#Liam x riley

[kristinamae093]

Ghosted

Ghosted — Betrayal (Chapter Twelve)

Series Summary - Prince Liam fell for Riley Brooks hard and fast. A marriage filled with love and devotion was within his reach, but everything changed when she vanished just before the end of the social season. As everyone voices their concerns regarding her scandalous departure, a confession from an unlikely source turns Liam's world upside down and makes him question everything around him.

Book/Pairing - TRR - Liam x f!MC (Riley Brooks)

A/N 1 - This AU starts right before the beginning of the engagement tour. There is a two-month lapse between the coronation and where we pick up, but we will stray from canon. Please excuse any errors found. Not beta'd.

Characters belong to Pixelberry.

Tags - @choicesficwriterscreations

It's another long one 😬👉👈🥹. Oops.

Liam and Drake closely followed as the guards led Bastien into the depths of the Portavirian estate. The halls remained eerily quiet as the nobility slept; not a soul to be found other than those involved with Penelope’s homicide investigation. Neither male spoke a word, but both reeled in this blindsiding revelation.

The betrayal Liam felt was like no other. Bastien was like a father to him, always around when he needed someone, but now he wondered if he ever knew him. Bastien saw him at his lowest and protected him at all costs, but somewhere along the way he changed; he couldn’t determine when that shift happened or if his guard was that good of a deceiver from the start, and felt like a fool for not seeing his insubordination sooner. It didn’t matter what he said, nor how much he pleaded; Liam already knew he was guilty, but didn’t know the extent of his involvement.

So many unanswered questions ran rampant through his mind, but ultimately the one he cared about was, where is Riley? The scandal was no longer relevant; all that mattered was finding her and ensuring she was safe. Justice would be served to all who deserved it later but right now, she was the top priority. That wasn’t a new revelation, but the urgency suddenly skyrocketed.

Liam did his best to stay afloat, but couldn’t stop his mind from wandering. If Riley was still in the country, what did that mean? Was she being held hostage somewhere? Would a ransom note appear at some point? Is she even alive? The continuous spiral intensified and formed a vortex of frustration and confusion, enveloping him from the inside out. He wanted to scream and cry to the heavens, anything to relieve some of the never-ending tension slowly constricting his muscles. Every second that passed without knowing she was safe, he grew weaker, feeling control slip right through his fingertips. The never-ending vat of unanswered questions took their physical and mental toll on Liam as a monarch and man alike.

However, every ounce of strength that remained pushed him forward. The adrenaline coursing through his veins mindlessly carried him, as he and Drake walked in deafening silence.

They continued until they entered a dark room with a table and two chairs. The guards sat Bastien down on one side and secured shackles in place over his wrists, much to his displeasure. Liam took the seat that mirrored his, shooing the bystanders out as he did. Drake lingered close by, reeling in his feelings of hurt, betrayal, and anger. Bastien quieted, but his entire body went rigid after his former subordinates exited the room. Liam placed his hands on the table and stared at them for a long while, trying to slow the wild rush inside his mind.

He finally raised his head and spoke to Bastien in the flattest, calmest tone he could muster. “Do you know why you’re here?”

“I don’t, sir.”

“First, let’s talk about Penelope. You and I both know she did not take her own life, so I’m curious to know how you came to that conclusion.”

Bastien furrowed his brow. “Not to be forward, but she was literally hanging from the ceiling… We found a note in her room, and she had every reason to want to do it — considering she was about to be arrested.”

“Right… Speaking of that… I want to see that report again.”

“Pardon?”

“The report — the one that says Penelope’s DNA was all over the murder weapon because honestly, I think you’re full of shit.” Liam hissed.

“I most certainly am not, sir. The documents are in the security office. If you remove these cuffs, I will gladly retrieve them.” Bastien confidently responded.

“That won’t be necessary.” Liam knew if he told the truth, Olivia would find them and if she didn’t, Bastien just caught himself in another lie. “Now, the next order of business — where were you the night of the jamboree? I don’t remember seeing you at all.”

Bastien stiffened. “I was doing security checks around the estate—”

“If you were doing security checks, how’d a rogue photographer make it in?” Drake interjected.

Bastien swallowed thickly, his gulp echoing in the silence. “... What?”

“You heard what he said — answer the damn question.” Liam snapped.

“She must have—”

“She?” Liam interrupted with a chortle. “That’s funny — because I never mentioned gender. Do you know something that I don’t?”

“I only took a guess — there was a fifty percent chance I would be correct.” Bastien calmly, yet firmly, answered with a dismissive shrug. “I’m not precisely sure how they breached the perimeter, but we’ve been working to strengthen our units ever since.”

“Right…” Liam nodded and forcefully clenched his jaw. It took every ounce of his restraint not to reach across the table and wrap his hands around Bastien’s throat because he couldn’t trust a single word coming out of his mouth.

Drake spoke again before Liam could act on his intrusive thoughts. “What about the Apple Banquet? Where were you then?”

“I was with His Majesty while he spoke to the Beaumonts. Someone alerted me to the body, and I immediately sprung into the proper protocol.”

“No, not when the maid was found — earlier. Where were you before that?” Liam demanded.

Bastien hesitated, but quickly fixed his features. “I was addressing an issue regarding Countess Madeleine’s security arrangements. Her old guard needed to take personal leave, so I had to find a suitable replacement.”

“... And she will vouch for you?”

“Yes, sir.”

Liam’s frustration skyrocketed, as he didn’t know how to take that statement. The number of people he could trust seemed to only shorten by the day, yet Madeleine was never present, nor even an honorable mention on that list; the time to trust her word was not amid this chaos.

“Okay, then—” Liam started again, his agitation noticeably rising. “Do you know where Riley is?”

“I don’t, sir. All I know is she returned to New York, and—”

“How did you come to that conclusion, exactly? Because I’ve done some digging and found nothing to point to that. There are no traces of her after she left the jamboree whatsoever, Bastien; not flights, not vehicles — nothing.”

Bastien shifted in his seat. “My information led me to that conclusion, Your Majesty.”

“Well, your information was wrong, and I can’t help but feel you knew that all along, didn’t you?”

“I’m not sure what you’re insinuating, but—”

“You knew she didn’t return to New York because you took her away, right? Is that how she made it out undetected? Or are you the one who assaulted her?” Liam thought back to his out-of-body experience and remembered the shadow lingering in front of her door. “Or did you stand guard while it happened? Is that it?”

“I did no such thing.” Bastien hastily replied, but cleared his throat and added, “What would I gain from any of this? Why would I give a damn who you choose?”

“That’s kind of what I’m wondering.” Drake inserted with a skeptical eye. “Look, Bas — I don’t want to believe you had a hand in all this, but it’s not looking good, man.”

“What doesn’t look good?” Bastien returned. “All I’ve done is look for her! I’ve been trying to help you!”

“Bullshit,” Liam seethed. “You know something and I demand you tell me — right now.”

“I know nothing, sir. I’ve kept you updated on every piece of information uncovered.”

“You need to understand something —” Liam's breaths turned heavy and his face flushed every shade of crimson. “I am not fucking around. This is your final opportunity — if you know something and do not tell me, I will serve your head on a silver fucking platter at the next state function. Is that clear enough for you?” He rumbled through clenched teeth. The hand he raised to point at Bastien visibly trembled, as the dam broke and rage flowed freely through his body.

Bastien’s eyes widened, and he visibly swallowed. He quickly composed himself and softly answered, “I understand the circumstances have been — tense — for everyone involved. You’ve had a rough couple of weeks, and —”

Liam slammed his fist onto the table and shot up from his seat. “Do NOT fucking patronize me!” He bellowed.

The door suddenly swung open and Olivia marched inside. In her hands, she carried a folder along with a few smaller items, but her facial expression was the picture-perfect image of unrestrained fury. “You have a lot of explaining to do.” She rumbled as she bore her eyes into Bastien.

Never could she have imagined the man sitting before her would betray them in such a way, but now they had proof; undeniable, unavoidable, but yet — incredibly unsettling evidence.

Bastien audibly gulped as he recognized the documents and all traces of pigment in his complexion vanished. With so much going on, he didn’t have the chance to dispose of everything properly. Liam and his group of friends moved faster than anticipated, and with their unexpected changes to the tour, he fell behind. The important information was extracted long ago, but what remained was still very incriminating — for Bastien.

Powerful forces expected him to pull off the impossible, but he was only one person — how was he supposed to fend off four people, plus a hired professional? Multiple ends that should’ve received immediate attention didn’t. Penelope ranked fairly high on that list, but his concerns got cast aside. His instructions were to deflect, deter, and stay silent regarding the madness; trust the process and your reward will be bountiful, they would say. Regardless, he didn’t want to aid in this crazy scheme, but had no choice — they knew information about his past nobody should have uncovered, so he found himself backed into a corner.

But as Bastien stared at the evidence of his transgressions, he realized silence would no longer be an option. He knew one way or another at that moment he was as good as dead; the question was would it be at the hands of his seething monarch, the man he practically raised, or the people who made his life a living hell to begin with?

Olivia rifled through the things on the table until she found what she searched for. “Remember when Bastien told you he disposed of Riley’s phone and her note?” She held both items up to show everyone along with her letter, noting how the guard immediately tucked his chin into his chest. “The penmanship matches mine, meaning it’s the same as Penelope’s.”

Liam forcefully clenched his jaw. “You lied to me?”

“That’s not all,” Olivia continued. “Bastien told us Penelope is the one who killed the maid, but that’s not true. Sure, the gum was hers — hair too — but the funny thing is that as it turns out, there are two sets of results on that knife.”

“There’s not—”

Olivia cackled, cutting Bastien off. “Don’t even try to lie. I’m holding what appears to be the real results in my hands. What kind of moron keeps the original if he’s planning on cloning it to frame someone else? Fucking nitwit.” She shook her head, distaste lacing her words. “Of course, we’ll have these confirmed for legitimacy, but considering who this one lists as the culprit, I can see why you’d want to cover this up.”

Liam snatched the documents from her and scanned them. His eyes widened as he went through the text, his jaw falling further and further the longer he read. Penelope's fingerprints were on the murder weapon, but unlike the last report he saw, this one went more in-depth. Her DNA might've been on the knife, but only one or two barely distinguishable smears on the blade itself belonged to her. However, the lab noted prominent traces from someone else located everywhere, but mostly on the handle, indicating that their person of interest should be whoever the second set of prints belonged to.

But Liam never received this report, and when he read who the database found as the owner of that second set of prints, he realized why he wasn’t shown.

“It was you…” Liam gasped, finally tearing his attention off the file to center his glare on Bastien. “Why?”

Bastien remained silent. He kept his gaze locked on the table, but the sweat forming on his brow wasn’t unnoticed.

“We know why, Liam. He was trying to shut her up because she spoke with us. And that’s why he offed Penelope too — right, Bastien?” Olivia answered. “Dispose of the loose ends before they can out you?”

“I did not harm Lady Penelope in any way,” Bastien stated with utmost determination, looking directly into Olivia’s steely eyes as he did.

“But you know who did, and you were working to bury that too, correct?” She quickly retorted, arching her brow.

Bastien clenched his jaw and looked away, refusing to speak, but he didn’t need to — Olivia knew she was right.

“You can deny those accusations all you want, but the next ones will be fairly difficult to talk yourself out of,” Olivia snapped as she produced another file and showed it to everyone.

“Operation Ghost?” That title caught Liam’s attention, and his mouth fell agape when he read it. He flipped through the papers inside and realized this was a meticulously planned mission, not a coincidence. While he spiraled deeper into the abyss, further away from reality, intentional carnage ran rampant within his court, and it was all a part of the elaborate plan from the beginning.

Someone plotted to hurt Riley and take her away from him, and that thought momentarily left him breathless.

“Apparently so,” Olivia answered, remorse cracking through her stony features upon seeing Liam’s broken shock. She’d already searched the file and knew what lay ahead, but didn’t know how he would react; it wouldn’t be good regardless. “Someone altered or destroyed most of this —” She paused to throw a death glare at Bastien. “But… There’s something else…”

“What is it?” Drake inquired as he and Liam took in her hesitancy, causing the hair on the nape of their necks to stand at attention.

With a heavy sigh, Olivia opened an envelope and produced a few smaller documents. She slammed them down on the table one at a time, directly in Bastien’s downward cast line of vision. “Here’s Riley’s ID, her passport, and even her goddamn credit cards. Now tell me, Bastien — how did you think she got to New York without those?”

Liam snapped his head over to her. “What?!” He snatched the items off the table and stared at the photo on Riley’s passport in his trembling hands, his heart rate taking flight.

His worst fears suddenly became reality, because he knew it would’ve been impossible for her to get out of the country without identification. This confirmed that Ray was right; she never left Cordonia. Of everything he suspected of Bastien, the things he knew and worked to cover up completely blindsided Liam. It hurt him in a way he didn’t know was possible, to be betrayed by someone he put every single ounce of his trust in.

Plus, had it not been for Olivia and Ray, he probably would have gotten away with it, too. The thought alone created a forceful swarm of guilt as Liam realized once again — this was what he ignored for so long. His breaths turned shallow as his mind took this new information and ran with it, automatically assuming the worst and with no signs to point in a different direction, he couldn’t find any strings of hope no matter which way he looked.

The waves came crashing down, sending him into an instant spiral of equal parts devastation and fear. He swayed on his feet, but eventually lowered himself back into his chair, willing the wild rush to slow.

“What the fuck is this?!” Drake exclaimed, smoke nearly barreling out of his ears. “Where is she?!”

“I don’t know.”

“Bullshit! She couldn’t leave without this! You’ve been lying to us all along!”

“I did what I had to,” Bastien returned, his voice devoid of all emotion. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“What did you do to her, Bastien?!” Olivia reiterated. “You can’t deny you know something — if she’s in danger, you need to tell us so we can find her!”

“I did nothing to her! All I did was escort her from the premises to the airport — that’s it.” Bastien huffed, immediately regretting the slip-up, which earned him a unanimous gasp.

“What did you just say?” Liam rumbled with clenched fists, his daze of self-hatred shattering on the spot.

Bastien hesitated but realized it was useless to redact. “I said I escorted her from the premises—”

Liam lunged for him without a second thought. He slammed his face into the table and held him there with all his might by the back of his skull. “So you not only knew, but you fucking helped too?!”

“I did what I had—”

“You son of a bitch!” Liam yelled as he lifted Bastien’s head, only to bounce his cheek against the table with increased force. “I trusted you!”

Bastien tried to respond, but Liam swiftly continued. “You have manipulated and made a fool of me for the LAST fucking time! I told you what I’d do, yet you still lied to me? YOUR MONARCH?!”

Again, Bastien attempted to speak, but Liam wasn’t quite finished. “This WHOLE TIME… You’ve known — you fucking helped — but you continuously led me astray.”

“Sir—”

“YOU DO NOT SPEAK OVER ME!” Liam bellowed, slamming Bastien’s head a third time.

A long silence passed as Liam securely held Bastien by the back of his neck, using more force with every passing second. He saw nothing but blood — everything that would’ve gotten covered up ran through his mind; the murders, Riley, and what seemed to be a never-ending list of other possibilities.

Finally, Bastien timidly sliced through the tension. “Sir, I’m willing to tell you what I know and what I’ve done in exchange for safety. If you do not ensure my life, I will be dead within hours.” He pleaded, preparing to meet the table again. “You have no reason to trust me now, but I will tell you what I can…” He emphasized.

Liam met eyes with Olivia and Drake, a silent conversation taking place. In all honesty, nobody cared what happened to him after the fact; all that mattered right now was getting Bastien to talk by any means necessary. Whoever wanted him dead was more than welcome to finish the job, but not until after he confessed.

Liam released him with a shove but never said a word. Instead, he strode back to the chair across from Bastien and slowly retook his seat. When Liam lifted his head, the pure fury staring back at him slightly took Bastien aback. The patient presence he’d grown accustomed to was long gone, replaced by a man driven to the brink of insanity. Those typically bright baby blues were now dark, vicious, and wild — nearly animalistic as his stare tore through Bastien. It sent a shiver of dread down his spine and made him momentarily fearful of his usually calm and composed king. His head throbbed, but he knew that would not be the worst of what he received — regardless of whose hands he suffered from.

Liam intently held his gaze for a long moment, clenching and unclenching his jaw, but finally spoke in an eerily calm voice. “... Tell us.”

Bastien strode through the country jamboree with an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach as he recalled what would happen tonight. A suitor would be removed from the competition, with or without her cooperation. The trap was loaded and ready to go; all they needed was the prey — Riley.

Bastien located Penelope in the crowd and watched her approach Riley. She was deep into a conversation with Maxwell, but Penelope slipped in and played the part surprisingly well. He recognized her shaky hands even from afar, but she discreetly slipped at least half of the pharmaceuticals into Riley’s drink, unbeknownst to her or Maxwell. He didn’t think that part was necessary, but the force beyond insisted it was essential so they would force her to her room before everyone else.

After a time, Bastien observed as Riley hugged Maxwell and headed toward the estate. He quietly followed behind in the shadows as she walked through the deserted halls to her room, cursing the creaky floorboards underneath his feet, but the woman he trailed didn’t notice a thing. Riley skipped, hummed a tune, and even did a little twirl; she had no cares in the world and had no clue that her perception of a fairy tale was about to be shattered.

As her door shut, Bastien took position outside, crossed his arms, and waited for the job to be completed. Everyone else remained at the party outside; it was his assignment to ensure the vicinity stayed clear. He knew who occupied the room neighboring hers, which only fueled the need to get this done and over with as quickly and smoothly as possible.

People spoke behind the door — the voices escalating by the second — but Bastien made it a point to drown them out. The situation could go one of two ways, depending on Riley's cooperation, and it didn't take long for him to realize she chose the hard way. Although he found it difficult to ignore her pleas for help, his allegiance aligned elsewhere.

After a time, a few gentlemen approached but Bastien allowed them access, as he expected them. He didn’t know who they were, just that they would deal with ‘relocating’ Tariq; his task was Riley. One had jet-black hair, while the other donned a baseball cap. They wore a matching dark ensemble, aside from the hat and one having thick, circular lens glasses. A holster of weapons surrounded their belts, making the hair on his arms stiffen. The pair went inside without a word, but Bastien felt their eyes on him as they entered.

The deafening silence hung for what felt like centuries, but eventually, they re-emerged with their cargo in tow.

“Unhand me this instant!” Tariq demanded as the muscles dragged him away.

“Not a chance, fancy boy.” The man with glasses snickered. “Got a special place for you.”

“I did what I was supposed to do!” Tariq pleaded, his tone changing once he realized the seriousness of his situation. “Please — have some compassion!”

“No can do. Boss’s orders were strict — toss you in a hole and throw those God-awful loafers into the ocean.” The dark-haired male snapped his fingers before adding, “I can leave the shoes on if you’d prefer — put some cement in them and send you both on a journey to the bottom of the Mediterranean.” His delight showed brightly, causing Bastien’s pulse rate to skyrocket.

Tariq suddenly planted his feet firmly on the ground. “DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?! OR WHO MY FATHER IS?” He bellowed. “You won’t get away with this — I WILL ENSURE THAT YOU—”

Out of nowhere, the male with the ball cap hit him with the butt of his pistol, silencing his tirade. Tariq slumped to the floor with his eyes rolled back, blood gushing from his nose in an instant.

“Thank you, Claudius. I couldn’t stomach another second of his useless ranting.”

“You and I both.”

“Get him loaded up — we’re on a schedule and need to move.” Claudius hefted Tariq on his shoulder with ease and quickly left out the servants’ exit. As he disappeared, the remaining man shifted his attention to Bastien. “So… You’re prepared to handle the fallout?”

“Of course.” He confidently responded.

“Are you sure? Because I don't think you understand how messy this situation could get in the future… And honestly? If the boss hadn’t enlisted little Miss Penny, this entire operation would’ve crashed and burned before it even took off.” He rolled his eyes. “You thought she would agree to this just for a spot beside the queen?”

“It might surprise you what people will do to get ahead around here.”

“Yes, but they’re willing to execute better with a little — added motivation.” He flashed a wide, sinister smile. “You should know better than anyone…”

Bastien swallowed thickly, his entire body going rigid. “I’m not sure what you’re referencing.”

“Of course not.” He snickered. “I don’t blame you — I wouldn’t want anyone to know you’re the one who mur—”

Bastien held a hand up. “That’s enough.” He spat out.

The male’s smile widened. “As I said, people execute better with added motivation.” He patted Bastien’s shoulder with a little too much force.

“Was there a point to this?” Bastien rumbled through clenched teeth, shaking off the man’s palm.

“I just wanted to make sure it’s one hundred percent clear — you need to ensure anything regarding this stays buried. If too many people ask the right questions before we reach the finish line and the boss has to get involved again… Well —” He grinned, baring his teeth. “That’d just be a shame, wouldn’t it?”

A chill shot down the length of Bastien’s spine. “What is that supposed to mean? Are you threatening me?”

“You may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but you’re not that stupid — you know what will happen.” He responded, amusement written on his cold features. His almond eyes deepened to black, leaving Bastien momentarily speechless.

“I’m certain that won’t be necessary.” Bastien confidently answered after he regained his composure. His companion nodded with an eerie smirk but casually lingered around the door. “Is there something else I can do for you?”

“I was just wondering about Lady Riley… Where you’re planning on sending her since you received the — opportunity to handle her?” He nonchalantly inquired, acting as disinterested as possible. “Such a great honor you have… One I practically begged for.”

“The States, where she came from.” Bastien’s direction was to ship her back to New York as discreetly as possible. Even though the plan took a drastic turn, that was the one constant that couldn't change because otherwise, they would out themselves for taking the reins and disobeying a direct order. She would land on her feet, start a new life, and forget all about Cordonia. Liam would surely want to search for her, but all Bastien had to do was stall until the coronation, when their cover for removing Riley would come to light.

“I see, I see… Well, hopefully, that works out for her.” He smiled, the sight raising goosebumps on Bastien’s arms.

Before Bastien could respond, the door creaked open, and a hooded presence strode out. He paid Bastien no mind, instead focusing on the dark-haired male. “Let us vacate. The party is nearly over, and we have tremendous amounts of work ahead of us if we want to pull this off.”

“What about the court? We can’t go back to —”

“Do not fret, Anton… We have a plan… Trust the process; this is only the beginning. Everything will work out as it should in due time, but we must move — now.”

The pair quickly walked away, but not before Bastien heard Anton loudly whisper, “About that — pit-stop…” to his companion.

Bastien momentarily pondered that statement, but shook off the queasiness inside his stomach, concluding they must be referring to Tariq. As he stared at Riley’s door, a brief flicker of guilt traveled through him. Riley did nothing wrong, and he knew that, but this is the task he regretfully accepted. It was not a personal vendetta, by any means, but this clueless woman aimlessly landed herself in the middle of the nobility; she didn’t understand the untold, dark side of the court and its inhabitants, but would learn on this day.

Bastien cautiously opened the door and entered to find Riley on the edge of her bed, cradling her side. She snapped her head over to him as she heard his footsteps, and her eyes filled to the brim with tears when she met his gaze. He once again fought a wave of remorse at seeing her hopeful expression, knowing he was not the knight in shining armor she assumed he was.

“Bastien, you—you have to help me… Please…” Riley croaked. Her words came out slightly slurred, although it surprised him that the earlier sedatives hadn’t taken a harder effect.

“I’m going to, Lady Riley. First, I need to ensure you’re not carrying anything on you.”

Bastien assisted Riley to a standing position, which she slowly did without question. He didn’t know exactly what transpired, but she had a gash on her side, blood soaking through the thin hoodie she wore. With her permission, he checked the wounds, none of which were bad enough to seek immediate medical attention. Her face was littered with cuts, surely bruises to follow with time, as one of her cheeks was already tinted with a light purple. He started at her shoulders and patted down to her abdomen, but stopped when he felt something in her pocket and pulled out her phone. He nonchalantly slipped the device into his jacket, but despite his best efforts, Riley watched him do it.

“That is my property! You can’t take that!” She protested.

“I’m afraid I can… You are to leave completely empty-handed. Now, we have to get going — you have a flight to catch.” Bastien placed a hand on Riley’s arm to lead her away.

Riley firmly planted her feet in place, shaking away his grip. “Don’t do this, Bastien!”

“You have no choice in this matter and we’re on a time limit,” Bastien replied as he checked his watch.

“What about all my stuff?”

“As I said, empty-handed.” He didn’t understand that part either, but concluded it was easier to shove her on a plane with no items to accompany her.

“On whose authority?!” Riley exclaimed. When he didn’t answer, she reiterated, “Who told you to do this to me, Bastien?!”

“That is confidential information.”

Riley snorted, her frustration written all over her face. “Bullshit! At least be man enough to tell me!”

“Fine. You want to know who did it?” He held her glare, letting the tension linger, but finally answered, “It was Liam.”

Riley stepped away as if she took a blow to the gut, but her devastation quickly morphed into the polar opposite.

Riley laughed; hard enough that tears spilled down her cheeks. “You expect me to believe that? Liam? Of all people?” She shook her head, slightly bouncing from her chuckles. “You think I’m that naïve and stupid?”

“Believe what you will, that matters not to me but my instructions were simple, so we must get moving.” He stated, very matter-of-factly.

“Bastien,” Riley pleaded, any signs of amusement suddenly disappearing. “Don’t do this. I’ll just — I don’t know!” She cried, anxiety prominent in her features. “I won’t say anything to anyone — I swear on my grandmother’s life! Or–or we can tell Liam! Whatever got you wrapped up in this, he will understand.” She reasoned. “Please — you don’t have to conform. We can find a way out of this together.”

Bastien considered it for a second, but ultimately gave Riley a sad smile and nudged her toward the door. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks, but he remained firm. He quickly dropped her phone and the pre-written note he received inside her bedside table and went to the threshold, stepping over shards of glass from a broken planter and a bloodied garment.

