Pride of Princes - Part Four, Chapter Three

[kalinara]

So last time, Corin made it to Erinn and rescued Aileen, his brother's fiancee. She's kind of been a missing piece of the puzzle so far - mentioned often, but this is the first time we actually get to meet the woman.



So last chapter ended with Corin wondering what his staid, uptight older brother would think of his wild Erinnish bride. But I think the first paragraph here kind of mitigates that already:

Although Aileen struck Corin as an unaffected, uninhibited girl, she was also a princess and well understood the responsibilities of rank. Once within the towering walls of Liam's fortress, Corin and Boyne were shown to guest chambers to refresh themselves before the meal. It took neither of them long—Corin bathed and put on fresh leathers, Boyne bathed and put on his well-worn flamboyant silks because he had nothing else—and then they were escorted into a private hall made ready for the evening meal.

Brennan's own wildness is debatable (considering how much trouble he got into in his own right!) but I think he can probably respect someone who, though "uninhibited", can pull herself together and carry out the responsibilities of rank.

Hell, it's more than we've seen from Hart or Corin, after all.

Corin is particularly impressed in a way that seems almost insulting:

Corin was impressed. Both his father and Deirdre had said Liam was not a man much concerned with show, preferring simplicity over elaboration, and Kilore itself reflected the tastes of simple men. But in a short amount of time Aileen had ordered her guests treated with the utmost respect and hospitality, the meal and hall prepared, and her servants had quickly complied.

Simple doesn't mean barbaric, dude. You can serve simple fare while still following rules of etiquette. And indeed, the meal sounds quite nice: platters covered in silver, servants neatly attired in green. And then Aileen makes her entrance:

Gone was the fisher girl in homespun wool and knee boots, with unruly red hair an unbound mass of tangles.

In her place was the Princess of Erinn, gowned and garbed appropriately. And yet she maintained a simplicity in dress and manner, for there were no jewels or haughty ways, merely a simple green gown, a slender fillet of gold threaded through shining hair now free of snarls, and a wide, impish smile.

Boyne gapes and stutters, she waits until it becomes clear that he can't continue, then laughs and bids them to sit. For some reason, this causes Kiri to commend her manners.

I mean, I guess, it doesn't seem like complex etiquette. Corin takes it a different way though:

Corin put a hand down as he sat and passed it through the vixen's ruff. As always, the touch soothed him. Do you judge her in Brennan's place?

I merely comment. Kiri settled her rump on the floor next to Corin's chair and curled tail fastidiously around black paws.

I'm picking up an undercurrent here. And compliments to Roberson, because it's reasonably subtle at the moment. But Corin's brought up Brennan twice now in the context of Aileen - he's suddenly got a brand new reason to be jealous of his older brother.

I sometimes wonder if the story wouldn't have worked better if, rather than split the narratives off entirely like she does, Roberson had interspersed them instead. It might have been interesting to see the development of Brennan and Rhiannon's interaction alongside Corin and Aileen's.

But I do get why she didn't. For one, it would really confuse the timeline something awful. Remember, Brennan's section took place a month into the boys' exile. Hart's took place about three months in, if I remember correctly. Given the length of time that it took for Niall to get to Erinn to begin with, we have to be quite a while after that already.

It's less of a concern when we look at the storylines separately, but eventually the storylines are going to recombine. The lengths of time might well be significant then.

So anyway, Aileen says they'll eat first, then she'll be asking them a lot of questions. Fair enough. We're told the meal is superb, especially after "weeks" of ship's stores. Maybe I'm wrong about the timeline then. I don't THINK so, though. But we can watch for more details to confirm.

Corin, prince that he is, does pretty well. His table manners "reassert[ing] themselves after the long voyage". Poor Boyne is a peasant type though:

He quaffed wine freely, consumed incredible amounts of rare beef, partridge, eel, oysters, and a variety of fish. Corin and Aileen, with more refined appetites, finished long before the captain, and exchanged amused grins as Boyne continued his culinary attack.

At last he shoved his platter away and belched contentedly. "Aye, lass—lady—'twas a meal fit for a lord. My belly is in the way of being grateful."

