On the way home from lessons, Taryn gathers blackberries near the Lake of Masks while Jude avoids looking into its prophetic reflections. Taryn asks whether Jude will quit the Summer Tournament because of Cardan and his friends, but Jude refuses. Jude believes knighthood will put her beyond their reach, while Taryn says she plans to seek love instead of power.

At home, Jude and Taryn find Vivi fighting off a sprite infestation in her room. The sprites have nested in Vivi's hoard of mortal-world objects, including photographs of Vivi with a pink-haired mortal girl. Jude realizes that Vivi may have fallen in love, complicating the sisters' different ideas of escape and belonging.

At dinner, Madoc announces that High King Eldred will abdicate, likely in favor of Prince Dain, and that the coronation will take place at the autumn solstice. Madoc welcomes the possibility of renewed war under a hungrier monarch and hints that he has a plan to secure the family's future. When Taryn pushes Jude to ask about the tournament, Jude requests permission to wear the green sash and present herself for knighthood.

Madoc praises Jude's swordsmanship but refuses to let her declare herself a candidate, saying she is not a killer and is not ready. Jude is devastated because she has endured humiliation in the hope that proving her toughness would win Madoc's approval. Oriana tries to redirect the family toward talk of coronation dresses, but the dinner remains tense as Madoc warns that change is coming and there is no wisdom in crossing him.

After a sleepless morning reflecting on her mother's escape from Madoc and on Vivi's remark that there is always something left to lose, Jude decides she is done trying to be good and weak. Taryn tries to caution her, but Jude goes to lessons and secretly salts all the food in Cardan, Locke, Nicasia, and Valerian's baskets. When Cardan sees Jude's smile after the prank, Jude understands that she has openly declared war.