Tomorrow, as this posts, will mark fifteen years that I have been a husband. They have been the best fifteen I’ve had yet, and I’m looking forward to more than fifteen more of them. (I mean, I might not make it past 57–not everybody does. But I still look forward to more, even if I acknowledge I may well not get them.)
This is the traditional gift, isn’t it? Image from the maker’s website, here, used for mild parody.
There have been problems, of course; there could hardly not be. There have been strains. Some of them, we knew to expect setting out, my wife and I; we were both in grad school when we wedded, and I was still in the folly of my youth. (I’ve grown out of it; I’m now in the folly of middle age.) Some, we couldn’t’ve foreseen. Some, we’re still managing. None would I want to face without her, and none of the time with her would I give up to avoid them.
Tree though I am not, I can be a little sappy at times. But if not about my wife, then about whom (other than my daughter, whom I only have because of my wife)?
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Read the previous entry in the serieshere. Read the next entry in the serieshere.
After a report from Jek about Kelsingra and its reoccupation, “The Crown” begins with Fitz returning belatedly to his quarters, tired from the night’s events. He rests uneasily until awakened by Ash effecting entry into his rooms. Fitz challenges the boy, who delivers breakfast and letters for the renewed FitzChivalry Farseer, and the two talk together briefly before Ash notes small injuries on Fitz’s back. Fitz is surprised by them, himself, but he deflects attention by asking after Ash’s background, learning that the boy was the child of a prostitute and slotting more of Chade’s machinations into place in his mind.
She said the word! Once again, Frozen History by MeetV on DeviantArt, here, used again for commentary.
Dismissing Ash, Fitz turns to the correspondences that have begun to come in for him, considering them and the ways in which his new status will affect Bee. He is distracted from his ruminations by the arrival of the crow that has insinuated herself into his life, giving rise to a rumination on the Wit and its limits. The bird harangues him for a bit as he wistfully considers changes in the area surrounding Buckkeep, and Fitz attempts to mask the physical differences that separate the crow from her fellows.
So much done, Fitz ascends to Chade’s hidden chambers to confer with the Fool. The latter notes that he is beginning to recover some semblance of sight, and Fitz guardedly congratulates him. The pair then confer about Fitz’s re-elevation, about which not all are pleased, and the Fool notes to Fitz a package Chade had left for him. Within is a sealed message from Verity, dating to his departure to Kelsingra and naming Fitz to his line of succession; a crown accompanies it. Despite his concerns, the Fool places it on Fitz’s head, and the two confer about injuries and Skill-healing. Fitz investigates the Fool, finding himself in mind of his own mistreatment by Galen, and both end up fatigued by the experience. The crow–deemed Motley by the Fool–returns as they continue to talk and makes herself part of their circle.
The present chapter does make a number of references to in-milieu past events, even more than I link herein, glossing them neatly and generally well. It is a good piece of world-building on display and a useful reminder that the present volume is one in a long series. (And what a relief it is to read an author who actually gets books into print!) I could wish I had taken more detailed notes, or more searchable ones, but that is an issue with me and not with the text.
I find some interest in some of the comments regarding those who are not pleased at the return of FitzChivalry Farseer. One, in particular, stands out, that made by the grandson of a soldier who had helped Regal capture Fitz: “My grandfather died thinking he had sent you to your death. To the end of his days, Blade believed he had betrayed you. He, I think, you might have trusted” (162). Again, I appreciate the work to connect the present text back to the earlier volumes in the series; I know–oh, I know–that there is a lot of material in the Elderlings corpus, and keeping track of all of it is not necessarily an easy thing to do. Again, I could wish I had taken more detailed notes, or more searchable ones, than I have done these past years. (It’s strange to think it’ll be six years this May that I’ll’ve been working through this rereading series–and there’s more to do!) But in any event, while some might be displeased to see FitzChivalry return for superstitious reasons (as noted previously), and others might be displeased because the reappearance of an acknowledged Farseer–with an earned reputation as a more-than-capable killer–and possible heir presents substantial disruption to any number of political intrigues that might be in place, the indication that there are entirely justifiable, personal angers to be directed at Fitz does some good work in continuing to humanize the character. Shades of steel-grey would appear to show, indeed, and I find myself thinking yet again of a scholarly someday that might be worth pursuing. Too, the small-scale slice-of-life things Hobb includes do much to make the milieu more “real” for the reader, with effects I think I’ve noted before.
So, yeah, it’s a good chapter.
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Once again, as at this time last year, I sit to write with a steaming cup of coffee on the desk in front of me, looking ahead to another twelvemonth. At this time last year, I was looking at the opening of a new office, a shift in my main line of work and a continuation of my sideline work (of which this is part), and I’m pleased to report that things went relatively well with it. The office is still there, still going, and I’m still running it–with a bit more staff this time around. Too, some of my clients from the last pass have already started coming back to me, which tells me I did a decent job of it. There’s pleasure in that, to be sure. I’d be happy to have more business, of course, but I’m glad of what I’ve gotten so far and appreciate the clients who come in and come back.
Let’s make it a blast, eh? Photo by photoGraph on Pexels.com
Work at the office is not all of what I have going on, of course. There’re a few freelance pieces already queued up for me, monthly projects that should carry me into the second quarter of the year. I’ve got a couple of scholarly projects to address, as well, and in more earnest than I’ve approached them so far (which is my failure entirely; I’ve had time to work on them and haven’t done so nearly to the extent that they’ve deserved). I’m also working to submit poetry and other writing to contests and for publication. And in more personal endeavors–about which I might well write in this webspace–not only will I be pressing ahead with my Robin Hobb reread, I’m also helping to administer a fairly large play-by-post roleplaying game, with others in the offering for the year. So I’ll be busy, but I think it’ll be a good kind of busy.
As before, I mean to continue offering my writing and support services. I’m remain happy to take commissions for written-to-order pieces that do not use the persistent theft and all-too-common hallucinations and falsifications involved in AI-generated work, creating unique texts to meet your needs. Poetry, essays, memoirs, works of fiction, ad copy, press releases, business and technical documentation–I’m happy to work with you on any or all of them to help you craft the best possible work. Reader-review and copy-editing are also available, as always, as is support for writing instruction.
Elliott RWI 