The name caught in my throat.
I couldn’t say it.
Not without breaking.
Mary’s hands stilled.
She tucked the blankets around me again, the soft rustling of fabric the only sound between us.
And when she finally spoke, her voice was softer than before.
“Much has happened, my lady.”
Silence settled between us, thick and intentional.
“But rest now.”
Her eyes shimmered with sorrow.
Not just grief, but understanding.
The kind born only from witnessing the unspeakable.
“We can speak of it later.Your strength must return before we face the past.”
A chill settled in my bones.
The past.
Something had been left unsaid.
Something that could not be confronted until I was strong enough to endure it.
My mind reeled, drowning in a tempest of confusion, half-formed questions, and the creeping sense that the truth was far worse than I could comprehend.
But Mary’s hands anchored me.
And for the moment, I let go.
I let her pull me back into the quiet embrace of convalescence, trusting her to guard the gateways to a reality I was not yet ready to acknowledge.
* * *
The coverlet felt heavy on my legs as I shifted, trying to ease the stiffness that clung to my muscles like iron restraints.I fought against the lingering pull of unconsciousness, struggling to surface fully—to return to the world I had left behind.
Mary sat nearby, an embroidery ring clutched lightly in her hands.She stabbed the needle into the cloth—once, twice—then set it aside as soon as she saw my eyes flutter open.
“You’re back,” she said softly, a small smile breaking across her weary features.
“I’m trying to be back,” I murmured.My voice felt foreign—thin and frayed at the edges.I pushed myself upright with effort, plumping the pillows behind me, needing the stability they offered.
“You must tell me what happened.”
Mary’s expression shifted.The light in her eyes dimmed, a shadow passing over her as the past caught up to us both.
“Nearly all perished that night,” she said quietly.Then her gaze dropped to the coverlet, fingers worrying a crease in the fabric.
“Lord Hassan…” Her voice faltered.
