Rating
Wicked King picks up 5 mos after Cruel Prince. Carden is a (Very disgruntled and unwilling) high king. Jude is the true power behind the throne, due to Carden’s promise to be in her power for a year and a day. Her formal title as right hand to the king is Seneschal. A man named Grimsen comes to the High Court with an appeal, which Carden is required to listen to. He was once a smith for ruler Alderking of Fairfold before being banished. He would now like to come to Elfhame in exchange for his powerful smithy services. Grimsen is known to make extremely powerful objects. Carden agrees to this if Grimsen swears an oath of loyalty. Grimsen requets he be able to show his loyalty with is talent, rather than an oath; he has had enough of those for one lifetime, it seems. Carden agrees.
A hag is next up. Her name is Mother Marrow and she presents a gift to the king: A cloth that can repel weapons. Before Carden can do anything, Jude steps in, knowing that nothing in the realm of fae is given for free. She has Carden question Mother Marrow and she is forced to reveal that had he worn the gown, he would have been under a spell that forced him to marry only Mother Marrow or her daughter.
Next up is Locke (who is engaged to Taryn, Jude’s twin) who asks to gift Carden his services. He wants to be his Master of Revelry. Carden agrees and Locke promises much entertainment.
Jude is summoned by her spies in the Court of Shadows to find out they have intercepted a message from Balekin to Carden.
Jude pays Balekin a visit in The Tower of Forgotten (aptly named d/t fae being locked up there so they can be forgetten about). Balekin will not tell her what message he has for Carden. Instead, he orders one of his guards, Vulciber, to stab Jude, a power play showing that even locked up, he has power. On her way out, she is grabbed by another prisoner who claims she knew Jude’s mother Eva and all her Secrets. Jude ignores her for now and brings Vulciber to heel. She gives him two options: reveal information or face death. He does not know Balekin’s secrets, but he reveals that Orlagh, Queen of the waters and Nacasia’s mother, has been sending private messages to Balekin. Vulciber doesn’t know what they are though, but he believes that the information she is providing will provide Balekin with a way to bring Carden down. He promises to bring her more information on this in exchange for his freedom.
Tarny is waiting by Jude’s door when she returns. She wants to make-up and have Jude at her wedding. She mentions that Oak and Vivi are coming too (also Heather, Vivi’s human partner who knows nothing of faerie.) Jude reluctantly agrees.
In the middle of the night, Jude is woken by Roach and Ghost from her Court of Shadows. They lead her to an upset Carden’s room, for good reason. Someone tried to kill him. Jude starts looking for a secret passage and finds one. She orders Roach and Ghost to guard Carden and follows the secret passage to a room where she finds Nicasia crying with a crossbow by her side. Nicasia was sent to seduce Carden (by her mother) when she saw another woman in his bed. She became jealous and attempted to shoot the girl, not Carden. Jude promises she won’t tell Carden what happened if Nicasia fesses up about Orlagh’s plans. Nicasia reveals that Orlaugh wants Nicasia and Carden married so the land and seas are joined, and thus, she can take control of the land in addition to the sea. Nicasia warns Jude that if Carden doesn’t comply, Orlaugh will marry Nicasia to Balekin. She plans to have control over the land and seas no matter what. Nicasia leaves Jude with one last bit of information: Someone she trusts has already betrayed her.
Jude is called to the High King’s Council– which includes Madoc. She tells them of Orlagh’s plans and they don’t believe her, or if they do, they don’t believe her enough. They want Jude to have Carden attend meetings. It is imperative he be part of the decisions as the high king is physically and mentally connected to the land. His blood makes things grow, Colors and smells of the lands are more vivid. If he grows drunk, his subjects grow tipsy and merry as well…that sort of thing.
Taryn shows up at Jude’s rooms again, With Tatterfell in tow. Taryn convinced Madoc give Jude Taterfell’s contract. Jude asks what Taryn wants. She claims she wants to help Jude. she’ll bring her clothe’s over from Madoc’s manner and help in other ways, if only Jude will convince Carden to release Locke as the Master of Revelry. She claims she doesn’t mind him taking lovers, and expects it even. But she’s worried with this position she won’t see him. She worries that he gets caught up in his ideas and it will only lead him to trouble. Jude says she will talk to Carden about it, but does not actually intend to.
