#also beren wanted to “possess” her

[astral-aromance]

While I do agree with you that the enchanment theory is pretty misogynistic/victim blame-y, I have always found that specific part of the story in general incredibly unfitting in the overall tale of B&L, and, dare I say, forced?

Luthien is NOT a damsel in distress and is an incredibly powerful being. Which is CLEARLY shown to us. I just never understand how she, who bested Morgoth, could so easily be taken by two random guys who just happened to have a notorious dad. THAT part feels equally misogynistic to me because there's no way that would happen to her! There's simply no way that she wouldn't have knocked them out the moment they approached her, and she sensed their intentions. Huan could've come to her in any other way, and I would buy that easily, but the kidnapping and captivity? Feels wrong to me. Victimising Luthien like that is unbefitting of her character, of her strength. I get that the story needed villains, but it could've made them a bit more powerful than Guy 1 and Guy 2 imo.

You could use the excuse that perhaps Luthien didn't want to kill/harm other elves, and thus went with them without resisting. But I'm sure she knew exactly who the SOF were and what they did to her kin in Alqualondë, and so would have viewed them as evil. Besides, Morgoth wasn't harmed by her either, why didn't she just use her sleep spell on c&c? The idea that she was suddenly powerless and reliant on the help of a magic dog to escape... i don't feel like it makes sense at all!

Both the idea that she caused her captivity herself and the idea that she was helpless to C&C's whims and lust until a man (in this case a magic dog, but still a masculine character) saved her, feel misogynistic to me. She could and SHOULD have whacked them on the head with a big stick!

(Also, I DO like the idea that Luthien wasn't pure and perfect, but multifaceted and had a real personality outside of Beren and her beauty. Let her be willing to use enchantments to get what she wants from people. Give her some on her father's pride, damnit! Give her some of her mother's creepiness!)

And if you wrote a fic/explored an HC where she happened to enchant some Ñoldor princes because she wanted a taste, good for her. Doesn't immediately make you a misogynist.)

BUT that theory you presented is certainly a very interesting one! I can definitely see it, fits well into the overall writing of Tolkien.

as blatantly misogynistic as the "luthien enchanted celegorm" theory/headcanon/whatever they call it is, i do think an interesting concept is a celegorm who convinces himself that luthien enchanted him to explain his own abhorrent behavior, because even he can't quite accept how low he's gone -- i.e. he tells himself that the lust and desire to possess luthien that at least significantly motivated his actions toward her was a result of some maiarin enchantment on her part. it doesn't quite align with my personal reading of the character (though it's not wholly incompatible with it either), but celegorm with his own hellfire-adjacent musical number would be a hell of an aesthetic

[polutrope]

The Third Kinslaying

A Silmarillion question that never ceases to trouble me, and for which I am not sure I will ever come up with an answer that satisfies me: What were Maedhros and Maglor’s justifications for taking Elrond and Elros after the sack of Sirion? 

I know many people are satisfied with emotion-based reasoning, but that alone just doesn’t work for me personally. I read Maedhros and Maglor at this point in the narrative as very tormented, yes, but still capable of weighing logic and emotion at the same time. I also don't think the tone of the text supports outright villainy and ruthlessness (though that's a valid hc, especially from a non-Feanorian pov).

I’m not going to dive into my interpretation (I’m writing a fic for that), but I wanted to share the evidence and highlight what I think is the (Doylist) explanation for why the question is such a tough one to crack: None of Tolkien’s drafts covering this event* took the character of Gil-galad (or Círdan, though he was a character and not ret con'd like G-g) into consideration. He was simply not a factor in any of the versions published in HoMe. 

If you’re like me and love the ‘textual archaeology’ of figuring out how the published text was derived (and since I bothered to type them all up) here are all the drafts of the third kinslaying alongside the published Silm. (There's good stuff in here for enjoyers of Elwing, Maedhros, and Maglor, too -- and haters of Amrod and Amras lol.)

*unless there are unpublished notes or notes that have evaded me somewhere

Book of Lost Tales (late 1910s/early 1920s)

In BoLT, the Havens are sacked by Melko. 

Sketch of the Mythology (1926-30)

The sons of Fëanor learning of the dwelling of Elwing and the Nauglafring [=Nauglamir] had come down on the people of Gondolin. In a battle all the sons of Fëanor save Maidros [footnote: > Maidros and Maglor] were slain, but the last folk of Gondolin destroyed or forced to go away and join the people of Maidros [footnote: Written in the margin: Maglor sat and sang by the sea in repentance]. Elwing cast the Nauglafring into the sea and leapt after it [footnote: My father first wrote Elwing cast herself into the sea with the Nauglafring, but changed it to Elwing cast the Nauglafring into the sea and leapt after it in the act of writing], but was changed into a white sea-bird by Ylmir [=Ulmo], and flew to seek Eärendel, seeking about the shores of the world. Their son (Elrond) who is half-mortal and half-elfin [footnote: This sentence was changed to read: Their son (Elrond) who is part mortal and part elfin and part of the race of the Valar], a child, was saved however by Maidros.”

The Quenta Noldorinwa (1930)

I

The dwelling of Elwing at Sirion’s mouth, where still she possessed the Nauglafring and the glorious SIlmaril, became known to the sons of Fëanor; and they gathered together from their wandering hunting-paths. But the folk of Sirion would not yield that jewel which Beren had won and Lúthien had worn, and for which fair Dior had been slain. And so befell the last and cruellest slaying of Elf by Elf, the third woe achieved by the accursed oath; for the sons of Fëanor came down upon the exiles of Gondolin and the remnant of Doriath, and though some of their folk stood aside and some few rebelled and were slain upon the other part aiding Elwing against their own lords, yet they won the day. Damrod [=Amrod] was slain and Díriel [=Amras], and Maidros and Maglor alone now remained of the Seven; but the last of the folk of Gondolin were destroyed or forced to depart and join them to the people of Maidros. And yet the sons of Fëanor gained not the Silmaril; for Elwing cast the Nauglafring into the sea, whence it shall not return until the End; and she leapt herself into the waves, and took the form of a white sea-bird, and flew away lamenting and seeking for Eärendel about all the shores of the world. But Maidros took pity upon her child Elrond, and took him with him, and harboured and nurtured him, for his heart was sick and weary with the burden of the dreadful oath.”

II

Upon the havens of Sirion new woe had fallen. The dwelling of Elwing there, where still she possessed the Nauglafring [footnote: > Nauglamir at both occurrences] and the glorious SIlmaril, became known to the remaining sons of Fëanor, Maidros and Maglor and Damrod and Díriel; and the gathered from their wandering hunting-paths, and messages of friendship and yet stern demand they sent unto Sirion. But Elwing and the folk of Sirion would not yield that jewel which Beren had won and Lúthien had worn, and for which Dior the Fair was slain; and least of all while Eärendel their lord was in the sea, for them seemed that in that jewel lay the gift of bliss and healing that had come upon their houses and their ships. And so came in the end to pass the last and cruellest of the slayings of Elf by Elf; and that was the third of the great wrongs achieved by the accursed oath. For the sons of Fëanor came down upon the exiles of Gondolin and the remnant of Doriath and destroyed them. Though some of their folk stood aside, and some few rebelled and were slain upon the other part aiding Elwing against their own lords (for such was the sorrow and confusion in the hearts of Elfinesse in those days), yet Maidros and Maglor won the day. Alone they now remained of the sons of Fëanor, for in that battle Damrod and Díriel were slain; but the folk of Sirion perished of fled away, or departed of need to join the people of Maidros, who claimed now the lordship of all the Elves of the Outer Lands. And yet Maidros gained not the Silmaril, for Elwing seeing that all was lost and her child Elrond [footnote: > her children Elros and Elrond] taken captive, eluded the host of Maidros, and with the Nauglafring upon her breast she cast herself into the sea, and perished as folk thought. [...] But great was the sorrow of Eärendel and Elwing for the ruin of the havens of Sirion, and the captivity of their sons, for whom they feared death, and yet it was not so. For Maidros took pity upon Elrond, and he cherished him, and love grew after between them, as little might be thought; but Maidros’ heart was sick and weary [footnote: This passage was rewritten thus: But great was the sorrow of Eärendel and Elwing for the ruin of the havens of Sirion, and the captivity of their sons; and they feared that they would be slain. But it was not so. For Maglor took pity upon Elros and Elrond, and he cherished them, and love grew after between them, as little might be thought; but Maglor’s heart was sick and weary &c.] with the burden of the dreadful oath.

Earliest Annals of Beleriand (AB 1) (1930-37, prior to AB 2)

AB I

225 Torment of Maidros and his brothers because of their oath. Damrod and Díriel resolve to win the Silmaril if Eärendel will not yield it up. [...] The folk of Sirion refused to give up the Silmaril in Eärendel’s absence, and they thought their joy and prosperity came of it. 229 Here Damrod and Díriel ravaged Sirion, and were slain. Maidros and Maglor gave reluctant aid. Sirion’s folk were slain or taken into the company of Maidros. Elrond was taken to nurture by Maglor. Elwing cast herself into the sea, but by Ulmo’s aid in the shape of a bird flew to Eärendel and found him returning.

AB II does not go this far.

The Later Annals of Beleriand (AB 2) (1930-37, after AB 1)

325 [525] Torment fell upon Maidros and his brethren, because of their unfulfilled oath. Damrod and Díriel resolved to win the Silmaril, if Eärendel would not give it up willingly. [...] The folk of Sirion refused to surrender the Silmaril, both because Eärendel was not there, and because they thought their bliss and prosperity came from the possession of the gem. 329 [529] Here Damrod and Díriel ravaged Sirion, and were slain. Maidros and Maglor were there, but they were sick at heart. This was the third kinslaying. The folk of Sirion were taken into the people of Maidros, such as yet remained; and Elrond was taken to nurture by Maglor. But Elwing cast herself with the Silmaril into the sea, and Ulmo bore her up, and in the shape of a bird she flew seeking Eärendel, and found him returning. 

Quenta Silmarillion (1937) and The Later Quenta Silmarillion (1950s). These drafts were left incomplete and do not cover the events of the third kinslaying.

The Tale of Years (1950s)

Texts A, B

529 Third and Last Kin-slaying

Text C

532 [> 534 > 538] The Third and Last Kinslaying. The Havens of Sirion destroyed and Elros and Elrond sons of Eärendel taken captive, but are fostered with care by Maidros. 

Text D2 (ends at 527)

512 Sons of Fëanor learn of the uprising of the New Havens, and that the Silmaril is there, but Maidros forswears his oath.  [...] 527 Torment fell upon Maidros and his brethren (Maglor, Damrod and Díriel) because of their unfulfilled oath. 

