Green Ember

*You are right here in your story. Don't skip ahead.*
Massie Burnson, *The Wreck and Rise of Whitson Mariner*, p. 32
**WARNING: SPOILERS FOR *PRINCE LANDER & THE DRAGON WAR* ARE AHEAD; CAUTION IS ADVISED.**

## Green Ember

The Green Ember worn by Lander, as pictured in Prince Lander & the Dragon War.

## General information

### Purpose

To show the rabbits of the Thirty Warrens who the King's successor would be

### Owned by

• Lander Whitson
• Lemual Whitson
• Walter Good
• Jupiter Goodson
• Smalden Joveson

## Book information

### Appears

• *The Green Ember*
• *The Black Star of Kingston*
• *Ember Falls*
• *Ember Rising*
• *The Wreck and Rise of Whitson Mariner*
• *Ember's End*
• *Prince Lander & the Dragon War*

**Fleck Blackstar**: The Green Ember rises.

—*The Black Star of Kingston*, pg. 84 |  | ”

The **G****reen Ember** is a large emerald that adorns the crown of the king of the Great Wood.

It is the ancient symbol of the hereditary monarchical succession. The jewel is removed from the crown by the monarch and passed to the rightful heir, who then must keep it safe as a down payment of the stewardship of authority he or she would one day fully own.

It typically hangs from a golden chain and is worn under the shirt of its bearer. The front of the emerald is smooth, while the back has a pattern of countours.

## History

### *The Black Star of Kingston*

The Green Ember was mentioned by King Whitson Mariner when he explained the history of the jewel to Fleck Blackstar. This led to Fleck including the Green Ember in Blackstar's oath. Later, Lander was seen to be wearing it when he was found on board the *Lillie*, having stowed away aboard it. After reprimanding him for this, Whitson spoke kindly to his son, tucking the pendant back under Lander's shirt in the process.

### *The Wreck and Rise of Whitson Mariner*

Lander wears the Green Ember throughout most of the events of the book.

Later, after the *Vanguard* and *Steadfast* have been marooned on an unfamiliar island, a disguised Galt offers the Green Ember to King Whitson Mariner as proof that he has been in contact with Lander and is still on the king's side. After the Grimbles are defeated and their stolen property recovered, Lander once again drapes the Green Ember around his neck.

### *Prince Lander & the Dragon War*

King Whitson begins to tell Prince Lander about the dangers of Flint's sword. He says that the only reason he has not told Lander before this is because he hasn't wanted to add to the burden Lander carries as the bearer of the Green Ember. After the discussion, Prince Lander hugs King Whitson, feeling the Ruling Stone and the Green Ember around their necks. He feels also the 'endless burdens of rule'.

Prince Lemual expresses his dislike at having to lead the Third Scouts to his brother, saying that he only wanted to keep the oath. As he repeated Blackstar's oath, he patted the gem under Lander's shirt. Prince Lander reached inside his shirt and pulled out the Green Ember, and thought of all it represented as he gazed at it. He told Prince Lemual that if the end of the world came, he must go on with the Third Scouts.

Before the peace summit, when the oathbreakers attack Lener's Crossroads, the officers of Lander's army encouraged the soldiers to fight 'for the Green Ember'. The army echoed this, and Lander, grinning and holding high his sword, let them see the gem dancing on his chest while he ran. This seemed to delight his side.

While reminiscing about Fleck Blackstar, Prince Lander told King Whitson that Fleck's giving Lander the Black Star Company patch meant so much to him. He told King Whitson that it was like when Whitson gave him the Green Ember, and Whitson smiled. Following Whitson's death and Fleck's arrival, Lander showed Fleck Blackstar that he was still wearing the black star patch. He told Fleck that he had never been more honored to wear anything, except the Green Ember and the Ruling Stone.

While preparing to attack the dragons, King Lander took the Green Ember off and held it high. He told the army that Prince Lemual was now his heir, and would henceforth bear the Green Ember. The army was silent and reverent, as Prince Lemual bowed and Lander gave him the ancient emerald. Fleck then repeated Blackstar's Oath to the army.

### *The Green Ember*

When Lady Glen visited Nick Hollow, she told Whittle and Sween that Morbin is seeking the Green Ember.

Kyle told Heather that things are bad, as the Whitson Stone is lost and if the Green Ember does not show up soon the citadels and kings' sons will continue fighting. Having heard the Green Ember mentioned, by Lady Glen and in Blackstar's Oath, Heather asked Kyle what the Green Ember was. But he did not get to explain, as Emma showed up.

During Heather and Picket's initiation in Lighthall, Lord Rake told Heather and Picket that the center stone of the king's crown is not red but green, and is the Green Ember, the ancient symbol of succession that goes all the way back to Golden Coast. He explained how King Walter had bestowed the Green Ember upon Jupiter Goodson. Lord Rake said that day Jupiter received the symbol of his future kingship, but was not crowned for five more years. At his coronation, the Green Ember was returned to the crown of fire. When King Jupiter was betrayed, he told Morbin that, in time, the Green Ember will yield a Mended Wood. In the picture, Heather noticed that the Green Ember was not on the king's crown. Heather later inquires why King Jupiter's heir won't come out of hiding, show the Green Ember, become king, and start the rebellion. Picket asks if King Jupiter had time to give his heir the Green Ember before his death, and Wilfred assured Picket that he had.

