At dawn on a rickety dock, Paedyn, Kai, and Kitt face the daunting Shallows Sea and the imposing ship, the Reckoning. The brothers exchange dry humor about the choppy water, but Kitt’s mood softens with concern for Kai’s safety. Calum arrives with the court spokesman to confirm preparations and asks to speak with Paedyn alone, sensing her anxiety.

Calum leads Paedyn to the dock’s end and reassures her that respect will come with completing the Trials, noting she will be queen even as she remains Ordinary. He gifts her four worn books—her childhood favorites—that he saved after her father’s death, revealing she once annotated them. Overcome, Paedyn embraces Calum in gratitude before they rejoin the others.

On the shore, a hostile crowd watches, while Imperials hold the line. Kitt asks Kai one last time to stay; Kai refuses but promises to return, joking about dancing again with Paedyn and Kitt. After Paedyn and Kai board, a desperate shout from Jax cuts through the wind. Kai forces his way back to his younger brother, who tearfully begs him not to go, recalling their parents never came back. Kai comforts Jax, then returns to the ship, grim and determined.

As the crew springs into motion, Kai steadies Paedyn at the bow and tries to soothe her fear. Captain Torri greets them, reverent toward Kai but curt with Paedyn, and proudly introduces the Reckoning. He admits he has not sailed the Shallows in nearly a decade due to the former decree but boasts of experience and surviving sea creatures, showing a scar as proof.

Torri presents his first mate, Leon, who will attend to their needs and guide them. Leon leads a brisk tour: their small cabins beneath the quarter deck, the cargo access, and the berth (gun) deck crowded with hammocks and cannons, along with officers’ quarters, the infirmary, and storage below for supplies, spare sails, rigging, a crate of roses, and the galley. Back on the main deck, he points out the head and notes added privacy for women and meal arrangements to their cabins.

With the sails filled by Gusts, ropes steadied by Teles, and Hydros calming waves, the Reckoning leaves the dock. Paedyn clutches the rail, thinking of Adena and the risks, while Kai stays close, trading wry remarks and a quiet confession that he missed her even when she was near. The chapter closes with Paedyn voicing her fear of not surviving the crossing and Kai promising to swim for them both.