Chapter 17

Jo and Beau are caught by Jo’s mother as they leave for a tavern meeting with Drake. The queen, flour-dusted from late baking, approves, presses toffee cakes and champagne on them, and teases Jo for sneaking out. Jo insists on being seen despite having only just returned, believing Maile’s people need her presence.

They cross the lively, magic-filled streets: wind-borne pastries, a fingertip-lit lamp, a child’s brief foresight-glow. Jo is warmly hailed, children rush to her, and she reflects on her mother’s open rule and her own uncertainty. Beau reveals a message from her mother: tension is growing in Kenta’s palace between the king and Beau’s brother, sparking Jo’s hope and dread.

As they walk, Jo confronts her deepest regret—sparing the king when she had a chance to kill him—and fears she corrupted Acker or that he may align with his father. She wonders whether ignorance might be kinder than facing guilt, accepting that forgiveness from Acker will never come.

Near the tavern, they meet Fredrich; Beau notes he has no visible aura, likely a facet of his shielder gift. Inside, Jo’s presence ignites cheers; she buys a round and slips to a back room. Messer greets them with rowdy affection and jokes, Drake calls the meeting to order, and General Sam arrives late from redeploying forces.

The group trades barbs and camaraderie—Messer guarding the cakes and champagne, Drake needling, Sam exhausted—while Beau claims the bottle to endure their banter. The gathering reconnects Jo with her core allies, setting a supportive front as news from Kenta raises the stakes and Jo steels herself for what comes next.