A Court This Cruel and Lovely

Prisca becomes more comfortable with the group, even though they remain secretive about their mission. The men begin to open up about their abilities. Marth says he can see into a person’s past, and Galon has control over water. However, Lorian remains demanding and controlling, particularly regarding Prisca’s magic. When they enter a village, Prisca is anxious about being recognized, and her fear intensifies at the inn when a drunken man accosts her. Lorian steps in to defend her and repeatedly slaps the man to humiliate him. Afterward, Galon offers to teach Prisca how to fight, and she agrees.

The man whom Lorian humiliated sneaks into Prisca’s room at the inn, pins her down, and threatens to kill her. Prisca uses her magic to momentarily freeze the man, buying herself enough time to stab him with her knife. The others burst in, and Lorian deals with the attacker. Prisca explains what happened, describing her use of magic to defend herself. The men decide that she should stay in their room for the rest of the night. Though she tries to sleep, she is haunted by the attack and by thoughts of her mother and brother. She breaks down and cries. Lorian notices her distress and lies down beside her, and his steady breathing helps to calm her.

Prisca wakes up to find the body of her attacker hanging from a hook in the inn’s common room. The group prepares to leave the inn, and Rythos provides her with new clothes. As they head toward the Gromalian border, Prisca is tense around Lorian because of what he did to the man, and he reminds her that she has killed more people recently than any of them. They argue, and he eventually attacks her, forcing her to use her power.

Later, when Lorian tells Prisca to stay behind with Galon, she instead sneaks away to follow him. She spies on a meeting in which Lorian and his men exchange a vial with two cloaked strangers. She is shocked to learn that one of the strangers is a fae. While her knowledge that the mercenaries are working with fae could become potential leverage against Lorian or even a bargaining chip with the king, she is unsure of what to do with this information. She returns to the group and tries to hide the fact that she spied on them, but Lorian gives her a knowing look that leaves her on edge.

Prisca continues to train with the mercenaries and learns to fight and defend herself. Lorian, as usual, maintains control over her, keeping her close and insisting that she ride with him. His behavior towards her is very condescending. The group arrives at a new town, and as Lorian books a room at the inn, he claims that he and Prisca are married, much to her embarrassment. She tries to maintain her dignity and turns the teasing back on the mercenaries when she implies to the barmaid flirting with them that they are all her sexual partners. Rather than upsetting Lorian, this declaration makes him laugh. Later, in their room, Prisca finally has a hot bath, after which Lorian enters. While he bathes, Prisca fights her desire after seeing him naked. She questions him about working with the fae, but he refuses to answer. His silence frustrates her, but their unspoken attraction lingers as they settle in for the night.

Prisca wakes to the sound of bells that signal the start of a Taking ceremony. She panics, but Lorian urges her to attend the ceremony with him, explaining that leaving now would draw more attention to them and likely end with their capture. Despite her fear, Prisca agrees. At the ceremony, she sees the familiar ritual of magic being stolen from an infant. As the crowd disperses, the mercenaries find a wanted poster featuring Prisca. She also learns that Asinia has been captured and is listed as one of the corrupt. Lorian pushes Prisca to use her time-freezing power to help them escape the town undetected. She manages to hold time long enough for the group to flee, but this effort takes a physical toll on her. Later, Prisca is consumed with thoughts of saving Asinia before it’s too late. However, her anger towards Lorian and the mercenaries grows as she realizes they had another way out of the village that wouldn’t have required her to use her power.

Prisca spends the night practicing her ability to stop time. The following day, Lorian explains the truth behind the kingdom’s magic, revealing that King Sabium has been stealing magic not for the gods but to distribute it among his court and strengthen his control over the kingdom. Prisca realizes that her father’s death may have been preventable if Tibris had kept all of his magic. Lorian further reveals that Prisca and Asinia are part of a group of hybrids descended from a lost kingdom that once existed across the Sleeping Sea. Due to their partial fae heritage, their magic cannot be fully taken, and it regenerates over time. Finally, he tells her that if she wants to know more, she needs to find a narminoi, someone with the power of knowledge; such people are now rare because they are hunted by the king.

She and Galon continue their combat training but are interrupted when Marth captures Tibris, who is spying on their camp. The siblings talk, and Tibris explains that he has been working with Vicer to overthrow the corrupt king. He has been searching for Prisca since they were separated. She convinces him to help her save Asinia, but they keep this plan a secret from the mercenaries. As they all head toward Lesdryn, Lorian continues to push Prisca to use her time-freezing powers so that they can slip past the guards at the gate. She does so long enough for them to slip inside. However, she notices a strange man at the gate who is unaffected by her power.

After successfully entering Lesdryn, the group says their goodbyes. Prisca shares emotional farewells with the mercenaries, and Lorian kisses her in a final, passionate gesture.