Cursed by Darkness (Once Upon A Curse)

33. Bodin

THIRTY-THREE

Bodin

Ronna cursed her brother into the shadows. He would live among that which he’d fought for so long, trapped there for an eternity. For generations, the story changed and grew more elaborate until no one knew for certain what it would take to break the curse.

B odin clenched his jaw and fists. His shoulders tensed. He inhaled through his nose, trying to stay calm. Juniper turned her attention to him, and it was her presence, the fear in her eyes, that had Bodin nodding and telling the man to continue, taking another deep breath for good measure.

“The queen has always been extra protective of Juniper,” Richard said. “When we came to visit, she insisted that one of her trusted maids pretend Juni was her daughter to keep her true identity a secret. And then, she had me act as part of the staff as well to stay with them without being suspicious. The maid and I thought it… a bit much, but in the end, we agreed.

“Except, the princess liked to make a game out of running from me and the other guards. And she kept doing so here to explore the palace. As it turns out, your brother liked to do the same, and it led to the two of them meeting and bonding.”

The corner of Bodin’s mouth quirked up. Elias did love to run and hide. It had been frustrating, but it had also been amusing to watch everyone else get flustered. Bodin always knew where to find him though.

“That day…” Richard swallowed. “I was… distracted in my search for her.”

“How?” Juniper asked.

When he seemed to look anywhere but at her, Bodin knew the truth.

Bodin sighed. “It’s a lot easier to move about unnoticed as a valet than a guard. Easier to sneak off with a queen whose husband is occupied meeting with another king and his advisors.”

Grief filled Richard’s gaze as he gave a single nod of confirmation.

“You were… with my mother?” Juniper straightened to face him at the realization.

“And because of my foolish heart and poor choices, I wasn’t there to protect the two of you.” He visibly swallowed at the memory. “I found you sobbing behind the bushes a little while later. You told me your new friend made you hide before he was hurt by the scary man. I then saw the prince, but it was too late. If I’d just been there sooner… If I’d just continued in my search, my duty, instead of…”

Bodin closed his eyes as the pain of that day returned. He’d seen the two of them playing in the garden not an hour earlier, but he didn’t think anything of it. He knew it was one of his brother’s favorite places to go, and he’d always been safe there, so Bodin had continued on his way.

“By some miracle, you hadn’t been hurt,” Richard went on to Juniper. “But finding you in that situation, terrified, alone, and crying… It was the worst day of my life. Your mother’s too once she heard what had happened; she’s always felt so much guilt and regret about that day. Our selfish behavior…” He cleared his throat. “I carried you away and vowed to never leave you unprotected again.”

That was why the man was so diligent.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Bodin said, opening his eyes. “I’ve carried that same guilt for fifteen years. Looked at it from every angle.”

“You were still a boy yourself.” Richard shook his head. “I was a grown man who had failed at my duty.”

“Even if you kept searching, you might not have found them in time. You might have been killed. June might—” He choked on his words as he looked at his wife. If things had gone differently in any way, they would not have been brought together.

She met his gaze as if understanding. Getting to her feet, she crossed the space between their seats without a word and sat sideways on his lap to hug him. Bodin cradled her against his chest, pressing his lips to her forehead.

To Richard, he said, “It was Umbra who sent the assassin. Not Gilarn. They wanted to kill me to spark a war but came across Elias first. At least, that’s what I’ve pieced together. When interrogated, the man said he was sent by the Gilarnian King, but a group of Umbra rebels attacked me six years ago and claimed it was them. I assume the details of the assassin looking for me were still true.”

“Umbra is quite possibly more dangerous than the war itself,” Richard said in a hushed, haunted, faraway tone.

“Agreed.” Bodin ran a hand up and down June’s arm. “But my point is, even without your explanation, I would not have thought you were connected to Elias’s death simply because you are from Gilarn. And I do not care that you are from there. I know you are a good man. I’ve seen how you are with June. I trust you.”

Richard dipped his head. “Thank you.” He glanced at his daughter then back to him. “I feel the same about you.”

After a moment, Bodin said, “I do have one more question though. Did the king not think it strange to have his daughter hidden with a maid?”

“He knew about my magic,” Juniper said, standing and returning to sit beside her father. As if she needed to be near him now that they knew the truth. “He and my mother told me the reason I went with her was because they feared I would lose control in front of the court and others would think we were aligned with Gilarn.” She turned toward Richard. “Did she… know you were from Gilarn?”

Bodin could practically see the wheels turning in her head.

Richard’s brow furrowed as if following her line of thought. When he slowly nodded, Bodin’s stomach sank.

“So, how did she not know…?” she whispered.

“She did know,” a new voice said.

Bodin whipped around, hand splayed, but it was only Hugo and Laurent. Laurent went straight to Juniper, bending down and hugging her from behind. Bodin knew that his friend had been almost as worried about her as he had been. He whispered something that made her smile and elbow him in the stomach. It didn’t deter him though; he squeezed onto the end of the settee next to her, seeming as if he too needed the reminder that she was here and all right. Were he anyone else, Bodin wouldn’t allow such behavior. But he was grateful they had become such good friends so quickly. The two people he cared about most in the world.

“Where—”

“Rafe is talking to a few of your advisors about what to do next regarding the valley. Apparently, they caught word that we’d rushed in here and wanted to see what was going on, so he’s explaining your injury and the need to recruit more soldiers to the front lines,” Laurent said, as if reading his mind. “I told him I would meet him down there after checking in with you.”

Bodin let out a breath, thankful for the prince’s quick thinking.

Looking up at her other brother as he took an armchair opposite Bodin, Juniper said, “She knew?”

