Costis Ormentiedes - Tumblr Posts

On a reread, I think the King of Attolia is my favorite queen’s thief book (although admittedly I can’t wait to meet Kamet and Sophos and Pheris again)

I just love how much and for how long Costis just fucking hates Gen’s guts. And the slow, all but dragged kicking and screaming inevitability of his soft heart finding sympathy for Gen’s homesickness and loneliness. While still absolutely hating his fucking guts. And gradually coming to love and respect and fear and be exasperated by him; the inevitable hero’s journey experienced by everyone who eventually comes to love Eugenides.

I love Costis so so much. A good man, a loyal guard dog, the Attolian royal court’s most beloved punching bag (by default, since Gen can’t be included in the rankings). And still no sense of humor. Bless him.

Costis’s narration starts calling him Eugenides instead of just “the king” right after he says “Could you act like a king for once” lmaoooo

Costis at the end of King of Attolia: pick your battles. Pick fewer. Put some back. Wait you can’t fight every single guard- PICK FEWER YOU IDIOT

Aris: how’s your morning going?

Costis: well, Attolis just asked me what my favorite color is and then told me I was wrong, as usual.

"I'm a little vain" "I had no idea" is another banger from the guy who brought you "for the assassination or the heir" and "not noticeably, your majesty"

this is how that scene went, right? 

“The money is good,” insisted the Braeling. “Two years, and I’ll have the stake for a small farm. Four, and I’ll have a stake for a large one.”

I thought it was a sensible plan, but even the Attolian was shaking his head.

I am not necessarily disagreeing with Costis’ assessment that this guy is lying to himself but it’s very funny that he thinks the Braeling’s 4-year plan is sure to end in death or disability when he *checks notes* has to be a royal guard for 20 years before he can cash in on Attolia’s promise of land

I enjoy so much the crossed lines of communication threaded throughout this book that’s basically

Costis: hey trauma victim, my king is so chill, so kind, so cool, it’s all going to be fine, he won’t whip you or anything

Kamet: oh so he’s an idiot

Chapter 4:

I think it's funny that Costis so readily volunteers to fight off the approaching swordsmen, leaving Kamet to scramble. "My alarm was perfectly reasonable, as the horsemen appeared to be waving at us, and I was certain that what they were waving was swords." Kamet's precision does nothing to hide his anxiety (which I think is well-warranted).

I have to wonder, when would Costis have realized the true depth of Kamet's fear about the skirmish? Or, more generally, that every bit of Kamet's worldview is informed by his life as a slave?

"I didn't come all the way to this godsforsaken cesspit so that I could go home and tell my king I failed him." / loyaltyyyyyy. I love Costis. flashback to KoA: "He knew he would march into hell for this fathomless king."

I know everyone has already talked about the absurdity of the lion's den, but: Costis. what are you doing.

Also, I love the surgery song. that is all.

"...how did you come to Ianna-Ir?" / "I punched the king in the face." / I knew that he would say that, but I still smiled like a loon. I love KoA so much.

Also: "He was more kind to me than I deserved and he forgave me." / love.

"Well, the Namreen aren't dropping roof tiles on my head or trying to stab me in the back." / lol.

I don't know where it is, but someone said Irene went out of her way to touch Gen 6 times in Queen of Attolia, which is a lot for someone who says she doesn't love him, but like. No one ever talks about kamet and costis. Every time kamet gets dizzy or injured, or they have to "pretend" to be friends, or costis gets injured, the other is so ready to physically help them. When they end up in the water, kamet clings to costis's neck. When he gets hit on the head, costis literally hugs him for a looooong time. And you wanna say kamet hates him? You wanna say there are any negative feelings between them? The way they both go out of their way to always be physically supporting the other.

Kamet also mentions wondering if the guards kept costis locked up to keep kamet safe from costis.

Also kamet hearing someone apologize and for the first time know they actually mean it, they aren't just saying it. It kinda shows the switch for him to go from identifying as a slave to actually valuing himself and being in a place where he can have a relationship with someone else and not having it be about the service he can provide.

something i love about the apology scene in thick as thieves is that even though it's pivotal for both characters and crucial to their future friendship it absolutely does not fix things. it doesn't even establish a baseline of expected future behavior for either character??

"Kamet," said the Attolian in a low voice, "I am sorry. I hope you will forgive me." [...] I opened my mouth and no words came. I didn't know what to say when "sorry" meant something, what to say to an apology that was so obviously sincere.

kamet accepts the apology, and over the next few chapters they become much closer (with less commentary by kamet about the uncomfortable power dynamic between them). but costis doesn't take this for granted--so much so that he expresses surprise after kamet saves him from the well

"What?" I was mystified. "If I wouldn't leave you in a well, why would I abandon you in a ditch?" He looked momentarily as confused as I felt. "I don't know," he admitted. [...] "Actually, I don't know why you didn't leave me in a hole in the ground."

and kamet doesn't rule out that costis might hurt him if they came into conflict again, not even near the very end of the book (when he already told the reader in an earlier passage that losing costis' friendship is a worse outcome than dying):

"Well," I said, realizing that the strange feeling rising in my chest was anger, "you are an idiot." "What?" I didn't back down. He was securely locked in the cell opposite, after all, and I'd already lost his goodwill. I had nothing left to lose. "You knew what I thought of Attolia."

idk what to say about this except that the messiness of this makes it feel so much more real

the amazing @onebulb made this for me, so here: queen’s thief as vines but now it’s an actual video instead of gross links.