The Britchannia Library Presents: Shield of Sparrows Part 1

Transcript

Speaker: you

Speaker: Welcome to the Britannia Library. we are your librarians, Brittany and Chandler. Every week we will be recapping and discussing our current read, anything from the latest trends to longtime favorites.

Speaker: Depending on our selection, we'll cover it over multiple episodes, so be sure to stick around to hear the full story. We have started our next read, Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry. Spoiler alert, we will be discussing what happens in the book.

Speaker: If you wish to read along, we will be... We will be breaking this book into three parts. Part one will cover up to chapter 22. You're welcome to catch up and come back to listen to our thoughts or follow along as we discuss now.

Speaker: Bit of a PD13 warning here as well for some foul language and maturity. Yes. And some trigger warnings for this book include combat, violence, blood, war, death of humans and animals,

Speaker: injury, dismemberment, illness, hospitalization, arson, alcohol use, sexual activity, and graphic language with mentions of poisoning and trafficking and backstory.

Speaker: So jumping into chapter one, The chapter opens with Odessa, the elder princess of Quintus, standing on a cliff overlooking Roslo Bay. She's contemplating jumping, and she's largely overlooked by her father and overshadowed by her half-sister May, but is needed at an important meeting with the Turing ranger soon.

Speaker: She thinks of herself as the wrong princess, kind of lesser, someone who doesn't quite measure up. Interesting. Right. and So her life has been one of obedience and expectation, never of real power or danger.

Speaker: So Odessa reflects how she always tries to please her stepmother, Margot, and that May is likely being pampered before the meeting with the prince's rangers.

Speaker: She hears a writer approach and slips into her shoes as Banner, her fiancé, and the general arrives. Okay, fiancé. She protests that she is leaving will be on time. She's like, I promise I'll be there on time.

Speaker: Thinking that he was sent to fetch her. But he shares that he just needed a ride. We learn that everyone will be dressed in the signature blue or teal for the ah royal family of the country.

Speaker: Yet Odessa will wear gray. As Margot has designated that color for her. That's so sad. Yeah. I don't like that. Gray all the time? Yeah. I'm fine with black all the time. Yeah. But like.

Speaker: Right? Yeah. We also learn that everyone born in Quintus has an amber starburst in their eyes, as Odessa admires Banner's eyes. And Odessa turns back to enjoy her view.

Speaker: You know, she can see the city of Roslo, harbor, the bay, the ships docked. She likes this vantage point because it offers escape, not literal escape, but mental, where she can observe life below, you know, smell the salt, watch the market, see the sea, kind of away from the castle's walls, guards, and expectations.

Speaker: And Banner shares that a guardian has traveled with the Turins, which visibly angers him, and he vows to have his revenge. o So um I would have my revenge.

Speaker: I'm kind of annoyed at Banner. don't want look like him at this point. He's just so, like, stoic. Thank you. and did not know what word he was there. He is, though. He is.

Speaker: So he kind of, like, yells Odessa about the guardian ruining his family. and being unable to do anything about it during the meeting, and she just surrenders to his venting. She loves to let happen. Yeah, she's like, I learned a long time ago to just let it happen.

Speaker: Odessa knows that Banner hates the Guardian because he killed Banner's brother in a fight over a woman, which led to his mother's suicide. Yikes. After Banner leaves, Odessa walks toward the castle more quietly, with a plan kind of enter through a back path so she can slip in unseen.

Speaker: And she reflects on May's upcoming marriage under the peace treaty of Calandra as she is the sparrow and how everyone is preparing May for this role, yet overlooks her kind of escapades.

Speaker: Yeah. She's kind of a... She's little floozy. Yeah, a little bit. little bit. So Odessa compares their lives. May will leave soon to Tura and see the realm beyond Quintus while Odessa suspects she'll remain.

Speaker: She bitterly thinks about how May has lived like a more plethora privileged life and yet she loved her since the day may was born yeah it's kind of like that i have a resentment towards you but i you're still my sister i love you yeah yeah she hopes that without may's shadow that she'll be able to experience some freedoms and as the ocean calls to odessa she believes that no one would notice her if she was gone so she runs for the cliff and jumps flying I was shook at the end of this chapter. I was like, why did this happen? Is she dead? What is going on? But nope.

Speaker: Odessa's alive. She just cliff jumped into the water. Love it. And so as she sneaks back into the castle, soaking wet from her swim in the ocean, you know, we learned that she's actually done this multiple times. Yeah. She's gone to bed a bunch. And so she's creeping through the Eastland Gallery, Margot's least favorite place due to the violence of the artwork of like the paintings.

Speaker: Mm-hmm. And they actually kind of showed the crux from every previous generation. and Odessa admires the most recent one from 30 years ago when massive eagle-like monsters had flown over Calandra and slaughtered our people.

Speaker: Yeah. At first reading, I interpreted this as like the crux just like the name of whatever came along. But it's actually monster. The crux is the massive eagle-like monster. Yes.

Speaker: And that very specifically comes at like one time of, I say one time of year, but once it's a generation. It comes at a specific time. ah So the painting described is just very gruesome, showing that people like monsters killing people.

Speaker: We learned that Oda and Oda, mother and father, had created animals for the humans and been very proud of them. But this upset their children, the six, who created monsters similar to the animals their parents created,

Speaker: but they would wreak havoc on the humans. Interesting. Yeah. So despite having been terrified the first time she saw this painting, Odessa comes back to prepare herself for the next migration where they'll try to survive the crisis.

Speaker: Apparently, trucks will come as early next spring, less than a year away. And she reflects on her luck at having the safety of the castle compared to commoners. Like, apparently, it's a lot more safe there.

Speaker: Yeah. And rounding the corner, Odessa runs into the Boster Priest, a man who doesn't seem to speak. He's also described as being, like, careless. Yeah. He's wearing burgundy robes.

Speaker: He walked barefoot. And all of his nails a dark green tint. He's almost, like, fluorescent is what she said. Like, his skin is so pale could almost see it through here. Uh-huh. And he also yeah also has solid green eyes without pupils.

Speaker: That's weird. Yeah. That's weird. Green eyes, nails. Light eyes and nails like that. I don't like it. So the Voster, apparently, it's a brotherhood.

Speaker: have magic, and Odessa hates the feeling of magic coming from the priest. He pulls the water from her hair, drying it instantly, as he draws it into the shape crown hovering over her head.

Speaker: Okay, weird. Yeah. Not only can the roster control water, they can control air and blood, and do so to send a message. What message did send me to the crown over her head? I think we all know.

Speaker: um So Odessa runs up the stairs to escape the race, but feels he's staring at her until she's on the third floor. She's upset that her hair is now frizzy and wishes her dress had been dreaded.

Speaker: Yeah, she's like, the hair I could have managed, but not so crazy. Yeah. So she's surprised that her father's emissary had shown up, as the Volster usually only gets involved in significant events.

Speaker: And no one knows much about the Volster Brotherhood, or does his own tutor having admitted not knowing much herself. Yeah. So it's kind of a secretive... No one really knows. Yeah.

Speaker: They keep a lot of information themselves. So suddenly Margot appears and asks about her dress, showing her frustration with Odessa being unprepared the meeting. Right. Margot hopes Odessa get ready and explains about Odessa's hobbies being ridiculous.

Speaker: Yet new hobbies were fighting and she was fine with that. Odessa literally likes, like, art and swimming. Yeah. And, like, music and traditional things that you think princesses would traditionally be, pushed to, like...

Speaker: You know? yeah Yeah. um And once she've in any dress, Margaret aggressively combs Odessa's hair and redyes it with a foul-filling powder.

Speaker: yeah So the hair dye conceals her red hair, which came from her mom, and turns it brown. As Odessa thinks back on the attacks of Mara eels on her father's ships, we learn that all the countries rely on each other to survive the trucks, and thus can't afford to lose resources or fight a war over them. Kind of hence the treaty.

Speaker: Yeah. Mm-hmm. And with the Quentin soldiers unable to kill the monsters, Quintessa's father enlisted the help of the Turins, hence this meeting. Yep. So, Alessa tries to question Margo about the Mara and the Guardian's arrival.

Speaker: There are rumors that the Guardian is more goofed than mortal being, or Isaac, the god of death incarnate, since he's so deadly. Yeah. Margo leaves, unable to deal with Odessa's hair anymore, and Odessa wishes she was younger again and misses her half-mother, Arthalaeus. Arthalaeus? Yes.

Speaker: He goes by Arthalaeus, for short, who will be the next king of Quintus. Love it. She fixes her hair and places her crown, ready to face the meeting. Whew. into the next chapter.

Speaker: so Odessa sneaks into the meeting a little late as her father greets the group. She compares Margo and May and wonders if she looks like her mother at all. You know, any of the paintings of her were removed after she passed.

