Chapter 37: XXXV. Threads of Crimson Hair—Matilda
⚠️ 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
Matilda locates a hidden door in Maiden Tower by following the cold scent of the under realm. She descends a narrow stairwell into a chamber where a sleeping hound pup lies on a carpet of bones. Stepping carefully, she avoids waking it and makes her way to Bade’s forge. She finds the forge cold and Bade’s rooms eerily tidy. Bade lies sleeping, unresponsive; Adria is likewise entranced at her desk. Matilda sees a scrap of parchment with wedding vows and another with her name, a twelve-point constellation, and the words “soul-bearer.” She races to the great hall, where the entire court—Underlings, mortals, shades, eithrals, and hounds—slumbers. She nearly kills Phelyra, her mother’s murderer, but instead cuts a lock of her own hair and ties it around Phelyra’s wrist as a debt. Realizing Enva is missing from the dais, Matilda decides to travel Skyward in search of an ally.
Key Events
- Matilda discovers an enchanted door in a dusty chamber of Maiden Tower, leading to a winding stairwell.
- She avoids waking a young hound while crossing a bone-littered den.
- She finds Bade and Adria in enchanted sleep—no wounds, but impossible to rouse.
- Adria’s notes reveal a twelve-point constellation and the label “soul-bearer” linked to Matilda.
- The entire Under realm court slumbers, including eithrals, hounds, and all gods present.
- Matilda spares Phelyra but ties a lock of her own crimson hair to Phelyra’s wrist.
- She notices Enva’s throne is empty; Enva did not attend her own wedding feast.
Character Development
- Matilda: She demonstrates a new level of restraint. Earlier chapters showed her thirst for vengeance against Phelyra, but here she chooses to leave a symbolic mark instead of killing. Her hesitation suggests a shift toward measured action rather than impulsive bloodshed. The discovery of the “soul-bearer” note introduces an unresolved question about her identity and destiny.
- Bade and Adria: Their vulnerability in sleep emphasizes how dependent Matilda has become on their support. Their enchanted state forces her to act alone.
- Phelyra: Even in vulnerability, she remains a target of Matilda’s fury. The tying of the hair transforms her from an enemy to a debtor, altering the power dynamic.
- Enva: Her absence is ominous. She disappeared during her own wedding feast, implying she may have orchestrated the sleep or fled from a threat.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs Evidenced Here
- Enchanted Sleep: The simultaneous slumber of nearly every being in the Under realm suggests a deliberate magical attack. The lack of a clear cause (food? ritual?) deepens the mystery.
- Debt and Power: Matilda’s decision not to kill Phelyra, but to leave a visible thread of hair, transforms vengeance into a claim. The red hair becomes a token of a life spared and a future reckoning.
- Constellations and Destiny: The twelve-point star and “soul-bearer” note hint at a larger cosmic role for Matilda, possibly linking her to Orphia’s ancient prophecy.
- Vulnerability and Trust: Every slumbering god and monster showcases the fragility of immortality, while Matilda’s own wakefulness underscores her unique position.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 37 is a turning point in Wild Reverence. It isolates Matilda from nearly every ally and enemy at once, forcing her to act with independence. The enchanted sleep eliminates the Under realm as a source of support or opposition, clearing the stage for a direct conflict with the mortal baron Grimald. Matilda’s moral choice toward Phelyra reveals her growth from revenge-driven to strategically minded. Finally, Enva’s disappearance raises urgent questions that will drive the plot forward: Where is Enva? Did she cause the sleep? And what does Matilda’s “soul-bearer” destiny truly mean?
Study Questions and Answers
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Why does Matilda spare Phelyra?
Matilda realizes that killing Phelyra while she sleeps would be an empty victory. By tying her own hair around Phelyra’s wrist, she creates a debt: Phelyra will know she was at Matilda’s mercy and now owes her. This act shifts the power dynamic without committing murder. -
What might the twelve-point constellation and the word “soul-bearer” imply about Matilda?
Adria’s notes show two mirrored six-point constellations beneath Matilda’s name—twelve points total—and the annotation “soul-bearer.” This suggests Matilda is the bearer of a paired or dual soul, possibly connected to the goddess Orphia’s earlier horoscope reading. It implies a hidden destiny that may be key to the story’s conflict. -
Why is Enva’s absence significant?
Enva’s throne is empty during the wedding feast meant to celebrate her union. Her disappearance could mean she orchestrated the enchanted sleep herself, or that she was taken by an outside force. Either way, it isolates Matilda further and suggests Enva may not be a reliable ally—or that she is the true cause of the crisis.