It’s a quiet Sunday morning here, almost pre-dawn. I thought I’d read a Geale piece to gentle in the day. Quiet, lyrical prose and poetic nature, I thought. Then maybe slip back into sleep again. And then, and then…pounding steamy candlelit sexy and the most erotic and alluring threesome I have ever read. Still with love, still with love — but oh! the sexy! Ahem. Geale, a pleasure to read your work again, and how. Simply beautiful.

Oh, my! Geleorwen, thank you ever so much for this breathtaking review! It’s only March but you win comment of the year, in my book at least! I truly loved writing this one (and I am proud of how it turned out, too) but you never know what readers will think in the end and so it makes me genuinely happy that it is so well received. I’m glad you didn’t find the description of Faramir’s non-canon appearance jarring! I do prefer the freckles and the copper hair… I don’t know why, really, since I read the books before the films came along but maybe I like some variety? Everyone is either dark-haired or blonde in Tolkien (I generalise, of course, but that’s what it feels like at times!) Also it’s great to hear from a Legolas lover! I know there are probably thousands upon thousands of you out there but few of them reside at this site :) Many of us do tend to veer towards Aragorn as Faramir’s love interest and personally I do believe they are magic together. However, I do see your point about his post-coronation attitude. For example, his behaviour at his own death and his words to Arwen on the subject in the RotK appendix must be the least romantic of all time.
All in all, I’m thrilled that you like the story. That you understand it. And I am delighted that you took the time to tell me so. Thank you!

This is amazing! A bit new to this archive (obviously-given the other comment dates here) but your stuff is so well done, already you are one of my favorite writers. I was laughing when I read your note about writing it as “tastefully” as you could. I’m thinking, “we already clicked on the double penetration warning (ahem…I meant past the warning), how tasteful would we expect it to be?” And then it really was; it was truly the most dignified threesome I’ve ever read. (I mean, a dignified threesome? Who knew that was a thing?) Very yummily, smokin’ hot, delicious but then a few tears actually leaked out when I got to the Legolas POV section that starts, He sees them soar and fall and… Tears, I say! That section could absolutely stand alone as a window into a moment. And Legolas will trace the curves of stone lips and stare into unseeing marble eyes and try to comprehend. That is gorgeous. …try to comprehend Very pithy; so well said. That one little section has some of the best writing I’ve ever read in anything, not just fanfic. I wish this site had a feature where you could mark favorites or store them somewhere because I will DEFINITELY be reading this over and over. I must also take time to agree with the other commenters about Faramir here: he is pitch perfect. And I am a Faramir purist, so when those of you who prefer a film Faramir (in looks) throw in bits of description (you are all so fond of his freckles I know) it usually takes me out of the piece as I try to rush past the description or get my brain to make quick color substitutions. But his personality here was so truly Faramir, he was so strongly existent, that the copper curls and freckles didn’t even phase me. I do believe part of that was the Tolkien-leavened prose, which always draws me further into a piece. I certainly can understand why some equate it with less emotion, or perhaps, less realness. I have so long been a lover of Edwardian and Victorian literature, and older forms as well, that I suppose it doesn’t affect me that way. It usually has the opposite effect upon me by relating to the original text. As a last note: this is one of the few Aragorn pieces I really love, though that is just my personal predjudices. I have no idea why, but he gets on my nerves rather easily once he becomes king. Strider: LOVE him! Aragorn: generally fantastic with a touch of irksome. Elessar: ehh…alright buddy, take it down a notch. I couldn’t even say why I liked him so much better here. Maybe it was because this is a threesome and the things that often annoy me about him were buffered by Legolas, whom I love, love, love! There are so many people who write Aragorn, and extremely well, but for some reason the match doesn’t work for me. I love Eora’s writing but I keep hoping that she’ll break up with Aragorn someday and take up with someone else. As I said, I’m not sure what makes him work so well for me here; I guess I’ll have to read it again to figure it out. Uhh…I should probably do that immediately! ; ) Thanks for writing this wonderful piece.

OK, I’m just going to come out and say it: I’m pretty damn pleased with how this one turned out :) There. Done.

