#so the way people talk about tamlin's victimhood while uplifting rhysands

[thedickgraysons]

i made a post that briefly dipped into the "amarantha was tamlin's mate" theory not long ago, and now that i've seen a handful of posts about it, i like repeating myself, and yelling into the sky while shaking my fist is my favorite hobby, i feel legally obligated to touch on it again (even though no one wants me to).

in my original post i said something about how the theory reeks of victim blaming, and honestly? i stand by it.

people often bring up this theory when talking about tamlin's behavior post-utm. they use it to explain why he was so volatile and why his mental health declined once he killed her and left the mountain or to talk about why amarantha would pursue tamlin at all. its a theory that, at its core, pins amarantha's actions entirely on tamlin.

amarantha was his mate, and the rejection of the bond caused her to snap; amarantha was his mate, so of course he went mad once she was dead; amarantha was his mate, which was why she tore apart prythian for him.

what amarantha was, is full grown. she was a power hungry general who was established in her field. she was mad, obsessive, and the object of her desire was a child who she met through his father.

it is a theory that takes away from tamlin's story, from the impact of the decades of mental abuse and psychological warfare that he underwent by amarantha's hand, and writes it all off as a consequence for him not accepting his abuser's harassment and advances. it makes him responsible for amarantha's wrongdoings, blaming him for her actions because, in the end, tamlin just wasn't a good victim. tamlin didn't square his shoulders and accept the bond to quell her.