Chaol Westfall, formerly Captain of the Royal Guard and now Hand to King Dorian of Adarlan, arrives at the Khagan of the Southern Continent’s palace in Antica after three difficult weeks at sea. Confined to a wheeled chair after losing the use of his legs, Chaol fixates bitterly on the sound of the wheels and on the chair as both his prison and his only means of movement.

As Nesryn Faliq pushes Chaol through the palace, Chaol observes the immense wealth, history, and order of the khaganate. The palace’s marble, pillars, and mosaics reflect the empire’s conquered territories and disciplined rule, prompting Chaol to compare it with what Adarlan might have become if it had not been corrupted by Erawan’s demon influence.

Chaol’s thoughts turn to recent trauma: Valg-controlled guards in black uniforms terrorized Rifthold, tortured and killed his men, and displayed their bodies at the palace gates. The sight of Antican guards unsettles Chaol because they remind him of the role and authority he has lost.

Chaol focuses on the two missions that brought him to Antica: convincing the khagan and his potential heirs to lend their armies to the war against Erawan, and seeking help from the healers of the Torre Cesme to restore his ability to walk. He resents the idea of being “fixed,” even though that is what he has come to request.

On the way through Antica, Chaol notices white mourning cloth throughout the city and learns from Nesryn that such customs come from old steppe traditions. The city remains lively, and the Torre Cesme dominates the skyline as a constant reminder of Chaol’s personal hope and dread.

In the throne room, Chaol and Nesryn approach the khagan, who is guarded by five royal children rather than the six Nesryn had expected. Chaol performs the formal bow from his chair, reflects bitterly on his unwanted title as Lord Chaol Westfall, and meets the khagan’s eyes, wondering whether the ruler can see the shame and self-loathing beneath his composure.