#osroes

One of the bonus sketches from manga Vol. 21. Looks like there's another one too but I haven't managed to find a full image of it yet.

I really like this one, not only because I'm pleased to see Hilmes feature but because of the composition. The shadowy, mad-looking Gotarzes, whose mind was addled by the influence of sorcery. Osroes, whose eyes betray the inhuman decision he made about the child he raised as his son and pretended to love. Andragoras, with darkened eyes, looming over Hilmes in the foreground. Of them all, Hilmes is the only one whose eyes are clearly visible/drawn normally, and even then it feels symbolic that his right eye is partially obscured on his burned side.

This entire revelation of Hilmes' true parentage is so gross but what truly shook me is that it was this man's wish to kill Hilmes.

Osroes was everything to Hilmes. We have seen how much he revered his father's remembrance. His pure, justly father who, he thought, got murdered by Andragorus. Apart from the murder attempt on himself, it was also his father's death that he wanted to avenge, by taking the throne. The cause of all of Hilmes' miseries was the man he devoted his life to :'(

We have seen Hilmes crumbling, panicking many times before and he fought his fears to come back stronger each time. But this time, it's different. It seems Andragorus has snatched away the very foundation of his person. What happened with Hilmes is cruel. And absurd.

He's always so high and mighty so it's kind of....difficult watching him going through identity crisis like this T.T

One character that I took only as seriously as Gieve until now, caught my interest in this chapter. Yup, that's Queen Tahamineh :'D

I never thought I would feel sorry for her but here we are. She's an example of a cursed beauty that people desire, use and accuse for being used at the same time. She was displaced from her roots, handed over from one king to other like an object and bore the blame for everything when the kings and kingdoms failed for whatever reasons (Note what happened in case of Lusitania). Then, she lost her only child and the ability to bear children. She couldn't do anything thing to change her own and her daughter's situation. She's been so powerless, and all of that pent up angst she let out on Arslan.

It's understandable how she would feel. What I don't understand is, though, that how could she resist loving Arslan? He had such a lovable personality even as a child. How could anyone not love him? Maybe her anger thawed at some point and she had to hardened herself consciously. She must have battled with a lot of conflicting feelings.

Anyway, Arslan did nothing to deserve such bitterness. She could, at least, have loved him as just a child, if not in the capacity of a mother.

Until this point, Arslan showed much understanding for her. It is only when he learns that she never tried to connect to him even as a person, let alone a son, that he finally reacts sternly. He is horrified at thought that she expected Arslan to hit someone he called his mother. And also at the reality that his supposedly mother is as ignorant of his feelings as a stranger would be.

Osroes takes her as his wife. Not because he has to, not because she hails from the Kingdom of Maryam and he is the heir of Pars and because their union would pacify their two kingdoms but because he loves her and she loves him, and how young and naive they are, to think the world could ever let it be so simple.

Because Osroes is king, and an heir he needs. Because it has now been years since they were wed to one another and Tahamine has yet to bear a child, because the people want a son and she has not laid with her husband once, because Osroes is a good man and he won't force himself on her if she refuses to give herself to him.

Tahamine knows her place. Knows she's still too young to bear a child but she is a powerful woman; she is the queen of Pars and Osroes is her husband and she loves him, so one night she slips to his room and lays with him, and he gives himself to her, entirely.

The next month, the people learn their queen is with child.

The next year, Pars goes down in flames caused by the rage of Andragoras.