Speaker: Which, like, that's so sad. Yeah. yeah So there are five Turans and Odessa thinks they're massive compared to Banner. Who was six foot tall?

Speaker: So like, these guys are huge. These are big boys. They're describing leather and like some of them have tattoos. All of them have weapons, though, and I like the definition of warriors. um 100%. Odessa's father, King, thinks for turns for killing six marowheels and orders of gold to be brought out.

Speaker: And it's filled with enough. It says enough gold and silver to feed all the mouths of Roslo for months. That's insane. Like, that's just... Why aren't you doing that to people? Exactly. Exactly.

Speaker: You know? that That was my biggest question. Like, what? One of the turins comes forward to inspect the coins and asks one of the others if you count it according to him as the highness. So the prince is actually there.

Speaker: Yeah. what The king tries to tell them that counting isn't necessary, but the first ranger who spoke mentions the price isn't enough. Yeah, so suddenly the main door's open to admit the Vosda priest and another from the Brotherhood, but he seems to be floating.

Speaker: And Odessa is uncomfortable with this magical presence of both priests and senses that the floating priest is kind of older and kind of more prominent, I guess. Like he's more... He's just like...

Speaker: Yeah, she feel like senses that. His gaze catches Odessa for a moment as he looks over the gathering. Shortly behind the two foster priests enters the Guardian. Odessa's like, he was just a man.

Speaker: Yeah. So he was just a man, supposedly, with solid molten silver eyes, missing a torrid green starburst in his eyes. So like all the countries have different starbursts.

Speaker: So she glances at her fiancé and sees pure hatred directed at the guardian. But he keeps it in check. He's like, he's vibrating with anger, but he's not going to move. He can't do anything.

Speaker: And so the Voster priest stops, and the guardian goes to stand next to the prince. And Odessa sneaks a glance at May and sees a small smile that she knows is filled with time.

Speaker: Like, she's like, she's to something. Mm-hmm. um the After years of training, Mei is a deadly weapon herself and should fit in with the Turins. 100%. A bunch of warriors, though, obvi.

Speaker: Yeah. Makes sense. The king tries to get them back on track to discuss the payment for killing the Marroweels. The Voster priest stops for introductions with the floating one speaking in a surprisingly melodic voice.

Speaker: Odessa even says, it's the sound of a siren singing to sleep before they swallowed you whole. Ooh, that's like... I don't like that. So, as the turrets all turn to look at them, Margot, May, and Odessa approach the turrets.

Speaker: And as they approach, Odessa inspects the prince, who supposedly doesn't talk and finds him handsome, on i mean yet he seems disinterested and is soon to be bright. However, guardian seems to find this interaction amusing.

Speaker: Like, he's smirking. Like, he is just... He's living for this. Yeah. Yeah. Odessa's father introduces May to the prince and mentions their wedding being in three months.

Speaker: The prince then turns to the guardian and seems to have, like, a silent conversation with him. You know, bestie telephemy. Yep. ah The guardian simply turns around says, not her, before looking at Odessa and claiming the prince's savior, Odessa, that night, as a bride's eyes for killing the Marylis.

Speaker: Ugh. ah

Speaker: i'd show i was like i mean obviously like she's main character so like knew something was gonna happen but like mer yeah so moving on the room falls silent and margot grabs onto odessa's arm digging her nails into her chaos erupts as everyone begins to complain about the change the guardian just laughs at everyone's claims and odessa accidentally calls him a jackass out loud yeah it's great she's like oops tell me to say that out loud so the king calls for silence and explains that may is the agreed bride but they can move up the wedding to that night if that's the prince's wish odessa looks around kind of hoping she can find help in someone

Speaker: The prince is bored. The Voster's seem asleep. Banner's limited. Yeah. Even more so. And Margo and May are, like, mad at her. Why?

Speaker: isn't her fault. Could not tell you. The guardian is smirking still, and the king is thoughtful. Odessa's wondering if he cares that his daughter is even being bartered for. No. i don't think so. Mm-mm.

Speaker: So not wanting to know, meets the gaze of the guardian, whose eyes seem to slowly melt from silver to hazel and looks kind of malicious. Refusing to back down from his stare, he seems further amused, so she shifts her attention to the prince.

Speaker: And the prince's face is unreadable and indifferent, but she knows his gaze promises that she'll be his wife. Banner steps up to intervene, but the guardian dismisses him by explaining that Odessa will satisfy both the bride prize and the treaty.

Speaker: o um Two birds in stone, I guess. Odessa mentally laughs at the thought of her as queen, loathing most of what that entailed. yeah Prince Xavier looks at Banner as if to question his challenge to the treaty, but just dismisses him.

Speaker: Yeah, the guardian explains that the prince desires Odessa and will have her as wife. But the king explains that the shield of sparrows, the treaty of Calandra, states the king chooses a daughter to marry off and since he's the only technical king present it's up to him may seems excited to be part of a negotiation prize but odessa is angered by she's differences she's pissed so the foster priest That is the king's emissary supports this stance, but still mentions the bride prize as payment for the Marroweels.

Speaker: Yeah. The king pushes, which... We didn't kind of explain that, like... Or is that... Yeah. um That was exactly what I was about to do. The king pushes for paying in gold, and the guardian reminds them that the prince wants Odessa.

Speaker: When the floating glosser speaks up and claims that seven female marrow eels were killed, so he can request whatever he wants, including the bride of his choice. o The king argues about it, but the guardian confirms that seven were killed, and according to the chain of sevens, the prince can demand a bride prize.

Speaker: The chain of sevens sounds so ominous. It really does. Banner doesn't seem to believe in this chain of sevens, but Odessa is lost and asks for clarification. they're like same thing. Same, please.

Speaker: So her father's emissary explains that before the treaty, the ruling lords would offer whatever prize the champion requested if they brought back the head of seven female monsters.

Speaker: The floating priest further explains that it has to be seven females to alter the chain of life which will weaken the monsters. The king agrees with Banner about it being a fairy tale and refuses to send Odessa.

Speaker: So He's fighting back a little bit. yeah But the floating priest the floating speaks to the king and warns him not to dismiss old magic as archaic.

Speaker: He dis displays his power with wind and when he drops to the floor, his power seems to intensify, making the room so cold that they could freeze inside. He further explains that he was there at the binding of the chain of sevens, causing the king to bow to the foster priest, who is apparently the high priest.

Speaker: Yeah. So he old. He old, old. He big boss man. He big boss man. So Odessa is overwhelmed by everything that has happened and been shared, but the high priest confirms that she will wed Prince Xavier for the bride prize and shield of sparrows.

Speaker: Oh. So with this declaration, the room warms up, causing the ice to melt, and the king's emissary uses his magic to dry it away. Like he did with her hair. Yeah. The prince acknowledges the foster priest before turning to leave with his rangers following and the guardian being the last to leave.

Speaker: The floating priest leaves, and the king begs his advisor, Brother Dime, for help since Odessa isn't capable. Rude. Like, what do you mean capable?

Speaker: As Odessa gets a headache from this, Brother Dime tries to help her, but she pulls away from his touch. He looks at her again and then leaves the room. Odessa falls to the floor and Banner continues to whine.

Speaker: course. But her father tries to stop him. She reflects on how her father is known as the Gold King, due in part to his appearance, and we learn that Odessa doesn't have the standard amber starburst in her eyes.

Speaker: They're just solid gold. Yeah, there's no starburst in her It's kind of weird. But also like a gold eye color that's here general. yeah So most of his nickname comes from the wealth he brought Quintus ever taking over from his father.

Speaker: Odessa's grandfather was known to be lavish throw endless parties, but her father knew how to use their resources better. As Banner continues to argue, the king demands he leave, and he does, followed by all the guards.

Speaker: With just family in the room, Odessa quickly feels a knife drawn to her throat as Mae demands to know what she did. were all in the room together and she slipped in late.

Speaker: I'm so confused. So lacking the energy to deal with her, Odessa moves the blade away, but makes her on the neck. And then Odessa taunts May, who goes to attack her again, but is stopped by their father and disarmed.

Speaker: This is a crazy interaction. I'm just like, why is your sister attacking you? You obviously didn't do anything. I'm like... Yeah, like, I understand complicated sibling relationships, but like... What?

Speaker: Threatening to slice your sister's throat? What the heck? Yeah. Yeah. When her father questions her about her whereabouts, she answers with a half-truth, and her father's upset to learn that she was in the crux gallery. right Refusing to give up her secret at the cliffside, she lets the silence build until her father apologizes, using an old nickname for her, Death.

Speaker: He is unable to prevent her from going to Tura, for the Shield of Sparrows is fine with blood and magic. If she stays, he'll die. so I just want to also point out that there's never been mention of a king giving up his life to spare his daughter from this.

