Oh good heavens... I just wrote a post in which Degas... feels... sorry - gasp - for Athanar.
You know, I really didn't see that coming, but then I realized that the two characters are really foils for each other. Both are lords walking into a horrible mess that requires shows of power/diplomacy/etc and constant attention in order to regain stability, but Degas did it by showing his people that he is one of them, whereas Athanar seems hellbent on proving that he is their superior.
Degas's theory is that his people are already perfectly well aware of his title. The question is getting them to listen because they want to, not because they must.
So while he's massively irritated that Athanar doesn't seem to understand/care about tact, he's also totally on the guy's side when it comes to dealing swiftly with soldiers/commoners who appear to disrespect authority.
Hence him watching Lithor and Crabannan with what amounts to a bit of disinterest whilst others react with shock.
I'm actually quite certain Degas would like Athanar a lot if they could just work out Saeryn's future in an acceptable manner.
Ahem.
