Several references are made to a neighboring land in which as soon as girls reach menarche, they are forced into partnerships and pregnancy. One female secondary character was badly abused (details unspecified) for trying to escape her fate. A male main character has undergone prolonged sexual abuse by the evil queen. He is safe now, but trauma and recovery are major themes. The female main character experiences emotional and psychological abuse from an intimate partner in the early chapters. She escapes the situation, but the fallout continues to be a major theme, and she is forced later to interact with her abuser and his allies.