Step by shaky step, she guided me forward.
We reached the large, gleaming glass doors leading out to the balcony.
Hasmik slid one of them open with a smooth motion, and instantly, the sunlight rushed in.
The first ray hit my face.
I froze.
The warmth was so foreign, it almost hurt. I closed my eyes instinctively, breathing it in, feeling it soak into my skin like a long-lost lover’s embrace.
I had forgotten.
I had forgotten how the sun felt.
Hasmik helped me down onto a large, plush beanbag set near the balcony’s edge.
It swallowed my frail body whole, and I sank into it with a soft sigh.
The world stretched out before me like an endless sea of green forests, rooftops and distant mountains, the sky was a vast, tender blue dusted with slow-moving clouds.
A light breeze kissed my cheeks, stirring my matted hair.
I sat there, utterly still, drinking it all in.
I didn’t know what sick, twisted game was playing out around me. I didn’t trust any of it, but this moment, this sunlight on my skin, this stolen piece of peace… it was real.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hasmik slip away. Moments later, she returned, carrying a familiar silver bowl. The same bowl of fruits that the King had offered earlier.
“You’ll need your strength, Your Gracious Majesty,” she uttered softly, placing the bowl beside me with reverent care.
I glanced at it, indifferent.
I turned my face back toward the sky, feeling the sun’s gentle fingers comb through the tangled ruins of my hair, feeling the breeze whisper secrets against my battered bones.
The warmth wrapped around me like a cocoon, and for the first time in a very, very long time. I let myself breathe.
A long, trembling sigh escaped my lips. I didn’t know how long I simply basked there, soaking in the sun.
At some point, I must have fallen asleep. Because when I opened my eyes again, the world had changed. The once brilliant sky was now painted in soft strokes of amber and rose-gold.
The wind had cooled, and the distant horizon had begun to bleed into twilight. I stretched my limbs carefully, surprised to find myself swaddled in a heavy wool blanket.
A yawn escaped me before I could hold it back, and my limbs relaxed involuntarily from what had to be the most comfortable sleep I’d had in years, maybe in my entire life.
My heart jumped to my throat as my eyes locked with a pair of warm brown ones, watching me silently from across the balcony railing.
Sargis.
I narrowed my eyes instinctively, that strange flutter of unease crawled down my spine. Why does he keep looking at me like that?
I despised it.
And then, to make it worse, his lips curled into something that vaguely resembled a smile.
I grimaced on reflex.
“You seemed so comfortable sleeping there,” he mumbled. “I didn’t have the heart to disturb you.”
I blinked at him slowly, then looked away, turning my gaze toward the horizon. He talked like someone who thought he could fix things with words and kindness.
But life didn’t work like that. At least, not mine.
“You don’t have to worry about anything,” he added. “Just… focus on healing.”
Healing. As if it were that simple.
As if the damage hadn’t already been carved so deep into my soul, I couldn’t remember where it ended and I began.
And even if this wasn’t a dream or a trap, whatever this was didn’t feel like something meant for someone like me. I burrowed deeper into the warmth of the beanbag and pulled the blanket tighter around my frame, as if it could shield me from his gaze.
“It’s getting windy,” I heard him murmur again. “I should get you inside so you don’t catch a cold.”
But I didn’t want to move.
Before I could blink, let alone protest, I felt the sudden sensation of being lifted, weightless and small, in a pair of arms that held me like I was nothing. A startled whimper left my throat.
My eyes clashed with his.
And then my face met the solid wall of his chest. I could hear his steady heartbeat thudding beneath the surface.
I froze.
He looked down at me with that same infuriating softness, his smile was gentle, almost amused, as if carrying women off balconies was just another routine in his day.
I stared, disarmed by the lack of mockery in his eyes. There was no pity or arrogance.
He slid the balcony door open without so much as a hitch in his step. Inside, the golden glow of the chandeliers bathed the room in a soft hush.
Carefully, he walked me to the bed and crouched to lower me gently onto the mattress.
He pulled the duvet over me, tucking the corners like someone who had done it before, maybe too many times.
I lay still, my heart hammering beneath my ribs as I watched him.
“I’ll be back in a minute,” he whispered, before he turned for the door.
SARGIS’ POV
The door clicked shut behind me, and I finally exhaled the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. The moment I was out of her presence, the weight I’d kept tucked tightly behind a composed face began to settle heavily on my shoulders.
I made my way down the corridor, boots echoing against the polished marble floors as I headed for the elevator.
The elevator doors opened with a soft chime, and I stepped inside, pressing the button for the medical floor. As the metal doors sealed shut, so did my composure. I slumped against the cool paneling, my head fell back with a dull thunk. My mind dragged me back to earlier, back to the conversation in my study that still haunts me.
-Flashback-
“She’s suffering from severe malnutrition, dehydration, and post-traumatic stress,” Maravek said. “Signs point to long-term systemic abuse, both physical and likely emotional.”
I stood by the window, with my jaw locked tight and fists clenched behind my back.
“Her dental hygiene has significantly deteriorated gum recession, tooth decay, and halitosis. The stench you caught during the checkup? That’s a symptom of internal bacterial overgrowth and oral neglect.”
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