The ruins still smoldered.
Selene stood atop what remained of the eastern wall, surveying the battlefield below. The bodies of the fallen—both friend and foe—lay scattered across the broken stone. The scent of blood and smoke clung to the air.
Victory had been theirs. But it had come at a cost.
Marisol approached, her long silver hair loose in the morning breeze. "The wounded are being tended to. We lost twenty-four." A pause. "More will not last the night."
Selene's chest tightened. Twenty-four lives lost—because of her decision to fight. Because she had chosen to stand as queen.
She couldn't afford to break now.
"They won't stop," she said, more to herself than Marisol. "They'll regroup. Return with double the numbers."
Marisol nodded. "That is why we must do the same."
The survivors had fought well, but they were not an army. If Selene wanted to stand a chance against the Order's next assault, she needed reinforcements.
She turned to Orion and Cassius. "We need allies. Who would stand with us?"
Orion's expression darkened. "Few would dare defy the Order openly."
Cassius smirked. "Few, yes. But not none."
Selene glanced at him. "You have someone in mind."
"Oh, several someones." Cassius leaned against the stone. "Mercenaries, outlaws, exiled nobles—people who hold grudges bigger than this kingdom." His smile faded slightly. "But convincing them won't be easy."
Selene squared her shoulders. "Then we'll make them listen."
They traveled under the cover of night, leaving the ruins behind. Their destination—The Silent Court.
A hidden stronghold where outlaws and exiled rulers gathered, beyond the reach of the Order. If Selene could convince its leaders to stand with her, she might have a chance at turning the tide of this war.
Orion rode beside her, his voice low. "They will not welcome us."
Selene glanced at him. "Then we'll make them see why they should."
Ahead, the jagged peaks of the mountain came into view—and beyond them, the flickering lights of the Silent Court.
The gamble had begun.
The Silent Court was not a court at all. It was a maze of stone halls carved into the mountainside, a fortress of shadows and whispered alliances. The people here were not bound by loyalty but by debt, vengeance, and survival.
Cassius led the way, weaving through the narrow passages with the ease of someone who had walked them before.
"You've been here?" Selene asked.
Cassius grinned. "You think I survived this long by being law-abiding?"
Selene wasn't sure if he was joking.
The deeper they went, the more watchful the eyes became. People in tattered cloaks, mercenaries with scars like battle maps, nobles with sharp gazes and sharper daggers. Each one had a story, and none of them were simple.
Finally, they reached the throne room—if it could be called that. A long stone hall, lit by torches, where the rulers of the Court sat in judgment.
At their center was a woman dressed in deep red, her golden eyes gleaming like a predator's.
Cassius gave a low bow. "Selene, meet Lady Veyna."
Veyna tilted her head, studying Selene. "The lost queen." Her voice was smooth, dangerous. "How unfortunate you found your way here."
Selene held her gaze. "Unfortunate for the Order."
Murmurs rippled through the hall.
Veyna leaned forward. "And why should the Silent Court risk itself for a fallen kingdom?"
Selene stepped closer. "Because the Order doesn't just want me dead. They want all of us gone. They don't leave enemies alive."
A pause. A flicker of interest in Veyna's gaze.
Cassius smirked. "She's not wrong."
Veyna exhaled, then smiled. A slow, sharp thing.
"You intrigue me, Selene." She tapped a finger against the armrest of her chair. "But intrigue is not enough to earn our swords."
Selene's heart pounded. She had expected resistance. But she had not come here to beg.
She came here to command.
"Then name your price," Selene said. "And I'll pay it."
Veyna's smile widened. "Be careful, lost queen."
Her golden eyes gleamed.
"You might not like the cost."