The healer's wing had fallen into an uneasy stillness again, but the calm that lingered in the room felt fragile, as if a single wrong breath might shatter it completely.
Georgia lay motionless against the thin pillows, her body trembling with exhaustion that ran far deeper than mere fatigue.
Every inch of her felt painfully heavy, as though the strength had been drained from her bones themselves, leaving behind only weakness and dull, persistent aches that refused to fade.
Her mind refused to rest, the healer's words echoed relentlessly in her head.
"Your friend is not a man."
"This must be reported to the king immediately."
A cold wave of panic washed through her chest again, tightening around her lungs until each breath felt sharp and shallow.
Her eyes shifted slowly toward the other bed. Valen remained completely still beneath the clean white sheets, her pale face partially hidden by the dim shadows cast by the lantern hanging above the bed.
