#were you the blissful queen of gondor still i would love you?????

[taurielsilvan]

"Do not scorn pity that is the gift of a gentle heart, Éowyn! But I do not offer you my pity. For you are a lady high and valiant and have yourself won renown that shall not be forgotten; and you are a lady beautiful, I deem, beyond even the words of the Elven-tongue to tell. And I love you. Once I pitied your sorrow. But now, were you sorrowless, without fear or any lack, were you the blissful Queen of Gondor, still I would love you. Éowyn, do you not love me?"

[aaronstveit]

And Éowyn looked at Faramir long and steadily; and Faramir said: 'Do not scorn pity that is the gift of a gentle heart, Éowyn! But I do not offer you my pity. For you are a lady high and valiant and have yourself won renown that shall not be forgotten; and you are a lady beautiful, I deem, beyond even the words of the Elven-tongue to tell. And I love you. Once I pitied your sorrow. But now, were you sorrowless, without fear or any lack, were you the blissful Queen of Gondor, still I would love you. Éowyn, do you not love me?'    Then the heart of Éowyn changed, or else at last she understood it. And suddenly her winter passed, and the sun shone on her.

[torchwood-99]

"But I do not offer you my pity. For you are a lady high and valiant and have yourself won renown that shall not be forgotten; and you are a lady beautiful, I deem, beyond even the words of the Elven-tongue to tell. And I love you. Once I pitied your sorrow. But now, were you sorrowless, without fear or any lack, were you the blissful Queen of Gondor, still I would love you. Éowyn, do you not love me?’"

There's an interpretation in the fandom that Eowyn's decision to go to war, her desire to fight for her people, her qualities that might stereotypically be described as "masculine", were a fault in her, a result of her depression and her general misguided thinking, and Faramir's love "cured" her of that, and in being cured she became appropriately "feminine" once more. Some people think approvingly of the message in this reading, others disapprovingly, but I don't think that message is there at all, when you read this quote.

Look at the reasons Faramir gives for loving Eowyn. "you are a lady high and valiant and have yourself won renown that shall not be forgotten"

He loves her for her valour. And far from Eowyn's desire for renown being something he has to school her out of, the fact she achieved it is something he celebrates for her.

Faramir recognises Eowyn was depressed, he recognises her sorrow and how that drove her to desire death, but he doesn't see her as some misguided, deluded woman who needed reminding of her proper place in life.

Their romance isn't based on Eowyn being some broken thing in need of fixing, for Faramir would love her just as much even if she was perfectly content. Before all else, he respects her. Just the way she is. He respects her courage. He respects her so-called "masculine" attributes, and celebrates them.

Eowyn's valour, her courage, her victory in battle, were all to be celebrated. The people who tried to force into something more "acceptably" feminine were proven wrong, doubly so because when she had her great victory, she did so proudly proclaiming her sex, the very thing the people around used to confine her. Eowyn wasn't wrong for behaving against her womanly nature, those who sought to confine her were wrong for thinking fighting for your people in battle and being a woman are inherently at odds.

The only thing Eowyn was wrong about, the only thing she needed to be corrected on was her belief that her life had no value outside of losing it in battle. Eowyn didn't need to change, she needed to understand her own self-worth.

And yes, Eowyn goes from basing her identity from being a warrior to that of a healer, but the world around her is changing from a world at war to a world at peace. And it's a world at peace because of the crucial contribution she made in battle.

"And then her heart changed, or at least she understood it; and the winter passed, and the sun shone upon her"

Eowyn's happy ending doesn't come from her changing who she is, just her understanding of who she is. She's still Eowyn. Still a "Lady high and valiant", still ready to fight for her people if war came again, but now she's Eowyn who values herself, and her life, and life in general.

[middle-earth-mythopoeia]

There are about a million reasons why I love Faramir and Éowyn’s relationship and why I think it’s one of the most romantic relationships that Tolkien wrote, but do you want to know what isn’t talked about enough?

‘Do not scorn pity that is the gift of a gentle heart, Éowyn! But I do not offer you my pity. For you are a lady high and valiant and have yourself won renown that shall not be forgotten; and you are a lady beautiful, I deem, beyond even the words of the Elven-tongue to tell. And I love you. Once I pitied your sorrow. But now, were you sorrowless, without fear or any lack, were you the blissful Queen of Gondor, still I would love you. Éowyn, do you not love me?’

A lot has already been said about Faramir’s confession that he would still love her if she were the Queen of Gondor—and rightly so, because he’s basically saying he’s so hopelessly in love that nothing could ever change his feelings—but what REALLY does it for me, even more than that, is Faramir saying that she is VALIANT. He admires her bravery and her accomplishments in battle, and he says she has won RENOWN. Yes!!! YES!!!!!!!!!

Look, part of the reason Éowyn doesn’t want pity is that she doesn’t want to be looked down upon, and that’s what she associates with being pitied. But this isn’t really about another person’s pity—this is about how Éowyn sees herself. All her life, she’s been held back from participating in battle and from doing great deeds. In her conversation with Aragorn at Edoras, in one of my favorite scenes in the book, she delivers these searing lines: ‘All your words are but to say: you are a woman, and your part is in the house. But when the men have died in battle and honour, you have leave to be burned in the house, for the men will need it no more. But I am of the House of Eorl and not a serving-woman. I can ride and wield blade, and I do not fear either pain or death.’ Aragorn asks, ‘What do you fear, lady?’ And Éowyn replies: ‘A cage. To stay behind bars, until use and old age accept them, and all chance of doing great deeds is gone beyond recall or desire.’

