Rysn, confined to a chair after her accident, works as Queen Fen’s scribe at the Thaylen Gemstone Reserve, bored and bitter about lost mobility. Vstim arrives as the new minister of trade, offering her ownership of a new frigate, the Wandersail, to resume mercantile voyages. Rysn hesitates, torn between fear and longing for her former life.

They proceed to audit the queen’s personal vault. Inside, Vstim and guards reveal the King’s Drop, a massive ruby that has held its Stormlight for centuries. As the review begins, the accompanying Queen’s Guard suddenly murders Tlik, attacks Vstim, and seizes the King’s Drop, revealing healing abilities that let him shrug off crossbow bolts.

With the door to the outer vault sealed and Vstim locked bleeding inside the queen’s sub-vault, Rysn drags herself through the racks with the ruby tied to her ankle, while Chiri-Chiri hungrily feeds on its light. When the traitor advances, Rysn improvises: she takes Fladm’s crossbow, ties her new captain’s cord to the stirrup and her chair, and uses the staircase’s drop to cock the weapon.

Chiri-Chiri distracts the thief and siphons a strange dark violet light from him, revealing marbled skin beneath his disguise. With his healing neutralized, Rysn fires point-blank, killing him. She thanks Chiri-Chiri—who seems larger—and crawls to free Vstim and secure the King’s Drop, newly resolved to take command of a ship.