Descending from the Pinnacle with Navani, Dalinar reviews preparations for his Shattered Plains expedition while Navani discusses fabrial ideas and a key finding: Shardblade gemstones may not power the Blades, but were later additions enabling bonding after the Recreance. Dalinar worries which highprinces will join him and consoles Navani over Jasnah’s death and the assassin’s threat.

At the feast, rumors ripple as mercenary-led plateau runs return with a gemheart the Parshendi did not contest. Dalinar senses mockery and confronts Sadeas and Aladar, then meets Amaram—amid Wit’s barbs—bearing copied pages of Dalinar’s visions. Navani arrives, furious that her transcripts were stolen, subtly altered in tone, and laced with mocking commentary to discredit Dalinar.

Dalinar climbs a table and declares, “What you have read is true,” promising to publish all future visions for scholarly scrutiny and to provide proof. He then works the crowd for hours, projecting confidence and courting support for his campaign, while Adolin escorts Shallan home and the king departs with Navani. Dalinar’s deliberate poise counters the image of madness the forgeries intend to create.

Exhausted, Dalinar speaks with Wit, who praises the tactic of embracing the insult and bluntly calls Dalinar a tyrant—yet a necessary, benevolent one for this era. Dalinar reflects that Alethkar’s unity by conquest taught might-as-right and has failed; he resolves that the kingdom needs more than tyranny, recalling Nohadon’s teachings. Wit announces he must leave on dangerous business and warns that if found by “the father of hatred,” he would be destroyed, underscoring the looming, greater threat.