Author's Note: Now we get the other side of the spectrum with Tar-Aldarion's daughter: Tar-Ancalimë. Again, I will remind you that this character has fairly radical views, and if you don't like them, don't kill the messenger! Seriously, I don't make up what these guys think; it's in Tolkien's works pretty obviously. Watch to see if there are any ideological changes, and please review!

Tar-Ancalimë

Name(s): Tar-Ancalimë; Emerwen Aranel

Race: Men

Life: She was born in 873 S.A. and reigned 205 years as the first Ruling Queen of Númenor, its seventh ruler, until 1280. She died five years after surrendering the scepter.

. . .

[As before, Thalion would like to remind readers that the views expressed by interviewees are their own, and not necessarily those of Estel. Thalion also wishes to add that the interviewee does not stand as the example for any group, person, or belief; they merely state their own individual, unique ideas. Neither they nor Estel desire the interviewees statements to be taken as representation for anyone other than the person giving the answers.]

How would you describe yourself? Do you think you were a good ruler of Númenor?

I was a wonderful ruler. I didn't give anybody anything they didn't deserve, and I did all I could to prevent a lot of terrible things from happening.

What things?

I forbade any of my maidservants and granddaughters to marry. Marriage is so stupid; I know from firsthand experience. Not only were my parents idiots, but my own relationship with my husband goes to show that men and women were never meant to be together. The only thing marriage gives you is pain, so it's best avoided altogether.

That's an, um, interesting view of the family, or rather a rejection of it. Was this a new idea, or one that you simply brought to light?

Well, I can't take all the credit. Actually, I suppose I can. Yes, it was mostly my creation, though it is only the logical conclusion of witnessed truths.

So, do you think the founders of Númenor held this belief about the family?

Oh, I doubt that they did. But what did it matter to them; the society was totally dominated by war-hungry, illogical men. They had all the power! Their wives had no say in anything. If they had, maybe some sense could have been used and a new definition of marriage could have been made, one that didn't require sacrifice, submission, or real commitment from either the husband or wife. If they'd have done that, then we wouldn't have to forbid marriage today. Now, it's too late to change the definition; it's become a part of society. Only a massive amount of time can possibly weed it out, and until then, I would advise everyone to remain unwed.

Are you okay with deviating from the views of the founders of your nation?

Why shouldn't I be?

You don't have the slightest pause? I mean, it seems like most people would want to listen to what their fathers had to say about something as important as family.

Well, I guess I have some pause. In case it hasn't been told to you, I'm a pretty confident person, so when I make a decision, I am very sure that it's right. I considered the wisdom of the first men of Númenor, but in this instance I found it lacking, so I rejected it.

You've spoken a lot against marriage and your husband. If you believed all this, why did you get married in the first place?

To spite my stupid, throne-snatching cousin. If I hadn't produced an heir, I don't think I could have secured my right to rule. Besides, at that time of my life, I was not fully aware of the curse that is marriage. When I married Hallacar, I sort of liked him, and I thought he would let me rule as I wanted. Of course, this assumption turned out to be wrong, but I had no way of knowing what would happen.

Leaving the topic of family and going a bit more into politics, could you talk about your policies as Ruling Queen? Why did you refuse to follow in your father's footsteps, and for what reason did you leave Gil-galad unaided?

All three questions can be answered in a single phrase: avoiding waste. My father had an ungrounded obsession with Middle Earth, and I was not about to squander valuable resources and even men's lives in pursuit of a goal that gave us no advantage whatsoever. As for Gil-galad, I am sure that he is a great elven lord, but he's not my subject, and is therefore out of my jurisdiction. If I had assurance that my men would come home from Middle Earth, I might have considered sending them. However, this was not a sure thing, so I did what was best for my people. Whether Gil-galad was our ally or not, Númenor came first.

What were your and your people's views on death, the Ban, and the Eldar?

Death was always annoying, but I can't imagine that our fear of it had increased from the previous generation. I didn't care at all about the Ban, and in fact only the mariners even gave it any thought. The Eldar were, as they always had been, honored guests and wise teachers. I never cared too much for their company, but then again I had nothing to learn from them, so I didn't need to listen to their words.

What did you and your subjects think about the Valar and Eru?

Well, I didn't really consider those kinds of topics much. It's not that I didn't believe in the Valar or Eru, because I did; it's just that such people did not influence my everyday life, so I didn't have to think much about them. There were several people among my subjects who were very devoted to Eru and who took the three times of worship very seriously. These ceremonies were of course treated with immense respect, for their traditional value was important to everyone, but on the whole, I'd say the average person was not compelled to dwell on thoughts of the far-off, if you understand.

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