What About Laral?

[Maple Duke he/him]

Hey I am fairly new so I'm not sure if this topic has been covered or not, But... What could have happened to Laral and how might she fit into the next book?

 

We know that her father was the Citylord of Hearthstone and, as far as we know, she was going to be married to Roshone. Kaladin is, as of the end of WoR, going back to Hearthstone. Now in tWoK we see hints that in my opinion foreshadow Kaladin and Laral getting married or at least falling in love. We can tell that Kaladin had a crush on her, and we can infer that Laral feels the same way. Now I'm sure it can be argued that she was courting Rillir and that Kaladin had lost her affection, but, when Rillir is mocking Kaladin, Laral steps in to defend Kaladin even if it is in a small way. Then Rillir dies from the whitespine. After that we see that Laral is to be married, likely to Roshone and then we never see her again.

 

We don't know much else about her but for arguments sake let us assume a few things to be true. Laral is still alive, as is Roshone (after all, how could Brandon have Kaladin return and not have a confrontation with Roshone) and Let's assume that she is married to Roshone and not to happy about it. And while she may have had some affection for Rillin I doubt she fells much love for Roshone.

 

Perhaps she has even been broken, which could lead to her becoming a radiant, perhaps a skybreaker so that she can judge Roshone for what he has done. After all we wouldn't want Kaladin breaking more oaths. This could also play into a nice picture perfect scene of the two of them flying through the air together.

 

Now I know some of this may seem a little far fetched I've just got this gut feeling that something along those lines is going to happen. If anyone else disagrees or has their own idea feel free to share as I am VERY interested in what other people may think.

[Arondell]

This has been discussed before and I don't recall any general consensus being arrived at.  Based on the last scene of her in Kaladin's flashback and length of time involved it seems likely she is now married and children are a possibility.  She probably isn't very happy though.  Roshone being a living happiness sink in my opinion.  It is all speculation though since we have had exactly no information about Hearthstone since Kaladin left there.

 

I also still suspect Roshone might have some Odium investiture working for him based on that scene at Roshone's dinner table when his eyes seemed to almost glow.  Very suspicious turn of phrase that.

[FlatLine]

Kaladin is gunna fall in love with her. He'll find out that she didn't marry Roshone. 

[Zea mays she/her]

Yeah, The notion that Laral was betrothed to Roshone was town rumor. My dark suspicion is that she was secretly engaged to the other brightlord present in the scene. When they finally meet their reunion will be something like

"Oh high there Kaladin! So, radiant, huh, thats cool. By the way I married Amaram"

[emilylime she/her]

I feel like Laral was kind of a butt towards Kal though. Kaladin deserves somebody who understands him better, and who can cheer him up when he gets depressed (a la Tien). Laral never was able to bring Kal out of a mood, that we saw.

Edited May 16, 2015 by Lady Eowyn

[Aizhen]

I hope she does not get Kaladin and that Kaladin doesn't feel anything more for her than pity for what she has allowed to happen.  I didn't particularly like her in WoK.  She was so pushy for him to go to war so he could win a shard blade (highly unlikely though it was) and become a light eyes.  It gave the impression he wasn't good enough as a dark eyes.  And maybe that should be excusable in the context of their world, but I didn't like her.

[maxal she/her]

I hope she does not get Kaladin and that Kaladin doesn't feel anything more for her than pity for what she has allowed to happen.  I didn't particularly like her in WoK.  She was so pushy for him to go to war so he could win a shard blade (highly unlikely though it was) and become a light eyes.  It gave the impression he wasn't good enough as a dark eyes.  And maybe that should be excusable in the context of their world, but I didn't like her.

 

I agree with this commentary. It has been m thoughts as well. Besides, Laral was Kaladin's teenage love interest. As we grow up, we often retain an idealized version of our first loves to the point where we turn a blind eye to the past issues. Revisiting those first loves years later can bring closure and help the person move on. I thus expect Kaladin to see Laral and feel.... nothing. 

[Maple Duke he/him]

Yeah, The notion that Laral was betrothed to Roshone was town rumor. My dark suspicion is that she was secretly engaged to the other brightlord present in the scene. When they finally meet their reunion will be something like

"Oh high there Kaladin! So, radiant, huh, thats cool. By the way I married Amaram"

 

No, I don't think that is likely. We know that Roshone didn't want to give up the political conecton, also we see no hints of Amaram being married and he doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would get married, especially to a young remote fairly unimportant girl. Everything Amaram does is to try to improve his position.

