Does Fitz find true happiness? [Spoilers]

[Wumeja]

I think when Fitz finally settles in with Molly and her children, he manages to find a measure of peace and in his own words "content", which is only possible because he has been made whole again. But I cannot help but feel that he is not as happy as he was when he was with the Fool. I wonder if, years later, Fitz will look back upon his years of peace with his family and feel an emptiness in his soul for not having spent his time with the one person who truly understood him.

[Apricot Brandy]

I agree. I don't believe that content means happy. I think Fitz is content because his boyish fantasy of living with his sweetheart finally came true. But to me, this only makes him happy because (as you said) The Fool made him whole again. The memories Fitz gave to the girl on a dragon are still strong, as if they happened yesterday. And so, he longs for what he longed for 15 years ago, instead of what he should long for in his current situation. Since the book ends while these renewed memories are still fresh, he doesn't have time to regret his choice (or rather, the choice The Fool made for him).

I like to think that Robin left us clues to create our own ending. We know that the Skill lengthens life. Kettle lived over two hundred years, and Chade (who was looking like dying of old age at the start of Tawny Man) is still lively and strong, likely due to taking up the Skill. I believe that The Fool left Fitz so that he could feel a measure of the contentment that he always longed for with Molly. Then, when Molly dies of age and Fitz is still in his prime due to being Skillmaster, The Fool will return. Their friendship can infuse their lives with love once more and they can live out their lives together, as the only people who truly understood one another.

[Liquid Ice]

No, I don't think he found "true happiness" or at least as happy as he could have been. If he found true happiness then the end of fitz tale would have been bordering a fairy tale ending. But at the same time what Fitz wants and what Fitz actually needs would be two different things. Fitz true happiness may have led to disaster (which is why the fool left). Him and the fool will be something he always reflects on and feels sad about, but at least he isn't dead!

I like to think that Robin left us clues to create our own ending. We know that the Skill lengthens life. Kettle lived over two hundred years, and Chade (who was looking like dying of old age at the start of Tawny Man) is still lively and strong, likely due to taking up the Skill. I believe that The Fool left Fitz so that he could feel a measure of the contentment that he always longed for with Molly. Then, when Molly dies of age and Fitz is still in his prime due to being Skillmaster, The Fool will return. Their friendship can infuse their lives with love once more and they can live out their lives together, as the only people who truly understood one another.

I thought the Skill only lengthens life if the users chooses to? You could be aging but if you suddenly thought "Hey I don't want to die" you would freeze your age to where it was and stay like that. I believe Chade became lively and strong because he got Skill healed, not so much because his life was frozen in time like Kettles was.
Also I doubt Fitz would want to stay young. It'd be hard to be in love with someone and let them age and grow weak while you stay strong. And fitz doesn't seem like the kind of person who'd live forever just for the sakes of it.

[fleetzz]

Fitz may have been content but he was not happy.

He never had a relationship with another animal or with a best friend as he had had with Nighteyes or with the Fool. Those relationships were the center of his life and the center of the entire books. Not having those relationships were a huge hole in his life, no wonder he was only content with Molly.

I hope that Robin writes more about the Fool (perhaps his early years until leaving Fitz, in the first person), or realizes that after Molly dies, Fitz can finally connect with the Fool again. Fitz will be able to prolongue his years, and since we don't know exactly how old the Fool is, perhaps they can have a long and happy life together.

I am guessing that the Fool is minimum 50 years old (older than Fitz at 35 plus Nighteyes at ~ 18), but given how wise (if immature) he was in the first series, he is likely much older. His species seems to mature much more slowly---so perhaps 75 or 100 years old? If that is so, and Fitz can live to his 3rd century---they possibly could have more adventures......