The story opens in Queen Danu's lush garden on the isle of Brasil. Queen Danu, a powerful and beautiful Tuatha Dea, is lounging on cushions beneath her favorite oak tree, surrounded by her nymph attendants. Her eldest daughter, Eriu, is practicing her magical abilities nearby, struggling to connect with the power of Akash through her spear, Drömnål. Danu mercilessly criticizes Eriu's efforts, comparing her unfavorably to her younger sisters, Titania and Morrigan, who have been taken away by their father, Dagda. The chapter introduces the tense relationship between mother and daughter, as well as the silent and fearful nymphs who serve Danu. We learn of Danu's bitterness towards her husband Dagda and her obsession with power and status among the Tuatha Dea. The chapter ends with Eriu failing once again to properly channel Akash's power, setting the stage for the conflict to come. The tense atmosphere in Danu's garden is interrupted by the arrival of Lugus, Danu's brother and a messenger of the Wyrd mothers. Lugus appears in the form of a great white raven, but Danu immediately attempts to humiliate him by binding him in his bird form and ordering her nymphs to pluck his feathers. Lugus manages to break free and confront Danu, leading to a heated argument about family dynamics and the nature of the Wyrd mothers' rule. Lugus reveals that he has come with a message: the Wyrd mothers are summoning all the Queens of the Archipelago to Inis Fáil in three days' time. Danu becomes enraged, believing this to be a plot against her. The confrontation escalates, with Lugus defending the Wyrd mothers and Dagda, while Danu accuses them of stealing her daughters and denying her rightful power. Eriu and the nymphs watch in fear as the two powerful siblings clash, their argument revealing deep-seated resentments and conflicting views on the nature of power and family among the Tuatha Dea.