Trials, Transformation and the Price of Love
Day 7
Chapters 39 - The End
We’ve reached the final stretch of A Court of Thorns and Roses, and the descent Under the Mountain has never felt more harrowing. Feyre’s journey culminates in blood, bargains, and a rebirth that changes everything. These chapters are brutal, beautiful, and unforgettable—where love is tested, curses are broken, and the cost of survival is steep.
Painted, Paraded & Powerless
Chapter 39 opens with Rhysand asserting control over Feyre’s treatment—ordering the guards to care for her properly after subjecting her to humiliating chores. The riddle still eludes her, and the tension is mounting.
Two High Fae females cloaked in shadow collect Feyre from her cell. She’s bathed and painted with intricate designs that mirror her tattoo, transformed into a living canvas. From the neck up, she’s regal—gold dust, kohl-lined eyes, a lapis diadem. From the neck down, she’s a heathen god’s plaything.
Rhysand parades her through Amarantha’s Midsummer celebration, practically naked, flaunting their bargain in front of Tamlin. When he announces the terms—“for the rest of her life”—we glimpse his disdain for Amarantha’s rule. Feyre refuses faerie wine, but Rhysand compels her to drink. Whether through magic or manipulation, she remembers nothing the next day and wakes with a vicious hangover.
Lucien fills in the blanks, and Feyre questions his loyalty. Their misunderstanding is quickly smoothed over, but Tamlin’s silence remains deafening. Feyre wonders if he’s under a spell. He’s not. Lucien explains that Tamlin stays quiet to keep Amarantha from discovering what hurts him most.
Night after night, Feyre is paraded as Rhysand’s plaything. Still, the riddle remains unsolved. The second trial looms.
Trial Two: Spikes, Levers & Literacy
Chapter 40 brings Feyre’s second trial. She’s lowered into a pit where Lucien is chained behind a metal grate. A wall bears a lengthy inscription and three numbered levers. Above them, red-hot spikes begin to descend.
The task is cruelly ironic. Feyre must read the inscription and choose the correct lever—but she’s illiterate. Did Amarantha know? Or did she simply assume Feyre was too stupid to solve it?
Through the bond of their bargain, Rhysand helps Feyre choose correctly. He guides her out of the trial with her dignity intact. She’ll never admit it, but he kept her from crashing out that day.
Rock Bottom & Revelations
By Chapter 41, Feyre has hit rock bottom. She stops trying to solve the riddle and begins drinking the wine willingly. Her hope fades.
A chance encounter with the Attor and another faerie reveals Hybern’s growing impatience with Amarantha and her obsession with Feyre. Feyre sinks deeper into despair—until music and visions pull her back to the surface.
Chapter 42 brings a stolen moment with Tamlin. He risks everything for a heated encounter, only to be caught and saved—again—by Rhysand. Later, Rhysand visits Feyre in her cell, seeking a reprieve from his own torment by Amarantha’s hands. He not willingly sharing her bed. He reveals that his father killed Tamlin’s father and brothers, and Amarantha is punishing him for it.
Trial Three: The Ash Dagger
Chapter 43 is the final trial. Feyre must plunge an ash dagger into the hearts of three faerie youths to set them free. The guards remove the sacks from their heads so she must look them in the eyes.
She does it twice.
Then the third sack is removed—and it’s Tamlin.
Feyre remembers Alis’s advice: listen. She recalls everything she overheard at the manor. Part of the curse turned Tamlin’s heart to stone. Feyre drives the dagger into his chest.
The Riddle, the Death & the Rebirth
Chapter 44 delivers the final blow. Amarantha refuses to release them, claiming the curse is only broken immediately if Feyre solves the riddle. Enraged, she attacks Feyre. Tamlin begs for mercy.
With her dying breath, Feyre solves the riddle.
Amarantha snaps her neck.
In Chapter 45, Feyre is dead—but still tethered to Rhysand through their bargain. She sees the aftermath through his eyes. The curse is broken. The High Lords regain their power. Tamlin kills Amarantha.
As Tamlin cradles her broken body, the High Lords bestow their power upon her—a rare, sacred act.
A New Form, A New Fate
In Chapter 46, Feyre awakens as High Fae. She sees Tamlin’s full face for the first time—it’s exactly as she dreamed. But this isn’t a happy ending. The damage is done. Feyre will never be the same.
The next morning, Rhysand tugs at their bond, and Feyre follows it to him. He wants to say goodbye. She confesses her guilt over the fae youths she killed. As they part, Rhysand goes rigid, stunned by something unseen, and vanishes.
Feyre and Tamlin return to the Spring Court to rebuild Prythian. But the shadows of what’s to come linger.
Final Thoughts
Day 7 closes our journey with heartbreak, horror, and hard-won hope. Feyre’s transformation—from mortal girl to High Fae—is both literal and emotional. She’s survived trials, bargains, and brutal truths. But survival has a cost.
Tamlin’s love saved her. Rhysand’s bargains shaped her. And Amarantha’s cruelty forged her into something new.
As we leave Under the Mountain and return to the Spring Court, one thing is clear: Feyre’s story is only just beginning.
Final Ratings
• 3 votes for ★★★★
• 4 votes for ★★★★★
• Average Rating: 4.57 stars
