Heartwarming / The Mark of the Horse Lord

• Conory, who was not informed of the conspiracy, quickly figures out that Phaedrus is not his old boyhood friend. When Conory confronts him, Phaedrus admits the truth, and Conory becomes friends with Phaedrus in his own right instead of as the shadow of his old friend, Midir.
• After Phaedrus has been playing his charade awhile, he goes hunting with one of his lieutenants who's in on the scheme. When the hunt goes well, the lieutenant congratulates Phaedrus, saying that he had always told him he'd be good at this, forgetting for a moment that he had told this to the real Midir as a child, not Phaedrus the substitute. It's a nice moment showing they've begun to think of Phaedrus as their rightful leader and not just an imposter.
• It's never stated, and Phaedrus is never certain, but it's implied that Murna eventually figured out that this is not the Midir she knew as a child (and who heartlessly killed her pet otter). At their last goodbye, she calls Phaedrus "[her] gladiator" instead of "Midir," suggesting that she loves Phaedrus himself rather than the mask he's pretending to be.
• At the end, Phaedrus asks Conory to look out for Phaedrus' wife and unborn child. The reader has no doubt that Conory will be faithful in this charge.