Why "Thrushbeard" for Olivia?
So. King Thrushbeard.
It’s not the most well-known of Grimm fairytales, and it’s pretty problematic (as this analysis/rant by Kate Stradling will explain. She’s written a retelling of her own, and it’s BRILLIANT. Seriously recommend it!)
So why would I make this Olivia’s story, especially since she’s nothing like the princess in the tale?
I had a feeling that her story wasn’t over at the end of The Princess and the Handmaid. In fact, she was actually in a pretty vulnerable position. The only person she knows well in Askarr is Adele, and there’s only so much protection the princess can give her.
“In her homeland, she was the daughter of a respected court nobleman, with wealth and land and good prospects. In Askarr, she had none of those things.”
A rich husband is the best protection she can get. King Tristan knows this, and Olivia isn’t stupid - she’s not going to turn this opportunity down. She doesn’t want to offend the king, after all, but she’s a bit edgy about choosing a husband from people she doesn’t even know. And who wouldn’t be?
Of course, she chooses the one person she actually does know, even if it’s not that well. She picks Kieron for purely mercenary reasons - and for self-preservation. But things did turn out all right in the end.