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The flashback at the start adds another layer to the perceptions that Karina has built up since childhood as to her place in the lives of those she cares about--the way her own parents frame their praise of Karina around Aurora, on page 2, is enlightening.
When the mother was talking with Eve back in chapter 6, she talks about how Karina never spoke back against her parents, and never went against their wishes. She's painted as a dutiful, obedient daughter who doted on Aurora.
When it's been made clear on more than one occasion that, however much their parents might have loved her, they framed everything in Karina's live around what she did for everyone else. Whether it was her value in a political sense, or a filial sense, or a sisterly sense, everything was about what Karina could provide, and never about Karina.
And that, I suspect, is one of the core facets, and core issues, built into Karina's story. She's forever tried to please everyone, to be one everyone's good side, to never make mistakes and always strive for the sake of others. And she was cast aside for her troubles, her literal name smeared and then erased from the annals of the kingdom's history.
And for however much she loved her sister, she saw how Aurora, too, was put above her. Orlando was angry that he had to "settle" for Karina. Their own parents would frame every word around Aurora. Karina was secondary to the fullest extent possible in every conceivable way.
And Aurora, for her part, was described as reserved and quiet even as a child, holding back her words and her emotions. Chapter 6 has their mother pondering on whether that was a reason she was originally chosen for princess consort--and seeing how overbearing and egotistical Orlando is, having "silent queen" would seem to suit his tastes, as any consort from the Crocus family was only meant to be a buffer against the competing aristocratic factions within the kingdom, anyway. So someone who wasn't headstrong, who wasn't proactive or willful, would be ideal in allowing the Crown family to retain real control, whilst bolstering their sway in the political sphere via that marriage.
Now the thing I'm wondering--is whether Karina did do what she was accused of, or at least to the extent that was claimed. Because it would seem that whispers and gossip would spread about Orlando's displeasure at being "handed the Spare", and his discontent would be well-witnessed by those at court within the palace and the Help and so on.
It could very well come about that rumormongers spread lies and half-truths about Karina, and then she herself--again, trying forever to please everyone and be "the dutiful daughter and consort"--did her best to live up to what she assumed was being expected of her.
But the lies overshadowed the reality, and then became the truth, to the point that even her own sister believes them to a degree.
And Aurora's dual-held belief in her sister and about her sister's past seems suspect, or at least incomplete. Part of that is because we haven't gotten to the end of this discussion between her and Eve, but Aurora has been established to be reserved and withheld. So what she says here to Eve, potentially, is more of that side of her coming forth.
But I believe she really does treasure Karina, and that she is likely unaware of the true extent to which Karina suffered. She would have heard rumors, and she believes those rumors to be true, but like their mother, she would still have the Karina she remembers from childhood in-mind. Squaring "Karina the Sister" with "Karina the Villainess" would produce a real incongruent picture of who Karina actually is.
However much she actually knows, will hopefully be fully established next chapter, or at least enough to get a complete-enough picture to get a sufficient read on Aurora to fit her into the larger framework of how everyone perceives the others.
That said, I do think it's been sufficiently established as to why Aurora and Karina are the way they are, and why they feel as they do about the other. Again, Aurora is described by credible sources (her mother) as being very reserved and withheld in her language since childhood, and that's on top of being sickly up through her adolescence.
She loved Karina, but also was raised in a household that saw Karina put second to herself, right down to the way their parents spoke about and to them.
And, she saw Karina offered up to the Crown in her stead, only to have rumors flood the kingdom about her villainy and then for her to be ousted from the Royal family and exiled, with a Prince who despises her to the point of wishing death upon her as he tries to erase her existence from history.
But, she knows Karina as a child, and believes that Karina is still there. And I think that is who she wants to save. She believes Karina is hurting, and that she can help.
Karina, for her part, was always doing everything for others, putting herself last, and had that reinforced in the way that everyone spoke about and to her, including her parents. She loved Aurora, but watched as Aurora was placed above her, and had her choices in life taken from her as she had to fill Aurora's place as princess-consort. She did what she could to make those around her happy, but it was never enough, and she was eventually cast out and exiled and hated.
