The Runaway King

“It was Roden. Once my friend. Then my enemy. Now my assassin.”

This quick-paced description introduces Roden just as Jaron recognizes him in real-time as his attacker in the first chapter. The repetitive grammatical structure of those three short repetitive statements highlights the characters’ history. They create tension by dramatically opposing the past (“friend”) and the present (“assassin”).

“‘I was never missing,’ I said. ‘I always knew exactly where I was.’”

Jaron’s quote highlights two of his main character traits. First, he is very witty, often using humor as a means to deflect his opponents’ verbal or physical attacks, as he does here against King Vargan’s taunts. Secondly, Jaron’s emphasis on the word “missing” also illustrates his characteristic confidence as he implies that, although he deliberately remained in hiding, he was still aware of his identity and duty.

“If my only choice is between the unacceptable or the impossible, which should I do?”

Jaron’s rhetorical question to Mott builds narrative tension by putting the protagonist in a seemingly powerless position. His options seem to defy logic, since he is torn between two choices with highly negative connotations: the “unacceptable” and the “impossible.” This duality foreshadows Jaron’s dramatic decisions throughout the novel and thus creates suspense and awe for the reader.

“Already, my talk with Conner had begun nagging at me. Something had happened there that I should have noticed, perhaps a message coded in his words, or in the tone of his voice. And yet the clues remained hidden.”

This passage foreshadows the upcoming plot twist that Gregor is in fact a villain. Jaron senses that he has missed a clue, which he recalls during his realization about Gregor’s treason in Chapter 28, when he has a flashback to his conversation with Conner.

“The only reason I’m alive today is because of what I’ve done wrong in my life. My crimes may have saved me, but I never meant for them to harm you.”

This passage from a dialogue between Jaron and Mott illustrates Jaron’s characteristic self-deprecating tendencies. Although outwardly confident, Jaron is also driven by a sense of self-sacrifice in order to protect those he loves—motivated by the past loss of his parents and brother. That idea is reinforced by the contrast between Jaron’s “crimes” saving his own life and his good intentions unintentionally harming his friends.

“It was as if everything about Sage returned to me once I stood again in his clothing. The instinct to trick when I could and lie when I must. The feeling that no matter how hard I tried, I would never be anything better than a sewer rat.”

Throughout the novel, the contrast between Jaron’s royal persona and his dual identity as Sage offers insight into the young protagonist’s state of mind. In this passage, Jaron’s return to the character of Sage, the “sewer rat,” suggests that despite his outward self-assuredness, Jaron does not truly believe that he deserves his position and privilege, and that he might be tempted to give up the role of king for a life of little responsibility.

“Riding alone through the Carthyan countryside was like emerging from a deep pool of water. Each breath brought me more alive, as I absorbed every moment of freedom I could. The cool wind caressed my face and greeted me with every change in the landscape on my journey. Even at night, Carthya was a beautiful place. Our trees grew firm and tall, while the winding rivers and streams kept our fields green and our farms fertile. It was no mystery why the countries on our borders looked to us with such greedy eyes.”

Jaron’s description of Carthya, filled with imagery and personification, as he rides toward Avenia reinforces the narrative stakes. It reveals the young king’s deep love for his country by conveying a sense of freedom and abundance. This highlights Jaron’s protectiveness and the sense of foreboding created by the countries “looking to [Carthya] with greedy eyes.”

“The more I learned of my father’s reign, the less I felt that I had ever known him.”

Throughout the novel, Jaron is struck several times by the realization that his and King Eckbert’s decisions when it comes to ruling over Carthya do not align. This highlights Jaron’s character development as he grows into his role as king and distances himself more and more from his father.

“The first cut had been in anger and felt to me like a rebellion, a rejection of the person everyone thought I should be. With the second cut I turned the anger inward, furious with myself that I didn’t think the way others did, and that my solutions to any single problem always created several new ones. With the third cut I found myself fighting back tears until it was pointless to pretend that any amount of resistance would matter.

[…]

I drew in a long, steady breath to calm myself, then made a final cut of my hair, this one with resolve. I had to keep moving forward, and if the devils were willing, I could go home again.”

