#astrid does his little braid in every universe

[noornight]

Drew my fav duo as cats

[innerpostmentality]

Coffee with Hyclea

A TRR AU fan fic Featuring King Liam X OC All rights to Choices characters and settings to Pixel Berry Studios This is set before the bachelorette party and wedding of Drake and the MC. Liam is wrestling with his emotions as he works to see the way forward. Thanks to @kennaxval for bringing me back to this pair. 

Approximately 2900 words        PG-13

Tagging: @kennaxval @darley1101 @hopefulmoonobject @carabeth @custaroonie

​

  Liam looked at the file on the woman who kept invading his thoughts.

Hyclea Diama, 28, single, occupation: Gaffer. Owner of Diama Crystal & Glass. Master of Fine Art from Oxford university completed advanced degree with high honors. Net worth 15.5 million Euros. Parents: deceased. No known siblings.

These files were always so black and white. He frowned at the file dissatisfied, and closed it. Checked his watch, 8:30am, two hours before his first meeting of the day. A smile lifted his mouth as he picked up his phone and called Bastien.

 “Your Majesty. Kalimera. How may I assist you?”

 “I need a car. I’ve decided to have breakfast out. I am going to visit Miss Diama.” Liam could just envision Bastien’s brow lift as the pause on the phone lengthened. “Bastien?”

 “Of course your Majesty… your car will be waiting in 10.” 

 “Five. And you are welcome to join us, Bastien.”

 “Of course, Sir.”

  Liam looked out the window of the car as the limo navigated the ancient streets of the capitol city taking a circuitous route to avoid the worst of the morning traffic. Something he realized he hadn’t really considered when he made his impulsive decision for an impromptu visit. Fifteen minutes later the limo pulled up in front of a quaint store front set into a repurposed ancient building. A wooden framed ornate stained glass sign read ‘Diama Glass & Crystal’ hung from a wrought iron brace above the door over the paved stone side walk. A large showcase window had been skillfully set into the stone to provide a display for the street. Currently the display was filled with a meter-tall, gorgeous glass sculpture of a scarlet and gold phoenix, wings stretched overhead as though emerging from a base composed of massive flames and tail plumage. All around the phoenix were glass and fine crystal pieces themed to celebrate the marriage of the new Duchess of Valtoria. There was a crystal chess set, fine crystal wine glasses with phoenix stems, champagne flutes with the seal of Valtoria etched into the glass, blown glass and crystal phoenix Christmas ornaments, and crystal sun catchers etched with the royal seal of Cordonia were hung strategically above it all beneath bright halogen lights to scatter rainbows across the whole display. The artistry evident in the little store front left Liam gaping with appreciation for several moments before he stepped into the shop.

  The tinkling of crystal wind chimes heralded his entrance and he looked up to see the chimes in the shape of reeds hung from the ceiling and a plume of ostrich feathers fastened to the door to dust the chime when the door was opened. The small shop was well lit and immaculate with multiple glass enclosed upright display cases as well as jewelry case counters filled with fine crystal and glass ware of every sort.  Behind the back counter was a heavy oak door ornately carved and finely finished depicting a man astride a large dragon. “Kalos orisate, I’ll be with you in a moment.” Her voice came to him from an intercom still possessed of that velvety warmth even through the small speaker.

Liam found himself smiling and caught Bastien giving him a side long glance. Then She came through the back door untying a leather apron and draping it on a hook by the door. Her midnight hair was braided and secured with a bright red ribbon. A red cotton peasant blouse and black slacks adorned her this morning and she gave Liam a bright smile that reflected in her deep violet eyes as she gave him a short curtsey. “Kalimera, Your Majesty. How may I help you?” It was her voice he thought, mesmerized by the sight of her or maybe those unusual violet eyes. He cleared his throat and felt his face flush. “I was hoping that you might join me for breakfast?”

He caught her eyes widen in surprise and she studied him a moment before responding. “Can you give me a few minutes? I must let my assistants know that I am stepping out for a while.”

“Of course.” Liam watched her turn and go back through the ornate door then turned to see Bastien smiling at him.

A few minutes later she returned and reached beneath the main counter. Instantly Bastien stepped between Liam and the counter, hand reaching for his holster even as Hyclea stood pulling a small shoulder purse and a pair of black dress pumps out. She lifted a brow as she realized she had caused the guard to be alarmed. 

