Choosing Between Sven And Faendal In Skyrim's LOVE Story

Love, lies, and forged letters—Riverwood’s romance isn’t as straightforward as it seems! In Skyrim’s early quest “A Lovely Letter,” you’re caught between Sven, the charismatic Nord bard, and Faendal, the disciplined Bosmer archer. But who truly deserves Camilla Valerius’s affection—or your loyalty?

In this deep dive, we uncover the hidden drama and moral complexities of a choice many Dragonborn overlook. Is Sven’s charm and modest melee skill worth the companionship, or does Faendal’s practical prowess and invaluable archery training make him the ideal ally?
Beyond the quest itself, we analyze the subtle implications of their rivalry, the shocking and very questionable forged letters, and Camilla’s amused indifference to it all.

Explore how your decision impacts immersion, early-game progression, and companion utility.

Who did you side with—Sven or Faendal? Or is Camilla better off without either of these deceptive suitors?

Share your experiences in the comments!

Chapters:
0:00 - Introduction
0:50 - Riverwood’s Tale of “A Lovely Letter”
2:33 - Sven the Bard: Charm, Dreams, and Sword Skills
4:59 - Faendal the Archer: Skill, Stealth, and Dedication
7:14 - Analyzing Their Forged Letters to Camilla
9:51 - What About Camilla? The Unmoved Heart of Riverwood’s Drama
11:49 - Personal Reflections and Final Thoughts
13:27 - Who Do You Choose, and Why?
14:31 - Outro

#skyrim #riverwood #quest #sven #faendal #camilla

[hannah_the_hermit]

follower choice aside, who do you choose to side with? Faendal, Sven, or neither! Comment below!

[ImperialKnowledge]

Somehow they ended up both dead in my save and I ended up with Camilla. Strange how those things end up sometimes

[Jostyy]

I remembered back when me and my twin would hang out and play skyrim in Highschool and he did this quest then married Camille and because he had completed this quest Faendal would visit his house while my brother was out questing and came home one day to see him in his player house and i made a joke about Camilla cheating, he immediately sacrificed Faendal to Boethia

[insylem]

Sven makes the better Boethia sacrafice

[Jeffish]

Faendal is the only good choice, because Sven's fake letter about him paints him as an Aldmeri Dominion supremacist. In Skyrim of all places, that is extremely dangerous, even for imperial-aligned nords, and that's why I never help Sven because he's a fool.

[jackoleen]

the fact that either of them are willing to lie about someone in a small town where reputation can be directly tied to housing and economic status makes it so that neither of them could possibly deserve camilla

[Megane]

In my own head canon, Sven and Fae became bros after finding out Cam was just messing with them, leaving her to grow old and alone with her brother lol

[flashdalsu]

Nothing will ever beat befriending faendal, getting him to train you archery and then get the money back from him because he is your companion

[LovuxTheGreat]

I wish I was a modder, in which case I would make a mod that gives the player the option to reveal both fake latters to Camilla, but instead of merely rejecting them both, she would pen her own fake letters where Sven confesses his love for Faendal and vice versa. These letters would then be delivered by the Dragonborn and initially it would all be played off as a prank to teach Faendal and Sven a lesson... except they would end up falling in love with each other for real (wether due to newly awakened bisexuality or because they have been always attracted to each other but have used Camilla as a way to make the other jealous). Then, for the rest of the game the two men would refer to each other as lovers, for example if you hire either of them as a follower and pass through Riverwood he would say "I hope you don't mind me checking in with Sven/Faendal while we're here, I'm sure he's missed me while I was out adventuring!".

[SkylarTrahan]

In all my playthroughs I don’t think I’ve ever sided with Sven, always chose Faendal. Never bothered reading the letters either just always chose Faendal. Great video as well

[CAK]

Faendal isn’t exactly a devout Bosmer if he’s working as a Lumberjack

[FishDinners]

I always choose Faendal because:
1. Sven tries to frame Faendal as a Skyrim N*zi (wtf?!) while Faendal just portrays Sven as an annoying mommy's boy (true)
2. Free archery
3. Short king 🤴

[SageKasuto]

I've only ever chosen Sven once, and I regretted it immediately.

[MahoganytownXD]

Faendal is a better choice, but both are terrible.

Camilla actively hates Sven. I received a letter from her saying "I know you killed him. He will not be missed".

[TheShannonagains]

Which is worse, the boys writing fake letters about each other, or that she can be persuaded that the fake letters are real. How bad are these 2 guys when the player isn’t around that the letters are believable?
Also I’ve just never done this quest.

[fantastical-whimsical]

Galaxy Brain Idea: They leave Camilla alone and realise their fight for Camilla's love was actually internalized jeleousy of wanting each other, therefore Sven and Faendal should be allowed to marry each other as a power couple and Camilla can find her own journey in the world with no man.

[miwakodreamz]

"and your bards know when to quit singing" got me cackling like a hyena 😂😂😂

[cscheshire]

The first time I ran into the quest I was in the inn and was approached by Sven, having never encountered Faendal, and promptly turned the letter in to Camilla with the truth. Someone willing to falsely claim that his romantic rival is a racial supremacist is not to be trusted, especially in post-war Skyrim.

[itsfrostythedopeman]

I used to side with Faendal but after a while I started choosing neither and took Camilla for myself :')

[MooneShadow]

Camila is always choosing Feindel. She is always visiting him. She's about that elven love ❤️ 😊