If it weren't true and I were still on this side of the Sea I would be way, way less functional than I am. But obviously you're not obliged to believe me, I just--wanted to let you know.

So it's just Fëanáro who wanted you dead with the rest of us? That must feel good. 

She shrugs. "Good" is not a way she is feeling right now, at all, but it seems petty to complain.

Tyelcormo can care about lots of people but when it comes down to it he'll always choose his father.

Is it petty of me to be glad he didn't have the chance, then?

I don't think so.

I'd choose my sister over anyone else but Imliss doesn't make bad life choices like Feanaro does and she'd choose me over anyone else too so I could stop her if she did, I don't know how much the same thing it is.

Two consecutive atrocities with civilian death tolls in the thousands, that's a bit past where 'bad life choices' works to describe what he is.

Fair.

Are you going to cross the Ice and go back to them?

I don't know. Not immediately, that's for sure.

I guess if you're married you've got to eventually get past it somehow. But. My uncle really shouldn't be a king, I'm scared of whatever they do next.

Yeah, she sighs. I don't know. I'm mostly focusing on the problems in front of me, I can figure out yelling at people when they're in front of me to yell at.

Fair enough.

Thanks for not just telling me to fuck off.

We used to care about them too, you know. It's not like we woke up one day and decided they weren't family, though they've never considered us family....

Yeah, but you have very good reasons to be mad at them, and it would have been reasonable to not want to hear what I was saying.

I kind of feel this weird camaraderie with everyone who used to care about them. Findekano's a bit of a mess.

Yeah.

Did Maitimo tell him they were coming back, too? He said that to me.

Yup.

Fuck, I'm sorry.

He tried halfheartedly believing for a while that maybe he meant it, didn't know. But how often is Maitimo that level of wrong about people?

Probably be easier on him if he was innocent by virtue of catatonia too.

Pretty sure he was walking around and in full command of his facilities, promising left and right they'd be right back.

I don't know how to feel about the fact that he felt the need to lie to me too. Complimented, I guess--technically I was supposed to be on the first set of boats, it's nice to think he believed I would have stayed behind on purpose rather than by accident if I knew what they were planning.