Welcome to the Lord of the Rings lore cast, the show that explores the background of Tolkien's amazing world from the very beginning. So in this story, you've probably noticed there are a few different tension points,

these places of, I guess, growing conflict.

And I think as we read through this, one of the things that we are supposed to be doing is trying to figure out who is making the right choices.

One of those tension points is between Menildur and Aldarion.

It's a typical situation where you have a father and a son, and the son wants to make his own decisions,

and the father believes he knows better, he's wiser, he's older.

But then you add on the responsibilities of being the rulers or the future ruler of Numenor,

and their responsibilities to their people, and their place in the world with the Valar.

And it adds some extra complications.

It appears that Menelder is trying to do what all of the kings before him

did as well, and he's trying to prepare Aldarion to rule. He needs to take a wife. He needs to

stay at home in order to do that. And so we're posed with this question, what is Aldarion out there doing? Is he being

selfish? Or is there some sort of greater reason for him to keep leaving? Something that is actually

to the benefit of Numenor itself, and he just won't tell his father or us.

We also have the conflict in Aldarian himself,

I guess you could say.

It's not a conflict between Aldarian and Arendus.

They get along well.

She shows up.

He's happy for her presence. But he also knows that he can't settle down because he loves the sea. And whatever else is out there that he is doing will always be something that will divide him between staying and going. And he knows that's difficult for a potential

mate. So it's an internal conflict in himself between those two things. And the tensions continue to

grow. Where we left off last time, he brings back a diamond for Arendus.

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