The Priory of the Orange Tree

Niclays and Laya are suspended in an iron cage from the ceiling of a cave at Dreadmount, the birthplace of the Nameless One. Niclays is delirious with the pain of his amputation. Kalyba appears in the cage, explaining that she brought Niclays and Laya to this place. Kalyba introduces herself to Niclays as “firstblood, like Neporo” and says she has eaten from the fruit of the hawthorn tree (731), becoming immortal. She can teach Niclays how to return the dead to life if he does her a favor; she assumes the form of Jannart, implying Niclays can even resuscitate his great love. Niclays agrees to do Kalyba’s bidding.

Meanwhile, the rulers of the South reach Inys in response to Sabran’s call. Sabran and Ead welcome Jantar Taumargam, ruler of Ersyr, and Kagudo Onjenyu, Queen of Lasia. The initial awkwardness between the rulers—whose countries have been isolated from each other for centuries—soon gives way to strategizing towards the common goal of defeating the Nameless One. A restless Ead leaves the rulers to discuss plans, worried that every second they waste means more lives lost in Yscalin. Queen Kagudo joins Ead and tells her that Lasia wants Ead to be the next prioress (Lasia and Ersyr know of the Priory’s existence). Cleolind was from Lasia and appointed Siyāti uq-Nāra, Ead’s ancestor, as her successor. After the Nameless One is defeated, Sabran will tell the world that it was Cleolind and not Galian who vanquished the evil wyrm 1,000 years ago. The consultation of the rulers concludes. Sabran strides to the gates of the palace in battle gear and announces to her people that the Draconic army has risen again and that the battle with the wyrms is to begin soon.

Loth and Dranghien sail from the East to the Abyss on the Defiance. The two converse, and Loth realizes Dranghien is trapped by his responsibilities like Sabran. Dranghien could not marry the woman he loved, as she was beneath his station. For the first time in his life, Loth is happy he was not born a ruler.

Accompanied by Inysh soldiers, Margret and Lintley head to Cárscaro in Yscalin to fight the wyrms. Tané, Ead, and Sabran head to the Abyss on the Reconciliation. Tané fears that Nayimathun is dead and that she and Ead may not be able to defeat Kalyba. Ead reassures Tané that Kalyba will come to them because “sterren calls to sterren” (744): Tané’s star-magic will attract Kalyba. Further, they may be able to weaken Kalyba by making her change forms since Ead believes that frequent shapeshifting dilutes Kalyba’s power. Ead suggests Tané be the one to wield Ascalon since she has lived with the rising jewel, which contains the same starfire as Ascalon, all her life. Ead’s suggestion moves Tané. In private, Ead and Sabran discuss their relationship. They fear they are “both wed to [their] callings” and may be unable to have a future together (746).

Meanwhile, the crew of the Reconciliation seize Niclays, who is sailing on the Abyss in a rowboat, and bring him before Sabran. Niclays claims he is fleeing Orisima, but Ead doubts his tale. Tané enters and tells Sabran not to trust Niclays since he is evil and selfish. Ead asks Niclays to confess his true purpose before Sabran executes him. To everyone’s surprise, Niclays holds out a sterren blade forged by Kalyba. He confesses that Kalyba sent him to kill Ead in exchange for bringing back Jannart and releasing Laya. Niclays was ready to kill Ead, but he realized Jannart would never have wanted him to take another life. He also has the epiphany that his purpose is not to revive Jannart but to fight the evil within himself and become a man of honor. As penance, he tells Ead that the Nameless One has a weakness: Cleolind damaged a certain scale on his chest, creating a vulnerability. Sabran frees Niclays from exile. However, he is heartbroken to learn of Truyde’s death.

It is the second day of spring, one day before the Nameless One is to awake. The ships from all the countries except Yscalin converge at the Bonehouse Trench, “the deepest part of the Abyss” (756). Dranghien and Sabran meet for the first time and have an awkward conversation about dragons. Sabran is ready to accept that not all dragons are evil. It is a time to forge new traditions.

The great water dragons and their riders have accompanied the Eastern fleets, but Tané is not allowed to ride a dragon, as she is disgraced. Fýredel and the other wyrms erupt on the scene, breathing fire. Fýredel calls for Sabran and Dranghien. The battle begins in earnest. Tané uses her jewel and the power of siden to fell many Draconic creatures, jumping from ship to ship. Drawn by Tané’s gem, Kalyba, who is in her High-Western form, turns into a woman and walks towards Tané on the deck of the Defiance. Kalyba invites Tané to a fight, and Tané puts the jewel down. Tané notes that Kalyba is holding Ascalon.

