#KLAW Day 2: King

[lizzybeth1986]

Legacies

Book: The Royal Romance, Book 3

Pairing: None - mostly Liam and Hakim bonding, mentions of Hakim and Constantine's friendship

Rating: G

Word Count: 4, 813 words

Summary: In the aftermath of his father's death, Liam struggles with the lionizing of Constantine's rule, and wonders at the legacy he wants to leave behind. Answers emerge from an unlikely source.

Tagging @kingliamappreciationweek and @sazanes for KLAW Day 2: Historian theme, @choicesficwriterscreations for FoTW, and @aprilchallenge for the prompt "Garden".

Music: "Father to Son" by Queen.

Chapter 1: The Statues

(Faceclaims:

King Liam - Daniel Henney

Hakim Thorne: M’Barek Bouhchichi)

There is a gaping emptiness in Liam's chest, from the minute his father died right before his eyes. No overwhelming grief, no soul-ripping pain, not even anger. Just a void where a beating heart should be.

Father is lying in state now at the Queen Kendra Hall - not too far from Bossina Cathedral - where he will remain for the next twelve days. Liam almost hates himself for having far clearer memories of his father's cleaned, lavishly-decorated (in every medal he'd recieved since the age of 18) corpse, than of the moment he died - before reminding himself that at least with Father he remembers something. With Mum he doesn't even have that.

Liam keeps his eyes down, his head bent and his face studiously blank as the current crowd of mourners disperse, making way for more. The Vigil of the Princes is only twenty minutes...but in that time he can see, from the corner of his eye, a wide range of people come and go - most of them from the military and the coastal communities. As Liam had suspected, the people who benefited most from Father's rule were the most invested in soaking in that one last glimpse of him.

Leo is at the other end of Father's casket, also dressed in military garb, the torchlight from the walls making both his and Liam's medals sparkle. Liam cannot see his elder brother now but he knows, instinctively, that the struggle on his face to hold himself together must show. In the past this struggle had baffled him. There had been times when he pitied Leo his inability to uphold the family propensity towards being stoic. Over the years there have been times he was grateful Leo didn't have to worry about the consequences of his emotions showing on his face anymore.

But not today. Today, Liam envies his brother for the luxury of feeling.

Five minutes before Bastien - from his vantage point on one of the smaller balconies - taps his staff five times to signal the end of their vigil. A brief flash of Father in his last seconds blazes behind Liam's closed eyes, before disintegrating into an image of his gnarled, faintly-discoloured hands this morning. Clutching a book in his right hand, his left barely touching a blue flower placed on his chest.

Every member of the royal family is buried with at least 3 items that were either close to their hearts, or that acted as symbols for their reign. Father was one of the... dubiously fortunate few in recent times, who could draw up a will that included this (and other) details: a fresh blue Aster - their national blossom - plucked the day they prepared his casket, a small decanter of the calvados that had been made almost 62 years ago in celebration of his birth, and a copy of An Insighte Into The Great Apple War of 1244 by Artemisia Fierro and Sofonisba Vescovi, two scholars of the Renaissance who had once held connections to Cordonian nobility.

Liam takes in a deep breath as memories of his father's love for that book flood him. It had been only the second tome ever written on one of the last and most successful war campaigns in Cordonia, he'd whispered almost conspirationally to Liam once, and was considered the better-researched text of the two.

Father had always had a fascination with studying past wars. Almost as if to gear himself up for some sort of battle.

Was any of that ever worth it? Liam wants to ask his father one last time. The fear, the paranoia, the frowns that deepened almost to permanence on his skin in his final years, the forever impulse to look over his shoulder for the knife in his back...did any of it do any of them any good in the end??

As if in answer to his questions, Bastien's staff hits the floor five times. Without even looking around, Liam's footsteps move on instinct alone towards the area where Esther stands patiently with the Queen Mother, waiting. Her eyes are sheilded by the half-veil from her black box-hat, and the rest of her face is the very portrait of serenity. But as she places a hand over the crook of his elbow, he notices how they tremble.

They both nod in Mother's direction, their hearts turning over at the sight of her pale, pinched face, and move away.

This week cannot possibly have been easy for Esther. All week she has had to give interviews - as the last person outside of the King Father's family to speak to him before he died. All week the press has been badgering her to wear the medallion he had bequeathed to her, if only in his honour. She has been listening to every kind word, every eulogy, every speech with studied calm - only the rise-and-fall movement in her throat giving her away.

Brilliant strategist. Ruthless towards his enemies and devoted to his people. A truth pioneer of his times. The lifeblood of this land, a lion among men. A man who devoted his life in pursuit of ensuring the safety of all under his reign.

Liam's eyes were trained towards the dias when that speech was being given. On his arm, the light sting of Esther's manicured nails digging into his flesh grew sharper. He pressed his lips together and bore the pain, shaking his head and smiling weakly as she fretted over the half-moons left behind on his hand an hour later. It's nothing.

And that isn't a lie.

The truth of her feelings towards the father he had once loved and hero-worshipped...the father he still catches himself admiring sometimes...settles on Liam's chest like an unbearable weight. It is one he is prepared to carry - their whole lives if need be. Because as much as it hurts him to see the woman he loves lose all respect for his childhood hero, it is nothing compared to the hours and hours she has spent sitting through a thousand emotional tributes to the man who had so coldly planned such a complete violation of her space. A space that, as a foreigner in King Constantine's land, she had trusted him to keep safe for her...at the very least.

As he turns away from Esther to watch The Vigil of The Great Houses - their observance half the time of the Princes' - Liam steals a glance towards Olivia, the ruby on her brooch the only spot of colour against her black attire and pale visage. Her countenance is solemn until the moment her eyes rest on her aunt - the sight of the woman making her lock her jaw in such defiance that he can almost hear the message she is sending.

I am the Duchess of Lythikos. I will make sure we do our duty and pay our respects to the man who was once our king. Yes, auntie, Lythikos' king. Fight me.

Standing a few feet away is Bertrand, his senses strangely attuned nowadays to the cries of babies and toddlers...the mental calculations of what his little son sounds like now writ large on his face.

The Duchesses Emmeline and Adeleide, of Portavira and Krona respectively, fold their hands in front and bow their heads solemnly. Liam supposes he can only be grateful that Countess Madeleine's mother chose the sheer dreariness of sobriety today rather than her usually unflappable high spirits; for besides a few furtive glances in her determinedly stoic daughter's direction she shows nothing but a muted (but perhaps not entirely sincere) sorrow.

But it is the Duke of Castelserraillan - standing directly in line with Liam's field of vision - that captures Liam's attention. Jaw set, eyes dark and glittering, his face such a tapestry of restrained grief and resignation that Liam is certain he juat imagined the flicker of bleak anger in the older man's eyes.

The last time he had seen Duke Hakim was at the Costume Gala. Amid the festivities, Liam spotted him with Father, their heads leaning slightly in each other's direction, as if exchanging long-repressed confidences...the Duke on occasion placing a hand on Father's arm with a familiarity that Liam had only heard of secondhand. There was even a point in the conversation where Duke Hakim looked directly at his father, eyebrows raised, a subdued delight glimmering in their dark depths.

Esther would inform him later on that the two had fought over Father's repeated snubs and Duke Hakim's fraying patience at the beginning of the ball, but patched up in seconds.

Looking at Duke Hakim's face now, he wonders which sentiment haunts the older man the most - relief over that one second chance they got, or an unhealed hurt. Unhealed hurt over the the fact that King Constantine didn't have a chance to make good on the promises he'd broken, long ago.

Promises, perhaps, that the Duke may not even be sure his best friend intended to keep.

--

For as long as Liam can remember, he has always associated the moonlight with the Capitol Square. Walks around the city were a luxury the little prince could ill-afford with his Father's packed schedule. When these little excursions did happen, they happened at night, in the light of the moon and the street lamps, the air fragrant with the scent of wildflowers. He would take Liam alone. Mum would often find reasons to demur...although in later years Liam suspected she made them up so her husband and youngest son would have their own time together to spend.

He would look up at the strong, chiseled features of his father's beloved face, admiring the way the moonlight emphasized its sharp, decisive angles. Father loved to show strength and control, even on a casual outing with his children. His was a jawline that seemed carved out of marble, softened only by full lips that dazzled when he offered the rare smile. A smile Liam saw most often when they stood at the Capitol Square.

Look at these statues, young man. Father would say, his hand gesturing vaguely towards the sword on famed Captain Guard Valentina Greaves raised left hand. At the age of 5 the statues - with their weapons and their fierce gazes - terrified him, at age 12 they intimidated him. Look at these faces, look at the resolve in them. To better their country. To fight for it. To keep it safe. Cordonia has always depended on the best of us to take her forward into the future - and these indeed represent the best of us.

He hasn't come here since his Coronation. Indeed - one could always put it down to the amount of travelling the new King had to undertake since...but Liam knows better. He has been hesitant to visit this place since the night he had confronted his father on his hospital bed in Shanghai.

Tonight is different. Tonight he needs answers. Tonight he needs to understand, for himself, if in refusing to play in the shadow of his father he is making a mistake - or circumventing another tragedy.

Both he and his future Queen have been sitting through three days straight of eulogies. Of stump speeches that have been lightly modified to suit the gravity of the moment, of stories and anecdotes that lionized and whitewashed the man King Constantine was. Not just from nobles but from businessmen, fisherfolk, soldiers and generals.

Liam has long determined that he will never follow the route his father swore by. It is not who he is as a man; it will never be who he wants to become as a king. But on nights like tonight those words of praise for his predecessor haunt him. If the ghost of his father were to ever take shape, it would do so in just one question.

You have become so stubborn in your need to be the antithesis of me. Will Cordonia end up paying price for that?

So tonight he takes that walk to the square alone. In anticipation and in dread.

Until he finds himself at the foot of the statue of Valentina Greaves, and discovers he isn't alone, after all.

"Your Majesty," the voice behind him is deep and rumbling, its sound resembling the depths of a pounding waterfall. Duke Hakim has discarded his jacket this warm night, the waistcoat and shirt registering the straightening of his shoulders. In his right hand, an ornate gold pocketwatch.

Liam smiles briefly in welcome, letting the older man know he isn't intruding in on a private moment of mourning.

"Good evening, Duke Hakim," he straightens his own shoulders. There was once a time - a time that has faded into blurred memory - that he took joy in calling this man "Uncle". When did that stop? It has been so long he cannot even recall.

The two keep silent for a time. There is, after all, far too little and far too much to say. Stripped of their titles and reduced to the basics, Liam is the son of the Duke's best friend. He is also the son of the man that had his friendship and loyalty in the palm of his hand for years, and never understood or appreciated it. So much of what Liam knows of Father's friendship with Duke Hakim, he knows in bits and pieces: in the exchange of disappointed glances between his mother and Kiara's parents, in piling-up of invitation cards to events on Father's desk that went unanswered. In the too-long pauses Queen Regina would take every time she returned from an event at Castelserraillan, where she went as the King's representative. Even in the rare moments Father remembered his university days. There isn't a single second in those memories that Duke Hakim didn't play a starring role in.

It is in silence that they move from the statue of Val Greaves to the next. The night breeze brings with it the scents of orange blossom and french lavender - gifts from Duke Hakim's great-great-grandparents to an ancestor of his. The next figure of marble glares defiantly to his right, a spear in one hand and an apple cupped in the palm of the other.

"King Aithan." Is it his own imagination or is Duke Hakim's smile truly trembling on his lips? "who won the Great Apple War of 1244 in the most decisive victory since his grandmother united the Five Kingdoms."

Queen Kenna, the aforementioned ancestor, is right behind them, her legs standing apart and an array of weapons from all over the Five Kingdoms at the base of her statue. If you took in the sight of both figures together, Father had told him once, you could almost convince yourself that she seemed to stare directly at Aithan, imparting her blessings and her wisdom. More than the words, it is the shine in Father's blue eyes that Liam remembers most.

Duke Hakim's eyes glitter oddly in the moonlight. There is a moist sheen to them now that Liam is almost afraid to ask about for fear of intruding. The next words that come from his mouth are uttered softly, so softly that it's as if he is saying them to himself, as if he has forgotten that the man next to him exists.

"I've lost count of the times we used to played tag here." Absently, he runs a tender finger along the back of the watch fob he is holding, staring at it with a gaze soaked in muted grief. "It wasn't very hard to find Kontos. He always chose King Aithan's statue to hide behind."

Liam offers a sad smile of his own. "My father was nothing if not predictable."

The two men share halting, reluctant chuckles over this shared image. An image neither of them expected the other to recognise. It unravels some tightened cord between them - one that made it impossible for them to speak as if they knew each other.

"I didn't realize you and Father knew each other so well as children," Liam whispers as they pass other statues. Queen Ilona, 1346, who staged several successful attacks on the more hostile of their neighbours. King Calix, 1420, who thwarted at least three coups in his lifetime and finally managed to keep the Nevrakis family in a stronghold that they found impossible to wriggle out of until two centuries later. Queen Flora, 1492, who held her two year old child in one hand and slashed down the traitors who had entered her bedchambers with the other. The sword on her right hand is sculpted to appear as if it's still in midair, perhaps to complement the fire and brimstone in her eyes. "All the stories Mum told me of the two of you seemed to happen in university. I always assumed you weren't close till then."

A small frown pierces the skin between the Duke's eyebrows. When he speaks, his words are suddenly clipped, as if they are strangers again. Liam bites his tongue, chiding himself on his uncharacteristic carelessness.

"We weren't close until University. Just playmates whenever my mother brought me down to the Capitol. Duchess Emmeline and Duke Barthelemy could have boasted of the same." His voice is a hoarse rasp, his nails scraping lightly over the watch. "I'm more surprised you heard those stories from Ellie's mouth, not his." As if she were the only one who cared enough to keep them alive, Liam can imagine him thinking, and on an instinct fostered by years of now-destroyed blind worship, he leaps to his father's defence.

"I did hear a few from him. Just not as many. You'd know when he was the happiest because those were the stories he'd tell."

Duke Hakim respectfully appraises his King in a speculative glance, not entirely convinced. Liam cannot find it in him to blame the elder man. For years, Queen Regina - and then himself - had been the mouthpieces Father used to deliver excuses for his rejections of Castelserraillan's overtures. Each time the Duke would briefly glance over their shoulders as if expecting someone else - each time the glow of hope would dim from his eyes when he saw no one. Over the years it has made him wary not only of his old friend, but of them too.

The distance between the men has undoubtedly created a chasm amongst the families - one Liam doesn't know yet how to break through. There is no real reason for Duke Hakim, or his wife, or his daughter (who he had befriended himself over the course of the social season, and who has been around less and less since the Gala. It's gone long enough for him to begin worrying. Should he change the subject and ask the Duke about her?)...no reason at all to believe that Liam is different, that he is a man who will not abandon his well-wishers. Or even that he is a king who shares their goals, their dreams for this country.

There may come a time when Duke Hakim will believe Liam cares about what he thinks. Today is not that day.

As if to encourage a change in the subject, Liam looks around at the many statues dotting the Square. "Every single figure here is that of a warrior."

Duke Hakim grants him a weak, resigned smile. "I hear there used to be more. It was your grandmother who had them removed."

Yiayia Cassandra. Whose intimidating, terrifying countenance made his own father appear like a lamb in comparison - a statement both mother and son would've loathed to hear. Who hated the Nevrakises but kept tomes and tomes of their ancient books on war strategy. Who scoffed at art as being a useless, ego-fuelled and far too fanciful exercise.

Father would often speak of her with the same blind worship Liam had once reserved for him. It isn't surprising then his politics turned out the way it did, that despite his disdain for Olivia and her lack of courtliness, a part of King Constantine wouldn't wholly disagree with a lot of what she could propose.

Strength and authority. Those were the qualities the Royal Family wanted above all others in their heirs; anything different would spell failure.

Already, as Liam poses the question to the man beside him, he realises with a lump in his throat that he knows what the answer will be. "Which statues were those?"

"Artists. Scribes. Inventors. Scientists. People who advanced the nation in times of peace."

Liam smiles sadly. "And who are often overlooked in favour of the drama and glamour bloodshed brings." He responds with a shiver.

He is rewarded for this admission with a sharp, shocked look from Duke Hakim. An emotion, a memory, seems to flicker in his eyes before it swiftly disappears in the neutral game-face he has been showing around Liam all this time.

"I don't have the most trustworthy memory on the ones I did manage to see; it's been too long." The watch fob disappears into his fisted hands. "One of our own was part of this esteemed gathering. Dominique Lavigne, a master sculptor of her own time, who dressed as a man to get recognition. Yusuf Hadid from Domvallier, who combined Arabic calligraphy with our own Cordonian arts in handwriting. Saengdao Adair from Krysanthe, a pioneer in herbal medicine and the reason Krysanthans excel in both traditional and allopathic medicinal fields even today."

Liam freezes. "That last name? Could you repeat that again?" It's a name he's read about, vaguely, in obscure texts...but the fact that there's a statue...

"Saengdao Adair," the Duke says, locking his companion in a quizzical gaze. "Her statue -"

" - was mentioned in my father's will. Among others." Liam whispers, almost to himself.

