Chapter Summaries

Glan and the Western Exploration Fleet reached a port on the Southern Continent, where he met Horace and learned about the Superior Race and its Queen. After the fleet spent five days trading, City Lord Hubbard proposed capturing the visitors and giving them to the Queen.

• Glan met Horace at the sheep-people's port and exchanged gifts and information with him.
• Horace showed Glan the paper invented by the Queen and explained that the Superior Race imported Minotaur laborers because its three countries were at war.
• Horace agreed to let the Western Exploration Fleet trade and replenish supplies, and the fleet stayed at the port for five days.
• City Lord Hubbard visited Horace and suggested sending the hornless visitors to the Royal City as a gift.
• Horace objected to capturing the visitors, but Hubbard insisted that other races were inferior to the Superior Races.

City Lord Hubbard tried to seize the Exploration Team’s ships and enslave their crew, while Horace refused to support the attack. Captain Glan fought his way out of Voed Port, but Vito and several teammates were captured, leaving Glan determined to return for them.

• Horace refused Hubbard’s order to attack the guests, and Hubbard threatened to remember his defiance.
• As Glan’s three ships left Voed Port, Hubbard’s oared boats pursued them and captured Vito and his companions.
• Glan ordered the ships to arm their firearms and cannons after seeing the sheep-horned people encircle them.
• The sheep-horned boats attacked with flames while the Exploration Team fired cannons and grapeshot, devastating the attackers’ vessels.
• Glan ordered suppressive fire as his ships escaped, resolving to return for the captured crew.

MacDonald left Gabella's Imperial Capital with 30,000 soldiers to secure the Northern Territory, removing Antonio's main support as Felix and Duke Diaz prepared to move against him. Felix confessed his feelings to Coleridge and promised to make her Empress if he won the coming struggle.

• Emperor Bartley sent MacDonald and his 30,000 soldiers north, while Felix gloated that Antonio had lost his strongest supporter.
• Felix urged Duke Diaz to act against Antonio, but Diaz insisted they wait at least seven days until MacDonald was far away and their forces were ready.
• Duke Diaz suspected Felix had fallen in love with Coleridge and worried that she was unsuitable to become Empress.
• In a carriage, Felix promised Coleridge he would make her Empress if he claimed the throne, and she urged him to focus on succeeding first.

Antonio’s faction learned that Felix and Duke Diaz planned to act in a week, and its members urged Antonio to strike first. After struggling over the prospect of confronting his father, Antonio decided to proceed and assigned preparations to his allies.

• Mariana reported that Felix and Duke Diaz were preparing to make their move a week later.
• Ambolov, Master Matt, Aldrich, and the others urged Antonio to eliminate the First Prince’s faction before it could act.
• Antonio hesitated because he was troubled by the thought of confronting his father, while Aldrich argued that Bartley should abdicate and Christopher suggested Bartley might have deliberately set his sons against each other.
• Carol reassured Antonio, and he resolved to take action immediately.
• Antonio ordered Master Matt and Mariana to gather Spellcasters, Ambolov to watch Felix and Diaz, Yarvi to contact MacDonald and Siegfried, and Aldrich to prepare for the aftermath.

Felix returned to the imperial palace, where Antonio confronted him and launched an ambush. Felix fled with his guards toward his residence, hoping to escape through a Secret Passage, as Antonio’s forces pursued them with crimson flames.

• Felix visited Duke Diaz and returned to the imperial palace with twenty guards.
• Felix learned that Bartley Griffin was boating in the Forest Garden and wondered where Antonio was.
• Antonio waited for Felix at the front hall and told him, “Please go die.”
• Felix realized Antonio had set a trap and ordered his guards to flee, but they found the palace gates sealed by Ambolov and his men.
• Felix directed his guards toward his palace residence, and crimson flames struck one of them as Antonio’s forces gave chase.

Felix fled Antonio’s forces through the imperial palace and escaped into an Underground Passage with Coleridge and four guards. There, Coleridge revealed that she was a Witch, leaving Felix and his guards confronting an unexpected threat.

