I was reading this :
http://mythcreants.com/blog/fall-of-magic-is-the-rpg-tolkien-would-have-played/And this line stood out for me "which is why he can expend virtually an entire book’s worth of words on “Sam and Frodo get to Mordor eventually.”"
Ie, he treats it as if Sam and Frodo couldn't just, like, die or have the ring nicked off them or whatever along the way.
A sort of just world fantasy where they are sure a just result will occur - and yet they still find some sort of trepidation and drama in the description of the characters getting past the 'hazards' of the world. Using scare quotes because if they WILL make it there, then those aren't hazards.
So part of them thinks the hazards are genuine
While another part of them thinks the pair will definitely make it - like it's a sure thing.
Acratic.
I presume story events like Ned Starks death were attempts to crack this bullshittery.