Auren sneaks around Ranhold’s grounds, confirming Lu’s assessment of the poor security. Her mind drifts to Rip, his Wrath, and the secrets they keep, and she admits to herself that Rip hurt her heart more than her pride.

At the stables, she spots King Ravinger watching a horse. He senses her presence. Auren then notices a second figure beside him wearing Rip’s full armor and spikes—a body double. Ravinger subtly warns her away just as guards approach. She flees up a decrepit staircase and through a door into an unused antechamber.

Using one of her ribbons to pick a lock, Auren enters the royal library. Deciding it’s the perfect place to hide things, she takes out three stolen items—an apple, a guard’s pipe, and a servant’s rag—and turns them all to solid gold with her bare hand. She hides the pipe and rag on a high, dusty shelf and pockets the apple. While exploring, she discovers a small, forbidden book titled Fae on a chained shelf and slips it inside her coat.

Hearing footsteps, Auren flees deeper into the library but stumbles upon an old scribe working at a table. He angrily confronts her, stating she has no permission to be in the royal library because she is neither noble nor royal. He insults her and orders her to return to the saddle wing, threatening to call the guards. Auren quickly exits.

After hours of sneaking through the castle, Auren locates the saddle wing. She bluffs her way past two guards by acting offended that they would bar Midas’s favorite saddle from her own wing. Inside, she finds a decadent common room where saddles lounge in hanging chairs and on plush cushions. She feels a pang of jealousy for their community.

Auren approaches a group that includes Polly, who sneers at her dress, and a male saddle named Rosh. When Auren asks for Rissa, Polly reacts with jealousy. Polly mentions dew, a drug that relaxes users and heightens sexual desire. Midas gave her a private stash for pleasing him the previous night. Auren feels only disgust, not jealousy. Rosh points out King Fulke’s former saddles slumped in a corner, heavily drugged and nearly catatonic. Midas has continued supplying them with dew.

Rissa appears and leads Auren to an empty bedroom for privacy. Rissa confirms she doesn’t use dew. Auren proposes that instead of buying her freedom, which Midas would never allow, they will escape together. She will use the library to find castle blueprints and map an escape route, while Rissa will arrange transportation. Rissa demands regular gold payments to ensure Auren’s commitment. Auren gives Rissa the golden apple as the first payment. They shake hands.

Leaving the saddle wing, Auren encounters Scofield in the corridor. She manipulates him into escorting her back quietly by pointing out that Midas would blame him for her absence. When they reach her room, they find Midas waiting inside.

Midas confronts Auren about leaving her room. They argue, with Midas insisting he locked her in for her protection and Auren refusing to be caged. She says she will gild whatever he wants, but not if he locks her away again.

Midas reveals new leverage. He produces a grimy, golden guard’s pin from Highbell and tells Auren that her former guard, Digby, is alive and in his custody. He claims Digby was punished for failing to protect her from capture. Devastated, Auren demands to see Digby, but Midas refuses, saying she can only visit him when her behavior improves. As a compromise, he allows her to wander the castle with guards after dusk but insists she stay in her room during the day.

After Midas leaves, Auren collapses in tears. Though she doesn’t know if he’s lying, she cannot risk Digby’s life. She vows to find her guard and take him with her when she and Rissa escape. Auren takes out the forbidden book titled Fae and studies its wordless illustrations of Annwyn—her forgotten homeland. The final page shows a fae male wearing an onyx crown embracing an Orean woman, with the fae word Pāyur painted below them. She falls asleep dreaming of the couple.

Midas walks through Ranhold’s dungeons. He climbs to the level above and enters a steam-filled room where workers cultivate dew plants. He meets with the castle’s mender, who oversees the operation. Midas confirms all saddles have been given contraceptive tonics and asks about a pregnant saddle, demanding regular reports on her condition.

Leaving the lower levels, a guard hands Midas a missive bearing Queen Malina’s seal. Reading it, Midas becomes furious—Malina is refusing his plans. He immediately heads to an outdoor training ring and enters the attached armory. After dismissing the soldiers, he orders a man to fetch Hood.

Hood arrives, a man with vitiligo who always wears a cloak and hood. Midas knows from Fulke’s records that Hood possesses shadow magic that allows him to disappear in plain sight. When Midas asks Hood to demonstrate, the man morphs into a wraithlike form of translucent smoke and shadow. Impressed, Midas orders Hood to assassinate Queen Malina. Hood accepts the assignment and departs silently.

For four days, Auren has been gilding Ranhold Castle for Midas, draining her power to the point of near collapse. Exhausted, she tells Midas she cannot do any more. He notes the throne room’s chandeliers are not yet gilded and says they will finish tomorrow, just before Third Kingdom’s arrival. He feigns an apology for overworking her, offers her a day of rest, and promises she can visit Digby if she continues behaving well until the celebratory ball.

Midas begins escorting the exhausted Auren back to her rooms. In the grand entrance, they encounter Prince Niven, King Fulke’s young son, dressed in mourning black. The arrogant boy examines Auren with curiosity and boasts about his future magical power. He dismisses Midas’s attempt to escort Auren personally and orders Midas’s guards to do it instead. Annoyed, Midas leaves with the prince.

Auren is too exhausted to climb the stairs and nearly collapses against the railing. Rip appears. He berates Midas’s guards for their incompetence and dismisses them. Alone with Rip, Auren feels an undeniable connection despite her exhaustion.

Rip asks if Auren is all right. She starts laughing hysterically. When she tries to walk, her legs give out. Rip catches her, his spikes retracting instantly. Auren warns him against touching her, but he dismisses her concern and flirts with her. In her depleted state, she accidentally confirms that her power only works during the day. Rip assures her his intention is never to use her.

As they near her floor, Auren asks him to put her down before Midas’s guards see them. Rip angrily states he doesn’t care if Midas knows. He stops on a landing and sets her on the railing, stepping between her legs to face her directly. With one hand gripping the base of her head, he expresses his feelings but asserts they weren’t one-sided. He demands to know if she still chooses Midas.

Auren is overwhelmed, unable to answer. Terrified of being hurt again, she whispers that she can’t give him an answer. Rip pulls away, cold and disappointed. Auren is hurt.

Rip picks Auren up again, but his hold is now impersonal. Auren clarifies that she doesn’t choose Midas anymore—she’s choosing herself. Rip falters but doesn’t respond. He carries her into her room and places her in a chair.

Auren assumes he’s left, but Rip returns after rekindling her fire and brings a tray of food. She impulsively grabs his arm and asks him to stay and eat with her. He is amused and agrees to stay. After eating, it begins to snow.

They acknowledge they’re both angry with each other. Rip remarks that they may be the last two fae in the world and that fate brought them together. When she asks why he keeps her secrets, he replies it’s because it suits him to do so. The answer reminds her he’s a king with his own motives. He insists she can trust him and asks her to let him prove it.

Rip stands and morphs from his spiked form into his King Ravinger form with pale skin and green eyes. In his king’s form, he tells her he’s glad she’s choosing herself because he’s choosing her too. He kisses her passionately. Her ribbons unwind and wrap around him. He morphs back into Rip and says good night. She calls him by his real name, Slade, for the first time, pleasing him as he leaves. Alone, Auren hopes he will prove himself trustworthy.