• Felix and his guards ran to his palace while Antonio’s forces pursued them, killing many people along the way.
• Antonio surrounded Felix’s residence and ordered an attack after its guards refused to surrender.
• Felix took Coleridge and four guards into an Underground Passage while the rest stayed behind to cover their escape.
• In the passage, Coleridge questioned Felix about Witches and his feelings for her.
• Coleridge revealed that she was a Witch, and Felix’s guards drew their weapons.

Coleridge revealed herself as a Witch and defeated Felix’s guards, then rejected Felix’s pleas and froze him in ice. She spared his life because Antonio had ordered her to.

• Four Royal Guards charged Coleridge, but she protected herself with an Ice Shield and killed them with Ice Spikes.
• Felix begged Coleridge to spare him and promised to help her gain power if he became Emperor.
• Coleridge mocked Felix and said she had endured being near him because of Antonio’s order.
• Felix grew jealous when Coleridge confessed her heart belonged to Antonio and raved about becoming Gabella’s Emperor with her as Empress.
• Coleridge froze Felix inside a human-shaped block of ice, saying she spared him because Antonio had asked her to.

Antonio’s forces took control of the imperial palace, freed Felix from the ice, and moved to confront Emperor Bartley. Ambolov told Bartley that Felix had led the rebellion and Antonio had killed him, leaving the Emperor to faint in shock.

• Antonio entered the Underground Passage and ordered Sigrid to release Felix from the ice, while refusing Carol’s suggestion to send troops through the passage.
• Antonio ordered Bennett to guard the passage and led his followers back to the surface, where Ambolov reported that they had secured the palace district and the Empress.
• Aldrich instructed Ambolov to make Bartley believe Felix alone had started the rebellion and to make the Emperor give up on his eldest son.
• Bartley fled by boat toward the center of the lake as Ambolov and his troops arrived at the shore.
• Ambolov told Bartley that Felix had led the rebellion, Antonio had executed him, and Antonio had sent troops to protect the Emperor.
• Bartley fainted aboard the boat after hearing that Felix had rebelled and Antonio had killed him.

Antonio comforted his grieving father, Emperor Bartley Griffin, after seizing the imperial capital and promised to govern the Gabella Empire. He then ordered the hunt for Duke Diaz and assigned Odennell Master and Lady Crimson Flame Mariana to find the missing Barnett.

• Antonio entered the emperor's bedchamber, comforted Bartley Griffin, and promised to make the empire great.
• Antonio reunited with Siegfried, learned that only one fortified city still resisted, and ordered Marshal MacDonald to capture Duke Diaz and prevent any remnants from escaping.
• Master Matt asked the Ten-Man Council to find Barnett, who had been missing for years and might have betrayed the Secret Art Society.
• Doughty Matt recommended that Odennell Master and Lady Crimson Flame Mariana search for Barnett, and Antonio approved the assignment.

King Rhodesney XVIII and his advisers debated marrying Princess Catherine away from Crystal Radiance to weaken her supporters’ political influence. With Prince Jassim’s backing, the king chose the Greiman Family of Northwest Bay, while Jassim warned him to keep a fallback plan.

• Earl Walsh Mackey and other advisers urged Rhodesney XVIII to arrange Catherine’s marriage and send her far from Crystal Radiance.
• Prince Jassim argued that Catherine’s departure would show her supporters her loyalty to the new king and encourage them to serve him.
• Jassim revealed that powerful lords near the Royal Territory had been contacted to send armies to Crystal Radiance in case of disorder.
• After rejecting several prestigious families, Rhodesney XVIII proposed the Greiman Family of Northwest Bay for Catherine’s marriage.
• Jassim questioned the risks of connecting the Royal Family to the Greimans, then told Rhodesney XVIII to proceed while keeping a fallback plan.

Rhodesney XVIII told Catherine that the Royal Family had arranged for her to marry Paul Greiman and move to the Northwest Bay. Catherine questioned the marriage and her future loyalties, then considered going there to learn about the changes her father and brother had hinted at.

