Throne of Glass Chapters 17–20 Summary & Analysis

Summary: Chapters 17–20

Chapter 17

Dorian goes to meet with his mother, Queen Georgina, who pesters him about getting serious about marriage. The queen suggests several potential matches for Dorian, who waves them off. She scolds Dorian after suspecting that he intends to marry for love rather than political strategy and appearances, and gives him a written list of women she deems to be appropriate for him to court. Frustrated, Dorian leaves, only to be immediately surrounded by court women looking to win his favor. He escapes them and goes to the training room, where he finds Celaena training with four guards and Nehemia watching her. Dorian tries to tell Celaena that Nehemia cannot be here, but she purposefully mistranslates the message and tells Nehemia that Dorian will spar with her. Dorian is amused and annoyed at Celaena’s blatant disrespect, but while they are bantering tells her that he will visit her room that night.

Chapter 18

Celaena watches Dorian and Nehemia spar, and finds herself very attracted to him. Chaol arrives and is furious upon discovering Dorain teaching Nehemia to fence. He orders Celaena back to her rooms, refusing to let her train any longer that day despite her protests.

Chapter 19

Kaltain sits in the great hall, dressed in finery for court and watching Duke Perrington speak with Queen Georgina. Though Kaltain is repulsed by the duke, she is indebted to him; he invited her to court last year, and is the reason she is a minor lady. They speak, and she fears the day that he makes a move on her. Perrington mentions that the queen has made a list of potential brides for Dorian, and Kaltain desperately hopes her name is on it. She lies and tells Perrington that Dorian is in love with Lady Lillian (Celaena’s alias) in an attempt to gain more information on Celaena. Perrington grows angry at the mention of Lady Lillian but refuses to tell Kaltain why.

On their way to dinner, Chaol warns Dorian to stay away from Celaena, voicing his distrust of the assassin. Dorian changes the subject and asks Chaol if he has found anything out about the mysterious death of Bill Chastain, the Eye-Eater. Chaol tells him no, but that the body had been ripped to shreds and the brain was missing.

Chapter 20

Celaena regrets her fight with Chaol and feels guilty for some of the things she said to him. Alone in her rooms, she decides to play the pianoforte, which she used to be very good at. She is scared that playing the instrument will bring back painful memories of Sam, her childhood friend, fellow assassin, and lover, who is now dead. She begins to play, and loses herself in the music.

Dorian enters Celaena’s chambers and watches her play, entranced. When he begins to comment, she quickly stands up and moves away from the piano. He reminds her that he said he would visit her that night, and they begin to talk, first about Chaol and then about her loneliness in the castle. She tells Dorian that she doesn’t want to be seen as one of his lovers, and orders him to leave, accusing him of using her as a prop to cure his boredom.

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