Three nights later, Arlen knocks on Peyna’s door. They are both older now and live in a small farmhouse outside of the castle. Peyna has been forced to watch what he spent his life defending turn to ruin with shocking quickness and ease. Peyna is especially haunted because he played a part in it. He judged Peter too quickly, and then he watched the Kingdom turn bloody.

Arlen tells Peyna the king’s butler is there to see him. The news gives Peyna a sense of hope. As he waits, his hands begin to tremble.

First, Peyna asks Dennis if anything happened to Thomas. Dennis says yes, but not in the way Peyna imagines. Dennis is shaking from the cold. Arlen fetches him blankets and the last tea left in the house.

When the tea arrives, Dennis drinks it quickly even though it is too hot. He is freezing because he walked all the way from the castle to the farmhouse. His mother is pretending he is still in bed in the castle recovering from the grippe. Dennis is afraid to go back to the castle because he is afraid