Meryn stands in her cell wearing the ancient Sturmfrost crown, overwhelmed by the weight of its revelations, as Stark kneels before her. She demands he stand and explain himself. Stark reveals that a Siphon blood curse has silenced the Bonded for five hundred years, preventing anyone from speaking about the Sturmfrost royals. The crown and the royal sword together control the human bonds to the direwolves, and its placement beneath the arena—where Bonded and direwolf blood was regularly spilled—strengthened the usurper king's control through blood magic. Within a generation, the Sturmfrost line was forgotten by everyone except Stark's family, who preserved the truth through written records passed down across centuries, never able to speak of it aloud. This is why Meryn had to issue a direct Alpha order through Anassa to retrieve the crown.

Meryn confronts Stark about his hostility toward her, and he erupts with emotion. He reveals that he moved her to her own quarters after the assassination attempt (not Killian), trained her relentlessly to strengthen her, killed the deserter who had threatened her before the Ascent, and even chose the dress she wore to the Forging Ball. His anger toward her, he confesses, stemmed from watching the long-awaited Sturmfrost heir arrive weak and in love with the descendant of the family that stole her birthright. He also acknowledges the torment of enduring the mate bond between their wolves—Anassa and Cratos—while being unable to act or speak.

When Anassa drops the mental filter between herself and Meryn, Meryn is flooded with an overwhelming, soul-deep desire for Stark that she struggles to distinguish from her own feelings versus the wolf bond. Stark reaches through the bars and pulls her close, his vulnerability and intensity laid bare. Meryn gently touches his wrist, and he flinches away, visibly shaken. She asks Anassa to ease the bond's intensity, and her head clears enough to think strategically.

Meryn shifts into the mindset of a queen. She asks Stark whether Killian is a Siphon like his ancestor; Stark admits he isn't certain but confirms the original usurper and his progeny all died, despite Siphons' potential immortality. Meryn reflects bitterly on her relationship with Killian—how she ignored every warning and let him into her heart, wondering if Saela and her mother would have been safe if she'd never gotten involved with him. She acknowledges that without becoming Bonded, the Sturmfrost secret might have stayed buried for centuries more.

Stark offers himself as her weapon of vengeance, pledging to kill Killian at her command. Meryn, moved to tears, declines—she intends to settle the score herself but first needs answers from Killian. She removes the crown and returns it to Stark, instructing him to keep it safe, find Saela and the other children with Venna's help, and wait for her signal through Anassa. She plans to go to Killian and deceive him as he deceived her. Stark expresses veiled concern for her safety but affirms his faith in her, calling her "the danger" that others should fear.