prlqe asked Mark Smylie:

A question about the barrow. I don't really understand that scene with Harvald and Annwyn. Could you enlighten me on the backstory? Why would a lady (however disgraced) be forced to do it. Why did she not refuse or why did she not tell her family? It is definitely the most disturbing scene and it half bothers me. How did Harvald start these situations with Annwyn? Was there anything else "behind the scenes" ?

Mark Smylie Hi, Prlqe -- Apologies that I did not see your question sooner, I am not on GoodReads often. Well, the scene is *meant* to bother you; it's the first revelation that Harvald is not the character you might have thought he was. And it is meant to show in a fairly blunt way what life is like in the Middle Kingdoms even for a woman of some privilege. It is only fairly recently in our own history that complaints of sexual assault or abuse would be taken seriously by people in authority, and even today many people are dismissive of such claims. Annwyn does not really have anyone to turn to, or at least feels that way, and unfortunately many people in real life who find themselves the targets of abuse often feel the same way. And as with everything in the book, yes, there are a lot of things going on behind the scenes there.

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