She had figured out his secret, he should never have doubted her, especially having watched her grow up at the palace. He knew how perceptive and bright she was, he should have known that she would be the one to figure it out. They were stuck in close quarters on the royal train for the Royal Engagement Tour, the young king wasn’t the only one withholding a secret from the others. He had one too, one he was terrified would be found out. As the head of the Royal Guard, the thought of his secret coming out terrified him. Of course she would figure it out—what surprised him was her willingness to help him keep it from being uncovered. Olivia knew all about duty to country and understood his fear of what would happen if his secret were to come out.
There was a new king, but would the policy within the guard change or stay the same? Even if the policy were to change, would it happen in time to save his job? He knew all too well what could happen when this type of secret came out, having had to fabricate fireable offenses himself under the rule of an unyielding king. He’d kept it secret for so long that it was almost easier to keep it a secret at this point. So when Olivia offered to act as his girlfriend to help keep his secret he found it hard to say no. Bastien knew Caleb was becoming less interested in hiding, but Caleb also understood Bastien’s reluctance in coming out knowing he had more on the line once he did.
Bastien started dating Olivia early on in the engagement tour. Everyone had been surprised when they started dating. The one who seemed to have the hardest time wrapping his head around the relationship was Drake. Bastien hated deceiving the young man he had raised from a young teen. Although he’d gotten used to the half truths over the years— this one seemed different and he wasn’t sure why. It was just another way to cover his real relationship, much like the many covers he’d used over the years, so why was he so hesitant to lie to those closest to him now?
The longer Bastien dated Olivia, the more it dawned on him why this secret might be different. It started to become clear that he was developing unexpected feelings for the woman he’d watched grow into the beautiful woman before him. He felt like he was betraying Caleb by having feelings for his girlfriend. Bastien may have grown accustom to keeping secrets, but the one person he could never keep them from was Caleb. They’d been together far too long to start keeping secrets from each other, wether they be big or small he knew he had to be truthful with Caleb, no matter how much the truth might hurt. He went to Caleb apologizing profusely for falling for Olivia, Caleb insisted he had no hard feelings toward either of them. Inside Caleb was hurting, here there was this beautiful young woman who could be with the man he loved freely. It hurt that she could be for Bastien what he never could as long as they both remained in the guard. Bastien assured Caleb that he would never do anything to act upon his newfound feelings for Olivia, promising Caleb that his heart would only ever belong to him.
Bastien should have known better than to make such a promise, after all fate has a funny way of turning your life upside down when you least expect it. He’d kept his promise to Caleb for the duration of the engagement tour, keeping to chaste public kisses to keep up appearances. Each kiss only proving to make his heart race, blurring the lines of their relationship even more than they already were. Bastien kept trying to tell himself that the kisses were nothing more than a way to keep up appearances, tried to bury the feelings deep inside—lie to himself. Somewhere deep inside he had to know the truth, that she was slowly claiming a piece of his heart. Maybe he thought by ignoring the truth the feelings would simply go away. Or maybe he didn’t want to admit it because that meant he had betrayed Caleb by falling for someone new.
Bastien didn’t have long to dwell his new feelings or the reasoning behind trying to deny that they were growing and not likely to go away. There was an attack at the homecoming ball, his attention becoming divided when he lost sight of Olivia, he’d forever regret letting her presence affect his job. Olivia wasn’t the only one to take his attention from the king, where it belonged. As he watched Drake dive to take the bullet meant for Duchess Drew his heart nearly stopped. He rushed to Drew and Drake’s aid, helping her get Drake to an SUV and sent them off with Caleb to the hospital.
Bastien could see the same fear in Drew’s eyes for Liam echoed in Caleb’s at the thought of separating. Bastien hated sending Caleb off without knowing if they’d be reunited, but in that moment he knew Caleb was the only guard he could trust to keep the future queen and and the man he raised safe. He knew he had become slightly distracted by Olivia and his feelings for her, but the security was tight, the assassins never would be able to get in unless they had inside help. He would have to look into every member of the guard, but for now he had to ensure the safety of his king. Bastien gave one more heartfelt look to the man who he loved before sending him off, silently promising he would return to him, Drew’s tear filled eyes and terrified face as she begged him to save Liam etching into his memory.
