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slightlyrebelliouswriter23 · 1 year

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Theory: Eldred is not Cardan's father

Listen. I don’t know if anyone has said this before, but I’ve been mulling this over for a while now, so I’m going to throw it to the void before The Stolen Heir comes out, for posterity.

Buckle up, folks and Folk. I’m monologuing.

(PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE TSH SPOILERS IN THE COMMENTS/REBLOGS/TAGS AS I HAVE NOT READ IT, AND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO READ IT UNTIL 8th JAN 2023!)

A big caveat of this theory is that I have basically no solid evidence for this apart from a few faint dots vaguely connected through a strange fog. But I am nothing if not someone who will scrounge around in the dirt for answers. So let’s get some filth under our fingernails.

(I promise it will maybe make sense. Eventually)

I. EPISTOLARY SEMANTICS

Much of this theory centres around the note Jude steals for Dain from Hollow Hall in The Cruel Prince. It reads:

“I know the provenance of the blusher mushroom that you ask after, but what you do with it must not be tied to me. After this, I consider my debt paid. Let my name be stricken from your lips.” (TCP, p.115)

There are so many layers to this note, but I’ll start on the surface level before digging deeper.

When Jude gives the note to Dain, he reads it, then says, “So he’s blackmailing Queen Orlagh” (TCP, p.123). During a first read, one would think Dain is implying that Balekin is blackmailing Orlagh, since Jude stole the note from Balekin’s study, and that Orlagh is the one who wrote the letter to the eldest Greenbriar child.

And no one questions it, because Jude even makes this supposition herself.

But my question is this: Why would Balekin be blackmailing Orlagh? We learn in The Wicked King that they are very much allies, and as far as I’m aware, blackmailing isn’t something you typically do to your allies.

My other question is: Why do we assume that Orlagh is the one that wrote the letter? Because Dain said so? We know him to be unreliable at best, manipulator at worst.

During a second read, one might realise that Dain is in fact being tricky here. He knows exactly who and what this note is referring to. But he’s deliberately trying to lead the Court of Shadows to the wrong conclusion, because the right one would reveal his guilt, as shown in the latter part of The Cruel Prince when Jude figures out Dain poisoned Liriope with blusher mushroom.

The way Dain is able to lead us off track without lying is through implication alone. This is why he’s not specific about who is blackmailing Orlagh. He just says someone is (a likely statement, considering Orlagh’s title) and that someone might be a man (plausible enough).

Thus, the sentence “He’s blackmailing Orlagh” can still be a perceived truth, and we are only ascribing it to the note because it is the closest context.

But we find out later that Dain’s statement has nothing to do with the note, since the note is about Liriope’s poisoning.

After having read TCP [redacted] times, one might begin to think: Is Orlagh even the sender of this correspondence? And if not, who is? And what does the note mean if we’re giving it a different context/sender?

For this, we have to peruse the parts of the sentences written in the note.

A. “Provenance”

For me, this phrase has always seemed a bit strange when referring to blusher mushrooms.

The word “provenance”, as most people recognise it, is used to describe the place from which a particular thing or subset of things comes from (i.e. the provenance of “Champagne” is Champagne, France, and the provenance of “Iranian rugs” is Iran, etc.).

So when we put it in the context of blusher mushrooms, as the note does, it seems to be saying there is a particular place where one can find blusher mushrooms, and the recipient is trying to acquire them for one reason or another.

But Jude, when first dabbling in mithridatism, describes picking blusher mushroom in the palace gardens (p.148-150, TCP). So if Balekin was planning on acquiring the poison, he needn’t look farther than the palace itself.

Which says, to me, that acquiring blusher mushroom for his own purposes wasn’t the subject of Balekin’s original inquiry, since it is common enough for a seventeen-year-old girl to find on her walk to school.

Additionally, the sender says “the provenance of the blusher mushroom”, when “the provenance of blusher mushroom” would be more grammatically correct if the sender was indeed informing Balekin about where he could get the poison.

Implying that they are referring to a single specific blusher mushroom. Perhaps, the very one which poisoned Liriope.

Which means, “provenance”, as it is used in the note, could be referring to the less common definition: “record of ownership”.

My guess is, Balekin asked the sender of the note if they knew who killed Liriope with blusher mushroom. The sender, wanting to remain cryptic in case the message was intercepted, phrased their confirmation so only the person who knew the full context of the message would be able to understand it.

Leading me to believe the sender may be saying, “I know who owned/used the blusher mushroom that you’re asking about”.

B. “It”

Here’s another tricky thing about English grammar: sometimes the subject that “it” refers to can be a group of things.

We might assume right off the bat that “What you do with it” means “What you do with the blusher mushroom”. But, given the previous specification, our sender might actually just mean “What you do with this information must not be tied back to me.”

Essentially, “Don’t tell anyone I told you this but I know who Liriope’s murderer is.”

C. “Let my name be stricken from your lips.”

To me, this last sentence of the note wreaks of faerie bargain.

The sender mentioned they had a debt to pay Balekin, and after divulging who poisoned Liriope, they would consider that debt paid.

But why not just leave the message at that? They already basically said, “Don’t tell anyone I told you this”, so this sentence seems redundant if not included for an ulterior purpose.

It could be a dramatic sign off. More likely, though, it’s a final clause of some bargain made previous to this message. Such as, “You owe me. Tell me who poisoned Liriope and I’ll never speak your name again.”

Either way, it sounds like the sender does not want to be tied to Balekin in any way (understandable tbh).

