The False Prince

The narration switches from Sage’s first-person perspective to the third person in this chapter, which tells the story of Prince Jaron, starting from birth: “Jaron Artolius Eckbert III of Carthya [is] the second son of Eckbert and Erin, King and Queen of Carthya” (258). With Darius next in line to be king, not as much is as expected of Jaron in the royal kingdom, and he is free to be as rambunctious and wild as he likes.

Queen Erin was a barmaid at a tavern in Perth—a member of the lower class—when Eckbert fell in love with her and asked her to be his wife. King Eckbert and Queen Erin’s marriage is “happy, but as king and queen they [disagree] on how to rule Carthya. Erin [sees] enemies in the faces of those Eckbert [seeks] to appease with favorable trade laws and by ignoring clear violations of treaties” (259). With Jaron rebelling and acting out, Eckbert “[becomes] increasingly angry and embarrassed by his son’s antics,” so Jaron is to be shipped away for schooling in neighboring Bymar (261). After Jaron boards the ship headed to Bymar, he immediately sneaks out through a porthole in his room. Later, the ship is attacked by pirates, so it is presumed that Jaron died in the attack.

However, Jaron is, in fact, not dead: “Safely on land, Jaron quickly [finds] he [has] skills that [enable] him to blend in” (263). Weeks later, Darius tracks Jaron down at a church in the neighboring country, Avenia, where Sage has been living with a priest. Though he is delighted that Jaron is alive, Darius does not invite him back to Drylliad and, in fact, tells the priest that the boy is not even Prince Jaron. Darius has reason to lie about Jaron’s identity, however, and “one week later, Jaron [will] finally begin to understand his role in the future of Carthya” (264).

King Eckbert comes to the church in Avenia to visit Jaron and explains why Jaron must stay out of Carthya. He is not being punished; it is best for Carthya if Jaron does not return. As Eckbert explains, “‘If you remain missing, I can tell my people that I will not declare war until there is proof of your death’” (268). If Jaron comes back, Eckbert will be forced to declare war on Avenia for the pirate attack because Jaron will be able to prove that the pirates that attacked his ship were from Avenia; if Jaron remains missing, Eckbert can say that declaring war is not a prudent option because they have no proof that the attack was on Jaron. Jaron being missing stopped an impending war. With great sadness, Eckbert tells Jaron he must assume a new identity as an orphan boy and shed his identity as Prince Jaron.

In the final passage of this chapter, the narration switches once again to the first person: “And from that moment on, I became Sage of Avenia. Orphaned son of a failed musician and a barmaid. Who knew little of the king and queen of Carthya, and cared even less. Completely alone” (271).

In the present, the carriage with Sage, Conner, Imogen, Mott, Tobias, and Roden heads along the road to Drylliad for Sage’s coronation ceremony. They are mostly silent on the drive.

Sage looks at Mott, thinking of how “there had been no point in lying any further to Mott. Back at the river, he hadn’t asked whether I was the prince. He knew it” (272). Sage also thinks that “Conner’s regimen of lessons in the past week actually [have] been helpful. I had forgotten the names of several court officials and even a few of my ancestors that a prince would be expected to know” (273). Sage still harbors some pain from what his father, King Eckbert, had to do when he shunned him, but after Conner revealed that the royal family had been poisoned to death, Sage developed a new understanding of why King Eckbert kept Sage away: It was not only to prevent war from coming to Carthya, it was also because King Eckbert “had foreseen the possibility that all of them could be murdered one day” (275). As King Eckbert predicted, there were traitors in his court who wanted him dead so they could steal the throne; one such traitor had King Eckbert, Queen Erin, and Prince Darius murdered.

The carriage arrives at an inn just outside Drylliad, where the group will sleep for the night before the ceremony tomorrow.

Conner goes into the inn to secure a room, but when he comes back, he tells the group that the inn is almost completely full. Conner is able to get only one room, so Mott, Tobias, and Roden will sleep in the carriage while Imogen, Conner, and Sage sleep in the room. The only reason Imogen gets the room is because Sage insists, “‘A lady won’t be treated that way’” (279). 

The room in the inn is not very large, but it is clean and will suffice for just one night. The two beds are pushed to opposite ends of the room, and a sheet is hung between for Imogen’s privacy. Conner takes one bed, Imogen takes the other, and Sage lies down on the floor between them.

When Conner is fast asleep and soundly snoring, Imogen “[puts] a finger to her lips, then motion[s] for me to follow her” (282). Imogen goes to the window, which has a small ledge where people can sit, and asks Sage if he can help her go outside. He obliges, and the two of them sit on the window ledge. Sage feels that “she [doesn’t] seem to hate me right now” and that this is “probably our last chance for any private conversation” (282). Imogen apologizes for being angry with Sage for taking her to Drylliad. She can see that her life outside Farthenwood will be much better, even if she does not know what it looks like right now. Imogen is impressed with how convincing Sage’s portrayal of Jaron is, and they make their way back inside. Inside, she tells Sage that, after tonight, they will no longer be able to have a relationship due to their stations in life. Sage understands that “her message [is] clear. I [am] a prince now, and she [has] returned to being Imogen the mute” (285).

