Fëanáro returns. He looks like a dying man. He does not get better at the sight of Formenos.

Yeah, that's...that's not really surprising.

They have a very very painful, very very subdued coronation. 

The standard Noldorin fealty oath is to obey your King as far as honor permits you, and resign openly from any role you decide you can no longer honorably serve in. Tyelcormo adds 'and be there for you no matter what'. 

Her husband is legitimately the best.

Are she and Imliss expected to swear oaths, because oaths don't really work for them.

The point isn't that it's binding. It's worded to not actually be very binding, in case something unforeseen happens. They shouldn't give them if they don't mean them, but no one will care that they aren't literally compelled to them.

This is their family now. If no one cares that oaths don't work the same way for them as for elves, they'll swear it.

Tyelcormo beams at her. The King doesn't. He looks dead. But his eyes flicker slightly. "Thank you," he says. 

And he is genuinely pleased with the plants. All right, harvest them, they have food supplies for a year, to Tirion to pick up any of the rest of the Noldor who may want to come and then out of Valinor. He only looks alive when he's speaking of it. 

Tyelcormo's terrified.

What, specifically, is wrong?

Elves can die of grief. I'm - honestly amazed he hasn't already -

Oh.

I didn't know that.

We aren't enough - his father, all his life's work, the only hope we can endure outside Valinor - what would possibly be enough -

I--I told you, when we met, maybe with enough time I could get strong enough to fight a Vala--

We can buy you the time. We can cross the sea and hold him to a standstill, probably, with an army, if we're properly prepared - and then maybe someday - 

Do you think that's enough?

If he really believes in our commitment to it, maybe. I'll try talking to him.

You do that.

And they march south. It's a thousand miles. In the dark. Slow going even with Tyelcormo calming the horses as much as he possibly can.

Well, it can be less dark, the twins light-generating abilities don't magically only work in the presence of plants.

And south.

To Tirion. 

To Tirion. How much do the people in Tirion even know about what's happened.

They had also been summoned to the festival on Taniquetil, and had attended, so they heard the news the envoys brought and might know more about the death of the Trees and the reaction of the Valar. Y'know, if the Valar bothered having one.

At this point Idaia doesn't really give a fuck about what the Valar think except insofar as it produces help or hindrance.

"We're not expecting help. We're hoping for lack of hindrance."

Tirion is a mess. The streets are lit by torches and very quiet. Feanáro marches their host straight for the main square.

She doesn't particularly expect help, no.

Tirion looks so different in the dark.

People start to fill King's Square. The King himself looks like he is barely summoning the will to keep his heart beating. Tyelcormo clutches at his wife helplessly.