Elena did not sleep much that night.
The room Rowan had given her was large enough, almost too large. A wide bed stood near the center, covered with thick blankets that smelled faintly of cedar and dust. A tall window overlooked the dark courtyard below, its glass fogged with the chill of the night.
But the quiet kept her awake.
It wasn't ordinary silence.
It was the kind that made every small sound feel too loud. The creak of wood. The faint whistle of wind slipping through the stone cracks. Somewhere far down the corridor, something heavy shifted once and then stopped.
Lydia slept in a smaller bed near the fireplace, though she tossed and turned most of the night.
At one point she murmured in her sleep, clutching the blanket as if she were falling.
Elena lay staring at the ceiling beams.
Rowan's words echoed in her mind.
*Not everything in this castle is loyal to me.*
She eventually drifted into a shallow sleep just before dawn.
---
Morning arrived slowly.
Grey light slipped through the tall window, washing the room in a dull glow.
Lydia sat up first, rubbing her eyes.
"I don't think I like this kingdom," she muttered.
Elena pushed herself upright.
"You said that yesterday."
"Yes," Lydia replied. "And I still mean it."
She swung her feet to the floor and looked around the room.
"No servants came to wake us."
"That might be a good thing," Elena said.
Lydia stood and opened the door carefully.
The hallway outside looked exactly the same as it had the night before.
Long.
Empty.
Cold.
"Well," Lydia said quietly, "at least we're still alive."
Elena wrapped a dark cloak around her shoulders and stepped into the corridor.
They walked for several minutes before hearing voices.
Low ones.
Murmuring.
Lydia stopped.
"Finally," she whispered. "People."
They followed the sound down a narrow passage that opened into a tall chamber lined with narrow windows.
A group of men stood gathered near the center of the room.
Five of them.
All dressed differently, though most wore worn coats or simple uniforms.
Their conversation stopped the moment Elena and Lydia entered.
The sudden silence was almost comical.
Every pair of eyes turned toward her.
Elena lifted her chin slightly.
"Good morning."
No one responded at first.
Then a tall man with thick brown sideburns stepped forward.
He looked to be somewhere in his forties, with a slightly crooked nose and tired eyes.
"Well," he said slowly. "I suppose the rumors were true."
Elena raised an eyebrow.
"What rumors?"
"That the Whitmoor princess actually came."
He bowed slightly.
"Captain Miles Brigg, your highness."
The name sounded familiar.
Elena remembered Rowan mentioning him the night before.
"You were questioning the assassin," she said.
Miles nodded once.
"That I was."
One of the other men snorted quietly.
A shorter man stepped forward next.
He had sandy hair, freckles, and a cheerful expression that didn't quite fit the gloomy castle.
"Name's Peter Cobb," he said casually. "Stablemaster."
Lydia blinked.
"You have horses here?"
Peter gave a small grin.
"Couple. Though they don't like the woods much."
Another figure leaned against the wall nearby.
He looked younger than the others, perhaps in his early twenties, with messy black hair and dark circles beneath his eyes.
He pushed himself off the wall slowly.
"Gavin Holt," he said.
"Gatekeeper."
Elena nodded politely.
Two others remained near the back.
One was a tall woman wearing a faded green coat. Her dark hair was tied tightly behind her head.
"Marian Kettle," she said briefly.
"Kitchen."
The final man stood with his arms folded.
He looked older than the rest, with a heavy beard streaked with grey.
His coat was patched in several places.
"Oswin Clarke," he said.
"Blacksmith."
Elena looked around the room.
"That's… everyone?"
Miles gave a dry chuckle.
"For the moment."
Lydia frowned.
"This is the king's court?"
Peter scratched the back of his neck.
"Court might be a generous word."
Miles gestured vaguely around the room.
"Most people left years ago."
"Because of the rumors?" Elena asked.
The group exchanged quiet looks.
Gavin answered this time.
"Rumors don't scare people that much."
"What does?" Lydia asked.
No one answered immediately.
Finally Marian spoke.
"The woods."
Elena felt a chill.
"What about them?"
Peter shifted uneasily.
"Briarwood isn't normal forest."
Miles sighed.
"You'll learn soon enough."
Before Elena could press further, footsteps echoed from the hallway.
Everyone straightened slightly.
Rowan entered the chamber.
The room fell silent again.
He glanced briefly at the group.
"Good morning."
Miles nodded.
"Your Majesty."
Rowan's gaze moved to Elena.
"I see you've met the court."
Elena crossed her arms slightly.
"All six of them."
Rowan shrugged.
"It's efficient."
Peter chuckled quietly.
Rowan ignored him.
"Elena," he continued, "these are the only people in Hollowthorn I trust."
That statement made the room feel heavier.
Gavin rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"High praise," he muttered.
Rowan walked toward the tall windows.
Outside, the sky hung low and grey above the castle towers.
"We'll have visitors soon," Rowan said.
Miles frowned.
"More assassins?"
"Probably."
Lydia nearly dropped the bag she was holding.
"More?"
Rowan looked calm.
"As long as Whitmoor and Dravenfall are tied together by this marriage, some people will want it undone."
Elena stepped closer.
"Then why agree to the marriage at all?"
Rowan turned toward her.
For a moment, the strange intensity returned to his crimson eyes.
"Because," he said quietly, "some things are more dangerous if we don't."
Before Elena could ask what he meant, a loud clang echoed from somewhere outside the castle walls.
Everyone froze.
Peter looked toward the window.
"That's the north bell."
Miles moved immediately toward the door.
"Trouble?"
Peter nodded grimly.
"Something's in the woods again."
Elena felt the now familiar chill crawl up her spine.
"What kind of something?"
No one answered right away.
Rowan stepped toward the door.
Then he said something that made Lydia grip Elena's sleeve tightly.
"Something that doesn't belong to this kingdom."
And just like that, the silent court of Hollowthorn began moving toward the danger waiting beyond the castle walls.