#evermore: a royal colby brock au

[starryevermore]

evermore: the epilogue (22) ✧ colby brock

evermore ✧ a royal colby brock au | ao3

summary: the ending.

word count: 1,442

warning(s): you’ll be happy, I promise; not a perfect rendition of a regency wedding, but I did my best lmao

Peace. 

It was something you so desperately longed for so many years. You remembered when you first learned that your role as a woman in high society was to marry well, to be a good wife, to bear as many children as your husband wished. You remembered when you learned that not all women marry good men. You remembered that all you could ever hope for was to be at peace with whatever man you had to marry. You didn’t have to love him. Not at first, at least. You could learn to love him, eventually. But you knew that you could never marry unless you knew that you live a life of tranquility with that man, whoever he may be. 

You supposed you were one of the lucky ones. To be able to marry a man you loved, you mean. It was such a rare thing. You’d think that being of high society meant that you had more choice about your happiness. But, for a woman, you weren’t granted that luxury. So, every day after Prince Cole’s proposal, you thanked your lucky stars that you were given the chance to marry a man who loved you as much as you loved him.

Cole had wanted to marry you on the spot when you accepted his proposal and Elias allowed him to have your hand. He wanted to race to get the marriage license immediately, to be wed by morning. But you knew that the Queen would want some extravagant wedding and, for as much as you wanted to marry him immediately before some other threat could come, you knew it was best to abide by the Queen’s, your future grandmother-in-law’s wishes, lest you pay the price. 

So, you allowed the Queen to plan the most extravagant wedding Liberdon had seen since, well, her own wedding. She allowed you to have say in some things, like your wedding dress and the theme of your reception ball, but for the most part, she took the reins to make sure everything was a picture of perfection. 

That left you plenty of time to get to know Cole better. You and him were practically joined at the hip. Wherever he went, you were to follow. Where you went, he was to follow. And, though it was generally frowned upon, you joined Cole on an adventure or two before the wedding, because who could tell a prince what he could and could not do?

But, when the wedding finally came, oh, you felt like you were in paradise. As was the case with all of your gowns, Xepher and Devyn designed. And, though you felt that way with all of their gowns, they continued to amaze you with their sheer talent. And paired with that beautiful necklace Cole had gotten you all those months ago? You already felt like you were a princess. The entire time you got ready, Amber and your mother by your side, you could hardly contain your excitement. Finally, you could have a life that was truly yours, with the man you loved by your side. 

And, God, when the chapel doors opened? You were breathless. You took a deep breath, unable to contain your smile. You looked down the aisle, Cole waiting for you at the altar a mere few yards away. And, though you wanted to sprint down the aisle and join him as quickly as possible, you forced yourself to take it slow. 

The respected families, who rose from their seats as the doors opened, stared at you in awe. They marveled as you, ooh-ing and ahh-ing as you were revealed. You took a step, followed by another and then another. You kept your head held high, and kept your gaze forward on your future husband.

Your brother led you down the aisle, him smiling slightly as he walked with you. But you tried to pay it no mind, trying to keep all your focus was on maintaining the steady pace you had set for yourself. But even you couldn’t ignore the loving gaze from Cole, and you knew that he was as excited for this as you were.

When you were only a yard away from the altar, you stopped and let your brother give away. Then, you joined Cole and the Vicar at the altar. The Vicar began reading from the Book of Prayer, thought you could tell that neither you and Cole were paying attention, both of you focusing only one each other. 

Finally, the Vicar said, “Cole Robert Brock, Prince of Liberdon, wilt thou have this woman to thy wedded wife, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honor, and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?”

“I will,” Cole said. 

The Vicar said to you, “Y/N Covington, Viscountess of Evermore, wilt thou have this man to thy wedded husband, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate? Wilt thou love him, comfort him, honor, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?”

“I will,” you said. 

The Vicar asked, “Who giveth this woman to be married to this man?” 

“I do,” your brother said. 

The Vicar continued, and directed Cole to take your right hand with his right hand. He said to Cole, “Repeat after me. I, Cole Robert Brock, Prince of Liberdon, take thee Y/N Covington, Viscountess of Evermore, to my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God’s holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth.” 

Cole repeated the lines.

Then the Vicar had you take Cole’s right hand with your right hand, and said, “Repeat after me. I, Y/N Covington, Viscountess of Evermore, take thee Cole Robert Brock, Prince of Liberdon, to my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God’s holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth.”

You repeated the lines.

You let go of Cole’s hands as he was given a ring, which he slid onto your left ring finger. As he did so, he said, “With this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly good I thee endow: in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.” 

Once the ring was placed on your finger, you both kneeled before the Vicar, who led everyone in prayer. And, truthfully, you paid little attention to the rest of the wedding, following the Vicar’s directions without truly listening. Because, you cared little for the ceremony itself. You only cared that you were finally marrying the man you loved. 

After the Vicar blessed your marriage, you and Cole were out of the chapel and into a carriage that was to take you to the palace for the reception. You smiled up at Cole as you sat together. He smiled back down at you, leaning in to give you the first kiss of your marriage. 

“You look beautiful, my love,” he said.

“And you look handsome, Cole,” you said. 

He said nothing for a moment, and you could tell he was thinking of something very intently. You waited patiently, knowing that he would tell you when he was ready, that there was no need to rush when you had all your lives to live together now. And then—

“All those months ago, I asked you to call me by my name,” Cole said as the carriage lurched forward. “But, if I may, I’d like you to call me something else now.”

“Oh? And what is that?” 

“My mom, when she was still alive, she used to call me Cole baby. Somewhere along the way, it evolved into Colby. No one…no one’s called me that since she’s passed, but…I know she would love you, and I know that I should keep her memory alive in whatever way I can and…”

You grabbed his hand and smiled. “Of course I’ll call you Colby.” 

And, God, with a smile like that, you’d call him anything he wanted, for you were his.

He was yours, and you were his.

Forevermore. 

[starryevermore]

oh my god this is so amazing!!!

a special gift for @starrybrock​ and her amazing evermore story! A must read for every Colby Brock fan! <3 I’m enthralled and entranced by every word and the characters and the beauty of this story. Every chapter leaves me absolutely craving for more and more!

Cole let go of the dance card, watching it dangle from your wrist, when he noticed couples were moving to the dance floor. “Ah, I believe the waltz is beginning. Care to join me, Miss Covington?”

“Of course, Your Highness,” you said, giving him a small smile and taking his arm.

He led you to the dance floor and said, “Please, you can call me Cole.”

“Well, in that case, you can call me Y/N.”

“Y/N,” he said, trying out the name. He liked the sound of it. And he oddly seemed to like you, too. Was this what Sam felt the first time he spoke to Katrina? When Jake spoke to Tara? When Reggie spoke to Cassie? If it was, he could get used to this. And, he certainly couldn’t help himself as he held you in his arms as the waltz began when he said, “Simply divine, indeed.”

[starryevermore]

exile (an evermore short story) ✧ colby brock

evermore ✧ a royal colby brock au | ao3

summary: lady serena tells her story. 

word count: 3,619

warning(s): mention of parental abuse, imprisonment, solitary confinement, a surprise ending

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Lady Serena had heard the stories of the royal penitentiary. She would have to have been an idiot to not know of the horrid atrocities that occurred within those walls. She knew. She knew better than anyone. She just never thought that she would be one of the prisoners. The first woman in half a century, the guard specifically assigned to her had said. In a sick, twisted sort of way, she felt honored. Perhaps she would be remembered, after all.

But, in an even more sick, twisted sort of way, Serena held a lot of pride in her imprisonment. For as much trouble as she had caused, she wasn’t experiencing that much torturing. She could hear it, though. She could never get those screams out of her head. It was maddening. She almost wished she was being tortured. Well, that was a small lie, but anything would have been better than to hear the sadistic laughs of the guard and the pained whimperings of the prisoners.

She supposed, though, in a way, that she had it better than most of the prisoners. Or all of them, really. She had been given the best sort of solitary confinement that most prisoners could have dreamed of. She was alone, totally alone—not even her guard would look at her. All she had was a desk, a bed, and a toilet and sink in an eight foot by ten foot cell. She was basically on an all-expenses-paid vacation that just so happened to be really shitty. 

She had been given a small amount of belongings—a couple of books, her old diary, and a dull quill. She had no one. No one to talk to. No one who would listen. No visitors. No one. She just had herself and the echoing screams. 

And so, she spent most of her days alone with her thoughts. 

Perhaps the cruelest punishment of all.

Cole was perhaps a lot more intelligent than she had given him credit for. He knew how much she longed for validation, and for it to be taken from her? To be ripped away from her? After being made out to be fool in front of the most prominent members of the ton? In front of her family? Yes, he had a cruel streak that she never could have imagined. The thought almost made her smile. In another life, perhaps, where he indulged in that cruelty more frequently, they would have been a perfect match, and that bitch Y/N never would’ve stood a chance at getting in her way. 

In another world, Cole would have been her prince charming.

Yeah, that was a nice thought. 

She would hold onto that thought.

Maybe that could get her through the rest of her miserable days.

For now, though, she would look back on her diary and reminisce on the better days, when she could bask in the sunlight and at least speak to someone. 

Dear Diary, 

I feel as though my first entry should be something monumental. Something worthwhile. Something that makes me stand out. Who knows if I would become a well known figure in society and future historians look back on my diary as an artifact? 

It’s a foolish thought, though. I will not amount to anything great. Father tells me so. He calls me stupid girl as if it’s my name. I don’t know if he knows my name. If it wasn’t for the maid, I would think that my name was stupid girl. Once, when I was practicing my letters when I was little, I had signed my work as stupid girl. And my teacher wept and wept and wept as she held me. I didn’t understand what was wrong until my maid explained later, when we were alone, that I am Lady Serena Wharton, and that no matter what Father says, I am no stupid girl.

I didn’t believe that for a long time, but then I made a friend.

Prince Cole Robert Brock, heir to the throne. Oh, he makes me feel like I matter. As if I’m someone important and he cares for me. He calls me friend, and I almost think it’s my name. He always includes me in everything he does, and I don’t have to ask to tag along like I do with Priscilla. He even lets me just call him Cole, as if I’m part of his family. I wish I was part of his family.

Cole is the most wonderful friend I’ve ever met. Father says I should show him more respect and call him by his title. But Cole told me to call him by his name, and so I shall. After all, Father cannot be angry at a prince. Even he wouldn’t be so foolish.

I wonder what happened to Cole’s parents, though. He never talks about them. He certainly never complains about annoying fathers, or mothers who dote on him as though he could break at any given moment. I wonder if he even has parents. Or maybe it’s just different with boys. 

Nevertheless, he’s a wonderful friend. He sees me for who I am. I don’t have to pretend. And I don’t think he pretends, either. 

I will forever be grateful to have him in my life.

I hope that I can one day repay him for his kindness. 

Serena snorted as she read the entry. Oh, how naïve she had been then. If Serena then knew Serena now, she was sure her younger self would die on sight. Her younger self was so sure that Cole would’ve been there for every moment of her life. She was so sure that, one day, she may have been part of the royal family. She was so sure of so many things that turned out to be the opposite. But, even still, she wouldn’t trade it for the world. 

For, as painful as it was to look back on these times, she could still remember how exciting they were. How her parents told her that she’d finally done something right in befriending the prince. That they have had a chance at upward mobility. That they would one day afford more luxurious things, like the Dukes and the Viscounts and the Earls. 

Because Serena wasn’t a person. She was a tool to be used, and her parents had finally found what her purpose was. 

Dear Diary, 

Cole doesn’t have parents. Well, I suppose he did. Once. Priscilla told me what happened. I don’t how she heard such…disturbing things, but apparently they were poisoned. Cole was meant to be poisoned, too, but he had been ill and hadn’t eaten the same meal as them.

I’m glad Cole didn’t die with them. I don’t know what I would do without him.

Today, when I went to play with Cole, I couldn’t find him. Knowing the fate of his family, I worried that something had happened to him. I searched everywhere, but I couldn’t find him. Not until I looked in the stables, and saw him crying into the straw. And I didn’t know what else to do, so I took him into my arms and held him like how I would like to be held. And, oh, he was such an angel, apologizing for being a mess. But he needn’t apologize. He doesn’t have to hide his feelings from him. I would never berate him for his heart. And, do you want to know the sweetest thing he had said, when he stopped crying? 

He told me that he’d always treat me like royalty. 

Oh, diary, I hope he keeps that promise.

It was sick, in a sense. For Cole to promise to always treat her like royalty. Was this what being treated like royalty felt like? Is this how that bitch was being treated? She had been so sure then that she would always be by his side. That he would never forget her, and when they both came of age, that they would marry. She was so sure it would be a love match. 

But, when Serena squeezed her eyes shut, she could almost imagine what her life could’ve been like. She could see the extravagant wedding, and she could imagine the wedding night. She could imagine sharing a bed with Cole, and holding him close, and basking in his presence. Sometimes, that imaginary world was all that got her through the day. 

Dear Diary, 

The Queen isn’t happy with me. That’s what Cole said, anyways. Well, he hadn’t said she was angry with me. But she was unhappy that Cole wasn’t focusing on his studies. And why wasn’t he focusing on his studies? Because he’s always with me. 

But it’s not my fault. Cole always comes when I arrive. He doesn’t tell me that he has other things he has to do, so I think it’s fine for him to join me. Apparently not. Should I be more cautious of when I come to visit? Perhaps. But, I also know that I can’t stay away from Cole. 

There’s just something about his sweet blue eyes that I cannot get enough of. As we’ve gotten older, it’s hard to not see him in a different light. He’s so good to me, and he never treats me like a burden. He treats me like I’m a princess, like I’m a queen.

Maybe one day I can be able to see him without having to upset the Queen, because I would be Queen. 

Or maybe that’s just wishful thinking.

And wishful thinking it was. That wretched Queen had ruined everything. She had taken Cole from Serena, forced them apart. That Queen had poisoned Cole’s mind against her. Turned him away from her. Made sure that Cole would never treat her like a friend again. 

And the cruelest part of it all? 

She never understood where she went wrong.

Dear Diary, 

The worst has happened. We have to move. The Queen has given us land, all the way in Squall’s End. Something about how that’s a better place for us, or at least that’s what I think Father had been shouting. I don’t understand why we have to leave. Father was shouting something, something about my behavior. 

