#Madeleine Bertrand

[edsonjnovaes]

O Tahiti E

Apresentação de O Tahiti E no Heiva 2016 Tahitian dance – Madeleine Bertrand. 7 de jul. de 2016 Each year the event Heiva i Tahiti is held where different groups compete against each other in many different dance categories. This is a portion of the performance from the group “O Tahiti E” In Tahitian, the word Heiva (hei meaning to assemble, and va meaning community places) refers to…

[karahalloway]

(Less Than) Noble Intentions: Chapter 18 - Diplomatica

Fandom: TRR

Pairing: Drake Walker x F!OC (Harper Gale)

Series Summary: The social season may be over, but Harper Gale’s problems are just beginning. With everyone at court a potential suspect, can she and Drake survive the engagement tour and get to the bottom of the plot against her and clear her name? An AU take of TRR2 featuring my OTP - Harper & Drake.

Masterlist: (Less Than) Noble Intentions

Chapter Summary: Harper, Olivia and the Beaumonts arrive in Rome... but not everyone is happy to see them

Word Count: 5,300

Rating/Warnings: None (for once 🤣)

Chapter theme song:

A/N1: Lots of Italian and random cultural/historical tidbits in this... but, then again, we are in Italy, so the foreign language aspect will be a bit of a running theme through the next few chapters (sorry...not sorry - I actually learnt some Italian in the process!)

A/N2: @aussiegurl1234, before you ask, yes, I HC that Vito bears a striking resemblance to Michele Morrone 😆

Chapter 18 - Diplomatica

"How is it hotter here than in Cordonia?" I gasp as I step out onto the jet's airstairs.

"Italy is a peninsula," Olivia says from behind me, slotting on a pair of Versace cat-eye shades. "It is more exposed to the anti-cyclones that blow up from the Sahara."

My mouth drops as I make my way down onto the steaming tarmac. "This heatwave... is coming from Africa?"

No wonder it feels like the inside of a furnace!

"It certainly isn't coming from the Arctic!" bemoans Bertrand as he shields his face from the intensity of the rays with an upraised hand. "Though what a welcome change that would be!"

"Brr...!" objects Maxwell with a shiver. "No thank you! I've had my yearly fill of sub-zero temps at Olivia's!"

"You're welcome," comes the snippy response as the Duchess of Lythikos strides past us.

"That said, turning the mercury down a few notches wouldn't hurt..." I remark, squinting accusatorily up at the beating sun.

"The summer heatwaves have been growing longer and more intense over recent years," Olivia advises from up front, "leading to consequent effects on food and water security, power generation, infrastructure, not to mention the added burden on the healthcare system across Europe. It is one of the items on the agenda for Christian's roundtable with the Italian Prime Minister tomorrow."

I frown as I arrive at the passenger-side door of the first in a trio of waiting Porsche Macan GTS's. "I thought this was supposed to be an engagement tour..."

"It is," she confirms as a black-suited Italian sporting close-cropped hair and aviators opens the door for her. "But any foreign visit involving a high-ranking head of state is — by its nature — a diplomatic event as well."

"I guess that makes sense," I concede, sliding into the relative reprieve offered by the SUV's A/C system. "Though you said Christian is meeting with the Prime Minister tomorrow... I thought that was supposed to be today. Did something change?"

"No," derides Bertrand as he settles in next to me. "Today, the King is partaking in a meet-and-greet with the Italian President, followed by a private audience with the Pope while the future Queen is fitted for her wedding trousseau, capped off by dinner and a performance of Tosca at the Teatro dell'Opera in the evening. While tomorrow we have been invited to brunch at the Cordonian Consulate, after which the King has a round-table discussion with the Prime Minister, and day will be closed out by a state gala."

"Oh," I mutter sheepishly. "So, the Prime Minister isn't the same as the President...?"

"The Prime Minister is the head of government, while the President is the head of state," the elder Beaumont instructs as Maxwell squishes himself into the backseat on the other side of me. "The roles are quite distinct."

"Of course they are..." I huff under my breath.

Seems like in addition to Olivia's list of influential Cordonian nobles, I will also need to memorise a textbook on European constitutional history...

Though, now I am doubly glad of the business-like, but nevertheless stylish pale pink, high-necked pencil dress that Bertrand foisted on me this morning — it definitely would not have been great to show up underdressed to such a high-level meeting!

"But we must hurry!" the elder Beaumont proclaims. "We are due at the Presidential Palace in just under an hour, and we still need to fight our way through the notoriously infernal Roman traffic!"

"Not to worry," Olivia assures us with a sly smirk from the front passenger seat. "Vito here knows all the shortcuts."

"That sounds ominous..." I mutter, reaching for the seatbelt on instinct.

"I prefer 'expeditious'," she counters, turning to Vito, who has now taken up position behind the wheel. "Andiamo."

"Certamente, Duchessa," he nods, throwing the car forward with a violent depression of the gas pedal.

The sudden acceleration yanks an inadvertent gasp from my lips as I'm thrown back in my seat... just like on that afternoon in Ramsford when Drake pulled the same stunt on the Beaumonts' driveway.

I feel my throat tighten as I glance inadvertently out the window. God, I hope he's okay...

I know in the back of my mind that I'm probably making myself anxious for no reason. Drake is an adult, perfectly capable of taking care of himself... including in close-quarters situations. He's demonstrated that to me plenty of times.

Yet, I still can't help but worry about him. Especially when he's off in a foreign country (all by himself for all I know...), having left with basically no good-bye, and with definitely no assurance of when he expects to get back.

And while I know that he is doing this for me — so we can collar Tariq and extract whatever information he has in relation to the plot to influence the outcome of the social season... and to answer for what he did to me in Applewood — the wait is killing me. I have no idea where he is, what he is doing, and whether he even has his phone turned on, given the high-stakes nature of his self-appointed task.

Which is why I have held off trying to reach out to him (...even though the baser, needier part of me is itching to do exactly that), as I don't want to be the one to interrupt a crucial moment by setting his phone off with an ill-timed call or text, especially considering the three-hour time difference...

I heave a breath.

I just have to trust him. Like he asked me to at every turn of this increasingly bumpy road that we've been travelling since I left New York. And hope that we are finally on our way out of the woods.

Exiting the boundaries of the airport, Vito navigates the Porsche onto a highway where we are able to pick up some speed. Olivia uses the opportunity to open up her phone, throwing some questions in Italian to her associate every so often as we cruise along. Bertrand is similarly occupied, while Maxwell has slipped on some Bose headphones and is bobbing away to the beat.

Which leaves me to stare somewhat aimlessly out the window, watching the scenery roll by in a bid to keep myself distracted.

But the reprieve ends up being somewhat of a welcome one. The various warehouses and road-side auto lots surrounding the airport quickly give way to a tree-lined thoroughfare, and I find myself basking in the calming effects of the greenery, not having expected to encounter such a bucolic sight on the road to a major urban centre.

Eventually, though, the vegetation gives way to the crumbling walls of some kind of expansive estate that we end up following for a good few miles until the asphalt road changes over to cobblestones and we pass in front the gates of a red-bricked stone fortress that looks like it's been plucked straight from the set of Game of Thrones.

"Wow..." I can't help but breathe as I take in the sight of the towering structure simmering under the light of the mid-morning sun.

"Le mura aureliane," advises Vito from up front, catching my awed expression through the rear-view mirror. "Costruita dall'imperatore Aureliano per difendere Roma dai barbari."

I nod distractedly, craning my neck as we turn a corner to follow the path of the ancient structure that is somehow still standing despite the clear ravages of time and weather.

Nothing lasts like this anymore...

Making another turn, we pass beneath an arched portion of the wall, and the road before us opens up into a leafy boulevard that takes us into the city proper. And from there, it's one jaw-dropping piece of architecture after another jostling for space between more modern buildings and seemingly never-ending rows of trees.

"I didn't expect Rome to be so green..." I admit to no one in particular as I eye up the unusual-looking shrubs.

"You can thank the Ancient Romans," supplies Bertrand without glancing up from his phone. "They planted the now-iconic stone pines in scores along the major roadways in part to serve as ornamentation, and in part to provide a steady supply of pine nuts, which are an essential ingredient in many dishes, including pesto and various pies and tarts."

"It certainly was worth the effort," I agree, watching the evergreens drift past on either side of us.

Though, as Bertrand predicted, the closer we get to the centre of the ancient capital, the increasingly chaotic the traffic becomes, with cars, buses and mopeds all vying for space on the roads, requiring Vito to make recourse to his own horn as well as various offensive gestures in order to narrowly avoid a slew of accidents... and I suddenly have a slightly better appreciation for why Drake drives the way he does. Because based on my experiences first in France and now in Italy, it appears that on the Mediterranean, might equals right when it comes to priority on the road, and unless you're forceful, you ain't getting nowhere.

Managing to finally extricate ourselves from the constraints of a complicated intersection, we end up on a quieter road running parallel to a long patch of bunkered-looking grass on our left.

"What's that?" I ask, tapping Vito on his shoulder.

"Il Circo Massimo," he advises.

My eyes widen. "That's the Circus Maximus?"

"Sì," he nods. "L'antico stadio romano costruito per le corse dei carri."

"Unbelievable..." I murmur, slumping back into my seat in awe.

There is nothing comparable back home — even the oldest still-extant pre-Columbian structures date to only the first millennia A.D. Whereas here we are, casually cruising past a seminal piece of history that is still embedded into the fabric of the city nearly three thousand years after its construction. And we haven't even seen the Colosseum, or the Forum yet!

Rome really is the Eternal City...

Leaving the green fields of the Circus behind us, we enter a more urban-looking environment as we start to climb a hill. The white- and sand-coloured buildings cluster closer together, and the general architecture becomes more uniformly Baroque, until we arrive in a large plaza dominated by a massive, Neo-Classical structure that towers over everything else.

"Il Vittoriano," Vito offers without prompting.

"Is that where we're having brunch with the President?" I ask, slack-mouthed as I stare up at the imposing building.

It certainly looks impressive enough to house the head of a country!

"Of course not!" admonishes Bertrand. "The Vittoriano is a symbolic collection of monuments built to commemorate the rule of King Victor Emmanuel II and the unification of Italy. The President resides at the Quirinal Palace, which is located on a wholly different Roman hill!"

"Oh," I mutter sheepishly.

"Like she is going to know the difference," scoffs Oliva from the front. "They don't even teach The Art of War in her schools... How can you expect her to know anything about Italian history?"

"Italian history is foundational history!" insists Bertrand. "The Romans were instrumental in shaping not just the course of European, but Northern African and Middle Eastern events for millennia! How can they neglect to teach American children about this?"

"Because the focus is on US history," I tell them wearily as Vito navigates us to the other side of the square.

"Surely that is an afternoon's worth of lessons at most?" the elder Beaumont queries sceptically. "Your country was only founded in the conventional sense of the word in the mid-1600s..."

"Most Americans haven't been to Europe," I remind him, watching the rows of buildings flick past on either side of us as we begin the ascent up another hill. "They don't necessarily have a basis of comparison."

"Sounds like your curriculum is somewhat lacking in scope, then..." he surmises with pursed lips.

"Yeah, well..." I retort dryly, "I don't write the textbooks. Though, speaking of education, is there any chance for some sightseeing? It would be a shame to spend two days here and not actually see anything..."

"While I wholeheartedly approve of the sentiment," Bertrand replies, "I am afraid that you will have to make do with the cultural experiences offered by the various host venues on the official itinerary. Which — I admit — are no Pantheon, or Sistine Chapel, but are impressive and important cultural artefacts, nevertheless. The Quirinal Palace, for instance, so named for the Quirinal Hill on which it sits, is actually the sixth largest palace in the world and has served as the primary residence of such notable figures as—"

I let out a low exhale as Bertrand launches into a full-blown historical recital. And while the details are definitely interesting, I didn't come all this way to listen to a one-man rendition of a Roman guidebook.

Which makes me all the more determined to find some kind of opportunity to slip away from the official tour — even if it's just for an hour to toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain — so that I can experience something of the magic that this breathtaking city has to offer.

When, I have no idea, given the busyness of our schedule, but I managed to orchestrate an escape plan to see the capital back in Cordonia, so I'm confident I'll be able to pull something similar... albeit without Drake's help this time. But despite the set-backs, I'm not about to miss out on this kind of once-in-a-lifetime experience...

With my intention firmly set, the car rounds an uphill corner, and we are suddenly on the edge of yet another expansive plaza secured by a rim of strategically placed concrete planters and a pair of police cars.

Vito pulls to a stop and slides the window down to exchange a few quick words with the officer who has come to greet us.

"Passports," instructs Olivia, reaching into her purse.

Opening up the white, Medusa emblazoned Versace clutch sitting on my lap — which I am sure cost more than what I would've ever made in a month working as a waitress back home, but which Bertrand had insisted on as a 'necessary' Italian-themed accessory — I pull out my shiny, new Cordonian passport and pass it to the front.

Maxwell and Bertrand do the same, and there is a couple of minutes of tense silence while the stern-looking officer inspects each document to verify our identities, while another policeman does a circuit 'round the car with a convex safety mirror.

Finally, the policeman hands the passports back with a curt nod, and waves us through.

"Were they not expecting us?" I query as I slot my credentials away again.

"They were," Olivia advises. "But we are arriving separately from the royal delegation, so the State Police are obligated to run a security check."

"Why?"

The Duchess of Lythikos scoffs back at me. "To ensure that we are not terrorists trying to kill the President with a car bomb... Or did that part go over your head?"

"No..." I hit back sarcastically. "I meant why are we arriving separately?"

She looks back at me with an arched brow. "Would you have preferred to deal with the press?"

"I... No," I admit.

She turns back to the front with a smirk. "Didn't think so."

Vito pulls the car to a stop in front of a small courtyard decked out with a red carpet and intertwined streamers made out in the colours of Cordonia's and Italy's flags. Allard and Schweitzer — who had been travelling in the car behind us — appear to open the doors for us.

Bertrand scoots out of the backseat first, before turning back to offer me his hand.

"Thanks," I say with a sincere smile, grasping his fingers to help pull myself up.

"Always my pleasure," he replies with a genuine smile.

Smoothing my skirt, I gaze up at the somewhat understated-looking entranceway, suddenly nervous about the prospect of acting as a newly-minted ambassador of Cordonia. I mean... three months ago, I was bussing tables at a dive bar for less than minimum wage, and now here I am, decked out in clothes that cost more than the rent I was paying for a fifth-storey walk-up, about to have an official meeting with a foreign country's head of state.

To say that I feel like a fraud is a massive understatement.

"What are you waiting for?" asks Olivia, breezing past me with all the confidence of a woman who's done this a hundred times before... probably because she has. "For the grass to grow?"

"I—"

"I heard the President loves chocolate bomboloni," offers Maxwell enthusiastically, linking his arm through mine to tug me down the length of the red carpet.

"What's...that?" I ask, forcing myself to swallow down the sudden dryness in my throat.

Maxwell's face collapses into an aghast look of shock. "Only the best pastry-based dessert! Second only to cronuts, of course!"

"That's definitely a high bar to hit," I admit.

"Think mini doughnuts with gooey chocolate filling, dusted with powdered sugar," he explains. "They literally melt in your mouth!"

"Except we are not here to indulge infantile cravings for sugary treats," reprimands Bertrand as we pass through the arched doorway. "We are here to partake in important discussions relating to matters of state, and t—"

"Pfft," scoffs Olivia. "Speak for yourself, Beaumont. These meetings are dull as shite. I'm here for the sweets."

I can't help but snort at the unexpected riposte... as well as the resultant sight of Bertrand's jaw hitting the parquet flooring. And I unexpectedly find myself feeling better about the whole experience. Because despite whatever nerves I may be feeling, the fact that Olivia and the Beaumonts are with me means that I am not alone in this.

Passing into the coolness of the building, we are greeted by a middle-aged woman who proceeds to lead us through a veritable rabbit warren of ante-rooms and corridors before we finally arrive in an expansive room dominated by a pair of jaw-dropping crystal chandeliers suspended from a vaulted, hand-painted ceiling.

"La Salle Bronzino," informs our guide, indicating that we should step through.

"Wow..." I breathe, trying to take in the opulence with as much composure as I can.

A slew of camera shutters click to life upon our arrival.

Jerking my gaze down from the delicate, celestial fresco above me, I spot the handful of photographers aiming their lenses at me.

I stifle a groan as I plaster a demure smile onto my face. "I thought you said there wouldn't be any reporters."

"This is an official state visit," Bertrand hisses out of the corner of his mouth. "Of course, there will be reporters!

"Just not as many as there would have been outside earlier," Olivia assures me.

My shoulders slump in acquiescence. "Take the wins you can get, I guess..."

"Ah, you made it!" exclaims Christian, striding up to us with a jovial grin. "Traffic wasn't too terrible, I hope?"

"Nothing Vito couldn't handle," Olivia assures him, dipping into a chaste curtesy as the photographers snap eagerly away.

Christian turns to me with a good-natured chuckle. "And Lady Harper... First impressions haven't put you off, have they?"

"No," I assure him, bobbing down politely as well, knowing that everyone in the room now has their eyes on us. "The exact opposite, actually."

