More than a week has passed since the memorial service, with no new word about the missing royals. Celie has gone back to working on her castle atlas. She creeps into the throne room to hide under the throne because this is one of her favorite spots to work. Suddenly, she hears the door open, and the Vhervhish prince enters with his ambassador. They’re having an argument in their own language which Celie doesn’t understand. She writes down a few words that are repeated over and over, intending to consult the Vhervhish phrasebook that the castle left for her in the tower room.

After they leave, Celie scurries upstairs to look up the words. They mean castle, heir, and assassination. She concludes that the Vhervhish want to kill Rolf. As Celie races downstairs to alert her siblings to the plot, she collides with Prince Lulath and his lapdogs. He tells her how grateful he is that the castle has expanded and improved his quarters since he arrived. Pondering this odd behavior by the castle, Celie continues on her way to seek out Lilah. She tells her sister about Lulath’s improved chambers and the plan to murder Rolf.