For months, Cesare von Farnese has remained trapped within the curse Sienna-Rose placed upon him, his body preserved in a strange state between life and death. He breathes, his heart continues to beat, and his body remains warm, but nothing can wake him. No healer, priest, or sorcerer has been able to reach his mind through the layers of magic wrapped around him.
Before the curse is lifted, Cesare remains in his bedroom, his body unable to respond while the magic keeps his consciousness sealed inside his mind. He can hear most of what happens around him. He hears servants entering the room in the morning, the movement of curtains, the sound of water being poured into a basin, and the low voices of the healers checking his condition.
He hears people speaking to him, sometimes asking questions, sometimes simply talking because the silence has lasted for so long. He hears everything, but he cannot answer.
