- Another couple weeks pass, and Ani tends to her geese. One day, the wind tells her five men on horses are coming toward her—Ani knows something's not right, especially when she hears the geese say danger.
- The men arrive and try to steal the geese, but Ani tells him these are the King's geese, so they're gonna need to go ahead and leave them alone.
- One of the men forces Ani onto the ground with a pole—unable to move, Ani summons the wind to help her.
- How? She starts moving the wind all around them, picking up dirt as it goes, pushing it into their eyes and all around.
- The men aren't sure what's happening, but they run away, and victory is Ani's. Phew.
- When Conrad and another boy show up, ready to help, the men are already gone. They can't believe Ani stood up to thieves by herself—and won.
- Ani can't believe Conrad actually went to get help, so she thanks him. Everyone's buzzing about the fight, and word even gets to the king of Ani's heroic efforts.
- Tatto from the palace comes to get her to bring her back to the king for a reward, but Ani doesn't feel much like going, and she tells Conrad he should go instead.
- Conrad's surprised, but he goes to the palace (even though he didn't really have anything to do with the rescue). Ani stays back because she doesn't want to risk being seen, plus in two months she'll be able to leave Bayern and head back home.
- That night, Enna comes to Ani's room and tells her to come quickly to hear what Tatto is telling everyone.
- It turns out there's going to be a war with Kildenree—the princess (Selia) told the king that she's really just a decoy, and her home nation is all set to attack Bayern as soon as possible.
- Suddenly Ani gets it. This is how Selia is going to keep her secret—by killing off everyone who knows she's not really a princess. And if Bayern strikes Kildenree first, Selia's position as princess will be safe.
- Before, Ani was happy to go back to Kildenree alone and let Selia be princess in Bayern, but now the lives of her family in Kildenree depend on her revealing her former bestie as an imposter.
- Back in her room, Ani cuddles up to Jok, who still keeps her company.
- Outside, footsteps break the silence. She knows it's Ungolad after her—she can feel his body creeping up—so she tells Jok to attack.
- She runs out of her room, and then all the way out of Bayern, into the forest. Ungolad's dagger hits Ani's back, but she keeps on running and running until she collapses.