#drake walker x olivia nevrakis

[alj4890]

Silence

(Drake Walker x Olivia Nevrakis) in a Choices The Royal Romance drabble

Thirty Days of Thirty Kisses Challenge with the prompt: kissing your enemy while holding them at knife point

@krsnlove @sirbeepsalot @lodberg ​ @mynameiskaylabella @museofbooks @elbenmond @gibbles82 @twinkleallnight @thehonorarybeaumont @tessa-liam @kingliam2019

Thanks so much @twinkleallnight for the suggestion of this couple with this particular prompt. 😂 My Pinterest recommendations now are filled with different disguised knives after my search for the perfect one for Olivia to use 🤣

Masterlist

The palace was silent, save for the faint chime of a nearby clock alerting the lone, female figure prowling the royal library. The number of chimes let her know it was three in the morning. She paused in her search through file cabinets just long enough to make certain no footsteps were coming her way.

Olivia grimaced at yet another dead end. There had to be something about her parents amongst the historical documents. The anonymous letter she'd received at Liam's coronation had to be false. It simply wasn't feasible that her parents would turn traitor and take a chance on losing everything they had.

Surely they wouldn't have risked leaving her alone.

Olivia readjusted her pen light as she flipped through another file folder. Frustrated tears began to sting her eyes as she caught her parents' names as being in attendance for the mundane things at Court such as balls and council meetings.

Nothing was here. Not one shred of information to either prove or disprove that horrid, threatening letter had been found after a week of searching.

She'd already combed her duchy for anything that her parents might have inadvertently left behind. Yet, nothing was there.

She knew she should check the family vault. Yet, she couldn't make herself do it. Something about that part of her home scared her. It wasn't her ancestors' violent history she feared. She was terrified of finding something about her parents that would ruin the few precious memories she had of them.

She detested she'd been thrust into this situation. She was the Duchess of Lythikos! No man or woman had ever been able to make her do anything. She was the one to make the rules. Make the decisions. Make her own way.

Not some coward hiding behind an anonymous letter!

As she closed another dead end of a file folder, she heard a slight shuffle coming her way.

She cursed herself for not having a knife in her pocket. The few she had on her body were difficult to get to without alerting the person behind her.

Her lips curved as she thought of the one she always kept close at hand. It was a knife unlike any other she possessed. Disguised as a tube of lipstick, the blade was sharp enough to pierce the skin and do some wicked damage to whoever crossed her.

Pulling the black tube out, she whipped off the top and spun around in her chair. With a quick flick of her leg, she had the mystery person's legs swept out from under them.

A grunt echoed in the chambers as she pinned what was clearly a man to the floor.

Olivia pressed her knife against his jugular then flashed her pen light at his face.

Drake blinked, squinting up at her.

"Olivia?" He gasped once he could make out who it was. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"What the hell are you doing here?!" She demanded in a harsh whisper.

"I couldn't sleep." He glared at her. "I came down here for something to read and saw your flashlight."

His eyes narrowed even more when he noticed she hadn't removed the knife from his neck. In fact, it felt like she was pressing it even harder against his skin.

"I thought you went back to Lythikos."

"I did." She hissed.

"You should have stayed there." He snapped, getting angrier by the moment. "Liam chose Madeleine. There's nothing for you here."

Olivia hid how much his words hurt. She hated that she wasn't Liam's choice, but there was little she could do about it now. She had to discover the truth about her parents before she contemplated marriage to anyone, much less Liam.

The soft thud of footsteps echoed outside of the library, drawing both their attention.

Drake knew it had to be one of the guards doing his rounds. He wasn't certain what Olivia was up to in here, but he doubted Liam or anyone else for that matter would be pleased with it.

He sucked in a breath to yell out for help.

His eyes widened when Olivia slammed her mouth over his.

She'd dropped the flashlight so she could keep his wrists pinned above his head. Her other hand kept her lipstick knife steadily pressed to his tender vein as she forced Drake to remain silent with the pressure of her mouth.

What she hadn't anticipated though, was his response.

He stiffened underneath her. Then as if against his will and better judgement, his lips softened and opened beneath hers. His tongue dipped into her mouth, startling her as it tentatively caressed hers.

Olivia closed her eyes as the kiss continued. She could feel her will falter for a couple of seconds with the stray thought of how good of a kisser Drake was.

That was all the time he needed to switch their positions.

He flipped her over onto her back and pinned her hands over her head.

Their breaths were loud in the darkness from more than struggling against one another for domination.

Olivia softly cursed when she felt his fingers tighten around her thin wrists.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded.

"If you must know," she bit out, "I'm investigating my parents."

Of all the answers that was the one that left him speechless.

"You're what? Why?" He finally managed to say.

"It's none of your business." She spat.

"It's Liam's business." Drake spat back. "He's king now in case you forgot. This is his library and--"

Olivia lifted her hips in an attempt to escape, rendering him silent once more. He just barely managed to keep her pinned to the floor as she struggled to break his hold on her.

He was also struck speechless from the flash of desire her hips rising up to meet his flared within him.

Drake swallowed and tried once more to get some answers out of her.

"Liv," he said in an even tone.

Olivia stilled at hearing him use one of her childhood nicknames again after all these years.

"What happened?" He whispered.

"I..." She blinked at the stray tears that began to slip out. "I received a letter at the coronation ball."

The whole story eventually came out. She could have remained silent, her will was certainly strong enough to do so. But Olivia was tired of facing this alone. As much as she hated his guts, he was better than having no one to discuss this with.

She was exhausted from having to do everything on her own.

Drake listened quietly as she explained the proof she needed.

"Will you wait on telling Liam?" She asked. "Once I discover what really happened to them, I plan on explaining it to him."

"I'll wait." Drake promised. "You want me to help you go through the files?"

Olivia blinked in surprise. She would have bet a large fortune that of all the people in Cordonia, Drake Walker would be the last person to ever willingly volunteer to help her.

"Thank you," she couldn't believe she thanked him! "But I don't think the information I need is here."

Drake eased off of her then held his hand out to help her stand.

She eyed it warily before grasping it.

Once they were upright, they avoided making eye contact.

"I'm," Olivia cleared her throat, "I'm going to return home."

"Okay." Drake rubbed the back of his neck. "Listen, if um..."

Olivia waited on him to finish his sentence.

"If you need some help with this," he continued, "I'll do what I can."

"You will?" She asked in complete surprise.

"I just said I would, didn't I?" He grumbled.

"Then I'll let you know if I do." She mumbled, gathering her things.

"Okay." Drake coughed. "I'll uh, I'll see you later, Liv."

Her eyebrows drew together over him using her nickname again.

"See you later, Drake."

He nodded then quickly made his escape out of the library.

Once he was back in his bedroom, he poured himself a glass of whiskey and downed it. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in a nearby mirror as he poured a second glass.

His eyes widened first on the trickle of blood on his neck from where her knife cut him. They then focused upon his lips coated in her red lipstick.

He quickly downed his second glass before wiping away the evidence of how she so effectively silenced him.

Drake was not about to try and figure out what happened in that moment when he felt her lips on his.

[tessa-liam]

Royal Adventures 

Season’s Scrambles

Chapter 2 

Books: Choices, The Royal Romance Finale, Choices, The Royal Holiday 

A Smoke & Mirrors Series Alternate Universe 

Main Pairing: Liam Rys x F! MC Riley Brooks-Rys

Series Inspiration: Royal Misadventures, Smoke & Mirrors series 1-shot 

Series Premise: 12-year-old Crown Princess Eleanor Rys of Cordonia has officially started her Royal education. Tutors that had been personally selected by His Majesty King Liam Rys and Queen Riley Rys were set to begin her royal lessons, and her days were packed full. The young princess was a natural leader, and the King and Queen could not be prouder.   

Royal Adventures Masterlist 

Smoke and Mirrors Masterlist 

Rating:  M, not Beta'd-please excuse all errors    

Category: On-going series, fluff 

Warnings: swearing, drinking, sexual innuendo 

Most Characters belong to Pixelberry Studios 

Chapter Inspiration: National Lampoon’s ‘Christmas Vacation’ 

Katie Campbell – Theme Song 1989 

Royal Adventures 

Season’s Scrambles, chapter 2 

Chapter Summary: Olivia invites the Royal Family, Leo & Amalas, Drake & Delaney, Alex Cossoy, Hana and Maxwell to the Dukedom of Lythikos to enjoy the winter season for the holidays.  Ellie, along with Drake, Leo and Maxwell decide to have a sledding competition. In secret. Olivia and Ellie conspire to grease Maxwell's sled with a super slippery substance where his sled flies down the hill at an extremely fast speed. 

A/N: My submission for King Liam Appreciation Week 2024, Day 1 - Baklava 

A/N2: My submission for @choicesholidays, @angelascribbles -Week 5- Prompt: New Traditions 

A/N3: My submission for Choices December 2024 Challenge, Prompts: 4-Traditions/5-Baking/8-Spices/21-Tree/26-Hot Chocolate/10-Snow,      All I Want for Christmas is You (Mariah Carey) 

@lilyoffandoms 

Words: 2445

 Lythokis Keep, Lythokis, Cordonia 

Carefully laying out the phyllo dough, Riley hummed a Christmas tune as she started to layer the ingredients for Baklava for Liam. The sweet honey drizzle and cinnamon made her mouth water. The smell of his favorite dessert would draw him into the kitchens quickly. Luckily, he was off to fell a talon tree with Leo, Drake and Alex, having left at the crack of dawn, not expected to return until later in the afternoon. 

"Baklava?" 12-year-old Ellie asked, as she watched her mother gleefully preparing her father’s favorite sweet treat. Sitting on the stool next to her mother, Ellie sighed, “I love Baklava,” looking longingly at the sweet confection. 

"Of course you do," Riley chuckled, nudging her shoulder. "I'll try to save you some," as Riley continued to sprinkle chopped pistachios onto the dish. 

"Thanks, Mom!" 

"I want to lick the bowl." Stefan said, jumping up and down. 

"No way!" William cried. "You always get to lick the bowl, Steffie." 

"Stefan, you can't eat it all," Riley said, looking down at her youngest. "This is your dad's and he's going to be hungry after felling that tree." 

"But I love baklava," Stefan pouted, his eyes tearing up. 

Riley looked over at him, seeing the tears in his eyes. She knew that look anywhere. 

"Stefan, no..." she warned. 

"Please?" He begged. 

She shook her head, chuckling. 

"Go ahead." 

"Yessss!" Stefan cheered, leaping into the air. 

Riley grinned and finished placing the top layer. She took the pan and placed it into the oven. 

"So," she said, turning to look at her children. "What's on the agenda for today?" 

"Auntie Livie invited Micaela and I to go sledding," Ellie said.  

"Oh really? Okay, before you go, please help your brothers with their skates.” 

"Sure, Mom," Ellie nodded agreeably.  

Riley took a sip of her coffee and walked away to get herself dressed for the winter chill, leaving the kids to their own devices. 

"Alright, boys," Ellie said, walking over to them. 

"We wanna go sledding!" William whined. 

"I'll help you get your skates on," she said. "Then you can go sledding." 

"Promise?" 

“Yes, I promise." 

❄️❄️❄️ 

"Alright, boys," Maxwell said, standing in the middle of the ice rink with Hana and Amalas, holding his nephews' hands. "Are you ready to learn how to skate?" 

"Yes!" Stefan yelled. 

"No!" William cried. "It's cold out here." 

"You won't even notice once you get started," Hana said, kneeling next to him. 

"Really?" 

"Trust me." 

"Alright," William said, nodding. 

"Come on, you two," Riley said, taking their hands. 

"Mom," Ellie said, grabbing Riley's hand. 

"Hmm?" 

"When is Daddy coming back?" 

"In a few hours, sweetie," she replied, rubbing her arm. "He should be done by lunch time." 

"Ok." 

"Now," Riley said, standing on the ice and taking the twins' hands. "Let's go." 

"Wait," Stefan said, stopping. 

"What's wrong?" 

"How do we stay up?" 

"Don't worry," Hana said, sliding next to him and taking his hand. "We've got you." 

"I'm scared." 

"Just relax and don't think about it," Maxwell said. 

"Just like when you're walking," Riley said. 

"Just don't fall," Stefan nodded. 

"Stefan," William groaned, rolling his eyes. "Don't say that." 

"Why not?" 

"You'll jinx us." 

"How would I-" 

"Hey," Maxwell said, crouching in front of them. "Look at me. Do you know who I am?" 

"You're Uncle Maxwell," Stefan nodded. 

"Do you know that I'm not going to let you get hurt? Or your mom or your Aunt Hana?" 

"No." 

"And you trust me, right?" 

"Yeah." 

"Then you have nothing to worry about," Maxwell said, winking at him. 

"Okay." 

"Good." 

"I want to go with you, Auntie Hana!" Stefan said. 

"Me too!" William cried. 

"Ok, ok," Hana chuckled. 

As the twins began to glde with Hana, Riley looked up at Maxwell and smirked. 

"Race you." 

"Oh, you're on, queen Riles," Maxwell said, smirking back. 

They sped off across the ice, the kids squealing as they picked up speed. Amalas slid next to Hana, smirking. 

"How much did you bet on this?" 

"1000 euro," Hana smirked. 

"Excellent." 

Riley and Maxwell were neck and neck, their kids cheering from the sidelines. 

"Last lap, Beaumont," Riley breathily laughed. 

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Ri," he responded cheekily. 

Riley laughed and sped up. She passed him and he tried to speed up as well but instead lost his balance and fell on his face. Riley burst into giggles, falling onto the ice as well. The twins cheered, hugging their aunt tightly. 

"You beat Uncle Maxwell!" 

"I told you, Mom's the best!" 

"Thank you, thank you," Riley chuckled, bowing. 

...Meanwhile, Olivia was preparing Maxwell's sled as Ellie watched closely.

"So, it's a secret sled?" Ellie asked.  "What are you spraying on the bottom of the disk? 

"This," Olivia said, holding up a can. 

"What's that?" 

"Graphite oil spray. It's not even for sale in the Capital. It's just something I had on hand." 

"Nice," Ellie grinned. 

"Now, we just spray it on the sled and voila." 

"It's not gonna look too obvious, right?" 

"Don't worry," Olivia said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "He won't know until he's already halfway down the hill.... and by then, it will be too late." 

"Perfect," Ellie said, clapping her hands together. 

"Now, we go over the plan again." 

"Exactly, good thinking." Olivia nodded. 

"And if it works, we get to win the bet with uncle Leo and uncle Drake? And they will have to be our personal butlers for a week?

"Yup." 

"But Uncle Drake and Uncle Leo will hate us forever." 

"Oh ... not forever," Olivia chuckled. "Just until the next competition. And they won't win that either. They will not be pleased." 

"This is mean." 

"It's a bit mean," Olivia cackled. 

"But I still think it's a great idea." 

"Good. Now, let's go over the plan again." 

❄️❄️❄️

As Liam, Leo and Alex was returning to the keep, the sun was setting and snow was falling gently from the sky. Riley and the kids were standing on the balcony of the grand suite, waiting for their arrival. 

"Look, boys," Riley said, pointing down the path. "There they are." 

"Where?" Stefan asked. 

"Right there." 

"Daddy!" William yelled. 

Liam looked up, waving to them. Riley and the kids waved back, the kids jumping up and down. 

"Daddy, Daddy!" They shouted. 

Liam walked noticeably faster, the other adults quickening their pace to keep up. He made it to the stairs, climbing them two steps at a time. Once he reached the top, the boys ran and leapt into his arms, hugging him tightly. 

"Hi, Daddy," Stefan said. 

"Hi, boys," Liam chuckled. "Have you been good?" 

"Uh-huh." 

"Yeah, Daddy." 

"I'm so glad." 

"Did you have fun, Dad?" Riley asked, leaning against the rail. 

"I did," he said, nodding. "Leo almost fell off a tree, but other than that, we had a lot of fun." 

"Uncle Leo almost fell?" 

"Yeah." 

"That's hilarious!" 

"You're telling me." 

"Come on, boys," Riley said. "Let's give your father a break and get him some hot chocolate." 

"Hot chocolate!" They yelled, running down the hall. 

"Ahhhh ... there is my beautiful bride." Liam placed a sweet kiss on her cheek as Riley wrapped her arms around his neck. 

"I can't believe this will be our first year spending the holidays here since after our wedding ... and that was our first holiday as a married couple." 

"What special traditions will you make this year, love." Liam wrapped his arms around her waist. 

"I'm ready to make some new traditions with you." 

"Oh yeah, I can't wait, love. So, what did you and the twins do while we were gone?" Liam asked. 

"Went ice skating." Riley grinned.

"Oh really?" 

"Maxwell taught the boys how to skate," Riley said. "He kept them occupied while Amalas, Hana and I had some girl time." 

"Sounds like fun." 

"It was. How was your time with the other men?" 

"It was interesting," Liam chuckled. "Alex and Leo tried to make a tree fort, but Alex fell through the roof." 

"Wow." 

"Yeah." 

"So," she said, stepping closer to him. "Did you bring home the prize?" 

"We did," he nodded. "A 20 foot talon tree." 

"Excellent." 

"Mm-hm," he murmured, leaning forward and kissing her. 

"Come on," Riley said, taking his hand and pulling him to the hall. "Let's get you warmed up. I have a surprise for you." 

"Ooh, what is it?" 

"If I tell you, it's not a surprise, your Majesty." 

"Fair point," Liam chuckled, following her down the grand staircase. 

Once they were in the kitchen, Liam's eyes landed on the counter. 

"Is that...?" 

"Baklava," Riley said matter of factly. 

"Really?" 

"Really," she nodded and smiled coyly. "Made it this morning. Our new holiday tradition: freshly baked, homemade baklava." 

"Oh, baby, you are the best," Liam sighed. 

"I know," Riley giggled. 

"Mom!" 

Riley turned and saw her sons walking into the room. 

"Daddy, do you want to come sledding with us?" William asked. 

"Can't," Liam said, picking up a slice of baklava. "I've got business to take care of." 

"Oh, please," Riley said, looking up at him. "Come play with us." 

"You don't have to convince me," he chuckled, popping another bite into his mouth. 

"Yay! Come on, Daddy!" 

"Ok, ok," Liam laughed. 

They put their jackets and boots on and walked outside. 

Olivia, Ellie, Micaela and Alex were standing on top of a snow hill planning the race, surrounded by lots of freshly fallen snow. Drake, Maxwell, Hana Delaney, were chatting and drinking Lythikos nog. Leo and Amalas met Liam, Riley, William and Stefan to take them to watch the race.

"Are you ready?" Olivia called, looking down the hill. 

"Bring it!" Drake yelled. 

"Oh, you're gonna get it!" Ellie shouted. 

"Alright, let's start this," Maxwell said, clapping his hands. 

"Who's racing?" Maxwell asked. 

"Me, you, Auntie Laney, and Uncle Drake," Ellie said, hopping up and down. 

"Oh," Maxwell said. "Then it's three against one." 

"Yeah," Olivia smirked. "I'm rooting for my niece." 

"Same here," Amalas chuckled. 

"Oh, boy," Maxwell groaned. 

"You've got this, Ellie!" Micaela cheered. 

"We'll win this," Delaney said. 

"Suurre, you will," Drake said. 

"Oh, we will," Ellie countered, nodding. 

Alex placed the circular discs in a line, 10 feet apart for Ellie, Maxwell, Drake, and Delaney.

Olivia and Ellie looked at each other, smirking. 

"On your mark," Alex said, "Get set. Goooooo!" 

They pushed their sleds down the hill, the cold air hitting their faces. Olivia looked over and saw Maxwell's sled was flying down the hill, far ahead of the others. She and Ellie looked at each other, laughing. 

"He's gonna crash," Ellie said. 

"He's not gonna stop," Olivia chuckled. 

"You're right," she sighed. "He's gonna wipe out." 

"Hopefully he'll learn his lesson." 

"What lesson?" 

"Never bet against us," Olivia smirked. 

"Yeah," Ellie chuckled. 

As they neared the bottom of the hill, Olivia saw Maxwell's sled skid off the side, sending him flying into the air.

Maxwell was having a blast, the speed at which he was barreling down the hill was exhilarating.

"Woo-hoo!" He yelled. "I'm flying!" 

"Not for long!" Ellie laughed. 

"Huh?" 

Suddenly, Maxwell's sled flew off the side, sending him tumbling into a snowbank. 

"Maxwell!" Riley cried out, running to him. 

"Ouch," he groaned. 

"What happened?" Liam asked. 

"I don't know. My sled just shot off the hill." 

"He's fine," Riley said. "I'm sure it's not the end of the world." 

"Yeah," Maxwell nodded. 

"Oh, man," Ellie chuckled, nudging Olivia. "Good thing they can't prove anything." 

"I agree," Olivia whispered. 

"You are a bad influence, Liv" Riley said, noticing their devious expressions 

"Maybe." 

"Alright," Drake said, stepping next to the snowbank. "Who wants a turn?" 

"I do!" Ellie cried, leaping into the snow. 

Liam stepped up and stopped his daughter from lifting the fast disc.

"Ellie, hold on a second," Liam said calmly. 

"Why, Daddy?" 

"Because that's not a toy, and it's dangerous." 

"I can handle it," Ellie said. 

"You need to be careful." 

"I will be." 

"No, Ellie. Just use the slower sled." 

"But-" 

"I won't tell you again." 

