Our Vicious Oaths: Bodily Autonomy and Reproductive Agency Theme Analysis

The Thematic Claim: When the Body Is a Political Asset, Choice Becomes Warfare In Our Vicious Oaths, bodily autonomy and reproductive agency are not private matters—they are the primary battlegrounds of dynastic politics. The novel's central claim is that a woman's reproductive capacity is treated as a political asset to be prophesied over, negotiated, and weaponized, and that genuine freedom requires not merely the right to choose but the power to define what those choices mean. Kadeesha Mercier moves from being a passive object of a marriage contract to an active strategist who uses her own pregnancy as a political instrument, yet the novel refuses to celebrate this as simple empowerment. Instead, it shows that reproductive agency is always entangled with the patriarchal structures that seek to control it—and that even strategic choices can become a form of surrender. The book's opening disclaimer explicitly flags this territory, warning readers that the narrative includes the threat of forced marriage and discussions of fertility and conception. ## The Body as Political Asset: The Arranged Marriage The novel's first narrative chapter establishes the foundational violation. Kadeesha's father, King Sylas, has betrothed her to Rishaud Timmu, the Hyperion king, to fulfill a prophecy that she will become high queen and bear a son. The marriage contract is negotiated entirely between Sylas and Rishaud—trade concessions, reduced tribute, military protection, and a quadrupled dowry—while Kadeesha sits silently between them, given no voice in the proceedings. The narrative makes clear that she would get no say in the negotiations. The prophecy itself reduces Kadeesha to a vessel for dynastic continuity. Rishaud proclaims that she will bear a son, and her father decrees that she will see the wedding through, leaving no room for dissent. Kadeesha's response is internal: acid burning her throat, contemplating violence, restraining herself only out of fear for her people. This scene establishes the central conflict: her body is not her own, and her reproductive future has been claimed before she has any say in it. The markings that appear later complicate this picture. When Malachi bites Kadeesha, the Marking disrupts her fertility tracking, making her pregnancy possible despite her precautions. Yashira explains that the Markings fell out of fashion precisely because they led to unpredictability in tracking fertility windows. The Marking is both a symbol of intimacy and a violation—it alters Kadeesha's body without her knowledge or consent, a physical manifestation of how male power can reshape female biology. ## The Right to Choose: Pregnancy and Termination When Kadeesha discovers she is pregnant, her first instinct is to reclaim control. She asks her mother to brew a termination tea, insisting she does not want to bear Malachi's child. This moment is crucial because it establishes Kadeesha's agency—she has the knowledge, the resources, and the will to make her own reproductive choices. Malachi's response is unexpectedly respectful. He asks if she is certain, and when she confirms, he grants her the privacy she requests. Kadeesha reflects that having space to make her own choices highlights a freedom she has never before experienced, and for the first time in a long time, she truly feels in control. This moment of agency is short-lived. The pregnancy becomes a strategic asset. Kadeesha proposes using it to strip Rishaud of his support among the vassal monarchs—if they learn that Malachi has sired a child upon her, they will switch allegiance. This means she cannot terminate the pregnancy. She tells Malachi to let there be a spark, sacrificing her reproductive autonomy for political gain. ## Reproductive Agency as Strategy: The Pregnancy Becomes a Weapon The third phase of the theme is the weaponization of pregnancy. Kadeesha's decision to keep the child and use it as a political tool is both an act of agency and a surrender of it. She makes a choice, but the choice is framed by strategic necessity rather than desire. She tells Malachi that while this is not something she wants, the potential loss of life is her chief concern. This is where the novel's complexity emerges. Kadeesha is not a passive victim—she is an active strategist who uses her own body as a bargaining chip. But the cost is real. Yashira warns her that the child belongs to the Apollyon Court as well, and that Kadeesha will remain a piece on someone else's board regardless of her choices. Kadeesha wonders if she has been too hasty and dreadfully shortsighted in proposing to use the pregnancy. The parley scene shows Kadeesha deploying her pregnancy as theater. She lays a hand against her belly for effect, and Malachi amplifies the gesture by placing his hand over hers. The assembled monarchs track the