Cordelia returned from her recuperation to find that her husband, Aldric, had placed significant trust in his female adjutant, Isolde. When Cordelia tried to dismiss Isolde, she was falsely accused by her, leading Aldric to instead promote Isolde again. Later, Cordelia discovered that her father's heirlooms had been destroyed, and she witnessed her beloved horse—who had grown up with her—being force-fed poison on Aldric's orders after it refused to let Isolde ride it. Heartbroken and disillusioned, Cordelia decided to convene a meeting to reclaim everything from her husband.
