Prepare for all the spoilers. Fitz begins to write the history of the Six Duchies, but it is impossible for him to do so without reliving his own history somewhat. When he was six years old, his grandfather deposited him at the closest home of the royals, where he could be cared for by his father. His father was the heir to the throne, the king-in-waiting, Prince Chivalry, who was not present at the time. Chivalry’s younger brother, Prince Verity, met the boy first. Verity had the child taken to Burrich, the man who tended to Chivalry’s dogs and horses and hawks… and apparently now also his son. Burrich placed the boy where he thought he would be safest, in the stables with the dogs, where Fitz quickly became warm and bonded with a pup named Nosy. That is Fitz’s first memory. He has none of his mother, other than her voice crying behind him as his grandfather dropped him off. His next memory is of meeting his father’s youngest half-brother, Prince Regal. Regal told Verity that the king, Shrewd, had ordered Fitz to be brought to Buckkeep (the capital of the Six Duchies and were the king sits in state) the next time Verity comes. Shrewd believes that the boy will prove to the people that Chivalry can father children, although he and his wife Patience have been trying unsuccessfully for years. Or perhaps it will lend Chivalry some compassion from the populace, seeing that Chivalry is also able to make mistakes sometimes. But Fitz does not get to see his father. In fact, by the time Fitz gets to Buckkeep, his father has already relinquished his claim to the throne and taken his wife to live as Lord and Lady of Withywoods, a sad end to the man who had been a warrior and excellent statesmen, who was supposed to be king, but who willingly gave it up. His brother Verity became King-in-waiting and Fitz never met his father, only knowing what he looked like from portraits. And yet everyone at the court knew who Fitz was, and what he had caused. Burrich takes Fitz to Buckkeep. At the moment the child has no name (his grandfather didn’t give them that information) and is called Fitz only by Burrich. Fitz has taken to Nosy the puppy and the two are practically inseparable. They are paid no attention by anyone in the keep and eventually make their way out into the port town, where they become part of a group of beggar children. One of the children, Molly (who the other kids call Nosebleed) has a drunken, abusive father and another, Kerry, teaches Fitz to charge to carry messages for others. Fitz and Nosy run around with this group of children until Burrich realizes what’s happening and pulls them away. That is not suitable for a child of Prince Chivalry! As Burrich lectures Fitz and punishes him, he notices something strange about relationship between the child and the puppy. It is as if they are sharing a mind. Burrich realizes that Fitz has the Wit, a power that allows him to speak to animals and use their senses as his own, even to access their memories. People with this gift slowly degrade into madness, becoming wild themselves, and they used to be killed for having it. When it’s clear that Fitz doesn’t understand why using the Wit is wrong, or why it’s dangerous. Plus, he and Nosy have become too enmeshed together. It hurts Burrich, but he knows what needs to be done. When Burrich tries to separate the two, Fitz repels Burrich’s body with just a thought. Burrich warns him not to do that again, but Fitz does not listen and finds himself repelled by Burrich instead, causing him terrible head pain. Burrich takes the puppy away and locks Fitz in the room, coming back only after he’s killed the puppy (regrettably but he insists to Fitz that there was no other way). After that, Burrich tries very hard to make sure Fitz doesn’t form any attachments to animals. For a couple of years, Burrich keeps Fitz close by. Fitz sleeps in his quarters and follows him during his tasks, learning how to care for the animals. Fitz occasionally manages to scurry off and visit his friends in the port town, but it is not often. Both he and Burrich are lonely, Fitz for obvious reasons and Burrich because his master had left him behind to care for his son, while an injury he has sustained does not allow him to hunt or ride and causes a limp when he walks. Burrich feels like less of a man than he used to be. Until one day, the king notices Fitz. King Shrewd is walking with Regal and points out the boy, asking Regal what he would make of Fitz. He can either care for Fitz and groom him into a man that is loyal to the family, to potentially perform jobs that need a delicate hand but are too dangerous for an actual prince; or he can cast Fitz aside and allow another to take Fitz under their wing, who may not have the Farseer family’s interests at heart and who may poison Fitz against them and use his royal blood for their own gain. The king then bids Fitz to approach him. He announces that he will care for Fitz from then on and if anyone tries to coax Fitz away, Fitz should let the king know right away. It’s about time. The next day, Fitz’s life changes. He is now to live in his own room at the keep, have his own horse (her name is Sooty) and the lessons that come with the responsibility of owning a horse, weapons classes with Hod (a woman!), math and writing and reading and history classes during the winter when he can’t be outside as much, and probably classes in the Skill later on - a gift through the Farseer bloodline. Fitz has already learned who at the keep to avoid: the Queen, Regal, Cob - Burrich’s apprentice who is jealous of the attention Fitz receives. Now he adds Brant to the list - an errand boy at the keep who dislikes Fitz for no particular reason. The first day that Fitz’s new education starts, he is shown his room at the top of the keep, complete with a tapestry of King Wisdom befriending the Elderling and the bed for just him. He is too tired to do anything but wish he had a life that wasn’t so lonely. Fitz gets a new wardrobe, in which the fancy versions of his clothes have the king’s emblem just like the princes wear, but with a red line crossing through it to indicate that he is a bastard. Burrich says that if he doesn’t like the sigil, he could choose a name and an emblem of his own - it’s likely that the king would give it to him. But Fitz doesn’t know what he would choose anyway, so he leaves it. In other even more depressing news, the name Fitz is commonly used to indicate that a child was born out of wedlock. It is usually attached to their father’s name, i.e. FitzWilliam. But only Burrich, and now Hod, calls him Fitz, no one else calls him a name at all. Fitz asks what happened to his father that he would set aside his chivalry and have a child out of wedlock, but Burrich has no real answer about that. Just that Chivalry was young and far from home. After having his new schedule for a while, Fitz is woken in the night by a man standing in his room. He beckons for Fitz to follow him through a secret door in his room, not even giving Fitz enough time to change out of his nightclothes first. They go to the top of one of the keep’s towers where the man finally introduces himself. He is Chade and he’s to be another of Fitz’s teachers. He will teach Fitz how to be an assassin, on the king’s orders. He will teach Fitz everything he needs to know but it will be up to Fitz to decide, when the moment comes, whether or not to use what he knows. Chade