The Priory of the Orange Tree Summary By Chapter | Samantha Shannon
Introduction
Have you ever wondered how an intricate, sprawling epic fantasy holds together chapter by chapter?
This The Priory of the Orange Tree Summary by Chapter breaks down the entire narrative into manageable, clear segments.
Book Structure Overview
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Total Chapters | 76 Chapters |
| Prologue / Epilogue | No formal Prologue or Epilogue; Part I opens with scripture. |
| Part I: Stories of Old | Chapters 1 through 22 |
| Part II: Declare I Dare Not | Chapters 23 through 37 |
| Part III: A Witch to Live | Chapters 38 through 48 |
| Part IV: Thine is the Queendom | Chapters 49 through 57 |
| Part V: Here Be Dragons | Chapters 58 through 65 |
| Part VI: The Keys to the Abyss | Chapters 66 through 76 |
Book Table of Contents
- Part I: Stories of Old – Chapters 1–22
- Part II: Declare I Dare Not – Chapters 23–37
- Part III: A Witch to Live – Chapters 38–48
- Part IV: Thine is the Queendom – Chapters 49–57
- Part V: Here Be Dragons – Chapters 58–65
- Part VI: The Keys to the Abyss – Chapters 66–76
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The Priory of the Orange Tree Summary Chapter by Chapter
⚠️ Spoilers
Part I: Stories of Old
Chapter 1: A Stranger in Seiiki
Niclays Roos, an exiled alchemist in Orisima, has his quiet evening disrupted by Susa, who brings a drenched Westerner to his door. The man is Triam Sulyard, a squire to Queen Sabran of Inys, shipwrecked while seeking the Warlord.
Niclays fears execution for hiding a trespasser under the Eastern sea ban but reluctantly offers Sulyard shelter. As Sulyard shivers from his ordeal, Niclays grapples with his hatred for Sabran and the danger now at his doorstep.
The chapter closes as Niclays sees moonstone dragons rising over the cape, a breathtaking spiritual event that signals the arrival of the first Westerner in Seiiki for centuries.
Chapter 2: The Masked Assassin
In the Queen Tower of Ascalon, a masked intruder attempts to reach Sabran’s bedchamber. Ead, hidden in the rafters, swiftly kills the assassin before he can enter.
Ead maintains a predictable routine to appear harmless while secretly guarding the Queen with forbidden magic. She discovers that Lord Arteloth “Loth” Beck has been exiled from court, likely for his closeness to Sabran.
While dressing the neglected Lady Truyde, Ead suspects the Mentish noblewoman hides a connection to the missing squire Sulyard, deepening the mystery at court.
Chapter 3: The Choosing Day Duel
On Choosing Day in Seiiki, Tané anxiously prepares for the ceremony that will decide her destiny as a dragonrider or scholar. She is haunted by the secret of hiding the Westerner Sulyard and fears the spread of red sickness.
She and her rival Turosa ride to the Grand Temple of the Cape, where the Sea General raises her to the High Sea Guard. Her roommate Ishari is assigned to the scholars on Feather Island, devastating her.
The ceremony concludes with the dragons acknowledging the new trainees, their booming voices shaking the ground as Tané’s childhood dream comes true despite her recent crimes.
Chapter 4: The Heretic’s Letters
Queen Sabran receives Duke Oscarde of Zeedeur, who brings a marriage proposal from Prince Aubrecht of Mentendon. The Duke reports a wyvern attack, echoing rumors of growing Draconic activity.
Sabran accepts a Sundance Sea pearl and agrees to consider the suit. Ead uses the distraction of a royal feast to search the Coffer Chamber and finds a hidden oak box beneath the floorboards.
Inside are love letters between Truyde and Sulyard detailing a “divine task” to save the world, plus a forbidden Eastern book, confirming Truyde’s burgeoning heresy.
Chapter 5: Exile and Conspiracy
Loth and Kitston Glade are escorted to Yscalin aboard the Rose Eternal as punishment. Captain Harlowe warns them that Yscalin has fallen to the Nameless One and the Draconic plague may be active.
Back in Orisima, Susa tells Tané that Sulyard has vanished, possibly escaping during a search. Niclays Roos continues his failed elixir experiments, bitter over his long exile.
Sulyard reappears at Niclays’s door, insisting he must speak to the Warlord to save Virtudom. Niclays is horrified to learn Sulyard secretly married Truyde and that Prince Aubrecht now rules Mentendon.