"Fiiinne," Ellie groaned, trudging over to the slower sled. 

"You know, Li, you never used to be so strict," Leo said, stepping next to him. 

"Well, times have changed." 

"True." 

"I can't risk her getting hurt." 

"Of course not," Leo nodded. "But she's your daughter. She's gonna want to try new things and get out of her comfort zone." 

"I'm aware." 

"So maybe let her have a little more freedom. It's not going to kill her." 

"I'll think about it." 

"Good. But remember, we did a lot of stuff we shouldn't have when we were kids." 

"Exactly.” 

@choicesficwriterscreations @choicescommunityevents @kingliamappreciationweek @choicesholidays @choicesmonthlychallenge @choicesdecember2024 @choicesprompts

📌tags in the comments

[dutifullynuttywitch]

Replaying TRR but romancing Drake this time around. I am here for the cynical, sarcastic guy with a fluffy marshmallow heart 🥰 but also, what does he do all day at court?!

[kristinamae093]

Ghosted

Ghosted - The Apple Banquet (Chapter 7)

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

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

A/N1 - This AU starts right before the beginning of the engagement tour. There is a two-month lapse between the coronation and where we pick up, but we will stray from canon. Please excuse any errors found.

Characters belong to Pixelberry

The Apple Banquet was set to begin inside the ballroom of the Applewood Estate momentarily. The entire country was excited, as it was the first one to take place since Constantine wed Regina. All of the nobility gathered to witness the bride and groom share an apple from the year’s first harvest before the wedding.

The wedding, Liam scoffed at the thought. After they found all of Riley’s things a few days ago, he completely changed his view point on the scandal and her disappearance. He spent all this time believing she left to be with someone else, but he began to see the situation from a different light.

It seems the more he learns about Riley’s last night here, the more he believes she was forced away.

Liam learned of Riley retiring early from Maxwell, so they had a solid timeframe where someone could have gotten her out of the estate undetected and the maid to pack and move her things. He felt a sense of relief when the maid reiterated that she was not seen leaving with Tariq, but another man. Of course, he wished she would have been able to identify the unknown person, but in a way, his heart swelled knowing she didn’t leave with Tariq, although it opened a world of other unanswered questions.

Bastien had been searching for Tariq and Riley but had no luck in locating either thus far. The last trace of Riley was landing from her flight in New York, the morning after the Country Jamboree. From there, her trail runs cold. There was no trace of Tariq after his arrival to Applewood whatsoever; there wasn’t even a record of a car coming to pick him up from the estate that night. They had both simply vanished into thin air, like a ghost.

Without either of them, Liam was clueless as to how to proceed further. The few clues they had were just that, clues. There was nothing prominent enough to place blame anywhere. Riley's room had been cleared, not a trace to be found. Nothing was spotted outside, no predominant leads were found in the shed, aside from the dress and the piece of mail. Much to everyone's dismay, Bastien confirmed that he disposed of Riley's phone and the letter left in the room, so no comparison could be done. Liam took blame for everything and felt helpless, there was nothing more he could do; but he felt he had to put on his Kingly facade and continue as if nothing was amiss, at least for the time being.

However, Liam felt the time constricting on him. He was set to marry Madeleine in just a few short weeks, and he didn’t have a clue as to what he was going to do about that. Although he knew it was his duty to marry and produce heirs, he didn’t know if he could marry Madeleine just to appease the nobility, especially now that he knew someone potentially plotted to put her on the throne.

More than that, after they found Riley’s bloodied dress, Liam felt a renewed sense of urgency about locating her; he needed to see that she was unharmed. Of course he wanted nothing more than to hopefully bring her back and ultimately make her his Queen, but he didn’t want to get too far ahead of himself. Just seeing with his own two eyes that she is okay would suffice him, although it would break his heart all over again.

As Liam stood on the dias next to Madeleine greeting all of the court’s nobles, he couldn’t help but look at everyone as if they were a suspect. Although the maid said she saw Riley with a man in a suit, every single person there could have benefitted from getting rid of her; he was aware of the fact that Riley was a commoner and not everyone would be okay with having her as a Queen. Furthermore, Liam was sure it was a hired person who escorted Riley away; he knew his nobles were not stupid, but conniving and malicious. They wouldn’t risk getting their hands dirty, especially with something of that magnitude considering she would have been his selection. That meant the suspect list was open to all of the nobility at this point.

“Liam? Are you even listening to me?!” Madeleine snapped.

“No, I’m not.” Liam retorted. He realized the other nobles were lining up behind the double doors, a sure signal that they were about to be announced into the ballroom with his Father and Regina at the head. He turned away from Madeleine and headed toward the line of people. He took his position in the back of the procession, as tradition dictated. He squared his shoulders, stood to his full height, and waited.

“Penelope!” Madeleine snapped her fingers. “My train!”

Liam silently scoffed as he watched Penelope scurry over and take position behind Madeleine. He saw her struggling to keep up with Madeleine’s pace, but she never once let that train touch the ground.

As they reached Liam’s position, Madeleine shooed Penelope away before she turned to Liam. “Cute. I don’t know what your deal is but you need to knock it off.”

“Or what?” Liam snapped as he turned to face her.

“I’m sure I can think of something.”

“Are you threatening me?”

Madeleine indignantly laughed. “No, darling, whatever would make you think that?” She feigned innocence.

Liam stepped closer to her and lowered his voice to where only she could hear. “I told you, I'm not playing whatever game it is that you are trying to play. You'd do well to remember that you are not the Queen, not yet… I hold that power, so I would advise you to tread carefully, Countess.” He hissed through clenched teeth.

Liam found himself on edge; he was not in the mood to deal with Madeleine, or anyone else for that matter. This is the last place he wanted to be, and he was not about to let Madeleine try and boss him around or assert whatever dominance she thought she held over him.

Liam stood back up and adjusted his lapels. Madeleine’s face turned a hundred shades of crimson, but she returned her attention to the line in front of her. She attempted to thread her arm through Liam’s, but he pulled away. At a nod from the herald, the doors swung open and Liam strode inside with Madeleine walking closely beside him.

They were led by a servant to a banquet table adorned with a white lace tablecloth. A wooden stand sat in the middle of the table with a bright red cordonian ruby sitting atop it, beside the apple was a knife with a black handle and gold trim.

Liam took his position behind the table next to Madeleine and directed his attention to his father, who had taken place in front of the table with a champagne flute of cider in hand.

"The sharing of a Cordonian ruby dates back to the times of King Fabian. At that time, the King and Queen would not share cake when they wed, but instead a Cordonian ruby. The monarchy has since modernized, but this tradition is to honor those who have paved the way before us.

We gather here today to celebrate not only another year's bountiful harvest, but the matrimony that these two will share. Although no vows will be exchanged here today, the symbolism remains the same."

Constantine stopped his speech as applause filled the air. He waited for a few moments before he raised his hand to quiet the crowd and continued. "We have a bright future ahead of us as a country. I have no doubt in my mind that these two will lead us with distinction and grace, just as the Kings and Queens before them. We will not only thrive under their rule, but prosper." He lifted his glass in the air. "To King Liam and our soon to be Queen, Countess Madeleine."

The crowd all raised their glasses and echoed the former King's sentiments. Liam and Madeleine then each cut a slice from the apple and ate it to complete the needless ceremony. Liam grew up loving the Cordonian ruby and was incredibly proud of his heritage, but that particular apple tasted incredibly tart and bitter. It took all of his willpower not to scrunch his face as the tangy, sour flavor overcame his taste buds.

Liam was forced to stand for photographs with Madeleine before he could take a moment for himself. He didn't smile, but instead just started blankly into space past the camera. Madeleine was positioned at a slight angle in front of him and he made it a point to put as much space between them as he could and still get a 'natural’ looking portrait.

Once pictures were finished, Liam made a beeline for the bar and ordered himself a scotch on the rocks; he needed something to calm his dangerously high stress levels. As his drink was delivered to him, he felt a hand on his back. He turned around to find Drake. “How you holding up?”

“I’m not, Drake. I haven’t slept, I don’t want to be here. I need to be looking for them, for her; I have to find her.” Liam said before he downed his drink in one gulp and motioned to the bartender for another.

Drake stepped forward and signaled for a whiskey as the bartender refilled Liam’s glass. As he waited he addressed Liam. “I know this is hard on you especially. But, for now, you gotta just play along. Make ‘em think you’re really gonna go through with the wedding.”

“It's just around the corner. There's not a lot of time…”

“Don’t think about that. Right now, our focus is this investigation. We just need a little bit more to go off of, and we’re going to find it, Li. However, that means you gotta pretened to be a pretentious stick in the mud to appease all these ass wipes for a little bit…” Drake smirked as he took a sip from his drink and looked around the room.

Liam half-laughed. “I know you’re right. This is the best option, at least for now.” He shook his head and looked into his drink. “I’m just having a hard time being diplomatic when I know that someone very likely in this room is responsible for hurting the woman I love.”

Drake patted Liam on the back. “I know. But, just think, when all this is said and done and we figure out who did this, you’re gonna get to go full blown King on that mutherfucker! Goddamn I can’t wait for that!” Drake exclaimed with a huge smile on his face.

Liam laughed, for real this time. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so happy, even when I got you that international whiskey subscription for your birthday.”

“Man, I should order another one of those, that Hakushu Single Malt was to die for.” Drake responded as he took a drink of the whiskey in his hand, imagining it was the japanese liquor.

“Maybe when this is all said and done I can get you a whole case of that.” Liam chuckled when Drake’s eyes widened, but he soon sighed and looked out at the crowd in front of them. “I suppose I should circulate the room, pretend I want to be here. But thank you for lifting my spirits.”

“What I’m here for.” Drake replied as he lifted his glass to Liam, who returned the gesture and downed a large drink after. Liam shook his hand before he turned and made his way through the crowded room.

As he turned away, Liam saw some lesser nobles and the suitors he hadn’t chosen, minus Olivia, who was not yet joining the tour officially. At first glance, he noticed Lady Hana was not present. He was unsure if an invitation had been extended or not, but made a mental note to find out. He shook his head and looked away as he observed Penelope dabbing Madeleine’s mouth with a napkin. She trailed behind holding her drink, even going as far as bringing the glass to Madeleine's lips.

Liam continued through the room, stopping on occasion to shake a hand and exchange pleasantries. He spotted his Father and Regina as they glided throughout the ballroom together. Even though Constantine hadn’t been given much time to live, he insisted on being present throughout the tour. Liam told him he didn’t need to accompany them on the entire route, but Constantine was stubborn and was outside with everyone else when it was time for the motorcade to leave the capitol.

As Liam made his way to the other side of the room, he noticed Bertrand and Maxwell in a secluded alcove. Bertrand waved his finger in Maxwell’s face and Maxwell had his gaze trained to the floor in front of him. Bertrand’s body was turned slightly away from Liam, but he could still see his reddened face and it appeared he spoke so fast he hadn't even stopped for a breath.

Liam decided he needed to intervene and walked toward the pair. He cleared his throat as he approached them. Bertrand turned with wide eyes and bowed to Liam.

“Is everything alright?” Liam asked.

“Oh, yes, of course Your Majesty. We were just discussing House business.” Bertrand replied as he slid his eyes over to Maxwell with an irritated expression.

“That’s not what appeared to be happening. It looks as though you were once again berating Maxwell when I specifically told you to lay off of him.”

“I understand that. However, I learned today from a potential business partner that Maxwell left the estate when he should have been awaiting their call! We didn't secure that deal because he decided he had something more important to do!” Bertrand exasperated as he kept his steely gaze trained on Maxwell.

Maxwell finally looked up to meet eyes with Liam. Liam knew that Maxwell snuck away from the estate to meet Drake and Olivia before the tour started; he also knew that Maxwell had not told Bertrand about their investigation, per Liam's request. Instead, he continued to let Bertrand berate him and place blame on him for their houses' tanked reputation and financial crisis.

What Liam saw in Maxwell’s gaze was complete devastation, he knew judging from his defeated expression he was starting to break. And Liam couldn’t blame him, he had put up with Bertrand's rants daily for months.

Although Liam wasn’t entirely sure if he should, he couldn’t bear to watch his friend be torn down to nothing and let it happen; it was time to set Bertrand straight.

Bertrand began again. “He’s continuously shown his irresponsibility! You can’t pick a suitor, you can’t answer a phone, what can you do, then?! I am this close to–”

“Enough.” Liam said in a quiet but stern tone as he held up his hand to stop Bertrand from his tirade.

“Forgive me, Your Majesty, I forget myself–”

“No. You are not going to berate Maxwell any longer as if this is his fault: it is not. As far as him missing your 'important' phone call, I happen to know where he was and who he was with, and that meeting was far more important, I assure you.” Liam bit out.

Bertrand grew confused. “What? I don’t understand, what meeting? Why didn’t you tell me about this meeting?” He asked Maxwell.

“I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone…” Maxwell quietly answered, avoiding eye contact.

“What does that even mean?!”

Liam quickly looked behind him to the crowded ballroom and decided it was too risky to talk there. He motioned for Maxwell and Bertrand to follow him and led them down a hallway close by. He stopped at a nondescript door and ushered them inside.

As he faced them, Liam addressed Bertrand, specifically. “Duke Beaumont, I’d first off like to say that you should be ashamed of how you’ve treated Maxwell as of recent. Let's not forget, you didn’t even select a suitor to begin with.”

“With all due respect, Your Majesty–”

Liam held up his hand to stop him. “I’m not interested in your excuses, nor your apologies. Those are not meant for me, anyway.” Liam looked to Maxwell with a sad expression, then back to Bertrand. “I just wanted you to understand that your King is incredibly disappointed in your horrific behavior, which you had no reason for.”

“No reason?! Sir, I have every reason to be upset! Maxwell brought that… that… harlot here and she–”

“You are two seconds away from finding yourself in the cells. I know you don’t know the truth, but I’d advise you to watch your tone.” Liam hissed through clenched teeth.

“The truth? What truth is there to know? We all know what happened–”

“I have officially opened an investigation into Lady Riley’s disappearance.”

Bertrand’s eyes bulged from the sockets. “D-Disapperance?!”

Liam told Bertrand about what they had learned so far and where they were at with the investigation, as well as his suspicions of Riley being forced to leave. He told him about the shed they found, as well as the bloodied dress and letter inside.

When Liam was finished, he and Maxwell watched as Bertrand slowly walked over to a chair and sunk himself down into it. He clasped his hands together and stared in front of him for a long while. Liam and Maxwell didn’t say a word, just observed as a plethora of emotions crossed Bertrand’s features.

Finally, Bertrand spoke. He kept his gaze to the floor in front of him, “So… she was set up?” he whispered.

“We believe so, yes.” Liam answered.

Bertrand broke into sobs. Maxwell quickly crossed the room and crouched in front of Bertrand. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but we’re going to figure this out! We’re going to fix this!” Maxwell promised him as tears of his own streamed down his face.

Bertrand shook his head and looked away from Maxwell. “While I’m upset she was set up, I’m mostly ashamed of how I’ve treated you since... I’ve blamed you and berated you this whole time, and you were never at fault. You never once challenged me in all the atrocious things I said about you, you just… allowed me to do it…” He tried to swallow the overwhelming lump in his throat and quietly asked, “Did you know about Lady Riley? This whole time?”

Maxwell shook his head and quietly responded, “I only found out before the tour, although I will admit I didn’t know when I snuck out.” He looked away. “I had my doubts about it though… But you were so mad at me and I didn’t want to make it worse.”

“Maxwell… I-I’m so sorry...” Bertrand shook his head as more tears flowed down his cheeks. “You didn’t deserve any of that treatment. I can’t believe I’ve acted this way…”

Maxwell inched closer. “It’s okay, Bertrand!”

“No, it’s not okay. I treated you so… maliciously, as if you weren’t my own flesh and blood.” Bertrand wiped at his cheeks and looked Maxwell directly in the eye. “I’ll never forgive myself.”

Maxwell leaned forward and embraced Bertrand; he squeezed him as tight as he could. Even though Maxwell was still indeed hurt from Bertrand’s harsh words, he didn’t want to see him beat himself up over it. All he wanted to do was to move forward and put this entire mess behind them. Ultimately, all Maxwell wanted was to clear his best friend’s name and bring her home to make the family complete again.

“I love you Bertrand, and if I forgive you, you have to forgive yourself. You’ve been under so much pressure since Dad got sick, and I know I’ve always added to your problems. And then to lose our suitor at the very end of the season…” Maxwell took a deep breath to steady himself and continued. “You were under a lot of stress, and it was technically my fault for bringing her here to begin with, so…”

“No.” Bertrand firmly said as he pulled himself from Maxwell’s embrace, “You are not to blame here whatsoever Maxwell… In fact, I may be more at fault here than you..." He took a deep breath and quietly said, "I – I'm afraid I may need to come clean about something…"

Maxwell immediately moved and stood next to Liam with a furrowed brow. Liam felt his heart rate increase and stepped forward instantly. "What do you mean?"

"I – I worry you may find out anyway during your investigation, and I feel after my other atrocious actions I may as well come clean and take my punishment."

Bertrand was suddenly yanked up from his seat by Liam's strong hands. Liam held Bertrand by the collar of his sweater and pulled his face to eye level, nearly lifting him off his feet. "What did you do?"

Maxwell stepped forward to intervene, but Bertrand held a hand out to stop him. As he spoke, his eyes never left Liam's steely gaze. "Don't. I deserve whatever may come." He took a deep breath and told them about going through Maxwell’s phone and selling the photos from Liam's bachelor party. Bertrand realized if Liam found out on his own, his fate would be ten times worse than whatever he would be facing now. To hopefully spare himself, he was willing to come clean.

The longer Bertrand spoke, the more Maxwell's shock intensified; he couldn't believe Bertrand stooped so low. Liam saw red; he yanked Bertrand closer and growled, "You fucking snake."

"I understand your anger, sir–"

"Did you do it? Did you set her up?" Liam slightly shook Bertrand. "Did you force her to leave?!"

Bertrand's eyes widened once more. "No! My indiscretions were toward the beginning of the social season, and I changed my view on her! I believed in her until–"

"Why? Why do it then?!" Liam shook Bertrand harder, audibly tearing his vest in the process, but Liam was quick to bunch up more fabric to keep his hold intact.

"I assumed she wouldn't last and I was desperate for the money." Bertrand quickly spat out.

"So you not only sold your suitor out, but you sold me out as well? For profit?" Bertrand didn't respond, only nodded his head with shame etched in his features.

At that moment, every single thing that happened over the past couple of days combined with this newly added betrayal sent Liam overboard. He tightened his grip on Bertrand’s vest and pulled, ripping it down the middle with ease and leaving it dangling like the jacket over it. Bertrand stumbled backwards but was given no time to react before a fist connected with his jaw, the popping sound echoing throughout the room. Bertrand dropped to the floor with a yelp cradling his face as he frantically prepared himself for the next blow. Maxwell wanted to help, but he was frozen in fear at seeing the look of pure rage in Liam's features.

Liam stared down at Bertrand through narrowed eyes with heavy breaths. "Your actions are making me question whether or not you are truly fit for the title of Duke. To not only exploit your suitor, but your future King?" He stalked toward Bertrand, who was scooting backward across the floor.

The moment was interrupted by a stern knock. Without notice the door swung open and Bastien rushed inside. He quickly approached Liam and said, “Sir, we need to get you to the safe room, now.” and placed his hand on him to begin leading him away.

“What, why?!” Liam questioned as he attempted to evade Bastien’s grip.

“There’s been a body found.”

Liam forcefully stomped his feet on the ground. “What?! Do you know who it was? What happened?”

“Sir, I don’t know a lot of information right now, but I have to get you to safety before I can go secure the area.”

“Where was it?”

Bastien remained silent for a long moment. He looked as if he didn’t want to answer, but once he saw Liam’s budding impatience he finally spoke. “The west grounds, sir.”

While Liam was locked away in the guarded safe room with Madeleine, her parents, Constantine and Regina, Olivia and Drake were on their way to examine the crime scene with Bastien. The royal family had a secured area inside all the major estates for this purpose, although houses were available nearby. However, those were only used in drastic scenarios such as terrorist threats or assassination attempts. Since there was no signs someone was attempting to target the nobility, Bastien assured them they would be safe there while he and the guard did an initial investigation.

Olivia was not yet ready to join the tour on an official standpoint. She knew the time would come when she would have to, but right now she was only stalking in the shadows looking for any kind of information. Only a select few knew of her presence and she intended to keep it that way until absolutely necessary.

Olivia went back and searched Riley’s room again to ensure nothing was missed and returned to the shed to retrieve the contaminated dress. As her initial shock faded, she realized that was a prominent clue laying right in front of their faces. She went back and grabbed the article at the start of the Apple Banquet while everyone was distracted. She intended to give the item to Bastien, but when he found her and informed her of the crime committed she sprung into action and followed along, the dress momentarily forgotten.

As they walked along the path she immediately realized where they were headed; the shed she had visited just a few hours prior where Riley's things were hidden. From the front, everything appeared as it was when Olivia visited the area. Her anxiety increased as Bastien approached the structure, but he veered to the left and led them to the back, which she was nowhere near during her earlier venture.

Guards scoured all around, some people in lab coats were taking pictures, multiple evidence markers lay on the ground near the area. As her eyes searched over the vicinity, she couldn’t help but feel like it seemed incredibly – tame, for what she was guessing had happened.

