Balthazar arrives at the peace conference in miserable condition, ashamed of his filthy clothes and exhaustion while Countess Jovanka and Count Radosav stage an extravagant display of wealth and rank at a circle of standing stones. As he enters the ancient site, Balthazar feels its concentrated magical power and realizes it could help him perform the ritual he hopes will lead him to Princess Alexia. He also spots Jakob of Thorn and Baron Rikard among Radosav's followers, confirming that old allies and enemies have converged on the same negotiation.

The talks begin with great ceremony, and Balthazar and Jakob separately discover the same surprising fact: Jovanka and Radosav are husband and wife. While church officials haggle over maps, borders, and legal details, the two nobles trade cold formalities and simmering hostility. The process drags on for hours, showing that both sides would rather fight over terms than make generous concessions.

As the negotiations stall, the mood around the stones loosens. Soldiers relax, drink, and mingle, and Baptiste speaks privately with Jakob. They conclude that because Balthazar's binding still torments him, Princess Alexia must still be alive. Baptiste explains that Balthazar intends to use the standing stones' power to track Alexia, though neither of them has much confidence in him beyond the fact that they have no better option.

The fragile peace collapses when a minor dispute over a riverside pasture turns personal. Jovanka wants the land because it holds emotional significance, and Radosav's reply briefly reveals shared memories and old feeling. That tenderness instantly curdles into accusation when Jovanka throws his destruction back in his face, and the argument escalates into mutual threats. Their retainers begin reaching for weapons, and Jakob senses the moment when negotiation is about to become battle again.

Instead of giving the signal for war, Jovanka and Radosav suddenly seize each other and kiss passionately. The armies stand down as it becomes clear that the feud was driven as much by their violent marriage as by politics or religion. The priests move off to settle the remaining terms, and the onlookers reflect on the absurd human cost of the conflict. Balthazar is left with a clearer path toward using the stones, while the chapter exposes the war as a ruinous extension of a lovers' quarrel.