Title: Songs of a Beauty Author: A Chinaweeb (my friend) Characters/Pairings: Tahameney, Andragoras III, Osroes V Rating: T Warnings: There will be blood (in later chapters) Summary: The tale of the path of ashes left behind by the mirror image of Ashi A/N: I came across a poem in the film House of the Flying Daggers (highly recommend watching because it's awesome) which naturally reminded me of dear Tahameney. So I wrote Tahameney's life while loosely using the poem as guideline. I know my writing is awful but have fun anyway

Prologue on AO3

The bells rung in the high city, bordering the Parsian empire. In the castle, far above the mist of the lower city, a child was born. Her mother had called the seers whom upon their arrival delivered a prophecy which worried the local lords. It told of beauty so unparalleled that it would influence all in the known world. Upon the birth and announcement of the child, priests and priestesses from far and wide were called in to bring offerings to any god that would hear them, that they might show mercy on the people surrounding this child.

I'm not going to cover the whole thing, just a few bits and pieces that are most interesting to me. My heart rate still hasn't calmed down, and the way this chapter ended is not helping! (No Zandeh yet, sadly... next time for sure!)

Losing my shit over these glimpses of TINY BABY ARSLAN and his birth father. Sad that we didn't get to see his mother too, though.

'Marzban' though, uh... I'll have to check the raw to see what it says there but I'm pretty sure in the novels it says that he rode off to battle with the rank of 100-rider captain. Honestly, Marzban feels like a totally inappropriate and way too attention-grabbing promotion for a man who needed to be killed off without anyone suspecting anything out of the ordinary.

I wonder what, if anything, will come of the 'Tahamenay's lost daughter' plotline in the manga? Will we ever find out the truth? Will it be different to the novels?

The end of the conversation between Tahamenay and Arslan felt very fufilling. Can't help but admire Arslan.

good panel GOOD PANEL

The end of this scene was slightly different to the novels, but I don't wanna drop spoilers here in case it comes up in the next chapter or so.

OKAY onto the last quarter of the chapter which is back with Hilmes and Andragoras...

What a horrific way to refer to the child he raised.

Hilmes trying so hard to rally himself after hearing all this, but when he hears Andragoras's reason for telling him all of this (which is totally on brand for Andragoras) he loses any composure he'd regained; he must sense that it's true.

I do think it's impressive that despite having the foundations of his world effectively shattered, he doesn't just let himself crumple, and his thoughts even turn to what Bahman said all those months ago, leading him to follow that line of reasoning in full and ask Andragoras who Arslan truly is.

He's cute here.

'If a king were to die, he must have a successor to take his place. Usually it was the king’s eldest male child who would continue the royal line, but as Osroes’s son was only eleven years old at this point, the ceremonies formally naming him crown prince had not yet been held. Osroes had kept from doing so on account of younger brother Andragoras and his supporters. After all, powerful enemies lay on either side of Pars, and if a mere boy of eleven were to take the throne, it would no doubt stir the ambitions of those various nations.' (Book One, Chapter 2, part iii)

This paragraph explains the situation, but it should be noted that this is from a rather early point in the story. Given where the manga has reached now, we know that it's likely not just because of pressure from Andragoras and the faction who supported him that Osroes didn't name Hilmes crown prince. Unlike Andragoras who, although he didn't care for Arslan, fully intended him to inherit the throne, Osroes raised Hilmes with what appeared to be love, yet never planned for him to succeed him or even live beyond his death.

Andragoras named Arslan crown prince in Pars Year 311, when he was just 5 years old. Osroes could surely have done the same for Hilmes even if it came with a caveat that should he die before the boy was of age, Andragoras would act as regent at first. But he doesn't ask this of Andragoras before he dies; instead, he asks him to kill Hilmes, the boy who was never going to become king.

Incidentally, I do think this (not being named crown prince) is a sore spot for Hilmes. Take a look at Chapter 39, where he infiltrates Peshawar Fortress and runs into Arslan:

Hilmes can't bear to refer to Arslan in terms other than 'Andragoras's brat', 'spawn of the usurper' etc etc. When Arslan confirms his identity by stating that he is "Arslan, Crown Prince of Pars" it's no wonder that this in particular is what Hilmes's apoplectic rage is focused on.

Also, whenever I see the bonus gag manga from Vol. 6 it makes me think of this fact.