The Nightshade Crown, #1
The Foxglove King
by Hannah Whitten
Contents
Chapter Sixteen
Overview
Lore and Gabriel's wandering through the Citadel exposes both its obscene luxury and Gabriel's painful childhood ties to Bastian, Alie, and the royal court. Malcolm reveals that Anton is studying variant Compendiums, the Law of Opposites, and dreamwalking, suggesting the Church is pursuing knowledge it has not shared with Lore. Alone afterward, Lore connects Claude's animation with her failed attempt to raise the dead child, arriving at a new insight that may change the investigation.
Summary
After the courtly games, Lore asks Gabriel to show her the Citadel so she can avoid thinking about Bastian, her exposed power, and how to present any compromise to August without being imprisoned. Gabriel and Lore wander through extravagant rooms, including a glass pool chamber full of naked courtiers, before finding the Citadel library, whose vast wealth of unread books disgusts Gabriel.
In the library, Gabriel admits that Bastian once read constantly and that Gabriel, Bastian, and Alie were close as children. Gabriel explains that their mothers were friends and social outsiders in different ways: Ivanna was isolated and mistreated by August, Lise faced prejudice for her Malfouran appearance, and Claire came from an insignificant duchy. Gabriel also reveals that Claire died when Gabriel was eight, before the scandal involving Gabriel's father, and Lore senses how exhausted Gabriel is by what he keeps hidden.
Malcolm arrives with books and interrupts their conversation. Lore quickly claims she is looking for Bastian, wary that Malcolm may report to Anton. Malcolm explains that Anton has asked for multiple newer and translated editions of the Compendium, especially the Book of Holy Law opened to the Law of Opposites, and that Anton previously requested a difficult-to-find book on dreamwalking. Malcolm offers to let Lore see more interesting Church texts if Anton is not present.
Back in the suite, Gabriel becomes withdrawn, disturbed by the Citadel's wealth and by being back in a place he once loved before recognizing its corruption. Lore tells Gabriel that guilt over enjoying luxury will not help anyone, especially with war looming and both of them trapped at court. Lore admits that she wants to fix the injustice but feels too insignificant against entrenched power, and she urges Gabriel to show himself the grace he once preached to her.
Later, alone in bed, Lore tries to read the erotic poetry but instead thinks about the reanimated child in the vaults, the slaughtered villages, and Bastian's claim that Mortem caused the deaths. Remembering that Claude, the dead horse, remains animate while the child spoke only briefly, Lore concludes she cannot walk away from the investigation. The chapter ends as Lore suddenly realizes that the failed resurrection and Claude's continued animation fit together in some important way.
Who Appears
- LoreUses a Citadel tour as distraction, learns clues, consoles Gabriel, and reaches a new Mortem realization.
- Gabriel RemautGuides Lore through the Citadel and reveals painful memories of childhood, family, privilege, and corruption.
- MalcolmPresque Mort librarian who reveals Anton's research into Compendium variants, the Law of Opposites, and dreamwalking.
- AntonAbsent but influential; secretly requests translated holy texts and dreamwalking material for unexplained study.
- BastianAbsent but central to Lore's worries; remembered as Gabriel's childhood friend and a former voracious reader.
- AlieMentioned in Gabriel's childhood memories as one of his close companions alongside Bastian.
- ClaireGabriel's late mother, remembered as Ivanna and Lise's friend who died before Gabriel's father's disgrace.
- IvannaBastian's late mother, remembered as isolated, sickly, quiet, and treated unkindly by August.