Chaol and Yrene ride back to Antica at dawn after leaving Hasar a note claiming Yrene has an ill patient to check on. Both are exhausted, and Chaol’s back hurts badly from the ride and the previous night, but their closeness is open and affectionate as they return to the palace.

Their happiness ends when Chaol and Yrene enter Chaol’s wing and sense something wrong. Guards and servants are unsettled, and Chaol fears at first that Nesryn may have returned injured. Instead, Chaol finds his and Nesryn’s rooms and the sitting room violently ransacked, with furniture ruined, drawers looted, carpets overturned, and art destroyed.

Kadja, the servant, is cleaning broken pottery when Chaol and Yrene arrive. Yrene sharply questions Kadja, suspecting the servant may have helped whoever entered, but Kadja says she spent the night with her parents while Chaol and Yrene were gone. Chaol stops Kadja from cleaning further because the mess may contain evidence, then sends Kadja away for the day.

Yrene searches the suite and realizes that nearly all the books and scrolls they had gathered are gone, including The Song of Beginning. Chaol recognizes that the thieves must have been looking for information and that their absence was widely known. Yrene then checks the bedroom and finds that the first scroll, hidden in one of Chaol’s boots, was overlooked.

Because the theft proves their enemies are desperate and dangerous, Yrene argues that they should not stay in the suite. Chaol agrees that Yrene should go to the Torre, where there are more guards, and take the surviving scroll to Hafiza herself. Chaol, however, decides to remain at the palace so he does not appear to be fleeing and because royal interest in Aelin might still be useful.

Chaol’s decision is also shaped by guilt over Nesryn. Seeing Nesryn’s empty room reminds Chaol that he brought Nesryn to Antica and then neglected the promises and expectations between them while she risked herself searching for allies and answers. He resolves to send for Nesryn’s return, while privately condemning himself for mishandling both Nesryn and Yrene.