Chapter 10: Nina — 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 at the Heartwood ball, where Prince Rasmus suffers a violent, public coughing fit. His body convulses as his chest heaves, and the sound is a deep, painful rattle. Hanne, acting on instinct, reaches out and places her hand on his chest, and almost immediately his coughing eases. Nina joins her, seizing the prince's fingers and chanting a loud prayer to Djel with Hanne, disguising the healing as religious devotion.

Royal guards surround them and pull Hanne and Nina away as the king and queen rush toward their son. Rasmus gasps for them to be brought back, but he is rushed through doors behind the royal dais, leaving the ballroom in shocked whispers.

Brum herds Hanne and Nina to his office, with Ylva and Redvin helping to keep the crowd at bay. In the office, Brum discusses the prince's poor health with Ylva and Redvin. Brum reveals that the king and queen have kept Rasmus away from public appearances because of his infirmity. He expresses disdain for the prince's weakness, calling him far from what a man should be. Hanne's gaze hardens at this, defending the prince.

Nina watches Brum carefully, suspecting he may be positioning himself to seize power if the prince dies or is incapacitated. She notes that Fjerda's failed invasion means diplomacy is being considered, and if the prince dies, the old king and younger prince would be left to rule—a perfect opportunity for someone like Brum to step in.

Ylva is distraught, fearing for Hanne's safety. Brum explains that the royal family will want to silence Hanne, as young women gossip. A knock at the door brings Joran, the prince's bodyguard, with a summons: the royal family has ordered the presence of Brum's daughter and her maid—only the girls.

Hanne and Nina change clothes, and Nina promises to break Hanne out if she is exposed as Grisha. She mentions techniques learned from the Dregs in Ketterdam, including Jesper Fahey's paraffin trick. Nina tells Hanne that if she's found out, prison will give her time to plan an escape.

Joran leads them through confusing passages to a sitting room where Prince Rasmus is propped on a sofa. The prince is pale and fragile, but insists he won't let them be exiled. He reveals he trusts Joran with his life, though Nina notices a slight clenching of Joran's jaw—perhaps some secrets after all.

Rasmus explains that he's been sick his whole life and is often an object of scorn or worry. He notes that Hanne drew closer rather than shying away from his weakness. Hanne explains her interest in herb lore and healing from her convent education. During their conversation, Hanne subtly continues to heal Rasmus when he coughs, despite Nina's silent warning.

Rasmus tells them they will come to see him again soon, finding their presence comforting. As they leave, Nina accuses Hanne of healing him again. Joran leads them out, but guards stop Nina and take her to Queen Agathe.

The queen interrogates Nina about her identity, revealing she's sent men to inquire about Mila Jandersdat. Nina maintains her cover, but the queen is suspicious. The queen reveals her desperation about her son's health, mentioning miscarriages and her constant prayers.

Nina uses her power over the dead to reveal the queen's secrets. She speaks of Linor Rundholm, the queen's dead lady-in-waiting, and reveals that the queen had six miscarriages, not three, and that she brought a Grisha Healer from the dungeons to help her through her pregnancy. The queen had sent that healer to her death once Rasmus was born.

Nina then claims divine blessing, telling the queen a story about falling into a frozen river as a child and being saved by Djel. She assures the queen her son is not cursed, and that there is a purpose to his suffering. She tells the queen her son will heal and grow strong and find greatness.

The queen, struggling to hold back tears, dismisses Nina. As Nina backs out, she hears the queen wailing and going to her knees.

