manages to free the dragon IceFyre, with a battle ensuing between him and a stone dragon Forged by the Pale Woman; the dragon Tintaglia from the Liveship novels flies in to assist. The stone dragon is eventually defeated with the aid of Burrich, who wields the Wit as a weapon, but at the cost of personal injury and death. Fitz finds the Fool dead underground, wearing the crown of the Rooster King; finding a version of the Fool trapped in the crown, he swaps bodies with him and heals the Fool using the Skill. Much to Fitz's reluctance, the Fool leaves him on a journey to his home Clerres. Over a score of years, Fitz meets and reconciles with Molly; the trilogy ends with them together in Chivalry's former estate. Themes Fitz's internal conflicts in the Farseer trilogyin particular, the sense of shame and trauma that result from his being Wittedhave been described by scholars as an allegory for queerness. Fitz leads a closeted life as a Witted practitioner, largely due to his negative experiences with his guardian Burrich, whose shame for being Witted he internalizes. He later meets a like group of Witted outcasts who, akin to a queer support group, impart in him a sense of belonging and self-acceptance for his identity. In an evolution of this narrative, the Tawny Man trilogy shifts focus from Fitz's personal struggle to the larger struggle for equal rights for the Witted. Fool's Errand features a group of Witted revolutionaries called the Piebalds, who attempt a military uprising against the Farseer throne. While the Piebalds' actions are extremist, even endangering their brethren who disagree with their methods, their perception of the Wit intrigues Fitz. In contrast to his Witted shame, the Piebalds take pride in their identity. Their assertions, which scholar Peter Melville compares to slogans from 1990s queer activism, create a conflict between Fitz's Witted identity and his allegiance to the throne. However, he finally sides with the latter. Melville describes Fitz as "inhibited by the hegemonic hold the state has on him", bound in service to a social structure that denies him the right to live as himself. Hobb portrays queer themes through the Fool and his relationship with Fitz. An enigmatic character whose gender identity shifts through the series, the Fool presents as a man in the Farseer novels, and as the woman Amber in the Liveship Traders. In