"Excellent," he beams, holding my gaze for a second longer than he did with Olivia. "I have to admit that I have a bit of a soft spot for Rome, myself."

"It really is a—"

"Darling," interjects Madeleine with a steely smile, appearing at her fiancé's shoulder. "You really should focus your attentions on the President. He has been gracious enough to open up his home for us, after all..."

Christian's nostrils flare with the briefest flash of irritation as he pulls back slightly. "Quite. Let us go make the necessary introductions."

Madeleine bristles. "That is not what I—"

Deftly ignoring her, Christian extends his arm decisively towards an elderly man wearing a sombre suit and gold-rimmed glasses. "Shall we?"

"I guess so?" I concede, already feeling myself being steered past the silently fuming countess.

"Now remember," Bertrand mutters next to me as Christian leads us down the length of the room. "In the context of a formal conversation, it is always lei — never tu — when addressing your counterpart, so for the love of all that is holy, please do not—"

"Singor Presidente," proclaims Christian as he pulls to a stop. "Permettetemi di presentarvi altri membri della nostra delegazione."

The President raises his head dutifully. "Certamente."

"Questo è Singor Bertrand Beaumont, duca di Ramsford, e suo fratello, Maxwell."

The Beaumonts bow their heads dutifully.

"Beaumont..." the President frowns. "Sai, mi suona familiare. Sei parente di Signor Bartholemy, per caso?"

"Sì," Bertrand confirms. "Egli è nostro padre."

The President is nodding in recollection. "Sì... sì... Ha accompagnato il re precedente in molte occasioni. Sei molto simile a lui."

"Sì, la somiglianza di famiglia è forte," Bertrand acknowledges.

"E questa è Singorina Olivia Nevrakis, duchessa di Lythikos, un mio carissimo amico, e fedele sostenitrice del famiglia Rys."

Olivia holds out her hand. "E' un piacere conoscerla, Signore Presidente."

The President drops a chaste kiss on the back of her hand. "Il piacere è tutto mio."

"E finalmente," concludes Christian, "questa è Singorina Harper, la nuova duchessa di Valtoria."

The President's brows arc inquisitively. "Singorina Harper... You are... American? No?"

"Sì," I affirm as I offer my hand out. "Ma ho praticato mio Italiano..."

The President's mouth cracks into a genuine smile. "And you are doing very well, Singorina! Tell me, have you visited la città eterna before?"

"No, this is my first time," I admit, also switching to English, now that the formalities are over and done with. "But even the ride from the airport was utterly magical! It's like stepping into history!"

"Sì," the President affirms with a grin. "Us Romans are unspeakably lucky to be able to call such a beautiful city our home. It is a place of many treasures."

"What is your favourite part of the city?" I ask.

The President blinks in surprise at the unexpected intimacy of the request. "That is a difficult question... But if I am forced to choose... it would have to be this little forno next to la Fontana di Trevi which makes a very unique — and very delicious — pistachio croissant. It is not for every person, but if you have a spirit of adventure, then I suggest you try it."

"Thank you," I say with a sincere smile, filing the suggestion away. "I definitely will!"

"I cannot say that I have had the pleasure of sampling this treat, either," Christian admits, with a knowing glance down at me. "But Lady Harper has excellent taste in pastries — she was actually kind enough to introduce us to an American delicacy called a cronut. It was a big hit all around."

"A cronut?" queries the President. "I cannot say I am familiar..."

"Don't worry," Maxwell assures him with a conspiratorial grin. "We'll bring you one. If you'll trade us some bomboloni in exchange?"

Bertrand's already sunburnt face reddens further. "Maxwell! You cannot entreat the President t—"

"You like bomboloni, also?" interjects the President with keen interest.

"Of course!" Maxwell affirms enthusiastically. "Anyone who doesn't like them clearly has something wrong with them!"

"Sounds like you have excellent taste in pastries as well, Signore Maxwell!" chuckles the President.

The conversation continues to revolve around our shared food interests for a few more minutes, until an aide clears his throat from behind the President.

"Accettare le mie scuse," he apologises. "But I am being advised that it is time for the photographs and the speeches."

"Of course," nods Christian graciously, indicating that the President should lead the way to the front of the room where a small podium has been set up.

As the two men peel away from the group, I cast my eyes 'round the space and spot Hana standing by one of the large windows. Giving her a wave, I use the brief break in the proceedings to make my way over to her.

"So, what's the view like from this side of the room?" I ask by way of greeting.

"Quieter than your side," she admits wryly. "You certainly seemed to be having an engaging conversation with the President!"

"We discovered a shared love for sugary treats," I admit. "You should've joined us — you could've bragged about that baking championship that you won."

"It's alright," she demurs with a blush. "It's actually been nice to take a moment to step away from the crowd."

"Oh?" I ask, laying a concerned hand on her arm. "Is something wrong?"

She heaves a breath, as if debating whether to tell me. Finally, she says, "I have been fending off suitors."

My brow shoots skywards. "How many proposals have you had?"

"Since I arrived...? Probably twelve..."

My eyes bulge. "Twelve! That's like two a day!"

"Yes," she concedes with a weary exhale. "Lady Madeleine has been extremely gracious in personally introducing me to numerous eligible bachelors—"

"—but none of them are Maxwell," I surmise.

Her eyes flick up to mine before dropping back down sorrowfully. "No. But for the sake of my parents, I must entertain every available option in an honest manner."

"That definitely sounds exhausting..." I concede. "But hopefully now that we're out of the country, you can catch a bit of a break."

"I am not so sure..." she admits. "I have been advised that a number of well-connected Italians will be in attendance at the opera tonight..."

"Pfft...!" I scoff. "Just take the night off... Pretend to be sick... Run off with Maxwell to get some gelato... Actually enjoy being in Italy!"

Hana blushes. "I—"

The chime of a bell rings out across the room, interrupting our conversation.

Looking up, I see that all heads have turned dutifully towards the twin forms standing on the dais as they prepare to address the congregation.

"Vostra Altezza Reale, colleghi delegati, Signore e Signori," greets the President, "È un onore, per me, ospitare la delegazione reale di Cordonia, nostro vicino e stretto alleato per centinaia di anni. È passato troppo tempo da—"

As the speech winds on, I find myself tuning out, given that I am only able to understand every third or fourth word. But, not wanting to come across as rude by continuing my catch-up with Hana, I instead try to occupy myself by examining the two large tapestries suspended on the walls.

A round of applause draws me out of my reverie, and I join in on auto-pilot as the President hands off to Christian. Several more minutes of lilting Italian fills the room, during which time I move my attentions to the Roman-looking busts, wondering which emperors they depict.

Finally, the speeches come to a close, and I heave a sigh of relief.

"Did you understand any of that?" I ask Hana as the President presents Christian with some kind of medal, and the two men pose for photos.

"Of course," she nods. "My parents—"

"—have been giving you Italian lessons since before you could talk?" I finish dryly.

Hana's cheeks dimple. "Not quite that young, but yes. I am what they consider 'proficient'."

"Meaning, you speak it better than I speak English," I joke.

She snorts in response. "I wouldn't say that..."

"But it's true," I say with a smirk, happy to see that Hana's time back at court has not completely crushed her sense of humour.

"Ah, I've missed talking to you, Harper," she says with genuine feeling. "The last few days have felt so busy that I feel like we haven't spoken in months!"

"Yeah, tell me about it..." I agree with a huff. "In the space of a week, I've become a Cordonian citizen, been granted a duchy, gone from number five to number one on Madeleine's shit list, and—"

Hana's eyes widen. "It's not that bad, surely...!"

"It's probably worse," I admit. "And being on the front page of the Cordonian Sun — again — is probably not helping matters either..."

"Yes, I saw that article..." she commiserates with feeling. "I'm sorry that the press are treating you in that manner again."

"Hey, it's not your fault," I assure her. "But the press aren't all bad — I managed to convince Ana de Luca to help us track down the photographer who took those pictures of me and Tariq, and she actually came through yesterday."

"That's great!" she enthuses. "I have to admit that I have not had much success on my side... Madeleine does not permit her ladies-in-waiting to handle any of her private correspondence, including her mobile phones and laptop. And she has only talked to us about the upcoming events on the tour..."

"Well, it was a bit of a long-shot, anyway," I concede with a shrug. "But who knows? We might get—"

"Pardon," interrupts Kiara with a pointed cough. "But the Queen requests your presence."

I roll my eyes with a scoff. "She's not married to Christian yet..."

"But she will be soon," she reminds me pointedly. "So, it is actuellement in your interest to remain on her good side, given that you are now a duchess."

I feel the corner of my mouth scrunch into a mou of dissent, but I force myself not to pick apart the many things that are wrong with her statement. "Fine. Where is Her Majesty?"

"Bidding adieu to the President," she advises. "She has asked that in the meantime I gather the ladies who are to accompany her to the wedding boutique."

"Does she really need an entourage to go shopping?" I ask as we start making our way back to the double doors at the far end of the room.

"It is tradition for the suitors who were not picked at the end of the social season to assist the queen-to-be in the preparations for the wedding, including selecting her bridal gown and trousseau."

"Wonder how many times that's gone wrong before..." I mutter under my breath.

"It is a ritual de beaucoup d'importance," Kiara insists seriously. "The former suitors — and their families — demonstrate their public support for the union via the personal assistance they provide the bride and groom in the lead-up to the big day, as well as in the act of taking on key roles during the ceremony itself."

"Let me guess..." I grumble. "We're all going to be maids of honour, too..."

"In Cordonia, the correct term is 'witness'," she corrects. "They are the ones chosen by the couple to countersign the marriage certificate. Mais oui — it is likely that one or two of us will be called upon in such a manner."

"Great..." I sigh, arriving at the entranceway where Penelope and Olivia are already waiting. "All the things we get to look forward to..."

"Oh, Lady Harper!" squeals Penelope in excitement. "I love your dress! How do you always manage to find such super chic pieces?"

"Uhh..." I say, genuinely taken aback by her enthusiasm. "Bertrand picked this, actually..."

Olivia snorts derisively. "You mean Lord Tweedle-Dee? Please... That man has worse fashion sense than Jared Leto."

"Actually, he—"

"If you lot are quite finished with your asinine chit-chit," snaps Madeline as she strides imperiously past us, "you can pick up your feet. We are already running late for my appointment... Which took months to schedule, so don't you dare make me miss it!"

I meet Hana's gaze with a fish-eyed look. "Ever heard the term 'bridezilla' before?"

"No," she admits with a frown. "But it sounds scary..."

"Oh, trust me!" I assure her as we bring up the rear. "It is! Especially since it sounds like Madeleine is planning to take the concept to a whole 'nother level..."

The story continues in Chapter 19: Field Day

A/N: Translations for the Italian below:

At the airport: Andiamo - Let's go

Certamente, Duchessa - Certainly, Duchess

En route Lemura aureliane. Costruitadall'imperatore Aureliano per difendere Roma dai barbari. - The Aurelian Wall. It was constructed by the Emperor Aurelian to defend Rome against barbarians.

Il Circo Massimo - The Circus Maximus

Sì. L'antico stadio romano costruito per le corsedei carri. - Yes. The ancient Roman stadium constructed for chariot racing.

Il Vittoriano - This is a colloquial nickname for the Monument to Victor Emmanuel II

At the Presidential Palace Singor Presidente. Permettetemi di presentarvi altri membri della nostra delegazione. - Mr President. Allow me to introduce some additional members of our delegation.

Certamente - Certainly

Questo è Singor Bertrand Beaumont, duca di Ramsford, e suo fratello, Maxwell. - This is Lord Bertrand Beaumont, Duke of Ramsford, and his brother, Maxwell.

Beaumont... Sai, mi suona familiare. Sei parente di Signor Bartholemy, per caso? - Beaumont... You know, that sounds familiar. Are you related to Lord Bartholemy, by chance?

Sì. Egli è nostro padre. - Yes. He is our father.

Sì...sì... Ha accompagnato il re precedente in molte occasioni. Sei molto simile a lui. - Yes... Yes... He accompanied the former king on many occasions. You look a lot like him.

Sì, la somiglianza di famiglia è forte. - Yes, there is a notable family resemblance.

E questaè Singorina Olivia Nevrakis, duchessa di Lythikos,un mio carissimo amico, e fedele sostenitrice del famiglia Rys. - And this is Lady Olivia Nevrakis, Duchess of Lythikos, a dear friend of mine, and loyal supporter of the Rys family.

E' un piacere conoscerla, Signore Presidente. - My sincere pleasure, Mr President.

Il piacere è tutto mio. - The pleasure is all mine.

E finalmente, questa è Singorina Harper, la nuova duchessa di Valtoria. - And finally, this is Lady Harper, the new Duchess of Valtoria.

Sì. Ma hopraticato mio Italiano.* - Yes. But I am practising my Italian. *Italian speakers will note that there is a grammatical mistake here (the correct phrasing is 'Ho praticato il mio italiano'). However, the mistake is deliberate because Harper learnt Italian literally an hour ago, so she's not going to be perfect at it!

La città eterna - the Eternal City (nickname for Rome)

Accettare le mie scuse - [Please] Accept my apologies.

Vostra Altezza Reale, colleghi delegati, Signore e Signori. È un onore, per me, ospitare la delegazionereale di Cordonia, nostro vicino e stretto alleato per centinaia di anni. Èpassato troppo tempo da— Your Royal Highness, fellow delegates, ladies and gentlemen. It is my honour to host the royal delegation of Cordonia, our neighbour and ally for many centuries. It has been far too long since—

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(Less Than) Noble Intentions only (let me know if you want to be added!)

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[twinkleallnight]

Isle of Misfits

Chapter 10: Dealing with the Paparazzi.

Fandom: TRR x Platinum x OH x CoP x TNA x ?

Series: Isle of Misfits, Round Robin 24, hosted by @choicesprompts

Characters:

TRR – Liam Rys, Leo Rys, Olivia Nevrakis, Madeleine Amaranth

RoE – Katie Rys

TNA – Sam Dalton

Word count: 1240

The phone pinged.

‘1 new message’

Leo sighed and picked up to read. He was tired of explaining himself to Katie. The world never understood him or his desire to live a care free life. The paparazzi won’t let him breathe. But he thought Katie would understand. She would always know. He had tried to be honest with her, always.

He was struggling to stay abreast sailing through the rough waters when his brother decided to take the corrective action for Leo’s deeds . He was forced into this PR stunt of a circus with his childhood friend, Bertrand, playing the ring master. And as if Gods had not had enough of entertainment, he was paired with his ex, Madeleine! Just perfect!

Coming out of his reverie, he tapped his fingers on the home screen to check the new message .

‘Meet me at the beach restaurant in 10minutes to collect your dossier .

Countess Madeleine .’

“Better than having Sam Dalton as a mentor” he consoled himself. “His brains function through that Rocket in his pocket. At least Madeleine has her head over her shoulders.”

He dragged himself out of his bed. Sharp after 10 minutes he presented himself in front of the Countess.

“What do you plan to do with this?” He lifted the heavy bundle of papers filed into a folder neatly. ‘Prim and proper. So much like Madeleine.’

But Madeleine’s reply was totally off beat. “why you have not shaved?”

Leo shook his head as if trying to decipher. “What?” He moved his fingers through the over grown messy beard.

Madeleine scoffed, ��� Let me make it clear Leo. You are constantly under lens.”

“That’s exactly what I don’t want.” He cut her off.

“You were the crown prince.”

“And I abdicated.” He tried to prove his point.

“Doesn’t matter. You can’t change who you are born as.”

“Why?” He pulls his fingers through his sandy blonde hair In frustration.

“Prince Harry abdicated too. But he is always in news.”

Leo scowled, “For heavens sake! Can’t they let me live in peace?”

“Only if you don’t give them chance to rip through your peaceful personal life.” She air quoted.

He nods in agreement. “And I can see, you are here to tell me, how.”

“Now you are talking business.” Madeleine smiled.

Leo closed his eyes for a moment. He had to do this for Katie, for his children. He took a deep breath. “Okay. Tell me what am I supposed to do?”

“You need to look perfect when you walk in public. It shows that you are leading a perfect and happy life.”

Leo smirked, “Yes it’s a very happy life.”

“Make it look like one and I can tell you, they will stop chasing you.”

“Fine! What next?”

“I have appointed a valet for you. He will help with your attire, hair and your over all appearance. You will not leave your room before he checks you.”

Leo rolled his eyes. He had no other option but to accept what was thrown at him.

For the next hour he went back and forth over the plans Madeleine had laid out for him.

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

Bertrand’s office next day

Olivia was seated across Bertrand, discussing their next modus operandi. Olivia had successfully completed her task with Raleigh Carrera and was now assigned to the case of the exiled crown prince, Trystan Thorne, of Drakovia.

An urgent knock on the door brought them to a halt. They both looked at each other. Bertrand voiced, “Come in” , wondering who was their uninvited guest for the meeting .

Leo stormed in and slammed a tabloid onto the desk in front of Bertrand. Olivia stared back at Leo’s fuming face while Bertrand looked in confusion, “ What does this mean?”

“Open and see for yourself.” Leo pointed out his finger.

As soon as Bertrand picked the newspaper and unfolded it, his eyes went wide with shock. Olivia leaned towards him to peer into the news.

