The duke asks the princess what to do now that the king has been killed. He wants to know if she would declare the duke a rebel or not. The princess says that the duke has 20,000 soldiers stationed along the border with Spain. The duke says that those who challenge for the throne aren't necessarily the best people to rule the kingdom. He asks the master treasurer if he has something on his mind. The master treasurer says that he'd prefer him to speak plainly. He tells the princess that they've always supported the king. The king is just a figurehead. The nobles are waiting to see if the time comes for them to challenge the duke. They're not planning to do so yet. Silverfang is worried that the princess is going to announce the duke is a rebel. He's worried that she's going to make a big show of declaring him a rebel when he's not really a rebel at all. He also worries that the sun is about to come up.