#nahuseresh

The queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

Summary: Nahuseresh informs his wife that he has been appointed ambassador to Attolia. Kamet trades gossip with some other slaves. The Secretary of the Archives delivers a report to his queen.

Rating: T

Characters: Nahuseresh’s Wife, Original Female Character, Nahuseresh, Kamet, Irene, Relius

Received a similar ask by @nimium-amatrix-ingenii-sui

Hey, I don't know what sort of Queen's Thief asks you're looking for, but here's an attempt! Since the series is (in)famous for its surprise reveals and plot twists, do you have - any favourite plot twists - any reveals you figured out before they came - any reveals that didn't work for you?

Thanks to you both!!!

Well, of course Eugenides having Hamiathe's Gift and being the Thief of Eddis was a surprise! But I think that was impossible to foresee as this was the first book and I wasn't used to a fictional universe in which kingdoms have official court Thieves. I think it's a little hard for readers to define what exactly the function of such a Thief is supposed to be until we see Gen deliver the stone to his own Queen. This very act is kinda the formal introduction to Gen's job, isn't it? For the last part, I was able to suspect that Gen hid the stone in his hair. But I'm gonna be honest, I wasn't sure!

The greatest plot twist of course was that Gen would marry Attolia. That was not to be foreseen either. It felt quite random, but acceptable considering the nature of the world they lived in. I can't help but still struggle to guess what they see in each other, although it cannot be denied that they are a power couple once married. I am not quite able to follow their process of 'courtship' lol.

As for the later books, I knew it was Gen who made friends with Kamet in the kitchens and I also knew it was him who visited Pheris at night. It made me smile a lot! :)

I do have to scold myself for missing out on the fact that Nahuseresh was never dead in TaT. I feel foolish and sheepish because I believed Kamet. There were signs for doubt towards the end. But I never questioned the beginning of his flight because of Laela, whom he trusted. Later, Kamet and Costis were so preoccupied with evading slave traders, with the author entangling the reader in the smallest details and tiny worrisomes, that the fact that there was no state-arranged display of mourning for the Mede ambassador got fully buried beneath the subplots and Kamet's narrow experience.

At last, for the most fun plot twist: That stupid figurine of Prokip.

Gen, you VIPER! :DDDD

PS: I forgot about the part where the King and Queen kissed on the stairs and where Gen ended up in Attolia's bed. That was the best, most satisfying twist EVER. And I knew there was a pending assassination attempt as soon as Costis arrived in the courtyard with the loose dogs, and I merely hoped that Gen, who had gotten used to playing the lazy fool by that point, would still have his wits and reflexes about him so that he could fend off the attackers. O_O It was never a question of skill, more of situational awareness in that moment.

Queen’s Thief old sketch dump!

1. A redraw of a very important scene from Queen of Attolia, guess which one 👀

2. irenes

3. atté atté!

4. teleus and relius meeting on the turret stairs kinda vibe, but more joyous

5. nahuseresh the sl*t <3

- Gen to Helen, The Thief, page 279

"Her titular heir is not fond of the Mede, but he would not hold the throne long."

- Nahuseresh, The Queen of Attolia, page 276

Queen's Thief Appreciation, Day 2: The Queen of Attolia -- the books/characters as things my friends and I have said

Attolia: actually what you have is 24 hours to get the fuck out of my country before I hunt you for sport

——

Sophos, like a year later: oh hey a Mede ambassador