygopher]

The best possible adaptation of The Silmarillion would be musical in the style of SIX with all the kings of the Noldor singing about their horrific deaths.

[annoyinglandmagazine]

So I’ve been thinking about my female Caranthir agenda, specifically in relation to the thing about lembas being the queen’s purview and the only thing the elves seem to have rigid gender roles over. Lembas is indicated to be pretty important but the Noldor in Beleriand didn’t have a queen so who would be in charge of the distribution of it?

If Caranthir was a woman and Lalwen and Findis did not exist (like in the Silm version of canon) I think there’s a real case to be made that the position would go to her because, as the Feanorians (mainly Celegorm and Curufin because they’re petty as fuck) insist, Maedhros abdicated the position of High King; nothing was ever said about their other titles and as the eldest grandaughter of Finwë Caranthir is the highest ranking nís of the Noldor and in the absence of Fingolfin’s wife the essential roles of a queen are her right.

It’s not as if there are too many other candidates either, I can’t see Aredhel or Galadriel, since she’d be off in Doriath and very much not looking to be involved further in Noldorin politics, fighting for the position (again, how are there so few women in this family? How does that even happen? There are fourteen grandchildren of Finwë. I’d need to make all the Arafinweans and Nolofinweans women just to make it equal.) so Fingolfin doesn’t really have any alternatives to suggest.

So they end up in a situation where the High King of the Noldor is a Nolofinwean but there is now a precedent for the position of Massánië (the Quenya for the queen’s role as breadgiver) of the Noldor to stay in the eldest line of Finwë’s sons when the High King doesn’t have a wife, meaning that suddenly female descendants of Feanor are technically higher ranking than any of the male ones. No Feanorian High Queen can inherit the crown of the Noldor because that would be counted as the same as the Kingship covered in the abdication but the position of Massánië has become isolated from that of the queen and in a technical sense ranks just below a Crown Prince or Princess.

This isn’t of particular importance to Caranthir but you know she is exploiting the complete fucking life out of having all her kin dependent on her for yet another valuable resource, as if all the trade routes weren’t enough. The taxes on lembas going to Dorothion are extortionate. In his letters to his cousins Maedhros responds that he cannot interfere with his sister’s independent role and it is entire her own initiative to do what she wishes in this particular area.

In his letters to Caranthir he is giving her very useful advice on how to use this tactically to best strengthen their factions’ economy based on his knowledge of political situations and sometimes when someone (often Celegorm) pisses him off. This makes the top three of schemes Maedhros and Caranthir are running through their encrypted letters to each other that though unbeknownst to the rest of Beleriand have ridiculously wide reaching effects on the entire economic and geopolitical landscape. They make a scarily good (if slightly less malicious than C and C’s) team.

(Also down the line this could be another title for a genderqueer Elrond to be playing hot potato with because they can’t even use being adopted by the Feanorians that abdicated as an excuse here and it in fact only bolsters their pre-existing claim as Idril’s descendant. If they end up accepting it they and Gil Galad would seize the opportunity to be more ambiguous about their relationship than they already are as half their own court doesn’t even know if Elrond has accepted the position based on lineage or whether they’re now Gil Galad’s consort. The foreign diplomats and future historians have no idea what was going on. Gil Galad does not help matters by using every opportunity to refer to Elrond, maybe teasingly, maybe not, as his queen.)

[sweetteaanddragons]

Written for the prompt “It’s not illegal if we don’t get caught” for @spring-into-arda

This is one route my SoSP!Gil-Galad body swaps with RoP!Gil-Galad story might take . . . but from the persective of SoSP!Elrond.

(If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you can find the original story here.)

Elrond had a great deal of respect for all of the people who had sworn themselves to him.

This did not stop him from occasionally wondering - purely from professional concern as a healer - if some of them had gotten hit on the head rather too many times in the First Age.

“No,” he said firmly.

“You have to admit he’s been acting strangely,” Lauriel said stubbornly.

“The king has not been himself the past few days,” he conceded. “I am entirely willing to hear out any reasonable suggestions on how to approach the matter.”

Lauriel looked helplessly to Anufin and Faronde, who looked rather helplessly back.