Propped against the back wall of the shed was a lifeless body. Upon first glance, the cause of death was undoubtedly clear; the victim's throat had been slashed nearly from ear to ear. Olivia grew up around weapons and knew exactly what kind of damage her skills could do. As she gazed upon the gruesome gash, she immediately knew that wound was deep and absolutely intentional; whoever did this did not hesitate whatsoever. Furthermore, the face was severely battered; both eyes were swollen shut and painted every shade of black, as well as a severely broken nose. She stared at the battered face for only a moment before a small gasp escaped Olivia as recognition swept over her; it was the maid they had spoken with only a few days prior.

Olivia’s widened eyes traveled down the body and she was unable to tell if there could be more wounds on the maid’s chest and abdomen, or if the coat of blood was due to her fatal injury. However, that’s where Olivia’s suspicions sky rocketed; the body was covered in a heavy layer of blood, but the ground around her had nothing.

“Walker, come here.” Olivia beckoned. Drake walked over to her with furrowed brows as Olivia stood. “Tell me I’m crazy, but there’s absolutely no blood around that body.”

“Huh…” Drake answered as he looked around. “You’re right. Hey Bas!” He hollered over his shoulder. Bastien appeared within an instant with a pen and pad in hand. “Have you noticed how there’s no blood here?”

“Hmm…” Bastien glanced down at the area with an unreadable expression before he nodded and wrote something down. “I’ve added it to my notes. Do be sure to let me know if you notice anything else. The more information we have, the sooner we can find an answer.”

“Are we just going to ignore the gigantic elephant in the room?" Olivia motioned to the shed. “This is no coincidence. Who this is, where she’s at, the fact that I'm certain this body was placed here specifically…”

Drake’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. “Holy shit–”

Olivia rolled her eyes. “I’m going to start charging if I have to keep spelling everything out for you.”

Bastien spoke before Drake could retort, “I hadn’t made that connection; excellent work Duchess.”

Olivia raised an eyebrow and watched Bastien jot something yet again on his pad. “Okay, him I understand needing a preschool explanation, you on the other hand should’ve made that connection instantly.” She snapped as she continued to eye him critically.

Bastien was slightly taken back, but quickly recovered himself. “I understand your frustration. However, I’m becoming aware of developments at the same rate as you. I’m grateful for your assistance.” He bowed to her. As he stood he addressed the pair, “I’m going to secure the perimeter.”

Olivia watched him leave with narrowed eyes. He went over to a guard and spoke quietly then aimlessly walked around the area. Every now and again he would write something down, but otherwise he only made laps. She knew Bastien was senseless at times, but he almost seemed more so than normal.

For the first time, she took a good look around and again couldn’t help but notice how everything seemed conveniently placed. The yellow evidence markers were almost in a straight line in clustered areas. She approached one and bent down to observe and saw it was a wad of hair; not one single hair, a bunched up ball of long, dark hair. Another was simply a piece of gum; she was no criminal mastermind, but who in their right mind would spit their gum out in the middle of a vicious murder? Of course, it’s possible to be unrelated, but this area was practically of no use; that is until Riley’s things were shoved here. Regardless, Bastien still continued to search the area as if this was a normal crime scene and nothing was amiss.

As she scanned the area, the sudden realization of what was going on on a broader spectrum hit her; whoever orchestrated getting Madeleine on the throne was surely onto the fact that they were now asking questions. It was a silent agreement that whoever managed to remove the top two suitors from the social season was a powerful force, but it suddenly seemed much stronger and deadlier than before. This entire scene was pieced together to send a message; someone knew, and whoever it was was not happy about their venture for answers.

Olivia pulled Drake aside and spoke in a low, cautious tone. “We need to get out of here.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Look around, Drake! Even you have to notice something does not add up! This was fucking staged – someone is trying to send us a message.”

“We gotta tell Bas–”

“Why? So he can write it down?” Olivia rolled her eyes. “We need to plan our next steps… our next move has to be calculated.” She looked around with a nervous expression. As she did, her eyes landed on Bastien who simply nodded and returned to his grazing.

Tags (please let me know if you'd like added or removed): @choicesficwriterscreations @ao719 @txemrn @imashybish @queenrileyrose @kingliam2019 @riseandshinelittleblossom @dcbbw @tessa-liam @twinkleallnight @amandablink @cordonia-gothqueen @sfb123 @jared2612 @harleybeaumont @bebepac @charlotteg234 @busywoman @malblk21 @angelasscribbles @bascmve01 @iaminlovewithtrr @hopelessromanticmonie @mysticalfangirl @umccall71 @fuckitweball0000 @differenttyphoonwerewolf @lovingchoices14 @emersyn-in-cordonia @aussiegurl1234 @karahalloway @the0afnan

[fadingreveries]

The Royal Romance, Bk1 Ch2: Welcome to Cordonia (Pt. 4)

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

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

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

Word Count:

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

~ ~ ~

After quickly unpacking a few of her belongings, Riley made her way out of her assigned room on a mission to explore the palace boutique’s options. Luckily for her, Maxwell had told her that the store was located on the ground floor near the front entrance.

A few minutes later, Riley pushed past the doors into the boutique. The soft pink walls contrasted nicely with the brown mahogany floors and the light gray floor rug covering the entire ground. A silver chandelier with bell-shaped glass shades hung directly in the middle of the room. Several mannequins dressed in various formal attire for men and women were scattered across the rooms.

Absentmindedly, Riley brushed her hand against the silk and satin dresses placed on one of many racks on display. The closest she had ever gotten to seeing such beautiful formal dresses was outside display windows of luxury stores on her way to school and work.

“Oh!” A girl yelped out, stepping out of a changing room and holding a dress.

Startled with the sudden voice, Riley looked over her shoulder to see who it was. However, when she noticed that the girl was only dressed in her underwear, Riley quickly turned back around. While she felt a hint of excitement to meet new people up close and personal, this wasn’t exactly what she had in mind.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” Riley apologized, feeling embarrassed at seeing a stranger looking so vulnerable. “I didn’t realize someone was already here. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have just barged in.”

With Riley’s back turned, the girl quickly draped the curtain of the changing room over her body to cover herself. Only her head poked out, a sign she was eager to invite Riley into a conversation.

“Oh, it’s no problem at all. To be honest, I didn’t have an appointment. I forgot to book one before my flight landed a few hours ago but thought I would peruse down here before it became too crowded,” the girl sheepishly replied, making Riley turn around to see her friendly smile. “I’m Hana. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Pleasantly surprised with the girl’s bright kindness to a stranger like her, Riley gave a smile in return. “You too. My name’s Riley.”

“I suppose you’re also here to prepare for the Masquerade tonight,” Hana replied, before disappearing behind the curtain to pull on the dress she was holding. “Since you’re here and not already dressed, I must assume that you’re just like me… searching desperately for something to wear.”

“More or less,” Riley replied, with a relaxed laugh. Her neck craned around to catch short glimpses of the dresses in the boutique, wondering how on earth she would be able to narrow it down with the surprising variety.

“The seamstress seems to be running late, but I can show you around! The boutique has the most exquisite gowns. Quite a few of them were shipped just this morning,” Hana answered, pulling the curtain to the side. “Let me just zip this dress up and we can look for one for you!”

Walking to a floor-length mirror, Hana faced her reflection to note her appearance. There was an immense amount of pressure on her from her parents to make a good first impression on the nobility during the court’s social season. She took a deep breath, examining the rose gold laced bodice with rhinestones and a matching floor-length satin skirt.

Her hands arched around her back, trying to get a firm grasp on the tiny zipper. Replaying her parents’ never-ending lectures in her mind about securing the hand of the prince, she felt a slight tremble in her grip and found herself unable to zip herself in the dress. What was she going to do if she failed to secure his attention?

“Need a hand?” Riley offered, admiring how confident and poised Hana looked in front of the mirror with her masquerade outfit.

With a relieved laugh, Hana answered, “That would be amazing.”

Making her way behind Hana, Riley grasped hold of the zipper and slid it all the way up. On a nearby side table, Hana picked up a salmon pink mask with gold accents that matched her dress perfectly. She carefully settled it on her face, making her happily sigh with a satisfied smile.

Turning to face Riley with a grin, Hana complimented, “Thank you. It’s a pity that not many girls here are like you.”

“Helpful?” Riley asked, a smile on her face at Hana’s comment.

“Genuinely nice,” Hana explained, with a simple knowing nod. “It would make the social season much less intimidating if we were here to converse as ladies instead of constantly viewing each other as competition.”

If Drake was right about the ruthlessness of noble ladies, it seemed Riley had found a rare ally in her. Unbeknownst to her, Hana held the same sentiments. Most ladies would secretly turn their noses up at her out of jealousy, let alone help her—something Hana was used to growing up as a noble.

Hana spun for Riley, her full skirts twirling as she giggled. “Ah, this dress is perfect! Now, what about you? One must have a mask for the Masquerade!”The two girls perused through racks of dresses, holding up possible options to the other for a second opinion. Ten minutes later, Hana’s eyes widened in excitement as she pulled two garment bags from a rack. “Have you seen the angel costume? You’d look amazing in white,” Hana suggested, eagerly holding up the white dress in her right hand and the other dress in her left hand. “Or there’s also a red one, if you’re feeling more devilish.”

“I’ll take a look.” Riley giggled, as Hana handed her both garment bags.

Inside a dressing room, Riley eyed the first costume meant to resemble a sultry devil. The crimson red colour of the strapless dress was striking along with sections made of mesh lace fabric highlighting embroidered patterns. Along with the dress were two devil horn accessories and a bold black mask with sparkling rhinestones.

Ultimately, Riley decided on the angel costume that Hana first suggested. It was much simpler with its draped off shoulder straps, a sweetheart neckline, and a shimmery sparkle that brightened the pure white colour. After stepping out of the changing room, Riley fixed the matching halo accessory on top of her head and plucked a detailed silver mask off of the table.

“How do I look?” Riley asked with a smile, giving a little twirl similar to the one Hana had done moments ago.

Hana’s face brightened up, as she grinned and the two made their way out of the boutique. “Heavenly! A costume as angelic as the girl wearing it.”

~ ~ ~

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

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

[choicesficwriterscreations]

TRR F/AotW: May 5 - 11, 2024

✒️ = Fanfic | 📱 = Text Fics/Edits | 🎨 = Fanart Ⓜ️ = Mature Content 18+ | 🔥 = Explicit/NSFW 18+ 🏳️‍🌈 = LGBTQIA

HANA LEE

Reader Fatigue ✒️🏳‍🌈 | Hana Lee x Kiara Theron - @lizzybeth1986

Rose Gold ✒️🏳‍🌈 | Hana Lee x Kiara Theron - @lizzybeth1986

LIAM RYS

All For Love ✒️ | Liam x MC, F!OC & M!OC - @rosesnink

Capitulo (Series) ✒️ | Liam x MC - @belencha77 Chapter 13: Emociones Nuevas Chapter 14: Un Baile Para Recordar Chapter 15: No Olvidemos Esta Noche Chapter 16: Regata Real Chapter 17: Carrera Hasta El Final

Turn The Page (Series) ✒️ | Liam Rys x F!OC - @tessa-liam Chapter 12: Come Back To Me

MULTIPLE PAIRINGS

All That She Wants (Series) ✒️Ⓜ️ | Multiple Pairings - @angelasscribbles Chapter 5: Consequences Liam Rys x MC, Liam Rys x Olivia Nevrakis, Drake Walker x MC

The Royal Romance Retelling (Series) ✒️ | Multiple Pairings - @eadanga Chapter 8, Part 3 Liam Rys x MC, Drake Walker x MC

Main F/AtoW List: May 5 - 11, 2024

[twinkleallnight]

False truth

Book: TRR AU

Pairings: Drake x Riley, Drake x Olivia, Liam x Riley .

Word count:1020

Disclaimer: All characters belong to pixelberry.

Rating: Mature

Warning: mental health

A/N: Thanks a ton @lizzybeth1986 for holding my hand and bringing this to reality. This is a mini series of 6 chapters loosely weaved around themes for the days of drake-walker-appreciation week.

Prompt: Day 1: Appreciation for @drake-walker-appreciation week

"Good morning!" Her soft whisper and sweet kisses were the things Drake cherished the most.

He stretched his arms up in the air and then turned to her, taking her in his embrace. She giggled as he peppered kisses all over her face.

"I love you." She said with a kiss.

"I love you too." He replied and asked, "What are we planning today?"

" I am going to treat you to some of your favourite foods."

"And what's so special to recieve this treat?"

"Just cause I want to celebrate, us." She waved her finger between both of them. "You know what, being with you every moment is a celebration." She added.

"You flatter me. What did I do to get all of this?" He spread out his arms and threw himself back in the softness of the plush mattress.

She placed her hand on his chest and rested her chin on it. Looking into his eyes, she started, " You Drake Walker, you are the most wonderful person on this earth. You have been a loving son, a caring brother, the most loyal friend anyone could ask for."

He raised his brows. "Well, thank you but all these things don't relate to you and me. Tell me something exclusive about us."

She chuckled, "That list will be never-ending. You know how much I love you. You are the warm hearted person I always dreamed of."

Drake smiled listening to the praises. She cupped his face and continued, "You can read me so well. I don't have to utter a single word and you know what I want. You know it all. You are so devoted that I feel blessed. You never leave my side come hell or high water. You give courage, you give hope, you make living possible. With you around I am so carefree. You are always watching my back. I can be myself and I am who I am, because of you."

Drake covered her mouth with his fingers, "Enough! Do you want me to drown in the sea of these praises?"

She shook her head and moved his hand away to speak, "No, I want you to shine like a star in the nightsky."

"A star? I am not beautiful like a star."

She got up to kiss his head. "Sadly, you don't even know."

"Know what?"

"That you are beautiful inside and outside. . Your chestnut hair that falls over your forehead." She ruffled his hair and he chuckled. "Your twinkling brown eyes, this smile of yours that only I get to see. When you say my name in your rough and heavy tenor, my legs go jelly."

"Riley." He called out her name to tease her.

"Oh, please don't start it again."

"Riley! Riley! Riley!" He repeated with a kiss each time.

She started laughing. He responded with a hearty laugh. He didn't realise his voice was loud enough to cross the barriers of the wooden doors.

There was a knock on the door. "Drake? Are you awake, Drake?" The sharp female voice from the other side of the door sounded concerned.

Drake lost his grin but Riley kept smiling. He got up to open the door. He didn't want his rendezvous with Riley to end. If only…

The moment he unlocked the door, Olivia rushed in.

"Good morning, Drake. How are you today? Did you sleep well?" She asked in a single breath, scanning the room.

"Yes, whatever." He muttered and walked in behind her. He looked at his bed and frowned. Riley was gone. Again. As always.

"Were you talking to someone?"

" None of your business!" He snarled at her and stomped out of the door. Riley was gone, so there was no point to stay there.

Olivia's shoulders slumped in defeat. She looked at the tiny study table in the corner of the room. The letter she left last night was still there. It was out of the envelope. That means he read it. Then why would he not respond well? She walked down to it with heavy steps. She picked it up to check if she had made a mistake. She started reading her handwritten ode.

'Dear Drake,

I love you. And I have some plans for tomorrow. I am going to treat you to some of your favourite foods. Nothing special. I just want to celebrate, us, although being with you every moment is a celebration. Because, you Drake Walker, you are the most wonderful person on this earth. You have been a loving son, a caring brother, the most loyal friend anyone could ask for.' Her eyes welled up. She tried to peer through her watery eyes.

'And if i start talking about us, the list will be never-ending.'

A stray streak of water spilled out of her eye to land on the letter and blotted the ink. She turned away with a sigh. Her head hung low. She crumpled the paper in her hand.

She looked up at the mantle. Photos of them together in happier times looked like they were mocking her. She picked up one she had clicked of him, standing alone in the lythikos snow with the eggnog she had made for him. He was beaming at the lens. He looked so happy. She wiped the wetness from her cheeks, reminiscing about that moment. She touched his lips in the photograph and moved her fingers over his brown eyes. "I did as I was told. I poured out my heart to you Drake Walker in a hope that you will remember what we had. But you are still dreaming of a woman who doesn't exist. I wonder how long I will have to fight this lonely battle to get you out of your hallucinations.This struggle seems like never-ending. I miss you Drake. I miss you!"

She cradled the photo frame in her bosom and let the welled up emotions loose till she could do it no more. She won't give up though. She had decided she wouldn't. With a fresh resolution in her mind,she got up to go after him.

"Drake? Drake!..."

Tags: @3pawandme @alj4890 @angelasscribbles @bascmve01 @bebepac @busywoman @dcbbw @delmissesryan @harleybeaumont @iaminlovewithtrr @karahalloway @kingliam2019 @lovingchoices14 @nestledonthaveone @neotericthemis @mom2000aggie @phoenixrising0308 @princess-geek @sazanes @secretaryunpaid @sfb123 @sillydg @tessa-liam @tinkie1973 @txemrn @walkerdrakewalker @choicesficwriterscreations

Chapter 2 here

[txemrn]

Pour Two Glasses

Chapter 6: "...Everything's Turned Upside Down"

Need to catch up? Masterlist

✨ Have you checked out this teaser video yet? Pour Two Glasses Teaser✨

Word Count: 6150 (+/-)

Series Synopsis: In the midst of a violent political war, Queen Riley Rys’s life is dismantled overnight, forcing her to flee Cordonia to live in hiding as a commoner with a loyal, best friend

Series Song Inspo: “Pour Two Glasses” by the Movielife

Chapter Song Inspo: "Broken Pieces Shine" by Evanescence

Series Warnings: 🔞 For Mature Audiences Only 🔞 angst; profanity; major character death; grief and mental health discussion; discussion of violence & war; alcohol use; NSFW material

A/N: I don't say this enough, so I hope it's okay I start this A/N with this message... to my beautiful readers: thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! I loved dreaming up this story, and knowing that y'all want more warms my heart! Thank you for all the messages, all the questions, and all of the encouragement! Please know I see each and every one of y'all, and I love y'all so dearly! Y'all are a huge part of P2G, and I can't thank you enough for being so kind! Sending out major hugs to each of y'all! 🖤

A/N 2: Characters and some plot references belong to our friends at Pixelberry. To my village, as always THANK YOU SO MUCH helping me bring this story to life! This was not beta'd, so please excuse my errors.

~🖤~

Riley spends most of her recovery time alone, secluded from the outside world. The stillness of the lonely mornings melt into the mundane hustle of the afternoons, and although time seems to pass before her eyes in a whirlwind blur, to the fallen queen, it trudges along slowly, creeping into her least favorite part of the day: the dark, listless nights.  

Due to the multiple terrorist threats made against the monarchy, not to mention the two bombs found during a routine sweep of the palace, the royal guard, the local police along with Interpol agreed the safest place for the queen of Cordonia was inside her hospital room despite being discharged days ago. 

Her physical therapist would visit on Mondays and Wednesdays while her doctors would visit Tuesdays and Fridays to ensure her recovery was on track. Healthcare workers were available upon request, but they would be accompanied by armed guards.

Drake, Olivia and Maxwell were given special clearance, and they kept to a round-the-clock schedule to ensure Riley was never alone.

That is, until she sent them away after the first week. Watching them grow ill with concern over her well-being added to her grief, and she hated being the reason for their stolen joy. Riley knew they meant well, and they never, ever complained for sitting by her side in complete silence.  Even Maxwell toned down his enthusiasm in his attempts to make her happy.  But Riley could see them slipping away into different versions of themselves, and the guilt festered in her heart.

Rarely sleeping and barely eating, Riley stopped taking her pain medications. She never would admit to her masochistic reasoning, but the physical discomfort served as a welcomed distraction from the agony she felt internally. She felt like she had little to no control over her life, but this, in a very sick, twisted way, this was hers.

It’s the following Friday, the small hours of the morning. Riley tosses and turns for another restless night of sleep as memories of only two weeks ago flash through her mind. Her husband’s funeral. The assassination attempt. Her own life unknowingly in the balances during a critical surgery.

With a subtle rumble in the distance, she opens an eye, and quickly notices the gathered rainclouds outside her lone, two-paned hospital window. Sitting up, she pulls on Liam’s sweatshirt before scooting the reclining chair in her room closer to the view of the angry sky.

The pelting raindrops and the howling wind put on quite the show, calming Riley's anxious heart. She used to love quiet moments with her late husband where they could share in the wonder of nature. As the storm continues to brew outside her room, her eyes grow heavy, the soothing sounds of the storm lulling her to sleep.

A sudden clap of lightning rips across the gray Cordonian sky, startling Riley awake.  She quickly sits up, her chest heaving as her eyes adjust to the darkness of her master bedroom. Feeling her pulse rapidly thrum in her ears, she reaches for her husband; but she is met with cold, barren sheets, tossed against her side.

“Liam?”  She sits on the side of the bed, slipping her house shoes on before standing to grab her robe. “Liam?” She cries out once more before the storm outside ignites the angry clouds with another crash of thunder. Gripping the fabric of her lapels in terror, she watches hypnotically as the countryside dims back into the darkness of night.

“Riley, my love.”  

Riley turns with a gasp.  Liam stands at the open French doors that lead to their balcony. The powerful winds flounce the curtains, billowing around his tall stature.

"I didn't mean to frighten you, darling." He takes Riley into his arms, laying her head intimately against his chest. "Did the storm wake you?"

