The Baroness, Milus, and others attend as the Archdeacon leads morning service in the chapel, assisted by Father Ruskin. The Reeve calls Milus away in the middle, which the Baroness notices.

Wilkin goes to see Toran, noting that Toran was missed at morning mass. Wilkin apologizes for the struggle that Toran is experiencing. Toran questions why Wilkin is making an effort to get close to the Baroness. Wilkin denies that he is doing so.

Several of the knights present a rebel prisoner to Milus and the townspeople. Milus announces to Wilkin that this man is the one who confessed to killing Lady Trula, Pryce's wife.

Milus and Lady Love discuss housing Edwin Pryce. Milus suggests that Pryce will only find comfort with a witty, intelligent, beautiful woman. They discuss the strained relations between Pryceshire and Ventrishire. He suggests that God has shined a light on an opportunity to unite.

Love speaks with the rebel prisoner who confessed to killing Lady Trula, testing him to see if he actually got the order to kill Trula from the Wolf by incorrectly describing the Wolf's looks. The prisoner confirms her incorrect description, proving to the Baroness that he did not actual get the order from the Wolf and that the prisoner is lying. Love tells Wilkin that she knows the man is lying and wonders why he might be doing so. Wilkin suggests he is doing so because he is frightened by the truth and its responsibility.

The Reeve, Denley, and Locke convince Toran to join them on a raid at a nearby rebel camp, while the other two knights (who are actually dead) are "away on the Chamberlain's orders," since they are short-handed. The Reeve tells him that the rebel threat is to be crushed above or below manor law. The other knight assures him that the spoils of the hunt will be split among them. Toran agrees to go.

Under the pretense of needing more weapons, Wilkin confronts Milus about the fact that an innocent man is being put to death. Milus explains that the man, Berwyn Cairn, agreed to take the fall in exchange for Baron Pryce writing off his debts and Milus giving his wife and sons position and shelter at Castle Ventris. Wilkin is appalled but Milus insists that it is a fair deal and that everything he has done since the Baron's death has been in the interest of the shire. He also calls Wilkin out on his love for the Baroness.

The Reeve and Toran interrupt, saying they need to speak with Wilkin.

The Archdeacon's man goes to have Ash and Calo released from their bonds on the Archdeacon's orders. As he is taking them into the castle, Ruskin spots him and follows.

The Baroness goes to the scribes (to Berber) and requests all the documents they have on a particular family name quickly. As soon as she leaves, the Archdeacon's man retrieves Berber and brings him to the Archdeacon as well.

Father Ruskin sees the man shepherding the other men into the chapel and demands to know what is going on and to be let in to the chapel. The Archdeacon's man threatens him with death and Ruskin backs off. Inside the chapel, the gathered men are roughly stripped to the waist one by one and their backs examined for markings. When none are found, each man is blessed with holy water.

Toran and Wilkin accompany the knights on the raid of the rebel camp. Wilkin insists that they are nomads, not rebels, and Toran backs him up. The Reeve demands that they search the shelters anyway and for them to find the men. One of the knights stabs a nomad woman with no warning and takes her bounty. He pulls a daffodil and dagger cloth out of his pocket and claims to the other men that it was actually on the woman's bounty that he took and that the woman came at him with a knife.

The nomad men return and attack them. There is bloodshed but most of the nomads are defeated. Wilkin and Toran allow one of the nomads to escape. The escaping man then kills Denley, who was among "the guilty" that killed Wilkin's and Toran's villagers/family. Wilkin fears that Milus will believe they killed Denley themselves, for revenge.

Back at the Castle, Wilkin tries to speak to Corbett but is rebuffed by the Reeve who tells him that Milus will be busy with hosting Baron Pryce. Toran and Wilkin refuse the goods plundered from the rebels. They make a plan to guard their loved ones until Wilkin can convince Milus that they didn't kill Denley.

The Baroness plays a stringed instrument, which was a gift from Baron Pryce, for a gathered group. The Baron heaps compliment on her. He also echoes Milus' earlier sentiment about a beam of sunlight melting away the strife between their shires. The Baroness passively turns down his suggestion of their union, emphasizing that they and their shires will be kept separate. Pryce exchanges annoyed glances with Milus. Privately, the Baroness makes a jab at Milus for clearly plotting with the Baron.

