The Priory of the Orange Tree
Nine
by Shannon, SamanthaThe chapter opens with Ead and Queen Sabran strolling through the Privy Garden, a space typically reserved for the queen’s inner circle. Their conversation reveals cultural differences, as Sabran inquires about life in the Ersyr, where Ead claims to have lived. Ead describes the Ersyr’s climate and customs, though she secretly admits to fabricating parts of her backstory. The queen’s limited understanding of the world beyond Inys becomes apparent, as her knowledge is confined to courtly education and diplomatic correspondence. Meanwhile, court intrigue simmers as Lady Arbella Glenn’s illness sparks competition among the Ladies of the Privy Chamber for her position.
Sabran’s curiosity about the South contrasts with her adherence to Inysh orthodoxy, particularly the Six Virtues. Ead, who secretly follows the Priory’s creed, reflects on her performative conversion to the Inysh faith upon arriving at court. The queen’s ignorance of Lasia’s role in Inysh founding mythology highlights the hypocrisy of Inysh attitudes toward foreign cultures. Their conversation turns personal when Sabran asks about Ead’s mother, Zāla, revealing a shared experience of maternal loss. The moment fosters a fleeting connection between them, though their worldviews remain fundamentally at odds.
The chapter delves into the political and religious tensions of the Inysh court. Sabran shows Ead a lovejay, a bird symbolizing fidelity in Inysh culture, though Ead knows it by a different name in the South. The queen’s discomfort with discussions of the East underscores her insular perspective. Later, Sabran mentions the execution of doomsingers—heretics who prophesy the return of the Nameless One—justifying their burning as a defense of the faith. Ead subtly challenges this brutality, questioning the inconsistency of Inysh policies, such as accepting gifts from Mentendon, which trades with the East.
The chapter concludes with a tense exchange as Ead’s pointed remarks about Mentendon’s heresy provoke Sabran’s ire. The queen dismisses Ead’s questioning, asserting her authority and reinforcing the rigid orthodoxy of the court. This confrontation underscores the growing tension between Ead’s hidden beliefs and the oppressive religious dogma of Inys. The chapter paints a vivid picture of court life, blending personal dynamics with broader themes of cultural clash, religious intolerance, and the consequences of insular worldviews.
FAQs
1. How does the chapter reveal Queen Sabran’s limited worldview and knowledge of lands beyond Inys?
Answer:
The chapter demonstrates Sabran’s constrained perspective through her interactions with Ead. Despite being well-educated in Virtudom’s history and fluent in multiple languages, Sabran’s knowledge of other regions comes solely from maps and diplomatic correspondence rather than firsthand experience. Ead observes that the queen “had a circumscribed view of the world” and was “straining not to ask questions about the South,” particularly regarding customs like wearing loose silks in the Ersyr’s heat or the existence of peaches. This isolation reflects her sheltered life within palace walls and Virtudom’s ideological boundaries.2. Analyze the significance of Ead’s false backstory about her Ersyri upbringing versus her actual Priory origins.
Answer:
Ead maintains a fabricated identity as an Ersyri convert to the Six Virtues, complete with details about living in Rumelabar (which she visited only once) and following the Dawnsinger. This deception serves multiple purposes: it explains her foreignness while aligning with Inysh expectations of conversion narratives, as shown when she publicly adopted Virtudom’s creed. The tension between her pretended Ersyri heritage and true Priory allegiance underscores the novel’s themes of hidden identities and religious/political subterfuge. Her irritation at Inysh hypocrisy regarding Lasia further reveals her deeper, concealed loyalties.3. What does the contrast between “lovejay” and “peach-faced mimic” reveal about cultural perspectives?
Answer:
The same bird symbolizes vastly different values in each culture. Inysh tradition names it the “lovejay,” associating it with the Knight of Fellowship’s ideals of lifelong partnership—a reflection of Virtudom’s emphasis on sacred bonds. The Southern term “peach-faced mimic” focuses instead on physical characteristics and behavior, devoid of religious context. This dichotomy highlights how cultures project their own frameworks onto nature: Sabran interprets the bird through hagiography, while Ead offers a pragmatic description, subtly challenging Inysh exceptionalism by noting the fruit (peach) unknown in Virtudom.4. Evaluate the political implications of Lady Arbella Glenn’s illness and the court’s reaction.
Answer:
Lady Arbella’s confinement triggers a covert power struggle among the Privy Chamber ladies, who jockey for promotion to Bedchamber status. Linora’s earlier frustration with Ead’s storytelling misstep illustrates how individual reputations affect these ambitions. This microcosm reflects broader court dynamics where proximity to the queen equals influence. The situation also underscores the fragility of political positions—Arbella’s potential death would redistribute power, making the queen’s favor a coveted commodity. Such maneuvering parallels real historical courts where illness or disgrace created sudden vacancies and opportunities.5. How does the conversation about doomsingers expose tensions in Inysh religious policy?
Answer:
The burning of doomsingers (who prophesy the Nameless One’s return) reveals Inysh theocracy’s violent enforcement of orthodoxy. Sabran justifies this as defending the faith per the Knight of Courage’s tenets, but Ead subtly challenges the inconsistency—noting that Mentendon’s trade with heretical Easterners is tolerated when beneficial. This hypocrisy mirrors historical religious persecutions where political expedience often outweighed doctrinal purity. The exchange also foreshadows larger conflicts, as the doomsingers’ warnings about the Nameless One hint at the existential threat Virtudom may soon face.
Quotes
1. “Over the last few hours, Ead had discovered that beneath her all-knowing exterior, the Queen of Inys had a circumscribed view of the world. Sealed behind the walls of her palaces, her knowledge of the lands beyond Inys came from wooden globes and letters from her ambassadors and fellow sovereigns.”
This quote reveals the irony of Queen Sabran’s position—though she projects an image of wisdom and authority, her worldview is limited by the isolation of her royal life. It highlights a key tension in the chapter between perception and reality in leadership.
2. “It was hypocrisy at its finest for the Inysh to use Lasia as a cornerstone of their founding legend, only to deride its people as heretics.”
Ead’s internal critique exposes the contradictions in Inysh ideology, where cultural appropriation coexists with religious intolerance. This thought represents a central theme of the chapter—the clash between state mythology and lived reality.
3. “They take only one partner all their lives, and will know their song even after many years apart. That is why the lovejay was sacred to the Knight of Fellowship. These birds embody his desire for every soul to be joined in companionship.”
Sabran’s explanation of the lovejay’s symbolism serves as both world-building and thematic foreshadowing. The bird’s characteristics mirror the chapter’s exploration of loyalty, tradition, and the bonds that transcend distance—key concerns in the narrative.
4. “Lady Igrain says that we must do to our enemies what they would do to us.” […] “Did the Saint also say this, madam? I am not as well versed in the Six Virtues as yourself.”
This exchange captures the moral tension between religious doctrine and political pragmatism. Ead’s pointed question challenges the justification for violence against heretics, revealing the chapter’s critique of how power interprets and weaponizes faith.