Chapter 38: Gracen’s Choice and the King’s Orders
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Gracen returns to her room to find Sabrina comforting baby Suri, who had woken. As Gracen nurses Suri, Sabrina notices Gracen’s new cloak—a gift given on Presenting Day to royal tributaries—and grows suspicious that Gracen has taken her former role. Gracen deflects, claiming Captain Kazimir gave it to her, but Sabrina picks up on Gracen’s casual use of “Atticus” for the king. Later, Sabrina sobs quietly, and Gracen sits with her. Sabrina confesses that she always wanted to serve King Atticus and had even wished for something to happen to Genevieve, the previous tributary, so she could take her place. When poison struck, Sabrina felt guilty. She also shares unsettling news: according to Fikar, the king has ordered the marking of all mortals and the removal of infected and uninfected children from their homes. Gracen, shocked that Atticus never mentioned this during their garden walk, decides she cannot go to his bedchamber as he requested. Instead, she comforts Sabrina until she falls asleep, then climbs into bed beside her son Mika, holding him close and fearing for other mortal families.
Key Events
- Gracen returns to her room to nurse Suri; Sabrina is present.
- Sabrina recognizes the cloak as a royal-tributary gift and suspects Gracen has replaced her.
- Gracen slips and calls the king “Atticus,” surprising Sabrina.
- Sabrina sobs in her pallet; Gracen sits with her to offer comfort.
- Sabrina confesses her past jealousy of Genevieve and guilt over the poison.
- Sabrina relays Fikar’s report: the king is marking all mortals and taking children—infected or not—to an unknown location.
- Gracen is disturbed that Atticus never mentioned these orders during their earlier private time.
- Gracen decides to stay with Sabrina and her own children instead of visiting Atticus.
- She falls asleep holding Mika, praying for the mortal families affected.
Character Development
- Gracen: Faces a moral conflict between her growing personal bond with Atticus and her duty as a mother and mortal. Her empathy for Sabrina and the other families reveals her strong conscience; she chooses compassion over royal favor.
- Sabrina: Shows vulnerability and deep regret. Her confession of wishing for Genevieve’s misfortune adds complexity—she is not simply a victim but a character burdened by her own past desires. Her grief over losing her tributary role underscores the emotional cost of the political crisis.
- Atticus (indirectly): Through Sabrina’s news, Atticus appears ruthless and secretive, contradicting the charming side Gracen witnessed. His failure to inform Gracen of the child‑taking undermines trust.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Maternal Nurture vs. Royal Obligation: Gracen nurses Suri, a literal act of life‑giving, while also serving the king’s blood‑need. The parallel between feeding her baby and feeding Atticus’s vein is drawn but then dismissed, highlighting the tension between her roles.
- Guilt and Consequence: Sabrina’s guilt over her earlier wish for Genevieve’s place echoes the theme that spoken desires can have unforeseen, tragic outcomes. Gracen also feels guilt for enjoying Atticus’s company while children are being taken.
- Secrecy and Trust: Atticus’s hidden order to seize children clashes with the intimate moment he shared with Gracen. The cloak—a symbol of a tributary’s status—becomes a sign of deception rather than honor.
- Innocence in Peril: The image of children being taken from their homes serves as a powerful motif for the collateral damage of the mortal‑Nulling conflict.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 38 deepens Gracen’s internal conflict and reveals a critical, disturbing facet of Atticus’s rule. Sabrina’s grief provides a human counterpoint to the political maneuvering, while the news of the child‑taking raises the stakes for all mortal families. Gracen’s decision to stay with Sabrina and her children solidifies her prioritization of compassion over ambition, setting the stage for future tension with the king.
Study Questions & Answers
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Why does Gracen decide not to go to Atticus’s bedchamber, even though she wanted to?
Answer: Gracen feels guilty and cruel about leaving a sobbing Sabrina on her first night out of the dungeon. Moreover, the news Sabrina shares about children being taken from their homes horrifies Gracen; she cannot bring herself to enjoy a romantic evening with the king while innocent families suffer. -
How does Sabrina’s confession about Genevieve complicate her character?
Answer: Sabrina admits she once wished for something to happen to Genevieve so she could take her place as Atticus’s tributary. When poison later struck Genevieve, Sabrina feared she had willed it into reality. This adds a layer of moral complexity—she is not merely a victim but someone grappling with her own dark desires and their unintended consequences. -
What does the new cloak symbolize in this chapter?
Answer: The cloak, given on Presenting Day to royal tributaries, symbolizes status and intimacy with the king. For Sabrina, it is a painful reminder of her lost role. For Gracen, it is a lie (she claims Kazimir gave it to her) that belies her true position and the secretive nature of her relationship with Atticus. The cloak becomes a symbol of hidden truths and the moral compromises that come with serving the king.