#did not expect that to happen in TRR

[resetmypatientviolence]

Say what you will about Drake Walker you’re probably right but damn the ending of TRR 2 with him getting fucking shot during a terrorist attack at the homecoming ball was the best cliffhanger PB’s done because it was an unexpected twist and it was done goddamn WELL

I said what I said.

[lizzybeth1986]

Maxwell and Penelope: When You Like Your Side Character So Much, You Gift Her a Shiny New LI

Series - TRR's Alternative LIs: The Romances that Didn't Happen

Previous - Liam and Olivia: When You Prefer the Side Character to the Main

A/N: There won't be a lot of exploration on Maxwell x Penelope, as there is very little the pair gets in canon. I will be largely looking at their individual characterizations and the changes and retcons made there. There will be a lot of exploration on Penelope x Ezekiel.

CW: Mentions of Penelope's actions as part of Constantine's nefarious plot against the MC in TRR1 & 2, mentions of Penelope's social anxiety.

(Screenshots from the Skylia YouTube Channel, Drake playthrough)

Compared to the other three alternative romances, Maxwell x Penelope turned out to be a bit of a one-chapter wonder. It was extremely short-lived, and the only indication that it had ever happened was one conversation between Penelope and the MC in TRR2 Ch 6, after which there is no reference to it, ever again.

In my mind there are two major factors behind this pairing being left behind, which I will get into later in this essay. However, what I find even more interesting is what the narrative and the writing team did with Penelope after they set aside that subplot. What did TRR3 give her in lieu of this alternative romance, and why, and what does it tell us about the narrative that she alone got that?

But before we can get into that, we need to look (separately) at how Maxwell and Penelope were written in TRR1, and how it culminated in the characterizations they got by TRR2.

The Evolution of (White) Side Characters

One thing that fascinates me about TRR1 is the trajectory of some of the characters, when you observe them on rereads. We often go into those rereads with a strong impression of their character type (or stereotype), before we learn to our surprise that the initial writing doesn't always match the image we carried in our heads.

In the case of some side characters, we may find traces and hints of a totally different characterization, before the team zeroed in on a trope or characteristic that may have hit the right chord with the audience. When done right, this could result in a more rounded character. But in the wrong hands, the writer may keep falling back to that one trope that made the character click, and turn them into caricatures instead.

Maxwell and Penelope are representative of different tiers of side characters, at least in TRR1 - which means that what we may expect in terms of treatment will vary as well. Even before TRR2, Maxwell was more LI-tier adjacent; until he got his LI-upgrade in TRR2, he was a frequent presence in the story and the MC's life, enough that his fans started a "Make Maxwell an LI" campaign. Penelope (along with Kiara) was a far less important character with infrequent appearances.

So of course their trajectories wouldn't be the same. It's interesting, nonetheless, to see how the writing changed over the course of the series, what parallels or complementary traits made the team consider Penelope as an alternative for Maxwell by TRR2, and why they ultimately let go of the pair after one chapter.

As we go through these stories, I think I'd like my readers to keep one thing in mind throughout - Penelope is an anomaly as a character. There are very specific things she is given that at least one other character in the same position doesn't get. Why?

I might not be able to give the answer in this specific essay, but I do think it's a question we need to keep asking ourselves as we go through her story.

Maxwell and Penelope - TRR1

A truly interesting thing about Maxwell was that he was initially not even conceptualized as a prominent character in the books! In their promotional interview for TRR2, Kara mentioned this about the creation of his character:

Excerpt from The Royal Romance: Book 2 interview.

Maxwell was initially conceptualized as a fun foil for Bertrand, the MC's tentative guide for the social season - who the writers considered too stiff and boring to stand alone as a character. Owing to his proximity to both Liam (close friend) and the MC (sponsor), it made sense that Maxwell was a part of the group scenes from the jump.

Going by the interviews, clearly Maxwell's 'fun nature' was his main USP for the writers. TRR1 does try to balance this aspect of his personality with scenes where he shows perceptiveness (such as pointing out opportunities to ally with Kiara or Penelope), but as time goes on he is viewed more and more as the 'funny guy' of the group. He also has a side-story connected with his older brother, who isn't very impressed with his work during the social season (tbh, for good reason!). This side story allows us to view him with sympathy and perhaps overlook all his failures as a sponsor (and there are many examples of this throughout TRR1. Most of the opportunities to connect with the main LIs emerge from all the times Maxwell failed to adequately guide her - teaching her the Cordonian Waltz, explaining the significance of the Regatta Race, finding the right tents, telling the MC to get swimwear for a beach party!).

Of course, because TRR2 (where the Beaumonts are her staunch allies from the jump, even before the LIs return and pledge their support shortly after) and the "Make Maxwell an LI" campaign created such a strong impression on the fandom, people remember him most as the "person who was always there for the MC".

Though he doesn't become an LI in TRR1, we do get our first ever hint of the possibility midway through the book:

(Screenshots from the HIMEME YouTube Channel)

Most of the people I know joined the TRR fandom either in the middle of Book 1, or after Books 2 or 3 - therefore, much of what I'm about to say next is down to conjecture. It is possible that either some stans did pop up in the initial chapters, resulting in the hint in Ch 8, OR that the writers tentatively teased this pairing with the dialogue at the Lythikos Ball, and were gratified enough by the response to continue teasing it. By TRR1 Chs 10 and 11, there was already plenty fanfic on Maxwell x MC. The writers were clearly encouraged enough by the response to toss a few more hints (the MC asking Maxwell about taking his shirt off at the beach, the implications of the MC telling Maxwell she is falling for someone else). Before the fandom knew it, Maxwell had already become the beneficiary of two diamond scenes focused on him in TRR1 (a flashback scene that introduced Savannah, and having fun sliding down banisters in the finale).

Penelope's trajectory in Book 1 didn't experience as meteoric a rise in popularity, but there were changes made throughout the series until she did become somewhat popular. Her trajectory could be categorised in three parts:

1. A minor noble who was very poised and proper (snobbish, if you weren't fitting in well enough)

2. Adorable ditz

3. The lady with social anxiety (TRR2)

From their entrance in TRR1 Ch 3, both Penelope and Kiara were written as extremely minor characters compared to the three frontrunners (and one female LI) of the social season. They accept early on that they don't have much of a chance in the competition, and are the first contenders (barring Hana) that the MC can get on her side. They represent the opinions and mindsets of the royal court.

Because of this, Penelope and Kiara initially appeared almost indistinguishable from each other. The only thing that seems to set them apart is perhaps the introduction Olivia gives at the Masquerade, pointing to Penelope's lineage and Kiara's linguistic skills and diplomatic pedigree. She was the titled one, Kiara was the "smart" one.

(Penelope's scenes from my failplay, in order:

1 & 2: Ch 3, while speaking about Olivia's connection to the Prince, and if you ask her and Kiara why they allow Olivia to call them 'harpies'

3 & 4: Ch 4, Penelope's response to the MC saying, "Penelope, hands off my man"

5 & 6: Ch 6, if you don't fall in line behind the Queen and bump against her instead

7: Ch 6, when Olivia is shocked that Liam chose the MC

8: Ch 8, reaction to Olivia kissing Liam)

Penelope's early scenes in TRR1 didn't showcase the traits she is now so well-known for. She wasn't the "adorable ditz" until the Applewood chapters; in fact her scenes in the first half often showed her as poised and very proper. At the Masquerade she calmly points out to the MC that there is no reason to be offended, when Olivia bluntly declares that no one else has a chance with Liam. She expects decorum from the MC when she cuts in during her dance with Liam, and even comments on the inappropriateness of some of Olivia's behaviours and cautions her when she gets a chance. If your MC makes mistakes in public in certain scenes, Penelope doesn't hesitate to laugh at her.

Her allyship scene in Ch 10 hinges on the MC's ability to convince Penelope of the advantages of supporting her, and rescuing the lady from a crab bite. She is extremely rude in certain options, and ends their conversation with the sentence "I'm not nice" if she isn't convinced the MC is worth supporting. In fact, she is allowed to call the MC a commoner wench in a certain dialogue option!

(Screenshots from my failplay. The top half shows a response to one of the MC's dialogues (she is merely sad if you choose the second one). The second is the end of the conversation when the MC asks for her support)

In a failplay especially, she can be very, very mean-spirited, which is truly ironic given her later characterization as someone who is herself uncomfortable in court and makes more than her fair share of silly mistakes. Fortunately for most of the players, the more "positive" version of the scene sounds a bit more like she's scared and uncomfortable and not equipped to handle the rigors of court. Which makes the "adorable ditz" direction that PB takes, post Regatta, a bit more believable.

Once Penelope is no longer a contender, both she and Kiara recede to the background. You don't see much of her in Applewood and Ramsford, but the little you do see primes us to view her as "sweet and silly" with a bit of a poodle obsession. Two very good examples of this is the "cheating scene" at the pie competition (TRR1 Ch12) and the aftermath of the Beaumont Bash (Ch 16). At the pie competition, Olivia and the MC can team up to distract Penelope so they trick the rival team into adding salt in their pie instead of sugar, by getting her to talk more about her poodle obsession. At the end of the Beaumont Bash, she is shown exchanging drunken chatter with a horse. The book also makes her preoccupation with poodles way more obvious, where before it was brought up only once at the Masquerade Ball.

Discrepancies between portrayals in the first book vs the latter ones is par the course for TRR. Every character has those in some way or form. Maxwell's story in TRR1 and 2 at least could make sense with enough headcanons to fill in the gaps (for why he was inefficient in his support of the MC, for why his relationship with Drake was so fraught) and his characterization is a little bit more consistent. But Penelope's, on closer observation, is a complete mess and her story doesn't make any sense when put together.

Maxwell and Penelope - TRR2

Compared to the other three pairings, Maxwell x Penelope doesn't go beyond a single chapter.

(Screenshots from Skylia's YouTube channel)

This solitary hint pops up in TRR2 Ch 6, right after the Big Clue about Penelope's social anxiety. We're given the usual options one gets for alternative LIs - a "matchmaking" one, a gently discouraging one and an insulting one, the last two of which could be read as jealousy from the MC's end. In fact, the MC's third dialogue option in this scene is so mean spirited that Hana is required to soften the blow!

There's something interesting about the matchmaking response for this scene, and I think it says plenty about the writers and the lasting impression of these characters they wanted us to have.

"You're both a bit silly...but in a way that works." It's a reading of Maxwell and Penelope that leans very strongly into their potential as comic relief, that views the two characters as alike. Both "cute", both "silly", both there to give the characters (and readers) the occasional laugh.

Is this completely accurate to their characterizations in TRR1? Probably not. But it's clearly what the writers imagined would work well for those characters.

Interestingly, TRR2 is also where the team seems to experiment more with these two characters, and finds the characterizations they think would land with the audience. Maxwell's changes are related more to the belated buildup the narrative was giving him to be an LI, and most of Penelope's was related to her role in the plot against the MC. Maxwell is given more heroic traits (eg. the Savannah storyline and his involvement in the investigation) to beef up his story a bit, and plenty of hints are scattered specifically to tease a romantic route with the MC for more than half the book. The narrative also leans far more into his position as comic relief than TRR1 does, making it his most identifiable trait.

There are tiny nods to his "perceptiveness" (Liam mentions it twice in TRR2), but he does a lot of things that you wouldn't see a TRR1 Maxwell do, like tossing a bruschetta at a foreign dignitary or playing with food to get the forgiveness of his friend (btw the Drake Maxwell friendship reads very differently from the first book; they're remarkably chilly in their vibes towards each other initially. Of course, one could headcanon what caused a rift, but that's still us doing the work instead of the writers!!).

Because so much time has to be spent bringing Maxwell's romantic route up to speed with the rest, the progress of the relationship is different from the other three and his romantic scenes cost less (until TRR3 Ch 10, his first 30 diamond scene). Much of this is par for the course for an LI who has entered the game late. In addition, the narrative also tries in TRR2 and 3 to balance his role as the MC's sponsor with his new role as LI, and it doesn't always land (eg. his excitement for Liam's proposal to the MC two chapters after becoming an LI, or his weirdly impersonal reaction in the TRR3 Ch 11 Armory diamond scene in his playthrough, in response to Madeleine mocking Liam for the MC favouring Maxwell). In part this is a result of laziness from PB's end, and in part it's because navigating Maxwell's new role itself may have been a tricky business.

Penelope's TRR2 trajectory, in contrast, is the textbook definition for "throw spaghetti against the wall and see what sticks". Hints of her involvement in the plot don't even show up until Ch 6, just one chapter prior to the reveal. The reasoning given for Penelope's actions in TRR1 - social anxiety - also directly contradicts what is shown of her during the timeline when she was supposed to have been involved in the plot. TRR1 Ch 14 and the Coronation at the finale shows her acting calm, collected and enjoying herself. A lot of Penelope's actions in TRR1 and 2 - esp at the Coronation and in Fydelia - cast an extremely poor light on her when you take into account that she knew the MC was innocent, and that she'd played a part in framing her. From the way the reveal of her condition was done, and the way we're expected to brush her wrongdoing aside immediately, it's clear that Penelope's "social anxiety" was more about tossing in a last-minute Hail Mary to excuse her actions, rather than any real interest in exploring the subject.

Given the sloppy execution of this reveal, it is entirely possible that Madeleine could have been the "lady" in initial drafts (the strongest evidence of this is TRR2 Ch 1's "constitutional clause", which is never referenced again once Madeleine is no longer a suspect), and they made a switch in the nth hour.

It is also possible that writers in the team liked Penelope enough that they wanted readers to still like her after she'd betrayed their MCs. She hasn't been referenced or mentioned in any team interviews, but the writing speaks for itself. No matter what she's done, the narrative insists the MC center her, sympathize with her, and coddle her. I will speak more at length on how in the TRR3 section.

Why did Maxwell x Penelope Not Take Off?

(The first three screenshots are from the Abhirio YouTube Channel, and the rest are from the Radiance Guardians YouTube Channel)

Unlike in the case of the other pairings, not a lot was said in the fandom about this pair either way, even among Maxwell stans. You did have the occasional "hands off my man!" post from a Maxwell shipper, but not to a great extent. At this point many of them were still unsure whether a Maxwell route would be finalized, and even kept Liam as a standby in case all that teasing from the team came to nothing.

Again, most of the theories for why this pairing had just one scene are mere conjecture, since there isn't much evidence overall. But looking at the placement of this scene and what happens before and after it, I can think of two possible reasons why it was nipped in the bud:

1. Maxwell being a late-in-the-game LI could have made balancing an actual romance route and interactions with an alternative love interest tricky in the long run. As it is, his writing was subject to gaffes and mistakes in TRR3 even without this added storyline. It's possible they decided to just ensure that they got Maxwell to the point where he could have his own 30-diamond love scene (which happened in TRR3 Ch 9 btw (half a book after Drake and Hana got their first 30-diamond scenes), and not focus on anything else.

2. This teaser scene came up in Ch 6. Ch 7 is when Penelope is revealed to have tricked Tariq into coming to the MC's room, and paid the photographer to take intimate photos of her. Now to be fair, the narrative does insist she be sympathized with rather than judged. But I do think a subplot like that would automatically make her an unpopular candidate for any LI, much less one who hasn't even been clearly established as an LI yet! Having Maxwell fall for a woman who did the MC dirty wouldn't reflect very well on him, social anxiety or no. In fact, in Ch 8, Maxwell's reaction to the news is the strongest - he calls Penelope "a few dogs short of a pack", "downright diabolical" and even suspects she was lying about having poodles.

3. It is just as likely that Maxwell x Penelope was never a serious consideration for the writers in the first place. Possibly, Penelope's scene here was simply another hint in a rising pile that teased a Maxwell romance route. Players often do get an added pleasure from watching their MCs mouth a catty dialogue or two to a romantic rival, so this scene may have been more for the benefit of a Maxwell stan who wanted to "fight for her man" rather than an actual possibility if he wasn't getting picked.

Whatever their reasons, Maxwell and Penelope's chances as a couple ended pretty much in the same chapter that it began. It didn't create much of an impact, and no one really seemed to notice this pairing, or the lack of it. It basically started and finished with a whimper.

TRR3 and Beyond - Penelope and Ezekiel (ft. A Flanderized Maxwell)

Penelope is an anomaly among the side characters (and even among certain mains!) in both series'. She is the only person seriously involved in the plot against the MC, who needs massive coddling to even answer our questions about her betrayal (if not, Hana has to take over for you). She is the only lady-of-the-court who can refuse to attend your wedding. She is the only lady-of-the-court who can choose to travel with the entourage to another duchy, despite not being part of the Unity Tour. She is the only one among the three former ladies-in-waiting who can openly complain about Madeleine's bullying, and expect protection against her from the group. Until TRH2, Penelope was the only side character for whom massive divergences in the narrative would be made as well, to accommodate her comfort and mental health (More on that in this essay).

She is also the only alternative LI to be "rewarded" with a brand new character, crafted specially for her.

Until TRR3 Ch 7, the fandom didn't even know Kiara had an older brother. Even though the person we know best in Castelserraillan is Kiara, we actually spend less than a minute with her, and far more time with Ezekiel Theron. There is an entire diamond scene that's about pampering and complimenting him, making him comfortable around us, getting him to open to us - even though his sister was the one injured at Homecoming Ball. And of course, the entire reason for Penelope to even be present at Kiara's estate is so that she and Zeke can be paired up by default! Even at the Food and Art Festival, Kiara's only real default dialogue apart from winning over her mother (or not), is about moving Penelope and Ezekiel's romance along.

Both Penelope and Ezekiel join the Unity Tour only by option, so the narrative puts in a great deal of effort to get the romance going (by having Penelope only stop at Kiara's estate by default) and allowing the two to still have a fledgling courtship going on if they weren't together at the Unity Tour (Penelope still gets to meet people who inspire her into dog fashion and she and Zeke still show their interest in each other, propelling the parents to discuss their match).

The only thing we know about Ezekiel, and pretty much the only thing that really matters, is that he loves animals. In a court that views Penelope's love for dogs as an oddity, Ezekiel is a character tailormade to romance her. He rarely features in scenes that don't show her (the only exception is the menagerie scene in Ch 14), he rarely has dialogue outside of his scenes with her, he doesn't even have a personality beyond what would best suit Penelope. This character exists only to romance Penelope, which is depressing esp when you consider that she is a white woman, and he is a black man - and she is clearly the only one who even matters in this relationship!

There wasn't any real reason to give Penelope a partner. "Penzekiel" doesn't really do much for the story in general, and not a lot would change if you dropped them. But the narrative deems it essential to give her a "reward", which is ironic considering what she put the MC through and how much we had to coddle her for her to even consider cooperating, either in the investigation or during the Unity Tour. Presumably this "reward" is for her "niceness" and "sweetness", which only works because the narrative completely erases her misdeeds in the social season after TRR2. She never has to remember what she did, nor does anyone in the core group remind her.

With regards to Maxwell, by TRR3 he is a full-fledged LI who gets a wedding with his MC, in certain playthroughs. Much of his playthrough focuses on trying to catch up with the other 3 LIs - you can sleep with them if they're your fiancé/ée, but you have to wait until Ch 10 to sleep with Maxwell. The narrative mentions him taking up "responsibilities" for House Beaumont in lieu of Bertrand, but without any real scenes that show us what he is doing, nor any tangible results (we will not talk about Maxwell's book here!).

He doesn't have any alternative romances. In fact even his romantic playthrough is kinda bare - his only individual scene is the Armoury scene which isn't even about him, and there were glitches that were very noticable particularly in his and Hana's playthroughs. There are no references at all to the alternative romance Maxwell was given in TRR2; it's almost as if that option had never existed.

Penelope being a romantic option for Maxwell doesn't stop the two from having friendly exchanges in TRR3 though. Maxwell was not only allowed - but expected - to treat Penelope with sympathy and respect.