Hakim's eyes widen. The contents of a passing monarch's will - even one who had passed on his throne to the next in line before his death - would be jealously guarded by the Palace, only released to the public years or maybe decades later. This is clearly information the King wouldn't impart so arbitrarily to just anyone.

More than once he has tried to stop himself from wondering if the boy had more of his mother in him. It was a hope he'd always held to his chest in the early years of Constantine's withdrawal...one that died when it became clear that he wanted little - if at all - to do with the Thornes. Against all wisdom, this small exchange is beginning to allow that hope to flare up within him again. Belatedly, he loosens his grip on his old, trusted watch fob - a gift from Kontos the year they graduated.

Liam rubs the space between his brows, trying to remember. "His will mentioned the King Fabian Alcove," he whispers, "that arrangements were to be made to shift it there from the Stirling Halls."

"Stirling Halls," Duke Hakim repeats, his voice suddenly hollow. Liam knows he must be remembering it as the place that was open to no one barring the Royal Family - not even members of the Great Houses. That was where all art went to die?

"The date on the will is from two and a half weeks before the Costume Gala," Liam says softly, his eyes searching Duke Hakim's face, then the hands that have dropped to his sides. The pocket watch is still there, his thumb running distractedly over it. "They only transfer artifacts to the alcove when they -"

"...when permission is granted to reveal those works to the public."

The two men stand still, soaking in their collective memories of the man whose body now lies in wait, to be descended into the Royal Family Vaults. To be buried beside men and women he'd read about in textbooks, loved, idolized. Who embodied his favourite words: Bravery. Valour. Strength. Warriors.

But he would also be buried next to men and women who understood the value of times of peace. Who - as he had often heard in Duke Hakim and Duchess Joëlle's speeches - advocated that a country gave you its best when its environment made you feel safe enough to create. And that was a safety that went far beyond border protection and weaponry.

People that Father would regularly dismiss when he and Leo were growing up. People that Cordonia wouldn't give a second thought to, nowadays. Because the value of their advancements were seeped so deep into public consciousness that they were often taken for granted.

Here in Cordonia, the mindset of the reigning monarch and the collective mindsets of their people often fed on each other. Yesterday's history books could hail one man a hero one minute, and a weakling the next. And for at least two centuries - perhaps bored from decades and decades of peace and good diplomacy, who knows? - the popular view seemed to favour a fondness for the most dramatic and bloodthirsty of their ancestors. Father was no different in holding that view.

When had that changed?

The moonlight casts the Duke's face into a fascinating interplay of light and shadow. The lines of his jaw are softer than Father's, but signify its own unique brand of strength. The air around them is scented and heavy, almost as if this moment promises a watershed of sorts, and that very air is drawing a bated breath.

"I haven't visited that alcove in a long time," Liam admits, looking away, "I don't remember where it is."

Duke Hakim swallows, then motions his hand vaguely to their left. "It's this way."

The alcove is inside a garden - a fairly large one, made of old red brick and surrounded by an array of beautiful creepers. The two men stop short of going inside, halting their steps and drawing a gasp at the sight in front of them.

"... Saengdao Adair?" Liam whispers, drinking in the sight of this pioneer with his eyes. Her hair is long, her voluminous folds of her robe billowing almost realistically as if they were real linen, not marble. A mortar and pestle rests in one hand; her other is raised, delicately holding a sprig of stinging nettle.

There are others. So many others. A woman with a map and a compass, staring ahead into horizons not yet explored. A man with a richly-feathered quill in his hand, a book in the other. A woman holding a jewel-embellished half-mask. A simple sculpture of a man dressed in the garb of the ancient Technocrats, his eyes glowing at the sight of the nails and bolts in his hand, ready to invent something new.

A woman seated on her heels, hammer and chisel in hand, lips pursed and eyebrows scrunched together as she worked at transforming stone to a work of art.

Liam lets out a small, watery laugh. "A sculpture for a sculptor."

The Duke responds with a smile, shaking his head. "Fali Kraine from the Blackspine Mountains."

Liam nods. "They say she had this precise look on her face and sat exactly this way while sculpting this piece. What I wouldn't give to witness that."

But the centerpiece of the alcove is a woman. A scribe. Hunched over - in the rough cotton garb of a scribe from the Renaissance - books and parchment. Transcribing - letter for letter and word for word - the history of her nation so that her descendants could share it with their children. His ancestor. Queen Lisabetta.

"King Fabian commissioned this," Hakim's voice is a hoarse, shaky whisper, "to remind his beloved wife of the value of the work she had once done."

Liam swallows a painful lump in his throat. Back in the palace, an hour ago - he had stayed in Esther's room, knowing she would need him more these next few nights if she were to preserve an ounce of her sanity.

"You're a good man, Liam," she had murmured against his throat.

He held her tighter, smiling slightly against her hair. "That won't always translate into becoming a great king, my love."

Against her own will, she let out a long yawn. Her fingers ran lightly over his chest before resting against his heart. "But it certainly helps."

He had held her until he was sure her body was resting softly and heavily against his, her breathing slow and deep...and then quietly slipped out of her arms to walk to the Capitol Square.

He looks at the Duke too. Both he and his children took this trip without Duchess Joëlle, who chose to go to Switzerland. He remembers every account of how attached the couple are and how much they dislike being apart - including his own mother's. Liam winces; he never recognized until now the sacrifice Duke Hakim made in coming here without her.

Yet here he is. For a country that will not always respect him. For a friend who would not always accept him. For a King he isn't entirely sure he can trust.

For an ideology that won't capture the country's imagination, the way valiant heroes on horseback do. But if these commemorations had been shifted to this alcove, with the intention of placing them around the Capitol Square...that must mean some change was underway. Within his father, and with Liam's help perhaps within the rest of the country too.

"It's getting late," Liam says, straightening up and getting ready to leave the alcove. "We'd better head back to the palace."

"In a minute, Your Majesty," Duke Hakim says, giving him a brief bow, then turning to the statue of Queen Lisabetta.

As Liam leaves the alcove, he hears a voice so soft he wonders if he had imagined it.

"Kontos," the voice said, a sigh released from deep inside a man's chest, "Kontos, you listened."

--

A/N: This mini series takes place in the Petals and Thornes universe, that revolves around a romance between Hana and Kiara. While a lot of the story beats follow canon, I do make a lot of deviations from the text, including with other characters who aren't central to the story but whose stories have a definite influence on the larger plot. I'm hoping to make Legacies one of them. At present I plan for it to be a four part series.

A/N2: In canon, Constantine's funeral and burial arrangements lasts just a week, all of which was skipped entirely to the Lythikos leg of the Unity Tour. I have increased that time to 12 days.

The Vigil of the Princes is based on the British tradition (of the same name) in royal funerals - esp that of the monarch - where the family members stay vigil for 10-15 minutes near the casket of the deceased. Family who has served in the military perform this ritual in their military uniform.

The Great Houses' Vigil is my own creation but with elements borrowed from the above tradition. My HC is that it is shorter and unlike the surviving royals, the members of the Great Houses are not required to wear military uniform.

Kontos is a playful nickname that Constantine's close ones were allowed to use for him, as long as they didn't use it in public (because apparently the meaning in Greek is "short")

Krysanthe is the modern-day Aurelia, with Hana being their current Duchess/Head of House. Saengdao is indeed Annelyse's descendant. Here is my HC on the duchy and Hana's rise to Duchess.

Characters from my playthrough of TRM in this story:

Artemisia Fierro - Hunter (f!Asian)

Sofonisba Vescovi - Kayden (f!Black)

Lisabetta Rosario - MC, who fell for Artemisia initially but married Fabian later on. Artemisia and Sofonisba keep in touch with the royal couple and are protected by the Crown.

[kingliamappreciationweek]

What a wonderful response we've received for Day 1! So many moodboards and fics, and some lovely art and edits too. The day has just begun and we are already blown away by your entries. We can't wait to see what else you all have got in store for the week 😁

Tomorrow will Day 2, and we have two themes you can sink your teeth into (either individually or together - we're happy with all kinds of interpretations!): King and Historian. While Day 1 is all about Liam as a person, Day 2 will be about Liam as a public figure and a politician. In the first theme you can explore his duty towards his people and the Crown, his politics and the way he handles power. In the second theme, you can explore his interest in history, what he learns and the legacy he wants to (or will!) leave behind.

Any and all content are welcome: fanfic, fanart, edits, moodboards, interactive media, meta, headcanons, favourite screenshots, playlists or even simple text posts! The only condition is that the content should be focused on Liam, and that the depictions are positive. You can also send in WIPs if you are unsure about finishing the work before KLAW ends.

It isn't essential to send in content only on the exact day of the theme - the theme is really an inspiration for content. You can also send in your work later on, as long as you tag it for the day it was meant for. We are also keeping a buffer week (from 22nd to 29th April) for anyone who needs more time to finish their work.

Be sure to do the following while getting your work ready for KLAW:

1. Write #kingliamappreciationweek and #KLAW in the tags, along with the day you posted the content for (#KLAW Day 1, #KLAW Day 2 etc)

2. Tag @kingliamappreciationweek and co-hosts @lizzybeth1986 and @sazanes so we don't miss your entries!

Fan Content Blogs have been incredibly supportive in spreading the word about our event, and we would love to give you a run-down on their events too if you're interested. Here are some events you could participate in:

@choicesficwriterscreations - Primarily fanfic but recently they have also begun accepting text stories and edits as long as there is a story involved. Check out their roster and new rules for content!

@choicesmonthlychallenge and @aprilchallenge - Any and all content welcome! Here are a list of their prompts for the month.

@choicesflashfics - Primarily fanfic under 2500 words. They have just put up their prompts for Week 29 - check the list out here!

@choicesholidays - Any and all content welcome, as long as it is focused on the holiday prompts of that month! Here are the Spring Prompts!

@choicesprompts - Currently no prompts, but it's a great blog to check out!

@choicespride - Any and all content welcome as long as it focuses on LGBTQ+ relationships, characters and themes. They will be running Aromantic Celebration Week from 23rd April to 5th May!

@drake-walker-appreciation and @maxwell-beaumont-appreciation - Any and all content welcome and they usually invite content on their respective characters all year round. World Whiskey Day will be celebrated at the Drake Walker blog on 20th May.

Looking forward to some amazing content!!

Happy King Liam Appreciation Week, everyone!!

[tessa-liam]

King Liam Appreciation Week

Day 2: King/Historian

For my submission, I wrote a story combining King Liam's love of history and his love for his MC.

Featuring my OTP Liam and Riley, using the face claims of Lucas Bravo for Liam and Lorena Tarantino for Riley.

(Re-posting, tumblr being annoying forgetting the link!)

Cappadocia 

Book: The Royal Heir, Book 1 AU 👑One-Shot 

Premise: After Liam and Riley arrive home from their island paradise honeymoon, they are inundated with pressures to produce a Royal Heir. To protect and shield his bride, King Liam takes his queen away from the court and the press, as they embark on a trip to Cappadocia, Turkey. 

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

All characters belong to Pixelberry. 

Rating: M*Warnings: Adult conversation, sexual innuendo 

Category: One-Shot/fluff 

Words: 2174 

Music Inspiration: Wild Is the Wind, David Bowie 

A/N1: My submission for King Liam Appreciation Week, Day 2, April 18th – King/Historian, @kingliamappreciationweek @lizzybeth1986 @sazanes #kingliamappreciationweek #KLAW 

A/N2: Not beta’d - please excuse all errors. 

A/N3: My submission for Choices April Challenge, Prompts-Love is in the air, you are my home, sunrise, love, kiss, hug @aprilchallenge @peonierose @bebepac #choicesmonthlychallenge #Choices April Monthly Challenge 

A/N4: Please forgive the multiple postings...Tumblr is playing games again!

Cappadocia

King’s Study, Cordonian Palace 

Bright rays of light streamed through the bay windows as Liam sat down at his desk to open and review the mail he received while away on his honeymoon. 

Next to his ornate inbox on his desk, was the morning paper. 

He dropped the stack of correspondence he had just picked up back down as he read the bold lettering printed above the picture captured of the Royal couple leaving the jet as they arrived home. 

‘IS OUR HEIR HOME?’ 

‘KING LIAM SMILES WIDELY ARRIVING WITH HIS QUEEN.’ 

*** 

Reclining his chair, his thoughts went back in time to just four weeks ago... 

...it all started on their honeymoon, when Javier knocked the spoon of amuse bouche, having raw fish, out of Riley’s hand. Giving his apologies, ‘To have almost destroyed Cordonia’s future’, he assumed that Riley was pregnant. 

Taking it in stride, they laughed together as if nothing had happened, and continued with a leisurely dinner. 

...and then the intrusion of camera flashes, unknown at the time, were from unwelcome and uninvited paparazzi that were invading their privacy. It wasn’t until they arrived home and read the articles written about them and seen the pictures in the tabloids, did they realize how truly intrusive those cameras had been. 

...and on the last night on the island being told that the King and Queen of Auvernal arrived uninvited, wanting ‘to discuss the issue of his heir’.  

Arriving home with ‘a massive crowd of citizens and paparazzi’ waiting at Valtoria, which was to be expected. 

Yes, it was a normal occurrence for me, but for Riley, it was a new reality. A world she had never personally experienced before. 

My Queen won the hearts of our people and answered their questions with confidence and grace, despite the audacity of the press. 

As we entered the estate, however, the intrusive remarks by members of the court were even more personal and direct. 

...and then there was Madeleine. She was not only rude, but also snide and sarcastic. 

Liam’s thoughts were interrupted by a light knocking on the door of his study. 

“Come,” he said without looking up from his desk. 

Opening the door slowly, Riley stepped inside quietly closing the door behind her. 

“I hope I am not interrupting...” she began to say hesitantly. 

“Riley, my love, come here.” He smiled warmly as he stood and quickly moved around his desk. Taking her into his arms, “you are always welcome here, anytime.” 

“Hi Liam,” Riley smiles coyly, wrapping her arms around his neck.  

Breathing in her sweet smelling hair, Liam placed his hand on her neck and tilted her head up to capture a not so innocent kiss on her lips. 

After a few long seconds of exchanging passionate kisses, Liam pulled away, and gently caressed her cheek. 

“What would you say if I told you that we are going on an adventure this weekend?"  

A broad smile spread across her face, and she looked up at him in anticipation. 

“I would say, ‘when do we leave?’” 

Chuckling, Liam took her hand and led her to sit on the sofa by the bay window. 

Sitting down in a wingback chair directly across from Riley, Liam said, 

“‘What we need is space to ourselves.’ We have been home for a day and a half, and I think we need a distraction.” 

Riley giggled, "Oh, my King, that look in your eye tells me that you thought of something spectacular!" 

“Yes, My Queen, Indeed I did," he smiled widely. 

Laughing, Liam reached over and pulled her onto his lap, and gave her another kiss. 

"How does riding in a hot air balloon at sunrise over vast valleys sound? Or staying at a luxury hotel inside of a cave within a sandstone cliff?” 

“Oh my, yes! That sounds amazing!” 

“Good, because that is exactly what I have planned for us this upcoming week,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes. 

"Love, we are going to Cappadocia, Turkey.” 

“Really? I thought we were going on a road trip in the U.S. with Hana, Maxwell and Drake?” Riley questioned, raising her eyebrow. 

“Don’t worry we will still arrive on Texas in time for Bertrand and Savannah’s wedding. But, instead of sharing time with our friends, I decree, my queen needs pampering.” 

*** 

Royal Jet, on the tarmac 

Aboard the Royal jet, Riley was settling into her seat as Liam discussed the flight plans with the pilot before take-off. 

“Your majesty, the flight will take approximately three hours, and we should be arriving in Cappadocia shortly after.” 

“Thank you, Captain,” Liam replied. 

Turning to Riley, “It seems like our adventure is just about ready to start.” 

Bastien and Mara were just entering the cabin, taking their seats behind the Royal couple as the sound of the engines increased in sound. 

As the jet lifted off the tarmac, Liam squeezed Riley’s hand. 

“We are going to see a part of the world that most people have never been to before. We’re going to experience things that very few people ever get to enjoy. And, most importantly, we are going to spend time away from court.” 

“Madeleine, Godfrey, and our royal visitors are going to revolt. When they find out we left the Capital, they...” 

“Riley, you forget something very, very important. You are my Queen now. Our word is law in Cordonia. As far as Bradshaw, Isabella and Amalas are concerned, they are uninvited guests and do not dictate our schedules. The reason there is a Royal council is to support the Crown in whatever the Queen and King decides.” 

“I’m sorry, Liam, I shouldn’t worry about everyone else.” 

Smiling, Liam kissed her hand, “It’s just one of your qualities that I love so much. Sometimes you must let go of the reins otherwise you’ll drive yourself crazy. Okay?” 

Grinning and nodding her head, Riley asked, “now, tell me more about this trip; what do you have in-store for us?” 

“Well, once we arrive in Cappadocia, we are going to travel to a town called Goreme. That is where the hotel we are staying at is situated. It’s just outside of Goreme. The entire town is built into the side of a mountain, with many caves that are used for living quarters by locals.” 