movement, understanding immediately what it means for the prophecy and the balance of power. Kadeesha's body has become a political instrument, and she is both the wielder and the weapon. ## Character and Symbol Connections Kadeesha is the central figure in this theme. Her arc moves from passive victim of the prophecy to active strategist who uses her reproductive capacity as a tool. She never fully escapes the system that seeks to control her body, but she learns to navigate it on her own terms. Malachi represents a more complicated form of male power. He initially respects Kadeesha's choice to terminate the pregnancy, but he also becomes complicit in using it as a political weapon. His guilt over his father's failures—the former king allowed his mother to be killed—shapes his protectiveness toward Kadeesha and their potential child. Rishaud embodies the patriarchal prophecy. He claims Kadeesha as his bride and the mother of his heir, treating her as a means to consolidate power. His touch burns her hand, a visceral symbol of the violence inherent in his claim. Yashira is the most complex character in this theme. She supports Kadeesha's choice to terminate the pregnancy, brewing the tea without argument, but she also sees the political value of the pregnancy. Her warning that Kadeesha will remain a piece on someone else's board is both a critique and a prophecy of its own. The kongamatos symbolize Kadeesha's warrior identity and independence. Her bond with Zahzah represents a form of autonomy that the political system cannot fully co-opt. The crowns symbolize the dynastic power structures that seek to control bodies and reproductive futures. ## Complexity and Contradiction The novel refuses a simple binary between agency and coercion. Kadeesha's choice to use her pregnancy as a political weapon is simultaneously an act of empowerment and a surrender of autonomy. She is not forced to carry the child—she chooses to—but the choice is constrained by the political realities she faces. Yashira's warning that the game is being played whether Kadeesha likes it or not captures this tension: Kadeesha can either be a pawn or a player, but she cannot opt out of the game entirely. The novel also complicates the idea of reproductive choice by showing how the prophecy shapes even Kadeesha's own thinking. She wonders if the pregnancy's timing was by the great Celestials' design, suggesting that even her strategic choices may be part of a larger cosmic plan. This ambiguity—is she acting freely or fulfilling a prophecy?—runs throughout the narrative. ## Study Questions 1. How does the arranged marriage in Chapter One establish the novel's central conflict around bodily autonomy? The marriage contract is negotiated entirely between Sylas and Rishaud, with Kadeesha given no voice. The prophecy that she must bear a son frames her reproductive capacity as a political asset, establishing that her body is not her own. This scene sets up the central tension: Kadeesha must fight to reclaim control over her body and her reproductive future. 2. What does Kadeesha's decision to terminate the pregnancy reveal about her character and the theme of reproductive agency? Her decision to terminate demonstrates that she has the knowledge, resources, and will to make her own reproductive choices. It is a moment of agency—she states clearly that she does not want to bear Malachi's child, and he respects her choice. This scene establishes that Kadeesha is not a passive victim but an active agent in determining her own future. 3. How does Kadeesha's strategic use of her pregnancy complicate the theme of reproductive agency? By choosing to keep the pregnancy and use it as a political weapon, Kadeesha both exercises agency and surrenders it. She makes a choice, but the choice is constrained by strategic necessity rather than desire. This complicates the idea that reproductive agency is simply about having the right to choose—it also involves the power to define what those choices mean. 4. What role does Yashira play in shaping Kadeesha's understanding of bodily autonomy? Yashira is both a supporter and a critic. She brews the termination tea without argument, respecting Kadeesha's choice, but she also warns that the child belongs to the court as well and that Kadeesha will remain a piece on someone else's board. Yashira's perspective complicates the theme by showing that even well-intentioned support is entangled with political calculation. 5. How do the Markings symbolize the intersection of intimacy and bodily control? The Marking that Malachi leaves on Kadeesha disrupts her fertility tracking, making her pregnancy possible despite her precautions. It is a physical manifestation of how male power can reshape female biology without consent. The Marking also creates a bond between Kadeesha and Malachi, complicating the idea of autonomy by showing that intimacy itself can be a form of control.