Mm.

I'm sorry about your plans.

It's not like whoever ends up being King will be bad for our people.

It still sucks for you.

As I said, I expect it'll be a source of tension with my father for a while.

Maybe I can distract him for a little while with obscure vocabulary words or something.

I'll manage. 

I'm not sure we'll get exiled. I really need to talk to the King.

Is there anything I can do to help with that? There is a vague undercurrent of please let there be something I can help with to her thoughts.

Whatever you do, don't confront my father, it'll just make him defensive and he's likelier to act out if he feels like he's burned all his bridges anyway. 'you scared me' or 'I hope people don't overreact, they're just looking for excuses to be upset with you' are okay, things like that...if my cousins happen to confront you, I think this is best defused by saying 'we don't know what the hell he was thinking, obviously we would have stopped him if we had, we're really relieved everyone's all right...

Is there a diplomatic way to ask why he even had armor and a sword on him to threaten his brother with?

I am definitely planning to find that out.

Do you think we can meaningfully redirect his negative emotions towards Melkor instead of his brother?

Oh, I think he's much angrier at Melkor than his brother, but his brother got in his way, and in the way of doing anything about Melkor. Is how he'll see it.

Well, that's something. She's kinda pissed off at him too, what he did didn't really merit swording but it was still a dick move.

Oh, I think it was very dleiberately orchestrated. He wanted to get my father disowned, what better way to do that then to do something my father'd be guaranteed to overreact to?

There is nothing about this situation that isn't fucked up.

You seem not to have done anything fucked up yet. Congratulations.

Haven't had as much opportunity, yet, but thanks.

They head back to the palace. Maitimo's eyes are squeezed shut as if he's having twenty conversations at once.

Well, he probably is.

Imliss doesn't have nearly enough information yet to start making solid plans but she starts composing possible contingencies in her head.

They return to the palace. Maitimo sees the King, hurriedly wishes Imliss well, and goes over to speak with him.

Well, she hopes that goes well.

Augh.

I'm trying to decide if you two're lucky you missed that or not, she tells Tyelcormo tiredly.

"I wish I'd been there."

"Is there any conceivable way you could have helped?"

Nah, but it would have been fun.

Fun?