Trying a new look with a set of old eyes

Aeroprism wrote:

Take Lena for example:

According to most PS enthusiasts these day, she was Rhys's betrothed and he was a jerk for leaving her for Maia to a point where he is almost reviled.

Well, in my own American version of PS3, when they see each other, she goes "Hi, I'm Lena" and "Arm yourself well and go search for Maia!"

I don't know about you but I don't usually introduce myself to people I already know, especially if I'm supposed to marry them. Also, if my soon to be wife wanted to ditch me for some dude she just lost, I would certainly not cheer her up and encourage her to find him.

Interesting stuff.

You know, even in the retranslated version of PSIII (the one provided at sceneryrecalled.com), Lena introduces herself to Rhys in the dungeon, no mention of being his former betrothed or really anything to indicate that they knew each other by sight. There's a dude in Landen who mentions Rhys dumping "the princess from the neighboring kingdom" or something like that, but doesn't mention Lena by name. I can only imagine that neither Rhys nor Lena had ever met before she bails him out of his cell. I can buy that they never knew each other, even if they were promised to each other. I don't think that's unheard of in ye olde medieval tymes.

So I don't think Rhys is an awful, boorish human being. I think he's impulsive, and that's about as much of his personality I can extract from the game. I don't really like his adventure, because he's deliberately kept in the dark throughout most of it for no discernible reason, and I prefer heroes face more challenges than Rhys does. Also not his fault.

I don't think going for the girl he actually has feelings for over the girl he has no emotional connection to makes Rhys a terrible person.

Does dumping Lena come off as a jerkish move? Kind of, but its not something completely irredeemable either. The marriage proposal was made without his consent so its not like he asked Lena to marry him and then dumped her for the next hot babe he saw. THAT would make him a terrible person. But that's not really what happened here.

And maybe Lena was looking to get out of the arranged marriage, too, thus her motivation to make sure Rhys reunited with Maia.

If I recall correctly, there's a piece of dialogue, or maybe it was from Ozaki's character book, that says Lena died of a broken heart (this is during Ayn's quest). I don't know if that meant she never got over Rhys and that Sari was born from a political marriage or... whatever. I've never cared for that line. I'd like to think that she did just fine without Rhys.

If I ever get around to completing my Stranger fanfic, you can be sure of one thing: Lena won't be lame and will certainly not have died of a broken heart. In fact, she will be quite alive. And kicking.

Like the 48 years old grandma that she is.