Kaladin sprints to the king’s chambers and finds Elhokar alive but rattled, with Dalinar, Navani, Adolin, Renarin, and guards present. Moash leads Kaladin onto the high balcony, where a section of railing has twisted outward over a lethal drop. A guard explains the rail seemed to come free silently, leaving the king dangling until rescued.

Examining the structure, Kaladin notes the railing should have been secure and that the footings were chipped. He finds a smooth, clean break at a metal joint that should not have failed. Dalinar dismisses others to speak privately. Together, they conclude the attempt was deliberate but timid—designed to look like an accident—and likely targeted the king’s favored leaning spot.

Kaladin points out the clean cut, and Dalinar identifies it as made by a Shardblade. They decide to conceal this detail to gain an advantage. The king insists Kaladin take charge of his protection, but Kaladin warns his men are already stretched.

Dalinar suspects an inside job—someone among servants or the King’s Guard—and says he can no longer be certain whom to trust. He plans to reassign Idrin from the post, request Idrin’s best men for Kaladin temporarily, and ultimately staff the king’s defense with Bridge Four members outside warcamp politics. Kaladin accepts the responsibility, aware of the risk of replacing traitors with the untrustworthy.

Dalinar stresses that this clumsy plot is not the threat he expects; if Sadeas or the assassin who killed Gavilar strikes, the outcome could be far worse. Inside, Elhokar rants about being ignored and haunted, while Kaladin wrestles with judgment of the king’s behavior and reaffirms his duty to protect despite misgivings.