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A Matter of Heart by daw the minstrel	167 Review(s)
Asms2	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 5/15/2016
It was fun to see Ithilden and Legolas interact in this story. Ithilden is so much older he basically sees Legolas like his kid instead of his brother. Ithilden and Alfrain both sort of solidify their feelings for each other through the way they interact with, and care about Legolas. Super sweet! When Turgon appears all I could think about was how little time he has left to live. Yikes! When he sees Legolas running away from the training fields, and offers to go fishing with him...I can see why Legolas appreciated his companionship. Turgon is a troublemaker, but he also cares and is a loyal friend. That was a nice moment for their friendship. I enjoyed the scene with the married servant complaining about her husband while serving dinner. And then they leave the room and the door closes before the husband says “That was an utterly disgraceful display!” haha. I think I would have been laughing too! And Thranduil's like "Control yourself Legolas". How amusing. It turned out to be a good thing though, because it gave Alfrain ideas about how she could fit into the family, and things she could contribute to making the house run smoother. I loved seeing Ithilden spring to action when the tree fell on Legolas! He is such a steady, calm force. He knew exactly what to do with cutting the clothing to see the wound and checking for broken bones. And Legolas just turns his face right into his big brother's shoulder when he is picked up, aw!! Author Reply: Hi, Asms2! Alfirin agrees with you completely. When she sees Ithilden caring for Legolas, she's a goner and she knows it. Of course, she was mostly a goner anyway at that point. Writing about Turgon in this story was painful because I knew he had only a few weeks left to live and that's a dreadful thought. He's totally loyal to his friends, because he needs that steadiness, and it's to his credit that he chooses Legolas and Annael. He's a kid with so much potential, and if he'd had time to grow up, he'd have been just another wild Wood-elf. Eventually I wrote about Legolas meeting him again in the Undying Lands, and then I felt better. I think Legolas feels utterly safe with Ithilden, not always happy but safe! Glad you enjoyed the story. daw

endorearwen	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 8/21/2013
Sigh, grin, oh so happy feelings! Simply perfect, Daw - as always! I can never get enough Ithilden... I loved the Freudian slip that forced the revelation of feelings between he and Alfirin (take her time? Give me a break!) I thoroughly enjoyed the argument too - I stand solidly with her mother on this one, I'm so glad she proved she was stronger than him! I also like the way Alfirin wants to bring a little softness into the world of all these men - long overdue if you ask me! I'm really impressed with how you examined Legolas' continuing adjustment to his act of bravery. He is maturing so much from story to story and it is easy to see how each of these experiences you are putting him through will ultimately affect his character. As for the incident involving Galelas, he had it coming! Legolas' anger was just and the punishment inflicted should have been a lot worse on this wretched character! I think Thranduil and Ithilden may finally be realizing Legolas is no longer a youngling! It will be interesting to see how Thranduil deals with Alfirin if she finds herself needing to speak her mind about the way Legolas is being raised. I think she might be just the right one to win an argument with the King! ;-) I am also keen to see how Legolas feels when a feminine influence begins to touch his world. It will certainly be a new and strange experience for him. Definitely looking forward to reading more... In the meantime, I'm going to continue daydreaming about being in Alfirin's place! Author Reply: And Ithilden is happily looking forward to having Alfirin "bed" him a "good night" one of these days. I think she was looking too long at Ithilden's thighs. :-) That slip grew out of a typo I made writing a different story. I looked at it, laughed, and decided to save it for the right occasion. This was it. Her mother certainly knew which was the wind was blowing though. My beta gave me some rules for this story--no orcs, bad men, wargs, anything. I was supposed to be concentrating on feelins, which I tended to slide over. I thought I would go crazy. Then I realized I could drop a tree on Legolas, so I felt better.

erunyauve	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 6/29/2006
The thought process Alfirin goes through in her decision to bond with Ithilden shows just how suited she is to take on the duties of a queen. She doesn't wander into this unprepared - she knows that this is more than a bonding between two elves. Poor Legolas - he's such a good kid (though I loved Ithilden's observation that he had a tendency to 'wander'). In a lot of ways, he's much like Ithilden, but not quite as headstrong - he's very much a youngest child. Author Reply: Thanks, Erunyauve. I think Alfirin and Ithilden are well matched. They're both rational people, but they're also passionate about one another, and Alfirin can't keep herself from saying yes. Legolas is suffering here. But the one I feel bad about is Turgon, who has only a few more weeks to live.