The newspaper had images of Leo and Madeleine sitting in a cafe. The first one had Madeleine gleaming at Leo and the second one showed them shaking hands near the exit. The tag line read ‘Former crown prince Leo Rhys, spotted with his ex, Countess Madeleine, at leisure on a private island. Do we smell something burning in Katie Rhys’ sweet home?”

A smile played on Olivia’s lips.

“Seriously?” Leo asked looking at Olivia’s reaction.

“It’s not about you.” She fanned away with her hand.

“From what I can see, it’s definitely about me.” He turned to Bertrand angrily, “This is how you were going to help me save my image and my marriage?”

Olivia spoke instead, “Its not his fault. Madeleine should have been more discreet while planning her meetings.”

Just as on clue, Madeleine stepped inside the office. “Speak for yourself. I know my job well.” She snatched the tabloid from Bertrand’s hand and glanced at the pics, dismissing it in an instant.

She focused on Leo, “ This is the reason I insisted you need to dress up properly. Had you been in a formal attire, this would have been ignored by the media as just another business meeting.”

“Great ! So now it’s all my mistake? You know what my mistake is? Trusting you guys with my future.”

Bertrand replied in a calm note, “I think you are over reacting. It’s just two pics, we can change the flow of events. My PR company can assure you, we are good at turning the waves in your favour.”

Before he completed his sentence, the doors to his office opened with a bang. Drake barged in raging in anger. “The hell you turn things only in your favour. You Beaumonts are the most mean and selfish men walking on this damn planet.” His voice echoed across the halls outside the office.

Bertrand’s eyes roamed behind Drake to check if there were any audience at his doors. He settled his gaze back on Drake. “May I know the reason for this intrusion?”

Drake sneered, “You call yourself CEO of a PR firm yet you don’t have updates of the newsflash on TV channels across Cordonia?”

Bertrand gave Drake an irritated glare and picked up the remote to switch on the flat screen hanging on the wall across his table. The screen brightened up with flashes of red haired lady bouncing on a dance floor. All of them in the room knew that was Olivia but the next few moments left everyone’s mouth hanging open.

Bertrand came into the frame trying to dance. He made some lewd gestures and then grabbed Olivia into a smooch.

Leo and Madeleine jolted back at Bertrand. Even Olivia had shock written all over her face. Definitely she was drunk that she didn’t remember this incident.

Bertrand gulped and fumbled with the remote to switch off the TV. He didn’t want to listen or let others in the room listen to the reporter’s remarks.

“I... I ... I can explain”, he said nervously.

Drake sprinted to him in two steps and held him by collar. “How many times are you going to explain? First my sister, then your back stabbing brother took Riley and now you target my girl friend?”

“Riley is with Max?” The baritone voice from the entrance of the office brought everything to standstill. They all turned to see Liam standing in a thunderstuck state.

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[tessa-liam]

Introducing "Marabelle"

a TRR AU

Liam x F!OC (Sophie)

"It was an exciting first day in Cordonia.

Sophie was far from her hometown of New York City, U.S.A.

She never imagined she would ever be living in a different country, across the Atlantic ocean in a beautiful estate owned by her Auntie Beth and Uncle Barthelemy with her cousins Bertrand and Maxwell.

Starting her MBA at the University of Stormholt in the Fall, 17 year old Sophie was overwhelmed and anxious.

Knowing that Sophie loved horses, her cousins acquired a black mare, a former race horse derby champion for her.

Her cousins were planning a 'Beaumont Welcome Bash' to introduce her this evening to their group of friends and members of the court."

[dcbbw]

Commoner, Part 2--Secret

Part 2 of Commoner! Part 1 can be found here.  We’re picking up where we left off (Leo left, Sav is pregnant, and no one knows)

This story was born of a long-standing head canon (Sav would crush on the older brother, not her brother’s best friend), and the song inspiration (original version, but used the sad and acoustic version for this fic); lyrics are also taken from the song inspo.

IF you read this, THANK YOU! Your likes, comments, and/or reblogs are appreciated more than you realize. Please excuse any and all typos, missing/extraneous words, and/or grammatical errors. MS Editor rates this story as 99% error-free.

To all those who read over this story in its various variations and renditions, THANK YOU! Your feedback, ideas, and encouragement was invaluable (as always).

Thanks to @choicesflashfics for their Week 62 prompt #2, which will appear in bold.

Song Inspo: Strangers (sad and acoustic version), Kenya Grace

Pairing(s): Savannah Walker x Leo Rys; Savannah Walker x Bertrand Beaumont

Word Count: 2,201

Rating: M for Mature themes

I sit in the back of the sleek, black Mercedes that is Duchy Ramsford’s official vehicle with the Brothers Beaumont, en route to the Palace. King Constantine has requested a meeting of the Great Houses.

And me.

I vacillate between relief that he will put those awful rumors to rest, and fear that Leo will be there with that woman.

“You appear to be deep in thought,” Bertrand observes. “Are you feeling well?”

I plaster a quick smile onto my lips. “Merely curious why the King would want me to be present at this meeting.”

The Duke gives me a solicitous nod, and I again wonder why he’s been so nice to me since our breakfast encounter.  It’s not that Bertrand is a bad guy; he has taught me a lot during my month at House Beaumont. I know more than I ever wanted to about utensils, glassware, table etiquette, and bloodlines and lineage. I now know that the reason I don’t have the title of Lady, the most ubiquitous yet ambiguous title a woman can hold, is because I don’t belong to a House.

I’m commoner.

But he isn’t a nice guy either, so the attention is a bit … odd.

“I wonder if it has anything to do with Leo, and all the news stories?” Max pipes up. “Although I suppose if Bastien is at the Palace and Leo isn’t, that may be all the confirmation we need.”

Bertrand looks out the window. “We’re here,” he announces.

I swear I feel my baby flip inside my stomach, which is stupid. I’m only eight weeks along.

As we walk up the front staircase, I don’t feel a sense of homecoming. I only feel dread. My throat closes when Bastien opens the door and leads us to the formal living room where the other guests are gathered. Groups are huddled close together; there are murmurs of conversations I cannot hear. I hug my brother and struggle through a curtsy meant to encompass the entire room. No one acknowledges me other than Kiara, who gives me a huge grin and enthusiastic hug.

And I wonder why I feel the need to be a part of this world, to be accepted by the very people who never will.

That it'll never change And it will just stay like this

I catch a glimpse of Madeleine, who is stone-faced; only the paleness of her skin and the clenching of her jaw signals anger, embarrassment, and hurt. I look down at her hands; her fingers are bare of jewelry.

Leo has left both of us.

The King clears his throat, and we all turn towards the front of the room. He is flanked by Queen Regina and Liam; all of them are wearing stoic expressions and I know … in my brain, my heart, my very soul … Leo has run off and fulfilled promises he could never make to me to another woman. I’m a single, teenaged mother with absolutely nothing to my name; I can’t even leverage the child growing inside of me.

There is a buzzing in my ears that drowns out the words my monarch is uttering until he states that Liam will ascend to the throne. There is to be a social season, and I will be the House Beaumont sponsee. The Crown will fund my sponsorship as I was still their ward and had no properties of my own. Drake’s face darkens, Bertrand beams proudly, and Max jumps up and down in excitement.

There’s something about Bertrand’s smile … he isn’t surprised to hear this news. Did he already know what to expect?  Was Leo the phone call that morning?

I throw up on the priceless carpet and my hand-me-down shoes.

Three weeks pass, weeks where I scour newspapers, magazines, and the internet for news of my baby’s father. There is a plethora of media, mostly photos of him in motocross tournaments: smiling happily in the Mojave Desert, frowning in concentration as he inspects his vehicle in UAE, sunning on a beach in Greece. The woman is not in the pictures, and rarely mentioned in the articles.

Now she can be his dirty little secret.

And when we spoke for months Well, did you ever mean it? How can we say that this is love When it goes like this?

Meanwhile, in Cordonia, my hips are spreading; my breasts are getting fuller, and my belly is only slightly rounded. Bertrand has ramped up my training but takes care to give me breaks throughout the day and we are now spending our meals together without Maxwell. He shares stories of his education, his time as a fashion designer, and memories of his childhood.

He walks me to my room every evening; occasionally he holds my hand.

I am not in love with Bertrand, but I find myself enjoying his company more and more.

But every time I meet somebody new It's like déjà vu I swear they sound the same It's like they know my skin

We’re sitting in Bertrand’s study one night; he is poring over documents related to Liam’s cabinet. Bertrand and Rashad Domvallier are to be financial and legal advisors to the new future King. I watch him nervously. I’ve decided that tonight is the time to tell him I cannot be the House’s sponsee. It isn’t fair to not tell him; he’ll need time to find someone new and school them in the ways of nobility.

My fingernails pluck nervously at my robe. I could very well be homeless in the next 15 minutes. Bertrand takes his duties as Duke seriously and is extremely rigid when it came to appearances and reputation; an unwed, pregnant commoner could not reside under the roof of House Beaumont. However, returning to the Palace would be a disaster between King Constantine and Big Brother Drake.

But it has to be done. This baby is going to make itself known sooner than later.

He drains his third glass of cognac before sighing heavily and pushing himself away from his desk. With an unsteady gait, he crosses the room to join me on the sofa. He looks almost regal in his gold silk robe with black piping, and black pajama bottoms. He sits so closely, I smell his cologne; it’s Hermès.

Leo always wore Armani.

“Savannah, I’d like to have a … conversation of a different sort with you.” His breath smells of liquor and his words are slightly slurred.

“Isn’t that funny?” I reply in a squeaky voice. “I wanted to have one with you also.”

He pulls one of my hands into his as he begins to speak. “You need to know that while you may be participating in the social season, you won’t win the hand of the Crown Prince. The position requires someone of lineage, with a knowledge of world politics and has a pulse on the fluctuating nature of both Court and Crown. However, the Engagement Tour should afford you an opportunity to marry into a minor house.”

I stare at him dumbfounded. Drunk Bertrand pisses me off.

“However, I do find myself being very attracted to you. I propose an offer that should be beneficial to both of us. I’d like you to be my mistress until we both find persons worthy of our status and station. You would become an honorary member of House Beaumont to assure you have a title, and I can be a very generous lover in more ways than one.”

He drops my hand and rises from the couch on his second attempt. He goes to a coat closet, opens the door, and retrieves a package. The box is emblazoned with Hermès’ name and logo. He brings it back to me, carefully placing it in my lap.

“Open it,” he urges.

I do so to find a limited-edition white matte satchel, made of leather and silk. The tag is still attached: $200,000 USD. I look up at him, knowing that he wants me to know how much it costs.

“Your … mistress?” I ask as my body feels as if it’s going numb.

And it will just stay like this Never really dating, breaking up

“This world is cruel. I’m just playing by its rules. It would behoove you to do so as well. You can’t be anything else to me or anyone of stature. You’re a commoner with the most basic of public education. You are ignorant in the ways of Court, the circles you would need to travel in. I am happy to give you the benefit of my knowledge, but at the end of the day, I am a Duke. Dukes don’t marry commoners.”

He says it all as if he is telling me the sun will rise in the east. Bertrand means no harm; nobles never do. Or so they claim.

Every word they say sounds just like him

My eyes fall back to the price tag, realizing I have my way out. I can keep my secret, and everyone’s precious reputation is intact.

“It’s late, Your Grace and you have given me a lot to process. I’ll have an answer for you in due time.”

He gives me a small smile. “May I … may I kiss you?”

A small shake of my head. “No,” I reply in an almost-rueful tone.

I know my place.

His smile falters, and he nods slowly. “My apologies. That was presumptuous of me.”

I mentally shake my head. THAT is what he considered to be the most horrible thing about his proposition?  I box the purse again, and stand.

“I’ll see you at breakfast.”

Three months later, I am standing on the balcony of my small pied-a-terre located in a quaint, quiet Parisian neighborhood, watching the day come to an end. The sun is still bright in the sky, but evening is fast approaching. My fingers comb through my dark, thick tresses before pulling a toffee-colored cardigan tighter across my expanding body.

It’s springtime and I think again how leaving Cordonia to settle here was the best move. Paris had always been my dream destination: red lipsticks, rich wines, decadent perfumes, trendy runway fashions.

The baby and I have even learned to enjoy the food.

My eyes take in the Palais Garnier, also known as the Paris Opera House, not that far in the distance before falling to the cobblestoned streets below: restaurant and café doors open, unleashing aromas of grilled meat and sauteed onions as bakeries pull window shades down. Women with chic hats and impossibly high heels exit dress stores, shopping bags bunched in fisted hands. Street vendors begin putting away their wares.

My stomach rumbles, and I head inside. There had been a late breakfast/early lunch a few hours ago, but the fruit, yogurt, and cheese and spinach omelet have all but disappeared now. My child has a healthy appetite. I walk around a black wrought iron table with matching chairs, pausing to fluff oversized chair cushions decorated with huge sunflowers.

I push the terrace door shut behind me before going into the kitchen. I had taken a chicken out earlier, but I no longer have an appetite for it. Instead, I want pistou pasta with grilled duck and extra mushrooms from my favorite bistro.

But money is tight. Despite having a job and being frugal with the savings leftover from the sale of the purse Bertrand gifted me, I need to be mindful of rent, food, doctor’s appointments once the child gets here and I will be on unpaid leave.

I’m having a boy that I will name Barthelemy, Bartie for short. It’s my way of paying homage to Maxwell for being such an incredible and caring friend during all of this. He doesn’t know who the father is and has never pressured me to tell him. He sends money and has offered to make an honest woman of me.

All of this even though I left House Beaumont without a sponsee, and they now either have to find one that they will have to fully sponsor or withdraw.

A knock at the door captures my attention; I stare at it with a frown. I don’t have many friends in Paris; Maxwell is due for his monthly visit next week. He’s bringing Drake and Kiara with him. They were the only two I instructed Maxwell to tell of my whereabouts. Drake and I aren’t close, but we are all we have left as far as family. He deserved to know. Kiara’s my best girlfriend, and she speaks French. Win-win.

I would like to see Liam, but he has much to learn and do before the social season begins in less than 12 weeks.

 I slowly and laboriously cross the small distance between the kitchen and the front door; my eye widens as I peer through the peephole.

Leo.

He looks even more handsome if that’s possible. He carries a bouquet of flowers in one hand as he looks around the hallway. I quietly and cautiously back away from the door as tears prick the corners of my eyes.

And then one random night When everything changes You won't reply And we'll go back to strangers

Tagging: @jared2612 ​@ao719 @marietrinmimi @indiacater​​​ @kingliam2019​ @bebepac @liamxs-world @mom2000aggie​​​ @liamrhysstalker2020​​​ @twinkleallnight @umccall71 @superharriet@busywoman​​​ @gabesmommie1130 @tessa-liam​​​ @beezm @gardeningourmet​​​ @lovingchoices14 @mainstreetreader @angelasscribbles​​​ @lady-calypso @emkay512 @princessleac1 @charlotteg234 @alj4890​ @motorcitymademadame​​​ @queenmiarys @choicesficwriterscreations

[kristinamae093]

Ghosted

Ghosted- Blindsided (Chapter 1)

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), hints of Liam x Madeleine

A/N1: 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.

A/N2: This has been heavily preread by a number of amazing people. There's so many to list, and most of you requested to be tagged anyway. But you know who you are, and your help and guidance has been crucial during this process.

Characters belong to Pixelberry.

Liam quickly made his way through the halls of the Applewood Estate, intent on reaching his destination. He had received a text from Maxwell requesting him to come to Lady Riley’s room. Although bewildered and slightly concerned, the Prince agreed to Maxwell's summons at such an early hour. 

He approached the door and knocked; Maxwell quickly opened it and ushered him inside without saying a word. Liam took notice of Maxwell’s red-rimmed, swollen eyes. His usual peppy demeanor was nowhere to be found, instead replaced with despondency. He began pacing back and forth anxiously in the space between the couch and the bed. 

As Liam entered the room, he saw Bertrand in a chair in the corner; his elbows were on his knees, his head rested in his palms. His shoulders subtly shook, and Liam swore he could hear his breath hitch. Bertrand did not stand for or acknowledge the Prince’s entrance, not that Liam wanted him to; it was just very un-Bertrand-like and gave Liam an uneasy feeling in his stomach. 

And he didn’t see Riley.

“Maxwell, what’s going on?” Liam asked as he took a couple of slow, cautious steps further inside.

“It’s…It’s Riley…”

Liam gave Maxwell a quizzical look. “What’s wrong? Where is she?” He felt his heart rate quicken immediately. The air in his lungs suddenly had a burning sensation with every breath he took. 

Maxwell stopped his movements and turned to him, “That’s just it… She’s… She’s gone…” he covered his face, as his emotions began spilling over. He took a deep, shaky breath before he started again, “I came to get her this morning to leave, and…”

“What do you mean, she’s gone? She’s here somewhere! Perhaps she’s at breakfast… o-or with Hana.” 

“Look in the closet! Look in the dresser! Everything’s gone!” Maxwell cried and resumed his earlier steps.

Liam turned and strode to the closet, stopping to flip on the light switch. Empty.

He rushed across the room to the dresser and ripped open all the drawers. Empty. 

