Comment on A Cabal of Paris

  1. ysande on Chapter 1 Sun 30 Dec 2018 01:48AM UTC

    I agree, I think once Aramis realised that he's actually really, really good at political machinations, he devoted his energies towards that and thoroughly enjoyed all of it, but I imagine that he continued to write verses because they are his guilty pleasure and he secretly thinks that if his calling was not in political power plays (because he happens to be so damn good at it) then he wouldn't have had to be tragically distracted from his true talent of writing poetry and melancholy essays - because even 20YA Aramis is still plenty emotional and over-dramatical and I think his verses speak to his soul ;)

    I also think it's fascinating how Athos is allowed to speak words of truth and sensibility to the boys when no-one else is; like being criticised by Athos is a privilege because he is so wise and actually deigned to speak to you, and any Athos in your life >>> no Athos in your life <3

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    1. Deiseach (Guest) on Chapter 1 Sun 30 Dec 2018 02:00AM UTC

      Yeah, Aramis is a tiny bit self-deceiving: oh, if only I were not entrapped by my duties to my flock and to politics, I could soar on the wings of inspiration to true fame! Meanwhile, he gets indulgences on account of his delicate health to avoid any of the hardships of his religious role, lives in a Little Nest o'Luxury at the Jesuit convent (while telling d'Artagnan "You see I live as minimally as a Trappist") and keeps wistful and romantic souvenirs of his military career (while, when he was an active Musketeer, he was always sighing over how he really was meant for the religious life).

      I do think he most fully enjoys himself at the very end, when he's an old man, on the run for treason, and ends up as a Duke and the Spanish ambassador back to the French court - now that's getting perfect revenge on all your enemies! And all the while he's complaining over his ill health and how he hasn't much longer to live, and he survives them all! He's a tricky, scheming, ambitious and not over-scrupulous survivor, and at the back of his mind he knows it, but he enjoys deceiving by misdirection so much he even deceives himself.

      And to do him justice, he does have virtues, and he did love the three (two) of his comrades very, very dearly and loyally to the end.

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