The Cruel Prince

Both Jude and Cardan feel the spark of attraction during their kiss and pull away. Cardan tries to persuade Jude to include him in her bargain with Balekin, to persuade his brother to let him live in peace, far away from the kingdom. Jude leaves the Court of Shadows to think through her next steps. She decides that the best outcome would be Oak’s crowning as High King, but then for him to live in the mortal world until old enough to return and rule in his own right; if he stays, Jude worries that Madoc will instill bloodthirstiness and cruelty in him. In the meantime, she wants the Faerie throne to remain relatively powerless, and determines that Cardan should hold it until Oak is ready.

Jude goes back to the Court of Shadows and is surprised to learn that the other spies intend to stay in the kingdom and follow her. She tells Cardan her plan and agrees to crown Oak. He also magically binds himself to be in Jude’s service for a year and a day, in exchange for Hollow Hall.

Jude and Cardan go to the encampment where other rulers are staying, hoping to gain allegiance for Oak’s kingship. She has decided that she must stay in Faerie after Oak leaves, to keep things amenable to his return. After failing to get past the guards at one of the ruler’s camps, Jude returns to where Cardan is waiting, frustrated with her own timidity and inability to persuade the guards. Cardan recommends they try two other rulers, and Jude speaks with the first of them, making it sound as though Cardan, and not Oak, will be crowned. The first ruler agrees to help, as long as he isn’t the only ally. The second ruler initially has misgivings about going against Balekin but agrees to their plan as well.

Jude and Cardan return to the Court of Shadows and strategize with the other spies, planning to have Oak crowned at Balekin’s banquet that night. Jude returns to Madoc’s estate, packs a bag of supplies for the banquet plan, and asks Vivi to take Oak into the mortal world and watch over him until he can return. Vivi agrees, reluctantly. On Jude’s way out of the house, she and Taryn bump into each other but maintain their hostile silence.

Jude and Cardan attend Balekin’s banquet at Hollow Hall, Cardan’s appearance surprising everyone. Jude sees the kingdom’s crown lying on a pillow. She and Cardan speak with Balekin and Madoc, the four of them uneasily keeping up a civil appearance at the crowded banquet. Jude offers Madoc two glasses of wine and drinks the one he doesn’t choose. Unbeknownst to him, she’s poisoned both glasses since she has been immunizing herself to the poison. Madoc is surprised and angered that Jude didn’t bring Cardan to him first, and Jude duels against him in the palace hall after unlatching the windows to let the Roach and the Ghost in. The poison from the wine takes effect, and Madoc collapses. The Roach and the Ghost enter the hall.

Jude stows Madoc’s sleeping body (she gave him only enough poison to incapacitate him) and returns to the hall. Balekin praises her usefulness in retrieving Cardan and offers to make her a faerie. Jude doubts he can do that and joins Cardan at the banquet table. As Balekin is about to begin the coronation ceremony, the Bomb’s hidden explosives go off in the hall, creating chaos. The Roach shoots at and intentionally misses Cardan, in a series of practiced maneuvers. However, Balekin throws himself in front of Cardan, worrying Jude that Balekin’s protective gesture will elicit Cardan’s sympathy. She slips away to try and fix the situation—causing the Ghost, who has pilfered the crown in the chaos, to throw it to Jude’s twin sister Taryn, mistaking her for Jude. Balekin demands that Taryn give him the crown, but he is restrained by Jude’s allies. Jude approaches Taryn and takes the crown from her sister, who reluctantly relinquishes.

Rather than Cardan crowning Oak, however, Jude reveals that she has tricked Cardan and has Oak crown him instead, using her newfound power over Cardan to command him to receive the crown. Jude intends for Cardan to spend the next few years preparing the throne and the kingdom for Oak’s rule: “It’s not that I don’t want Oak to be the High King. I do. He will be. But there’s only one way to make sure the throne remains ready for him while he learns everything he needs to know—and that’s if someone else occupies it” (364).

Jude visits Oak and Vivi, who are living with Heather in the mortal world. Jude tells Oak that when his return to Faerie feels like a difficult choice, this will signal that he’s come to maturity—and, at that point, he can return to Faerie. Jude returns to Faerie, where she lives in Cardan’s palace to both keep an eye on him and take advantage of her year of power over him.