Zardis and Shezan make for an interesting compare-and-contrast case, I think. I mean, obviously they're from the same family, they're both only children (and only daughters, at that) and they both grew up under Axartha's teaching... but when Zardis was born, Axartha was only Rishti's sworn companion, not the Grand Vizier, and Rishti himself was only a prince -- and not the heir-apparent, either. Not to mention Axartha's origin as a jumped-up commoner was a lot fresher in people's minds. Of course, Shezan's greater material and social privilege in some parts of her childhood is complicated by the fact that Rishti was fighting a civil war against his brother for a bunch of that time, and in fact her family had to flee Tashbaan for a few years. There was a lot more instability. And, of course, Zardis went through with her arranged marriage at a young age, whereas Shezan sidestepped her own.
I think Shezan got away with that move partly because Zardis supported her, partly because it was politically advantageous in several ways (to compensate for the lost marriage alliance), and partly because the family now had greater status in general -- Axartha's position as Grand Vizier, Shezan's milk-sibling tie to Rabadash, Zardis's own status as a widely respected hostess and arranger of meetings -- so marrying "up" wasn't as immediately pressing.
Yeah, this is set a couple weeks after the end of "Out of Season," while Rabadash and company are off in Narnia. By the time of "Do not stand by my grave and weep," a month or so later, Ilgamuth has managed to find a decent perfume and/or Shezan has decided that it's not worth waiting for him to develop taste in that direction, so she's accepted his courting gift and they're basically engaged. (I agree that Ilgamuth is not well-versed in perfumery. *grin* Horses and poetry? Sure. War and civil engineering? Sure. Perfume? Not his field.)
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Date: 2014-07-03 06:27 pm (UTC)Zardis and Shezan make for an interesting compare-and-contrast case, I think. I mean, obviously they're from the same family, they're both only children (and only daughters, at that) and they both grew up under Axartha's teaching... but when Zardis was born, Axartha was only Rishti's sworn companion, not the Grand Vizier, and Rishti himself was only a prince -- and not the heir-apparent, either. Not to mention Axartha's origin as a jumped-up commoner was a lot fresher in people's minds. Of course, Shezan's greater material and social privilege in some parts of her childhood is complicated by the fact that Rishti was fighting a civil war against his brother for a bunch of that time, and in fact her family had to flee Tashbaan for a few years. There was a lot more instability. And, of course, Zardis went through with her arranged marriage at a young age, whereas Shezan sidestepped her own.
I think Shezan got away with that move partly because Zardis supported her, partly because it was politically advantageous in several ways (to compensate for the lost marriage alliance), and partly because the family now had greater status in general -- Axartha's position as Grand Vizier, Shezan's milk-sibling tie to Rabadash, Zardis's own status as a widely respected hostess and arranger of meetings -- so marrying "up" wasn't as immediately pressing.
Yeah, this is set a couple weeks after the end of "Out of Season," while Rabadash and company are off in Narnia. By the time of "Do not stand by my grave and weep," a month or so later, Ilgamuth has managed to find a decent perfume and/or Shezan has decided that it's not worth waiting for him to develop taste in that direction, so she's accepted his courting gift and they're basically engaged. (I agree that Ilgamuth is not well-versed in perfumery. *grin* Horses and poetry? Sure. War and civil engineering? Sure. Perfume? Not his field.)