Gen and Irene's children

[emmaco.livejournal.com]

Hi everyone! I'm a long time MWT fan and was delighted to find this community. I haven't had time to read everything but have really enjoyed lots of your discussions.

I read King of Attolia a few weeks ago and loved it (my posts are here and here). One of my thoughts afterwards was that I have problems imagining Gen and Irene having children. I assume they will seeing as they are part of a hereditary monarchy, but still can't picture either their children or how they'd act as parents. From the comments on my personal journal it seems that other people don't have this problem and would love to see Gen and Irene's children. What do you think?

Comments

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Part of me would really hate the whole children thing in the books. However, I have perfect faith in Megan handling it admirably.

I can't decide whether Gen would be an indulgent father or a reincarnation of his own father. Remember at the end of KoA when he was shouting harsh instructions to Costis as they sparred? I kept hearing his father there. I wondered if he was repeating what he had heard as a kid when learning to swordfight.

If Gen had a little Attolia-like girl I think she would wrap him around her finger. I think they both would be very hard on a little boy, though. All those expectations of him being the future king.

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Oh, and emmaco, welcome! I'm glad you came and posted this question. I've been wondering it, too.

[thnidu.livejournal.com]

"I wondered if he was repeating what he had heard as a kid when learning to swordfight."

Yeah, he was. At least, my lady dunkelpig found it obvious. I haven't read the first two books in years -- roughly, I guess, since shortly after QOA came out -- so she keeps telling me X, Y, or Z is obvious when I've forgotten what it refers back to. Gotta catch up. (But first, catch up on sleep.)

"Gen," she says, "will channel the best of what he knows, and certainly if he's going to teach Costis or his own children or anyone else to fence he'll channel his own father. That doesn't make him a bad teacher or parent. Just as the grandfather who trained him as Thief had to be a strict and exacting taskmaster, or he'd have been dead."

Smart lady.

-- I know our own daughter had me wrapped around her little finger from the day she was born. Literally. I walked her up and down the delivery room singing to her, and she was looking at me with those big eyes thinking, "Hmm, who is this and what can I do with him?"

[dh684.livejournal.com]

I think they would also be aware that the line of succession can change at any moment given that Eddis and Attolia both came into their respective thrones unexpectedly.

I think Irene would wish her daughters to have a less straitlaced/sheltered upbringing.

[rowana.livejournal.com]

Part of me would really hate the whole children thing in the books. However, I have perfect faith in Megan handling it admirably.

*seconds this*

I can't see either Gen or Irene being wonderful parents. The again, they'd probably learn as they went along, the way most parents do. I can't think of any way either of them cold have had much contact with children before, so they'd probably fall back on their own childhoods. I agree, they'd both be harder on a boy. I also agree with ,dh684, I think Irene would want a girl to have a lot more freedom than she did as a child. Or perhaps not. *considers*

Good question emmaco!

[anon8.livejournal.com]

Then again, Gen had so many cousins and siblings, he must have gotten drafted to babysit younger cousins, nieces/nephews some time. And he's a good storyteller...

[rowana.livejournal.com]

That's true. I guess I was just thinking in terms of the emphasis put on the isolation his training gave. It's interesting how Gen's family (beyond Eddis and his father) are never much mentioned.