• Rhodesney XVIII told Catherine that the Royal Family needed her to marry Paul Greiman, and she angrily accused him of treating her like merchandise.
• Catherine asked why she could not be sent to defend the Nerodan Valley, but Rhodesney XVIII argued that Arda needed a noble lady of the house and that she would be more valuable in the Northwest Bay.
• Rhodesney XVIII said Paul had not requested the marriage but would likely treat Catherine well, and he connected the match to the Northwest Bay’s importance.
• Catherine asked whether she should put her identity as a princess or as Paul’s wife first, and Rhodesney XVIII told her to follow her own judgment if the loyalties ever conflicted.
• After hearing Rhodesney XVIII speak of unprecedented changes in the kingdom, Catherine recalled her father’s warning about the Northwest Bay and considered seeing the region for herself.

Paul learned that King Rhodesney XVIII wanted him to marry Princess Catherine, and he reflected on why he had never pursued marriage with Laddie Setia. The chapter left Paul’s feelings for Laddie unresolved as he considered the danger her identity could pose and his fear of driving her away.

• Paul reacted with disbelief when Earl Pearson Abbott told him the king wanted him to marry Princess Catherine.
• Paul recalled that Butler Philip had been seeking a suitable wife for him, though Paul had rejected the portraits of noblewomen presented to him.
• Paul remembered that Philip had warned him against marrying Laddie because the people might fear a Witch ruling as their lady.
• Paul recalled that Laddie had warned him that Witches brought disaster to their men and had repeatedly stopped their relationship from becoming more intimate.
• Paul recognized that his affection for Laddie, his worries about her resistance, and his desire not to lose her had kept him from changing their ambiguous relationship.

Earl Pearson Abbott told Paul that King Rhodesney XVIII wanted him to marry Princess Catherine, and Paul sought advice before giving his answer. His companions urged him to accept, but Laddie declined to weigh in, leaving the decision unresolved.

• Earl Pearson Abbott asked Paul whether he would agree to marry Princess Catherine Rodney, and Paul requested a day to consider it.
• Hansel advised Paul that marrying into the Royal Family would raise both his standing and Northwest Bay’s political importance.
• Paul gathered Mellon, Victor, Laddie, Berna, Hansel, Price Parker, Derrick Heller, and other allies to hear their opinions.
• Price Parker, Mellon, and Victor urged Paul to accept the marriage proposal.
• Laddie told Paul to make his own decision without offering an opinion.

Paul Greiman accepted King Rhodesney XVIII’s proposal to marry Princess Catherine, while Catherine secured permission to take her mother and Irene with her to Northwest Bay. Philys and Irene learned the news, and Irene was stunned to discover that Paul was Catherine’s intended husband.

• Paul accepted the proposal to marry Catherine, and his companions congratulated him.
• Paul visited Earl Abbott to confirm his agreement, and Abbott welcomed the match.
• Rhodesney XVIII agreed that Catherine could take Philys and Irene to Northwest Bay, though he urged her to respect Irene’s wishes.
• Catherine told Philys and Irene that Gerd had arranged her marriage and that she would take them with her.
• Philys decided to confront Rhodesney XVIII, but Catherine stopped her and explained that the marriage would preserve the kingdom’s unity.
• Irene asked who Catherine would marry, and Catherine revealed that it was Earl Paul Greiman, leaving Irene stunned.

Princess Irene Rodney arrived at the Arda residence and challenged Paul Greiman to a duel because he planned to marry her sister. Paul accepted, and they began a practice bout with wooden swords in the residence courtyard.

• A procession bearing the Aldo Royal Family emblem arrived at the Arda residence and demanded that Paul Greiman come out.
• Irene lowered her veil, revealed herself as Betty Diaz, and told Victor to call her Princess Irene Rodney.
• Victor told Paul that a visitor had challenged him, and Paul went to the entrance to meet Irene.
• Irene accused Paul of wanting to marry her sister and challenged him to prove he was qualified.
• Paul and Irene began a supervised duel with wooden swords, and Irene blocked Paul's opening attack.

