Curse of Shadows and Thorns

“His tone was rife with pity. Bevan knew as well as I that life would not be the same. In fact, everything would change. Timoran wives were given purses to spend at their leisure, they turned heads when their husbands took mistresses, kept silent over matters of state. A voice? No, thinking was better left to the men.”

This continuation of the previous quote shows how outsiders interpret the strict rules and regulations of Timoran society, denying The Importance of Choice in Love for women. Bevan, whom Elise believes to be an Ettan, knows she must further lose her agency with marriage. Later in the novel, Elise will learn that this is not how all marriages work, and that the marriages of Timoran royals are particularly strict and oppressive, especially for women.

“‘I must confess, I’m surprised, Kvinna. I stare because I find myself on edge, wondering what you might say or do next. I thought one thing before coming here, and as I said, now I find myself rather unsettled.’ […] ‘Dare I ask what you expected to find?’ […] ‘From my experience, women at your station would live for fetes like your sister’s betrothal ball, not escape to the balcony. Certainly, they would not befriend serfs, prefer books to conversation, or sneak into game halls on respite eve.’”

This conversation between Legion and Elise occurs when Legion takes the time to get to know her by sitting and reading with her. Through this action, he learns that Elise, whom he knew to be kind, is also much more complex than any Timoran noble he has met. After this quote, Elise confirms that Legion is not like she expected, either, showing their shifting and growing relationship, and how they bond over the ways they stand out in society.

“‘This is my refuge. Books are my windows to another world, another life. Being a woman, you must know I’m not permitted to travel.’ ‘A pity. There is much more to see beyond the borders of New Timoran.’”

Elise tells this to Legion as they are reading together and learning more about one another. Elise’s interest in books shows how she longs for some agency in her life and transports herself to fictional worlds to do so. Legion’s comment that there is more to see beyond New Timoran reinforces Elise’s suspicion that he has values outside of the ones that are prescribed by Timoran society.

“‘Many a mother would happily toss their daughters at your feet.’ ‘Wouldn’t work, I’m afraid. I prefer my women off their knees, upright, and standing on their own.’ ‘At your back?’ ‘At my side.’”

This conversation between Elise and Legion continues to single him out among other men in New Timoran. Elise knows that many must want to marry the popular and handsome man based on his position in society alone, yet Legion’s response shows how little he cares for this frivolity. Legion’s point that he wants a woman to stand by his side highlights his views that marriage should be a loving partnership, rather than merely a political contract, reinforcing The Importance of Choice in Love.

“What good is love in a monarchy? We fuel each other’s ambition. The drive to rule Timoran better than the generations before us.”

Runa tells this to Elise when asked if she loves her fiancé, Calder. As opposed to Elise and Legion’s beliefs about marriage expressed in the previous quote, here Runa exemplifies the standard view of marriage for royals in New Timoran. Calder is the heir apparent to the throne, which is the most Runa could hope for in a marriage, so she disregards the fact that she and Calder do not love one another.

“‘Love is not a motivation for war.’ I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. In all the books I’d read, love turned even the sanest people mad. Love gave plenty of motivation for war, but what was the point of trying to convince Runa otherwise? If a loveless match satisfied her, fine. At times I wished I could be the same.”

Runa says this to Elise while they discuss the first Timoran king and the rumor that he invaded Etta because of Lilianna. While Runa believes the king did so out of jealousy, Elise wonders if he did it because he was in love with Lilianna, knowing how much love can motivate caring people. Elise contrasts this with Runa again, who cannot see where love would fit into anything, let alone marriage, further showing her callous and selfish character. This moment also foreshadows the wars that will be fought for love later in the series.

“‘Why are you still here?’ Siv snapped. ‘Do you think your mother will wait to lock the cellars if you are not there?’ ‘Exactly. If I am of no importance, we might as well make a difference for those who cannot fight for themselves.’”

This exchange between Siv and Elise occurs the first time that Agitators attack the palace. Not only does this continue to show how Elise is different from her family, but it also highlights her family’s selfishness and Elise’s selflessness, invoking Power Versus Justice. While her own mother does not care about her daughter, Elise cares about the people her family is supposed to defend, but who they instead choose to subjugate and let die for them.

“Serfs darted from the cottages. Guards went for the gates. Shouts broke the peace of the night and added chaos. I couldn’t tell where the voices rose from, couldn’t see Agitators. But if we were the royals of this region, then we ought to stand for our people. Not hide in a damp cellar while the innocent were left alone.”

This quote reinforces Elise’s perception of her family and their duty from the previous quote. This also shows Elise’s courage and sense of Power Versus Justice, as she is willing to rush into battle to defend innocent people at her own expense.

“Not all Timorans ruin the earth. And not all Ettans tend it. We choose who we become, Elise.”

Legion tells this to Elise when she tells him her theories about the Ettans’ connection to the land and the fact that her family has destroyed it. Though Timorans and Ettans are often pitted against each other by both sides in the novel, Legion’s point shows that there is no simple dichotomy between good and evil. This also emphasizes the importance of choice, as Legion is telling Elise that it is her choice who she will become.

