Oct 29., 2017 / Foreshadowing, Pairs, Theories
Hints in the Pairs Noble Card
I was re-reading the Cthaeh scene yesterday and musing on the idea someone once posted (I think it was in the Kingkiller facebook group) that the red and gold butterflies represented the Calenthis line. Then I also considered some recent art examination I’d been doing.
As Pat would say, “click to embiggen”
Alveron’s family colors are white and sapphire. Meluan Lackless is described as wearing grey and violet after she marries Alveron. Combined with the Pairs Noble card, I am inclined to think she was wearing her house colors in that scene, and thus I started to wonder about all the butterflies.
So during his conversation, the Cthaeh kills the butterflies in the following order:
-finishes off the Red ones (The Calenthis line)
-1 Blue
-1 unnamed color (assumption blue?)
-1 Blue 1 Purple together (Alveron and Meluan)
-1 Purple (Aculeus Lackless)
-3 Green
Sim begins describing the line of succession as: the royal family, the prince regents, Maer Alveron, Duchess Samista, Aculeus and Meluan Lackless (but this was before she married Alveron and thus her standing may have changed)…
It seems like the Cthaeh is either going down the line of succession and/or the order people are going to die in.
The only noble family I’m aware of who wears green is Greyfallow’s green and grey, but I really don’t think it’s him as I will eventually get to in another post.
I don’t have any good theories on whether the prince regents would have been red or blue.
Edit 12/7/17: Pat said in a stream today that there are 3 Prince Regents of (Renere or Vintas, unclear), so perhaps the 3 green butterflies are them. If so, (and if the butterflies mean anything at all), that would mean the order is not the order of succession, so more likely it’s the one they’ll die in.
I suppose it’s also possible that the colors used to outline the different countries in the official world map come into play (Modeg is green, and presumably their high king has to fit in somewhere), but that feels like an awful big stretch.
I also noticed this detail on the Calenthis noble. In NOTW Chapter 22 there are penitent priests in the Midwinter parade. Maybe the penitent king (whose colors we know are red and gold) is actually a religious reference.
(Cross-posted to The Kingkiller Chronicle Facebook group)
Stapes / January 22, 2018., 6:52 am
The butterflies do mean something. Your observation adds credence to a popular theory; check-out thistlepong's theory on a Reddit thread called "Speculation on the Penitent King."
Anonymous / April 17, 2018., 8:06 pm
Penitent King colors are blue and white, though, not red and gold.