regshoe

I heartily approve of the enemyship deliciousness of this chapter, and confess to hur-hur-hur-ing through all the not-quite-double-entendres of them ramping up to that swordfight. (Swords and velvet sheathes and challenges that sound like come-ons, oh my!) Then pivoting on a dime to hurt/comfort and rescuing each other? Chef's kiss! Fandom catnip! I want twenty movie versions of this chapter, each more outrageous than the next!

(Related: I laugh at Ewen vainly trying to explain to Alison after that it wasn't Errol Flynn levels of theatrical swashbuckling, when the swashbuckling was still plenty theatrical!)

I do feel for poor Keith, though. He thought that being Ewen's prisoner was finally going to work in his favor! A lucky stroke, to be towed around behind Ewen for a week! AND THEN IT VERY MUCH WAS NOT. Honestly, I would brood and fume over it, too. Ewen had his revenge for those three guineas and then some!

I note (but am not sure what to do with) the parallels between BCP's ring and Xrvgu'f evat: the ring bearing a portrait/insignia of its original owner, sharp-eyed Alison noticing it right away, and Ewen's reluctance to talk about it.

I also find it fascinating that at this point, Alison and Lachlan are the only ones in the main cast who believe in the prophecy. It's a strange alliance, is it not? From a Doylist perspective, Alison's belief is mostly a way of keeping the prophecy before the reader, especially since Ewen does not lay much credit to the prophecy himself yet. But there's still an interesting comparison and contrast between Alison and Lachlan, and their respective care for and devotion to Ewen, I think.