"I don't know if they should. I am assuming that Melkor is still our Enemy and is smart and is about ready to act, and it could be that one of those assumptions is false."

"If any of them are true I think that's a good reason to be scared."

"If they stay at my father's house they should be safe."

"Good."

"And if you go tomorrow please go with friends and look out."

"...I haven't made a lot of specific friends, there's basically you and the printing press people."

"I can go with you. I probably should. 

I found the bits people've sent me so far very distressing, I can tell how everyone's feeling while they're murdering eachother..."

"If Melkor's been adept at avoiding you so far I wasn't assuming that a talk you decided to attend wouldn't be mysteriously canceled or something.

Then again, that might well be a good thing."

"Yeah, I wonder how far I can push it. Will he leave Tirion if I ask everyone in it to get me when they see him?"

"Well, if he's avoiding you and staying in the city, if Idaia stays at your dad's place and I stick by you we're probably both fine."

"Yes. 

I very deeply regret that this whole mess encountered you so quickly. I want very badly for you to get many peaceful centuries inventing and reinventing all your heart desires."

"I mean I think even if I wasn't already inclined to wait for the other shoe to drop the presence of a supposedly-reformed evil god was going to do it, at least this has the potential to lance the boil fairly early."

"That it does. And there's not a vision Melkor could conjure that'd change that you are part of our family now."

"Thank you. I hope that doesn't end up bringing you grief."

"Honestly at this point whatever he attempts I think I'll mostly be relieved."

"As long as no one dies."

"As long as anyone who dies gets put back very efficiently."

"Fair. Just. Evil god. I don't want to assume that he can't do anything worse than what we're anticipating."

"I know. 

I wish I knew what he wants."

"So do I."

They go back to the palace. He works while she reads. Someone brings them food. 

The food is delicious enough that despite her worries it tastes like delicious food and not ashes in her mouth but it does suffer for her nerves.

He starts singing something lullabyish. It doesn't look like it's relaxing him much, though.

Beautiful, though.

"...You know I think I still haven't heard your brother sing."

"That is a rather inexcusable failure on our part. I should summon him up to the palace right now. Except if I do he'll be exasperated with me and sing something horribly mean-spirited about his dreadful big brother."