Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death and child abuse.

Cardan and Jude, now High King and High Queen of Elfhame, travel to the mortal world. This is Cardan’s first time using Jude’s method of travel. After the tumultuous events of the main trilogy, Cardan is delighted with his happy ending and good fortune. However, he is not overly pleased that they are traveling to meet her former employer, a solitary fey who is requesting her assistance to deal with a monster.

The narrative goes back in time to Cardan’s childhood. He is an unloved and neglected child, even though his father is High King. One night, when he is nine years old and near feral, he is hiding in the palace stables when he encounters a troll woman, Aslog of the West. She once worked for Queen Gliten in a lower faerie Court, grinding the finest flour in that realm for seven years, in exchange for land and title as payment for her labor. However, Queen Gliten tricked Aslog into forfeiting the bargain, and Cardan’s father, High King Eldred, refuses to help Aslog when she comes to request assistance.