At a private meeting, a pregnant woman convinces His Highness to publicly humiliate Alexia at the mother's birthday banquet in three days so she can be named principal wife. During the exchange she admits, "It was me," claiming responsibility for crippling Prince Yoric in the war six years ago and arguing his injury removed any chance of an heir. Later Alexia is confronted by the prince's mother over four years of childlessness and learns His Highness's incapacity is known. Realizing past humiliations were staged, Alexia vows to play along as the banquet looms and will decide her fate.