Chapter 31

Four days after Andrei’s murder, Diem and Teller grieve in seclusion. Teller moves into Diem’s suite under heavy guard. Diem arms Teller with foreign gifts for protection and sends him back to school, secretly dispatching Sorae to shadow him. Diem prepares for a House Hanoverre reception in militarized attire, channeling her grief into resolve.

At the reception, Marthe Hanoverre arrives with Remis, Garath, Jean, and Iléana. Diem, simmering with suspicion, refuses polite formalities and listens as Remis and Marthe trade routine terms. Marthe then demands all mortals be exiled by year’s end under a bonded bargain. Diem stays silent through provocations about her control and survival as Jean is floated as her Challenger.

Diem breaks her silence to invoke her father’s courage, rejecting fear and refusing genocide. She counters with a public vow: to rule fairly, protect the vulnerable, and defend the realm from enemies within and without—mortal and Descended alike. She dismisses the Hanoverres, making clear she will face the arena if necessary.

Afterward, Diem tells the Corbois their current strategy failed because it evaded the mortal question; she will not trade lives for deals. Garath warns a Challenge is inevitable, but Taran, Eleanor, Alixe, and Luther affirm support, committing to train her to control her power.

Aemonn offers consolation and private company; Diem rebuffs him. Alone with Luther, grief and anger spill over. She rejects bargaining with Hanoverre, and when Luther vows to find Andrei’s killer, she accuses him of broken promises and secrecy. Refusing further trust, Diem leaves him with a final demand: honesty.