Liam stood and stared wide-eyed at the empty drawers. He ran his trembling hands through his hair as his mind raced, trying helplessly to find a solution that made sense. However, he could hear no coherent thoughts at that moment over the sound of his heart as it thundered in his ears. The burn in his chest intensified; his windpipe felt as if it were slowly constricting with every labored breath he took.

“What?! No…. No…. You-you were supposed to leave in a little while, right? That’s why she packed all her belongings. She-she could have left before you or-”

Drake heard the commotion from his room next door and barged into the room. Liam turned from his spot by the dresser to face him, his usual stoic facade replaced with a distressed expression that made Drake’s anxiety heighten. Maxwell stopped his movements to face him, but quickly started again. Bertrand raised his gaze momentarily, but immediately put his head back in his hands once he saw who it was at the door. 

Drake slowly entered the room and cautiously approached Liam. “Um……… Everything alright here?” 

“No! They’re saying Riley’s gone! That’s… that’s absurd! I just spoke with her last night!” Liam barked. 

Drake’s eyes widened, but he shook his head. “No way! I would’ve heard her! I was right next door.” He turned to face Maxwell. “She’s here somewhere, Beaumont. Stop freaking people out over nothing! Did you even try calling her?!” 

“Of course, I tried calling her! I’m not a complete idiot! That’s how I found this!” Maxwell huffed as pulled a phone from his pocket.

Riley’s phone.

Both men froze and stared, perplexed, at the phone in Maxwell’s hand. They slowly turned their attention back to his face. Maxwell looked up to meet Liam’s gaze and saw the anger and confusion in his eyes. 

Liam had grown impatient and moved to where he stood in front of Maxwell. “I demand to know what is going on. NOW!” He bellowed as he leaned over the shorter man.

Maxwell winced at Liam’s volume. He closed his eyes and took a deep, shaky breath to stabilize himself before he started. “I knocked on the door like I always do, and she didn’t answer. I turned the doorknob just to see if it was open, and it was. So, I came in…” He tried to swallow the lump in his throat, but it was to no avail. “I looked around and noticed her stuff was gone, but it didn’t phase me at the time since we were supposed to leave soon... So I… I called her……”

“Out with it, Beaumont!” Drake shouted. 

Before Maxwell could respond, Bertrand piped up from his spot in the corner, head still in his hands, “Show them.” Both men snapped their heads over to Bertand, then slowly panned back to Maxwell, who had returned his gaze to the floor. 

When Maxwell met their eyesight again, his tears streamed freely down his face, “I could hear her phone ringing... I… I found it inside the bedside table…. And I found this with it…” He pulled a folded up piece of paper out of his pocket, and carefully sat it on top of the phone.  

Liam took the device and paper gingerly. The room was silent, aside from heavy breaths of anticipation. He stared at the paper for what felt like hours before he slowly unfolded it. His heart shattered into a million tiny pieces as he read it:

I’m sorry.

-R

A knock on his study door interrupted Liam from his daze. He spun away from his position at the window behind his desk and sat up straight in his chair. He busied his hands with a stack of papers that lay in front of him before he granted them entrance. 

“Hey, Li.” Liam looked up and saw Drake enter, and stood to shake his hand as he approached his desk. 

Liam headed towards the bar cart in the corner and poured a drink of scotch for himself and Drake. He took both glasses and went back to his desk; he handed Drake one as he went before he settled back into his chair. 

“So, what brings you by, Drake?”

“Oh, I was out and about, thought I’d stop by. I was actually hoping to bust you outta this place for a bit. Hit that bar we used to go to, even invited the Beaumonts.” 

Liam feigned shock. “You, Drake Walker, invited the Beaumonts?!”

“I can take it back.” Drake smirked with a shrug.

“No, I was just shocked you willingly want to hang out with Maxwell. And they’re actually going to come this time?”

“Max is. Sounded excited. He said he was more than ready to ‘trade the spreadsheets in for a dance floor’,” Drake rolled his eyes, “but it’ll be nice to see him, kinda miss that little fucker.”

“I agree. He always had a way of making things lighter. Well, before….” Liam trailed off and stared blankly past Drake to the fireplace. 

“Yeah, I know. I feel bad for them. But nobody saw that shit coming, nobody.” Drake sighed before continuing, “Look, man, let the past be the past. Stop sitting here sulking! Look to the future!”

“I don’t know what’s worse, thinking about the past, or a future with Madeleine.” Liam made a face of disgust. 

“Touche, but you’re a smart man! I know you can get out of that! I don’t know how, but I’m sure you can find a hidden Royal loophole or some shit!”

Liam let out a heavy breath. “I wish it were true, but at this moment, I am indeed engaged to Madeleine, with no end in sight.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t try to be happy, Liam!” 

Liam ran a hand down his face before he responded, “I don’t think I know what happiness is anymore,” in a soft voice.

“Come on, Liam. Let’s go out and have some beers, like we used to! Forget about all the bullshit for one night? Especially before the engagement tour kicks off.” Drake suggested hopefully.

“I’ll have to let you know about that. Actually, I have a dinner meeting with the French ambassador, and I’m not sure how late it will be when we’re finished.” Liam gave Drake a sad smile. “But please make sure they stop by if they show up. They should not be trying to hide from me, anyway. I’m their friend. And if anyone understands and sympathizes with the mess they’ve found themselves in, it’s me.”

Drake returned Liam’s sad smile before he stood once more and extended his hand for a handshake. As their hands met, they heard a sharp knock at the door. Liam followed Drake across the room and patted him on the back as he did so. When he opened the door, both his and Drake’s jaws hit the floor.

“Olivia!?” they both gasped at once.

“Surprised to see me?” Olivia smirked as she strode past them into the room and sat on the couch in front of the fireplace. 

Liam and Drake stood, eyes wide and mouths agape, staring at her. She crossed her legs and rested her hands in her lap, and began tapping her manicured nails on her thigh. After a few moments, she rolled her eyes and quipped, “Most people usually greet one with a ‘hello’ or, in my case, ‘Greetings, esteemed Duchess Olivia Nevrakis’.”

Liam closed the door and he and Drake crossed the room to the set of chairs in front of the couch Olivia sat upon. They remained silent, each trying to gather their thoughts. 

Finally, Liam spoke. “Where have you been?” 

“Around.” 

Liam scoffed, “I was going to pick you but you fucking disappeared! You left me wondering why not one, but two of my suitors hightailed it!”

Olivia kept her tone neutral, despite Liam’s apparent anger. “I didn’t have a choice… I received a letter the night of your coronation. It said if I refused to leave, they would release a media narrative exposing my parents' true demise.” 

Liam felt indignant. “What?! But they died in a political assassination, Olivia! We’ve known this since we were children!”

“That’s what I thought as well, but along with the letter, I received evidence. They did not die protecting the Crown, they died trying to overthrow the Crown.” Olivia pulled a manila file folder from her bag. She opened it and put the letter, along with the proof, on the table in front of them. 

Liam scanned over every detail as his mind overflowed with questions. Olivia’s admission shook him, but he remained steadfast with his frustration over her secrecy. Drake sat next to him with his own stunned expression as his mind developed questions and assumptions of his own. 

As he continued to filter through the papers, Liam looked at Olivia with narrowed eyes and snapped, “Why didn’t you tell me?! I could have helped you!” 

Olivia looked away from Liam and quietly said, “I… held my parents on a pedestal for so long. To have all that information dumped on me at once…” she shook her head, “I just fled… I wish I hadn’t, but at the time…”

Although he continued to feel slightly frustrated Olivia hadn’t told him, Liam relented. “I wish you would have said something before you left, but I also understand your reasoning. You obviously know I had my own… things happen that night, so I cannot hold your reaction against you.”

Olivia didn’t respond, but nodded her head in acknowledgement. Liam continued, “Who sent you this?”

“I’m not sure. I tracked it through six different middlemen, but I’ve hit a dead end. All I know is whoever did this went to great lengths to keep their identity hidden.”

Olivia regarded her friend and King sitting in front of her closely, as he continued through the documents. Even before she started dropping truth bombs on him, he didn’t look like Liam. His eyes were tired, the bags notable. She noticed a forming 5 o’clock shadow on his face and saw that his forehead appeared permanently creased with worry lines. 

Olivia had been watching the news to see how Liam was faring during his first couple months as King. She could see his eyes, devoid of emotion, as he gave press interviews. He gave a forced smile, and his shoulders slouched ever so slightly. His voice missed that gusto he used to have, and his laughs were clearly a front. To anyone else, he was Liam, being the dutiful King. But Olivia knew him better than that. Even from afar, she could tell Riley’s sudden departure and the scandal had taken a toll on him. 

Olivia wasn’t sure how Liam felt about the rumor, or if he looked into her disappearance at all. She knew that approaching the subject could go a multitude of ways, but she had to take her chances. In the couple of months since Liam’s ascension, Olivia had plenty of time to piece things together. But Liam hadn’t known about the blackmail they had threatened her with. 

Olivia sat forward and tentatively asked, “Liam, what do you know about the Riley situation?” 

Liam scoffed, “What do you mean ‘Riley situation’? She disappeared! Left a note and vanished. But apparently not before fucking Tariq!” he huffed.

Okay, anger it is, Olivia thought to herself. She sat forward and leveled her eyes with his. “Did you do an investigation?”

“Bastien searched for her after she left and found nothing.” 

“But did you inspect the estate? Or her room? Any place that could have held some kind of trace?” 

“I was a little busy, Olivia. The Social Season couldn’t come to a standstill.” 

“I get that, but you didn’t think to investigate after the fact? You just accepted that Riley had apparently chosen to run off into the night with Tariq, of all people?”

“What was I supposed to do? Put the Social Season on hold hoping to find a ghost? Or waste time trying to find her after I took the throne, when I clearly had more important matters to attend to? She packed her shit and left without a word to anyone. And yes… apparently with Tariq.” Liam snapped as he shook his head

"Are you serious right now?" Olivia exasperated, her face in a completely dumbfounded expression. 

"There isn’t even any evidence to support this baffling theory you’ve concocted!”

“Oh, but there is, if you know what to look for,” Olivia smirked. 

“I don’t have time for this. I have a dinner meeting soon and I need to prepare.” Liam insisted as he stood from his chair and walked back to his desk. 

“You don’t find it at all odd that someone took photos of her from outside a fucking window? How did they even get such an angle when Riley’s room was on the second floor of the estate?” Olivia questioned from her position on the couch.

“Maybe they just got caught doing something they weren’t supposed to be doing.” Liam retorted, as he gathered stacks of paper on his desk. 

“Liam, man, I think you should hear her out…” Drake cautiously said as he stood from his chair and crossed the room to stand in front of Liam. 

“Why? Why should I?” Liam asked, face red with indignation, “You just told me to leave the past in the past. Now suddenly it’s okay?”

“Look, all I’m saying is it would make sense.” Liam gave Drake a scowl, but he continued, “I don’t want to believe that the Brooks we knew would do that! If there’s a chance that something happened to her, or she got set up, I wanna know…”

Liam squinted his eyes at Drake before he snapped, “Maybe we didn’t know her at all!!” 

“I call bullshit! I think you know deep down, she did not run away with fucking Tariq!” Olivia abruptly interjected. She had to count to ten in her head, as any sense of calm she had felt was quickly vanishing as Liam remained in denial.

In all honesty, Liam wanted to believe something was amiss in the beginning. When Bastien searched for her and found no signs of her in New York, it devastated Liam. He assumed she had left because the pressure of being with him was too great a burden to carry. He went through the last bit of the social season like the good Prince he was supposed to be. Although he felt numb, like a large portion of himself had disappeared with Riley.

Liam had thought of a last-minute plan to continue his search for her, but abandoned all efforts when the scandal came to light. His devastation turned to rage, mostly stemming from public humiliation. He knew the blame ultimately lay with himself for his reaction to the story, but it was easier to blame Riley; she was not around to defend herself, anyway, and no evidence proved otherwise.

Liam convinced himself that her affair with Tariq was the answer to the question of why Riley had left. Although, he often found his heart to be in turmoil with his head over the decision. 

Liam had since thrown himself into his work. He found the longer he kept his Crown on, the less time he spent spiraling into the ‘what ifs’. It was useless to fight against it, although he found it to be easier to ignore as time carried on.

More than that, he needed to mend the dent his reputation had suffered right off the bat. His reign began with disgrace and indignity; he was bound and determined he would not find himself back in that position again.

But as Liam stood there and listened to Olivia and Drake, he could physically feel the brief glimmer of hope he had buried so long ago start flickering within. It was incredibly subtle, but there nonetheless.

Liam sighed and reluctantly walked back to the chair across from Olivia, Drake close behind. 

“Okay. I’ll listen.” Liam said as he sat down, his tone neutral. 

Olivia pulled a set of the photos of Riley and Tariq out of her manila folder. Although they appeared substantially enlarged compared to the small tabloid size Liam and Drake had seen before.  

She presented them with an image, a closer shot of Riley and Tariq, Riley's back pressed against the window. She held it up to them and continued, "There’s no sign of physical affection on Riley’s part. See her arms? It looks as if they're directly at her sides, there's no extension to her elbows whatsoever. Not anything huge, but worth noting in my eyes, considering she isn’t touching him in any photo."

“Her touching him is the least of my worries here, Olivia.” Liam snapped.

Olivia picked up a different picture, another close up of Riley and Tariq, but their bodies had marginally turned. “This one, you can see her head turned slightly to the side. If you look closely, you can see discoloration around her eye, as well as what appears to be a laceration on her cheek.” She sat the photo on the table for Liam and Drake to see. 

“Could have been different lighting, a shadow, anything. This proves nothing.” Liam shook his head, his irritation escalating.  

Olivia did not say a word, only sat a photo on the table that was a full view of the entire window. The angle remained similar, but this was the only one where Riley and Tariq had completely changed positions; this time they stood face to face. Riley's back was nearly out of view, but a hand of Tariq's was around her waist. Her face was hidden facing the opposite direction, but Tariq wore a wide grin on his that was clear as day, even in the low lit night. But that is not what had been troubling Olivia the most. 

“This is the original. At first glance, all you would see is Tariq and Riley. But when you increase the exposure…” Olivia trailed off and reached for yet another photo; the same as before, but much brighter. 

Liam and Drake sat forward, each man hunting intently to see the relevance. Drake saw it first and gasped when he spotted it. Liam turned to Drake with a look of puzzlement, silently asking what he had found. Drake pointed to a corner of the photograph, away from Riley and Tariq.

“Is… is that?” Drake stammered.

“A person? Yes.” Olivia answered with certainty.

“Who is it?” 

“I can’t tell who it is. I spoke with someone about trying to do facial recognition, but they said because of the quality of the photo blown up, it wouldn’t be possible. The original is too dark to even recognize a face.”

“So it’s a dead end, and this has been a waste of time!” Liam exclaimed. He shook his head and sharply sighed before he continued, “Look, Olivia, I appreciate what you were trying to do, but this isn’t a mystery. She left.”

“You still don’t see it, do you?”

“No, I saw it. There’s an excellent possibility it’s once again just a shad-”

“Do not say it’s a fucking shadow, Liam! You can clearly see a person’s silhouette there!”

“But not prominent enough to be identified.” Liam said in a flat tone. 

Olivia rolled her eyes before she snapped, “Okay. So it’s unidentifiable. But can we talk about why there’s some random person in the corner watching while they’re apparently ‘having relations’?!”

Liam became mute, aside from his heavy breaths, the agitation he felt written all over his face. Although a part of him wanted to counter, he couldn’t establish a response to Olivia’s question.

Olivia smirked at Liam’s silence. “That’s what I thought.”

“I think it’s worth checking out…” Liam snapped his head over to Drake with a look of annoyance, but Drake continued. “You can’t deny there’s someone else in this picture, Liam!” 

“How do we know these are real and not fabricated?!”

Olivia narrowed her eyes at Liam. “You think I’d bring you doctored photos? Really?”

“I’m not saying you would purposefully! I'm only saying it's a possibility!” 

Drake answered, “We’ve spent all this time wondering what happened and why she left. We finally have some kind of lead, and you don’t want to check it out?”

Liam groaned and ran a hand down his face. “Even if I wanted to investigate further, once the Engagement Tour starts I will be incredibly busy. I don’t have the time, nor the patience, to investigate grainy photos.” He stood from his chair and rushed back to his desk. “I’m glad you’re here, Olivia. Hopefully, you’ll be joining us on the engagement tour. If you two will excuse me, I must be going.” 

Olivia and Drake watched as Liam quickly gathered his belongings, strode to the door, and slammed it shut behind him. They sat in silence for a few moments, each trying to gather their thoughts about the situation that sat in front of them. 

Drake finally quietly spoke. “You think something could’ve happened to her?”

Olivia sighed, her eyes softening at the question. “I really don’t know. I have a hunch that my blackmail and whatever happened to Riley share a relation. If I wouldn’t have left, there would have been two scandals that hit the news cycle that night. That doesn’t sound coincidental to me.”

“No, it doesn’t. But what do we do about Liam?”

“Has he been like this since the coronation?”

Drake exhaled and nodded his head. “Pretty much, yeah. He goes back and forth from depressed to straight up pissed off. I’ve never seen him so unhinged. After she first left, it was almost like he was grieving a loved one who had passed away.”

Olivia rolled her eyes. “Oh yes, I very much remember watching Liam sulk in the corner with you all night at the Beaumont Bash.”

