Servants dress Oak for bed in the tower, treating him as a prince once again. Restless and conflicted about Wren's demands, Oak takes the ragwort stalk Hyacinthe gave him and climbs to the parapet. From there, he spots torches and hears the rhythmic march of Elfhame's army approaching the Citadel—the rescue the snake messenger promised, but on a far larger scale than he anticipated. He realizes that arriving at the army still wearing the bridle would doom any hope of peace, since they would assume he is under Wren's control and press their attack.

Descending the stairs, Oak collides with a frightened nisse servant named Daggry, carrying raw meat. Oak uses his honey-mouthed persuasive magic—reluctantly—to enlist him, learning Daggry came to the Citadel under a desperate bargain to recover a captured lover. Oak invokes his royal status to dismiss Daggry from service, then sends him with two notes: one to Hyacinthe, and one to be delivered to the Elfhame army via Oak's horse, Damsel Fly. Oak also raids a storeroom of Lord Jarel's old clothes, dressing himself regally and hiding a small dagger.

Oak waits in the Hall of Queens for Hyacinthe, watching dawn break and Elfhame riders pass through the wall. Hyacinthe arrives skeptical but agrees to remove the bridle—on two conditions: Oak must promise no harm comes to Wren, and Oak must bring him the hand of the person who actually administered the poison that killed Liriope, Hyacinthe's father's charge. Oak, shocked the killer is still alive, agrees. Hyacinthe speaks the command in Grimsen's name and Oak unhooks the bridle, throwing it down.

Hyacinthe leaves first to avoid suspicion. Oak strides into the Great Hall, where Wren sits enthroned with Bogdana and Hyacinthe beside her, facing the Elfhame delegation: the Ghost (Garrett) posing as ambassador, Randalin the Minister of Keys, Tiernan, and Grima Mog. To everyone's astonishment—and Wren's furious glare—Oak announces that he and Wren are to be wed, slipping the snake's ring onto her finger as if she had worn it all along.