Three Dark Crowns

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of physical abuse, animal cruelty and death, and emotional abuse.

Within two days of the Quickening, the naturalists and elementals leave Innisfuil Valley. Many poisoners and priestesses remain, looking for Katharine. Pietyr searches nonstop. One of the suitor’s delegations fled, calling this generation of queens “cursed.” 

Luca visits Natalia’s tent, which reeks of dead dogs; Natalia poisoned them after they ate the unpoisoned Gave Noir food to hide her ruse. Natalia suggests that Arsinoe should be punished for attacking the other queens during the Quickening, but Luca demurs. She thinks the public will rebel if they punish her. Luca knows Natalia prepared a Gave Noir without poison, as she secretly gave some of the food to one of her priestesses, and the woman was fine. Luca says Natalia has “turned from the Goddess” though it is the Goddess “who creates the queens” (384). She says that the Goddess has given Natalia her power as well, though Natalia is too proud to acknowledge this. Luca reminds Natalia that the Goddess gives, and she can take away.