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ELOANA’S JOURNEY TO DATE:
After Poppy is attacked at the Chambers of Nyktos, Eloana walks into the Temple and sees what Poppy has done. She asks what Hawke has brought back to Atlantia with him and then tells the onlookers to bow to their new Queen.
When Poppy insists that none of what’s going on is her, Eloana tells her that she may not have realized she summoned the wolven, but she did. Many shifted without warning. She then turns her attention to Cas and tells him that he needs to care why the wolven are acting as they are, declaring that the bonds between the wolven and their Elemental Atlantians have been broken. She goes on to tell Poppy that the godly blood in her supersedes any oaths between the wolven and their bonded Elemental Atlantians, and that’s why the bonds broke.
The attack on Poppy shocks Eloana, and she tells Poppy that she’s not a Soul Eater and that her attackers should have known exactly what she was when they saw the eather in her blood become visible.
As discussions of Malik arise, Eloana wonders aloud if the marriage between Hawke and Poppy is a ploy—she knew her son’s original plan.
When Alastir attacks, Eloana is stunned once again when Cas is hit with arrows. She commands the Crown Guards to stand down. She doesn’t understand why they would go after her child—their Prince and now-destined King.
Alastir and his cohorts abscond with Poppy. I imagine Eloana assisted with those who were poisoned by the shadowshade.
After Poppy and Cas go through their harrowing ordeal and return to Atlantia, Eloana welcomes Hawke at Cove Palace but then sees the differences in Poppy. She knows she was Ascended and stares in disbelief because she’s not a vampry. Everything brings up a slurry of emotions for Eloana, things I felt in my vision: relief, joy, love, and sorrow.
Having had time to think about what happened with Alastir, Eloana explains that she thinks he believed the Royals would support his plan to be rid of Poppy, which was what he meant when he cried “It’s not too late” at the Chambers. Eloana can’t help but keep bringing up Poppy’s Ascension, and Poppy gives her a piece of her mind for disrespecting her. Eloana apologizes and is surprised by Poppy’s understanding.
Eloana and Poppy discuss Poppy’s heritage. Eloana confirms that Poppy does share abilities with Malec and remarks that she even looks like him. She assumes that Malec must be her father, though there are some things about that hypothesis that don’t add up.
She tries to soften the blow of the news to Poppy by telling her that Cora could still be her mother, just not mortal. However, she realizes that Alastir would have known, therefore making that untrue.
She reveals that she knew Alastir had found someone he believed to be Malec’s descendant but didn’t know anything about her and had no idea that Poppy was the one he’d spoken of.
After additional thought, Eloana later reveals that it’s impossible for Malec to be Poppy’s father because she found him after the war and entombed him in bone chains under the Blood Forest, which was four hundred years ago. It would have only taken two hundred for him to become weak enough to die, so he would have been dead long before Poppy was born. However, she theorizes that maybe the Blood Crown discovered where Malec was entombed and helped him rise. They then hypothesize that Poppy must be Nyktos’s great-granddaughter.
When the golden trees of Aios turn blood red, Eloana tells Poppy that the trees represent the blood of the gods, and the changing color signifies that a deity is in line for the throne. They were red when the deities ruled and turned gold after Malec was dethroned. She also refers to Ileana as the Queen of Blood and Ash and tells Poppy the root of that story.
Despite everything, Eloana continues to defend Malec, telling Poppy he wasn’t a bad man or a bad ruler, he was just someone who became lost.
When plans are made for their next moves, Eloana asks Poppy what they’re going to do about Malik and inquires what Poppy will do if Ian is not as she remembers. After Poppy answers, she worries about the state Malik will be in and almost thinks it would be better for him if he were dead. The thought of that makes her dissolve into tears, and Poppy comforts her as she cries. She also calls Poppy logical, brave, and strong.
Eloana later reveals that she, Valyn, and the Elders already decided that war is inevitable. They plan to burn Carsodonia to the ground and cut off the head of the snake, so to speak. She then goes on to say that only Poppy and Cas, Atlantia’s new King and Queen, can stop what’s in motion.
However, Eloana also reveals that a different battle is brewing in Atlantia between those who can trust a stranger and see Poppy as the rightful Queen, and those who can’t. She adds that even if Poppy abdicates, the divisiveness will be as destructive as war. She then admits that she thinks Cas and Poppy are the best things for Atlantia and explains to Poppy why she thinks she’s fit to rule. Eloana informs her that she has days—maybe a week—to decide, but if she chooses to wear the crown, she needs to do it for the right reasons.
Valyn, Cas, and Vonetta appear and tell everyone there is a convoy of Ascended at Spessa’s End. When Ian requests a meeting with Poppy and her allies, Eloana fears it’s a trap to grab Poppy, Cas, or both of them.
After returning to the capital, Eloana’s crown of bleached bone becomes shiny and gilded. She tells Poppy that the coronation can be whenever they’d like it to be but that the Elders are eager to hear their news.
We definitely were.
She offers to send word regarding the changing of the crowns while Cas and Poppy meet with the Council.
During the coronation ceremony, Eloana crowns Poppy and then introduces her to Rose, the palace manager. She’s surprised when Poppy not only asks her to call her Penellaphe and not Your Majesty, but also changes the Atlantian Crest to show equality between her and Casteel. The crest initially had unweighted weapons, the sword being much greater than the arrow. In the new version, the sword and arrow are the same size and perfectly crossed at the middle.
When they talk more about what needs to be done—a trip to Oak Ambler and a trip into Iliseeum to recruit Nyktos’s guards—Eloana theorizes that waking Nyktos could be what forces the Blood Crown’s hand, though she and Valyn plan to stay at the palace while Poppy and Cas go to Iliseeum. They’ll serve as Crown surrogates while the new King and Queen are gone.
Following the events at Oak Ambler that lead to Casteel being taken prisoner by the Blood Crown again, Poppy seeks Eloana out upon her return. Eloana instantly sees that Cas isn’t with Poppy and reaches for her husband—who isn’t there—when she realizes why her Hawke didn’t return. When Poppy admonishes her, saying that Eloana knew what Isbeth was and wasn’t, and by keeping that from them, it led to current events, it makes her stomach drop.
Poppy relays to Eloana that the Blood Queen killed her brother, Hawkethrone, and now they have her son. Again. Poppy knows exactly why the Blood Queen wanted her sons—because it’s personal.
She accuses Eloana of knowing that Ileana was Isbeth and that she wasn’t the first Ascended—she’s not an Ascended at all. Eloana swears she didn’t know until she found Malec after the war and entombed him. Poppy tells her it doesn’t matter when she learned the truth, just that she didn’t reveal it.
When Eloana asks if her son is alive, Poppy asks her which one and relays that Malik is cozied up with Isbeth, and then shows her the marriage imprint, proving that Cas is alive. Though she adds that it means very little given what has happened.
Eloana explains that it was all ego and tells Poppy why she did what she did. Then she admits that she didn’t want to go to war with Solis, partly because Isbeth’s identity and story would come out. Poppy relays that Malec lied to her about being a deity and that Isbeth knew all along. Eloana then humbles herself and admits that Malec will always hold a piece of her heart.
Poppy tells Eloana about her parentage and reveals that the Queen planned to have her marry Malik and retake Atlantia. Eloana doesn’t see how Isbeth’s plan wasn’t a success since Poppy is the current Queen. Poppy then asserts that she’s been used her whole life and won’t let it happen again. She tells Eloana that she plans to wake the draken and states there will be no preventing the war now.
