After weeks without contact from Aedion, Ren, or other allies, Chaol resumes his old duties at court while questioning whether he is finished aiding Aelin’s rebellion. Chaol considers leaving for Anielle, where he might be nearer to Morath and learn more about the king’s plans, and the king has already accepted Chaol’s intention to take up his inheritance there.

During a state luncheon attended by Dorian and Aedion, the king publicly announces that the slave rebellion in Calaculla has been “dealt with.” The king reveals that Adarlan massacred the slaves in Calaculla and Endovier rather than investigate the uprising, and he frames the slaughter as a successful warning to rebels. Dorian is visibly horrified, while Aedion is forced to smile and thank the king for murdering people tied to Terrasen and the resistance.

Dorian rushes to Sorscha’s workroom after the announcement and tries to send her away from the castle for her own safety. Sorscha refuses, insisting that Dorian needs her and that she will not abandon him. Dorian realizes more fully why Chaol sent Celaena to Wendlyn and why Chaol is sacrificing his future by returning to Anielle; nevertheless, Dorian cannot leave because he believes he may still help those opposing his father.

Chaol goes to the royal tomb seeking privacy to grieve, but finds Aedion already there. Aedion reflects bitterly on the horrors of Adarlan and admits that, despite the terrible things he has been forced to do, nothing has made Aedion feel as filthy as thanking the king for slaughtering his people. Chaol has no comfort to offer and leaves Aedion alone in the dark.

That night, the Royal Theater is packed with nobles and wealthy citizens unsettled by the news, though the elite boxes continue gossiping about labor, profit, and replacing the dead slaves. When the curtain rises, every musician is dressed in mourning black, and the orchestra plays the songs of the conquered nations whose people died in the camps, ending with the Song of Adarlan as an act of grief and condemnation. The musicians leave without bowing, and the next morning the king shuts down the theater by decree; the musicians and conductor are never seen again.