I still haven't forgiven Irene for slapping Gen when he's injured and pathetic.
This was one of the things that really bothered me the first few times I read KoA. And by bothered, I mean I wrote an entire blog post angsting about it in my old LJ, lol. I'm currently doing a reread, and I just finished that chapter a few days ago, and for some reason, I found it more understandable this time around. I don't know if it's because I was expecting it, and I wasn't as shocked about it as before.
My interpretation this time around was based around those last two lines they exchanged before she slapped him. For most of the book so far, she's really been trying to get Gen to act more kingly, and to demonstrate his kingliness to the court. But he's been resisting. And for the first time, he's used his kingly status to reverse her decision publicly (at least if I remember correctly, it's the first time he did it publicly), and it had to be by reminding her of one of her biggest failures as a queen and human being. That's gotta be a slap in the face too for her (metaphorically speaking). And I think she was hurt, that when she needed his support most (she was just betrayed by her secretary of Archives *and* her captain of the guard), he takes that opportunity to remind her what a monster she actually is.
Of course as readers we know why Gen is trying to save Teleus. It's for her sake. I'm not sure if she completely understands that yet.
Anyway, that's just my interpretation. It changes every time I read the books. But there are still many things I don't understand. Like, why does Gen find it funny when Attolia offered him her wine? Why was Attolia so angry having to dance the Eddisan dance with Gen? What was the evidence against Sejanus that Gen didn't "want to bring to the light of day"?
Why is Gen so generous with his kindness?? (This has been a very, very confusing part of my reading this time around. In the past, I just took it for granted that he's kind, he's just that nice. But the scene in the prison cell with Relius? It was heavily implied that Relius tortured Gen in QoA, and yet... why is Gen so nice to him? Just for Irene's sake? What? I mean, obviously Gen's a better human being than me, because I'd be pretty apathetic about Relius and Teleus after all the grief they caused me if I were in his place.)
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Date: 4/7/17 12:57 pm (UTC)This was one of the things that really bothered me the first few times I read KoA. And by bothered, I mean I wrote an entire blog post angsting about it in my old LJ, lol. I'm currently doing a reread, and I just finished that chapter a few days ago, and for some reason, I found it more understandable this time around. I don't know if it's because I was expecting it, and I wasn't as shocked about it as before.
My interpretation this time around was based around those last two lines they exchanged before she slapped him. For most of the book so far, she's really been trying to get Gen to act more kingly, and to demonstrate his kingliness to the court. But he's been resisting. And for the first time, he's used his kingly status to reverse her decision publicly (at least if I remember correctly, it's the first time he did it publicly), and it had to be by reminding her of one of her biggest failures as a queen and human being. That's gotta be a slap in the face too for her (metaphorically speaking). And I think she was hurt, that when she needed his support most (she was just betrayed by her secretary of Archives *and* her captain of the guard), he takes that opportunity to remind her what a monster she actually is.
Of course as readers we know why Gen is trying to save Teleus. It's for her sake. I'm not sure if she completely understands that yet.
Anyway, that's just my interpretation. It changes every time I read the books. But there are still many things I don't understand. Like, why does Gen find it funny when Attolia offered him her wine? Why was Attolia so angry having to dance the Eddisan dance with Gen? What was the evidence against Sejanus that Gen didn't "want to bring to the light of day"?
Why is Gen so generous with his kindness?? (This has been a very, very confusing part of my reading this time around. In the past, I just took it for granted that he's kind, he's just that nice. But the scene in the prison cell with Relius? It was heavily implied that Relius tortured Gen in QoA, and yet... why is Gen so nice to him? Just for Irene's sake? What? I mean, obviously Gen's a better human being than me, because I'd be pretty apathetic about Relius and Teleus after all the grief they caused me if I were in his place.)