#eleniel | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

annabthesolitarywriter · 3 months ago

Note

For the unusual OC/creator questions: 18, 22, 35, 38, E

Can be about any OC/multiple OCs or OC ship, but maybe for someone you haven't talked about yet.

Thank you for the ask! I am going to talk about two of my newest OCs: Eleniel and Gimlara (Celebrían)

General information about Eleniel before I actually answer the questions.

She’s the youngest child of Faramir and Finduilas and younger sister of Elenna (she's named after her), Elboron, Faelivrin and Eradan and was born in FoA 21. Yep. Eleniel. Faramir is obsessed with stars in my AU and Eleniel is the first star-themed name he could think of. I initially thought she would be named Elena and she did indeed have that name for an hour, but then I went with Eleniel. I just sounded more Middle-earthy. Her nicknames are Nell, Elen and Elena (different people address her in different ways and she finds it funny. She often makes up silly names just because she wants to see other people's reactions to them). She strongly dislikes her given name—she finds it trivial and boring—and finds her father's obsession with stars pretty annoying.

In spite of that, she gets on fairly well with Faramir. He’s a bit too strict, puritanical and religious for her taste, but she trusts him and, although she does not confide in him, she definitely has gone to him for advice once or twice. She has plenty of respect for him and—although she doesn't love him as much as ‘early Enna’ and Fae—she cherishes him. She's far from being a daddy's girl, but she feels a lot of affection for him nonetheless.

Now, her relationship with her mother is a whole other matter entirely. She can't stand her. Since Faramir is not very much at home, the task of discipling the children falls on Finduilas and having to raise three young children is hard, no matter how many nannies you have. While Fae and Eradan are generally well-behaved and relatively patient, Eleniel is a nightmare. As a toddler, she can't sit still, does what she wants whenever she pleases and doesn't listen to anyone. She cries and throws tantrums whenever she is forced to sit to get her hair brushed or to get dressed. She also thinks her mom is too stiff and old-fashioned and tends to steer clear of her. She loves her though and she's perhaps the first person who runs to her and tries to help when Finduilas suffers a miscarriage in FoA 32. She's around five or six months pregnant and one day she wakes up in pain and…stuff happens. She will later say that she expected for something like that to happen and that she knew it was a possible outcome, but she's devastated by it. Her main comfort is Eleniel’s company as well as Arwen’s. The Queen understands her better than anyone else since, about twenty years prior, she had miscarried a child. I know that Elves are supposed to be super strong and resilient, but it is canon that pregnancies take a huge toll on elf-women and if Nerdanel can die while giving birth to Fëanor, Arwen can certainly miscarry.

Finduilas tells her that she's afraid of Faramir's reaction and Arwen nods as she herself hasn't really told Aragorn about it. Arwen's miscarriage happened before she ever started showing and he carried herself so well that no one ever even suspected she had lost a baby. Only her maids knew about it, but they had been ordered to keep silent.

Eliniel was clearly named after Enna, but she's definitely not into the whole "Enna-worshipping" thing. She is extremely blunt and doesn't really know what diplomacy means. What you see is what you get with her. She appears to be brush and arrogant, but she's actually a softie and cares a lot about her family (though she doesn't show it). Deep down, she feels sorry about many of her character traits and wishes she could be a better person, but she would never admit it out loud, because one of her major flaws is her pride (a character trait she shares with Enna). She rolls her eyes at everyone and likes to complain. She also cannot shut up and always has to make her opinion known, even when it's not needed or most inconvenient. You could say she's brutally honest.

She usually destroys everything she touches—she’s very clumsy—and does things without thinking of their consequences. She doesn't do it on purpose, but she's a bit careless. She hates formality and the upper classes—she finds the world of nobility extremely boring—and is at her happiest dancing barefoot in the rain or doing any activity that would be normally be frowned upon. Contrarily to her older siblings, she does enjoy alcohol—she could drink anything, she's not picky—and I think Elboron persuaded into not chugging entire full mugs of ale more than once. She sometimes feels like she's not a part of the family and tends to spend most of her time alone by choice. She also complaints that nobody understands her and it's something that she'll say at Eönwë’s funeral as well. (She doesn't like him at first because she assumes he's a pompous butthole, but, as she gets to know him better, she grows to respect him a great deal and genuinely values his opinion, which is huge for her. She has this whole thing going on that she sort of thinks she knows everything and doesn't need anyone, but most of it is actually major insecurity concealed as arrogance. She has a very expressive faces and makes faces all the time (as I mentioned earlier, she has never heard of diplomacy and her poker face is non-existent). She grows to understand Enna as well and she's actually one of the first people to understand when she's in pain…you know, whenever Enna is in pain. I think she actually prevents her from miscarrying once as she alerts the physicians in time and the baby (I think Aearwen) is saved because of her. She might try to brush it off in order to maintain her though, “I don't care about anything” façade, but she does care. She's probably the one who, deep down, cares the most about her family. She's also the first to notice Finduilas is pregnant again in FoA 32 and, when Faralas tell the family about it at dinner, she's like:

“Aren't you guys too old to have relations? And oh, by the way, you needn't say anything. It was BLATANTLY OBVIOUS but you obviously didn't notice because you're all blind.”

Everybody gives her the side-eye and she goes: “Mother is as beautiful as she's ever been, but she was getting fat and wouldn't stop eating lemon cakes. I was told she craved them a lot when she was pregnant with me, so that's how I figured it out. It really was no surprise.”

Fae (who really doesn't like her) is goes. “If you're really so smart and perceptive, why didn't you say anything?”

Eleniel: “It wasn't that hard to figure out. Plus, it was not my right to speak of it. It's mother's business, not mind.”

Fae: “Oh, so NOW you are being considerate.”

A fight ensues between the two of them and it takes the combined efforts of Elboron AND Faramir to prevent them from killing one another. Fae may be prim and proper and basically an Enna mini-me, but she IS fierce and strongly believes her younger siblings must respect her. Not just because she's right, but also because of a sense of hierarchy. For instance, while Eleniel thinks it's utterly ridiculous, Fae bows to Elboron because he's older than her and bowed to Enna even before she married Eönwë and rose in rank. It's her way of respecting her elders, which is very much a thing in (my) Gondor. Eleniel on the other hand…couldn't be bothered.

She doesn't curtsy to Faramir or Finduilas and certainly she doesn't to any of her siblings. She only does to Enna because she sort of forced but she categorically refuses to kneel and do the Maiarin salute because she finds it pretentious and the idea of kissing someone's hand and bringing it to her forehead just gives her the ick. She understands it's a symbolic thing, but…it's too much effort, I guess. She simply bows her head for a few seconds and calls it a day. She also treats Eönwë the same way and people among the Maiarin community are outraged. They try to explain her why Eönwë is so important and she's like:

“He fought in many wars and was given a prettier ring that the one he already had. What's the big deal?”

Some people try to slap her and put her in her place by force, but Eönwë steps in and threatens everyone who dares lay a finger on her with execution (it's just an empty threat, we all know Bird-boy wouldn't harm a fly and feels major guilt over literally anything). Oh, speaking of Bird-boy…she calls him like that as a joke and he does NOT find it funny. He thinks it's embarrassing and she's like “Oh, it's perfect for you, then.” Before Eönwë can ask her to elaborate further on the matter, she just leaves. The two of them grow to have a great banter-y relationship and Eönwë is secretly grateful to her for keeping him grounded. He grows to regard as a younger sister and they travel to the Shire together when Pippin and Diamond have their daughters—though Eönwë respects Aragorn’s decisions, he doesn't have to follow his rules as he's basically Manwë and Manwë outranks him…for obvious reasons. Eleniel has A LOT of fun in the Shire—she loves that hobbits walk barefoot—and most of her time getting drunk with Merry and Pippin at the Green Dragon. Eönwë needs to physically carry her to the inn they're staying in and listen to her drunken musings. She also most likely throws up on him more than a couple times. When she finally sobers up, she apologizes, which she usually finds really hard to do, and Eönwë chides her saying she should be more responsible and she agrees.Their convo is something along the lines of…

Eönwë: “My children would handle themselves better than you did.”

Eleniel: “Knowing you, I don't doubt it. They'll be complete teetotalers who sacrifice themselves for nothing like you do all the time. Take your eldest, for instance. He’s a good boy, but he's boring. So boring. I don't usually love boring, but your children are the exception.”

This remark, though innocently made, rubs Eönwë the wrong way and he goes: “Must I remind you that most of them have died?”