At that moment, another crackle of thunder resounds, Riley instantly turning her attention to the open doors. Puddles gather around the terrace as sheets of rain pummel against the stone walls. Feeling her tremble in his arms, Liam tightens his embrace nuzzling his nose into his wife's dark locks.

"Mom used to point out how powerful the weather can be. Devastating homes. Sinking ships… and yet–" he takes a deep breath, "we're still here."

Riley loosens her grip. The cascades of heavenly water pour in a synchronized dance with the rumbles of thunder. The zephyr symphony lulls her into a trance as she marvels at the strength of the storm. Fierce. Intense.

And yet, we're still here.

"You'll survive this, too, my love–"

"Survive what–?" Riley looks up to her husband.

But he's gone; his arms no longer around her as his scent dissipates from the air they once shared.  But something strange is left hanging in her hands: a small, worn receiving blanket, the name 'William' embroidered in the corner. 

Huh?

Riley swivels anxiously around the room, her eyes wide as saucers. "Liam?" She cries out. "Please, baby," she looks in the other direction, but her husband is no where to be found. "Liam… I… I don't know…" her breath hitches, growing ragged as she finally slumps onto the ground. She looks at the blanket, her fingers tracing over the delicate stitching. "How, my love–?" She whispers under her sobs of helplessness. "How am I supposed to survive… without you?"

Suddenly, a bright light pours over her, the warmth of the sun shining on her porcelain skin.

“We’re not doing this anymore.”

Riley's eyes peek open, being met with beams of sunlight pouring through the window. She sees someone moving about the room, but her exhaustion refuses to allow her eyes to focus, and she quickly slumps back over.

"You need to get up, Riley."

Without warning, Riley’s blankets are abruptly pulled from her body. She sits up in her chair, rubbing her eyes. "Huh?"

"C'mon. Up, up!"

Finally coming to her senses, Riley zeroes in on the redhead bossing her around. And she scowls, relaxing back into her chair. "Olivia, I… come back later."

"No, ma'am." Olivia taps a lever on the recliner, shoving Riley into an upright position. "You are going to shower. I laid out some clothes for you," the duchess crosses her arms, "and you are going to rejoin the living."

"But–"

"Now," she claps her hands. "Scoot!"

Riley jumps up, grumbling under her breath as she moseys to the shower. Hearing the water turn on, Olivia smirks, playfully dusting off her hands. Satisfied with herself, she grabs a magazine and takes a seat, crossing her legs in victory.

After about twenty minutes, Riley emerges with a towel wrapped around her head along with a pair of jeans and a cotton tee.

"There. Happy, bossy britches?"

"Almost," Olivia offers a crooked smile. "Now that we've–eh–hosed you down, we need to work on getting that odor out of here. It smells like someone died in here–"

"Didn't they?" Refusing to make eye-contact, Riley remains stoic, down-trodden.  She moves the linens around on her bed before curling up with a pillow.

"No." Olivia stands up, sauntering to her friend's bed. "They didn't." She takes a seat on the edge of the mattress, Riley's back facing her. "You, my dear, are very much alive. And it's time you start living as such."

"Liv, I…" Riley sighs. "I just don't feel like going out and rejoining society right now."

"Who said anything about rejoining society?" She takes Riley's hand. "I said that it's time to start living like you're alive." Riley turns around, arching a curious brow at Olivia. "I'm not saying you need to stop grieving; but I am going to make you shower. And eat. And not waste away."

A stale stillness falls between the old friends as Riley pulls the covers over her body.  "I'm not in the mood," she mutters, sinking into her pillow.

Olivia lets out a heavy breath, standing up. She refuses to give up, unwilling to leave the queen's room. She leisurely paces around the space, folding and refolding her hands.  The resounding click-clack of her steps are hypnotic, almost soothing as she twists her crimson pout in deep thought. 

She understands that Riley is in mourning, and even though Olivia loved him, too, nothing would compare to the great loss of true love. But, still, she hates seeing Riley like this; they all do. But truth be told on matters of the heart, there is only one person that can get through to her.

"What would Liam say?"

Riley slowly turns, looking over her shoulder. "Excuse me?"

"Your husband," Olivia steps forward confidently, clasping her hands together.  "He died a hero, protecting our country, protecting me… and you. What would he say now if he saw you like this?"

Riley furrows her eyebrows, her hands balling into fists. How dare she. Was Olivia seriously trying to make Riley feel guilty for grieving her late husband? For grieving the life she was starting with him? For grieving the life she was supposed to have with him?

"Olivia, I–"

"You'll survive this, too," Olivia interrupts.

The irritated expression on Riley's face abruptly melts into pure shock.  Her eyes as Liam's words replay in her mind.

You'll survive this, too.

"I… I'm sorry, I …" she shakes her head in disbelief, "what did you say?"

"Ri," Olivia bounds to her side, grabbing Riley's hand endearingly in her hold. "You are one tough broad. You have proven that time and time again." Her lip begins to tremble, but she quickly stiffens her jaw. "Liam knew that. Hell, that's one of the reasons he fell in love with you." She sighs, her gaze bouncing back and forth in Riley's deep ocean eyes. "Losing Liam will be one of the most awful challenges you will ever have to face… but somehow wherever he is, I have to believe he is taking comfort that you are strong enough for this." She squeezes tightly on Riley’s fingers. "You'll survive this, too."

Riley stares at Olivia, processing what she was saying–especially the words that seemed to mirror Liam's. 

And they're right.  It feels like hell right now, and Riley can't even begin to fathom a life without her beloved… but he would want better for her.  He lived a life so that she could have better.

It was time to start living.

------

"You're cheating!" Maxwell hisses, pointing an accusing finger at Olivia.

"I am not, Beaumont," the Scarlet Duchess shuffles through the cards in her hands. "You're just not good at counting to twenty-one."

"You've won each time you've been the dealer." He throws down his cards. "Shenanigans!"

Hugging her stomach tightly, Riley can’t help but laugh uncontrollably, her sides already in stitches. “Stop!” She gasps for air as she continues to titter. “I–I can’t!”  She falls forward on her bed, her head hitting a pillow as her giggles fill the room.  Maxwell and Olivia join in on the laughter, giving each other a subtle nod of relief. She’s coming back to life.

The three friends have spent most of the morning together at the hospital, catching up and playing games. To her visitor’s surprise, Riley decided she wanted to take a walk around the hospital–to areas that had been cleared by the royal guard, of course.

Together, they meandered to the hospital’s private prayer garden on a terrace just outside the pediatric floor. The warmth of the sun on her skin and the fresh scent of the potted greenery exhilarated her senses.  The natural pink tone of her skin quickly returned to her cheeks, highlighting her genuinely bright smile as she scrunched her nose at the floral smells.

On the way back to her room, Riley walked by the newborn nursery.  Stopping at the large window that showcased several cooing babies, wrapped in pink and blue receiving blankets, she pressed her fingertips gently against the glass, admiring each one silently. Although tears gather in her eyes, she begins to quietly talk to each chubby face, fussing over how adorable they are.

“Oh, you’re going to be trouble, mister, with those dimples…”

“Look at those beautiful black curls!”

“I know your mommy and daddy must love you so much…”  

If only…

Finally making it back to her assigned floor, the friends were greeted by Riley’s primary physician and his assistant along with the best news ever: the palace passed its final security check.  All Riley needed now was clearance through Interpol and one more physical–per the request of the Royal Council to ensure her health–and she would soon be on her way back home.  

As the healthcare team exits, a sudden wave of surreality washes over the room. Going home. Riley hasn’t been home in almost three weeks, and even before that, she hasn’t slept in her own bed since the start of the Royal Wake. What would be waiting for her when she walked into her quarters?  Is everything waiting for her to come home exactly how she left it?  Exactly how he left it?

Biting her lip, she takes a moment of silence, her hand finding Liam’s rings on her necklace. She fiddles with his wedding band, the jewelry easily gliding onto her pointer finger.  And that’s when she feels it: the inscription inside the gold band. And her eyes flutter close. Pour Two Glasses. Everything would be expecting her return.

Except him.

Riley shakes her head, glancing back up at Maxwell and Olivia. Giving them an appreciative grin, she grabs the deck of cards on her bedside table, blinking away her tears. “Best two out of three?”

------

The three friends have been playing for a little over an hour when there’s an abrupt knock at the door.  A large smile grows across Riley’s face as the familiar smirk of her royal guard saunters into the room.

“There’s my hero,” Riley singsongs. From her bed, she extends her arms in the air, inviting Drake into a hug.  A blush swirls across his cheeks as he leans in, tucking her petite body under his chin.

“How are you feeling?” He whispers before gently letting her go.

“I’m okay,” Riley nods. “I’m gonna be okay.”  She pats the mattress next to her. “C’mon, partner,” she mimics a Texan accent. “Let’s teach these two how to play Texas Hold ‘Em.”  Olivia rolls her eyes as Maxwell titters, pretending to throw a lasso around Drake.

Drake chuckles, pushing a fist into his pocket as he stares at the ground. “I wish I could, but–”  he combs his fingers through his thick, chestnut hair as he gazes back up at his friends. “I got lucky and found a plane out of Munich at 5AM, so… I’m taking a train there. Tonight.”

“Oh my gosh,” Riley’s face etches with shock. “So soon?”

“When does the train leave?” Olivia’s eyebrows pinch together.

“In about–” he looks at his watch before snickering to himself. “About two hours.”  A stillness falls across the friends, sharing sad, concerned looks. “C’mon, you guys,” Drake attempts to lighten the mood. “We knew this day was coming… and I’m coming back.”

“When?” Maxwell questions softly.

“I guess… when Mom…” he gnaws on the inside of his mouth, searching for the right words. “When… everything is taken care of, I guess.”

Riley climbs out of bed, throwing her arms around him in a tight embrace. “Don’t forget where your home is, Walker,” she sniffles.

“Like you’d let me forget?” He chuckles. His large arms envelope her against his chest as he nuzzles his nose into her curls, breathing her in deeply. His voice grows husky as he rests his lips against her head. “I’m going to miss you, Brooks.”

Riley pulls back, resting her hand on his upper arm. “I’m going to miss you, too.” A coy smile teases on his lips as a twinkle of hope illuminates his cognac eyes–that is, until Riley continues. “You’ve always been such a great friend.  Liam sure hit the jackpot with you–” she turns to Maxwell and Olivia, “--with all of you.”

Drake nods agreeably, looking away from his best friend’s widow, chastising himself for having such fleeting thoughts of hope. He turns to Maxwell to give him a firm handshake before turning to Olivia. “Can I… talk to you? For a second?”  He whispers to the redhead before looking back at Riley and Maxwell. He holds his hand up, waving goodbye before exiting the room with Olivia right behind him.

Riley glances towards Maxwell, offering a sympathetic grin and shrugging her shoulders. Their group of friends is shrinking, but at least they have each other.

“He’s so obvious,” Maxwell giggles, winking at the queen as he takes a sip of a glass of water.

Riley scrunches her eyebrows. “Obvious? About what?”

Maxwell freezes, staring at Riley as an awkward silence floods between them. “Uh… Nevermind, honey–”

They both startle as Olivia bounds back into the room, slipping back into her seat. Without making eye-contact, she crosses her legs before grabbing her playing cards, mindlessly rearranging them in her hand. She's unusually quiet and pensive, her eyebrows slightly wrinkled as she appears to be deep in thought about something.

"Is… everything okay?" Riley asks.

She peers up to Riley nervously, but within moments, a crooked smile forms on her cherry red pout. "Yes… of course."  She glances back at her cards, but it's useless; there's too much she needs to say. "Ri, do you know what a black box is?"

"Like on a plane?" Maxwell clarifies with curiosity, folding his cards and resting them on the table.  Olivia nods slowly as her attention shifts back to Riley.

"It records sounds, right?" Riley starts, her tone cautiously meek. "Sounds from inside the plane? So in the event it… it… well, you know…"  Olivia softly bounces her head affirmatively, rolling her lips. "Did something happen?" Riley nervously titters, glancing at a confused Maxwell. "Was there something… something terrible on Liam’s recording?"

Olivia folds her cards, tapping the stack on the table. "No, it's just…" her words trail off as she remains lost in thought.

"Liv," Riley crosses her arms. "What are you trying to hide?" 

Olivia sighs. "My apologies. I guess I'm trying to process it myself. Apparently the guard had their weekly briefing last night with Interpol. Drake had to turn in some last minute paperwork for his leave, so he was in attendance." 

"What does this have to do with the black box?" Maxwell interjects.

"It's gone," Olivia blurts out. "It was never recovered from Liam's plane. So, there's a strong possibility that–"

"It was stolen," Riley interrupts.

"Precisely, meaning this was orchestrated by the coup somehow."

"Wait," Maxwell holds up his hands, "how did anyone know that was Liam's plane though? How would they know to specifically steal from that plane? Wasn't he supposed to be traveling incognito?"

Olivia nods, exhaling heavily. "They're launching an investigation… for possible espionage." 

"An inside job?" Riley croaks, a lump forming in her throat. "From Cordonia?"

"We don't know just yet," Olivia reassures, "that's why they're looking into it.  But I'm thinking they need some help… and I know just the person to ask."

Riley's room door suddenly slides open, surprising the group of friends.  The doctor slowly steps in with the queen's medical chart, a solemn, almost grim expression etched on his face.

"I'm not sure I like the worried look in your eyes, sir," Riley anxiously giggles. "Don't tell me I'm staying here longer."

"Oh," he cordially forces a grin. "Your security, as well as the international police have cleared everything–"

"So she gets to go home?" Maxwell's breath baits with hope and excitement.

"Yes, yes. You get to go home. The guard will be in touch with you soon."

"Oh, thank God," Olivia smirks.

"Finally!" Maxwell exclaims, standing to his feet and ready to pack.

But Riley stays silent, her attention fixed on her physician. She can tell he has more to say. She can sense a sadness in his demeanor, putting her on edge, not ready to celebrate her homecoming just yet.

"What aren't you telling me, doctor?" She asks softly. "Is it my physical? Am… am I okay?"

The older man sets down Riley's chart, resting his hand on top of it as his endearing eyes find hers. "We need to talk."

"Is it serious?" Olivia interjects.

With a heavy sigh, the physician turns towards Maxwell and Olivia. "How about you two give us just a minute alone–?"

"No," Riley stops him. "I need… Can I have someone…?" Riley looks between Olivia and Maxwell, having a silent conversation of who should stay.

"I'll step out," Maxwell grabs his phone. "Let me make sure the guard is bringing an SUV and not a sedan," he winks.

As the door closes, the older man cautiously sits down next to Riley, taking her hand. She squeezes it tightly, preparing herself for the news he was about to share with her. Was something wrong? Was she dying?

"Never in a million years did I think you and I would be having this conversation," he exhales, pinching the bridge between his eyes. "This… this is completely out of my scope of practice, so I will be referring you to a specialist, but–"

"Sir," Riley stops him. "Please… just… tell me the truth."

------

Riley paces back and forth, ringing her hands in between biting her nails.

“Will you sit down–?”

“And what, Olivia?” She tosses her hands in the air, allowing her arms to slap carelessly against her sides.  “What am I supposed to do now?”

“Well,” Olivia scoffs, “for starters, you are going to calm down–”

“Calm down?” Riley twirls around, a wave of fury crashing over her features. Her blood-shot eyes stare daggers into her red-headed friend.   “You heard the damn doctor. This… this can’t be happening.  And… you…”  she presses a hand to her chest, her breathing labors as a sob rips through her chest. “You actually expect me to be okay? With this?”

“Riley,” Olivia calls her name sternly, “take a moment. Things could–”

“--could be worse?” She finishes her words.  “How, Livvy?”  She covers her face with her hands as she wanders aimlessly in the room. “Oh God,” she whispers hoarsely, her voice hidden by her tears. “When this gets out–”

“It won’t.”

Riley tisks, mocking Olivia. “This won’t stay a secret for long. And when it gets out, an even bigger bullseye will be painted on my back. They hate the Rys name. They will attack again–”

“Other monarchs have gone through similar situations, and their health concerns have been kept under wraps.  The council will be sure of it–”

“The council?” Riley looks off, shaking her head. “They already want to get rid of me. You know the law. I can no longer serve as the reigning queen. I’m not Cordonian–-”

“You will always be a queen, Riley.  The council will support you–”

“--they’ll expedite getting rid of me.”  Riley collapses into the recliner in her room. She hangs her head in her arms as her elbows rest on her knees. “The council is looking out for what’s best for Cordonia, especially now that the throne has been attacked–not once, but twice. They’re searching for stability; they’re looking to rebuild their leadership, and that starts with the throne. I fear that… I fear that as long as there's still a Rys, Cordonia will never see peace.”

Olivia pulls her chair closer, laying a hand on Riley’s shoulder. “The war won't last forever. And this? This could be your ticket. The throne is the only thing left to protect you–”

 “These traitors want every part of the Rys name destroyed, and without Liam, my days on the throne are already numbered. When they find out…” she exhales a pained breath.  “Even If I could hide behind the council, the Combattants will return to finish the job. They know I’m still here. I’m on every goddamn news report!”

“Riley, you–”

“I can’t do this.” She abruptly stands up, rushing past Olivia as she grabs her suitcase.  She begins piling her belongings into the dividers. “I need to go–”

“Home,” Olivia interjects, placing her hands on Riley’s trembling hands. "Let's take you home where you're safe."

Riley shakes her head. “N–no, I need to go. I need to leave.” She grabs her phone. “I need a ticket back to the States–”

“Riley Rys. Slow. The fuck. Down. You’re not thinking–”

“I can’t be here another moment. I have to go. I need to hide–”

“Where? Where are you going to hide?” Olivia scoffs, folding her arms. “Even if you could, all air travel has been suspended to and from Cordonia until further notice.  That’s why poor Walker had to take a train.”

Riley stills. She glances over at her friend as an abrupt realization washes over her expression.

Drake.

“You.”

Olivia raises an eyebrow. “Me?”

“According to Cordonian law, you’re next in line if something were to happen to me–”

“Hold up,” Olivia raises her hands in surrender. “If, and that’s a big if, something were to happen to you, yes, I would be crowned. But, that’s not how this works. You’re still alive, therefore the council–”

“What if I was incapacitated?” 

Olivia lets out a condescending laugh. “You are being ridiculous, you know that?”

“No, I’m being serious.” Riley grips tightly to Olivia’s shoulders, forcing her to listen. “The council hasn’t stripped me of my title as reigning queen yet, and as long as I’m the reigning monarch, I can claim a medical leave-of-absence… which means–”

“You appoint the replacement during the hiatus," Olivia smirks sarcastically, pulling away from Riley's. "Not gonna happen."

"Olivia, please."

"And what are you going to do? Huh? You still need medical care. Hiding isn't exactly easy when you're the queen of an entire country–"

"But–"

"--that is grieving their king–"

"But–"

"--and their queen has been all over international news for surviving an assassination attempt." Riley huffs, rolling her eyes as Olivia continues. "You'll leave fingerprints everywhere you go. And I'm not saying they're going to try and track you down… but those bastards were able to find Liam. Running and hiding? It… it's pointless. Stay. Trust the council. We can protect you."

Riley chews on her lip, her attention locked on her friend. "No. That's not good enough. Not anymore." Her eyelids flutter as she takes a deep breath. "I think I've got an idea."

------

The rhythmic pulse of the train car lulls Drake into a hypnotic relaxed state, and before long, he succumbs to the exhaustion of the past six weeks. Resting his head against the window, he watches as the Cordonian countryside flashes before his vision until finally his eyes close. 

Furrowing his brows, however, he hears loud, indiscernible voices outside of his state room.  When the conversation finally ends, he readjusts himself in his chair, using his discarded denim shirt as a make-shift pillow.

His door abruptly slides open.

Fuck.

He grimaces, quickly turning to address his unwanted interruption.

But his face falls in shock.

"Brooks?"

"Hi," she smiles meekly, removing her oversized sunglasses and hat. "Can I… come in?"

"Yeah," Drake jumps up, removing his carry-on bags from the second seat. He gestures to the spot next to him. "Please."

Riley gingerly sits down, her eyes transfixed to the gorgeous scenery flashing by outside the large train window.  Drake slowly lowers himself into his chair, his disbelief frozen on his face as he stares at his good friend.

Feeling his gaze on her, Riley tears away from her reverie. She chuckles nervously, coyly shrugging her shoulders. "Surprised?"

The corner of Drake's mouth turns up. "That's one way to put it." He runs a hand through his thick, tousled hair as he notices her bandages peeking through her shirt. "I'm guessing you were given the 'all clear'? They discharged you?" 

Riley's attention averts back to the window, staring at the whirls of the evergreen hills melting with the watercolor sky. Her eyes begin to glaze over, forgetting to even blink as she mindlessly chews on her bottom lip.  She holds her hands in her lap, ringing them incessantly as she fidgets with her fingers. 

"Riley?"

She blinks quickly, her attention returning to Drake, his hand gripping onto her arm to steady her. “Hrmm?”

"I've been calling your name for a few minutes." His eyebrows knit with worry. "Are you… are you okay?"

Riley opens her mouth, but is unable to form words. She picks at her chipped manicure as she presses her tongue to her cheek.

"I, um… I need your help." She glances back up to Drake, her eyes wide in fear.

"O…Kay. Sure," he leans closer to her, resting his elbows on his knees. "Ri, what's going on?"

