Post by Lonannuniel on Dec 14, 2021 18:09:17 GMT
Lónannûniel was basically Thranduil's unnamed and unseen wife and Legolas' mother, and Queen of the Woodland Realm. I came up with a pretty complex back story for her, that she is a Sindar Elf, but her parentage and line was unknown as she was raised in Gondor and remained there for quiet some time, until adulthood, where she set off into the world, and ended up in Mirkwood, where she happened to meet Thranduil on a stone bridge above a stream, and as she knew nothing of the elf lore of her heritage, she didn't know who he was nor of him being a king. They married while feeling that first spark of love, that has long fizzled out. They still love each other in their own ways, but they do quarrel a lot. There has always been a question mark if she is half human or Sindar Elf.
I go into more detail here, but sadly the appearance image links are no dead links after a certain Photobucket scam incident that prompted me to delete my account.
This is a story I wrote back in 2015 on the original AU forum. (LINK.) It was a semi-backstory sort of thing for Lónannûniel.
In the solitude of the king and queen’s quarters, Lónannûniel sat at the vanity table near their bathing pool. Around her neck rested a new glistening necklace of diamonds. Yet another precious gift, that would soon take its place among the many treasures in the king’s private vault. She would smile at her reflection in the mirror, as Thranduil placed the necklace around her neck.
With kind words, he had muttered, “For you, my starlight.” Those moments reminded the queen of the man she had met on the riverbank all those many years ago. There were no titles to uphold. No reputations to live by. No restrictions. Just a lost maiden, searching for one thing on middle earth, to make her see that there was more than the unending gloom. In her heart, she would have loved for fate to be different. For the two to stay in that moment for all time. But time ticked on. The years went by, and he stopped calling her my starlight. A term of affection that rarely formed itself with in his voice. Now pretty words, to conceal the true reason behind the gift. The queen had to look beautiful always. Glistening with white gems, to live up to her title, Lady of Starlight.
Now she sat alone, watching the king’s reflection pacing back and forth, on the other side of the pool. Something grieved him greatly. No word had reached the realm yet of Legolas’s fate. He knew that the prince would have reached Rivendell before now. With concern for his son, Thranduil feared he was lost to the dark forces gathering in the lands of Mordor. He could have spoke all of this to Lónannûniel, to relieve the weight of it from his mind, but he did not want to add to her own worry.
Lónannûniel rose from the seat, turning to look at her husband. “Is there something on your mind, Thranduil?”
The king could not look her in the eyes. “No. Nothing to concern yourself with.”
“I am not oblivious to my surroundings, nor blind, Thranduil. I can see it as clear as my own hand. Something troubles you. Share your worries with me. Allow me to carry the burden with you.”
“There is nothing to tell, my starlight.” There it was. She saw the real reason behind the use of the endearing name he gave her. To shake off her concern with sweet words.
Her hand touched the sleeve of his robes. “Tell me.”
“No,” he replied abruptly. His own stubbornness prevented him. He had twice denied her already, to give in would show weakness. To show weakness, would convince her and all their subjects, that their king was incapable of carrying the responsibilities which came with the crown.
When the announcement came to tell the king and queen that dinner was served, they were already in a heated argument. The sounds of raised voices hit the maiden, as she opened the door to the royal chambers. Sorrow hit her heart, as yet again, the king and queen were quarrelling. After all these years, she thought that she would have grown accustomed to it by now. Everyone held onto the hope, one day the king and queen would set their stubbornness aside, and return to the happy newlyweds they were far too long ago. The king who allowed himself to smile, and the young maiden whom had bloomed as beautifully as the first blossom of spring.
Lónannûniel yelled on Thranduil was arrogant and secretive. All she asked, was just once he let her in. Go back to the man she fell in love with.
Thranduil coldly reminded her, she was nothing upon entering his kingdom. No one else would have married her, with such an uncertain proof to her elven blood. He crossed the line with, “If I had any sense, I would have let you go to the grey havens.” As soon as the words left his lips, he instantly regretted them. The sight of those tears glistening in the corner of her eyes were not beautiful, and hurt him to see them.
The maiden made her presence known. “King Thranduil, Queen Lónannûniel.”
“What?” both the king and queen snapped, most undignified for their crown. Their glares were misdirected from one another to the innocent maiden who had intruded on their privacy.
Nervously she trembled under their glares. The tears of the queen had not gone unnoticed. It would be more prudent for her to hold her tongue. “Dinner is served in the feast hall.”
