Lee was raised by a werewolf named Amarock. That foster father was the friend of Rufaselmi of the Rah Clan, a shapeshifter with powerful magic. The young boy Eddie Lee considered "Rufa" to be his best friend and often discussed matters that perplexed him about human society with the mysterious sorcerer. It was Rufa who gave Eddie his sword and circlet. Rufa knows that humans will be attracted to Eddie because of his appearance, regardless of the fact that Eddie isn't human and wouldn't make a compatible lover for a human. Rufa gets him to swear that if any human tries to make Eddie do anything he doesn't like, he will defend himself with appropriate force.Lee blocks the door to the king's room with her sword, which maintains an invisible barrier preventing anyone else from entering the room. She attacks Woll, deadly serious. Just imagining what could have happened to her while she lay drugged and helpless, she is filled with anger. Their fight grows so fierce that Baluro and Shera run to gather soldiers and circle around to the room's window to get past the sword's barrier.
Woll knows he did the right thing, and he refuses to promise he'll never do it again unless Lee promises she won't go without eating or sleeping anymore. In her weakened state, she can't overpower him and is forced to give in. When he hears what she did to Shera, he tells her that if she feels the need to bite someone, she should stick to him alone. By the time Baluro and the soldiers make it to the window, Lee is sitting on the king's lap and teaching him how to lick the blood from her face. They eat a huge supper, Lee amazed at the revelation that he heard her telepathically at the arena (and profoundly flattered at the image of herself with golden fur), then they collapse into bed together...strictly as friends.
Later, Rosamond comes to visit the king. She explains that the Policia Plain was the property of her uncle. His son, Jordan Berringer, was supposed to inherit the land, but he ran away from home at age seventeen and never returned. After the uncle died, Rosamond's family took temporary custody of the land until Jordan might come back to claim it. Rosamond has never seen her cousin, but she has often looked at a portrait of her uncle. It struck her when she met Jil that he strongly resembled the portrait, and she suspects that he's really Jordan. Woll doesn't know what to do about the matter if Jil himself doesn't want to claim the property.
The Tau Free People are celebrating their recent victory. Even had managed to get them to ride out in force by promising a village leader that he'd marry her daughter--not realizing she meant it seriously. In his effort to wriggle out of the deal, he lets the information he learned about his father slip. Jil hadn't known that Even was the son of his good friend, since that friendship had been before Even was born. Another Tau leader had kept the identity of Even's father secret so that no one could accuse Jil of using that history to give special treatment.
Back at the castle, Lee sniffs out another secret--Rosamond is pregnant. She intends to keep the news from reaching Baluro until after the baby is born. She's afraid that if she has a son while Woll remains childless, there will be pressure to make her child the next king. Her concern makes Lee even more determined to find a woman for Woll who can love him and have his children.
Woll summons Even to discuss a new problem that has cropped up. They've detected signs that Tanga is negotiating an alliance with Skenia, a harsh country far to the north. It turns out that Even's father Georg had been a mercenary soldier from Skenia. They decide to see if Jil, who knew Georg back then, has any more information about Skenia to give them.
Earl Farott has misgivings about his king's plans to ally with Tanga to strike Delfinia, believing that they'll be used and thrown away. Out of curiosity, however, he accepts a request from King Orlon to assassinate Lee, sending his best assassin Letitia to handle the job. Vantser heads for Delfinia as soon as he finds out, not wanting to allow Letty to kill "his" Shera.
Lee makes one more attempt to get Paula for Woll, only to discover that the young woman is already planning a wedding to a man arranged for her by her father. Yet less than a week later, the man breaks the engagement in favor of a richer girl. Rather than pay the fee for backing out of the agreement, he claims that she's not a virgin because she let a man (Woll) stay at her estate. With her reputation sullied, and with no father or money to support her, she has no chance of ever marrying.
Woll reveals his identity and offers to take her as his concubine. Afraid that her status is too low for the honor, and not wanting to come between such a close "couple" as the king and queen, she refuses. Lee gets it into her head that Paula is turning down the offer out of a desire to be Woll's legal wife and have a chance to wear her mother's wedding dress. The queen promptly goes to the temple where her marriage certificate is stored and demands a divorce.