Work-Life Balance

[altariel]

He will be late again for dinner.

Comments

[espresso_addict]

His life’s work: leaving her the world he never had.

Lovely. I do think Faramir & Denethor had a lot in common, but I hope Faramir manages to profit by his father's errors.

[altariel]

Yes, it's interesting to speculate what kind of Steward Denethor would have been in peacetime, or even in a situation less desperate:

"I would have things as they were in all the days of my life," answered Denethor, "and in the days of my longfathers before me: to be the Lord of this City in peace, and leave my chair to a son after me, who would be his own master and no wizard's pupil. But if doom denies this to me, then I will have naught: neither life diminished, nor love halved, nor honour abated."

Sort of in the back of mind is the idea that this drabble takes place shortly after Faramir has had to tell his (mid-to-late-teenage) children about the pyre.

[espresso_addict]

I think he'd have been a bloody good one, especially if one or both of Finduilas & Boromir survived. I think he might have made a passable father under those circumstances too. The favouritism towards Boromir, his heir, would have played out better if Finduilas lived & was even handed. (I haven't looked at the timeline of late, but if Finduilas had lived there might have been other children too.)

Reading the quotation, it strikes me that he says his own master.

...shortly after Faramir has had to tell his (mid-to-late-teenage) children about the pyre.

Aie. Suicide & madness are now rather loaded for me. I'm glad now I never had any children.

[altariel]

I agree he would have been a good Steward. A very traditional, strict father, but if Finduilas has been present, that would have softened the household environment considerably. And, as you say, if Boromir had remained the favourite, that wouldn't have mattered so much if Finduilas was compensating. (I think Finduilas might have had more children, she's 36 when she dies, IIRC.) It's the palantir, reeally, that ruins Denethor, and he only looks into that out of desperation and duty.

*hugs you*

[applegnat]

I'm in love with all these children. I'll never be able to think of Ithilien without them. ♥

[altariel]

Bless you, applegnat, that is an incredibly generous thing to say.

[azalaisdep]

I love the image of Morwen prowling fiercely - he calls her "blackbird" but she sounds more like the cat who's stalking the bird!

(Is she dark-haired like her grandmother, then? For some reason I had her down in my head as blond...)

And no, Faramir, Gondor is not your hobby, Gondor is your job! (As I'm sure Morwen will point out...)

[altariel]

Yes, she's dark-haired (Léof is the blond one). And Morwen = "dark maiden".

And no, Faramir, Gondor is not your hobby, Gondor is your job!

His hobby obviously being first editions. (And chess.)

[azalaisdep]

His hobby obviously being first editions. (And chess.)

And do you think Gondor has harpsichords? (Or did Wimsey favour the spinet, I forget?) "Bach for tomorrow, when the grey matter begins to revolve..."

Morwen = "dark maiden"

D'oh. Told you I wasn't very with it this evening.

[altariel]

I suppose Léof would be the cricketer.

And I think everyone's Sindarin gets a little flaky after 11pm.

[altariel]

Thank you. I'm deeply attached to this relationship.

[fallingtowers]

Basically what applegnat said: Your version of Faramir and Éowyn's family is basically canon in my mind, and I think I might like Morwen best of all (considering that she resembles the great-grandmother after whom she's named and is as fierce as her own mother in spirit, that's no surprise :D).