#TRR Riley

[gyubby99]

Are Hana stans still alive I’m curious

[tessa-liam]

Turning the Page Series

Chapter #17 

Soirée de Célibataire

(Bachelor Party Evening) 

Book: 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 

Pairing: Liam Rys x F! MC 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 and Choices, Crimes of Passion. 

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

Words: 2300

Summary: Leo’s plans are underway for his brother's bachelor party – Operation ‘Farewell to single life’ for Liam in a speakeasy in Monterisso. Joining the evening, Trystan Thorne, King of Drakovia, brings a surprise gift for the groom and his Cordonian friends. 

A/N: My submission for, #Choicesmonthlychallenge MAY mayhem2025 event. Prompts: guilty pleasure, two characters wake up handcuffed together, with no memory of the night before. 

Monterisso

Leo slid into the seat next to Liam, the lively hum of the speakeasy already filling the air. "So, I hate to be the responsible one here, but I think we need to establish some ground rules for tonight," he began, his voice deliberately casual. 

Drake rolled his eyes with a scoff. "Rules? Really? We're grown adults, Leo, not teenagers running amok at prom." 

Bertrand, ever the pragmatist, gave a solemn nod. "Actually, Leo might have a point. The last thing we need is to see tomorrow's headlines plastered with scandalous photos of the groom's party." 

Maxwell raised a brow, his expression both amused and incredulous. "Gentlemen, the night has barely begun, and already we've got the buzzkill brigade prepping us for disaster. I shudder to think where the fun will come from at this rate." 

Leo grinned, leaning back in his chair with an air of conspiratorial confidence. "Relax, Max. I’ve got that covered. The bartenders are on standby, ready to keep the drinks flowing—and maybe stir up some mischief. Trust me, the party is just warming up." 

Liam shook his head, unable to suppress a laugh at his brother’s antics. "Just promise me one thing, Leo—no wild escapades that might result in handcuffs or public embarrassment. I’d rather my wedding proceed without any unnecessary drama." 

“Noted,” Leo smirked, clinking his glass against Liam’s. “Though I make no promises if you start singing again, little brother." 

“That was one time,” Liam muttered. 

Drake chuckled. “Yeah, and it was a legendary rendition of ‘Livin’ on a Prayer.’” 

Before Liam could fire back, the speakeasy doors opened with a dramatic creak, and all heads turned. Trystan Thorne, ever the showman, stood tall in his dark velvet coat, a devilish grin on his face. Behind him, two attendants wheeled in a large, cloth-draped crate on a trolley. 

“Oh, hell,” Maxwell whispered, eyes wide. “Is that a tiger?” 

“Better,” Trystan declared, walking toward them with theatrical flair. “A wedding gift... fit for kings.” 

The group collectively leaned in as Trystan whipped the cloth off with a flourish. Inside the glass case, encased in velvet and gold filigree, were six custom bottles of aged Drakovian Firewine—rare, potent, and strictly prohibited for export. Even Leo blinked in surprise. 

“You’re smuggling contraband to a royal bachelor party?” Bertrand asked, somewhere between horrified and impressed. 

“I’m a king,” Trystan replied smoothly. “I do not smuggle. I gift.” 

Liam laughed, genuine and deep. “This is incredible. Thank you, Trystan.” 

“Just don’t drink it all tonight,” Trystan warned. “Firewine has... consequences.” 

Maxwell leaned toward Drake. “What kind of consequences?” 

“Trystan consequences,” Drake said, grabbing one of the bottles with a shrug. “Best not to ask.” 

As the night wore on, laughter echoed against the stone walls. The firewine flowed, the jazz turned to swing, and the speakeasy transformed into a whirlwind of toasts, roasts, and dancing. A magician wandered through the crowd doing card tricks; a sultry chanteuse took the stage; and Leo, despite his own rules, successfully coaxed Liam onto a tabletop for a spirited duet. 

This was more than just a farewell to single life. It was a celebration of brotherhood, mischief, and memory. And in the heart of Monterisso, where secrets were kept like good liquor, the night was only just beginning. 

The lights had dimmed further, casting a moody, golden hue across the speakeasy as the chanteuse took her place at the microphone. She wore a sapphire silk gown that shimmered with every movement, and her voice—low, sultry, and smooth as velvet—melted into the warm chords of the upright piano behind her. 

Liam, comfortably two glasses of firewine deep and halfway through a third, was swaying lightly in his seat. The warmth of the drink pulsed pleasantly through his chest. His tie was loosened, his cheeks flushed, and his usual kingly composure had softened into something carefree and alive. 

As the woman began a jazzy rendition of “At Last,” Liam tapped his glass in time with the beat. When she made eye contact with him during the second verse, she gave a sly smile—and motioned for him to join her on stage. 

The table erupted with cheers. 

“Oh no,” Liam said, already halfway to standing. 

“Oh yes,” Leo grinned, clapping. “Give the people what they want, Your Majesty.” 

“You’re not married yet!” Drake added with a laugh, raising his glass. 

Trystan smirked, swirling his firewine. “Careful, Liam. She might steal your heart before Riley can make you an honest man.” 

But Liam wasn’t listening anymore. Emboldened by the firewine—and perhaps the unspoken magic of the night—he stepped up onto the small stage, offering the chanteuse a charming bow. 

The pianist, catching on instantly, shifted into the opening bars of “Come Fly with Me.” 

Liam took the mic, his voice slightly husky from the drink but still rich and melodic. The crowd whooped in encouragement as he sang the first verse, his arm extended toward the singer with playful showmanship. 

She responded at once, circling him slowly, her voice weaving around his in perfect harmony.  

“Don’t encourage him!” Bertrand snapped, though his phone was still suspiciously pointed at the stage. 

At the final chorus, Liam extended his hand, and she took it. With a spin and a dip, he closed the number with a wink to the crowd. 

Thunderous applause followed. 

Back at the table, Bertrand raised his eyebrows. “He’s clearly had too much.” 

“I’m actually impressed,” Maxwell said, eyes wide. “He hit that falsetto. He hit that falsetto.” 

Leo laughed, slapping the table. “Riley is going to love this story.” 

As Liam made his way back to the table, the woman blew him a kiss, which he caught with a grin before nearly tripping over a step. Drake reached out to steady him. 

“You good, Sinatra?” he grinned. 

“Never better,” Liam said, breathless and flushed. “That was… oddly exhilarating.” 

Leo handed him another glass. “To the groom,” he said. “May your marriage have as much harmony as that duet.” 

Liam lifted his glass, his heart full. “To Riley. And to all of you. For making this night unforgettable.” 

The night rolled on—but for Liam, that stage moment lingered. Not because of the song or the spotlight, but because of the rare, fleeting sense of freedom it gave him. 

And deep down, he could not wait to tell Riley every detail. 

Liam collapsed back into his seat, cheeks still warm from the applause and the firewine, heart thudding from the impromptu duet. He reached for his drink—only to pause, brow furrowing. 

“Where the hell are Leo and Trystan?” 

The others glanced around. 

“They were just here…” Bertrand began, turning in his chair. 

Maxwell leaned sideways to peer past the bar. “Wait, didn’t Trystan leave right after Liam got on stage?” 

“And Leo?” Drake asked, his voice tinged with suspicion. “He was sitting right there ten minutes ago.” 

Liam narrowed his eyes at the now-empty glasses and the untouched bottle of firewine that Trystan had been guarding. “They ditched us.” 

“Correction,” Drake said, picking up Leo’s phone from the seat he left behind. “They snuck out.” 

Maxwell’s eyes lit up. “Bet they got into something wild.” 

Bertrand sighed. “Please don’t let this be another ‘riding a Vespa through a convent courtyard’ situation.” 

Liam chuckled but couldn’t shake the feeling that something was…off. 

The Next Morning – Somewhere in Monterisso 

Leo groaned. 

His head pounded like a drum corps had set up camp behind his eyes. He shifted slightly—and immediately froze. 

Clink. 

Metal. 

His wrist… was stuck? 

“What the—Trystan?!” 

From beside him, a similarly groggy groan: “Why are my arms numb… why do I taste glitter?” 

Leo turned his head—and blinked. Trystan was lying beside him on the cold marble floor of what looked like a wine cellar. Both men were shirtless, surrounded by scattered poker chips, empty wine bottles, a feather boa, and—most notably—handcuffed together at the wrist. 

They stared at each other. 

“What the hell happened last night?” Leo asked, voice hoarse. 

Trystan squinted at the dim ceiling. “I remember… the firewine. The redhead with the snake tattoo. And then… was there a goat? Or was that the jazz singer?” 

Leo looked down. “These aren’t even my pants.” 

Trystan lifted his free hand and picked a single rhinestone out of his hair. “Is that... a lipstick stain on your ear?” 

A door creaked open above them. Footsteps descended the narrow staircase. They both turned to look—blinking against the light. 

It was a Drakovian royal guard. He took one look at them and sighed deeply, holding up a phone. 

“Your Majesty,” he said in a tired voice, “we’ve been trying to reach you. You missed your security detail. The owner of this villa would very much like you to leave.” 

Leo sat up, wincing. “Villa?” 

Trystan gestured vaguely around. “This isn’t the speakeasy?” 

“No, sir. You broke into Count Girianno’s private wine estate and challenged two wedding planners to a ‘duel of decadence.’” 

Leo gave a long, slow blink. “...Did we win?” 

The guard hesitated. “Technically, yes.” 

Trystan leaned back against the wall, smirking despite the hangover. “Well, at least we’re consistent.” 

Leo groaned again, yanking lightly at the handcuffs. “Get the key. And get us coffee. And maybe a priest.” 

As the guard trudged away, Trystan glanced at Leo. 

“So… want to do it again next week?” 

Leo didn’t even look at him. “Not if we live through today.” 

Cordonia – Royal Palace, Morning After the Bachelor Party 

The sunlight filtered through the tall windows of the king’s breakfast room, casting a golden glow over the elegant spread of croissants, fresh fruit, and steaming coffee. Liam sat at the long table, still in his robe, with one arm draped around his bride-to-be, Riley, and the other waiting to help his son, William, cut up his pancakes. 

William beamed. “Daddy, I put syrup on the strawberries!” 

“You did?” Liam grinned, ruffling his son’s already-messy hair. “You’re a chef.” 

William nodded seriously, holding up a forkful of syrup-coated strawberries. “They taste yummy. You should try it, Daddy.” 

Riley leaned forward, her laughter carrying a melodic warmth. “Looks like you have some competition in the kitchen, Liam. We might have a budding Michelin-starred chef on our hands.” 

“Daddy, I can teach you!” William offered generously before turning back to his pancakes with the laser focus of a young artist at work. 

Liam’s wink sparkled with amusement. “Should I be nervous? William might steal my culinary crown before his fifth birthday.” 

Riley rested her cheek against her hand, her eyes filled with adoration. “He’s just like you, Liam—chaotic charm and all.” 

Before Liam could craft a response, Bastien’s composed nod and discreet voice interrupted. 

“My apologies for the interruption, Your Majesty, Lady Riley, but there’s… been a situation.” 

“A situation?” Riley asked, her voice tinged with curiosity. 

Bastien’s jaw tightened as he hesitated, clearly picking his words with care. “It involves Prince Leo… and King Trystan.” 

Liam exhaled slowly, pressing his lips into a thin line. “Let me guess. They didn’t take a vow of monk-like behavior after I left the bachelor party?” 

Riley raised an amused brow. “Please tell me you’re joking.” 

Bastien didn’t flinch, his tone as dry as ever. “I would prefer that. Unfortunately, the matter is slightly more… complicated.” 

“Complicated how?” Liam asked, leaning back in his chair with a practiced calm that did little to hide the flicker of irritation in his eyes. 

“They’re currently detained.” 

Riley blinked. “Detained? As in… arrested?” 

William paused mid-bite, wide-eyed. “Daddy, did Uncle Leo fight bad guys?” 

Bastien cleared his throat again. “Not precisely, young sir.” 

Liam sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Alright, Bastien. Start from the beginning. And please tell me this isn’t as ridiculous as I think it’s going to be.” 

“They apparently… challenged two local wedding planners to something called a ‘duel of decadence.’ There were empty firewine bottles, a feather boa, several packets of glitter, and—reportedly—a rented goat involved at one point.” 

Riley gasped, wide-eyed. “A goat?!” 

“Yes, my lady,” the captain said, with a nod to the toddler. “A small one.” 

Riley bit her lip to keep from laughing, covering her mouth with her napkin. 

“They’re on their way back to the palace.  

Liam closed his eyes, trying to summon patience. “And are they… okay?” 

Riley leaned in, whispering through her laughter. “So… that’s the ‘responsible’ brother who wanted to lay down rules last night?” 

Liam gave her a look. “Don’t start.” 

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[storyofmychoices]

Riley (TRR MC) for @fictionangyl (Instagram) 🩷💜💙

Thank you for always being so lovely and supportive. I am so lucky to have you as a friend. You are truly a wonderful part of our fandom. You are a talented editor and writer! Riley is a beautiful character inside and out but not as lovely as you. 🫶

@choicespride

[angelasscribbles]

Savage Love Chapter 39: We Have a Plan

Series: Savage Love

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Pairings: Riley x Liam, Riley x Drake

Rating: R         

Warnings: Mature themes

Word Count: 3,094

My other stuff: Master List.

Naked, and still struggling to catch my breath, I glanced up at the man I’d just agreed to marry.

Liam stared down at me with such utter devotion in his gaze that it sent butterflies exploding through me.

It also terrified me.

There had been no romantic proposal or declaration of undying love.

I had agreed to marry him to keep him alive. Our discussion about how that would work and what it would look like had been interrupted by a vigorous bout of lovemaking when the electricity that always snapped between us exploded, the potent mix of physical passion and intense emotion as we danced around the topic of my unspoken feelings for him cumulating in the physical expression of everything that I could not bring myself to express verbally.

Not yet.

I needed to ensure his survival first.

“Move into my room.”

“I don’t know if that’s the best idea…”

“Why not? You spend almost every other night in here, anyway.”

“That’s true, but…”

The knowledge that the rest of those nights were spent with Drake hung in the air between us.

He rolled off me and sat up, swinging his legs off the edge of the bed. “I’m not asking you to end your relationship with Drake. Just so we’re clear.”

“No?”

He turned his head back to make direct eye contact as he answered. “No.”

I found nothing but sincerity in his determined gaze. “Even after we’re married?”

“Even after.”

“Really?” I raised my eyebrows skeptically.

“Really.” He fixed me with a determined gaze. “We have a thing here called a Cordonian Arrangement. It’s an official codicil to the marriage contract that allows for an open relationship with no negative consequences to either party in the event of a divorce.”

“And you’d agree to that?”

“Of course, I would. I want you to be happy. I want Drake to be happy. I want to be happy. This seems like the best way to accomplish all of those goals.”

I stared at him for several heartbeats as I took that in. Then I nodded. “All right.”

The weight of the crown dropped away from his expression as that boyish grin I first saw in New York appeared. “Alright, you’ll move in with me?”

“I’ll consider it,” I told him as I got up and started collecting my clothes.

“Do you really have to rush off? We could order some food and—”

“I think you know that I have to go talk to Drake now. He can’t find out about our plan from anyone else.”

“Yes, I understand.” He ran a hand along his jawline with a sigh. “Listen. I know this isn’t a traditional love story. I know you’re only marrying me to keep me safe.”

I turned to eye him suspiciously because I could hear the “but” in his voice. “But?”

He rewarded me with that smile that could light the entire country. “But you do love me, or you would leave safeguarding my life to the King’s Guard.”

I felt dismay sweep through me. “Liam, this isn’t some fairy tale where love conquers all.”

“Isn’t it?” He stood and took my hand. “All I’m saying is that it’s okay if you don’t say it out loud. I love you and I’ll say it enough for both of us.”

“Liam…” He deserved to have someone tell him they loved him. He deserved to be told how amazing he was. He deserved all the romance and the fairy tale ending.

“It’s okay, Riley, I get it. Catch the bad guys first. Romance later. Go. I have things I need to be doing, anyway. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

I didn’t have to go far. Drake’s room was just down the hall from Liam’s. He opened the door, surprise and happiness lighting his features when he saw me. “Riley! Come in!”

I walked into the room and straight into his arms. He wrapped me in a tight embrace and buried his nose in my hair. “Damn, I missed you.”

“It’s only been two days,” I laughed.

“That’s two days too many.” His arms tightened around me before dropping away. “Now, tell me about Hidar.”

“I’ll tell you everything, but first I want to know how you’re handling the news about having a sister you never knew existed.”

“I….” he looked lost, an expression I’d never seen on his face before. With a great sigh, he raked a hand through his hair and shook his head. “It’s a lot. I mean… do I tell my mom? Does she already know? I have no idea how I’m supposed to approach this.”

“Hey.” I took his hand in mine. “You don’t have to figure it out alone, okay?”

“Thank you.” He squeezed my palm. “Having you on my side means a lot to me.”

I returned the squeeze with a smile. “Always.” I realized with sudden clarity that I meant that. I wanted to be there for him as much as I wanted to be there for Liam. My determination to leave after wrapping the case up had been slowly dwindling, day by day, without me even noticing.

He looked like he wanted to say something more, but after a brief hesitation, he released my hand and gestured to the couch. “Please, have a seat and tell me how the mission went.”

We exchanged details of our respective missions. Drake ended his story by expressing frustration with Nick. “It’s like he didn’t even care that Rico got away!”

“Well, he accomplished his goal, and that’s all that matters to him.”

Drake looked at me in astonishment. “He loved you, Riley. Maybe still does. How can he not care about the threat to your life?”

“I’m not sure he loved me as much as he loved the idea of having a wife and a family. He projected a lot of shit onto me that was never actually about me.”

Drake nodded. “Yeah, I got that from my conversation with him.”

“Oh?” The corners of my lips quirked up. “You discussed me with him?”

“No!” His eyes widened in panic for a second, and then he blew out a loud breath. “Okay, yeah, I did.”

“It’s okay,” I laughed. “I would have done the same thing in your place.”

He brightened at that confession. “Yeah?”

I bumped him with my shoulder. “Yeah.”              

He was silent for a long moment as he pinched the skin between his thumb and index finger on his left hand with his right hand, a gesture I’d come to associate with nervousness on his part.

“What is it?” I prompted.

“It’s just that there’s only a few days left in the social season and—”

“Yes, I wanted to talk to you about that.” I interrupted him. If he were about to make some declaration of love or beg me to stay, I needed to stop him. It was now a moot point. “I’m not leaving at the end of the social season.”

I don’t think he could have looked more surprised if an alien had just landed on the front lawn. It took him a few seconds to collect himself. His gaze pierced me to my very soul. “I’m not complaining about you hanging around longer, but why? What’s changed?”

“The mission has expanded.”

“In what way?”

“I think we can take the whole thing down. And it’s imperative that we do.”

“Why is that?”

“You have to realize by now that even if we take down the local faction, Liam will still be in danger. Via Imperii leadership wants Cordonia’s coffers.”

“We’ll up our border security. Make it harder for them to get a foothold here again—”

“We have to take down the whole thing. It’s the only way to keep Liam safe.”

“Okay….” He studied me carefully, trying to figure out where this was going. “I’m not disagreeing, but unless I’m missing something, we don’t have what we need to take the whole thing down and he’s going to be in danger from the local faction the moment he chooses anyone other than Madeleine at the selection ceremony. So that’s the biggest, most immediate threat. Taking them down will keep him safe for now and give us time to figure out how to counteract any future threats.”

“I have a plan for that. I know how to keep him safe from the local faction and buy us time to take down the whole thing.”

“How?”

“Simple. I’m going to marry him.”

“What?” Shock flashed across his face, followed by anger as he jumped up from his seat and thundered, “The fucking hell you are!”

I followed him to my feet. I locked my jaw and thrust my chin out defiantly as I tried to make him understand. “Drake. Listen. He has to pick a wife in less than a week! He won’t choose Madeleine. If he picks anyone other than her or me, they’re going to kill him!”

“They’re going to try—”

I arched an eyebrow at him. “And you’re okay with that?”

“Of course not! But—”

“But nothing! If we don’t take down the whole thing, then all we’re doing is postponing it. The Via Imperii will eventually regain a foothold in Cordonia. If he marries me, it buys us the time we need to take the entire thing down. It’s the only way to keep him safe and you know it.”

“We could—” he paused, his expression making it obvious that he was spinning through scenarios in his head. “Or maybe….. If we…. Okay, what if…. fuck!”

Bingo. The moment he realized I was right.

He stared at me with desperation in his eyes. “There has to be another way!”

“There’s not.” I knew it. He knew it.

His shoulders slumped in defeat. “What does this mean for us?”

“Nothing,” I assured him as I stepped closer and took his hands in mine. “I’m marrying him to keep him safe. He’s already agreed to a Cordonian Arrangement.”

The desperation in his eyes was replaced with a sliver of hope. “So, does this mean that you’re staying at court after the case wraps up?”

“What?”

“Surely you know that the moment your picture is plastered in newspapers all over the world as the future Queen of Cordonia, your career in the GIA is over. Have you thought about that?”

“Of course I’ve thought about it! It’s all I’ve thought about since I opened my big mouth and blurted it out!”

“You can take it back....”

“I can’t... and I don’t think I want to.”

“Do you…. Love him?”

I could tell how hard it was for him to ask that question, and I knew that the question he really wanted to ask wasn’t if I loved Liam, but if I loved him.

It was time for me to stop being a coward and face my feelings.

I reached up and touched his face as I answered. “This is a complicated situation. I have feelings for both of you that I never saw coming. Liam seems genuinely okay with me having a relationship with both of you. How do you feel about that?”

Of all the reactions I had expected at this moment, amusement wasn’t one of them.

He grinned at me with nothing but happiness shining from his eyes. “Did you just admit to having feelings for me?”

A sound that was half laugh and half scoff escaped me. “That’s what you got out of that?”

He grabbed me around the waist and tugged me closer. “That’s the important part!”

Then he was kissing me and every question I had was answered, every doubt erased.

“Mm-hm,” I murmured as I leaned into him.

We both moved our bodies closer to the other. His hands caressed my face and shoulders. His fingers traced down my back as mine threaded through his hair. He released my lips so he could nip and lick along my collarbone. I arched my body into him in encouragement.

His phone chimed, and he froze. “Shit!” He rested his forehead against mine as he expressed a few colorful opinions about the interruption and the character of his commanding officer.

“It’s okay, I have a couple of phone calls to make anyway,” I told him as I struggled to disentangle myself from him. “We can continue this later.”

“Continuing this is the only thing on my priority list,” He assured me as he returned the text.

“Don’t let your boss hear you say that!”

“I don’t give a damn who hears it!” He returned his phone to his pocket and lunged at me for one last kiss before hurrying out the door to a meeting that I had made him late for.

Alone in his room, I decided there was no time like the present. I took a deep breath as I punched in the familiar phone number.

My boss wasn’t as understanding as Drake had been. “I understand your concerns, Agent Brooks, but the social season ends in four days! We have everything we need to take down the Cordonian branch right now.”

“I need just a little more time and we can take down the whole thing! Isn’t that what we’re all about? Taking down the bad guys?”

“Of course. But once the social season is over, you’ll have no more reason to remain in Cordonia. You’ll have no cover.”

“Oh, I will.”

“I’m listening.”

I filled her in on my plan. She was less than thrilled with my ideas, to put it mildly. “Absolutely not!”

“If you’ll calm down—”

“Don’t tell me to calm down! I’m telling you no! You cannot marry him for the love of God!”

“Why not?”

“You know why not! Right now, the social season is just local news. An engagement will be bigger news, and an actual royal wedding will be broadcast across the globe! You’ll be compromised! Your face will be splashed on newspapers everywhere! You’ll be worthless as an agent!”

“That’s not true—”

“It is true! You’ll be too recognizable to work undercover.”

“Are you saying you’d fire me?”

“I’m saying, at the very least, we’d have to pull you from fieldwork. We can’t, and we won’t, send a compromised agent into the field. Not only would it compromise you, but it would also endanger every agent working with you and you know it! We won’t allow that, and neither will any other agency. You do this, and your career is over, at least as a field agent.”

“It’s the only way to keep him safe and infiltrate Via Imperii leadership.”

“Brooks, I mean it, do not do this!”

“I’m doing it. So, tell the team to stand down. Please! If you take down the local branch, my cover is blown. I’m marrying him, regardless. You may as well take the win I’m offering you. I can deliver the entire organization. Give me another week.”

Barton was silent for so long that I thought the connection had been lost. Defeat and a note of awe were in her voice when she finally answered. “Fine. One more week. I never thought I’d see the day Riley Brooks leveraged her career over a man.”

“It’s the only way to keep him safe long enough to get what I need to take down the Via Imperii.”

“Right.” I could hear the smirk in her voice from across the Atlantic. “That’s your only concern.”

I chose to let that go and thanked her for giving me another week. It should be all I needed. It had to be all I needed because Rico was still out there somewhere and the moment the engagement was announced, there was nothing stopping him from leaking my actual job to the press. We needed to be ready to breach within hours of the announcement. Preferably before.

Fortunately, my impending engagement to Liam also gave me the bargaining chip I needed to infiltrate the highest level of the Via Imperii.

I lifted the phone that was still in my hand and dialed Sigrid’s direct line. She sounded both annoyed and impressed. “How did you get my private number?”

“Did you forget who my aunt is?”

“What do you want?”

“I wanted to let you know that though it won’t be official until the selection ceremony, Liam has gotten down on one knee and proposed to me.” I crossed my legs as I spoke, getting into character. I let the entitlement drip off my words. “You should see the diamond. It’s exquisite!”

That piqued her interest. “Forget the diamond, have you seen the marriage contract?”

“I’m holding it in my hands right now.” I lied.

“How much access does it give you to the finances?”

“Plenty.”

“How much influence does it give you over policy decisions?”

“Liam is still the monarch with final decision making power on everything. But don’t worry, I can sway his decisions in the correct direction.”

“You’re very confident in yourself.”

“I am.”

“I hope it’s well founded confidence.”

