Normally, I'm a keian anon, but let's switch it up today. What thoughts do you have for Chaddick?
LOVE chaddick in a worrying way. i really do think he is so stupid in the first two books of course but he is so so fascinating to me especially in the context of the Camelot years. i think positioning him and rhian as opposites, foes, whatever, rhian is his replacement explicitly and it's so interesting to me that they both come from the same place, are both pretty faced idiots bred to be side-kicks (per hort) but go about their paths in such different ways. of course they had the difference of origin, but chaddick rebelled against tedros in the second, his king, fought for what was good in the third, but eventually did succumb to his fate and died due to his loyalty. rhian defied his foxwood fate repeatedly, believing he was entitled to the crown, and died at the hand of who was supposed to be loyal to HIM. they could never be intellectual enemies, rhian is playing 4d chess with everyone, but i do think they have interesting positioning as foxwood lads who both took each other's side. also... was anyone else irked when tedros said rhian was better like bro he just DIED... for your kingdom... lets read the room here.
also i think it's so interesting that chaddick's weapon of choice is not a sword, or a spear, he's not fighting in the middle of the field, he's an archer, he's sharp eyed and observant and has great aim. there's also the angle of looking at it like he didn't want to reheat tedros nachos w the sword but i like to think he's really observant and intelligent in that way and provides support from a distance. and he has a potenial for everness. it's easy to stereotype chaddick as a dumb jock because of how he is in the first book but ive always liked to read more into characters and i really still believe he is wrestling with an intense form of internalized homophobia and was infatuated with ravan which i kind of talk about in this post... rereading my own posts like so real omg. i also say that chaddick and kei are poisoned by loyalty and i think thats true. i think they'd hate each other though they would hate seeing these traits of themselves in other people. mannn i really loved chaddick though love what he could have been if he was explored but alas... he succumbs to his fate as side-kick. and i lament the scraps.
speaking of scraps this reminded me i had some wips centered around him </3 rereading them was a lot of fun maybe one of these days ill pick them back up!
