Stephano eyed Leonor for a moment after she asked such a question.
Did Valerio die?
The words rolled around in the king's head.
He was dying to tell her the truth. It felt like she was asking permission to continue with the care that had formed for the duke. To the king, it was obvious that there was something between them. He hoped it was the truth.
Yet he couldn't tell her Valerio died because he hadn't. Even if Desmond claimed that he had, it wasn't the truth.
Stephano believed Desmond was the same person even if he changed. Changing was part of life. The king had changed the most out of anyone.
At once he was a spoiled and prideful child but after he saw his mother die unfairly, he became someone willing to chop off his own father's head to take the throne. He changed and he wouldn't hide it from anyone.