***This line is important for later, so remember this.***

~~~

So, after these specifications have been made, the note reads:

“I know who owned/used the blusher mushroom to poison Liriope, but what you do with this information must not be traced back to me. After this, I consider my debt paid. As per our bargain, you’re not to speak of me again.”

II. THE SENDER OF THE LETTER

There are many people who could’ve sent this letter. So let’s narrow it down.

Since the letter is in Balekin’s study, we could surmise that it is something Balekin has written and plans on sending. But Jude describes it as being written in “an elegant, feminine hand” (TCP, p.115).

Which doesn’t necessarily rule Balekin out as the sender, but I’m thinking it is much more likely he is the recipient, and that the sender is a woman.

The sender also knows who killed Liriope, so they probably know why Liriope was poisoned, as well. Meaning, they would have had to have ties to her—whether in proximity or in intimacy.

Oriana mentions in TCP that she and Liriope were close friends. She also tells Jude that she knew about Liriope and Dain’s affair.

However, in this same conversation, Jude asks Oriana if she knew Dain was the one who poisoned Liriope, and this is her response:

“Oriana shakes her head. ‘Not for a long time. It could have been another of Eldred’s lovers. Or Balekin—there were rumours he was the one responsible. I even wondered if it could have been Eldred, if he had poisoned her for dallying with his son. But then Madoc discovered Dain had obtained the blusher mushroom. He insisted I never let Oak be anywhere near the prince.’ ”(TCP, pp. 294-295)

Since faeries cannot lie, the truth must be that Oriana is not the one that knew who poisoned Liriope.

And since the letter is left unsigned, Dain attributes its origins to the Queen of the Undersea.

Here’s why I don’t think Orlagh sent this message:

Orlagh is seen in cahoots with Balekin plenty throughout the series. Yet, the sender of this message implies they want nothing to do with the eldest prince, and furthermore explicitly tells Balekin to never speak their name again. If Orlagh were the sender of this note, we would not have much of the scenes which take place in the Undersea during Jude’s kidnapping in The Wicked King.

Orlagh is the Queen of the Undersea. Why would she know or care about the details of a murder of one of the High King of Elfhame’s lovers?

Orlagh also has no ties to Liriope, or Dain for that matter, so why would Balekin go to Orlagh for information regarding Liriope’s murder?

But do you know who does have ties to Liriope, who might also have reason not to want Balekin to speak their name ever again?

Lady Asha.

So how exactly does Lady Asha have ties to Liriope?

It is common knowledge that they were both lovers of the High King. Asha could’ve known of Liriope’s affair with Dain because of their proximity at court. She was also known for being a lover of gossip and secrets. It’s not too surprising that she might know of Liriope’s secret.

But how does Lady Asha know that Dain specifically poisoned Liriope? And why might she want to sever her ties with Balekin?

Let me back track for a moment.

III. EMERALDS FOR HEIRS?

In the prologue of The Queen of Nothing, Lady Asha receives a heavy necklace of emeralds for her “contribution to the Greenbriar line”.

In The Cruel Prince, when Jude is dressing in Liriope’s clothes for the party at Locke’s estate, Locke offers her his mother’s jewels, specifically a heavy necklace made of emeralds (TCP, p. 168).

At first, when I noticed this connection, I thought emeralds must be Eldred’s standard gift given to any mother who births a Greenbriar heir.

But if you recall, Locke wasn’t born to Eldred, and Liriope would have had to receive the necklace while she was still alive, meaning Oak had not yet been born.

It is significant that both of these women have necklaces of emeralds, for the meaning of emeralds—amongst loyalty, love, and strength—is truth.

“A revealer of truths, emerald reputedly could cut through all illusions and spells, including the truth or falsity of a lover’s oath.” (International Gem Society)

Indeed, it’s curious that the only other person known to possess a string of emeralds similar to the one Lady Asha receives in QON, is Liriope.

Liriope, who, to common knowledge, never had a royal child with the High King. Liriope, who, through the events of TCP, we know to have been having an affair with Dain while still in the High King’s favour.

Liriope, who, like Lady Asha, met an unfortunate fate.

If emeralds represent the falsity of a lover’s oath, and Liriope possessed such a necklace before her passing, it could be that the emeralds Asha received were less a gift as much as they were a warning.

One that Asha was either too arrogant or too oblivious to figure out when she first received them, but that she might've pieces together after Liriope's death.

IV. PUNISHMENT BY PROXY

In the prologue of Queen of Nothing, the narrator informs us that Cardan’s punishment for “killing” a mortal man was that his mother was locked in the Tower of Forgetting.

It’s unsurprising that a mother should shoulder the blame for the crimes of her royal son, but this seems like a steep price to pay for the death of someone only tangentially related to the High King’s concerns.

It wasn’t even a lover of Eldred’s own who was killed. It was the lover of his lover/seneschal.

Incarcerating Asha because her son allegedly killed the lover of the High King’s lover feels like an overreaction. Why not simply cast Asha from the court? Or send her to the mortal lands?

Unless…

The High King suspected (or knew) that Lady Asha had committed some other serious offense against him, but had no sufficient evidence to lock her away. Or perhaps he did not want to risk the humiliation that would ensue if everyone at court found out that Lady Asha had been dallying with his son at the same time as she was his own lover.

And, to give her what he thought she deserved without inciting speculation from the court, used the excuse of Cardan killing the mortal to finally serve justice.

Furthermore, we know Cardan and his mother were not close. We know Asha did not raise Cardan as normal mothers do. Why is sending Cardan’s mother to prison a punishment to him?

Other than a small blot on his reputation (upon which, there are many, much larger blots), Asha’s punishment by proxy largely shouldn’t effect Cardan.

It seems as if Cardan’s true punishment was being virtually disowned by his father, and banished from living in the Palace of Elfhame.

Meaning, Asha’s punishment wasn’t really Cardan’s, but her own.

V. THE DEBT

In the letter Jude stole from Balekin’s desk, a “debt”, which has been paid through the information provided, is mentioned. If Asha sent this letter, what debt could she possibly owe Balekin?

Well, for starters, he did raise her son when no one else would.

Though, it’s unclear to me when in the timeline Asha wrote the letter and when she was imprisoned, if this is the aforementioned debt, Asha would’ve had to have written the letter after she’d been sent to the Tower of Forgetting. Because her being sent to the Tower was the catalyst for Balekin raising Cardan.

This debt also begs the question: Why would Balekin offer to raise Cardan?

Surely having Lady Asha, an incarcerated ex-lover of the High King, in his debt isn’t so valuable as the immense responsibility of raising a child he has no obligation to.

Which points to a motive that indicates perhaps Balekin does have an obligation to this child.

When Madoc kills Eva and Justin in the prologue of TCP, he takes Jude and Taryn in, claiming it as his “duty” after he rendered them parentless. We know the fae value their honour, and so even someone as opprobrius as Balekin might be subject to upholding duty in the face of a faerie child’s mother being sent to prison.

But as we know, he did not cause Lady Asha’s detainment (Dain did). So where is this sudden sense of duty coming from? None of the other Greenbriar siblings seemed to have the same moral inclination.

Balekin taking Cardan in could be purely out of selfish motives. Such as, being able to shape Cardan to his will, which he might then use in a potential coup.

