Princess Lainey of Narethia lands in the Outlands amid a frightened welcome—locals shout that barbarians have come and brides panic. Ashton's mother reveals herself, explains Ashton is out on patrol and has come to fetch Lainey; they travel in a crude cart to a tidy but rough tent. Inside, Lainey meets her new sisters-in-law, Everly and Karina, who give a sword and a homemade embroidered cloth while teasing her Midrealm delicacy. The scene shifts from alarm to uneasy hospitality, until a voice announces, 'His Lordship has arrived!'—Lainey's first meeting with her husband remains unresolved.