Chapter 68

The narrator attends a Tithe ceremony where Kaan presides in his father's absence, displaying compassionate leadership. A charged moment passes between them across the hall, intensifying the narrator's internal conflict about their forbidden desires.

The narrator observes a Tithe ceremony in which Kaan sits on the bronze throne, accepting offerings from the kingdom's people. Kaan's fair and gracious manner reminds the narrator of their own parents' just rule, prompting reflection on their father's past dismissal of King Ostern. The narrator notes that their father would have respected Kaan's character, witnessing as Kaan gives a struggling family a generous sack of gold. While watching from the back of the hall, the narrator and Kaan lock eyes across the space, creating an intense moment that leaves the narrator overwhelmed by desire and physical heat. Embarrassed and flustered, the narrator moves behind a pole to escape notice and regain composure. The narrator reflects on having spent nearly two phases in shadow-like existence at the Stronghold, concluding they are finished living according to others' expectations and ready to pursue their own desires, regardless of their forbidden nature.