Cursed by Malignant Magic (Once Upon A Curse)

Chapter 34

Chapter

Thirty-Four

I t was strange to be welcomed in a fortress instead of being held captive there. It was even stranger to be kissing the woman who had held me captive in her own fortress a few weeks ago and enjoying it more than anything else under the sun.

"You know, we should get up and go," I pointed out, pulling away. "The caravan will be leaving in a few hours, and someone is going to wonder where we are."

I gestured to us. Fully dressed, yes, but curled up on Legacy’s bed and wrapped around each other. I had been in the process of putting on my boots to check on my horse before we left, and now we had been kissing for who knew how long.

Not nearly long enough. We were meant to be leaving soon, and it wasn't as if we could just take off on our own. We certainly couldn't stay up here while the rest of the caravan waited on us.

"Fine," Legacy grumbled. "But know that I do this under protest."

I snorted sarcastically. “Hey, you never mentioned why you went to Tannin’s fortress the night of the advisors’ meeting.”

She shrugged. “I had a vision about the meeting, but I didn’t know when it was. I arrived a few days before, demanding to see him. I wanted to know how he made it out of the fortress collapse alive, and you didn’t. The guards told me he wasn’t there yet. I was screaming my head off, so they told me if I surrendered peacefully, they would make arrangements for Tannin and me to talk.”

“And by talk, you mean make him run away from three little girls?”

She laughed, the most perfect sound in the world. “That wasn’t what I had planned, but I’d say it worked out quite nicely.”

“Agreed.” I pressed my lips to her cheek.

It took some time, but finally we made it outside and waited for the caravan to ride out to the Montrose kingdom. We had been sent to speak with everyone of importance in our two kingdoms, from nobles all the way up to our own royalty, explaining the truth and what had happened with Tannin and the advisors, showing them his signed confession and the other evidence, and answering any questions they had. Thankfully, our next destination was our last.

There, royalty from both the Caputo and Montrose kingdoms waited. Together, for the first time in years. The fact that Legacy was coming with me was the only reason that I hadn't completely lost my mind yet.

Once we arrived, I bowed low, waiting for the queen of the Caputo kingdom to acknowledge us. With so much royalty in one room, I cringed while waiting to hear what would happen.

The queen of my kingdom, and the king and queen of Legacy's Montrose kingdom, plus a few princesses and princes, were all here. The two kingdoms had been warring for longer than Legacy and I had been alive, all seated in the same room on thrones that had been hastily arranged for all of them.

"So. You are the ones who discovered the treachery in our midst," the Montrose king mused.

He looked down at us, his brown hair threaded through with silver and his eyes locked on Legacy far more than me. I didn't mind being ignored.

Legacy nodded and tilted her head toward me. "And Collie, Your Highness. We worked together to try to end the war."

With so many of the high-ranking military officials turning on one another in the hopes of saving their own skins, the war had reached a standstill. Not because of a full ceasefire, although thankfully that had been signed just last week, but because there was no one to give orders to soldiers and Battle Mages in the field.

Even better, Legacy and I had been officially pardoned of all of our "crimes" by both of our kingdoms. Ehuna had nominated us both for medals of valor. Things were finally beginning to calm down, and I couldn't be happier to finally not have to look over our shoulders or worry about nearly being killed at every opportunity.

"We all owe the two of you a debt of gratitude,” the Montrose king said. “If there is something we can offer you, some boon or gift that is within our power, you need only to say the word."

The Montrose king glanced over at my queen, and she lowered her head in a slow nod of acknowledgement.

Tension rode the air, no doubt because none of the royalty knew how to listen to the other kingdom. There had been war for so long, I supposed we were just lucky that they weren't trying to stab one another instead of speaking. Tension was to be expected.

I glanced at Legacy, and she grinned back.

"Freedom," I said quietly, and the Montrose king’s brows rose. "Now that the war is over, we don't want to fight anymore. We just want to be left to our own devices. Left to live our lives in peace."

The royals gave slow nods.

"I believe we can do better than that,” my queen said. “You will both be made nobility, with lands and holdings of your own. You can live out the rest of your days in comfort."

Legacy cleared her throat, her cheeks pink, and I glanced at her from the corner of my eye.

"As for our lands and holdings, might I request that they are…close together?” I asked. “So that we might see more of one another."

A moment of silence, and then ringing laughter filled the room. Not sarcastic or judgemental, but real, genuine laughter.

I flushed and offered Legacy a smile. She grinned back, her hand brushing mine, our fingers curling together as the royals spoke quietly to one another.

"That can be arranged,” the Montrose queen said with a nod. “For now…you are free to go. We will arrange your reward. Until then, you are most welcome here in the castle."

We both bowed low, and began backing out of the room before any of those with a crown changed their minds.

Except something out of the corner of my eye stopped me. Something familiar but fleeting. A smile, I realized, on the face of a lady sitting next to the Caputo queen.

Her long, raven-black hair cascaded down her back in gentle waves, framing a heart-shaped face with high cheekbones and dark eyes that sparkled like obsidian. She wore a gown of shimmering sapphire silk that hugged her slender form, its bodice adorned with delicate silver embroidery. A single strand of pearls graced her neck, and a circlet of shimmering diamonds rested upon her brow.

Was that… Was that Varna ?

I couldn’t believe it. Varna…a princess? But she’d been in countless dungeons with me.

She winked, and I bit back a smile.

My mind still reeling, we made it outside.

Legacy placed her hands on my face, pulling me close for a kiss, which snapped me back to reality instantly. I grinned against her lips, holding her tightly.

I hadn't done any of this for a reward, and yet, I'd gotten everything I could dream of and more. We would never have to worry about having enough to eat or a place to stay. With our lands, we could help others as well.

But most importantly, we had each other. I wasn't sure what that meant yet, but we had the rest of our lives to figure it out.

I couldn't wait.