(First set of screenshots is mine, the second is from Skylia's YouTube Channel)

Not only Maxwell, even Drake - who hates most nobles - is shown being extremely protective of Penelope in both TRR3 (promising Penelope to protect her against Madeleine) and TRH3 (showing anger at Guy's blackmail of Penelope and her family). The narrative is very clear that we are expected to make Penelope feel safe, even if she has never made us feel anything but unsafe.

This relationship - and the level of coddling that Penelope has always received from TRR2 onwards - continues into TRH, where she and her beau Ezekiel are shown together, there are occasional updates on their relationship when either one appears in a chapter, and where they eventually marry and start a family. An interesting pattern begins to emerge once we get into TRH.

(Screenshots from Skylia and HIMEME's YouTube Channel)

As the only courtly lady in a relationship in TRH, Penelope gets a nicer, cleaner, more luxurious and more drama-free parallel to the MC's romantic journey. Like the MC, she finds a suitor who falls for her and wants to be with her. Like the LI, he eventually stages a grand proposal for her (TRH2 Ch 18), after they have spent a significant amount of time together. Like the MC, she has a widely publicized wedding (though tbh Penelope's was better customised to her tastes, and as the MC we put even more work into her wedding than we ever did our own!! (we were both her bridesmaid and her officiant, our daughter is the flower girl, we give her the perfect bachelorette, we rescue her from her asshole ex-husband, we help her select lingerie!!!)). And when the MC announces her second pregnancy, Penelope announces to us her first. Penelope's storyline has all the romantic trappings that the MC had with her LI, but without the tension, the conspiracies, the attacks and kidnappings, or the constant fear that someone is out to get her and her family.

Penelope is basically treated like MC-lite. Quite the upgrade for a mere side character who actually did us dirty at one point.

Does Maxwell - her potential LI for all of one chapter - suffer as a result of this upgrade? Apart from the Flanderization, I would say no, he actually didn't.

He doesn't get the lavish Drake treatment, true, but he is centered in the issues that bother him. The MC, by default, has always been expected to defend him to Bertrand from TRR1 onwards, and often argues that Maxwell tried as hard as he could to help her, even when he didn't. Her sympathy towards him whenever Bertrand justifiably berates him for his negligence is by default too. And while he improves in TRR2 and (somewhat) 3, in TRH3 the entire group is thrown into this position again. Even though Maxwell exaggerates events in his friends' lives to an insulting degree in his book and the subsequent movie adaptation, the group often brushes their discomfort aside and supports him instead. And even though his lies in said book about Bertrand (TRH2 Ch 11) indirectly cause the latter to give up his lands to their father (resulting in Bartie Sr's attempt to usurp the throne), the MC spends all of the next book comforting him, involving him in her investigations, and patting his hand sympathetically while he moans about the father who killed the former queen of the country, all while ignoring the son of the woman Bartie Sr. killed, and raging against the elder brother who is secretly supporting them (even after the reveal, the group judges Bertrand heavily and even suspects him of being part of Via Imperii in TRF). Very little is said - either by Maxwell himself or by anyone else - about his role in facilitating this awful takeover.

All in all, Maxwell may have not gotten an alternative LI at the end of the day, and his overall LI path was pretty messy - but there was some thought and consideration put into his writing. The focus on Penelope and her new romance never actually harmed Maxwell.

Fandom

As I've mentioned before, Maxwell wasn't an LI in the beginning, but rose to LI status in Book 2. While the writers did make claims once in their TRF finale livestream that they had planned to make him an LI all along, I find that a bit hard to believe. From the way the hints were dropped it's way more possible that this was a development that came up once enough people in the fandom found him attractive enough to be LI material.

As the Make Maxwell an LI campaign grew in popularity, the fandom often held a rosy view of him, calling him "the only valid white guy", celebrating his queerness (as they should! It was hinted that he was pansexual in TRR2 Ch 18), showered him with sympathy and called Bertrand names for berating him. None of the nitpicking that certain other LIs would get for not supporting her properly, ever touched Maxwell. Nor did the fandom - who did criticize him quite a bit for his trashy book, and protested his Flanderization - ever view him with anything besides sympathy when he struggled to believe his father was evil, after he'd encouraged his brother to make said father the head of Beaumont House. This was the same fandom that didn't hesitate to find the most nonsensical excuses to trash Liam.

The Maxwell-Penelope scene was a fun way for some Maxwell stans to allow their MCs to act a bit possessive of him, and they were very critical of Penelope's betrayal later. But the overall response to Penelope's storyline was overwhelmingly positive. Many related to what she said about suffering from social anxiety, and especially to the lines about her emotional support poodles (ironically in another book, Sloane Washington got scant sympathy or respect despite clear indicators that she suffered from social anxiety too), and were quick to forgive.

(I must confess I was among this portion of the fandom too, but with the belief that she would address it more strongly herself in TRR3)

Fandom didn't mind buying into the canon myths that Penelope was a "sweet, naive" girl, and part of this is understandable because not many got to see what she was like in the failplay. So it was easier to presume that she would still take a little responsibility and wholeheartedly regret her actions, without seeing the failplay scenes where she is shown expecting to be treated like royalty by the woman she screwed over. Penelope and Ezekiel were viewed by most as a cute pair, with some (justifiably) liking this interracial match initially. Many readers who were fond of Penelope even criticized Kiara for being "mean" to her or "joining in Madeleine's bullying of her", when Kiara's behaviour was clearly more protective than harmful.

There was a slight rise in a general negative attitude towards Penelope in TRH3, when she could prioritise her wedding over the looming terror of the MC's child being taken away from her, and only speak up when the MC encouraged her at the altar. But very often people who made these criticisms clubbed her and Kiara together, as if they were a single unit...as if their actions and choices throughout the series were the same. As if Kiara got the same concessions and pampering that Penelope did. In reality, the choices the two women made - and the narrative treatment the two women got - couldn't be any more different.

Individually, Maxwell's and Penelope's stories show us what happens when the writers of a story lean too much towards fandom adulation, and allow it to dictate the way their stories will go. In both cases PB found a beat that the readers liked and stuck with it, never expanding beyond that one trait and causing the two to be caricatures of themselves. In Penelope's case especially, once her anxiety story resonated, the narrative used that to encourage readers to pamper her ad nauseum, and justified her lack of genuine care for anyone but herself through constant reminders of her mental health condition.

I will repeat the question I'd asked at the beginning of this essay - What did TRR3 give her in lieu of this alternative romance, and why, and what does it tell us about the narrative that she alone got that? That's a question I hope you'll keep asking in the next two essays.

Next - Hana and Madeleine: When You Reward Your Favourite Bully with One of Her Victims

[kristinamae093]

Trick or ... Treat?

Everything else can be found here.

Book/Universe - TRR

Pairing - Liam x OC (Kyla) (not much is going on here though lol).

Summary - Constantine and Kyla enjoy Halloween... at Liam's expense.

Word Count - 2500

Warnings - language, Constantine shenanigains.

A/N 1 - I am participating in @choicesflashfics with prompt number 3, which will appear in bold. I don't think this qualifies for any of the other various Halloween prompts (not the ones I looked at, anyway.)

A/N 2 - Thanks for giving me a little confidence boost about this @ao719! 🥹🫶

Please excuse any errors.

Most characters belong to Pixelberry.

Liam awoke after a restless night’s sleep, tentatively opening one eye to search the area. Constantine enjoyed messing with Liam any day of the year, but a few held special significance for mischief; April Fool’s Day and Halloween. Much to Liam’s dismay, the date was October 31st. 

He enjoyed the 'holiday'; the royal family spent a few hours where they stood atop the front steps of the palace passing out candy. It was a tradition Liam intended to start alone, but Constantine and Regina both liked the idea and wanted to engage. He didn’t dress up but still enjoyed seeing all the costumes the public wore. 

However, he never knew what the day could hold for him. He could handle most of it, but the part he didn’t enjoy was the jump scares; perhaps it was a bit of PTSD, but it made Liam’s soul vacate his body every single time. Constantine took this with a grain of salt; at least on those two days a year, Liam could expect nothing but chaos. 

With utmost caution, Liam sat up. He patted around the mattress to ensure there wasn’t something hidden in his sheets, but there wasn’t. He got up and made his way to the bathroom to relieve himself, and while he did, a brief flicker of relief shot through him; perhaps this year would be different, given the circumstances had changed. Last year Constantine wasn’t sick, but now he didn’t have nearly as much energy. Liam hoped that just this once — that would work to his advantage. 

Liam groggily made his way into the shower. He turned the water on with a yawn and closed his eyes as the soothing heat cascaded down his chest and legs. He submerged his head and ran his palms through his hair; when he opened his eyes to reach for his shampoo, he realized the water was — red. 

“WHAT THE FUCK?!” Liam shouted as he stumbled backward. His back slammed against the wall as he tried to get away. He scrambled out of the shower, leaving the water running behind him. 

When he made it out, Liam was in such a frenzy that he slipped; in a moment of desperation, he grabbed onto a shelf but ended up taking that tumbling down with him. 

A moment later, a frantic knock sounded on the bathroom door. “Sir? Are you alright?” Bastien hollered. 

Liam quickly reached for a towel to cover himself and answered, “NO! Get in here!” 

Bastien came barreling inside; his eyes widened as he saw Liam lying on the floor, surrounded by a pool of crimson liquid. He immediately rushed over and crouched beside him. “What happened? Was someone in here?”

“The shower!” 

“... Pardon?” 

Liam narrowed his eyes. “The fucking shower, Bastien!”

Bastien cautiously approached the glass door with one hand on his holstered weapon. He glanced inside and noticed the colored water coating the floor, but also noted the discoloration of the tub; Bastien knew immediately this substance was not blood. 

He reached in and turned the knobs off; as he did, a sweet aroma filled his senses — fruit punch. Bastien took a wild guess regarding what happened, and as he detached the shower head and popped it open, he realized he was correct. 

Bastien exited the shower, laughing to himself. Liam paced the area but grew irritated at Bastien’s lack of panic. “What did you find? Should we call an exorcist?”

Bastien chuckled. “No, sir. It’s not blood, I assure you.” He held the opened shower head to show Liam the inside. “It would appear as if someone packed this full of a red powder; if I had to take a guess, I would say it’s Kool-Aid.” 

“Kool-Aid?” Liam mimicked in disbelief. “... You’re joking.” 

Bastien nodded, trying to keep his composure as he scanned Liam’s appearance. “I’m afraid not, sir. And unfortunately — it stains.” He motioned to the mirror behind Liam. 

Liam turned around with furrowed brows, but his mouth fell open as he took in his appearance; his face and chest had a noticeable red tint, and his hair a pink hue. “Oh dear God…” 

“It’s not that bad, sir…” 

“What do you mean not that bad?” Liam mocked. “I look like a sick crab! What the hell am I going to do?! I’m supposed to be in a meeting in less than an hour!”

“Perhaps you could tell them it’s a sunburn?” 

Liam narrowed his eyes and let out a huff of air; judging from how his morning started, it was going to be a long day, indeed. 

Further in the afternoon, Constantine and Kyla were finishing the last touches on their concluding prank. Knowing that everything they did throughout the day was constructed for Liam, Kyla felt a sense of guilt. However, she didn’t have the heart to tell Constantine no; when his eyes lit up, she found it hard to resist his child-like elation. She only hoped Liam would forgive her, and appreciate that she kept things much more minimal than Constantine originally intended.

Constantine encouraged Kyla to dress up; the only requirement was that she couldn’t wear scrubs. She looked online and came across a cute Santa outfit and decided that would be her selection; complete with festive tights and black ankle boots, she was the holliest, jolliest person in Cordonia. 

Constantine opted for something more — unconventional for a former monarch. Since the opportunity presented itself, he wanted to be a cowboy; he wore jeans, a flannel shirt, the wide-brimmed hat, and carried a lasso. He’d never dressed up before, but considering this would be his last Halloween, he wanted to experience the full effect. 

“Perfect! Now, stay there and wait, boy,” Constantine ordered Trent. 

Trent gave Constantine an unsure expression. “Are you sure about this?”

“Is it your job to do as you’re told?” 

“Yes, but–” 

“No more malarky; you’re already in costume, and you will not waste all of Kyla’s hard work. Wait until Liam comes, then—” Constantine paused for dramatic effect. “—you know what to do.”

Trent gave a weak salute, nearly knocking his hat off. Constantine slowly drove his scooter away, Kyla strolling beside him.  “You did a marvelous job today, dear. I have to tell you, this stuff is much easier with you around.”

Kyla dipped into an exaggerated curtsy. “It’s my pleasure to serve.” 

Constantine howled with laughter. “I suppose we should give Liam his treat.” 

Kyla shuddered. “You’re seriously doing this?” 

“What? It’s not poison; he’ll be fine.” Constantine waved her off. “It’s funny, and if I can figure out how to work the camcorder on my cellular device, I intend to videotape everything to show Leo; maybe I’ll upload it on that clock webpage the kids use.” 

Kyla furrowed her brows. “... You mean — Tik-Tok?” 

“Yes! That’s the one! Come along, now; it’s time to begin our last operation of the day.” Given that this would likely be his last Halloween, Constantine wanted to go out with a bang. The dynamic duo concocted the perfect scheme to scare Liam’s socks off. Constantine handled the set-up, Kyla advising the punch-line; together they produced a glorious mix of pandemonium and humor — for Constantine, anyway. 

Constantine and Kyla made their way to Liam’s office with their — treat. Constantine knocked on the door with a smirk; as he did, he handed Kyla the box and whispered, “You should probably be the one to give him these. Tell him you made them yourself and make it believable.” 

Kyla’s eyes widened. “What?! Why me?!“ 

“He will know if it comes from me; you need to do it. Don’t worry! It’s Halloween — we’re exempt from punishment today.” 

“I don’t think that’s how that works–” Kyla was cut off as the door crept open. As it did, neither she nor Constantine could control the shrieks of laughter that escaped them at Liam’s appearance; the evidence of their opening prank shined brightly, contrasted to the natural hue of his skin they were used to. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Liam grumbled. “Laugh it up. Thanks to you, I’ve had three meetings looking like this today.” He spoke to his father. 

“I don’t know what you mean, son.” Constantine feigned innocence. 

Liam grasped Constantine’s hand, flipping it over to look at his palm and noted the tinges of discoloration. “So… you running around red-handed is just a coincidence?” 

Constantine pulled his hand away. “No, it’s a part of the costume; cow people work hard — these are farming hands.” 

“What about the fake mice in my fridge? Or the trash bag stuffed to look like a body? The clown stickers on my mirrors? Or the air horn under my chair?” Liam walked behind his desk and pushed down, a loud honk thundering through the room. 

“Okay, you caught me. But it’s Halloween, Liam.” Constantine gave Liam sad, pleading eyes. 

“You know the expression is trick or treat, not trick or trick–“ 

“I’m aware, William.” Constantine subtly slid his eyes over to Kyla. “If only someone had a treat for you…” 

Kyla realized that was her cue; she presented the box to Liam with the warmest smile she could force, praying he didn’t see her trembling hands. “Actually, I have something for you…” 

“You do?” Liam sought with an arched brow. 

“Yeah,” Kyla returned as she opened the container. “It’s chocolate — balls… I made them myself and even used white chocolate since you prefer vanilla…” 

Liam alternated his gaze between the offered delicacy and Kyla; he couldn’t decide if he could trust her or not at that moment. Any other day he would, hands down; today was different and as much as it pained him to admit, he knew Constantine couldn’t have pulled the day’s shenanigans off on his own. 

He slowly reached into the box and grasped a treat; he experimentally sniffed it first, noting the heavenly aroma invading his nostrils. As he took in Kyla’s innocent smile, Liam shrugged and popped it into his mouth; when he bit down, what he tasted was not sweet as expected, but disgusting. 

“Ugh,” Liam shuddered with a scrunched face. “Wha tha hec is tha?“ He got out as he tried his hardest not to jostle — whatever it was inside his mouth.  

Kyla gave him an apologetic expression. “It’s, uh…” 

“Chocolate-covered brussel sprouts!” Constantine proudly exclaimed as he held up his phone, centered on Liam. “I know how much you’ve always loved your veggies. Oh, and say hello to Leo, son.” 

Liam gagged; he lunged for the trash can and opened his mouth, the mangled ball rolling out with ease. He smacked his lips together, trying to rid himself of the awful taste, but it wouldn’t vacate. When he stood, he used his hands to scrape at his tongue, but that didn’t help either. In a moment of desperation he bolted to the bar cart, only to find it empty. He groaned, but by doing so elevated the horrible sensation. 

Liam rushed out of the room, intent on reaching a bathroom or somewhere with some water. As his thunderous steps made it around the corner, a presence suddenly jumped out at him. It cackled and grasped his arms, sending Liam into an instant state of panic; he only saw their green flesh, the large nose, and glowing red eyes. 

Liam leaned on his body’s natural reaction; with a high-pitched wail, his fist connected with the attacker’s throat, sending them tumbling backward. As the person hit the ground Liam stood over them glaring down, prepared to strike again; they waved one hand, the other cradling the spot of impact. 

“S-sir… Please–” Trent spat out through wheezes. 

“Trent?!” Liam gasped with wide eyes. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t—” The sound of Constantine’s laughter interrupted him. “Dad, this is not funny!”

“Oh, calm down. It’s just Trent; the boy could use some roughing up, anyway.” Constantine answered from behind his phone. 

“Put that down!” 

Constantine rolled his eyes but complied. “Fine; I suppose the good part is over, anyway.” 

Liam released a deep, steadying breath to keep his composure. It’s nearly over, he thought to himself. “Trent, go visit the physician and take the rest of the day off… And tomorrow.” He softly spoke as he helped him stand. Trent nodded, still cradling his jugular, but made his leave. 

An extended period of silence passed, but Constantine finally broke it. “Trick or treat?” Liam growled and opened his mouth to retort, but Constantine quickly added, “Not to put a fine point on it, but this will most likely be my last Halloween…” 

Liam sighed and his eyes softened; all day, he’d fixated on his worries for what was to come, but Constantine was right. He felt guilty for not embracing the day as he should have, instead of wishing the time away. 

Constantine noticed Liam’s expression shift and felt instant remorse. “I apologize, Liam, I didn’t mean to–” 

“I know what you were trying to do, but — you’re right. I hadn’t thought about it like that, and now I feel terrible for not spending the day with you.”

“But if you were with me, who would the target be?” Constantine expressed, earning him a playful eye roll from Liam. “Listen, life must continue. I’m dying; technically, so are you. Every breath you take is one step closer to the grave. Just because I don’t have as far to go changes nothing. I refuse to spend my time fixated on what’s coming, and I surely don’t want you to, either.”

Liam sharply sniffed and nonchalantly cleared his throat. “Right…” 

“But — given that it’s a holiday, perhaps you could end your day early; hang out with Kyla and me until the candy gifting begins.” 

“Does that mean the pranks will stop?”

“Against you, maybe.” 

Liam smiled. “I’d like that.” 

“But you must be in costume to be seen with us; sorry, it’s a rule.” 

Liam furrowed his brow. “You realize I’m the King now, right?”

“You sure like to remind me of that, son.” Constantine laughed. “I’ll go to the boutique and pick out an outfit for you.” 

“The chances of me wearing whatever you’re thinking are–” 

“Aaaand he’s gone,” Kyla spoke as Constantine sped away on his scooter. 

Liam shook his head. “I’m almost afraid to even think about what he’s going to find.” 

“Should’ve come prepared like the rest of us.” Kyla playfully elbowed his side. 

“Trueché…“ The pair shared a laugh, but as it died down Liam added, "You look cute." 

Kyla brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and ducked her head, trying to hide her flushed cheeks. "Thank you." 

"You're welcome." He smiled at her. “I need to thank you…” 

“For?”

“Making my father's time special. I’m figuring out he didn’t act alone today, but I’m glad he’s got someone to be the Thelma to his Louise.” 

