Aedion Ashryver has recovered enough from his fever to be prepared for execution, though he wants to die on his own terms. Guards take him to a dungeon washroom, chain him down, scrub him clean, shave him despite his attempts to use the razor against himself, and dress him in simple clothes so he will look presentable before the court.

The guards escort Aedion into a decorated ballroom arranged for a public spectacle. Red and gold banners, flowers, and a rose arch over the royal dais make the execution look like a court celebration, while the heavy guard presence at every door, window, and garden path reveals the event as a trap meant to draw Aelin out.

Aedion is shoved onto the execution platform, where he is given a stool and chained to shackles fixed in the floor. The Sword of Orynth, his own blade, is placed on display behind him for use in his beheading. Though weakened, Aedion studies his surroundings and decides the stool could become a weapon when the right moment comes, remaining focused on choosing the manner of his death.