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DerynifanK

March 17, 2024, 03:48:44 PM
Happy St Patrick's Day. Enjoy the one day of the year when the whole world is Irish.

Araxie

Started by Wren, April 04, 2023, 08:41:33 PM

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Wren

I have always felt somewhat disappointed by the lack of much of King Kelson's Bride in King Kelson's Bride.

For such a thick book, so many pages are spent describing ceremonies and not enough on the central premise- his Bride.

We do meet Araxie and learn about her a bit from Kelson's perspective. He starts out proposing to her out of duty but there are hints throughout the book that he may be starting to have feelings for her.
But I wanted to know more about her- see more of her and Kelson's relationship develop. What would the early days of their relationship be like? Getting to know each other as a married couple while being king and consort. It would have been nice to see Araxie develop her Deryni abilities, perhaps under Kelson's tutelage.

I felt like in KKB I wanted less of the Liam stuff and more of the central relationship of the story.
Thoughts on Araxie?

Cory

KKB always seemed to me a story that was trying to wrap up the loose ends of Kelson's story, including that of the war with Torenth that had plagued all the Haldanes since the Restoration.

So, yes, I think I would have liked more of Araxie, more of her point of view. We mostly see her from Kelson's eyes. It would have been interesting to see her speak with Rothana or have insight into why Araxie wanted to be Queen. She must have had some ambitions for what she wanted to accomplish.

Perhaps it was even the same reasons in general as Rothana's original reasons for accepting Kelson's suit, then marrying Conall. A dream of co-existence.

Though, Kelson is desirable enough on his own, being powerful, kind, and considerate. That must be a rare combination for a woman who knows she'll likely be in an arranged marriage.

Wren

I agree Cory. KKB was to tie up loose ends.
I do think they spent far too long on the Liam coronation and far too little on Kelson's marriage, which has been the focus of literally every character since Sidana's passing.

I would have liked to see more from Araxie's perspective especially regarding developing her Deryni skills. It is almost brushed over how perfect she is for Kelson, his own Haldane lineage and Deryni as well.

I would have liked to see her developing her abilities as she started her life with Kelson. It also seemed like their wedding was rushed in the last few pages of the book. I would have liked to see the marriage and maybe a bit about their life as brand newly weds.

Bynw

Sounds like a great Fanfic idea.
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Shiral

Yes, the wedding was DEFINITELY a rushed chapter. Disappointing. I would have liked to have seen more scenes not only between Kelson and Araxie, but also Araxie and Richelle, discussing their married lives to come. If I were Araxie, I wouldn't have gone to bed all that happy on the night of her betrothal to Kelson, even if she did just agree to marry the most eligible  and sought after bachelor in the whole Eleven Kingdoms. Kelson spent WAY too much time talking about Rothana before asking the question.  (Seriously Kelson, DON'T talk about your former fiancee when you're proposing to another girl! Even when she KNOWS the history of how your relationship went!)

My hope is that Araxie will settle in and make herself indisposable to Kelson. Both in terms of their domestic life, and in terms of State craft. She is the Orsal's niece, and it's implied that she's a good student of diplomacy. And that he will quickly learn to love AND respect her. She did give him the perfect solution to keeping Oksana happy, in terms of the Mearan side of the whole marriage angle of the plot.

Melissa
You can have a sound mind in a healthy body--Or you can be a nanonovelist!

DerynifanK

#5
I have also wished that there was more about the brides, their feelings about their marriages and how thing went after the weddings. I always felt that there could have been two books, the one about Liam's return to Torenth to take his rightful place as king and all the events that surrounded his assuming power and the changes that brought about in relations between Torenth and Gwynedd and another one about the various marriages; the brides, how they settled into their roles and the effects of these alliances on the Eleven kingdoms. Araxie is of special interest as she exhibited a real flair for diplomacy and politics which I am sure she learned from her uncle who was an expert at balancing the demands of surrounding kingdoms and maintaining peace and prosperity for those under his rule. That balancing act could not have been easy for a relatively small group of countries surrounded by bigger, more powerful, and sometimes greedy neighbors.
And I agree that Kelson talked far too much about Rothana when he was asking Araxie to marry him. If it were me, I would not be pleased at my potential husband going on and on about his love for another. We do see more of Araxie in some of the fanfiction but I think she deserves to have her own story told.
I know KKB was intended to tie up loose ends and it did some but I felt others are still dangling.
"Thanks be to God there are still, as there always have been and always will be, more good men than evil in this world, and their cause will prevail." Brother Cadfael's Penance

