I looked down at the simple porridge that I made for him. It was indeed a far cry from the dishes that we were usually served in the palace, but I made sure that it had all the healthy ingredients, even adding in spices and herbs that I knew were good for the body.

I didn’t know what to cook for him and ended up deciding on the same porridge dish that I had cooked for him when he was wounded and a patient staying at my house. I cooked his meal for him every day back then and he seemed to enjoy his meal or, at least, he acted...