I’ve never read the novel before, but so far I feel for all parties – Navier, Sovieshu and Rashta.
Navier and Sovieshu is the case whereby their marriage became the tomb of love. Their marriage was actually already on the verge of death even before Rashta entered the picture.
I feel that Navier has a part to play in this. Sovieshu is frustrated at her, and frustration at a loved one doesn’t come overnight. It is an accumulation of unhappiness.
Navier’s problem is that she is so focused on her role as Empress that she may not have been a good lover to Sovieshu. This is what kills marriages. Date nights no longer exist, conversations evolve around work and more work, and the passion is gone.
Sovieshu literally lost his best friend, lover and wife to the Empress. Rather than close and personal, their relationship feels formal and professional. And he had commented on that a few times before, on how talking to Navier feels like talking to a colleague.
That said, he did the dumbest things ever to salvage their marriage. He wanted Navier to react, to stop being icy and passive but passionate and active. What he’s done so far, I see it as him purposefully trying to rile her up into action. Unfortunately he doesn’t seem to actually understand Navier so it is backfiring real badly.
Rashta is a tool in Sovieshu’s game in this, which is why I find her to be a sympathetic character as well. Sovieshu clearly doesn’t actually care about her – his reaction to Rashta hanging out with men is a sharp contrast to how he reacted to Navier. His reaction to Navier’s interaction with other men is also a twisted product of the state of their marriage. In his eyes, she acted friendly to other guys but to him she’s like a chill ice queen.
I also suspect Sovieshu favours Rashta because her childlike behaviour, and their relationship, has a resemblance to what it used to be like between him and Navier.
Well, too bad, Sovieshu. You don’t get to salvage a marriage by being an a$$hat. Am now waiting for the divorce to happen so I can LOL.