Leaving her phone there meant it would be an immediate dead end for Liam and her sponsors. He would want to call her — possibly track her — but this ensured that door was closed before it could even be opened. It was a distraction tactic to keep the prince occupied until his reason for her departure would present itself to him, where hopefully, he would drop the matter for good.

Bastien held her stare for a moment before he cleared his throat, emphasizing the need to move. Riley hung her head and eventually slowly walked out the door, quietly sobbing as she did.

Bastien led her down the long hallway toward the servants’ exit, as their SUV waited close by. Riley was incredibly unsteady on her feet, whether it was from the earlier medication or her injuries, he wasn’t sure, but he held his hand out to steady her wobbly steps on multiple occasions. He glanced back and locked eyes with the maid he summoned to clean the area, and even with his dark sunglasses, he still spotted her apprehension. The interaction was brief as he and Riley reached the end of the hallway, but something in his gut said he would have to deal with that later.

Assisting Riley down the stairs turned out to be tricky, as she was in an incredible amount of pain. By the end, he hoisted her over his shoulder and carried her the rest of the way down. She didn’t yell or scream, not that it would have mattered if she tried; the party still ‘raged’ in the opposite direction, leaving the vicinity barren of wandering ears. If she got combative he had a plan for that as well, but was glad she opted to cooperate, instead of throwing a tantrum and meeting a fate similar to Tariq.

He sat her on her feet when they emerged outside and escorted her to the vehicle, quickly securing her inside. He used no restraints, but she didn’t resist one bit; almost as if she’d accepted her fate, or her body just didn’t have the strength to fight back. There were no remnants of Tariq or anyone else, but Bastien moved with fire under his feet as if someone lurked right around the corner.

Within the blink of an eye, they were at the airport, where Bastien unloaded her from the back of the car. The entire ride he heard Riley’s sniffles from the backseat, but he drove faster — to unload this package and hopefully, this would be a straightforward operation. Once she was out of the vehicle his job should be done, unless too many questions arose.

Bastien parked toward the back of the abandoned parking lot so the only thing on security footage would be Riley entering the airport. With his connections, he knew exactly where the cameras were and discreetly slipped into a blind spot. Riley could hardly stand as he pulled her from the vehicle, but that was not his concern.

He did his part — all she had to do was walk inside and leave Cordonia forever.

He shoved a small envelope into her hands and said, “Here is your ID, passport, credit cards, and a ticket to New York. It’s been a pleasure, Lady Riley.” And with that, Bastien turned on his heel and returned to his vehicle, speeding away before he could second guess his decision.

He glanced back in the rearview mirror and saw the silhouette of a woman standing there disoriented, wounded, alone, terrified, and defenseless, but quickly averted his gaze, centering on the road. He nearly pushed his foot through the floorboard to get away faster, but bile rose into the back of his throat as a chilling realization sat in; he didn’t know how, but this was far from over, and the chances of him making it to see his next birthday just substantially dwindled.

“I assumed she boarded the plane, but I later received her identification and credit cards in a sealed envelope from an unidentifiable source. I tried to help her… I really did…” Bastien finished with his head bowed.

“No, you sure as shit did not!” Drake bellowed, a mix of fury and shock written on his features. “I can’t believe you!”

Bastien flinched. “I did what I had to do—”

“Where is she, then? Because she never got on that fucking plane, Bastien!” Olivia hollered.

“I don’t know! I told you everything I know about it! I tried to find out, but I can’t!”

“This is fucking unreal.” Drake shook his head and scoffed. “You expect me to believe you really don’t know? You have her ID! Her goddamn passport!”

Bastien forcefully clenched his jaw. “I received them before the tour in a sealed envelope. I don’t know where it came from and I can't trace its origin.”

Drake scowled. “We’re supposed to believe that?” He looked away and rubbed a hand down his face, his frustration steadily rising. “Let’s say I do — you chose to keep that to yourself? You didn’t think that was worth mentioning when we opened an investigation into her goddamned disappearance?!” He over-enunciated, sarcasm dripping off every syllable.

“What was I supposed to do, Drake?!” Bastien responded, but couldn’t fathom meeting his eyes for even a brief second.

“Not be a spineless piece of shit, for one,” Olivia answered. “For two, you could’ve refused to cooperate from the beginning. Or, told the truth, regardless of what would’ve happened to you then… Or, made sure she got on the plane, at least. You drugged her and left her for dead, Bastien! Who knows where she’s at by now?! Do you realize how much time we’ve wasted because of you?!”

“I did not drug her or leave her for dead—”

“But you didn’t fucking stop it either, and that’s just as damning in my eyes,” Drake spoke in a bland, empty voice as he tried to comprehend this betrayal. “I don’t know what happened to you, but you’re not the man I used to look up to, not anymore… I can’t believe you did this and continuously lied to us about it!”

Bastien slouched. “I never lied—”

“Bullshit! You’ve done nothing but lie! You’ve gotta stop and tell us the truth for once!”

“I told you everything I know, everything I’ve done. I killed the maid and had every intention of Lady Penelope taking the fall — I’ve led you astray and tampered with evidence — I admit it.”

“I don’t care about any of that shit right now!” Drake shouted. “We wanna know what you did with Brooks, Bastien.”

Bastien sighed. “Drake, I told you, I don’t know where she’s at! She was supposed to go inside and board the plane!”

“But you didn’t wait and ensure she did, at least?” Olivia asked with an arched brow.

“I didn’t think I needed to! After what I heard coming out of that room, I assumed she would run inside to get away… If anyone knows, it’s probably that Anton character!”

“Anton…” Olivia repeated, her curiosity peaking. “What do you know about him? And the other guy? Claudius?”

“Absolutely nothing. I’d never seen them before and haven’t since. All I know is they were in charge of relocating Tariq.”

“And you don’t know where that is, either?”

“No, I don’t. I didn’t ask questions, and I wasn’t told. I ran their names in the system to see if I could figure anything out, but they’re ghosts — there aren’t even medical records with either name on it.”

Olivia scoffed. “So, why do it, then?”

“I have my reasons…” He finally gathered the courage to take a peek in Drake's direction, but when he spotted the wild blaze of fire in his eyes, swiftly glanced away.

“Yeah… Okay…” Olivia indignantly laughed. “So was this your idea, or were you working under someone else’s watch?” He didn’t reply, but she and Drake noticed his shoulders tense. “That’s all the answer I need. So who is it? Who’s pulling the strings here?”

Bastien shook his head. “That I can’t tell you.”

“You’re already a dead man no matter which way you look at it, so you may as well just tell us. If you do, there is the tiniest chance that you may receive mercy,” Olivia growled as her hand instinctively reached for the dagger hidden in her waistband.

“I’m aware of that, but I cannot tell you.”

“Bas, you need to fucking—”

“Damn it, Drake, I can’t!” Bastien shouted. He knew the pain Drake felt was nothing compared to what he’d feel if he knew the truth, but he refused to open that can of worms.

Liam remained eerily quiet as he listened to Bastien retell the events of that night. To say he was fuming would be the understatement of the millennium. Bastien’s continuous misleading and knowledge of Riley being drugged, assaulted, and potentially still in Cordonia sent Liam overboard. Not to mention, he basically left her for dead in a parking lot. Bastien did all of that; he may not have physically harmed her himself, but he stood guard, let it happen, and actively worked to cover it up, making Liam physically sick to his stomach.

The all-consuming rage he tried to control reached its boiling point. He was no longer asking nicely — he was demanding.

Liam slowly stood from his chair, the loud screech halting the surrounding bickering. He leaned over the table on his knuckles and positioned himself at eye level with his former guard. “You told her that I did it?”

Bastien’s eyes spread eagle. “I just needed to get her out of the door… I assumed that would get her to leave willingly, but she didn’t believe a word I said.”

Liam indignantly laughed, the sound sending waves of uncertainty through everyone in the room. “So it wasn’t enough to physically break her — you had to pile emotional pain on top, too?”

“Sir, she did not believe me,” Bastien reasoned. “She knew you would never do such a thing. It was only a last-ditch attempt on my part to get her out.”

Liam mindlessly nodded, ignoring the new wave of dread filling his veins. He’d convinced himself even through all this madness, when they reached the bottom of this intricate web, there was still a slight chance Riley could love him back, but that hope burst into flames instantaneously. Regardless of whether she believed the lie, he was more determined than ever to find her, ensure her safety, and make sure she knew he played no part in this. He had no intentions of hiding his prolonged negligence of the situation from her, but wasn’t willing to let her hate him over something he had no part of.

Liam took a deep, steadying breath and spoke in a low, timbre rumble. “I’m ordering you to tell me who orchestrated all this, Bastien — you owe me that much.”

Bastien remained silent for a long moment as he held his monarch’s intent gaze. Eventually, he sat back in his chair and broke eye contact while pursing his lips together. “Damn it, tell me!” Liam shouted, his voice echoing against the concrete walls.

Bastien hesitated, as he quickly planned his path from here. The potential to get caught was always there, and he thought extensively about what he would do and who to say in this situation. His secrets fueled a small portion of his decision, but the majority centered around fear. He wouldn’t be safe either way but would take his punishment from the crown. Aside from keeping his skeletons inside the closet, to defy the — others — would essentially put nails in his coffin, just waiting to be hammered in. He’d seen firsthand the carnage they were capable of; a couple of treason charges were nothing in comparison.

But if he pointed them in the right direction, it wouldn't be him outing the culprit.

The tension lingered but right when Olivia opened her mouth to push, Bastien quietly answered, “It was your father…”

The room went silent; not a single breath to be heard. Olivia took in the steadfast determination in Bastien’s features and knew for once — he wasn’t lying. And it made some sense; Bastien was purely manpower, not an active brain contributing, and Constantine had the power to force him into anything. However, she instantly knew the former monarch was not the person behind that door with Riley.

Constantine was in high demand and there was no way he could’ve slipped away from the jamboree that early unnoticed. Olivia recalled that night, and to her knowledge, Constantine retired at the same time as Liam. Plus, if they believed Liam’s out-of-body experience to be reality, Constantine was right beside him while the attack took place.

She believed him but also realized while he told the truth, he didn’t tell all of it. There was more to the story, and she intended to get any and every ounce of information out of him, no matter what it took.

Olivia opened her mouth to address Bastien, but Liam beat her to it. “My father?” He repeated, confusion showcased brightly on his face.

“Yes, sir,” Bastien softly spoke. “I know that may be hard for you to hear, but—”

“Shut the fuck up!” Liam suddenly bellowed as his shock quickly morphed into dangerous fury. “You’re still trying to lie?!”

Bastien’s eyes widened. “I swear to you — he’s the one who told me to send her back to New York.”

Liam shook his head, his face reddening with every sullen breath. “No… You’re just trying to cover your own ass, that’s it!”

Bastien sighed. “I don’t expect you to believe me, but that is the truth. Your father is the one who—”

Liam paced the small area, his racing thoughts spiraling out of control. “My father would not do this, regardless of how strongly he felt about it. This is fucking evil and deranged — he is a lot of things, but he would never do something like this to me.” He seethed. “So I will ask you one final time — who was it?”

Silence commenced once more, but Bastien eventually answered. “I told you who it was. If you choose not to believe me, that’s your prerogative. I did what he ordered me to do.”

Fast as lightning, Liam brought his fist up and connected with Bastien’s jaw. He went around the table and hit him again, and again, until Bastien was on his knees with his head dangling in between his still cuffed hands. Liam didn’t care if he killed him or not at that moment; all that mattered was exacting revenge on behalf of his beloved, even if she wasn’t there to witness it. The monarch checked out, replaced by a vicious beast — a starved one, at that.

Liam saw nothing except Riley’s face, the sound of her cries from his out-of-body experience echoing in his mind. His hand throbbed as he relentlessly took his frustrations out on Bastien, but he barely felt it because of the pure hatred and adrenaline pumping through his veins.

Olivia and Drake watched, exchanging worried glances as Liam continued his assault. Both felt incredible amounts of anger toward Bastien, but they saw the bits of truth. Liam might not want to believe it, but Constantine made the most sense.

However, Olivia wholeheartedly believed Constantine was not the one in that room. He may have ordered Bastien to engage, but deep down she knew he was not the one calling the shots that night. As Liam continued to pummel him, she had half a mind to stop him, but the person taking out his anger on his crumpled guard was not her childhood friend, and even she was hesitant to interfere.

It was Drake who finally intervened, laying a firm hand on his shoulder. “Li…” When Liam shook him off, he tried again with more force. “Liam!”

“Get your fucking hands off of me!” Liam shouted, quickly returning to his mission. Every bone that snapped underneath his fist soothed a portion of his soul, but he wasn’t willing to stop until Bastien felt even a small portion of the pain enveloping his entire being.

The door crept open and Leo went to step inside, Maxwell close behind, but halted when he spotted a bloodied and battered Bastien dangling from the side of the table. Liam continued his attack, completely oblivious to the additional presences in the room. Leo noticed the mixed expressions from Olivia and Drake and quickly pieced a vague conclusion together. Never in his life did he think Bastien could be capable of such atrocities, but clearly they found something to tie him to it.

Leo stepped toward Liam and timidly tapped his shoulder to gather his attention. “Li, we found Penelope. She was headed to the palace with orders for incineration upon arrival, but we stopped it and she should be back soon. I talked with Landon and Emmaline and they’ve agreed to send her wherever you see fit for autopsy. Ray recommended a specialist, but I wanted your input before I started the process.”

Liam finally stopped his assault and stared down at Bastien’s crumpled body with labored breaths. “The amount of which you’re willing to go to bury this is ridiculous! WHO could be that important that you would do all this — risk EVERYTHING for?!” He bellowed, his voice booming against the walls.

Bastien never answered, whether by choice or from his injuries, but a silence took over as Liam really pondered that question for a moment. This wasn’t just some measly scandal anymore; this was an extensive operation concocted to remove the top competitors and ensure he married Madeleine. At first assumption, it would be easy to point a finger at Madeleine herself, but Bastien held no allegiance to her, and the two hardly spoke before the start of the engagement tour. She held no power over him and had no way to get him to bend to her will.

And that was simply too easy — right?

Bastien’s involvement suddenly narrowed down the potential list of suspects, as Liam knew there was a very short number of people he would have no choice but to obey. Despite everything, he didn’t want to believe Bastien willingly did all of this. He expressed feeling some kind of remorse while it was happening, but he still aided and lied about it afterward, making his guilt irrelevant.

He had no reason to trust Bastien, but the more he thought about it, the more his heart accepted the tale.

The betrayal from his former guard was a lot to process, but knowing who could have ultimately constructed the whole thing shredded him into a million tiny pieces. Half of him was ready to unleash a wrath like no other, while the other half wanted to crumple into a ball and cry. His already fragile heart couldn't take the strain; right when he thought this situation couldn't get worse, it did. Someone so close forcefully took something so precious, knowing how much Riley meant to him, and it completely blindsided him.

His back hit the wall and he slid down it, clutching his chest. Leo and Drake quickly moved to catch him, thinking he was having another episode, but Liam shook them off. As everyone took in his dejection, they realized he accepted who their next subject of questioning would be.

“Leo…” Liam swallowed thickly, his breaths rapid and labored. “Tell me — tell me our father wouldn’t do this… He’s not evil, just hard-headed — right?”

Leo winced. “I… I wish I could, Li, but…” He didn’t want to believe it but with Constantine’s infatuation with the throne, he couldn’t put it past him. Their father was never malicious, but he had a control problem regarding the crown; Leo knew firsthand.

But would he go this far?

Liam let out a forceful huff of air and ran his hands down his face, trying and failing to keep his tears at bay. “I — I thought it was bad that Bastien betrayed me, but — him? Why would he do this?”

“I want to answer that, Liam, but I’m not the person to ask… One way or another, you know we have to confront him…”

Liam grimly nodded. “I know… I just — what if he is the one who did all of this? What am I supposed to do then, Leo?”

Leo remained silent for a long moment, gathering his thoughts, but was to no avail, as he genuinely didn’t have an answer. “I don’t know, Liam… I really don’t…”

[tessa-liam]

Turning the Page

Make You Mine - Chapter 14 

Choices, The Royal Romance, The Royal Heir AU 

Series Premise: As Riley Brooks journeys through life as a single parent in New York City, an epiphany strikes as she contemplates the future for herself and her two-year-old son. 

Turning the Page Series Masterlist, My Complete Masterlist 

Main pairing: Liam Rys x F!OC Riley Brooks 

All characters belong to Pixelberry Studios, except William Brooks (Rys) and Matteo Magro, who both belong to this series. 

Category: On-going series, contains angst/fluff/depression. Cross-over fic with Choices, Perfect Match. 

Rating: M 🔞 - Warnings – Series will have crude language, weapons, NSFW material – not Beta’d - please excuse all errors. 

Words: 4816 

Make You Mine - Chapter 14 

Chapter Summary: Daniel & Matteo get married in Greece 

Music Inspiration:

Unchained Melody, Righteous Brothers 

A/N1: In this alternate universe, after King Constantine orchestrates two individual scandals to humiliate and entrap Riley Brooks and Olivia Nevrakis in shame, Madeleine Amaranth secures her position as the Queen of Cordonia. Riley, as the King’s mistress and Olivia, in self-imposed exile. Tariq is never found.  

A/N2: Damien Nazario has been assigned as William’s personal bodyguard. (Series cross-over with ‘Perfect Match’) 

A/N3: My submission for @choicesaugustchallenge , prompt "Summer Wedding"

"What an amazing wedding venue!" Riley gushed as she and Liam leisurely strolled, hand-in hand along the pristine beach with William. "This white sand ... the turquoise water ... it's absolutely breathtaking!"  

Liam smiled tenderly as he admired her elation and innocent amazement of the seaside in front of the hotel. Arriving on the island of Santorini, the weeklong pre wedding festivities began as wedding guests arrived to join the celebration. 

“It truly is," Liam agreed as he also took in the beauty of the scenery." I can definitely see why Daniel and Matteo chose this location. However, I must say that Cordonian bea --" 

Interrupting his father, William tugged his hand and pulled, "Daddy, I wanna play in the water. Pleeaaase?!" 

“Is that so?”

William squealed when Liam at once picked him up and twirled him around, giggling and clapping his hands in delight.

"He's getting so big!" Riley cooed, reaching out to tickle William's belly. "You're such a big boy now, aren't you?" 

William grinned and nodded. "I'm three now, mama!" Grinning and patting his chest proudly. 

"That's right, Will," Liam chuckled, giving him a high-five. "You're growing up so fast!" 

They continued their walk along the beach, taking in the sights and sounds of the ocean waves crashing against the shore. Riley slipped her arm through Liam's and leaned her head against his shoulder. William began to pull away from them to follow a seagull that flew up from the water's edge. 

"William, don't run too far ahead," Riley called after him. 

"I won't mama," William called back, slowing his pace. Damien, who followed close behind, kept an eye on the prince. As they continued their walk along the beach, Riley and Liam enjoyed the feeling of the warm sun on their skin and the gentle breeze blowing through their hair. 

"What a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon," Liam smiled joyfully. "This is what I have always dreamed of -- you by my side, with children underfoot ...enjoying life with my family." 

"I couldn't imagine being anywhere else," Riley said, returning his smile. 

"Nor I, Riley," Liam said, placing his arm around her waist pulling her closer. 

"I'm so happy for Daniel and Matteo," she sighed. "They're perfect for each other." 

"And so are we." 

"We are," Riley murmured, tilting her head as she leaned up and captured his lips. The kiss was slow and deep; savoring the taste of him.  

Liam's tongue brushed against hers, sending a thrill of desire throughout her body. He pulled her even closer, his hand splayed on the small of her back. She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, tugging gently as she kissed him harder. 

They were so caught up in each other that they did not even notice when Maxwell, Bertrand, Savannah and Bartie strolled alongside. 

"Hey, lovebirds," Savannah called, breaking them out of their passionate embrace quickly. 

"Sorry," Riley giggled, her cheeks flushing. 

"It's okay, you're just young and in love," Savannah smiled, giving her a knowing wink. "But don't forget, there are little eyes around, too." 

"Yes, save some of that for later, you two," Bertrand chimed in, indignantly.  

"You're one to talk, Bertrand," Maxwell guffawed. "I've seen the way you and Savannah can't keep your hands off of each other." 

"I suppose you have a point," Bertrand conceded, looking pleased with himself. Liam acknowledged, "Duke Beaumont, you are correct. It is good to relax and spend time with the people we care about. It's what we all need." 

"Indeed," Bertrand said, his eyes sparkling. 

"We'll try to keep our hands off each other, just for you," Riley laughed, teasing the elder Beaumont. 

"Good, thank you," Bertrand huffed. 

Maxwell chuckled, "Yeah, I'll make sure Bertrand behaves himself in public, too. For Bartie's sake, of course."

"What are you talking about?" Savannah asked, her brows furrowing. 

Bertrand’s eyebrows shot up in annoyance. "Nothing," Maxwell and Bertrand said in unison. 

Bartie, seeing William up ahead, tugs his mother's hand wanting to join his friend. 

"Bartie, don't go too far," Savannah called as he sped off to join William.  

"Please excuse me, your majesty," Bertrand quickly followed the chase. 

Liam and Riley exchanged an amused look and continued their stroll along the beach, hand in hand. “Hey, Max, how did you convince your brother to come to the beach, anyway?" Riley grinned mischievously. 

“Ha,” I had to bribe him,” Maxwell shook his head, chuckling. “I told him if he would come out here that I would look after Bartie during the wedding. He was reluctant at first, but eventually, he caved.” 

"That's sweet of you, Maxwell," Riley said. 

"Yes, Maxwell, that's noble of you. It is good that you are looking after your nephew. You're a great uncle." 

"Thanks, Liam. I appreciate that." 

"Of course," Liam smiled. "What on Earth--"

Up ahead, as Bertrand pursued his son, the chase ended when he tripped and landed face first, with a splash, into the water. 

"Bert!" Savannah called out, "Bartie, what did I tell you?" 

"Sorry, mommy," Bartie said sheepishly. 

"Bertrand, are you okay?" Maxwell asked, rushing to his brother's side. 

Bertrand grunted, pulling himself up and wiping his face. "I think that's enough for today," he said, looking annoyed. 

Savannah giggled, "It's okay, Bertrand. Accidents happen." 

"Right," he nodded, with a look of disgust at his wet clothing. 

"Let's get out of here before something else happens." Maxwell chimed in, trying, but failing not to laugh. 

"I think that's a good idea," Liam said, suppressing his amusement. 

"Yes, I'm fine," Bertrand grunted as he stood up, soaking wet. 

"Let me help you with that, Bert," Savannah offered, handing him a towel. 

"Thank you, Savannah," Bertrand said, taking the towel. 

Maxwell helped his brother dry off while Bartie looked on, a look of concern on his face. "Father, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you fall into the water." 

"It's alright, Bartie. Accidents happen," Bertrand replied, giving the boy a small smile. 

"Come on, let's get you back to the hotel so you can change into some dry clothes," Savannah said, taking Bartie's hand. 

"Yes, good idea. Let's go," Maxwell followed behind, shaking his head with a smirk. 

As they walked, Bertrand turned his head back to Maxwell. "Did you see what happened? I could have sworn that there was a shark fin in the water. It looked like it was heading straight for Bartie!" 

"A shark? Really?" Maxwell burst out laughing uncontrollably. 

Damien, overhearing their conversation, grinned as he turned with William and walked towards Liam and Riley. 

"That was quite the scene, huh?" Damien quietly commented and snickered. 

"It was something," Liam nodded, as he bit the inside of his cheek, successfully holding his laughter. 

"It was quite entertaining," Riley chuckled. "Bertrand needs to come out here more often, especially with Bartie. He is so sweet." 

"Having his son and Savannah with him at House Beaumont has been a positive influence on him." Liam replied. "Bartie is just curious and adventurous. He's a good kid." 

"He's a little rascal," Damien laughed. 

"Maybe, but he's a cute one," Riley added. 

Damien stopped walking as he noticed Olivia and Drake up ahead at the hotel entrance. 

"I'll be right back," Damien said, making his way towards the entrance. 

Riley watched him leave; her brow furrowed in question. "What's going on?" 

"Well, I think Duchess Olivia has an admirer." 

"Is that so?" Riley asked, her interest piqued. 

"It would appear that way," Liam said, his lips curving into a knowing smile. 

As Damien approached closer, he saw Olivia and Drake locked in an intense discussion. He could not make out what they were saying, but he had a feeling that things were getting heated. 

"We should keep walking," Riley said, smiling coyly at Liam. "Yes, let's get out of here." Liam agreed, taking her hand and leading her further down the beach. 

"This is the perfect place for a honeymoon," Riley mused. "Greece is so romantic." 

"Do you see that temple over there, Riley?" Liam asked, motioning to a magnificent structure that rose up from the shore of the main island. 

"That's the Temple of Apollo," he continued. "It's one of the most famous monuments in Greece." 

"Wow, it's gorgeous," Riley breathed, awestruck. "It looks like something out of a movie." 

"The ancient Greeks were known for their exquisite architecture," Liam explained. "They used materials like marble and limestone to create these stunning monuments." 

"It's incredible to think that something so beautiful has lasted for thousands of years," Riley pondered. "I wish I could have seen the world back then, when these temples were still new." 

"Me too," Liam chuckled. "Although I'm not sure how I would have adjusted to a time without modern technology." 

"True," Riley laughed. "I can barely manage going without my phone for a few hours, let alone a lifetime." 

As they continued to walk along the beach, Liam regaled her with stories about the Greek gods and goddesses, and how their myths had inspired the Greeks to create some of the most iconic art and literature in the world. Riley listened with rapt attention, enthralled by the stories of love, betrayal, and heroism. 

"So, which god do you think would be the best fit for you, Liam?" she asked teasingly. 

