Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death and physical abuse.

The crown passes from Michael’s father to Michael at the beginning of the novel, after Michael has killed his father. Then, when Tristan murders Michael, the crown passes to him, and he later passes it on to Simon. Throughout these many transfers, the crown comes to represent The Struggle Between Duty and Personal Desire, as well as The Convoluted Road to Redemption. As a powerful symbol of both authority and ambition, the crown sometimes becomes associated with a darker sense of corruption, especially in Michael’s hands. Although Michael was the crown prince and was therefore always destined to become king, he tormented the young Tristan because he believed that his father preferred Tristan over him, and he later grew so impatient to become king that he was willing to poison his father rather than waiting to inherit the throne naturally. This choice haunts Michael, who begins seeing his father’s ghost.

For Tristan, however, the crown symbolizes his hatred for Michael and his desire to punish his brother both for Michael’s childhood abuses and for his murder of their father. Yet, despite Tristan’s animosity toward Michael, he must contend with the fact that Michael is the rightful heir to the throne; in this light, Tristan’s revenge plan likewise becomes a form of betrayal to his own royal duty as he seeks to become a usurper.