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westboundwoundedelf_king))While the story does not truly have a significant divergence from the established canon until near the dawning of the Third Age, it is important to know where the history began of the Woodland Realm.
It was early in the First Age that some of the Eldar left the Great March under their leader Lenwë, and settled in the lands east of the Misty Mountains. These Elves were known as the Nandor ("those who turned back"), and they were the first to create the Woodland Realm, which stretched from the foothills of the Grey Mountains in the north as far south as beyond the River Anduin to the valley they called Lindórinand, Valley of the Land of the Singers. Over time, they would be called the Silvan Elves. Some years later during the early First Age, Lenwë's son, Denethor, along with a group of Nandor, crossed the Ered Luin (a.k.a. The Blue Mountains) westward into Ossiriand, which was after named Lindon, or Land of the Singers, after these Elves. They became known as the Laiquendi (singular Laiquendë) or Green Elves.
Far to the west along the shores of Beleriand was the kingdom of Doriath, led by Elwë (also called Elu Thingol and King Greymantle), a Teleri Elf who, unlike his brother Olwë, did not cross the sea into Valinor during the Years of the Trees. Instead, he had fallen in love with Melian, a Maia residing in the region, and was so enchanted by her that he missed the boat to sail. Many years passed with him under her thrall, and his people remained behind to search for him. By the time he was found, those who remained had become comfortable in the land, and thusly was Doriath established. The Elves who had stayed became known as the Sindar, or Grey Elves, and called Thingol their High King, with Melian as their Queen. Among these people was Celeborn, considered a prince of Doriath, for he was kinsman to Thingol, as his father Galadhon was a son of Elmo, younger brother of Olwë.
At the beginning of the First Age, many of the Noldor began returning to Middle-Earth from the Undying Lands, landing on the shores of Doriath. Thingol, however, not wishing to get involved in the Noldor wars with Morgoth, refused to allow them into his domain, except for the descendants of Finarfin, who were also kin to Thingol through his brother Olwë. Among those who came was Galadriel, daughter of Finarfin, who arrived in Doriath in Year 52 of the First Age. It was here that Celeborn and Galadriel met and fell in love. Yet, when Thingol learned of the Kinslaying at Alqualondë, he was outraged and wanted nothing to do with most of the Ñoldor and their war and even outlawed the use of Quenya in his kingdom
While he did welcome the Laiquendi into the eastern parts of Doriath, Thingol was also the first Elf to make contact and alliances with the Dwarves of Belegost who helped delve the caves of the great Fortress/City of Menegroth which became the capital of Thingol's kingdom. When the Dwarves first became aware of unknown but savage creatures coming from out of the North, Thingol was the first to know about it and not having any heavy weapons of war he once again asked the Dwarves for their aid. They forged for him weapons and armour he needed to fight them. Meanwhile, Thingol had also barred his realm to the entry of Men, but at Finrod's request the Haladin gave his permission for the People of Haleth to dwell in Brethil, who allied themselves with Doriath and aided them in its defense. For many years, it worked, and Thingol and his people remained uninvolved in the Noldorin battles with Morgoth.
Despite his best efforts, Thingol was drawn into the war with Morgoth and the deadly Oath of Fëanor (half-brother of Finarfin) when after the Dagor Bragollach (Battle of Sudden Flame), Lúthien, the daughter of Thingol and Melian, fell in love with a man named Beren. Thingol did not wish for the two to be wedded to each other, as he valued his daughter very highly and disliked the race of Men. As a bride-price, he asked for a Silmaril from the crown of Morgoth, thinking there would be no way that Beren could fulfill this demand. Thus, Thingol was drawn into the quarrels over the great jewels and ultimately the doom of Fëanor.
To fulfill Thingol's quest, Beren and Lúthien, with the aid of Finrod of Nargothrond and Huan the Great Hound (both of whom died protecting Beren), braved many perils (even besting Sauron, then Morgoth's most powerful lieutenant) and captured a Silmaril. However, as they escaped from Angband, the great wolf Carcharoth, whom Morgoth had personally bred, awoke. Beren held out the Silmaril, hoping that its radiance would avert the beast, but he was mistaken. Carcharoth bit off his hand swallowed it and the Silmaril (thus Beren was called Erchamion, One-hand), and proceeded to run rampant through Doriath. Lúthien and the unconscious Beren were rescued by the Eagles of Manwë. When he presented himself to Thingol, he demonstrated to him that he had had a procession of the Silmaril at the cost of one of his hands, and was called Camlost, or "Empty-handed." Beren participated in the hunting of Carcharoth, where the beast was slain and the Silmaril recovered; the quest was accomplished, but in the process Beren was mortally wounded. Lúthien's love for Beren was so strong that, hearing of his death, she lay down and died beside him. Her soul went to the Halls of Mandos, where she managed to charm Mandos into granting her a wish. Both she and Beren were restored to life, but both of them would live as mortals and die the death of men, and go beyond the walls of Arda to a place unknown. Thus Beren and Lúthien lived again, and dwelt on Tol Galen in the middle of the river Adurant in the Ossiriand. There they stayed apart from other mortals, and Lúthien bore a son, Dior, who would become Thingol's heir.
