Five days.
Five unbearable, endless days.
The palace no longer felt like a palace.
It felt like a mourning hall waiting for a coffin.
---
The Empress's Chamber
The incense had burned continuously for five days straight.
Her chamber smelled of medicinal herbs, sandalwood smoke, and fear.
The Empress lay exactly where she had been placed the night she was pulled from the lake.
Pale.
Too pale.
Her lips had lost their color entirely.
Her pulse — once faint — had grown even weaker.
The healer no longer gave reassurances.
He simply worked.
Quietly.
Persistently.
As if defying fate with stubborn hands.
But even he knew.
If she did not wake soon…
Her body would follow her soul.
---
The Courtyard of Waiting
Outside, her courtyard had become a place of vigil.
The Duke sat upright despite exhaustion, refusing to leave.
The Duchess leaned against a pillar, fingers constantly turning prayer beads.
