Chapter 73: Chapter 74: The counter move

Elara’s POV

The council chamber was already full when I arrived. Not just Corvus and the usual members, there were guards I didn’t recognize, men in civilian clothes who looked like they’d been pulled from the streets, and a tension in the air that made my skin prickle with unease.

My stomach churned, the nausea still lurking despite the morning having passed. I pushed it down, forced myself to focus.

“Your Majesty.” Corvus stood immediately, relief visible on his face. “Thank you for coming so quickly. I know it was early, but this couldn’t wait.”

“What’s happened?” I took my seat at the head of the table, the acting guard positioning themselves behind me.

Lord Petrov was already there, looking irritated. Several other council members shifted in their seats, clearly uneasy about whatever was coming.

Corvus gestured to one of the civilian-dressed men. “This is Henrik, one of our informants in the lower districts. He came to us with urgent intelligence about The Voice. I thought you should hear it directly.”

The man, Henrik, stepped forward, nervous but determined. He gave an awkward bow, clearly not used to being in the presence of royalty.

“Your Majesty.” His voice shook slightly. “I… I’ve been tracking The Voice’s movements like Lord Corvus asked. Listening in taverns, following street runners, paying attention to who talks to who and what they say. It’s been slow work, but I’ve picked up pieces here and there.”

“And?” I prompted when he hesitated.

“The Voice is planning something big, Your Majesty. Not just another grain theft or rumor campaign. Something… different. Bigger than anything he’s done before.”

My stomach tightened. “How different?”

Henrik’s voice gained confidence as he reported, the nervousness fading in favor of delivering his information clearly. “A calling for a gathering. Tomorrow. Every dock worker who’s ever complained about wages. Every merchant who’s looked the other way when his people moved grain. Every family that’s received stolen food and felt grateful for it. Asking them to stand with him. Publicly. In broad daylight.”

Silence fell over the room as the implications sank in.

I looked at Corvus. He met my eyes, and I could see he understood exactly what this meant.

“A demonstration,” he said quietly. “Not a stealth operation. Not another hit-and-run. An open show of force. A public gathering designed to prove that The Voice has support.”

“How many people are we talking about?” I asked, turning back to Henrik.

He shifted uncomfortably, clearly not wanting to give bad news to the queen. “Hard to say for certain, Your Majesty. Could be dozens. Could be… more. The word on the streets is spreading fast. People are angry about food prices, about taxes, about–”He stopped himself, realizing he was speaking to the very person they were angry at.

“Go on,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “I want to hear it all. Don’t spare my feelings.”

He swallowed hard. “They’re angry about feeling powerless, Your Majesty. Like no one listens to them, no one cares if they live or die. The Voice is giving them something to believe in. A way to feel like they matter, like someone sees their struggle. And tomorrow, he’s asking them to prove it. To stand up and be counted.”

Lord Petrov scoffed loudly from across the table. “A mob of commoners. Shopkeepers and dock workers and people who can barely read. Hardly a threat to the crown. Send in the guards, arrest the ringleaders, disperse the rest. Problem solved in an afternoon.”

“With respect, Lord Petrov, I disagree.” Corvus’s voice was measured but firm. He didn’t look away from Petrov as he spoke. “If we use force against hundreds of unarmed citizens, people who haven’t actually broken any laws yet, who are just gathering to listen to someone speak, we risk turning a peaceful demonstration into a massacre. And in the process, we’d make The Voice a martyr.’

“So we do nothing?” Petrov’s voice dripped with disdain. “Let this masked criminal rally a mob against the crown with no consequences? Let him stand in public and spew whatever lies he wants about us?”

“I didn’t say that.” Corvus turned to me. “Your Majesty, we need a counter-strategy. Something that addresses the underlying grievances without appearing weak or tyrannical. Something that shows the people we hear them, that we care about their struggles, that they don’t need a masked revolutionary to speak for them.”

I leaned forward, my mind already working through possibilities. The pieces were starting to connect in my head.

“The Voice is offering them something,” I said slowly. “Hope. A voice. A sense that someone cares about their struggles, their hunger, their fear. That’s why they’re listening to him.”

“Precisely,” Corvus said, nodding. “Which is why simple force won’t work. You can’t kill hope with swords. You can only replace it with something better.”

“What are you suggesting?” Lord Harwick asked. He was one of the older council members, usually quiet, but I could see him thinking through the implications.

I stood, moved to the large map on the wall. Everyone’s eyes followed me.

“What if we chose the same day, but offered something different?”

Corvus’s eyes lit up with understanding. “You want to counter his demonstration with your own. Not with force, but with… something else.”

“Not a demonstration. An offering.” I turned to face the full council. “we announce emergency grain relief for the lower districts. Public distribution, no cost to anyone. And we do it visibly, generously, in a way that shows the crown cares about their welfare. We beat him to the punch.”

“We don’t have the budget for–” Petrov started, already shaking his head.

“We have emergency reserves.” I cut him off. “Grain stores meant for exactly this kind of situation. Food set aside for famine, for disaster, for times when the people need help. If this isn’t one of those times, I don’t know what is.”

I looked at Corvus. “Lord Corvus, you’ve reported on the treasury extensively. We can afford this, can’t we? Realistically?”

He considered for a moment, then nodded slowly. “We can. It would strain resources, especially if we have to do it multiple times. But for a one-time distribution? Yes. It’s within our capability. The grain exists. The logistics can be arranged.”

“Then we do it.” I returned to my seat. “Tomorrow morning, at first light, we announce free grain distribution throughout the lower districts. Multiple locations, not just one. Spread it out so people don’t have to travel far. Make it impossible for The Voice to disrupt all of them simultaneously even if he tries.”

I leaned forward, letting them feel the weight of what I was about to say.

“We also announce a town hall. An open forum where citizens can bring their grievances directly to the crown. To me. In person.”

The room erupted in concerned murmurs.

“Your Majesty, that’s–”

“A direct engagement with the people,” I said firmly, raising my voice over the noise. “The Voice claims to speak for them. Fine. Let’s give them an actual voice. Let them speak for themselves. Let them tell me, to my face, what’s wrong, what they need, what they want. And let me respond, publicly, in a way they can see.”

Corvus was nodding, already seeing the strategy. “You’re not just countering him. You’re replacing him. Making him irrelevant.”

“Precisely.” I allowed myself a small smile. “He wants to be their voice. I’ll show them they don’t need one, they have a queen who listens.”

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