Princess Aella and her husband, a northern lord, arrive at the Red Keep seeking shelter but are insulted and offered scraps at the gate. Her sister, Selina, and her husband, Victor, present a magnificent emerald as tribute, receiving lavish praise. Inside, the tension escalates when Aella asks about her mother and is told she's now a sin-slave in the dungeons. Aella defends her husband's status as a lawful treaty partner, challenging the humiliation. Victor's prized gift, however, is revealed to be a common, cracked stone from the northern hills, undermining his grand display and exposing the southern court's ignorance.