Shadow Queen

[willow-41z.livejournal.com]

I was rereading Queen of Attolia yesterday, and came across the part where Irene's fiance calls her "shadow princess" and says that one day she will be a "shadow queen." And I remembered the concept of a shadow cabinet. Basically, in certain types of government, usually in the Commonwealth, the opposition party will form a "shadow government," sometimes with "shadow" versions of the official government offices. (Oh Brits and other members of the Commonwealth, please don't laugh at me too hard, and feel free to correct my explanation!) So Irene's fiance calling her the "shadow queen" is, in one way, very prescient, as she is his opposition.

Also, the part where Gen says "From shadow queen to puppet queen in one rule," how, I wonder, does he know that her fiance called her that...?

Comments

[violet-echoes.livejournal.com]

Huh. Never thought about it that way. That's really interesting!

In regards to Gen calling her "shadow queen/princess," I feel like that may have been the term that people referred to her as at the time when she was living with her fiance? With gossip and all that, especially about royalty/celebrities, there always seem to be nicknames that the media (or in this sense, the general population) picks up. I can't imagine why referring to the heir of Attolia as the "shadow princess" wouldn't make it's way to Eddis eventually. Right?

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I figured her fiance spread the word around and it got to Eddis. I can't imagine Gen doing that just on accident.

as for the first part of the whole thing, WHOA MIND IS BLOWN, WELL SPOTTED

[willow-41z.livejournal.com]

Oh, I didn't think it was an accident. I thought Gen might have heard it himself once, like he saw her dancing under the orange-trees. I mean, I can't imagine her fiance bringing the nickname up in casual conversation, really.

Probably he was too young and we would have heard about it if he'd snuck into her fiance's fortress. Probably...

[boxofpencils.livejournal.com]

interesting way to think about it :)

[deirdrej.livejournal.com]

OH, well spotted! (...as Hermione would say....). I love your point about a "shadow" government, Willow, and I didn't think of it!

But I think there's a simple reason why Gen would know what Irene's fiance called her. Remember, at the beginning of "Queen," we learn that he's been coming to the palace, and spying on the queen, for years. Then, in King (if not earlier), we find out that he has an amazing amount of knowledge about what all the barons are up to. Of course, some of this has been probably been imparted to him by Irene, during some of their private conversations. But remember, he has to use his special skills to converse with her at all, in any real way, and we see examples of his independent spying elsewhere in the book, too.

I'm pretty certain Gen would have heard what Irene's fiance called her "from the horses mouth," so to speak!

[willow-41z.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that was my theory, too. I just picked up on it this time around, though. I wonder what Irene thought?

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

lawlz, I was making the same quote in my head.

I'm still a proponent of the gossip theory...although I wouldn't doubt that he double-checked it from the horse's mouth.

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

I guess I assumed that Shadow Princess or Queen was a snide nickname many people used. After all, Irene went from someone of no importance to heir to the throne in a short time. Before that, people probably didn't know a thing about her. As soon as she replaced her brother as heir, her father gave her to be engaged to the baron's son and he was the one in the limelight. Everyone figured he'd be King and she would quietly let him rule. They couldn't have been more wrong, huh?

Shadow Princess

[(Anonymous)]

I assumed that he either saw/heard something during his many spying trips or that she told him the whole story - which would also be why he was afraid to drink from her cup.

[kaijuu-chan.livejournal.com]

It's quite simple.

Gen knows all.

[violet-echoes.livejournal.com]

My only beef with the "straight from the horse's mouth" thing, is that Attolia's... what, maybe early teens when she's engaged? We know she's held her throne for several years by Thief. And Thief-in-training or not, I can't see anyone letting a... what, 7-10 year old loose across state lines... sneaking into VERY enemy territory???

But then, kaijuu_chan is right as well, of course ;)

[filkferengi]

But he first came with his grandfather. Remember Gen thinking about how he's too big to use the crawl spaces he used as a child?

[spellcoats.livejournal.com]

Don't forget he's been stalking her for years.

Ah, true love.