Since he is there, Chade puts him to work, and Fitz plays the part of a minor noble to explain his presence.

The Fool tells him how he returned to Clerres with Prillkop and that the Servants, the pale people who tend to While Prophets, are the ones who tortured him.

Eliannia helps them marry, and recognizes Nettle and Riddle's unborn child and thinks it will be a girl.

She wants to claim the child for her Motherhouse, and does so publicly on the last day of Winterfest, recognizing Nettle as Fitz's daughter.

So she is not known as the son of a traitor, Kettricken has Starling finally sing the song she had made of Fitz, the journey into the mountains, and the stone dragons.

Realizing some sort of skill spell has been placed on them, Chade and Fitz revive the staff's memory with elfbark tea.

Thinking the attack may have something to do with the servants who tortured the Fool, they plan to return to Buckkeep via the pillars to get information from him.

He faints just as he enters, and Fitz has a hard time keeping Chade’s essence together (one of the risks of the pillars).

Chade never fully recovers, and is forbidden from using the skill for fear he would completely lose himself in it.

While they had been gone, Ash gave the Fool dragon blood which puts him on the path to healing and turns his eyes gold.

Shun tells Bee to make sure they don't realize she is a girl, since they think she is a boy.

Riddle, Lant and Per catch up with Fitz, wanting to join him in finding Bee and Shun immediately.

By subduing and threatening the two men, Fitz learns Ellik agreed to follow the Servants and help them find the Unexpected Son for gold and in hope of regaining his status as heir to the Chalcedean throne.

After spending a few months recovering and regaining some of his old skills, Fitz sets off on his journey to Clerres to seek vengeance.

In the last chapter, Bee and her captors emerge from the stone pillar in spring, having been lost inside for months.