But at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, she DOES great deeds! She and Merry slay the Witch-king of Angmar, Sauron’s MOST POWERFUL SERVANT. When you think about the power of fear that the Nazgûl had over most mortals, it’s absolutely astounding how brave this was for them to do. But even afterwards, Éowyn doesn’t appear to know the value of what she’s done. Part of this may be her grief for Théoden, and part of it may be the Black Breath, but the point is she doesn’t know what she has achieved. Because in the Houses of Healing, she says to Faramir, ‘I wish to ride to war like my brother Éomer, or better like Théoden the king, for he died and has both honour and peace.’ Éowyn still does not believe she has won honor—and so she does not have peace.

To this Faramir says, ‘It is too late, lady, to follow the Captains, even if you had the strength. But death in battle may come to us all yet, willing or unwilling. You will be better prepared to face it in your own manner, if while there is still time you do as the Healer commanded. You and I, we must endure with patience the hours of waiting.’ It’s important that Faramir doesn’t tell her she’s wrong for wanting to go to battle, only that she must heal, and battle may still come for them yet—and he says WE must wait. Éowyn didn’t want to be left behind to wait for the men to return, but with her and Faramir both waiting, it no longer has that meaning.

This is all important context for the confession. Because days later, in the most romantic conversation of all time, Faramir says these magic words: ‘For you are a lady high and valiant and have yourself won renown that shall not be forgotten.’ LISTEN TO ME, IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT HE SAYS THIS! THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT ÉOWYN NEEDED TO HEAR. It’s the FIRST THING HE SAYS IN THE SPEECH! Before he says she’s beautiful, before he says he loves her, he tells her she is valiant.

This is it. This is why this scene is peak romance to me. Because Éowyn desired to do great deeds and to win honor in battle, and she actually HAS DONE SO, but she doesn’t know it. And Faramir understands her, and not only that, he ADMIRES HER! ‘For you are a lady high and valiant and have yourself won renown that shall not be forgotten.’ I don’t know about you, but that line ALONE would make me fall in love.

[valiantarcher]

Something about "'They give him no rest,' some murmured. 'The Lord drives his son too hard, and now he must do the duty of two, for himself and for the one that will not return'" and 'Your father loves you, Faramir, and will remember it ere the end.' vs. 'And I love you. . . . were you the blissful Queen of Gondor, still I would love you' and "And he took her in his arms and kissed her under the sunlit sky, and he cared not that they stood high upon the walls in the sight of many. And many indeed saw them..." and love not being hidden or doled out miserly but displayed openly and abundantly and how actions reflect the heart and are evident to those around.

[lifblogs]

“‘But now, were you sorrowless, without fear or any lack, were you the blissful Queen of Gondor, still I would love you.’”

Now that is love.

[songofthesibyl]

Whenever I see people saying it’s not enough that Elain gardens and bakes, that she has to be a warrior or “useful” in some way, I always think of this section of The Lord of the Rings (from Book 6, Chapter 5, “The Steward and the King”):

“‘I wished to be loved by another,’ she answered. 'But I desire no man’s pity.’

'That I know,’ he said. 'You desired to have the love of the Lord Aragorn. Because he was high and puissant, and you wished to have renown and glory and to be lifted far above the mean things that crawl on the earth. And as a great captain may to a young soldier he seemed to you admirable. For so he is, a lord among men, the greatest that now is. But when he gave you only understanding and pity, then you desired to have nothing, unless a brave death in battle. Look at me, Éowyn!’

And Éowyn looked at Faramir long and steadily; and Faramir said: 'Do not scorn pity that is the gift of a gentle heart, Éowyn! But I do not offer you my pity. For you are a lady high and valiant and have yourself won renown that shall not be forgotten; and you are a lady beautiful, I deem, beyond even the words of the Elven-tongue to tell. And I love you. Once I pitied your sorrow. But now, were you sorrowless, without fear or any lack, were you the blissful Queen of Gondor, still I would love you. Éowyn, do you not love me?’

Then the heart of Éowyn changed, or else at last she understood it. And suddenly her winter passed, and the sun shone on her.

‘I stand in Minas Anor, the Tower of the Sun,’ she said; ‘and behold the Shadow has departed! I will be a shieldmaiden no longer, nor vie with the great Riders, nor take joy only in the songs of slaying. I will be a healer, and love all things that grow and are not barren.’ And again she looked at Faramir. 'No longer do I desire to be a queen,’ she said.

Then Faramir laughed merrily. 'That is well,’ he said; 'for I am not a king. Yet I will wed with the White Lady of Rohan, if it be her will. And if she will, then let us cross the River and in happier days let us dwell in fair Ithilien and there make a garden. All things will grow with joy there, if the White Lady comes.’

'Then must I leave my own people, man of Gondor?’ she said. 'And would you have your proud folk say of you: "There goes a lord who tamed a wild shieldmaiden of the North! Was there no woman of the race of Númenor to choose?”’

'I would,’ said Faramir. And he took her in his arms and kissed her under the sunlit sky, and he cared not that they stood high upon the walls in the sight of many. And many indeed saw them and the light that shone about them as they came down from the walls and went hand in hand to the Houses of Healing.“

[torchwood-99]

But I do not offer you my pity. For you are a lady high and valiant and have yourself won renown that shall not be forgotten; and you are a lady beautiful, I deem, beyond even the words of the Elven-tongue to tell. And I love you. Once I pitied your sorrow. But now, were you sorrowless, without fear or any lack, were you the blissful Queen of Gondor, still I would love you. Eowyn, do you not love me?’ Then the heart of Eowyn changed, or else at last she understood it. And suddenly her winter passed, and the sun shone on her. 