also mentions in passing that Galen refuses to train Fitz in the Skill, though Chade thinks that is foolish – Fitz didn’t even know it was on the table. Also, these assassin lessons are to be absolutely secret. They work for a few hours before Chade allows Fitz to go back to bed. In the morning, Fitz is very late for his lessons with Burrich. But something about Chade has loosened Fitz’s tongue and he’s much more talkative, he and Burrich discuss Chivalry and what his leaving meant for Burrich. Fitz begins to enjoy his nighttime lessons with Chade and no longer feels so alone. He excels at his studies - learning plants and their uses, how to steal, how to make friends and get information, how to get around undetected, how to observe, and how to lie. And how to take orders without questioning them. Until one night, Chade tells him to steal something from the king’s room. It doesn’t have to be big or important, it can be anything - but it’s the best guarded room in the keep and it will test Fitz’s skills unlike anything else. But Fitz refuses. He made a deal with the king, and this feels disloyal. Chade throws him out of the room and does not come and get him the next several nights. Fitz believes Chade will never return for him and feels alone again but even worse this time, as if everything he was becoming was worthless. He stops eating, barely gets out of bed. He hears people talk around him but can’t tell if it’s real or a dream. Then Burrich comes for him, and Fitz eventually leaves his bed to work in the stable. He cares for a puppy that likely would die without intervention. Fitz nurses the puppy to health and stays in the stable for a few days, being kept too busy to think. After a few days, Burrich lets Fitz get drunk and deposits Fitz in his room to sleep it off, but Fitz doesn’t sleep. He cries. For the first time in his memory, he cries for the child who was repeatedly abandoned. Then Chade comes in and holds Fitz as he cries, insisting that he will not be tested like that again. One morning not long after that, Fitz is called to see the king, who serves Fitz breakfast himself. He explains that it had been his idea, not Chade’s, to test Fitz’s loyalty. A king cannot be too careful, but it will not happen again. At the end of the meal, Fitz meets the king’s eyes and takes the little silver knife off the tray as the king watches. When he is next called to Chade’s lesson, Fitz places the silver knife on the mantel - imbedding the blade into the wood there. Fitz begins his winter lessons and takes to them as well as he has everything else. In fact, he does so well learning his letters that Fedwren, the head scribe, asks if Fitz would be interested in becoming his apprentice. It would allow him to see the world as they traveled together. But Chade counsels against it. Things are difficult at the moment. A drought in the south, the mountain people are less than thrilled about the use of their mountain passes, the trade fees keep rising, the outislanders are raiding more often so the coastal towns want warships to fight back while the inlanders say that the king only worries about the coast and they definitely don’t want to spend money on warships which may push them into war. A bad time for a bastard, when unhappy people may think Chivalry could have led them better, and if they can’t have Chivalry then perhaps his son would be suitable replacement. It is better for Fitz to stay where the king can see him and make sure he isn’t causing trouble; it will keep him safest. But Fedwren asks Fitz to go to town and get some supplies for him anyway, and Fitz is delighted that he may see some of his old friends. As he’s getting the supplies, he runs into an old merchant woman from the mountains who keeps saying “keppet” to him and then gets into a fight with the woman next to her. He leaves quickly and sees Molly “Nosebleed”, who he barely recognizes. He walks her back home, and they catch up. She asks him to read a few of her mother’s notes to her since she cannot read herself. He does, several of which are recipes, but the last is a note about the day Molly was born and how perfect she was. Her mother called her Molly Nosegay. Molly is overwhelmed and gives Fitz a few candles in thanks. On the way back up to the keep, Fitz sees Verity and Regal riding hard for the castle. They stop when they see him and tell him they just received word - Chivalry is dead. The word is that Chivalry died from a fall from his horse but neither Burrich nor Chade believe that. Chade tells Fitz to be careful, but Fitz is angry. Why should he mourn a father who didn’t care about him? Chade knew Chivalry well and points out that perhaps Chivalry did care and that was why he abdicated and left, so that no one would pay any special attention to Fitz. To keep him out of danger. Chade believes that whatever happened to Chivalry came from inside the keep and Fitz guesses the queen, but Chade has no proof of that. Either way, Fitz will be wary of the queen from now on. One day when Fitz goes to the stables to work, Burrich sits him down to teach him “manners”. Greetings, protocols around meals, etc. Fitz is to be joining Verity on a journey to the Duchy of Rippon, to Neatbay to see Duke Kelvar. He is in charge of three watch stations on the coast that serve to warn of raiding outislanders. The duchy to the south, Shoaks, says that Kelvar has been shirking his duty. The tower on Watch Island has twice not alerted them to raiders and it has caused a great deal of damage. Verity and his entourage are to go and suss out the truth of this claim. Chade later tells Fitz everything he needs to know. They (meaning Chade and King Shrewd) do not know the reason the Red-Ship Raiders come and destroy everything they see. They are not raiding and taking what they need, grain or sheep or goods, but laying waste so that the towns cannot be repaired. They do not fall for any traps laid by King Shrewd; it seems that the raiders are too familiar with the strategy that he and his advisors have been using. Is Kelvar working with the raiders for some reason they don’t know of? Fitz is to go as an attendant to the elderly Lady Thyme who has relatives in Neatbay. Fitz is to skulk around and see what he can find out. If Kelvar is innocent, do nothing. If he suspects that Kelvar is working with the raiders but have no proof, do nothing and report back to Chade and Shrewd. But if you are certain of Kelvar’s treason, then take care of the problem right away. Chade gives Fitz a powder that is undetectable in food or drink and would kill Kelvar a few hours after he ingested it. Fitz is thirteen years old at this point, probably. Before they leave for Rippon Duchy, Fitz has a run in with the king’s fool. It turns out the man is very well spoken and gives Fitz a message: Fitz fixes feists fits. Fat suffices. No one knows what it means but the Fool thinks the message is for Fitz since the jester knows no other Fitzes. The journey to Neatbay is awful, mostly because Fitz has to attend to a cranky old lady. When they arrive at the keep after depositing Lady Thyme at an inn, Fitz finds out that he’ll be staying in Verity’s room to attend to whatever Verity needs done. At dinner, Fitz meets Duke Kelvar and his wife, Lady Grace. The lady is much younger than the duke and is ostentatiously adorned in jewels. Fitz overhears complaints about brigands on the inland roads, repairs not being done to roads