------

The clatter of heels reverberates through the main corridor of the ultra-modern, ultra-sleek estate of Monterisso.  Though she has not come across another soul, she knows plenty of eyes are hidden in nooks and crannies, watching her every move in the form of motion detectors and cameras. Coming to the pristine royal office, she gives a firm knock on the oversized, cherry wood door before inviting herself in.

"Olivia Nevrakis." A sultry voice calls from the large, tufted leather chair on the opposite side of the room.

The red head sardonically snickers before crossing her arms, popping her hip to the side. "Alright, Amalas," she sasses, "how did you know it was me?"

A beautiful woman with long espresso tresses and darkened, exotic features slowly turns her chair around to face her visitor.  She smirks at her long-time friend, extending her arm to show off her impressive display of monitors with live-feed surveillance to every entrance into the palace.

The Scarlet Duchess wriggles up her nose, rolling her eyes. "Of course."

"You know?" Amalas stands up, sauntering her curves slowly to her icy guest. "Most people address me as 'your majesty'--"

"Not today," Olivia bites, raising an eyebrow. 

Amalas sighs, leaning against the front-side of her desk. “What do you want, Livvy?”

"I have an important proposal for you."

“We don’t have an appointment.”

“I need your help.”

The Spy Queen steps forward, crossing her arms. "You? You are in need of some help?" She lets out a boisterous laugh as she sneaks closer to her unexpected guest. She motions with her pointer finger for Olivia to come closer to listen. "You know," she whispers, "you were supposed to call me the next morning."

With a deep rouge blossoming across her cheeks, Olivia steps back, scoffing into a chuckle. Amalas furrows her eyebrows with a mischievous smirk.

Checkmate.

Four months ago, after years of stolen glances and secret trysts, Amalas invited Olivia to her estate for a low-key, intimate weekend to discuss the possibilities of taking their relationship to the next level. And public. After one last night of passion, Amalas woke up to an empty bed with a note that said, 'I'll call. -Liv"

She never did.

Now with Olivia seeking a favor, Amalas is tickled. As far as good deeds, alliances and negotiations, she just made it abundantly clear that she has the upper-hand. And Olivia just realized she fucked up.

Satisfied with her visitor’s reaction, Amalas turns on her heel and walks back to her desk. "You can see yourself out."

The red head sneers into a sarcastic snicker, stepping forward. "Oh c'mon, Amalas–"

"If you didn't need me then," Amalas spins around, irritated. "You don't need me now, Nevrakis." She takes a seat before shuffling through some folders and papers. "Oh,” she looks up, void of emotion, “please shut the door when you leave. Thanks."

Olivia storms forward. "Amalas, this isn't about me–about us. This is for Cordonia and finding who was responsible for Liam's death–"

Amalas stops abruptly, a stack of papers held motionless in her hand. Swallowing thickly, she glances up at Olivia. "Liam's death… was an unfortunate result of this damn war."

"Yes, but he was a mediator."

Amalas raises an eyebrow. "Your point?"

Olivia puts her palms flat on the large, ornate wooden desk. "My point is that they always protect political mediators. Liam's location was always highly confidential. No one, and I mean no one knew his whereabouts."

Amalas stacks her document on her desk. Taking a deep, cleansing breath, she leans back in her chair, resting her chin on her palm. "So?"

"That plane was obliterated, Ams. Someone hunted it down and destroyed every last piece of it.”

The queen smirks. “And did you know that Les Combattants de la Liberté are military-trained?”

“But–”

“Military-trained,” Amalas holds up a hand, her words louder.  “Taking out Liam’s aircraft like that?” She shakes her head slowly. “It’s not a huge feat for them. They are literally trained to take out any enemy in the blink of an eye.”

“Ams,” Olivia subtly wipes away a tear before clenching her jaw. “You’re not listening to me.”

Amalas sighs. "Look." She lowers her voice, her eyes finding Olivia’s piercing jades. “Liam was a friend of mine, too, babe.” She bites her lip, turning to a gold picture frame on the corner of her desk.  The photograph hosts a pair of young, bright smiles, she in her lacy white and him looking dapper than ever. A lump forms in Amalas’s throat as she begins to fidget with the gold band that remains on her left finger. “I know when something tragic happens to the ones we love, we want someone to pay for it, as if revenge will somehow heal our loneliness because the grief alone is too heavy–much too heavy for one person to bear–”

“The black box is missing,” Olivia interjects.

Amalas's face slowly falls into a suspicious confusion, her forehead wrinkling. “What?”

“The black box. You know? It’s supposed to record–”

Amalas holds up her hand, “Yeah, yeah, I know. What do you mean it’s missing?”

“I mean it’s never been recovered.”

Amalas’s jaw ticks as she stares at Olivia. Silence consumes the room, save for the ticking of the queen's watch, growing painfully louder by the second. But without warning, intrigue finally blooms across Amalas’s face, and her heart softens to hear Olivia’s request. Justice for Liam. Justice for Cordonia.

The black box is designed to withstand the blistering temperatures of a fire and the crushing impact of the engulfing pressures of the deep. The thought of such precious equipment, of actual recordings of the last moments of that cockpit, of King Liam… if they were actually removed with malicious intent, then Olivia is right. Classified information was leaked, Liam was specifically targeted, and this coup is a lot more dangerous and a lot more in control of this war than projected.

“Well, Ms. Nevrakis, I believe you have my attention.”  

Olivia smirks as she pulls up a chair.  

“Oh!” Amalas stands up from her desk, “I’m sorry. Just… not right now.” She looks at her watch.  “I actually have a very important meeting right now.”

Olivia scoffs. “With who?”

“Oddly enough, I have an important meeting with the Queen of Cordonia.”

A Cheshire grin crawls across Olivia’s face as she opens up her arms as if to present herself as a gift. “Well, oddly enough, the Queen of Cordonia is already in your presence.”  Shock consumes Amalas as her jaw drops open, Olivia snickering under her breath. “You can address me as ‘your majesty,’ Queen Amalas.”

------

"I–I don't know… how to say this," Riley stammers, anxiously pulling at her necklace that held her late husband's rings. 

Drake keeps his gaze locked on her, a pit growing in his stomach. They had said their goodbyes less than three hours ago; what could possibly have changed?

Was it a threat? Was her life being threatened again by the Combattants? No way. This wouldn't warrant the queen of Cordonia herself to board a train in hopes to catch her former royal guard to deliver such a message. Drake would probably get a phone call about it, but as of yesterday, he was relieved from his duties until further notice.

So… what was it?

“Riley?” His voice is gruff, but sincere. Their gazes meet, a vacant sadness in her eyes as she searches his for… something. Strength? Hope? Understanding?

Drake stops her from fidgeting with her jewelry, taking her petite hand into his own large, calloused palm. "It's… it's okay. We don't have to talk about this right now if you don't want to, but I–"

"Drake, I–" Her eyelashes flutter closed as tears course down her pink stained skin. "--I'm so sorry, I–"

"Hey," he hums softly, "shhhh, it's okay." He pulls her closer to his side, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. He gently rubs a thumb over her skin to gently dry her cheeks. "Listen," his voice remains low, soothing. "You have nothing to be sorry about. It's been," he sighs, "a rough couple of months, and… well, no matter what, Brooks, you know I'm here for–"

“I’m pregnant.”

~🖤~

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

~🖤~

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PERMA

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POUR TWO GLASSES

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[choiceswithmika]

The Freshman x The Royal Romance CrossOver Series

Rated: Mature

Word count: 1159

Summary: Will and his friends in Cordonia are being prepared to meet Mikaylyn and her friends.

@choicesficwriterscreations

Chapter 2: The Royal Romance Crew's Point of View

 In Cordonia, having King Will Williams with King Liam Rys along with Hana Lee, Drake Walker, Maxwell Beaumont and everyone else are doing their usual duties and routine. It was a usual day in the kingdom. It was around in the evening time now as things were calming down after a busy day. Will was about to get ready for bed when he got a call from his friend Mikaylyn, Mikaylyn who lives in the states close to New York, not so far from Will's city. Will go ahead answers his call on his phone. 

"Hey Mikaylyn! Is it like 8 pm right now?" Will greeted on call. 

"Yeah! But hey I was wondering.. Is it okay if I could come visit to Cordonia with my husband and friends..? Sumi is there too." Mikaylyn says on the call.

Will was a bit quiet for a second and as hearing the certain news, it took Will a long minute before responding, "Wait wait when did you get married?!" Will says in a shock tone.

On the line, Mikaylyn was a bit surprised before she spoke in a response, "Wait.. You didn't know? Hell.. I even invited you to the wedding.." Mikaylyn says in her soft tone.

There was a pause for a minute as Will checked his emails on his phone then Will spoke, "Uh... I never seem that email.. But I didn't think you would have a wedding without no invitation.." Will says.

"That's funny because I didn't know you were getting married to the king of Cordonia!!" Mikaylyn says dramatically in her voice.

Will was taken a back by Mikaylyn's words and spoke, "Well... I was too busy to tell you!" 

Mikaylyn sounded a bit down but shakes it off, then spoke to change the topic from the wedding instead of clapping back like how she would when she feel disrespected on the line. 

"Will.. I literally texted you 2 hours ago about asking to visit you.." Mikaylyn says softly. 

"Ugh.. whatever I'll check it out, just.. I'll let my husband and friends know that you and your own crew want to come." Will says before ending the call. 

Will shrugs his head as he goes into the bathroom to get ready to call it a night. Will was overthinking about Mikaylyn's words towards him. He is starting to think that maybe this royal thing has taken over his mind that sometimes he forgets that he is still human. Everything was so fast and challenging when he first came into Cordonia. Some nights he even missed being able to enjoy being a normal person like going out with friends, having deep conversations and all the normal human activities. Though Will does not regret being with the love of his life, he's starting to see how it could of affected his friendships with his old friends, Mikaylyn and Sumi has been his friends since high school. They used to be close and talk to them about everything until when getting into the adulthood that it changes. 

_______________________________

A little while later, after Will cools down from the luxery bathroom, Will goes look for Liam around in the castle. It took a short while but he finds Liam writing down papers in the dining room. Will walks towards him and immediately starts speaking from behind. 

"My king.. Can I ask you something?" Will greeted. 

Liam immediately turns his head to focus on Will so he can hear what Will has to ask.

"Of course my love what it is?" Liam ask.

"I was wondering if my.. dear friend Mikaylyn and her friends can come visit us?.." Will ask a bit nervously. 

Liam showed a small smile on his face and answers, "Ah I think that is a lovely idea but uhm my love any reason though?" Liam says.

Will shrugs his shoulders, "She told me that her and her friends want to come.. But.. don't you think this is a good idea that they want to come over and let them get around Cordonia and maybe even.. meet our friends?.." Will suggested. 

"Sounds good to me, can you tell the others while I finish this up?" Liam says.

Will nods his head in response, then as walking back to the bedroom he immediately pull out his phone back from his pocket then immediately started texting the group chat. 

The Group Chat

W: Guys I have some news to share, you all might want to sit down.

M: OOOOHHH NEWSSS

H: What Maxwell meant was- what's this news that you want to share <3

D: I was about to have to my 3rd round of whiskey what do you want. 

M: Three?? oof Man is having a high life crisis

D: You squid fool am not!

O: Anyways. Make the quick Will. I have to finish this training. 

W: ... Anyways.. My friend Mikaylyn just contacted me and she said her and her friends want to come visit us.

D: Finally!! Normal citizens!

H: How excited! I heard about Mikaylyn before but.. who is she?..

M: She sounds great!!!

O: ... You had other friends besides us? And is Liam even aware of this!?

W: Yes Olivia, he's on it. I told him before you guys. And to answer Hana's question Mikaylyn is my old friend from high school and my other friend Sumi too. They don't live that far from New York. 

H: Sounds great ^^ We can even make new friends too. 

M: YAYYYY NEW FRIENDS!!

D: Maxwell shut upp!!

O: Okay. I am cool with that. just let me train now

W: How long do we need to prepare for the visit?

D: Just give us like a week and we should be fine. 

W: Okay, I'll meet up with you guys tomorrow for our set up plan for the visit welcome. 

______________________________________

After a while longer of the text group chat messages, Will turned off his phone and continued to focus on his night routine before heading to bed. 

A week later on a Wednesday Morning, it was a hectic moment where everyone was being prepared for Mikaylyn and her friends go visit. Will is a bit nervous since he has not seen Mikaylyn and Sumi in a long time. Will also did not believe that Mikaylyn was married now, he knew about Zig but didn't think this was happening to see Mikaylyn as a Ortega. Hana was decorating the ball room as Maxwell was gathering the food and drinks. Drake and Liam were talking to each other as preparing doing the greet welcome as Olivia then was organizing her weapons before deciding to help the crew with the area. All morning the whole crew was busy with the preparation, it was a lot of work but in the ballroom, it was filled with fancy streamers, fun balloons and bunch of American's food with usual drinks that happens in the states. Everyone decided for Will and Liam to meet Mikaylyn and her friends by the front. Will takes a deep breath holding Liam's hand as watching the plane landed.

"Here we go.." Will mumbled. 

[ownworldresident]

Side by Side Masterlist (Updated)

Book: The Royal Romance.Premise: With new additions to their family, King Liam and Rayne are forced to re-evaluate their relationship dynamic. Themes: Found family, hurt/comfort, angst, fluff, family. Word Count: 3.2k (ish) per chapter, 18 chapters. 57k. Note: This story started just after TRR3 ended, and has no association with TRH. Master Masterlist Link

Heads up: For those who read the original Side by Side (hi!) many moons ago, in order to write myself out of a corner I have revamped it and altered a lot of things. The older chapters still exist in the Void but the links are no longer on my fic masterlist.

Releasing weekly on Fridays/Saturdays.

Not A Fairy Tale

The Agreement

Legitimate

Resolve

Influence

Parent or Guardian

Challenger - 7.1. Interlude.

Custody

Renewal

Pressure

Last Chance

The Plan

Everything

Instinct

The Calm Before

Loyalties

Family

Side by Side

Current tag list: @tessa-liam @twinkleallnight @umccall71 @kingliam2019 @angelasscribbles @mainstreetreader @malblk21 @queen-arabella-of-cordonia @tinkie1973 @lovingchoices14

Past tag list: @leelee10898 @indiacater @speedyoperarascalparty @brightpinkpeppercorn @riseandshinelittleblossom @bella-ca @custaroonie @thequeenofcronuts @lodberg @kuladekiwi @mfackenthal @carabeth @romanticatheart-posts @blackcoffee85 @whenyourheartskipsabeat @fromthedeskofpaisleybleakmore

[msjr0119]

This life

PART ONE

The majority of characters belong to Pixelberry from The Royal Romance/Heir. This is an A/U - with only parts being linked to canon.

Series warnings ⚠️: Adult language, sexual, adultery, loss of a baby.

Based on the Netflix series- Sex/life. A few parts of dialogue are from the tv series.

Please do not read unless you are over 18 🔞

Tags: Because I’ve been gone MIA in like forever I don’t know who’s here anymore 🙈… so only tagging people who have asked previously.

@ao719 @kingliam2019 @txemrn

Previously: Introduction

****

School psychologists aren't supposed to write books or diaries about sex. Doing so would be considered 'unethical' and 'a fireable offense'. Lucky for you, ethics was never my strong suit.

****

“It’s good to see you, Brooks.”

“It’s Cooper-“ Due to the shock, this was the only thing that Riley could mutter. Finally making eye contact, he gave her the refined look of innocence. “My surname is now, Cooper.”

They say that New York City is one of the worlds best places to take a run. Running was never my forte- I impersonated Phoebe in that one episode of Friends. The emotional pain that I felt in this moment, I’m not sure how many miles my body could suffer before shutting down…

“Riley! Wait!”

****

Olivia Nevrakis was never one to leave the house without looking presentable. Her attire generally consisted of stiletto’s which matched anything that contained sequins. She always used to say that she wore these type of shoes for self defence. In the frantic attempt to catch up with Riley, this one time she accepted that sneakers would have to do.

“Where’s, Riley?” Liam questioned as he scrutinised the unusual appearance from their friend.

“I’m glad I’ve found you- I don’t know. I assumed that she came back here, to you both?”

“What do you mean, Olivia?” There was no need for an explanation- the figure that ambled towards them confirmed the reason behind Riley’s disappearance.

“What the fuck is he doing here?”

“It’s a free country, Linz…. Liam, looking good bro!”

“Listen to what I’m about to say, Drake.. I am not your ‘bro’…” Exaggerating the word ‘bro’, Drake took a big gulp as Liam squared up towards him. “If anything happens to Riley- I will kill you this time!”

“You haven’t got it in you, Li-“ The tension between the two old friends, could have exploded due to the overload of built up anger that had been formed over the years. Olivia ‘sacrificed’ herself, separating them both- as they continued providing death stares. Neither wanted to throw the first fist or insult any further- in that moment there was the realisation that they both wanted the same thing. For Riley to be found- safe. Drake stepped back, and to everybody’s surprise expressed a slight bit of remorse.

“I fucked up, Li. I know that. I regret it each and every day. At least she has Preston to look after her, he’s a lucky guy.”

“Preston is an intelligent and caring….” This slight description stabbed Drake in the heart- if given an opportunity Lindsey would continue to dig the ‘knife’ as revenge for the pain that he had caused her sister. “Preston… he’s… The most an amazing three year old.”

“Excuse me?”

“Preston is my nephew- Riley’s son.” Awareness had finally hit, Drake- he had his wires crossed. Wishing that he hadn’t mentioned Preston, the confirmation of his identity now pulled on his heartstrings. Concealing his true feelings, he nodded to the trio- before leaving without another word.

“Lindsey, Liam- myself and Drake… it’s not what you are both assuming. I would never do that to, Ri. I can explain. It was just bad timing.” Olivia pleaded her innocence- she now knew that the jetlag would have to be put on hold whilst she explained the unexpected return of Drake Walker.

****

January 3rd

Let’s try this again. Drama. Life is always full of it in my case. The life of Riley Brooks. It probably would make more entertainment than the Kardashian’s.

Alcohol acts in crazy ways. It affects people differently. It can make you feel invisible- or at least it did for me tonight. I still can’t remember how I had the energy or knowledge on how to get home safely. Walking up the drive, I noticed my snobby and nosey neighbours- Hannah and Neville peering out the window. My brain was informing me to provide them with the middle finger gesture. Instead I gave a friendly neighbour wave along with the biggest fake smile that I could provide. The curtain soon shut as the pair probably scurried away like the rats that they are. What dickheads. If I know Hannah well, I can predict that she will visit tomorrow with a basket full of freshly baked muffins waiting for the tea to be spilled. The women here believe that they are the real life ‘Desperate Housewives’. Riverside may appear to be a seemingly perfect neighbourhood but like Wisteria Lane - here it more than likely also hides; many secrets, crimes, forbidden romances and domestic struggles.

Betrayal. It can occur in different ways. But you never expect it to happen with people whom you loved. The same two people who you trusted with all your heart once upon a time.

My husband is as gorgeous inside as out. I’ve never once caught him looking at another woman. To be honest, I’ve never caught him in a lie- or had proof to prove any potential deceit. So what’s the problem?

“Honey, where are you?”

“I’m upstairs, Nate.”

“Ri, things have been super crazy at work. You have no idea.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. We’re talking post-merger madness. Everyone is just angling for a position. They are all trying to show off for the new boss, you know.” Katrina- fantastic, little miss perfect Katrina. You can say her name, Nate. “She’s great, she wants to do all the things that I want to do- but on a much larger scale.”

“Wow.” Attempting to show a slight bit of interest, Riley didn’t realise how sarcastic that she may have sounded.

“Yeah, people are swarming- but she sees me. She loves me.” Nate noticed that Riley was in a daze, as she didn’t respond to him immediately. Laying next to her, he planted an attentive kiss on her forehead. “What’s up?”

“Nothing. I just miss you.”

“Excuse me. It’s her.” Acting dumb, Riley knew exactly who was on the other line. It’s a bit late for a work business call. “It’s her, my boss…. I won’t be long, Ri…’Katrina, hey! How are you?’” Laughing during his conversation, Riley couldn’t remember the last time he had laughed like that towards her.

The problem for Katrina, Nate Cooper is married to me. Before I met him, I had been contorted into a high percentage of the positions in the Kama sutra. Shouldn’t we all? There was rich guys, poor guys, tattooed guys, the one night stand guys. Any kind of man. Do I sound like a whore?

“We’ll sit down tomorrow just you and I, to discuss it Kat. See you then, bye.” Kat? Pet names now. The old boss was known as Mr Wilson- not by first name terms.

“Told ya, Ri. She loves me.”

“Who doesn’t?” Riley replied again in a sarcastic type of way.

I bet people often wonder why I married some man who was so straight-laced as to say. Honestly, it’s because of all the past encounters- especially, Walker. My nerves were so shot by the time that I had met Nate. As I’ve said previously I was vulnerable. My heart was riding on fumes- the stability that he offered was a soothing balm. At the time, I wanted us to live for a hundred years and die at the exact same moment to avoid any pain. I hoped that our souls would find each other on the other side- if that truly exists. We could fall in love all over again….I just also want to fuck Nate’s brains out, mainly as a distraction from the impromptu night that I have just had. Is that too much to ask?

