Wonderful photo by @divingintothepages!
Hey fairies!
Welcome back to day 4 of our readalong of Bonded by Thorns by Elizabeth Helen!
Let’s get comfy and get reading!
We left Dayton and Rosalina having a great time in the Summer realm and I’m excited to see what else they get up to!
Today we’re reading from Chapter 38 to the end of Chapter 47.
Please be warned, the following section will include spoilers for Bonded by Thorns, from chapters 38 to 47. Please only read on if you’ve finished this section!
-!SPOILERS!-
Seeing Rosalina with other men ignites a fury inside Dayton, he’s jealous. So he DOES like her after all! Mixed messages, Day.
He’s watching her, and when she says no to the fae male coming on to her and he continues, he can’t stop himself from intruding. Not only intruding, but literally cutting the fae’s hands away so he can never touch someone without consent again. Damn!
They return to Castletree and within moments, he pulls her to him. As if summoned, Ezryn and Farron appear. They’re furious that Dayton ignored Kel’s rule not to touch her.
Farron is struggling to fight the shift and Dayton makes the mistake of going to him to try to help. He flinches when Farron tells him to go away because he’s the problem it’s happening.
Kel takes her away from the situation and takes her to the Winter Wing – his wing. The remaining princes continue to argue and Ez manages to get Farron to calm down. I don’t think Dayton is in the right here, but he does have a good point that Rosalina is no one’s property. We also find out that both Ez and Farron felt a ‘disturbance’ when Day and Rosalina were making out… it’s almost as if they’re bonded to her. 👀
Farron is quite clearly the most docile of the princes, so I really didn’t expect him to punch Dayton after he invited him to bed! Honestly though, he deserved it. Not a cool move. Eventually though, he does go with him and Farron starts to realise he needs Rosie too… could she be a mate to ALL of them?
Oh. I see what they mean by time is running out now! I didn’t get it before but Farron thinks his wolf is getting stronger. Are they going to lose their human forms? This is way more pressing than we initially thought!
Back to Kel and Rosalina and he’s TAKING CARE OF HER!!! I can’t. He acts like the grumpiest but this guy is a hidden softie! She’s very drunk and when she tries to cut down the thorns in his room with Kel’s sword, he saves her. She’s confused but he’s all “of course I did” as if he doesn’t often act like the coldest guy in existence. Either way, he’s definitely softening to her I think! He even agrees to go to the ball!
I can totally see why they don’t want Rosalina going to the High Tower now. If I’m reading this right, there’s a flower for each prince housed there and if crushed, the men will succumb to the beasts for life, no going back. Kel’s been tempted to do it on more than one occasion. He asks Ezryn if they deserved this and Ez brutally says of course they did. Damn, for not letting a woman in though? I feel like there has to be more we’ve not been told!
Ezryn wants to talk about Rosalina… is Kel in love with her? He wants to protect what’s his. I don’t understand!!! We do learn though that it was indeed Caspian that Kel was hurt by before. He made a bargain with him. Kel is hopeless and it’s because The Prince of Thorns took everything.
We’re back in the library, and Farron and Rosalina are discussing the seasons. Autumn’s my fave, I’d love to know yours!
Farron tells her since she arrived it’s like a light returned to Castletree. That’s too sweet! She wants to apologise about what happened with Dayton, but he tells her there’s nothing to be sorry for – seeing them together was beautiful. That turns to talk of Farron and Rosie getting together, so much tension!!! Rosalina says they can’t though, she has to focus on breaking the curse and to do that, she has to put her lust and feelings aside to help them find their mates!
It’s ball time fairies!!! I always love a bookish ball! So far, no one has taken the interest of the princes… and then Rosalina walks in. Ezryn gets so flustered that he realises the rest of the princes are sitting down, so he should sit down to and literally topples over. It’s giving flashbacks to Farron’s voice breaking when he said hi!
She makes them all try and go off to find someone to dance with, three of them do… but Kel chooses her. Ezryn says he’s dancing with OUR girl and I can’t cope. I think they all love her!!!
