The silence along the fortress wall lasted only seconds.
It felt like forever.
Fifteen thousand soldiers.
Lord Varyn's banners stretched across the horizon like a black tide swallowing the kingdom whole.
The reality settled heavily over everyone gathered atop the battlements.
The Hollow could not defeat that army.
The Queen's forces could not defeat that army.
Not alone.
King Aldric stared toward the approaching soldiers.
His face had become stone.
Years of imprisonment seemed to vanish as the former king stepped fully into the role he had been born for.
"Sound the council."
His voice carried across the wall.
No one argued.
No one hesitated.
Because everyone understood.
The kingdom had reached a crossroads.
An hour later, the largest council chamber in the Hollow overflowe
