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Part 2: Occtis and Gaya's interactions

Let's begin with Occtis and Gaya's first meeting, in 4x15.

BRENNAN: ...And so they [the Barrowguard] drink and embrace and speak a little louder than normal here in this place. You see that Dame Gaya holds her chin up, looking at you, Julien, turning out to embrace everything. What is Occtis doing in this moment as you approach?

Now, for context, Brennan has just established that Castle Torch is a place of inter-class relationships and hedonism ("the fuck castle.") So, I think it's interesting that he specifically brings up Dame Gaya in this context, and then emphasizes Gaya's connection to Occtis by asking what he's doing.

Additionally, Gaya lifting her chin at Julien seems like an odd note. It's a disrespectful thing to do, even if the two are technically the same rank. Now, it could just be because of enmity between the Tachonis and Royce, but then why isn't she glaring at Thaisha, the Old Path Druid, the larger enemy to Tachonis? Brennan also then explicitly asks about Occtis after this, and I can't help but wonder if Gaya's sudden mild disrespect to Julien is a mirror to Thaisha's protective and mildly aggressive "Did you fuck my son?"

Later, Gaya is spends a lot of time watching Occtis. On a 23 insight, we get this gem:

BRENNAN: She [Gaya] cannot break her gaze from Occtis until she notices you looking, and then she looks away. She's got a few little beads of sweat around the hairline.

Now, as far as Gaya knows at this point, she did exactly as Petra and Ryah wanted, so she shouldn't be afraid of a Tachonis reprisal. Occtis, additionally, does not have a fearsome reputation among the Tachonis and Seramai. She doesn't know about the conspiracy against Occtis and when she learns about it she is explicitly so frightened she's sweating. We also get this lovely interaction:

ALEXANDER: You seem to have a particular interest in me more so. More so than seems to be required. Who are you? BRENNAN: "I-I-I, I'm me. I-I-I am your vassal knight, my lord." She turns and says, "I don't understand." You see that Phaedron says, "Please. Dame Seremai has done nothing to warrant anyone's ill favor."

Notice the amount of stuttering and nervousness when Gaya is asked what should be a very simple straightforward question. Gaya's a vassal knight. So why does Gaya freak out so much, and then Phaedron seem so confident in Gaya's good intentions and so quick to deflect questioning? Perhaps it's for the same reason that when the Seekers came to talk, Phaedron dismissed everyone but Gaya. Perhaps because Phaedron know Gaya is Occtis' mother and wanted her to be able to see her son.

BRENNAN: I think, Occtis, Gaya Seremai is not a name you've ever heard.

Brennan says without making Occtis role a history check, or even asking Alex asking if Occtis knows anything about Gaya. This means that Brennan knew that there was no world in which any Tachonis or Seramai would've mentioned the name of one of Occtis' vassals to him. That speaks to a purposeful deception by House Tachonis. But why? Wouldn't it make sense to use her exile as an example and threat? That is, unless her crime also implicated Primus?

In 4x16 we also get this lovely conversation:

BRENNAN: "It has occurred to me, my Lord, given that you have been slaughtered by your family, that I should leave this place forthwith and betray you to your House at the nearest possible convenience." ALEXANDER: Correct. Are you going to? BRENNAN: "Whatever enchantment has been placed to bring together those you travel with, my Lord, who seem moments away from tearing at each other's throats, rightfully so, the pillars of a shattered world who stand tall only in and of themselves and not in relation to each other, then let me add myself to the mix. My loyalty is as confounding as the devotion of your companions. The world is mad. Let us be madder still."

Dame Seremai's expicit goal is to "reclaim her honor" (4x15), except, instead of doing the thing that would regain her honor in the eyes of Tachonis (betraying Occtis), she betrays the Tachonis to go on what is likely a suicide mission with him.

Her reason is that her "loyalty is as confounding as the devotion of your companions." Notably, Thaisha and Aranessa all seem to have a distinctly parental devotion to Occtis. Thaisha has also repeatedly stressed her parental devotion to Alogar for going to Tanessar. It feels like by talking about Occtis' companions, Gaya might be sliding herself into a similarly parental role.

Part 3: The Tachonises and Occtis

Both Frons and Ethrand seem to think Occtis lucky to be counted as a member of House Tachonis, and that he should be grateful for that. Frons says "Why won't you serve? It is an honor to be born to this family!" and Ethrand says "Traitor. You should have welcomed the name alone as a gift, even though there has always been something wrong with you."