Kel tells her how beautiful she looks and how she’s not a prisoner any more, in fact she never really was. He’s even given her his mothers necklace to wear and she can keep it! It’s all very romantic UNTIL Kel tells her he won’t take a dance partner other than her. He’s given up and he won’t even try. Kel tells her he’d rather die than have the curse broken. I don’t understand??? WHY?
Rosalina doesn’t understand either, in her fury she tells him how selfish she is and makes her escape from the ballroom…
I’ve finished this section feeling so confused. Why won’t he try break the curse??? If not for him, then for the other princes?
Do you have any theories on why Kel doesn’t want to break his curse?
What do you think will happen in the final section?
If you had to choose a prince, now that you know them better… who would it be? 👀
After the way these chapters ended, I’m honestly nervous for tomorrow. I guess I’ll see you there!
Love,
Shannon
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The Girl with No Reflection Readalong: Day 3!
Isla
18th September 2024
Based on the lore that we’ve been given about the world, I think that Kel may have made some sort of bargain/pact with his previous relationship that would end catastrophically if he finds his mate and has a relationship with them. And with how he acts around Rosalina, I think he may have finally found her.
I do think there may be some feelings hurt and also romantic feelings realised between some of the princes, however, things aren’t going to work out for Rosalina. Maybe she’ll even be sent home, since Kel did say she wasn’t a prisoner…
Farron is still my favourite prince, especially after seeing certain scenes with him. Kel would be a close second, even with his frosty exterior.
I think the reason why Kel won’t break the curse and not even for the sake of the other prince’s is because he has made a bargain with the Prince of Thorns, possible before they broke up and Caspien cursed him. I think the bargain is that if Kel ever found his mate he would give them up to Caspien and the realm of Below. Kel and Caspien must have had an intense love affair to make a bargain like that and for Caspien to have betrayed and cursed him. Now Kel won’t give up his mate, not even for the other prince’s or the people of the other courts.
Ez is my favorite at the moment for he is like a mysterious loyal Knight. But I think there might be some secrets he is hiding too. Dayton is my second favourite as he clearly hurting and disguising it with chaos and using that protect himself.
I feel like he thinks he doesn’t deserve to be happy and is self sabotaging at every turn.
I think they’re all going to realize they she is theirs but somehow they are going to lose her.
I think I would choose Ezryn right now. I love a masked man.
Her reasoning just made me realise.. That I dislike all seasons. I’m good as long as I can snuggle in my blankets with my cat and a book XD
1. Do you have any theories on why Kel doesn’t want to break his curse?
I think it might have to do with Caspian, who is very eager for Kel to find his mate. I think they might’ve made a bargain which would doom Kel’s mate and thus he doesn’t want to find her.
2. What do you think will happen in the final section?
She will find out more about the curse and I think the mating bond between her and at least one of the princes will snap in place
3. If you had to choose a prince, now that you know them better… who would it be? 👀
Farron
Do you have any theories on why Kel doesn’t want to break his curse?
I feel like he either thinks his mate has already come and gone or else part of his curse/bargain with Caspian would affect whatever poor person it ended up being.
What do you think will happen in the final section?
Rose is somehow all of their mates? 🤣
If you had to choose a prince, now that you know them better… who would it be? 👀
I still like Farron best but not a fan of threesomes and I feel like Farron/Dayton are a package lol. So I’ll go with Ezryn.
Do you have any theories on why Kel doesn’t want to break his curse?
I agree with one of these people below. He might have made a pact with an ex and disastrous things will happen if he finds his mate. Because like- why else mention the pacts that try to mimic the mate bond at all?
What do you think will happen in the final section?
If you had to choose a prince, now that you know them better… who would it be? 👀 I think Kel is my favourite prince.
I’m hoping we get some answers in this final section! I want Kel to realize that he and Rosalina are mates!
