Jesper reacts with amusement when Kaz reveals that Wylan is Councilman Van Eck’s son. The revelation embarrasses Wylan, irritates Nina, confuses Matthias, and confirms to Jesper that Kaz has been protecting Wylan in the Barrel because Wylan is valuable as leverage against Van Eck. Kaz makes clear that Wylan is only a passable demolitions expert but an excellent hostage, so Wylan must accompany the crew north.

Wylan tries to prove his usefulness by revealing that he has visited the Ice Court with his father and can help verify Matthias’ information. Kaz orders Wylan to sketch while Matthias describes the fortress: it sits on a bluff at Djerholm, arranged in concentric rings with checkpoints, a ringwall, three outer sectors, an ice moat, and the central White Island. Matthias explains that the gates and alarms are designed with redundancies, making any unauthorized entry likely to trigger a full lockdown.

When Kaz asks where Bo Yul-Bayur would be held, Matthias first suggests the prison sector’s high-security cells, then Kaz reasons that a prisoner as valuable as Yul-Bayur would more likely be held on the White Island near the treasury and Royal Palace. Matthias argues that reaching the White Island is impossible because the ice moat is watched and the glass bridge requires clearance. Nina then identifies the coming Hringkälla, the Day of Listening, when new drüskelle are initiated and foreign guests and performers visit the Ice Court.

The crew considers whether the festival could let them enter as performers, but Matthias warns that embassy visitors are vetted too carefully, and Inej notes there is not enough time to build convincing cover identities. Kaz instead decides Hringkälla will serve as a distraction, drawing security toward guests and the royal family. He proposes that the crew enter through the prison, where guards focus on preventing escape rather than preventing entry, and leave through the embassy, where guards focus on arrivals rather than departures.

Kaz plans to coordinate movements by the Elderclock and reassures the crew that he can handle the cells with his lockpicks. He explains that Yul-Bayur was given the Kerch code word Sesh-uyeh, meaning heartsick, so the scientist will know whom to trust. As Jesper senses fear turning into excitement, Matthias warns that the crew does not understand what it faces, but Kaz insists the Ice Court is not just a fortress; to him, it is a target.