#* .・ heavy is the head that wears the crown » liam.

[philipcharmont]

charmonts as MAJOR ARCANA → the eldest

jacqueline, william & cosima.

[tessa-liam]

Smoke and Mirrors 

Chap. 3: What’s Important 

Book: The Royal Romance Finale AU 

Series Premise: Hidden in the shadows, poised to challenge the status quo are enemies of the state. The loyalties and honesty of family and of friends will be tested. ‘Keep your friends close, your enemies closer.” 

Main Pairing: Liam Rys x F!MC Riley Brooks-Rys, OTP ‘LiRi’ 

2nd Pairings: Leo Rys x Amalas (past, Olivia Nevrakis x Amalas)           Drake Walker x F!OC Delaney Leigh 

All characters belong to Pixelberry, except Delaney Leigh, Interpol Director Ryerson, Criminal Intelligence Officer Cossoy 

Rating: M *Series Warnings: NSFW material, sexual innuendo, adult language/swearing 

Category: Alternate Universe/on-going series/angst/fluff 

Words: 2197, Read: 10 minutes 

Smoke and Mirrors

Chapter 3: What's Important

Chapter Summary: Don’t ever forget what’s most important. The ones we love. 

Music Inspiration: Who We Love by Sam Smith, Ed Sheeren 

A/N: My submission for Week #18 Prompts, Prompt #3- “Why are you like this?”> “It’s part of my charm.” @choicesflashfics @choicesficwriterscreations 

A/N2: Not beta'd, please excuse all errors.

Previous Chapter: I Will Fight for You, Masterlist 

*** 

Royal Chambers 

Liam's Thoughts/POV 

Thinking back to yesterday... 

The traitor was found, named, and arrested. Bastien... 

Interpol Director Ryerson and his team uncovered an elaborate web of deception that was set in motion by my father, all those years ago. 

Bastien was complicit at every turn; with insider information. With access to everything. To anyone. 

Once my father was gone, who did he answer to? 

It was supposed to be me, his monarch. But it wasn’t. 

Finally, getting sloppy, he was caught orchestrating the jailbreak of a prisoner by the royal guard’s second in command, Bastien’s top lieutenant. Who, to his credit, in turn disclosed his concerns to his friend Drake. Drake, loyal to the crown, revealed the breach to the Royal Council. 

Bastien has been charged with treason; now named a criminal being held in confinement in a jail cell in France.  

A criminal, that past Kings would have executed by their own hand for the crime committed, treason. 

It didn’t stop there. 

After the realization of the betrayal, by a man sworn to protect him, and his family, there was the added bonus of the discovery of a possible sister. 

Tossing and turning, sleep evaded his night.  

As Liam stared into darkness his mind kept replaying the events of the day over and over again. The memories of Director Ryerson’s words, “Her name is Lena Eleanor Rys,” and “apprehended by the Royal Guard, that was later released by Bastien Lykel”, on repeat. 

Heavy is the head that wears the crown. 

Fuck!!! 

His mind would not let his body sleep. 

He looked down at his wife, his queen, curled into his side, peacefully asleep. 

A woman that took the revelations in stride. Sure, she was livid about Bastien’s treachery...but, she wasn’t surprised.  

Riley knew, all too well, that Bastien followed the command of his monarch, without question.  

So instead of getting emotional, she turned her anger into resolve; determined to find answers. 

She is my inspiration. My partner in everything. 

Kissing the top of her head, he carefully moved her arm as he sat up. 

Liam left his chambers with plans of going down to the gym to work out and de-stress. Moving down the hall, he passed by Ellie’s chamber. Peering through the small opening of her door, he saw Chance sleeping at the foot of her bed. Her guard, stationed outside her door, bowed to Liam as he continued down the hall. 

*** 

Across from the Royal east wing, Leo sat on his terrace in the west wing of the palace, long into the night, also unable to sleep. He’d spent most of it watching the stars and thinking about what he and his brother had learned from the Interpol director. 

...and thought about how much he wanted to personally punish Bastien for his duplicity and deception.  

It was strange to think that they had a possible sister. It felt like some kind of twisted fairy tale. One thing was for sure...his father was a selfish and cruel man. How could he do something like this? Why did he knowingly want to hurt Liam with deception?  

What did his father do to make life so miserable for his own mother to leave him behind? Sure, the court members were vipers. But his father had all the power to protect and shield her. 

He thought back to when he first met Queen Eleanor, his stepmother. 

She was so sweet and kind. She was always smiling and happy even though she was married to my bastard father. She genuinely made me feel wanted and part of the family. True to form, Constantine didn’t protect Liam’s mother either.

lost my mother and my stepmother. 

Leo raised his glass, finishing the last of the scotch, when his laptop chimed signaling an incoming video chat.   

“Hey baby!” Leo said as soon as the video came up. 

“Hello there handsome,” Queen Amalas smiled at him. 

Leo returned the smile, “I have missed you.” 

Amalas sighed, “I have missed you too. When are you coming home to me?” 

“Soon. I need to be here a while longer. Once my brother has everything in place with the new head of the Royal guard, I will join in the search for our half-sister in Monterisso.” 

“...and then, you are all mine. No more distractions will separate us?” 

Amalas somberly asked. 

"Why are you like this?", Leo asked pointedly. “I am not used to you being so ‘clingy’.” 

Amalas looked into the camera and sighed. “I don’t know. After everything I have gone through with Olivia, I don’t want to be a secret, or an afterthought anymore.”  

“Baby, I promise you that you are in my thoughts constantly. I would give anything to be with you right now in person.” Leo smiled genuinely. 

“I miss you terribly,” Amalas confessed. “How do you always know the right things to say?” 

“It’s part of my charm.” Leo winks and suggestively says, “get lots of rest baby, because when I get to your palace, I will wear you out in the best way possible.” 

*** 

It was 5:30 am, when Liam returned to his chambers after completing an intense workout. Moving into the bathroom, he stripped out of his shorts and turned on the shower. 

Standing underneath the shower stream of hot water, Liam felt his body begin to relax as a sense of relief washed over him. His eyes closed and he let out a sigh, feeling like all the tension had now been released from his muscles.  

Not hearing Riley enter the shower behind him, he was pleasantly surprised to feel a pair of hands move over his back, massaging in slow soothing strokes. She moved her hands down to his ass squeezing and kneading with firm pressure before moving around to his front brushing against his hardening shaft. 

Liam groaned, “Riley, love...this water is too hot for you and the babieser.” He gently grasped her hands and turned to face her, blocking the flow of water. 

Riley reached up to stroke his cheek, resting her head on his chest. 

“I love you Liam, so much.” She felt him smile against her palm and then his kiss pressed her palm. 

“...and I love you,” he whispered in her ear. 

“We need to get out of this steam.” Liam gently turned Riley around to leave the shower. Taking his hand, she led him into the bedroom. 

“You know,” she said as they walked, “I don’t think we have time for a morning sex session.” 

“No?” he feigned surprise. “Are you sure about that?” Liam teased. 

Riley smirked, shaking her head as she pulled him down to sit on the edge of the bed. Stepping between his legs, Riley knelt down in front of him. Looking up at him through her lashes, "this Is a little something to tide you over till after the meeting, Your Majesty.” 

Liam quirked his brow, “oh, really?” 

“Yes, I want you all to myself this evening so that we can really enjoy each other when everyone is gone, uninterrupted,” she purred. 

*** 

King’s Study, Royal Council 

Drake was the second member to arrive at the Royal council meeting. He walked in with a smile and took his seat next to Hana at the boardroom table. He noticed that she seemed to be nervous and was curious to find out why. 

“Good morning, Hana. It’s great to see you here.” 

“Hello Drake, thank you.  Can I ask you something?”  

“Sure, what’s up?”  

“Is Neville a part of this council?” 

Drake grinned, “Do you really think that Riley would give him any voice and make him a member? Why do you ask?” 

Before she could answer, Director Ryerson and Officer Cossoy entered followed by Leo and Rashad. As the remaining council members took their seats, Hana whispered, “Neville found out that I am back in Cordonia, and wants to meet with me.” 

“Oh, what a desperate motherfu...,” Drake chuckled. “Give me the word and I’ll kick his ass for you.” 

Hana grinned, “thank you. I hope it doesn’t come to that.” 

Riley entered next, followed by Liam, each taking their seats at the head of the long table. 

As the royal guard closed the doors, The Interpol officers began the meeting to present the status of the investigations, and to answer any questions. 

After the long 3 hour presentation ended, Liam stood to formally thank the Interpol officers for the update and asked the council members to remain. 

Liam continued, “we need to plan a trip to Monterisso.” 

*** 

Sitting at the dining table, Ellie waited patiently for her nanny to spread butter on her brioche roll. The wait staff bowed to Riley as she entered the room. “Mmmm...something smells so good,” Riley said as she took her place alongside her daughter, unfolding a cloth napkin on her lap. 

“I do not know what it is, but I would like some please,” Ellie asked excitedly. 

“Daddy will be here soon, sweetheart.” Riley said with a smile and kissed her little girl’s forehead. “Tell me about your day, what were your lessons about?”  

Before she could answer, she heard Liam greet the chef in the hall. 

“Daddy! Ellie exclaims. 

“Well, hello, my princess.” Liam bent down to kiss her cheek. 

“I learned about spelling words, and we read stories today.” 

Liam kissed Riley on the lips next and moved to his chair, 

“Ewww, Daddy!” Liam let out a deep laugh. 

“When you are married one day, you will like kisses.” Riley laughed at Liam’s expression to that comment. 

“That won’t happen for a long, long time, princess.” Liam shot Riley a look, and she chuckled. 

Under the table, Riley ran her foot up Liam’s leg. He sat back smiling at his wife.  

“You are in so much trouble Ri...just wait till later." His voice barely a whisper.  

“Ellie, what would you say to going on a trip to visit Micaela?” Riley asked, changing the subject.  

“Oh yes, mommy!” Ellie happily clapped her hands.  

*** 

Riley sat at her dressing table, brushing her long chestnut hair. Anticipating Liam to join her soon, she felt her heartbeat quicken when she heard his voice speaking to the guard posted outside their chambers. 

She rose from her stool, to check her reflection one more time and walked out onto the balcony. The night air was crisp, and she shivered as a cool breeze blew her hair. She leaned against the railing overlooking the garden below. 

“There you are.... You are so beautiful.” He pulled her into his arms for a kiss that left her breathless. Liam pressed himself closer against her body, feeling her curves beneath the thin silk of her chemise. He could feel his desire rising as he looked down at her, admiring the softness of her skin and the peaks of her nipples under the silk. He moved her straps down her shoulders, and lowered his head slowly and took one of her breasts in his mouth, sucking on it gently. Riley moaned softly as his warm tongue brushed over her sensitive nipple.  

“Oh God!” she cried out in surprise when she felt him slip his hand between her legs and yank her chemise down between her legs. Riley gripped Liam’s biceps as he slid his fingers along her wet pussy lips. He slipped two fingers into her and began to pump them in and out. Riley whimpered in pleasure, grinding her hips against his hand as she succumbed to her orgasm. 

Liam was now rock hard and throbbing as he spun Riley around to take her from behind. It didn’t take long for Liam to find his release. 

Climbing into bed, both sated, they fell into a deep, restful slumber wrapped together. 

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[txemrn]

Déjà Vu

Chapter 1

Series Summary: After an unforgettable night with a stranger, Princess Eleanor finds herself caught in a secret love triangle between a noble and a commoner.

Chapter Summary: Eleanor prepares for a night out with her best friends despite her mother's wishes for her to attend a special family dinner.

Pairing(s): Liam x Riley (in discussion); more to be revealed

Word Count: ~2740

Warning: 🔞 Mature Audiences Only 🔞 this chapter references drinking; brief language

A/N: Welcome to my Crack Fic! No one asked for this... at least no one of sound mind, and if you're a big fan of TRR, you might actually hate this (no, I'm not killing Liam!). When I pitched this idea (half-joking, half-serious) to some buddies after reading the book Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas, the eager encouragement I normally receive was met with (what's that TikTok trend with that T Swift song?) "horrified looks from everyone in the room". But... I could not get this idea out of my head. So, here we are! I have a general idea of where this story is going... but I'm actually leaving myself open to possibilities. No matter how the road twists and turns, I would be honored if you join me!

A/N 2: This story takes place approximately 2 decades after TRR/TRH. I have made some canonical changes (they will be mentioned). Characters and some plots belong to our friends at Pixelberry! Huge thank you to @charlotteg234 for looking over this for me (and laughing like a maniac with me)! This was not Beta'd; please excuse my errors.

~🖤~

Eleanor

Tapping my newly manicured nails against the glass topper to my vanity, my gaze nervously shifts back and forth between my choices for the evening. I don’t know why this is so hard–or why it’s taking me this long to decide–but somehow, here I am in quite the conundrum.

Perversion or Temptress: that’s it. But, when it came to darkening the outer-corner of my eyelid, picking the right hue of eyeshadow matters. Yes, yes, they’re both a deep black; one is a dark matte that has the potential to smudge all over my porcelain face, but the other one, while dark, has little flecks of silver.

Biting my lip, I look at myself in the mirror before looking back at the YouTube tutorial I was following.  I feel silly making such a big deal over the color; afterall, this is supposed to be fun. Normally, for me, it is.  I’m actually really good at doing my own make-up, thanks to the internet and to my mother who convinced my father when I was fourteen that mascara and lipstick would not lead me down the path of destruction and eternal damnation.

Well, I guess I should clarify: I do a great job on my make-up, my everyday natural, diplomatically poised look. Think lots of pinks and taupes. It’s the latest trend for crown princesses; I should know.

But tonight, I wouldn’t be Princess Eleanor. I didn’t want to be Princess Eleanor. 

Dangit, that came out wrong. I don’t mean to sound like some stereotypical spoiled brat that is born into money and power, who craves freedom from her poor little privileged life.  I am content–actually, very grateful for the life I have been born into. I have been given incredible opportunities and experiences because of it. But, I’m not naive; I know I have a high-calling, one filled with much responsibility and dedication. Someday I will be queen of Cordonia.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves... 

Tonight, I’m just Nora–at least that’s what my friends call me, and since I’m turning twenty this coming Tuesday, they wanted to take me out over the weekend. This weekend. See? Responsible. But, there is just one problem…

There’s a sudden knock on my door, my mother instantly inviting herself in.  “Dinner’s in thirty Eleanor–”  she freezes as her eyes grow wide. “Y–you’re make-up… don’t you think it’s a bit on the, um… heavy-side?”

“Mom,” I singsong, "it's supposed to be. This is how all the celebrities and models wear their make-up when they hit the town." 

"Hit the town?" My mother gave me that eyebrow, the one that gives away her true unspoken feelings. "You're going out tonight?"

"Mhmm. To dinner." I settle on Urban Decay's Perversion, and start tapping the color against my eyelid. "I told you and Daddy that Josie and Beth were taking me out–"

"Eleanor," my mom shot her first warning signal with her tone. "We discussed that tonight wasn't a good night. And if you ladies could do things tomorrow–"

"It's just a family dinner," I continue to work on my look. "Daddy said it was fine–"

"But you know how important this dinner is. We have a special guest."

Yes, yes. We know.

His name is Drake Walker, and he is–well, was, my parent's best friend back in the day before I was born. He actually grew up with my dad, Drake's father serving as my Grandpa Rys's royal guard when he was king of Cordonia.

But, then there was a falling out of some sort…well, that's according to my Uncle Leo. He means well, but I'm fairly certain the truth has been stretched.

Anyway, I'm not too clear on what happened, but shortly after my parents got married, Drake moved back to his home in America to start a normal life. He never settled down with a wife, but he kept busy with his construction company.

That is until four months ago when he discovered his business partner had been siphoning company funds into off-shore accounts. Now he spends his days laid up on the couch with a fifth of whiskey. And broke as a joke.

Drake's brother-in-law Bertrand Beaumont, the Duke of Ramsford, serves on the royal council with my parents, and after a late meeting one night, he shared the truth about their former best friend. 

Daddy and his bleeding heart… sure, he can see fiery red from time to time and his temper can bubble over, but my father is known for his grace, forgiveness, and charity towards others. He contacted his old friend… which then led to an invitation back to Cordonia.

'It's only for a little while, until he gets back on his feet,' Daddy assured my mom.  'We'll give him tasks around the palace until then.'

Mom called it a 'midlife crisis'. I don't think I was supposed to hear the latter part.

I began to draw on my eyeliner as my mother crossed her arms, glowering at me. Feeling the disappointment radiate from her glare, I stop, shrugging my shoulders. "What?"

"Part of being royal is posing as a unified front as a family."

"You act like this is some official business or a press event–"

"Our closest friends are going to be here, Elle, and–" she stops, her eyes playfully smoldering as her voice becomes angelically romantic. "--I think even Bartie is coming." 

"Mom!" I chuckle, my cheeks pinking in embarrassment from her inflection. "It's not like that with him."

Oh, but it was…

Bartie Beaumont is one of my closest friends. He's a few years older than me and well… I really enjoy spending time with him.  He's incredibly kind and charming in and out of social situations. He's quite handsome with his dark, well-kept hair and deep chestnut eyes. And smart–goodness, he's smart. He can keep up with my father, round-for-round in debating politics and foreign policies.

He's always been fiercely protective of me, even when I was a little girl. But he was always just Bartie, my honorary older brother… that is until he asked me to dance at a charity gala when I was sixteen. I had never been asked to dance by a boy before; I was normally paired with other noble children, usually from the suggestion made by their mothers. But this? It was different… and special. Someone chose to dance with me because they wanted to. And until that moment, I never understood what it meant to let a partner 'lead you', and well… I digress. It was nice. Bartie… he's just nice.

"But seriously, Mom," I continue, "the girls have already set everything up for tonight, and I'm the guest of honor for that. I can't just stand them up."

My mom gives me a long sigh. She's having that internal argument with herself where she compares her younger years as a commoner versus her younger years as a royal. "I guess I was hoping you'd get to meet your Uncle Drake tonight–"

I couldn't control my giggles. Growing up, Mom and Dad always referred to their close friends as 'Aunt' or 'Uncle', like my Uncle Max and Aunt Livvy. But they were also active members in my life that I saw frequently. 'Uncle Drake'? I don't even know the guy. 

"Isn't he living on our couch for a while? I'm sure I'll meet him at breakfast sometime." 

My mom pursed her lips. I think she realizes she has no other reasons to keep me home. Thank goodness.

"Is Lars going with you, or is one of the other guards?"

"Mom," I whine.

"Eleanor, you know the rules–"

"But I just want to be a normal twenty-year-old for the night–"

"Almost twenty-year-old," she smirks, stepping forward to fidget with my wavy, honey-brunette hair. "It's just not safe, baby. People know who you are–good people… and bad people. Even under all of this make-up, people will still recognize you."

I give a little huff, but she was right. I once dyed my hair purple and wore thick-rimmed frames to a show for a local punk band, and I'm pretty sure I posed for more photos with fans than the musicians.

"Fine, I'll ask Lars," I give my mother a half smile. "Anything else, your majesty?"

"One more thing," she twirls me around to face my reflection in the mirror. I'm keeping it pretty casual tonight with a white shirt and black ripped skinny jeans. I am pairing my black moto jacket with some gold accessories and my red Jimmy Choo pumps. Surely the woman doesn't think I'm showing off too much skin. 

Suddenly, she raises my shirt in the back and unclips my white bra.

"Mom!" 

"Eleanor," she snickers, shaking her head at me. "We've been over and over this ever since you got boobs: white shirt, nude undergarments."

I whip off my bra, quickly grabbing a skin-tone t-shirt bra. "No one's going to be looking."

"Someone is always looking." 

After hooking my bra and smoothing out my tee, Mom gave me an approving nod. And then she put her arms around me, pulling me into a hug. "Have a good time tonight. I love you, my twenty-year-old baby."

"Almost twenty-year-old baby." We both fall into titters as we squeeze each other closer. "I love you too, Mommy."

------

I text my bodyguard Lars to let him know about the evening, and as expected, he'll be ready with the car in ten minutes. 

Poor guy was ball-and-chained to me when I got my driver's license. I'm sure when he signed up for the guard, he pictured himself traveling around the world, looking like a badass with my dad. Instead, he got me, and the only traveling he normally does is to gather my morning espresso and cronut. He's made more trips to Sephora than any man should ever make in his lifetime–even more than my Uncle Max.

He's a good guy… if you like the serious, never-crack-a-smile type. He looks like John Cena with a permanent angry expression, complete with a single bulging vein in the center of his forehead. He's a man of few words despite my attempts to make him laugh, but underneath all the brawn and muscle, he has a big heart. He has literally given me his coat so that I wouldn't have to walk through a puddle of half-melted snow. And to think, he has sworn to give so much more for my own life… 

My phone abruptly pings. Beth.

>>> "Hey, bday bish! R U ready for the nite of ur life?"

I chuckle under my breath after reading the text. Night of my life… She always has a flare for the dramatics, but then again Beth has always been the life of the party. She has more personality in her pinkie finger than all of the citizens of Cordonia combined. Her mother is the Countess of Fydelia, and ever since Beth's father left, she's been indisposed.  Mom says that's a more tactful way of saying, 'alcoholic'. 

Beth walks more on the wild side, a real risk-taker. When I get in trouble, chances are she is somehow involved, like the time I got caught with a bottle of Smirnoff Ice at the Baron's Ball. Ugh, talk about the hangover from hell… and that wasn't even my punishment…

But she, along with Josie, are my ride-or-die. My BFFs. My "You jump, I jump, right?". We've grown up together, became women together, and nothing was about to ruin that bond.

I fire a text back to Beth. 

>>> "Can't wait! My car will be ready in a few. What restaurant are we meeting at?"

My phone instantly dings, catching me off guard in my attempts to glide on some lipstick. That was fast. I tap on the message.

>>> "We're coming 4 u! Be ready!"

My face falls. I know it's probably hard to believe, but my friends often forget that I'm a princess. Like, the legit crown princess of Cordonia, and because of that, I need a bodyguard present during all activities outside of the palace that have not otherwise been secured by the royal guard. As you can imagine, that rule made me so popular in grade school when my parents tried giving me a 'normal life'.

In retrospect, I'm quite grateful for the security through the years, especially when I hear about plots made by secret coups against my dad. But still, it would be nice to get my own darn breakfast. And I'm sure Lars would love to sleep in for once.

I text back.

>>> "And Lars"

>>> "R U kidding me? Ur shadow has 2 come?"

I let out a defeated exhale.  She knows this. My phone suddenly rings, her picture lighting up the screen. "Hey–"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" She sounds irritated, as if I did this maliciously to her.

