Historians tend to overlook the hardships in the establishment of Navarre, including dragons' sacrifices and civilian casualties.
Chapter Seventeen references tensions and the operational difficulties faced by the human and dragon characters in a militaristic setting.
Imogen and the protagonist discuss the forced separation of the protagonist from Xaden and speculate it's a punishment for not finding Andarna.
Xaden communicates with the protagonist through a letter which reveals details of his past and feelings.
The protagonist and Imogen discuss issues with trust and secrecy within relationships, particularly with the protagonist's partner, Xaden.
Rhiannon, a close friend of the protagonist, shows concern and wants to reach out despite feeling cut off.
The protagonist is given a notice from Rhiannon's village about border violations and a warning against taking in strangers.
An instructor, Markham, uses the notice as a teaching point about propaganda and civilian roles in a war effort.
Markham falsely claims that Poromish people are spreading propaganda about dragon attacks on cities, despite proof that these cities are intact.
The protagonist, outraged at the lies, struggles to maintain control over her magical power during the class.
After the class, the protagonist hastily leaves the academy and heads to the Archives for more information, despite her frustration with not finding answers there.
In the Archives, she is confronted by professors and scribes but is assisted by Jesinia, a scribe who helps the protagonist in secrecy.
The protagonist feels urgency to find information to prevent more deaths, showing the underlying pressure of the wartime situation.
Jesinia agrees to bring the protagonist new reading material, emphasizing the need to meet discreetly on Saturdays to avoid detection.