As for the style of writing, I did a bit of re-reading of the Silmarillion over Christmas and I suppose the language inspired me some. Going slightly more Tolkien (prose wise) always means running a risk of becoming more impersonal with regards to the characters, I find. For me, there is a trade-off somewhere in the process between more archaic language and allowing all of the characters’ emotions to penetrate the text, and so I’m always wary of writing dialogue (and all the rest of it) that comes across as too unfeeling. In other words, I’m really happy that you felt that the chosen style of writing did not intrude on the boys’ emotions and personalities :)

Michelle, thank you SO much for giving this a chance! Praise from you always has me grinning for a week :) You know, I owe you so much – if you had not encouraged me in the first place (that bit of Author’s Notes madness), I doubt I would be where I am now. So thank you. Oh, and I’ll have you know that Legolas is ver, ver proud of his wood thingie. —nods—

Eora, I did take extra care when I wrote Faramir this time around because despite his insecurities I was determined to not make him any less masculine than he should be. Would you believe me if I told you that I actually did recall the mushy debate while writing this? It is ze truth! And nothing but ze truth, I tell you! Thank you again :)

has no words

This is utterly beautiful. I knew from the summary that I would like this, but in the end it exceeded all my expectations! Very likely the best threesome I’ve ever read – it’s changing from endearing to hot to bittersweet to loving to contentment. It simply has everything one could wish for.

And of course the prose. You already had me with the first two paragraphs – Faramir trying to arrive on time, the description of the wintry forest and then Legolas’ palace (house? wood thingie g?) slowly coming into view. Breathtaking all around!

(And please excuse stupid typos, typing with headache is not an easy feat.)

My lovely, it’s me that should be (and is…wait, me is? It’s too late in the evening for proper grammar) thanking you for this lovely story that’s been drifting back and forth in my mind since I read it! Legolas is certainly growing on me (what have you done!) And the only reason that I ‘get it’ is because you write so purposefully, with beautiful storytelling mingling perfectly with (and unhindered by) your wonderfully organic and almost dreamlike description- and that’s what it felt like to read, dreamy and ethereal, but not in a wishy-washy sort of way. I felt I was viewing events through a sort of golden haze, and when I say ethereal I don’t mean it in the traditional sense but more as if the events in the story are taking place somewhere out of time, in their own ‘secret’ little haven, hidden from the real world. It’s their time tonight, and the world can just bloody well carry on without them while they get on with it :P
I meant to say this when I wrote my original comment but somehow forgot but I simply adored how you wrote Faramir in this story. His sensitivity was pitch-perfect, his uncertainty realistic and his nerves understandable, all without sacrificing his masculinity or the essence of the character himself (…making him ‘mushy’ for example ;) His reasons for his hesitation are so very solid, and then Aragorn reaches out to him and pulls him into his and Legolas’ world (both literally and figuratively) and it all just melds into this lovely blossoming and all-encompassing romance. I kind of want to just go ‘bdfhermfhtrfmnhtmgfnfg’ because I loved this story so much; especially the two kisses- with Faramir shining in silver armour and Aragorn just going for broke and kissing him right then and there, and then Aragorn looking up from the pillow to see his two beloveds sharing a more tender version of the same act without him, a most gentle acknowledgement of each other’s presence in this most unusual of relationships and also a signal of the ardour that brims beneath the surface. Aaaagh, you’re too good, if I could produce something half as good as those two kisses then I’d be pretty damn pleased :)

My trip was absolutely magical and everything I was wishing it would be and more, suffice it to say I’m scrounging up every penny I can lay my hands on in order to go back as soon as I can (…not for at least another year, my heart aches, but it’s something to look forward to!)

Iris and Minx, you’re too kind! Not, that I consider that a bad thing. ;) Yay for you liking Legolas in this version because it wouldn’t have worked without him.

And Iris, I’m happy the warnings, eh, spoke to you. I very nearly snorted coffee all over my computer screen at your comment :)

Ohhhh! This is lovely!!! It’s beautiful and yummy and sweet. I always love reading you Aragorn and Faramir, and now your Legolas too:) Thank you for such a delightful read!

Oh, wow! That was lovely! Sweet, but with just the right amount of porny goodness thrown in. I’m terribly behind on my reading, and like Eora, I’m not a very big Legolas fan, but there was something about this fic that made me want to read this one asap. (Think it may have been something in the warnings ;))
Thanks for sharing!

