Kai watches in agony as King Kitt Azer places an engagement ring on Paedyn Gray’s finger. He reflects on how deeply he desires her and how this public betrothal binds her to his brother and dooms him to serve but never have her. As the court erupts with questions, Kai notes Kitt’s sudden composure and control, a stark change from the grief-stricken king he last saw.

When Paedyn leaves the throne room, the crowd’s hostility intensifies. A man spits an insult at her, prompting Kai to shove him away and threaten him. Paedyn takes control, warning the man that an Ordinary will end his Elite life if he insults her or her people again. Her chilling declaration silences the court, marking her first public assertion of authority.

Paedyn flees into the palace hall, shaken. Hearing more onlookers approach, Kai lifts her and ducks them both into a dark, likely unused broom closet to shield her from scrutiny. Inside, Paedyn’s composure breaks; she admits she was prepared to die and cannot fathom the sudden, lifelong bind of marriage to Kitt. Kai promises to fix things, urging her to ground herself with the ring that once symbolized her adoptive father Adam Gray, though she laments that even her past is built on a lie.

They discuss the political stakes: Kitt’s reforms to welcome Ordinaries back to Ilya, the dire shortages, and the need to reopen trade. Paedyn concedes Kitt’s reasoning has merit but fears the Elites will reject an Ordinary queen. Kai agrees and confesses he had expected Kitt to order Paedyn’s execution; he would have refused. Both puzzle over how Kitt transformed from unstable grief to strategic calm, with Kai recalling the papers and stained hands at Kitt’s desk as signs of intense preparation.

In the darkness, they waver between vulnerability and desire. Kai asserts he will be her Enforcer and protect her, while Paedyn refuses the title of queen and reminds him she is powerless and betrothed to his brother. He counters that it is only “for now,” but she insists it may be forever if Ilya’s future depends on this political union. Their intimacy builds as they cling to each other for comfort.

They edge toward a kiss—Kai deliberately distracting himself from a future where she belongs to Kitt—when the closet door abruptly flies open, cutting off the moment and leaving their private reckoning exposed.