I watched the physician leave with a small bow, her words echoing in my ears as though they were a command carved into stone. “She must begin walking slowly. With your aid, my lord, her strength will return.”

The chamber grew quieter after her departure, save for the faint rustle of the curtains and the sound of her breathing. Saanvi sat upright against the cushions, her face pale yet resolute. For a moment, I simply looked at her—at the fragile determination that clung to her like a second skin. She was wounded, yet there was fire in her still.