Tale of the Heart Queen

In the present day, Lor and Nadir prepare to meet with the other rulers. In the salon, they are confronted by Linden, Lor’s aunt from Alluvion, who is furious that Lor stole their ark and caused destruction in their kingdom. Lor and Nadir spend the next hour explaining everything: Herric’s manipulation of the Torch, his current status as Lord of the Underworld, Zerra’s true nature as a spoiled god, and the Empyrium’s plan to replace her with Lor. They also reveal Serce’s botched bonding with Wolf, which caused the magic loss 50 years ago.

Lor states they need the rulers to destroy their respective arks. She also requires a High Priestess for her bonding with Nadir. D’Arcy, queen of Celestria, voices her disbelief and refuses to help, arguing that if Lor dies, the other kingdoms will inherit Heart’s magic and become more powerful. When Lor alludes to D’Arcy’s lost mate to try and convince her, D’Arcy hardens and storms out.

Cedar, The Woodlands King, agrees to destroy The Woodlands ark and travel north with them. Bronte of Tor seems contemplative. The meeting takes a turn when Anemone of Alluvion reveals she was one of Zerra’s High Priestesses, sent to steal Alluvion’s ark. Instead, she fell in love with its king, Cyan, and faked her disappearance. Eager to be free of Zerra’s shadow, Anemone agrees to perform the bonding ceremony and reveals she has a copy of the Book of Night. Cyan and Bronte join Cedar, pledging to destroy their arks.

After the meeting, the rulers agree to destroy their arks the next day. Amya and Mael will then return to the Aurora Keep to gather intelligence on Rion. Later, in their room, Lor and Nadir discuss the final condition for their bonding: One of them must renounce their crown. Nadir firmly states he will give up his position as Primary of The Aurora, insisting it was never a question. He explains he never wanted the crown, only to stop his father and ensure a better ruler took over. He believes the Torch will choose Amya as his successor.

Nadir reassures Lor that he is making the choice for them, for Heart, and for all of Ouranos, as the bond is necessary to defeat his father and Zerra. He tells her, “It’s my fucking honor to do this for you. I promised I would burn down the entire world for you, and I meant it every single time” (409). Convinced of his sincerity, Lor accepts his decision. Their conversation turns passionate, and they make love, reaffirming their commitment to each other. Nadir reflects that even if they succeed and have an eternity together, it will never feel like enough time with her.

In Aphelion, Gabriel struggles to manage the kingdom’s chaos following the capture of Atlas. The low fae are demanding Atlas’s execution, but Gabriel lacks the full authority to enact major reforms. He sits in a council meeting where the nobles argue against the new Primary, Erevan, who openly scorns them for their exploitation of the low fae. Erevan demands the immediate repeal of all discriminatory laws, and Tyr, the true king, quietly supports him, but the council erupts in protest, having grown accustomed to subjugating the low fae.

A tribute named Halo interrupts to report that Apricia, the woman Atlas had chosen as his queen, is having a violent tantrum after being dismissed. Gabriel and Apricia’s father, Cornelius, find her wrecking her suite, screaming about her stolen destiny. Cornelius calmly de-escalates the situation, and Apricia breaks down sobbing. As he leads his distraught daughter away, Cornelius apologizes for the damage. Gabriel reflects on Apricia’s difficult nature but also pities her as another victim of Atlas’s deception.

The next morning, Tristan tells Lor that Cedar wants to speak with him, and he’s nervous about his new role as the Woodlands Primary. Nadir comforts Tristan, advising him that Cedar is a good king who will guide him. This moment of support helps bridge the gap between Nadir and Tristan.

Later, the rulers and their allies gather within the ruined walls of Heart to destroy the arks. They create a powerful magical shield for protection. Bronte goes first, pouring her magic into the ark of Tor. As it overloads, a phantom image of Zerra appears, screaming silently before the ark explodes. The sky fills with silver lightning. Cyan and Cedar repeat the process with their arks, and each time Zerra’s pained form manifests before vanishing.

Just as they wonder how to deal with D’Arcy’s refusal, she appears, having been persuaded by Bronte and consulting her Artefact, the Diadem. She agrees to destroy her ark. However, as she channels her starlight magic, Zerra’s form becomes solid. Zerra attacks, ensnaring Nadir in a magical cocoon. Lor leaps to fight her, and they battle fiercely. The struggle culminates in a massive explosion that destroys the final ark but also causes the remnants of the Heart Castle to collapse into a mountain of rubble. With four arks destroyed, two remain: Aphelion and Heart.

