Chapter 217 - -217
He fell into position—slightly behind, to the right, standard escort placement, close enough for immediate response—and they moved through the administrative corridor together. Clerks bowed. Officials pressed to walls. The ordinary machinery of a functioning palace in motion.
"Demorti tells me you presented for duty ahead of Cullens’ projected timeline," Elara said after they’d cleared the most densely populated section.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Explain."
Mahir was quiet for several steps—not hesitant, she’d learned to distinguish his quality of silence from hesitation, this was considering. "I recovered faster than the projection. Master Cullens attributed it partially to beast physiology baseline and partially to a secondary effect of the collar discharge process." A pause. "Apparently sustained magical discharge at that level has the effect of clearing accumulated stress load in a beast knight’s core. The kind that builds up over extended periods of high-alert service."
"Stress load," Elara said.
"Beast knights run a continuous low-level threat assessment when bonded to a principal who is in danger," Mahir said. "It’s not conscious processing. It happens under everything else, constantly. When the principal is under active threat for extended periods—" a slight pause, "—as Your Highness has been since the initial poisoning—the load accumulates faster than normal rest cycles can clear it." He kept his gaze forward, voice clinical. "The three days cleared what had apparently been building for several months simultaneously."
"So the procedure had an unanticipated secondary benefit for you," Elara said.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"That should be documented," Elara said. "For protocol optimization."
"I’ll inform Cullens, Your Highness."
They walked in silence for a moment. The brightness in his eyes was still there—visible even in profile. Whatever the technical explanation, the result was evident.