The morning after the binding ceremony, Isla prepares to leave her room and explore Lightlark. She dresses in Wildling colors chosen for the seductive role Poppy trained her to play, though Isla privately rejects that plan and focuses instead on strategy. When her Starling attendant arrives, Isla asks her name, learns Ella has a badly healed leg, and gives Ella a Wildling healing paste in exchange for arranging regular meal deliveries.

Isla heads alone toward the agora for her required tailor appointment, hoping to observe the island unnoticed. Grim interrupts her, joins her walk, and makes Isla uneasy because of Nightshade’s feared reputation and the mystery of his motives for attending the Centennial. When Grim senses Isla’s fear and curiosity, he explains that he can read flashes of emotion, not minds, and admits he has another hidden flair but says it is not something he can secretly use against Isla.

In the marketplace, Isla notices that the islanders fear Grim and largely ignore her while in his presence, which teaches Isla that public perception could become important during the Centennial. Grim takes Isla to a Skyling chocolate shop, where the staff are frightened of him. Their shared tasting briefly lowers Isla’s guard, but Grim tricks Isla into trying a painfully spicy chocolate, then phases through the counter to fetch milk for her, revealing another Nightshade ability.

Grim accompanies Isla to the Lightlark tailor, then disappears. Inside, a Starling tailor calmly receives Isla and uses star-powered telekinesis to cut away Isla’s stained pink dress and create a fitted red gown from giant spider silk. Grim reappears inside the shop while Isla is being fitted, and Isla quietly asks the tailor to make not only dresses but also fighting clothes, pants, and armor.

After the appointment, Isla confronts Grim about his intrusive presence, but Grim seriously offers to leave her alone if Isla asks. Isla does not, deciding there may be a way to use Grim’s attention to her advantage. Before vanishing again, Grim shows Isla that his demonstration will be first and warns her that she will need both armor and a sword, leaving Isla alone to wonder why the Nightshade ruler is helping her.