Jaron cutting his hair in the Dichell church before joining the thieves as Sage is a highly symbolic moment in his character development. By cutting his hair, he is altering his dual identity in a rather destructive way, at first doing so “in anger” and “rebellion.” However, he eventually finds “resolve” in order to symbolically balance out that destruction and “[move] forward.”

“The field was empty now. The grasses had been laid flat by more than one game played there, but in the center of it all, a single wildflower caught my attention. It was bright purple and stood erect where a hundred others around it had been smashed. I wondered if it had somehow escaped harm, or if it had been stepped on before but refused to lie down.”

This passage plays into the symbolism of flowers. After the game of Queen’s Cross with the thieves, Jaron notices a flower on the field, undamaged despite the dangers it survived. This hints at his own state of mind amongst the thieves, perhaps foreshadowing his position amongst the pirates as well. Imogen’s later connection to flowers shows that this flower foreshadows her upcoming surprising presence as well.

“I thought about those things I wanted most, the freedom to be who I wanted, to go where I wanted, and to live a life of my own choosing. It was true. I could have that here, away from the politics and pretense of Drylliad. Away from endless duties and obligations, and even from the fear and anger that had driven me this far. Staying here would be so easy.”

When Erick offers Jaron a place among the thieves, the young king reflects on The Struggles of Leadership. He is torn between his responsibility as Jaron and the more authentic nature of Sage’s life. This creates tension and foreshadows Jaron’s eventual acceptance of both sides of his life at the end of the book.

“Fink slowly exhaled. ‘Do you want to go to the pirates?’

I glanced over at him. ‘I have to go. That’s different.’

‘You seem scared.’

‘Everyone gets scared at times. It’s only the fools who won’t admit it.’”

This conversation between Fink and Jaron reveals the young king’s apprehension. Although seemingly confident, Jaron is self-aware enough to admit that he is scared of meeting the pirates. His final statement is both light-hearted and didactic, suggesting that it may indirectly be addressed to the reader under the guise of being aimed at Fink, the young, naïve thief.

“‘I’m almost sorry you didn’t accept my offer to stay, Sage. You seem to have the makings of a leader in you.’

Laughter burst from my mouth. ‘I can provide a very long list of people who’d disagree with you.’”

Erick’s statement about Jaron being a natural leader and the latter’s amused response highlights the dramatic irony of the situation, since Erick does not know that Jaron was quite literally born to rule. In addition, this exchange also reveals that, despite embodying the identity of an orphaned thief, the young man’s leading qualities are still apparent, highlighting Jaron’s dual identity.

“‘Tell me more about Tarblade Bay.’

Erick nodded. ‘It exists on three elevations, all of it visible from the sea, but by the time a ship is close enough to see it, the pirates have spotted them. By land, only the highest level is visible, and all it appears to be is a cleared field surrounded by tall, thick trees. That’s where they meet as a group. Down a little hill are the kitchen and various tents. But again, a traveler could pass right beside it and not know any of it was there, unless they heard noises.’”

This passage is a description of the pirates’ camp, Tarblade Bay. The imagery is clear and defined, and it underlines the danger and secrecy of the place, in addition to providing a clear setting for the upcoming events in the narrative.

“Once down on the beach, I found a comfortable spot facing the sea and stopped exploring. After a while, Erick and even Fink gave up on me and left to find something better to do, but I was content to sit there and stare. It was calming in a way I very much needed, because it was becoming increasingly difficult to fight the feeling that something was going to happen soon. Something I wouldn’t be able to control.”

The contrast between the calmness of the sea and Jaron’s impending sense of doom foreshadows the climactic confrontation between Jaron and Devlin. It also reveals the young king’s state of mind, as he is anxious about his ability to carry out his plan and save his country. This reinforces the suspense and narrative tension.

“I raised my sword, finally ready to strike. In response, he planted his feet forward, his face tense with rage. I looked into his black eyes and suddenly realized there was nothing beyond that. No humanity, no love, and no soul. Except for his anger, he was completely empty. It was much of the same anger that I had felt for far too long, and it horrified me.”

This passage depicts Devlin confronting Jaron on the beach to coax him into revealing his true intentions. Jaron realizes that Devlin’s lack of “humanity, love, and soul” stems from his uncontrolled anger. He then compares Devlin’s anger to his own, which leaves him “horrified.” The clear parallel between the two characters suggests that Devlin, a corrupt ruler driven by greed and cruelty, represents a version of what Jaron could have become had he succumbed to the same instincts.