In the present, Rion paces his study, consumed by drunken rage over his repeated failures to capture Lor. He has neglected himself, drinking too much, lost in thoughts of his past mistakes and the void left by his lost love, Rachel. He throws a decanter against the wall, but it brings no relief.

He storms to the throne room and tells Herric he is done with their plan, declaring Lor impossible to stop. Herric calls him weak, but Rion insists he is finished being manipulated. Herric changes tactics, mentioning Rachel by name and revealing that her soul is in the Underworld. To prove it, he shares an intimate memory about butterscotch that only Rion and Rachel would know.

Hope and desperation seize Rion. Herric implies that if Rion opens the door to the Underworld, he can see Rachel again, and perhaps even bring her back. Hooked by this promise, Rion’s resolve crumbles. He abandons his surrender and asks Herric what he needs him to do. Herric’s command is simple: bring him Lor and the ark of Heart.

In Aphelion, a storm with silver lightning rages, which Tyr recognizes as the destruction of the arks. Tyr stands by the water, trying to regain enough of his magic to destroy Aphelion’s ark, as it was weakened by Atlas’s use of arcturite. Meanwhile, Erevan returns from interrogating Atlas, having learned the names of his conspirators and the fact that Atlas’s power doesn’t work on the low fae, which was the motivation for their subjugation. This revelation solidifies Gabriel’s decision to proceed with the execution.

Gabriel confronts Erevan about his refusal to become king, arguing that Tyr is fading and Aphelion needs a ruler to quell the ongoing riots. Erevan explains that as king, he would be forced to compromise his principles to appease the council, resulting in meaningless, lukewarm reforms. He believes real change is impossible within the current system. As they watch the smoke from the riots hang over the city, Erevan tells Gabriel that perhaps the only answer is to “let it all fucking burn” (450).

Lor and her allies arrive at Nadir’s manor in The Aurora. They are met by Amya and Mael, who report that Rion is missing from the Keep. His study is a wreck, filled with empty liquor bottles and dozens of Herric’s enchanted journals. Amya suspects Rion has been drinking heavily and either left or was taken.

In the library meeting with all the rulers present, Nadir publicly announces he will be the one to give up his crown for the bonding, stepping down as Primary. He believes the Torch will then choose Amya to be the next queen of The Aurora. Amya is shocked but moved. They formulate a plan: Nadir and Lor will sneak into the Keep to retrieve the Torch and search for clues in Rion’s study. Anemone will study the Book of Night to prepare for the ceremony. Bronte will find a cavern of virulence deep in the mountains where the bonding can be safely performed, shielded from Zerra’s sight.

The next day, Nadir and Lor arrive at Rion’s study in the Aurora Keep. The room is a disaster, confirming Amya’s report. Nadir feels conflicted, realizing his father’s behavior suggests a man in deep pain, but he remains firm that nothing can excuse Rion’s actions.

Lor, Nadir, and Amya search the study and find Herric’s journals, which detail his manipulation of Zerra and how he learned to bend the Torch to his will, forcing Nadir’s grandfather to descend. Lor finds a crumpled map on the floor, and Nadir finds a separate piece of paper with Rion’s shaky handwriting repeating, “Herric. Herric… Has her. Has her. Has…” (466). Lor wonders who “her” refers to, but no one can identify the person.

They piece together that Rion has been communicating with Herric through the Torch and that Herric must have promised Rion this unknown person. They realize the map must lead to a door to the Underworld, and that Rion has gone there. Believing they have been unintentionally helping Herric by destroying the other arks, they resolve to get the Torch, perform the bonding, and follow Rion to get the ark back.

At the Sun Palace, thousands gather to witness Atlas’s execution. Gabriel, gives the final order, feeling the weight of his decision but no guilt. Atlas is brought to a platform in the courtyard, bound in arcturite. After Gabriel reads the sentence, Atlas begs for his life, but Erevan tells him he is lost and undeserving of clemency.

As the executioner prepares his axe, Atlas begins to cry, realizing his fate is sealed. He exchanges a long, final look with his brother Tyr, who weeps from a distance. Just before the axe falls, Atlas’s gaze meets Gabriel’s, filled with sadness. Gabriel forces himself to watch as the execution is carried out. With a final swing, the false Sun King is gone.

