Auren is secretly escorted through Ranhold Castle’s icy corridors and servant passages to avoid public notice. After two months apart, she is anxious yet excited to reunite with King Midas. She realizes she is being kept a secret, remembering Midas once used a gold-painted decoy for protection.

When she enters his private study and sees him, her emotions overwhelm her. She rushes toward him, but he stops her from embracing him, holding her at arm’s length and reminding her not to touch him. When he asks if she is all right, grief over Sail’s murder and her guilt flood out. She tries to describe how the pirates killed Sail but is overcome by emotion. Midas comforts her and vows vengeance against the Red Raids.

Auren explains that Fourth Kingdom’s army treated her well, much better than the pirates. Midas says he must meet with King Ravinger but has a gift for her first. He leads her through his private rooms into a dark, windowless dressing room and lights two sconces. In the center of the room stands a wrought-iron cage.

Midas tells Auren he had the cage built for her as a temporary measure. Inside, Auren sees a woman painted gold and wearing her dress—a decoy used to maintain the illusion of her presence. The sight of herself so easily replicated hurts Auren, making her feel like nothing more than a symbol to be displayed.

Auren tells Midas she no longer needs the cage, explaining that her experiences away from him have made her stronger and changed her perspective. She wants their relationship to be different going forward. Midas is confused and dismissive of her feelings, arguing that her ordeal proves how much she needs protection. He orders her into the cage, saying they will talk after his meeting.

Auren refuses, stating clearly she does not want things to be as they were in Highbell. Frustrated by her defiance, Midas tells her she has never behaved this way before. Auren acknowledges the truth of his statement but stands firm. In this moment, she fully realizes she can no longer tolerate being caged, recognizing she has outgrown her old life.

Auren refuses to enter the cage and proposes staying in Midas’s rooms during his meeting. Midas angrily asserts his authority, accusing her of betrayal and demanding she prove her loyalty by obeying. When she pleads with him to listen, he invokes a traumatic event from Carnith Village to undermine her confidence. Auren declares she will no longer submit to his manipulation. When Midas says she is his, Auren retorts that she belongs only to herself.

Midas physically forces Auren toward the cage. He tosses the key and orders the decoy woman to unlock the door, then shoves Auren inside. Her ribbons burst from her back and hold the door open. She pushes the decoy aside, her bare palm burning upon contact—her glove has come off. The ribbons tear the door from its hinges and hurl it at Midas, knocking him down.

Gold streams from Auren’s exposed hand, gilding the entire cage. The decoy is now a solid gold statue, frozen mid-scream. Midas uses the accidental death to justify the cage, saying it protects others from Auren. As he condescendingly pats her head, Auren realizes he loves her power, not her. When she warns him not to leave, Midas coldly replies he needs only her power, not her forgiveness.

Midas walks through the castle, reflecting on Auren’s changed behavior and his plans to gild Ranhold to solidify power over Fifth and Sixth Kingdoms. In the throne room, he waits impatiently for King Slade Ravinger, who arrives late.

Several Fourth Kingdom guards enter. King Ravinger follows, wearing leathers with dark vein-like markings under his skin and a thorny crown. He walks onto the dais to stand over Midas, then directs the meeting be held elsewhere. In the meeting room, Ravinger takes the head of the table, with the thorn-covered commander among his guards.

Midas confronts him about rotting corpses sent to his border. Ravinger dismisses this and says he has evidence implicating Midas in Fifth’s attack on Fourth. His army is ready for battle. To avoid certain defeat, Midas offers gold reparations. Ravinger rejects gold, instead demanding Deadwell, a seemingly worthless strip of land at the border. He demands Midas sign over Deadwell, or he’ll face attack at nightfall.

Ravinger adds that his army must be invited to stay in Ranhold to rest. He reveals knowledge of Third Kingdom’s upcoming visit, shocking Midas. Cornered, Midas agrees to all terms.

Locked in the room with the decoy’s gold statue, Auren rages and resolves to fight for herself. She attacks the door with fists and ribbons but accidentally gilds it, making it impenetrable. Unable to manipulate the lock from the other side with her ribbons, she searches desperately for another way out. As night falls, her gold-touch fades.

Suddenly, she hears a commotion outside, then silence. The doorknob disintegrates. King Ravinger enters, his rot magic making her nauseous. He admits killing her guards. Finding her standing within the doorless, gilded cage, he calls her a caged Goldfinch—Rip’s nickname.

Believing Rip mocked her to his king, Auren throws her feather coat at Ravinger. He catches it and discovers its hidden gold lining, realizing the truth about her abilities. He reveals peace has been negotiated and Fourth’s army is staying in Ranhold for a celebration. Desperate for an ally, Auren asks if Commander Rip is staying.

Ravinger unleashes power that doubles her over. Before her eyes, he transforms into the fae commander. The dark markings recede as spikes emerge from his arms and spine, scales appear on his cheeks, and his ears sharpen to points. Auren realizes King Ravinger and Commander Rip are the same person. He grins and tells her to call him Slade.

The second part of the allegorical poem describes a miser whose prized golden vine grows so large it overtakes his entire house. To accommodate the expanding plant, he discards all his furniture and belongings. To keep the vine thriving and golden, the miser feeds it pieces of himself: first his nails, then his ears and nose, and eventually his blood. The vine consumes his life force like nectar, yet he craves more. Finally, he plucks out his own eyes for the plant. The vine continues growing beyond his house and over the surrounding hill, while the miser lies consumed by his obsession, unable to see or weep.