Forgive me

The next few days passed rather peacefully in Defire. 

There was a serenity in the air that had not been there initially.

Jeremiah was held captive in the dungeons of the Crystal Castle.

On this particular day, Esme was taking a walk with Luciana when she spotted Duke Maverick and the King sitting together in the royal gardens, talking and laughing. 

The King no longer had his disguise on and without the disguise, one could see the striking resemblances between him and Esme that made the servants peek at them from lowered heads every once in a while.

''They have become friends,'' Luciana remarked in a soft voice. 

Esme nodded. 

In the past few days, they were always spotted together. 

The last time after talking to Ruby, she had gone to meet the King but he was busy with some work. 

After that, she tried to talk to him a few times but they never had a proper conversation.