King Zaal leads Kamran through the palace instead of to the king’s chambers, and Kamran realizes they are descending into the royal dungeons. Confused and enraged after armed men were sent to seize him in his own rooms, Kamran refuses to bow or sheath his sword at first.

In the dungeon, King Zaal formally charges Kamran with treason and sentences him to indefinite imprisonment without trial, allowing Kamran only one chance to prove his innocence. Kamran, stunned that the grandfather who raised him would threaten execution, insists he cannot defend himself against an accusation he does not understand.

King Zaal reveals the basis for his suspicion: the girl he sent six men to kill is still alive. Because Alizeh was prepared, armed, and able to kill five of the six attackers, King Zaal believes Kamran may have warned or helped her, especially after Kamran previously pleaded for her life and behaved defiantly toward the defense minister.

Kamran angrily denies any betrayal, arguing that Alizeh is a Jinn queen with unusual abilities and training, not a helpless servant girl. Kamran accuses King Zaal of underestimating Alizeh and blaming Kamran for the failed assassination rather than accepting responsibility for sending too few men.

The argument widens into a painful clash over rulership, loyalty, compassion, and cruelty. King Zaal claims that the empire survives because King Zaal bears the burden of ruthless decisions, while Kamran condemns the king’s willingness to imprison or execute him on weak evidence.

Kamran turns to leave, emotionally shaken by King Zaal’s distrust, but King Zaal stops him. The king says that if Kamran truly wants to prove his loyalty to the empire, King Zaal has an important task for him.