Love, Ice, and the Vaskian Tent
So we all love the Vaskian tent scene in Prince’s Gambit for its romantic tension, playful banter, and general warm feelings (loincloth!Damen, nurturing!Laurent, etc). But I also love what Pacat is doing with symbolism in this moment:
Throughout the entire series, Laurent is our Ice Prince. Everyone from Damen to his own soldiers describe him as frigid, cold-blooded, icy–and it’s always meant to be negative. Even earlier in this very scene, Damen says he is “chaste as an icicle.”
But when Laurent applies ice to Damen’s injuries, ice is no longer a destructive force, but a restorative one. Unexpected and unasked for, it’s the cold that helps Damen heal. The ice doesn’t need to become warm in order to become valuable to Damen–and neither does Laurent. The progression of Damen and Laurent’s relationship is about Damen recognizing the value in Laurent as he is (“after the initial discomfort,” that is), rather than Laurent taking huge strides to warm up for him.
(And yes, Laurent does a fair bit of melting along the way–but I think it’s more related to letting go of his bitterness over the past. It doesn’t change his personality.)
Anyway….gotta love that Vaskian tent. It’s got levels.