She was dismissed, her announcement acknowledged. Her warning to the many gathered in the feast hall, came to no surprise. All of them felt that a quarrel between the king and queen was inevitable. Only surprise was they had gone all day without an ill word shared. Her warning merely gave them a moment, before the argument left the royal chambers, spreading through the corridors, giving all warning, to get out of the way of King Thranduil and Queen Lónannûniel. Not one of them were asinine enough to become involved within their arguments, and find themselves in the jail for their troubles.
Outside the door to the feast hall, Lónannûniel turned to Thranduil. “Just once, can you not put your arrogance aside, and accept that we are pledged to one another. Your troubles are our troubles.”
The king’s reply was exactly as she expected. “Just once, could you do as I ask? I try to protect you. You continuously disobey my orders. Thrust yourself within the path of danger. Lónannûniel, I shall remain unmoved. For once in our shard of eternity, do as I tell you.” He turned away from her, and walked through the doors to the feast hall.
Everyone gathered was already on edge, waiting to see what mood he or she would find the king and queen in. How the queen responded, upon crossing the threshold to the hall, would set the tone for the whole evening.
Lónannûniel took a deep calming breath. She stepped through the doorway, and felt the full weight of the anticipation clinging to the air. The queen composed herself, walking through the room, to the head table, with all eyes on her. She found her seat beside the king. Her sorrow filled gaze fell on the empty seat on Thranduil’s other side. Legolas still remained in Rivendell, as far as the queen knew. In her mind, there he would stay. He was an able fighter, having proved himself through many battles against the monsters of the darkest parts of the forest.
A breath of relief rippled across the hall, followed by the sound of the harp. A rather peaceful melody, easing away the anger which had boiled within the queen. The feast went on quite harmoniously. Little by little, the queen became herself once more. Upon the request of Thranduil, and many of their subjects, Lónannûniel sang for them. A song that meant so much to her. It reminded her of the days she longed to see once more. Of a lost maiden, with nothing to guide her but the light of the stars. All of them leading her to her one true home, where she would never see loss again. And bring her a gift from the stars, her son.
Thranduil and Lónannûniel looked on the surface a perfect match. They would have been, if their conflict were unknown to all with their kingdom. Together they left the feast hall, on their way to the throne room, in complete silence. A moment entirely unseen by the guards that lingered down the stone steps from the ballroom, Thranduil placed his hand on Lónannûniel’s shoulder.
“Does Legolas’s departure trouble you?” asked the king, allowing concern to claim his features.
Her own hand reached up to stroke the fingers of the hand offering her comfort. “No more than any mother, when parted from her son.”
Thranduil retired to the comfort of his throne, watching Lónannûniel wander around the room. There was no pattern to her step. Her stubbornness had become one of the many quirks the king admired in her. No one dared speak the way she did. She matched him in stubbornness, in the need to remain strong. A part of him wanted to apologise for all the cruel words. All the nights she had fled to the woods, to cry away from the eyes of The Realm. His own pride had created a barrier between them.
“Lónannûniel, I have not forgotten.”
The queen looked up to the king. A look of confusion crossed her delicate features.
Thranduil continued talking. He had not expected her to speak. Her mind, as he knew had already departed to the woodlands under the starlight long before she had. “The moment I saw you that night on the riverbank. I thought you some trick of my eyes. Or a fallen star. Even until the end of our time, when we depart to the undying lands together, and all we see left to wither in the hands of men, I will still see the most beautiful maiden walking towards me on that riverbank.”
Her lips curved into a smile. “I never gave up hope that you would come. Had I left in a ship, I knew I would regret it for all my days.”
No word was shared between them, as the sunset, and the guards prepared for one last patrol on the borders. The silver glow of the moon spread through the gaps in the foliage above the gate to the underground kingdom.
Queen Lónannûniel left through the gates of the kingdom, wondering if the two guards crossing the bridge towards her would pursue her into the woods.
“Taking your moonlight walk, My Lady?” said one of the guards.
Lónannûniel gave him a nod of acknowledgement. Barefoot, she wandered between the trees. The hem of her dress brushed against fallen leaves and twigs. Alone in the forest, it reminded her of her days of isolation. The elven queen need not carry the fear of not knowing what would befall her, by the rise of the morning sun. If not for these peaceful moments, she may have lost her mind long ago. They helped her keep strong, and stop herself from walking away from her kingdom never to return.
The guards may not have pursued her into the woods, but they had reported to the king, of the queen leaving the realm. Thranduil circled them in his pace, remaining silent. He muttered aloud, words that the guards pretended not to hear.
