Romantasy writers love to punish a slightly bitchy woman in a way they NEVER would an actual villainess males.
Like I think we can all go on and on about Nesta from acotar but also the plated prisoner series Queen Malina? Like she's a sheltered rejected weirdo. And tries to buy the love of her people, but at no point does anyone ever tell her, "hey set up a soup kitchen, we need to fix the slums" she didn't even know that any of that existed. How would she? She was also in a gilded cage, that's the whole point of her character.
But the whole time they're like "oh she's selfish!" Bitch so? She wanted to win the love of her people. That's all she wanted, power and love, two things that have been denied to her, her whole life. Which mirrors Arene's whole thing? Like?
"Oh im the worst! I was so bad/selfish, I wanted it for the wrong reasons!" Who cares? You were set the fuck up to fail? I feel insane reading this series. And troupes like these.
Slade blaming her for being mean, to her husbands other woman.... bro what. Like? Are we not seeing the problem wasn't her? For all Malina knew if she fought her husband's too hard he'd collected the head and would have gilded it.... like he did (had Aurene do it) to every single one of his enemies.
"We caged her" we? You tried to literally get rid of your husband saddled? Buddy? He told you to fuck off?
