(no subject)

[fenella]

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Envy
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Fenella: Ahem, a writer’s commentary – shared with the leading male.
Jonathan: Shared? What, isn’t this the ‘me’ show?
Fenella: No. Well, Yes. But no - away with you, and your artistic temperments!
Jonathan: That’s not faaair. *pouts*
Fenella: *smirk*

Anyways, this was written when I was in an, erm, interesting mood to say the least. I forget the circumstances surrounding the event- I just remember the fury, and the wallowing. Oh, the wallowing. Exhibit A:

Fire and ice, Jonathan is jealous. He sits in his chambers, the chain of a white-crystal pendant twined through his fingers, and is consumed with pure envy. He is jealous of Gary and Raoul, jealous of the Rogue and jealous of the flower seller in street.

Well, when is he not jealous of George? Nothing new  here – except creative cursing of which I am still fairly proud. Fire and ice indeed.

By no act of his own, he is bound to his position, a slave to the will of others; he resents this. His parents call him ungrateful, the servants put it more simply, when they think he's beyond hearing. A spoiled brat, is he? Jonathan ignores them with contempt and he is allowed to; by some trick of fate he was born above them. Separated by a title, a nasty trick of the gods. Yes, everyone wants something from him, but no one wants him.

Poor ickle Johnnykins, we still love you.

Jonathan: Really?
Fenella: Erm, will you ever work with me again if I say ‘no’?
Jonathan: It’s doubtful.
Fenella: Okay, then we love you very much and want nothing at all from you. Nothing.

There are two people that, in his mind, want him. One is dead, and the other who killed the first, is hiding. But that's not right, is it? Roger never wanted him, only wanted him dead. Jonathan is confused, but then he is not. He understands jealousy now; he wants anonymity, he wants freedom and choice. He doesn't want to take care of thousands of people – he can barely take care of himself.

Don’t flatter yourself, Jon – I doubt that Roger ever spent that much time thinking about you. Most of his his planning to overthrow the crown involved picking out colours for the master bedroom and trying on Lianne’s jewels.

Jonathan: My heart – it bleeds!

Fenella: Royalty…

Anyways, I do like the thought of Roger vs. Jon – we never really got that, it was always Alanna vs Roger. Would Jon have killed Roger, if it had been down to him? I think not: as we see in the last Alanna book, Jon lets the resurrect Roger wander around the castle until Alanna comes home and goes “ROGER! MUST KILL! EEEEVIL!”

Jonathan looks at the crystal that his cousin gave him, once upon a time, and is furious. They don't care about who he is, only what he will become. He hurls Roger's crystal at the stone walls of his bed-chamber; it shrieks as it comes in contact and then lands in the flames of the fire. The white crystal glints, a dangerous orange.

Haha, crystal that shrieks AND glints a dangerous orange. How very Roger.

Jonathan wishes he could hide.

Wus.

There is a difference though, between the jealousy that his cousin had, and he himself has now. Roger wanted power, Jonathan seeks to escape it. If only Roger were alive now, Jonathan would tell him this, and maybe the Conté duke would make a good king after all. Anyone was better than himself.

Oh Jon, you’re a power whore too – admit it. … Jon?

Jonathan: I’m still reeling from shock. You, you called me a wus up there!
Fenella: Artistic lisence, dah-ling. C’mon, admit it - you know you want the power, all that lovely ego-stoking and admiring audiences…
Jonathan:… not to mention the Conté looks.

Jonathan hides in the library, searching through spells that require more power than he has to offer. He fetches the crystal from where it lies in his hearth, and begins to play with loaned power.

Fenella: Yes – see? Power whore.
Jonathan: … well, maybe just a bit.

I like that Jonathan/King Jon isn’t all powerful with his magic – he relies on jewels. Perhaps this could ultimately be his downfall.

One night he finds himself, as if compelled, in the palace catacombs. He is standing over his cousin's tomb and incanting, drawing on the Trebond gift. Purple and sapphire light mix in his hands, and he so absorbed is he, that he is startled when an older man slams him against a wall, canceling the spell.

Oh! Myles has still got ‘it’ after all those years! I must confess though, wouldn’t Thom notice? That’s a lot of power, a lot of Thom’s power – maybe Thom went to Myles.

Jonathan: What, I’m not the master of subtlety?

What’s that they say about royalty and inbreeding…? Anyways, I like the thought of Jon gone bad – evil maniac with the potential to take over and do great harm. He’s just got too many self-righteous friends in the way.

Sir Myles is angry, very angry. Jonathan is angry too. He seethes, and demands to know who forewarned Myles. Never mind that, says Myles and informs the prince that they are going to visit Alanna and the Bazhir, now.

Because you know, that’s a wonderful idea…

But as Jonathan leaves the catacomb, escorted firmly by Myles, he is positive that he sees a flash of red hair, and the knowing smirk of Lord Thom.

… a sulky prince who’s in denial, going to visit an irrational, insecure Alanna. This won’t end badly.

Jonathan thinks, with a sinking feeling in his stomach, that he's going to visit the wrong twin.

Good one, Myles. We could have had THOM as our Queen – how much cooler would that have been?

Jonathan: … what?
Fenella: Don’t deny you haven’t thought about it – all that pretty power.
Jonathan: Ooh, yes. Pretty.

In conclusion, I just like the idea that Jon didn’t have to be (or wasn’t always) the “Good King Jon” that is painstakingly constructed over twelve (fourteen) books. He did have the potential to go very bad. And what fun that would have been! He probably could have gotten away with it too…

Jonathan: Yes, because I’m so pretty.

… that is, if Alanna didn’t stop by to smack him around a little.

Jonathan: ouch.

Comments

[lyredenfers.livejournal.com]

Ooh, she dared you - now you have to write it ;)

[anait.livejournal.com]

nah. she already suckered me into doing something else. with *research* attached. good grief.

besides, already tried the alias/tp thing & junked it. wouldn't work for me. you're welcome to it.

'night you