"Hmm, that's a tough question," he chuckled. "But I think I would have to say, Hermes, the god of travel and trade." 

"A good choice," Riley nodded. "What about me?" 

"Definitely Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty," he replied without hesitation. 

"Wow, high praise indeed," she blushed. 

"It's no less than you deserve, my love," he murmured, kissing her cheek softly. 

The sun was beginning to set over the sea, casting a warm, golden glow over the beach. The breeze ruffled Riley's hair as she leaned against Liam's chest, her heart filled with joy and contentment. 

"Thank you for coming here with me, Liam," she whispered. "This means so much to me." 

"It is my pleasure, Riley," he murmured, holding her close. "I'll never get tired of seeing the world with you." 

He leaned in and moved a lock of hair behind her ear, and kissed her lips, as she melted into his arms. 

Daniel and Matteo’s wedding day... 

The setting was stunning, with the Aegean Sea providing a breathtaking backdrop. The guests were greeted with glasses of champagne, and Riley and Liam mingled with their friends and Matteo's family.  

 As the sun started to set, Riley noticed that Daniel and Matteo had not arrived yet. She began to wonder if there had been any delays, but as she was about to text them, the guests heard a motorboat approaching the shore.  

 Riley gasped as she saw the two grooms arrive on the boat, looking dashing in their tuxedos. The guests cheered as the two men disembarked and made their way towards the ceremony venue. 

The music changed to a slower, more romantic song as Daniel and Matteo walked down the aisle, arm in arm. 

"Welcome, family and friends, to the wedding of Daniel and Matteo," the officiant began. "We are gathered here today to witness the union of these two wonderful people in marriage. 

“Daniel and Matteo have chosen to write their own vows, which they will now recite to each other." 

Matteo nodded and took Daniel’s hand. 

"Daniel, when I first met you, I knew you were someone special. You are intelligent, kind, and incredibly generous. You have brought so much joy into my life, and I am so grateful that I get to spend the rest of my life with you." 

Matteo paused and took a deep breath, his eyes glistening with tears. "Danny, I promise to love and support you, to be by your side through good times and bad, and to share in your dreams and ambitions. I will love you and cherish you for all the days of my life." 

With tears in his eyes, Daniel takes a deep, shuddered breath. 

 "Matteo, When I first met you, I never imagined that we would end up together. But every moment we have shared since that day has made me realize that you are the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. You are kind, funny, and so very dear to me. Thank you for making me a better person and for loving me unconditionally. I vow to be your partner in all things, to stand by your side through the ups and downs of life and to love you forever and always.” 

After the exchange of rings, the officiant asks, "Matteo, do you take Daniel to be your lawfully wedded husband?" 

"I do," Matteo replied, his voice thick with emotion. 

“And Daniel, do you take Matteo as your lawfully wedded husband?” 

“Yes, yes, I do.” Daniel smiled through his tears. 

"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and husband. You may now kiss the groom!" 

Daniel and Matteo wasted no time embracing and kissing each other passionately. The guests applauded and cheered. 

"Congratulations, Daniel and Matteo!" the officiant announced. 

"I love you, husband," Matteo said, cupping Daniel's face. 

"And I love you, husband," Daniel replied, kissing him again. 

The newlyweds made their way down the aisle, surrounded by their friends and family. As they walked, they could hear the guests chanting "kiss, kiss, kiss!" 

Finally, Daniel and Matteo obliged, stopping to give each other a long, loving kiss. Matteo lifted Daniel's hand in thew air and with the other he lifted a glass. Grinning, he smashed it down and yelled, "Opa!" 

Matteo chuckled. "I can't wait for our honeymoon." 

"Same," Daniel grinned. 

Riley smiled as she watched the two men walk off hand in hand. She turned to Liam, her eyes sparkling with happiness. 

"That was so beautiful," she said, her voice full of emotion. "They are truly in love." 

"They are," Liam agreed, his voice tinged with sadness. 

Riley turned to him; a questioning look in her eyes. "Are you okay, Liam?" 

Liam nodded; his expression somber. "I'm just thinking about the past. How could my life have been different if I had chosen you from the start." 

"But you did choose me," Riley reminded him, her tone gentle. 

"Yes, but at my coronation --," Liam began, his tone regretful. "If I had given you that ring, things would be so different." 

Riley placing her hand on his cheek, “we're together now, and that's all that matters. I'm so glad you came with me here," she said softly. 

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be," he replied, his voice low and husky. 

He leaned in and captured her lips, and she happily responded. 

Amidst the cheers and applause, the guests were gathering for the traditional Greek wedding dance. Riley and Liam were swept up in the moment, as Maxwell and Savannah linked arms with them as they joined in the dance. 

The music changed to a slower, more romantic song, and the guests formed a circle around the newlyweds. 

"This is called a Syrtos," the band leader explained. "It's a traditional Greek dance that symbolizes the union of two souls. Daniel and Matteo, if you will please take the center of the circle." 

"Now, everyone, join hands and begin the Kalamatianos," the band leader instructed. 

The guests joined hands and began to dance, circling around the newlyweds. 

"Great! Now, the bride and groom will walk around the inside of the circle, holding hands. Opa!!!" 

Daniel and Matteo danced around the inside of the circle, their arms linked. As they passed their friends and family, they shared smiles and hugs. 

"This is a wonderful tradition," Liam whispered in Riley's ear. 

"I know, it's beautiful," she agreed, smiling. 

The dance came to an end, and the guests broke into applause. 

"Thank you all for joining us on this special day," Matteo called out, his smile beaming. "We are so happy that you could share in our celebration. We hope you have a wonderful time and that you will join us for the reception." The reception was a beautiful blend of traditional and modern, with delicious Greek cuisine and a lively dance floor.  

"Congratulations, Daniel and Matteo," Riley said, giving them both hugs. 

"Thank you, Riley," Matteo replied, smiling. 

"We're so happy for you both," Liam added, shaking Daniel's hand. 

"Thanks, Liam," Daniel said. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a reception to get to!" 

With that, Daniel and Matteo made their way to the wedding feast, hand in hand. The guests followed, ready to continue the celebration. 

The newlyweds were soon swept away by the joy and excitement of their reception, and the party began in earnest. Loud music played and the guests danced and celebrated well into the night. 

Riley and Liam spent the evening talking and laughing with their friends, and when it was time to cut the cake, the couple fed each other a slice, much to the delight of the guests and then snuck off to take some photos. 

William pointed to the wedding cake displayed on a nearby table. "Look, Mama! Big cake." 

"That's right, sweetie. That’s a wedding cake."  

“Mama, you and daddy married, too?" Riley’s eyes snapped up to meet Liam’s gaze as he smiled tenderly, raising his eyebrows.

"Maybe someday," she said, winking at Liam. 

"Can I have cake now, pleeaase?" 

"Of course," Riley smiled. 

"Come on," William said, getting up from his chair, grabbing Liam's hand. 

"Okay," Liam chuckled, as he started to stand up to follow his son. “Oh Liam, no worries. I can take him.” 

As Riley started to rise from her chair, Liam tenderly put his hand on her shoulder, urging her to still be seated. Liam bent down and placed a sweet kiss on her cheek.  

William led his father over to the wedding cake, where they were greeted by an older woman. 

"Ah, King Liam." The woman bowed her head and dropped down to curtsy. "How can I help you, Your Majesty?" 

Liam graciously bowed his head in respect and placed his hands on William's shoulders. “My son would love to try some of the wedding cake, thank you." 

"Of course, Your Majesty. Would you like a small or large piece?" 

"Wait ... is the cake made of baklava?" Astounded by his favorite dessert in the world made into a wedding cake. He was ecstatic. 

Matteo overheard his question and leaned over, a grin on his face. "It is, actually. It’s my favorite." 

"Wow," Liam breathed. "This is amazing." 

"My yia yia [grandmother] made it herself." Matteo said. 

"So, would you like a slice, Your Majesty? She smiled warmly. 

"Please," Liam nodded, his eyes sparkled happily. 

Matteo 's grandmother first cut a slice for William and then cut a generous slice and placed it on a plate for Liam. 

"Here you go." She smiled proudly.

"Thank you," he said, his tone sincere. 

"You're welcome, Your Majesty." 

Liam took a bite of the cake and sighed contentedly. "αυτό είναι απίστευτο" ["This is incredible"].

"Χαίρομαι που σου αρέσει" ["I'm glad you like it"], Matteo smiled. 

"ο Βασιλιάς είναι ένας σοφός άνθρωπος" ["The King is a wise man!"] Matteo's grandmother exclaimed. 

"μιλάς ελληνικά;" ["You speak Greek?"]

"Έκανα μερικά μαθήματα" ["I took a few lessons," Liam admitted.

"Λοιπόν, τότε είναι διπλή τιμή που σας έχω εδώ! [""Well, then I'm doubly honored to have you here."]

"παρακαλώ η τιμή είναι δική μου!" ["Please, the honor is all mine."]

*** 

After the desserts were served, the band began playing a lively tune. Maxwell grabbed Savannah's hand and dragged her to the dance floor. Bertrand contentedly remained seated with Bartie. 

"Come on, Daddy," William said, pulling at Liam's sleeve. 

The woman's eyes went wide as she realized the little boy was his son.

"Θεέ μου ο Μάτι ο βασιλιάς έχει έναν γιο!" ["Oh, my goodness, Matty ... the king has a son?"]

*** 

Later in the evening, Matteo's grandmother approached Liam, as he enjoyed a drink with Drake and Olivia.

"Your Majesty, please give this to your bride. It's a family heirloom, and I want her to have it," the elderly woman said, pressing a small, ornate necklace into Liam's hands. 

"Yia yia, With respect, I can't accept this. It's too much," Liam protested, but the old woman was adamant. 

"Nonsense," she insisted. "It's a gift from me to your bride, for more healthy babies. 

Liam felt his face flush at her words and the thought of having more children with Riley. He swallowed hard and nodded. "Thank you, Yia yia. But I must ask why." 

The old woman smiled, her eyes twinkling. "Because I see the love between you two, and it reminds me of my late husband and me. You are a lucky man, Your Majesty. I hope you cherish each other always." 

Touched by her words, Liam gave her a hug and thanked her again. 

As Liam sat back down, he could feel the intense gazes of his friends look straight through him.

***

Laughing, and out of breath, Riley and Maxwell sat down from dancing at the table. "This was so much fun. I am so thirsty ..."

"Say no more, Ri. I'll be right back with refreshments," Maxwell stood up and saluted, in jest, and went to the bar.

"It's lovely to see you celebrate Daniel and Matteo's wedding." Liam squeezed her hand.

"They are so happy together." 

"They are," Liam said, a slight wistfulness in his tone. 

Riley caught his gaze and held it for a moment, reading the look in his eyes. 

"We're going to get our happy ending too, you know," she lowered her voice, giving his arm a reassuring squeeze. 

"I know," Liam replied, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. 

"And even if we have to wait a little longer, it'll be worth it," Riley continued, her tone firm and confident. 

"I couldn't agree more," Liam said, his expression softening, making a mental note to send Olivia a 'thank you so much' gift for helping Riley find her spark again.

"Besides," Riley added, a mischievous glint in her eye, "I can think of a few ways to pass the time until then." 

Liam laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "You're incorrigible," he said, his tone playful. 

"You know you love it," Riley teased, leaning in closer. 

"I do," Liam said, his gaze fixed intently on hers. 

Their faces were only inches apart, and Riley could feel her heart racing. She knew she could pull away, but she couldn't seem to make herself do it. 

Liam leaned in and kissed her soundly, the taste of scotch lingering on his lips. Riley closed her eyes and kissed him back, savoring the moment. 

When they finally broke apart, their faces were flushed, and their breathing was ragged. 

"Come on," Riley said, her voice low and husky. "Let's go back to our room." 

"Gladly," Liam replied, his voice matching hers. 

They slipped out of the reception, their hands intertwined. As they walked back to the hotel, they knew that, no matter what challenges lay ahead, they would always have each other. 

***

Later that night, Liam and Riley were getting ready for bed in their hotel room. Riley had just finished washing her face and was brushing her teeth when she noticed Liam staring at her from across the bedroom. 

"What?" she asked, toothbrush still in her mouth. 

"Nothing," he chuckled. "You're just so beautiful." 

She grinned, her cheeks turning pink. "Charmer," she mumbled. 

Liam walked over to her and gently took the toothbrush from her. "Matteo's grandmother gave me something for you," he said, pulling the necklace from his pocket. 

Riley's eyes widened as she saw the beautiful piece of jewelry. "Liam, it's gorgeous," she breathed. 

"Here, let me put it on you," he said, his voice soft and husky. 

He reached around her neck and fastened the clasp, his fingers brushing against her skin. Riley shivered at his touch, her body responding to his closeness once again.

"Thank you," she whispered, her heart fluttering. "But I don't understand why--" 

"She told me it was for more healthy babies," he interrupted, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. 

"Oh," Riley said, her blush deepening. 

"Well, we should probably get started then," Liam said, his eyes darkening with desire. 

He pulled her close and kissed her, his tongue brushing against hers. Riley melted into his arms, her body pressed against his. 

"Yes, Your Majesty," she murmured, her lips curving into a smile. "We should definitely get started." 

Thank you for reading, tags are in the comments. Please let me know if you would like to be added or removed.

@choicesficwriterscreations @thosehallowedhalls

[bebepac]

Six Sentence Sunday 03.31.24

Is it me you're looking for? Yes, I know I've been M.I.A. for a bit, but you guys I'm really trying to upper level adult here. I have decided I'm going to buy a house. So I have hired a realtor and have started the process. When my lease is up again, I WILL be moving into my home.

Let's see if I remember how to set one of these up!

Original post 03/31/24 at 8:02PM EST

Chapter 9: Riley Brooks's Day Off

The Series: Life of Riley Book 2

The Book: TRR

Pairings: Liam x Riley (Liam x F!MC)

Status: Still in the writing process

Since the challenges Constantine had been coming up with weekly for the suitors were getting a lot of publicity for the crown, the suitors met weekly for a meeting with a PR specialist to make sure they had the crown’s best interests in everything they did. They also passed out weekly itineraries of what the Suitors would be doing. Did it ever reveal any events they would be participating in? No, but that their sponsor would be revealing the new task and prize for that week."

Riley thumbed through the itinerary, once than again looking confused.

“Is something wrong Lady Riley?”

“Jenna, my booklet seems to be missing a page. I have nothing for Friday’s itinerary .”

“Actually no you’re not. None of you are. Since I've just been brought into this role, I know you ladies are going through a lot being thrust into the public eye in this magnitude. Lady Riley, you for example, you are coming to us from America and have no experience with dealing with the nobility on a daily basis, and are completely learning how to navigate court successfully from scratch. I recognize this to be quite the experience. The potential reward of all of this is indescribable, but you all need breathing moments for mental and physical wellbeing. We are building in “off days” to your schedule to do what you want with it, a recharge day of sorts, or a mental health day if you will.”

“Well if you’re weak you need days off. I will spend my time training.” Olivia chimed in.

“If that is how you want to spend your day Olivia, there are no wrong answers, it’s free to do whatever you want, as long as you enjoy it.”

That evening:

“Of course, you would have an off day when I’m out of the country.” Liam sounded genuinely disappointed.

“I know I thought about that too.”

“Take it as an opportunity Riley, do some exploring, sleep in a little bit, we both know you like your sleep. Relax. You know, life moves really fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

“You’re completely right Liam. Thanks.”

“Sounds like you have a plan.”

“I do.”

When she hung up with him, she called Maxwell.

“What’s up Little Blossom?”

“I need your help.”

WIP 2

Part 3: Spice Spice Baby

Series: Not officially one: Previous Parts include: Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice

The Book: TRR

Pairings: Liam x Bebe (Liam x F!OC)

Status: Still in the writing process

I have never required that much sleep. There has always been something so peaceful about the world at night for me. I glanced at her once more before getting out of bed. She was soundly sleeping and didn’t even stir from her slumber as I rose. A good mattress will do that, and honestly I think she needed the rest. I slipped on my pajama pants and walked to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water.

Night time was when I did my best thinking, and the thought crossed my mind that the two of us would be able to pull off this ruse with my coworkers. Bebe really did seem invested to make “us work.” Or maybe she was invested in the paycheck.

“Was my snoring keeping you awake?”

Bebe was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, resting her hip on the frame, her robe loosely tied.

“You don’t snore.”

“And you,” she gently tapped my nose with her pointer finger, “are a liar.”

“I wasn’t lying, I didn’t hear you snoring, or if you were, you weren’t disturbing me.”

“Why are you up, Liam?”

“Why are you up, Bebe?”

She quirked her eyebrow at me, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I rarely sleep through the whole night, I’m always up for a bit.”

“Why?”

Her stare from across the room was almost piercing my soul.

“Therapist was not one of your duties I'm paying you for in our contract.”

She looked surprised, but more importantly, hurt by my remark. In a split second I had turned her into a business arrangement that she was a prostitute, that I was paying for a service.

“Oh, well you’re paying me a handsome sum, therefore I feel like I should be anything you need me to be at the moment. I’ll just….”

I had hurt her feelings, and snapped at her, and I didn’t even know why, and the look in her eyes, I didn’t want to ever see that again.

“Life.” I called out to her before she was out of the room. Bebe immediately stopped and turned to face me.

“I can relate to that. Do you mind if I just sit up with you for a bit then?”

“No, not at all.”

Bebe settled into the couch next to me. She didn’t say a word, but I found her silence and non-judgment strangely comforting.

WIP 3

Part 4

Series: The Vampires Live On

The Book: TRR

The Pairing: Liam x Riley (in this decade Gabriel x Alice in the past)

Status: Still in the writing process

“We’re here.”

“I really didn’t think it would be this clean here. I know what you said, but looking at the other graves along the way here, I expected the same condition.”

“You know, I can be very persuasive, and keeping in contact as the groundskeeper’s changed over the years, very important in this. “

“I didn’t think they would be buried side by side.”

“Because that didn’t matter here, and since he died, protecting the two of you, his family wanted nothing to do with him.”

“Poor Max. He was such a good sweet guy. What we were, or not completely, never mattered to him.”

I placed the small flower arrangement into the vase at his grave.

“I have missed you dear friend,”

“I’m going to give you some time alone with your sister and friend.”

“You can stay.”

“No, I’ve been with you for an eternity, you have not had any time with her or him since that night. I want you to have some time alone with them. You deserve that.”

“Thank you, Liam.”

Even though the space around her grave was clean, I found myself picking up and pushing the few leaves and debris away to make her area more pristine.

I sat down in the grass in front of her grave and closed my eyes, letting the emotions of finally being here with her again wash over me.

“Hi Clara. I have missed you so much.”

WIP 4

Chapter 17: Finale Part 4: The Wedding

Series: The Rotten Apple 🍎

The Book: TRH & Beyond

Pairings: Eleanor x Nico (Elle x M!OC) / Liam x Riley

Status: Still in the writing process

Final exams for Liberty had ensured that she wouldn’t be able to come to Greece early to take part in some of the pre-wedding festivities that Elle had planned. Elle felt guilty that Liberty would be missing her graduation from the Crown Academy to come to her wedding; her father had wanted to pull some strings for Liberty, but Elle declined, citing the importance of her education, though she did want her there.

Elle smiled as she panned the camera around the back yard.

"I really wish I was there Ellie."

"I really wish I was there. Libby! Look at you in your cap and gown. Father and I stepped away for a bit to watch the live feed of the baccalaureate."

"Thanks Ellie."

"For what?"

"Just making an effort. I can't wait to see you and everyone."

“Does that include Michail? He looked so sad when I told him you would not be here tonight.”

A slow smile crept over Liberty’s face.

“He looks sad?”

Elle laughed, “You’re clearly not about that.”

“Did he dance with any other girls?”

“Just one.”

“Who?”

Elle’s smile widened.

“Only me, when he could pull me away from Nico, all he talked about was you. He really likes you Libby.”

“You think so?”

“I know so, and he can’t wait to see you tomorrow and neither can I.”

“Neither can I!”

[alj4890]

A Slight Detour

(Liam x Riley) in a Choices The Royal Romance one shot as requested by @twinkleallnight

@twinkleallnight sent me the above image for inspiration. How cute is that little figurine?! Hope you get to feeling better soon!

Taken from Book 2 of The Royal Romance

Masterlist

**********

Paris...

"I think we should plan on meeting with the Prime Minister," Madeleine studied the latest itinerary, "and with the Foreign Minister."

She grimaced at their already tight schedule for the next couple of weeks.

"Perhaps we could do a luncheon before we leave for Shanghai."

She glanced up at the silent man beside her and waited on his approval.

Liam had his chin propped up on his fist as he watched the streets of Paris go by in a blur. His mind was nowhere near where a newly crowned king's should be. He instead was stuck in a daydream of what this engagement tour could be like if he'd been free to choose the woman he wanted.

His lips slightly curved at the thought. He knew that meeting with Heads of State would have taken a backseat if Riley was his fiancee. He'd have ignored his duty to show her just how romantic Paris can be if one was with the perfect person.

How had he been so fortunate to find the one meant for him and yet equally as unfortunate to be denied her?

"Your majesty?" Madeleine said a bit louder.

Liam jumped over hearing the slight shrill sound of her irritated voice.

"Pardon me." He mumbled. "Did you say something?"

Madeleine huffed before launching into another round of reminding him of his duty.

"Does that change in schedule agree with you?" She prompted when he remained silent.

"Yes, of course." He responded.

Liam knew there was little else he could say. He might be king with all the power that came with it, but he knew it was nothing more than an illusion. No one was more tightly bound with little say in anything than he was.

Madeleine eyed him silently after adding their latest event.

"Is something wrong?" She asked.

Liam blinked. He couldn't recall her ever caring what type of mood he was in. He must be more despondent than usual if Madeleine noticed.

"Nothing to concern yourself over." He told her.

Madeleine rolled her eyes. One look at his face was all she needed to see he was thinking of Riley. He was the kind of man who probably expected the City of Love to truly be that very thing. It was foolish to think such in her opinion, but she supposed she could be magnanimous to the less fortunate.

"You have some free time after the fashion show." She pointed out. "Why don't you invite Riley to spend the evening with you?"

Liam's startled gaze flew to her face. "What?"

"I said, why don't you invite--"

"I heard that part." Liam interrupted. "I'm merely shocked that you would suggest such a thing."

"You hid your little rendezvous in Venice, quite well." She complimented. "I trust you to do the same here in Paris."

He knew that was all she asked of him.

"Don't embarrass me", Madeleine pleaded on the night of their engagement. "As long as you keep your affairs out of the news, I will not care who or what you do."

It felt odd. He didn't care one bit for Madeleine, but to still have one's fiancee give her blessing, even help set time for his dates, it was weird to say the very least.

Liam lowered the privacy barrier to speak to their driver.

"Pull over, please."

The moment the car paused at the next corner, Liam got out.

"Where are you going?!" Madeleine demanded.

"I need to clear my head." He told her.

"But the fashion show!" She shrieked. "It's being held specifically for us and Cordonia!"

"I'll be there." He promised.

Liam mentally groaned when Bastien stepped out to follow him.

"There's no need for you to come along." He argued.

Bastien, ever stoic, shook his head.

"Forgive me sir, but there is. You're not about to walk down the street alone when--"

"As king," Liam bit out, "I order you back in the car."

"Your majesty, I must insist--"

"Now." Liam told him.

Bastien sighed. He stepped closer to whisper, "You should be fine, just please pay attention to your surroundings."

"Thank you." Liam responded. "I need some time alone."

"I understand, sir." Bastien bowed before returning to the car.

Liam watched the procession continue on without him.

He took a deep breath, glanced about, and began walking down the sidewalk.

I wish Riley was--

"Liam!"

He turned about with a start.

Riley jogged over, pausing before him to bend over and catch her breath.

"My lady!" He exclaimed, bending down so he could see her face. "What are you doing out here?"

"I saw you get out and I decided to follow." She panted.

He shook his head, his first genuine smile forming.

"I'm fine," she wheezed when he gently touched her back in concern, "just very, very out of shape."

He chuckled, causing her smile to appear in hearing such a sound.

"What are you doing?" She asked, once she could speak without wheezing.

"Walking." He held his arm out to her. "Care to join me?"

Her smile widened as she linked her arm with his.

"I gathered that." She replied. "But where are you going?"

"Nowhere in particular." He told her with a slight shrug of his shoulders. "I simply was tired of being King Liam."

"Hmm." Riley paused mid step. She let go of his arm, moved directly in his path, and studied him.

Liam cocked an eyebrow in response.

Her eyes sparkled as she took in the handsome man before her. Her tender smile caught his attention as he waited to see what she would do next.

"And just who do you wish to be right now?" She asked.

Slipping his hands into his pockets, Liam bashfully ducked his head as he gave voice to what he wished.

"I want to be the man who can go out with the woman he loves."

He lifted his bright, blue eyes to Riley.

"I want to show you all the spots I dreamed of taking the person," he stepped closer to cup her cheek, "who would become my heart."

He pressed his forehead against hers.

"You, my love, are now the very thing I find myself wishing for everywhere I go."

Unable to resist him a second longer, Riley looped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Liam clutched her close to deepen the kiss. He felt his spirits lift that he was finally able to share a kiss with the love of his life on the very streets he used to daydream doing so.

"I love you." She whispered, kissing him once more.

"I love you," he hugged her close, "so very much, Riley."

She grinned, taking his hand in hers. "So? Where should we go first?"

"Anywhere." He laced his fingers with hers. "Any place we go will be all the better with you by my side."

"You're going to have to stop that." Riley playfully warned. "We'll never leave this spot if you keep saying such sweet things to me."

"Would that be so terrible?" He asked, gently pulling her close once more. "I could happily remain here for all eternity if it meant I could be with you."

"Liam." She sighed. "What am I to do with you?"

"I can think of a great many things." He winked at her, feeling lighthearted for the first time in a long while.

