The halls of the Zephyros palace had grown unnervingly quiet since the queen collapsed. What was once a place filled with bustling servants, regal gatherings, and lively royal banter now felt heavy with uncertainty and tension.
Weeks had passed, and the queen had yet to awaken. Despite the constant care of the best physicians in the kingdom, no one had been able to determine what was wrong with her. Each failed diagnosis only deepened the cloud of anxiety hanging over the palace.
The king had barely left her side since it happened. He could often be found seated by her bed, holding her hand, his usually composed face worn with worry and exhaustion. His eyes rarely left her still form, and though he had trusted Kaelix to take over his royal duties temporarily, it was clear the weight of his wife's condition was slowly crushing him.