“We thought you would like this one best,” Faronde said at last. “Since it didn’t have any kinslaying in it.”

Ah.

Some of the Feanorians’ old followers had reacted to the past kinslayings by seeking atonement; some had reacted by trying to forget it.

And then there were the rest of them, who considered it a point of pride that while they certainly would not engage in any kinslayings without being ordered to, they would, at the slightest hint Elrond would approve, be happy to prove their loyalty by obliging.

Elrond spent a great deal of time making sure it was very clear that this was neither necessary nor desirable.

“No,” he said again even more firmly. “To both those other ideas and to Lauriel’s.”

“It’s not technically treason,” she tried. “Especially if we don’t get caught until it’s all ready.”

“We are not attacking the legitimacy of Gil-Galad’s reign in front of the court,” Elrond said firmly. “ . . . or anywhere else. He is our king, he is my kinsman, and he is a good man, regardless of any . . . oddities lately.”

“But if he’s forced to abdicate, you’d be king!” Faronde argued.

Anufin and Lauriel both winced.

“That’s not the argument you think it is,” Anufin told her wearily.

“We’ll go back to the drawing board, my lord,” Lauriel said hastily.

“Do that,” he said firmly. “In the meantime, I will try talking to him.”

Like a reasonable person, he very deliberately did not add, because these were his people, for better or worse, and he respected them.

He was glad of that later when that conversation ended with Gil-Galad ordering him confined to his quarters, with visitors being specifically prohibited, an overreaction so large Elrond was starting to fear something truly terrible had happened.

The prohibition against visitors did not, of course, prevent Lauriel from sneaking in not an hour later.

“No one has committed any treason,” she announced. “Yet.”

Elrond did not like the ending of that sentence.

“In good news, if you’ve decided you’d like some, I think the surviving Doriathrim and Gondolindrim are with us. They are very concerned by recent events.” She paused. “I can’t speak for the Gondolindrim, my lord, but the Doriathrim are very good fighters. If you want to take them up on it.”

It was times like this when Elrond most missed Elros. If this kept up, he was going to start feeling like he was the crazy one.

“No,” he said.

Lauriel waited.

“ . . . but see if you can sneak Cirdan in here. He knows Gil-Galad best. Perhaps it’s time we talk.”

[middle-earth-mythopoeia]

Okay so I’ve mostly heard everyone saying that after the death of Gil-galad, the kingship of the Noldor would hypothetically pass to Elrond, if he’d ever chosen to claim it. He was still part of the bloodline, right, even distantly, and he was a ward/adoptive child of Maedhros, Maglor, and Gil-galad, or some combination thereof over time, and they all served as king at some point. He would likely have a claim on the throne through that as well, knowing how convoluted Noldorin politics are.

However, wouldn’t Galadriel have a much better (and more justified) claim to the crown than Elrond would? She’s a direct granddaughter to Finwë and the last surviving member of his house (because honestly Maglor doesn’t count anymore, and he wouldn’t count even if he wasn’t a sad beach hobo since the Feanorians have renounced their claim on the throne). Since inheritance in situations like this usually travel vertically rather than horizontally (someone’s son would receive it before their brother, etc) and we follow that same line- we skip over all the Feanorians, obviously, because Maedhros hands it to Fingolfin, but from there it proceeds to Fingon then Turgon. If Turgon didn’t have children, or didn’t have any who were able to take the crown, then instead of continuing vertically down his line it would move over to either Aredhel (or possibly not, because she’s female) OR to Finarfin, (since Argon is dead), which would’ve solved a whole lot of problems. From there it would proceed down HIS bloodline, which means in the end, Galadriel, since Finrod and co were already off doing their own things.

It brings up an interesting point though- would Aredhel just have gotten completely skipped over because she’s female? And on that matter, would the same go for Galadriel? Does the simple fact that Elrond is a MALE descendant of the proper bloodline give him more of a claim to the crown than Galadriel, who’s female?

Or in the end, is Galadriel just completely left in the dust because the crown has processed several generations beyond her, regardless of her original blood ties and place in the line of succession?

