She is forced to deal with hazing from her all-male peers, including derogatory writing on her walls, the destruction of her belongings, and discrimination from the training master. This is in addition to Kel being the first female to openly try to become a knight within the century. Throughout the novel, there is the ever-lurking question of whether the training master will let her continue to train, because he, like many, does not believe that women can equal men in combat.
The protagonist faces harassment from male peers, including written insults on her walls, damage to her belongings, and discrimination by the training master. This is compounded by Kel being the first female to attempt becoming a knight in centuries, and there's constant tension about whether the training master will allow her to continue training due to his prejudice against women in combat.