Summer Knight Mantle

Lore & Background

The Summer Knight Mantle is not a physical object but a transferable source of authority and power. When Ronald Reuel, the Summer Knight, is murdered by Maeve, the Winter Lady, she steals his mantle and gives it to the changeling Lily. Lily is later turned to stone by Aurora, who commands the power of the Stone Table. The theft disrupts the balance between the Faerie Courts, forcing Summer to prepare an attack on Winter at Midsummer before their power fades. Dresden later releases Lily using a Cloth of Unraveling given by the Mothers, and after Aurora's death, Lily becomes the new Summer Lady. She then chooses her changeling friend Fix to become the new Summer Knight.

In Their Own Story

Dresden is tasked by Mab, the Winter Queen, to find the murderer of the Summer Knight Ronald Reuel and recover his stolen mantle. He refuses, but is forced by the White Council to accept the role of Mab's Emissary as his Trial. Dresden discovers that Aurora, the Summer Lady, killed Reuel and transferred his mantle to Lily, a changeling. Aurora plans to sacrifice Lily on the Stone Table, transferring the mantle's power to Winter and breaking the cycle of struggle between the Courts. Dresden escapes Aurora's deathtrap with covert help from Elaine, and during the battle between the Courts, he releases a swarm of pixies with steel-bladed box cutters to kill Aurora. After Aurora's death, Lily becomes the new Summer Lady, and Fix becomes the new Summer Knight.

Reader's Guide

The Summer Knight Mantle is a source of power and authority tied to the Summer Court. It can be transferred from one bearer to another, as seen when Aurora gives it to Lily. The mantle's theft or loss shifts the balance of power between Summer and Winter, as the death of the Summer Knight and the theft of his mantle drove the Summer Court to attack Winter at Midsummer. The mantle is not inherently tied to a specific individual; it can be held by a changeling like Lily or Fix. The Stone Table in ethereal Chicago represents the balance of power, and any blood spilled upon it permanently changes that balance. The mantle's power is significant enough that its theft can trigger war between the Courts.

Did You Know?

• The Summer Knight Mantle was stolen by Maeve, the Winter Lady, after she murdered the Summer Knight Ronald Reuel.
• The mantle was transferred to the changeling Lily, who was then turned to stone by Aurora, who commanded the power of the Stone Table.
• Lily became the new Summer Knight first, and later became the Summer Lady after Aurora's death; she then passed the Summer Knight Mantle to Fix.
• The theft of the mantle shifted the power balance in favor of Winter, driving the Summer Court to attack at Midsummer.
• Dresden used a Cloth of Unraveling, given by the Mothers Summer and Winter, to release Lily from stone.