Overview

In the aftermath of the glen disaster, Maude Bauer awakens from grave injuries, lifting King Benedict Castor’s despair. Maude proposes knighting Six, who reveals her true name as Sybil Delling during a private ceremony. Sybil accepts knighthood without swearing to the Omens or binding vows that erase her autonomy, while tensions flare between Benji and Rory over the meaning of loyalty. That night, Sybil seeks Rory, removes her armor and finally her shroud, and they share an intimate, transformative moment.

Full Summary

After returning from the sacred glen, the group secured the Faithful Forester’s chime in Benji’s room and shuttered Petula Hall, keeping even the knighthood out while they coped with Maude Bauer’s critical condition. Benji, destroyed by grief over Maude, refused to leave her bedside, lashing out at Rory until the gargoyle rebuked him for devaluing Rory’s gentleness. The house fell into a vigil of waiting, with the gargoyle and Six reflecting on fragility and endurance.

On the third day, Maude awoke, bandaged and weak but lucid. She praised Six’s contributions, counted four Omens down, and proposed a knighting ceremony to honor Six. Benji, steadied by Maude’s recovery, supported holding the ceremony that day. Discussion turned to titles and influence: Benji wanted Six to retain the Diviner title for political effect, while Rory objected to making it about Benji. Benji then confessed his long frustration with a system that humiliated kings beneath the Omens, and Rory reframed that as the system’s flaw, suggesting a king could be the one to bring the Omens down. Benji asked for the group’s promise to help him shoulder power if he toppled Aisling and the Omens.

At sunset in the library, with only Maude, Benji, Rory, the gargoyle, and blacksmith Victor present, Six donned newly forged armor for the ceremony. Before Benji could speak her title, she declared her true name, Sybil Delling. Benji proceeded with a vow set excluding the Omens, asking Sybil to accept responsibilities to protect the weak, keep peace in the hamlets, refuse mercenary aims, and be loyal to the crown. A dispute erupted when Benji insisted loyalty meant doing as he asked, and Rory countered that vows did not mean mindlessness or ownership. Sybil halted the argument, stating she would stop promising herself away after years of oaths to Aisling, the Omens, and lost friends, while still accepting the honor of armor and knighthood.

Benji performed the accolade without Omen invocations, touching Sybil’s shoulders with the sword and welcoming her to his knighthood with the line, “Your armor may dent, your sword may break, but may you never diminish.” Sybil retained her Diviner title publicly for strategic reasons but asserted personal autonomy, and the ceremony closed with the intimate circle affirming commitment to Benji’s larger goal of replacing the Omens with a new order of belief.

Late that night, unable to sleep, Sybil went to Rory’s room. He reassured her that Aisling’s tragedies and the Omens’ harms were not her fault, and she admitted she felt stronger in armor. At her request, Rory helped remove her armor piece by piece, then her chainmail. Finally, Sybil guided him to untie her shroud, deciding to let someone truly see her face. Rory reacted with wordless wonder, calling her the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and Sybil asked him not to describe her features. They embraced and kissed, signaling a profound shift in trust, intimacy, and Sybil’s shedding of imposed identities.

Who Appears

• Sybil Delling (Six) — Diviner turned newly knighted; reveals her true name; refuses binding vows to Omens; chooses autonomy; initiates intimacy with Rory and removes her shroud.
• King Benedict "Benji" Castor III — king; grieves Maude, then regains resolve; confesses frustration with the Omens’ system; knights Sybil with revised vows; clashes with Rory over the meaning of loyalty.
• Roderick "Rory" Myndacious — knight; protects Sybil’s autonomy; challenges Benji on vows; helps remove Sybil’s armor and shroud; shares an intimate moment with her.
• Maude Bauer — knight; awakens from grave injuries; proposes Sybil’s knighting; expresses pride in Benji and Sybil.
• The Gargoyle — Sybil’s squire and companion; rebukes Benji for unkindness to Rory; offers emotional insight; assists with armor during the ceremony.
• Victor — blacksmith (new); delivers Sybil’s finished armor; present at the ceremony.