Glow of the Everflame

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of violence.

The Crown of Lumnos symbolizes power, and its stolid position above Diem Bellator’s head indicates that the balance of power in Lumnos is irrevocably shifting, ushering in a bold new age for the real. In this moment, she realizes that she has “been selected” to be “the new Queen of Lumnos” (2), but she wants to deny the power that the Crown represents. At this early stage, she believes that she is a mortal and does not see herself as important or special, even if the presence of the Crown suggests otherwise.

When Diem sees the Crown floating above her head in the “large, bronze-edged mirror” of her new bedchamber (54), she begins to come to terms with her gods-given power. She stares at her reflection, noticing that the Crown is “pulsing and glittering, floating with unearthly grace” (54). Rather than remaining “a static object” situated on Diem’s head, the Crown is “a kind of living creature” whose animation mirrors the significance of Diem’s royal position (54). Its very appearance therefore suggests that she cannot act as a passive, static ruler; instead, she must continue to grow and change, just as her people do.