or buildings, shipments being brought in late, and he suspects that the money to fund repairs and soldiers is being worn by Lady Grace - not that she realizes it. He doesn’t think she has any idea of her responsibility to her people, likely being much lower born than her husband. Fitz gives his report to Verity that night before bed. While Chivalry was a soldier and a statesman, Verity is just a soldier and does not think like Chivalry did. Verity plans to tell Kelvar to do his job and put guards in the tower, but Fitz (like Chivalry) sees there is more work to do than just that. They need to find a way to get Kevlar to man the tower well (not just put untrained people there), take care of the roads and buildings and soldiers, keep his pride intact, and teach the duchess of her duty as well. Fitz wakes up starving and sneaks out of Verity’s room to the kitchens. While he’s finding food to eat, a serving maid comes down with a little dog she calls Feisty who she claims is dying. When Fitz takes a look, he realizes the dog has something stuck in his throat - probably a bone. He reaches into the dog’s mouth but can’t dislodge the bone, so he loosens it up using butter and then grabs the bone with a piece of hooked metal, pulling it out. The dog immediately settles down and Fitz chastises the girl. The dog should only eat red meat and not from the table! It’s then that he realizes the girl is no serving maid but Lady Grace. Fitz gives her a message inspired by his talk with the Fool, telling Grace that he had a dream. In that dream, she inspired Kelvar to post guards, and man the tower, and repair the walls and roads. That both her people and the king loved her in this dream. He suspects that she likes the vision he paints of her, and he may have just fixed the problem they were sent for. Fitz fixes feists fits, fat suffices indeed. He goes back to bed but is awakened soon, Lady Thyme needs him. He rushes into town to find that Lady Thyme is a complete ruse - it’s Chade in disguise! He came to listen to the women’s gossip and glean what he could from them. And he comes with bad tidings. The Red-Sail Raiders have struck again, but this time very close to Buckkeep. They’ve taken hostages and sent word to the king: bring them gold and they’ll kill the hostages. Don’t bring it and they’ll return the hostages to town. That’s not the way it’s supposed to go. In addition, as the message was given, the raiders all laughed maniacally. That does not bode well. Chade and Fitz need to head there immediately and find out what’s really going on. And how did the raiders know Verity would be away from Buckkeep right now - or was that a stroke of luck? And how did they get so close to Buckkeep undetected? Chade and Fitz ride hard but not too hard, yet Fitz notices that Chade’s health is deteriorating in front of his eyes. By the time they get to the boat, Chade’s skin is ashen and he’s barely staying on his horse. They rest on the boat, and the next time Fitz sees Chade, he looks so much better. But then Fitz smells the carris seed on Chade’s breath and understands that he’s taken a stimulant. Burrich has warned Fitz of carris seed and given him instructions to never purchase an animal that has been given carris seed because that animal will never be the same afterward. When Fitz questions Chade, he brushes Fitz’s concerns away. He explains that the hardest part of their journey is coming up and then they’ll ride hard to the town of Forge which the hostages were taken from. When they arrive in Forge, the raiders’ ship is already gone, and the hostages have been returned. When Fitz asks where the hostages are, Chade looks at him like he’s lost his mind. That’s when Fitz realizes for the first time that he really is different from everyone else. He can feel bonds, which he thinks of as strings. He knows when someone is coming up the stairs or is about to open the door. It’s how he knows there’s one more puppy in the litter hidden in the straw. It’s how he reads people, seeing the strings that attach them to the world and to other people. But the hostages that were returned have no strings, not to their families, not to their friends, not to the world at large. He would not have even realized they were even there if it weren’t for Chade. But now that Fitz notices them, he realizes that the hostages are no longer really people - baser than even animals. He takes Chade’s reins and quickly rides the horses away in a panic. Chade doesn’t understand, he’s sure it’s just the aftereffects of what has happened to them making them act so strangely, but Fitz knows the truth. As they ride toward the boat, they come upon some of Forge’s villagers who were not taken hostage but are now abandoning their homes and the family members who were just returned to them. The villagers see Chade and call him the Pocked Man, a legendary harbinger of disease. They chase Fitz and Chade away. The last thing they need right now is a plague. After careful thought, Chade knows that Fitz was right about the hostages. The fact that the hostages’ families left them behind tells him that. Soon the carris seed leaves Chade’s system and he’s barely able to ride his horse. They make it back to the boat and then back to Rippon Duchy, where they stay in “Lady Thyme’s” room for a few days to recuperate. Fitz goes into the town (it takes him less time to get back to normal) and he hears that Lady Grace has already done what she was supposed to, there are rumors of guards being hired and repairs about to be made all around. But there are also rumors of Red-Ship Raiders near Buckkeep. In the time that follows, they will hear more rumors: of the Pocked Man spreading his disease across the country and of the horrors that happen near Forge. Of the Forged (what they call the return hostages) and what they do to the people they meet. Stories so bad that Fitz does not like to think of what happens there. So bad that people avoid Forge at all costs. Chade decides to speak to the king and demand that Fitz learn the Skill. Bad times are coming, and they need to prepare while they can. Fitz returns to Buckkeep with the rest of Verity’s retinue. Over time, people start to refer to the hostages returned by the Red-Ship Raiders as “being Forged”. Another town is hit, but they kill their Forged people when they’re returned. Then another pays to have the raiders kill the hostages instead of returning them. Then a fourth, who chain their Forged people up in the hope that their senses will come back to them, but time passes, and the Forged do not get better. The general populace grows weary and blame the king as he does nothing. Chade says it would be better to have a show of strength and threaten the raiders, or declare an edict of what the towns should do if raiders come, or give money and weapons for the citizens to fight back. Literally anything would be better than what Shrewd is doing - nothing. In other news, Shrewd refuses to have Fitz trained in the Skill and Fitz starts to take walks with Molly on an almost nightly basis. Chivalry’s widow, Lady Patience, comes to Buckkeep and meets Fitz almost immediately, though he doesn’t realize who she is. They meet a few more times and eventually, she demands to know what skills Fitz has. Can he dance, sing, play an instrument, recite verse? All no. She declares this is unacceptable and marches off. It’s only later that day, when Burrich returns from a month