Though he doesn't want to upset her, he is angry—the first time he acted angry around her—and she immediately understands she messed up and tries to make amends. It's also the first time she calls him Eönwë. He corrects her pronunciation—she thinks his name is Ee-on-wee instead of Ay-on-*way—*and readily accepts her apology. As he's about to get out of the room, she tells him he should try to be a bit more selfish and that she fears his kindness and mercy will lead him to the grave and will be the ruin of his family. It is not a coincidence that she's probably the first person to suggest there might be something wrong with him, Elboron being a close second. And here, I'm going to mention someone else for a few seconds. The first to ever notice Eönwë’s decline is Eglerion, Elboron’s boyfriend (faceclaim Bash from Reign) as **early as FoA 34. He tries to tell Elboron about it, but the latter dismisses it as pure nonsense. Eglerion tells him that Maiar shouldn't be feeling as tired as Eönwë does, but Elboron shuts him down by saying that he chose to embody a human fána, he is now effectively human and has to deal with the limitations a human body entails. Eglerion is not convinced, but doesn't want to argue with his lord/boyfriend and doesn't mention it again.

Truth to be told, Eönwë starts experiencing poisoning symptoms—extra sleepiness and light muscular tension—as early as FoA 31, but he brushes them as natural consequences of training and getting used to a human fána. It isn't only until the late 30s of that decade that his symptoms become more noticeable. I think he actually starts showing more advanced symptoms in the Shire, while taking a walk with Merry, Pippin, their kids (he's an honorary uncle to all of them) and Eleniel. I think his vision becomes blurry all of a sudden and he has trouble breathing, which he's never had before.

Merry and Pippin immediately panic (especially Pippin) and Eleniel starts asking a thousand questions and yells at him when he doesn't answer because, you know, he's too busy trying not to collapse. I think Merry tells her to take it down a notch and only when he gets better she apologizes and admits to being very worried. As she's talking to Merry and Pippin and Eönwë is a few yards away, she thinks he cannot hear her. Plot twist, he does and one of his later comments is “I knew you had a heart, little one,” followed by a sound “You shouldn't worry about me, I am fine.”

She makes a face as to say “You're bullshiting me and clearly thinking you're going to get away with it.*” followed by a “I’m not little, you know.” She urges him to talk to a doctor, a healer or someone else but he declines. She keeps insisting and he still declines. She then urges him to tell Olórin or someone else in his household and he declines. At last, she tells him to at least talk to Enna so that maybe she can help him and he glares at her. She's very upset that her counsel has gone unheeded and proceeds to tell him that he's own his own and that she no longer wants to be his friends and that she doesn't care if he dies. Although he knows she's lying, he's hurt by her words and the two of them grow distant again once they return to Gondor.

They barely speak over the next two/three years (although she periodically checks on him through other people) until his symptoms become very severe and he sees a physician because his tonics and syrups don't work anymore and the pain is unbearable. That's when the physician tells him he has five years at best, maybe even less. He writes a note to her and summons her to his quarters where he essentially very bluntly tells her he's dying. And, plot twist, she's at a loss for words. She can't say anything and just stares at him, completely stunned. She doesn't know what to think or what to say. And then she just…cries.

Though she and Enna are vastly different, they share two main things: they're both proud and stubborn af and they never cry in front of others. Eleniel, for instance, cries every single she is told of the death of her nieces and nephews, but that is only likely to happen in the confines of her room where no one can hear her or see her. For her to openly weep…it's kind of a big thing. And not only that, she asks Eönwë whether she can hug him. She loathes being touched and touching others, so this is just her going the extra mile for someone she really cares about. She asks him whether she is nothing that can be done and even offers to help, but it's soon clear that he's beyond saving.

He asks her to help look after the children and begs her not to say anything to anyone. She begs her to speak to Enna and set things right with her and to try to get to know her as Eleniel promises to do that. The two of them never properly hated one another, but Eleniel was always hyper-critical of her. During their interactions, she tells her what Enna needs to hear and not what she wants to hear (she's perhaps the only one in the family who doesn't cater to her every whim) and thinks her household is packed with spineless people who coddle her at all times.

She doesn't despise her sister per sé, but she believes Enna thinks too highly of herself and that she's done nothing to deserve the status she has (she does not know about the whole Mairon story and since Enna can conceal her suffering extremely well, Eleniel has virtually no idea what's wrong with her). It is only as she bonds with Eönwë that she truly starts connecting with Enna and sympathizes with her. She calls her a stupid idiot, but she feels for her. But then again, not even Eönwë knows the extent of Enna's suffering so…I guess, there are so many unspoken things in this family. Even without knowing the full truth, Eleniel thinks Eönwë is a major enabler and calls him out on it several times. This is both before she learns he is dying but also after that. She pities him and is devastated by the news but she soon resumes her old habits and is possibly even harsher than before in an effort to shake him out of his self-pity and misery. She wants him to fight for Enna and his remaining children, but, then again, she is horrible at wording it.

As Eönwë gets worse, she tells her family about it and she and Fae finally find some common ground by comforting one another. From then on, they both try to put their differences aside and try to work together to keep Eönwë (and Enna) alive. The interesting thing is that they both think Eönwë is the only one who's at risk and it never crosses their mind that Enna might die. They suppose she might waste away from grief after Eönwë’s passing, but, despite being perfectly aware of her poor health, they're so used to her being sick that they don't worry about her dying. I mean, she's always been sick…what could go wrong?

If the timeline does not change and other stuff doesn't get in the way, this whole scenario happens before FoA 42, which is when Handalimë spots a lump on Enna's neck as she's trying to get her ready to meet Sarim (Orhan’s attendant). Sarim goes to Emyn Arnen multiple times over a five-year span to try and combine a wedding between Fae and Orhan (he kind of has to, since Orhan threatened to behead if he doesn't. The two of them are childhood friends so Sarim thinks Orhan is kidding. And he is. Technically) and each time he goes back to Harad with a no for an answer. The meeting with Enna in FoA 42 will be his last and Enna will think the proposal over to then finally give her consent to the marriage. After the whole meeting is finished with, her ladies ask her to get the lump checked out, but Enna is sick and tired of going to the Houses of Healing every other month and dismisses it as an allergic reaction to perfume or something like that. She basically says something to shut them up and keeps acting as normal as possible. Unfortunately, it's not just an allergic reaction and she starts getting sick fairly quickly and the main physician is summoned and Enna is diagnosed with an incurable disease (possibly lymphatic cancer, which of course can't be treated in Middle-earth. I'll have to do some research on it, but usually the first symptoms are red rashes, swelling, neck pain etc). Enna notices these things too, but insists that she's been misdiagnosed (I will have to find the medieval term for it) and that everyone seems to have gone mental over silly things she experiences nearly every day. She wants nobody to know about it and prevents anyone from sending letters, telegrams or the likes.

However, her ladies notice a shift in her (they are all Maiar, after all, and they can sense when death is approaching) and Handalimë sends Eleniel a letter detailing everything. Now, Eleniel doesn't like Handalimë—she thinks her annoying, obsessed with rules and utterly boring—and doesn't even open the letter. She actually throws it away, but luckily Elboron finds it. He doesn't open it, but finds it and keeps it in his study. Several weeks go by and, although Enna tries to put on a brave face, she now knows she'll die. As I've mentioned in other conversations and chats, she did indeed try to off herself many times beforehand, and she's now hit with the though that she'll be pain free for eternity. The idea fills her with newfound peace and relief and she finally smiles…until she cries and despairs again at the thought of never seeing her children again. By FoA 42, she's lost of all of her kids except Anárion, Mírion, Wyn and possibly Finnie.

I'm trying to talk myself out of killing off Finnie, but, since she's Enna favorite daughter, Mairon or his agents will definitely try and remove her from the picture. The redhead hates her with a passion so she definitely tries to harm her, that's for certain. Finnie's death would also lead Enna to major breaking point, but I really don't know. Wyn is relatively harmless so she's overlooked and that's her luck and Anárion is not of Eönwë’s blood, and that's also his luck. Mírion and Finnie are the main targets though. The redhead tries to poison Mírion and he's saved last minute and she might try and (possibly succeed in killing Finnie). Finnie is smart and brave, but she's a literal child against an adult, unhinged Maia. It wouldn't take much for the redhead to take action. If Finnie dies, she'll definitely live long enough to apologize to Wyn for being occasionally rude to her and ask forgiveness. I do love her though, so I really don't know. As of now, she probably dies, but it's NOT certain.

Anyway, let's go back to the main topic of discussion. Enna now knows she'll die and her relief soon turns yet again into grief. As usual, she's able to conceal it extremely well and everybody thinks she's happier than she's ever been. She starts selling or giving away most of her belongings and writes thank you cards and letters to her servants. Though she's ordered everyone to keep silent about her condition, the news of her illness spreads and reaches Minas Tirith (Faramir and his family are still living there since Enna and Eönwë are in Ithilien and have been living there since roughly FoA 30). As soon as she hears the rumor, Eleniel is wracked with guilt and starts frantically looking for the letter she had so carelessly discarded months prior. Luckily Elboron kept it and hands it to her, but a fight breaks out between the two of them. Elboron heard the rumor as well and blames Eleniel for being careless and selfish.

He's like: “Had you read that letter, maybe Enna could have been saved. But you only thought of yourself and, quite frankly, it doesn't surprise me at all.”

