Scarred

Sara Beatreaux eats dinner with her uncle Raf, who tells her that she will leave in the morning. Sara and her uncle do not have an affectionate relationship, but they are both seeking vengeance on the murderer of Sara’s father. They have just received word that she should go to the capital for her arranged betrothal. Sara wants to enact change even if she has to “smile, flirt, and seduce [her] way into the new king’s good graces” (14). Sara views her current revenge plot as her duty to her family and to the people of her hometown of Silva, who suffer from the crown’s neglect. Sara’s uncle acts proud of her determination to enact their plan, which makes her happy.

Sara’s mother does not say anything; instead, she keeps her head down and rarely speaks. Sara believes that her mother never wanted to have a child or get married, but she had no choice. Her mother has never shown her much affection, but Sara’s father was devoted to his daughter. When he went to the monarchy to plead for aid on behalf of the town, the crown hanged him for treason. That night, Sara sneaks out of her bedroom and visits an orphanage, bringing enough money and bread to her friend Daria to keep the orphanage running until Sara can send more. They hug, and Sara tells Daria not to forget her. She then leaves.

Tristan is sketching as he sits beneath a tree as a little boy named Simon talks to him. Simon is dirty and has probably been in the underground passages that Tristan told him about. Simon asks if the drawings will go onto Tristan’s skin, which already has ink on it. Simon shares his mother’s opinion that the ink is a disgrace; this declaration disgusts Tristan because Simon’s mother, Kara, is only a scullery maid.

Kara hurries up to tell Simon to stop bothering Tristan, but Tristan is annoyed at her interruption. When she sends Simon away, Tristan tells her that he has not given her permission to leave. He says that Simon told him that she likes to talk about him and call him a disgrace, and Kara denies it. He implies that Simon looks like King Michael and then shoves Kara to the ground and tells her to never speak of him again.

Michael comes out of the castle and approaches an arriving automobile. Tristan watches as Sara gets out of the car.

Sara notices how luxurious and rich Saxum is in comparison with the impoverished countryside just beyond the city. Sara and her friend and maid, Sheina, chat together as their automobile approaches the castle. Although the two are comfortable together, Sara keeps her own secrets hidden, making sure that Sheina has no idea of her true intentions toward the person who killed her father. Sara is nervous as they get nearer to the castle. A small group of men wait, and Sara recognizes her cousin Xander. When Xander introduces her to King Michael, Sara feels immense hatred for the new monarch. Michael tells her that she is better looking than he expected. Sara flatters him, which pleases Michael. Michael kisses her cheek in an inappropriate gesture, but no one reacts. Sara sees a shadowy figure beneath a willow, and the stranger’s stare catches her attention. She realizes that the man is Prince Tristan, the “scarred prince.”

Edward—a general in the king’s military—asks Tristan what Sara is like. Tristan notes that people might think Edward is his only friend, but he really has no friends at all. Tristan calls Sara mediocre. Edward responds that the court believes she is beautiful, but Tristan says that he has higher standards. Edward speaks frankly with Tristan, which bothers him, but he decides not to remind Edward of his place until later. Tristan tells Edward to leave him. Privately, Tristan is craving retribution.

Tristan goes to a gathering to welcome Lady Sara Beatreaux to court. When Sara briefly grows irritated, her genial mask slips, intriguing Tristan. When Michael and Sara interact, Tristan realizes that his brother likes Sara. Tristan sits beside Michael, who mockingly introduces him to Sara. Tristan kisses her hand, and although she asks him to call her by her first name, her smile does not reach her eyes. Tristan nods to Edward across the room, and the general moves to tackle a shadowy figure of a woman as she drops something heavy: the severed head of Lord Reginald. The woman tells Michael that the head is a warning that he is not her true king. She tells him that the “rebel king” is coming for him.

In Michael’s private office, Xander and Michael talk while Sara listens. She then asks to speak with her uncle Raf. She had not been expecting an uprising; privately, she wants to find out more about this development so that she can determine whether it will impact her own plans to kill King Michael. Xander tells Michael that it is not wise to allow communication on such sensitive topics, and Sara is annoyed by her cousin’s interference. Xander tells her that he will be the one to speak with Raf. When Sara tries to protest, Xander tells her that she is only there to be the king’s bride.

Michael tells Xander not to be so harsh, but Xander reminds him that the king is dead. Sara is concerned with the dehumanizing way that Xander speaks about the common people. Michael declares that such derogatory language is not appropriate around a woman, so the men have Sara escorted to her room. Sara attempts to talk with the guard who escorts her, Timothy, but he will not speak, and it is clear that he has been instructed to remain silent. Sara is relieved to see that Sheina is already in bed. She intends to find more answers about the women in the dungeons.

