Witch In Charge - Celia Kyle Page 0,66

“Huh?”

Darious sighed heavily. “He's giving up everything to live in some sagging, creaky old haunted house. With you.”

That she understood—though she was having a hard time believing it. Turning away from Darious, she focused on Ronun again, still kneeling and holding out a ring. Damn, it was big! When it blurred, she wondered if she would ever stop crying.

“Is this true?” she asked him in a voice barely above a whisper.

But he heard. Lowering the ring, he stood, but didn't close the distance between them. It was clear he would not cross the final boundary—she would have to go to him. It warmed her heart that he understood he might have done permanent damage to her that he could never make up for, but he clearly wanted to try.

“It’s true. The moment you broke the curse—which I can never thank you enough for—Darious sensed it and came to me immediately. If he had continued to sit on the throne while I was able to rule, he would be bound by the laws as a usurper and executed for it. It’s one of our worst crimes, and after his family's immense service to not only my family line, but to the kingdom, I couldn't allow that to happen. I had to return with him to protect his life.”

Great, now she couldn't yell at him for ditching her because he was legit trying to save someone's life. Of course, she clung to her righteous indignation over being ghosted.

“Okay, fine,” she conceded. “You had to go back in that moment to save the guy's life. I get that, but you could have reached out to me.”

He smiled softly and took a step closer. “You're right, of course. I should have sent someone with a message, but quite honestly, I was overwhelmed. The business of officially abdicating and ensuring the proper succession of leadership is surprisingly time-consuming. Lots of details needed to be ironed out before Darious and his line were accepted as the permanent ruling family without there being an uprising. I worked tirelessly all day, every day to get that handled so I could come home, Kelly. To you.”

He came another step closer, so close it was almost impossible for Kelly to stop herself from reaching out to him. She didn’t, though. Things still needed to be said before she could move past the pain and into forgiveness.

“I'm so sorry I've caused you a minute of pain, Kelly. If you'll let me, I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”

Kelly's nose twitched, but she couldn't give in. Not yet. “You expect me to believe you're giving up an entire kingdom just for me?”

“I am.”

“And you seriously think you wouldn't resent me for it sometime in the future? I mean, we're not talking about giving up a job or a cute apartment. We're talking about an entire kingdom, and all the prestige, power, and wealth that goes along with it, Ronun.”

His smile warmed his eyes. “Trust me, I'm aware, but you also need to trust that I will never resent you for the choice I made. I've never wanted to rule, Kelly. Not only that, but I'm not even remotely qualified for the job. I'm a security guard for god's sake. I know nothing of politics and statesmanship. But the Detree clan, on the other hand, have been running the kingdom without a hitch for generations. I may have had the luck of inheriting Prince Erodicus's bloodline, but they're the true leaders of our people. Not me. So when I had to decide between claiming a throne I didn't want and you… Well, it was the easiest decision I've ever made. My heart and soul belong to you, Kelly Holloway.”

He edged a little closer, but when Kelly stiffened, he stilled.

“But…Kalliope.” Her voice was hoarse with anger. “She told me everything, Ronun.”

His eyes narrowed. “She told you what, exactly?”

“Oh, just that you only got close to me to break the curse. No big deal.” The tears in her eyes belied her flippant tone.

Sadness shaded his dark eyes. “Oh, my love, my darling. I made the mistake of telling Kalliope that when you touched me, the curse somehow felt…lighter. Less powerful. It confused and excited me, and she suggested I spend more time with you to see what would happen. I'm not proud of this, but that's one of the reasons I kissed you for the first time. I'd half-hoped the curse would break from it, but…it didn't. That's why I