She talks back to him and they yell at one another until Eradan and Fae step in and the situation is fixed. Elboron by then has broken things off with Eglerion and is officially betrothed to Meleril, Aragorn and Arwen's youngest daughter. It has nothing to do with this ask specifically, but I wanted to point it out. I love my Gondorian princesses so much. Meleril offers Elboron some much needed support during these very trying times and comforts him the way he's always comforted her. Even Elros the parrot (remember him?) joins their chat and comforts Elboron by repeating all that Meleril says, which gets on his nerves after a while. But, you know, the things one does for love. I mean, I really don't, but…I suppose Elboron tolerates Elros because of his love for Meleril.

Anyway, as the news of Enna’s impending death is confirmed, Faramir has a full mental breakdown and Elboron needs to step up. Mind you, Faramir is not dying or anything, but he's just…unable to perform his duties. Although he's not dying and everybody tells him he'll be fine with a bit of rest, the Faralas family is by now used to fearing the worst and Elboron and Meleril decide to marry to make their union official. You know, just so that if Faramir suddenly drops dead and Elboron assumes the stewardship, he has a wife secured. Meleril is actually the one who comes up with the idea, but I don't know the details yet. I suppose it will be a private ceremony with either Aragorn or Eönwë officiating. Celebrations and feasts can wait. It's decided; Elboron and Meleril will marry in FoA 42. I don't know why, but now I'm picturing Elros on Meleril’s shoulder singing wedding songs as Elboron forcibly holding his beak shut as he kisses her forehead (there's no kissing on the lips in my version of Gondorian weddings—considering how puritanical these people are, I think bride and groom kiss one another on the forehead and that's about it). I am also picturing Elros singing lullabies to baby Barahir when he's born and Barahir’s giggles are the only thing that stops Elboron from throwing that darn bird out of his house. Don't worry, my Elboron loves animals, but Elros simply gets on his nerves because he never knows when to shut up. Eleniel finds him funny instead, but I think that's only the case because it annoys Elboron. She's definitely much closer to Eradan and I'd say Enna and Eradan are her favorites among her siblings.

As I mentioned earlier, she and Fae don't really get along and Elboron…she doesn't hate him of course, but she doesn't swoon over him either. He's just…her older brother. She does attend his wedding, but she is basically dragged there and cannot wait to leave. Yes, my girl can and will hold a grudge against…practically anybody who she thinks has wronged her somehow? She's a proud person, what can I say. She also doesn't speak to week for weeks on end. Again, she's a proud person.

*I actually just realized that this whole wedding thing contradicts what I've previously written in Tales of A Brother, in which I had BB speak about it in a letter to Mírion. So, maybe the official ceremony is held many years later because, in the meantime, a certain fiery Maia waged a horrible war against the Children and destroyed everything within his path? Also, BB was in Emyn Arnen and the secret ceremony was held in Minas Tirith so it is plausible that the people of Ithilien did not know about it (it was secret after all). Or maybe I should just accept that Tales of A Brother exists as a standalone story outside of LOI canon. Or maybe they have an official celebration where they renew their vows (that's Elboron romantic side coming out) and Barahir is born a few years later and roughly 10+ years after the secret wedding? That would work, I think. I don't know, I'll have to think about it. I'm listing all the options so that I don't forget about them. I kind of regret writing Tales of A Brother now because it overcomplicates things and things are complicated as they are. Ugh. 😭

Anyway, Meleril encourages Elboron to make things right with Eleniel and they eventually apologize to one another. Eleniel asks for his permission to go to Emyn Arnen to visit Enna and he not only gives it to her but he takes her there. By then the year is coming to an end and Enna is pregnant with twins (she doesn't know they're twins, she just notices her belly is bigger than usual, but she thinks it's due to her many pregnancies), sick with cancer (the incurable nameless disease no one can cure, even though several Maiar and physicians have tried) and bedridden. She spends her days trying to sleep/rest and uses whatever strength she has left sewing and answering get-well-soon cards (both these things tire immensely and she has to stop after ten minutes). Mírion and Wyn [and Finnie, if she is still alive] visit her every day and spends as much time with her as possible. Finnie might actually still be alive (I like the idea of Wyn and Finnie getting closer and closer; Wyn becoming more mature overtime and Finnie allowing herself to be more ‘chill’ and forgiving with them learning to accept one another's flaws and making up for their respective weaknesses), but it all depends on whether I'll actually write the sequel. If I eventually decide to discard it, I assume I will kill Finnie off, but who knows really. Wyn was initially supposed to die, now it's Finnie's turn…who knows what I'll come up with.

Anyway. Back on track.

When Eleniel and Elboron get to Emyn Arnen, they find Handalimë guarding Enna's door and she stops them from entering when they approach. She very rudely tells them that Enna is resting and cannot receive anyone. Eleniel is about to throw hands when they hear someone calling them and Handalimë opens the door and lets them through. Both of them are shocked when they at last see Enna. She can barely move and looks already semi-dead. They expected it, but seeing her like that…they both rush to her and hold her. She musters all the strength that's left in her to talk to them and tells them that she's fine and just needs a bit of rest. Then she falls asleep for a while and when she wakes up she’s genuinely surprised to see they haven't left. She also apologizes for falling asleep because…that's the kind of woman Enna is. She knows it's probably the last time she's ever going to see them and gives them what she considers to be parting gifts. She also tells them that she has forgiven her mother (Éowyn) and that she would like to see Faramir to make amends and apologize for treating him cruelly. They simply nod and promise her that they will do as she asks. That's the last time she sees Elboron, but not the last time she sees Eleniel. Though she is advised against it, she goes to Emyn Arnen on her own to visit her a month later and Eleniel begs forgiveness for always being harsh and insensitive. Enna tells her that the two of them are very much alike and that she is grateful to have a rational sister who treats her like a normal human being and not someone to be obeyed all the time. Eleniel then decides Enna has to get out of bed and takes her outside so that she can walk a little bit and regain a bit of strength because “no offense Enna, but you do look horrible.”

Yes, she's always sarcastic (except that her sarcasm or her attempts at it are often downright insensitive, but she doesn't mean it. She genuinely thinks she's being funny and just wants others to feel better and laugh.) Enna doesn't really laugh at her “joke” and then she reiterates by saying “It will be good for your baby, too.”

They sit outside on a bench for a while (Enna is covered in fur to keep her warm) and Eleniel hugs her saying that she can't wait to be better and have the baby. Enna leans on her and asks her if she can help her with Mírion. Ever since Enna got pregnant, Mírion stopped visiting and talking to Eönwë (who, by the way, is dying too) and Enna feels responsible and fears that Mírion will neglect the baby and blame him. She's tried to convince Mírion to forgive Eönwë but Mírion is like: “He killed you and he's not my father anymore and I don't care if he dies.”

Although Eleniel understands where Mírion is coming from, she is outraged and disappointed in him and, after taking Enna to her room, he goes straight to Mírion’s chambers and drags him to Eönwë’s quarters. Mírion has no intention to speak to him and the two of them have a massive argument which is stopped by Olórin. The Maia tells Mírion the whole truth (Enna was sick even before she got pregnant and, sensing that she might die a painful death, she asked Eönwë to get her pregnant so that she would die fulfilling the wifely duties she's obsessed with. He also tells him that he refused her multiple times before he saw how rapidly her health was declining and how much pain she was in. Getting her pregnant was basically an act of mercy, but he still feels guilty about it, which is why he felt like he couldn't tell Mírion the whole truth.

Mírion is shocked, confused, devastated and doesn't know what to do. He basically disappears into his chambers and refuses to eat. Yes, everybody in this family is exceedingly proud and way too overdramatic. Eleniel really would like to scold him, but understands that it's not her place to do so (I guess the shock of Eönwë AND Enna dying shut her up. Or maybe she's just maturing and slowly learning to control herself. It could be both). She stays in Emyn Arnen for a few more days until she can't take it anymore and leaves. She hugs Enna and tells her that she'll be back when the baby is born and that they'll go on a picnic when she recovers. She visits Eönwë and commands him to pull himself together for Enna’s sake and before she leaves she actually observes protocol for the first time…ever.

Enna dies roughly a month later (or maybe even less than that) and Eleniel doesn't believe it. She's in denial and keeps telling everyone that her sister is still alive and that people have gone crazy and don't know what they're talking about. Faramir (who never truly recovered from his breakdown) can't stop crying and blaming himself (he did visit Enna before she died and they forgave one another), Elboron is inconsolable, Fae is catatonic and Eradan needs to be watched at all times because his depression got worse and Finduilas fears he might jump off the main balcony (he tried to do it once already and she doesn't want to lose another child). Eleniel is upset by their tears and keeps telling that they should stop crying because Enna is alive and well or so is her baby. No one died and they're just acting nonsensically. She keeps repeating that there's been a mistake and, when it reaches Minas Tirith, demands her hearse to be open so that she can prove that she's right. Everybody thinks she's gone insane and Faramir tries to restrain her at first. He then lets her go when he realizes there's no way of stopping her and Olórin orders to open the hearse. He's the highest-ranking person there as I think Eönwë won't be attending the funeral (if he does, I think he'll show up last minute looking like he doesn't even know where he is. Her death breaks him so thoroughly that he's completely out of it. I think he will scream and cry for days, but only later on when it all sinks in.)