Speaker: Do you think that's a little weird, you know? Yeah. That's a little strange. Like, i i don't, like, hear just... No one's refusing? Yeah, no one's refusing.

Speaker: Which, mean, like, I get it. It's, like, to uphold the treaty and, like, the peace, whatever. But, like, also, if there happen to be other kings' daughters, like... Yeah. Why? we learned that the shield of bureaus is mostly a trade agreement but that the original rulers they need a stronger incentive to cooperate hence ah marriage before every migration a generation a princess would be married off to another country son this a lot of eandra five nine rocks migration months of devastation and destruction by these

Speaker: eagle-like monsters Her father kind of brings her back to the present by explaining that she has to find the way into Alasaria, Tura's hidden capital, before summer's end so that she can tell him how he can infiltrate it.

Speaker: What? Unfortunately, breaking the treaty this way would also result in her father's death, not to mention cause war. He urges her to send one of her lady's maids back home with a message about the capital's location.

Speaker: Crazy. Okay. So she also must learn any information she can about the guardian and kill him or at least learn about his powers okay but also like you're expecting her to what even expecting may to have done this this is crazy it's the guardian everyone literally says he's more ghost than that he's the god of death incarnate yeah so hoping for support from margo But only finding anger and saying May getting closer to her knife, Odessa asks her father if he planned at all.

Speaker: And he points out that Banner's legion could have easily handed handled and that they pretended to have sailors go missing to help sell their need for Tura's aid. Which, like, that's so messed up. So sketchy.

Speaker: He's a sketch. Yeah. He is a sketch person. Mm-hmm. He couldn't wait until the agreed wedding date, though, as it's too close to the Crux migration. Based on limited information, the capital is in the mountains and would be hard to navigate in the winter.

Speaker: Her father needs to know where it is now he can find something hidden there. Refusing to share more details, he only mentions that it's his only chance at stopping the Crux. And, like, I'm sorry, but give her all the information you have so that she can do with it the best she can.

Speaker: Mm-hmm. Help a sister out. Yeah. Help a daughter out, man. Yeah. Her father also states that treaties can be broken without it leading to his death, but won't share any more details of his plan. Like, come on, dude.

Speaker: Odessa wonders how he knew about Prince Xavier attending, and he shares that it was an educated guess, but they didn't anticipate the bride rise. He had hoped to convince the prince to marry May sooner in order for more supplies.

Speaker: Yeah. So Odessa asks if they thought that May was a spy. leading them select her as the bride instead. But her father just shares that it doesn't matter because they can't refuse the treaty.

Speaker: May wishes Odessa hadn't been present and Odessa begins to worry about her ability to complete her father's requests. She's no warrior, spy, nor assassin. right Repeating back her orders to her father, she realizes she'll never return to Quintus.

Speaker: Her father then turns to Margo and tells her to prep Odessa for the wedding that night. Oh, my God. Jeez. So Margot tries to find a blue dress for Odessa to wear at the wedding, but obviously all of regresive are all of her dresses are gray.

Speaker: So Brielle, one of her lady's mates, is trying to complete the task given to her, while the other, Jocelyn, is off getting contraceptive tea for the trip. They'll have to have the wedding and pack everything tonight, which is kind of insane.

Speaker: So Odessa is primped and pampered, although rushed, and looks beautiful. Margot warns Odessa to wash sparingly as the dye powder will run out like in her hair, and she'll need to get more once she arrives in Tura.

Speaker: Yeah, like, okay, that's your priorities? That's your priority. You'd rather have the hair stay brown than have her not stink? Yeah, okay. Odessa notices all her belongings fit in three trunks, and she wishes she could take some of the books, but that they were too far to get in time. Aw.

Speaker: which like same girl, I'd want to bring books. Brielle brings a dress as close to blue as possible, but it honestly looks more white. That's the color that they buried the dead in. I love this. It's like the funeral dress color. Yeah.

Speaker: Before Margo can say no, Odessa agrees to it. She's like, i'm out of my death, basically. Yeah. After making a snide comment about May, Margo calls Odessa dramatic, and then they hear May destroying her room next door in a fit of rage. She's literally destroying it. Yeah. And she's I guess she can just move into my room after.

Speaker: Well, she's done destroying that one. Yeah. So Margot dismisses Brielle and tries to talk to Odessa about her wedding night. Odessa shares that she's been with someone before but remembers like a stable boy, not Banner. Not her fiancé. Yeah.

Speaker: So Margot continues on to say that powerful men have stronger appetites and that she'll need to keep the prince entertained so that he doesn't become suspicious of her. I'm sorry. sorry is This is so weird. Stop talking. Coming from a stepmom, it's so weird. It really is.

Speaker: We learn that Tura is very secretive, especially after the last crux destroyed their capital city. They never rebuilt it and instead put their capital in a new location, which no one knows of, which is Alisaria.

Speaker: And none of the other kings know anything about the new capital of Tura, but they couldn't refuse the treaty. So this explains all of May's training from a young age. She'd be the first to enter the country who can communicate back.

Speaker: Ugh. However, this has now all fallen on Odessa. Jeez. She asks to see her brother, Artie, before she leaves, and Margot agrees. Well, that's good. Once she's truly alone, Odessa sneaks into her closet where she found the hidden compartment years ago as a child.

Speaker: When she found the compartment, she found the necklace inside. And back to the current date, and she pulls out her valuables, the necklace in a journal that has drawings of some of her family. The necklace is described as being a wing of silver and laid in a circle of gold,

Speaker: but that the gold had a red and orange tint to it and was as bright as the harvest moon. It's just such a pretty description. So Odessa had never been able to figure out the symbol of the necklace.

Speaker: So she hides the necklace in her dress and she kind of feels it warm against her skin. And she doesn't know if it's just like symbolically warm or if like the metal or whatever it is actually even warm. Yeah.

Speaker: May enters the room and they have like somewhat sisterly chat. Yeah. And she forces a hug on May. And Odessa realizes that she always give hugs to May and Arthie to make sure that they knew love. Yeah. That's so sweet. A little sad.

Speaker: She makes May promise to continue giving Arthie hugs once she's gone. and we learn that Arthie's only three. and the margot That Margo and the king struggled to conceive, but that they had a son before he could remarry for a male heir.

Speaker: Lord, Yeah, I'm like, hmm, that's pretty ah convenient timing there. You have to bring it with a male air. Yeah, right? So May switches into spy mode and gives Odessa advice about stepping into this role.

Speaker: Their father, Anne Pierce, closely followed by Margo, and comments on the lack of glue in her dress. Kind of reprimanding Margo about it, too. Her father cuts her hand and fills the vial with her blood, corks it, and then hurriedly wraps her hand.

Speaker: Odessa steals the last view of her home and wishes she had stayed in the water that morning to be carried away and devoured by monsters. I'm like, dude, it's your wedding day, not your funeral. Jesus. I mean, it kind of is.

Speaker: ah Yeah, but also, i mean, and she's wearing a white dress, which is for funeral, so guess. It's death to her life in Pontus, basically. mean, yes. But also, she was just complaining about how she wanted it. Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker: wanted to like So going into chapter seven, Odessa is escorted into the sanctuary by her father and followed by Margo, May, and the guards. The sanctuary is hidden in the rocks beneath the castle as a safe place for people during the migration.

Speaker: Despite it being a royal wedding, the only other people in the sanctuary are the two foster priests. Yeah, like instead of like a cantonate thing, it's just hidden in a cave. Yeah. When Odessa asks her father about this, he tells her there's no ceremony, just the signing of the treaty and marriage decree.

Speaker: That's a bummer. Yeah. As her father goes to speak with the high priest, Odessa brushes against May and notices hidden knives in her gown. May taunts her a little before their father lets the doors be opened to admit the Turin's.

Speaker: As they enter, May worries about Odessa's safety on this mission. The Guardian enters last and is smirking. I'm sick of it. sick of his smirk. I love it. um love I love it. I'm annoyed.

Speaker: May wipe it off his face. This causes Odessa to fantasize about poisoning him, actually. so sorry. But Odessa approaches the platform after being summoned by her father and she sees the shield of sparrows on the table.

Speaker: Xavier steps up and begins to read the treaty and Odessa tries to follow along. Yep. We learn that the treaty requires the five countries to offer a king or prince a sparrow each generation.

Speaker: The brides are called sparrows after the first bride. The first bride was from Tura and Odessa wonders what they teach about her in, you know, back in Tura. Yeah. Noticing her distraction, her father urges her to continue and she reads the laws that blind husband and wife.

Speaker: Neither can kill the other directly or indirectly. directly or indirectly without death befalling them both. Ooh. That's very ominous. I love it. So the magic of the Voster priests that sealed the treaty keeps the bloody signatures of the original rulers fresh. Ooh.

