Sing Down The Stars - for edenfalling

[nfe_gremlin]

Title: Sing Down The Stars
Author: snacky
Recipient: edenfalling
Rating: Teen
Disclaimer: Characters, situations, settings, belong to C.S. Lewis/Walden Media.
Possible Spoilers/Warnings: Assume spoilers for The Silver Chair/canonical character death.
Summary: Rilian returns to Narnia, and his story begins.

Author's notes: Thanks to my betas, unsuitenedt and rthstewart for all their

Comments

[edenfalling]

Oh! Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is perfect and wonderful and everything I could have wished for. I love how Rillian feels at first like he's in the ending of a fairy tale, and then reality happens and he has no idea what to do with himself. I really like the idea that he didn't age under the Lady's enchantment -- that makes a lot of sense, given how old Caspian was, and how old he would have had to be to go charging off alone in search of the serpent after his mother's death -- and how that both allows people to recognize him and makes some suspicious.

I love what you've done with the Star's daughter. Alecto is such a perfect name, and the way she taught Rillian about her side of the family as well as his human ancestry is brilliant. And it's such a perfect way for him to prove himself at the end, because of course he's her son too, and the Lady couldn't duplicate that heritage the way she might have been able to alter an imposter's face

[snacky]

I am so very pleased you like it!

I really wanted Rilian to feel real, not the fairy tale prince he was in the books, and to show how confusing and awful and overwhelming his return to Narnia would be. Him not aging is a little bit of head canon I've always had, and I think it plays into his confusion too, not knowing how old he is, feeling old and young at the same time

[rthstewart]

For all that this is Rilian's story, and about the untold but obvious controversy that must have surrounded his ascension to the throne, this story does something else. It give us the power of Ramandu's Daughter, her birthright, her contribution to Narnia, her power. It shows, not tells, what she was and why she had power and importance in her own right. We always (shame on us) think of this in terms of the patriarchal lineage and that the right to rule flows from King to son (or daughter). Oh, we try to write strong and awesome women but here is the greatest gift that a Star, mother, wife, and queen could give to her son whose rule and legitimacy are threatened -- she gives identity, stability, and security to her country and to her son because of who she is and by extension what her son is. Rilian here embraces not just his father, but his mother too. A wonderful, unique story that I had never, ever thought of before.

[snacky]

First, a million thank yous for all your help!

And second, I am so glad that came through in the story. I was kind of worried about not having a strong female character, and I didn't want to create an OC to kind of shoehorn into what really had to be Rilian's story. So his mother and the love and gifts she passed along to him became the key to his strength.

[metonomia]

RILIAN. RILIAN RILIAN RILIAN.

OH MYSTERY AUTHOR, THIS IS AMAZING, WITH ALL OF THE MIX OF FAIRY TALE AND LEGEND AND ANGST AND GLORY RILIAN COMES WITH, AND I LOVE THE BLENDING OF HIS HERITAGE, AND THE POLITICAL RAMIFICATIONS.

RILIAAAAAAAAAAAN.

[snacky]

Yay, you capslocked at me! THANK YOU! :D

I am so glad you liked it! And yes, that was exactly what it was supposed to be: the mix of all those things, that make Rilian who he is, and such a cool character to write.

[autumnia]

Lovely! I adore this look into Rilian as he returns to Narnia and suddenly discovers he's now King. There is a lot of political ramification in the country with his return, not to mention his own confusion and trying to get re-adjusted to being free again.

I love how Drinian is still here to guide him through this, and how Rilian finally proves who he is by calling the Stars down to him. :-)

[snacky]

Poor Rilian! I always thought it must be so hard to be him after the end of SC. So this was a fun story to write, to explore all the things he had to go through post-captivity.

I loved how Drinian was portrayed in the earlier part of SC, so I thought he'd be good to have around in the aftermath. :)

I am glad you liked it! Thank you!

[snacky]

Thank you! I am so glad that people like her name! I admit, I wasn't a fan of "Liliandil."

And yes, I wanted her to more than just a romance, and to give Rilian something important.