Foreshadowing?

[peggy-2.livejournal.com]

There is a passage near the end of Queen of Attolia where Eddis and Attolia are having their heart to heart chat, and it comes to light Attolia is named "Irene", meaning Peace, and Eddis is "Helen", the beautiful woman the Trojan War was fought over.  They laugh at how inappropriately named they are.

Given the comments in KoA, about how Gen could be torn between conflicting loyalties to Eddis and Attolia, and Costis between Gen and Irene, do you think the passage from QoA is actually foreshadowing a war over Eddis, with peace through Attolia?

Comments

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

That could very likely happen. Attolia and Sounis have been fighting over the mountain pass through Eddis for a long time and both have wanted control of the country because of its location. Now the stakes are higher and both have additional reasons for wanting Eddis. Eugenides will want to protect his former country and his cousin, and he knows the volcano will eventually destroy Eddis. All his countrymen will need a new place to live. Sounis (funny--we don't know his name yet) wants to marry Helen and will be very afraid of the alliance between Eddis and Attolia. If Sophos returns, there may be pressure on Sounis if there is an alliance between Sophos and Helen.

I'll bet Gen will be torn between his loyalty to his old country and his new one. Irene has shown she'd do about anything for Attolia, and she and Gen may be at odds over the course of the country, with poor Costis caught in the middle.

What do you all think Costis would do if he were forced to choose between obeying the king or the queen? What if he discovered one of Eugenides's "stupid plans" and thought it might harm Attolia? Would he rat Gen out?

[rowana.livejournal.com]

Eugenides will want to protect his former country and his cousin, and he knows the volcano will eventually destroy Eddis.

I've been wondering what Helen meant when she said they would have time now to 'prepare' for it, though it isn't going to happen in their lifetimes.

If Sophos returns, there may be pressure on Sounis if there is an alliance between Sophos and Helen.

If Sophos returns, will Sounis be able to pass over him as heir if he does form an alliance with Helen? I can see Sounis giving up and marrying someone who's willing and having a son if Helen were married to someone else.

Poor Costis. I think he'd confront Gen if he discovered one of his plans and thought it might harm Attolia.

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

You and your harthdarth icons. *steals*

[willow-41z.livejournal.com]

I think it will be an issue eventually, but not right now. I thought that line was more an ironic reference to Helen's lack of traditional beauty in comparison with Irene's ironic lack of peacefulness.

[nutmeg3.livejournal.com]

That's all I thought it was, too. But then, I try not to try to predict things like this, because I always trip myself up by forgetting something and being totally and embarrassingly wrong.

[fabricalchemist.livejournal.com]

Wait, Gen has a theme song?

Gen's Theme

[peggy-2.livejournal.com]

I love to see the Bear back shaking ruffles! Halleluja,by Leonard Cohen. John Cale does a version, and there is another version on the Shrek soundtrack; there are apparently many others but I am not familiar with them. I find myself always thinking of Gen now when I hear the song, since it was suggested as his theme.

Re: Gen's Theme

[fabricalchemist.livejournal.com]

...hmm. It seems kind of emo and somber for Gen. I don't see it. Something a little more up-tempo is what I would imagine XD

Imogen Heap does a version as well, it looks like =D

Re: Gen's Theme

[peggy-2.livejournal.com]

I wasn't so sure when it was first suggested, but it has grown on me. Bits and pieces fit. I wish I could remember who some of the other artists were - some were pretty .... unexpected. More applicable to Gen in early QoA, I think, than KoA.

Re: Gen's Theme

[sandtree.livejournal.com]

k. d. lang's version is my personal favourite. :)

[sandtree.livejournal.com]

Oh man, I hope Sounis doesn't kidnap Helen... o_o'

[peggy-2.livejournal.com]

That would be an interesting twist for Gen to resolve. And given that the Mede Ambassador (whose name I cannot spell without the book handy) was behind the Sounis assassination attempt of Gen in KoA ... hmmm, that would be interesting! I bet Gen hates Sounis second only to the Mede Guy.

[sandtree.livejournal.com]

Maybe since the Mede Empire couldn't make Attolia its puppet, it'll try again with Sounis?

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

That's what I thought was happening with Sounis's civil war--the Mede had done something to stir it up.

(totally side note, I LOVED how much Gen hated Nahuseresh in QoA. that was hot.)

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

Before I read what everyone else has said, I would like to point out that it goes

"It means 'peace.' What could be more inappropriate than that?"

"That I be named Helen?" Eddis suggested.

The hard lines in the queen's face eased. Eddis was a far cry from the beauty whose face had launched a thousand ships.

I always thought that meant "if I were named Helen" which implied that Eddis's name was not Helen. And then in KoA it was. And that confused me. (Plus, it totally screwed over my mental fanfic's OC, who was also named Helen, and I had to find a new name for her, which hasn't happened yet. *grumbles*)

I just thought I'd point that out and wonder if anyone else caught the same thing.

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

Forgive my memorization skills. It actually goes
"It means 'peace,' " Attolia said. "What name could be more inappropriate?"
"That I be named Helen?" Eddis suggested.
The hard lines in Attolia's face eased, and she smiled. Eddis was a far cry from the woman whose beauty had started a war.

*is SO not working to memorize the entire novel...though she's got most of it pretty close*