The day of the Hunter’s Moon celebration comes. Locke will be putting on a show. Jude has Carden come up with a reason to keep Taryn away and she is relieved he kept his word. Locke has come up with something to both embarrass Jude and play on the feelings he suspects Carden may have for Jude. Jude also meets with Dulcamara, a representative of King Roiben of the Lord of Termites. She informs Jude that the King can call upon his one favor of her anytime.
Locke announces his plans at last: Jude will be the Queen of Mirth, a position of humiliation, especially as she is the High King’s Seneschal It encompasses Jude (or generally any human girl) being glamoured into wearing a crown of stinking mushrooms and wearing tattered dirty clothing and thinking she is wearing finery befit for a Queen. She refuses to be defeated by him and takes the role with as much grace and dignity as she can. She must pretends to be glamoured to protect the secret of her geass, given to her Prince Dain in book one. (it prevents her from being glamoured).
The revelry is interrupted by a representative from Queen Orlagh who comes to deliver a message:
“The Sea needs a bridegroom, the Land needs a bride.
Cleave together lest you face the rising tide.
Spurn the Sea once, we will have your blood.
Spurn the Sea twice, we will have your clay.
Spurn the sea thrice, your crown will away.”
Carden plays at bravado he does not truly have and responds with:
“You’ve delivered your message.
I have no bit of doggerel to send back—my own fault for
having a seneschal who cannot double as my Court Poet—but
I will be sure to crumple up some paper and drop it into the water when I do.”
not to respond and has the messengers join in on the celebrations. He then has Jude gather his Council and have them meet him. SHe delivers this message and finds that Madoc has requested they meet pre-meeting. She goes to see him and they talk.
Madoc makes Jude promise to not let Orlagh gain power over the land and sea and she agrees. They also mutually agree that they want Oak safe. But Madoc also wants to use oak as bait to lure Orlagh out because in order to have Balekin crowned, Oak will be needed to put the Crown on his head. Jude disagrees to putting Oak in any danger. The meeting then starts shortly after. Nicasia is brought into the room and Carden tells her under no terms will he be marrying her.
Jude has The Bomb investigate the second prisoner in the Tower of Forgetting. The Prisoner turns out to be Lady Asha, Carden’s mother. Jude wants to slip her false information to give to Balekin. Asha agrees in exchange for her freedom.
Asha tells Jude but one thing about her mother when they meet:
A witch told Eva when she was pregnant with Vivi that her child was destined to be a weapon greater than any Madoc could ever have. Eva got scared and then ran away with Jude and Taryn’s father Justin- a great human smithy of fairy.
Jude and Carden meet and Jude tells Carden to seduce Nicasia for information about when Orlagh will plan on attacking. Carden gets angry and shows her just how he plans to seduce Nicasia. Both claiming it’s a bad idea, they become intimate with each other:
“Tell me again what you said at the revel,” he says, climbing over me, his body against mine.
“What?” I can barely think.
“That you hate me,” he says, his voice hoarse. “Tell me that you hate me.”
“I hate you,” I say, the words coming out like a caress. I say it again, over and over. A litany. An enchantment. A ward against what I really feel. “I hate you. I hate you. I hate you.”
He kisses me harder.
“I hate you,” I breathe into his mouth. “I hate you so much that sometimes I can’t think of anything else.”
Carden then does as he’s told and seduces Nicasia into telling him that Orlagh plans to attack during Taryn’s wedding. Carden wants to talk to Jude about last night and she quickly cuts him off saying that she got “it” out of her system. He becomes upset and angry, clearly.
Jude pays Locke a visit and gives him a beating, warning him to watch himself and threaten him that a lot more will be coming if he ever cheats on Taryn.
Jude departs to the human world to pick up Vivi, Oak, and Heather and bring them to faerie for Taryn’s wedding . Oak is happy to see her and she finds out that Heather still doesn’t know Elfhame or magic exists. Jude is furious with Vivi for this as faerie is a dangerous place for a human, but Vivi blow it off, assuming everyone will be fine.
