Chapter Forty-Seven

Fenn opens the Ox Palace to a relaxed, guard-free celebration meant to steady nerves after recent turmoil. Neema feels safe for the first time in days, notes her Shadow Hound’s disappearance, and takes in the communal warmth. She observes the bright moon and Tiger’s Path, trades quips with Sol in his field, and learns that Katsan’s right arm has been amputated after Neema spared her.

Fenn joins Neema on the terrace, teases her about her sudden success, and pointedly asks whether she told anyone about seeing Yasila on the balcony. Neema admits she told Yasila, and Fenn, exasperated, gives her an Ox leather marker stamped with both their names—an open pledge of protection in the Heartlands.

Drawn into the festivities, Neema joins the Ox dance as music and shared spirit bind the crowd. Fenn delivers his familiar speech about simple joys, then flips the script: as Tiger fireworks erupt across the Grand Canal, the Oxes enjoy a perfect, free vantage—his surprise “Ox Day fireworks.”

Amid the spectacle, Cain appears, having swum across to avoid attention and the Tigers’ ball. Neema asks if he ever thinks of them; Cain answers he does “all the time.” They hold hands through the finale, then Neema initiates a public, passionate kiss to cheers from the crowd and delighted shouts from friends.

As Sunur celebrates their long-awaited moment, Sol retreats in disgusted theatrics to his dead tree, underscoring the contrast between communal joy and solitary disdain. The night closes with Neema and Cain’s bond openly affirmed, signaling a personal and political alignment amid the wider Festival tensions.