In the recap, we’re reminded that Julia (Stella Maeve) is pregnant. She meets Dana, a woman also raped by Reynard years ago. Dana says that she wasn’t the only one raped but was the only one who became pregnant. Kady (Jade Tailor) and Julia attempt an exorcism on the baby. The Beast (Charles Mesure) explains to Julia that the tiny beating heart inside her is called a Shade and is what makes her feel. Kady tells Q (Jason Ralph) that there’s been a complication with the baby and the Shade is gone. Julia feels light like a weight is off her chest. She plans on finding the perfect spell and using Dana’s son to power it. Troops are gathering in Fillory leaving Eliot (Hale Appleman) and Margo’s forces outnumbered, also the dwindling wellspring is affecting preparations. Niffin Alice (Olivia Taylor Dudley) is trying to escape Q. Alice tells Q it will kill them both if he continues trying to keep the Niffin inside. Now, the new episode…

Q is in a cage as Professor Lipson examines him to try to remove the Niffin. Fogg (Rick Worthy), Kady, Penny and the Werewolf Joseph discuss potential cures for sexually transmitted lycanthropy. Lipson tells Q he is dying and can’t keep the Niffin inside much longer. Fogg and Lipson want Q to box Alice but he says he can’t do that to Alice. Penny finds the Button in Q’s bag, wishes Q luck and transports himself and Kady to Fillory.

Margo (Summer Bishil) and Eliot are holding court. Margo says they may be the least trusted monarchs in the history of Fillory. The wellspring browns out for the third time in the week. The soldiers are leaving them in protest after Julia’s tree genocide. The slightly less inflammatory name of Arbocide is suggested. The sloth suggests an option of one-on-one combat between monarchs. Eliot asks if he can use magic – he can – but as it’s not dependable Tick thinks Eliot is likely to die. No monarch has volunteered before so he would no doubt become a very popular leader.

Kady and Penny visit Julia in the Fillory dungeon. They tell her they’ve found Reynard’s son. Julia tells them she’s in for killing talking trees. Kady asks in disbelief if they have talking trees. Julia says not anymore. They transport themselves back to earth.

Joseph the werewolf marks his territory by urinating in his cell. Q talks to Alice. and says he won’t box her.

Eliot practices his sword skills. Margo tries to convince him it’s a bad idea as there are so many variables and only two known magic spells. His rival has won fifteen duels which all resulted in death.

Kady, Julia and Penny watch the news about Senator John Gaines (Reynard’s son, played by Christopher Gorham). Julia says he’s the perfect demigod spokesperson of evil as everyone believes everything he says. Kady says he’s hot as shit but knows it’s caused by the magic.

Fen gives Eliot a sword forged by her grandfather for a high king. Eliot says it’s beautiful but it won’t help as it will take too long to learn a sword spell. Fen says the sword combines with a spell for a high king so he could learn it fast and become a master swordsman, which Eliot mutters is a double entendre but he’d have to explain. Eliot recites the spell and it appears to have worked.

In Washington, Kady, Penny and Julia burst into Gaines’ office. They try to convince him magic is real with various spells. They scare and confuse him before he decides it’s a scam. Julia tries to kill him to get his energy but Penny and Kady stop her. Kady says she needs something to hold the energy. Julia has a plan for that, which makes Penny realise she planned it all along. Gaines becomes angry which releases a powerful spell which knocks them all over before he collapses.

Margo talks to the sloth. She says they need the wellspring needs to work through the duel but the sloth says the only way is dangerous and involve fairies, which exist outside their realm. They can almost certainly fix the wellspring but they’re notoriously mercurial, and will make complex deals with high prices. Margo is unperturbed and wants to meet them.

Penny, Kady and Julia kidnap Gaines and lock him in a cupboard at Brakebills. Penny warns Julia to not kill Gaines and threatens her. Penny tells Kady that Julia isn’t really Julia (because of the shade), and even Julia knows it. The only one who doesn’t realise it is Kady.

Eliot practices sword fighting. Margo says he looks good but asks why Eliot is worried. He tells her that if he dies everyone else will end up in prison so he’s scared for all of them. Margo says she’s thinking about Eliot’s high school video of Les Mis as Valjean. Margo has been reading about battles and suggests singing before battle to calm his nerves. Margo uses magic to get Eliot singing “One Day More”. Fen joins them, then sings in harmony with Margo. More people join in. Margo says she had to skip some verses because even thought they’re great they don’t really apply to their situation. They march to battle. King Idri is confused that the battle may not be today, but Eliot says the song is a metaphor. Eliot casts his sword spell. They start to fight. Eliot holds his own before a blow cuts his arm. He fights back but the king runs away. Margo says he bitched out so the duel is over, but they are told it’s not over until one king dies. Eliot chases after him into the woods.

