M

This line from chapter five of King's Rising is the cruelest quote in the series, and there's a lot of competition. This is Laurent reverting back to the very worst version of himself. By the third book we expect enough growth from him to feel contrition about abusing Damen, at a minimum. Instead he's worse than remorseless and sadistically toys with Damen's trauma in front of all their men. It's close to unforgivable. Honestly, it verges on monstrous.

Damen: I forgive him :)

(From Pacat’s M&G that took place on Feb 1, 2025, in Sydney)

Q: What are the key differences between Akielos and Vere, and between Laurent and Damen, in terms of their cultural and personal preconceptions? How do those preconceptions challenge or break down over the course of the story?

A: I tried to make it really clear in the books that, while Laurent is very intellectual and smart, he also excels physically. And Damen, though he’s physically strong, is just as intelligent, even more so in some areas. There are moments where Damen outsmarts Laurent—he’s more emotionally intelligent, more intellectually intelligent, he outmaneuvers him, and has sort of entire mental skillsets that Laurent doesnt have, like, war strategy. So, I tried to make sure that when we return to Akielos, we see it as more sophisticated than it first appears. Just because something seems simple doesn’t mean it’s unsophisticated.

That was my goal, but who knows whether it was successful or not.

Q: I definitely noticed that, especially with how you reveal that Akielos excels in textiles, and how their fabrics, though simple-looking, are actually high-quality.

A: Exactly! Akielos has a culture that values poetry, art, and mathematics in its own way—things we don’t really see from Vere. I wanted to show that, just as Damen’s preconceptions about Laurent break down over time, Laurent’s views on Akielos also change.

Q: I think the author’s intention is important in these discussions.