WhWhat if deirdre was seliph's stepmother instead of biological?

[Jathan]

This is just a what if I know deirdre is the mother of seliph but this is just a what if how deirdre would be as a stepmother instead of biological how would she treat him or how would she think of him how would she met Sigurd what do you guys think of this what if should it be made into a fanfic au au is short for alternate universe so yea comment of what you guys think of this theory

[Shanty Pete's 1st Mate]

Well, the nickname of Seliph, the "Scion of Light", would be far less poetic if he didn't have any Naga blood. Otherwise, I don't see much that it would add. Dierdre, I'm sure, would still care for him. Even if a scenario like "No Deirdre, you must stay in the castle to care for Seliph" might not happen this time. We'd also have to ask - who is Seliph's birth mother? And when he sees his parents in chapter 10, does he see Sigurd and Dierdre? Or Sigurd and his birth mother?

Finally, Seliph's claim to rule all of Grannvale becomes much more tenuous without Naga blood. Perhaps he would forego the throne, either to Julia, Azelle's potential children (Arvis' nephews), or to some sort of "confederation" scheme? Alternatively, he could marry Julia (no longer his half-sister), and they would rule together.

[King Marth 64]

I don't know about that. It wouldn't make sense to picture Deirdre as a stepmother of Seliph since Sigurd's first and only wife we knew was Deirdre. That was one of the reasons why Seliph was kept hidden, not only to target as Sigurd's blood, but has the Holy Blood of Naga as well and how Julia first meets her long-lost half-brother.

It's kind of hard to picture who Seliph's other mother was since SNES only has the fathers except for Sigurd and Quan to become potential fathers. I don't think it's limited to make it like the Awakening and Fates's parental system.

[Jathan]

Ok I understand that deirdre is Sigurd's one and only love I can understand but I assure you this is a what if to see how you guys think the game would be like just a question 

[indigoasis]

I think @Shanty Pete's 1st Mate answered it best, but to add onto that, part of the tragedy of Genealogy of the Holy War is the Shakespearean family dynamics. Across Sigurd and Seliph's tales, it ends up being an amalgamation of Romeo & Juliet and Hamlet.

Through Deirdre, Arvis is Seliph's half-uncle (and stepfather, which is even worse in concert with being his half-uncle, but it makes that family connection between them stronger). If Deirdre were somehow Seliph's stepmother instead (so no blood relation), and then went on to marry Arvis as "normal," I think that would dampen the impact of Seliph's confrontation with Arvis to a degree. Sure, it's the guy that defeated his father and more or less stole his (step)mother away, but that blood relation wouldn't be there. I don't think it would necessarily change Seliph's feelings on the matter too much, but it has less of an impact than the Hamlet-esque story we actually have. The weight of the material wouldn't be as powerful.

Gameplay-wise, Seliph would basically be like Lucina if Chrom marries the maiden, but he can't be benched.

[King Marth 64]

1 hour ago, Jathan said:

Ok I understand that deirdre is Sigurd's one and only love I can understand but I assure you this is a what if to see how you guys think the game would be like just a question 

That was we're trying to say thinking something logical in a what if scenario. I still had a hard time thinking of what if Deirdre as a possible stepmother instead of a biological mother. It could change something anything we mentioned blood related from Seliph from Deirdre while keeping blood relation from Sigurd.

I was trying to think of something if they're going to keep the story route similar from the canon route for Seliph and Sigurd if this happens. I think for the blood relation from the birth mother might have something similar to Deirdre to do with Naga or Loptyr and Sigurd would have married the first wife and died before the story began (I do think Seliph might going to appear little bit older for Gen 2 (like maybe one year older than his canonical age in Gen 2 Story) like say he might first mention in the Prologue instead of Chapter 2 and Deirdre did appeared afterwards from Chapter 1. I do think Deirdre might have some mix reactions for Seliph in chapter 1 ending since this was a step mother route. I would find it fit Deirdre would have been the perfect first wife for Sigurd and mother for Seliph before Manfroy came and ruined the family, but I think Sigurd would have been more heart broken after Chapter 3 was over than he was in the canonical route after Deirdre was stolen and losing an another wife again. This would also make Julia and Julius never been related by blood for Seliph as well.

Edited March 13, 2023 by King Marth 64

[Shanty Pete's 1st Mate]

4 hours ago, Jathan said:

Ok I understand that deirdre is Sigurd's one and only love I can understand but I assure you this is a what if to see how you guys think the game would be like just a question 

I just don't see what it adds to the story. Seliph's connection to Dierdre is more or less purely biological. She was kidnapped within the first half-year of his life, so he almost certainly doesn't have any memories of her. As a stepmother, she's the woman his father loved and married. Perhaps she played a maternal role in his life still, but it's not as though that's something he'd remember. And his connection to Julia - and to Julius - are both lessened.