Thinking that Eowyn loved Faramir, or allowed herself to love Faramir and be loved by him, when he tells her he doesn't pity her, but that he respects her, and that he respects her deeds and her courage.

Faramir's first feelings for Eowyn were pity, which Eowyn no doubt knew, but she had no interest in being loved by a man who loved her out of pity. She needed respect. She needed to know that love was out of respect. And Faramir delivered.

[ahobbitstale]

'Do not scorn pity that is the gift of a gentle heart, Eowyn! But I do not offer you my pity. For you are a lady high and valiant and have yourself won renown that shall not be forgotten; and you are a lady beautiful, I deem, beyond even the words of the Elven-tongue to tell. And I love you. Once I pitied your sorrow. But now, were you sorrowless, without fear or any lack, were you the blissful Queen of Gondor, still I would love you. Eowyn, do you not love me?'

J. R. R. Tolkien, The Steward and the King (The Return of the King)

[english-history-trip]

Faramir totally figures out her love language tho

Faramir: you're pretty and sad

Éowyn: :/

Faramir: buuuuut you were kickass in that battle

Éowyn: 😍

First text:

He looked at her, and being a man whom pity deeply stirred, it seemed to him that her loveliness amid her grief would pierce his heart. And she looked at him and saw the grave tenderness in his eyes, and yet knew, for she was bred among men of war, that here was one whom no Rider of the Mark would outmatch in battle.

Second text:

And Éowyn looked at Faramir long and steadily; and Faramir said: 'Do not scorn pity that is the gift of a gentle heart, Éowyn! But I do not offer you my pity. For you are a lady high and valiant and have yourself won renown that that shall not be forgotten; and you are a lady beautiful, I deem, beyond even the words of the elven-tongue to tell. And I love you. Once I pitied your sorrow. But now, were you sorrowless, without fear or any lack, were you the blissful Queen of Gondor, still I would love you. Éowyn, do you not love me?

remember when éowyn first met faramir and immediately thought "ah yes. this is a guy who could wipe the floor with any soldier of rohan." bc I think about it a lot

[farawyndaily]

"Do not scorn pity that is the gift of a gentle heart, Eowyn! But I do not offer you my pity. For you are a lady high and valiant and have won yourself renown that shall not be forgotten; and you are a lady beautiful, I deem, beyond even the words of the Elven-tongue to tell. And I love you. Once I pitied your sorrow. But now, were you sorrowless, without fear or any lack, were you the blissful Queen of Gondor, still I would love you. Éowyn, do you not love me?"

Then the heart of Éowyn changed, or else at last she understood it. And suddenly her winter passed, and the sun shone upon her.

insp.

[sylvanfreckles]

Nice Day For A...Wait For It (1 of 5)

(For no.8: Everything Hurts and I'm Dying)

Fandom: Supernatural Rating: G General Warning: chronic illness, internalized ableism, disability, violence

Summary: Sam and Eileen's wedding is just a few days away, and Dean and Castiel join them for some relaxation at the hotel before the ceremony. But Winchester Luck strikes again, and they find themselves at the center of disaster as secrets are uncovered. Cas has gotten stronger since the ritual that tore his grace away and left him human, but will it be enough when he's targeted by a malevolent spirit? (Read on AO3)

...

"Once I pitied your sorrow. But now, were you sorrowless, without fear or any lack, were you the blissful Queen of Gondor, still I would love you."

(Faramir to Eowyn, Return of the King - J.R.R. Tolkein)

...

After spending most of his life, boy and man, sleeping in hotel rooms, Dean Winchester was more than accustomed to waking up in strange beds. Waking up with a former angel-of-the-lord wrapped octopus-like around him, however, was a relatively new situation.

Dean gave a sad smile and ran his fingers through the dark hair that barely peeked over the edge of the blanket. He and Sam joked that Cas’s sleeping position was an indicator for how he was feeling: the less of his face showing, the worse his night had been. Through some combination of the car ride, the weather, the unfamiliar bed, and the stress of a new environment it hadn’t been a good night.

“C’mon, Sunshine,” Dean murmured. He kissed the top of Cas’s head and tried to pry him away. “Meeting Sammy and Eileen for breakfast, remember?” The hotel had a full breakfast spread, including a waffle bar, which was one of the reasons the lovebirds had chosen this place for their ceremony.

God, Sam was getting married. Again.

Cas whined deep in his chest and tried to burrow in closer, mumbling something into Dean’s shoulder.

“Didn’t catch that,” Dean teased.

Reluctantly, Cas pushed away just enough to curl up against the pillow next to Dean. “Everything hurts and I’m dying.”

It was such an unexpected complaint that Dean had to laugh. “You know you’ll feel better if you get moving.”

Cas just stared at him, and Dean felt a lump of pity in his throat. He was pale, with dark circles under his eyes, and a face pinched from new and old pain. But even so, after everything, he was still beautiful. Still Castiel.

“If you get up now, I’ll make Sam give you real coffee,” Dean said, only half teasing. He dodged a half-hearted swipe with a laugh and headed for the ensuite bathroom. “I’ll be out in ten minutes, and if you’re not dressed you’re going to breakfast in pajamas.”