Speaker: Yeah. Odessa notes that the treaty uses vague language, which makes it hard to understand and causes the kings of each country to be on their best behavior. Like, it's hard to interpret, so they got to kind of, like, play by the rules.

Speaker: They have to kind of, like, beyond their best behavior so that they don't accidentally like cross the line. Yeah. So getting nervous that she's at the end, she reviews the list of previous kings and sparrows and asks, what happens when there's no more room on the page? Will you move signatures to the back? yeah Me.

Speaker: I'm sorry. i That was my very first question. was like, it's a long page and it's getting to the end. And I'm like, ah yeah. what Do they just, do they keep growing? like This girl has from so many questions.

Speaker: I love it. Odessa looks around at everyone and the guardian begins to laugh, but her fiercest glare just makes him laugh more. i love him. I know you don't. ah This is like the first time in a while we disagree on this.

Speaker: We disagree on this. The high priest calls for it to begin and Xavier faces Odessa with a small smile. They clasp hands and make their vows with Odessa panicking only a little and the guardian speaking for Prince Xavier. Mm-hmm.

Speaker: The high priest produces a quill and they use their blood to sign their names to the treaty. He then seals the treaty with magic and leaves with Brother Dime shortly after. Xavier stares ahead as the king offers a wedding feast, but the prince declines.

Speaker: Xavier brushes a small kiss on Odessa's cheek before leaving with his rangers. Unsure if she should follow, she steps off the platform and head back to her rooms when the Guardian's laugh makes her stop.

Speaker: He taunts her about rushing to Xavier's bed, which shocks Margo before he tells Odessa that they're leaving at dawn the next day. So, dawn has broken, Odessa is at the dock, exhausted and hungry after a night of spy lessons from her father.

Speaker: Wondering where everyone is, Odessa gets a little emotional, but is comforted by her necklace. Unable to wait any longer, she goes for a little walk with a guard following behind. Running into locals, she tries to greet them and be friendly, but they all seem put off by her status.

Speaker: Like... mean, she's wearing her crown. Yeah. Yeah. A little bit. Her favorite paper man shop is closed and she reflects on having her favorite stories and hopes that Tura will have something similar. i hope, man.

Speaker: As more people stay away from her, she thinks about tossing her crown into the ocean or leaving the jewels scattered across Tura. Yeah. She overhears a couple of men talking about the marrow eels, so she follows them to get a close-up look.

Speaker: Yeah, they're giant blue monsters with a white bone sticking out from their head, five rows of sharp teeth and four eyes. The other people looking at them notice her and leave, so she gets even closer.

Speaker: She goes to touch one of the scales and it cuts her, and the Guardian warns her about how sharp they are. She scrutinizes the Guardian as he approaches and talks about the Merrill Eels, noticing that he seems oddly similar to the Boss surprise, like kind of gives off that like...

Speaker: energy not necessarily like she doesn't like feel the pain of like the magic that she does around the monsters but she feels like something a presence uh which he also like just snuck up on her yeah like i don't know i just remember She remembers her father going on and on about needing to understand his powers as well.

Speaker: He mocks her crown and believes her trunks to be full of crowns and jewelry, but she just turns and leaves. He stops her and taunts her some more, but she fires back as she hopes the Guardian can forget about her as she doesn't want to be associated with a killer.

Speaker: The Guardian continues to taunt her about her sleepless night, but then turns around to make her approach the ship. But she trips. Yep, my girl. Yep.

Speaker: And he grabs her arm where Margot had gripped her yesterday during the meeting. It's still a little sore, so she whimpers, and he seems to let go instantly. And he's like, oh, I'm sorry. Are you hurt?

Speaker: you know like Yeah, she's like, it's funny. Yeah. When she asks if he just wants to embarrass her, and he gives a non-answer, she says she's trapped between two monsters. Yeah.

Speaker: they He asks about her arm, but she dismisses it, and he goes to adjust her hair, dropping it after noticing the smell of the dye. Yep. He turns to leave and snaps at her to follow as she imagines throwing him I love this.

Speaker: Right into the chapter. Right. So her family comes to say goodbye at the docks and she slows her approach as she notices them. The guardian moves onto the ship and she's kind unable to move.

Speaker: Panicking over the possibility of failure, her father notices she's frozen and Mae kind of seems to soften up to her. Sorry.

Speaker: She comes over to Odessa and compliments her before telling her not to cry. You're ugly when you cry. Sisters. but Of course. Giving more last minute advice, Odessa realizes that May knows about their father's plan, yet she knows less and is the one supposed to spy for them. Yeah.

Speaker: May tries to comfort her and Odessa notices the guardian's eyes on them, looking intense and hoping he couldn't hear them. I mean, could smell the dye, which is like that smell lingers after like an hour of it being on, so she wouldn't smell anymore.

Speaker: So like. Yep. So Margo gives Odessa a hug and some comforting words, but Arthi isn't there. And this really upsets Odessa. He didn't get a chance to see him. That's so upsetting. To goodbye her three-year-old brother. Like.

Speaker: Yeah. Her father steps forward so that he can have a moment, surprising Odessa by sharing that her mother would be disappointed in him for this. He doesn't talk about her. So like, it's surprising that he kind of mentions her.

Speaker: Hmm. He reminds her of her tasks and she questions him about her plans, but he won't tell her more. Like let a girl in on the plan if you're going to think it's going to work.

Speaker: Yeah, like, you can't operate successfully with just little bare-bones information. Exactly. He does share, though, that he doesn't intend to die anytime soon when Odessa is worried about him breaking the treaty.

Speaker: He regrets allowing Margot to dye Odessa's hair as it was red like her mother's. They turn to face the ship, and he urges Odessa on, alone. She's helped aboard, and the ship is soon in motion.

Speaker: Her lady's mate Brielle approaches her and takes her to Jocelyn to be out of the way. At the railing, Odessa learns that they're sharing a room that Jocelyn's been preparing. Brielle tries to ask about Odessa's wedding night, and she shares that she's not going to be with him until he requests I love it.

Speaker: Sassy. Queen. They notice a crowd gathering at the docks, and Jocelyn points out her mother. Brielle wasn't able to see her family as they were too far. She could only send a letter home. She apologizes to Brielle, realizing how much his treaty has disrupted, but Brielle doesn't blame her.

Speaker: Yeah. Odessa tries to memorize the details of her room and the tower as the ship pulls away. It's like sad, man. So Jocelyn waves her mother as she cries on the docks and Odessa vows to find a way to get her back home.

Speaker: The royal family leaves, soon followed by most of the remaining crowd, but Jocelyn's mother remains. She's like the last one waving. It's so sad.

Speaker: Yeah. So, unable to watch the emotional moment, Odessa looks out at her cliffside. She sees a lone rider and knows that it's Banner. So she raises her hand to him and he waves back.

Speaker: Odessa stays at the railing, even after Brielle and Jocelyn go below, until she can only see the water. Xavier sneaks up and mentions that she'll need new clothes. Apparently most women wore pants in Tura.

Speaker: Love that. yeah Odessa comments that he can speak and he shares that he chooses when to speak. Okay. Okay. Okay.

Speaker: She hands him her crown after he calls her by her new name, Odessa Wolf, and she walks away. And she hears, like, a splash. So she thinks she hears it go overboard. Which, I mean, hey, she was literally just talking about throwing it the ocean. So... You can't really be upset about it.

Speaker: Hmm?

Speaker: So the next chapter, chapter 10, they're struggling with their first night aboard. Odessa notices that the name of the ship, Cutter, is like etched into everything. Unable to sleep with the sun shining in their cabin the next morning, Odessa goes to get dressed and notices a pile of clothes inside the door, which she swears she lost.

Speaker: Yeah. Realizing the clothes include pants and boots, she opts out of losing the last bit of her identity and wears one of her gray dresses. Yeah. As she puts on her necklace, she feels grounded, more centered on the ship.

Speaker: She looks at her reflection and then shoves the pile of clothes in a corner. Odessa leaves her ladies' mates asleep below and comes to the upper deck, noticing that everything has been stored in the other ships, the cannon and cleaver, are sailing nearby.

Speaker: As she's enjoying the sun and ocean breeze, the guardian slips up and taunts her. He asks for the clothes he left, and she gets angry with him for coming into their room while they were asleep. He calls out her snoring.

Speaker: It's just a teasing. I think it's just cute. I don't know. i get by it. I know you do. I can take a little bit of teasing, but not constant teasing. Yeah. she can escape and go back to her room, the Guardian leaps up to the side of the ship and swims over to the cleaver.

Speaker: Okay, this man is Middle of the ocean. Okay, got it. So Xavier points out where the Guardian is in the water and greets Odessa. He chats with her about their journey, asking if she's ever made the crossing before.

