The Hollow did not bow.
That was the first thing Aelira noticed.
They watched.
From doorways and upper ledges, from training rings and shadowed corridors carved into the stone, eyes followed her—not hostile, not reverent.
Assessing.
This was not a court.
This was a refuge built by people who had learned the cost of trusting too quickly.
Aelira respected that.
The council chamber lay deep within the Hollow—a wide cavern reinforced with timber and iron, maps lining the walls, lanterns burning low and steady.
Kael stood beside her as they entered.
The others were already there.
Men and women of different ages and scars. Fighters. Strategists. Messengers. A few who wore no weapons at all.
Rook leaned casually against a pillar.
Lyra stood with arms crossed.
At the center sat an older woman with silver-threaded hair and eyes sharp enough to cut stone.
"Commander Draven," she said. "You bring more than trouble this time."
Kael inclined his head. "Elda."
Her gaze slid to Aelira. "And you bring the crown's favorite nightmare."
Aelira met her stare calmly. "I bring choice."
A murmur rippled through the room.
Elda leaned back. "Bold words. What do you want from us, Princess?"
Aelira didn't hesitate.
"I want nothing," she said. "I offer something."
Silence followed.
She stepped forward, placing her hands flat on the table where maps and markers lay scattered.
"The crown has named me an enemy," Aelira continued. "That makes me a liability to anyone who shelters me."
Several heads nodded.
"I won't ask you to bleed for my title," she said. "Or my revenge."
Kael's gaze sharpened.
"I ask you to bleed only for yourselves," Aelira finished. "For the people the crown forgets. For roads that are taxed but never protected. For laws that punish dissent and reward obedience."
Elda studied her. "And what do you offer in return?"
Aelira lifted her head.
"Visibility," she said. "Strategy. And a face the crown cannot ignore."
Murmurs grew louder.
"She's bait," someone muttered.
"Yes," Aelira agreed. "But bait that bites back."
Rook grinned.
Elda rose slowly. "Words are easy."
"Yes," Aelira said. "So judge me by action."
She gestured toward the map.
"The queen is fortifying the southern crossings," Aelira continued. "But she's pulled patrols from the western grain routes to do it."
Lyra straightened. "That would starve three border towns."
"It will," Aelira said. "Unless someone intercepts the levy wagons."
Elda's eyes narrowed. "How do you know this?"
Aelira met her gaze. "Because the crown underestimates silence."
Kael watched the room shift.
Interest replacing skepticism.
Elda tapped the table once. "And if we follow you?"
Aelira didn't smile.
"Then you don't follow me," she said. "You walk beside me."
The room went still.
After a long moment, Elda nodded.
"Very well," she said. "We will test you."
Aelira inclined her head. "Good."
"Not with words," Elda added. "With consequence."
"I expect nothing less," Aelira replied.
Elda turned to the room. "Prepare a vote."
The Hollow stirred.
Not everyone raised a hand at once.
But one by one—they did.
Lyra first.
Then Jax.
Then Rook, grinning like he'd been waiting for this all his life.
More followed.
Until the count tipped.
Elda exhaled slowly.
"The Hollow recognizes you," she said. "Not as queen."
Aelira waited.
"But as a leader," Elda finished. "Until you prove otherwise."
Aelira bowed—not deeply, not humbly.
Respectfully.
"I will," she said.
Later, alone on the upper ledge overlooking the base, Aelira leaned against the stone railing.
Kael joined her quietly.
"They chose you," he said.
"They chose the risk," Aelira replied.
He studied her profile. "How do you feel?"
She considered the question.
"Terrified," she said honestly. "And ready."
Kael smiled faintly. "That's how you know it matters."
She glanced at him. "You brought me here."
"Yes."
"And if this ends badly?"
Kael met her gaze without flinching. "Then it ends honestly."
She reached for his hand—not clinging, not hesitant.
Steady.
Below them, the Hollow moved with new purpose.
Plans forming.
Routes shifting.
Hope—dangerous, fragile, real.
Far away, a queen sat on a throne that suddenly felt less stable.
Because the Hollow had listened.
And it had chosen.