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Timeline of the plot

Louise leaves a party after being subjected to repeated insults. Myron follows, trying to comfort her.

Louise meets with the council and finds out she has to marry Nicholas

-Wedding is *scheduled* but won't happen for day 16
-Nicholas arrives on day 4

Louise sits down to tell Beatrix, feels nothing and then everything

Louise rides with and then tells Myron

-Establish that Louise and Myron are only allowed to be physically close in specific circumstances
-Myron is a pro

Louise discovers the truth about her father's will

Darius makes threats and Louise talks it over with the boys

-Establish that the will has been destroyed
-Darius does not trust Louise
-Doubt about whether or not Margaret is ill from natural causes

Giles, Louise, Myron, and eventually, Bea, continue to talk about marriage

- Giles says things that make everyone uncomfortable, it's clear that their marriage is iffy

Louise goes crazy and tries to practice spar with Aspen and 3 o clock in the morning. She's terrified.

Louise goes to greet her new fiancée, and is starting to become resigned to getting married

Louise gets Nicholas up to speed, and to everyone's surprise, he is concerned

- Nicholas is concerned but promises nothing yet

Louise tries to see her mother and is stopped by Darius

- The guards that stop her are lowly ones that have been elevated by Darius to buy their loyalty

Nicholas officially proposes

Louise is dead inside. Yes, she gets to marry a seemingly nice man, but her heart's not in it at all.

Her uncles + the duke of Fairfox force Louise to have dinner with them, everyone is trying to sus out information

Louise is having her wedding gown altered with Bea supervising

Louise wakes up to find that her mother died during the night and Darius has seized control

All of the various characters flit in and out of Louise's room with various snippets of news and worries

The five meet up and toss around the idea of Louise and Nicholas making a bid for the throne

Nicholas and Louise discuss in private, Nicholas finally agrees to stay a little longer. Just let him handle it.

Nicholas worked out a deal with Darius: the five can stay if Nic provides troops...and the wedding is now back on

Louise has a secret funeral at sunrise for her mother

Louise meets with John Cheval and Thorne Whytlock to talk rebellion

-Drop in that The Five know she's meeting with them

Louise overhears Giles and Beatrix in an argument about what to do with the staff turnover, Giles storms out and the two girls have tea

Nic and Lou have dinner, she wants to talk rebellion, he wants to talk wedding plans

-No date for wedding yet
-Nic is getting really tight with Darius

Louise tries to attend a council meeting with Nicholas but is forbidden. He publicly chastises her and apologizes for her behavior, Giles backs him up.

Yet another war meeting of the 5 that evening, but what Nicholas tells them is not what Peter told Myron. M & N butt heads a little.

Peter is found dead under mysterious and suspicious circumstances, Darius tries to sweep things under the rug

-Darius is suspicious, but doesn't know everything
-Coronation will be on DAY 22

After the mysterious death of Peter, everyone in Louise's small circle of influence is refusing to help her

Louise summons William Mercer (Giles's dad) and John Lars (Myron's dad) to see if the merchant class would support her and Nicholas

She does this without the knowledge of Myron or Giles

Dinner with Nick. He proposes staying on at the palace as Darius's right-hand-man for the long con. Louise isn't a huge fan.

Giles and Myron confront her about her meeting with their fathers. Myron is glad but worried, Giles yells at her for jeopardizing the reputation of his family

The Five meet to discuss coronation day takeover, Nic proposes the long con but is dismissed

-About 1,000 troops from Seneca arrive "to help"
-First time Louise speaks against Nic in his presence

Nic gets testy with Lou for disagreeing with him, but then turns on a dime to being sweet again

Public execution of John and William for treachery against the crown

- Mostly wordless scene
- Louise gets on her knees to beg for their lives but it doesn't work
- Giles is enraged, doesn't think Lou did enough, goes to drink and yells at Bea
- Myron is a wreck, but doesn't blame Lou
- Bea doesn't know what to do

Myron breaks down in front of Louise, tells her they have to kill Darius

Lou confronts Nic, he swears he had nothing to do with it, kisses her on the cheek

Giles reappears and screams at Louise, claiming that they should've listened to Nicholas and blaming her

Nic slaughters Darius and his family at the coronation, he is coronated instead, everyone flees the church

The Five jam themselves into a carriage, everyone decides they'll prep to run, wait and see tho

Lou is summoned before Nic, he's so excited, Lou plays it off well

While discussing what to do next, Giles and Myron are summoned for an audience with Nicholas, the girls are terrified

Giles & Myron return. Giles reports that he's being asked into Nicholas' inner circle, Louise reluctantly agrees, Bea tries to stop him and is shut down.

