Modern Au Connoisseur

hobb's response to the question who is 'the other one':

Chivalry. In events that are not told (and probably never will be) Queen Desire puts quite a torque on him in terms of his loyalty to his family. She creates situations in which no matter what Chivalry does, his actions can be interpreted as 'disloyal.' The discovery that when he was much younger, he fathered a bastard is just the pry bar she needs to get him out of her way. In many ways, the heir is driven out, and not just to make more room for her son. The action isolates Chivalry and makes Chade and Verity both more vulnerable to her plotting. Queen Desire is a nasty piece of work. It's no wonder that Chade keeps Fitz away from her and out of her sight as much as possible.

hobb's response to whether this conversation is between queen desire, shrewd, and chade:

I always wonder if you REALLY want to know these things, or if it isn't more interesting to puzzle and come up with your own explanations. The overheard conversation is between Chade and Shrewd. Chade would never speak that bluntly to Queen Desire. For that matter, he would never want to clearly confirm for her who he is or how/where he exists. She suspects a lot of things, of course. Fitz 'overhears' the conversation because he has worked himself into such a state worrying about what Chade and King Shrewd think of him that his walls are completely down, his focus is on them, and his inherent Skill talent is beginning to work erratically.

hobb's response as to why chade would tell shrewd to 'break him like you broke the other one':

hobb's response to the question who is 'the other one':

Chivalry. In events that are not told (and probably never will be) Queen Desire puts quite a torque on him in terms of his loyalty to his family. She creates situations in which no matter what Chivalry does, his actions can be interpreted as 'disloyal.' The discovery that when he was much younger, he fathered a bastard is just the pry bar she needs to get him out of her way. In many ways, the heir is driven out, and not just to make more room for her son. The action isolates Chivalry and makes Chade and Verity both more vulnerable to her plotting. Queen Desire is a nasty piece of work. It's no wonder that Chade keeps Fitz away from her and out of her sight as much as possible.

hobb's response to whether this conversation is between queen desire, shrewd, and chade:

I always wonder if you REALLY want to know these things, or if it isn't more interesting to puzzle and come up with your own explanations. The overheard conversation is between Chade and Shrewd. Chade would never speak that bluntly to Queen Desire. For that matter, he would never want to clearly confirm for her who he is or how/where he exists. She suspects a lot of things, of course. Fitz 'overhears' the conversation because he has worked himself into such a state worrying about what Chade and King Shrewd think of him that his walls are completely down, his focus is on them, and his inherent Skill talent is beginning to work erratically.

hobb's response as to why chade would tell shrewd to 'break him like you broke the other one':

hobb's response to the question who is 'the other one':

Chivalry. In events that are not told (and probably never will be) Queen Desire puts quite a torque on him in terms of his loyalty to his family. She creates situations in which no matter what Chivalry does, his actions can be interpreted as 'disloyal.' The discovery that when he was much younger, he fathered a bastard is just the pry bar she needs to get him out of her way. In many ways, the heir is driven out, and not just to make more room for her son. The action isolates Chivalry and makes Chade and Verity both more vulnerable to her plotting. Queen Desire is a nasty piece of work. It's no wonder that Chade keeps Fitz away from her and out of her sight as much as possible.

hobb's response to whether this conversation is between queen desire, shrewd, and chade:

I always wonder if you REALLY want to know these things, or if it isn't more interesting to puzzle and come up with your own explanations. The overheard conversation is between Chade and Shrewd. Chade would never speak that bluntly to Queen Desire. For that matter, he would never want to clearly confirm for her who he is or how/where he exists. She suspects a lot of things, of course. Fitz 'overhears' the conversation because he has worked himself into such a state worrying about what Chade and King Shrewd think of him that his walls are completely down, his focus is on them, and his inherent Skill talent is beginning to work erratically.

hobb's response as to why chade would tell shrewd to 'break him like you broke the other one':