Chapter 6: The Saint’s Tale
Sabran dines with her ladies and questions Ead about Prince Aubrecht’s attractiveness. She commands Ead to tell the story of the Saint and the Damsel from the Sanctarian version, not the Southern perspective.
Sabran emphasizes that as long as the Berethnet line continues, the Nameless One will stay bound. Later, Ead examines Truyde’s Eastern book and sees the name “Niclays” in the flyleaf.
Ead’s magical power is fading because she has been away from the sacred orange tree too long. A messenger summons her for questioning by the Principal Secretary, causing anxiety.
Chapter 7: The Food-Taster’s Vigil
Ead is interrogated by the Virtues Council about the mysterious deaths of assassins inside the palace. She realizes the Council is desperate to find the secret protector who has been killing the intruders.
The Council favors an old Chieftain for Sabran’s hand over Prince Aubrecht. Sabran expresses distress over Loth’s disappearance and commands his retrieval, but he is already in Draconic territory.
Sabran punishes Ead for her bold storytelling by making her a food-taster. In secret, Truyde warns Ead that the Nameless One is returning soon, raising the stakes.
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Chapter 8: The Arrest of Niclays Roos
Niclays and Sulyard share a stormy night exchanging stories while awaiting the next Mentish shipment. Niclays mourns his past lover Jannart, reflecting on their hidden romance and Jannart’s arranged marriage.
The Chief Officer arrives demanding to search for a trespasser. Niclays is arrested and dragged away as a traitor for hiding Sulyard, ending his long, quiet exile in Orisima.
He begs his assistant Panaya to protect his alchemical books and apparatus as he faces a potential death sentence.
Chapter 9: The Wyrm Fýredel Attacks
Ead walks with Sabran in the Privy Garden, where the Queen reveals her ignorance of the world outside Virtudom. They discuss lovejay birds and Eastern oranges, topics Sabran usually avoids.
The High Western wyrm Fýredel suddenly attacks Ascalon Palace, demanding Sabran surrender her city or watch it burn. Sabran bravely faces the beast from a balcony with a ceremonial blade.
Ead uses the last of her magic to create a wind-warding that keeps Sabran unscathed from the wyrm’s fire, exposing her secret power to a witness.
Chapter 10: The Halberd Duel
Tané arrives at the capital city of Ginura, struck by its grandeur and historical carvings. She reflects on how her heart has hardened as she prepares to become a dragonrider.
In a combat trial, Tané duels Onren, the principal apprentice from the East House, using steel halberds. She dodges Onren’s brute strength and eventually wins the fierce duel.
Onren notes that Tané’s gentle face hides a fierce warrior spirit. Turosa watches the victory with anger and renewed determination to beat her.
Chapter 11: The Plague-Stricken Port
Loth and Kit arrive in the rotting, plague-stricken port of Perunta in Yscalin. Priessa Yelarigas escorts them to a carriage, while Kit is terrified of the Draconic creatures roaming the city.
Loth resolves to find Prince Wilstan and reunite him with Sabran. Back in Ascalon, Ead wakes from a fever dream to learn Fýredel burned several storehouses but has left the city on edge.
Sabran visits Ead and mentions Truyde has been accusing Ead of sorcery. She then officially announces her betrothal to Prince Aubrecht Lievelyn, securing the Mentish alliance.
Chapter 12: The Governor’s Investigation
Tané practices swordplay alone, troubled by a suspicion that Turosa sabotaged her horse during a trial. The Governor of Cape Hisan investigates the conspiracy involving Susa and the outsider Sulyard.
Susa is interrogated about who helped hide the Westerner in Orisima. Niclays Roos is granted alchemical ingredients in exchange for his silence and cooperation.
The Governor sends word to the Warlord, noting he dislikes unnecessary bloodshed but the legal peril for Tané and Susa tightens.
Chapter 13: The Lake Trial and Cosmic Balance
Tané participates in a night-time trial to retrieve dancing pearls from a forest lake. She performs well but Onren excels, swimming like a dragon.
Niclays visits Sulyard in prison. Sulyard confesses he and Truyde believe the Nameless One will return regardless of the Berethnet line, inspired by Niclays’s alchemical research on cosmic balance.
Niclays is told he will be taken to Ginura to report what he has learned, tying his past work to the present conspiracy.
