I found this passage on the rulebook:
"
Smeagol, Bearer of Great Secrets is the ring-bearer and is bearing
The Dead City (If Smeagol is about to be killed in a skirmish, discard him instead). If Smeagol is about to be killed and the player discards
The Dead City,
Smeagol cannot be discarded, he would simply be killed."
So i think the rulebook mention somehow that the ring-bearer cannot be discarded, even if in a indirect way. In that case i think Elessar´s Socks is right, you don´t have to discard the conditions cause the first option just have no effect and the freepeople doesn´t have to prevent anything...