"I approve of this concept."

"Don't really know how I feel about it. It's hard to imagine what I'd be without Huan and I'm not sure he's transferrable."

"Point. I bet he wouldn't fit into most worlds but I bet he'd fit some."

"Well, perhaps those ones have my whole and un-Doomed family."

"Maybe without Morgoth running around you're on less dysfunctional terms with your cousins."

"We were. I told you Irisse and I were best friends and Nelyo and Findekano used to be too and we were close with Angarato and Aikanaro - Angrod and Aegnor, you'd know them."

"Yeah. Wait, used to be?"

"Speaking of who, of those?"

"Maedhros and Findekano."

"They're still on very good terms. They're - in Valinor, back in the day, they just glowed around each other, they seemed like brothers."

"So is this the point where I admit that it totally sounds like you've been hinting that they're--um--" she changes her mind about what to say at the last second because sprog "kissing since there's no one else around to hear it."

"Nelyo? 

I cannot imagine he'd take that kind of chance, and -

- that would in hindsight explain a lot.."

"What, is that not what you meant when you cut yourself off when you started to say he wasn't--doing anything--with his vassals? Findekano, I mean."

"Findekano likes men, or at least did a really long time ago when we were all young and there was nothing at stake. Not that it's any of my business, Irisse'd have beat my face in if I'd - and -

- I have at no point been trying to imply that. Though I am suddenly finding it very plausible."

"Did you not know there are rumors about them? That was what Lady Hareth was talking to my sister about, when she suggested she get a girlfriend and parade her in front of everybody."

"There might be rumors in Fingon's kingdom, because Fingon is not as good as my brother at lying. Never heard even traces of one here. I thought you were talking about Fingon, and I didn't want - forgetting that the way our people think about homosexuality is ridiculous and unfair even to my worst enemy, Fingon's good at his job and I don't want him undermined in it - I am going to slap my brother."

"Please do not engage in actual violence with your brother over your respective choices of lover."

"Oh, I wouldn't, raise a hand to Nelyo and he flinches and you feel like the worst scum in the world. But I spent centuries thinking that he thought I was disgusting and embarrassing - because he had the political credibility to do something about attitudes in Tirion, if he'd tried, and he never did -"

"Aha."

Is little Edie following this? Huan is huffing amusedly - did you know?

I do not think I should have told you.

Guess not. Though. 

"Your brother is kissing your cousin?" she asks, nose wrinkling.

"Technically he is my half-cousin, if that makes it any better."

"I dunno," she says doubtfully. "Maybe."

"Not Nelyo's smartest decision but here I thought he was four thousand years old and never been kissed so I'm kind of happy for him."

"Okay," she decides.