  “Bastien, Sighorese me, I was just getting my purse and shoes.” She watched as Bastien relaxed slightly and Liam put a hand on his shoulder and spoke quietly to him. She held her purse out to Bastien. “Here, please look and put yourself at ease. I am comforted that you look after his Majesty and take no chances.” Bastien looked in the purse and nodded before handing it back. She pulled a tube of lip gloss from it and swiped it on even as she deftly stepped out of the sturdy looking work boots she was wearing and slipped on the pumps. 

  “I am ready. But I cannot be gone too long. There are projects that require me.” She smiled and cocked her head looking at Liam as he stood there smiling at her. “Is there a place you would recommend?” he asked after realizing he’d been staring. “Do you know Tevi’s? If you like pastry and coffee or quiche they are very good… and close. We could walk if you like?”   Liam looked to Bastien who spoke into his headset for a moment before nodding. Then opened the door for them. Liam offered Hyclea his arm, “My Lady Hyclea, shall we?” “I was admiring your display window as I came in. It’s quite remarkable. Is it all your work?”   Hyclea took his arm and stepped out pointing at the display. “The Phoenix is my design. Stephano and Aeus were my assistants on that piece. I designed the phoenix wine glasses and blew them. The chess set is Stephano’s design. April does most of the actual cut work on the crystal though I do some of that as well. Aeus loves doing ornaments and the sun catchers.” She looked at him and shook her head and smiled. “I am glad I did not offend you the other night. I too often say too much of what I see or think. When I didn’t see you again I was concerned that I might have ruined a retreat for you. And that was certainly not my intention.”   He looked into her eyes so sincere and deep. “I cannot imagine you ever offending me Lady Hyclea. I think you did me a service the other night. I had lost some perspective and was lost in my thought’s maze.”   She nodded and studied him a moment more. “You seem better today. That is good.”

  “When I saw the Phoenix in your window I was wondering if I might purchase it? I’ve been looking for a wedding gift for Stephanie and Drake and that piece is perfection.” He watched her eyes widen in surprise before she lifted a brow and looked at him seriously for a moment.

“Oh…. I honestly had not expected to sell it. Of course, if you wish it is yours, Your Majesty.”

  He shook his head and laughed. “Lady Hyclea might I request a favor?” He stopped and checked his watch before looking steadily into her eyes. “I have run away you see. So while I’m playing hooky could you just call me Liam?”

  She grinned, “Playing hooky? Now I’m torn between being flattered and appalled.  I will make you a deal, I will call you Liam if you will call me Hyclea and skip the Lady? I keep looking around to see who you are talking to every time you do that.”

“I can do that… Hyclea.” He smiled. A few minutes later she paused and pointed out a little sign hanging by a white washed archway that simply read ‘Tevi’s’.

Bastien asked them to wait and stepped through the archway just long enough for Hyclea to lean over and murmur low in Liam’s ear. “I’m guessing he’s very good at protecting you. And you are not so good at playing hooky.”  Bastien returned and motioned them in, lifting a brow at Liam’s blush.

“La.. Hyclea,” Liam cleared his suddenly tight throat and invited her to precede him into the courtyard of the restaurant.  Tables were scattered around the white washed walls of the courtyard garden. Several Jacaranda trees and an ancient Olive tree dominated the open aired space while smaller ornamental apple trees stood guard beneath the eaves at the entrance to the interior of the restaurant. Bright poppies were blooming around the bases of the trees and vases on the tables held blush pink rose buds.

A waiter approached and Hyclea turned to Liam, “May we sit in the courtyard? It’s a lovely day and I’m indoors too much with my work.” Liam nodded at the waiter and he led them to a table toward the back by a graceful Jacaranda tree with bright blue flowers.  They placed their orders for coffee and pastries. And Hyclea sat back smiling and studying him.

“So Liam tell me what has you running away?” Her smile was gentle and her voice like warm velvet was soothing to him.

“Why to break my fast with you of course.” He smiled playfully, looking in her eyes. “I was terrible company the other evening and I would not have you think poorly of me.” Liam resisted the urge to take her hand studying it instead before meeting her eyes, his were dark and serious, vulnerable when he spoke again. “Hyclea, I find myself thinking of you. Wanting to know more about you… But I would not wish to burden you with the circus that is my life.”

  She looked deeply, steadily into his dark gaze for long moments considering before she spoke. “All the world’s a stage, and the men and women merely players… I believe Shakespeare wrote that in his play “As You Like It” and your words made me think of this. Life is like the production we are cast in that none of us get to read a script for.”

 She barely broke eye contact with him as the waiter served their coffee and a whole basket of freshly baked pastries. She nodded and gave the waiter a brief smile before turning back to Liam as she lifted her cup and blew across it a moment before taking a tiny, careful sip of the delicious strong aromatic brew. She closed her eyes and slowly smiled as she savored it.

