After half an hour of riding, Evie and Trystan arrive back at his manor. During the dismount, Evie reflects on the intimate moment they shared at the cottage, regretting that she didn't kiss him. She had packed all of Lyssa's favorite belongings and resolved to tell her sister the full truth about their father's betrayal. Despite her morally complex choices, Evie feels no regret—she's learning that a single monstrous act doesn't make someone a monster, and she intends to protect herself and Lyssa from further harm.

Inside the manor, Trystan arranges for Evie and Lyssa to stay on the west side—the same wing where he lives. Evie is thrilled at the prospect and peppers him with questions about his hobbies and free time, even suggesting board games and tea parties with Lyssa. Trystan's genuine confusion about what a tea party entails makes Evie laugh, and they share a warm, lighthearted exchange as they set out on foot. However, Evie suddenly realizes she left her notebook—containing sentimental drawings including hearts—back in her father's office. Trystan agrees to walk with her to retrieve it, handing off her bags and Kingsley to his guard Marv.

As they walk through the colorful forest, Evie suggests a shortcut across a stream. Before they can take it, Trystan suddenly collapses to the ground in pain. Evie rushes to his side, and he urgently tells her to run. Six armored riders on horseback close in, surrounding them in a circle. One knight holds a hand raised toward Trystan, pinning him with some kind of power. Evie shields Trystan's body with her own, screaming for the attackers to stop, but her dagger is in the satchel she tossed aside, now outside the perimeter.

A carriage pulls into the center of the circle, and the driver—dressed in silver and white—opens the door and bows deeply. Every knight dismounts and drops to a knee. Trystan, still pinned and in visible agony with reddened face and bulging veins, curses as he recognizes the occupant. Evie identifies the man stepping out of the carriage in quiet horror: King Benedict has arrived in person.