I Was Thinking Of The Naming Conventions In The Prequels, And It Occurred To Me That The Characters Could

I was thinking of the naming conventions in the prequels, and it occurred to me that the characters could easily be cast in the roles of the original myth of Venus being married off to Hephaestus against her will. (The only factor that doesn't fit is that the brothers have an obviously platonic bond. So, disregard the actual type of union involved.)

Rhian = Venus/Aphrodite (assuming this whole sequence would occur while he's both desirable and desires romantic love for himself)

Rafal = Vulcan/Hephaestus

Vulcan or Hook = Mars/Ares

The Storian = Jupiter/Zeus

This set-up would mean that Rafal would catch Rhian and his forbidden lover in an impenetrable golden net. And well, I like the image for its comedy potential. Rhian would blush when he's caught red-handed at the enormity of his own deeds, of "cheating," like in Rise, but it would be worse than what went down with Gavaldon's barrier and Marialena since he'd literally be in bed.

Of course, the brothers couldn't be married like in the myth as I explained before, so their bond would have to be platonic and yet still legally-binding in some other way, like how it was sealed by the Storian in canon, or in the myth, sanctioned by Zeus. The whole scenario would dissolve their trust while being more operatic than usual.

And then, the Storian and all the rest of the Woods would gawk and laugh at Rhian, humiliated in a storybook, as, in the myth, Hephaestus drags the net with the lovers tangled in it to Mount Olympus, to shame the adulterous pair in front of all the rest of the gods.

And Rafal's character has a fair bit of overlap with Hephaestus' (the mythological god's, not the Ever's). He's the gruff, bitter, surly, unsociable man, cooped up in his stithy, or rather, in Rafal's case, his study in the tower.

Not surprised you figured out the "typical rounds of introductory questions", lol. You're pretty smart.

Lol, thanks, I had an inkling (and I like pattern recognition in general). It started to feel like clockwork after a few days.

hmm i dont know why, but i think you like psychology

True! I've referenced it several times before.

This song is very Rafal to me, like an hourglass' sands running out. It reeks of desperation. There's nice, taut tension, the implication his time is almost up. Additionally, the lyrics could reference his cremation, or compare his corpse to a sunken warship, and some parts could be read as Rafal's sudden heel-face turn to Good.

To the tune of “My Favorite Things:”

Saders and Mistrals and prophecies settled, Intrigue and pirates and tests of one’s mettle, Black swan gold rings and dark stirrings within— Butterflies all dead with their torn, bro-ken wings!

Swords in the stone and illicit night spansels, Masked Lions, Eagles, and runaway damsels, Treasonous Snakes with dark, oily scims— These omens bring the worst Endings for twins!

personally i love rubbing salt into wounds