I dunno, but I think Noldor Queen Galadriel would’ve fixed a lot of stuff and won the war against Morgoth in about five minutes flat

This is why I love tumblr, because where else am I going to get an anonymous message that says THIS? Anon, I love you. I love that you sent me a short essay about why Galadriel deserves to be queen of the Noldor. And I agree with you! She has a much stronger claim to the crown than many other people. (Also I laughed out loud at 'sad beach hobo'.)

I'm going to try to break this down into different parts to respond to all of what you wrote! But this quickly got away from me and went in all sorts of directions.

So there's the question of how did Tolkien think royal inheritance worked among the Noldor, and how should it have worked?

It's really unclear to me how succession is supposed to work among the Noldor, because Tolkien never spelled out the rules, and because when an Elf inherits the crown we're just told that he inherited it, not why he was next in line of succession.

In order to understand who the kingship would pass to after the death of Gil-galad, we have to understand how succession works, and it's just... so complicated.

Does it pass from father to son? Does it go to the eldest of the house of Finwë? (That is, if they haven't already abdicated?)

Starting with Fingolfin, it seems like it passes from father to son, because Fingon inherits the kingship next. But if it's supposed to pass from father to son, and Gil-galad is Fingon's son, then why did the kingship pass from Fingon to Turgon? But then, of course, Gil-galad is not Fingon's son, not if you go by what Christopher Tolkien said...

So did the kingship pass from Fingon to Turgon because Fingon had no children? If Gil-galad was Fingon's son, should he have become High King after the Nirnaeth Arnoediad? Unless he was too young.

I prefer to believe that Gil-galad is Orodreth's son, like Christopher Tolkien said, and the fact that he didn't inherit the kingship after Fingon's death supports that, to me. Even if Gil-galad was Fingon's son, and if he were too young to inherit the throne, then I would assume that Turgon would have become a kind of regent, but of course it didn't say that; it just says Turgon became king. Anyway. Long tangent.

Also, I find it really interesting that there's an entire plot point about the Noldor being divided over who they want to follow as king (Fëanor or Fingolfin) and the Silmarillion just doesn't tell you how the rules of succession are supposed to work. Fëanor has a legitimate claim as the eldest son, obviously, but Fingolfin was made king in Tirion in during his brother's exile... so it's not so clear cut. Anyway, I just love that Tolkien never explains.

And there's another thought I'd had, which is, what if the Noldor don't know how succession works either? Because they never expected Finwë to die; if he wanted to eventually pass on the kingship to an heir that would have been a decision he made, not that others had to make after his death. So what if they were just making it up as they went along? I mean, technically, that's what happened when Maedhros abdicated to Fingolfin... anyway...

Did they skip over Aredhel? I think the answer is no, but only because after Turgon died, she was already dead, so she couldn't inherit the crown anyway. But signs do seem to point to the Noldor using male-only primogeniture, which sucks, and I don't like it.

If Fingon inherited the crown from Fingolfin, then Idril should have inherited it from Turgon, is what I actually think.

But then Idril sails off with Tuor, so I guess hypothetically Eärendil should have become High King at that point. But then he leaves. So then hypothetically Elrond would become the High King.

Here's what I don't understand. If the kingship passed from Turgon to Gil-galad, and then Gil-galad died, why would Elrond have the best claim? It seems to me that Elrond would only have a claim if the rulership passed from Turgon, to Idril, to Eärendil, and thus to Elrond.

So finally making this go back to Galadriel and what you actually asked, the other question to me is, why did Gil-galad get the crown and Galadriel did not? Because if we're going on the version where Gil-galad is Orodreth's son, then the crown is now passing to the house of Finarfin. And Galadriel is clearly the eldest of the house of Finarfin in Middle-earth.

So I think after Turgon's death things should have gone one of two ways. If the crown is supposed to be inherited by the children of the ruler, then it should have passed from Turgon to Idril and down the line to Elrond. But if it's supposed to go to the eldest heir of Finwë, then after Turgon's death it should have gone to Galadriel and not Gil-galad. No offense Gil-galad, but you never should have become king.

