The Stolen Heir Duology, #1
The Stolen Heir
by Holly Black
Contents
Chapter 2
Overview
Oak and Tiernan bring Suren to a derelict house, reveal Hyacinthe—a bridled former falcon—and explain Lady Nore’s theft of Queen Mab’s bones, which power her creations and new court.
They propose a quest: consult a hag, then reach the Ice Needle Citadel so Suren can command Nore. Suren agrees, aware she’s both asset and prisoner.
Summary
Bound and escorted through moonlit woods, Suren assesses escape while Oak and his knight Tiernan discuss her capture and Bogdana’s near success. Oak offers a cloak and loosens her bindings under a promise of nonviolence, signaling courtesy amid restraint.
They reach a derelict mortal house where a soldier, Hyacinthe, sits half-cursed with a falcon’s wing and shackled by Grimsen’s bridle. The sight triggers Suren’s memories of being controlled by it. Oak explains Hyacinthe was captured near Lady Nore’s Citadel and that he’s dangerous yet informative.
Oak reveals Lady Nore reclaimed the Citadel, formed a new court, and stole Queen Mab’s imperishable bones, gaining power to animate wood-creatures and assemble parts of the dead. She also recruits cursed falcon-soldiers by feeding them until their curse lifts, then binds their loyalty. Tiernan distrusts Suren, but Oak reminds him she was a child and remains Nore’s prime target.
Oak asks Suren to aid Elfhame: travel with him, Tiernan, and Hyacinthe; first visit a hag for crucial information, then journey north and east—over water, through the Howling Pass and the Forest of Stone—to the Ice Needle Citadel, where Suren can command Lady Nore. Oak offers a future boon as incentive.
Suren weighs the risks: Oak’s potential to use the bridle, her need for protection from Nore and Bogdana, and her unique leverage over Nore. Accepting that cooperation is her only viable path, Suren agrees to the quest, while recognizing she remains as much a prisoner as Hyacinthe.
Who Appears
- Suren (Wren)Former child-queen of the Court of Teeth; captured by Oak; weighs escape versus survival; agrees to help command Lady Nore.
- Prince OakCharming, strategic heir; frees Suren’s hands, outlines Nore’s threat, plans the quest, and offers a boon to secure her aid.
- TiernanOak’s wary knight; distrusts Suren, manages camp and route; captured Hyacinthe; favors a small, stealthy party.
- HyacintheFormer falcon-soldier, half-cursed and bridled; prisoner-informant whose defiance persists despite magical compulsion.