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He asks about Poppy, wondering how she’s doing after her kidnapping. When he finds out she’s married, he fakes surprise—I’m quite certain he already knew.
When he meets with them, he asks what Atlantia hopes to gain by taking his sister—not the Maiden—and wonders if he’s actually supposed to believe she married the monster responsible for their parents’ deaths. He makes a comment that he can only imagine the lies the enemy has told her, though he won’t hold it against her—nor will the Crown.
At this point, the things he said made me think that while he might have had a spark of goodness left, it wasn’t a big one. Either that, or as Poppy said, he was just a really great actor. I honestly don’t know. It’s really hard to read someone properly in a vision.
Especially since he sort of shifts yet again, saying some additional things before telling the group the villain is always the hero in their own story.
Ian asks if he can speak with Poppy alone, and as they talk, something flickers across his face when she talks about how the Ascended feed.
He relays that Tawny is safe but says Poppy can see for herself if she comes. He adds that the true Queen has requested a meeting with the Prince and Princess of Atlantia in a fortnight at the Royal Seat in Oak Ambler. He says Ileana promises not to harm either of them so long as they leave the army they’ve gathered in the north.
As the group mulls it over, Ian flirts with Vonetta and tells her she’s more than welcome to join them when they make the trip.
Cas moves to Poppy, and the knights start to advance. Ian halts them and says the Blood Crown has no desire to start another war, then adds that if it comes to that, Atlantia won’t win.
He warns them all that if they arrive with any ill will, they will be destroyed, along with Atlantia, starting with Spessa’s End. Then he taunts that they could have hundreds of thousands of soldiers and wouldn’t beat what the Queen created—alluding to the Revenants.
Here, it felt to me like he was giving them information without it appearing he wasn’t loyal to the Blood Crown. And given what happens next, I believe I’m right.
Ian tells Poppy he’ll see her in Oak Ambler and then asks to hug her. When they embrace, he tells her he knows the truth and urges her to wake Nyktos, adding that only his guards can stop the Blood Crown.
This shocked me. I wasn’t prepared to have it confirmed that he actually was acting. Perhaps him being a firstborn son changed his Ascension somehow, just like it did with Millie and Callum when they became Revenants. I’m honestly not sure.
When the group arrives in Oak Ambler, he speaks to Poppy and tells her he hopes she is well and that her travels after they last saw each other went well. This could sound innocuous to those around and mean nothing but her trip to Oak Ambler, but we know he’s subtly inquiring if she went to Iliseeum.
The group meets with the Queen, trading barbs, and Ian remains silent all the while.
I saw another flaw in Ian’s disguise when Ileana orders Millie to be struck down and he turns away. After the truth comes out about Isbeth—what and who she is—Ian confirms all of it.
After the Blood Queen puts forth her terms for what she wants of Poppy and Cas, Poppy refuses. As punishment, Isbeth has one of her knights behead Ian.
VIKTER WARD/WARDWELL †
Click here to see a full-size image of Vikter by Alicia MB Art.
Vikter is utterly intriguing—he holds a special place in my heart—and his story is equally heartbreaking and compelling.
Hair: Sandy-blond.
Eyes: Blue.
Body type: Broad shoulders.
Facial features: Weathered, sun-kissed skin.
Personality: Stern. Gruff.
Habits/Mannerisms/Strengths/Weaknesses: Great fighter. Weakness for hot cocoa and chocolate. Prone to migraine headaches. Torn between wanting Poppy to learn and help the Cursed and worrying about her safety because of her recklessness.
Other: Taught Poppy how to fight.
Background: Viktor. Has lived many lives.
Family: Wife = Camilia †. Daughter = infant, name unknown †.
VIKTER’S JOURNEY TO DATE:
Vikter, being a viktor, has several journeys that are worth exploring. For the sake of this dossier, I’m going to give a high-level overview of what I know about his past and then the notable mentions of his time with Poppy.
