Erick
The healer’s wing smelled faintly of herbs and blood. The sharp tang of poultices mixed with the earthy weight of roots boiling in water filled my lungs as I stepped through the door.
My boots echoed softly across the stone floor, each step heavier than the last.
“Your Majesty,” the doctor bowed low as soon as he saw me.
His voice was low, deferential, but laced with fear.
I gave a curt nod. “How is he?”
The doctor hesitated, his eyes flickering toward the curtained bed at the far end of the room. That hesitation said more than words ever could.
“Tell me the truth,” I ordered, my voice steady though my chest already felt like iron.
The doctor swallowed. “He is… not responding, my lord. His wounds though grave are healing. Slowly, but they are healing. It is not the body th
