Three days after the final Trial, Kitt narrates from the aftermath of the king’s murder. He has not slept since seeing his father dead in the mud, and he is overwhelmed by grief, rage, and the sudden burden of becoming king. Sitting in his father’s study, Kitt reflects on how deeply he wanted his father’s approval and how determined he now is to rule in a way that would make the dead king proud.

Kai enters the study carefully, and the brothers speak with strained formality. Kitt asks how their mother is coping, and Kai admits she has shut herself away in grief. As Kitt studies Kai’s bruised knuckles and guarded expression, he recognizes that Kai is mourning as well, though differently; Kitt understands that Kai is grieving both the father he lost and Paedyn, whose betrayal also wounded him.

Kitt then turns from personal grief to royal duty. He reminds Kai that the coronation and burial are finished and that Kai is now officially serving as his Enforcer. With that authority established, Kitt assigns Kai his first mission as king’s Enforcer.

The command is direct and deeply personal: Kitt orders Kai to find Paedyn. Kai’s composure slips when he realizes whom Kitt means, confirming to Kitt how much Paedyn affected them both. Even so, Kai gives a formal acknowledgment and accepts the order.

The chapter closes with Kitt physically and symbolically taking his father’s seat. By sitting in the dead king’s favored chair and repeating the command to bring Paedyn Gray to him, Kitt embraces his new identity as ruler and sets the next conflict in motion: the hunt for the girl who killed the king.