Dalinar announces to his sons that he intends to step down as the Kholinar Highprince in favor of Adolin. The young men are unhappy but Dalinar is resolved.

After their conversation, a highstorm arrives and Dalinar has another vision about the Knights Radiant. When the vision ends, Adolin and Dalinar argue again about the best course of action. Dalinar cannot accept that his visions are delusions and so feels compelled to act in what he deems to be the most honorable way. Renarin suggests they try to prove whether the visions are true or not by doing some historical research. For that, they need to record the visions, but the only woman they trust to do so is Navani.

After the dowager queen is updated on the situation and records all that Dalinar remembers of his visions, she manages arrange to be alone with Dalinar, which is considered unseemly by Alethi society. However, Navani is determined to seduce him. In a last desperate outburst, Dalinar confides that following the Alethi War Codes and behaving honorably is the only thing left to him. If he were to succumb to his desires, he would become a hypocrite. Navani seems to understand how important this is to him and leaves.