"Beth, you know my parents won't allow me out without him or any other–"

"He can't come with us," she interrupts. I can hear Josie in the back, trying to calm Beth down. 

"And do tell–" I cross an arm over my chest, raising an eyebrow, "--why is that?"

She lets out a huge sigh. "Fine. It was supposed to be a surprise for your birthday, but–" she hesitates, sucking on her front teeth.  "I got us three VIP passes into Core!"

I blink a few times, racking my brain for this to somehow trip a memory. "Core?" Nope. No tripping. "What's Core?"

"Nora!" She scoffs in disbelief. "It's only the newest and hottest club in town. Tonight is opening night. Half price shots–"

"Uh, Beth–?" I could feel my stomach sinking under the weight of her excitement. And Josie wasn't any better, squealing over the line. 

A club? Like, with dancing and drinking? I had never been to one before. And something tells me that the king wouldn't be too approving of his nineteen-year-old daughter partying with half-drunk strangers, groping her in the name of dancing. Still, it sounds like so much fun.

"--and we have a VIP table with bottle service until midnight!"

"Beth!" I call out to get her attention again. "There… there's just no way I can do that. Especially without Lars."

"C'mon, Nora. It's your freaking birthday. You're supposed to let loose–"

I hang my head into my hands. "You know I want to, but… I–I can't do that. My parents–"

"--don't have to know."

That silenced me real quickly into deep thought. I might not be the world's most perfect child, but I have learned never to hide things from Liam and Riley Rys. Never. 

But I'd be lying if a glimmer of hope and excitement didn't blossom in my chest at the thought of going out despite my parent's knowledge. Besides, I am an adult; I'm almost twenty for crying out loud. If anything, I've shown them how responsible I am, and that I can be trusted. Plus, Aunt Livvy has taught me more than enough self-defense maneuvers that I could probably take a second job as a spy with her wife.

Okay. Maybe Beth has a plan.

"And how won't they find out? Lars has to give a detailed report–"

"We won't bring him."

That's the plan? I snicker under my breath, chewing on the inside of my cheek. "And… how do you suggest I get rid of him?"

"Why not a sleepover?" I hear Josie suggest in the background.

A sleepover. That could work. There were few places I could go where security didn't have to be right beside me once a building was given the all clear. Beth's house happened to be one of them. 

"But I'm already dressed up. And–and I told my mom we were going out–"

"So?" Beth interjects. "We changed our minds. We'll have dinner catered."

Crap. Am I really considering this? I look at my reflection in the mirror as I twist my lips. Dangit. And I'm having a really good hair day.

"What's it gonna be, Nora?"

I take a few cleansing breaths. I can feel my pulse, galloping like a racehorse in my ears. Could I actually get away with this? I've been to Beth's house thousands of times. The guard comes in, does a quick sweep, and then keeps watch outside, never to return until it's time for me to leave. We could sneak out the back through the guest house. He would never know.

I swallow thickly, adrenaline pouring into my veins.

"Okay. Let me make a call."

~🖤~

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ALL TRR

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Thank you so much for your support! Every like, comment and reblog means the world to me! 🖤

[sfb123]

😂🤣😂🤣

Honestly it’s the most random and probably weirdest fact I’ve ever heard 😂🤣 And of course Liam knows it! HE WOULD!

They say 'heavy is the head that wears the crown', turns out it's because it's full of all this random shit.

Also … they could have just sent someone else into town to get the test?? LOLOL I’m glad they didn’t because we wouldn’t have this story but I’m just saying 😂😂😂😂

Sure, that would have been the logical answer, but def not the fun one 😂

I’m shocked Madeleine grabbed the frog 😂 And didn’t scream, lol!

It was just instinct, your monarch hands you something, you take it. 🤷🏻‍♀️

This was so fun, and I'm glad you liked how it turned out. Thank you for reading and sharing, and suggesting my new knowledge needed to be a fic! 😘

Leaping to Conclusions

Pairing: Liam x Riley

All characters belong to Pixelberry

Summary: The pressure to produce an heir is getting to Liam and Riley, leading them to turn to some unconventional methods.

Rating: PG, Adult Language

Word Count: 1,395

A/N: This fic is insanity guys, I'm not even going to pretend it's anything but. I learned the most absurd fun fact this week, and after sharing it with pretty much everyone I know, @ao719 convinced me that it needed to be a fic, and here we are.

For the record, this story doesn't take place in any of my timelines. My Liam and Riley can be weird, but never this weird. 😂

I am participating in @choicesflashfics, the prompt: “Wait a second. Pause and rewind … what did you just say?” will appear in bold below.

And finally, nobody has pre-read this, so apologies in advance for my horrendous grammar, and anything else about it that sucks.

Riley’s eyes fluttered open as she felt Liam’s lips trailing slowly across her shoulder. She moaned softly and arched back into him. 

“Good morning, love.” He whispered huskily into her ear. 

“When it starts like this it is.” She replied, reveling in the attention she was receiving from her husband. 

As his hand traveled up her body, her stomach started to lurch. Her hand flew to her mouth and she leapt out of his arms and rushed to the bathroom of their guest room in the Walker ranch. Liam sat up and watched with worry as the door slammed shut. 

After a few moments, Liam stood and approached the door. He could hear his wife on the other end, and he knew exactly what was going on. He rapped gently on the door. “Riley, are you alright? Can I get you anything?”  

The only response he received were a few more retching noises, followed by the toilet flushing. Soon after, the door opened, and Liam met Riley’s red, blotchy eyes. “Sorry.” 

Liam wrapped his arms around her, pulling her flush against him. “You don’t have to apologize, it’s not your fault.” They stood there in silence as Liam held her. “Riley, do you think you may need to take a test?” 

Since the royal couple had gotten married, they’d been facing pressure to produce an heir. While they did not take their positions as monarchs lightly, for them, it was more about building a family together. 

“It wouldn’t hurt.” Riley shrugged before returning to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Liam took a seat at the end of the bed to wait for her. 

“Oh no!” Liam stood and rushed back to the door at Riley’s cry. She came back into the bedroom, more distraught than she had been before. “I dropped the test in the toilet.” She buried her head in her hands. 

Liam chuckled slightly, as he wrapped his arm around her. He had read that pregnancy hormones could cause overreactions; he assumed, hoped, that was why she was so upset. “It’s alright, just take another one.”

“Liam, it was the last one!” She snapped.

He stepped back, shocked by her aggression. “That’s alright, we can go into town and get more.” 

“Are you kidding?!” Riley threw her hands up in frustration before moving to the bed and dropping down, burying her face in the pillow. “The press has been all over us, the last thing I need is for them to get a picture of me buying pregnancy tests!” 

Liam sat beside her on the bed, rubbing her back gently as he racked his brain for a solution. “I’ve got it!” 

Riley rolled over and sat up, leaning against the headboard. “What?” 

“We’re in Texas, surely there is a frog around here somewhere.” He said as he moved to the dresser, pulling out a pair of jeans. 

“Liam, this is no time to go wildlife gazing, I might be carrying the heir!” Riley chided him.

“Love calm down, the frog will be able to tell us.” He said matter of factly as he continued to get dressed. 

Her face contorted into a confused expression. “Wait a second. Pause and rewind … what did you just say?” 

He sat beside her on the bed and slid on his boots. “For about twenty years, starting in the nineteen forties, before the pregnancy tests we are familiar with today, there was the Hogben test. A British zoologist, Lancelot Hogben, discovered that when urine samples from pregnant women were injected into frogs, the frog would spawn eggs within eighteen hours. It was the most rapid and reliable pregnancy test of the time.” 

Riley stared at her husband in stunned silence. “How the fuck do you even know that?” 

“I like history.” He shrugged. 

Still befuddled by her husband’s solution, Riley took a deep breath. “So you want to inject a frog with my pee, and then in 18 hours either nothing happens and I’m not pregnant, or I am pregnant and we also have a hundred and seventy two frog eggs?” 

“They’re called frogspawn, love.” He corrected. 

She slapped her palm against her forehead. “Yeah, because that’s the most crucial thing in this conversation.”

“I’m sorry, force of habit,” Liam smiled sheepishly. “Would you like to try it? It’s a fascinating concept, I would be interested to see it in action.” 

“Liam, I don’t even want to touch a frog, let alone do science experiments on it.”

“I’ll take care of everything,” he insisted. “I’ll just need your… well, your um… sample.” 

Riley chuckled when Liam started to get flustered. “Alright, if it’ll make you happy, and all I have to do is pee in a cup, then let’s give it a try.” 

Liam grinned and leaned in, planting a quick kiss on Riley’s lips. “Excellent!”

“I guess Kermit was right, it’s not easy being green.” Riley said, shaking her head. 

Liam made his way to a nearby pond in search of the perfect frog. His eyes roamed the banks in search of his test subject. “If I were a frog, where would I be?” 

Finally, he noticed a slight movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to see a frog seated on a nearby rock. “Perfect.” He stalked toward his prey, making sure to stay as quiet as possible. 

Liam was so laser focused that he didn’t notice Drake coming up behind him, curiously observing the actions of his best friend. “Li, what the fuck are you doing?” 

Drake’s words startled Liam and before he had time to catch himself, he tumbled over into the pond as the frog lept away. Drake cackled as the King of Cordonia sat waist deep in the pond glaring at him. 

“Sorry,” Drake apologized as he reached down, helping Liam out of the water. “But seriously, what are you doing?”

“Riley might be pregnant,” he answered.

Drake furrowed his brow, even more confused now that he had the explanation. “Okay, so you decided to go frog hunting to celebrate?” 

“No, we lost the test,” he responded. When Drake continued to stare at him with a blank expression, Liam sighed and explained the Hogben test just as he had done for Riley earlier. 

“And Brooks agreed to go along with this?” Drake chuckled.

“We would do anything for eachother.” 

Drake rolled his eyes and moved toward the pond. A few moments later he returned with a frog. 

“How did you do that?” Liam marveled. 

“You had your training growing up, I had mine.” He shrugged in reply. 

Liam took the frog from Drake, thanking him for his efforts and began walking back to the house. 

“I’ve gotta see this.” Drake said to himself as he followed Liam. 

Liam entered the house heading toward the stairs, until he saw Riley sitting with Madeleine on the living room couch. When he stepped up to them, he noticed the crestfallen expression on his wife’s face. 

“Love, what’s wrong?” 

“I’m not pregnant,” she responded, her eyes trained on the floor. 

“But how do you know? I’ve got the frog right here.” He held it up to show her. 

Madeleine stood from the couch, glaring in confusion and disgust at the sight in front of her. “When I was in town this morning, I bought some tests. I figured you would need them.” 

“Oh Riley,” Liam moved to Riley, outstretching his arms. 

“Liam,” she held a hand up to stop him from getting any closer. “You’re slimy, and wet… and holding a frog.” 

“Oh, right.” Liam looked down at himself, and the frog in his hands. “I should shower. Care to join me?” He asked slyly. 

“Um… maybe you should handle this one solo,” she cringed. 

Liam handed the frog over to Madeleine, who grabbed it instinctively. He signaled for Riley to follow him, and they made their way up the stairs to the bedroom.

“So you’re not going to pee on a frog?” Drake called out as they exited the room. 

“Ugh,” Madeleine groaned. “None of this would be happening if I were queen.” She turned to Drake, thrusting the frog in his direction. “Make yourself useful and deal with this thing.” She stormed out of the room, mumbling to herself, questioning where things went wrong for her.

Drake looked down at the frog with a grin. “God I love Texas.”  

Permatag:

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@choicesficwriterscreations @choicesflashfics

[lorirwritesfanfic]

Heavy

Author's note: Late submission to day two of KLAW and day eight Royal n Noble April Tea Party. Sorry, I got a cruel disease that doesn't allow me to write much. [Original characters are creations of this author. The others are owned by Pixelberry Studios]

Book: The Royal Romance Pairing: Liam Rys x MC (Jade) Rating: M Word count: 434 Reading time: 2 min Summary: "Uneasy is the head that wears the crown."¹ Based on the prompts: @kingliamappreciationweek​​ - day two: Liam the King / @choicesaprilchallenge​ - The Royal Romance/Masquerade/Heir: The Rys

Warning: This piece contains adult material (brief mention of sexual assault attempt) that may be disturbing/offensive for some people. Reader discretion is advised.

The crowd rose to their feet when Liam walked towards the middle of the ballroom, where a platform and the throne were placed for the coronation of the future king. Wearing the royal cape and the crown he used as a prince for the last time, the young prince carried the royal scepter in one hand and the orb in the other and took his place before King Constantine so the coronation could start.

To all onlookers, it was a mystery yet not a surprise that the crown prince remained calm and solemnly took his vows, pledging himself to the service of ruling Cornodia. After the scandal that exposed the suitor believed to be the prince's favorite, anyone else in shoes would've stuttered, tripped in the middle of the room or panicked. But not him. Prince Liam wasn't the firstborn, but more than anyone else in the royal family, he was the perfect image of poise, strength and stability, traits all citizens agreed the kingdom needed.

The audience, however, often failed to see the man behind the stoic mask. While he pretended to be unaffected by the previous events of the night, deep within himself, he was hurting. His heart ached. He knew it was all a ruse. He knew about the broken lock of Jade's door. He knew that a man he once saw as a friend forced himself upon the woman he'd choose as his queen. He knew she wasn't approved by royal advisors and many would benefit from her downfall.

What the people failed to see is that he also knew her. He knew her intentions, her dreams, what she wanted out of life, and what she wanted from him. And this is precisely why it was so hard for him to stand there, become king and choose someone else when every part of him ached for her.

All his life had been planned out by others. He had accepted his fate. But now that he knew what love felt like, he was no longer the same. He was so close to having so much more than he ever hoped for and it slipped through his fingers like water. How could he keep going?

As the monarch's crown was placed on his head, he recalled a moment he had with her. She mentioned how the crown looked heavy in pictures and he explained the meaning behind its heaviness. Wearing the crown came with big responsibilities and he understood that much from a very young age. What he didn't know was how uneasy he would feel when that moment came at last.

____

¹ Shakespeare, William. Henry IV, Part II. 1600

[bbrandy2002]

Fool’s Rush In

Chapter 20

Book: TRR

Pairing: Liam x Riley

Warnings: Language and mentions of weird sexual stuff

**Thanks @burnsoslow​. for pre-reading and “The Army” girls for snippet reads.

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“An email from the Countess?” Ana questioned curiously, just before hitting the video attachment that came with it. Her plush lips soon curved into an enchanted grin when it became apparent who the subjects in the video were and precisely what they were doing together. “Looks like you’re about to get your hard-hitting royal news after all.”

Having finally retrieved his phone, Donnie situated himself upright in the bed and began playing the same email attachment as his lover. By the sounds of the grunts and groans coming from Ana’s phone, it was apparent to the ace-reporter what he was about to watch -- even if the occasional horse neighs were a little confusing. 

Within seconds of hitting play, the man’s jaw dropped wide open as he took in the content. 

“Holy shit, dude, Is that …?”

Ana's intrigued gaze tore from her phone screen and raised a brow at Donnie. “The King’s head guard dressed like a cowboy spanking Lucretia Nevrakis and licking another woman wearing a horse mask in a barn?” She shook her head. “Yes … and did you just call me ‘dude’?”

Ignoring her question, the couple resumed watching for a few more seconds, their facial expressions morphing from one of intrigue to utter disgust when finally Lucretia went full-frontal, nudity before the camera, then spreading wide for Bastien. “Oh, God! The hell?” Donnie grimaced as Ana slapped a hand over her mouth next to him and turned her head away. “I can’t watch this shit.” He lamented, quickly shutting his phone off.

After Ana followed suit and powered her cell off too, the pair sat in uncomfortable silence, simultaneously staring blankly at the same wall across from them, neither knowing what to say or think about what they had just watched together. Eventually, Ana lifted the satin sheet covering her waist up a little higher over her breast, a sense of sleaze and uncleanliness rooting itself and sprouting throughout her body. “I … I don’t know what part was worse: Mystery horsewoman with the guinea pig in Bastien or Lucretia’s wrinkled tramp-stamp with ‘Connie’ written inside what I can only assume is a dick.”

Donnie pinched the bridge of his nose. “Let’s be clear: there was no worse part. It was all worse! What the hell was that, anyway?”

The Trend editor just shook her head slowly with a glazed-over expression in her eyes; she finally spoke, “I … I think I’m going to go now.” 

“Ana! Don’t let this ruin our night.”

Her expression turned remorseful at his pleading; it had been a great night. “I’m sorry, Mr. Brine. I need to be alone.”

Neither one could look at the other. Ana slowly raised from the bed, gathering up her scattered clothes from the floor, tearing her bra from the doorknob, and then slipped on her heels. Why the Countess sent that video to them, she’d never know, but as she and Donnie exchanged a timid wave of goodbye, Ana left knowing she would never forgive Madeleine Amaranth for ruining the best night of sex she ever had.

This had to be some kind of bizarre and insane mistake.

And usually, Donnie Brine would call this “hard-hitting” new’s story into the station and scramble for the nearest camera to report on it. 

This was not something he would ever share with Cordonia, nor would the duo realize what they just watched was not the video the Countess intended to send them.

---------------------------------

A baby. My baby. I’m going to be a father. Those words were all Liam could think about as he rode through the glittery neon boulevards of Las Vegas toward the hospital. At that moment, the clear blue heavens above him could open wide and strike him down with a bolt of thunder, and he’d swear he wouldn’t have felt a thing. The King was riding a wave of euphoria unlike anything he’d ever experienced; Riley loved him and was carrying his baby. Nothing in all the world mattered anymore.

Before taking off, it was clear that Bastien likely escaped during the brother’s brawl in the front yard of Riley’s home and apparently took the keys to the Escalade they arrived in with him. The neighborly Burt, who moments prior had a shotgun aimed at the royal duo, reluctantly agreed to drive into the city to drop them off at the hospital on his way to pick up his daughter on the east side of town. He gruffly mentioned, "my girl never learned not to kick her customers in the frank 'n' beans and steal their shit," but neither of the brothers paid much attention.

Riding in the back of a truck while sitting on a spare tire through sunny downtown Vegas wasn’t the way Liam intended to get there, but he was dead set on finding his Pussycat by any means necessary. And, of course, Leo called shotgun but was nice enough to offer his little brother the opportunity to “ride bitch”.

Liam unequivocally declined.

During the bumpy 25-minute ride to Valley Hospital, Liam wondered how it was possible to get everything he ever wanted in such a brief span of time. Literally, his entire heart's desires were being gifted to him one by one; it was both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. All he ever wanted was to find happiness, a chance to love, and have a genuine family of his own -- Not an arrangement that would guarantee him a life of misery at worst or of mediocrity at best. When he stepped foot in Sin City several weeks ago, depressed and hopeless at the prospects of his impending marriage to Madeleine, never did he expect life and fate would throw him a twist in the tale. All it took was a weekend bachelor party, an awkwardly shy woman mistaking him for her Tinder date, and a ton of hard booze shared between them to change the entire trajectory of his life. 

Once the rusted-out truck came to a stop at the emergency entrance, Liam wasted no time climbing over the truck’s wooden rail sides and rushing through the revolving doors. Leo’s heavy footsteps could be heard racing behind him. 

Liam’s heart pounded as the seconds -- which seemed liked hours -- ticked by. Not since he was a young boy waiting on his mother to return from her trip in Auvernal had he been more excited to reunite with someone.

Escorted through the long, winding hallways by hospital security to the radiology department, Liam was led inside a room, where his breath instantly hitched at catching his first glimpse of Riley in two-and-a-half days.

Sitting at the foot of an exam table, dressed in a hospital gown, slender legs bare and swinging freely over the side, Riley’s head snapped up at the sound of the door opening. “Liam,” she whispered, relief dripping from her eyes before sliding off the table.

“Pussycat,” he breathed, unable to contain his emotions as she nearly sprinted the short distance between them and into his waiting arms. “I have missed you terribly, Love.”

Riley held onto him tightly, afraid to let go. “I’m so sorry, Liam. I’m so very sorry,” her strangled voice choked out. “I never should have listened to Madeleine.”

“Shhhh. You have nothing to be sorry about,” Liam assured, his hand threading and kneading through her bountiful hair comfortingly. “I watched the security footage, and I saw the way Madeleine confronted you. The way she grabbed you, the way she -- hurt you.” Liam’s face tightened before he kissed her head. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Riley answered meekly, “Because she threatened to release an old video of me being intimate during my first marriage. She told me if I didn’t leave, that video would get out and that it would look bad on you, and the council would likely strip you of your crown.” She squeezed him tighter. “I had to protect you.”

Liam looked down at his wife affectionately, placing both hands on the sides of her face, his thumbs wiping away the tears desperately clinging like morning dew to her eyes. “Sweetheart, look at me. The only thing you ever have to protect when it comes to me is my heart. I have guards -- although not the best -- to protect me physically. I have tradition and a birthright to protect my name and crown and a military to safeguard my country. But you, Riley ... you, have the power to destroy me. You’re the keeper of my heart. The one who makes it beat. Without your love to keep it going … well, let’s just say I  don’t ever want to know what that kind of pain would feel like.” They kissed once more as if it were their first and last one ever. 

Plucking out a blade of grass from his hair, Riley smiled brightly for the first time in days. “I’ll guard it with everything in me, Liam. I swear it.”

“You bet your sweet ass you will,” Liam smirked mischievously, grabbing a handful of her backside, causing her to belt out a laugh. “Besides, you took a drunken vow at the Graceland Wedding Chapel before Leo, Mongo, and Pinquee Kittee to love me tender, love me true; that’s about as sacred and binding of an oath as it gets.”

Riley chuckled. “I did. And we all know how those three are the greatest examples of loving and committed relationships.  Even if Mongo did try to steal you away from me.”

“Which worries me considering he’s apparently our ‘son.’” Liam said it tongue-in-cheek, but it instantly reminded him of the other reason he was in such a rush to get to his queen. The playfulness in his mannerisms tapered off, and he became more serious. Liam leaned down, pressing a kiss to her forehead before working his way lower to the tip of her nose, her lips, and further to Riley’s chin. Slowly sinking to his knees, sliding his hands down her body until he had a firm grip on her slender hips, Liam rested his own forehead on Riley’s lower tummy.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it?”

“What’s that?” Riley asked softly.

Liam placed a lingering kiss onto the thin covering over her flat tummy and glanced up into her gleaming eyes, both filled with ceaseless wonder and rapture. “How you can love someone so much that you’ve never met.”

Riley blinked away a tear, her tiny fingers tracing feather-like trails through his hair. “I know, and yet somehow I’ve been asking myself that question since I met you.”

