Oh yes, he's known for ages that Amina has a daughter, it's written all over her ambitions, just not a very interesting one

Why should this have anything to do with him?

Sexual intercourse leads to babies?? since when???

Behold ME, the Creator of Life

I must find this child so that it can serve me, its creator

I hate children, their ambitions are so... fluxy, it turns my stomach

Dalila: "To be fair, that is an easy task. You're a very temperamental woman."

The women of The adventures of Amina al-Sirafi' by Shannon Chakraborty

If you think Dunya is missing, please finish the book first :)

And If you think Payasam is missing: yes you are right and I am very sorry!

I listened to the audiobook at least 15 times by now!

I really want to draw the men next, but drawing men is not my strongsuit so bear with me!

Baybeee, he is saying he's gonna marry you

Grendel is the correct answer to everything

I need a IA swordfight tournament held at Gertrude Hunt

The candidates in the beginning are. The guy from the Garden, Reynald, Solentine and Lord Ballon (I only heard the audiobook and therefore sadly do not know how his name is written). And after their reveal, there are Everard and Arvel, respectively.

I expected the guy from the Garden to be someone, maybe the author, but I was pretty sure that he was no love interest, especially as the book went on. Therefore, I will cut him from this roster.

Reynald is dead. Everard, as Reynald, was clearly written to be read as a love interest, but still, Reynald is obviously dead and is therefore cut from the roster.

I felt like Solentine was alluded to be a love interest in the beginning, especially as a rival to Everard. But after the adoption, he is also cut from the roster.

Lord Ballon felt to me like a fun little guy Maggie can spend time with and develop a little bit of feelings for, but not really, just enough to realise that there are nice people who are nice and charming. But he does not exist, at least not really and is therefore cut from the roster.

That leaves us with Everard and Arvel, but I don't think this is a legitimate question of who it will be. The promo material features Maggie and Everard (which was initially why I was really confused about Reynald acting as a love interest). Writing-wise, it is also very obvious that Maggie likes Reynald, and he kisses the ground she stands on. Therefore, I will just pivot my thoughts from Lord Ballon to Arvel. He is kind of nice (would have been nicer if he hadn't lied) and is very charming on a clean, polished, not Shadow™ kind of way. (Everard is not. He is only charming in the Shadow™ kind of way)

But still, neither Lord Ballon nor Arvel feel like a real love interest. Not in the way it was obvious that Jacob would not end up with Bella in Twilight, but in the way that everyone - including authors and readers - knows that Arvel will not be the endgame. The only people who do not know it yet are Arvel himself (living in his little delulu-world) and Everard.

And motivating and stressing Everard out is Arvel's only role regarding the romance subplot of the series. Because those two doofuses are blind.

I imagine he could and maybe will be an actual problem if he can't get what he wants (aka Maggie), but he is, in my opinion, not even a real option.

The man who will not only respect, but also actively protect heroine's will and independence even against his own interest. Particularly against his own interest.

This makes the question of endgame deliciously easy.