Heloise in B and Malice in S? How interesting. When people talk about how great one a large part of it is the other and the whole family dynamic. The two are often close by.
I am aware of the irony of me saying this, but I tried to explain my reasons.
Yet, they are two very distinct characters. Granted, they are linked - born from Valzira, Malice tends to be whole less wholesome. It's cute to see your naga daughter playing boogaloo with Heloise, far less cute when she threatens her other mom option with suffering beyond measure. Guess she didn't like the attempt at her life, being pre-cognizant even while Valzira was busy with botching the abortion. Guess it hurt too, given how angry she is afterwards.
Yes, without Heloise Malice isn't as cutie of a pie as she could be.
Yet, they are two very distinct characters and Malice stands tall even without family dynamic involved. First, her interactions with practically anything is just sweet, second, she will act mostly the same if you father her with Valzira. It's not just Heloise thing (though Heloise makes it whole lot more wholesome) - Malice is cool either way: she is very curious little rascal of a child, she is endearingly sassy as a young woman and nearly each scene with her a treat.
That is said - IF YOU CONSORT HER MOM. On my last playthrough... Poor Mina! I am so very sorry! That scene gave me genuine creeps - when Mina suddenly called me daddy, cute wholesome moment with my ever busy consort turned into bizarre fever dream of her being peeled off Malice like a mask. Brrr! Hibby-jibbies are real and they live in naga's tummy!
And that is another reason why Malice is so cherished - she is one of few characters who can be genuinely scary if she wants to (something she picked from both parents) and bend the Bad Dragon over (the others are, naturally, lair masters - with exception of Mother, I don't think there are hostile options with her). Though Zizy, it turns out, can bend Bad Dragon over in a very different, futanaric way.
Malice, in many ways, is like Shrek: love and life on one hand, having layers on the other.
Adeline as a character is great for all the reasons you two say, but I seriously don't trust her as a romantic interest. She loved the mc with all her heart even before he became the dragon, but still, due to her own sense of duty and her birthright, she did what she did. She's never mad at the dragon for throwing her in jail her because she sees it as a mistake. In her mind, that's the only possible way that could happen, because in her mind she did nothing to deserve it. She thinks every death in searching for the infernals to be worth. The sacrifice of her own beloved to be an honor. When she was imprisoned by Balthorne, her only hope being a newborn who couldn't even speak last time she saw it, she didn't fear once.
In a way, she's like Darja. She has this dream of being queen, and will distort reality in her mind to achieve that. So what if the dragon throws her in the dungeon to rot? He's just confused and will inevitably come to his senses and they can have their rule together as it was always meant to be. He can treat her like an abused housewife and she'll take it with pride.
She's earnest in her manipulations, her intrigue, her subterfuge. And that makes her more dangerous in my eyes. No villain is worse than that who thinks she's doing you a favor.
Unlike the usual princess archetype who waits in a tower for her story to happen, Adeline forced it to occur by her own hands by whatever means necessary, no matter how grave the cost. And that is a very cool character who'd be top tier had the list been about character and not quality of warm holes.
You can add to the list of her misdoings the fact that she is the reason the plot happens. To us, it may be cool, but put yourself into the shoes of some rando across the Realm... Yeah, she brought war and devastation on her land - and that is
AT THE VERY BEST!!! The list of worsts includes total devastation of the realm, being subjugated by primordial forces beyond human comprehension, eternal super-tyranny, being subjugated by an evil warlock, occupation by savages and thugs, being subjugated by demons, declaring war on said demons that even dragon won't be able to win - and, to top it off, Apocalypse.
All because someone's sense of duty got no room for recourse and no room for plan B in case "self-proclamation of monarchy with no actual backing will fail". In practicality, Adeline spectacularly failed as a queen the moment Balthorne scoffed at her in the prologue. After that were weeks or even months of ever more grueling conflict that at best saw the very Realm she was supposed to protect turn into warzone and occupied - and, again,
AT THE VERY BEST!!! At worst she killed everyone or worse.
What I, however, would like to refute, is the notion of her turning on us or hurting us. At every turn she is shown as caring, loving and supportive of us - and we being together IS her endgoal. There is nothing else besides! If you keep her in power, she wins her ultimate victory - that's IT.
She's got a nice way of talking.
Cute and endearing!
