FREYA
With great effort, I forced my eyes open, feeling as though they had been glued shut. Light flooded my vision from every angle, making me squint at the sudden brightness. It was overwhelming, and I had to blink several times before my eyes adjusted. As the room came into focus, I took in the familiar surroundings, relief washing over me.
I tried to sit up and looked around. The door to the bathing chambers opened suddenly and Ana emerged holding a basin filled with water and a small towel. Both items fell from her arms when she saw me struggling to sit up.
“Your Grace” she exclaimed, rushing to me and grabbing my hand. “Your Grace, you're finally awake. Everyone was so worried.” Tears streamed down her face. I had only met Ana when I moved to the palace, but we had slowly forged a bond as time passed, and I felt a twinge of guilt for making her and everyone worry so much.