 

 

I agree with this commentary. It has been m thoughts as well. Besides, Laral was Kaladin's teenage love interest. As we grow up, we often retain an idealized version of our first loves to the point where we turn a blind eye to the past issues. Revisiting those first loves years later can bring closure and help the person move on. I thus expect Kaladin to see Laral and feel.... nothing. 

 

It is possible for Kaladin to get their and and have no one recognize him, including Roshone, he might walk up to Roshone's House, sneak in to kill the Parshmen he has, and bump into Laral, not recognizing her, and Roshone. He may confront Roshone and perhaps not recognizing Laral (it has been several years) fall in love with her again.

 

Basically what I'm saying is that it's not out of the question.

 

 

Kaladin is gunna fall in love with her. He'll find out that she didn't marry Roshone. 

 

I think that since Roshone wanted to marry her it almost certainly happened, however it was probably not something that Laral was to happy with. This leads me back to one of my first questions, could something like that cause her to break, attract a spren and become a radiant. I think it's just the Ironic type of thing that Brandon would do, Maybe have Kaladin torn between two Radiants,

Shallan

and Laral.

 

remember this is all speculation on my part so it's great to have some other opinions to go along with my own.

Edited May 16, 2015 by Maple Duke

[maxal she/her]

I personally hope Laral will not become a Radiant. We are supposed to get many Radiants per order as soon as next book, but I would rather those extra Radiants be taken out of very minor characters as opposed to more important characters related to our main crew. 

 

Becoming a Radiant is supposed to be special and difficult. If anyone with so much as a few hardships makes the jump, it will nullify this notion. Now that being said, I have no fear that if Brandon wants to make a Radiant out of Laral, he'll make it a compelling story, but still.

[Maple Duke he/him]

I personally hope Laral will not become a Radiant. We are supposed to get many Radiants per order as soon as next book, but I would rather those extra Radiants be taken out of very minor characters as opposed to more important characters related to our main crew. 

 

Becoming a Radiant is supposed to be special and difficult. If anyone with so much as a few hardships makes the jump, it will nullify this notion. Now that being said, I have no fear that if Brandon wants to make a Radiant out of Laral, he'll make it a compelling story, but still.

 

maybe

[Elsecaller3414 she/her]

I hope she does not get Kaladin and that Kaladin doesn't feel anything more for her than pity for what she has allowed to happen.  I didn't particularly like her in WoK.  She was so pushy for him to go to war so he could win a shard blade (highly unlikely though it was) and become a light eyes.  It gave the impression he wasn't good enough as a dark eyes.  And maybe that should be excusable in the context of their world, but I didn't like her.

 

I think she was pushing him to get a Shardblade because she liked him.  Like a lot.  I don't know if her father would have let her marry a darkeyes, so if Kaladin became a lighteyes, then he would be more eligible to her than he had been.  Though frankly, I didn't like her, either.

[Xaladin he/him]

Yeah, The notion that Laral was betrothed to Roshone was town rumor. My dark suspicion is that she was secretly engaged to the other brightlord present in the scene. When they finally meet their reunion will be something like

"Oh high there Kaladin! So, radiant, huh, thats cool. By the way I married Amaram"

I highly doubt this, but I like it anyway.

She probably married Roshone.

No, the woman for Kaladin is

a bold Thaylen merchant with a Larkin.

Just watch.

Edited May 16, 2015 by Xaladin

[Arondell]

For the moment I'm inclined to give Laral the benefit of the doubt about her behavior.  We were never really shown what her life was like after her father died but I'm betting it wasn't "blossoms and cake" under Roshone's guardianship.  Particularly after Rillir died.  She certainly had no power or authority to do anything to help Kaladin or his family from Roshone's campaign of persecution.  I suspect Odium's influence in that whole situation.

[Aizhen]

I think she was pushing him to get a Shardblade because she liked him.  Like a lot.  I don't know if her father would have let her marry a darkeyes, so if Kaladin became a lighteyes, then he would be more eligible to her than he had been.  Though frankly, I didn't like her, either.

