What would Rens reaction to who Apo actually is be like? Cause unlike Alistair he doesn't have that preemptive bias against her, and like by the time he learns he has to see how Apoa dn cherri look at each other right? And like, imagine realizing your kid has the crush on your enemies child, that's reciprocated- like, thats gonna be a fun time lmao
He doesn’t think ill of them at first, because of how much Cherri seems to like Apo. It’s also clear that Cherri is protective of Apo, so Ren figures that the two of them must be close. He is a bit confused on why Apo seems to be avoiding looking him in the eyes and seems a bit scared of him, Ren doesn’t think he is all that intimidating. Once Cherri claims that they are in a relationship Ren is overjoyed that Cherri has someone who loves them. He even asks Apo things about Cherri, clearly his daughter's lover must know a lot about Cherri. Plus, Apo seems excited to talk about Cherri, but it’s clear that they are holding back info, so Ren figures it is because it's personal stuff between the two. (Apo still wants to keep some things about Cherri to herself but is being more open than she would have been months ago.)
Once he learns that Apo is the princess and future heir of Thornhelm he is a lot less happy and trusting. He does not trust Thornhelm royalty because of what they have done before- mostly the king and queen of Thornhelm having Cherri taken away from him. He purposely starts acting more intimidating and sterner with Apo, while being cheery and fatherly to Cherri. He questions their relationship more and asks for more detail. Mostly because he doesn’t want this to be a Stockholm syndrome situation. Ren and Alistar even have a small interrogation scene with Apo just to make sure they truly do love Cherri and are respecting her. Once Ren realizes that Apo had no idea about Cherri’s past or treatment before coming to the Red Kingdom, and that she took the opportunity to try to make things right by reuniting them even when it could put Apo in danger, Ren becomes more welcoming with Apo. He does grow fond of them after Apo stays in Soluna with Cherri for a bit, before having Alistar go back with Apo to Thornhelm to keep them safe.
Poor Apo was terrified the entire time. Not wanting to leave Cherri’s side at all. They keep thinking that this would be the moment that they get executed for their family's horrible actions. Apo and Cherri kept holding hands to reassure one another that they have each other's backs. Before being interrogated Apo gave Cherri a tight hug, thinking this would be the last time she would be able to see them and hug them. It takes Apo a long time to stop being afraid of King Ren or feel safe around him; not because Ren is a bad person, but because Apo believes she deserves some kind of punishment for everything that happened.
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