Feyre spends the evening walking through Velaris with Rhysand, Mor, Cassian, Azriel, and Amren. As they cross the bridges and pass shops, theaters, and cafés, Feyre is struck by the city’s normalcy and joy, and by how deeply its rulers are woven into ordinary life instead of being feared. At a small riverside restaurant, the owner warmly welcomes the group, mentions fears that Hybern’s reemergence could raise spice prices, and serves a rich meal that makes Feyre feel awake again after months of numbness. The same meal also reveals Amren’s unsettling tastes when the owner brings her a goblet of fresh blood.

After dinner, Mor wants to go dancing at Rita’s, and Azriel and Cassian agree to join her. Amren leaves to take more blood home, while Feyre and Rhys decide to walk back instead. Along the river, Feyre admires the Rainbow, and Rhys quietly reveals that it was his sister’s favorite view, adding another layer of loss to his past.

During the walk, Feyre questions Rhys about his life and his court. Rhys explains that he never married because being tied to him would place a mate and any children in constant danger. He then tells Feyre the hidden history of Velaris: an ancient High Lord transformed part of the Night Court from the old Court of Nightmares into a secret city for dreamers, protected by powerful spells and concealed even from the other courts. Rhys explains that the Night Court’s cruel public face is partly maintained to protect Velaris from enemies and invasion.

Feyre also asks about Azriel, especially after seeing his brutality toward the Attor. Rhys admits Azriel is difficult to read and says Mor is the only one who can sometimes draw real feeling from him, while he refuses to interfere in the tensions among Mor, Azriel, and Cassian. Soon after, Feyre hears musicians playing the same kind of symphony that once reached her cell Under the Mountain. She realizes Rhys sent that music when she was close to breaking, and Rhys confirms that he did it because he could find no other way to save her. Feyre thanks him for what he did then and now, and Rhys flies her home, leaving Feyre newly open to the joy of flying.

Later, while reading in bed, Feyre receives a series of magically delivered notes from Rhys. Their exchange turns teasing and openly flirtatious, with both of them provoking the other about their earlier snow fight and about Under the Mountain. As Feyre banters back, she recognizes that Rhys’s teasing has long served a deeper purpose: keeping her angry, engaged, and mentally intact when despair threatened to swallow her. That night, Feyre still dreams of the Attor, but for the first time in a long while, she sleeps through the entire night without waking.