Assassin's Apprentice

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death and substance use.

Royal emblems and coats-of-arms are a motif within the novel that develops the theme of The Tension Between Identity and Belonging, particularly regarding Fitz’s heritage as the son of a prince outside of marriage. The royal emblem of Buckkeep is a stag on a blue background, but Fitz is never allowed to wear the actual symbol; instead, he wears one with a red line through it, marking his position. Later, he is given a new emblem: a stag with antlers lowered, symbolizing his aggressive role within the household as an assassin (however unintentional). While the imagery for each royal emblem that he wears functions as a symbol within itself, the existence of a royal emblem in the first place works as a motif for having a home and heritage to honor and belong to.

The fact that the royal household refuses to allow Fitz to wear the royal emblem visibly marks him as an outsider. Even though he looks exactly like his father and is identifiable as a prince’s son, the insignia he wears prevents him from achieving true social belonging.