Chapter 170: The Human Lords Shut Their Gates
Spoiler Notice: This page contains details from Chapter 170 (Chapter Fifty-Two) of the A Court of Thorns and Roses eBook Bundle. Read only if you have finished this chapter.
Summary
Feyre, Rhysand, Mor, Azriel, Nesta, and Elain arrive outside the gates of Lord Nolan’s fortress. Guards brandish ash-tipped arrows; the air swims with fear. A yellow flag is raised, and the group is allowed into the cramped guardhouse—but not the keep itself. Hounds snarl so viciously they are led away. Inside, Feyre struggles against claustrophobia, memories of Under the Mountain tightening her chest. Rhysand silently reassures her. Nesta notices Feyre’s discomfort and quietly admits she cannot submerge in a bathtub anymore, her own trauma from the Cauldron forcing her to use buckets. Feyre promises to adapt their home for her.
Graysen and his father, Lord Nolan, enter. Graysen is human, handsome, and earnest, yet his blue eyes hold shock and pain. Elain steps forward and begs them to open the fortress gates to any human families fleeing Hybern’s army, explaining that an evacuation is impossible. Nolan remains icy. Graysen accuses Elain of lying—he knows she was turned Fae first and is now mated to a High Lord’s son. The tension escalates until Jurian strolls in, admitting he was the one who told them. The chapter closes on the group facing a fractured negotiation, Jurian’s sabotage plain.
Key Events
- The party is refused entry to the inner keep and waits in a guardhouse under heavy watch.
- Feyre experiences a wave of claustrophobia, and Rhysand calms her through their bond.
- Nesta shares her own post-traumatic response: she can no longer tolerate bathtubs.
- Graysen and Lord Nolan arrive; Graysen is visibly shaken by Elain’s Fae appearance.
- Feyre formally introduces herself as High Lady of the Night Court, with Rhys as her husband, Mor as third, and Azriel as spymaster.
- Elain pleads for the humans’ safety and for the gates to be opened.
- Graysen reveals he already knows Elain was made Fae and is disgusted, calling her a liar.
- Jurian enters the guardhouse and confesses he fed the information to Nolan and Graysen.
Character Development
- Feyre: Her claustrophobia resurfaces, a direct scar from Amarantha’s dungeon. Yet she leads, identifying herself as High Lady and refusing to back down, even as walls press in.
- Nesta: The proud, fierce sister admits a raw vulnerability: she cannot enter a bathtub. Her fingers curl as if tipped with invisible talons, showing her simmering power and protectiveness over Elain.
- Elain: Once the gentle peacemaker, she is now desperate and heartbroken. Her pleading is genuine, but she is shattered by Graysen’s accusation and Jurian’s revelation.
- Graysen: His idealistic love clashes with the horror of learning his betrothed is Fae. He sees only deception, though his pain is real.
- Rhysand: Maintains outward calm and constantly monitors the guards’ intentions with his power, ready to shield his family.
- Jurian: His entrance marks a direct act of sabotage, confirming he is actively undermining any human–Fae alliance.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- The Cost of Trauma: Small spaces (Feyre) and the fear of submersion (Nesta) symbolize the lingering damage from captivity and forced transformation. The chapter honors these quiet struggles without allowing them to overpower the mission.
- Shattered Trust: Nolan and Graysen see only Faerie deceit, amplified by Jurian’s intel. The gulf between mortals and Fae is widened by propaganda and fear.
- Family as Sanctuary: Feyre, Nesta, and Elain close ranks around Elain. Nesta’s talon-like fingers and Feyre’s vow to install something else for Nesta at home underscore their evolving bond.
- Ash Weapons: The guards’ ash-tipped arrows symbolize humanity’s last physical leverage against an immortal enemy—a tangible reminder that even peace talks are held at weapon-point.
- Jurian as the Serpent: His late reveal is the embodiment of Hybern’s strategy: poison from within before swords clash.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 170 is a pivot point where diplomacy fails not because of a lack of effort, but because the seeds of distrust were sown in advance. Elain’s heartfelt request underscores the human cost of the war, while Jurian’s arrival proves that Hybern will weaponize every piece of information to fracture potential alliances. The chapter deepens the Archeron sisters’ character arcs through quiet confessions of trauma, reminding readers that the war is fought both on battlefields and inside the survivors’ minds. It sets the stage for conflict not only with Hybern but also with the very humans the Night Court hopes to save.
Study Questions and Answers
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Why does Graysen reject Elain’s plea even before she speaks?
Jurian had already told him that Elain was turned Fae first and is mated to a High Lord’s son. Thus, Graysen views Elain as a Faerie deceiver rather than the woman he loved, poisoning any chance of trust. -
How do Nesta and Feyre mirror each other’s trauma in this chapter?
Feyre’s claustrophobia stems from her imprisonment Under the Mountain; Nesta’s inability to bathe comes from the forced transformation in the Cauldron. Both traumas surface in a confined setting, revealing the personal scars beneath their fierce exteriors. -
What does Jurian’s appearance reveal about the larger war strategy?
It shows Hybern’s agents are operating behind the scenes to erode alliances. By feeding information to human lords, Jurian ensures that even a sincere plea from Feyre’s court is met with hostility, isolating potential human allies.