How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
It was always like this. To the servants he might be "the young archduke," but nobles like Volger never let Alek forget his position. Thanks to his mother's common blood, he wasn't fit to inherit royal lands and titles. His father might be heir to an empire of fifty million souls, but Alek was heir to nothing.
Volger himself was only a wildcount—no farmlands to his name, just a bit of forest—but even he could feel superior to the son of a lady-in-waiting. (1.46-47)
Here's our introduction to Alek's big issue: He doesn't really know who he is. He knows who he should be—if only his mother hadn't been so common. His father and Volger and even his mother all know who they are, but Alek's identity—at least in terms of social status—is uncertain.
Quote #2
Alek shut his eyes. It always pained Father when Sophie wasn't allowed to stand beside him at official receptions. More punishment for loving a woman who wasn't royal. (5.29)
Wow, those royals really know how to punish someone for marrying for love. They just do not let up.
Quote #3
But worst of all were the people. In the walker's small cabin he'd grown used to the smell of unwashed bodies. But here in Lienz hundreds of commoners packed the Saturday market, bumping into Alek from all directions and treading on his feet without a murmur of apology. (13.4)
Yeah, we don't like getting trampled by smelly crowds either, so we really can't blame Alek too much here. It's a new experience for him, though, to have people not know or care who he is. Does he like it or dislike it, or does it have pros and cons?