Nic informs her that he won't crown her till they're married, explodes with rage when she talks back

-Nic breaks some objects, and gets too close to Lou, but doesn't hit...yet
-WEDDING: Day 44
-CORONATION: Day 45

Nic refuses to allow Lou to attend the funeral of the Hallidayes, calls her a traitor to the crown, and shoves her up against a wall

The Four meet again to try and plan something to take down Nic, but the noose is tightening. Giles does not seem to want to help and is now proposing the long con, tensions with Bea

-Hopelessness
-Lou hides that Nic put his hands on her because she's embarrassed

Lou escapes the castle to view the funeral, Myron and Giles have to drag her back inside

-Lou's uncles don't acknowledge her, but her aunts do
-First time Louise has demonstrated to the public that she's separate from Nic

Lou is invited to a ladies gathering with Bea, the noble wives there are hinting at the possibility of support. Bea reveals that Giles hasn't been sleeping in their apartment and doesn't know where she is

Nic confronts Lou about the funeral procession, Lou tries to walk out, Myron intervenes, and is beaten into unconsciousness by Giles and a few others

-Nic hits her in the face, signaling he no longer cares about appearances
-First time Myron calls her "Louise"
-Nic insinuates that he's going to be a prisoner

Lou runs and finds Bea and they find Giles carrying Myron's body in the hallway. Giles & Bea have a huge fight that ends in Bea and Louise being ripped apart and sent back to their rooms.

Louise wakes up to find Giles standing outside of her door. He is her guard now and the others have been sent away "for their safety"

Lou confronts Nic, the 2 are now collateral, and if she makes a false step, they'll be dead

Lou truly believes that there's no one to help her, Nicholas says a few things that lead her to believe that Myron and Bea might just be under the castle, not far away

At the first feast since the murder of Darius, Lou realizes that the public's on her side, Aunt Adelaide invites her over for tea

Adelaide and Alexander invite Lou over for tea, they hint at possible rebellion, rumors are discussed

-Lou still doesn't trust her relatives

Louise is summoned to the house of the Duke & Duchess of Fairfox for dinner, they pledge their support and reveal that they do love Bea after all

Louise catches Giles trying to read the letters on her desk. They wrestle, she rips them up, and he tries to get her to spill the contents

Giles leaves and returns with Nicholas. He throws her around, orders Giles to remove all writing utensils, then turns sweet by presenting her a gift of a necklace.

Riots outside the palace after Nic raises taxes, Lou escapes Giles to watch from the wall, only to be dragged back

Lou has a garden party of ladies, who are pledging their husbands' support, Lou is invited to yet another tea party at her Aunt Adelaide's

Nic and Lou have dinner, which goes much better for both. Nicholas has decided to marry her first, followed immediately by a coronation.

Lou considers the possibility of fleeing the country, when she receives a letter from her Aunt Matilda, inviting her to come over.

Lou's aunts are willing to support a bid for her takeover, and so are most of the nobles

Nic kisses Lou without her consent

Tea with the aunts, Lou establishes plan to take down Nic

Louise ruminates on the possibility of death while turning her hairpins into weapons

Louise has to fend off a sober Nicholas when she goes to bed that night

Nic brushes Lou's hair before the wedding, threatens her

The wedding ceremony

Louise takes Nic down and out once and for all, forces the surrender of the guards

Louise and Aspen are reunited

Louise and Aspen chat with Nic, who is locked up

Nic is spared, and departs with his troops

Lou gives Aspen the Duchy of Hallidaye

Lou has her first council meeting with Aspen as her secretary

Lou and Aspen have a small funeral for his dad

Aspen found Louise's tiara and sword, they sword fight

Louise and Aspen dance at a ball, everything is right with the world