Loth and Ead arrive at the coast of Inys aboard the Bird of Truth, passing Quarl Bay where Ead uses her siden to burn five ships of the Draconic Army's fledgling navy. They dock at Albatross Roost, a melancholy western settlement where sweet-bags of dried hawthorn hang from doorways—an ancient protective tradition Loth has never seen practiced in his lifetime. They obtain two horses and begin riding hard toward Ascalon, passing through devastated countryside scarred by wyrm attacks.

Along the way, Loth reflects on Igrain Crest's influence over Sabran during her childhood, recalling how Crest controlled Sabran's upbringing during her minority and remembering an incident where he saw Queen Rosarian furiously confronting Crest with a letter. At an inn beside the River Catkin, Ead learns from downstairs gossip that Sabran has not been seen publicly since her appearance with Lievelyn, and the people remain unaware of her miscarriage. Ead warns that Sabran is in mortal danger, as the traitors among the Dukes Spiritual could use the truth about her barrenness to strip her of legitimacy.

After days of hard riding through snowstorms and a brigand attack that Ead fights off, they reach Ascalon. At the Queenside gatehouse, they discover two severed heads mounted on pikes: one belonging to Truyde utt Zeedeur and the other to Bess Weald. Loth is horrified, and Ead deduces that Crest executed them to silence anyone who knew the identity of the Cupbearer. Loth notes that a death warrant can be signed by the Duchess of Justice if the sovereign is unable to sign—implying Sabran may be incapacitated or worse.

They take refuge at the Rose and Candle inn, where a friendly innkeeper allied with Ambassador Chassar uq-Ispad shelters them despite a citywide bounty of eighteen thousand crowns for Ead's capture on charges of sorcery, heresy, and high treason. Ead leaves to arrange their infiltration of the palace and returns with a plan: they will join a barge of waterfolk delivering wine to the Privy Stair for the Feast of High Winter.

Disguised as merchants, Loth and Ead accompany the waterfolk up the River Limber and reach the palace's Privy Stair. While the waterfolk pass inspection by knights-errant, Loth and Ead hide in an alcove. When a knight-errant discovers them, Ead kills him by slitting his throat and throws his body into the well, ensuring their entry into Ascalon Palace remains undetected.