# Alex's Ring in Rebel Witch: Symbolism, Meaning, and Analysis

What the Ring Is and Where It Appears in the Story

Alex's ring is a silver band that Alex Sharpe gave to Rune Winters when he proposed to her. It first appears in chapter 2, where Rune glances at it on her finger while grieving in a powder room at Larkmont Palace. The ring recurs in chapter 8, when Gideon notices it while Rune casts a hiding spell on him, and again in chapter 9, where Gideon reads it as proof that Rune still loves his dead brother. The ring reaches its emotional climax in chapter 22, when Rune removes it and presses it into Gideon's hand. Throughout the novel, the ring functions as a physical anchor for Rune's grief, a point of tension between Rune and Gideon, and ultimately a symbol of release and self-definition.

The Ring as Alex's Love and Rune's Grief

In chapter 2, Rune looks at the ring and thinks about Alex being gone. She has been grieving for two months, and the ring is a tangible connection to the boy who cherished her. Rune reflects that Alex would understand why she needs to marry Soren, and would forgive her. The ring represents the version of Rune that Alex loved—a girl to be cherished and protected, someone who could have a quiet, comfortable life.

In chapter 22, Rune explains this directly: she was just a girl to Alex, someone to be loved and cherished and fought for. The ring is the symbol of that relationship—one where Rune was seen as someone to protect, not someone to fear. But Rune also admits that she sometimes wondered if Alex had been in love with a version of her that didn't exist. Alex wanted to give her a safe life, but Rune craved adventure and danger. The ring, then, also represents the gap between who Alex thought Rune was and who she truly is.

The Ring as a Point of Tension Between Rune and Gideon

The ring becomes a flashpoint between Rune and Gideon. In chapter 8, while Rune is casting a spell to hide Gideon from the guards, he stares at the ring on her finger. She says she is doing this for Alex, not for him—the ring is a reminder of the bond between the brothers and the debt Rune feels she owes to Alex's memory.

In chapter 9, Gideon reads the ring as clear evidence that Rune is still in love with his brother. The ring becomes a barrier between them—a reminder that Rune was going to marry Alex, and that Gideon is the brother who survived.

In chapter 22, Gideon directly accuses Rune of still wearing Alex's ring. His anger and hurt are focused on this physical object. Rune explains she was afraid to take it off, as if removing it would dishonor Alex. The ring is the catalyst for one of the most emotionally raw scenes in the book—Rune's confession that she would have married Gideon, and her admission that she was just a girl to Alex but a witch to Gideon.

The Ring's Transformation: Letting Go of the Past

The pivotal moment comes in chapter 22 when Rune removes the ring and presses it into Gideon's hand. She tells him she was just a girl to Alex—someone to be loved and cherished and fought for—but to Gideon she is a witch, something to be hated and hunted down, not cherished or protected or loved.

This is the moment the ring's meaning transforms. It is no longer just a symbol of Alex's love—it becomes a symbol of Rune's release from the past, her acceptance of who she is, and her willingness to let go of the version of herself that Alex loved. The relief she feels when Gideon's fingers close around it is described as a burden lifted.

The ring also becomes a test for Gideon—will he deny that he sees her only as a witch? He remains silent, confirming her fears. But the ring's journey does not end there. In chapter 47, Gideon leaves a note and a Cascadia penny necklace on Alex's boat for Rune to find—a gift that echoes the ring's significance as a token of connection. And in the epilogue, Rune and Gideon are married, suggesting that the bond the ring represented has been transformed into something new.

The Ring's Connection to Themes

The ring connects to several of the book's central themes:

• Self-sacrifice as the highest form of love: Rune gives up the ring—and the memory of Alex's love—as an act of honesty and self-revelation. She is willing to lose Gideon's regard by telling him the truth about who she is.

• Hidden lineage and the redefinition of self: The ring represents the identity Alex wanted for Rune—a safe, cherished girl. By giving it away, Rune redefines herself on her own terms.

• Love versus duty in a time of revolution: The ring represents the choice between Alex's safe love and Rune's duty to the witches she is trying to save.

• Trust between former enemies: The ring is the object that passes between Rune and Gideon at their most vulnerable moment—when she is revealing her true self to him.

Study Questions

1. Why does Rune keep wearing Alex's ring even after his death?

Rune keeps wearing the ring because removing it would feel like dishonoring Alex. She was afraid to take it off, as if the act itself would betray his memory. The ring is also a way of holding onto the version of herself that Alex loved—a girl who was cherished and protected. But the ring also becomes a burden, and when she finally gives it to Gideon, she feels relief, suggesting that the ring had come to weigh on her as much as it comforted her.

1. What does the ring mean to Gideon, and why does he fixate on it?

For Gideon, the ring is evidence that Rune is still in love with his brother. He reads it as proof that she has not moved on from Alex, and it becomes a barrier between them—a reminder that Rune was going to marry Alex, and that Gideon is the brother who survived. His fixation on the ring reveals his own hurt and jealousy, and his fear that Rune could never love him the way she loved Alex.

1. What changes when Rune gives the ring to Gideon?

When Rune gives the ring to Gideon, she is letting go of the past and the version of herself that Alex loved. She is also being honest about who she is—a witch, not a girl to be cherished. The act of giving the ring is a form of self-sacrifice: she is willing to lose Gideon's regard by telling him the truth. The relief she feels suggests that the ring had become a burden, and giving it away is an act of liberation.

1. How does the ring connect to the theme of self-sacrifice?

The ring connects to self-sacrifice in two ways. First, Rune sacrifices the memory of Alex's love by giving the ring away—she is willing to let go of the past to be honest about who she is. Second, the ring represents Alex's own sacrifice: he took a bullet meant for Gideon, and the ring is a reminder of that act. The ring is also connected to Rune's willingness to sacrifice her own happiness for the witches she is trying to save—she agrees to marry Soren to secure an army, even though she does not love him.

For more context on the characters and themes explored here, see the Rebel Witch book guide, the character pages for Rune Winters and Gideon Sharpe, and the theme analysis of self-sacrifice as the highest form of love.