king Jason pov
I stood, staring out the window, the first light of dawn creeping over the horizon. Sleep had eluded me once again; it had been that way since Norella slipped into her coma. Each night was a relentless cycle of worry and exhaustion, and today promised no reprieve. There was a council meeting, and I had to prepare myself to face it.
I moved to the closet and pulled out a suit, my fingers lingering on the fabric. Dressing quickly, I felt the weight of the past weeks settle over me like a heavy shroud. The thought of seeing Norella in her current state was unbearable, so I had avoided her room yesterday, trying to shield myself from the pain.
As I adjusted my tie, I debated whether to check on her. I went to the front of her room, my hand hovered over the door handle to her