Bastien raced back into the ballroom, struggling to quell his fears for Olivia and her safety, knowing he needed to be focused on Liam, the king in that moment. He spied Liam still fighting off attackers, doing a better job of defending himself than the female guard who was supposed to be protecting him. He knew the guard was more than capable, and made a mental note to check into her. As he neared King a stray bullet struck Bastien in the left thigh. Pain coursed through his body, radiating from his wound, but in that moment the only thing that mattered was getting Liam to safety. He managed to get Liam out in one piece before passing out from blood loss.
Once Bastien was released from the hospital, the only remnant of his injury a limp, Olivia insisted he stay with her at her manor a week to continue to heal. Bastien tried to protest, he needed to get to the bottom of how the assassins were able to gain access to the palace. He had his suspicions, but he needed to check them out as well as ensure that the king and future queen would remain safe over the two month Unity tour; a plan hatched by Drew to show the stability of the monarchy even while they were under attack—further proving how much the king father truly underestimated her ability to be a strong leader. All his arguments were made mute when Liam insisted he take a few days, promising that the other senior members of the guard could handle anything while he recovered fully. Bastien was unsure, but who was he to ignore direct orders from his king? If he were to ever ignore an order it would have been one of the several times he had to fabricate a reason to fire perfectly good guards because of an out of date policy the former king refused to change.
Olivia’s emerald eyes shone with mischief as she requested a member of the royal guard come with them to Lythikos, asking for Caleb by name. The instant Caleb’s name fell from her lips Bastien knew what Olivia was trying to do for him, them. All reservations Bastien had went out the window when he realized Olivia was planning alone time for him and Caleb, away from prying eyes of the court. He wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to properly thank her for everything she was doing for him and Caleb. He was so thankful she was giving them some time alone he temporarily forgot the complication that his feelings for her were bound to bring to their time spent at her estate. It never once occurred to Bastien that she might be harboring her own feelings for him, he never once thought that the time spent in Lythikos might forever change his relationship with Caleb.
Bastien was pleasantly surprised when Liam readily agreed to letting Caleb, one of the top guards, join him and Olivia in Lythikos. He could tell Liam was stumped as to why the strong Nevrakis woman would feel the need to request a member of the Royal Guard to accompany them. Liam knew Olivia was more than capable of taking care of herself and anyone in her care—yet maybe that was the sole reason he agreed, figuring she must really be concerned for both her and Bastien’s safety to even make the request. Whatever King Liam’s reason to agree, Bastien was thankful he consented to Caleb accompanying them. His desire to be alone with Caleb clouding his better judgement.
Shortly after arriving at the Nevrakis estate, Caleb saw a shift in his relationship with Olivia—what once was purely friendly was slowly becoming more. He was noticing that while she had a strong exterior that she could also be soft and caring, something he didn’t notice until she was free to let down her guard in her own home. Caleb had initially felt hurt and threatened by Olivia and Bastien’s closeness, especially the way they had to interact in public, knowing the feelings Bastien had developed. The longer they spent at her estate, the more he felt his own feelings about the scarlet duchess change. Over the Royal Engagement Tour Caleb didn’t get to spend much time with her, she was Bastien’s cover, so she spent her time with Bastien. This was the first time he really got to see her, the real Olivia, not the scarlet duchess she portrayed to the world. He didn’t expect her to be quite so carefree, he found that he loved the sound of her melodic laugh and tried to hear it more often. The way her emerald eyes sparkled and her face lit up made his heart sing. Caleb had been questioning how Bastien could possibly have feelings for two people at once, fearing he was losing the man he loved to the younger woman, he was finally starting to understand. Things with Olivia at the Nevrakis estate felt easy, he wasn’t sure why she was brought into their life like this, but he certainly found himself not wanting to ever let her slip away from either of them.