“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.”

Building on the previous quote, this passage highlights Jaron’s desire to get down to Devlin’s level by letting his anger control him. He decides to process his feelings more maturely and do the right thing, even if it proves harder. In short, in an important moment in his character arc and continuing coming of age, Jaron turns his destructive impulses into a constructive force.

“The fact is that I wasn’t prepared to die. Not only would I be dead, but even worse, it would prove everyone right who had called me a fool for coming here. Besides, it would give Gregor the last laugh, and I had no intention of dying and allowing him that satisfaction. However, I assumed that Devlin probably had no plans to die either. One of us would have to lose. I hoped it was him.”

This quote emphasizes Jaron’s characteristic wittiness and reveals his emotional state as he is about to face Devlin in a duel. The passage reiterates the narrative stakes in a humorous way and creates tension to introduce the hero and villain’s final confrontation.

“Afraid didn’t even begin to describe the terror I felt. Pinched behind me, my hands still shook. But I was angry with myself too. Because for all my good intentions, it was obvious that I had been wrong to come here. There were so many who would pay for my mistakes.”

This passage is a strong example of Jaron’s self-awareness and emotional maturity. This quote is set immediately after Jaron has won the duel and offered his immunity to Imogen. He is afraid for himself and for the people he believes he has let down, leading him to regret his chosen course of action for the first time in the story. This contrasts with his previous self-assuredness and confidence in his plan, which reinforces the narrative tension.

“I had to live. There were so many people I needed to apologize to, so many people I hoped to see again. Beyond that, it was strange to realize that I wanted to see Drylliad again, to gaze at the white walls of my castle and walk through its doors, where I belonged.”

This passage echoes Jaron’s earlier description of the idyllic Carthyan landscape. For the first time, Jaron’s survival instinct, driven by his need to see his friends and his home again, outweighs his self-sacrificing impulse. This marks a turn in his character development, as he shifts from self-destructive to constructive motivations.

“All I could do to move was lie on the ground, pushing my body forward with my good leg while my injured one dragged uselessly along behind me. Though I was alone, I felt pathetic to have to travel this way, no better than a slithering snake. Even Fink’s rat walked with more dignity than this. Maybe this was what I’d come to. Was it possible for a king to run so far from his identity that he ceased to be anyone special? Because I had never felt lower, or less worthy of my title.”

This passage builds into the theme of Dual Identity as a Potential Escape. Now at his lowest point in the story, Jaron reflects on whether the indignity of his situation strips him of his identity as a king. This idea echoes Important Quote #7, when Jaron going back to being Sage reveals his self-perception as a “sewer rat.” Jaron now rues the fact that he does not feel “worthy” of his title, but he does see himself as a king. This shows that he has reconciled both aspects of his identity, rejects the notion of escaping his responsibilities, and embraces his duty.

“‘Let go of your anger,’ I said to Roden. ‘I became who I was meant to be and you should do the same. You can be so much more than this.’”

After realizing that he needed to let go of his own anger for fear of becoming like Devlin, Jaron now offers the same advice to Roden. The parallels between Roden and Jaron are evident, with both characters being trained to assume the same role in The False Prince. Jaron, however, struggles to accept the responsibility that is naturally his, while Roden struggles to accept that he cannot take it on. At the end of the story, their character arcs are reconciled when Jaron embraces his position and offers Roden redemption at his side.

“A very slow smile crossed her face and she gave an understanding nod and gestured with her hand. It brushed against mine. She started to pull it back but I took hers and held it, in a sign of our partnership, that from now on we would stand together. Her hand was closed in a fist at first, but she slowly relaxed and folded it into mine. I’d never held someone’s hand before, not like this. It was both wonderful and frightening.”

In this passage, Jaron and Amarinda have just reunited, and the princess has just revealed her true loyalty to Jaron. This quote marks a turn in their relationship, as they decide to become equal partners. Jaron, who is characterized as self-sacrificing and struggling to open up, reveals his character growth by accepting Amarinda’s friendship, which he describes as both “wonderful and terrifying.”