Ok, I’ve reread From Blood and Ash and A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire, and I just...Alastir has sneaky written all over him and he definitely considers Poppy a threat and wants her dead. Here are my thoughts, I don’t necessarily think they’re spoilers but just a warning.
-first up Alastir gets slightly off kilter after he hears Poppy’s last name being Balfour, a true liar and betrayer may be good but they can’t completely cover up their every emotion. He also knows about Ian and nobody told him about poppy having a brother, yet after he learns her name he seems to know way more than he really should.
- he also used to help people escape Solis and he doesn’t remember ever hearing about poppy’s parents, and yet he has excellent memory of other events from hundreds of years prior. MY PERSONAL THEORY: I think he was luring Poppy’s parents so they could be killed. I think he was the one who murdered them, and attempted to do the same to Poppy, and the threat of whatever Poppy is couldve been extinguished at that point in time. But she somehow lived, which sucks for him. I think he knows exactly what she is and the threat it posed to the Atlantian kingdom and crown and, as he is supposed to be loyal to the royal family, of COURSE he’s trying to get rid of any threat. But, clearly he’s got to do it on the sly so he doesn’t lose any trust in Casteel or Kieran or literally anyone beyond the crown.
- Sure, Alastir would totally help Poppy escape Casteel and his plans if she was being forced into the marriage. He’d totally get her away from Casteel-probably an entire continent away and six feet under.
-Alastir is NEVER around when bad things happen. Oh, New Haven gets attacked by Chaney and Co? And Chaney straight up says he has contacts in the descenters? Hmm. Then the gang gets attacked on the way to Spessa’s End by the bone clan even tho that’s NEVER happened before, but who rode thru there just a day or so earlier??? Alastir. Could be coincidence but the bone clan knew the gang were ‘bloodsuckers’ and wolven, and as we’ve been told many times there’s no way to tell mortals from immortals on face value alone (not including Ascended). So, they had been told. Then at the battle of Spessa’s End Alastir just HAPPENS to be absent again, and this time it’s slightly more believable that he’d have to spring into action because otherwise Casteel could’ve been overwhelmed and killed in battle and despite his agenda, Alastir doesn’t want Casteel dead. So, conveniently he and Kieran arrive back in time as the gods-sent cavalry. Kieran btw I’m 100% sure is loyal to team Casteel and poppy so he’s excluded from this theory about Alastir. (Edit: my bad, I thought he’d returned with Kieran but Alastir does not in fact do that, no instead he stays in Atlantia to snitch and further his agenda, again totally gone from all the bad ish)
-All the bombs Alastir drops at such opportune times? “Oh Poppy did you know Casteel’s been in love and engaged before and it was my daughter??” “oh Poppy did you know Casteel’s going to be king?” “Hey Poppy did you know he was also engaged AGAIN also to someone else in my family???” “Oh I personally have nothing against you Poppy but EVERYONE ELSE WILL” I don’t know man, those are some fine gaslighting revelations there that would absolutely create emotional mistrust and doubt in a relationship, he clearly wants her out of the picture.
-he totally set up the end of Flesh and Fire, Beckett was his grand nephew or something and Alastir has likely voiced his soul eater opinions about Poppy, because didn’t everyone say previously that hardly anyone remembers Empaths?? So why would they even resort to calling her that?? How did they even know she was coming if her arrival was kind of supposed to be on the hush hush? Joke’s on Alastir though because he essentially ruined his own plans with that ambush.
In conclusion, from my suspicions and rereading, I believe Alastir is the one who’s essentially put a lot of bad things into motion and he should definitely not be trusted, at least not by Poppy or Casteel. He has his own agenda and that has something to do with keeping Poppy far, far, faaaar away from the crown and also the hearts of the atlantian people. I could be completely wrong, but until the next book arrives this is my personal theory and I’m sticking to it.
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