Chapter 14: The Southern Delegation
Prince Aubrecht arrives at Ascalon with a massive retinue, signaling the seriousness of the betrothal. Sabran receives him warmly, and they appear smitten with each other.
Chassar uq-Ispad returns to court as part of the Southern delegation, much to Ead’s relief. On the Peaceweaver Terrace, Chassar reveals the Prioress is dead and Mita Yedanya has succeeded her.
He warns that the thousand-year binding is ending and orders Ead to return home to become a Red Damsel, but she asks for more time to protect Sabran.
Chapter 15: The Iron Mask of Cárscaro
Loth and Kit arrive at Cárscaro, the capital of Yscalin, high in the Spindle mountains. They are shown to ambassadorial chambers with candles that burn with true red flames and emit black smoke.
Loth realizes he may be sleeping in the room where Wilstan Fynch once stayed. The city feels corrupted, and the lavender fields have been burned away.
They prepare to blend in as ambassadors while Kit plans to flirt with the Donmata Marosa for information about the fallen kingdom.
Chapter 16: First Blood and the Throne of Glass
Tané undergoes her final water trials, including net dueling and signaling. Her last trial is a sword duel against Turosa, where “first blood wins.”
Turosa taunts Tané for being a peasant, vowing to stop peasants from ever riding dragons. Despite exhaustion, Tané draws a thin line of blood on Turosa’s jaw and is declared the victor.
Loth and Kit enter the Yscali throne room, where Marosa sits on a volcanic glass throne wearing an iron mask shaped like Fýredel.
Chapter 17: The Donmata’s Secret
Marosa taunts Loth by mentioning Sabran will likely wed Aubrecht, her former betrothed. She claims Prince Wilstan left for Córvugar, which Loth finds difficult to believe.
During a dance, Marosa slips Loth a note asking him to meet her alone in the Privy Sanctuary. There, dressed as a lady-in-waiting, she reveals her true identity as King Sigoso’s heir.
She seeks Loth’s help to do what Wilstan Fynch could not, revealing she is working against her own father to save Virtudom.
Chapter 18: The Journey to Ginura
Niclays Roos endures a miserable journey to Ginura in a stuffy palanquin. He is impressed by Ginura Castle and the shell-paved paths of its gardens.
He visits his medical friends Eizaru and Purumé in their herb-filled home. They inform him he will be received at court by the Warlord.
Purumé offers to show him the city and its dragons in flight while he is out of Orisima. Niclays is wary but grateful for the respite from exile.
Chapter 19: The Rotting King’s Confession
Loth follows Marosa through secret tunnels to find the chained and blindfolded King Sigoso. The King is physically rotting with red lines following his veins.
Sigoso confesses he arranged Queen Rosarian’s death out of spite because she refused his hand in marriage. Marosa explains that Fýredel controls the palace through the King.
She gives Loth an iron box from a captured Southern woman named Jondu and asks him to deliver it to Chassar uq-Ispad in exchange for a way out of the city.
Chapter 20: The Lacustrine Dragon Bond
Tané prepares for the final selection of riders, reflecting on illustrations from the Great Sorrow. Onren brings her a meal, fearing she will be passed over in favor of Turosa.
Tané accidentally offends Onren by saying she didn’t practice enough. When the uniforms arrive, Tané finds the gold dragon emblem, meaning she is god-chosen.
She wades into the sea and meets her dragon, Nayimathun, a Lacustrine dragon with fireworks-bright eyes, officially becoming a god-chosen rider of Seiiki.
Chapter 21: The Tunnels Beneath the Spindles
Loth and Kit flee through dark, volcanic glass tunnels beneath Cárscaro, carrying the iron box. Loth notices the walls look as if carved by a basilisk.
They are pursued by the Draconic Army, and Kit is lost or killed during the escape. Loth is devastated, his knuckles bleeding and mouth tasting of iron as he sobs.
Despite his grief, he resolves to follow the path and deliver the box to the South alone.
Chapter 22: The Midnight Wedding
Queen Sabran and Prince Aubrecht are married at midnight in the Great Sanctuary of Briar House. Ead observes Sabran’s poise and Aubrecht’s gentle smile during the ceremony.
The Arch Sanctarian pronounces them companions. Ead places a rose behind Sabran’s pillow as comfort, and Sabran confesses her fear of the childbed and nightmares.