Cas was, thankfully, dressed by the time Dean was out of the shower, but his face darkened into a scowl when Dean pulled the wheelchair out of the closet. “Dean.”

“I know,” Dean held his hands up. “Cas, you gotta get some rest, man. You said everything hurt, right?”

His scowl only deepened, but Cas limped across the room and settled into the wheelchair reluctantly. “I hate this.”

“Good food, fresh air, you’ll be back on your feet in no time,” Dean promised, backing out of the room and pausing to lock the door.

Cas was silent, his posture stiff, and Dean could see that his grip on the chair was so tight his knuckles were turning white.

“Hey,” Dean dropped the handles and knelt in front of Cas, resting his hand on Cas’s clenched fingers. “It’s gonna be okay. We’ll get through this.”

“I just want to be better,” Cas hissed. “I’m so…tired.”

Dean’s heart broke a little. Cas had gone from an all-powerful angel-of-whoever to a scarred, frail human during a ritual Naomi performed to power herself up. They’d taken care of super-bitch, but not even Jack could bring Cas’s grace back.

“You know I’d rather you be an almighty dick again if it meant you were happy,” Dean said slowly. Cas relaxed his grip on the chair enough for Dean to twine their fingers together. “But I’m so happy you’re here, Cas. No matter what happens.”

He waited for Cas to nod, then took the handles of the wheelchair and followed the hall out to the dining room. Cas was better, even if it didn’t feel like it this morning. He’d gained some weight back, didn’t get cold as easily, and his flare-ups were less frequent. But he still had setbacks and having a bad flare-up on top of the stress and fatigue of travel had to be disheartening.

“And there’s the bride!” Dean announced, wheeling Cas up to the table where Eileen was picking over a plate piled high with French toast and bacon. “Getting cold feet yet?”

She met his gaze with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes and held her foot out toward him. “I’m wearing three pairs of socks.”

Dean threw back his head with a laugh. “Cas? Want me to get you something?”

“You promised me coffee.”

“And a Belgian waffle with fruit and whipped cream, I remember.” Dean winked at Eileen. “Need more bacon?”

She’d scooted closer to Cas and handed him a couple of strips off her plate. “Always.”

“Coffee, waffle, and bacon. Coming right up!”

He found Sam at the waffle bar, tending to a couple of waffle makers that were already steaming, and snagged the pitcher of batter to start making Cas’s waffle. “Why didn’t we ever stay at a place like this growing up?”

Sam snorted. “Because Dad paid with stolen credit cards and poker money?”

Dean grunted in agreement.

“How’s Cas?” Sam asked after a few seconds.

Dean let out a sigh. “Rough night. He’s putting on a show, but he’s hurting. Like the old days.”

Sam winced and looked over his shoulder. Eileen was talking animatedly to Cas, her hands dancing gracefully as she signed. “She wants him to walk her down the aisle.”

“Yeah, I heard. One more reason for him to rest up over the next couple days.”

“Dean…”

“I know. Let him be his own man, right?” Dean leaned back against the counter, idly watching two of the hotel employees tending to the buffet. Maybe if he distracted Sam, he wouldn’t notice if he got sausage and bacon.

“That smell is back in the pantry,” one of the employees complained as she arranged clean plates and flatware at one end of the buffet.

“Again?” the other rolled her eyes. “This place is falling apart. It’s always cold next to the hostess stand, even when the heat’s on, I can’t stand it.”

Dean met Sam’s eyes. “Don’t tell me.”

Sam shook his head, busy plating his waffles. “We checked this place out. No history of violent deaths or suspicious disappearances. It should be clean.”

“It obviously isn’t.” Dean snagged a plate and hastily began piling it high from the buffet. “What the hell, Sammy?”

“I don’t know, but if these people are in danger…”

“Yeah, yeah.” Cas’s waffle was done now, and despite the urgency Dean was still careful to cover it with all the fruit and whipped cream his angel could desire. Two plates braced in one hand and two cups of coffee in the other, he trailed after Sam back to their table.

“We have a problem,” Sam announced, voice low, as soon as they sat down. He quickly explained what they’d overheard from the hotel staff. “Might not be anything. This is an old building.”

“Yeah, when is it ever nothing,” Dean grumbled. Cas was just poking at his waffle, still looking a little to pale and shaken for Dean’s liking.

“We have to do something,” Cas replied, leaning forward. “What’s the plan?”

“The plan,” Dean announced, pointing his fork at Cas, “is for you to stay in the room and rest while we talk to the staff.”

“Dean, I can help.”

Dean glared at him, but Cas stared back defiantly. He’d barely gotten three hours of sleep, was in too much pain to walk more than a half dozen feet, and was clearly holding himself together with a mixture of stubbornness and caffeine (that Dean had to block Sam from taking away. He had a promise to keep, after all).

“Look, it can’t be too serious, right?” Sam interjected. “Not if we didn’t pick it up in our research. Something recent, so not as strong as an old haunting.”

“Yeah. Kind of thing we can do in our sleep,” Dean agreed, still looking at Cas.

Sam tugged on his arm, forcing him to break eye contact. “This has to happen sometime, Dean.”

No, it really didn’t. No matter how much Cas had talked about wanting to help them, to be a hunter, Dean’s ultimate plan was to keep him tucked away where he couldn’t get hurt again.