Eleniel is bewildered and when they open the hearse she stares at Enna silently. And that is when she realizes that she was, in fact, wrong. She looks at her for a while and fixes her hair She tries to keep a straight face as she tries to “wake her up”. She may have deep down realized that she was wrong, but that doesn't mean she will accept it. She tries to pull Enna up in any way possible and yells at her, shakes her and tells that she's sorry for making her suffer and mistreating her during her lifetime (she didn't really mistreat her, she was just…brutally honest). Following the funeral, she shuts down and doesn't speak to anyone for roughly six months. She feels like she failed her family and she thinks she should have been the one to die. Eönwë’s death hits her hard. She feels even more guilty for not having been able to comfort her nieces and nephews as they were mourning their mother and would like to offer her support to them now that they've lost their father, but feels like it would be hypocritical of her to be there for them. The Eleniel that everybody used to know is forever gone and she goes into a self-imposed exile. She's basically in her “widowed Arwen” era and just wanders around not really caring where she goes and not really caring that a certain fiery Maia plans to attack and potentially conquer all of Middle-earth again now that his last threat (Eönwë) is out of the picture. She just travels (if you can call it that) and crosses random borders until she enters Lindon.

By then, Lindon is semi-deserted (there are obviously ships and Círdan is there as well, but there's virtually no one else. She sits by the shore and stares at the water for a few days. She then jumps into it and prepares to pull an Amroth. She thinks she's failed and just wants to die. As she's drowning (but not quite yet) she has a vision/lucid dream of Eönwë telling her something along the lines of: “You used to tell me how selfish you were and I never believed you. I see now that I was wrong and you were right. You are selfish.”

She suddenly opens her eyes and instinctively looks for him.

“I’m not here. I am in your head. Now, get out of the water and go back to your family.”

She's so happy to hear his voice that she reverts to her sarcastic ways. “I may be selfish but you are as annoying as you ever were. I have never listened to you and I never will. Now, go back to sleep.”

“Please.”

“You're not doing a very good job at convincing me not to give up. We’re all going to die anyway. You weren't even supposed to die and you still died. What's even the point.”

They basically argue and then she goes like. “I think I hate you, you know? You broke my heart. I could have recovered from my sister's death, but you prevented me from doing that when you died. It shouldn't have occurred, but you allowed it to happen and I am so angry at you. Those poor children…”

“I tried to stay…”

“You should've tried harder, you feathered idiot! I know you will say that you were pain, but it's not an excuse. You left us, all of us! Your boys are still boys and my brother and sister needed to you too! Haven't you thought of your daughters? They needed you too! Middle-earth needed you and thousands of people are dying because you left! I needed you too and you died!”

“I thought you repeatedly said you didn't need anyone.”

“Oh, dear Eru, you are starting to sound like my sister. You were both so…clueless. Clueless, proud and stupid. You were perfect for each other. I miss Enna very much. Now, enough of this, let me drown. Maybe I'll see her if I die.

“No.”

“Let me be and leave me alone, pretty feathers.”

“I didn't know you were deaf. Do all Maiar become deaf when they die?”

“Please swim.”

“I never listened to you when you were alive and I certainly won't start now that you're dead. Go away.”

“Eleniel…”

“I love you dearly, pretty feathers, but you won't change my mind. I failed my mother, my father and my siblings. I don't want to marry and I have nothing. There's nothing for me, here.”

“You have a family who loves and cares for you.”

“They must have forgotten about me by now.”

“They have not and you will go to them.”

“I ran away and they won’t have me back.”

This is just a tiny excerpt of what’s going on in her mind. Then she blacks out. Eventually she wakes up by the shore, completely soaked and alone. She has a major headache and doesn’t really remember what happened and why. She very slowly sits up and her dead Maiarin’ brother-in-law’s words come back to her. She starts to think that he was probably right (and she’s not entirely happy about it), but she eventually does return to her family. Faramir had actually never stopped looking for her and she meets Anborn, her father’s deputy (a canon character I had completely forgotten about) who was leading the search party. She takes her back home and that’s about it, I think. She promises to be a better person and cares care of Enna’s children until they leave for Valinor. She might marry Anborn’s son, but I’m not sure as of now. I think she could remain unmarried. It suits her. Unless she really falls in love. I cannot see her marrying a lord. If she marries at all, she’ll be married to a soldier or an attendant.

Now, onto the questions!

What embarasses them?

I think being gushed and swooned over gets on her nerves. She cringes. Hard. Faramir tries to hug her? That’s a no. She hugs people if she wants to, but she’s the one who has to be in the mood for it. Yes, she’s a bit anti-social. She’s honestly pretty careless all around and doesn’t think of consequnces. If she’s humiliated, she gets into a fight and bullies usually apologize to her later, so…I will have to think more about it, but this is all I have for now.

How does jealousy manifest in them?

She’s not really jealous, primarily because she doesn’t care about anything except herself and her whole family. She is kind to people if others are kind to her and she usually “befriends” people with no title or relevant social postition because they’re more honest and have better judgement than nobles. That being said, she is very much a loner and likes things as they are. She doesn’t go out of her way to make friends, She feels like she doesn’t need them and no one can tell her otherwise because she’s always right. She is unbothered at almost all times and, even when she isn’t, it looks like she is or that is how outsiders perceive her at least. She could get jealous if she sees her boyfriend/husband flirting with someone else, but both the guy and the other girl would be dead in a matter of seconds. She doesn’t really waste time. She's territorial (what is hers is hers and hers alone), but she can share her things with others if she feels inclined to do so. She's basically a cat in human form. She does what she wants whenever she wants, doesn't ask for permission and is affectionate and cute when she wants to be. She's a free spirit and you can understand why she and Fae don't really get along.

How do they treat the things their friends come to them excited about?

She does support the people she cares about but, but her support is…quiet and not really in-the-face. She rarely supports people openly, but she does all the work behind the scenes. I don’t really have specific ideas in mind, but she does support her family in any way she can (she’s the only one who actively supports Elboron and Eglerion being together. The other family members, while supportive in their own right, treat it as an infatuation that will eventually go away and don’t bother dwelling on the topic (Enna is not included here since she doesn’t know Elboron and Eglerion are an item. She doesn’t even know who Eglerion is). Eleniel is the only one among the ones who do know about them who supports a potential marriage and isready to go “f*ck society” when they try to tell her that it would never happen anyway. Elboron is not even her favorite sibling, but she thinks he has a right to happiness and wants to see him happy and fullfilled. She doesn’t really have friends, I think. She knows a lot of people, but I don’t think she has ever experienced real friendship.

What memory do they revisit most often?

One of her first memories is actually seeing Enna at her wedding to Eönwë and thinking she looks like a true princess. Forget about Galadriel, Lúthien and all the other noblewomen in the Tolkien legendarium; she only has eyes for her big sister and immediately thinks she wants to be like her. She's four years old at the time and, although she has already started to show a certain disdain toward formality, she just can't help looking at her. She's basically obsessed with how beautiful her sister looks and that image of Enna is engraved into her brain. She thinks of her as this all-powerful, majestic woman with immense aura who can get anything she wants and wants to be like her. She's heard the tale of Éowyn and the Witch-king and the fact that Faramir told her that Enna once did something similar only makes her look like a hero in her very young mind. So imagine her growing disappointment when she realizes her big sister is someone who has little to no self-respect and lets everyone walk all over her. She's saddened and disappointed. She often revisits the memory of Enna's wedding because that's how she wants to remember her sister and, as memories fade overtime, she probably subconsciously adds a few details to make that memory stand out. She also has fond memories of her travels to the border of the Shire and her time in the Shire with Eönwë. She initially agrees to accompany him just because Eönwë, Enna and their children are the only people in Middle-earth who are allowed to step into the Shire in the Fourth Age. Eleniel has always wanted to visit it and wants to meet with Merry and Pippin again, so she accepts to go with him. Eönwë is godfather to Merry and Pippin's youngest children and she wants to meet them too (she loves Hobbits in general). At that time—I haven't decided the exact year yet, but I think it will be possibly FoA 34-36�� Enna is either pregnant or recuperating from birth so that's why she doesn't join them. Anyway, Eleniel expects the trip to be a total disaster and can't wait for Eönwë to leave her alone. Though she's basically never even spoken to him at that point, she's always assumed him to be an arrogant, pompous a$$ and is so set in her preconceived notions that she refuses to answer his questions and treats him horribly. As the days go by, she realizes that her safety depends on him, so she tries to be kinder, but it's basically an act to have him on her good side, should something happen. If she knew him even just a little bit, she'd realize he would protect and take care of her no matter what. Oh child, you have much to learn. He knows she's putting on an act, by the way. He just chooses to ignore that part because he presumes she'll come around, which does eventually happen. While she at first pretends to be nice, she soon finds herself actually wanting to know more about him and her questions are out of genuine interest (even though she'll never admit it). She realizes he's not at all pompous and arrogant and she is embarrassed to state that she was wrong (rare moment of self-awareness here). Her mental insults are now “stupid” and “clueless”. She comments that she now understands why her sister fell in love with him and, even though she's sarcastic, she admits that they're made for one another and that, although she has no desire to ever marry, she would love to find a partner that loves her like Eönwë loves Enna.

