#Sylvester aobw

[nefertittythegreat]

So I'm reading P5V6 and the part that really just stuck out to me is how the current generation of the Ehrenfest Archduchal family directly parallel to the previous generation. Sure, the ages are mixed around but we have a perfect Archduke candidate who is perfect in everything but her sex; A young genius brought late into the family, who despite being the most gifted lacks the ambition to be heir; A lighthearted, strong personality who lacks the temperament to be Archduke but favored by thier father anyway; and the sibling who just wants to stay out of it and focus on the present.

The adult members of the family find themselves looking at an unforgiving mirror. It's why characters like Sylvester try to replicate the past, but at the same time defy it. Slyvester adopted Rozemyne to be a minister for Wilfried, just like how Ferdinand was brought in to boost him up. Sylvester is following in his father's footsteps and making the same mistakes that got the family in this position in the first place, except the new generation won't let him.

Despite the similarities, Rozemyne is not Ferdinand(she's not going to coddle Wilfried like Ferdinand does Sylvester). Charlotte is not Georgine(despite her frustration, she loves her siblings). And Wilfired is not Sylvester because, unlike Sylvester, Wilfried can admit that he is not the best option to be Archduke.

The most selfish thing Sylvester does is "keeping" Wilfried as heir. By making Wilfried heir he simultaneously removed his son's choice and trapped him in position that in the eyes of the other nobles he could never earn and whats sad is Sylvester's own father had done that to him...

Because what if someone had told Sylvester when he was young that he didn't have to be aub? What if he was allowed to have a choice? What if he'd admitted that Ferdinand and Georgine would have been much better Archdukes?

History is not repeating itself because the young refuse to let it. Wilfried will not be trapped by the seat of Aub, Rozemyne will not just be someone's minister, and Charlotte will support her siblings.

And that's the beauty of the current arc.

Because Sylvester and the others are learning from their children and learning from their mistakes, and together they are breaking generational curses.