Prince of Thorns
Chapter 5: — Four years earlier
by Mark, Lawrence,The chapter opens with the protagonist, a nine-year-old prince, consumed by thoughts of revenge after surviving a brutal attack that killed his mother and brother. Found barely alive in hook-briar by Sir Reilly and his men, he witnesses the aftermath of the massacre, including the discovery of his family’s mutilated bodies. A shield fragment reveals Count Renar’s insignia, igniting a fiery resolve in the prince to survive and seek vengeance. Despite his severe injuries, he is taken back to the castle, where his physical pain is overshadowed by the burning hatred that keeps him alive.
In the Healing Hall, the prince endures agonizing treatment as Friar Glen and his aide, Inch, attempt to remove the briar hooks from his flesh. His tutor, Lundist, intervenes with medical advice from a book, but the friar dismisses him, prioritizing spiritual purity over practical care. The prince’s wounds become infected, plunging him into a feverish delirium for weeks. During this time, he experiences violent episodes, including an escape attempt that results in Inch’s death and a fire in the hall. The friar, convinced the boy is possessed, abandons him, leaving Lundist to oversee his recovery.
Throughout his illness, the prince teeters on the edge of death, haunted by visions of the afterlife—a dark river, a stone bridge, or a frost-covered door—symbolizing his struggle between surrender and survival. His hatred for Count Renar becomes his anchor, a force stronger than love or fear, pulling him back from the brink. When the fever finally breaks, he is left physically scarred and emotionally hollow, as if something fundamental has been stripped from him. The arrival of spring marks his slow return to strength, though his innocence and former self seem irrevocably lost.
As the prince recovers, Lundist resumes his tutelage, delivering a hollow reassurance that the king will visit once his grief eases. The prince, however, sees through the lie, recognizing his father’s indifference. His first question to Lundist—whether revenge is a science or an art—underscores his transformation. No longer a child, he is now a vessel of vengeance, poised to channel his pain into a calculated pursuit of retribution. The chapter closes with a chilling foreshadowing of the darkness that will define his path forward.
FAQs
1. What traumatic event triggers the protagonist’s obsession with revenge, and how does this shape his psychological state?
Answer:
The protagonist’s trauma stems from witnessing the brutal murder of his mother (the Queen) and brother (Prince William) by Count Renar’s men, as evidenced by the discovery of their bodies and the crow insignia on a shield. This event awakens a dark obsession with revenge, causing him to “build torture chambers in his mind” and explore psychological “doors that should not be opened.” The chapter reveals how this trauma fundamentally alters him—his feverish hallucinations, violent outbursts (like killing Inch), and loss of innocence (“something had been taken so completely I could no longer name it”). His survival is fueled purely by hatred, as he states: “Hate will keep you alive where love fails.”2. Analyze the symbolic significance of the “hook-briar” in the chapter. How does it reflect the protagonist’s physical and psychological condition?
Answer:
The hook-briar serves as a multifaceted symbol. Physically, its thorns mirror the protagonist’s wounds—both literal (the hooks embedded in his flesh) and metaphorical (the “barbs and hooks of cowardice” preventing him from joining his family in death). The briar’s tendency to “sour the wound” parallels the festering corruption of his psyche, as seen in his feverish rage and the “sweet stink” of his infected injuries. Like the briar’s thorns that linger in wounds, the trauma leaves permanent marks: “Doors that never close again.” Even rescue from the briar is violent, foreshadowing his brutal worldview.3. Contrast the approaches of Friar Glen and Tutor Lundist to healing the protagonist. What does this reveal about the chapter’s themes of knowledge and power?
Answer:
Friar Glen relies on spiritual dogma (“purity of spirit will keep corruption from the flesh”), dismissing Lundist’s bookish approach to medicine. His failure—the protagonist’s infection—critiques blind faith. Lundist, meanwhile, emphasizes empirical knowledge, citing texts about hook-briar wounds. Though ejected, his methods are vindicated when the friar’s neglect nearly kills the prince. This clash underscores the chapter’s theme that raw hatred (the protagonist’s fuel) outweighs both spirituality and intellect in survival. Notably, Lundist’s return with books hints that knowledge may yet temper the prince’s rage, as seen in his final question about revenge’s nature.4. The protagonist asks, “Is revenge a science, or an art?” How does the chapter’s events provide context for this philosophical question?
Answer:
This question crystallizes the protagonist’s transformation into a strategist of vengeance. A “science” implies methodical study—mirroring his meticulous fixation (“I studied revenge to the exclusion of all else”) and Lundist’s scholarly influence. An “art” suggests creative brutality, reflected in his fever-driven violence (the poker murder) and imaginative torment (“torture chambers in the dark vaults of imagination”). The chapter positions revenge as both: systematic (tracking Count Renar’s insignia) and visceral (his wounds mirroring his family’s). His inquiry to Lundist signals his intent to weaponize knowledge for vengeance, foreshadowing his future ruthlessness.
Quotes
1. “For the longest time I studied revenge to the exclusion of all else. I built my first torture chamber in the dark vaults of imagination.”
This opening line establishes the protagonist’s obsessive focus on vengeance after witnessing his family’s murder. It introduces the central theme of revenge that drives the narrative and reveals how trauma reshapes a child’s psyche.
2. “Hate will keep you alive where love fails.”
A pivotal realization during the protagonist’s feverish recovery. This concise philosophy becomes a defining principle for his survival and motivation, contrasting the destructive power of hate with the perceived weakness of love.
3. “I learned from Tutor Lundist that the friar would not attend me after the first week. Friar Glen said a devil was in me. How else could a child speak such horror?”
This quote reveals how the protagonist’s trauma manifests in disturbing ways that frighten even religious figures. It shows society’s rejection of his pain and foreshadows his growing isolation and darkness.
4. “The Count of Renar kept me alive. The promise of his pain crushed my own under its heel.”
A powerful statement showing how vengeance becomes the protagonist’s lifeline. The visceral imagery demonstrates how externalizing pain through hatred becomes his survival mechanism after unbearable loss.
5. “Tell me, tutor, is revenge a science, or an art?”
The chapter’s closing question perfectly encapsulates the protagonist’s transformation. This philosophical inquiry from a traumatized child reveals how revenge has become his sole focus of study and life’s purpose.