“It sounds amazing!” 

“There are several other villages near Goreme, including Selime and Nevsehir. All of them are lush and green, especially during the spring season. There are hot springs that we can enjoy, as well as several museums and ruins that we will visit. The area is rich in history, as well as culture.” 

“Oh Liam, it sounds incredible.” 

“Yes, it is. Now, I want you to relax and let me plan everything. I know how much you love surprises, and I don’t intend to disappoint.” 

With a wink, Liam added, “and, we will have lots of opportunities to work on our family.” 

*** 

When they landed in Cappadocia, a large white Mercedes SUV was waiting to escort them to their hotel in Goreme. 

As they travelled, Liam explained the local landscapes, including the tall, cone shaped rock formations known as ‘fairy chimneys’. “These were formed 60 million years ago after a sequence of volcanic eruptions hit the area. 

The name ‘Cappadocia’ is derived from the Persian word, ‘Katpatuka’, meaning the land of beautiful horses. In ancient times, gifts or tributes of horses from this region were presented to ancient Assyrian and Persian kings.” 

“It sounds like horses were paid for taxes to the crown,” Riley replied.  

“Yes, in fact the locals here still value horses and offer visitors an alternate mode of transport, instead of motor vehicles.” 

Liam directed the driver to slow down as they travelled by the rock cut churches. “They say that these churches number up to 600, and there is a possibility that many are yet to be discovered. The chapels were carved into the soft rock by monks in the dark ages, and some of them have kept their original impressive frescoes with amazing detail. 

Superstitious locals scratched out the eyes of some of the figures due to the fear of the ‘evil eye’.” 

“Well, we can check it out tomorrow morning after our balloon cruise.” 

Kayakapi Premium Caves Hotel 

After checking in, they were personally ushered to their penthouse suite by the resort chamberlain.  

“Your Majesties, this hotel is set inside 8 original fairy chimneys and has an indoor pool that resembles an ancient Roman bathhouse and spa.” 

Liam squeezed Riley’s hand, pulling her close to his side. 

Continuing, the chamberlain pointed out the traditional artifacts and artwork throughout the hotel as they walked passing by the sunrise balloon viewing terrace. 

Arriving inside their penthouse suite, Liam chuckled watching Riley’s jaw drop. 

“You didn’t tell me there was a pool.... inside our suite!” 

“Of course not,” Liam said with a laugh. 

Laughing, she smacked him playfully on the arm. 

“No, you did not.” 

“Oh good.” 

Liam set her down on the edge of the pool, then poured two flutes of champagne and handed one to her. 

“To our new life together,” clinking their crystal flutes. 

Taking a sip of champagne, Riley held her flute up, “to riding the skies tomorrow.” 

Liam raised his flute and added, 

“Because at sunrise we will be on a hot air balloon ride, for the absolute best view of the region in all its glory.” 

*** 

“Love is in the air”  

“OH. MY. GOD. I feel like we are flying over the moon!’ 

As Liam stepped up behind Riley, he wrapped his arms around her waist in a hug and placed a soft kiss on her neck. 

“Hidden beneath the landscape are over 50 underground cities. An interesting fact is that these cities held all the necessary facilities to lead an everyday life. These cities had everything a typical town would have, from wine presses to cooking places, oil storage, and livestock pens. These cities served as a safe space for Christians escaping persecution by Arabs. 

In fact, the name ‘Goreme’ means ‘one cannot see in here’.” 

Leaning back against him. She rested her head on his shoulder. 

“I love you,” he whispered. 

“I love you, too,” she murmured. 

Looking over her shoulder at Liam, “this place is amazing!” 

Gazing at the ancient rock formations rising from the ground like castles and churches, Liam smiled. 

“It certainly is. I had no idea that these places existed until a few months ago.” 

“This is so beautiful,” Riley said, looking around the stunning landscape below. 

“Indeed, it is.” 

*** 

Royal jet, en route to the U.S. 

Riley awoke from a nap due to turbulence. She sat up in her seat and reached for Liam’s hand. 

“What is it? Are you okay?” 

“I’m fine, the air turbulence is getting to me.” 

Lifting her hand to his lips, he gave her a gentle kiss. 

Riley felt her stomach turn, and she took a breath. 

Moving closer, Liam stroked her cheek. 

“Are you sure? You look pale.” 

“Thank you so much for taking me on this trip.” Riley was clearly getting emotional. “I love you so much.” 

Reaching over, he brushed aside her hair, kissing the top of her 

Forehead. 

“As soon as the wedding is over, I will take you home.” Riley looked up at her husband, “I am already home.... “You are my home.”   

My OTP Liam & Riley, LiRi

Face claims: Lucas Bravo & Lorena Tarantino

@sazanes + @lizzybeth1986, Thank you for hosting @kingliamappreciationweek 💕💕💕

My tag list: @tinkie1973 @emkay512 @malblk21 @imjusthereforliam @lovingchoices14 @kyra75 @kingliam2019 @karahalloway @busywoman @alj4890 @differenttyphoonwerewolf @harleybeaumont @twinkleallnight @xpandass420x-deactivated2023032 @sfb123 @ao719 @txemrn @queenmiarys @jared2612 @thesvnsins @irisk12 @walkerdrakewalker @charlotteg234 @choicesficwriterscreations @choicesmonthlychallenge

[txemrn]

Book: TRR/TRH (events actually occur in TRH Book 1)

Pairing: Liam x MC (Riley); Bertrand x Savannah

Word Count: ~2500

Warning: innuendos; a little language; fluffiness

A/N: I usually enjoy writing fairly angsty TRR material, but when I started gearing up for this past week's @kingliamappreciationweek, I decided I really wanted to write something new that wasn't so dramatic. So, I started thinking about how Liam is a history buff... and if y'all don't know this by now, I'm from Texas, and the thought of that tall glass of water knowing about my home state's history...whew... Give me a moment... This is pure silliness. It's a re-write of Bertrand's bachelor party/Savannah's bachelorette party, and it's just... silly. It does not follow canon very well. But, I hope you still enjoy it! Happy KLAW 2023, friends!

A/N 2: This is my submission for @choicesflashfics week 30! I will be using prompt 3: "That's how the story goes." It will be in bold.

A/N 3: These characters and some of the plot belong to our dear friends Pixelberry. This was not truly pre-read or beta'd. Please excuse my errors.

~👑~

"Alright, lil' ladies with the beautiful bride-to-be!" A burly bartender with a thick drawl and matching beard comes out from behind the counter, making his way to Savannah Walker's bachelorette party.  Delivering a tray of golden caramel-colored shots, he piles each one high with decadent whipped cream. "Here ya go: six blow job shots."

Hana spews out her cocktail, covering her mouth with rosy cheeks.

"Mon dieu! Did–did he just say–"

"Like you don't know what that is, Kiara," Olivia snorts. "Drink up, poufiasse."

Savannah, Madeleine, and Riley cover their giggles, leaning into one another as they take their drinks.

"Wait," Hana holds up her hands as they prepare to toast their third round of shots. "Where's Penelope?"

"Oh, I'm here! I'm here!" She runs up, out of breath, her short hair and denim dress completely drenched.

"What on earth happened to you?" Riley starts grabbing napkins.

"I was checking in with my dog sitter, but the reception here is awful. Plus, it's raining like cats and dogs out—oooooo!" Penelope's eyes beam at the sight of the shots. "What are these?" She leans down to sniff before humming in approval.

"Blow jobs," Olivia smirks.

"Oh!" Penelope nods with curious fascination. "Leo said that about my lips one time–"

"He said what?" Madeleine raises an eyebrow.

"I know, I didn't understand what he meant either."

"No, that's not–nevermind."

"Hold up." Riley raises her hands to silence everyone before turning to Penelope. "Raining like cats and dogs?" She grimaces, glancing at Savannah. "I hope the guys are alright–"

"Gunther!" 

The sudden boisterous voice of Drake Walker echoes through the dive bar, the doors swinging loudly, clapping up against the wooden walls. The large bartender turns, then brightens when he sees his old-time customer and friend coming into his establishment. 

"Whiskers, is that you?"

The girls quietly glare at one another, mouthing the word 'whiskers.'  

The two men grab each other's hands in a shake before pulling into a brotherly hug. Liam, Bertrand and Maxwell file in through the door, shaking droplets from their wet clothes.

"You guys!" Riley jumps up to greet her husband. 

Savannah follows behind, wrapping her arms around Bertrand before brushing a kiss against his lips. "What are y'all doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Maxwell chuckles, throwing his thumb behind his shoulder.

"The campgrounds were rained out," Liam explains, combing his wife's hair behind her ear. "We thought we could stick it out as long as the creek didn't rise too high. But then," he shakes his head, chuckling, "the tents flooded. The truck almost got stuck in the mud."

"Our clothes and shoes are airing out back at the house," Bertrand states, watching his bride fix his wet hair.

"Wow," Olivia snickers, "so much for roughing it for your bachelor party, huh, Beaumont?"

"I beg your pardon," Bertrand stiffens in annoyance, "we almost died out there, duchess."

"It's water."

"Centimeters upon centimeters–"

"Imagine meters of it. Frozen–"

"Well," Riley interjects the budding feud, "I, for one, am happy you guys are out of the nasty weather." She holds her hand up to the bartender, "first round on the crown!" 

"I like the sound of that," Maxwell chuckles.

"'First round on the crown'?" Liam whispers in his wife's ear, humored.

Riley scrunches up her nose, a mischievous grin crawling across her lips. "What can I say?" She giggles, slinking an arm around her husband’s waist. "I've been a queen for over a month, and I haven’t declared anything yet." She turns to her friends. "Let them drink booze!" She glances back at Liam, who's shaking his head at his tipsy wife. "What? I was channeling my inner Marie Antoinette."

"I… caught the reference," he narrows his eyes, gently placing a grip around Riley's neck. "I hope she’s not the inspiration of your own reign," he squeezes his fingers playfully, lowering his voice into a growl. "I'd hate for you to end up like her."

"You're not convincing me otherwise with your hand around my throat, my king." They knowingly snicker to one another, sharing a kiss.

"Okay, you newlyweds," Olivia snickers, rolling her eyes before turning to Drake. "So, um, Whiskers?"

He crosses his arms. "Yes…Red?" He collects a tray of glasses and a fifth of whiskey from Gunther to bring to the table.

"Curious minds want to know about this nickname."

"Awww, you’re thinking about me, Red?" She scoffs as he purposely bumps into her shoulder. "Maybe you'd rather a demonstration of why they call me Whiskers–"

"Drake Elmer!" Savannah scolds. "You're disgusting." She glances to the ladies. "Only Gunther calls him that, and the only reason he calls him that is because of Dad."

"Dad had a rule," Drake air quotes, "that I couldn't taste whiskey until I had whiskers." He nods towards the bartender, "Gunther there served me my first whiskey right after Dad's funeral–"

"Drakey!"  The syrupy voice of Savannah's ex-boyfriend bellows from across the room. "And he brought his royal round up!" The broad-shouldered red-head gives a curt bow, removing his Stetson as he notices Liam, switching to a British accent. "Your majesty."

Liam nods cordially before casually turning towards Riley. "What is it with you Americans thinking everyone in Europe talks with that accent?" Riley giggles under her breath, pinching her husband teasingly.

"Bert!" Chuck opens up his arms, pulling the duke into a tight, bear hug. "How's our groom? Come down here to flex your trivia knowledge?"

"Trivia?" Maxwell questions.

A sudden jolt of excitement hits Drake, his eyes widening as he looks to Gunther. "Is that tonight?"

"You bet yer' asses, Whiskers. $250 cash prize and a bottle of Jack to share."

"Whatd'ya say, Drakey? For old time's sake?" Chuck holds out his hand. Without giving it much thought, Drake clasps Chuck's calloused hand, pulling him into a quick hug. The men begin to hoot and grunt, clapping as they turn to join the rest of Chuck's friends in the corner.

But then Chuck stops, spinning on his heel. He glares at Bertrand before fixing a charming smirk to his mouth. "Where are my manners? Bert, the team is full, or else I'd invite you to join–"

"That's–" Bertrand clears his throat, "--quite alright, I assure you–"

"I mean," Chuck motions to Liam and Maxwell, "unless y'all wanted to make your own team." He glances over his shoulder, “Gunther, what’s tonight’s theme?

"Texas history, fellas," Gunther announces. "Trivia about the greatest fucking country in the world. Texas."

"Ahh. See?" Chuck swings out his arms, shrugging. "That’s how the story goes. Y'all better sit this one out."  With the deep clack of his cowboy boots, he adjusts his belt buckle before slowly strutting back to his seat. 

Seeing the defeat in his face, Savannah runs a hand across Bertrand's chest before giving him a sweet kiss on the cheek. "Don't worry about it, hun," she softly croons, "that's not even your idea of fun anyway."

Bertrand grows rigid. "What do you mean? I like to have fun–"

"Of course, B, just… in other… ways–"

"I," he pulls away from his fiancée, pressing his finger into his chest, "am… the epitome of fun–"

"You're right, but–"

"I'm a crate full of apes!"

Riley looks over her shoulder to Liam, whispering, "Does he know that it's a barrel full of–?"

"Shhh," Liam softly hushes, "just let him go."

"You there!" Bertrand shouts to Gunther, causing everyone to freeze. "We would like to play."

"Uh, Bertrand? A word." Maxwell motions for his brother to join him as he stumbles over to Liam. "Are you crazy?" He whisper shouts. "These people already enjoy making fun of us. Why do you want to do this?" 

"It's the principle of it all," Bertrand grows serious.

Maxwell sighs. "What do you think, Li?"

Liam looks up at Bertrand whose gaze is now attentive to Savannah. She laughs at something Kiara says, causing Bertrand's demeanor to slump a little more, as if each second with her reminds him he's not worthy of her.

Liam gets that.

"I think we should do it."

"See, Bertrand? Even Li–wait, what?" Maxwell's jaw drops. "You think this is a good idea?"

"It's just a game, right?" Liam winks handsomely. "Besides, I think Bertrand needs this."

"But Li… Texas trivia? Those guys reek of BBQ, football and leather."

“And we have survived how many secret coups attacks? Liam shrugs before patting the younger Beaumont on the back. "This could be fun."

—

Liam, Bertrand and Maxwell settle at a bar top table near four other teams, including Chuck and Drake's group.  As Gunther passes out electronic buzzers, he explains the rules. Chuck rubs his hands together in cocky delight as Bertrand wipes his brow with small drink napkins.

"Alright! Is everybody ready?" Gunther announces over a karaoke machine microphone. "Let's begin. When is Texas Independence Day?"

Chuck buzzes in with a proud, sarcastic snicker. "March 2nd."

"Correct!"

"Ahh, snaps, you guys," Maxwell hangs his head in his hands. "This was a bad idea."

"It's only been one question," Liam encourages.

"And we're already losing!" Maxwell whines, covering his eyes. 

"Next question. Before her independence, Texas was governed by how many different nations?"

Liam hits the buzzer, turning to an unsuspecting Bertrand. "Psst… how many forks are in the traditional Cordonian place setting?"

Bertrand scoffs. "Six!" He barks out loud before realizing everyone is silent, staring at him.

"Correct!"

"Huh?" Maxwell looks up, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Way to go, Bertrand!" Riley and Savannah cheer as the other ladies clap and whistle.

"Alright," Gunther starts, "next question…"

The trivia night continues, back and forth, question for question. The other teams at the bar had opportunities to answer, but overall, Chuck and Drake's team remained in the lead.

But not by much.

The men from Cordonia gave them quite a run for their money, thanks to Liam and his wealth of knowledge. But although Liam knows the majority of the answers, he is yet to speak for the team; rather, he turns to Bertrand each time after hitting the buzzer, prompting him with a different question that possesses the same answer.

"Okay, folks," the bartender announces, "this is the last question. If this team," Gunther points to Bertrand, Liam and Maxwell, "chimes in and gets it right, it will tie the game, sending us into sudden death." The bar fills with cheers, patrons shouting with excitement and pounding their fists on the tables. "Here we go. The Texas Revolution started in what year?"

There's a slight hesitation, but finally Liam turns to Bertrand and states, "The ending of the Bavarian Regency of Greece." Bertrand furrows his eyebrows, but Liam gives him a reassuring nod as he hits the buzzer.

He clears his throat. "1835?"

Everyone freezes, a hush falling over the bar in anxious anticipation.

"Folks? We've got ourselves a tied game!"

Bertrand exhales heavily, closing his eyes. Liam pats him on the back while Maxwell cheers, tugging on his brother's shoulder.  The entire bar is in a fuss as Chuck and Drake stare confusingly at each other. Gunther gets back on the mic, and explains the sudden death round, which requires for each team to choose one member to represent them.

"You've got this, Li," Maxwell applauds, Bertrand smiling and nodding.

"I think… Bertrand should take this."

"Pardon my insolence, sir, but I do not find that to be a wise decision," Bertrand argues.

