Inconsistencies in certain characters descriptions / relationships [spoilers]

[Buckkeepblue]

While reading Fool's Fate (I believe it was fool's Fate at least) I noticed that the relationship between Fitz and Dutiful was described as uncle and nephew, and I recall reading that at one point Fitz's thoughts relayed that Dutiful was speaking to him more as his nephew than his King. I can assume it was meant only to imply that Fitz acted more akin to an uncle, or subsitute father figure. rather than as a cousin as Dutiful would believe to be the case. But then there was a time when Dutiful was talking of explaining things to Nettle, and mentioned that they shared a grandfather. This to me seems to be an error in the writing as Dutiful wasn't aware that Fitz was his biological father, at least in body. So Dutiful should have viewed Shrewd as his grandfather, where Nettle's grandfather would have been Chivalry.

Next is when early on in Fool's Assassin, Fitz refers to Laurel as the Queen's Witted Huntsman, even though it is made very clear that she is not witted, and only Old Blood by way of being born into an Old Blood family.

I think the description of Dutiful regarding Fitz more as an uncle than a cousin is just because of the age gap between them. Eventhough the technical relationship between them is first cousins (according to Dutiful), the fact that Fitz was a young man when Verity was king, and is literally old enough to be Dutiful's father, would make it more natural for him to see Fitz as an uncle/father figure than as a contemporary. Dutiful is pretty desperate for a male role model in the Tawny Man books.

Regarding the bit about Dutiful and Nettle sharing a grandfather, I'm not sure if this is an editing mistake or Dutiful just being casual about relationships: as far as he's concerned Shrewd is his grandfather and Nettle's great-grandfather, sure there might be a generation in the difference but the relationship is still close enough that he might casually say that they 'share' a grandfather. I think if Dutiful was just chatting about the family with Fitz he wouldn't feel the need to define everyone's exact relationship, they know who they are (or at least think they do!), so generalities like the grandfather comment would be easier.

I don't know what is happening with the Laurel story-line, I didn't pay her too much attention in Tawny Man but it looks like her story has a bigger role to play, and if that's the case then it's unlikely it's an editing mistake. Maybe they call her witted because she's from an old blood family and could be an 'ambassador' for old blood..