The events covered in this book span a mere eleven days which is the shortest narrative timeline covered in any of the Wheel of Time series. The action is thus consolidated and quite constricted into a just a few highlights while the rest of the text engages more internal-based analyses and discourse. The plotline is focused essentially upon three distinct threads of narrative.
In the aftermath of the attack of Dumai’s Wells, Rand has returned to Cairhein in the Westlands to discover that Lady Colavere of the House Saighan has taken it upon herself to take on the crown as queen. Rand confronts her and is told that Elayne is dead and that her intention was merely to safekeep the throne until Rand had returned. His response is to send her into exile to the farmland. Rather than accept such an indignity, she takes on the noose as a necklace. Rand also makes a much more surprising decision to banish Perrin, but this is merely a cover for his real plan to send Perrin and Berelain on a mission to rein in Masema, the self-proclaimed Prophet of the Dragon who is getting a little out of control.
Egwene is meanwhile marching to the north with the Aes Sedai rebel when she uses her empath skills to realize that Moghedien, one of the Forsaken, has escaped. She makes her way inform Siuan and Leane about this and then uses her powers to invade the dream of Elayne and Nynaeve to warn them as well. She follows Siuan to the hidden camp where Lan has been hidden away by Myrelle, rescues him from captivity, and send him to where Nynaeve is waiting in Ebou Dar. Later, Lan and Nynaeve will be married by the Mistress of the Ships before returning to Tarasin Palace to join in the search for the Bowl of the Winds.
Rand makes a trip to meet with the Seal Folk before joining with Min. Disguising themselves, the two meet with several of the rebels before stumbling across Padan Fain who is also going incognito and calling himself Jeraal Mordeth. Upon being recognized, he takes off into the fog to disappear among the crowd before taking advantage of the opportunity to attack Rand with a dagger and run off again to the sounds of his own maniacal laughter. He is immediately transported by Cadsuane to the Asha’man where he undergoes the rituals of Healing
Meanwhile, Mat has uncovered the secret of the Hand of the Light Inquisitor Jaichim Carridan: he is a Darkfriend. He immediately informs Nynaeve and Elayne While Mat is busy dancing a dangerous tango between staying out of danger from Carridin’s Darkfriend friends and the romantic pursuit of Queen Tylin, Elayne and Nynaeve continue their search for the Bowl amid confrontations with the Kin, Black Ajah, and a ghoulam who suddenly becomes bad news after the good news of having ascended a very important building with six stories. Mat suddenly appears to save Elayne’s life by using a foxhead medallion to drive off the ghoulam. And just like that the Bowl of the Winds comes into the possession of the heroes. Everything seems to be going their way when Mat takes leave to go in search of the missing Olver only to be buried beneath a collapsing wall in the wake of a Seanchan attack.
Rand finally wakes from his Healing rituals, tricks Cadsuane into leaving, launches an attack against Sammael in Illian and is crowned king.