"I agree with my brother, Li," Maxwell nods, "you knew all those answers–"

"But Bertrand scored us those points," Liam counters, "he needs to put up a fight until the game is over. It's the principle, remember?"  

Hearing Liam repeat his words, Bertrand grins, courage blooming in his chest. He looks to Savannah who is clapping, mouthing the words 'I'm so proud of you.' 

"I'll do it."

Bertrand and Chuck step forward for the sudden death round, peering into each other's eyes. "Are we ready, gentlemen?" Gunther asks. Both men shake their heads yes, their gazes not leaving each other. "Let the best man win."

For a split second, Bertrand glances at his fiancée, and realizes he might not be the best man, but to her, he is. And no matter what, he's already won.

"Here's the question: made popular by an Alamo hero, this portable weapon that can kill and butcher game. Name the weapon–"

Chuck buzzes in. "The Swiss army knife." He smiles brightly, pulling out his own pocket blade and twirling it in victory.

Bertrand turns back to Liam and Maxwell, shaking his head. Maxwell mouths, 'that's okay! You did your best!' Bertand shakes his head more adamantly, but now he’s starting to grin.

"Actually," the bartender starts, "that’s incorrect, Chuck." Gunther turns towards Bertrand. "Do you have an answer, my foreign friend?"

Bertrand smirks. "You are referring to the Bowie knife."

A stillness hushes the crowd; Savannah and Riley anxiously wait, hands clasped with bated breath.

"That… is correct!"

The entire room erupts with shouts of praise and earth-shaking applause.  Several men remove their ten-gallon hats to whoop in honor of the winner, the women of the bachelorette party squealing in glee.

Drake shakes Bertrand's hand before pulling him into an endearing hug. Liam and Maxwell both clap the duke on the back in congratulations. Savannah quickly cuts in, throwing her arms around her fiancé as her lips crash into his. Gunther comes over with the prize, and shakes Liam's hand. Maxwell snatches the bottle of Jack and the cash, and holds it over his head like a trophy.  More shots and drinks are ordered, the night carrying on into a wild honky-tonk of a dance party.

Riley finds Liam, roping her arms around his neck as he secures his large hands to her waist.

"I'm so proud of you, partner," Riley attempts a drawl. Liam laughs, kissing her forehead as they begin to sway to the slow country beat. "Bertrand said that you actually never gave him any answers; you just… asked him questions that had the same answer"

Liam nods slowly, "Yep."

"Why?"

"Oh, my queen," he beams looking down at her, "it's the principle."

"The principle?" She cocks an eyebrow.

"A man wants to win a woman's heart."

"But Savannah loves him–"

"That's not the point," Liam counters. "A man wants to win her over… and over and over again. If I gave him the answers, that would've cheated him out of proving to her and to himself that he's worthy of her."

"Do you ever feel that way about me?" She croons.

A rosy hue swirls across Liam's cheeks. "More than you realize."

Riley presses a tender kiss to her husband’s chin before continuing their dance. "But… I gotta ask. When did you become so smart about Texas history?"

Liam chuckles. "I've been best friends with Drake Walker since I was 8 years old. We used to do our studies together, and… he was terrible at history."

"So?"

"So?" Liam stifles his toothy grin, licking his bottom lip. "Who do you think did his Texas history homework?"

"William Rys!"

~👑~

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

~👑~

Tags (please let me know if you wish to be added/removed)

PERMA

@alj4890 @ao719 @charlotteg234 @issabees @kat-tia801 @kingliam2019 @mainstreetreader @mom2000aggie @neotericthemis @nikirennie87 @peonierose @socalwriterbee @tessa-liam

ALL TRR

@3pawandme @alyshak92 @iaminlovewithtrr @katedrakeohd @lovingchoices14 @malblk21 @rubiwalker @sfb123 @twinkleallnight

[sazanes]

Day 2 - King/Historian

"History often overlooks times of peace in favor of which rulers fought in which wars for whatever reasons. Not that those moments are not worth honoring. Fighting is sometimes necessary. But to me, eras of peace were always the greater accomplishment."

 @kingliamappreciationweek @lizzybeth1986 @sazanes

[lizzybeth1986]

@cassiopeiacorvus These incredible HCs!!!

• Loving the emphasis on Liam's diplomacy and especially love how he takes Duke Hakim's advice xD Great to see my fave Duke respected!!

• A thing that always confused me - esp about the fandom - was how the stans who seemed so vocal about commoners when they wanted to trash Liam, never even tried to understand where Gladys was coming from and how she could be manipulated. I love that you mentioned the kind of abuse commoners had to face under certain nobles and it makes sense that Liam would not want another Lady Carmine to hurt her people again. There honestly needs to be more commoners than Drake Walker for sure.

• The addition of a common seat to a nobility seat is perfect and was actually what I thought canon would do, but they never did. I'm so glad you mentioned it here!

• I'm now remembering Joëlle's words about how they don't want Cordonia to be just a country that gets by on survival and being safe, but on cultural advancement too.

Amazing HCs, Cassi!!

KLAW | DAY 2 - King/Historian

tagging: @kingliamappreciationweek, @lizzybeth1986, @sazanes

Five Headcanons About King!Liam

Despite the chokehold The Royal Romance has had over me since 2018, I’ve always found it difficult to articulate how Liam rules. I believe it’s because when TRR isn’t using him for the MC’s benefit, they keep all his decision making off-screen. But, I’ve knuckled down and come up with five headcanons for how Liam rules Cordonia.

International Relations & Diplomacy

We see from book 2 that Liam has a focus on diplomacy. His entire engagement tour with Madeleine was also a diplomatic trip around the world. I’ve already heacanoned that Liam goes to more countries during the tour. It was always strange to me that the tour didn’t stop by the United Kingdom even though it's one of Cordonia’s allies and Madeleine’s father is an English duke. Liam brings Cordonia into the European Union because it’s what he deserves. Unlike his father, Liam puts more emphasis on the art of diplomacy. He revitalizes the foreign ministry with the advice of Duke Hakim and hires more ambassadors to make connections across the world. Under his reign, Cordonia becomes more well-known on the international stage.

The Liberation Core

We don’t know much about the Liberation Core. They’re introduced as a potential enemy in book 3, but our only insight into them is Gladys. What I’ve gleaned from Gladys’s story is that the Liberation Core is an political organization that protests the ill treatment of commoners by the nobility. The only reason they end up as the enemy is because Anton and Claudius, both members of the Sons of Earth, co-opt their movement and use it for their own benefit. So, I have Liam sit down with the Liberation Core to discuss grievances. I desperately need Liam to engage with commoners who aren’t his best friend and weren't essentially raised in the palace with him. Liam’s always stated that his duty is to the Cordonian people, which leads nicely into…

The Nobility

…Raising commoners into the nobility. We know that in TRR2, the MC gains a duchy regardless of whether she’s engaged to Liam or not. I believe down to my core that Liam gave Hana a duchy because it doesn’t makes sense for him not to. During his speech before the Homecoming Ball is attacked, he mentions wanting to revitalize the old houses of Cordonia. What better way to do that than bringing some commoners into the nobility and therefore bring new ideas and ways of thinking? Liam also makes efforts to mitigate the nobles' ability to abuse the citizens of their estate. He never wants another Lady Carmine situation again.

The Government

Remember in book 1 when there was a council that helped government affairs and influenced the outcome of the social season? Remember in book 3 when Liam implied that he wanted to put commoners on his new council… and then didn’t? Pepperidge Farms remembers. In my mind, these two councils merge into one, where each duchy has a council member from the nobility and the common people. I haven’t worked out the exact mechanics of the selection process yet, but the noble council seat is typically the current head of the duchy and someone they appoint to act as their stead if they’re unable to do their duties. The common seat (I need a better name), however, is chosen by the common people of the duchy in an election. As time goes on in his reign, I see Liam giving more voting power to the common people in Cordonia.

Culture & The Arts

What are two things Liam loves? Art and history. Liam gives more royal funding to every library in the country because that is what the people deserve. The Therons’ International Arts & Food Festival becomes more well-known as the years go by partly because of Liam’s effort to attend every year. I believe it’s canon that part of the royal palace is a museum and Liam makes sure it’s well taken care of. A lot of his personal wealth is funneled into cultural events like festivals and fairs that allow more intermingling between the common people and the nobility.

[mickimomo]

Attoye-Week Snippets (Part 2)

Ok! So, I decided to not be a chaotic soul today and release the snippet for Day 1 of Attoye-Week. I’ll try to be good and work on Day 2 next. 💀 Enjoy the snippet and keep an eye out for my stuff when @attoye-week​ starts! 

Moonlight (First Kiss Prompt)

Whispers filled the gilded throne room as large holograms displayed several clips of masked people bursting into various facilities to steal misplaced pieces of vibranium.

“These are who… exactly?”

“They call themselves the Wrath of Killmonger.” Shuri spoke up, her dark brown eyes flickered over the many moving images as she sat on her throne.

“As in Erik?” Zawavari tilted her head. “N’Jadaka?”

Namor arched a brow as he glanced at the queen who sat beside him. “N’Jadaka?”

“Yes. He is a traitor of Wakanda. My brother handled him. He is dead.” She offered before tapping a few of her kimoyo beads to pull up a large map with several red dots. “Unfortunately, his dreams of unifying and bringing home the Lost Tribe did not die with him.” She sighed. “There are people out there working together to start an uprising to finish what he started.” She pointed at the map. “These are all of the facilities they’ve attacked so far to gather vibranium.”

“How much vibranium do you think they have?” The Merchant tribe elder looked at all the points.

“Just bits and pieces. Little scraps. Maybe enough to make another Captain America if they truly wished to.” Shuri offered. “It’s not like that Ultron incident where a mass of stolen vibranium was painfully obtained from a criminal we were trying to hunt down.”

M’Kathu scoffed. “Klaw.”

“Yes.”

Namor arched a brow. “Did your brother handle him as well?”

“No. Another traitor did.” She sighed. “He will be in prison until he dies of old age.”

“Ah.”

“Do you think this situation is serious enough for us to deploy the Dora Milaje?” The River tribe elder furrowed his eyebrows. “Or do you think the War Dogs will be sufficient?”

Shuri shook her head. “We must keep our defenses here strong, but I don’t think we should leave the War Dogs to their own defenses. We should treat these people as seriously as they appear. We do not want to repeat the mistakes we made with the people of Talokan.”

“I agree with the Queen.” M’Baku nodded. “If they are simply weeds that can become something harder to kill, we should wipe them out with our heaviest hitters and leave the Dora here to keep the people safe.”

“Then we should send what? The Late Night Angles?” Zawavari arched a brow.

Okoye rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest. “You mean the Midnight Angels?”

“Yes. That.” The elder stared at the former general with narrowed eyes. “Do you think you can handle this situation on your own? I know Aneka is currently recovering from a mission. It may be too much for one teal demon who has a reputation of failing.”

Okoye buried the urge to erupt by forcing on a hard smile.

“If the Queen commands it, it will happen without hesitation or failure.”

Dark brown eyes moved to Shuri with a question resting in them.

What do you want me to do?

Shuri stared at her for a moment before speaking. “Wipe them from the earth.”

Okoye crossed her arms across her chest in salute. “Ndiyabulela.” (Thank you.)

“I would like to offer a warrior to assist with this matter.” Namor spoke up. “I do not feel comfortable only sending one warrior out to fight an army.”

Okoye frowned. “Do you think I’m inadequate?”

“I do not see the point in burning you out. You do not know what you’re up against.”

“Anarchists with vibranium.” She shrugged. “I promise you, it’s nothing new.”

His gaze hardened. “Taking a comrade from Talokan will benefit you.”

“They will slow me down.”

“Attuma will not slow you down.”

The warrior went rigid before looking across the gilded throne room to see the mighty General looking her over.

“He will slow me down.” She corrected before glaring holes up at the king before looking at Shuri for help.

The king spoke before Shuri could open her mouth. “Attuma is the warrior that bested you-”

“-Once.”

“Once.” Namor nodded. “You know his ways and you know him well. Take him with you.”

“I do not know him.”

“In ba’ate’el.” (Warrior.) Attuma frowned.

Okoye ignored him before looking at Shuri once more. “Ukumkanikazi…” She called out to her.

Shuri allowed a sisterly look to slip through the cracks of her hardened gaze.

Okoye knew what it meant.

She didn’t want to see her getting hurt while trying to be mighty.

And for that reason, she’d have to suck it up and work with Attuma.

The midnight angel offered a firm, yet disappointed nod before curling a finger at Attuma.

“Ko’oten waye’.” She beckoned.

Whispers fell from the council at her use of the Talokanil’s mother tongue.

“How did she learn their language?”

“Is he truly a stranger to her?”

“Okoye is very odd.”

“Well, Okoye is always enthusiastic about learning new languages. Let’s not start claiming treason.”

“Shut up M’Kathu.”

M’Baku barked and they all fell silent.

Attuma approached the Wakandan slowly before stopping beside her.

His eyes rolled over her slowly before her he offered a nod as a greeting.

She didn’t even acknowledge his presence as she turned back to the royals.

“I will take him with me. We will be back once the mission is complete.” Okoye kept her expression devoid of her ever-growing irritation.

“May Bast give you strength.” Shuri offered.

Okoye saluted once more as she crossed her arms across her chest before turning around and walking out of the throne room with Attuma following quietly.

A/N: Alrighty! I’ll drop the rest when Day 1 of Attoye-Week gets here. Check out @attoye-week​ for the deets on when that is and all the other info if you wish to participate or read what other people have created thus far!

I hope to see you then and stay tuned for other snippets! <3

[thecapturedafrique]

KLAW: Day 1 Post—Character Appreciation

@kingliamappreciationweek may have ended, but my submissions are just getting started! Thanking the lovely hosts @lizzybeth1986 and @sazanes for the extra week! Please enjoy this list of head canons I’ve come up with for our favorite fictional king. 😁

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Face Claim: Daniel Henney

In honor of his mother, Liam chose to use her house name “Shen” as his regnal name when he was crowned; this means only his family and close friends still call him Liam in public

His interest in cooking came from helping Eleanor, but his skill developed following her death when he’d regularly hang out in the royal kitchens under the watchful eye of Head Chef Anais

Liam and Maxwell first actually meet at Lythikos during the social season when Leo turns down Liam’s offer to play in the snow in favor of snowboarding

As King of Cordonia, his net worth is around $10 billion, making him the fifth richest royal in the world

Though his favorite genre of television is historical fiction, Liam was a huge Timian* as a teenager; his favorite professor is Eleven while Leo’s is Ten and Drake’s is Nine

He served for a time with the Cordonian national guard (aka the People’s Guard) as a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot and achieved the rank of flying officer

Liam inherited his father’s love of vintage cars, and he used to run around Ramsford’s seasonal Expo with Drake admiring the models on display

His celebrity crush is Han Hyo-joo, most notably from her role in Masquerade; he’s also been a huge fan of Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeong since childhood

Though Liam of course knows all his bodyguards by name, the five in his personal rotation are addressed as the numbers 2-5 in Greek, with 1 having been Bastien prior to his injury

He and Tariq bonded as children over playing trading card games (mainly Pokémon) and making fun of nobles

Hana begins teaching Liam Putonghua; he also relearns how to be sassy from her (as he’d stopped teasing Drake by and large after the latter came back for fear of driving him away again)

His favorite constellation is Cetus and his favorite Western superhero is Batman

Following a Disney Princess marathon with the gang, Liam decides he relates the most to Ariel

*Professor Time is the name of the Choices version of Doctor Who, thus Timian is the analogue to Whovian.

[lizzybeth1986]

(Submission for @moodmusicmonday's Luck of the Draw!)

Title: Legacies

Chapter Title: The Statues

Book: The Royal Romance, Book 3

Pairing: None. King Liam & Duke Hakim Theron (platonic)

Music: Father to Son by Queen

[lizzybeth1986]

@angelasscribbles Love this chapter where Liam gets to come out in the open, protect his loved ones from smears, and publicly acknowledge the community that is his but that he couldn't openly admit to being a part of. You can see the underlying suffering that he must have faced keeping all this a secret, and it's great that him and Maxwell can finally celebrate their love openly!

KLAW 2023 King Liam: Lavender and Crimson Chapter 19

@kingliamappreciationweek

Liam, in full king mode, handling the public and taking all the blame onto himself. This is from Lavender and Crimson, toward the end when everything has blown up and their secrets have been leaked to the public.

The series, as a whole, is more Drake and Riley focused, but this chapter is all Liam.

[kingliamappreciationweek]

(This incredible poster is the handiwork of our wonderful co-host @sazanes!! You guys, she made a freaking VIDEO POSTER!!! Love so much how this turned out 😍😍)

Welcome to our third edition of King Liam Appreciation Week!! Last year saw a record-breaking turnout of stories, art, headcanons and all kinds of creative work - all celebrating this amazing character.

And while the fandom may not be what it used to be in the past years, we still hold out hope that there will be plenty of people who still love Liam and want to show that through their creative work!

