Framing Nahusaresh

[ilysia-039.livejournal.com]

My dad and I got into a discussion about why Gen was upset about the whole can't strangle Nahusaresh thing. Then my dad said, "Well, I don't think that Eugenides will actually kill Nahusaresh. I think he'll frame him and get the Mede emperor to do it instead." So, at dinner we came up with our theory.
The Theory:
Gen and Costis are going to go to Medea, but not to kill anyone. They are going to go plant evidence against Nahusaresh. If the Mede emperor, or his heir, Nahusaresh's brother, suspected Nahusaresh of plotting to become emperor himself, they might turn on him. All of his intelligence, spy networks, and battle plans would also be suspect. That might slow down the advance of the Mede and give Attolia, Eddis, and Sounis some more time to prepare. Perhaps planting evidence that Nahusaresh was working with the Queen of Attolia? After all, I got the impression that he spent quite a lot of time in Attolia. That's a lot of time away from the Mede court, a lot of time to form ambitions.
So, what do you think? If it seems crazy, please, tell me. I greatly desire feedback.

Comments

[bluestalking.livejournal.com]

I think your dad has a fantastic idea. But I don't think Gen or Costis will need to go to Medea to do it--in fact, I think it would undermine, well, pretty much everything if they did. If the king of Attolia is skulking around Medea, he could get caught and then Attolia (country and queen) would be in real trouble. Things are already too tense for him to go openly for negotiations, I think--in other conditions you might be able to brazenly get him there under open political pretext, but Attolia basically declared, if not war, than inevitable war, at the end of QoA. If he went secretly and just disappeared from court, it would undermine his new good ratings with the Attolians (and we don't know what public opinion says yet, just some of the court and all the guards who matter, and Attolia and the attendants). And if he went openly and suddenly Nahusaresh was suspected of [whatever] and Gen were there at, coincidentally, the same time, he emperor could possibly decide that these things were related, and do something violent and bad in response.

This is disorganized and poorly said, and oh good lord it is not Irish history and I have 2 hours.

*studies madly*

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Good points, but Gen and Costis are learning the language and I think they will go to Medea somehow. Who could Gen trust to send in his place? He couldn't even trust anyone enough to hide Costis in the hinterlands (I LOVE that word) for him.

[peggy-2.livejournal.com]

I think it makes a lot of sense, and Costis would be integral to the plot, and the one doing any traveling. Gen wouldn't even need to frame Nahusaresh - I'm sure N will be plotting on his own, and Gen will simply point it out to the others in some clever way.

[traboule.livejournal.com]

That sounds like a great idea! It's typically Gen and very much in the spirit of the hard-core plotting turn the books have taken. I like it a lot, actually.

It's also in the spirit of the Classical setting.

Now I'm wondering if N. might really be setting up a coup, and what the possibilities are that the Attolians might find themselves working with a disenfanchised Mede of some variety. Either that or we're going to see some Alexandrine conquest from Gen - who looks more and more like Alexander the more I think about him.

[aspectabund.livejournal.com]

Not bad, not bad. But it also sounds a bit strange, I mean, a king going anywhere without a humongous escort? I realize that you want him to run away all thief-like and take Costis with him, but he's a KING, one that has only just been accepted by SOME of his country. He can't go running off with only Costis, it'd have to be all official and acceptable, because that's how politics work.

And anyway, getting rid of Nah's just forestalling the inevitable. So Nah's outta the way, revenge is complete, all are happy, and WHOOP! Forgot about the Mede army. *deaded*

For some reason, I kinda think we'll get a bit of Sophos perspective in the next book. I mean, we've been moving further and further away from Gen's perspective in the narration with each successive book. And Gen isn't really in much of a position to run away to do anything at the moment, what with having one hand, being a king, and being married (lol). Sophos could have an interesting character progression too - I mean, you can't be held captive or be in hiding, at risk of being killed all the time, and not start losing some of that happy innocence. Besides, he's probably depressed because he hasn't seen the Magus for a while, and some of his relatives, like Gen, have probably been killed in the war from QoA. There are a whole range of things to do with Sophos, but rather limited in regards to Gen at the moment.