Nadir and Amya go to see their mother, Meora, one last time before the bonding ceremony. Nadir believes that when his father dies, so will she, as they are permanently tethered by an ascension bond. Nadir knows they may never see her again. He kneels before her and tells her everything—about Lor, their love, and the fact that he may never see her again.

To their surprise, Meora becomes lucid for the first time in decades. She touches Nadir’s hair and tells him he never failed her—she failed him by not being strong enough to stand up to Rion. She gives him her blessing to do what he must to be free. She speaks to Amya, apologizing for never having the chance to know the daughter who was taken from her. The three share a tearful embrace. Meora says she is ready to go and is proud of the people they have become. Nadir and Amya leave their mother for the last time, finding a small measure of peace in her final words.

That night, Lor and Nadir share a dream, finding themselves in the Aurora Keep’s throne room. Nadir reflects that this is his goodbye to the future he once expected. He confides in Lor about his traumatic experiences during the war with Aphelion, where he was captured and tortured under Atlas’s command. He recounts being forced by Rion to burn a village he was told was evacuated, only to realize too late that families were still inside. He admits he is still haunted by their screams. Lor comforts him, reaffirming her love.

The dream becomes passionate, and they make love on the throne and their magic—Lor’s crimson lightning and Nadir’s ribbons of light—erupts and intertwines around them. Nadir tells Lor that tomorrow he will give her his life, his crown, and his heart, promising to be hers forever.

In a cozy cabin deep in the mountains, Willow helps Lor prepare for the bonding ceremony. The cavern Bronte found has been decorated with hundreds of candles and roses. Nadir waits for Lor, and when she appears in the red dress she bought in the Violet District, he is overcome. They proceed with the ceremony, with Anemone reciting from the Book of Night. Lor wears the Heart Crown and Nadir holds the Aurora Torch.

Nadir asks the Torch to release him from his duty. The spirit of King Elias within the Torch acknowledges that Nadir is choosing love over a crown, unlike his father, but the meaning of this cryptic remark is left deliberately obscure—when Nadir says he does not understand, the Torch replies only that he may yet. The Torch agrees and declares the transfer of power is done. As Anemone completes the incantation, Lor and Nadir’s magics merge, flowing into one another. The ground rumbles, and for a moment it seems like it might end in a destructive explosion like their grandparents’ bonding, but then the cavern stabilizes, leaving them bonded and unharmed.

The bonding is a success. Lor and Nadir feel each other’s magic, now a combined force they can both control. Nadir formally passes the Torch to a nervous but grateful Amya, hailing her as the future queen. Everyone celebrates with wine. Willow goes to retrieve a special bottle of Armata from a supply box in the tunnel.

When Willow doesn’t return, Lor goes to find her. In the tunnel, she discovers a shattered bottle and realizes Willow is gone. Screaming her sister’s name, Lor runs deeper into the mountain, followed by the others. The group splits up to search the branching tunnels. After a scream echoes in the distance, Lor races down one path with Nadir. Lor gets ahead and, when Nadir does not catch up, doubles back. She finds a figure with violet light filtering around its frame and calls out to Nadir—but when emerald light falls on the figure’s face, she realizes it is Rion. Rion declares that she has nowhere left to run before blasting her with dark magic, knocking her unconscious.

Rion carries the unconscious Lor through the dark tunnels under the mountains. He leaves Nadir tethered to the unconscious Willow, both bound and gagged by virulence magic, knowing the restraints will eventually fade. His goal is the Underworld, where Herric has promised him a reunion with his long-lost love, Rachel. Following a map he memorized, Rion finally reaches a shimmering rock wall. He places his palm against it, and at Herric’s command, a door grinds open, revealing a tunnel glowing with purple light.

Inside, Rion finds a bizarre, party-like cavern where hundreds of souls dance to thundering music. The crowd parts, and he approaches a massive throne where Herric is waiting. Herric reveals Rachel kneeling beside him, looking exactly as Rion remembers. Desperate, Rion attempts to bargain, offering Lor in exchange for Rachel’s return to the surface. Herric laughs mockingly and traps Rion and Lor in separate iron cages. Rion checks his back pocket to find the ark already gone—Herric holds it in his hand.

Herric cruelly throws the doll-like Rachel down the dais steps and welcomes a horrified Rion to hell.