But it could be that, through everything, Balekin has an inkling of an idea that Cardan might not be his brother, but his son.

There is another debt which is possible in relation to the letter if it was sent prior to Lady Asha’s imprisonment. But for this, we must consider why Lady Asha would want her name to be stricken from Balekin’s lips in the first place.

The most obvious answer to this which I could think of is that Lady Asha knows she has committed treason by sleeping with Balekin, the High King’s son, and claiming their child as one of the High King’s own, staking her place at court as higher than is deserved, while also playing the High King for a fool.

So the debt could simply be that Lady Asha, seeing what happened to Liriope and knowing what happens to lovers of the High King after being found adulterous, wanted Balekin to never be able to speak of their affair ever again.

Balekin, not being of the sort to do things for other people without a price, might have said that he’d agree to this if she offered him information that he wanted. After she gave it to him, their bargain would be complete, and Balekin would henceforth never be able to speak Lady Asha’s name.

Regardless of which debt is the truth, indeed, I do believe we do not hear Balekin utter Asha’s name once throughout the course of the series. Despite the fact that it is almost certain they knew each other before.

VI. PRIOR ENTANGLEMENT

How do we know that Asha and Balekin knew each other well enough to be sending letters like this back and forth to each other, if we are not yet certain that they had an affair?

In the prologue of TCP, Madoc states that he didn’t believe it when Balekin told him his wife and child were not dead, but living in the mortal world. This indicates that Balekin had knowledge of how Eva faked her death.

Now, we could owe this to the presence of spies at court. It’s likely that Balekin has his own hoard of spies, as do most of the prominent figures in Eflhame.

Or we could consider that perhaps Lady Asha, who is the other person confirmed to have known that Eva faked her death (TWK, p.129), was Balekin’s informant on this matter.

After receiving this information, he was then able to pass it on to Madoc in order to gain his trust (with the ulterior motive that Madoc might trust him enough to help him with his coup).

But then, we must also consider why Lady Asha would tell the eldest prince of her friend’s plan in the first place.

One thought I had was that perhaps Balekin, having a slew of mortal servants under his roof, was the person who offered Eva the unidentifiable mortals left in Madoc’s house as “proof” of their death.

He’d have to have motive to do this, however. Which indicates he either had some sort of attachment to Asha, who was trying to help her friend escape Faerie, or Balekin valued the knowledge of their plan enough to help them carry it out.

Another less complicated motive for Lady Asha telling Balekin of Eva’s escape would be that Asha and Balekin had a history of being in cahoots with one another, which would point to a connection deeper than a passing acquaintanceship due to proximity at court.

VII. AN UNCANNY LIKENESS

It is a truth in The Folk of the Air series that children look very much like their biological parents.

Oak, biological son of Dain, looks an awful lot like Dain:

Oak is described as having deer legs, little horns on his head, and brown hair with streaks of gold.

Dain, in turn, is described as having deer legs, little horns, and golden curls.

This striking resemblance is what initially got me thinking on Cardan’s parentage. And it is further backed by the many other child-parent resemblances in the series:

Vivi is described as having inherited her father’s golden cat eyes and fur-tipped ears.

Locke has obviously inherited his mother’s “sunrise hair”.

And it could be argued that Oak inherited Liriope’s “starlit eyes”, as his are an amber-gold colour that might resemble an old star.

Lady Asha even states that Jude resembles both Eva and Justin greatly (TCP, p.129).

And in kind, Jude thinks that Lady Asha and Cardan look very alike, though she does not admit to this out loud.

These likenesses do not necessarily indicate anything other than a pattern, which could be total coincidence. But it does mean that we could reasonably conclude that faeries, as with humans, often take on characteristics of their parents.

Balekin is described as having black hair, pale skin, and silver eyes.

Cardan’s description in the series is quite similar:

He is said to have black curls, pale skin, and metallic-rimmed black irises.

When we compare that to Eldred’s description—golden hair and bronze owl-like eyes—it doesn’t seem like Cardan inherited many traits from the High King at all.

Now, this could be because Lady Asha’s characteristics were more dominant in Cardan’s inherited genes.

She is described as being pale, with raven hair, and black eyes. She also clearly passed her tail on to her son.

But the similarities between Cardan and Balekin go beyond the obvious. When Jude is hiding under a chair in Balekin’s study, she notices the following:

“In two strides, Balekin is in front of his brother. They look so alike standing close. Same inky hair, matching sneers, devouring eyes.” (TCP, p.119)

Indeed, this resemblance is echoed across the series. In The Wicked King, when Jude goes to visit Balekin in the Tower of Forgetting, she states:

“As I ascend, I glance back at Balekin’s face, severe in the green torchlight. He resembles Cardan too much for my comfort.” (TWK, p. 26)

And again, in the Undersea, when Balekin comes to interrogate her, Jude thinks:

“They have the same black hair. The same cheekbones.” (TWK, p. 240)

There is also the matter of Cardan’s name, which bears resemblance to Balekin’s physicality.

Balekin is described as having thorns on his forearms. Cardan is a name which is derived from Cardon, which means thistle. Thistles are a prickly flower that grow from stems of thorns.

We know Holly Black is very intentional with her descriptions and words. My question is, why would she go out of her way to draw these physical comparisons, to echo the sentiment that the two are strikingly similar, if Cardan and Balekin were merely brothers?

She could have said that Cardan, being raised in Balekin's household for much of his formative years, was moulded to adopt his brother's mannerisms and propensity for cruelty. She could have said the way that they talk, walk, carry themselves, etc. were extremely reminiscent of one another, and we as readers would've gotten the point: that Jude thinks Cardan and Balekin are alike in many ways.

But this isn't what Holly Black does. Which leads me to believe there is something else to the constant parallels she chooses to include.

VIII. IN CONCLUSION

I’m aware this entire post reads like a conspiracy theory. So to those of you who stuck it out this far, congratulations and welcome to the circus.

I’ll be the first to admit that it is a big reach to say that this is fact rather than the speculation that it is. There are a lot of holes, which I can only hope might be filled in the coming duology.

That being said, this theory brings many questions to light.

How would Balekin know of Eva’s escape without having a more intimate relationship with her friend than previously thought?

Why would Lady Asha want her name stricken from Balekin’s lips so desperately as to make a bargain with him?

How could Lady Asha possibly be indebted to Balekin?

Why would Liriope and Asha be the only two characters with heavy necklaces of emeralds on their person if it didn’t mean they shared a similar history with the High King?

Why would Holly Black continuously compare Balekin and Cardan, indirectly pointing out that neither look much like their father or other siblings, but look undeniably like each other, if not to draw a deeper connection between the two?

And finally, and perhaps most importantly, if Lady Asha’s dalliance with Eldred was so brief—as is confirmed by Oriana in chapter 12 of QON— how did she come to be pregnant by him? We know faerie menstrual cycles don’t happen as often as mortals’.

Is this as simple as good luck, or does it speak to an affair no one knew was happening?

–Em 🖤🗡

