B2MEM 2011 Day Nine: Loyalty or Betrayal

[azalaisdep]

Today's Challenge:
Write a story or poem or create artwork where the characters have to decide between loyalty or betrayal.

It's not only for Legolas that the Sea-longing has cruel consequences:

The Elven-King's Choice

Thranduil begins to sense it in dream; knows it the moment he wakes, from the leaden weight of sorrow which settles over his heart.

Comments

[espresso_addict]

I'm looking forward to seeing these as a series in order when you're finished.

[azalaisdep]

So am I, to be honest! When one doesn't know what all the prompts are going to be there's a certain feeling of Russian roulette about the whole thing - it may yet blow up in my face ;-) or I may have to cheat and add one or two extras to fill in gaps...

[espresso_addict]

So far the prompts seem to have worked extremely well for your subject.

[azalaisdep]

I didn't start till the first three or four prompts had been posted - then they all started associating on the mental back-burner and I thought, hmmm, maybe this would work. And it's a flexible enough story, especially written through drabbles and having decided to allow myself not to be chronological, that hopefully everything will work out somehow!

If I hadn't chosen a plot I'd just be floundering around trying to decide where to start with every prompt; I easily get paralysed by choice, so having restrictions is paradoxically quite liberating (why I write fanfic in the first place, I think!)

[curiouswombat]

A very difficult choice, indeed. And yes - of course! Celeborn will understand only too well.

[azalaisdep]

The dilemma for poor Thranduil is that he isn't really choosing between loyalty and betrayal - he is torn between two loyalties, and has to abandon some of those he loves, either way.

I would have liked to have had him talking to Celeborn in person about it, but Celeborn's gone to Rivendell by then. Though I think my eventual whether-or-not-Thranduil-sails story may well involve a conversation between them. I do wonder, assuming Thranduil sailed at all, which of them would have gone first; after all, both Eryn Lasgalen and East Lorien had colonies of Wood-elves. Would whoever was left have taken the other's folk in?

[curiouswombat]

I think they might have ended up with whoever was left living in the Greenwood - it seems more suitable for the remaining wood elves than Imladris, I think.

[azalaisdep]

It's interesting that Celeborn went to Imladris, isn't it? Presumably he either felt that the elves who'd decamped to East Lorien didn't need his leadership, or they moved northwards to join up with the Eryn Lasgalen elves...

[azalaisdep]

It is, isn't it? Thank you.

[engarian]

I've always felt that Celeborn and Thranduil were the last elves to go over sea and that they went together. Rather like cleaning the house and locking the front door behind you.

This series has been working very well for you. I hope that you can continue throughout the remainder of the month.

- Erulisse (one L)

[azalaisdep]

Rather like cleaning the house and locking the front door behind you.

[Is reduced to helpless giggles at mental image of Thranduil and Celeborn bickering over who last had the door key]

I hope I can keep it up, too!

[engarian]

Oh good, glad that I could add some humor to your day :-)

- Erulisse (one L)

[lindahoyland]

Poor Thanduril,what a hard choice he must make!

[azalaisdep]

It's a cruel choice either way :-(