#if the govart dies chapter is anything to go by

[laurents-secret-diary]

oh damen we're really in it now.mp4

#captive prince #damen #damianos of akielos #damen of akielos #kings rising #prince's gambit #ITS HIM ITS MY GUY #also can i just say #i know i made him blush in the rip pitcher sketch because thats the correct interpretation of that scene. cuz he saw his thighs #but can we all agree that those must be the palest pastiest legs a man has ever put in direct sunlight #diogenes said to plato “this is a man” about that peeled chicken because he mistook it for Laurent in a chiton #i bet he burns like a lobster #you leave him in direct sunlight for too long and he starts heaving like an office laptop from 2016 booting up Baldurs Gate 3 #i am still in the middle of book 3 and when i tell you i am in DIRE NEED OF SOME LAURENT POV DECRIPTIONS OF DAMEN #TELL ME HOW LOVELY HE IS I NEED YOUR PASTY ASS TO SAY IT #I want to hear those rapid fire thoughts because you just know he is extinguishing them like summertime mosquitos #if the govart dies chapter is anything to go by #damen oh damen you really thought ancel was gonna shove that stick up his ass during that one performance. i love you. #you are THE funniest motherfucker in that book and your obsession with that blue eyed featherless biped only adds to it #who drops a pitcher when they see a white boy approach #god out of fear maybe #i would never live it down straight up never #that memory instantly became damen's dark horse in the championships for the most embarrassing shit that he will think about in bed at nigh #caprisun

[chromemuffin]

(Captive Prince Trilogy) Prince’s Gambit Liveblogging (Chapter 4)

I either read this all at once or in drips and drabs, apparently. But this chapter was also rather long (or at least, I had a lot to ramble about).

I must keep reminding myself to stay away from fic until I finish the books...It’s so tempting.

Chapter 4

Damn, Laurent is only twenty in this book? I totally forgot how old Damen is, or if it was even mentioned at all. Whoops. That’s what I get for taking so long to read this series.

So:

Laurent, just turned twenty, and possessing an elaborate mind with a gift for planning, detached it from the petty intrigues of the court and set it loose on the broader canvas of this, his first command.

Aside from being a nicely worded intro paragraph for the chapter, you can feel the slight approval in Damen’s narrative tone here. He would obviously prefer it if Laurent used his smarts for something worthwhile, like commanding his small army here, instead of the game of politics and backstabbing back at the castle. Though even leading an army is not so black and white...

I also like the following explanation on how Laurent decided to get the men into fighting form. I’ve mentioned it before, but this story really does like to show the two sides Damen and Laurent represent and it does it well, subtly, without smacking you in the face. 

Damen is the sort of leader who earns respect by, well, being a warrior. Being strong and winning fights (all in good fun and sport, and in war itself), being an authority figure. Judging by his judgment of people in the past (cough backstabbing brother cough), he’s a nice guy. So he’s respected.

Laurent’s way is what he does in the beginning of this chapter, it’s all “calculated to within a hair” because he didn’t have the warrior’s charm that Damen had. It’s a bit manipulative, but an excellent show of his understanding of human psychology. And that he does, actually, understand how and what the soldiers think.

Also, apparently he’s listening to Damen’s advice. So I’m not sure how much of it is him listening to the advice and how much was part of his plan from the start. Probably a mix.

LOL ok, BEFORE Aimeric tossed that ‘wait do you really think Jord noticed me??’ I was going to say, ‘damen, don’t sigh, you would say the exact same thing if you were told to take it easy, like let’s be real here’. But I read to the end of the paragraph. And then.

Talk about a ‘senpai notice me!’ moment. It’s too cute.

Ohoho so Laurent thought Damen works best in a position of command. It’s interesting to see him frustrated that he couldn’t make good use of Damen’s skills without undermining everything he set up to make himself look good. It’s nice to get confirmation that yes, he’s quite aware he was standing on rocky ground with the troops before that plot expelling Govart. It should be obvious, but Damen’s biased narration tends to miss this stuff.

(and that’s where I think the writing really shines. we really don’t get to truly know anything unless it’s through Damen’s lens, and because of that what we are getting is biased. figuring out who Laurent actually is requires some conjecture. if you just went off what Damen thinks this whole time, well, lol. he’s only just stopped comparing him to snakes and other assorted animals.)

And another neat part is Damen realizing that he never imagined himself in the role of captain, because he’s a commander. Since Damen is such a warrior at heart, the fact that he was a prince first doesn’t come to mind as much. And, in fact, it shouldn’t. Being a prince is a matter of course for him, he doesn’t think twice about it when it comes to these things. That’s why I find Damen’s self-reflection bits interesting. He’s rather self-aware in some ways, and not in others.

Wait, wait. Damen says ‘Sometimes I think I understand you, and at other times I can’t make you out at all.’ To which Laurent responds, ‘Believe me, the sentiment is mutual.’

I can’t remember if Laurent has said something similar in the past. lol I have to reread the first book already...

lol sometimes I wish there would be a live action or like...at least a drama cd type thing for these books. I know there’s an audiobook, but that’s different, it’s all one person’s voice. I’d kill to hear some of these (coughlaurentscough) lines read out loud.

lol “...as for his good side, he didn’t have one.” The fact that his men will die for him but keep saying things like this never ceases to amuse me.

The fire was hypnotic, unless you had something better to look at. Jord’s eyes returned to Aimeric.

Unsubtle, this is not. xD

I am actually quite fond of Damen’s exchanges with Laurent’s men, ever since they were random guards back in the first book.

...Aimeric, who had either now been punched in the nose enough times to learn circumspection, or was just naturally more deferential around Jord.

Want to bet which one it is?

Also, how many fights did this guy get into by this point anyway.

Oh my god they are giving each other meaningful looks. And Aimeric is so awkward haha.

On one hand, it is nice that Laurent and Damen can actually hold a conversation, and he is honest in admitting there is another reason he spared Govart’s life, and again in telling Damen that he became a good fighter to take down the man who killed his brother...except it is incredibly awkward because Damen is the one who killed his brother.

And at the end of the chapter, we get a decently sized chunk of reveal about Laurent when he was younger...huh, that’s interesting. I’m going to have to remember to go back to this part, I have a feeling it will become more relevant later on.

For now, it’s interesting enough to learn that Laurent only got serious about learning to fight after his brother died and was apparently more of an intellectual in his youth...and Damen, who had been training since he was young, even acknowledged his skill. It reveals how impressive his determination is. And once he sets his mind on something, he will achieve it.

#captive prince #pg liveblogging