pipinheart	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 10/2/2005
Nice ending to this one...Legolas is back on his feet, and is starting at knife's again with his father...and Ithilden and Alfirin are going to bind to each other,they are suited to one another... Author Reply: I'm so glad you liked it. This one ended on a rosy note, with everyone having high hopes for the future.

pipinheart	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 10/2/2005
Alfirin has a temper... she wouldn't back down to Ithilden, and he can be stubron at times... I think they'd be a good match Author Reply: You think like Thranduil and Alfirin's mother! They think these two would be a good match too. Ithilden needs someone as strong as he is, or he'd walk all over her.

pipinheart	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 10/2/2005
Maybe Ithildren can change Alfirin mind, he has told her he loves her and she has said the same... Author Reply: Alfirin's head told her one thing, but her heart told her another. And then her mouth let it out!

pipinheart	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/2/2005
Alfirin is afraid and parinoid it seems that she wouldn't make ithilden a good wife. She cares for him as does he. The servents quarling was quiet nice.... Author Reply: It wasn't until I wrote this story that I thought about what a big job Alfirin would be taking on in marrying Ithilden. The palace must be like a small business to run, and the household has been all male for quite a while. But as you say, she cares for him. And why not? He's brave and gorgeous too.

pipinheart	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/2/2005
Legolas is having trouble ajusting ofter killing the elf... but is getting better it seems... Author Reply: Now this story is pretty recent. I had to cram it in in the space between "See the Stars" and "Prodigal Sons." I had left myself only a few weeks there, but I needed to get Ithilden engaged and get Legolas on the road to recovery.

Tapetum Lucidum	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 1/13/2005
Galelas finally got what he deserved. There are times to fight and times to negotiate and Galelas was due a punch in the mouth. Getting extra attention from his teacher was not what he needed after the altercation. I am glad you gave Thranduil some mixed emotions after this little incident. He should be feeling consternation, concern and worry. It must be hard to know how to react. I am quite sure Ithilden will not be happy with having to track the brat down. Alfirin's thoughts are certainly accurate. I am glad she has the self-confidence to accept a role in the palace staff. It would be quite a challenge. I imagine her dreams are very pleasant at the moment... The fact that Legolas is displeased with himself does show some maturity. At least he knew that slugging the "orc-spawn" was wrong. It sounds like his little trip into the forest was much needed. I hope Ithilden agrees. I think the view of a soaking wet, chilled Alfirin was enough to lift his mood. Even with a smirking teenager nearby. You managed to keep the bad men, spiders and orcs away - I guess there were no rules about attacking treees. Legolas seems to have them fall on him whenever his sisters-in-law are near. Oh well, at least he is not naked this time. Wild boar too?! I think you are cheating, or at least watching "Lost." I doubt Alfirin can throw a knife as well as Celuwen but at least she was willing to try. Legolas' willingness to do the same was also a step in the right direction. Alfirin does handle Legolas quite well - she chose exactly the right way to comfort him when he spilled his heart to her. Thanking him for protecting the realm and ensuring him that he did the right thing was just what he needed. Her romantic realizations about Ithilden were a good way to shift the mood. Legolas finally admitted his greatest fear - you do a great job with Thranduil's parenting. He was supportive about Legolas' future as a warrior or whatever he wanted while still reinforcing the fact that fighting was wrong. You managed it all with a few quick words. Good job! The sparring scene was great - Ithilden knew just what Legolas needed to relax him. The "old" comment reminded me of the Hector-Paris scene - very cute. The bucket story did the trick! Ithilden's popping the question was very sweet and I really enjoyed getting to know Alfirin a lot better. I am glad they will have a bright future together - at least until their Eilian like offspring becomes a warrior (snicker) Great job as usual! Author Reply: I did cheat. The tree and the boar were necessary. I was desperate! Poor Ithilden. He was so looking forward to a horseback ride with Alfirin in her wet gown more or less in his lap. But he knew his priorities and that's one of the things she loves about him. I thought she would be good for Legolas. She's female and maternal. She's close to the family but hasn't been hovering over him, and he doesn't have the same emotional entanglements with her that he has with everyone else. So I thought that was progress. And you're right. I do doubt if she could match Celuwen with a knife, but despite her gentle nature, she was willing to try, and Legolas saw that too. The sparring scene was my favorite part of the last chapter. It turned out Ithilden could be smart mouthed. :-) I am glad they will have a bright future together - at least until their Eilian like offspring becomes a warrior (snicker) -- or perhaps even sooner. :-)