And I suspect that's when she snapped, and why Karina vowed revenge. Only...she's hurting, more than anything, which is why her "revenge" felt as impotent as it did. She wasn't seeking death for Aurora in that moment--she wanted to do what had always been done to her: to take something from her sister, to finally claim a thing as hers. The Ring symbolized that for her; it was meant for her, anyway, before the annulment, and it would spit in the face of Aurora and Orlando.
A symbolic gesture, more than anything, but a symptom of the underlying problem of pain and sorrow that has twisted into a thirst for revenge. But the anger and hate is overshadowed by the pain and the hurt, thus dampening her actual attempt.
And now she's having nightmares and is suffering in silence, as she hasn't addressed the root issue. And I'm not certain that simply leaving & starting over with Reshtoka will actually solve things--meaning she has to confront Aurora again.
So the two sisters will be on a path toward the other. Reshtoka will have to bear the weight of continuing to cater to Karina's unfinished business, meaning her own "happy married life" will continue to be put on hold, which will strain their relationship.
Meanwhile, Aurora will have to work with Eve to reach Karina, without the interference of the Crown and all its moving parts (including Charlotte, who appears quite willing and eager to prove herself to Aurora, to the point of unintentionally running afoul of Aurora's actual wishes via military violence).
Eve is learning that her own kind are seen as true monsters due ot the ingorance of humans, meaning she'll have to go to extra lengths to hide her identity from even Aurora, who she has to work closely with. She herself is beset on all sides by danger, and the time may come soon where she has to flee the kingdom entirely, if things go sideways.
But after this next chapter, I think most of the pieces will be in place to see that fateful confrontation begin to take shape. The question will be if Aurora can make it to Karina ahead of Orlando and the Crown, and whether Karina & Reshtoka will begin to fracture under the strain of Karina's personal demons and unresolved issues before Aurora and Eve can get to them.
I'm excited to find out.
Thanks for the TL work as always.
When the mother was talking with Eve back in chapter 6, she talks about how Karina never spoke back against her parents, and never went against their wishes. She's painted as a dutiful, obedient daughter who doted on Aurora.
When it's been made clear on more than one occasion that, however much their parents might have loved her, they framed everything in Karina's live around what she did for everyone else. Whether it was her value in a political sense, or a filial sense, or a sisterly sense, everything was about what Karina could provide, and never about Karina.
And that, I suspect, is one of the core facets, and core issues, built into Karina's story. She's forever tried to please everyone, to be one everyone's good side, to never make mistakes and always strive for the sake of others. And she was cast aside for her troubles, her literal name smeared and then erased from the annals of the kingdom's history.
And for however much she loved her sister, she saw how Aurora, too, was put above her. Orlando was angry that he had to "settle" for Karina. Their own parents would frame every word around Aurora. Karina was secondary to the fullest extent possible in every conceivable way.
And Aurora, for her part, was described as reserved and quiet even as a child, holding back her words and her emotions. Chapter 6 has their mother pondering on whether that was a reason she was originally chosen for princess consort--and seeing how overbearing and egotistical Orlando is, having "silent queen" would seem to suit his tastes, as any consort from the Crocus family was only meant to be a buffer against the competing aristocratic factions within the kingdom, anyway. So someone who wasn't headstrong, who wasn't proactive or willful, would be ideal in allowing the Crown family to retain real control, whilst bolstering their sway in the political sphere via that marriage.
Now the thing I'm wondering--is whether Karina did do what she was accused of, or at least to the extent that was claimed. Because it would seem that whispers and gossip would spread about Orlando's displeasure at being "handed the Spare", and his discontent would be well-witnessed by those at court within the palace and the Help and so on.
It could very well come about that rumormongers spread lies and half-truths about Karina, and then she herself--again, trying forever to please everyone and be "the dutiful daughter and consort"--did her best to live up to what she assumed was being expected of her.
