The First step

When the morning sun cast its golden rays upon the palace, the Imperial physician was the first to enter the newlyweds' room. As he stepped inside, his eyes fell upon Noori seated at the table, and instantly, his head bowed low in deference.

"Your Grace!" he exclaimed, his surprise evident in his voice.

"It has been so long, Master Burk," Noori replied, her tone carrying a subtle edge of menace. "The last time I saw you, you had darker hair." She gestured towards his now-graying locks.

Burk, the physician, found himself at a loss for words, his lips opening and closing soundlessly. He felt a constriction in his throat, as if she were choking him with her gaze alone. In Noori's eyes, he saw nothing but pure loathing, a sentiment he knew he rightfully deserved. What he had done to her had scarred her for life, and he could see the weight of her resentment bearing down upon him.

As Burk's knees trembled, he struggled to take another step forward. Noori rose from her seat and approached him, a calculated grace in her movements. Slowly, she removed one of her gloves, causing Burk to instinctively take a step back, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead.

"Please have mercy," he pleaded, his voice trembling with fear. "Please!"

But Noori showed no signs of relenting. With each step she took, Burk's terror intensified, until he stumbled backward, his bag falling to the floor with a thud. Noori's gaze grew more merciless as she closed in on him, her presence looming over him like a predator ready to strike.

In a moment of desperation, Burk let out a gruesome scream, his eyes tightly shut as he awaited his inevitable fate. But to his astonishment, nothing came. Instead, he heard a voice whispering close to his ear.

"Tsk... Not so quick, Burk. I have all the time in the world to get back at you. So stay calm," Noori murmured in a snakelike tone.

As the doors opened and the guards entered the room, expecting to witness a scene of horror, they were met with a surprising sight: Noori extending her hand to Burk, helping him up from the floor.

"Is everything okay?" the guard inquired, confusion evident in his voice.

Burk shifted his gaze from Noori to the guard, his expression fearful yet relieved. "Yes! Everything is okay. I... I just stumbled on the carpet," he stammered, his words barely audible amidst the chaos of his emotions.

The guard, highly confused by the sudden turn of events, nodded and offered to help Burk to his feet before leaving them alone in the room. Noori, this time, stepped back and climbed onto the bed, sitting beside Dastan as he lay there. Burk swallowed hard and stepped closer, stuttering as he began the examination. Noori remained silent, her gaze fixed on Dastan, while Burk checked his pulse.

"You know what?" Noori suddenly spoke out, causing Burk to tense up, ready to pull away at any moment. "Isn't he the last heir to the throne? If he dies, there will be no Solyria left," she purposefully remarked, making Burk tremble, unable to muster a reply.

"Haha!" she chuckled, pressing her hand, which she had ungloved earlier, onto Dastan's chest, while locking eyes with Burk, a hint of threat in her gaze. "So what if I burn him here and now? Will that not complete my revenge?" she hissed, a glint of red flashing in her eyes, indicating her readiness to unleash her fiery powers on Dastan.

"No!" Burk exclaimed, ready to call for backup, but Noori's smile sent shivers down his spine. The base of her hand touching Dastan began to simmer with an orange glow, prompting Burk to leap forward in a desperate attempt to pull her hand away from Dastan, to save him.

"Guards!" he growled, frantically summoning reinforcements. Instantly, the door burst open again, and this time, several guards flooded into the room. "Hold her! She is trying ot kill the prince!" Burk ordered them to pull Noori away from Dastan, panic filling the air as the threat unfolded in broad daylight. He couldn't allow Dastan to die; he couldn't let this happen.

As the guards hurriedly approached Noori, she remained calm, refusing to budge. But then, Dastan's eyes shot open, and he grabbed onto Noori's hand, gasping for breath. He had finally awakened after four long years.

"Lay a hand on me, and all of you will die," Noori warned the guards, her eyes shifting to them. She had achieved her goal, now having a perfect opportunity to strip Burk of his title, as he had ordered the royal guard to attack her while she was merely trying to heal Dastan.

 "The Crown Prince?" The guards froze in their steps at the sight of Dastan's open eyes and moving body.

Burk's lips remained parted in surprise as his head shook to the side in disbelief. He glanced at Noori, and the shine in her eyes was ever so bright. "I told you I will take it slowly," she snickered towards Burk referring to her words a while ago. 

The guards fell to their knees instantly and threw their heads on the floor. "We have sinned, Your Highness!" they growled. "We thought... You were..."

"That I was going to kill him? I would like you to explain that to the king. I am sure he would be pleased to see how his soldiers go against his orders and follow a mere Physician's commands." Noori's tone dripped with scorn as she addressed the guards.

But Noori didn't seem to be the forgiving type. She turned to look at Dastan with a sad pair of eyes. "Do you see this, Your Highness? Mere guards were trying to lay their filthy hands on me," she said in a soft voice, her words laced with disappointment.

Dastan's gaze was distracted; he was puzzled by what seemed to be going on around him at the moment. "Who—Who are you? Where am I?" Those were his first words as his grasp tightened around her wrist.