But I don’t understand what I could’ve done wrong? All I did was befriend Cole? Was that enough to send my entire family away? 

I only hope I can see Cole one more time before I have to leave.

That night had been one of the worst nights. Father never stopped shouting. The Queen had called for a meeting with him, and she had said something about how Serena was corrupting the prince, distracting him from his studies. But how was that her fault? The prince had a mind of his own. He could turn her away if he so chose.

Why did her family have to punished for his inaction? 

Why was she still being punished for his inaction? 

Dear Diary,

I’ve been banned from seeing Cole. The guards will no longer let me in the castle. My family will no longer let me leave the home. I’ve even been banned from writing to Cole. I’ve become a prisoner to my room. The only person who sees me is Priscilla, who wails on and on and on about how she doesn’t want to move to Squall’s End. Does she think I want to move? Does she think this is my idea? I’d much rather stay in Ironmere. I’d rather spend my days with Cole. 

But it seems he no longer wishes to see me. Has he grown bored of me? Has he decided that I am no longer his friend?

Or has he been become a prisoner of the castle? Is he also being trapped in his room? 

One day, I swear it, I will make the Queen pay for separating Cole and I. 

Serena snorted, reading that entry. It was funny, looking back on how much she blamed the Queen for everything. And she was to blame! That Queen turned everyone against her.

But, in the same vein, Cole was equally responsible. As far as Serena was aware, he never tried. He let her be taken away. He never tried to reach her. Sure, he was shortly sent away to boarding school to “regain focus on his studies”. But why he had never tried to write? Why had he never tried to sneak away?

Was she truly that worthless to him? 

Dear Diary, 

I know I have ruined my life. I’ve known that for a long time. Mother and Father would never let me forget that. Ever since we were exiled to Squall’s End, they made sure I knew that I was the reason that our lives were ruined. Even Priscilla has turned against me. I was so sure that she would have been in my corner but, alas, Mother and Father have poisoned her mind. I have lost her to them, and I don’t think I could ever get that back.

But, when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, I was proven wrong.

I made my debut today. Though the start was a bit…tumultuous, with Mother berating me for every flaw she thought I had, I was sure things would become better when I was presented to the Queen. But that woman never forgets. I hadn’t even entered the room, when I heard gasps from the throne room.

As I walked toward her throne, Mother a step behind me, even I couldn’t ignore the grimace on the Queen’s face. Oh, diary, I’ve been ruined. Mother says we’re lucky that Priscilla married the season before. If she had to marry off the both of us, it would be a pain, she says. I’ve ruined the family. No one wishes to have us at their balls, all of our invitations have been rescinded. 

But worst of all? 

Cole still wasn’t there for me. 

I know he’s not of age, but it’s not uncommon for him to have to appear at the presentations. When we were children, he always complained about having to go, begged me to join him. And I know that we are not close anymore, but I thought that maybe, just maybe, he would be there for me. 

Perhaps he was never there for me. Perhaps I made things out to be more than they were. But, diary, he swore to always treat me like royalty. 

Why couldn’t he keep his promise? 

Serena remembered that season well. Her entire family hated her for what she had done. Priscilla had been married off the season before to some Lord Bennett, an older gentleman in need of an heir. It was not quite the match her parents had hoped for, it wasn’t something that propelled them upward, but it was good enough. But Serena? She had ruined any chance of moving up in society.

All because she upset some Queen.

All because she dared to become friends with the prince. 

Dear Diary, 

Cole has made his first appearance in a social season since coming of age. He arrived at the Millstone ball, and he walked right past me. He…walked right past me. It was as though he hadn’t even seen me. He walked right on by, straight to Y/N Covington.

Why is she so special? What did she do to deserve a dance with him? Was it because of what the Queen said at her debut? Was Cole that shallow? Why couldn’t that be me? I had been there for Cole when no one else was. I was his friend first. This Y/N doesn’t even know the first thing about him.

She’ll pay for this. She, and the Queen, and even Cole, will pay for this. I swear it. 

A sharp rap on the cell door pulled Serena out of her thoughts. She looked up from her diary to see the window on the cell door pulled open. Her guard, wearing the worst sneer he could muster, stared at her, before saying, “Up! You have a visitor.”

For a fleeting moment, Serena wondered if it was Cole. If he had finally come to see her. But, after she set her diary to the side before approaching the cell door, where the guard shackled her hands and ankles, she knew that was further from the truth. Cole wouldn’t have her treated like this. Cole could trust her. And, as the guard dragged Serena down the hall, to an empty room with a solitary table and pair of chairs with a young woman wearing a hooded cloak obscuring her face sitting in one of those chairs, she knew that it was you that she would be seeing before she ever actually saw your face. 

The guard forced her into the empty chair, and stood behind her, as though he knew that she couldn’t be trusted. 

“Miss Covington, what a pleasure,” Serena said.

“Her Royal Highness,” the guard barked. Serena turned, her stomach churning. Had it been that long? Had the wedding already happened? “You will treat your future queen with respect.”

But you smiled up at the guard and said in a sugary sweet voice, “That won’t be necessary, sir.” 

Serena scoffed as the guard’s face turned pink. Was everyone really so in love with you? You were hardly anything special. But instead of saying that, Serena asked, “Why are you here? Come to torture me some more?”

“I’ve never tried to torture you, Lady Serena,” you said. “We both wanted Colby—”

“His name is Cole,” Serena seethed.

“He’s told me to call him Colby, and as his wife, I shall make him happy in whatever ways I can manage.”  

Rage simmered in Serena’s chest. A nickname? Cole allowed you to call him by a nickname? Why had Serena never been granted this privilege? She had known him for so much longer! What had you done to receive his favor? You had never been there for him. You did not hold him while he cried. You were not there when he needed someone. No, you just came and swooped him up. But he was not yours to take. 

“Well, aren’t you special,” she hissed. “Why the hell are you here, Your Royal Highness?” 

“I came for answers.” 

Serena said nothing. 

“I just don’t understand why you had to take the actions you did. Could we not have talked it out? Could you not have spoken to Colby? Why did you have to resort to threats and hiring a hitman?” 

“He loved me. He still loves me. But you and that wretched Queen turned him away from me! He loves me! He said he felt like I took a piece of him with me when my family was forced to move to Squall’s End!”

“Serena—”

“He’s mine! He’s mine!”

“He is no one’s. If he wished to marry you, he would have.” 

“No!”

“Serena—”

“He was there for me, and I was there for him! He was my only friend. He listened to me! He saw me! He didn’t treat me like some burned, but the Queen said I—”

“The Queen saw how you treated him!” you interrupted. “You would always talk down on him. Call him an idiot, and useless, and that he would amount to nothing. And he would say nothing, because he hates confrontation!”

“That’s not true!” Serena cried. 

“It is! Everyone knew it in the palace. You treated Colby as if he was some doll you could play with only to discard once it was broken, and you think that’s love? Serena, that is not—”

“That’s how my family loved me!”

And, Serena wasn’t entirely sure why, but that got you to shut up.

So, she took the opportunity to continue—

“I was a stupid little girl, I couldn’t do anything right. My family looked at me as if I was just a tool to get what they want. How was I to know any different? Cole certainly never told me otherwise. No one told me otherwise. I did only what I knew to do—”

“You don’t belong here.” 

She froze. What?

“You don’t belong in a prison. I…I need to talk to Colby. I…Thank you for explaining things,” you said.

You rose to your feet. Serena did, too, and the guard was quick to grab her arm, as though he thought she was about to attack you. But she wouldn’t attack you. Not now. Not when she needed answers. You’d apparently gotten your answers, but now she needed her own.

“What do you mean?” she cried. 

“As horrible the things you did were, I don’t think a life imprisonment is what you need. I think you need someone to talk to, and I will make sure you get that.” You reached over, grabbing her shackled hands. “Serena, you are worthy of love and care. You may not have ever received it, or been shown what that looks like, but you still deserve it. And I can make sure you talk to someone who helps you work through your issues.” 

“Y/N, you’re the biggest bitch I’ve ever met—”

“—I understand why you think that—”

“—but thank you.”

You paused, then smiled ever so slightly. “I meant what I said, Serena.”

“And I know you think that.” Serena paused. “Perhaps Cole made a good decision after all.” 

And, as you smiled a bit wider, you bid her goodbye with a tight hug. And she almost wept in your arms, but she forced herself to hold it together.  

And, as the guard dragged Serena back to her cell, for the first time in a long time, Lady Serena Wharton felt some semblance of peace. 

[starryevermore]

evermore: the findings (19) ✧ colby brock

evermore ✧ a royal colby brock au | ao3

summary: the duke of silverkeep presents his findings to the queen.

word count: 1,169

warning(s): mention of serena’s plan

When they were in boarding school, people often spoke of how intimidating His Royal Highness was. It was understandable, of course. Cole often wore a face of annoyance. His poker face was truly incredible. No one could ever tell what went on in that mind of his. He took extra precaution to protect his heart, to not let anyone get too close if he didn’t want them near. But, Sam, for all the years he’s known Cole, knew that the Queen was far more intimidating than people could ever imagine Cole to be. Where Cole wore a mask to cover how soft he was on the inside, ice ran through the Queen’s veins.

He spent a couple of days preparing to make his presentation to the Queen. He wanted to be as thorough as possible. He couldn’t ruin this when Cole’s future, his best friend’s future, was on the line. He couldn’t ruin this when your future was on the line. Sam was more perceptive than people ever gave him credit for. He knew things better than most people would think. And he could tell when Cole introduced you to him and the rest of their friends that you were important to Cole. And, even more so, he could tell you were good for Cole. What more could a friend want for their friend? But to see it all being put on hold because of some scheming figure of Cole’s past can’t let things go?

God, it filled him with a sort of rage he didn’t experience often. 

He could still see the look on Cole’s face when the chamberlain came up to Sam’s study, saying that you had been attacked. He had never seen his friend look so positively broken. The way his once smiling face fell. The tears he tried to subtly wipe away. The way he forced himself to stand straighter, pulling himself together, and going as quickly as he could to your side. 

And Sam remembered how Cole had come to his home a few days later, freely crying as he stammered out that he’d done the worst thing in the world and that there was no way you would ever forgive him. The Queen had a plan, and really it was the only plan that would work. Cole had to make it seem like he left you for good, and the only way to show that was to not let you in on the plan at all. For, Lady Serena had already seen how you reacted when Cole left the first time, and they had to mirror those same results. And, for as brilliant as you were, you also wore your heart on your sleeve, so all involved parties knew that you could not mask any of the feelings you would have while they tried to make this plan work.

Sam could only hope that you would understand, in the end. Cole truly had the best intentions and, even if you could not forgive him, Sam prayed that you would at least understand. 

Hopefully, though, the information Sam had acquired was enough to get you the justice you deserved. 

He stood outside the throne room, waiting to be let in. Cole’s servant and childhood friend, Nate, stood with him, trying to ease his nerves. For what it was worth, it did help. But still, the futures of his best friend and his best friend’s potential wife was on the line, and he’d be damned if he messed it up. He had to make sure he made a good case. 

The throne room doors opened, and he took a deep breath. He looked inside, the Queen seated in her throne, looking less than impressed. Besides her, and him as he walked into the room, there was no one else, save for the Queen’s secretary and the lady fanning her. He focused on his walking, just placing one foot in front of the other, and kept his head held high. He could not mess this up, he could not mess this up. When he was only a yard away from the throne, he stopped and fell into a low bow.

“Your Majesty,” he greeted. 

“Rise, Samuel,” the Queen said and so he did. “I hope you come here bearing news.”

“I do, Your Majesty,” he said. “I think I’ve more than enough to ensure Lady Serena can be arrested.”

“Think or know, Samuel? This is my grandson’s future, your future king’s future, on the line.” 

“I know for a fact that I have more than enough,” Sam corrected. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the letters and he diary. He passed them to the Queen’s secretary, who began to look through them. “I found them in Lady Serena’s chambers.”

“Breaking and entering? I’m not so sure that would work in the eyes of the law.” 

“No, I was welcomed into the Wharton home and was allowed to go into Lady Serena’s chambers.” 

“And allowed to search?”

“We have no laws that say a guest cannot look at the things in a home. I was within my right as a private citizen to look around.” 

The Queen pursed her lips. “That could work. Continue.” 

“The letters are those she received from the man who was arrested. I don’t have the ones she sent, but from his, you can clearly see that Lady Serena had paid him to attack Y/N Covington. Many of them are confirming the time and place he would need to be, as well as a negotiation of how much Lady Serena would pay him.” 

“That would be enough to arrest her.” The Queen eyed the diary that her secretary was looking through. “And the diary?”

“That was the more than enough I was referencing earlier,” Sam explained. “I only was able to read a handful of entries, but you’ll quickly find that Lady Serena had far worse plans than having Y/N attacked.”

“Is that so?” 

“Yes. It’s no secret she wanted the throne, but the power she would use when she got that throne? Her diary makes it crystal clear that she was going to take both you and Cole out of the picture as soon as she could. And, while I’m not well-versed in all of the law, I know enough to know that’s treason and conspiring against the Crown.”

“And reason enough to have her locked away in the royal penitentiary until her dying breath,” the Queen said. 

Before Sam could say more, Cole entered the throne room and greeted both Sam and the Queen. “Have we found what we needed? I don’t know if I can’t stand another second of entertaining Lady Serena.”

The Queen smiled a full, toothy smile as she said, “Oh, as your friend has put it, we’ve found more than enough.” 

“So we can turn the information into the authorities now?” 

“Even better,” the Queen said. “She seemed to have intentions to humiliate the Covingtons and us. Why not repay the favor?” 

[starryevermore]

evermore: the aftermath (21) ✧ colby brock

evermore ✧ a royal colby brock au | ao3

summary: prince cole makes sure all goes according to plan. 

word count: 1,774

warning(s): serena but also…you’ll be happy about it, doesn’t quite follow…etiquette (I’m sorry but that’s the only hint you’re getting)

Cole’s stomach churned as he searched the ballroom. Though his face would never reveal it, he was deeply nervous about the evening and what would transpire. Hopefully, this would be the end of it all. Hopefully, he could ensure that justice was served. He needed to do that for you. He had to do that for you. It was the very least he could do for you, after all the pain you’d been put through. But, fuck, he couldn’t do that when he couldn’t find the one woman he was supposed to keep track of. He’d been here since the ball began and many hours had passed, but still, he couldn’t find the damn woman he was supposed to be keeping an eye on!