abroad and sees Patience’s horse Silk, that Fitz realizes who she is. Later that day, Chade gives Fitz some new information. First, Chade is a bastard himself - Shrewd’s older half-brother. Also, Patience has demanded that Shrewd acknowledge Fitz as Chivalry’s son and heir and have him trained as such. Shrewd refused to name him Chivalry’s son or heir, saying it could start a civil war, but did agree to allow some training. Patience will see to Fitz’s princely training herself, except for the Skill. Patience has also convinced Shrewd to have Fitz trained by Galen in the Skill, starting in a month’s time. Upon hearing this, Fitz recounts what he knows of Galen. He is private and ostentatious, unkind to those who he perceives as lesser than himself and who cannot fight back, and he was loyal to Shrewd’s second wife, the late Queen Desire (he still wears a necklace she gifted to him with three stones on it) and because of that loyalty, Galen favors her son Regal. Chade explains that while Galen was loyal to Desire, he was infatuated with Chivalry. He loved Chivalry to an unnerving degree. And somehow, because of that, it seems that Galen absolutely hates Fitz. Perhaps he blames Fitz for Chivalry’s death. Chade warns Fitz to be careful of both Patience and Galen. Before their meeting is done, Fitz reveals that the king’s fool sometimes talks to him. Fitz likes this, it makes him feel a bit important. That of all the people available, the Fool chooses to speak to him. Chade is delighted by this surprise information but cautions Fitz to continue to keep it secret. Fitz’s lessons with Patience start - but Patience is a scattered person in general and exceptionally scattered when it comes to Fitz. The first thing she does is give him a small black puppy that Fitz decides to hide from Burrich for the time being. She asks Fitz what his name is, but he tells her to call him “boy” like everyone else. She is appalled and decides to call him Thomas instead. She then asks what skills he has, what he’s been educated in. He tells her about everything - except for his training with Chade. She dismisses him, seeming almost ashamed. Fitz assumes that she is ashamed of him, but really, she is ashamed of the way he has been treated and her role in that treatment. That night he cares for his puppy and tries to think of a name when the Fool shows up. The Fool suggests something like Anvil since Fitz will be strengthened by his love for the puppy. The Fool also tells Fitz something important. Patience has never hated him, though she hated the fact that he belonged to another woman who could give Chivalry the child that she could not. She had even wanted to raise Fitz as her own, but Chivalry would not allow it since it would look like he was formally acknowledging Fitz. He was worried it would put Fitz in danger. And Patience also feels guilty and wants to keep a piece of Chivalry near her. She knows that if she had not accepted his abdication and they had stayed in Buckkeep, it would not have been so easy for “them” to kill Chivalry. Fitz decides to name his puppy Smithy. Patience has Fitz try several instruments and recite several pieces of poetry but never gives Fitz enough time to really get the hang of it. One evening, Patience’s maid Lacey brings Fitz the sea pipes he seemed to enjoy best of all the instruments he tried. She encourages him to work on it a bit and then show Patience his progress. Patience wants Fitz to succeed so that she can show everyone that he is capable. That regardless of what they may think of him, that he is worthy. Fitz instead paints her a few pictures of Smithy. When he shows them to Patience, she is impressed. She’s so overcome with longing that she hugs him, saying he should have been hers, before leaving the room. Lacey tells him that Patience has grown quite fond of him. Over the next few weeks, Patience and Fitz find a balance between the two of them. But then his training with Galen starts. The night before it starts, Burrich calls for Fitz and gives him a warning. Do not let Galen see anything of the Wit, the sense he uses with animals. Burrich tells Fitz there used to be a woman who had a gift with birds. Galen publicly called her a perversion and later beat her to death one night (Burrich has no proof of this but knows that Galen’s horse was gone the night the woman was killed, and he had wounds from talons on his body the next day). Galen was accused of the murder by the woman’s cousin and the two of them dueled over it at the witness stones. When someone is challenged at the witness stones, the stones choose the victor, and the decision cannot be overturned. It is believed that the stones are never wrong. Galen won at the stones by killing the cousin and thus was never charged with either murder. But Burrich worries, Galen already doesn’t like Fitz simply because of who he is. What would he do if he knew that Fitz has the Wit? Galen is actually training a group of people, not just Fitz. The king and Verity have charged him with training as many people in the Skill as he can for the dark times approaching them, which Galen thinks is unnecessary. Still, he says he will do as he’s bid. The Skill is using your mind to touch another’s. You can pass messages to another who is Skilled even across large distances or influence someone to act a certain way or do something specific. Very gifted Skilled people can strike fear in their enemies and, legend says, speak to the Elderlings - who are nearly gods. But even if you could speak to the Elderlings, you shouldn’t. It’s not worth the risk. They say that doing so causes a feeling of bliss and elation, but it may also kill the Skilled person. Galen’s training is little more than deprivation and physical abuse (and he largely ignores the girls when he’s not hitting them with his horse crop). He lashes out with his crop for even the smallest infractions like shifting weight or not keeping their eyes closed, and none of the students push back or tell anyone what Galen’s doing. They assume that this is the way you open your mind to the Skill. Galen finds out that Fitz went down to the kitchens and got a bowl of meat after the bland meal that Galen ordered for them, so Galen beat Fitz with the whip and lashed everyone else as a punishment. In truth, Fitz was following Galen’s orders - the meat was for Smithy. After that, Fitz doesn’t know what to do, he needs to feed his dog! But the Fool comes to the rescue and agrees to care for Smithy during the day. He also recommends that Fitz figure out where he draws his line is and fast. What punishment is he willing to take from Galen and what is going too far. The danger is more than Fitz realizes. The first time that Galen touches Fitz’s mind with the Skill, Fitz knows the Skill is something he can learn. He also realizes that Galen will root around his mind for his secrets, so Fitz spends his time hiding the Wit, and Smithy, and the Fool, and Chade in his memories. The first time that Galen has Fitz use the Skill on him, Galen tries to overpower him. But Fitz (he doesn’t realize this, but Galen does) is stronger than Galen. But there’s a strange thing that can happen with the Skill. If you use it too strongly, you can be filled with euphoria. This happens to Fitz at that moment, and Galen takes the chance to beat him and berate him for not being able to stay in control. Too weak. He and the other students leave Fitz to die - Galen