Major Themes
Much like his brother Javan, Rhys Michael is forced to fight a constant battle against enemies that are more numerous, more experienced, and more powerful. However, unlike Javan, Rhys Michael is woefully unprepared for the struggle. All too aware of his brother Alroy's poor health, Javan realizes at an early age that he may one day ascend to the throne, and, as a result, he begins to prepare for that eventuality. He clearly sees the duplicity of the Regents who rule for Alroy, and his close friendship with Tavis O'Neill makes Javan empathetic with the plight of Deryni in Gwynedd. In addition, Javan's developing Haldane powers give him a secret weapon in his fight against the Regents. By contrast, Rhys Michael has very few of Javan's advantages. As the youngest of the three princes, Rhys Michael never anticipates having to become king so he pays little attention to political issues at court. Due to a combination of his youth and his natural naivety, he fails to perceive the true nature of the great lords until it is far too late, despite repeated warnings from his older brother. Similarly, Rhys Michael is rather ambivalent to the Deryni situation, and his lack of any significant arcane powers leaves him powerless against the military and political power wielded by the great lords.
Unlike his brothers, Rhys Michael is physically fit and strong, displaying the perfect public image of a charming and witty royal prince. In private, though, he is indifferent to most of his scholarly studies, he is far more self-centered than either of his brothers, and he develops a prodigious capacity for fine wine at an early age. However, almost all of these immature traits disappear when he becomes king, as the events surrounding his ascension to the throne shatter the last vestiges of his childhood innocence. Despite his new maturity, Rhys Michael is still unable to defeat the great lords during his six-year reign, dying at the hands of his enemies much as Javan did. Nonetheless, Rhys Michael does manage to lay the groundwork for the eventual defeat of the lords of state, enabling his successors to enjoy the freedom that he never had. In that respect, despite his numerous disadvantages, Rhys Michael succeeds where Javan did not.
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