Olivia knew when she figured out Bastien’s secret that she had to do everything she could to ensure it was kept and he remained the head of the guard. She knew changing the head of the guard and the king at the same time was far too risky. She wanted to believe that Liam would change the outdated policy, but she also knew if Madeline managed to snag the crown she would fight Liam on the change stating that it would be safer for everyone to keep the policy the way it had been. Olivia knew that where Drew was the one meant to be queen that Bastien was the only one who could handle running the guard as Liam learned the ropes.
Olivia had been surprised that the longer she acted as Bastien’s girlfriend the easier and more normal it felt. The feel of his lips on hers making her feel more alive than she ever thought possible. She berated herself for falling for him, he wasn’t hers and never could be, his heart belonged to someone else, to another man. She chastised herself for constantly falling for men who could never love her back.
When Bastien got hurt Olivia used her status as his girlfriend to help him have some private time with the man he loved. She realized watching them together might make the pain of not being able to ever have him the way the outside world thought she did even more unbearable, but it was something that she needed to do for him. She never expected to start falling for Caleb too. She despised herself for how easily she fell for both unavailable men. She hated how she felt free to be more genuine and open with them both. It disgusted her how easily they could both make her laugh, and how much she longed to hear their own deep rumbling chuckles.
Olivia detested the fate that would put three men that could never care for her the way she cared for them in her path, in her heart. She couldn’t understand what she might have done to deserve such a punishment as unrequited love. She had gotten over her love for Liam, but somehow didn’t think Caleb and Bastien would be as easy to get over.
Olivia tried to distance herself from Caleb and Bastien the remainder of their stay at her estate, desperate to protect some small piece of her heart. The fates were cruel, setting both men she desperately longed to avoid on her path. Unable to avoid them she steeled herself, her heart for the heartbreak she knew was inevitable. She never expected they might feel the same for her.
Caleb couldn’t get Olivia out of his head, out of his heart. He may have felt guilty if he didn’t know that Bastien also had feelings for her. He could tell that Olivia had feelings for Bastien too, the way her gaze lingered on him when she thought neither of them were looking. Caleb was only unsure if she felt the same way about him as she did for Bastien. He yearned to know her feelings for him more than he was willing to admit, he didn’t even truly understand why he needed to know the answer so badly. What would he even do with that knowledge if she had feelings for him too?
Frequent brushes of her hand against his told him what he needed to know. Jolts of electricity coursed through his veins at every brief touch, her widening eyes told him Olivia felt the same sensation with every gentle caress. He spoke to Bastien about his observations over the course of their stay, both of them agreeing to speak with Olivia before they left Lythikos.
Olivia had been stunned when Caleb and Bastien approached her two days before they were to leave, joining the others at Portarvia. She had never thought that her feelings could be returned. She was even more surprised when they questioned her about what she thought they should do about the shared feelings. Olivia was sure that she must have been dreaming, her breath hitching as Caleb slowly leaned in to kiss her, giving her more than enough time to tell him no. The sparks of electricity proved to her that this was in fact real and happening. Her heart raced at their suggestion that they alter the ‘existing’ relationships, combining them into one. None of them knew if it could work, all agreeing that they should at the very least try.
They knew that hiding the expanded relationship may prove to be more difficult than the relationship Caleb and Bastien had hidden for years. Yet the unexpected way that Olivia made them both feel more complete in a way they hadn’t know was missing was worth the risk. The only element that would make it easier was the fact that everyone already knew of Olivia and Bastien’s relationship, even if it hadn’t started until months after everyone thought.