Then, he saw her. Across the room, conversing with her sister. He stood a little straighter, then crossed the room. Priscilla and Serena turned when he joined them, and he gave them the kindest smile he could must.

“Lady Priscilla, Lady Serena,” he greeted. Then, to Lady Serena, he said, “Are you free for the next dance? It’s my favorite.” 

Lady Serena smiled, then presented her dance card to him. He filled in the slot for the waltz, which well and truly was his favorite dance. But he didn’t want to share it with her.

Alas, some sacrifices must be made. 

The waltz began, and together they made their way to join the other couples. Cole began to feel queasy as they danced together, knowing that soon the plan would be finished and he could finally go back to the woman he truly cared for. 

Then, it all stopped. 

You could practically hear a pin drop.

Finally, justice was going to served.

Cole felt like he was going to vomit when he saw the authorities arrive. All eyes turned to the officers as they walked into the ballroom. The once loud conversations devolved into quiet whispers. The song the band was playing stopped, all dancers stopped. And Lady Serena, who’s back was turned to the officers, was none the wiser. She looked up at Cole in confusion, and he could only grin down at her, for he knew what was coming.

“Your Royal Highness,” the officer said, “I’m afraid I’m going to take your dance partner in.”

Lady Serena whipped around, staring the officer down. “What? I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“Our sources say otherwise.”

“Then your sources are wrong!” Lady Serena looked back at Cole. “Cole, tell them they’re wrong!”

Cole bit back his smile and looked to the officers. “Oh, I don’t know. We don’t even know what they’re arresting you for.” 

Lady Serena slowly nodded. “Right! What am I being arrested for?” 

“Conspiracy to commit murder, assault, treason, and conspiring against the Crown.” 

The entire ballroom, who had been watching with baited breath, all gasped. Oh, they were probably relishing in this. A scandal of this caliber hadn’t occurred in many, many years. 

“You can’t prove any of that!” Serena argued. 

An officer held up her diary. “Oh? We can’t?”

Serena’s face drained of color. “Where the fuck did you get that?” she shrieked.

“It doesn’t matter. What does matter is your detailed plans to hire a man to murder Miss Y/N Covington, as well as the successful assault that you orchestrated, and the plans to usurp the Crown for yourself.” 

“I—Cole, tell them I’ve been framed!”

“Now, why would I do that when you’ve hurt the woman I love?” Cole asked.

More gasps echoed through the ballroom. He was sure this was going to be the talk of the kingdom for many months, and he almost found a sick sort of enjoyment out of it. Perhaps his grandmother knew what she was talking about when she said they should humiliate Lady Serena.

One of the officers grabbed Lady Serena’s arm, turning her around and cuffing her. “Ma’am, you are under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder, assault, treason, and conspiring against the Crown.”

“No!” Serena fought back, trying to get away from the officer. However, he was much stronger than her, and forced her to move along with him as he escorted her out of the ballroom. The remaining officer apologized for interrupting the ton’s evening, before following his partner to ensure Lady Serena didn’t try to make a run for it.

And, for a moment, Cole felt peace.

However, he didn’t allow himself time to enjoy it. He had somewhere he needed to be.

Staring up at the Covington home made Cole feel a different type of nervousness than he did earlier in the evening. He knew not what lay behind those doors, what sort of wreckage he had left behind. He did know, however, that there was at least one person who would be sure to give him a piece of their mind. He could only hope that they would all be kind enough to at least hear him. To at least give him that. Then they could throw him out. He just had to let you know. 

Finally, he walked up to the door and grabbed the knocker and hit it against the door one, two, three times. The chamberlain opened the door, seeming just as shocked as she was all nights ago. She ushered him inside, saying something about how she wasn’t expecting the Covington’s to have company. He said something about not being to intrude, something about needing to get things off of his chest. 

She led him to the same sitting room he broke your heart in. And his own heart ached as he saw the three of you in similar positions as you were all those nights ago. The chamberlain introduced him, and all eyes snapped to him. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat, to say something, but nothing could come. God, you were so beautiful, a vision in blue and pearls, and he wanted to say as much, to apologize, to plead and beg and do anything to make you understand why he had to do what he did, that he hated himself every day and every night. 

But Elias moved faster than Cole could anticipate, his fist colliding with Cole’s face. Cole stumbled backwards, clutching his nose, as you and Genevieve gasped. 

“What the fuck did I say about turning up here uninvited?” Elias seethed. 

“I came bearing news,” Cole said, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe away the blood pouring from his nose. 

“We don’t want to fucking hear it,” Elias said. “Leave.” 

“Elias!” Genevieve berated. “At least hear what His Royal Highness has to say.”

Cole would never admit it, but it stung every time a Covington called him by his title. He really had meant it when he said he wanted the family to call him by his name. But he supposed he deserved it. He came Covington Enemy Number 1 when he broke off the courtship. He knew that. He understood that. But that didn’t make it hurt any less. 

“Very well. Get it out then,” Elias said. 

“Lady Serena was just arrested about a half hour ago,” Cole said. “Not only had she hired that man to attack Y/N, but she also had plans to overthrow the Crown entirely.” 

Then your sweet voice that he had missed so dearly asked, “So, it’s over?” 

“It’s over,” Cole said. “And Y/N, I have to apologize to you. I hadn’t wanted to break off our courtship, but it was the only way I could ensure that Lady Serena believed things were truly over. Her guard would be down, and we could get the information we needed. But, I can never forgive myself for hurting you in the process.” 

“So, you hadn’t wanted to end things?”

“Of course not. I want you to understand that I’ve never been happier with someone else in my entire life. I never wanted you to feel like I didn’t want you in my life, or that I didn’t care for you, but it was the only way I could that you live a safe life.” He turned to Elias. “And, Elias, I’m sorry that I hurt your family the way I did. I hope you can understand that I only did it to ensure that you all could live safe and happy lives.”

“I’m not sorry for hitting you.” 

“Honestly, and truly, I deserved it.” 

And his focus turned back to you, an absolute goddess in blue. And he said, “If I may, there’s one more thing I would like to say.”

“Of course,” you said, looking at him with your pretty eyes that he could never tire of. Lord, he missed seeing you. And he didn’t want to waste another day without you. 

Cole knew that, for as much as he wanted to look at you, his true question was directed toward your brother, so he looked to Elias as began to speak.

“All my life, everything had been chosen for me. I never had a say in what I did, who I saw, where I went. I had to play the role of a good son, a good prince, and, eventually, a good heir to the throne. My entire life, I’ve been searching for my freedom. I’ve gone on countless adventures, seen things that my people could only imagine in their most wild of dreams. But it wasn’t enough.” Cole paused, then looked to you. “And then I saw you for the first time, and I knew. I knew when I saw you standing up for yourself with your brother. I knew when you treated me as an equal. I knew when I saw you in the park, when I made the biggest mistake of my life, as you ran away. I knew. I’ve known. I used you to think that freedom was not being married, not being tied down in a relationship and being forced to play yet another role in the dozens I’ve taken on over the years. But I meant what I said in my apology, Y/N. I’ve never felt freer than when I was with you. And I don’t want to lose that freedom. Not now, not ever. Sam told me that when you meet the right woman, you don’t lose your freedom. I didn’t believe him at the time, but now I understand.”

“Cole…” you whispered, tears pricking at your eyes. 

And, though he was addressing your brother, the man of the house, he never looked away from you. “And that’s why I have to ask for your hand.” His eyes finally tore away from yours as he looked to your brother. “Elias Covington, Viscount of Evermore, may I have your sister’s hand in marriage?” 

[starryevermore]

evermore: the discovery (16) ✧ colby brock

evermore ✧ a royal colby brock au | ao3

summary: the duke of silverkeep does what he can to help.

word count: 1,019

warning(s): snooping around

Samuel Golbach was nothing if not loyal. Especially to His Royal Highness. The pair of them had become friends in boarding school, and had been as thick as thieves ever since. When his mother had met Cole for the first time, she said they were like magnets. Where one went, the other followed. But, at the same time, in a lot of aspects, they were polar opposites. Sam was more prone to confrontation that Cole shied away from—and that was why Sam was the one Cole trusted to carry out this harebrained scheme. And, well, after everything that Cole has gone through Sam, he knew that he had to do this one thing for his lifelong friend. 

And that was why, on the night of the Cliffton ball, Sam took a carriage to the Wharton residence, bearing a gift. 

Sam usually wasn’t the type of person to judge. Okay, perhaps he was. But he’d never say it out aloud, so that had to count for something. Didn’t it? Still, looking up at the Wharton was absolutely abysmal. He knew that they had struggled since losing the Queen’s favor all those years ago, but to show the state of things so openly? Where the rest of high society could see and pass judgments, as everyone knew they would? Was things really so bad that they couldn’t put up a façade, to at least have a nice front of the house to mask the horror beneath? If he hadn’t known better, he might’ve felt bad for them. 

He exited the carriage and went up to the front door. He knocked, and the door opened to reveal a maid. 

“May I help you, sir?” she asked.

“I’m here to drop off a gift,” he said, lifting the box a little higher. “It’s from His Royal Highness.” 

The maid’s face lit up. “Oh! Come in, come in!”

“Thank you.”

“Here, let me take that for you—”

Sam pulled away slightly. “Actually, I have explicit instructions from His Royal Highness.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, I’m to take this to Lady Serena’s chambers.” 

The maid paused. “I…I don’t think that’s appropriate. Here, let me—”

“His Royal Highness made himself clear.” And though he felt like an ass doing it, Sam added, “Are you really in a position to be denying a price, the heir to the throne?” 

The maid sucked in a breath, then put a strained smile on her lips. “Very well, Lady Serena’s chambers are right up the stairs, third door on the left.”

“Thank you,” Sam said. “I’ll be a few minutes. The prince has explicit instructions on how this is to be set up.”

The maid started to say something, but silenced herself when he raised a brow. 

Sam followed the maid’s directions to Lady Serena’s chambers. Once inside, he shut the door and deposited the box on the four-posted bed. Fuck, now he had to work quick.

Where to begin? Where to begin? If you were a piece of crucial evidence that could indict a scheming woman, where would you be? The desk? Was the desk too obvious? The desk might be too obvious. Fuck it, he’s checking the desk. 

He started wildly opening and shutting drawers, sifting through its contents. God, he didn’t even know what exactly he was looking for. Would Lady Serena really be so dumb as to leave something so incriminating out for anyone to find? No, of course not. Of all the things Lady Serena was, stupid was not one of them. She was evil, she was conniving, but goddangit did she have a brain. It’s not wonder she was able to pull off this ridiculous plan in the first place. 

And then—

Oh, that’s interesting. 

Not what he was expecting, but it could be useful…

To some degree, he was aware that you shouldn’t read a lady’s diary, but to hell with what you should and shouldn’t do. Lady Serena clearly didn’t give a damn about social conventions. So why should he? So, he opened the diary and landed on a random page. 

“One day,” it read, “I will be Queen of Liberdon. I know I will be. I’ve had that rotten prince wrapped around my finger for years. Even now, when I haven’t spoken to him in years, he still comes crawling back. He cannot escape him. He will be mine, and no wretched Covington bitch will ever stand in my way. I will be the one to sit on the throne, I will be the one to lie with the prince. I will have everything she thought was hers but was really mine. And then, I can finally make that bitch and that hedge whore pay for thinking they could take what’s mine.”

Sam shut the diary, knots tying in his stomach as he realized the depth of Lady Serena’s obsession. He slowly pocketed the diary, deciding that it was, indeed, something of use, and then he continued on with his search of the chambers. 

He was nearly about to give up, when something caught his eye. A large, oval mirror hung on the wall where Lady Serena’s vanity was. But the mirror did not lay flat against the wall. It was titled at a downwards angle and, if Sam was any shorter, he might not have been able to see the pieces of paper tucked away. 

He reached up, and pulled them out from behind the mirror. He opened them and began to read. Oh. Oh, these were indeed useful. For they laid out explicit plans, and an exchange of money, between Lady Serena and the man in prison. Yes, they were exactly what he was looking for.

Sam quickly stashed the letters in his pocket and made to leave. But, with a parting glance at the mirror, he decided he would need to make it look like nothing had been touched. So, he quickly grabbed some blank pages off of Lady Serena’s desk and folded them the same way each letter was folded, and tucked them behind the mirror. 

There. Perfect. 

Now, it was time to get to business. 

[starryevermore]

evermore: the panic (18) ✧ colby brock

evermore ✧ a royal colby brock au | ao3

summary: lady serena realizes something has gone missing. 

word count: 744

warning(s): very short chapter, a lot of swearing, serena but even worse: priscilla

What a fucking wench, Serena seethed. How dare that horrid Viscountess say such things to her? Did she not have a clue who she was speaking to? Did that wench not understand the power that Serena would have? Oh, she’ll show her. She’ll show her just who she’s messing with. 

Serena stormed up to her room, ignoring whatever stupid fucking question the maid posed as she entered the home. She immediately took a seat at her desk, opening a drawer and fishing out her diary. Except—what the fuck? Where was it? She always put it in the exact same spot, so she always knew exactly where it was. Its home was carefully tucked between the letters she and Cole used to exchanged when they were younger but now? Now it was nowhere to found.

She furiously opened all of her drawers, digging through their contents, trying to figure out if she had just misplaced. Fuck, when was the last time she had even written in it? Weeks ago? Could it have really been misplaced for that? Quickly, Serena realized that it was nowhere to be found in her desk. She turned her attention to the rest of the room, wondering where the hell it could be.

Then, a worse fear struck her heart. If her diary had gone missing, could the…No. No! They couldn’t have. Could they? She jumped up, dashing over to her vanity and rising on her tiptoes, looking at the space where the mirror leaned off the wall.

Shit. Shit. Shit!

Where was it? 

Where the fuck was everything? 

Rage filled her chest as she began to tear through her room. Someone had touched her belongings. Someone had touched—and taken her belongings. Someone had taken the two items that could ruin her and everything she had been working towards.

Serena stormed out of her room, stalking down the hall to Priscilla’s room. She threw the door open, snarling, “Have you been in my room?”