November 17th is World Baklava Day, and can you think of a bigger fan of this irresistible sweet than Liam? 😃

This year, the event will run from 17th - 21st November. The themes for the days are as follows:

Day 1 - Nov 17th - Baklava/Throwback

Day 2 - Nov 18th - Character Appreciation/Vanilla

Day 3 - Nov 19th - Roses/Monuments

Day 4 - Nov 20th - Relationships/Coffee

Day 5 - Nov 21st - Healing*

(*Healing can be interpreted any way the reader wishes, both physical and mental healthwise - though we tend to lean a bit more to the latter because of how stoicism is such a central aspect of his growth)

Keep in mind that you don't have to send the content on the exact day of the theme - if you give it a little later as well, it's still fine as long as you tag the piece with the day it was meant for (#KLAW Day 1, #KLAW Day 2, etc).

Any content is welcome! Fanfic, fanart, edits, moodboards, meta, interactive media, headcanons, character appreciation... anything! As long as it celebrates Liam as a character, focuses on him and shows positive depictions of him. We also accept WIPs and a specific day (Throwback) is set aside just for past pieces on Liam. If you like, you can even tell us about the process of creating that piece!

Make sure you tag @kingliamappreciationweek in your posts, as well as the hosts @lizzybeth1986 and @sazanes in your content so we don't miss it! It would also make it easier to track if you use the tags #kingliamappreciationweek and #KLAW in your posts as an extra precaution.

Various fan content blogs have helped in promoting our weeks and also run great events on a weekly/monthly basis. We would definitely love for our participants to check them out in case they'd like to be part of those too: @choicesficwriterscreations, @choicesmonthlychallenge, @choicespride, @choicesprompts, @choicesholidays, @choicescommunityevents).

Once the week is officially over, we will keep a bonus week for participants who have trouble sending content during the week itself. Additionally, this blog will be open for entries all year round!

We have about a month to get ready for KLAW, and we're super excited to see what our fellow Liam fans might have in store! See you all in November!!

✅✅signal boosts will be highly appreciated!!✅✅

Previous Years' Masterlists:

KLAW 2022 | KLAW 2023 Part 1, 2, 3

[txemrn]

King Liam Appreciation Day 5 👑

This has been such a fun week! I have enjoyed seeing everyone's creations, HCs, and general excitement over discussing all things Liam! Special thanks again to our amazing hosts @lizzybeth1986 and @sazanes. Thank y'all for working so hard to make everything so special for @kingliamappreciationweek!

In honor of KLAW #5, I thought I would share 2 different creations (2 different posts, you'll understand why!) about one of my AUs called Stay (Masterlist).

This is a short reel edit of the Prologue: A Shadow in the Dark, where we meet "Will the Thrill" (and if you are new, hi! Here is a little bit of background info if you just want to watch the video: Connie isn't too terrible; Eleanor is still alive; Leo didn't abdicate; Liam still found Riley; if you choose to read, this whole scenario is a very loose nod to an incident talked about in canon). Enjoy!

TW: gun violence

*I do not own the rights to the music; no copyright infringement intended. Characters and some plots belong to Pixelberry.

[lizzybeth1986]

This chapter really does highlight both the similarities and differences between Marquise and his father. Marquise does have a ruthless streak, but he also is someone who recognises the dangers of ruling the way his father did and tries to be different. Well done! I love the Marquise and Shanelle dynamic as always.

The Royal Romance.

Love Everlasting.

A/N: I had a different name and plot for this fic over a year ago. But after being in the RP community for more than a year, I've decided to write the current Royal Life of my favorite OTP.

Rated: Mature (at times can and will be Explicit. I'll be sure to change the rating when and if that happens). | Contains sexual content and strong language. (You know? The usual. Y'all should be used to this from me by now 😁) | 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 and/or other authors [their characters have been mentioned and/or used in the story with their permission] ) are property of Pixelberry.

Current Word Count: 19.8K words. (may be slightly more or may be slightly less. Look, I stop counting after editing and re-editing and driving myself insane. 🤷🏾‍♀️)

If you’d like to be added to my tag list. Just reblog or dm me and I will gladly add you! 😁😘

This series is rated Mature and/or Explicit. It is NOT reading material that is safe for those under 18. Reader discretion is STRONGLY advised!

Missing a chapter or want to read a chapter again? I got you covered! Click ——> Here!

We are STILL in King Liam Appreciation Week! 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳 I didn't have a specific day for this fic but that's okay. I'm still celebrating my FAVORITE Fictional King.

And this is Part 2 of Chapter 11! It picks up where Part 1 left off I hope you all enjoy it!

TW: murder/execution and blackmail. If you are sensitive to any of those topics do not read any further. if you choose to continue on: THIS WILL BE YOUR ONLY WARNING! READER DISCRETION IS STRONGLY ADVISED!

Tag List: @choicesficwriterscreations @kingliamappreciationweek

Chapter 11.) Fate. Part 2.

He stopped massaging her feet long enough to answer the knock at the door. Their lunch was being delivered. The attendant pushed in a cart with four covered plates. 2 large plates and 2 small dessert plates. 

"Thank you, Josef. That will be all." Marquise said to the attendant. The attendant smiled and bowed to them both before leaving. 

"Food! Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" she squealed happily. 

"You are such a child."

"No, I'm childish now feed me Seymour!" 

Marquise shook his head with a smirk before uncovering the dishes. He was served a Grilled Shrimp Cobb Salad. While she was served a Cedar Plank Grilled Salmon fillet, French lentils in a warm mustard vinaigrette, with wilted Swiss Chard. And for dessert, they each were served a dark chocolate and strawberry Napoleon.

"Mmmmm! This food is always so damn good!" she said happily.

"I'm glad you're enjoying your lunch, my love. You know it pays to have a Michelin Starred chef on the payroll."

"No really it does. Chef Daniel never disappoints with his food. And Jenna has always excelled at her desserts."

"They make a great team. They run the kitchens as efficiently as we run the kingdom."

"Indeed they do."

Shanelle was in heaven. Everything was delicious.

"That had to be one of the best lunches we've ever had. I loved it."

"Good. I'm glad. I asked the kitchen to make sure you were served foods that were high in iron."

"Thank you, baby. You always take care of me."

"I always will. You know this," he replies as he clears their dishes. "And now I believe I owe you a continuation of an earlier foot massage." 

Shanelle squealed and clapped happily as she put her feet up on his shoulders with her dessert plate sitting on her stomach. 

"At least this bump is good for something."

Marquise shook his head with a smile as he began to massage her feet again. He listened to her moan and watched her eyes roll back as she enjoyed her dessert and her massage. 

"I hope your eyes rolling back is because of this foot massage."

"And this dessert! I never knew how much I could love chocolate and strawberry together."

Marquise snickered as he continued to massage her feet. Taking advantage of Shanelle's happy delirium, Marquise placed a soft kiss on the top of her right foot. Shanelle cocked an eyebrow at her husband while taking another bite of her dessert. 

"The King is being kinky again," she said to him.

"So what's your point?" he asked.

She hated it when he did this to her but she loves it as well. His massages were indeed good for her circulation but she knew that's not why he gave them to her. He did it for his own selfish reasons. 

"Sir if you don't stop...we won't make it back to the trial," she warned. 

He smirked at her. 

"Challenge accepted."

Shanelle was mid-bite when she felt him put a suckling bite on her left foot and damn near choked. She bopped him with her fork.

"Ow!" he said.

"That's what you get for nearly making me choke! Also, do that again."

Marquise shook his head.

"You could've just said that you liked it."

"I liked it. Now keep going."

Marquise smirked.

"As my Queen commands..."

He went back to sucking on her foot. Taking care to pay close attention to every sound she made. He watched her suck the last bit of chocolate cream off her finger. 

"Dang! My dessert is all gone." she pouted. 

He moved her plate out of the way when an idea hit him.

"Y'know I haven't even touched mine. Until now."

Shanelle looked at him.

"What are you about to do?" she asked.

Instead of answering, he took the cover off of his dessert and laid the plate next to her. He then took a small dab of the chocolate cream and swiped it on the sole of her right foot.

"What are you do—" was all she managed to say before he dragged his tongue up her sole, licking the cream off. He watched her squirm with a smirk on his face.

"You were saying?" he asked as he flexed his fingers. 

"No! No! No!" she said as she tried to pull away from him. 

"Stay still!" he commanded.

"No! Not if you're gonna do that!" she replied.

Marquise rolled his eyes.

"Calm down! I'm not going to tickle you."

"You promise?" she asked.

"Yes. I know how much you hate being tickled. Also, I like my teeth right where they are. Besides, I wouldn't do that to you. Now hold still and don't move." he replied.

She eyed him suspiciously but didn't move. He took a slice of strawberry that was covered in chocolate and dragged it from the heel of her right foot to the bottom of her toes and followed it with his tongue. He watched her shiver.

"It's okay to say you enjoy it, my love."

"I do. But not as much as you do."

Marquise went back to eating his dessert off her feet. Every time he looked up at her she had a look of pure ecstasy on her face. He licked, sucked, touched, and teased her toes and soles. When he got down to the last of his dessert, he held a strawberry that was covered in chocolate to her lips.

"Bite," he instructed. 

She took a bite of the strawberry savoring the sweet taste. She watched him finish the rest of the strawberry. 

"That was a damn good dessert."

"Hmm, are you talking about the food or my feet?" she asked.

"Both," he replied as he stood up.

"Well someone is happy to see me," she said as she tapped the bulge in his pants with her right foot.

Marquise snorted. 

"He's always happy to see you."

"That outfit looks a little stuffy."

"It's a part of wearing the regalia love."

"You should take it off."

"Nope."

"Why not?" she asked.

"Because as you said, we will never leave this room and we have a trial to preside over," he replied.

"But I can't leave you unsatisfied, my King."

"My satisfaction comes from pleasing you."

She rubbed her foot across his bulge and watched him groan with his eyes closed.

"You are going to be the death of me."

"That's the point."

"That's not the point."

She continued to tease him.

"Shanelle..."

"Hmm?"

"Stop. Now."

"Nope."

"You're being a brat," he muttered. 

"And you like it," she said as she tapped her foot on his bulge. "Now open up. You know you want to."

He looked at her with just his left eye open before sighing and unbuckling his belt and pants. He freed himself with a sigh.

"See? Now don't you feel better?" she asked.

"Not yet. But I will in a minute," he replied.

She rubbed the insides of her feet along his shaft. Causing him to take a sharp breath in. 

"I reiterate you are going to be the death of me."

She continued to rub her feet along his shaft and listened to his breathing begin to become shallow. 

"God yes..." he breathed out.

She loved making him curse under his breath.

"Shit..."

He wrapped his hands around her ankles to hold her feet in place and started to thrust his hips. 

"Fuck! This feels so good..." he said as his voice got raspier. "You have no idea the power you have over me."

Shanelle bit her bottom lip.

"I am your vexation, my King."

"Yes, you are my love. Now I don't know how much longer I can last like this."

He let out a shuddering breath. 

"If word of you loving footjobs ever got out..."

Marquise scoffed. 

"Let it. The world would have to prove it," he said before gesturing downward. "Now if you don't mind."

"Very well."

Shanelle moved her feet so she could slide to the floor. She wrapped a hand around his very hard shaft and began to stroke him. 

"Shit...yes that's it. Like that." he moaned.

She swirled her tongue around the swollen tip before taking him into her mouth. 

"I could literally die right now." he breathed out. 

She was determined to go slow and torture him but he had other plans. He wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and one under her chin and started to thrust his hips forward fucking her face. 

"God, you feel so damn good." he breathed out.

He loved the feeling of her tongue sliding across his dick. It sent his orgasm soaring higher. He dug his nails into the skin of her neck as he used her mouth and throat.

"Oh fuck! Shit! That's it, baby. Suck this dick! You know you love it."

Shanelle chuckled to herself as she sucked him off. She could always tell whenever he was close. He always became a lot more vocal as his pleasure began to hit its peak. 

"Don't stop love. Please don't stop," he said through gritted teeth. 

She closed her eyes and breathed through her nose as she took him deep in her mouth and stayed like that. It sent him into a deliciously happy tailspin. His grip tightened, and he went rigid as he exploded in her mouth. He stayed still for a moment before pulling out of her mouth. After adjusting himself, he helped her up before collapsing onto the couch next to her. 

"Well, that was fun," he said as he caught his breath.

She snuggled against him.

"I'll say." she agreed. 

Marquise looked at his Apple Watch and sighed.

"We still have another 30 or so minutes before the trial resumes."

"Good. That means we have to go explore the garden here."

Marquise scoffed. 

"I am not leaving this couch until I get my strength back so you'll have to settle for hearing the history of the garden."

"Fineeee!" she pouted.

"You'll live. Now what would you like to know?" he asked.

"How long has it been here?" she replied.

"It was a wedding gift to Queen Maja. She married King Fabian's oldest son Simon. It was from her homeland of Denmark." 

"Denmark?!" she asked.

"Yup. She was the Crown Princess of Denmark. Her Father King Fredrik and King Fabian matched their children together. It's how we gained land close to the border with Ardona." he replied.

"Geez! What is it with you Rys men and marrying outsiders?" she asked.

Marquise snickered.

"The heart knows what it wants," he replied.

"Even though they were matched together?" she asked.

"Yes. Just like we were. And just like us, Simon and Maja eventually fell in love and continued the line." he replied. 

"What kind of flowers are in the garden?" she asked. 

"Tulips. They were always her favorite," he replied. 

"Are you sure we can't go see them?" she asked.

"I'm not getting up!" he replied.

She pouted with her lower lip poked out. Marquise groaned. 

"Fine! Let's go."

"Yay!" she cheered.

"I don't know why I constantly let you and your daughter take advantage of me."

"Because you're a simp for me and a pushover for your daughter," Shanelle said matter-of-factly.

"True."

The couple got up and walked out to the garden. Shanelle was in awe of the rows and rows of orange, yellow, white, and red tulips.

"They're beautiful. I can't believe I didn't know about this garden."

"We hardly come to this part of the palace. But I keep up this garden because it's a family tradition."

"Wait until your daughter sees it."

"No..."

"Yes, Marquise. We can't keep this from her. It's bad enough that you kept it from me."

Marquise made a face.

"Fine. We'll bring her after the trial is over." 

"I accept your terms, sir." 

Marquise chuckled before checking his Apple Watch.

"We're due back now."

"Okay. Lead the way, Your Majesty."

After locking the French doors and freshening up in the adjoining bathroom, the couple left the room and returned to the courtroom. When they walked back in, many in the room were eager to see who Giancarlo would call as his next witness. Marquise cleared his throat before speaking. 

"I trust that everyone had a wonderful break for lunch, now then the trial may continue. Giancarlo, you may call your next witness." 

"I call Lord Tariq's former assistant, Sir Harold Jenkins," Giancarlo replied. 

Marquise nodded as a primly dressed man walked up to face the King and Queen.

"Good afternoon Sir Jenkins. Thank you for joining us today. Now you were Lord Tariq's assistant, yes?" Giancarlo asked.

"Yes sir I was." Sir Jenkins replies.

"Tell us how you got that job," Giancarlo said to him.

Sir Jenkins smiled fondly.

"Lord Tariq and I had known each other for years. We grew up together. When he took over his family's Duchy and estate after his father retired, he hired me as his assistant. I helped him to run the day-to-day operations of the Sauvageon estate." 

"Can you describe your relationship with the deceased?" Giancarlo asked. 

"We were like brothers. Always sneaking out of class together. Might as well say we were thick as thieves." Sir Jenkins replied.

"Since you ran the day-to-day at the estate then you must've known about the marriage to Princess Naya," Giancarlo said to him.

"Yes, I knew about it. I also know that they didn't always get along. But Lord Tariq would never harm her." Sir Jenkins replied.

"Is it true their marriage was a political one?" Giancarlo asked.

"Yes. A political and financial marriage. Many noble marriages are. They were matched by their fathers King Elgin and Lord Gerard." Sir Jenkins replied.

"Financial?" Giancarlo asked.

"Yes. King Elgin owed a debt to King Constantine. And matching his daughter to Tariq would secure his family's financial future." Sir Jenkins replied. 

"So what's with the line of questions?" Shanelle whispered to Marquise.

"To establish what Tariq and Naya's marriage was like," Marquise replied. 

"Tell me, Sir Jenkins, was their marriage ever contentious?" Giancarlo asked.

"Not in the way you may think. They attended events at court together but when they were home they barely spoke to each other. They didn't even sleep in the same room." Sir Jenkins replied.

"They had separate rooms?" Giancarlo asked.

"Yes. At Princess Naya's request." Sir Jenkins replied.

"Tell me, do you know anything about Princess Naya wanting a divorce from the former Lord?" Marquise asked.

"Yes. She did ask." Sir Jenkins replied. 

"And he declined to get one?" Marquise asked.

"Yes. But please let me explain. He told her to wait until after his final business transaction had been completed." Sir Jenkins replies.

"What business transaction?" Marquise asked.

"Lord Tariq had acquired a very lucrative contract with DuPont Shipping and Exports. They are one of the biggest Exporting Companies in Europe." Sir Jenkins replies.

"When was this transaction completed?" Marquise asked.

