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It has become abundantly clear that not only have they stripped away any semblance of nuance or understanding of racial politics. In hindsight, it has also become clear that this was an issue ever since s.2.

S.1 understood that making Louis black would change the dynamics, politics etc. It took that in stride and incorporated it in every way. S.2 properly introduces Armand. Let it be known, this dynamic had fuel to last multiple seasons, if understood properly could've been so interesting. The politics of racism between POC characters is something less explored and if given the space and nuance could've been extremely interesting. The dilemma of Armand simultaneously being A POC CSA victim (from a white supremacist btw) while actively abusing Louis and using his power over him COULD HAVE BEEN INTERESTING.

But I dont think the writers have ever taken Armands race into account, in the same way that Louis' race is only being taken into account when they want to (frankly) demean, hurt and abuse him. Armand should by all means become even more complex an nuanced, how does his race play into his self victimisation. How does he submit and purposefully demean himself to white characters but use whatever semblance of power he has as an ancient vampire, and use it over Louis. His internalised racism could've been something interesting to explore.

But no, we get active racial abuse against Louis where he is the blandest most boring 1D villain to ever exist. Im not against Armand being evil and racist himself (POC characters are allowed to be complex and it is realistic to explore this), HOWEVER this is not that.

This, and in the same vein of making Claudia anti-black, and calling Louis a slave while talking about how she "respects Lestat and always like him more anyway" is not exploring the nuances of racism with POC community.

No, this is the writers team actively choosing to be racist through OTHER POC characters because their cowards. Canonically, Marius, Gabriella etc are racists, by definition white supremacists. Its interwoven to the canon but its suprisingly left out. Instead we get Armand lynching Louis, once again without a single considering to how his race, his story and his personality plays into this.

I did always wonder where Qifrey got the idea for the apprentice dresses specifically. The tassle is from Olruggio, the hats and robes are homages to his own apprentice robes that beldaruit made. But the dress seem entirely new. That is until I saw this.

Now Im imagining that Qifrey got inspired by Alaira's dresses and thought they were beautiful. That's his friend someone he can just talk to.

I'd like to put forward my very long theory for the upcoming "Dragonpass Isles Arc". I have connected many dots and I think Tetia is going to parallel the Princess who married the wind and then have a very doomed royalty arc.

[I came across a lovely post by @agottism after I finished writing this giant monstrosity, that came to a similar conclusion about the WHA myth, focusing on the ominous winds that Vinanna talks about, which everyone should go read!!]

This was a poem that was passed down by a tribe of dragon herders, called the "Song of the Princess who Married the Wind" the details of which are unknown as it hasn't shown up in the manga. (yet)

The dragon she's riding is seemingly the same species ridden by the Dragon Rider King, ergo the dragon herders tribe is specifically the people of the Dragonpass Isles.

I'm pretty convinced that we'll be getting a Tetia backstory or at least a focus on her this arc, because it is long overdue. We'll also be learning more about this poem (pretty self explanatory since its the "Dragonpass Arc"). And we already know Shirahama loves to make a good parallel with a myth, but it also makes a suspicious amount of sense.

We've been speculating that Tetia will be involved in royalty for a long time (more specifically becoming royalty based on parallels to some very doomed women which I'll get into later)

She also wears a similar outfit to the Princess in the ch.96 cover, sporting the same hair buns on either side. Which definitely makes it seem more like a deliberate reference since it marks the start of our Dragonpass Isles Arc.

And then I realized, the bird behind her?

I think its based on a Harpy Eagle or an Osprey (it has the same unique plumage and color). Harpy eagles which obviously are named after the mythical Harpies. Birds with the heads of maidens, often believed to be a personification of storms and sharp gusts of wind. Winged maidens who flew fast as the wind.

The other option is an osprey. In Japan their associated with winter so it could simply be a nod to that, however they are also commonly referred to as a "sea-eagle". And which king of the 5 rulers is called the sea king? The dragonpass Isles King. I mean how much more foreshadowing do you want?

While her signature magic is cloud magic, she's already often instinctively utilizing wind spells when in combat (Flying puppet of diversion, Wall of Wind etc). She is going to be the princess who married the wind.

Plot wise, it's likely they'll head to the Dragon pass Isles to deliver the eggs. From there on we might find out more about Tetia's past and a potential affinity for wind/dragons.