Priscilla turned from her own vanity, her perfectly arched brow raising. “I don’t care about you or your room, sister. What joy would messing with your stuff bring me?”

“I don’t know, but things are missing!”

“Are they important things?”

“Yes. The most important things I have.” 

“Then, pray tell, what are they? I may have seen them somewhere.” 

“My diary and some letters.” 

Priscilla laughed. “Oh, those aren’t important. You can replace those.” 

Serena was in front of her sister in an instant. “You don’t understand. Those letters and my diary, in the wrong hands, can ruin this family.” 

Priscilla rose, towering over Serena. For a brief moment, fear struck her heart, but she tried to keep her rage simmering. “What did you just say?”

“I said—”

Priscilla grabbed at Serena’s hair, yanking her head backwards. “If you said what I think you’ve said, I pray that you are mistaken. Do you understand how many sacrifices this family has made because of your stupid meddling in royal affairs?”

“Yes, I—”

“Because I don’t think you do. We were relegated to fucking Squall’s End because you couldn’t stop yourself from going after a fucking prince. And now, when you have him wrapped around your stupid little finger, you tell me that that might be in jeopardy? Pray you’re wrong. Because if you ruin this family again, I swear, you’ll never live to see the light of day.” 

“I…I think I might not have looked everywhere.” 

“You better hope that’s true.” Priscilla released her hair, and Serena stumbled backwards. “Now go. I’m bored of you.” 

Serena paused for a moment, before racing out of the room. She paused for a moment in the hallway to fix her, then continued on her mission to figure out who the hell touched her belongings. 

Just as she was about to harass one of the maids, her personal, Jane, came rushing over. 

“What?” Serena snarled. 

“Ma’am, His Royal Highness is here. He’s requesting you join him on a walk in the park,” Jane said. 

“…Fine. Do I look presentable?”

“Of course, ma’am.” 

“Then get my sister as my chaperone.” 

“Of course, ma’am.” 

And, as the three of them walked through the park, Serena holding onto the prince’s arm, a sense of smugness washed over her rage. At least, for now, the prince wasn’t aware of what’s done. Now to only coax a proposal and expedited marriage license out of him to ensure he could never, ever leave her. 

[starryevermore]

evermore: the bitch (17) ✧ colby brock

evermore ✧ a royal colby brock au | ao3

summary: the dowager viscountess puts lady serena in her place. 

word count: 1,242

warning(s): genevieve covington is a bad bitch, serena unfortunately still exists.

You didn’t really want to be out and about. Honestly and truly, you wished to spend the rest of the social season locked away in your room. Just the mere idea of having to go out and risk seeing Cole or Lady Serena or, even worse, the two of them together, made you feel like your heart had been ripped out of your chest and stomped on. 

Nevertheless, your mother would never allow you to hole yourself up in your room. You needed to show yourself with the dignity and grace you were born with, she said. Whatever that meant. She said that you needed to show all of high society, and the prince in particular, that you were not affected by what the prince had done. You had to show the entire kingdom that were above whatever game he was playing. And, maybe then, your prospect for marriage wouldn’t be totally damaged. 

So, your mother drug you out of bed, and told Eliza to make sure you were a picture of perfection. You had to pick up a dress from Aurelian Designs, apparently. Something for the next ball. You hadn’t even known you had another dress to be picked up, but your mother explained she had it commissioned to show the prince “exactly what he was missing”. You weren’t too sure that was going to sway his opinion, but you figured at the very least, you might find another eligible bachelor with it. 

And so, now you stood in front of the mirror, watching as Devyn and Xepher work on the final touched. You had to admit, the dress was stunning. It was a soft, powder blue reminiscent of the dress you wore for your debut. It had an umpire waistline, and fell in elegant waves. You were sure that when you danced, it would look like the ocean waves were kissing at your feet. Your eyes fell to the neckline, and for a brief moment, you wondered if the necklace he had given you would look nice with it. But, you shook the thought from your head, both because you knew that necklace would look brilliant with anything and because you never wanted to think about that stupid piece of jewelry ever again.

“I think this is our best work yet, Dev,” Xepher was saying as she took the dress in a bit more at  the waist.

Devyn stood to the side, looking you over. “I do think you’re right, Xeph. We really outdid ourselves here.” 

You laughed, feeling that fleeting moment of happiness for the first time in a while. “I’m sure you say that about every dress you make.” 

“Because every time, we get better,” Xepher said. 

“How can you improve perfection?”

“By raising the bar,” Xepher said, finishing what she was doing. She took a step back, joining Devyn, and admired her masterpiece. “Miss Y/N, you may think that perfection is something stagnant, but let me assure you that it’s not. Just like everything in life, perfection is fluid. It ebbs and it flows. What you thought was the best thing in the world one day, may be subpar the next. It’s just how it goes. It doesn’t change its earlier perfection or how you felt about it. But the standard has changed, and so must you.” 

Your mouth fell open as you tried to figure out a reply. Then, you settled on, “Thank you. I…I don’t think you know how much I needed to hear that.” 

Before Xepher could say more, the jingling of the bell above the shop door pulled you out of your thoughts. You turned your head, your heart sinking to your stomach. Oh, why did she have to be here?

You quickly looked back at the mirror, trying to steady your breathing. “You know what could make this dress even better? Some pearl accents.” 

Devyn’s face lit up. “Oh, I like the way you think, Miss Y/N!” 

She went off to the back of the store, before returning shortly with a box of pearls to sew onto the dress. She and Xepher immediately got to work, discussing how they would sew the pearls to the bottom of the dress and let them disperse upwards. The entire time, you kept your back straight, looking in the mirror and not at…her. 

“Oh, Y/N!” she said. “What a wonderful surprise to see you here!”

“Yes, wonderful.” You tried to keep your tone level, but you were aware that it came out more with a tone of hostility than you had intended to it.

“You know, I must thank you.”

“Oh?” 

“Yes, if it wasn’t for your incompetence, I never would’ve been able to get the prince’s favor once more.” 

Your heart hammered in your chest. You didn’t know what her game was, but whatever it was was working. You wished you weren’t so sensitive. You wished you had more of a backbone. You wished—

“Lady Serena, kindly fuck off.” 

It was so silent you could hear a pin drop.

Did your mother really—

“Excuse me?” Serena hissed. 

“You’ve gotten a prince, congratulations,” your mother said. “But, it’s quite evident his favor ebbs and flows. You may have it today, but who knows about tomorrow?”

Serena stomped up to your mother, stopping barely an inch from her face. “What are you trying to say, wench?”

Your mother stuck her hand out and pushed her slight.y “Know your place. You may have the favor of a prince, but as it stands, I still rank higher than you. And, for what it’s worth, my daughter and I still have the favor of the Queen, who’ll always rank higher than you.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Just for you to know your place. I’d hate for something to happen to you.” 

Serena huffed. “You may rank higher than me now, and so may the Queen, but when I marry His Royal Highness, I’ll soon be above all of you!”

“Be that as it may, you currently aren’t. And one wrong move can ruin everything you’re trying to build. Keep that in mind before you do something…irrational.” 

Serena bared her teeth, and said, “You’re testing my patience.” 

“Then leave. I have an appointment here that’ll last til the end of the day. You’re not welcome here. Go.” 

Serena let out of shriek, before turning and stomping out of the store. The door slammed shut behind her, and a moment of silence passed over the four of you. No one said anything, either out of fear of your usually mild-mannered mother turning on them, or shock of what she had done.

Finally, you looked away from the mirror, tears brimming your eyes, as said to your mother, “You didn’t have to do that.” 

“She’s messed with my child. No one get away with that scot free.”

“She could have you ruined.” 

“It’ll be many years before that happens.”

“She doesn’t seem the type to forget.”

“And the prince doesn’t seem the type to stay with her. She’ll get what she deserves, and so will we. I can promise you that.” She turned her attention to Xepher and Devyn, watching as they sewed the pearls on. “Yes, I do think this looks much better with the pearls.”

And, as she discussed the dress’s design with Xepher and Devyn, you let out a low laugh, forever grateful that your mother was in your corner. 

[starryevermore]

evermore: the comfort (9) ✧ colby brock

evermore ✧ a royal colby brock au | ao3

summary: the reader and the dowager viscountess have a bonding moment.

word count: 1,501

warning(s): sorta angsty, slight cliffhanger

You stared at the diamond necklace, holding it in your hands. Perhaps you were too harsh with Cole. You wouldn’t throw it away, nor would you give it away to someone like Lady Serena. But, it hurt your heart to look at it. It reminded you too much of Cole, and the life you could have had together. Perhaps that was your fault for becoming too comfortable with the idea of marrying a prince. After all, the only thing you’d done was gain the approval of the Queen. You had nothing else to offer, save for a pretty face. 

You set it down, instead focusing on the intricate updo Eliza was working on. But, it was hard to focus when the necklace glittered so prettily on your vanity. 

“What do you think I should do with this, Eliza?” you asked, gesturing at the necklace. 

Eliza paused what she was doing, looking at the necklace. She pursed her lips, then said, “Well, it’s far too beautiful to get rid of. Why don’t you put it away in a box, and put it in one of your drawers? Out of sight, out of mind, as they say. But it will always be there if you want it again.” 

“I suppose that’s the best I can do for now,” you admitted. 

You opened one of your vanity drawers, pulling an empty jewelry box out. You opened it, and placed the necklace inside, taking great care to ensure it wouldn’t become messed up. Then you shut the lid and returned it to the drawer, burying it under your silver hairbrush and embroidered handkerchiefs. 

Out of sight, out of mind.

“Do you feel better now, ma’am?” Eliza asked, putting the finishing touches on her masterpiece.

“No,” you admitted, “but I will. Eventually.” 

“That’s a good attitude to have, ma’am. I know you’ll get over this heartache soon enough,” Eliza said. “You are a strong young lady. If anyone can pull out of this a better person, it’s you. I’m sure of it.”

You smiled at her through the mirror. “Thank you, Eliza. You have no idea how much that means to me.” 

“You’re very welcome, ma’am.” 

You rose from your seat, moving over to admire yourself in your full length mirror. You twirled, laughing as your dress swished with you. Well, even if you were heartbroken, at least you still looked beautiful.

“You’ve outdone yourself, Eliza,” you said, grinning at her. 

“Thank you, ma’am,” Eliza blushed.

You smiled at her once more before going to the sitting room. As you settled in one of the plush chairs, ready to spend some time reading, your mother entered the room. She sat beside you, placing a hand on top of yours.

You furrowed your brows. What was she doing? The last time she had acted like this, your father had just passed. You asked, trying to keep your voice steady, “Is there something wrong, mother?” 

“I wanted to talk to you about your prince,” she said.

You gave her a weak smile. “He’s not my prince, mother. He never was.” 

She let out a low sigh, then said, “You shouldn’t let him discourage you from finding a good match. Your brother says you were dancing with the Duke of Eastmoor the other night?”

“It wasn’t like that, mother. He’s a friend of a friend, and only wished to help me make the prince jealous.” You looked away, pulling your hand back and placing it on your lap. “I don’t think it worked. I think it just made things worse. He…was jealous, but then I ruined it. I just got so angry, and I said some things I might not have meant. I think…I think I ruined it all.”

Your mother took your face in her hands, forcing you to look her in the eyes. “My darling daughter, you haven’t ruined anything.”

“No, I have. There’s no way the prince would want to marry me now. Then, because his interest has waned, other suitors will leave, too, if they haven’t already. And if word gets out about how rude I was to His Royal Highness? I might as well become used to a life as a spinster.” 

“You don’t have to marry your first season, you know,” your mother said.

“You know what happens to ladies who don’t marry their first season.” 

You hated to think about it, especially so early in the social season. But it was a reality you may have to get comfortable with. You knew, like all ladies of high society, that if you didn’t not marry the season you make your debut, every year is a ticking time bomb until you are no longer considered suitable for marriage. The only reason ladies like Amber were able to continue attending social seasons was because they retained their good looks and ability to charm people. 

“I think it’s time I told you a story,” your mother said.

“Story? What story?” 

“I never told you this, but I didn’t get married my first season,” your mother said. “I came into the season strong, but every time I spoke to a potential suitor, I was told that I would make a great wife for someone, but I wasn’t what they were looking for. The only men eager for my hand were the older men of the ton who were desperate for an heir. I thank my lucky stars that my father never pushed me to marry one of them, to be trapped in a wholly unhappy marriage. So, I ended my first season with no marriage, not even a single proposal.”

“Then what happened?”

“My second season, I had more luck. I didn’t come in as strong as my first season, but the Queen didn’t seem disgusted by my presence. At first, I thought it was going to be more of the same. That men would say I’d make a good wife, but not for them. Then I met a young man, who told me day after day that I took his breath away. He made me feel like royalty, treated me like no other. He was fully devoted, even before he asked for my hand.”

You smiled softly. “Let me guess, that man was my father?” 

“You’re so brilliant, my dear,” your mother said. “Sometimes, things don’t go the way you wish for them to. But that only allows for even better things to enter your life. If you don’t marry this season, you will be fine. You will find your prince charming, even if he isn’t a literal prince.” 

“Thank you, mother, I really needed that,” you said, tears pricking at your eyes. 

She smiled at you for a moment, then rose to her feet. “Come, I think we could use a nice walk.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

After preparing for your walk, you and your mother made your way out to the park, talking and laughing about whatever ridiculous rumors were floating around the ton. Apparently, according to your mother, some believed that Prince Cole actually had no interest in either you or Lady Serena, for the Duchess of Silverkeep was the true object of his affection! Or, even more scandalously, some whispered that the prince was interested in the Duke of Silverkeep!

You were in the midst of laughing at the rumors your mother told you, when your heart practically stopped beating. For, standing in front of you now, was the man you wished you’d never have to see or speak to ever again.

“Pardon me, Viscountess,” Prince Cole said, “but may I have a word with Miss Covington?” 

Your mother sent a glare that rivaled Elias’s—though, perhaps not as outright hateful as his, it still held a sort of iciness that would make any man’s blood ran cold. “Anything you have to say to my daughter, you can say in front of me, Your Royal Highness.” 

