Thing 1: I really have no idea what is and is not subtle. This is one of the reasons I crave feedback. Thing 2: that's the unsubtle part, but... it's not simple, by any means, and some of the complexities may well be subtle. In particualr, it may be that some of the complexities are entirely impenetrable to anyone who hasn't known and understood the right sorts of people already.
As for the semi-monastic life: you did notice the bit, right? The one where he was trying to prove that he had a life and failed? Of course, that's not the only factor, or even the primary factor, in *either* case. Not by a fair margin. As a hint, notice the *ways* in which he reacts to each of them. It is also worth noticing that he considered his covenanted spirits when trying to justify his life, but that they were not an argument against leaving.
"Domitor" as some obvious(?) roots with obvious implications. Add that to the fact that it is invariably used by Hethia (who pretty much always speaks both formally and respectfully - even when making fun of him) and you should be able to figure out most of the connotations pretty well.
Also, you are by no means wasting my time. Even getting bits of "I see this, I don't see that" feedback is really quite useful for me. If you have any speclation, i'd love to hear that, too.
As for the semi-monastic life: you did notice the bit, right? The one where he was trying to prove that he had a life and failed? Of course, that's not the only factor, or even the primary factor, in *either* case. Not by a fair margin. As a hint, notice the *ways* in which he reacts to each of them. It is also worth noticing that he considered his covenanted spirits when trying to justify his life, but that they were not an argument against leaving.
"Domitor" as some obvious(?) roots with obvious implications. Add that to the fact that it is invariably used by Hethia (who pretty much always speaks both formally and respectfully - even when making fun of him) and you should be able to figure out most of the connotations pretty well.
Also, you are by no means wasting my time. Even getting bits of "I see this, I don't see that" feedback is really quite useful for me. If you have any speclation, i'd love to hear that, too.