  Liam watched her and shifted in his seat adjusting himself, fixated on the bow of her mouth as she blew across her coffee. He was aroused, seriously aroused. Aroused by a woman other than Stephanie for the first time in months. He smiled as she opened her eyes to him and reached his hand out offering it to her. “Hyclea… “his voice was gentle. “I want to ask you something.”

“Taste your coffee first.” She set her coffee down and put her left hand in his. Liam reached for the sugar and she put her hand over the bowl. “No. Taste it first.” Her violet gaze held his for a moment before she took her hand off the sugar bowl.

“Is this a test?” his voice lifted in curiosity and the corner of his mouth lifted in amusement.

“Yes.” She smiled, “And our coffee will be better hot.”

Locking eyes with her he took a small sip.

“Now, let’s fix my coffee. Do you like sugar?”

He nodded.

Hyclea put one lump in her cup and stirred it then took a sip. Closing her eyes for a moment assessing before she offered him her cup to taste. Liam looked at her quizzically before he took the cup and sipped it. “What do you think?”

“Smoother, better.” He found himself stroking his thumb over her fingers where his hand held hers, feeling the supple softness of her skin.

Hyclea chuckled and pulled her hand from his. “Liam, I’m not sure now whether you are talking about coffee anymore.”

Heat rose in his cheeks as he confessed, “I’m not sure either.”

“Here. Sip this.” She handed him his unsweetened cup to sip. “Now this.” After tasting it he looked thoughtful.  “Now do you want to add anything else to mine?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t know what you like.” He reached for her hand again and she put her hand in his smiling gently at him.

“Ah Liam, the point is, was, trying to be sure you know what You actually like before you change it. You said you had never been to Tevi’s before but you would put things in your coffee here before even tasting it. You can always add. And it changes everything. But once you have added the sugar, cream, lemon, honey you can’t take it back. With the original here,” she pointed at his unsweetened cup, “you can compare. I was thinking we are a bit like these cups of coffee.” She sipped her lightly sweetened coffee. Then squeezed his hand. “I like you, Liam. So what did you want to ask me?”

He toyed with her hand a moment before meeting her eyes. “I would like for you to accompany me, us really. As you know my best friends are getting married in a few days. We are throwing a bachelorette/bachelor party for Stephanie and Drake in Las Vegas and then their wedding will follow a couple of days later back here. I would have you meet them. I… want you to come with us as my… my date.”

Her brow lifted and she studied him a long moment before sipping her coffee again. “Liam, you honor me; but I will need to think about this. It would please me to spend more time with you. And I would like to meet the people you are friends with. I’m just not certain of the timing.”

  She took her hand from his and selected one of the rolls from the basket breaking it and handing him a piece. “Try this. It’s an orange walnut sticky bun. I love them with the coffee here.”

Liam looked at her hand holding the piece of roll and wanted her to feed it to him. He would take the pastry from her fingers looking in the violet depths of her gaze and then carefully lick and suck the sweet honey from her fingers. She would sigh, just a little, softly as he rolled his tongue over the pads of her fingertips and he would see her pupils open with desire..

“Liam?” Her voice pulled him from his day dream into her smile, “Trust me. These are delicious.”

  He felt himself blush and cleared his throat before taking the piece of roll from her and tasting it. “Ah… This is excellent!” He sipped his coffee forgetting to put any sugar in it first. Then he grinned at her, “Can I put some sugar in my coffee now?”

  She laughed, a soft musical sound that he felt in his chest and made him smile. “Of course.” She took her bite of roll and sipped her coffee. Watching him as he put one lump of sugar and nothing else in his coffee. “So when do you leave for this Las Vegas trip? I know their wedding is weekend after next.”

“Monday, four days. Bastien and a security team leave tomorrow to make sure everything is prepared for us.”

Bastien stepped up to the table then and made a short bow. “Excuse me, Sir, you asked me to let you know when it was time.”

Liam looked up at Bastien and nodded before he turned back to her regretfully. “I’m sorry Hyclea. I fear my hooky time is done for the day. Might I have the pleasure of taking you back to your shop?”

“Ah Liam, se efkharisto. I would not deprive you of pleasure but I think I will walk back. I have a lot of work to do yet this day. And thinking. And walking is always good for both.” She opened her clutch and pulled out a pen and one of her business cards and wrote her private number on it and handed it to him. “Here. It’s my personal number.” She grinned at him, “Call me next time you want to play hooky. I should know by Friday if I will be able to join you. Again I am honored that you should invite me.” She stood and gave him a small curtsey. 

