A CoK Theory (super minor spoilers)

[lylassandra.livejournal.com]

Ok, so I may be totally off base, and I really hope I am... but I have a wonder about the physicians' duel in CoK. Why did Gen ask to see Galen? Why is everyone worried about the king's health?

Now, granted, he just survived an assassination attempt, and everyone should worry about the health of their king since the security of their nation depends on it, but... I wonder if Attolia and Gen are having trouble producing an heir.

Now, obviously that would create huge problems in Attolia and rob us all of the joy of watching little Gens and Irenes, and I am probably reading too much into three sentences or whatever, but... does anyone else wonder this?

Comments

[drashizu.livejournal.com]

Interesting theory.

Well, first off, as for reading too much into it, absolutely not! MWT spent those 3 sentences (or whatever) describing an issue that has the potential to become politically relevant in later books. MWT. It absolutely matters.

The question is what it *is*! Personally, I got the impression Gen had some sort of clinging sickness caused by his sleep deprivation (because of the nighttime adventures), stress, past injuries, and possibly sandy diet (or, if he avoids eating the sandy foot, malnutrition). But your theory is way more creative than that, since it combines two different plot threads into one issue.

Would the physicians be making Gen drink herbal wines if to help with fertility? Is Irene drinking the same sorts of things but Sophos just doesn't notice? Now I'm wondering, since I don't know anything about what Renaissance doctors thought about the reproductive system! What I do know is, I definitely want to see what Gen and Irene's kids would look like, so this is a troubling prospect...

[hapaxnym.livejournal.com]

FWIW, lack of children in Renaissance times was almost always attributed to female "barrenness", not male fertility problems. Indeed, if you're talking about a monarch, suggesting that he might have difficulty fathering a child was often considered tantamount to treason.

Unless Attolia had already demonstrated her fertility with an existing child, it would be very unlikely that any Renaissance physician would think of treating the potential father first.

(This is all assuming that MWT's physicians were similar to "our" Renaissance physicians)

I tend to lean towards the theory that the wine is some sort of prophylactic poisoning antidote "in advance", or even actual poison, building up immunity (iocaine, anybody?) But that's just because I like Gen to be sneaky like that.

[finding-further.livejournal.com]

Iocane. Princess Bride. Brilliant.

I like this theory a lot. It feels very much like something MWT would do.

[earthstar-moon.livejournal.com]

I LIKE this theory, because Gen building his immune system like that would be so Gen. ^_^

[ricardienne.livejournal.com]

oh brilliant theory! (If it turns out to be true, it will be particularly ironic in light of the snarking the Attolians were doing about heirs in CoA).

[lylassandra.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Perhaps the assassination is more likely after all?

[philia-fan.livejournal.com]

I assumed it was due to Gen's health being "broken" as Ornon says. And perhaps a cause for concern. Though Tiegirl pointed out that this seems to take place not very long after KoA, which would mean the assassination attempt was pretty darn recent, thus the continued doctor presence.

[philia-fan.livejournal.com]

But one never knows, do one?

[earthstar-moon.livejournal.com]

Another theory could be it's a plan for Gen to make it look like he's sick. Remember, this is the guy who was willing to make himself like like a stupid king in front of the barons. Yes, he's health has been broken, but it wouldn't surprise me he had the physicians fight with each so the Medes will think the King of Attolia is sick and once again under estimate him.

Also, about the person putting sand in Gen's food. Maybe the person is actually trying to help Gen and that's why he doesn't want Irene to get rid of him/her. I'm not sure how sand in your food would help. Maybe it's a warning of poison in the food, or maybe it's an old unknown tradition of wishing luck on the new ruler (yeah, I'm pushing it with that theory). I think there's more to it than just the person not liking Gen.

That's one thing you have to love about The Queen's Thief series, so many possibilities. ^_^

[twelfthfantasy.livejournal.com]

Oh I really hope you are right about Gen faking it. Those three sentences have terrified my sister and I.

[agh-4.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's really interesting about the possible-sand-helpfulness. I assumed it was just him being sneaky -- maybe even planning to use her ("Sandy," as Leslie said...) as a tool in the future, but hm...

[vega-ofthe-lyre.livejournal.com]

Gen's health issues were really conspicuous for me in CoK, as well. I can see it being a feint, or poisoning (though I can't see Gen not noticing that), or a huge problem down the road, or - like you say - this is an interesting idea as well. The fact that we haven't really heard much mention at all of any potential children from the Attolians is interesting; apart from Gen telling Costis he can maybe be captain to his heir one day if he's assassinated, they just don't mention it all. IDK, this is all going to shake out very interestingly!

[finding-further.livejournal.com]

Hmmmm... I don't know. It seems to me that, given the civil unrest and the potential war on the horizon with the Medes, Gen and Irene would be trying very hard NOT to have an heir right now. I mean, would you want to bring a little child into their world? It is so very unstable and dangerous. Look what happened to Sophos when he was heir of Sounis. I would think that Gen and Irene would not want to expose their child to the dangers of kidnapping, or worse, because they truly can't ensure his (or her) safety while all this craziness is going on. That said, I can see how MWT could use an heir (plotwise) to really bring down our heroes, and I hope that doesn't happen.