They share a brief, intimate kiss, and Sabran raises Ead to Lady of the Bedchamber, bringing her into the innermost circle of the Queen’s household.
Part II: Declare I Dare Not
Chapter 23: The Ichneumon’s Guide
Loth crosses the brutal, snowy mountains of the Spindles, suffering from extreme cold. An ichneumon named Aralaq guides him to the edge of the Desert of the Unquiet Dream.
Aralaq communicates that he was sent to lead Loth to the Priory. Loth prays to the Damsel and Saint for strength before the stark transition to the sunbaked desert.
Chapter 24: The Royal Progress Announced
The Inysh court settles into early autumn, and Sabran begins to show signs of pregnancy. Ead and Aubrecht walk together, and he seeks her counsel on taking Sabran into the streets to give alms.
Ead warns him about the cutthroats. Sabran goes on a hunt and races Ead back to the palace. Ead receives a coded message confirming she can stay until the child is born.
Sabran then announces a public royal progress into Ascalon to reassure her people, ignoring the latent threat of assassination.
Chapter 25: The Dragon’s Warning
Niclays lives as an honored guest in Ginura, studying alchemical texts and the Tablet of Rumelabar. He realizes Tané Miduchi is the dragonrider who hid the Westerner on the beach.
Tané spends nights with Nayimathun, who reveals dragons used to be able to weave illusions and bestow dreams. Nayimathun warns that someone is “stirring” in the West.
Tané feels a sense of impending doom closing in like a net as Niclays connects her to the international conspiracy.
Chapter 26: The Assassination of Prince Aubrecht
Sabran’s royal progress through Ascalon begins, with Ead concealing multiple blades for protection. The party visits the Sanctuary of Our Lady, where Sabran prays for her unborn daughter.
Masked doomsingers attack the procession, shouting allegiance to the Nameless One. Linora is killed in the melee, and a cutthroat disguised as a lady-in-waiting shoots Prince Aubrecht.
Ead captures the shooter, revealed to be Lady Truyde, who is arrested for her role in the disaster that leaves Aubrecht dead.
Chapter 27: Blackmail on the Beach
Niclays develops a dangerous plan to obtain dragon blood for his elixir, hoping to buy his way back to the West. He sends a threatening letter to Tané, blackmailing her with knowledge of her hidden Westerner.
Tané meets Niclays on the beach and is horrified by his manipulation. She considers confessing to the Sea General, but Nayimathun takes her to a tidal cave to talk.
Nayimathun insists that Tané’s act of sparing the boy was not a crime but a service to the world, leading Tané to confess her crimes to her dragon.
Chapter 28: The Bronze Mask in Rauca
Loth arrives in Rauca, the capital of the Ersyr, overwhelmed by spices and flower-perfumed streets. He sees the Ivory Palace and plans to deliver the iron box to Chassar.
While avoiding the plague by not bathing, Loth is suddenly confronted by a shadow wearing a bronze mask. He is knocked unconscious, and everything turns dark.
Chapter 29: The Execution of Susa
A massive earthquake hits Ginura, causing chaos in Salt Flower Castle. Tané is summoned by the Governor and taken to a site of execution, where she witnesses the beheading of her friend Susa.
Niclays Roos is captured on the beach by the Fleet of the Tiger Eye. The pirates rummage through his books and scrolls after knocking him out, abducting him.
Chapter 30: A Night in the Royal Bed
Truyde is imprisoned in the Dearn Tower and confesses under threat of the rack. Inys enters a period of mourning for Prince Aubrecht, and his body lies in state.
Loth sends a warning from Rauca via sand eagle, mentioning a “Cupbearer” threat to Sabran. Ead and Sabran spend a night together in the royal bed.
Sabran confesses her fear of the throne and her condition, and Ead reassures her she is not alone. Their relationship deepens into a physical and emotional romance during this darkest hour.
Chapter 31: Exile to Feather Island
Tané is taken to White River Castle after Susa’s execution. She confesses to the Governor that she broke seclusion because she feared she would never get to ride.
The Governor informs Tané that Nayimathun has been captured by the Fleet of the Tiger Eye. Out of respect for the dragon, Tané is not executed but is exiled to Feather Island for life.
Tané feels nothing as she is taken away, her dreams completely destroyed.
Chapter 32: The True History of Inys
Loth wakes in the Priory of the Orange Tree and meets Chassar uq-Ispad. Chassar tells him everything he knows about the Saint and the Damsel is a lie invented by Galian the Deceiver.