She asks him how he knew Enna was the one for him and he goes on a tangent and starts speaking of the Song, of his time in Valinor and Eleniel rolls her eyes (yes, she does it quite often). The dialogue could go like this. [EL⇒ Eleniel; Eönwë⇒ E]

EL⇒“I didn't ask for your life-story, pretty feathers. I only want to know how you met my sister.”

E⇒ “Listen, child…”

EL⇒”I am not a child!”

E⇒ “Please, forgive me. I was only trying to explain how…”

EL⇒”Ugh, you're so boring. There is nothing to forgive, you idiot.”

E⇒”I displeased you and I wish to…”

EL⇒”Do you and my sister spend all of your time together crying and apologizing to one another, by any chance?”

E⇒”Actually, we…”

EL⇒ “Oh, I know you two have sex. You have a lot of it. But I am fond of my nieces and nephews, so keep them coming.”

E⇒ “That's enough.”

EL⇒”Aw, look at your cheeks. I see you're uncomfortable. I bet you are not as shy when you lie with my sister and…”

“That’s enough!”

EL⇒ “Oh, I am sorry. I bet you are not as shy when you lie with my sister and make you way into her…my lord.”

E⇒ “Why would you…?”

EL⇒” I was just teasing you, pretty feathers.”

E⇒”It is not the sort of teasing I enjoy.”

EL⇒ “Oh, I see that. Are you planning my demise?”

E⇒ (scoffs) “What do you think?”

EL⇒ (she looks at him and purses her lips not to burst into laughter) “Not really. You are a good person. You’d never harm your wife’s baby sister.”

“E⇒ “Perhaps I’m still debating it.”

EL⇒ “You need to work on your threatening skills, pretty feathers.”

E⇒ “Threatening skills?”

EL⇒ “You sound like you’re going to kiss my forehead and tuck me into bed. You sound like my father.”

E⇒ “I did not mean to…”

EL⇒ “Why must you always apologize? People like you normally don’t. They don’t care about others and fail to see why they should. I thought you were like them.”

E⇒ “You wish I was heartless?”

EL⇒ “Yes…and no. I am glad that you are a kind person. But I thought I was right about you. I really wanted you to be an arrogant prick. You are nothing like it and I am not pleased by it.”

E⇒ “Why…I don’t…”

EL⇒ “I was wrong about you. I was SO wrong. I don’t like being wrong.” (sighs) “I am glad my sister married you, I mean it. She’s a paranoid fool, but she did one thing right. She married you. No matter what happens to her, she smiles whenver she is with you. She is happy. You and her children are her world. You saved her.”

E⇒ “My son said the same thing many years ago. It was nice hearing it from him.”

EL⇒ “So my opinion does not matter?”

E⇒ “I didn’t say that, I…”

EL⇒ “Please, no more apologizing, you’ll worsen my headache.”

E⇒ “If you feel ill, I will try and…”

EL⇒ “Whatever it is that you have in mind, no, thank you. I am smoking some more and then I’ll even get a beer. You go to sleep, pretty feathers. You need to rest in order to protect me from the dangers of the world, right? I will see you later.”

That’s more or less the tone of their conversations. It will be better written in the actual story, I promise. By the way, she becomes a major Elenwë shipper and, although she does her best not to show it openly, she is jealous of them. Just a little bit.

Now.

One fun memory that she'll always treasure is smoking pipeweed (as hinted in the snippet above) and forcing her brother-in-law to try it as well. Even though Olórin and Bilbo tried to make pipeweed popular, it didn't really take off (Only That One Elf loved it and he loved it VERY MUCH, as you may remember). Eönwë has never really smoked and he actually doesn't particularly like the smell either, but he does try it just to share something with her and make her happy. He's sick shortly afterwards and vows to never smoke again. He probably would have gotten used to it had he smoked some more, but he's stubborn and wants nothing to do with it. Eleniel rolls her eyes and goes like “For being a legendary warrior, you're a pssy, did you know that*?” The sentence will obviously adapted into a more Tolkienian register, but that is exactly what she means. She is the kind of person to throw in blasphemy though (much to Eönwë’s horror), so who knows.

Her trip to the Shire brings the two of them together so I can't wait to write about it. It's a happy time for them both (except for Eönwë’s health issue there) and they develop a sort of older brother/baby sis relationship. We also get to meet Théo, Faramir and Prim (Merry and Pippin will probably have other children as well, but they'll probably remain ghost characters). It will be so much fun.

E. Are they someone you would get along with? Would they get along with you?

This is actually a hard question, because I feel like we could potentially get along. Potentially. In truth, I feel like we would hate each other’s guts. She’s too sarcastic and reckless, for my taste. I feel like she would be one of those people who I would hate to be around for more than ten minutes…but I would miss them terribly when we’re apart. After Enna and Eönwë die, she does become more chill, so I might I might get along way better with that version of her.

Fancast for Eleniel: Aslihan Malbora

Her faces crack me up and I haven't even seen her show! She is pretty feisty, let me tell you. I really like her and I know I will very much enjoy writing scenes with her and Bird-boy aka Pretty Feathers.

Now, moving onto the second OC for this ask.

Celebrían

As I did with Eleniel, I'm going to talk a bit about her before I answer the questions. As she’s one of my most recent OCs, I really haven't developed her that much beyond some general information, but hopefully talking about her will allow my brain to come up with decent ideas. She was born in FoA 9 while Aragorn and Éomer were busy sieging Umbar and the birth was extremely difficult, which, in my headcanon, is very unusual for elf-women. Arwen labors for three days total and is completely depleted of energy at the end of the process, which leads healers to believe that she most certainly will die. Since Aragorn and Faramir are away in Harad, Daerion is left behind as temporary regent until they both return. You already know who he is, but here's a reminder for those who don't: he's essentially Eldarion's tutor and mentor and Aragorn has full confidence in him.

Unfortunately, Daerion has his own agenda and his agenda doesn't really include what's best for Aragorn, Eldarion or the kingdom. He's only interested in his own personal gain and cares little for other people's problems. As he's informed that the Queen might die, he immediately starts looking for a replacement of his own choosing—he knows that Aragorn fully trusts him and he also knows that Aragorn would have to remarry whether he wants it or not—and when he hears that the child is a girl who appears to be half-dead, he orders for her to be discarded. When the physicians and healers rightfully protest, he reminds them that the King’s seal has been entrusted to him and threatens them with torture and eventual execution if they disobey.

The child is subsequently abandoned and once Arwen gets better, she's told that the baby died (Aragorn is also informed of this via letters). Daerion’s reasoning behind his decision is that the baby would've died anyway and, given that she had seizures right after birth (I've read that it is fairly common after a difficult and prolonged labor and especially if the baby has been deprived of oxygen, which is very much likely in this case), he told everyone that it would be better for everyone if the child was forgotten and simply ignored, as her very existence was a stain on the prestige of House Telcontar. He stressed how a disabled daughter would have a negative impact on the King’s popularity and how the Queen would be shamed for not giving her husband a healthy child. He basically manipulates everyone into thinking abandoning a newborn baby is the best thing for the sake of Telcontar dynasty. The baby (who's really not named at this point and won't be for years) is left in a basket with no blankets and abandoned by a stream. Months go by (she was born during the summer season) and she’s only kept alive by the Elvish blood and the Valar who keep her heart beating (don't ask me how, I'm sure that it's something they can do since they created the World). Despite being alive…she's barely alive and the reason why she isn't picked up by anyone is that everybody who passes by thinks she's dead. No one buries her or pays their respects to her because she is a nameless child who was clearly discarded for some reason and some even assume she's the embodiment of sin itself so they steer clear of her. Middle-earth is a medieval world after all, and…her parents must have abandoned her for some reason, right? She must have been evil, right? Maybe she is a spawn of Morgoth or something. So she stays there by the river in a basket for several other weeks until a massive flood hits Gondor. This is viewed as a good sign. Apparently in many cultures rain used to be a symbol of fertility and abundance. It's sort of obvious in a way, but I'd like to think it is a popular belief held in Gondor as well. That's how astrologers interpret it, at least.