It was, however, the Silmaril, this very bride-price, that doomed Thingol. After Húrin brought the treasures of Nargothrond to Doriath, Thingol summoned Dwarves of Belegost to Menegroth and invited them to work the Silmaril into jewelry. The finest of these pieces was the Nauglamír, the Dwarves' Necklace. The Nauglamír was the second-greatest treasure of Doriath, prized above all but Beren and Lúthien's Silmaril. After the smiths of Belegost finished their work on the Nauglamír, Thingol requested that the Dwarves of Nogrod set the Silmaril in it. The Nauglamír, now bearing the Silmaril was held to be the fairest object in Arda. Enthralled by its beauty and greedy for the Silmaril, the Dwarves demanded the necklace insisting that as Dwarven work it belonged to them. Thingol was unwilling to surrender the treasure and rebuked them haughtily. In their anger, the Dwarves slew him. Two escaped to Nogrod and persuaded the city to march on Doriath. They escaped and told a much different story to their home cities and got them to march on and sack Doriath.
When news of the attack on Doriath by the Dwarves of Nogrod reached Beren in Tol Galen, he along with the Green-elves of Ossiriand waylaid the Dwarves near Sarn Athrad and Beren himself slew their king and recovered the Nauglamír which the they had stolen. He was amazed by what he saw for in it was set the Silmaril which he himself had cut from Morgoth's crown. The Nauglamír was then worn by Lúthien.
Then Dior, Thingol's heir, bade farewell to Beren and Lúthien and came to Menegroth along with his wife Nimloth and his children Eluréd, Elurín and Elwing. The Elves of Doriath received them with joy. There Dior took up the title of King of Doriath and for a while the glory of the kingdom of Doriath recovered.
Then on a night in autumn, an Elf came to Menegroth. He was the lord of the Laiquendi of Ossiriand. He gave to Dior a coffer, and in it was the Nauglamír wherein was set the Silmaril. Dior looking upon it knew it for a sign that Beren and Lúthien had died. Then Dior arose and clasped the Nauglamír about his neck.
When news about these events reached the Sons of Fëanor, their oath was waked again from sleep. For when Lúthien wore the Necklace of the Dwarves no Elf would dare to assail her. But now it seemed to the Sons of Fëanor that they could recover the Silmaril. So they sent messages to Dior stating their claim on the Silmaril. But Dior returned no answer, and Celegorm stirred up his brothers to prepare an assault on Doriath, an event that came to be known as the Second Kinslaying, in the year 506 of the First Age.
The Sons of Fëanor along with their followers came at unawares in the middle of winter and fought with Dior in the Thousand Caves. And so occurred the second slaying of Elf by Elf. There fell Celegorm by Dior's hand, and there fell Curufin, and dark Caranthir. But Dior was also slain along with his wife, Nimloth. And the cruel servants of Celegorm seized his young sons Eluréd and Elurín and left them to starve in the forest. Of this Maedhros repented, and sought for them long in the forest, but his search was unavailing, and the fate of Dior's sons is not known.
Thus Doriath was destroyed and never rose again. But the Sons of Fëanor gained not what they sought. For a remnant of the people fled before them, and with them was Elwing, Dior's daughter, and they escaped, and bearing with them the Silmaril came to the Mouths of the river Sirion by the sea.
A number of the Sindar and few remaining Noldor fled to escape the destruction, including both Galadriel and Celeborn, another prince of Doriath and kinsman of Celeborn named Amdír who traveled with them, as well as Oropher and his young son Thranduil, who was only a few years old at the time. But, these events would long sour the Sindar against the race of Dwarves.
Meanwhile, Morgoth had become mighty and uncontested in Middle-earth, not least because of the strife among the Ñoldor. The power of the Elves, Men, and Dwarves to resist him had been utterly destroyed, and along with all the great kingdoms of the Elves. Morgoth was now master of nearly all of Beleriand, save for the havens in Arvernien, which he gave little heed to. In this time of need, the mariner Eärendil, by the guidance of a Silmaril which he wore on his forehead, searched and came to Valinor on behalf of Elves and Men. There, he begged the Valar to pardon and aid the enthralled peoples of Middle-earth.