He claims Cleolind actually wounded the Nameless One and that the Priory is a house of mages. Loth learns that whomsoever finds the Priory can never leave.
Chassar also reveals that Ead Duryan is actually a mage named Eadaz uq-Nāra, the magical spy protecting Sabran.
Chapter 33: The Golden Empress
A flashback shows Niclays and Jannart sharing a secret night in Brygstad Palace. In the present, Niclays is on the pirate flagship Pursuit and meets the Golden Empress.
He prostrates himself and offers his skills as an anatomist to spare his life. She names him “Sea-Moon” and orders him to perform surgery on a pirate.
Niclays learns that the captured dragon, Nayimathun, is being kept below decks, drugged on “firecloud.”
Chapter 34: The Wyrm and the Miscarriage
The court returns to Ascalon Palace, and Sabran refuses a marriage proposal from the Chieftain of Askrdal, interrupting Lady Crest for the first time. Ead notices Sabran becoming more independent.
Sabran names her unborn daughter Glorian. Ead visits Truyde in jail and learns about the alchemical theory of “cosmic balance.”
A new High Western wyrm attacks the palace, causing Sabran to miscarry and effectively ending the Berethnet bloodline.
Chapter 35: The Legend of the Mulberry Tree
Niclays serves as the master surgeon on the Pursuit. Laya Yidagé, the interpreter, tells him the legend of a “mulberry tree” that provides eternal life.
They see Valeysa the Harrower flying over the fleet, signaling that the Nameless One is coming soon. Niclays remains tranquil, entranced by the vision of a balanced universe.
The pirate fleet makes for Kawontay to sell the captured dragon.
Chapter 36: The Poison and the Promise
Ead stays by Sabran’s side as the Queen recovers from the loss of her child and a physical injury. Sabran believes she has destroyed her house by being “barren” and asks Ead to bring her poison.
Ead refuses and confesses her deep love for Sabran. They share an intimate night, and Sabran wakes without a candle for the first time in years.
Ead is then summoned by Seyton Combe for another meeting.
Chapter 37: The Expulsion of Ead
Seyton Combe informs Ead she has been discharged from the Upper Household for “inappropriate conduct” with the Queen. He reveals a Knight of the Body has been spying on the Queen’s bedchamber.
Ead uses magic to fight off Combe’s retainers and escapes the palace. She speaks to a delirious Sabran and a broken-fingered Roslain before fleeing.
Margret helps Ead escape on her swiftest horse, Valour. Ead reaches Perchling and finds it ruined by Draconic fire.
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Part III: A Witch to Live
Chapter 38: The Ghost of Vane Hall
Tané lives as a “Ghost” on Feather Island, carrying out menial chores. Elder Vara takes her to a secret repository containing ancient and sacred documents.
He tells her the mythical story of the “Little Shadow-girl” who restored a dragon’s heart. Tané experiences severe physical pain in her side, which Vara identifies as a possible bone spur.
The ground shakes frequently as more wyrms awaken globally. Vara suggests surgery to remove the growth.
Chapter 39: The Vale of Blood
Ead crosses the Burlah desert with a caravan, hiding her identity. She hears the story of the Melancholy King and arrives at the Priory, greeted by a pregnant Nairuj.
Chassar confirms Mita Yedanya is the new Prioress and that Jondu is dead. Ead is offered a chance to become a Red Damsel if she goes on a mission to the South.
She descends into the Vale of Blood, eats a golden fruit from the orange tree, and fully restores her magic.
Chapter 40: The Dead Mulberry Tree
Niclays uses star charts to help the Golden Empress locate the lost island of Komoridu. Laya translates a hidden message about a “rising jewel” planted under a mulberry tree.
The Empress promises Niclays a share of the elixir of life if he finds the tree. They arrive at the island but discover the mulberry tree is dead and gnarled.
Niclays fears for his life as the Empress searches for a treasure that no longer exists.
Chapter 41: The Waning Jewel
Ead dreams of her mother Zāla and reflects on her childhood. She uses her blood to open a riddlebox found in the Mother’s tomb, discovering a key to a secret compartment under Cleolind’s coffin.
Inside she finds the “waning jewel,” which burns her hand. A scroll from Queen Neporo reveals that the Nameless One will return after exactly a thousand years.
The Prioress forbids Ead from taking the jewel to Inys.