But that wasn’t fair to Cas, was it? If he tried to control Cas’s life like that, even for his own safety, he’d be no better than the ones who had hurt him so many times.

“Dean.” Cas took his hand and Dean looked back at him.

He swallowed. “I don’t want you to get hurt, Cas.”

Cas smiled at him sadly. He couldn’t stop Cas from getting hurt. Even if they ran away now, just the two of them. Retiring to a house on the beach with nothing but sun, sand, and suf. Even then, Cas would still be hurting.

“All right,” Dean’s shoulders slumped and he leaned forward, still holding Cas’s hand. “So what’s the plan?”

(Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5)

[zaraquinn]

Love Underneath the Stars

Legolas - Fluff + Mereth Aderthad [Mereth-en-Gilith] (The Feast of Reuniting/Stars)

Word Count: 965

Legolas Greenleaf x Fem!Reader (Human)

Requested: @naryamirie

A/N:

Y/N - Your Name

Additional Notes: I just watched the two towers I got a hot batch of motivational juice to write! so here’s this one (and I hope I did the Mereth-en-Gilith justice)! Also, I just realized how much of canon!book Legolas I added to this—with Legolas staying in Ithilien after the ring (with Gimli ofc).

———

———

Mereth Aderthad. ‘The Feast of Reuniting’, but also known as ‘The Feast of Stars’. It was where Y/N and Legolas were preparing to go, as they were invited by Elrond of Rivendell himself.

Middle Earth had found its newfound peace once more—after the destruction of the One Ring and Sauron. And not only did Middle Earth find its newfound peace, but the race of men found their long lost king. All hope and light were restored, and the rest of time can pass on into the age of men. After the departure of the Fellowship, the members had all settled to what they desired to at the end. Aragorn became King and Arwen his Queen. Frodo was in the process of starting his adventure of the ring, preceding Bilbo’s adventures in his book, while Sam, Merry and Pippin used this time to have a well rest—they deserved it. Gandalf tended to some other White Wizard goals and tasks, keeping him busy.

All that was left were Legolas, Gimli and Y/N. After the Ring’s destruction, the three had decided to keep travelling and finding adventure around Middle Earth, and where their feet hadn’t travelled yet. Although, there were sometimes where their adventures, albeit shorter than most, were just times of rest and recovery. It was those times where Legolas and Y/N had finally settled together. Legolas had met Y/N in Gondor—along with Faramir, they aided in the mission to take down the One Ring, and during Gandalf’s stay at Gondor, she joined the Fellowship; promising to put her life for Frodo and the rest of the team—and just like that, Gandalf had accepted her place of fealty as she was welcomed in the group. A fair ranger she was, she was sent out of Gondor during the third age war to find and help the iconic trio; Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli. Who knew her mission of fighting alongside a man, dwarf, elf and countless undead ghosts was one to reunite a bond of a lifetime.

It was since then, her admiration and bond grew with the three companions, especially the elf in particular. His warrior skills; light as a feather and tough as seven giants, the elf never left Y/N sight. There was nothing else to compare to him, and she knew after fighting alongside him in the fields of Pelennor, as well as him saving her multiple times, she knew her heart's calling. It was also rare for the elf to develop these feelings for the human woman. As strong as she was, she was fierce in her intellect—and agile as an angel; he had no shame as he spent more time with Y/N that the young elven princeling started to answer his heart’s calling as well. It was calling for her and her for his—they were calling for each other. In such little time, the two became close and even closer after the One Ring’s destruction, and it was a certain dwarf master that made them finally confess their love for each other. Safe to say, he was proud he finally made the two warriors do something. Legolas has still a way to go in the world, and Y/N still had more years to come, and Gimli decided it was for them to spend together (with him too at times of course!).

“Meleth nin.” The voice from behind Y/N had snapped her attention back to reality, as her brain had wandered back to nostalgically thinking of the past. She smiled as she was greeted with Legolas’s fair complexion in the beautiful moonlight. He held her from behind in his arms and planted a soft kiss at the back of her head. She smiled in bliss as she easily gave into his touch, humming as they both stood on the balcony of their shared room in Ithilien. “It is soon Mereth Aderthad.” Legolas said, and Y/N looking up at him for a quick translation to the elven language. “It is the reunion of stars; a feast. It is where the elves join together and celebrate every race of the elves and our culture. A meeting that has been the source of great bonds and friendship that last lifetimes.” He simply explained and Y/N smiled. “That sounds wonderful, Legolas! I am sure you and your people would love to see you again!” She said ecstatically, finding it odd he mentioned it out of the blue. It seemed like he was trying to ask permission to go, but she hesitated and kept the thought to herself.

“Why would I go alone? You would not accompany me?” His brows furrowed in confusion, turning Y/N around in his arms as his one hand travelled gently to her cheek. “I assumed it was only for your people—your kind. I am only human, Legolas. I understand.” She said, in full honestly and also confusion. “But I want you to come with me.” He took both of Y/N’s hands into his own and bringing them close to his lips. “Are the race of men even allowed at the gathering?” She said, looking down with some worry. “They will now. I won’t leave you behind. I am a part of your life, and you will be part of mine, whether they like it or not.” The young prince says, kissing Y/N’s hands.

She closed her eyes in solace; Legolas’ forever loyalty never failing to make her feel safe, welcoming and loved. Opening her eyes, she was met with Legolas’ sky orbs, as she leaned in to press a kiss on his lips. Soft as a cloud but heavy with love, the couple shared a moment of adoration beneath the moonlight above. “I love you.” They both said, coincidentally right after they departed from the kiss, being followed by a short chuckle between them.