The Valar were moved by Eärendil's plea, and along with the Vanyar and the remaining Ñoldor in Aman, came to Middle-earth in a mighty host. Of the Teleri of Alqualondë, they granted the use of their ships to the powers of Aman, but none would aid the Ñoldor in Middle-earth, remembering the Kinslaying of their people long ago. The great force of Aman marched across Beleriand, and met the terrible forces of Morgoth in the plains of Anfauglith.
The host of the Valar utterly destroyed the Orc armies of Morgoth, as well as most of the Balrogs, with minimal casualties (though in Annals and the Tale of the Years, the passage of the river Sirion are taken by the West only after 40 years of bitter fighting). While the Three Houses of Men fought alongside the Valar, many other Men from the East fought for the forces of Morgoth and were either destroyed or forced to flee back to the far eastern parts of Middle-earth. Facing final defeat, Morgoth, in a last desperate effort, released his ultimate weapon, the winged Dragons, which had never been seen before. Their terrible onslaught was accompanied by lightning storms and tempests of fire, and they drove the Valar back and nearly destroyed the entire force.
Just as it seemed the battle was lost, Eärendil came with his sky-ship Vingilot, along with the Eagles of Manwë led by Thorondor. In the skies above Angband, they contested with the dragons, slaying most of them despite suffering many losses. Eärendil himself slew their captain, the mighty Ancalagon the Black, who broke the towers of Thangorodrim in his fall. It is not stated how exactly Eärendil managed to slay Ancalagon. This is something of a curiosity considering that Ancalagon's size was great enough to break the three mountains of Thangorodrim when he fell upon them, each of which were stated to be 5 miles across and 35,000 feet high. It is most likely Thorondor aided him in taking the dragon down, though even he is miniscule compared to Ancalagon.
Morgoth was finally captured in the deepest dungeon of Angband and bound again with his old chain Angainor; the two Silmarils still in his possession were taken by the Maia Eönwë, the herald of Manwë and guarded (whence they were later stolen by Maedhros and Maglor) and Morgoth's crown was beaten into a collar for him. He was taken to Aman and tried for his crimes. In the end, the Valar unhoused Morgoth by beheading him and "thrust him through the Door of Night", beyond the Walls of the World, into the Timeless Void, the doors of which are forever guarded by Ëarendil. There he shall remain, a formless spirit, until the Final Battle and the Day of Doom.
The wreckage of the war was immense; most of the land west of Ered Luin was destroyed and soon after sank beneath the waves. While victory had been achieved, the casualties the Host of Valinor had suffered were catastrophic, most of the Edain, Elves and Dwarves had been slain by Morgoth's Dragons, along with many Maiar and Eagles, also slain by the dragons. Additionally, while the hosts of Morgoth were utterly defeated, the creatures that composed them were not eradicated, and many (particularly Orcs) remained to trouble the world under the power of Sauron. The remaining Elves were bidden by Ëonwë to return with him to the lands of Aman. Most of the Elves went into the West, while others still refused the summons and rather journeyed eastward where they would become lords of the remaining Eldar or those Elves who still dwelt in the east. Gil-galad, Galadriel, Celeborn, and Elrond Half-Elven, the son of Eärendil and grandson of Dior by his mother Elwing, were chief among these.
Thus ended the First Age afer 590 years.
In the first year of the Second Age, young Gil-galad, the son of Fingon the eldest son of Fingolfin who was the brother of Finarfin, having come into his crown with the fall of Gondolin, took on the mantle of High King of the Noldor, moving those of his people and many of the Sindar who chose to remain in Middle-Earth into Lindon, as little else remained of Beleriand following the War of Wrath. With no other king willing or able to lead the combined Elvish peoples, Gil-galad's realm stretched over vast lands, from Lindon in the north down into Eriador and Eregion. Unlike the more suspicious Thingol, Gil-galad welcomed and forged alliances with the Men of Westernesse. In years to come, late in the Second Age, this especially would be with The Faithful and Elendili. As a mark of their friendship, Gil-galad was given several mellyrn seeds by Tar-Aldarion, who was, during this time, High King of Númenor. Unfortunately, the seeds would not grow in Lindon, and so Gil-galad gifted them to his kinswoman, Galadriel.
