Celaena enters the sparring room with Chaol for the first Test, sore from training but determined not to show weakness. A black curtain hides half the room, making the Champions uneasy, while the sponsors watch from the mezzanine. Dorian smiles at Celaena from above, but she avoids his gaze, and Perrington’s attention to Cain makes Celaena suspect Cain may have inside knowledge.

Nox approaches Celaena and jokes about the theatrical setup, prompting Chaol to tense at the possibility of the two criminals speaking privately. Brullo announces that one Champion will be eliminated, then reveals the Test: an archery contest with five shots at five targets of increasing distance. Chaol warns Celaena not to show off, but Celaena joins the line confident in her assassin’s training.

The Test proceeds slowly as the Champions take their turns. Pelor performs poorly because archery is not his strength, and Brullo mocks him for relying on poisons, but Celaena feels some sympathy for him. Nox impresses her with several strong shots, making him appear more valuable as a possible ally, while Grave and the other assassins also perform competently.

Cain then steps up and fires five rapid bull’s-eyes, earning praise from Perrington and Brullo. Celaena is unsettled because Cain’s success is not just arrogance or brute strength; he has genuine skill. When Celaena reaches the line, some competitors laugh at her, and she steadies herself by remembering that she is Celaena Sardothien, Adarlan’s Assassin.

Celaena deliberately shoots well without fully revealing her limits, landing several precise bull’s-eyes or near-bull’s-eyes. After Renault sniggers before her final shot, Celaena’s restraint slips: she fires at the farthest target and strikes the absolute center, destroying the black dot that even Cain had missed. The laughter stops, Chaol scowls because she has drawn attention, and Dorian smiles from above.

Brullo compares the scores and eliminates an army soldier rather than Pelor. Although Celaena survives the first Test and proves her superiority, she is frustrated because her display was not a clean strategic victory: she exposed more of her ability than intended and still feels she has not truly won anything.