The Living Council meets in Cardan’s chambers to respond to Queen Orlagh’s demand that Cardan marry Nicasia or face war. Madoc urges preparation for battle, while Randalin suggests Nicasia could be made Cardan’s consort instead of his bride. Cardan rejects the idea that he should obey Orlagh’s threats or be used merely to produce an heir.

Madoc unexpectedly asks Jude to speak because Jude previously warned the Council that the Undersea would move against the land. Jude reveals that Orlagh has been communicating with Balekin through gifts and messages, which surprises and displeases Cardan because Jude had not told him. The Council considers that the Undersea may want Oak captured or killed and may have promised Balekin the crown, making Balekin a possible threat to Cardan and Oak.

Cardan orders Jude to fetch Nicasia, who has been waiting in Jude’s rooms. When Nicasia arrives, Cardan confronts her before the Council. Nicasia insists the marriage scheme is Orlagh’s, not hers, but admits Orlagh wants a different kind of alliance and argues that there may be wisdom in tying land and sea together.

Cardan responds with fury rather than temptation, shattering his teacup and ordering Nicasia to tell Orlagh that another threat will make Nicasia his prisoner instead of his bride. Nicasia tells Cardan that they could become legends and that legends need not care about happiness, then leaves without dismissal. Cardan expels the Council but keeps Jude behind.

Once the others are gone, Jude, still humiliated by Cardan’s public treatment of her at the revel and angry at his command, warns him never to order her again. Jude then goes to the Court of Shadows to consider possible moves: killing Balekin, marrying Cardan to someone else, protecting Oak before Taryn’s wedding brings him back to Elfhame, or manipulating Balekin through information.

Jude decides that instead of extracting information from Balekin, she may be able to send controlled information to him through the imprisoned woman who once offered to tell Jude about her mother. Jude asks the Bomb to help remove the woman from the Tower of Forgetting under forged authority. When Jude describes the prisoner, the Bomb recognizes her as one of Eldred’s former lovers and reveals that the woman is Cardan’s mother.