Everything Will Be Okay The Belt of Deltora was restored. A clear morning had dawned, with a pure blue sky and a golden sun that beamed a comforting warmth and light on the land. Nobody in Del had slept the previous night. Their night had been filled with commotion and fear, but had ended with a pleasant hope, as the Deltora's heir was revealed, the Belt shone brightly, and the darkness that had long ensnared the land was defeated. It had been decided that the newly dawned day would be one of rest. A day for people, overcome with emotion, to rejoice quietly in their homes. A day for people to recover from the chaotic events of the previous night. A day for those close to him to mourn the death of King Endon. And a day for the heroes of Deltora …show more content…
He looked over at where Jasmine lay asleep, curled up on her side with her legs tucked towards her chest and her hair a tangled mess around her face. Watching her suddenly brought memories to the surface of his mind, memories that had been locked away for far too long. He remembered holding her for the first time as a newborn infant, tearfully whispering promises that he would always protect her and care for her. He remembered hearing her pattering feet at night as she hurried over to where he and Anna lay and wriggled her small body between them. He remembered how her green eyes would light up with joy when he scooped her up into a hug. Most painfully, he remembered seeing her standing there, her eyes filled with shock, confusion and fear, when the Grey Guards came. At Anna's signal, she had fled and disappeared, and it was not until many years later that he finally saw her …show more content…
A hint of a smile spread across his face, then quickly faded. "We have... a lot of lost time to make up for," he continued hesitantly. "Perhaps we never will truly make up for it. Things are... complicated." Sharn felt a cold, miserable guilt swell inside of her. It pained her kind heart to think that lives had been lost and broken to protect her own. She turned to face Doom and clasped her hands around his. "Know that I am forever indebted to you, Jarred," she expressed to him through graceful tears. "I feel a great deal of regret for all that has happened to your family. Your difficult life in the Forests, the loss of Anna, your separation from Jasmine..." She bowed her head sorrowfully. "I understand if you can never forgive me." Doom shook his head. "You are a remarkable woman, Sharn, but I am afraid foreseeing the future is a little beyond your capabilities. You could not have known what would happen to us, as even we did not know. You forget that Anna and I made our sacrifice willingly. We all did the best we could with the situation we had," he reassured her. "And look at the result. The Belt is restored and Deltora's heir is safe. Lief will be a great king, I am sure of