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pacat's portrayal of damen as a character of color is clear in his own statements and the descriptions in the books, emphasizing damen's non-white features.

the very first marker we’re given about damen’s skin is in chapter one, when jokaste is taunting him. she says,

“I see why you prefer pale skin. Yours hides the bruising.”

meaning damen’s skin is dark enough to hide bruises. it’s also deliberately contrasting his own tone to paleness – he is not pale. later, after he’s been beaten, we’re told,

“his olive skin did not hide all the bruising”

meaning, he was beaten badly enough that these bruises, unlike the earlier ones, can show through. the detail that damen’s skin is so dark it hides bruising further emphasizes his deep, rich skin color.

against this, we’re told constantly about laurent’s “very fair” skin. we’re meant to picture laurent as being very, very white, and damen as noticeably darker. damen’s skin is also described as

"brown as a nut"

which is a significant indicator of his non-white identity. this description highlights a darker complexion that is distinctly non-anglo-european.

in prince’s gambit, a veretian woman distinguishes damen as akielon based on his accent and skin tone alone:

“He realized that she had heard his accent. He knew that he possessed the coloring characteristic of Akielos, especially of the southern provinces.”

this passage specifies that damen's foreign accent and darker complexion are key factors in his recognition as akielon. it also emphasizes that in akielos, particularly in the southern provinces, people tend to have darker skin tones. damen’s origin from the southernmost city further reinforces that he is meant to have a significantly darker complexion. this is an important textual clue that damen does not have stereotypically eurocentric features and cannot be mistaken for a white man.

to ignore all of the above is to ignore the author's intent and erase damen’s racial identity.

historical and modern diversity:

while akielos may draw inspiration from ancient greece, it remains a fictional world distinct from historical reality. damen's portrayal as a character doesn't rely on mirroring ancient greek demographics.

however, this point becomes moot when considering that both ancient and modern greece have been incredibly diverse, boasting populations that include individuals of various ethnic backgrounds, including black and brown people. the ancient mediterranean was a melting pot; rome conquered carthage, which is in north africa; various roman emperors were black, and the egyptians certainly were.

ancient greeks:

modern greeks:

your narrow and ignorant view of ancient civilizations overlooks the rich diversity that existed then and continues to persist today.

american context and projection:

your argument reflects an attempt to impose american racial categories onto a different context. racial identities and constructs are not universal. the insistence that damen must be either white or black ignores the complex spectrum of racial identities that exist outside of a binary american framework.

the term "w*g" is recognized as both a racial and ethnic slur in australia. to dismiss damen as white based on american racial categories overlooks the complexities of racial identity in other countries.

in the context of the series and the way pacat intended, being called a 'w*g' specifically indicates that damen is not considered white within his cultural framework. it is crucial to understand it within the series' cultural and historical context.

ignoring this context and imposing american perspectives on damen’s identity is both ignorant and disrespectful.

here’s a greek australian talking about their experience being labeled a w*g:

pacat joins in on the conversation and reaffirms that it is indeed a harmful racial slur used against ethnic groups:

your baseless accusation that i'm introducing race into the series is not only ignorant but absurd. pacat purposefully integrates this racial element into the story, crafting damen's character around his belonging to this ethnic minority, and consistently addresses it both within the narrative and beyond the confines of the books.

the flawed "proximity to whiteness" argument: damen’s culture in the fictional world of akielos might share similarities with ancient greek culture, which some perceive as part of the foundation of western civilization. this cultural proximity can lead to a false assumption that he is closer to whiteness. however, this view overlooks the racial and cultural diversity that existed in ancient greece and continues to exist today. ancient and modern greeks can have a range of skin tones and features. a perceived proximity to whiteness does not equate to being white, especially when pacat and the text clearly position damen within a context that marks him as non-white.

