The Runaway King

The third section of the novel depicts Jaron falling deeper into his habits of tricking and outsmarting both his friends and his enemies. The young king’s loyalty is also tested again. When he arrives at Tarblade Bay, for instance, Angor asks him to steal a knife from the kitchens to prove his skills as a thief. In reality, Jaron tricks Angor into thinking he stole the knife but uses the opportunity to speak privately with Imogen. Later, Angor wants to test Jaron’s sword-fighting abilities, and the latter pretends to be incompetent so as not to raise suspicions. When the pirates bring back a stolen ship and a hostage, Jaron also tricks them into letting the crewman live by appealing to their greed. Incidentally, he also saves the boy whom the pirates blame for the hostage’s escape from being punished. Finally, Jaron tricks Imogen into believing that he will run away with her, but instead orders her to take Fink to safety. Jaron’s reluctance to open up to his friends or rely on their help strongly echoes his mistrust of the pirates.

Additionally, the secrecy of Jaron’s dual identity creates additional tension as the narrative stakes are increased. Devlin’s cruelty, a manifestation of his anger, reinforces the parallels between him and Jaron. Indeed, the young king remarks on their similar motivations and leading positions, but resolves not to let his own anger corrupt him like the pirate king:

Since the night I was attacked, I had been so angry, so determined that there was no other choice but to destroy the pirates. But if that choice meant I’d become anything like Devlin, I had to find another way to win. It wasn’t that I couldn’t strike him. It’s that I wouldn’t. I refused to become him (210).

This marks a significant step in Jaron’s character development. His relationship with Imogen is also tested, as she grows more and more desperate to get him away from the pirates while Jaron refuses to leave. She makes a reference to the symbolism of flowers to underline the paradox of Jaron’s situation: “I planted the flowers for you, but they’re already dying. You know why? Because they’re in bad soil. They don’t belong here and neither do you. Go look at them and you’ll see your own future” (227).

Finally, the crucial plot twist of Gregor’s betrayal takes place in Chapter 28. Jaron suddenly realizes that his captain of the guard and the pirates have been working together to undermine him and start a war against Carthya. Flashbacks to Gregor’s previous actions provide a new interpretation for those events, such as Gregor’s defensive gesture during Jaron’s conversation with Conner. This reminds the reader of Jaron’s earlier claims that he missed a crucial clue during that same conversation, thus providing closure for that foreshadowed plot point. Gregor’s treason plays into the theme of The Complexities of Trust and Loyalty, but also demonstrates to The Struggles of Leadership for Jaron. Indeed, while Jaron initially took his regents’ reluctance to believe him as a personal failing, he now realizes that it was a deliberate strategy to undermine him. This validates his choices while adding further suspense.

Having now been revealed as a villain, Gregor is reintroduced in the narrative. He arrives at Tarblade Bay, now compromising Imogen’s, Fink’s, and Jaron’s safety during some of the novel’s climactic moments. Jaron’s dual identity is revealed when he, characteristically, sacrifices himself to protect his friends. Tension builds toward the final confrontation between the story’s hero, Jaron, and his antagonists, Devlin (his true nemesis), Gregor (a presumed ally turned foe), and Roden (an enemy soon turned ally).