[fuckingfinwions]

Anon asked: Either Harem!Feanor and Nolo with Nolo dragging himself to finwe afterwards and being rebuffed, or Harem! Feanor and Gil-Galad with special guest Fingon

(I accidentally deleted the ask, but this is for “First time” in Season of Kink)

The ceremony ended with Nolofinwe kneeling before Feanor, their hands clasped to symbolize the connection they would have from this day forward, and the total obedience Nolofinwe would show his brother.

Feanor pulled Nolofinwe to his feet using their clasped hands. “Come along, we’re going to my room.”

Nolofinwe followed. He had better get in the habit now, if this was to be his life. And honestly, he was glad to get away from the audience. Finwe had kept the ceremony small for privacy, but still the - abdication? subjugation? enslavement? Nolofinwe knew not what to call it  - was a matter of state, and there were a dozen leaders of various guilds to witness it. Not to mention Nolofinwe’s younger siblings, who seemed a mix of confused and terrified. Nolofinwe had tried to put on a brave face, but he had no idea what to expect next.

As soon as the door to Feanor’s bedroom closed behind them, Feanor let go of Nolofinwe’s hand. Nolofinwe stood still, so he didn’t look like he was disobeying at the outset. He circled Nolofinwe once, looking him over. Then Feanor leaned in and unbuttoned the collar of Nolfoinwe’s robe.

“What are you doing?”

“Undressing you.” Feanor kept working on the buttons, his hands rubbing against Nolofinwe’s chest.

“I can see that, but why?”

“As of an hour ago, you belong to me. I’d like to see my new property in detail.”

Nolofinwe blushed, but he knew he had no right to keep his body private from Feanor. “Do you want me to do anything? Perhaps get the buttons from the bottom up, or...”

“Both of us reaching for the same thing will just get in each other’s way; I’ll show you how to usefully assist me some other time. For now, just stand still.”

Nolofinwe did so, as Feanor took off his robe, then his under tunic and leggings. Feanor directed him brusquely, to move his arm or head so Feanor could remove a sleeve.

When Feanor pulled off Nolofinwe’s undergarments, Nolofinwe covered his crotch with his hands.

Feanor said “Hands at your side so I can see you properly,” and Nolofinwe did so.

Feanor circled Nolofinwe again, brushing his hair out the way to see his back better, and grasping his thigh and arm to check the muscle tone. Nolofinwe felt like a prize stallion for sale, and resisted the urge to open his mouth for Feanor to inspect his teeth.

When Feanor returned to standing in front of Nolofinwe, he nodded in approval. “Good. Now masturbate, I want to see what you look like with your cock hard.”

“But - that’s private! And how can what my cock is like possibly matter?”

“It’s important because I say it is.”

“We’re brothers!”

“No. We never were brothers, and starting today I own you. Have you touched yourself before, or will I have to demonstrate?”

“I’ve touched myself before, I’m not that naive. But never in front of someone.”

“You can close your eyes if you wish, it makes no difference to me. But if you don’t start stroking your cock now, I’m going to whip you for disobeying, and I’d rather not do so on your first day.”

Nolofinwe could not think of another argument, and didn’t want Feanor to think he was stalling. So he closed his eyes and moved his hand down. He did his best not to think of where he was, but instead focused on the sensation and on fantasies. There was a very beautiful woman who lived outside Tirion and attended court rarely - he’d never learned her name, in the past few years it had seemed a waste to try. He thought of her touching his cock, her whispering in his ear that he was so handsome, asking him to touch her breasts. Nolofinwe’s cock stiffened and he lost himself in the fantasy, able to mostly forget that anyone else was in the room.

Nolofinwe’s eyes flew open at someone grabbing his wrist. Feanor pulled his hand back, so that Nolofinwe’s cock jutted out untended and unhidden.

“You’ve got a large cock, that creates some fun possibilities.”

“Feanor please, not while I’m-”

Feanor reached in and tweaked one of Nolofinwe’s nipples. “I’ll touch you when I like, and today is a good time to get used to it. I don’t have to touch your cock now, but I will eventually, and every other part of you.”

“But I don’t want to-”

“No? You’ll learn to want what I tell you to."

“Surely this isn’t what was meant. I’m sure I could do something else for you rather than... be touched.”