The ships fire at the wyrms. Now aboard the Reconciliation, Loth watches Kalyba corner Tané. Sabran and Loth jump into the water to swim to the Defiance. Drawn to Sabran, Kalyba faces her descendant in her true form: Both women look exactly the same. Kalyba tells Sabran that Galian lusted for Cleolind even though it was Kalyba who had nursed him at her breast and given him the sword “that was the sum of all [her] achievements” (771). She avenged Galian’s betrayal by watching her daughter and her descendants rule his kingdom, but now she wants more. She will join the Nameless One, turn Inys into a Draconic nation, and rule forever (since the Nameless One will never die). Kalyba is tempted to keep talking to Sabran. Ead takes advantage of this to silently close in; Sabran embraces Kalyba, and Ead emerges on the spot, driving the sterren blade that Kalyba gave to Niclays through Kalyba’s heart. The blade fatally wounds Kalyba and she falls, dropping Ascalon. Kalyba tells Sabran to beware the “sweet water,” as chaos awaits her. Kalyba dies.

Kalyba’s dying scream awakens the Nameless One, who is red-scaled and vaster than any known wyrm. Armed with Ascalon, Tané jumps onto Onren’s dragon at Onren’s request. Tané tells Onren they need to fly close to the Nameless One so she can strike him at the spot where his chest armor is weak. Onren asks her dragon, Norumo, to fly upwards. The other wyrms rush to their master’s aid, sensing danger. In the onslaught, Tané falls off Onren’s dragon and loses Ascalon, but Nayimathun appears on the scene, rescuing Tané and taking her near the Nameless One. Tané leaps onto the wyrm’s back and pries open the damaged scale. Just then the Nameless One bites Nayimathun, who falls into the sea.

Meanwhile, Ead is battling the wyrms from the ships when she hears Fýredel ask his flock to find Ascalon. Ead focuses on the waning jewel to guide it to the sword. The attention of the Nameless One shifts to Ead. Ead senses that Ascalon is on the deck of the Dancing Pearl and rushes there. The Nameless One plunges towards Ead. Ead finds Ascalon and buries it in the chest of the Nameless One, but she knows the sword is not enough to kill him. Tané closes in on them atop Nayimathun. Uniting the power of Cleolind and Neporo, Tané and Ead interlock their hands around the two celestial gems. Ascalon tears the Nameless One open, and the sea pulls him down. The water dragons dive after him “to see him to his grave” (783). The Abyss calms down.

Valeysa the Harrower has been killed, but Fýredel escapes. Yscalin is now a free country. Several people were killed or injured in the battle. Loth finds Margret tending to Inysh soldiers and sees that Lintley has been wounded. Loth tells them the Nameless One is dead. When he learns the Yscalin king is also dead, Loth prays that his daughter, the Donmata Marosa, has survived the onslaught.

A grief-stricken Niclays arrives in Mentendon, his home country in the West. He takes comfort in the fact that Laya was rescued alive from the Dreadmount. Before going to see the Mentish princess, Niclays visits the grave of Jannart, where he finds Jannart’s widow, Aleidine. Aleidine reveals that she always accepted Niclays and Jannart’s love for each other. Niclays feels he may have some family left after all in the form of Aleidine. The Mentish princess wants Niclays to join her court, but Niclays is reluctant. Aleidine suggests that Niclays tell the princess about his hesitation and teach at a university instead.

Margret and Loth are in Goldenbirch. Margert senses that Loth wants to be at court but feels encumbered by the responsibility of Goldenbirch. She assures him that in the new times, roles are changing. It may be possible for her to run Goldenbirch so Loth can stay in Ascalon.

Word has spread that Ead—who thrust Ascalon into the heart of the Nameless One—is the “slayer.” Chassar writes to Ead, asking her to return to the Priory as its head. Though this will mean a separation from Sabran, Ead will be able to do much good as the prioress. Sabran accepts Ead’s decision and tells Ead her own: She is soon to reveal the truth about the Berethnets to her people. She will remain on the throne of Inys for 10 more years until the people adjust to the new worldview and find another leader. Sabran believes she may be able to “shake the very foundations of succession” (798), introducing rule of the people to Inys. Sabran and Ead pledge their love to each other and promise to meet again in 10 years.

Nayimathun is healed and Tané is a Miduchi again on the command of Dranghien. Tané knows that the Golden Empress is still alive and trading in dragon flesh. Tané and Nayimathun ride to Komoridu seeking answers. Tané has learned from Elder Vara that butterflies represent the souls of ancestors. Since it was a butterfly that led Tané to wander away from her village, Tané believes it was Neporo who saved her on the day of the fire.

In Komoridu, Tané walks in the forest until she finds a likeness of Neporo, her ancestor. She thanks Neporo and falls asleep by the mulberry tree. In the morning, her side is wet with blood, though it is unclear why.

The recovered Rose Eternal takes Ead to Lasia. On the way Ead glimpses Yscalin, which is being rebuilt. Ead learns from Captain Gian Harlowe that the Donmata is alive and will soon invite foreign rulers to her court. Ead asks Gian if he once meant to take Rosarian to the Milk Lagoon. The captain says that the Milk Lagoon is only a legend and avoids confirming that he and Rosarian were lovers.