At dawn, Laila Creed marches through the Rookery with soldiers of the newly named Cascadian Army. The force entered the heavily fortified citadel the previous night through the servants’ quarters, where Blood Guard officers loyal to Gideon Sharpe secretly admitted them, armed them, and added their own numbers to the rebellion.

Laila brings a hostage into the mess hall, where a platoon of Blood Guard officers is eating breakfast. The hostage is Noah Creed, her brother and the former Good Commander, bound and gagged. By displaying Noah in chains, Laila makes clear that the old order has fallen and that she now controls the room.

Laila announces new policy in Gideon Sharpe’s name: no one is to be hunted or harmed for being a witch, and all purgings are outlawed. When one officer challenges her authority, Laila’s soldiers immediately move to handle the disruption, reinforcing that the Cascadian Army is prepared to use force to secure compliance.

She then gives the assembled officers three choices. They can join the Cascadian Army under Gideon, surrender their uniforms and go home, or be imprisoned alongside Noah. Faced with Noah’s humiliation, Gideon’s authority, and Laila’s armed soldiers, no one openly resists, and the officers are ordered to finish breakfast and report to the courtyard for their next instructions or dismissal.