#i love adeleide i love her so much

[ozziyo]

Oops but a little older, chilling with two of the talking dead that live in her house

[adrianasunderworld]

The White Ash Institute

Essentially expanding off this post I made a while ago. About the possibility of an all girls equivalent to NRC and RSA. So this is my take on what that may look like. (Edit: I added a couple small edits, like who they're twisted/based on and gave Lily a last name)

A well respected and prestigious magic academy. An all girls school that takes young ladies from all walks of life, from scullery maids to princesses, human, fae, and beast alike all students are equals at White Ash Institute. All to prepare the next generation of great mages.

Staff:

Clara Cristalería

Twisted from The Fairy Godmother

The Headmage of White Ash Institute. A kind woman of fae origins, her grandmother had founded the school centuries ago and passed the torch to her, she has been in charge for almost as long as her predecessor. She has treated every student that comes into her institute with utmost care and respect. She always says at every entrance and graduation ceremony that every one of her students is like her own child while they are in her care, and means every word of it. Her utmost priority is to provide a safe environment for her students, which is why she was disappointed in Phillipa and Juno for not bringing the bullying to her attention sooner so she may deal with it. (She enforces a very strict no bullying policy and treats every case with utmost severity) 

At inter school events, she gets along fine with Ambrose. Though she’s civil with Crowely, she can’t say she approves of his methods, especially his new young ward. (If Yuu is a girl she would offer to take them to White Ash with no hesitation.) She is also an old friend of Lilia. Being updated on NRC drama is a small guilty pleasure of hers, and she tells him whatever is going on at WAI. She also asks him how Yuu is doing sometimes, because she is genuinely worried how that child is alive. 

Reyna Adeleide

Twisted from Duchess

The history professor. She also teaches animal speech and etiquette. Along with being head of the music club. A refined woman from an upper class background. A mother of triplets, her daughter is a first year of White Ash Institute. While her two sons currently attend Night Raven College. It was previously tradition that the men of her family attend Royal Sword Academy, but the boys wanted to follow their fathers footsteps and attend his alma mater instead. To which they had the families full support. Reyna is an alumni of the school.

Students:

Phillipa Claret

Twistedfrom Prince Phillip

The daughter of a wealthy family that can trace their roots to nobility that lives just outside of Briar Valley. It’s been her and her father on the family estate most of her life. Phillipa is an incredibly curious and impulsive girl. She has a tendency to ride off into the forest that surrounds their manor whenever the mood hits her. Or when she was child, watching their guards practice and immediately running up to them and demanding to be taught. Despite how much Phillipa loves her father, she has a tendency to not listen. More often than not telling him she is doing something rather than asking. She’s found it’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission, and as her fathers only child, Phillipa often gets it. Mr. Claret had hoped some time at a refined and well respected school like White Ash would make his daughter calm down a bit. How very wrong he was, if anything it gave Phillipa more playmates to get into trouble with. Despite these habits, however, you can never say Phillipa is nothing if not loyal. In her first year, she had gotten in a huge fist fight with a girl that had bullied one of her friends. If asked, Phillipa will always proudly say how she broke the other girl's nose and gave her a black eye, while she made it out with barely a scratch. A childhood playing with guards left her knowing a few ways to break something. 

If there is one thing her friends like to tease her for, it’s her crush on a certain silver haired boy from Night Raven College. Phillipa met him at an interschool equestrian tournament, and has been smitten ever since. Every time there is an event that involves both their schools, Phillipa always keeps an eye out for him so they can chat. Her friends love to tease and call her the future Mrs.Silver the moment he comes up in conversation, though they always glady look for him at events to see if Phillipa will finally break and ask him out. One time her friend Marina couldn’t take it anymore, and at the last Spelldrive tournament, pulled aside one of Silver's friends, a guy named Lilia, and asked if Silver had a girlfriend or wanted one, because her friend really liked him. Lilia seemed amused by this, and said no, Silver did not have a girlfriend, and that he would put in a good word for her before disappearing. Phillipa wanted to ring Marina's neck, she was so embarrassed. 

