I’ve been reading the red queen series and I’m conflicted on every romantic relationship Mare has with these men(boys?)
Let’s start with Kilorn (he deserves the world) but anyway we could tell that their relationship was based off familiarity right off the bat. She loves him and he loves her. That’s her home. She’s even said her heart basically belongs to him and cal. (Not to forget Shade) and even though she’s said he’s “like family” it’s obviously more then that. She has pictured her life with him or a “what would be”-home in stilts, green eyed children who they love and a happy marriage. Thought went into that, I don’t look at my best friend thinking oh I could picture us having children someday and have no possible romantic relationship feeling. I think she does love him in a romantic way but never let herself get past the familiarity of his presence, she could’ve in another life but she didn’t want to(if she didn’t have too) side note: He deserves more then the Cameron pairing( I’m sorry but it was rushed and have no deep meaning which I want him to have- I needed him to build a deep relationship outside of mare) I just loved their relationship how even when he was upset or mad that love never faded nor them having each others backs. Plus I love the bickering!! and I can even picture him teaching mares kids how to get under her skin😜
Second,brother #1-Cal. ok his character aside it’s was the picture perfect meeting rich young man, poor girl, tried to give her a better life *heart eyes* he’s a classic “good boy that can be bad” loyal, a solider, protector, leader, charming,witty we heard this story before. She bonds with him because he’s easy to talk to, he puts her at ease in a way a substitute kilorn while she was at the palace. Obviously they went through murder of the king,bone cage,being wanted,war together which ultimately brought them together because they were really the only people that knew the truth and was there during that dark time. Meaning they found eachother in the dark time and that eventually turned into love. “I’m cold” “Ik Farley told me”cuddled eo bc they both needed someone in this dark time and they are both outsiders. They had eachother when they both felt alone😭❤️ Which don’t get me wrong I love them together I think it was a natural pairing. He saw the street kid turned royal turned warrior and she saw the royal/ warrior turn into a “street kid” ( like how she was previously) and it’s very picture perfect, with a few hardships along the way but they were always meant to be endgame which I don’t hate. Side note: I love how all these men boys fall in love with her first yass queen
Now with brother #2- Maven. Ok first off Ik he’s a villain, he’s evil, but he’s every bad boy trope loves the good girl but with out him being redeemed😭😂 I loved him and mares relationship😬 I think throughout the series, it always goes back to the way she sees him and yes it’s not always good but she thinks of the person she fell in love with. Even after everything when cal says something along the lines of do you see him or me and shes torn even though she says him, this boy has haunted her throughout the series and she still sees him in everything and honestly that’s the worse punishment she could have but their is something more. This series gave a lot to interpret the baseline is both Mare and Cal love Maven and continue to love him and in a way that love for him brought them together. But the way her feeling and mind which get blurred together when it comes to Maven (urg they could’ve been beautiful)Don’t get me wrong maven hunted her, hurt her, imprisoned her, humiliated her. He’s a bad guy but one thing that has always been the same throughout the series is his love for her, however deep and misconstrued it is that’s something that needed to be explored more. (Visa versa) The way he’s written you can’t automatically hate him, I mean you can and do but there’s this thing in the back of my mind much like mare saying Ik but what about the shy, forgotten maven we all fell in love with. Red queen shy maven is his true self, the evil maven is his mothers manipulation. end- he’s remained loved both by mare and cal(especially cal) you can’t fault that. Also I loved the way he understood her and the way she understood him. Throughout the series it was the understanding, with cal it was the forever love(brothers). The understanding between them were the letters and when he was even imprisoned and said “oh no wonder Mare did this” it was something unusual it was different than the understanding her and Cal/Kilorn have. In a way it was they have the same mind, Maven was just someone she could turn into if she didn’t have her families love and multiple people supporting her. He only had cal and it wasn’t enough. Point of this is he wasn’t really a villain he was a boy who loved and loved dark and deeply and is a complex character you can’t really hate.
Mare’s romantic feelings was a wild ride. Her self awareness was refreshing. She a morally grey character and also the ball of sunshine or (electricity?) and her love life reflects that and in a way essential to her character. Mavan the toxic love, Kilorn the childhood pure love, and Cal the natural found love. Even with her own family members she loves them but can easily be pushed away. I think the only person she loved truly maybe not have trusted but could always count on is Shade.