Of course, not every Elf remaining in Middle-Earth chose to stay under Gil-galad. Early in the Second Age, leaving his son Thranduil behind to be fostered in Gil-galad's court, as he had been before with Thingol and Melian, Oropher headed east over Ered Luin into the Woodland Realm. There he met with the Nandorin Silvan Elves, who named Oropher as their lord and King. He set up his capital in the southron woods at Amon Lanc.
While Gil-galad had his power centralized mainly in the northern reaches of his realm, in southern Harlindon, Celeborn and Galadriel ruled a small fiefdom, but they did not remain in place there long. Between 350 and 400 of the Second Age, they retired eastward near the shores of Lake Nenuial in Eriador, and were given sovereignty over the area. It was also here during this time that Galadriel gave birth to her twin children: a son by the name of Amroth, and a daughter, Celebrían. But, again, they did not stay for more than a few centuries. Around the year 700 of the Second Age, they again moved east and south into Eregion, and with the aid of other Elves, including Celebrimbor (a grandson of Fëanor) and Amdír, they built and established the capital city of Ost-in-Edhil west of the Misty Mountains by the year 750, with Galadriel and Celeborn serving as its rulers.
For many years, Ost-in-Edhil was a prosperous city, and enjoyed a robust trade with the Dwarves of nearby Khazad-dûm, exchanging a number of finely-wrought crafts and knowledge, which Galadriel welcomed, both as one of the Noldor (said to be of similar mind with the Dwarves, with a natural sympathy with their minds and passionate love of crafting) and having known the Dwarves of East Lindon who had transferred their power to Khazad-dûm. As one of the Sindar, Celeborn, however, had no love for Dwarves of any kind, never forgiving the part of their race in the destruction of his homeland, Doriath. Celebrimbor, the famed "Silverhand," for his part, founded a brotherhood of jewelsmiths, the Gwaith-i-Mírdain (literally, "People of the Jewel Smiths"). Around SA 1200, through her connections with the Dwarves of Moria, Galadriel made friendly contact with the Silvan Elves of Lindórinand on the other side of the mountains, though little else seems to have passed between them at this time. All seemed well, until the arrival of Annatar.
Annatar, "Lord of Gifts," as it were, appeared to be as one of the Vanyar, fairest of the Elves, and claimed to be an emissary of one of the Valar, Aulë. At first, he was welcomed, especially by Galadriel, who had known many of the Vanyar in Valinor, and had herself been tutored in part by Aulë. Under the seemingly benevolent guidance and instruction of the unexpected Vanya visitor who claimed he had been sent by the Valar to share his wisdom and skills in ring and jewel making for the benefit of all Middle-earth, Celebrimbor led the smiths of Eregion into making sixteen Great Rings for the peoples of Middle-earth: seven that would be gifted to their Dwarf-lord friends, and nine that would eventually be gifted to the race of Men. On his own, without Annatar's knowledge or help, Celebrimbor also forged three rings for the Elves intended to aid in the arts of healing and protection: Narya the Ruby Red Ring of Fire, Nenya the Adamant White Ring of Water and Vilya the Sapphire Blue Ring of Air. Both Vilya and Narya, alleged to be the more powerful two, were given to their High King, Gil-galad, who then entrusted the Red Ring to his lieutenant Círdan the Shipwright, Lord of the Havens of Mithlond. Nenya was gifted to Galadriel.
With the creation of these rings, many years in the making, Annatar's power grew in Eregion, causing disquiet to Galadriel and Celeborn. In SA 1350, they willingly ceded the leadership of Ost-in-Edhil to Celebrimbor and moved their family, along with Amdír, east beyond the Misty Mountains into the Lindórinand valley. Galadriel and her children entered by way of the passage through Khazad-dûm, where the Dwarves treated them as honored guests. Celeborn and Amdír, still embittered toward the Dwarves since the death of Thingol and thus refusing to enter the Dwarven kingdom, came by way of the pass at Caradhras. They were welcomed there by the local Silvan population, but the arrival of the newcomers alarmed the Woodland Realm's Sindar king Oropher, whose seat of power was just across the River Anduin from the valley. Fearing the possibility of invasion, Oropher summoned his son Thranduil from Lindon so that they might address the incursion together and better their chances should it come to a fight.