Wren

Quote from: DerynifanK on April 07, 2023, 10:27:08 AMI have also wished that there was more about the brides, their feelings about their marriages and how thing went after the weddings. I always felt that there could have been two books, the one about Liam's return to Torenth to take his rightful place as king and all the events that surrounded his assuming power and the changes that brought about in relations between Torenth and Gwynedd and another one about the various marriages; the brides, how they settled into their roles and the effects of these alliances on the Eleven kingdoms. Araxie is of special interest as she exhibited a real flair for diplomacy and politics which I am sure she learned from her uncle who was an expert at balancing the demands of surrounding kingdoms and maintaining peace and prosperity for those under his rule. That balancing act could not have been easy for a relatively small group of countries surrounded by bigger, more powerful, and sometimes greedy neighbors.
And I agree that Kelson talked far too much about Rothana when he was asking Araxie to marry him. If it were me, I would not be pleased at my potential husband going on and on about his love for another. We do see more of Araxie in some of the fanfiction but I think she deserves to have her own story told.
I know KKB was intended to tie up loose ends and it did some but I felt others are still dangling.

I don't know that there needed to be two books, just more balance in KKB. We are given every detail of Liam's journey home to Torenth, the buildings, the practices, and get the coronation ceremony in great detail. Much of that could have been cut out I think, and still tied up Liam's story well.

Yes, Araxie is politically saavy, but I would have loved to read her thoughts about marrying a man obsessed with another woman. Also, the mind link she and Kelson formed, and even him helping her to develop her Deryni powers. Also, their early married life. DOEs Kelson start to have feelings for her?
It was such a good opportunity to really explore Kelson's marriage, an event that has been an obsession throughout the books. I was disappointed that now we will never know.


Wren

Quote from: DerynifanK on April 07, 2023, 10:27:08 AMI have also wished that there was more about the brides, their feelings about their marriages and how thing went after the weddings. I always felt that there could have been two books, the one about Liam's return to Torenth to take his rightful place as king and all the events that surrounded his assuming power and the changes that brought about in relations between Torenth and Gwynedd and another one about the various marriages; the brides, how they settled into their roles and the effects of these alliances on the Eleven kingdoms. Araxie is of special interest as she exhibited a real flair for diplomacy and politics which I am sure she learned from her uncle who was an expert at balancing the demands of surrounding kingdoms and maintaining peace and prosperity for those under his rule. That balancing act could not have been easy for a relatively small group of countries surrounded by bigger, more powerful, and sometimes greedy neighbors.
And I agree that Kelson talked far too much about Rothana when he was asking Araxie to marry him. If it were me, I would not be pleased at my potential husband going on and on about his love for another. We do see more of Araxie in some of the fanfiction but I think she deserves to have her own story told.
I know KKB was intended to tie up loose ends and it did some but I felt others are still dangling.

I don't know that there needed to be two books, just more balance in KKB. We are given every detail of Liam's journey home to Torenth, the buildings, the practices, and get the coronation ceremony in great detail. Much of that could have been cut out I think, and still tied up Liam's story well.

Yes, Araxie is politically saavy, but I would have loved to read her thoughts about marrying a man obsessed with another woman. Also, the mind link she and Kelson formed, and even him helping her to develop her Deryni powers. Also, their early married life. DOEs Kelson start to have feelings for her?
It was such a good opportunity to really explore Kelson's marriage, an event that has been an obsession throughout the books. I was disappointed that now we will never know.

Quote from: Wren on April 07, 2023, 07:12:38 PM
Quote from: DerynifanK on April 07, 2023, 10:27:08 AMI have also wished that there was more about the brides, their feelings about their marriages and how thing went after the weddings. I always felt that there could have been two books, the one about Liam's return to Torenth to take his rightful place as king and all the events that surrounded his assuming power and the changes that brought about in relations between Torenth and Gwynedd and another one about the various marriages; the brides, how they settled into their roles and the effects of these alliances on the Eleven kingdoms. Araxie is of special interest as she exhibited a real flair for diplomacy and politics which I am sure she learned from her uncle who was an expert at balancing the demands of surrounding kingdoms and maintaining peace and prosperity for those under his rule. That balancing act could not have been easy for a relatively small group of countries surrounded by bigger, more powerful, and sometimes greedy neighbors.
And I agree that Kelson talked far too much about Rothana when he was asking Araxie to marry him. If it were me, I would not be pleased at my potential husband going on and on about his love for another. We do see more of Araxie in some of the fanfiction but I think she deserves to have her own story told.
I know KKB was intended to tie up loose ends and it did some but I felt others are still dangling.

I don't know that there needed to be two books, just more balance in KKB. We are given every detail of Liam's journey home to Torenth, the buildings, the practices, and get the coronation ceremony in great detail. Much of that could have been cut out I think, and still tied up Liam's story well.

