(Seven months later …)
Seven months. A season of healing, of quiet rebuilding, not just for the Duke and his Duchess, but for the entire kingdom. The initial fear cast by Lord Byron's deeds had receded, replaced by a renewed sense of peace and security. True to his word, the King had appointed Ryan and Thorne to take charge of restoring order to the kingdom. With good planning and efficiency, they had systematically dismantled the bandit clans, put an end to the rampant poaching in the royal forests, and stamped out the smuggling rings that had flourished in the chaos. The kingdom was safe again, its people prosperous, its future bright, all in seven months.