There's also theories that Tetia will be royalty by blood, which I disagree with. While I can believe she has ties to the region, I don't think she is going to be a princess of the Isles. Its not been confirmed whether Dragonpass even currently has a royal lineage. We know of a king but is that by lineage? Witches don't have monarchies, and it wouldn't be strange if they also had a different way to elect a king. Especially considering how their society revolves around Dragon herding.

Similar to witch society is it dependent on skill rather than blood? The other reasoning is her current ties to the Ezrest family which would muddy the water if she was both the princess of Dragonpass and dealing with King Ezrest.

I believe the Dragonpass Isles is set more to establish her skillsets and backstory, an affinity to wind magic, a calm before the storm.(something that Shirahama has stated about how the direction the manga is going)

Hopefully we also get to see more of her personal motivations. She's been connected to sickness and grief, tying into her desire to be remembered, her name spoken even after she's gone.

So we're likely to establish the mythology of the princess' poem first. The subsequent chapters/ arc might be the ones to fully delve into her ties to royalty through Ezrest (similar to the Silverwood myth which was introduced well before we see how Orufrey paralleled it)

Tetia's Future:

Onto more general references to royalty. Her two cone hat, obviously looks like a crown but could also be a reference to the "double hennin" worn by medieval women of nobility.

(technically single hennins are also a sign of royalty but obviously we can't do 1:1 comparisons since pointed hats exist.)

It also works as symbolism for her disobeying the whims of witch society, she is neither a pointed hat nor a brimhat, she is Tetia, a possible bridge between the unknowing and witches like Coco is, or, more likely a bridge between magic and medicine.

(where Coco's destiny is about revolution, Tetia's is more related to medicine by virtue of her interests to help people but also ties to the Ezrest family)

Dread Persephone

One of her Greek mythology references is to the Goddess of Spring and Rebirth, Queen of the Underworld, a direct homage shown in the cover art of chapter 52.

She steps out of a black chasm into a doorway covered in spring foliage akin to Persephone returning to the realm of the living from the Underworld when Spring renews.

This is definitely concerning if you know the story of Persephone. She was ripped away from her mother to join Hades in the underworld, trapped until Zeus pleaded to Hades to let her to return. This does not bode well with her connection to the Eoleo, that is clear. While they might be healers, their treatment of witches as a tool only they can wield is concerning. Ezrest being called the King of Life, a man who controls life itself is elitism at its core, why does he get control it all?

It once again confirms the potential future of Tetia as the "bridge" between worlds, Persephone acting as the bridge between life and death. She's also the goddess of spring, and Tetia has frequently been compared to spring in recent chapters.

It's also the perfect time for her arc to take place since its right at the beginning of winter, the time when Persephone goes back to the underworld (only allowed to return after 6 months, inciting the beginning of spring by Demeter upon her return).

There's another potential tie, through the cover of ch.96 that we just discussed in relation to wha mythos. I believe that the flower drawn around her are supposed to be a variant of a poppy/anemone.

It was said that Demeter created the flower to bring her sleep so she could forget her grief after Hades abducted Persephone. Eventually the Greeks offered poppy seeds in their rites to ensure a bountiful harvest. Thus becoming a symbol for sleep, peace and a renewal of life.

Hypnos (the god of sleep) also became associated with them, often adorned in crowns of poppies. It eventually became associated with eternal slumber and death.

In a general sense, poppies are associated with remembrances of bloodshed and war or vows for peace. Yet another overarching grief/death motif, since ch.96 is coded in layers of wha mythos, I'm inclined to believe the poppies are references to her past.

Of course, poppies are also known for their opium, a medicinal painkiller and frequent medieval anesthetic. More foreshadowing for Tetia's potential future in the medicine or another nod to illness and loss in her past.

Anemones on the other hand came from the myth of Adonis and Aphrodite. Adonis was aphrodites mortal lover however Persephone also fell in with him. They did the usual Greek myth thing and split the year between them so Adonis would spend time with both. However he chose Aphrodite and spent too long, dying in the process. The flowers blooming from a mix of his blood and aphrodites tears. Adonis divided between a goddess who loved him beneath the earth, the other above it. Once again a story where someone is bridging between 2 worlds.

