I Don’t Know Anymore, OK?

Similar to Dhurke, Amara is a terrible parent.

I’d actually take the case against Amara further than I do the case against Dhurke. I don’t think she’s just a terrible parent—I think she’s just not a great person. I don’t think she’s evil, but I do think she has serious issues with her priorities and boundaries, and she doesn’t seem to take any steps to learn how to do better at any point. She has some values, I guess? But she’s too cowardly for them to mean very much.

The facts presented to us: Amara, who was queen at the time, and Dhurke were married and had a child, Nahyuta. One day, they had guest entertainers and there was a fire. Apollo's father, Jove, one of the entertainers, was killed, but somehow, Amara, Dhurke, Nahyuta, and Apollo all survived.

Amara said she believed that Dhurke, her husband, set the fire, placing everyone in the home (including their child, Nahyuta) at risk, with the intention of killing her (for some undisclosed or unknown reason). She then said she went along with her sister’s plan of faking her death, believing that it was for her own safety.

(At this point, I’d expect to hear about how this plan had an expiration date. Like, maybe she planned to continue to pretend to be dead until they’d saved her son too. Or until they could increase security, etc. But no. She simply goes along with this plan indefinitely, choosing to leave her son in the care of someone who she believes set fire to a home with him and another child inside. Someone she claims she believed tried to kill her despite behaving as if he loved and respected her.)

She then watched her sister tighten her hold on absolute power in her fight against Dhurke, giving him an unfair trial and setting up a system of unfair trials in this country that result, up to the present day in the game, in the systematic imprisonment and execution of people (some of whom she probably knew) for minor and previously nonexistent offenses.

Amara did not attempt to stop Ga’ran, but instead helped her by concealing Ga’ran’s inability to channel spirits and allowing her to unlawfully hold the throne, for which she was ineligible (due to her inability to channel spirits). She allowed the full force of the ever-expanding law (under Ga’ran) to pursue her ex-husband, making him, a man she claimed to love, a fugitive, based on the thinnest evidence, which it was now illegal to dispute. And sending her child—still a baby—into a life on the run. Yes, we know Khura’in has the idea that children are tainted by the actions of their parents, and that therefore, Nahyuta was at this point not eligible to be considered a member of the royal family. But he was still her child! She had the ability to at the very least give him a safe childhood, even if he did not technically hold any particular status. But she gave up on him completely.

(So, this one part is speculation, but you can take or leave it. I think she decided for some reason, maybe guilt, to speak with Dhurke again. She then decided to run away with him. Personally, I think this may be why Apollo was sent away around this time—because Dhurke knew they’d have to double down in their efforts to hide and that being with her could potentially make things even more dangerous for them as there was more incentive to find them, and higher stakes if it happened. [Contingent on how Amara handled it, but see below.] If this is true, I think this reflects poorly on both of them.)

Anyway, however it happened, Amara and Dhurke got back together. She got to meet her son. She and Dhurke foolishly decided to have another child under these circumstances. And then, somehow, she was either brought back by Ga’ran or left voluntarily—it’s not completely clear.

Now, in either case, she had a second chance to speak up at this point. Particularly with Nahyuta. At this point, even if she wanted to remain in hiding for some reason, she could have brought Nahyuta with her or done something to ensure his safety. But she didn’t. She brought only Rayfa, a girl, and as such potentially eligible for the throne, and allowed Ga’ran to somehow pass her off as her own daughter. Maybe she did this partly because she wanted a better life for Rayfa, at least. Maybe she did this because of pressure from Ga’ran. Maybe Amara was afraid of her sister by this point, seeing what she was capable of, etc.

But the thing is, none of this is a real excuse, because she is the former queen! The only actual legitimate queen, in fact. Beloved, respected, and importantly, recognizable by all. If she came forward at any point and testified about what really happened, people would believe her and have no choice but to accept her authority. She, alone, could stop the persecution of not just her own family, but the citizens of Khura’in, who it is her duty to protect. But she doesn’t. She is the only person who can stop Ga’ran this whole time! But she doesn’t. She just helps to prop her up. And that’s all that remaining in hiding does, at least until she brings Rayfa back, and you could argue that she believes she’s ensuring a future with minimal upheaval for her daughter and that maybe complying with Ga’ran’s wishes allows her to have some role in her daughter's life. Understandable, but once again, giving up on Nahyuta completely and allowing him and her husband to suffer underservedly without even trying to stop it. (Also making Rayfa complicit in a criminal justice system that's executing people unfairly is apparently OK with her?)

My hot take on Dhurke is that I think he kind of sucks as a parent.

There are three main reasons I think this:

1) He sent a child (Apollo) away and doesn’t seem to understand the gravity of it. Instead of apologizing for the harm he caused, he’s trying to recapture good feelings and retcon the past by not only claiming that he sees Apollo as his son, but demanding that Apollo acknowledge him as his father. 

I understand why he sent Apollo back to the US, but did Apollo understand that at that age? Even if he did, being separated from your primary caretaker and having them falsely promise that they’ll come back for you is extremely damaging. In light of Apollo’s future luck with close relationships, it’s remarkable that he’s as functional as he is.

When he does reach out to Apollo, it’s to pull him into a situation with Nahyuta that would be very dangerous for Apollo. Essentially, he’s using him to ease his conscience and function as an extension of himself after his own death. He didn’t check on Nahyuta while he was alive, so now he needs Apollo to do it.

2) He acknowledges that Nahyuta didn’t seem like himself and seemed like he was under duress. He acknowledges that Nahyuta seemed afraid to ask for help. But at no point did he offer or try to figure out what was wrong.

Instead, after his death, when he’s apparently full of regret for the way he treated both of them, he reaches out to Apollo to make dealing with Nahyuta, who Apollo hasn’t seen outside of the courtroom since they were both children, Apollo’s problem.

Now, I’ve already mentioned why I think Dhurke’s behavior toward Apollo is wrong, but I’m still talking about Nahyuta here. He would have also been terribly hurt by having his childhood companion sent away for his safety. He might have felt, in addition to grief and abandonment, that he was not worth protecting, worth keeping safe. Forcing a relationship with Apollo in adulthood might have been well intentioned, but could be damaging as well, especially if you consider the danger to Apollo inherent in this situation. How would Nahyuta feel if Apollo, suddenly aware that Nahyuta is in need of help, tries to help him and winds up executed? Dhurke was willing to risk this.

3) Still on Nahyuta, but returning to his childhood: Reuniting with the unstable, untrustworthy Amara, allowing Nahyuta to get to know her for about a year, to have a little sister and just long enough to get attached to her, only for Amara to leave again. How could he have been willing to take her back and expose Nahyuta to her, when he knew that she was capable of abandoning him to a man she claimed not even to trust? And now, within the space of less than two years, Nahyuta has had to lose a friend/brother figure, a mother, and a sister. All because of Dhurke’s poor decision making. Is it any wonder he’s standoffish and doesn’t trust people? Is it any wonder he tries to keep people at a distance to keep them safe? He literally doesn’t know any other way! And he has absolutely no reliable support, probably doesn’t even believe it’s possible because no one has ever put him first.

Phoenix Wright gets disbarred, and it still doesn't get him Edgeworth's attention. But someone else takes note. Maybe he'll be good enough?