Letter 211 (1958)

Elrond, Elros. *rondō was a prim[itive] Elvish word for 'cavern'. Cf. Nargothrond (fortified cavern by the R. Narog), Aglarond, etc. *rossē meant 'dew, spray (of fall or fountain)'. Elrond and Elros, children of Eärendil (sea-lover) and Elwing (Elf-foam), were so called, because they were carried off by the sons of Fëanor, in the last act of the feud between the high-elven houses of the Noldorin princes concerning the Silmarils; the Silmaril rescued from Morgoth by Beren and Lúthien, and given to King Thingol Lúthien's father, had descended to Elwing dtr. of Dior, son of Lúthien. The infants were not slain, but left like 'babes in the wood', in a cave with a fall of water over the entrance. There they were found: Elrond within the cave, and Elros dabbling in the water. 

The Silmarillion

Now when first the tidings came to Maedhros that Elwing yet lived, and dwelt in possession of the Silmaril by the mouths of Sirion, he repenting of the deeds in Doriath withheld his hand. But in time the knowledge of their oath unfulfilled returned to torment him and his brothers, and gathering from their wandering hunting-paths they sent messages to the Havens of friendship and yet of stern demand. Then Elwing and the people of Sirion would not yield the jewel which Beren had won and Luthien had worn, and for which Dior the fair was slain; and least of all while Earendil their lord was on the sea, for it seemed to them that in the Silmaril lay the healing and the blessing that had come upon their houses and their ships. And so there came to pass the last and cruellest of the slayings of Elf by Elf; and that was the third of the great wrongs achieved by the accursed oath.  For the sons of Feanor that yet lived came down suddenly upon the exiles of Gondolin and the remnant of Doriath, and destroyed them. In that battle some of their people stood aside, and some few rebelled and were slain upon the other part aiding Elwing against their own lords (for such was the sorrow and confusion in the hearts of the Eldar in those days); but Maedhros and Maglor won the day, though they alone remained thereafter of the sons of Feanor, for both Amrod and Amras were slain. Too late the ships of Cirdan and Gil-galad the High King came hasting to the aid of the Elves of Sirion; and Elwing was gone, and her sons. Then such few of that people as did not perish in the assault joined themselves to Gil-galad, and went with him to Balar; and they told that Elros and Elrond were taken captive, but Elwing with the Silmaril upon her breast had cast herself into the sea.  Thus Maedhros and Maglor gained not the jewel; but it was not lost. For Ulmo bore up Elwing out of the waves, and he gave her the likeness of a great white bird, and upon her breast there shone as a star the Silmaril, as she flew over the water to seek Earendil her beloved. [...] Great was the sorrow of Earendil and Elwing for the ruin of the havens of Sirion, and the captivity of their sons, and they feared that they would be slain; but it was not so. For Maglor took pity upon Elros and Elrond, and he cherished them, and love grew after between them, as little might be thought; but Maglor’s heart was sick and weary with the burden of the dreadful oath. 

[welcomingdisaster]

Ok so I’m rotating ideas about elves and mythology and decided to drop some ramblings in your ask box because of all the wonderful theatre-related thoughts you’ve been sharing!! The thing is that the silm is a mythology right. Like it’s written in that style, and the heroes of LoTR and the later Ages in general are always explicitly looking back to the stories of the First Age (see: Aragorn wanting to cosplay Beren and Lúthien with Arwen). But what were the myths, the cultural stories, of the Elves of the First Age? In Tirion what were the stories that Maglor might write a play retelling or subverting, that Elemmírë might make a new song about, that Míriel might have woven into a tapestry? All cultures have ancient myths – but these characters are a) living at the very dawn of the world, and b) are all going to become mythological figures themselves! It makes me a bit insane. My thoughts are that they told a lot of stories about the war the Valar made on Melkor, and also about Cuivienen and the awakening of the elves, but honestly I don’t KNOW. What do you think? (No pressure to answer this is very random I realise) ❤️❤️

NO I love these thoughts!!! My thoughts generally go along the same vein as yours in terms of the general themes of elven myths. Here are some possibilities I imagine:

Whichever continent the elves in question are not seeing is often the center of the stories. The Sindar and Avari in middle-earth myth-make a lot about the lands in the west; the Eldar in Valinor myth-make about middle-earth. Since we're talking about Elemmírë, Míriel, and Maglor I'll stick to the latter.

I imagine there's aways the pervasive idea of secret Ainur no one has discovered yet. No matter how many times the Valar go "no we promise we're all here in Valinor, there's no other Valar left" there's 100% an elf somewhere going "have you heard about the Vala of bogs? yeah they live in middle earth and they're in charge of all the bogs there and if you aren't careful you'll be stuck serving in their bog court"

Not to mention elves who know Aulë and have heard that his people sleep under the earth, waiting for their time to awake. I'm sure for some elves tell it as simply that, but over time another pervasive myth develops -- stories of great dwarven kingdoms under the earth, kingdoms they're barred from seeing, stories of seven great dwarven kings, each much like Aule in face, each possessing a specific sort of magic.

Imin, Tata, Enel, etc! Not only do we canonically get them as a counting story, I imagine their fates are also something that ends up being talked about? They do not seem like they ever ended up in Valinor -- what happened to them? I feel like elven stories can tend to go along the lines of "and then he turned into a tree" or "he still dwells by the sea where he was born" or "he fell into the cracks of the mountains during the war and became one with the earth."

Myth as a way to explore cultural taboos! Elves coming to Valinor, a land with no pain or crime, with the shadows of war and suffering behind them -- I imagine they must explore taboo and pain through storytelling. What happens to an elf that leaves his wife for another? What happens to an elf who poisons her sister? I imagine there's some gruesome/creepy stories that come out there, but are told with a naïveté to the actual truth of what violence looks like. Something along the lines of "and then the servants of Melkor hacked the elven king into bits, so his wife had to go looking for each piece of him in every corner of the world and sew them back together"

The sea!! Must I say more. The elves emerged from the sea, and they long for it -- yet they cannot go too far into the waves without drowning, and they do not know what lurks under the waves. I imagine myths centering around sea-creatures, around the souls of the drowned, around elves (mer-elves?) who never left the sea and make their kingdoms underneath the waters, etc.

Just some ideas!! If anyone else wants to contribute headcanons for early elf myths to his post, please do!

[malkaleh]

Caught up on Rings Of Power. My many many (delighted) feels

Charlie Vickers is so terrifyingly good - Sauron is alluring awful! You can absolutely understand how incredibly horribly competent Sauron is as a villain - how much he does get into everyone’s head.

Absolutely believe he’s too terrified to say Luthien’s name fyi because listen, if Luthien returned the war would be over in five seconds at MOST. Sauron just running away begging to be locked in the void, just don’t let HER NEAR HIM SHE MIGHT SING SEND HELP.

I need him to meet Elrond and just be like TERROR.

Celebrimbor is going to break my heart because you can see Sauron manipulating how much he wants to genuinely do good, to create something good, to have the Feanorian Craftsmanship stand for good again and OH SHIT FUCK (me at Sauron STAY AWAY FROM HIM YOU FUCKER).

I’m wondering if we might have actually met Celebrian there (also me at Sauron: GET A JOB STAY AWAY FROM HER).

Tom BOMBADIL. SHIRE ORIGINS. Almost certainly A Gandalf.

Tar-Miriel you are THE BEST and anyway you and Elendil GET MARRIED AND HAVE A LONG LIFE TOGETHER AND EVERYONE IS FINE. (Ar-Pharazon needs to stay away from them both).

You know I hate Ar-Pharazon don’t get me wrong but his fuckass son is The Worst I hope he gets sacrificed first. And I do go between feeling deeply sorry for Elendil’s daughter and also being like You Self Righteous AAAAGH.

Valandil :(((((.

Arondir is the dad who stepped up.

Isildur <333333. I am so attached to him and obviously his BESTEST HORSIE. (Aragorn coming by his horse girl genes honestly).

MY SWEET BABY BIRACIAL ELROND (listen one day I will have my canonically biracial Elrond played by a biracial actor but Robert I love your Elrond). I am so glad we are getting kind as summer and also obviously trauma but tbh I hate the Jackson Elrond depiction I’m so sorry I just, Elrond is not haughty/rude.

BRONWYN IS FINE SHE AND ARONDIR ARE FOUNDING DOL AMROTH cc @nocompromise-noregrets

BEREN MENTION BEREN MENTION BEREN MENTION.

Sauron just being a dog guy is Something. He’s really just like ‘who’s my best abomination of darkness? Who’s my sweet devourer of light? IT’S YOU! You are the bestest boy!’

DURIN :DDDDDDDDD

Elendil is The Most Tired DILF.

Sauron (about Galadriel): soon as she unblocks me the wedding is back on (no but seriously, there is a desire there - I mean obviously it’s not like, caring about her, about Celebrimbor but it’s not unattached either. It’s like…possession).

G-d there is so so much gorgeous lore in this show I love it so much and also it’s going to hurt so so much.

(I can’t recall whether it was Isildur or Elendil who nabs the White Tree sapling before Numenor is sunk I cannot believe we will be seeing that on screen).

(Ar-Pharazon and Elendil as ex boyfriends or something when)

[serene-faerie]

Can you elaborate more on why you think Luthien’s line is entitled to the Silmarils? I agree, I just want see all the reasons. I agree with it fully but I can’t like explain why if that makes sense.

Hi anon!

Here's why I think Lúthien's line is entitled to the Silmaril.

Firstly, both Lúthien and Beren actually made the effort to go all the way to Angband to steal it from Morgoth. None of the Fëanorians were even attempting to do what they did; all they did was alienate potential allies in the war against Morgoth. However, both Lúthien and Beren were proactive, and they weren't motivated by greed for possessing this treasure. All they cared about was being together, and their love is basically what allowed them to take the Silmaril.

In addition, I think the Silmaril is some kind of compensation for the people of Doriath. The Fëanorians slaughtered the Teleri of Alqualondë (aka, Thingol's kindred), and they haven't done much to actually atone or show respect to Thingol upon arrival in Middle-earth. Also, both Celegorm and Curufin literally abducted Lúthien and planned to forcefully marry her off to the former, yet none of the Fëanorians have even apologized to her or her father. In a way, the Silmaril is a form of weregild for the Sindar, which is why Lúthien's lineage has every right to keep it.

I'm sorry if this doesn't make sense; I'm sure that there are other people who could explain this way better than I ever could. But I hope you understand my reasons!

[thegreatzombieartisan]

Love is Not Blind But a Glimpse of the Divine: Of Thingol and Melian

Source: Kimberly80

See also: Feanor & Nerdanel | Beren & Luthien

The contrasting nature between a Maia and Elf captures the transcendental feeling of falling in love. Melian would seem to Thingol both in the world but not of the world; for she sang it into Being.