“Lónannûniel is naïve enough to believe no harm will befall her within our borders. As with all good in the world, the vile wickedness of Middle Earth will creep from the darkest pits and snatch it away. Her light draws out the good in all within this realm…” The last part, was almost a whisper hidden almost by the ears of the guards. “Even me…” Under threat of making home in the dungeon, no guard would admit to hearing those two final words. He composed himself. “Follow her. End any minion of the dark, whom should dare to approach her, fast. Keep your distance from her sight, until needs must. Come only to the call of her song.”
With their orders, the two elven guards took to the forest, from the safety of the tree branches above. Their approach would have been quite stealthy, if the queen had not expected them to do so. Lónannûniel decided that just this once, instead of sending them back, she would use their watchful eye to her own advantage. Thoughts had swirled on in her now tranquil mind, for almost an age her journeys had lead her to the Woodland Realm, to Thranduil, to the kingdom where she found peace within herself, where she was given her son. Just once, in this night, she would encourage her husband to come to her.
She lead them through the trees, to the borders of their forest, to the river, where the empty barrels would soon be on their way down the river to the lake.
On the bridge made of stone, where her life begun again thousands of years ago, she took the wooden flute from her belt, held it to her lips, and played the song of the forest. The guards saw no evil swarming down the river. No danger could befall her. Neither one knew how to proceed. They thought it best to report to the king at once.
She waited patiently under the light of the moon and the stars. Only the sound of the running water and the melody of her song to keep her company. Her song ceased at the sound of approaching footsteps. Only when they moved across the stone bridge, did she look to the approaching elven king.
“Now we are to play games to spend time alone,” spoke the king, with an amused expression.
“No games,” Lónannûniel replied, returning her flute to her belt. “An encouragement, to come to where I wish us to be. Had I requested your company, would you have come?”
“I would not.” Thranduil stood beside her on the bridge. He could not help feeling a moment of sentimental joy, that soon passed, as he reminded himself that it was not the past. Back then he had not half the responsibilities, that he carried now.
“Hence the encouragement.” Alone, and away from the listening ears and watching eyes of the realm, she decided to take advantage of his good mood. “Are you going to tell me what troubled you this evening?”
“Not now. My troubles are mine to bear.”
Exasperated, Lónannûniel said, “Thranduil… what harm will it do?”
“We will not speak of it.”
“Why not?”
“Because I would rather enjoy our moment, than speak of thoughts which should be confined to my mind alone.”
Their moment in their happiest memories came to an end, returned them to the argument of which had claimed their night, spoiling a perfect moment.
I go into more detail here, but sadly the appearance image links are no dead links after a certain Photobucket scam incident that prompted me to delete my account.
This is a story I wrote back in 2015 on the original AU forum. (LINK.) It was a semi-backstory sort of thing for Lónannûniel.
Tears of Starlight
In the solitude of the king and queen’s quarters, Lónannûniel sat at the vanity table near their bathing pool. Around her neck rested a new glistening necklace of diamonds. Yet another precious gift, that would soon take its place among the many treasures in the king’s private vault. She would smile at her reflection in the mirror, as Thranduil placed the necklace around her neck.
With kind words, he had muttered, “For you, my starlight.” Those moments reminded the queen of the man she had met on the riverbank all those many years ago. There were no titles to uphold. No reputations to live by. No restrictions. Just a lost maiden, searching for one thing on middle earth, to make her see that there was more than the unending gloom. In her heart, she would have loved for fate to be different. For the two to stay in that moment for all time. But time ticked on. The years went by, and he stopped calling her my starlight. A term of affection that rarely formed itself with in his voice. Now pretty words, to conceal the true reason behind the gift. The queen had to look beautiful always. Glistening with white gems, to live up to her title, Lady of Starlight.
Now she sat alone, watching the king’s reflection pacing back and forth, on the other side of the pool. Something grieved him greatly. No word had reached the realm yet of Legolas’s fate. He knew that the prince would have reached Rivendell before now. With concern for his son, Thranduil feared he was lost to the dark forces gathering in the lands of Mordor. He could have spoke all of this to Lónannûniel, to relieve the weight of it from his mind, but he did not want to add to her own worry.
Lónannûniel rose from the seat, turning to look at her husband. “Is there something on your mind, Thranduil?”
The king could not look her in the eyes. “No. Nothing to concern yourself with.”
“I am not oblivious to my surroundings, nor blind, Thranduil. I can see it as clear as my own hand. Something troubles you. Share your worries with me. Allow me to carry the burden with you.”