“Yeah. But after the coronation, you could almost see the switch flip. He wasn’t really sad anymore, just fucking enraged. Wouldn’t talk about her, wouldn’t even let me talk about her. He’d get irate and leave.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah… He’s calmed down a lot, but I know it’s eating him inside. He can sit here and tell us he doesn’t believe it, but I think he’s known from the beginning that something wasn’t right…”

A brief stillness overtook the room before Drake leaned forward and asked, “You know why he was so mad you left?” 

“Because he got stuck with she-demon?” Olivia chuckled.

“Well yeah, there’s that. But… he had a plan.” 

“A plan?” Olivia asked, her confusion prominent. 

“Yep… He was going to pick you so he could keep looking for Riley after the coronation.” 

Olivia’s eyes widened. “Really?” 

“That’s what he said, anyway. But after the scandal… He never spoke of it again. I don’t know if he gave up because he had to pick Madeleine, and felt like he couldn’t look for her or…” 

“I should be spiteful that I was the second choice to begin with, but I take the utmost satisfaction in knowing Madeleine was publicly the third choice.” Olivia laughed with a sneer. She continued, “But I don’t think for a second he truly believes that bullshit story. He’s only covering his own ass for how he reacted.”

“Oh yeah. Connie ripped him big time for that.” Drake stated with wide eyes. 

“I imagined so.”

A content silence overtook them, aside from the sounds of light rain as it tapped against the windows. Drake sat back, turned his head to the ceiling, and let out a breath of air. 

“I always wondered how she got out of there. There were so many people there, and I was in the room right next to hers…” Drake trailed off.

“And you didn’t hear her, or anything?”

“Not a peep.”

“That is odd.”

Drake sat up and faced Olivia. “I think we should check into this. I know Liam didn’t seem to believe the idea, but there has to be something out there. Some kind of clue, anything. Even if we find out, she really ran off with Tariq.” His face grimaced at the thought. 

“Oh, I plan to. The blackmail I received and whatever happened to Riley have to be connected, I just don’t know how, yet. But they’re messing with the Duchess of Lythikos, and I don’t take kindly to threats.” 

“Well, I wanna help.”

Drake’s phone chimed with a text message. He pulled it out of his pocket and saw that Maxwell had answered his earlier text. He quickly shot a response before he turned back to Olivia. “I’m gonna go meet Maxwell for a couple of drinks. You wanna come? Maybe Max knows something, or we can try to assemble a plan of some sort.”

Olivia debated it briefly before she let out a heavy breath. She rubbed her index finger and thumb over her nose and whispered to herself, “Zenobia give me strength.” 

Tags (If you'd like to be removed at any time, just let me know.): @choicesficwriterscreations @ao719 @txemrn @imashybish @emkay512 @queenrileyrose @kingliam2019 @riseandshinelittleblossom @dcbbw @tessa-liam @twinkleallnight @amandablink @cordonia-gothqueen @sfb123 @harleybeaumont @bebepac @charlotteg234 @aussiegurl1234 @jared2612

[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.

[angelasscribbles]

Isle of Misfits Chapter 11: The Final Cut

Fandom: Mostly TRR but a bit of others sprinkled in, as well as some OC's from the first few chapters.

Series: Isle of Misfits, Round Robin 2024, hosted by @choicesprompts

Word Count: 1,981

Drake turned his head to take in Liam standing in the doorway, but he didn’t release Bertrand’s collar. “Not now, Li. I need answers first!”

“I…that…” Bertrand fumbled with the remote control, rewinding then pausing on a close-up of him with the redhead wrapped in his arms. “Look!”

Drake glared at the TV screen for a moment, and then the frown lines on his face eased. He released Bertrand and took a step back. “Oh, that’s not Liv.” Even from behind, he could tell it wasn’t her. He knew every line and curve of her body. If he had paused it sooner, he would have realized his mistake.

“Wait.” Olivia pointed to the date in the upper corner of the screen. “It couldn’t have been me. That was the night I was at that ribbon-cutting ceremony with Raleigh.”

Raleigh Carrera had gotten his shit together in record time. A thorough cleansing of alcohol from his room and a handful of public appearances had put him back on top of his career. He was off on a world tour with firm dinner plans with Olivia and Drake the next time he was in the country.  

Drake whirled on the elder Beaumont. “Are you cheating on my sister?”

“No…ah…” Bertrand turned ten shades of red as he stammered and stuttered. “She…that is…. I mean…”

“What is it, man? Spit it out already!”

Bertrand wanted to fall through the floor, but he managed to grit out, “The redhead is Savannah! She…. ah…”

Drake looked like he wanted to commit murder. “Did you make my sister dress up like that?”

“What? Heavens no! It was her idea!”

“Her idea?”

“Yes! This time, she wanted to be a redhead. Last month it was blond…she…ah…sometimes she likes to…um…. role play and…. well…”

All the blood drained from Drake’s face. “Shut up! That’s enough! No one needs to hear anything else!”

Olivia’s delighted laughter cut through the air. “I didn’t know little Savs had it in her. Good for her! Get it, girl!”

Drake shook his head. “Liv, no.”

Bertrand’s face had gone purple as he fought the ignominy. Clearing his throat, he changed the subject. “I think we should address Madeleine’s poor judgment.”

Madeleine gaped at him. “My poor judgment? How about asking why there are reporters on a private island? What about that?”

Bertrand gave his lapels a sharp tug as he regained his composure. “Oh, there will be a thorough investigation into that! Which still doesn’t answer the question as to why you would take one of our clients out in public outside of a prearranged appearance when our policy clearly states—”

“Pfft!” Madeleine flicked her fingers at him. “I didn’t read your employee handbook as I am not your employee! I am here at the behest of the king!”

“Yes, well, about that.” Bertrand straightened his shoulders as he turned to face Liam. “I allowed her to come here to help as a courtesy to you, Your Majesty. However, I’m afraid that I must inform you that the countesses’ services are no longer needed.”

“Of course,” Liam inclined his head slightly. “The Leviathan Group is your business. I’m sorry if I overstepped. I simply wanted to help my brother—”

“Which you did, by sending him here, to me. No other client has been allowed to have friends or family visit during their time with us. Please, Liam. Let me do my job.”

The king looked like he wanted to argue for a moment and then his shoulders slumped. “Yes, of course. I am sorry. I should also apologize for agreeing to help Trystan and then not being able to follow through.”

“It is of no consequence.” Bertrand waved him off. “Liv was able to step in. You have an entire country to run. I shouldn’t have asked.”

“Seriously?” Madeleine fumed. “You know what? That’s fine. Get someone else to help Mr. never met a responsibility he couldn’t ignore or run away from. I’ll be on the next boat back to the mainland.” She spun on her heel and was gone.

“Thank god!” Leo commanded everyone’s attention as he slapped the newspaper again. “But what are we going to do about this?”

“Don’t worry, I’m going to take you under my wing personally,” Bertrand assured him. “And since your wife is here, we’re going to enlist her help.”

Bertrand didn’t say it out loud, but he was fairly certain Katie was the security leak. Reporters had most likely followed her to the island. Though Liam was also a possibility. This was why friends and family weren’t supposed to visit.

Leo rubbed his eyes. “I’m not sure she’s even speaking to me right now.”

“Well, have you tried explaining to her why you were in that bush throwing up outside a Beverly Hills mansion at three a.m. while she was at home with two infants?”

“How the hell was I supposed to know there’d be a reporter there?”

“But why were you there in the first place? With that woman?”

Leo shook his head vehemently from side to side. “That woman just helped me back into the house because I was too drunk to stand on my own!”

“I believe you.” Bertrand clasped a hand on his shoulder. “But you still need to answer why you were there in the first place. For your wife and yourself, honestly. Katie shouldn’t be here, but since she is, I’ve arranged some couples’ counseling for you, and I don’t want to hear any arguments about it.”

Leo opened his mouth, then shut it again. He nodded. Couples’ counseling sounded good. He didn’t want to lose the family he was in the process of building. They meant too much to him.

“Okay, good!” Bertrand squeezed his shoulder tighter, then released it and slapped him on the back. “Why don’t you go talk to her right now?”

Leo nodded again. “Thanks.” He stopped in front of Liam on his way out. “I’m sorry I was such an ass about coming here. You might have saved my marriage, so…thank you for that.”

“I love you, man,” Liam told him as he pulled him into a hug.

“I love you too, little bro.”

After Leo had left the room, Liam shifted from foot to foot awkwardly before blurting out, “So, what’s this about Riley and Max?”

Drake’s jaw clenched. “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Li, but I saw them together this morning. Max was coming out of her room this morning. Early this morning!”

Liam stared at him in wide-eyed panic as his mind whirled with ways to mitigate this breach of decorum. He knew he could tell Drake anything, but his eyes flicked to Bertrand and Olivia as he scrambled for a cover story. “Ah… he was there to deliver an update about Leo. I was in an early meeting, so I asked him to deliver it to Lady Riley instead.”

Liam held his breath as he waited to see if they bought the story.

Drake’s eyes narrowed. It had been really early. But if Liam didn’t want everyone in the room to know his business, then Drake would respect that, so he simply replied with, “Okay. That makes sense.”

Liam’s body sagged with relief. He wasn’t ready for the world to know about him and Max or Max and Riley, much less him, Max and Riley as a throuple. “I appreciate you looking out for me, Drake. But next time please come to me with any concerns instead of blurting them out in front of others. It’s how rumors get started and I can ill afford those at the very start of my reign.”

Drake gave him a curt nod. “Of course. Sorry.”

Liam waved dismissively in his direction. “Your heart was in the right place. We’ll talk later.” He turned from Drake to Bertrand. “I’m going to say goodbye to my brother and then I promise not to come back unless you invite me. I should have trusted you from the beginning and stayed out of it.”

“I appreciate the trust you’re placing in me, Your Majesty.”

Drake watched Liam leave, then turned to Olivia. “Are you ready? I thought we could grab some—”

The redhead sauntered closer to her boyfriend and ran a hand down his chest, “I would love to do whatever the end of that sentence is but first….” She glanced back at her business partner. “I need to talk to Bert about something real quick. You go on. I’ll meet you in my room in ten.”

He gave her a salacious grin as he pulled her in for a kiss. She started to melt into him before remembering they weren’t alone. Mostly because Bertrand cleared his throat to remind them. She pushed him away with a teasing grin. “Go on. I’ll be along soon enough.”

When Drake was out of the room, she turned to Bertrand with a steely glare. “Would you like to tell me why the west wing has been closed off since our first night here?”

Bertrand’s body jerked. His eyes widened. “Oh… ah… we just aren’t using—”

“Cut the shit, Bert!” Olivia crossed the room to stand defiantly in front of him. “When I can’t sleep, I walk. I saw the ambulance that night. There were no lights, no sirens but I know what I saw.”

Bertrand let out a long sigh as his shoulders slumped. “It will be a relief to tell someone. One of our guests, an aging actor looking to make a comeback, was… done away with that night.”

Olivia blinked. “You mean murdered?”

Bertrand nodded. He had told Max it was a bad dream…. and it had been. But it had also happened.

“And you swept it under the rug because a murder the first night of your new business venture would be bad publicity?”

He nodded again.

“Any clues who it was?”

“Well, the young lady that found the body disappeared later that night.” It had been a miracle that no one other than him had heard her scream. Mostly because he had been the only guest in that wing, having insisted on complete privacy.

“Do we know who she was?”

“She was Natalia Karanova, here under the pretense of being the personal assistant to another guest, Krista Rodriguez. But upon further investigation, it turns out she is also the granddaughter of an actress murdered on the set of the 1980 movie The Deepest Cut.”

Olivia tilted her head to one side in contemplation. “Was she even alive in 1980?”

Bertrand shook his head. “No. But her mother was and by all accounts, she was never right again after losing her mother at such a young age. She struggled with lifelong depression and eventually took her own life. She named our esteemed guest in her suicide note.”

Olivia sucked in a breath. “That would be motive.”

“Indeed.”

“So did you tell the police?”

“No.”

“No?”

He shook his head again.

“Why not?”

“Because I read the news article about what happened to that young, aspiring actress. She didn’t deserve what happened to her, but perhaps her murderer did. The evidence was clear, but fame and money made it all just go away.”

“Wow, Bert. I didn’t know you had it in you!” She gave him an approving smile. “Good for you!”

“So, you won’t tell anyone?”

“My lips are sealed.”

******

Three weeks later, Leo discovered in therapy that he had been self-sabotaging his whole life because of deep-seated insecurities stemming from a childhood of neglect, abandonment, and mental abuse at the hands of his father.  

He cooperated with the rest of the program, repaired his public image, and, more importantly, his relationship with his wife.

He returned home to California with her and their two children and they all lived happily ever after.

The End.

[ownworldresident]

Side by Side: Interlude

This piece is for @choicesflashfics Week #70 prompts! This section takes place shortly after Liam and Rayne's conversation in Chapter 7, which is a few days after his wedding to Madeleine... you guys know the drama drill haha.

Book: The Royal Romance Pairing: Liam Rys and Rayne (romantic) Themes: hurt/comfort, friendship, family, Maxwell being an excellent friend Words: 1827 (apologies, but I promise it's an easy read) Prompts used: Prompt 1 — “I wish you could see yourself the way I see you.” Prompt 3 — “How are you going to explain this/that?” Side by Side Masterlist (updated) here

I've included my Side by Side taglist for the interested folks, but you don't need to be up to date on that to follow the scenes. Side note I had wayyyy too much fun on Canva making this image.

Rayne didn't return to the palace with Liam. He stayed the night after their discussion, they reunited in more ways than one, and the next morning they began to discuss logistics.

“What are they expecting when you arrive home?” Rayne asked, elbows on the dining table either side of an empty breakfast plate.

“Except for Bastien, the palace and the press don't know that I'm here. They still believe I'm at the estate with Madeleine. They'll expect us to arrive together.”

“You can stay here until then, if you want.” said Maxwell, who had tactfully said nothing last night of why Liam was here but was keen to assist now. “Bertrand would be honoured.”

Rayne sipped her orange juice - no coffee for a while - and allowed Liam to respond to a question of which she knew the answer.

“Thank you, Maxwell, but they expect us this afternoon. I will reconvene with Madeleine and travel with her back to the palace.”

“So how are you going to explain this?” Maxwell cut to the elephant in the room. Rayne looked to Liam again. They had discussed how to play this but ultimately it was up to him.

“To be honest, I'm not sure yet. But I will discuss it with Madeleine, since she is open to compromise, and make a statement when the time is right.”

Maxwell nodded, and turned his attention to Rayne. “And you, blossom? are you returning as well?” He sounded a little forlorn at the prospect.

“I could,” Rayne said, glancing at Liam, “but as I discussed with Liam last night it might be better to lay low for a while.”

“It would give me the chance to lay the groundwork for your return.” Liam reached for one of her hands, taking it in both of his. The way he gently squeezed was enough to communicate how much he wanted her to be there with him. Rayne held his gaze, then looked to Maxwell.

“I was hoping I could stay here until then.”

Maxwell looked surprised, then smiled warmly. “Absolutely you can! We will have so much fun… we can go riding and to the sauna and for runs together and…” he paused at Rayne’s bemused smile, and continued a little sheepishly. “I mean we can relax and watch movies and go for reasonable length walks…”

“I would love all those things, Max.” Rayne grinned. “But maybe we can start with the movies and walks.”

“I'll contact your doctor,” Liam noted, “see if she could be persuaded to make a house call. Everything discreet, of course.” Rayne had seen this doctor a few times whilst in Cordonia at Liam's recommendation and approved of her.

“So this is all a secret for now then?” Maxwell queried.

“Yes,” Liam answered, squeezing Rayne's hand again and releasing her. “For now at least, this news doesn't leave this household.”

— —

The sky was overcast as Rayne and Maxwell left the Beaumont estate several weeks after the decision to stay. Nerves built inside her as they climbed into the back of the SUV sent to collect them and approached the open gates of the estate. The car was silent for a few minutes, and Rayne focused on the outlines of the trees and vines bordering the gravel road.

“I left a charger cable in my room.” Maxwell sighed. She turned to him.

“At home?”

“No, at the palace. I'm looking forward to getting it back.”

Rayne smiled, breaking some of the tension in her face. “Don't you have other chargers?”

He shrugged. “Technically yes, but this one's my favourite.” The words were followed by a wide grin that made her laugh.

“Glad you can finally get it back then,” she remarked fondly, and turned back to the window. It was starting to rain now, gently, but it was predicted to get heavier as they approached the city.

“I hope I have the same room…” Maxwell commented. As he had previously assured her they would have the same rooms, Rayne didn't respond, but thinking of the rooms inevitably led back to thoughts of Liam.

Her hand subconsciously moved to her belly, which now was aligned with her breasts. The last time the doctor had visited had been the most surprising, but made the most sense. At ten weeks, her baby should not be showing so much - but twins did.

Twins were not uncommon in Rayne's family, she'd had a twin sibling, but it didn't make the prospect any less terrifying. Having one life growing inside her for the first time was enough, but she was still reckoning with the idea of two.

