Heart disease

Heart disease is a disease of the heart, and a dangerous medical condition.

Background

The disease may lead to a sudden and severe heart attack when the heart begins to beat irregularly or even cause the heart to stop causing death. The victim experiences a terrible squeezing and doubling pain in their chest. Usually they may double over and collapse.

In later years, King Graham's health began to fail, perhaps having had too many fatty foods. He was known for his love for excellent food and desserts, and struggled to avoid being called King Graham the Overweight. He had always had a sweet tooth even from childhood, he was the first to snitch particles of pie, pastry, and confection from sills and counters where they were left to cool after leaving the ovens. Knights and ladies all knew to have an extra dessert ready when he came to sup. His sweet tooth lasted as he grew up, he never saw a pie he did not like. But this was a challenge to maintain exercise under the stress of being stuck in his castle for several years, while a Three-Headed Dragon run amok in the countryside. He began to be seen by the royal physicians to help him maintain his health. Although overall he maintained muscle, rather than soft flesh.

But it was not long after Alexander return, that Graham was struck with a sudden and major heart attack, just after he tossed his Adventurer's Cap to his twin children. Suddenly, he clutched his chest, and collapsed stricken to the floor. The day's events had been too much for his stout heart to take. The stress of nearly watching his daughter almost get turned into Dragon Flambé and then suddenly finding his long-lost son was just too much for his heart to handle. The immensity of emotion, combined with the sudden and complete change of fortune, that brought about Graham's collapse (strong emotions in too short a time is what felled him). The heart attack put him into a near-death coma. Just when it seemed that he would surely die, the beautiful fairy queen Genesta appeared to Rosella in the magic mirror. She told her of a magic fruit in the land of Tamir which would save her father's life. After defeating Lolotte, Rosella is able to retrieve the fruit and use it to save Graham's life.

Some say the heart attack was natural caused, but some say it was a fell magical disease that struck Graham (if so its unknown who was behind it). When Graham's health began to fail, the royal physicians of Daventry could find no way to cure him. Nothing helped Graham, neither their healing herb and ointments, magical invocations, nor laying on hands. They believed he would die unless a cure was found.

Behind the scenes

There are different explanations for what happened to Graham, and when it started happening; Valanice believed it was largely natural caused; mostly by strong emotions, and the reunion day's events. Some say his health began to fail after Alexander returned, however there is also evidence perhaps his health had been failing over a period of years, and had been under physicians treatments for a while (with no cures ever found). Perhaps it was caused by his dietary issues, and lack of exercise while the Dragon rampaged through the kingdom. Others believed it was caused by a fell spell (but no explanation as to who would have cast it, and if so, it was seemingly cast at the moment of their reunion).

If Graham's heart attack actually was a magical spell, it might actually making Genesta's timing suspicious considering the fact that she contacted Rosella soon after and used the heart attack to convince Rosella to come to Tamir, to save her own life. It might only be a coincidence, but it does make her a potential suspect. Strangely, there is a paragraph in The Official Book of King's Quest might even suggest that Genesta was an evil witch, and also after Pandora's Box, hen that lays golden eggs, and unicorn for her own sinister plans... (but this was probably editing mistake....)

Others who might wanted to take revenge on Graham might be Manannan (but he was recently indisposed), and Mordack (but he was likely plotting plans to steal the castle already). And of course Hagatha (her whereabouts are unknown). had more than enough reasons to try to take revenge, and her brother being turned into an alley cat could have been the latest affront to her.

There are few others that he could have crossed that might have had reason to take revenge other than maybe the Sorcerer/Enchanter, or maybe Karn Megiddo (but it been years since he crossed their paths, and Karn was pretty much indisposed much like Manannan). Dahlia was obviously dead. Some of the other villains Graham may have crossed were less likely to have the magic ability needed to curse Graham. Other than maybe the Leprechauns, and possibly Dracula.