  Liam stood and took her hand bowing over it and gently bringing her knuckles to meet his lips, perhaps a moment longer than his training would dictate for a brief acquaintance. “I will call you.” His eyes met hers before dropping to her lips as he gave her a last smile before departing.

As she watched the young king walk away she heard her father’s voice telling her. “Someday daughter you may find that you need more than your work in your life. Someday you will find the artistry in another soul that completes yours.”

[corusciifer]

                              ❝——oh, oh, here we go, door again.❞ and then a small gasp, quiet and breathless. his paper-skin wrist starts bruising against her tight grip but he doesn’t make her let him go. a dragon could’ve crashed through the ceiling and dellingr isn’t sure she’d notice because she goes preternaturally still. there is a terrifying sheen to her gaze and when glittering eyes focus on him, he feels his own heart constrict because astrid says, ❝heavens above, kjære, that’s our girl.❞

                             want as he does to look at his daughter, to commit to memory the wondrous passage of time and adventure upon her face, he can’t tear his gaze away from his wife——— his wife, the love of his life, as terribly beautiful as she was the day she died. forgive an old man for his sentimentality but she is, in this moment, everything.

                             it’s clear that she is distracted for he has barely made a sound in response before her attention darts away again, lingering for longer this time. there is a hunger that’s consuming her, one dellingr is familiar with, one he remembers being trained at him decades ago. her jaw is clenched tight, the flyaway strands of her stygian shaded braids make her look feral and fierce but he can feel the trembling in her fingers. giving it a squeeze, he moves to turn in his seat but she halts him with a tightening of her grip. 

                             ( time may have separated them but he has memorised her every tell. )

                             his raised eyebrow is met with a sheepish curl of the lips as astrid shakes her head, lets it dip forward to loose a throaty chuckle. ❝she was—— looking this way.❞

                             ❝isn’t that the point, love?❞ there is a hint of teasing, the timbre of his voice cutting through the words with a flashpoint of affection. the look astrid shoots him is full of heat and a younger man would’ve fallen in love but blessed was he to have always been. dellingr clears his throat. ❝call her over. we’ll drink another round.❞

                             what should’ve been a happy pronouncement softens into a request as a painful hurt crosses her face, burrows itself between her eyebrows. she falters, her touch softens and dellingr childishly wishes for her brand on his skin. ❝i’m running late already. you know they do this on purpose, kjære. gods and their games.❞ 

                             it’s a curse he’s heard whispered so many times, in overlapping voices during a harsh winter or an unforgivable summer. dellingr traverses space and time to a moment curled next to his wife, a matching set of parentheses around the swaddled toddler of their making. her face is bare and she has a possessive hand on his hip. he remembers the little gurgle zinnarath made in her sleep, sees the steel in his wife’s eyes crumble before building up again, strengthened with conviction. this was the moment she decided down her path. oh, if only he knew then what he knew now. the years they could’ve had.

                              ❝heavens forbid they call me lucky for getting a glimpse of my own daughter.❞ she radiates from the inside with a fire that can barely be quelled but the flames soothe some when she catches his eye. with a regretful twist of her lips, astrid cups his hand with both of hers. ❝sorry, sorry. i never did learn my lesson.❞

                             the laugh he lets out is genuine and he leans forward, steals her breath in a kiss, tempered by the lack of privacy but subsumed with want all the same. she hums in amusement against his lips, letting the stubble of his old age rash her skin. calloused fingers dance along his jaw, like cupping water that’s already slipped through her hold. 

                             ❝stay with her, will you? for as long as you can.❞ there is a chasm of things unsaid between them and for a moment, his heart stutters because seeing her make that leap never stops scaring him. nevertheless, she lands a devastating blow as only your soulmate can. ❝and forgive me too, for as much as you can.❞

                             ❝———you always ask miracles of me, my love. i’m old now.❞ and still, forever, besotted by you. she strokes the gray hairs of his sideburns and there is a love-worn understanding that passes between them, her gaze to his. 

                             ❝and yet, you are the only thing i believe in kjære. you and that girl standing over there.❞ she kisses him again, softly this time, spilling her vulnerability into the moment. time dilates, the universe doesn’t exist beyond where their atoms meet. it will be the last time he touches her, it is exactly like the last time he touched her. ❝i love you both.❞

                             astrid stands up but dellingr doesn’t move. instead he watches from the corner as his daughter reunites with her mother.