She laughed and began to pull him down the street. "I'm almost tempted to demand you tell me some of those."

"Almost, hmm?" Liam smiled at her. "I suppose I will have to do all I can to tempt you even more."

"You are enough temptation as it is." She teased. "A girl can only handle so much before she tries to find some dark, hidden nook to pull Prince Charming in."

Liam stopped her. She watched as he began to scan their surroundings.

"What are you doing now?" She asked.

"Looking for a dark, hidden nook."

Her burst of laughter brought him such joy. This was what he needed. No stress of saying the right thing to the right people. No keeping a neutral expression on his face. No pretending to be the happy fiance of another woman.

He needed moments like this with Riley. He wanted to flirt with and touch the woman treating him like any normal man she would have met in a bar.

"Oh look!" She exclaimed, dragging him over to a shop's window.

Liam took in the many different figurines in the window. An entire miniature village was set off in the distance while little figures of people and animals were displayed to show life along the French countryside.

"I've always loved miniatures." Riley said softly. "My grandparents collected all kinds of them. I used to play with them when I was little."

She chuckled over the childhood memories that flooded her mind. As a little girl, she created a world of daydreams with the ceramic and metal figures.

"Would you like to go in?" He asked.

"Can we?" She asked. "I know we eventually have to go to the fashion show."

Liam glanced at his watch. Time was getting away from him. He knew the event hall was only five blocks away, but he did have interviews and such to contend with, especially since the entire show was for Cordonia's benefit.

His lips firmed into a thin line. He was not going to let any of that dictate this rare moment alone with Riley.

Opening the shop's door, he stepped back so Riley could go in first.

There was no hiding her excitement in exploring this place. Taking Liam's hand once more, she dragged him from one glass case to another, pointing out ones similar to the many she'd grown up with.

Liam indulged her, listening as intently as one possibly could. His tender smile remained upon her as she laughed and shared her secret stories she'd once created. He found himself falling even more for this unexpected side of Riley.

As they admired the craftsmanship of a set of tin soldiers, Liam's attention was drawn towards a little ceramic figure.

The groom was carrying his bride in his arms while she was kissing his cheek.

He felt his heart sink for the first time since Riley joined him on this little excursion. His future was racing towards a wedding, one he couldn't quite fathom happening. The little bride had blonde hair, much like Madeleine's.

I can never have that smile around Madeleine, he thought. I can't have that be my life.

Riley followed his gaze when she felt him tense up beside her. She knew, just by his somber expression that he was thinking of Madeleine.

Slipping her arms around his waist, she hugged him from the side.

"I'd like to think that could be us one day." She admitted.

Liam wrapped his arm around her shoulders, squeezing her close. "You do?"

Riley nodded, forcing a smile for his sake. She didn't want to let him know how worried she was that she would fail in finding a way for them to be together. He already had so much pressure as it was upon him. She couldn't add her own.

She reached over and lifted the figurine to study it closer. Unshed tears filled her eyes.

"I think I'm going to buy this." She decided. "For us."

"Us?" He took it from her. "The bride would need dark hair to be you."

"Or I could color mine." She reminded him.

Liam ran his fingers through her silky, black hair.

"I'm rather fond of this color." He said softly.

She playfully poked his side. "You better be."

He laughed then placed a lingering kiss on her forehead.

"I still think this is us." Riley declared. "Look at how happy they are."

She lifted her eyes to his. "I know I'm this way around you."

"And I with you." Liam murmured.

Riley reached for the figurine, eyes widening when Liam kept it out of her reach.

"I want to buy that." She told him.

"And I want to buy it for you, my love." He insisted. "For us."

"But, I--"

"Allow me, please." He pleaded.

Riley studied him for a few seconds. She could tell he needed this reminder as much as she did that they would find their way to their own happily ever after.

"Okay." She said softly. "Thank you, Liam."

The two walked quietly, both in deep thought, towards the venue once their purchase was complete.

"Riley?" Liam stopped her before they needed to revert to their current roles.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to go out with me this evening?"

"You know I would." She hesitated at the side door. "Where could we go?"

"Somewhere where we can enjoy Paris and be alone." He explained.

"I'd love that." She took the little box from him. "I'll hold on to this for us."

Glancing about to make sure no one was near, she pressed a tender kiss to his lips.

"I'll see you tonight." She whispered.

Once she disappeared, he looked up, trying to summon the will to be King Liam of Cordonia once more.

It was hard to find the strength to do so. All he wanted, was to continue this slight detour from his life. Was that asking for the impossible?

He glanced at the Eiffel Tower in the distance. He quickly called Bastien to set up a private tour for this evening. The place was meant for romance and he intended to take complete advantage of it.

But that would have to wait.

Squaring his shoulders, he entered into the venue. The moment he stepped inside, he was bombarded by his security team, nobles, and reporters.

He reminded himself that if he could get through these next couple of hours, he would be rewarded with an evening being simply Liam. No demands. No one expecting him to say the right things at the right time. No more pretending.

He was determined to have all that and more with Riley.

He would do everything within his power to make that little figurine a reality for them soon.

[sfb123]

Leaping to Conclusions

Pairing: Liam x Riley

All characters belong to Pixelberry

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

Rating: PG, Adult Language

Word Count: 1,395

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I like history.” He shrugged. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Riley might be pregnant,” he answered.

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

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

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

“We would do anything for eachother.” 

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

“How did you do that?” Liam marveled. 

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

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

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

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

“Love, what’s wrong?” 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Permatag:

@3pawandme @alj4890 @busywoman @charlotteg234 @cordonia-gothqueen @cordoniaqueensworld @differenttyphoonwerewolf @emkay512 @foreverethereal123 @hopelessromanticmonie @iaminlovewithtrr @imashybish @kat-tia801 @kingliam2019 @malblk21 @mom2000aggie @neotericthemis @nestledonthaveone @queen-arabella-of-cordonia @secretaryunpaid @sincerelyella @theroyalheirshadowhunter @tessa-liam @twinkleallnight @txemrn

Liam:

@amandablink @custaroonie @jared2612

TRR:

@21-wishes @ao719 @belencha77 @burnsoslow @lovingchoices14 @the0afnan

@choicesficwriterscreations @choicesflashfics

[fadingreveries]

The Royal Romance, Bk1 Ch2: Welcome to Cordonia (Pt. 2)

Click here for the TRR retelling series masterlist for more chapters! 🏰

Story Summary: In this novel-style retelling of TRR, beloved scenes with original commentary from the Choices stories including your favourite group of royals and friends will be expanded upon. Contains extended commentary and scenes from the original story, in-depth descriptions of bonus scenes, and premium choices and outfits.

Chapter Synopsis: Riley travels to Cordonia, but what will await her there?

Word Count: 1.6k

Disclaimer: All rights to original commentary, scenes, and characters from The Royal Romance series reserved to Choices and Pixelberry Studios. No copyright infringement intended.

~ ~ ~

One car ride later, Riley stepped out onto the grounds of the Royal Palace and lugged her suitcase behind her. She walked towards an oyster-coloured cast stone fountain, running her hand over the smooth edges of the basin and admiring the crystal clear blue water flowing down from its tiers.

Riley craned her neck up to view the palace in all its entirety with its bright pops of colour in yellow, blue, white and turquoise combined with a modern architectural flare to it. She admired the fine columns and pilasters that supported the castle with an abundance of archways leading to grand mahogany doors. The entrance of the palace was surrounded by short-trimmed hedges and small carefully-pruned arborvitae trees with shrubs of pink, red, and orange roses scattered in between them. 

Overwhelmed with excitement at all there was to see, she couldn’t help but let out a shriek of joy and jump a little in her spot. Here she was, starting a new chapter of her life in Cordonia. The palace was a grand attraction in itself, but it only reminded her of how much more she had yet to discover in the country.

All the places she could see, the people she could meet, the food she could taste. It was all very promising and it was only the beginning.

“Ever seen a kid in a candy store? Because I see one right in front of us,” Drake dryly commented, crossing his arms over his chest. 

It wasn’t like it was far from the truth, anyway. He and Maxwell had barely gotten out of the car before she rushed away from them to explore everything in awe. Riley’s mouth hung slightly open at almost everything she laid eyes on and he could almost hear her audibly gasp from several feet away. 

The royal palace was nice and all, but it wasn’t that nice compared to other things around them deserving more appreciation. The waves of the river lapping onto damp rock beds. The birds chirping high in the dense brush of the trees in the early morning. The sound of crickets with the stars glimmering in the night sky. 

He couldn’t help but roll his eyes just watching Riley, not really understanding what it was about her that made him irritated. He almost half-expected her to pull out her phone and take ten photos per second to obnoxiously post for people to mindlessly gush over on social media. Or whatever it was that American tourists did. 

Drake wondered how long it would be before Riley saw things around the palace as they really were. How not everything was sunshine and rainbows, no matter how much she probably thought it was gonna be based on their plane ride over to Cordonia. There was no way someone could be that naive and dumbstruck just over a castle. 

Maxwell shook his head, a small laugh coming out of him in amusement of how excited Riley looked. It was nice to have someone around who matched his enthusiasm for both simple and fancy things. “I like Riley. She’s not afraid to show how much things mean to her. Don’t forget, you looked exactly like her the first time you realized just how big the palace was.”

It wasn’t a memory he knew like the back of his mind, but Drake did know it better than he would have liked to. He, Liam, and Maxwell were around seven-years-old when Liam had rushed to meet the two of them at the palace doors with an air of contagious excitement. 

During some downtime from his time-consuming lessons as the Crown Prince, Leo had shown his little brother around the castle around halls and corridors he had never been to. As amazed as he was with his older brother knowing all the best spots of their home, Liam wanted to share his wonderful gift with his two closest friends. 

There was a close resemblance between Riley’s fascination with Cordonia’s surroundings and Drake’s intrigue to the hidden spots in the royal palace. Without a doubt, he was the most awestruck out of the three of them that day as his mouth hung open at every new glamorous room they walked into. 

He remembered hanging on to Liam’s every word, who tried to replicate the ground-breaking tour for him and Maxwell as best as he could from the notes he had written of Leo’s most exciting points. Drake could almost picture smoothing his hand over the statues and displays that the three boys encountered, with Liam leading the way and Maxwell dragging him by the arm towards the next stop. 

He whispered to himself in wonder over how he was standing right in the middle of witnessing Cordonia’s past and being a part of its present at the same time. 

How wrong was he? Drake almost felt sorry for his younger self for the way the truth came spilling out over the years. He saw a piece of himself in Riley being innocently pulled into the charm of the royal kingdom. But he wasn’t sorry enough to push away the biased feelings he had against her. 

“No, I wasn’t,” Drake defensively denied, avoiding eye contact although he hated the fact that Maxwell was right. “And we’re not talking about me here. I’ve never doubted that things here at court are too good to be true. Her? She’s too clueless to know that this kind of thing never works out in real life.”

 “Man, give her a break. Riley hasn’t even been around us for even a day and your Drakey downer side is already showing,” Maxwell remarked, with a hint of a teasing tone as he knowingly raised his eyebrows. 

“Stop calling me that,” Drake huffed, though it didn’t bother him as much as it used to when he was younger. “I’m just saying this isn’t gonna work. This isn’t a ditzy reality TV show where she can charm her way without any common sense to win the prize of a publicly-adored bachelor.”

Well, when he put it that way… Not being able to help himself, Maxwell snickered. “I mean… I’d say it is pretty close to being one.”

Drake gave him a hard look, his defensive pose unwavering. “I’m not in the mood to compare Liam and his crowd of flashy suitors to those reality shows that I know you secretly binge when we’re not around.”

Eyebrows furrowing in confusion, Maxwell squinted his eyes suspiciously at him. “But you watched the entire season finale of The Bachelorette two weeks ago with me. And the season premiere of The Bachelor last week.”

With blank faces, the two boys stared at each other. Neither of them was willing to elaborate any further. And honestly, neither of them wanted to.

“Why are we talking about me all of a sudden?” Drake blurted out, finally breaking the silence between them. “I bet this is you stalling because you can’t give me one good reason that this’ll work out.”

“I just have a good feeling about Liam and Riley, okay? Call it intuition or my psychic abilities. They’ve never steered me wrong with all my best decisions!” Maxwell cheerfully explained, pointing his finger to his temple to imply his very gifted mind. His mother always reminded him that he had a very special intellect and he was never going to let anyone else tell him otherwise. 

Drake decided he didn’t have the energy to continue this conversation with him. He couldn’t wait until he could get out of there and stay far away from court as much as possible during the social season. So, all he said was, “We’ll see.”

The two boys made their way over towards Riley, who had spun around with her wide grin still present on her face. Maxwell felt relieved that most of her initial nerves had vanished completely. He was already formulating a plan to tour her around the palace so that she could familiarize herself to her surroundings. Drake, on the other hand, had to fight himself to suppress another eyeroll and a shake of his head once again. 

“Welcome to your home for the next few months, Riley,” Maxwell cheerfully began, his arms stretched out wide. 

With disbelief and pure amazement, Riley couldn’t help but laugh and excitedly grip her suitcase handle even tighter. “This is where I’m staying? I didn’t realize I’d be living in the palace!”

“Most of the nobility live here while the social season is underway,” Maxwell explained, still smiling at Riley’s enthusiasm. “Including all the ladies vying for Liam’s hand.”

“Yeah, living under one roof just makes it easier to attend the rose ceremony later,” Drake wryly remarked, gazing up at the castle. 

Why all the ladies had to stay at the same place together was beyond his knowledge, but it was something he didn’t want to know. To him, it seemed creepy to have a bunch of girls living 24/7 in his own home as a pressuring reminder not to screw up his life and his kingdom’s fate.

Not that he had this particular problem to worry about. Which was fine by him. The less problems in his life, the better. 

The Drakey downer was striking again. Shaking his head with a good-natured guffaw, Maxwell rolled his eyes. “Drake’s just kidding… at least about the roses. Anyway, I’ll show you to your room, Riley.”

“This is my cue to take off. See you around… if you’re lucky,” Drake gruffly mumbled, before walking away towards the palace gates into the direction of the capital plaza. 

Luck was hard to come by sometimes. And knowing what little he knew about Riley in the small amount of time he’d come to know her, she needed all the luck she could get.

~ ~ ~

Click here for the TRR retelling series masterlist for more chapters! 🏰

Tag list: @kingliam2019 @princess-geek @karahalloway @twinkleallnight @tinkie1973 @tessa-liam

[angelasscribbles]

Unexpected Chapter 12: The Beginning

Series: Unexpected

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Pairings: Maxwell x Riley x Liam x Hana

Rating: MA

Warnings: None for this chapter

Word Count: 2,351

A/N: This is it, the final chapter. But there will likely be at least one follow-up because there's still so much to explore in this universe. I might even do a spin-off series at some point. We'll see. If anyone has requests/questions for this series, please send them.

My other stuff: Master List.

“I choose….. Lady Hana Lee!”

Surprised murmurs broke out through the crowd, followed swiftly by applause.

Riley watched happily from the audience as her girlfriend climbed the stage to get engaged to the new king. She ignored the whispers and sidelong glances of the rest of the court.

Everyone had expected it to be her. In the last week, she and Liam had done very little to hide their relationship. They had been spotted coming out of the hedge maze hand in hand earlier that very night, leaves in their hair, faces flushed.

She smiled as she slid her arm through Max’s. Her gaze darted around the ballroom until she found Bertrand. He looked like he’d been slapped as he stood with his glass of champagne, mouth hanging open, eyes wide, and face pale. She felt a ping of sharp satisfaction as she watched his face slowly go from white to red with indignation.

“Come.” She tugged on Max’s arm. “Let’s go congratulate the happy couple.”

When it was their turn in the receiving line, Riley hugged the new king and queen tightly, happily, kissing each one quickly on the lips, and delighting in the shocked gasps from onlookers.

Liam entwined his hand with Hana’s as they watched her walk away and whispered to his new partner in crime, “What are we going to do with her, my queen?”

Hana shivered slightly. “Unspeakable things, I hope.”

Hana had been heartbroken when Riley first told her about her relationship with Liam and Max. But when the object of her affection had proposed a unique solution that positioned her as queen and gave her full access to exploring a relationship with both the woman she loved and the man at her side, a man she liked, respected, and was attracted to, she had for once in her life chosen the path of the unknown, of adventure, of jumping off the cliff with blind faith that things would work out. She had jumped, and it was exhilarating. The public assumed her flushed face and sparkling eyes were because of Liam. Let them. That was according to plan.

Riley’s appointment as Duchess of Valtoria would be announced within the week.

Liam had been clear with all involved that he would not hide his relationship with Riley. Royal marriages were political and there was no reason to pretend otherwise. He had promised Hana that he would treat her with dignity and respect. He would not publicize their agreement, but he also refused to treat Riley as a dirty secret. They would be reasonably discreet, but if they were photographed together, there would be no denials. A simple no comment would be the only response.

The engagement tour was scheduled, the wedding day was chosen, and the honeymoon would be at an undisclosed location due to security concerns.

The undisclosed location would be Valtoria. The press would be sent on a wild goose chase to Aruba.

A full investigation had been opened into the sabotage scheme and Bertrand’s name had been removed from consideration for the vacant council seat.

Riley and Max made their way through the crowd, only to be intercepted by Bertrand. He was livid. “What just happened?”

Riley tightened her grip on Max’s arms as she smiled serenely. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, two days ago your things were moved from Ramsford and your room at the palace into the suite next to Liam’s! What changed since then?”

“Nothing.” She grabbed a champagne flute from a passing server.

“Then why aren’t you engaged?”

“Oh, I am.” Her smile turned malicious as she held her left hand up for inspection. An enormous pear-cut diamond surrounded by a cluster of smaller diamonds sparkled on her ring finger. “I’m going to be your sister-in-law. You should congratulate us.”

Bertrand’s face darkened. “I warned you what would happen if your little dalliance with my brother ruined our chances at the crown. I will disinherit him, and I will personally ensure that your visitor’s visa is revoked!”

“You’ll do no such thing.”

Bertrand spun toward the voice. “Your Majesty! I was just—”

“I know what you were doing.” Liam’s face betrayed no hint of emotion as he reached his hand out toward Riley. She took it and stepped up to his side. “And while I can’t stop you from disinheriting your brother, I can promise you that Duchess Riley’s citizenship has been fast-tracked and cannot be revoked by anyone other than myself.”

Bertrand blanched. “Duchess Riley?”

“Oh, I meant to tell you!” Riley said with exaggerated sweetness. “Liam gave me Valtoria. So once Max and I are married, he’ll be a duke like you! He doesn’t need your money anymore and neither do I. Hm. Maybe I’ll talk to Liam about giving him that council seat you wanted.”

Bertrand paled even more as he tracked Liam’s face for some sign she was lying and found none.

Without removing his eyes from Bertrand, Liam handed the woman at his side back to Max. “Why don’t you take your fiancée to dance? I’ll be there shortly to cut in.”

Riley blew a kiss to Bertrand as she followed Max to the dance floor. “Ta!”

Liam fixed Bertrand with a steely glare. “I understand you’re disappointed that House Beaumont’s sponsee wasn’t chosen as queen, but the same can be said of every other noble house here tonight. Regardless of official titles, the duchess remains very dear to me. Slights to her will not be tolerated. Any offense against her is an offense against the crown as far as I am concerned. I hope that clarifies things for you.”

“I understand Your Majesty. I apologize. I mean no offense.”

Liam gave him a curt nod before striding out onto the dance floor.

“Are you okay?” Riley asked Max as she watched Liam approach.

“I will be. I just…need a word with my brother.”

“Good luck.”

Riley went from her fiancée’s arms to her lover. She grinned up at him. “Aren’t you worried that dancing with another woman thirty minutes after getting engaged will cause a scandal?”

He returned her grin. “Let it.”

“Oh, reckless! Are you a bad boy now?”

“Hardly!” He laughed. “You know there’s no way in hell I can give Max a council seat with his very questionable background, right?”

“Good Lord, no!” She tilted her head back and joined his laughter. “He would be terrible at it! I was just fucking with Bert.”

Liam pulled her closer to him with a chuckle. “I’ll bet he loves it when you call him that.”

“Why do you think I do it?”

While Liam twirled Riley around the dance floor, Max approached his brother with a storm raging in his eyes. “I can’t believe you want to disinherit me.”

“Oh, what difference does it make?” Bertrand scowled at him. “Valtoria is one of the wealthiest duchies in the country. You’ll be fine.”

“It’s not about the money!” Max cried in distress. “Don’t you want to be my brother anymore? Don’t you love me?”

“You think I don’t love you?” Bertrand spluttered. “Why else do you think I’ve bailed you out of your messes time after time?”

“I don’t know. To protect the family name, I assume.”

“That’s what you think of me?”

Max gave him a baleful look. “You knew Riley liked me and you didn’t tell me. You yell at me all the time. You care more about your reputation than my happiness.”

Bertrand straightened his suit jacket with a sharp tug. “One of us has to consider our reputation. Heaven knows it’s not you.”

Max scuffed the toe of his shoe on the ballroom floor as he considered that. “You know what? You’re right. I’ve done a lot of stupid shit in the past, and you’ve always come along and cleaned up behind me.”

“What are you getting at?” Bertrand sneered.

Max’s trademark devil-may-care smile replaced the gloomy expression he’d started with. He clapped his brother on the back. “You’ve always been there for me before. I forgive you for trying to keep me and Riley apart.”

Bertrand gaped at him. “You forgive me?!”

“Yeah. I forgive you. All’s well that ends well, right?”

After all, he had ended up with the girl. He, Maxwell Beaumont, had gotten the girl. And not just any girl. The girl. The most perfect woman he’d ever met.

His competition had been a literal prince and somehow, inexplicably, that was his ring on her finger. He didn’t pretend to understand how it had all happened. He had just paid for the ring like she told him to.

Bertrand shook his head as his eyes tracked from Riley and Liam canoodling on the dance floor, back to the sappy grin on Maxwell’s face. “Are you stupid? You’re really going to marry her and just look the other way while she continues to fuck the king?”

Much to Bertrand’s astonishment, Max’s smile got even bigger. “Oh, I’m hoping to watch. Maybe even join.”

He’d do whatever, and whoever, she instructed him to. Her, Hana, Liam. He just wanted to be included.

“I…. that…. You know what? The two of you degenerates deserve each other!”

Max, who was also watching Liam and Riley on the dance floor, heaved a dreamy sigh. “I know. Thank you.”

Bertrand went to find his driver. Max was Riley’s problem now.

Riley stayed occupied most of the night between Liam, Max, and Hana, but the moment she was alone at the refreshment table, Madeleine swooped in on her. “How does it feel to be tossed over for your little bestie?”

Riley turned slowly to take in the other woman’s haughty expression. She repaid the jab with a shrug. “No one was tossed over, Mads. And if you’re asking how I feel about Hana being queen, the answer is great! She’ll be good at it. She’s smart, charming, and diplomatic.”

The blonde’s brows drew together in confusion. “It doesn’t bother you that he’s marrying someone else?”

“No.”

“No?”

Riley shook her head emphatically. “I never cared about being queen, Madeleine. Unlike you, my interest in Liam is personal, not political.”

“Yes. But he just got engaged to another woman!” Madeleine was becoming increasingly annoyed at her failure to get a rise out of the strumpet who had been the bane of her existence for the last three months.

Riley followed Madeleine’s eyes to where Liam was chatting with his parents, his arm wrapped around Hana. Her face brightened as she stepped closer to Madeleine and lowered her voice. “And what a woman she is, right?”

Madeleine blinked. “What?”

“Come on,” Riley smirked. “I’ve seen how you look at her.”

Madeleine’s face mottled as red blotches marred the milky whiteness of her complexion. “I have no idea what you’re babbling about.”

“Sure you don’t.” Riley stepped away with a smile. Turning her back, she plucked a strawberry from a serving platter. “You know, you sycophants all treat the crown like some sort of prize.”

“What else would it be?”

Riley lifted the fruit to her lips as she turned back to face the countess. “The crown, and all its obligations, have been nothing but an anchor around Liam’s neck. He’d be happier without it.”

“You’re so naïve.”

Riley slowly finished chewing as she eyed Madeleine up and down with a smirk. “Right. I’m the naïve one.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

With a sparkle in her eye, Riley leaned in close and purred, “It means that I got every damn thing that I wanted and none of the crap that I didn’t. I started the summer as a waitress. I finished it with a duchy, my own money, Liam, Hana, and Max. What did you get, again?”

“I…”

“Exactly.” Riley turned and walked away while Madeleine was still trying to form a coherent response.

She made it four steps before Max was next to her. Together, they found Liam and Hana as the festivities wound down and the guests began to trail out of the ballroom.

Liam turned to the other three. “Shall we retire to the royal wing?”

“And do what?” Hana felt both apprehension and excitement punch her in the stomach.

“Not that,” Liam assured her. Then, with a wicked grin, “Unless you want to.”

Hana’s eyes widened and her breath hitched a little. “I…”

Liam grasped her hand and gave it a little squeeze. “We have our entire lives to get comfortable with each other. We can go at whatever pace you’re comfortable with.”

“Just for the record,” Max interrupted, “I am comfortable with whatever pace you like, Your Majesty.”

Liam gave him a questioning look.

Max flushed. “I know about you and Carson. I’m not wrong that you like boys too, am I?”

Curiosity and interest flickered through Liam’s eyes at the offer. With a quick glance at Riley, he told Max, “We’ll take that slow as well.”

If he had to marry someone other than Riley, he couldn’t have done better than Hana. The burgeoning relationship between the two women circumvented all the awkwardness and anxiety Riley had understandably had about his marriage to another woman. And Hana would make a good queen. He was confident of that.

Max’s offer was intriguing, and the idea of sex with Hana wasn’t exactly off-putting. But Riley was the one who had his heart. With four people in the mix, there were a lot of moving parts and he wanted to proceed at a pace that would ensure plenty of time for everyone to process things as they went and minimize fallout from any potential landmines they hadn’t foreseen.