A loose shirt and open coat would do little to hide the reality from prying eyes, so she was not looking forward to her hospital visit…

“Liam will be there.” Maxwell's voice cut through Rayne's reflections. She turned to him. “He will make sure everything goes smoothly. You'll be okay, blossom. No need to be stressed.” His eyes flitted to where her hand trembled against her belly as if in recognition of her nerves. She let her hand fall, and he reached for it.

“I know,” Rayne muttered. And she did, but it didn't take away all her anxiety.

Maxwell squeezed her hand to bring her focus back to him. “There is no benefit in worrying about would could happen or what people might think. You have a lot of good people to support you, my wonderful self included, and we will all make sure that you are safe and comfortable.”

Rayne felt tears prick her eyes, smiling at the unusual earnestness from her jovial friend. After a moment holding his gaze, she nodded.

“I know,” she said again, “thank you, Maxwell.”

“Any time.” He smiled, releasing her hand, and they fell into an easier quiet. Rain pattered on the roof and windows of the car, they exited the gravel drive onto a sealed road, and she reflected on the words he had used. Maxwell was more intelligent than he was given credit for, but he spoke in simpler sentiments.

“Liam told you to say that, didn't he?”

He frowned, the shrugged. “He suggested I be more openly supportive - me being so much a master of subtlety and all - but I didn't need to know how to comfort one of my best friends, particularly given I've technically spent more time with you over the years than his royalness.”

“True, very true,” Rayne conceded, hiding a smirk and turning back to the road. “Especially during the hard times. And more recently whilst I've been… well…”

“Finally appreciating the excellence of my company?” Maxwell finished for her.

“Sure.” Rayne turned back to his wide smile. “And hugs. I appreciate your hugs.”

Several instances passed through her mind of Maxwell holding her. As she wept; as she sat nauseous beside the toilet; as she fell into him barely able to breathe; as she expressed just how much her heart ached, how much she wished Liam were with her, and things had turned out differently…

Eventually Rayne fell into a restless doze. She imagined reuniting with Liam and it brought her comfort. He had visited, once, a few weeks before. She had tried to be composed through the hormonal shifts but he had found her mostly short tempered. She hadn't properly said goodbye. There were some things she regretted saying, and she imagined having to resolve some tension before even entering the palace. Her new home.

— —

“Rayne.” A voice broke through her reverie, and a nudge of her shoulder. “Rayne, are you awake?”

“Nng,” she responded, less coherent than intended. She tried again. “Yes.”

“Good.” It was Maxwell's voice. “We're almost there.”

Rayne registered the thick rain and slow movement of the car over more gravel and lifted her head to see out, wiping drool from her chin and sleep from her eyes. Her back and neck ached from the awkward angle and she resolved once again never to sleep in a car.

“You can finally get your phone charger cable,” she remarked, watching the palace as they approached. Maxwell laughed.

“My whole reason for accompanying you is complete!” The lightness in his voice made her smile, despite the growing nerves.

“I hope you can stay for a while though,” she said, “I'll miss your company.”

Maxwell reached for her hand again. “Don't worry blossom, I'll make sure you're all set up before leaving. And you know how to reach me after that.” He looked up past Rayne, then, and grinned. “Welcome home.”

Rayne turned to see the palace slide out of view past some tall hedges. Her palms were sweaty and her chest tight, then the hedges opened out to reveal a familiar figure waiting under cover by the entrance, and her heart leapt.

— —

Liam waited by the door with Drake and two of the palace staff, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet with an umbrella in hand as they watched the SUV approach. It moved so slowly, but the time was finally nearing when he would see her again, and see her every day from now on.

“Bit excited there, Li?” Drake teased from just behind him. It only made Liam smile wider. His heart thumped in his chest and he stood so close to the edge of the portico that some of the rain began to reach him.

“Absolutely,” Liam responded, unphased. The car was so close he thought he could make out Rayne’s face through the tinted glass. It pulled up alongside the palace, and he leapt into action with his now open umbrella. She always sat on the right side, so he opened that door just as she reached for the handle, and there she was.

“Liam,” she breathed, wide eyed as he met her gaze. How was she even more beautiful than he remembered?

“Welcome home, love,” he managed after a few moments, holding the umbrella above them both with his other hand out to help her up. As she stood, he breathed in her scent, and all the tension in his body and mind relaxed. “I missed you.”

Rayne looked up at him as he closed the car door behind her. She opened her mouth to speak, closed it again, and wrapped her arms around him for the first time in too long. He held her in the rain on the gravel driveway, holding the umbrella above them in one hand, heedless of the staff and friends moving around them.

“I missed you too,” Rayne mumbled into his chest, and held him tighter. Liam kept his touch gentle, not wanting to strain her, and after a while he pulled back and moved a loose curl away from her face. She sniffed, wiping her face with a coat sleeve, and started to apologise for her appearance. Liam shook his head to halt her.

“I wish you could see yourself the way I see you,” he said, smiling softly, “there is nothing and no one else so perfect in this world.”

-----

Side by Side Tag List: @tessa-liam @twinkleallnight @umccall71 @kingliam2019 @angelasscribbles @mainstreetreader @malblk21 @queen-arabella-of-cordonia @tinkie1973 @lovingchoices14

[fancy--marshmallow]

Hey guys, in the spirit of the holidays I decided to post a new story to Tale of Misfit Friends, Thanksgiving with Olivia. Story number 7. This is the link to that story.

https://www.wattpad.com/story/380175915?utm_source=android&utm_medium=link&utm_content=share_reading&wp_page=reading&wp_uname=fancy_marshmallow

Also here is a fun little description of the story....

In a castle grand and drafty, where the snowflakes gently fall,

Olivia planned Thanksgiving, inviting friends and all.

Drake dreaded the occasion, Maxwell was scared but keen,

Penelope brought her poodles, and Madeleine felt like a queen.

Liam worried 'bout his hair, still green from days before,

While Olivia secretly pined for him, her heart opened a door.

They skied down snowy mountains, with mishaps left and right,

Liam's hair a tangled mess, Maxwell's crash a sight.

By the fire, they sipped cocoa, with vodka on the side,

Drake and Alana sneaked away, their love they couldn't hide.

Maxwell and Riley shared a kiss, cold but sweet and true,

While Penelope talked to the snowmen, her poodles froze too.

The snowball fight was epic, with teams both fierce and bold,

Olivia's team was losing, her frustration uncontrolled.

Madeleine and Olivia fought, Maxwell caught in between,

Bertrand fell into a snowbank, a royal yet funny scene.

At dinner, dressed in finery, they shared what they were thankful for,

Liam's speech was boring, Maxwell's snoring made them roar.

Olivia's speech was snarky, Madeleine took offense,

But laughter filled the evening, their bonds grew more intense.

Drake and Alana dreamed of futures bright and grand,

While Maxwell and Riley's love blossomed, hand in hand.

Kiara joined the group, denying jealousy with a glare,

Penelope's drunken joke made everyone aware.

In the end, they all found joy, despite the chaos and the cold,

A Thanksgiving to remember, with stories to be told.

For in the heart of Cordonia, where friendships truly shine,

They discovered love and laughter, and divine memories.

[cordonianroyalairlines]

Cordonian Royal Airlines

…where we treat every passenger like royalty. The ultimate in air travel. Luxurious private jets for booking to exclusive locales. Small, private, elite.

Welcome to Cordonian Royal Airlines (CRA), a TRR AU in the spirit of Wings and LA to Vegas.  

Leo and Liam Rys, two brothers, both pilots, decide to go into business together, operating a small, private, elite airline that flies exclusive clientele to exotic locales in the lap of luxury. A non-chronological series of loosely related one-shots and drabbles around the exploits of the crew of CRA.

This collaborative project is a joint effort of six creators: angelasscribbles, karahalloway, harleybeaumont, aussiegurl1234, nestledonthaveone and alj4890. Updates might not be frequent or often, but we hope they’re hilarious.

Pilots/Owners: Leo Rys, Liam Rys

First Officers: Drake Walker, Bertrand Beaumont

Flight Attendants: Riley Brooks, Maxwell Beaumont, Hana Lee, Kiara Theron

Office Manager: Madeleine Amaranth

World Renown In-Flight Chef: Olivia Nevrakis

Receptionist/Booking: Penelope Ebrim

Security: Bastien Lykel

Masterlist

Turbulence: Riley confronts Drake with unexpected results.

All I Want for Christmas Part 1: The crew is grounded by a blizzard.

All I Want for Christmas Part 2: Drake does something unexpected.

Ball Drop: Drake and Riley end up in the same place on NYE.

Staking a Claim: Riley's ex shows up on a flight. Drake is less than pleased about it.

[txemrn]

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

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

Word Count: ~2500

Warning: innuendos; a little language; fluffiness

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

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

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

~👑~

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

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

"Mon dieu! Did–did he just say–"

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Blow jobs," Olivia smirks.

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

"He said what?" Madeleine raises an eyebrow.

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

"No, that's not–nevermind."

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

"Gunther!" 

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

"Whiskers, is that you?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"It's water."

"Centimeters upon centimeters–"

"Imagine meters of it. Frozen–"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Curious minds want to know about this nickname."

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Trivia?" Maxwell questions.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Of course, B, just… in other… ways–"

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

"You're right, but–"

"I'm a crate full of apes!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Liam gets that.

"I think we should do it."

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

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

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

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

—

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

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

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

"Correct!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Correct!"

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

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

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

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

But not by much.

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

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

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

He clears his throat. "1835?"

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

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

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

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

"I think… Bertrand should take this."

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

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

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

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

"I'll do it."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"That… is correct!"

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

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

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

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

Liam nods slowly, "Yep."

"Why?"

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

"The principle?" She cocks an eyebrow.

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

"But Savannah loves him–"

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

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

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

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

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

"So?"

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

"William Rys!"

~👑~

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

~👑~

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

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[karahalloway]

Isle of Misfits: Chapter 8 - Burnt by the Truth

Fandom: TRR x Platinum x OH x CoP x TNA (so far...)

Series: Isle of Misfits Round Robin hosted by @choicesprompts

Word Count: 1,200

Characters: TRR's Leo Rys, Liam Rys, Olivia Nevrakis (RoE's 'Katie Rys', TNA's Sam Dalton and CoP's Trystan Thorne mentioned)

Warnings: M (swearing, references to depression, references to alcohol abuse, references to suicide)

“You’re still angry, aren’t you?” Liam asked as he and Leo stepped out of the bar following their randezvous with Trystan Thorne.

Leo threw a scoff back at his brother. “Why on earth would you think that, Your Majesty?”

Liam heaved a low breath as he watched the former Crown Prince of Cordonia stride off into the warmth of the night.

Leo had always been the more opinionated of the two of them — which certainly got him into a lot more hot water with their father than Liam believed was strictly healthy for one’s constitution — and this latest ‘divergence of opinion’ was no exception.

His brother just had to be made to see that the intervention was for his own good.

Brokering a peace alliance between warring states would’ve been easier…

But, soothing ruffled feathers is what Liam had been trained to do since he could talk, so if anyone could make his obstinate brother see reason, it was him… right?

“Leo, please,” he pleaded, jogging after the shadowy form of his sibling. “If you will just—”

“Why?” came the bitter response. “So you can tell me how much of a disappointment I am? How much I let you and the kingdom down? Don’t think I haven’t heard that speech a thousand times before…”

“Actually, I was going to try and apologise…”

His brother’s words caused Leo to stop short. Turning slowly around, he regarded Liam under the moonlight. “You pulling my leg?”

“No,” Liam insisted, spreading his hands to show his sincerity. “I genuinely am sorry. The entire situation could have been handled much better. You’d come back home to try and get away from the unfortunate situation you found yourself in — quite accidentally, but all accounts — and instead of offering you the moral support you so clearly carved, I annihilated your trust by going behind your back.”

“So, why did you do it?” asked Leo, folding his arms. His brother’s words had touched him, but he wasn’t going to give Liam the satisfaction of caving to the clearly well-rehearsed words to just hug it all out. “If there was an issue, you should’ve just come to me.”

“I… I couldn’t,” Liam admitted, his shoulders dropping a fraction of an inch.

“Why not?” Leo demanded suspiciously.

“Because Katie intimated that you would never do something like this voluntarily,” Liam explained tightly. “And… if you didn’t do it, she was going to file for divorce.”

The breath left Leo’s body like oxygen being sucked out of a vacuum chamber. “She what—?"

Liam looked up at his brother sympathetically. “Why didn’t you tell me that things had become so fraught?”

“I didn’t realise that they had…” Leo admitted in a hollow voice. “I knew she wanted me home more, to be with the kids, and stuff, but… Oh, Jesus, I’ve fucked this royally, haven’t I?”

“It’s not too late,” Liam consoled, stepping up to his brother to lay a hand on his shoulder. “She’s willing to give you this chance. But you have to commit to the program. Bertrand has had success with several clients already, who were arguably in bigger strifes than you.”

“Not with their wives, though…”

“No,” Liam conceded with a smile. “But that’s why you’ve been paired with a mentor — so they can guide you through—”

“Sam Dalton is a dick.”

“I am afraid I have not had the opportunity to—”

“He left his wife to be with his maid,” Leo spat. “What the hell does a man like that know about love, commitment, the sacrament of marriage, of—”

“You left Madeleine in the lurch when you announced your engagement to Katie…”

Leo opened his mouth, only to quickly close it. “That’s not the same thing.”

“Bertrand knows what he’s doing,” Liam assured him. “Give this a chance. Who knows? You might be pleasantly surprised by the outcome.”

“Why couldn’t you have found me a normal rehab in Switzerland? Or, better yet, California?”

Liam couldn’t help but snort. “Because you escaped the last rehab centre that Father sent you to. In the middle of a blizzard.”

“Yes, that was certainly one of my more daring jailbreaks,” Leo admits whimsically. “But the food was terrible. I had to bail.”

“Yes, well, you are on an island this time,” Liam reminded him wryly. “And the Beaumonts have a Michelin star chef on retainer, so—”

“Yeah, yeah,” muttered Leo with a sigh. “I’m stuck here.”

“That’s the spirit!” quipped Liam with a grin, slapping his brother jovially on the arm.

Leo rolled his eyes at him.

“But in all seriousness,” Liam added. “I hope you make the most of it. And are able to patch things up with Katie.”

“Yeah…” agreed Leo with a low exhale. “I hope so, too.”

“Rough night?”

“You could say that…” Leo admitted, shuffling across the polished marble floor of the foyer.

Despite the tense start to the heart-to-heart, he had managed to make up with Liam before his brother’s departure back to the mainland. But the revelation that his own wife had been the instigator behind not only the very frightening kidnapping, but this mandated exile as well, was going to take longer to digest than the remnants of the copious amounts of alcohol he still had floating around in his system.

Dropping the magazine that she’d been casually perusing, Olivia swung her killer heel clad feet off the arm of the Chesterfield sofa she’d been lounging on, and moved to join Leo. “Need a hangover cure?”

“This is going to take more than a pair of raw eggs and some Lythikosian pepper sauce…”

She grabbed his arm to pull him to a stop. “Liam told you, didn’t he?”

Leo’s eyes met Olivia’s flashing emerald gaze, before falling to the floor. “Yes…”

The Duchess of Lythikos’ mouth hardened. “He shouldn’t have done that. It was not his place.”

“Yeah, well… The cat’s out of the bag now…” Leo grumbled, continuing his weary trudge back to his room. “That’s got to count for something, right?”

“Not really…” Olivia muttered. “Because now you’re going to fall into a chronic bout of depression, try to give yourself liver poisoning, and seriously contemplate jumping off the twelfth storey balcony, and I’m going to be the one who has to try and talk you out of it… Again.”

“Hey!” Leo objects, coming to a halt. “It wasn’t that bad! I—”

“If I hadn’t booked you on that Mediterranean cruise against your will, you’d be lying six feet deep, rather than merely lying to yourself.”

“Harsh!”

“But accurate,” Olivia replied. “Which is why I’m going to throttle our beloved King the next time I see him. He’s single handedly set you back by at least two weeks.”

“Well, considering that I’ve gotten absolutely nothing out of the first two weeks I’ve been here, I’d say we’re simply back to square one!”

“Eugh…” groans Olivia. “You Rys are going to— What’s that?”

“Ow!” cried Leo as Olivia’s blood-red nails dug suddenly into his forearm. “What the hell are you—?”

“Something’s burning…”

[alj4890]

Just Try

(Liam x Madeleine) in a Choices The Royal Romance drabble

Thirty Kisses in Thirty Days Challenge with the prompt: an "I'm in love with someone else, but you're here," kiss.

May 2023 Choices Challenge: lies | first heartbreak

A/N Here's my take on what Liam was going through at the beginning of Book 2 while Riley was at Ramsford. When I saw this particular kiss prompt, I immediately thought of him being forced to live a lie where he is happy with Madeleine. This is nothing but pure angst. Sorry 😬

Rating: G

@gkittylove99 @kingliam2019 @texaskitten30 @yourmajesty09 @mom2000aggie @twinkleallnight @lodberg  @amandablink @neotericthemis  @mm2305 @sfb123 @tessa-liam @thesvnsins @krsnlove @busywoman @choiceschallenge-may2023 @jerzwriter

Masterlist

Another day as the new King of Cordonia was over at last. Liam trudged his way upstairs to his bed chambers. Each step felt heavier than the one that came before it. His mind buzzed from the numerous meetings he'd gone through since being crowned. Nothing so far came close to how he thought his life would be once he became ruler.

