A cover story is crafted for Vera’s injuries: Arthur and Vera were attacked by a Saxon spy whom Arthur killed. Gawain explains that the truth cannot be revealed because the council of mages, particularly a power-hungry member named Ratamun, is suspicious of the queen. Vera resolves to act like a proper, demure queen.

When Lancelot takes Vera to the armory, they are drawn to a crowd at the pit. Arthur is playing a game, protecting a small girl named Flora on his team. He lets Flora win and then pulls Vera into the next game. Her plan to remain formal evaporates as Arthur grows playful. Arthur and Vera soon move dinners and events into the town square, strengthening their bond with the people, as per Gawain’s advice to fortify connections in the kingdom.

Arthur begins teaching Vera to joust in a private clearing. Over the following weeks, they train regularly while collaborating on governance. When the Northern Lords (such as Guinevere’s father) threaten to secede, Arthur seeks Vera’s input. Vera responds that her opinion doesn’t matter since she’s just a “vessel” for Guinevere’s memories. Arthur corrects her immediately, telling her that she—Vera herself—matters to him. Reassured, Vera tells Arthur that the key to uniting the kingdom is to build a structure where power is shared by the lords and the general public. They finish reading The Hobbit together. Vera asks Arthur to sleep beside her rather than in a chair. Over time, they begin holding each other at night under the pretense of sleep.

Over the next two months, Gawain trains the magically gifted townspeople, explaining that most gifts are more complex than their recipients realize. He works with Grady, teaching him to control wood’s moisture content, and collaborates with Father John, a priest whose gift involves precise sun-position awareness, to create magical clocks throughout Camelot.

Vera and Arthur devise a plan to distribute power by creating town stewards who oversee elected local councils. Vera continues training with the king’s guard and watches Arthur defeat Lancelot in sparring.

As the spring tournament approaches, Arthur suggests that Vera is ready for a jousting opponent and proposes Percival. Lancelot overhears and angrily forbids the match. After he turns away, Percival quietly agrees to the secret bout.

On the morning of the joust, Lancelot extracts a confession from Vera. He remains angry that she’s participating but accompanies her to the pit. Lancelot threatens to execute Percival if Vera is harmed, though Vera teasingly reminds Lancelot that she outranks him.

The joust proceeds successfully. Both riders stay horsed, though Vera almost falls off once when Percival’s lance hits her in the chest. When the bout is over, Percival jumps off his horse and congratulates Vera on her performance. She is shocked to see that she managed to hurt the young knight, as minor cuts appear across his form. Suddenly, Vera feels a brief burning sensation across her skin. She has been experiencing the sensation often since the memory work with Merlin stopped.

Lancelot asks Gawain to examine Vera for injuries. When Gawain heals her wounds, Vera hears words of power that she immediately forgets. Gawain explains that these are mage words related to life force, passed down through generations. They invoke the Source—what some call God or a creator—the origin of all magic and the ongoing work of creation.

As Gawain discusses protection and Arthur’s trust in her capability, Vera realizes with sudden clarity that she loves Arthur.

Vera overhears Arthur and Merlin, who is back in Camelot, arguing about her memories. Merlin insists that the procedure will work, but Arthur refuses without a guarantee of safety, warning that he could release Merlin back to the council of mages.

Vera asks Gawain to attempt a gentler approach. Gawain gives Vera a potion and then places his hands on her temples. They discover a massive barrier encompassing most of Guinevere’s memories—ironclad at the front but more porous deeper in her past. When Gawain tries to access the deeper memories, it causes Vera excruciating pain. Gawain explains that forcing through would cause permanent brain damage or death and proposes repeated gentle sessions with healing potions to gradually chip away at the barrier.

During the setup for the spring festival, a marble statue nearly falls but is saved by Gawain’s magic. Percival recognizes the technique from the battlefield and realizes that Gawain saved his life. Arthur knights Gawain on the spot—the first mage knight. Merlin watches with visible fear as legendary figures align with the stories from Vera’s time, making him believe that the story about Arthur’s early death may also come true.

The council knights arrive for the spring festival: Elaine, Tristan, Edwin, Lionel, and Marian. Arthur tells Vera that she and Tristan were once intended to marry before she chose Arthur. After the welcome feast, the group undertakes a playful mission to stock the big room with food and drink.

In the kitchen, Margaret, the head chef, gives Vera an empty leather jug, mentioning that Merlin has been providing a health tonic for Vera and Arthur since after Yule. Vera is dismayed that Merlin continues to manipulate her. Lancelot convinces her to enjoy the evening. Gawain confirms that the tonic contains magic to influence feelings, but Vera decides to wait until after the tournament to tell Arthur.

Tristan presents gifts including playing cards. Vera teaches the group poker. Percival jokingly suggests that they need a round table to prevent cheating. Arthur sits across from Vera rather than beside her, with Marian whispering advice to him. After leaving early, Vera confides in Lancelot about her growing fear that events are aligning with her legends. Arthur returns to their chamber, and Vera lays a hand on his chest. He covers it with his own, wishing her good night.

At the jousting tournament, Vera watches nervously as riders are injured. Arthur holds her hand and gives her wine. Percival dominates and wins. During the lunch break, Lancelot enlists Vera to organize a rock-paper-scissors tournament for commoners—the Tournament of the People. Merlin objects to introducing a game from the future but participates, winning several rounds before losing to an elderly woman. Percival gives his jousting prize to Vera, who awards it to the commoner champion.

Arthur crosses to Vera and kisses her passionately in front of everyone. When they break apart, Vera admits that she doesn’t know how she’ll leave. Arthur says that he doesn’t want her to go. As they embrace, an emergency siren horn blares through Camelot. Panic erupts. Arthur holds Vera for one more second before releasing her.

Arthur assembles the crowd using Edwin’s voice-amplifying gift. A messenger from Crayford reports that a lone Saxon mage-king destroyed the entire city, killing every gifted person and draining the life from the land. In the throne room, Merlin urges Arthur to retrieve Vera’s memories, but Gawain argues that they should seek help from the council of mages first. Arthur decides to travel secretly to the Magesary with Merlin, Gawain, Lancelot, Vera, Tristan, and two soldiers. Percival stays as king-regent.

While alone with Tristan, Vera experiences a genuine memory—a battlefield aftermath. Triggered by his presence, she accesses the more porous, deeper parts of the barrier. Memories of her childhood with Tristan flood in: their first kiss, their betrothal, and her choice to marry Arthur for the kingdom’s sake.

The group rides through the night and stops at a nunnery. In a secret chapel meeting without Merlin, Gawain reveals that he survived the Dorchester massacre where his family died and believes that the same mage attacked Crayford. He urges Arthur to stay in the mages’ council room despite pressure to leave, hinting at a secret about how mages gain additional powers. When Vera asks the attacker’s name, Gawain answers: Mordred.