With a lot of intentional relationship-building and a little luck, they could make this unconventional arrangement work. Not just work but thrive. He was sure of it.

As the four of them made their way toward the royal wing, Max grasped Riley’s hand. Riley placed her other hand in Liam’s, and he, in turn, took Hana’s. He gave his new queen a reassuring smile then turned his gaze to Riley and Max as he told them all, “This is only the beginning, loves.”

~Fin

[belencha77]

CAP 43 - ENCUENTROS Y REVELACIONES

Horas después…

Siento que alguien toca mi puerta. Despierto sobresaltada y, al mirar la hora, veo que ya es media tarde. Me había tomado muy en serio el descanso. Me levanto con cierta pereza para ver quién es y descubro a Hana sonriéndome al otro lado con una expresión de preocupación.

|| ¡Amiga! ¿Cómo te fue con el descanso? Me imagino que el cambio de horario te afectó bastante ||

|| Un poco, pero a pesar de todo me fue perfecto || respondo con una sonrisa, mientras suelto un pequeño bostezo || De hecho, siento que he recuperado casi por completo mi energía. ¿Y tú? ¿Cómo has estado? ¿Aprovechaste estas horas con Maxwell? ||

Hana se sonroja, su mirada se vuelve un poco más seria.

|| Bueno... sí, no puedo negar que aproveché el tiempo con él || confiesa, riéndose nerviosamente y con un toque de picardía || Pero no puedo evitar preocuparme. Espero que mis padres puedan ver lo maravilloso que es Max. Tengo un miedo profundo de que no lo acepten. Sé que lo investigaron y no tienen una buena impresión de él debido a su pasado. Conocen sus excesos y errores, y temen que esos aspectos negativos aún lo definan ||

|| ¿En serio lo investigaron? || pregunto, sintiendo una mezcla de sorpresa y preocupación.

|| Así es, amiga... Lo hicieron. Quisieron conocer el historial de todos los nobles y caballeros de Cordonia. Querían saber qué me esperaba allá si no lograba casarme con Liam || explica Hana, con un tono de frustración.¡Cielos! Pienso para mis adentros, sorprendida por la intensidad de la situación.

|| Bueno, ellos están buscando a un hombre noble que se case contigo, ¿verdad? Max es un noble. Puede que no tenga el título de Duque como Bertrand, pero no creo que las cosas de su pasado deban afectar su presente. ¿Ya decidiste avisarles que estás con él? ||

|| Sí, estoy decidida a hablar con ellos. De hecho, ya lo conversé con Max, pero se puso más nervioso de lo que estaba al llegar, él piensa que es lo mejor. También decidió avisarle a Bertrand, aunque no ha sabido nada de él en muchos días || Hana toma mis manos con una mezcla de emoción y determinación || Riley, ya no quiero esperar más. Me cansé de esta farsa. No me importa lo que diga Madeleine, y si ella no me desea en su corte, pues no me importa. De todas maneras, me quedaré y te apoyaré en todo. Tengo mucha esperanza de que pronto limpiarás tu nombre, amiga ||

|| ¡Gracias, Hana! || exclamo, abrazándola fuertemente || Yo también tengo la esperanza de que así será, pero sobre todo estoy muy feliz por tu decisión y, por supuesto, por los dos. Ten en cuenta que, si necesitas mi apoyo para lo que sea, lo tienes. Estoy tan feliz de que por fin estén luchando por el amor que nació entre ustedes ||

|| Gracias, Riley. Gracias por siempre haber sido la que me empujó y animó para esto. Si no fuera por ti, nunca hubiera dejado entrar a Max en mi corazón || Me dice con una gran sonrisa.

|| Hana, cuando dos corazones están destinados a estar juntos, a pesar de los vientos y las mareas, terminan unidos || digo, mientras un suspiro escapa de mis labios. Ojalá pudiera sentir lo mismo. Ya no quiero más tormentas entre Liam y yo. Honestamente, espero que, al hablar con Constantino, todo esto se resuelva y limpie de una vez por todas mi nombre. Sin darme cuenta, pequeñas lágrimas de desesperación y ansiedad comienzan a brotar de mis ojos. Hana me observa y me abraza con ternura.

|| Amiga, muy pronto tendrás la solución que necesitas. Solo mantén la esperanza || me dice, sonriendo y tratando de animarme.

|| Sí, al fin y al cabo, la esperanza es lo último que se pierde, ¿no? || respondo, separándome lentamente de Hana y limpiando las pocas lágrimas de mis mejillas con una leve sonrisa || Bueno, cambiando de tema radicalmente tengo que decir que Shanghái es realmente impresionante. La ciudad brilla con una mezcla fascinante de modernidad y tradición que la hace única. Las luces de los rascacielos reflejan un mosaico de colores en el río Huangpu, mientras que las calles más antiguas, con sus edificios de estilo colonial y sus mercados bulliciosos, cuentan historias del pasado ||

|| Gracias. Shanghái es precioso. Mis padres y yo amamos vivir aquí. Estoy tan emocionada de presentarte a mi papá, Riley || responde Hana, con una sonrisa orgullosa.

|| Hablando de eso... ¿crees que él tenga un buen concepto de mí? Si investigaron a Maxwell, lo más probable es que también lo hayan hecho conmigo ||

|| Sinceramente, mi padre ha tenido ciertos prejuicios hacia ti desde que todo este lío comenzó. Pero lo único que espero es que, al conocerte, esos sentimientos cambien por completo || expresa Hana, con una mezcla de preocupación y esperanza en su voz.

|| Espero de verdad que cambie su opinión al conocerme. No quiero que piense que soy una mala influencia para ti || respondo, con un nudo en la garganta.

|| Nunca podrías ser una mala influencia, Riley. Lo que más deseo es que mi padre conozca a mi mejor amiga y vea lo que yo veo en ti: una mujer increíblemente inteligente, bondadosa, considerada y divertida. Puede que haya conocido a muchas mujeres nobles, pero estoy segura de que ninguna es como tú || dice Hana con una sinceridad que me llena de emoción.

|| Hana, qué palabras tan hermosas || digo, conmovida, mientras la abrazo con fuerza || Me alegra tanto tener tu apoyo. Entonces, ¿cuáles son los planes para hoy? ||

|| Para las cuatro de la tarde tenemos programado un tour por la Reserva Natural de Chongming Dongtan. La familia real y la corte están invitadas, y mi padre está más que emocionado por el evento. Después, iremos a la cena. Tenemos tiempo para prepararnos, pero antes, ¿qué te parece si almorzamos juntas? Maxwell nos está esperando en el restaurante del hotel ||

|| Claro, me encantaría || respondo, sintiendo una calidez en el corazón.

**

Los tres disfrutamos de una deliciosa comida, pero al mirar mi reloj, noté que ya eran alrededor de las tres de la tarde. Era el momento de prepararnos para el tour en la reserva natural.

|| Chicos, he disfrutado mucho comer y conversar con ustedes, pero creo que es hora de que nos alistemos || digo con calma mientras Maxwell consulta su reloj.

|| ¡Santo cielo! Tienes razón, mi flor. Me he perdido por completo en el tiempo. No podemos llegar tarde || responde Maxwell, saltando de su asiento con ansiedad || Iré a mi habitación para traerte el atuendo que Justin me dio para ti || Dirige una mirada angustiada a Hana || ¿Nos vemos luego, nena? Necesito ir a ver el vestido ||

|| Si quieres, te acompaño. Puedo ayudarte || ofrece Hana con entusiasmo.

|| ¡Perfecto! || responde Maxwell || Llamaré a Sara para que vaya de inmediato a tu habitación. Supongo que su almuerzo con Drake ya ha terminado ||

Maxwell menciona esto mientras Hana y yo intercambiamos miradas sorprendidas. No puedo evitar pensar en cómo Drake parece estar tomando el asunto con Sara muy en serio. Aunque sé que no debería afectarme, siento un leve destello de celos. Me sorprende que, a pesar de mi decisión de seguir adelante, no puedo evitar sentirme un poco incómoda con la situación.

|| Está bien, entonces iré a mi habitación. Los espero allí || respondo, tratando de centrarme en lo que viene y no dejar que mis sentimientos me distraigan.

**

Minutos después de haber regresado a mi habitación, alguien comenzó a tocar la puerta. Al abrir, me encontré con Sara, quien me saludó con una gran sonrisa.

|| Hola, Riley. ¿Cómo estás? || pregunta con su sonrisa inmutable. Me sorprende la fuerza de sus emociones, y no puedo evitar preguntarme si mis celos hacia la situación entre Drake y Sara son ridículos. No tengo derecho a reclamarle a Drake ni a Sara, y él es libre de salir con quien quiera. ¿Serán celos de amiga? ¿Por qué rayos siento esta confusión? Me sacudo rápidamente estos pensamientos y trato de ofrecerle mi mejor sonrisa.

|| Hola, Sara, qué gusto verte || digo, haciéndome a un lado para dejarla pasar. Su sonrisa, radiante e inamovible, revela claramente que su felicidad está relacionada con “Drake Walker”.

|| Para hoy, tengo el peinado y maquillaje perfectos. Lord Maxwell me dijo que tenías que verte radiante, lo cual no es muy difícil, así que vine más que preparada || afirma Sara, con confianza.

|| Gracias por tus halagos. Confío plenamente en ti || le respondo, mientras ella comienza con el maquillaje. El proceso es rápido y eficiente, después de lo cual se enfoca en mi peinado. Sara me hace unos espectaculares bucles con una media cola recogiendo todo el cabello, añadiendo una hermosa trenza a los costados para unirlo todo. No puedo negar que las manos de esta mujer son mágicas.

Justo cuando Sara está a punto de terminar, Maxwell entra sin previo aviso, sosteniendo un hermoso vestido celeste pastel.

|| Tengo el vestido, mi flor || exclamó Maxwell, ansioso, mientras me miraba. Luego notó que no estaba sola || Mil disculpas, hola, Sara. ¿Cómo estás? Veo que has dejado a mi flor prácticamente lista || Sara le sonrió y realizó una pequeña reverencia || ¿Qué opinas, mi flor? ¿No te parece hermoso? ||

El vestido es una pieza delicada y elegante, ideal para la ocasión. Hecho de un suave tejido de gasa que fluye con gracia, tiene un corte en A que realza la figura sin ser demasiado ajustado, permitiendo movimiento y comodidad durante la visita a la reserva. Los detalles sutiles de encaje en el escote y los puños añaden un toque de sofisticación sin restarle funcionalidad.

|| Maxwell, es perfecto... No tengo palabras para describirlo || le digo, llena de emoción.

|| ¡Genial! Entonces ve y pruébatelo || responde con ansiedad.

|| Sara, ¿me ayudas? || pregunto, y ella me sonríe ampliamente. Ambas entramos en mi vestidor. Sara me asiste con el vestido de manera ágil y precisa. Primero, me pide que levante los brazos mientras ella desliza el vestido por mis hombros y lo ajusta en su lugar. Luego, cierra el zipper en la espalda y añade un cinturón fino para definir mi cintura. Ajusta el cinturón con precisión, para que realce mi figura sin apretar demasiado. Luego, se agacha para ayudarme con los zapatos. Me los coloca con delicadeza, asegurándose de que queden bien puestos. A continuación, Sara selecciona un collar delicado y elegante que complementa el vestido a la perfección. Es un collar de plata con un pequeño colgante de diamantes en forma de gota, que cuelga justo debajo del escote del vestido. La luz captura los destellos de los diamantes, aportando un brillo sutil que realza la elegancia del conjunto. Finalmente, se asegura de que todo esté en su sitio y me da un último vistazo para ajustar cualquier detalle. Al verme, toma de una caja de joyas una pulsera de perlas que Liam me regaló. Con cuidado, la coloca en mi muñeca, ajustándola para que complemente perfectamente el conjunto. El brillo suave de las perlas añade un toque de elegancia adicional que realza el atuendo. Mientras me veo en el espejo, admiro mi reflejo. No puedo creer que la mujer que está allí soy yo; cuánto he cambiado en este tiempo.

|| ¡Riley, te ves hermosa! ¡Como toda una princesa! || exclama Sara al mirarme. Antes de que pueda responder, Maxwell interrumpe con entusiasmo.

|| ¡Vamos, mi flor, necesito verte! ||

|| ¡Voy! || grito, y salgo rápidamente para que Maxwell me vea. Al verme, queda con la boca abierta || ¿Qué te parece? || pregunto, curiosa por su reacción.

|| Preciosa, mi flor, brillas como un diamante. No te imaginas lo orgulloso que estoy de verte en lo que te has convertido || dijo Maxwell, abrazándome con fuerza. Realmente quiero a Max como el hermano que nunca pude tener. Sin querer, unas lágrimas brotaron de mis ojos. Me separé de él, y Maxwell, con ternura, secó mis lágrimas.

|| Max, todo esto ha sido gracias a ti, a Bertrand, a Hana, y a tantas otras personas que me han ayudado... Gracias por todo. El vestido es perfecto || le agradezco mientras intento limpiar las lágrimas restantes y tomo una respiración profunda para controlar mis emociones || Muy bien, ¿nos vamos? || Pregunte y Maxwell asintió con entusiasmo.

|| ¡Claro que sí! Vámonos, que tenemos una tarde interesante por delante || exclamó Maxwell. En ese momento, Chance saltó a mis pies. Me agaché para recogerlo entre mis brazos; él también iba a acompañarnos.

|| Sí, mi pequeño, tú vienes conmigo. Sara, gracias por todo. Nos vemos luego || le dije a Sara, que asintió con una sonrisa.

Maxwell me dio una última mirada alentadora y, con una breve señal de cabeza hacia la puerta, indicó que era hora de partir. Salimos juntos hacia la reserva natural, listos para la emocionante tarde que nos esperaba.

**

Mientras nos acercábamos a la Reserva Natural de Chongming Dongtan en el auto privado, la ciudad comenzó a desvanecerse, reemplazada por un paisaje natural que parecía sacado de un sueño. Las calles de concreto dieron paso a caminos rodeados de vegetación exuberante y campos verdes que se extendían hasta el horizonte.

Cuando llegamos, la primera impresión que tuve fue la de un oasis de calma y belleza. La entrada principal estaba adornada con un elegante arco de madera tallada, decorado con intrincados detalles florales que se mezclaban perfectamente con el entorno natural. Sentí una oleada de tranquilidad al respirar el aire fresco y limpio, y el susurro del viento entre los árboles parecía susurrar promesas de un día perfecto. De pronto, mientras sigo admirando el lugar, noto cómo Hana y Maxwell se quedan detrás de mí conversando en voz baja. Supongo que deben estar hablando sobre el tan esperado y temido encuentro de Maxwell con el padre de Hana. Aunque Max hace su mejor esfuerzo por disimular, puedo ver el nerviosismo y la ansiedad en sus ojos, incluso si trata de negármelo.

Mientras camino, mi mente es un torbellino de pensamientos. Intento planear cómo abordar a Constantino, buscando las palabras adecuadas que podrían finalmente limpiar mi nombre. La ansiedad me oprime el pecho al pensar que, por fin, toda esta farsa podría llegar a su fin. Siento una mezcla de esperanza y temor que me consume por dentro.

De repente, Drake aparece de la nada y me sobresalta.

|| ¡Brown! || exclamó mientras sus ojos recorrieron mi apariencia de arriba abajo.

|| ¡Drake! Cielos, me asustaste || respondí, con el corazón latiendo a mil por hora.

|| ¡Lo lamento! No era mi intención asustarte… Por cierto, te ves muy hermosa || me dice Drake, mirándome con atención y haciendo que me ruborice un poco. ¡Maldición! Detesto este sentimiento que de repente me invade.

|| Gracias, Drake… Honestamente, no pensé verte aquí ||

|| ¿Y por qué lo dices? || pregunta con curiosidad.

|| Porque supuse que preferirías estar con la compañía que tuviste en tu almuerzo en lugar de estar en una reunión llena de nobles || exclamé, dejando que los celos infundados hablaran por mí. ¡Rayos! No debería dejarme dominar por ellos.

Drake me mira extrañado, arqueando una ceja, y justo cuando iba a responderme, Max y Hana llegan. A lo lejos, escucho a Liam aclarar su garganta mientras se coloca frente a la multitud junto con Madeleine. Todos los asistentes guardan silencio, esperando saber qué es lo que el rey tiene que decir.

|| Buenas tardes a todos. Es un gran honor para nosotros realizar este recorrido en la reserva. De todo corazón, espero que esta visita contribuya a los esfuerzos de conservación de Cordonia. Ahora les pido que sigan a nuestro anfitrión || dijo Liam, asintiendo respetuosamente hacia un grupo de miembros del personal, vestidos con pantalones y camisas a juego. Un hombre de traje, parado frente a ellos, se inclinó educadamente ante Liam.

Todos los asistentes comenzaron a seguir al personal de la reserva. Nosotros hicimos lo mismo mientras nos explicaban el itinerario del tour y nos entregaban mapas y folletos. La reserva, en plena floración, ofrecía un espectáculo impresionante con campos de juncos verdes y flores silvestres en tonos vibrantes. Los hábitats naturales de aves y animales formaban un paisaje pintoresco que se extendía hasta el horizonte.

Nos dirigimos al área de observación principal, equipada con plataformas y senderos elevados que permitían apreciar la majestuosidad del lugar sin perturbar su paz. El aroma a tierra húmeda y vegetación fresca llenaba el aire, acompañado por el canto alegre de las aves, creando una melodía relajante que me envolvía completamente.

Mientras caminábamos, el personal de la reserva nos explicó sobre la diversidad de flora y fauna, señalando varias especies de aves y plantas únicas en la región. Escuchábamos atentamente, absorbiendo la información y disfrutando de la belleza del entorno. De repente, escuché a Hana gritar de emoción.

|| ¡PAPÁ! || Todos giramos para ver al hombre de traje, que estaba junto a Liam, acercarse a nosotros. Hana dio un paso más cerca del señor y lo saludó con entusiasmo.

|| Hija mía, allí estás || exclamó el hombre, abrazándola. Una vez unido a nuestro grupo, Hana lo presentó.

|| Amigos, les presento a mi padre, Tao Lee || dijo Hana. Tanto Drake como Maxwell hicieron una pequeña reverencia antes de extenderle la mano.

|| Un gusto, señor Lee || exclamó Maxwell || Mi nombre es Lord Maxwell Beaumont ||

|| Un placer conocerlo, señor || añadió Drake con una sonrisa educada || Me llamo Drake Walker ||

El señor Lee asintió y sonrió a ambos.

|| Oh, tú eres el hijo de Jackson Walker, ¿verdad? || preguntó el padre de Hana, mostrando un interés intrigado || Un gran hombre ||

|| Agradezco sus amables palabras, señor Lee || respondió Drake con gratitud. Luego, Tao Lee dirigió su mirada fija hacia mí, evaluándome con una mezcla de curiosidad y cautela.

|| Ni hao, señor Lee || dije con una gran sonrisa imitando la reverencia de los chicos antes de extender mi mano || Es un gusto poder conocerlo, mi nombre es Lady Riley Brown ||

|| Ni hao, Lady Brown || respondió él, estrechándome la mano con firmeza y una leve sonrisa || Es un gusto conocerte en persona. Aunque he escuchado mucho sobre ti de mi hija y, obviamente, de la prensa sensacionalista. No es ideal tener el nombre de uno en ese tipo de publicaciones, ¿no te parece? || De pronto, Hana, Drake y Maxwell me miraban con angustia. No puede evitar sentir un nudo en el estómago, pero me obligué a sonreír con calma.

|| No, no lo es, señor Lee. A veces, la prensa puede ser bastante injusta y distorsionar la verdad. Creo que centrarse en ellos solo avivaría las llamas. Sin embargo, estoy agradecida por tener la oportunidad de aclarar cualquier malentendido y mostrar quién soy realmente. ¿No le parece? || Respondí con firmeza, notando que el señor Lee me observaba detenidamente, evaluando cada palabra que decía. Después de un momento, su expresión se suavizó.

|| Esa es una estrategia interesante. A veces, desestimar los rumores al no responderles puede ser más eficaz que intentar contradecirlos. He utilizado tácticas similares cuando mi negocio ha enfrentado afirmaciones falsas. Sinceramente, no esperaba ver esa mentalidad en alguien tan joven como tú. || Comentó el señor Lee con admiración. Aunque no estaba del todo segura de que mi respuesta se relacionara con relaciones públicas, me sentí complacida de recibir su reconocimiento.

|| En realidad, es más una cuestión de mantener mi integridad frente a los desafíos. || Respondí con una sonrisa segura.

|| Lo que me preocupa es que parece que tienes enemigos, y eso me inquieta profundamente. La asociación de mi hija contigo podría ponerla en riesgo. Un escándalo podría afectar su reputación tanto como ha afectado la tuya. || Dijo el señor Lee, su preocupación evidente.

|| Entiendo su preocupación. Es cierto que enfrentar escándalos puede ser complicado y puede tener repercusiones en quienes nos rodean. Sin embargo, quiero que sepa que valoro profundamente la relación que tengo con su hija y estoy dispuesta a enfrentar cualquier adversidad para protegerla. || Respondí con firmeza. || Pero si mi amistad con Hana llegara a causar algún problema o dañara su reputación, me alejaría con dolor en el corazón y le daría el espacio que necesita. No quiero hacer nada que pueda perjudicar su camino. Nunca haría nada para lastimarla. ||

|| Padre, no quiero que Riley se aleje de mí. || Exclamó Hana con preocupación. El señor Lee me miró, sorprendido y con respeto.

|| Aprecio tu sinceridad y tu disposición a proteger a mi hija. Eso dice mucho sobre tu carácter. || Dijo el señor Lee, mostrando una expresión más relajada. || Espero que podamos trabajar juntos para construir algo positivo a pesar de los desafíos. ||

Mis tres amigos me sonrieron, y sentí una gran satisfacción al ver que había causado una buena impresión en el padre de Hana. De repente, una risa contagiosa llamó nuestra atención. Reconocí esa risa al instante. Al volver la vista hacia atrás, noté que Liam estaba en un área exclusiva para pandas, disfrutando de la visita.

|| ¡Oh, santo cielo! ¡Pandas! || Exclamó Maxwell, corriendo sin darse cuenta de que empujó a Drake y a mí. Sin demora, llegó al área donde estaban las adorables crías de panda. Todos nos dirigimos hacia allí, contagiados por su entusiasmo.

|| Padre, son encantadores. ¿Crees que podríamos entrar también, por favor? || Preguntó Hana con emoción.

|| Normalmente, el personal no permite muchas visitas y solo se hizo una excepción para el Rey Liam, pero... creo que puedo convencerlos de que hagan otra. || Respondió el señor Lee con confianza. Se alejó para hablar con algunos miembros del personal y, al cabo de unos momentos, regresó con una amplia sonrisa. || Bueno, parece que tienen suerte. Todos ustedes pueden unirse al Rey Liam y a los cachorros, incluido este pequeño. || Dijo, dirigiéndose a mi perro Chance. || Supongo que es un caballero bien portado, ¿verdad? ||

|| Es todo un caballero, señor Lee. Se portará muy bien, es el mejor de los perros. || Respondió Maxwell con entusiasmo.

|| ¡Perfecto! Entonces, ¡vamos! || Dijo el señor Lee, antes de que Hana lo abrazara.

|| Gracias, padre. || Exclamó Hana con alegría.

Al entrar al área de los pandas, un miembro del personal nos entregó guantes azules y batas para usar durante nuestra visita. Una vez listos, otro miembro del staff abrió la puerta y nos condujo hacia donde estaban los cachorros y Liam.

Al vernos, Liam estalló en una sonrisa radiante, su expresión iluminada con una mezcla de sorpresa y alegría. Sus ojos se encontraron con los míos y, por un instante, todo lo demás pareció desvanecerse. La emoción en su rostro era evidente, y no pudo ocultar su entusiasmo al verme unida a él en este momento especial. Su mirada estaba cargada de admiración y cariño, y el hecho de que estuviéramos juntos en este lugar tan encantador solo acentuaba el vínculo que compartíamos.

Liam no podía apartar la vista de mí, como si cada instante en el que estábamos juntos fuera un tesoro. Su reacción hizo que mi corazón latiera con fuerza, sintiendo una conexión profunda y sincera en medio de la maravillosa experiencia que estábamos viviendo.

| Espero que estés mucho más tranquila ahora. || Me dijo, aprovechando que el grupo estaba distraído jugando con los pequeños cachorros de panda.

|| Puedo asegurarte que, cuando estoy contigo, cualquier preocupación se desvanece. A tu lado es exactamente donde quisiera estar siempre. || Respondí, mirándolo fijamente. Él acercó prudentemente su mano a la mía y me la apretó suavemente.

|| Qué coincidencia, siento lo mismo. || Dijo, sonriendo, y yo le respondí con una gran sonrisa también.

|| ¿Y cómo estuvo tu mañana? ¿Qué tal tus reuniones? || Le pregunté con curiosidad.

|| Podría decir que me fue bien, pero llegar a este lugar me ha dado la paz y tranquilidad que buscaba. Sinceramente, necesitaba esto. || Contestó él.

|| Yo también necesitaba algo así... Por cierto, ¿por qué tu prometida no te acompañó al santuario de los pandas? || Pregunté con duda. Liam se quedó en silencio por unos segundos, mirando a los pandas con una expresión nostálgica.

|| La verdad es que ella no es muy amante de los animales. Por eso prefirió seguir con los guías hacia el otro lado de la reserva. || En su mirada pude ver una mezcla de nostalgia y tristeza. || Esa es una de las muchas cosas en las que no congeniamos. Si llego a casarme con ella, no sé qué futuro me espera. ||

De repente, sentí una ola de desesperación por Liam y por nosotros. Está atado a este compromiso sin poder hacer mucho, preocupado principalmente por su pueblo y no tanto por su propio bienestar.

|| Liam, todo estará bien. Una vez que hablemos con tu padre, encontraremos la salida que necesitamos. || Le dije con firmeza, sintiendo cómo la esperanza se reflejaba en sus ojos.

|| Tienes razón. ¿Por qué me dejo llevar por el pesimismo? Mi padre es la clave. || Respondió, con una mirada de renovada ilusión.De repente, nos llamó la atención el alegre bullicio de Hana y Maxwell jugando con los pequeños pandas. Observé a nuestro alrededor y noté que todos seguían completamente absortos en el juego con los adorables animales. Impulsada por un deseo repentino de compartir un momento especial con Liam, me acerqué lentamente y le di un beso tierno en la mejilla. Al sentir mi contacto, Liam volvió a mirarme, su rostro iluminado por una sonrisa radiante || Riley, si en este instante solo estuviéramos tú y yo, te robaría todos los besos posibles, sin importar lo que dijeran los demás. Es una pena que no estemos solos. || Su voz estaba cargada de emoción y admiración.

|| ¿Qué te parece si dejamos eso para otro momento? || Le respondí, con una sonrisa traviesa y una mirada llena de complicidad.

|| Seguro que sí. Estaré esperando ese momento con ansias. || Contestó, sus ojos brillando con promesas no dichas.

