One Dark Window

One Dark Window is largely shaped by family and hierarchy, as Blunder’s royal and noble families seek to control one another as they do non-nobles lacking power. As a Spindle (paternal family) entrusted to the Hawthorns (maternal family), the infected Elspeth is a noble in her own right, but has to perform as a “shy” girl to avoid drawing attention to her infection. Due to her liminal position, she finds herself despised by stepmother Nerium and scrutinized by other nobles. While loyal to both families (paternal and maternal), she still risks their lives by joining Ravyn’s team—albeit to better Blunder as a whole. This pressure is also felt by Ravyn and Elm. For Ravyn, love for the Yew Family—related to the Rowan Family through his mother—traps him in his role as Captain of the Destriers. As he explains to Elspeth, “I realized at Equinox that the closer I let myself get to you, the less I’d want to be the King’s Captain—the less I’d want to pretend. And it’s dangerous for me, for my family, to stop pretending” (243). He fears risking both the Yews’ mission to form a Deck and his infection. Ravyn is at the mercy of the Rowan King, as being Captain positions him under royal supervision, and if he should stop being useful, his and his family’s lives could be forfeit.