The fae man is strikingly handsome and muscular, with scars suggesting he is a fighter. He jokes about her enjoying the view, and she sinks into the water, naked and trapped. She feels self-conscious about her body, remembering how her ex-boyfriend Lucas used to “[slap her] legs to see how they jiggled” (80). The fae introduces himself as Dayton and says he is there to bathe and inspect Keldarion’s new pet. His words anger Rosalina, but she decides that she needs allies. Rosalina asks him about Keldarion, whom Dayton describes Keldarion as “[t]he icy prick” with “[m]ore power than brains” (83). He tells Rosalina that the castle is governed by four high princes—one for each of the four seasons. Astrid arrives and addresses Dayton as “[m]y prince!” revealing his identity as the High Prince of Summer. Dayton exits the water, teasing Rosalina that she should try charming the Summer Prince, boasting that he is the most handsome and best in bed.

That evening, Rosalina returns to find her room furnished with gowns and flowers. After dinner, Astrid and Marigold tell her she is forbidden from leaving her room after dark. Feeling lonely, she looks at photos on her dying phone, including one of her parents in which her mother wears the moonstone rose locket her father now never removes. She recites one of her father’s comforting phrases—“Trust yourself to find the way […] When the path is lost, the journey begins” (89)—and decides to find the man from the dungeon, believing he could be an ally. When she finds her door locked, a briar in her room grows a thorn shaped like a lock pick. She plucks it and picks the lock, then sneaks to the dungeon tower. She finds the fae man asleep, picks his cell lock, removes his oversized metal collar, and wakes him as dusk fades. Horrified, he screams for her to run.

As night falls, the man transforms into a giant, monstrous wolf covered in branches and leaves. The beast lunges, and Rosalina accidentally locks herself inside the cell with it. It claws her calf before she escapes and flees down the stairs as the beast smashes through the iron door. She falls into the foyer, bleeding heavily, and the beast pins her, clawing at her arms. A larger white wolf with ice on its fur attacks the brown wolf, biting its neck and throwing it against a wall, then stands protectively over Rosalina and howls. Two more wolves appear: a black one with bones in its fur and a golden one with coral and seaweed. The golden wolf clamps its jaws on the brown beast’s neck, forcing it into submission. When Rosalina tries to escape and screams for Keldarion, the white wolf blocks her. She recognizes its icy blue eyes as Keldarion’s and realizes all four wolves are the high princes. In his wolf form, Keldarion gently picks her up in his jaws, carries her to her room, and seals her wounded leg with ice before leaving.

Keldarion and Ezryn argue about Rosalina while Farron sits miserably on a couch, not speaking. Dayton comforts Farron and sees red marks on his neck from where Keldarion bit him. Angered, Dayton confronts Keldarion for hurting Farron to protect Rosalina, but Farron blames himself. Dayton explains that Rosalina had asked about Farron in the hot springs because she wanted to rescue him, and he recalls his intense attraction to her. Ezryn insists Keldarion explain why Rosalina is truly being held, accusing Keldarion of being as unreasonable as someone named Caspian. Keldarion explodes with magic and slams Ezryn against a wall before releasing him. Keldarion relinquishes control over Rosalina to Ezryn but forbids any of the princes from touching her. Dayton reflects that this last rule will be the hardest to follow.

The morning after the attack, Rosalina wakes terrified; the ice Keldarion used to seal her leg wound has melted, leaving dried blood. A white rabbit enters, hops onto her bed, and transforms into a naked Astrid. Astrid explains she is a were-hare, and all castle residents are cursed to become beasts at night. Rosalina has a flashback to the way Lucas cruelly described how he enjoyed killing hares. Astrid reveals they have been trapped for 25 years, and what happens to the princes is worse than what happens to the staff. Marigold arrives with breakfast, confirming the staff witnessed the attack in animal form. Ezryn enters the room.

