Hours passed quietly inside the royal infirmary as the physicians completed their final examinations, checked every medicine that would be required, and reviewed the procedure one last time before daring to begin.
No one spoke unless it was necessary. The silence that had settled over the chamber seemed almost sacred, broken only by the scratching of quills across parchment as observations were recorded, the soft clink of crystal vials being arranged upon silver trays, and the slow, measured rhythm of Liora's breathing as she remained suspended beneath the effects of the tranquilizer.
Thessian never left her side.