RubyElf, thank you! I’ve never written this threesome before (which is weird since I love these boys in their ‘separate pairings’) and I enjoyed it so much. And I’m happy you found it hot, too… ;)

Eora, my darling! Thankyouthankyou! Gods, your reviews leave me speechless. I’m so lucky to have you as a reader because you always get it. This was one of those ideas that just pop into your head and demand to be dealt with. And then I realised I had written 9000 words… And I wondered why I hadn’t considered this threesome before. (Possibly because Aragorn can be very possessive of Faramir, and Legolas is very possessive of Aragorn, and Faramir is a sensitive soul… and I didn’t want to upset them all ;))

Now I know you’re not the biggest Legolas fan but if it worked for you anyway I’m happy :) I think we’ve had this discussion before but I like my males manly and Legolas does have a tendency to linger on the more effeminate side of things if not hauled back immediately (into the land of sweat and brutality). But in Faramir, his elven elegance somehow finds a good counterpart, I think.

And I seem to be unable to write anything without adding at least a touch of angst. So I had to wander off into the future and explore what will happen when the Men finally depart Arda. It’s good, though, if that little excursion only serves to deepen the readers’ understanding of the everlasting love theme and doesn’t depress them. For once, I did manage to leave out the ladies and the issues of producing heirs, though.

Also, I love how readers are finding this hot because while writing it I was too focused on the romance to pay the, uh, hotness much attention. So it’s a pleasant surprise to find that apparently I can write decent smut without thinking about it too hard ;)

All is well over here and I hope you are happy and healthy, and that your trip south was amazing!

ebbingnight, I’m glad you enjoyed it. It’s good to hear from you again and thank you for reading and liking :)

World enough, and time.

This was, as always, just lovely!

His sunset. Yep, I’m pretty sure this was the exact moment I completely melted. (Less said about what happened when I read the bit about his freckly shoulders the better!)

I read this way too late last night to think up a coherent comment but I am back today because oh my goodness gracious(!), this was the most delightfully beautiful thing I’ve read for a very long time (and certainly this year!) Now, you know I’m not the biggest Legolas fan in the world (and by which I mean I don’t dislike him at all really, but I’ve never written a story in which he is one half (or third!) of a pairing, if you know what I mean.) But I’m certainly one step closer to conversion with this gorgeous story!

Even though this takes place in a winter setting, I got nothing but the most cosy, almost summery feeling from the descriptions of Legolas’ house, I could picture the warmth of the candles and the comfort of the interior perfectly, and the entire piece had this wonderful glow about it. The triple perspective is also perfectly done; the differences between the three of them are so artfully described but not emphasised so much that they become caricatures. Legolas’ patience is a clever emphasis on the theme of their future that you weave here; they will all live for a long time, but in the end, it is Legolas who will be left gazing upon stone likenesses in a mausoleum (the image of which struck me as so poignant and deeply sad, though it is tinged with happiness as we know that Aragorn and Faramir will indeed only be parted for a time, and if Legolas can find comfort in the memory of their love that he carries with him to the Undying Lands then that is the happiest of all possible endings I think .) Conversely, Aragorn’s impatience was delightful to read, mingling with Faramir’s lingering uncertainty it painted an accurately passionate image of the haste of men ;) The story of their first kiss was so pretty, I giggled at Faramir’s speechlessness afterward (who could blame him?)

I always rush to click the link whenever I see you’ve published a new story, and here again I wasn’t disappointed when it comes to your mastery of phrase and the poetry of your prose that I aspire to so much! The measured pace leading up to the inevitable act is teasingly delicious, and I got a little (happily) lost in their memories, histories and thoughts of one another before finding myself with my toes on the threshold of the exceedingly tastefully written and dare I say extremely hot love scene :P Three very different individuals coming together (ahem) in a way that was quite beautiful, and afterwards in the glow of the bed I could see the path stretching out before them, perhaps not entirely free of sharp turns or rough patches but stretching out nevertheless into the far horizon. In short, I loved this!

More, more I cry, as per. Thank you for sharing this wonderful moment! I hope you are well, as always, and that this year so far has brought you only good things and continues to do so! :)

Wooo! That’s very lovely and very hot too. The descriptions of the setting and what’s going on are very vivid. Love this threesome, too…