I'm not sure what I think of the idea that these royals are "amused" at Boyne here. If nothing else, when exactly will he ever have the chance to eat like this again?

Anyway, apparently this is only the beginning of Aileen's gratitude. She leads them to an antechamber that reminds Corin of Deirdre's solar. Anyway, she recognizes that they hadn't rescued her in hopes of a reward (since she was disguised as a fisher girl and all), but she insists they take them anyway, and forbids them from "modest refusal" since they wouldn't be saying them to her father.

I really like Aileen! She's fun!

Anyway, the reward is two-fold: pouches and the insistence that they spend the night. Aileen notices that Boyne looks a little unhappy and recognizes the problem immediately:

"And as a measure of more personal thanks, a kiss."

On tiptoe she still had to urge him to bend, and kissed him squarely on the cheek when he acquiesced. Boyne turned scarlet.

Aileen laughed and stepped away. "Off with ye, captain, I'm no blind fool; you've been at sea a long time, and no doubt you'd rather be spending the night with a lady. Well, 'tis a host's responsibility to provide hospitality, woman or no; I think you'll be pleased with the girl."

Boyne's color deepened. "Lass—"

"In my father's place, I am host," Aileen said cheerfully. "I know my duties, captain."

Um!

That looks pretty bad! Corin also think it looks bad...though not for the same reason:

"No, no, but—" Suddenly uncomfortable, he shrugged. "It—seems odd to think of a woman sending a man a girl to share his bed."

Dude, it wouldn't be okay if Liam did it either!!!

Aileen explains though that a) she's from a family of lusty, plain-speaking men, so she "knows a man's needs", and b) and FAR MORE IMPORTANTLY, the girl in question ("Moira") wanted to sleep with Boyne and had told Aileen so as Aileen bathed.

Okay! Roberson found the one version of this scenario that manages not to be all that skeevy! And I really appreciate that Aileen says the girl's name. It's a little touch, but it makes it clear that for all that Moira's not an on-page character, she's a person to Aileen!

Corin asks about himself: will she tend his needs too?

Aileen notes that Boyne was easy to predict, but Corin isn't. And she's never met a Cheysuli before.

It does seem a little weird that they've never made a family visit to Deirdre's home. But then, I suppose, it makes sense. Niall likely wouldn't have been able to take too much time away, and except for Maeve, they're not actually her blood children. But given that there are two engagements in the family - and Aileen, especially, will be marrying into a culturally Cheysuli family, it seems like a trip might have been warranted.

Heck, maybe Keely wouldn't be quite as antagonistic to the marriage if she actually got to meet Sean. Brennan might not have been as distracted by Rhiannon if he knew Aileen as a person rather than just a name! Or maybe not. They make their own choices. But I still feel like it might have helped.

Anyway, Corin says he can't accept her reward, since, for a "kinsman", to do less than what he did would have been unconscionable.

That gets her attention, of course. And this is where we get another hint that Roberson forgot her family tree.

She pursed her lips thoughtfully. And then shook her head. "But we're not kin. Through my aunt we would be, but Niall and Deirdre are not wed." Her expression was cool. "He holds to Gisella, does he not?"

I like the thought that the Erinnish side of the family is not all that pleased by Deirdre's situation. It's part of the reason this second betrothal is happening after all: A promise to Shea that even if his daughter couldn't be Queen of Homana, his granddaughter would.

But the thing is, they ARE kin. Deirdre and Liam are the children of Alaric's sister! They're first cousins to Gisella. Second cousins! And those still counted in medieval times, so they should count here too.

Corin just says his father holds to the laws of Homana, honoring the laws of the land he rules, just like Aileen is honoring the customs of hospitality. I don't think the comparison is quite apt, but it IS true that Niall isn't above the law.

(It does make an interesting contrast to another character's situation in a book or two. But I think that's an example of period specific sexism/hypocrisy rather than Roberson being inconsistent. Too many spoilers for now, but I'll talk about it when we get there.)

Anyway, Corin finds that he can't bring himself to tell her that the business concerns her betrothal to Brennan. He just says he has to speak to the Lord of Erinn.

