“I tripped against a root on my way to the stables and caught myself on a tree trunk, and it withered. That was when I became truly scared. I touched every piece of shrubbery I could find,prayingit was a mistake, but each one rotted and died. Shriveled before my very eyes. I knew it was the Grimaldi curse; I knew I couldn’t escape it.
“I tore back through the palace, avoiding everyone who came in my path, and holed myself in my chambers for a week. My mother needed me. Mypeopleneeded me. I was supposed to becrowned their king, and I wouldn’t even show my face. They—they thought I was drunk or ignoring my responsibilities, and perhaps I was. I should have been there for them. But I didn’t know what to do. Istilldon’t know what to do most of the time.
“There was a—a girl.” He swallowed. “From this territory. A…servant I’d hired several months before. She frequented my bedroom often.” He glanced up at me, but I didn’t react. “She knew of a secret door behind a tapestry in my room. She took it upon herself to persuade me to crawl out of my hiding spot. I’d forgotten to block that door and wasn’t expecting anyone to come through it. She came in the middle of the night. Crawled into my bed and tried to wake me. I found her dead the next morning, her decayed arm thrown over my naked chest.” He paused. “Her name was Vivian Printh.”
I grimaced as bile crept up my throat. Mia padded over to my lap and curled into a ball, resting her chin on my chest and looking up at me with her big eyes.
“So, yes, Clarissa,” he said, voice tired. His eyes were both hollow and full of anguish at the same time. “Ididkill that man’s daughter. And she’s not the only one.”
I didn’t know what to say.
He was right—I couldn’t possibly understand. He had no choice in this legacy, no choice in the nightmare his life had become. All he could choose was how he reacted. How he pushed forward.
I’d felt many emotions toward this man since I met him. Intrigue, frustration, confusion, anger. But now…now I felt pity. Now I understood what rested beneath his layers. After seeing what was taken from him, something that represented so much more than mere touch.
He just wanted to be loved.
And I couldn’t even give that to him.
“Does Tovar Printh know how it happened?” I asked quietly.
Galen shook his head. “Thorne and my mother helped me cover it up. Thorne was heavily opposed to the idea, but I thinkthat man would do almost anything to protect those he loves. We said Vivian fell ill, and there was nothing we could do. But the servants spoke, and rumors spread in the wake of my absence. Printh wrote many letters. My guards told me he’d even tried to storm the palace after he didn’t hear from his daughter in several months, demanding to see her body, but I…we…”
He shook his head and slumped back in his seat. “We’d burned it. There couldn’t be any proof of what I’d done. I sent a courier to pay him and his family handsomely, ensuring they’d be set for life. Of course, that didn’t make up for any of it. I’m not surprised he tried to kill me today.” Leaning forward, he held his head in his hands once more, his shoulders deflating as he let out a long breath.
“You must think I’m a monster,” he said, so softly I barely heard him.
I bit down on my bottom lip. “I don’t think you’re a monster. You didn’t do this to them on purpose. You didn’twantthis curse. But Galen…your people needed you. All these months you’ve been hiding away at your palace, these families have been fighting a blight threatening to wipe out everything they’ve worked for.”
“What good would it have done?” he asked. “I can’t take the rot away. I can’t stop the curse. If anything, being near them would have put them inmoredanger. Can’t you see that?”
“Being their king doesn’t mean you’re going to solve all their problems with a wave of your hand. Sometimes it simply meansbeing there. Listening. Acknowledging them and giving them hope. Making them feel heard, not abandoned.”
I expected him to get defensive, to snap back and remind me of my place in this kingdom. Instead, he lowered his head. “I do care for these people, Clarissa. Ido. But I don’t know how to lead them. I don’t know how to help them when I’m the one causing their pain. I don’t—I don’t know what to do anymore.”
This man was trapped. Immobilized by his own mind, his own fears. Too frightened and ashamed to take any steps forward, even if that meant he was leaving them in the dark.
I put a hand on his knee. “I see your fear, Galen. I have since that first night in your palace. But what I haven’t been able to figure out is if you’re afraid of the curse,” I cocked my head to the side, “or the crown?”
He let out a breath. “They’re the same thing, aren’t they? I can’t have one without the other. Until you came.”
“Youare their king, Galen. Not me. I can’t solve your problems for you.”
“But you could help me.” He grasped my hands. I jolted at the contact of leather on my skin. “Have you made your decision yet? Will you still agree to marry me?”
If I was being honest, I never needed time. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind about what I had to do.
I’d already accepted his proposal once, albeit via correspondence with his council, but for some reason…this felt different.
Because I didn’t feel anything at all.
“Of course, Galen.”
His hands instantly squeezed mine as a breath of relief left his lips. He reached into the pocket of his jacket, fishing for something until he pulled out a small box.
“I’ve been carrying this on me, waiting for this conversation. I wanted to make sure it was your choice.” He looked around the tiny space of the carriage. “There isn’t really a proper way to do this in here, but…” He opened the box to reveal a ring with a large diamond in the center. Smaller gemstones dotted the silver band. Tiny rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, all shining back at me.
“Clarissa Aris, will you marry me?”