“I’m happy to do it; I love it when he gets excited.” 

“I do too.” 

“He’s taught me a lot about how to relax and enjoy the little things; to make every second count.” 

Liam stared at Kyla with a grin, warmth blossoming in his chest. “Me too.” 

They locked eyes but Constantine quickly re-appeared. "Oh, Li-am…"

"I don't like that tone… or that face you're making…"

"I found you a costume." Constantine answered as he held a garment up. 

Liam stared into his basket and saw the remaining pieces of the getup and shook his head. "I'm not wearing that." 

"Oh, come on! A cowboy needs a steed to wrangle, son! Have you not seen a western film?"

"But I don't want to be your horse!" Liam protested. "What if I wanted to be a superhero or something?" 

Constantine pursed his lip with pleading eyes. "Liam…" 

Liam held his stare for merely a moment before he rolled his eyes. "Fine." 

Constantine's face lit like a Christmas tree but he was quick to shove the garments at Liam, insisting he go get dressed. As Liam disappeared, Constantine gave Kyla a knowing look. "... What did I tell you?"

"I can not believe that worked." 

Constantine snickered. "I never planned on being a horseless cowboy."

"He probably would've done it anyway if you asked him…"

Constantine snorted. "Where's the fun in that?"

HCTS tags - @ao719 @queenrileyrose @angelasscribbles @tessa-liam @kingliam2019 @differenttyphoonwerewolf @bascmve01 @busywoman @belencha77 @mysticalfangirl @nestledonthaveone @lovingchoices14 @lunaseasblog @malblk21 @sfb123 @emersyn-in-cordonia @walkerdrakewalker @tinkie1973 @queenmiarys @choicesflashfics @eadanga

[bebepac]

Six Sentence Sunday 05.21.23 / Mood Music Monday

I have a new obsession peeps.  I am watching this series called FROM currently, and it  has all my senses tingling.  Talking to some friends I have realized, 1. I like shows set in small towns where weird stuff is happening. 2. If the people are trapped in said town and there is spooky, weird or supernatural stuff going on, or something that just can’t be explained, I’m all about that life.   And From tickles my fancy,  watch it be cancelled tomorrow, as this tends to happen with all of my weird favorited shows.  

Work has been crazy, but just recently in the past few days, even though work is still insane,  I’ve been inspired to write, even though my whole day is spent typing for  my job.  Go figure.  

So here’s amazingly what i’ve posted in the last little bit:

The Life of Riley: Book Two:  Garden Party Photo  Op

The Rotten Apple 🍎:  The Last Part: 

Original post: 05/21/23 at 7:52PM EST.

Here’s what I have in the pipeline 

This one is a surprise.  It came to me after I had a conversation with @angelasscribbles about Drake.  

It could be honestly seen as a prequel to my fic with If Only For The Night

The Book:  TRR Mood Music Monday Submission:  That Don’t Impress Me Much by Shania Twain The Moments In Between Pairings:  None:  TRR MC is single Status:  Still in the writing process, nearly complete!

To be honest, I wasn’t even surprised about how the trip was going being in Lythikos for Olivia’s tribute to Prince Liam.  The room she put me in was basically a refurbished broom closet, dinner was served to my table cold with portions of the entree missing.  But what struck me and what did surprise me is that Liam didn’t notice, and never checked up on us, supposedly his true blue friends were all sitting at the neglected table and he didn’t even glance in our direction the whole evening,  

And not to mention….the kiss. He let her kiss him in front of the whole court. He genuinely appeared surprised when it happened, but everyone at the table, all their eyes were trained on me for a response.  I mean honestly, what could I say?  Prince Liam is not my boyfriend, I’m a suitor in this game we’re all playing.  I am competing for a man that at this point has no true allegiance to me.

Nonchalantly I shrugged my shoulders.  “She went for it.  You know, she doesn’t usually get this much individual time with the Prince, so I can’t fault her for shooting her shot.”  

“You’re a lot calmer than I thought you would be, Brooks.”  

“I mean, these so-called 'noble' royals have been showing me who they are this whole time, I’d be a fool not to believe them.”  

“You deserve a drink Brooks,  meet up with me later, and we’ll find where the good stuff you like is stored in this keep.”  

“I really might have to take you up on that.”  

Liam finally cornered me for a brief moment, as I stood on the balcony letting the cool wind revitalize me.  

“Are you angry with me for what happened?”

“No.”  

“I thought you might be.”  

“How can I Liam? you haven’t so much as stated any intentions you have for me, or of any feelings you might feel for me because you say, you can’t.  You have a duty to your people and I get that.  But don’t forget, all of us are “your people, and we are getting mistreated by some of these people that are supposed to be the “Nobility.”

Mood Music Monday Submission:  This Woman’s Work by Kate Bush Final Chapter: The Wedding The Book: TRH Series:  The Rotten Apple 🍎 Pairings:  Elle x Nico (Eleanor x M!OC) Status:  Still in the writing process

The family was sitting at the table eating breakfast when there was an urgent knock to the door.

“I wonder who that could be this early?”

“You’re not expecting anyone?”

“No.” Nico wiped his mouth with his napkin and rose from the table, as Tomas  immediately headed towards the door behind Nico.

“Should we be concerned?”  Liberty asked.  

“I don’t think so, it’s probably nothing.”

A few moments later Nico and Tomas returned with one more gentleman in tow.

"Liberty you have a guest, Michail has come to see you. Apparently you told him you were leaving today, he wanted to make sure he saw you before you left."

“Hello Liberty.”  

Elle wanted to laugh at the side eye her father was giving poor Michail.

“Hi Michail.” She had never heard her sister’s voice sound so giddy before. 

Liberty gasped immediately reaching for her hair.

"You look perfect Libby," Elle whispered to her sister. Now Elle felt the way her sister had felt; she was the matchmaker.  "Go say hello to him."

She watched her sister smiling and talking to her young gentleman caller who had brought her a bouquet of hand picked flowers, that Liberty didn't mind in the least. There was a light flush to her cheeks.

Elle smiled walking up to the two of them.

"Is your guest staying for breakfast?"

She didn't wait for him to answer in true Mama K fashion.

"I'll fix you a plate. And I'll put these in water. Nico please get a chair for Libby's guest."

"Thank you."

Chapter 5: Moonlight Rendevous The Series:  The Blue Honey Cafe The Book: TRR Pairings: TRR MC is single Status:  Still in the writing process

He sat down on the blanket with Riley placing the popcorn between the two of them.  

“I’m glad you could come over here for a bit Mason, to sit here with me.”  

“Me too.”  

Mason tried not to read too much into it, but as the movie went on Riley seemed to inch closer to him.  She was so close to him that he could smell  the perfume of her body and the scent of her shampoo in her hair.  

After the movie,  Mason helped Riley pick up her things and fold her blanket.  

“I had a great time with you Riley.”

“Me too Mason.   I loved the movie. They definitely left it open for a sequel. What did you think of the movie?”

“She did a lot of terrible stuff.  But I don’t know why, I still want her to be happy.”

“Because she’s not all bad. She felt guilt and remorse.”

“Exactly……. Well this is awkward.”  

“What’s wrong?”

“The food truck, my ride is gone, therefore I have no way to get back to the restaurant and my vehicle.”  

“I’ll take you.”

“Thanks Riley, that's nice of you.”

Mason carried all her stuff to the car for her.        

“Hey I know, you’re depending on me to get back to your car, but I was wondering if  you felt up for doing something else for a little bit.  I mean we’re already out, and we both said we need to be more social.”

“What did you have in mind?”  

“Okay hear me out.. I’ve always wanted to go to this place.”

“Wheelz?!?!?!  This used to be my favorite place as a kid.  I had several birthday parties here. Midnight skating slaps.”

“But you said this was your favorite place as a kid?”

“Kids can be teenagers too.”

“Are you good at skating?”

“I am great at skating, are you Riley?”  

“Yes, I wouldn’t have mentioned this place if I couldn’t.  I’m not trying to embarrass myself.  But I wanted to have someone to go with. I don’t have a date, so would you maybe be my plus one?”

“Yes. I’d be honored to be your plus one Riley Brooks.”

[harleybeaumont]

Never Have I Ever

Chapter 4 - Extra Credit : Part 1

Book- TRR

Series- Never Have I Ever

Pairings- Bertrand x MC (kind of)

Chapter Synopsis- Maxwell finds out.

A/N- thanks @angelasscribbles for bouncing around ideas with me about Max's reaction

Chapter Warnings- language, mentions of sexual acts

Rating - Mature

Word Count- 1,310

Chapter 4 - Extra Credit: Part 1

Riley and Maxwell sat on the terrace chatting and eating breakfast the next morning, when the whistling of a chipper tune cut through their conversation. “Who the hell is that?” Max stopped mid bite and turned around to see Bertrand striding into the room with a grin.

“Good morning!” Bertrand smiled. “Lovely day, isn’t it?”

Riley tried to hide her amusement while Maxwell stared at him incredulously.

Bertrand took a deep breath and scanned the horizon. “I think I’m going out for a jog. See you two later!”

Max gaped at him as he left, “Riley.. What are the symptoms of a stroke?”

“What?!” She laughed and took a bite of her cream cheese bagel.

“I think he needs medical attention. Something’s wrong with his brain!”

Riley chuckled, “Maybe he’s just.. happy.”

“Happy? Happy!? Bertrand Beaumont doesn't get happy! I need to call the family physician.. Something must be seriously wrong with him.”

Riley waved him off, “Oh Max, he’s fine! I promise.”

Maxwell sat back down at the table across from her with his brow furrowed. “How would you know?”

“I just.. do.” Riley busied herself with the fresh fruit on her plate, hoping that Max wouldn’t suspect. Damn it, she should have just kept quiet and let him think his brother was having a stroke.

Max gasped loudly. “You know something! What is it?! What happened to him!? Did he win the lottery? Did sweater vests suddenly come back in style? Did he finally get laid? What?!”

Fuck. Riley choked on her bite of food, and Maxwell's eyes widened. “Did you- Did you sleep with him?!?!?!”

“No!” She felt her cheeks heat up while Maxwell continued to stare at her. “I didn’t sleep with him.”

He gasped again, even louder this time. “But you did do something with him! Oh my God, Riley what happened?! You have to tell me! It’s the best friend code! You have to tell me everything!”

She wrinkled her nose, barely able to make eye contact. “Even if it involves giving your brother a hand job?”

Maxwell threw his hands over his mouth and his eyes widened to the size of saucers. “No!”

Riley chuckled and nodded. 

“No!”

“Yes!”

“No!”

“Yes, Max!”

“Oh my God, I’m so confused! Are you two like.. A thing?! Are you going to get married one day?! OMG we’ll be related!”

“What- no!”

“Aww, man..” Max immediately slumped into his chair, pouting. “Why not?”

Riley laughed, looking around to make sure Bertrand wasn’t present. “I’ll tell you, but you absolutely cannot say a word of this to anyone!”

“I won’t!”

“Swear?”

“Swear!” Max looped his pinky with hers. “Pinky swear!”

“Ok..” Riley checked her surroundings for Bertrand again. “I’m helping Bert out in the bedroom so he can build up the courage to seduce Savannah.”

Maxwell’s brow remained furrowed while he looked at her in confusion. “That was.. Not what I was expecting you to say.”

“It's the truth,” she shrugged, taking a sip of her coffee.

“Wow,” After recovering from the initial shock, he chuckled, “Well, I just have one thing to say.” Riley raised her eyebrows and Max broke out in a grin. “You can never stop!”

She laughed loudly, “What?”

“Do you see how he’s acting?! Seriously, he’s downright pleasant! You are a miracle worker!”

“It’s not me, it’s just the power of a good orgasm! And don’t worry, after I’m done teaching him, he’ll keep his good mood because he’ll be screwing all the ladies at court!”

Max cackled, “I don’t know whether to be happy or grossed out!”

“Happy! He’ll be in a good mood every day. Maybe he’ll even get married!”

Max sipped his orange juice while he watched her thoughtfully. “I can’t help but wonder.. What do you think Liam would think about this?”

“Liam?!” She frowned, “What’s he have to do with anything?”

Maxwell shook his head, “Nothing! I’m just curious..”

“If you have something to say, just spit it out. Rip off the bandaid, I can take it.”

He looked around to make sure the coast was clear before quietly asking. “You’re not really interested in Liam. Are you?”

Ah, there it was. “What makes you think that?!”

“Please don’t hate me for saying this… I don’t think you would be fucking around with my brother if you were really into Liam. Not that I’m judging you or anything! It’s just.. I’ve been in love before. When you meet someone you’re head over heels for, they’re all you can think about.. You don’t feel that with Liam, do you?”

Riley sighed. He asked the one question she had no answer for. “Honestly, I don’t know. Liam’s kind and sweet and handsome. I just.. don’t know if I’ve ever felt that way about anyone.” It was the truth. She was attracted to Liam, she enjoyed talking to him, he made her feel special and important. But that spark she had always heard so much about, wasn’t there. If Max had noticed, maybe Liam had too. Riley quickly added, “Don’t tell Bert.. please? I’m trying with Liam, I really am. And I do like him.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t say anything.”

Riley nodded and looked away.

“Damn.” Max dropped his eyes to his plate. “This convo got heavy.”

“Well.. let’s change the subject. I am in need of a new dress and I need someone with fantastic taste to help me pick one out. I’m just not sure who to ask..”

Max raised his hand in the air, “Ooh! Me! Pick me!”

The two laughed as they made their way back into the estate, preparing for an expensive shopping trip. 

Four days later.. 

Bertrand massaged his temples as he watched Max attempt to teach Riley the foxtrot. She stumbled for the tenth time that night and he stood abruptly. “Good God, let’s just take a break.. I’m going to head to my study to reflect on what an epic disgrace House Beaumont has become.”

Max and Riley shared a look as Bertrand collected some documents from in front of him. Max smirked at her and nodded to Bertrand, moving his hand in an up and down motion as if he were jerking someone off.

Riley’s eyes widened and she shook her head, trying to stifle a laugh. “Max, stop!” She whispered.

Max theatrically continued the movements, stopping abruptly when Bertrand turned toward him. “What is going on here? Why are you two giggling when everything is going wrong!?”

“Nothing sir! No reason at all sir!” Max said as he stood straight as a board.

Bertrand glared, “Stop doing that! You know I despise when you do that!”

“Sir, yes sir!” Maxwell saluted his brother, who huffed loudly and left the room.

Once Bertrand was out of sight, Riley shoved Max, “What if he had seen you?!”

“He wouldn’t have! Bertrand never pays attention to me! Especially not when you’re in the room..”

Riley scoffed, “Ya right.. He only looks at me with disdain for fucking everything up.”

“Ya, no.” Max replied, “You don’t see the way he looks at you when you’re not looking.”

“Like he wants another hand job?” Riley chuckled, changing out of her heels and slipping on her tennis shoes.

Max looked away, speaking softly, “I’m not so sure that’s it anymore.”

Riley glanced up from where she was seated on the ground. “What?”

“Nothing!” He donned his usual easy smile and reached out to help her up. “Let’s get some rest. I know your feet have to be sore from all that fox trotting!" He winked, "Not everyone can keep up with the Lord of the dance!”

“Ugh, you have no idea.. I’m heading to my room for a long, relaxing soak in the tub.”

But while Max went upstairs to his room, Riley surreptitiously made her way to Bertrand’s study..

[angelasscribbles]

Hii Ange 🩷🥰

I hope you’re doing well and you’ve had a great day.

I saw the Round Robin event and it said if you had any follow up questions to turn to you. I‘d really love to participate but had a few things I’d like to follow up:

1. So basically the minimum length of a chapter is 300 words and the maximum is 2,000 what if you go over 2,000 would that be a bad thing?

2. Can I use other prompts from other ongoing events?

3. Can I use any pairing or any book that I want? Or will that be determined? And if so how? Especially if you have never written for that pairing or for that book before?

4. Also what happens if you get a writers block and are unable to finish your chapter or only write the minimum amount of words (300) would that be ok as well?

Sorry for all of these questions but I wanted a clear understanding of the event and what would be the expectations 😍

Hope you have a wonderful day Ange🩷

Hi!!! No problem whatsoever, I am happy to answer your questions!!

The maximum length is to keep it to something you can reasonably write in the week you have to turn it around. I'm not going to turn it down if you go over a little, but if you wrote say 16k words, what would be left for the next writer? Keep it as close to 2k as you can.

No.

You can do whatever you want when it's your turn. Last year was mostly TRR characters because it was mostly TRR writers who signed up, but @jerzwriter took a turn and brought those OH doctors in at the end and it was glorious! Last year's event also spawned a lot of crack ships, so yeah, be creative, and pair up whoever you want (we even had a TRR x OH character pairing). What book/pairings are used depends on what everyone before you has already written, but you are free to change whatever you want narratively when it's your turn. Just make it make sense and stay consistent with what has already been written. That said, everyone loves a good plot twist! The first RR I ever did, the pairings kept changing with every handoff.

If you only write that minimum, that's still within the parameters that have been set. If you can't write that much, again, I'm not going to decline your contribution, but try to write at least the minimum. If you absolutely can't come up with anything, it's fine to pass. Writer's block happens.

The main point of it all is to have fun. Things happen, so we roll with it when they do!!!!

Would love to have you if you decide to do it!!!

[choicesficwriterscreations]

CFWC Writer of the Month: Utterlyinevitable / Catchinglikekerosene

Each month CFWC highlights one of our many talented fanfic writers and this month’s writer of the month is @utterlyinevitable​! (Also @catchinglikekerosene ) We hope you will enjoy learning more about her and her work below! Writer is selected at random. More info can be found on the navigation page.

Blog: @utterlyinevitable (and @catchinglikekerosene)

Blog Masterlist

How do you want to be known on Tumblr? dom

1- When did you start playing Choices? What's the first book you played? 

I was a casual player early on - like the summer after Rules of Engagement came out early. Then I rediscovered it in 2019, playing ROD and TRR before bed. True obsession didn’t kick in until 2020 when I became enlightened to Open Heart’s existence.  

2- When, and why, did you join Choices fandom?.

I joined the fandom early summer-ish 2020, when oph2 was on their first break. Also was the instigator of my return to tumblr and the joy of fanfics. Ethan Ramsey became my pandemic hyperfixation and I NEEDED to know what happened after the 2.9 kiss!

3- How did you pick your url name? 

I never liked fandom-specific names so I went for something that could ebb and flow with my obsessions. Something about ‘delaying the inevitable’ and Ethan and MC being utterly inevitable seemed to fit 😆

4- Go back to your archive and tell us about the first post on your Choices blog. 

Oh godddd okay… 

my first ever post on my sideblog is this reblog confession about wanting an oph prequel. I’d still kill for one! 

the first post by me on my sideblog is this one calling ethan out for removing his shirt instead of just the metal parts in the fmri scene lol 

and my actual first ever post in the choices fandom is part 1 of Do We Have A Future? (on my main blog, back when the series was just a one shot) 

5- How long have you been writing fanfiction?

Noooo don’t call me out like this 😂 !! I’ve been writing since twilight was in theatres…. 

I took a very long break from it when I went off to uni

6- What is your favorite Choices book to write about?

Open Heart. I love their characterizations and how relatable and flawed all of them are. Makes for some great fic material! 

7- Share the first fanfic you wrote with us. Do you still like it or would you change anything about it?

Do We Have A Future? 

I love this series. Anyone who has read it will know that it’s very personal. 

The only thing I would change about it is the opportunity to make it longer. A life goal of mine is to make this series into 3 novellas. 

8- What is your favorite fic that you’ve written?

It’s a tie (sorry, I can’t choose just one!). My magnum opus FATL and my longest one-shot Make Believe. I love these two because they’re emotional and driven by non-verbal cues. They’re hopeful and just a little sad. Which apparently is my brand. 

