I’m putting this theory together after a conversation with one of our fellow readers, Tejaswani.
Tejaswani believes Berwyn is somehow Fen Riorson. While I don’t think Berwyn is Xaden’s father, I do think there’s a connection between them.
Let’s start with some quotes and the obvious clues:
“He drags a single, long fingernail down my throat, exposing an expanse of tan arm under his robes, and I twitch, fear accelerating my heartbeat.”
Tan arm. This man is not white. Just like Xaden. Xaden has deep brown, tawny skin, right?
“His dark, eyelash-less eyes narrow.”
Again—dark eyes. Just like Xaden. Xaden has onyx eyes.
Now, let’s talk about General Daramor.
His name literally means “For Love,” right? So… did he turn for love at some point? Is that how he knows that Xaden could turn for love too?
“The region of the Barrens—the dry, desert-covered peninsula in the southeast that all dragonkind abandoned after General Daramor ruined the land during the Great War—is completely painted in crimson. The stain stretches into Braevick, over the Dunness River.”
“[…]it simply labels the enemy as General Daramor and our allies as the isle kingdoms.”
This brings us to Xaden’s venin nightmares:
“Fight me and die, or join me and live beyond the ages, but you will never escape me, not when I’ve waited centuries for someone with your power.”
Centuries. The same as Theo.
And we know that the venin from Xaden’s nightmares is the same as Berwyn. How?
“Snapped whatever tether he had on me and killed him.”
Xaden thinks he killed him.
“You’re dead. This isn’t real.” I repeat the phrases mentally when my lips refuse to form the words. “This is only a nightmare.”
Xaden is certain that he killed the venin.
Then there’s this clue:
“The Sage draws a sword from his robes, and the next flash of lightning reflects in the emeralds adorning the top of the hilt. Whisps of silver hair blow in the breeze at the edge of my vision, and the sword of Tyrrendor rushes toward my chest.”
Oooooh. Let’s pause. Emeralds on the hilt? Wait for it.
Now let’s go back to Deverelli:
“The dagger was mine to give,” Halden bites out, staring at the jeweled blade. “It looks to be antique, with a silver handle and emeralds the size of my fingernails adorning the hilt.”
“No, it wasn’t.” Courtlyn shakes his head.
“It’s mine,” Xaden says, keeping his expression neutral. “Or rather, it should have been. It’s the Blade of Aretia, appropriated for the royal vault by Reginald during the Unification.”
The Sword of Tyrrendor. The Blade of Aretia.
Both adorned with emeralds.
Xaden and the Sage? Both from Tyrrendor.
So does this mean Berwyn was one of the six? Could he have been one of the first riders?
Xaden is the sixteenth Duke of Tyrrendor.
Berwyn could have been any of the ones before him.
We know Berwyn is from Tyrrendor. And we also know that Tyrrendor is… special.
Tyrrendor has always had dragons. It was built to serve dragons.
And according to Asher Sorrengail:
“Tyrrendor was the last to cut contact with the isles. The province has a reputation for its cunning leadership, but in this case, I would add: astute.”
At first, I wondered if the son Panchek referred to wasn’t Jack—but maybe Bodhi.
Let’s compare Bodhi and Xaden:
“He’s handsome, with tawny brown skin crowned by a cloud of black curls and a litany of patches on what I can see of his uniform under his cloak. His features are close enough to Xaden’s that they might be related. Cousins, maybe? Fen Riorson had a sister, if I remember correctly.”
“The similarity between the cousins still gives me pause. Bodhi has the same bronzed skin and strong brow line, but his features aren’t as angular as Xaden’s, and his eyes are a lighter shade of brown. He looks like a softer, more approachable version of his older cousin.”
“Bodhi grins, flashing a smile that looks exactly like my aunt’s used to.”
“Bodhi’s farther back and starts our way. His walk is so similar to Xaden’s stride that I almost do a double take.”
And then there’s this:
“By our best calculations,” Brennan says, rubbing his hands together to keep warm, “the six most powerful riders currently in Aretia are Xaden, Felix, Suri, Bodhi, Violet, and me.”
“Looks like there’s something to be said for family lines,” Suri notes.
But then again, Berwyn did say, “he has another.”
So something tells me this isn’t about Bodhi.
And given that Berwyn has been waiting for centuries for someone with Xaden’s power, we can assume Berwyn is very, very old.
Oh and Tyrrendor…had a crown before!
“Witty.” Her smile cracks another line in her lips. “You’re almost done waiting. He’ll be gone soon. The crown will be yours.”
Come on, get closer.
“We don’t have a crown.” Bodhi switches his sword to his left hand,freeing his right. “You don’t know me well enough to try and fuck with my head. I’m doing exactly what I’ve always wanted—protecting my cousin, my province.”
Yeah, there was a crown, alright. Plus if you check one of the comments for Zuzle below we also learn that in lore and legends, emeralds are actually called The Jewel of Kings:
Emerald symbolism encompasses not only royalty but also wit, eloquence, and foresight. (This is not from the empyrean series, but a quick search online for emerald symbolism).
Now, one last question that won’t stop circling my mind:
We have six provinces:
- Calldyr
- Luceras
- Deaconshire
- Morraine
- Elsum
- Tyrrendor
And we have six first riders.
We know about Warrick from Luceras and Lyra from Morraine.
Berwyn? I’m almost certain he was the first rider from Tyrrendor.
But what about Theo?
Something tells me she was from Deaconshire.
Why?
Because the temples to Malek and Dunne are huge in Deaconshire:
“Your temples to Malek and Dunne are disproportionately large compared to the other gods’ here.”
That makes me think she might have been dedicated centuries ago to the temple of Dunne in Deaconshire.
Of course, we have no way of knowing for sure.
But it would line up perfectly with this:
Berwyn and Theo are clearly in competition with each other.
And remember what Warrick said?
“Nothing kills powerful, unshakable love faster than opposing ideologies.”
So we don’t know for certain who is who.
But I am convinced that Berwyn and Xaden?
They’re related. And both are from Tyrrendor.
As for what Xaden needs from Berwyn?
I believe it’s the Sword of Tyrrendor.
What do you think? Do you see a connection between Berwyn and Xaden?
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