****

January 4th

Last night or rather this morning was a complete disaster… When you have the urge to fuck your partner- you need to do it there and then, right? Why is it so hard to both be in the mood at the same time once you are married with kids? The way things are at the moment, I feel I’m like a reborn virgin.

“I’m sorry, I forgot to ask. Ioana mentioned that Liam and Lindsey came over. You should have gone out.”

That supportive look that he provided, was the complete opposite of what he would have really expressed. If he knew the truth, the calmness of his voice would be a different matter. Is he a controlling husband? Maybe. Protective- yes. What he doesn’t understand, is that I need to let my hair down once in a blue moon.

“I wasn’t up to it.”

To prevent my lie from being exposed I turned my phone into ‘Do not disturb’ mode.

“Besides, you’re back now….”

I reach down, making the first move. Faking orgasms- does anyone else do this?

“It’s so good.”

“Sorry, Ri- I can’t…. I’m too tired.”

Drake would never do that. He would see to all my needs. Why am I comparing them?

“Pass me the vibrator.”

It’s been nearly two years since Nate went down on me for example. I grew an entire human being in my body in half of that time.

“For fuck sake!”

I feel like screaming, due to the frustration of not only Nate ‘dying’ on me but now B.O.B does it too.

“Fuck it.”

After a slight yawn followed by a stretch, Nate snuggled into Riley-completely oblivious to his wife’s dissatisfaction. “Night baby.”

It wasn’t always like this. As much as children are a blessing- is this the reason that explains the loss of Nate’s libido or is it truly down to his work load? The passion we had has now declined, faded into something that is now virtually non existent. This must be the definition of growing up; getting married and living the family routine with a waning passion. Now I’m starving. Internally screaming at him from inside my mind trying to make us feel - something. Love is a drug, that’s what they say- right? Adrenaline. I can get that feeling again, every time I close my eyes - going back to any one of those nights in the past- I feel it. It’s not some allusive high that I’m chasing- it is - or was, real. That was the other Riley Brooks- the true, me. A wild-child. How can a girl fuck up with every relationship? I don’t know how I manage to do it? Maybe I should have worked on my brief relationship with Liam- my now brother in law. But, that’s a different story which included a poor teenage waitress in a dive bar and Lady Liberty.

****

January 5th

For this entry, I cannot allow for it to be discovered by Nate.

Deceit- the act or practice of deceiving; concealment or distortion of the truth for the purpose of misleading; duplicity; fraud; cheating. For me, today is just not informing my husband about the full truth. It’s in my past and something that I don’t like to ponder about. I’m still living through this nightmare behind closed doors. If he was ever to ask the reasoning behind this date- I have Lindsey as ‘my excuse’. We have previously had a discussion - to get our stories straight if Nate was ever to discover the true events about this day. The fifth of January always creeps up, then it’s gone in an instant- until it reappears each year.

****

Slowly walking up the path, there was the sense of tranquility. Silent neighbours. The slight wind enabled the tree branches to sway in sync.

“Hey, Linz”

“About fucking time, Riley! I’ve been worried sick about you! Are you okay? I’ve tried ringing you-“

“I’ve had no missed-“ Riley soon remembered that she hadn’t deactivated the ‘Do Not Disurb’ mode on her phone.

“I’m fine- I just… every year, we always meet here at the same time. Where are you? Why have you put flowers down without me?”

“That’s what I’m trying to explain, I’m stuck in traffic. I’ve rang you a few times mainly about the delay but also to discuss about you leaving the other night without telling us.”

“Linz, if you didn’t put these flowers here- who did?”

“Riley-“

“Linz, I’ll ring you back.” Sensing company, Riley focused on the shadow hovering over her.

“There’s a bunch of New York’s finest flowers from, Olivia. She wasn’t sure if you wanted to see her or not as you haven’t returned any of her calls. So I offered to bring them…. It’s been too long since I’ve been here, myself.”

The callused hand gently removed the crinkly yet rusty coloured leaves that floated effortlessly in-front of them.

“The teddy is a gift from me. I hope that you don’t mind?”

Reaching out to the bear, Riley pulled it close to her chest- holding it tightly, it felt to her as if the world had just crashed. Again. The defence mechanisms that she would usually excel in, were now paper thin. Before she could have reacted, his hands gently drew her closer towards him as he knelt down to her level.

“Please…. Don’t touch me. I’m fine.”

The heat from this touch rapidly creeps into my consciousness - needing to pull away, I couldn’t. It’s like a magnet, drawing us closer- unable to separate this unexpected bond. Pulling his head back, he ran his hand through my hair before gently wiping away the tears that were now everlasting.

“You clearly aren’t fine, which is understandable. If you want me to go, I will.”

As I sink further into his torso attempting to hide my emotions, I inhale his aftershave- which has now sent me into a coma. My heart and brain have different scenarios imaged in my mind. What am I doing?

“You have a right to be here as much anyone- Drake.”

- - -

Jackson

Our sleeping angel

01/05/2014

Sweet little flower

Of heavenly birth

You were too precious

To bloom on earth

Love you always, Mommy and Daddy xxx

[choicesficwriterscreations]

Sunday Six #3

Sunday Six 4/9/23

Sometimes a story takes hold of me and I write it like crazy. That's when you get chapters often, sometimes even daily.

Other times, no one story pulls my attention and instead, I jump back and forth, here and there, writing a few paragraphs at a time on multiple stories. It takes longer to get something out, but more stories are getting worked on so there's that.

When I haven't posted in a hot minute, but have multiple things in progress is when you get a Sunday Six so here it is!

The Royal Romance Fan Fiction

Spoilers are under the cut

Bad Parenting Chapter 3:

“Well, however, it happened, you’re lucky.” Leo shoved his hands in his pockets with a sigh.

“I thought you enjoyed being an international playboy with no responsibilities,” Liam gave him an appraising look.

“I did,” Leo shrugged, “It’s getting old now and I feel like I’ve failed at every relationship I’ve actually tried to have.”

“You’re talking about Katie and Liv, right?”

“Right.”

“You still have feelings for her?” Liam asked. He didn’t have to specify whom he meant. They both knew who had maintained a hold on his heart all these years.

Dark Elf Chapter 5:

Hana Lee, the beautiful and quiet lady from Shanghai, made her way into the formal dining room on the arm of Rashad Faheem, one of her father’s business associates.

Her parents had sent her to Cordonia, her mother’s homeland, for the social season. Their objective was simple but clear. Find a husband. A suitable one.

One failed engagement behind her meant that her prospects were limited among her parent’s social circle. She hated her parent’s social circle. It was traditional, outdated, male-dominated, and suffocating.

She didn’t want a husband.

Ever.

Her eyes slid across the table to the woman by the side of the younger prince.

In Your Room (Dreo) Chapter 7:

“What’s the point, Leo?” Drake asked as he stood and started pulling his pants back on, “You’re going to have to pick a wife soon. Of course he’s pushing you, you still haven’t told him about us!”

“Because he won’t understand and he won’t care!” Leo protested.

Because he might send you away if he knew.

Anything that stood between King Constantine Rys and what he wanted was an obstacle to be dealt with and nothing more. His son’s feelings certainly weren’t going to factor into anything. Cordonia was what mattered. Leo could hear him now.

Sacrifices must be made for the greater good, son. A king is not allowed personal indulgences. Emotions are a thing to be controlled, or else you’ll be easily manipulated by crown chasers and sycophants. Your feelings have no place in governance. A strong ruler is not ruled by emotion.

“So, what are we even doing then?” Drake asked bitterly as he pulled his shirt on.

Heir Apparent Chapter 20:

She pulled her hand out of his and her body jerked away from him as hurt and anger bubbled up in her heart, “You want to see other people?”

“What? No!” panic swept through him as he tried to explain, “It’s not for me, it’s for you!”

“What do you mean? You’re not making any sense! You want me to see other people?”

“Only if you want to…”

Leo & Liv Chapter 7:

One morning, Liam pulled his bedroom door open to find Leo lounging against the wall in the hallway across from his door.

He tried to close it, but Leo was faster than he looked.

“Why are you avoiding me?” Leo asked as he pushed his way into the room.

“I…what?” Liam shook his head in denial, “I’m not avoiding you!”

“Yes, you are. I haven’t seen you in a week!”

“I’ve been busy-“

“Doing what?” Leo demanded.

Savage Love Chapter 31:

“You’re working on the assumption that Rico thinks this is just another undercover assignment, like any other.”

“Yes…” I turned my head to look at him, “What else would he think?”

“He did find you here, what if he knows this is your real identity?”

The bottom fell out of my stomach, “No!”

Liam already had his phone in his hand dialing, “I’m calling your father right now, don’t worry!”

The De Facto Queen Chapter 2:

“Why is everyone here? Are we having a sleepover?” she quipped then her eyes widened as they darted from Drake to Liam. Earlier events with Liam made that joke hit differently and she flushed as she caught his eye.

Liam chuckled softly, “No such luck.”

No one but her seemed to read anything into that. Thankfully.

“Why are we all here?” she asked again.

American Girl Chapter 5:

“Riley, wait!”

He jogged back over, swept her into his arms, and kissed her.

@nestledonthaveone  @karahalloway  @tessa-liam  @belencha77 @lovingchoices14

@21-wishes @secretaryunpaid @lunaseasblog  @princessleac1 @bebepac

@emersyn-in-cordonia @walkerdrakewalker @73geenalove  @sillydg @twinkle-320

@queen-arabella-of-cordonia @tinkie1973 @differenttyphoonwerewolf @jared2612 @mainstreetreader

@amandablink @harleybeaumont  @xpandass420x @ladyangel70 @twinkleallnight

@dcbbw  @indiacater @queenmiarys @phoenixrising0308 @gabesmommie1130

@kingliam2019 @3pawandme @bascmve01 @hollygirl1269  @ohmyeightpastlives

@gardeningourmet

@choicesficwriterscreations

[tessa-liam]

Turning the Page

Chapter 15 

_Bridge of Dreams_ 

Choices, The Royal Romance, The Royal Heir AU 

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

Turning the Page Series Masterlist, My Complete Masterlist 

Main pairing: Liam Rys x F!OC Riley Brooks

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

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

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

Bridge of Dreams

Chapter 15 

Chapter Summary: Liam and Riley revisit the Pont des Arts, ‘Lovelock Bridge” in Paris, France. Olivia begins a relationship with Damien Nazario. William enjoys his first camping trip with Uncles Drake and Maxwell & Bartie

Music Inspiration: I Won’t Give Up, Jason Mraz 

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

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

Santorini, Greece 

Rubbing away the fog off the bathroom mirror after his hot shower, Damien Nazario could now see his reflection to shave. After waking from a rejuvenating sleep, his plans included enjoying the white sand beaches that were here in Santorini and maybe some sightseeing on the island. He was afforded a couple of free days of relaxation to enjoy the beaches of Santorini by King Liam before he was to return to his duties of guarding the young crown prince in Cordonia. 

...and he was determined to enjoy this free time. Damien finished shaving and splashed water on his face. He felt refreshed and energized, ready to take on the day. 

He grabbed a towel and dried his face. Then, he headed into the bedroom to get dressed. 

 Damien padded slowly into the bedroom of her hotel suite and grinned. 

He had every intention of enjoying his time with his fiery red-haired companion, whom he shared a bed with after the wedding festivities ended. 

After Olivia invited him to extend the celebration in her hotel room -- which he accepted without hesitation -- they spent the night in each other's arms, exploring their desires. It had been a while since he had been with a woman, and even longer since he had been with a woman like Duchess Olivia. She was confident, intelligent, and beautiful. And she knew how to please a man. 

Ever since the first day they were introduced, he found himself drawn to her and intrigued by her personality. 

Damien had to admit, the redhead was very sexy, and it wasn't just her appearance. It was also the way she carried herself and the way she spoke. Her confidence of knowing exactly what she wanted and was not afraid to go after it. 

The way she spoke so eloquently and with such passion was very arousing. He loved the way her eyes lit up when she talked about something she was interested in; her intellect apparent. 

He was intrigued by her confidence and her ability to be assertive. Most women would shy away from taking charge, but not Olivia. She was bold and unafraid to express her feelings. He found that to be incredibly attractive and erotic. 

Damien smiled, biting his top lip as he thought about the previous night and all the things they did. They had made love until the early hours of the morning leaving them both exhausted but satisfied. 

Olivia was already up and dressed, sitting on the bed. She was wearing a pale coral sundress that complimented her skin tone, and her red hair was pulled back into a loose chignon. 

"Good morning," Damien said as he approached her. 

"Good morning," Olivia replied coyly, a smile playing on her lips. 

Damien leaned down and kissed her, his hand cupping her cheek. He couldn't resist pulling her close, inhaling her sweet scent. 

"I was wondering if you would like to join me on the beach today," Damien suggested, his fingers brushing a stray hair away from her face. 

"Actually, I was planning on returning to Cordonia today." 

"Why so soon?" Damien asked, slightly disappointed. 

"I have important business to attend to." 

"Is everything okay?" 

"Everything's fine," Olivia reassured him, placing her hand on his chest. "I just need to get back to work." 

"Of course," Damien nodded. "But you still have the day free before your flight". 

"True," Olivia agreed. "I suppose we could spend a few more hours together." 

"Excellent," Damien smiled, his brown eyes twinkling. "Would you like to have breakfast first?" 

"Actually, I have a better idea," Olivia said, her voice low and seductive. 

"What do you have in mind?" 

Olivia smirked, her green eyes darkening with desire. "Why don't you come back to bed?" 

"Now that sounds like a perfect plan." 

Damien's mouth curved into a grin as he gently pushed her back and joined her back in bed. 

As she looked out the 18th floor window, Riley could see the Seine River winding its way through the city. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. 

The Suite Impériale at the Ritz, Paris, France 

This is it. 

Riley knew that she would have to relive the bittersweet memories from the engagement tour. It would be hard, but she knew that it would also be cathartic. She needed this. 

She needed to let go of the past. 

She turned and looked at herself in the full-length mirror. She was wearing a flowing, white sundress that hugged her curves in all the right places. Her hair was falling softly onto her shoulders, and her makeup was simple and elegant. 

She was ready. 

She slipped on a pair of white sandals and made her way down to the lobby. Liam was meeting her at their spot once he finished his meeting with the French president and he should be there momentarily. 

When Riley stepped outside, the sun was shining, and the sky was a brilliant blue. 

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh air, trying to calm her jitters. 

As Riley made her way along the Seine, she could not help but think about the last time she was here. 

It was a day she would never forget. 

The day she and Liam placed that small gold lock on the bridge. 

It was the day they declared their love for each other and sealed it with a kiss. 

Riley sighed, remembering how happy she was that day. How hopeful. 

She had been so naïve. 

Tariq was never found and the scandal lived on. Liam would abide by his duty and marry Madeleine, making her his queen. 

As Riley rounded the corner, she could see the bridge coming into view. 

Her heart started to race, and her palms became sweaty. She felt her tears travel down her cheeks. 

She was nervous. 

She didn't know what to expect or why Liam was so insistent on revisiting this exact spot. 

Riley reached the bridge and stopped. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. 

She was ready. 

The memories came flooding back. 

'You spot Liam leaning against a stone railing overlooking the Seine. His expression is clouded, but when he hears you approach, he breaks into a smile. 

"Riley!"' 

"Liam. You are a sight for sore eyes." 

Liam chuckles. "That's my line." 

He pushes himself off the railing and takes a few steps forward, closing the distance. 

'"I wasn't sure you'd come."'

He wraps you in a tight embrace, resting his head against your shoulder. You feel his chest heave with a sigh.  

"After the bachelor party, I found Maxwell and he filled me in on your ... mission earlier." 

To think that Bastien helped set you up ..." 

Liam nods. "It's ... shocking, yes, but ... I think it might have been a blessing in disguise." 

"How so?" 

Liam pulls away and smiles. "If we hadn't been interrupted, I may not have had the opportunity to spend the evening with you. And as much as I love spending time with my friends, being with you was ... a much-needed escape." 

"I wasn't sure if we should risk coming here. If the person behind this is so powerful that Bastien is afraid of them ..., are we really safe? I don't know how deeply this goes or who we can trust. All I know is that I couldn't bear it if something happened to you. The only way to keep you safe might be for us to leave. Permanently." 

Liam smiled sadly, I remember asking you, saying, 

"We could ... we could go anywhere. Anywhere in the world. Where do you want to go?" 

"You're joking, right? We can't leave Cordonia." 

"No, we can. We'll just go somewhere no one will ever find us. We can live in peace and happiness together." 

"We could have a family. We could be happy." 

"Liam ... no. No matter how tempting that sounds ...  

"You can't abandon Cordonia." 

His shoulders slump. "I know that. But if you asked me to, I would. In an instant." 

"I could never ask you that. Your people need an honest King now more than ever. And the Liam I know would never leave them behind. 

Liam tenderly takes your hands in his. 

"We will get through this, Riley. We have to. I refuse to believe otherwise." 

He lifts one of your hands and kisses the back of it, his eyes never leaving yours. 

"We'll find a way. Together." 

Liam pulls you close and kisses you, his arms wrapping around you tightly. 

After a moment, he breaks the kiss and rests his forehead against yours. 

"I promise." 

"I won't give up on you, or us." 

"Nor will I." 

"Thank you, Riley for not letting my fears get the better of me." 

Liam steps back and holds out his arm to you. 

"Now, shall we continue our walk? 

"I'd love that, Liam." 

The two of you start walking down the bridge, hand-in-hand. 

"You know, Riley, there's one good thing about this whole Tariq situation." 

"And what's that?" 

"It's made me realize how lucky I am to have someone like you by my side. You're strong, kind, compassionate, and so much more. I love you, and I'm so grateful that you're a part of my life." 

Liam gives you a small smile. 

"Thank you, Liam." 

"For what?" 

"For always knowing the right thing to say." 

"Well, I try," Liam says with a smirk. 

"I know it's hard. But no matter what happens, at least we'll face it together." 

At this, Riley gets very emotional, thinking that by leaving him when she found out she was pregnant, she betrayed him. 

Riley was lost in thought as she walked, the sun beating down on her shoulders. It had been a long journey, and she was still processing everything that had happened. 

She thought about her decision to leave, and how it had affected Liam. 

She thought about William, and how she faced the challenge of being a single parent. 

The guilt was overwhelming. 

She knew she had made the right decision at the time, but she couldn't help but regret the pain she had caused Liam. 

She had left without a word, without a trace. 

And while she was certain that the time away had been necessary, she couldn't help but feel like she had let him down. 

Joining Liam at the railing they both gaze across the river. The streets around them are practically empty, though many lights still glitter on the water. 

It's so quiet. It feels almost like a dream. Like they're the only ones in the city. 

Liam puts his arm around Riley's shoulders and pulls her close. 

"Love, you look ... you look like you are miles away from here.

Penny tor your thoughts?"

"Liam. Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course ... anything, Riley."

Taking a shaky breath, speaking in a very small voice,

"After you married Madeleine, did ... did you ever grow feelings for her? When I left?"

Liam took a deep breath and sighed. He knew Riley wanted him to; needed him to be truthful.

"Madeleine and I, well, we grew fond of one another. As friends; but, nothing more."

A tear slipped down Riley's cheek, but Liam quickly rubbed it away.

"Our arrangement was that we would marry, have children, and rule Cordonia together. However, as time went on, I ... we both realized that we were never going to love each other. We would be nothing more than friends." 

Nodding her head, her eyes were locked onto the floor. She was trying to hold herself together.

"Madeleine did try, at first, to seduce me. She was quite insistent on producing an heir, but I couldn't bring myself to bed her. Cordonia be damned." 

Liam placed his hands on Riley's cheeks, cradling her head as she cried.

"I knew that, as long as you were out there, somewhere, I would always be yours. I couldn't move on." 

"I'm so, so sorry," she said. "I don't know if I'll ever stop feeling guilty for what happened." 

"Don't," he said, shaking his head. "It wasn't your fault. It was my choice. I had a responsibility to Cordonia, and I had a duty to the Crown. I knew what I was getting into when I married Madeleine." 

"You didn't have a choice," she whispered. 

"Neither did you," he replied. 

Riley sighed, her eyes filled with tears, looking up to the sky. 

"The night when William was born ... I was so happy. But you weren't mine. you belonged to someone else. It killed me ... that I ran and took your son away."

"Riley," Liam said softly, taking her hand. 

Riley pursed her lips, and began...

"Riley," he said tenderly, cupping her cheek. 

"Liam, when William was born, I was ecstatic. But then, when I held him for the first time, and he looked up at me ... I couldn't help but think that you should have been there, too. That he should have had his father with him, on the day he was born. And I just couldn't stop thinking about how I had left you behind, and that it was all my fault." 

"Riley," he said again, pulling her into his arms. "You were the one who was abandoned, Riley. Not me. I understand why you did what you did. It wasn't your fault." 

"Liam ..." 

"Riley, I know how difficult it was for you. How painful. But I am so glad that you found the strength to return to me, and with our son. You are a wonderful mother, and I can't imagine my life without you and William in it."

"I love you, Liam,"her lip quivering. 

"And I love you, Riley," he replied. "More Than you will ever know."

"Always," she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder. 

"Always, my love." 

The two of them stood there, watching the sun set over the water, holding each other close. 

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"  Liam turned to kiss Riley's forehead.

"Yes. It is." 

Liam looks down and smiled. "I have a surprise for you." 