Juno Aureum

Twisted from Hercules

It’s rumored her family has ties to the Shrouds, though no one is quite sure how they are related, and Juno says it’s a touchy subject within her family,and she is not allowed to talk about it. On all other matters, she is an open book. Juno is a very sweet and athletic girl, though admittedly very awkward at times. She tends to avoid confrontation and tries to please everyone more often than not. This has led some people to take advantage of and pick on her, which led to Phillipa at one point breaking a girls nose for mocking Junos' then very lanky frame. After this, her friends told her she needed to learn to stand up for herself more. Juno had always loved sports, and had a lot of interest in weight lifting. With the support of her friends, Juno put more effort into athletics and weight lifting. By the time second year rolled around, everyone was in shock of how she bulked up. Though students were scared of messing with her now, Junos sweet nature was very much still intact and she always tries to help others. Her signature spell is called “Zero to Hero”, and it essentially gives her a burst of superhuman strength, making her able to lift three times more than she normally can. It’s become very useful, Juno is always asked to move things when the desire to rearrange dorm furniture hits someone.

Lily Cub

Twisted from Mowgli

A girl found in the wilds of the Sunset Savannah. No one at WAI knows much about how Lily came into Headmage Cristalerías care. All they know is that she was found in the wild, she was supposedly raised by animals, and she is still learning about living with other people. Despite the situation she is in, Lily is incredibly curious and asks and explores everything. Lily learns very quickly, while she often struggles to find the correct words for things, she usually gets her point across as clearly as possible. Before being formally enrolled in school, she had lived on the grounds with the headmage for a few months until she got the basics needed for school down. So she's more familiar with the grounds and rules than her fellow first years.

After getting to know her friends, she was comfortable enough to tell them how she got there. A lioness found her as a baby by the riverbank, and took Lily in as her own, despite her mates very vocal refusal to have anything to do with her. Her mother, however, knew one day Lily may be better off with other humans. So when she thought she was old enough, her mother showed her the human village that was nearby. She explained it was full of others like her, and she had her mothers permission to go whenever she liked. For the next few months, Lily watched the village, observed how they walked and talked until she was comfortable enough to go in. The people were kind to her, and it's there she met and befriended a woman who was the village mage, who eventually gave Lily her first magic lessons. Lily still doesn’t know what she did that impressed the woman, but she said she had great potential and was better off going to a school for magic. She agreed to at least meet the headmage. Cristalería came to assess her, and agreed to take Lily as a student if she was willing. Lily told her mother all about it, and asked if she should go, though she was curious about life away from the Sunset Savannah, she didn’t want to leave the pride behind. Her mother insisted she go and try. Lily promised she would still return. She had been under the guardianship of the headmage and living on campus ever since. While her friends expressed their sympathy for Lily not seeing her mother, she assured them that the village sorceress, who is apparently fluent in animal speech, often sends letters about her mother from home so they can update each other. She also intends to go back to the village on break. It doesn’t fully make the home sickness go away, but it certainly helps.

Marina Adelaide

Twisted from Marie

The daughter of Professor Adelaide. Marinas upper class upbringing made her know all the rules of etiquette, she likes to believe she is as regal as her mother. However she more often than not acts in a way that is rather unladylike. She never starts anything, but she most certainly has no problems joining in the trouble once it begins. Is always the first to back Phillipa up if someone wants to pick a fight. Much to her mothers dismay. Being the daughter of a staff member, she never gets away with anything for long. However the real trouble starts when she is with her brothers. They always find a way to get into mischief. 

Marina is very girly, and often opts for pink and bows wherever possible. She’s also a bit of a romantic. Always idolizing her parents' marriage as the golden standard. Her father is her mothers second husband, and he adores her fully and raised Marina and her brothers as his own until they asked him to formally adopt them a few years ago. So far no boy has ever met the standard her father has set. She copes with all sorts of cheesy romance novels. Out of the three siblings, Marina is the closest to their grandmother, mostly because they share many common interests.