Tapetum Lucidum	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 1/13/2005
Alfirin's little conversation with her mother was well done. It is good to hear her voice her doubts and have her comforted as only a mother could do. Obviously the thought of supervising Legolas had not occurred to her. It shouldn't be too different than keeping an eye on Tonduil. Right? Of course, we all know not to question Thranduil's parenting skills. One of Eilian's maidens learned that early. Annael is a good friend to stop Legolas from letting his temper get the best of him. Boys are unmerciful to each other and if Galelas has found a sore spot he will keep poking at it. 10 points to Alfirin for handling a distraught elfling with skill. She made him feel better with what seemed like little effort. She even got a nice escort home. It is nice to see that Legolas admires his father and brother so much. It would be hard to learn to live with public scrutiny as an adult. Ithilden barely notices while Alfirin shudders with displeasure. Their little conversation about the stars demostrated the diversity in their backgrounds very well. I think they were interrupted by the juvenile deliquents at a good time. I was happy Legolas made the right decision. The mood certainly shifted but it all worked out well in the end. I thought the "bed you good night" was a typo, I bet Alfirin wished it was. I am glad she finally came clean and gave in to her heart. One good thing you can say about Turgon, he will stand by your side no matter what. It may be the dumbest idea ever but he will be there. He is the answer to the age old question "If Tonduil jumped off of a bridge, would you?" Turgon's answer would be "Yes, I would." What a wonderful picnic! You set a very romantic, sweet scene. The kiss was quite steamy, no wonder it was so hard for Ithilden to pull himself away. I think I would kill my younger brother. Alfirin was right, he should have trusted Legolas to get home himself, his presence was not exactly comforting to his youngest brother. It is true that Alfirin doesn't know the entire story but her instincts seem to be right on target. Ithilden seems to forget that she has a younger brother too. Go Alfirin's Naneth! I love her support of Alfirin and her willingness to stand up to Ithilden. It is just what everyone needs. Making up can be a lot of fun too. Thranduil showed himself as a master parent again. Legolas does need his support more than his punishment. Working with knives will not be easy. The king's amusement over Ithilden and Alfirin's quarrel was cute. I think he and Alfirin's Naneth will get along quite well. I tried to warn them about interfering with Legolas' parenting but they wouldn't listen. I have to take my 6 year old to drum lessons so I will finish later. What was I thinking getting a 6 year old drums for Christmas?! Oh well.. Looking forward to reading the rest. Author Reply: Holy cow. I was thinking of my response to your review as I read it and then I got to the part about the drums. You did that yourself? It wasn't a hostile relative? Wow. Someone once sent us a little snare drum as a marketing ploy -- it had "make a noise about X" on the side of it. It came while our son was not around and we threw it away instantly. I think Alfirin would be marrying into a very challenging situation and the year of betrothal is going to be useful to her. She keeps discovering new things, like people watching her in public. I don't think she's a person who would enjoy that a lot. And Ithilden is going to be oblivious to a lot of this. That 'bed you good night' comment was originally a typo I made when writing about these two for another story. I looked at it, laughed, and decided to save it for a good moment and this seemed to be it. Turgon on the other hand makes me sad. He is a good friend and he has about a month left to live. That's a crime. I comfort myself by believing that he was treated kindly in the Halls of Waiting and was probably waiting for Legolas in Valinor, where he had been taken in by much more sensible parents.

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