Mientras Liam regresaba al grupo, una mezcla de esperanza y ansiedad se apoderaba de mí. Los desafíos y decisiones cruciales parecían más manejables con él a mi lado, y nuestra conexión era un faro de luz en medio de la incertidumbre. Observando a Liam y a los demás, el sonido de las risas y el crujido de las hojas creaban un telón de fondo sereno. Me uní a la diversión, sintiendo que cada risa y sonrisa me acercaban a resolver nuestros problemas. Mientras disfrutaba del esplendor del lugar y la compañía de quienes me importaban, me preparaba mentalmente para los desafíos venideros, decidida a enfrentarlos con la misma fuerza que hallé en este momento. El sol se ponía, tiñendo el cielo de tonos cálidos, mientras me preguntaba qué sorpresas nos esperaban.

@tessa-liam, @kingliam2019, @choicesficwriterscreations

If anyone else wants to be tagged, just let me know. I hope you enjoy this wonderful love adventure.

[txemrn]

A Bushel and a Peck

Book: TRR

Pairing: Liam Rys x Riley Brooks-Rys

Word Count: ~3160

Warning: For mature audiences only; TW: major character deaths; mention of cancer, declining health, miscarriages; depiction of an afterlife

A/N: This is a follow-up to Wounded (you don't need to read it to understand this fic). I was asked to "fix it," and I think I did--I mean, I tried... but in a non-traditional way, that still leads to a true HEA. In a way, this is fairly fluffy, but sad fluffy.

A/N 2: Some of these characters, plot points and dialogue belong to our friends at Pixelberry. This was not beta'd; please excuse my errors.

~🖤~

"Can you show us another one?"

"Please, Auntie Ri? Just one more?"

Riley chuckles under her breath before a dry cough robs her titters. "You two aren't tired of those yet?"

Seven-year-old Monie grabs another leather-bound photo album as her five-year-old sister Ginny finishes a snack. The two girls visit with their great-great aunt every Thursday afternoon during the summer months while their mother runs errands.

"How about this one?" Monie passes the scrapbook to Riley, her frail, old hands gripping tightly to the heavy collection of photographs.

"Oh!" Riley squeals, a gravel to her voice, "you picked one of my favorite ones–"

"You say that about every album," Ginny retorts.

"Shhh, your manners!" Monie shakes her finger at her little sister.

Riley smiles warmly. "You're right; I do say that about my photo albums because I just love all of them." She pauses, licking her lined lips. "But this one…" her breath catches in adoration as she opens the front cover. "This one is very special. Here," she pats the empty spaces next to her on the bed, "let me show you."

The nieces eagerly climb on to the bed, sitting close on either side of Riley.

"Who is that?" Ginny exclaims in shock, looking over her aunt's arms in awe. "She looks like a Disney princess!"  

Riley curls an arm around her petite body, giving the little girl a gentle kiss in her raven curls.

"He's cute!" Monie croons, "he looks like–like Ken!"

Riley lets out a heartfelt laugh before coughing into a handkerchief. "This," she points to the tall, broad-shouldered man, dressed in full regalia, "is King William the first of Cordonia."

"Whoa," both girls hum in unison, their eyes glittering in awe.

"And this woman?" She points to the bride in the picture, "is me."

Ginny gasps, staring up at Riley. "But, Auntie Ri," Ginny puts a finger to her mouth, "where's your crown? And–and why is your hair a different color–?"

"Ginny!" Monie scolds.

Riley coughs into her hand, clearing her throat. "Those are some good observation skills," she boops Ginny on the nose, the little girl then turning to stick out her tongue at her older sister. "This picture was taken on my wedding day, over seventy years ago."

"Wow, that's older than Daddy," Ginny announces.

"So, that's Uncle Liam?" Monie guesses hopefully, pointing to the blond groom. 

Riley hums approvingly. "That is your great-great-uncle Liam."

Monie sighs dreamily looking at the picture. "You're so beautiful, Auntie Ri. Did you love him with all of your heart?"

Riley smiles, a sudden twinkle in her stormy blue eyes as she softly caresses her niece's cheek. "I still do."

After receiving Liam's grim test results for his cancer treatment, the young royal couple was advised by the Council to seek a second opinion. And then a third. But, the conclusion was always the same. Liam was dying. 

With the uncertainty of his time left, he made the difficult decision to step down as king. Cordonia was finally stable and strong enough that it could–and it would– thrive with the sudden change. 

But, once the choice was made, Liam never looked back to the country he loved so dearly. He couldn't. All he could see now was his wife, the woman that held his heart, the woman who wholly and bravely kept her vows…

… for worse…

… in sickness…

Liam and Riley savored every last moment they had with one another during his final eight weeks, laughing and revisiting old memories of their seven years of marriage. They enjoyed one last private waltz before he was confined to a wheelchair, one last café and baklava at their favorite late night bistro before he was restricted to the palace walls.  They held each other close at night, whispering prayers of love over one another, for just one more day, for just one more chance to say, 'I love you.'

And then he went.

Olivia Nevrakis assumed the throne as queen of Cordonia. Liam's short reign will always be celebrated in history as a time of rebuilding, as a time of peace, as a time that set the small country up for success. 

Though not reigning, Riley is still revered as a queen, but shortly after Liam's death, she returned to New York to be near family. She did return to Cordonia for visits, but otherwise, her life resumed back in the states. 

She never remarried. And after the four pregnancy losses she had with Liam, Riley had lost all hope and interest in ever becoming a mother. 

But even though her heart was shattered, she discovered abundant joy in a different familial role: being an aunt.  After the first generation of nieces and nephews had grown up, Riley quickly became the cornerstone of the Brooks family, highly regarded and respected. And loved. She was known as the fun aunt, the one with the best stories, the one that remembered birthdays and sporting events and recitals. She made sure every child in the family felt seen, heard, and above all else, loved.

Lost in the memories of her former life, a knock on the door interrupts Riley from her daydream. "Come in," she calls out, her soft timbre strained and gruff.

A young woman with dark hair bounds into the room, bracing her heavily pregnant belly. Monie and Ginny jump up from the bed, running to her with arms wide open. "Mommy!" They crash into her legs, nuzzling sweetly into their mother's sides.

"Hey, sweet girls," she croons, before she looks towards Riley, raising an eyebrow. "At least… I hope you two were sweet girls for Auntie Ri today."

"Oh, Jamie," Riley titters. "You know they are always perfect angels with me." She winks at her great-niece, hugging her daughters.

"Girls, Daddy is right outside. Can you go hold his hand? I need to talk with Auntie Ri for just a minute." 

Nodding their heads, the two young girls run back to their great-great aunt to give her hugs and kisses goodbye. 

"I love you–" Riley singsongs, giving them a knowing grin. Monie and Ginny chime in with her as they all sing in unison, "a bushel and a peck."

The girls raced to the hallway, instantly meeting their father. Jamie closes the door, letting out a sigh before turning her sad, glistening attention to her great aunt.

"Aunti Ri," a lump grows in her throat, "the doctors said you're refusing your heart cath."

Riley straightens out her posture, firming her jaw. "That's right, dear."

"Why?" The young woman whispers, wiping away a tear.

"Because what difference will it make?" Riley carefully grabs her walker, slowly making her way to her niece. "I'm almost 98-years-old, baby girl," she grabs Jamie's hand, comforting her as she watches her begin to cry. "It's time. I'm… ready to go home."

"But," Jamie exhales a trembling sob, "what about us? What if I'm not ready for you to go?"

Riley grins endearingly, "I know that feeling all too well." She gently rubs her thumb over her niece's fingers. "Did I ever tell you what my Liam said to me the night before he passed?"

Jamie dabs away her tears, shaking her head.

"We would stay up late into the night, dreaming of the life we could've had if it wasn't for, y'know, the cancer. But," Riley licks her lips, "that night. Our last night… Liam was quiet. There were no more what ifs or discussions of what could have been. Instead, he just smiled. Completely at peace." Riley's eyes flutter as she recounts the distant memory. "He simply said, 'I'm ready, love.'" Riley shrugs.

"Do you think he knew?" Jamie sniffles, "you think he was ready to die?"

"I think," Riley removes her bifocals, letting them hang around her neck as she draws closer to her niece. "He was ready to live again. He was ready for the next adventure that life has to offer."

Jamie tilts her head. "What's that?"

"Eternity," Riley chuckles, gripping tight to her great niece's arm. "He's been waiting for me a long time." She sighs with contempt, "You kids?" She chuckles to herself, "you are so strong. You all are. My presence isn't what makes you strong. It was our time together… and sure, you'll be sad. But this life?" Riley shakes her head. "It's not the end of the road. And as for me… I'm ready to live again. I'm ready for my next adventure." A tear rolls down Riley's cheek as she smiles brightly. "I'm ready for eternity."

Jamie helped Riley into her favorite rocking chair for her afternoon nap before dinner, covering her up with her favorite knitted blankets. The women hugged each other close before they finally said their goodbyes. 

Turning to leave, Riley calls Jamie back to her side.

"Baby girl?" Riley titters before she begins to sing. "I love you–"

Jamie lets out a heartfelt laugh, wiping away the last of her tears. "--a bushel and a peck."

----------

Warm beams of light crawl across Riley's skin, stirring her awake from her deep slumber. She sits up, rubbing the remainder of her sleepiness from her eyes when suddenly, she freezes. She blinks a few more times as confusion--and fear–billows through her veins.

Her room. It's different. The space was large, filled with the gorgeous scent of pink Cordonian hydrangeas, fresh picked rubies… and something else. Someone else.

Riley takes in the soft gray hue of the walls, accented by the navy toile window treatments. Everything beautiful in its place, everything perfectly neat, everything… oddly familiar. Like a distant dream, like the memory of another life.

Cautiously taking in her new surroundings, Riley begins to mindlessly fumble with the intricate stitching of a throw pillow, the threading comforting to her fingertips.

Then she stops. 

She holds up her hand, her ocean eyes growing wide with wonder. Her skin. It is pure like the first Lythikos snow. No blemishes, no creases. It's perfectly smooth, perfectly pink and supple. Speechless, she reaches up to touch her own flushed cheeks. 

And she gasps, the lines of the past century remarkably gone. Her face. It feels impossibly soft. Like velvet.

A thread of panic unfurls in her stomach as she throws the covers off her body, retreating to the en suite bathroom. Riley has had dreams like this before–many times, actually. Fantasies about her younger years, about her life in Cordonia, about the precious moments she had with the love of her life.

But there was something strange about this one. Something life-like. Something real.

Riley stares at her reflection in the mirror, her hands curiously exploring her body. Espresso tresses. Slender slopes of her waist and hips. She swivels to the left, then to the right, chuckling at her age-rewind. If she could only tell herself then what she knows now…

As she pretends to pin her hair up in different regal styles, the whisper of a melody floats into the room. Startled by the accompaniment, Riley twirls around, listening more intently. She takes a step forward. Then another. She cranes her neck towards the bedroom door, her only exit.

It was a guitar. Someone was playing it.

Riley carefully opens the door, and pads softly down the hallways, through the kitchen and to the foyer. She presses her ear to the front door of her quarters, the music crescendoing through the air.

Swiftly exiting the quarters, Riley tiptoes through the halls down to the main corridor, following the strumming of notes. She finally comes to a set of double doors, one of them sitting ajar as a heavenly light pours out.

Placing her fingertips on the ornate wood,  the vibrations of each chord stirs the wings of butterflies in her heart. Taking a deep breath, she pokes her head into the room.

A woman–an older woman–sits casually in a chair, her fingers meticulously plucking the strings. Riley focuses on her kind face and soft features. Her wavy blonde hair is pinned back into a low bun, exposing the brilliance of her crystal blue eyes.  Though expressionless as she played, the curves of her rosy lips are pleasant, friendly.

"Oh!" She exclaims, noticing Riley. "You're finally here!"

Riley's eyes grow into saucers. Does she know this woman? 

She watches the older woman set down her instrument before bounding towards where Riley stood.

"We have been waiting for you," she smiles sincerely, taking Riley's hands endearingly into her own. “We have so much to talk about–”

"Grandma!"

"Oh!" She lets out a hearty laugh as four small children file into the room, dashing quickly to her side. She bends over and greets each one with a tight hug and a kiss. "How are my darlings?"

Riley smiles at the interaction, admiring the love this woman has for her beautiful grandchildren.  She then casually surveys the room; are their parents nearby?

She looks back to the family when suddenly, she notices one of the blond boys with striking eyes like his grandmother is gazing up at her. He doesn't say a word, but his stare is friendly, warm and inviting.

Riley climbs onto her knees, her attention not leaving him as she soaks in his handsome mannerisms. Even for such a young boy, his hair was perfectly combed to the side. His collared shirt was properly tucked in, and he politely held his hands together behind his back. So precious, so refined and orderly, just like…

Riley gasps as a sea of tears gather in her eyes. She reaches out, combing her fingers through his short hair before stroking his freckled cheeks. And she lets out a silent whimper. "William?"

The young boy giggles, turning back to his brothers and sister. "I told you she would remember me!"

Wrapping her arms around his frame, Riley pulls him to herself tightly, his arms securing around her neck. "My–my baby boy…" One-by-one, each child approaches slowly, excitement written on their chubby faces. Riley caresses the cheeks of two more little boys: another blond and one with dark brunette hair like hers. "Henry?" She sniffles as he nods, chewing coyly on his fingernail. "Alexander?" The two boys join the embrace with their brother William, rivers cascading down their mother's face as she peppers them with kisses.

"Do you remember me, Mommy?"

Riley glances up to see a little girl with stormy blue eyes, her espresso waves tamed into two braids. Though she wore a pretty pink jumper with bows, she was wearing a pair of muddy galoshes. 

That's my girl. 

"My Eleanor," Riley whispers, extending her hand to join the fold with her brothers. She presses her lips into the little girl's temple as she holds her close. "Oh, my baby, I love you," she squeezes her grip around the boys, "all of you!" She snickers, "I love you."

"A bushel and a peck," Alexander pipes up. "Right, Mommy?"

New warm tears pour down Riley's reddened face as she lovingly dotes on her children. "That's right, baby," her breath quivers, "that's right. But… how did you–?"

"You used to sing that to me at night–"

"Me, too!" Henry exclaims while William nods in agreement.

"You and Daddy told me that over and over," Eleanor giggles, "until I woke up in Grandma's arms!" 

Riley freezes as she peers up at the older woman, now overcome with her own tears of joy. She slowly stands, her lips parting in awe. "Your majesty?"

"I haven't been called that in over 85 years!" The older woman shares a contagious laugh, “But, how about we just stick with ‘Eleanor’ for now?”  She quickly reaches out, pulling her daughter-in-law into a snug embrace. Riley quickly slinks her arms around the woman, holding her close as they both weep silently together. "You," Eleanor whispers, "were more than I ever dreamed for my Liam. You were–You are everything he deserves… and more.”

Riley suddenly lets go, staring into her mother-in-law's eyes. She bites her lip as she tilts her head curiously, almost in disbelief.

"Where… where is he?" She sobs into a smile.

Eleanor tucks Riley's hair behind her ear before resting her hands on her daughter-in-law's shoulders. "Where do you think, my dear?"

Riley stumbles backwards as a bright smile crawls across her face. She finally turns around, pushing through the double doors and out into the main corridor. After descending the grand staircase, she exits into the pure daylight, a gentle breeze greeting her.  She glances around the grounds, the fresh greenery invigorating her senses. Without thinking, she abruptly takes off down the steps, sprinting through the bushes, across the courtyard and around the fountain. Finally, she reaches a thick hedge of beautifully twisted vines and leaves. The garden maze.

Riley closes her eyes as she catches her breath, another gust of wind tangling in her hair. A tug on her heart beckons for her to keep going as she fumbles her way into the maze. She frantically runs around the corners and through the turns, her hands outstretched to catch her if she trips.

Making it around the last twist of the path, Riley spills into the center of the maze: the garden. Her eyes frantically search, scouring through the area, looking behind lattice work and dense pieces of foliage until finally, she gasps.

Around the corner along a private path, a tall, strongly-built man slowly paces next to a swing, his hands casually in his pockets. With his short locks of blond ruffling in the breeze, he glances at his watch before instantly feeling a pair of stormy blue eyes fixed on him.

As he peers over his shoulder, a smile tugs at his lips, his breath escaping his lungs as his eyes begin to shimmer.

"There you are, my love."

With reckless abandon, Riley dashes down the dirt path, gasping for air between her wails of disbelief. Leaping into the air, Liam's strong arms instantly catch her, pulling her close to his broad chest. His large hand cradles her intimately as his other fists tightly into her careless waves. She locks her legs around his waist, her fingers combing hungrily into his hair as she presses her face into his neck.

And she weeps, deep groans escaping her chest as her body shudders in his arms. 

"Shhh," Liam gently croons, warm tears coursing down his chiseled cheeks. "It's alright now. Everything is alright now."

Quieting down, Riley looks up to her husband, his lips immediately finding hers. "Is this real?" She pants, claiming his mouth again. "Please tell me this is real life, baby."

Liam pulls her into another deep kiss, his tongue gently caressing her lips apart as he elicits soft mewls from her mouth. He pulls back, his crystal blue gaze meeting her hopeful, tear-stained eyes. "It's better, love." He pushes a wayward tendril from her face. "This is eternity."

~🖤~

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

~🖤~

Tags (Please let me know if you'd like to be added/removed)

PERMA

@alj4890 @anjanettexcordonia @ao719 @bascmve01 @charlotteg234 @issabees @kat-tia801 @kingliam2019 @mainstreetreader @mom2000aggie @nikirennie87 @peonierose @socalwriterbee @tessa-liam

ALL TRR

@3pawandme @alyshak92 @iaminlovewithtrr @kristinamae093 @lovingchoices14 @malblk21 @rubiwalker @sfb123 @twinkleallnight

~🖤~

[trrvisuals]

Riley and Liam Wedding

I wanted to share this awesome edit done by @aussiegurl1234. My FC for Riley got married and I got a present 😆🥰👏🏻

[kristinamae093]

Here Comes The Sun Chapter 21. (Expected later this week.)

Liam let out a forceful huff of air. “Whatever animosity you hold with my father is with him. Kyla wasn't involved and she's done absolutely nothing to you! She's trying to be your friend but you're engaging in high school drama — it's petty, juvenile, and it needs to stop. We are fucking adults.”

Riley sighed, her face mimicking the color of a ripe Cordonian ruby. “Do you really not get it? He accepted her like it was nothing, yet I —”

Liam held up his hand to stop her. “Do you not get it? He was a different person then and acted on an impulse driven by fear. Had you come at a later point in life, maybe things would be different, but that wasn't our destiny. We are both exactly where we're supposed to be.” As the statement left his mouth, he smiled; in the past, these ‘what if’ scenarios drove him crazy, wondering what could have been if the circumstances were different. Now, the only thing flashing through his mind was Kyla and a bright, vibrant path forward.

Ghosted Chapter 13, Family Ties. (No ETA)

“Son—”

“No, you — you’re not my father, not anymore. You threw my mother in my face so much, but look at you! What you’ve become would disgust her!” Liam seethed. “I should banish you right now for lying and betraying your own flesh and fucking blood. Do I mean anything to you?!”

“You mean everything to me, son.” Constantine held his hands up in surrender but remained calm as a cucumber. “And I understand your anger, but I need you to listen to me for a moment—”

“Fuck. You.” Liam growled. He got into Constantine’s personal space within an instant and grabbed the front of his shirt, yanking him to his feet. “I hope you rot in hell, you spineless piece of shit.”

@choicesficwriterscreations

[tessa-liam]

W.I.P. Wednesday

🌹Thank you so much for this beautiful artwork, /@ainna!!!🌹 for my series,

Turning the Page, chapter 15

__Bridge of Dreams__

The Royal Romance, Liam & Riley

...remember when...

"Thank you, Riley. With so little permanence in this world, there will always be this little lock on this bridge just for the two of us. I want to believe it will be here forever, no matter what else happens to us."

Riley's eyes filled with tears with this memory from years ago.

"Riley, my love..."

Wiping her tears, she turned and gasped -- as she watched Liam drop down onto one knee before her.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

📌 @choicesficwriterscreations

@bascmve01 @busywoman @kristinamae093 @differenttyphoonwerewolf @kingliam2019 @alj4890 @emkay512 @karahalloway @twinkleallnight @malblk21 @tinkie1973 @queenmiarys @emersyn-in-cordonia @dutifullynuttywitch @charlotteg234 @lovingchoices14 @selina012 @kyra75 @imjusthereforliam @sfb123 @jared2612 @walkerdrakewalker @imashybish @703cowbarn @irisk12 @thesvnsins @fadingreveries @queenwalton @thosehallowedhalls @umccall71 @rafasgirl23415 @mainstreetreader @belencha77 @iluaaa @mysticalfangirl @choicesfrog @amandablink @ownworldresident @guineveresgarden @custaroonie @shanzay44

[bebepac]

Where Do We Go From Here?

I am participating in @choicesflashfics​ prompt  week 28  using: “I saw this  and it reminded me of you, and  “Sometimes forever doesn’t necessarily mean forever”  and past prompt  “I don’t regret it... but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a mistake.”  All used quotes will be in bold.

I am also participating in @aprilchallenge​ for  the over all theme Just want to be with you.

This is Part 8 of the Cordonian Arrangement.

The Book:  TRF The Series:  The Cordonian Arrangement Pairings: MC is widowed, Past Pairings Riley x Nico (Riley x M!OC) , Past Pairing of Liam x Riley Word Count: 2232 Warnings and Ratings: Mention of character death, grief.  Mention of pregnancy complications, profanity: / Teen Summary:  Riley and Liam try to deal with a very awkward situation.  

Original Post 04/14/23  at 2PM EST.

It was barely dawn and the sun was only creeping slightly through the windows. When she moved, his embrace tightened, pulling her back close to him, so that he could lean into her  to kiss her neck.  He sharply inhaled because her natural scent was so intoxicating to him.  He had missed sharing tender moments like this with her.

  Riley was still waking from her slumber but to her, it felt like a typical morning, that she had lived every day when waking in his arms was commonplace.  

She  moaned softly as he continued to gently dot kisses to the sensitive skin of her neck, her body responded naturally to his touch.

“Let’s stay in bed.  Don’t go…." she mumbled in her sleep. “Stay with me.”  

“Always.”  

His voice made her immediately  leave that place of pre woke slumber to soberingly wide awake, quickly pulling away from him.

“Liam….”  

Fully awake, all the memories of the last few months, and from last night flooded back to her in a wave.

Observing the shock and almost disappointment in her eyes, Liam knew, as she shielded her bare body from him with the bedsheet.  

Liam’s voice was heavy with discontentment as he spoke.

“That wasn’t intended for me, was it?”  Liam’s gaze was piercing, full of disappointment causing Riley to quickly break eye contact with him. She just couldn’t look him in the face right now, but she wanted to be honest with him; he deserved that.  

“No… I’m…. sorry….” She  murmured as she turned heading towards the door still draped in the sheet from the bed.

“Riley, we need to talk about this.  There’s a reason you came to me last night. It felt right for us to be together that way. We felt like us again!”  

“For a brief second, this morning, I forgot the horror that has been my life these last three months.  Last night, I was lonely… I wanted to feel…. connected to someone again. I didn’t  mean to give you the wrong idea, and for that Liam, I’m truly sorry."

“Do you regret what happened between us last night?”

“No… I don’t regret it… but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a mistake.  It was a mistake Liam.  We have way too much history for me to think that you would simply be okay with it. This is all my fault. I should have been clear with you what last night truly was….for me.”

“We made love last night Riley.”

“We… didn’t.  It was just sex, Liam.  I’m still in love with my husband.” She glanced down at the ring on her finger that she was still wearing. Nico's wedding band dangled from a gold chain around her neck.

“Your husband is dead.”  

Riley gasped in shock.  Liam immediately wanted to take the words back, but it was too late; the damage was done. Riley shook her head in disbelief.  

“Who are you?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like it came out, Riley. Forgive me, I didn’t mean it Riley. I promise you I didn’t.”

"Yes you did."

"I really didn't…"

“Get out of my house.”

“Riley….No… We’re supposed to take Angelo to the zoo together today.”  

“GET OUT OF MY HOUSE NOW!!!!”

"Riley please…."

She adamantly shook her head no.

"Nico was wrong about what you and I could be to each other. I need you to pack your stuff and leave now.."

“Riley, that's not fair for you to say that.  We’re still figuring all of this out.  This isn’t easy for either of us to navigate.”

“I need you to leave Liam.”

