"My lord—" a guard suddenly came up to me the second I reached the palace walls, bowing quickly, his voice tight as though he feared the weight of the words he carried, "the king… His Majesty has awakened."
"Awakened?" she repeated, her tone low, controlled, though something beneath it sharpened instantly.
"Yes, my lord," the messenger replied, lowering his gaze further, "he regained consciousness not long ago, and he has already begun asking for—"
Her steps were swift, deliberate, cutting through the path with an urgency she rarely allowed herself to show openly, her coat trailing behind her as the wind caught it.
Her expression set in a firm, unreadable line that concealed the sudden storm of thoughts rising within her.
The king's chambers stood before her, heavy, imposing, guarded more by the weight of what lay beyond them than the soldiers stationed outside, and for the briefest moment, Valen paused.