Dayton cut the hands off a Fae male who wasn’t listening to Rose say “Don’t touch me!” 😂 His eyes are glowing, he’s losing control of his power/beast, he reveals a small mirror on his necklace that connects to the Castletree mirror, & while Rose is concerned about what’s happening to him, he kisses her! When she had the Fae men around her at the bar, she only felt disgust & then full-on nausea when 1 kissed her until Dayton pulled her away. That’s definitely a hint towards her being a mate to 1 (or all) of the princes. Kissing turns into more, & after Dayton declares he’s going to have sex with her but not in the entrance hall, Farron appear in the stairs, & Ezryn coming through the transportation mirror asking “what have you done?! Ezryn punches Dayton. They fight, Farron gets injured while trying to get between them. Everyone ignores Rose trying to take the blame & so the fighting. Keldarion shows up as Farron is about to turn & throws Dayton across the room. Ezryn has to tie Farron down with magical roots before he turns while Keldarion hauls Rose to the Winter Wing. Ezryn admits to feeling “a disturbance” which brought him back to the castle. Farron says he felt “a pull from the deepest recesses of [his] chest” which brought him down to the entrance hall. Both of these things along with Dayton clutching his chest makes me think she’s the mate to all of them. For Farron researching the mate bond for 25 years, he really didn’t notice that his description of how he feels when having sex with Dayton is suspiciously like what Rose described as the mate bond feeling after researching it for only a few months? Keldarion brings Rose to his room to stay the night where she takes a shot of Fae liquor, finds the Sword of the Protector under his bed, learns that the thorns can’t be pruned even with a magic sword, exposes herself to Kel, & tries to “solo spice” in his bed while he’s on the couch by her feet. 😅 Rose ends up getting Keldarion to agree to attend the ball in Winter Realm. I’d almost forgotten about the High Tower in the castle. Dayton says kissing her (etc) was a mistake. Rosalina is crying about the previous night/this morning’s events. The butler, Mr. Rintoulo, is the brown bear. A row of roses from the Enchantress: blue (Keldarion), pink (Ezryn?), turquoise (Dayton?), & orange (Farron?). Keldarion confirms that he betrayed his Realm, the entire Vale. He also described feeling “like a tether drawing me toward her in fevered trance” which brought him from the Winter Wing. Mandaria (Winter, event coordinator) turns into the penguin. Paavak (event coordinator) turns into a small dog. Rose & Farron get close to an intimate moment in the library (again) before she breaks away with her dejected goal of them finding their mates to break the curse. Dayton refers to Rose as “our girl” to Ezryn. Quellos, Keldarion’s vizier & steward, is giving bad vibes. Ezryn is feeling “the incessant pull toward the dias” where Rose is arguing with Keldarion. 😏 Ezryn sees Keldarion taking Rose to the dance floor & smiles while calling her “our girl” like Dayton did. 😍 Keldarion says “it’s not a spark; it’s an eternal fire that burns from deep within my heart & reaches out to you” to Rose when she’s trying to get him to find his mate. He also sent for his mother’s diamond necklace for her to wear. “You are the cove in which our storm-struck ships moor” Kel calls her “my Rose.” Then they ruin it by fighting & making a scene because he refuses to break the curse (why??).
Daily Q&A:
Q:
1.) I’ve finished this section feeling so confused. Why won’t he try break the curse??? If not for him, then for the other princes?
2.) Do you have any theories on why Kel doesn’t want to break his curse?
3.) What do you think will happen in the final section?
4.) If you had to choose a prince, now that you know them better… who would it be? 👀
A:
1.) My guess is that it has to do with that other bargain bracelet. I have a feeling he made a Fae bargain with Caspian to mimic the magic of a mate bond & that bargain would have something terrible happen to Rose if she’s Kel’s mate. (Something Farron explained to Rose on page 143.)
2.) See answer 1.
3.) I’m hoping these thick-headed MCs will realize their shared mate bond, & Keldarion will at least explain to Rose WHY he doesn’t want to acknowledge she’s his mate. 🙄🤦🏽♀️
4.) *Why Choose* 😏
I’m assuming Kel doesn’t want to break his curse because of something that has to do with Caspian. Maybe they have a bargain, or maybe Kel’s too hung up on whatever Caspian did to him to move on and be happy. I think at least one of the princes is gonna discover that Rosalina is their mate. She has to get one of them this book…. right? 😂 I think I’d still choose Farron as my favorite so far! I haven’t seen enough of Ezryn to make me like him more. Keldarion and Dayton are both annoying me a little too, so I’m gonna stick with Farron as my favorite for now.
“Our girl” sent me!!! I can’t wait to see how the book ends, and I already know I want to read the others
I love all the princes even the villainous Caspian! I don’t want to choose!