"The rescue, or the cutting his hand off part? I mean, I agree with you either way..."

"I was thinking of the hand. The rescue I'd call stupid, except it worked."

"Sort of like the attempt to keep the palantiri uncompromised by rescuing the one in Dorthonion? Because that was Fingon too. And Maedhros. And me for a little bit but when Thauron--Sauron? I'm not sure how I'm supposed to be pronouncing that--showed up Maedhros told me to run and I did."

"I guess a track record of 'that seems stupid but you pulled it off ' might be what extraordinary competence looks like. He fought Glaurung, too, you know."

"I don't know who that is."

"Scary dragon? Word was you killed it..."

"Ohh, that thing. It didn't live long enough to introduce itself."

"Congratulations. Do you want us to call you 'the valiant ' too?"

"Hah. I never got close enough that it could have touched me. I'm sure there are all kinds of more appropriate flattering adjectives if you want to give me that kind of appellation."

"Dragon-slayer doesn't really even need complimentary adjectives attached."

"I'm still implacably opposed to changing my name but I do not mind flattering nicknames."

"Odette dragon-slater of what's-the-city-name. I like it."

"Beth Miqlat. It mean 'house of refuge' in a language from our world."

"I think your royal title should be "dragon-slayer".

"I am concerned about setting a precedent to expect other princesses to slay dragons."

"That's a bad precedent? Better than earning it by birth."

"But what if there aren't any other dragons around to slay?" she asks innocently. "Besides, I'm the one with the dragon-killing skills, and Illia's the one with the running-a-city skills. They're not necessarily correlated."

"Prince Fingon seems to do all right. But fair enough."

"Well, he didn't actually kill it."

"He did not! Oh, the city's lovely."

"My sister is not an elf but she does like things pretty."

"As she should! We don't have to let Elves claim prettiness."

"Naturally. You should see what she came up with for our crowns."

"I can't wait."

"Don't have to, come to think of it."

Crowns! Pink star sapphire in gold etched to look like stems and leaves and thorns; Blue opal in steel circuit damascened to look like leaves ad stems and thorns.