“There is nothing to tell, my starlight.” There it was. She saw the real reason behind the use of the endearing name he gave her. To shake off her concern with sweet words.
Her hand touched the sleeve of his robes. “Tell me.”
“No,” he replied abruptly. His own stubbornness prevented him. He had twice denied her already, to give in would show weakness. To show weakness, would convince her and all their subjects, that their king was incapable of carrying the responsibilities which came with the crown.
When the announcement came to tell the king and queen that dinner was served, they were already in a heated argument. The sounds of raised voices hit the maiden, as she opened the door to the royal chambers. Sorrow hit her heart, as yet again, the king and queen were quarrelling. After all these years, she thought that she would have grown accustomed to it by now. Everyone held onto the hope, one day the king and queen would set their stubbornness aside, and return to the happy newlyweds they were far too long ago. The king who allowed himself to smile, and the young maiden whom had bloomed as beautifully as the first blossom of spring.
Lónannûniel yelled on Thranduil was arrogant and secretive. All she asked, was just once he let her in. Go back to the man she fell in love with.
Thranduil coldly reminded her, she was nothing upon entering his kingdom. No one else would have married her, with such an uncertain proof to her elven blood. He crossed the line with, “If I had any sense, I would have let you go to the grey havens.” As soon as the words left his lips, he instantly regretted them. The sight of those tears glistening in the corner of her eyes were not beautiful, and hurt him to see them.
The maiden made her presence known. “King Thranduil, Queen Lónannûniel.”
“What?” both the king and queen snapped, most undignified for their crown. Their glares were misdirected from one another to the innocent maiden who had intruded on their privacy.
Nervously she trembled under their glares. The tears of the queen had not gone unnoticed. It would be more prudent for her to hold her tongue. “Dinner is served in the feast hall.”
She was dismissed, her announcement acknowledged. Her warning to the many gathered in the feast hall, came to no surprise. All of them felt that a quarrel between the king and queen was inevitable. Only surprise was they had gone all day without an ill word shared. Her warning merely gave them a moment, before the argument left the royal chambers, spreading through the corridors, giving all warning, to get out of the way of King Thranduil and Queen Lónannûniel. Not one of them were asinine enough to become involved within their arguments, and find themselves in the jail for their troubles.
Outside the door to the feast hall, Lónannûniel turned to Thranduil. “Just once, can you not put your arrogance aside, and accept that we are pledged to one another. Your troubles are our troubles.”
The king’s reply was exactly as she expected. “Just once, could you do as I ask? I try to protect you. You continuously disobey my orders. Thrust yourself within the path of danger. Lónannûniel, I shall remain unmoved. For once in our shard of eternity, do as I tell you.” He turned away from her, and walked through the doors to the feast hall.
Everyone gathered was already on edge, waiting to see what mood he or she would find the king and queen in. How the queen responded, upon crossing the threshold to the hall, would set the tone for the whole evening.
Lónannûniel took a deep calming breath. She stepped through the doorway, and felt the full weight of the anticipation clinging to the air. The queen composed herself, walking through the room, to the head table, with all eyes on her. She found her seat beside the king. Her sorrow filled gaze fell on the empty seat on Thranduil’s other side. Legolas still remained in Rivendell, as far as the queen knew. In her mind, there he would stay. He was an able fighter, having proved himself through many battles against the monsters of the darkest parts of the forest.
A breath of relief rippled across the hall, followed by the sound of the harp. A rather peaceful melody, easing away the anger which had boiled within the queen. The feast went on quite harmoniously. Little by little, the queen became herself once more. Upon the request of Thranduil, and many of their subjects, Lónannûniel sang for them. A song that meant so much to her. It reminded her of the days she longed to see once more. Of a lost maiden, with nothing to guide her but the light of the stars. All of them leading her to her one true home, where she would never see loss again. And bring her a gift from the stars, her son.
Thranduil and Lónannûniel looked on the surface a perfect match. They would have been, if their conflict were unknown to all with their kingdom. Together they left the feast hall, on their way to the throne room, in complete silence. A moment entirely unseen by the guards that lingered down the stone steps from the ballroom, Thranduil placed his hand on Lónannûniel’s shoulder.
“Does Legolas’s departure trouble you?” asked the king, allowing concern to claim his features.
Her own hand reached up to stroke the fingers of the hand offering her comfort. “No more than any mother, when parted from her son.”
