Cardan arrives dressed for court and asks Jude to walk with him, despite Vivi’s concern that Jude is not well enough. As they leave for the Living Council, Jude notices courtiers bowing to her and asks about the Roach; Cardan says the Bomb has not yet woken him but still hopes to. Cardan also reports that Madoc has sent a hostile message, blames Cardan for Jude’s supposed death, and is rallying soldiers in the low Courts to challenge the crown.

Before meeting the Council, Jude insists on speaking privately with Cardan and demands to know what scheme he intends to use against her. In the royal rose garden, Cardan says he was terrified and furious when Jude was stabbed. Jude asks about the messages he claimed to have sent during her exile, and Cardan admits they were pleas for her to return, with promises he calls indiscreet.

Cardan explains that Jude misunderstood the terms of her exile: he banished her “until and unless she is pardoned by the crown,” meaning Jude, as queen, could have pardoned herself and returned at any time. Jude realizes the exile was a deliberate riddle made for her and angrily slaps him. Their confrontation turns more vulnerable as Jude admits Cardan has always frightened her because his cruelty and capriciousness made his rejection feel inevitable.

Cardan responds that he understands why Jude mistrusted him and reveals that a prophecy at his birth foretold that, if he ruled, he would destroy the crown and ruin the throne. He says Jude showed him how his frightening qualities could be useful, but if he ever becomes monstrous, he trusts Jude to stop him. He also says he wants Jude beside him as his queen, and Jude accepts that this does not sound like another trick.

Cardan leads Jude back to his rooms, where the Living Council has been waiting in what he calls an ambush. Jude briefs the councilors on Madoc’s camp, his naval maps, his allies, and Grimsen’s forge, while Cardan adds details. The Council questions Jude’s actions, including Balekin’s murder and her marriage to Cardan, but Cardan abruptly ends the meeting and dismisses them before they can challenge Jude’s position further.

After the Council leaves, the Bomb enters through the secret door with tea, herbs, and bandages. She greets Jude with dark humor, acknowledges her failed shot, and prepares to remove Jude’s stitches. The Bomb orders Cardan out, and Cardan leaves with a teasing remark and a fleeting touch to Jude’s hair.