Between Two Kings builds on the central conflict established in the previous novel, exploring the love triangle between Caspen, Tem, and Leo. Narratives featuring a difficult choice between two love interests readily generate engaging and high-stakes conflict. This conflict can be amplified by positioning one choice as socially safe and another as socially risky, shaping the romantic conflict into an extension of the tension between individual desires and societal demands. Classic works of literature such as Wuthering Heights sometimes use the love triangle as a device for exploring the clash between desire and social duty, which was especially prominent at times when social class tended to rigidly dictate marital decisions. In other cases, the dynamic between two different romantic interests and their differing personalities raises the stakes; for example, in The Summer I Turned Pretty, protagonist Belly is torn between two brothers, “broody” Conrad and “fun” Jeremiah.

Due to Tem’s hybreed nature, the rivalry between a human man and a basilisk reflects her own inner conflict, and a broader political schism. In other stories with supernatural elements, choices between humans and non-humans, or different species can escalate the conflict; in Twilight, Bella Swan is torn between vampire Edward Cullen and werewolf Jacob Black. Despite being positioned within the romance genre, where a happy ending is more typical, Tem is forced to choose, and the love triangle is resolved through heroic sacrifice. A unhappy conclusion to a love triangle in works such as The End of the Affair reflects societal expectations of monogamy; however, contemporary romance novels have sometimes explored unconventional solutions through the “why choose” trope, in which three or more individuals engage in polyamorous relationships. For example, Emily Rath’s Pucking Around offers an example of a “why choose” resolution to a love triangle set within the world of contemporary sports.