The paradox of exile
The primary paradox in the book is that Marie is exiled for not committing any crime. The Queen accuses Marie of being indecent and unattractive in the royal court. However, the reader knows that Marie is extremely beautiful, and she is being exiled to protect the Queen's ego.
The satire of Abbey
Abbey is depicted as a poverty-stricken region that should be punished for Marie after being chased away from the royal court. On the contrary, Marie finds Abbey a good place and gets along well with the locals. Most importantly, Marie rediscovers her purpose in life while in Abbey.
Sexual relationship
The secretive sexual relationship between Marie and Queen Eleanor is paradoxical. The Queen had been married to more than one royal husband in her life. Ironically, she gets sexually involved with Marie, and when she realizes that she is about to be discovered, she expels her from the royal court based on false accusations.
The bond with the nuns
Marie quickly gets acquainted with the locals in Abbey despite the high level of poverty in the region. One of the groups that Marie works with is the nuns. For instance, Marie feels free to talk to Sister Ruth openly about her sexuality. Ironically, Sister Ruth is not judgmental upon realizing that Marie is lesbian. Instead, the nun helps her to recover and regain her sexual identity.
