Celaena enters Nehemia’s cleaned room to pack the princess’s belongings before Eyllwe’s envoys arrive for the body. Grief has already driven Celaena to destroy her own clothing, especially items tied to memories of Nehemia and Chaol, and she handles Nehemia’s clothes and jewelry carefully to spare them from strangers.

At Nehemia’s desk, Celaena finds papers covered in Eyllwe and Wyrdmarks, then discovers an older copy of the same book from Davis’s office. Inside are Wyrdmark warnings and the familiar riddle about seeing rightly with the eye, proving Nehemia knew more about Davis, Archer’s circle, and the riddle than Nehemia admitted. Celaena realizes Nehemia lied despite promising no more secrets.

Celaena rushes to Elena’s tomb and identifies the “eye” as the eye-shaped pommel of Damaris, the Sword of Truth. By aligning the pommel with the hole in the tomb wall, Celaena reveals and copies a hidden poem about three powerful items made from the Gate-Stone of the Wyrd, with one hidden in a crown, one in a fiery mountain, and one location concealed forever. Mort confirms only that it sounds like a riddle for three powerful objects, and he accidentally reveals that Nehemia had been in the tomb after the ridderak attack.

The revelations deepen Celaena’s mistrust: Nehemia may have been searching for the objects, Archer’s rebels may want them, and the king may also be seeking or already possess a source of power beyond magic. Overwhelmed by the weight of Nehemia’s secrets, Celaena collapses on the stairwell, where Elena appears briefly. Elena reassures Celaena that Nehemia’s spirit is now free of pain, and Celaena finally breaks down and weeps.

Later, dressed in mourning black, Celaena visits Nehemia’s temporary grave behind the royal mausoleum. With no flowers or headstone marking it, only a fallen guard’s curved sword, Celaena honors her friend by singing an ancient, agonized lament. Chaol follows from a distance out of concern, hears the song, and understands both the depth of Celaena’s grief and the rift his secrecy helped create. When Celaena notices him but refuses to speak, Chaol accepts that losing her may be the price of his failure and walks away.