“It is. But as you know, Liam is very devoted to the people of Cordonia, so swaying him to see our side of things is going to take a little effort. I’m up for the job, but I need to know what I’m getting out of it.”

I could hear the suspicion dripping like venom from her words. “What do you mean?”

“I mean…” I paused for dramatic effect. “If you want access to Cordonia’s bottomless coffers, I need something in return.”

“You’re already a member in good standing. What more do you want?”

“This is a lot of money we’re talking about. I want some input into how it’s spent. I think that’s reasonable.”

“You want a leadership position.” I heard the surprise in her tone, tinged with a hint of awe.

She had underestimated me.

“I do.”

“And what makes you think I’m in a position to make that happen?”

“Come on, Sigrid, there’s no way that a woman as driven and intelligent as you isn’t in the upper echelons of this thing. Do you really expect me to believe that you’re bowing down to someone like Eirik Midsommar?”

There was a long pause as she considered how much to trust me. I had appealed to her ego, and it worked “Fine. I’ll set everything up. Be here in two days, with the signed and notarized marriage contract in your hands, and we’ll talk.”

“Great. See you in two days.”

She hung up on me without saying goodbye. I didn’t care. Everything was falling perfectly into place.

[belencha77]

CAPITULO 19 - PRIMERAS IMPRESIONES

Luego de la fuente, seguimos el camino hacia los escalones de un antiguo edificio de piedra cerca de la fuente. Él suelta mi mano suavemente y la pasa por la barandilla.

|| Este edificio tiene una historia fascinante. Es una de las bibliotecas más antiguas de Cordonia. ¿Sabes? Tengo una anécdota muy especial con este lugar, || dice, sonriendo mientras tal parece que comienza a recordar || Cuando era niño, mi madre solía traerme aquí. Mi recuerdo más fuerte de ella ocurrió en estos mismos escalones. ||

Liam se sienta en un punto específico de los escalones y dirige su mirada hacia el pasado || Recuerdo que ella se sentaba justo aquí, y yo me acurrucaba a sus pies mientras me leía mi historia favorita en voz alta. Incluso ahora, cuando pienso en ese día, puedo recordar el suave aroma de su perfume de jazmín. ||

Conmovida, me acerco y tomo su mano, besando suavemente sus nudillos.

|| ¿Tu madre amaba los libros? || pregunto con curiosidad, queriendo conocer más sobre esa parte de su vida.

|| Podría decir que sí. Pero como tú, mi madre no era nativa de Cordonia. Ella decía que siempre que se sentía como una forastera aquí, visitaba esta biblioteca. Decía que siempre estás en casa en una biblioteca, porque el conocimiento que contiene es universal. ||

|| Tu madre parece haber sido una mujer muy sabia. Ahí debe ser de dónde lo heredaste. || le digo sonriendo.

|| Amor, ese es el elogio más bonito que me hayan dicho. No imaginas lo mucho que significa para mí. || Liam se levanta y me ayuda a bajar las gradas || Ven tengo un lugar especial que mostrarte || Luego, comenzamos a caminar hacia el campanario. Sus pasos eran firmes pero suaves, y el resplandor de las luces de la plaza iluminaba su rostro con una mezcla de nostalgia y propósito. El campanario se alzaba majestuoso al fondo de la plaza, su estructura de piedra mostrando el desgaste del tiempo. Mientras nos acercábamos, la sombra proyectada por el campanario creaba un contraste dramático con las luces cálidas que brillaban a nuestro alrededor. Liam parecía inmerso en sus recuerdos, mirando el campanario con una intensidad que me intrigaba || Hay una cosa más en esta plaza que quiero mostrarte: el campanario. Mi hermano me trajo aquí la noche que me contó sus planes de abdicar. Estábamos parados en este mismo lugar cuando supe que el trono sería mío. En ese momento, no estaba seguro de que ser Rey fuera lo que yo quería. Tenía tantos planes en mi vida. Quería casarme con alguien que amara, tener una familia, poder vivir tranquilo. Entonces no supe qué responder. ||

Liam se detiene, su mirada fija en el campanario mientras una brisa nocturna mueve suavemente su cabello. Su voz baja en un susurro, como si compartiera un secreto profundamente guardado.

|| Y luego… ¿qué pasó? || pregunto, mi curiosidad agudizándose al notar la pausa en sus palabras.

|| Él dijo que sabía que no era una elección fácil y que me apoyaría sin importar si aceptaba o no la corona. Mientras hablaba, yo no podía apartar la vista del campanario. Fue en ese momento, frente a la estructura más antigua de la ciudad, cuando entendí la magnitud de lo que estaba en juego. Me pregunté: "Si no soy yo, ¿quién más podría hacerlo?" Y fue ahí cuando me di cuenta de que debía aceptar, a pesar de lo que eso significara para mí personalmente. Mi país me necesitaba, y aunque me costara, quise responder a esa llamada. ||

|| Eres sin duda un hombre increíble, Liam. La forma en que te entregas a lo que amas, tu pasión y tu generosidad, es lo que más me atrae de ti. Admiro ese corazón noble y humilde que tienes, siempre poniendo a los demás antes que a ti mismo. || Con estas palabras, me acerco a él, envolviendo sus hombros en un abrazo apretado.

|| Gracias, amor... || Liam me mira con una intensidad que me conmueve. || Sabes, antes de conocerte pensé que tenía que sacrificar mis sueños. Pero aceptando mi rol también me llevó a ti, y tú eres la pieza que faltaba en mi vida. Ahora puedo decir que lo tengo todo. Desde que te encontré, todo ha mejorado para mí. ||

|| ¿Cómo puedo no derretirme con estas palabras? || Me siento abrumada por la sinceridad de sus sentimientos. Le acaricio la mejilla con ternura, sintiendo el calor de su piel bajo mi mano. || Liam, mi vida encontró sentido cuando te conocí. Me has devuelto la alegría y has llenado el vacío que sentía. || Me inclino hacia él, rozando mis labios con los suyos. Él responde al beso con una calidez que me envuelve, y sonríe al separarse, apoyando su frente contra la mía.

|| Me haces tan feliz, Riley. || Susurra con una sinceridad que me llena de emoción.

|| Estoy feliz de poder hacerte tan feliz como tú lo haces conmigo. || Le respondo, viendo cómo cierra los ojos, respirando profundamente con una sonrisa de satisfacción.

|| Espero que hayas disfrutado la historia de nuestra ciudad tanto como yo disfruté contándotela. ||

|| Me encantó, Liam. Pero lo que más valoro es ver cómo te estás convirtiendo en el Rey que Cordonia necesita. Quiero que recuerdes que, aunque no puedes controlar el tiempo ni todos los aspectos de tu vida, lo que puedes hacer es dar siempre lo mejor de ti. Y para Cordonia, lo mejor de ti es increíble. ||

|| Me reconforta escuchar eso. Me siento afortunado de tenerte a mi lado, y si soy siquiera la mitad del Rey que crees que soy, consideraré mi reinado un éxito. || Liam sonríe, su mirada llena de una mezcla de emoción y complicidad. || Todavía hay un lugar especial que quiero mostrarte. || Con una ligera presión en la parte baja de la espalda, Liam me guía hacia el coche, su entusiasmo palpable. || Vamos, será un final perfecto para nuestra noche. ||

Nos dirigimos hacia el coche con una sensación de anticipación y complicidad, sabiendo que la noche aún nos depara una última sorpresa.

**

Después de un breve paseo, llegamos a un acogedor restaurante situado en una colina. Desde la entrada, la vista de la bahía se extendía ante nosotros, con las aguas brillando bajo la luz de la luna y un suave murmullo de conversaciones en el aire.

Jason y Sebastián realizaron una rápida inspección del lugar. Una vez que obtuvimos el visto bueno, Liam y yo subimos al restaurante. El interior estaba decorado con elegancia: mesas dispuestas con delicadas mantelerías y sillas cómodas, iluminadas por una suave luz de velas que creaba un ambiente acogedor.

Nos dirigimos hacia la terraza, que ofrecía una vista panorámica impresionante de la bahía. Desde allí, el horizonte se extendía ante nosotros en una gama de tonos azules y dorados, con las luces de los barcos parpadeando a lo lejos. La brisa nocturna traía consigo el suave aroma del mar, y la vista de las aguas resplandecientes bajo la luz de la luna era sencillamente mágica. La escena era como un cuadro vivo, y no pude evitar sentirme completamente enamorada de la belleza que se desplegaba ante mis ojos.

Liam, con una sonrisa satisfecha, me condujo hacia una mesa con la mejor vista, donde nos sentamos, disfrutando del esplendor de la noche y del ambiente tranquilo del lugar.

|| Liam, este lugar es hermoso || exclamo maravillada mientras él me abre la silla y tomo asiento, seguido de Liam, que toma el suyo.

|| En verdad que lo es || responde él, y al mirarlo, noto que sus ojos están fijos en mí. Sonrío sonrojada por su atención. || Me alegra que lo disfrutes, hermosa. Encontré este lugar en una de mis excursiones y lo he mantenido como mi pequeño secreto, hasta esta noche. ||

|| Bueno, entonces lo considero un honor || le respondo. Justo en ese momento, un camarero se acerca, le sonríe a Liam y hace una pequeña reverencia.

|| Su Majestad, Duquesa… Bienvenidos. ¿Puedo ofrecerles algo de comer o beber? || pregunta el camarero con curiosidad.

|| A mí me encantaría solo una copa de champán || respondo.

|| Que sean dos. Gracias, Luis. Eso sería todo || dice Liam, y el camarero asiente y se aleja. Detrás de nosotros, escuchamos a dos clientes cercanos discutiendo sobre la conferencia de prensa y el Tour de la Unidad. Aunque no parecen haberse dado cuenta de nuestra presencia, los fragmentos que escuchamos son positivos || ¡Vaya! Supongo que se están difundiendo noticias sobre tu éxito || comenta Liam con una sonrisa.

|| Querrás decir “NUESTRO” éxito || le aclaro con una sonrisa. || Aunque debo decir, nunca imaginé que ser duquesa vendría con tanto champán y comida elegante. ¡Creo que estoy empezando a disfrutar de este papel! ||

|| Oh, así que te estás adaptando al glamour, ¿eh? || dice Liam con una risa. || No te preocupes, hay mucho más por venir. ||

|| Lo sé, lo sé. En algún momento me imagino con una corona en la cabeza, tratando de no tropezar con mis propios vestidos. ||

|| Te aseguro que la corona te quedará perfecta || responde él, bromeando. || Aunque tendrás que trabajar en tu equilibrio para las fiestas elegantes. ||

Nos reímos juntos, pero luego me coloco un rostro más serio.

|| Ahora, hablando en serio… me gusta, pero creo que tengo mucho por aprender. ||

|| Mi amor, espero que te des cuenta de la diferencia que estás marcando. Lo estás haciendo genial. Cordonia tiene suerte de tenerte, especialmente ahora. ||

|| Gracias, es muy valioso lo que me dices ||. De repente, el camarero regresa con nuestras bebidas y nos deja unos aperitivos por cortesía de la casa. Mientras disfrutamos de nuestras copas, nos dejamos llevar por la hermosa vista que se extiende ante nosotros; el Palacio se alza majestuosamente sobre una colina, iluminado por la luz de la luna || Sabes, incluso después de todo este tiempo, sigo pensando que Cordonia es como algo salido de un cuento de hadas. Los bailes, los elegantes vestidos, la arquitectura impresionante… incluso los misteriosos enemigos... No puedo creer que sea real || comento, con una mezcla de asombro y admiración en mi voz.

|| Yo he vivido aquí toda mi vida y a veces siento lo mismo que tú || responde Liam, su mirada profunda fija en el agua antes de volverse hacia mí. || Riley, me gustaría disfrutar de este momento no como un rey y una futura reina, sino como pareja. ||

|| Me encanta la idea. Venir aquí los dos solos fue una excelente decisión. Con todo el alboroto del Tour, se siente como una eternidad desde que pudimos ser simplemente nosotros. No me malinterpretes, me encanta ser duquesa y entiendo la importancia de la gira de la unidad, pero… || Y antes de que pueda terminar, Liam me interrumpe, acercándose un poco más.

|| Lo entiendo, amor, créeme que lo entiendo. Una de las muchas lecciones que me has enseñado es que, a veces, mirar el panorama general no es suficiente || explica Liam, su voz baja y suave, mientras sus ojos se clavan en los míos.

|| ¿Y qué quieres decir? || pregunto, con curiosidad, sintiendo el calor de su mirada.

|| Quiero decir que, aunque estamos luchando por todos en Cordonia, también estamos luchando por nosotros. Por esos preciosos momentos en los que podemos fingir que la vida es solo esto… Relajarnos en un bar con la persona que amamos y ser normales || dice Liam, su tono lleno de ternura.

|| Me gusta eso. Cuando nuestros ideales no son suficientes para llevarnos adelante, nos tenemos el uno al otro || le respondo con una sonrisa cálida, sintiendo cómo mi corazón late más rápido.

|| Siempre, mi amor || afirma Liam con un toque de promesa en su voz.

|| Gracias, Liam. Necesitaba esto… y gracias por querer compartir esta parte tuya conmigo || le digo, sintiendo una profunda conexión mientras nuestras manos se entrelazan.

|| Yo también lo necesitaba, no te imaginas || me responde, su mirada intensa revelando cuánto significa para él este momento. || Y con el tiempo, espero compartir cada parte mía contigo. ||

|| Creo que hay algo más que puedes compartir conmigo || le digo, inclinándome hacia adelante y capturando sus labios en un beso tierno pero cargado de emoción. Liam responde con un gemido bajo, su mano acariciando mi mejilla mientras nos sumergimos en el beso.

|| Riley... || exclama, su aliento cálido contra mi piel. La pasión en su toque me hace temblar, y aunque el deseo me invita a prolongar el momento, me alejo con reluctancia, disfrutando del cosquilleo persistente en mis labios.

Terminamos nuestras bebidas mientras disfrutamos de la vista de la bahía, iluminada por la luna, y el ambiente a nuestro alrededor se vuelve cada vez más íntimo. Al salir del bar, tomados de la mano, caminamos lentamente por las calles adoquinadas de la ciudad. La noche promete más, y una parte de mí no puede esperar a continuar esta velada en la intimidad de nuestra habitación, donde los susurros y caricias completarán la mágica velada.

♕♕♕♕

A la mañana siguiente, después de un delicioso desayuno, todos partimos de nuevo hacia el palacio para recoger nuestras cosas y prepararnos para el viaje al estado de Kiara. Afortunadamente, la situación en Applewood se había calmado bastante tras la conferencia de prensa. La plantación del árbol fue un gran éxito, según las encuestas realizadas por Madeleine. Ahora solo quedaba alistarme y prepararme para conquistar a Kiara y su familia.

Sabía que mañana se llevaría a cabo el Festival Internacional de Arte y Comida, por lo que debía estar más que lista para asegurar el apoyo necesario para Liam y, sobre todo, para la nación.

En mi habitación, conversaba con Maxwell mientras estaba prácticamente lista. Anita me ayudó, como siempre, con su excepcional peinado y maquillaje. Solo faltaba esperar a Madeleine, quien se encargaría de seleccionar el atuendo perfecto para la ocasión. De repente, la puerta de mi habitación se abre y Madeleine entra con un porta vestidos en mano, observando a Maxwell de pies a cabeza con su habitual mirada de desaprobación.

|| Eres puntual, Madeleine. Muy bien... ¡A trabajar! || exclama Maxwell con una sonrisa juguetona, levantando las manos como si estuviera a punto de hacer magia. Madeleine lo mira seria, su expresión tan rígida como siempre.

|| Maxwell, te recuerdo que yo estoy aquí para ayudar a Riley. ¿Qué haces tú aquí, si deberías estar preparándote? ||

|| ¿Prepararme yo? ¡Por favor! || responde Maxwell, fingiendo escándalo y llevándose una mano al pecho dramáticamente || Estoy aquí por apoyo moral. Además, con este carisma natural, ya estoy listo para conquistar el mundo. ||

Madeleine suspira, rodando los ojos como si ya hubiera escuchado eso mil veces.

|| Ok... Haré como que no estás aquí || Dice para luego mirarme con atención || Muy bien Riley, te detallaré la agenda del día de hoy. Al llegar a la finca de Kiara, nos acomodaremos y compartiremos con su familia. Mañana está previsto el Festival Internacional de Arte y Comida. Te llevas bien con Kiara, ¿verdad? || pregunta Madeleine mientras me observa atentamente.

|| Por supuesto. Kiara siempre se ha caracterizado por ser una mujer con quien puedes tener conversaciones interesantes || respondo con una sonrisa.

|| Correcto. Ella es una de las nobles más competentes de la corte. Para que lo tengas en cuenta, he preparado notas sobre su familia. Recuerdo que la última vez tuviste problemas con el expediente, así que me he esforzado en hacerlo más accesible para ti || comenta Madeleine mientras me extiende una pila de tarjetas, en lugar de una gran carpeta como la vez anterior.

|| Esto es diferente... pero, ¿cómo esperas que Riley aprenda todo esto...? || interviene Maxwell sorprendido, observando las tarjetas || Si estamos a punto de salir hacia donde Kiara. ||

|| ¡Exactamente! Maxwell tiene razón… ¡Son más de cien tarjetas! En Applewood me diste una carpeta con anotaciones en francés y alemán, ¿y ahora esto? || digo un poco alterada mientras observo la pila.

|| Riley, tardé toda la noche en prepararlas. Te resultará fácil leerlas en tu tiempo libre || dice Madeleine, completamente tranquila.

|| ¿Tiempo libre? || replica Maxwell, agitando las manos dramáticamente || Eso es lo que menos tiene mi pequeña flor ahora mismo. ||

|| ¡Cielo santo! Está bien, haré un resumen... || Madeleine suspira, aparentemente resignada, antes de empezar a explicarme lo más importante sobre la familia de Kiara.

Hakim, su padre, es un renombrado diplomático. Joelle, su madre, es una famosa artista del país. En cuanto a su hermano mayor, no tiene mucha información sobre él ni su nombre, pero él suele evitar la corte y prefiere mantenerse fuera del ojo público.

|| Entonces, ¿tengo que impresionar a un diplomático de carrera, a una artista famosa y a un hermano misterioso? Si tienes alguna sugerencia, será más que bienvenida || digo, sintiendo la preocupación apoderarse de mí.

|| En las esferas sociales que Hakim y Joelle frecuentan, reconocer la bandera de otro país es un signo de respeto. Y sobre todo, reconocer los colores de su casa seguramente causará una buena impresión || dice solemnemente Madeleine.

|| Y no olvides su adorable escudo de la casa || exclama Maxwell, pero de manera inmediata ella lo mira con fastidio.

|| Por favor, Maxwell… Aconsejaría no llamar "adorable" a una cresta centenaria frente a Kiara, por favor || replica Madeleine, indignada.

|| ¡Lo siento! Pero no es mi culpa que sus antepasados eligieran un lindo búho como símbolo || dice Maxwell en su defensa, mientras Madeleine saca del estuche un impresionante vestido negro.

|| Este es el vestido que he escogido para ti || dice Madeleine, sonriendo orgullosa. Entro al baño para cambiarme. El vestido es ceñido, envolviendo mi figura con precisión. La tela se ajusta suavemente a mis curvas, llegando justo por encima de las rodillas. Los hombros quedan completamente al descubierto, mientras que el escote en forma de "V" cae con elegancia sobre mi busto, dejando una mezcla perfecta de elegancia y sensualidad. Madeleine me entrega un par de zapatos negros de tacón alto y unos aretes de perla que brillan con discreción. Me miro en el espejo y por un momento me quedo sin palabras. El vestido es perfecto, resaltando cada aspecto sin perder la clase. Al salir, tanto Maxwell como Madeleine me observan maravillados || Perfecto, sabía que sería el adecuado || exclama Madeleine con orgullo.

Se acerca a mí con un pequeño brazalete en la mano, y noto que es un delicado diseño en forma de búho, el símbolo de la familia de Kiara. Con suavidad, lo coloca en mi brazo, justo debajo del hombro, ajustándolo perfectamente a mi piel. El detalle es intrincado: las alas del búho parecen envolver mi brazo, como si el símbolo ancestral de la familia de Kiara fuera una guardia silenciosa. La mirada concentrada de Madeleine y el gesto cuidado con el que lo coloca muestran la importancia de este detalle. Es más que un simple accesorio, es una pieza cargada de significado, una representación del respeto y la conexión que debemos honrar en el evento.

|| Mi Flor, te ves hermosa como siempre. Ese vestido es magnífico y ese brazalete es único… Todos tendrán los ojos puestos en ti || exclama Maxwell, emocionado.

|| Debo decirlo, Madeleine. Estoy impresionada, me encanta || le digo, sintiendo el peso del brazalete en mi brazo como un recordatorio de la importancia del evento.

|| Con un poco de suerte, espero que nuestros anfitriones piensen lo mismo || responde Madeleine con una sonrisa satisfecha. || Ten presente que al evento internacional vendrán visitantes de todas partes para mostrar las delicias del arte y la comida de sus países. Es un testimonio anual del trabajo que hacen Hakim y Joelle, así que mostrar entusiasmo por sus esfuerzos será clave. ||

De repente, la puerta se abre suavemente y entra Mara, siempre profesional, pero con una leve sonrisa de respeto.

|| Su Excelencia, todo está listo. Estamos por partir || informa con su tono calmado, pero firme.

|| ¡Genial! || respondo asintiendo || Gracias, Mara. Ya casi estoy lista ||

|| ¡Es hora de irnos! || exclama Maxwell, emocionado, mientras Madeleine y yo intercambiamos una mirada que confirma que estamos listas para el desafío que nos espera.

**

Cuando llegamos a los terrenos soleados de la casa de Kiara, los autos se detuvieron suavemente frente a la entrada principal. Liam y Drake, por su parte, se habían adelantado para atender algunos asuntos importantes, así que nosotros llegamos un poco antes. Maxwell, Hana, Sara, Olivia y yo salimos de los vehículos, admirando de inmediato la belleza del lugar. Los jardines, amplios y perfectamente cuidados, estaban rodeados por árboles imponentes que parecían abrazar la mansión con su sombra. Las flores en tonos vibrantes de rojo y púrpura daban un toque de color, mientras el aroma a jazmín y lavanda flotaba en el aire. La casa de Kiara era una obra maestra arquitectónica, con grandes ventanales que reflejaban el cielo despejado y una entrada majestuosa decorada con columnas blancas.

Justo cuando estábamos admirando los alrededores, el auto de Liam se detuvo junto a nosotros. Bajó con elegancia, sus ojos buscando los míos de inmediato. Al acercarse, su mirada recorrió lentamente mi vestido, dejando claro cuánto le agradaba.

|| Riley, ese vestido es casi tan espectacular como la mujer que lo lleva puesto || me dijo con una sonrisa que prometía más de lo que sus palabras dejaban entrever. Luego, inclinándose hacia mí, su voz baja me erizó la piel. || Aunque espero con ansias a la noche para verte sin él ||.

El calor subió a mis mejillas al sentir su suave aliento cerca de mi oído, y antes de que pudiera responder, sus labios rozaron los míos en un beso suave, pero lleno de intenciones. Su aroma amaderado llenaba mis sentidos, dejándome deseando más.

|| ¡Cielos, Liam! No se vale jugar así… || murmuré, dejándome llevar por el suspiro que escapaba de mis labios. Él, sin perder la sonrisa, deslizó su mano entre la mía, y antes de que pudiera recuperar la compostura, me besó de nuevo, esta vez con más firmeza. Sonreí, apretando su mano mientras avanzábamos hacia la entrada. La casa de Kiara brillaba bajo el sol, con detalles elegantes y sutiles que hablaban de una refinada sofisticación || Vaya, la casa de Kiara es hermosa || exclamé, emocionada.

De pronto, la puerta principal se abrió de golpe y Kiara apareció, descendiendo las escaleras acompañada de un hombre, ambos irradiando una energía cálida y acogedora.

|| ¡Qué alegría que ya estén aquí! ¡Bienvenue! || exclamó Kiara con una sonrisa radiante, mientras nos recibía con los brazos abiertos, lista para iniciar nuestra visita.

|| ¡Hola todos! || Saluda el hombre que acompaña a Kiara con una sonrisa || Bienvenidos a nuestro hogar. ||

|| Su Majestad, Duquesa, es un verdadero honor tenerlos en nuestra casa || dice Kiara con gran cordialidad.

|| Le plaisir est pour nous || (El placer es nuestro), responde Liam con amabilidad.

|| Es un placer finalmente visitar tu hogar || le digo a Kiara, devolviendo la sonrisa.

|| Ustedes dos son muy amables || responde Kiara sin vacilar.

|| ¿Vas a presentarme a tus amigos, o debería comenzar a adivinar los nombres? || pregunta el hombre que la acompaña con un tono amistoso.

|| Oh, lo siento, ¿dónde están mis modales? Les presento a mi hermano, Ezequiel Theron || dice Kiara, disculpándose mientras señala a su acompañante.

|| Encantado de conocerlos. Kiki me ha contado todo sobre ustedes || nos dice Ezequiel con una sonrisa.

|| Espera ¿dijiste Kiki? || pregunto sorprendida y con una sonrisa divertida. || ¿Podemos llamarte así también? ||

|| Por favor, agradecería que no lo hicieran... Es un apodo familiar || responde Kiara con un leve sonrojo, mirando a su hermano con una mezcla de cariño y reproche. || Normalmente solo se usa en presencia de la familia. ||

|| Lo siento, Kik… Kiara... ¡De cualquier manera! Duquesa, Su Majestad… Realmente es un honor tenerlos aquí. Este es básicamente el sueño de papá hecho realidad || dice Ezequiel, y luego, al darse cuenta de su error, se corrige rápidamente. || ¡No es que él sea el único que quiera verlos a todos! Obviamente... ||

|| Zeke, un poco menos de palabras y más sonrisas || lo interrumpe Kiara con una mirada seria, pero de repente su atención se dirige a Drake. || Y... umm… Hola Drake... te ves tan... quiero decir, ese traje te queda muy bien || añade con nerviosismo, notoriamente avergonzada, mientras intenta controlar sus gestos nerviosos.

|| Muchas gracias, Kiara || dice Drake con una sonrisa cortés, aunque su incomodidad es evidente. || Aprecio el cumplido. || Se aclara la garganta y continúa, intentando desviar la conversación de manera sutil || Este traje fue una recomendación de Sara, mi novia. Ella tiene un ojo excepcional para la moda. || Mira a Sara con una sonrisa agradecida, destacando su papel en la elección del atuendo.

|| ¡Oh, ¿tienes novia? || pregunta Kiara, visiblemente sorprendida. Inmediatamente, Sara se adelanta, marcando claramente su territorio.

|| Así es, soy yo. Mi nombre es Sara Potter. Encantada de conocerte || responde Sara, extendiendo su mano, que Kiara toma con un apretón sutil pero firme. Luego, Sara da un paso más cerca de Drake y enlaza uno de sus brazos con el de él, mostrando un sutil gesto de posesión.

|| Es un placer conocerte, Sara. Je te souhaite beaucoup de joie || (Te deseo mucha felicidad) dice Kiara, con una mirada momentáneamente melancólica antes de recomponerse y ofrecer una sonrisa cálida.

|| Merci beaucoup, Kiara. C'est très gentil de ta part || (Muchas gracias, Kiara. Es muy amable de tu parte) responde Drake con amabilidad. Sara, con una expresión que revela claramente su celos, sonríe pero con un toque de frialdad, y añade:

|| Oui, c'est très gentil || (Sí, eres muy amable). Para aliviar la tensión en el aire, me dirijo a Kiara con preocupación.

|| Kiara, ¿cómo te sientes? Oímos que resultaste herida en el ataque al palacio. ||

|| Oh, oui… Qué noche tan aterradora, pero tuve suerte. Después de un tiempo de descanso en casa, estoy de vuelta en una sola pieza || nos responde Kiara.