Julia visits Q and he tells her that he can see magic. Julia says he’s not Quentin as she recognises the words of a Niffin Alice who wants her to help with her escape. Q/Alice can see Julia’s shade is gone. Q’s body starts to bleed and he collapses.

Reynard uses magic to get into Gaines’ head. Gaines is panicking about who Reynard is and why he’s in his head. Eliot and Kady realise he’s got through the wards and think Julia is planning something.

Eliot finds King Idri. They continue to fight and Eliot battles well. Idri congratulates him on his skill. Margo uses magic to watch his progress and taunts the Loria contingent about how well Eliot is doing.

Fogg tells Penny that the wards should hold. Gaines has a patch on his neck to stop psychic interference.

The ambassador to the fairies arrives and Margo must return immediately to see him. Eliot and Idri fight. Eliot knocks the sword from his hand but the wellspring browns out. He tries to cast the spell again but it doesn’t work. The sword shakes in his hand. He kicks Idri’s sword back to him before running away himself. Margo returns to see the fairy ambassador.

At Brakebills an alarm sounds as Reynard breaches the wards. An emergency generator wards a lab, which the whole school is evacuated to.

Margo does not want to seal the deal with the fairies until they’ve met face to face but the ambassador says it’s not possible. They want a baby, which Margo suggests she could get pregnant. The ambassador says they want Fen’s baby. Margo refuses which offends the ambassador. This means there can be no amendments or negotiation to the proposed deal.

Gaines tells Kady that he doesn’t have powers but she tells him how fortunate in life he’s been so he must be. His says (adoptive) parents died, but Kady says they did leave him $20 million. He’s used his powers without knowing it for all his life which is why he’s so successful.

Idri finds Eliot hiding in a tree. He starts swinging his sword at the tree and says he can’t hide there forever. Margo tells Fen that Eliot will die unless she agrees to a deal, no matter what it is. Fen will do anything to help, not realising what she’s agreed to. The ambassador says Margo is skilful but Margo says she’s manipulative. The ambassador arranges for the wellspring to be fixed. Eliot and Idri talk about how if the wellspring is broken, both sides will be in serious trouble. Eliot says maybe dying will save him years of sexual frustration. Idri points out that Eliot has a wife, Eliot says “Exactly” and says he’s going to be a father if that changes Idri’s desire to kill him. Eliot calls Idri a DILF. Idri wonders if that is an insult but they start to realise there’s a mutual sexual attraction between them before Idri starts attacking the tree again.

In Brakebills, Julia is trying to convince Q to get Alice to kill Reynard. If she does that, she’s free. Alice tells Q to let her out and she’ll kill Reynard. Q says no, and looks at Julia. Penny tries to help and crosses the ward. Reynard paralyses them both. He tells Julia he found her by using the security cameras after the abduction of Gaines. Gaines arrives and tells Reynard to not hurt them. Gaines holds Reynard’s hand and the pair vanish.

The fairies fix the wellspring. By now, Eliot’s tree has many cuts. Eliot tries the spell again when he realises the magic is back and jumps from the tree.

Kady has Julia trapped in a clean room where no magic is possible. An angry Julia demands to be released. A tearful Kady tells Julia she’s been trying to understand her but by risking sacrificing Q to fight Reynard she’s gone too far. Kady says there may be a way back one day but until then Julia must stay in the clean room.

Eliot returns to Margo and Fen who think he won. Idri arrives, as the new future husband of Eliot. Eliot explains that he’s going to flay whoever didn’t tell him sooner but he’s just discovered that monarchs are allowed both a wife and a husband. Fen is hurt but tries to hide her feelings. Margo asks for an aside and questions if it’s a good idea. Eliot says they’ll have diplomatic leverage through pillow talk. He goes on to say that they’re sharing the wellspring 50:50, and asks Margo how she fixed it. Margo sees some fairies waiting, and nervously starts to tell them.

Q is outside apologising that he can’t do it anymore. He releases Alice and says he hopes she meant what she said and that she’ll go off to live peacefully and do beautiful magic. Alice nods at him before disappearing into the sky in a blaze of magic.