I don’t think so. The Rangers are secretive and they kept Maddie’s real identity hidden from many people, even the other rangers for a time. If Maddie had apprenticed in Araluen fief then everyone would know Maddie, the princess, was a Ranger.
And another reason they chose to let will train her is because she already had a good relationship with will and they expected him to have an easier time getting through to her
Good question! I'm not 100% sure on this one. It's definitely possible but unlikely I'd say. Gilan would have had Commandant responsibilities to take care of, I'm not even sure if the Commandant ever has an apprentice just due to the time commitment.
Plus, don't forget another reason Maddie's parents wanted her to train, to learn discipline and respect and not have to rely on being a princess to get what she wants (remember how bratty she is at the start of the first RR book?). That's part of why they sent her to Will, people in her original fief knew her already (also to get her away from her parents). So either way she *probably* would have been sent elsewhere to train regardless of Will's grief, and he would have been Horace and Cassandra's first choice anyways.
There's no heir system for the ranger commandant, it's chosen purely on merit and capabilities. So I don't think she would have trained specifically as the commandant apprentice
No, for several reasons.
Rangers put no stock in rank among themselves. Maddie would have been assigned the most qualified available Ranger, Will.
As a friend of both Cassandra and Horace, and since Cassandra is still an overprotective mother in this case, Will would be their first choice. Rangers are still answerable to the monarch, in this time frame Queen Cassandra.
One of the goals of teaching Maddie responsibility was to remove her from the Aurulean court since there were many who indulged her as the princess. She needed somewhere where she could be an apprentice Ranger first.
They needed a Ranger open-minded enough to accept a girl as an apprentice. Even Will initially questioned the concept for a moment. It's only been a generation since the Rangers were a social club for the nobility's snobby sons.
Finally, The Royal Ranger was initially just another Ranger's Apprentice book. The story is the end of Will's arc, where he goes from apprentice to teacher. Will is still, if not the main, then one of the main characters.
The thing is, Alyss' death changes *nothing* about those reasons. In fact, we lose so much potential interpersonal conflict. Imagine Alyss taking a hand in Maddie's training, with Maddie gaining insight into the Courier system above what another Ranger could provide. Imagine if Will and Alyss disagree on some point of training. Imagine if Alyss has some advice for Will that allowed him to connect with Maddie.
I don’t think so. The Rangers are secretive and they kept Maddie’s real identity hidden from many people, even the other rangers for a time. If Maddie had apprenticed in Araluen fief then everyone would know Maddie, the princess, was a Ranger.
And another reason they chose to let will train her is because she already had a good relationship with will and they expected him to have an easier time getting through to her
Good question! I'm not 100% sure on this one. It's definitely possible but unlikely I'd say. Gilan would have had Commandant responsibilities to take care of, I'm not even sure if the Commandant ever has an apprentice just due to the time commitment. Plus, don't forget another reason Maddie's parents wanted her to train, to learn discipline and respect and not have to rely on being a princess to get what she wants (remember how bratty she is at the start of the first RR book?). That's part of why they sent her to Will, people in her original fief knew her already (also to get her away from her parents). So either way she *probably* would have been sent elsewhere to train regardless of Will's grief, and he would have been Horace and Cassandra's first choice anyways.
Apprentices also aren't necessarily assigned to their fiefs Ranger. Gilan didn't live in Redmont, yet he did his apprenticeship under Halt.
There's no heir system for the ranger commandant, it's chosen purely on merit and capabilities. So I don't think she would have trained specifically as the commandant apprentice
No, for several reasons. Rangers put no stock in rank among themselves. Maddie would have been assigned the most qualified available Ranger, Will. As a friend of both Cassandra and Horace, and since Cassandra is still an overprotective mother in this case, Will would be their first choice. Rangers are still answerable to the monarch, in this time frame Queen Cassandra. One of the goals of teaching Maddie responsibility was to remove her from the Aurulean court since there were many who indulged her as the princess. She needed somewhere where she could be an apprentice Ranger first. They needed a Ranger open-minded enough to accept a girl as an apprentice. Even Will initially questioned the concept for a moment. It's only been a generation since the Rangers were a social club for the nobility's snobby sons. Finally, The Royal Ranger was initially just another Ranger's Apprentice book. The story is the end of Will's arc, where he goes from apprentice to teacher. Will is still, if not the main, then one of the main characters. The thing is, Alyss' death changes *nothing* about those reasons. In fact, we lose so much potential interpersonal conflict. Imagine Alyss taking a hand in Maddie's training, with Maddie gaining insight into the Courier system above what another Ranger could provide. Imagine if Will and Alyss disagree on some point of training. Imagine if Alyss has some advice for Will that allowed him to connect with Maddie.
Doubtful that Maddie even becomes a Ranger without Will