Cole nodded, then looked to you. “I came to apologize. What I did to you was uncalled and rude and nothing you ever deserved. You had only ever been kind to me, and treated me as your equal instead of the best marriage prospect on your doorstep. For that, I’m eternally grateful. But I can never forgive myself for turning away from you.”

“Then why did you?” you asked.

He sighed. “I’m sure you’ve heard by now that Lady Serena had been a childhood friend. I…was comfortable with her. And for a man terrified of being trapped in a marriage, to have my freedom taken away, that’s what I thought I wanted. But, when I began to spend more time with her, and especially after I saw you dance with the Duke of Eastmoor, I knew that being comfortable wasn’t what I wanted. For I never felt freer than when I was with you.”

“What are you trying to say, Cole?” 

“I’m asking—nay, I’m begging for your forgiveness. And, if you’ll allow it, I would like to begin courting you once more.” 

[starryevermore]

evermore: the proposition (2) ✧ colby brock

evermore ✧ a royal colby brock au | ao3

summary: prince cole can’t escape the talk of the social season.

word count: 3,014

warning(s): mention of death, mention of alcohol, mention of bar fights (all brief, and not descriptive)

There wasn’t much that the prince enjoyed about this time of year. Yes, the weather was nice. Yes, his friends were finally in town. And, yes, there were plenty of beautiful young ladies who’d throw themselves to just look at him. But, still, Cole hated the social season for the simple fact that his grandmother would never shut up about him finding a bride.

Look, he wasn’t interested in marriage. Plain and simple. At least, not now. Not when his life had only just begun! He was only twenty-four years old! He wanted to be able to travel to far away lands, to see things people could only dream of. He didn’t want to settle down, start a family. And, while he wanted to rule over the country that gave him these privileges, he knew that he’d have to sacrifice his freedom to do so. And that was something impossible to give up. 

On the day that the young ladies of Liberdon would make their debut, Cole hid away in his study in the West Tower. The palace’s staff rarely came that way, unless they were dragging him off to meals or forcing him to meet with notable members of high society. But, usually, he could be in his study for days at a time before anyone ever came to bother him. Just the way he liked it. 

He was in the midst of figuring out a route to go North. He and his friends had always talked about traveling to explore the ice mountains on the northern tip of the country, and Cole figured now was as good a time as ever to head that way. Hopefully none of them would be too bothered with taking a month time’s away from the social season to explore. At the very least, he knew that the Duke of Silverkeep would be by his side, as he had been for many years. 

A knock came at the door, interrupting Cole’s planning. 

“Come in!” he shouted, rolling up the map and shoving it into a desk drawer. He didn’t know who was on the other side of that door, and he couldn’t be bothered if it was one of his grandmother’s maids, for he knew they would run and tell the Queen of any adventures Cole had hidden up his sleeve. That’s how the prince ended up being prevented from traveling East with some friends. (Though, perhaps that was for the best, given that he had forgotten to pack important travel documents and it would’ve made for an…interesting time returning home, even for someone of such nobility.) 

Nate Hardy, officially Cole’s servant but always his friend, entered the study. 

“Nate! How can I help you?” Cole asked as Nate bowed. 

Nate straightened up, dropping any formalities now that the door to the study was shut. For someone so close to the prince, he was fortunate enough to be in a position to treat him as friend, not just someone he served. 

“Her Majesty requests your presence,” Nate said. 

“Now?” Cole questioned, growing irritated that he alone time was being encroached upon. For he knew exactly what his grandmother had to say, and he was sick of hearing it. 

“You know how impatient she is.” 

Cole ground his teeth together before sighing. “Very well. I’ll go there now.” 

Except, just for the hell of it, Cole took his sweet, sweet time making his way through the palace. He descended the tower slowly, which took up a decent chunk of time on its own for the West Tower was the tallest tower in the palace. Then he took the longest path he could think of to get to the throne room, even deciding to make a few pitstops in the garden and the stables, before finally going to see his grandmother. 

She sat perched on her throne, one of her ladies fanning her. When Cole entered, she rolled her eyes dramatically. “I was beginning to think you’d snuck off to go on another adventure with those Dukes and that Earl you like so much,” she said.

“No, not today,” Cole said. “What is it that you needed?” 

His grandmother waved off the lady fanning her, waiting to speak until the young lady had gone. When it was finally just them, the Queen said, “I’m sure you already know what I have to say.”

“I do. And my feelings have not changed. I still am not interested in attending this year’s social season.” 

She nodded, staring down her nose with her beady blue eyes. Blue eyes that once held hope for her country, but now fell dull since all her joy had left her. “Then let me persuade you.”

“I don’t think there’s anything you can say that will change my mind.”

“I know you’re apprehensive about ascending to the throne, Cole,” she tried anyways. “But I would like for you to make your ascension before I pass so that the transition can be as smooth as possible, and so that I can provide some guidance where I can.” 

“You speak as though you’ll keel over tomorrow,” Cole said, his chest tightening. Not her, too. Not yet. 

His grandmother sat straighter. “The doctors all say that I have a few years left in me. But a few years go by so quickly. I still remember when you came of age, and swore that you’d attend the next social season. And then you did the same the next year, and the next year. And now you’re twenty-four and still without a wife or children.”

“And I enjoy that life.” 

“And you will learn to enjoy the married life, as well,” she said. “Marriage is not a prison. The social season gives you plenty of time to find a good woman, a great woman, to marry. You just need to give it a chance.” 

Cole huffed. “I just don’t see why I can’t become king without a wife.” 

Her gaze softened, and she rose from her throne. She stepped down to stand on the same level as him, looking him in his own pretty blue eyes, blue eyes still twinkling with a hint of joy. “You know why, Cole. You need to have a wife and at least one child before you can become king to ensure that the family line will continue.” 

“I wasn’t born to be king, though,” he argued. 

“I know. But you were still raised to be one. And a fine king you will be, when you have a suitable woman by your side.” The Queen took a step back, rising back up on a step to tower over him. “I have a good feeling about this social season. Just give it a chance. I’m sure you’ll be surprised.” 

Cole sighed, then said, “I will consider it.”

“I suppose that’s the best I’m going to get,” she said. “Very well. You are dismissed.”

Cole returned to his study after his talk with his grandmother. But, now, he was no longer interested in planning an adventure. No, he had much to think about.

He spent most of the day peering out the window, watching as carriages arrived and mothers and daughters came into the palace, wearing the best white gowns money could afford. And, though impossible, he could practically see and feel the anguish many of them felt when his grandmother undoubtedly didn’t approve. This was a much harsher social season, after all. This was the one she wanted him to marry, and she’d never let some riff-raff rule beside her crowning jewel.

But, when all the carriages had gone, Cole decided he could no longer remain locked away in his study. He called for a carriage of his own, and left for one of the few safe spaces he had outside of the West Tower: the home of the Duke and Duchess of Silverkeep. 

He was greeted the chamberlain of the household, who ushered him into the home and said that the Duke and Duchess were about to have lunch, and that she’d have a place set for him, too. He thanked her, looking around the foyer as he waited for his friends to make their appearance. 

And he needn’t wait long. The Duke had some sort of sixth sense in regard to the prince, so he was making his way down the stairs to greet him before the prince even had a moment to think to himself.

“Your Highness!” the Duke greeted. “I wasn’t expecting you today!”

“Sam, you know you can call me by my name,” Cole laughed. “Hope you don’t mind that I dropped in unannounced.” 

“That’s most people’s dreams, you know. For a prince to arrive unexpectedly for lunch,” Sam laughed, too.

“And for you?” 

“My worst nightmare. I thought I was rid of you forever when I got married.”

“Little did we know that meant we’d have to adopt you into the family,” the Duchess joked, coming out of the sitting room. 

“Good afternoon, Katrina,” Cole said. “And you should know, as the person of highest rank in this house, I was the one doing the adopting, not you.” 

“Then why do you spend so much time at your home then your own palace?” 

“Fair play, Duchess. Fair play.” 

The chamberlain announced that lunch was ready, so the three of them went to the dining room, where they were presented with an impressive meal. (Though, nothing that could compare to the food served to the Queen. But, still, a wonderful meal that care and effort were put into.) 

As they ate, Sam asked, “So, what makes you grace us with your presence on this fine day?” 

Cole set his fork down, rolling his eyes dramatically. “My grandmother. You know how she is.”

Katrina raised a brow. “Is Her Majesty, rightfully, telling you that you need to wed soon?” 

“Not you, too!” Cole groaned. “I just hate that I have to give up my freedom in order to rule Liberdon. I just wish I could be a young boy again, and run around this kingdom without a care in the world.” 

Sam smiled, looking over to Katrina. Cole had to suppress another eye roll as they stared at each other so lovingly. “Well, when you marry the right woman, you don’t really lose your freedom at all.” 

“Easy for you to say. Katrina was the talk of the town when she made her debut. They say my grandmother smiled for the first time in years when she was presented. You had an absolute diamond in your midst, you would’ve been a fool to let that go.” 

Katrina’s eyes lit up. “Speaking of which, your grandmother smiled this morning, too.” 

Sam grinned. “Not only that, she kissed the forehead of the young lady. And said that she was simply divine.” 

Cole looked between the couple. “What? Who did she say this about?”

“The daughter of the Dowager Viscountess Covington, Miss Y/N Covington,” Katrina said. 

“She’s Elias Covington’s younger sister,” Sam added. 

Cole knew Elias Covington well. The two of them had gone to boarding school together (though, then again, the majority of young men in high society had gone to boarding school together). He also knew of Elias’s hot-temper and proclivity of getting into bar fights, especially when some poor dolt made an undue comment about his sister. Really, it was quite a feat that the sister of such an angry man could earn such a high compliment from his grandmother. 

“Really? I must admit, I’m surprised.”

“You wouldn’t be surprised if you saw Miss Covington,” Katrina said. “She’s beautiful enough to be used as a model for a painting of an angel.” 

“So could you,” Sam said. 

“Yes, well, we’re not trying to push Cole into marrying me, now are we?” she teased. 

“No, but imagine how the town would lose their heads if that happened,” Sam laughed.

“The town? Imagine how the country would react,” Cole laughed. “Though, at this rate, I think they’re more likely to speculate I’m seeing you, Sam.” 

Sam snorted. “Oh don’t say that! If they haven’t already started that rumor, I’m sure they will now!”

“Well, all the more reason to go to this social season,” Katrina suggested. 

Cole sighed. “I’m not so sure about that.”

“Well, how about this, just come to the first ball of the season. After all, I’m pretty certain that the Earl and Countess of Carlisle will be there. And, little Jillian’s also made her debut! So, you know the Earl and Countess of Millstone will be there, too!”

“Well, I’d hope so, given that it’s their ball,” Sam laughed.

“Hush, I’m making a point now.” 

Cole tried to distract, get the attention away from the social season. God, he hated the social season with every fiber in his being. “Why do you keep using all the formalities? Just call them Jake and Tara, and Reggie and Cassie.”

“Well, you forget, Your Highness, not all of us have the privilege of being so lax,” Katrina reminded. “Regardless, just consider it, please? We’ll be there, too. So if you get annoyed or bored or anything, you can hide away with the rest of us.” 

“Very well. I’ll give it some thought.”

Cole made a point to arrive late to the inaugural ball. He didn’t entirely want to be there, so he would pay it no respects by showing up on time. And, of course, there was the chance that everyone would be too busy and caught up in their own lives to notice his arrival.

That was just wishful thinking, of course.

For, this was the first time Cole would be making an appearance at a social season since he came of age. This was a big deal, and everyone knew that. Even him, no matter how much he tried to fool himself. 

So, it was no surprise that the masses descended upon him like vultures when he entered the ballroom of the Earl and Countess of Millstone. Mothers pushed their daughters toward him. Daughters threw themselves at him, offering up blank spaces on dance cards. Fathers tried to have him join them for a drink. Brothers talked of whatever approving thing the Queen had done during their sisters presentation.

He, frankly, didn’t give a shit about any of that. 

What he did care about was finding a drink. Or perhaps a friend. He wasn’t particularly picky about it, though. Whichever came first. 

But, then something caught his eye. 

In a sea of rabid dogs trying to latch onto him, there were two people who hadn’t paid him any notice. And he recognized at least one of them: Elias Covington. And, if he was a betting man, he would’ve bet that the feisty woman hissing at him was his younger sister, the now infamous Y/N Covington.

Whispers filled the hall as he turned away from the drinks table and began to make his ways towards the pair of you. 

“Is that really His Royal Highness?” 

“Straighten up, dear, you must make a good impression for the prince.”

“Who do you think he is walking towards?”

“Prince Cole, long time, no see! Got an exploration planned any time soon?”

But he waved them all off, save for the last one where the Earl of Carlisle earned a grin for his question.

No, there was one thing he was interested, and one conversation that had piqued his interest. 

Elias Covington towered over you as he hissed, “Trust me, you’d rather be worthless than marry any of these imbeciles. None of the good men are here yet. These are men with horrid drinking habits, tendencies to gamble, and those who frequent brothels. They are not the kind of men who deserve you.”

But in true Covington fashion, you snapped back, “But by scaring them away, you scare away the good men, too! You know how quickly word spreads in this town!”

Elias sucked in a breath. “Very well. I will make it better.” 

You didn’t look quite convinced, squaring your shoulders and holding your head high, trying to match him in intimidation tactics. It was cute, really. “Good. I’ll hold you to it.” 

As Elias turned to leave, the pair of you realized that the attention of the entire ball had turned to the prince, followed by the realization that the prince now stood in front of the pair of you.

“Pardon me,” he said with the grace and manners he was raised with. “Miss Covington, I was wondering if you would join me in the next dance?” 

You stared at him, your beautiful eyes wide, as you nodded. “It would…be an honor, Your Highness.”

You presented your dance card to him, and he wrote his name in the slot for the next dance, a wonderful waltz that was his favorite of all the wretched dances he was forced to learn. But, curiously, the slot he filled was the only slot with a name. Were you just as disinterested in marriage as him? Or had Elias truly been fighting men away from you?

Probably the latter. 

But, it was nice to think you were a kindred spirit. 

Cole let go of the dance card, watching it dangle from your wrist, when he noticed couples were moving to the dance floor. “Ah, I believe the waltz is beginning. Care to join me, Miss Covington?” 

“Of course, Your Highness,” you said, giving him a small smile and taking his arm.

He led you to the dance floor and said, “Please, you can call me Cole.” 

