Chapter 203

Taravangian confronts Jasnah and Fen with evidence of Jasnah's past willingness to assassinate political threats, then systematically dismantles her moral philosophy through skilled argumentation. Using his foresight, he exploits the gap between Jasnah's stated principles and her actual priorities, ultimately convincing Fen to accept his offer of alliance.

Taravangian presents Jasnah with a contract she supposedly burned—an order to assassinate Aesudan—and challenges her on her hypocrisy in condemning his methods while employing similar ones. Through a series of philosophical traps, he forces Jasnah to admit she investigates assassination options for all monarchs she encounters, including Fen. When Fen expresses doubt about whether she could assassinate a friend, Taravangian plays on her insecurity, positioning himself as offering Jasnah as a moral model. Jasnah attempts to redirect the conversation by questioning what policies he would implement, but this inadvertently begins negotiation. Taravangian then shifts tactics, challenging Jasnah's claim to seek the greater good by pointing out the cosmere's vast scope—how could she possibly know what serves all of it? Jasnah catches this trap and refuses to engage further. Taravangian pivots again, using Lightweaving to show a recorded conversation where Jasnah herself suggested renegotiating with Odium and letting him leave. He frames this as evidence that Jasnah prioritizes her own kingdom above all else. Exhausted and cornered, Jasnah realizes she cannot deny this without lying. Fen, emotionally intelligent, recognizes that Jasnah would indeed take such a deal to protect Alethkar, making Jasnah's objections hollow. Jasnah is forced to confront that her moral philosophy is fundamentally compromised by her actual love for family and kingdom. With Jasnah broken, Fen agrees to Taravangian's terms, bringing Thaylenah into alliance with Odium without military force.