The next morning, Conner kicks Sage awake, saying that they must prepare for the presentation at the ceremony. They have only a few hours left before it begins. Together, they rehearse the way the coronation will go: At five o’clock in the evening, the regents will meet in the throne room, along with Lord Kerwyn, the king’s closest adviser and high chamberlain. It will be announced, as the first order of business at the meeting, that the king, queen, and Prince Darius are all dead. Then the three regents who went searching for Prince Jaron, next heir to the throne, will come forward to make their report: With no evidence to the contrary, they will confirm that Jaron is dead.

When Sage interjects to ask how Conner is sure the regents will report Jaron is dead, Conner reveals that he orchestrated the pirate attack on Jaron’s ship. He’d wished to force King Eckbert to go to war with Avenia to secure Carthya’s borders.

Sage is unable to act on this information; to do so will reveal who he truly is to Conner. He allows Conner to continue detailing his plan to present Sage to the regents. One Jaron’s death is announced, Conner will step forward and say the regents are wrong and present Sage to the court. Conner expects that the regents, especially Lord Kerwyn, will make a “thorough examination” of Sage to ensure that he is the real Prince Jaron. Sage asks what proof Conner has to offer the court of Sage’s identity as Prince Jaron; Conner says he will reveal that in time.

To ensure Sage does not make a mistake during the ceremony, he “Conner drill[s] me nonstop for four hours. He refuse[s] to answer any knock on the door with more than an order of ‘Go away,’ and denie[s] my requests for a break to step outside” (291). Conner and Sage work out a believable story for the regents’ interrogation: Sage will say that, before pirates attacked his ship bound for Bymar, he escaped in a rescue boat that had been tied to the ship. He had been hiding in Avenian orphanages since then, but news of Eckbert’s and Erin’s deaths made him want to come forward.

Suddenly, Mott enters the room with a rope and a piece of fabric. Looking pale and upset, Mott tells Conner that he does not want to “do this,” which is when Conner grabs Sage around the neck. Mott ties Sage’s hands, and a gag is inserted into his mouth. With a knife to Sage’s throat, Conner explains, “‘In a very short time, you will become the leader of Carthya. Before that happens, I need to make it very clear what the arrangement will be between you and me’” (294). Conner then makes his demands: Sage’s first act as king will be to eject Veldergrath from the king’s court and then to install Conner as the prime regent. Sage, still with the gag in his mouth, agrees silently. Conner instructs Mott to clean Sage up in preparation for the coronation.

Mott scoops Sage, still sore and wounded from the beating, up from the floor. Mott asks why he did not tell Conner the truth about being Prince Jaron—that would have surely protected Sage from a beating. Sage replies that Conner would have never believed it at this point, even if he did tell him. Mott dresses Sage in royal garb, readying him for his premier at the coronation ceremony:

The tunic [is] long and black with gold satin ribbon running from my chest to the bottom hem. Beneath it I [wear] a white, full-sleeved shirt that gather[s] at my wrists and [is] too tight on my neck. A dark purple cap [hangs] from my shoulders, clasped with a gold chain that [is] heavier than it looked (298).

Imogen brings in a tray of food for Sage, which he offers back to her: “‘Have you eaten yet today?’” (300). She consumes the food ravenously, while Mott informs Sage that Conner has sent Tobias and Roden into town to investigate a rumor that he’s heard.

Conner enters the room with two bundles under his arm. One is the emerald-encrusted box, which Sage learns contains a sketch of Prince Jaron drawn by Queen Erin. In the second box is a crown, “a circlet of gold, with rubies set at the base of every arch, and […] trimmed in braided gold bands” (303). Both of these items will help Sage verify his identity to the regents.

Sage and Conner take a carriage, driven by Cregan, to Drylliad. Before they leave, Sage secretly passes Tobias a note.

When the carriage draws nearer to the castle, it becomes apparent that Sage and Conner are not the only ones trying to secure an audience before the regents. The castle guard informs Conner that he has seen hundreds of “Prince Jarons” tonight. Many citizens of the kingdom have come forth, making claim to the throne by having discovered the long-lost Prince Jaron. The guard says that he will let Conner in because he is a regent, but Sage must stay outside. Sage informs Conner that, not to worry, he knows another way in: A river runs alongside the castle, leading into the kitchen, where all food debris and waste are deposited. A secured gate bars entrance into the kitchen from the river, but Sage knows how to pick the lock. Conner says they should not separate, and he agrees to enter via the river as well.

Tobias, Roden, Mott, and Imogen are all waiting for Sage and Conner at the river entrance to the castle, per the instructions on the note that Sage handed Tobias. (Sage predicted that he would be unable to get into Drylliad through the main entrance.)