———

MASTERLIST 🍃

LOTR REQUESTS 🍂

[honourablejester]

And Eowyn looked at Faramir long and steadily; and Faramir said: ‘Do not scorn pity that is the gift of a gentle heart, Eowyn! But I do not offer you my pity. For you are a lady high and valiant and have yourself won renown that shall not be forgotten; and you are a lady beautiful, I deem, beyond even the words of the elven-tongue to tell. And I love you. Once I pitied your sorrow. But now, were you sorrowless, without fear or any lack, were you the blissful Queen of Gondor, still I would love you. Eowyn, do you not love me?’

Then the heart of Eowyn changed, or else at last she understood it. And suddenly her winter passed, and the sun shone on her.

‘I stand in Minas Anor, the Tower of the Sun,’ she said; ‘and behold! the Shadow has departed! I will be a shield-maiden no longer, nor vie with the great Riders, nor take joy only in the songs of slaying. I will be a healer, and love all things that grow and are not barren.’ And again she looked at Faramir. ‘No longer do I desire to be a queen,’ she said.

Then Faramir laughed merrily. ‘That is well,’ he said; ‘for I am not a king. Yet I will wed the White Lady of Rohan, if it be her will. And if she will, then let us cross the River and in happier days let us dwell in fair Ithilien and there make a garden. All things will grow with joy there, if the White Lady comes.’

‘Then must I leave my own people, man of Gondor?’ she said. ‘And would you have your proud folk say of you: “There goes a lord who tamed a wild shield-maiden of the North! Was there no woman of the race of Numenor to choose?”’

‘I would,’ said Faramir. And he took her in his arms and kissed her under the sunlit sky, and he cared not that they stood high upon the walls in the sight of many. And many indeed saw them and the light that shone about them as they came down from the walls and went hand in hand to the Houses of Healing.

--- The Return of the King, JRR Tolkien

Would Eowyn want to stand as the Queen of Love and Beauty? Would she want to stand there, acknowledged as fair and beautiful and noble, in a time of peace and growing things, and congratulate young warriors on their feats that did not cost them blood and horror to have done? Would she, a wild shield-maiden of the north, wish to be acknowledged as a woman as fair as any Numenorean? Would she want to stand there as a woman who was carried from the shadow of war and horror by the love of a gentle man, who acknowledged her deeds and acknowledge that they would not be forgotten, and have that love be acknowledged in its turn? Would she want to be a symbol of peace, and of healing, and of love, which saved her from the shadow of war that had darkened her heart, so that even in sunlight she could find no peace?

‘No longer do I desire to be a queen’, she said. But she meant that she felt no more need to vie for Aragorn’s love, nor to win more deeds to add to her name when she had done, and suffered, all that she needed to. War almost killed her, not only externally, to her wounds, but internally, to her despair. And it was love and beauty and a gentle man that pulled her from that.

So … Yes. I think Eowyn wouldn’t mind standing for one moment, one tourney, as queen of love and beauty, and offering the gifts of peace and love to warriors that she may hope will never need them as she once desperately needed them.

👑🌹The Queen of Love and Beauty🌹👑

Round 1 (2 of 6)

The Queen of Love and Beauty shall hold the honour of presenting unto the winner of the Tournament his Champion's Coronet.

Vote for the lady who, to you, best exemplifies feminine dignity, grace and loveliness

The six contenders with the most votes will advance.

Row 1 - Danielle de Barbarac [Drew Barrymore], Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998) - Lady Jocelyn [Shannyn Sossamon], A Knight’s Tale (2001) - Kate [Laura Fraser], A Knight’s Tale (2001)

Row 2 - Éowyn of Rohan [Miranda Otto], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003) - Arwen Undomiel [Liv Tyler], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003) - Galadriel of Lothlórien [Cate Blanchett], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Row 3 - Joan of Arc [Milla Jovovich], The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999) [2] - Queen Isabella [Tilda Swinton], Edward II (1991) [1] - Princess Isabelle [Sophie Marceau], Braveheart (1995) [1]

Row 4 - Queen Susan the Gentle [Sophie Winkleman], The Chronicles of Narnia (2005-2010) - Queen Lucy the Valiant [Rachael Henley] - Jadis, the White Witch [Tilda Swinton], The Chronicles of Narnia (2005-2010

[morwensteelsheen]

farawyn and borodred for the ship ask game thing?

thank you so much!! :)

okay i’ll start with borodred because for some unfathomable reason i actually got there first —

1. What made you ship it?

One of my favourite Types of ships is the Elder Statesmen Of War-type set-ups, where it’s less about people brought together through theatrical romantic gestures and more about the steadiness of people who are going through similar (immensely difficult) circumstances, who know that in their hearts they’re always going to put their duty to that cause first, but still seek out human comfort in other people who will understand what their priorities are and why.

I think there’s also a lot of similarities about the kind of helplessness they both face despite having this tremendous innate strength. Both of them still have to deal with family dynamics that are complex (made more complex by the war) and that can’t be fixed just by their own sheer will power; both of them die these utterly unnecessary deaths (not that death makes a ship but I think in this instance it actually points to the constant tragedy these guys face); and both of them are meant to be the principal figures of their families and people and are ultimately sidelined by the cruel mechanisations of war and the forward march of history or whatever wanky term there is for it — my apologies to ep thompson's ghost, dont haunt me bro.