Leading Riley further along the bridge she sees a wicker basket sitting on the paving stones. Liam pulls a small blanket from the basket and spreads it out. As she settled down on the blanket, Liam pulled a bottle of champagne from the basket, followed by two flutes, a loaf of crisp bread, and several rounds of cheese. 

Riley smiled. "Wow, Liam. This is quite the spread. And very familiar." 

Liam deftly pops the cork and pours two glasses of champagne. He hands one to Riley, and then raises his own. 

"To you, Riley. The most unforgettable woman I've ever met." 

"To you, Liam. Meeting you changed my life. But out of all the places I've been and the things I've done since then, the best part has been getting to know you." 

"That's more of a toast than I deserve, Riley, but, thank you." 

Clinking glasss they each take a sip. There is a faint hint of mint and lemon to the cool, bubbly drink. 

"Liam, how long have you been planning this?"

"A few days." 

Riley sips her champagne. The sweet and bubbly alcohol is warming. 

"How did you manage to sneak a whole picnic out here without anyone seeing you?" 

Liam chuckles. "A king can do many things." 

"Like bribe the French palace staff?" 

Liam laughs. "Perhaps. But no, I was simply able to utilize my authority. And I can assure you, no one will disturb us. This bridge is closed to traffic." 

Riley looked up at him, incredulous. "How did you manage that?" 

"With great difficulty." Liam winks mischievously. 

She raised her eyebrows. 

"I have connections," Liam says with a smirk. 

"So, you pulled some strings, and now we have a private bridge all to ourselves?" 

"Indeed." Liam responds sheepishly.

Riley took another sip of champagne. "I must say, this is quite impressive." 

"I thought it would be nice to have a moment alone together, away from prying eyes and listening ears."

"I'm glad you did."  Riley giggled.

"Good," Liam says, pouring more champagne into her glass. 

"So, what do we have here?" 

"Well, we have champagne, of course," Liam says, motioning to the bottle. "And then we have some delicious cheese, courtesy of France. And a fresh baguette, still warm from the bakery." 

"This is amazing, Liam. Thank you." 

"It's my pleasure, Riley." 

Once the food is gone and the blanket and glasses are put away, Liam takes the basket under one arm and offers you the other.  

"I believe tradition requires that we continue our evening with a stroll, my lady." 

As Liam and Riley walked along the Seine, more and more locks could be seen hooked through the railing.

As she looked down at the locks, Riley couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness in her heart. 

They were symbols of love and hope and somewhere in the sea of locks, Riley knew their lock was still locked in place. She bent down to take a closer look.

A reminder her of a time she had tried so hard to forget. 

...Remember When... 

"Thank you, Riley. With so little permanence in this world, there will always be this little lock on this bridge just for the two of us. I want to believe it will be here forever, no matter what else happens to us." 

Riley's eyes filled with tears with this memory from years ago.   

"Riley, my love..." 

Wiping her tears she stood and turned ...and gasped --as she watched Liam drop down onto one knee before her. 

"Liam?" 

"Riley, you are my heart and soul. You're the reason I wake up every morning. You're the reason I smile. I cannot imagine a life without you by my side. You've stood beside me through the hardest moments of my life, and you've never once wavered. You've given me the strength to face my fears, and you've shown me that true love can conquer anything. I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you." 

He opened his hand, and she saw a small, black velvet box sitting on his palm. 

"Liam ..." 

With steady hands, he opened the box to reveal a stunning diamond engagement ring. 

"Riley Louise, will you marry me?" 

"Yes!" She exclaimed. "Yes! ... A thousand times, yes!" 

"Really?" 

"Of course," she tearfully replied. 

Liam beamed as he slid the ring onto her finger. 

"I love you, Riley." 

"I love you too, Liam." 

Tears ran down her cheeks as she leaned forward, kissing him passionately. 

She was his. 

Forever. 

As they kissed, her heart was bursting with joy. 

This was the happiest moment of her life. 

They stood on the bridge for what felt like hours, locked in each other's arms. 

"So, we're really going to do this, huh?"  Liam looked intentedly at Riley, trying to stop his smile.

"What, get married?"  Riley giggled.

"Yeah," he said. "It seems crazy, but I've never been surer of anything."  Liam started to kiss down the side of her neck, pausing to gently nip her skin.

"Ohhhhh .... me neither."  Riley moaned as he squeezed her ass pulling her flush against him.

"Let's get out of here," he growled, leading Riley back to the hotel.

Fontainebleau cliff (outside Paris)

At Maxwell’s request, William, along with his nephew Bartie was joining Drake for a camping trip outside of the city...on the condition that Bastien would be included...at Liam's insistence.

"This is going to be great," Maxwell said. "I can't wait for a boys' night." 

After a few hours of driving, and a long hike later ... Maxwell, Drake, William, Bartie and Bastien arrive at a cliff overlooking the lake. 

Maxwell sets his backpack down. "All right, guys. Let's make camp." 

"I thought you said we were going camping," Bartie says. 

"This is camping," Maxwell replies. 

"No, this is a cliff. There are no trees or tents or anything." 

"We're in the middle of nature. What more do you need?" 

"Um, a place to sleep?"  Bartie replies dryly.

"I got that covered," Drake says, pulling a bundle of canvas from his backpack. He unfolds the fabric, revealing a large tent. 

"You brought a tent?" Maxwell asks. 

"Of course. What did you think we were going to do, sleep under the stars?" 

"Well, yeah."  Maxwell answered.

Drake shook his head, thinking it was a good idea to teach these nobles a thing of two about camping.

"No way. That's how you get eaten by bears." 

William looked up at Bastien, questioningly. 

"Don't worry, William," Bastien says. "I have an excellent track record for keeping the royal family safe from bears." 

"Okay, everyone. Let's get this tent set up," Drake rolled his eyes knowing he had to take the lead. 

With the tent secured, the group thrn gathered wood to start a fire. 

"Now, we can finally start having fun," Maxwell says. 

"First things, first... who is hungry?" 

William and Bartie look up at Drake.

"We are," they reply in unison. 

"Who wants s'mores?" Drake grins. 

"Yum," William exclaims. 

"I don't know what that is, but I'm in," Bartie adds. 

"S'mores are a camping classic. They're made with marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers. I guess your father hasn't taken you camping yet?" Drake shakes his head at Bartie.

"Ha, too funny!" Maxwell laughs. "Drake is an expert on s'mores." 

"What do you mean?" William asks. 

"Well," Maxwell begins. "S'mores are the only food that your uncle Drake can make. So, when we go camping, we have a lot of them." 

"That's not true," Drake scoffs. "I can cook other things, too. Like, hot dogs. And hamburgers." 

"You heat those things up. That doesn't count," Maxwell argues. 

"Okay, fine. But I can make a mean cup of coffee over the fire." 

"That's true," Maxwell admits. "But you still can't cook anything else." 

"Whatever," Drake says, rolling his eyes. 

The group laughs as they begin to roast their marshmallows over the crackling fire. 

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

@choicesficwriterscreations

[camillemontespan]

insignificant [drake x camille]

I thought I'd write a Drake x Camille fic after months and months of no writing. This is old school Drake x Camille. It felt nice writing them again!

@irisk12

@sophxwithers

@katedrakeohd

@mom2000aggie

@kingliam2019

@saivilo

@moonlightgem7

@jovialyouthmusic

@burnsoslow

@sirbeepsalot

*********

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

‘I am dreading this, Drake,’ Camille groaned. ‘Why does it have to be a whole weekend?’

Drake Walker let out an exasperated sigh. ‘Because Olivia is an asshole, that’s why.’ 

The two of them were trudging through the snow behind the group. Liam, Hana and Maxwell were ahead, all laughing and joking. It was Drake and Camille, the two unwilling participants, at the back. 

They were spending the weekend at Olivia's castle in Lythikos as part of the suitor competition. Camille had never been before and so far, she was out of her comfort zone. New York had cold, bitter winters, yes. But Lythikos was another level.

‘She hates me,’ Camille continued, stomping her way through the heavy snow. ‘I know all the suitors have to do this but I just feel like she’s going to make my weekend a living hell.’ 

‘Welcome to my life, Montespan,’ Drake said through gritted teeth. ‘Everyday with Olivia Nevrakis is like Groundhog Day.’

‘Oh, are you Bill Murray?’ Camille quipped, her tone lightly teasing. 

Drake stopped in his tracks and gave her a withering look. ‘Hey. I am obviously Andie MacDowall.’

Camille burst out laughing. Drake felt his heart skip a beat at the sound. He liked making her laugh even though he shouldn’t. 

Stop it. Stop enjoying this. 

‘Alright, come on Andie,’ Camille crowed, taking Drake by the arm and pulling him along. ‘We should catch up with the others.’

‘Oh joy..’ Drake muttered. 

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

Lythikos Keep was a fortress of solitude.That was all Drake could say about it. Most people would say it was a medieval castle that held centuries of rich Cordonian history within its walls but for Drake, it was as cold and empty as the woman who lived in it. 

Olivia Neverakis was very tall and slender with skin like porcelain. Her red hair hung down her back in waves and her eyes were blue and catlike. Everything about her was intimidating and that was exactly how she liked it. 

She showed the group to their respective bedrooms, leaving Drake and Camille until last. 

Hana, Maxwell, Kiara and Penelope were to stay on the fifth floor. Madeline and Liam were to stay on Olivia’s floor which occupied the top of the castle. 

 Drake was expecting to be housed in the dungeon but clearly, Liam had spoken to Olivia before she had any ideas. His bedroom was on the third floor opposite Camille’s. 

‘I thought the two Americans would like to be near each other,’ Olivia explained, her eyes focusing on Drake. ‘Since you have more in common.’

Camille frowned. ‘Olivia, that’s not fair on Drake, he’s Liam’s best friend-’

‘It’s fine,’ Drake interrupted. ‘I’m used to Olivia’s hospitality.’  He cast a glance over at Camille, who was clenching her hands into fists.  ‘That doesn’t mean you should put up with it though.’

Camille looked up at Drake. ‘Drake, you shouldn’t be putting up with it either.’ 

Olivia’s eyes flashed. ‘Are you insulting my hospitality, Camille? If you like, you can stay in the dungeon. I can easily ask my servants to move your things-’

‘Don’t talk to her that way,’ Drake cut in, his voice like ice. 

Olivia raised an eyebrow. ‘You’re awfully protective over her, Drake. Anything to tell me?’

Drake’s chest puffed out as he stared at Olivia with narrowed eyes.

He had grown up with her and he knew how she worked. Everything to Olivia was a game and she always had to come out on top.

Her one weakness was Liam. 

Everyone knew she was in love with him, including Liam himself. But she would never have him. ‘The she-wolf of Lythikos’ was what some people called her and Drake didn’t blame them. 

‘I’m just saying that since it's her first visit here, she should be near her friends,’ Drake bit back. ‘That’s all.’

‘Drake, we’re friends!’ Camille protested. ‘We can be hall mates.’

Olivia rolled her eyes. ‘God, you’re so.. Peppy. Right, wine and cheese downstairs in fifteen minutes. Don’t be late.’ 

‘Whereabouts downstairs do we meet you…?’ Camille asked but trailed off as Olivia was already strutting away down the corridor. 

Camille sighed and rolled her eyes. ‘Fine, we’ll just find our own way through this fortress of solitude then..’ 

Drake held back a smile as he picked up her suitcases  - yes, she had brought two suitcases for one weekend. ‘Come on, Montespan,’ he said, ‘open the door.’ 

Camille blushed. ‘I can carry my own things, Drake.’

‘I know,’ he said, ‘but since hospitality is at such a low bar, I figured I should at least help you.’

Camille giggled and opened the door to let them both inside. 

Drake put her suitcases down on the floor and turned to face Camille. ‘So, meet you in the corridor in fifteen minutes?’ 

Camille gave him a mischievous look. Drake looked at her warily. He knew that look already. He'd seen it whenever she shared a dirty joke with Maxwell or gossiped with Hana. 

‘What the hell are you planning, Montespan?’

Camille reached into her handbag and brought out a hipflask. ‘Fancy some whisky?’

Drake blinked, staring at the hip flask in her hand. She shook it so the liquid sloshed inside, full of promise.

‘Hell yeah,’ Drake finally said, his voice coming out like a croak. 

Camille grinned and opened the hip flask. She passed him it and as he took it, their fingers brushed gently. 

Drake tossed his head back as he took a long sip. The whisky burned his throat. God, it tasted good.  He passed her the hip flask back and she took a swig, not once tearing her eyes off his. Drake stared at her, his eyes boring into hers. 

‘You surprise me, Montespan..’ he murmured.

Camille shrugged, giving him a shy smile. ‘Let’s stick together this weekend,’ she said softly. 

Drake took the hip flask from her and sipped from it again

I’ve got you, kid.’

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

Drake didn't like wine. 

Tonight's event was wine tasting, canapes and cheeseboards which Drake also didn't like. A cheeseboard was NOT a dessert option! 

He stood beside Liam as they sipped red wine from crystal glasses. 

‘I appreciate you coming here, Drake,’ Liam told him warmly. ‘It’s nice to see you being social.’ 

Drake grimaced. ‘Someone’s gotta look out for Montespan.’ 

Liam looked from Drake to where Camille was sitting talking to Hana and Maxwell, as she always did. ‘Looks like Hana and Maxwell look out for her too,’ he replied wistfully. 

Drake swallowed and took a long sip of his wine. He always had to be careful with what he said in front of Liam. He couldn’t let Liam have an inkling that Drake sort of, maybe, kind of liked Camille. 

It was fine though. It was just a small crush. He could push it down and then he would get over it. 

Drake watched Camille as she talked to Hana and Maxwell. She was focusing on what Maxwell was saying, her eyes trained on him, smiling as he continued speaking. When Camille spoke to you, she made you feel like the only person in the world. 

It was just a crush. 

***********

Later that evening, the group settled down by the fire for drinks. Olivia made sure that she sat beside Liam, giving him her utmost attention. 

Camille settled down beside Drake. Their legs grazed as she moved beside him, making Drake feel like he was on fire. 

Or maybe that was just the fire beside him. 

‘Having a nice time?’ she asked softly, giving his shoulder a nudge with hers. 

‘Now I am,’ Drake said before he could stop himself. He turned bright red as soon as he said it. 

Camille smiled. ‘Good, I’m glad.’ 

Their eyes held for a long moment until the sound of Olivia clearing her throat broke their gazes. 

‘So Drake..’ Olivia said, her voice wheedling. ‘How’s Savannah?’ 

Drake felt his blood run cold. He hadn’t been expecting to hear his sister’s name ever since she had disappeared. Savannah had tried so hard to fit in with Olivia and Madeleine but it had never been enough. She had been gone for ten months and Drake had no idea where she was. 

‘None of your business, Olivia,’ Drake muttered. 

‘Charming!’ Madeleine cut in, her voice lilting. ‘You going to let him talk to you like that, Livvy?’

Olivia narrowed her eyes at Drake as she held her wine glass in her hand. ‘No I’m not. Watch how you talk to me, Walker. You’re a guest at my castle this weekend, I demand respect. I know that’s hard for you but this weekend, just try it.’

‘Liv, enough..’ Liam muttered. ‘Please just be nice-’

‘I am being nice,’ Olivia interrupted. ‘I’m asking him about Savannah.’

‘And I’m telling you it’s none of your business,’ Drake said cooly. 

‘Who’s Savannah?’ Camille asked. 

Drake closed his eyes. He hadn’t told Camille about his sister. He hadn’t wanted to open up like that. Unburdening himself seemed like more trouble than it was worth. 

‘His sister, of course!’ Madeleine said. ‘Come on, Camille, you’ve been spending so much time with Drake, you didn’t know about her?’

Camille frowned and looked down at her wine glass. ‘No..’ she said quietly. 

‘Wow, I guess the two Americans don’t really know each other after all,’ Olivia quipped, running her finger along her wine glass. 

Drake stood up abruptly. Without a word, he slammed his wine glass down on the table and strode away from the sofa area. He pulled open the French doors that led outside. He needed air. He needed to get away from this situation. 

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

As soon as Drake stepped outside, he realised that he hadn’t taken his coat or scarf. It was fucking freezing. Snow covered the ground and it was still falling. 

‘Fuck it,’ Drake muttered. He strode through the snow, bracing himself as his boots plunged through. If he caught a cold, fuck it. He could spend a few days resting in his room at the palace, excused from social events. If he died from hypothermia, fuck it. He would be dead. 

He kept walking until the snow felt heavy against his legs. Without one last fuck left to give, Drake slumped down on the snow and breathed out into the cold night air. 

It was so dark. The stars above him twinkled in the sky. Looking up at them, he felt insignificant. That wasn’t new but at least, in the grand scheme of things, everyone who looked up at the stars felt insignificant. Under the milky way, everyone in the world was insignificant. Even Olivia Nevrakis. 

Drake sighed. He thought about how quiet and despondent Camille had sounded when she realised she didn’t know who Savannah was. His heart tugged with guilt. 

Camille was a woman who wore her heart on her sleeve. She cared deeply about people. She was an open book, always talking about feelings. If she wasn’t so beautiful and kind, Drake would have avoided her like the plague. 

But he hadn’t avoided her like the plague. No, Drake had looked after her. When Liam was busy with the other suitors, Drake spent time with Camille. He would go out of his way to talk to her, see her, tease her. By being Camille, she had pulled Drake in and now he was in her world. 

Camille wasn’t insignificant. 

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

‘Drake.’

He looked up to find Camille standing over him. She was bundled up in a coat and scarf, her breath thick in the air. 

‘Montespan? You should be inside-’

‘No, YOU should be inside,’ Camille interrupted. ‘Don’t let Olivia get to you! Come back inside and sit by the fire with me. We can talk. You’re not wearing a coat or scarf, you’re going to catch hypothermia-’

‘Fuck it..’ Drake droned, his voice monotone.

Camille stared at him for a long moment until she nodded, seeming to make a decision. Drake watched as she pulled her scarf from her neck. 

‘Montespan, what are you doing-’

She sank down to her knees and wrapped her scarf around his neck. It was warm from her skin and it smelled of her perfume. Notes of jasmine and musk. 

‘I don’t want you getting sick,’ Camille said quietly,’ and I don’t want you feeling bad.’

Her eyes fixed on his. Drake swallowed, unsure of how to react to how close she was, how intense she was. She had never been this intense with him before. 

‘Olivia’s a bitch,’ Camille went on. ‘So is Madeline. They had no right to bring up your sister. I don’t know what happened with Savannah but it’s clearly a painful topic for you. But you should not be outside in the snow. You don’t belong out here, you belong with me.’

Drake started at her words. ‘W-with you?’

Camille bit her lip before smiling weakly. ‘We said we would stick together this weekend, didn’t we?’

Drake felt his heart sink. Of course. She wasn’t being all romantic. She was being his friend. 

It’s just a crush. 

Camille held out her hand to him. ‘Come back with me?’

Drake looked at her for a long moment. She was silhouetted against the moon which cast a silver glow over her. She looked even more beautiful than ever. He studied her, taking in everything about her. How her mouth quirked up at the corners so it looked like she was always smiling. He thought about her as a person. How she tried so hard to be kind to everyone, including him. How good a person she was. How genuine she was. 

It’s not just a crush. 

He gestured up to the sky. ‘Actually, do you wanna look at the stars with me?’ 

Camille blinked, not expecting Drake Walker of all people to ask her to look at the stars. 

‘Uhh, sure..’

She sat down beside him, letting out a squeak as her ass settled on the snow. Drake let out a laugh. ‘Montespan, did you just squeak?’

‘No!’

‘You did! You sounded like a mouse!’

Camille covered her eyes with her hands. ‘Oh god, get me some more cheese!’

Drake grinned at her and the two of them slowly became quiet, looking up at the stars. 

‘I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about my sister,’ Drake said, his voice breaking the silence. ‘I should have.’

‘You don’t owe me anything, Drake,’ Camille replied. ‘It’s your business.’

‘Yeah but you tell me everything..’

Camille visibly swallowed. ‘Not everything..’ she whispered. 

Drake wanted to ask her more. What did she not tell him? What was inside that mind of hers? 

Before he could speak, Camille pointed up at the sky and let out a squeal. ‘Oh my god, Drake, a shooting star!’

Drake was alert now. ‘What?! Where?!’

‘In the sky, you idiot!’ Camille teased, playfully hitting his shoulder.

Drake turned red. ‘I meant, where in the sky, Montespan!’

Camille laughed and rested her head on his shoulder without warning. ‘You missed it,’ she said softly, ‘but it was beautiful. I’ve never seen a shooting star before. I should make a wish.’ 

Drake was afraid to move. He didn’t want her to move either. 

‘Whatcha gonna wish for, Montespan?’

Camille giggled. ‘For you to call me Camille.’

Drake let out a surprised laugh. ‘No chance.’

‘One day you will.’

Camille stood up, shivering now. ‘I’m cold,’ she said simply.

Drake sighed and dragged himself to his feet. ‘I suppose we should go back in,’ he muttered. ‘Because it’s so fun at Olivia’s castle.’

His voice dripped with sarcasm. 

Camille pressed her lips together to hold in laughter at how dry he was. Together, they began to walk through the snow. Drake breathed in the scent of Camille’s scarf, feeling warm. 

‘Aah!’ 

Camille skidded. Drake caught her by the arm, pulling her into him so she didn’t fall. They remained pressed close to each other. Camille’s hands gripped his elbows. 

