The Priory of the Orange Tree

In light of the recent assassination attempt on Sabran—a man was found dead outside her rooms—Ead is called to a meeting by the “Virtues Council,” the governing council of Inys. This council comprises Queen Sabran, the “Knights of Virtue,” and other noblemen and women. Lord Seyton Combe, the leader of the spies who is known as the “Night Hawk,” and Lady Igrain Crest, the “Duchess of Justice” (and grandmother of Roslain Crest, Sabran’s lady-in-waiting) surprise Ead by saying the person who killed the assassin must also be brought to justice since “the Knight of Justice frowns upon all bloodshed” (81). Everyone seems unaware that it was Ead who killed the assassin, but Igrain raises some doubts about Ead. However, Sabran quickly exonerates her lady-in-waiting, surprising Igrain, who virtually raised Sabran after the assassination of her mother, Queen Rosarian.

After the council dismisses Ead, she lingers on the stairs to hear the council’s conversation. Sabran is wary of marrying Aubrecht, known as the “Red Prince” for his auburn hair, because of his former engagement with the “Donmata” (princess) of Yscalin, the country of “wyrm-worshippers.” Igrain agrees with Sabran’s concerns. The conversation turns to Loth’s absence, which Sabran believes is voluntary. Combe tries to convince Sabran that Loth left for Yscalin willingly to find Sabran’s father, the Inysh ambassador to Yscalin, who has been missing for some time. Ead knows Combe is lying.

Later Ead joins Sabran for dinner in order to taste her food for traces of poison. Sabran is still displeased with Ead for her retelling of “the Saint and the Damsel,” but the two fall into conversation. Sabran notes that Ead has taken the Knight of Generosity as her patron. Sabran’s high-handed manner and display of privilege put off Ead: As per Inysh custom, 18 dishes are offered to the queen, of which she always chooses only one. Ead understands that to gain Sabran’s confidence, she must flatter the arrogant queen. Her ruse works, and Sabran asks Ead to join her for a walk in the “Privy Garden” the next day.

Now on his way to Yscalin on a ship called the Rose Eternal, Loth wonders about Lord Wilstan Fynch (Sabran’s father, to whom she was never close). After Queen Rosarian was assassinated, a heartbroken Fynch requested to be sent to Yscalin as an ambassador. Fynch’s letters from Yscalin were initially cheery, but in his last letter he indicated that the House of Vetalda—the rulers of Yscalin—were behind Rosarian’s murder. After this letter, Sabran stopped hearing from her father. Loth is joined by Estina Melaugo, the boatswain of the Rose Eternal. Meluego tells Loth that though the Westerners think other parts of the world practice heresy, people of other nations find something sinister about Virtudom, such as the fact that all Berethnet queens resemble each other so closely. The sighting of a wyrm in the sky interrupts their conversation. Loth can see the enormous creature is not just any wyrm, but a “High Western,” one of the chief deputies of the Nameless One. The fact that a High Western has awoken is disturbing enough, but Loth’s blood chills when a shipmate says the wyrm is Fýredel, “the right wing of the Nameless One” (96).

In his bedchambers in Orisima, Niclays is annoyed by Sulyard’s snoring. He cannot fathom Truyde’s love for the young man until he considers his own great love for Jannart, Truyde’s grandfather. Niclays knew he could never be with Jannart since Jannart was a duke and Niclays an “upstart” from Rozentun. Yet, when they were in their early twenties, the two men fell deeply in love with each other. It is for Jannart’s sake that Niclays can never turn in Sulyard, whom Jannart’s granddaughter loves. Niclays is lost in these thoughts when soldiers silently sneak into his bedchambers. The soldiers beat him brutally, dragging away him and Sulyard. As a bleeding Niclays is taken away, he begs “Panaya” (the companion of Niclays’s assistant) to protect his books at any cost.

