#you go seek asylum in Ragnas

[maydaymadier]

Sometimes I'm just sitting here thinking abt the history/geopolitics of my campaign setting.

[hushedhands]

hello, just read ttwf ch 34 and i simply adored it possibly my favorite chapter ever! i was just wondering what exactly begging asylum means? is she fleeing from her position as queen? thank you sm!

I'm so glad you liked the chapter!!

Yes, you're pretty much right! Political asylum is when somebody goes to another country and asks if they can stay because they're afraid for their lives back in their home country. A lot of times, people who practice certain religions or are an ethnicity that is persecuted in their home country will seek asylum somewhere else.

It's really hard to do in a country where you're not allowed to leave (like in North Korea, for example), because how can you get to another country to ask for help?

I knew from Chapter 42 of Laws of Inheritance that Thorvald's marriage was going to be rocky, and this is really the first time Queen Ragna has left the country since then because they weren't allowed to travel. I don't think she really thought Thorvald would murder her or anything, but I know she needed out because it was just a really bad situation. Divorce was probably not an option for her with a husband like him, but now that she's safe in England, she can be happily "separated" from him. I think in medieval times, Kings and Queens separated like that all time and it wasn't a big deal for them.

But this would definitely be a big deal for Thorvald because it's an opportunity for the rebels who want him removed from the throne to say "look, see, he's so terrible that our beloved queen can't stand to be in the same country as him!" and gain a lot more followers that way. Remember when America was eating at the coronation dinner with Addy and Maxon and she reminded them that people usually side with the wives in messy royal divorces? This would be like Charles and Princess Diana X 1000, and it would be a real political threat to Thorvald. This way, Thorvald and Ragna, and the English Royals and the Swendish Royals will all just say, "Oh, yeah, Ragna's health is failing, she needs to go to the South of England for some special doctors" and she'll just low-key stay there forever and be happy.