Dramatic question

[kenaz]

So.... is it better to kill off the completely inconvenient wife who is only evident in canon because her son wasn't hatched from an egg, or have her Go West, somewhat petulantly? Trying to not to entirely demonizing a non-character, while also not wanting to be overly sympathetic, and leave slashy husband some leeway for technical infidelity without making him a total cad.

Talk amongst yourselves.

File under: #fanficproblems; #loomingdeadlines; #ohshitnotdoneyet

Comments

[spiced-wine.livejournal.com]

I don't follow LACE at all, and none of my Elves are supposed to be monogamous, or stay with a spouse forever. That was just what the Valar ruled. So marriages wound down and became lacking in desire because what they were doing was not natural to the Elves anyhow. Those who did stay together were just like either friends or a kind of business partnership.

In Middle-earth it was different. They could bind themselves to some-one for as long as they wanted (if they wanted children for instance) and then part when one or the other wanted to. (You couldn't hang on to some-one if they wanted to move on, as that was unfair - not saying it didn't happen, but there were deeply ingrained 'rules' against that, as it went against their kind of 'free love' attitude) They were far more sexually free. They also didn't go to the Halls of Mandos, but became Houseless and eventually 'ferthad' (spirit of place) like genius loci, so there was no 'waiting for your spouse to be reborn' etc.

I did have to write about Thranduil's wife, as it's obvious he had one but theirs was an arranged marriage too, just somewhat more important since Oropher and Thranduil and the people originally from Doriath were incomers into the Greenwood, and a lot hung on that. When she died (which I don't cover as it was before I started writing about it) she did follow the call of Mandos rather than refuse it. I'd have to read back to see why she made that decision, but it made sense to her. Thranduil, however, had fallen head over heels for some-one else not long before and felt incredibly guilty about it. Oropher had impressed on a young Thranduil how important his marriage was and Thranduil tied himself into knots and into being utterly faithful while wanting to live how the Elves of the Wood lived. It became a habit that he deeply resented underneath. He'd never been in love until Bainalph grew up and turned out to be everything he had wanted. Now his wife's returned, but not to Thranduil, more because the Greenwood is her home and she was born there, and because she's queen. So that 'resumed' marriage is more about politics than anything else.

So most of the arranged marriages (especially of the First Age and prior) just dissolved after a while, most of them even before the Noldor left, and I don't have to kill any-one off - except the people who were actually killed off in canon. Well, Fingon's wife was awful, though it wasn't her fault, and she's okay now, but she didn't die. He did.

When the Noldor return, they're free to be with who they wish - or at least approach them. Thranduil's people have never had that kind of lifestyle 'enforced' on them and thought it was weird. :)
I know whom I think is together and so they can be without having to marry for duty's sake.

[kenazfiction.livejournal.com]

I love your universe! It makes so much more sense! I definitely see theirs as a political relationship, but one that Thranduil (being in love with someone else already, and having to part with him for the sake of politics) went into with his eyes open, but she was younger and more naive, and kept hoping that it would become a "true" marriage, and became disillusioned for that reason. It seems completely reasonable to me that she would want out!

Part of my difficulty is trying to pack a digestible back-story into a one-off piece. I feel like I'd be able to develop it better if it were a longer story with a larger scope. But I had the idea for it before I had fleshed out the situation with her in my mind, and now I'm having to sort of retrofit it, which isn't ideal. At least, it's not my preferred option. I prefer to know these things going in, but it was more like, I've got this idea that I like, and this fully-explored relationship between these two people and... oh, shit. There's the Mystery Wife to deal with. 0___0

[spiced-wine.livejournal.com]

Thranduil (being in love with someone else already, and having to part with him for the sake of politics) went into with his eyes open, but she was younger and more naive, and kept hoping that it would become a "true" marriage, and became disillusioned for that reason. It seems completely reasonable to me that she would want out!


I can see that as being perfectly realistic. I was in a relationship like that, not a marriage, but the same 'Maybe he'll fall in love with me' mind-set, and when it became clear that was not going to happen, I got out because it was better for me. Painful, but I was skating on melting ice, and it was pointless. I can quite see another woman doing the same thing.

I've got this idea that I like, and this fully-explored relationship between these two people and... oh, shit. There's the Mystery Wife to deal with. 0___0.

Lol. Yes, and they have to be dealt with because they're like the elephant in the room otherwise. :) I can go the 'Yes, they're all fine, they're just not around' route as they were as much a victim of circumstance as their erstwhile spouses. Thranduil is more of a problem unless his marriage was political. But he's so slashable :D

Anyhow, I like the idea of political marriages among Elves. They have kings and lords so they're obviously dynastic and could be bound by politics and duty as much as Men, and for those who love other men, what other options are there?

I look forward to reading the finished story!