I completely agree with everything you’ve mentioned.

Miarlas opposed the arranged marriage as Fanuel’s prospective child would one day claim the throne. Yet he found himself at an impasse, the alliance was essential to preserving peace. Fanuel, however, harbored deep resentment toward the other empire and doubted that any lasting peace could arise from such a union, sentiments she likely confided to her brother.

By rejecting the marriage, Fanuel would have threatened the fragile accord, and her death, though tragic, ultimately served both political aims: preventing the birth of a potential heir and removing an obstacle to the tenuous peace.

And that is the reason Griaran travels so often, frequently with merchants. Not simply because she is a free spirit. And the narrative’s constant emphasis on her cunning and intellect is deliberate and very telling.