Six weeks before his imprisonment, Prince Oak rushes from a tryst with Lady Elaine—who is drawing him deeper into a treasonous conspiracy—to his formal naming as heir to Elfhame. He arrives late to the ceremony in the gardens, where his mother Oriana scolds him and reminds him of his duty to inspire fear as well as love. Before the gathered Court, High King Cardan and High Queen Jude name Oak son of Liriope and Dain, formally crowning him heir. Oak privately resolves never to seek the throne, haunted by knowledge of how Dain poisoned his mother Liriope to prevent his birth from threatening Dain's claim.

At the family banquet beneath a weeping willow, Oak observes his sisters Jude, Taryn, and Vivi, along with Heather and his young half-brother Leander. He privately wrestles with guilt: he is secretly luring conspirators into traps, just as he did with Lady Elaine, and has already sent several plotters to their deaths under the guise of being a feckless prince. After dinner, he dances with Lady Elaine, who promises to introduce him to her co-conspirators in three days. His bodyguard Tiernan warns him that Cardan has heard rumors Oak plans to assassinate him; Cardan eyes Oak with challenge.

Drunk after the revel, Oak sneaks into Jude and Cardan's chambers seeking ibuprofen and accidentally discovers Jude's birth control pills, suggesting she avoids producing an heir who would supplant him. He hides under a table when the royal couple enters, and overhears that Lady Nore of the former Court of Teeth has captured Madoc and is demanding 'Mellith's heart' as ransom. Lady Nore is building an army of stick, stone, and snow creatures. Jude refuses to ransom Madoc and will not move against Lady Nore yet because doing so would kill him. Cardan also voices suspicion that Hyacinthe, Tiernan's bridled lover, may be involved.

Oak realizes that Suren (Wren), the daughter Lady Nore swore fealty to, could command her mother to stand down. Resolving to save Madoc and prove himself to his family, Oak decides to slip away through a secret passage, interrogate Hyacinthe, consult Mother Marrow at Mandrake Market about Mellith's heart, and seek out Wren—setting aside the conspiracy for now. He leaves before anyone can forbid him.