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In the High King's Secret Service by Fiondil	7 Review(s)
Cairistiona	Reviewed Chapter: 41 on 12/2/2013
Val has such good people skills... he's handling the delicate chore of setting up the spy/informant network with a very deft hand. I like Lirimiriel very much--she seems like someone who has found contentment in life. And Val's father is sharp as a tack, isn't he, sussing out that there were goings-on in the Guild and Val might be in the midst of it. I bet Val wasn't able to get anything past his mother or father when he was little! Finally, thank you for providing information on the inspiration for the willow hall... what magical structures those seem! Author Reply: Hi Cairistiona. When Sunny sent me the link for the willow structures, I just knew I had to incoporate one into the story. They are so elvish, that it just seemed right to have the Elves build similar structures, so I was glad to be able to give the farmers a willow meeting hall. Lirimíriel obviously has come to terms with herself and her dreams and finds contentment where she can, unlike her sister. And Val's father certainly wasn't born yesterday, that's for sure! LOL! Thanks for reviewing. It's much appreciated.

Kevana	Reviewed Chapter: 41 on 11/30/2013
It seems like this plan is going to have a wonderful impact on a lot of people's lives! The little farming area is so quaint. I loved how you described it. And the hall is simply beautiful! It really reminded me of some of the plantation houses in Louisiana, with the oaks so big and close together they touch and make tunnels over the roads. Lirimíriel seems entirely different from her sister. I can't help but see them as opposites in a way. It's almost as if Lirilissë had other plans before joining the guild – if she joined it only for Lirimiriel – and has been so angry and prideful because she felt hurt and refused to give up, even if it would mean having a chance of her own happiness beyond the power inherent with leading a guild. Meanwhile Lirimiriel cut her losses and started over and ended up content. Or maybe I'm looking too deep. Anyway. grin Can't wait to see what happens with the sisters! Great example of how even little family rows can throw a wrench in the workings of a country. Speaking of...Val had better watch out for that too-clever father of his! -Kevana Author Reply: Hi Kevana. I enjoyed imagining the farming area. I based the layout of the Southern Fiefdoms on the farming villages in the part of Germany where I lived for a time, but this farming area outside Vanyamar is mostly from my imagination. I sort of sketched it in "In Darkness Bound" but gave no real detail. The meeting hall is based on real-world structures as you will see from the link. They looked so elvish, I just had to include one in this story. The sisters may be twins and identical twins, but that doesn't mean that they have the same psychological make-up. I think you may be on the right track about Lirilissë perhaps giving up her own dreams to follow her sister into the bards' guild and then finding herself succeeding where her sister didn't. Very complex, but then we're all like that, aren't we? And I'm sure Val is stepping softly around his dad. grin Thanks for reviewing. It's much appreciated.

obsidianj	Reviewed Chapter: 41 on 11/27/2013
The twins are very different in their outlook on the world. One only looks on her importance by her status, the other looks to what she can do for the people around her. Valandur's father is as smart as I thought grin. He figured out that there is more going on than just curiosity with his sons questions. Author Reply: They may be identical but they do have different outlooks. And Valandur's father is very smart indeed. Val may kid about his father but he respects Voronwë's intelligence, as we see. Thanks for reviewing. I appreciate it.

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 41 on 11/26/2013
Oh, how I hate such sibling squabbles as this! Having been an unwilling participant in one since my mom and stepdad divorced, I tend to empathize strongly with the minstrel sister! Author Reply: Yet, such squabbles happen all the time, Larner, and I suspect most of the readers empathize strongly with the minstrel sister rather than with the guildmaster sister. Thanks for leaving a review. I very much appreciate it.

Laer	Reviewed Chapter: 41 on 11/25/2013
Wow, sorry haven't been able to leave a review for the last two chapters (stupid work. what is up with that? We should be able to kick back and...sorry ranting away about wishing I could be retired so I could sit down and enjoy this lovely chapters of yours. ;) ) hmmm, seems that Val has his been very fortunate with who his parents are. They are both very intelligent; but from the sounds of it so are the girls. Fantastic family. Love the fact he has a sister named Arwen. :) I am enjoying the fact they are making sure the Minstrels are feeling useful, and that they can have hope after all. Perhaps they will be like Lirimíriel and prefer to teach? Sounds like she knows that her sister needs some help. Either way great job Mister "I am just a lowly loremaster and won't be much help to the High King." Author Reply: Nothing that says you can't go back and review previous chapters, Laer, when you have the time. Anyway, Val is pretty fortunate and 'Arwen' works as well in Quenya as in Sindarin (and Welsh grin), though it could also be rendered as 'Arwendë' in Quenya. Anyway, I think the minstrels will eventually rediscover their self-worth once Val and Ingwë get through with the guild. grin Thanks for reviewing. I always appreciate it.

Sunny	Reviewed Chapter: 41 on 11/25/2013
Val's practical streak is probably going to come in useful in the future - as useful as it is now. Where Ingwë was too noble-minded to recruit minstrels to be his ears in the households of his nobles (while said minstrels were employed by those same nobles), Val realizes - or instinctively knows - that he wouldn't get the full picture of what is happening if he doesn't also get unedited information on what happens in the upper classes. And while the minstrels, too, are too noble to outright _spy_ on their employers, they will clearly not be averse to passing along unimportant gossip - that Val will be able to correlate with information from elsewhere. And put together into what might become some very interesting pictures indeed. ;-) I suspect Val has quite some way to go to build confidence among the minstrels. Sairon's reactions make that quite clear. And it certainly doesn't help that they are regularly and routinely denigrated by the Bards - Voronwë's views are representative of the prevailing attitudes in the Guild, I guess. So Lirilissë did speak the truth when she told her part of the story - not that she would have dared to speak an obvious untruth to the High King. I guess that the problem here is that Miri is happy with the simple life, while Liri just is unable to understand that her sister can find anything of worth among "mere peasants", and away from the glitterati in the capital. Author Reply: Hi Sunny. He is pretty practical-minded, isn't he? That will prove important for him and Ingwë. Val is not shy about using people to their fullest capacity to get what he needs to make Ingwë's life easier. And while he probably has a way to go to build self-confidence in the minstrels, he's made a good start and they will only benefit from his interest in their situation. Twins Liri and Miri might be but they definitely have different outlooks on life. I think, overall, Miri is the happier. Thanks for commenting. I very much appreciate it.

UTfrog	Reviewed Chapter: 41 on 11/25/2013
So the pot is getting ready to boil. I like the sister. She has a better sense of what is important. Thank you. Author Reply: Just about, UTfrog. I'm glad you like the sister. She's obviously able to put her disappointment aside and looking forward instead of back. Thanks for reviewing. It's appreciated.

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