Late at night, Sara stumbles across the servants’ quarters and hears voices. She peeks through the crack in a door and sees Tristan standing in the room with a woman kneeling at his feet. Tristan asks the servant if she understands and then cuts her off before she can answer. He then tells her to leave. After she is gone, Tristan asks Sara if she plans to come into the room.

Sara feels frightened but hides her emotions and enters, claiming to have been lost. Sara admires Tristan’s tattoos. When they hear a noise, Tristan pulls her into the room and covers her mouth with his palm, reminding her that they cannot be caught. Then, he shoves her away, making her stumble. He tells her not to come down to the servants’ quarters again. She tells him not to presume to give her orders.

Tristan contemplates Sara, whom he finds compelling but untrustworthy. He does not believe that his brother sent her to spy on him, but he cannot explain why she has been watching him. Tristan smokes a joint, looking down from a high vantage point in the castle, recalling a time when his father brought him to this same spot and encouraged him to let go of his animosity toward his brother, who had been bullying him. Tristan’s father encouraged Tristan to have sympathy for Michael. Now, Tristan leaves the castle and walks into the woods.

Tristan goes to the Elephant Bones Tavern, which is known for its disreputable patrons. Tristan has used the establishment as a home base to cultivate the rebel movement. He reflects that the crown has become so complacent that a rebellion seems inconceivable. However, Tristan would rather rule over chaos than have his brother remain in power. Belinda—the woman who threw the decapitated head on the floor in front of Michael—now appears and kneels before Tristan. (Tristan set her free from the dungeons after she was arrested.) Now, he gives a rousing speech to those in attendance, using Belinda to prove that he rewards loyalty.

However, showing his loyalty to his followers is only a façade. In reality, Tristan plans to storm the castle and burn everything to the ground, and he does not care how many of his followers die in the process. To Tristan, “[t]hey’re simply tools. Plain and crude outcasts who have found safety within [him]” (53).

Sara has seen no one important in three days. She plays cards with her ladies-in-waiting, Ophelia and Marisol. She wonders if either woman plans to try to become Michael’s mistress, but she’s not bothered by the possibility. Sara throws down her cards, declaring that she is bored, and asks the women to tell her about the rebels. Ophelia and Marisol are uncomfortable but share that the rebels are outliers who want to raise their own social station. The women share that the rebels have a leader now, and Sara is surprised that the rebels are so organized. Marisol says that speaking about the rebels is forbidden.

That night, Sara cannot sleep. Hearing a noise outside her door, she opens it and finds Tristan, who demands to know what she is hiding and tells her that she should bow to him even if he does not carry the title of king. Sara tells him that she only bows to those who deserve it. Tristan takes her by the throat, makes her look at him, and then holds her waist. Sara protests and privately considers knifing him. He kicks her shin, making her legs buckle, and tells her that he prefers to see her on her knees, looking up at her betters.

Tristan smokes while Xander and Michael discuss Reginald’s funeral. Tristan wonders how they would react if they knew that he is the one who decapitated Lord Reginald. Xander suggests finding a way to shift the public’s focus from this murder, but Michael is furious that Belinda has escaped the dungeons. Tristan laughs, and Michael demands to know why. Tristan says that he is there to be supportive, but Xander tells him that it is too late to play the part of the dutiful prince. This offends Tristan, who says that he knows that Xander left Tristan’s father alone to die. Xander retorts that he knows less about his father than he thinks.

Michael suggests announcing his engagement to Sara. When Michael calls Sara his wife, Tristan reminds him that the two are not married yet, and his stomach sours. When Tristan decides to leave, Michael tells him to get Sara. Tristan would not normally obey such an order, but he decides to do so “if only to get off on her hate before [he] toss[es] her to her king” (64).

Sara goes to the kitchen in the castle, wondering why she keeps having inappropriate dreams of Tristan. (Sara previously visited the castle to become friends with the staff so that they would be loyal to her when the time came.) Now, while Sara is talking to a kitchen worker named Paul, Tristan interrupts. Sara hears a thud inside the wall, and although Paul and Tristan pretend not to hear it, Sara tells them not to try to make her feel “crazy.”

Tristan presses something on the wall and reveals a tunnel containing a child, Simon, who is playing with a sword. Tristan introduces Sara to Simon, and the boy asks Tristan if they like Sara. Tristan reassures him that they do. Tristan tells Sara that his brother wants her. Simon does not want Tristan to leave; when he says that other children bully him, Tristan comforts him, and Sara finds the sight both surprising and heartwarming.