"Two weeks before Lord Tariq died." Sir Jenkins replied.

"How much was the deal worth?" Marquise asked.

"£200,000,000.00." Sir Jenkins replies. 

"Which means she stood to inherit a fortune big enough to pay off the rest of her father's debt," Shanelle whispered to her husband. 

"And she failed to mention the deal to me," Marquise whispered back. 

Marquise nodded. 

"Thank you, Sir Jenkins. That will be all for now. You will be interviewed by the defense next so please make plans to return." Marquise said to him. 

When Marquise glanced in Naya's direction she had her head down. 

"She's not making eye contact," Marquise whispered to his wife.

"Probably because she knows she is guilty or maybe because she's pregnant it could be nausea," Shanelle replies.

"Let's find out."

Marquise cleared his throat.

"I'd like to call the Princess to the stand," Marquise announced. 

Naya's head snapped up and she had a look of horror on her face.

"That got her attention," Shanelle whispered.

"No, Your Majesty, please," she begged. 

"Now Princess," Marquise commanded.

Everyone watched as Naya gingerly made her way to sit in front of the King and Queen. She looked up to see Marquise looking directly at her.

"Now everyone here knows that you and I have a long and complicated history. We were once a couple in love. And there is a part of me that wishes I didn't have to do this but you have left me no choice. So tell me in your own words, what happened? How did we get here?" Marquise asked. 

Just as Naya got ready to speak, she suddenly grabbed her stomach while a hand flew to her mouth. Shanelle knew she was nauseous and about to throw up.

"Get her a trash can now!" Shanelle ordered. 

An attendant had just gotten to Naya as she threw up. Edwin rushed to her side to assist her. 

"Are you sick Princess?" Marquise asked.

"No she's not sick you imbecile! She's terrified thanks to this trumped-up murder charge from you and my so-called cousin!" Edwin replied with a growl.

"Watch your tongue, Your Highness!" Marquise hissed. 

Edwin stood up straighter.

"Or what? We both know your threats are hollow as you are!" Edwin snapped at Marquise.

"Don't you ever speak to him like that!" Shanelle spat at her cousin. 

Edwin scoffed.

"You know it's a shame. Our simp of a grandfather handed you a kingdom that should be mine."

Shanelle shrugged. 

"Well that's too bad Eddy. Maybe if your father had been married with a child before I was born you'd be a King, not some just lowly Prince. But hey! That's what happens when you're the firstborn heir."

Edwin's blood boiled.

"You good for nothing bitch!" Edwin hissed.

That's when Marquise had heard enough. 

"That is enough!" Marquise's voice boomed, silencing all in the room. "Edwin if you ever disrespect my wife again I will have your head displayed on a spike!" 

Edwin seethed as he stared at the King and Queen.

"And for the record, Your Highness, your wife isn't scared. She's pregnant." Shanelle announced.

Edwin's face went from angry to confused. 

"What are you babbling about Shanelle?" Edwin asked.

"That's Your Majesty, you dipshit! And it's as I said, your wife isn't scared she's pregnant. That's why she threw up. It's also why she's had her head down this entire time. She's been nauseous. Which is a symptom of morning sickness." Shanelle replies.

Edwin's brow furrowed.

"No. There's no way she's pregnant!" Edwin protested. 

"Very well. Since you're so convinced that Naya isn't pregnant, how do you explain this?" Marquise asked as he handed the results of Naya's pregnancy test to the attendant next to him. "Give this to Prince Edwin."

"No! Wait, please!" Naya blurted out.

It was too late. The attendant handed the results to Edwin. As he read the document his face went from shock to confusion to anger.

"You're pregnant?!" Edwin asked Naya. 

Naya looked at Edwin. And Marquise took in the look on her face. 

"He didn't know," he whispered to his wife.

"Well, that's obvious. But why does he look like he is about to blow a gasket at her?" Shanelle asked.

"Answer me!" Edwin demanded. 

"Give her space Edwin."

"Oh fuck off Marquise!" Edwin snapped at him.

Naya shook her head sadly.

"Yes. Yes, I'm pregnant." Naya replies.

"There. Are you happy now, Your Highness?" Marquise asked.

Edwin looked at Naya and then back at the results.

"This...this...this is impossible! Naya can't be pregnant." Edwin said.

"What are you talking about Edwin?" Marquise asked.

"That baby is not mine!" Edwin replied.

"You're her husband Edwin. What do you mean that the baby isn't yours?" Shanelle asked.

"Because..." Edwin replied.

"Because what?" Shanelle asked.

"Because I can't have children!" Edwin replies.

Everyone was stunned. 

"Your Highness, what do you mean you can't have children?" Marquise asked.

Edwin sighed heavily.

"I had a vasectomy done 11 months ago. And it's too early to reverse it. Which means I can't have children!" Edwin replied. 

Shanelle and Marquise just looked at each other in shock.

"That means..." Shanelle trailed off.

"Yes. That means my wife is a no-good cheating whore!" Edwin seethed.

"Fuck you, Edwin!" Naya snapped at him. 

"If Edwin isn't the father then who is Naya?" Marquise asked.

Naya looked at Marquise.

"That was a question that requires an answer, Princess." 

Naya swallowed.

"It was one time. We were drunk. It shouldn't have happened." Naya teared up.

"Who is this child's father Naya?" Marquise asked.

"...King Edward," Naya replied.

The courtroom went deathly silent at the revelation. Edwin looked shell-shocked. And Shanelle had to hide her face while peeking like the Marge Simpson GIF.

(Shanelle's reaction) 

"YOU SLEPT WITH MY FATHER?!" Edwin yelled. 

All eyes turned to the former King sitting in attendance. 

"Fuck you!" Naya sneered.

"You filthy dirty disgusting! I don't even know why I married you!" Edwin snapped at Naya. 

"You married me for my money because you and your family are still dead broke."

Edwin took a menacing step toward Naya.

"Also we got married because your mother had hoped that you, being married to a woman, would stop you from sleeping with your sister's husband!" Naya hissed.

Marquise's jaw dropped and Shanelle covered her mouth with a hand. When Shanelle looked out into the crowd she saw the look of sheer horror on her cousin Princess Giavana's face as she sat next to her husband. 

"Oh! My! God!" Shanelle whispered. 

"But unfortunately for your poor mother and your now shocked sister, you are still sleeping with Duke Pascal!" Naya spat at Edwin. 

Edwin stepped back in shock.

"You God awful bitch!" Edwin sneered at Naya.

And soon the two were in a shouting match for all in the room to see.

"This is a disaster!" Marquise groaned.

"What are you talking about? This is great!" Shanelle said while cackling. 

Marquise shot her a look that stopped her laughter.

"Enough!" his voice boomed as he stood up. "Have some kind of decorum for God's sake! This is a murder trial, not a place to air personal, private, and petty grievances!"

Marquise sat back down and took a deep breath to regain his composure.

"Now that this child's paternity has been established—" Marquise started to say before Edwin cut him off, "Your Majesty, I am formally requesting that my marriage to this whore be terminated effective immediately!"

Marquise let out an exasperated sigh.

"Your Highness, unfortunately, I can't grant you a divorce. Based on the fact that you and Naya are the Heads Of State for Comery Isle. So unless you want to renounce your title, you will remain married. Now. Sit. Down!"

Marquise watched Edwin storm out of the room without a second look back.

"That's not actually a law on the books is it?" Shanelle whispered. 

"Quiet!" Marquise replied before clearing his throat. 

"As for you, Naya. You have more questions to answer. Fortunately for you, you'll answer them tomorrow because I for one have had enough of this circus!" Marquise said to Naya before addressing her attorney, "Lady Hellstrom, you are to have your client ready and presentable for questioning tomorrow at 8:00 AM. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Lady Hellstrom replied.

"As for the Parliament, each member of the Parliament will also be here at 8:00 AM when we reconvene," Marquise announced before standing up and helping Shanelle to her feet. 

All stood as the King and Queen made their exit. 

Later that night, after putting their daughter to bed, Shanelle was in her closet getting ready for bed. But something was bothering her. Marquise had been acting weird and she wanted to know why. 

When they got back to the residence it was like he was on autopilot. Yes, he was present and happy as always to see his smiling and giggling baby girl. Even when he and Khari had their nightly debate about what to have for dinner. 

"Okay, mon petit amour. What's for dinner?" Marquise asked. 

"Chicken nuggies and French fries!" Khari replies.

Marquise made a face. 

"What? I like chicken nuggies Daddy." 

"I know you do my love but we've had that for 3 nights in a row now. It's time to pick something else."

"Awww."

Khari pouted. 

"Khari," he said firmly. 

"Mommy?" Khari pleaded with her mother. 

"Your Daddy has a point. There are more things to eat for dinner than chicken nuggets and French fries." Shanelle told their daughter.

"Okay..." Khari said dejectedly.

Khari thought for a moment.

"Can we have lasagna Daddy?" Khari asked.

"Sure. And what goes best with lasagna?" Marquise asked.

"Cheesy garlic bread!" Khari replies.

"That's right. We'll have lasagna and cheesy garlic bread for dinner."

"And we can make lasagna sandwiches!" Khari quipped. 

"A girl after my own stomach," Marquise said as he took his daughter's hand and they walked to the main dining room. 

"Daddy, do you think the twins will like lasagna when they're born?" Khari asked.

"Not until they're older. When they're babies they don't have teeth." Marquise replies. 

"Ohhh! I didn't know that."

"Now you do my love."

Later that night after putting Khari to bed. Shanelle was in her closet picking out her outfit for the next day when he walked in. What started out as him wrapping his arms around her and nuzzling her neck turned into him picking her up and carrying her back to their bed and eating her out before blowing her back out. 

He knew her body was hypersensitive to his touch and he took advantage of it. He didn't want to stop and he wouldn't have if not for her literally tapping out and begging him to.

"Okay! Okay! Okay! Marquise! Baby! Enough! Enough! Please! I can't anymore! I can't!" she pleaded. 

When he finally let her go she just laid there exhausted and trying to catch her breath. She was in this delirious haze and felt numb from the waist down. Marquise curled up with her, pulling her tight to his body. He moved her hair out of her face and kissed the side of her forehead. 

"Thank you for that baby. I needed it. And so did you." he whispered in her ear. 

She whimpered in response.

"I know. I know. I was a little rough. I'm sorry." he said to her. 

He placed his right hand on her belly and rubbed his thumb in small circles.

"Forgive me?" he whispered in her ear, making her shiver.

She looked at him through her eyelids.

"Demon," she whispered.

He chuckled.

"Better than being the devil."

"Fine," she said in a voice barely above a whisper.

He kissed just below her right ear.

"Can't feel my legs." she managed to say.

He winced.

"Sorry about that."

"I don't know what pissed you off but don't ever do that again."

"Promise."

He held her as they both drifted off to sleep.

The next day dawned bright and early and all were back in the courtroom. Waiting and ready to hear Naya's side of the story. 

"Thank you all for coming this morning. Today we will hear from Princess Naya." Marquise announced to everyone in the room. "Giancarlo, you may now ask your first question."

Giancarlo nodded before turning to face Naya.

"Princess, is it true that you attacked Her Majesty not once but twice?" Giancarlo asked.

Naya blinked at him.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Naya replied.

Giancarlo presented her with a report.

"Perhaps I can jog your memory. What does this report say?" he asked.

Naya read the report and suddenly looked scared.

"It says that I tried to kill her. That's not true!" Naya replies. 

"Then perhaps you can clear this up."

"I was merely expressing my disappointment in His Majesty's lackluster choice of a spouse," Naya replied looking into Shanelle's direction. 

Shanelle rolled her eyes. 

"With a knife Your Highness?" Giancarlo asked.

"That was a lapse in judgment," Naya replied.

Shanelle could feel her blood pressure rise.

"You spent a night in the dungeons did you not?" Giancarlo asked.

"Yes. It was a mere overreaction to the situation."  Naya replied.

"This bitch..." Shanelle muttered.

"I'm sorry Your Majesty. Did you say something?" Naya asked.

"Yeah, I did. I said This. Bitch." Shanelle replied.

"Princess, was this attack provoked?" Giancarlo asked.

"Yes. I shared the same sentiment as the rest of the court at the time, Shanelle doesn't belong here." Naya replied.

"And yet here I sit. at His Majesty's side, a ring on my finger, and his last name." Shanelle sneered at Naya.

Naya scoffed.

"And no idea what the proper temperament of a Queen is." she sneered at Shanelle. 

"You know what? You're right, I don't know what the proper temperament of a Queen is. But I know one thing: I'm not carrying a baby that isn't my husband's!" Shanelle sneered. 

Naya's face turned ugly.

"By the way Princess, how is my cousin? Still shocked I'm sure. Have you talked to him at all? What about Genevieve? I'm sure she loved hearing the news that her husband fathered your baby. Matter of fact since I don't see him here, have you heard from your baby father-in-law since yesterday?" Shanelle asked. 

"FUCK YOU!" Naya screamed. 

"Looks like I hit a nerve."

"Enough both of you!" Marquise said to them both.

Shanelle scoffed. 

"And to think I was nice enough to make sure you were comfortable today. No one but your counsel, us, members of the Parliament, Giancarlo, and the attendants were allowed to be here today." Shanelle said.

"Gee, thanks for your consideration bitch!" Naya spat at Shanelle.

"Last warning!" Marquise warned. 

"Yes. We're getting off track here." Giancarlo agreed.

 Both women silently glared at each other. 

"Now Princess Naya, based on the findings of the autopsy that His Majesty had done, your husband was killed by Cantarella poisoning. How did that happen?" Giancarlo asked.

Naya went quiet.

"Answer the question Naya," Marquise said to her. 

"I can't," she replied quietly. 

"What do you mean you can't?" Giancarlo asked.

"I can't say anything about the Cantarella. I'm forbidden to." Naya replied.

"Forbidden? By who?" Giancarlo asked. 

"By the King," Naya replied.

All eyes looked at Marquise.

"Not him. Constantine. He forbade me from ever speaking on the matter." Naya said. 

That's when her legal counsel spoke.

"Your Majesty, may I have a moment with my client?" Lady Hellstrom asked.

"Granted. In the meantime, Carlo, you're with us." Marquise replied.

Marquise helped Shanelle up and then met Carlo outside.

"What in the world is she talking about?" Shanelle asked.

Carlo and Marquise looked at each other. Then it dawned on them both.

"Sonuvabitch!" Marquise hissed.

"He didn't." 

"Yes Carlo, he did."

"Somebody wanna clue me in?" Shanelle asked.

"We know why he forbade her from speaking about the Cantarella," Marquise replied.

"Why?" Shanelle asked.

"Because he's the one that gave it to her," Marquise replied.

Shanelle's eyebrows shot up.

"How can you be sure?" she asked.

"Because he must've found Fabian's hidden sample," Marquise replied.

Marquise closed his eyes.

"Carlo, I want every document, decree, declaration, proclamation, warrant, and NDA he ever signed."

"That will take all day, Your Majesty!" 

"I don't care! I'll issue a continuance until tomorrow, just get me those documents!" 

Carlo nodded. 

"Yes, at once Your Majesty." 

Carlo went back inside to gather his things before going to the Archives. Marquise leaned his head against the door with his eyes closed. Shanelle rubbed his arm. 

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"If she's telling the truth, I can promise you that I won't be," Marquise replied. 

"That's gonna be a lot of reading through."

"I'll get it done somehow."

"We Marquise. We will get it done."

"Shanelle—" he began to say before she cut him off, "do not argue with me. I am as much invested in justice being served as you are. So we will get it done."

Marquise knew he couldn't fight her. So he just took a deep breath and nodded.

"Fine. But we need to get to my office now."

"Let's go."  

The couple made their way to his office where boxes were already outside. 

"Oh, my God! This will take forever!" Shanelle said as she looked at the boxes.

"Then we better get started," Marquise replied.

Over the next 3 ½ hours the couple poured over everything they could find bearing Connie's seal and signature as more documents and boxes came in. They found answers to the many questions and rumors about His former Majesty but nothing yet about Cantarella or anything about it. 

"Ugh! We need a break! My brain hurts and these two are hungry." Shanelle said with a sigh.

"You go get something to eat. I can't stop right now."

"Marquise—" she began to say before he cut her off, "Go Shanelle. I'll be fine. I'll get something later." 

"Okay. Promise me you won't be at this all day." 

"I can't promise you that. But I can say that I will never miss our family time."

Shanelle sighed. 

"I guess that'll have to do. I'm going to get something to eat." Shanelle said before kissing her husband on the cheek and leaving his office. 

Over the next few hours, fueled by alcohol, protein bars, and determination, Marquise was going to find out what Naya meant. He knew that whatever it was it couldn't have been good. He was nose deep in paperwork that he didn't hear Margo come in.

"Goodness! You've been at this for hours son." 

"I know but I can't stop."

"Have you eaten?" Margo asked.

Marquise gestures to the trash bin full of protein bar wrappers.

"That's not food Marquise," she said as she set a sandwich in front of him.

"Mom, I'm busy right now."

"I can tell. Now eat."

"I'm not about to argue with you."