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deathsweetblossoms · 5 months

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Am I just an absolute fool, an absolute sap? Has my bleeding heart turned me into an eternal clown again???? Have I read too much fanfic?? Or does it actually feel like such a slap in the face that there is (potential) animosity between Oak and Cardan Greenbriar?

#I’ve read the theories and I do not like them #like I just wanted a cute relationship between them #and now I am scared about potential Jurdan shenanigans #on top of whatever craziness is going on between oak and Cardan #like 😱#jurdan #tfota #cardan greenbriar #oak greenbriar #the prisoners throne #the stolen heir

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daddycardan · 1 year

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Justin Duarte’s bargain with Grimsen

Lowkey we never get an explanation for this, but can we talk about it for a sec?

When Jude meets with Grimsen, he tells her the following:

So Grimsen doesn’t confirm or deny whether Justin actually made the bargain, but we can assume that he did. Because why would Holly Black even bring it up if Justin just declined it? It wouldn’t contribute to the story. So let’s say he accepted.

We can also assume that this wasn’t a straight forward bargain, like most faerie bargains, it must have been vaguely worded and obscure. Poor Justin probably didn’t know what he was gonna lose. And in the end, he lost his wife, then died himself, and his daughters got snatched away.

On the other hand, there’s also an argument for Justin not having accepted the bargain, because while he was an excellent blacksmith, his blades don’t seem to be renowned for being the best in the world. Nightfell is a good sword, but they never emphasise that it’s the best blade ever. So that might indicate that Justin didn’t receive Grimsen’s boon, after all.

#tfota #tfota theory #jude duarte #justin duarte #grimsen #eva duarte #holly black #tfota fandom discussion #the cruel prince #cruel prince #tcp #twk #the wicked king #wicked king #qon #the queen of nothing #queen of nothing #the folk of the air

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beloved-daydreams · 8 months

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A little theory for The Stolen Heir: Oak has been rigging the fox game from the very beginning?

Before anything else, we NEED to talk about this scene. Wren feels the need to play a game to coerce Oak into answering one of her questions but Oak just goes "fuck it" and intentionally makes her win. He wants them to trust eachother so badly and seeing how that question, whatever it is, is probably eating at her, he has no patience for this stupid game and most of all he wants Wren to talk to him. To know why she distrusts him so much.

(Which, well, in the end she ended up being SORT OF right but I think ultimately Oak's reasoning for withholding the information he had was understandable as well. Like, I can't blame either of them honestly.)

Now going further, this might just be me being completely delulu, but I feel like maybe Oak has been rigging this game from the very beginning. Yes, ever since they were children. Of course that might seem to be too much but Oak is an excellent trickster and it wouldn't surprise me if he has had a natural aptitude for trickery since childhood and has been using that talent to win inconsequential games.

Going back to chapter 3, the first time they meet and play that fox figurines throwing game, I always felt like something was a bit odd about it. As if the game is progressing according to what Oak wants. Wren offers they tell eachother a secret? Wren loses first -> tells Oak she grew up in the human world -> Oak trusts her a bit more because of their shared experience and decides he wants to open himself up a bit as well -> loses and tells her about how he glamoured Jude when he was younger. Then Wren offers something else. If she loses, she has to do anything he wants but if he loses, he has to free her. Now obviously, he wants to free her so they can go play his other games in his room but as a child, it's only natural that he wants to make her do something he wants first. So he wins first, makes her sing, then loses to free her.

Maybe I'm pulling at strings here but I don't think it would be too crazy to consider that he might have some way or another of rigging this game. Notice how in this scene (in the present) his fox falls to the side so he has zero points, I think he just really wanted to hear her question and was planning on losing from the get-go since he sees how Wren believes that she needs to "win" something to have the right to ask something from him.

But in any case, he still ends up giving her a free question after that if she promises to dance with him again WHICH THEY HAVEN'T DONE YET. We better get that promised dancing scene in The Prisoner's Throne.

Plus, to add more onto the reason why the Fox game might've been rigged since the beginning: I feel like it would really fit the theme of their relationship? Like, Oak IS manipulative and he does trick Wren but he isn't doing it with especially malicious intent. Which would be the same dynamic they've had since the beginning if my theory is correct. He used that game to not only have fun with another child he considers to be "similar" to him, (because they're both royals who have spent a good chunk of their childhood in the human world) but also because he wants to get to know her better.

Let me know if you think I'm completely delusional, pls interact with me thank u 🫶🫶💕

#the stolen heir #the folk of the air #tfota #the prisoner's throne #wren #suren #oak greenbriar #analysis #theory

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viivdle · 4 months

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nothing else, just this

#jude and cardan are my spouses #marry me pls #i love them #that one theory won't leave my mind so i'm spiraling into insanity #nothing else just this #cardan greenbriar #jurdan #tfota #jude duarte #the cruel prince

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beezpajamas · 1 year

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Control vs. Letting Go in TFOTA

It is getting a little late but I finally have somewhat been able to articulate my thoughts on how Cardan ties into the anxiety Jude faces for most of the series.

Reminder that these are my opinions and how I interpreted the book and these characters. If you have anything to add or disagree with, do so respectfully

Control

Anxiety can stem from the feeling of being out of control, particularly about the future or things that haven’t happened yet. Given the circumstances of Jude’s life, it’s no surprise she has a lot of anxiety. She lives in a land of people who despise her and actively belittle, humiliate or flat out hurt her. Even though she was raised by the gentry, she would always be seen as less.

When she begins to fight back, she gets some control over her life but also loses some. Her life before had been... predictable doesn’t seem to be the right word, but she knew what to expect. She doesn’t exactly know what to expect now that she has made herself a bigger target.

I believe Cardan ties into this in two ways. The first being becoming High King. The second being Jude’s romantic feelings for him.

When Cardan becomes High King, Jude has him under her control. She has more power than she ever thought she would, and it soothes her. I’ve personally found that when your anxiety gets bad, you grasp onto anything that gives you that control back. It helps keep you grounded. Anyway, Jude would have done anything to keep her control on him and she did. She killed and lied and kept secrets. She schemed and fought tooth and nail for her position, and she did this by herself. Which brings me to my next point.

Jude felt she couldn’t trust anyone for a lot of the books. She couldn’t trust Taryn who kept betraying her. Vivi was always off in the mortal world, and Jude didn’t really have any friends. You know who she did have? Cardan. Though she tried her best to hate him, he was a constant in her life. Jude couldn’t rely on a lot, but she could rely on how Cardan felt about her. When he was angry with her or snarky, it was familiar. In a way, it kept her grounded. So much was changing or moving without her but at least she could keep track of how she thought Cardan felt about her. More importantly, how she thought she felt about him.

