Contents
Chapter Forty-Six
Overview
Benna, imprisoned beneath the Hound palace, recounts her history with Yana, revealing the Dragonscale dosing of Neema, the theft of the Blade, and framing Ruko to expose Gaida’s murder. Confronted, Ruko resists emotional change yet honors his promise to Neema by bribing a guard to engineer Benna’s escape.
The chapter reframes Benna’s actions as Yana’s posthumous lesson for Ruko: to abandon an inherited dream. Ruko’s choice to spare Benna signals a crack between doctrine and duty.
Summary
Benna sits in a dank cell beneath the Hound palace, tended by kindly but uninformed guards. She recalls her long-guarded mission inspired by Yana: infiltrate court service, swap Dragonscale oil, and orchestrate a reckoning for Neema and Ruko. An unseen old prisoner’s cries rattle her resolve before a visitor arrives.
Ruko enters, furious about the stolen Blade of Peace. After asserting he will not harm her and offering his word, Ruko demands the truth. Benna confirms a note from Yana was real but old, then recounts meeting Yana during the Procession of Exile at Last Sleep, where Benna’s family nursed Yana through a deadly infection and formed a deep bond.
Benna explains that Yana’s aim was not revenge but a lesson: save Ruko from living “another man’s dream.” She details her actions—stealing the Blade while masked among Ruko’s attendants, accidentally overdosing Neema with Dragonscale to provoke reflection, and framing Ruko only after finding Gaida already murdered, having overheard Abbess Glorren predict “natural causes.”
Ruko deflects the notion he is trapped by his father’s ambitions, but Benna insists he remains unchanged. Moved yet armored, Ruko concludes the interview and considers his next step, weighing abbess-taught ruthlessness against promises made.
Honoring his word to Neema and his vow to Benna, Ruko bribes the guard despite the cell’s “special” status, arranging for Benna’s door to be opened after an hour. He departs for the Day of the Tiger celebrations, having chosen restraint over violence while leaving Benna a chance at escape.
Who Appears
- Benna Last SleepImprisoned servant; reveals Yana’s plan, Dragonscale dosing, Blade theft, and framing Ruko to expose Gaida’s murder.
- RukoTiger contender; confronts Benna, denies inherited ambition, but keeps his promise and bribes a guard to free her.
- YanaRuko’s exiled twin; saved by Benna’s family; architect of the lesson meant to redirect Ruko’s path.
- Abbess Rivenna GlorrenRuko’s abbess; earlier predicted Gaida’s ‘natural’ death; her ruthless doctrine contrasts with Ruko’s choice.
- Neema KraaHigh Scholar and contender; absent but central—Benna admits dosing her; Ruko honors a promise to her.
- Sergeant WorthyHound who escorted Yana; wanted a merciful end, then compelled Benna’s family to nurse her.
- Hound palace guardKind jailer; accepts Ruko’s bribe to unlock Benna’s door despite ‘special’ cell rules.
- Unknown old prisonerHidden detainee; his distressed cries underscore the dungeon’s menace and Benna’s urgency.