Liam’s eyes crinkled with a tender smile. “Me too.”

--------------------------------- 

Pacing languidly up and down the hallway outside the room where Liam and Riley were reuniting, Leo let out an exasperated huff before halting his steps to take a quick gander through the long glass window of the door. Leo smiled at watching his brother and sister-in-law embrace and seemed thrilled to be with one another again. And the prospects of -- in his mind -- becoming an uncle “again” was cool and all, but he was bored as hell. Liam was adamant about the former prince staying put and giving him this time needed to speak with Riley in private. Usually, Leo would pay no attention to what Liam asked of him, but maybe, just maybe, it was time for him to get serious and act like the adult he was. Read the room. Respect boundaries. Know when to quit.

Or maybe not.

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he headed back in the direction that he and Liam had been led from moments ago, looking for something to kill time.  Strolling leisurely past a set of double doors that displayed “Emergency” in big red letters next to them, a thought suddenly struck, and he took two gliding steps backward. Leo lifted a speculative brow; there was something in the inner machination of his chaotic brain that told him to follow his gut, head inside, and he wouldn’t be sorry. Never one to ignore an instinct or impulse, Leo punched the large metallic button on the wall, causing one of the automatic doors to swing open. 

After stepping inside, he meandered around for a minute, not exactly sure what he was looking for but hoping he might catch a glimpse of a hot nurse walking around without a top on who would want to do naughty things to him. Or perhaps, a naked lady doctor with a nice ass who would manhandle him out of the emergency department, but who he’d eventually win over with his impeccable good looks and god-like sex appeal. He could pretend to be her patient, and if he were lucky, she’d have a bad bedside manner.

Passing a row of draped exam rooms, Leo noticed one curtain pulled open and a young brunette, with part of her thong showing, crouched on the floor, peeking stealthily through the blue drapery that divided the area from the patient on the opposite side.

Curious now to what this woman was so interested in from the next exam room, Leo crossed his arm and stared downward at the floor, lightly whistling a tune, as two doctors walked past him. When they rounded a corner, Leo edged closer to the curtain to listen in.

“Mr. Walker, do you feel any pain when I do this?”

“Ow! What the fuck do you think?” 

At hearing Drake’s irascible voice, Leo’s ears instantly shot up. “No way,” Leo mumbled in astonishment to himself. “Walker is here?” The last he knew, Drake was supposed to have headed back to Cordonia the day before. He leaned in closer.

“You pinched my dick with a pair of damn tweezers. Yeah, you could say there’s a little pain there. Shit!”

Leo clamped a fist over his mouth to keep from busting out. Of all the places his naughty gut had ever led him to, knowing Drake was here and having transplanted dick problems may have been in his top 100 --Nothing would ever beat running with the bulls in Barcelona with Kanye and a very stoned Prince Charles. Leo smiled fondly at the memory before shaking his head and getting back to business.

“We’re just making sure you have feeling in your penis, Mr. Walker.”

“Then touch it with a fucking finger. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you people? You wanna take a jackhammer to my knees next and see if they feel pain too?”

“That won’t be necessary,” Leo overheard the doctor tell Drake. “I expect you’re going to be fine, Mr. Walker. I didn’t see any major discoloration aside from a deep bluish hue to your testicles --” Leo snorted out loudly, causing the doctor to turn his head briefly to the disruption outside the curtain, before clearing his throat and continuing, “A hearty ejaculation or two should clear that right up. When was the last time you --”

“I’ll take care of it,” Drake hastily interrupted in a peevish tone, not wanting the physician to finish the question.

“Very well then. You should be fine. I’ll have the nurse get your discharge papers together, and you can be on your way … And, sir ... try to avoid getting ninja smacked by hookers in the future.”

“I’ll see what I can do …. asshole.” Drake snarled under his breath.

Feeling spunky, an impish grin crossed Leo’s lips as he strolled away undetected from Drake’s doctor leaving his room. “The Drakesters not going anywhere just yet,” he snickered, heading toward a cart with blue scrubs that he passed earlier. “Paging Dr.Wolfshitz to trauma room one. Stat.”

--------------------

Still peeking inconspicuously into the next exam room, Alyssa’s gaze followed Drake’s doctor and a nurse as they exited to work on his discharge. She remained motionless and quiet, barely breathing, fearful she’d get caught. Why she hadn’t looked away yet was beyond her. What was only supposed to be a little looksie at the man, to quench her gnawing intrigue over what was below his belt, had now left her drawn to him.

And while Alyssa saw for herself that everything was normal down there, -- humungous, actually -- it was the sadness and hurt in his deep chocolate eyes that kept the perky, petite woman in spy mode. 

“You can stop hiding behind that curtain, Riley’s friend,” Drake grumbled.

“Eep!” Alyssa yelped at being caught and took a quick step back, nearly toppling clumsily over her feet. He couldn’t have been talking about her. He wasn’t even looking in her direction when he said it. She had been so careful to remain hidden. But who the hell else could he be talking to? Alyssa held her breath, hoping another one of Riley’s friends was hidden on the other side.

“I saw your little beady eyes watching me. Might as well come out from behind that curtain and laugh in my face … you wouldn’t be the first one.”

There were no doubts he was talking about her now. Frozen in panic and unable to move, Alyssa’s cheeks burned, and her heart raced at getting called out. She wondered why she couldn’t have just left well enough alone. If curiosity killed the cat, Alyssa just spent all nine of her lives.

“That’s how it's gonna be, huh?” Drake called out to her again in a snarky tone, yet Alyssa didn’t dare move. “That’s fine. I know I’m just a big joke to everyone now.” He lowered his voice just slightly in self-pity. “Maybe in some ways, I always have been.”

That stung. Alyssa couldn’t discern whether he was actually upset with her about snooping on him -- he probably was -- or as the nagging feeling in her gut was telling her: he just needed a friend. Taking in a deep breath, she skittishly slipped the curtain aside, avoiding eye contact and forcing only a diffident smile. “I’m … I’m sorry.”

He smiled back. “I’m not. I’m Drake.”

---------

With Riley discovering she was pregnant, the E.R. attending opted to forego continuing with the ordered x-rays, believing she had nothing more than a bruised tailbone from her fall, anyway. With the pain she experienced since the encounter with Madeleine, the doctor wanted her to have an ultrasound to ensure everything was fine with the baby and date the pregnancy.

Riley laid back on the exam table, feet planted and legs separated. A technician gingerly moved around an ultrasound probe under the sheet draped from her waist to her bent up knees. Riley and Liam vigilantly watched the screen, anxiously waiting for the black-and-white image to produce the first glimpse of their baby.

Flashing a timid smile, Riley glanced up at Liam, who was hovering over her with his eyes transfixed on the screen. Noticing her unsure look, he leaned down and whispered, “Everything okay, love?”

She shook her head almost imperceptibly and answered meagerly with all seriousness, “What if … what if our baby has a beard, Liam?”

The bewildered king puckered his forehead, unsure what to say. “Wh--why would the baby have a beard, pussycat?” He squeezed her hand reassuringly before she yanked it away and covered her eyes in embarrassment.

She sucked in an unsteady breath, impervious to the prodding continuing below. “Because my Aunt Clem’s firstborn came out with a tiny goatee like that munchkin from the Lollipop Guild,” she began to whimper in increasing frustration, plucking at the tip of her chin.

Liam’s eyes widened as he blew out a huff of air. “Then … I suppose … we’ll stick him in a carnival or something.” He chuckled despite himself. “Or get him one of those top hats and a cane.”

“It was a girrrrrrl,” Riley cried out, covering her face again. “My dad’s family is from Kentucky … there’s gotta be inbreeding somewhere in the past. Our baby will come out looking like a mini Chewbacca, and it’s all my fault. Oh god! What have I done to our child?” She sniffled through her rant, “If you want a divorce, I’ll understand.”

Normally able to keep a stoic demeanor in any kind of situation, Liam just couldn’t do it in this instance. He turned his face away to prevent his wife from seeing the giant smirk on his face and to take a moment to regain his composure from wanting to bust out at her theatrics. He didn’t know what the hell he married into or why this woman he loved so much all of a sudden had forgotten she was adopted. 

It would be an interesting nine months.

Riley frowned with a simper, “You can’t even look at me. I’ll have to raise this little hairball all by myself. They’ll have us in the ‘weird things’ section of the National Enquirer next to Drake.”

She was correct: he couldn’t look at her -- she was being completely ridiculous. Liam’s shoulders bounced against his stifled laughter. “Dear God, Riley. You’ve got to stop.”

“You’re laughing at me.”

Unaware of the pair of eyes at the foot of the exam table, glaring between the couple in absolute confusion, the technician performing the scan cleared her throat to break the tension. “I hate to interrupt … this.” She nodded between the two.”But, here’s your baby.” She tapped her fingertip on the screen to a small oblong shape on the monitor with a tiny white form in the center. Riley lowered her hands from her teary face and whipped her head around at the same time Liam did, both wholly captivated. “It’s too early to tell if there is a … goatee. But this little flicker right here --” She pointed out. “-- Is where the heart is beating.”

Feeling his wife’s hand grip his tighter, Liam stood motionless for a moment as he watched the tech pause the screen to get measurements before sucking in his lips and dropping his head onto Riley’s shoulder. “Did you see the heart beating, my love? That’s our baby. Our perfect baby.”

Blinking back a tear of joy, Riley turned her head toward her shoulder to meet Liam’s adoring eyes. “Thank you for not covering your lizard.”

-----------------------------

Blushing from head to toe in guilt and embarrassment, Alyssa took a step inside of Drake’s room, letting the curtain fall back behind her. Twirling a section of hair around her finger, she continued to apologize, feeling it was the right thing to do. “Again, I’m really sorry, Mr. Walker --”

“I told you my name is Drake. Mr. Walker was my father’s name. Please, just call me Drake,” he insisted in a softer tone that took the awkward-feeling Alyssa by surprise.

“Drake,” she repeated as she picked at the cuticle of her thumbnail, “I shouldn’t have been watching you, and I know I invaded your privacy. I swear, in spite of what this looks like, I’m not some creeper. I just thought … “ Alyssa looked away bashfully, twisting on her feet. “you’re really handsome.” It was true, even if she knew damn well that’s not why she peeked in at him.

Drake cocked a brow, calling her bluff. “Really?” he replied skeptically. ”That’s the only thing you were looking at?”

Dabbing at her increasingly perspiring forehead and feeling the blood drain into her feet, Alyssa declared, “I think I’m going to pass out now.”

Sensing she was serious, Drake quickly tapped the rolling chair next to his bed and insisted she sit down. Walking on wobbly legs, Alyssa finally plopped down on the chair and fanned her ashen face with one hand. Drake quickly twisted the cap off an unopened bottle of cold water one of the nurses had given him and offered it to Alyssa. She gratefully took it and guzzled a giant swig from the plastic container. Soon her breathing normalized, and the color in her face started to pinken again.

Drake stared at her in concern. “Do you want me to yell for the doctor?”

Alyssa shook her head insistently. “No. I’m better now. I just got a little anxious, is all, but I deserved it. I shouldn’t have looked at you.” She paused for a moment before offering a genuine smile. “By the way: I don’t think you’re a joke, and I would never laugh at you. I really do think you’re handsome.”

He could tell what she was saying to him was true, and for the first time in weeks, it felt nice to have someone to talk to who didn’t want to discuss a certain medical procedure he’d recently undergone. “I appreciate that … Alyssa, right?” She nodded her head. “You have beautiful eyes --”

“I hate to interrupt this party, -- ay,” A doctor in blue scrubs, a surgical cap, mask, and a horrible Canadian accent came strolling in gleefully, almost out of nowhere. “It’s time for your surgery, Mr. Walkersan -- ay.”

Drake shot straight up in his bed, glaring at the man. “What?” he screeched. “I’m getting discharged. That other doctor said I was fine.”

“Oh no, no, no -- ay. Doctor … Pepper … Stein, sent me down here to wheel you at once into surgery. Your test results showed a lot of icky stuff that needs to be taken care of at once lest you lose your manhood again. Ay.”

Narrowing his eyes, Drake shot back. “What bad stuff?”

“Uh, let me see here -- ay,” Leo began flipping through a makeshift chart he was holding in his hands and pretending to scan over a particular page. “Oy me. There seems to be … algae overgrowth in the upper ... sphincter of the … Dua Lipa -- ay. And thees muy crabs have set up a colony on the Los ballsackos.”

“The fuck are you talking about?” Drake asked incredulously while Alyssa patted his arm comfortingly. “What the hell is a Los ballsackos?”

“Es los ballsackos is los ballsackos.” Leo hastily scolded as he eyed Drake sternly. “We shan't have no time to waste. Das ist Viener schloggin … we remove the viewer and then the scloggin or there be little la cucarachas crawling everywhere -- la vie en rose, amigo.”

“No one’s removing my viener, or my scloggin!” Drake protested.

“Excuse me,” Alyssa rose to her feet, knowing there was something off with this sketchy acting doctor. “I speak fluent Spanish and French, and I can tell you, almost none of that made sense. Not to mention the fact that I believe part of that was German and ancient English. ¿De dónde sacaste tu título, doctor?”

Leo’s bright blue eyes dulled with uncertainty as Alyssa crossed her arms, awaiting a response. Scrambling for an answer and wishing he’d paid more attention during his language lessons, he ultimately replied with a shirk, “Eh … Despacito?”

“Despacito?” Alyssa challenged before glancing over at Drake, who was still glaring a hole into the perceived physician, then returning her gaze back to a cow-eyed Leo. “Who are you, really?”

"Who am I really?" Leo replied with a smug grin as he lowered the surgical mask that was hiding his face. "I'm Dr. Wolfschitz, baby."

[khoicesbyk]

The Royal Romance.

Heavy Is The Head.

A/N: Whether this becomes an actual series or not: We shall see.

Rated: Mature. | Contains sexual content and strong language. (You know? The usual from me. 😁) | Bolded and/or italicized words are conversations and thoughts of the characters. | Main Characters: King Marquise Rys (LI) and Queen Shanelle Miller-Rys (MC) | All Characters and names: (except MC and original characters created by me) are property of Pixelberry.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!

^Shameless birthday plug. Why? Because it's my birthday and I'm completely shameless. 🤷🏾‍♀️😁💃🏾🙌🏾👏🏾

This is a birthday present to myself by myself! And what better present than a birthday fic.

Current Word Count: 6,890 words. (more or less. I stop counting after editing and re-editing. 🤷🏾‍♀️)

Tag List: @shewillreadyou @therideordiechronicles @nina01040 @storyflirting @twistedjaee @tessa-liam @kingliam2019 @pixie88 @secretaryunpaid @aussieez @txemrn @lucy-268 @sfb123 @chemist-ana @choicesficwriterscreations @texaskitten30

I had this done a week ago but I kept adding and taking out parts, paragraphs and dialogue. But now it's done for real this time. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1.) The New Normal.

In King Henry IV, Part Two, William Shakespeare wrote the words “uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” It was later translated into modern English as “Heavy is the head that wears the crown.”

5:30 am.

That’s the time the alarm on King Marquise’s phone went off. After rolling over to silence his phone, Marquise sat up, and with a yawn and a roll of his neck and shoulders, he’s out of bed. After stretching he turns his attention to the woman in his bed. The one he calls his savior, his Goddess, his true north. The woman who captured his heart so long ago. His Queen. Shanelle Miller is everything that he could have hoped, dreamed, prayed, and wished for as a wife and mother. Every day that he spends with her as his and his alone is a day he thanks God for.

He stands and watches her chest rise and fall as she sleeps soundly in their bed. He leaned over and moved a few stray strands of her hair from in front of her face.

“Good morning my love. I'll see you when I get back from my run.” He whispered to her before pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

He quietly crept into his closet and changed into his workout clothes then grabbed his phone, AirPods, and Apple Watch before he left the main sleeping quarters where his wife slept and walked down the hall.

Being The King Of Cordonia is an incredible honor and opportunity. But it's not without its dangers and exceedingly high expectations and standards. Marquise has an obligation to Cordonia and especially to her people. And every day he bears the weight of it all. For two reasons, the two he calls his sun and stars. His wife and his daughter.

He walks until he comes to a door with a bright purple K on it. It’s his daughter’s bedroom. And just outside her bedroom door is a portrait that means more to him than all the literal gold in the family vault. It’s a portrait he took with his mother. He stops and runs a hand over the frame as he gazes at the portrait. It’s one of the most vivid memories he has of his mother when she was alive. He was 5 when she had the portrait commissioned. And sitting there to have it painted with her meant everything to him. He smiles wistfully at the painting before closing his eyes.

“Tu me manques tellement, ma mère. J'espère vous avoir rendu fier de Moi.”, he whispered in French as he leaned his head against the frame.

After staying for a few more seconds he stepped back then quietly opened Khari’s bedroom door. He carefully stepped into her room and stopped to look at his sleeping princess. She was curled up with her stuffed dragon Dagon and her kitten Paisley at her side. The family of corgis were sleeping together at the foot of her bed. Seeing her sleeping soundly made his heart melt. Lightly tapping on his right thigh he woke up Ozzie.

“Wake up Oz! We gotta go!” He whispered to his favorite canine companion.

Ozzie slowly roused from his sleep and blinked sleepily then looked up at Marquise before slowly rising and stretching. He was careful not to wake his mate Belle or their puppies Lucky and Lady. With a shake of his head, Ozzie was at Marquise’s side.

“Good boy Oz! Now let’s go. The boys are probably outside waiting on us.”

With one last look at his daughter and the family of corgis, he and Ozzie quietly leave Khari’s bedroom. They head out of the main bedroom wing and down the hall to the main staircase, where his majesty stops at a side table and grabs a leash for Ozzie before heading down the stairs and out the main entrance. When they walked out and across the lawn of the palace, his older brother Leo and his two best friends Maxwell Beaumont and Drake Walker were waiting for him and Ozzie.

“Ozzie!” The three exclaimed.

“What?! No love for your ruling monarch?”

“Dude. The whole kingdom loves you.” Leo replied with a roll of his eyes.

“Yeah! You don’t need us stroking your ego.” Drake quipped.

“He’s got a big ego…” Maxwell teased.

“Scallywags! The lot of ya!”

The four shared a hearty laugh.

“Alright your Majesty! What are we doing this morning?”

“10 miles. 5 miles up and 5 miles down.”

“This has got to be illegal somewhere!” Maxwell whined.

“Yeah. You were Crown Prince once. Isn't it illegal to torture people without just cause?” Drake asked.

Leo sighed dramatically.

“If it is, I guarantee you he changed the law when he became King.”

“Happy to hear that you all understand why I am in charge.”

The three groaned collectively.

“Ready to go Oz?”

Ozzie barked in agreement.

“That's the spirit! Now let's go!”

And with that, they were off on their run with Ozzie at their side.

He enjoys his early morning runs with them. It helps keep him centered in reality. It reminds him that he is a man first and then a King. Besides, keeping his physique in tip-top shape for his wife is a bonus for him. He loves to give Shanelle something to drool over. These runs also remind him that he will always have his friends and his older brother to lean on and rely on. They are his most trusted advisors in both life and the Royal Council.

As his heart pumps during the run, his thoughts take him to the most recent events. The Via Imperii is the latest threat to his kingdom. This secret society is dangerous and has big plans for his kingdom. Plans he's not exactly keen on.

His reign as King of Cordonia has felt like it's been one crisis after another. From assassination attempts to coups to forced betrothal's to finding out that two members of his father's court were responsible for his mother's death on top of finding out that he has a long-lost sister, Marquise has dealt with it all. All while trying to run a kingdom and raise a daughter. What's more, no matter how much he wants to say to hell with this so-called secret society, he knows that he can't put Cordonia or his family and friends at risk. So he grins and bears it.

And lately, he's begun to question himself as King. He's also begun to understand why his father ruled the way he did. Constantine was paranoid as King. He felt he couldn't trust anyone, much less those in his own court. He used to have strong diplomatic ties with several allied countries but that all changed after Queen Eleanor was killed. And as a King himself, Marquise now understands his father's paranoia. But he refuses to let his life be ruled by or rule Cordonia by fear. He just has to find a way out of this.

7:15 am.

Marquise, Ozzie, and the boys soon finish their run just as the sun begins to come up over the palace.

“Well, that was fun!”

“Dude you’re a sadist!” Drake quipped.

“No, my wife is a sadist. I'm an innocent angel, who just happens to enjoy torturing you lot.”

The three men groan.

“I'm starting to regret my abdication.”

“Ugh! Everything hurtsssssss!” Maxwell complained as he laid out in the grass.

“Oh quit your whining! Be like Ozzie. Stoic!”

He smirks as his friends and brother narrow their eyes at him.

“You're lucky we can't touch you because you’re the King!” Drake sneered.

“I don’t know, I think I might have to pull out my older brother card. That trumps his King card.”

Marquise rolled his eyes at Leo.

“Let me get Ozzie inside. I'll see you guys at the Council meeting later.”

“Yup.” the boys replied.

With that, he and Leo head inside then back to their respective wings of the palace, while Drake and Maxwell head off to their flats near the palace. After getting Ozzie settled, Marquise headed to his quarters where he found his wife trying to silence the alarm on her phone. He stood quietly snickering to himself as he watched as she unsuccessfully hit her phone repeatedly.

He finally took pity on her and silenced her alarm. She briefly looked up at him with one eye open before turning over and burying herself in their covers.

“Wake up my love.” he gently whispered in her ear.

She groaned into her pillow.

“Now now. It's time to get up.”

“I don't want to be an adult today!”

“You're not being an adult, my love. You’re being The Queen.”

“I don't want to do that either!”

“Shanelle…” his tone was firm but gentle.

“Noooooooo…” she whined.

He shook his head at her.

“Very well. Have it your way…”

He stood up and with a shrug, he grabbed the covers and yanked them off of her causing her to bolt up in their bed.

“Just the way I like to see you. Breathing hard with your hair everywhere.”

She glared at him before throwing a pillow at him.

“Now is that any way for My Queen to behave?”

She let out a frustrated sigh.

“Of all the times for you to be a King…” she muttered as she crossed her arms.

He smirked as he held out his hand to help her out of bed. She gave him a side-eye before he helped her out of bed and into his arms.

“Ewwww!”

“What?”

“You're all sweaty.”

“I mean I just came back from my morning run with the guys.” he said with a shrug.

“Which means you haven't been in the shower yet! Yuck!”

He snickered as he tightened his arms around her.

“Gross!”

“You like it…” he whispered before nipping at the bottom of her right ear.

“Let me go!”

He groans as he buries his face into the crook of her neck.

“You need to go get in the shower! And so do I!”

