Y'all always gotta make someone the good guy and someone the bad guy ┑(￣Д ￣)┍
Riftan fought in an arduous war with only thoughts of Maxi to keep him from going insane. He grew up poor and only earned renown by chance. Maxi was abused and dreamed someone would save her, she spent her life hating herself and thinking herself useless.
Him not wanting to part from her, and being willing to drop everything for her does not make him a bad person, nor is he a bad person for being angry that she wants to leave him, even temporarily. He's literally a man who would respond perfectly to "would you still love me if I was a worm?"; would he still love her if she brought nothing to the table? If she was as lowly and useless as she believes herself to be? He would.
Her wanting to prove herself and go to Nornui not only to clear him of charges, but also make something of herself does not make her a bad person, nor is she a bad person for not understanding the anguish she's asking of him. She wants to be able to stand on her own legs, and help the man that she loves. She wants to be able to go through life with confidence. Did y'all see how much lighter she felt in the court room just thinking about how good of a mage she was? Suddenly her father was much smaller, more bearable, and not so terrifying.
It's an interesting back and forth between two people who are stuck between their love for each other. They're both trying to make decisions to help and protect each other. If you think Riftan would raise a hand to Maxi and force her to do *anything*, then you haven't read the series. If you think Maxi would forget Riftan and regress back into her shell, then you haven't read the series.
Y'all always gotta make someone the good guy and someone the bad guy ┑(￣Д ￣)┍
Riftan fought in an arduous war with only thoughts of Maxi to keep him from going insane. He grew up poor and only earned renown by chance. Maxi was abused and dreamed someone would save her, she spent her life hating herself and thinking herself useless.
Him not wanting to part from her, and being willing to drop everything for her does not make him a bad person, nor is he a bad person for being angry that she wants to leave him, even temporarily. He's literally a man who would respond perfectly to "would you still love me if I was a worm?"; would he still love her if she brought nothing to the table? If she was as lowly and useless as she believes herself to be? He would.
Her wanting to prove herself and go to Nornui not only to clear him of charges, but also make something of herself does not make her a bad person, nor is she a bad person for not understanding the anguish she's asking of him. She wants to be able to stand on her own legs, and help the man that she loves. She wants to be able to go through life with confidence. Did y'all see how much lighter she felt in the court room just thinking about how good of a mage she was? Suddenly her father was much smaller, more bearable, and not so terrifying.
It's an interesting back and forth between two people who are stuck between their love for each other. They're both trying to make decisions to help and protect each other. If you think Riftan would raise a hand to Maxi and force her to do *anything*, then you haven't read the series. If you think Maxi would forget Riftan and regress back into her shell, then you haven't read the series.