Roden is one of the orphan boys that Conner picks as potential prince. Roden is the strongest and stockiest of the boys, and he is tough and skilled at sword fighting, but he has no education. Roden says at the beginning that the run-down orphanage that Sage came from was "ten times the place" he had come from. Roden is ready and willing to please Conner. He has no future in the orphanage and realizes that Conner's plan is his only chance in life. Roden would never be a coward and back out of a fight he was going to lose; instead, he would rather fight to the death. Sage believes that he is so willing to please that he is rushing head long into the plan without taking anything into consideration.
Quotes-
1. pg. 76
"If you can't give anyone pain, then you can't give them joy either."
Roden says this when Sage and he are talking about what will happen to those who are not chosen. Sage says he is happy that his death won't cause people sadness, but this is how Roden reacts. This quote is important as it shows that Roden is human and alone in the world. Roden longs for a family and wants to be someone who loves and can be loved. He is still a young boy behind a tough front.
2. pg. 314
"'Stop making a joke of this, as if I'm no threat! I'm better at the sword than you might expect, and I've seen you fight'."
Roden feels compelled to state the fact that he is better at the sword than the others. This seems to be a way of convincing himself of that fact. Roden is insecure and unsure but wants to believe the fact that he can be better than the others and still has a chance of no longer being a homeless orphan.
3. pg. 14
"I plan on being whatever he wants."
This shows Roden wanting to lose himself completely and be whatever Conner wants. Roden wants to be accepted and will do almost anything to achieve this because he feels that he has nothing to lose. It is an attempt to be a part of a "family" or the closest to one he has been in. Roden is still a child who wants what he never had. Roden's actions are mostly based on longing, survival, and being seen as more than an orphan.
1. pg. 76
"If you can't give anyone pain, then you can't give them joy either."
Roden says this when Sage and he are talking about what will happen to those who are not chosen. Sage says he is happy that his death won't cause people sadness, but this is how Roden reacts. This quote is important as it shows that Roden is human and alone in the world. Roden longs for a family and wants to be someone who loves and can be loved. He is still a young boy behind a tough front.
2. pg. 314
"'Stop making a joke of this, as if I'm no threat! I'm better at the sword than you might expect, and I've seen you fight'."
Roden feels compelled to state the fact that he is better at the sword than the others. This seems to be a way of convincing himself of that fact. Roden is insecure and unsure but wants to believe the fact that he can be better than the others and still has a chance of no longer being a homeless orphan.
3. pg. 14
"I plan on being whatever he wants."
This shows Roden wanting to lose himself completely and be whatever Conner wants. Roden wants to be accepted and will do almost anything to achieve this because he feels that he has nothing to lose. It is an attempt to be a part of a "family" or the closest to one he has been in. Roden is still a child who wants what he never had. Roden's actions are mostly based on longing, survival, and being seen as more than an orphan.