Speaker: When she tells him no, he warns her that it'll be difficult, but she knows it's the safest route to Tura from Quintus due to Quintus' location. Yeah, it's like smaller, like the back end. So otherwise you'd have to ride all the way through all the other countries.

Speaker: And there's like a big mountain in between too. Mm-hmm. So Odessa learns that Xavier left with six ships and lost them due to the marrow eels and a storm. Hoping that it'll be safer now that they killed seven marrow eels, Xavier tries to, like, comfort her about this. Yeah, he's like, yeah.

Speaker: He's like, we haven't seen that many a long time. Like, we actually sought out those. Yeah. Yeah. He reveals that they baited the marrow eels in order to kill them and that they actually rarely attacked. Odessa tries to ask Xavier why he picked her to marry, but he just kind of ignores her.

Speaker: He speaks when he wants. Yeah, well, yeah. But, like, come on, man, that's a direct question. right Something I feel like she deserves to have the answer to Agreed. He warns her instead that they'll still have a long journey once they land in Tura. Odessa points out that Quintus has never sent a sparrow Tura before, but that's how it's turned out this generation.

Speaker: Yeah, and Xavier admits that the last pharaoh in Tera was over 100 years ago and that the bride didn't stay long. Odessa didn't know the brides could leave, but Xavier clarifies that there's a price leaving their child or children behind.

Speaker: so yeah obviously air you know, you know. He explained that he's trying to prepare her that Tera is different from Quintus, and she retorts that he should have picked May if he wanted the strongest bride.

Speaker: She asks why he pretends to not speak, and he reveals that people think it's a weakness, but it's more advantageous for him to stay quiet. He explains, Furen's a little deterrence, as his reasoning for trusting her with his secret.

Speaker: She didn't tell Brielle or Jocelyn and decides she likes knowing his secret. Aww. She tries to ask again why he chose her even asking, you desire me? And he gently tells her that she's beautiful.

Speaker: ah soft no. Like, okay She trails off when asking if she'll ever consummate the marriage and Xavier walks away. like Again, bro, what?

Speaker: Yeah. She reconsiders throwing herself off the ship and or learning from Xavier to be quiet. Fair. Yeah. Bible choices. Yes. Chapter 11, Odessa shocks her lady's maids by finally wearing the touring clothes, even the pants.

Speaker: She's most kind of putting them on out of boredom and curiosity. She's tired of looking at them. And she's surprised to find that they're more comfortable and less restrictive than expected. love it. Odessa reflects that Xavier's warning was accurate.

Speaker: The crossing has been dangerous due to storms so far. She heads up on deck to enjoy the beautiful weather, finally, and pulls Brielle along while they wait for Jocelyn to find them. Feeling instant relief, breathing in the ocean air, she notices that the crew normally ignores her, all seems to be staring at them.

Speaker: She thinks it's Brielle, but she isn't up yet, so they're all looking at you, boo. like But before she can return below to change, the Guardian stops her with a taunt about her clothes.

Speaker: But she states that she's wearing them for Xavier since he sent them to her. And Brielle arrives on deck, but is cut off when she falls into Odessa after the ship is rocked. The Guardian leaps into action to get the men ready to face Amarowil, and the ladies turn to go below.

Speaker: But he stops them and tells them to sit down and hold tight. Before he leaves them, Odessa notices his eyes change from green to silver. Brielle is hiding over by some stairs, but Odessa hasn't moved yet.

Speaker: Jocelyn isn't with them, and Odessa goes to find her, but faces men rushing from below to come fight. ah Jocelyn is right behind them, though, and Odessa pushes her to Brielle in relative safety by the stairs.

Speaker: As she goes to join them, the merrow eel strikes the ship again, making her fall, sliding to the railing on the ship. So then boat rides itself and the monster returns to the water. As the men grab more spears, the ship is lifted by the merrow eel and Dessa is knocked back into the railing and then sent crashing into the water.

Speaker: She's like, her back is going, she's like smacks on the railing. Mm-hmm. So pulling herself to the surface, the guardian yells for her to swim as the boat sails on. Despite the sailor's attempt to slow down, she knows she'll never catch up.

Speaker: And feeling the fatigue kind of start to set in the guardian throws a harpoon at Odessa and it lands in the water near her. She grabs onto to it and the men aboard pull her along by the rope attached.

Speaker: Getting closer to the cutter, she feels something sharp brush up against her leg and feels instant fear. The Guardian stops the men and focuses beyond her with another harpoon raise. At the last second, the Guardian commands the men to yank her onto the ship, which draws the Marail from the water allowing him to spear it as Odessa crashes aboard.

Speaker: The crew reels in the monster as Odessa is comforted by Brielle and Jocelyn. The cleaver approaches their ship and Xavier jumps aboard to survey the chaos. Finding Odessa safe, Xavier turns to one of his men who was injured in the attack.

Speaker: The guardian sends her ladies away and tells Odessa to follow his orders. In a very patronizing way, in my opinion. Yeah. But she tells him no, surprising them both. She clarifies that she'll follow his orders when it comes to hers or others' safety, but that she's not going to humiliate herself because you deem me insignificant.

Speaker: She turns away but stops to thank him for saving her life. Gotta be respectful, you know? That's true. The next chapter is you know, she had a restless night of ah sleep due to ship repairs, keeping her up, and, like, nightmare flashbacks. Yeah.

Speaker: Odessa's greeted by the monster's carcass hanging up the next morning. Oh, good. Brielle refuses to leave the room, and Jocelyn's, like, only leaving for food. Refusing to let her fear win, she strides along the deck and approaches the monster, noting that the stench is worse than her hair dye.

Speaker: The guardian appears and offers her food as she notices his eyes are hazel. He then goes to empty out the bucket of blood beneath it, and Odessa sees that it's a dark green instead of red. And it's green like the Voster priest's eyes.

Speaker: Interesting. Interesting. asking about the blood being different from the females that were killed on their trip to Quintus, and then wonders at her miraculous survival. Like, oh my God, it's been through so much.

Speaker: She then asks why he didn't jump in to save when he's such a fast swimmer, but he taunts her and she ends up thanking him again for his help. And their little relationship I think is cute. So instead of disposing of the body, they're going to harvest the scales from the marrow whale since they're valuable.

Speaker: Like they're... pretty strong when making a smart comment about monsters the guardian warns indessa that some monsters were made she changes the topic to ask after her husband and is again taunted by the guardian here her response is overheard by xavier who admits he stays on her ship but was training with his rangers on the cleaver during the attack as a prince inspects the monster's body odessa says that she wants a sword to be able to protect herself The Guardian hands over his sword and makes her hold it at his neck.

Speaker: Yeah, and it's much heavier than expected, and she struggles, while also thinking about how easy it would be to kill him right now. Xavier tells her she can drop it to prevent hurting herself, but she stubbornly refuses.

Speaker: As she's about to drop it, the Guardian knocks it out of her hand, catches it, and then points it at her throat. He has a silent discussion with Xavier and agrees to get her a sword. Excited at her wind and standing up for herself, she realizes she's been keeping herself hidden below and goes to turn around when she overhears Xavier and the Guardian speaking.

Speaker: Yeah, she was like on her way below decks. Xavier is worried about something spreading and arming Odessa. He's like, we're concerned. The Guardian kind of agrees and Xavier is aware that Odessa is going to try to kill the Guardian.

Speaker: Kind of points that out. They walk away and Odessa retreats to her rooms, continuing to hide. Yep. So into chapter 13, Odessa wakes to the sound of birds, reminding her of home so much.

Speaker: She forgets that she's on a ship. Like she hears those and she's like, oh, I was transported back. But she quickly realizes that if there are birds, land must be nearby. So rushing to get ready and go outside, Odessa notices another pile of turin clothes inside their locked door. Yeah.

Speaker: She'd kept herself in a room after hearing the conversation between the guardian and friend Xavier, suspecting her of killing him. So Riel tries to stop her from wearing pants again, but Odessa points out that she wouldn't have survived the Merrill Hill attack if she had been in a dress. Yeah, she would not have been swim. Exactly.

Speaker: Leaving them in the room, Odessa goes up and notices the monster's body is gone. She asks the sailor how far from land, and he says nothing, but stares at her, until he points to the bow with his chin.

Speaker: making Odessa wonder if the crew was told not to talk to her. yeah Weaving her way through the crew and making it to the front, she only sees water and the guardian appears, mentioning his delivery. His eyes are green today and she comments that he needs a shave.

Speaker: He hands over one of his knives and bares his throat, offering her a chance or a test. Refusing to shave him, I'm not your valet, lol. He states that they're beginning to training with small weapons.

Speaker: She realizes that the guardian will be training her and regretting not taking her chance earlier. Her goal is to keep hold of the knife and as she backs away, she almost rolls her ankle. Maybe we should have started with something simpler, like walking.