De repente, un crujido de grava interrumpe el ambiente tranquilo, anunciando la llegada de otro automóvil frente a la casa de Kiara. La puerta del vehículo se abre con prisa y alguien sale rápidamente, visiblemente apurado, sosteniendo a dos perritos con correas.

@tessa-liam, @kingliam2019, @choicesficwriterscreations, @delmissesryanandcassi, @OneNoeOne

@scentedeclipseghosteggs, @s0m3thingkmp, @gabycros, @abc-ds-things, @alexabeta

@busywoman, @phantom-of-thee-library, @itsweigel, @fancy—marshmallowmarshmallow

@roseyos, @mysticalfangirl, @renvconta19, @queenmiarys, @ange101sblog

@ojoscolorjuupiter, @its-a-vanilla-sky, @amor-a-la-luna

If anyone else wants to be tagged, just let me know. I hope you enjoy this wonderful love adventure.

[mysticalfangirl]

A Cordonian Christmas in New York

Summary - Liam and Riley have planned a family trip to New York City on Christmas as the city brings special memories for the couple. They want to share with their little ones the magic of the season and their first Christmas together as a family of four.

Main pairing - Liam x Mc

Rating - General

Category - Fluff

No of words - 960

Warning - none

*Most of the characters belong to pixelberry

The gentle rumble of the private jet filled the cabin as it swooped over the Atlantic Ocean. Inside, the royal family of Cordonia was finally experiencing something they hadn't had in years: a quiet moment of togetherness.

King Liam of Cordonia sat on the plush leather seat, holding his daughter, Ella, whose sleepy head rested against his shoulder. Across from him, Queen Riley bounced their son, Elias, on her lap, his bright blue eyes wide as he tried to squirm free, captivated by the sights of the cabin.

"This might be the first time I regret choosing a plane over a royal carriage," Liam teased, his voice soft as he brushed a curl from Ella's forehead.

Riley laughed. "Trust me, this is better. I don't think a horse-drawn carriage could make it across the Atlantic. Besides, the kids are loving the adventure."

Liam grinned, glancing fondly at their twins. “True. And I’m glad we’re doing this. Our first Christmas as a family of four deserves something special. A proper adventure.”

The decision to spend Christmas in New York had been spontaneous—a way to give their children a taste of Riley's home country and enjoy a little secrecy, something that Cordonia rarely offered. Liam had always been curious about New York at Christmas, and Riley had eagerly embraced the idea of showing him her city all dressed up in holiday cheer.

Are you ready to experience the chaos of New York during Christmas?" Riley teased, nudging him with her elbow.

Liam smirked. "After hosting countless royal galas, negotiating trade deals, and chasing down two very mobile toddlers, I think I'm well-prepared.

As the plane descended to land at JFK, the twins began to stir awake. Ella blinked sleepily; her golden curls were tumbling over her little face much like Liam's. Meanwhile Elias clapped his hands and looked excited about their impending landing.

"Here comes New York," whispered Riley excitedly as she kissed his forehead.

---

The moment they stepped outside, Riley's heart swelled. New York was alive with holiday magic—twinkling lights lined the streets, snow flurries danced in the air, and the hum of traffic mixed with carolers singing on every other corner. Liam looked awestruck, his hand gripping Riley's tightly as they stood bundled up in their coats, the twins nestled in their arms.

“This is incredible,” Liam murmured, his breath fogging in the cold air.

“Told you,” Riley replied, grinning. “You’re going to love it.”

They made their way to Rockefeller Center, where the giant Christmas tree towered over a bustling ice rink. Leo and Ella squirmed excitedly in their parents’ arms, their little faces lit with joy as they took in the twinkling lights and festive decorations.

"Can we take them skating?" Liam asked, his boyish grin making Riley's heart flutter.

"Are you sure you can handle toddlers on ice?" Riley teased.

"Challenge accepted."

And so, half an hour later, Liam and Riley found themselves on the rink, both grinning, skating slowly with their load, Leo squealing in ecstasy as he clutched at Riley's scarf, while Ella nestled into Liam's chest, giggling at every time he lost his balance and regained it.

"You know," Liam said, his voice low as they skated side by side, "this might be one of the happiest moments of my life."

Riley smiled up at him, her cheeks flushed. "Mine too. The four of us… this is what Christmas should feel like."

The next day was clear blue skies and fresh powdery snow. The day took them to Central Park, where the twins dressed in tiny snowsuits that made them resemble small marshmallows.

Ella was in the snow within minutes, giggling as Liam helped her make her first snow angel. Riley was sitting on a bench, watching Elias as he patted the small snowman she helped him make.

Liam turned to wave at Riley, and his smile shone so bright. "Do you think they're having fun?"

"They're definitely having fun," Riley said with a grin as she snapped a photo of the twins.

The next stop was to a department store to visit Santa Claus. Riley had been excited to share this tradition with her children, but she couldn't help but laugh when Elias stared at Santa suspiciously, his tiny brow furrowed.

"I think Leo's not convinced this guy is the real deal," Liam said, holding back a chuckle.

On the other hand, Ella cooed happily at Santa as she tugged at his fluffy white beard; the photographer caught the photo op.

---

On Christmas morning the family assembled in the living room of their rented townhouse where the fireplace crackled warmly. A small tree sat in the corner nicely decorated, with a few little presents scattered around it.

Liam sat cross-legged on the floor, Ella perched in his lap as he helped her tear the wrapping paper off a soft stuffed bunny. Riley sat beside them with Elias, who squealed in excitement as he uncovered a toy train.

"Look at their faces," Riley whispered, smiling as she watched the twins delight in their gifts.

Liam's eyes softened as he looked at his wife. "This is perfect, Riley. A small, quiet Christmas. Just us."

She leaned her head on his shoulder, sighing contentedly. "I couldn't agree more."

As the morning light streamed through the windows and laughter echoed through the room, Liam reached for Riley's hand.

"Merry Christmas, my love," he said softly.

"Merry Christmas, Liam," Riley said smiling, her heart full.

The twins crawled into their laps, giggling happily, as the family sank into a blissful, peaceful moment-one they'd never forget. In this little corner of New York, the king and queen and their two little subjects found the ultimate gift: love, laughter, and the pure bliss of togetherness.

Tags

@kingliam2019 @kristinamae093 @ao719 @tessa-liam @busywoman @twinkleallnight @jerzwriter @malblk21 @emersyn-in-cordonia @marietrinmimi @kingliam2019 @choicesficwriterscreations @delmissesryanandcassi @belencha77 @mom2000aggie

[bebepac]

Traditions

This is a special holiday edition of School Dayz. To catch up on the series in general please click School Dayz

I am participating in @choicesdecember2023 for Christmas

I am also participating in @choicesprompts holiday rewrite challenge in which I used the candy cane gram scene from Mean Girls.

I am also participating in @choicesflashfics christmas prompt # 59: "Ice-skating? Do you seriously trust me with knives on my feet?" will appear in bold. I also used a previous prompt as well Are you seeing this too or am I having a stroke?

Series: School Dayz

The Book: TRR (no royals)

The Pairings: Liam x Riley

Word Count: 1464

Warnings and Ratings: None. This is for anyone who has eyes. A total fluff piece.

Original post: 12/31/23 at 7:15PM EST.

Science class was different for me now that I no longer sat next to Liam, and shared a table with my sister, since Mrs. Barbour decided to make the class sit in alphabetical order, which I think the only reason for the change was to make taking roll easier. I glanced across the room to Liam whose partner was now Rashad.

My adorkable boyfriend who caught me watching him, smiled and held up his hot cocoa cup to toast me from across the room. Liam was the sweetest boyfriend and stopped by the local coffee shop Brew Bros and always got hot chocolate every morning the way that I liked it.

So I smiled while holding up my cup.

“Oh my God, can you two be any more nerdy?” Taylor asked.

“He’s nice, and you reap the benefits of it too. My boyfriend brings us both hot chocolate, or in your case a coffee drink you like every day without us asking.”

Taylor cocked her head to the side and air toasted Liam, taking a sip from her drink when the door opened.

“Ho , Ho, Ho!!!!! Candy Cane Grams, sponsored by the National Honor Society.”

“Make it quick, Santa.” There was a hint of sarcasm in Mrs. Barbour’s voice as she went to sit at her desk for a moment.

“And his lovely assistant Max Noel!”

“Wait… a sec… Are you seeing this too or am I having a stroke?”

Taylor doubled over in laughter “It is!!!! It’s Drake Walker-Claus.”

Taylor’s laugh seemed to antagonize Drake for a second, but good thing he had his assistant Maxwell. His brooding mood was offset by Max Noel making the class laugh with his dance versions of Christmas music as he followed around the room behind him.

“Hana Lee one for you.”

“Chris Powell four for you, you go Chris Powell!”

“Do we have a Riley Brooks here?”

“That’s her Max Noel. She’s Riley Brooks and looks nothing like the girl sitting next to her. Those two can’t possibly be related.”

“Riley Brooks here you go, one for you.”

“Thank you Santa.”

“Um….”

“And nothing at all for Taylor Brooks, not even coal or black licorice, bye.”

Drake and Max ran out of the room.

Taylor looked at me with curious eyes at the candy cane gram in my hand.

“Who’s that from?”

It wasn’t any of her business. I opened the envelope and read silently to myself.

Liam’s sweet words made me smile, and I didn’t have to answer her, and I looked at him from across the room.

“Oh my god. You guys are too much.”

Taylor looked upset, even though she shrugged it off. Later I found out why at her locker.

“I told you to get me a candy cane gram Nico!!!!”

“Well you telling me to do it, takes the surprise out of it. Me not doing it, guess what you were surprised weren’t you?”

My sister who was always loud looked at him and said nothing.

Before I knew it the words flew out of my mouth.

“Wow, you’re a really bad boyfriend Nico, my sister deserves better than you.”

I slammed my locker walking away from the two of them. I found out later that day, my sister broke up with him, in front of everyone in true dramatic Taylor fashion. I was proud of her.

Christmas Eve

Everyone had come over and was enjoying mom’s Christmas cookies and snacks. My dad brought in a big box sitting it down on the floor.

“I want to thank everyone for coming over tonight to spend time with our family. Our children picked people they care about to spend this time together with you. Ren and I are happy to have you in our home. We both grew up in the foster care system, and learned early in life, sometimes the people that care about you most, are not your blood relatives. So we try to celebrate that.”

“And when we had the opportunity to open our home up to two adorable identical twin girls, we couldn’t say no.” My mother chimed in.

“It’s the best decision they ever made. I went to sleep one night wishing I had a little sister. The next morning I woke up with two.” Jaiden spoke up.

“And we know what it’s like to be alone on Christmas, or missing someone special on Christmas that you were once close to. So we wanted to do something special. Liam would you mind sharing the Christmas Eve tradition you had that you told me about?”

“Christmas was my Mom’s favorite holiday. Every Christmas Eve that I can remember she’d dress us up in these ugly Christmas sweaters

and we would go ice skating on Lake Pine. She loved to ice skate. Then she’d make us take these dorky pictures in our Christmas sweaters that matched. I miss her a lot.”

“I miss her too. I’m not adopted, but Liam’s Mom always made me feel like I was her son too. So I really get what you’re saying about family not always being blood related. She was my mom too.”

Liam hugged his brother.

My dad opened the box.

“With a little help from Riley I found some what I would think are hideously awesome ugly Christmas sweaters, and am secretly happy for your love of Star Trek too. I’m sorry Liam, you can’t be the Captain, this is mine. But this one is yours.”

“Well if I can’t be Captain, being the science officer is the next best and most logical choice.” Liam took his blue sweater graciously.

“That’s what I said! Dad please say you got me a blue sweater too.”

“I did.”

After all the sweaters were handed out, there was still one left in the box.

“Guess you guys bought this before I broke up with Nico. No big deal.”

Once everyone was dressed, they headed out to the vehicles, and Liam stuffed the extra shirt into Leo’s trunk.

“I really don’t know how this is going to go Liam.”

“What do you mean?”

“Ice skating? Do you seriously trust me with knives on my feet?”

“Well good thing you’re not just Riley Brooks today, you’re the science officer for the USS Enterprise. Live long and prosper.”

Liam expected Riley to be as horrible on ice skates as she had been on roller skates, but Riley amazingly was incredibly balanced.

“Have you ice skated before?”

“No! I don’t know how I'm good at this! I usually have no natural balance.”

“You’re a natural at skating…”

“Ice skating. Let's clarify that.”

Taylor was still sitting on the bench watching the couples skate by. “She still hasn’t gotten out on the ice yet. I think she’s feeling lonely and the extra shirt probably made her think of Nico.”

Liam’s phone beeped. “Why don’t you go sit with her for a little bit, and I’ll be back in a few with some hot cocoas for us all.”

“Is cocoa your favorite drink?”

“Yes, and my mom used to always say your heart won’t feel cold if you always have a nice warm cup of cocoa. It always makes me feel better.”

I went to sit with Taylor and Liam continued walking toward the concessions stand.

“You okay?” I asked Taylor.

“I just don’t feel like skating, and look over there.”

Nico was there, with another girl on his arm.

“To be honest I never liked him Taylor. He called you T, like you were a drink or a shirt or something. He wasn’t even really that nice. Good riddance, I say.”

“I never thanked you for standing up for me that day Riley. It really meant a lot.”

“You’re my sister Taylor. I will always have your back, even when you pull me into a tornado.”

“Not on purpose!” She laughed.

“Oh it never is.” I remarked pulling Taylor closer to me in a hug. After a few seconds she pulled away from me.

“What are you doing here?”

“Helping Liam deliver hot cocoa. This one is yours.

I don’t like all the extra stuff in mine.”

Drake handed Taylor her cocoa, as he sat down next to her.

“Just hot and cocoa pretty much then right?”

“Exactly. I’m not that difficult to understand.”

“Do you like to ice skate, Drake?”

“Like it? It’s okay, but I can. Would you like to skate Taylor?”

Drake took off his coat wearing the remaining ugly sweater.

“Okay.” Taylor said in a nonchalant voice.

Taylor’s mood picked up immediately as she skated around with Drake on the ice. She never once glanced in Nico’s direction.

“That was really nice of you to do Liam.”

“He really does like her, you know. Maybe now she can finally see him with Nico out the way.”

“You’re so adorkably sweet Liam.”

“I know Riley, I know.”

[fadingreveries]

The Royal Romance, Bk1 Ch2: Welcome to Cordonia (Pt. 3)

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

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

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

Word Count: 2.2k

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

~ ~ ~

Pulling along her suitcase, Riley followed Maxwell to the front doors of the palace. Maxwell nodded in acknowledgement to the officers of the King’s Guard dressed in their black uniforms as they opened the doors for them.

The coffered ceilings of the castle were much higher than she imagined they could be with beams laid in a grid which created a pattern of recessed squares. There were rooms leading to sitting areas that had furniture and objects fancier than she had ever seen with plush velvet couches, dainty bouquets in vases, intricate gold and glass centrepieces, and sparkling crystal chandeliers.

“I thought the outside was amazing on its own, but being inside…” Riley wondered aloud, her head swivelling around as she lost her trail of thought.

It was only until she entered the palace where she realized how different her world was from Liam’s. He had grown up here, learned to follow his father’s footsteps as a prince, met all kinds of nobles, and possibly brought fancy socialites home after dates. This was his childhood home; his whole world seemed to embody glamour and prestige.

She, on the other hand, had grown up in a cramped but cozy apartment with her mother and father. It wasn’t much, but the love her parents had for her and each other was more than what most people were lucky to have. With her American upbringing, her Korean mother’s roots, and her father’s Filipino culture, she was grateful for the homes she would forever have in the U.S., the Philippines, and South Korea.

They showered her with love and reassurance, frequently reminding her that family was the most important thing to cherish that motivates and grounds you at the same time. She never felt like she had lacked anything in her life, not when she had the most loving, supportive parents anyone could have.

At least that’s what it felt like before she lost the two people she loved the most in her life. But that was a story for another time, one for where there was less pressure and anticipation facing some of the most important people in Codonia.

A small piece of doubt began to spring up once again in her mind. Based on her appearance alone, it was clear that she was not from Cordonia, much less part of the country’s nobility or highly-respected citizens. She didn’t want to let Maxwell and his brother down from her upcoming representation of their house.

But in a split second, as she’d done everyday since they were no longer in her life, she heard her parents’ words in her mind saying, One day at a time.

“It’s like a whole other world, huh? Don’t worry, you have tons of time to roam and explore and get used to it,” Maxwell reassured her, as he followed her gaze landing on all lighting and fixtures. “After all, you’ll be here for the next few months of the social season.”

They made their way to the grand staircase with gold handrails decorated with artistic panel inserts of flowing swirls. A large velvet red carpet regally covered the steps leading up to the top platform where it separated into two staircases that led to the left and left wings of the castle.

“So, what’s the deal with Drake? Why is he… so jaded?” Riley questioned, fixating on the elegant staircase she had only ever really seen replicas of in movies. Seeing all the luxury decorations and furniture reminded her of Drake's annoyance with her fascination with all the new sights she was seeing. “Is he always like that?”

“I can get that for you,” Maxwell offered, implying Riley’s suitcase as she willingly handed it to him. He lifted it up as they climbed the staircase together, before answering her question, “Oh, don’t mind him. Drake’s never really… fit in. He doesn’t like court as much as others love being part of it.”

“Not used to courtly life?” Riley suggested, glancing at Maxwell for confirmation.

“Definitely not. Technically, he’s a commoner. He grew up here at court with us, but he’s… always been an outsider here in a way. Even if he is Liam’s best friend,” Maxwell responded, even though it was something he wondered himself as well.

With a nod, Riley pondered his answer. It made sense why he seemed to stick out like a sore thumb compared to Liam and the others, although it didn’t seem plausible that someone would choose to stay in a place where they would only be somewhat excluded.

She questioned, “But if he’s not fond of spending time with royals and nobles, is there a reason why he tries to tolerate it so much? Besides being there for Liam, I’m guessing.”

“Beats me,” Maxwell responded, shrugging his shoulders. “Sometimes it’s hard to know what he’s thinking. He’s pretty much known for being mysterious and antisocial to almost everyone, so I wouldn’t take it personally.”

At the top of the stairs, Maxwell and Riley turned down one of the many elegant corridors of the castle. The ivory marble floors were decorated with intricate designs of mosaic art and sophisticated medallions. A gleaming chandelier glistened from the sunlight peering into the hall through the arched glass windows. The gold accents on the walls brought out the pastel blue that brightened up the space.

“Your room’s here in the west wing. In case you need anything from me or my brother, our rooms are just a couple rooms away,” Maxwell informed her, as the two of them walked past several large wooden arched doors.

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. For some reason, Maxwell struck her more as an only child with his keenness for adventure and love for the spotlight. She wondered if his brother was as easy-going and laid-back as he was. Riley curiously commented, “I didn’t know you had a brother.”

“Yeah, an older brother. His official title is Duke Bertrand Beaumont. As the eldest son, he’s the heir and I’m the spare. You’ll see him tonight. He’ll be excited to meet you,” Maxwell answered with a smile, although his last sentence had a hint of uncertainty that Riley hadn’t noticed. He already had a slight idea on how his brother would react, and well... let’s just say they would have to brace themselves.

Maxwell stopped short in front of a magnificently ornate door with the dark wood accentuating the designs. As Riley stood beside him, he turned the doorknob. Oh, boy. If this didn’t get her even more excited than he was about solving House Beaumont’s problem of not having a suitor, he would run down the corridor and do three cartwheels in a row.

“This is it… Here’s your room!” Maxwell revealed, with a giddy edge to his voice.

Riley entered a lavish guest room with a gold and dark magenta palette accompanying full-length paintings and gilded ceilings. Two end tables with beige and gold accents to the solid wood foundation were placed on both sides of the queen bed with understated white lamps on top of them. A shiny gold candle chandelier hung daintily above Maxwell and Riley, where they stood underneath it beside the bed with silky cream sheets and dark fuchsia pillows matching the ottoman nearby.

“Wow…” was all Riley could muster, as her neck craned high and low to take in the simple, regal style of the bedroom.

It was official; she had fallen asleep and dreamt of being in an alternate universe where she was treated as if she were royalty. Even if it was only temporary, she could only imagine what her younger self would do if she knew how lucky she was to be where she was now.

“As a royal guest, you’re spared no luxury,” Maxwell said, matter-of-factly as he observed her walking out the balcony where the cool, fresh air blew in peacefully.

Looking over her shoulder back at him with a hint of mischief to her smile which he recognized as resembling one of his own, Riley asked, “So nothing’s stopping me from jumping on the bed?”

“There’s not much anyone can take away from you by doing that. Maybe only your dignity.” Maxwell guffawed, watching as her shoulders rose up in anticipation.

As her smile turned up even more in delight, Riley clasped her hands together and simply said, “Perfect.”

With a running start, Riley rushed over from the balcony and leaped on to the bed with a soft plop. As she sunk into the mattress and felt the smooth silk sheets over her, she sighed happily. When was the last time she had ever been able to let out a true peaceful sigh in a very rare calm moment? Due to school and work, it seemed she hadn’t been able to rest easy in years.

“Ah… this is so much better than memory foam,” Riley complimented, snuggling with a fluffy pillow and allowing herself to close her eyes to cherish the peace and quiet. “I feel like I could sleep here forever.”

“Just one of the perks you have as one of the Crown Prince’s suitors,” Maxwell remarked, laughing in goodhearted nature. He walked away from the bed towards the door. “I’ll let you settle in before your big debut tonight.”

Immediately, Riley’s eyes opened in shock at his words. What did he mean? She sat up in surprise, calling after him, “My what?”Maxwell stopped at the door, before turning back to Riley with a nervous smile. Whoops. He knew he was forgetting something, but he couldn’t figure out what.

“I’m sorry, I keep forgetting that you’re not used to all this. Things are always complicated around here when it comes to special events like this, but we’ll take it one step at a time,” Maxwell reassured her. Riley’s shoulders relaxed a bit, so he continued to clarify, “The first event of the social season is tonight… The Masquerade.”

“Oh… it sounds important,” Riley commented, fiddling with her fingers. Her knowledge of fitting in with socialites and moguls was limited. She couldn’t help but think about how out of place she might look in front of the finest nobles of Cordonia. She thought she would have had a little bit more time to prepare. “I’ve never been to an event like that before. Are there scheduled activities I need to prepare for in advance?”

“Compared to the balls held to welcome nearby countries, not really. Sometimes, they go full-out with the masquerade theme where everyone takes off their masks at midnight. Then, networking goes on for hours,” Maxwell explained. “This ball, though, is where all the suitors will be presented to the Prince, as well as to the King. Most people at court already know each other really well, so it’s less uptight in a way. Just good music, dancing, and food.”

“Does that mean the guests have to be in specific costumes with masks prepared tonight?” Riley questioned, finding the idea of attending a masquerade for the first time interesting.

Shrugging his shoulders, Maxwell replied, “Not everyone dresses in costume, but some people plan months finding one to wear for it. You can be sure that the ladies competing for Liam’s attention will be pulling out all the stops.”

For a split second, Maxwell glanced doubtfully at Riley’s modestly-looking suitcase. When they were at her apartment back in New York, he watched as she hurriedly packed her most essential belongings. Among her things in her suitcase were keepsakes and books as well as her quintessential New York attire.

“I’m guessing it’s too much to ask if you’ve got a costume or fancy ballgown in there,” Maxwell joked, although he was seriously racking his brain trying to remember if she stuffed one or two in there as a backup.

With a sheepish smile, Riley lifted her suitcase on the bed. She unzipped the main compartment where she pulled out a flowy, floor-length dress as blue as the calm Cordonian sky. “I packed a dress.”

“Well, I wasn’t sure, so I’ve made an appointment for you at the palace boutique. Maybe you’ll find something you like better there!” Maxwell cheerfully informed her.

For once, he wasn’t scrambling to fix things; he was actually preparing in advance. Bertrand would be so proud of his initiative. Maxwell just knew it.

Tucking her dress back into her suitcase for the meantime, Riley replied, “I’ll check it out. There’s nothing wrong with another option or two.”

“Remember, tonight is very important. It’s your chance to make a first impression on all the influential people at court and to stand apart from everyone else. If you’re going to leave a lasting impact, you might as well stun them with some style,” Maxwell responded, with a hint of cool confidence in his last sentence.

