Lydia was still burning up. Sweat clung to her skin, and her breath came in shallow pulls. Her body trembled as she tried to get up. Her feet touched the floor, and she gripped the bedpost, holding herself upright with all the strength she could summon. For a second, she stood.
Then everything went black.
Her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
---
Far away in the capital, Ivan was just leaving the palace after his tense meeting with the king. The sky had turned a pale gray, clouds hanging low with the promise of rain. On his ride back to Svetlana, his horse slowed as they passed the familiar road that led to the Andreyevna house.
His eyes lingered on the gate.
He didn't know why he stopped.
He had no reason to.
