Discussion Questions:A pdf version of the Discussion Guide is available for viewing/downloading by clicking here (requires Adobe Reader, available by clicking here).
1. What is your favorite scene or character within the book? What appeals to you about that particular scene or character?
2. Even though she is a princess, Aurelia is envious of Robert (see p. 58). Why do you think she envies him?
3. What do Robert and Aurelia have in common? How are they similar and/or different to teenagers today?
4. Tyralt is a country undergoing a lot of change. It has a growing education system and an open frontier. During the second chapter, there is a protest in market square. What does all this tell you about the state of the country, its people, and its government?
5. Discuss Aurelia's relationship with each of her family members (her mother, father, sister, stepmother). How do you think her relationships with her family affect her relationship with Robert?
6. In the dream in chapter 7, Aurelia discovers that she has married someone with the head of a skull. What do you think this dream symbolizes?
7. After reading the whole story, why do you think Robert's father decided to leave the palace? And why was his father so upset about Robert's decision to return?
8. How do Robert and Aurelia change throughout the book, especially after the race and the duel?
9. The last line in the book says that Aurelia felt the “chain around her ankle break free.” What do you think that means, and how is it related to the disguise Aurelia wears on Carnival night?
10. Predict what will happen next in Aurelia's life. How do you think her journey and her relationship with Robert will go? Do you think she will ever return to the palace?
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