Plus there’s obviously the interesting thread raised when Faramir starts bitching about Gondor and likens Gondor (and by very explicit extension, Boromir) to Rohan. That always made me go ‘Hmmmmmm, wonder what else Boromir liked about Rohan,’ lmao.

Anyways for me the ship is the equivalent of Star Wars’ Kanan and Hera or (my OTP to end all others) Luke and Wedge, just people getting by on love and duty and without big ol fancy romance.

2. What are your favorite things about the ship?

The fanon, I think, really makes it, as with so many other LOTR ships. battlefield manners, by themightypen is essentially the definitive take for me on them — these two guys who are just so fucking exhausted, man, but still overcome by defensive love for their families, even if their (foster-)siblings are naïve fools. That I just love, love, love. Plus I think they’re unique for their ability to pretty comfortable explore the relationship between Gondor & Rohan in advance of the Ring War without having to stray too far into AU, which I always appreciate.

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

Not really, tbh, except in that I don’t think Boromir is necessarily as laddy as people like to portray him. I’m happy to play into it in, say, my modern AUs because I think that’s a fun and sweet niche for him, but I am a bit 🤪 about Boromir as this kind of reckless, drunken playboy (not least because I think that’s a much funnier niche for Faramir to fill, at least when he’s younger). Chapter Four of Swaddledog’s Hearts and Minds gets my preferred Boromir characterisation absolutely spot on, I think.

And now, sigh, the ultimate OTP, Farawyn —

1. What made you ship it?

For starters, I think I am obsessed with Éowyn in a way I’ve never quite been obsessed with any other fictional character. I came to reading LOTR at this moment in my life where I was intensely frustrated about everything — trapped inside permanently (helplessly!) because of the pandemic, just starting a new political organisation that I truly believed in but that was still making me feel like shit, facing down an untenable about of work, and, fundamentally, really, really hating being a woman and what that means. And along comes Éowyn, who is bitter, who is cold, who is ANGRY, and who doesn’t perform joy or softness or gentleness just because people expect her to. She’s this seminal Woman Of War in so many ways, I think the kind of person a lot of us wish we could be. She’s got her emotional taps cut off at the source, she holds her head high and faces down unimaginable personal and political terrors, and at the end of it all still has this abiding love for her family that, I would argue, is almost unparalleled by anyone else in the book.

After all that, she gets this incredible moment of emotional catharsis (or what we expect to be emotional catharsis): “no living man am I!” She undertakes THE greatest martial act of the Ring War, and in that moment there’s this unbelievably sophisticated dialogue happening about gender (“Éowyn it was, and Dernhelm also”), and leadership (Merry finding his courage not because of the immediate scenario of the Witch-king, but because he’s spurred into it by Éowyn’s presence), and love and care.

And then we learn that no, actually, this glorious act of violence wasn’t the emotional catharsis we thought it would be. She gets to ride to war, she gets to throw herself headlong at death, and in the end that hopeless act of individualism isn’t really what does it for her. She’s still left desolate and despairing, and actually all of her problems haven’t gone away.

And then we need to rewind a bit, because along comes Faramir, who is gentle, and is kind, and does seem to believe in joy, but not because people expect it — actually it's made abundantly clear nobody expects it — but because it’s something quite innate to how he figures the world. And he’s a huge fucking nerd too. I have a lot of thoughts on Faramir’s flaws and why I find them endearing, which I won’t put here, but almost immediately you get this sense of a guy who’s quite melodramatic, good humoured, and very much not made to live in a time of war.

But he’s also clear-headed about war and what it requires (tactically, if not strategically, though that’s a post for another day), but who is kind of cynical and weary of it in his own unique way. And it’s a unique cynicism given his personal circumstances because he’s the second son of The great family of Gondor, he’s apparently — though with some big ol’ question marks hanging about the extent — very able to command some of the elite units in the realm, and what’s more than that, he’s got all these fantastical powers (the light mind reading to start, to say nothing of this apparently magical ability to command animals too. bruh.). By all accounts he should be this brazen hot mess, but he’s not. He’s desperate to claw his way out of this war-torn cage of expectation his people have for how a man should comport himself in time of war. Is it a little naïve? Sure. A little fussy? Absolutely. But does it point to that same desperation that Éowyn has? Yes! But also the practicality, like, neither of them are really enjoying the circumstances they live under, but good fucking god are they both able to Make It Work.

So finally we get to the Houses of Healing and what is the finest and most aggressively romantic writing of LOTR. Seriously, it’s so fucking much. It’s breathtaking. It reminds me quite viscerally of this fabulous quote from Les Mis:

The power of a glance has been so much abused in love stories, that it has come to be disbelieved in. Few people dare now to say that two beings have fallen in love because they have looked at each other. Yet it is in this way that love begins, and in this way only.

At some point I will devote more time to talking about the two reasons line, and the blissful Queen of Gondor speech, but I think to me that big, important line is: “And then her heart changed, or at least she understood it; and the winter passed, and the sun shone upon her.”

It’s not about Éowyn changing herself entirely (though, I think, it really does bear mentioning that she does change, and that’s every bit as important to understanding that scene as it is romantic), it’s about Éowyn coming to terms with how to live with herself as herself, and how to live in communion with someone else. She can’t just cut people out anymore, and she can’t just treat them as objects of infatuation as she did with Aragorn, she has to reckon with people as they are. And that’s sort of the moment where I knew I was about to plunge fully off the deep end with these two and never know a moments’ peace again, lmao.

