It left the kingdom in a painful limbo.
Daily life continued, but cautiously. Conversations lowered to whispers. Laughter felt inappropriate, yet silence felt dangerous. People measured their words carefully, fearful that careless talk, rumors, doubts, even sorrow spoken too loudly might be the final strain that pushed Osita past restraint.
No one wanted to be the reason.
Despite that fear, there was a small, fragile comfort that held the people together.
The court remained open. The royal family, though visibly strained, did not withdraw entirely. Ministers worked longer hours. Nobles walked the streets more often. The palace gates did not close.
They were trying.
Trying to preserve the shape of normalcy, to show that the kingdom still stood, that its people were not forgotten even in the queen's absence, even with the king stepping away. That effort mattered. It reassured the citizens that someone, somewhere within the palace walls, still cared.