He doesn't stop. Instead, he slides one hand down her back while the other stays in the center of her back. Doing so raised goosebumps on her skin, sent chills down her spine, and caused her back to slightly arch.

“Marquise!” she pouted.

He was thankful that she loved falling asleep in his old oversized Harvard t-shirt because it just barely covered the bottom of her ass.

“Let me go!”

“If I do that, you’ll start pouting again.” He whispered harshly in her ear.

She continued to squirm in his arms. But no matter how much she wriggled he would not let her go. It wasn't until he grabbed a handful of her ass that she finally put her foot down.

“Okay! Okay! Enough! We are not doing this! We need to go get in the shower before the munchkin wakes up! Now!”

With a groan of reluctance, he lets her go.

“Spoilsport…” he mutters.

“Whatever!”

“At least you’re all hot and bothered and sweaty.”

Shanelle rolled her eyes and as she went to walk past him he slapped her on her ass causing her to let out a yelp.

“Hey! Easy on the merchandise! You break it, you’re buying me another Birkin!”

“I am not buying you another one of those overpriced handbags.”

She stalked off into the bathroom without another word.

After taking a good long hot shower. Marquise was just about ready when his gaze fell on his cufflinks. One pair had his mother's royal portrait in them. And the other pair had his parent's wedding photo. Shanelle had them custom-made for their wedding anniversary. He settled on the pair with his mother's portrait.

He missed her dearly. Before Shanelle and Khari, Eleanor was the love of his life.

She was born Eleanor Anyango in Nyambura. A small village outside of Nairobi, Kenya. When she was 10 her mother took a job in the distant kingdom of Auvernal as a chambermaid for the royal family. As she grew up became interested in finance, so when she returned from college at Oxford University, she became a member of the Royal Treasury. That's where she met a young King Constantine Rys. The two were soon madly in love and when she married him in 1984, she went from deputy Treasury Director to Queen of Cordonia.

Two years after being married to Constantine, Eleanor was finally pregnant. They had a few fertility struggles but she was finally able to carry to term. She had her only boy. She named him Marquise Constantine Rys. She never got to see him become The King she knew he could be. Nor did she get to meet Shanelle or her beautiful granddaughter. And it’s the biggest regret that Marquise has ever had.

He stares at the cufflinks a few seconds more before slipping them on with a faint smile. He soon left his closet and went to check if Shanelle was ready. When he stepped into her closet, he was struck by the sight of his wife putting on her lotion. Her hair was still damp and her brown skin shined in the light.

“I thought putting lotion on you was my job.”

Shanelle shrugged innocently.

“You took too long. So I was forced to do it myself.”

“How can I make it up to you, my queen?”

“You can help me pick which perfume I'm wearing.”

“At your service my love!”

She threw him a wink over her shoulder as she walked over to the cabinet with her perfume in it. He followed behind her.

“How many bottles do you have?”

“At last count? 95.”

“Sheesh! And here I thought you had too many bags.”

“A. I will cut you for that comment. And B. you’re the one who's always buying me perfume.”

“Well, now I know not to buy you any more perfume. Or bags. Or shoes. Or jewelry. Or anything else, clothes and accessories related.”

Shanelle rolled her eyes at him.

“Liar.”

“Yeah, I know. So let's find your scent for the day.”

After going through her many bottles of perfume, they finally settled on two of them.

“I'm thinking of either my favorite Burberry scent. You know the one that smells like berries? Or maybe I'll go with the Prada one you bought me for Valentine's Day.”

“Hmm…let me see.”

Marquise took the Burberry perfume and lightly spritzed the inside of her right wrist before taking a sniff.

“Hmm…”

“Well?”

“I need a better spot to test.”

Shanelle arched an eyebrow.

“Uh huh.”

She tilted her head so he could lightly spritz her neck. He already knew this perfume was the one.

“Well?”

“How is it no matter what you always manage to look beautiful?”

“That doesn't answer the question, your majesty.”

“This is the one.”

“Thank you. Now move it so I can get dressed. I have an event to host today.”

“Oh? I don't remember seeing anything on your calendar.”

“That's because it's not a Cordonian event.”

“Ohh…”

“Yeah. It's the Via Imperii’s Ladies Of Prestige And Power Luncheon. Queen Sigrid all but insisted it be held here and that I host it.”

“You sound thrilled.”

Shanelle cut her eyes at him.

“You see this face? Does this face look like someone who wants to host a luncheon for a bunch of snobs?”

Marquise snickered.

“That is why I married you.”

“No, you married me because your only other alternatives for Queen were Olivia or Madeleine.”

Marquise shrugged.

“You're not wrong.”

“Of course I'm not wrong. Olivia would've had this country in constant war and Madeleine would have turned you into a raging alcoholic.”

“That's a little grim.”

“But still not wrong.”

“Okay fine.”

“So see? You had to marry me. For King and Country!”

Marquise shook his head and smirked.

“Speaking of which, have I kissed you today?”

“No. You woke me up and tried to use me as a towel.”

“I’m shirking my duties!”

“Indeed you are, my king.”

“Allow me to remedy that!”

He captured her lips in a passion-filled kiss.

“I hate it when you do that.” Shanelle pouted.

“Why?”

“Because I never want you to stop.”

“Well in that case…”

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into another deep kiss. He loved to leave her breathless and wanting for more.

“I should let you get dressed.”

“You should but knowing you, you won't.”

“You're right. I won't. So let's get you out of this robe.”

Shanelle let her robe drop to the floor and it didn't take long to pop the buttons of his shirt open. She was soon rewarded with another passionate kiss from her husband.

“You are such a tease, your majesty.”

“Trust me, that was nothing.”

With no effort at all, Marquise picked her up and wrapped her legs around his waist, and walked her backward until she was just barely sitting on the edge of a dresser.

“This is how I like you.”

“And how is that?”

“At my mercy.”

Shanelle smirked.

“I am yours, my king.”

He smiled against her lips before kissing her again. She was his addiction. He believed strongly that if his queen wasn't happy then no one was happy. So he always made sure that she was happy, satisfied, and fulfilled in every way possible.

He slowly trailed kisses along her jawline to her ear and then down the left side of her neck. With each kiss being more heated than the last.

While he nursed her pulse line, his hands played with her breasts. She loved feeling his hands on her skin. Especially feeling the pads of his thumbs circle her nipples.

“Yessssssssssssss…” she moaned softly.

His majesty was getting the reaction he wanted from his wife. His lips soon went from nursing her pulse line to her breasts. She leaned back slightly to give him better access.

To him, she isn't just an addiction. She is an obsession that would sometimes borderline on a fetish depending on the day. He focused his lips on her right breast. Licking, sucking and nipping at her nipple with his teeth and his left hand was focused on rubbing and pinching her left nipple. He loves to drive her insane. And while it sometimes annoyed her, she loved it just the same.

When he glanced up at her face, her eyes were closed and she had her bottom lip between her teeth. He smiled to himself as he went back to teasing her. He slipped his right hand between her thighs earning him a groan of approval from his wife. He could feel the heat radiating from her core on his hand as he inched it closer. He could hear the desperation in her breathing.

“Someone is happy to see me.”

“Will you just shut up and fuck me now?”

Marquise cocked an eyebrow at her.

“Such language! Quite unbecoming of a woman of your station, my queen.”

Shanelle groaned impatiently.

“Let's see. What do you want?”

As he asked the question, his fingers brushed against her very wet slit.

“Do you want this?”

To illustrate his point he circled her clit with his thumb. Causing her to shiver and her eyes to flutter closed.

“Or do you want this?”

He slipped a finger inside her. He moved his finger in and out of her entrance. He watched her as she bit her bottom lip to suppress a moan.

“Hmm? What was that my love? I couldn't quite hear you.”

“Marquise…”

He loved to watch her lose control.

“Tell me what you want, my love.”

“I want you!”

With a victorious grin, Marquise dove headfirst into his queen. Her eyes snapped open when his tongue made contact with her clit.

“Ohhhh, God! Yes!” she moaned.

If there was anything that His Majesty knew quite well, it was his wife’s body. He knew every sensitive spot and he knew how to exploit those spots. With her legs over his shoulders, Marquise took his time eating her out. He took his cues from the different octaves her voice reached. It's how he knew when to switch between using his tongue and his fingers.

“God! Yes!”

He loved to hear her beg him for more. He made it his mission to always give her the most fulfilling orgasms. And this moment was no different. She was at his mercy and he was determined to take advantage of the opportunity.

“Baby just like that!”

He used his tongue to write his name across her clit while using his fingers as pistons inside her. He felt her legs begin to shake and could hear her moans begin to turn into shrieks that much like her breathing she was struggling to control. She had both hands white-knuckling the edge of the dresser as she rode his fingers. She was close; he felt it as her thighs squeezed around his neck. This was her way of keeping him in place as she rode out her orgasm.

“Oh shit! There! Right there! Just like that baby! Just like that!”

“Shhh, my love!”

“Marquise…”

“As much as I love seeing our little one, I don't think we want her barging in here to investigate why she heard her mother screaming her head off. Might scar her for life.”

She wanted to go over the edge into sweet orgasmic oblivion but she couldn't quite get over that hurdle so to speak. Luckily for her, he knew exactly what she needed.

“You might want to hang on, my love. And for the love of God, keep it down!”

He replaced his fingers with his tongue. Her thighs squeezed his neck as her body shook. He stopped long enough to encourage her.

“That's it, my love. Let go. Cum for me.”

She had a vice-like grip on the dresser and bit down hard on her bottom lip to muffle her scream, as she rode in his tongue over the edge into her orgasm. When he let her go, she had light bruises on her thighs from where his fingers were. She laid against the top of the dresser so she could catch her breath.

“My favorite!” he quipped before licking her juices off his fingers.

“I…hate…you!” she said breathlessly.

He snickered.

“I love you too. Now I'm gonna freshen up then go get the princess while you get dressed. Sound good?”

“Yeah. Yeah.”

“That's my girl!”

With a quick kiss, Marquise left her to freshen up before going to see about his little one. Being a dad was the highlight of his life. Khari was his sun, moon, and stars. When he got to her room, she was already awake. She was sitting on her bed reading to Paisley, Lucky, and Lady. When she looked up from her book she smiled before throwing her arms around his neck.

“Good morning daddy!”

His heart stuttered.

“Good morning precious. How are you?”

“I'm good.”

“Did you sleep well little one?”

“Uh-huh! But now I'm hungry.”

“Okay well let's get you dressed and we'll go meet your mother for breakfast.”

“Okay, daddy.”

He followed her into her closet and helped her pick her outfit for the day before helping her brush her teeth and get dressed. Normally her mother would do this but today he felt like taking a swing at it. Once she was dressed, they met Shanelle in the main hallway then made their way to the dining area where breakfast was waiting.

After breakfast, Marquise gave his wife and daughter a kiss goodbye as they got ready for Shanelle's event. While he left to host the Prime Ministers of Norway and Sweden in his study.

9:47 am.

While his Swedish and Norwegian were a tad bit rusty, his meeting included talks about possible tax incentives, opening consumer markets, each other's families, and NATO alliances went off without a hitch. Marquise was pleased to have made progress with two key European allies.

1:49 pm.

After a quick bite for lunch, his majesty then got ready for the Royal Council meeting.

While they weren't his favorite subject of conversation, he was thankful that he at least had his two best friends and older brother on the council with him. They made the meetings a lot more manageable. Especially Maxwell. During the meeting, he announced that there would be a tax increase on the nobility to help fund a new healthcare plan for the people.

While it wasn't received enthusiastically, many couldn't stop him from implementing this new law. Simply because the King’s word is final. Marquise prides himself on being for the people of Cordonia. Much like his mother Eleanor was. She believed in the ideal that Cordonia thrives for and because of the people. And not the nobility.

As he sat in his office with a glass of Scotch in his hand, he gazed at the photo on the desk of Shanelle and Khari from a month before. They had gone to Applewood for the rededication of the Applewood Orchard. And he snapped a picture of his girls after they tried the first harvest since the orchard was burned. He smiles at the photo of them smiling. They are what drives him to be a better husband, father, and King.

As he looked around his office his gaze stopped on the royal portrait of his father Constantine. It was commissioned right after he was crowned. Constantine Leonidas Rys was a complicated man in his later years. But in his youth especially when he was Crown Prince he was the life of the party. He was always reliable when it came to a good stiff drink and a great political debate. When he married Lady Debra Onasis of House Vescovi on August 21st, 1980, it was an arranged marriage between his father King Leonardo, and her father Duke Julian.

They might not have been in love at least but both cared for one another. When Debra gave birth to Leo in 1982, Constantine was thrilled as were his parents. But Debra was not. She loved her son deeply and dearly but life as Queen of Cordonia wasn't what she thought it would be. The pressure became too much for her and she left. Leaving Constantine to raise Leo by himself until he met young Eleanor Anyango on a diplomatic trip to Auvernal and the rest became history until her untimely death.

He was much older and set in his old ways when he met Regina Amaranth in Fydelia. But was smitten nonetheless. When they married Leo was 17 and Marquise was 13. Both care deeply for their stepmother as she does for them.

Marquise will admit that his father wasn't always the easiest to get along with. They butted heads more often than not but Marquise loved his father nonetheless. So when it was revealed that he was behind the plot to frame Shanelle, Marquise took it hard. He couldn't believe that his father would be so nefarious and yet he was. It changed their relationship entirely. With Marquise wondering if he could even fully trust his dad ever again.

It wasn't until Constantine died saving him that the voice in his head that questioned their relationship was silenced for good. Because as his father laid there dying none of it mattered. All that mattered was trying to save him. He needed to save him. He had to. There was so much that he needed to say, so much he wanted to say but he never got the chance to.

So whenever he looked at his father's portrait, he can't help but wonder what he would've said to him. But today he was brought out of his reverie by a knock at his door.

“Come in!” he announced.

An aide stepped in.

“Pardon the interruption your majesty, but Lord Vancoeur would like a word in private with you.”

Marquise rolled his eyes internally.

“Let him in.”

“Yes, my king.”

The aide disappeared then reappeared with Neville trailing behind him.

“Thank you. That will be all.”

“Yes, your majesty. Your Grace.”

The aide soon left and it was just him and Neville.

“Neville! To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I came by to discuss your new tax hike on the nobility.”

“Please have a seat, Lord Vancoeur.”

Neville took a seat across from him.

“Now, what would you like to discuss?”

“Simple. I demand that you rescind the new tax law immediately.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. It's a frivolous law. And I want it stricken down! We are the populace’s betters! We should not be paying more in taxes! We should be living as the nobility that we are!”

Marquise schooled his annoyance behind a stoic mask.

“You do realize that's not how this works right?”

Neville scoffed.

“It is where our mutual friends are concerned. I would hate for them to have to force you and your wife to change the law.”

Marquise set his jaw as his eyebrow twitched.

“After all, we're both members, Marquise.”

“Your Majesty.” Marquise corrected him.

“There was nothing wrong with what I just said to you.”

“Actually there is. You may be a member of the Via Imperii but not only are you a very low member on their totem pole Neville but you're still Cordonian nobility so long as I allow you to be.”

“Oh come now Marquise! You can't be–”

“So don't you dare for one second think that I'm not well within my right as your monarch to strip you and your house of your lands and titles!” Marquise sneered.

Neville sank into his seat.

“That's what I thought. Now get out of my office, Lord Vancoeur.”

Neville got up without a word.

“Oh! And one more thing! You ever call me by my first name again, and I will personally see to it that you are thrown into a dungeon just for annoying the hell out of me.”

The color drained from Neville’s face.

“Have a good rest of your day.”

And just like that Marquise was alone once again.

Hearing the Via Imperii’s name, much less speaking it, always put him in a bad headspace. This is why he struggles with his wife being part of The Circle. He trusts her implicitly but he's seen firsthand what lengths they're willing to go to, to get what they want.

A prime example of this was them revealing that he has a younger sister. While he is happy to have Lena in his life and wants to have some kind of relationship with her, it's not lost on him that she works for the very organization that bankrolled the men that killed his mother. Not to mention the fact they only revealed her to force his hand and have Cordonia join their ranks. But what is his majesty to do? It's damned if you do and damned if you don't.

3:54 pm.

After all his meetings were over, it was time for the family to head to Volterias. When he got to the main staircase he was greeted by his daughter.

“Daddy!”

She ran up and nearly took him out at the knees.

“Hello my princess. How was your day?”

“It was good daddy. I missed you.”

He picked her up.

“I missed you too, my love.”

“Uh-huh. And what about me?”

Shanelle looked at her husband with an expectant eyebrow raised and her arms crossed.

“Of course I've missed you, my queen.”

He kisses her sweetly with Khari wriggling in his arms.

“Much better your majesty. Now, are we ready to go?”

“Yes, my queen. Let us be off to Duchy Volterias.”

“Yay! We get to go home!” Khari squealed.

Marquise smiled at his daughter.

“Yes, my love. We do.”

Soon they were off to his queen’s duchy. 2 hours later they were pulling up to the estate and Khari was ready to get out of the SUV.

“Home sweet home! Right, Ozzie?” Khari asked Ozzie. His only response was a bark which seemed to be in agreement. As they walked across the bridge his majesty began to think about dinner.

“So what are my girls hungry for tonight?”

“Can we make pizza daddy?”

“Of course, little one.”

Shanelle rolled her eyes and smirked at her husband.

“Never thought I'd see a King be a pushover but here we are.”

Marquise cut his eyes at his wife.

“At this very moment, I am a dad. Not a king. And if my precious little one wants pizza for dinner then we are going to have pizza for dinner!” he said matter of factly.

Shanelle simply shrugged as they walked into the manor. It didn't take them long to cover the kitchen in cornmeal, olive oil, tomato sauce, and various pizza toppings. And after waiting for them to bake, the pizzas were done and demolished. And after dinner, it was movie night in the master bedroom.

8:37 pm.

“Okay pumpkin what are we watching tonight?”

“Can we watch Moana mommy?”

Marquise let out a grateful sigh that she didn't want to watch Frozen for the millionth time.

“Of course, pumpkin.”

“Moana it is!” the King proclaimed as they settled into watching Moana.

Not even an hour later his majesty found himself as a pillow for both of his girls. With his wife on his right and his daughter on his left. He shook his head and chuckled softly.

“Happens every time…”

He quietly picked up his snoring daughter and put her to bed in her room.

“Goodnight my princess. I'll see you in the morning.”

When he returned to the bedroom Shanelle had changed into one of his dress shirts and was under the covers.

“That's my shirt!”

“I know. It smells like your Prada Cologne.”

He rolled his eyes.

“You weren't asleep, were you?”

“I dozed for a bit but I woke up when you went to put little bit to bed. Now get over here.”

“So bossy!” he teased.

“Queen.”

“By proxy.”

“Still Queen.”

Marquise rolled his eyes with a smirk before crawling into bed with his wife.

“I've been so busy with our girl I haven't had time to ask you how the luncheon went.”

He heard Shanelle groan.

“That bad?”

“I was stuck in a room full of female Nevilles.”

He winced.

“Yikes! And I thought my run-in with him earlier was bad.”

“Whatever you’re imagining…imagine it being…10…times…worse.”

Marquise shuddered.

“My poor love. I'm sorry you had to endure that.”

“It was awful…”

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead while softly running his knuckles along her spine.

“Ne t'inquiète pas mon amour. Je suis ici maintenant.”

She snuggled against his chest.

“Let me make you feel better.”

He tilted her chin then kissed her softly. He loves the feel of her lips on his. He loves how soft her lips always are. He rolled onto his back and pulled her into his lap. Instinctively, his hands went to her waist to hold her in place as their kiss deepened. When the kiss ended Shanelle was feeling quite satisfied.

“Better?”

“I’ll say.”

“That's not a yes. So it looks like I must continue.”

“Yes, you should.”

He kissed her again. But this kiss was more intense than the last and left her dizzy.

“Damn! What did I do to deserve a kiss like that?”

“You stole my heart and never gave it back.”

She playfully shoved him.

“Uh-huh. But seriously how was your day? You mentioned something about Neville.”

“Yeah. He's not happy about the new tax hike on the nobility.”

Shanelle rolled her eyes.

“He even mentioned telling our…mutual friends that shall remain nameless.”

Shanelle’s eyebrows shot up.

“He threatened you?!”

“Vaguely. Until I reminded him of his position in the Via Imperii and his station here in Cordonia.”

“The damn nerve!”

“That’s the Vancoeur family for you. His mother Lady Beatrice and older brother Gorman are just as bad. And his father Luther is even worse than the two of them combined.”

“Then maybe we should pay a visit to Comery Isle. Just to remind them of their betters.”

Marquise smirked.

“You're evil my queen!”

“Well, I mean I am in the land of apples. While living a fairytale life so…”

“That is just one reason why I love you.”

“You better.”

“My love, there is no other for me but you.”

“I'm not so sure your daughter would agree.”

“Okay fine. There is no other woman for me but you.”

“Much better.”

He looked at her with pure adoration.

“Why do you do that?”

“Do what my love?”

“Make me feel like I'm the only woman in the world?”

“Because you are my love. You always will be.”

“Ever the hopeless romantic.”

“You love it.”

“Oh I do. I really do. Now I think it's time that we got you out of these clothes my king.”

“The Queen has decreed it! So shall it be!”

They both worked to get him undressed. He groaned as she ran her hand over the bulge in his pants. She loved feeling him shiver at her touch. After he was naked, he tangled his right hand in her hair and pulled her head back so he could run his tongue along her collarbone. Hearing her gasp softly sent a chill down his spine.

“While you look great in my shirt, I need it gone. I want your skin, not fabric.” he whispered before nipping the bottom of her left ear.

“Then take it off your majesty.”

“Yes, my queen.”

He deftly unbuttoned the shirt, stopping to kiss every inch of her exposed skin before tossing it aside. When he looked at her his heart skipped a beat. He still couldn't believe that the beautiful black woman before him, is his wife and queen. Everything about her amazes him. Her drive, her determination, her everlasting love for him and their daughter, her wit, and especially her heart leaves him speechless.

Never in a million years did he expect to fall in love with someone like her. When they met at her old bar in D.C. he came for the drinks, the food, the possible debauchery, and his friends. But he stayed for her.

“You are a Goddess.”

“It's about damn time someone noticed my talents.”

“There is nothing that I don't miss when it comes to you, my love.”

“There is one thing you missed.”

“What?”

“You missed a spot here.”

She tapped her bottom lip.

“Nah. I didn't miss it. I just hadn't gotten around to it yet.”

With that, he kissed her again while tightening his arms around her. He didn't want to let her go. He gently leaned her back so he could kiss along her sternum and down her chest. He loves to shower her with love, affection, and kisses. His Queen. His Goddess.