↠ For All The LiesTwo years after OHSY and after Becca left, she’s back in town and runs into Ethan. She never imagined she’d see him again, let alone to hear those words.

↠ Make Believe Ⓜ️    Becca and Ethan are cuddling in the chalet, fantasizing about what their meeting would be like if they were normal people. Set in OHSY Chapter 14.

9- Do you have a fic that you didn’t expect to be well received, but it was? What about one you expected to be, but it could use a little more love?

I’m still surprised by the love that Hurricane got! At the time it was the closest thing I’ve ever written to crack fics - a ‘protection’ prompt spiraling into something else. At one point this fic was the bane of my existence because I couldn’t get the plot just right. 

Because I’m a little vain and thrive on validation, I’ll choose a fic from each of my main pairings that could use a toot or two ;) 

An Evening in December (Bryce Lahela x F!OC) - this piece specifically is from a bigger original work project that any sort of feedback is most appreciated! 

Music & Secrets: Part 3 (Ethan Ramsey x F!MC) -  my sweet friends-to-lovers babes going on their first unofficial date! 

Again. (Ethan Ramsey x F!MC) - written with only an audience of 2 in mind, but part of the DWHAF saga and thus it belongs on a pedestal. 

10- What is your specialty as a fanfic writer?

Pain? Sadness? At one point I did win an open heart award for angst 😆 

I write realistic and flawed characters, usually not under fluffy circumstances.  

11- If you could write only angst, fluff, or smut for the rest of your writing life, which would it be and why? 

Angst. There are hundreds of ways any confrontation or situation could play out and I like to explore those choices and feelings. And they could have a happy ending too! 

12- Do you ever recognize yourself in any of your MC’s or in your writing?

lmao yes. All my MCs have parts of me. Becca is by far my projection character, Hannah gets all my flaws, and Odette I live vicariously through.  

13- What element of writing do you struggle with most?

Descriptions! They suuuuck! 

Whenever I write a piece the first thing out of my head is the lines of dialogue. Since my fics aren’t dialogue-driven they serve as a map for all the describey bits. 

14- Do you have any neglected work you really want to finish?

So many in my wip graveyard and fic requests I really need to finish. 

Because of what’s happening with Roe vs Wade I’ve really been keen to finish writing my mini series Unethical, which I started writing Summer 2020. 

15- If someone you know in real life (who isn’t involved in fandoms) asked to read your work, would you let them? If yes, what would you recommend they read first?

This is such a loaded question! It depends on the work tbh and who the person is. My hubs is not allowed to read anything because he’d definitely be concerned, my bestie is. Though I’d only show her DWHAF or Make Believe. 

16- Are there any writers (published authors and/or fanfic writers) who influenced your writing?

So many! Fandom writers, there’s @alwaysmychoices who can have you crying in a single sentence and I admire the way she describes scenes, and the world she’s created for Ethan and Charlie. Then there’s @jamespotterthefirst who not only is an amazing writer and the queen of content, Bree has such thought-out characters, really inspires me to think past the piece I’m writing and develop my characters further. 

I’m sure there are authors that have inspired my writing and I’m blanking on them all right now. If I could ever write something with the acclaim, simplicity, and metaphorical complexity of The Great Gatsby, I’d die happy.  

17- Which one of your stories would you most like to see as a movie/series? 

Is it weird that I envision all my works as a piece of film whilst writing them? 

If DWHAF ever became a bigger project, that’s what I’d like adapted. 

If I could only have one scene put to screen I’d like it to be Crescendo. 

18- Do you write original stories?

I try. There are certain fanfic pairings I have that I use specifically to help me navigate original thoughts and storylines. 

19 -  What other hobbies do you have?

Hobby? What hobby? I’m an adult. 

lol 

aside from writing and doomscrolling, I read and cook and play with my puppy. 

20 - What’s your favorite emoji? 

😂 is my most used emoji. 

21: BONUS - tell us anything you’d like (if you want to).

Thank you @choicesficwriterscreations for selecting me! I know I haven’t been the most active recently so it means the most that I’m still being considered. Also a HUGE shout out to @gryffindordaughterofathena and @liaromancewriter for all the work they’ve been doing to maintain @openheartfanfics in my absence. This fandom is amazing and unlike any other, I am so thankful for all the friends I’ve made the last two years <3

[katedrakeohd]

Riley's Choice (part 1)

(A The Royal Romance Fanfic)

So @angelasscribbles and @dcbbw did this thing where they took the same opening sentences and built a short fic around them. Both of their stories were fantastic and you can access them below:

Untitled - by dcbbw

I do: a TRR one-shot - by angelasscribbles

I asked @angelasscribbles if I could write my own version and I came up with Riley's Choice. It's Royal Romance related and features Drake, Liam, Riley and other characters.

Rating : Mature for sexual themes and coarse language.

Word Count: 3000+

Song inspiration: Safe - George Michael

Lose Myself - Robot Koch (ft. Delhia de France)

. Riley's Choice .

“Are you really going to marry him?” he asked as his fingers traced invisible circles across her skin.

“Yes.”

She laid on her stomach, her cheek resting on her crossed arms.

He studied her face intently, as if he could read her thoughts if he concentrated hard enough, “Why?”

“Because I love him.” She said, feeling annoyed.

“But what about us?” he asked, his fingertips trailing down her arm.

“There is no us,” she replied irritably as she turned her back to him.

Looking around his dimly lit hotel room, and the way that both of their clothing was scattered around, he chuckled sarcastically, “Bullshit. There was a whole lot of us being naked and doing things just half an hour ago. So don't tell me there's nothing going on between us.”

Flopping back against her pillow she covered her face with her hands and sighed with an apologetic whine, “I'm sorry. When he showed up at my door and told me that he was breaking off his engagement to Madeleine… I totally wasn't expecting him to invite me out to The Statue of Liberty and whip out this huge diamond ring and propose.”

Drake reached over to brush the dark hair away from her forehead and Riley lowered her hands and looked at him with tears in her eyes. “I didn't know what to say. My heart was pounding so hard in my chest and all I could think of was that if I said ‘yes' that I’d never have another chance to be with you.”

Cupping her cheek he swiped away a stray tear with his thumb, “So then what? Did you just run away without giving him an answer?”

Riley shrugged, rolling over into his waiting arms and snuggling against his chest. “I could tell by the look on his face that he was mystified by my stunned expression. He must have taken it as me being overwhelmed, cuz he put the ring away in his pocket. He said he'd give me a few days to decide.”

Drake gave her a gentle squeeze and kissed her on the forehead, “I have to admit that when you showed up at my door I was quite surprised.”

Riley mumbled into his chest, her finger tracing circles around his nipple. “When I got back to the hotel I panicked and wanted somewhere to hide. With someone I'd feel safe.”

Sucking in a deep breath, he enjoyed the warm tingly sensation her words spread through his chest. “You feel safe with me?”

“Mmhmm,” she nodded, “I always have.”

Drake sighed, trying to ignore the stimulating stroke of her fingers on his skin, “But you said that you're going to marry him, and that you love him. You can't have both of us. You need to choose.”

Riley pushed away from him and saw the sad look in his eyes. “I certainly care for him. And he obviously hasn't lost his affection for me despite all that's happened. He wants to marry me and make me his Queen. He's offering me so much, and anyone would think I'd be crazy to turn him down.”

Drake rolled over onto his back and looked up at the ceiling, his voice quiet, “And since the only thing that I can offer you is my love…that's not enough, I guess.”

Riley felt a warmth spread through her chest and a sob constricting her throat. His confession washed over her, bringing fresh tears, she managed a croak. “You..you love me?”

Drake sat up in bed, turning to look at her, his own eyes shone with raw intensity, “Of course I do. With all the time we've spent together during these past months, you have no idea how badly I’ve been fighting everything I felt inside. I knew we couldn't just be friends. But there was already enough scandal hanging over your head, and I didn't dare show my affection in public. But now that Tariq has publicly released you from any blame, you're free to be with whomever you want. But damn it, Brooks... Riley, I love you and don't want to let you go. Please don't marry Liam.”

“Oh, Drake,” Riley whispered, happy tears streaming down her cheeks. “I love you, too.”

But when Drake smiled back, reaching out to pull her into his arms again she pulled away, shaking her head. “We can't do this…I..I have to go.”

Drake watched her climb out of his bed and start gathering her clothes.

“Riley, please. Don't go,” he pleaded throwing back the covers, and standing between her and the door.

Sniffing back tears, she struggled back into her underwear and shimmied back into her dress, “I have a decision to make. And I can't do it while I’m with you. Your strong arms, your….your everything, drown out all coherent thought and I lose myself.”

Drake folded his arms across his chest, looking disarmingly delicious in all his nakedness, “And since when is that a bad thing? Suddenly you don't feel safe with me, huh?”

“Aren’t you worried that we'll get caught together?” she hissed, bending down to scoop up her shoes.

Drake shook his head. “Not any more. I don't give a shit what he thinks. You're free now, and he has no claim over you.”

Riley tried to step past him, but Drake got in her way. She defiantly looked up at his determined frown, “If I’m so free, then get out of the way.”

Drake shook his head slowly, reaching out to cup her face gently in his hands. “Not yet,” he whispered, leaning in. “I need to kiss you goodnight.”

Riley's protest died in her throat as their lips met. He's in no rush and the gentle pressure of his mouth as his hands slid into her hair, made her whimper and go up on her tiptoes to return the kiss. When she dropped her shoes and tried to wrap her arms around his neck, hoping to deepen the kiss, he stepped back. Riley felt dazed as he gently wrapped her hands in his and held them to his chest.

“Do you still want to leave?” he asked, his voice a low rumble as she gazed up at him. His desire for her to stay was clearly written all over his face.

“I..I…,” Riley stammered, her lips still tingled from the kiss they'd shared. “I don't know anymore.”

Drake smiled leaning in to whisper in her ear, “Good, because if you'd let me. I'd like to show you that you're already mine.”

Riley gasped as a shivering thrill buzzed through her veins. When his lips found her neck she felt herself go weak in the knees. Wrapping his arms around to crush her to his chest, she clung to him as he carried her back toward the bed.

“Stay with me,” he rasped between kisses as he lowered her down to the mattress. His hands caressed up her outer thighs, pushing up her dress, as his mouth moved down into the valley between her breasts.

Riley dug her hands into his hair, giving it a pull. “Yes,” she moaned as his fingers found the lacy edge of her panties.

Drake drew himself back, bracing his arms on either side of her hips and looked down at her tousled hair, half lidded eyes and flushed cheeks.

“Damn you're beautiful,” he whispered.

With a giggle she brushed her mussed up hair away from her face and struggled to sit up on her elbows. “No, I’m not. I probably look like a mess right now. No doubt my make-..”

They're interrupted by the sound of Drake's phone buzzing on the bedside table. With an unhappy grunt, Drake climbed back off the bed to answer it.

“If that's Beaumont, I'm going to strangle him,” he muttered.

Riley got up off the bed and straightened her dress, “But what if it's Liam?”

Drake glanced at her, holding his finger to his lips. “It is,” he whispered.

She nodded, sitting back down on the bed.

He took a deep breath, and swiped his thumb across his phone screen and exhaled as he answered it.

“Hello?”

On the other end of the phone line Liam's voice sounded agitated, “Hello..Hello Drake?”

Drake sucked in a breath faking a yawn, “Well yeah, who else -..”

“Riley's missing,” Liam interrupted, “Have you seen her?”

Drake glanced at Riley sitting on the other side of his bed, “Not lately, why?” he lied. “What do you mean by missing?”

There's a pause on the other end of the line, and then Liam said, “I proposed to her earlier this evening, but she didn't say yes. When we returned to the hotel we went our separate ways, but just now when I went to her room to talk to her she didn't answer the door.”

Drake scrubbed his hand through his hair trying to think of something to say. “Well maybe she's with Hana… Jesus, Liam you proposed to her right away? What about what's her face?”

“Countess Madeleine, has left the hotel and is probably arranging her flight back to Cordonia.” He answered, sounding irritated. “But right now I’m more concerned about Riley. I’m hoping before we return home that she and I can…talk. I'm guessing my proposal caught her off guard and she's rather overwhelmed by everything that's been happening .”

Drake turned and looked over at Riley, “No kidding she's likely shaken up by everything. We just found that bastard Tariq, and no matter what he said, the media is still going to be asking questions. And what if it leaks out to the press that you’ve already proposed again, so quickly after ending a freaking international engagement tour? They're going to question everything that's been happening since the coronation. So for the sake of Riley's feelings, I think you could give the woman some space to decide what she wants to do with her future.”

Riley nodded slowly, tears in her eyes. She mouthed a silent, “Thank you.”

Liam was quiet for a moment on the other side of the phone line, forcing Drake and Riley into an awkward and uncomfortable silence. When he spoke again Drake nearly dropped his phone.

“You make a good point, Drake, perhaps I have been a little hasty. I appreciate the fact that you and she have become close friends whilst I’ve been preoccupied with the engagement tour. I’m glad Riley has had someone sympathetic in her corner to support her emotionally. Perhaps now you can help both of us.”

Drake can't help but feel his skin crawl a bit at the sudden calmness in Liam's tone. When he looked over at Riley he felt guilt curl its cold fist into his gut. He knows. Somehow Liam knows that Riley's with me right fucking now…

“H – how can I help?” Drake stammered.

“If Riley's truly hiding from me, perhaps she'll be more receptive to an invitation from my best friend. Can you pass along a message that I'd like to have breakfast with both of you tomorrow?”

“Where?”

“In my room,” Liam replied. “Since I’ve interrupted your sleep and you still need to contact Riley, let's meet at 10 am. Is that alright?”

Drake sighed, and rubbed his hand down his face. So much for giving Riley a few days to decide. Now he's using me to force her to choose in a few hours.

“Yeah, I'll see what I can do. Goodnight Li.” Drake grumbled, hanging up.

Drake sat down and tapped out a quick text message to Riley's phone, half expecting to hear the notification sound come from inside his hotel room. But he didn't hear anything. With a groan of defeat he flopped back onto the bed.

“Well, now we're fucked.” he mumbled.

Riley got to her feet, feeling panicked. “What? Why?”

“He’s desperate to see you. I just lied to him and he knows it. And to put the final nail in my coffin, he just invited the both of us to breakfast in his room tomorrow.”

Riley paced the room gathering up Drake's discarded clothing and tossed them into a pile on the chair. “Well I guess that settles it then, I better go.”

Drake turned his head to look at her, “What are you doing?”

“I ..I'm leaving.”

“No, what are you doing with my clothes?” he chuckled.

Riley stopped pacing, but her eyes continued to search the room. “I’m sorry. I tend to tidy things when I feel stressed. In my mind I’m fighting my urge to just set everything on fire and run!”

Drake got up from the bed and held her still by the shoulders. “Trust me, I know how you feel.”

Riley looked him up and down, “Can you at least put on some underwear, you're very distracting when you're naked.”

He stepped back, “Oh right, sorry.”

Riley turned around and went over to look out the window while he got dressed. “You said that you know how I feel,” she said with a sigh. “What do you mean by that?”

Drake tucked his shirt into his jeans and then walked over. He stood a few feet behind her, and shoved his hands into his pockets. He wanted to hold her, but now that they were dressed any kind of intimacy between then had passed. “You don't know Liam like I do. You've only seen the Liam he wants you to see."

Riley turned around, “Why do you say that? He's only been kind and loving to me.”

“Liam's the product of his Royal upbringing, the good and the bad. The sweet, kind and loving Liam that he portrays to the world comes from the nurturing of his Mother. He's been groomed since childhood to become the King of Cordonia one day. He was supposed to be further down the hereditary line after his older brother and his heirs, but now he's been forced to step up and fill his brother's shoes early.”

Riley nodded, “Yes, I know. So what's your point?”

“Up until this social season the heavy weight and responsibility of becoming king hasn't been so much of a concern for him. But now it is, and years of influence and manipulation by your father tend to change a person.”

Riley looked down, feeling sad, “Oh. Poor Liam.”

Drake shook his head and stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder and gently lifting her chin. “No, no. Poor us. Don't feel sorry for him. Now that Liam has the power of being king, he will try to use the weight of his duty and responsibility and twist it around until you feel the weight of it too. He’ll try to make his problems yours, and force you to feel guilty if you don't do what he wants you to. And while you wrestle with that guilt he'll bring up the ‘I'm your King’ argument and basically compel you to obey."

Riley is shocked by the honesty on his face, “My God, you're not joking. He's been manipulating you for years, hasn't he?”

Drake sighed, dropping his hands from her and turned away, “He hasn't been cruel about it, we've been friends all this time, but the Crown has been looking after me for years. Now that he's king, that fine line between best friend and loyal subject is blurred all to fuck.”

“But your situation isn't the same as mine. I can still make the choice to walk away from everything. Leave him, Cordonia.”

Drake whirled around to face her again, smacking his hands together and pointing to her for emphasis, the sudden noise makes Riley jump in surprise, “That's my point! You have to use your freedom to choose as your advantage. Don't let him force you into a marriage just because he needs a queen, and he says he “loves" you. Don't feel obligated to fix his mistakes.”

Riley was struck speechless for a moment, her mind buzzed with what Drake had told her. “I have to think about this. But if I go back to my room now, I know I won't be able to sleep. I..I don't want to be alone either. And if he shows up at my door….”

“And if you stay here with me it's damned incriminating for both of us.”

Riley sucked in a deep breath and then let it out, “Ok, now what?”

Drake picked up his phone, “Go freshen up in my bathroom, I'll text Hana to meet you outside your room. I'll escort you back there when you're ready. Hopefully we can avoid being seen by any of Liam's security detail along the way. The longer he thinks you're missing the better."

Riley paused on her way to the bathroom to glance over at Drake. He's looking down at his phone, tapping out his message to Hana, and when he glanced up he gave her a little smile. “It's going to be okay, trust me,” he said.

Riley nodded and then closed the door behind her.

….

Drake slipped on his suit jacket and shoes as Riley returned from the bathroom. The items in his inside pocket, although not heavy in weight, reminded him of their significance as they rested against his chest. When he looked at Riley the ring in the box made him feel like a fool for having hoped for their future, and the antique compass he had purchased for Liam as a wedding gift fed his gnawing guilt for looking at Riley at all.

“Ready?” he asked, feeling less than ready himself.

Riley nodded.

He opened the door to his hotel room, popping his head out to see if anyone was around.

Nobody.

He paused a moment longer to listen.

Still nothing.

Blocking the door open with his shoulder, he looked back to Riley, holding out his hand.

"Ok, we're good to go."

Riley grinned as he took her hand and led her out into the hallway.

"So we're holding hands now, huh?"

Drake chuckled quietly as the door clicked shut behind them, "Just for now. I feel like if I let you go, you're going to run away and get lost."

"Ah, you're sweet. But I am capable of showing you where my room is without being tethered to you like a balloon on a string."

Drake mumbled, "Jeez, and they call me the snarky one."

He looked both ways down the hall, "Which way is your room?"

Riley pointed in the direction of the elevators, and they headed that way.

"Room number?" He asked.

"908."

Drake stopped suddenly, throwing Riley off balance and she let go of his hand.

"You mean our rooms aren't even on the same floor?" He asked, confused.

"No, why?"

Drake shrugged, "I just thought we did, that's all."

When they resumed walking Riley joked, "Oh Drake, even the King of Cordonia can't book a whole floor of a busy Manhattan hotel for his entourage. Good luck with that. This isn't Cordonia, it's America, nine out of ten people here don't even know that your little country exists."

"Well they need a world geography lesson then. I know Maxwell has a room on this floor with me. That's why I assumed you might be on this floor too."

Riley smiled, patting him on the arm, "Who do you think told me where your room was?"

Drake's eyes went wide for a moment as Riley pushed the up button for the elevator. "You don't think he knows that we..." he dropped his voice lower as he looked around, "Does he know you came to my room?"

