The lion priest brings raw meat to the queen, insisting she must eat and bed four men to complete a 49-day ritual essential for ending the drought. The queen resists, troubled by the brutal tradition and unable to swallow the raw meat. The priest warns that refusal will doom the ritual and recalls a heretic werewolf from 300 years ago who was executed for defying similar customs. Facing pressure to comply, the queen is confronted with the harsh consequences of defiance, leaving her next move uncertain.