Arithon, Elaira and Seldie

originally posted by Jo

A Wicked Thought!

Why doesn't Seldie hold Elaira as a bargaining chip with Arithon, his life for hers? If Seldie wants him that badly why doesn't she do that? She has used and abused Elaira's and Arithons relationship so far what's stopping her from doing it?

originally posted by Nathan

That is a wicked thought Jo, but something tells me that Elaira wouldn't let that happen.

I imagine Elaira would take her own life rather than let herself become the instrument of Arithon's demise.

originally posted by Technetus

She almost was at the end of GC, but for s'Ffalenn cleverness. I don't believe Elaira would choose direct suicide.

And by her own words, Selidie never throws away a useful tool…

originally posted by R’is’n

*TK SPOILER*

Seldie wants a girl from Arithon & Elaira as a possible future Prime Matriarch.

originally posted by Blue

Considering the range of Morriel/Selidie's plotting, and how out of touch with reality she seems to be, perhaps someone ought to consider combining the two names…

Serriel [pronounced as surreal]

originally posted by Steve Redpath

It would be an empty threat. Arithon and Elaira have always been aware that Morriel or Selidie could kill her at any time and there would be nothing Arithon could do to stop it. The counter balance is that while she is still alive Elaira is open to manipulation from Morriel/Selidie while if Arithon thought the Korithian were going to kill her he would plot revenge against the order and I think that scares them given what they have seen he is capable of.

originally posted by roc

Elaira's obedience is owned by the Koriathain, but not her heart. And on Athera, that is something that can set you free, especially when you have been touched by a Paravian: witness Arithon's escape from the dark practitioners.

I don't think Arithon will be the Knight in Shadowy Armour to rescue her… she will save herself - she's been growing this way since she took off to get a peek at the princes way back in CotM

originally posted by Richard

Arithon is tied into the land and sworn not to take his own life or he would have done so a long time ago. This has been stated throughout the series.
Therefore there is no point in asking for an exchange of lives as he would have to refuse and Seldie would lose a useful tool able to manipulate Arithon.

originally posted by Steve Redpath

I doubt that Arithon would have taken his own life (though he has been to the brink on more than one occassion) but the F7 can't afford to take the risk (hence the swearing). The fact that he was prepared to swear it shows that he understands what is at risk and while the oath chafes could the F7 really deny him if he asked for it to be revoked?

originally posted by jumps

The f7 won't revoke it their too scared he would take advantage in a fit of depression. they wouldn't listen to Elaira when she first tried to tell them that they should revoke the oath. I think that if they would have taken her advice they could have saved themselves a lot of trouble

my 2 cents
Sarah

originally posted by Ben

Would Arithon though? Given the choice to have the oath revoked, I think he might turn it down, as he knows the neccessity of his own survival.

quote: "I was told the world might not live if I surrendered the struggle in death" (FP)

Knowing that the fate of the world may hinge on his continued survival, even in a fit of melancholy or depression, his compassion and foresight would surely stop him from killing himself.
That, and if he died without training a new masterbard, the chain of masterbards, which I assume dates back to the beginnings of paravian existence, would be broken.
Hmm, I can't wait to see the relationship between Arithon and his eventual successor to Masterbard of Athera :smiley::smiley:

originally posted by bncaudill

Actually, I never thought Arithon would commit suicide. I thought it was more so he wouldn't take so many unnecessary risks. If he has the burden of staying alive it changes somewhat how he approaches things. He still takes risks and does some dramatic stuff, but I think it is less than if he could do anything without the oath in place.


Beth

originally posted by motley

In rereading, I realised the Mistwraithe was also trying to make Arithon kill himself through his own gift of compassion, as well as via Lysaer's campaigns. That's why the F7 had to impose an oath.

originally posted by Technetus

Maybe not.

Subsequent reviews of the scene where Arithon & Lysaer are attacked in the grounds of Ithamon have showed the hive mind had mastered strategy by then; it had time to consider what to do AND knowledge of the two princes (in the case of Lysaer, either directly, or through Arithon's trained perceptions of him). Combine that with Traithe's lost knowledge and there's a lot of scope for planning, particularly when it likely also knew they had sampled Davien's fountain.

I don't think the Atheran half of the Mistwraith wants the half-brothers' conflict to end before the rest of the mists on Marak have a chance to come along for the ride; the wraiths want to end the conflict themselves by trashing the planet like those it conquered before.

Is there any reason why the Mistwraith wouldn't have been able to anticipate the bloodpact blocking Arithon from taking his own life and factor that into its planning? Deny the escape, break his sanity over time; drag him into fighting the war the same way Lysaer has?

Without ties to conscience, could Arithon gather a following through imposing fear?

(This is prompted by one of the Seven dropping a small comment about the fallout from a holy war being something for the free wraiths to follow (or similar), stronger than the beacon spell left by Sethvir & Asandir. Curse exam revision denying me reading time…)