Tumblr crosspost (17 March 2020)

[anghraine]

While I’m at it, Lothíriel headcanons:

• Physically, she bears a strong resemblance to her father and her aunt Finduilas, but differs quite a lot in personality—in particular, she’s much more straightforward and assertive, within the bounds of what she considers proper conduct
• She’s bi and aro
• She’s proudly Dúnadan and resists assimilation into Eorling norms, instead maintaining Gondorian customs and habits in her personal conduct/court, which doesn’t always go over well
• Like several others in her family, she has a vaguely preternatural command over horses that makes her a fearless rider, which does go over well

• In the couple of years before LOTR, she was effectively fostered in Minas Tirith with her aunt Ivriniel (who came there with Finduilas and never left) and studied healing with her. Both she and Ivriniel were (reluctantly) among the women and children removed from Minas Tirith before ROTK
• She sometimes seems immature and sheltered to Éowyn (bc she is, when they meet), but they become good friends, and help each other adapt to the other’s culture
• She’s intensely interested in politics and is very much aware of her role as a political figure, actively forwarding Dol Amroth’s and Rohan’s interests
• As queen, she feels somewhat overshadowed by her cousin/predecessor, Morwen of Lossarnach, who seems to have been much more charismatic and assured than Lothíriel feels
• She has black hair and grey eyes. Surprise!
• She loves stories, but tends to prefer the ones about Gondor or Númenor to the First Age tales
• She and Éomer are somewhat wary of each other at first, but become good friends and partners through the years of their marriage, and trust each other implicitly
• However, in the earlier years in particular, their children (especially Elfwinë, the oldest) barely know Éomer because of Aragorn’s wars, and for that and other reasons she’s deeply ambivalent about Aragorn himself, though she appreciates his competence and his respectful treatment of her father and her cousin Faramir
• She isn’t sure what to think about hobbits
• Her favourite brother is Erchirion, who once rode straight from Minas Tirith to Edoras when she got sick and made her laugh
• Other than that incident, she’s very healthy and lives well into her nineties

tagged: #my lothíriel is deeply flawed and I love her dearly