...out of the darkness he looked at her, and the light of Aman was in her face

Thingol’s discovery of Melian show how our senses allow us to discover the sacred; and what is sacred is beautiful. Beauty, in contrast to mere prettiness, has a profound and lasting effect upon us.

It begins with arresting attention. Thingol hears Melian singing, beckoning him to seek its source. Then he sees her face glowing with the pure light of Illuvatar, instigating a slowing down to saturate himself in the sensation.

She spoke no word; but being filled with love Elwë came to her and took her hand, and straightway a spell was laid on him

He experiences the mysterious joy of beauty both internally and externally. Beauty enhances perception of the shape or significance of things. Thingol doesn’t seek to possess Melian. He simply wants to be in her presence.

so that they stood thus while long years were measured by the wheeling stars above them

When Thingol and Melian touch, they look beyond the normal sense of the world and into the mysteries of creation

and the trees of Nan Elmoth grew tall and dark before they spoke any word

The power of love amplified Melian's powers; and Thingol became wiser — “grew taller in wisdom" — surpassing all Elves in Middle Earth.

Beauty not only illumines, it also elicits transformation and elevates us. Through love, we are made greater.

[aurorapillar]

One of my favorite headcanons for Eol is him being the son of Thingol and Melian, who was basically a test run before they had Luthien, to make sure that an elf and Maia having a child would work out okay. Which in the case, Eol would have some Maia powers and so likely would Maeglin.

With that in mind, AU where when Eol gets to Gondolin and is given the choice to either stay or die, rather than deciding it's better for his son and him to die than live under Noldor rule, he enchants Turgon, Aredhel and Maeglin into letting Maeglin return with him.

Turgon gives his ultimatum and Eol goes "No, Aredhel can stay but Maeglin is leaving with me."

And Maeglin goes "Okay, I'll go."

And Aredhel and Turgon go "Yeah, that's fine."

And so Eol leaves and takes Maeglin with him and everyone in Gondolin is baffled by it being allowed but their King has ordered it and who are they to disobey.

And so Maeglin goes back to living in Nan Elmoth and it's not a pleasant experience for him because Eol has major issues with possessiveness and the need for control, and he is not happy that Maeglin not only ran but went to his Noldor relatives, who Eol had repeatedly told him were murderers.

For a time Eol fullfills his past promise of binding his son with chains, but after many years Maeglin slowly regains enough of his father's trust to be given more freedom.

And one day sometime after the Dagor Bragollach, something happens. Either Eol trusts Maeglin enough again to leave him alone in Nan Elmoth while he goes to the dwarves, and Maeglin takes the opportunity to run, or Maeglin goes with his father to the dwarves and is out in the mountains with some of them, but either way there's an attack by orcs and Maeglin is captured.

He's taken to Tol-in-Gaurhoth along with some other captives, with the intent of them being food for Sauron's werewolves. But Sauron realizes that Maeglin has Maia blood and is intrigued, with the Valar having abandoned Middle Earth to Morgoth, there's only one Maia Maeglin could be descended off and he hadn't known that Melian had any grandchildren. Sauron's wanted to test how durable a half Maia is for a long time, and he's just as willing to see how much a quarter Maia can endure, and so he decides to let Maeglin live.

And so Maeglin remains alive in Tol-in-Gaurhoth, living a life somewhere between a prisoner and a pet. Sauron tortures him, not for any information but just for fun and to see how much he can endure. He also places a collar around his neck and drapes him with decoration, allowing him to slink around the place like an ill treated cat.

Many times Maeglin tries to escape and each time he is caught and punished severely, but he still remains defiant and keeps trying. He's still there when Finrod, Beren and the other elves are captured and though he doesn't know who they are or what their purpose is, he appreciates anyone who ticks Sauron off and tries to help them.

He sneaks them food and weapons, allowing them to actually have a chance against the werewolves. It only works twice, the first time he steals back their own weapons to give to them and so Sauron assumes the orcs didn't do a good enough job searching them and searches them for weapons himself. The second time Sauron realizes that something is up and so the the third time Maeglin does it he gets caught and punished severely, after that he's no longer able to help them.

He's managed to do enough that it buys time though, that more of the elves are still alive by the time Luthien arrives, including Finrod. And when Luthien destroys Tol-in-Gaurhoth, he is freed along with the other captives.

Luthien is far too busy taking care of her injuried boyfriend and distant cousin, as well as planning how to steal stolen goods, to notice Maeglin and realize he's her kin. And Finrod and Beren are not in good enough shape to put much thought into the elf who helped them, and so Maeglin leaves on his own.

He wanders for a while, unsure where to go and ends up running into the son's of Feanor, who know the look of an elf whose been tortured when they see one and also can clearly tell he's Aredhel's son. They take him in, and Maeglin gets to meet his other uncle.

The Battle of Unnumbered tears still happens and but Finrod being alive brings about some changes, Nargothrond perhaps comes to help and Finrod gets to encounter Maeglin again. Fingon still dies though, and Maeglin is suddenly thrust into the role of High King, because Turgon was disinherited for running off and hiding for so many years.

[acceptsonlynttnightwing]

Thingol didn’t want the Silmaril!

Beren: “My fate, O King, led me hither, through perils such as few even of the Elves would dare. [...] Neither rock, nor steel, nor the fires of Morgoth, nor all the powers of the Elf- kingdoms, shall keep from me the treasure that I desire [Luthien].

Thingol:  “I see the ring, son of Barahir , and I perceive that you are proud, and deem yourself mighty. But a father’s deeds, even had his service been rendered to me, avail not to win the daughter of Thingol and Melian. See now! I too desire a treasure that is withheld. For rock and steel and the fires of Morgoth keep the jewel that I would possess against all the powers of the Elf-kingdoms. Yet I hear you say that bonds such as these do not daunt you. Go your way therefore! Bring to me in your hand a Silmaril from Morgoth’s crown; and then, if she will, Lúthien may set her hand in yours. Then you shall have my jewel; and though the fate of Arda lie within the Silmarils, yet you shall hold me generous.’

After Beren left, Thingol answered ‘I sell not to Elves or Men those whom I love and cherish above all treasure. And if there were hope or fear that Beren should come ever back alive to Menegroth, he should not have looked again upon the light of heaven, though I had sworn it.’

He wasn’t greedy and obsessed with the gem - he just wanted Luthien to not leave him. I know, he imprisoned her, but it was to stop her (in his mind) throwing away her immortal life for a poor, short lived, vagabond. 

Also, let’s remember, Elrond, kind as summer Elrond set Arwin’s bride price crazy high too. Aragorn had to defeat Sauron, become king of Gondor (which, again, he wasn’t heir to) AND raise Arnor, a kingdom that hadn’t existed for a thousand years, from scratch. 

Tuor’s father and uncle and all their people died to save Turgon AND there was a prophecy that Turgon’s and Huor’s line, when mixed, would produce a star to save ME. 

THINGOL DIDN’T ACTUALLY REQUIRE THE SILMARIL!

(Plus, he had a sense of humour)

But Beren said: ‘It is fulfilled. Even now a Silmaril is in my hand.’ Then Thingol said: ‘Show it to me!’ And Beren [...] held up his right arm [Carcharoth had bitten off his hand with the Silmaril held inside]; and from that hour he named himself Camlost, the Empty-handed.

Then Thingol’s mood was softened; and Beren sat before his throne upon the left, and Lúthien upon the right, and they told all the tale of the Quest, while all there listened and were filled with amazement. And it seemed to Thingol that this Man was unlike all other mortal Men, and among the great in Arda, and the love of Lúthien a thing new and strange; and he perceived that their doom might not be withstood by any power of the world. Therefore at the last he yielded his will, and Beren took the hand of Lúthien before the throne of her father.

They had no idea where Carcharoth and the jewel were!

Once Beren proved himself worthy and Thingol saw how much Luthien loved him, he agreed to let Beren marry Luthien WITHOUT THE SILMARIL! 

How did I not notice this before?!

[mlobsters]

supernatural s14e9 the spear (w. robert berens)

this recap is so long and covering so much plot bs from this season, never a good sign :p

more extremely unfortunate monster teeth, sheesh

all right, garth is back. like a lot of side characters i see passing chatter about in fandom, i thought he was in more episodes

CASTIEL Jack. If you can't sleep, that's understandable, given recent events. JACK You mean dying and coming back to life. CASTIEL Yeah, we've all been through it. It's something of a rite of passage around here

ignoring sam's supposed comments about the cookie crisp knockoff. but this made me snort

JACK Cas. The deal you made -- why can't Sam and Dean know? CASTIEL They can. I -- I just don't I don't want them to. They don't need that burden. You don't need that burden. JACK Of course I do. You did that for me. CASTIEL You know, the Empty said that it wouldn't come for me until I had finally given myself permission to be happy, but with everything we have going on, with -- with Michael still out there, I don't see that happening anytime soon. This life may be a lot of things, but it's rarely happy.

LOL well. he's not wrong

KETCH Look, I improvised. It's not as if I have access to the top-shelf clandestine courier networks I did during my British Men of Letters days. And really, so, whose fault is that, hmm? SAM Okay, K-Ketch, we're -- we're not mad, - W-We appreciate the effort. DEAN Do we?

they didn't really do the work of convincing me i should come around on ketch but whatever. this made me laugh

looks like he's using a zoom background

DEAN Okay, well, getting the spear is literally a trip to the Carter Lake recycling facilities. I say we get both. Me and Cas -- we'll go deal with Michael's monsters and get the spear. You and Jack -- you do your mail run and get the egg. We'll meet back at Hitomi Plaza with both weapons, and we'll hit him from both sides.

i'm sure this will go off without a hitch! totally did a double take, thought hitomi plaza was nakatomi plaza (from die hard lol)

CASTIEL You seem good lately. Happy, even. You -- We have a broken tape deck, we drove this whole way without music, and you did not complain once. DEAN You know, I guess I'm just fired up. I mean, look. We got -- We got Jack back. When was the last time we had a big, no-strings-attached win like that? CASTIEL But now we have Michael. DEAN I know. CASTIEL And, Dean we're taking a big risk going after the spear like this. DEAN I know we are. Listen to me. Michael conned me. Kept me trapped and drowning inside my own body. Now, when you and Sam were possessed by Lucifer, I -- I thought I understood, but I didn't, not really. So, yeah, if we get a chance to trap him, I'll take that, but I won't be truly happy until he is dead and I kill him. And now I have a chance to do that, so, yeah, I'm good. Let's go.

all right then. another rite of passage, forcibly possessed by an archangel

least she gets to look badass with her spear, even if she has to go by goofy dark kaia name

DEAN Well, then, you should just kill me. There are people that I care about -- my family -- and they're in danger. Michael, the one who tortured me, the one who tortured you -- he's gonna hurt them and kill them. And then, worse. Thousands will die. And the only thing in this world that will stop him is the spear in your hands. So if you're not gonna give it to me, kill me.

they're always pulling the family card. but, their family is perpetually in mortal danger.

