Chapter 40: Queen Malina – Summary and 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 with a flashback to Malina as a young princess, forced to hold court for hours after her mother’s death while her father (the King) scolds her for showing grief. He tells her that “kingdom comes first” and that she must never show weakness. That lesson shapes her present actions.
In the present, Malina sits in the snow at the entrance to the Highbell bridge, working through a blizzard to create ice bricks. Dommik helps by stacking them into a wall. They labor all night until a twenty‑foot‑high barrier blocks the bridge. When morning comes, the citizens gather and hurl insults, accusing her of trapping them and using magic against them. Malina ignores their curses and continues forming bricks. When some threaten to tear the wall down, she spreads a slick layer of ice on the ground to keep the crowd at a distance. She then adds spikes to the top of the wall.
Exhausted but determined, Malina asks Dommik to scout for the approaching fae army. He reluctantly agrees, but not before a flirtatious exchange where he presses a dagger against her body and teases her about pre‑battle rituals. After he disappears in shadows, Malina creates a second line of defense: long ice spears angled toward the bridge. She collapses from weariness but forces herself to continue, repeating her father’s lesson: kingdom comes first.
Key Events
- Malina relives her mother’s funeral day: forced to sit on the throne while her father reprimands her for crying and tells her to hide her feelings.
- Present‑day: Malina and Dommik work through the night to build an ice wall across the Highbell bridge.
- A crowd gathers at dawn, mocking and cursing Malina for blocking the road and using magic.
- Malina creates a slippery ice floor to prevent the mob from reaching the wall.
- She adds spiked tops to the wall, then asks Dommik to scout the fae’s location.
- Dommik’s teasing with his knife and flirty threats reveal a new, charged dynamic between them.
- Alone, Malina crafts rows of ice spikes as an additional obstacle.
- Despite near‑collapse, she continues working, driven by the mantra “kingdom comes first.”
Character Development
Malina transitions from a grief‑silenced princess into a commanding queen who acts decisively despite public hatred. She internalizes her father’s lesson about duty, but she applies it on her own terms—protecting a city that despises her. Her magic, once unreliable, now obeys her will, and she grows more confident in shaping ice into defensive structures. Her vulnerability shows through her exhaustion and the silent tears from the flashback, yet she suppresses both to perform her role.
Dommik reveals both his loyalty and his playful side. He works without complaint through the night, defends Malina verbally against the crowd, and expresses concern for her well‑being. His flirtation with the knife introduces a sensual tension that contrasts with the grim setting, hinting at deepening emotional and physical intimacy.
Themes, Symbols, and Motifs
- Duty versus personal grief: The flashback establishes the expectation that a ruler’s feelings must come second. Malina’s present sacrifice (working through exhaustion while grieving her lost throne and people’s trust) echoes that lesson.
- Ice as a protective barrier: The wall, the slick ground, and the spikes are physical manifestations of Malina’s magic and determination. They also symbolize the cold distance she must maintain from the people.
- Public hatred versus private duty: The crowd’s curses (“cold crone bitch”, “not our queen”) underscore the loneliness of leadership. Malina absorbs the insults and keeps working, reinforcing the theme of ruling without popular approval.
- Physical exhaustion as a measure of commitment: Malina works until she can barely stand, her hands raw and peeling. Her body becomes a testament to her resolve.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 40 marks a turning point in Malina’s arc. She moves from being a passive, grief‑stricken princess to an active defender of her former city. Her decision to build the wall—despite the citizens’ hostility—demonstrates that she has accepted her role as queen, even if she no longer sits on the throne. The chapter also deepens her bond with Dommik, adding a romantic and humorous undertone to the impending battle. Finally, it raises the stakes for the coming confrontation with the fae, showing that Malina’s preparation is both physical and emotional.
Study Questions and Answers
1. How does the flashback to Malina’s mother’s death influence her actions in the present?
Answer: The flashback shows Malina being told to suppress her grief and put the kingdom first. In the present, she follows that lesson by ignoring her own exhaustion and the crowd’s hatred to build the wall. She prioritizes protecting the people, even though they reject her.
2. Why does Malina create a slick ice layer around the wall?
Answer: She creates the ice floor to prevent the angry citizens from getting too close and tearing down the wall. It keeps them at a distance, allowing her to continue fortifying the barrier without physical interference.
3. What does Dommik’s knife‑play scene reveal about his relationship with Malina?
Answer: The scene reveals a shift from purely professional to flirtatious intimacy. Dommik jokes about a “pre‑battle fuck” and uses his blade to tease Malina, showing that he cares for her personally and senses her attraction. Malina’s physical reaction (“hot all over”) suggests the feeling is mutual, adding emotional stakes to the battle.