As they get ready to depart, Jude brings out a magical item that allows them to fly to faerie and Heather is shocked. Vivi then gives her a short description and Oak removes his glamour to reveal two cute little horns on his head. Vivi removes hers as well. Heather flies to faerie in shock. They meet at Madoc’s manor where Jude warns Heather about faerie. Ie- don’t go anywhere alone, wear Rowan berries, etc. Heather is shocked but agrees.
Jude starts to realize that Vivi doesn’t realize that danger of Elfhame for a human. Taryn and Jude always took pains to hide their struggles from Vivi, and Vivi herself is excepted as fae, thus, has never been in danger like the twins were. Vivi believes Heather will be alright because Jude and Taryn have been alright.
Taryn wants to spend the night before her wedding with her sisters. On her way to Madoc’s mansion, Jude is attacked and left wounded badly in her leg, though she manages to fend of the 7 attackers single handedly. during the fight, she loses her gift for Taryn: a set of earrings enchanted to make someone more beautiful. She got it from Grimsen in exchange for for a drop of her tears. She makes it to the mansion where Vivi helps her get patched up. Vivi attempts to convince her to come back to the mortal realm when the wedding is over, but Jude, as usual, refuses.
The day of Taryn’s wedding- and Orlagh’s attack– arrives. The venue is within a maze. Jude and Madoc have come up with a plan to ensure Oak’s safety. They have a body double for the little boy that is sent into the maze. However, Orlagh doesn’t take the bait. No matter, two more traps await her. At the wedding, Jude, who rarely commands Carden–it is a trust grown between them- orders him to not be alone this day and night. He is upset with her for commanding rather than asking but is forced to comply. Unfortunately, Madoc was listening and now knows Jude controls Carden. He is furious, and truly any bond and love he had for her is broken. He now knows who has the true power behind the throne and who he has to go through to make it his own.
In the Maze, Jue stumbles upon a sobbing Heather who was enchanted to have furry ears to look like her lover (Vivi looks like a cat). Heather is inconsolable and Vivi decides to glamour Heather, just this once, to not remember what happened. Jude warns Vivi that what she is doing is wrong. It is important that Heather realizes just how dangerous faerie can be. Vivi doesn’t take the advice seriously and blows it off.
At the wedding, Jude sees that Taryn is wearing the earrings she exchanged for her tears from Grimsen. She realizes it was Locke and his buddies who attempted to kill Jude the night before. Most likely for the time Jude beat him up and humiliated him.
Jude is then approached by the Ghost and Vulciber who tell her Orlagh has made her move. They urge her to follow them. They go to the Tower of Forgetting and Jude releases Asha, telling her to escape now. And then…she is led into a trap. The ghost has betrayed her. When she asks why, he responds that he doesn’t work for her, he worked for Prince Dain. Jude is kidnapped and taken to the bottom of the sea where she is met by Queen Orlagh, Nicasia, and Balekin.
Queen Orlagh attempts to glamour Jude and Jude lets her believe she has. This lets her listen into what they’re planning. She finds out that Grimsen is working for Orlagh and is forging a new crown for her and Balekin. A crown that doesn’t need the current royal bloodline to crown another in the bloodline to become High King.
Jude is then put in a cell and is neglected for a month. She is “glamoured” to believe she is staying in luxury when, really, she is being tortured. They dehydrate her and feed her little, sometimes giving her no freshwater and just saltwater. Jude is forced to pretend she enjoys it until she is too weak to do anything anymore.
Finally, Jude is brought back up to land. Carden bargained her return by allowing Balekin to attack the Kingdom of Termites, even after Lord Roiben gave support for his coronation. He did it in exchange for Jude, even though the bargain makes little sense. Carden is also allowing Balekin free as a “representative” between land and sea or Orlagh’s “request”.