Chapter 42: The Rising Jewel Revealed
On the pirate ship, Niclays realizes Tané is a descendant of Queen Neporo and attempts to trade this information for his safety. Tané attacks the pirate camp on Komoridu.
She demands the key to Nayimathun’s chains and uses a jewel to drive back the pirates, securing her dragon. Niclays watches Tané and Nayimathun rise from the sea, leaving the pirates behind.
Valeysa the Harrower then attacks the pirate fleet, setting ships on fire.
Chapter 43: The Witch Kalyba’s Bargain
Ead prepares for a mission to the Bower of Eternity to confront the Witch Kalyba. She remembers Kalyba from her childhood and suspects she poisoned her mother.
Kalyba explains the balance between fire and starlight, her role in forging Ascalon, and her use of “sterren” or star magic. Ead swears to bring Kalyba the orange fruit in exchange for knowledge of the jewels.
Ead returns to the Priory and is initiated as a full Red Damsel.
Chapter 44: Escape from the Priory
Loth is rescued from the Priory’s dungeons by Ead and Aralaq. Ead explains her true identity and the threat of the Nameless One, suspecting Lady Crest is the “Cupbearer.”
They flee on Aralaq’s back, pursued by Red Damsels, and reach the port of Córvugar in Yscalin at dawn. Ead has stolen the waning jewel from Prioress Mita.
Chapter 45: The Jewel in the Soil
Tané recovers from wounds on Feather Island. Fire-breathers attack the hermitage, and Tané finds the blue “rising jewel” hidden in the soil.
She vows to free Nayimathun and reunite her with the stolen jewel. Tané realizes the “bone spur” in her side was actually the jewel stitched into her since birth.
She prepares to leave Feather Island to find the Golden Empress.
Chapter 46: Burning the Draconic Ships
Ead and Loth arrive in Rauca and prepare to sail for Inys. Ead reflects on losing the red cloak and prioritizing Inys over the Priory.
They witness the naval arm of the Draconic Army preparing for invasion. Ead uses magic to burn several Yscali ships to slow their progress.
They sail toward Albatross Roost, the westernmost point of Inys.
Chapter 47: The Coup in the Queen Tower
Loth and Ead ride through the snowy Inysh countryside. They find that Sabran has not been seen in public for weeks and that Truyde has been executed.
Ead realizes Crest has effectively staged a coup. They hide at the Rose and Candle inn with the help of Chassar’s contacts and plan to enter the palace via waterfolk to rescue Sabran.
Chapter 48: The Descent into Lasia
Tané flies over the Abyss toward the West on Nayimathun, reflecting on Inysh beliefs. They cross the Ersyr and Burlah desert, suffering extreme heat.
Tané falls from her saddle into the River Minara in Lasia and is immediately confronted by Red Damsels who attack Nayimathun with arrows, embroiling her in conflict with the Priory.
Part IV: Thine is the Queendom
Chapter 49: Infiltrating the Palace
Ead and Loth enter the palace through the Privy Stair, aided by the waterfolk. Ead scouts the sanctuary and sees Crest retainers everywhere.
Loth reunites with his sister Margret, who reveals Sabran is being held in confinement by Crest. They free Captain Lintley and other loyal Knights of the Body from the guardhouse.
Chapter 50: The Overthrow of Igrain Crest
The group attacks the Queen Tower to liberate Sabran. Ead kills several of Crest’s retainers in a fierce melee and confronts Igrain Crest.
Crest claims Sabran is a “bastard-born” unfit to rule, but she is arrested by Lintley for high treason. Ead finds a broken-fingered Roslain guarding the Queen’s door and finally reaches Sabran.
Chapter 51: The Chaos in the Abyss
Tané studies ancient records at Windward Hall on Feather Island. She learns about the “great chaos in the Abyss” during Empress Mokwo’s reign.
She prepares to leave for Inys with the rising jewel, receiving help from a bonesinger who directs her to the repository, uncovering the timeline of the Nameless One’s return.
Chapter 52: The Mage in the Council
Sabran holds a council where Ead reveals her true identity as a mage of the Priory. Loth explains the Donmata’s role and the truth about Rosarian’s assassination.
They discuss the prophecy that the Nameless One returns this spring. Ead suggests an alliance with the East, and Sabran knights her as a Knight Bachelor to protect her position at court.