Astrid and Marigold leave Rosalina alone with Ezryn. Rosalina feels both inexplicably drawn to and terrified of him. Ezryn sits, grabs her leg, and examines her wound. He roughly flips her onto her stomach and tells her to stay still, then removes his gloves, chews a handful of green leaves into a paste, and applies the poultice to her wound. The wound heals instantly, leaving only a bright red scar. He heals the scratches on her arms the same way, explaining that his ability is the blessing of Spring, a great magic inherited by the realm’s high ruler. Rosalina self-consciously pulls her left arm away. When she asks if humans before her and her father have entered the Vale, Ezryn says it is possible but rare, emphasizing the Vale’s dangers. He reminds her she is a prisoner and warns her not to escape again. He commands her to eat with the high princes, emphasizing that it is not a request and ordering Astrid to make her presentable.

After leaving Rosalina, Ezryn feels his heart pounding and realizes she has made him feel alive. He returns to his dark chambers and finds Marigold has left him fresh bread and coffee, a rare treat. He reflects that Rosalina has brought dangerous hope to the castle. Ezryn removes his helm and forces himself to look at his unkempt face in the mirror. He uses a dagger to trim his hair and beard to look more dignified, reflecting that, according to the custom of his realm, he has not removed it in front of others since age five and will not do so until he meets his fated mate. He eats a sweet roll and resolves to stay in Castletree to protect Rosalina.

Rosalina allows Astrid to dress her in a formal gown to dine with the princes. In the dining hall, Farron, Dayton, and Ezryn are already seated. Keldarion arrives last, looking disheveled and bloodstained. With a defiant expression, Rosalina takes the seat opposite Keldarion. During lunch service, she observes Dayton charming the staff. Her stomach in knots, she tells Keldarion she’s not hungry. He threatens that she will not eat at all if she refuses to dine with them. He sets a plate of her favorite pastries before her and stares intensely, a growl rumbling in his chest. Angered, Rosalina throws an apple at his back, which he catches without looking. Ezryn formally begins the meeting.

Farron apologizes for attacking Rosalina, but Keldarion retorts that she should have followed the rules. Rosalina throws a roll at him, which he catches. Keldarion lays out his rules: She must stay in her room at night, dine with them every evening, and she can go outside only with an escort. He forbids her from entering the dungeon or the High Tower. Rosalina agrees to follow the rules if they explain their curse. Farron explains that 25 years ago, an Enchantress cursed the castle residents for denying her entry. All of them transform into beasts every night except on the full moon. The curse can be broken if they find their fated mates. Rosalina proposes a bargain: she will help them find their mates and break the curse in exchange for her freedom. Keldarion agrees but warns her that the curse will never be broken. They shake hands, and a magical force creates identical bracelets of frosted ice with frozen rose petals on their wrists. Rosalina notices Keldarion already wears another bracelet—a sign of a previous bargain.

As Marigold fixes her hair, Rosalina feels hopeful with a path to freedom. She reflects that the previous dinner was awkward, but the food was incredible. Marigold mentions humans and fae traveled between worlds more before the curse. Rosalina requests a long-sleeved dress, explaining she is more comfortable with her arms covered. Farron knocks, dressed handsomely yet acting shy. He asks if she was serious about helping break the curse. When she confirms, he becomes excited and tells her he has dedicated 25 years to researching ways to find their mates. He leads her to a pair of large double doors leading to the room where he spends most of his time.

Farron pushes open the doors to reveal a magnificent library filled with autumn-colored trees, far larger than the bookstore where Rosalina works. Purple thornbushes snake through the stacks. Farron shows her a fae romance book, explaining that the mate bond is a rare, sacred calling of one soul to another felt in the chest. He places his hand on her chest as he describes it. Farron explains that the Fae Queen, who disappeared 500 years ago, once ruled all four realms from Castletree. The cursed purple thorns that ensnare the castle are from Caspian, the Prince of Thorns from the Realm Below, who exploits the princes’ weakened magic to drain Castletree’s power. He explains that early on, the princes struggled to master their beasts, making normal life and mate-searching difficult. Their realms are overseen by vassals and family. Rosalina promises to help break the curse.