Jude wakes after Sophie’s death exhausted and ashamed, but Gnarbone summons her to Madoc’s parlor because Prince Dain demands her presence. Jude assumes Dain has discovered that she freed Sophie, but Dain is furious about Jude stabbing Valerian after Valerian tried to glamour her into jumping from a tower. Dain warns Jude that Valerian now knows she can resist glamour, and he commands her to strike only when ordered and to hide both her blade skill and her immunity.

To test Jude’s obedience, Dain glamours Jude into picking up a dagger, instructs her how to stab through her own hand with minimal damage, then releases the glamour and waits for Jude to do it willingly. Jude realizes Dain wants proof of devotion, thinks of Sophie, Valerian, and Cardan, and decides that instead of trying to belong she could become something feared. Jude drives the knife through her hand. Dain appears shaken, then tells Jude to show power by appearing powerless, has her clean the blood from Madoc’s desk, and bandages the wound before Oriana interrupts with tea and forces Dain to leave.

Jude retreats to bed, unable to tend the wound properly. Vivi visits and the sisters talk about Sophie’s death, their failed rescue, and Vivi’s fear of telling Heather the truth about Faerie. Later, the family gathers to see their coronation clothes. Jude receives a magnificent unexpected gown, and Oriana warns Jude, Taryn, and Vivi to avoid bargains, promises, and insults during the coming coronation revels.

Oriana then privately warns Jude not to aspire above her station, revealing that she thinks Jude is Dain’s lover. When Jude denies it, Oriana explains that she was once one of High King Eldred’s consorts and that lovers near the throne are always endangered and used as pawns. Oriana also alludes to Liriope’s death and rumors that a prince poisoned Liriope to prevent a rival heir. Afterward, Taryn tells Jude that Balekin visited Madoc and met with him privately for hours, which worries Jude because of her recent intrusion into Hollow Hall.

That night, Jude waits for the Ghost, expecting missed training to bring consequences, but Valerian climbs onto her balcony instead, drunk, armed, and furious. Valerian says Cardan told him Jude’s stabbing him was no more than he deserved, then attacks Jude in her bedroom. Jude tries to remember Dain’s order to appear powerless, but when Valerian chokes her and repeats the same murderous cruelty he showed before, Jude decides not to be afraid and drives her knife into Valerian’s heart.

Valerian dies after cursing Jude three times, saying her hands will always be stained with blood and death will be her companion. Jude, horrified but silent, realizes that if the Court of Shadows learns she killed Valerian on the eve of Dain’s coronation, Dain’s anger will worsen. Jude hides Valerian’s body under her bed, cleans the blood as best she can, and composes herself before the Ghost arrives, determined that he must not know anything is wrong.