Lessa is taking lessons from R'gul and S'lel and is getting frustrated. Two Turns have passed since Lessa Impressed Ramoth. R'gul insists that queens do not fly, while S'lel ammends this to state that they do fly to mate. R'gul and S'lel begin arguing. Lessa is frustrated at the dullness of her lessons and the frequent arguments between the two. She was made to memorize teaching ballads, though their meaning was not explained to her, and to copy them out letter-perfect 10 times. Lessa tries, unsuccessfully, to make sense of the ballads.