Speaker: But she's still adjusting to these new boots. Yeah. She's normally in slippers. Yeah. He moves quickly and she falls without the knife. Odessa gets back up and wants to try again, refusing to quit.

Speaker: But the guardian suggests getting into the right stance and then begins. Mm-hmm. So avoiding tripping over herself as she did before, the guardian trips her himself and takes her knife.

Speaker: He ends training for the day as he tells her to break in the boots. Yep. Odessa asks if the guardian has a real name. But he says he will only tell her if she earns it. He also says that he will never trust her.

Speaker: Okay. She wonders if there's something wrong with her that no one seems to trust her, but realizes that no one has ever really had faith in her. Because of this, she's determined to fulfill her father's request and get as much information as possible back to him.

Speaker: She walks laps around the ship, wondering about her home in Quintus, when Xavier approaches to let her know he'll be in tourism. Okay. He asks about the training session and notes that Odessa seems sad, but she's just homesick.

Speaker: She goes below to get packed up and soon arrive at Thura. The Guardian is staring at the land like it's a battlefield, which kind of worries Odessa, but she directs Brielle and Jocelyn to board the rowboat that will take them aboard.

Speaker: The Guardian appears at her side, and Odessa hopes that this is where they part ways, but he only says, not yet. Welcome to Thura, my queen. Hmm. The next chapter, they are rowed towards land and Brielle and Jocelyn are tense, obviously being on a boat again.

Speaker: Xavier is back to being quiet and Odessa promises Jocelyn that they'll return home, despite never wanting to go on a ship again. you Right. Odessa notices that the only trunks on the beach are theirs.

Speaker: The turns all seem to pack light. She can't seem to find the guardian on land and Brielle wonders if there's ah even a city nearby. They get off the boat and follow Xavier to his rangers waiting for them. Odessa looks back and sees their things being moved and spots the Guardian emerging from the ocean, then speaking with the High Priest.

Speaker: Oh, good. She wonders at the relationship if that's where the Guardian's powers come from and then sees that the High Priest is carrying the Shield of Sparrow's Treaty.

Speaker: in a case with him. she wondered She wonders if that's her father's plan, to destroy all the treaties in order to fight the power over the kings. i priest blus all and The and guardian approaches as they're walking through the grass.

Speaker: and Ignoring her attraction to the guardian, Odessa overhears something about the king's militia, but is unable to learn more. She hears horses as they reach the top of the grassy slope.

Speaker: The wagons waiting for them are loaded, and Odessa hopes that she can blend in, but others seem to stare at her, Brielle and Jocelyn, either for standing out in dresses or being known as Xavier's wife already.

Speaker: A woman approaches and grates Xavier and Odessa by calling her Princess Odessa Wolf. Odessa begs her to drop the formalities, and Xavier allows it. The woman introduces herself as Tilia and asks the ladies to fill a satchel each with items they'll need for the journey as the wagons are often delayed.

Speaker: As Brayle and Jocelyn go off to fill their bag, Odessa asks Xavier Tilia and everyone in Turin knows they can speak. When she learns that not every turn, just a few notice, she pretends that she told Brielle.

Speaker: Xavier calls her bluff, knowing she's trying earn his trust, realizing how bad it should be as a spy. She goes to fill her bag with just her journal and a backup dress, leaving everything else behind.

Speaker: Xavier leads her... leads her to their horses, and she realizes that she won't be traveling with Grielle and Jocelyn. They mount their horses and ride towards trees, leaving behind a beach that reminds her of home.

Speaker: ah guardian races by with some ranges following him and odessa braces The Guardian races by with some following him, and Odessa braces herself for her duties good.

Speaker: to save for people by finding the road to lsar and god Mm-hmm. moving into chapter fifteen odessa is kind of struggling with this long ride on the horse they rode through the night covered in the darkness of the trees led by the guardian he could kind of see the path somehow having been terrified through the night odosa had bright had prayed alma and ala the stars in their children the sick made up the shades in between learn a little bit more about them okay yeah So shortly after dawn, the trees fade away to an open plain and Odessa wonders how long he'll stop while glaring at the guardian.

Speaker: Yeah. Sensing her stare, he turns back and then urges his horse faster. Before she can follow after him and other rangers, Xavier explains that they're setting up camp. He further explains that the area is filled with grizzers who can't see well in the dark, which is why they traveled at night. Makes sense.

Speaker: The plane reminds her of home, yet she remembers that Tura is the largest country in Kalendra. She studies maps of Tura, yet can't seem to make sense of where she is. Failing to make light conversation with Xavier, she turns to look back and sees Brielle asleep in her saddle, with Tilia at her side to ensure that she doesn't fall.

Speaker: Odessa silently thanks her. Love this. Unable to fall asleep in the saddle, Odessa kept herself awake, trying to memorize any landmarks. As they come up on a wagon, Brielle is awake and Jocelyn soon joins her, and Odessa sees many tents in a circle of campfires already set up.

Speaker: When they dismount, Tilia takes their horses and Xavier apologizes for the long ride, noticing Odessa's stiffness. Jocelyn approaches to check on Odessa and Xavier leaves. Jocelyn goes to take care of her and escort her to her tent, where Odessa finds bathtub waiting for her.

Speaker: Trying to regain feeling in her legs, the guardian comes up and pulls her braid, so childish, and taunts her. Entering her tent, the Guardian follows her, offering to help with her hair.

Speaker: The Guardian informs her that they'll have a short break here before continuing to write on. Oh, and they'll train tomorrow at dawn. Yay. After some inappropriate comments when Odessa asks to speak with Xavier, the Guardian's eyes change from hazel to green, and then they're interrupted by Brielle.

Speaker: The guardian leaves and Brielle warns Odessa that he's dangerous. Finally sneaking into the tub to relax her sore muscles, Odessa tells Brielle to lay down while they wait for Jocelyn to return with food. Brielle comments that she thinks the Turins don't want them to know where they are as they don't trust them.

Speaker: As she tries to fall asleep in the warmth of the tub, roar works through camp. oh So Odessa is unable to sleep, waiting for another roar and worrying she imagined the first one.

Speaker: Brielle cuddles closer to her in bed and she realizes she doesn't really know much about her companion. Yeah. She's like, did she leave behind a lover or friend? Yeah. Was she cuddling close to? She never really had friends except for those that hung around due to her status.

Speaker: Odessa hates bakers and liars, so she would only stay at parties long enough to have her presence noted enough to please her father and Margo. Hoping that Brielle and Jocelyn can be her friends here in Tura, Jocelyn enters the tent with food and Odessa says she'll eat before walking around camp.

Speaker: She wanders through camp, falling falling to the edge of campfires surrounding camp. Tilia approaches and Odessa realizes that she has another shadow.

Speaker: Tilia informs her that they'll move on to Elder next after their break. Trying to learn more about the land, she asks if they'll resupply an elder before continuing on to Alessaria. Tilia gives a vague answer and leaves once the guardian appears again behind Odessa. yeah Refusing to be kept away in her tent, she continues to explore the camp.

Speaker: As she tires from her exploration, she stops at a fire and the guardian comes to stand next to her. She asks about the roar and the guardian explains that it was a grizzer. Odessa asks to see the body since she's never seen one before and wants to know what she's up against.

Speaker: He walks off with her, running to keep up behind him. By the time they reach it, she's winded but also startled by the size of the monster. The monster looks truly terrifying with long spikes along its spine and a huge mouthful rows of teeth.

Speaker: This pushes her to ask for a sword again. The guardian tells her to rest and that they'll train tomorrow. He leaves her and she stays with the monster's body for a bit longer before heading back to camp.

Speaker: She hears horses coming by and sees Xavier leaving with some rangers. The guardian's close behind. Finally, finding her tent, she lays down in bed and ignores the next roar when it comes later that night.

Speaker: Whew. So the next morning, Odessa is starting her first training session with the Guardian, and they are alone on the training area, which is a grassy, makeshift circle where warriors trained.

Speaker: Training ensues, and the Guardian tells her to get into her fighting stance with the two short swords that he had given her earlier. When the guardian comes to a stop in the center of the circle, he starts to basically insult her, saying that she's too short and slow to outrun any monster opponent.

Speaker: When one of the best back and forth happens, and I think, it starts with Odessa saying, thanks, and I was certain I wouldn't earn any compliments from you today. And the guardian responds, praises for the bedroom cross, not the training ring. Ooh, spicy, spicy.

Speaker: I love it. Odessa, understandably, gets flustered by this, but quickly remembers that she is married to another man. Yes. Odessa suggests they move on, and training continues.

Speaker: The Guardian instructs her to go for the enemy's weak spots. He goes on to say that for the monsters... Her best bet is to wound it somehow and then run and hide. But for a man, go for the kill. While Odessa holds the knife, the guardian raises it to his ribs, protected by leather armor, and tells her how to effectively kill someone and asks if she can handle that.

