Chapter 69 Summary: Gideon's Point of View

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

You've been warned.

Now, let's dive in.

(If you're looking for the previous chapter, go back to Chapter 68.)

If you're ready, here's what happens in this pivotal scene.

Summary

The chapter opens with Gideon stumbling onto an empty rail track, shoved there by a witch who holds his own loaded gun pressed between his shoulder blades. The train that carried Rune and the others is gone, and Gideon tries not to think about that. Instead, he focuses on the immediate threat: the witch is taking him into the rail yard rather than putting him on a horse to deliver him directly to Cressida. He wonders if he should be grateful for the delay.

The witch delivers Cressida's regards, and Gideon responds with a crude dismissal. She threatens to pass on his message when she hands Cressida his bleeding heart, pressing the gun harder into his back. Gideon has no idea of her magical abilities, but he knows that if he tries anything, she will shoot to kill.

He attempts to stall, stepping over the iron rails while making sarcastic remarks about Cressida's inability to keep his heart through her winning personality. He wonders aloud whether she'll put it in a box and keep it under her pillow. The witch digs the gun deeper and warns him that if he keeps blaspheming the queen, she'll tie him to the tracks so he can watch his death coming from a distance. Gideon knows she could do it — there are still supply trains running to the capital, and Cressida would need them to win the war.

Defiance burns through him. He declares that Cressida Roseblood will never be his queen. The witch tells him he'll choke on those words, and he responds that he'd rather die — a hundred others will rise up to replace him. She growls that they'll be slaughtered too, and orders him to get on his knees.

In the distance, a train whistles. Gideon glances toward the sound as he drops to the ground, but no train is in sight. He expects her to step back and put a bullet in his head, but instead she draws a casting knife and presses its sharp edge to his throat. The steel is cold, and he shivers, waiting for death. She whispers that it's too bad he won't live to see his precious Republic crushed into the dirt, and begins to say something else — but a gunshot rings out.

Gideon flinches, his ears ringing, but no pain explodes through him. The witch drops her knife and topples to the ground beside him. More shots follow as someone stands behind him, firing repeatedly into the fallen witch until the chamber clicks empty.

Gideon spins, falling back onto his hands, and looks up. Rune stands there, her illusion gone. In the light of the setting sun, the wind whips her red-gold hair free of its braid. Her eyes are thunderous as she lowers the smoking pistol. Her cheeks are red, her skin shines with sweat, and her chest heaves as if she ran hard all the way there, desperate to reach him in time. He's never seen a more beautiful or more furious sight.

She demands to know what the hell he was thinking.

Key Events

Gideon is captured and shoved onto an empty rail track by a witch holding his own gun.
The witch relays Cressida's regards; Gideon defiantly rejects Cressida as queen.
Gideon attempts to stall while stepping over the rails, carrying only a box of bullets.
The witch threatens to tie him to the tracks and orders him to kneel.
A train whistle sounds in the distance, but no train appears.
The witch draws a casting knife and presses it to Gideon's throat.
A gunshot rings out; the witch drops her knife and falls.
Rune appears, her illusion gone, and fires multiple shots into the fallen witch until the chamber is empty.
Rune confronts Gideon, demanding to know what he was thinking.

Character Development

Gideon shows remarkable defiance in the face of death. Even with a gun at his back and a knife at his throat, he refuses to accept Cressida as queen, and he declares that a hundred others will rise up to replace him. This moment crystallizes his commitment to the Republic and his willingness to sacrifice himself for the cause. His attempt to stall — making sarcastic remarks about Cressida — reveals both his courage and his quick thinking under pressure.

Rune undergoes a powerful transformation in this chapter. She arrives with her illusion gone, her true appearance revealed — red-gold hair loose, eyes furious, breathing hard from running. Her desperate sprint to save Gideon shows the depth of her loyalty and her feelings for him. The way she empties her gun into the witch, even after the witch is dead, suggests a fierce, protective rage that goes beyond simple rescue. Her final question — “What the hell, Gideon?” — is both exasperated and relieved, revealing her emotional investment in his survival.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Defiance against tyranny is the central theme here. Gideon's refusal to kneel, both literally and figuratively, underscores his resistance to Cressida's rule. His words about a hundred others rising up echo the larger rebellion.

Sacrifice for a cause is evident in Gideon's willingness to die rather than betray his principles. He doesn't beg or bargain; he accepts death as a possible outcome.

Illusion versus reality is highlighted by Rune's appearance. Her illusion is gone, and she is revealed in her true form — a symbol of authenticity and the stripping away of pretense in a moment of crisis.

Rescue and loyalty are embodied in Rune's desperate run and her violent dispatch of the witch. Her actions show that loyalty can override fear and that rescue can come from the most unexpected places.

War between Republic and monarchy is the backdrop, with the rail yard and the mention of supply trains reminding us of the larger conflict.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point in the relationship between Gideon and Rune. It's the first time Rune openly demonstrates her feelings through action, not just words. Her rescue of Gideon — and her fury at his recklessness — deepens their bond and sets the stage for future developments.

It also reinforces Gideon's role as a martyr-like figure in the rebellion. His defiance in the face of death solidifies his commitment to the Republic and inspires others (including the reader) to see him as a symbol of resistance.

Finally, the chapter raises the stakes: Cressida is actively hunting Gideon, and the war is escalating. The fact that a witch was sent to capture him shows that Cressida sees him as a significant threat.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Gideon try to stall the witch instead of fighting back?

Gideon is unarmed — he only has a box of bullets in his pocket, and the witch has his gun. He also doesn't know what spells she might have. Stalling gives him time to think and potentially find an opening for escape. It also allows him to provoke her, which might make her careless.

2. What does Rune's appearance reveal about her character in this moment?

Rune's illusion is gone, and she appears in her true form — red-gold hair, sweaty, breathing hard. This reveals her vulnerability and her desperation to save Gideon. Her decision to fire multiple shots into the witch, even after the witch is dead, shows a fierce, protective rage and a willingness to use violence to protect those she cares about.

3. How does this chapter advance the theme of defiance against tyranny?

Gideon's refusal to accept Cressida as queen, even at the cost of his life, is a direct act of defiance. His statement that a hundred others will rise up to replace him reinforces the idea that individual sacrifice fuels the larger rebellion. The chapter shows that defiance can be both verbal and physical, and that it can inspire others to continue the fight.