Triple S’s and alliteration? Man, was he on a roll with smooth words. Maxwell could definitely shimmy his way into being a reality TV show host. Maybe The Bachelorette or The Bachelor could use a new host in the near future…

An eager grin made its way on her face, as Riley reassured him, “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.”

~ ~ ~

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

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

[jicklet]

Wanted to do a little something for @hanaleeappreciationweek, because boy do I appreciate my best friend Hana 🥰 (x)

[alj4890]

A Slight Detour

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

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

Taken from Book 2 of The Royal Romance

Masterlist

**********

Paris...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Your majesty?" Madeleine said a bit louder.

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

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

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

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

"Yes, of course." He responded.

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

Madeleine eyed him silently after adding their latest event.

"Is something wrong?" She asked.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He knew that was all she asked of him.

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

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

Liam lowered the privacy barrier to speak to their driver.

"Pull over, please."

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

"Where are you going?!" Madeleine demanded.

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

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

"I'll be there." He promised.

Liam mentally groaned when Bastien stepped out to follow him.

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

Bastien, ever stoic, shook his head.

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

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

"Your majesty, I must insist--"

"Now." Liam told him.

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

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

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

Liam watched the procession continue on without him.

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

I wish Riley was--

"Liam!"

He turned about with a start.

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

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

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

He shook his head, his first genuine smile forming.

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

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

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

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

Her smile widened as she linked her arm with his.

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

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

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

Liam cocked an eyebrow in response.

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

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

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

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

He lifted his bright, blue eyes to Riley.

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

He pressed his forehead against hers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"What are you doing now?" She asked.

"Looking for a dark, hidden nook."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Liam ran his fingers through her silky, black hair.

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

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

He laughed then placed a lingering kiss on her forehead.

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

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

"And I with you." Liam murmured.

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

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

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

"But, I--"

"Allow me, please." He pleaded.

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

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

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

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

"Yes?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But that would have to wait.

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

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

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

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

[lawsend]

Murder at Vista Heights Chapter 6

Series: Law’s End

Episode 1: Murder at Vista Heights

Fandom: The Royal Romance (loosely, there’s not much canon in here).

Pairings: None yet

Word Count: 2,500

Rating: MA

A/N: This counts as @karahalloway ask from my 1500 followers celebration post on my main account @angelasscribbles.

Warnings for series: adult themes, any given chapter may contain murder, violence, language, drinking, drug use, etc.

My other stuff can be found on my main blog @angelasscribbles here is the Master List.

The homicide division of the seventh precinct had been plunged into chaos. All three interrogation rooms were in use, leaving a person of interest cooling his heels in the waiting area.

Riley was trying to get comments from anyone that would talk to her. Max had narrowly evaded being tossed out of the station when he had attempted to get photos of William Sloan as he was brought in for questioning.

The mayor was livid at being called late in the evening by one of her biggest campaign contributors. “I don’t care what fucking time it is or how many hours you already worked today!” Madeleine was yelling at a lithe redhead with her hair pinned immaculately in place despite her protestations over the lateness of the hour.

Olivia Nevrakis narrowed her eyes at her boss. “And I don’t care how much money Sloan Enterprises has donated to your re-election campaign. If he’s a suspect, he has to be questioned, just like everyone else!”

“William Sloan most certainly did not murder Trent Hayes! Are you out of your mind?”

Olivia doubled down. “If there wasn’t some reason to suspect him, Liam wouldn’t have brought him in for questioning!”

While the mayor and the DA were having their showdown, Drake Walker was pacing the floor, waiting for his turn in interrogation.

He was a person of interest. Presumably, because someone had ratted him out to the police about his business relationship with William Sloan. His eyes scoured the open office area until he spotted her.

Riley saw him coming and made a strategic exit to the woman’s room. She almost ran over the sketch artist from earlier. “Oof! Sorry!”

“It’s okay,” Lillith assured her. “Who are you hiding from?”

“What makes you think I’m hiding from anyone?”

“I recognize the panic.”

“Wait. Who are you hiding from?”

“My sister.”

Riley’s brain spun to catch up. Then realization washed over her. She should have made the connection before. Nevrakis was not a common name. “The DA is your sister?”

Lilith flinched a little. “Half-sister. She hates me.”

“Why?”

Lilith shrugged. “Something about my whore of a mother breaking her mother’s heart.”

“Oh….” Riley was rarely struck speechless, but she had no idea how to respond to that.

“Sorry!” Lilith dropped her face into her hands. “That was TMI and now I’ve made things awkward!”

“No, no, you’re fine!” Riley assured her. “Trust me. As a reporter, I’ve heard every damn thing. That’s not even in the top ten for most awkward.”

Lilith smiled wanly. “I’d like to hear that top ten list then.”

“Sure. We should get drinks sometime.”

“Really?” The sketch artist searched her face to see if she was joking.

“Yeah, why not?”

“Okay, yeah, I’d like that.” This time, the smile was bigger, brighter. Lilith didn’t have a lot of friends, tended to be socially awkward, and was used to being somewhat of a pariah in certain upper society circles because of her status as the bastard child of an extramarital affair.

Riley eased the door open to peer through the crack. “Unless you have any information about the case you’re willing to give me, I need to get back out there.”

Meanwhile, in Interrogation Room One…

“I get it.” Flynn eyed the man sitting across the table from him. “Beautiful woman. Rich, powerful husband. You don’t want to get sidewise with him, so when Trent started blackmailing her, threatening her—”

“I told you I know nothing about that!” Dean yanked on the chains holding him to the table, making the hard metal slam against the wood with a satisfying clang.

“You didn’t know he was blackmailing her?”

“No!”

“Did you know he found out about the affair?”

“No!”

“So, you don’t deny the affair?”

“What?” Dean looked up at him with a defeated expression. “No.”

“Okay, good. We’re getting somewhere. So, you were sleeping with her and—”

“I love her!”

“Okay, okay.” Flynn held his hands up in surrender. “You’re in love. And this man threatened her—”

Dean heaved a sigh and slumped back in his seat. “How many times do I have to tell you that I knew nothing about that?”

Interrogation Room Two….

“Here you go, buddy.” Liam sat a bottle of ice-cold water on the table and slid it across to the CEO of Sloan Enterprises. “Sorry about all this. But we have evidence your wife is having an affair and was being blackmailed by the victim. You understand how that gives you motive, right?”

William fixed the detective with a steely glare, remaining silent.

“So, how did it go down? She missed a payment? He called you up and told you? When confronted with proof of the affair, you snapped, shot the messenger so to speak? It’s understandable. Heat of the moment. The sooner you tell me what happened, the sooner I can help you.”

William leaned forward and pushed the water bottle back across the table. “I want my lawyer. Now!”

Interrogation Room Three….

Bertrand stood in the doorway of the room in his somehow perfectly pressed suit and tapped a file folder against the palm of his other hand as he regarded the woman in front of him. “Did you do it yourself, or did you have someone else shoot him? Leo Rys, maybe?”

Katie sniffed as she lifted an imperious gaze to the man across from her. “I had nothing to do with Trent’s death, but I would certainly like to thank whoever did. He was the worst kind of pond scum, and he won’t be missed.”

“Not exactly the type of sentiments that will exonerate you, Mrs. Sloan.”

She gave him a coy smile. “Please. Call me Katie.”

Bertrand’s dour expression never changed. “I don’t think you grasp the gravity of the situation, Mrs. Sloan.”

A mirthful laugh bubbled out of her. “I’m not worried because I didn’t do it.”

“Who else had more of a motive than you?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t you talk to that psycho he cheated on me with?” Her face lit up with clear hatred.

Bertrand languidly raised an eyebrow. “And that would be?”

“Sabrina Simmons!”

“Are they still an item?”

“If they are, he’s cheating on her, I guarantee it, and you know what they say about a woman scorned. Besides, she has a history of stalking behavior. She’s fucking crazy!”

Bertrand made a noncommittal sound in his throat as he jotted the name down on his notepad.

Back in the main office area…

Riley was trying to sweet talk a crime scene investigator when Drake caught up with her. “Rashad. That’s a beautiful name.”

“Thanks.” Even with his dark complexion, the blush that spread across his features was noticeable.

“There you are!” Drake’s voice boomed out as he grasped her upper arm firmly and pulled her away from Rashad. “I think we’re overdue for a conversation.”

“I’m sure I don’t know what—”

Rashad was suddenly serious. “Hey! Is everything okay?”

Riley’s eyes darted back and forth between the two men, noting the tension in both sets of shoulders. Diffusing the situation was preferable to escalating it, so she smiled sweetly at Rashad. “It’s fine. He’s right. We have a previous…. agreement we need to discuss.”

“Oh.” The other man looked disappointed, but excused himself with a regretful glance back at the reporter.

“Did you rat me out to the cops, Riley?” Drake asked as he pulled her to the side of the room for a private conversation.

“Absolutely not.”

“Then why have I been brought in for questioning? Why is my client in an interrogation room right now?”

“Your client is in an interrogation room because his wife got busted with her lover tonight by the lead detective on the case.” Riley pulled her arm out of his grasp, but moved her body closer to his. “As for figuring out he hired you as a PI, I’m assuming that was their own detective work because I did not rat you out!”

He wanted to believe her. All CCPD had to do to find him was to run Sloan’s financials. Or Max’s. “Hm. Why do I have a feeling you’re going to be a giant pain in my ass? Tell me this, who pointed them in the Sloan’s direction in the first place?”

“A private citizen who witnessed—”

Drake’s lips pressed into a thin line as he shook his head. “Maxwell Beaumont was not a private citizen when he took those photographs!”

A scathing voice cut through their conversation. “Did she sleep with you for information, too?”

They both turned to find Liam approaching, with Max hot on his heels.

Drake took a step back in confusion. “What? We haven’t slept together!”

“Yet,” Max mumbled under his breath. His eyes widened when he realized Liam might have heard him. He cleared his throat and began to fiddle with his camera, pretending to ignore the conversation.

Riley shot a murderous expression at Liam. “For the last time, Liam, that’s not what happened!”

Drake blinked as he processed the insinuation. Moving his attention back to Riley, he asked, “You slept with him for information?”

“No, I did not.” She replied through gritted teeth.

“Come on, Walker.” Liam gestured toward the interrogation room. “We need to have a discussion about what services you provided for William Sloan.”

Drake turned his head to watch Riley over his shoulder as he followed the detective, mumbling the whole time about client privacy.

As Liam and Drake walked down the hall toward the interrogation rooms, they passed William Sloan and his lawyer, Sadie McGraw, on their way out.

The moment Madeleine saw William and Sadie, she scurried after them, apologizing profusely for the misunderstanding.

Bertrand and Flynn walked into the open office area deep in conversation, comparing notes about their respective interrogations. Olivia approached them before they could make it to Bertrand’s office, a dark haired young man trailing behind her. She wasted no time demanding answers about the investigation.

Bertrand ushered everyone into his office, where the DA was given all the latest updates on the case.

When the detectives were finished talking, Olivia nodded her head. “Between Trent’s bank account showing deposits from Katie and Dean’s confession of the affair, I think Kiara will sign off on a search warrant for the Sloan properties and bank accounts.” She turned to bark at the law intern who had been shadowing her for weeks. “Anton! Get Judge Theron on the phone!”

“Yes, ma’am!” Anton squeaked as he fumbled for his phone.

Thirty minutes later, the CCPD had a search warrant, Drake was released from interrogation and Bertrand was yelling at Riley and Max to get out of his station house.

“What are you doing at my desk?”

Riley looked up into Liam’s stormy expression as she closed the lid of her laptop. “Updating my story. I promise I didn’t look through your files!”

“This time.”

“That’s what I said.” She gave him a disarming smile as she rose and started stuffing the computer, notepads, and pens into her taupe, Saffiano leather Kate Spade laptop tote. “I didn’t read any of your files this time.”

It had been a long day; he was tired; he was irritated; he was ready for a break in this case… and yet something about her infectious grin and the teasing lilt in her voice pulled a begrudging smile from him. He shook his head in wonderment. How did she keep getting under his skin?

He called out to her as she walked away. “Hey, Riley!”

She turned back to face him. “Yeah?”

“Thank you. Your intel was actually helpful tonight.”

Her grin broadened into a full fledged smile, lighting up her whole face. “You’re welcome, detective. See you around.”

She found Drake and Max both waiting for her at the homicide office door. She directed her attention to Drake. “What are you still doing here?”

“Just got out of interrogation, thanks to someone who doesn’t understand confidentiality.” There was no accusation in his tone, just a simple statement of fact.

“It’s not my fault your client was implicated in a homicide.”

“Oh, I’m not blaming you.” He replied as he looked past her to shoot daggers at Max.

Max blinked. “What did I do?”

Drake shook his head as he pushed off the wall he’d been leaning against. “Come on, I’ll walk you out.”

“Oh, that’s not necessary. She’s with me.” Max flushed a deep shade of crimson. “We’re both in my car, I mean!”

“Then I’ll walk you both out. Can’t be too careful. It’s late, and this is Cordonia City.”

“I’m perfectly capable of protecting her.”

Drake’s eyes ran quickly and dismissively over the younger man. “Sure you are, kid.”

The three stepped out into the dimly lit, air-conditioned hallway as Liam watched them leave with curiosity, regret, and annoyance mingling in his expression.

The ancient, decrepit elevator dinged as it rocked to a stop on the first floor and the doors slid creakily open.

Neville VanCouer was arguing with the front desk sergeant. “I heard suspects were brought in for questioning. I just want to get a statement—”

“Heard? Or read it in my story?” Riley gloated.

Neville looked like his head was about to explode. “Why were they allowed in?”

The desk sergeant’s bored expression never changed as he shrugged. “Came in with a homicide detective.”

“How?”

Another shrug from the sergeant.

Neville spun on Riley. “The updates you’ve been posting…someone is giving you insider information!”

She gave him a saccharine sweet smile. “Or I’m just a better reporter than you.”

Neville took a step toward her, but Drake moved quickly, inserting himself between Riley and the other reporter. “Why don’t you go harass someone else?”

Neville glared at Drake, but he stepped back. The showdown was broken by Neville’s photograph, who had just reappeared from the men’s room. “Hey! That’s the guy that told me there was a door open around back!”

Max lifted a shoulder innocently. “There was when I was back there.”

The other man’s eyes narrowed. “Then why haven’t any crime scene photos been published anywhere?”

“Ah…. technical difficulties.”

The photographer looked skeptically between Max and Neville, as if trying to decide if Max was lying.

Neville shook his head, “It’s not worth it, Tariq. Come on, let’s go.”

“See?” Drake was almost gloating. “You needed me.”

Riley rolled her eyes. “Neville is annoying and slimy, but he’s not dangerous.”

“Yeah,” Max chimed in, “And we’re standing in a police station.”

“Listen.” Riley decided to get the elephant in the room out of the way. “I know you think I threw you under the bus with Liam. I’ll understand if you want to cancel our dinner plans.”

“Oh, we’re still going to dinner.”

Riley’s brows furrowed in confusion. “But I thought you said—”

“I said you were going to be a giant pain in my ass.” His eyes tracked across her face. “But something tells me you’re worth all the trouble.”

[tessa-liam]

Smoke and Mirrors - Chapter 14

The Striking Ceremony

Book: The Royal Romance Finale, AU

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

Smoke and Mirrors Masterlist

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

2nd Pairings: Leo Rys x Amalas, Drake Walker x F! OC Delaney Leigh, Olivia Nevrakis x M! OC Alex Cossoy

*Most characters belong to Pixelberry Studios

*Not Beta’d, please excuse all errors

Rating: M🔞*Series Warnings: NSFW material, sexual innuendo, adult language/swearing/drinking/gun violence. Not recommended for anyone under 18 years of age.

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

Words: 4.5 K

Chapter summary: Amalas delivers the news that Riley has been abducted by Lena. Alex Cossoy, the Interpol liaison officer and Olivia, head of the Royal guard, begin the lockdown of the palace and begin the search and recovery of Queen Riley. Gabriella continues her attempts to distract Liam while Riley is surprisedly reunited with a past acquaintance at the Striking Ceremony being held by the Via Imperii.

A/N: My submission for the Choices Monthly Challenge - Pop Prompt Palooza – Dialogue Prompt, “I don’t know how to tell you this, but...”, Setting Prompt, A crowded room. May MAYhem 2025 Prompts, Secrets/Lies @choicesmonthlychallenge @lovealexhunt

Lena Eleanor Rys ... Liam’s little sister. Although Liam is interested in developing a relationship with her and ‘saving’ her from the Via Imperii. Lena doesn't appear to reciprocate his feelings. She explains that Liam doesn't deserve Cordonia's throne and only became king due to birthright -- because he was born second, and their older brother abdicated. She argues that she has worked to be worthy of that power for her entire life, and a kingdom should choose its ruler based on who is the most worthy.

Or...

Lena Sigrid Runarsdottir ... ‘the mercenary princess of Vallenheim’, a member of the Via Imperii, ‘The Fist’.

Lena moves like smoke—elegant, elusive, and impossible to contain. Tall and poised, she carries herself with the cool precision of a predator who knows she’s already won. Her sharp cheekbones and striking blue eyes make her beautiful in a way that feels dangerous—like glass under moonlight or a dagger dipped in perfume.

Her voice is low, measured, and hypnotic—more threat than promise. She rarely raises because she never needs to. People listen. They obey. Or they disappear.

Lena is not impulsive. She watches. Waits. Calculates. Her brilliance is clinical, her cruelty efficient. She has the mind of a tactician and the heart of a winter storm. Every move she makes is part of a larger game directed by ‘the Circle of the Via Imperii.’

To her, loyalty is a currency. Love is a liability. And weakness? A death sentence.

Cordonian Palace Grand Ballroom

Olivia watched in apprehension as Queen Amalas appeared at the entrance of the ballroom and with laser focus, searched the crowded ballroom. Her heart raced as Amalas, her former lover, made eye contact with her and approached with an air of urgency, her regal demeanor shadowed by palpable concern and urgency.

Amalas swiftly and walked directly in front of Olivia, bypassing others trying to get her attention. As Olivia’s breath caught in her throat, Alex rose to greet the Queen formally, hiding his surprise. Olivia's mind was racing with questions about this unexpected visit; and she had little time to process before Amalas bluntly informed them of Lena's escape from her incerceration..

Amalas’ lips pressed into a thin line as she turned to Olivia and Alex. Her voice was calm, but the steel beneath it rang clear. Ever stoic.

“Alex, you must have your team prepare for a worst-case scenario.”

Alex blinked. “Worst case? Your Majesty, what exactly are you referring to—?”

Before the words had left his mouth, Olivia felt it — that creeping dread. The grand ballroom, so meticulously arranged for the evening’s diplomatic gathering, suddenly felt like a cage. The chandeliers shimmered too brightly, the marble floor gleamed too much, like a dream teetering on the edge of nightmare.

Across the room, nobles murmured, oblivious to the storm brewing beneath the surface.

Olivia watched Amalas’ hand tremble ever so slightly. That alone set her on edge. Amalas was unshakable — always. For her to crack, even a little, meant something had gone very, very wrong.

Alex’s phone buzzed. He stepped away, voice sharp and professional as he issued rapid-fire instructions to his team. Olivia turned to Amalas, eyes narrowed.

“What’s going on?” she asked. “Don’t you dare dance around it.”

Amalas met her gaze, regal and grim. “Lena has escaped.”

Olivia froze. “Lena? That’s not possible. She was in maximum security—”

“She had help,” Amalas said. “And not just from the outside. We suspect someone on the inside assisted. Someone with access to court logistics. Someone who wants Riley removed.”

Olivia’s blood ran cold. “Riley’s still in the palace.”

“And that makes her a target,” Amalas said flatly. “We can’t afford to gamble.”

Alex returned, his expression grave. “We have a confirmed breach. The cell Lena was transferred to in France was compromised. Interpol suspects coordination from inside France. Maybe even Cordonia.”

“I’ll alert Liam,” Olivia said at once, turning to move, but Alex stepped in front of her.

“I’ll handle it. You need to stay here with Amalas.”

Olivia narrowed her eyes. “Alex. Did you know about Lena's escape before tonight?”

Alex hesitated — just long enough.

“You did,” she said quietly, eyes flashing. “You knew Lena was a risk again, and you didn’t tell me.”

“I was trying to protect you,” he said, voice low.

She let out a short, humorless laugh. “Don’t give me that. You don’t get to make that decision for me.”

The weight of betrayal settled between them, heavy and raw. But before anything more could be said, Amalas broke in.

“There’s no time for this. Liv, I need your head clear. If Lena has infiltrated the palace, we’re looking at more than just a chance at an assassination attempt. This could be a coup.”

Olivia swallowed hard, emotions clashing violently beneath her carefully curated exterior. But then she straightened her spine, the Duchess of Lythikos returning to the surface.

“Understood. Tell me what you need.”

Alex met her gaze. The hurt was still there, but so was something else — respect. “I’ll coordinate with the royal guard and notify his majesty. You and Amalas secure the ballroom. Riley’s in the south wing. I have already notified Mara to personally escort the queen to a safe house...but she has not responded yet.”

"That's odd ... why not?" Olivia exchanged a look with Amalas and immediately called for back up ss the women ran toward the grand staircase.

The hallways of the southern wing echoed with the sound of Olivia’s heels striking the marble floor. Beside her, Queen Amalas moved with swift, purposeful steps, her efficient outfit allowing her to climb the staircase two steps at a time. Guards rushed past them in tight formation, the palace now humming with coordinated efficiency.

As they approached Riley’s suite, Olivia’s gut twisted. Something felt wrong — the royal suite was too quiet. The usual stationed guards weren’t at the double doors. The tension prickled at her skin.

She raised a hand, signaling Amalas to stop. Olivia drew a dagger from her thigh holster, her instincts screaming.

The door to Riley’s suite was slightly ajar. Olivia pushed it open with the flat of her hand.

The room was a wreck with furniture overturned. A shattered vase, spilled water and flowers across the floor. The scent of jasmine clung to the air, deceptively sweet amidst the chaos. And near the center of the room—

“Oh gods…” Amalas breathed.

Riley’s personal guard — Mara — lay on the ground, her uniform torn and blood seeping from a recent wound on her shoulder. Olivia rushed to her side, kneeling swiftly.

“Mara! Hey—stay with me!” Olivia tapped her cheek, searching for signs of consciousness.

The guard groaned, her eyes fluttering. “I… I... tried to stop them…”

“Where’s Riley?” Olivia demanded, her voice sharp with fear.

Mara’s hand trembled as she pointed toward the shattered window. “Taken. Two of them. One had her under gunpoint… the other... called her by name.”

Amalas pressed a hand to her mouth. "Riley knew them!”

“They didn’t kill me,” Mara choked. “They said… they needed her alive.”

Olivia’s jaw clenched as she turned to Amalas. “Lena.”

“And someone working with her,” Amalas said grimly.

A guard entered behind them, pale and shaken. “Duchess Nevrakis — the palace gates were breached. One of the decoy vehicles was just spotted leaving the outer perimeter... and we can’t raise Queen Riley’s tracker signal.”

“Of course ... they jammed it,” Olivia muttered, standing. Her eyes were fire.

Amalas scanned the room. “This was planned. Precise. They neutralized the guard without killing her. They wanted her to deliver a message.”

Olivia’s hands curled into fists. “And the message is that we’re too late.”

She turned to the guards. “Seal the palace. No one leaves or enters without my clearance. Get the royal medic here for Mara. And someone tell Liam—Riley’s been taken.”

As they moved into action, Olivia faced Amalas, her voice low and cold.

“They took my friend. My queen. And they think we’ll hesitate.”

Amalas met her gaze, her voice a quiet vow. “Then we’ll show them what a mistake that was.”

---

"Eirik, how much do you know about the Via Imperii?" Leo asked casually as he poured two fingers of Macallen into a crystal tumblr. Liam stood near the edge of the bar, flanked by Drake and Maxwell.. They had been speaking casually about the King Eirik's delegation, but Liam’s focus had drifted.

He scanned the crowd, eyes subconsciously searching for one face — Riley’s.

She was supposed to join him by now.

“Still not used to these things,” Drake muttered, tugging at his collar. “Too many forks, too much smiling.” Maxwell chuckled. “It’s called diplomacy, brother. You survive by nodding, drinking the right wine, and knowing when to escape.”

Drake rolled his eyes. “I’m two out of three.”

Before Liam could comment, Gabriella returned and sauntered up beside him in her midnight blue gown gown that shimmered benath the chandeliers.

“Your Majesty,” she purred, placing a hand lightly on his arm. “You’re impossible to reach tonight. I was starting to think I needed a royal appointment just to steal a dance.”

Liam didn’t even look at her. His gaze remained locked across the dancefloor.

“I’m waiting for someone,” he said simply, his voice distant.

Gabriella’s smile faltered slightly, but she leaned in regardless, lowering her voice suggestively. “You know, you work too hard. If Riley is too busy playing the queen, perhaps you could use a little... distraction.”

Drake’s brow furrowed. Leo’s expression darkened. But Liam’s face remained still, Unreadable.

“She’s not playing anything,” Liam said coolly. “She is the queen.”

Before Gabriella could respond, the ballroom doors opened fast—too fast. Alex strode in, his face pale, his movement clipped and urgent. The moment Liam saw him, he straightened and moved forward.

Alex didn’t hesitate. He cut straight across the dancefloor with purpose. When he reached Liam, he lowered his voice, but it nonetheless carried the weight of a hammer.

“Your Majesty... I don’t know how to tell you this, but—Riley is missing.”

Time stopped.

Liam’s blood turned to ice.

“What?” he said, barely a breath.

“She was taken,” Alex continued grimly. “Her guard was found injured in her suite. Olivia and Queen Amalas were seconds too late. We believe Lena’s involved. There was a breach.”

Drake took a sharp breath beside him. Leo’s fists clenched.

Gabriella stepped back, suddenly realizing the gravity of the moment.

Liam stared at Alex, the words registering slowly. “Are you certain?”