Dulcamara comes in fury and tells Jude that her repayment is necessary now: she must kill Balekin for what he has done. When Jude recovers just enough, she finds herself healing at Madoc’s manor.When she tries to leave, she is told she is not allowed to until she heals. She attempts to visit Carden, but is told by the guard that Carden has ordered her not to be permitted on the grounds. She finds she is not allowed to leave and sneaks out, heading to the court of shadows, only to find it blown up. Finally, goes to where Balekin who “glamours her” and gives her a poison to give to Carden. She then sneaks back to the palace and gets in via Carden’s bedroom window. He pulls her into bed with him and she tells him everything she has learned. She questions him on why he won’t let her into the Palace. Carden tells her Madoc told him that Jude was resting and wouldn’t see him. It is clear Madoc is trying to keep the two power players apart.
They are interrupted when Ghost and Roach burst in and order Jude away from Carden, believing she is hear to kill Carden. She says she is not under glamour. They have Carden attempt to glamour her and when it doesn’t work they relax. She is eventually forced to tell them about Dain’s Geass…and Ghost’s betrayal. Carden, still loves his brother. Balekin took him in when no one else did. Carden makes it clear to them that in no circumstance is Balekin to be murdered to solve their problems.
“The three of you have one solution to every problem. Murder.[…]
“Someone tries to betray the High King, murder. Someone gives you a harsh look, murder. Someone disrespects you, murder. Someone ruins your laundry, murder.”
A masquerade is being held the next day. for Lord Roiben (where Carden plans to make peace with the court.) Jude goes to the market for a dress. She meets mother marrow who exchanges a dress (kept in a walnut…?) For the pearl earrings Jude has been wearing since her kidnapping.
She arrives to the masquerade with Balekin and sees, to her surprise, Lady Asha at the ball. She was supposed to have escaped the night of Taryn’s wedding along with Oak as he went back to the human realm. Carden acting completely out of control. It is clear no peace-making is happening. He begs a dance of her and then kisses her on the mouth, she tastes poison on his lips.
Then realizes Balekin has set her up as he claims that Jude has poisoned the High King. She denies it, claiming he is drunk. Balekin tries to order Jude around, but she makes it clear to him that she cannot be glamoured. She gets Carden out and calls for Bomb who is skilled in antitodes while she goes to face Balekin. They get in a fight and Jude kills Balekin.
Carden survives and asks Jude to remove the remainder of his contract to serve her. He cannot be High King, truly, without having real control. and being allowed to make his own decisions. She is reluctant to do this, but he tells her she will not lose power, but have power in her own right because Carden wants to marry her and make her his Queen. He asks her to trust him as he trusts her. They must trust each other from now on. Jude thinks about it and finally agrees. He tells her they will both give up the throne to Oak when he comes of age. Fae ceremonies are private affairs, with the celebration only done for their loved ones. They exchange vows and are married right then and there with no witnesses. They go to provided kisses and comfort for one another.
The next morning, Carden finds out that Jude killed Balekin. He becomes closed off for her as they arrive to meet with an angry Orlagh. Now that he is in full control of his powers, he uses the land (now that he is truly High King) to trap Nicasia and warns Orlagh of threatening him. She agrees to another alliance of peace if he
1. Gives her Jude- for she killed Balekin
2. Nicasia is released and will stay on land again, as their new ambassador.
Carden faces Jude and asks her if she killed Balekin. Jude says something along the lines of: they dueled and he was felled, thus making it a fair killing. So yes, she killed him, essentially. She must be punished and he doles out that punishment as she is of his land:
“I hereafter exile Jude Duarte to the mortal world until such time as she is pardoned by the crown. Until then, let her not step one foot in Faerie”
She claims he can’t do that because they are married and she is Queen of Faerie. Everyone laughs at her and no one believes it, but Carden does not deny it. He says nothing and has her taken away.
Epilogue
Jude is back in the human world, moping around and living with Vivi and Oak. Vivi eventually admitted to Heather she glamoured her. Heather was furious and moved out. Vivi has tried reaching out, but Heather has not talked to her since. Jude has done nothing since being exiled, she cannot do anything. We are left with Vivi’s words to her:
“Revenge is sweet, but ice cream is sweeter[…] For now, accept this delight, unworthy though it is for the Queen of Faerie in exile.”
![[Recap]ture the Rapture](https://recaprapture.home.blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Goldfish_FanTail.png)
[Recap]ture the Rapture 