#Aleron Caprive Prince

[1hotmuyfunbro]

The "symbolism" of the Battle of Marlas

Since I’m on vacation, I’ve had plenty of time to think, and I couldn’t help but analyze a pretty symbolic situation in Captive Prince—one of those "destined" things in that world. Kastor was born 2 or 3 years before Auguste. I’m sure Theomedes loved him (especially since he was the son he had with his true love), but the pressure from the Kyroi forced him to marry and spend several years trying to produce an heir. This was necessary because Akielos is a group of independent states united under one king, and Damen tells us how his father was the only one who managed to unite them all with the sword, a "proud and warlike" man.When Kastor was 9, Damianos was born. For nine years, Kastor was raised as the future king, with all the effort and expectations that entailed. But then Damen came along, and in Kastor's own words, "everyone forgot about him, even his own father," leaving him marked by insecurity, rejection, and resentment.Imagine what Theomedes must have felt, with all his pride, hearing how Auguste, the legitimate son of King Aleron, was loved, adored, accepted, and practically a living legend—while his own firstborn didn’t represent the same stability or unity for Akielos. Ouch. During the battle of Marlas, Damen and Theomedes didn’t fight directly on the battlefield, but Kastor likely did. This didn’t help the father-son dynamic, as Damen describes how Auguste, the general of the Veretians, tore through Akielon ranks, killing many. So Damen decided to step in and deal with Auguste himself, killing him. For his father, this must have been like renewing the pride of Akielos and his own name. Indirectly, Theomedes extinguished the light and pride of Vere to strengthen the light and pride of Akielos.It’s likely that Theomedes loved Kastor, but he also probably felt frustrated that his son wasn’t fully recognized as legitimate. This must have been a blow to his personal and political pride, especially in a culture like Akielos, where strength and legitimacy were everything. At the same time, Theomedes was surely aware of Auguste’s success and popularity in Vere, which would have only deepened his discontent. Watching his political rival have a legitimate, beloved son must have been a constant reminder of Kastor’s limitations in comparison.Auguste, born into an environment where his legitimacy and position were never questioned, became a national symbol of pride—something Kastor could never achieve due to the circumstances of his birth and the lack of acceptance from the council and the people. The contrast between Auguste and Kastor could be seen as a microcosm of the rivalry between Akielos and Vere. While Vere had Auguste, their golden prince, a symbol of unity and honor, Akielos had Kastor, who embodied internal divisions and political tensions.It’s incredibly ironic and tragic how things played out. Kastor and Auguste were symbols of pride and conflict: Kastor represented Akielos’s insecurities, while Auguste was the epitome of Vere’s pride. Both were measures of success for their fathers, Theomedes and Aleron, as kings.The irony is that Damen, the son who met all of Theomedes’ expectations, was the one who ultimately killed Auguste. Instead of Kastor eliminating the shadow of Auguste, it was his younger brother—who probably didn’t even share the same personal grudge—who carried out the most significant act for Akielos in the battle of Marlas. Damen, the golden prince of Akielos, destroyed Vere’s golden pride, Auguste. This act not only ended the war but also symbolized how the resentment and rivalry between brothers, Kastor and Damen, were channeled on the battlefield in indirect ways.Furthermore, this event reinforces the idea that, even though Kastor hated Damen, he never would have been capable of that act. Damen was Akielos’s golden prince, the complete opposite of Kastor. In the end, Damen cemented the pride and strength of his nation while extinguishing Vere’s brightest light.

Now tell me, what do you think?