DARK KAIA The boy. The special boy. The one that used Kaia to open up the door? He can do it again, for me. DEAN Yes, he can.

LOL at cas's side eye

this whole speech (which i admittedly am partially tuning out) from michael to jack reminds me of amara trying to convince dean of how great it'll be together for eternity. without the god-whammy assist

sammy, i thought you agreed to not go in alone, what are you doing

ok well that was mostly repercussion-free, for once. also i like the effect of the bland instrumental christmas music quietly echoing through the parking garage, sets a very particular vibe

this is all actually a die hard reference isn't it? lol. slow on the uptake. it's been a while since i've seen it. but the music it just switched to. ode to joy, finally clued me in (i've played that on the clarinet [badly] and violin [slightly less badly], look at me). annoyed how they chopped it :p

should have at least tried to enlist kaia to wield the spear against michael, she's clearly better at it

MICHAEL!DEAN Yeah. When I gave up Dean, you didn't think to question it, to ask why? Dean was resisting me. He was too attached to you, to all of you. He wouldn't stop squirming -- to get out, to get back. So I left but not without leaving the door open just a crack.

was wondering if we were ever going to get back to that. too attached to sam first, and right, all of you too

MICHAEL!DEAN To break him, to crush and disappoint him so completely that, this time, he'll be nice and quiet for a change -- buried. And he is. He's gone. And now I have a whole army out there, waiting, ready for my command, ready for this.

so what do we need now, an archangel to wield the archangel blade to stab dean? and man, now kaia doesn't get her spear back? she's gonna be pissed. i imagine shadow guy or lucifer or somebody gets all up in this too at some point

[antigonewinchester]

13x01 So Jack is being set up to reflect aspects of Sam (his powers, the yellow-eyes), aspects of Dean (kid forced to grow up too fast in a dangerous world), and aspects of Cas (naive abt humanity / how to exist in the world). 

The framing of Cas as Jack’s father, Jack searching for him & not be able to find him calls to mind Sam and Dean searching for John in S1 (although Cas is staying away because he’s dead, not because he’s choosing too). There’s also how Lucifer vs Cas sort of parallels the Azazel vs John dichotomy. Altho S13 removes the more metaphorical demon-father aspect and instead makes it the more literal bad vs good angelic dad.

13x02 Dean being rough around the edges w/ Jack, Sam being more sensitive. I get what the show is going for, but the writing is really unconvincing & makes both Sam and Dean into pod people to me. Like the scene of Jack getting his anti-possession tattoo–neither Dean or Sam tell Jack that getting a tattoo hurts to set up Jack inadvertently using his powers, but c’mon, there’s no way Dean or Sam would’ve been that stupid as to not realize they should warn Jack about it.

13x03 Ah, Berens. As I’ve said before, not a fan. One exchange that stood out to me:

DEAN He is [right]. This life, hunting, monsters, there’s no joy in it. There’s nothing but pain, horror and death. So if you get a chance at normal, you take it. [DEAN turns to the IMPALA and PATIENCE moves back to her house. JODY goes after her.] JODY Patience, wait. I may be out of line here but you don’t have to listen to him. To either of them if it’s not what you really want. I had a daughter, I guess, Claire, and I asked her to stay in line, to fight who she really was because I thought it would keep her safe. It didn’t work, it never does. Your gift… or maybe you’re right, maybe it’ll go away. But if it doesn’t? You try to force it down to make someone else happy, you will only make yourself miserable. It’s your choice. But if you ever need someone to talk to or someplace to go, my door is always open.

Berens clearly wants to do a kind of superhero, kind of YA take on powers and hunting. Patience has her powers, and she can use them for good, implied as a hunter (and then made more explicit later on in the season). Similarly, Claire has her gift for hunting, which is subtextually a gift, we take the parallel Jody is making between Patience and Claire. 

So the show has dropped its framing of hunting as something that was driven by grief and trauma and anger – but it’s awkward because it was grief and trauma and anger that started Claire down the path of hunting in the first place. I guess you could argue Claire in S10 wasn’t technically hunting, but it was definitely hunting-esque, and there’s the implication in 11x12 that Claire is hunting as a way to deal with / avoid her feelings. And then it transforms into… being a hunter is “who” Claire is. Self-empowerment, badassery instead of tragedy & trauma.

[a-world-of-whimsy-5]

"Weakening resolve"

Rating: E

Pairing: Lúthien x Thû

Prompts: Marked

Themes:  Dark | Smut

Warnings: Dead dove | Major character death prior to the beginning of the story | Dubious consent | Monsterfucking | Breeding kink | Marking | Penetrative sex  | Knotting | Corruption

Wordcount: 1.2k words

Summary: Lúthien has to endure more of Thû’s visits in order to learn the whereabouts of Beren

A/n: this is the second of three fics that have been inspired by these prompts by @cilil

This is also available on AO3

Minors DNI | 18+

Her captor was not spinning wild tales when he told her that she would be serving him in his bedchamber for as long as he wished and that she would serve him well.

Thû would come for her every night to slake his lusts upon her body, and Lúthien had to prepare herself every night before he did so. She would bathe an hour before his arrival, taking great care to fix her hair and allow herself to be garbed in the flimsiest silks the thralls laid out for her to wear.

I must endure this, she often reminded herself whenever she changed for the night and slipped into the wide featherbed that had been a gift of sorts from him. Her captor had presented her with many fine gifts, gifts she did not receive even as a princess of Doriath. Lúthien did not know what to make of it. All she did know was that she found herself slowly welcoming such luxuries. It frightened her, for it meant her resolve was slipping away from her. I must. He will not tell me where Beren is if I deny him.

Of course, Thû never told her. No matter how many times she surrendered to his embraces, no matter how many times she pleaded and pleasured him in ways that she considered most degrading, he never uttered a word of Beren’s whereabouts. She truly believed that he enjoyed it, dangling this bright golden carrot in front of her before yanking it away, leaving her with nothing but shattered hopes. There was little she could do, either. Thû was as powerful as her own lady mother now, and the magic that she possessed could never overcome his own.

And his embraces left her exhausted of late. It was the onset of spring, and Thû’s visits had increased in frequency. Before, he only came to her at night. Now he came to her whenever the need to cleave to the flesh of another grew strong, and he would take her while he was in the beast-like form he chose for himself during the first time she gave herself to him.

Today was no different. He came to her before sunrise, waking her up with a heated command and giving her no time to prepare herself for him. Lúthien tried valiantly to keep silent, but every time he pushed inside of her, her wayward tongue betrayed her and she cried out, her fingers clutching desperately at the broad back covered in coarse fur. It was another sign her resolve was crumbling little by little.

This is wrong, she told herself. I should find no desire in this, no enjoyment, and yet my own body keeps welcoming everything this creature is doing to me.

Lúthien wanted to do nothing but look over his shoulder and fix her gaze on the velvet canopy above them. It was something she had been able to do at the beginning, only looking back at him when he commanded her to do so. Now she found she could not bring herself to do this. Not with pleasure burning white-hot and sharp in her veins.

Forgive me, Beren. She closed her eyes, ashamed of herself, stroking thick tufts of wiry hair without even realizing that she was doing so. The beast—for Thû truly was a beast at this time—growled in approval and pressed himself against her, caging her to the featherbed beneath them and whispering obscene words of love in her ears. 

It will not be long before she willingly places herself in my arms, he thought. And then, and only then, would he tell her of the fate of the mortal whom she loved over all others.

Beren was already dead, having perished in the pits of Tol-in-Gaurhoth just after his intended bride arrived in the lands Thû ruled as its lord. There had been a great duel of song, and Finrod, the elf who dared to aid him stand against a being that helped sing Arda into existence, fell in defeat. His elven companions had been forced to live out their lives in thralldom, and he, the fair, glittering king of Nargothrond, had to tend Lord Mairon as his slave.

Nothing good ever comes out of loving a mortal—nothing but doom and agony. Thû laughed to himself, delighting in the feel of Lúthien’s heels digging into the backs of his thighs. The half-ainu princess was as cold as a dead fish the nights following their first coupling, always laying still, always having to be ordered to return his embraces. Now she was writhing beneath him, fisting her hands in his hair, her pale skin already covered in a thin sheen of sweat.

I wonder how long it would take to get her with child. The season to sire offspring was already upon him. It was an all-consuming feeling, nearly driving him mad at times, and it only started after he began taking the form of a beast that was neither a wolf nor an elf. Thû did not mind, as it meant his bedmates presenting him with offspring that could fight for his master in his many wars once they came of age.

The first from her will be given over to the master when they come of age, he decided, and the one that will follow will be my own.

Nails gouged themselves into his flesh, prompting a violent noise to rise at the back of his throat. Thû marred the curve of Lúthien’s throat with his teeth, adding to the growing number of dark marks he had left all over her body. He savored the sharp taste of iron against his tongue, the cry that spilled free when he marked her a second time, all while he succumbed to the need to empty himself of his spend.  

Forgive me, Beren. Lúthien felt warm, feverish, and lustful. Her shame, much like the crushing weight of the body above her and the pain of the teeth piercing her flesh like sharp blades, was all but forgotten when a blinding white light erupted behind her eyes. It was too much, undoing her before she could take another breath. The rapture that followed overcame her, dragging her to its unfathomable depths before it drowned her. So lost was she in the pleasures that came with her release that she did not even hear it, her moaning his name, and she barely felt it, the size of him increasing to an uncomfortable degree while he spilled his seed. 

Thû silently exalted when his name parted her bruised lips. He had marked her as his with more than just the sharp bite of his teeth. He often took great care with his words after they had finished, preaching the master’s vision in a way that would appeal to her, offering her more than what any mortal could offer her, and the evidence of her slowly accepting her fate and yielding to the master’s cause would soon become plain to anyone with wit.

When that blessed day arrives, he thought, she will not even care that Beren has perished, for she will be well within my influence by then. 

It would be a tale fit for the greatest of lore masters: how a daughter of the great Melian left the light and followed him down a path of eternal darkness.

Original image: Ed Robertson/Unsplash

[apoloadonisandnarcissus]

I agree with this. Sauron is the “dark side of love”; it’s obsession, possessive, jealous, and unhealthy attachment. He’s a demon, after all. No one is saying that Sauron wants to seduce Galadriel like your usual lover boy, who gifts her flowers and is ready to sacrifice himself for her. That wouldn’t even make sense for his character.