He looked up to see her biting her bottom lip with her eyes closed. He slid his left hand to her neck and brought her lips to his. He wanted to taste her. He needed to. This moment is where she became a fetish. She broke their kiss to look into his eyes.

“I need you.”

“I am yours, my queen.”

“Take me.”

“I was waiting for you to say something.”

He drove his tongue into her mouth as he pulled her closer and into position. He winked at her before bringing her down onto him. He took a sharp breath while she gasped softly.

“Yes…”

His grip on her hips tightened as he started to move her in sync with him. He loved feeling her fit around him like a glove. She laid her hands on his broad chest as she rode her husband.

“You are infuckingcredible!” he said through clenched teeth.

He loved to hold her still then plow into her again and again. He would just barely pull out of her before thrusting back in. Never giving her inner walls a full chance to adjust.

“Fuck! Yessssssss! Just like that!”

He loved to see the lust in her eyes and hear the pleasure in her voice and feel her body respond to him. She went from scratching his chest to her nails digging into his wrist. He took that as a sign that she was close. And truth be told, so was he.

She bounced up and down riding him hard. Feeling her grip on his length, drove him insane. He took advantage of the situation and began thrusting his hips harder. He watched her close her eyes. With one final thrust of his hips, her orgasm snapped and sent her into a sweet oblivion with him right behind her.

That was it, all, ball game. Marquise held her close as they came down from their combined high. She snuggled against his chest, completely satisfied.

“That was…”

“Amazing? I know. You know that I live to please you, my queen.”

She rolled her eyes with a sly smile. He kissed her forehead softly as he rubbed her back. He felt her body become heavier.

“You should get some sleep.”

“Mmmhmm.”

He chuckled softly.

“Goodnight my queen.”

“Goodnight…”

It didn't take her long after that to drift off to sleep. As he laid there with his queen in his arms, he took a small moment to be thankful. Even with everything else in his life seemingly going awry, he was thankful for her. He was thankful for their daughter. He was grateful for quiet moments like these.

Because these moments became his new normal.

[secretaryunpaid]

Losing Crown Princess Eleanor...

Word Count:1995

Rating: Mature

Warning(s): Emotional and physical trauma, spontaneous abortion, anxiety, abduction

~~~~~

~~~~~

~~~~Barren~~~

~~~~~  Losing Princess Eleanor… ~~~~~

Riley had learned that she was pregnant less than a month after returning from her honeymoon… She already felt it in her heart, but was afraid to test her theory… she didn’t want to take away from the magical memories she had shared with her loving husband…

Sex on the beach, then sex in the villa, to sex on the flight home… She could never have enough of her husband’s body, nor he hers… But she didn’t want to put him on an emotional rollercoaster with all of the scandalous press that had been published of their love escapades in the waters of the beautifully secluded private island he purchased for her as a wedding gift… one of many she would discover over time.

Liam wanted to spoil his Queen, knowing that she wouldn’t agree to his suggestions of her having property outside of his Valtoria estate that he gifted to her … He never spoke of his time there with Alina… it wouldn’t erase their history… it wouldn’t bring her back… When he found Riley, nothing from his past mattered anymore… or so he’d convinced himself. He went on to secretly purchase islands in the Maldives, along the Amalfi Coast, France, and Monterisso. His plans were to have purchased properties throughout the world for her to escape should she ever tire of her Queenly duties.

Little did he know that the Queen of Spies would be drawn to Cordonia for discussions of an alliance simply because he had purchased a lavish estate for his new bride in her country. He had also found the courage to visit property in Auvernal owned by his deceased mother. His father had hidden this from him, never wanting him to have anything to do with any parts of the country… blaming his refusal to form an alliance with them or implement Eleanor’s joint project requests as the cause for her assassination. 

It had been bequeathed to him in her will, but this information had not come to light until Riley uncovered the property deeds and project folder in Eleanor’s secret study. This also drew Queen Isabella and King Bradshaw to Cordonia seeking an alliance as well, especially since their spies had told them Monterisso was approaching for an alliance.

It was shortly after their marriage that the Queen would be abducted and held for the highest ransom Liam would ever have requested of him, his life in return for that of his Queen. He would tell no one of his decision to give his life freely over to his enemy, as he knew that she would probably lose her life in their feeble attempts to prevent his choice.  

He would receive a summons from none other than Anton Severus. The images sent with the request immediately caused Liam to vomit. His worst fears were realized before his eyes. Anton had severely beaten Riley, her clothes tattered … her face, filthy and swollen… Anton wasn’t without his own bruises, signifying that his Queen had put up a valiant effort to free herself from her captor. The dried blood stains throughout her torso were sending daggers through Liam’s heart. The last thing removed from the envelope was a flash drive…He opened his laptop, inserting it into the usb port… 

Clicking on the folder with much apprehension, it opens to show a video file. Fearing what he may see… Liam decided not to watch, unsure if it was cowardice or fearing that he may act irrationally, endangering Riley’s life even more… He arranges an unmarked car, and exits the castle through a secret passage. 

As he makes his way to the destination, Olivia enters his office, having just received word of Riley’s capture. In his haste, Liam failed to lock his desktop which worked to Olivia’s advantage. She saw the peculiar envelope on the desk, her usual curious nature taking control… she removed the contents and her heart wrenched at the sight of the photos… silently vowing to end her unwanted husband’s life.

Olivia places a quick call to the only person that has been able to keep their identity hidden while assisting her during multiple operations. She immediately recognized the former Nevrakis stronghold, amazed that Anton could be so absentminded… or did he wish to be found? Regrettably, she does something Liam didn’t have the courage to do… watch the video content … She immediately loses her footing, feeling immense empathy for Riley hearing her tormentous wailing and muttered cries for Liam… begging him to just let her die… No woman should have to endure this… friend or foe. She takes the drive and other items … not wanting anyone else to know this happened to their beloved Queen.

As she heads to assist in the rescue, the video plays on repeat in her mind… her temper reaching its maximum… calming only when she realizes that Riley sent a message… if not followed to the letter, she and Liam were sure to be dead by the time of her arrival. She immediately calls her second most trusted ally… the Queen of Monterisso. “Amalas, I need your help…” Her former anxiety turned into a sinister excitement… accelerating at higher speeds to quickly reach her destination.

She knew that Anton would have many forces awaiting the King’s arrival, and half expected them to kill him before ever reaching Riley. But she remembered that the Nevrakis' way was to kill their own target, sending clear messages to anyone who heard of their actions, knowing they’d dare not speak a word. 

In her rush to cover traces of what was occurring with the King and Queen, she’d failed to notice that Drake had been covertly hiding in the shadows, curious as to why Olivia was exiting the King’s study. He’d heard her place a call to Amalas, and upon her walking a far enough distance not to notice, he peered into the open door, noting that Liam wasn’t present. This prompted him to follow Olivia. He immediately knew that something was up that everyone was trying to keep secret, but he wasn’t going to be left out if Liam needed him.

He also placed a call to Hana to let her know where he was headed should he not happen to return. Someone must know of his whereabouts. Sharing his location with her, she decided to play a bit of a spy queen of her own… one of her many talents being hacking advanced satellite systems and much more. The one thing she had not mastered was driving, so she needed help from someone she knew would want to be involved in this rescue effort… Maxwell Beaumont.

When Amalas and Olivia finally reached a safe enough area to proceed on foot, they were stealthily moving towards an entrance known only to Nevrakis. She knew that these things wouldn’t be shared with Anton, because their golden rule was to only entrust a blood born Nevrakis with this information. She truly hated to share this information with the Spy Queen, but now was not the time to keep to family tradition. 

~~~~~ Just before they were to fight off the remaining guards, exhausted but determined, Drake, Hana and Maxwell appear. It wouldn’t take long to rid themselves of their unwanted interference with rescuing the King and Queen. With Maxwell taking the final guard down, the beautiful stroke of his katana ended the last outside threat. 

Once inside, they witness the unfair sword fight ensuing below. Liam outnumbered, but holding his own. Olivia spots Anton Severus, holding a short blade to Riley’s throat, enjoying what looks to be the imminent defeat of Cordonia’s King. Underestimated, Liam stalks toward Anton, sword poised to strike at the moment he reaches him. 

His action was halted as he caught a glimpse of blood trickling along Riley’s neck, his only warning that her life would come to an end should he move closer. This was the first time the King faltered, refusing to allow her death at his urging. Anton motions for him to disarm. 

Tears flowing, Riley insists that he allow her to die… “Cordonia needs its King… Love, let me go… Please !!!!” Crying, he pleads for his life to be taken instead, falling to his knees in surrender. Sweet victory dripping from the demonic smile spreading across his face, Anton never notices the rescuers descending from above. 

Just as he draws his long sword, hoisting it high for a clean slice with the intent to decapitate, Hana sends a blow dart directly into his jugular, the poison immediately having effect… his sword falling away as he clenches his throat. His paralyzed form slumping to the ground. As Hana abhors murder, she only used enough to disarm her enemy, although the effects would take days to wear off.

Liam rushes to Riley, as Olivia frees her from the ropes, careful of any further injury. He kisses her gently, but syncope soon takes over. As he tried to wake her, Olivia noticed the pooling blood. Amalas and Hana do their best to stabilize her as they rush out after Oliva, Drake and Maxwell as Liam carries her protectively… 

Once everyone is in a vehicle, Drake drives full speed until Amalas can give him an ETA on the Life-flight she requested. Once she has coordinates, they arrive minutes later with emergency crew standing at the ready. Liam has to be pulled from her side constantly as they try to assess her. With everyone aboard, they are airlifted to the nearest Lythikos facility. But the Crown Princess would make her untimely arrival prior to landing… Everyone aboard witnessing the despair overtaking the King as he held Riley close, shaking his head no at her pleading looks… preventing her from trying to reach her still born princess, not caring about the treatment they were trying to give her. Her fight would not last long, as she loses consciousness before the King’s terrified eyes.

She would spend weeks in the private wing, Liam by her side.  Amalas, Olivia, Drake, Maxwell and Hana never leaving watch outside the inner room. Anton remained under heavy sedation deep within Olivia’s keep, supervised by her fiercest and loyal guards, awaiting Liam’s orders.

During their time there, the grieving monarchs were like two normal parents who’d suffered this tremendous loss. Liam held Riley as she recounted all of the things they would not get to do with their “Elly”... 

Never getting to sit in the dandelion fields as she loved to do as a child, watching the seeds blow away in the wind… running with the wind flowing through her hair. Never standing over her specialty crib they’d so lovingly selected together as excited as if she would be laying soundly inside as soon as it was assembled in the nursery… Never watching her stare at the paintings Riley spent hours muraling along her wall, with special ordered paints that would shine as the lighted mobile shone upon it as it turned… revealing the hidden treasures within the design. Never watching her fall asleep as her loving father sang the beautiful lullaby his mother sang to him for all of her time with him…

When that dreaded time came, Liam and Riley would have their first moment of time before their little one’s memorial tomb… telling of their love for her still and how much they wanted to watch her grow to be as fierce a leader as they’d become… It would be soon after that Liam would suffer a second tragedy, the fall into postpartum depression he would fight continually to help his wife overcome… feeling the same emotions as his beloved wife, only in a fatherly way…

It would be an announcement like none other… Not the expectation of Cordonia’s first female heir in centuries, but the tragic loss… It would be a Kingdom mourning as one...

~~~~~~~~

The Queen Returns, Summoned...

[xxrainbow-princessxx]

Act of Conscience - Mafia!Leo x Isabella

Synopsis: After Leo, Liam and Drake’s arrests, Isabella finds herself alone - can a plan be formulated to begin their plot to freedom?

TW: Violence, Swearing, implied blood

Taglist: @lorirwritesfanfic @lorircreates @secretaryunpaid @kingliam2019 @mom2000aggie @rafasgirl23415 @rainbowsinthestorm @drakewalkerwhipped @kimmiedoo5

Masterlist:

Chapter 1: Love At A Distance

Chapter 2: The Longest Evening

Chapter 3: Unexpected Turn of Events

Chapter 4: Not Your Fault

Chapter 5: Surprise

Chapter 6: Return to Cordonia

Chapter 7: Act of War

Breakfast time had come and gone. It had come the next day and the day after that but no sign of Leo. It was 3pm on the third day he was taken. “His phone is still going to voicemail…” Isabella mumbled to herself, tapping aimlessly on her phone, hoping, praying that Leo would pick up. Her eyes were painted red, her cheeks still stained with kohl liner and mascara. Isabella sat in the middle of the king size bed her and Leo shared together, allowing the vastness of the blankets and mattress to engulf her. Her free hand held onto the cuff of his shirt he wore last night, pulling it down around her hand to give herself some comfort. Her ears pricked up at the sound of the obnoxious knocking coming from the front door of the mansion. She jumped out of bed wearing Leo’s shirt and some thigh high socks, running towards the sound only to be greeted by Drake and Liam who were stood behind the locked door. Liam wearily looked around before Drake cleared his throat, pushing past them both, heading towards the kitchen, “Looks like we all could do with some coffee!” It only took a few moments before the intoxicating smell of fresh coffee began to fill the manor.

Isabella’s chest felt heavy, tears wanted to fall but she had cried so much over the past few days, she had nothing else to give. She barely choked out, “Where’s Leo…” but both men fell silent both of them looking at one another until Liam cracked, “Your Royal Highness…” he sighed heavily, his shoulders dropping as Drake handed him a mug of freshly brewed coffee , “He’s still in there… We were only released this morning…” Isabella crawled onto the large couch, pulling her knees in protectively. Drake handed her a mug of coffee before sitting down beside the petite brunette, “Sánchez…” he began to lower this head, he couldn’t bring himself to meet her sad eyes, “We’re not sure when he’s gonna get out…” Isabella turned to Liam, her brows furrowing in anger, “Then why the hell are you here? Liam, where is his legal counsel?” Liam’s expression didn’t change, taking another drink of his coffee before he replied, “Crown Princess… I am my brother’s legal counsel and according to our delightful sister - he is not permitted a legal counsel…” This infuriated the Laurentian beauty further, “But surely under Article 6 he is guaranteed the right to be advised and represented if it’s a criminal charge…” Liam chuckled as he placed his right hand into his suit trouser pocket, “Don’t you think I tried that? Lena’s trying to get him on a civil charge instead of a criminal charge to keep him detained so representation isn’t absolute…”

Isabella bit down onto her lower lip deep in thought, the tension in the room could be cut with a knife as Drake cleared his throat, “Bella… there’s little we can do… and there’s less we can do to make sure you’re safe…” Liam shook his head solemnly, Drake was right. The only person left in the room with any diplomatic immunity was the Crown Princess who already was a walking target. “Let me speak with your father…” Liam sighed but immediately Isabella cut him off, her tongue clicking in annoyance, “Try as much as you like…” she threw her perfectly manicured nails up, slamming them down onto her exposed thighs, “…but my presence has already been requested back home… so no need for armed guards…” running his fingers through his blonde strands of hair, Liam’s demure, regal temper began to flare. His plan that he was in the process of creating was immediately backfiring much to his aggravation. Reaching out he snatched Isabella’s phone from her hands pointing it directly towards her, “You shower…” then towards Drake, “Get Olivia down here; she knows how that godforsaken Lythikos pit operates and I’ll get this fucking mess resolved!”

Liam pinched the bridge of his nose, pressing against it as he heard the tone of the call change knowing it was dialling out internationally. “Querida, estoy tan contenta de que hayas recobrado el sentido…” the King’s tone sounded joyful but that didn’t last long as Liam cleared his throat, “Hola, Rey Felipe… it’s been a long time…” The former Prince paced back and forth as he spoke with Isabella’s father. No one knew how the conversation was truly going as at one moment, Liam was reddening with anger, the next a chuckle was raised and his lips curled upward. “Your Majesty…” Liam sighed shaking his head, “I implore you on behalf of our Kingdom… my brother may not be the ideal candidate to be with your daughter and I can truly attest that he can be one of the biggest asses alive, but; this fight he has, is not his fight. It’s bigger than all of us. He knows taking down the Via Imperii is best for all involved and the other Kingdom’s that they’ve got in their sights. You must understand the tyrannical rule that has been brought to Cordonia. We have seen first hand what the Via Imperii will do if you entertain their membership and also what they do if you don’t…”

Liam stood in silence, awaiting the King’s reply. “I need time to think…” King Felipe sighed, “I will call you once I have made a decision…” Liam seemed hopeful, “Thank you for your time Your Majesty…” he nodded, “We will await your call…” Liam walked back into the manor, his expression giving nothing away of how he felt. He was truly holding onto a prayer at this stage. It made his skin crawl knowing that Eirik, Sigrid, Lena and the others brought the Cordonian Kingdom to it’s knees - once known for it’s strength and prowess was now fighting for it’s life, it’s identity. Leo lowered his head, resting it against his fists that were chained to the table. It was a white room; white walls, white furniture, white light. The strong fluorescent lights made it difficult to sleep. He’d been chained to the table for over 36 hours being questioned, time and after time on his dealings, his business and more importantly, his interest in the Via Imperii. Bastien sat down on the side of the table, lifting a weary Leo’s head up by his hair to meet his gaze. “Tell me why you are so insistent to know about the Via Imperii or even care what they do? Huh?”

His sea green eyes burned with anger, Leo’s face contorted as he pulled desperately against the chains and handcuffs that kept him tied to the table. “You say you serve the Throne of Cordonia…” he began to spit toward Bastien, “You’re no better than the dirt on my fucking shoes! Don’t ever think you’re on the same par as Jackson Walker! That man served the Throne of Cordonia with his life and your just a snivelling piece of shit!” Bastien couldn’t hold his temper much longer, his hand curling into a fist, connecting it with Leo’s jaw. The former Crown Prince’s eyes narrowed angrily as Bastien straightened himself. Leo’s nostrils began to flare angrily growling, pulling as hard as he could against his restraints, “Once I get out of her Bastien… I will tear you limb from fucking limb!” but Bastien just smiled at him as he pulled on his shirt cuffs, “If you actually do get out of here…” before turning to a guard, “Move him to the North Wing…” before looking back over his shoulder, “I’m sure the former Crown Prince will be welcomed by the Rys family’s incarcerated inmates… I’m sure they can reminisce on old times…” the guard nodded as Bastien waltzed freely from the detention room, smugly smiling to himself knowing that Leo mightn’t even last the remainder of the day.

Olivia, Drake, Liam and Isabella stared at the mobile phone that was placed on the table waiting impatiently for it to ring. “This is killing me…” Drake placed his head into his hands, shaking it side to side, “We’ve no fucking chance!” Liam’s ocean blue eyes rolled to the right, glaring at his trusted friend, “Patience…” he quietly snapped, “Trust diplomacy…” Olivia began to snigger, leaning back onto the couch with her arms folded, “Diplomacy Liam?” her brow raised with a smirk, “”Surely you can see the delightful irony…” yes, the former Prince did see the irony in his reasoning but it was the last piece of hope he could cling onto. Liam knew it was fight or flight and right now, all of those diplomacy lessons were finally coming to fruition. Olivia’s smirk was cut short as Isabella’s phone finally began to ring. All eyes darted towards the Crown Princess, her cautiously picking up her phone, “Hola Papa… sí…” her dark chocolate brown eyes scanned the room before placing her phone on loudspeaker. “Rys…” King Felipe’s voice boomed, “I have made a decision…” Isabella’s head tilted towards Liam, watching the cogs turning as her father spoke.

“After speaking with some of our allies, we will agree to help you, on one condition….” Liam sucked in his cheeks, he didn’t want his voice to give away his position. “Felipe you know I need more than that before I can agree to anything…” The room felt like it was getting smaller, the walls enclosing around the gathered crowd waiting with bated breath to the King’s demand, “That’s fair…” Isabella’s father grunted in response, “Your allies choose the next Cordonian Monarch. That is the offer and it’s non-negotiable…” the former Prince took a moment. A decision like this would change Cordonia’s history forever but Liam felt like he was being backed into a corner, his eyes immediately meeting Drake’s who sat across from him. “Li…” Drake sighed, “What we gotta lose? It’s either someone else or the Kingdom becomes non-existent…” Liam turned his sights to Olivia who merely shrugged her shoulders, “I can’t believe I’m even saying this… but…” her look of distain was projected to Drake, “I agree with him…” Liam took a deep breath, “Fine…” he stood to his feet, his voice firm, “We agree on the consideration that our allies will choose the next Cordonian Monarch with a stipulation that they must put the Kingdom’s interests first and foremost…”

“Guards will be with you in the next hour…” Isabella’s father responded, “You have my word that Cordonia’s interests will be at the forefront… we will send details of the next call to discuss the next steps…” Liam agreed, courteously thanking the Laurentian King. “Mi corazon…” Isabella’s father finally spoke, “…por favor cuídate. Tengo fe…” the Crown Princess finally broke a smile as she picked up the phone whispering, “Te amo papa…” before hanging up. “Liam…” she spoke, her eyes softening in worry as he seemed deep in thought - “Are you ok?” Licking his bottom lip, before dragging it between his teeth, Liam felt conflicted. Worried of what would become of his beloved Cordonia. “Yes, Crown Princess…” he lowered his head before he began to walk off, “I just need a drink…” Drake began to stand but Olivia reached out, taking his arm into her hand. Quietly she shook her head back and forth as Drake sat back down again, “He needs time…” she quietly noted, “The Rys brothers will have blood on their conscience if this doesn’t go to plan… leave him be…” That evening was a quiet one. No laughter, no joy at the prospect of a freed Cordonia. Their hearts filled with dread and apprehension but if they didn’t try, they’d never know. This was their first and only chance to rid the Kingdom of the Via Imperii and the plight it brought. Liam was more conflicted than most considering this was a battle of family. Would he remain loyal to his half-brother who he had known his entire life or does he spare the biological sister he never knew he had?

[wefoundloveunderthelight]

Love or Duty by GleefullyCaptainSwan Chapter 2/8

Read on AO3: | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

Or on FF

Stacy's Tortured Crew: @teamhook @kmomof4 @stahlop @lfh1226-linda @ilovemesomekillianjones @itsfabianadocarmo @mariakov81 @qualitycoffeethings @zaharadessert @jrob64 @jonesfandomfanatic @natascha-ronin @tiganasummertree @xarandomdreamx @therooksshiningknight @batana54 @superchocovian @onceratheart18 @ultraluckycatnd @snowbellewells @karlyfr13s @the-darkdragonfly @xsajx @deckerstarblanche

Chapter 2: A Woman’s Place

Emma barely spoke through dinner the previous evening, choosing instead to watch her father’s clear discomfort from interacting with King Brennan’s sons. She could tell her father’s distaste of his previous rival was filtering down to his offspring. Perhaps knowing she was now betrothed to one of them was punishment enough for the decision he had made for her. If only that punishment didn’t apply to her as well.