Paul sparred with Irene at the Arda Estate, where their duel ended in an awkward tumble that Catherine witnessed. Catherine took Irene home, and Irene asked Paul to protect her sister, leaving Paul and Catherine embarrassed about their betrothal.

• Irene challenged Paul to a sword duel and repeatedly outmaneuvered him.
• Paul charged into Irene to overcome her swordsmanship, and they fell with him landing on top of her.
• Catherine arrived and found Paul and Irene on the ground, while Irene accused Paul of bullying her.
• Lia explained what had happened, and Catherine scolded Irene and reprimanded Paul for his conduct.
• Catherine ordered Irene home, and Irene told Paul she hoped he would protect her sister.

The lords gathered in the Golden Hall as King Rodney XVIII prepared to address them, with Paul accompanying the Royal Family ahead of the announcement of his marriage to Catherine. The King took his throne, and the ceremony began.

• Derrick Heller told Duke Henry Ferdinand what had happened, and Henry reacted with disbelief.
• In the Side Hall, Paul asked Rhodesney XVIII if he should join the Northwest lords, but the King insisted he remain with the Royal Family.
• Prince Jassim Rhodesney warmly welcomed Paul and became tearful as he spoke of Catherine's late father.
• A palace attendant reported that the lords had gathered, so Rhodesney XVIII led the Royal Family, Paul, and Catherine into the Golden Hall.
• The musicians changed to a grander tune as Rhodesney XVIII sat on the throne.

At Rhodesney XVIII’s accession gathering, he announced that Princess Catherine would marry Earl Paul Greiman, stirring shock among the nobles and uncertainty among her commanders. The Eton Duchy’s envoy then made an even more startling announcement: his country would recognize wizards as lawful.

• Rhodesney XVIII delivered a speech honoring Rhodesney XVII and urging the nobles to unite.
• Rhodesney XVIII announced Princess Catherine’s marriage contract with Earl Paul Greiman, shocking and angering many nobles.
• Auffina declared she would follow Catherine to the Northwest Bay, then splashed water in Dengpusi’s face after he insulted her.
• The lords and their envoys swore allegiance to Rhodesney XVIII, including envoys for Duke Giles and Duke Veblen.
• The Eton Duchy’s envoy announced that the duchy would recognize the lawful status of wizards.

At King Rodney XVIII’s gathering, the envoy from the Eton Duchy announced that Spellcasters had been granted equal rights and protection, provoking an angry outburst from the Holy See’s envoy. During the banquet, Paul left Catherine to speak with other lords but was intercepted by Sir Windel, envoy of Grand Duke Greedy Wolf Giles.

• Paul noticed Laddie Setia staring at the Etonian envoy, and Catherine questioned him about her.
• The Etonian envoy announced that Grand Duke Cabrale had granted Spellcasters equal rights and protection in Eton.
• The Holy See’s envoy condemned Eton’s policy, and King Rodney XVIII’s officials intervened to stop his outburst.
• King Rodney XVIII began a banquet, where guests discussed Eton’s policy and the royal marriage alliance.
• Paul left Catherine to strengthen his business relationships, but Sir Windel stopped him and offered him wine.

Paul spoke with Sir Windell, who hinted at tensions between King and Princess Catherine and sought closer ties between Duke Giles and Northwest Bay. Catherine later told Paul she felt humiliated by Giles’s rebellion and hoped to find a quieter life in Northwest Bay, then asked to spend more time with him.

• Sir Windell warned Paul of rumors that the old king had once considered giving the throne to Catherine, which may have strained her relationship with her brother, the king.
• Windell praised Northwest Bay’s goods and proposed that Duke Giles and Paul deepen their relationship beyond trade, and Paul agreed to friendship between lords of Aldo.
• Catherine told Paul that Giles’s rebellion had been the greatest humiliation of her life and that she had been unable to bring him down.
• Catherine said she hoped life in Northwest Bay would let her leave military and political duties behind, and Paul reassured her she would like the region.
• Catherine asked Paul to call her by her name and expressed hope that they would see more of each other while he stayed in Crystal Radiance.