Wilkin keeps watch over his friends and family, nervous abut a potential attack on them. The twin maidens call him away, claiming that the Baroness urgently requested his presence. Though he is hesitant to leave, he does rush off to help her. Isabel tells him that the Baroness never requested his presence and that the twins serve Corbett, not the Baroness. Wilkin rushes back to his house, where he sees that Luca is not there. After a moment of panic, Luca reappears, having only left to get a drink. Wilkin embraces the boy, relieved.

When Calo gets up to urinate, he is attacked by black-robed Milus, who confesses to Calo an incident of his childhood when as a foundling Milus was physically and sexually abused by an older man in charge of the foundlings. Milus tells him that the man used to call Milus his little lamby and forces Calo to repeat that phrase before he violently bashes his head in. Wilkin spots the black-robed figure leaving, and rushes to Ash's side after Ash cries out, having discovered Calo's dead body.

Wilkin and Toran build the device on which Cairn will be drawn and quartered. Wilkin confronts Milus, telling him that they did not kill Denly, the knight, that the nomads did it. Milus tells him that he has no proof of that and was left with no choice but to take a life in retribution (Calo's).

Father Ruskin goes to speak with Berber about what happened in the chapel, commenting that none of the other men would tell him. Berber tells him that the men were afraid; they were stripped and searched for heretical markings on their backs. The men were threatened that if the men mentioned what had happened, the markings would appear on their backs. Berber asks whether Ruskin has seen the markings, which Ruskin denies. They discuss that the Archdeacon and his men are serving another who is not God, and Berber tells Ruskin he must warn Annora that they are searching for her. He tells Ruskin where to find Annora. The other scribe overhears their conversation.

The Baroness confronts Milus about the innocent man having been paid off to confess to the crime he didn't commit. He tries to convince her that marrying Pryce is the only way that the shire would remain in her hands. He accuses her of not being pregnant because everyone knew the Baron was barren. She slaps him. She asks if he had a hand in Trula's death, which he denies.

The scribe who overheard Ruskin and Berber's conversation reports it to the Archdeacon and his man. They wonder if he is telling a tale to save himself from servitude but agree to check it out on the way out of town.

Wilkin apologizes to Toran for having kept his past from Toran and the others. Toran reassures him. Luca comes up to Wilkin and asks to help, telling Wilkin he wants to be just like him. Wilkins becomes overwhelmed after hearing that and goes straight to the Baroness' chambers, where he confesses his true identity and story to her in private. He tells her that he stole the Punisher's identity to save himself and his friends, and that he is one of the men who killed her husband. He hands her his confession in order to save the innocent man, and asks her for some time to complete final tasks and devotion before she turns him in. He apologizes for having lied to her and tells her that his time with her is worth his upcoming punishment. They kiss as they both cry. He confesses that he also saw the vision of the male child and that he believes it was their child. He leaves her chambers.

Wilkin returns home. He compliments Jessamy, calling her a good mother and a good wife. They kiss and then presumably have sex.

Wilkin returns to the torture chamber where he rips Petra's cross from the Reeve's neck and attacks him. The Reeve overhears Toran call Wilkin by his true name as they begin to fight. The Baroness interrupts and calls them off, telling the Reeve and Sir Locke to take the prisoner to the square. Once they are alone, the Baroness tells him she won't allow him to sacrifice himself and she burns his note. He refuses to tell her who gave him the order to kill Lady Trula. She confesses her feelings to him. Wilkin pledges himself to her service.

Ruskin goes to warn Annora. She shows him her heretical markings and tells him that the Dark Mute was an honored and pious knight of the Teutonic order. She gives him a book in Latin (the Book of the Nazarene) explaining what the heretical markings are. Annora leaves him to his reading as she goes to embrace the Dark Mute, who is in full knight's garb. They both note that they are being watched by a man and that others are near.

Back at Castle Ventris, Wilkin completes the brutal execution of the innocent Berwyn Cairn.