I Headcanon astrology and witchcraft to be more of a Haradrim thing in the Fourth Age, but I have no doubt that there are Gondorians who secretly practice it as well. The flood is widely interpreted as a sign that Elessar and Éomer have won against the Haradrim and, much to the delight of the people, it keeps raining for weeks on end. Sure, farmers are concerned about their crops, but, all in all, most people are not displeased. It doesn't rain every day, but all the rivers overflow and the river banks are subjected to inevitable erosion. This means that the piece of land where the basket had been staying all this time becomes soft mud and the basket is carried away. Celebran (still not named, of course) eventually ends up in deep Far Harad. By then she's probably close to being one year old and by elven standards she should be able to walk, talk and dance. Maybe not to perfection since she's only half-elven, but she should be fairly advanced. Needless to say, she isn't. She hasn't grown much, can't talk, can't speak and is basically alive by the grace of the Valar since she's hadn't had any food or water…ever? I guess she might have instinctively drunk some water as it rained or whenever some water from random rivers filtered into the basket, but she's basically skin and bone. Now, I don't know much about Far Harad and its people (all of my other Haradrim OCs are from Umbar and close territories, which I believe are part of Near Harad), but JRRT describes them as “black men like half-trolls with white eyes and red tongues”.

While I do believe that description to be vastly exaggerated, I think that if they are really so terrible, it is only fitting that they have some form of slavery going on. So, she is taken and, after they realize she's still alive, she's raised by them and enslaved. I won't delve too deep into the details of her enslavement, but, she's flogged and beaten and laughed at. Even though the people she's supposed to serve don't really know who she is, they guess she must be from Gondor/somewhere in the Far North (that's how they refer to Arnor) and having them there is essentially a middle finger to the whole Reunited Kingdom.

As such, they treat her horribly just because they can and the fact that she cannot communicate (she's never taught to speak or read) only makes her an easier target. She doesn't even have a name and it's like she never existed so they can use her as they please. They assume no one will claim her and toy with her for a long while (years and years—at least seven) until they have no more use for her and decide to get rid of her. They plan to kill her, but then one of them thinks it's better to sell her to the slave market to try and make some money. She's isn't worth much, but even a few coins are better than nothing. They try to prep her and clean her up and she's sold. One of the Pashas from the Sultan’s council (for reference, Nûlbahar’s dad) is visiting the capital of Far Harad and is passing by when she sees her there. He thinks she's rather beautiful—worn out but beautiful—and buys her.

Slavery is illegal in Near Harad and he's disgusted by the whole thing, but he realizes it's the only way to save her and buys her. He tries having a conversation with her and quickly realizes she can't speak and thinks what he can do with her. She's obviously can't be a concubine for the prince’s harem: she's too old (Orhan is a toddler and she's eight) and, even if Orhan was older, she wouldn't be a good fit because she…knows nothing and is as communicative as a plant. Concubines in Near Harad are meticulously selected and trained for years before they actually can enter the Harem at age 15. Even when they are in the Harem, they further their education and are constantly required to study. Their main purpose is to provide the Şehzade/Sultan with heirs, but they also need to be able to have a conversation with him and educate young men who could, potentially, be future sultans one day. They are required to study language, grammar, poetry, astronomy, literature…she can't do that.

Nevertheless, the Pasha (he doesn't have a name yet and I'm not actually sure whether he'll have one) takes her to the palace and, she's employed in the kitchens. She's not allowed anywhere near food plates and is only tasked with stirring soups, peeling potatoes and scrubbing floors (all the stuff the kitchen staff doesn't like to do). Abrazân Pasha—a prominent nobleman who will, in time, marry Nûlbahar—steps into the kitchen late at night one day to ask for a sherbet—late night cravings, I guess—and notices a young girl he's never seen before. He was basically raised in the palace and knows nearly everyone, so he's surprised and asks for information about her. The cook tells him she came from Far Harad, but they both know she's not from there and Abrazân asks to be served his private meals by her. They tell him that she cannot speak, but he doesn't care as long as he can find out something about her. So, she's basically “promoted” and starts serving Abrazân as his personal jariya (Arabic/Haradrim word to designate a female servant or lady-in-waiting, similar to the Turkish/Valarin cariye. As far as I understand the pronunciation is the same).

He's intrigued by this mysterious child and entrusts her with very simple tasks he could very well carry out himselfno one knows anything about and starts teaching her how to speak by reading her books in both Westron and his own native language. She soon picks up a few words and learns fairly quickly. Also, he names her Gimlara. It should be silver queen in Adunaic, from gimil- silver and ar/ara-king/queen. I tried going with Gimilara but didn't like it. **Coincidentally Celebrían also means silver queen. Is it really a coincidence? Nope.

Two years later, she can speak broken Westron with a strong Haradrim accent. I wanted Haradrim languages to be similar to Turkish in sound, so that the people of Harad could boast about being closer in spirit to the Valar than the mighty, uppity Gondorians and since Near Harad is supposed to be Northern Africa, I'm going with a mix of Persian, Azerbaijani (which is extremely similar to Turkish) and Arabic. She doesn’t learn Sindarin (Abrazân sort of understands it, but doesn't bother with it) and Quenya is a mystery to her (but to be fair, I suppose it is a mystery to many Gondorians as well). She spends three years with Abrazân both in his palace and in the palace of the Sultan and meets some people who pity her and treat her with affection. As Yule approaches (I headcanon the Haradrim celebrate it too, it just has a different name), she's gifted dressed and jewelry and is invited to a tea party (they drink Turkish tea and coffee, eat candied fruits and others things). She's gifted yet another dress by her new friends and they insist until she accepts to try it on right then and there. As she, very timidly, takes off the upper layers of her dress, they notice that she appears to have a birthmark on her shoulder. I'm including the birthmark detail because royal birthmarks were a thing a long time ago and they were thought to be useful to identify people from royal families. The birthmark she has is quite famous as it is the birthmark of the House of Isildur. Her friends keep silent, but they then speak to Abrazân and a few weeks later he explains her that he may have news concerning her family. She's always wanted to know more about it and, although she thinks of Abrazân as her own father, she still wants to know the truth about her origins. He offers to take her to Arnor and she accepts. When she gets there, she's treated warmly until Abrazân tries to explain who she might be. The people’s attitude toward her suddenly changes and now they look at her as if she were an imposter and she's insulted. She quickly returns to Umbar and stays there for another two years.

Then, in early FoA 22, Eönwë and Olórin travel to Near Harad as a part of their “Fourth Age Middle-earth tour” (Eönwë needs to get familiar with his future home) and an informal banquet is hosted at the Sultan's palace. Abrazân is present and Gimlara is also there. Both Maiar immediately notice that she looks like a mix of Elessar and Arwen but say nothing because…all Dúnedain and all Elves look alike. Abrazân approaches them—though he doesn't know exactly what Eönwë and Olórin are, he guesses they could help—and tells them about her birthmark. They do confirm that she must be of Elessar's lineage…and Abrazân is heartbroken. Not only because he has grown to love as his own, but also because Elessar is an enemy to him. Abrazân went to battle against him and was nearly killed by him back in FoA 9 (Aragorn pardoned the survivors and had allowed them to return home following the battle. Nearly everybody had died anyway, and he was feeling magnanimous). That means that the girl he loves, his de-facto daughter, is factually his enemy now. Nevertheless, he lets her go when she asks if she can and promises to write her plenty of letters so that she can reply and have an excuse to practice her penmanship. They hug and a few weeks later—after she's packed all of her belongings—she travels to Gondor. This also marks the return of Olórin and Eönwë to Minas Tirith. Enna, in the meantime, has been married twice, miscarried a child and had Anárion, who is three years old.

Eönwë and Olórin are received by Aragorn in his study and Faramir is also there. Gimlara stands behind Eönwë and is visibly nervous. It is actually Olórin who introduces her to Aragorn and the two of them stare at one another. I cannot exactly say how Aragorn will react to the news that the baby he believed to have died is actually standing before him. He definitely has the birthmark checked and, when it's clear that no one is lying, he might actually just kill Daerion. Or maybe Arwen. I kind of want Arwen to kill him. He was kind of already doomed, but this is the last straw. Also, all the people who didn't speak about Gimlara being alive at birth or that were silenced might be exiled never to return. But I still need to think about it. I know that Arwen bursts into tears and asks her if she can call her Celebrían now that she is a Gondorian princess. Gimlara is hesitant, but accepts because “names are not important and I've lived for so many years without one I don't really care how I'm called as long as I have a family.”

Her sisters are ecstatic and she immediately bonds with the twins (Lóthuil and Lóthriel) and Meleril as well. The twins are six and Meleril is three so she is more comfortable speaking to them since her vocabulary is still fairly limited (not baby-talk, but…not advanced either? I'd say she has the language proficiency of a five-year old). Eldarion is wary of her—he thinks she's a spy—and wants Aerin (his daughter) to have nothing to do with her. She eventually gets used to living in Gondor and eventually marries Dervoran, son and heir of Dervorin of the Ringló Vale. They meet at a ball and it’s love at first sight on his part. She doesn't trust people, is constantly scared, but he'll gain her trust in due time. She falls sick very easily, is anemic and suffers from epilepsy. She always has. It's actually a miracle she hasn't died, but I guess the Valar were looking out for her? I need to do more research on how it affects her.

