Hana is a thorn on Madeleine’s side. A bigger one than the MC is, even.
Hear me out. Throughout Book 1, we are led to believe that Madeleine is an immensely powerful, extremely well-connected, court veteran of a Countess who exudes immense control over every situation she finds herself in. She is friends with the Queen, has media backing from the CBC, and has won a social season before. As Bertrand puts it, she is “used to winning”.
And win she does, at the end of this social season, even though she is the last person Liam would personally want to choose. It won’t be too far a stretch to presume that she must have the same experiences within her family and home. Right?
Wrong. Her mother, Adeleide, at first seems to be a friendly, affable - if a little creepy in her attentions towards Maxwell and her jokey suggestion to kiss her own to-be son-in-law if Madeleine herself doesn’t do the honours - laid-back older woman who leaves the manipulation and power-play to her daughter. However, there is an ever-so-subtle shift in her behaviour at the dinner in Capri. Madeleine may snap at her mother for “acting tacky”, but when Adeleide shuts her down and addresses the crowd instead, the latter immediately falls in line. @feisty-mary recalls, in one of her chapter replays how Madeleine seems more and more like a puppet to her mother.
I mentioned in my Quick thoughts post this week that having her put the phrase “a woman must know her place” in quotes, and her expression while saying it, is a clear indication that this is an attitude that she was brought up on, and that frustrates her. When chastised by the MC for delivering “a low blow, even for a queen”, Madeleine has this to say:
Good God, Madeleine, how long have you had to keep explaining yourself to people? And to who?
–
How does Hana fit into all this?
Well, there are people who Madeleine likes to exert a certain amount of control over, because she knows she can. Penelope (treating her like a servant, ordering her to bring lemonade at the picnic). Kiara (suggesting she exoticize herself in front of the suitors visiting them). The MC (claiming that she can have Liam’s “heart and whichever part” as long as they leave the crown to her).
But if you look closely, her behaviour towards Hana seems harder, harsher, more threatening. On Hana’s return to Cordonia, Madeleine reminds the MC that “dogs** remember those who feed them” referring both to the MC and to Hana’s return by “her invitation” (as we figure out by Drake’s diamond scene in the same chapter, that is not entirely true). By the lawn picnic, she makes another veiled threat:
She does this again, during Hana’s dessert activity at the bachelorette party, where she pretends to have an allergy to chocolate and berates Hana for not knowing:
(Screenshot from Abhirio’s YouTube channel)
Hana is by far the only lady in court to receive such threats. She is also the only person so far that Madeleine has engaged in intense psychological warfare with, fully exploiting her weaknesses and tricking her into believing she is a failure. Not even the MC warrants this sort of attention, and she is Madeleine’s direct rival. Why is Hana being singled out?
There are two possibilities. One is that it’s the type of person she is. Madeleine says this, when the MC confronts her:
I, as do many others, have a feeling that Madeleine and Hana could possibly have similar upbringings: controlling parents, restricted lives, broken engagements, the pressure of forever having to be a success hanging over their heads like a Damocles’ sword. But where Hana has learned to withdraw within herself at the face of failure, Madeleine has learned to fight and claw her way upwards. For her, possibly, decency may amount to ambition. To wanting something bad enough that you will do everything to get it. Even emerging from a broken engagement with one man to marry his younger brother. Even barging into a Crown Prince’s room at the dead of night.
Maybe Madeleine resents that Hana doesn’t feel the need to fight for things the way she has had to. Maybe not.
I think this frustration with people like Hana has a part to play in the way she treats her. But I also feel Hana’s presence is a thorn on Madeleine’s side for a completely different reason. And, IMO, that reason…is Liam.
–
Initially, it looks like Liam has very little power in this entire situation. He cannot pick the bride of his choice, he cannot explicitly help the MC to clear her name, he is forced to uphold an alliance that neither he nor Madeleine are interested in, he can give the MC nothing better than a clandestine relationship at present, he has to do most of his investigation in secret, trusting very few people.
But there is one area where we see him clearly exert his power as king. And that is to bring back Hana.
