Get Nerdy With Me No. 7
Luke, I am your father!
Hi and welcome! This is the 7th installment of my series Get Nerdy With Me!
Every day until Oathbound releases on March 4 (16 days!), I’m deep diving a topic from the first two books in The Legendborn Cycle. Today, we’re talking about Sel, and my theory about who his father is.
Is Erebus Sel’s Father?
I sure think so. Let’s start with what we know at the end of Oathbound, namely that Erebus has a lot of identities:
He is the Seneschal of Shadows for the Council of the Regents,
the Shadow King,
the Hunter,
and the protector of the Line of Vera.
There’s evidence that he is one more thing that is not explicitly said: Sel’s father.
To grasp this theory, you’ll want to go back and reread a scene in Chapter 11 of Bloodmarked.
On page 121, Bree and Erebus are in a limo on the way to the Rite of Kings. They strike up a conversation that reveals Erebus knew Sel’s mom, Natasia Kane—and, my oh my, were they close.
As children they trained together, and Erebus deeply admires Natasia now. He calls her “a wonder of a warrior.”
They have telling nicknames for each other, too:
“It was Natasia who gave me the moniker ‘Erebus,’ from the Greek myths, as I would eventually command the Merlins who fight creatures from the darkest shadows. In turn I called her ‘Nyx,’ Greek goddess of the night. She moved like shadows fall, silent and swift. When she…”
Bloodmarked, Chapter 11, page 121
In Greek mythology. Erebus and Nyx had children together!1 Tracy Deonn plants her details so carefully, how could this reference be anything but a BIG clue?—that there was something romantic between Erebus and Natasia at one point (or maybe still going on) AND THAT THEY HAD A KID TOGETHER.
Bree’s observation in the limo is important.
Bree senses Erebus’s “fatherly” affection for Sel:
“The care in his voice hurts, because it rings true. Erebus cared for Sel’s mother, and he seems to care for Sel, too, in an almost fatherly way. Maybe even more than Sel’s own absentee father. But that “care” is laced with horrifying disregard.”
Bloodmarked, Chapter 11, page 122
Did Erebus use his position in the Mageguard to help Natasia escape the Shadowhold (Quotes 1-3) and then stay in touch (Quote 4)?
First as Mageguard and then as Seneschal, Erebus has long been in a position to help Natasia with a secret escape from the Shadowhold and to maintain the coverup.
(Quote 1) “[…] I was destined to become Seneschal of the Mageguard.”
Bloodmarked, Chapter 11, page 121
(Quote 2 - Erebus works for Cestra) “As the Regent of Shadows, Cestra oversees the Merlin military, the Mageguard, the Order’s intelligence network, and all of its security forces.”
Bloodmarked, Chapter 3, page 44
(Quote 3) “Sel and I are the only people who know that not only had his mother escaped her false imprisonment […]”
Bloodmarked, Chapter 4, page 50
(Quote 4) “With your long life,” I begin, “and your long time infiltrating the Order, you must know where Natasia Kane is.” Erebus goes still, studies me. Finally, he says, “I do.”
Bloodmarked, Chapter 60, page 549
“Luke, I am your father.”
With all the Star Wars reference in this series (mainly between Alice and Bree,) I just feel in my bones that we are working up to a cool “Luke, I am your father” moment between Erebus and Sel. I hope Alice is there for comedic relief when it happens, and that she cracks a great Star Wars joke.
Last little tidbit: Sel is a Classics major at Carolina.
Sel would have been studying the mythology of Erebus and Nyx in works like Hesiod’s Theogony.2 This doesn’t really add much—proof wise— to my theory, but it’s interesting!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theogony
Sel touts his Classics training in Chapter 30 on page 293.