Henneth Annûn Story Archive

Hello Cat,
Thank you! I did try to go for a rather different Lothiriel in this story, so I'm pleased to hear it works for you.

The beautiful thing about Eomer and Lothiriel is of course that Tolkien only mentioned her in a single sentence in the appendix, so you're free to imagine her however you want to.

And I'm busy writing, so more next week.

Lia

Hello Iel_o_Thorongil,

Obviously, events will not turn out quite as Eomer has planned - although he might meet his dream woman in Gondor. However, he'll also meet someone else there.

Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.

Lia 

So Lothriel is unusual, is she?   

Looking forward to more. 

Gwynnyd 

Hello Gwynnyd,

Eomer will find out 2 chapters down the road in what way Lothiriel is unusual, but you will meet her in the next chapter and might find out earlier - or not...

Thanks for reviewing!

Lia 

Hello Iel_o_Thorongil,

I know I've been dropping hints right, left and center in this chapter, but some (not all) answers will be given in the next one.

Cheers!

Lia 

Hello,

I promised some answers in this chapter, didn't I! I'm glad to hear you like it. I wasn't sure if my readers would appreciate this twist, but after a year of reading and writing about Lothiriel, I was getting a bit tired of the beautiful, accomplished, flawless princess that she's usually depicted as and I wanted to go for something else.

Lia

First I must say I am most intrigued by this story and find it hard to stop reading.  Second, I was surprised to find Lotheriel is blind.  I'm sure this will add a new and exciting dememsion to this tale

I just realized that could sound like I meant that the update was terrible--to the contrary--it was great! I just meant that, well---cliffie!

That's all right - I took it to mean that. And I've actually been called worse over this chapter - the word 'evil' springs to mind...

However, you know I'm a regular and fast updater, so I can promise the next chapter for in a week's time.

Hello Shandris,
maybe that just shows that it's easier to write about something you know, like making yourself pretty for a party, than what you don't know (for example killing wargs!).

I hope you'll enjoy the rest of the tale as well.

Lia 

this beginning was great, you really fooled me, I thought Lothíriel was speaking to Éomer, LOL, very amusing...

Hello Lady Simbelmyne,

I fooled you, did I? I was thinking it's a shame I made the horse a mare, otherwise I would have had even more scope for innuendo!

Glad you enjoyed it.

Lia 

poor Éomer... and he thought his only problem was the wish to marry someone that might be an unsuitable queen...

 never think things can't get worse...

nice chapter

Hello Lady Simbelmyne,
Yes, poor Éomer - he's too honourable for his own good at times. And you are of course right that things can get worse!

I hope to post the next chapter on the coming weekend. Thanks for reviewing!

Lia

will Éomer find out the evil plot?

Will Lothíriel find out the evil plot?

Will Lady Wilwarin just give up???

And where are Éowyn and Faramir anyway?

Hello Lady Simbelmyne,

will Éomer find out the evil plot? Yes, eventually.

Will Lothíriel find out the evil plot? At the same time.

Will Lady Wilwarin just give up??? Not just yet.

And where are Éowyn and Faramir anyway? Hmm, I don't know either, but then they deserve a bit of privacy. After all, they're getting married the next day...

Lia

I only hope a warg doesn't jump on Éowyn's wedding cake...

By the way, loved the insults "The tact of a mûmak? The sense of honour of a warg?" ha ha Couldn't put it any better.

Hello Lady Simbelmyne,

now that would be a wonderful scene to write and very, very tempting! But I've got nothing quite so dramatic planned. There will be no more wargs in this story - unless you count the human ones.

And I agree, Lothiriel's quite good at insulting!

Thanks for your comment!

Lia 

I'm enjoying (actually, I'm terribly tense and worried, but that is what you want me to feel, so "enjoying" is perhaps, appropriate after all!) this story immensely. If my comments are spotty it is because I am loathe to read The Next Installment and find myself more worried and am yet eager to see it unfold (I do hope that makes sense!).

At this point I'm unsure which character is most in need of a Jolly Good Talking too, previously sensible ones have lost their reasoning powers, and others are just beyond reason.

Perhaps you could consider my response to be that of the attentive listener "Hmmm, oh, hmm, do go on ..." and take that as implicit encouragement from one desperate not to break your mood or flow?

Thank you :)

Hello Mistry89,

yes I know what you mean. And I'm afraid the worry will only get worse in the upcoming chapters - although there is a bright spot not too far ahead.

For of course while  Eomer and Lothiriel are busy sorting out the tangles in their love life, unnoticed by them darker clouds are gathering on the horizon!

But at least the writing flows smoothly, so I can promise more next week.

Thanks for commenting!

Lia 

I really wanted to make a clever and constructive comment, cause this was my favorite chapter so far. I guess the best thing I can say is that took me about 10 minutes to recover my senses after Éomer said 'I'm yours to command'. It was touching, surprising and just darn cute. Sorry if I failed my purposes.

Hello Lady Simbelmyne,

thank you for your clever and constructive comment!

And I'm pleased to hear you enjoyed the chapter so much. I like the title phrase myself and it might well come up again.

Thanks for reviewing so faithfully!

Lia

Well, Éomer is a true leader as expected, and...

...I am Desperately in love for this story...

Update soon, if you please.

L.S.

Hello Lady Simbelmyne,

Yes, Eomer took the advice from the quotation at the beginning of the chapter, didn't he. He is learning slowly but surely!

More next week, I promise.