The group makes their way along the river to the locked gate, which “[is] clogged with large, rotting chunks of food and debris. It [dams] up the water to a higher level of reeking muck than usual” (311). Despite the disgusting smell, they continue.

Roden falls behind, and Conner yells at him to keep up. When they turn around, Cregan announces with a “nasty sneer” that there is a change in plans. He hands Roden a sword. Roden tells everyone that he, not Sage, shall be named Prince Jaron. Sage suggests that they have a sword fight. The winner will continue into the castle to be presented before the regents. The sword fight commences, and it appears as though that Roden will win. However, at the end, just as Roden has Sage pinned, Sage asks if Roden will offer mercy. As Roden considers it, Sage sweeps his legs beneath Roden, wrestling the sword away from him in the process. Cregan sees that Roden is about to be defeated and rushes to kill Sage; Mott, however, intercepts Cregan and kills him in the process. Cregan’s body floats down the river, along with prince’s crown, which was lost in the shuffle. Roden flees the scene.

With the regents meeting soon starting, Sage tells Conner and Mott to head inside and stall for time. He will catch up to them, along with Imogen, momentarily.

The meeting of the regents is well underway when Conner enters the throne room. Joth Kerwyn, high chamberlain to King Eckbert, is presiding over the meeting. Kerwyn is:

almost as much a part of the castle as the bricks and mortar, having served the king for his entire life. He [isn’t] a large or powerfully built man. Quite the opposite, in fact, and yet he [can] command a room of a thousand with just a wave of his hand. There [is] no one who had been more loyal to King Eckbert and few who [have] ever loved Carthya so much (320).

Kerwyn instructs Conner to take a seat, and he lets Conner know that the announcement formally declaring King Eckbert, Queen Erin, and Prince Darius dead has already been made.

Conner steps forward and says he has an announcement to make: The regents who searched for proof of Prince Jaron’s death were mistaken, and he in fact is alive, and Conner knows where he is. Conner makes a motion that Prince Jaron should be crowned king of Carthya that night. There is a commotion in the adjoining room, and a servant rushes into the regents meeting, saying that they should all come into the great hall immediately.

In the great hall, Sage—now recognized as Prince Jaron—“[stands] at the dais at the head of the room, the platform reserved for royalty or the courtiers required near them in this formal setting” (325). There are approximately a few hundred people in the room, regents and friends of the throne alike. Sage recognizes Kerwyn when he appears before him, remembering him from his childhood as a “powerful presence” and someone who he had “always respected” (325).

Sage proves his identity as Prince Jaron in several ways, but most convincingly by producing the small golden rock that Conner had tried to take from him at Farthenwood. Sage gives the small rock to Kerwyn, who examines it and says, “‘Imitator’s gold? It’s worthless’” (327). Sage replies, “‘No, it’s real gold. I am real, Lord Kerwyn’” (327). At these words, tears spring to Kerwyn’s eyes, and he informs everyone that King Eckbert told him that “one sign alone” can identify the real Prince Jaron: “He will give you the humblest of rocks and tell you it is gold” (327). Kerwyn is sure of Sage’s identity, and he instructs the room to hail Prince Jaron.

Conner is stunned at the knowledge that Sage is the real Prince Jaron. Veldergrath, meanwhile, says that Sage must be an imposter, but Sage remains calm and states that Veldergrath is “relieved of” his duties as prime regent (329). Veldergrath is escorted out.

Amarinda then steps forward, and Sage suggests they dance so that they may have a semi-private and intimate discussion. Sage whispers to her that he is sorry for lying to her about his identity, and he will do anything she wants in order to make her happy. Still, Amarinda is reeling from the announcement of the death of her true love, Prince Darius, so there is nothing Sage can do. She appreciates his offer, however, and asks to be excused. Sage allows it.

Tobias comes forward next, holding Sage’s crown, which he retrieved from the river, and asking for Sage’s mercy, now that he knows the truth.

There is one last element to Sage’s plan, now that he has successfully proven his identity to the regents. After the official ceremony in which he is crowned king, Conner and the rest of the court bow, hailing the newly pronounced King Jaron.

Sage turns to Conner, who he has named his new prime regent after the departure of Veldergrath. However, when Conner says that Sage may place him anywhere he desires in the court system, Sage replies, “‘I want the prime regent, Lord Bevin Conner, arrested for the attempted murder of Prince Jaron four years ago. Arrest him for the murder of an orphan boy named Latamer. And also for the murders of King Eckbert, Queen Erin, and Crown Prince Darius’” (336). Conner is taken away, leaving Sage with Kerwyn. He confides in Kerwyn that he still feels like the orphan boy—he is “lost” here in Drylliad (339). Kerwyn reminds him that this is his home. Kerwyn also warns that war with enemy nations is coming to Carthya. Sage understands.

Sage pardons Imogen’s debts, and a celebration of Sage’s homecoming commences, even though trouble is on the horizon.