[charsfx]

Lance’s long lost daughter headcanon - Adeleide Danuluk

This was supposed to come out in December 2020, but instead, it’s coming out in May 2021. Before you get into the headcanon, I’ll give a refresher because its been so long. Another OC of mine is Adeleide who is Lance’s daughter that he had no prior knowledge of. She was introduced in a comic called “Cynthia and the Indigo Plateau” last year, but I gave up on the comic, because a 10 page comic would have turned into a 50 page comic and I don’t do any comics past 25 pages anymore. So like Ross and Bertha, I’m introducing her through a headcanon. She did make an appearance in Lance’s 41st birthday, just to remind you that she exists. There will also be pictures in here that some of you have seen in the comic before. So without further ado, here is her headcanon. I’m not much of a lengthy writer, so sorry if there are grammatical errors.

ADELEIDE PAST:

Adeleide was born in Blackthorn City, Johto in 2002. She is the daughter and love child of Lance Blackthorn (father) and Amelia Danuluk (mother). Her mother and father were in a casual relationship for a year back in 2001; but unfortunately, her parents broke up, and Adeleide was born without her father’s knowledge. She continued living in Blackthorn under her mother’s maiden name. Her mother also made the decision to stay as a single parent for the rest of her life.

Like everyone else in Blackthorn, Adeleide had a love for dragon Pokemon; and after years of taking the family Altaria to the Pokevet so often, the girl wanted to be a Pokevet.

Adeleide enjoyed (and still does) watching Pokemon battles on the television. She was (and still is) a big fan of Lance Blackthorn and wished to watch him battle live and meet him one day. She liked the man, because not only was he from Blackthorn, but he was a dragon specialist. She owned some of his merchandise, and wanted the same Pokemon as him too.

At the age of fourteen, Adeleide was starting to notice the littlest of the things. Every time Lance appeared on the TV screen, her mother always gave a bitter look. She then began to wonder if her mother had some sort of past with the dragon master. Obsessed with her mother’s reactions towards Lance, Adeleide started looking at the man a little closer, and could see physical resemblances. She told herself that it could just be a coincidence, but she had to be sure.  She then approached her mother about her suspicions, but was immediately told never to bring the subject up again until she was eighteen.

On the day Adeleide turned eighteen, she approached her mother again on the Lance issue, and as promised, her mother spilled everything. Of course Adeleide was upset; she could’ve had a father in her life somehow, but that was taken away from her. Her mother - however - gave the excuse that Lance had a future and she didn’t want to burden him with a baby, as he was rising through the ranks towards success and fame at that time.

Shortly after she was told the truth, Adeleide was able to get Lance’s phone number from her mother. After what Lance thought was a weird fan interaction, Adeleide told Lance who she really was. Of course there was scepticism on Lance’s end, but her mother immediately talked to him and confirmed that Adeleide’s words were true and that he’d fathered a child when they were both 22; she even offered that if he was still unsure that he could take a paternity test.

ADELEIDE AND LANCE’S WEEK TOGETHER IN JULY 2020:

Lance and Adeleide talked a few more times on the phone before Adeleide finally found the courage to ask the champion if she could meet him in person. Unfortunately, she knew through the hesitation in his voice, that he didn’t want the same, but knowing how to get what she wanted, Lance eventually gave in and they agreed on spending a week together in Blackthorn. After their week, they would both decide on whether or not they should pursue a father-daughter relationship, or go their separate ways and pretend that nothing had ever happened.

Before Adeleide met her biological father, she studied hard on what father’s are and what their responsibilities were when it came to their children; however, she took a lot of her research too literally.

Day 1:

Lance had met up with Adeleide right off the train in Blackthorn and told her immediately that if she blamed him for his absence that he would leave, but she assured him that she had known the truth for a while and thought nothing of that sort.