“Not like this. I’m not leaving you like this Riley.”  

“Fine, then I’ll leave.”

Riley left his room and locked herself in the master bedroom.  

After a few minutes she heard the sound of Liam’s rolling suitcase on the floor, it stopping in front of her bedroom door.

“I’m going to say goodbye to my son before I leave.”  

"You should do that."

"For what it's worth Riley, I'm really sorry."

“Goodbye Liam.”  

A few minutes later Liam was gone.  Riley took a deep breath finally unlocking  her door.

Ruby One

“I was sure you said you were here until Monday, how the hell did I fuck that up?”  Leo asked when he got on the plane clearly confused and hungover.

“That was the plan.”  

“Well what went wrong?”

Liam explained what happened with Riley.  

“You’re an absolute fool when it comes to Riley.  That woman is a walking red flag right now, and trust me I know a red flag when I see one.”

“What?”  

“It’s not her fault though, she lost her husband.  You ignored all the signs because you want her back, and Riley’s not there yet.  She can't be what you want her to be Liam…at least not right now. You have had a front seat to her grieving Nico.  

You know how hard this whole ordeal has been for her.  When I saw her last, she was still wearing her wedding ring, and his wedding band.  Did she take them off?”

“No.”

“That’s not a woman that’s ready to move on with you, no matter how much you want her to be ready.  She’s stuck in that place where she still desperately misses her husband, and wants him back.

She was probably lonely, and let's be honest horny, and you were there, and she sought comfort from you, in that way.  You had to know what you were getting into when she showed up at your door last night.  Liam, be honest with yourself.  It wasn’t the beginning of rekindling of your relationship with her, and you knew that, but you wanted her so much, that you didn’t care. You just wanted her, any way you could have her.”

“You’re right. I love her."

“Liam, you have to give her time. If the two of you are meant to be, she will come back to you.  But what you did, didn’t help the situation, you got mad with her and said something incredibly hurtful.  It was true, mind you, but hurtful. You do this to her, you know and you need to stop."

"Do what?"

"You impose all these things on her, expecting her to follow them, to be what you what, how you want it, when you want it. Then you get all surprised that she rebelled against you and ran, and put up every wall imaginable to keep you out, this not being the first time she’s reacted this way to you.  Does this sound familiar?"

"I'm acting just like father would….."

“You are little brother.”  

“Give her some space, and she’ll come back around.”  

“If she doesn’t?”

“It was just never meant to be, and if we’re being completely honest here,  you lost her over three years ago; it might be time to finally let her go.”

Liam was in a deep state of contemplation the rest of the way back to Cordonia. He decided it was time to listen to his own message that was given to him by the late Nico Karahalios. Liam pulled his own envelopes out of his desk drawer. He had given him two envelopes one said "If it's working" the other one said "If it's not working."

He picked up the "If it's not working" video and began watching.

"Hey Liam. I can honestly say… I’m not surprised.”

Nico smiled. "You thought it was going to be easy, didn't you?"

Nico began to laugh.

"You really did, didn't you?!!"

Nico abruptly stopped laughing. "I'm sorry. This is not helpful.”

"Damn right it's not." Liam thought.

“I’m sure that you were expecting more from me.”

Nico sat silently for a few moments.

"Like what exactly? Did you think this was the part where I am going to tell you how to win my wife's heart back? How to get her to fall in love with you again? I'm not going to do that. I can't do that. She's not going to do anything because you want her to do it. She does things on her own time. That woman has her own mind, and she's not afraid to use it. Liam, she's a different woman than the one that came here a week after you met her in New York. None of the same rules are going to apply.  You have to get to know her again as the woman she is now.  She’s been a lover and a confidant to me, she’s been a faithful wife, and a beautiful mother. How I won her then, I  can’t even take credit for that, I didn't win her, but instead she chose me. 

I think she chose me because I was patient with her.  I did what I said I was going to do.  If I told her, we were meeting at 6PM for dinner, I’d be knocking on her door at 5:50. She could always rely on me being there for her.   Comfort and stability allowed her to relax with me, because Riley is not a calm person. Her senses are always heightened, waiting for the other shoe to drop, because of all the hurt and loss she’s experienced in her life. I finally got her to relax with me…and then I died on her. I will never forget the look in her eyes when I told her I was dying. She was completely blindsided. The light after everything she’s endured that you see in her eyes so easily, disappeared. It broke my heart.”  

Nico shook his head.  

“Our marriage wasn’t perfect.  We had  our fair share of fights.  Our very first year of marriage was particularly tough.  We lived with my mother.  Can you imagine? Small house, with a newborn, while my cousins helped me build the house we were in now.  Our first really huge fight, after we moved in, Riley kicked me out of the house and locked me out.” 

Nico laughed.  

“From my house.  I slept in a tent in the yard for 3 days.  My cousins saw me, talked all this macho shit to me,  and so I got all ballsy and I went up to MY HOUSE.  MY HOUSE THAT I BUILT FOR MY WIFE…And insisted Riley let me back in.  You know what happened Liam?  Can you guess?”

Nico was silent for a few moments.  

“It was the equivalent of upsetting a bee hive. I spent a fourth night out in that damn tent. Day five, I left her alone. Day six, when I woke, she had brought me breakfast, and wanted to talk.  Was she still angry with me?  Yes,  but she had calmed down enough that she could talk to me without shutting down on me.  I hope you understand what I’m trying to tell you.

Riley put up with a lot to be in that arrangement with you, that experience changed her.  Now, yet again, she will be forever changed from losing me.  I don’t know if she’ll come around.  I hope she will, because I want her to be happy, Liam.  She’s had too much sadness in her life, to not be.  I wanted to be her forever, and sometimes, forever doesn’t necessarily mean forever.

So in closing,  whatever you did wrong… Make it right Liam.”  

Liam decided to take a page from Nico’s book.  He gave her space.  Finally after the most painful weeks of not speaking to Riley, he decided to send her a text.  Riley used to like a good meme in the past, so he decided to send her one.  

“I saw  this, and it reminded me of you. Just imagine they are butterflies, and I remember how you feel about butterflies.”

Later in the day he noticed she had seen the meme, but she hadn’t responded. He decided not to push and maybe Riley would respond on her own.  During the night  while Liam was sleeping she sent a meme back to him.

He took it as a sign she was ready to talk.  

He immediately called her and once she picked up he started speaking, not even waiting for her to say hello.

“Riley, I completely deserved the way you treated me that day.  I’m so sorry for what I said.  I never meant it, and I never meant to hurt you. Please forgive me.” 

“This isn’t Riley.  It’s Athena, we just got Riley to the hospital, she wanted me to call you.”  

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s the baby.  We’re really concerned.”    

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”  

Staff had the Ruby One prepped for departure within the hour.  Leo when hearing the news decided to go with him for support. Within three hours they  were at the hospital.

"What room is Riley Karahalios in? I need to see her."

"Are you family?" The receptionist questioned, and when he didn't respond she countered with "Only family is allowed back in this wing."

"He is family. He's the baby's father."

"He's right. I am the baby's father.”

She’s in room 224.”

Leo followed as Liam walked briskly down the hall at an accelerated pace.  

“She’s going to be fine. Her and the baby are going to be fine.  They have to be.”  

Athena and Mama K were sitting outside the room when he walked up.  Athena immediately stood.

“Athena, what happened to Riley?”

“She was having pains, and there was some bleeding.  We were really scared.  It’s stopped now.  They have her calm and she’s finally resting.”

Liam walked into the room, Riley was snoring, the beeps of the multiple monitors didn’t seem to be bothering her.   Taking her hand in her sleep and gently stroking it, Riley still did not wake.  So he sat there quietly holding her hand.

He softly whispered to her. “I’m here.”  

Riley woke up a short time later.  

“What are you doing here Liam?”  Her hand tensing slightly under his touch.

“Athena told me you wanted her to call me.”  

“No I didn’t….”

“Oh…”

“But I’m glad she did. I told her not to, because, I didn’t want to worry you.”  

Riley’s hand relaxed in his again, her free hand rubbing her stomach.  

“I thought I lost her, and I can’t lose both of them.  I can’t handle that. I’m such a mess right now. I’ve never felt this out of sorts in my life.  I’m sorry I got so angry with you. I get that this isn’t an easy situation for you either.”  

Liam could almost hear the words of the late Nico Karahalios in his ear.  “You have to get to know her as the woman she is now.” 

“It’s alright.  I know.  How about this?  Let’s just start over.  Let’s forget all the missteps on both our parts, and start at the very beginning. I’m Liam Rys,  it’s a pleasure to meet you….”  

“I’m Riley.   Riley Karahalios.”  

And that’s the woman, she is now.

[alj4890]

Anytime, Anywhere

(Liam x MC) in a Choices The Royal Romance drabble

Thirty Kisses in Thirty Days Challenge with the prompt: kissing at a crowded party.

Choices May Monthly Challenge: love | engagement | finally putting self first | lust

Rating G for steamy fluff

A/N Taking inspiration for this prompt from Book 3's diamond scene when the MC can tell Liam he doesn't have to hold back anymore from kissing her whenever he wants to.

@gkittylove99 @kingliam2019 @texaskitten30 @yourmajesty09 @mom2000aggie @twinkleallnight @lodberg  @amandablink @neotericthemis  @mm2305 @sfb123 @tessa-liam @thesvnsins @krsnlove @busywoman @choiceschallenge-may2023 @jerzwriter

Masterlist

She could feel it again.

Riley searched the crowded room for the source of goosebumps going up and down her body. Her dark eyes collided with a pair of hooded blue ones that never failed in making her heart hammer in her chest. That type of heated glance was one she noticed ever since she gave that one little word answer in front of the Statue of Liberty a couple of months earlier.

"Have you given any thoughts to what types of flowers you want for the wedding?" Hana asked, drawing Riley back into the conversation.

She pulled her attention away from Liam's steady gaze and refocused on the group of ladies surrounding her.

"Um, not really. With the unity tour and all, I've been letting Madeleine and Regina make all the wedding plans."

Kiara's eyes widened. "You must trust them a great deal to not even suggest which ones you'd prefer."

"I think for my wedding, I would love to have a bouquet of purple flowers." Penelope added with a dreamy sigh. "I know with my duchy's colors I should have them anyway, but I just adore that color!"

Riley was already tuning them out. Honestly, she could care less about flowers and decorations. All she worried about was finally being united with the man she was hopelessly in love with. They could get married right now in the clothes they were in with no flowers or anything special at all and she'd be thrilled.

She might as well save Regina and Madeleine time and effort to try to get her involved in the wedding planning. Giving them free reign made them happy and saved her from numerous headaches of having to pretend she was interested.

"Would you excuse me for a moment?" She asked the group.

They all smiled at her and continued to discuss how their own dream weddings would look.

Riley began to edge her way through the party guests. She'd last seen Liam stuck in conversation with Godfrey and Hakim near one of the bars. She decided to save him and perhaps find somewhere they could be alone.

She inwardly frowned over that. It was odd that she was with a man who could be so passionate in private yet hold back as if they weren't really together in front of others. Yes, he escorted her everywhere, but she was the one to initiate any type of affection in public. She was the one to kiss him without worry of who was looking.

She didn't doubt for a second that Liam wanted her or else she would be back in New York still searching for Mr. Right. Though, would it kill him to show everyone they knew just how much he did?

It wasn't like she expected some epic, make you melt kiss every time they were near one another. She wouldn't mind some sort of affectionate peck or his arm around her instead of just his hand at the small of her back.

She jumped when she felt his hand in that very spot.

"Enjoying yourself?" He asked with a tender smile.

"Of course." She replied. "Who doesn't love another good party?"

Liam chuckled in response. "We have been forced to attend a lot of these, haven't we?"

"A little." She grinned at him. "I'll be glad when we begin enjoying evenings alone for a change."

"So will I."

Riley felt heat flash over her as his fingers brushed the cutout at the back of her dress. He seemed to linger on her exposed skin.

"Would you like to slip away for a moment?" He whispered

"For?" Riley teased him.

Liam's smirk caught her attention.

"I think you know the purpose of my wanting to steal you away from here."

"Is it to kiss me?"

"Always." He replied.

"I see."

Liam's eyes narrowed somewhat at the sound of disappointment he could detect.

"What's wrong, my love?"

"Nothing." She lowered her eyes from his. "Where should we go?"

Liam grasped her wrist when she began to pull away from him.

"Riley?"

She grimaced then finally said what was on her mind.

"Liam, you never kiss me in front of others."

"Excuse me?"

She had to fight from rushing to reassure him. If they were going to spend the rest of their lives together, then it was only fair that he understood what she needed.

Perhaps it was because the majority of their relationship was so different from every previous one she'd been in. After all, how many people had to compete the first go around to simply be with someone then turn around and be their secret lover before getting engaged? Weird didn't even begin to cover it.

"I can feel your eyes on me wherever we go." Riley explained. "I know what you want and I want it too."

Liam's brow furrowed as he listened without interruption. His hand loosened and fell away from her wrist.

"We're together now. Really together. We don't have to hide our feelings anymore from the world." She huffed in irritation. "We're getting married in a few weeks!"

When he remained silent, she softly groaned.

"What I'm trying to say is that you can kiss me whenever you want, regardless of who's around."

She forced herself to look up at him to see how he was taking this. Maybe it was some kind of royal protocol that she wasn't aware of yet that kept him from showing affection in public. Or, what if he wasn't into PDA?

Madeleine certainly had been the one to initiate the kisses to the cheek when she was engaged to Liam. Riley guessed that was how it was going to be from now on.

She believed she could live with that as long as he was still affectionate in private. She knew she shouldn't wish for something that probably wasn't that big of a deal.

But...

She needed him to show the world she was his choice. She needed them to know she was the only one he wanted over and over again. She wanted everyone to know the type of love they had for one another.

They weren't getting married because of some archaic law so he could meet the requirements to be king. They were doing so because they were in love and couldn't imagine spending another single moment without the other by their side.

Was it too much to ask for a spontaneous kiss every now and then?

"You wouldn't mind my doing so?" Liam asked.

Her eyes flew to his.

"Kissing me?"

He nodded.

She thought he was heartbreakingly adorable in his uncertainty. Didn't he realize how crazy in love she was with him?

"Liam, you can kiss me anytime, anywhere." Riley nervously gripped her hands together. "I would love it if you kissed me whenever you felt like it."

The slow smile forming on his lips drew her attention.

"You are giving me far too much power, my love."

Chills of delight ran down her spine. His seductive tone slipping out right now was enough to make her launch herself into his arms alone. It took every bit of her willpower to see what he would do next.

He raised one hand to her cheek. His thumb brushed along her bottom lip drawing an involuntary gasp from her. His eyes raised briefly to hers before settling once more upon her mouth.

In the blink of an eye, he had his free hand slide around her waist, drawing her flush to his body. Desire burned in the deep blue depths of his eyes over the feel of her being right where he wanted.

Riley thought she would collapse from the anticipation. Her heart pounded in her ears when he slowly lowered his mouth towards hers.

There was no gentle brush of his lips to check to see if she was truly willing to be kissed. Instead, his mouth covered hers in blatant ownership. His tongue parted her lips while his hand wrapped around her hair, keeping her at the perfect angle for his ravishment.

His arm around her waist locked in place, daring her to even think about moving, as he drew a whimper from her.

Her arms hung loosely at her sides until it hit her that this was truly happening. She wrapped them around his waist and surrendered completely. Her last coherent thought was she hoped everyone was seeing this.

Liam's hand tightened around her hair in response. He continued to devour her, finally giving himself what he'd craved from the first moment he ever saw her.

Perhaps a part of him had still been in disbelief that he could truly win her and her love. But now that he knew she wanted him to touch her as much as he did, that she needed it, it set off a part of his soul he wasn't aware existed.

He could care less who saw them. He didn't mind it for a second. His entire life was paraded before the world. He was more than willing to show them his favorite part of existing.

And it had everything to do with the woman returning his kiss with the power to make his skin deliciously burn with desire.

After one last caress of his tongue, Liam lifted his head to see the effect his kiss had over her.

Riley stared at him in wonder. Her lips were still parted as if ready for another kiss. Her breaths were quick little gasps while her cheeks were rosy from the encounter. Her eyes kept returning to his mouth as if in awe of the power it had over her body.

"Now that," she smiled at him, "was a kiss."

Liam laughed, leaning down to tenderly kiss her.

She hummed her approval of such a response to her observation.

"I like that one too." Riley admitted, her smile growing bigger with each brush of his lips.

"How about this one?" He whispered, gently biting down upon her earlobe.

He felt her hands drift down to grip his rear in response.

"I like it." She breathed, her eyes closing as he dotted slow kisses along her jawline. "I love everything you do to me."

"Good." Liam's voice deepened, his lips hovering over hers once more. "Because I don't intend to ever stop."

[dcbbw]

Catch and Release

I’m back, Tumblr! Unsure if anyone even realized I was gone, but I have missed sharing stories with you guys. I am slowly easing my way back into writing on a somewhat semi-regular basis; currently working on a couple of items on my WIP Wishlist, and Stormholt.

First up is a story that is my “hold my beer” response to a recent conversation I had with @ao719 about how Liam would never be a cold-hearted asshole EVER, even in the face of betrayal. This is a rewrite of the Drake and candles scene during the Homecoming Ball, sans assassins.

This is a one-shot, but already toying with an alternate version ….

THANK YOU to all who read this over in parts and pieces! The key smashes and follow-up questions reminded me why I love writing, and sharing on this hellsite.

To those who will read this, THANK YOU! Your likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated more than you realize.

Please excuse any and all typos, grammatical errors, and missing/extraneous words. MS Editor rates this piece as 99% error free.

Song Inspo: Fine Line, Harry Styles

Pairings: Liam x Riley, Drake x Riley

Rating: M for Mature for a smallish, unripe lemon

Word Count: 3,213

I can’t breathe.

My arms are stiff by my sides, hands tightly clenched into fists. The pain in my heart aches and pulses with every breath I draw. The rage that boils my blood also tightens my throat. Images flicker through my brain, snapshots of the scene I walked in on.  Even as my mind reels from the betrayal and my heart falls into a million pieces that shred me from the inside out, I still try to justify and deny.

My eyes are fixed on my fiancée who still sits on the edge of her bed; her eyes are trained on her slip-covered lap. I notice the fingers of one of her hands comb through her hair; the other hand lays limply against silk sheets.

Her skin is golden in the candlelight, her hitched sobs mixing with the crackle and hiss of the wax torches’ flames.  For reasons known only to Drake and Riley, there are dozens of lit candles covering nearly every available surface. No lamplight, no overhead lighting.

Just candles.

She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and the only woman I’ve ever hated.

No. I don’t hate her, not really. But in this very moment, I see why crimes of passion are committed.

Drake. Naked. Kissing her neck before their lips lock in a heated kiss.

Riley. Clad in only a slip. One of her hands stroking his member as she slides to her knees.

“Liam,” she says softly in a quavering voice.

I shake my head slowly. “No, Riley. Whatever you have to say right now, I don’t want to hear it.”

She swings her leg; it’s a nervous habit she has. One of the swings increases into a stretch and I wonder if it’s deliberate.  Her leg is long and tanned; my eyes take in a luscious thigh leading into a toned calf that flows into a shapely ankle. Her perfectly manicured toes point downward as she arches her foot.

Her limb is suspended for a moment too long before it falls.

The moment it takes for my cock to stiffen and butterflies to take up residence in my stomach.

She turns her face towards me; I see her lipstick smeared across her mouth, shiny streaks on her cheeks, and regret in her eyes.

Regret. Not remorse.

“I’m sorry you had to find out this way.” Her voice is thick with tears.

Our relationship has been littered with apologies … always from me … beginning with our first meeting. If I could, I would laugh at the irony that the one apology I find myself repeating stemmed from accusations of the American suitor being unfaithful to the future King.

The rumors weren’t so unfounded after all.

This is her first admission of guilt and/or wrongdoing our entire time together.

She has no choice.

I attempt a deep inhale, but my chest is too tight.

The wedding is in one week.

“Yes, Liam yes!!! A THOUSAND TIMES, yes!”

Tonight is the Homecoming Ball; a celebration of many things, including our engagement.

I caught her … them … the woman I love madly, truly, deeply and the man I trust more than anything in the world … preparing to indulge in an act I consider so sacred, I have never dared to ask her to perform it while we are merely engaged.

I manage to choke out a single question. “Why?”

Her shoulders slump as her head falls forward, causing her hair to cover her profile. “It hasn’t been going on long; it started on the Engagement Tour. I told him in Vegas that what we had would have to end.”

I watched her leave the stag-and-doe party arm-in-arm with Drake Walker. My best friend, with whom Riley wanted to have a fling. She swore it was a one-time affair; she was so much in love with me, but she wished to satisfy her curiosity.

I attempted to leave first, but I was not only one of the honorees, I was also King.

Per traditional protocol, the King is the last to leave.

So I remained behind, drinking copious amounts of American liquor, making small talk in a loud voice so as to be heard over noisy music, and dancing with women I had previously rejected.

All while Riley spent the night with another man.

“But it hasn’t,” I interrupt harshly, abruptly.

Her gaze lands briefly upon me, an irritated scowl marring her features. “I don’t love him,” she says simply, as if that excused everything.

I turn away from her; as disgusted as I am, I still find Riley Brooks distractingly desirable. I say that as if we’ve been treading this road of infidelity and discovery for years and years. Except it’s only been months since we first met, and if I hadn’t come looking for her this evening, I still would be none the wiser.

She was in my arms, kissing me deeply as we waltzed our way around the ballroom barely an hour ago. 

We beamed brightly at each other and the crowd as the gathering toasted us with champagne and strawberries.

I smoked a celebratory cigar with Drake.

An hour ago, I was the luckiest man in the world. I was happy.

Now ... I’m heartbroken.

I stumble my way towards a wingback chair, pausing to shrug out of my dinner jacket and drape it across the back of it. I sit heavily, legs spread slightly apart; I push off my shoes and undo my tie while maintaining eye contact with my fiancée.

“I’m highly upset with you, Riley. This … this has hurt me. Deeply.”

“I know,” she whispers as the back of her hand swipes at errant tears. “Other than promising that this will never happen again, what can I do to make it up to you?”

The pad of my forefinger taps my chin thoughtfully as my eyes scan the room. I see the flames flicker and dance in silhouette against the walls. One of Drake’s shoes lies on its side near her night table.

When I cleared my throat to announce my presence, his eyes had gone wide as his face paled. Drake gathered his clothing, trying vainly to make eye contact with Riley; however, she was suddenly fascinated with the pattern decorating the carpet.

I could practically hear his unspoken question to her: What does this mean for us?

In less than a minute, my “best friend” was half-dressed and ran out, not speaking one word to either me or Riley.

“I’m not sure. You know I harbor trust issues about being open, honest … vulnerable, with women. No one’s ever wanted Liam for Liam; I have always been merely a conduit to bigger and better.”

And apparently, best friends.

“Liam, I love YOU. Not your moniker, not your wealth. Tonight … with Drake … was a moment of weakness!  YOU are my bigger and better!

I arch an eyebrow.  “Whatever the excuse, your love for me doesn’t diminish the lust you have for him.”

She has the decency to look ashamed.

“Please, Liam! It won’t happen again, I swear it! You mean too much to me! Just tell me how to make this up to you!”

Her pleas are urgent, not fervent. Insincere, almost.

I find the lack of apology perturbing.

 It is obvious she has no idea the jeopardy she has put me, and our relationship in. Very few at Court are in favor of our impending nuptials due to the simple fact that a union with a foreign commoner yields nothing for the Crown. A marriage with Riley does not increase Cordonia’s landholdings; it does not give the country seats at tables where we are already overlooked; I, and by extension Cordonia, gain absolutely nothing from this.

Riley is the only winner here.

And I don’t care.

The last thing my country is worried about is its fiscal health. Our prosperity is guaranteed for the next 80 generations without investments and development. All I wanted from Riley was her love and loyalty; with that, I would be able to scale mountains and slay dragons. But even the bare minimum I require is too much for her to give.

But I’m in love with her. Even now, I can’t not be with her in some fashion. I need to know that she is still mine, even if only in the basest of ways.

I unfasten my belt buckle and undo my pant button; my cock is uncomfortably hard. I crook my finger, beckoning her to me, wondering how many times the woman I have put first, the woman who influences my thoughts, actions, my very decisions has given me sloppy seconds.

An expression fleetingly crosses Riley’s face; I am uncertain if it’s hope or smugness. After a moment’s hesitation, her walk of shame towards me is contrite, yet confident. Like a child who knows they’ve done wrong but realizes a way of escaping punishment.

I tug my zipper down before slipping my hand inside to release my raging erection. The head of my cock is purplish in the muted lighting and pre-cum leaks from the tip. My hips arch upwards as I begin to pull my pants and underwear down. My eyes glance up to see Riley standing expectantly before me.

It reminds me of our first meeting in that bar in Brooklyn.

“A little help would be nice,” I quip with a small smile that doesn’t feel quite right.

She kneels before me, pulling and tugging at my trousers and silk boxers. My eyes are trained on the rounded tops of her cleavage as my hand slowly slides along my member. Once Riley’s task is finished, she looks up at me with repentant eyes.

“Do you forgive me, Liam?” Her voice is hesitant, her tone tentative.

I lean forward, the back of my fingertips caressing the curve of her cheek. “I’m in love with you, Riley. There’s nothing to forgive,” I assure her in a soft whisper.

She leans into my palm. “I love you so much. I’ll never lie to you, or hurt you ever again,” she promises.

I aim my cock towards her plump lips, still smeared from her earlier kiss with Drake. Small halos of smoke wreath her hair.

“Would you … could you … perform oral on me?” My voice is shy, hesitant. Even in the face of her obvious infidelity, I am uncomfortable asking her this.

Her eyes fill with relief that forgiveness would come so easily, and wariness at the request. “You’ve never asked for that before.”

