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PROLOGUE

WHEN HE GRABS Ma like that, it must hurt Mama doesn't cry out She tries to hide her pain from him, but she looks back atshe feels If Father knows she's in pain and is showing me, Father will take Ma else

He will say to Ma It doesn't hurt, you're not frightened," and in Mas of her confusion He'll say, "Look at our beautiful child Look at this beautiful roo" Mama will stare back at him, puzzled, and then she'll look at me, her beautiful child in this beautiful rooo smooth and empty, and she'll smile at how happy we are I'll ser than Mama's I'll say, "Have fun! Come back soon!" Then Father will produce the keys that open the door behind the hanging and Mah Thiel, tall, troubled, bewildered in the middle of the room, will bolt in after her, and Father will follow

When the lock slides ho to re before all of this happened Before Thiel, father's fore for Father Before Thiel, holding his hands so tight at his sides that they shook, tried to tell Father sory, so that Father stood up fro, and said, "Thiel, you're a fool who cannot make sensical decisions Come with us now I'll show you what happens when you think for yourself" And then crossed to the sofa and grabbed Maasped and dropped her embroidery, but did not cry out

"Come back soon!" I say cheerily as the hidden door closes behind them

I REMAIN, STARING into the sad eyes of the blue horse in the hanging Snow gusts at the s I' before everyone went away

What just happened? Why can't I remember what just happened? Why do I feel so—

Numbers

Mama says that when I'm confused or can't remember, I must do arithmetic, because numbers are an anchor She's written out problems for me so that I have them at these mo in his funny, loopy script

46 into 1058

I could work it out on paper in two seconds, but Mama always tellsbut the numbers," she says "Pretend you're alone with the nuht me shortcuts For example, 46 is aloes into 1000 exactly 20 times I start there and hat's left A ured out that 46 into 1058 is 23 I do another one 75 into 2850 is 38 Another 32 into 1600 is 50 Oh! These are good numbers Mama has chosen They touch e and thirty-two is Mama's They've been married for fourteen years and I am nine and a half Madoht her here and she's never been back She misses home, her father, her brothers and sisters, her brother Ror the king She talks so me there, where I will be safe, and I cover her ainst her because I will not leave her

Am I not safe here?

The nuBreathe

Father is the King of Monsea No one knows he has the two different colored eyes of a Graceling; no one wonders, for his is a terrible Grace hidden beneath his eye patch: When he speaks, his words fog people'she says Usually, he lies This is why, as I sit here now, the nus in

Now I understand why I'm in this room alone Father has taken Ma awful to Thiel so that Thiel will learn to be obedient and will not cory What the awful thing is, I don't know

Father never shows h to tell me She's forbidden me to try to follow Father down there, ever She says that when I aet about it and do more numbers She says that if I disobey, she'll send me away to Lienid

I try I really do But I can't make myself alone with the nu

The next thing I know, I' back to the table, gathering the thee, beautiful writing disappear Screa it out of existence I trip over Mama's embroidery, her sheets with their cheerful little rows of embroidered stars, moons, castles; cheerful, colorful flowers and keys and candles I hate the embroidery It's a lie of happiness that Father convinces her is true I drag it to the fire

When Father co there screa my head off and the air is putrid, full of the stinky s He starabs ue "Bitterblue," he says, actually frightened "Have you gone mad? You could suffocate in a room like this!"

"I hate you!" I yell, and spit blood into his face He does the strangest thing: His single eye lights up and he starts to laugh

"You don't hate me," he says "You love me and I love you"

"I hate you," I say, but I'

"You love , and you'll be queen someday Wouldn't you like to be queen?"

I' on the floor beforeFather is warh his shirt s sweet and rotten "Queen of all Monsea?" I say in wonderue hurts I don't remember why

"You'll be queen sos, for we must prepare you You'll have to work hard, es But I'll mold you, yes?"

"Yes, Father"

"And you must never, ever disobey me The next time you destroy ers"

This confuses me "What? Father! You mustn't!"

"The time after that," Father says, "I'll hand you the knife and you'll cut off one of her fingers"

Falling again I'm alone in the sky with the words Father just said; I plummet into comprehension "No," I say, certain "You couldn't make me do that"

"I think you know that I could," he says, trapping me close to hi-irl and I think you know exactly what I can do Shall we ? Shall we promise to be honest with each other from now on? I shall make you into the most luminous queen"

"You can't make me hurt Mama," I say

Father raises a hand and cracksand would fall if he weren't holding ," he says with perfect calm

"You can'tand running with tears and snot "One day I'h to kill you"

Father is laughing again "Sweetheart," he says, forcing me back into his embrace "Oh, see how perfect you are You will be my masterpiece"

When Ma towhy the room smells like smoke and whyscared I raise o wide and she comes to me and pulls me away from Father "What did you do?" she hisses at Father "You struck her You animal I'll kill you"