Before they returned to court, joining the others on the Unity Tour, Caleb tried to convince Bastien to resign from the guard. He felt selfish for even asking him, but he also didn’t want to lose him before they had the chance to be together out in the open. He knew it would still take time unless he also left, but he had been too close to losing Bastien he couldn’t risk that the next time he wouldn’t make it back to him. Caleb had hoped that since their relationship dynamic changed over their stay that Olivia would help him convince Bastien to resign. He hadn’t counted on her being so level headed and actually supporting Bastien. The strength Olivia exuded even as he could sense her own worry for Bastien’s safety only served to make Caleb fall even more in love with Olivia. He had thought that her feelings would overrule her head, instead she reminded Caleb that it would be far too dangerous to have a new head of guard while the country was at risk. Her points that Bastien understood the dynamics of all the guards and how best to run the guard. Olivia managed to convince him that it was better to wait until the threats to the country where over. Caleb only hoped that waiting wouldn’t prove to be a mistake they would all regret.
There was another attack on the palace, this time a bombing at the costume Gala. Bastien had known the attacks on the crown were just getting started, one of the reasons he wouldn’t resign like Caleb wanted. The ceiling was caving in, the guests panicking, he remained calm—years of being in the guard training him to keep his head during emergencies. His mind briefly drifting to Caleb and Olivia, he had to trust that they would both be safe, return to his arms once they all made it out safe.
Bastien should have known better than to be so optimistic, he should have known they wouldn’t all get out unscathed. The King father had been crushed when he pushed Liam out of the way. After all his cold unfeeling acts as both a king and a father Bastien had been surprised that he finally found a way to put his sons first. Constantine had been the only casualty, but was not the only injury caused by the attack; Bastien was helping others escape the falling rubble when his injured leg was struck as he pushed a fleeing noble out from the debris path. His second injury at the assassins hands only proved to put things in perspective for him.
Bastien was done hiding. He was crippled after protecting King Liam during the palace attack, and now he was lying in a hospital bed recovering after the palace bombing. It was clear the threat wasn’t going to end anytime soon, and he just needed to focus on himself, to finally take the proper amount of time to heal.
Members of the Royal Guard came to visit Bastien. As before there was one guard in particular who stayed longer than anyone else. Caleb’s worried face broke his heart, and he was starting to think maybe he should have listened to him about resigning after he had been shot at the homecoming ball. Bastien knew it wasn’t about gaining freedom, as long as Caleb stayed on the guard it was easier to keep their relationship hidden, or that’s what he constantly told himself to make the hiding easier. He knew Caleb was simply worried about losing him before they ever had a chance to be out in the open the way they had dreamed. If he had listened to Caleb back then instead of being stubborn, he wouldn’t be in the hospital for the second time in under two months.
Bastien has always hated the antiquated laws within the guard regarding same-sex and polyamorous relationships, but he understood the need to lead by example, even if it meant having to fire good men for foolish reasons. He was now done following a rule that was outdated and he didn’t believe in. He’d sacrificed too much, and he wasn’t going to wait any longer. He was ready to truly lead by example.
Bastien kissed Caleb’s hand. “I’m so sorry I made you wait all these years. But I’m ready now, if you’ll have me.”
Caleb smiled softly, “you know that isn’t just up to us anymore, but I’m glad you’re finally seeing the light.” He replied.
“True, where is Liv anyways?” Bastien asked, the sound of heels clicking on the cold linoleum floor outside his room giving him is answer.
“How many more times are you going to end up in this damn hospital?” Olivia questioned as she entered the room.
Caleb chuckled softly at her words, used to her abrasiveness when she was worried.“I was wondering the same thing Liv. He says he’s ready to tell Liam.” He replied, knowing her well enough to know she more than likely would not approve.
Olivia raised her eyebrows as she studied both men. “Absolutely not! Risking your position as head of the Royal Guard while we have pathetic weak willed people threatening the crown is ridiculous. This can wait, Liam and Cordonia need you as the head guard too much.” Olivia replied, narrowing her eyes, daring either man to question her.
Bastien and Caleb nodded, both knowing she was right, they needed to wait until they knew the crown and country would be safe first, once it was they would all be willing to risk everything.