‘I’m a clutz..’ she muttered. 

‘Easy done,’ Drake murmured. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest and he hoped she couldn’t feel it. Slowly, they broke apart but Camille’s hand travelled down his arm to take his hand. 

‘For safety,’ she said assertively. 

Drake felt his heart leap in his chest. To cover his surprise, he smirked. ‘Sure. For safety.’

They held hands as they trudged through the snow, Camille’s delicate slender hands in Drake’s bear paw. As they got closer to the castle, they walked slower and slower. 

‘Wanna just hang out here just us?’ Drake asked, half joking, half hopeful. ‘I’m good at camping, I can find us something to build a tent-like structure, burn some wood..’

Camille laughed and squeezed his hand. ‘As fun as that would be, I kind of want my bed.’

They were close to the castle now. Stopping, Camille looked up at Drake and gave hish hand another squeeze. ‘We stick together, remember?’

Drake smiled softly. He reached out to unwind Camille’s scarf from his neck. Silently, he wound it around her neck, making sure it was knotted comfortably. His fingers grazed her collarbone. In a moment, Camille’s hand reached up to grasp his wrist, keeping his fingers in place on her skin. Their eyes remained fixed on each other. 

‘I’ve got you, kid,’ Drake told her. 

It’s not just a crush. 

[kristinamae093]

Ghosted

Ghosted - I Finally See (Chapter Six)

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

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

A/N1 - This AU starts right before the beginning of the engagement tour. There is a two-month lapse between the coronation and where we pick up, but we will stray from canon. Please excuse any errors found.

A/N2 - Huuuuuuugest of shout outs to @ao719, who helped me tweak this mood board a little bit (twice 🤣🥹😘)

Characters belong to Pixelberry

Rhonda led the three of them along the path to the west grounds. At one point, that is where all major events were held in Applewood. However, over the years, the Royal family decided it was best to move all festivities to the front of the estate, as it was bigger in acres and much closer to the main building.  

The area was then practically forgotten about. There was housing for some of the staff, a couple of sheds, and a few stray apple trees, but nothing else. Liam hadn't been on the west grounds specifically since he was a child and would play hide and seek with Leo out there. He always found the best spots to hide, Leo practically never found him. 

They followed until Rhonda stopped at an older, weathered shed toward the edge of the estate property. It appeared to be practically abandoned; the paint was chipping off the sides and the roof missed several shingles. It looked like a scene from a horror movie, and Liam felt his skin turn cold and raise with goosebumps as they approached the structure. 

Rhonda turned to face them. "This is the one..."

"Don't you dare go anywhere? Do you understand me?" Liam growled. 

Rhonda didn't say a word but nodded her head rapidly. She took a few steps away but stood where they could see her even after they entered the structure. 

Olivia glanced down and saw a padlock securing the doors closed. She reached out and grabbed it. "A lock? Seems like someone doesn't want us to find what's in there." 

"How are we gonna get it open?" Drake asked. 

Olivia laughed before she responded, "Oh, don’t you worry about that, you simpleton." and pulled a small dagger out of her sleeve. She leaned forward and started working the blade into the keyhole.

After a couple of minutes, Drake grew restless. "I know this may come as a surprise to you, but not everything is solved with knives." He huffed. 

Just as the words left his mouth, Olivia stood and turned to face him with a smirk on her face, lock in hand. "You were saying?" Drake shook his head and muttered a few obscenities under his breath. 

The trio stood and stared at the doors for what felt like an eternity; nobody wanted to make that first move. After so long with so many unanswered questions, the anxiety of what could lie ahead was felt heavily by all three. 

Finally, Olivia reached for the door and swung it open. They were indeed looking at all of Riley's stuff; all her clothes, hygiene products, knick-knacks, everything was piled directly in front of them. Olivia entered first and started searching for anything of relevance. Drake followed close behind, but Liam remained cemented in place with his mouth agape. 

Liam convinced himself that Riley intentionally left because she took all of her belongings with her. To him, that meant her departure was premeditated; she had to have thought enough in advance to have her things packed so she could make her escape. 

But as Liam stood in front of the open shed, he confirmed the gut feeling he had been ignoring all along was validated. Any and every bit of resolve he had left crumpled as he took those first steps into the structure before him. 

Liam entered slowly and looked around. He stopped when he saw Riley’s ceramic cardinal and picked it up. She said it reminded her of her grandfather who had passed away, so having it meant he was exploring new horizons with her. She had the trinket in her pocket during the Regatta, Liam recalled her telling him her grandfather had a love of boats, so she had to bring it with her for the day. He held it in his hands for a moment before he gently squeezed it, and placed it back where he found it. 

Liam continued his search and stumbled upon her tortilla blanket; he smiled as he picked it up and held it to his nose to inhale a deep breath. He hadn’t understood why Riley had such a random item, but he didn’t dare question her. The one time he saw her wrapped up in it was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. 

Liam went to her door early one morning to escort her to breakfast, however, Riley wasn't expecting him. He knew it wasn't proper, but he couldn't help himself; he wanted to spend any and every spare second he had with her. 

When Riley answered the door, she was wrapped in her blanket with her glasses sliding down her nose; her hair sat piled on the top of her head in a messy bun, although it appeared to have shifted more to the side during her slumber. The smile she gave as her cheeks flushed completely stunned Liam where he stood. She looked immaculate in all the ball gowns with her makeup and hair perfectly done, but she had never been more beautiful to him than at that moment.

Liam shook his head in an attempt to steady himself but could feel his eyes burn with unshed tears. He quickly put the blanket down where he found it and continued. 

As Liam resumed his trek, he stumbled upon a book or binder of some sort. The front and back surfaces were completely covered in different multicolored stickers. He opened it and realized it was not a binder, but a photo album. 

Liam looked through the pictures with trembling hands. He saw photos of Riley as a baby with her parents, holidays, birthdays, sports, prom; practically her entire life in images. Toward the end, he found laminated funeral programs for family members Riley had lost. 

Liam closed the album and wiped the tears from his cheeks that had unwillingly fallen. He knew Riley was a very sentimental person and would not have left this stuff behind purposefully. These things meant the world to Riley; her most cherished possessions, the things she was most proud of. It was one of the things that made Liam fall in love with her; in his world, all everyone cared about was power and prestige, but she cared about moments and making memories. He knew without a shadow of a doubt, she would not have left these things behind of her own volition. 

Liam began to feel insurmountable rage, but couldn't ignore the all-consuming guilt that engulfed his conscience for turning a blind eye; especially knowing she could have been hurt before she left, or, that could have been why she left. More than that, he hadn't believed in Riley the way his friends did. He needed to be convinced to believe in her. 

Drake had been observing Liam look through the photo album. In their many years together, he thought he had seen Liam at his lowest, but the man Drake was looking at now was unrecognizable; the defeat and guilt he felt were clear as day. When Drake saw him wipe his cheeks, his heart broke even more for his friend than it had been the past two months. 

Drake approached Liam and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Liam…" He softly spoke. 

Liam sniffed. "What for? I should be thanking you. Without your persistence, I never would have opened my eyes…" He trailed off and shook his head as more tears unwillingly fell. 

"Don't do that, Liam." Liam looked at Drake with a confused expression. "I can see it written all over your face. You're feeling guilty. You can't do that to yourself, man. I know it's hard, but you have to look forward. Don't dwell on what's already happened."

Liam scoffed. "That's easy for you to say. You didn't need to be convinced to believe in her. You didn't turn your back on her like I did..."

"If I was in your shoes I probably would have reacted the same way. You thought she abandoned you! I'd be devastated too! Then to see her in the tabloids two days later, I'd've been fucking livid! You might be a King, but first and foremost you're a man. You are allowed to make mistakes!" Drake emphasized. 

"But this isn't just any mistake! This is the love of my life, and I didn't see through this sooner?"

Drake sighed. "When me and Olivia told Max, she had to bring us back because we were doing the same shit you're doing right now." He shook his head. "I know it's hard, but you can't dwell on what you did or didn't do back then. We won't get anything solved that way. We gotta focus on what we do now."

Liam shook his head. "I just can't believe this is happening…"

"I know. It's a lot to take in. But I'm glad you're with us now." Drake smiled. 

"I swear to you, I will not rest until I find the truth. Someone is going to answer for this," Liam responded with a determined expression. 

Drake embraced Liam, "I know." and patted him on the back. 

"Thank you for being a great friend, Drake. I’d like to apologize for losing my temper with you earlier." Liam said as he returned the embrace. 

"Don't worry 'bout it. I'm just so fuckin' happy you're finally listening to yourself." Drake spoke as he stepped away. 

“Guys?” Olivia’s voice rang out from the other side of the shed, where they had not ventured to yet. 

Drake and Liam approached her and noticed her troubled expression. She was crouched on the ground as she searched through a tote that was filled with Riley's things. Olivia stood and held a black trash bag in her hands. She reached in and pulled out a balled-up piece of fabric, carefully unfolded it, and spread it open wide for Liam and Drake to see. 

Liam took the fabric from her hands. He realized he was holding a dress, but it was ripped and torn in multiple places. Some portions dangled, others completely detached. He knew he recognized it, but couldn't precisely place where he had seen it. 

The dress was white with a pink flower pattern, about mid-thigh length. It had ruffles at the bottom and a silky heart neckline at the top, which is where the tears appeared to be more prominent as well as the fabric being noticeably stretched out. The midsection had a brown leather belt sewn into its design, but portions of that had been shredded as well. 

Olivia noticed a specific area of the dress that was stuck together. She tentatively reached her hand out and grabbed the fabric and pulled, which separated the garment and revealed a large reddish-brown stain. It covered a portion of the back just above the ribs, and small spots on other areas of the dress. She reached out and lightly ran her finger over the large spot and felt that the surface was dry and hardened.

She grabbed the dress from Liam’s hands and spun it around to show him and Drake, both of their eyes widening within seconds. 

As Liam stood and stared at the back of what was left of the dress, his heart suddenly plummeted to the depths of his stomach as he realized where he recognized it from. “That’s…” He swallowed thickly. “that’s the dress she was wearing… at the jamboree…” He whispered. 

Drake bent down and picked up the bag. He opened it and saw other small pieces of the dress and even the stockings she had worn with it that night. He closed the bag and handed it to Liam with a heartbroken expression. 

Liam took the bag from Drake’s hands and peeked inside. He already knew what was in there, but looking confirmed it. Although they were unsure as to whose blood was on the dress, they could only conclude it was Riley's. 

Liam suddenly realized the maid who led them there, Rhonda, was still outside. He snatched the dress from Olivia’s hands and threw it into the bag. He turned and strode with deadly intent to where she stood outside the shed. 

Liam practically threw the bag at Rhonda, “Have you ever seen this?” He growled. 

She looked into the bag with wide eyes, “I– I– ” she stammered.

“ANSWER ME!" Liam yelled as he once again stood over the much smaller woman. 

"I– I found it on the floor. I don't know where it came from! All I did was throw it into the bag!" 

"So you find a bloodied dress, and instead of immediately reporting it to someone, anyone, you just throw it into a bag like it's nothing?!" 

Rhonda frantically shook her head. "I didn't know-" 

"BULLSHIT! It's blood! Do you really need a fucking technical course to tell you to use your brain?!" Liam yelled. 

Bastien heard Liam from his position a little ways away, and quickly rounded the corner and approached him with a curious expression. "Is there a problem here, sir?" 

"YES, there's a problem here! Look inside there, do you see that?!" Liam hollered without once breaking his attention away from the woman in front of him.  

Bastien glanced past Drake to the shed behind him. He briefly met eyes with Olivia, who remained inside searching. She arched her brow as she met his gaze, but he quickly turned back to Liam.  "What would you like me to do, sir?"

"She knows something…" Liam growled as he stalked toward the woman little by little. 

Liam stood to his entire height and squared his shoulders. He looked down at Rhonda over his nose; he puffed his chest out, only slightly, but enough to project his dominance over her. “I am giving you one last opportunity to tell me the truth. Failure to do so will result in you being placed in the custody of the Cordonian Royal Guard until you feel it’s acceptable to tell your King the truth.” He demanded in an authoritative voice.

Rhonda audibly inhaled a sharp breath, almost as if she had been hit in the gut. Her eyes welled with tears as she held her trembling hands together. “Your Majesty I swear to you on my children’s lives I know nothing else!” She dropped to her knees in front of him. “Please don’t take me from my kids! Please! I’ve told you everything I know! I'm so sorry I never said anything! P–please!” She cried as she lost herself in a fit of hysterics. 

Liam stood over Rhonda while she sobbed, his mind reeling. He wanted to believe she knew more, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized whoever did this didn't let this lowly maid in on their master scheme; she was only a pawn. The likelihood of her knowing more than she had already told them was low, and she had given them the biggest lead yet in showing them where all of Riley's things were. 

Even though he remained enraged, Liam crouched down in front of the woman and spoke in the softest tone he could force. "I will not take you from your children. I apologize for making barbaric threats to you. However, I need to make sure there's nothing else that you could tell us about that night."

Rhonda sniffed. "N–no, sir. I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner but I was worried about getting in trouble for snooping because I need this job to support my kids and–"

Liam held up his hand to stop her rambling. "For future reference, if you believe a guest could have been injured you are to call my office immediately and report it to me. Am I clear?"

"Y–yes sir." 

"This is a delicate situation, and your utmost discretion is required. You can not tell anyone we were here, or searching Lady Riley's things. Do you understand?" Rhonda quickly nodded her head. Liam stood from his crouched position and reached down and extended a hand to help her stand. "You are free to go, but please, if you remember anything else or see something suspicious, call my office."

"Shall I escort her back to the estate, sir? I'd like to ask her a few questions as well." Bastien asked, his eyes never once leaving the maid.

"Of course, Bastien. Thank you."

As Bastien led Rhonda away, Olivia reemerged from the shed. She found something that piqued her interest; it was a long shot, but she hoped perhaps her sudden hunch could poke yet another hole in the ordeal. 

Olivia approached Liam, who stood beside Drake with his hands balled at his sides watching Bastien and the maid fade away. She cleared her throat and the two turned to face her; she handed Liam a blank envelope and said nothing. 

He opened it and quickly scammed its contents; it was a letter from Riley to her grandma. She had told Liam about her letters home because her grandma wasn't smart with technology and didn't have a cell phone, but Riley wanted to stay in contact. There was no date, although it had been signed at the end. The text held no relevant information, aside from Riley retelling certain portions of her time in Cordonia, the last being their trip to the ancient ruins. 

As he reached the bottom paragraph, he felt like his already dismembered heart was ripped from the confines of his chest and tossed onto the ground in front of him, leaving it for anyone and everyone to openly stomp on.

I really don't know if I would make a good Queen, but I know I can do anything with Liam by my side. He’s the most amazing person I've ever met and makes me feel like I could do anything, and I would do anything to be with him. It might seem fast, but I can feel it in the depths of my soul; he is my forever. 

Liam took a deep, shaky breath to keep himself calm. The guilt was piling up, but he refused to let that dam open, not now. Their next move had to be calculated and precise, and he was more determined than ever to find her and ensure her safety. "Why are you showing me this?" He quietly asked Olivia.  

"I can't confirm, because I didn't see the note that was left in her room, but I know both of you did. So I just wanted to ask, does the handwriting match?" 

Liam took another good look at the paper; the one left in her room was short, so there was hardly anything to compare. Looking at this script in his hands, a few things did stand out. 

"The s's are different, and the r's as well." Liam pointed to the paper. "On this, every single one has some kind of a swirl on it, not to mention its continuous cursive. The one left in her room was just plain print writing."

"And this one is signed Riley instead of R," Drake added.

"Do you still have that original letter?" Olivia asked. 

"I… don't." Liam looked away from them and rubbed the back of his neck. "I, uh… I couldn't stand to have it anymore. I told Bastien to dispose of it…."

Olivia arched her brow. "I take it you did the same with her phone?" Once again, Liam avoided eye contact but subtly nodded his head. She felt her irritation rise at Liam's stupid decisions while in his state of denial, but opted to keep her comments within; even though he was fighting to keep it hidden, Olivia could tell he was already feeling the effects of his refusal to see the truth. "Well, we should at least check with him and see if he still has them; we can compare the letters and see if there's a chance they match." She sighed.  "Other than that, what's our plan?" 

Liam was quiet for a long moment. His mind raced as he tried desperately to figure out where to go from here. They didn't have a lead as to who could have been responsible or any information regarding the scandal. The most evident thing to be found was the chilling revelation that someone hurt Riley in some way and a potentially falsified letter, otherwise, they had no solid leads. 

Liam ran his hand down his face before he responded, "To start, I'll ask Bastien if he happened to keep those things. Otherwise, we need to begin a search for Tariq and Riley. Since the person in that photo you showed me can't be identified, they're the only two who know what actually happened. I'll have Bastien begin at once."

"The time I spent investigating by myself I tried to locate Tariq to question him, but he's gone." 

"I'll have Bastien double-check, just to make sure he hasn't gotten sloppy and left a trace somewhere."

"Are you thinking Tariq did all this?" Drake asked. 

"At this moment, no. We've known Tariq most of our lives and we all know he's not smart enough to do this." Drake and Olivia nodded their heads in agreement. “I have a feeling he could have been used in achieving someone else’s agenda, but as to who could be responsible, I don’t have a clue.” 

"What do you think their ultimate plan was?"

Olivia snickered. "I shouldn’t be surprised you can't figure it out, considering your brain is the size of a walnut." 

"Oh yeah? Enlighten us."

"Gladly," Olivia smirked. "Liam clearly wanted to pick Riley, that was no secret. Since Liam and I have been friends since we were children, I was obviously the second choice." She rolled her eyes but continued. "So whoever this person is formulated a plan to eliminate the two of us, leaving only Madeleine."

"There were other suitors." Drake retorted. 

"Oh, please." Olivia scoffed.  "Madeleine was technically the most prepared beforehand, the others weren't even in the contest." 

"But why go through all this, though?" Drake motioned to the shed. 

"I don't actually have any idea why her things are stored here, yet. Otherwise, I can only assume they wanted to push the idea that Riley left to be with Tariq. First, remove her from the situation. Next, let Liam sit and stew for a few days contemplating why she left. Lastly, release a scandal; let everyone assume she was a harlot being swept away by another."

"And I played right into it, just like they knew I would," Liam growled as he shook his head. "It was important they cemented the theory because whoever did this knew I would continue looking for her without the scandal. They needed to give me a reason to abandon that search, despite all the signs, and I did…"  Liam looked away and forcefully tensed his jaw. 

"I could be wrong, Liam… We really don't know much, yet." Olivia said in a surprisingly tender voice. 

Liam sighed. "For now perhaps it's best if we lock this back up and reconvene after the Apple Banquet. That will give Bastien a day or so to start the search; we can see where we stand then?" 

Drake and Olivia nodded, but Drake needed to ask Liam a question that had popped into his mind whilst they searched the shed and wouldn't leave. "Hey, Li?" 

"Hm?" 

"...What about the tour?" 

Liam remained silent for a moment before he quietly answered. "I know it may not make sense to either of you, but the tour has to continue. First, I feel it will make investigating this easier. Clearly, something happened that night, but everything must go on as planned to avoid raising suspicion. Second…" He trailed off and looked away from Drake's curious gaze. "If we can't prove someone plotted to get Madeleine on the throne, I will have to go through with the wedding. There is nothing I can do about that, aside from abdicating." 

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Olivia howled with laughter, which earned her a steely glare from Liam and a curious one from Drake. "Liam, you're the fucking King. You act as if you answer to all these people, but they answer to you. You're the one calling the shots, not them! If you don't want to marry her, then don't."

"I wish it were that simple, Olivia, but it's not. I have to take a Queen! Stability, above all–"

"Oh, my God!" Olivia exclaimed. "Am I talking to fucking Constantine or Liam?" 

Liam could only stare at her with a stunned expression. Drake, however, had to hide his laugh with a cough; he had thought that same exact thing every time he heard Liam utter that statement.

Olivia continued. "I'm not trying to be insensitive, because I understand you want to do what's best for the country. But marrying Madeleine is not what's best for you or Cordonia." 

Liam remained silent. Drake stepped forward after a moment and placed a hand on Liam’s shoulder. "You don't have to decide right now, just think about it, okay?" 

Liam could only nod his head, as his mind refused to form a coherent sentence. After everything that had revealed itself that day, nothing made sense. He quickly dipped back inside the shed and grabbed Riley's blanket, cardinal, and photo album. Drake and Olivia gave him a curious glance as he emerged from the shed with the items, but he didn't care; he wanted to take these things with him so he could feel close to her again, and hopefully return them if he could ever find her. 

Olivia placed the bag with the dress back inside the tote where she found it and secured the lock back in place; she slipped Riley's letter into her pocket for safekeeping, hoping and praying Bastien kept the one left in her room to compare.

The trio made their way back to the main estate as the sun was setting on the horizon. All three's minds were overflowing with questions, assumptions, accusations, and a wide variety of scenarios, all of which revolved around one thing: what happened to Riley Brooks? 

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The Royal Romance Retelling Masterlist

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

The Royal Romance, Book 1 🏰 - Bk1 Ch1: Once Upon a Time (part 1/part 2/part 3/part 4/part 5/part 6/part 7) - Bk1 Ch2: Welcome to Cordonia (part 1/part 2/part 3/part 4/part 5) - Bk1 Ch3: Reunited