Too Good to be True

The next event of the Sentinel's Festival begins. While many amazing moves and strategies are displayed, ultimately there are only three winners: Garrett, Thalia, and Astarius.

After the tournament, Cailynn sends some tea to help Bjorn recover and wish him well before visiting Marik in the rookery. She checks in on him after the events of the past few days, but Marik seems unwilling to delve too deeply, seemingly focused on the curse that has been placed upon him. Cailynn also tries to get him to warm up the idea that everyone has secrets, another idea that Marik simply cannot accept. She departs, hoping that he will understand one day.

Via goes to visit Xanthe, speaking to her and requesting to find a way to speak to Thalia, as she wishes to learn more about the Republic she hails from. Xanthe agrees to find a way to interview each contestant with the others around, but also acknowledges that Thalia should come to the family dinner tonight with the other emissaries of the Arcadian Republic, giving them another chance to speak.

The dinner is served and there is much discussion around the Republic, mainly reports that everything there seems absolutely perfect, but perhaps a little too perfect. During the dinner, Thalia also shoots many glances over to Talon, though her reasons for being so curious about the king remain unknown. Via speaks with her uncle later that night in private and learns more about her mother, mainly about how she set out in order to find a purpose for herself. She returned home after having her first vision, believing that her abilities were needed to help her homeland.

The next morning, the heirs discuss how to deal with Davian, while some believe they should just kill him while other suggest following the route of investigating Thrinn and seeing what they can uncover. Edwinn agrees to go public with his marriage and Freya, though only if he can receive Astrid's approval.

Edwinn finds Astrid and the two speak. Astrid admits to being hurt, but comes to an agreement with Edwinn that they can make the marriage public during the tournament. She admits that she has never been ashamed of their love, and agrees to stand with him through this ordeal.

The next day, the heirs meet with Talon and Davian once again, learing information about some of the contestants. The most telling thing though was Bjorn supposedly traveled with several other companions while escorting Cailynn to the capital, though she has no memory of this.

After Davian's departure, Talon opens up that Thalia might have some sort of a grudge against him. He thought that he had a good relationship with her master, but her behavior makes her think that maybe her master was someone that he wronged in some way. Talon seems to be in deep thought, proclaiming his love for each of his children, ensuring them that he would never change anything about them. After the heirs depart, he speaks to himself, hoping deep in his heart that his children know how much he loves them.

Meanwhile, something begins to stir back at the capital....