The Guardian cornered Odessa in her inn room in Ashmore, his eyes a molten silver that signaled his anger. He berated her for the recklessness of leaving Treow alone, emphasizing that Turah was deadly even for natives and calling her a spoiled princess. When Odessa asked why the watchtower guards had let her go, he revealed they apparently had not recognized her and vowed to address it when they returned to Treow the next day.

Pressed to explain herself, Odessa deflected with a flimsy excuse about exploring her new kingdom. After a long, tense silence, the Guardian declared they would leave in the morning and threatened to revoke her freedoms if she disobeyed again. Odessa refused, launching into a defiant speech about being forced into marriage and confinement, vowing not to return to a cage.

The Guardian’s anger cooled, his eyes shifting back toward hazel, and he asked why Odessa had not simply asked to come to Ashmore. He suggested the door to her cage might have been unlocked all along. The question unsettled Odessa, who wrestled with the possibility that she could have requested this trip, even as she weighed her father’s secret mission and the potential consequences for Brielle and Jocelyn if she failed.

A server brought Odessa a meal, clearly awed by the Guardian’s presence. The Guardian left through the window, and Odessa ate alone, debating whether to explore Ashmore further but ultimately staying in. She lay awake, anxious about her father’s errand to find Allesaria and doubts about his honesty and motives, fearing that her actions could spark war.

Later, the Guardian returned, pulled Odessa’s pillow away, and announced he would stay to guard her through the night, offering her either the bed without the pillow or the floor with it. After teasing her with a suggestive remark, he settled on the floor. In their final exchange, he revealed he had tracked her easily because there was only one inn in Ashmore and because her red hair showed despite her dye, which he could smell. They remained at an impasse: he would not give his real name, and Odessa would not reveal her purpose in Ashmore. He wished her good night, and his voice followed her into sleep.