They went shopping later and Lance’s wallet paid the price. According to Adeleide, “Father’s are supposed to pay for everything,” so he bought her new clothes, shoes and makeup. That’s when he found out that she was a manipulative, spoiled brat. In her life, she had gotten everything she ever wanted, and expected the same from everyone else; and what Adeleide wanted now was to have a father in her life, and she was going to do everything in her power to get that.

Day 2:

On their second day together, Adeleide and Lance decided to bake all day together. Adeleide was having the time of her life, but she soon noticed that Lance looked like he wasn’t having any fun at all. She tried to create some fun by beginning a food fight, but Lance was having none of it. After subtly displaying her disappointment, Lance felt bad and he had his revenge by resuming the food fight.

After their food fight, they sort of bonded by telling each other who they were and their likes and dislikes. Adeleide then got a stomach ache later from all of the cookie dough she had eaten and went home to rest for the remainder of the day.

Day 3:

On day three, Lance and Adeleide went out for ice cream. Seeing that Lance had that uncomfortable look on his face again, Adeleide asked him if he wanted to go back to the Indigo Plateau. He was obviously uncertain and uncomfortable talking to her and being in her presence, so why should she force him to stay? Fortunately for her, Lance insisted on staying and trying to be a good dad. He opened up and said that he was only uncomfortable because he couldn’t find a connection between them. There was nothing they could really bond about. He was trying to be a dad to an adult; a person who could already take care of themselves and make their own decisions. It would be a lot easier if she were a small child.

After hearing that, Adeleide then tried finding that connection through their love of dragon pokemon. She proudly displayed her dragonite and swablu, and Lance was speechless. She then demanded a battle, and he obliged without hesitation.

Lance won with ease; he thought he’d teach her a little bit of humility.

Day 4,5 and 6

On those days they mostly talked. They would get a coffee, walk around town and maybe see a movie, but for the most part, they just talked. They talked about their pasts, their personalities, their pokemon, their careers and their futures. He even gave her a tour around Blackthorn estate and took her to her grandparent’s graves, where he would tell endless stories about them.

It wasn’t until Day 6 when Lance and Adeleide finally found that connection, and began having deep conversations that they would keep to themselves.

Day 7

On their last day, they discussed how they wanted to move forwards. Should they part ways and never see each other again? Or should they pursue a father-daughter relationship that needed a lot of work. After some thorough discussion, and confirming that Adeleide wanted nothing to do with the Blackthorn name, they decided to pursue the relationship by writing to each other often and seeing each other when each of them had some spare time. They knew that they wouldn’t be close, but it would get better. Afterwords, they said their temporary goodbyes and parted ways.

ADELEIDE PRESENT:

Currently, Adeleide is nineteen years of age, is still a spoiled brat, and is attending university in Sinnoh where she is studying to become a Pokevet that specialises in dragon Pokemon.

Her and Lance still write to each other and visit when they can. They're not particularly close, but they know they’ll get there eventually.

She has a fiance now and often makes the joke with Lance that she’ll be giving him a grandchild for him to babysit sometime this year. She also stans her father together with Cynthia and hopes he gives her a brother or sister one day.

That’s it! Sorry her headcanon came out so late!! Currently in my AU Lance and Adeleide had kept in contact since last July, so this headcanon was just put to the side for so long and I had to get this out before father’s day haha.

[lizzybeth1986]

Do you wish PB would show more of Liam's duties as King? I mean, it's periodically mentioned in TRR but I was hoping in TRH we'd get to see him actually WORK and do his job as King and actually witness it first hand (and maybe help him too haha). I think it'd be really interesting to see that side of him no matter if you are married to him or not.

YES. YES. I'd always been hoping for those kind of scenes, ever since the end of Book 1. Like yes, I had some idea of it when they let us know what the engagement tour was for (most of the fandom was eager to view it only as a pleasure trip for the nobility when in fact Liam was trying to push for a couple things such as access to EU markets, funding for Portavira post the calamity, and important business with the UN (that we know nothing about coz we were fooling around with Drake and Maxwell and Adeleide instead). In Book 2, a lot of his work (meetings with dignitaries etc) happens offscreen.