Riley shook her head, "No, he told me about our room assignments earlier in the evening. And when Liam and I returned to the hotel I didn't see Maxwell at all when I was on the way to see you."

Drake was suddenly aware of how loudly her voice echoed down the empty hallway, and he felt paranoid that one of the many doors would crack open. When the elevator arrived and the doors opened he felt relief wash over him.

Hana's standing in the elevator dressed in silk pyjamas with a cotton tote bag hanging on her shoulder, she smiled and said, "Oh, hey there you two. What's up? I got your text."

Riley rushed over as they entered the elevator and gave Hana a hug, "Oh, Hana. I'm so glad to see you. I'm in need of the kind of company only a best girlfriend can provide."

Drake reached past them to stab the button for the ninth floor. He suddenly felt like a third wheel in the girlfriend hugfest. "I hope my text didn't wake you, I know it's late."

Hana shook her head, "No worries, I wasn't in bed yet. I was actually thinking about inviting Riley over for a girls' night anyway."

Riley beamed, "Oh I'm so glad, I've had enough guy drama for the evening. Please tell me you've brought snacks."

Drake frowned, "Thanks a lot. Nice to know our time together was so satisfying ."

Hana looked between Drake and Riley and noticed the way they were dressed, "Your time together? Were you two out on a date?"

Drake shifted his gaze back to Riley, "Not, exactly. It was more like an unexpected hijacking."

Riley smirked at him as the elevator doors opened, "Yeah, I crashed your evening pretty good didn't I."

"Oh, you crashed it really hard, a couple of times." He chuckled .

Hana grabbed Riley by the hand, "Uh..I think we have something we need to talk about, in private. Come along Riley. Goodnight, Drake."

"Goodnight, ladies. Oh, and Brooks. ..don't forget our breakfast at 10am."

Once Riley and Hana had left the elevator, Drake stabbed the button for the lobby. A whiskey at the bar was calling his name.

.................

Tagging :

@lunaseasblog @kingliam2019 @imjusthereforliam @jovialyouthmusic @debramcg1106 @fluffyfirewhiskey @nestledonthaveone

[phoenixrising0308]

Agent Phoenix Forged In Fire : Prologue

Books: The Royal Romance 1-3 to Royal Heir and cross-over characters from other choices universes.

Rating: M (18+) Sexual situation and adult themes.

Trigger Warnings in this chapter: Miscarriage and infertility.

Pairing: Liam Rys x  Jessica Garcia (MC)

Series premise: This is a canon divergent series set after TRR 3 Tariq is never found. Liam’s duty to his country forces him into marriage. Jessica and Liam enter into a Cordonian arrangement. Both of them wanted to have a life together. However, various obstacles prevent him from a divorce and having the life they both want together. With dreams of a future crushed, Jessica leaves Cordonia. Despite a five-year absence, they are still heartbroken and unable to forget each other and the life they once shared. When Jessica’s career path takes an expected turn, her duty to her country pushes her to Cordonia, back into the society that burned her, and back into Liam’s sights. Will she rise from the ashes or once again go down in flames?

Detailed disclaimer

Canon Divergence Notes

Series Playlist 

Chapter Summary: Jessica’s fears and Liam’s duties to the crown seals their fate in their Cordonian Arrangement.

Word count: 2,213 *please excuse typos and grammatical errors*

Reading time: 8 Minutes

Song inspiration: House on fire - Sia

The Phoenix is a mythological bird. Every 500 years the phoenix gathers materials to build its own funeral pyre: wood, spices, and incense. Once finished, the bird waits for the setting of the sun to self immolate. The next day covered in its ashes is an egg once it hatches a different manifestation of that phoenix has been born.

She sat at the edge of the tub. She only had to wait five minutes, but it felt like an eternity. Three years passed since she decided to follow her heart, leaving it all behind for a chance to be with him. They found out about their pregnancy after the wedding. It all happened so fast. The timing wasn’t right, but they wanted it so badly, despite what it meant for their relationship. Despite what it would mean for a child born out of wedlock to a couple in a Cordonian arrangement. Not just a member of a noble house but to the man that governs them all as the King of Cordonia. The plan would be the same as it was three years ago. She would move to Greece, and they would raise the child together hidden from the court until she and their child could be given their proper place as members of the royal family. She as his wife and Queen and their child as the heir of their kingdom.

Life changed for them in an instant on a sunny June morning, and the pain of losing a child they lovingly called Koi shattered them both; Never hearing a heartbeat or seeing a small image on a sonogram. They were never cautious, even after that. Hoping it would happen again somehow one day. They would face the consequences again together, just as it was intended the first time.

After weeks away, he returned to their home. The one he slept in every night whenever he was in Cordonia; their home. The palace was no longer his home; it was where he worked. Where they lived, that was his true home was. She hoped that when he came home to her in the evening after work, she would be able to tell him the big news. Their wait was over, and she could give him something that they have wanted to have together since the moment they knew they were each other forever.

Jessica flipped her wrist and looked at her father’s watch; she hardly took it off along with the earrings her mother gave her before she died. Five minutes passed, and she walked over to the sink with a smile on her face, wanting her dream to be a reality: a baby with the man she loved more than life itself. She did what she usually did when she would test. Take it whenever he was at work and not when he was away. So she wouldn’t be choked up with the emotion of not having him near and knowing in the back of her mind that her body had failed again. What he didn’t know couldn’t hurt him. She turned the test upside down so she wouldn’t be able to see it from where she waited, opting to try to make her best attempt at the belief she could once again carry life inside her, this time to term. She picked it up and took a deep breath as she turned it over and read the results.

Two hours later…

She was reminded of the nickname given to her by her adoptive brother, Bertrand. ‘Tungsten.’ Bertrand adopted her so she could stay in Cordonia. It was the only pathway for citizenship as an unmarried woman sponsored for the social season to stay without a betrothal agreement. When she appeared in court, she still made him proud. Standing taller than any other woman in the room, even his own wife. Once he told her, she stood taller than she actually was because her spine was composed of one of the most resilient materials known to man; Tungsten. It was ten times harder than 18 karat gold and four times harder than titanium. This earned his respect. ‘Tungsten’ was what he called her when he needed to remind her who she was to her house and herself whenever she felt defeated or heard people snicker about her as she moved across the room in social events and court. she whispered, “Tungsten you are Tungsten.“ It was all she needed to hear to swallow her tears.

She picked herself up from the bathroom floor. Instead of two beautiful lines, she saw one.

There was no happy news to tell him, but at least he wouldn’t be hurt. She carried enough hurt over her infertility for both of them. All while he carried the pressure from the Royal Council to produce an heir with the woman he hated the most in the world; his wife and the Queen. His marriage to Madeleine was always a farce, and since his coerced marriage, he told her Madeleine may have his name and have a title but she will never own his heart or body. Even three years later he still refused to consummate the marriage. He promised that to her; his actual love time and time again. She had her doubts at times, but he promised there would never be a child in that marriage; he was devoted only to her. Both of them desperately waiting for him to obtain his freedom. To start their real life together.

She decided she would sit in the living room finishing ‘Milk and Honey’ by Rupi Kapur. Last night, she wrote out a quote in ‘The loving’ chapter, feeling that it struck a chord with her. She put it in the book as a placeholder and would save it tomorrow where she would get up and make him lunch and slip him a love note in his bag. She was unsure where she left the book after a brief search and thought she would sit down in the living room alone with her thoughts. She saw her phone flash a red light; it was a custom notification for the tabloids. Constantly pursued by the press for what they thought happened years ago when she was a suitor.

She walked to the phone and clicked on the push notification the ‘Trend’ had an exclusive. “King Liam makes a statement about an heir to the throne.”

Jessica pressed play on the hyperlink. Liam was getting off the Royal Jet, and Ana De Luca asked, “So, when can we expect news of an heir?”

Liam paused and a soft smile formed as he responded, “Her Majesty and I are excited about the possibility of children as a happily wedded couple, and we know that the people of Cordonia are really excited to see their future leader grow up right before their very eyes. But as much as we all want a Crown Prince or Princess, there are things that even a King can’t control.”

Madeleine came into the frame of the camera and said, “I can assure you that we are certainly enjoying our alone time EVERY second we can. I look forward to joining my husband in Paris, the city of love, in the upcoming weeks.” Madeleine then gave Liam a lingering kiss. Published along with the story were several pictures of Madeleine and Liam during the trip. They were photographed holding hands and kissing in public, all the things she and Liam couldn’t do in Cordonia in public.

Sometimes Jessica and Liam would travel together. Jessica was always under the alias ‘Riley Brooks’ to avoid suspicions by the press or Madeleine. They sought romantic sanctuaries outside their friends’ homes, such as Signore Francisco’s Villa in Italy, Valtoria, and private crown properties across Europe. Jessica suggested coming with him on that very trip, but Liam informed her that there would be no free time and that he didn’t want her to be trapped in a hotel waiting for him. They often spoke when he was away, and he withheld this information from her. If he did this now, it would only get worse with a statement made. Pretty soon reporters would follow her all over asking about the statement as they did with every single thing that happened in the Royal Family. It almost felt that they were always on the verge of uncovering who she was to Liam; it would only serve to further damage her reputation. In Cordonian society, men are forgiven for their indiscretions but their lovers are not.

Jessica felt the tears in her eyes and the sinking pit in her stomach seeing the news. Seeing what she wished they could have. Sharing news that should have been theirs to share.

After a few seconds of hurt, she went to the part of her that kept her by his side despite their difficulties her love for him. Jessica decided that she needed to leave, not because perhaps he wasn’t unfaithful to her and because he managed to break her trust again after promising not to, but because if Liam was trapped in a loveless marriage, he could find comfort and happiness in his children…Children he would need to have with her. She couldn’t rob him of fatherhood; he would look at children with a twinkle in his eye and have sweet daydreams about them. He would share his hopes with her when they thought of a life free of their arrangement.

The statement he made sealed their fate as she got up and started packing. All the while trying to keep her tungsten spine intact.

3 hours later…

Drake and Jessica stood at the Cordonia international airport, and she held her one-way ticket back to New York in hand along with her passport, waiting to board her flight. This time, she was going back home. It wasn’t some idle threat, a part of an ultimatum she wouldn’t follow through with. She wouldn’t tell Liam her intentions this time so he could convince her to stay.

Drake looked at her with a sad expression, “Jessica, you don’t have to do this. You don’t have to leave. Why don’t you just talk to him?”

Jessica’s voice wavered as she spoke, “Drake, I just can’t do it anymore. It seems we take one step forward and then take two steps back. The council has been very clear that Liam will not be granted a divorce. I’ve been through a lot here. I need to leave this life behind. I sat through the engagement tour, the scandal, the search for Tariq. And if that wasn’t enough, I stood there and watched the love of my life marry someone else. I don’t see a future here. It’s been three years, and I can’t keep being his dirty little secret. Holding on to dreams, being lied to, facing disappointments and suffering losses.”

Drake’s chocolate eyes glistened with tears as he said in a whisper, “But this is your home, Garcia. Shit… You’re like family to us. You weren’t born here like me, but you made it your home…Think about it, talk to him, maybe build your life somewhere, and in time maybe you’ll give a guy like Rashad or someone else a chance.”

Jessica turned to him with tears in her eyes and said, “It’s just going to be too painful to watch him next to her. She won’t divorce him. He is sparing us with the details. He married her for the crown and country. Why wouldn’t he give the people what they want …An heir? It’s all they want.”

“Garcia, you can’t be serious. You know that he doesn’t love her, and he is still working on ways to be with you. Talk to him!”

Jessica replied, “I have. I did it countless times, and this story doesn’t have a happy ending. The possibility of it was stolen from us.”

“I just can’t believe you won’t at least call him from here and say goodbye.”

Jessica shook her head before answering, “If I do, I will go running back to him and this mess. I love him, but I can’t be with him. This was a temporary arrangement; the end result was us being together. Now, it seems I’m just hanging in the background, waiting while he gets Madeleine pregnant. Once that happens, we will be totally done.”

Drake said, “There are two things in this world the man loves. Yes, it’s Cordonia, but it’s also you!”

“Drake, we spend all the time we can together, but it always leaves me wanting more. Our relationship isn’t enough anymore. Please give him this letter.”

Drake’s voice cracked. “Jessica, don’t do this; you’re asking me to give my best friend a Dear John Letter.”

Jessica touched his cheek and wiped his tears. “I’m asking you to help me let him go. I will never love anyone the way that I love him, and if I stay here, I will be missing out on the normal things in life that anyone would want for themselves.”

“I need you to be happy. I can’t be afraid like I was the day he got married… Or the day Madeleine tried to arrest you to hurt him.”

Drake and Jessica held each other in a long embrace, both crying. They formed an extremely tight-knit bond, just like a brother and sister or even best friends. Jessica got through Drake’s tough exterior while he supported her when the other nobles snubbed their noses at her. They both understood each other. Sharing smores over campfires, talking to each other late at night over whiskey, playing pool, or going to dive bars even during the social season.

As they heard her flight being called, he kissed her forehead. “Once you get settled in, check with us. We want to know how you’re doing.” Drake stood looking out the window watching Jessica’s flight takeoff. He cursed under his breath as tears fell from his eyes in his car. It felt like losing his sister Savannah all over again. Only this time, he had to break his best friend’s heart as well. He could take it and accept her decision in time, but Liam would be devastated beyond repair.

He took a deep breath and drove to Beaumont’s, dreading having to break the news to his best friend.

7.30.21 Original posting date of this revamped prologue

6.30.2019 Original posting date of the first chapter

[sincerelyella]

She Ain’t Me Part 2

Book: The Royal Romance (AU)

Pairing: Liam x MC (Ella); mentions of maybe Liam x Olivia; maybe Drake x MC (MAYBE)

Song Inspiration: She Ain’t Me by Sophia Scott

Summary: TRR during the homecoming ball, Olivia and Ella still get close on the engagement tour but Liv loves Liam, and she’s told him several times. What happens when his guard is down? 

Catch up here if you missed part 1

A/N: Part 2 because I got a lot of requests for it, hopefully I didn’t mess it up too much LOL

Thank you @alyssalauren​ @burnsoslow​ @ofpixelsandscribbles​ for prereading and your suggestions and edits to this mess, I love you guyssss!

Warnings: TW: angst; adult language; TW: gun violence; some kinda love triangle (square?) thing I guess

Words: 2635

Olivia sucked in a breath. “Then be with me.”

Liam opened his eyes and turned to his oldest friend. “Liv …”

“What?” Her heart was beating a thousand miles a minute as she arched her brow.

“Liv, y-you know I don’t-”

Her hand shot out so fast and smacked him in the back of the head; Liam didn’t even flinch. “Stop being a dumbass.”

“Olivia!” Liam’s hand went to the back of his head and rubbed the sting away. “What the fuck?”

Liv blurted out what she really wanted, more than anything in this entire world. But it was stupid and fleeting. She knows Liam loves Ella Brooks.

The more Olivia thought about it, the more she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that this man was meant to be with the woman of his dreams. Not me. “Drake worked his ass off to protect her,” Olivia said in a calm voice, even though everything inside her wasn’t calm. It was stormy, dark, and bleeding, but she pushed on. “He found Tariq that night trying to put his hands on Ella,” she watched Liam’s jaw clench. “He was the one that fought him and told him to leave.” Liam’s nostrils flared, his eyes clouded in anger. “And he didn’t tell you how he felt because you had enough shit going on being engaged to that two-bit blonde devil, Liam. Should he have told you? Yes,” Liv nodded and turned to stare at the setting sun, orange and yellow hues now a sliver in the now almost dark sky. “But when would have been an ... appropriate time to tell your best friend that you’re in love with the same woman?” Olivia slid her eyes back to Liam’s and held his gaze. “Do you think it’s easy for us?”

Regret flashed in Liam’s sky blue eyes as he stared into emerald ones. He slipped his hands inside his pockets and let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “I …” his voice hitched and he swallowed quickly. “I’m sorry, Olivia,” Liam shook his head and turned to look at the doors to the ballroom. He could see Ella trying to peek through the windows to get a glimpse of him. “I may have … overreacted.”

“Understatement of the year,” Liv arched her brow at him with her signature smirk.

“Thank you.”

Olivia tilted her head slightly. “For?”

“Knocking some sense into me … quite literally,” he chuckled and then winced as he put his hand where she smacked him.

“Anytime,” she smiled, although it didn’t reach her eyes.

An awkward silence settled between them for a moment before Liam cleared his throat. “Did you mean what you said? Or was that something you did to get my attention?”

Olivia walked towards the balcony and leaned her elbows onto it. “Maybe a little of both.”

“I’m sor-”

“Liam,” she turned around quickly to face him. “Don’t.”

He opened his mouth to respond and Olivia held up a hand. “I don’t want or need your apologies, Liam. We’ve been friends since we were children and you were always straightforward about your … lack of romantic feelings.” She picked an imaginary piece of lint on her fire-red sequined gown. “You were honest from the beginning. I don’t need you to feel sorry for me, I’m a big girl.”

Liam knew when it was pointless to argue so he just smiled. “Would you mind bringing Drake out here please?”

She nodded and hastily made her way inside the ballroom. Ella, Drake, and Maxwell immediately ran towards the fiery redhead.

“Liv!” “Is everything okay now?” “Where is he?”

“Drake,” she gestured towards the balcony doors. “You’re up.”

Ella’s bottom lip quivered and she bit down on it to keep from crying. No one noticed but Olivia.

“Maxwell, please grab Ella something to drink. A fruity one” - Olivia waved her hand in the air - “with some glitter or some shit.”

Max grinned and ran towards the bar, Drake ran a shaky hand through his already tousled brown hair and turned to make his way outside. When they were alone, Olivia grabbed Ella’s elbow and gently pulled her to the corner of the ballroom.

Ella began to babble. “Liv, I need to go, I have to check on-”

“You’ll stay put, Ella, this is a conversation for those two and those two alone.”

The queen-to-be nodded in agreement but said nothing.

“I, uh …” Olivia pulled her lips between her teeth as she glanced down at the floor then back up at her friend. “Ella, I need to apologize to you.”

Ella’s eyes widened in surprise.

Liv waved her hand up in a circle. “Spare me the looks, please.” Ella and Olivia had grown close over the engagement tour, much to Liv’s dismay. She used to look at Ella as an American dolt that had no clue about Cordonian traditions, who stole her childhood love out from under her. But over months of being on the tour, they had to work together to figure out the plot against them and … Ella didn’t take any of her shit, and she respected that. “I want to apologize because-”

“You’re in love with Liam?” Ella smirked.

“In short, yes,” she nodded.

“You’ve known him almost his entire life, Liv,” her brows rounded as she took in her friend. “I don’t blame you for loving him.”

It was Olivia’s turn to look surprised.

“He’s the kindest person” - Ella let out a sigh - “anyone has probably ever met and he loves hard. Plus, he’s really easy on the eyes so I don’t blame you at all.”

Liv chuckled. “I’m working on it, it’s just really difficult to … see you two together.”

“I understand,” Ella pulled the Scarlet Duchess into her arms for a hug despite her protests. “Shut up, Liv, friends hug.”

Olivia squeezed Ella into a hug and then pulled away with a sigh. “I think maybe … after the wedding … I just take a small break.”

“I understand,” she let out her own sigh and swallowed the lump that was in her throat. “How pissed …” Ella looked up at the ceiling and waved her hand over her eyes to keep the tears from falling. “Was he really mad about-”

“He was pissed, yes,” Liv knew what she was asking. “Did you kiss him?” Her arms were folded across her chest.

“Who? Drake? No! Of course not!”

“Did you sleep with him?”

“Olivia!”

“Did you give him any reason to pursue you, Ella?”

“No,” Ella shook her head vehemently. “I told him that I love Liam. I only see Drake as a friend; I love him like a brother.”

“Then this isn’t on you and you let those two hash it out between them.”

