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I've read several fics about Gil-galad, but I particularly like your interpretation of him.

He's got such a wonderful sense of responsibility towards those who need help or comfort, rather than pride and aloofness. His first commands and actions as the High King is to make sure that the messengers - and the child who has seen far too many horrors - are rested and fed before he makes any further demands on them.

"its common sense and compassion would set the mark for a reign that was to last for almost three and a half thousand years."

He suffers less from pride than most of his predecessors. The teaching from Cirdan is of course responsible for this to a great extent, but perhaps it also helps that you've chosen Tolkien's later genealogy for him and made him a descendant of Finarfin rather than of Fingolfin. I like that genealogy. 

 "This belief that authority should be exercised through service and responsibility was integral to Gil-galad’s experience. He had grown to adulthood in this household, and retained little memory of his family’s more autocratic style of governance."

 He will have enough of war and strife and fighting against evil later. For now he'll just show a little boy the kitchens.

You give us a great insight in his personality. 

This is a really lovely review, thank you so much :) I'm glad you liked my picture of Gil-galad.  I prefer Orodreth as his father, partly because the succession makes a lot more sense to me that way and also, yes, because he feels more like someone who would be close kin to Finrod and Galadriel.  I think a lot of the stories where he appears as harsh or autocratic - or not very bright - don't take into account that Círdan more or less raised him, and would have been the primary influence moulding him when he was growing. And also that he wouldn't have been raised as a royal heir either, not with the later genealogy, so possibly he would have been more grounded in ordinary people's needs. Fair warrior, good manners, considerate...

I'm getting carried away here, lol.  Once again, thank you very much for reading and commenting The story was written with love, and I'm happy to know you enjoyed it.