The Veiled Kingdom

Mal leads Nyra to the warriors’ quarters. When Nyra asks about the layout of the hidden city, Mal rebuffs her, reminding her that she is still considered a traitor and cannot know the rebellion’s secrets. Mal leaves her in a room with two beds, and Nyra feels uneasy. She knows that her father hates the rebellion, but she also resents King Roan for his refusal to recognize her as heir. She also hates the fact that he forced her mother to try to have another baby against the healers’ recommendations, as this decision resulted in the queen’s death.

Wren arrives in the room, and Nyra realizes that they are roommates. They discuss why Nyra ran away in the woods, and Nyra admits to being afraid. They discuss Nyra’s life in the palace and reveal details of the raid; Wren shares that her mother was killed in the raid. The two bond over their lost mothers, and Wren reveals that Dacre is her brother. She is also glad that Nyra does not idolize Dacre, like the other warriors do.

Nyra dons fighting leathers and prepares for her first day of warrior training. As Wren leads Nyra to the training grounds, Nyra asks about the hidden city. Wren reveals that many of the walls and structures are from the period of King Nevan’s rule, over 300 years ago. The rest of the city, including the housing along the cavern walls, was built by the rebellion. Wren and Dacre have a house, but they have not stayed there since their mother’s death. Their father lives there alone, and the only thing he loves is the rebellion. Nyra feels empathy for Wren’s sentiment, reflecting that her father does not love her; he only loves power.

Once they reach the training grounds, Wren teaches Nyra the basic stances and moves of combat, as Nyra has no training. Nyra struggles to replicate the moves that Wren teaches her, and Dacre returns from his scouting mission to mock Nyra’s ineptitude. He and Nyra spar, and he attempts to goad Nyra into revealing her power, but Wren is surprised when Nyra continues to state that she has none. Dacre says that he will train Nyra the next day.

After her first day of training, Nyra is exhausted. Wren apologizes for Dacre’s rudeness, though she does not believe that Dacre hates Nyra. She assures Nyra that she believes her claim of having no magic, though Wren finds this anomaly odd, given that all fae seem to have magic. She tells Nyra that some fae struggle to find their magic until later in life, so it is possible Nyra has hidden magic. Nyra is hopeful until Wren tells her that she has never heard of anyone reaching adulthood without manifesting magic.

Wren leads her to a small pub, and Nyra meets a winged fae named Kit. Wren explains that the winged fae avoid the palace because King Roan clips their wings at the tithe. Nyra is horrified by this fresh example of her father’s cruelty. After they eat, Wren suggests going to the hot springs, a magical pool that has healing properties. When they arrive, Wren strips to her underwear and advises Nyra to do the same. Nyra retains her shirt but goes in the water. Dacre arrives and disparages Nyra, who insults him in return. He gets into the hot springs and assesses Nyra’s body. They argue about the rebellion and the palace. Nyra chides Dacre for his cruelty, and he tells her that she doesn’t understand the rebellion and the cruelty of the king. Nyra retorts that Dacre is the one who lacks understanding, given that he has never lived in the palace. Dacre admits that she might be right, and Nyra and Wren leave the hot springs.

Wren wakes Nyra early for training. As Nyra trains with Dacre, he asks her about her family. Nyra tells him that she doesn’t know where her father is, which is technically true; she assumes that he is tucked away in the palace, but she doesn’t know for certain. She also tells him that her mother died. Dacre’s father arrives to speak with him, and Dacre tells Nyra to finish her training with Kai. When Nyra asks Kai to train her, another fighter, Eiran, offers to teach her instead. Kai warns them that Dacre will be angry about this arrangement, but Eiran and Nyra train together anyway. Eiran flirts with Nyra.

Dacre returns from patrolling with his father on a fruitless scouting mission. He is tired, and his thoughts continue to drift to Nyra. She angers him, and he doesn’t trust her, but he cannot stop thinking about her. Kai tells him that Eiran trained Nyra today. Dacre sees Nyra sitting with Eiran and is enraged. He approaches them and tells Nyra that she can only train with him or the person he assigns to train her. Nyra angrily tells him that she learned more from Eiran than from him. Dacre then demands that she spar with him to show him what she has learned. As they spar, Dacre criticizes Nyra for branding herself with the rebellion mark without being in the rebellion, stating that many, including his mother, have died for having the mark. He also asks her if she showed Eiran her magic. Nyra insists that she has no magic. She also reveals that many people in the palace tried to find her magic, and this information makes Dacre suspicious, given Nyra’s claim that she is just a handmaid’s daughter.

Dacre dismisses Nyra, which annoys her. Because she does not know the way, he escorts her back to the warriors’ quarters. Sexual tension arises between them when Dacre threatens to be rougher with Nyra in training. When they get to the warriors’ quarters, Nyra realizes that Dacre’s room is close to hers. They go to their own rooms for the night.