One of the three Dread Trove relics — the crown that compels the mind to obey
The Crown
A large crown of golden spikes, Made by the Cauldron in ancient times. One third of the Dread Trove, and the one that scares us the most.
The Mask raises the dead, the Harp opens any door, and the Crown takes the mind — it compels its victims to act against their own will, fully conscious of the horror and unable to stop. It overrides even strong mental shields. Per Amren, it has to be near a mind to first take hold. Cozy.
What it is
Golden spikes
A large crown forged of golden spikes. One of three artifacts in the Dread Trove, each Made by the Cauldron in ancient times — and the one worn on the head. We all picture the same thing: Nesta's vision of Queen Briallyn enthroned, the spiked golden crown resting on the crone's head. Gold metal, spiked form, radiating menace. Not subtle.
What it does
It takes the mind
Mind control. Amren spelled it out to Nesta: it could make your enemies do your bidding — even force a parent to act against their own child, aware of the horror but unable to stop. That's the part that lives rent-free in our heads. Not brute force, subversion: the victim stays fully conscious while their body obeys the wearer's will. It overrides even strong mental shields — which, in a world running on daemati like Rhysand and their mental defenses, is exactly the worst possible loophole. The catch, per Amren: proximity. The Crown must be near a mind to first take hold, which is why Briallyn needed agents close to her targets.
Origin
Cauldron-Made
One of three Dread Trove relics Made by the Cauldron. The set: the Mask (raises and commands the dead, molded from a long-forgotten king's face), the Harp (opens any door, moves its player through space), and the Crown (controls minds). Together the three historically conferred near-limitless power — and holding the Trove could help locate the remnants of the Cauldron itself. Which is the whole reason everyone wanted it badly enough to ruin lives over it.
Who held it
Briallyn to Nesta
Queen Briallyn — one of the mortal queens, turned into a withered fae crone by the Cauldron as punishment after Nesta took power from it during her own Making — allied with the death-lord Koschei and went hunting the Dread Trove. The plan: invade Prythian, find the Cauldron's remains, take her revenge. With the Crown she seized control of others, Autumn Court soldiers included. Then Nesta Unmakes her in the climactic battle, the Crown survives the destruction of its wielder, and the full Trove is Nesta's. The Night Court secures the objects afterward. As you do.
The Crown in action
"Kill"
The scene we don't talk about calmly. At the climax of A Court of Silver Flames, Briallyn uses the Crown to seize control of Cassian, demanding Nesta surrender the Trove or lose her mate. Nesta doesn't comply. Briallyn commands "Kill" — and names no target. Cassian, fighting the compulsion through his love for Nesta, turns his dagger toward his own chest rather than harm her, and struggles to warn her to run. It confirms everything Amren said: a controlled victim is a puppet who obeys literal orders — yet extraordinary willpower and one unspecified target let Cassian redirect the kill-order onto himself. Compulsion absolute. Love, just barely, a loophole. We're not okay.
Whose hands it passed through
Chain of custody
Swipe to meet them all
Part of a set
The Dread Trove
One of three Cauldron-Made objects that together form the Dread Trove. Each one rules a different domain — the dead, the doors, the mind. Pick your nightmare.
The File
- Type
- Relic — one of the three Dread Trove objects, Made by the Cauldron
- Appearance
- A large crown of golden spikes, worn on the head
- Power
- Mind control — compels enemies to do the wearer's bidding; can override strong mental shields
- Limitation
- Must be near a mind to first take hold of it
- Wielders
- Queen Briallyn (allied with Koschei); later acquired by Nesta Archeron
- Series
- A Court of Thorns and Roses — central to A Court of Silver Flames
We're Caffeine and Curses. The Library started as my design research — I can't put the Crown on a shirt without knowing it's a crown of golden spikes — so we keep the notes here where everyone can use them. The pages are fan-made, not official; the licensed designs are in the shop.
Officially licensed
Become a member
Join the Library.
Admit one obsessive reader.
You're on the list — welcome to the Library. ✦
For library updates and new releases.
Made by fans who never left.
These pages are fan-made. For officially licensed merch, see our shop.
A Court of Thorns and Roses, ©2015-2021, Sarah J. Maas.