That's, more or less, her general backstory! Now, onto the questions.

What embarrasses them?

This is a bit of a tricky question because I don't think someone like her would feel embarrassed easily. I mean, she definitely feels out of a place and has a bunch of things she needs to process and some things she will probably never process. She definitely doesn't like to be asked about her past, but I wouldn't say she's embarrassed by it. It just pains her to think about it. She carries a lot of pain within herself, but as far as embarrassment goes…she doesn't like to be touched or looked at and she's afraid someone might harm her or kill her. She's paranoid and has panic attacks. She might be embarrassed by that in a sense that she's ashamed.

How does jealousy manifest in them?

She's not jealous. She doesn't even know what the word means. She just wants to be at peace and be loved. Although she doesn't like to be touched, she loves to be hugged by the few people she trusts, especially Aragorn. She's essentially a baby. Like, she enters the Council Room not really knowing what it is and sees Aragorn and just hugs him. He needs to explain her things…like you would do to a child. Even her relationship with Dervoran…she wants his attention, he wants cuddles and presents. She's a baby. I feel like she and Wilya would get along. They are roughly the same age mentally so…it works.

How do they treat the things their friends come to them excited about ? Are they supportive?

I think she's very supportive and is excited for others as well. Seeing people happy makes her happy and, even if she doesn't understand what they're talking about or what it is that they want, she tries her best to figure it out. She would never hurt anyone and, has a childish curiosity that is hard to resist. She rarely laughs, but, when she does, her laughter is infectious. Some people may and will think she's stupid and will almost certainly call her the r-word, but, as she doesn't know what it means, she doesn't mind.

She laughs only around the people she truly trusts, but is kind to everyone and is constantly afraid to offend and make mistakes. Everything is new to her and she looks at the world warily and excitedly at the same time. She needs approval at all times and she needs people to help her with basics things (that's probably the one thing or one of the few things she's embarrassed about, but the feeling of embarrassment only kicks in once she develops some self-awareness). Her only flaw is that she thinks that everybody in Gondor will be good to her because it's where “mama and papa live”. Let's just say that her personality is a complicated one because she is innocent enough to believe that everybody will be good to her, but she also remembers her past and what happened to her in Far Harad and is afraid of everything. As such, she supports everything, but she' s also hesitant to do so because she basically knows nothing about what's going on around her.

What memory do they revisit the most often?

I think her fondest memories are the ones from her time in Umbar with Abrazân and the first time that she met with and hugged her parents. Abrazân taught her everything she knows and gave her a chance at life. I think she'll never forget him talking to her and reading her bedtime stories while brushing her hair. Yes, she was a maid in his house (one of the many), but, as I mentioned earlier, she was special to him and, had she not turned out to be Aragorn's daughter, he would have eventually adopted her even though she was clearly from the North. He had never considered the off-chance of having children (he didn't even think of marriage back then), but he could have become a dad to her. He paid for her clothes, books, and writing utensils and personally oversaw her education (he knew that enrolling her in a school wouldn't cut it). He brought her to dances—she’s learned to dance fairly well—and official celebrations and tried to teach her the customs of his people. As a result, Gimlara (should we say Celebrían, at this point? I think she'll always be Gimlara to the people of Harad) is definitely more Haradrim than she is Gondorian and I also think she's the only princess of Númenórean descent whose first language is that of Harad (I still have to come up with a name for it). I feel like she'll always be slightly more comfortable speaking the language of the Haradrim, but she is indeed smart and picks up things easily. A common misconception that even Haradrim people with which she's come into contact have is that she's mentally challenged and extremely slow. She actually isn't. She just wasn't given the opportunity to mature and develop into an actual, functioning person. However, she'll be able to overcome her challenges and will bond with all of her sisters and even Eldarion eventually. He'll realize she's in fact not a spy and will spend a lot of time with her. He does so both out of his growing affection for her, but also because he feels like she turned out the way she is because of him. On second thoughts, I want Eldarion to kill Daerion. It would be such a nice full-circle moment. Someone needs to off him sooner or later and I'd be so proud of Eldarion if he did. Who knows though. Aerin will also take an interest in her new aunt and it won't be rare to see them walking around the Halls of Minas Tirith together. Those are also memories she cherishes and Aranel will also join them whenever Eleniel is not around. Eleniel grows especially fond of her and Daerion should be glad he's dead by the time she grows up because she would have definitely stabbed him repeatedly with no hesitation. She probably would have tortured him, to be honest. She can be pretty unhinged when he wants to. Just not in the Moyeldë way.

Gimlara/Celebrían also cherishes and revisits every moment she spends with her parents. Aragorn will be there for her anytime she needs him and he will often go on picnics with her (Faramir fills in for him on such occasions) and one of her favorite things to do is serving her mother coffee and brushing her hair. She loves her mom’s hair. When she's officially recognized as a princess and officially named Celebrían, she's also given her own household, but she doesn't really understand who those people are and,when they explain it to her, she's beyond puzzled. She's used to serving people and she thinks she's the one who should be doing the work because it's always been that way. I actually came up with a scene in which she and a maid fight over a broom and Celebrían tries to take her from the maid’s hands and causes a scene because she wants to sweep the floors herself. Aragorn hears of this minor incident and goes to her daughter’s chambers (she lives with a sort of in-house nanny who's supposed to check on her at all times, but fails to do so because she's super old and falls asleep all the time. She's then replaced with a war widow who's actually helpful and knows how to help. She's a bit like Estella, Gilraen's governess, but much more patient. I don’t have faceclaim for her yet, but I kind of would like her to give me either Catherine Parr vibes or Anne of Cleves vibes. I heard a new Wolf Hall show has premiered on the BBC recently so I will see if I find a suitable faceclaim there. I need new shows to get all the new people 😂

I headcanon this war widow to be friends with Tulisa’s mom and I think she'll also know many things concerning herbs and things that in medieval times would've been considered helpful to cure or control epilepsy and panic attacks. Celebrían has both and her attacks are rather frequent so she needs an expert attendant on her tail. Aragorn is usually the one who manages to calm her, which is why he becomes so attached to him. Despite this, she never forgets Abrazân and is very happy for him when he tells her, many years later, that he's marrying Nûlbahar. The two of them meet for the first time in her pre-princess days and Celebrían never forgot how kind she was to her. She also loves it when Olórin and Eönwë visit her (she's grateful to them since they brought her to her family) and loves them both equally. I came up with a scene where she asks Eönwë if she can meet his “beautiful wife I've heard so much about” and when he says that Enna would certainly appreciate a visit she just jumps on him and hugs him. I don't think she'll ever be enrolled in Enna's school though. If anything, Enna will tutor her privately but it will be just the two of them. I think it's best for her to do things gradually. One step at a time.

Now, another matter of importance is her marriage. Royal princesses are of course expected to wed and, although marriage is not strictly mandatory, it is heavily encouraged. Aragorn doubts she'll ever be able to fulfill the duties of a wife and Arwen sort of agrees. They don't love her any less, but think marriage is out of the question. That is, until she asks to dance at a feast in honor of Aragorn's birthday. She's around 20 at this point (she first came to Minas Tirith at 13) and she's learned much about customs, including how to dance according to Gondorian customs. As always, many nobles are invited the feast and one of them is Dervorin, lord of the Ringló Vale, accompanied by his son and heir Dervoran. Dervoran is 32 years old (born TA 3017) and is expected to marry and have a son. Note: Dervoran is Devriniel’s older brother. He also has a younger brother, Derevran who will marry Maelivrin “Maeva”. Yes, if you check the character profiles I have her die in FoA 23-24 (she was supposed to have a major crush on Eönwë and I had planned for her her to slit her own throat after learning that her feelings weren’t reciprocated), but she doesn’t deserve to die horribly. Her father sucks and I want her to find happiness somehow.

I don’t have a fancast for Dervorin yet, but Dervoran (named after the English town of Devoran with an extra r in the middle) is Philip of Bavaria from The Tudors and Derevran is Lord Julien, also from Reign. Devriniel is Mahfiruz Hatun from Magnificent Century: Kösem. There's a rumor that Devriniel’s mother was a servant in Dervorin’s household, but it is unclear whether it's true or not. I think it is true, but it will never come out. Devriniel heard the rumors of her possibly being illegitimate and she mostly hated Enna because she perceived her as even more lowly than she was due to her partly- Rohirric blood. She can't believe the King would entrust his only son and heir to a “mutt” and vows to seduce the prince and marry him so that she can save the dynasty from being related to the “indecent horse-lords.”