I also think many folks don’t understand their dynamic. Sauron is not the “dominant” here, he’s the submissive, he is a natural born servant/follower. He acts like a devotee begging their god to show themselves to him and work in their favor. He’s like one of those Catholics who obsessively light candles to their devoted saint and have their whole house filled with statues, calendars, souvenirs, etc. (and this is something folks from non-catholic countries won’t understand until they see it).

There's a reason why Sauron is always on his knees for Galadriel. He wants to worship her so bad, and for her to allow him to do just that. He doesn’t want her a “pet” or a “servant”; he wants her as his personal god, and his source of light, and he’ll do anything to do it.

Charlie did say Johnny Cash was one of his main inspirations for his Halbrand playlist: Johnny Cash has a cover of “Personal Jesus” (by Depeche Mode): Your own, personal, Jesus/Someone to hear your prayers/Someone who cares.

I’ve spoken about this before but folks act as if love is only valid when it’s “Beren and Lúthien” (which isn’t real either, by the way, it’s a “idealized form of love, and even Tolkien tells us this).

Many say there is no romance between Sauron and Galadriel, then write the most romantic stuff imaginable. “Cosmic connection”, they were friends, they eased each other loneliness, they gave each other purposes, etc. I don’t know how old and what notions of love some folks have, but companionship and friendship are key elements of any normal relationship. Except this is not a normal relationship; this is demon attempting to seduce a Catholic woman.

I also don’t understand the argument that Sauron and Galadriel have idealized visions of one another when the show itself contradicts this:

I'm always perplexed when people try to say that Sauron only loves Galadriel as a form of pet... When they are literally being compared / parralled to canonical Tolkien romances / couples. I mean, yes, Sauron's love for Galadriel is toxic, but that doesn't change the fact that he's still in love with her. I mean, the whole symbolism screams romance and not really pet. And yes, Saurondriel is much stronger than just romance. It combines several different forms of feelings and love as well, but that does not prevent the romance category from existing and being the main symbolism between them. I say this because I'm equally annoyed by those who try to say that Sauron only loves Galadriel as a form of pet, and those who try to say that Saurondriel is a love story, but not a romance. As if the romantic aspect made things less strong between them ? WTF ? We need to stop trying to demonize the romantic aspects like that.

[sweetteaanddragons]

Rings of Power Thoughts

Not particularly spoilery, but under a cut, just in case. Highly disorganized.

Visuals are beautiful.

The Elves

"We had no word for death." Highly poetic Galadriel, but your step-grandmother is rolling in her grave. And your uncle is presumably about ready to rise from his and fight you about it.

So Sauron's history is going to be really different, huh. And so is Finrod's.

. . . Not sure I like that. Give me Beren and Finrod's heroic shenanigans, people.

But we did get cool First Age flashbacks, which was nice.

(Oath flashback! YES!)

"You will not be permitted to attend the meeting. Elf Lords only."

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, what?

If Elrond - heir to just about every elvish house they've got left - isn't elf lord enough for this meeting, then I assume Gil-Galad is just. Talking into the mirror, because if Elrond isn't lord enough for this meeting, then no one short of the high king is going to be.

I do love that Elrond's Gil-Galad's speechwriter, though.

"You're my friend, Galadriel!"

Cousin. The word you are looking for is cousin.

(I am aware that with the rights situation, how much of this they can reference is up in the air, but I do not actually care.)

"Are you familiar with the works of Lord Celebrimbor?"

His cousin, Celebrimbor? Last heir to the house that was, uh. Instrumental to shaping his childhood? That Celebrimbor?

Yeah, I think Elrond's familiar.

I do like this Celebrimbor's ambition, though. Even if he does talk about Feanor like it's not his grandfather he's talking about.

That is not how sailing West works. Not even a little.

(Galadriel: The only thing keeping me from sailing West is my duty.)

(The Valar: Uh. Sure. Also that ban we put on you, but we can call it your duty if you like.)

(Gil-Galad: I'm giving you an unparalleled honor: you're sailing West!)

(The Valar: Like we explicitly asked everyone but the leaders of the rebellion to do?)

(Elrond: I can't imagine the honor of being called to go!)

(Elrond. Elrond, darling. Everyone in the west would have loved it if you sailed at the end of the First Age. You stayed quite deliberately. Elrond. Elrond, please.)

Galadriel, I support your desire to stay, but I think abandoning ship that far out is actually just a great way to get to Aman the hard way.

The Harfoots

I love the Harfoots so far, especially Nori and Poppy!

If meteor man is Gandalf, I think that's a great introduction to the hobbits. If meteor man is Sauron, then I desperately need Bilbo to somehow find out about the wheelbarrow scene and immortalize it in song.

Easily my favorite part of the show so far.

The Dwarves

Durin's children are adorable.

I - hm. Durin himself is complicated. I like the character as a dwarvish prince, but I'm not sure I like him as Durin.

Also, his whole thing with Elrond is . . . kind of weird. I like the emphasis on the elves' different perceptions of time, but it feels weird to do that with ELROND of all people. Half-elven Elrond. Brother chose to be mortal Elrond.

Speaking of which, given Elrond's canonical brother and what canonically happened to him, I feel like "practically a brother to me" is a phrase Elrond wouldn't throw around lightly.

(And speaking of weird phrasing, Celebrimbor's metaphor about aging parents feels weird from an elf. Not impossible, given he's met mortals, but jarring.)

And going back to Durin . . . it feels very odd that if he wanted Elrond at his wedding or to meet his children, that he wouldn't have, like. Sent a letter? And if he did, it seems like Elrond would have had a much clearer idea going in what Durin was upset about. Communication seems to have broken down on both sides there.

Although given the ending of the episode, maybe there's more to it than that?

Arondir and Bronwyn

I like Arondir a lot, and I'm very intrigued by that storyline in general. Except . . .

I'm concerned about Bronwyn's son. I hate corruption/possession arcs.

Conclusion:

I am definitely intrigued enough to keep watching, but their treatment of the lore occasionally had me screaming into a pillow. I almost want to write a scene where book!elves pull some of that dialogue on each other so that the other person in that conversation can have the appropriate reaction.

In general with the elves I get the feeling that I would like it a lot a more if I knew a lot less about the Silmarillion. The dynamics between the Finweans aren't bad, they're just . . . hard to justify with the lore as I know it.

[istar-ingolmo]

The Problem of Galadriel

There is a problem with Galadriel. It’s not with her actions in LOTR and It’s not with her as a person. The problem is prior the Fellowship arriving in Lothlorien to meet the Lord and Lady; she did not exist. Galadriel, as a character, was invented as Tolkien was writing his sequel to The Hobbit. He needed someone who was wise and powerful to help the Fellowship, and, more importantly, Frodo after the loss of Gandalf in Moria. So, he creates Galadriel and her husband Celeborn, to serve as the Lord and Lady of Lothlorien. We find out in The Fellowship of the Ring that not only is she quite powerful, but she also possesses one of the three elven rings of power. Nenya, The Ring of Adamant.

Therefore, to have this kind of power she must be an immensely important elf. This is where we run into our problem. Galadriel is this immensely powerful elf, one of the rulers of one of the last elven kingdoms still in Middle-Earth. However, neither she nor her husband, Celeborn, are mentioned at the Council of Elrond. They appeared as they were needed in the narrative. Then Tolkien spent the next nearly thirty years of his life trying to reconcile them with the rest of his legendarium. This resulted in the problem of having to rewrite much of what he wrote since 1914 concerning the First Age. This makes Galadriel's backstory inconsistent at best.

There are essentially four different versions of these characters, first is in The Lord of the Rings where she originated. The second is in Appendix B that appeared in the Return of the King. Then her history is related in The Silmarillion and finally, two versions of her and Celeborn’s history that were published in Unfinished Tales. There are other tales that Christopher Tolkien later collected for his History of Middle-Earth series. We also get some lore on her in an unlikely place, the book of sheet music called The Road Goes Ever on by Donald Swann.

Each of these four Galadriels tells us something different, and there are sometimes years between these character revisions. In brief, Tolkien changed his mind constantly on where he wanted her to originate from and her involvement in the events of the First and Second Age. She went from a Sindarin Elf to a Noldorian Elf. She also went from desiring lands and lordship to simply being a seeker of knowledge. She went from participating in The First Kinslaying at Alqualondë to defending the Teleri. Finally, Galadriel went from being barred entry to Valinor to simply choosing to linger in Middle-Earth. With each revision, Galadriel’s importance grew.

The creation of Galadriel for The Lord of the Rings created a 'problem' that spurred on countless revisions of many of Tolkien's oldest tales concerning Middle-Earth. If Tolkien had lived longer, it is very likely the stories we got in The Silmarillion would be considerably different from what we ended getting in 1977.

History of Galadriel (in brief and in order as Tolkien revised her):

In LOTR:FOTR she is a Sindarin Elf of Nargothrond

In Appendix B at the end of The Return of the King, she is now the sister of Finrod Felagund of Nargothrond, making her now a Noldorian Elf. Finrod notably saves Beren from Sauron. Her husband is kinsmen of Thingol of Doriath, the father of Luthien. Galadriel's daughter, Celebrian, is married to Elrond.

In Concerning Galadriel and Celeborn, her travels have bouncing as round Middle-Earth. She is distrustful of Annatar (Sauron), while the rest of the Noldor in Eregion are taken with him. A coup happens and she flees Eregion though Khazad-Dûm. She rules over Lothlorien before passing the lordship to her son. When he dies, she and Celeborn return to Lothlorien.

In Of The Rings of Power and the Third Age she is elevated to the status of mightiest and fairest elf that remained in Middle-Earth.

In The Silmarillion, Galadriel participates in Fëanor's rebellion, seeking to be a ruler of realm of her own. She is present at The First Kinslaying. She meets Celeborn in Doriath. She is also unwilling to return to Valinor with the other Noldor and lingered in Middle-Earth.

In The Road Goes Ever On, a sheet music book by Donald Swann, we learn that Galadriel is actually banned from returning to Valinor unless certain conditions are met. Implying she is not repentant enough to be allowed back in Valinor.

In The Shibboleth of Fëanor we learn that Galadriel can perceive people's mind and judge their heart. She sees Fëanor for what he is and dislikes him. She is not swayed by his rebellion and actively fights against his forces when they commit The First Kinslaying. She follows him to Middle-Earth out of revenge. It is also here where we find out that Fëanor was enamored with her silver-golden hair and asked for a tress. She wouldn't lend him a single hair. It is implied that her hair inspired Fëanor to make the Silmarils.

Some final notes in 1973, removed Galadriel even further from Fëanor's rebellion. She intended to go to Middle-Earth beforehand, but was barred by the Valar after Fëanor's rebellion. She meets Celeborn in Alqualondë this time while visiting her mother. She goes to Middle-Earth in despair of the violence of the Kinslaying.

Until Next Time! Namárië!