But the lies overshadowed the reality, and then became the truth, to the point that even her own sister believes them to a degree.
And Aurora's dual-held belief in her sister and about her sister's past seems suspect, or at least incomplete. Part of that is because we haven't gotten to the end of this discussion between her and Eve, but Aurora has been established to be reserved and withheld. So what she says here to Eve, potentially, is more of that side of her coming forth.
But I believe she really does treasure Karina, and that she is likely unaware of the true extent to which Karina suffered. She would have heard rumors, and she believes those rumors to be true, but like their mother, she would still have the Karina she remembers from childhood in-mind. Squaring "Karina the Sister" with "Karina the Villainess" would produce a real incongruent picture of who Karina actually is.
However much she actually knows, will hopefully be fully established next chapter, or at least enough to get a complete-enough picture to get a sufficient read on Aurora to fit her into the larger framework of how everyone perceives the others.
That said, I do think it's been sufficiently established as to why Aurora and Karina are the way they are, and why they feel as they do about the other. Again, Aurora is described by credible sources (her mother) as being very reserved and withheld in her language since childhood, and that's on top of being sickly up through her adolescence.
She loved Karina, but also was raised in a household that saw Karina put second to herself, right down to the way their parents spoke about and to them.
And, she saw Karina offered up to the Crown in her stead, only to have rumors flood the kingdom about her villainy and then for her to be ousted from the Royal family and exiled, with a Prince who despises her to the point of wishing death upon her as he tries to erase her existence from history.
But, she knows Karina as a child, and believes that Karina is still there. And I think that is who she wants to save. She believes Karina is hurting, and that she can help.
Karina, for her part, was always doing everything for others, putting herself last, and had that reinforced in the way that everyone spoke about and to her, including her parents. She loved Aurora, but watched as Aurora was placed above her, and had her choices in life taken from her as she had to fill Aurora's place as princess-consort. She did what she could to make those around her happy, but it was never enough, and she was eventually cast out and exiled and hated.
And I suspect that's when she snapped, and why Karina vowed revenge. Only...she's hurting, more than anything, which is why her "revenge" felt as impotent as it did. She wasn't seeking death for Aurora in that moment--she wanted to do what had always been done to her: to take something from her sister, to finally claim a thing as hers. The Ring symbolized that for her; it was meant for her, anyway, before the annulment, and it would spit in the face of Aurora and Orlando.
A symbolic gesture, more than anything, but a symptom of the underlying problem of pain and sorrow that has twisted into a thirst for revenge. But the anger and hate is overshadowed by the pain and the hurt, thus dampening her actual attempt.
And now she's having nightmares and is suffering in silence, as she hasn't addressed the root issue. And I'm not certain that simply leaving & starting over with Reshtoka will actually solve things--meaning she has to confront Aurora again.
So the two sisters will be on a path toward the other. Reshtoka will have to bear the weight of continuing to cater to Karina's unfinished business, meaning her own "happy married life" will continue to be put on hold, which will strain their relationship.
Meanwhile, Aurora will have to work with Eve to reach Karina, without the interference of the Crown and all its moving parts (including Charlotte, who appears quite willing and eager to prove herself to Aurora, to the point of unintentionally running afoul of Aurora's actual wishes via military violence).
Eve is learning that her own kind are seen as true monsters due ot the ingorance of humans, meaning she'll have to go to extra lengths to hide her identity from even Aurora, who she has to work closely with. She herself is beset on all sides by danger, and the time may come soon where she has to flee the kingdom entirely, if things go sideways.
But after this next chapter, I think most of the pieces will be in place to see that fateful confrontation begin to take shape. The question will be if Aurora can make it to Karina ahead of Orlando and the Crown, and whether Karina & Reshtoka will begin to fracture under the strain of Karina's personal demons and unresolved issues before Aurora and Eve can get to them.
I'm excited to find out.
Thanks for the TL work as always.
