Introduction: This is the question I have posed to myself. With all the hooplah hype and controversy over these Legolas-romance MS stories, I began to wonder: is it possible for a Legolas-loves-Mary Sue story to win Grand Amnesty from the Supreme Court of Fanfiction? But flame away if you so please; it's certainly not my greatest work (if I will ever write my greatest work), and attempting to write viable inserts is much more challenging than it might seem at first (especially if you don't have the time and patience to master things like Elvish grammar). Though I seem to have succeeded in keeping her from classic MarySuedom, I'm sure this thing overall has some maturing yet to do. If you have any suggestions or nitpicks they are more than welcome… Perhaps I may come back and make this thing grow up a bit, in time.
Disclaimer: Melwen & Mirilendilme are characters of my design, and also of my design is the marriage of Celebrimbor. If anybody knows who Malgalad's real wife was (or any other facts I may have gotten confused), feel free to tell me, though for the purposes of this story I may keep it this way.
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The Origin of Mirilendilme
Melwen was of the Dark Elves of Lorien of the First Age. Her mother was in origin an Silvan Elf of Northern Greenwood who had won the love of Malgalad, the King of Lorien. Melwen was so named because of her disarming and endearing nature. Though she befriended many and gave of her love freely, she gave a great and special loyalty to an exclusive few. One of these few, it happened, was none other than Celebrimbor - the very forger of the Rings of Power.
Celebrimbor dwelt in Eregion, near to Lorien by an account of leagues as an eagle flies, but sundered by the great Misty Mountains. However he had often ventured into Mines of Moria, befriending the Dwarves; giving and receiving knowledge of their smithcraft. On occasion he would accompany the great Lady Galadriel through Moria on a visit to Lorien.
Though Celebrimbor had an unrequited love for Galadriel, Melwen saw him and loved him; for as a Moriquende she was enamoured with the light of Valinor she saw in his pale eyes. He befriended her, and because she so nurtured the Noldorin fire within him, ere long her love found a place in his heart. He took her for his wife and returned to Eregion where she dwelt with him, though only a short time.
Shortly before the invasion of Sauron, Melwen bore him a daughter, who was like to her father and his kin in looks (with her white skin, jet hair and pale eyes). And Melwen named her Mirilendilme because many Elves of Eregion remarked her to be the most precious jewel of Celebrimbor's making. Celebrimbor forged for her a dark and clear stone, like to the great Elessar of Galadriel but smaller and of far lesser power. But it would reflect the Sun's light as it were a lost Silmaril, shining from within the deeps of the sea.
When news that Sauron's forces, stalled by Celeborn, were making for Eregion, Dwarves allowed for the refuge of Celebrimbor's family in Moria before the gates where shut (the rest of the Elves had fled north to Imladris). Melwen therefore returned by this way with her infant child to Lorien and awaited news of her husband. After nearly a year a Noldo soldier arrived, having come over a long road from Eregion by way of Imladris. Even as one of his high race, he looked weary with the horrors of war. To Celebrimbor he had been a brother by oath, and when she saw the grief in his eyes she knew. He had been sent on an errand to Imladris from the chambers of Celebrimbor's secret society of Elvensmiths even as Sauron descended upon it. And he came to her and bore his hand, and she looked down and saw the dark stone that her husband had carved for his daughter. "His last thoughts were of you," the soldier said, and handed to her also the Ringmaker's sword, which he had snuck back and retrieved from the doorstep ere he took off for Imladris. And Melwen stood and wept, and when her father was slain in the Battle of Dagorlad she and her mother (who forfeited any claim to Lorien as queen at the death of the king), forsook Lorien, and with her child they came to her mother's kin in King Thranduil's realm, in the north of Greenwood Forest.