Astride their great elks, Oropher and Thranduil came into the valley, as Galadriel and her family were planting the mallorn nuts gifted to her by Gil-galad so many years ago. This would mark Amroth and Celebrían's first meeting with Thranduil and his father, and though grown in body, the twins were yet quite young, barely 1,000 years. They had no intention of fighting, with the power of Nenya safeguarding the peace and purity of the valley. Not trusting the interlopers, the Woodland King and his son stayed for some months, trying to determine their true intentions. While neither realized it at the time, these moments would plant the first seeds of affection into the hearts of Thranduil and Celebrían, but like the mallorn nuts kept safe for over a thousand years, it would be a very long time before either was ready to grow. Although wary, especially of Galadriel's power and Noldorin heritage, Oropher grudgingly permitted Galadriel and her family to reside peacefully in the valley, and as he began to shift his power northward from Amon Lanc, also sent Thranduil back to Gil-galad's court at Lindon. Before long, the valley would be crowned with the bright leaves and flowers of the mallorn trees that grew tall and pale (though, as was said, not quite to the majesty they reached in Númenor) and so was the valley rechristened Lórinand, the Valley of Gold, but the Silvan elves in their Nandorin tongue, or Laurelindórenan in Sindarin, the Valley of Singing Gold, but in time, it would simply be called Lothlórien. Many flets were built among the mellyrn, forming a veritable city among the trunks and branches. With Oropher becoming ever more distant, literally drawing away further and further north, the rule of Lothlórien was granted to Celeborn and Galadriel, its new king and queen, splitting the Woodland Realm in two. However, Celeborn was often absent, continuing to spend a great deal of time in Ost-in-Edhil. In his absence, Amdír became as a second father to the twins, especially for Amroth, as Celebrían was kept under close tutelage by her mother. For over three hundred years would they reside there in tranquility by the grace of Nenya (though the use of its power to do so was taxing on Galadriel and greatly increased her sea-longing).
But all was not well elsewhere in Middle-Earth. In Eregion, Annatar's power and influence had begun to grow too great for Celebrimbor's liking. As it turned out, Celebrimbor was not the only one to have a secret project in the forging of the Great Rings. Approximately during SA 1600, Annatar, in truth the Dark Lord Sauron, forged the One Ring, intending to use it to bring all of Middle-Earth under his control. By SA 1693, Celebrimbor became aware of Sauron's treachery, and when Sauron demanded that all of the Rings of Power be turned over to him, Celebrimbor refused and began his revolt. Infuriated, Sauron began amassing his forces to invade Eriador. Celebrimbor immediately sent word north to Gil-galad and to Tar-Minastir of Númenor, and the alarm came swiftly to the valley of Lothlórien as well.
Sauron's forces first breached Eregion in SA 1695, but the vanguard was driven back by Celeborn and a sortie of Lothlórien fighters. Meanwhile, Galadriel and Celebrían came to the aid of their people, helping the civilian population to flee Eregion through the Mines of Moria into the safety of the golden woods. During this same time, Elrond Half-Elven had been sent to Eregion by Gil-galad but Sauron's host was great enough to ward him off while concentrating on the assault upon Eregion.
Gil-galad would have come himself with his own forces, except that the drumbeats of war had evidently woken some of the northern dragons, who descended to threaten Lindon and Gil-galad's seat of power, as well as the northern reaches of the Greenwood. Forced to choose between defending his capital or Eregion, Gil-galad sent the bulk of his forces to defend against the dragons, unwilling to travel so far south as to otherwise be undefended against the wyrms. Among his lieutenants was Thranduil, who fought both under Gil-galad's orders as well as in his father's name to prevent desolation of the Greenwood. While the beasts would eventually be defeated, it would come at great cost to the Elves of Lindon, and to Thranduil himself, who would suffer terrible injuries from the dragonfire leaving him permanently disfigured, completely blind in his left eye and with the sight dimmed in his right eye. Once recovered, he would spend centuries perfecting the arts of illusion to hide the ruin of his countenance.
In SA 1697, Celebrimbor tried to make a last stand at the doors of the Ost-in-Edhil, the main fortress of Eregion where the chief works of the Noldor were held, but he was overwhelmed and taken captive. Placed under torment, he revealed the location of the Nine and Seven rings but would tell nothing about the Three, at which Sauron put him to death. It is clear that Sauron seized the Nine from Eregion, though it is less sure whether he or Celebrimbor had given the Seven to the Dwarves.
Elrond gathered with Celeborn and the survivors of Eregion and they were almost overwhelmed by Sauron's pursuit, but the Dark Lord's host was unexpectedly assailed in the rear by Durin of Moria and some Elves of Lórien led by Amroth (Amdír remaining behind to serve as regent). Sauron then halted his advance and drove the Dwarves back but he could accomplish little as Khazad-dûm's gates were closed. Afterwards, Sauron harboured deep hatred for Moria and ordered his Orcs to trouble the Dwarves at every turn. Elrond, meanwhile, managed to escape to the north and established Imladris.