even encourages him to do so. And at this point, Fitz is so brainwashed that he believes he’s failed, and he deserved the beating and whatever comes from it. He even thinks of throwing himself off the tower. But then he feels a glowing light inside him, it’s Smithy and his love for Fitz. This keeps Fitz alive long enough for the Fool to find Burrich and the two of them to locate Fitz. The Fool disappears as Burrich takes Fitz and Smithy to the stables. He patches Fitz up (he almost lost an eye) and Fitz rests for days. When he tries to explain to Burrich that he deserved what happened, Burrich tries to convince him otherwise. Burrich doesn’t know how to break through to Fitz, though he does try. Fitz becomes depressed and despondent, but Burrich won’t let him laze about. When Burrich sees that Fitz is well enough, he sends him back up to the keep. And he tells Fitz to go back to his lessons; he won’t be behind the other Skilled students because there have been no classes while he was recuperating. Burrich also insists that Smithy stays in the stables until Fitz’s training is done, being alone all day is no good for the dog. Fitz spends the night in his own bed and is woken in the morning by the Fool, who tells Fitz that he has enough time to eat and bathe and still get to the tower before the others. When Fitz replies that he cannot go, he’s not worthy, the Fool reminds him that he once asked Fitz to stop these lessons. He had asked because he thought that Galen might kill Fitz. But that day has now come and gone, and Fitz survived it. The Fool asks Fitz to go back, from one friend to another. And he tells Fitz about what happened while he was healing. Burrich, seeing what Galen had done, went up to Galen and drug him to the witness stones. He demanded that Galen train Fitz for real but never lay a finger on him again. And try as he might, Galen could not beat Burrich, nor could he convince the onlookers to be sympathetic towards him. Some say that it was like seeing the Burrich of old, from before he was injured, from before Chivalry died. This convinces him, Fitz gets ready to train again. The first day he goes to training, the rest of the students treat Fitz as a pariah, and they have wait longer than normal for Galen to appear. When he finally arrives, the wounds and bruises from the beating he received from Burrich at the witness stones are still clear. He gives a tame lesson, he’s barely able to hold his whip, and lets the students leave early. He touches each of the students with the Skill as they leave, but Fitz feels nothing when it is his turn. Galen tells Fitz that he needs to shield his mind less or he will never be able to Skill properly. Fitz can’t tell if he’s lying or being honest. That night, Fitz eats with the keep guards and realizes how Galen had warped his thoughts and opinions of others. He had begun to believe that these men were not as good as him simply because he is Skilled, even though he has none the guards for a long time and they have always welcomed him. Fitz swears not to allow that to happen again. Over the weeks, the students continue to complain that Fitz’s touches are either whispers or a battering ram. That Fitz has no control. Fitz can feel the Skill inside him, either roaring or unreachable. Then Galen makes an announcement. They will all be tested. They will each be taken somewhere alone throughout the country and he will tell them with the Skill how to get home. How they get to the keep and with whom will decide if they pass the test. Anyone who passes will form a coterie: a group of Skilled who work together as a team. Generations ago, when the Skill was taught to anyone who had an affinity for it, coteries were made by Skilled people mutually choosing to band together. But that time has gone by the wayside, and it was eventually decreed that the only people to be trained in the Skill were royals, to give them an edge. Currently, the only people proficient in the Skill besides Galen is the king and Verity. Chivalry had been strong in the Skill before he died. The fact that Galen is choosing who is in this coterie is abnormal, they would normally band together themselves and the coteries would work well because of that. And Fitz does not feel good about this upcoming test. Before he leaves for the day, Galen tells him it would have been better if he’d just killed himself the night Galen beat him. And then Galen asks if Fitz is his catamite (a boy in an intimate relationship with an older man) and if Fitz thought he’d be able to use his strength during the upcoming test. Fitz doesn’t know who or what he’s talking about, but Galen just assures him that he won’t be able to use his strength and then leaves. Meanwhile, in keep gossip, Verity needs to find a wife and get to making an heir, but he’s too busy to find one for himself so Regal is doing it for him. Also, Verity isn’t looking so hot, and Fitz is concerned about his health. And the Forgings still continue and some of the Forged have become bandits on the road, capable of atrocities. Fitz, having seen the Forged firsthand, doubts they are capable of banding together and does not believe this particular piece of gossip. Burrich agrees to keep Smithy during the Skill testing and Fitz is taken with the rest of the students. He’s driven blindfolded in a closed coach for a day and a half before being dropped off and left with no horse or tools. He realizes from the surrounding land that he is north of Forge. Galen is supposed to contact him within two days with instructions, so he finds a relatively safe space and waits. He does not want to get close to the town or any of the Forged, especially since he cannot sense them. Fitz dreams, a bunch of weird dreams that lead to him merging with Smithy’s mind. He sees through Smithy as Burrich enters the stable and goes up the stairs to his room. He hears a fight and Burrich falls down the stairs, injured. Smithy can smell his blood. Whoever has attacked Burrich attacks Smithy too, stabbing him. But at the end of it, Fitz can still feel a small strand of life from Smithy, and he sets out towards Buckkeep, hoping to make it there in time to help Smithy and Burrich (if he’s still alive). Fitz is attacked by Forged on the road before he reaches the town of Forge but is able to use a staff that he made himself and his weapons training with Hod to get free, although he does lose his cloak. When he gets to the town, Forge is completely deserted, no people Forged or otherwise. He decides to go through the town instead of wasting time going around - he’s in a hurry after all. But the Red-Ship Raiders arrive while Fitz is walking, and Fitz has to hide from them near the water of the port. He keeps slithering away, knowing that he’ll be seen if they light any fires, but the raiders seem just as eager to keep whatever they’re doing secret and do nothing that might draw attention to them. Fitz suspects they’re using the town’s well to get water. He makes it far enough away to go back to the road but is again beset on by Forged. As he waits for the Forged to attack, he feels Smithy die and he loses it. He kills the Forged and then continues down the road, it appears the raiders did not hear the fight. By the time he gets to Buckkeep, Galen has already told everyone that Fitz is dead, and Burrich has been found and taken to the infirmary. Galen presents the passing students (one of the other students never