2. What are your favorite things about the ship?

Someone on here once called Farawyn a love letter to women and, by god, yes, exactly that. I love the capacity for emotional intimacy, that is beautiful in ways I can’t express. To me, though, my favourite thing is the promise of life they speak of. Not as in oh they shag loads and have babies (though not opposed to that, obviously), but in the sense that unlike Aragorn and Arwen, who are always going to be buried under/burdened with the crushing weight of history and tradition, Éowyn and Faramir are going out yonder those hills and they’re going to do some real cottagecore farming shit. Obviously with all the trappings of rank and nobility and whatnot, but they, unique to anybody else in the books, get to sow this new idea of what life should be. They are, outside of Aragorn, the single most powerful people in Gondor. Éowyn’s got the ear of a king, a steward (which is essentially a prime-ministerial deal here), and functionally her own prince (if the hobbits are to be believed when they refer to it as essentially hers). I suspect that, in life, there were remarkably few arguments she wasn’t winning, and that Ithilien probably trended towards the jumped up noble hippie camp Tolkien so desperately wanted Oxford to be (or, in other words — Cambridge, lol).

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

Yeah, man, everybody stop treating Faramir like he’s a big fucking crybaby and Éowyn like she’s some kind of shrieking 2010-era tumblr girl.

One of the single most important lines defining Faramir’s character is when Denethor roasts his ass for always trying to appear noble and lordly, if you ignore every other piece of textual evidence we have about him, what part of that line makes you think Faramir’s some simpering daisy? And why would you want to link tremendous emotional intelligence and care with being too limp-wristed to function, lol??? Like I struggle loads with writing Faramir, because I have never once in my life tried to be noble or self-restrained, so find it hard to get into that mindset, but better, I think, to imagine him too closed off than to do this wilting flower song and dance lmao.

And stop making Éowyn out to be this over-emotional angst machine. She’s got problems, yes, and she’s sure as shit got a lot of angst, but at almost every point in the book where we’re overtly dealing with her emotions, she’s sublimating them into something else. One of the most serious times we see her cry is when she’s fighting with Aragorn about riding out, and after that moment she literally tries to kill herself. Those tears aren’t standard, man, that’s a real watershed (lol) moment for her. You have to read around what the text is saying to get a better feel why everybody’s constantly calling her cold and distant.

[littlewoodenworld]

This chapter DESTROYED me — I am sitting in my parked car crying my eyes out. Joy? Longing? Envy? Relief? I don’t even know. All of it together, maybe. My heart….

—————————————————————

Then Faramir came and sought her, and once more they stood on the walls together; and he said to her: 'Éowyn, why do you tarry here, and do not go to the rejoicing in Cormallen beyond Cair Andros, where you brother awaits you?'

And she said: 'Do you not know?'

But he answered: 'Two reasons there may be, but which is true, I do not know.'

And she said: 'I do not wish to play at riddles. Speak plainer!'

'Then if you will have it so, lady,' he said: 'you do not go, because only your brother called for you, and to look on the Lord Aragorn, Elendil's heir, in his triumph would now bring you no joy. Or because I do not go, and you desire still to be near me. And maybe for both these reasons, and you yourself cannot choose between them. Éowyn, do you not love me, or will you not?'

'I wished to be loved by another,' she answered. 'But I desire no man's pity.'

'That I know,' he said. 'You desired to have the love of the Lord Aragorn. Because he was high and puissant, and you wished to have renown and glory and to be lifted far above the mean things that crawl on the earth. And as a great captain may to a young soldier he seemed to you admirable. For so he is, a lord among men, the greatest that now is. But when he gave you only understanding and pity, then you desired to have nothing, unless a brave death in battle. Look at me, Éowyn!'

And Éowyn looked at Faramir long and steadily; and Faramir said: 'Do not scorn pity that is the gift of a gentle heart, Éowyn! But I do not offer you my pity. For you are a lady high and valiant and have yourself won renown that shall not be forgotten; and you are a lady beautiful, I deem, beyond even the words of the Elven-tongue to tell. And I love you. Once I pitied your sorrow. But now, were you sorrowless, without fear or any lack, were you the blissful Queen of Gondor, still I would love you. Éowyn, do you not love me?'

Then the heart of Éowyn changed, or else at last she understood it. And suddenly her winter passed, and the sun shone on her.

'I stand in Minas Anor, the Tower of the Sun,' she said; 'and behold! the Shadow has departed! I will be a shieldmaiden no longer, nor vie with the great Riders, nor take joy only in the songs of slaying. I will be a healer, and love all things that grow and are not barren.' And again she looked at Faramir. 'No longer do I desire to be a queen,' she said.

Then Faramir laughed merrily. 'That is well,' he said; 'for I am not a king. Yet I will wed with the White Lady of Rohan, if it be her will. And if she will, then let us cross the River and in happier days let us dwell in fair Ithilien and there make a garden. All things will grow with joy there, if the White Lady comes.'

'Then must I leave my own people, man of Gondor?' she said. 'And would you have your proud folk say of you: "There goes a lord who tamed a wild shieldmaiden of the North! Was there no woman of the race of Númenor to choose?"'

'I would,' said Faramir. And he took her in his arms and kissed her under the sunlit sky, and he cared not that they stood high upon the walls in the sight of many. And many indeed saw them and the light that shone about them as they came down from the walls and went hand in hand to the Houses of Healing.