**

On the balcony

Drake opened the door and shut it quietly. He had no idea what to expect from this conversation with Liam. This was about his fiancé for crying out loud. He was in love with Liam’s fiancé and if the roles were reversed, he’d be fucking pissed off too.

“Drake.”

He looked up to see Liam standing against the balcony, hands in his pockets, legs crossed at the ankles.

“Hey, Li.”

Liam pushed himself off of the cool cement and made his way towards him. “Tell me when this all started.”

His voice was calm as he spoke and it threw Drake off. He was expecting a coldness, anger, anything but this. But he went along with it and cleared his throat before speaking, choosing his words wisely. “Well, uh … I’d probably say the very beginning, on the plane back home from New York; there was a moment in Lythikos” - Drake shook his head - “But I didn’t realize anything until Applewood.”

Liam clenched his jaw and his hands fisted in his pockets. “What happened?” He croaked out and then he cleared his own throat. “What went on in Lythikos? Did you … did you two-” He couldn’t even say it out loud as he let out a breath, his chest burning. He and Ella were together intimately for the first time that night in Lythikos during the social season and if something happened with her and Drake as well …

“No!” Drake blurted out, his head shaking so fast that he got dizzy. “We’ve never … never, ever, Liam.”

Relief flooded Liam’s handsome face.

“You … you really thought I’d do that to you? That she would do that to you?” Drake stuck his thumb out and gestured towards the ballroom at Ella.

“No,” Liam answered honestly. “But my mind was going a thousand miles-a-minute and for a little bit I had no clue what to think.”

Drake's eyebrows rounded. “Nothing happened with us … romantically. On our way back from New York, I was telling her she didn’t belong, that people would be shitty to her. She put me in my place. Ever since then, she’s made me eat my words. In Lythikos,” Drake rubbed a hand over his face, feeling the roughness of his stubble from the day. “Olivia was giving me shit about Savannah leaving …”

Liam gave his friend a concerned look, knowing.

“Ella jumped in and told her to shut the fuck up before she stabs her with the fork she’s currently eating with” - despite his dissipating anger, Liam started to chuckle, interrupting the story. Drake looked up, surprised, then started to laugh with him - “El goes right back to … eating her fruit tart … looking at Olivia … with that fucking smirk.” The two continued to laugh, Liam knowing exactly the smirk Drake was talking about and also knowing the Scarlet Duchess and how she probably had no comeback.

When the two had calmed down, Liam wiping some moisture from his eyes from cracking up, Drake continued with his recount of the day in Lythikos. “Something inside me just … I don’t know how to say it,” he frantically thought of the words to describe what he was feeling. “No one besides you and Savannah had ever stood up for me before and it made me feel …”

“Like she cared about you,” Liam finished for him.

Drake nodded. “Then we watched the meteor shower together outside and I told her about Sav.”

Liam chewed on the inside of his cheek. “And Applewood?”

“After seeing the fear in her eyes that night, Tariq’s fucking hands on her, I just … felt this rage” - both men sucked in an angered breath - “A rage I’d never felt before over a woman and I realized then that I’d do anything and everything to protect her. To make sure no harm came to her, and …”

“You realized you were in love with her,” Liam said quietly, finally understanding.

Drake stared at Liam’s shoes for a moment then looked up to meet his best friend’s gaze. “Yes.”

“I …” Liam paused for a moment, making sure these were the words he wanted to say. “I understand why you fell for her.”

Drake looked at him, surprised.

“She’s fierce, intelligent, loving, beautiful” - Liam’s eyes slid towards the balcony doors and saw his fiancé sneaking glances at him from inside - “and loyal. I want to apologize and to thank you.”

Drake’s face went from surprise and contorted to confusion. “I’m sorry, you what?”

Liam nodded. “I overreacted and quickly jumped to conclusions without giving it careful thought. I just ... wish you would have told me when you realized you loved her, Drake, it took me by surprise, that’s all. And thank you for always being there to protect her,” Liam sucked in a breath. “I wasn’t there,” he whispered. “I wasn’t there in Applewood and what if …”

“Don’t you dare blame yourself, Liam!” Drake’s voice was raised. “We can’t think like that, if nobody was there to step in …” he closed his eyes to contain his temper. “We can’t go there. One of us was, and that’s all that matters.”

Liam nodded.

“And you’re right, I should have told you the minute I realized my feelings,” he agreed as he ran a hand through his dark hair. “I’m so sorry for that. I told her about my feelings in Applewood when she helped me with my bruises. She told me that she’s here for you and that she’s in love with you” - Drake closed his eyes briefly then opened them to look at his brother - “and that I should tell you how I felt.”

Neither man said anything for a moment, the only sounds that filled the night air were crickets, the leaves rustling in the wind, and an owl in the distance.

“You’re a lucky man, Liam,” Drake whispered.

“I know.” The young king took a shaky breath in and let it out slowly. He knew he was, and he knew how difficult it must be for his best friend to watch the woman he was in love with being engaged to someone else.

“Are we going to be okay?”

Liam looked over at his best friend of a decade, his brother, and smiled. “Yes, but” - his smile faded - “I don’t want this to be difficult for you. You have to watch Ella and me-”

“I’m fine, Li.”

“Don’t do that,” Liam said sternly. “I know it would kill me inside if the roles were reversed.”

“Of course it’s painful but it’s you and Brooks,” Drake said as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his finger and thumb before looking back at Liam. “Who else is going to watch your backs? Bastien? Beaumont?!” He flung his arm back towards the ballroom in disgust.

Liam chuckled. “Just know that I would understand if you needed … time.”

“I appreciate that, but I don’t want or need time. My place is here, watching over you two. Making sure Beaumont doesn’t accidentally light the palace on fire or some shit.”

The two men hugged and pulled away, patting each other’s shoulders.

“I wanted to speak with Ella-”

“Yeah,” Drake sighed. “She’s been trying to be sneaky, walking past the door almost the whole time we’ve been out here.”

Liam chuckled. “Alright my friend, let’s head back in.”

The two slipped back into the ballroom and the lights went out.

“What in the-” Drake growled.

Gunshots sounded in the air. “Everyone shut the fuck up and get on the ground!”

“Ella!” Liam’s voice boomed over the screams. “ELLA!”

“We’ll find her, Li,” Drake’s eyes had adjusted to the darkness but could only make out shadows of people running frantically in every direction.

The lights turned back on and both men turned to see Ella with one of the assassins, his arm around her waist, Glock pressed to her temple. “Ahh, King Liam. Perfect setting don’t you think? I can kill your bride” - he ran the side of his gun against Ella’s face and she struggled to get away - “Or I can kill you.” Another assassin appeared from behind the first one with his assault rifle pointed at Liam.

“Let her go and take me instead,” he commanded.

“Liam!” Ella choked out, her cheeks streaked with tears, her eyes pleading. “Don’t!”

“Where are you going, sweetie?” Assassin number one cooed as she struggled against his grasp. He raised his firearm and hit her over the head with it.

“Ella!” Drake and Liam yelled out as she lay limp in the man’s arms.

“Take her!” He hissed at assassin number two. Ella was removed from the ballroom as Liam and Drake watched helplessly. “Stay!” The man commanded as he pointed his gun at the two of them. “You’ll hear my demands in a few hours.”

The assassin leader turned and left with a loud cackle. The other assassins with their rifles pointed at Drake and Liam backed out of the room one by one until the deafening silence was almost too much to bear.

[sillydg]

Whiskey scavenger hunt (Drake X MC)

Book: The Royal Romance

Pairing: Drake X F!MC (Riley Herreld), and at the end Drake X Riley X Liam. Rating: 18+

One shot.

Premises: Hana forgot to check her order when she wants to order an anatomically correct ‘Bone’ at a special baker for Penelope’s poodle themed birthday. All are impressed, except for one.

A/N: It started as an inspiration piece for the wacky drabble but I couldn’t get it under 2.000 words. Never finished it, stumbled upon it and well. See for yourself. A/N: Nothing serious, so hopefully just a good laugh. A/N: Thank you though if you decide to read this! Let me know if you want to be tagged in Drake/TRR related things! A/N: Characters and some line belong to Pixelberry.

--One shot masterlist--

Warnings: Swearing and blunt sexual references!

Whiskey scavenger hunt

It's Penelope's birthday and Kiara and Maxwell have gathered in the kitchen to prepare for a little get-together.

Kiara smiles, "She is so going to love this! We've got cocktails with poodle straws, poodle-formed snacks, and Riley and Drake are decorating the room right next door as we speak with poodle decoration. The only thing we need now is cake."

"Did anyone say cake?" A happy Hana enters the kitchen with a big cake box in hand, "Because the one we ordered has arrived!" She carefully lays it on the counter. Maxwell gets excited and moves over to peek into the box. "Has anyone seen Riley and Drake?” Hana frowns, “Because I thought that they were assigned to decorate the room next door and since they're not there anymore I expected them to be here."

“Guys,” Maxwell squeals while staring wide eyed into the box. He has thrown the lid off completely, “OMG Guys!”

“Not now Max!” Kiara folds her arms, “What do you mean by that they're not there? Because they were assigned to decorate the room next door. So, they should be there…”

"Well, the room is decorated, but..."

She gets interrupted as the door of the kitchen flies open, revealing Liam. "Look at these beauties," He holds up the candles with a big smile on his face, which quickly fades the moment he sees a pale Maxwell and an irritated Kiara, “Is everything okay over here?”

“Well,” squeaks Maxwell as Liam, “There might be a little issue over here…”

Liam curiously walks over to Maxwell, drapes an arm over his shoulder, and peeks into the box. Suddenly a huge grin appears on his face, “I would hardly call that a small problem Max. Damn. That’s weirdly detailed and pretty huge.”

Hana and Kiara share a frown and glance quickly into the cakebox. Hana gasps and at once covers her eyes, “I could have died happy without seeing one of those in my entire life.” But Kiara just stares at it with an open mouth.

Liam grins, “You okay there Kiara…”

“I… hu…bu…”

“How could this happen?" Hana squeaks, "I ordered a BONE cake…”

Liam enjoys way too much being the only comfortable person in the room at this very moment. He takes the receipt of the box and grins, “Did you check your order before sending it… because from what I’m seeing. You really did order a boner, Hana.” He chuckles, “Well that’s a sentence I never thought I would say.” Hana smacks him to his shoulder and puts as fast as she can her hand in front of her eyes.

“Talking about big dicks,” Liam continued with a big smile, “Where’s Drake? I thought that he was decorating the place next door together with Riley.”

“Yeah, we all thought that. Until both of them magically disappeared,” Kiara rubs her forehead and leans against the counter, “So Drake’s missing and we have a cake which is going to give poor innocent Penelope a heart attack. Can this day get any worse?”

Maxwell glares at her, “I wouldn’t worry too much about Drake and Riley, those two do this all the time! How about we shift our focus to what to do with the cake?”

Liam and Kiara share a glance, and Kiara says, “What do you mean Beaumont?”

“Well, I think we should do something about this cake…”

“Forget the cake,” and Kiara sets a step closer to Maxwell, “What did you mean by ‘They do this all the time?”

Maxwell snaps his pleading eyes to Liam, “A little help here please, Li?”

“Actually,” Liam chuckles sincerely, “I’m starting to get a little bit curious myself…”

Kiara steps even closer and Maxwell flinches when she enters his personal space. With a high pitched voice he squeaks, “Oh come one guys. My manhood already had one big punch today. Give me a break…”

Kiara groans dangerously while almost pressing her nose against his, “Maxwell…”

“Fine… " Maxwell holds his hands up in defense, "They just have been going on "whiskey scavenger hunts" a lot these past weeks. You never know when that ‘Whiskey Thirst’ hits them. Suddenly they're gone and then suddenly they re-appear with a glass of whiskey in hand and a satisfied smug on their faces.”

Liam's not sure how to manage the unexpected curiosity in his core, but since Kiara's clearly not happy he tries to de-escalate the situation. He draws her attention with a hand on her arm, and she steps away from Maxwell, "I did ask Drake to look out for her, get her all she needs and they certainly both do love their whiskey."

Doubt flashes over Kiara’s face but the door slams open again before she can say anything. "Behold! The official Nevrakis cake cutter!!" Olivia proudly holds up a knife while entering the kitchen.

Liam flinches at the thought of that, or anything for that matter cutting through the cake. Maxwell however gets instantly excited, "OOOOOHHH! Look at that beauty! May I wield it?"

"No! The only hand who is going to wield this beauty is," and Olivia lays a hand on her chest, "yours truly."

Maxwell pouts for reasons that Liam find hard to understand.

Oliva strides trough the kitchen with a roll of the eyes and smacks Maxwell against the back of his head, "Oh get it together Beaumont!”

“Ouch!” He squeaks, “Seriously guys. I’m damaged enough today.”

A deep sigh escapes Olivia’s mouth, “Toughen up already, right Li?” But she stops short the moment she finds Liam’s horror filled eyes locked on the cake knife in her hand.

“You okay there?”

Liam swallows, “Well… You might just want to see for yourself, Liv,” and he nods towards the cake. Olivia peeks with raised brows into the cakebox. Her eyes grow wide, purring, “Liam Rys, please do tell me that this is an exact copy, because I will get on my knees to ask you to marry me, and for some other inappropriate stuff.”

Liam shakes his head with a grin, “I’m sorry, Liv. I come close… but not that close.”

“Too bad, mister Rys.” Olivia wiggles her brows suggestively while taking the ticket out of Liam’s hands. “That means that I have to give the baker a call since I’m dying to know who modeled for it. Because damn… I’ve never seen one that big!" She falls silent, glancing around the kitchen, "Talking about big dicks… Where’s Drake?” She pinches the bridge of her nose, “Are they seriously out scavenging? AGAIN?”

Kiara's eyes snap towards Olivia, “You know about that?”

"Yeah of course. It's their lame cover-up for... " But the door slams open again before she can finish her sentence. Madeleine enters with her signature flair, "I offer you one blindfolded Penelope waiting in the living room... Where I expected all of you to be... But you’re not, so where the hell are we waiting for? I’ve got more important things to do today."

Kiara raises her voice in irritation at the ongoing interruptions, “Not now, Madeleine!”

Madeleine gasps dramatically at Kiara, but Kiara is way to focused on Olivia to notice and with a shrug Madeleine peeks into the cakebox. Kiara folds her arms, “Cover-up for what, Liv?”

Madeleine gasps, “Oof,” I certainly hope that we are not talking about a cover-up for this here. HELLO! I’m impressed!” She side glances Liam with a grin, “So Liam…”

"Argh, seriously," Kiara throws dramatically her hands in the air, “Maddie, I’m trying…”

But Olivia brushes over it and shakes her head, “Already asked it,” and she holds up the receipt. “And already got this! So, whoever is gifted like that, I’ve called DIBS!”

Madeleine pouts, “Too bad. But what are we going to do with this cake…? Because if Pen sees it…”

“Or we leave the fucking cake alone!” Kiara looks around the kitchen with fire in her eyes, groaning loudly, “Let’s shift our focus to what really matters, ergo where Drake and Riley might be. Last time.” She sets her jaw while turning to Olivia, “Covering up for what? Liv?”

Everyone stares wide eyed at Kiara and a silence falls. The door slams open and Penelope surges through it with her blindfold off, “Is everything okay here? I heard…”

But she falls silent the moment as her eyes drift around the kitchen, “OMG, you guys! I already loved the poodle decoration, but you also got me cocktails and snacks and OHHH…”

She gasps, “You’ve got me a themed cake from my favorite baker? Let me see!”

Penelope lunges at the cake before anyone can do something about it. She peeks in to the box, her eyes grow wide and freezes. All eyes, even Hana dared to drop her hands for a moment, are focused on Penelope. All wondering howshe's going to react.

“Uhm, guys…” Penelope mumbles breaking the silence. Everyone leans a little bit forward in anticipation. Her eyes snap up and there is a surprisingly curious twinkle to find, “Do they all look like this?”

Maxwell coughs and tugs at the neck of his shirt, “Well, this is an exceptionally… you know.” Liam grins while patting him on the back, “What my friend here tries to say is, this is somewhat above average.”

Penelope bites her lip as her thoughts drift away, “Mmh…”

Madeleine grins, “Do we need to leave the two of you alone, Pen? It’s your birthday and you can have all the fun you want…”

“No, no, I’m good,” she murmurs before biting her finger.

“Alright…” Madeleine grins, “At least now we know how to shut her up about poodles. But since we’re talking about big dicks…Where's Drake?"

"Scavenging hunting," grins Olivia.

Madeleine raises her brows in a mixture off surprise and a tang of almost being impressed, "Seriously? Again? They are two thirsty rabbits. It’s like the third time today?" She glances down at her watch, "And it's one o’clock in the afternoon."

Liam seems to be knitting the pieces together and can't help to be curious about the whole situation. Kiara however tries to postpone ‘realizing what’s going on’ until she hears it coming out of someone's mouth. "Liv, Maddie, what the hell is Whiskey scavenging hunting a cover-up for?"

"Hahaha," Madeleine laughs, "You don't know? It's their lame cover-up for..."

But the door slams open before she can finish her sentence.

“Guys!” Riley barges through the door with a glass of whiskey in hand and an extremely satisfied smirk on her face, “Why are we all in here? Walker and I decorated the room next door for a reason. Quick, quick, quick before…” Her eyes fall on Penelope, “Ohhh… Hi Pen…”

“Oh, thank god!” Kiara let out a relieved sigh and drapes her hands over her face, “Riley, these guys had me almost thinking that you and Drake were off having sex.”

Riley, who just took a sip of her whiskey, almost chokes on it, “What? Me? Sex…” An awkward snort escapes her mouth, “Ha, I haven’t seen a dick in like, forever! Well, if you don’t count Drake who’s a total dick…Which I see,” she smacks her forehead, “I mean who I see every day…”

Liam eyes her curiously as Riley downs her whiskey while awkwardly making way through the kitchen. All eyes are on her, except for Penelope’s who is still staring at the cake.

Riley points towards the cakebox in a desperate attempt to change the subject, “Oh! Heeeeeey, is that the cake you ordered Hana? It’s a great bakery I bet the bone cake turned out…” A chuckle escapes her mouth, “I think someone lost a clash with autocorrect.”

“Tell me about it,” squeaks Hana.

Madeleine eyes Riley very carefully and cocks up a brow in surprise, “So, Riley! Tell me something. Why is there absolutely no impressed look on your face? Why isn’t your jaw-dropping at the sight of this glorious piece of cake over here?”

Riley’s eyes narrow and glances around the room trying to figure out what the hell they expect from her. She stumbles carefully, “I’m sorry? I mean… it’s very detailed! That’s for sure.” Once again she glances around the kitchen, but every expression remains the same. That’s not it. She coughs, “I mean… Wow! That length and thickness. I wouldn’t complain?”

Olivia folds her arms with a grin, “You wouldn’t complain about this size?” Riley looks around the kitchen to find Kiara glaring at her, Liam eyes her from top to bottom and gives her a surprisingly heated smirk, and Maxwell scratches his head as he tries to put the pieces together.

Riley digs a deeper and deeper hole for herself as she continuous, "I mean it’s not that I’ve seen bigger the past hour, you know, or past weeks. I mean why… why would I... you know… why…” And she groans as she pinches the bridge of her nose, “Why can’t I stop talking?

Hana and Kiara gasp. Olivia and Madeleine share a surprised grin, and Liam glances at her with a that same heated look on his face.

The door slams open before anyone can react. Drake barges through it with a whiskey in his hand and also a clear satisfied smirk. “Why the fuck are we all here? Herreld and I decorated the room next door for a reason!”

All the eyes snap to Drake, except for Riley’s who hides her face in her hands.

“Well, hello there! Mister Walker,” purrs Madeleine and Olivia wiggles her brows at him. Drake stares in horror between the two ladies, “Do the two of you have a synchronized stroke? What the hell is going on?”

Olivia ruffles up the receipt in her hand and throws it away over her shoulder, “Guess I won't be needing this anymore.”

