 Egon does not bear the recessive world-walker genes from the Clan-member that had managed to sneak into the royal line, while Creon does, thus making the Clan favor Creon.Miriam's great-uncle Henryk, the king's head of spies, explains that if she marries Creon, his affliction would not affect his children, so she could produce potential world-walker Clan members to eventually reign.Miriam is treated by a Clan fertility doctor and reluctantly goes forward with the plan after she is threatened with her ailing mother losing access to medical care, despite her strong aversion to marrying for "duty."