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Interrupted Journeys: Part 1 New Journeys  by elliska 4 Review(s)
picaraReviewed Chapter: 20 on 9/14/2004
I reviewed this a few times on another site but I'll add this one here since you said you liked the review/reply function here better and I'm interested in a response: Did you intend to contrast Marti's attempted seduction in chap 2 with Lindomiel's in this chapter? Since they both happen in the flet, I was just curious.

Author Reply: I'm glad you came over to SoA. There is a lot of good stuff here and the review function is much better than any other site. Anyway...to answer your question: when I first wrote this, no I did not plan any parallel between chapter 2 and this chapter. But when I considered cutting chap 2 as something that was just too difficult to understand so early on, my friend, who is reading this story, pointed out to me that chap 2 does contrast with a lot of things--one of them is the immediately following chap that introduces Lindomiel. Another was this chapter. Both Marti and Lindomiel do set out to 'seduce' Thranduil in this flet, that is true. I think Lindomiel's actions are radically different though, obviously. At least she and Thranduil were actually courting, for example :) But I guess there is some contrast between the two relationships/ellyth there. But is was not originally intended.

French PonyReviewed Chapter: 20 on 9/12/2004
Oy, that sounds just like when my parents got engaged. My grandfather took an immediate dislike to my dad, only there wasn't anything he could really do about it, it being 1969. And my dad decided to go all traditional and ask anyway, and he took my grandfather out to lunch and ordered a truly disgusting sandwich and asked, and my grandfather said no. And then they had nothing more to talk about for the rest of the meal. And thus comes one of the many pearls of wisdom in my family: "If you take someone you don't like out to lunch for business, wait to talk about business until after the food arrives." Of course, Mom and Dad will be married thirty-four years in October, so it ultimately wasn't that important. . .

But Thranduil clearly doesn't seem to need that advice. He did need a little beating about the head and shoulders with the clue stick, but once he received that, everything went swimmingly. Dieneryn and Limmiel are great: "Can I marry Lindomiel?" "Gee, we thought you'd never ask!"

And even dead Oropher managed to get in the act, trotting out the Yiddish Mama's Curse: May You Have Children Just Like You. I've had that curse put on me a few times. Good to see that Elves aren't immune.

Considering the size of the feast/ball/rodeo that the Mirkwood Elves put on just to welcome Amglaur and Lindomiel, I can't wait to see the wedding. The marriage of a king will certainly be the do of the Age. There'll probably be so much party that you'll have to look with a magnifying glass to see the actual wedding, like one of those "Where's Waldo" books.

Marti is not going to be pleased one teeny tiny bit. And just think -- she precipitated all this by being too obvious.

Author Reply: All I can say is thank heavens I wasn't in public to read this one! Although I'm laughing to myself over here with the laptop in my lap and my husband is eyeing me very suspiciously. I would love to meet your family. Ouch! He said no. Can you imagine sitting there through the meal after that. Horror! Good advice about business meals--so noted!

The Yiddish Mama's Curse is definitely universal! And it's so true, isn't it? I think all parents should live to be thusly vindicated.

And the term 'clue stick'--I might never recover from that. Good thing Lindomiel had hers with her. This story is already 20 chapters long and they haven't even married yet. And yes, their wedding is quite an event. :)

Marti. Probably not the news she was hoping to hear. I think you may be right that she will not take this well. Or even calmly.

Thanks for the review!

daw the minstrelReviewed Chapter: 20 on 9/12/2004
The kissing scene was both romantic and physical. Well done! If I'd thought about it, I would have known that Thranduil was supposed to ask his mother's permission to wed, but it seemed odd when he did it because he's so obviously a powerful adult. Actually, I like the fact that you've made her one of his advisors. He made me laugh with that "Parents are such a treasure" comment. We've all been there, buddy!

Amglaur was every bit as resistant as one might expect, but it's clear that he loves his daughter.

Author Reply: It does seem so odd for Thranduil to have to ask permission of anyone for anything, doesn't it? :) I know, though, in many medieval countries a son had to ask his own father's permission before pursuing the lady's parents' permission and in LaCE it says the betrothal awaits the judgement of either of the parties' parents, so I made him do it. Poor Thranduil. I guess it's just a 'show respect for your parents' thing. (After thought--When ever I think of seeking consent to marry, I can't help but think of Eilian. I wonder if Eilian would have been so willing to bond without consent if it had been his own father that opposed the marriage? Knowing him, probably, but it would have been even less pretty than the scene he faced already. Spring Awakenings was the first of your stories that I discovered and read and I did sooo love it! I called in sick from work to sit down and read all the rest of them straight through the next day.)

Anyway, I think Thranduil would want to keep his mother close and she would want to be close after Oropher's death--how else would she not fade? And she would have to have some interesting insights in governance after being Oropher's queen for three millennia. There is a lot of room to play with Thranduil's family since it is early in the Third Age and they are all still around. I think more than anything else I just feel sorry for poor Thranduil. I'd like to think he had some family around him. And families are such a treasure. I giggled a bit with that line myself because we have all been there many times.

Amglaur will come around. Very slowly.

I'm relieved the kissing scene came off ok. I have determined that I just cannot write that stuff. It is hard to get the atmosphere right.

Thanks for the review!

BodkinReviewed Chapter: 20 on 9/12/2004
Ahhhhh. They're betrothed. I'm glad Lindomiel put her foot down. I imagine she will go back to her home for a while, which will help preserve their virtue.

I can see some of Amglaur's objections - and unless you change the usual 'Legolas with no mother' theory, Lindomiel is not going to find everlasting happiness in Eryn Lasgalen, but Thranduil clearly loves her.

I don't think Marti will care for this much!

Author Reply: Doesn't it make you wonder how people stayed betrothed yet virtuous for an entire year? I doubt they really did. Ok, so elves' spirits are the masters of their bodies and all that yeah, yeah--it still would have to be frustrating. :) But no, I'll go ahead and tell you that she's not going home. Poor Thranduil. This story is rated suitable for children, though, so we'll all be ok. :)

Lindomiel's stay in Eryn Galen will not be perfect but there is no doubt she will have Thranduil's love and that is a powerful thing, I would think. I would not want to get between the Elvenking and one he loves.

Do you really think Marti will be vexed? Surely not!

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