“Herreld…” he whispers while stepping back, “What the hell is going on?”

“Ohh,” Madeleine sways her hips and stares directly into Drake’s eyes, “You’re a big boy… I think your perfectly capable of handling it yourself. Though I wouldn’t mind to help you out sometime.”

"Herreld?" Drake sets a step back as Olivia and Madeleine set a step closer towards him.

She murmurs between her hands, "I'm so sorry, hot stuff... They found about, well..." Drake's brows furrow as he's not understanding what the hell is going on.

Liam throws Drake a heated smirk, "About your size bud. Riley here seems to be very satisfied with your services. That being said,” he draws in a sharp breath as he lets his eyes drift over Drake, "Drake, Riley… my bedroom… I mean office now!” And without one more question, he impressively throws Drake over his shoulder to take him to his bedroom. Uhh. Office of course.

“Herreld…” Drake smirks while being carried away. Riley grins, “Hell yes, I’m on my way!” And she disappears into the other room to follow Liam and Drake.

“Can you believe this?” Olivia slams the knife in the cake. Maxwell flinches and Penelope pouts.

“She seriously gets royal and the biggest dick in Cordonia? You know what,” and she grabs the recipe from the ground, “Come on! We are going to take things into our own hands, because this social season is over! I suggest we start our own, no clothes allowed social season, with our own candidates and we start with our search right here!"

"Let's go!" states Kiara and walks determinedly out of the door together with Olivia. Madeleine shrugs and follows.

Penelope's still poutingly staring at the cake as Kiara walks back in, "Come one! We are going to find you a real one hon!"

She squeaks, “Ohhh, what about your brother, Ki?”

Kiara groans, “Can this day get any worse?” And the door falls shut behind them leaving Hana and Maxwell alone.

Madeleine sticks her head back into the kitchen, "What the hell are the two of you still doing here... You realize that there definitely are going to be a lot off woman, right?” Madeleine eyes Hana from top to toe with a heated glance, “Including me if you’re interested…"

Hana bites her lip and before Maxwell can say anything he gets dragged away by her, leaving the cake unattended in the kitchen.

Liam sticks his head through the other kitchen door, "Guys, they're gone." He quietly slides inside the kitchen dressed in only bathrobe. Riley and Drake follow him on his heels, both matching outfits.

Liam glances into the cakebox and flinches. "We've got some damage, but..." he shrugs while composing himself, "You can't eat it whole anyway."

Riley presses her lips together to suppress a snort, and Drake grins with a nod in her direction, "She can."

Liam's eyes grow wide, takes the cake off the counter and shoves it in Drake's hands. "You take this, and I..." He picks Riley up and throws her over his shoulder, "Take her!" Liam walks out of the door. Riley chuckles loudly, "Hot stuff! Come on! I’m sure you can find something else to enjoy yourself with."

Drake grins, “Oh Hell yes! I’m on my way!”

Thank you for sticking with me this far!!! ;)

Want too check out some more one shots? --One shot masterlist--

Please let me know if you want to be added or removed. Taglist:

@karahalloway @angelasscribbles @lovingchoices14 @kingliam2019

@walkerdrakewalker @queen-arabella-of-cordonia

@tinkie1973 @tessa-liam

@ladyangel70 @princessleac1

@kachrisberry @Jerzwriter @gkittylove99 @pixelberrygirl

@secretaryunpaid @ruy-oh

@choicesficwriterscreations

@differenttyphoonwerewolf

[lizzybeth1986]

An essay idea that's been floating in my mind for a while now, is a possible deep dive into the alternative pairings for the main LIs in TRR (ie who did PB originally try to match up the LIs with if the MC wasn't going to marry them). Liam x Olivia, Drake x Kiara, Maxwell x Penelope and Hana x Madeleine. Basically the idea is to explore the following:

1. When do the hints start?

2. What are we told about the background of such a relationship?

3. How long did the attempts to do a pair-up last?

3. How do the writers' and fandom's attitudes (towards each alternative LI) colour her treatment in the story?

4. How do the writers' and fandom's attitudes (towards each main LI) colour the way they're expected to behave towards their alternative, and how they are treated?

5. None of these pairings actually happen. How does the end of TRR3, and TRH, handle this?

Would anyone be interested in this? I just want to see if anyone would like to be tagged in such an essay 👀

[bebepac]

Six Sentence Sunday 11.27.22

Dispite this Gif, no I’m not ready for Christmas at all.  But I do have some Christmas Fics in the works.  

Here’s what I’ve posted in the last week or so in case you missed it:  

The Cordonian Arrangement:  Dreams Broken Heart

Here’s what I’ve been writing on, nothing is finished yet of course, but you know.  That’s how I roll, we’ll get to them eventually.  Thank you for being part of my writing journey. 

Original Post:  11/27/22 at 4:02PM  EST.

Mood Music Monday Submission Song Inspiration:  Silent Night by the Temptations Holiday Vibes  The Book:  TRR (no royals)  Series: School Dayz Pairings: Liam x Riley Status:  Still in the writing process 

“Thanks for driving me to the mall today, and driving me around when Jaiden can’t.”

“It’s no problem, and I like driving you around, makes me feel manly.”  

Liam’s face turned bright pink.  

“I…..said that out loud didn’t I?”

“You did but it’s okay. I like that you’re adorkably honest with me.”

Riley’s face turned serious.

“You know sliding on the ice during the storm really scared me Liam.”

“I know it did, but I’m glad you and Taylor were okay.  When I saw your Jeep…. My heart broke Riley. I was so worried you were hurt.”

Liam took her hand and held it.  

“Dad said you could stay for dinner if you want.”  

“He’s warming up to me don’t you think?”

“I mean as much as my dad can warm  up to people.”

“Whoa…. Looks like he’s been busy.”  

When they left the Brooks household that morning there was no Christmas decor up. Coming back that evening.  Liam was flabbergasted.

He helped  Riley bring her shopping bags inside the house.  

“Whoa…. It looks like Santa threw up in here.”  

“No Liam, tell me how you feel about the decorations.”

Taylor burst out laughing from the couch as Mr. Brooks stepped out into the foyer holding a string of Christmas lights.

“Damn Liam. Can you not step in it once?”

“Jai! Language!”

“I’m just not used to a lot of Christmas decorations. My family doesn’t really do holidays like this.  I think it’s really nice.”  

“Jason and I grew up in the foster care system, and holidays were hard when you were living in foster homes at the holidays.  We both vowed if we ever had families, we would celebrate.  It’s very important to us.  So we go all out.”  

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t meaning to make fun of the decorations.”  

“Go help Riley put her presents away in her room, and you can come back and help us decorate.”  

The Vampires Live On Part 3 The Book:  TRR   Series: N/A  The Vampires Live On Part 1 / The Vampires Live On Part 2 Pairing: Liam x Riley Status:  Still in the writing process

“I can’t believe we finally made it here.”  

“I know, it’s been a very long time.  Longer than I intended Riley, but I made good on my promise.”

The two of them were driving into Lumberton city limits.  

“Where would you like to go first?”  

“The library.  I want to see what articles I can find  from around what happened.”

“I figured, good thing I decided to call ahead.”  

“How did you know?”  

“Because I know you Love."

“Yeah it only took you a few years to get to know me.”  

Liam winked.  “Only a few.”  

When she stepped out of the car,  Riley took a deep breath.

“How does this town still smell the same after all these years?”  

“What does it smell like to you Riley?”

“Like home.”  

Liam held her hand as they walked up to the library counter.

“We’re here to speak with Mrs. Banks.”

“And whom might I let her know is here?”

“Liam Rys, and Riley Brooks.  I spoke to her over the phone a few days ago. She’s expecting us.”

Shattered Heart The Book:  TRR The Series: The Cordonian Arrangement Pairings: Riley x Nico / (Riley x M!OC) / Liam x Riley Status:  Still in the writing process

"Thank you for coming, King Liam."

"Please just call me Liam."

"Liam, thank you. Nico said you would be the only one that would be able to get through to her right now."

"My heart breaks for her. She is in so much pain, as with your whole family. Nico was a good man."

"He was a wonderful son, brother, husband and father. He will be greatly missed by all that knew him."

Liam hugged Mother Karahalios.

"You're such a good boy too. Your mother would have been proud of you. My Athena is on her way to bring Angelo to you. He will need you now, more than ever."

"He barely knows me, and Riley is in no condition to care for him right now."

"You'll be fine. But this is the start of you beginning to truly bond with your son. You will be his primary caregiver for now."

A few minutes later Athena walked through the door holding a sleeping Angelo in her arms.

“Where’s Riley?”  

“She’s sleeping.”  

“Are you sure we should leave Angelo, Mama? Riley can barely care for herself right now. She needs some time. I can keep Angelo with me. He can play with his cousins.”  

“Liam’s here,  Angelo will be fine.  Give him to Liam.”  

“He looks shell shocked.”  Athena said in Greek.  “Are you sure we should leave Angelo here with this man?”

"That 'man' as you called him is Angelo's biological father. No harm will come to Angelo in his care."

Athena had  thought she was hiding her apprehensions of Liam behind the Greek language with her conversation to Mother Karahalios. Liam kept his face unemotional, but  was relieved Mother Karahalios had defended him. Liam decided to show  Athena that Greek was one of the many languages he was also fluent in.  

“Angelo is safe with me. My son is safe with me.”  

“If that was the case, my brother wouldn’t have to have taken care of your child for you.”

“Athena now is not the time to do this.”

The Last Part  The Book:  TRH and Beyond The Series: The Rotten Apple 🍎 Pairings:  Elle x Nico (Elle x M!OC)  Status:  Still in the writing process

Ana was still unusually quiet at dinner, and Nico being so perceptive and intune with Ana, noticed immediately.

"What's wrong Honeybee?"  He playfully nudged her and smiled.

She looked at Elle for a moment, then turned to him  shaking her head shrugging her shoulders.  Nico’s smile immediately faded, his facial muscles tensing slightly, an overwrought look taking over his face.

"Ana? What's wrong?" Nico was concerned.

“Nothing.”  Ana whispered, still failing to make eye contact with him while picking at the food on her plate. Ana did not have an appetite.

"Don't lie to me. You look at me when I talk to you, young lady."

She looked up from her plate.

"Tell me the truth Ana."

Ana's eyes filled with tears.

"Mommy's sick again."

Surprised flashed in his eyes as he dropped his fork, hitting his plate with a loud clatter.

"Elle?"

"I'm fine. I have been going to my therapy check ins. I haven't….seen him, Nico, I promise. I wouldn't hide that from you. Do you not believe me?"

Nico looked from Ana to Elle.

"What did you see Mommy do Ana?"

Elle gasped.

"Nothing! It can't be what you’re thinking! I didn't do anything Nico. I didn't."

Nico completely ignored her focusing on Ana.

"What did you see, Honeybee?"

“Nico…”  Elle’s voice was low, pleading and timid. “I didn’t do anything…”

Ana looked at Elle.

“Don’t look at her.  You look at me and tell me the truth.” Nico raised his voice. “NOW! Eliana. I mean it.”

"Nico…"

Immediately Ana’s eyes shifted to Nico’s.

[bbrandy2002]

Fool’s Rush In

Chapter 17

This is my @wackydrabbles​ post for week 87. The prompt is bolded. "No offense, but I'm not interested."

Book: TRR

Pairing: Liam x Riley

Warnings: Drake and some language.

*I was in a silly mood and this turned into a dumpster fire lol and it feels very rushed but I was trying to meet the word count. There may be a little bit of plot in this.

Word count: 1999

------------------------

Liam sat on the floor with his back pressed against the mattress; one leg bent upright with the other extended crookedly out in front of him. Half of a bottle of Don Julio dangled loosely from a hand settled on his knee while two shiny gold rings encircled the pinky tip of his other.

In a fit of anger late last night, he searched for and consumed the first bottle of alcohol he came across in the liquor cabinet. He had no intentions of getting hammered or even a little drunk; Liam just needed something to take the edge off the hurt. Not that he for one second believed a word Riley told him before she walked out and boarded a red-eye commercial flight back to the States. 

As Liam pondered her abrupt departure in the early hours of the morning, one thing was for sure: He'd never been in love before, but what he felt for Riley was real -- and reciprocated -- that, "no," she spewed from her mouth when asked if she loved him was a lie.  

But why? That was the question he just couldn't figure out.

Having racked his brain for hours and with the sun finally coloring in the darkness of his chambers, Liam set aside his drink and lifted himself off the ground. Every thought that consumed him for the last several hours was riddled with putting the pieces together of why she actually left and why she felt she couldn't tell him the truth. Nothing made sense, yet ruminating alone in his room until he figured it out wasn't going to solve anything; the only way to get to the bottom of this was to retrace Riley's steps from the time she left the ball to when he made his way up to join her a little later. 

Stumbling to the bathroom -- mostly from exhaustion and perhaps a little drunker than he realized -- Liam stripped off the tuxedo he wore the prior evening and took a quick shower before heading down to the security office.

-----------

Riley's heavily drooping eyelids popped wide open when the plane shook from another vigorous tremor of turbulence. Gripping the armrests on both sides of her seat, she hesitated to peek out the window but was relieved when she saw the billowy waters of the Pacific had transformed into small, mosaic blocks of land covered by a shadow of the nearly setting sun. 

When the aircraft settled again, Riley reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone to check the time, grateful to be landing soon. She planned to go straight home, sink into her bed, and sleep the rest of her life away. Maybe wake up every once in a while to sob again before going back to sleep. Whatever Riley decided to do, she hated Madeleine, she hated Tyler, and she hated telling Liam she didn't love him; the more Riley thought about the stunned look on his face when she said it, the more nauseous her stomach felt.

And the nausea was getting worse.

Riley caught the eye of a nearby stewardess and waved her over; she needed ginger ale, and she needed it fast. 

"Can I help you, Miss?"

"I … I need, ginger ale, please." She asked through ragged breaths.

"Let me check and see if we have more." Riley nodded appreciatively.

"Hey. Don't I know you from somewhere?" A relatively large guy in the center seat, whose sweaty arm flab had been lodged in Riley's shoulder since takeoff, asked. Oh shit! Riley cupped a tight hand over her mouth and shook her head vigorously; the last thing she wanted was to be recognized. 

Or vomit.

While the stewardess searched the service cart for the requested drink, the gentleman's eyes enlarged. "Wait a minute. Yeah! You're that little gal who married some king, with ..." he snapped his fingers before adding in his thick Texan drawl, "the monkey and hookers and shit. Wow, my fiance wants to have a wedding just like yours." He held his hand out to her. "The names Beaver Calhoun, mayor of Slippery Nip, Texas. I guess you could say we're both royals, huh?"

Riley lowered her hand slightly; she was past the point of ginger ale helping, and this guy was blocking her way out. "Beaver, I need you to move." 

He stroked his chin in thought. "Well, I don't know, Queenie. I'm pretty content with my life there in Slippery Nip, Not really lookin' to uproot."

"No!' Riley's strained voice responded forcefully, "move out of the way--" She tried to fight it, but her head flung forward and everything came out with her last word.

Beaver looked down at his shirt and quirked a brow. "That's gonna leave a stain."

=============

On the second floor of a run-down Motel 6, just off the beaten path in Las Vegas, Drake tossed in the last of his clothes and airline tickets in a duffle bag and zipped it. Stepping over to the window, he pulled aside the tattered curtains to check if the airport's shuttle van had arrived yet. Disappointed, he grumbled to himself, "Where the hell are you? I'm ready to get the fuck out of here." 

The past week had been intense -- well, frankly, the entire month had been nothing short of shit balls. Five weeks ago, Drake landed in Las Vegas for Liam's bachelor party and won big money at the casino, only to have it all pissed away on some old, decrepit hooker who stole his wallet, cell phone, dick health, and what little joy he had in the world. Liam left with a sexy ass wife, and all Drake got was the false claim of fathering triplets and his scowling face on the front cover of the National Enquirer with Dr. Ethan Ramsey detailing the entire sordid journey from pre-surgical rooster rot to the aftercare.

He made a quick $500 for the story, in which he badly needed the money, considering he couldn't leave Vegas until the paternity test results came back. It was enough for his lodging, a couple cans of Beenie-Weenies and a few boxes of pepperoni Hot Pockets; his stomach felt like oil sludge at this point. But as a joke, Leo had sent a box of Ding-Dongs, so it wasn't all bad.

The rotary phone in his room rang out, and he answered the call from the front desk, which let him know transportation had arrived. Drake grabbed his bag, flicked a cockroach off of it, and exited his room into the enclosed hallway.

After stepping onto the elevator and hitting the down button, another person strolled on in a black leather mini-skirt, white see-through halter top, and a pair of fishnet stockings that he'd recognize anywhere.

"You!" He growled at the chain-smoking hooker, backing her up into the corner. "Do you have any fucking idea what you did to me? And I WANT my wallet and cell phone back, now!" He hovered menacingly over the much smaller woman.

"No offense, but I'm not interested in giving them back to you," Pinquee Kittee sneered before reaching into her bra for mace and spraying him directly in the eyes. The rapid burn gave way to her next act of defense when a screaming, blinded Drake was doubled over by a swift karate kick to his newly transplanted organ. "Hiiiiyah!"

Drake cupped himself in anguish, fell to the floor, and slumped over as the elevator doors opened. Pinquee Kittee grabbed his duffle bag and peeked down the hallway to make sure no one was around before making her getaway.

------------------

Just outside of the palace's security office, Liam knocked on the door several times without an answer. It was rare that the King would personally pay a visit. Usually, he would call Bastien and have the head guard look into any issues. With him gone, this just felt like something Liam needed to do in person. 

After several more knocks, Liam reached for the door handle and slowly opened it to let himself inside. The lights were off, with only a few CCTV screens displaying various images of places within and surrounding the palace. Finding the light switch on the wall beside the door, Liam flipped them on, and his mouth fell agape at what he saw.

"What the hell happened in here?" He shouted as his hands shot to his hips, glaring around the room. 

On the floor was a maze of beer cans, whiskey bottles, remnants of silly string, a five-gallon bucket of butter next to a slip-n-slide, a voodoo doll with Liam's face on it, and half-a-dozen guards passed out. 

A furious Liam made his way through, kicking the feet of guardsmen as he stepped along. "Get up! All of you!"

One-by-one, they slowly roused until they realized it was the King in their presence, then they jumped to their feet at attention. 

"Would someone like to explain what the actual fuck happened in here?" Liam wasn't one to swear in front of his staff, but there was no way he could hold back after walking in on this scene. His glowering eyes shifted with expectancy from one man to the next, waiting for an answer, until someone finally called out, "We threw Rogers a going away party for his last night on the job, Your Majesty."

"And you thought having a wild party while you were ON DUTY to protect 400 members of the nobility for a major event was the time to do that?

The guard shook his head. "Not at all, Sir. I admit we weren't as attentive as we should have been last night ..." he pointed behind Liam, "but Prince Leo came by and suggested we kick it up a notch."

Liam turned around and caught Leo slithering along the edge of the wall toward the door. "Leo!"

The Prince stopped dead in his tracks, then flickered his eyes and jolted his body as if he were just waking up. Leo looked at Liam, acting surprised to see him. "Liam? Is that you? H-How did I get in here?"

Liam rolled his eyes. "Knock it off, Leo."

"What?” Leo shrugged innocently. “You know what I think happened. I must have been sleepwalking again. You know how I get when I watch The Duchess before bed." He cocked his head introspectively at his brother. “And you do look like the Duke from that movie, you handsome devil you?” He grinned impishly.

Liam stared blankly at his older brother for a few seconds, then turned around to face the others gathered around. "Who's in charge here?"

When one of the men raised a hand, the King stepped up to him and explained, "Alright, I need you to pull up security footage from last night. I want to review everything from the moment I stepped outside the ballroom to meet the Queen around 9:30, and where she went after I went back into the ballroom." 

