Paedyn sat by the fire in shock, blood-dried and grieving, when Calum arrived, and she embraced him. Calum confirmed he had helped Kitt uncover the truth about Ilya, and Paedyn thanked him aloud, while privately reflecting on the man who raised her not being her true father. Kitt and Calum entered the study; Kai lingered at the door, then joined, sharing a quiet, tender moment of support with Paedyn before she refocused on the bombing.

Paedyn demanded answers. Kai reported six man-made bombs, reminiscent of the first Trial ball and the Resistance’s methods. Calum suggested the bombing was a message rather than a targeted assassination, and Kitt noted the kingdom’s fragility if borders stayed closed and Ordinaries remained banished. Kai estimated nine dead and dozens injured.

Easel, the court spokesman, entered to convey public sentiment: the people were in unrest and did not want an Ordinary who killed the king of an Elite society as their queen. Calum underlined the wider impact by saying Paedyn had also killed a part of Kitt that day and contributed to Queen Iris’s grief. Paedyn apologized to Kitt and acknowledged the queen’s suffering.

The group discussed how many Elites, particularly Defensive and Offensive types, had grown hostile not only to Ordinaries but to the entire slums, with Mundanes increasingly viewed as the new underclass. Paedyn referenced her father’s writings predicting this shift; Kitt agreed that Mundanes’ growing numbers were seen as weakness, paralleling past disdain for Ordinaries.

Kai theorized the perpetrators were Elites who believed they were helping Ilya and mimicked Resistance bombs to avoid traceability, since Ignites would be easier to identify. Paedyn noted handmade bombs left no clear suspects. The room fell quiet as they recognized the difficulty of finding culprits.

When Kitt asked how to gain public acceptance of Paedyn as queen, Easel said Paedyn must prove her strength to the entire kingdom. After a tense pause, he delivered the court’s demand: Paedyn should be sent back into her own Trials to demonstrate she is worthy to rule.