Alex nodded. “We have confirmation. She’s gone. And we’ve lost her security signal.”

A pause.

Then Liam moved.

No hesitation.

o ceremony.

“Clear the room,” he commanded. “Now.”

“But—” Gabriella started.

“Get out,” Liam snapped, his voice laced with venum and fire.

As guards began ushering confused remaining guests toward the exit, Liam turned to Alex.

“Mobilize every unit. No one leaves Cordonia without being checked. No one enters without vetting.

Get Director Ryerson here, now.

Find that car. I want every satellite, every drone. You have full clearance.”

“I’m already on it,” Alex said. “Olivia’s coordinating the internal systems lockdown of the palace."

Amalas appeared, turning to Eirik. "Tell me everything you know about the Via Imperii."

"...and keep in mind, Eirik, that we already have the answers," Olivia snarled.

Eirik's eyes locked onto Amalas', and he smiled. "The Via Imperii is headquartered in Vallenheim."

Olivia stared at him -- "Vallenheim... Isn't that some snowy kingdom up north ... near France?"

"Oh, how convenient. Leo added with disdain.

"One that's been happily in Via Imperii hands for decades now. They're a dangerous bunch, and they're not afraid to use their influence and money to get their way."

"Eirik, I don't know what to think. Are you one of them?" Liam watched his body language for tells.

"That's not all," Eirik continued. "They have spies everywhere. They're not just a secret society, they're an army, and they've infiltrated every level of society."

"How?"

"By becoming part of the government, or by simply buying politicians. They're not afraid to use bribery and blackmail to get what they want. They don't care who gets hurt."

Amalas' expression hardened, and she clenched her jaw.

"So, you're saying they could have people working inside the palace?" Olivia asked, glancing around nervously.

“I don’t know how to tell you this, but...

"Lena escaped from Interpol"

Liam repeated the words, his tone full of disbelief.

"And you know this how?"

"We have sources," Amalas explained.

"What sources?"

"I cannot say," Amalas replied.

"You have sources, and yet, you can't tell me?" Liam questioned.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because if I did, they would be compromised."

"I'm not a fucking idiot, Amalas," Liam growled, his patience waning.

"I never said you were," Amalas responded calmly.

"Then stop treating me like one," Liam snapped, glaring at her.

"I'm not trying to," Amalas defended.

"Then why won't you tell me who your sources are?"

"Because the less people who know, the better," Amalas explained, her expression growing stern.

"I don't give a shit!" Liam roared, his temper flaring.

Amalas took a step forward, closing the gap between them. She glared at him, her eyes narrowed “I don’t know how to tell you this, but...

Liam's eyes widened in shock, his mouth hanging open slightly. He stared at her in disbelief, unable to speak.

"Lena has kidnapped her," Amalas continued, her tone flat and emotionless.

"Kidnapped her?" Liam repeated, his voice barely audible.

"Yes," Amalas answered. "It's been verified."

"How do you know that?"

"My source was able to confirm it," Amalas explained.

"When?" Liam responded, clearly frustrated.

"Less than an hour ago."

Liam's expression darkened, his anger boiling over. "Why the fuck am I just hearing about this now?"

"Because I didn't want to risk the chance of Lena hearing about it," Amalas replied, her voice calm and collected.

"Why the fuck would you care if Lena heard about it?"

"Because we're dealing with someone who's not only dangerous, but smart. And if she finds out we're onto her, she'll disappear into the wind, and we'll never find her," Amalas explained, her gaze never leaving Liam's. "We'll never find Riley."

Liam's nostrils flared, his jaw clenched tightly.

"I understand your anger, Liam," Amalas said. "But we need to keep our heads. Getting worked up will not help us find her."

Liam's fists clenched, his knuckles white.

"We have a lead on where she's headed," Amalas continued, her tone still calm.

"Where?"

"Blackspine."

"Blackspine mountains?" Liam repeated.

"Yes."

"How can, you be sure?"

"Because that's where the Via Imperii is headquartered."

"And how do you know this?"

"I can't say," Amalas said.

"Bullshit!" Liam shouted.

"It's the truth," Amalas argued.

"How the fuck am I supposed to trust you when you won't tell me everything?"

"I'm sorry, Liam," Amalas apologized, "but I cannot tell you more."

Liam glared at her, his eyes burning with fury.

"Please, trust me, Liam," Amalas pleaded.

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" Liam muttered bitterly.

"No," Amalas agreed. "You don't."

Liam turned away from her, his body trembling with anger.

"I'll get a search party together," Olivia said, pulling out her cellphone.

"Do you know the area well?"

"Not really," Amalas answered, "but I'm familiar enough to guide us."

"What are we waiting for then?" Olivia said, already tapping her phone.

"Let's go."

---

Liam's POV...

The breeze brushing over me from moving outside the palace walls barely touches me. Beads of sweat gather at my brow, one slipping down into the corner of my eye, burning as if to remind me of everything I’m trying not to feel. My body is overheating, not just from the suffocating fabric of my suit, but from the pressure mounting inside my chest.

I try to breathe—just one deep breath—but fear has wedged itself like stone in my throat. I can’t swallow. I can’t speak. If I breathe through my nose, I know I’ll lose control. I’ll fall apart. My hands tremble despite being clenched into fists, and all around me, the sounds and voices of my brother, my friends, my royal guard melt together into a distant hum. The only sound that remains is the relentless hammering of my heart.

Riley is gone.

Lena took her.

And I—King of Cordonia—stood powerless.

The weight of my crown has never felt heavier.

Blackspine Mountains

Riley looked out the window at the falling snow. She was in a bedroom now, the flickering light of a fire danced across the room's rustic wooden walls. The lodge was cozy, with a single bed adorned with a thick, patchwork quilt in hues of deep burgundy and forest green. A large window offered a breathtaking view of the snow-covered landscape outside, while a stone fireplace crackled warmly, casting shadows that flickered like the memories of the journey Riley had just endured. The room was a sanctuary, a tranquil haven amidst the chaos that had led her there, yet the tranquility felt like the calm before a storm, as Riley's thoughts drifted back to the tram ride up the mountain.

After being dragged into the late evening outside the palace doors, Riley was pushed into a black SUV at gunpoint. The driver and passenger sitting in the front seat were both cloaked in black masks and everything went dark after someone forced a white cloth over her mouth and nose.... drugging her, till she passed out.

Riley awoke inside a gondola - a mountain sky tram with large glass panels that allowed the breathtaking panoramic views of the snow-capped peaks and dense pine forests below to flood into the spacious, airy interior.

The gondola itself was nothing short of luxurious. As the tram started to ascend, Riley was at once struck by the tasteful decor. The interior was lined with polished wood panels, the rich grain adding warmth and elegance. Large, comfortable seats upholstered in soft, dark brown leather.

The windows of the gondola were expansive, ensuring that the magnificent views were not obstructed. As the gondola gently glided away from the station, Riley felt as though she were floating through a winter wonderland, the world below unfolding in all its serene beauty.

If only ... Lena was not pointing a gun at her head.

The cable car swayed slightly, its rhythmic motion a stark contrast to the tension coiled in Riley’s chest. The biting cold outside was a world apart from the oppressive heat of her memories, yet the chill seemed to seep deeper into her, entwining with her dread. She glanced at Lena, whose grip on the gun remained steady, her expression unreadable yet charged with a silent authority. Questions swirled in Riley’s mind, but she dared not ask again; the answers, if ever revealed, seemed bound to a fate darker than the snowy peaks surrounding them. Below, the world grew smaller, and with it, any lingering sense of safety evaporated, leaving Riley suspended in a precarious limbo as the gondola inched closer to the summit, where the unknown awaited like a shadowy specter.

Riley: “So, are you going to tell me what this is all about?”

Lena: “Wasn’t planning on it.”

As the tram moved higher, Riley started to shake with fear, not knowing what she will face when they reached their destination, at the top of the mountain.

What was there?

Who was there?

The Striking Ceremony:

--Power is nothing without a purpose. Purpose must be shaped by Might.--

Around the circle, there were five chairs. Four of which had masked figures dressed in cloaks sitting eerily and ominously.

Riley felt an unrelenting tension as the ceremony unfolded, each moment steeped in foreboding. The masked figures exuded an air of authority that pressed down on the room like a suffocating weight, their silence speaking volumes. The black ledger rested ominously in the center, a relic of secrets and power that seemed capable of unraveling destinies. The room itself seemed to hold its breath, as though aware that whatever was about to happen within the confines of the circle would irrevocably alter the lives tethered to its shadows. The air grew heavy with anticipation, drawing every eye to the ledger that seemed to pulse with a dark resonance, awaiting the moment it would bear witness to judgment.

Riley stood at the edge of the circle and watched in disbelief as Lorelai Lee, Hana Lee’s mother and the wife of Xinghai Lee, was brought forward in for trial for treason.

[Lorelai confessed that she thought the Via Imperii were just the elite of the elite. She joined as a way to gain social status for her family. She did not know what they really were, not asking questions until she had her daughter, Hana. They wanted to take her away to a school and raise her according to their standards ... to turn her into a pawn for political gain. Lorelai left at once to keep Hana safe. Then returned home to Shanghai. ]

Riley gasped.

Hana was then brought into the circle and stood beside the black ledger in handcuffs. Her gaze locked onto the floor.

Hana’s restrained stance, her shackled hands trembling slightly, painted a picture of helplessness, yet Riley sensed a quiet, defiant strength beneath her bowed head.

"Let us begin ..."

The 4 masked figures chanted:

"To the head that wears the crown...

And the hand that wields the blade."

◇◇◇●◇◇◇●◇◇◇●◇◇◇●◇◇◇

@choicesficwriterscreations

@choicesmonthlychallenge

◇◇◇●◇◇◇●◇◇◇●◇◇◇●◇◇◇

Perma tags: @beau1811 @bascmve01 @twinkleallnight @dutifullynuttywitch @lovingchoices14 @alj4890 @busywoman @bardic-tales @kingliam2019 @malblk21 @selina012 @differenttyphoonwerewolf

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[cordonianroyalairlines]

All I Want for Christmas Part 1

Series: Cordonian Royal Airlines

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Pairings for series: Various

Pairing for this chapter: Riley x Drake, Liam x Max

Word Count: 2,475

Rating: General

Warnings for this chapter: None

A/N: Listen. I had an idea for the @choicesprompts #rewritechallenge holiday edition. I had the whole scene in my head, but then I decided it needed a little lead-up. Then I decided the lead-up needed a lead-up and then these characters completely just took over, threw my script out the window, and took a whole detour to examine a little budding romance between Liam and Max when this story was supposed to be focused on Drake and Riley (and it still is, mostly).

Long story short, it got a little out of hand so I have split it into two chapters. I'm tagging all of the following:

@choicesprompts rewrite challenge, holiday edition TRR x Untamed Heart (one of my all-time favorite movies). @choicesficwriterscreations holiday prompt: Stuck together in the snow; @choicesdecember2023 Christmas and @choicesholidays: This is the worst Christmas ever.

“Goodbye, Mrs. Lassiter, have a pleasant stay!” Riley waved with a smile painted on her face as the last passenger debarked. The smile faded from her face as the guests disappeared down the jet bridge and her eyes took in the heavy snowfall blanketing the runway.

Max noticed her despondent expression. “You okay, Ri?”

She turned toward her best friend and coworker with a sigh. “Remind me again why I volunteered to work this flight?”

“Uh…because your sister is getting married in less than two months, and you needed the overtime to pay for the ridiculous over-the-top bachelorette party she wants.”

“Right. Amelia,” Riley nodded to herself, “I’m doing this for her.”

“I think you do too much for her, Ri,” Max clucked at her like a mother hen, “She takes advantage of your generous nature.”

“Oh, Max, it’s fine. You only get married once!”

He arched an eyebrow at her.

“Okay,” a giggle burst out of her, “Hopefully, she only gets married once!”

“Frankly, I’m surprised she found anyone willing to marry her. Is there something wrong with him?”

“Max!” Riley laughed as she thumped him playfully on the shoulder before turning serious. “I just hope we’re able to take off tomorrow as planned.” Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, and she had promised her mother she’d be home so she could spend Christmas day with her parents and siblings.

“I wouldn’t count on it.”

Riley turned toward the voice to find the pilot striding toward them. Captain Liam Rys stopped in front of the flight attendants to announce, “There’s a blizzard headed straight for us.”

“Maybe we could just fly out right now—” Riley started hopefully.

“That’s a negative,” Liam cut her off, “that would put me over my flight limit for the day. We’ll proceed to the hotel as planned and hope for the best but be prepared to spend Christmas here.”

“Remind me why you agreed to fly into Estonia, the blizzard capital of the world, two days before Christmas?” Max grumbled.

Liam’s eyes flicked to him in annoyance. “Because of the obscene amount of money Mr. Lassiter was willing to pay for me to do so. You’ll thank me when you get your next paycheck and there’s a substantial bonus on it, on top of the holiday bonus you just received.”

“It’s okay,” Max shrugged with a tinge of disappointment in his tone, “My brother is in Japan anyway.”

Liam’s expression softened a little. “I’m sure he wishes he could spend Christmas with you.”

“Well, he’s flying with Leo, which he loves. I’m just disappointed that we’re almost never assigned to the same flight.”

Liam averted his eyes, unwilling to tell Max that was on purpose. Bertrand had requested that Max not be on the same flight as himself after the younger Beaumont’s enthusiasm became embarrassing for him. Max had gushed to a passenger about his pride in his older sibling, proudly articulating that, “My brother’s the co-pilot. He’s really good at it. He’s almost good enough to be the pilot!”

Liam shuffled his feet awkwardly, then nodded at Max, “Yes, well…. See you at the hotel.”

“You will?” Max’s head whipped around in surprise. Liam had never expressed an interest in seeing him outside of work before.

“Well, he was a little snippy,” Riley observed as Liam disappeared down the sky bridge.

“But did he seem….I don’t know…interested in-“ a flush crawled up his neck and then flared across his face, “Never mind. Of course not.”

Riley’s brow furrowed. “Interested in what?”

“Nothing. Let’s just get this cabin cleaned up so we can go.”

***

Riley awoke the next morning to sheets of snow pouring from the sky, blanketing the city in white as far as she could see from her hotel window. Which wasn’t that far. The snow was coming down too fast and too thick for her to see past the parking lot.

“Shit!” She aggressively pulled the curtains closed and dove back under the covers.

***

“So, what have you two been up to all day?” Liam asked as the four-member flight crew sat down for dinner in the hotel restaurant.

“Well, I slept in, then I called my mom to let her know I wouldn’t be making it home today and probably not tomorrow either. Then I drown my sorrows in a steaming hot bubble bath.” Riley responded as she pulled the menu over to her.

“Yeah, but then we saw a movie,” Max reminded her. Turning to Liam, he rambled excitedly, “This hotel has a theater in it. There was popcorn and everything! And then we took a cooking class! Can you believe that? The hotel chef hosts a class here once a week, but they did an extra class today because it snowed everyone in.”

Liam smiled at Max’s enthusiasm. “That sounds like fun. Now I feel boring. I read all day. Drake, what about you?”

“What about me?” Drake was busy shoveling a complimentary roll into his mouth.

Riley laughed. “Have you not been listening to the conversation? He wants to know what you did to keep busy today, you dork.”

Drake grabbed his water glass and chugged the cold liquid down to cover the fact that he had not heard a word of the conversation since Riley stopped talking. He was still picturing her in that bubble bath. When he sat the glass down, he responded, “I did my usual morning workout. The gym here is excellent. Since I couldn’t go for a run, I hit the heavy bags and then swam a few laps.”

“How many is a few?” Max asked.

“Twenty.” Drake’s eyes flicked to Max as he answered before landing quickly back on Riley’s face searching for any clue that she was impressed, or at least interested in him.

Not that he cared. She was a coworker, and he didn’t date coworkers.

“All before lunch?” She raised an eyebrow.

He wasn’t sure if she found his morning activities impressive or stupid. Her expression gave away nothing. “I find it hard to sit still,” he answered.

Liam scoffed, “You sit in the cockpit for hours at a time.”

“First of all, that’s different. I’m doing plenty as you well know and second of all, that’s why I need more physical movement when I’m on the ground.”

“Makes sense to me!” Max nodded emphatically as the waitress arrived with the menus.

They ordered their food and ate while making companionable chit chat. After dinner, Max suggested they continue the night across the lobby.

The hotel bar was crowded. The four coworkers quickly parted in the crowd. Drake and Liam navigated to a small table in the back and ordered drinks.

“You don’t want to ask her to dance?” Liam nodded across the room to the dance floor where Max and Riley were laughing and twirling to the music.

Drake followed Liam’s eyes and froze as he watched her sway and shimmy to the thump of heavy base. “I don’t dance.”

“I’ve seen you dance.”

“Not well.”

“So, you’re worried about embarrassing yourself in front of her?”

“What? No!” Drake reached for the tumbler of single malt scotch as the server placed it on the table in front of him and took a long pull as his mind spun with ways to shift the conversation away from his nonexistent love life. “What’s going on with you and Max?”

Liam startled so hard that bourbon sloshed over the rim of his glass. He stared at Drake in a blind panic. “What do you mean?”

“I mean….you usually pay no attention to what the flight attendants are doing when we have layovers. Yet you invited everyone to dinner tonight and you’re the one that was watching them dance. I’m pretty sure you’re not into Riley because if you were, you wouldn’t be pushing me toward her. So that leaves Max. Tell me I’m wrong.”

He lowered his glass to the table with a sigh. “It’s that obvious?”

“To me, but I’ve known you for a long time, Li.”

Liam blew out a long breath. “Shit.”

“Why don’t you just tell him you’re interested?”

“No,” Liam shook his head vigorously, “I can’t do that!”

“Why not?”

“So many reasons! Starting with the fact that I’m his boss and that’s a sexual harassment suit waiting to happen.”

“Not if he likes you back,” Drake countered.

“That’s not likely.”

Again, Drake asked, “Why not?”

Liam scoffed as he gestured toward the dance floor. “I mean, look at him! He’s fun and popular and hilariously funny. And look at those dance moves! He’s interesting and cool. What could he possibly see in me?”

“Hey, don’t sell yourself short, man.”

“I’m a stick in the mud and you know it. I was the president of my debate team. He was the lead in his school’s production of Beetle Juice.”

“How do you know- “

“Bertrand told me.”

“So, you’ve been pumping his brother for information?”

“Not the point. He’s amazing and fun and talented and I’m….me.”

“Liam, come on, man, you-“

“When I was twelve, I read law books for fun.”

“Geez, okay. Never mind. You’re definitely going to die alone.”

“Shut up,” Liam laughed, “I know you think I’m being dramatic.“

“You fly planes for a living,” Drake reminded him. “In my experience, a lot of people find that sexy.”

“Yes, well, I know your experience is quite extensive in that area but-“

“Are you calling me a man whore?”

“If the shoe fits….” Liam muttered into his drink.

“Insult me all you want, but it isn’t going to change the fact that you’ve got it bad. You should just tell him.”

“Oh, okay, Mr. I don’t like Riley.”

Fuck. Drake took another long drink. The conversation had come full circle. His eyes drifted across the room to find her again. She was still with Max.

***

Riley led Max off the dance floor and to a table as she flagged down a server for some water. “What’s up with you tonight?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you’ve been acting squirely all night and you keep looking around like you’re searching for somebody. What’s that about?”

Max flushed, “Ah….I think I might have a thing for Liam.”

“Wait…what?” Riley shrieked, then clapped her hands over her mouth.

“I don’t know….” Max dropped his eyes to the table. “I mean, you know, he’s hot or whatever.”

“Max!” She slapped his shoulder. “Since when? And why didn’t you tell me?”

He shrugged. “Just recently I’ve started to notice him more, that’s all. He’s always being nice to me and- “

“He’s nice to everyone.”

“I know, but it’s more than that! I can’t explain it, okay? It’s just…the way he looks at me sometimes….”

“I have never seen you act shy before! You hit on that model last week!”

“Oh, him? Yeah, but that was just--”

“That man is an international star, and you had zero qualms asking for his snap.”

“I know, but- “

“And he gave it to you!”

“Sure, but Liam isn’t just a pretty face, Riley! He’s so fucking smart and serious. He’s sophisticated, and there’s just no way he’d be into a goofball like me.”

“Ah, Maxey, anyone with half a brain would be into you.”

“You’re just saying that because you’re my best friend.”

“Yes. But also because it’s true.”

“No, it’s not. I’m the general fuckup in my family. Just ask Bertrand. Or my father.”

“Max, you’re not a fuckup!” Riley admonished. “You’re just different from your brother and father, thank God! I’m sorry, I know you love him, but Bertrand is the most boring man alive, and your father is a dick, so please don’t judge yourself by his opinion of you.”

“Bert’s not boring. He just had to grow up fast. My father put a lot of pressure on him and he, unlike me, rose to the challenge. I mean, look at us. He’s a pilot and I’m a flight attendant. Do you remember what my father said when I told him I wanted to be a flight attendant?”

“Yes, but on the bright side, it was the first time he acknowledged your sexual orientation.”

Max snorted, “That’s not funny, Riley.”

“You laughed.”

He bumped her shoulder with his own with an amused shake of his head, “If your point is that my father is a homophobic, controlling, abusive asshole whose opinion should mean nothing to me or anyone else with a lick of self-respect, then point taken.” He lifted his glass to her.

She lifted hers and tapped it into his with a grin. “My work here is done. Now go over there and ask him to shoot darts or something.”

***

“All right, well, this has been fun, but I’m going up to bed now.” Liam pushed away from the table and stood up, stretching as he did so.

“You really are a stick in the mud,” Drake laughed as the server cleared their table and asked if he could get them anything else. “Yeah, an unopened bottle of what we’ve been drinking tonight.”

Liam turned to go but froze as a voice that sent heat shocking through him spoke, “Hey…Liam….you wanna…go play darts or something?”

He turned to find Max smiling at him. Trying to push down the rising panic in his throat, his eyes flicked to Drake, who just gave him an amused smile, then back to Max, who looked uncharacteristically nervous. “Uh…. sure.”

“Great!” Relief washed across Max’s features. Then he remembered himself and begrudgingly turned to include Drake in the invitation. “Would you like to join us?”

“Nah, I’m good. You two go ahead. I’ve got a bottle of top-shelf whiskey, and this hotel has steak on their room service menu. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay then, goodnight and Merry Christmas,” Liam didn’t meet Drake’s eyes as he waved bye and then followed Max to the dart boards lined up against the far wall.

Drake chuckled to himself as he took the bottle from the server and thrust a handful of bills at him. He started for the door, then thought better of it and backtracked to the bar, reaching across and grabbing a clean tumbler to take to his room with him.

He had to dodge a bunch of drunk people on his way back, causing him to veer off course until he was damn near on the other side of the room.

It wasn’t so much that he saw her as he felt her presence. His head lifted and his eyes somehow went straight to her despite the dozen or so people between him and the table she was seated at. Without making a conscious decision, his body angled in her direction, and he made his way over to her, reminding himself the whole way that he didn’t get involved with coworkers.

[angelasscribbles]

Crush: A Bad Romance One-Shot

Series: Bad Romance Continues

Original Series: Bad Romance

Fandom: The Royal Romance/The Royal Heir

Pairing for this chapter: Riley x Max, Riley x Drake, Riley x Liam with tiny hints of Liam x Max

Rating: Fluffy

Warnings for this chapter:  None

Word Count: 3,274 

Thanks to @kyra75 for this ask for the "secret admirer" prompt for the @choicesprompts 2024 Flufftober event. This is my late submission.

A/N: This is a prequel because we already know what happens during Bad Romance so it doesn't fit there. I could have placed it after but I would have had to either bring in a new person which I didn't want to do or go the predictable route of it turning out to be the person's partner all along. Instead, I decided to place it before the events of Bad Romance, and here's why: I've written next to nothing about Riley's first few months in Cordonia but Bad Romance does state that Liam had to work his butt off to pry Riley's attention away from Max during that time. In fact, Liam mentions it often because he's still salty about it. Max mentions it too because he did eventually get dumped for Liam. I thought this was a perfect place to show some of that. I know it's a little angsty, but I hope it's got enough fluff to satisfy the requirement.

To reiterate: This takes place in the first month of Riley being in Cordonia, while she is sleeping with Max, Liam is trying to change that and Drake is trying to pretend he doesn't like her like that.

My other stuff: Master List.

For the life of me, I cannot remember if someone sent me this image or if I stumbled across it myself. It's been in my save folder for awhile. I'd like to give proper credit, so if you sent it to me, speak up!

Riley entered her room and stopped to smell the roses. The two dozen red roses to be exact. They had been delivered to her room earlier. She closed her eyes as the sweet floral scent washed over her.

The smell was sublime.

She opened her eyes to admire the blood red petals. Her fingers gently stroked a lush bloom, her expression contemplative as her mind whirled.

She turned her head to observe the man who had entered the room with her. “You’re sure they’re not from you?”

“Yes, Riley, I’m sure,” Max admittedly a little reluctantly.

“Any ideas who they might be from?”

He shrugged dismissively. “Could be anyone, really. You have many admirers at court. I’m not surprised one of them decided to shoot his shot.” Hana’s face flashed before his eyes. “Or hers.”

She fluttered her lashes at him. “Does that bother you?”

Max shook his head, and then gave her that boyish grin that always made her heart flutter. “How can I blame them? You’re the total package, babe.”

“You sweet talker.” Riley grinned at him as she strode across the room to pinch his cheeks.

Despite the fact that they were sleeping together, the simple sign of affection from her caused heat to flame across his face. He studied the toe of his shoe as he told her, “You deserve flowers. I should have thought to send you some.”

“Hey,” she put a finger under his chin and lifted his head. “The roses are lovely, but you do sweet things for me all the time. I’m very happy with our little…. Arrangement.”

His face lit up. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She leaned forward and brushed her lips softly across his. “We’re staying in tonight, right?”

They were in between royal events for the next week and while eating in the main dining hall was always an option, Max had suggested room service and a movie marathon in her room instead.