“Well, in that case, you can call me Y/N.”

“Y/N,” he said, trying out the name. He liked the sound of it. And he oddly seemed to like you, too. Was this what Sam felt the first time he spoke to Katrina? When Jake spoke to Tara? When Reggie spoke to Cassie? If it was, he could get used to this. And, he certainly couldn’t help himself as he held you in his arms as the waltz began when he said, “Simply divine, indeed.”

[starryevermore]

evermore: the savior (7) ✧ colby brock

evermore ✧ a royal colby brock au | ao3

summary: the reader makes an alliance.

word count: 1,445

warning(s): making cole jealous

Attending a ball now fell useless. What was the point now that the prince’s interest has waned? Word spreads quickly in Liberdon. Surely, now everybody in the kingdom knew that the prince had moved onto Lady Serena Wharton. And, it was evident enough when only the slimiest of men approached you when you made your entrance. Oh, where was Elias when you truly needed him to scare away men? 

You moved to a far corner of the ballroom, nursing your drink. You hadn’t wanted to come, but Amber had insisted. She said that you needed to show the prince what he was missing out on, and to show Lady Serena that you were not a lady to be messed with. So, you allowed Eliza to pull out your best dress and doll you up to absolute perfection. If you weren’t so distraught, you would’ve been carrying yourself with the same sort of confidence you had after your debut. But now? It was hard to tap into that same energy. 

“Excuse me, miss?” a voice came from in front of you, pulling you from your thoughts. 

You looked up. “Yes?” 

“Are you Y/N Covington?” he asked. 

“I am. And may I ask who you are?”

He gave you a charming smile, his dark eyes twinkling. “I’m Kevin Langue, Duke of Eastmoor.” 

You knew the name. When Elias was criticizing the men of Liberdon, he had mentioned the Duke of Eastmoor as being one of the few good men in all the land. Elias said he was a loud man, sure, but he was also the kind of man who looked out for everyone’s best interests. He rarely found himself in trouble. Elias once said that, if you had to marry, the Duke of Eastmoor was one of only a handful of men worthy of you. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Your Grace,” you said, smiling at him. “How can I help you?” 

“My friend told me of your predicament,” he began.

“Your friend? And who might that be?”

“Lord Aryia. He learned from your friend, Lady Amber, that Lady Serena was giving you trouble.” 

You took a shuddering breath. “That’s one way to put it.” 

Kevin laughed. “Well, I have choice words for someone as…degenerate as her, but a lady such as yourself should never have to hear that sort of language.” 

“You forget who my brother is, Your Grace. I’ve heard more than a lady ever should with someone as short a temper as Elias.” 

“Fair enough,” Kevin chuckled. “Regardless, I come to you with a proposition.” 

“Oh? And what might that be?” 

He leaned in close, his voice dropping to a whisper. Well, as much of a whisper as he could manage. “The quickest way for you to win your prince back is to show him what he’s missing. And what better way than to show him you’ve moved on?” 

“I’m afraid I can’t move on so quickly, Your Grace.” 

“You don’t have to, but you can certainly pretend,” Kevin said. “And, even if that doesn’t work, the attention of a duke is still something to elevate your status. Men you are interested in will slowly but surely come crawling back.”

You chewed on your bottom lip. The gears of your brain turned. The offer wasn’t a horrible one. What did you have to lose? You already had lost the attention of the prince and most good men in the ton. You looked away from the Duke of Eastmoor, looking around the ballroom. You weren’t sure what you were searching for. Some sort of cosmic sign that you should follow through with this proposition. And, as luck would have it, you would see the sign you were looking for. Lady Serena, dazzling the ballroom with the sort of confidence that came from the attention of royalty, walked up to Prince Cole, who had just arrived. And, as you watched him smile down at her, you knew you had no other choice.

Perhaps this alliance wouldn’t be so bad in the end. 

“Very well. What did you have in mind, Your Grace?”

“I do believe the first dance is going to start soon.” Kevin gestured at your dance card dangling from your wrist. “May I?” 

You smiled, handing him the card and allowing him to fill in his name on the first slot. He waited with you until the waltz began. You made sure to put on a show, smiling and laughing. And Kevin did just as well with his performance, earning curious glances from the other attendees of the ball.

And when the waltz began? Oh, you had nearly as much fun as you did when Cole was the one spinning you around the ballroom. 

“Look,” Kevin said as he spun you.

You turned your head, trying to look subtle, as you followed his gaze. And what you saw made you positively giddy. As Cole danced with Lady Serena, he couldn’t take his eyes off the pair of you, his face a bright shade of red. And when he met your eyes, he grit his teeth and looked away. 

The waltz ended, and Kevin led you away from dance floor. However, he didn’t make it very far, for Cole was quick to approach the two of you.

“Excuse me, Your Grace,” Cole said, “but would you mind if I stole Miss Covington away for a moment?”

Kevin smiled a kilowatt smile, and nodded. “I don’t mind at all, Your Royal Highness.” 

You bid Kevin goodbye, and followed Cole to a less crowded part of the ballroom. “What is it that you want, Your Royal Highness?” you asked.

Cole frowned. “I’ve told you that you can call me Cole.” 

“I no longer wish to call you by your name,” you said. 

His face fell, and he asked, “What do you think you’re doing?” 

“Well, when a man’s interest wanes, I have to go find another,” you said. You tried to keep your composure, to show him that you no longer cared for him, just as he no longer cared for you. It was the only way you could escape this unscathed. “I have to marry, Your Highness. I don’t have the luxury of putting it off until it’s convenient for me.” 

“And you’d marry the Duke of Eastmoor?” Cole asked. 

“He’s kind and respectful. He’s one of the few men my brother has had no qualms with,” you explained. But that didn’t feel like enough. So you added, “And he doesn’t run off with another woman after seeming so sure he was going to marry another.” 

“Is this about Lady Serena? She’s a friend.” 

You couldn’t help but scoff. “A friend who wishes to marry you, and a friend who will stop at nothing to do so.”

Cole avoided your gaze, looking away. Then, he slowly looked back at you, his eyes settling on your neck and the accessory you lacked. “You’re not wearing the necklace I gave you.”

“Why would I ever want to wear something given to me by a man who clearly doesn’t care about me?” you questioned, crossing your arms. “I’d sooner throw it away than wear it again. Or better yet, I’ll regift it to Lady Serena, since she seems to be the only lady you care for.” 

“You know I care about you, Y/N.” 

“I’m afraid I don’t, Your Royal Highness. You didn’t even have the courtesy to tell me you were no longer interested.” You eyed him, not bothering to hide your distaste. “And to think you call yourself a gentleman.” 

Cole began to respond, when your brother intervened. He stepped in front of you, eyeing Cole with the sort of disapproval he had for the other men who tried to court you. But now, there was a sort of dangerous look in his eyes, a sort of rage directed at the man who cast you aside. 

“Is everything alright here?” Elias asked, squaring his shoulders and glaring at the prince.

Cole ground his teeth together. “Everything’s quite alright, Covington. Your intervention is not—”

“Actually,” you said, causing Elias to turn to you. Cole stiffened, as though he expected you to rip him apart, like you all knew Elias was craving to do. “I’m not feeling quite well, brother. I would like to go home.”

Elias nodded, and you took his arm as he led you out of the ballroom. 

But, Cole grabbed at your wrist, forcing the two of you to stay in place. 

“What?” you asked, turning.

“Y/N, if you go now, you’ll be taking my heart with you.”

You mustered your harshest of glares. “Keep it. I don’t want it anymore.” 

[starryevermore]

evermore: the scheme (14) ✧ colby brock

evermore ✧ a royal colby brock au | ao3

summary: prince cole goes to the queen for help. 

word count: 1,561

warning(s): I’m so sorry but this gets angsty at the end

Cole knew exactly who had done this, and he was going to make her fucking pay. He had been raised a gentleman, and he knew that you shouldn’t treat women cruelly. But after what Lady Serena had done? He was willing to make an exception. If there was ever a woman who deserved to be torture, it was her. It was one thing to just try to compete for his affections. She would lose, but no one would be seriously harmed. It was another thing entirely to hire someone to attack the lady he was courting simply because she couldn’t stand that she wasn’t in his favor anymore. 

And so, he was going to the one person in all of Liberdon had the absolute power to make sure Lady Serena’s punishment fit the crime.

Unfortunately, the plea he was going to make would take a lot of convincing. His grandmother largely stayed out of criminal affairs beyond passing laws that made certain actions illegal. But he had to go to her. Lady Serena had left him with no other choice. 

Cole spent the better part of a day locked away in his study, going over his argument again and again and again. He couldn’t mess this up. He had to get his grandmother’s support on this. If he couldn’t, he’d…Well, he didn’t know. But he knew it’d be difficult, so he really needed his grandmother’s support on this. 

He now paced in front of the throne room, waiting for the doors to open so he could plead his case. Nate stood nearby, trying to offer encouraging words, but Cole could only drown them out. He swore to you and to Amber he’d make whoever hurt you pay, and he’d be damned if he didn’t follow through on that promise. 

“Your Highness,” Nate said, “you have nothing to worry about. Her Majesty dislikes Lady Serena as much as you do. She’ll approve of your plan.” 

“But what is she doesn’t?” Cole questioned. “What if I don’t have enough proof? What if I’m not convincing enough?”

“Then you’ll figure it out,” Nate said. 

Before Nate could elaborate further, the doors to the throne opened. It was finally time.

Cole entered the throne room, trying to steady his racing heart. And, though he had never been afraid of his grandmother, staring at her in her throne, knowing the request he was to make, made him see her in the light the rest of Liberdon saw her: As a woman with a heart of ice, who could crush anyone who annoys her. 

“Cole,” she greeted as he bowed. “Why the formalities? You’ve never bothered with them before.” 

“I come with a request,” he said, trying his damned hardest to keep his voice level. 

“I see. And what might that be?” 

He took a deep breath. “I’m sure you’re already aware that Y/N was attacked while on a walk with Lady Amber. The perpetrator has already been arrested, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to the story. So, I took a trip to the royal penitentiary to have a talk with him.”

The Queen pursed her lips. “And I assume you found what you were looking for?”

“I found a piece to the puzzle,” he corrected.

“Explain.” 

“When I had gone to see the man, I knew there was more to the story. The man knew too much about Y/N’s routine, despite never being seen in the neighborhood before that night. It didn’t add up. So, I talked to him, and I was right.” 

“Someone had hired him.”

“Yes. He didn’t know her name, but he knew she was from Squall’s End and she had tracked him down.”

“And you think this is Lady Serena.” 

“It’s the only option that makes sense.”

“Suppose that’s true. What am I to do with this information, Cole?” 

“Help me ensure that I can acquire enough evidence to lock her up for the rest of her miserable life.” 

The Queen pursed her lips, before letting out a sigh. She looked almost apologetic as she said, “There are some things I cannot meddle with. There are some precedents that I cannot set,” she said. “I have absolute power, yes, but I cannot do everything I wish. I have to look out for the best interests of my people, and some of the things I wish to do are not in their interest.” 

“And what would you rather I do? Turn the information I have over to the authorities?” Cole scoffed, his anger getting the best of him. “They won’t do anything. Because Lady Serena is a woman, and a member of high society. They’ll think she’s too innocent to commit such a crime, and she will never pay for what she did. If you care about me, grandmother, if you care about my happiness and me marrying a great woman like you say you care, you will help me personally ensure that Lady Serena cannot be defended by anyone when she’s arrested.” 

The Queen remained silent, and for a moment Cole worried that he had ruined everything. What if she turned him away? Let the authorities handle it? What if he could never get justice for you? 

Then, she rose from her throne and descended the stairs until she stood in front of him. “I swore when your parents passed that I would raise a good man before I raised a good king. I couldn’t be more pleased with who you’ve grown to be, Cole.”

“So, you’ll help me?” 

“Yes, I will. But, you won’t be happy with the plan I have in mind. There’s only one way this could work, and I need you to trust me on this.”

“I’ll do anything for Y/N.” 

“And I want you to remember that when I tell you what I have in mind.” 

Cole sat in the carriage for a long time, not quite ready to get out and do what needed to be done. His heart ached at the thought of what he had to do, and he was almost ready to just head to the castle, let the authorities handle things, and try to continue on with life as normal. But he knew that that wasn’t right. That wasn’t good enough. You deserved justice, and justice you would get. It just hurt to know what he was going to have to get you that justice. 

Finally, as he watched the sun set, he decided that he needed to bite the bullet and power through.

He got out of the carriage and walked up to the Covington household. He grabbed the knocker and hit it against the door one, two, three times. The door opened, revealing the chamberlain, who ushered him inside, saying something about how she wasn’t expecting the Covington’s to have company. He said something, he wasn’t sure what—he wasn’t quite sure what he was doing anymore. 

She led him to the sitting room, where you and Elias were playing a game of chess while Genevieve worked on her embroidery. All three of you looked up in surprise when his presence was made. Genevieve greeted him, and he gave a tight-lipped smile in return.

“I come bearing news,” he said, his stomach churning.

“You found the bastard that hurt my sister?” Elias said.

“Not…quite. I have a lead, and it will be dealt with accordingly.” He licked his lips, looking away from the three Covingtons. “But that’s not why I’m here.” 

“Then why are you?” you asked, your voice softer than usual. 

“The…recent events that have transpired have made me realize something. I cannot risk you getting hurt anymore at my expense. I made a mistake, and I need to fix this.” 

“What are you trying to say?”

And, oh God, he wanted to break every social convention right then and there when he saw your eyes well up with tears. You were a smart woman, he knew that. He knew that you had figured out what he was trying to say before he could ever get out the words. And that’s perhaps what hurt the most. And, as the tears started to stream down your face, he wanted nothing more than to take your face in his hands and kiss away the tears.

“I…have to end our courtship,” he said.

Elias was in front of him in an instant, and for a moment he was afraid that your brother may strike him. But, he figured, he deserved it. What he was doing was hurting you, and any good brother would not let that slide, especially when his reasoning was subpar at best. 

“Get the fuck out of here, Your Royal Highness,” Elias sneered. “And if you have the gall to show up here uninvited ever again, the next person you’ll be dragging off to the royal penitentiary will be me.” 

