Holy logical fallacy with the mcs mother. Strawman, ad hominem, appeal to authority, false dilemma, post hoc ergo propter hoc, I could go on. "You object because its not what you have in mind for the future" mc objects - and not mc alone, many other people do, too - because it is what damages the kingdom the least. By this logic, mc should continue to not really eat because doing otherwise would be defying fate. Shit, technically (if fate is, apparently, the path of least resistance) the other king is defying fate by not choosing mc, therefore mc mom is defying fate and also assuming theological clarity and thus a hell of a lot of hubris by assuming fate lies with her opinions, therefore guilty of every last thing she accuses mc of within the span of a few minutes. The argument makes no sense - I get the point (not all is something you can do something about) but damn was it served right next to some crap. (Writing was excellent) But holy excessive rhetoric on the moms behalf. The mcs and others objections and moves to change it are actually perfectly reasonable and not at all full of hubris. Trying to do something is not indicative of hubris at all, unrelenting belief that you can and will is hubris. The mc does not think that they can absolutely without a doubt send themselves.
Oh yeah for sure—Phoebe’s views have been shaped by past events, her upbringing, and her feeling of powerlessness in sending her child off to war. MC notes some of the hypocrisy in their mother’s argument too, and Luca points out some of the flaws in Phoebe’s argument later—that she’s one woman and who’s to say her idea of how Fate operates is right nor should it mean your actions are meaningless. And while Phoebe does fear MC may draw Fate’s eye like she believes Vikaria did, mostly she is motivated by fear of having her child taken away again and means to turn MC away from wanting to take Nour’s place. She is selfish and manipulative in that sense—she will spin things to suit her agenda, and her agenda is ensuring no one takes her child away again.
