I Dream of Things That Never Were…

[mybluerose1990.livejournal.com]

B2MeM Challenge: 2012 Bingo “AU: Who Lives and Who Dies?" B-15, I-23, I-26
Format: Drabble
Genre: General
Rating: G
Warnings: N/A
Characters: Denethor, Imrahil, Faramir, Finduilas, Pippin
Pairings: N/A
Summary: Three ‘What if” drabbles for the House of Húrin.

Prompt B-15: Denethor never dies:
“Ever have you been a faithful counselor, my friend. I cannot see why you now stand against me,” Denethor said, drumming his fingers against his desk.
His father-in-law stood in the center of the Citadel study, dressed in the blue surcoat of the Swan Knights.
“Yet what if he is indeed Isildur’s heir?” Imrahil asked.
“I will never yield to this Aragorn,” Denethor replied curtly. “Not to this usurper from the North. His claims to the throne are spurious.”
“This will mean war,” Imrahil said, softly. “As in the days of the Kin-Strife.”
“Then let there be war!” Denethor declared.

Prompt I-23: Finduilas of Dol Amroth never dies:
“I must needs leave now, Father has—,” Faramir reeled as his mother slapped him, hard.
“I will not allow my husband’s grief to kill us all!” Finduilas hissed.
“What of Father’s orders? He holds my oath, would you have me foresworn?” Faramir asked.
“Better foresworn than dead! Denethor will not sacrifice my remaining son in a fool’s gambit!” she cried. “’Tis folly to attempt a defense of Osgiliath. Go, my son, call for the garrisons to assemble on the Rammas Echor, it was designed to withstand Mordor’s might. Do not fear the consequences, I will deal with your father.”

Prompt I-26: Denethor dies a few years after his wife:
“I also fear I shall never again see my home,” Faramir confided.
“Why not?” asked Pippin.
“I have committed treason in coming here to Rivendell. My brother, the Steward of Gondor, forbade my quest,” Faramir sighed, his features sad.
“My brother, Boromir, is a hard man,” he explained, seeing that the Hobbit did not understand “He became Steward when he was but three and ten years of age, after our Father died. Mother had already perished some years earlier. My brother will never forgive me for deserting him as I have.”
“I’m sorry,” Pippin said.
“As am I,” Faramir replied.

Comments

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

Oh my goodness...these are so terribly sad, especially the last one! :( But very well written, I enjoyed them even though (because?) they made me cry.

Kaylee Arafinwiel

[mybluerose1990.livejournal.com]

than you! Guess I was felling the angst...

[elwenlj.livejournal.com]

I like all of these. But I particularly like Finduilas. She sounds like the kind of woman who could stand up to a Steward.

[mybluerose1990.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I always imagined Finduilas to be a very strong woman in order to catch Denethor's eye.

[dreamflower]

What fascinating AUs! I love these little glimpses of a larger and slightly darker world.

I especially like the one with Finduilas--I am sure things would have been different had she lived.

[mybluerose1990.livejournal.com]

Thank you! My fav is the Finduilas one too,

[shirebound]

Well done! These are interesting "what if's".

[mybluerose1990.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[elfscribe5.livejournal.com]

Enjoyed these. Short and effective, getting to the heart of the matter. It's really interesting to think how a little change in what happened could change everything.

[mybluerose1990.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I had fun tiring to think of the larger ramifications that the prompts would entail.

[rakshathedemon.livejournal.com]

Wow, a kickass Finduilas and Boromir becoming Steward as a teenager and later forbidding Faramir to go to Rivendell - fascinating glimpses of might-have-beens!

[ysilme]

Very interesting to see what these "what if's" have as consequences.

[nialoke]

These are fascinating! I have to agree with so many other commenters, kickass Finduilas was my favourite - also the only one that might be slightly happier than the canon, I guess... But these were all so great! I feel so sorry for both of the brothers in the last one T.T

[blslarner.livejournal.com]

Ooh, three very different might-have-beens! I like each of the three! Such possibilities!

[independence1776]

I love these!