Lady Tremaine and her daughters prepare for the ball that evening. While readying herself, Lady Tremaine studies her body in the mirror and muses on her life, circumstances, and age. That afternoon, she goes into town and trades the apple picture for her cameo. Back at home, she delights in her daughters’ lavish appearances. However, she forbids Elin from attending when she sees her unfinished, tattered, and mis-sewn gown. She knows this may be cruel but is desperate to maintain the family’s reputation. The Enrights arrive, and Lady Tremaine and her daughters join their carriage to the castle.

At the ball, Lady Tremaine studies the lavish ballroom and all the well-dressed guests. She greets Queen Sigrid, remembering Agatha’s teachings. Later, she is delighted when the prince recognizes the girls and invites Rosamund to dance. Otto even invites Lady Tremaine onto the dance floor. She enjoys herself until Otto declares that he’s only “dancing with [her] as a guest” and not “in an official capacity” (184). She leaves the floor and steps into a recessed window for some air. She ends up behind a curtain and overhears Otto and Sigrid discussing prospective brides for Prince Simeon. She is incensed when Otto insists that neither of her daughters are options. Suddenly, a beautiful woman enters the ballroom, grabbing everyone’s attention, including Otto and Sigrid. Lady Tremaine is horrified when she recognizes the woman as Elin dressed in an altered version of her first wedding dress.

Studying her stepdaughter in her dress, Lady Tremaine is flooded with grief while remembering her wedding to Henry. Queen Sigrid and Otto race forward to see Elin, while Lavinia confronts Lady Tremaine, recognizing Elin as her stepdaughter. Meanwhile, the Prince Simeon dances with Elin. They don’t leave each other’s sides for the rest of the night.

Back at home the next morning, Lady Tremaine greets Lucy and takes her out for the first time in days. Then, Moussa returns home, delivering Elin. Lady Tremaine confronts him about helping Elin—having gone so far as to paint the carriage with apples and escort her to the ball. Moussa apologizes, promising to be on his way.

Not long later, Prince Simeon and Otto arrive at the house. Rosamund is devastated to learn that the prince is there for Elin. Upstairs, Lady Tremaine wakes Elin and confronts her about taking and ruining her wedding dress and attending the ball against her instruction. Finally, Lady Tremaine returns to the front hall, where she promises Simeon and Otto that Elin is on her way down.

Outside afterward, Elin and Simeon walk ahead while Lady and Tremaine walk behind. They chat for a while until Otto realizes in horror that Elin and Simeon are out of sight. Panicked, he races ahead, insisting that they shouldn’t be alone together. When they come upon the young people, Elin and Simeon announce their engagement.

Back at home afterward, Mathilde and Rosamund interrogate Elin about her engagement. They’re furious with the arrangement and demand that Lady Tremaine intervene. Alice interrupts the argument, announcing that the queen wants an audience with Lady Tremaine.

On her way to the palace, Lady Tremaine encounters Queen Sigrid on the road. They share a conversation in the queen’s carriage. Lady Tremaine is shocked that Sigrid supports Prince Simeon and Elin’s engagement and wants to hold the wedding in three weeks. Sigrid reminds her that the marriage will improve her and her daughters’ circumstances, too.

Back at home, Lady Tremaine tells Alice about the engagement and her meeting with Sigrid. They agree that the rapidity of the wedding is odd, but Lady Tremaine is hopeful that the alliance will help them all. Alice warns her that all difficult journeys risk ruin.

Lady Tremaine reflects on all that has happened and all that is to come. She hadn’t anticipated Elin and Prince Simeon’s engagement but decides that it’s still advantageous and immediately starts planning to host the prince at Bramley Hall. She works with her staff and daughters to ready the home, desperate to disguise its disrepair. They move the furniture and barricade a room with a hole in the roof. Everyone agrees that the issue will go unnoticed since it isn’t visible from the front of the house.

Amid these preparations, Mathilde and Rosamund begin interrogating Elin about her relationship with the prince. Elin insists that she wants to marry him out of love, but the stepsisters remain skeptical. Later, the girls accuse Lady Tremaine of siding with Elin by supporting the marriage. Lady Tremaine excuses herself to her room, where she discovers that Elin has left the sleeves she cut off her wedding dress on her bed. While staring at the remnants, she thinks about her youthful past.

The next day, Lady Tremaine continues preparing the household for the prince’s impending visit. They disguise the dilapidated house and fill it with apples from the orchard. Lady Tremaine grows worried when Alice introduces her to a new girl she’s brought on to help with the work, Morwen. (Lady Tremaine tasked Alice with finding more help for the visit to better maintain appearances.) However, Morwen is a lady’s maid and insists that she can’t do any of the other household work that Alice has given her. Lady Tremaine talks to her alone, convincing her to play the part.

That evening, the Enrights stop by for a visit, having heard of Elin and Prince Simeon’s engagement. During the dinner, Lady Tremaine and Lavinia step out, intentionally leaving Mathilde and Finnian alone. Afterward, Mathilde is furious with her mother for trying to set her up with Finnian, whom she finds boring.

Throughout the preparations for the prince, Lady Tremaine has more encounters with Morwen. She gives her more instructions on how to help, promising that she might work at the royal palace someday. Morwen, however, seems resistant to this possibility.

The prince arrives at Bramley Hall, accompanied by footmen, men-at-arms, and Otto. Throughout the dinner, he shows interest in Elin but includes everyone else at the table, too. Lady Tremaine is pleased with how things are going until she notices Otto carefully studying the room and ceiling. When he dismisses himself from the table, she follows him and is horrified to discover that he’s found the room with the damaged ceiling, which is filled with other rubble from the crumbling house. Otto insists that the house is a danger and that they must leave. Terrified that he’ll sabotage the wedding, Lady Tremaine begs him not to tell anyone. Otto insists that he has a duty to fulfill, revealing that he has been following her to better understand her family’s identity, reputation, and circumstances. She again begs him not to reveal the truth before the wedding, but he insists that she’s asking “the wrong questions” (246).