Chapter 53: The Feast of High Winter
Sabran addresses her people, revealing Crest’s treason and the loss of her child. She calls for unity and mercy while vowing to fight the Draconic Army.
Ead is named Viscountess Nurtha. Sabran and Ead share an intimate night where Sabran admits she fell in love with the “part” Ead played, and they promise to stay together as long as they can.
Chapter 54: The Rescue of Nayimathun
Niclays and Laya arrive at the dead mulberry tree on Komoridu. The Golden Empress pursues them, furious about the failure to find an elixir.
Tané attacks the pirates, demanding the key for Nayimathun’s chains. She uses the rising jewel to create a Moon-burst that drives the pirates back, and escapes on dragonback with Loth as wyverns attack the fleet.
Chapter 55: The Theft of Ascalon
Ead and Margret ride to Goldenbirch to find the legendary sword Ascalon. They locate it hidden in a secret chamber beneath a coney-hole in the haithwood.
The Witch Kalyba appears and steals the sword. She reveals her true form as a Sabran-shaped being, confesses she is the mother of Galian Berethnet, and claims to be the “White Wyrm” who caused Sabran’s miscarriage.
Chapter 56: The Trothplight
Sabran prepares her navy for the defense of the Abyss. Aralaq arrives to offer his allegiance to the Queen. Ead and Margret return with news of Kalyba’s theft.
Sabran proposes a “Great Reformation” to tell her people the truth about their religion. Ead and Sabran pledge a “trothplight” to find their “somewhere” after the war.
Chapter 57: The Sleep of Death
Igrain Crest is executed for high treason, and Roslain is named the new Duchess of Justice. Sabran learns from High Princess Ermuna that the Nameless One returns on the third day of spring.
Ead is suddenly poisoned by a dart from her one-time sister Nairuj, sent by the Prioress. She falls into a deep “sleep of death” as Sabran weeps over her, right before the final battle.
Part V: Here Be Dragons
Chapter 58: The Storm at Feather Island
Loth leads the Inysh embassy eastward on the Rose Eternal. They arrive at Feather Island during a massive storm, where Tané captures the ship using the rising jewel and frees Loth and Thim.
Loth realizes Tané has the twin to Ead’s jewel. They prepare to head for the Empire of the Twelve Lakes to form the Eastern Proposal.
Chapter 59: The Current Against the Jewel
Tané uses the rising jewel to drive the Rose Eternal forward against the current. Thim realizes she is taking them toward the Golden Empress.
Tané struggles with the physical toll of using the jewel and reflects on the need to reunite the two jewels to fight the Nameless One.
Chapter 60: The Magpie Constellation
Niclays and Laya watch the stars from the Pursuit as they sail toward the Magpie constellation. Niclays feels the excitement of finally finishing Jannart’s work.
The Golden Empress is determined to find the treasure at the end of the star path, preparing for the “hunt of their lives.”
Chapter 61: The White Jewel Connection
Loth and Thim are bound by Tané, who ignores their questions. Loth mentions he knows where the “white jewel” is, which catches Tané’s attention.
Tané continues to navigate using the stars and the blue jewel, preparing to confront the Golden Empress to free a “prisoner.”
Chapter 62: The Tale of Neporo
Niclays hears the “Tale of Neporo” on Komoridu and realizes the Berethnet legend is a lie. Tané and Loth infiltrate the Pursuit and free Nayimathun from her chains.
Tané reveals her identity as Neporo’s descendant to the pirates. They escape on dragonback as Valeysa the Harrower attacks the fleet.
Chapter 63: The Unceasing Emperor’s Pledge
Tané wakes in the palace of the Unceasing Emperor in the City of the Thousand Flowers. Loth proposes the alliance between Inys and the East to face the Nameless One.
The Unceasing Emperor agrees to the stand on the Abyss, noting he is in no mood to marry. Tané plans to fly south to retrieve the healing fruit for Ead.
Chapter 64: The River Minara Again
Tané flies south on Nayimathun, crossing the Abyss and the Burlah desert. They suffer extreme heat and thirst, and Tané falls from the dragon into the River Minara in Lasia.
She is attacked by Red Damsels who have already injured Nayimathun, facing violent opposition from Ead’s fellow mages.
Chapter 65: The Battle at the Orange Tree
Tané is imprisoned in the Priory but rescued by Chassar uq-Ispad. She witnesses a magical battle between Mita and Kalyba at the orange tree, where Mita is killed by Kalyba.