Aileen accepts that, but reminds him of what she'd said before: Liam's on the other side of the island. He might be back tomorrow or in a month. Sean's also gone - he's got a new ship, the...oh dear...the "Princess of Homana". He'll be back by spring.

Her eyes were steady. "In time to have Liam write the Mujhar about the betrothal between son and daughter."

Eep. Remember how Corin spent most of his first chapter snickering at the idea of his sister being raped in her marriage bed and then developed sympathy and vowed to talk to her family...

Corin drank hastily to cover the rigid expression on his face. He could not very well tell Aileen his sister wanted no part of her brother; it would be rude as well as an insult. Plainspeaking she might be, and Liam, but in negotiations between the royal houses such bluntness was deemed unwise.

Hmm.

Well, to be fair, he's not breaking that vow yet. There's really no point in bitching to Aileen, since she's not the ruler who has the authority to make or break a betrothal. But what will he say to Liam on his sister's behalf if not the truth?

Aileen is curious about Kiri, who she finds lovely. She admits that she knows of Cheysuli, of course, but not about lir. Niall hadn't had one when he came as a guest, after all.

This bit, I like:

"Guest?" Corin grinned. "You bend the truth, Aileen. My father was held hostage against Alaric of Atvia."

She laughed ruefully. "Aye, aye, hostage then, but will you be telling me he lost by it? In the end he got his Atvian wife, but he got my aunt as well. And a bastard daughter."

As captivity goes, he has suffered worse, admittedly.

Corin lets his issues show here, though, when he says that Maeve is his favorite child.

Aileen's brows rose. "You are not?"

"Hardly." Corin felt the familiar bitterness rising. "Maeve is Deirdre come again; my father adores his Erinnish meijha, and the daughter as well. As for me, I come last in his regard."

"Why?" Aileen frowned. "Why do you rank your brothers and sisters? Does he not love you all equally?"

"There is little to love in me." Corin blocked out her face with the goblet, drinking deeply. "Equally? No." He shrugged, "There is Brennan, who is the heir to Homana and therefore the most important of us all."

I mean, he shouldn't be. The whole peaceful kingdom relationship thing means that all three boys should be really fucking important. But it seems clear that Hart and Corin never bothered to consider that part.

I feel like I might sympathize more with Corin's jealousy over his brother's position if we were told that he ever did anything to try to prove himself more worthy of it. We know that Brennan attended council meetings and assisted their father. We know that Hart and Corin didn't. But why not?

If Corin's position is that he's just as deserving of Homana, but for the unfairness of birth order, then he should prove it. As it is, all three boys benefit from an accident of birth. Why should I care that any of these over-privileged, under-deserving twits are treated "unfairly" if only one of them is apparently putting any work into doing their job properly?

I might have mentioned that I'm not much of a monarchist at heart. I don't mind stories of kings or queens, but what interests me is in seeing the person grow into their position and learn to use their power/authority properly (or not as the case may be). Bloodline or birth is just one possible narrative mechanism for the character to get there.

That said, it may sound like I dislike Corin here. I actually don't. He didn't make the best first impression in chapter one, but he hasn't been that bad since. I don't like him as much as I liked Brennan, but he doesn't make me want to bang my head into the wall like Hart, so far, so good.

Corin elaborates on his self-worth issues:

Though he tried, for her sake, to mask the resentment in his tone when he spoke of Brennan, he heard its echo regardless. Quickly, he went on. "There is Maeve, dutiful daughter of his beloved meijha. And Hart, who is as good-natured as he is irresponsible, and impossible to dislike." He smiled. "And Keely, impetuous, passionate Keely, who tests his patience with her wild ways, and yet pleases him with her spirit. As for me," Corin shrugged, "I am, perhaps, my own worst enemy . . . but I cannot help it.” He looked at her over the rim of his goblet, seeing himself through her eyes, and found he did not like it. But he did not look away. "There are times I hate myself, and therefore I make it easy for others to hate me."

Aileen looked straight back at him. "Then 'tis up to you to change it."