As he closed his door, he allowed his shoulders to droop. In here, he was able to be simply Liam, a young man grieving for his deathly ill father and for the loss of the woman he so desperately loved.

Riley.

He closed his eyes for a moment. His head tipped back to rest upon his door while images of her danced in his thoughts. Everything had seemed so perfect to have only come to an abrupt end.

He was so tired of the pictures of Riley and Tariq being brought up in the news. It hurt to see her nearly naked with another man, even though he knew they weren't true.

Thank God for Drake, he thought to himself.

Liam pushed away from the door to prepare himself a needed drink. In honor of his best friend saving her, he poured a liberal amount of Macallan 1928. He then did his best to relax.

This life he was forced to lead wasn't easy. He knew before he'd even been made to take his older brother's place that it wouldn't be. Liam honestly did not anticipate it being this hard.

He'd always suspected he would have to marry someone out of duty because of the crown. As the spare, he thought it would be to help secure ties with another kingdom. Nothing brought about an alliance faster than marriage. Then when Leo abdicated, Liam knew his choices had diminished even more.

Especially when his father insisted on the very public suitor events.

And of course, Maxwell and Drake's insistence that he have a bachelor party.

Those two instances of being pressured had led to Liam feeling this depressed. Though he was grateful to his friends wanting to give him a night he'd never forget, he almost wished it had never happened. If he'd been allowed to remain here, stuck in a lifestyle he understood, he might not feel like he was now living a lie.

Instead, he'd lost his heart to an American. He'd begun to dream of an impossible life by her side. He almost attained it.

Then it was snatched away at the very last second.

He couldn't even call Riley and discuss any of this with her. Fear of someone finding out kept him from doing so. He couldn't ask anyone if she had decided to remain in the country. Who could he trust with that? He at first thought of calling Ramsford in an act of kingly benevolence to reassure Bertrand that he didn't hold any ill will for bringing, as the media dubbed her, that beastly American to him so he could discover whether or not Riley returned to New York. But who knew who would be listening in?

Even if she had remained in Cordonia, would she still want him? After all, mere minutes after declaring his love for her he'd gone and announced he was marrying another.

He took a long sip of his whiskey, allowing it to burn in his throat as memories of making love to Riley that night came to mind. Why didn't he rush inside after she told him she loved him too to declare her his choice? He instead had given in to the moment and selfishly kept her to himself for a little longer.

And look what that cost me, he thought bitterly.

"Come in." He called out at the brisk knock to his door.

Madeleine poked her head inside. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."

The words sat on the tip his tongue to say that she was. She was intruding on his nightly torture of what his life had almost been. He was ready to wallow in his misery without the added reminder of being trapped with her as future queen.

"Not at all." He took another sip. "Please, sit down."

Madeleine beamed over his manners still being intact even though he was drinking. She knew many noblemen who couldn't contain their baser instincts once alcohol was involved. She was a little relieved to see him imbibing. Hopefully it would help with her plan.

She wasn't a fool. She knew she wasn't his real choice. Madeleine believed though that they could find a way to be a couple, even if it was an act on both their parts.

But she also knew that in order to be a successful queen, she would need to one day bear him a child.

"How was your day?" She asked politely.

"Busy." He forced a smile. "But productive nonetheless."

"Good." She sat up a bit straighter. "I've begun to plan our engagement tour."

Liam took another sip, nearly finishing off his glass with that reminder.

"Have you?" He got up to top off his glass. "May I get you anything?"

"I'll have whatever you're having." She decided.

Maybe a drink would help her too with discussing what was on her mind.

He handed her a tumbler halfway filled.

"Thank you." She took a dainty sip, nose wrinkling over the taste.

She'd never enjoyed drinking straight spirits, but desperate times called for such.

"I think we need to discuss how we should act at these events." She began.

Liam softly sighed. "And how do you think we should?"

Madeleine narrowed her eyes at his tone. Was that irritation or resignation? Either way, it didn't give her much hope.

"I know ours wasn't the typical courtship," she added.

"Indeed, it was not." He snorted.

"But, it needs to look like it in front of everyone."

Liam downed his glass. "I believe in the public's eyes, I am a dutiful fiancé."

"Dutiful, yet not happy." She stressed.

"I've smiled for every picture." He argued.

"Not the way you smiled with Riley."

He couldn't believe she had the unmitigated gall to say his love's name.

"Do not dare," his tone turned a touch sinister, "presume to compare yourself to her."

Madeleine blinked. Had she misjudged Liam's easy going demeanor?

"I'm not." She replied, her own tone turning peevish. "I'm simply pointing out a fact. People knew you favored her above all the rest of us. Since you didn't pick--"

"Couldn't." He corrected.

"Couldn't pick her," Madeleine continued, "then you must at least pretend to be content."

"And what do you think I've been doing?" He pushed out of his chair to pace. "I've made certain to praise you in interviews. I've stood by your side, smiling like an idiot. I've--"

"Not kissed me."

Liam stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes widened at the mere thought of kissing the proper, icy countess. His already tender stomach from drinking without dinner churned at the thought of kissing a woman his brother had been with.

It was wrong. He couldn't think of another way to put it.

Madeleine got to her feet and stood before him. Taking a deep breath, she titled her head back.

"Madeleine, we can't--"

"I know you hope things turn out differently." Her eyes held his. "But the likely hood of Riley's name being cleared is far fetched at best. We need to be prepared for our future."

Liam briefly closed his eyes. His heart ached to hear that his dreams were getting further and further away from becoming a reality. All he had was hope in finding out what happened at Applewood. He didn't even know how he would secretly conduct an investigation. He couldn't, not without discovering first off why the security had failed so miserably that fateful night.

The thought of the rest of his life spent with the woman before him was too much right now. The pain he felt in having to choose her was still so raw. He couldn't think about the notion of truly marrying her.

Was the crown even worth it? Was his duty going to be the very thing to keep him tethered to an unhappy life?

Perhaps Leo is right. Maybe abdication is the only way.

"I think we need to kiss." Madeleine broke through his tortured thoughts. "At least for practice for when we need to pose for pictures and such. We need it to look natural."

Liam shook his head. "We do not have to kiss in public."

"Very well." She knew she had an uphill battle on her hands. "But we will one day have to have children."

Children. Liam ran his hands over his face. He was supposed to have children with Riley. He even told her that was his dream on his first date, to one day have a family of his own. He'd already imagined them looking like his love. He hoped they would have her dark hair, her warm smile, her easy laugh, and her tender heart.

Now the likely hood was that they wouldn't exist. He would be forced to have children with Madeleine.

He needed another drink.

Madeleine watched in silence as he hastily gulped his third glass. She wasn't insulted. After all, she knew the type of loyalty Liam had. His devotion to a woman who had shamed him was admirable, if not foolish in her mind. It boded well though for their own future that she could trust him.

She decided she could be magnanimous in their current situation.

"If Riley did remain with the Beaumont's," she added, "I will gladly turn a blind eye to you making her your mistress."

Liam nearly choked on his whiskey.

She rolled her eyes over that reaction.

"I understand how much you care for her."

"I love her." He stated.

"Be that as it may," her voice was tight with conviction, "we are the ones getting married."

Liam set his empty glass down. Why was she hounding him about this?

"Now, we need to kiss at least once so it won't be as awkward as it will be if done for the first time in front of others."

Her frown firmed on her lips. "My mother is the type to demand such demonstrations of love."

When Liam still remained away from her, she reminded him that her irreverent parent would be the first to throw a party for their engagement.

Seeing no way out of this nor getting a chance for peace, Liam returned to her and took her in his arms. Before he could think too much about it, he captured her lips in a kiss.

It felt wrong. Madeleine's body was stiff as she forced her lips to ease under his. He didn't even try to deepen it. What was the point? She wasn't even remotely interested in him physically. He couldn't even use her to help him in his loneliness.

That thought made him jerk away from Madeleine. He couldn't believe he ever considered taking advantage of another in such a despicable manner.

His eyes darted over to his empty glass. Was it the cause of such a notion?

He decided he would never drink that much again before dealing with his fiancée. It wasn't fair to her, to himself, and it certainly wasn't right to do to Riley.

Even if he was to never see her again, she was still worth being true to.

"There are other ways we can have children if forced to marry." He told her. "You need not worry about having to demonstrate your affection to me physically ever again."

Madeleine's relief didn't escape his notice.

"Very well. Thank you for discussing it with me." She walked out with her head held high.

Once the door shut, Liam buried his head on his hands. He was embarrassed and disheartened with how this night was ending. He knew he should have never let Madeleine inside, much less entertained their conversation. Look what it had done to him. It had brought Liam nothing but more pain and sadness.

He honestly wasn't sure how he could continue this life of his without Riley.

[tessa-liam]

Turning the Page

Only You Can Love Me This Way 

Chapter 13 

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: 3624 

Only You Can Love Me This Way

Chapter Summary: Olivia continues to mentor Riley on how to adapt to Cordonian nobility. Maxwell, Bertrand and Savannah babysit William and Bartie, taking them on a Lythikan adventure. Liam and Riley re-connect and discover that their love story is stronger and better than ever. 

Music & Title Inspiration: Only You Can Love Me This Way, Keith Urban 

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 choicesjunechallenge, prompts: spatial-hotel / temporal-beginning/   dialogue- “Up for a little trip?” 

El Alami residence, Rabat, Morocco 

With her ankles crossed delicately underneath her, Madeleine El Alami pulled out her cellular to check the status of the Uber driver. It was still incredibly early in the morning in Morocco, and time was of the essence. Her flight was scheduled to leave in ninety minutes from Rabat – Sale International airport and nothing and/or no one was going to halt her journey. Not even her husband.  

Peeking out from between the fence columns outside her home, she could see the city coming alive as the sun's first rays illuminated the horizon. The people who had been hushed moments before, now filled the streets, greeting each other and heading off to start their day. It was a side of life Madeleine had never experienced before, a stark contrast to the opulence and splendor of her former life at the Cordonian palace. It was a reminder of the sacrifices she had made to follow her heart to be with her lover, Eduardo.  

Now five months pregnant, the former queen, now the wife to the Moroccan diplomat, was leaving this world behind. While her husband slept, Madeleine, along with two hand servants were waiting for the Uber vehicle to roll to a stop at the estate’s front entrance. Her suitcases were hefted on board, as she sat down in the rear seat and buckled herself in. The driver shut the door and the car slowly rolled away, the servants went back inro the estate. 

Her parents' disappointment and dismay had only grown when she told them about her unborn baby on their last visit. Her father coaxed her to pack up and return to his duchy in Karlington, England and start over. Her mother wanted her to move back home to Krona, Cordonia. As usual her parents were worlds apart when it came to their only daughter and her well-being, but they were united against Eduardo. 

However, she was done with being controlled by Eduardo.  Done with her father's demands and her mother's nagging. This time, she was going to do what she wanted to do. And what she wanted to do was to spend the rest of her pregnancy alone. 

As she Uber drove to the airport, Madeleine left her husband, forever closing that chapter, watching the world go by; but not seeing anything. Her mind turned to the letter she had left for her husband. She had no regrets for her actions but hoped her words would provide solace for him. 

She felt nothing. No sadness. No loss.  

She had already mourned her former life and the loss of her title as queen. In its place was a new sense of freedom. And with that new sense of freedom came the hope for a new life, with the baby growing inside her. 

Nevrakis Lodge, Lythikos, Cordonia 

"Are you excited to see Uncle Maxwell and Aunt Savannah today, William?" Liam spoke as he was getting his little prince ready for the day. William giggled. "Yeah!" 

"And you get to ride in a carriage! You have never ridden in one before, have you?" Liam smiled as his son's excitement grew. "YES! Horsies!" the little boy replied enthusiastically, his eyes wide with excitement. Liam chuckled. "Let's go get some breakfast and then we can go and wait for Uncle Max.” 

"Okay, daddy!" William beamed; his excitement shined brightly from his big blue eyes. 

As they entered the hallway, they heard a familiar voice call out, "William! Look at how big you are!" 

"Unca Max!" William cried out, running towards his favorite uncle. 

Maxwell scooped the little boy up in a bear hug, smiling widely. "We're going to have so much fun today, little man!" 

"Where's Bartie?" William was concerned, his eyes searching for his newfound best friend. 

"I'm over here," Bartie replied, popping out from behind his mother. "I wanna play with the horses, too. Can we, Mommy? Pleeease?" 

Savannah gave her son a loving smile. "Well as long as the two of you eat your breakfast first." William bounded over to his little friend. "YAY!" The boys both cheered. Liam strolled over, "Savannah, hello. You look well this morning," Liam kissed her cheek. 

"As do you, your majesty," she replied with a curtsy, bowing her head. “Liam, I am so happy and excited for you and Riley.”

"Thank you, Savannah."

Liam clapped Maxwell on the shoulder. "It is good to see you both, too, Lord Beaumont, Duke Ramsford." 

“Your majesty.” Bertrand bowed and smiled, then stepped back to join his wife. 

"Good to see you too, Li." Maxwell grinned at his childhood friend, as the men watched the boys follow Savannah as she grasped their hands. 

Liam shook his head, a grin on his face. "Those two are inseparable. It's a good thing Bertrand has gotten over his fear of children." 

Maxwell laughed. "Bertrand loves kids, he just has to be the most uptight person on the planet." 

Liam chuckled. "I suppose that's true." 

"Hey Max, are you ready?" called out Savannah from down the hall. 

"Ready to eat always, Savvie ... as I"ll ever be," Maxwell replied, turning to Liam. "So, what's the plan for today?" 

Liam gave a mischievous smile. "Well, I thought you could spend the day with William and Bartie, giving Riley and I a chance to have some alone time." 

Maxwell grinned. "Hah ... sounds like fun," he winked. "You're going to owe me, though." 

Liam rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you want." 

Maxwell chuckled. "Alright, let's get this show on the road. The kids and my stomach are waiting." 

Liam turned back to adjust his tie and reached for his suit jacket which was draped over a wing chair. He walked to the foyer to meet with Riley and Olivia, Bastien following discreetly behind him. 

"You're dismissed, Damien," Liam said. "I appreciate your vigilance. 

“Of course," Damien bowed and took his leave, joining the other members of the Royal Guard in the hallway. As he closed the door, his eyes wandered across the hallway, where he watched Olivia wrapping William in a hug before turning toward the foyer and the waiting limo outside. 

Damien had been captivated by Olivia from the moment they were introduced. As he watched her wrap the little crown prince in a hug, his mind wandered. 

He could not help but admire her grace and elegance, the way her fiery hair shone underneath the chandelier or when her eyes sparkled when she laughed. 

Damien knew he could never have her, but the thought of being able to spend time with her, to make her laugh and see her smile, was enough to fuel his dreams. 

He wondered what it would be like to hold her in his arms, to kiss her soft lips and feel her body pressed against his. 

But that was all it could ever be, a fantasy, a dream. 

‘What would a Duchess ever see in a guardsman? Olivia is a rare beauty,’ Damien mused. ‘She's not like any other noble, and she doesn't seem to care about the status or title.’ 

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening, and he straightened up, adjusting his uniform. 

As Damien thoughts went back to his post, his eyes drifted back to Olivia, and he could not help but wonder if there was a chance, however small, that his dreams could become a reality. 

*** 

“Olivia, why are you being so secretive?”  Riley inquired again, after spending the morning shopping for clothes and accessories in the city center, the limousine rolled to a stop at the Nevrakis lodge entrance. 

Bastien opened the limousine door as Olivia stepped out. Glancing back to Riley, she smirked, “You are one lucky lady”. Riley’s eyebrow lifted in question. “You, my dear have a final challenge to endure." 

Riley sat and blinked as she took in her words. After reaching for her bags Riley turned her attention to exit the limo after Olivia, when she heard a deep baritone voice, "...Hi." 

Riley looked up to see a six-foot, 4-inch-tall familiar man looking at her with a huge smile. Dressed in a crisp, sleek suit overtopped by an Armani topcoat 

"Liam? ...What are you doing here?" Riley’s eyes went wide as she looked up at her lover. 

"...And dressed like that?”  

“Love, I wouldn't dream of being underdressed for your final challenge." Liam smirked and then chuckled softly watching Riley’s look of disbelief. 

"So, you're here for the challenge too?" 

"You bet. I've been waiting for this moment since you came back to Cordonia." 

"Liam, what is going on?" 

 “This is our final destination. According to Olivia, I am the challenge.” 

"And that would be?" 

Liam smiled wide, not giving out any clues.

"Oh my, this isn't a game show, right?" 

"Not to worry, love. All I know is that Olivia has prepared something for us and it's a surprise." 

"Okay. So, what is this surprise? Please tell me."

"Oh, I wouldn't want to spoil the fun." 

"Liam, I don't like surprises." 

"Love, I know ...I can see that. But, I think you will like this one. This is our last day in Lythikos; I've already been briefed and we're going to have a blast." 

Olivia’s watched their exchange and added, “the last thing you need to get back into fighting form is to reconnect with what you are fighting for. 

...And you have always been driven by your love for Liam; for your family.”

