Queen of Sorrows--Part Three, Chapter One

[tmcd]

I might be an unreflective reader, but I didn't have the impression that Adémar was affected that much by the spell(s).

[Evie]

I might be an unreflective reader, but I didn't have the impression that Adémar was affected that much by the spell(s).

The locket charm was designed to influence Adémar's thinking in such a way that he was blinded to how much he was being manipulated by Davorin and Jesaminda. While it didn't strip away his free will entirely (because that would have made it very obvious to everyone else that Adémar was a mere puppet under someone else's control if they did so), it did make it much more difficult for him to notice anything they didn't want him to notice and made him much more likely to believe anything they wanted him to believe and make the sorts of decisions they were influencing him to make. There were certain aspects of his life where the charm had less of an effect than others (for instance, even though I am sure Jesaminda would have wanted to completely eliminate Marija's influence on Adémar, he continued to favor her for reasons that should become more apparent later in the story), but as Adémar was much younger and more naive when he first ascended to the Hortic throne, he was more naturally inclined to be overly trusting of Davorin and Jesaminda at that point in his early years, which is also when the magical influencing first started. But now I am venturing too far into the spoilerish aspects of future chapters, so I'll just stop with that little hint. 

[drakensis]

I'd say Ademar is very much what Sorija feared Nicholas becoming (something that may have sadly reinforced her feelings for her second son): someone who had the potential to be a good king, but squandered it.

It's unpleasant to think what Gwynedd's future could have been if Nicholas was being similarly manipulated.

It doesn't seem likely Ademar would have been an excellent king, but he does seem to have been a dutiful and responsible Hort and Prince. Of course, it only takes one mistake, and getting led around by Davorin and Jesaminda was a large one. (I suspect from what we're seeing that Ademar came to the throne relatively early and could have done with a few more years under his father to grow up - but what the previous Hort was like is hard to say).

[Evie]

I'd say Ademar is very much what Sorija feared Nicholas becoming (something that may have sadly reinforced her feelings for her second son): someone who had the potential to be a good king, but squandered it.

It's unpleasant to think what Gwynedd's future could have been if Nicholas was being similarly manipulated.

It doesn't seem likely Ademar would have been an excellent king, but he does seem to have been a dutiful and responsible Hort and Prince. Of course, it only takes one mistake, and getting led around by Davorin and Jesaminda was a large one. (I suspect from what we're seeing that Ademar came to the throne relatively early and could have done with a few more years under his father to grow up - but what the previous Hort was like is hard to say).

You will see a glimpse of a much younger Adémar through someone else's eyes in a later scene. And yes, even had he never been manipulated,I doubt he would have turned out to be one of the Eleven Kingdoms' greatest sovereigns, but he could at least have become respected as a reasonably competent one.