She relied on his hatred, but she also relied on her own hatred. As I’ve said before, so many things were changing that she couldn’t predict. The one thing she could always predict was the little dance her and Cardan did around each other. But feelings are often out of our control, and Jude has to learn this. The more she feels for Cardan, the more she shoves it down because if she can’t rely on her own hatred, what can she rely on? If their relationship changes, how can she know what to predict? It was completely unknown territory.

Letting Go

For the majority of The Queen of Nothing, we see Jude give into her feelings more. She does not have the same guard up that she did in The Wicked King. She confesses to Cardan that the exile hurt her and they also sleep together. But I believe she is still holding onto her power for comfort.

The tipping point of this is when Cardan is turned into a serpent. This time, Jude is offered more power than she has ever had. She could be a feared queen with a serpent by her side and Madoc and Lord Jarel tied to her bidding. A mortal turned into the most terrifying faerie high queen. She could have all the control she wants, and she would never have to feel fear again.

But as I’ve said, Cardan has been a constant in her life. He is always there, ready with a quip or an eye roll or staring at her intensely. Jude thinks of what he would do if their roles were reversed. She sleeps in his bed. Those few days without him and she comes to the conclusion she does not want to do it without him. She wants him by her side.

Because she loves him and wants him to be free, this is where she lets go of her control.

“But I don’t want to win like this. Perhaps I will never live without fear, perhaps power will slip from my grasp, perhaps the pain of losing him will hurt more than I can bear.

And yet, if I love him, there’s only one choice.” (p. 278, The Queen of Nothing)

She makes the conscious choice to chop off his head fully knowing she could end up worse for it or right back where she started but she makes that choice because she cannot bear Cardan being stuck as a serpent. She loves him, and that alone helped her to make the choice between always having control and being fearful of losing it or doing things in the moment and dealing with the consequences after. Sometimes all you need is a big jump to realize you do not need to anticipate everything that’s going to happen. And she did not know what was going to happen when she cut his head off.

So yes, Cardan has always been tied into Jude’s anxiety. He gave her power, and his supposed hatred or their quarreling was a constant in her life when everything was becoming increasingly unpredictable. It wasn’t until she lobbed his serpent head off that she finally let herself be free from the unpredictability of the future.

#Ive had this on my mind for #probably forever #jude duarte #cardan greenbriar #tfota #tcp #tqon #tfota theory #jurdan #holly black

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arcexenia · 1 year

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Why is Oak in charge of this mission and what does Holly Black mean when she says that he hides secrets?

theories

♡ Oak wants the favor of kings and proves that he is worthy of being king, since he is almost 18, the age at which Jude wanted to crown him, but let's remember that Oak did not want to be king unless he changed his position in these years.

♡ The kings (Cardan and Jude) asked Oak to fulfill this mission because of his closeness to Suren.

♡ The one I like the least is the one that says that Oak has other intentions with this trip, betraying his family, although I don't think it's likely.

♡ and the last one that I like the most is that Oak makes this trip to help her sister Jude, since she is pregnant and cannot cope with commitments that put her health at risk.

Of course, none of this is real, much less confirmed, they are just theories based on what little is known about the plot. We can only wait for the book to be published, but in the meantime it's fun to build theories.

#Jude #cardan greenbriar #jude duarte #the stolen heir #oak #tfota #the folk of the air #holly black #suren #oak greenbriar #theories

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isabella1798 · 3 months

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things I wanna see in the prisoners throne/a future TFOTA book :

Taryn’s child - We know she had a son called Leander and going by the timeline he should be about 7 or 8 years old so I want to know what sort of character he is and if he’s going to be like a mini Locke (hopefully a nicer version 💀)

Eva and Justin backstory - I want to know the love story between Eva and Justin and the bargain that Justin made with grimsen (I don’t see enough people talk about this like what did he want and was it to do with Jude and Taryn??)

Eva and Asha backstory - I feel like the tfota fandom seem to ignore the fact that Cardan’s mother and Jude’s mother were best friends 😭 I want to know about what they got up to because they were said to be besties always together causing trouble (sounds a lot like their children)

The bomb and the roach - I want to know the details of their “relationship” and if they ever properly got together and how they’re doing in the court of shadows 🥹

Flashbacks of Oaks childhood - we NEED to know what he got up to in his teenage years to turn up the way he is cause I just know that he needs therapy 😭😭

Badass Wren - I loved her in the stolen heir and I can’t wait for her to put everyone in their place she deserves her revenge for everything that happened to her (although if she touches Jude and Cardan I will sue)

Tiernan and Hyacinthe - I want these two to have a happy ending and forgive each other 😭 the tension between the two of them drove me insane

A big fight scene with our queen jude - I just NEED a duel scene with jude… the last time we got that was the queen of nothing with grima mog and any scene with jude in a duel is *iconic*

Grima Mog - I want to know what happened to her and if she’s remained grand general ? if she has I want to see her and Jude’s relationship because the first time they met they tried to kill each other but at the end of qon they become each others biggest supporters

Nicasia and the undersea - even though nicasia is horrible she is still a very interesting and iconic character + we know there’s a war beneath the waves and her and her mother have become weak so I want to know whats going on there and if she’ll ask for help from Jude and Cardan

The royal council - if we go back to elfhame I want to see these guys and how they co-operate with Jude and Cardan as their leaders 😭

Madoc, Oriana, Vivi, Taryn, Jude, Oak reunion - we started the trilogy with this family and I think it should end with this family reunion because the last time we saw them Vivi, Taryn and Jude cut contact with Madoc and possibly Oriana (what we know) but Oak still stayed close with them? What’s the relationship like with the Duarte sisters and have Jude and Taryn resolved their differences?

Madoc and Jude - I want to see more of this father daughter relationship especially after madoc’s exile and find out if he still wishes to kill her or take the throne from her

Heather - is heather still dating Vivi and does she know about elfhame again?

AND OF COURSE MARRIED JUDE AND CARDAN - what have these two been up to since we last saw them? how is married life between the two of them? how is their relationship going? Are they affectionate with each other in public? How protective are they of each other and the big question… is Jude pregnant? The theories circulating around her being pregnant have been driving me insane because there are so many pointers to her being pregnant and if she is with child, then she should be early within in her pregnancy because oak would have noticed her stomach…

Anyway that’s it 💅

#jude duarte #cardan greenbriar #oak greenbriar #madoc #taryn duarte #vivi duarte #queen suren #the cruel prince #the wicked king #the queen of nothing #the stolen heir #the prisoners throne #the folk of the air #jurdan #nicasia