Another possible reference is to Lady Jane Grey:

[The Execution of Lady Jane Grey, 1833]

She was a noble woman, proclaimed to be the Queen of England and reigned until she was deposed only 9 days later, after which she was beheaded for treason.

This one is more speculative than Persephone but its possible the ch.52 art is a nod to her as well, considering how ubiquitous she is as the "blindfolded queen".

If we explore the possibility for a moment, there's some interesting things to note. Lady Jane was quite young when she became the queen, only about 16 years old, and it was quite likely that she was pressured into becoming a queen as she was caught in a political maneuver from the Duke of Northumberland.

He not only orchestrated the marriage of his son to Lady Jane Grey but also instigated he dying King Edward VI to disinherit his half sister Mary and Elizabeth, so that Lady Jane would be Queen instead.

Of course this could potentially tie into the fact Tetia is about to enter into conversations with the Ezrest family with brushbully being a convenient reason to enter the castle. Once inside, who knows what all conversations she's going to have to maneuver through, navigating her increasing curiosity for medicine while protecting the secrets of magic and the Pact.

Eoleo also seems eager to put Tetia into a royal position, giving her the title, "Witch of the Dawn's First Light", almost immediately after meeting her.

Yet another reference to being a spring princess, (also very princess and the pauper coded lol)

All signs point to Tetia getting caught in the midst of royal political drama in the future, used as a chess piece to further their gains. The king of Ezrest was also described by Beldaruit as someone who can't be easily outmaneuvered. Eoleo certainly seems to take after him so there's definitely going to be some coercion and manipulation. Not even considering the fact Beldaruit and Rilliphin are currently stuck in the castle which is just going to complicate this business even more.

There's a possibility that Beldaruit kept Qifrey in the great hall specifically because he knew that Qifrey was a host of the silverwood tree. He's implied to know about the curse currently but its difficult to say when he would've found out.

We can assume Qifrey didn't tell him, so he had to have deduced it on his own. It wouldn't be particularly hard to believe that he'd at least be suspicious of it considering he is supposed to one of the greatest witches of his age.

I mean Qifrey was found in the forest of Thristas amongst the dead silverwood trees in a coffin with silver-white hair. I'm sure Beldaruit can put 2 and 2 together.

But how do you cope? How does beldaruit deal with the fact that Qifrey might die if he feels completely safe and comfortable. How do you balance the act of being the FIRST safe adult for this child you care for while knowing this?? Hes shown to be a geniunely good teacher (father figure-), and we see that with how much Rilliphin has improved, between the Great Hall Arc and the Silver Eve Arc

[He has a real passion for magic now after being stifled by his previous master, and Beldaruit played a big part in this change. ]

There's also several moments with Qifrey, how he respected his boundaries etc etc. Its also pretty noticable that Qifrey gained a bunch of mannerisms from Beldaruit. You see the love that Beldaruit has for him in the way Qifrey teaches, how he thinks a child should learn.

Its unlikely beldaruit was a sage of teaching before he met qifrey (since he was his first apprentice) so theres no strict reason for him to be stuck in the great hall. Arguably, Beldaruit would be one of those few teachers who WOULD go above and beyond to show Qifrey the world outside the great hall, maybe even move out if Qifrey was so clearly being constantly tormented not only by the water but also the people.

Its one thing to learn to deal with your fears, its another to force Qifrey to deal with crappy adults and crappy kids to no fault of his own. (Espdcially considering just how much baggage he already has)

Unless he specifically wanted Qifrey to be just a little uncomfortable. The only argument against it would be if Beldaruit was afraid of it being unsafe for Qifrey outside of the Great Hall.

But there are plenty of witch towns outside of the great hall (Notablly Kahln or Ghodrey), if he wanted a strength in numbers. Arguably if the brim hats REALLY wanted to get Qifrey, it would be extremely easy with forbidden magic at their disposal. The alternative is that he wants to be there where the knights moralis are centrally located and thats even less believable. Frankly, he seems to be very carefully neutral about them. (also its a negative for them to be around Qifrey since their constantly suspicious of him)

Its very interesting that while Beldaruit has a ditzy persona, it never carries over to when it comes to anything under his jurisdiction (especially when children are involved, his priority is safety always). But somehow, he still puts on the whimsy when its comes to the knights moralis.