Margo squared her shoulders.

"Very well Your Majesty. Have it your way."

Marquise knew that tone in her voice all too well. 

"I was sent here by Her Majesty to make sure that you had at least eaten since you've been here for hours. And to remind you that my granddaughter will be home in an hour and she will be expecting her father to greet her. I would hate for her to be disappointed." 

Marquise looked at the time on his Apple Watch and sighed.

"Alright. Alright. You win. I'll eat and then be there."

"See that you are."

Marquise shook his head as he watched Margo leave. While he didn't want to stop, Margo was right. He needed to eat. And the turkey club she brought him was starting to smell amazing and after one bite he realized how hungry he actually was. Once his sandwich was done he was out the door. 

After spending time with his family, Marquise was back at it. Searching for answers well into the night. It was 1 am and he was going through all the death warrants Constantine ever signed off on. He had just started going through them when Shanelle knocked on the door.

"You're still at it?" Shanelle asked.

"Yes. But I think I'm finally onto something," he replies as she sat down across from him.

"Is this everything?" she asked.

"No. Not even a ⅓ of it," he replied.

"What are you looking at?" she asked.

"Copies of every death warrant that my father ever signed," he replies.

"Why would you be looking at those?" 

"Because everything else that I've looked at has been a dead end."

"Want some help?" she asked. 

"You should be asleep," he replied.

"So should you. But since you're up I'm helping." 

"Fine. Start with the pile of folders to your left."

The two spent the next hour combing through death warrants dating back to when Connie first took the crown. 

"All these people..." Shanelle trailed off.

"Some of them were justified executions."

"Yeah. But look at all the ones he signed off on after your mother was killed. Most of these are for real petty reasons."

"I knew some of those people very well. They were good people. Most of these executions were of people who were friends of my mother."

Marquise just shook his head. 

"This was the demon I was never trying to face," he said quietly. 

Shanelle looked at her husband before gingerly taking his hands in hers.

"If this is bothering you, babe we can stop. I don't want you to torture yourself."

"I have to do this Shanelle. None of this makes any sense. I have to find out why. So if that means facing down the demon that Constantine Rys turned into then so be it." 

Shanelle nodded before going back to searching. She finally found something that startled her. 

"Marquise, take a look at this."

Marquise peered at the warrant in her hands. It was a signed death warrant for Tariq.

"Why the hell would he sign a death warrant for the Cordonian Ambassador to Ethiopia?" Shanelle asked.

Marquise took the warrant out of her hands.

"My guess is to get back at his cousin," Marquise replies.

"Huh?" Shanelle asked.

"Tariq's father Lord Gerard is my father's first cousin. His mother Estelle was my grandfather's sister." Marquise replies. 

"Whoa!"

"Estelle fell in love with a man named Claudio. She wanted to marry him but my grandfather forbade her from doing so." 

"Why?" she asked.

"Because he was from Rutherland. And at that time all members of the Royal Family were forbidden from marrying outside of other Cordonian Nobility," he replied.

"So it wasn't just you Rys men who married outsiders?" she asked. 

Marquise snorted.

"Yes. They eloped and when my grandfather found out he was ready to strip her of her title but then he found out she was pregnant with Lord Gerard. So he allowed his sister to keep her title but he banned her husband from Cordonia and forced her to raise Gerard on by herself." he replied. 

Shanelle winced.

"Harsh much?" 

Marquise nodded.

"I never said I agreed with it, my love."

"I know. But that doesn't explain why Connie would want Tariq dead."

Marquise sighed.

"Gerard and my father never really got along as children and their relationship all but soured after Sebastian died. My mother tried to mend fences between them and was making progress but when she was killed it all went to shit. And when Tariq came to court my father got his hooks in him. And was doing well or so I thought. You see Tariq was adopted as a baby from an orphanage in Ethiopia because his mother Hilda couldn't have children."

"Wow..."

"Tariq was a shrewd businessman but he was also anal about his station. He always believed in elevating his station. Once he began to get noticed on the court my father named him as the Ambassador to Ethiopia. He secured four military bases from the Ethiopian Government."

"I never knew that about him."

"I did. He never let anyone who knew him forget it." 

"This is all very informative but it still doesn't explain why Connie would kill him?" she asked.

Marquise looked down at the death warrant and his brow furrowed.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I don't know why my father signed this warrant but I know who to ask. Take a look at the additional signatures."

Shanelle looked at the additional signatures and gasped.

"No way."

"Yeah. Now it's way past your bedtime love. Let's get some sleep."

Shanelle nodded before getting up and walking out. 

Skipping a day the trial resumed. 

"Thank you, everyone. I apologize for delaying the trial for two days. Now I have four witnesses that I have questions for." Marquise said before nodding to the guards at the door. When the doors opened former Queen Regina was walked in as well as former Duke Of Karlington Godfrey Amaranth and the former Lord Barthelemy Beaumont and Bastien the former Head of the King's Guard.

"Why are they here?" Shanelle asked Marquise.

"You're about to find out," he replies.

Marquise cleared his throat before addressing the four individuals.

"Good morning to the four of you. I thank you all for coming today."

Regina scoffed.

"It's not like we had a choice not to come, Your Majesty. You summoned me and dragged them from their cells."

"Yea well, I couldn't expect the four of you to willingly show up so I did what I had to do as King. Now to the matter at hand. The four of you are here to clarify something for me."

"What is that?" Godfrey asked.

"I want each of you to take a look at this document," Marquise said as he handed it to an attendant who handed it to Regina.

"It's a signed death warrant," Regina said before passing the document to Bastien and the others. 

"Yes. It's a signed death warrant for one Tariq Sauvageon. My question to each of you is simple, why would my father issue a death warrant for someone so lucrative to Cordonia?" Marquise asked.

"Why would we help you?" Barthelemy asked. 

"You mean besides the fact that the four of you really have nothing better to do with your lives?" Marquise replied. 

"I have plenty to do with my life, thank you very much!" Regina snapped at Marquise. 

"Yes yes. Sitting on your ass twiddling your thumbs doing nothing while you live off the Monarchy's dime is very important work, Regina." Marquise said dismissively. 

Shanelle snorted. 

"I don't have to stand for this!" Regina seethed.

"You do and you will. Now answer the question." 

All remained quiet. 

"I'll kindly remind each of you that testing my patience is a mistake." Marquise warned. 

Barthelemy scoffed.

"Oh please! You don't scare me, Marquise. If you were even half the King your father was then I would be terrified. But you're not. You're weak, hollow, and sorry. As a matter of fact, I'll be so bold as to say you're still the same sad pathetic 11-year-old boy still pining after his dead no-good mother that you have always been. So you want my help, Your Majesty, here's my answer: no! Since you're the King, you can figure this out on your own." Barthelemy sneered. 

"Is that your final answer Barthelemy?" Marquise asked calmly.

"Yes!" Barthelemy answered defiantly.

Marquise steepled his fingers together and nodded.

"Very well. Have it your way, Barthelemy." 

Marquise nodded subtly to the guard standing behind Barthelemy, who produced a long knife. With deadly grace, precision, and efficiency, the guard slit Barthelemy's throat open from end to end while a horrified Shanelle and others looked on. Splattering his blood everywhere and ending his life. Shanelle thought she would be sick.

"Break now!" Shanelle hissed.

"Per Her Majesty's wishes, we will take a 2-hour break so this mess," Marquise said as he gestured to a now very dead Barthelemy, "can be cleaned up. Now, if the remaining three of you don't want to suffer the same fate as Lord Barthelemy, I suggest one of you starts talking when we return."

Shanelle couldn't run out of that room fast enough. She got halfway down the hall before Marquise caught up with her. 

"Will you slow down?" he asked.

That's when she stopped and rounded on him.

"No, I will not slow down! Need I remind you that YOU JUST KILLED A MAN IN FRONT OF ME AND MORE THAN A DOZEN PEOPLE?!" Shanelle exclaimed.

"Calm! Down! And let me explain. A.) I signed Barthelemy's death warrant months ago. Which means B.) All I did was expedite his execution."

Shanelle looked at Marquise like he had lost his mind. 

"Was that supposed to fucking make me feel better?! Because it doesn't!" she snapped at him, "I feel like I'm gonna be sick."

"Here come sit down."

He gingerly led her to a sitting room where he helped her sit down. Once she was seated she took deep calming breaths. And when she was calm enough to speak she let him have it.

"What in the entire hell were you thinking?!" she asked.

"Are you seriously upset that Barthelemy is dead?" he replies.

"No! As far as I'm concerned he earned his death. I'm upset you had to traumatize me, your VERY pregnant wife, and a room of people by killing him!"

Shanelle closed her eyes as a way to compose herself. She heard Marquise speak in French to an attendant and when she opened her eyes there was a cup of apple tea waiting for her. 

"For you My Queen." the attendant said as he offered her a cup of tea.

"Thank you," she replies before taking a sip, "be sure that Naya gets a cup of tea if you don't mind."

The attendant bowed.

"At once Your Majesty."

As the attendant left Giancarlo walked in.

"Well that's one way to get your point across Marquise," Giancarlo said sarcastically. 

Marquise rolled his eyes. 

"What in the hell was that?" Giancarlo asked.

"I already asked that question," Shanelle replies.

"Are you two done ganging up on me?" Marquise asked.

"Well actually cousin..." Giancarlo replies.

"NO!" Shanelle snapped at her husband.

Giancarlo snickered.

"Tell me how did you find that death warrant and why is it so important?" Giancarlo asked. 

"I didn't find it, she did. And it's important because I need to know why your uncle issued it."

Giancarlo nodded.

"And you think one of the four you summoned knows the answer?" Giancarlo asked.

"I know one of them does. They just needed to be reminded of what happens when someone decides to openly defy me." Marquise replies.

"In my defense, your wife and I openly defy you all the time. Are you saying we deserve death?" Giancarlo asks.

Marquise snorts.

"Now that you mentioned it..." Marquise replied.

Shanelle gave her husband a death stare and he backed down. 

"I'm so glad she's on my side," Giancarlo said.

"Yeah yeah."

"For now I have to go prepare for questions and look into this death warrant more," Giancarlo said before taking his leave. 

Marquise turned his attention back to his slightly less agitated wife.

"Still mad at me?" he asked.

"Yup, but I guess I can see why you would kill him. I just wish you hadn't done it in front of me."

"I'm sorry."

"Are you?" she asked.

"I honest to God didn't think you'd be so upset. And when you ran out the way you did I knew I had fucked up." he replies.

Shanelle shook her head.

"Sadly I believe you."

"How is your tea?" he asked. 

"It's good. I can see why your mother swore by it when she was pregnant. Speaking of which I hope you won't let what Barthelemy said in his final minutes get to you."

"Never. I'm not that little boy anymore."

"You never were that little boy."

"Sometimes it feels like I am."

"Well, I say you're not. And what I say goes,  I am the Queen."

Marquise smiled at his bride. He was thankful she wasn't too mad at him. Once the two hours were up they returned to the courtroom and the trial resumed. Marquise cleared his throat before speaking.

"Thank you, everyone, for returning so we could resume this trial. And let me apologize for the sudden yet valid execution of Lord Barthelemy. Now to the three individuals in front of me, I do hope you took the time to consider how you will act for the remainder of the trial and what answers you will have."

All three stood still as they looked at Marquise.

"Now I believe Carlo has a few questions for the three of you." 

All eyes went to Giancarlo as he stood up.

"My first question is for Princess Naya actually. Princess, did you know about this death warrant?" Giancarlo asked. 

"And if I may, before you answer, do keep in mind that lying is always the wrong answer." Marquise quipped.

Naya nodded and then swallowed. 

"Yes, I knew about it. I found out about it after it was signed." Naya replies.

"And how did you find out?" Giancarlo asked.

"I attended a charity gala where Queen Regina informed me of the warrant," Naya replies. 

Giancarlo nodded. 

"Now for Queen Regina. You were King Constantine's closest confidant. So I'm sure you can answer this question better than anyone, why would King Constantine sign a death warrant for Tariq?" Giancarlo asked.

Regina looked at him before looking at Shanelle and Marquise who tapped the face of his watch.

"A week after the Princess came to us asking for a divorce, my husband had an audience with Lord Gerard, Tariq's father, about him not paying his Duchy's taxes. Constantine told him that he had an outstanding tax balance that had to be paid before it became a permanent debt to the Monarchy. Rather than agree to pay the taxes, Lord Gerard just laughed in my husband's face and said he would not be paying anything more to a selfish self-centered King. Cousin or not. So Constantine decided to teach Lord Gerard a lesson for disrespecting his King." Regina replies.

"And that's when he issued the death warrant for Tariq?" Giancarlo asked.

"Yes," Regina replies.

Giancarlo nodded.

"Duke Godfrey, as his third in command, can you confirm this?" Giancarlo asked.

"Yes. I can confirm this." Godfrey replies.

Shanelle shook her head. 

"Petty," she whispered.

"How did Princess Naya get the Cantarella?" Giancarlo asked. 

All three went quiet before Bastien awkwardly cleared his throat. 

"In 2011 while renovations were being done to the palace grounds, a secret compartment was found in a wall. In that compartment was the sample of Cantrella that Fabian had hidden. His former Majesty had it tested and when it was confirmed to be the same sample, he had a lab begin to quietly produce more of it. No one but myself, Queen Regina, Duke Godfrey, and Lord Barthelemy knew King Constantine had the poison produced. He only used it on those he sentenced to death." Bastien replies. 

Giancarlo nodded.

"And how is it administered?" Giancarlo asked.

"I can answer that," Marquise replies.

"You can?" Shanelle replies.

"Yes. Cantarella is given in six doses. Three small and three large. The three small doses are given to slowly build up the poison in the bloodstream. And as for three larger doses, two of them maintain the poison, and the final dose is the lethal one." Marquise explained. 

Bastien nodded. 

"Yes sir. And those were the instructions that I gave Princess Naya when I delivered the Cantarella to her." 

"So to get back at Lord Gerard he decided to kill his only son?" Giancarlo asked.

"Yes. He literally killed two birds with one stone. He got his revenge on Gerard and Princess Naya got out of her marriage." Regina replies.

"One more question then I will be through. Can either one of you tell me when this death warrant was signed?" Giancarlo asked.

"July 21st, 2015," Regina replied.

"Why does that date sound so familiar?" Shanelle asked.

"Because that was two days before you and I took control of the kingdom," Marquise replies.

"Yes, it was. Your father signed that warrant as an act of defiance to the new King and his wife." Regina quipped.

Marquise got a look on his face. 

"What is it?" Shanelle asked.

"Regina, I need you to clarify something for me. A death warrant would only be valid as long as your husband was alive, yes?" Marquise replies.

"Yes, that's right. As long as my husband was alive, the death warrant was active." Regina replied.

Marquise nodded before turning his attention to Naya.

"Naya, when did your husband die?" Marquise asked.

Naya went pale.

"Princess..." Marquise warned.

"September 12th, 2021" Naya replied.

"That's six years after the warrant was originally signed." Shanelle piped up. 

"And the former King died August 14th, 2016." Marquise added. 

"This means the death warrant was no longer valid when Tariq died." Shanelle said.

Marquise nodded. 

"Which means Princess Naya killed an innocent man." Giancarlo piped up.

"Indeed."

"My King. I believe I will now rest my case." Giancarlo announced.

"Very well. Now the defense may begin its case." Marquise announced. 

Shanelle snickered.

"Lady Hellstrom doesn't have a case. You do know that right?" Shanelle whispered to her husband.

"Still have to let her present one even if it is weak and nonexistent," Marquise replies.

It took Lady Hellstrom two days to present her case before she rested and Marquise ended the trial.

"Now that the trial has come to an end, it is time for members of the Parliament to vote. Now be sure to be sure to keep in mind all of the witness testimony and evidence that has been presented. A vote of majority must be reached either to convict or acquit. You may now convene to vote on the matter." Marquise instructed.

It took the Parliament a day to reach a vote.

"Has a vote been reached?" Marquise asked.

"Yes, my King. A vote has been reached," Bertrand replied.

"What say the Parliament, Duke Ramsford?" Marquise asked.

"The Parliament has voted 11-9...to convict Princess Naya Laurent-Sauvageon-Miller of murdering her former husband."

Marquise looked at Naya to see the color in her face drain out.

"The Parliament has voted on the matter. So shall it be. In addition to the verdict, Naya you hereby have been stripped of your titles and lands."

That's when Naya broke and became hysterical.

"No! Please! I didn't mean it! Please don't do this! I don't deserve this!" Naya cried. 

"Guards! Take her away." Marquise commanded.

Everyone watched as a screaming and crying Naya was taken out of the courtroom before Marquise turned to the Parliament. 

"On behalf of your kingdom, I thank you all for your service. Go and be well." Marquise said.

A few weeks later, His Majesty was in his office sitting in front of the fireplace, having just nursed a glass of bourbon. When there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," he said to the door.

Guards entered leading Naya who was in chains. When Marquise looked at her he could tell she had been crying. 

"Those won't be necessary," Marquise said gesturing to the chains she was in.

Once the chains were removed, the guards left the room.