With most of the other ladies, Madeleine is clear about where they stand, and who called them to be part of her inner circle. Kiara and Penelope are her ladies-in-waiting, and the MC - brought back to court by the Beaumonts - is still required to operate by her rules.
Madeleine calls a lot of the shots in the Liam x MC relationship: the idea of letting Liam continue with her relationship with her (if Liam is her LI) while being engaged was mostly Madeleine’s idea, and if it proceeds it proceeds with consent from both her and Madeleine. Moreover, Liam and the MC are required to keep it secret, as per Madeleine’s requirements. So even in the MC’s case, Madeleine gets to exert a certain amount of power.
With Hana…the tables are turned. Liam exerts his power in full over here. Reminds her that at the end of the day, he is not only Madeleine's fiance but also Cordonia's king. Reminds her of the conditions that belie their engagement. Lets her know it’s a give-and-take, and that he has fulfilled his side of the bargain. Now it is her turn.
And the only way she can keep her side of the bargain, is to bring Hana back to Cordonia. A decision that has been taken out of her hands and placed essentially into his. In public, Hana may be back by Madeleine’s invitation. But no matter how many people she tells this to, she knows nothing could be further from the truth.
Hana’s return is the only situation we know of so far, where Liam completely weilds his authority. The MC may be a thorn in Madeleine’s side sometimes, sure, but I personally think Hana is a reminder that Liam can still call the shots when he wants. That even in her current situation, Madeleine’s powers can be very, very limited.
When it comes to the Hana situation, Madeleine is essentially powerless, and has to go by Liam’s rules. As powerless, possibly, as she feels around her family. She cannot lash out at herself (because what’s the point?). She can't lash out at her family, evidently, though Lord knows it looks like they were the ones to put her in this mess in the first place. And she definitely cannot lash out at Liam.
Who else will she lash out at for putting her in this position of powerlessness then? Hana. That’s who.
–
** the only other time Madeleine makes dog references to a lady in her court, it is to Penelope, but that is mostly to make a dig at her love for poodles and describe her sense of “obedience”.
I’m going to title posts like these: “Lizzy Overthinks”
…because that’s literally what I’m doing. Overthinking.
But hear me out anyway.
I think there is a reason the writers have Maxwell particularly mention these three places. And I think it’s because while all the other places will definitely reveal something important in the investigation…each place here will tell us something important about a corresponding Love Interest.
Capri: From the way the Italy trip has been written so far, it seems really Liam centric. Liam brings us to his favourite childhood haunt in Capri and explores BIG questions about their relationship there. Drake’s biggest reveal in the Italian restaurant corresponds to the assassination attempt on Liam and his family, and we’re still in Italy so there are chances that we might see Francesco again and he might say something about Liam’s mother? I don’t see why they would make Bertrand let slip that little detail otherwise.
China: I think we will get a better idea of Hana’s background and the society she was brought up in, as well as meet her parents. I feel like this meeting might be groundbreaking, in that the MC may convince Hana’s parents to maybe rethink the way they treat their daughter. We know they are both IMMENSELY tough nuts to crack, so the meeting in China might develop into something big, whether the MC is Hana’s friend or lover.
France: I think we all know this one. Savannah most likely lives here, and Savannah is a huge part of both Drake’s and the Beaumont Bro’s personal histories. We already have hints from Kiara that she was planning to go there. We already know that there is a possibility of Bertrand and/or Maxwell sending money to her because of the Beaumont Office scene. Is Savannah connected to the current happenings in court? Does she know something? We’ll probably have to go to France to find out.
That’s why I think the writers have Maxwell emphasize on these three places particularly when talking about the engagement tour. Because each of these places may become a turning point in the story of each LI (except with regard to Liam - we cannot be sure how that will play out yet).
Sooooo I caught sight of these screenshots from RoE’s Finale on Facebook. (You see this if Leo takes the MC to the Scottish castle for their honeymoon)
On the outset, this looked more like a historical parallel of Leo’s own story. A royal in love, a couple meant for each other, ready to fight their laws and land and people to love one another. It made sense that we’d get a last nod to Leo’s royal origins, while learning more about Cordonia’s history.