“‘Elise […] Are you injured?’ Was I? Yes. I’d been stabbed, but the pain of the steel in my side was nothing to this burning knot in my chest. ‘I…killed him.’ I had wanted to kill the man. A frenzy of desire to see him bleed at my feet had come so abruptly I hadn’t noticed until now. And I’d done it. I’d taken a life. A life someone, somewhere out there cared for. I’d ripped it from existence.”

This exchange between Legion and Elise comes just after the two Agitators attack them, and Elise kills one of them while Halvar kills the other. Notably, Elise doesn’t refer to the man as an Agitator, merely thinking of him as a man and not considering his political leanings in her guilt. This is a pivotal moment for Elise in the novel, where she must once again question what is right and what is wrong.

“When most might find a bit of gladness at Jarl’s vow, a shudder ran through me instead. More blood, more division, more hatred. Where one Agitator died, another would come again. Until we understood what they believed, what they wanted, death would be the only language we spoke to one another. […] Somewhere through the conversation, he made a lot of vows that blood would spill in my name. Much like my father. I didn’t want anything more staining my hands. A haze built in my head. Jarl paid no notice and went on. And on.”

Elise thinks this after Jarl tells her he has sent men to track down, capture, and kill the Agitators who attacked her without a fair trial. Not only does this show Elise’s shifting feelings about Jarl, but it also shows how different her conversations with Jarl are from her conversations with Legion. Jarl’s lack of concern for her feelings on the situation contrasts with Legion’s desire to learn her opinions and let her make her own decisions, speaking to The Complexities of Trust, Loyalty, and Forgiveness in her dynamics with both men as well as The Importance of Choice in Love.

“All my guilt over this execution, this celebration, was beginning to feel more like treason than empathy. Naturally I should want my people to dominate. I should be as Runa, filled with pride Timorans could crush the backs of the rest. But I could not deny the wretched desire for a different kind of change. The Agitators’ cry that my family were the imposters had embedded into my mind and would not let go.”

This quote highlights the internal conflict with which Elise struggles throughout the novel, and how she is continually torn between what she was taught is right and what she feels is just. Unlike most in her society, Elise feels empathy for others and wants to hear what the Agitators have to say about their rule. Her desire to act like Runa shows how much feeling out of place in her family weighs on her, and how it would be easier to go with the status quo.

“‘A troubled heart,’ she said. The room went silent. The girl stepped closer. ‘Release the past and trust those undeserving of it.’ My pulse wouldn’t stop racing. She repeated the same strange warning as the night of the ball. I yearned to look away but couldn’t. ‘What your heart desires, there your fate lies.’ She lowered her voice to a rough whisper. ‘When you see the beast within, let him in to let him go. Only then will he bring the change you seek.’”

The witch girl tells this to Elise at the women’s party while the men are out hunting, repeating part of the prophecy she had told at Runa’s engagement party. Though the meaning of this prophecy is unclear at first, Elise will later recognize what it means as she faces various personal battles throughout the novel. The girl’s emphasis on trust also points to The Complexities of Trust, Loyalty, and Forgiveness, and will influence the way Elise treats others after they betray her.

“Burdensome thoughts battered my skull. Questions about why the Agitators were striking now. How they’d come so close to Castle Ravenspire. What they wanted. It made no sense to me. […] They had never stooped to such violence. […] I doubted a bloody, merciless execution would solve anything. More likely, it would stir Agitator hearts to anger even more.”

Elise thinks this when she learns that an Agitator made an attempt to assassinate the king. Having empathy for the Agitators that many others in her kingdom do not, Elise is forced to question why they are acting so out of character, foreshadowing the fact that the Agitators are not working for themselves. This quote not only highlights Elise’s empathy but her deeper understanding of the social and political unrest within the kingdom, showing how she would be a much more competent leader than any in her family.

“‘Everything,’ I admitted. ‘Tomorrow traitors to my king will die, and I cry for them. I’m the weakest kind of Timoran. I hate that I feel this torment inside, how I love my people and hate them all at once. How I love Ettans but stand above them. How I’m fascinated by Fae but fear them. The weight of it is crushing and tomorrow I will be expected to sneer, to shout, to hate. The king will execute them not only in his name, but mine […] How do I look at them and feel nothing?’”

Elise tells this to Legion when he asks her what is worrying her while they are at Ravenspire Castle. This again shows Elise’s internal struggle and how she wonders whether her loyalties should lie with her family or her people. Though she is directly questioning herself in the last sentences, she is simultaneously questioning her family and ancestors for their cruelty and the way they have always valued power in the dilemma of Power Versus Justice.

“‘I know I lied, but it changed. And quickly. You befriended me straightaway. […] I’d spent months training for abuse from Timoran royals, but do you remember the first thing you said to me?’ I didn’t, so I pinched my mouth and turned away. ‘You asked me if I liked iced milk cakes.’ […] I tried all night to get the truth from…from Mavs, tried to hear her tell me the brutal stories of your beatings or harsh words. She got so irritated she blurted out that you were…’ Siv hiccupped a sob. ‘That you were her truest friend and had been since you were girls. A serf and a royal.’”