It wasn’t that Liam was not a handsome man, in fact he was very easy on the eyes. Not in the same way as his brother, the one who had caught the eye of every maiden he had made eye contact with since stepping foot in the castle, but he had a commanding way about him. First born males of royalty always seemed to have that trait. That air of knowing they were made special because their sperm came before their siblings.

It was all tiresome and quite boring once you put it in those terms. How does simply being born first somehow make you more special than someone who came from the same womb? It was the same annoyance that Emma had about her own situation. She was destined to a life of servitude as a royal housewife because she was female while her younger brother, Henry was Heir to be King. Who made up these stupid rules anyway? Why should a woman need to marry a man who would be King in order to be Queen? Why is a woman’s worth only tied to that of her husband?

As Emma dressed for the day, her handmaiden, Ruby yanking the laces of her corset as Emma cursed loudly.

“I’m sorry, I know you hate these wretched things.”

“If I wanted to be tied up, there are much better ways to go about it.” Emma said with a smirk in her maid’s direction.

“Naughty girl, you know not even what you speak.”

“Yes, but that is because my only inspiration comes from your stories.” Emma spun around and giggled. “How did your evening go with Sir Humbert?”

“Not quite as eventful as it went with Lady Gale afterwards.”

Emma gasped. “Ruby, you did not.”

“Why should men have all the fun?” She teased, turning her back around and tugging on the cord behind her. Emma held her stomach and took a deep breath as the material tightened around her, restricting her air flow for a moment.

“Why is it so important for the ladies to be on display simply to garner a man’s attention?” She glanced down at her heaving breasts. “Are my words not interesting enough for more than a minute’s worth of conversation?”

“I sit on a blades edge in anticipation of every word that leaves your mouth, Princess.”

Emma sighed in frustration. “I do not wish to dance tonight; everyone will be anticipating my every reaction to Prince Liam. I have naught even spoken to him alone to understand who he is, much less that I have to share a bed chamber with him once we are wed.”

“But you love dancing. Try not to think of the eyes on you, instead use the distraction of the dance to find out more about your betrothed. Perhaps his guard will be down with all the attention as well. If you need me to, I can find out more about him from his brother.” She winked.

“You just want to bed the Prince.” She rolled her eyes. “Trust me, I do not believe it would be much of a conquest. Men like him tend to trip into a woman’s bed without a single preamble.”

“He would not need to speak a word to have me trembling at his knees.”

“A woman’s place is not on her knees Ruby.” Emma flitted around the room, pulling her dress from the wardrobe, and draping it over her chest as she looked at her image in the mirror. “Men do not make us who we are, you would be wise to remember that Ruby.”

As Emma made her way to the courtyard, she greeted the people who passed her by, stopping to make conversation with the staff who had worked tirelessly to put on a feast with such short notice. It never mattered to her that she was royalty, only that she was gracious that so many served her with such loyalty.

She adjusted the tiara on her head and took a deep breath before entering the courtyard, standing at the top of the staircase looking down at the multitude of impeccably dressed nobles gliding across the stone dance floor. The twinkling of lights hanging from the trees surrounding the courtyard gave the view a feeling as if magical fairies had suddenly lit up the forest around them in celebration.

Taking her time, she walked slowly down each step, her eyes darting around to take in where the major players were placed around the room. Her mother and father were currently arm in arm, spinning around the room to the current Waltz the band was playing. At the edge of the courtyard, she found him standing stoically as he looked around, uninterested in the festivities happening in front of him. Prince Liam appeared to have as much desire to be at the festival as she did to marry him.

Next to him, Prince Killian stood with a ridiculous grin on his face, his gaze directed at one of the Lady’s on the dance floor who was flirting with him despite the Lord currently holding her in his arms. She approached the men who noticed her presence a second later than they could recover and receive her properly.

“Stand down gentlemen, I’m quite certain I know how to enter a room absent a round of fanfare.”

“You look lovely, M’Lady.” Prince Liam complimented and Emma smiled confidently at the Prince before taking in his brother. The man arrogantly smirked in her direction, his eyes slowly grazing down to her chest as his tongue slid across his bottom lip.

She rolled her eyes and turned toward Liam. “Do you dance, or will you be preoccupied with babysitting this one all night?”

She could feel Killian’s eyes drilling into the side of her head as Liam laughed loudly. “I think he can manage on his own for one dance.”

She allowed him to lead her to the dance floor, ignoring the look of indignation on his brother’s face. She may have to marry Prince Liam, but in no way did that mean she was required to put up with his brother’s indecent ogling.

~*~

Killian watched his brother lead the woman onto the dance floor, her golden hair braided and pinned around the crown on her head. She had a body that was worthy of exploring but an attitude that would be unmatched by his brother.

In fact, Emma and Liam were not suited in any possible way that he could imagine. Liam preferred quiet, calm women, a fact he was certain of after watching him sneak away with the cook’s timid daughter for many years. From her demeanor, he determined that this woman was assertive, demanding, and obviously not interested in being guided by a husband.

It was clear from the way the current Waltz was going in front of him, as Liam tried to lead her around the dance floor, the Princess stepping to the right when she should have stepped left, or Liam bowing when he was supposed to twirl. His brother was an amateur, his mother had tried to teach them both to dance when they came of age. Killian of course mastered it quite quickly, while Liam seemed to be born with two left feet. The sight in front of him was almost frightening.

“Bloody Hell.” He whispered under his breath, waiting for the music to stop before he stepped forward, hoping to alleviate the embarrassing glances that the Prince and Princess were surely garnering from observers who has just witnessed the abomination they had delivered on the floor.

He stepped up behind the Princess and bowed to his brother. “Perhaps I shall give you a break, brother. It would be an honor to have a dance with my future sister-in-law.”

Liam seemed almost relieved and left the Princess standing in the middle of the floor with no chance but to accept his offer. “Are you sure you have room left on your dance card?” She said with an abhorrent tone.

“Always room for you, sis.” He remarked candidly, reaching over to grasp a hand on her hip, holding his hook up for her to take. She barely registered his missing appendage as she gripped the silver hook, her eyes rolling when the music began.

“Not your sis.” Her heard her hiss as he began to sway across the dance floor, an ease of which allowed them to float around the room with the other guests. She kept her eyes over his shoulder, staring off into the distance as if she had other places to be.

He spun her around suddenly, catching her as she twirled back into his arms. Her expression registered shock as he bent his knee, spinning her around his body until he stood and pulled her into his arms. “There is one rule to this dance.” His eyes lingered on her lips before rising to meet her eyes. “Pick a partner who knows what he’s doing.”

She glared at him for a moment before spinning away from him, when she returned to his grasp she had a new look of determination. “So, tell me how this works, your brother has the responsibility of the throne while you take dance lessons?”

“Heavy is the head that wears the crown. I’ve never seen the need to have aspirations beyond my requirements.”

“Of course.” She said with a nod. “I’m sure it is easier to court a woman when your parents are not concerned about how much power runs through her blood.”

“It is easier to court a woman when your parents are not concerned with you at all. But who said I gave a damn about courting?” He pressed closer to her. “I prefer to skip the formality and go straight to the nudity.”

Killian swore she flinched, he felt her body tense and for a moment the expression on her face turned dark before the sullen smirk returned. “Why does that not surprise me in the slightest.” She leaned closer to him, “Were you not blessed with a broadsword? Is that the reason you overcompensate with women?”

He grabbed his chest and feigned attack. “Ouch, you wound a man, love. It is not kind to joke about the size of a man’s ship or his sword.”

The song ended and Killian stood with Emma in his arms, not wanting to let go yet wanting to get as far away from her as he could.

“Thank you for the dance. Feel free to go back to whatever it is that you do now.”

“Hey, dad wants you and lover boy to join him at the table.” Princess Emma groaned at the young man who approached them. “Not you, the other guy.” He stated when Killian turned toward him. “The one who’s actually going to be King.”

“Killian, this very blunt individual is my brother, Henry.” She introduced.

“I guess it runs in the family.” He said with an indignant bow, stepping away from them to return to the sidelines.

~*~

“That was rude.” Emma chided Henry as she watched Killian stride away from her.

“What? I was just being honest.”

“Doesn’t mean it should leave your mouth.” She reminded her little brother.

“What did I say?” He shrugged.

“I don’t like it when people so graciously point out that you will become King of Misthaven, like I’m just the golden drapes over here.”

“Girls can’t be King, duh!” He groaned.

“You really are an ass.” She groaned and walked toward her father who was standing at the head of the table with Prince Liam.

“Emma, darling, please have a seat. I have an announcement to make.” Emma narrowed her eyes at her father.

“What sort of announcement, father?”

Suddenly the sound of trumpets echoed in her ears, and she was pulled toward her seat by her mother.

“Sit dear and remember to smile.” Emma glared at her mother as her father stood up to speak.

“People of Misthaven, I, King Nolan am truly a blessed man this evening.” He paused for dramatic effect and Emma fought the urge to roll her eyes. “Prince Lima from Jonesboro has asked for Princess Emma’s hand in marriage, and she has accepted.” Emma was sure the room was starting to spin.

“Emma will travel to Jonesboro at first light with Prince Liam.” Emma’s eyes jerked toward her father. He expected her to travel in the morning without speaking to her first? Her father seemed to refuse to make eye contact with her as Emma followed him across the room.

“Don’t make a scene.” She heard his voice as his mouth contorted in an uncomfortable smile. “We can discuss it after the party.”

Emma smiled at the passing guests. “Oh, you bet we will.” She laughed loudly, pretending he had said something she found even mildly entertaining. She turned on her heels and found her husband to be, grabbing him by the hand and dragging him to the dance floor. “Were you aware of our travel plans?”

He bowed to her; a fake smile plastered to his face. “I found out the same as you.”

“I suppose I should find it comforting to know that we are both in the dark when it comes to our future.”

“I find it best not to question the decisions of a King.”

“I hope you will not expect such qualities of your wife, as I find it difficult to hold my tongue.”

He chuckled as he spun her around him, tripping over his shoes. “That does not surprise me at all.” She paused in his arms.

“I am feeling quite tired. I think I will retire if I am expected to rise for travel tomorrow.”

He bowed. “Of course, M’Lady. The carriage will leave at first light.”

“Then I shall take my leave.”

~*~

Killian groaned when the light hit his eyes, the curtains drawn back in dramatic fashion as the sun streamed in through the window.

“Bastard.” He cursed.

“I told you we leave at first light.” His brother complained loudly. “Yet you remain here, asleep in your bed past dawn.”

“Pardon my confusion but are we suddenly racing another carriage home? Does everything have to happen so early in the bloody morning, brother?” Killian peered through slanted eyes, the sunlight bringing about an immediate migraine.

“It’s only early to those of us who didn’t drown themselves in drink the previous evening.”

He groaned as he felt clothing being tossed on top of him.

“We leave urgently, our carriage awaits. It would pain me to have the need to explain to my future bride that we have been delayed due to your irreputable behavior.”

He felt his eyes roll back in annoyance at his brother’s superior attitude. “I would not wish to tarnish your beloved quality of timeliness. I’m most certain that is the top attribute a woman seeks to obtain in a husband.”

His brother sent him one last stern glance before leaving through the open door, the heavy wood slamming shut behind him.

Killian dressed as quickly as he could, tripping down the stairs toward the carriage twenty minutes later. As he approached the carriage, his brother was pacing in front of it. “It seems timeliness isn’t a quality this woman has either.” He grumbled as he peeked into the empty space inside. Killian chuckled under his breath, hiding his smirk as he turned toward his brother.

“Did you lose your bride? Perhaps you did not communicate the urgency of beating the sun to your betrothed.”

There was a rustling sound behind him, and he turned to see a woman approaching them. He recognized her as one of Princess Emma’s handmaids.

Liam greeted the woman as she approached, and she explained that Emma had been delayed and would be out in a moment. She turned toward him and smiled. “Well, I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced. I’m Miss Lucas. I’ll be traveling with Princess Emma.”

Killian bowed his head and placed her hand in his, bringing it to his lips. “The pleasure is all mine, Miss Lucas.” He said with a smirk. His brother stared at him disapprovingly and he dropped her hand, a flirtatious grin aimed at the woman as she stepped into the carriage.

Their attention was drawn toward the castle as Princess Emma, her golden hair shining in the sunlight, suddenly made her way toward them. From the angry frown on her face, he could assume that she was not looking forward to her trip to Jonesboro. She shoved her bag toward his brother the moment they met. “My apologizes for being late, but only a madman would rise before the sun.”

Killian failed to hold back the laugh that left his mouth, clearing his throat and holding out his hand toward Emma, who regarded him curiously. “M’lady, allow me.”

“Do you think I am unable to enter a carriage without assistance? Do I appear ill to you?”

“I would hate to offend. By all means Princess, heave ho.” He gestured toward the carriage before Liam stepped between them.

“Have you lost your mind?” He growled under his breath, turning back toward Emma to assist her into the carriage, despite her protest.

Emma glared at him as he sat down across from her. “Looks like the gangs all here.” He said with a jolly smile. “To Jonesboro.” Emma’s eyes met his and the fire that burned behind her green orbs intrigued him.

In fact, he found that he could barely keep his eyes from her for most of the journey. Despite his attempts to keep them on the dark-haired woman with the large breasts seated next to him, or the woman’s attempts at brushing her hand against his thigh at every bump in the road, his eyes continued to find Emma’s.

Though she barely held his gaze for longer than it took the ocean’s water to kiss the shore and retreat to safety, he did find her glancing in his direction often.

“Once we get to Jonesboro, my father will want to discuss our courtship.” His brother’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“I do hope it will include a plate of cheese, or perhaps a sandwich.” She returned and Killian didn’t miss the incredulous glare his brother sent toward her. “One cannot be expected to discuss such matters on an empty stomach.”

“Father is going to get a kick out of you.” He said quietly before his brother grunted his disapproval.

“I’m sure a meal can be arranged, but Father generally likes to discuss business before pleasure.”

“At least we are being honest about the arrangement being business.”

“Emma.” The woman beside him seemed to speak her name in warning.

“Hush Ruby, we are not currently in the presence of overbearing parents, I think we can afford to speak openly.” She turned toward Liam and shrugged, “I do not wish to marry any man, much less a Jones man.”

“Trust me, marrying a Nolan wasn’t an option I ever thought would present itself either, sweetheart.”

“Let’s not get hasty and say something that will ruin the wedding night.” Killian chuckled, enjoying the argument in front of him.

“Sod off.” His brother scolded as the two in front of him faced out different sides of the carriage. Well, this was going well, he thought.

The carriage came to a sudden halt, and he looked to his brother quickly, both on alert. “We are too early to have arrived.” His brother commented.

They heard a commotion on the other side of the door, the sound a metal colliding with metal, and Liam pulled his sword from beside him. “Stay here and protect the women.” He commanded, pushing the door open and slamming it shut behind him.

Killian grabbed his sword, moving closer to the door. “Nothing to worry about, I’m sure it’s just…” They heard someone yell from the other side and Killian glanced at Emma. “Whatever happens, stay in the carriage.”

“Do you really think you are just going to leave us in here, unarmed and unguarded?” She complained.

“Would you prefer I send you out there?” He yelled.

“Don’t yell at me!” She returned angrily.

“Would you two stop yelling.” Ruby tried to interject just as the carriage door swung open and a man tried to push his way inside. Killian grabbed his sword and impaled the man before he could reach Emma’s arm. A man appeared behind him, and Killian sprung from the carriage, his sword slamming against the metal of the man’s blade.

The parade of men continued to come as he struck down each one with his sword, turning back toward the carriage when he heard a shrill. Ruby kicked with her feet at a man who had breached the door, the man fell to his knees when the woman punched him square in the face. Killian’s brow rose before he needed to duck from an incoming attack.

“Killian.” He turned back toward the carriage to see Ruby pointing off toward the woods, golden blonde hair escaping into the forest, a man, weapon drawn, chasing after her.

“Bloody hell.”

[philipcharmont]

                     the charmont family tree

                                                         past gen 

the parents;;

hubert charmont ( nick hargrove / derek jacobi ) - the king who is trying his best to not only save his sons but keep his kingdom as well. feels he has let down his sons after the passing of their mother. he just wants what is best for them especially as his time on this earth draws to a close.

adele charmont (née friedrich) ( abigail cowen / bryce dallas howard ) - the queen with a fire burning in her soul that matched the hair atop her head. loved fiercely and was adored by all. she was truly a diamond. tragically passed away leaving behind three beautiful boys and a broken hearted king. 

                                                  present gen 

kit charmont ( richard madden / colin farrell ) - the eldest charmont son. future king of ulstead. the golden son who had far too much responsibility placed on his shoulders from a young age. his entire life has been given to his kingdom. but now does he listen to duty or follow his heart ?

florian charmont ( chace crawford / ewan mcgregor ) - the middle child. the rebel prince. he onced believed love and hope could save all until it couldn’t save the most important person to him. anger and resentment now lay within this lost prince but is it still possible to save him from the edge ?

philip charmont ( zac efron / james marsden ) - the youngest charmont. future king of ylisse. the prince who’s heart threatens to leap out of his chest and ride into the sunset. he’s on a mission to complete his hero’s quest but has learned that the journey to becoming a hero is not always the easiest. 

aurora capulet ( phoebe dynevor / amanda seyfried ) - future queen of ylisse. the dreamer who still seems to be figuring out exactly who she is. she’s been hidden away from the world for so long she’s ready to discover it. happily ever always seemed guaranteed but when darkness and a curse linger over who will the ending ever some true ?

sorrel white ( park soo-young ( joy ) / seo yeji   ) - the fairest of them all. her beauty and kindness made her a target to someone who was meant to care for her. now in a new city is she finally free from the wicked queen ?                               

                         next gen

william ‘ liam ’ charmont ( brenton thwaites ) - the oldest son of philip & aurora charmont.

seviathan ‘ seth ’ charmont ( jacob elordi ) - the middle child of philip & aurora charmont. older twin to rose. 

rosalie charmont ( emily alyn lind ) - the youngest child of philip & aurora charmont. younger twin to seth.

arthur charmont ( josha stradowski ) - the oldest child of kit charmont. father to isolde charmont. older twin to vivienne.

vivienne ‘ viv ’ charmont ( florence pugh ) - the youngest child of kit charmont. younger twin to arthur.

cosima charmont ( adeline rudolph ) - the oldest child of florian & sorrel charmont. 

basil charmont ( huening kai ) - the youngest child of florian & sorrel charmont. 

[alj4890]

In the TRR book 3 we know Olivia gets stab by Anton during a fight, but what if Riley was the one to get stab while fighting with Anton? After all he was her press secretary and the betrayal ran deep with him!

A/N Here we go Nonny. I will admit that in book 2, I really liked Justin. His catchphrase was annoying, but so is Penelope’s incessant talk of Poodles, LOL. I enjoyed the twist in book 3 of him being the bad guy, but I did wonder why PB had Riley brushing off his betrayal so easily. Maxwell seemed more tore up than anyone that he was the terrorist. When you think about it, she spent months of the most difficult time in her and Liam’s relationship depending on this man to help her find a way to clear her name and find a way to have her happy ending. I think facing him would be harder than book 3 made it out to be. So...starting from the moment Olivia and Riley escape the dungeon and have let Gladys out of her prison, we will begin with them in the recreated Nevarkis weapons room.

Masterlist

@gkittylove99 @darley1101 @krsnlove @kingliam2019 @texaskitten30 @yourmajesty09 @mom2000aggie @ofpixelsandscribbles @twinkleallnight

Hesitation

Mysterious Nevarkis Stronghold...

"He will come for his wife," Anton boasted. "And when he does, he will meet his end."

Riley tried to focus but Anton's words kept replaying over and over in her head.

"Which weapon do you want?" Olivia asked as she picked through the different daggers.

When no response was given she looked up to see what was wrong.

Riley was staring blankly at the wall adorned with various battle axes, swords, and war hammers. Her fingers moved over the angry red marks where the rope she had been bound with had rubbed her wrists raw. Her lips parted to answer Olivia, yet no words came out.

Liam. Her heart ached at the thought of losing him. After everything she had done to finally have the chance to be with him...Anton was determined to destroy it all. How could she possibly save anyone? She had little to no training in defense, yet she foolishly believed she could save the man she loved along with herself and her friend.

"Riley?" Olivia snapped in a harsh manner.

It was just what she needed to snap out of the defeated mindset she was falling into.

Riley reached up and removed a sword from the wall. Giving a few practiced swings, she ordered Gladys to draw as many of Anton's minions away as she could.

"Thank you, your majesty." Gladys reached out to squeeze her hand.

Olivia blocked her from touching by sliding in front of Riley. Her emerald eyes burned with hatred as she spoke.

"She might be giving you another chance," Olivia set her blade against the backstabbing servant's cheek, "but if I see one lock of your hair anywhere near Justin or the fight, then I will kill you myself."

Gladys stumbled back and bobbed her head while promising that she wouldn't go anywhere near them. She tripped over her own feet to get as far away from Olivia and her knives as she could.

Riley snorted on a laugh. She couldn't believe that at a time like this, her mind could see any kind of humor. "You need to teach me how to do that."

Olivia smirked at her as she led the way out.

The hallways were silent as the two crept along, sticking to the shadows as much as they could. After seeing that the rooms they came to were empty, Olivia begrudgingly complimented Gladys's ability to clear the way for them.

"Wait a sec." Riley whispered.

She handed Olivia her sword and then bent over to rip a slit in her dress. Testing it out, she ripped it higher until her legs felt free to move. What she wouldn't give to be wearing any other kind of shoe over the open toed high heels she had on.

"You good?" Olivia whispered.

With a nod, Riley took her sword back and continued down the hallway.

Murmurs of differing voices were heard when they approached a corner.

Olivia raised her dagger while Riley positioned beside her with her sword hedged over her shoulder like a baseball bat.

"They must be some--" Drake stopped just a hairsbreadth from being cleaved in two.

"Riley!" Hana pushed past him and Maxwell to hug her and Olivia. "Thank goodness you're both okay!"

"Where's Liam?" Riley stood on tiptoes to see over Drake's shoulders. "Isn't he with you?"

Maxwell rubbed the back of his neck. "He insisted on meeting Justin alone."

"Liam wanted us to find you and Olivia." Drake added.

"What about Bastien and the other guards?" Olivia asked.

The three shared a look.

"They didn't come?!" Riley hissed. "Liam has no one watching his back?"

"Yet." Olivia tilted her head. "He'll have us soon enough.

