After the punch, Mal informs Alina she’s lucky she wasn’t shot. Nikolai leads them away from the outraged First Army and gives them clean clothes. He notes that he is not their enemy: He disguised himself as Sturmhond as protection from being kidnapped and held for ransom. He feels he can do more for Ravka as a privateer than as a younger prince at court, but he worries that neither the king nor Crown Prince Vasily are good leaders.

Nikolai thinks Alina is the key to Ravka’s survival: He can unite the First and Second Armies if Alina, the beloved Sun Saint, becomes his queen. Nikolai insists this would only be a strategic marriage, but when he mentions heirs, Mal moves to hit him. Alina is frustrated that the two men are trying to settle her life as if she’s not there. She turns down Nikolai’s proposal but agrees to accompany him to Os Alta as commander of the Second Army. Nikolai agrees.

Before going to Os Alta, the crew makes several trips through the Fold to get supplies. Alina is wary, but her vision of the Darkling does not recur.

On the way to Os Alta, each town they come to, they make sure to arrive at dawn or dusk, so that Alina can show off her sun summoning.