Five days had stretched into a heavy, suffocating silence throughout the Moonlight Palace.
In the high, quiet sanctuary of the royal bedchamber, the soft rustle of linen was the only sound breaking the stillness. Sunlight filtered weakly through the tall balcony drapes, casting pale golden beams across the velvet coverlet where Odesse lay completely unmoving.
Cara dipped a small cloth into a basin of lukewarm water sitting on the bedside table, her trembling hands wringing out the excess moisture. She was still noticeably pale, her movements slow and slightly unsteady—a lingering reminder of the dark spell Azure had used on her that made her unable to do anything for days. Her own recovery had been difficult, but the moment she was able to stand on her own feet, she had refused to leave the Queen's side.
