She waits patiently.

And, eventually, she's allowed into his presence - guards present unobtrusively, and she's not to approach past the table or the black line down the room's middle unless invited.

He's standing when she enters, behind a large table and next to a rather notably unadorned wooden chair. There's a chair clearly for her across from him. It has the feeling more of a cozy office, like where a merchant or general or judge might meet for business, than anywhere a king would host petitioners. (The white tile floor does, indeed, have a line of black scroll work running across the middle of the room, underneath the side of his desk nearest her.)

"Ellisaria, was it?" he asks, smiling slightly.

"That is correct. And you would be Ecthelion."

Nod. "Yes, Ecthelion the Second, son of Steward Turgon." He gestures to the chair across from him, and takes his own chair. "Feel free to sit, if you'd prefer."

"Thank you." She sits down.

"Now, you're a representative of the dragons, is that correct? Which ones?"

"All of them. Or any you are likely to hear of, at least."

He regards her for a few moments, expression still friendly, but more serious now, too. "What would the dragons have of us, then?"

"We share a common enemy. I have reliable information that the lord of Mordor has returned, and is once more beginning to gather his strength."

His expression goes grave. "Something we'd feared."

"Then you are not willfully blind. Good."

"It's hard to be, here. Though it does hearten me to hear the dragons consider Mordor their enemy; one piece of good news, at least."

"Mordor should be the enemy of all who value this world."

"Sadly not a universal position."

"So I have found. Which is why I have chosen to approach you."

"I am glad you have. Do the dragons wish to discuss alliances beyond such warnings?"

"Yes. My primary desire is a strategic and military alliance, to contain and eliminate the threat posed by Mordor."

"Understand that I can't make guarantees of an alliance today - such negotiations are always long - but we're not fundamentally opposed to such a thing."

"I understand. When would be convenient for such a discussion?"

"Now is a convenient time to lay groundwork and become familiar with each other - tomorrow would be more convenient for my father to begin more formalized negotiations, though."

"Of course." She leans back and tilts her head. "I imagine you have questions."

He does - he's clearly aware of the nascent dragon nation and their alliances with the dwarves and the men of the north. He'd like to know about cultural considerations for negotiations - is there a particular way she and future emissaries would prefer to discuss things? He'd also like to know about possibilities for trade (both in pursuit of a military alliance and in general), and proposed length of any alliance, and whether the dragons would accept return emissaries, and how many promises she can make for those she represents, and whether they have military alliances with others already...

He seems politically astute, mostly capable of balancing politeness and forthrightness, more concerned with practical matters than anything else - and he adjusts fairly well to her level of directness.

(And, of course, she can ask questions of him.)

She answers his questions confidently and with the calm assurance of a well-experienced diplomat. (After Flight politics, this is nothing.)

She is fairly clear about her opinion that beyond the cause of Mordor, this will represent at best a trial period for future relations. Given the... historically strained relations at play, she does not think this unreasonable.

Of course; it'll likely be a very, very long work to build any relationships entirely from scratch - even though the humans of Gondor haven't actually had direct contact with dragons while their civilization has existed, there's older history and myth to work through.

(He does also note that the Stewards are, of course, mere civil servants; while there's been no king in Gondor in human memory, the dragons might have a different view of history and the future, especially if the line of kings ever does return and take up different policies.) (He doesn't speak like someone who thinks this is likely anytime soon.)

Whatever the title, they perform a king's function. That is enough.