phillies wrote:Is there some reason to suppose that 18 is of any significance in this culture in terms of marriage? We may contrast with Romeo and Juliet at one end (rather, with Juliet's peers) and with middle-class more or less Germans in the 1632 series at the other end. One might propose alternatively that she will be at full physical size, for some spellcasting or combat issue, except she is half non-human, and I have not heard how long the other half takes to mature physically.
In WMC, Leeana says that men are considered "adults" at their 18th birthday and women on their 21st. Granted, this is the Sothoii, but it is likely that 18 is also the age of adulthood throughout Norfressa, aside from Saramantha, the Land of Purple Lords, and the various Hradradi lands.
Also, I agree that she isn't targeting 18 for political or social reasons, but for physical ones. My theory is that her 12 year old body can't do what she needs it to do. She will lose some fine control over her mage powers with age-control, but she likely won't lose any of the
power, and with a body that can channel it (say, 18 years old), she can access even more than she can now.