Tané retrieves the rising jewel from the corpse and secures an orange fruit. She escapes by throwing herself into the river and eventually reaches Ascalon Palace with the healing fruit for Ead.
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Part VI: The Keys to the Abyss
Chapter 66: The Keys Unite
Ead wakes from her coma after eating the orange fruit brought by Tané. She learns Loth has successfully brokered the alliance. Ead and Sabran reunite in the sunken bath.
Ead meets Tané, and they practice using the two celestial jewels together, realizing they must share the burden of the jewels’ power. The “Keys to the Abyss” are finally united in Inys.
Chapter 67: The Witch’s Offer
Niclays meets the Witch Kalyba, who is wearing Sabran’s face. She offers to restore Jannart to life if Niclays helps her. Sabran receives the Southern rulers Jantar and Kagudo at Ascalon.
Kagudo encourages Ead to consider becoming the next Prioress. Sabran publicly addresses her people, announcing the return of the Draconic Army and the new global alliance.
Chapter 68: The Imperial Dragon’s Announcement
The Eastern fleet, including iron-plated ships and dragons, arrives at the Abyss. Loth and the Unceasing Emperor discuss Sabran’s history and her “Sea Maiden” lover.
The Imperial Dragon announces that the Nameless One is coming, and the various fleets prepare for the final confrontation.
Chapter 69: Niclays’s Critical Knowledge
Tané waits for Nayimathun to arrive as the third day of spring approaches. Ead and Sabran share a final, intimate night before the battle.
The crew rescues Niclays Roos from a rowing boat in the middle of the Abyss. He confronts Sabran, revealing the Nameless One has a loose scale on his chest armor, and confesses his own alchemical journey and Truyde’s tragedy.
Chapter 70: The Battle of the Abyss Begins
The Battle of the Abyss begins with wyverns and fire-breathers attacking the fleet. Fýredel leads the assault, mocking the mortals and their gods.
Tané and Ead use the jewels to drive back the fire and clear a path for the ships, as the Draconic Navy from Yscalin joins the fray.
Chapter 71: The Death of Kalyba
Sabran and Loth are on the Defiance when Kalyba appears. Sabran confronts her forebear, who intends to take her place on the throne as a “Flesh Queen.”
Ead stabs and kills Kalyba with the sterren blade, reclaiming Ascalon. The Nameless One finally emerges from the convulsing waters of the Abyss.
Chapter 72: The Binding of the Nameless One
Tané and Nayimathun fly into the swarm to attack the Nameless One. Tané tears off the loose twentieth scale on the beast’s chest, exposing its heart.
Ead stabs the Nameless One in the heart with Ascalon, fulfilling Cleolind’s legacy. Tané and Ead use both celestial jewels to weave a cocoon of water that binds the beast back into the Abyss, and the dawn rises over the Spindles.
Chapter 73: Niclays’s Return to Brygstad
Niclays Roos returns to Brygstad and visits Jannart’s tomb. He meets Aleidine, who confesses she always knew about their affair and bears no grudge.
High Princess Ermuna offers Niclays a place at court, but he decides to pursue a professorship. He plans to tell his life story to Aleidine as they walk by the river, finally finding peace.
Chapter 74: The Ten-Year Promise
Loth and Margret return to Serinhall, where their father is slowly fading. Ead is officially named Prioress of the Orange Tree and prepares to return to Lasia.
Sabran plans to abdicate in ten years and lead a Great Reformation of Virtudom. Sabran and Ead pledge to meet again on the sand of Perchling in ten years to find their “somewhere,” committing to a future together despite separate duties.
Chapter 75: Tané’s Ancestral Peace
Tané is restored to her rank and given a mansion in Nanta for her bravery. She visits the ruins of Komoridu and finds a statue of Neporo that looks just like her.
Tané makes a vow to honor the legacy of her ancestor and her gods. She falls asleep by the dead mulberry tree, finally at peace with her life of exile.
Chapter 76: The Hunt for Fýredel
Ead, now the Prioress, sets sail on the Rose Eternal to hunt the final High Western wyrm, Fýredel. She speaks with Captain Harlowe about his love for Sabran’s mother and the rumors of her legitimacy.
The world begins to rebuild its sanctuaries and prayer houses. Ead looks toward the stars, noting that her secrets will one day become a song, as she accepts her new role as leader of the Priory.
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