Sauron's armies advanced, almost unopposed save for small bands of Men and Elves which his forces easily dealt with. By SA 1699, all of Eriador fell under Sauron's control. Imladris was besieged, and Lindon cut off from Imladris and Khazad-dûm. The Dark Lord had correctly guessed that the Three Rings were with Gil-galad in Lindon and sent his main host there, though it was weakened because he had to break off a detachment to keep Elrond pinned down at Imladris.
The next year, the great army of Númenor which was sent by Tar-Minastir landed in Lindon, at Tharbad on the Gwathló, and south near Pelargir. The intervention at Lindon was in the nick of time, as Gil-galad and Círdan were desperately holding Mithlond, but the arrival of the Númenóreans turned the tide and Sauron was heavily defeated and driven back. The Dark Lord was subsequently forced on the retreat after the great slaughter on the Brandywine. The Númenórean admiral Ciryatur landed forces further south at Lond Daer and hurried up the river to Tharbad, catching Sauron in the rear for the second time. At the resulting Battle of the Gwathló, Sauron was utterly routed and he fled back to Mordor with only his guard. His remaining army besieging Imladris was caught between the allies and destroyed. The war ended in SA 1701, but Eregion was gone, and most of Eriador was in ruins.
While Amroth returned to Lothlórien with what remained of his host, Celeborn did not (in part because of his refusal to go through the Dwarven kingdoms), and Galadriel and Celebrían decided they would go forth to seek him out. Though in his father's absence, the charge of the realm should have been granted to Amroth, due to his youth, the regency remained in Amdír's hands, until either Celeborn returned or the young prince came of sufficient maturity to rule. In either case, Galadriel and Celebrían ventured west and north to Imladris in SA 1701, and found both Elrond and Celeborn there. This would be the first meeting of Elrond and Celebrían, and though he was smitten with her from that very moment, Elrond said nothing of his feelings to either Celebrían or her parents. Rather, his attentions were occupied by the first meeting of the White Council (which included Celeborn, Galadriel and Celebrían all), which determined that Eregion would be abandoned in favor of maintaining a stronghold in Imladris, and his receipt of Vilya, the Blue Ring of Air, from Gil-galad, who also named Elrond his vice-regent of Eriador.
For many years following the Council meeting, Celeborn, Galadriel and Celebrían continued to reside in Imladris (though not once did Elrond admit his love during this time, nor did Celebrían perceive of it). At an unspecified date later, because Galadriel's sea-longing had become so intense, Celebrían and her parents departed from Imladris and went to the sparsely-inhabited lands between the mouth of the Gwathló and Ethir Anduin, dwelling by the shore in Belfalas at the place that would later be called Dol Amroth, in honor of Celebrían's brother. Amroth often visited them there, along with a large company of Nandorin Elves from Lothlórien, and Celebrían, missing her beloved brother, often made the journey back to Lothlórien to see him on her own, though her parents accompanied her at least twice over the next several hundred years.
But peace was forever fleeting. Although Sauron had been defeated and driven out of Eriador in SA 1701, he retreated to Mordor and worked to regain his strength. Over the next 1500 years, among a number of skirmishes with the Elves, Sauron extended his power eastward and the kingdom of Númenor on the island of Andor flourished, even receiving the submission of Sauron. It was eventually destroyed at the height of its military power due to the machinations of Sauron in the year 3319. The Dúnedain, survivors of the catastrophe, formed realms in exile in Middle-earth.
Sauron feared the kingdoms in exile, Arnor and Gondor and he attacked Gondor in SA 3429. Sauron took Minas Ithil in a sudden assault while Anárion managed to hold Osgiliath and halt Sauron's advance. In response, Elendil, High King of the Dúnedain and Isildur and Anárion, formed with Gil-galad, The Last Alliance of Elves and Men, and they raised a great host to contest Sauron.
The Elves of Lindon, led by Gil-galad, and the Men of Arnor, led by Elendil, built in the north the fortress and the watchtower of Amon Sûl, Weathertop, over two years while gathering their armies. Their great host then marched to Imladris, and there made preparations and armaments for nearly three years. In the year 3434, with Elrond marching with them, they went over the Misty Mountains at the High Pass and the Redhorn Pass at Caradhras, and were joined by Dwarves of Moria. The Alliance host then crossed the bridge over the river Anduin, meeting the armies of the Silvan Elves of Lothlórien and Greenwood the Great in the hosts led by Amdír and Oropher, also joined by Celeborn, and marched south down the east bank where they met up with the Men of Gondor and then met Sauron's forces before Mordor.
