J O Y O U S R E A D S

Melina was supposed to stop by today for a peek at her bookshelves but frankly, Alexa and I have been worried because we haven’t heard from her in the last little while. We truly hope everything’s okay. Anyway, I figure I have to improvised on a post for my stop so I thought what better way to do that than talk about the romances of the Lumaterans. 

I guess you could say that their love story started off when they were children. On the night of her family’s murder, her brother Balthazar told her that Finnikin would be the one person whom she had to find for he would know what to do. For years after the demise of Lumatere, Isaboe searched and searched every kingdom to find him. It took ten years but when she finally did, Finnikin had no clue who she was other than she was a bald-headed, simple, novice who took a vow of silence. Their journey to bring the Lumaterans to freedom was the kindling to their sometimes tumultuous, sometimes, sweet and more often explosive love affair. Neither of them made it easy; it was a meeting of two powerful forces who refused to give the other the upper hand. But at the end of the day, these two were each other’s light and dark, happiness and sadness, their own strengths and weaknesses. It was destiny. It was meant to be. And it was why they’re one of favourite couples in the literary world. 

Imagine this: Ten years of separation without knowing whether the one lived or died. Ten years of imprisonment. Ten years of degradation and torture and rape the wife had to endure simply because she was married to the Captain of the Guard of the former ruler. When they eventually reunite, he finds out his beloved had borne a daughter out of abuse. Now whenever they see each other, they’re always reminded of the love they lost, the men who abused her, and the heartache that at first glance seem to have no end. Their story would make you believe at the possibility of the happily ever after. 

While I agree that Froi and Quintana aren’t actually from Lumatere, their story is knitted in this kingdom that it’s difficult not to include them. Much like Isaboe and Finnikin, their story began when they were children – actually, it started in their infancy. You can say that they’re the true definition of destiny. Their lives are so tangled that for them not to have a happy ending is considered an act of cruelty, in my opinion. Of course, what’s a Melina Marchetta story without heartaches? Quintana’s and Froi’s lives before they were together were truly difficult to read and even more difficult to fathom. Their first meeting wasn’t eventful; there was no earth-shattering mutual attractions, no coy looks or flirtations, and certainly no chemistry to speak of. In fact, the foundation of their relationship started off with plans of assassination and war between two kingdoms (Lumatere and Charyn). There’s nothing romantic about that. But I love how their love developed. It was like unraveling thread from one fabric only to be used for a better, much stronger, textile. 

When they were kids, Perri used to pick on Tessadora. And no, he didn’t pull her hair…or punch her on the arm…or push her down the slide at the playground. No, his antics were more severe – along the lines of sticking her hand in a fiery pit or dunking her head in the water until she almost drowned. Perri grew up brainwashed into thinking that Tessadora’s kind was an abomination that didn’t deserve to live, hence he made it his mission in life to torment her. When they grew older, the violence of their meetings became something different. Their attraction was rooted to the fact that they hated each other and yet they couldn’t resist falling in love or lust or whatever they felt back then. Tessadora was one of those really fierce, really strong female characters who could reduced the most powerful warriors into delicate men. Perri, with his scarred face and scary disposition could do the same. You can say that if there was ever a couple that I’d love to read about, it would be about these two. But for now, I can only rely on my imaginations.