But as with anything related to TRR or Cordonia, nothing is ever that simple 😂
I haven’t seen the entire sequence, so I wouldn’t know how far back the story of King Varden and Queen Ailsa goes, but if the only information on them is provided through ‘historians’, I’m sure the story would go pretty far back. Maybe a couple centuries.
What it does tell me, though, is that while Cordonia is seen is this scenic, romantic, beautiful place, there is a reason ‘romance’ is discouraged, especially with regards to the royal family. I mean, think about the repercussions of a decision like the one King Varden, and much much later, Prince Leo took (Leo, at least, formally abdicated and notified people beforehand 😂). Think about the chaos it would cause if the ruler of the kingdom disappeared without a trace. Think about the number of nobles just lying in wait to usurp the throne and sully the name of the ruling royal family on the actions of this one person. Would an already-crowned King really be able to leave his kingdom that easily? No appointing of heirs? No formal resignation a la Constantine?
Think about what that means for the present. The fact that one simple 'mistake’ from Liam’s part (the bachelor party photos, for example) could completely undermine his ability to rule. The intrigues, the plots, the various people who have been slandered and threatened and killed (Liam, his mother, Leo’s mother, the MC, Olivia - just to name a few) because there are people within the Royal Court who want to seize his throne. Think of all the times Liam has been telling us - for the most of Book 1 - that romance and love are simply not options he can take. He wasn’t kidding. With a history like that, and an abdication throwing the country into turmoil, of course romance seems impossible!
….
….
Do you think the parallels would stop there? Of course they wouldn’t!
If the story of Varden and Ailsa is such a famous Legend, why haven’t we heard of it yet in TRR?
Because there is a possibility that a version of this story has been told already. By Liam. To the MC.
We cannot say for sure, but there are very clear parallels: two people in love. Warring kingdoms/clans. A meet-up somewhere meant to unite the lovers. Just the ending is different. Unlike the Forgotten Falls pair, Varden and Ailsa 'disappear’ suddenly, never to be seen again.
However, the only confirmation we have that they lived happily ever after is the 'speculation’ of historians. There is no clear proof of whether they lived or not.
Let’s assume for a moment that Varden is the slain lover of the Forgotten Falls Legend. It is possible that either Scottish/Cordonian nobles (more likely Cordonian - more likely to take over his throne) could have caught hold of him before he reached Ailsa and killed him, like in the story, spreading rumours thereafter either that
1. her people had killed him (as mentioned in the [possible] Cordonian legend)
2. he had disappeared and eloped with his beloved (as mentioned in the Scottish one)
For all we know, both countries could have very different versions of what transpired.
Ailsa, on hearing this, likely stayed back (I’m guessing her “staying at the waterfall” would be a more symbolic way of saying that she left her own kingdom and stayed back in Cordonia, if these two legends are related) and the news of her doing so may have spread to Scotland. This could probably be why she and Varden are remembered by name there, and (if they truly are the Forgotten Falls couple) why Varden’s identity (since someone else would have probably taken over his throne) is reduced to being that of the slain lover of the Forgotten Falls Legend.
Whichever rumour was being spread, one thing would be for certain: either eventuality would allow whoever wanted to seize the throne to do so.
The parallels to modern Cordonia are pretty stark. As of Book 2 Chapter 4, it is becoming clearer and clearer that the main target of this conspiracy is Liam himself, and the people closely connected to him (definitely Olivia and the MC, for now) become collateral damage.
Within this context, it would make complete sense for Liam to feel that it is his love for the MC that is putting her in such danger. He tells her, more than once, that she could be harmed because of him, which is why most of his meetings with her are held in secret.
I mentioned in my essay on the Forgotten Falls that the story also serves as foreshadowing for the Liam x MC love story (if the reader so chooses), but if it turns out that the story is about a king who had to pretty much die for his love - in a place as politically dangerous as modern-day Cordonia - and the narrator of the story turns out to be a future king himself…the symbolism of that waterfall can get pretty dark.
@ the last option: Crazy? Only back then? You have no idea, RoE MC. You have no. fucking. idea. 😨
PS: Looooooooads of thanks to @feisty-mary for helping me with this theory! She recognized the Forgotten Falls parallels immediately!!