Siverie tells this to Elise after she discovers she is an Agitator, and Siv tries to convince Elise that their friendship was real, speaking to The Complexities of Trust, Loyalty, and Forgiveness. She recounts her first interaction with Elise, showing how distinct Elise is from what the Agitators believe the royals to be. Though Siverie has betrayed Elise, her vow of loyalty and friendship here again shows how there isn’t a true dichotomy between good and evil in the kingdom, as the Timorans and many Agitators believe.

“‘I turned back to Legion. ‘You want me to choose to stay, don’t you?’ ‘Yes,’ he said without hesitation. ‘Trust and choice mean a great deal to you.’ ‘They mean everything. Nothing can change if you do not choose it.’ I took a deep breath and stepped back. Hot tears blurred my sight. ‘Understand something: I will never choose you again.’”

Elise has this conversation with Legion and his men while she is under the spell of Bevan’s elixir, which prevents her from leaving Legion for the night after she made the choice to trust him, but before she knew he was the Blood Wraith. This quote emphasizes The Importance of Choice in Love, as this is the first time that Elise is not granted agency in her relationship with Legion. The elixir and the knowledge that he is the Blood Wraith flip their relationship on its head, changing Elise’s feelings for Legion and causing her to make the significant statement that she will never choose him again.

“Stay and meet my fate with Jarl and Ravenspire or return with the Blood Wraith and the Guild of Shade; the ones who frightened me and kept me safe in the same breath.”

Elise debates this after she is kidnapped and nearly forced to marry Jarl, while Legion’s affliction grows worse as he tries to rescue her. Here, she is forced to make a serious decision about The Complexities of Trust, Loyalty, and Forgiveness, and reconcile with the fact that Legion has both helped and hurt her. Notably, she does not refer to Legion or his men by their given names, but by calling them the Blood Wraith and the Guild of Shade to separate the people she trusts from the versions of them she doesn’t.

“If I had any brains, I’d run. When his mind went right again, I doubt he’d pursue me. Logically I knew I couldn’t help him. How could anyone without fury save him from this curse? But to leave him would mean leaving a piece of me behind. It had happened outside my control, but I cared about Legion Grey. Not the monster downstairs, but the man inside it […] This beast was not him; this beast was what he’d sought me out to help him with.”

Elise thinks this after she sees Legion when he is afflicted with the curse and begins to understand how it changes him. For the first time, she sees all of Legion, not just the good or bad parts. This emphasizes both Elise’s empathetic nature and her love for Legion, whom she finally understands she must forgive.

“When you see the beast within, let him in to let him go. The tips of my fingers prickled with a rush of blood. The witch girl. She’d said it twice, she’d never written it. By the gods, she’d mentioned choice the same as everyone else. Choose Legion, the Blood Wraith, a beast. Let him in to let him go. Curses were things of legend, certainly I didn’t have any knowledge how they were undone, but could it be so simple? Choose him…To free him.”

When Elise sees Legion as the curse takes hold of him, she is frequently reminded of the witch girl’s prophecy, referenced here in italics. Though Elise now sees him as a beast, she must accept him for who he is if she is to help break the curse. Additionally, this quote continues to emphasize The Importance of Choice in Love, as Elise wonders if breaking the curse is as simple as choosing to show empathy toward Legion.

“Meant to make him a monster for the use of vicious men. But it turned him uncontrollable. If he could not find something to break, he’d break himself. Do you know what it’s like to watch a man who is like a brother murder himself over and over, but never die? But he’d do it if it meant saving someone else’s life.”

Tor says this as he tells Elise about Legion’s curse, after they have subdued him for the night. Not only does this show his and Halvar’s care for their friend, but also how much the curse impacts them as well as Legion. This also highlights Legion’s selflessness—the quality about him which ultimately convinces Elise that he is not the monster he appears to be.

“Trust, choice, and devotion must be given in equal measure from the royal to me, and me to them. To help must be their choice. You can imagine it is not easy finding a Timoran in the royal house who would care enough to free a monster with formidable fury yet use none of it to make themselves more powerful.”

Here, Legion tells Elise the conditions of breaking his curse and how a willing and kind royal is required to help do so. This highlights the recurring theme of The Importance of Choice in Love, and how essential choice is to breaking the curse and ensuring Legion can return to his normal life. It also addresses the theme of Power Versus Justice, pitting the two against one another through the language of the curse, as Elise must give up the possibility of power for herself to ensure justice for Legion.

“Panic rose in my chest. He was pulling away, leaving. ‘Don’t hide from what you were born to do.’ A frown deepened on his face. ‘I was not born for the crown. My brother was. I was trained to fight for him. And that is what I plan to do.’”

Elise tells this to Legion, now Valen, as he remembers what he promised his family before he was cursed. This change comes as a shock to Elise, who does not understand why Valen is suddenly putting vengeance above justice. However, Valen’s old memories complicate his relationship with Elise, and his returning sense of duty ultimately pulls them apart.