Anndddd here we have it, Oskar’s extra! That’s right, thanks to all you wonderful Champions, the fourth extra has been unlocked.
Words cannot describe how MUCH I have wanted to release this one! I actually wrote it before I wrote Heart of Ice–it was one of my ‘exercises’ that helped me get to know Oskar’s character and background. I wanted to release it with Heart of Ice, but as Oskar’s heart-t0-heart moment with Rakel comes in Sacrifice, I made myself wait.
Oskar holds a very special place in my heart because he is the first person to believe in Rakel. Steinar and Halvor were close seconds, but Oskar first met Rakel when she was eight, and then pledged loyalty to her (though she didn’t know it) two years later when she was exiled at age ten. He stayed on Ensom Peak with her for twelve years. Give that boy a round of applause! (Side note, I almost always write applesauce instead of applause. Strange.)
If you dig in the books, it’s very interesting to see how Rakel’s first “believers” (Oskar, Steinar, and Halvor) see her differently. Steinar saw her as his sister who should rightfully be queen, and felt a lot of guilt that he was raised in her place. Oskar saw early on that Rakel was human, but due to his palace training he was well aware that she was a royal so he tried to treat her with kind dignity. Halvor respected Rakel, and probably had the greatest grasp of her strength of character because he had a better idea of what she was capable of.
You can also see the differences in the way they argue with her. Oskar will give Rakel whatever she wants unless it puts her in danger. Halvor is much more reserved and will always move to do what is tactically best, though he knows he is more than a little partial and is a lot more reluctant to put her in danger than he would a normal soldier. Steinar, on the other hand, tries to bargain with her and talk her into things.
One of the challenging parts of writing the Snow Queen books, is that because Rakel represents magic–which is hated–and brings about huge changes, the way people reacted to her is revealing of their character. For example, think of Phile. She was never afraid of Rakel’s magic, never hesitated to call her out on her actions, and held Rakel to a higher standard than most of the people in the resistance. Phile’s reaction to magic was pretty similar. She thought it was something useful–not scary–and assumed that if someone had it, it was meant to be used.
Well that’s all for today. I need to go take Perfect Dog out on a walk while it’s sunny! I hope you all enjoy the extra. Thanks again, Champions. You are the best! (Just a short ways to go until the last freebie is released.) As always, thanks for reading!