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ezziefae · 7 months

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Things I'm excited to see in The Prisoner's Throne (March 2024)

I still can’t believe we have to wait till march 2024 for prisoner throne, y’all don’t understand the amount of excitement I have about going back to the world of Elfhame and seeing my favorite beloved characters. Here’s a list of some things I’m really looking forward to see or find out.

Taryn’s Child

Like we’re finally going to meet Taryn’s Child (who I’m assuming is a boy), I wonder if Holly Black has any plans of making them a big part of this book or if she has any plans of writing a separate book with the focus on Taryn’s kid.

Oak’s POV

Holly Black confirmed that we will see Oak's perspective of Elfhame, which wasn't discussed in TSH due to Wren's POV. From my understanding, there’s a lot of problems in Elfhame that we still don’t know about. All of the unknown will finally be revealed in Prisoners Throne, and that’s sooooo exciting!

Jude and Cardan

Its obviously very clear that everyone who is a fan of TFOTA series is very excited to see how the King and Queen of Elfhame are doing!!

I am very excited to learn more about Jude and Cardan. They have been together for around 9 years since the time of The Queen Of Nothing. I am eager to see what challenges they have faced during this time and how their relationship has progressed. We will not be reading about their teenage years, but rather their adult years. I am looking forward to seeing how Holly has portrayed their growth and transformation !!!! LIKE HELLO, MATURE CARDAN AND JUDE?? I just know both are going to give DILF and MILF energy, Jurdan fans will not survive. I will not survive.

Taryn and The Ghost?

It's possible that this book will give us insight into whether Taryn and the Ghost are romantically involved. In TQON, there were some hints that The Ghost had feelings for Taryn. It's worth remembering that Taryn saved The Ghost and they were both victims of Locke's abuse.

Some people don't think the Ghost and Taryn should be together because they find it strange. They have two main reasons for this. One is that the Ghost is about 100 years older than Taryn. The other reason is that some people don't think Taryn is good enough for the Ghost. (People don't like Taryn. Do I blame them? of course not)

Any opinions of this? I have a feeling that the ghost might of become overprotective of Taryn and owes her debt for saving his life. Could they be romantically involved? Maybe, we’ll have to wait and see!

Wren’s Family

In some way Wren will finally reunite with her human family. How?…i have no idea with the nature than the stolen heir ended in. But i’m excited to see how that goes, Wren deserves her happiness. It will probably be emotional, i’ll probably cry.

Jude, Cardan and the idea of having children?

OKAY!! I made a seperate post about this months ago (if you haven’t read it, please do!! click here)

Opinions on whether Jude and Cardan should become parents are divided among fans. Personally, I wouldn't be opposed to the idea. It's important to remember that Jude and Cardan are now adults and have grown since the last time we saw them.

Holly Black has already confirmed that Jude and Cardan are aware of the idea of having children. “they are all aware of it, it will be talked about more in Prisoners Throne”

Flowers blooming in Mab’s grave have fans speculating and making theories that Jude could be possibly pregnant.

According to Holly, it would be complicated for many people if Jude and Cardan had children. This is because if they did, Oak would be removed from the throne line. However, if Oak were to become the King of Elfhame, any children that Jude and Cardan have would also be cut from the line.

I still don't see why Jude and Cardan having kids would be complicated, I think it would make perfect sense. Oak wouldn't have to rule, and Jude and Cardan could keep their Power.

We’ll see where Holly goes with this in Prisoner's Throne.

Oak becoming King of Elfhame?

Okay soooo, Oak has already stated that he does not want to be King of Elfhame, we’ve known this since the beginning of TFOTA.

If Oak were to become king, Jude and Cardan would be forced to relinquish their throne and all of their power. Personally, I would prefer that Jude and Cardan maintain their position. The people adore Cardan and are terrified of Jude, which has been their longstanding desire. I don't want them to lose it all just so that Oak can take the throne.

There’s been theories that Oak will become the King of the Court of Teeth along side Wren. But that’s the part that confuses me, Wren never wanted to become queen, neither does Oak. So i’m wondering how that’s gonna work.

Oak and his sisters

I’m excited to see them all together again. Vivi, Taryn, Jude, and Oak. Holly did say something about how the the siblings dynamic will be important in Prisoner’s Throne. UGH I MISS THEM.

Madoc, The Traitor of Elfhame

With the ending events of TSH, i’m curious to see what’s gonna happen to Madoc. I soooo doubt Jude will forgive him. Madoc is known to be a traitor, If Madoc's exile is lifted back by Jude and Cardan, it may not be well-received by the folk. It will not look good for Jude and Cardan. Will Madoc betray them again? will he fight against Jude? or will he reedeem himself?

Tiernan and Hyacinth.

Soooo this is very ANGSTY. Tiernan and Hyacinthe were in a relationship, but things fell apart when Madoc betrayed Elfhame. Tiernan remained loyal to Elfhame, while Hyacinthe joined Madoc, turning them from lovers to enemies.

To make matters worse, Hyacinthe later became loyal to Wren, who is a new enemy to Elfhame. (Things do not look good for Hyacinthe). This turn of events is quite tragic, and it leaves us wondering how they will resolve their conflicts. So it’s TRAGIC, and i wonder how they’re going to resolve it all. Like where the hell do they go from there??? HOLLLYY TELL USSSS

The Undersea

It was repeated throughout the entirety of the book that the undersea is in chaos. Queen Orlagh is not doing well, and Nicasia is too weak. Will they be dethroned? Will Jude and Cardan be involved? (I'm guessing they will)

Jude’s Political Problem

I made a seperate post about this, click here to see.

. Holly has confirmed in a livestream that Jude will have a political problem by the End of Prisoners Throne. She didn’t say Jude AND Cardan…no, she said only Jude's name. So….MISS HOLLLY BLACK WHY ARE U TORTURING US. i'm dying to know what the problem will be.

(Id also like to point out that I think holly might’ve accidentally spoiled the fact that Jude and Cardan will still be king and queen of Elfhame by the end of prisoners throne)

Wren’s Magical Powers

Wren is a scary woman now, and she’s POWERFUL. Is she more powerful than Jude and Cardan? maybe? i hope not, but maybe. She was able to “kill” her abusive mother by speaking it into EXISTENCE. WTF. Have mercy Wren!

How Elfhame will approach Wren

Our girl Wren has made Elfhame her enemy by making the ONLY heir to Elfhame her prisoner. It’s obvious Jude will be furious, not just with Wren but with Oak. For going against her and Cardan’s orders of saving Madoc. Will Elfhame go to war? will Jude be angry at herself for freeing Wren in TQON?

Lady Asha

So, I'm assuming she still lives in the palace along side Jude and Cardan. Although I wouldn't be surprised if Jude kicked her out and sent her away. This lady is a B*tch. I'm curious to know what Lady Asha has been up to or rather what she's been scheming.

WHY DID JUDE KICK WREN OUT OF THE PALACE OF ELFHAME??

(Note: Jude is so petty for this, although I believe there is more to this than we might currently know, maybe Jude didnt do it, maybe it was Oriana or Lady Asha)

It was revealed that Jude ordered her guards to remove Wren from the palace. but WHY?? Why didn’t Oak intervene? Why did jude do it?

In TQON, Jude suggested to Oak that if he decided to wed Suren, then she could reside in the palace with them. This implies that Jude was comfortable with Suren living along side them in Elfhame. SOOO IM CONFUSED!!! I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS! and I want ANSWERS HOLLY BLACK !

