“I’m not going to ask you,” he said. “If that’s what you’re worried about.”

She blinked, confused. “Ask me what?”

“For anything. I won’t beg for more chances to prove myself. I won’t bother you anymore. If you don’t want to be with me romantically, I understand, Florencia. But I hope I can still remain your friend.”

She couldn’t help it. She laughed. “Actually, that’s not what I was going to say.” She hesitated. Tilted her head and considered him, playful. “Though, now that you mention it.” She caught his eye. Saw there the same fierce desire she always did, when they stood like this. Alone together, the only two people in the world.

Only Danton had ever made her feel that way. And for everything he’d done, she could think of just as many mistakes she’d made.

“I’m not making any promises.” Ren’s voice softened. He leaned closer, and she breathed in his sharp pine scent like a sigh of relief. “But I’m not saying we’re completely off the table.”

The hope that flared in his eyes made her heart skip.

“However.” She stepped back, just far enough to clear her head. “I have a proposal for you. Unrelated to us.”

He crossed his arms. “I’m interested.”

“You don’t even know what I’m going to say yet.”

“No. But I trust you, Florencia. You’ve always been the smarter one of us.”

“Please write that down. I’d like to quote it against you later.” She smirked. Then forced the amusement from her face. “We need to make things right, Danton. What we caused in Burnt Bay…”

His smile melted as well. “If there were some way to fix it, seas know I would have by now.”

“We may not be able to turn back time,” she said. “But I’ve been thinking about what you’d planned to do with your dowry money from Lexana. About how you wanted to fund the Eastern Reach, so people there didn’t need to rely on violence as the only solution.”

He nodded. “But Lexana and I decided we couldn’t marry for that reason alone. She wanted to be with Josen, and I didn’t want to live a sham either.”

“Understandable. It just got me thinking. So I spoke to my sisters, and I got Akeylah’s blessing.”

“To do what, exactly?”

Ren glanced over at Akeylah, still holding Roz’s hand. “She’s granted a stipend to the Eastern Reach. To rebuild from the war.”

Danton’s eyebrows rose. “Andros always said we couldn’t afford that.”

“Yes, well.” Ren watched fondly as Akeylah twined her fingers through Rozalind’s without thinking. “Given our current peace with Genal, Akeylah has decided our money will be best spent on ensuring all the Reaches enjoy the same quality of life.”