Riley had agreed because frankly, she was sick of Madeleine’s shit. Eating with all the bitchy divas of the nobility was not her idea of fun. Drake avoided her like the plague ever since their encounter on the plane ride over, and Liam rarely made appearances in the public dining hall in between official royal events.

Not that she was interested in him. Their night in New York aside, she knew he would never choose a waitress to be queen. He couldn’t. So, she had found other diversions.

She could certainly do a lot worse than Maxwell Beaumont.

“Right,” Max agreed, as a shiver ran down his spine at her touch. “I had the kitchen make your favorite dinner.”

“See?” she purred. “That’s what I mean about how thoughtful you are.”

“Let’s meet back here at dinnertime, okay?” He stepped away from her and headed for the door.

“Where are you going?”

“You’ll see.” He gave her a mischievous grin as he exited the room.

“Okay then.” With a furrowed brow, she returned her attention to the roses. After a brief moment of consideration, her decision was made.

She might not know why Max was acting weird all of a sudden, but she had enough time before dinner to do a little investigation into her secret admirer.

****

“I’m coming!” Drake yelled in irritation.

Who the fuck was knocking on his door in the middle of the afternoon on his day off?

“Can’t get any peace and quiet ever.” He muttered under his breath as he yanked the door open. “What?”

His eyes widened with a sharp intake of breath. “Riley! What are you doing here?” His eyes darted frantically up and down the hallway. This girl was a scandal waiting to happen.

“Was it you?”

“Was what me?”

“The flowers. Were they from you?” Her gaze bore into him with laser intensity.

His forehead creased as he tried to make sense of the conversation. “Flowers?”

Her eyes scanned his face, then she shook her head. “Of course not.”

His brain finally caught up. “Someone sent you flowers?”

“Isn’t that what I just said?”

“Weren’t they from your boyfriend?”

Was that a note of bitterness she detected? She smiled from ear to ear as her body swayed slightly back and forth. “What boyfriend would that be?”

His face fixed in a scowl, he grunted, “Max.”

She bit into her lower lip as she leaned forward and ran a hand up his arm. “Are you jealous of Max?”

His arms crossed defensively over his chest as he took a step back. “No!”

“Sure, you’re not. But someone sent me two dozen roses, and it wasn’t Max. Any ideas who it could have been?”

Drake blew out a resigned sigh. Of fucking course he knew who it was. Who else would it be? But he wasn’t telling her that.

While he wasn’t going to stand in Liam’s way, he sure as hell wasn’t going to help him. Instead, he shrugged with what he hoped was nonchalance as he shook his head. “Nope.”

“Okay. Bye then.” She spun on her heel and started back down the hallway.

“Riley, wait!” He stumbled out the door into the hallway, ready to sprint after her.

She stopped and turned back with arched eyebrows. “Yes?”

“I…” All the reasons he should not and could not pursue this woman poured through his mind as he stood frozen in the middle of the corridor.

“Well?”

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Never mind. It’s nothing.”

“Hm. Well, if it’s ever something, you know where my room is.” She wiggled her fingers at him before spinning to leave again.

He watched her go as frustration and regret danced through his chest.

****

Riley questioned several guards and a couple of butlers, but no one knew anything.

She was on her way back to her room when she bumped right into Liam. She found herself tangled in his embrace, laughter rumbling through him as he caught her. “Whoa there! Where’s the fire?”

“Liam!” She made no move to extract herself from his arms. Instead, she smiled up at him. “Sorry. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was walking.”

“I see that!” He stared down at her with a sappy grin for several long seconds before remembering himself. He cleared his throat as he stepped away from her. “Were you on your way to the dining hall?”

“No, my room, actually.”

“I hope everything is okay.”

She gave him a bright smile as she leaned in and lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Everything is fine. I just can’t take another dinner with those fucking harpies.”

Liam threw his head back and laughed. Yes, it was a scandalous remark, but he found her honesty refreshing. He found everything about her refreshing, not to mention alluring. He moved closer to her to whisper, “Why do you think I never eat in the public dining hall?”

It was her turn to laugh. “Oh, my! What an unprincely thing to say!”

“You seem to bring out that side of me.” His tone suddenly serious, he blurted, “Have dinner with me tonight? In my private dining room?”

“I’d love to, but I already have plans for tonight.”

“Oh. I thought you said you were having dinner in your roo—”

“Yes, we are.”

His shoulders slumped. “I see.”

“Tomorrow?”

His head snapped up. “You’ll have dinner with me tomorrow?”

“Sure. Why not?”

“That’s…. not exactly the response I was hoping for—”

“I mean, if you’d rather not—”

“No! No… I mean yes! I mean… I definitely want to have dinner with you, Riley. Tomorrow night it is.”

“Great. Just text me the time.”

He immediately whipped out his phone and sent her a text.

She rewarded him with a seductive smirk. “That was quick.”

“He who hesitates is lost.”

“I would have said you snooze, you lose. But that works too.”

“I don’t intend to lose.”

“Lose what?”

His voice was unusually low and quiet as he returned the phone to his pocket. “You, Riley.”

Riley Brooks was seldom taken aback by anything a man said, but that did the trick. “What?”

“Surely you haven’t forgotten our night in New York so easily.”

“Of course, not. I just didn’t think—”

“Did you like the roses? They’re from my mother’s garden.”

“That was you?”

“Yes.”

“But…why?”

“Why?” He looked at her with his mouth agape. Glancing around quickly to ensure they were still alone in the hallway; he reached for her and yanked her body to his. Lowering his lips to her ear, he murmured, “I know you think New York was just about sex and that a prince would never marry a waitress, but you’re wrong, Riley. Dead wrong. On both counts.”

She pulled back to search his onyx eyes with her emerald ones. She couldn’t help the skepticism in her voice. “Really?”

“Yes, really! What do I have to do to convince you of that?”

“I don’t know, Liam. But it’s going to take more than a few roses.”

Gifts were not about to win her over. Sure, she had come from poverty, but he hadn’t. Material things were easy for him to come by and easy for him to part with. Simply spending money on her only convinced her that he wanted to sleep with her.

While sex with the smoking hot prince was something she was more than willing to engage in, she refused to let her heart get involved when she already knew disappointment was waiting at the end.

No matter what he said, he was never going to marry her. He wasn’t in love with her. He was in lust with her and that was something she was familiar with, something she could roll with. But she would not be tricked into letting her feelings get involved.

If he expected her to fall in love, he was going to have to invest a lot more than just money. That was too easy. She refused to be merely one more victim in the trail of broken hearts he’d left behind him.

Liam watched her walk away with a myriad of emotions crashing through him. If she wanted him to work harder to get her attention, he would do that. He knew she liked him. The night in New York had proven that. But since her arrival in Cordonia, she had frozen him out. Were her plans tonight with Max? What the fuck did she see in Max that she didn’t see in him? It was frustrating, galling, and, if he were being honest with himself, a little thrilling. He did love a good challenge.

***

Riley let herself back into her room to a stupendous surprise. The two dozen red roses still graced the console table near the entry, but every other available surface, save the bed, was now covered in vases brimming with all manner of blue flowers. Deep blue roses, baby blue hydrangeas, several shades of carnations, and blue and white morning glories, among others, were spread across the tops of the dresser, the end tables, and the vanity.

She gasped as she turned circles, taking it all in. “Max! What is this?”

“Ah…” pink flamed across his cheeks. “I know red roses are romantic and all, but I also know blue is your favorite color, so I took a chance that you might like them.”

“Like them? Max, I love them! But you didn’t have to do all this just because Liam sent me flowers.”

“It was Liam?” His heart sank.

He felt pretty confident about his chances of competing against most of the men at court. But Liam was another story entirely. Of course, she would want Liam. Hell, he wanted Liam, so he certainly couldn’t blame her.

Maybe now was the time to tell her that his feelings for her were real. That it was more than just fun and games for him. “Riley, I—”

There was a knock on the door.

“Hold that thought,” she told him as she strode across the room to answer it.

She pulled the door open to find Drake standing in the hallway. Her face lit up with surprised delight. “Hey, handsome! Did you finally decide on something?”

“I…ah... wanted to talk—” his words cut off mid-sentence as Max appeared in the doorway behind her. A storm raged across his face. “You know what? Never mind. I shouldn’t have—”

“Drake? What are you doing here?”

All three heads turned toward the new voice.

Drake’s brain spun frantically, trying to find a reasonable explanation for his presence. “Ah, I noticed they were missing from the dining hall and wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

Liam’s shoulders relaxed. He had asked Drake to keep an eye on her for him. To personally ensure her safety.

“What are you doing here?” Riley directed her question to Liam.

“I needed to change the time of our date tomorrow night.”

Max stiffened. Drake inspected the casing around the doorframe.

“You couldn’t have texted me that?”

“I could have…” that sparkle that she remembered from New York was back in his eyes. “But I wanted to see you in person.”

“Hm.” She smiled as her finger tapped her lips. “Well, since you’re both here, would you like to come in and join us? We were going to have dinner sent up and have a movie marathon.”

Drake looked skeptically from her to Liam to Max. “I don’t know if we should—”

“I’d love to!” Liam swept into the room with satisfaction radiating from every pore of his body. He pushed past a dismayed Max.

That satisfaction evaporated as he took in the scene in front of him. “That’s a lot of blue flowers.”

Max perked up as his arm went around Riley’s shoulder. “Blue is her favorite color, so I thought she might like some to offset all that red.”

“Yes, I get it. You had to go big after copying my idea.”

“I—” Max’s reply was cut off by Riley’s hand on his chest. “No fighting, boys. We’re going to watch movies and have fun tonight.” Turning back toward Drake, she motioned for him to come in. “Are you going to stand in the hallway or are you going to get in here and help me make sure these two behave?”

Drake hesitated only a second or two.

What could it hurt?

He glanced around at the room full of flowers. Two dozen of Cordonia’s finest red roses, straight from the crown’s own garden shimmered in the waning daylight. At least a dozen vases of flowers turned the room into a shimmering ocean of blue. The younger son of one of Cordonia’s noblest houses and the crown prince himself at a standoff over her attentions, and still she wanted him there. That meant something, right?

Not that he was interested in her. If Liam got his way, and Liam usually did, she was going to be the next queen and his best friend’s wife. Both of those things put her firmly off limits to him, no matter how much she inflamed his desires, haunted his dreams, and bedeviled his waking hours.

Still. What could it hurt to watch a couple of movies with her and two of his oldest friends? It was really Liam and Max he was staying for. To make sure they didn’t fight over her too much. Yeah, that’s why he was staying.

Riley leaned over and whispered into Max’s ear. His scowl was replaced with a flushed face and a broad grin. He nodded as he pulled his phone from his pocket and started swiping. His eyes flicked up long enough to say, “Make yourselves comfortable. I’ll have the kitchen send up more food.”

Drake took the lounge chair next to the bed just as Riley climbed up and settled herself in the middle of the bed. She patted the space on either side of her. “Who wants to join me?”

Before Drake could react, Liam was in the closest spot and Max had hurled himself onto the bed, clambering over two sets of legs to claim the other side. With a disgruntled shake of his head, he thumped back into the chair.

This had been a bad idea.

But it hadn’t been a bad idea. His misgivings were soon put to rest as they all balanced their dinner plates on their laps and got completely and inexplicably sucked into Barbie.

Not a movie he would have picked, but as it turned out, it was not a kid’s movie at all. The existential angst, the clever humor, the insightfulness, and the adventure had him forgetting the awkwardness of the situation and laughing along with his friends at the onscreen antics. He was relaxed and actually enjoying his night off.

Max had pushed aside his insecurities about Liam, choosing to focus, instead, on the promises Riley had whispered in his ear about the rewards he’d receive later for being a good boy and playing nice with everyone. His eyes kept sliding sidewise to gauge her reactions to the movie. He wanted to share all of them with her…. every laugh, every gasp, every moment. Not just of the movie, he realized, but for the rest of his life.

His gaze flicked briefly to the man on her other side. He knew Liam was still an obstacle, but he had infinite amounts of patience and faith, deep in his heart, that everything would work out in the end.

Liam didn’t miss the sidelong glances Max was throwing at both him and Riley. He couldn’t say he was completely oblivious to Max’s charms, but he was nothing if not persistent.

She didn’t trust him yet. That was fine. He would prove to her that she could. She needed him to put in work, and he would do that. He had yet to set his mind to any task that he couldn’t master. He just needed to try harder, be smarter, and focus deeper. Winning her heart would be worth it. He knew to the very core of his being that they belonged together.

Long after the dishes had been cleared, and the night had deepened, Riley lay with her head on Liam’s shoulder, drifting off as the credits for the latest Ghostbusters movie rolled. Max was curled up against her on her other side, one arm slung over her waist as Liam’s fingers gently combed through her hair. The sound of Drake’s soft snoring drifted through the room.

She should probably wake everyone and tell them to go sleep in their own beds. That would be far more comfortable, especially for Drake, who was dozing in a chair. But the warmth emanating from the men on either side of her, combined with the softness of the bed and the darkness of the room, lulled her into a contented coziness that she was loathe to break.

The quiet hum of the air conditioning filled the room as the TV clicked off, sealing her decision as she let herself drift off to sleep surrounded by the sounds, scents, and warmth of the three men who had commanded all her attention for the last month.

For the moment, none of them were fighting each other or her. Their earlier laughter still rang in her ears. For tonight, things were peaceful, calm, and happy, and not a single one of them wanted to do anything to disrupt that.

Liam was the last one left awake. He kissed the top of her head and whispered, “Good night, Riley.” Before closing his eyes and slipping into a contented slumber of his own.

[kristinamae093]

Ghosted

Ghosted - Family Ties (Chapter Thirteen)

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

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

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

Characters belong to Pixelberry.

Tags - @choicesficwriterscreations

It's another long one 😬👉👈🥹. Listen I'm only slightly sorry, lol. A lot is happening here, LOL.

A few evenings later, what would have been a polo match in Portavira was canceled, and instead, a small, intimate memorial took place for Penelope near the water. The forecast for the day perfectly matched the melancholy atmosphere, as storm clouds rolled in and painted the sky in dark hues of blue and gray, the crisp breeze causing the temperatures to drop well below average. 

The nobility mourned alongside the family, but whispers of what happened and why spread like wildfire. An official announcement about her death was released, but the details were incredibly vague; they wanted to withhold that information until they had someone to hold accountable. Emmaline and Landon cooperated with Ray, who worked around the clock to find some kind of suspect or a clue to lead them to one.

Liam was confident Ray would promptly produce an answer. Olivia helped him scour the crime scene from top to bottom, but little clues remained. However, Penelope’s note had fingerprints on it and her body showed prominent signs of a physical altercation, all of which pointed to her trying to fight back. The coroner extracted DNA from underneath her fingernails and found bruising and discoloration on her forearms and shoulders. He concluded this case was a homicide, which didn’t come as a surprise to anyone. 

Every ounce of evidence was sent off for further analysis, and everyone anxiously awaited the results. The cross reference in the national security database would surely produce a name to match those fingerprints, and they hoped it would put them one step closer to unraveling the chaotic web around them. Ray looked at the surveillance system but found someone deleted the footage from the camera positioned outside of Penelope’s room for a certain period — no doubt when whoever took her life was inside. 

They had a time frame, which was at least a start, but that was the only thing they knew.

Ray did as asked and backtracked to look into Rhonda’s demise. Liam was correct in his assumption that most of the damning evidence was long gone, but they confirmed the legitimacy of the second report they found; Bastien’s fingerprints were indeed on the murder weapon. Although they remained unsure of where the brutality initially took place, Bastien would face charges of homicide — and more — as the story unfolded, and Liam intended to serve him multiple platters of cold, hard justice. He was being monitored at a local hospital under a continuous watch from three heavily armed guards and medical professionals. 

Liam told the guards if Bastien miraculously disappeared, they would face charges of aiding a dangerous criminal, even going as far as threatening to make them stand trial for treason. He didn’t use the term hate lightly, but he hated Bastien and was determined to make him stand before God and everyone to take accountability for what he’d done. His doctors had no choice but to put him into a medically induced coma while they tried to stabilize internal bleeding from Liam’s relentless assault, but when he woke, he would get moved to a permanent cell. 

They still knew who held that kind of control over Bastien, and that was Constantine. Liam avoided him at all costs in the short time since that revelation. He wanted to question him and knew he needed to, but he honestly didn’t know how he could remain calm and keep his head level, and this wasn’t something he could send Olivia to do; he needed to hear it, straight from the horse’s mouth. However, he genuinely didn’t want to hurt the man who gave him life, but if it came out that he harmed or acted against Riley, his body might react without a second thought and he knew that would not be pretty. Perhaps he should have kept his cool with Bastien to get more information, but he didn’t regret taking out some of his aggressions; if anything, it was a release he didn’t realize he needed. 

Since Ray was now officially investigating the homicides, Olivia took over the search for Riley and Tariq. She wasn’t as skilled as Ray in tracking missing persons but had some basic knowledge. Her results were the same as his — there were no traces of either. She contacted the airport and requested security footage for the date and time Bastien specified, but unfortunately for them, he told the truth when he said he dropped her off in a blind spot; the SUV wasn’t on camera and Riley was nowhere to be seen.

She watched the footage from every angle until the sun broke out and illuminated a nearly empty parking lot, but never saw a single sign of anyone relevant. 

They dissected the file ‘Operation Ghost’ from top to bottom for every detail. It held no other useful information, but enough to charge Bastien with murder and prove Riley did not disgracefully leave with another suitor. Technically, it was enough to clear her name, but it did nothing to ensure her safety or help them locate her. Her phone also received a thorough examination but uncovered nothing of importance.

Liam knew he could not wait any longer because time was of the essence, and they needed answers; he had to corner Constantine and demand an explanation. It crossed his mind more than once that his father could know something, but he shook it off, concluding there was no way Constantine would do something of that nature. In retrospect, he was the reigning monarch at the time of the incident; something of this magnitude couldn’t have gone completely undetected, especially if Bastien was involved. The thought alone shredded his fragile heart, but he pieced it back together with bandaids and pushed forward. 

Liam’s mental state was fluctuant, at best. He felt unending guilt for allowing all of this madness to happen, and that pit doubled in size with every passing hour. If he had been more attentive and alert from the beginning, none of this would be happening. Innocent lives were taken all too soon from a path of unrestrained fury, and he truly felt like that blood lay on his hands. Not to mention Riley’s heinous assault rested heavily on his conscience, creating wave after wave of remorse mixed in with soul-consuming rage. His out-of-body experience continued to taunt him; her screams and those vile chortles flowed through his mind on an insistent loop, taunting him with shreds of the truth, but he still couldn't put a face to that man's voice. And now, he had the added stress that she suspected he ordered her assault. He hoped she wouldn’t believe the lie, but without seeing her, he automatically jumped to the worst-case scenarios all the way around. 

They decided Liam and Leo would quietly pull Constantine aside and question him after the memorial concluded. There were only a few events left of the engagement tour, and now the wedding had much more at stake than only the future of the monarchy. It wasn’t a hunch they had confirmation for, but they just knew if they didn’t locate Riley before it was time for Liam to say I do, something drastic would happen. 

During the ceremony, Liam’s heart broke for the shattered remnants of a mourning family, but he couldn’t help but feel they were on the verge of a breakthrough. If his father was involved, this couldn’t climb the social ladder any higher, meaning Constantine could hold all the answers he desperately sought. He kept telling himself he would control his emotions regardless of what his father said, but everyone knew that was a lie, especially given his unfiltered and raw reactions as of late. Leo expected a knock-down, drag-out between Liam and their father, but he would stand beside his brother through hell and high water when it came down to it. 

As the service winded down, Liam made a bee-line for Constantine, who was deep in conversation with Godfrey and Adelaide, with Leo hot on his heels. He made it to the group and plastered on the politest smile he could muster, ignoring a glare from the duke. “Excuse me, but I need to speak with my father.” 

Constantine waved him off, barely even glancing in his direction. “Not now, son. I’m in the middle of a discussion.” 

Liam forcefully clenched his jaw and swallowed down the ball of rage forming in his throat. “I insist on speaking with you. It is urgent.” His eyes pleaded, but he didn’t make it too noticeable; just enough for Constantine to read because the last thing he wanted was to alert Godfrey and Adelaide. It took every ounce of willpower he had not to get irate and start screaming right then and there, but he was determined not to lose his head — at least until after his father answered some questions.

Constantine’s irritation rose, but he paused and observed Liam and within a second, his resolve weakened. For the first time in weeks, he truly took in his son and what he saw left him speechless; his sunken and darkened eyes with large bags underneath, his slouched posture, and he spotted Liam fidget with his hands, even though he tried to hide it. He knew Liam spent a few hours at the hospital recently, but since he was released so quickly, he assumed it was a farce, or someone being overprotective of the monarch. However, at that moment, he started to question his well-being.

Leo stood beside him, but wouldn’t look up to meet any of their gazes. Constantine heard he was around somewhere, but hadn’t seen him until the beginning of the ceremony. That wasn’t unusual, as Leo typically avoided his father like the plague, but he consistently interacted with Regina when he visited, and even she hadn’t mentioned him. His body language seemed nervous compared to the usual cocky demeanor Leo always wore, as he continuously bounced in place and mindlessly trapped his fingers against his thigh, raising multiple red flags.

Constantine had never seen his sons in such a way; the tension within them was palpable, making it impossible to ignore. 

He casually finished the rest of his wine, doing his best not to raise suspicion of their distress to the current audience. “Alright, boys, you have my attention.” He politely waved toward the lingering duke and duchess, before following Liam and Leo away from the crowd.

Liam silently led them down the beach, away from the surrounding commotion. While they walked, he racked his brain, trying to figure out the best way to approach this. When he ascended the throne, he never imagined it would lead him here — questioning the man he put on a pedestal his entire life about his one true love's disappearance. 

His heart pounded so hard in his chest that he was sure it would jump out at any moment, and the bites of finger foods he consumed tumbled in his stomach, threatening to reemerge. Every step crunched in the sand, the sounds echoing in the deafening silence. The ocean lapped against nearby rocks, but was the farthest thing from calming, white noise; every violent crash amplified the tension, the air nearly crackling from the combined stress and the distant lightning. 

They reached a small enclosure away from the gathered nobility and sat inside. As they did, Constantine quickly asked, “What’s going on? Are you alright, Liam? Were you in the hospital?” 

“I was, but that’s not important right now… ‘’ Liam trailed off, his voice soft; a stark contrast to the swell of emotions in his head. He remained silent momentarily before murmuring, “I need to ask you about something…”

“Alright, well, what is it?”

“Before I begin, will you promise to be honest with me? I — I’m begging you.” Liam pleaded, but wouldn't meet his father's curious gaze. His hands trembled violently, leaving him with no choice but to clasp them tightly in his lap. 

Constantine furrowed his brow. “I shall do my best, son, but what’s this pertaining? What’s the matter?” 

Liam glanced at Leo, his distress shining brightly, and his brother gave him a reassuring nod in return. He wanted so badly to believe his father was innocent, but deep down, he knew he wasn’t, and the thought alone made him fearful; he wasn’t sure he could stop the wrath that may ensue once the confession left his mouth, but he needed to hear it, regardless. 

With a deep, shaky breath, Liam began. “I think you know something about what happened with Riley. We know she didn’t leave with Tariq and the photos were fake. We found her things in Applewood with evidence to suggest she suffered an attack. Bastien has been working to cover it up and is responsible for that maid’s death — possibly Penelope’s too — to ensure this stays hidden. He confessed and told us you ordered him to engage… I don’t want to believe it, but I think he told the truth…” 

He sat forward but kept his vision cast downward, dread hitting the pit of his stomach like an anvil. “I need to know where she is. I don’t care about everything else, aside from the murders. Just — tell me where Riley is.”  

Constantine’s jaw dropped further and further the longer Liam spoke. Leo observed with a critical eye, but his father’s confusion only intensified throughout the story. Constantine was good at a stoic facade, but he was no actor and Leo knew all his little tells — he was genuinely shocked. However, there was guilt in his eyes; when Liam mentioned the scandal, Leo saw the flash in his gaze, but otherwise, he only showed bewilderment. 

“Liam… I —” Constantine started before he forcefully coughed, but quickly cleared his throat and tried again. “I admit to knowing of the scandal and her relocating back to New York, but I know nothing about the rest.” 

Liam’s vision turned crimson, but he squeezed his hands into fists and used every speck of restraint to deny the urge to act on his intrusive thoughts. “How? Bastien has been working to cover it up this entire time! I didn’t tell him to do that — you did, didn’t you?” 

“I — I did, son.” He stopped to take a steadying breath. “I told Bastien to bury the tracks, but I only approved the scandal and her returning to the States.” 

“You approved the scandal?” He repeated, his brows nearly touching his hairline. “What does that even mean?” 

“That’s correct —” Constantine admitted with his head held high. “But I assure you, I did not partake in any of these other things, nor did I know they were happening.” He sighed heavily when Liam and Leo merely stared at him, disbelief etched on their features. “Son, I knew how you felt about her — it was clear. If given the chance, you would have selected her as your queen, but I couldn’t let that happen…” 

“Why?” Liam demanded, his tone sharp and harsh. 

Constantine’s shoulders slumped, an air of melancholy clouding his expression. “I was afraid, Liam. Look at me — I’m withering faster than an apple rotting in the summer sun. I needed to do everything in my power to ensure you had a stable, capable queen to rule beside you.” 

Liam shook his head, the rosy hues in his complexion brightening with every sullen breath. His willpower teetered, hanging on by less than a thread. “Riley would have made an excellent queen. She thrived during the social season! She may not have been born royal, but she fit right in! Everyone accepted her! The people loved her!” 

“She was inexperienced, Liam.” 

“She could have learned everything she needed to know,” Liam bit out, his patience dwindling rapidly. Leo noticed and shifted in his seat, praying with everything in him that he wasn’t about to go postal.

“Inexperience equals weakness. I was protecting you.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit.” Liam scoffed. 

“Liam, believe it or not, I only did it to protect you—” 

“So you made me turn my back on her to protect me? She’s in fucking danger because of you! I ignored her because you shoved this down my goddamn throat!” Liam yelled, not caring who heard.

