Chapter 25 Summary, Analysis, and Key Takeaways

⚠️ 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 can return to the book hub or the previous chapter if you need to catch up.)

Summary

After dinner, Arek retreats to his chambers to search the princess's journal for any mention of soul mates or ruling. He finds nothing about soul mates beyond her writings about her lady, and only general advice about ruling—deciding petitions fairly and knowing the whole story before making a judgment. There is also outdated information about relations with other kingdoms, but that is moot because Barthly has already ruined those ties.

Unwilling to stay alone, Arek wanders the castle and ends up at Matt's door. He knocks, gets no answer, and finds the door locked. He deduces Matt must be in the library, so he heads there. Inside, he finds Matt at a table near the fireplace, surrounded by scrolls and candles, studying the prophetic parchment and books on magic laws.

Arek asks if Matt has found anything new. Matt admits he has read everything and hoped for a loophole, but the law is clear: once Arek becomes king, he must have a soul mate or he will fade, wither, or disappear. Arek mentions the princess's journal, but it offers nothing useful. They exchange apologies—Matt for being difficult and moody, Arek for dragging him on the quest. Matt insists he followed willingly because the prophecy required a mage.

Arek brings up the soul mate vetting that happened during the ball, and Matt agrees it's a good idea. Arek tries to convince himself that being bound to someone is a fair trade-off for living, but Matt challenges his wavering attitude. Arek defends his desire to survive, and Matt apologizes for his own bad mood.

Arek suggests they join the others for a dice game in the throne room, offering to use Matt's magic to cheat. Matt declines, saying he'll stay and keep looking. Arek offers to stay with him, and after a brief back-and-forth, Matt hands him a book titled Contract Magic: Promises, Oaths, & Declarations and suggests Arek read aloud. Arek does so for hours, until Matt falls asleep in his chair.

Arek gently removes the book and scroll from Matt's hands, then wakes him. Matt flinches and says, “You shouldn't have stayed,” explaining that it will be harder later—when Arek is bound to someone else. Arek feels the sting of that, but keeps his voice steady. Matt moves to a couch, wraps himself in a blanket, and falls asleep without even taking off his boots. Arek removes Matt's boots, tucks him in, blows out the candles, banks the fire, and leaves the documents for the morning. As he closes the door, he realizes Matt might not be handling things as well as he seemed—he might just be better at hiding it.

Key Events

Arek searches the princess's journal and finds nothing about soul mates, only advice on fair judgment and outdated diplomatic relations.
He finds Matt in the library, surrounded by the prophecy and magic law texts, still searching for a loophole.
Matt confirms there is no loophole: the king must have a soul mate or face fading, withering, or disappearing.
The two exchange apologies about the quest; Matt insists he followed willingly because the prophecy required a mage.
Arek mentions the soul mate vetting at the ball, and Matt approves of the idea.
Arek stays in the library instead of joining the dice game, reading Contract Magic aloud to Matt.
Matt falls asleep; Arek removes his boots, tucks him in, and leaves the documents for the next day.
Arek realizes Matt may be hiding his true feelings about the situation.

Character Development

Arek shows a growing vulnerability in this chapter. He actively seeks out Matt's company, even when Matt tries to push him away. His decision to stay in the library rather than join the others reveals his deepening attachment to Matt, even if he doesn't fully articulate it. He also demonstrates care and tenderness when he removes Matt's boots and tucks him in—a quiet act of devotion that contrasts with his usual sarcastic bravado. His internal conflict between survival and happiness becomes more pronounced as he tries to convince himself that being bound to someone is a fair trade-off, but his hesitation suggests he isn't truly convinced.

Matt is revealed to be more emotionally fragile than he lets on. He has been diligently searching for a loophole, but his frustration and exhaustion show in his slumped posture and heavy sighs. His apology for being “difficult and moody” hints at his awareness of his own behavior, and his comment that staying with Arek will make things “harder later” exposes his fear of losing Arek to a soul mate. His decision to sleep on the couch rather than return to his room, and his failure to even remove his boots, underscores his emotional exhaustion. Arek's final observation—that Matt might be better at hiding his feelings than the others—adds depth to Matt's character and suggests he is struggling more than he admits.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Survival versus happiness: Arek repeatedly frames his need for a soul mate as a matter of life and death, but his conversation with Matt reveals his ambivalence. He says “being happy is a bonus,” yet his actions—staying with Matt, reading to him—suggest he already knows what would make him happy, even if he can't say it.
Fate and inevitability: The prophecy and the magic law leave no room for negotiation. Matt's exhaustive search for a loophole proves futile, reinforcing the idea that some outcomes are fixed. Arek's acceptance of this inevitability, even as he tries to rationalize it, drives the chapter's tension.
Emotional self-protection: Matt's attempt to push Arek away (“It'll be harder later”) is a clear act of self-protection. He anticipates future pain and tries to create distance now, even though it hurts both of them. Arek, in turn, protects himself by keeping his voice steady and not confronting Matt's implication.
Contract magic as a symbol: The book Arek reads aloud, Contract Magic: Promises, Oaths, & Declarations, mirrors the binding nature of the soul mate law. Contracts are about promises and obligations, just as Arek's kingship and the prophecy bind him to a fate he cannot escape.
Hidden knowledge: The princess's journal contains no useful information, and the wine stain on the prophecy remains a mystery. Matt's certainty that the answer isn't under the stain, despite claiming not to know what's written there, hints at hidden knowledge that may come to light later.
Friendship and loyalty: Arek and Matt's exchange of apologies and their mutual insistence on following each other underscore their deep bond. Matt's statement that they are “best friends, forever” is both a comfort and a source of pain, given the looming soul mate requirement.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter deepens the emotional core of the novel by focusing on the relationship between Arek and Matt. It moves beyond the plot-driven search for a solution and into the characters' inner lives, revealing their fears, hopes, and unspoken feelings. The lack of a loophole raises the stakes, making it clear that Arek will have to choose a soul mate—or face the consequences. But the chapter also plants a crucial seed: Matt's comment about it being “harder later” and Arek's realization that Matt might be hiding his feelings suggest that the solution may not be a legal loophole at all, but a personal one. The quiet intimacy of the library scene—Arek reading aloud, Matt falling asleep, Arek tucking him in—creates a poignant contrast to the urgency of the prophecy, and it sets up the emotional revelation that will likely drive the story's climax.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Arek choose to stay in the library with Matt instead of joining the dice game?

Arek says he would rather be with Matt than with the others, and he offers to read aloud in case hearing the words helps reveal something. His choice shows that he values Matt's company over distraction, and it hints at his deeper feelings, even if he doesn't acknowledge them directly.

What does Matt mean when he says, “It'll be harder later”?

Matt is referring to the future, when Arek will be bound to a soul mate and won't be able to spend time with Matt the way he does now. He is trying to protect himself from the pain of that eventual separation by pushing Arek away now, even though it hurts both of them.

How does Arek's final observation about Matt change the reader's understanding of Matt's character?

Arek realizes that Matt might not be handling the situation as well as he appears—he might just be better at hiding it. This suggests that Matt's calm, analytical exterior is a mask for deeper emotional turmoil, and it makes his earlier attempts to distance himself from Arek more understandable and sympathetic.