Eddis, Attolia, Sounis

I agree.

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jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com

...someone has beat me to the witty ogling quip.

...

*bows her head in shame*

anyway, I totally second this comment.

My real opinion lies somewhere below--I thought it was that she meant both that he was a better king than he pretended to be...and I think maybe he guessed a little at how the he felt about the queen.

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jyms.livejournal.com

because Gen is totally worth saving, duh. XD

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I've gotta say, I just love Lady Heiro, and I hope we'll see more of her. She is obviously one smart cookie, and someone who, like Gen, is being constantly underestimated by those around her. She's playing her own role -- the useless, unattractive younger sister -- while,unbeknownst to her father, she knows exactly what's going on around her. And it's all because she READS PLAYS! I think she is largely ignored, observes things very closely, and has a great deal of insight into human nature. I think she sized Gen up right away. Maybe she's even a little in love with him. But the main thing is, she struck me as being Gen's counterpart. "Do you know," he asks her, "I heard someone describe you as artless?" She says, "I don't know what you're talking about," and he answers, "Neither did he." She's on to him -- he's on to her.

* * *At the end of KoA, Gen says to Teleus, "The truth is always right in front of you to see." It's just that Heiro is the only one who hasn't been distracted by Gen's sleight-of-hand.

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But...

Did she only see him as good for the country? Or did she have ogling eyes?

I agree with Avian that she knew what was going on with her father and sister, and didn't think Gen could know. Like Jade, I think she guessed about the king and queen's relationship, too.

How about this: who did you like better? Heiro or Agape?

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Heiro! Obviously.

My personal opinion is that she has a crush on Gen, but knows he isn't going to reciprocate. After all, they would seem to have more in common than Gen and the Queen.

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And I much preferred Agape. She struck me as very clever, and hid behind her sweetness and wit. She could handle Gen like few others could, and her personality just sparkled off the page.

I liked Gen and Heiro's discussion, though, when she offered to introduce him to her "pretty" friend, and he replied, "I like pretty girls." A euphemism for supporter-of-the-king.

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sprite6.livejournal.com

This is a great assessment. I think you've got her pegged.

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rowana.livejournal.com

I agree, I think you've put it perfectly Philia.

It would be wonderful to see more of her character in the next book.

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rowana.livejournal.com

I preferred Heiro too. She struck me as being more interesting for some reason - or maybe it was that I can see her playing a role in future books whereas I never saw Agape as a potential wife for Gen.

I agree with Philia's assessment - I think she might have a bit of a crush on Gen, but she isn't unintelligent.

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rowana.livejournal.com

I liked Gen and Heiro's discussion, though, when she offered to introduce him to her "pretty" friend, and he replied, "I like pretty girls." A euphemism for supporter-of-the-king.

*blinks* I absolutely did not pick up on this and now I can't believe that I missed it.

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That's interesting, Checkers. I didn't find Agape that appealing -- she seemed awfully perfect, like a mini-Eddis. Whereas Heiro intrigues me because we know so little about her. She obviously has secrets and conflicts and that very appealing thing of being considered unattractive (because so many of us, rightly or wrongly, relate to this). So as a character she strikes me as having much more potential.

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Another thought about "seeing" --p. 96 in KoA, after Attolia's "Take my wine" bit, Ornon: "That one, he thought,looking at the courtier's white face, had looked Eugenides in the eye. He knew how near disaster he had been." There are always stray people who actually do see Eugenides for what he is, at least partly (think of Pol in The Thief). Gen counts on others being so wrapped up in their own agendas and assumptions that they don't look at what is right in front of them.

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Another Lady Heiro question is: when the King and Heiro talked "in low voices" after the assassination attempt and the fight with the Queen, what exactly do you think was said?

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I liked Gen and Heiro's discussion, though, when she offered to introduce him to her "pretty" friend, and he replied, "I like pretty girls." A euphemism for supporter-of-the-king.

I thought it simply would be more believable if she was a pretty (and supportive) friend rather than a non-pretty one. The idea was to give the impression of potential mistresses. And Gen does flirt quite outrageously, in his casual and off-hand manner.

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Those who have had their eyes opened can never convince others to take Gen seriously however. Even his attendants, after the Fall of the House of Eurondites, were laughed at for thinking Gen a force to be reckoned with.

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Until then, Gen knew Sejanus was up to something, but not what. I think Heiro told him that Sejanus had directed the assassins and gave him details. That was the proof he didn't want to bring into the light of day, so he got Sejanus to confess to the bogus charge of poisoning the lethium. Then he didn't have to involve Heiro in it. But I was never certain of all that. What does everyone else think?

If that's not correct, then WHY did Gen have Sejanus confess to the poisoning and not the assassination attempt that he was actually guilty of? Was that the only way to get both Sejanus and Dite--and the house of Erondites--in one swoop?

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That's what I thought, too (the proof he didn't want to bring to light involving Heiro), but of course he also said he saw Sejanus directing the assassins when he was in the garden. You have to wonder how Heiro learned details -- see, she really is sneaky! I also wondered if Gen asked her to get the poison for him, but I don't know if she would have been able to do that or not.

This is why I want more Lady Heiro -- I want to know exactly how much she did for Gen and what she's capable of.

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crazyviolin.livejournal.com

See I assumed somethng different. I thought that when she said 'because I have eyes in my head' that she was helping Gen because he was nice to her and very few poeple were. So she could see that he was actually a nice kind person and 'worth saving'.

Oh well. Never mind. The other suggestions make more sense now that I've thought about it.

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Thanks, Philia, I see Heiro differently now. She struck me as smart but drab and a victim of her family. Now you have me wondering whether she is more. Though I suppose Gen proves she is with the maneuver to get him to dance with her.

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