Constantine winced at his volume but calmly responded, “I didn’t know she was in danger. Bastien told me—” 

“I don’t believe you. I can’t believe you.” Tears blurred his vision as his entire world came crashing down. He felt a fool for giving him the benefit of the doubt, but that was a mistake he wasn’t willing to make more than once. 

“Son—” 

“No, you — you’re not my father, not anymore. You threw my mother in my face so much, but look at you! What you’ve become would disgust her!” Liam seethed. “I should banish you right now for lying and betraying your own flesh and blood. Do I mean anything to you?!”

“You mean everything to me, son.” Constantine held his hands up in surrender but remained calm as a cucumber. “And I understand your anger, but I need you to listen to me for a moment—” 

“Fuck. You.” Liam growled. He got into Constantine’s personal space quick as lightning and grabbed the front of his shirt, yanking him to his feet. “I hope you rot in hell, you spineless piece of shit.” 

Liam balled the fabric in his hands and bore his eyes into Constantine, who merely let it happen, but he didn’t recognize his son; Liam was nowhere to be seen, and he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what this monster before him was. He’d never seen him so worked up, but knew he needed to calm him down so he could plead his case. 

Leo approached and rubbed Liam’s shoulder, gently pulling him from his enraged trance. “Li, man —” He gave him a sad smile as Liam faced him. He understood his brother’s fury over the situation, but Constantine hadn’t even started talking. Until they got useful information from him, he had to keep his cool — for Riley. His eyes pleaded with him, but he breathed a sigh of relief when Liam’s features softened as if he got the silent message loud and clear. 

Liam turned back to his father and held his intent gaze for a long moment before he pushed him away with a firm shove. The former monarch stumbled, but quickly regained his footing. 

Constantine straightened his jacket and sat back down while avoiding the judgemental glares from his sons. He took a deep, shaky breath before he softly started. “Do you remember what happened to your mother? Did you want something similar to happen to Lady Riley?”

“Look around!” Liam bellowed, his face red as a ruby. “It is happening, and you fucking did it!” 

Constantine sighed. “I told you, I knew of the scandal and her departure — nothing else. I ordered Bastien to send her back to New York so you both could start over.” 

“She never returned to New York!” Liam and Leo yelled in unison. 

Constantine furrowed his brow. “... Pardon?” 

“Bastien told us he left her for dead in a parking lot after Penelope drugged her, with a plane ticket, but she never went inside!” Liam hastily explained. “She didn’t board, and Bastien told us he later received all her forms of identification in a sealed envelope. We have no fucking clue where she’s at!” 

Constantine’s mouth fell ajar. “Bastien told you this?” 

“Yes! Are you really trying to sit there and tell me you didn’t know any of this?!” 

Constantine remained silent for a long moment, gathering his thoughts, but both Liam and Leo noticed his anger escalating; neither was aware his elevating state caused his already labored breaths to shallow themselves further. His chest tightened and a strange discomfort erupted and traveled the length of his spine, but he shook it off as best as he could, and focused on the need to prove his innocence.

But Constantine was having trouble keeping his composure because he realized he'd been played and lied to — that was abundantly clear. Someone took matters into their own hands and ignored a direct order, and he was unwilling to take the blame for that. Bastien was at their disposal but even he disobeyed his wishes. 

They went rogue. 

As he took in the deadly determination staring back at him in Liam’s eyes, he realized it was time to come clean. Whatever happened that night did not go according to plan; not his plan, anyway. 

“Liam — let me tell you what I know because I did not wish for any of those things to happen. As a matter of fact, I strictly forbid them…” 

Lythikos, during the Winter Ball

Constantine retired to the king’s suite much earlier than normal. Usually, he would keep Regina on the dancefloor until both of their feet ached, but he just didn’t have the energy. He insisted she stay at the gathering, as it was still fairly early in the night and one of them needed to be in attendance, but he couldn’t withstand another minute. He was exhausted and found his lung capacity was nowhere near what it should have been; no doubt from his recent cancer diagnosis. 

Since Liam’s social season was in full swing, he knew he needed to step down and let him take the position of reigning monarch. He and Regina made the difficult decision together, after hearing his condition was fatal. However, Constantine realized in doing so, he would dump a world of responsibility on Liam’s shoulders, and he remained uncertain if he could handle the pressure so soon after taking on a role that was never meant for him. 

Regardless, the suitors all proved themselves capable in one form or another; some more than others. He hoped Liam would make the best decision for Cordonia when the time came, but knew his heart already belonged to a specific candidate. He wanted to forbid Liam from picking her but realized he would ultimately follow his heart. And, at one point, Constantine defied his father and married Eleanor; to speak ill of their hypothetical union would make him a hypocrite, and he knew that. He tried to convince his son to be reasonable and view the situation from a governance perspective, but Liam couldn’t see anything past his puppy love.

Just as Constantine was about to begin his nighttime routine, a sharp knock echoed throughout the room. He furrowed his brow, as everyone knew not to bother him after he retired for the night unless it was an emergency. He hastily dashed to the door and swung it open to find a familiar face on the other side. 

“Your Majesty.” 

“Hello…” Constantine answered unsurely. “It’s been a while…” 

“I’ve kept myself rather busy these days.” Constantine’s face contorted, but before he could press, they continued. “Respectfully, I’m in a bit of a pinch for time.” His company heartedly chuckled. “Do you mind if I come in? I have a proposition for you. One where we both get something we want…” 

Constantine eyed his visitor for a moment, but ultimately let them inside as his curiosity got the better of him. He ushered them to the seats situated around the fireplace and took one across from his guest, a thick silence filling the air. “What is this proposition you speak of?” 

His companion took a short moment to collect themself but soon began with utmost certainty. “It’s clear who your son intends to choose at the end of this… Lady Riley.” 

Constantine noticed the hint of distaste in their tone. “Yes, I believe that as well…” 

“And you’ve done nothing to stop it? You and I both know Madeleine is the one who rightfully belongs on the throne.” 

“Really?” Constantine challenged. “I’m not sure I understand why—” 

“She is a commoner, sir — nothing good will come from that for anyone.”

“I agree with you to an extent, but what am I supposed to do?” Constantine shrugged. “I’ve tried speaking with Liam about it, but he’s not listening.” 

“He’s thinking with the wrong head.” 

“I concur, but again, how am I supposed to remedy this situation? It’s not like I can send her home before he has the chance to choose her!” 

“Perhaps you can.” 

His visitor smiled, and Constantine had never seen such a chilling sight. “Pardon?” 

“I have a plan… We set her up.” 

Constantine’s interest rose. “… How so?” 

“We get her alone, send someone to her room, and have a photographer waiting to capture a scandalizing scenario… I’m not sure where just yet, but we can dispose and erase all traces of her after.” 

“Dispose?” Constantine shook his head when his comrade nodded, completely stunned by the suggestion. “No, we will not be doing that.” 

His guest winced. “Perhaps not dispose, but only ensure she leaves and can never return.” 

“And how do you suggest we do that?” 

“We detain her somewhere — perhaps use the tun—” 

“No.” Constantine sternly interrupted. “I will not allow you to do such things to her. Staging a scandal I could agree with, but I will not let you imprison her simply because of her origins.” He scratched his chin, deep in thought. “Perhaps a ticket back to New York would suffice, instead.”

“We can’t just send her back to New York! She will surely find her way back, or Liam will—” 

“If Liam is heartbroken, he will let his duty guide him; that’s the only way he will leave her behind.” Constantine returned but kept his vision locked on the floor. 

“We can’t simply rely on breaking his heart!”

“I know my son — he’s emotionally driven. If he’s devastated, he’ll keep going…” Constantine admitted in a low voice. He felt guilty about even entertaining the idea; to manipulate his son and the situation, knowing how he felt about Riley, but the past would always be there to haunt him and he couldn’t let it go, no matter how hard he tried. 

“... So, you’re agreeing to the scandal?” 

Lady Riley’s presence was pleasantly surprising and she had undeniable chemistry with Liam. In another universe, he would eagerly support their relationship. However, the throne was not to be taken lightly; it was a dangerous position that would put not only her but Liam at risk as well. He’d already lived through one assassination attempt and buried his mother after her demise, yet he still entertained the idea of letting a commoner rule beside him. He didn’t understand this weakness could bring Cordonia crumbling to the ground, taking his heart and man-hood down with it.  

Constantine briefly thought back to the torturous months after Eleanor’s death — how heartbroken and hopeless he felt. Those were the darkest times of his life, and he truly didn’t know how Cordonia wasn't brought to its knees then. He wanted to protect Liam from experiencing that type of pain at all costs. A harmless scandal and sending Riley back to New York was a decent option; he would ensure Liam continued for the greater good of Cordonia and, eventually, she would become a distant memory. 

His country and his son would be safe, and Constantine could rest in peace, knowing he did everything to protect what was important to him. 

However, he didn’t know if he could genuinely trust the person before him. The solutions they suggested were extreme, and he did not wish for those to come to fruition. On the other hand, he recognized his time left dwindled rapidly, and as it was, he physically could not make any plan come to fruition and he couldn’t step away at such a crucial moment either. He needed to ensure the transition from monarch to monarch went smoothly, especially after Leo's sudden abdication.   

There was no other choice than to take a chance and hope for the best. 

“Will you be present during the operation?” Constantine questioned with a curious eye.

“Yes, sir. I will make sure everything goes according to plan and they’re removed from the premises after.” The response came immediately, with not even a single second of hesitation.

“They? Who’s the other?”

“Lord Tariq — he’s the perfect candidate. He’s naïve enough to go along but still noble. The goal is to photograph them in a compromising position.” 

“Compromising how?” 

“That will depend on how the situation flows, I suppose, but something to disgrace her and make your son and the nation believe she left to be with Tariq. We’ll find a media outlet or something to leak the story and soon, her name will leave a bitter taste in everyone’s mouths — including Liam.” 

“And how will we enlist this photographer? We can’t do it ourselves — it’s too risky.”

“I'll request the aid of Lady Penelope.” 

Constantine’s brows rose. “And you expect she will agree? What will you offer in return?”

“Don’t worry about her,” His guest smirked. “I have my ways, sir… She will comply with the request willingly.”

After a moment of deep consideration, Constantine slowly nodded. “I can agree to this, but perhaps we should let her finish out the season to avoid raising suspicion.”

His visitor tensed. “Respectfully, I don’t see that as a viable option. If someone has the chance to get to her, they may convince her to stay. It has to happen before the end of the social season — at a random moment, without notice.”

Constantine stared off into the fireplace as he pondered that statement, but ultimately knew it was true. He could admit Riley was kind, funny, and incredibly smart, but those features couldn’t grant her the specific birthright she needed. He couldn’t let it happen; it wouldn’t end well for anyone involved, especially Liam and Riley. 

This had to happen. 

“I suppose you’re correct.” Constantine finally agreed with a heavy sigh. 

“She has to leave beforehand. It’s the only way we can make it work.”

Constantine bowed his head, overcome with a rush of various emotions, as their plan snapped itself into place. “... Alright, I’ll allow you to oversee the operation.”

“Marvelous!” His company grinned. “Perhaps you have a few guards to spare? Just to ensure everything runs smoothly… Maybe — Bastien?” 

“Alright — you have Bastien at your disposal to assist in whatever you may need and he will report to you, but he is to be in charge of Lady Riley’s departure at the end of the night.”

“As you wish, my liege… Just to clarify, you’re putting me in charge of this operation?” 

“I — am.” Constantine reluctantly agreed, but quickly added, “Do not make me regret it… Now, what of Tariq?” 

“I'll handle him. You and Bastien deal with the commoner.” 

“Okay, but neither of them is to be harmed in any of this, and I shall tell Bastien the same — do you understand?” He eyed his visitor critically, searching for any signs of ill intent, but found none.  

“I do, sir.” His guest snickered, a small notion the monarch didn’t notice. 

Constantine mindlessly nodded, sufficed by the answer. “This needs to happen fast — perhaps in Applewood, as it’s an older estate and it’ll be easier to have all of this go unnoticed.” 

“I agree.” 

Constantine inspected the person across from him once more, causing his cohort to shift in their seat. “Remember what I said — neither of them is to be injured, only removed — that is an order. And you had better make this quick and quiet — nothing that’s going to end up causing more harm than good.” 

“Understood, Sir… Now, what can we do about Duchess Olivia?”

“I ordered Bastien to ensure she went back to New York — safely, and he told me he did. I pushed the scandal on you because I assumed the plan came to pass as instructed. It wasn’t until this conversation that I realized they played me.” 

Liam couldn’t believe what he’d heard. It hurt him in a way he didn’t know was possible, to know his father acted against the woman he loved in such a way, even if he says his intentions were pure. Plus, the manipulation he suffered at the hands of the person who should’ve shielded him from the animosity shredded the frail remnants of their relationship. He felt the tear within his chest, as that father-son bond crumbled into a million pieces. He truly didn’t know who the man sitting across from him was, and couldn’t conclude if he could trust his confession. Constantine looked genuine, almost remorseful, as he spoke, but he knew his father could shift and mold himself to adjust to any situation.

That’s what snakes do best. 

“I don’t believe you,” Liam suddenly declared, breaking the tense stillness. 

Constantine’s shoulders sank. “Liam, I —” 

“No!” Liam shouted as he shot up from his seat to tower over his father. “You’re lying and I demand to know the truth!” 

“Look at me, Liam!” Constantine breathlessly pleaded. “What do I have to gain from lying at this point?! I’m dying! I never wished for harm to come to her — I only wanted to remove her from the situation—” 

Liam sardonically laughed. “Yeah, well they fucking did, alright!” 

“Liam, I apologize. I trusted the wrong person and—” 

“Me too — me too.” Liam shook his head, tears of rage burning his eyes. “How could you?” 

“Son —” 

“YOU LET THEM HURT HER!” Liam wailed, not caring if anyone could hear their altercation. 

“I didn’t! I specifically told them not to!” 

“But yet — you ordered Bastien to go along with it?” 

Constantine winced. “I did, but he never mentioned any of the additional things you speak of. I told him to cover up the scandal — nothing else. His job was simply to escort Riley to the airport and ensure it stayed quiet. Anything additional, he did under the supervision of someone who was not me.” 

“But you told him to clean it up?” Leo questioned. 

“Yes…” Constantine swallowed thickly, followed by a small coughing fit. He recovered quickly and continued, “But I didn’t know—” 

“Yeah, well, for once, Bastien understood the assignment — maybe even a little too well.” Leo retorted, completely blown away by Constantine’s admissions. He regained himself rather quickly, however, and a light bulb suddenly went off inside his head. “Have you ever heard the names Anton and Claudius before?” 

Liam froze, but centered his death glare on his father, watching for any waivers in his facade but  Constantine’s face only contorted, his confusion showcased brightly. “... Who?” 

Liam scoffed. “Keep lying and see what happens.” He laughed indignantly, his hands balled into fists at his sides. “I’m not playing these games. I want to know the truth, and I want to know now.”

“I am being truthful with you. Listen to me, Liam — I never should have gone along with it and I am so incredibly sorry,” Constantine pleaded, but as he finished, his lungs screamed for air. He inhaled deeply, searching for oxygen, and found just enough to continue. “I never should have agreed, but I was afraid, and I let that fear guide my decisions in the matter.” 

“I do not accept your apology! You–you’re a monster!” Liam yelled, his voice cracking on the last syllable as one lone tear traveled down his cheek. 

“I — I know, son…” Constantine hung his head. “I regret the things I’ve done, even more so now that I know Lady Riley is potentially in danger.” He hacked again, but then forcefully clenched his jaw. “I told him not to…” He grumbled to himself, which Liam nor Leo heard. 

His lungs burned with every shallow breath, and his pulse steadily rose, causing his hands to shake and turn clammy. He wanted to blame his sudden change in state on nerves for being caught, but realized it ran deeper than that; something was wrong. A tight sensation in his chest made him feel as if a weight sat on top, growing in pounds by the minute, and every breath seemed to do the opposite of what it should. His windpipe slowly narrowed, and the erratic thump of his heart was so forceful, that he felt it from the tips of his toes to his temples. 

Leo interjected himself. “You don’t know where she is? Or Tariq? Really?” 

Constantine didn’t answer but stared off into space with furrowed brows as he recalled conversations, while simultaneously trying to catch his breath and settle his elevating state. He and his conspirator spoke only a few times regarding the ordeal, but every time, they subtly asked for insignificant details regarding a specific location within a few of the duchies. He never thought much of it because the areas were abandoned, never used, and inaccessible; but it would be possible if someone knew where it was, and he’d practically given them a detailed road map to it. 

His eyes widened as he slowly turned to Liam and spoke just above a whisper. “The tunnels…”

“You mean that old wives’ tale about underground passageways?” Leo returned. 

“It’s not a tale, but very real,” Constantine replied, matter-of-factly. 

“And you think that’s where she is?”

“It's a huge possibility. If you go deep enough, the passageways lead to cells, almost like a hidden dungeon. Our ancestors used them as torture chambers when someone spoke out of line against the monarchy, but those accusations are mostly hearsay. He kept asking about it when we spoke, but I didn’t make the connection.” Constantine coughed again, trying his hardest to hide his rapidly deteriorating state. 

Liam’s heart rate involuntarily quickened, the light at the end closer than ever before. “The tunnels?” 

“Yes… If you believe Lady Riley is still in the country, I would almost guarantee that’s where she is if you haven’t found her by now.” Constantine answered through a wheeze, but neither Liam nor Leo noticed, as they processed this new information. 

“Where? Which estate?” 

“I’m not entirely sure which duchies still have one. A lot of the dukes and duchesses opted to have them filled with cement long ago to erase the remnants of what their ancestors used them for. All I know is they are only accessible through a hidden door, likely on the outside, but it won’t be easy to find without knowing what you’re looking for. It will take you underground, but the chambers will have concealed doors as well. I know for a fact the one at the palace remains open, but Portavira and Ramsford are closed.” 

“Why is the one at the palace still open?” Leo demanded. “And how do you know so much about this if you’re ‘innocent’?” He air quoted.

“My father’s father brought forth plans to fill it, but uprisings started and it got lost in the hands of time. As far as my knowledge of it, I was young and curious once as well. There is a book in the library that has a lot of useful information on it, and I know for a fact that it has not moved from its spot on the shelf.”

“How?”

“Maybe I knew in my subconscious that something wasn’t right, and I wanted to ensure it was there so I knew it wasn’t being used to gain access.” Constantine shrugged. “As long as it was there, I didn’t have to face the possibilities of what I allowed to happen, I suppose.” 

“Yeah? How’d that work out?” Leo rolled his eyes but centered his attention on Liam. “Applewood, maybe?”  

“Yeah… Yeah — that makes the most sense, right?” Liam responded, his mind racing a million miles an hour. Every muscle in his body shook as wave after wave of adrenaline rushed through him. “Perhaps I’ll send teams to all the duchies.” 

“Not a bad idea — knock ‘em all out at once, and we can’t leave any stone unturned. And I think we should check all of them, despite what he claims.” 

“I agree, boys,” Constantine hoarsely interjected. 

“Don’t even act like you helped us at all. You knew about all of this and never said a word to me about it! And you had Bastien fucking me around this entire time!” Liam bellowed. 

Constantine let out a slow breath and spoke in a low, quiet voice. “I understand you’re upset. However, I truly thought she safely returned to New York. Bastien mentioned none of these things to me, nor you. Granted, perhaps I should have stayed more on top of the situation. I was aware of the deaths, but you never told me there was foul play involved or that you suspected Bastien. If you had come to me sooner, I would have told you what I knew.” 

“Yeah, I bet you would have.” Liam huffed.  

“I would have, Liam. I never meant for this to happen — all I wanted was to ensure you and Cordonia would be safe after I’m gone. It was my duty as Cordonia’s king—” 

“No, it wasn’t! And you’re behind Olivia leaving too?” 

“She’s far too irrational to sit on the throne, Liam. I knew if you had her as an option, you would choose her.” Constantine’s face contorted as the knife in his chest suddenly twisted. He somehow pushed through it, but the pain only flourished, alternating between sharp, sudden jabs and a dull, throbbing ache. “You still tried to select her, but I assumed she would speak to you and not leave without saying a word.” He breathed, his face turning a bright shade of pink.

“I don’t understand something—” Leo spoke with furrowed brows. “Why was all Riley’s stuff in Applewood?” 

“I didn’t have any part of that. I was not interested in taking things from her — I only wanted her to leave.” He wheezed. Liam and Leo both continued to glare at him, but their fury and curiosity blinded them from seeing their father’s deteriorating state.

“One more,” Leo went on. “If you were behind the scandal, why’d you drop it during the coronation of all moments?” 

“That was the only hiccup in the ordeal that I knew of; the timing. I realized Liam would have an adverse reaction, but it was supposed to be released early enough to give him some time to let the general shock wear off.” Constantine rasped, and that’s when Leo finally took notice of his father’s struggles. Despite his sideways feelings, a surge of concern bolted through him. 

“Wow…” Liam spoke before Leo could address their father's state. He shook his head, tears of rage and devastation stinging the corners of his eyes. “You played me like a goddamn fiddle and I let it happen. You had everything planned out, down to my emotional needs.” He indignantly laughed, the sound sending waves of uncertainty through everyone. 

“I — I’m sorry, son. I regret what I’ve done, and I hope one day you’ll be able to forgive me for getting caught up in this—” 

“Don’t hold your fucking breath.” Liam snapped. 

“I’m willing to do whatever I can to help you find her, Liam.” Constantine held a shaky hand over his chest as the pain intensified, momentarily taking his breath away. Leo rose to his feet, torn between his brother's wrath and his father's struggles, but Liam continued before he concluded what to do.

“How can I trust you? You knew about all of this! I think you know much more than you’re leading on, too!” 

Constantine’s mind raced so fast, but he tried with all his might to fight off whatever was happening within his body. “I’ve told you all I know, son. I will gladly assist you in any way possible from here on out.” 

“You’re going to be lucky if you don’t wind up in the infirmary next to Bastien, or worse,” Liam snarled as he slowly rose from his seat. “Who?” 

“Pardon?” 

“Who was it? Who came to you that night in Lythikos?” Liam stalked toward him with his hands balled into fists at his sides, his steps loud and menacing. He didn’t even notice Constantine’s struggles — all he saw was the monster who destroyed his life and decimated everything he’d ever cared about. “This is your only chance to come clean because if I have to ask again, you won’t like how I get the answer.” He scowled. 

Constantine stumbled upright and took another ragged breath, but realized he was no longer getting any airflow. He coughed, but his hands flew to his neck after, helplessly clawing at his throat. He suddenly gasped for air and grabbed at the front of Liam’s shirt, his knees buckling under his body weight. His eyes were nearly black as the dilation swallowed his iris, but his sclera was tinted with a bright shade of pink.

“What the—” Liam started, but soon recognized the problem. Constantine’s complexion somehow went from a shade of red to white within an instant, his gasps becoming more panic-laced by the second. One moment they were face-to-face, but the fear Liam saw staring back at him momentarily took him aback; it wasn’t a terror rooted around being caught, but something much deeper. His body tensed, the hands securely holding onto his jacket turning white and shaking from the intensity of the seizing. Constantine choked on his saliva, struggling for air, but soon let out an anguished, blood-curdling cry.

The next instant, Constantine crumpled to the floor, his entire body going limp.

Before Liam or Leo could register what happened, the guard stationed close by was already on site. The man spoke into his earpiece and summoned medical professionals to their location, a frenzy of lights approaching in the distance nearly instantly. Constantine’s eyes were open but nobody was home, and before too long, the man had no choice but to start CPR. 

Liam could only stand, frozen in place, unable to focus on anything else. He wanted to look away so badly, but couldn’t gather the strength. He felt every push against his father’s chest as if it were his own, and his pulse soon matched the rhythm of the compressions. An overabundance of emotions filtered through him; betrayal, fear, anger, regret, and guilt. Constantine shredded their bond into a million pieces, and he couldn’t find it within him to be sad; he desperately wanted to feel any inkling of remorse that his father might have just taken his final breath right before him, but he wasn’t, and that made him question if he was a monster in disguise all along, too.

He fixated on the fact that Constantine knew who did this and, right now, he wasn’t sure he would get to hear that tale. His heart yearned for Riley, but every time he got even a drop of information, he only met an abrupt wall. He’d almost grown accustomed to having the tiny shrivels of hope dangled in his face and then yanked away, but this time, he couldn’t simply shake it off and pretend like they had the situation under control, because they didn’t.

The abyss of insanity Liam teetered for so long pulled itself dangerously closer. His father had aggressive, end-stage lung cancer, and something like this should come as no surprise. But — for his clock to stop ticking at that exact moment seemed too convenient and at some point, the term coincidence just couldn’t apply anymore. Any other time, he wouldn’t have questioned it, but he instantly fell into a pit of madness as he internally debated the facts.

He couldn’t decide if this was nature taking its course, or a different force pulling strings. 