Ead and Sabran walk in the Privy Garden, followed by 12 “Knights of the Body” (the queen’s guard). The head of the guard is a handsome young man called Tharian Lintley. Lintley and Margret are in love but cannot marry since he is of a lower social status than Margret. Sabran’s conversation reveals that “beneath her all-knowing exterior” (103), the queen does not know much of life outside Virtudom. This unfamiliarity makes Sabran intolerant of the faith of others, even within Inys. Most people in Inys follow Virtudom, but a few still practice an animistic form of nature worship, while others, known as “doomsingers,” prophesy the return of the Nameless One. Inys jails the nature worshippers if they don’t recant but burns the doomsingers alive. Ead suggests that the practice of burning doomsingers is cruel, but Sabran tells her they must have no mercy for those who associate with wyrms. Ead remarks on Sabran’s hypocrisy; she has accepted a water pearl from Seiiki, a land known to worship dragons. Ead’s audacity leaves Sabran stunned. Ead realizes that there is something within her that wants to rile up Sabran.

Later, Ead meets Truyde secretly and orders her to reveal her dealings with Sulyard. Truyde questions Ead’s unusual interest in the affairs of the court. She senses Ead is more than she is letting on. However, under Ead’s pressure, Truyde tells her that she and Sulyard believe that the only way to protect the world from the Nameless One is to unite the West and the East. Truyde even questions the notion that it is the Berethnet bloodline that can protect the world from the Nameless One.

Just then, an unnatural wind rattles the palace. When Ead goes up to the clock tower to investigate, she sees a High Western—Fýredel—wheeling over Ascalon Palace, shooting fire. The presence of Fýredel awakens Ead’s siden—her magic—but before Ead can act against Fýredel, he calls for Sabran, who answers his summons. Fýredel says the 1,000 year cycle of sleep is over and soon the entire wyrm army will awaken to destroy Inys. Sabran faces off against Fýredel, confident her blood will protect her. Enraged, Fýredel breathes fire on Sabran, but Ead throws a protective spell called a “wind-warding” around Sabran just in time. When Fýredel pauses for breath, he finds Sabran unharmed, a perfect circle around her. The Inysh believe that Sabran’s blood has protected her, but Truyde has seen Ead perform the spell. Fýredel leaves and Truyde confronts Ead, promising to reveal that Ead is a witch. Exhausted from the spellcasting, Ead falls unconscious.

Out of the many apprentices enlisted in the High Sea Guard, only 12 will be chosen to become dragonriders. Tané arrives in Seiiki’s capital Ginura for the “water trials.” The sheer size and bustle of the capital city leave Tané in awe. Tané’s first trial is a sword fight with Onren, her noble-born friend. Tané defeats Onren with her clever swordplay and surprise parries, advancing to the next round. As she walks away from the arena, she notices Turosa looking angry and determined.

As the Rose Eternal pulls into the waters of Yscalin, Loth worries about catching the fatal red sickness, which all people in the West and East fear. The red sickness originated with the Nameless One and causes painful scale-like rashes, high fever, and ultimately hallucinations and death. Especially contagious by touch, the red sickness now exists only in certain pockets of the world, but Loth fears the awakening of Fýredel might have caused an outbreak. Kit loses his nerve as Perunta, a port in Yscalin, approaches, begging the ship’s captain to keep them on as crew. Loth disagrees and the friends disembark, noting the squalor around them. Soon, they are greeted by their escort to the palace, Priessa Yelargis, a lady of the household of Donmata Marosa. Priessa’s carriage is pulled by a jaculi, a cross between a wyvern and a wolf. It is clear “Draconic” (wyrms and wyrm-like) creatures are awake in Yscalin and the red sickness reemergent.

In a healing room in Inys, Ead slowly wakes, much to the relief of her friend Margret. Margret tells Ead that Fýredel did not cause any deaths, but “the city is on edge” (131). Sabran visits Ead, who is too weak to stand up and greet the queen. Sabran enquires about Ead’s health before wondering why Ead was on the belfry the night of Fýredel’s attack. Ead tells the queen she wanted to distract Fýredel from attacking Sabran. Ead wants to know why Sabran faced the wyrm. Sabran says she had no choice since she is bound to protect her people. Sabran informs Ead that Truyde has been spreading rumors that Ead used “sorcery” on Fýredel. However, Sabran does not believe Truyde, claiming that the Saint drove away Fýredel instead. Sabran tells Ead that it is time to continue the Berethnet bloodline; therefore, she will accept Aubrecht’s proposal.