"It's really happening," I murmured, the words catching in my throat.
Legacy's breath hitched, her blue eyes wide with disbelief.
"Almost…" Ehuna grunted as she gave one last push of energy into the dying spell.
Then, with a click that sounded impossibly loud, the amulet opened. The shackle fell away from the woman I was absolutely not supposed to love, but did anyway.
I threw my arms around her, relief exploding from deep within me. She stumbled into the embrace, laughing.
"Let's never do that again," Legacy sighed against my shoulder, her body finally relaxing.
“Never,” I agreed, aware of the heartbeat thrumming through us both, a rhythm of life and love reclaimed. “Now I’ll always find you.”
She was free.Wewere free. And it wasn't just the absence of that amulet; it was the chains of war around our hearts dissolving into nothing but love.
Chapter
Thirty-Six
Several months later, I swung open the door of an inn. Legacy and I strode into the warm embrace of the crowded room, drinking in the sight of old wooden beams and the golden glow of candlelight. The scents of roasted meat and spiced ale stirred my senses.
The inn was located on the border of the Caputo and Montrose kingdoms, just a short distance from where we now lived. We wove through the tables, receiving plenty of acknowledging nods.
And then there she was. Princess Varna Caputo.
"Would you look at that?" I said with a grin, nudging Legacy's elbow.
Varna sat slouched at a small table near the hearth, looking more rogue than royalty. Her pristine attire had been swapped for travel-stained leathers. A mischievous grin played on her lips when she saw us.
"I only recognize her when she ditches the silks and satins," Legacy said with a smirk.
I chuckled.
We approached the table, and Varna's grin widened, revealing teeth white against the grime of her recent trials.
"I got your message obviously," she said. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
I sank down beside her, and Legacy sat across from her.
"I believe you have some explaining to do," I told Varna.
"Oh, that. Right. I've developed a taste for adventure. And I’m allergic to corsets." She laughed. "It's good to see you both outside the confines of war."
"Likewise," Legacy said, signaling for drinks with a raised hand.
I waved for Varna to continue. “Dungeons and capture. Why, Varna? You certainly didn’t have to.”
Varna's eyes met mine, and for a moment, the playful twinkle was gone, replaced by an intensity that made me sit up straighter. Legacy leaned forward too, her blue eyes fixed on Varna with equal parts concern and intrigue.
"I never much cared for being a princess," Varna began, her voice low. "Not in the way my mom and the court wanted me to be, at least. My place in this war… Well, let's just say I took matters into my own hands."
"By willingly walking into enemy clutches?" I asked.
She nodded solemnly. "I needed to understand what our people and Montrose people were enduring, to see the conditions of the prisoners with my own eyes. Only then could I gather the intelligence we sorely needed."
Legacy’s eyes widened. "Wait, you mean to tell us you got yourself captured on purpose?"
"Sometimes a cage can reveal more than a throne ever could," Varna said, a shadow crossing her features as she touched a scar that marred her otherwise smooth cheek. "And from within those cages, I learned truths that changed the war."