Cole looked away from Elias, trying to catch your eye, but you had dissolved into tears in your mother’s arms. “For whatever it’s worth, I am sorry.” 

“It’s worth nothing. Now get out,” Elias said. “And if you ever try to speak to my sister again, I will make sure you regret it.” 

Cole stared at you one last time, before slowly turning and walking out of the Covington house and out of your life. 

[starryevermore]

evermore: the anguish (12) ✧ colby brock

evermore ✧ a royal colby brock au | ao3

summary: the reader and lady amber find that someone has it out for them.

word count: 1,485

warning(s): assault, somewhat graphic depiction of violence (it’s not…descriptive, but it’s there), attempted kidnapping/murder, swearing

The sun was setting over Ironmere as Amber and you walked through the city. The pair of you had a sort of weekly tradition during every social season of taking evening walks through the city, the tradition dating back to when Amber made her debut years okay. Because Amber had most of her time preoccupied with chasing away potential suitors, she had little for her childhood friend. So, once a week, at the sun bid goodnight and the moon made her appearance, the two of you would take a stroll through the neighborhoods of your fellow members of high society. You were careful to not to venture too far into the heart of the city, where neighborhoods had a much…rougher reputation. That would put a swift end to your weekly walks, and Amber wasn’t quite ready to give that up just yet. 

Though, now, it was much darker than it usually was during your walks. Amber stayed close to your side, eyes darting around to make sure no one was going to surprise the two of you. You were too sweet, still too naïve, to make those considerations, chatting away about this and that. She still listened, giving her own commentary, but her primary goal was to make sure you were safe. 

“So, were His Royal Hotness’s friends nice?” Amber asked, looking down a dark alleyway.

“Oh, they were so kind, Amber!” you said, smiling wide. “They welcomed me almost immediately, and kept making sure I was comfortable with them.”

“Well, I hope they know that no one can take my place at your best friend.” 

You teased, “I don’t know, the Duchess of Silverkeep might be trying to fight you for that position.” 

“She’ll never win against me.”

“Her husband says she’s a sore loser, so she won’t go down without a fight.” 

Amber snorted. “I suppose we’ll just have to come up with a time share, then.” 

“Then you two will just make sure I have no time to spend with Cole!” you laughed. 

“Now, is that such a bad thing?”  

Then, it all happened so quickly.

Amber stumbled over a hole in the road, falling to the ground. As she pushed herself off the ground, she watched as your feet drug against the ground, and her head jerked up to see a man dragging you into an alleyway. 

“AMBER!” you screamed.

She moved faster than she’s ever moved in her entire life, chasing after your assailant. He had drug you into the shadows, turning his back to the light as his disgusting fucking hands gripped your throat. She could already see a red handprint on the side of your face, and the purple bruises blossoming on your arms as you did your best to fight back. She let out a ferocious scream, jumping on the man’s back and leaning back, forcing him away from you.

“Don’t you fucking touch her!” Amber shouted, acting purely on instinct. 

The man elbowed her in the ribs, but she barely registered the pain. All Amber knew was that, if that bastard ever tried to lay his hands on you like that again, she’d claw his ugly eyes out. She’d maim him, hurt him, carve out his heart if she had to. No man was ever allowed to hurt you. And harm him, she did. She bit, she clawed, she punched, until blood stained his face as he hurled profanities at her. 

And, when a pair of hands grabbed her waist and started to pull her away, she started to hit at them, too. No one was allowed to hurt you! No one!

“Lady Amber! It’s me!” a familiar voice attached to those hands said. 

She froze long enough to see that Lord Aryia was the one to pull her away, as the Duke of Eastmoor took the assailant by the throat, practically throwing him against the brick wall.

“Are you okay?” Lord Aryia asked. 

“I’m not the important one,” she said, pulling herself away from him and going to where you were curled up on the ground. She leaned over you, pulling you into her arms, shushing you as you cried. “It’s okay, baby, it’s going to be okay. Let’s get out of here, yeah? C’mon, let’s go.” 

She pulled you onto your feet and wrapped an arm around your waist, making sure to stand in the way so you couldn’t see the Duke of Eastmoor knock out your assailant. Lord Aryia came to the other side of you to help steady you, and together they led you out of the alley. 

The Duke of Eastmoor caught up to the three of you, saying, “The Duke of Silverkeep’s home is the one at the end of the street. Take her there. I’m sure Prince Cole will be there already, since he’s always visiting. I’m going to contact the authorities.”

Lord Aryia nodded, for Amber was too busy trying to shush your cries. 

The walk to the home of the Duke and Duchess of Silverkeep seemed excruciatingly long, but they arrived in a matter of minutes. Lord Aryia knocked on the door, which quickly opened. A shocked chamberlain gaped at the three of you, unsure of what to do.

“This is Y/N Covington, the lady Prince Cole is courting,” Amber said through gritted teeth. “If you have any sort of sense, you’ll let us in and send for him if he’s not already here!”

“Yes, ma’am,” the chamberlain stammered, allowing the three of you into the home. “Go to the sitting room, I’ll get His Royal Highness.”

Amber and Lord Aryia led you into the room the chamberlain had pointed at, sitting you down on the couch. You hadn’t said anything still you had been dragged away, only sobbing and breathing heavily. Amber pulled you close, smoothing down your hair as she tried to comfort you. 

“What the fuck happened?!” a voice came. 

Amber didn’t have to look up to know that was the prince. He was in front you in an instant, taking your hand in his and looking over your injuries. 

“Someone attacked her on our walk,” Amber explained when she realized you still couldn’t speak. “I got him away from her long enough for Lord Aryia and the Duke of Eastmoor to arrive.”

The prince looked to Lord Aryia, who said, “We were on our way to the bar, when we heard women screaming. We went to investigate, and Lady Amber was fighting with the man. If we hadn’t got there when we did, she likely would’ve killed him.”

“I wish you had let her,” the prince said, kissing your knuckles, trying to do anything to coax a smile or laugh out of you.

“Kevin knocked the man out, and he’s gone to get the authorities. Now he’ll be locked away for a long time,” Lord Aryia said.

“And you will make sure he pays for what he did to our girl,” Amber said, turning her gaze away from you to the prince. 

Cole nodded. “I swear it.” 

The Duke of Silverkeep entered the room, a physician in tow. The prince, Amber, and Lord Aryia all moved out of the way as the physician looked you over for any serious injuries. He determined that there were none, but suggested that there could have been had Amber not intervened when she had. Then he ordered you for a few days of bedrest so that your body, and mind, had a chance to recover from the damage that was inflicted. 

The prince immediately offered to escort you home, and Amber said that she would be going, too. So, with you holding onto the prince’s arm and Amber by your side, the three of you made your way to the Covington home. 

You still said nothing, so Amber filled the empty air with a question that weighed heavily on her mind, “Do you think…she did this?”

“I don’t know,” the prince admitted. “But I swear to you, I will find out.” 

“Because if she has, I can promise you, I will not let her live to see another day.” 

“I don’t doubt it,” the prince said.

It was silent once more as the three of you finally arrived on the street the Covington house resided on. 

Then, the prince said, “I hope you inflicted as much pain as you could on that man.” 

“While he lives, I would be surprised if he could see ever again,” Amber said. 

“Good. That’s the least he deserves.” 

The three of you arrived at your doorstep, and Amber asked one more question before you all parted ways, “Your Highness, do you swear to me that you make sure only the worst happens to the man who did this?”

“I swear it. And for whoever orchestrated this, I can swear to you, I’ll make sure they wish I had let you be the one who doled out their torture.”

[starryevermore]

evermore: the best friend (6) ✧ colby brock

evermore ✧ a royal colby brock au | ao3

summary: lady amber pays lady serena a visit.

word count: 1,594

warning(s): serena. yes, she is still a warning. switches povs halfway through (after the divider). women putting down women 

Oh, there was no better feeling than having a prince wrapped around your finger. Serena hadn’t even had to make good on her threat to that wretched Covington when His Royal Highness came crawling to her. It’s as if he realized that he was dealing with an inferior woman with that awful Covington. After all, why did such frivolous things as titles make women more appealing? It’s not what a woman is born into that makes a woman a good wife. It’s being attentive, devoted to your husband. And could you provide that for Prince Cole? Oh, hardly! You didn’t know the first thing about him! But Serena? She knew everything. Well, everything that mattered, anyways. Everything that could make him hers. 

Serena laughed as Prince Cole told her of his life since that rotten Queen had her family sent away. Oh, she’d make the old bat pay for that one. But first, she had to make sure Cole thought of her as the most precious of diamonds. Perhaps, then, she could get an even better necklace that Y/N Covington’s. And a ring too. Oh, and perhaps a tiara?

Tiaras. Oh, how she longed for one! She was certain she’d have dozens by the end of the social season, when she finally trapped the dolt of a prince into a marriage. She may have loved the man, but she adored the power he had more. The power he will have, when he ascends to the throne with her by his side and a couple of kids at their feet. After all, if anyone would look pretty on a throne, it would be her.

“So, Lady Serena, how have you been?” Cole asked, smiling down at her. 

Serena put on her most charming of smiles. “Oh, don’t feel like you have to use the formalities, Cole. We’ve been friends for far too long. Call me Serena.” 

Cole paused, then repeated his question, “Lady Serena, how have you been?” 

Serena resisted the urge to grind her teeth together, to yell about how he was a useless bastard if he couldn’t follow through with such a simple request. But with her sister behind them, ready to rip Serena’s hair out should she mess up, and the crowd of people in the park and nearby marketplace made her pause. 

She took a breath and said in her sweetest of voices. “I’ve been quite well, my prince. Not much happens over in Squall’s End.” She paused, then batted her eyelashes at him. “I will say, though, I’ve missed you a great deal.” 

“The palace never was quite the same after you left,” Cole admitted. “I feel like you took a part of me with you when you moved away.” 

Moved away? How dare he make it sound like she and her family had a choice! That whore of a grandmother of his forced them away, sentencing them to a destitute life in the worst part of Liberdon! 

But she held back, giggling, and asked, “Your heart, my prince?” 

Cole laughed. “No, I was thinking something like my kidney.” 

Serena laughed, but inside she was stewing. A kidney? A kidney?! An organ of zero consequence if he should lose one?! He may as well told her she was a single drop of blood!

But, her anger melted as she looked across the park, locking eyes with Lady Amber Scholl. And, as she watched the lady freeze, you looked up in confusion, following Lady Amber’s gaze straight to Serena.

She could hardly contain her excitement, laughing louder at whatever the hell Cole was saying, leaning her head against his bicep for a moment. 

And, as you looked like you had seen death yourself, turning and leaving the park with Amber in tow, Serena felt like it was already her wedding day. Oh, how she hoped to humiliate you further this social season!

“I must admit,” Cole said, pulling Serena away from her schemes, “I’m surprised you haven’t married yet.”

She smiled up at him, genuinely for once. “Well, I do recall that one man told me he’d always treat me like royalty. It’s hard to compete with that.”

Cole looked down at her, then away. His eyes widened for a moment, and Serena followed his gaze, realizing he, too, saw you and Amber leaving the park. His voice lost its charm as he said, “Yes, I suppose it is.” 

Lady Amber Scholl prided herself on many things. Her fashion sense. Her ability to find the most rare items to decorate her home with. Her beauty. Her ability to charm a room. But most importantly, she prided herself on her loyalty.

Though many had turned their back on her since she refused to settle down, you were one of the only ones who stayed with her. You, in all of your childlike innocence, would always smile up at her, ignoring the rumors and wicked things the ton had to say. 

“What do they know about you?” you’d always say when Amber would regale the newest rumor the men and women of the ton came up with since her debut. “You’re a perfect, uncut gem in a mountain of coal. If they knew a single thing about who you really are, they’d want to be you, not try to tear you down.”

Even her own family had grown sick of her unwillingness to wed, of her chasing off suitors in whatever absurd thing she came up with. But you? You knew loyalty. You knew friendship. And Amber would forever feel in debt to you for that.  

One of her only regrets was listening to you when you asked her to not make a scene that night Lady Serena threatened you. Perhaps that would’ve made the difference. Perhaps things would be different.

Nevertheless, she can’t change the past, no matter how much she wished for it. But, she was able to change the future. Or, at the very least, make a difference.

It wasn’t hard to find out where the Wharton family lived. Amber found Lord Aryia after taking you back home, and he explained to look for the “shabbiest of the high society homes on Trepidation Alley”. And, sure enough, tucked between the more beautiful, more expensive homes of the Lord and Lady Griffiths and the Baron and Baroness of Arlingburgh, was a house that looked like it had seen many years of neglect. 

Amber walked up to the steps, grabbed the lion doorknocker, and knocked one! two! three! times. She took a step back, and a moment later, a maid answered the door. 

“Wharton residence,” the maid said. “May I help you?”

“Hello!” Amber greeted. “I’m Lady Amber Scholl, one of Lady Serena’s friends? I’m so sorry to intrude, but is she busy? I was hoping to have afternoon tea with her?”

“Oh, I believe she’s free! I’ll go get her!” the maid said, her eyes lighting up. 

Amber wondered if Lady Serena had visitors often. She assumed not, for why would the maid be so excited? 

“Oh, and please just tell her a friend is visiting? I hope to surprise her,” Amber suggested. 

The maid nodded, smiling widely, and directed Amber to the sitting room so she could wait. 

Oh, Amber couldn’t wait to wipe that smug look off that bitch’s face. She perched herself on a chair, careful to not let her nice clothes touch…too much of this outdated furniture. Something about it all gave her the icks, the same energy she received from Lady Serena when she first stalked up to you at the ball.

“How may I—” Lady Serena began as she waltzed into the sitting room. Her entire face fell into a sneer when she saw Amber in her home. “Oh. It’s you. Why are you here?” 

Amber rose to her feet, dusting off her dress. “I came with a message.”

“A message?” Lady Serena scoffed. “If that wench Y/N has something to say—”

“It’s my message. And you’ll do well to keep Y/N’s name out of your putrid little mouth.” 

“Putrid? As if!” Lady Serena stalked up to Amber. “If you have something to say, say it now before I have you thrown back to the streets, you hedge whore.” 

Amber couldn’t stop herself as she pushed Lady Serena back. The lady clearly wasn’t expecting that, stumbling backwards until she fell on her butt. Amber stood over her, and said in the voice that made all the men run from her, “You will leave my friend alone. You will stay away from her, and His Royal Highness, too, for that matter. And you will stop with your incessant meddling.” 

