Sentence:  With mounting anger the King denounced the pair, both father and son, and was about to condemn them to death when his strength gave out. Faint and trembling he was unable to walk and the sword fell from his hands as he murmured: 'May the Protector of the Buddhist Faith grant me but seven more days <WSD>grace</WSD> of life to be quit of this disloyal couple, father and son'. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  An allowance of time granted to a debtor during which he or she is free of at least part of his normal obligations towards the creditor.