I emailed Mrs. Turner!
Aug. 14th, 2011 11:54 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
queensthiefSo, many of us have long been puzzled by the Empress Irene of Athens question. The powerful women who ruthlessly and efficiently controlled Byzantine from 797-802 AD before she was dethroned and banished to live in dignified exile.
Ruthless and ambitious, she is widely suspected of having poisoned her husband...
Irene of Athens was one of the most ruthless, ambitious, and forceful women ever to hold a throne...
-From Answers.com
If that wasn't coincidence enough, she was also known by the familiar term baselius. No joke.
In order to bring all matters to light, I finally worked up the nerve to ask our dear authoress if her character was inspired by this remarkably similar women. After all, what's the worse she could do? Call me a nosy parker and banish me from Sounis? Okay, that's probably just my imagination.
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I wrote---
Hi Mrs. Turner,
You'd probably recognize me as a member of Sounis (ninedaysaqueen), and I'm emailing to first congratulate you on winning the LA Times Award (yay!), and second because I have a quick historical question about the series. Is Attolia, in anyway, based on Irene of Athens who ruled Byzantine from 797-802, or at the very least, named after her? They just seem so similar, it's hard to believe it's a coincidence.
I'd really appreciate your response. Thank you so much!
-ninedaysaqueen
She responded---
Whoa. I'm sorry it has taken so long to answer your message. I usually go through the e-mail
in batches and it has been more than usually hectic around here. And do you know what's worse?
I am totally not answering your question. Except maybe to say that the character is not named
after Irene of Athens. She's named after a boat. And a landlady in Greece.
Thanks for the Congrats and for putting up with me,
most uncooperative author ever,
Megan
I wrote---
I wrote---
A boat? Really? *is quite surprised* Mind if I tell Sounis? Several of us have been curious about the Empress Irene question.
Your very welcome! And thank you for answering my question!
-ninedaysaqueen
She responded---
Go ahead and puzzle the heck out of those poor people in Sounis with my best wishes!
Megan
ps. It was a rowboat.
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A boat? I should be surprised, but I'm really not. Keh... Now we know, Irene's namesake is a boat. A row boat to be specific. I'm sure Irene would be thrilled.
Gen: See? Look how well I planned our first date. I was only thinking of you, my dear.
Irene: ... We will never speak of this again. Understood?
Gen: Oh, of course. *snicker*
Irene: *sigh*
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Date: 8/14/11 05:17 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 8/15/11 12:47 pm (UTC)(a warship is a BIG step up from a sailboat!)
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Date: 8/14/11 09:12 pm (UTC)Gen: Look, honey! I even named it after you.
Irene: *glare*
Gen: What...? You don't like it? Oh, sorry. Touchy subject, isn't it? *wink*
Irene: Urg...
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Date: 8/15/11 04:08 pm (UTC)Gen: I will killz you! I mean it! Really! *rattles boat pole*
Attolia: I think not. You named your sailboat after me! You heart me!
Gen:
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Date: 8/16/11 06:31 am (UTC)Dahaahaaaa!
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Date: 8/15/11 01:28 am (UTC)b) named after the historical Irene?
And MWT says basically, "I'm going to be coy: Well, it's not option B..."
So is she or is she not confirming-without-confirming that A is true? And the corollary, that if it is true, will book!Irene also end up banished? Personally, I think she'd be a little relieved if she was forced into, er, retirement, and we all know Gen would go with her. Happily ever after, raising goats?
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Date: 8/15/11 02:30 am (UTC)Plus, she's probably reading this right now laughing like a maniac. I see what you did there, Mrs. Turner! You even invited me to be puzzled with your best wishes!
It's hard to tell how many parallel Megan may draw between book!Irene and RL!Irene. Empress Irene had a son, who she blinded to keep the throne, and she never managed to secure her throne, which lead to her exile. It's really hard to tell. We need book 5 soon! Hopefully before the New Horizons probe reaches Pluto!
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Date: 8/15/11 12:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 8/15/11 03:35 pm (UTC)She probably is! Anyway, if she is, I'm glad to have provided her some amusement :)
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Date: 8/15/11 04:40 pm (UTC)Okay who wants to go on a treasure hunt - scour the whole of Greece for a rowboat called The Irene? (While mwt lols her head off no doubt XD)
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Date: 8/16/11 10:26 pm (UTC)Random Guy: Honey go call the police, these people are nuts.
Yes that will definitly be sucessful
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Date: 8/16/11 04:27 am (UTC)... that's really interesting. I'd forgotten about THAT Irene, so I'm glad you brought it up again. I wonder if the landlady acted like Attolia, or if Attolia's named after her just to be named after her.
If it's the first, I dunno if I'd like to be a tenant there...
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Date: 8/16/11 06:35 am (UTC)Your welcome!
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Date: 8/16/11 10:54 pm (UTC)As usual the answer leaves us with a "Not telling" and more mystery! Yay (:
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Date: 8/17/11 12:51 am (UTC)seeing as how we might be barking up the wrong olive tree and all
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Date: 8/19/11 05:10 am (UTC)