[tolkien-feels]

Hi hi omg I saw you say in a comment that you are one of the 3 people who likes Daeron (thank you for revealing yourself), I am also one of those 3 people. And I know at least 4 others so that's 6! Double!

Since your takes and headcanons are amazing can you please talk about him?

Oh there are so many of us!!! 🥺 (Also thank you for your nice words omg this ask has so much serotonin!)

Okay, so I prefer Daeron as Luthien's brother not because I'm opposed to his being in love with her, but because I adore the idea of Daeron taking after Thingol in many ways, and being less beloved for the damning character flaw of not being Melian 2.0 like his sister. But I'll ignore that and focus on the published Silm, because that is also a very good story in a completely different way.

There's something incredibly... pure? is maybe the right word,,,, about Daeron. I can name several cases in Tolkien where a man is in love with a woman who doesn't love him back, but I can think of no other where the woman actually thinks "Of every person I know, this is who I trust most when I need help." And Luthien isn't wrong to trust him? Other than denying her agency, which is admittedly a horrible thing to do, I have a hard time condemning Daeron? I don't know that I would want anyone I love marching straight to the Dark Lord for a person who is going to die anyway, be it in a few minutes or in a few years. Hell, Beren also doesn't Luthien to leave Doriath, he just underestimates her stubbornness and courage, which is not very surprising - between Daeron and Beren, the one who's known Luthien all her life is Daeron, after all.

The thing for me is that Daeron is out there being the best minstrel ever and a loremaster and a linguist and well-regarded in the fairest realm of Beleriand and Luthien's closest friend. This is definitely an uncommonly talented and socially powerful elf. If he had to """fall""", you'd expect it to be out of pride or something of that sort - we've read that story a thousand times in the Silm by the time Daeron becomes important. But his fall is actually a matter of either heartbreak or fearing for Luthien's fate.

I wouldn't even say Daeron falls as much as he... makes mistakes? I don't get the vibe of him having ruined any lives besides his own, and even that is debatable - after Beren comes into the picture, is there a possible happy ending Daeron can get? Maybe if he died for Luthien's sake he might have been happy-ish in Valinor, but that's pretty much it. (Here's a fun little au to ponder: Sauron vs Daeron)

The story very much identifies itself with Luthien, so Daeron comes across as a jealous, untrustworthy, controlling Nice Guy™️ but the couple of things he does in this one story shouldn't overshadow the centuries of him being, as far as we can tell, a genuinely great guy. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not an apologist, I don't take betrayal lightly, but for me that's what's interesting. A lot of Silm character tend to come in the flavors Basically Very Good and Basically Very Bad, with a few You're Doing Your Best But Things Aren't Looking Too Good. I literally don't know where Daeron fits into this. I try to find other characters who are remarkably good, mess up for ONE (01) story and then immediately regret everything and lament forever, and I just can't? Daeron speedruns Maglor's character arc, which is bizarre because Maglor's arc is all about living on and on and on.

I also think it's very telling that Tolkien says he wanders seeking Luthien "in despair." Is it just me who finds that a surprising word choice? He's not angry or bitter or even in pain, he's in despair. Even for an elf in unrequited love, that's pretty intense. It doesn't sound at all to me like we're meant to treat Daeron being in love as a mistake on his part, or as possessiveness. It sounds pretty legitimate, imho? Like I keep saying, for all that he's immortalized as the embodiment of betrayal, Daeron seems pretty damn sincere.

And finally, it isn't really connected to what I was saying but I find this pretty neat

Then she would become mortal, land subject to a second death, even as he; and ere long she would leave the world for ever, and her beauty become only a memory in song.

But seeking for Lúthien in despair he wandered upon strange paths, and passing over the mountains he came into the East of Middle-earth, where for many ages he made lament beside dark waters for Lúthien, daughter of Thingol, most beautiful of all living things.

I get so emotional thinking about how Daeron ultimately lives out the rest of his days offering Luthien one of the few things Beren can't give her, one of the few things that can make the loss of eternity less bitter. And!!! Daeron does that unseen by Luthien. Because she is with Beren. Which is exactly how this entire story began. Like, the parallels, I'm going to s c r e a m.

[six-magnitude-girl]

The Dawn of the New Ackerman

Summary: Everyone decided to be true to their promises.

Chapter: 4/5

Tags: Pseudo-Incest, Alternate Universe - Medieval Fantasy, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Angst, Fluff, Sharing a Bed, Slow Build, Found Family, Possessive Behavior, Eventual Explicit Smut, Mildly Dubious Consent, no beta we die like Kuchel, this is what happens when you write with Goblet of Fire playing on loop, this is off the mark tbh, my self indulgent saccharine concoction

Disclaimer: English is not my first language so mistakes were made.

***

No matter how many times Eren scrutinized the note, it was Mikasa's handwriting. 

He wished he was mistaken but the truth was undeniable as he had received countless letters from her. Adding salt to the wound was Mikasa using Beren to send the letter. How dare she! 

Unable to reconcile with the truth, he turned to the knight kneeling before him and wondered what possibly possessed her to do this. 

Actually, he knows, he just never realized the extent Mikasa was willing to go to. Now he knows…

Eren suddenly laughed and the knight further lowered his head, not daring to risk catching the future duke's eyes. 

The knight was hesitant to accept but he ultimately left Eren's study with a small fortune in his pockets. 

***

It's already late but Mikasa still hasn't come to his room no matter how long Eren waited. 

He was in denial, he knew she wouldn't come tonight. On normal days, Eren wouldn't have minded… Besides, Mikasa never promised to come to his room every night for his 'bedtime story' but there was a sort of understanding because she always did. Was he wrong to count on it?

In the end, Eren was the one who came to her with a glass of milk and a history book.

The fact that she was not in her room, gave Eren hope.

***

Mikasa was fully aware of her predeterminism. 

Evenso, she also knows that nothing is truly set in stone. We make our own destinies or at the very least, die trying. She might be being too judgemental and critical of someone she doesn't know but how could she not?  

History repeats itself. Why was she even surprised this happened?  

Mikasa wasn't asking for the moon or the stars. She doesn't harbor great dreams or ambitions of any sort. Everything she wants out of life is normal, pathetic in its mundanity. There's no reason she should be in a situation where she's left with no choice and the best thing she could do is buy time. 

Mikasa is roaming around the Astronomy Tower's library section, passing through the bookshelves with no real purpose and destination. 

It is known that reading is like traveling in time. 

It wasn't what she had in mind when she read these journals. Nonetheless, she might as well have experienced the hopeful beginnings, the triumphs, and the tragic endings herself as she knows their stories by heart. 

In her diminishing present, Mikasa wondered if traveling in time shortened her time as a consequence. 

Mikasa wished she had learned how to stop time instead. 

Someone is walking up to her and she somehow knew it was Eren.

She didn't turn around and he didn't say anything as he silently draped a coat on her shoulders. 

"Thank you, Eren," she murmured, keeping her head down. 

He opened his mouth but ultimately didn't say anything. Instead, he adjusted the coat around her to make sure she was fully engulfed in it. 

She continued with her stroll like a hamster on a wheel and he wordlessly walked three steps behind her.

After the ninth time that they circled the bookshelves, Eren has had enough and seized Mikasa's wrist to halt her movement. 

His throat tightened but hope gave him courage. "Mikasa, dance with me?" 

Her furrowed brows melted and a wistful smile escaped her. 

After starting the music box, he has a hand on the small of her back to lead her to the center of the lower dome where they have always danced. 

They looked at each other. Eren was so much taller than Mikasa now. He took her hand, pulling her close to him, their breaths touching each other. 

Unlike back then, Eren took the lead this time. Mikasa didn't need to hold back or slow down for him. 

It was a different experience for Mikasa who has never danced this way before. She can't pinpoint the difference between dancing with Levi and Eren, all she knew is that it was not the same. 

Their eyes never left each other, even as he lifts her and spins her around in the air. Each time, Eren is sure to let Mikasa down slowly, almost as if he wishes not to let her go at all. There was barely any weight on her toes as it touches the ground again. 

Mikasa has always seen things in gray and wonders when she started seeing the world in colors. 

The music stopped and they clung to each other, her more than him. 

There were a lot of things Eren wanted to say but seeing her in such low spirits, he couldn't find it in himself to. 

And when silence and anger don't work, he turns to another emotion that seems to reign supreme when Mikasa is involved. 

"I will protect you, Mikasa." 

She could feel his hot breath on her ear as he whispers one of the things she didn't know she wanted to hear. It put her on a high, high enough for her to lose consciousness in her dream and wake up to her reality. She gently removed herself from his strong arms. 

Mikasa looked up at the glass roof, the subtle red tint of the moon complimenting the colors of the stained glass windows. 

"Ackermans must go where they want to go and die where they must." then caught his eyes when she looked back down. 

It's a side of Mikasa that is the most similar to him and yet he never truly understood. He wanted to swim deeper into her ocean even if it was dark. "You're not alone in this. I won't let–" he was desperate to make her understand. 

She shakes her head, making him falter. 

"We are all alone in this cruel world, Eren. That's just the way it is." 

Eren reached an unmarked territory. He's deeper in her ocean where it's just dark and he couldn't see anything. There's no moonlight that has always been his guide in swimming into her waters. He's afraid of the unknown but he's ready. 

"You should focus on yourself, your ambitions. Go for your dreams, Eren… and never ever let go." Her eyes are in the library, a pained look flashed in her eyes before darting back at him, begging him to understand. "That's the only guarantee a person can have."

It dawned on Eren what sets Mikasa apart from all the other noble ladies despite growing up sheltered in her tower. She hasn't even attended any tea parties, citing her 'weak constitution' as a reason. 

From a very young age, Eren's ability to read people became a necessity to survive a very hostile environment. 

They are the same. 

Mikasa always seemed effortless, and confident and had it all together. She's graceful and composed but what people never saw is how desperate she is. 

The reason Eren connected with Mikasa was that he saw the same desperation to survive that he had in her.

It all made sense to him now. Eren cups her face as the last piece of the puzzle falls into place. Mikasa fights the urge to close her eyes with how warm his hands are against her cold skin. 

"...hypocrite." and it made him love her even more. 

His eyes glanced at her mouth. "Your mouth tells me that–" and he thumbs her rosy lips. "–while your actions say otherwise." 

"I have always been true to my desires above all else like an Ackerman should be." 

"Then why did you leave the temple?" 

Mikasa paused before speaking, "I am not cut out to be a priestess." She looks away. 

"Stop lying." Eren was growing impatient with Mikasa's blatant lies. "Never lie to me again, it's unbecoming of you." 

Mikasa suddenly became very aware of their proximity. “It’s getting late, we should go to bed.” 