****************

Riley didn't know where this burst of courage came from, but she had already vaulted over a stairwell and slashed numerous soldiers that tried to help Anton fight Liam. Her heart was racing in time to her husband's every flinch and movement. She knew she should double check on her other friends to make certain they were holding their own, but the moment she heard Liam say, where is my wife, in that deep, dangerous tone...she only knew she had to do whatever was necessary to protect him.

They had not had a chance to speak or even to touch to make certain the other was truly okay before being thrust into the battle that she prayed was truly the final altercation.

She paused off to the side after wrestling with another minion. She brushed the hair out of her flushed face that had escaped her pearl hair clip. Her mind tried to comprehend the utter chaos going on around her.

And then she saw Anton make his move.

There was no time to shout a warning to Liam who was fighting three at once. The dagger’s blade in Anton's hand gleamed in the faint moonlight filtering in the windows as he raised it to stab Cordonia's young king in the back.

Riley kicked her shoes off and rushed to get between them. The muscles in her arms burned from lifting the heavy sword high above her head. Using what energy she had left, she blocked the blade about to pierce her beloved's heart.

Anton's lips twisted in a frustrated snarl as he leveled his cold gaze upon her.

Liam turned around in time to see what Riley had done. Just as he was about to help her, Claude barreled into him, knocking him into a far wall. Drake rushed over to help Liam when two other soldiers answered Anton's second in command's call for assistance.

Anton gritted his teeth at seeing his men defeated by people who spent all their time at fancy dinners and balls. Taking a step back to reassess whether or not this was the time to claim the crown, he decided retreat for the moment was the best option.

"It's over Justin." Riley told him. "Surrender now."

His expression eased into that of his easy going alter ego. "The battle might be, but this will not end until you and Liam are dead."

He sprinted over to the stairwell.

Riley dashed after him, determined to not live the rest of her life in fear.

"Justin!" She shouted.

He turned just in time to barely miss her sword's blade plunging into his back.

Smirking, he faced her. "I see you learned more from me than how to work the press."

She blinked at how calm he was as he lifted his dagger. Memories of time spent with him flittered through her mind. His effort in supporting her, laughing late at night with her and Maxwell over some of the ridiculous events they took part in, comforting her whenever she lost hope that she could one day truly be with Liam.

He had been a friend when she desperately needed one.

Her hands trembled as they tightened on the hilt of her sword.

It wasn't Justin who faced her now. It was the man who had worked with traitors to take the crown. The man who had tried numerous times to kill her and anyone else who got in his way. It was the man who threatened her the very future she had fought so hard to obtain..

It was Anton who stood before her.

Her friend Justin was no more. His death had come swiftly the moment she discovered his photograph in Olivia's vault.

And soon Anton's would follow.

"Riley, let us end this." He cajoled when he noticed her hesitate. "You don't have it in you to kill anyone." His familiar Justin smile flittered about his lips. "I know you. You are the kind of person who deserves to live a happy life. Not one caught up in political intrigue."

He edged a step closer as his . "It shouldn't have been you that was kidnapped. If you had only given up on Liam and allowed Madeleine to have him." He shook his head in pity while his Svengali like voice washed over her. "I wish you had stayed in New York. You will be the only person I regret ever having to eliminate."

Before Riley could react, he plunged his dagger into her side.

A hot wave of pain hit her when he jerked the knife out. She staggered back in shock. Her sword fell from her numb fingers, clattering as it fell down the stairs.

She could hear a roar thrumming through her ears and realized it was Liam.

He had just witnessed his wife being stabbed.

Justin glanced over his shoulder to taunt the current king.

Unable to focus on anything going on around her except the agony she felt, Riley pressed her hand to her side and felt the warmth of her own blood seeping through her fingers. Her side felt like it was on fire as she sank slowly to the floor. She glanced down the stairs and saw Olivia struggling against a solider to reach her.

With a violent flick of her wrist, her dagger went into the man's throat that had tried to pin her to the wall.

Olivia staggered as she walked, blood trickling down from her nose and bottom lip.

"If you can breathe, you can stand." She mouthed to Riley.

"And if you can stand, you can fight." Riley mouthed back.

Unable to get to her feet easily, Riley crawled over to where Justin stood. His back was to her as he threatened Liam and her friends. He continued to torture her husband by going into vivid detail all the ways he could finish her off.

Looking for anything she could possibly wield as a weapon, she noticed the loose railing and decided to use part of the training Mara had given her. Summoning all her strength into her legs she braced herself against a banister and swept Justin's out from under him.

He teetered, trying to find some balance by grasping onto the railing. The moment he did, Riley rose to her knees and shoved against him, causing his body weight to crack the rotted wood and plummet down to the main floor.

Gasping in pain from the exertion, she fell back once more on the worn carpet and closed her eyes.

"Riley!" Liam rushed the stairs, leaving Drake and Maxwell to deal with Justin.

He fell to his knees. His voice cracked as he whispered denials that he had been too late to save her.

Her eyes fluttered open only to close again as he kissed her. She could feel the exhausted desperation in his touch.

"Where are you hurt?" He asked. "Did he stab you anywhere else?"

"No." She whimpered when he eased her hand away from her wound. "Just there."

He tried to be gentle as he ripped his coat off to press against her side.

Bastien and the rest of the King's Guards burst through the doors.

"Your majesty!" He didn't bother to mask his anger. "You shouldn't have--"

"The queen has been wounded!" Liam interrupted harshly. "She requires immediate medical attention!"

Bastien hurried up to examine her while radioing for an ambulance.

"Hold on, my love." Liam pleaded. "Please. Stay with me."

She weakly grasped his hand. "Is it over? Justin didn't--"

"He's being taken care of." Liam told her. "He won't ever have a chance to harm you again."

"You're safe." Riley gasped when EMT's began to check her. Her voice became faint as blackness ebbed around her vision "I didn't lose you, Liam."

The last thing she remembered before blacking out completely was Liam's concerned face hovering over her.

***************

The Royal Palace...

A few hours later, Riley stirred. She blinked a few times to make the room she was in come into focus. A lamp turned down low glowed on a nightstand. Familiar paintings of past kings and queens hung on the walls. The beyond soft bed she was in brought back memories of a particular ball when Liam had shown her the Royal chambers.

A smile formed at that romantic thought as she sank further under the blankets.

"Riley?"

She opened her eyes again and noticed the outline of a man sitting in a chair by the bed.

"Liam?" She turned about, wincing when she felt the tug of stitches along her right side. "What happened?"

He leaned forward and took her hand in his. Pressing a kiss to it, he went through the series of events.

Images flashed through her mind, as the memories of her fight came rushing back.

"No more Sons of the Earth?" She asked.

"The ones who survived have been captured."

Her eyes widened. "Survived? Who died?"

Liam kept her hand clasped between his. "A few that Olivia and I fought...and some that you did."

Riley tried to comprehend that she had killed people. "How...how many?"

"My love, there is no need to dwell--"

"Liam." She gripped his hand. "Did I kill Justin?"

She knew by his hesitation that she had.

"The way he fell," Liam swallowed, "he broke his neck."

Riley pulled her hand away to cover her mouth.

"I beg for your forgiveness." Liam choked out. "If I had been there sooner or had--"

She shook her head while reaching for him. Urging him to lay on the bed with her, she tried to comfort him.

"You don't owe me an apology." She said through her tears. "You came to rescue me." She tried to smile. "Just like every prince does in fairy tales."

He wiped her tears. "I don't want you burdened with what happened." His eyes searched hers. "All I have ever wanted is to give you every good thing in life, not have one overshadowed with fear and guilt."

She swallowed audibly. "I'll be fine. I just...I can't believe I had to kill someone I spent time with. I actually enjoyed his company during your engagement tour." Her nose wrinkled. "The pain in my side though keeps reminding me he deserved being pushed over the banister."

"My only regret is that I didn't get a chance to be the one to end his existence on this earth." Liam's face darkened with his anger. "He dared multiple times to take you from me. He killed my father. Made our people doubt their safety and the crown's ability to defend it. If I couldn't fight him to the death myself, then I should have been the one to sentence him to such."

She cupped his cheek. Knowing he needed to vent after all they had been put through, she listened without interruption. When she felt his tense muscles relax, her mind turned to what they should do now.

"We both need to focus on it finally being over." She pressed a kiss to his lips. "All our plans to be together, to start a family, can be from this moment on. We fought for Cordonia, our friends," her smile peeked out when he kissed her, "we fought for us and for every moment we are lucky enough to share."

"You're right." Liam turned to kiss her palm. "We have a future before us, one of our choosing."

She snuggled closer in his arms, sighing as she felt sleep luring her back into its soothing confines. Just as she began to drift off, an image of Justin came to mind. It wasn't the man she had faced tonight, it was the one who helped protect her from cameras being shoved in her face during that very first meeting. She could see him pushing reporters out of her way, while holding tight to her waist.

It seems appropriate, Riley thought, to have a scar along the very spot Justin had once touched in such a deceptive, gentle manner. Having a personality that tried to only see the good in others, she would need a daily reminder to be more cautious in the future.

Her trust would never be so easily given again.

[camillemontespan]

writing camille montespan and the problem with the TRR MC

Basically, an opinion piece about the TRR MC and a short essay on Camille Montespan. Feel free to add your own opinions and maybe write your own about your MC/OC!

@moonlightgem7 @jovialyouthmusic @ibldw-main @katedrakeohd @pug-bitch @saivilo @argylemnwrites @rainbowsinthestorm @marshmallowsandfire @marshmallowsaremyfavorite @gardeningourmet @princessleac1  @axwalker​  @mskaneko​  @emichelle​   ***************

Can we all agree that the TRR MC is slightly flawed? And perhaps a little annoying? And a hot mess with no idea of how to fit into the nobility?  Who basically improvises everything she does while stringing the King of Cordonia along (if he isn’t your LI) and solves every problem with a trip to the boutique or attending a ball?

TRR MC is not the best MC in the Choices universe and that is a hill I am willing to die on.

That’s where fanfic comes in. During my year and a half in this fandom, I’ve discovered mutuals who write stories about the TRR MC that puts the actual Choices writers to shame. MCs are fleshed out with proper back stories. The ridiculous canon story that a waitress from New York finds herself in a suitor competition in a European country - a country she’s never heard of because clearly she’s not informed on geography- is still incorporated into fics but it’s given more of a realistic twist. We are aware of how stupid the actual storyline is and so we try our best to make the best of it. Sometimes, we write AUs to fix the shit that the TRR writers have made a reality. AUs are the best.

As my writing has developed, I’ve found that I’ve created my own universe for Camille, my TRR MC. In my very first fic, This Heavy Crown, I focused more on the suitor competition and stuck to canon moments because I didn’t know you could write AUs. It was very angsty. But I found it so fun to write Camille and the fanfic writing obsession began.

Fun fact about Camille: she is actually descended from nobility. Madame de Montespan was a real life noble of Louis XIV’s court - she was his mistress. I thought it would  be fun to name Camille after Madame de Montespan because how ironic would it be to have the American commoner turn out to be more regal than fucking Madeline?!

Anyway back to my writing.

Now, I tend to write AUs that have more realistic plots. My favourite series that I’ve written has been The History of Us and I will tell you why.

MY FAVOURITE CAMILLE SERIES

The History of Us (the first chapter is missing, sadly) is where Camille becomes more than just the Duchess of Valtoria. As I wrote her, she became more of a person - which sounds ridiculous but I think my fellow writers will understand due to their own writing of their MCs! 

The History of Us is still set in Cordonia and Camille and Drake are Duchess and Duke. But that is where canon stops. My own head canons grew and became, to me, actual canon for Camille and Drake. 

In the fic, Camille takes their daughter, Lily, and leaves the family home, clearly upset with Drake. Before she goes, she gives Drake a box and tells him to go through its contents before making any contact with her. The mystery in the opening chapter is WHY is Camille leaving? All of my readers were asking ‘what did Drake do?!’ and you eventually find out as the series develops.

In a nutshell, Drake struggles to adapt to his new role as Duke (something I found the Choices writers never attempted aside from his awkward ‘things are great!’ joke). He is a fish out of water and longs for life to be normal. While Camille has flourished in her role, Drake hasn’t and the pressure gets to him. With constant media attention, Drake feels claustrophobic and so turns to alcohol to numb himself. As a result, he isolates himself from his family and Camille is left trying to hold the ship together. 

It was a challenging fic to write but I had so much fun writing more of Camille. She isn’t perfect and that is what I wanted to show. She fucks up. For the first chapters, she is very much of the idea that they present their best faces to the world and keep up their duty to Valtoria. Her Duchess hat is firmly on her head. A few of my readers were screaming in the comments that she needed to get her family out of Cordonia. I agreed with them but I knew that to make Camille realise her mistakes, she had to be stubborn and actually.. Wrong. But, as things with Drake get worse, Camille forces herself to confront what is truly important and she starts to fight for her marriage and her husband’s health.

CAMILLE IN A NUTSHELL

‘Wife and mother first, Duchess second.’ That is Camille’s motto and is something that is echoed in all of my fics. She is a fierce woman who fights Drake’s corner and the loves of her life are her family. The more confident she becomes as Duchess, the more willing she is to stick up for herself and her family. When they make decisions based on their children -eg. Sending them to a ‘normal’ school so they can mix with commoners - the nobility are outraged. But does Camille care? No. She is a lion mama who wants the best for her kids. She doesn’t want Lily and Luna to turn into stuck up rich girls. She wants them to stay grounded. 

Unlike in canon when Drake and MC go to Texas and are stuck there against their will (or was it us, the players, who were stuck there against our will?), I write that Drake and Camille visit Texas every summer. It’s a slice of normality for them and they love it there. It’s where Camille can just be Camille. When Camille isn’t a Duchess, she can be more relaxed. She goofs around and plays with her daughters. She wears more casual clothes and drinks whiskey. She is the Camille that Drake fell in love with, not that he doesn’t love her when she’s a Duchess! It’s just that the Duchess Camille is a more refined version and how polished and elegant she can be scares him sometimes, while also making him feel in awe of her. This is a woman who entered Cordonian nobility without any experience and actually listened to advice and worked hard to adapt (something TRR MC does not). Basically, Camille has two sides to her, the Duchess and the commoner, and she strikes a neat balance between the two.

I base the foundation of her character on her face claim, Meghan Markle. I find it funny when mutuals have told me in the past that when they see Meghan on TV or in magazines, they’re like ‘oh it’s Camille!’ 

Why have Meghan as an FC? Well, I feel she resembles my TRR MC closely, plus Meghan was literally an American commoner who found herself marrying into royalty. 

What I love about Meghan is how keen she is to make a difference. She threw herself into royal duties when she married Prince Harry and, like Diana before her, she made a huge impression on the people she met. I’m sad that she and Harry left their roles as Meghan had so much potential. 

So, Camille basically does the stuff that I think Meghan would do if she was still a working royal. 

Camille is a feminist who works to promote women’s equality in the workplace. She wants Cordonia to modernise (something lacking under Constantine’s rule) and now that Liam is King, that dream will become a reality. She imagines a future for her daughters where they can have any job they want and be whoever they want to be; the sky is the limit. Everything she does is for her daughters.

Despite wanting Cordonia to modernise, Camille is also respectful of their history. In my head canon, Drake and Camille discover that Valtoria used to hold Open Houses. An open house is when the people of Valtoria can visit the Duke and Duchess and talk to them about issues within the duchy. Open houses hadn’t been a thing for 200 years but when Camille and Drake discovered this old piece of history, they reintroduced the concept. Basically, Camille wants to use her platform for good - something which the TRR MC is lacking. All TRR MC does is go to balls and act like an idiot! Where is the responsibility? Where is the interest in learning more about the duchy? Why is she never at her duchy?! 

If you want to read more of Camille, I point you to the interview I wrote of her. I love writing interviews as they are like a character study and it’s so fun to delve into the personality. Writing this interview was a joy. The words flowed and I was so pleased with how it turned out. It’s the definitive piece about Camille and who she is.

[bbrandy2002]

Little Shit:

Part 1: Wrapped Around A Finger

This is for week 96 of @wackydrabbles prompt: I can't -- I have a deadline. Prompt will be in bold.

Okay, so I couldnt fit all of this into the 2000 word limit and had to break it up and didn't have the heart to cut.

@kingliam2019​ you made a request for a Little Shit story on New Year’s Eve and it only took 5 months to come up with something, so this one is for you.

If you're unfamiliar with the Little Shit series (because it has been over a year since I wrote anything for it) Nikolas is Liam and Riley's 5 year old mischievous son who just can't help from wreaking havoc, especially toward Drake. He enjoys getting a rise out of him even if he does love his Uncle ... for the most part.

Warning: Crude Language. Mention of Covid and vaccinations.

Word count: 1928

-----------------------

Returning from the stables one afternoon, Drake was stopped at the palace door by security -- again -- for not wearing the required mask to enter.

“Mr. Walker, I’m afraid you need to have a mask on before I can allow you inside. I have to tell you this every day.”

“That because I fucking live here,” Drake grumbled as he snagged the offered surgical mask from the guard. 

“Not in the common areas, Mr. Walker.”

“You know this whole virus thing is just a conspiracy and Liam is using it to control all of us, right? He’s gone mad. This shit’s never gonna end.”

“I understand, sir.” The guard waited patiently as Drake begrudgingly slipped the mask over his face. “Perhaps, though, there is an alternative, one where you wouldn’t have to wear one anymore. They’re offering free vaccines in room 105 today. If you get the shot, you won’t need to wear a mask when you come inside,” the guard cajoled.

Drake let out a humorless laugh.“I’m sure that’s exactly what Liam wants: make a guinea pig out of me. Pump me full of that radioactive shit and in five years I’ll have a tail growing out of my face. No thanks.” Drake disregarded the information and moved past the man.

“But, sir .. .they’re giving away bottles of whiskey to the first 100 recipients. Last I heard, they were close to reaching that number. Top of the line stuff too.”

Drake turned on the heel of his work boots, glaring back, before asking skeptically. “Whiskey? They’re giving away alcohol to get this damn shot?” The guard nodded in response.

“Glenfiddich -- 1955, I believe. The King paid for it himself.”

Drake’s eyes widened in disbelief. “That’s a $90,000 bottle! And they’re just giving them away if you get this shot?”

“I … um … yes. His Majesty wants to reward those who are doing their part to create a healthier and safer Cordonia. He won’t rest until every last citizen is vaccinated from this dreaded virus. We can all fight this … together. What do you say, Mr. Walker? Will you help stop the spread?”

“For a $90,000 bottle of whiskey? Hell yeah! I’ll grow two tails out my heads for -- hold on a damn minute …” Drake burrowed his eyes into the guard who was sweating bullets, desperate for him to leave. “Where the hell is Nikolas at? This whole thing reeks of him..” Drake’s eyes began darting around the perimeter in a feverish search for the little prince’s battery operated car. “That little shit is blackmailing you, isn’t he? I should have known.”

The guard straightened and answered in a solemn tone, “I’m a serious professional, Mr. Walker. And I take your accusations of being anything but, demeaning to the loyalty and oath I’ve given to the Crown. How dare you stand there --”

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to suggest otherwise.” Drake ran a hand down his weary face in frustration. “It’s just that kid is the bane of my existence. I’ve had a long, hard day at work and I’m in no mood for his fucking stunts.”

The guard waved him off. “Nah, don’t worry about it. I’ve heard all about the stuff he’s pulled on you.” He leaned in closer and spoke in a hushed tone, “Between you and me, he’s a little pain in my ass too; always coming down here acting like he runs this place. If you ever need help teaching that kid a lesson, I’d be happy to help.”

Drake arched a brow. “Loyalty to the crown, huh?” The man regarded that retort with an awkward shrug. “Yeah, he needs his ass busted, that’s for sure. Liam thinks he just needs a little more love. I’d like to show him the Bianca F. Walker way of love.” He slammed his hands together.

The guard chuckled. “I’m with you on that. He needs something done; he’s out of control … Anyway, you should probably head on up there and get your shot -- and whiskey -- before they’re all out. I wish I’d have waited to get mine until today.”

Twisting his face in doubt, Drake walked around the corner and leaned up against the wall as he pulled out his phone. Something just didn’t feel right, and he determined the safest thing to do was shoot off a quick text to his best friend.

Drake: Liam, are you really giving away Glenfiddich, 1955, to get the Covid vaccine?

He waited a brief moment until a response came through; he looked down at his phone and read:

Liam: Yes.

Drake: Is that all you have to say about that?

Liam: Yes.

Liam: I am in meeting for Cordonia.

Drake tilted his head to the side and scratched at it as he stared at the odd message. He typed out another response.

Drake: What kind of meeting for Cordonia? And with who?

Liam: Top secret. Can't tell you.

Drake: Uh-huh. Where’s Nikolas?

Liam: With Riley and baby in Vallteria

Liam: Shit. Valtoria

Drake: What’s the capital of the United States?

Liam: Damn it Drake I’m in a meeting!

Drake: Then hurry up and answer

Liam: Washington D.C.

Drake: Who shot me at the costume ball?

Liam: You son of a bitch. IM IN A MEETING!

Drake let out a heavy groan and decided to just call Riley. He knew without a doubt Nikolas took Liam’s phone again. If he called Riley, though, there was no way the boy could pretend he was her.

Picking up almost instantly, Riley answered cheerfully, “Hello. Queen Riley speaking.”

“Riley, it’s Drake. I was just wondering if you and Liam were really giving away whiskey for getting this shot? Sounds a little fishy to me.”

There was a moment of silence, then a clicking noise, followed by a long beep, before Riley replied. “Yes. We. Are. Giving. Away …. Whiskey. Get.The.Shot.Drake.”

“The hell is wrong with your voice?”

“I.Am.In.Valtoria.”

“Riley, why the fuck are you enunciating every word?”

“I. Have. A. Cold. And. Must.Talk.Slow. Nikolas.Is.With.Me. And. I. Must. Get ... Going. Bye. Drake ...You. Ass. Hole.” 

Drake rolled his eyes and slipped the phone in his back pocket. “He’s got her phone, too. Damn that evil-ass kid.” He hesitantly made his way down to room 105; it wouldn’t hurt anything just to open the door and see if there was anything legit about this. As he approached, a lovely lady he knew from the kitchen exited with a big smile on her aging face and a bottle she cradled in her arms; he recognized it almost instantly as the Glenfiddich.

“Miss Milly,” Drake greeting kindly and held the door open for her. “You’re looking as lovely as ever.”

“Oh, you.” She laughed bashfully in her grandmotherly voice as she stepped into the corridor. “You’re always flirting with me, Drake. One of these days, I’m going to make you take me out on a date, buy me dinner, and give me a peck on the cheek at the end of the night.” 

