Chapter 9 - The Healer’s Triumph
The arrival of the King and Queen in the Western Valley was met with desperate hope.
Thousands of sick villagers were laid out in temporary medical tents, suffering from burning fevers and blackening veins caused by the silver-burn poison.
Grace immediately went to work. She took charge of the field hospital, training local apothecaries and volunteers on how to prepare the Moon-Lily antidote. For three days and nights without sleep, Grace moved from tent to tent, personally administering the cure to the sickest children and elders.
Nathaniel stayed by her side, using his immense physical strength to lift heavy supplies, organize relief distribution, and ensure the safety of the perimeter.
By the fourth morning, the miraculous happened.
The fevers broke. The black veins cleared. The villagers who had been on the verge of death sat up, color returning to their faces, weeping with gratitude as they realized they had been saved.
A young girl, no older than six, walked up to Grace as she was washing her hands at a well. The little girl was holding a small, hand-woven flower crown made of wild mountain blossoms.
"Are you the Savior Queen?" the little girl asked timidly.
Grace knelt down to the child's eye level, smiling warmly. "I am just Grace, sweetheart."
The little girl placed the flower crown gently on Grace's head. "Thank you for saving my mommy."
Nathaniel, watching from a short distance away, felt a profound sense of pride swelling in his chest. The court had called her a rejected Omega, a broken girl beneath notice. Yet here she was, holding the heart of the entire kingdom in her hands.
The local village chief stepped forward, bowing deeply to both Nathaniel and Grace.
"Your Majesties," the old chief said, his voice trembling with emotion. "The High Council brought us nothing but taxes and cruelty for decades. But you... you brought us life. The Western Valley belongs to Queen Grace forever."
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The crowd of thousands of villagers erupted into thunderous cheers, throwing flower petals into the air and chanting Grace's name.
Grace looked at Nathaniel, who gave her a knowing nod. The shadows of Moon Hall were finally gone.