When Heather saw the final window in Lighthall, she sees Smalls with the Green Ember blazing on his crown. She later finds Kyle in Smalls' room, searching for the Green Ember, and inquires about its whereabouts. Kyle couldn't find it, saying that while he advised Smalls to leave it behind, Smalls must have taken it with him. Kyle reveals that he had been planning to get Smalls to leave and everyone else distracted by wolves while he took the Green Ember and left. After searching the room, Heather deduced that the gem was not in Smalls' room, as Kyle said. As she ran toward Jupiter's Crossing, she knew that Smalls had the Green Ember. When Picket arrived, Redeye Garlackson was about to kill Prince Smalls, and Garten Longtreader was holding the Green Ember. When Picket ran into the clearing, Garten might have recognized him, as he stepped back and tripped. The Green Ember flew out of his hands. Picket untied Smalls, and after exchanging words Smalls found his sword and the Green Ember. He put his satchel back on and put the emerald back in it. Many other rabbits then came into the clearing, and Lord Blackstar shouted to fight for the Green Ember.

Heather put The Green Ember into her story.

### *Ember Falls*

Before leaving for a citadel congress at Kingston Citadel, Smalls entrusted the Green Ember to Picket, putting it in a secret compartment in the hilt of Picket's sword.

When Bleston reveals that he carries the Whitson Stone, Heather is worried. She knows that the Green Ember signifies the right to rule someday, but the Whitson Stone signified the right to rule now. In speaking to Bleston, she mentioned that King Jupiter bore the Green Ember.

When Uncle Wilfred arrived with the news of Smalls' apparent death, Heather told Perkinson that the Green Ember was "snuffed out".

When Emma learned that she was a princess, Lord Rake told her that, while no one knew where it was, the Green Ember was hers by rights.

Picket wondered if Bleston would give the Whitson Stone to Emma as he had promised to do for Smalls, as Picket knew that Emma should have both the Green Ember and the Whitson Stone. He peeked at the gem hidden in his sword, and remembered Smalls' words to him when Smalls had given him the gem. He then closed the compartment again and continued preparing for the battle.

Picket later used a glider cape designed by Heyward to come to Emma's rescue from the traitor Bleston. Before landing, he accidentally dropped his sword, which fell hard on the platform where Emma stood. The compartment came open, spilling the Green Ember onto the platform. Bleston laughed and pocketed it.

After Picket killed Bleston, the gem was presumably recovered, as after the battle he presented it to Emma and placed it around her neck.

Heather prevented Emma from being carried off by a bird, shoving Emma off the seventh standing stone and snatching the gem from around Emma's neck as she did so. Heather held the Green Ember up so the bird would take her. She hid the Green Ember deep in her satchel so that it would not be found.

### *Ember Rising*

When Heather was dropped in Akolan, she remembered the gem in her satchel and it suddenly felt heavy. She later draws the Green Ember out to show her mother and father while she catches them up on the happenings outside Akolan. Princess Emma noted that it did not matter to Lord Booker where the Green Ember was, he still knelt in front of Emma. After treating Master Mills, Heather took the Green Ember out of her satchel, held it to her heart, and traced the pattern on its back before putting it away again. While in the Seventh District, Heather said that she was in service to the rightful bearer of the Green Ember, and then she drew it out of her satchel while telling her story.

Winslow said that, since the bearer of the Green Ember was dead, he had the right to rule. Whitbie informed him that Princess Emma bore the Green Ember. During the Battle for First Warren, Picket shouts to fight for the Green Ember. Following the retaking of First Warren, a song was sung involving Blackstar's oath.

### *Ember's End*

While in the Tomb of Lander's Dragons, Heather Longtreader takes the Green Ember out of her purse and hangs it around Smalls' neck.

Smalls was told that there was always something unusual about him, even while he was a baby, and King Jupiter saw it and gave him the Green Ember 'before [he] was old enough to know [his] own name'. Smalls wondered if one of the reasons this was done so early was because Jupiter had a vision that he would soon die. Heather inquired if Wilfred remembered anything else about the ceremony, and Smalls responded that he had been told what King Jupiter had said to him upon giving him the gem, 'May this be a key for you in dark places and dark times'. Smalls then ran his fingers over the smooth front and patterned back of the gem. Before the dragon keeper took Smalls to see the supports in the cave, he hugged Heather. Heather found she was touching the Green Ember as she did, unclasped the chain, and let it fall to the ground. When the dragon keeper was not watching, she stepped on it, and told Smalls she would keep it safe. Heather put the Green Ember back in her satchel, where she had kept it while in Akolan.

When asked to open a vault in the tomb, Heather examined the door in an attempt to figure out the secret to getting inside. Heather felt a pattern on the door, and knew where she had felt the reverse of that pattern. She realized that every king and heir of Natalia would have a token with them that could also be a key. Controlled by the dragon keeper's breath, she prepared to obey him, drawing the Green Ember out of her satchel to open the door. However, she soon found that the gem was gone. The dragon keeper, enraged, called for the other dragons. However, Smalls arrived from inside the vault and killed the false dragon keeper with the starsword. He and Heather entered the vault and Smalls pulled the vault door shut. Heather found another door in the vault, which Smalls thought would lead to a tunnel to the surface, and saw the same pattern on the door. She was distressed, telling Smalls that she had lost the Green Ember and they were thus trapped. However, Smalls drew the gem out from under his shirt and revealed that he had taken it from Heather while she was asleep, and he was not sure why. He thought it could have been the dragon's breath compelling him or that he had subconsciously figured out the way into the vault, but when he had taken it he had not known it was the key. They decided they needed to end the dragons, even if it meant they themselves would die, and so they had armed themselves, Smalls placed the Green Ember into the lock triangle, twisted, and the door opened. After battling the dragons for some time, they were driven away from the vault, and Heather realized that there would be no way back to the ancient tunnel that the Green Ember unlocked.

When Smalls leapt from the standing stones to kill Morbin Blackhawk, Picket noted that the Green Ember was "glimmering" on Smalls' neck.

## List of bearers

* Lander Whitson
* Lemual Whitson
* Walter Good
* Jupiter Goodson
* Smalden Joveson
* Emma Joveson