So, I prefer to think Gen's health is fragile and everyone is worried about him because he doesn't seem capable of taking care of himself very well. And I'm hoping we'll see an heir at the end of the series, when everything is stable and the Golden Era reigns.

[lylassandra.livejournal.com]

But those, unfortunately, are the concerns of people who are (going to be) solely parents. They're monarchs, and as Eddis, said, things are different for them. For all that a child of theirs would face, they have to have one anyway-- without a clear line of succession, Attolia will be no better off in a few years than it was when the queen was reaching the end of her resources. There will be too many weaknesses to exploit. If they don't have an heir, the Medes win.

Of course, I wouldn't blame them for putting it off a while...

[drashizu.livejournal.com]

That's true. Attolia does need to have an heir and if Gen and Irene both die, or if either one of them dies, really, Attolia's in for a rough time. On the other hand, a little kid heir wouldn't do them any good at all, and if both of them are going to get killed by the Medes within the next year anyway, they might as well not even start. Whereas if they can ward off the Medes *and* secure a bit more loyalty at home (my guess for the next book is it has to do with kicking a few of the more disloyal Attolian barons in the pants) then they might feel a lot safer about having a child. Right now, with so many enemies around them, a new heir wouldn't ensure the future of their throne, he or she would just be another weapon to be used against the parents.

[finding-further.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's how I see it. If the Attolia/Eddis/Sounis region loses the war against the Medes, an heir will be irrelevant. Plus, what better weapon to give your enemies than a little child who holds both soverigns' hearts? Which, of course, may be why we may see an heir in the next book. MWT doesn't flinch at doing terrible things to her characters.

But, I don't think the hot wine (with herbs) is a fertility treatment. If Gen had asked to see the physicians because he was wanting some help in that area, why would he take every opportunity to drop his wine glass, and avoid the treatment?

[coyul.livejournal.com]

I think part of it is him screwing with the physicians. They're both torturers according to him when he's screaming like a girl.

The rest is probably a combination of things. Recent assassination attempt, high stress job, iocane, sand (indigestion?) and just the fact that his health isn't what it used to be.

I like to think that Irene's probably already preggo and we just don't know yet. Would you announce that your queen is expecting a child when there are people wanting to royally screw your country? I think I'd want it kept under wraps as long as possible for safety of the child. IDK though.

[hazelwillow.livejournal.com]

This is an interesting theory! So is the idea that he's faking.

Personally, I believe Gen really is ill, because CoK, unlike CoA, is narrated by someone quite close to Gen, someone who is (occasionally) allowed under Gen's guard. Sophos wouldn't be getting the view the court and mede ambassador are. We can't know if Gen is trying to mis-lead the Medes, because we haven't seen him being obvious about his illness in public --talking about it with Sophos is pretty private. Also, the way he jumped and knocked the wine cup made me think he was truly feeling weak. I think, as we've been told before, his health was broken and so he tends to be sickly.

When I finished CoK I was immediately terrified that this was foreshadowing that Gen would die of illness. But my wise sister pointed out that if Gen dies, it will probably be by falling, not because of sickness. PHEW!!! I was reassured.

Of course, he could pull a Dumbledore and fall when he knows he's got a terminal illness anyway... But I also think his death would only happen if it somehow causes the defeat of the Medes.
All this to say, he may be more incapacitated by illness (its inclusion in CoK seems meaningful to me...), but I'm pretty sure he won't die by it.

[hazelwillow.livejournal.com]

*because of it, that is.

[allelujah.livejournal.com]

If you're using the third one as a support, then no. Gen and attolia keep their sex life under wraps and it's never been an issue they bring to the attention of (his) attendants much less to the point where physicians and everyone else need to know. Not to mention CoK and Koa cannot possibly be too far apart given text in the books. It cannot have been even 2 years, (I say maybe 1) and some people just don't conceive children quickly. It's why people say they're 'trying'. It just doesn't seem very plausible to me.


Fuuuurthermore, Gen is a young man. It is heavily stressed that Irene is a good few years older than him and so I doubt everyones concern would be placed in him. Cripple or not he's outright made a statement like "I won't leave that to my heirs", a line stated in a serious moment. So I'm going to say it sounds pretty off base to me, even if I don't know what I do believe otherwise.

[drashizu.livejournal.com]

That's another good point, that it's hardly been long enough to tell. QoA ended in the spring, KoA happened in the summer and CoK overlaps both Q and K and ends in the following spring. So if Gen and Irene got married immediately following the end of QoA, they've been married exactly 1 year.

[allelujah.livejournal.com]

Exactly

If we get into 3 yearish territory and it's mentioned, though..