Thranduil retired to the comfort of his throne, watching Lónannûniel wander around the room. There was no pattern to her step. Her stubbornness had become one of the many quirks the king admired in her. No one dared speak the way she did. She matched him in stubbornness, in the need to remain strong. A part of him wanted to apologise for all the cruel words. All the nights she had fled to the woods, to cry away from the eyes of The Realm. His own pride had created a barrier between them.
“Lónannûniel, I have not forgotten.”
The queen looked up to the king. A look of confusion crossed her delicate features.
Thranduil continued talking. He had not expected her to speak. Her mind, as he knew had already departed to the woodlands under the starlight long before she had. “The moment I saw you that night on the riverbank. I thought you some trick of my eyes. Or a fallen star. Even until the end of our time, when we depart to the undying lands together, and all we see left to wither in the hands of men, I will still see the most beautiful maiden walking towards me on that riverbank.”
Her lips curved into a smile. “I never gave up hope that you would come. Had I left in a ship, I knew I would regret it for all my days.”
No word was shared between them, as the sunset, and the guards prepared for one last patrol on the borders. The silver glow of the moon spread through the gaps in the foliage above the gate to the underground kingdom.
Queen Lónannûniel left through the gates of the kingdom, wondering if the two guards crossing the bridge towards her would pursue her into the woods.
“Taking your moonlight walk, My Lady?” said one of the guards.
Lónannûniel gave him a nod of acknowledgement. Barefoot, she wandered between the trees. The hem of her dress brushed against fallen leaves and twigs. Alone in the forest, it reminded her of her days of isolation. The elven queen need not carry the fear of not knowing what would befall her, by the rise of the morning sun. If not for these peaceful moments, she may have lost her mind long ago. They helped her keep strong, and stop herself from walking away from her kingdom never to return.
The guards may not have pursued her into the woods, but they had reported to the king, of the queen leaving the realm. Thranduil circled them in his pace, remaining silent. He muttered aloud, words that the guards pretended not to hear.
“Lónannûniel is naïve enough to believe no harm will befall her within our borders. As with all good in the world, the vile wickedness of Middle Earth will creep from the darkest pits and snatch it away. Her light draws out the good in all within this realm…” The last part, was almost a whisper hidden almost by the ears of the guards. “Even me…” Under threat of making home in the dungeon, no guard would admit to hearing those two final words. He composed himself. “Follow her. End any minion of the dark, whom should dare to approach her, fast. Keep your distance from her sight, until needs must. Come only to the call of her song.”
With their orders, the two elven guards took to the forest, from the safety of the tree branches above. Their approach would have been quite stealthy, if the queen had not expected them to do so. Lónannûniel decided that just this once, instead of sending them back, she would use their watchful eye to her own advantage. Thoughts had swirled on in her now tranquil mind, for almost an age her journeys had lead her to the Woodland Realm, to Thranduil, to the kingdom where she found peace within herself, where she was given her son. Just once, in this night, she would encourage her husband to come to her.
She lead them through the trees, to the borders of their forest, to the river, where the empty barrels would soon be on their way down the river to the lake.
On the bridge made of stone, where her life begun again thousands of years ago, she took the wooden flute from her belt, held it to her lips, and played the song of the forest. The guards saw no evil swarming down the river. No danger could befall her. Neither one knew how to proceed. They thought it best to report to the king at once.
She waited patiently under the light of the moon and the stars. Only the sound of the running water and the melody of her song to keep her company. Her song ceased at the sound of approaching footsteps. Only when they moved across the stone bridge, did she look to the approaching elven king.
“Now we are to play games to spend time alone,” spoke the king, with an amused expression.
“No games,” Lónannûniel replied, returning her flute to her belt. “An encouragement, to come to where I wish us to be. Had I requested your company, would you have come?”
“I would not.” Thranduil stood beside her on the bridge. He could not help feeling a moment of sentimental joy, that soon passed, as he reminded himself that it was not the past. Back then he had not half the responsibilities, that he carried now.
“Hence the encouragement.” Alone, and away from the listening ears and watching eyes of the realm, she decided to take advantage of his good mood. “Are you going to tell me what troubled you this evening?”
“Not now. My troubles are mine to bear.”
Exasperated, Lónannûniel said, “Thranduil… what harm will it do?”
“We will not speak of it.”
“Why not?”
“Because I would rather enjoy our moment, than speak of thoughts which should be confined to my mind alone.”
Their moment in their happiest memories came to an end, returned them to the argument of which had claimed their night, spoiling a perfect moment.
I used to be pretty active in the fan-fiction/poetry section. (Posting and reading) There was a lot of good stuff there, and I do definitely remember this one among them.