Key Events

Prince Rasmus suffers a public coughing fit at the Heartwood ball
Hanne instinctively heals him, disguised as prayer with Nina
Brum discusses the prince's poor health, revealing his disdain and potential ambitions
Hanne and Nina are summoned before the royal family
Prince Rasmus assures them they won't be exiled and finds Hanne's presence comforting
Nina is separated and brought before Queen Agathe
Nina uses necromancy to reveal the queen's secrets (six miscarriages, Grisha Healer)
Nina claims divine blessing and assures the queen her son is not cursed

Character Development

Nina: Demonstrates her spy craft under pressure, using necromancy as both espionage and manipulation. Her promise to break Hanne out shows her loyalty. Her use of the dead as informants marks a shift from her earlier grief over Matthias to a practical understanding with death.
Hanne: Her instinct to heal despite the danger reveals her compassionate nature. She defends the prince against Brum's disdain and shows courage in the face of potential exposure.
Prince Rasmus: Reveals self-awareness about his weakness, a dry wit, and genuine kindness. His trust in Joran and his insistence on protecting Hanne and Nina show a prince who is more perceptive than his frail body suggests.
Jarl Brum: His disdain for the prince and his political calculations reveal his ambitions. He's positioning himself as a potential power broker if the succession is threatened.
Queen Agathe: Her interrogation of Nina reveals maternal desperation. Her secret use of a Grisha Healer and her subsequent execution of that healer show the moral compromises she's made.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Concealment of Grisha power: Hanne's healing is disguised as prayer; Nina's necromancy is disguised as divine blessing. Both women hide their true nature behind religious performance.
Religious hypocrisy: The prayer to Djel is a cover for Grisha magic. Nina's fabricated story of divine blessing is used to manipulate the queen. The queen's own heresy (using a Grisha Healer) is hidden behind her public piety.
Necromancy as espionage: Nina uses the dead as informants, turning the burial ground into an intelligence network. The dead whisper secrets that the living would never reveal.
Political intrigue and succession vulnerability: Brum's calculations about the prince's death reveal the fragility of the Fjerdan succession and the ambitions it invites.
Maternal desperation: Queen Agathe's willingness to believe Nina's prophecy stems from her desperate hope for her son's survival.
Manipulation through secrets: Nina weaponizes the queen's secrets to gain leverage and establish her cover as a divinely blessed figure.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is pivotal for Nina's mission in Fjerda. Her cover as Mila Jandersdat is tested by the queen's investigation, and she survives by escalating her deception—using necromancy to reveal the queen's deepest secrets and then claiming divine blessing. This establishes her as a figure of religious significance at court, giving her new influence and protection.

The chapter also raises the political stakes. Brum's potential ambitions, the prince's fragile health, and the queen's desperation all create a volatile situation that Nina can exploit. Her promise to break Hanne out of prison if exposed shows her commitment to her friend, even as her own position becomes more precarious.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does Nina's use of necromancy in this chapter reflect her evolving relationship with death?

Nina's use of necromancy here is practical and strategic rather than grief-driven. Earlier, she shrank from the voices of the dead, too deep in grief over Matthias to make peace with death. By this chapter, she's come to an understanding with death, using the dead as informants and weapons. She reflects that she hasn't made peace with death, but they've come to an understanding. This shift allows her to weaponize the burial ground beneath the Ice Court, turning the dead into an intelligence network that gives her leverage over the queen.

2. What does Brum's reaction to the prince's illness reveal about his political ambitions?

Brum's disdain for the prince's weakness and his calculation that the royal family will want to silence Hanne reveal his cold pragmatism. Nina suspects he's positioning himself to seize power if the prince dies or is incapacitated. With the failed invasion forcing Fjerda to consider diplomacy, Brum's frustration is hidden but present. If the prince dies, the old king and younger prince would be left to rule, creating an opportunity for someone with military support and court knowledge—like Brum—to step in and take the reins.

3. How does Hanne's instinct to heal conflict with the danger it poses to her cover?

Hanne's instinct to heal is so strong that she acts without thinking, even in front of the entire Fjerdan court. Nina is furious at the carelessness, but recognizes that Hanne can't watch someone suffer without acting. This instinct repeatedly puts Hanne at risk—she heals the prince again during their private audience despite Nina's silent warning. The conflict is between Hanne's compassionate nature and the mortal danger of being exposed as Grisha in a country where Grisha are hunted and imprisoned.