Drake smiled back fondly at her. “You just tell me when, Miss Milly, and I’m there.” He motioned to the bottle in her hand. “Say … couldn’t help but notice that bottle of whiskey you’re carrying around; where’d you get that at? That brand doesn’t come cheap.”

“Ohhh, I know. But I heard they were giving shots in that room right there.” She pointed with a crooked finger. “And they said I was the 99th person to stop by, and gave this to me after getting my shot. I couldn’t believe my luck. And they only have one bottle left. I can finally put my grandson through college.” 

“That’s great! And you said there is still one more bottle left?”

She nodded her head. “Yes. But you better hurry. One of the chefs is on his way here for a shot as well.”

Drake hurriedly kissed her on the cheek and opened the door. Thank you, Miss Milly!” He stepped inside, then stopped and whipped his head back out the door. “Milly, wait. Have you seen Prince Nikolas today?”

“Yes, he left with the Queen after breakfast this morning. I believe they mentioned going to Valtoria.”

Drake rubbed his hands together anxiously and thanked her. He’d known the cook for years, she’s the sweetest person he knew. There was no way she would cover for Nikolas, and Drake couldn’t imagine the boy would have any dirt to hold over her head.

When the door shut, Nikolas grinned mischievously from a dark alcove where he was parked in his black 12V Mercedes Benz S63. “This is the day I’ve been waiting for.”

He set his laptop and both parents' phones in the passenger seat and slowly pulled out. He paid $100 to Milly and asked her to put the bottle back in his father’s liquor cabinet and rolled a few paces to room 105.

======

After filling out medical forms, the palace doctor ushered Drake behind a curtain where a long rectangular table and folding chair sat. Taking the seat, Drake watched the doctor slip on a pair of gloves and pull a small tube of lube out of his lab coat pocket. Drake furrowed his brows in confusion. “Heh. What’s the lube for?” he chuckled lightly. “I’m just here for a shot, man. Nothing else is going in me.”

“Just relax, Mr. Walker. It’s all part of the process.” A squirt of clear liquid was squeezed onto the doctor's two gloved fingers as he held them up. “On your medical forms you denied having a physical exam in the past year. I just need to do a quick exam and check for rectal polyps.”

Drake started laughing in amusement, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You’ve got to be shittin' me. So let me get this straight. I can’t get a shot until you stick your fingers in my ass to check for ‘polyps?’ Yeah, that’s happening. What a bunch of horse malarky.”

The doctor let out an annoyed huff. “I see you didn’t read over the information forms. They never do,’ he mumbled. “Look, if you want me to wait here all day while you figure out what to do, I can’t -- I have a deadline to finish here. Now if you’ll move along, I have another patient waiting; you’re free to go.”

And Drake knew he was. But that expensive bottle of Glenfiddich was calling his name. He glanced over to that one last beautiful bottle sitting atop a desk on the far side of the room, calling his name. Selling it for even half of what it was worth would afford him enough to move the hell out of the palace and get the freedom from Nik he desired. Rubbing a hand over the scruff on his chin, Drake's timid gaze turned from the bottle to the doctor. He could handle a finger or two in ass for a few seconds if t made him $90,000 richer. 

“Okay. What do I need to do?”

Nikolas quietly typed on the keyboard of his laptop from the opposite side of the curtain. The images from the hidden cameras plastered on the wall where Drake was seated popped into view on his screen. Feeding a link to, and overriding the broadcast feed at the CBC, Nik crouched down low and waited with little beady eyes for the exam to begin. “Perfect ...Okay, Doc, let’s see if you can get a hole in one.”

----------

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[jovialyouthmusic]

Silver Service

The Court visits the Cormery Isles without Lady Olivia. Lucretia makes plans and Anton makes an unpleasant discovery. 

Word Count 2964

A/N Apologies for the delay in posting. the chapter is short, but a lot happens. Warning - harm to a major character.

19 We move closer...

‘Excuse me your Grace’ James knocked on the door of Liam’s bedroom, where he was packing for the trip to Cormery.

‘What is it, James?’ He asked, and he entered, standing by the door in the stoic posture of the King’s Guard.

‘I thought you’d like to know Lady Olivia is returning from her meeting with Lucretia, Sir.’

‘Already? I thought she’d be longer. Do we know what entrance she’ll be using? I’d like to meet her straight away’ James pressed a finger to his earpiece, listening intently

‘Follow me sir’ he replied ‘I’ll take you there, her route is being monitored’

Liam was just in time to greet Olivia as she swept in the staff entrance at speed, but she wouldn’t stop. He ran to keep up with her as she made her way to her suite. She refused to speak until she got there, when she seized the nearest object – a heavy vase full of flowers. She picked it up and held it up to hurl it down on the ground, but Liam stopped her, catching hold of her hands and helping her to put it down safely. She pulled away from him abruptly

‘That old bitch’ she stormed ‘She knows’ She went to the desk and swept the papers off the desk. Liam followed her and caught at her wrists before she did any more damage.

‘Knows what, Livvy?’ he asked urgently ‘What does Lucretia know?’ Olivia’s eyes were full of fire and she glared at him for a moment before letting her arms go limp and dropping her head.

‘She knows I’m pregnant’ she said quietly ‘She worked it out, the witch’

‘Calm down Livvy. We can handle this’ Liam said soothingly ‘Take a deep breath’

‘How are we going to keep this quiet?’ She said ‘It’s too soon’

‘It’s okay, she’s under house arrest’ Liam reminded her ‘She has no means of contacting anyone outside the house, it will be fine’ He let her go, and she went over to lean on the desk.

‘We have to up our profile’ she said ‘I hate the idea of going to Cormery, but perhaps I should be seen with you’

‘I think we’re doing alright’ said Liam ‘I’ll make sure you’re mentioned in the press releases. I’ll get Sophia to work on a positive spin on your absence. You need to go home to recharge your batteries. If all goes well, we’ll have found a way to neutralise Anton’s claims, and then we can announce our intentions.’

‘And if he succeeds?’ Olivia said shortly

‘Then we go into exile. I’ll stay with you Livvy, whatever happens’

------

‘This has to be the dullest leg of the tour so far’ murmured Sophia to Riley ‘Standing around watching nobles hit a ball around a golf course isn’t my idea of fun’

‘Quiet please’ came the request from the referee. Yet another ball was hit, sailing off down the green, and the hushed crowd made appreciative noises. There was a low murmur as everyone moved off to the next vantage point, and the three of them trailed at the back of the crowd.

‘Tell me about it’ said Riley ‘Let’s go back to the clubhouse’ Drake snorted in reply ‘What?’ she said ‘At least they have a bar there’

‘You really think they’ll let riff raff like us in? he laughed drily ‘Dream on’ Riley sighed

‘Surely they’ll let us in, we’re official guests’

‘You can try’ grunted Drake ‘Even if they do, the prices are sky high’

‘In any case I think I’d rather drink from a hip flask in Bas’s SUV than traipse round after these blowhards’ she replied.

‘We can’t just cut out’ Sophia pointed out ‘If the press sees us…’

‘Excuse me, we’re not exactly newsworthy guests, all the attention is on the players, and the outfits all the noble ladies are wearing’ Drake pointed out.

‘I’ll ask Bas’ Sophia offered ‘He’ll have some sort of get out’ She tapped away on her phone.

This is dull as ditchwater. How can we bail out?

We?

Me, Riley, Drake

Grin and bear it

Will bribery work?

Don’t distract me

I’ll wear stockings for a week

Wicked woman

You love it

Leave it with me

‘What does Bas say?’ Riley hissed as they reached the hole

‘He’ll bail us out somehow’ At that moment, one of the guards tapped Sophia on the shoulder

‘Miss Turner, there’s an urgent message for you, come with me. You might want some company, I think it’s bad news’

‘Oh’ Sophia said, hand flying to her mouth ‘Riley had better come then’ She turned to Riley and grabbed at her hand. Drake looked alarmed

‘I’d better go with you’ he said ‘For support’ The three of them hurried away, a few of the audience casting a gaze over them as they went. Once they were out of sight of the crowd, the guard spoke.

‘Just for the record, Captain Lykel has asked me to escort you to the staff bar and has requested that you stay there until he contacts you at the end of the tournament. On no account are you to leave except for – and I quote – a life threatening emergency’

‘Anyone would think we were with Maxwell’ muttered Drake.

‘There’s a limited tab for you at the bar, and a buffet’ the guard told Sophia as they approached the clubhouse. ‘Two drinks each, and after that you pay for them yourself. Please be moderate with your quota’ He pressed his earpiece and nodded ‘The Captain says no expensive single malts or bottles of champagne. By the glass only’

Sophia crooked an eyebrow and glanced at Drake. He made a sour face as they reached the building, and the guard lead them to the unimposing bar reserved for staff at the club. A couple of chauffeurs and other aides sat at the tables set out, so Sophia chose somewhere to sit while Drake went to order. He had a whisky, and Sophia and Riley ordered white wine. The barman indicated a buffet table at the side of the room, and as soon as Drake had taken the drinks to the girls he took a plate and started to heap it up.

‘Steady on Drake, leave some for the Guard’ Riley scolded

‘Come on, this is proper food’ Drake complained ‘not the fiddly crab bruschetta and fishy crackers the nobles get’

‘Well I’m not really hungry’ Sophia declared ‘Knock yourself out’

‘Don’t worry Sir, we’ve actually got plenty to go round’ the barman assured him ‘We know the nobles just pick at the food, and the club manager usually adjusts the budget so that most of the allowance is for staff – there’s far more of them than there are nobles anyway. Just go easy on the sauce – a lot of staff don’t drink on duty, so that budget’s limited’ Drake nodded in appreciation

‘Thanks man’ He grinned, and reached into his back pocket, producing a hip flask ‘I always carry this on stuffy noble occasions anyway’

‘So what are your quarters like?’ Sophia asked. She and Bastien had been allocated the best of the staff quarters, and that wasn’t saying much. Lord Delacouer obviously thought luxuries like en suite facilities wasted on mere lackeys, and they had to share a bathroom with Lewis. Altogether, going to the Cormery Isles was like taking a step back a few decades in time. Riley made a face that told Sophia all she needed to know.

‘I think we picked the short straw’ she said ‘We asked for a double room and we got one – or rather, two beds pushed together and just enough room to walk round them. From what Drake tells me, our host doesn’t think much of commoners, so he really scraped the bottom of the barrel for us.’

‘I’m looking forward to moving on to Lythikos’ Sophia said ‘Of course I’ve been there before, but I think Olivia will be more accommodating than our last visit’

‘I’ll believe it when I see it’ said Drake darkly.

‘I’m just glad we won’t be seeing Lucretia’ Riley said with a shudder, obviously remembering the time Anton had kidnapped them and taken them to Lucretia’s stronghold.

‘I wonder what the old bitch is doing now’ Drake said ‘At least she’s somewhere she can’t do any harm’

-------

‘Good afternoon, your Grace’ Lucretia’s lawyer greeted the old woman as she entered her study. The Duchess sat at her desk, writing. She spoke without looking up.

‘I have some information that concerns both claimants to the crown, and I need your advice, Miss Bouvoir’ she said.

‘I’ll do what I can, your Grace’ the younger woman said smoothly, sitting even though she hadn’t been invited to. Lucretia looked up at last, her piercing gaze making her shift uncomfortably.

‘It have a strong conviction that my niece is pregnant’ she said ‘and as she has refused to meet her betrothed, I can only presume that the father of the child is none other than King Liam’

‘That’s an extremely controversial claim, your Grace’ the young lawyer said in shock. Lucretia sniffed.

‘It certainly is, and I’d like you to look into the implications should it be found to be true’

‘It depends whose claim is found to be true of course. If Anton’s claim is proved, Lady Olivia would be guilty of adultery and possible treason.’

‘Surely adultery is not relevant in today’s society’

‘Not where it involves a Royal heir, your Grace. If King Liam’s case is proved, it is possible that Lady Olivia’s child might be taken into Royal custody as heir to the Crown, but as she is a Nevrakis and has a claim to the throne should either Anton or Liam be incapacitated, it makes the whole matter even more complicated. The legalities of all three cases could be argued for years’

‘What would happen to the child if the King were to legitimately marry another woman, who would presumably be crowned Queen, and have another child?’

‘Again your Grace, the matter would be complicated, and more time would be spent arguing which child was the legitimate heir, but a child with both Nevrakis and Rys blood would have a very strong claim.’

‘Humour me please, Miss Bouvior. What if the child were found to be Lord Severus’s?’

‘I – still can’t say for certain. It would have to be decided in a court of Law’ Lucretia rolled her eyes upward and sighed heavily. She folded the paper she had been writing on and placed it in an envelope, writing a name on it with a flourish.

‘Thankyou Miss Bouvoir. I’d be obliged if you would hand this to my housekeeper in person’

‘You know I have to show any communications to the Guard to be vetted, your Grace.’

‘Of course, they’ll only find instructions on how she should continue to run my estate. I still have property that needs to be managed. It’s not sealed’

‘Very well your Grace, I’ll hand it over as soon as possible’

‘You may be gone a day or so to deliver it. I’d like you to return to me with her inevitable reply. Again, I’m sure the Guard will find nothing of concern. You may go’ Miss Bouvoir rose, reached over the desk to take the letter, and left the room to go and report to the guard at the door of the cottage.

------

‘So Lady Olivia declined the invitation to my event’ Neville Delacoeur sniffed haughtily ‘I’ve a mind to decline her invitation to Lythikos’ The golfing event over, all the guests milled around in the clubhouse lounge, picking at the lavish buffet and sipping champagne. He stood looking out over the greens, and Madeleine stood next to him.

‘I wouldn’t do that’ she said drily ‘I need all the help I can get exposing her as the King’s mistress’ Neville scowled

‘I presume if you expose her, you get closer to being Queen yourself’

‘And I’d be able to reward those who aid me’ she smiled

‘Lord Delacouer’ Madeleine turned smoothly at the King’s voice ‘Lady Madeleine’ he gave them both a little bow. Neville almost bent himself double with his own return bow, but Madeleine barely bobbed. ‘The greens are impressive, Neville – I hope you’ve managed to raise an acceptable amount for the Library in the capital’ The young Duke almost fell over himself bowing again to hear the King using his first name.

‘My secretary is calculating the figures right now, Your Majesty’

‘Please Neville, call me Liam. I well recall attending birthday parties in the Isles when we were younger, and I recollect that you visited the Palace on a few such occasions too. We’ve known each other a long time’

‘Indeed your – Liam’ he said obsequiously ‘I’m honoured that you remember’

‘I hope Lady Olivia is managing with the arrangements for the events in her home Duchy’ Madeleine cut in.

‘Yes, such a pity she couldn’t come’ Neville added ‘I had the suite next to yours prepared, just as you asked.’

‘Olivia likes things done properly’ Liam replied ‘I’m sure her staff are more than capable of taking care of things very well, but she feels personally responsible for everyone’s enjoyment of her events’

‘Admirable’ Madeleine said ‘As am I. It distressed me deeply that she demanded to move rooms at Karlingford’

‘I’m afraid that was rather my fault’ Liam replied ‘Something came up and I needed to be able to call on her at a moment’s notice. Her original suite was at the other end of the property’

‘Olivia’s a strong healthy woman’ Madeleine remarked ‘Surely she could have walked…’

‘Your Majesty!’ Neville’s father greeted Liam, leaning heavily on his cane. He was rarely seen at court and travelled even less frequently, relying on his son to take his place at official meetings. ‘I hope you enjoyed the greens. How unfortunate that Landon beat you by a whisker’ Liam turned to the older man.

‘Superb greens your grace’ he smiled ‘and the better man won – my golf skills were rather rusty’

‘You should come more often my boy, get some practice in. It’s a pleasure and an honour to have you here’

‘I fear matters of State may take up a lot more of my time now, your grace, but I’ll bear it in mind.’ He looked across the room ‘if you’ll excuse me, I must go and talk to Landon, eat a little humble pie’ He bowed to the group and turned away.

-------

Anton blinked himself awake in the enormous four poster bed. He had had strange dreams, one of which involved Olivia coming to visit him in the night, sitting on the edge of his bed. She refused to speak to him, and when he went to touch her, she melted away. He had been keeping up to date with the Charity tour, and knew that the Court had left Cormery and was making its way over the next day or so to Lythikos.

There was an envelope on the dressing table. It had not been there when he went to bed. He got out of bed, pulling on his dressing gown and going across to pick it up. The envelope was blank. He opened it, not noticing a faint cloud of dust that flew up into the air from the piece of paper inside. He opened it out, and discovered a single sentence written on the sheet.

Your wife is pregnant with the King’s child. Your attempt at the throne is futile.

His face changed as rage gripped him, but then he realised that his throat felt odd. It started as a tickle, and turned to a burning sensation. He looked at the piece of paper, only now noticing a slight line of white dust in the crease. He dropped it immediately and jumped away, screaming as an acrid smell drifted up to his nostrils. He ran to the door and wrenched it open, shouting out down the hall.

‘Help me – help! Poison! I’m being poisoned’ He clutched at his throat at the burning increased, and before the guard on duty could reach him, he had fallen to the floor, gasping for air.

------

‘How the hell did this happen?’ Bastien stormed. The King and the King’s Guard had returned to the Palace, now declared safe, and was stopping off in order to pack for Lythikos. Parker was accounting for the disaster at the safe house where Anton had been kept.

‘I don’t know, Sir’ Parker said, rigid with shame and dismay ‘We had the manor locked down tight. Everyone was vetted and observed.’

‘Let’s go over the facts again’ Bastien leaned back in his seat, steepling his fingers together. Lewis sat beside him, bleary from being roused from his sleep after a night shift.

‘Very well, Sir. At eight thirty today, Anton came out of his room in some distress shouting out that he’d been poisoned. He collapsed with severe swelling to his throat, and lost consciousness due to his airway being compromised. It was around five minutes before he received medical attention from one of our first aiders, who managed to establish an airway of sorts. The emergency services were called and they sent a helicopter within half an hour. He was airlifted to the hospital in the capital and remains on ventilation and is unconscious.’ He took a breath as Bastien looked at him intently

‘Go on, Parker’

‘On examining the room, a blank envelope was discovered on the floor along with a single sheet of paper. There was evidence of some powder inside which has been sent to our labs for examination.’ He paused ‘There’s something else, Sir’

‘Spit it out, man’

‘The paper had the crest of House Nevrakis printed at the top’

[philipcharmont]

𝚃𝙰𝚂𝙺 𝟸𝟻; 𝙽𝙴𝚇𝚃 𝙶𝙴𝙽.

liam charmont.

INSPIRED  BY  :   anthony bridgerton ( bridgerton ) , meg march (  little women  ) , pippin  (  pippin  )  ,  prince ben (  descendants  )  

𝙶𝙴𝙽𝙴𝚁𝙰𝙻

BIRTH NAME. william phebus alexander adel charmont  NICKNAMES.  liam DATE OF BIRTH.   september 15 AGE.    twenty-six GENDER.   cis male. PRONOUNS.  he/him. SPECIES.   human POWERS.   n/a SEXUALITY.  pansexual. PLACE OF BIRTH.    ylisse, france. CURRENT RESIDENCE.   ylisse, france. OCCUPATION.    future king of ylisse.

𝙰𝙿𝙿𝙴𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴

HEIGHT. 5'11" BUILD. athletic HAIR COLOUR/STYLE.  brunette //  ( X ) EYE COLOUR.   brown. PIERCINGS.  n/a TATTOOS.  n/a NOTABLE MARKINGS.   a scar in his left elbow from a sparring match gone wrong with seth.  GLASSES/CONTACTS ?  he wears his glasses when doing paperwork FACECLAIM.  brenton thwaites  VOICECLAIM. brenton thwaites american accent. ( X )

𝙷𝙴𝙰𝙻𝚃𝙷

PHYSICAL AILMENTS.   none. ALLERGIES.   peaches. SLEEPING HABITS. tries his best to get eight hours of sleep EXERCISE HABITS.  he keeps in shape with sports such as fencing, lacrosse, and archery EMOTIONAL STABILITY. 8/10.  BODY TEMPERATURE.  even temperature DOMINANT HAND.    left. DRUGS / SMOKE / ALCOHOL ?   no / no / yes

𝙿𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙾𝙽𝙰𝙻𝙸𝚃𝚈

TROPES.   anger born of worry, big brother instinct, the chains of commanding, the dutiful son, morality phobia, not so stoic  POSITIVE TRAITS.  sensible, charming, truehearted, devoted NEGATIVE TRAITS.  easily angered, over protective, perfectionist, stubborn USUAL MOOD.  stressed. LIKES.   classic literature, riding horses, winning, meadows, his mother’s tea DISLIKES.  the duty of being the future king, when his siblings make life harder, having his emotions invalidated  BAD HABITS.  his temper

𝚁𝙴𝙻𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙿𝚂

MOTHER.    aurora charmont-capulet FATHER.      philip charmont SIBLINGS.   seth and rosalie charmont.  CHILDREN.   none. BIRTH ORDER.   oldest of three.  SIGNIFICANT OTHER.  n/a. CLOSEST FRIENDS. dixie reyes.

𝚃𝙴𝚂𝚃𝚂

ZODIAC SIGN. virgo.  MBTI. estj. TEMPERAMENT.   melancholic-choleric. HOGWARTS HOUSE.    gryffindor. MORAL ALIGNMENT.  lawful neutral.

𝚂𝙺𝙸𝙻𝙻𝚂 & 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚃𝚂

LANGUAGES SPOKEN.   english, latin, german & french DRIVE ?         yes. JUMP START A CAR ?         no. CHANGE A FLAT TIRE ?         no. RIDE A BICYCLE ?         yes. SWIM ?        yes. PLAY AN INSTRUMENT ?        yes. PLAY CHESS ?        yes. BRAID HAIR ?       yes. TIE A TIE ?          yes. PICK A LOCK ?          no. SEW ?         yes.

COMPASSION.          8/10.

EMPATHY.         8/10.

CREATIVITY.          8/10.

MENTAL FLEXIBILITY.          9/10.

PASSION.         7/10.

LUCK.         8/10.

MOTIVATION.  9/10.

EDUCATION.          10/10.

INTELLIGENCE.          9/10.

CHARISMA.       10/10.

REFLEXES.          9/10.

WILLPOWER.          8/10.

STAMINA.          9/10.

PHYSICAL STRENGTH.          10/10.

BATTLE SKILL.          20/10.

INITIATIVE.     8/10.

RESTRAINT.          6/10.

STRATEGY.       9/10.

TEAM WORK.         5/10.

(  PINTEREST, HIS TAG, PLAYLIST. )