Liliana is amusing herself by having Morgan try on dresses, when they are interrupted by a knock on the door. It turns out to be Gunther Kettenrad, come to fetch Morgan to deal with 'scouts' for an invasion.

Morgan and Lily are led to the Frog and Peach, where two large tiger khattas stand guard near a coach. Morgan goes to talk to them, and they seem surprised that there is so little activity in town (since everyone is probably hiding from them). The conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Kalila, a khatta girl around 8 years old, looking for her mother – who went into the Inn some time ago to try and get lodgings.

After befuddling the bodyguards a bit, Morgan leads Kalila inside the inn and meets her mother, Inaya Al Nadia. She's heard of the defeat of Valicross from the paperwork that Olivia filed in Justininople, and hopes to find some closure regarding the death of her sister at his hands.