The coronation banquet hall is cold, vast, and severe. Iseren waits at the royal tasting station beside the king's place setting.

Head Steward Galen formalizes Iseren's role and the tasting law before the first course.

The cost of Iseren's obedience is established as procedure, not kindness.

The first course arrives and the mechanics of tasting begin.

Iseren completes the first taste under everyone’s eyes.

The court relaxes into performance, disappointed that nothing happened.

The second course is visually elaborate and safe, but the audience turns Iseren's tasting into spectacle.

Iseren hears what the nobles think she is and remembers why she cannot fail.

Iseren's collateral is made clear through memory and contract language, without leaving the hall for long.

The boar terrine enters the hall as the true danger of the chapter.

Iseren takes the bite that will decide the king's life.

The poison's aftertaste blooms and Iseren understands the dish is not clean.

Iseren prevents herself from swallowing and prepares the signal while the king moves toward the poisoned food.

Iseren gives the four-finger signal before the king touches the poisoned dish.

Iseren spits the poisoned bite cleanly into the silver bowl before it can enter her body.

The king is physically stopped from touching the course while the court tries not to react.

Galen removes the poisoned dish without naming the crime.

The court preserves its public face because admitting poison would stain the coronation.

Caelan tries to understand what just happened to the servant beside him.

Caelan breaks the habit of not looking at servants and sees Iseren as the person who just saved him.

The banquet continues because the court values appearance over safety.

The poisoned dish is carried away as evidence no one is willing to name.

Iseren counts her own pulse while Caelan's untouched fork betrays the shock he cannot show.