I lock eyes with her before quietly replying, “We’re betrothed.”

She nods in understanding. If that act is good enough for her lover, it’s certainly good enough for the man who will make her Queen.

Riley places her palms flat against the top of my thighs; her head dips and I feel the tip of her tongue lightly lick my balls. It tickles, but no mirth escapes my lips. Without thought my hand drifts to the top of her head, fingers combing through her soft hair.

The flat of her tongue licks wetly up the underside of my cock while she cups a hand to fondle my balls. I stare down at her cleavage, the rounded tops of her breasts teasing me as they rise and fall in time with her breathing and ministrations.

My head falls back against the chair’s headrest when her mouth opens wide enough to engulf half of my cock. When she has a tad over half of me in her mouth, she hollows her cheeks and snakes her tongue around my erection while stroking its base.

Memories and images flash in my mind as my hand tightens its grip on her hair.

Kismet.

The Masquerade Ball

Hedge Maze

Cronuts

Forgotten Falls

Deep pants escape my lips as I simultaneously lift my head and slide down further into the chair; my hips arch upwards. Riley’s head bobs as she sucks me. A thin line of drool ekes from a corner of her mouth. My cock eases deeper down her throat, and my hand pulls and pushes at her head to get to take all of me.

I close my eyes as her warm mouth tightens around me.

Coronation Night

Fydelia

Barn Raising

Italy

Her gagging breaks my reverie and hardens my cock even more. I sit up, my palms pressed against either side of her skull as I begin fucking her mouth. Her eyes are closed; bliss or boredom, I don’t know. Her lashes are dark against her skin.

“Look at me,” I order in a voice that isn’t mine.

Obediently her eyes open; her jaw and chin are wet with spittle and pre-cum. She continues to suck me, emitting low moans over my member. My strokes get faster, longer, rougher. My balls are heavy, and I feel a tightening in my muscles before the last image flashes before me.

The scene I walked in on.

With a harsh yank, I pull her even further down onto my cock as I push myself down her esophagus as far as I can. A primal yell rips from my throat as an intense orgasm comes over me. My body shudders and convulses as ropes of white cream pulse out of me.

As my seed fills my fiancée’s mouth and spills down her throat, I forcefully tug her hair so she is looking up at me; her eyes are questioning.

It takes me a moment to compose myself and catch my breath. I watch Riley swallow all that I have given her.

“The engagement is off. Our relationship is over. I am finished, do you understand me?” My voice is gravelly, tone firm. “You shall retain your title of Duchess, and ownership of Duchy Valtoria, but you will never be my Queen.”

Fright and fear fill her eyes. The heels of her hands press deeper into my flesh as she attempts to pull away from my cock, but I don’t relinquish my hold.

“A press release will go out tomorrow afternoon, after security and housekeeping move you and your belongings to the South Wing.  I think you will appreciate being closer to Drake Walker.”

I release Riley’s hair, and she falls back on her haunches.

“WHAT are you talking about??” she demands angrily.

I stand and begin collecting my clothing; I step into my boxers, glancing over at her.

“I trust you fully comprehend what I just stated. I believe I communicated openly and honestly what our next steps are. Already, I have offered you more than you or Drake have ever given me.”

I glance at her left hand; the engagement ring glints in the light. “I would like my ring back, please.”

I am tucking my shirt into my pants when I see her rise from the floor and come at me, fists flailing. Her pummels upon my arm and shoulder are no surprise.

“YOU BASTARD! YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!” she rasps as her fists beat on my shirt. “YOU JUST SAID THERE IS NOTHING TO FORGIVE!”

I do not defend myself against the attack; I merely sidestep and continue dressing.

“And there isn’t. I will once again assume the guilt and blame for your lack of transparency and communication. But this is the last time. We’re over.”

I reach for my jacket from the back of the chair and begin to pull it on. Riley’s face is twisted in rage and hurt; her eyes are narrowed into slits.

I look her over impassively and hold my hand out, palm up. “The ring, Lady Riley.”

“FUCK YOU,” she shrieks. “This is ALLLL your fault, and you KNOW IT! If you had never picked Madeleine …”

“I picked her because neither you nor your lover felt the need to tell me what happened in Applewood, something I have never been offered an assurance or reason for. I made a decision for your safety and protection with absolutely no context. I have apologized and explained this to you over and over and over again.”

Riley blanches before playing her last card. “My BEST protection would’ve been with you, under your care!”

“My engagement to Madeleine was the most viable protection. With all eyes on me and my fiancée, it took the target off you, and freed up our friend circle to freely pursue Tariq with the aid of my HEAD GUARD!”

I cut my eyes at her. “Presumably you were too busy justifying spending all of your time with another to even consider that I was the doing the very best I could in a situation that I was blindly thrust into.”

I jostle my hand impatiently. “The ring,” I remind her.

Her mouth hangs open slightly, her eyes baffled as she slowly pulls off the engagement ring. Her fingers hover above my palm before dropping the jewelry into it.

“Liam, why are you doing this to me? To us?” she asks brokenly.

I am slipping the ring into my jacket pocket; I pause to look up at her in puzzlement.

“Me? You did this, Riley. You have been holding onto one incident our entire relationship while committing multiple transgressions against my love for you. You accepted my proposal. You betrayed my trust when it was unnecessary. I’ve been the one saying sorry, being tormented by guilt, feeling less than for not being there to protect and defend you. And the whole while, you were with Drake.”

“I was single when I was with Drake!” she hollers.

“Were you single after accepting my proposal? Were you single tonight when you were getting on your knees for him?” I challenge in a cold voice.

Riley looks around helplessly before offering more feeble excuses. “I was tipsy! He caught me in a moment of weakness! I SWEAR to you, it’ll never happen again!”

I am at the door, my hand on the doorknob, twisting it.

“Liam, you still love me! I never stopped loving you. We can work through this!” Her words are rushed, laced with desperation.

But they strike a nerve, sparking hope.

 My head drops and my eyes close; my feelings and her words tumble in my brain. I breathe out a deep sigh and turn to look at her.

“You want me to forgive you, yet you have never forgiven me.”

The door is slightly ajar and light from the hall spills into the doorway; chatter and merriment from the party can be heard. It muffles the last break of my heart. But I do not leave immediately. Instead, my hand falls from the knob, and I deliberately make my way back to her.

The merest of fractions separates us. My eyes take in her tousled hair, ruined makeup, her curves and swells making an hourglass of the slip.

I pull her in for an embrace, which she eagerly responds to. Her body fits perfectly against mine as it always has. Familiar scents assail my nostrils: strawberry shampoo, coconut rose lotion, jasmine and vanilla perfume.

I wonder if I’m making a mistake.

“Riley, I am in love with you but it’s apparent that even with all my wealth and resources, it isn’t enough for you. I’m not enough for you. We both deserve to be people who will find us ... sufficient, not supplemental.”

She is silent as tears fill her eyes again; I brush them away from her lashes and cheekbones before I place a gentle, lingering kiss on her forehead.

Her lack of reassurances and promises tells me I’m not.

“Thank you for giving me the Drake Walker treatment,” I say politely as my eyes burn from smoke and unshed tears.

And I let her go.

Her hand reaches for me, but she lets it fall as she watches me exit the room, closing the door quietly behind me.

Tagging: @jared2612 @marietrinmimi @indiacater @kingliam2019 @bebepac @liamxs-world @mom2000aggie @liamrhysstalker2020 @twinkleallnight @umccall71 @superharriet @busywoman @beezm@gabesmommie1130 @tessa-liam @gardeningourmet @mainstreetreader @angelasscribbles @emkay512 @princessleac1 @charlotteg234 @alj4890 @lovingchoices14 @lady-calypso @choicesficwriterscreations @queenjilian

[sfb123]

Hands Down

Chapter 3: "True"

Catch up here!

Pairing: Liam x Riley

All characters belong to Pixelberry

Summary: Can Liam and Riley still find their way to each other despite Riley turning down Maxwell's invitation to Cordonia?

Rating: G

Word Count: 3,714

Song Inspiration: True - Ryan Cabrera

A/N: Thank you @charlotteg234 for helping me with the opening part of this.

Other than that, it hasn't been pre-read, so please excuse any errors. I'm really terrible at grammar. 😬

Tags are below the cut/in the comments. If you'd like to be added or removed, please let me know!

In the days following his coronation, Liam worked tirelessly to assure the people of his country that, despite his unconventional decision, Cordonia would be stronger and more prosperous than ever under his leadership. The council had rebranded what was supposed to have been his engagement tour into an introduction tour, which would not only serve as a chance to begin solidifying alliances and good-will with other world leaders and political taste-makers, but a chance for him to show everyone just what King Liam’s Cordonia could be.

However, even with the nonstop calls, meetings and interviews, his mind couldn’t help but drift to Drake’s words. 

I’m pretty sure it was obvious to everyone but you that she was into you.

You mean to tell me that you’re not even going to try?

He hadn’t planned on trying. He assumed that by turning down Maxwell’s invitation she wasn’t interested. But once again, he thought about what Drake said and considered Riley’s point of view. If he had been put in her place, he would have made the same choice. Maybe there was still hope. 

Liam decided that before he began his tour, he needed to fly to New York and find her. He had spent months thinking about her, even if she wasn’t the one, perhaps it would give him some closure and allow him to move on. When his final meeting of the week was finished, he boarded the royal jet and made his way to the states. 

When they landed, Liam requested that they go straight to the bar. He couldn’t wait any longer. As his SUV traveled the streets, his mind and heart were racing, thinking of all of the things he wanted to say, and reminding himself not to come on too strong, or get his hopes up too high. 

The car slowed to a stop in front of the bar, and Liam’s head guard, Bastien, walked around the vehicle to open Liam’s door. The young king paused for a moment, taking  a deep breath to prepare himself. He was ready for a life full of deals and negotiations, he had been trained for it since childhood; but having to be open, and speak his heart was something completely foreign to him. 

“Sir?” Bastien’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. 

Liam nodded in acknowledgement and stepped out of the vehicle, moving toward the door. As soon as he stepped over the threshold, he was hit with the nostalgia of the last time he was there. 

“Just a second.”

His breath caught in his throat at the voice calling from the kitchen. 

She’s here. 

His heart began racing as he neared the stools surrounding the bar. Just as he approached, Riley emerged from the kitchen, eyes trained on her notepad as she jotted something down. 

She looked even more beautiful than he remembered. She kept her focus on the task in front of her as she walked past him and straight to a table, slipping the customer the receipt she had been writing on. 

As soon as she turned around, Riley locked eyes with Liam and she froze in her spot. She wasn’t expecting to ever see him again. 

“Hello, Riley.” 

She stood in silence for another moment, trying to process the fact that Liam, the man she couldn’t seem to get out of her mind, was standing in front of him. “Hi Liam.” She managed to choke out. 

Shaking off her surprise, she jumped right back into waitress mode. “Can I get you a table? Are your friends here with you again?” She paused for a moment, suddenly remembering what he had been doing in their time apart. “If you’re here with your fiancée, I can give you a quiet table in the back.” 

“No, it’s just me this time.” He smiled at her. She didn’t know, she hadn’t been following the social season. He wasn’t sure whether or not that was a good sign. “I was actually hoping to speak with you, if you have a moment?” 

“Oh, um…” She took a look around the bar. It wasn’t very busy, but there were customers that were going to need her attention. “Yeah, let me just check on a couple of tables. You can sit if you want.” She motioned to the bar. He nodded and took a seat on a stool. 

After visiting each of her tables, and refilling a couple of glasses for the patrons at the bar, she stepped up to the spot where Liam was sitting. “Sorry,” she apologized. “Can I get you a drink?”

��No, I’m fine. Thank you.” He took a deep breath and searched her eyes, hoping for some kind of sign that she had missed him, or even thought about him once since he had left, but she had a wall up, he wasn’t even sure if she was happy to see him. 

“So, how was your social season?” Riley asked, unsure what else to say. 

“It was… eventful.” He mused. “My father officially stepped down from the throne.”

“Oh, wow. So you’re an actual king now?” Liam nodded. “Congratulations.” She noticed that Liam seemed uneasy about his sudden title change. 

“I suppose. It was unexpected, and there was a lot behind it that made it a bit… bittersweet. But I knew I would end up here eventually.” He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

“So how does your fiancée feel about the sudden fast track to queen?” She asked tentatively. She really didn’t want to hear about the woman he chose. She was probably smart, well spoken and gorgeous. Everything Riley felt she could never be. 

Liam let out a breath, grateful that she brought it up first. “I don’t have a fiancée. I didn’t pick anyone.” 

“But I thought you…”

“I was supposed to,” he took one of her hands in his, feeling emboldened by the moment and deciding to just dive in. “Riley, my whole life I’ve known I needed to put my duty to Cordonia above everything else. That included any ideas about romance, or marrying for love. As I went through my social season, I would try to weigh out my options, but my mind kept going back to our night together. I couldn’t pick any of those women because none of them were you.” 

Riley stood in stunned silence, overwhelmed by Liams words, and the familiar, calming feeling of her hand in his. She felt him squeeze gently and she cleared her throat to compose herself. “I don’t understand.” 

“I want to be with you, Riley.” It was a bolder statement than he intended to make, but he didn’t regret saying it.  

She felt as though her heart was going to leap out of her chest, she still didn’t understand. How could this man, this king, this handsome, kind king have spent the last few months with women throwing themselves at him, and he’s standing here telling him he wants her. It didn’t add up. 

“Riley?” His voice brought her out of her thoughts. She studied his expression, and noticed a vulnerability in his eyes. 

“But… how would that even work?” She pulled her hand out of his and stepped back. “You’re on the other side of the world, the time difference must be insane.” 

“It’s six hours,” He responded. “And I’m here now.” 

“But not for long. You’re going to have to go home and rule a whole ass country. You honestly think you’re going to have time for me?” 

Liam smirked, she was getting flustered, he took that as a sign that his feelings were returned. “The logistics can be figured out. And I will make time for you, no matter where I am, or what time zone I am in. You’re worth it.” 

Riley’s brow furrowed in confusion. “How do you know?”

“Because I can feel it.” He replied, his eyes intently locked on hers. “Riley, there’s something between us. I felt it that night, it’s practically all I’ve thought about since we said goodbye, and I felt it again the second I walked through the door and heard your voice.” 

“But…”

“Please,” he pleaded. “Just let me take you on one date. If after that, you can tell me that you truly don’t feel the connection, I will walk away and never bother you again.” 

Riley didn’t need a date to know there was a connection, she was feeling everything he was. But she still had so many questions and doubts about the whole thing. The smart thing to do would be to say no, realistically, this would never work. All of the concerns that ran through her mind when Maxwell invited her to Cordonia came flooding back.

But did she want to do the smart thing? That’s what she thought she had done last time, and she’d been regretting it ever since. Riley had always played it safe and done the smart thing. She never took risks, and she was right where she had always planned to be. For the most part. 

The hopeless romantic inside of her, the side she had silenced once before, was screaming at her to say yes. Love wasn’t logical, it wasn’t smart, it was a risk. Some of her favorite love stories included a visit to the seawich, trusting a fairy godmother, or taking a chance on seven strangers in the woods. 

“Okay.” She answered softly, still unsure about where this would lead. 

“Okay?” He repeated her hopefully. She nodded in response. “Wonderful!”

Riley smiled coyly at Liam’s excitement. “I’m actually free tomorrow night if that works for you?” 

“Absolutely. I’ll pick you up at your apartment at seven?”

“Sure.” 

Liam breathed a sigh of relief and stood from his barstool. “Perfect. You’re at the same address I walked you home to?” 

“You remember?”

“Of course I do, I remember everything about that night.” He noticed a blush come over Riley at his response. “Maybe I could get your number though, just in case?” 

Riley smiled, her eyes flitting to the floor. “Sure.” He handed her his phone, and she put her number into the contacts. 

When she handed the phone back to him, his fingers lingered on hers for a moment before he pulled away, placing it in his pocket. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”  

Riley watched Liam exit the bar, her eyes watching on the door until one of her customers called for her attention. She took a few orders and began mixing drinks, her mind drifting back to Liam and their conversation. She was nervous, terrified really, about going out with him. She couldn’t help but get ahead of herself, trying to figure out how a relationship with that much distance would work. Or why he would even want it to.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t notice Daniel enter the bar and come up behind her. “Holy shit,” Riley startled at his voice, nearly spilling the martini she had in her hand. “Sorry,” he smiled apologetically at his friend. “But it was important. You should have seen the smoke show I just passed on my way in here.” 

Riley smirked to herself as she placed the drink in front of her customer and moved back across the room. She had a feeling she knew exactly who he was talking about. “Blonde hair, blue eyes, a little over six feet?” 

“Yes, he was in here?!”

“That’s uh…” She picked up a rag and began wiping down the bar, avoiding eye contact with Daniel. “That’s Liam, the guy from the bachelor party.” 

His jaw dropped. “Prince Charming?” She nodded with a small chuckle. “What was he doing here?” 

Riley recapped the conversation for a stunned Daniel. She had given him a full rundown of their time together when she had returned to the apartment that night, but hadn't mentioned anything about him since. However, Daniel knew better than to think it was just a fleeting moment to her. He’d never seen her light up about anything, or anyone the way she did when she was recalling every last detail of Liam and their evening together.

“But you said yes, right?” Daniel asked hopefully. 

“I mean yeah, how could I say no to all of that?” Riley shrugged. “But I don’t know.” 

Daniel rolled his eyes. “Come on Ri, I get it, you’ve got this whole don’t see how great you are thing, and that’s your vibe. But seriously,” he placed his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eye. “This man has already done more for you after knowing you for a couple of hours than your last boyfriend did all that time you were together. Take the hint. He wants you.” 

“How does a relationship like that even work?” She continued to protest. 

“First of all, it’s a date, not a relationship.” Daniel corrected her. “Second of all, if it gets to that, you figure it out. And then you invite me to your lavish royal wedding, because technically this is all thanks to me.” He winked. 

“Alright, alright, I’ll go.” Riley chuckled. “What are you even doing here? It’s your night off.” 

“I wanted to be your last customer.” He smiled, taking a seat at the bar. “I’ll have my usual, barkeep.” 

***

The next day, Riley spent most of the morning rifling through her closet, trying to assemble the perfect outfit for her date with Liam. 

“Daniel, help!” 

Daniel rushed into Riley’s room to find clothes scattered over every inch of the space. “Holy shit Ri, what happened here?” 

Riley looked up at Daniel from her seat on the floor, gripping onto two shirts. “What do grown ups wear on dates?” 

“Oh Riley,” he dropped down on his knees by his friend’s side, wrapping his arm around her. “Just relax.” 

“I can’t relax. I haven’t gone on an actual date in almost four years. I was just a kid. And this isn’t just a grown up date, it’s a grown up date with a king. Fuck,” her eyes went wide and she turned to face Daniel. “Am I supposed to wear a ballgown?” 

He didn’t want to make her feel worse, but Daniel couldn’t help but chuckle at her panic. “I don’t think he’s expecting that.” He pried the shirts out of her grip. “Listen, he asked you out because he likes you, you don’t have to get all fancy. That’s what he turned down to come here to find you. Just be yourself, cute and comfortable.” 

“But what if he’s taking me somewhere fancy? Guys like him don’t go to hole in the wall pizza places, or burger joints.”

“Or dive bars?” Daniel retorted with an arched brow. “You’re overthinking this. Here,” he reached behind her, picking up a green high low dress. “This is perfect. Wear it with that leather jacket you have. Classy and cool, you’ll be ready for anything.” 

“Daniel, it’s perfect!” She wrapped her arms around him and brought him into a hug. “Thank you.”

“Of course, but listen,” he pulled back, looking at her with concern in his eyes. “You need to relax, you’ve got this. He asked you out, he flew halfway across the world for this date, safe to say he wants it.” 

“That’s the problem,” she huffed, standing up and laying her dress on the bed. “He was supposed to pick a fiancée in his own county. He didn’t and then he came here, because of me. Do you have any idea how much pressure that is? He barely knows me.” 

Daniel followed her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “That’s what first dates are for.” 

Over the next few hours, as Riley got ready for her date, Daniel made sure to be there to guide her back when she fell too deep down the rabbit hole of worry and self-doubt about how the evening would go. 

She was putting the finishing touches on her look when her phone chimed. It was a number she didn’t have saved, but the second she saw the message she knew who it was. The butterflies in her stomach kicked into high gear, Liam had arrived. He didn’t have her apartment number, so he couldn’t ring them to be buzzed up. She gave him the number and called down the hall for Daniel to buzz him in. 

Riley slid on her shoes and made her way down the hall, where Daniel was waiting in the living room. She gave him a nervous smile. “Do I look alright?” 

“Like a princess.” Daniel grinned. She rolled her eyes, making Daniel laugh. “You’ve got this Ri, trust me.” 

As the elevator made its ascent to the fourth floor, Liam’s fingers tapped nervously against his thigh. He had spent all day preparing for this, it needed to go perfectly. The doors opened, and he stepped into the hallway stopping in front of the door marked ‘11D’. He took a deep breath before lifting his fist and wrapping gently. The door opened, and Liam’s breath caught in his throat when he laid his eyes on her. 

“Riley you look,” he paused, taking another moment to admire her from head to toe. “Stunning.” 

“Thank you,” he caught the blush in her cheeks just before her gaze dropped. 

They stood in silence, not believing that they were actually here. They had both imagined this moment, but neither thought it would ever be more than that. 

“I brought you these.” Liam broke the silence, holding up a bouquet of roses. “I wasn’t sure what your favorite flower was, I hope roses are okay?” 

Riley smiled, taking the bouquet from Liam and lifting them to her nose. “They’re perfect.” Liam let out a sigh of relief. “Let me just go put them in some water, I’ll be right back.” 

While Riley was in the other room, Liam took the opportunity to look around the apartment to try to learn a bit more about her. The decor wasn’t exactly what he had pictured for her, and she didn’t appear to be in many of the photos. He found it curious. 

“Ready?” Riley pulled him from his thoughts. 

Liam smiled and offered his arm to her. “Absolutely.” 

He led her out of the apartment and to the elevator. As the cab made its descent, the pair stood in silence, Liam noticed that Riley seemed nervous. He could understand that, he was nervous too, but there was also an uneasiness about her that concerned him.

“Is everything alright?” Liam asked tentatively, hoping the evening was not about to end before even getting started.  

“Yeah,” she smiled up at him softly. He felt his heart flutter at the sight. “I’m just a little nervous is all.” 

Liam grinned as the doors opened. “Understandable,” he raised his arm, signaling for her to exit the elevator. Once she stepped over the threshold, he followed behind her. “I’m pretty nervous too.” 

“You are?” 

“Definitely,” he assured her as they moved outside. He walked her to the SUV that was waiting in front of her building, opening the door for her. He slid in behind her and closed the door before continuing. “If we’re being candid, this is actually my first real date.” 

Riley contorted her face into a look of disbelief. “Yeah, okay,” she replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

“I’m serious!” He chuckled. “Growing up as part of the royal family, things were different. I was introduced to women, but our time would be spent at courtly functions. It was nothing like dating as you know it.” 

Riley nodded in understanding, a brief silence coming over them. “As a matter of fact,” he continued. “I wanted everything to be perfect tonight, so I did some research on first dates.” 

“You did?” She smiled. ‘That’s actually really cute.” 

“I’m very glad you think so.” 

“Well, since we’re having truth time,” Riley took a deep breath, and looked down at her hands, which sat in her lap. “I guess I’m just a little worried that after all this time, and after everything you did to come here and ask me out, I’m not going to be worth it.” 

Liam’s heart sank at her confession. The last thing he wanted was to put any pressure on her, and he especially hated that she was worried she wasn’t enough. He realized in that moment that he may have come off a bit stronger than he anticipated when he had seen her the night before.   

“Riley,” he said, gently placing his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. “I’m so sorry for putting that pressure on you. I assure you, while my feelings for you did have a part in the decision I made at my coronation, it wasn’t the only reason.”

He went on to explain his conversation with Leo, and how it had inspired him to forge his own path. He also told her about the conversation he had with Drake later in the night; leaving out the part about how obvious it was to everyone how she felt about him. She was already feeling insecure, he thought that would only make things worse. Instead, he told her that Drake suggested the best way to find his happiness was to go back to the last place where he felt truly happy.

“And you picked the night we met?” Riley asked.

“I did,” he smiled softly at her. “Riley, I can’t predict the future. I don’t know where this is going to go, if it goes anywhere at all. But what I do know is that when I was with you that night, I felt comfortable, free. It was something I hadn’t felt for a long time, and it meant a lot to me.” 

Riley felt her cheeks get warm as she dropped her gaze to her lap. “It was a pretty great night, wasn’t it?”

“Absolutely, and that’s the only expectation I have for tonight. To have a pretty great night, with a pretty great girl.” He placed his index finger under her chin, tilting it so their eyes were locked.

Riley looked into his eyes and was met with a sincerity that gave her butterflies. At that moment, all of her questions and worries were gone; replaced by anticipation and excitement of what the evening, and the future, held. 

Permatag:

@3pawandme @alj4890 @busywoman @charlotteg234 @cordonia-gothqueen @cordoniaqueensworld @differenttyphoonwerewolf @emkay512 @foreverethereal123 @hopelessromanticmonie @iaminlovewithtrr @imashybish @kat-tia801 @kingliam2019 @malblk21 @mom2000aggie @neotericthemis @nestledonthaveone @queen-arabella-of-cordonia @secretaryunpaid @sincerelyella @tessa-liam @theroyalheirshadowhunter @tinkie1973 @twinkleallnight @txemrn

Liam:

@amandablink @custaroonie @jared2612

TRR:

@21-wishes @ao719 @bascmve01 @belencha77 @burnsoslow @imjusthereforliam @kristinamae093 @lovingchoices14 @the0afnan

Hands Down:

@umccall71

@choicesficwriterscreations