Family Reunion: Oriana, Madoc, Oak, Taryn, Jude and Vivi.

Jude lives in the palace, while Madoc has been exiled and captured. Taryn has a kid and lives in Locke’s estates, Vivi lives in the mortal world with Heather. It's evident that they have gone their separate ways. It’s not TCP chapter 1 anymore, where they all eat dinner together and play games.

i have to be honest and say that i miss them together. and so does Oriana. In TSH she admitted to missing and wishing they were all together again. I hope to see some kind of reunion.

"I know," She [Oriana] said. "I cannot hope for one side to win neither. I used to wish that Madoc never went looking for those girls, and now all I wish is that we could be together again as we once were." (TSH, Chap 3, pg 55)

Locke’s Father

Holly has said many times that she wanted to do something about Locke’s Father (Yes, he’s still alive) I wonder if he’ll be introduced in this book.

Vivi and Wren

Wren was very hurt when Vivi stated she wanted wren away from oak in TQON. I want to see them together, maybe Vivi will apologize. Maybe they’ll become besties.

i hope they do, they just HAVE TO.

I’ll probably make a part 2. But what are you guys excited to see?

#jude duarte #cardan greenbriar #holly black #jurdan #the folk of the air #the stolen heir #oak greenbriar #the cruel prince #elfhame #the prisoners throne #IM SO EXCITED #TPT predictions

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cromulentreader · 5 months

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Theories for The Prisoner’s Throne - Part I

As we approach 100 days to go to TPT, I have some theories on what is happening in the Islands. I only read The Stolen Heir once, so I have low expectations on these.

1. The land might be crumbling - at least the islands raised by Mab.

What if the power that kept the bones from transforming also kept the Islands she created afloat/alive, as a battery of sorts?

Another aspect is that Mab obtained Land powers by bargaining and not delivering on her promise. Her powers weren’t freely given by the Land and it's not clear to me how Bogdana got the power to bestow upon Mab in the first place. I suspect the power only trickled to Mab's descendants because it was never meant for her, let alone her heirs (blood or not) and therefore meant to be reabsorbed by Nature.

(TFOTA theory: I also suspect that Lady Nore knew it was a good time to attack the Court of Shadows from Locke. I don’t think Madoc was in the kidnapping Jude diversion.)

2. Symbolism of the bud on Mab’s bones

This is probably one of the most cryptic hints in TSH. I read it as a reference to Jude’s entering the Greenbriar line through marriage. Tendrils support climbing plants allowing plants with weak stems to climb and find light without getting blown away.

A more grim interpretation would be that the one blooming bud is a foreshadowing of only 1 person remaining in the Greenbriar line. Since this will be told from Oak's perspective that means Cardan would either die, die, or somehow get fully disconnected from the Greenbriar power line. I'm not ready to be stabbed through the heart like this, so hoping this is not it.

There’s the theory that this is a reference to pregnancy. Although not impossible, it would put much weight on a pregnancy during the conflict resolution and I don’t see Holly writing it. I might be wrong, and I would even be happy to be wrong, I just don’t see it happening.

3. Jude’s getting over wanting Oak to be High King

I don't know if this is a theory or a wish list item of mine. It comes across as out of stubbornness and a bit nonsensical at this stage. As if to not admit Jude wanted to take over a throne for herself. After Jude and Cardan rose from his blood in QoN, one or both are meant to be great rulers, which means they should rule until they do so. No event in TSH points to Oak wanting this role and I'm not sure if he would be suitable. We might see some parallel with Nicasia being raised in Land. Yes, they were more likely to survive in a less hostile environment but it also means they are too unaclimitized to rule. I hope Queen Annet is taking notes.

#the prisoners throne #jude duarte #cardan greenbriar #queen suren #oak greenbriar #the stolen heir #tpt theories

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cookieswithforksandknifes · 24 days

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Blog Intro!🥀

A bit about me:

My name is dawn-rose

I’m a minor!!

I love to read and get involved in fandoms

my fav artists: The neighborhood, Arctic Monkeys, Chase Atlantic, Conan Gray, Alec Benjamin, Lana del Rey🫶

I’m a Taurus ♉️

My biggest fandoms: Shatter Me, TFOTA, TIG, Harry Potter(ik jk is bad but it was like my childhood obsession😭)

Fav movies: Pride and Prejudice, Flipped, 10 things I hate about you, Tangled, Beauty and the Beast(live action), Hunger Games series, Harry Potter series, How to train your dragon series, The notebook, twilight

Fav shows: young sheldon, big bang theory, camp cretaceous, loki, percy jackson, Anne with an E

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I’m writing a story rn but it’s not the best. It’s my first story so if anyone has any advice please tell me.

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If you have the same interest or just want to talk to someone you can just message me. I’m interested in talking to people who have the same interests as me.

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♥️🫶🧎‍♀️ - Aaron Warner Anderson, Henry Elliot Vitiello, Cardan Greenbrair, Oak Greenbrair, Ravi Singh, Draco Malfoy, Oliver Wood, Eugene Fitzherbert(and Rapunzel obvi), Mr. Darcy,Jasper Hale, Finnick Odair, Coryo snow…, Hiccup Haddock(and Astrid ofc), THE Hawthorne Brothers, SEBASTIAN SALLOW, Lorenzo Berkshire, Theodore Nott, Mattheo Riddle, tom riddle…,

sorry kinda went on a rant😔🫶

#blog intro #the inheritance games #the cruel prince #agggtm #harry potter #shatter me #aaron warner #bury a friend #books #writer?#sebastian sallow #slytherin #slytherin boys #anne with an e #percy jackson

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slightlyrebelliouswriter23 · 1 year

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Hi Em, Mary here! <3 I have been pondering over a question, and I was curious to see if you have theories on it, because I live for your theories! So, Faeries and Salt do not mix very well at all - Cardan, Locke, Nicasia and Valerian all spat it out when Jude salted their food in TCP. Tiernan explains that it dulls their magic in Stolen Heir. Yet, Nicasia is from the Undersea, and she is surrounded by very salty sea water all the time. What do you think makes the salt in the sea so different to the salt that is poured over food? How is it that Nicasia can breathe and be surrounded by it, without it dulling her magic at all or hurting her? I would be curious to see what you think! Have a wonderful day <3

ahh Mary!! it's so lovely to see you in my inbox 🥹❤️

this is a really good question and genuinely something i've never thought about before. good eye catching that Nicasia spits out the salted food, too.

my best guess (and it is very much a guess) is that perhaps it's a bit like lead to humans. if you touch lead, it's not really going to effect you much. if you ingest lead, however, it can lead to lead poisoning. presumably, in this scenario, magical creatures from the Undersea have evolved some sort of bio-mechanism that prevents salt from effecting them when breathed in.

it may also have something to do with concentration. on a tea cake or crumpet or whatever Nicasia et. al. were having for lunch that day, a handful of salt is going to be pretty evident. but diluted in water, it might not be so toxic.

additionally, the Labrador Sea, which is ostensibly where (or close to where) the Undersea is located, has "relatively low salinity" levels, according to Wikipedia.

and if none of those answers satisfy your curiosity, perhaps consider some sort of magical explanation. this is the Fae we're talking about, after all. perhaps they have some sort of magical desalination process going on that the books, being mostly set on land, could not cover.

–Em 🖤🗡

more theories and analysis