Doesn't it say somewhere in WoK that Laral's parents and Kaladin's parents were basically arranging their marriage?  Sorry, I can't quote it exactly with the audio books.  I think Laral wasn't happy about with marrying Kaladin as a dark eyes, but I think she likes him if you take out eye color.  Therefore- go to war and win a shard and everything's fine.

 

That said, I don't dislike her.  She's kinda a tragic character.  I feel bad for what happened to her.  But I don't think she deserves Kaladin.   

[Arondell]

Doesn't it say somewhere in WoK that Laral's parents and Kaladin's parents were basically arranging their marriage?  Sorry, I can't quote it exactly with the audio books.  I think Laral wasn't happy about with marrying Kaladin as a dark eyes, but I think she likes him if you take out eye color.  Therefore- go to war and win a shard and everything's fine.

 

That said, I don't dislike her.  She's kinda a tragic character.  I feel bad for what happened to her.  But I don't think she deserves Kaladin.   

 

I think your looking for this line.

 

 

“An accomplished young surgeon of the right rank could draw the attention of a poorer noble family, one who wished money and acclaim. It happens in the larger cities.” Kal glanced up at the mansion again. “That’s why you encouraged me to play with Laral so much. You wanted to marry me off to her, didn’t you?”

Sanderson, Brandon (2010-08-31). The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive) (p. 364). Macmillan. Kindle Edition.

 

It doesn't seem like a formal thing.  It seems more like Kaladin's and perhaps Wistion got them to interact in ways that would encourage a marriage.  That all went out the window with Wistion's death.

 

I'll add that I'm not really hoping that Kaladin rekindle any kind of romantic relationship with Laral.  Not because I dislike Laral or that she doesn't "deserve" him so much as that just seems like a part of his past life that he has moved on from.

[emilylime she/her]

Even if it wasn't totally formal, I'm pretty sure marriage between Laral and Kal was almost definite. Before Wistiow died, anyway.

 

"Wistiow was not lucid during the final days, Kal," [Lirin] whispered. "I knew that, with his death, we would lose the promise of a union..."
 
WoK pg 684 (Chapter 37)  

 

But yeah, I agree. Whether or not they're fit for each other, Kaladin's moved on. He's a completely different person now, and likely as not, Laral is too.

Edited May 17, 2015 by Lady Eowyn

[kaellok he/him]

I hope she does not get Kaladin and that Kaladin doesn't feel anything more for her than pity for what she has allowed to happen.  I didn't particularly like her in WoK.  She was so pushy for him to go to war so he could win a shard blade (highly unlikely though it was) and become a light eyes.  It gave the impression he wasn't good enough as a dark eyes.  And maybe that should be excusable in the context of their world, but I didn't like her.

He WASN'T good enough as a dark eyes. The way that bleeds over into literally everything in their society is the core problem Kaladin faces through 2000 pages of text so far.

She clearly liked him, and showed it as openly and closely as their society allow (and maybe even more). As of now, I pity Laral, because after her father died, all she had were people intent on using her for her position (and i mean marriage with intent to make babies). Less deadly than what Kaladin faced, but sure to have been far more lonely and with little or any possibility of joy or happiness.

I think a reunion between Kaladin and Laral will be interesting, but not romantic. Then again, I'm not sure Kaladin would be capable of romance even if the fate of the Cosmere depended on it.

[Sennah he/him]

I feel like Laral was kind of a butt towards Kal though. Kaladin deserves somebody who understands him better

 

Agreed 1000 Percent.  I think he'll either end up with someone completely opposite his personality, (Like Shallan or Tien) who can cheer him up, or someone just as dark and sulky as he is, and they can darkly sulk about together forever.

[maxal she/her]

Agreed 1000 Percent.  I think he'll either end up with someone completely opposite his personality, (Like Shallan or Tien) who can cheer him up, or someone just as dark and sulky as he is, and they can darkly sulk about together forever.

 

I personally think a naturally cheerful and optimistic person would never work with Kaladin. In the long run, this individual would get annoyed at always having to pull up their partner, always having to cheer him up, always having to drag him forward. He needs someone very patient, very independent, very realistic but more on the optimist side than him without being overly joyful.  

[Maple Duke he/him]

She clearly liked him, and showed it as openly and closely as their society allow (and maybe even more). As of now, I pity Laral, because after her father died, all she had were people intent on using her for her position (and i mean marriage with intent to make babies). Less deadly than what Kaladin faced, but sure to have been far more lonely and with little or any possibility of joy or happiness.

