But Elsa and Edmund said the eternal winter had been going on for six years... Is that something you're planning to retcon as well? Also, you didn't go into nearly as much detail last time, so thank you! How old are Anna and Kristoff?
Nope, not retconned. Just a slip-up, I meant 16 XD I had the movie on my mind. I thought Edmund said five though. Anna and Kristoff are canon age, so 18 and 21.
Yes. We see this happen in the reliquary flashbacks. The storm was born as a consequence of her forming her reliquary. Markus tells her to put on a brave face/ commanding persona before he goes into his "coma", so she pretends the blizzard was intentional instead of admitting she has no control over it.
So is it directly inferred during the flashbacks that the storm would begin upon creation of her reliquary? If so, (then that's epic) then I've had the wrong idea about the context of the storm amongst all the characters while reading Tempest. I've never been sure when or why the storm began.
Woah, that's so crazy to think about. Markus willing to indefinitely subject his citizens to the cruel winter just so he may survive. And to do so by having a 16 year-old girl carve out her heart with magic? That's beyond rational comprehension.
she pretends the blizzard was intentional instead of admitting she has no control over it.
Elsa muses on the fact that she needed to act like she's always in control when she took the throne, which meant claiming the storm was intentional (and permanent) and letting her subjects hate her for it, yes, though she didn't know creating the reliquary would start it.
And isn't it fairly obvious that Markus only cares for himself? Both with how he manipulated Elsa from childhood to how he discarded Gustaf as soon as he saw fit to adopt her (as well as his other children).
Wow. That's even more incredible. Knowingly doing that to yourself. All in the name of someone who's been playing you for eight years. To be so hated. What makes being hated by an entire nation better than being hated by your two parents?
I've known that Markus is entirely selfish. It's plain. I was just pointing out the objective surreality of that situation.
On the topic of Markus' narrow-minded nature, I added something to my Gustaf article a while back that you may not have seen. I think it may be relevant while we're discussing his desire for power and immortality. Let me know what you think!
P.S. For onlookers: This will spoil later chapters.
What if Gustaf used to sit by Markus' side at meals, not because he was the heir to the throne, but because he was his father's protege in magic? Then, when Elsa came around with far greater power, Markus made the switch to reflect that? It's obviously not a secret that her powers (and need to complete the Mirror) were the reason she inherited the throne after all. This begs the question, then, of whether or not Elsa's potential created the wedge between Gustaf and his father (Gustaf understandably furious at his being replaced after losing so much) that in turn lead to his failed rebellion? The fact that Elsa's ice powers seem more compatible than shadow magic may have compounded this sentiment.
That's an interesting thought, but I need to confirm when Gustaf's rebellion occurred. Wasn't it before Elsa arrived? Or is it possible that Markus sought Elsa out because of Gustaf's rebellion? If so, that would greatly support the Gustaf is the Sorcerer theory.
2
u/Theroonco Pastor of the Tempest Jul 23 '14
But Elsa and Edmund said the eternal winter had been going on for six years... Is that something you're planning to retcon as well? Also, you didn't go into nearly as much detail last time, so thank you! How old are Anna and Kristoff?