Devriniel quickly becomes one of the many women the Prince regularly takes to his bed—I find it so funny that both daughters of Dervorin in our respective AUs become Eldarion's mistresses. Maybe you can mention that Elenya is rumored to have a half-sister who's also bedding Eldarion and the fact that Elenya is partly Rohirric as well fits perfectly. Now Dervorin will try to kill both Enna and Elenya because they're essentially the same. You can just mention her if you like. She's a minor character in my story too. All the side-chicks are, I think.

Back on track.

Devriniel doesn't show up at the feast because…Enna stripped her of her titles and exiled her to the lands that used to be part of Mordor. The reason? Devriniel is one of the ladies who tried to kill Enna out of jealousy. Another lady who tried her hand at it is her friend Annúnien and she too was stripped of her titles and exiled to the same areas (not before Enna scares them by ordering them to to drink a vial of poison which is actually water. She scares them to death and that’s what they deserve). But no, she doesn’t kill them. They are basically only forced to work there in order to restore Mordor to what it was before the coming of Sauron. I think it’s an apt punishment. They both think (or better yet, used to think) they’re above everyone and everything and this experience will hopefully humble them. I’m saying hopefully because I really don’t know whether they’ll show up again I hope not because I really don’t like them. One of the few or perhaps the only lady she forgives is Eldariel (you know her already of course. For LOI, I am going with the subplot that she didn’t want to poison Enna but was forced to do it by her father and backtracked at the last minute because she thought she it wrong of her and felt guilty). I think Enna makes her believe that she is going to join Devriniel and Annúnien (she doesn’t pull the poison/water prank on her though. She doesn’t deserve it), but, as the Maiarin generals are taking her away (she wants to feel powerful and have Eldariel beg for mercy as Enna did a bunch of times when she was being harrassed by her), she stops them and decreees that she will be in her service until she releases her. Eldariel is stripped of her title and becomes a part of her household and serves Enna as her maid until Enna decides she has learned her lesson. I plan to have her marry Alphros too, but she won’t be featured in the LOI after that. She just marries and it’s implied that she’ll live her own life the way she wants to. I’ll leave that part of the story to you.

I don't have a faceclaim or name for Dervorin’s wife as of now. I’m considering Marie de Guise from Reign, but I'm not 100% sold yet. Maybe she'll remain faceless and unnamed. She's not that relevant anyway. Coming up with back-stories and names for everyone is exhausting 😂

**Dervorin will show up more but not that much either, I think. They're not major characters and my focus will be on Devriniel (until she's stripped of everything and probably just seen again once as she works in Mordor) and Dervoran mostly.

**Now. Dervoran. Along with his father and younger brother, he was invited to Elessar’s birthday feast and it is his father who first notices Celebrían. He’s lined up to greet the King and notices this girl he’s never seen or heard about and asks his sons if they know who she is. While Derevran glances at her briefly and immediately shakes his head, Dervoran can’t get his eyes off her. Like hs brother, he denies ever seeing or knowing her but wovs to speak to her before he leaves even just to introduce himself and he hopes, whoever she is, to get a dance with her. Dervorin keeps asking about her and a lady passes by and tells him “Oh, she is the King’s daughter. A precious thing, but she is not right in the head.” Dervoran is already embittered by the comment and still vows to ask her for a dance. He looks at her as she’s speaking to her father and watches her as she curtsies and enthusiastically hops to the middle of the room. Aragorn then stands up and, after thanking the attendees, he announces that his daughter will perform a solo dance before the official ball starts. She smiles and, as the musicians start playing, she starts dancing. Though some people give her weird looks—some ladies especially—her solo number is predominantly a success and the curtsies to everyone before she goes back to her seat next to her father. Aragorn and Arwen open the official dances and Celebrían stays put while her sisters waltz around. She's rather tired and wants to go to sleep—she’s also getting pretty nervous and her social anxiety doesn't help—so she gets up and starts walking toward the nearest exit hoping no one notices (her war-widow attendant is always with her). She only stops when someone tells her to wait. She turns and sees Dervoran. She’s scared and hides behind her attendant (she really needs a name…and a face). Dervoran tries to speak to her, but she doesn't acknowledge him and bursts into tears. Dervoran is confused and tries to ask what's wrong but he's suddenly pulled away by Aragorn, who’s in full dad mode. Dervoran talks to him and Aragorn calms down. He tells Celebrían that “the boy” just wants to dance with her and Celebrían is like :

“I don't need help to dance papa, I can do it on my own. You saw me.”

Aragorn smiles, caresses her face and sits her down. He then proceeds to explain to her how dancing with a partner works and they dance together so that she can learn and feel comfortable about it. Aragorn then allows her to dance with Dervoran—he watches them carefully—and allows her to write letters to him if she wishes. She's happy to do so and they start corresponding. Dervoran’s handwriting is atrocious and she has trouble deciphering it and it makes her sad. She convinces herself that she'll always be an idiot and cries about it. Both Aragorn and her attendant reassure her and she's surprised when no one seems to be able to help her (his handwriting is really atrocious). Aragorn writes Dervorin a letter to urge his son to take part in calligraphy lessons, but Celebrían stops him before he has the letter sent. She wants to see him again and tells Aragorn that she can teach him how to write properly. Aragorn thinks it's unsuitable, but she begs him and she eventually accepts. She does help him improve his handwriting (guards are stationed both inside and outside her chambers just in case Dervoran tries something inappropriate with her) and he gifts her flowers in return. Dervorin is elated that his heir is spending time with the Princess (he probably would have looked down on her had she not been one) and wants them married. He had hoped his son would court one of her much more adjusted, “normal” sisters, but, in the end, Celebrían too is a princess and titles are important. My Dervorin is not a cruel person (his boys are good, honest people and he disowned Devriniel when she was exiled), but he's also…a man of his time. His wife (again, possibly just mentioned) is thrilled at the idea of such a wonderful match and wholeheartedly supports her son’s choice. She shares her husband's worries (Celebrían being totally inadequate to be lady of a fief), but she's also semi-confident that Celebrían will manage somehow. This is what Dervorin reports to Aragorn and the King is pleased. I am not exactly sure when they get married, but they will, and Celebrían will definitely cherish all her memories with her husband. They'll probably have their honeymoon in Umbar so that she can visit Abrazân and his family (I suppose that by then he'll be married to Nûlbahar. Remember when I said he wasn't thinking about kids? He and Nûlbahar will have three daughters; possibly triplets: Devleriel, Devletlin and Devletin. I kind of tried to play around with Devleti Aliyye-i Osmaniye (Turkish for Ottoman Empire/Ottoman State) and came up with three nearly identical names (that’s why I'm tempted to go with the triplets option. Poor Nûlbahar though. Having triplets in a medieval-like society with no medication. Poor girl). Also, Devleriel was Devriniel’s original name when I first picked her faceclaim, but Devriniel sounds more…Gondorian?

So, all in all, Celebrían cherishes all her moments with her family, her friends and her husband. She loves meeting up with Eönwë and Olórin when she has the chance and, although she's intimidated by her “aura”, she likes talking to Enna as well. Aragorn is against her going to Enna's school (he fears she might be bullied), but Celebrían wants to make new friends and he very reluctantly accepts, as long as she she doesn't wander off and stays with her sisters. Spoiler alert: she will.

E. Are they someone you would get along with? Would they get along with you?

I would totally get along with her! She's an adorable cinnamon roll who just wants to be loved. I would spoil her rotten and give her all the presents she asks for. She deserves them all.

I really do hope she would get along with me and I think she would. Am I not almost as adorable as she is!? (just kidding, she is way cuter)

Thank you for the ask! I hope it’s exhaustive enough! (Maybe too long…!? You tell me!). Thank you again!

Fancast for Celebrían: Esmahan/Ismihan Sultan (daughter of Nurbanu & Selim. I asked for the actress' name everywhere, but nobody seems to know)

I think she's just perfect and I'm not going to changer her just because I don't know who she is in real life. She looks so princessly, I am in awe. I love her.

OTHER FANCASTS

Okan Yalabik as Abrazân

LOI is basically a "Ibrahim Lives and marries Mahidevran AU!" and I am not mad about it. I like his character here.

Anita Briem as Annúnien

Ugh. Don't like her. She's pretty, but...Enna is ten times better and I am obviously not at all biased. 😂 I can't wait for her to take revenge on this one.

Colin O' Donoghue as Dervoran

This guy must be protected at all costs. He's a good one and Aragorn better treat him well. He has my seal of approval.

Ceyda Olguner as Devriniel

See caption for Annúnien. Can't wait for this one to end up in poverty.

& that's all (I think)!

Do let me know what you think and, please, send more random asks if you can! It really helps with getting things into perspective!

Thank you, thank you, thank you 😊

FROM THIS ASK GAME

#ask game #oc ask game #unusual oc/creator questions #unusual oc ask #gondorian ocs #oc: eleniel daughter of faramir #oc: celebrían daughter of aragorn and arwen #annabawritersdream asks #annabawritersdream answers #oc fancasts #fic: the lady of ithilien #author: annabawritersdream #formerly annab99awritersdream #author: me

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