"Sit," he said to her sternly.

As Naya sat down, Marquise poured himself another drink.

"I'd offer you a drink but given your current situation," Marquise said, gesturing to her growing belly, "it's for the best I'm sure."

"Why am I here?" Naya asked.

"You're here because I have a proposition for you," Marquise replies before taking a sip of his drink.

"What proposition?" she asked.

"The same one my father offered your mother before she died," Marquise replies. 

Naya looked at him confused. 

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Did you know your mother was sleeping with my father?" he replies. 

"What?! That's not true! My mother would never!" 

"Oh, but she did."

"You have no proof!" Naya sneered. 

"That's where you're wrong love. You see I had a conversation with your father after I found a contract my father had drawn up between him and your mother and Elgin confirmed to me that your mother was indeed sleeping with her King."

Naya looked at him in disbelief.

"No. That's not true. She loved my father."

"You're right. She did. According to your father, your mother thought sleeping with my father would get him to forgive your family's debt. And it might've worked if she had signed the agreement my father had drawn up."

"What agreement?" she asked.

"As I said, your mother and my father shared many a night in bed together. This went on for months from what I know. So much so that my father had this agreement drawn up." Marquise said as he produced the document, "I'll spare myself the gory details and just give you a summary. Basically, this is an agreement for your mother to become the property of the Monarchy."

"What does that even mean?" she asked.

"It meant that your mother was to be the King's whore. She was to be at his beck and call at all times. Sometimes for days and weeks if my father so chose. And she was to be available to whoever he decided to pass her off to." Marquise replies.

"You're lying Marquise!" 

Marquise took a sip of his drink before showing her the document.

"See for yourself."

Naya read the contract with a look of sheer horror on her face. 

"My God." 

"Unfortunately your mother's refusal led to my father sending these to yours."

Marquise handed her photos of her mother and Connie in bed together. Looking at them made her sick. 

"Do you believe me now?" Marquise asked.

"Mother, why would you?" Naya replied in shock.

"For the love of her family apparently. According to your father, it's what they were arguing about the night she died."

"That's why she stormed out of our home drunk. She was humiliated by your father."

Marquise shrugged.

"Why would you show me all of this?" she asked.

“As I said, I’m prepared to make you a deal,” he replies.

“What deal?” she asked. 

“The deal where you are to be exiled forever,” he replies.

“Why the hell would I ever agree to something like that?” she asked in a disgusted tone.

Marquise cocked an eyebrow at her before showing her the death warrant with her name on it.

“Because it beats the alternative. All this death warrant needs is my seal and signature and you and your unborn child are as good as dead,” he replies. 

Naya stared at the death warrant with tears of fear in her eyes.

“No Marquise. No. You can't.”

“King. So yes I can and I will. Unless you take the deal that I’m offering you.”

“What about my father?” Naya asked.

“He will continue to receive his medical care and his monthly stipend,” he replies.

“What about Edwin?” she asked.

Marquise scoffed. 

“He's furious with you. Because not only did you expose him but, you cost him his brand-new title as the Head Of State Of Comery Isle. At the same time, he has his own shit to deal with. His mother has all but disowned him and his father and his sister is out for blood.” Marquise replies.

“You stripped him of his title?” she asked.

“No. Your scandal forced him out. New elections will begin in November after my sons are born.” he replies.

“And what about our marriage?” she asked.

“Annulled,” he replies.

“What of my family’s debt?” she asked.

He shrugged.

“This will be how you pay it off,” he replies.

Naya took a shaky breath.

“I'll do anything to stay alive but how is this beneficial to me?” she asks.

“This is beneficial to you because I find myself in a position where you are of more use to me alive than you are dead. You made the conscious decision to kill a man. That can't be overlooked. Your murder conviction is the consequence of your own action. I am giving you a chance to live and eventually raise your child as you see fit.” he replies.

“By forcing me into exile?” she asks.

He shrugged.

“Maybe if you hadn't killed Tariq we wouldn't even have to be having this conversation,” he replies.

“You're blackmailing me into exile!”

He gave an almost bored look. 

“As I said, beats the alternative.”

“What the hell has happened to you? You used to have compassion. Morals. Principles. But this? This isn't you. This isn't who you are. This is who your father was.”

Marquise’s face contorted into an ugly sneer.

“You know what I’m done being nice. You have a choice to make Naya. You can either take the deal I offered you or I can make the decision for you, and you and your unborn child die. You have 30 seconds. Tick tock!” he sneered. 

Naya stared at him before finally relenting.

“Okay. Okay. I'll take the deal.” 

“Smart girl.”

Marquise handed her the contract he had drawn up as well as a pen.

“Sign. Now,” he instructed. 

Just as Naya went to sign she noticed an extra signature on the contract. 

“Your wife knows about this?!”

“Yes, she does. It was her idea after reading the original contract. That's why her signature is on this one. Now sign!”

With a shaking hand, Naya signed the contract on the dotted line. She handed it back to Marquise where he signed and sealed it. 

“As of this moment, you are now the property of the Monarchy, you will spend the rest of your life in exile and service. If you ever defy me at any point, you will be executed without question. Is that clear?” he asked.

“Yes. I understand,” she replied.

“Good girl.”

“What about my child? What will happen to them?” she asks.

“You both will live in obscurity. You will not have contact with anyone here in Cordonia. Not your father. Not the press. Not even Edwin. No one is to ever know that you and your baby are alive outside of me and my wife. How you raise that child is up to you. Also, a guard will be present at all times.” he replies.

“When does my servitude start?” she asks.

“It started the moment you signed the contract but I'll be generous and let it start after you give birth,” he replies.

Naya nodded.

“So what happens now?” she asks.

“Guard!” Marquise called out.

The guards reentered the room.

“Take her to the safehouse in Applewood. Make sure she and her baby are as comfortable as possible.” he ordered.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” a guard replies.

Marquise looked at Naya. 

“I have an audience in Applewood in three days. You will be ready to leave when I get there. Understood?” he asks.

“Yes,” she replies.

“Yes?” he asks.

“Yes, my King. I will be ready,” she replies.

“Good.”

He nodded to the guards who led Naya out of his office. Once she was gone, Marquise shook his head and finished his drink before leaving his office. 

[hellyeahheroes]

Black History Month Character of the Day: Shuri

The idea for T’Challa, king of Wakanda and Black Panther, to have a sister supposedly first appeared in an elseworld series Marvel Mangaverse with character T’Channa. It was...weird. Mangaverse as a whole was weird. Also, the writer is an asshole.

Anyway, first proper appearance of Shuri in main Marvel Universe would be in Reginald Hudlin’s Black Panther #2-6 and she would then appear across the series on and off - issues #10, #18-20, #26-27 and #35-41. In the next series, she would become the main character, having to replace T’Challa as the Black Panther due to injuries he suffered in a battle with Doctor Doom. The series would get a follow-up in a miniseries Doomwar, where Latveria invades Wakanda, and the epilogue to that would be a miniseries Klaws of the Panther.

Then comes stupid Avengers story where Thanos conquers Wakanda and Shuri was killed off-fucking-panel because Jonathan Hickman felt it’s more important to show a bunch of white guys talking his “big important science-fiction terms” or have Avengers punch one another instead. Fuck this story.

Thankfully she would be brought back to life in the next Black Panther series by Ta-Nehisi Coates, where she would play an important role and getting a new set of powers, becoming a sort of mystical living history of Wakanda.

In 2018 Shuri would become a fan-favorite in box-office annihilator, MCU’s Black Panther and later have small roles in Avengers Infinity War and Avengers Endgame. The take on the character, making her a snarky, pop-culture savvy 16-years old tech genius, was widely popular and Marvel was inclined to make comics Shuri more like her big-screen counterpart. Science-fiction writer Nnedi Okorafor (who, btw, had a great speech about Afrofuturism on TED Talks, here is a link) took on the task in Shuri’s first solo series. She decided to take various interpretations of the character - movie’s young genius, Coates’ spiritualist and Hudlin’s younger sibling always in T’Challa’s shadow - and mold them all into one well-rounded character, showing these traits can exist in a single young woman and instead of contradicting each other, make her more multidimensional. The book sold well enough to continue but not well enough for Marvel to feel like investing in writers for filler arcs when Okorafor informed them, well in advance, her conflicting schedules meant she couldn’t deliver the next script on time. The series was canceled at issue #10 but Shuri would show in Ironheart #9-12, teaming-up with Riri Williams, while the two’s personalities kept clashing. Shuri would return in the current Black Panther series from issue #14 onwards.

Shuri also plays a supporting role of varying importance in multiple Black Panther miniseries, including Black Panther vs Deadpool, Rise of the Black Panther, Black Panther: Long Live the King #3-4, Black Panther: Wolrd of Wakanda #1-4 and out-of-continuity Marvel Action: Black Panther.

Shuri is also in animation, including Black Panther animated series, the fifth season of Avengers Assemble and Marvel Rising special Operation Shuri.

- Admin

[draco9236]

I was tagged by @joi-in-the-tardis - Thank you!!!

Relationships: nothing romantic, but, I have a great group of friends both close by and online!

Break Ups: Nope... no relationship ever - yes, I’m that pathetic

Kids: Don’t feel the urge

Brothers and sisters: 1 bother, 3 years older than me

Pets: just got a cute Maine Coon kitten three weeks ago. Her name is Raffi

Surgeries: just once to straighten up my inner nose wall (no, that is no plastic surgery, this made me no more attractive, just able to breathe)

Tattoos: 2 Dragons. One on my inner forearm one on my inner lower leg. I designed both myself, because I could never find one online that was just right (means I could’t decide, which is SO me)

Countries you’ve been to: Germany (well, duh... I live here), France, Spain, the UK, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Croatia, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Finnland, Czech Republik, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Bosnia, Hungary and the USA. Don’t know, if I forgot some...

Been in an airplane: Yes, I LOVE flying!

Been in an ambulance:  Yes, when I was about 4, I was brought to hospital in suspicion of Meningits

Sing karaoke: I’ve been to a karaoke bar once. I love to sing, though I don’t know, if I am any good at it. I’d still be game any time.

Ice skating: It’s been a while, but I like it!

Been on a cruise: 4 times. I like to wake up in a new place each morning and getting a short impression of the place. Too many days on sea only are boring though, because I like to do and see stuff in my holidays. I am not the sitting around at the pool type.

Driven a motorcycle: No, seeing all these potential organ donors, doesn’t tempt me at all

Ridden a horse: Yes. I took lessons when I was in my teens. I never rode alone though, always on a leash (or whatever it’s called)

Stayed in hospital: Yes, I stayed a while for the possible Meningitis, a few for the nose surgery and one night for another small surgery thingy I rather not talk about.

Favourite fruit or berries: I love all kind of berries, apples, honey melons (no water melons though), oranges, cherries and grapes.

Favourite colours: dark red, dark blue and black (I know, that is not considered a color - sue me)

Last text: discussing the pro’s and con’s of ps4 against xbox with a friend who contemplaits getting one for a bluray player and one to my mom discussing different cat food for my picky baby. I spare you some quotes, lol.

Coffee or tea: tea! I like the smell, but not the taste of coffee

Favourite pie: bownies!!! (or anythig with pudding and streusel, but chocolate is my favourite)

Favourite pizza: Hawaii (ooh, the coming outrage!) but I also like classic pepperoni (salami?) 

Cat or dog: I like both, though I always considered myself a dog person. But I don’t have time for a dog and so I am a new kitten mom... I would’t trade her for the world.

Favourite time of the year: Autumn, when the world turns full of color.

Met a star: Yes!  In the past few years I’ve met: from Doctor Who: David Tennant and Billie Piper, From Lucifer: Tom Ellis, Kevin Alejandro, Racheal Harris, Lesley-Ann Brandt and D.B. Woodside, From Star Trek: TOS: William Shatner, Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig, George Takei. TNG: Sir Patrick Stewart, LeVar Burton, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner. DS9: Alexander Siddig, Nana Visitor, Terry Farrell, Nicole DeBoer, Rene Auberjonois, John German Hertzler. Enterprise: Dominic Keating and Connor Trinneer. Discovery: Jason Isaacs, Anthony Rapp, Wilson Cruz, Mary Wiseman, Shazad Latif, Marie Chieffo, Kenneth Mitchell, Anson Mount and Ethan Peck. Picard: Michelle Hurd, Isa Briones, Jeri Ryan and Jonathan Del Arco. TVD: Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, Candice King, Michael Trevino and Daniel Gillies. SoA: Ron Perlman, Mark Boone Junior, Kim Coates, Tommy Flanagan, Theo Rossi and Ryan Hurst. TWD: Melissa McBride, David Morrissey, Ross Marquand, Steven Yeun, Emily Kinney. Various genres: Mitch Pileggi, Nicholas Lea, Mark Dacascos, Richard Dean Anderson, Finn Jones, Wai Ching Ho GoT: Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Jack Gleeson, Iain Glen, Jerome Flynn and Iwan Rheon. Musical: Alexander Klaws and Willemijn Verkaik

Wow, that list got quite out of hand!

Flown a helicopter: No, but I want to!

Been on TV: Don’t think so...

Broken my leg: No, only a toe... I always wanted a cast though! *pouts*

Seen a ghost: Nah.  A friend of mine believes to have a house ghost though and her stories are creepy

Been sick in a taxi: Nope, never...

Seen someone die: No.  I’ve had loved ones decline and die, but I was not there at the end.

——-

Tags: I don’t know... I would tag everyone, but I always feel annoying. Just do this, if you want to and please feel free to tag me, so I see it!

[lizzybeth1986]

So while I'm still working on my Day 3 entry for KLAW (I'm just going to call it "The Bread Fic" for now), I thought I'd introduce 2 OCs that I've created specifically for this fic.

It's a mini fic in the "Eleanor's Kitchen" series, that follows Liam and his mum and their friends through many culinary adventures!!

The mini-fic (which I'm still writing haha) will focus on Liam's bond with the two head palace chefs, Chef Anais Martí and Pastry Chef Hitoshi Luno. I hope to get that fic out soon but in the meantime, here are some HCs!!

Chef Anais Martí

(FC: Concha Buika)

• Head Chef of the Royal Palace of Cordonia

• Runs her kitchen like a well-oiled machine

• I mean seriously, kings and queens may come and go in the throne room, but the Palace Kitchens are her kingdom and she will never let you forget that!! Especially if you're royalty!

• She hails from Emeric, a county in the Foundries that houses a substantial Catalan-Spanish population who migrated there in the 1700s. It is said that the Foundaries overall are the one place in Cordonia that have mastered molecular gastronomy, but Emeric has chefs that do both that and some rustic homestyle cooking too.

• Anais is very good at molecular gastronomy. She just won't do it.

• A lot of her signature dishes have an Afro-Catalan influence.

• She worked as a line cook in one of the Capitol's premier restaurants when she was very young, and worked her way up. Word of her incredible chef skills and versatility made her a favourite choice to head the palace kitchens when the former Head Chef had to retire. Prince Constantine was in his late teens then.

• She has very few memories of Queen Agnes, Leo's mother, because she seemed uncomfortable with anyone in the palace in the brief time she was there. Queen Eleanor and Queen Regina are perfect contrasts to that in different ways - Eleanor was very involved and would chat often with Anais - in fact the suggestion for a private kitchen came from Anais because honestly - she could see the passion in Eleanor for cooking and released she needed her own space. Queen Regina she values because she gets involved the way you would expect a queen to be involved, and also trusts Anais' judgement.

• Undoubtedly she has the softest soft spot for Prince Liam, since the moment he stole a slice of wedding cake to give to his brother during a punishment.

Pastry Chef Hitoshi Luno

• Compared to Anais, Hitoshi is a more recent addition to the Palace Kitchens.

• He hails from the Fire Tribes. They have a strong connection to different cultures - Japanese, Romani and at a later stage, Ethiopian. The first and the last also have connections to volcanoes which helped them assimilate into the Fire Tribes better.

• An ancestor of his IS Anton Luno.

• And like this ancestor - he is dumbfounded by the greasiness of some of the food from the Capitol, but has to admit it is addictive.

• His Japanese origins do show a lot in his baking!

• No one crazier for red bean paste in Cordonia than Hitoshi Luno! Surprisingly, his preparations have gotten Constantine to love it and to demand delicacies made from it every day.

• The Fire Tribes were well known for their hunting and cooking with game meat. But there is a section of people who have developed cuisines and culinary knowledge from the people who have migrated there in the latter centuries. Ethiopian honey wine, for instance, took a while to gain any popularity in the province because the inhabitants deemed it too sweet, but they grew to love it. Hitoshi's mother brews some every Christmas.

• When he found out about Lady Hana's love for tea - and knowing she was just (symbolically) disowned from her home - he sent across a sumptuous green tea and honey ice cream "with compliments from the chef". He knows via secondhand information that the teas she has tried are mostly Chinese, but she did like some of the matcha themed stuff the kitchen put out!

• Anais mothered him literally from the minute they were introduced, and it has stayed that way ever since. Hitoshi has caught himself complaining "Maaa! Not in front of the staff!!" several times.