Chapter 17 Summary: Paedyn’s First Trial – The Bravery Challenge
⚠️ 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
Paedyn walks through the sunlit city flanked by Imperials and the king, Kitt. She wears a dagger given by Kai, recalling his whispered words to impress him. Kitt tells her she is headed to the Scorches—but “sort of.” At the city’s edge, Tealah amplifies Kitt’s voice as he announces the first of the three B’s: bravery. Paedyn must retrieve the first queen’s crown from the crypt in the Sanctuary of Souls, a place even bandits avoid for unknown reasons. Kitt warns that her own mind may conjure fears. If she presents the crown before midnight, she passes; if not, she is unfit to be queen. Paedyn sets off into the desert, her body heavy with fear. She recalls the previous crossing with Kai, when he was an enemy yet they were closer. Now they are further apart. She looks back at Kai watching her, then turns away, thinking that perhaps in another life she could love him from afar—and that might be the most fearless act of all.
Key Events
- Paedyn is escorted through the city with the king at her side; the crowd watches with hostility.
- Kitt announces the first Trial: bravery. Paedyn must retrieve the first queen’s crown from the crypt in the Sanctuary of Souls, located in the Scorches.
- Tealah uses her Amplifier ability to project Kitt’s words to the crowd, as she did during the Purging Trials interviews.
- The deadline is midnight; failure means she is deemed unfit to be queen.
- Paedyn recalls her previous journey through the Scorches with Kai, noting how close they were then and how distant they are now.
- She resists the urge to smile at the memory of running past rocks and poppies with Kai.
- Paedyn looks back at Kai watching her from the city edge, then forces herself to look away and continue.
- She reflects that loving him from afar might be the most fearless thing she can do.
Character Development
- Paedyn shows vulnerability: she admits fear of the Scorches and the lingering trauma from the previous Trials. Yet she proceeds, driven by necessity and hope. Her internal conflict between love and duty deepens; she cannot claim Kai as hers but acknowledges that loving him from a distance may require ultimate bravery.
- Kai appears only in memory and at a distance. His presence through the dagger and his slight smile hint at his continued support, but the narrative emphasizes the growing separation between him and Paedyn.
- Kitt performs his role as king, delivering the Trial decree with a tone of encouragement that does not soften the harsh stakes. He stands beside Paedyn publicly but still enforces the kingdom’s brutal tests.
- Tealah reappears as the Amplifier, a minor but functional role in the ceremony.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- The three B’s (Bravery, Blood, Battle) : This Trial tests bravery, the first of the principles Kitt claims his father ruled by. It establishes a pattern for the Trials to come.
- The Scorches as a crucible: The desert represents both physical challenge and psychological fear. Paedyn’s memory of nearly dying there amplifies the stakes.
- The first queen’s crown and crypt: The crown symbolizes royal legitimacy, but retrieving it forces Paedyn to confront bandits and her own mind. The crypt, once a burial ground for royals, is now a site of danger and isolation.
- Love and distance: Paedyn’s realization that loving Kai from afar may be the most fearless act underscores the motif of sacrifice and emotional separation.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter launches the first of the three official Trials, setting the structural arc for the remainder of the book. It deepens Paedyn’s internal struggle: she fears not death but the loss of her identity and warmth. The introduction of the crown retrieval task raises immediate suspense and ties the present to the kingdom’s history. Paedyn’s recollection of her journey with Kai and her resolve to love him silently establish the emotional stakes that will conflict with the physical trials ahead.
Study Questions and Answers
1. What is the specific task of Paedyn’s first Trial, and what is the deadline?
She must retrieve the first queen’s crown from the crypt in the Sanctuary of Souls, located in the Scorches. She has until midnight to present the crown to the court.
2. How does Paedyn’s memory of her previous time in the Scorches contrast with her present relationship with Kai?
Previously, she and Kai were enemies yet physically close, running together through the desert. Now, though their feelings have deepened, they are emotionally and physically distant—she cannot call him hers, and she must walk away from him.
3. What internal fear does Paedyn express about surviving the Trials?
She fears that surviving will strip her of the warmth Adena sewed into her soul, leaving her less of herself. She worries she is running out of loved ones to lose, and that this time she may be the one to die.