[belencha77]

CAPITULO 18- ENTRE SOMBRAS, RISAS Y PROMESAS

Después de nuestra conversación con la gente, Liam y yo nos dirigimos hacia la mansión. De repente, nuestros amigos, incluida Madeleine, se acercaron para hablarnos.

|| Excelente Riley. Sinceramente, no pareciste incompetente ahí arriba, así que... bien hecho, supongo || comentó Madeleine con su tono habitual. Liam la miró con desdén, pero apreté suavemente su mano para evitar cualquier confrontación; no valía la pena gastar palabras con ella.

|| Sus palabras fueron realmente inspiradoras ||, dijo Hana con emoción.

|| Hana tiene razón. Aún me tiemblan las manos de la emoción. Miren mi piel de gallina ||, exclamó Maxwell, mostrando sus brazos.

|| Fue conmovedor, chicos. Incluso yo lo admito ||, agregó Drake.

|| En cuanto me enteré, vine sin dudarlo ||, expresó Sara, tomando fuertemente la mano de Drake || Quería mostrarles mi apoyo. Aunque no sea mucho, quería estar aquí. Muchas gracias a ambos. Me alegra verlos fuertes... Estoy segura de que la gente de Cordonia ve lo mismo: esos atacantes solo nos hicieron más unidos y fuertes ||, añadió con una sonrisa.

|| Sara, agradecemos tus palabras y tu presencia. Tu apoyo significa mucho, y en realidad, nos hacías falta ||, le respondí con sinceridad, apretando su brazo y sonriéndole.

|| Riley tiene razón. Muchas gracias por tu apoyo, tus palabras significan mucho para nosotros ||, afirmó Liam con una sonrisa. Sara respondió con una leve sonrisa mientras Jacob se acercaba a él.

|| Su Majestad, ¿me permite unos momentos? || pidió Jacob con formalidad.

|| Por supuesto. Con su permiso ||, Respondió Liam, dándome un beso en la mejilla antes de alejarse.

|| ¿Y ahora qué hacemos? ¿Volvemos al palacio? || preguntó Maxwell con curiosidad. Madeleine, rápida como siempre, lo interrumpió.

|| No recomendaría que vuelvan tan pronto al palacio. Darían la impresión de que no confían en la seguridad del lugar como Liam y Riley dijeron. Lo más conveniente es que todos nos quedemos en la mansión. Está completamente preparada para recibirnos esta noche, y mañana por la mañana retomaremos nuestro camino hacia la finca de Kiara ||, afirmó con seriedad.

|| ¡Genial! Entonces, ¿tenemos el resto del día libre? || exclamó Maxwell emocionado, pero con cierta duda.

|| Se podría decir que sí ||, respondió Madeleine antes de dirigirnos una mirada fija. || Pero recuerden que muchos ojos aún están puestos en ustedes... Sobre todo, en ti, Riley, y en Liam. ¡Sean conscientes de eso! ||

|| Lo sé, Madeleine. No te preocupes ||, respondí, tranquilizándola. Madeleine se dio la vuelta y se alejó, dejándonos solos.

Decidimos que era hora de dirigirnos a la mansión para instalarnos, pero mientras caminábamos, noté a un grupo de cinco niños cerca del borde del huerto. Con semblante triste, pasaban los dedos por la tierra, quejándose de que ya no podían jugar allí.

|| Awwww, qué tristeza verlos tan desanimados || dijo Hana con ternura, mirando a los niños.

|| ¿Y si los animamos un poco? || exclamé con entusiasmo, pero Mara me lanzó una mirada preocupada.

|| Su Excelencia, sería una buena idea, pero eso significa salir del perímetro de seguridad || me advirtió, claramente nerviosa.

|| Mara, son solo niños. No podemos quedarnos siempre detrás de los guardias si queremos estar cerca de nuestra gente. Tenemos que salir de esa zona || respondí con suavidad, intentando tranquilizarla. Mara aún dudaba, así que añadí: || No va a pasar nada. ||

|| Nosotros estaremos con ella, no te preocupes || intervino Drake con su tono calmado.

|| Muy bien... entendido, pero estaré alerta || aceptó Mara, alejándose un poco pero manteniéndome vigilada. Nos acercamos a los niños, y al tocar el hombro de uno de ellos, él giró su cabeza con gran sorpresa, y sus ojos se abrieron de par en par al vernos.

|| ¡No puedo creerlo! || exclamó mientras otro niño daba un salto de alegría.

|| ¡Miren, chicos! ¡Es la Duquesa Riley! || dijo un niño con gran admiración, mientras los demás nos observaban con asombro.

|| Hola chicos ¿cómo están? || les pregunté con una sonrisa cálida, pero ellos seguían mirando en silencio, claramente incómodos.

|| Wooooow, ¡es de verdad! Jason, di algo || le susurró uno al otro, dándole un codazo.

|| No les voy a morder, lo prometo || dije riendo, y una niña pequeña finalmente se atrevió a hablar.

|| L-Lady Riley... somos grandes admiradores tuyos || dijo con voz suave, mientras otra niña añadía:

|| ¡Eres muy bonita! ||

|| ¡Bienvenidos al club de fans, pequeños! || exclamó Maxwell, haciendo que todos nos riéramos un poco.

|| Gracias, chicos, ¡me hacen sentir muy especial! || Dije sonriendo ampliamente. || Me alegra mucho verlos, pero díganme, ¿por qué están tan tristes? ||

|| No es nada... no te preocupes por nosotros || murmuró uno de los niños, bajando la cabeza.

|| ¡Claro que me preocupo! Ustedes son mis pequeños ciudadanos Cordonianos, ¡por supuesto que me importan! || les dije con cariño y justo entonces vi a Liam acercarse hacia nosotros || Miren, aquí viene Liam, seguro que él también quiere saludarlos ||.

Los niños levantaron la vista, sus caritas se iluminaron al ver al rey acercarse, con esa mezcla de sorpresa y admiración que solo los más pequeños pueden mostrar.

|| ¡Hola, jóvenes ciudadanos de Cordonia! ¿Cómo les va? || dijo Liam con una sonrisa mientras se acercaba a los niños.

|| ¡No puedo creerlo! ¡Es el Rey Liam! || exclamó un niño, con una mezcla de asombro y emoción. Una de las niñas, completamente sonrojada, murmuró con nerviosismo.

|| ¡Su Majestad, usted es muy guapo! || Liam se rio, pero luego notó que la niña parecía avergonzada y me miró, preocupada || Lo siento, Duquesa Riley, no debía haber dicho eso… Yo— ||

Pero antes de que pudiera continuar, intervine rápidamente.

|| No te preocupes, también pienso lo mismo. || Le guiñé un ojo a la niña, quien sonrió tímidamente || Su majestad, estos pequeños ciudadanos se encuentran tristes, es por eso que yo estaba preguntándoles qué les preocupa. ||

|| ¿Saben? || Dijo Liam, con una mirada amable. || Siempre he creído que los niños de Cordonia son los más valientes y fuertes... ¿y saben por qué? Porque no importa lo que pase, siempre encuentran una manera de sonreír y de ayudar a los demás. ¿No es así? || Liam esperó, dejando que los niños procesaran sus palabras, mientras les regalaba una sonrisa cálida, llena de empatía || Así que... ¿qué les parece si me cuentan qué los preocupa? Estoy aquí para ayudar ||.

Uno de los niños tomó la palabra, titubeando.

|| Bueno... es que... veníamos a jugar fútbol aquí y... ||

|| Pero ahora está quemado y el resto de los niños no quieren unirse para jugar con nosotros || añadió otro niño, con tristeza en su voz. Liam asintió comprensivamente y, con una expresión llena de empatía, les respondió:

|| Bueno, chicos, no se preocupen. Vamos a hacer todo lo posible para que el huerto vuelva a estar bien y para que puedan jugar allí de nuevo. Pero por el momento, ¿qué les parece si jugamos un rato con ustedes? || dijo Liam con convicción. Ante su propuesta, los niños se quedaron boquiabiertos. Sus ojos se abrieron como platos y las sonrisas comenzaron a formarse en sus rostros.

|| ¿En serio? ¡El Rey Liam quiere jugar con nosotros! || exclamó uno de los niños, mirando a los demás con una mezcla de incredulidad y emoción.

|| ¡Esto es increíble! || gritó otro niño, saltando de alegría. || ¡Nunca hemos jugado con el Rey antes! ||

Una de las niñas, con los ojos brillando de emoción, le dijo a Liam:

|| ¡Eso sería genial, Su Majestad! Nunca pensé que jugaríamos con alguien importante. ||

|| Por supuesto que jugaremos. No vamos a permitir que un pequeño desastre nos detenga, ni que esas personas malas controlen nuestra vida. Tenemos que demostrarles que no cederemos al miedo. Y si eso significa seguir haciendo pequeñas cosas como jugar al fútbol, pues hagámoslo || respondí emocionada.

|| ¿Y usted puede hacer ese tipo de decretos? || preguntó una niña asombrada.

|| Por supuesto que sí, duh, él es el Rey || respondió otro niño.

|| ¿Están listos para un suuuuuuuuuuper partido? || pregunté emocionada.

|| Pero, ¿cómo podríamos jugar aquí? No tenemos ningún poste para la portería || preguntó otro.

|| Deberíamos pegar algunas ramas en el suelo. Eso es lo que hacíamos cuando éramos niños || sugirió Drake.

|| Es verdad, pero aunque sea práctico, los niños podrían lastimarse. Será mejor ir al patio de la mansión || dijo Liam, sonriendo mientras yo lo miraba sorprendida por su generoso ofrecimiento. ¡Vaya, es un hombre maravilloso!

|| ¿Podemos entrar a la mansión Applewood? || preguntó incrédulo uno de los pequeños.

|| ¡Claro que sí! || respondí emocionada. || Es otro decreto del Rey. || Dije mientras le sonreía a Liam, quien me devolvió la sonrisa. Los niños comenzaron a aplaudir y a animar, con sonrisas radiantes y risitas emocionadas.

|| ¡Sí, sí! ¡Vamos a jugar! || gritó uno, mientras los demás asentían entusiastas.

Liam y yo intercambiamos sonrisas satisfechas al ver la alegría en los rostros de los niños. La propuesta de Liam claramente había levantado el ánimo de los pequeños, dándoles algo de esperanza y diversión en medio de la tristeza.

**

Al entrar en la mansión de Applewood, los niños miraban asombrados el esplendor del interior. Liam rápidamente pidió al personal que colocara los arcos en el campo para que pudiéramos jugar, mientras que nosotros nos cambiábamos a ropa más cómoda y adecuada para el juego. Poco después, salimos al patio para unirnos a los pequeños.

|| ¡Guau, me siento como un noble! || exclamó uno de los niños con ojos grandes de admiración.

|| ¡Sí, y aquí vamos a jugar fútbol! || agregó una niña emocionada.

|| ¡Yuhuu! || gritaron los niños, corriendo hacia el patio.

|| ¡Vamos a formar equipos! || propuso uno de los pequeños.

|| Me parece una idea genial, pero primero necesitamos saber nuestros nombres, ¿qué opinan? || sugirió Hana.

|| ¡Sí! tiene razón, Lady Hana. Yo los presento, || dijo un pequeño dando un paso adelante. || Él es Jason, ella es Amelia, él es Oliver, ella es Emma, y yo soy Noah. ||

|| Encantada de conoceros. Ahora les presento a mis amigos, || dijo Hana, colocándose al frente. || Él es Drake, ella es Sara, aquí está Maxwell, y creo que ya conocen al Rey Liam, a Riley y a mí, Hana. ||

|| Genial… Como soy el "Capitán", elijo a Riley y al Rey, || dijo Jason con entusiasmo.

|| ¡No, yo quiero a Riley en mi equipo! || dijo Emma.

|| Pero yo también quiero al Rey en el mío, || añadió Noah.

|| Chicos, tranquilos… Todos somos un equipo, así que seremos co-capitanes, ¿de acuerdo? || propuso Liam con una sonrisa.

|| ¡Trato hecho! || respondieron los niños.

|| Pero ¿cómo dividimos los equipos si somos once? || preguntó Emma.

|| Yo seré el árbitro, || dijo Maxwell con emoción.

|| Perfecto, entonces vamos a dividirnos así: Drake, Hana, Emma, Noah y yo en un equipo, y el otro equipo será Sara, Liam, Jason, Amelia y Oliver, || anuncié.

|| ¡Genial! Tengo al Rey Liam en mi equipo, ¡así que vamos a ganar! || dijo Amelia, radiante.

|| Mi mamá dice que el Rey es el más guapo de todos los reyes que conoce, || comentó Emma con admiración.

|| ¡Oh, vaya! || exclamó Liam, sonrojado.

|| No digas eso mientras él esté aquí, Emma, || le susurró Noah. No pude evitar reírme; Liam tiene admiradores en todas partes.

|| Parece que tienes fans fuera de la corte, || dije, sonriendo a Liam. || Emma, dile a tu mamá que estoy totalmente de acuerdo con su observación, y que el Rey Liam también agradece su apoyo. ||

|| ¡De verdad? Eso la hará muy feliz, || respondió Emma con una gran sonrisa.

|| ¡Bueno, a jugar! || gritó Maxwell.

|| ¡Que comience la diversión! || dije emocionada.

**

Después de varias horas de juego, la diversión llegó a su fin y todos estábamos exhaustos. Liam solicitó al personal que distribuyera agua y bocadillos a los niños, mientras nosotros nos relajábamos bajo la sombra de algunos árboles.

|| ¡Vaya, no soy tan viejo! || exclamó Liam, con las manos en las rodillas y respirando con dificultad. || Pero no creo que pueda mover otro músculo. Estos niños son imparables. ||

|| Estoy seguro de que encontrarás una forma de recuperarte cuando me veas de nuevo con el balón, || le respondió Drake, también visiblemente cansado.

|| Creo que estos niños tienen más energía que todos nosotros juntos, || bromeó Sara, mientras se acomodaba en el césped. || No sé cómo lo hacen. ||

|| ¡Sí, y yo pensaba que tenía buena condición física! || agregó Hana, riendo. || Al menos, se divirtieron mucho. Eso es lo que importa. ||

|| ¡Definitivamente, se lo pasaron genial! || dijo Maxwell, sorbiendo su agua. || Pero creo que voy a necesitar una siesta para recuperar energías. ||

|| ¡No te preocupes, Max! || intervine con una sonrisa. || Siempre puedes recuperar energías con una buena comida y un poco de descanso. ||

De repente, nuestra conversación es interrumpida por risas y aplausos provenientes del borde del campo. Al girar, nos encontramos con una pequeña multitud que se ha reunido para observarnos. Me sorprendió no haber notado su presencia antes. Sonreímos y saludamos con la mano, agradecidos por el apoyo. Mientras tanto, los niños regresaron corriendo hacia nosotros, con los rostros llenos de felicidad y alegría desbordante.

|| Gracias por la comida y el juego. Espero que podamos seguir jugando aquí || dijo Jason, el entusiasmo evidente en su voz.

|| Fue un placer || exclamó Liam, mientras señalaba a un hombre que se acercaba. || Jason, él es Zack, el jefe de mantenimiento. Mantendrá el huerto cerrado mientras se recupera, pero si alguno de ustedes quiere jugar, solo díganle || añadió, dándole una palmadita amistosa en el hombro.

|| ¿De verdad? || preguntó Noah, los ojos abiertos en asombro.

|| Claro que sí, pequeño. Será un placer invitarlos a la mansión || respondió Zack con una sonrisa cálida.

|| ¡Siiiiiiii! ¡Ahora somos famosos! || exclamó Emma, llena de emoción. Liam le dedicó una sonrisa a Zack antes de hacer una reverencia y retirarse del lugar.

|| Vamos, chicos, tenemos que contarles a todos || dijo Oliver. Luego se volvió y me abrazó con fuerza, seguido por el resto de los niños, que hicieron lo mismo.

|| Gracias por querer jugar con nosotros || dijo Noah, su voz llena de gratitud.

|| Nos alegra verlos tan felices. ¡Todos nos divertimos mucho! || les respondí, con el corazón rebosante de alegría.

|| Gracias, Rey Liam, por todo || dijo Emma con una dulce voz.

|| De nada, Princesa || respondió Liam, provocando una enorme sonrisa en el rostro de Emma.

|| ¡Me dijo Princesa! || susurró Emma, desbordando felicidad.

|| ¡Adiós! || exclamó Oliver, mientras los niños se alejaban, corriendo y saltando de alegría. Mientras los niños se alejaban entre la multitud, Madeleine se acercó a nosotros con una mirada evaluadora.

|| Debo admitir que jugar con los niños frente a todos fue una jugada muy astuta, Riley... Mis consejos deben estar finalmente pegándose en ti || exclamó Madeleine, atrayendo la atención de todos. Liam, con una expresión seria, se volvió hacia Madeleine.

|| En realidad, Madeleine, la idea de jugar con los niños fue mía, no de Riley. Ella simplemente se unió a la propuesta. Y para ser honesto, todos nos comprometimos con los niños al verlos tristes. No fue una jugada estratégica, sino un acto de apoyo genuino || aclaró Liam, manteniendo un tono firme pero controlado. Madeleine frunció el ceño, buscando una respuesta adecuada.

|| Bueno, yo solo... || comenzó a decir, intentando defender su punto de vista || Yo creo que las personas donan a la caridad porque quieren parecer generosas con los demás... Da cumplidos porque son ellos los que quieren ser felicitados después... La gente da porque quiere recibir. Nuestras virtudes son poco más que interés propio disfrazado. Es una ilusión pensar de otra manera || dijo Madeleine, intentando justificar su perspectiva. Liam la miró con una expresión decidida y respondió:

|| Madeleine, entiendo tu punto de vista, pero creo que simplificar las acciones humanas a un nivel de interés propio no hace justicia a la verdadera naturaleza de la generosidad. La bondad genuina no siempre busca recompensa o reconocimiento; a veces, simplemente busca el bienestar de los demás. Ver a los niños felices hoy no es un acto de interés oculto, sino una manifestación auténtica de empatía y humanidad ||

Madeleine quedó visiblemente desconcertada, sin encontrar palabras para refutar la perspectiva de Liam. Sus argumentos se desmoronaron ante la autoridad y la profundidad de su respuesta. Hana, notando el ambiente incómodo, intentó cambiar el rumbo de la conversación.

|| ¿Qué les parece si nos damos un descanso antes de comer? || sugirió con una sonrisa amistosa.

|| ¡Me parece una idea perfecta! || exclamó Maxwell con entusiasmo. || Solo espero que la cena sea tan buena como el juego fue divertido. ||

|| Estoy de acuerdo. A veces, un buen descanso y una comida sabrosa son justo lo que necesitamos después de un día tan activo, || añadió Liam con una sonrisa de satisfacción.

Todos asintieron con entusiasmo y comenzamos nuestro camino hacia la mansión. El sol empezaba a descender, bañando el paisaje en tonos cálidos y dorados. El día había sido largo y lleno de sorpresas, pero ahora era momento de relajarnos y reflexionar sobre los momentos felices que habíamos compartido.

♕❤♕❤

En la quietud de la noche, bajo un cielo estrellado, Liam me llevó hacia el exterior de la mansión. A lo lejos, uno de sus autos estaba estacionado, su silueta resaltada por las luces cálidas que iluminaban el camino. Todo parecía envuelto en una calma especial, como si el mundo entero se detuviera por un momento solo para nosotros dos.

|| ¿Y de qué sorpresa estabas hablando? || pregunto, no pudiendo contener mi curiosidad mientras él me dirige una sonrisa que me derrite, llena de misterio y ternura.

|| Me gustaría aprovechar este día para llevarte a la ciudad, || comienza a decir con ese tono suave y lleno de intención. || He estado pensando que, desde el atentado, todo ha sido como un torbellino, y lastimosamente, apenas has tenido tiempo de establecerte como duquesa antes de verte empujada a enfrentar una crisis nacional. ||

Lo miro en silencio por un momento, admirando lo considerado que es, siempre poniendo mis sentimientos primero.

|| Estoy feliz de que vayamos a la ciudad, pero, Liam, yo estoy contenta de hacer todo lo que hemos hecho para ayudar, || le respondo, mi voz sincera, queriendo que sepa que estoy con él en cada paso, sin importar las dificultades. Liam toma mi mano y la aprieta suavemente, sus ojos encontrando los míos en esa mirada que parece contener el mundo. || Y te lo agradezco, mi amor, de verdad, || dice, su voz llena de calidez.

|| No hay nadie a quien preferiría tener a mi lado. Pero está parada en Applewood me recordó que, a veces, lo mejor que puedes hacer en momentos como este es simplemente reducir la velocidad. || Con un gesto caballeroso, abre la puerta del auto y me invita a subir. Su sonrisa lo dice todo: esta noche sería solo para nosotros. || Esta noche quiero que seamos solos tú y yo. Quiero que recorramos las calles del centro y te cuente más sobre la historia de esta ciudad, tu ciudad, la que será tuya una vez que estemos casados. Y, quién sabe, tal vez pueda revelarte algunos secretos del rey, || añade con picardía.Le devuelvo la sonrisa, sintiendo mi corazón latir con más fuerza.

|| Amo aprender cosas sobre mi Rey, || le digo en un susurro antes de acariciar suavemente su mejilla, inclinándome para darle un beso en ella.Liam sonríe cálidamente, y en ese instante, el mundo parece perfecto. Ambos subimos al auto, el motor ronronea suave, y mientras nos alejamos hacia el centro de Cordonia, siento una paz que no había sentido en mucho tiempo.

**

Momentos después, llegamos a la ciudad. Liam se estacionó en la plaza central, y una vez que bajamos, él comenzó a guiarme hacia la fuente que se encuentra en el centro. No puedo evitar maravillarme con la hermosa arquitectura antigua cada vez que vengo aquí. Los adoquines bajo mis pies, las fachadas de piedra cubiertas por enredaderas, y las farolas de hierro forjado iluminando suavemente las calles, hacen que todo el lugar parezca sacado de un cuento. El aire huele a historia, y a veces siento que las paredes mismas susurran las leyendas del pasado.

|| Wow, Liam, este lugar es simplemente hermoso. Cada vez que vengo, me encanta admirarlo. Es precioso || le digo, dejando que mi mirada se pierda en las estructuras. Liam sonríe con esa serenidad que siempre me calma.

|| Sí, ciertamente lo es... Solía pensar que esta ciudad era lo más magnífico que había visto en el mundo... hasta que te conocí. || me dice con tanta calma, que lo miro y me derrito de amor. Es tan dulce cuando me dice estas cosas.

|| ¡Awwww, mi amor! Eres tan tierno, || Le digo, e iba a acercarme para darle un beso, pero de repente me detengo porque veo a Mara apoyada contra el costado de un edificio. Ella asiente desde el otro lado de la plaza, y también veo a Sebastián mirando por una calle lateral, mientras Jacob se encuentra cerca con un grupo de guardias repartidos por el lugar.

|| ¿Está todo bien? || pregunta Liam con un atisbo de preocupación en su voz, volviendo mi atención hacia él.

|| Sí, lo siento… A veces me cuesta acostumbrarme a estar rodeada de tanta seguridad, || le confieso con una sonrisa algo tímida. || Pero es tranquilizador saber que están aquí, por si acaso. ||le respondo, tratando de relajarme mientras continúo admirando la magia del lugar.

|| Lo siento, cariño, pero desde el ataque, la seguridad se ha intensificado. Justamente por ese “por si acaso” es que ellos están aquí. Pero tranquila, he caminado por estas calles cientos de veces sin incidentes, así que no tenemos nada de qué preocuparnos, || me dice Liam, haciendo una pausa para contemplar la plaza crepuscular, su sonrisa cálida como si saludara a un viejo amigo || Dadas tus nuevas responsabilidades como futura reina, pensé en compartir algo que me ha sido útil como gobernante. || Él toma mi mano, envolviéndola suavemente en la suya. || Y ahora que estamos comprometidos, siento la necesidad de compartir contigo partes de mí, de lo que me hizo ser quien soy. ||

|| ¡Vaya! Eso suena maravilloso, || le respondo con una sonrisa.

|| Cuando mi hermano abdicó y supe que realmente sería rey, empecé a venir a la ciudad por mi cuenta para conocer la vida de mi pueblo. Quería ver con mis propios ojos cómo vivían mis ciudadanos. Pasar mis manos por las paredes de ladrillo que fueron colocadas por personas que ya no están, pero que construyeron este país que amo. Con el tiempo, se convirtió en un hábito, especialmente cuando me sentía atrapado entre los detalles de los impuestos y la diplomacia, || explica con una serena sinceridad.

|| Siempre pensé que la familia real se mantenía alejada de su pueblo, que no venían regularmente aquí, || le digo, algo sorprendida por lo que acabo de escuchar.

|| Bueno, mi padre era así. Le gustaba mantener las distancias, pero cuando vi la responsabilidad que me esperaba, quise hacer algo diferente. No quería ser igual. Así que, en las mañanas o por las noches, venía aquí sin que él lo supiera. Convencí a Sebastián de que me acompañara para poder venir sin problemas... y bueno, con Drake me escapé algunas veces, || dice riendo mientras caminamos hacia el borde de la fuente. El gorgoteo del agua resuena entre los edificios de piedra circundantes || Esta es la estatua de mi antepasado, el Rey Eirik Nielsen. No es el monarca más famoso, pero es uno de mis favoritos. ||

|| ¿Y por qué es tu favorito? || pregunto intrigada, mirando la imponente estatua que parece observarnos desde otra época.

|| Porque era un hombre que amaba el arte. Le fascinaban las esculturas, escribir poesía, componer canciones y leer innumerables libros. Algunas de las obras más bellas de Cordonia fueron creadas por él || me dice, con orgullo reflejado en su mirada mientras observa la estatua. Yo también comienzo a admirarla, aunque algo en particular me llama la atención: está completamente desnudo.

|| Liam... ¿No es un poco narcisista que un artista mande a hacer una estatua de sí mismo? Especialmente... ¿desnudo? || pregunto, sorprendida, mientras él se ríe.

|| Esta estatua fue hecha después de la muerte del Rey Eirik... pero sí, él tenía algunos retratos suyos, aunque no desnudo. En cuanto a por qué está representado así, sinceramente, no lo sé. Pero lo importante no es su imagen, sino lo que me enseñó. Las responsabilidades de un gobernante no se limitan a proteger y proveer. Un buen rey debe ayudar a su pueblo a prosperar || explica, inclinándose para sumergir su mano en el agua de la fuente. || El arte es una parte fundamental de eso. Una vida sin la alegría y la vulnerabilidad que trae la expresión artística no tiene verdadero sentido. || La profundidad de sus palabras me conmueve. Liam no solo es un hombre increíblemente culto, sino que también posee una sensibilidad y un sentido del deber que me asombran. Cada vez que lo escucho hablar con esa mezcla de pasión y humildad, me doy cuenta de que no estoy conociendo a un hombre común. Estoy conociendo a alguien cuya grandeza va más allá de las expectativas y las apariencias, a un ser que ha sido moldeado por su amor por la cultura y su genuino deseo de hacer el bien. La forma en que aprecia y vive el arte, y cómo lo integra en su visión del mundo, solo refuerza mi admiración por él.

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