While Isildur's elder son and heir, Elendur, accompanied his father throughout the entire conflict except the last challenge upon Orodruin, his younger brothers Aratan and Ciryon were not involved in the main assault. They were sent by Isildur to man the recaptured city of Minas Ithil, as a reserve in case Sauron tried to escape through the passes of the mountains.
In SA 3434, the Alliance engaged and defeated Sauron's hosts in the Battle of Dagorlad, having fought over several months on the great plain of Dagorlad. However, the Silvan Elves would not place their armies under the supreme command of Gil-galad. Amdír's forces were cut and driven into the Dead Marshes (during which Amdír himself was killed), while Oropher led a reckless assault on Mordor in which he was slain. Rule of the Silvan Elves of the Greenwood and field command of their remaining forces, barely a third of their original strength, passed to Oropher's son Thranduil, while Celeborn led what remained of Amdír's host. Alliance forces breached the Black Gate of Mordor, and besieged the Dark Lord's fortress of Barad-dûr. The shapes of the fallen remained in the water of the Dead Marshes, and would for centuries to come.
The Siege of Barad-dûr lasted for seven years. The Alliance suffered heavy losses from missiles and fire cast from the tower, and Sauron also sent many sorties against the attackers. Anárion was killed by a stone cast from the tower, and his helm, a forerunner of the crown of Minas Anor, was destroyed.
Eventually Sauron emerged from the tower and engaged the Alliance forces personally near Orodruin, battling the commanders Gil-galad and Elendil, with only Elrond, Círdan, and Isildur standing by them. Gil-galad and Elendil were slain, with the latter's sword Narsil breaking beneath him as he fell. However, Sauron was overthrown when Elendil's son Isildur used the hilt-shard of Narsil to cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand.
Bereft of the power of the One Ring, Sauron's physical form was unbound and his dissipated spirit was not believed to be able to take form again for a very long time. After the victory over Sauron, the death of Gil-galad and Elendil, and irreplaceable casualties to the Elves, the Last Alliance dissolved.
The Eldar mourned the victory as bittersweet for the loss of their king and that the One Ring was kept by Isildur, who later perished and lost it in the Gladden Fields. Thus, despite the sacrifice of the Elves and Men, the Ring was not destroyed and the opportunity to defeat Sauron once and for all was missed. The war resulted in the first weakening of Lindon and Arnor.
As the war came to an end, Celeborn would return to Belfalas, leaving Amroth, now past 3,000 years of age, as the newly-crowned King of Lothlórien. The new Woodland King, Thranduil, retreated back to the northern Greenwood with a heavy heart, and made no further effort to be in contact with the remaining shards of the Alliance.
With war's end following the siege of Barad-dûr, so, too, ended the Second Age after 3,441 years.
Amroth remained anxious about the state of affairs after the war's conclusion, since the One Ring was not destroyed in the final siege, and believed that the realm would be better served by the Elves continuing to stand as a single, united front. He suggested to his parents that perhaps it would be time to reunify the Woodland Realm, though he was not sure how receptive Thranduil would be to such a gesture should it come from him. Here, attentions were turned to Celebrían. Galadriel perceived that whatever decision her daughter would make in regard to a husband would have profound and long-reaching effects on Middle-Earth in the coming Age, and Amroth suggested that, recalling the amity between Thranduil and his sister all those years ago, the Woodland King might accept a permanent alliance in the form of a joining of the two houses. If he should refuse, then they might have to see if Lindon or Imladris might welcome such an offer.
At first, Celebrían balked at the thought. A political marriage was all but unheard of among the Elves, but she could not deny the logic behind the idea. Though she was uncertain if there would be any love between them after they had not spoken in nearly 2,000 years, she ultimately agreed that, in this case, duty should come before her personal desires. It was decided that the offer would be presented to Thranduil, and word was sent ahead from both Galadriel in Belfalas and Amroth in Lothlórien that Celebrían would soon be arriving in the Greenwood to discuss the state of affairs between the two forest kingdoms.
Having held the throne only a short time, Thranduil was not yet fully comfortable in his new position, but he swiftly ordered the preparations for Celebrían's diplomatic arrival, with quarters set aside for her and a banquet at the ready. Meanwhile, Celebrían rode with the wind first into Lothlórien and then northeast across the Anduin into Thranduil's kingdom. No sooner had she entered the gates than she had her horse stabled and proceeded directly to an audience with the King, where she was welcomed cordially. Immediately, she presented Amroth's suggestion for the reunification of the Woodland Realm, hinting faintly that if he did not agree, others might in his place, which intrigued Thranduil. He, too, had reservations about the idea of a political match, having every hope to wed for love, but, also like her, saw there was great value to be obtained through such a union (which he had no intention of losing out on to someone else), and he agreed to the proposal.