He waited for the upsurge of anger or resentment. It was a solution others had suggested many times, and each time it had made him blacker of temper than ever.

But before Aileen, he found himself regretting his contrary moodiness for the first time. And sincerely desiring to change it.

That's probably because Aileen is hot, dude.

Corin notes that he's said more to Aileen than anyone except Keely, and Keely supports him half the time instead of suggesting improvement. Whoa. Is this a NEGATIVE comparison for Keely? Some implicit criticism that isn't just "she's too much of a main character to be like other girls!"

"It does a person no good to abet his insecurities," Aileen said flatly. "My brother is the proudest, most honorable man you could ever meet, and yet he's hot-tempered and hasty as well, and equally plainspoken. If I stood by him when he is wrong, nodding and 'ayeing' and buttressing his flank, I'd be doing him a greater injustice than Sean his victim." Her tone was one of understanding courtesy, and yet there was also an inflexible note of determination. "I'd make of him a tyrant, believing in only himself withoutgranting others the right to disagreement or other forms of self-expression . . . and 'tis a poor man that makes."

Corin laughed sourly. "My father has said as much, and Brennan as well. . . but it makes more sense coming from you."

Aileen says it's usually the way of it. She's big on the idea of listening to kin, and letting them "show you what you are and what you do, so you give others no opportunity".

Aw. The Erinnish royal family sounds far healthier than the Homanan one.

...but it does make some sense. And I think the failing she mentions here actually fits all three brothers, in different ways. Brennan's too busy trying to overcompensate for perceived weakness to open up to the others to allow them to give him something to listen to. Hart's not willing to stand up and be noticed, and thus, instead slips through the cracks - hence no one actually realizing the severity of his issues and addictions. And Corin, while more open than his brothers, is too defensive and defiant to listen to what anyone has to say.

Now there's been some subtle hints as to a growing problem, so let's make it overt:

He grinned and rubbed at an eye, "Gods, but you are good for me. Brennan is fortunate—" And he broke off, realizing that yet again his brother would take precedence over him. And this time, this time particularly, he resented it badly. More than ever before.

Oh dear.

The realization makes Corin rigid and snappish. He excuses himself, very abruptly, to get some sleep. Aileen, rather understandably, is bewildered and offended by his rudeness. She dismisses him.

Corin dreams:

He was a child again, in his dream, overlooked because of his age. Around him the women gossiped, cluck-ing over the latest of Harts habitual pranks or Keely's willfulness; praising Maeve's sweet temper and Brennan's maturity. But they said nothing of him, nothing of Corin at all.

In his dream he heard their praises, and Brennan—Brennan—Brennan.

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia...

Sorry. That can't be accidental though.

And we get some psychoanalysis here:

Older now, but no less overlooked unless he made them look. And he did, whenever he could, using wits and willfulness, forcing the women to look, to see, to hear, even if the result was punishment, because then its name was Corin . . . then they spoke his name. Even if cursing it.

Asleep, he reached for Kiri, who heard him whenever he spoke. And even when he did not.

In the dream, he was himself, no longer a child but the Corin he saw every day when he looked in the polished plate. And suddenly he was the polished plate; he saw himself, as if he were someone else entirely, outside looking in, and the Corin he saw was a stranger.

And just in case this is all too subtle:

But not a stranger at all. Corin stood in the Great Hall, before the Lion Throne, facing the Mujhar of Homana, the man who had sired him. Alone, he faced him . . . and then he was not alone, for with him was a woman, a slim, red-haired woman with eyes clear and green as emeralds—green as Erinnish turf—and the woman's hand was in his hand, and she faced the Mujhar, as he did, and together they recited the private Cheysuli vows that bound a warrior and his woman.

Bound . . . bound . . . bound—

—Until Brennan stepped out of the shadows and tore Aileen's hand out of his.

"No!" Corin cried. "No—not again!”

Um, I'd just like to point out that you only JUST met this girl, Corin. And you have no idea what HER feelings are about any of this. Maybe you should find that out before you decide to be the Scar to your brother's Mufasa? Just sayin'.

But that's for a later chapter. This one ends here.