Speaker: Odessa responds, don't tempt me. And he gets annoyed and asks if she can actually kill someone, in which she responds, if I must. And after she realizes he's testing her, because she could easily attempt to kill him now, she isn't sure if she could take anyone's life, he's ah even his.

Speaker: And then actual training begins. Right. So it starts to rain, but this doesn't cut the session short. Training was hell and Odessa was exhausted, but she wasn't going to stop. Not until he stopped the training. He continues to push her harder and harder, not giving her a chance to recover when she would go down.

Speaker: She could feel herself getting slower and losing the hold on her knives. He knocks one out of her hand and he becomes angry and continues to push her to not drop them and not fall.

Speaker: He's like getting really... worked up about it. Yeah. So as he lunges again, Odessa falls right over her feet. He points the sword at her face and picks up the curl with the tip of his sword.

Speaker: She notices that the dye in her hair is washing out and that she must look like a complete mess, like covered in mud, covered in everything, bruises, nasty. He lets the curl fall and asks if she was ready to quit and she responds, never. Love it.

Speaker: They reposition in the middle of the ring. He had instructs her to move to the side since her instinct is to retreat. and then create an opening for a attack. When he attacks again, she retreats backwards but doesn't fall, and he gets more mad and tells her to attack.

Speaker: As she's backing away, her back comes closer and closer to a fire at the edge of the ring. She sidesteps the strike, since she has nowhere else to go, and she attempts to stab at him. As she stabs blindly, her knife slides off his leather cuff, with which he explains is grizzerhide.

Speaker: She attempts to ask questions about it, but he cuts her off to continue to fight. At this point, they start arguing. He comes at her kind of saying she needs to be ready to be queen of Tura. But she says she doesn't want to be queen.

Speaker: And then he lays into her. saying her family would forget her, how her father gave her away so easily, how May put on a show and is probably already sleeping with her fiancé, a fiancé who would just let her go and not being able to say goodbye to her little brother.

Speaker: yeah Like, And and she, the quote, not a single blow he'd landed today hit harder. Yeah. That was so uncalled for. Completely. And so she becomes livid.

Speaker: And the Guardians the Death said that she uses that rage and anger to fight. He tosses his sword to the side and motions her to attack him while he's unarmed. She lunges towards him. However, he dodges her every move.

Speaker: He pushes her more and she doesn't stop attacking. She comes close to cutting his neck, though, but, you know, still misses. As she is flailing with her knives, one flies out of her grip, and she drops to her knees.

Speaker: He tells her to get up, but she feels hopeless. As he tells her to get up again, getting impatient, another voice chimes in and tells him, enough. Xavier picks up her knife, heads towards her, crouching down to give it her the knife.

Speaker: But her arms were so weak, all she could do was look at it. Yeah. Aww. Xavier frowns, stands, and tells the guardian again, enough. And the guardian tries to say she isn't done, but Xavier who says he decides when it's enough.

Speaker: And there's a moment of tension between the two men, like they're kind of looking at each other like, who's going to concede? But the guardian concedes and grabs his sword and leaves. Xavier asks if Odessa is hurt and then helps her up as he tells her that he came to tell her that he will be leaving for Paris to attend to business. Mm-hmm.

Speaker: She asks if she's going, but he says it isn't safe and that she will be traveling with Tilia and the others. He tells her to get some rest because the journey will be rough, and then he says goodbye. She arrives at her tent with a drawn bath waiting and an apple.

Speaker: but Okay. Yeah, we know who left that. Shut up. I hate them. Chapter 18.

Speaker: The next morning, everyone's getting ready for the trek, packing bags and saddling horses. Now, Odessa and the group have settled into into a new campsite, tucked beside a rocky outcropping after a punishing day of travel.

Speaker: Their previous larger camp has been consolidated. There's only 12 fires remain. And each are guarded by three men. it's like almost 40 guys in total. Yeah. Making the perimeter smaller, but intensely vigilant.

Speaker: While trying to rest, Odessa listens to the ominous clicks echoing in the dark. Signals from nearby Beowulf packs. The area is kind of charged with fear and uncertainty.

Speaker: Suddenly, a massive briser charges the camp. In the chaos, as warriors brace, the beloved guardian... who was previously absent, returns, drenched in blood, wielding his sword, and he has slain the Grizzer and holds bloodied beast's corpse at the camp's edge. Okay. Love it.

Speaker: Odessa watches him approach, then sees him quietly check on her, asking if she is all right and ordering that she rest before the dawn departure. odessa also notices a subtle private moment between tillia and the guardian she's resting her forehead against his chest his hand on her heart something that stirs a mixture of jealousy and confusion and odessa at dawn the camp breaks and they ride past the corpse of the slain grizzer milky white eyes green tinched blood and foam at the mouth to move onward from the night's terror

Speaker: So going into chapter 19, the chapter opens with Odessa reflecting on a traumatic incident from her past when at age 13, she was poisoned by fennec plus powder.

Speaker: A maid attempted to put it in her tea because a man who was behind on payments to the king paid the maid to do so. He thought that the death of someone in the royal family would buy him some more time to pay off his debts to the king.

Speaker: All right. The maid and the gambler were both hanged in the public square. i mean... Yeah. And then she explains that fennecs were rare, fox-like creatures that were still vicious but easier to kill.

Speaker: And they were almost extinct, but then someone found out that if you grind their tusks into powder, it'd be a great poison. And breeding fennec was illegal, but you could still find the powder on the black market.

Speaker: Yeah. She and the doctors who treated her did not know why the poison didn't kill her. And she felt awful, but she felt worse now. She rides for three days through the terrain of Turo with her companions.

Speaker: She's exhausted, sore, hungry, and is emotionally strained. On the journey, she observes a deeply emotional reunion between Tilia and her husband, Alston. Their passionate connection, kissing, and physical closeness stirs in Odessa and makes up jealousy, grief, and introspection about her own loveless engagement.

Speaker: Yeah, she's obviously a little like, I'm never going to have that. Yeah. So, signaled by whistles, they arrive at a settlement called Trio. Trio. which is built high among trees, treehouses connected by rope blocks designed for protection in this dangerous territory.

Speaker: As they walk through Trio, Thilia explains that they whistle because they have lookouts at the perimeter so that no one gets shot. Thilia shows Odessa to a secluded treehouse prepared for her, a private space with amenities like a hot bath and a comfortable bed, and she encourages Odessa to rest and eat.

Speaker: expecting someone else namely her husband to visit and odessa is surprised when the mysterious guardian arrives instead he interrogates odessa asking about her origins age purpose and whether she's been sent to spy he asks if she's a virgin or something like that yeah and she's like um excuse me like she goes the next question the guardian questions odessa's truthfulness and notes something unusual she lacks a starburst in her eyes Yeah, and she was like, that wasn't a question.

Speaker: Yeah. Moving on. Odessa asks when she might travel to the capital city, Alistoria, with her husband. The guardian replies that she will go when the crown prince trusts her.

Speaker: This leaves her feeling kind of stalled and uncertain. She's like, can't believe that's never going happen. Yeah. So after the conversation, Odessa tries to lock the door of her treehouse but discovers there's no lock.

Speaker: And the guardian then unhooks the rope ladder and tosses it to the ground, leaving her effectively stranded inside the treehouse, unable to descend. Yeah. I just got an image of her trying to descend on the tree and like sliding down it like a fireman's pole, but it being like massive. Yeah. It just,

Speaker: Great mental image. I love it. my god. love it. It'd be so funny. Chapter 20. Odessa wakes in the treehouse at the outpost, Trio, to find the rope ladder reattached, giving her freedom to descend.

Speaker: Love it. She's still fatigued and foggy-headed, moving slowly despite her rest. And dressed in fresh turn-style clothes and boots, she climbs down and goes with Talia on a tour of Trio's common area, the dining hall, lobby tile, laundry, and the infirmary slash library.

Speaker: Tilly explains that Trio Alperts more like a military encampment than a town. It's like a place for people to... It's like a stopping point, kind of. But, I mean, yay library! Yay library!

Speaker: They head to the commons to eat and then check out the library. And as they exit, Halston calls Celia over and she says she'll be right back. Odessa notices the local children kind of watching her, particularly one girl with the distinctive starburst eye pattern of Ozarth.

Speaker: An observation that kind of unsettles Odessa. What's a kid from Ozarth that's born in Ozarth doing a tour? Exactly. So then they witness a pony rider, a fast carrier who delivers mail across the country until he explains how the system works in Terra and how crucial it is for their communication. but basically the pony riders all deliver mail from one outpost to the next.