Yes, Araxie is politically saavy, but I would have loved to read her thoughts about marrying a man obsessed with another woman. Also, the mind link she and Kelson formed, and even him helping her to develop her Deryni powers. Also, their early married life. DOEs Kelson start to have feelings for her?
It was such a good opportunity to really explore Kelson's marriage, an event that has been an obsession throughout the books. I was disappointed that now we will never know.



Salic

#8
Quote from: DerynifanK on April 07, 2023, 10:27:08 AMI have also wished that there was more about the brides, their feelings about their marriages and how thing went after the weddings. I always felt that there could have been two books, the one about Liam's return to Torenth to take his rightful place as king and all the events that surrounded his assuming power and the changes that brought about in relations between Torenth and Gwynedd and another one about the various marriages; the brides, how they settled into their roles and the effects of these alliances on the Eleven kingdoms.

I agree, DerynifanK.  I think, though, that Katherine Kurtz was thinking of the story along dynastic rather than romantic lines.  It is a question though.  How would Courtly Love relate among these characters in KKB?  At the start of their relationship, I think of Kelson and Araxie as being strangers to each other.

QuoteAraxie is of special interest as she exhibited a real flair for diplomacy and politics which I am sure she learned from her uncle who was an expert at balancing the demands of surrounding kingdoms and maintaining peace and prosperity for those under his rule. That balancing act could not have been easy for a relatively small group of countries surrounded by bigger, more powerful, and sometimes greedy neighbors.

I think that this would be Kelson's initial evaluation of her.  He would quickly learn that she was both perceptive and discreet.

QuoteAnd I agree that Kelson talked far too much about Rothana when he was asking Araxie to marry him. If it were me, I would not be pleased at my potential husband going on and on about his love for another.

I do not fault Kelson on this.  I take it simply, on Kelson's part, merely an expression of the process of mourning and it would be a good way for Kelson to see how Araxie expresses her feelings of empathy.  If she lacks empathy, even though she may be perceptive and discreet, she would be too emotionally cold for Kelson to endure.

QuoteWe do see more of Araxie in some of the fanfiction but I think she deserves to have her own story told.

I agree.

QuoteI know KKB was intended to tie up loose ends and it did some but I felt others are still dangling.

I agree.  I think that, in the end, KK was seeking to tie up the dynastic story.  The stories involving love remained undeveloped.


Laurna

Quote from: Salic on April 09, 2023, 11:13:35 AMI agree.  I think that, in the end, KK was seeking to tie up the dynastic story.  The stories involving love remained undeveloped.



I agree that nearly all of the Deryni series is about world history and dynastic powers. Romance is often implied but not often thoroughly explored. I think Sir Kenneth and Lady Alice were the most deeply explored relationship. and I think Alice's story is one of the most explored woman's storyline in the series. I would love to have read more in depth stories of Rhys and Evaine's love and family, more of Alaric and Richenda, and more of Kelson and Araxie. Then the novels would have been twice the length and taken twice the time to write and publish and maybe there would not have been as much time for world building, so it is a give and take,  I will happily take would we have been given in the ElevenKingdoms and let my imagination fill in the rest.

That is the one thing about the Deryni series that is so appealing to the imagination, It is personally exploring and filling in the niches that we see a little of but beg to be more. Fan fiction has found a very strong hold in the Deryni Universe, not just because we all want to be Nobility and Deryni, but because there are 200 years and more than 2,000 characters to explore. Each of us can find an avenue to explore without crossing the paths of other fanfiction path walkers. I have seen some really good FF about Richenda, but not so much about Evaine and Araxie. If someone has thoughts that led them down those avenues, please, please, write them down, get someone to do a beta reading for you, and then share your stories with us. We love that here.
May your horses have wings and fly!

Avisa

I think it's pretty clear that Kelson does ultimately fall for Araxie. That fade-to-black sex scene at the very end of the book is pretty flirty.

I think she said yes to Kelson because A. How can you really say no to being queen? Especially when you don't have any other guys in mind. B. She grew up in a world and family where responsibility towards your subjects was paramount. C. There was so much change going on around her, it's not crazy to think she'd like to be a part of making a future, especially with regard to Deryni matters. And, D. It's strongly implied that Kelson is hot.

Yeah, I'd love to have gotten to know her better. But I definitely like the limited impression I got from the book!

Nezz

Quote from: Avisa on April 18, 2023, 10:39:37 PMI think it's pretty clear that Kelson does ultimately fall for Araxie. That fade-to-black sex scene at the very end of the book is pretty flirty.

And I'm never one to argue a good flirty, fade-to-black scene. :)

Laurna

Quote from: Avisa on April 18, 2023, 10:39:37 PMAnd, D. It's strongly implied that Kelson is hot.


ROFL.  That made me laugh.  good sound reasoning. But also add Hot and a Good Man.  LOL
May your horses have wings and fly!