I think Seivarden, up to the very end of Justice, thinks she's in love with Breq (or... maybe? Thinks that she ought to be in love with Breq? There's that bit where Breq asks if Seivarden is sexually jealous about her and the answer seems to come down to "not sexually, no".)
I also think that after Seivarden finds out that Breq is Justice of Toren she is rapidly re-evaluating everything she has ever thought about who Breq is and her relationship with Breq.
But I also think it's, like, super-complicated??? by the fact that Radchaai don't do relationships AT ALL like we're used to. So honestly I think it's more Seivarden really, really wants to be Breq's client but also is conflicted about admitting this because that goes against everything she used to believe about how clientage works, but also the fact that it obviously *won't* be anything like a traditional clientage arrangement is part of why she wants it so much, and she's also conflicted about that while at the same time gripping it tight with both hands, and Breq is aware of this but is ignoring it because she's still thinking about relationships like an ancillary, and Seivarden is DEFINITELY not her favorite, and that's really the only paradigm she thinks she's able to work with.
But of course I still don't know much about how clientage works in practice, or how Seivarden is connecting that with sex/romance in her mind, so all that really comes down to is "in a culture with one gender and completely different relationship paradigms Seivarden has found a way to be SUPER-QUEER" and I think that's beautiful.
...and yes I love the stuff about the conquered worlds, and the way Leckie shows it to us, and the lack of easy answers! Also I would really really love something about Daos Ceit and how she became Radchaai.
I will have to come back after my to-do list is wrestled into submission and ask how to find that story. :P
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I also think that after Seivarden finds out that Breq is Justice of Toren she is rapidly re-evaluating everything she has ever thought about who Breq is and her relationship with Breq.
But I also think it's, like, super-complicated??? by the fact that Radchaai don't do relationships AT ALL like we're used to. So honestly I think it's more Seivarden really, really wants to be Breq's client but also is conflicted about admitting this because that goes against everything she used to believe about how clientage works, but also the fact that it obviously *won't* be anything like a traditional clientage arrangement is part of why she wants it so much, and she's also conflicted about that while at the same time gripping it tight with both hands, and Breq is aware of this but is ignoring it because she's still thinking about relationships like an ancillary, and Seivarden is DEFINITELY not her favorite, and that's really the only paradigm she thinks she's able to work with.
But of course I still don't know much about how clientage works in practice, or how Seivarden is connecting that with sex/romance in her mind, so all that really comes down to is "in a culture with one gender and completely different relationship paradigms Seivarden has found a way to be SUPER-QUEER" and I think that's beautiful.
...and yes I love the stuff about the conquered worlds, and the way Leckie shows it to us, and the lack of easy answers! Also I would really really love something about Daos Ceit and how she became Radchaai.
I will have to come back after my to-do list is wrestled into submission and ask how to find that story. :P