Eren only looked at her obvious attempt to change the topic. "I'll escort you." he walked away before she could say anything more. 

They were silent the whole time they walked on the way to her room and it unnerved her. She could only swallow her protests when he invited himself inside her room. 

When she saw the milk and book on her table, her eyes softened. “I thought I’d come to you for a change.” 

“You didn’t need to. I can’t come tonight anyways.” his eyes hardened. 

“Why?” Mikasa froze for a second before pretending she didn’t hear anything. 

Eren was sitting at the foot of Mikasa's bed staring at her as she nervously paced around the room trying her best to think of a way to get rid of him without arousing his suspicion. 

"I am a bit tired. It's late, I think I'll sleep now." 

When he ignored her, she walked toward him. "Eren?" She's standing in front of him, worried because he's not saying anything. 

"I thought I told you not to fucking lie to me." Eren fumed and she flinched when he looked up with his narrowed eyes directed at her.  

"What are you talking about?" Mikasa needed him to leave as soon as possible but she was at a loss about what he was so angry about. 

Tired of this back and forth between them, he showed her a familiar note in his pocket and all the blood left Mikasa's body. 

Eren's breathing heavily through his nose. "What the hell were you thinking?!" 

Mikasa's throat suddenly felt dry. "That's nothing…" she never expected to be found out. She tried to think of viable excuses but all she felt is shame for having to resort to such methods to solve her predicament. 

Maybe she can now directly ask for his understanding since he now knows. But even with her optimism always kept within arm's length, she figured out that there was no way he'd allow it. Eren would sooner wage war on the Reiss Royal family if anything else. That knowledge comforts and burdens Mikasa at the same time. 

"Nothing?" He cruelly read the letter aloud, much to her humiliation before tossing it away. 

The note lightly fell on the floor.  

"Asking a man to come to your room late at night is nothing?" his eyes scrutinized the gown she was wearing and felt further aggrieved with the fact that Mikasa was wearing one of her temple gowns. 

She crossed her arms and didn't say anything. 

"Is this what they taught you in the temple?" he wasn't done with her. 

"Regardless of what happens, you would still be the duke!" she snapped. Mikasa doesn't care what people are going to say about her but she doesn't think she could ever handle Eren's judgment. 

Eren's laugh was condescending when she finally lost her temper.  

She only shakes her head in resignation. 

His sneer melted when she turned away from him "Is that supposed to appease me?" but he was on his feet, shaking her shoulders before she could walk away from him. 

Mikasa sighed and closed her eyes. "It's not what you think… I was planning on striking a deal with him and having him marry me," she explained. 

Eren didn't say anything and it urged her to continue. "I would be a good wife to him and even without father's support, I have money saved up on the side to have a decent amount of dowry." 

He blinked "You're leaving me again..." 

His rawness caught her off guard. "W-what?" 

"Don't." His ocean green eyes are staring right into her soul. 

Mikasa wanted to take away the pain from his eyes but was unsure how. 

They wondered if he ever uttered those words to her nine years ago, would she still have left for the temple? 

"I will always be by your side." She touched his face but he remained rigid. "If you ever need my help, I'll always be there for you."

"Why would you do all that for me?" the question that has always been at the back of his mind, like a ghost always plaguing his mind. His fingers are twitching with the urge to touch her but he's controlling himself. 

"You're my family. You're the most important person in my life, Eren." In this she's confident. There's no hesitation or lies in her words. 

"Family…" Eren frowned and was silent for a while. 

"If you get married, what then?" Her hand dropped from his face. 

It wasn't enough to assuage the madness inside Eren. He grabbed her wrist to stop her from putting space between them. 

"You'll forsake me for your husband. You'll be his… family. Not mine." 

Mikasa is shaking her head and struggling to find the words to make Eren understand. 

"Where does that leave me?" 

She tried touching his face with her other hand but he seized her wrist with his other hand. It breaks her heart because she could see how tormented he is. With her wrists in his custody, she slowly twisted them to gain leverage and direct his palm on her heart. "You'll always have a place in this." 

Eren could almost hear the beating of her heart with his hand on her chest. 

They were quiet for a while before he spoke again. "...I still haven't told you my birthday wish." 

That got her attention. 

"Anything." She was quick in her response and she meant it.

Eren found her blind trust in him endearing. She's jaded but still so innocent. 

Mikasa hasn't forgotten about the promise underneath their tree. She swore deep down to fulfill whatever wish he had, anything to make him feel better about what was to come because she doesn't have any choice. 

"I want you to stay with me. Just the two of us." 

Time slowed down. 

"Now and forever." Eren lightly pressed his lips against hers and they felt this electricity between them, making her close her eyes.

Time stopped. 

Eren pulled back, heaving, feeling just as overwhelmed as Mikasa. 

Her eyes snapped open as she tried to register what just happened. He watched Mikasa with a piercing look in his eyes as she pieced everything together. 

Their eyes met and she felt the air leaving her lungs. She panicked and tried to put some distance between them but he was not budging. 

Tired of her struggles, he tilted his head and went for a deep kiss. He moved his lips to massage hers, wetting it in the process.

A hand at the back of her head firmly kept her in place. She tried to speak out but he didn't let her. Instead, he took advantage of the opening by slipping his tongue inside her mouth to finally taste her.

Mikasa tried to close her mouth but he was faster. Letting go of her head, he seized her jaw instead; clamping on it tight to make sure she couldn't close it. His warm tongue wasn't shy in exploring her mouth. 

Inaudible noises could be heard from her end as she helplessly squeezed her eyes tighter when a taste that didn't belong to her spread. 

His arm around her waist is holding onto her tight, slightly lifting her to align their mouths causing her to be on her toes. 

When Eren felt Mikasa slightly go limp, he maneuvered them into the bed. With Eren on top of Mikasa, he briefly breaks the kiss to look at her. 

She turned her head to avoid his eyes, focusing on catching her breath. It felt like no air would ever be enough for her as she heaves. Mikasa never imagined in a thousand years that her little brother would do something like this. 

He didn't say anything nor forced her to face him. He only kissed her cheeks and licked the drool that escaped at the side of her mouth before nibbling her ear.

Mikasa felt chills running down her spine with Eren's attack on her ear but nothing compared to the words he whispered "You're okay doing this with that knight but not with me?" He tried to sound nonchalant but she could hear the tremors in his voice.

"It's not what you think!" Is this why he's doing this? Everything must be a misunderstanding then! she thought. 

Renewed, she shakes her head and her hands tapped on his chest repeatedly to get him off her but he was too heavy. If he would just let her explain, she's sure that this would be resolved in no time. 

Eren's hand splayed on her neck. He raised himself up to look at her and she forgot what she was going to say as she was taken aback by how angrier he was. 

"Don't fucking lie to me." His hand gripped the fabric on her neck, "I am not a kid. I know exactly what you're planning to do." 

She couldn't even scream with how one quick pull from him tore the top part of her dress, exposing her ample breasts. 

He untied the string of his tunic and tug it over his head. She couldn't move with his full weight firmly pressing her down the mattress. Mikasa's rosy nipples grew hard against Eren's bare chest.

"...what are you doing?" Mikasa's heart was beating out of her chest when she finally plucked up the courage to ask. She wasn't afraid of him. Eren could never hurt her. She was afraid of what would change. He was her most precious person and in light of what was currently happening to her, she was trying her best to preserve her image of him. She wanted things to stay the same. Mikasa never claimed to be a strong person. 

Foreheads touching, nose to nose, heart to heart, he took her right hand and clasped their hands together "Not letting go." before silencing her with his mouth on hers. 

Eren knows that he could be potentially ruining the only meaningful relationship he'll ever have but he couldn't help it. The heart wants what it wants and he's tired of the same old story. He'll be damned if he lets things unfold the same way. 

His kisses are coaxing like he's sucking the life out of her but less sloppy this time. He broke the kiss to look at her when he noticed she wasn't moving. 

Mikasa is shivering and has her eyes squeezed shut underneath him. He mentally berated himself for being too hasty, he'll fix it. He doesn't want her afraid of him. 

Eren caressed Mikasa's cheek and kissed her forehead before going down to her nose, and lips and from there he trailed down on her neck. Her breaths become labored as he continues to alternate between licking, nibbling, and sucking her neck. He tried to be gentle but seeing the red marks forming on her milky complexion only spurred him on. 

Hearing her low whimper underneath him made him stop biting her shoulders. He growled as he struggled to stop himself from just surrendering to his urges. 

He reminds himself that this should also be good for her. He needs her to want this as much as he does. He trailed kisses up on her jaw before lightly going back to her lips. 

"Look at me." She opened her eyes slightly, peeking at him through her long eyelashes. 

"Follow my lead." He squeezed her hand to remind her of his presence. 

"Kiss me back, Mikasa." he nibbled her lips, urging her to open her mouth and let his tongue in. "Breathe through your nose," he instructed with his mouth barely leaving hers. 

Minutes after she shyly started reciprocating, he guided her hands around his neck and was pleased with how tightly she clung to him. 

Things took a turn now that she's kissing him back. They took their time to explore each other's mouths. 

Eren kneaded Mikasa's breasts, smug with how hard she tried but couldn't stay completely silent. He loves how her firm globes fit perfectly in his hands like it was made for him, like she's made for him. She felt so sensitive to the touch and her rosy pert nipples are rock hard against his palms.

Swallowing her breathy moans excites and frustrates him at the same time. He reminds himself to be patient but he constantly feels like he's losing control.  

Eren started grinding and humping Mikasa and she was quick to reciprocate in this new dance that they found themselves in. 

She ran her fingers through Eren's long hair, intoxicated with exchanging saliva with him and her newfound desire to rub her body on him. Their kisses turned frantic as if building into something but they don't know what.

His other hand snaked down on the slit of her dress to easily access her leg. He grinned through their kisses because he felt a gush of fluid on her inner thighs.   

He couldn't stop himself anymore when he saw how lost and dejected she looked when he broke the kiss to remove their remaining clothes. 

Mikasa let out a yelp seeing his bare member, seemingly defying gravity with how it stands upright with its enormous size.  

If he wasn't in dire need of her, he would have laughed at her reaction but he's struggling not to just rut into her as it is. 

Eren's erection twitched seeing how she couldn't take her mystified eyes off of it. He knows she has many questions but wasn't in the mood to answer any of them. She can get better acquainted with his member afterward. 

He tore her skirt and she covered her eyes with both of her hands. She tried squirming away to hide herself but he was faster and pinned her legs. 

Eren salivated at the sight of her. 

"Why does it have no-" In men's lessons at the academy and crude materials, it always has hair. 

"The temple–" she's still trying to hide herself but he has taken a hold of her ankle. "–taught us grooming. The sugar…" she trailed off, peeking through her fingers to see why he stopped moving and got so quiet. 