I think a reunion between Kaladin and Laral will be interesting, but not romantic. Then again, I'm not sure Kaladin would be capable of romance even if the fate of the Cosmere depended on it.

 

You're probably right but when I originally posted this I was more interested in the chances of her attracting a spren. We know Syl said that

ALL radiants were broken (sorry I'm feeling to lazy to dig up the exact quote)

And the fact that she saw Rillir die, She was forced to marry a man who hated the family of her childhood sweetheart, and that said childhood sweetheart went to war with his brother and never returned... And we know Roshone wasn't a particularly kind man, in fact

he had Moash's grandparents killed because they owned a rival business!

 

I doubt that he is very kind to his wife who he married only for political means. SO could she attract a spren? and if so what order might she join? As I said in the first post I think it would likely be the Skybreakers, cause I think that would be cool and it would fit the situation(Kaladin has to protect, but Laral could Judge Roshone). But we don't know enough about her to really be sure.

 

As much fun as it is to speculate about Kaladin's love life I think kaellok got it right, their is no future for that.

[maxal she/her]

It takes more then being broken to attract a spren... You need to have a given type of personality and the steps you take to move out of your breaking point are crucial. Right now, we do not know enough about Laral to figure out if she has the requisite personality befitting any of the 10 orders. My guess is she doesn't, she simply is an unfortunate girl who ended up in a bad position.

[Elsecaller3414 she/her]

True.  Behavior comes into account as well.  Like Moash, who might have been broken, he did not make very good choices and does not seem to regret it (as of right now, from what I can tell).  Someone who has a noble potential and makes good choices would be the most likely candidate.

[maxal she/her]

True.  Behavior comes into account as well.  Like Moash, who might have been broken, he did not make very good choices and does not seem to regret it (as of right now, from what I can tell).  Someone who has a noble potential and makes good choices would be the most likely candidate.

 

Exactly, someone like Kaladin  Imo, it does not mean Laral will not become a KR, it simply means I do not believe we have been given enough character depth to conclude either way. However, my personal gut feeling (for whatever it is worth) tells me that no, she is not KR material, but this is purely based on my own feelings towards her which do not make for a strong argumentation.

[Aizhen]

Even if it wasn't totally formal, I'm pretty sure marriage between Laral and Kal was almost definite. Before Wistiow died, anyway.

 

 

But yeah, I agree. Whether or not they're fit for each other, Kaladin's moved on. He's a completely different person now, and likely as not, Laral is too.

Yes, thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for.  

 

 

He WASN'T good enough as a dark eyes. The way that bleeds over into literally everything in their society is the core problem Kaladin faces through 2000 pages of text so far.

She clearly liked him, and showed it as openly and closely as their society allow (and maybe even more). As of now, I pity Laral, because after her father died, all she had were people intent on using her for her position (and i mean marriage with intent to make babies). Less deadly than what Kaladin faced, but sure to have been far more lonely and with little or any possibility of joy or happiness.

I think a reunion between Kaladin and Laral will be interesting, but not romantic. Then again, I'm not sure Kaladin would be capable of romance even if the fate of the Cosmere depended on it.

It seems so intentional to me, how Kaladin seems to embody the ideals of the lighteyes while the people who actually are lighteyes-except for a few- are so unhonorable, are such bad leaders.  

 

I'm listening to WoK right now and am at the chapter where Laral and Kal are talking and she takes him over to where the other boys are, only to walk away when he's beat down.  He looks to her several times during that fight, but she just walks away.  It's almost like she set him up to see how he'd do in a fight.  If she does care for him, it's not apparent to me.  And really, they're how old, 12 or 13?  

 

And as for Kaladin not feeling romance, come on  He totally feels something for Shallan after their half-truth-feast during the high storm.  And it goes past the respect he finds in her ability to smile through all her pain.   The beginnings of a love triangle was definitely established and it's one of the biggest reasons Adolin killing Sadeas worries me- with Shallan and Kaladin KR together... I really like all three of those characters.

Edited May 18, 2015 by Aizhen

[Curious Anamaximder he/him]

Personally, I thought Laral was naive and kind of a idiot. She was a intresting character but she doesn't need to be a big part of Skybreaker.