queensthief | Introduction and Questions!

Hello! I've been a fan of the series for a while and have been lurking around Sounis for some period of time now. After re-reading the series, I have some questions I was itching to ask, so I decided to finally post!

The questions I have are regarding KOA and I have three of them.
1. Gen's kiss to Relius when he brings Attolia to the infirmary always puzzled me. The dialogue and description of Gen saying, "Jealous?" then giving a kiss on the cheek to Relius without smiling was confusing to me. I don't know if he's subtly mentioning the crush Relius might have on Attolia, but the fact that MWT carefully mentioned that he wasn't smiling doesn't make sense. Thoughts?

2. I've always thought that the myths (or stories) that are told within the books (the ones told by Eddis and Phresine) add to the theme or reveal something we don't already know, but they don't seems to (the one in KOA especially). Am I overthinking it or maybe missing something? :)

3. This one has been bugging me incessantly for a while: why is Baron Susa so interested in whether Gen is homesick?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Welcome! We always love new questions!! :)

1. I kind of think of this as Gen making both Irene and Relius part of his family. He's not jealous of Relius' love for Irene, and I think it was to show Relius that (a) Gen didn't hold a grudge, and (b) that Gen forgave him for his part in "betraying" the Mede spies.

2. I think Phresine's story was about friendship, as well as responsibility, and if I'm not mistaken (I haven't read this particular one in a while) probably hiding who you are from others. When he went into the other town and won the tournament without revealing he was a prince was like Gen playing a fool while really pulling everyone's strings.

3. I never thought of it as Baran Susa caring if Gen was homesick as he wanted to know *what* Gen did with himself. But, if he did care about homesickness, he was probably trying to prove that Gen's heart still lay in Eddis, and not with matters in Attolia like it belonged.

Anyway, can't wait to see everybody else's responses, and welcome again!! :)

going off of your number three...I was actually thinking about this the other day, at the end of QoA Gen has the dream about the mountain exploding. While we all know that Gen married Attolia...just to marry her, it makes me think like what if he has some greater plans....for Eddis. I mean we know he's now looking out for Attolia, himself, against the Mede. But KoA doesn't quite mention Gen's "political" stance on Eddis. Moreover, we see that Eddis and Gen have made an alliance that sort of traps Sophos in aCoKs. Anyone think Gen might be planning to save Eddis all along (since QoA)?

Yes, I think you are spot-on with this. Gen has a whole bunch of motives, both personal and political, both honorable and selfish. Ever since the Magus told the story of his childhood and the wide-open spaces of Attolia and Sounis after the plague, and we learned about Gen and Helen's dream, I've suspected Gen and Eddis have a master plan of rescuing the Eddisians from the volcano. Don't they discuss it at some point--maybe in ACoK--or am I just referencing the fanfiction in my head?

Because the gods let the two of them know the future, it seems like even they want their chose people to be saved. Regardless, knowing Gen, there is no way he'd allow his countrypeople to die, after seeing it happen in his dreams. C'mon, King Attolis, you Annux, you. Save the world! You know you want to.

I like your comment about how the undercover tournament mission in the story reflects Gen's situation. Of course, Gen requests a story not about him and gets one almost exactly about him. Phresine is one crafty, insightful attendant :P

Introduction and Questions!

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