[traboule.livejournal.com]

Good call re. Sophos - it'd be nice to hear from him - although I wouldn't put it past Gen to sneak into Medea with no escort just for kicks.

Friend has a theory that Sophos is not, in fact, in captivity, but out in islands somewhere manning a pirate vessel. Not entirely plausible, but rather cool.

[aspectabund.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes! I remember that discussion - it happened on my request for fanart suggestions I ought to do, as a matter of fact. Same place where we discussed Sounis' fanfiction he's been writing while being neglected story-wise, edited by his Magus. XD Good times.

[(Anonymous)]

I have noticed that all three books start (or nearly start) with one of the characters being locked up. I think it is perfectly resonable to think that the next book will take Sophos's point of view into consideration. I also think he will be in the first chapter.

[bluestalking.livejournal.com]

Ooooh that would be fantastic.

[aged-crone.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a splendid idea. I'm with those who don't think Eugenides would go himself; but I can see poor Costis in some nerve-wracking situation in Medea, mentally cursing Thieves, Kings, and Eddisians.

[ilysia-039.livejournal.com]

Yes, I suppose he couldn't actually go himself, but I still have this huge desire to see him out doing thievish things.

[(Anonymous)]

Look at how he moves around inside his own palace. I don't think he's done with thievish things yet... :)

What an interesting theory, though...

~Feir Dearig

Sophos???

[puppeteergirl.livejournal.com]

Has anyone else speculated that perhaps Sounis was planning to kill Sophos and then choose a different heir, and Sophos had to run away or was "captured" by rebels? Another idea I had was perhaps the rebels convinced Sophos that his uncle wanted him dead, and that made Sophos go along with them.

Anyway, I definitely agree that Sophos has many more possibilities story-wise than Gen right now...and as much as I adore Gen and all that rot, I really hope we get to look in on Sophos soon.

About Gen leaving to Medea. The only way I can see Gen sneaking away to Medea (or anywhere away from court) is if he fakes his death or his capture or something, and hinting to Eddis of his plan beforehand, so the Eddisians don't freak out and go bonkers. If the general populace of Attolia doesn't particularly like Eugenides as king, then they wouldn't be worried. Probably would assume the the Queen got rid of him or something. The problem with that idea is the barons. They're always the wrench in the works. Annoying buggers.
I'd like to see Gen sneak away from court, and I'd like to see him in some outrageous disguise, like a member of a circus or a button merchant or something like that.

Brainstorming is fun!

P.s. How do most of you pronounce Medea? Mee-dee-uh or Meh-day-uh? Or something else?

Re: Sophos???

[smills47.livejournal.com]

The only thing I'm sure as sure of is that Sophos canNOT be dead.

I don't see Gen sneaking away from court, to Medea or anywhere, now that he's King. He could have done when he was the Thief, but now all the world knows what the King of Attolia looks like -- a little guy with a leaf-shaped scar on his cheek and a hook for a right hand. He'd be pretty hard to disguise, wouldn't he? I think that's why he's making sure Costis learns to speak proper Medean, because he intends to send him there instead.

Mee-dee-uh or Meh-day-uh? Or something else?

That sounds like the beginning of a song, "You say Mee-dee-uh, I say Meh-day-uh..." :) For what it's worth, I've been pronouncing it Mee-DEE-uh.

Afterthought!

[smills47.livejournal.com]

Scarred face, hook for a hand -- if Gen were to disguise himself as a pirate(!), those attributes might even be part of the disguise, mightn't they?

[puppeteergirl.livejournal.com]

He could claim that he was a soldier (hehe) and that he lost his hand in a war. The scar on his face probably isn't common knowledge.

[bluestalking.livejournal.com]

Is Sophos in Medea?

[aspectabund.livejournal.com]

Eh, Sophos is MIA, assumed to be captured by Medes. Whether those Medes are in cahoots with the Emperor, or are simply some hooligans stirring up trouble remains to be seen. Or, indeed, whether he is actually IN Medea. Or, option c) captured by pirates.

[(Anonymous)]

Could Sophos possibly be in Ferria?(Or wherever Dite is) Dite could somehow find out about him, and he could go to Attolia...

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

That's an intriguing idea...