Fearless

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

Paedyn’s engagement ring is symbolic of sacrifice. Kitt gives her the ring when he proposes, sealing their future and fate together as king and queen. Because Paedyn is in love with Kai and has no interest in a life with Kitt, she feels weighed down by the diamond’s constant presence on her hand. When Kitt first puts it onto her finger, she feels “panic welling in [her] eyes”; however, instead of withdrawing, she “offer[s] him [her] hand for a united Ilya alone” (13). She is “the sacrifice that Ordinaries have bled and died for” (13). Wearing the ring symbolizes this sacrifice that she’s making for her people.

The ring also impacts Kai’s character: It’s a constant reminder that he can’t be with Paedyn because she’s sacrificing herself for Ilya’s future. Although he’s proud of Paedyn’s selflessness, he’s “jealous of the ring. Jealous of the way it clings to her skin, feels every shiver of her body. Because that should be [him]” (44). The ring represents the intimacy that Paedyn and Kitt will share and the intimacy that Kai longs to formalize with Paedyn. However, Kai must set these feelings aside to honor Paedyn’s sacrifice.