“What? You’re not stupid, but I’m far smarter than you. I already have servants to clean my rooms and cook my meals. The only thing I don’t have is someone to fuck whenever I want.”

“But - you’re married! Surely your wife can attend to your needs, and would object to you taking another lover.”

“Nerdanel agrees with me that mutual commitment and love are what makes a marriage, not specific actions. She's gone with the baby to visit her father for a few days, so I can get used to you without you being so nervous, not that it seems to have worked.” Feanor scraped his nails down Nolofinwe’s back. “And there are acts you don’t ask someone you love to do, and we’ll get to those eventually as well.”

Nolofinwe shuddered.

“But for today, we can do something simple. Masturbate again, your limp prick is completely unappealing to look at.”

Nolofinwe did so, though he could not relax as he had before. He did not dare close his eyes, and every fantasy he tried to bring up shattered like glass when Feanor moved at all. Still, his cock responded to the his hand readily enough.

Feanor took off his own robe, and unlaced his pants. His cock was similar in size to Nolofinwe’s, and Feanor seemed to be having no trouble staying hard.

“You said no one had watched you masturbate before. Have you ever watched another? Ever touched another man’s cock? Or a woman’s cunt?”

Nolofinwe shook his head at each question.

“Kneel down, then. You’re going to jerk me off the way you do your own cock. But the tip of my prick will be between your lips, and your sharp little tongue can do something more useful than arguing.”

Nolofinwe knelt. He reached out with one hand, and brought Feanor’s cock to his mouth.

In truth, Nolofinwe had little idea what to do with his lips and tongue. He simply let Feanor’s cockhead rest in his open mouth, and devoted his efforts instead to stroking along Feanor’s shaft.

Feanor moaned in pleasure. He placed one hand in Nolofinwe’s hair, petting it and occasionally twisting in the braids.

As Feanor approached his peak, he said, “Use your tongue, damn it! Lick me!”

Nolofinwe did so, the small divot of Feanor’s slit seeming magnified under his sensitive tongue.

Feanor moaned, and came.

Nolofinwe coughed and spat, but the salty taste of Feanor’s come lingered.

“That was good for your first time. Stand up and start stroking your cock again.”

Nolofinwe did so. Though he could not escape the present moment, the sensation was pleasant, made slick and smooth by Feanor’s semen on his hand.

Feanor drew Nolofinwe’s head down and kissed him. “Your lips taste delicious covered in my seed.”

It was Nolofinwe’s first kiss.

He came a few seconds after.

___

As soon as Feanor went to sleep that night, Nolofinwe slipped out the door.

He walked through the winding corridors of the palace until he reached his father’s private study. Luckily, Finwe must be working late, as the light was still on.

Nolofinwe knocked, and opened the door when his father said come in.

“Nolofinwe! I didn’t expect to see you today, did Feanor send you with a message?”

“No. Feanor didn’t send me.”

“I admit I didn’t expect him to permit you to wander the palace, but I suppose there’s nothing wrong with it, and I still enjoy talking with you.”

“Feanor doesn’t know I’m here. I have to get away from him, please.”

Finwe frowned. “Nolofinwe dear, don’t be foolish. You are bound to Feanor now.”

“I don’t want to be! He is terrible, and cruel, and I cannot stay there.”

“Nolofinwe, it’s only been one day! I know it is a big change, but you will get used to it in time.”

“He forced me to have sex! He stripped me, and ordered me to touch my cock and his. He said he would beat me if I did not.”

“And did Feanor beat you?”

“No, because I was too scared to disobey him.”

“Then it sounds like you know what to do in order to stay with Feanor safely.”

“Father! You can’t be serious?”

“I am very serious. Your life and body are pledged to Feanor’s service, and how he uses them are no longer my business.”

“But - please, I didn’t want this Father. Don’t make me go back.”

“Regardless of whether you wanted it, it is your role. And I understand that you are upset, but please never give me such detail about your sexual habits again; there a some things a father doesn’t wish to know about his children.”

“Will you do nothing for me?”

“One of the guards to escort you back to Feanor’s room. The guard will tell Feanor that I wished to speak with you, and that is why you left his side. Now, is there any other matter you wished to consult me on?”

“No, father.”