After seeing Celaena's scarred back, Rowan flies away from Mistward in hawk form, overwhelmed by rage and guilt. He realizes Maeve knew Celaena had been enslaved and had withheld that knowledge, and Rowan is horrified by his own past threat to whip Celaena because he now understands why it affected Celaena so deeply.

Rowan heads toward the Cambrian Mountains, tempted to fly to Doranelle and demand answers from Maeve. He stops because Maeve's blood oath could force Rowan not to return to Mistward, and Rowan recognizes that Celaena had not trusted Rowan with the truth because Celaena feared judgment, pity, or cruelty. Rowan turns back, deciding his immediate duty is to protect Celaena after Celaena nearly burned out her magic.

Meanwhile, healers give Celaena a tonic, and Celaena remains in a cold bath until Celaena is chilled and exhausted. Celaena returns slowly to her room, falls into a fitful sleep, and wakes later when Rowan enters through the window. Rowan carries Celaena to his own warmer room, settles Celaena into his bed, and tells Celaena she will stay with Rowan from now on, though Rowan insists this is not pity.

Celaena explains that Celaena had not told Rowan about Endovier because Celaena feared mockery, did not want pity, and did not want her suffering treated as an excuse. At Rowan's request, Celaena recounts her life in Rifthold, the theft of Asterion horses, her years among courtesans and thieves, Sam's death, the first whipping in Endovier, the horrors of the labor camp, her failed escape attempt toward death, and how Chaol and Dorian brought Celaena into the king's competition for a chance at freedom.

Celaena grows too tired to continue before reaching the full story of the Wyrdkeys, Elena, Nehemia, and her deeper brokenness. Rowan keeps holding Celaena's hand through the night, and when Celaena wakes before dawn warm and safe, Celaena feels something inside begin to mend rather than break further.