Speaking of Relius, I was personally touched to see his almost religious devotion to Attolia in this book. From reading Qoa I was under the impression that no one was really that loyal to her, and they served her out of fear.
That surprised me too. But after thinking about it, I realized that in QoA we saw Attolia largely through her own eyes, and she didn't believe herself lovable. She says something to that effect to Eddis, and even asks Gen, "Who am I that you should love me?" And she was the last to know how Dite felt about her, which is remarkable from a woman whose entire life has revolved around watching the members of a court.
So I don't think she really understood that Relius and Teleus were loyal out of love for her. When she muses in QoA that she's content to have her life in Teleus's hand, it seems cool because she's thinking that he hasn't been captain long enough to be corrupted. But she really trusts him; she just can't conceive of that trust in any other way because she's learned to trust no one. It's Gen who makes her see that she's worthy of love, and she is loved, and that she loves in return.
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 3/26/06 04:45 pm (UTC)That surprised me too. But after thinking about it, I realized that in QoA we saw Attolia largely through her own eyes, and she didn't believe herself lovable. She says something to that effect to Eddis, and even asks Gen, "Who am I that you should love me?" And she was the last to know how Dite felt about her, which is remarkable from a woman whose entire life has revolved around watching the members of a court.
So I don't think she really understood that Relius and Teleus were loyal out of love for her. When she muses in QoA that she's content to have her life in Teleus's hand, it seems cool because she's thinking that he hasn't been captain long enough to be corrupted. But she really trusts him; she just can't conceive of that trust in any other way because she's learned to trust no one. It's Gen who makes her see that she's worthy of love, and she is loved, and that she loves in return.