#y'all got me looking up salinity levels 😭#and tbh as a self-professed nerd i love it #i'm so glad you're enjoying my theories!! 🥹❤️#thanks for the ask!! 🖤#tfota #jurdan #holly black #the cruel prince #tcp #nicasia #jude duarte #cardan greenbriar #jurdannet #asked and answered #rowanfaerie

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deathsweetblossoms · 1 year

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Holly Black’s Tithe trilogy was about the folk of the Earth. There’s a few mentions about the Unseelie court having secrets of the earth that nobody else is privy to. The oaths Roiben has to make during his coronation scene even allude to this. (I may be mistaken but I think there’s even a direct quote using the phrase “folk of the earth”)

Obviously, Jude/Cardan’s trilogy and the Oak/Suren spinoff is about the Folk of the Air.

So what if the next series of books is, in fact, the folk of the Water? With all of the foreshadowing about the Undersea’s political problems?? I have a looooong post outlining all of the Undersea foreshadowing, and somewhere in the reblogs someone pointed out similar key clues in TFOTA…

#tfota #the folk of the air #tfota theory #the stolen heir

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fantasyfangirling4ever · 1 year

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So apparently Holly Black said that in The Prisoner's Throne Jude will be dealing with a political problem. Here are my theories on what that the problem is (obviously SPOILERS):

Suren herself. She has claimed the citadel and her role as Queen of the Court of Teeth, whose disbandment was one of Jude's first decrees as Queen. Suren has unchecked magic and her claim to power is treason. And critically Suren has Oak, Jude's brother and heir, held captive and under her control with the bridle. No Bueno. I know people think this conflict will be over quickly and our gals will team up to take on the world. I'd love that but there isn't really another clear conflict left with Lady Nore dusted. However, getting the Elfhame Vs Court of Teeth conflict done early and moving onto something bigger wouldn't be the most surprising twist Black has ever written so sure, but the layers of this conflict make it a real doozy. Oak is bridled and he has a legitimate claim to the throne. Suren could order him to marry her, challenge Jude and Cardan for the throne, and make her Queen of Elfhame- and this seems to be the direction the duology is going in since as Mellith (??) technically Suren has more claim to the throne than any Greenbriars according to the story we learned in TSH?? I know that everything we know about Suren as a character contradicts this theory (she would never order someone to marry her or use the bridle against Oak long-term becuase of her history with it, she doesn't seem to want power in fact she seems to actively not want it) but her character went on the flippity flop at the end of TSH and this strategic move is possible in the plot and it makes sense for her Queen Suren era inspired by Oak's betrayal. And since Jude is a mortal ruling Elfhame, I can see a lot of the folk getting involved. I'm not saying the book will end that way, it would be weird for Holly Black to go back to Elfhame just to undo everything she did in tfota, but she could threaten to. It is a problem. Also I think Oak wants to marry Suren so I'm not sure how much of a fight the little simp would put up.

Madoc. Daddy didn't take his exile well and now he's back. With an army. The same army that betrayed Jude- three times now. First they fought beside Madoc. Second they didn't forsake him and swear loyalty to her. And third, instead of undoing their curse by the means given to them by Jude (being fed for a year) in the decade since QoN, they decided to join the Court of Teeth and fight against her again for Lady Nore. And now they return as a 'gift' with the very traitor they first left with. What is she supposed to do with them? Also along for the walk of shame back to the brugh is Hyacinth, the lover of Tiernan, Jude's friend and loyal soldier, who tried to KILL HER HUSBAND and was mercifully not killed only for Oak to cheat-undo his curse and use him to go behind Jude's back to rescue Madoc. Hyacinth really took 'Be Gé, Do Crime' to another level. This merry band of traitors and their bad tidings are a political nightmare for Jude.

This Madoc Mess ties into Suren as well. Jude's rulings on the Court of Teeth and Madoc's army were her first ones as an official monarch, she made them in front of the whole kingdom and they ended the war which her family (Madoc) started and which marked her uneasy rise to the throne. And now both of those decrees have been undone in The Stolen Heir; Madoc is back with his betraying army knocking on her door and The Court of Teeth is re-established with more power than ever. Her love for her father and her understanding of/ sympathy for Suren is in direct opposition to her authority as queen. She cannot just let Madoc and Suren off but their role in the books and the fact that this is only a duology means that it is unlikely that she will declare war on Suren or execute Madoc. I'd say those are a few pretty big political problems for youse.

Then we have the succession. I know this is a point of contention among readers but Holly Black has explicitly said that Jude and Cardan's (hypothetical?) children being a threat to Oak's claim to the throne is an issue in these books and it's already been brought up in TSH. Apparently a lot of people hate the idea of Jude and Cardan having a child?? I guess I'll make another post about that but basically it would make sense plot and character wise for a Jude pregnancy to be a conflict in The Prisoner's Throne. It would give an immediacy to the issue of Oak's responsibilities as heir- we know it's not a conflict for him: he doesn't want the throne end of, but neither did Cardan. Also he starts the upcoming book as a prisoner. And it's called...The Prisoner's Throne...Anyway, it seems Jude and Cardan still want Oak to inherit the crown and it would be beneficial to Suren if he did, it is a possible resolution to the conflict set up at the end of The Stolen Heir. Jude's decree to disband the Court of Teeth wouldn't matter if she retired and Oak and Suren ruled together and a threat to that claim in the form of Jurdan baby could add more complexity to the plot and bring up the themes of family and court intrigue etc.

Nicassia and the sea. Everyone and their mother has complicated feelings about Nicassia but at the end of tfota trilogy the Undersea was somewhat uneasily allied with Elfhame through The Wicked King treaty and in fact Nicassia was the ambassador of the Undersea in Elfhame and even chose to fight with Jude when she technically didn't have too, this decision might have been an attempt at a redemption arc for her (she still tortured my girl so personally...no) which could be used as a stepping point to further explore her character. But I digress, whether or not Nicassia and Jude get along now, the threat to her mother's reign and her claim to the succession that we learned about in TSH is a direct threat to Elfhame- and Jude and Cardan.

And so, with the hard won ceasefire from the Sea now teetering, Madoc skipping back to his daughter with a falcon army, and Elfhame's heir locked in Queen Suren's basement it's safe to say that Ms. Black has a variety of political problems for Jude from which to chose. It seems like waaay too much to deal with in one more book so I can't wait to read the action and intrigue and see where Holly goes next. Holly said this duology will be followed by MORE THE FOLK OF THE AIR BOOKS from a different character's perspective and that we would know at the end of the duology what the conflict would be and who that character would be so I think one of these outlined problems will probably outlast the duology and be addressed in FUTURE BOOKS. I think it's probably the Undersea right? Books from Nicassia's point of view as she fights for her throne would be interesting... Though from a selfish point of view I would like to stay on land. But come on people, I feel like as a fandom we aren't collectively freaking out about the fact that THERE IS EVEN MORE TFOTA ON THE WAY!!!!!

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