Prince of Thorns

Jorg wakes with a start to find himself naked and in bed. He hears a soft sound in the darkness and tries to feel his way towards the window. He opens the shutters but doesn’t see anyone in the room with him.

Jorg notices a large portrait of his mother in the room. The eyes of the portrait follow him, and his mother accuses Jorg of letting her and William die. An apparition of William appears, and it and the portrait begin to urge Jorg to jump from the window. Before he can, he is knocked awake for real.

Makin has had to force the door open with Jorg’s sleeping body leaned against it. Jorg draws his sword and prepares to go kill Sageous, but Makin stops. Jorg relents, saying that he needs Sageous alive so that he can “understand what game is being played out here. Who exactly the pieces are and who the players are” (139).

The following morning Jorg decides to head to the kitchens for breakfast and information. He nearly runs into a young woman turning a corner and instinctively grabs and pins her. Jorg releases her and notices that she is extremely attractive.

The lady tells him that he stinks and that he is lucky Sir Galen isn’t with her. Jorg invites her to join him in the kitchens for breakfast, and she accepts. The two banter, exchanging mild insults and provocations.

Drane, one of the kitchen workers, identifies the lady as Princess Katherine, the sister of Jorg’s new stepmother. 

Drane sets out some food for Jorg and Katherine, and he sets to eating. Makin appears and declines Jorg’s invitation to join them since Jorg is being summoned to an audience in the throne room.

At the throne room Jorg sees his father for the first time in four years and can see no change in him. King Olidan’s new wife sits in a throne beside him, and a tree made of glass grows between them. Olidan ignores Jorg and chastises Makin for having taken so long in bringing his son home. Makin explains that he thought Jorg would be safer in anonymity and that Jorg refused to leave the brothers. Olidan pointedly ignores Jorg’s attempts to interject and informs Makin that he has been demoted and that Sir Galen is the new Captain of the Guard.

Olidan asks if Makin would like to challenge Galen for his old office, clearly intending that Galen kill Makin. Jorg tries to intervene, but Sageous entrances him and forces him to come stand by the thrones. Makin is an excellent swordsman, but Galen trains daily for this sort of chivalric duel, and it soon appears clear that Galen will win. Sageous taunts Jorg, saying that he is opening the game by sacrificing his knight. Jorg replies that he sacrifices “only when there is something to be gained” and pushes the glass tree over, shattering it against the floor (158).

The duel stops as everyone looks in shock at the shattered tree. Jorg says that Makin is skilled for war, not for jousting and tourney games. He offers to fight Galen in Makin’s place, and Olidan is forced to accept since Jorg has just come of age and is owed a boon.

Olidan is furious and demands that Galen kill Jorg. Jorg takes off, making straight for a guard holding a crossbow. He seizes the crossbow and shoots Galen right on the nose, killing him instantly. The court is silent until Jorg asks his father if the show was to his liking. Olidan’s response is to laugh loudly. 

Olidan orders the courtiers out to speak to Jorg in private. Sageous is loath to depart and stares at the shattered tree but is ordered to attend upon the queen. When the two are finally alone, Olidan says that he wants Gelleth, a neighboring kingdom. Jorg notes that control of Gelleth depends on control of the Castle Red. He promises to capture the Castle Red and deliver Gelleth to his father but needs an army. Olidan gives him the Forest Watch, only two hundred men, and Jorg says he will bring his Brothers, too. As a reward, Jorg demands that Sageous be given over to him.