If this were any other day, Liam would have fired every one of them on the spot and sent Leo to Antarctica, but he only had one concern: Finding out what happened to Riley.

As the guard typed in his computer to pull up footage from last night, Leo stepped up to Liam, who was hovering over the guard's shoulder with anticipation. "What's going on?"

Never taking his eyes off the screen, he responded. "Riley went back to Las Vegas last night."

"Wh-Why? What happened?"

Liam let out a breath. "That's what I'm trying to find out."

Leo remained silent before giving his little brother's shoulder a reassuring squeeze and watching with him.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary as different camera footages were switched to follow Riley walking from the main staircase, through several passages, and finally ending with the corridor outside of his quarters.

"Stop!" Liam leaned in closer as the guard paused the video; his entire body tensed up at what he saw.

"Is that ..." Leo scrunched up his face in disgust.

"Madeleine."

___________

Tags: @burnsoslow​ @dcbbw​ @ao719​  @jessiembruno​ @texaskitten30​ @janezillow​ @merridithsmiscellany-blog @mskaneko @callmeellabella @queenjilian @sirbeepsalot @drakexwillow @jovialyouthmusic​ @forthebrokenheartedthings​s @bebepac​ @kingliam2019​ @lovablegranny​ @cordoniaqueensworld​ @amandablink​ @liamxs-world​ @choiceskatie @iaminlovewithtrr​ @hopelessromanticmonie​ @charlotteg234​ @annekebbphotography​ @txemrn​ @thecordoniandiaries @alyssalauren​ @cordonianroyalty @monsoonbloom12 @mom2000aggie​ @theroyalheirshadowhunter​ @princessleac1​ @kimmiedoo5​ @graceful-leah​ @iam-the-kind-and-thoughtful​ @thegreentwin​ @gkittylove99​ @neotericthemis​ @pink-diamond13​ @walker7519 @natureblooms24 @yourmajesty09​ @gabesmommie1130​ @sweatyrysconnoisour @kat-tia801​ @debmcg1106 @lifeaskim @choicesstan650​ @emkay512​ @royalromancer​

Liam x MC: @cordonia-gothqueen​n

Anything with Drake:@tinkie1973

FRI Series Tags:   @narrytheworld​​  @queenwalton​  @cordonianprincess​        @zaffrenotes​ @zilch3​  @drrookie​ @sfb123​ @secretaryunpaid​ @masterofbluff​

[axwalker]

CREEP: I’m a creep

HIGH SCHOOL AU 

Pairing: Drake Walker and Lexie O’Brien -- Book TRR 

A/N 1 This came up to me after I got an ask from @nestledonthaveone

I was listening to my iPod on my way home from work yesterday & Radiohead's Creep came on. One of my favorite songs, and I think the lyrics are great for an angsty Drake fic. It reminds me of him. Could you please write an angsty fic inspired by the song? I love how you write angst!!

I used to hear this song when I was a teenager, so when I read this ask, I immediately wanted to write something angsty but situated in high school.

This is part one of two. 

I hope you enjoy it @nestledonthaveone 💕

A/N 2: Because they’re younger than usual, I decided to change my  FC --just for this fic. I’m still picturing Michiel and Valerie when they’ll be older though. 

A/N3: I’m participating in @wackydrabbles Prompt #105   It's definitely ... interesting.”

Thank you ladies! 

WARNINGS: Parental abuse. Eventually some lemons.  ALL MY FICS ARE 18+ 

Tags in the comments. 

LEXIE 

I’ve always loved sunsets. The entire sky is painted orange and pink, streaking with white light and many other colors; I can’t take my eyes away from it. Sunsets remind us that no matter what is happening in our lives, the sun will be out again tomorrow. It’s raw, beautiful, and comforts me—the thought of the sun watching over me. I sit on my porch, my knees against my chest. I’m wearing a white tank top and jean shorts to fight the intense heat that invades Cordonia in early September.  I fix my eyes on the sky, wishing a miracle. Something that takes me away from my father and his new wife. Away from the pain of losing mom.

“What are you doing?” The voice is so resonant, deep, and rasping. Slowly, I sit up and look around, pushing my long, brown hair out of my eyes. I raise my head, and I see him. Drake Walker. 

 My breath catches, and I cross my arms over my breasts, knowing the thin material of my shirt isn’t keeping me remotely modest. What is he doing here? At this time, no less. I go to school with Drake. We’re both sophomores at Valtoria High School. He’s six foot two, with strong shoulders, and has a knowledge of life in his eyes that boys our age simply don’t possess. We have five classes together, and he sits through them like a statue, his chocolate eyes unreadable. Tall, dark, and angry. Handsome in a hard way that makes the other girls nervous when he walks down the hallways. Not me, though. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve stared at him from behind my locker door, breath trapped in my lungs, wondering what he’s thinking of behind his brooding eyes. 

“I asked, what are you doing? This isn’t a safe place to be alone at night. You should get inside.” 

“Inside is no safer.” Why would I say that? My first time talking with this boy, and I tell him my deepest secret? His eyes narrow at me.“I mean, there’s not a lot of crime in this part of Portavira.” That loosens the tension in his broad shoulders. “I’m looking at the sunset. I love it. It’s so beautiful and wild.” I bit my bottom lip noticing his eyes dip to catch the action. 

“It’s definitely ... interesting,” he says, noncommittally. “There are things I like more.” 

“Like what?” I ask. 

He shrugs but looks back down at me, wrestling with something. He lifts a hand, brushing the very tip of his fingers down my cheekbone. “You,” he rasps.

Drake’s deep brown eyes look at me with something I’m only on the cusp of understanding. Is it…lust? His fingers move down my jaw, traveling slowly over the hollow of my throat to tease one of my tank top’s straps. “I like you. I can’t seem to stop…wanting. Wanting you to look at me. Wanting you…period. It’s why I sit behind you in all your classes, O’Brien. You don’t know that?” My knees start to tremble. I’ve always wondered how we end up in the same classes every single semester. He’s arranged for it to happen? He…likes me? That much? Say something, dork. Don’t act like it’s not mutual. 

 As if I haven’t lain my bed after school, when no one is at home and touched myself while thinking of Drake Walker. I must be doing a terrible job of keeping that secret to myself because Drake’s breath begins to grow shallow. “O’Brien.” He drops his forehead to mine, the pads of his thumb rubbing the soft skin of my neck. “Have you ever been kissed?”

I can’t talk, so I shake my head. 

“Please,” he groans. “Let me.” 

My head is spinning. “Let you what?” 

“Kiss you. Finally.” His hands move to cradle my head, making me feel delicate, like something special. His minty breath is close to my ear, setting off an ache low in my belly. “I need to kiss you, O’Brien. I need it.” He leans down and kisses the corner of my lips in the most torturous, exquisite way. My heart is beating wildly in my chest when he puts his soft lips on mine for the first time. My first kiss is an amazing one. He bends his head, and his mouth finds mine with soft pressure. I thought he would be rough or impatient may be clumsy, but I didn’t expect the gentle way his lips caress mine. The way he coaxes my own lips apart before I’m even aware of it. My knees buckle, but he holds me firmly against him. He kisses me as if this wasn’t our first time but our last. It’s the most erotic moment of my life, but all too son Drake leaves my lips. I only feel urgency. Want so deep that it burns inside of me.  It has existed between us all along, hasn’t it? Not one-sided. A yearning pull between two people, orbiting each other in the earthly, incongruous setting of school. 

Drake opens his mouth to say something, but my name is shouted in the distance. From inside the house. With glittering eyes, Drake drops his hands to his side, though it obviously pains him to do so. He gives me a chaste kiss on my cheek. One second later, the back door of my house opens, revealing my father, his imposing frame backlit by the interior. 

“Alexis!” I start to tremble; I try to speak, but I can’t. ““What are you doing out here this late?” There’s a tight smile in his voice. “Did you come out here to retrieve the handyman?” I do a double-take, noticing the strain forming around the corners of Drake’s mouth. 

“Handyman?” 

“Yes.” My father chuckles, coming forward to clap a hand down on Drake’s tense shoulder. “He’s here to repair a leak in the attic. Liam called you by the way.” Drake can’t look at me now, his gaze cast over my shoulder. Empty. A minute ago, we were equals. But my father’s words have called into focus one very important thing. I’m rich, and he’s very poor. It just didn’t matter. To me, it still doesn’t. But the economic divide between us is deepening by the second. 

“Why don’t you get to it?” My father suggests to Drake, his tone hard. “Alexis has to study. She is going places.”

 I down my gaze to the ground, humiliation burning up my throat. My father is an expert at belittling people, and he’s just done it to Drake. I want to say something to make it better, to defend Drake, but I know I’ll only be making it worse. I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to offer Drake an apology. At school. I’ll talk to him then. 

“Yes, sir,” Drake responds stiffly, turning on his boots and stalking toward the house. Behind his back, my father reaches over and digs his thumb into my bicep until I double over, releasing a silent scream. He lets go a moment before Drake glances back over his shoulder, eyes hooded, and my expression is serene. Because I know better than to let anyone see the pain. My father has never been physically abusive, but his temper is getting worse. He hated mom and he’s taking it out on me. As soon as we’re in the house, I run up the stairs to my room and lock the door, leaning back against it. Listening to Drake’s boots walk back and forth in the attic. More than anything, I want to go up there. Feel his hands on me again. Cherishing hands, instead of hateful ones. I ache for that. For him. But an hour later, Drake leaves, and that’s when I face the consequences. My father knocks on my door. When I open it, the look on his eyes let me know it’s going to be worse than usual. 

“If I ever see you talking to that boy again, so help me God, I’ll kick you out of this house.” His face is contorted with rage. “Then, I’ll ruin him, too. I’ll make his life even harder in this town. You know I can do it. I can have him cast off that filthy land and no one will ever hire him again. Is that what you want?” 

“No,” I whisper. 

“No,” he sneers, mocking me. “Never look at him again. Do you hear me? My daughter does not associate with penniless dirt. The only boy you’re allow to date is Liam Rys. No one else.” 

“I won’t. I promise.” 

“See that you keep that promise. Or you’ll both pay the price.” And I pay a good deal of it that night when dad slaps me for the first time. The next day at school, I don’t look at Drake in the hallway. I don’t pause in the doorway of our classes, absorbing the sight of him waiting at the desk behind me. I simply keep my head down and try not to show the bruise on my cheek. On my body and my heart. I could never have predicted he would hate me for it.

 Drake

 Two years later 

I walk past O’Brien in the hallway and slam my fist against the locker to her left, making her jump. Shame, frustration, and resentment have been like a poison inside me, rotting my bones every second of the last two years, ever since that night in her garden when she tricked me into thinking she felt the same. Maybe she did. Until her father reminded her that I’m nothing but a poor handyman. Yeah, she remembered pretty quickly that she’s better than me. Good enough to date a rich quarterback like Rys but definitely not a low life like me. Rich, stuck-up brat. What’s worse is that she fucking ruined me with those lips. She brought me to my knees. Made me reveal myself in ways I’ve never done with anyone. And now? Now she’s left me lonely and fuck-starved for two years. Obsessed with her, unable to let her go and hating her guts for it. Because she won’t even look at me anymore. I’m nothing but the dirt beneath her spotless sneakers. Two years ago, I decided that if she was going to make my life hell by ignoring me after what we shared, then I could return the favor. So I do. By tormenting her. That’s the only term for it. I torture her, and I hate that—I fucking hate it—but so be it. My jaw is close to shattering as I watch O’Brien calmly collect the books from her locker and hurry toward our next class. On top of being a bully, I’m also a masochist because I still trick the school into having the same five classes every year. My aunt Leona works in the front office, and she feels bad for me because of my dad dying and my mom abandoning me when I was still in middle school, leaving me in the trailer alone. Not bad enough to invite me to live with her family, but bad enough that she slips me O’Brien’s schedule every semester so I can match it to mine. Before I follow her, I stop at her locker, sliding something in it, and continue on my way. When I walk into class behind her a moment later, I slow to a stop in the doorway at the sight of Rys kneeling to speak with O’Brien where she sits at her desk—cajoling a smile out of her. She refused to date him two years ago, but fucking Liam didn’t get the memo. No one has as much money as his father in this town. If  Rys is asking her out again, she’d probably say yes. If I let it get that far, which I won’t. I never do. She’s mine. Only mine. 

[emkay512]

Once Upon A Time

Chapter 3

Summary: This starts at the beginning of TRR book 2 with the Fydelia ball but with a different series of events. This AU is based off the show Once Upon a Time with Riley and Liam mirroring Snow and Charming. Characters belong to Pixelberry.

A/N: I felt like I needed to still post this, even though I’m terrified with living up to my own hype. Let me know what you guys think.

A/N 2: thank you for pre-reading @queenrileyrose and @sfb123 both of you have given me such encouragement and I really appreciate it!

Warnings: This will contain NSFW adult language and content. By reading, you acknowledge you are 18 and over.

I’m keeping the same tags from my earlier post, please let me know if you want to be removed, absolutely no hard feelings! If you’d like to be tagged, I would be happy to add you!

Tags: @burnsoslow @ao719 @kat-tia801 @callmeellabella @charlotteg234 @neotericthemis @bbrandy2002 @kingliam2019 @iaminlovewithtrr @amandablink @iluaaa @jared2612 @sfb123 @twinkleallnight @tessa-liam @secretaryunpaid @ladyangel70 @gkittylove99 @texaskitten30 @shanzay44 @ofpixelsandscribbles

“Wait.... what!?” Drake’s face had gone white with shock. “But, we all saw! We all saw her fall in love with you. She loves you for sure Li, what the hell is going on!?” Despite his best efforts, Drake had come to accept Riley as an important person in his life, she was a truly trustworthy friend and she was a chance to see his best friend marry for love. Surely she’d never give up on hope and love, she was the epitome of both.

Liam wasn’t sure how much time had passed since he watched the latch on his bedroom door shut with Riley’s departure. He had dropped to his knees unable to stand with the weight of his broken heart still staring at the door trying to unsee what just happened. He was so sure of her love for him, he had never seen such happiness and sincerity exist in his life than when she told him she loved him in the hedge maze at his coronation ball. All this time he’d been apart from her was spent planning for a solution, clinging to the memory of her smile the last time he saw her before getting engaged.

Getting engaged. Then he started to think about the effect this had on her. He hated himself, she was vulnerable and abandoned, of course she’d fall out of love. Liam’s head was still foggy, but he remembered pouring two glasses of whiskey and calling Drake to meet him and briefly telling him what happened and now getting his reaction.

“You.. you don’t understand.” Liam was still just only choking out words. It was bad enough to live in this reality, but to have to utter the words and make someone else understand what was happening was like living his nightmare over again. “She said she did love me, or that maybe she did, or that she couldn’t love me anymore... God, it feels like it all happened so fast! I can barely get my head straight!” His tone was clearly crossing into frustration, he lifted both hands to his head and balled his fists into his hair while groaning out his hurt and anger. “This is my fucking fault.. in so many ways, Drake. She said I let too much time pass, that it convinced her that I should forget about her, and that she didn’t love me. I should have protected her from those goddamn photos and fucking Tariq. I never should have gotten engaged to Madeleine, and I shouldn’t have kept her away.” Liam was huffing his words.

This was difficult for Drake. He’d never seen his best friend so defeated like this. Liam always knew how to maintain his stoicism keeping an air of calm and rationalism. But that was not the man before him now, Liam was completely disheveled with eyes bright red from all his earlier sobbing, he looked completely broken. Drake understood the pain, he knew all too well how easy it was to fall for a girl like Riley, but like he said, their entire gang watched them fall head over heels for each other, and that was what he wanted for both of them.

Drake knew he needed to reel Liam back in, and once he could get the full picture, he’d know how to return Liam to his sharp tactical self. “Ok, ok, ok. I know your feelings are all mixed up, and judging by your overall behavior it looks like you hit the whiskey long before I got here, and I’m sorry, but I need you to get a grip and tell me everything.”

Liam nodded and sucked a breath in recalling everything. How she walked in his room, how he thought he was protecting her, how she said he didn’t want to know who was responsible, how she noticed the missing lock on the door, and how she walked out. Drake felt like he hadn’t blinked once after hearing everything and he could see it seemed these obvious clues hadn’t dawned on Liam. “Li, it sounds like she gave you like a dozen red flags. You didn’t press on any of those strange things she said and did?”

Liam wrinkled his eyebrows in confusion. “I.. all my instinctual strategies were out the window. I couldn’t focus on anything at fucking all except the sound of being dumped. There’s no tactical training on having your heart smashed since this bloody institution snuffs out the idea of love from day one. I feel like my mother was the only exception, and look what happened to her.”

Drake sighed and pinched the top of his nose with closed eyes. He himself was having a hard time comprehending things, he couldn’t imagine Liam’s anguish. “Look. First of all. This is not your fucking fault. There is clearly something large at play here, and you and Brooks seem to be the center. I think... I think Brooks knows something. She’s a smart girl and I think she was leaving you clues.” Liam could feel the gears moving in his mind as Drake went on. “It’s odd that she just walked in through the door.. how would she have just walked through the halls undetected? Weren’t you expecting her on the balcony? Which, by the way... wild expectation, bro. Shouldn’t Romeo be beckoning Juliette on the balcony, not the other way around?” Liam side eyed him hard, yes they’re best friends, but really? Was now the time to bust his balls? Drake couldn’t help himself and continued, “When you told her you wanted to find out who was responsible for the tabloid photos, why did she try to convince you to stop? It would be one thing if she just wanted to end things, but why mention that you wouldn’t want to know who it was? To me, these suggest that she either knows or has an idea who the culprit is. Then, the smoking gun. Another lock-less door and her freely walking out again.”

Liam shot up, determined and clear headed. “You’re right. I won’t play victim to this scheme and I sure as hell won’t let her be one either. Ok. We need to get a hold of Maxwell, either she’ll talk to him, or we can have him check on her without any suspicion.”

“Then I’ll call him so it can’t be immediately traced to you.” Drake pulled out his phone and clicked Maxwell’s name putting the line on speaker.

“Yo, Drakester! What’s up? Hate to break it to you, but the party’s over, you missed it.”

Already annoyed, Drake responded, “Cut the crap, Beaumont. We got a problem, Riley is gone, have you seen her? You need to check her room, but for the love of god, do it quietly.”

“What the hell are you talking about, I just left her, she was on her way to see Liam. Drake, please don’t tell me you’re cock blocking the king.”

Drake and Liam had no time for Maxwell’s carefree antics, they were both on strategy mode. Hearing this, Liam spoke first, “Ok so we know she was always on her way to see me with the intention of actually being with me. Something happened between her leaving Maxwell and her walking into my room.”

Maxwell was completely shocked to hear Liam’s voice on the line and started to panic that what Drake had said might be true, “Liam!? So she’s really gone? Last I saw her was getting her outside, as she was on her way to your balcony..”

She does love me. Was Liam’s immediate thought when Maxwell said she was on her way to his balcony.

As Maxwell recounted his interactions, Drake and Liam ignored any of his inquiries and focused on each other, working out the information they were getting.

“So she had to have been intercepted..” Liam realized. “Someone TOOK her!”

“Guys...” Maxwell was still being ignored on the line

“...And convinced her to say those things to you. Blackmail. It’s the only explanation.” Drake was finishing out the same conclusion Liam was getting to.

“Guys!!” Maxwell screamed and got their attention. “I made it to her room, we’re too late, it’s been ransacked. She’s on the run. What. Happened?”

Drake filled him in with strict instruction to keep this a secret, they would have to investigate quietly to prevent getting caught. He disconnected the call and looked at Liam, “Ok, she’s MIA, which only supports the theory of blackmail. If she was making a voluntary move back home, she would have said goodbye. We just need to find out where she went.”

Liam squared his shoulders and steeled his expression, now knowing he was on a rescue mission, “I’ll find her, I will always find her.”