57: LYSANDRA!

The morning light seeped through the heavy velvet curtains, casting a golden hue across the vast chamber. A hushed silence lingered, broken only by the soft breathing of the woman lying in the grand, canopied bed.

Then—

A sudden rustle. A sharp inhale.

The queen stirred.

The room erupted into motion. Servants rushed forward, their hushed whispers turning into frantic murmurs as they gathered around the bedside. Soft hands adjusted her pillows, another dabbed a damp cloth across her brow. A cup of warm herbal tea was pressed to her lips, but the queen barely acknowledged it.

She was awake.

And as soon as word spread through the palace, the news reached him.