Brambleweft, a faerie dressmaker, visits Oriana’s parlor to fit Jude, Taryn, Vivi, Oriana, and Oak for coronation clothes. Jude is still shaken by the faerie fruit incident, Balekin’s abused servants, Cardan’s beating, and the note where Cardan wrote Jude’s name over and over. While measuring Jude, Brambleweft quietly reveals that Jude’s gown has been ordered with hidden pockets for weapons, poisons, and other necessities, confirming Prince Dain’s continued investment in Jude as his spy.

Vivi questions Jude about the lecture where Cardan’s circle nearly killed Jude, but Jude refuses to treat Elfhame as optional, insisting it is Jude’s world. Taryn asks for the embroidered fabric Jude first chose, and Jude gives it up, easing the sisters back toward normal. Jude chooses dark blue velvet for herself, and Brambleweft designs a martial-looking gown marked with Madoc’s household crest.

Oak runs in and climbs onto Jude’s lap, but Oriana quickly removes him. Jude finally challenges Oriana’s obvious distrust, insisting Jude is not a monster and has never harmed Oak or Oriana. Oriana says they will discuss it with Jude’s father, and Jude snaps back that Madoc is not Jude’s father, breaking the family’s usual silence and leaving Jude feeling as if she is coming undone.

The next day at school, Jude goes armed with a cold iron knife, salt, rowan berries, and gathered plants. During a lecture on birdsongs, Locke winks at Jude, while Cardan remains stiff and silent; Jude notices him wince and recognizes that he is practiced at hiding pain. The memory of Cardan’s note makes Jude fear how much he hates her and what he might want to do to her.

After school, Jude trains hard with Madoc and improves at a clever block. Later, Jude prepares pieces of faerie fruit in pine liquor and deliberately swallows tiny amounts of faerie fruit, wraithberry, deathsweet, and blusher mushroom juice. Jude calls the practice mithridatism and hopes that surviving small doses of poison will make Jude harder to kill, but the experiment leaves Jude vomiting, sweating, and too ill to attend dinner.

Jude falls asleep on the bath-area floor, where the Ghost wakes Jude before dawn for Court of Shadows training. The Ghost teaches Jude how to climb and move through trees silently, correcting flaws palace teachers ignored. After exhausting practice, the Ghost tells Jude to keep practicing, and Jude sneaks back into the house, collapses into bed, and prepares to repeat the cycle.