Stories of Arda Home Page
About Us News Resources Login Become a member Help Search

The Ties of Family  by Larner 5 Review(s)
Grey WondererReviewed Chapter: 13 on 6/5/2005
So now Narcissa has a bit of closure as they say. I hope the best for her. She seems to have suffered the most with the least explanation up to this point.

Author Reply: She is finally beginning to find healing of a sort, I think. She needs and deserves it if anyone does.

AndreaReviewed Chapter: 13 on 6/2/2005
I still feel sorry for poor Narcissa! She has loved Frodo from the first moment she saw him and has denied the offer of any other lad. And Frodo felt the same, I think, but the ring stole away all his feelings. And when It was gone, he was too weak to think about marriage any longer.

He did the right thing asking Narcissa to guard his twin cousins. At first, it will hurt, for as you already pointed out, Fosco looks much the same as Frodo, when he was young. But I think after a time, she will be happy to have them around and will like them as much as if they were here own little ones.

Author Reply: I strongly suspect that Narcissa will indeed feel they are hers before long, and they manage to complete the tie to Frodo in a unique way. I think they will assist her in finding the joy he wished for her.

Thanks for the feedback.

harrowcatReviewed Chapter: 13 on 6/2/2005
Lovely chapter Larner. Your story is helping to keep me going during a family crisis. Thanks

Author Reply: Knowing how much LOTR itself helped me through my darkest days when I lost my husband and it looked as if I would lose much else besides, I suppose I ought not to be surprised that my addition to its world is aiding others in some ways. I pray things go well with you and your family. God bless and keep you and yours ever.

TiggerReviewed Chapter: 13 on 6/2/2005
Wow!! What a wonderful chapter. I'm so happy Narcissa accepted Frodo's offer to be guardian to the twins. They all need healing from the loss of Frodo and what better way than to do it together. I'm very much looking forward to reading about the twins and Narcissa's first meeting.

BTW...Have you thought of doing a sequel to this? Where Frodo's hope for the Twins comes to fruition and they meet the King Elessar as ambassadors of The Shire. Hmmmm....? :oD

Looking forward to more!!

Author Reply: A sequel? No, no sequel as yet, but then the story is not yet over--there is more to come out yet, including the fruition of the wish for joy Frodo had for Narcissa. There will be meetings with the King....

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 13 on 6/1/2005
Frodo's letter was so sad, so full of "might have beens". I am so glad that Narcissa did decide to take the twins on, and I am glad that you are continuing the story of Narcissa on past Frodo's leaving.

I liked Frodo's observation on cousins. He could not have loved Merry and Pippin more if they had been his own brothers, and I can see how he would find that it might bring some solace and love to Narcissa to have the same thing in her life.

I like the way that you have plausibly managed to cover the gaps in the family tree to come up with some more Bagginses. I know JRRT said that not everyone was in them, so it is still canon. Still, I do think that he deliberately arranged the Baggins family tree so that there would be no visible male Bagginses to carry on the name, and I have used that as a theme in my own stories. But I like your universe very much, for I have always found it horribly sad that there were no more Bagginses left.

I want to say once more how much I love your OCs. Oridan and Brendilac for example, are just wonderful, and so is Narcissa.

Author Reply: I admit I was inspired by Ariel's story of the illegitimate son Frodo left in Bree to find a way that the Bagginses might not disappear entirely, that, as in the case of the Line of Kings, there might be some seed left to bring the promise of the Baggins legacy of responsibility back to the Shire in the future when it might be more needed. And the idea that Dudo Baggins was never described, and all we have of him is his name and the name of his daughter Daisy bothered me. Now, if possibly there might be some connection between him and my original character of Narcissa--and this is what came out--the hidden twins of whom even Sam was ignorant. I suspect Frodo managed to keep a good many more things than Sam realized hidden from his dearer-than-brother, and it must have led to a lot of pleasant surprises as well as a few frustrations over the years Sam continued on as Master of Bag End.

Return to Chapter List