Lia

There are three things I especially liked about this chapter. One is that you got Elessar involved with his wonderful comment, "I know Éomer well, and believe me, there exists no man more honourable than him." It seems like her memory of this helped keep the conversation with Eomer from spinning downward into a series of misunderstandings again. Second, the continued misunderstanding that each thought the other was engaged! And third, the description of the dragon sleeping in Lothiriel was such a delightful picture: "It stirred and lifted its head, slowly stretching curled-up wings, and then with a mighty leap took off into the air. The dragon's deafening roar filled her ears, its fire flooded her veins, running like a wildfire through her, burning away all rational thought."

Hello Eilenach,
yes, I just couldn't resist having some more misunderstandings between the two, but they did clear it up in the end!

I have always felt that Aragorn and  Eomer were such good friends, so it seemed having a word with Lothiriel would be the kind of thing Aragorn would do (even though he got glared at by Eomer for his troubles...).

And I'm pleased to hear you liked the dragon. I've tried to include images of light, darkness and fire throughout the story, so the dragon seemed to fit beautifully.

Thanks for your review!

Lia 

Hello Shandris,
that was quite a surprise to get so many comments, thank you! I really enjoyed writing those chapters with the misunderstanding between Eomer and Lothiriel. Hmm, I don't know what that says about my character?

As for Eowyn, I thought she showed considerable restraint by not carrying through her threat, for I bet she was sorely tempted! And good to hear you enjoyed the wedding, I did try and come up with something that felt authentic to me.

Enjoy the rest of the story!

Lia

Hello Lady Simbelmyne,
yes, I thought Lothiriel finally deserved finding out what Eomer 'looks' like. The men - Aragorn will make another appearance in later chapters, but Faramir is stuck in Emyn Arnen for the time being (but I'm sure he doesn't mind).

The Gondorian maiden's guide to proper deportment is entirely my invention. In another story of mine (Black Eyes) Lothiriel's formidable aunt Ivriniel likes to quote from it, so I decided to resurrect it as a bit of a joke for this story.

The back is better by now and I'm busy writing again, except when it's lovely weather as right now. More next week!

Lia 

I have greatly enjoyed following this story, in large part because of the snappy dialogue. Now my head is filled with Eomer's mushroom-champions.

Hello Shasta,
thanks! I really enjoy writing dialogue and I always have to look out that it doesn't take the whole chapter over. In Switzerland we call the most common edible mushrooms 'champignons' after the French word for them, so that's probably where my subconscious came up with it!

Thanks for reviewing!

Lia 

A turn for the better, a turn for the worse! It must have been horrible for anyone (in any universe) to have been seen as a political tool - whether a bargaining piece, a stepping-stone, or a barrier. I'm glad I'm a peasant!

Thank you for the update, and good news about your back.

Cheers :)

Hello Mistry,
I agree it's a nasty experience to be seen not as a person, but only as a means to an end. However, Lothiriel is not one to just accept her fate quietly - and Muzgash might yet find that he's bitten off more than he can chew!

Thanks for your review! And greetings from a fellow peasant

Lia

Oh, no! Another cliffhanger. On one hand, I feel the urge to shake Eomer for instantly betraying his unease; on the other hand, it would be so unlike him to pretend to go along with everything and hide his initial reaction.

Good character development with your OC, by the way - I find him convincingly creepy. 

Hello Shasta,
I know, another cliffie. At the moment no matter where I finish a chapter, I somehow always end up with one of them!

I agree Éomer is not the type to hide his feelings, even if in this case it would have been better for him. Still, this means more fun for us. And I'm pleased to hear you find Muzgâsh nicely creepy.

Thanks for reviewing!

Lia 

Hello Shasta,
hmm, yes, he might well do so in the next chapter - you'll see.

Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment!

Lia

As my only response is probably the same as that of an avid football fan at a game, I shall refrain from making this comment any longer than necessary.

Go Eomer! ..Whatever is going on in his mind.  

Hello Shasta,
As my only response is probably the same as that of an avid football fan at a game -> that seems rather fitting, as it's the Champions League final tonight. In fact I can hear it in the next door room!

So yes, go Eomer! And you will find out in the next chapter what his suggestion is, but let's just say that a wish from a long-ago chapter will come true.

Thank you for reviewing!

Lia 

"I grew up by the sea and know you cannot sail a boat against the tide."

Such a wise man, that Imrahil.  

Hello Shasta,

Such a wise man, that Imrahil.

Even if took him just a little bit of time to realize that...

Nice to see you're still following the story!

Lia 

I'm playing catch-up here, but before I even read the next (for me) chapter, (I want to know what you have planned for your next story!

Thank you (in advance), your various views of How It Went Down have enthralled me.

Cheers :)

Hello Mistry,
well, first I'm off on holiday before I start planning the next story! Anyway, I think I'll try some oneshots first. Writing this story took me almost a whole year, and although I enjoyed it, it took up a lot of my spare time.

But I'm pleased to hear you enjoyed the ride and hope to hear from you again sometime.

Lia

Hello Shasta,
thank you -  Glad to hear you enjoyed the story. I thought after all the angst I'd put them through, I owed them some reparation.

Lia 

Hello Arcadia,
first of all, sorry for the late reply - but I was away on holiday, so had a lot of catching up to do first.

And I'm pleased to hear that you enjoyed this story. It was one of those things that begged to be written, although I was initally dubious as to whether people would want to read about a blind Lothiriel. However, like you said, it added its own unique twists and insights to the tale.

I hope you'll enjoy my other stories as well and thanks for commenting!

Lia