“Meddling?” Lady Serena scoffed, trying to get back up. Amber was quick to put her foot down on Lady Serena’s dress, stopping her from moving. “Is it not your friend who’s meddling with my affairs?” 

“The Prince wasn’t interested in you. Otherwise, he would’ve already married you.” 

“Some people need some encouraging to see what they truly want.” 

“Yes. Yes, they do,” Amber agreed. “Don’t think this is the last you’ll see of me, Lady Serena.”

She dragged her foot on Lady Serena’s dress, leaving a scuff mark behind. As Lady Serena hurled profanities at her, Amber continued on her way.

Either she should made a world of difference for your future marriage, or she just made it abundantly worse. But, she was hoping that she played well enough into the crazy image she was so often painted in. 

Maybe then she could finally repay you for all the kindness you’ve shown her. 

[starryevermore]

evermore: the deal (13) ✧ colby brock

evermore ✧ a royal colby brock au | ao3

summary: he is duped.

word count: 1,678

warning(s): some description of violence, swearing

Unlike many young countries, Liberdon began as a country that knew only peace. There were no wars, no crime. Everyone treated each other kindly. Treated their neighbors how they wanted to be treated. Then, it all changed when a militia arose in the Eastern part of the country. They had grown dissatisfied with the Crown, blaming those in power for the lack of fertile land or government assistance for their people. Their loved ones were dying, and they had felt like the Crown didn’t care for them because they didn’t bring in riches like the other parts of the country. 

They were forgotten. They were pained. They were hungry. They were desperate. And they wanted the Crown to pay for their crimes.

They attempted to overthrow the Crown. It hadn’t ended well. It rarely does, when you’re going up against a foe that has thousands at their disposal. The rebellion was squashed, and the history of it was quickly buried. It was a smear in the country’s history. It wasn’t something anyone needed to know about out of fear that someone may attempt to recreate it. And, even worse, they might even be successful. 

Still, those who survived the rebellion needed to be punished. You cannot let someone who attempts to incite an insurrection get off scot-free. A prison was erected, a prison that no criminal would ever be allowed to leave. It quickly gained a reputation for the harsh punishments, the tortures, that occurred within its walls. Rumor had it, some who lived on the coast of Ironmere could even hear the screams echoing back at the country. 

The prisoners didn’t survive long. They were too weak to handle the torture. Perhaps there was some truth to their suffering. Regardless, they didn’t last long. But, when a prison is erected, there seems to be an increase in arrests, so the guards saw a never-ending cycle of prisoners coming in, and subsequently leaving in body bags. 

Today, the royal penitentiary housed the worst criminals in all of Liberdon. Those who plotted against the Crown, those who killed and pillaged and stole, those who attempted coups and insurrections. The lesser criminals went to lesser prisons. But the royal penitentiary saw the worst of the worst. No criminal who had ever entered the walls of the royal penitentiary ever came out alive. The penitentiary resided on an island just off the coast of Ironmere. The island itself was surrounded by jagged rocks, so that if any prisoner thought that they escape, their sentence would be ended rather early. The waters were notoriously rough, even in good weather. It was almost as if God themselves had decided that they would dole out any means necessary to ensure the prisoners paid their dues to society, either with torturous punishments or with their lives. 

Still, there were better places to be in the penitentiary than others. Some of the lesser of the worst criminals got off with easier punishments. They were sentenced to horrible, backbreaking manual labor, but were still given some time to socialize with their fellow prisoners. Their meals weren’t as putrid as the others. The guards didn’t assault them on a daily basis (only a weekly basis). Yeah, there were some places that were better to be. 

But for him? He was in the worst of the worst. He had been given solitary confinement, locked away far away from the other prisoners so no one could hear him scream. The only people he was allowed to see were whatever guards had been assigned to torture him for the day. 

Heh, see. 

That was funny, in a sick sort of way now. 

Oh, what he’d give to strangle that stupid bitch who clawed his eyes out. He’d hurt her like he was hurting now, strangle her pretty little neck, carve out her own eyes. Make her pay for what she did. 

A harsh knock on the steel door of his cell door pulled him out of his revenge plans. He turned his head toward the sound, hearing the window in the middle of the door slide open. 

“You’ve got a visitor,” a guard barked.

“Oh, joy.”

Then came the voice all of Liberdon had come to know, the voice of His Royal Highness, Prince Cole. “I hope you’ve adjusted well to your new home.” 

He snorted. 

Really? He was really going to act like this was some luxury hotel he had been sent to, not the worst prison in all of Liberdon? What a stupid fucking bastard. Does a life of luxury really blind you that much?

Heh.

Blind.

If he wasn’t a prisoner, he might just have a rare in comedy. Wouldn’t that be nice? Perhaps he could become a court jester. Are those even a thing anymore? Or did the royals become too “good” for someone to poke fun at them? He wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. After all, criticism of the Crown was what led to the royal penitentiary being built in the first place. Bunch of entitled pricks, the royals were, if you asked him.

Or anyone, really, who wasn’t a member of “high society”. 

“I’ve made my peace with it,” he said. Okay, not a truth, but he wasn’t going to give this stupid fucking prince the satisfaction of knowing his pain and suffering. “What can I do for you, Your Royal Highness?”

“I’m sure you can guess.”

“Alas, I’m not a mind reader. I wouldn’t be here if I was.” 

The prince laughed. Seriously? 

“No, I suppose you wouldn’t be. Allow me to explain, then. You hurt someone I care very deeply for.” 

“And her hedge whore of a friend attacked me.”

“Rightfully so,” the prince said. “Everyone in Liberdon knows you shouldn’t mess with Miss Covington when Lady Amber is around.” 

“Is that the bitch’s name? I’ll remember that.” 

“What for? It’s not like you’ll ever see the outside of these four walls.”

“It’s not like I’ll ever see at all, thanks to that bitch.” 

The prince was silent for a moment. “No, I suppose you won’t. Nevertheless, I come to you with a question.”

“You’ve said that already,” he said. “I know I’ll be here for the rest of my short, miserable life, but you’re taking up far more time than you should be.” 

There was silence for a long time. He wondered if the prince left, decided that he wasn’t worth the royal’s time anymore. Then, when he was about to just take his mid-afternoon nap between tortures, the prince said, “Who hired you?”

“What makes you think I was hired?” 

“It’s quite obvious.” 

“Is that so?” 

“No one in the neighborhood has ever seen you before. And, for someone of your social class, you would’ve stuck out like a sore thumb. The ton are known for gossiping, so they would’ve seen or heard of you before that night. Yet, you still knew the ladies routine well enough to know their route for their weekly walk, and what time you should be there. And since you hadn’t frequented the neighborhood prior to that night, someone must’ve told you when and where you would need to be. So, I’ll ask you again, who hired you?” 

He said nothing. Sure, the prince was right that he was hired. But did it really matter by who? Surely both the prince and that Covington bitch knew by now who was the only person willing to go to such lengths would be. Did he really need to spell it out for them? 

“You’re testing my patience,” the prince said.

Still, he remained silent. Who was this prince to come in and demand answers of him? What did it matter who hired him? The message had been sent. If that Covington bitch hadn’t learned that message before, she certainly knew by now.

“If you tell me who hired you, I can see about getting your sentence reduced.” 

Oh?

Now his interest was piqued. 

Still, though, he remained quiet for a few moments longer. He enjoyed forcing the prince to wait for something. The prince probably received everything and more when he was growing up, was waited on hand and foot. Now, he had to wait like the rest of kingdom. Not everyone got what they wanted when they wanted it. The prince should learn that, just like the rest of Liberdon had to learn it.

“I don’t know her name.” 

“So it was a woman?” 

“For someone who went to the best boarding school in Liberdon, you sure of daft.” 

“Excuse me?” 

“I don’t know her name, but you do.”

“Explain.”

“Some rich Baroness paid me. I used to work at a bar in Squall’s End. Her father was always starting fights, and she would always be the one to collect him every night. Then, one day, he ordered me to be fired, and who were my employers to deny him? She found out I had moved to Ironmere, and she tracked me down. Paid me a year’s worth of wages if I attacked that Covington bitch.” 

“Keep Y/N’s name out of your mouth.” 

“Oh is that her name?”

“And you’ll do well to forget it.” 

“Is there anything else, Your Royal Highness?” 

“No, I’ve gotten everything I need.”  

He listened as the prince shuffled away from the door, and the window starting to shut when he shouted.

“What?” the prince asked.

He needed to make sure the prince would make good on his promise, so he asked, “So, how much we trying to get knocked off?” 

“Excuse me?” 

His brows furrowed together. Had he really already forgotten? Or was this some sort of cheap trick to torture him a little further? 

“My sentence? You said you’d reduce my sentence?” 

“No, I said that I could, not that I would. You don’t mess with my Y/N and get off so easily.”

And, before he could say anything further, curse the prince out, he heard the window on his cell door shut, for hell hath no fury like a prince scorned. 

[starryevermore]

evermore: the confrontation (10) ✧ colby brock

evermore ✧ a royal colby brock au | ao3

summary: lady amber lets lady serena know the tables have turned.

word count: 1,055

warning(s): …an odd amount of talk about murder :) also lady serena makes another appearance :( 

Things had fallen back into place. Amber wasn’t sure what had made Prince Cole have a change of heart, but she was glad he did. If he hadn’t and Lady Serena didn’t back off of her own accord, the prince was next on Amber’s list of people to threaten. Nobody messes with her friend. Not even a prince. 

It was the talk of the town, now. How the prince had returned to you after a brief stint with Lady Serena. There was so much speculation about why he had left for Lady Serena in the first place. What made him return to you. Was there drama? Had there been a large falling out? Had Elias Covington, the temperamental brother, done or said something to the prince? Did the Queen have anything to do with it? Or had the prince merely seem the error of his ways?

Regardless of the reason, though, Amber was grateful the prince finally had some sense knocked into him. She knew you would never admit it to her, but she knew that you were really, truly, hurt by the prince leaving you. Perhaps, one day, there’d be a world where you wouldn’t feel the need to place your self-worth in the hands of male attention. Perhaps one day you’d grow to be at peace with loving yourself for who you are, not who men tell you to be. But, today, you were still the type of lady who sought validation from men. And Amber would be damned if she didn’t look out for your heart while you did so. 

All Amber knew was that, if the prince ever tried to hurt you like that again, she’d claw his pretty blue eyes out. She’d maim him, hurt him, carve out his heart if she had to. No man was ever allowed to make you cry. At least, not tears of sadness, of hurt. The only acceptable times for a man to make you cry was out of pure joy—on the day of your wedding, or when you have children. But for a man to make you cry in anguish? In heartbreak? That man better grow used to the idea of Lady Amber Scholl murdering him.

But never mind that now! All was well again, and now Amber needed to turn her attention to the annual luncheon the Queen held.

Every year, the Queen would hold a luncheon for the ton. Most years, the event occurred in the beautiful gardens of the palace. (Though, in the odd years when the weather was less than stellar, the luncheon occurred in the equally beautiful venue of the palace’s ballroom.) There was something truly magical about it all. The flowers were freshly bloomed, the bees were buzzing around. Sometimes pretty birds would land nearby, admiring the the shiny silverware. Oh, and the dresses! Everybody dressed to the nines for the Queen’s luncheon, pulling out their absolute best outfits, in hopes of gaining the Queen’s approval! And Amber was absolutely certain that she was going to have one of the best dresses in all of Liberdon.

Amber had arrived at Aurelian Designs for the final fitting of her dress. And what a beautiful dress it was! Xepher and Devyn truly outdo themselves every time she orders a dress from them. 

Amber admired herself in the mirror, watching as the modistes fluttered around her. “Isn’t this dress simply marvelous?” 

It was a pale yellow dress, cinched at the waist with a skirt that fell in elegant waves. It was overlaid with a golden lace that shimmered as if it was the metal itself. And paired with the golden gloves Amber had bought? Oh, she was going to the best dressed this year, she was sure of it!

“Did you have any doubts?” Xepher asked, taking in the dress so it would fit more snuggly around Amber’s waist. 

“I would be a fool to doubt your artistry, Xeph, or Devyn’s skill.” 

Devyn smiled, fluffing out the train. “You flatter us.” 

“No flattery, my loves. I pay you for the best work, and you always provide.” 

“Well, when you have such a wonderful model, it’s hard to not put out good work,” Xepher said.

“Great work,” Amber corrected. 

Before either Devyn or Xepher could respond, the little bell above the door jingled. Amber turned her head, careful not to move her body and potentially ruin the masterpiece being made. And what she saw? Oh, it made her positively giddy! 

Amber looked back in the mirror, smirking to herself as she asked, “Have you heard the news, girls?”

Devyn paused as she trimmed the train of the dress to the right length. “News? What news might that be?” 

“Prince Cole has left that wicked witch Lady Serena and has resumed courting our lovely Y/N,” Amber declared. 

Xepher caught on before Devyn, eyeing Lady Serena, who stood fuming at the entrance of the shop. “Oh? Is that so?” 

“Yes, it seems his Royal Highness finally came to his senses and realized he had had an absolute diamond in his midst, and that he was a fool to let that go.”

“You’re the wicked witch, you hedge whore!” Lady Serena snapped. 

Amber turned her head, smiling widely. “Oh, Lady Serena! I hadn’t noticed you were here! How…lovely for you to grace us with your presence.” 

“How dare you!” she shrieked.

“How dare I what? I’m just making polite conversation,” Amber said. “Perhaps you could learn a thing or two about that. I know in Squall’s End, it’s quite difficult to be raised as a lady, but you can always teach old dogs new tricks, unlike the saying suggests.” 

“You and that bitch will pay for whatever you’ve done!”

“No, the only thing I will be paying for is my dress. Both this lovely number, and the one I’ll be wearing to the royal wedding, and really, any event that Prince Cole and Y/N choose to invite me to,” Amber said.

Lady Serena shrieked a series of profanities, before storming out of the shop, slamming the door behind her. Devyn, who had resumed trimming the train, asked, “Did she deserve that?” 

“She threatened my friend. She deserves whatever hell comes her way.” 

“Well, may God have mercy on her soul, for hell hath no fury like an Amber scorned.”