I’ve just realised that Chapter 8 has always been a turning point for The Royal Romance series.
Why? I’ll answer that question with another question.
How often in the series have we seen ALL THREE LIS get a diamond scene in a single chapter?
That’s right: two times.
The first time around, our MC was at Lythikos, in Olivia’s winter lodge, attending a ball. Liam invites us to the hot tub for a warm soak and some private time, Hana offers to play the piano for us, Drake asks us for our company to explore Olivia’s wine cellar and share some whiskey. Each sequence is a significant turning point in each LIs love story with the MC. This happens in Chapter 8 of Book 1, titled A Waltz to Remember.
Throughout Book 2, the writers have spread out their diamond options across chapters, following a pattern that goes something like this: two LIs in one chapter - remaining LI next chapter (or vice versa) - group scene. Up until today’s chapter, we haven’t seen all three love interests feature in individual diamond scenes in a single chapter so far. Yet when it finally happens, it takes place in Chapter 8 of Book 2, The City of Lights.
In Book 2, Chapter 8, we accompany Hana and Penelope on the runway for Lancelin St. Claire’s clothing line, follow Liam to the romantic Eiffel Tower and help Drake finally discover what happened to his sister Savannah. I will be dealing with each LI one by one:
Hana
In Book 1 Chapter 8, Hana shares with us her one rare moment of rebellion, and trusts us enough to play the piano - something she hasn’t done in front of an audience in years. In Book 2 Chapter 8, she is noticed by the lead designer for the show as wearing a gown from his first ever collection, and represents Cordonia on an international modelling platform. While sneaking in a private moment backstage, Hana gets to tell the MC about her previous brushes with modelling: another indication of how far her parents are willing to go to bag her an eligible suitor.
Hana doesn’t have a lot of strong background stories in this scene, compared to the piano one - and I believe it’s because the writers are saving the full force of her story for the trip to China instead.
Liam
The Hot Tub scene is the fourth Liam-centric diamond scene in the books, the third that takes place in Cordonia, and the first that shows Liam really opening up to the MC. He shares with her his opinions on love, confesses that his feelings for her confuse him, that he doesn’t want her hurt. He talks to her for the first time about his brother Leo, hinting at Leo’s liaison with the RoE MC. What’s especially interesting is how his priorities change: he restrains himself first to be fair to the other women, and then because he fears she will be hurt (given what we know about Cordonia now, that is a very, very legitimate fear), and how he has to reconcile his personal feelings with his role as a prince/king. Both scenes highlight that no matter how much he tries: who he is as a person will often overlap with his role as a monarch. And that is an aspect of his story we are rarely allowed to forget.
Drake
(Screenshot of the cellar from Abhirio’s Youtube channel)
This is Drake’s second diamond scene ever in the books (the first one being the Snow Bunny in the previous chapter, which is incidentally the first time we ever learn about Savannah). It is also the first time Drake trusts the MC with confidential information, and tells her he views her as an innocent who doesn’t know what she’s gotten herself into. He tells her about the bachelor party photos - a subplot that strongly involves Bertrand, her mentor, and lets us know the possible aftermath of the photos going public.
But what is even more interesting is his description of the MC as a “baby deer” walking into a trap. Much later, at the Coronation, he tells her that in her fancy gown and jewellery, the MC reminds him of Savannah. It’s fitting, then, that we meet the actual “baby deer” - Savannah - in Chapter 8 of this book. This current scene with Savannah is also a “moment-in-between” that becomes emotionally enriched by the Drake-Savannah reunion, and it clearly matters to Drake to reconnect with her and have that moment captured in a photograph.
Conclusion
The eighth chapters of both books not only shower us with diamond scenes involving all the LIs, but also show them showing her how much they trust them. Liam shows her the first ever place where he learned the importance of his role, Hana refuses to walk on the runway without the involvement of the MC, and Drake is convinced by the MC to give his relationship with Savannah another chance. All six scenes show us a turning point in her relationship with them, and give us a glimpse of what it feels like to see these repressed, emotionally-secretive people finally open up.