returned) in their coterie to the king like they’re a gift he’s giving to the king but instead of approaching Galen or the king, Fitz heads straight to Burrich. After seeing that Burrich is alive and healing, Fitz lets it slip to Burrich that he saw the fight and already knew that Smithy was dead. Burrich tells Fitz to leave and not come back, disgusted by how he continues to use the Wit. But also, Burrich is hurt. Fitz used the Wit but did not think of using the Skill to try to bring help when he saw what had happened to Burrich. Fitz insists he can’t use the Skill, he’s not capable but Burrich declares that he could have been trained in the Skill if he’d listened and ignored the Wit. Burrich claims that he has failed Fitz and Chivalry both, who had commanded Burrich to raise Fitz well. After losing Smithy, and Burrich (even though their relationship was a difficult one), Fitz sinks into a depression and snaps at anyone who dares speak to him. He sends a note to Shrewd about what he saw the Red-Ship Raiders doing but gets no response. He failed Galen’s test and cannot use the Skill. He drives the Fool and Patience away; Chade never even calls on him. And when he goes to see Molly in the town, he sees that she has a boyfriend. Fitz has nothing left. Over the summer, nothing good happens. Chade does not come for Fitz, Burrich does not relent or change his mind and bars Fitz from the stable, Fitz doesn’t know how to apologize to Patience, and Fedwren is on the road. So, Fitz drinks and feels sorry for himself. When Chade does finally come, he chastises Fitz for letting himself get soft. Chade can practically smell the wine in Fitz’s pores, and he hasn’t even looked into who tried to kill Burrich. This is not the Fitz that Chade knew before. He gives Fitz instructions and tells him that he will be helping to care for Verity, which is the reason Chade hasn’t been calling for him. Or one of them, Chade has also been trying unsuccessfully to figure out how the raiders are doing the Forgings. Which brings Fitz to his other task, he will be killing the Forged on the roads - they’ve become a real problem. By the time the summer is over, Fitz has killed several people - most of them Forged but also a lord who has taken advantage of a maid’s daughter. Fitz doesn’t regret any of it. When he cares for Verity, Fitz sees what is causing the prince so many problems. Verity is using the Skill constantly to turn away raiders. Taking care of Verity and his dog Leon brings Fitz back to himself somewhat and he learns more about his father in the process. How Galen hated Chivalry for some childhood wrong done, until Chivalry Skilled him otherwise (not the wisest thing to do, but Chivalry was still young at the time). That Galen is not strong in the Skill but Solicity, the previous tutor, knew she was dying and was desperate to find her replacement. Verity thinks Solicity regretted choosing Galen in the end. But though Galen is not strong, he was strong enough to put a mist on Fitz’s mind, forcing Fitz to believe that he has no Skill. Verity tells Fitz that he does have the Skill, but that he doesn’t not have the time to train Fitz to use it. Already Verity is wasting away using the Skill constantly and he must continue his work at least until winter when the raiders relent. Fitz offers to give him his own strength to use, and Verity takes it, believing that Fitz knew what he was offering. When he realizes that Fitz did not, Verity stops himself and swears not to do it again (it left Fitz exhausted and could have killed him). In fact, Verity tells Fitz not to visit anymore so that he’s not tempted. But before Fitz goes, Verity tells him to stop thinking of himself as a bastard - he has a name. Verity had it recorded on the day they met. FitzChivalry Farseer. Fitz continues to kill the Forged but does not see Chivalry again until they’re both summoned before the king. Shrewd tells Verity that it’s time to marry and that Regal has chosen a mountain princess as his bride. Shrewd and Verity argue some but Shrewd holds fast to his plans. Once Verity leaves, Shrewd turns to Fitz. The mountain people choose heirs by whomever is the oldest, be they male or female, same as the Six Duchies. According to Regal, the princess’ older brother is sickly after taking an arrow through the chest a few years ago but don’t worry, their father is still hale and hearty and likely to live for years still. Fitz understands what Shrewd is not saying. The raids are coming more frequently. Several coastal people have started carrying suicide vials and many have used them when threatened with being Forged. But the raiders have also been defeated by the townspeople a few times, with the help of the outislanders who have come to the Six Duchies looking for refuge from the Red-Ship Raiders. They were running from the raiders as well and now fight against them. Verity refuses to go to the Mountain Kingdom to marry until winter, since he insists that he cannot take a break from protecting the Duchies from the raiders, but Shrewd insists the wedding happen in the fall because of the traditions and superstitions of the mountain people. Verity does not back down, and it is eventually decided that Regal will act as Verity’s proxy and make his wedding vows in the mountain city of Jhaampe, then Regal and the princess (along with their entourages) will travel back to Buckkeep where there will be a second wedding with both Verity and the Princess Kettricken. The mountain people consist of lots of smaller tribes who are fiercely independent but have also sworn loyalty to their king. Originally, the clans were brought together by a prophet-judge, but that judge eventually became a king. Fitz continues to be lonely and at loose ends, so he seeks out the Fool. He finds the Fool’s rooms and goes in without permission. After seeing the care and vibrancy of the room, he realizes his transgression and leaves without being seen. Chade calls on him, and Fitz reveals his mission in Jhaampe, which Chade did not know about. Chade explains that Verity told Shrewd what Galen had done to Fitz’s mind and demanded that Shrewd deal with the issue. Shrewd asked Chade to tell Fitz that it will be dealt with, but Chade reminds Fitz that Galen still needs to train other coteries so don’t expect him to be punished too severely. The night before he leaves with the caravan to Jhaampe, Patience calls for Fitz as well, for the first time since he was so rude to her. She explains that she has already forgiven him - though he does try to apologize. She tells him that she has a gift before he leaves, and she picks out a big sapphire blue stud earring, using it to pierce his ear before he realizes what’s happening. She reminds him that he is Chivalry’s son - do not forget that. Fitz notices that his new clothes made for the trip have a new emblem, a stag with its head down, ready to charge. The palace seamstress, Mistress Hasty, explains that Verity ordered it done. The surprises don’t stop there; the Fool visits Fitz and Fitz takes the opportunity to apologize for going into his room. He believes the Fool forgives him. The Fool also gives Fitz a small package, a plant that will purge his stomach. He warns Fitz against eating food that he did not prepare for himself and believes that someone will try to poison Fitz while he’s in Jhaampe. Lastly, Fitz sees Verity. Verity asks Fitz to speak to the princess about him, truthfully