Admittedly surprised, both at his acceptance and her own happiness that he did so, Celebrían promised to send word back to her parents and brother the next morning so that preparations could be made for the pending betrothal, but requested that she be permitted to stay with Thranduil until said preparations were complete in order to get to know him better, which he also agreed to allow. To celebrate the unexpected alliance, Thranduil promised Celebrían a banquet held in starlight. While it was begun, the two began to talk, about their histories since they had seen each other, their mutual interests in flora and music, and the first plans of their future together. The more they spoke, the more they realized how well-matched they were in wit and will, and the long-buried kernels of affection between them began to bud. After a fair amount of conversation, they excused themselves to ready for the feast. The moment they saw each other in their dinner finery, so smitten were they with each other that all doubt that they should be married fled from their hearts.
For such a momentous occasion, King Thranduil demanded nothing but perfection in the feast for his future queen, and his staff provided it. Celebrían was enchanted not only by the beauty of the banquet hall, but the sumptuousness of the feast offerings as well, enough that she dared show the first small gestures of her growing affection for him in front of everyone in attendance. Though surprised and slightly doubtful at first, Thranduil accepted and reciprocated to Celebrían's delight. It was also in this moment that she first began to notice the illusion he kept in place to hide his scars.
After they had supped, Thranduil invited her to accompany him on a stroll under the moonlight, to which she readily agreed. Except that he didn't lead her straight into the forest. Rather, he took her on elkback to a private overlook surveying the near entirety of his kingdom in all its moonlit beauty. So entranced was she by the sweetness of the gesture and the breathtaking view that Celebrían openly admitted her rapidly-blossoming feelings for him. Though her words brought him joy, Thranduil did not reply in kind. Instead, he revealed to her the truth of his injuries, showing her his scars, and expecting her to reject him because of them. Though the sight did bring her to tears, Celebrían did not reject him. Rather, she embraced him and promised to stand with him and help bear his terrible burden. It was not what he had expected, and when he questioned the truth of her promises, Celebrían's temper flared, causing her to slap him and lecture him for doubting her sincerity, and bringing a fresh wave of tears that he didn't believe her. He embraced her and apologized, her temper rapidly cooling. She apologized in return, reaffirming her promises to him, and sealing them with their first kiss there under the moonlight. Their hearts now entrusted to each other, he took her to see the sunrise from his own overlook, where they spoke of their hopes for the future, and upon their return to the palace, shared with her a repast in his private chambers. When she left his company to send word to her family to announce the good news, he began preparations to make her his queen.
Upon rejoining each other's company, they visited the underground gardens, which immediately enchanted her. Seeing her delight, Thranduil generously gifted them to his soon-to-be bride, thinking it the least she could do as, at least in his eyes, she was giving up everything to join him in the Greenwood. Although she graciously accepted his gift, Celebrían did not take kindly to the idea that she would be sacrificing everything to be with him. They began a quarrel, which was cut short by the distraction of her shoe coming off and slipping into one of the underground ponds. The tension broken, they apologized and shared a simple repast at the water's edge. Afterward, he showed her some of the secret nooks of the garden, but only three, playfully telling her she would have to find the others herself. Afterward, he took her through the galleries, and Celebrían decided and admitted that she would be very happy there with him.
Six months later, the pair journeyed into Amroth's kingdom of Lothlórien to formally plight their troth. Aside from difficulties in crossing the rivers, as Amroth had called for the destruction of the bridges in defense of the kingdom, they made it safely without incident. Amroth greeted them warmly, but then informed Celebrían that, though their parents had not yet arrived, Elrond had come from Imladris to seek her out. Celebrían was shocked and immediately went to confront Elrond, wherein she sharply rebuked him for waiting two millennia to admit any sort of feelings for her, and that it was too late: her choice was made in Thranduil. After she had stormed off, Elrond, in a sort of challenge, asked Thranduil when he and Celebrían had become so close and in love, and Thranduil smugly informed him he knew he loved her from the moment of their first kiss.
In time, five beautiful children would be born from their union. The eldest child was a daughter, Ivorien, proud to be her father's shining jewel, and much like him in temperament. A second daughter, Doroneth, softer than her sister, soon followed. Their third child was a long-awaited son, and they named the boy Laegolas. Lastly, much to their surprise, came a set of twins: a daughter they named Nemiriel and a son they named Miresgalon.
The proposal is presented
Plighting the troth
The royal wedding (Includes NSFW content)