Small, random questions about RotE that still bother you (spoilers all RotE books)

[Nuytsia]

One thing I always did wonder about (sudden change of topic!) is the deference Chade gave to Fitz in the end. By right of blood, he possibly had more claim to the throne than Fitz? Of course, Fitz was of Chivalry's line, as was Dutiful (though Dutiful is known to be of Verity's line and therefore seems to have an even stonger claim after Verity had been a crowned king !!) but if it were not for his bastard status, it would have been Chade who'd been the crowned king and not Shrewd. Just as it would have been Fitz and not Verity. In this, as both illegitimate "princes", Chade could himself have taken stewardship of the throne for Dutiful. Instead, he gave way to Fitz and even got rather emotional about finally having a true Farseer King on the throne once more. I think this highlights Chade's strong love for Fitz.

Gees you know you spend too much time on theplenty when you remember old posts as you are re-reading the books!!!!!!!!!!

I am reading AQ and don't ask me how but I remembered this post (took me a while to find it though).
I often wondered about how Chade really feels about Fitz.... I guess at the end of the day no-one REALLY loves Fitz without ALSO having another relationship with him that requires him to 'do his duty' (to the throne, the people, the good of all...). OK except Molly! (there I said it hehehe)
But getting back to Farseer's post, this little bit from AQ would seem to cement what you're saying there..... (ie Chade does really care for Fitz) (and maybe if he'd had an ideal world would have had Fitz as king....)

In AQ the Fool is talking to Fitz about Chade, Chapter 23 The Mountains:

“What I see,” he observed to no one in particular, “is that it is not Verity’s buck head he wears on his brow. No, the sigil he chose is more like one, oh, let me see, one that Prince Verity chose for his bastard nephew. Do not you see a resemblance?”
I was silent for a time. Then, “What of it?” I asked grudgingly.
The Fool swung his marionette to the floor, where the bony creature shrugged eerily. “Neither King Shrewd’s death nor Verity’s supposed death flushed that weasel out of hiding. Only when he believed you murdered did anger flare up in him hot enough for him to fling aside all hiding and pretense and declare he would yet see a true Farseer on the throne.”

Actually now I'm also reminded of a bit in the earlier books (AA I guess) when Chade makes a 'joke' about them seizing power together....... I can't remember exactly what/when but I think Fitz wondered for a moment if he were serious...

Just on that, is there any evidence to back up the possibility that the room Fitz inhabited as a youth in Buckkeep was in fact Chivalry's old room? When Brant first took him there he stated clearly that it hadn't "been used for some time" (possibly even since Chivalry had been rooming in with Patience and so would have progressed to another room?).

I don't think that it is, as there was a 'royal wing' and Fitz's room is said to be up on the next floor (or even a couple of floors up?) - I think it was the wing used for visiting guests of little importance? Just below the servants wing?? Something like that.

Of note is the fact that Chade's work area had also been unused for quite some time, possibly for years. This links to the ajoining room also being unused for some time. The first job Fitz had as Chade's apprentice was helping him to clean up the entire work area and put it all right again. Chade was obviously saddened by the memories the unused room evoked and it was only the teaching of Fitz that seemed to have motivated him to begin working there again (though on Shrewd's orders of course). Chade told Fitz that it had taken him quite some time to agree to Shrewd's request, after Shrewd had finally worked up the courage to seek him out once more, and I wonder if this is all because of what happened with Chivalry (Shrewd had known that Chade was angry with him regarding his testing of Chivalry etc and that Chade would would most likely be unprepared to want to go through it all again with Chivalry's son)? Possibly it could have been due to some other apprentice but, for me, Chivalry ticks all boxes.

While Verity and Chade had a relationship, it was obviously not Verity who worked as closely with Chade as Chivalry, otherwise the work area of his room would have been clean and in some sort of order, not dust-covered etc from a lack of use.

I didn't think Chade's room was unused, I just thought he was messy??? I got the impression he's been there for quite some time. He'd definitely been 'in hiding' for quite some time (not necessarily in that room I suppose)