additionally, as a prince and a person of high status, damen might be seen as having privileges that align him more with whiteness, particularly in societies where whiteness is associated with power and privilege. however, racial identity is not negated by socioeconomic status, and to claim so is highly ignorant. moreover, the idea that a character’s "proximity to whiteness" negates their non-white identity is flawed logic. racial identity is not solely about skin tone but also about cultural, historical, and social contexts. pacat has clearly stated that damen is not white and has explicitly opposed the whitewashing of his character. ignoring this direct statement in favor of a misconstrued idea of damen’s “proximity to whiteness” disrespects pacat’s intent and damen's identity. pacat actively engages with w*g identity in the series: he wrote damen as a prince to counter the working-class connotation that w*gs are associated with in australia. when damen enters a northern or anglo-european country, he experiences a class shift and is viewed as a person of low status and culture, despite the high classical culture of his home – again the w*g experience in australia. his being marooned in a northern-european country and feeling a sense of ethnic/racial difference as well as a sense of cultural isolation is an analogy for the w*g experience living in australia.

none of this supports a “proximity to whiteness”, rather it only supports damen’s “otherization” in the text. pacat discusses how w*gs are othered in australia, illustrating the deep ethnic divide between w*gs and anglo-australians:

the argument that damen somehow has a “proximity to whiteness” and that it negates his non-white identity overlooks the nuanced racial and ethnic dynamics within the series.

damen's otherness is central to his character, highlighted by his experiences in vere. damen is frequently abused with racially loaded language by veretians that’s still used to vilify people of color in the real world (“cur,” “animal,” “brute,” "dog", “barbarian,” “savage”) and which has deep associations with the justifications used to enslave and oppress people of color in the modern era.

these terms, intentionally used by pacat, highlight the racial dimensions of the vere-akielos conflict, confirming that the series engages with themes of race and w*g politics, and that damen is meant to be read as a non-white character.

xenophobia vs. racism:

xenophobia and racism can and often do intersect. the argument that the conflict in the series is purely about xenophobia and not racism is a false dichotomy. the series illustrates how racial prejudice and cultural hostility can coexist and reinforce each other. by dismissing the racial aspect, you simplify and misrepresent the narrative.

discomfort with non-whiteness:

the insistence on damen’s alleged “whiteness” and "proximity to whiteness" reveals discomfort with engaging with non-white identities. it is an attempt to sanitize damen to fit a more comfortable, palatable narrative because you are uncomfortable with racial complexity and the implications that may have on your reading of the text or of other white characters.

engaging with complexity:

readers have a responsibility to engage with the text thoughtfully and acknowledge the racial and ethnic implications as intended by the author. ignoring these aspects isn't a valid interpretation, but a refusal to engage truthfully.

your remarks reveal a cognitive dissonance: fans acknowledge damen's darker skin but deny racial implications, selectively engaging with aspects of his identity to avoid criticism. this selective approach denies and erases essential elements.

fans should embrace the full complexity of characters and themes, including discomfort in addressing race and identity, as they do with other sensitive topics like abuse, incest, rape and trauma.

conflating issues and denying representation:

claiming that portraying damen as a character of color sparks baseless critiques confuses the issue entirely. acknowledging damen as a character of color is not just about ticking boxes — it's about respecting the author's intention and embracing the diversity in the world of captive prince, whether some like it or not.

for many readers who share the same ethnic background, pacat's creation of damen as a character for w*g representation holds significant meaning:

suggesting that recognizing damen as a character of color is "disingenuous" ignores the positive impact that diverse representation can have on readers.

pacat said he intentionally wrote damen as a positive representation for w*gs:

ignoring damen's racial and ethnic identity not only disrespects the author's vision but also diminishes the importance of diverse representation in literature. accurate representation matters for readers who see themselves reflected in these characters.

tl;dr

“Hey,” the guy says, voice smooth as silk and yet husky in the most masculine way. Laurent subtly crosses his legs to hide the fact they started shaking slightly. “I’m Damen.”

Damen, Laurent thinks venomously. Damendamendamen. You will be my first kiss, first fuck, first boyfriend, first and only husband.

Laurent isn’t a religious person by all means but at that moment, he sends a prayer to any higher being for blessing him with a poker face. “Hey.” he replies casually, the amount of slutty “y”s he uses at the end of the word only visible to his ears.

Or not. When he painfully draws his gaze away from Damen to avoid combusting, he locks eyes with Auguste, whose eyebrows slightly went upwards.

Well. Mama didn’t raise no coward, so Laurent just lifts his chin and stares back at his brother. After a moment Auguste shakes his head, like chasing away a delusion, and gestures to the empty spot next to him. “Come, sit with us. Nicaise wasn’t very polite so I need you to prove at least one of my brothers is decent!”