[The Silmarillion] Handbook for Taming a Mad Dog

A prequel to Great-Grandmother, the love story of Celegorm and Gwaeian!

Neither Finwe nor Feanaro ever imagined that one of their children might fall in love with Suriel.

To Finwe, Suriel was a dear friend who had traveled with him all the way from Middle-earth, and a close companion of Miriel, whom he loved deeply. To Feanaro, Suriel was a kind elder who had gently looked after him after Miriel's death, and a steadfast friend who stood by him when Finwe remarried. In short, to either of them, Suriel could never be a "granddaughter-in-law" or a "daughter-in-law."

Tyelcormo Turcafinwe's existence was clearly meant to shatter their assumptions. Feanaro's third son, the silver-haired elf later known as the Lord of Himlad, Celegorm, pursued Suriel without restraint. She was his father's and grandfather's dear friend, and had long served the couple Orome and Vana.

Few Eldar believed that an elven woman like Suriel would accept the advances of that Prince Turcafinwe, even though he was an outstanding hunter and a friend of the hunting god Orome.

Elrond couldn't understand it either. In his eyes, although Lady Suriel could be impulsive at times, she was gentle and patient most of the time. She and the reckless, impulsive Celegorm simply weren't a good match.

Earendil and Elwing, whom Suriel had once furiously scolded in the Ring of Doom, saying, "Abandoning your family for a jewel that never belonged to you in the first place, only to spend eternity wearing the Silmaril and guarding the Gates of Darkness, would be too lenient a punishment for you," watched their naive son hesitate for a long time. In the end, they still didn't tell him this.

Finwe experienced the joy of a harmonious family and a house full of grandchildren for the first time in Formenos. With no half-brothers causing trouble, even Feanaro seemed to have mellowed. Tyelcormo's little brood of elflings played happily together, and would even climb onto his lap to listen to his stories.

Completely content, Finwe forgot all about Arakano, who was acting as regent in Tirion. He spent his days playing with his two young great-granddaughters and his recently born great-grandson, occasionally visiting Feanaro and his four grandchildren in the workshop, and bringing tasty treats for his precious first great-granddaughter, Mirina.

This was the life he had always dreamed of!

Finwe finished tonight's bedtime story, stood up, and gave each of the sleeping elflings a goodnight kiss. Then he blew out the candle and closed the door with a fond smile.

Telperion's silver glow shone through the stained-glass window and fell beside the bed. Hearing the faint sounds of Finwe returning to his room, Tyelcormo bowed his head and gently kissed the crown of Suriel's hair. "Goodnight, Suriel."

Content warnings:

The heroine is much older than the hero, by two generations.

The hero is a hot-blooded romantic, and the heroine is a conflicted romantic.

Updates are slow. While you wait, feel free to read the sequel, Marrying Great-Grandmother Is a Family Tradition, and the finale, I Made a Decision That Defied My Ancestors!

Theme: Suriel decides to teach her wicked junior a lesson in how to be a good person