Crown of Midnight

The following day, Celaena wakes with a headache and the realization that her encounter with Mort wasn’t a dream: Elena truly wants her to uncover the king’s secret. She decides to talk to Archer, as he might know what the king is hiding. She bathes, dresses, and sends for Chaol. They go to the tea court in a wealthy district of Rifthold, where Celaena knows Archer is having lunch. They stand at the bottom of the steps outside the front door, waiting for Archer to exit.

As soon as Celaena sees Archer close to the door, she and Chaol climb the stairs, and she slams into Archer as he leaves the building. He recognizes her and calls her “Laena.” All three walk back down the steps to the street. Archer and Celaena survey each other, noting that they haven’t met since she was 13. She tells him that she works for the king now, and he offers his condolences on Sam’s death. Before they part, Celaena asks Archer to dinner the next day, and he accepts. Chaol and Celaena are quiet after Archer leaves. Archer’s charm bothers Chaol because he hadn’t realized Archer and Celaena knew each other so well. He reminds himself that Celaena will soon kill Archer.

That night, Celaena works guard duty during the king’s state dinner in the Great Hall. After the meal, the king and queen exit the hall, allowing the guests to relax and talk more freely. Celaena observes Dorian and Roland and feels a strong need to get Dorian away from his cousin, but she doesn’t know why. She wants to protect Dorian and hopes he will be a better king than his father. Dorian knows that Celaena has been watching him, but he also knows she’s been watching Chaol, which angers him. He leaves the hall without a word when he can no longer stand it. Celaena catches up to him in the hallway, asks him what’s wrong, and tells him she doesn’t trust Roland. He then accuses her of manipulating him to become King’s Champion, and they argue briefly about their relationship before Celaena storms away. She goes to the castle dungeon to visit Kaltain Rompier, a wealthy, ambitious court lady who drugged Celaena to help Cain win the tournament.

Kaltain, dirty, is curled up in her cell in the damp dungeon. Celaena asks her about Roland, and Kaltain says that he can’t be trusted but doesn’t explain why. As Celaena talks to her, she can see that Kaltain is already retreating into her mind. Kaltain says, “They encourage the crows to fly past here” (71), which makes no sense to Celaena. Kaltain also says she has worsening headaches every day. When Celaena sees that she will get no more information from Kaltain, she tosses her cloak to the woman. Celaena turns away, and Kaltain says that she thinks they brought her to court to use her, but for what, she can’t remember. She knows something is coming and that she will meet it.

The next morning, Nehemia has breakfast in bed with Celaena, who canceled her run with Chaol because of the overnight snowstorm. Nehemia is furious about Kaltain’s living conditions. Celaena has already told Chaol about it; he immediately ordered the dungeon guard to make Kaltain more comfortable. Nehemia talks about how royal courts no longer have the honor they once did and that her kingdom’s court was one of the most honorable before the King of Adarlan destroyed it. She also tells Celaena that the king has assigned Roland to comfort her about her concerns over the Calaculla labor camp.

In the afternoon, Dorian and Chaol enter the castle’s kennels to avoid confronting Dorian’s younger brother Hollin. Concerned for her son’s safety with the growing rebellion, the queen pulls Hollin out of school, but Dorian avoids him. The friends’ conversation turns to Celaena; despite the immediate tension, Dorian doesn’t miss Chaol’s concern for her.

Toward evening, Celaena dresses for her date with Archer in a provocative scarlet gown. Chaol approaches her as she leaves and is speechless. They walk to her carriage, and Celaena says that the dress is meant to make Archer think she’s unarmed, though she has knives and razor hairpins. Chaol tells her to be careful, and she says that she’ll see him tomorrow, which shocks him with the implication of her spending the night with Archer.

Celaena arrives at the exclusive dining room. She ensures that Archer sees the open back to her dress as a servant helps her out of her cloak. A servant escorts them to their table, where they flirt and banter over glasses of wine. Archer asks how she came to work for the king, and then they discuss how similar their professions are. The sexual tension between them grows as they talk. After dinner, they ride together in his carriage and stop outside his townhouse; he invites her inside, but instead of answering, she asks if he hates his life. He says he sometimes does but is determined to buy his freedom. She thinks about her own fight for freedom and suddenly tells him that the king has sent her to kill him.