Darcey was spending more time in meetings at the palace, trying to negotiate a deal to help Maleficia with their rebuild. Mayor Atlas was keen to support them, and they'd agreed that they were going to start sending workers to fix houses there, and he was on board with the idea to merge with them until they had their own leader. The deal just needed sealing and they'd be done.

'So, that will mean 200 more people to look after, Sir. Are you sure?'

'In this kingdom, we do not leave people in their time of need. Most of them have houses, but they will be under our protection until they get back on their feet, I believe we can handle it,' Atlas replied.

'Where do we put the ones who don't have houses?' Archibald, the secretary said.

'We have accommodation that we don't use. Like the secure accommodation that Esme's in right now. There's only a few people in those rooms. We'll just remove the prisoner measures and let them stay there. Failing that, we have rooms on the castle grounds, and Theo's family have kindly offered up some rooms on their property. We're going to be OK, Archibald,' Darcey explained.

'Very well, I'll make those arrangements now.'

The deal was nearly done, they just needed to establish their offer, get it in writing and then pitch it to Maleficia to see if they accepted.

Meanwhile, Esme had been hard at work at the palace with Adalia, ensuring that Darcey had everything she needed for the negotiations. Neither of them had any idea what sorts of outfits would be appropriate for those sorts of meetings, but they seemed to be doing a decent job of it. They had to make sure she looked her best and was prepared, and when she came back, to make sure she'd be still looking good for dinner, and then everything was ready for the next day. It wasn't too much of a difficult job.

The only thing that had been on Esme's mind though was the kiss with Gabriel. She knew in her heart that she'd made a mistake, but that didn't mean she wasn't happy. She decided the best course of action was to ask her friend for advice.

While they were hanging up dresses, Esme knew this was the best time to start the conversation.

'Hey, Adalia?'

'Hmm?'

'I need some advice on something.'

'Hit me.'

There were a few seconds of silence.

'Gabriel kissed me.'

Adalia seemed completely shocked.

'I had no idea he felt that way, but wow, good for you guys. You going to get together?'

'No, probably not, it was a mistake.'

Adalia sensed that Esme had some disappointment in her voice, and sat her down.

'That's alright, but do you mind if I ask why not?'

'Because I don't want to upset anyone.'

'What about you? Are you happy?'

'Yes, and I feel guilty.'

'You shouldn't, Esme. You should never feel guilty for being happy. In this world, everything we do upsets someone, but you shouldn't sacrifice your own happiness for that. You deserve to be loved, and you deserve good things, so screw what everyone else says. It's your choice, but you should make it based on you and what you're feeling, not about anyone else.'

After finishing her shift, Esme decided to take Adalia's advice and go to Gabriel's cabin to talk to him properly. She had this strange sense of nervous excitement as she knocked on the door and saw his face again.

'Hey, do you mind if we talk?' She managed to get the words out in her anxious state.

'Of course, come on in.'

Esme took a seat while Gabriel brought her a drink and sat down opposite her. He cleared his throat.

'I know why you're here, and I'm expecting you to reject me like Theo, and that's OK. I get it, and we'll not speak of what happened again.'

'I wasn't going to reject you. I was going to say that I was really happy and I want to be happy, and even though it felt wrong, I don't have any regrets.'

Gabriel looked taken aback.

'So does this mean you want to be with me?'

'I don't know, Gabriel.'

'So what happens now, do you want space to think?'

Esme sat for a few seconds, she knew what she wanted.

'No, I don't need space, I just want to be happy.'

They locked eyes and Gabriel stood up, he reached out his hand to Esme. She took it and stood up. It wasn't like at the palace now, they were completely alone, they didn't have to worry about people knowing.

Gabriel put his arms around Esme's waist and kissed her. She felt her heart fluttering again, and she put her arms round his neck. They sat down and she moved her hand onto his chest.

'This can be our little secret,' he whispered.

'Of course.'

And then he pulled her back onto him and began to move his hand down her leg.

They were there, just in their own moment.