Anairë would never have dreamed of relating her own troubles to Eärwen. That was not what Eärwen was for. Eärwen was her dear little one to be cherished and protected from all the harshnesses of the world. Besides, the poor dear had the innocent self-absorbtion of a child and would never be interested in her friend's difficulties.
But the truth was that Anairë went home from her visits to Eärwen to a domestic battleground. It had all begun with Nolofinwë's elevation to the regency. He had wanted to move into the palace. Anairë had disagreed violently. Apart from all other considerations, she would hate to live in a house ruled by any other woman, let alone an unreactive metal of a woman like Indis. And Findis was becoming almost as bad.
When Nolofinwë had given in to her arguments, Anairë, overcome with relief, had vented her feelings by organising a thorough spring-clean of her own home. Her joy had lasted for exactly sixteen Days, at the end of which period she had discovered her husband's new plan.
Anairë reacted to his avowed intention of building them a new house, larger and nearer to the palace, with a thoroughly atavistic and irrational horror. It would not make much difference if they retained the old one, as he did suggest; she would still be confined, undoubtedly for most of the Year, to some strange territory.
But this was her place, which she had moulded over long Ages to the home of her own liking. Perhaps it would never be so beautiful as Eärwen's; perhaps her grown-up children would keep it always in a state of noisiness and untidiness; but she, Anairë, had herself in the first Days of her marriage put real thought and even actual physical labour to the furnishing of it. It was their wedding-present from Finwë. Turukáno had been born here. Even the memories of her many struggles with Lalwen - even those aspired to sweetness, when she thought of them being swept away.
Anairë's house was not only convenient for Eärwen and the Great Market. It was also her nest, her bastion of security, the place in which she ruled alone. Nolofinwë might have his study, but he would never really have presumed to limit Anairë's power over the running of the household. Lalwen might eclipse her in public life, but Lalwen had not the attention span for genuine work. She was only too glad to leave that sort of thing to her sister-in-law.
The idea of separation from this security filled Anairë with real anxiety. What would they do for servants? Anairë had gone to a great deal of trouble to find good servants and train them to follow her orders correctly. She hardly felt strong enough to perform the feat for a second time. True, they might take some or all of their staff with them, but even then, it would surely be necessary to take on some new servants in a larger house, not to mention the question of caretakers for the old one.
Lalwen's contribution to the argument was a suggestion that Anairë should remain in the old house, while Nolofinwë and Lalwen herself occupied the new. Anairë's reaction to this may be imagined; but it must be pointed out that Lalwen's intention was only half mocking. Some women would have accepted it as a solution, as it was not unusual among the Noldor for married couples to live apart, at least for some of the time, after the birth of their children. But then again, few couples were as cloyingly devoted as Nolofinwë and Anairë. And so the battle lines were drawn up.
The four children each had reasons to support Nolofinwë, even Turukáno, who had visions of inheriting the old house on the departure of his parents for the new. Findekáno and Artelda simply wanted to escape, especially Artelda, who, perhaps in imitation of her cousin Artanis, had taken to spending entire Days away from home. Arakáno, his father's favourite child, now developing an adventurous spirit of his own, was automatically on Nolofinwë's side.
(Not that Arakáno could reasonably called a child any longer. At forty-three, he had already fulfilled his early promise of tallness to such an extent that even Turukáno had to look up to talk to him. He had put on another spurt of growth during the last Year; goodness knew if his grandfather would even recognise him, when they met again.)
Lalwen was on no-one's side, really. She would once have supported her brother up to the hilt; but she had not yet forgiven him for the crime of being assaulted. Nonetheless, never having seen Nolofinwë and Anairë disagree about anything before, she found it fascinating to watch.
Itaril, for some reason, supported her grandmother. Presumably Nolofinwë's enterprise had gone against her rigid moral code in some way. There was never any knowing what would offend Itaril.