We Were Young Once is a The Hobbit fanfic by Conquistadora
. It is in three parts: Book I: Edledhron, Book II: Ernil, and Book III: Aran. The first two books are complete, the third is in progress. There is also an origin story, Seeds of Greatness.
The fanfic tells the story of Thranduil, and how he goes from being a refugee of the Second and Third Kinslayings to prince and later king of Greenwood the Great.
Contains examples of:
- A Day in the Limelight: For Thranduil and the Sindar in general; the Legendarium focuses mainly on the Noldor, and gives very little information on the Elves of the Greenwood.
- Attempted Rape: Alkarinwë tries to marry Lindóriel by force.
- Disney Villain Death: Subverted with Alkarinwë. He falls off a cliff... to land on the rocks below.
- Doomed by Canon: Amroth, Celebrían, Celebrimbor, Gil-Galad, and Oropher.
- Drowning My Sorrows: Thranduil after Lindóriel's death.
- Foregone Conclusion: Oropher will become King of Eryn Galen and die in the Last Alliance, Thranduil will become King, and Greenwood will become Mirkwood.
- Green-Eyed Epiphany: Played with. Lindóriel is jealous when she sees Thranduil and Elemmírë, which leads to Thranduil realising he would be jealous if he saw another man with Lindóriel.
- Mind Rape: Annatar inflicts this on Gwaelas, and to a lesser extent on Thranduil.
- Named by the Adaptation / O.C. Stand-in: Canon gives no information about Thranduil's mother, wife, and whether or not he had any siblings. This fic gives them names and personalities.
- Not Blood Siblings: Lindóriel is Thranduil's adopted sister, and is in love with him. Her feelings are returned, eventually.
- They aren't the only ones in their family; all Oropher's adopted children marry each other.
- Outliving One's Offspring: Galadhmir and Gwaelin's son Celebrin dies in Mordor.
- Parental Marriage Veto: Older brother marriage veto, in this case. Thranduil refuses to let Malach and Menelwen marry without Oropher's consent.
- Related in the Adaptation: Played with. In the final version of the Legendarium, Amroth is the son of Amdír and unrelated to Celeborn and Galadriel. However, in an earlier version he was their son, as he is here.