and honestly, since he believes correctly that Fitz has always thought well of him. The caravan leaves for Jhaampe, it’s a huge group of people including Hands, who traveled with him to Rippon Duchy. Fitz has been charged with taking care of some delicate plants and seeds, as well as some scrolls, that need to make it up the mountains as gifts to the princess’s people. He takes this charge very seriously. On the journey there, not much happens, although one night he is woken by Sooty neighing. Fitz checks on her, wondering if someone is messing with his chest of plants, but he finds nothing amiss. Throughout the journey, Fitz thinks about how he will kill the mountain prince so that the prince dies not only after they’ve left Jhaampe, but the wedding in Buckkeep has happened. When they arrive in Jhaampe, Fitz is dismayed at how August (who heads this caravan since Regal is still with the mountain people) treats their hosts without any thought to their customs. He wishes that Regal had sent more information about the culture and the people, rather than requests for more outfits. But Fitz makes a favorable impression as one of the only people in the retinue who knows some of their language (he asked Chade to teach him what he knew) and as someone who is genuinely interested in the beauty of their gardens. He meets Jonqui, who he later realizes is the sister of the King, Eyod. Eyod welcomes the new visitors with words and food, and lavishes Regal and August with gifts, they do the same to Princess Kettricken. Later, Fitz is introduced to the princess and her brother, Prince Rurisk. Rurisk is not pleased by the way that Fitz is treated by August, who is now very aligned with Galen and Regal and absolutely hates Fitz. Rurisk knew Fitz’s father and was even with Chivalry when he found out about Fitz. Rurisk still doesn’t understand why Chivalry felt that he needed to abdicate his place as King-in-Waiting. Fitz notices that Rurisk does not seem infirm or sickly at all, as Regal had described him. This gives Fitz a lot to think about. Jonqui tells the princess that Fitz loved the gardens in the city and Kettricken volunteers to give him a tour of some others. While they walk, he learns a lot about the princess. She is very active, loves to tend her garden, and even has a small metal forge where she makes her own jewelry. She reminds him of Patience. He tells her about Verity, and she admits that she is relieved. Regal made Verity seem old and infirm, assuring her that even if Verity only considered her a duty, he would be there to help her feel comfortable in her new home. Then she explains to Fitz that she heard a lot about him from Regal as well - and none of it was good. While he was drunk one night, Regal told her that Fitz was spoiled and thought too highly of himself, but now that Fitz is interning with the king’s poisoner, he seems content. Fitz is stricken, that’s definitely supposed to be a secret. Kettricken thought that Fitz may come and try to poison her brother, making Kettricken the heir to her father’s throne and possibly enfolding the mountain kingdom into the Six Duchies (which would then be the Seven Duchies). Jonqui and Rurisk reappear, and Fitz makes his excuses to go to his room. He has realized, as no doubt the others have as well, that he has been poisoned. He needs to get to his room and purge himself before whatever he was poisoned with does its job. He is woken the next morning at dawn as Rurisk storms into his room full of concern. Kettricken poisoned Fitz with some herbs she allowed him to taste in the garden (which he enjoyed immensely) because she believed he was going to kill her brother (a claim he neither affirms nor denies). Rurisk has come to save Fitz, if possible, but Fitz has already saved himself. So instead, Rurisk speaks plainly. Kettricken is young and impetuous, partly because he dotes on her, and did not think of the far-reaching ramifications of her actions when she poisoned him. Rurisk is not that naive. In fact, Rurisk is the one pushing for this marriage. Their father believes the marriage is beneficial now, but Rurisk can see the benefits that will be long standing. Their population is growing but they will not always be able to feed their people with what they can grow or raise themselves in the mountains. They will need to open their roads and borders to trade. In exchange, Rurisk is willing to give Shrewd wood for warships to fight the raiders. Fitz is astounded; this is a huge trade. Rurisk asks Fitz to deliver this information to Shrewd. The wedding festivities continue that day and Fitz muddles through although he feels terrible. At one point, Rurisk takes pity on him and takes him to the kennels. He shows Fitz a breed of dog that may be small but can track better than any of the others. While there, Fitz sees an old dog resting who Rurisk is very affectionate towards. When the dog looks up, it’s Nosy! He recognizes Fitz after a moment too, but their bond is no longer there. He is Rurisk’s dog now. Afterward, Fitz speaks to Burrich for the first time since Burrich was attacked and tells him that he saw Nosy. Burrich is astounded that Fitz thought he had killed Nosy. He realizes now that Fitz was hurt when Burrich thought he was just being stubborn. But he still does not forgive Fitz and refuses to speak to him more until Fitz gives up uses the Wit. Disappointed, Fitz returns to the party until he can finally go up to his room. But he is not able to rest then either, he is called to Regal’s room. Regal refuses to admit that he told Kettricken about Fitz’s training and demands that Fitz continue with his plan to kill Rurisk, though Fitz had already decided to call it off. In fact, Regal wants the deed done before the wedding and declares that he has Kettricken well in hand, she will not call the wedding off just because her brother died. When Regal asks Fitz what his plan is, Fitz tells him he doesn’t have one yet (he still doesn’t plan on going through with it). Regal declares he will plan it and pass the information to Fitz. Fitz realizes that Regal’s drunk and maybe has been smoking something as well. The next day, Fitz tries to muddle through what’s going on. Let’s remember that he’s still only like 14/15 years at this point. He concludes that Regal lied to Shrewd in order to eliminate Rurisk. At more festivities that night, he sees Regal interacting with several people though he can’t hear what’s being said. There’s a lot of smoke around Regal, from a drug that lowers inhibitions and makes you feel happier in general. Fitz sees August try to talk to Regal and eventually storm off, only to sullenly come back. Then Kettricken comes and seems drawn to Regal. That evening, Fitz goes back to Regal’s room as he was ordered to. The room is heavy with smoke and it’s affecting Regal and his men, though Cob is sleeping in the stables for some reason while the others stay in Regal’s rooms. The smoke begins to affect Fitz too though he tries not to breathe it in. Eventually, Regal sends his man out to Fitz with a poison that he claims is slow acting. He is to use it on Rurisk tonight. Fitz demands to receive the orders from Regal in person, but he’s told that Regal has company and is indisposed. Fitz looks at the poison and knows that it is not slow acting at all but very fast. He goes to Kettricken next, who confirms that if she found out her brother was dead, she would assume it