"The Oath Reform Act was a bit controversial when it was under discussion, some people liked the opportunity to dramatically cut off options."

"Yeah, but then later on you've got all these dramatically cut-off options to deal with."

"It's never been my style. You can arrange some of the drama with the form of oath we have remaining but retain the ability to change your mind, which means people may expend effort in getting you to do that; if you'd rather they knew not to bother..."

"People don't often put effort into getting me to change my mind about things."

"I've noticed that. You seem to have come around to patterns that are - livable for most people - in your own time."

"Turns out that when I can have most everything I want and the only thing left is to figure out what that is, it gets a lot easier to be nice."

"Makes sense."

"Does it?"

"I think so. Most everything?"

"Well, my life would be a little more convenient if I could resurrect a hundred thousand people with a wave of my hand, and I can't do that. Although if it's possible to do, I'll figure it out eventually. And - there are things that just can't be taken by force, the thing you get if you try isn't the thing you wanted to have. I find myself somewhat at a loss in that area."

Nod.

"I really... appreciate your friendship, for that reason among others."

"I'm glad."

He smiles slightly.

"It seems like even if the underlying conditions making it difficult to have certain things freely given changed there'd be an echo effect, for a while."

"—hmm?"

"It would be difficult to credibly communicate that people didn't have reason to fear you any more."

"Oh. Yes, it really would. Honestly I'm not sure they'd ever start trusting me. It definitely wouldn't happen fast enough to make waiting it out worthwhile."

"Elves are very patient. Once someone decided to just be dead until a problem of hers could be solved, though."

...he laughs. "How'd that work out?"

"Just fine. Well, some personal drama."

"Should I not ask?"

"I don't know if personal drama of Elven monarchs interests you! Her husband remarried while she was dead - highly irregular - and now all three of them are dating each other - absolutely bizarre by Elf standards."

Giggle. "Seems perfectly reasonable to me, but then I'm not an Elf."

"Meanwhile, if I never get home I expect my husband would pine for a few thousand years until someone gently explained to him that I did authorize him to consent to forks for me because that might ever have been necessary and I wouldn't want to miss everything and I'd get along great with myself if I ever did come back."