Eren felt lava running through his veins while looking at the entirety of Mikasa's state of undress. 

"You're so…" 

Their eyes met and a moment passed between them where he had told her without words what he thought of her. 

Mikasa's blush reached her upper chest when Eren licked his lips. 

He caressed her bald sex in featherlike circular motions that sent tingling sensations to her. 

He moaned with his half-hearted attempts to put his tip inside of her. Her face scrunched up in pain and she covered her face again. 

Eren grabbed Mikasa's ankles to spread her. Her insides glistened with her arousal much to his satisfaction. He wants her to witness what they're about to do. 

"Look at us." He rubbed his hot rod in her moist petals, wetting it.  

He slowly rubbed his length at her entrance. It was hitting her clitoris and it was a new sensation for Mikasa altogether. She had never been more aware of her groin area up until this moment. 

"E-eren…" She doesn't know what she's begging for but his ocean green eyes visibly darkened at her soft pleas.

Mikasa sucked a breath and dug herself deeper into her pillow when he entered her in one swift move. 

Eren finds himself growing impatient; aside from being a tight fit, he felt a barrier stopping him from going further. He groaned feeling her pillowy hot walls gripping him. 

Not wanting to hurt her any further, he attacked her breast. He ran his tongue around it, lightly biting it and testing how much could fit in his mouth.

He squeezed her chest and alternately licked her nipples.

To soothe her little whimpers, he reached for her face to caress her cheeks. He inserted his thumb inside her mouth as he resumed his attack on her breast. 

Wet with her saliva, he took his thumb out of her mouth and used it to gently rub her clitoris before pushing further inside of her. 

Mikasa could only pant in pain. 

She saw Eren looking lost on how to alleviate her discomfort and it somehow made it all better. She instinctively reached for him. 

They met halfway and kissed passionately. The noises of kissing filled the room and it roused them even more. 

He buried the entirety of his length inside of her and she screamed in his mouth before settling into little breathy pants. He didn't move to let her adjust despite the uncontrollable itch to stab her using his tool over and over again. 

"We're one." he groaned, feeling his rationality melting further inside of her. 

Mikasa's eyes are closed, face still scrunched up having her guts rearranged but nodded nonetheless which earned her a kiss on the forehead. 

Eren kissed her tears away before concentrating on playing with her clitoris. He's watching every bit of her reaction, determined to commit it to memory. 

With the way he was playing with her body, it didn't take long for her to accept him. 

Their tongues intertwined, distracting her as he slowly thrust in and out of her. He never thought something could feel this good, he couldn't stop thumping her against the mattress.  

The pleasure that she feels overwhelmed by any sort of residual pain. "Ere…" 

"Mikasa!" they laced their fingers tightly, taking that as a signal to bury himself deeper as if to maim her. 

"Wa-Wait!" Mikasa is panicking as she feels something building up. "I feel something!" 

Eren nodded to himself knowing what was to come. "Have this with me, Mikasa." he kissed her to silence her before thrusting faster. 

Even with her reservations, she deliriously couldn't stop rocking her hips to meet his thrusts. 

Mikasa forcibly broke free from Eren's mouth and cried on his shoulder as she came. 

Despite the pulsing tightness of her cunt, he didn't stop or slow down because it was his turn and it sent them both into a frenzy.

If what happened earlier didn't kill her, this time she was convinced she was going to die when he didn't stop moving after she fell apart. 

Eren pulls his length out, leaving the tip in, before slamming right back into her with his full weight. 

Mikasa couldn't think to ask for a break with his intensity.

It doesn't matter who hears them; the obscene sound of their lovemaking filled the room. 

It wasn't long before Eren released himself inside of her, his groans filling the room. 

Mikasa could only roll her eyes back with the added sensation of his hot seed spilling directly inside her cervix, prompting the second wave of her release.

He waited to go soft before exiting her. He didn't bother wiping the evidence of their lovemaking and laid down on the left side of the bed. He stared at her unconscious frame before pulling her into his arms. 

Countless thoughts and plans grounded him but most of all he feels free. 

It's like the knots in his heart are finally untangling themselves, allowing life to flow through it. 

Contentment overflowed his senses with Mikasa locked in his arms.  

Eren pulled the covers on them and he let sleep overtake him. 

***

It was still dark when they woke up. Eren is laying on his back while Mikasa lies on her side with her head nestling at the crook of his arm. 

Their sated bodies desired sleep but unanimously agreed to savor the moment in silence while waiting for the sun to fully rise. 

With the first signs of light, Eren started to open communication. "I haven't thought about… children but if you want them, I won't mind having them." He was surprised how much an image of Mikasa heavy with his child appeals to him. He's sure she would be a good mother. 

But then Eren remembered one of his common threads with Mikasa, something he'd rather not think about. "I'll get the best doctors to examine you. If the doctor says it's dangerous, we'll adopt." This is non-negotiable for Eren. 

Mikasa nodded agreeing with Eren's sentiment. 

"You're young…" She knows that he hates being reminded of their age gap but if they are going to do this, they need to be honest with each other. "And if someday you ever find someone, I want you to let me know and be completely honest with me. I won't stand in your way." 

"How generous of you." His eyes have a spark of irritation in them but he kept his tone light and easygoing. "Would you be taking a lover of your own? Perhaps that knight?" 

Mikasa thought about her answer before ultimately deciding to shake her head. A woman getting a lover is not acceptable as it is for men; although the inequality displeases Mikasa, she needed to remind herself that there is always power in acceptance. 

Eren pulled her closer to kiss her bare shoulders before warning her. "If you ever get a paramour, I would tear him limb from limb and burn him alive right in front of you." 

Mikasa felt melancholic about Eren not being her little brother anymore. 

A part of her feels glad that it's him but is also grieving that he won't be her safe place anymore. Mikasa would be his wife which filled her with even greater anxiety because even though she doesn't think Eren would ever hurt her, he now could. Now more than ever before. 

Mikasa suddenly feels vulnerable. She'll be giving herself away to someone to be owned and broken in. She'll be someone's wife. Eren's strong negative reaction to the thought of her having a lover on the side reminded her of that. 

"We'll have none of that." and that is the only way to be. 

Mikasa's eyes widened at his declaration. 

"I can't promise no changes but at our cores, we'll be as we are… only closer." Eren kisses Mikasa's lips as if to demonstrate what he meant. 

Breaking the kiss to continue, "It would be just the two of us." he murmured inches away from her lips. 

He pauses trying to find the right words to convey his vows to her. "Now and Forever." and even then, even a little longer than that… Because to Eren, what they have is sacred.

Mikasa's heart grew sizes with his answer but her conscientious nature won't allow her to take rest until she's sure that he understands. "Eren, I just want to let you know that you already helped me a lot by–" Thanking Eren for bedding her felt wrong so she couldn't finish her sentence. 

That amused him and felt this urge to tease her but decided against it seeing how worked up she was thinking she was ruining him. 

"You don't need to marry me… you have other options and a whole life ahead of you–" 

Mikasa worries too much and even that part of her appeals to Eren but he's so close to just fucking her silly again to shut her up. "No one else would ever make me feel this way." he cuts her off. 

They held each other tighter but didn't say anything. Both of them used the silence to process the feelings that were out in the open. 

"Since when?" Mikasa's voice is somewhat raspy, she doesn't know how to process his revelation. 

"Who knows..." more than their lack of clothes, they are now bare of any pretenses. "I don't even know where it ends." 

Eren is laid on his back and maneuvers Mikasa to her side to pull her closer. 

Mikasa searched her heart for any hint of regret and she couldn't find any; that's just not her. With that alone, her answer is obvious. If she was being honest with herself, she felt the same way but seeing the deep scar on his chest reminded her of something important that he needs to hear out loud. 

His jaw tightened when he saw her eyes on his mangled chest. 

She looked at him, her eyes asking for his permission. 

Even though Eren felt a slight old rush of panic, he took Mikasa's hand and pressed her palm at the crack of his soul because every piece of him belongs to her. 

After his initial discomfort passed, she held his gaze for it is gospel, "You are important. You are enough. You are loved." 

Mikasa removed her hand before closing her eyes, bending down to tenderly kiss his scarred chest because she knew all too well that time doesn't heal all wounds. 

A tear fell down his face without any warning. He was sure that this moment would be the last image he'll see when he dies. 

They locked lips the moment she raised her head. The way Eren kisses Mikasa wasn't any less passionate than he was the night before but he was more gentle with her. 

They were unable to open their eyes afterward and pressed their foreheads together while they catch their breaths.  

With their eyes still closed, he smiled when she gives him small kisses on the lips; Eren held her nape to stop her from pulling away and they devoured each other. 

They both knew where this is going. Anticipation building up as evidenced by the hard hot rod poking on Mikasa's thigh. 

No further words were needed when they made love once again. 

They are laying on their sides, facing each other. They are entangled in each other's arms. 

He slid a leg to spread her and she reciprocated his initiative by adjusting her hips and wrapping a leg around him. 

Mikasa's lower mouth had a warm welcome as Eren buried himself inside her where it made its home. 

There is still this slight ache in between her legs but it's mostly in the background now with how in touch she has become with the pleasure that comes with the pain. 

She kissed his neck as an encouragement for him to dive deeper into her. 

He's caressing her back with the arm where her head is resting. His other hand is free to touch and maneuver her plump backside that was emphasized by her narrow waist.  

"Eren!" she tensed and her body quivered uncontrollably with how hard she came. 

Seeing her fall apart in daylight without warning triggered his release. 

Languid kisses are exchanged between them afterward. 

It pains Eren to pull away from her but he needs to clean her. He is up, putting his clothes back on. 

Mikasa stirred with the source of her heat gone.

"I'll just have the maids arrange a bath and food for us." Her eyes are half open, his words not fully registering. 

"Wait for me in bed, I won't be long." Mikasa nodded and she closed her eyes again, instantly falling back to sleep. 

He chuckled and kissed her forehead. 

Eren was staring at her as he draw the curtains on her canopy bed because he didn't want anyone else to see her in this state. 

He found Levi standing in the hallway, staring at him when he got out of Mikasa's room. It wasn't unheard of, considering how close they are but today is different because something did happen between them. 

"We had a deal." Eren started, tired of the older man's silence, his gaze unwavering. 

Eren was right of course but Levi expected better. What 'better' means, he also doesn't know. "You were too impatient." He sighed. 

Deep down, Levi has always known. So when Eren wrote a letter, asking him to fulfill his end of the deal; he had an inkling that this is where he'll find the brunette.  

No. Levi was sure of it. 

He knew that there is no point getting angry as it was only a matter of time but what kind of older brother would be alright with a man defiling their little sister? 

Eren didn't comment on his remark. All that matters to him is that Mikasa is finally his.