The guard remained standing while I sat in silence.
King.
The word lingered stubbornly within my thoughts.
I reflected upon my earlier conversation with Tristan, yet nothing about him had seemed particularly kingly—save for his composed demeanor and the quiet confidence with which he carried himself.
"Has he always been king?" I asked aloud.
The guard blinked once.
"Since the age of eighteen, Your Highness."
I stared at him.
Eighteen?
I think I misheard.
How could a man become king at such a young age?
I decided it was best to ask no further questions.
The guard had already answered far more than I had expected, and the last thing I wished was to appear desperate for information.
With a respectful bow, he excused himself and returned to his station beyond the chamber doors.
The room fell silent once more.
Only the faint crackling of the fireplace and the distant sounds of busy streets reached my ears as the minutes slipped by.
With nothing to occupy my thoughts and no company to distract me from them, I chose to test my strength.
Surely the dreadful herbs and days confined to bed had done some measure of good.
Taking a careful breath, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and rose to my feet.
I braced myself for weakness.
For the dreadful sensation of collapsing back onto the bed..
Yet none came.
My legs held firm beneath me.
A flicker of triumph stirred within my chest.
Slowly, I crossed the chamber to the door before turning and making my way back again.
Each step felt surer than the last.
Unable to contain my delight, I brought my hands together in a small clap.
"I can walk," I exclaimed, a bright smile finding its way onto my face.
Slowly, I opened the door and stepped outside.
The guard from earlier immediately looked at me.
"Your Highness, you are supposed to be resting."
I rolled my eyes.
"That's exactly the challenge" I said. "I've done nothing but rest since I woke up. Staying in that chamber all day is making me restless and unproductive."
The guard opened his mouth as if to argue.
"I just want to walk around a little," I added. "I don't intend to climb a mountain."
"Then I shall accompany you, your highness". He bowed.
I walked and followed from behind. My steps were slow and steady. I don't intend on causing a show by falling outside the chambers. We continued walking despite not knowing where I was going I was happy to see outside the chambers.
There were a lot of paintings and drawings each engraved delicately on the walls . I admired them as I continued with my slow paces.
"you finally walked out of the chamber." the voice of the old physician came.
" Yes. The walls feels as though they wil close of I stay there any longer ". I said still staring at the wall.
"Then I shall accompany you, Your Highness," he said with a bow.
I walked on, and he followed behind me. My steps were slow and steady. I did not intend to make a spectacle of myself by falling outside the chambers. We continued along the corridor, and though I did not know where I was going, I was glad to finally be outside the room.
There were many paintings and drawings, each delicately engraved upon the walls. I studied them as I went, keeping to my slow pace.
"You have finally left the chamber," came the voice of the old physician.
"Yes," I replied. "The walls feel as though they will close in on me if I stay there any longer."
"I see your balance has improved. His Majesty spoke of your fall," he remarked as he drew closer.
"So my failure has become a common knowledge," I murmured under my breath.
A quiet chuckle escaped him.
"You were eager to walk, yet what you required was patience. Willingness is the first step, but it is capability that gives it meaning," he said, as though reciting an old folktale.
I did not know how to reply to his words, so I remained silent, my gaze lingering on the walls.
After a moment, I broke the silence.
"My memories... when will they return to me? They are mine, are they not? I do not believe they should remain beyond my reach for long."
I turned and finally met the physician's gaze.
"In due time," he replied, "I believe they will return to you."
"Yes," I smiled, then turned my gaze back to the walls.
"Azari!"
A loud voice rang in my ears.