Speaker: It's the only way they can communicate. Per is the largest country out of all five on Kalander, so it's like hard to... And they said they had like hundreds of pony riders. So Odessa reflects that access to such riders might be your key to knowledge of the capital.

Speaker: we might get some Alisaria information there. So after the tour, Odessa is reclaimed by the Guardian for rigorous training session. He retrieves her knives, showing that he had access to her quarters. Oh my God. And chastises her for relying on maids and not taking responsibility.

Speaker: and leads her through some intense drills. He gives her crap about not making her bed. Yeah, it was like, bro, what it matter? It's my space. During the training break, he shares glimpses of his past.

Speaker: He was a reckless boy who preferred running or jumping to following rules. He also has a leather forearm cuffed with carvings. He later tells Odessa that carvings met the lives has taken.

Speaker: The Guardian gives a veiled warning. Loyalty to Tura is deep and betrayals will not be tolerated. Odessa's future travel to the capital depends on trust. no Oh, 100%. So, into chapter 2021.

Speaker: In this chapter, Odessa kind of grapples with the relentless training imposed by the Guardian and her mounting frustration about being stuck in the treetop settlement trio. And she's physically exhausted, knees bent, breathing hard, feeling certain she might die beneath these trees. I mean...

Speaker: Yeah, figures. So she slips actually and falls down from her ladder at one point, landing hard on her back. And the guardian is just standing there and does nothing to catch her.

Speaker: Okay, bud, come on. She's so ruthless. And so while they're kind of fighting, she's in the gut. cheese in the gut either by his elbow or falling into it, she says. She's like, I can't tell. if And knocked open out of her. And she blames him for it, obviously.

Speaker: Yeah. After the traumatic warning drill, Odessa expects some reprieve, but she finds the training area empty and the guardian gone. She wonders if it's a trick or he simply left her to figure it out.

Speaker: She heads back to her treehouse, changes clothes, and ventures into the community spaces of the settlements. She meets Kathleen, the visiting librarian, who shows her a small library with adult and children's shelves.

Speaker: Though we see this more, through this we see more about life in Trio, the everyday rhythms, the limitations, like there's no school for anyone, you know, and the way knowledge is managed in this frontier, know,

Speaker: ill settlement. Basically, parents who have kids will go to the library and get books to try to teach them at home. yeah So, Odessa picked a book about her homeland, Quintus, and her country, Roslo, called A Year in Quintus.

Speaker: The author, Samuel Hay, calls Roslo a land for thieves and traitors. Rude. And accuses her father of murdering her mother. Oh my god. So, she collects all these books and heads out where she wants It wasn't It was Margo, though.

Speaker: Like, My guess wasn't if it was Margo, though. You think? Yeah. We'll get there. Oh. That's so funny. So she collects all these bugs and heads out where she runs into Brielle, who is having trouble kind of adjusting the trio. And Brielle says that her and Jocelyn have been separated.

Speaker: And Odessa lets Brielle know that she will make arrangements for them to be closer to her and together. So they walk over to Adessa's treehouse and Brielle shows her how to use the pulley system to lift things up and how to open the skylight. Yeah. Odessa was like, I had no idea this was here. Yeah.

Speaker: She's like, I really need to be more observant. Yeah. She reads all the books she had done from the library, saving year in Quintus for last. The emotional response is immediate. Anger, grief, shock. She plunges into a cold bath in a kind of fury. She's like, I hope pulls me down. Yeah.

Speaker: She goes to bed and she dreams of a monster devouring her friend Brielle, then wakes to the real sound of claws on bark outside her treehouse. The monster is real, a lion wick prowling below. The lion wick is dangerous.

Speaker: It climbs trees and has a long tail with barbs and lethal claws. Hmm. Odessa sees it below her balcony and realizes how exposed she is. The guardian appears outside her treehouse, sword in hand, watches the beast.

Speaker: He silently gestures at the monsters and indicates, you kill it, and then steps away, not intervening. Like, um, what? So when Odessa questions him, you're going to let it live?

Speaker: He responds, for the moment, I'm busy tonight. Then he disappears inside his treehouse, leaving Odessa alone. Like, okay. She can hear that he's actually talking to someone in his treehouse and actually becomes a little jealous, even though she knows she shouldn't be, and then goes into her treehouse and attempts to fall asleep.

Speaker: So next, that's the end of this part. And we're going dive into our questions. So who's your favorite character for this part? I really like Tilia. Like Tilia is my favorite because she's introduced.

Speaker: And it's funny because she has that moment where she's kind of jealous of Tilia, but then she sees the moment with Tilia and Halston and kind of like admires their love.

Speaker: But then Tilia is kind of there for as a friend and trio. Yeah. So I really like Tilia. Yeah. And I think we're only going to get more of her. Yeah. Who's yours?

Speaker: um It's still little too early to tell. Like, there's many intros and set up, but Kathleen, though. I love her already. The librarian. The librarian, yeah. The librarian girl. What was your favorite twist?

Speaker: ah and so Prince Xavier actually speaking. Yeah, that was a good one. Him just magically being able to talk and... Being like, oh, that's a thing.

Speaker: You can actually speak just whenever he chooses. Mine for part one was definitely Odessa being chosen by Xavier to be the bridegine and the sparrow.

Speaker: Like that to me, I think was so early in this part. It was still such a shock. Like we did not see it coming yeah at all.

Speaker: ah What was your favorite quote? So I'm a mess and I have four. Jesus, Brittany. This was a long part. So- We kind of touched on one earlier and she goes, and I guess I'm trapped between two monsters.

Speaker: And he says, you have no idea how accurate that statement is. Like, I just liked that little interaction. Of course. And of course, a lot of my quotes are um guardian because I like him.

Speaker: um The next one is not all monsters are born from the gods, my queen. Some of us were made. Ooh, ominous. Next one. um So where am I clean?

Speaker: We'll have to add writing to your regimen that are being written. I'll have a word with Xavier. I'm so sorry. It's so funny. And then my last one is just reminding myself of my complete and utter insignificance.

Speaker: I did like that one too. It's so That's something would say. It's so relatable. Yep. And what were yours? um My favorite was, how much of an identity could one person lose before they were hollowed into a shell? That was one of my favorite quotes and I saw you stole it.

Speaker: I'm sorry. It's okay. I also love, she was his universe. At her side, he was home. ah um to be loved yes we love like that yes it's everything they were so they're so cute I love the relationship what's your biggest question or theory so far Alice oh um sorry um i have a couple monsters being evil and controlling the monsters oh interesting yeah so there's green blood in them yeah

Speaker: Not all of them and some of them. And then, but it matches the green to their eyes and the nails. like I don't know. It just seems suspicious. It seems suspicious about the green. Yeah. um The king talking about breaking treaties without dying.

Speaker: have a whole theory about this. He has no intention of dying. Obviously, every king wants like a male heir. I don't do the whole like, you know, passing to the daughters or whatever. but like,

Speaker: Why was he literally about to get rid of Margot to make sure he got a male heir? My theory is that he's going to make Arthi the king, like crown him and everything. That way when the king goes and breaks the treaty.

Speaker: Arthi's going to die. Yeah. i think he had everything be sacrificed. Yeah. Because in his mind, he's probably just going to go find another wife to have another heir. Because he's still, you know, alive and well, not being killed by the treaty.

Speaker: know, there's not a floor. Yeah. So not a fun theory, but thoughts. Jesus Christ, babe. Yeah. um And then lastly, this isn't a theory, but this is a question. i want to know what happened between Banner's brother there and the guardian.

Speaker: That's a good one. Yeah. I like that question. I don't know what's going on. um So mine... Like, my one of my big theories is that Al-Azaria is not a real place. Yeah. I can see that.

Speaker: No one knows about it. And it's been a history since, like, a couple like three migrations ago. That's, like, a couple... That's a hundred years ago. feel like it was just never rebuilt. Not everybody isn't talking about it because... nobody's been there and it's not there yeah and then i have like two questions why is your dad so concerned about the guardian like he wants all this information about him wants to know i mean he's a powerful guy but he's also like one guy it's like he could take down a whole army that's my thing and what's up with his ah the guardian's eye color shifting

Speaker: Yeah. That's another thing because we've seen it be hazel. We've seen it be green and we've seen it be silver. So for me, and we've seen it be multiple shades of green too.

Speaker: So it's not even always the same. It's just like, I want, I want to, figure out what all those mean. Yep. But those are my questions and theories and oh that's it for this part.

Speaker: And we'll see you in part two next week. Well, I know we are looking forward to the rest of the book. Thank you for listening and tune back in next week for part two. And if you have a story you want us to tell, you can let us know on one of the platforms listed in the description. And while you're there, you can like and follow to stay up to date for the next story.

Speaker: Thank you for stopping by for our tale. The library is now closed. Bye-bye. Music