Chapter 71: LXXI – Helene – Summary & Analysis
⚠️ 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
The chapter opens during the festival in Nur, where Helene—now Empress—surveys the crowd out of old habit, noting potential danger points. Mamie Rila pushes her onto the dance floor, where Elias appears without Laia, who is preparing her first public storytelling. Helene and Elias dance and discuss the rebuilding of Blackcliff, the admission of female recruits, and a letter from Elias’s grandfather (the Blood Shrike) wanting the Veturia heir back with a Scholar wife. Musa cuts in, dances intimately with Helene, and reveals that Adisa’s new king has reinstated his lands and title. When Helene asks if he intends to leave, Musa admits vulnerability and asks if she wants him to stay—she says yes. They acknowledge their lost loves (Harper and Nikla) and their shared loneliness, yet find comfort in each other’s company. Later, during Laia’s story, Helene feels genuine joy, holding Zacharias and laughing with Musa, convinced that despite her grief, she can still experience happiness.
Key Events
- Helene patrols the festival grounds, instinctively checking for ambush points.
- Mamie Rila insists Helene must dance, criticizes her armored attire.
- Elias reveals Laia is nervous about her first story; Helene praises Laia’s skill.
- Helene and Elias discuss the rebuilt Blackcliff, female recruits, and the Blood Shrike’s letter.
- Musa cuts in and dances closely with Helene, sparking a moment of attraction.
- Musa tells Helene his Adisan lands and title have been restored.
- Helene admits she wants Musa to stay rather than return to Adisa.
- Musa voices his own vulnerability: power sharpens loneliness.
- Both acknowledge their dead partners—Harper and Nikla—and the ache of moving forward.
- Helene and Musa dance, eat moon cakes, and later join the tribe for Laia’s tale.
- Helene experiences unguarded delight, a sign of emotional healing.
Character Development
Helene Aquilla: Throughout the series, Helene has been defined by duty, loss, and a hardened exterior. In this chapter, she takes a significant step toward emotional recovery. She no longer shoves grief into a “dark room” but allows herself to remember Harper with love. She admits her loneliness to Musa and accepts the possibility of new attachment. Her ability to laugh, dance, and feel joy signals that she is learning to live with pain rather than let it consume her.
Musa: Previously a mysterious Scholar spy, Musa reveals a softer, more vulnerable side. He admits that knowing too many secrets is unpleasant and that he dislikes bees—small details that humanize him. His offer to stay with Helene is framed not as manipulation but as genuine companionship. He too is grieving his wife, Nikla, and recognizes the need for connection.
Elias Veturius: Now free of his bonds as Soul Catcher, Elias appears briefly but meaningfully. He checks on Helene’s heart and offers the simple, haunting advice: “try not to make any more ghosts.” His presence reminds Helene of their shared history and the weight of survival.
Themes, Symbols, and Motifs
- Grief and Healing: The chapter examines how survivors carry their dead. Helene’s internal monologue about her heart “thudding on insistently” and her decision to remember Harper instead of suppressing him reflects the process of integrating loss into ongoing life.
- Dance as Connection: The physical act of dancing—first with Elias, then with Musa—serves as a metaphor for partnership and openness. Helene’s initial reluctance gives way to surrender and pleasure.
- Moon Cakes and Sharing Food: Homely acts like eating moon cakes become gestures of care. Musa feeds her, Helene steals his cake; later they eat a dozen together. These small rituals counterbalance the epic battles of the series.
- “We’re trailing ghosts”: Elias’s line encapsulates the novel’s theme that the past never truly leaves us, but we can learn to move forward without adding to the list of those we mourn.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is a quiet aftermath scene that pays off Helene’s long emotional arc. After three books of relentless sacrifice, betrayal, and loss, Helene finally allows herself to hope. The conversation with Musa marks the first time she admits to wanting something for herself—companionship—rather than serving an abstract duty. It also humanizes Musa, transforming him from a strategic player into a potential romantic partner. The chapter confirms that the cost of war is not only physical but emotional, and that healing is possible, albeit slow.
Study Questions and Answers
1. How does Helene’s attitude toward her grief change in this chapter?
Answer: Earlier, Helene tried to suppress memories of Harper, locking them in a “dark room” with her family’s. Now she decides to remember him openly and with love. She acknowledges the ache and marvels that her heart continues to beat, accepting pain as part of living.
2. What does Musa’s conversation about “power and loneliness” reveal about his character?
Answer: Musa admits that power can twist loneliness into despair without a trusted companion. This shows that beneath his confident, mocking exterior, he fears isolation. His vulnerability encourages Helene to be honest about her own loneliness, leading to their mutual decision to stay together.
3. What is the significance of Elias’s line “try not to make any more ghosts”?
Answer: Elias speaks as someone who has seen countless deaths. The line reminds Helene—and the reader—that their world is still fragile. It urges restraint and compassion, implying that the peace after war requires deliberate choices to preserve life rather than pursue vengeance.