Hugo nodded. “I’m fairly certain. The last time I confronted her about it, she told me I needed to stop asking questions because she feared Father’s reaction if he learned the truth. She wouldn’t tell me who it was, but she confessed he was from Gilarn. I didn’t know Richard was Gilarnian—I don’t think anyone else did either, so there was no reason for my father to put it together. But she also hinted about that being the reason she stayed away too. She didn’t want to draw his attention to you, June.”

“All this time, I thought she hated me… that I’d done something to lose her love,” Juniper whispered.

“She loves you more than anyone.” He gave her a sad smile. “Before we left this last time, she went on a tangent about love, rambling about how nothing was more important and how we should do anything for those we care about. I thought she was referring to us stealing the soldiers to come fight for you and Bodin, but now…” Hugo glanced at Richard, “I think maybe she meant something more.”

Juniper buried her face in her hands, leaning against her father, naturally seeking comfort from him as any daughter would. Bodin’s father-in-law . She let out a muffled, “This is all too much.”

Bodin wanted to go to her, scoop her into his arms. With a start, he realized he didn’t have to deny himself that comfort anymore. He’d shared his final secret, and she still chose him, loved him. Getting to his feet, he went and knelt in front of her. He gently pulled her hands down then brushed at her damp cheeks with his thumbs. “I know, Sunshine.”

She shivered, shaking her head. “I’m so tired of crying. Can we please just… move on? Where do we go from here? I need a new head guard, obviously, and?—”

“No, you don’t,” Richard said. “This doesn’t change anything.”

Her face fell, and the man noticed.

“No, I just mean,” he added quickly, “I told you earlier that you are my family, and I meant it. You’ve always been like a daughter to me. Now that I know you are mine… the only thing that’s different is that we know the truth. I love you just as much as I did before, if not more, which I didn’t know was even possible.”

She bit her bottom lip, blinking and raising her eyes to the dark vaulted ceiling above them. “I said I’m tired of crying. Don’t make it worse.”

At the clear amusement in her tone, everyone chuckled, the relief palpable from the men in the room. Richard hugged her into his side and kissed her temple. She turned to wrap her arms around him. It was obvious that their relationship had always been that of a father and daughter. Now, they knew it was more than a feeling. It was real.

“Sir, I—” Bodin started before being cut off.

“Don’t you dare start addressing me so formally,” Richard said with a laugh.

Bodin’s heart felt so full in this moment, surrounded by his friends and family. They were only missing Nadine and Rafe. “You’re my father-in-law,” he said in a hushed voice. “You’re the father of the Queen of Mesairla. I can’t very well have you be our guard, and I certainly can’t just treat you like one.”

“You can treat me as you wish, but I’ve never entrusted her safety with another, and I don’t intend on starting now.”

They stared at each other in a silent battle.

“Besides,” Richard added, when he realized Bodin wasn’t giving in, “if people learn the truth, word will get back to King Pierre. Who knows what kind of trouble that could cause? It could even affect your arrangement, given that Juniper would not be considered a princess of Forosse. All of this would fall through. The treaty, the help he’s sent for the war, your marriage.”

Juniper’s eyes snapped to Bodin. He hadn’t considered that, and by the look on her face, neither had she. Putting a hand over hers, he said, “Nothing will nullify our marriage. I don’t care if you are their princess or not; you are my queen .”

Her gaze softened. She turned her hand to hold his.

“But for the time being, I agree; it’s not worth the risk,” he said. “I think we should continue as normal.”

“We won’t tell anyone,” she said, straightening her shoulders, but Bodin could still see a certain sadness lingering in her eyes at having to keep their relationship a secret—she was clearly ready to claim her true father as such. “At least, for now. We’ll wait until…”

The war ends. She didn’t need to say it; they knew what she meant. One way or another, it would be over soon.

“Speaking of,” Bodin stood upright, “I should go meet with Rafe and my advisors.”

“No.” Juniper jumped to her feet and grabbed his arm. “Not tonight.” When Laurent chuckled, she reached over to smack his shoulder, not even sparing him a glance. “It’s been a long day. You were wounded on the battlefield mere days ago, rode hard the entire way here from Tusan, then fought a literal monster. Plus, you’re still in pain—don’t pretend you’re not. I can see the way you’re trying to hide it.”

Bodin interrupted her the only way he knew how. He covered her mouth with his in a searing kiss, not caring in the slightest that they had an audience. Breaking it, he smirked and asked, “Are you done?”

“Depends on how stupid you’re going to be.”

“Gods above, I love you.” Locking his arms around her waist, he lifted her against his chest and kissed her again.

“I think that’s our cue to leave,” Laurent said.

Bodin lowered his wife but kept a hand on her hip. “Thank you all again.”

They started to leave, but Juniper said, “Wait! Richard—Father—what do I call you?”

“Whatever you prefer,” he said. She seemed to hesitate. Bodin knew her well enough by now to know she would want to use father , but she wouldn’t be sure if she should. Richard moved closer once more, seeming to pick up on this inner battle of hers. “Why don’t we stick with Richard for now? We’re keeping it a secret anyway. This way you won’t accidentally slip up in front of others.”

“Right.” She nodded, clearly relieved she didn’t have to make the choice herself. “I was going to ask—well, I have two questions. Can you teach me to use my magic?”

“Of course.”

She grinned, wiggling like a giddy adolescent. But then, she stopped and said, “Do you have healing abilities too? Can you heal Bo’s burn?”

Richard met his gaze and dipped his head. “I can.”

And just like that, Bodin knew what they needed to do to win this war. He knew how to turn the tides and make it an even fight.