Harrow the Ninth

Much of the plot revolves around the mysterious two-handed sword that Harrow always carries with her. The sword contains her connection to Gideon while also literally containing the soul of Gideon’s mother, Wake. The sword acts as a placeholder for Gideon until she takes control of Harrow’s body in Act 5.

Harrow’s relationship with the sword mirrors her relationship with Gideon: Harrow hates the sword and treats it poorly yet cannot bear being away from it. In Gideon, Harrow often neglected Gideon and kept her in the dark about the intricate political chess happening in Canaan House. At the same time, Harrow could not handle the thought of being without Gideon. Harrow, incapable of comprehending the depths of her own loneliness, has only ever expressed her desire for Gideon’s company in unhealthy ways, forcing Gideon into becoming her cavalier and thus inextricably bound to her. This is reflected in the way she clings to the sword, even though she is essentially incapable of doing anything with it and does not understand why it is so important to her in the first place.

As with Gideon, Harrow slowly comes to love the sword as the narrative progresses. At first, Harrow is convinced that the sword “hate[s] [her] to touch it” (24).