was Fitz’s doing, and she’d demand he be killed as punishment. He asks if she would still marry Verity if Fitz, a Six Duchies citizen, killed her brother. She tells him that she is set to marry the king-in-waiting, not Verity by name, but that she would continue with the marriage for the good of her people. Fitz then goes to Rurisk’s room and shows Rurisk the poison as he pours it into his cup. Rurisk drinks from Fitz’s cup instead, pouring them some apple wine that was a gift from the Duchies. Kettricken comes in after but both Fitz and Rurisk are a little hazy from the smoke at the party and are giggling a little at Fitz’s “attempted assassination”. Neither one of them realizes that Regal wants Fitz dead too. And he did not trust Fitz to get the job done, so Regal doubled down and poisoned the wine itself. At least, they don’t realize it until they begin to feel the effects of the poison. They both start to react at the same time, but Kettricken is a bit of an idiot and still believes it was Fitz who did it. Then Cob comes in, clear headed from staying in the stables and there to make sure the plan worked. There’s a fight where Fitz kills Cob but is then arrested. Fitz is mostly delirious from the poison as waits for his punishment, the poison may still kill him and if not, Regal will have it done. While in his semi lucid state Fitz reaches out with his Skill and is recognized by Chivalry and almost by Patience. He hears Galen talking to Regal about getting rid of Verity, Fitz, Burrich, and Regal’s men in Jhaampe with him simply because they know too much. He hears Nosy bray when Rurisk finally dies from the poison. Then Burrich comes to Fitz. Fitz has realized that Burrich also has the Wit, but he doesn’t use it, it’s part of why he is so stubborn about Fitz avoiding it. Fitz tells Burrich that Cob was the person who attacked him on the stars when he was nearly killed. He asks Burrich to help him. They leave with Nosy but don’t make it far before Fitz can’t go any further. Jonqui finds them, using one of Rurisk’s tracking dogs. She explains that she has been talking to Kettricken all night, Jonqui does not believe that Fitz is so stupid as to drink poison himself just to kill Rurisk. No, whoever the murderer is, they think they are very clever and everyone else very stupid. But Jonqui doesn’t trust Fitz either. She wants him to come back to the palace - Kettricken has forgiven him as kin so he cannot be injured while there - until Jonqui decides who to trust. They go back as asked, Fitz is too weak to do otherwise anyway. They find Fitz’s room ransacked and his poisons stolen. Later, August comes to tell them that it’s believed that two more of Regal’s men died from “Fitz’s” poisoned wine, but Fitz knows that Regal killed them because they knew about his plot. And August has a message to Fitz from Verity. August believes that Verity is telling Fitz that he will be punished as a traitor and that Burrich that he will be punished for helping a traitor, but Verity has slipped a hidden meaning into his words. He is telling Fitz to draw on Burrich’s strength. It is Burrich that Galen thought was giving Fitz strength, which is why he tried to have Burrich killed. Chivalry had used Burrich’s strength a few times which Burrich had willingly given, so he understands the risk. Fitz and Burrich try, but Fitz can neither draw his strength nor Skill to Verity. He wants to warn Verity about Galen, who plans to kill him today. Regal calls for Fitz, and Burrich escorts him to the baths. Regal asks Burrich to leave them alone to speak, but Burrich will not. Regal signals to a Chyurda man who was loyal to Rurisk (Chyurda being the people of the mountains), who steps out of the steam and hits Burrich hard in the head. The hit kills Burrich before the Chyurda man leaves the baths. Regal then disrobes Fitz, who is still weak from the poison and cannot fight back, and throws Fitz into the water, intending to make his death look like an accidental drowning. Then Regal leaves to attend the wedding as his brother’s proxy. While dying, Fitz reaches out and sees Verity in a room with Shrewd and Galen, as well as other courtiers, waiting to watch the wedding through August’s eyes. Fitz reaches out to Shrewd but realizes that the king can no longer Skill, he’s lost the ability from misuse. Fitz watches as Galen puts his hand on Verity’s shoulder and begins to drain his energy. He’s out of time. Fitz sends all of his energy to Verity (what’s he going to do with it anyway, he’s drowning). Verity grows hearty again and turns on Galen, drowning him completely before turning his Skill on August. He speaks to Kettricken, sending his condolences for her brother’s death and swearing he had no knowledge of it. He allows her to see his heart as pure to prove this, then gives a message for August to relay to Regal. Galen, his bastard half-brother by the queen, is dead. Galen overstepped and died trying to do something he wasn’t strong enough to do. August ends up fainting from Verity’s strength. Then Verity turns to Fitz and pushes Fitz’s energy back into him, he’s giving too much! Jonqui finds Fitz lying on the ground near the pool next to Burrich with Nosy’s head in his chest. Nosy’s last act was to pull Fitz out of the pool, saving Fitz’s life. She takes both Fitz and Burrich, who is not quite dead, to a room to heal - not telling anyone from the Duchies that they live for several days. Fitz takes a long time to recover and Jonqui warns Fitz that Burrich may never recover from his head injury, and his personality may be changed even if he lives. But Burrich gets better quicker than Fitz and his personality is untouched, but he has lost his memories of right before he was hit. Fitz has to fill him in. August delivers Verity’s message to Regal and then never Skills again, leaving the court and going to Withywoods, the same place Chivalry lived before he died. Fitz isn’t sure if that is because August can’t or won’t Skill. Kettricken mourns her brother for a month with her people before going to the Six Duchies to meet Verity. She seems happy enough to pretend that Burrich’s injury and Fitz’s near death were both accidents, not acts committed by Regal. But she is happy to be married to Verity, and content after he showed his heart to her. The happy couple do give new life to the people of the Duchies. Regal is sufficiently cowed by his brother’s death and Verity’s veiled thread, and Verity puts him on a tight rope. They never mention what happened, saying that Rurisk died of his old injuries. Perhaps Verity’s seeming forgiveness is what changes Regal’s attitude, or maybe it was Galen’s death. Burrich sees the earring that Fitz wears, which was given to him by Patience, and reveals that he was the one who gifted the earring to Chivalry. Fitz guesses that Burrich loved Chivalry as more than a vassal who loves their prince. This revelation allows them to speak again, and they ride back to Buckkeep together, refusing to allow Regal to think he won by going elsewhere. Hands eventually takes Cob’s place in the stables as Burrich’s assistant, and he does a great job. Hands manages to have an easier relationship with Burrich than Fitz ever did, which Fitz is a little jealous of. Fitz never learns if Shrewd forsake him and gave Regal leave to kill him. But Fitz remembers his vow to be loyal to the king. He will honor it. But for Fitz, that is not Shrewd. Verity is his king.