Liam slid his arm around Riley’s waist pulling her close to him. “Which was an unusually sentimental thing to hear Olivia say.” 

Olivia sighed, “a bit saccharine for my tastes, but to each their own. I always thought love was a weakness, but you seem to actually draw strength from each other.” 

Riley’s scrunched her eyebrows, “Just to be clear, my last challenge is to spend time with King Liam Rys?” 

“The whole day, actually. Olivia is taking us into town.” 

“Everyone else will help me take care of William while you’re away.” Olivia added.

“Sweet! Free daycare! I’m really warming up to Lythikos hospitality.” 

“It’s a circumstantial offer. Cherish it while it lasts.” 

Liam kissed Riley’s cheek, “believe me, we plan to.” 

“But Olivia, you’re supposed to be looking into our Madeleine problem....and the press.” 

“Damien and I will dhave everything covered; I promise. 

And you have your marching orders. Reconnect and start fresh, that you may crush your enemies on the morrow.” 

Liam grinned, “Ah, Romantic.” Placing his hand on the small of her back, Liam steered Riley back into the lodge to change into the evening wear that she bought in town. 

Standing at the entrance of the dining room, along with the other guards, Damien Nazario stood vigilantly watching the crown prince. His eyes were sharp and ever watchful. As a trained ex-secret service agent and bodyguard, he knew when people were watching. 

His attention was suddenly drawn to a smattering of voices outside in the main hall, and a moment later, Duchess Olivia Nevrakis entered the dining room, and Damien felt his breath catch. 

She was stunning. She had been stunning the night before, but he had not noticed her beauty fully. This morning, the Duchess wore a form fitting black and grey suit. Her vibrant red hair was done up in a chignon. Damien was entranced by her, but he knew better than to stare. He tore his eyes away from her and glanced down at the floor, taking in the shiny black patent leather of her boots. He swallowed, wondering how they would feel around his neck. He shook his head, trying to clear the image from his mind. He looked up, and his eyes once again caught sight of her, this time her stormy blue green eyes were looking straight into his. 

She arched an eyebrow and tilted her head as she regarded him. Damien's cheeks warmed. 

"Good morning," a voice sounded beside him. 

"Morning," he mumbled, glancing back to where the Duchess had been, only to find her gone. 

Drake chuckled. "See something you like?” 

***

Inside the limo, Liam and Riley arrived outside an upscale restaurant in the city center.

Bastien opened rhe passenger door and Liam stepped out, holding out his hand for Riley. She took it and climbed out of the limo. She gasped when she looked at the building in front of her. "This is beautiful." 

"You are beautiful," Liam smiled. "And tonight, you will be dining on the best seafood this side of Paris." 

"That's a high bar to live up to." Riley's eyebrows raised. 

Liam chuckled. "It can certainly get the job done." 

They were escorted inside the restaurant, with Liam's hand on the small of her back as they were led to a secluded table overlooking the city center. 

Liam pulled out Riley's chair and she sat down, exposing her long tanned leg through the side slit of her cocktail dress. He sat down and his eyes drank in the sight of her, his gaze lingering on her legs. 

Riley blushed. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare." Liam looked down. 

Riley reached across the table and took his hand in hers. "Look all you want, Your Majesty." 

Liam lifted his head and locked eyes with her, his blue orbs sparkling. "I have wanted to do this since the night of the Coronation Ball. You were breathtaking that night. I wanted to sweep you into my arms and dance the night away with you. But there was always someone or something getting in the way." 

Riley grasped Liam's hands in hers ...

"Mmm, this whole place smells like fresh bread. I want to eat that smell." 

"I will order the kitchen to prepare you a fresh loaf immediately." Liam grinned. 

Riley threw her head back and laughed. 

"Please do. After Olivia's challenges, I feel like I could devour this entire restaurant." 

"I love the sound of your laugh," Liam whispered. 

Riley's heart skipped a beat. 

Liam's grin widened. "I hope we have many more dates just like this. After Olivia's unique brand of 'help', we've definitely earned this day." 

Riley giggled. "That was the nicest way of saying Olivia was a royal pain in the ass." 

Liam let out a chuckle. "That was very diplomatic of me, thank you." 

Liam smiled as a steaming breadbasket and the entrees were set down on the table. The waiter tops off Riley's red wine and sets a glass of scotch down for Liam. 

Riley picked up her glass and held it aloft. "A toast. To us." 

"To us," he echoed, clinking his glass against hers. 

As Riley takes a sip, the waiter places a small dish in front of her. Inside is a thick chocolate sauce in the shape of a heart, the word "love" written in script, and two berries. 

Riley looked from the dish to Liam, her lips curled into a mischievous smile. "Chocolate covered strawberries? Are you trying to seduce me, Liam?" 

"That depends," Liam replied, a matching grin forming on his face. 

"On what?" Riley asked. 

"Whether or not it's working," he whispered. 

Riley's eyes met his and they burned with desire. 

"I'll take that as a yes." His grin widened and he leaned across the table. Liam took Riley's hand in his, his fingers tracing slow circles on the back of her hand. "You are beautiful. I wish we could have been together from the start." 

Riley's lips formed a soft smile. "So do I, Liam. I don't want this night to end." 

"It doesn't have to." Liam reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys, laying them on the table between them. 

"Up for a little trip?” 

Riley's eyes widened. "Are you suggesting we run away together?" 

"One of the best kept secrets in Lythikos is a glass igloo tucked away in the mountains. The perfect view of the stars, the perfect view of the valley." 

Riley bit her lip and looked up at him from under her lashes. "I think I might have found the perfect view right here." 

"It's also very secluded. Not another soul for miles." Liam winked. 

Demurely smiling, Riley added, "I can think of a few ways to take advantage of that." 

"So can I ... if you're up for the trip." 

Riley picked up the keys, the smile on her face growing wider. "Let's skip the dinner and jump right to the dessert."

"Then we should leave right now," he suggested, his eyes never leaving hers. After a few calls, Liam stands and offers his arm to Riley. 

Riley slipped her arm through his and together they headed out of the restaurant, and back into the waiting limo. 

The driver was already waiting and pulled the car into the traffic. They passed through the city streets and up into the mountains. It was dark when the car finally pulled up in front of a domed glass structure. Stepping inside, the entire frozen mountainside stretched out around on all sides, a beautiful aurora shined through the ceiling panels. 

"Oh Liam, this place is unreal ... it's all the natural wonder of camping with the comfort of a five star hotel." 

"And a lot more privacy." Liam added.

"After the past few weeks, I really wanted to get you away and alone," Liam softly spoke, his arms slipping around Riley's waist. 

She placed her hands over his. "Me, too. I don't want this day to end." 

"I have one more surprise for you." 

Riley smiled. "Is that why you brought me here? For a surprise?" 

"No. I brought you here because I want to be alone with you." He kissed her cheek, his lips trailing along her jawline and down her neck. 

Riley's eyelids fluttered and she tilted her head back. "Mmm, is that so?" 

Liam nuzzled his nose against the spot behind her ear. "I wanted to do this all evening." 

"What's stopping you now?" 

He grinned. "Nothing." 

Liam pressed his lips to hers. She melted into him and deepened the kiss. His tongue sought hers and they moved together in unison. He cupped her ass and pulled her into him, her curves conforming to his body. 

Riley's hands tangled into his hair, her fingers tugging. Liam moaned into her mouth, his desire rising. Together tumbling back onto the bed, legs tangling as they fall down onto the plush mattress. 

A while later, Liam's fingers combed absently through Riley's hair as they watched the way the colors and lights swirled around, constantly changing.... It was hypnotic. 

"When I look up into the sky ... I see you. I see something beautiful, brilliant, untamable ... a breathtaking force of nature. I know that we have been through a lot, but when you're in my arms like this ... I also know that we can find a way through it together, if you'll let me."

Riley sighed happily. "Liam..."

*I know, love, that I said I wouldn't bring it up again, but after tonight, I need to tell you that I'm so sorry for everything." 

"Liam, it's okay, I know you had to do it. I know the weight of the world was on your shoulders, and you had to do what's best for your people, that's your duty. But you have to also do what's best for yourself. We all do." 

Liam's grip tightened slightly around her waist. "That's what I want. You...

"Riley. I love you. And William. I can't imagine my life without you both in it."

"I love you too, Liam," she whispered. "So much..."

"Do you forgive me?" Liam asked quietly in earnest. 

"Of course, I forgive you. I am so sorry that I was a coward and left without telling you about..."

"SSHHH! There is nothing to forgive you for, Riley. You were just doing what you felt you had to do. I am so sorry that the court was so unfair to you. My father ..." 

"Liam, please. Let's just focus on the present."

"... and the future." LIam added with a kiss...

@choicesficwriterscreations @thosehallowedhalls

[dcbbw]

Hey, I wonder what it would look like if Liam gave Riley permission to hook up with someone one last time at their party in Las Vegas, and Riley asked Liam to sleep together. It would be very interesting, because PB does not have that option.

Thank you so much for this ask @busywoman! Fun fact: when I first joined the fandom, there was a story of the Vegas fling taking place between MC and her chosen LI (Drake).

*Sighs nostalgically* That was a good story.

This one, probably not so much but here’s hoping you enjoy it! Using my Timing Liam x Riley (The Otters/Baby Riam) for this drabble and including an answer to your previous ask regarding a lighter, happier proposal for them.

Also using @choicesflashfics Week #20 prompt #1: “The word ‘love’ doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of what I feel for you.” It will appear in bold.

No one’s eyes but mine have looked this over, so pretty please excuse any and all typos, missing/extraneous words, and/or grammatical errors. MS Editor rates this story as 99% error free.

All characters belong to Pixelberry.

Song Inspo: Love You, flowerovlove

Word Count: 1,346

Pairing: Liam x Riley

Rating T for Teen (No triggers, just a couple of curse words and if you sniff really long and very deeply, you may catch a whiff of lemon)

Las Vegas, Nevada

“Is there anything else you desire, my love?” King Liam of Cordonia loudly asked over the blaring music as he helped his fiancée down from the tabletop they had just danced upon.

Riley Brooks did not answer as she concentrated on placing her foot, shod in strappy sandals with too-high heels, firmly on the ground.

“Food? Drink?” The royal persisted.

“Damnit, Liam! I am trying NOT to die here!” Riley snapped, annoyance and fear lacing her voice.

The King’s fiancée was scared of heights, but more than that, she had a fear of falling. Both were a very real possibility when the tables were a good four feet tall. The last thing Riley needed was to faceplant  and suffer a head injury, broken bones, or worse.

The couple were in Las Vegas with their friends and members of Court to celebrate their engagement. Liam had insisted they have a stag and doe party because he could not bear another moment not being by Riley’s side.

Riley didn’t mind; she had tagged along with Madeleine on her bachelorette party and had crashed Liam’s bachelor party during the Engagement Tour. With none other than Drake Walker aka Agent Marshmallow. She had been so disappointed when Drake didn’t beat the hell out of Bertrand, but even more regretful at having to leave behind a plate of steaks.

During their stay, the couple had taken in the sights of Las Vegas, gambled at a casino where Riley lost $2,000 dollars but won $89 dollars and a coupon to the gaming house’s early bird lunch special, valid only Sundays through Thursdays. There had been a magic show, a scavenger hunt, and a night at the hottest club in town. Tonight was the last of festivities; the entourage was flying back to Cordonia in the morning.

Liam pulled her into a protective embrace once she was safely on solid ground, pressing a wet kiss against her temple. “You’re safe, love. I’m here to protect you.”

Riley briefly closed her eyes as she laid her forehead against the crook of his shoulder. The touch of Lim’s strong arms around her never failed to fill her very being with a feeling of safety, of warmth.

“There is one more thing that would make this entire trip absolutely perfect.” She pulled away from Liam ever-so-slightly so she could look him in his eyes.

“And what would that be?” he asked with a tipsy smile.

“I wanna have a fling!” she said excitedly.

Liam’s arms dropped quickly away from her body; his face was ashen-colored, and his expression was one of stupefied disbelief.

“WHAT?” he yelled.

“What? This is MY party! You’ve already had one! Besides, we’re in Sin City. Debauchery is expected, Liam!”

“With WHO?”

“Whom,” Riley corrected as her eyes scanned the hotel rooftop.

Liam stared at the woman he loved more than life itself. This had to be a joke. Why accept his proposal if she still wanted another?

“Lady Riley Brooks, would you make me the happiest man in the world and do me the honor of being my wife?” Liam asked as he knelt on one knee.

Riley looked down at Liam and the diamond ring nestled in the crushed black velvet box, then up at the Statue of Liberty before answering.

“Okay.”

Liam’s brow knitted, and confusion filled his eyes. “That … is not quite the reaction I was expecting.”

Riley stared at him, realization dawning on her face. “Oh … OOOHHHH. Hold on!”

She batted her lashes and pressed one of her palms over her heart. In a simpering, affected voice, she threw her head back and shouted, “YES, LIAM! YES! A THOUSAND TIMES, YES!”

She looked down at Liam when she was finished. “Better?”

The King rolled his eyes. “Let me just put the ring on your finger, please.”

Perhaps it was revenge of some sort because of the Coronation night disaster which resulted in him betrothed to Countess Madeleine. Riley’s hurt and anger had been palatable; the therapy he had suggested they both take part in had exacerbated the emotions.

What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

Swallowing heavily over the sudden lump in his throat, Liam spoke softly. “I promised to never deny you anything. You can have your fling. All I ask is that you never mention it to me. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. And tomorrow morning, you are MINE. ALL MINE for all eternity.”

His lips snatched hers in a searingly passionate kiss before he turned away, disappearing into the crowd. Riley watched him walk away; his gait was stiff and his shoulders slightly slumped. She shrugged before turning in the opposite direction.

Liam made his way to the bar where he ordered a double scotch on the rocks. He swiveled his chair seat around so he could have a better look at which one of his “friends” would soon be fucking his fiancée. Jealousy, frustration, sadness, and hurt flowed through his body.

She said she had forgiven him.

She said his was the greatest love she had ever known.

His dark brown eyes traveled slowly over the crowd: Drake, Leo, Max, Rashad were still in attendance; they were surrounded by Duchess Olivia and Countess Madeleine. They all had drinks in hand, and guffawing loudly at a story Leo was telling.

Penelope and Kiara were holding plates of food, eating while swaying to the DJ’s remix of an American rap song.

He did not see Riley.

Liam turned at feeling a tapping on his shoulder. His eyes widened at seeing Riley. She had a plate filled with buffalo wings and engagement cake.

“Hey!” she greeted as if she hadn’t just asked her intended for permission to have sex with someone else.

“No one took you up on you offer?” he huffed as he turned away from her.

Riley looked confused. “What offer?”

“YOU ASKED ME FOR A FLING!”

Riley bit into a wing, crossing her eyes at how delicious it was.

“Yeah, I asked YOU, idiot! I don’t need your permission to have sex with someone else, and I certainly wouldn’t tell you. Too much transparency is not a good thing.”

Liam faced his fiancée. “Do you want someone else?” he asked as he reached for a piece of chicken.

Riley slapped his hand away. “No. I’m in love with you, Liam. The word ‘love’ doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of what I feel for you.”  

She turned to face him, red dots of sauce speckling her lips. “You’re more than enough.”

The relief Liam felt filled his face. “Thank God.”

He tried again to snatch a wing; Riley let him have one.

“But why all the cloak and dagger? You know you need only say what you want.”

He bit into the chicken, his eyes widening in surprise. “These are good!” He attempted to snag another piece but pulled his hand away upon seeing Riley’s arched eyebrow.

“Because I wanted food first! If I told you the fling was with you, I would’ve missed out on these wings! And I may want some pancakes when I get back to my room. A girl gotta eat, Liam!”

Liam leaned into her, his lips brushing against the skin of her neck. “I have a much better way of satisfying your appetites, love.”

Riley giggled when his breath tickled her flesh. “Does it involve pancakes?”

“What about syrup?” he questioned in a husky whisper against her earlobe as his fingers walked up her fabric-covered thigh.

The tip of Riley’s tongue licked her upper lip. “You’re gonna have to do better than that. I’m giving up buffalo wings, cake, and pancakes!” she moaned.

She felt his hand pushing to get between her legs, and she shifted slightly in her seat to allow him access.

“Chocolate syrup,” Liam clarified while his fingertip rubbed slowly against the crotch of her panties.  

“Let’s go! The night isn’t getting any younger!” Riley was out of her chair and halfway to the elevator with Liam close on her heels.

“DON’T FORGET MY PLATE!"

A/N: Not sure if anyone will see this because it is 3:16am and tags are super wonky, not formatting, and I have a head cold; so giving up the ghost here. If you see it and read it, hope you enjoy it!

@jared2612 @ao719 @marietrinmimi @queenjilian @indiacater @kingliam2019 @bebepac @liamxs-world @mom2000aggie @liamrhysstalker2020 @neotericthemis @twinkleallnight @umccall71 @superharriet @busywoman @gabesmommie1130 @tessa-liam @beezm @gardeningourmett @lovingchoices14 @mainstreetreader @angelasscribbles @lady-calypso @emkay512 @princessleac1 @charlotteg234 @queenrileyrose @alj4890 @yourfavaquarius111 @motorcitymademadame @queenmiarys @choicesficwriterscreations @burnsoslow