Celaena is about to attack Chaol again when Theodus Brullo, the castle Weapons Master and daily judge of the competition, calls the Champions to attention. Brullo explains that although the king will make the final decision, Brullo will decide whether the competitors remain fit to compete, and Celaena realizes that if Brullo trained Chaol, he should not be underestimated.

Brullo has each competitor identify himself. Cain presents himself as a soldier from the White Fang Mountains, while others reveal themselves as disgraced soldiers, thieves, mercenaries, murderers, and assassins. Celaena takes note of dangerous rivals, including Bill Chastain the Eye Eater, Ned Clement called Scythe, the charming thief Nox Owen, and the disturbing assassin Grave, whose treatment of female victims Celaena silently recognizes as especially vile.

When Celaena introduces herself as “Lillian Gordaina,” a jewel thief from Bellhaven, several men laugh at her, angering her because the false identity makes her seem insignificant. Chaol counters that insignificance is useful: if the others dismiss Celaena, the strongest competitors will focus on one another while Celaena survives in the middle of the rankings. Celaena accepts the logic, joking that Chaol is brilliant enough to earn one of the jewels she claims she will steal from the queen.

The Champions then begin a mandatory run around the game park while Brullo, Chaol, trainers, and armed guards follow on horseback. Some prisoners run in long manacles, but Celaena remains unshackled. Cain quickly takes the lead, surprising Celaena with his speed, while Celaena forces herself to stay in the middle of the pack as Chaol advised.

By the end of the run, Celaena is nearly overwhelmed by exhaustion, dizziness, and pain, but she finishes without drawing attention. To hide how badly the run has affected her, she lies that she dropped her ring and returns into the trees. There she vomits until emptied, then rises to find Chaol watching her silently before she walks back out of the woods.