Arriving at a rural Outlands homestead, Lainey, newly married to Ashton, is greeted by boisterous family and villagers who admire the local men and insist the marriage treats men and women as equals. A family member warns it's no Narethian luxury, but Lainey insists they're family and vows to face hardships together. Hosts promise to protect her and threaten Ashton if he harms her. Servants fetch water and a royal Night Banquet tapestry is casually used as a table cover. Lainey commits to stay, yet the household's casualness leaves the marriage's future unresolved.