I was hoping we'd see at least a little more of that in the third book? Because the central theme for Liam when Book 2 ended was supposed to be "I will be a better king and a better man than my father was". Book 2 was about Liam's gradual realization that Constantine wasn't the hero and model king that Liam believed he was - but a flawed person and ruler who let fear get the better of him. And Book 3 was going to be about Liam learning from that and trying to be better.

They really dropped the ball on that in Book 3: outside of diplomacy lessons, the only reference you have to a difference he makes is squirrelled away in an LI scene, where he tells you about what he's doing to make sure the Applewood farmers who lost their crops in the attack on the orchard would be compensated. Hell, even in his personal life I never saw him get to grieve his father's death - much rather, the writers gave in to demands (NOT from Liam stans because most of the ones I knew were happy in their own playthroughs) for him to "show his heartbreak". Like...I find that the weakest, stalest part of his story and somehow THAT was given more attention post hiatus.

I'd have LOVED to see what he does at work. What policies he most eagerly pushes for. What causes he likes to champion (I know artistic enhancement is a big thing for him but what else!). What frustrates him about the negotiations he makes. What happens when talks don't go a particular way. You don't have to go all political science on a reader for that, just give us a couple of scenes where he even gets to talk about it if you're going to constantly put the poor man on tour.

And now in TRH, I don't even get to see what his past negotiations with neighbouring countries was like? Whether they have an opinion or not? Isabella and Bradshaw will yap about Eleanor but not about her son? Liam will basically have no scenes that give us an idea or hint of what negotiations he might have had with them (and he was Crown Prince for a while before he became King, you'd think he was part of at least some of these negotiations!).

Honestly his storyline would have been way better if they were balancing all this fun with scenes of him at work. People wouldn't be yapping about how irresponsible he is (while Drake-no-job-Walker and Maxwell-bruschetta-tosser-at-UN-meet-Beaumont aren't shown doing much work for their duchies if married, and aren't shown thinking much about them either. I refuse to put Hana here because guess what, she's putting in the effort that we the MC aren't bothering to put into learning about these places) if we got to see him at work at least. But I'm pretty sure some chunk of fandom will nitpick and complain if that features, coz when it comes to Liam, quite a few in the fandom will not hesitate to nitpick for the sake of nitpicking.

Tldr: I'd LOVE to see more, okay. But it's been like 3.5 books now and I see nothing. So I'm kinda losing hope of ever seeing that. I mean, if I can't see my LI grieve the death of his own father, then there is no way I can expect them to bother making an effort for this.

[lizzybeth1986]

All of this! Plus, in addition there's so much Hana herself has done that so many of us forget, or downright take for granted right from the beginning of the book:

1. Hana was our competitor. She didn't need to go as far as she did to help us succeed. She didn't need to lend us her expertise and skill, or constantly look out for us, or educate us. That was the responsibility of the Beaumonts and when they failed guess how often Hana offered to step in just to teach us/help us with things that we as a foreigner didn't know (dancing, baking, pie design, dressage - and that's just Book 1).

2. She provides these skills for free. Whether or not you help her out when she's hurt by Olivia's "damaged goods" comments, she volunteers to help you even before you ask. The entire series she gets nothing out of doing any of this. Between herself and the MC, Hana is clearly the more qualified one to run a duchy - yet guess which woman actually gets the duchy.

3. Hana goes above and beyond during all three tours in TRR. She returns to Cordonia for the MC's sake, and is in the court of a woman who will happily torture her for funsies, without the MC (who heard this) doing anything to genuinely protect her. She fights her parents when they disapprove of the MC, aware that the consequences for her include having the only home she's ever known ripped away from her.

4. Not only this - during the engagement tour, Hana's methods to elicit information from people prove to be the most successful, and she's pretty much helped us the most with this investigation without disrupting anything or making things worse (Penelope's confession, getting religieuse for Regina, getting champagne for Adeleide - all of these were things she helped us with, and she gave us an edge by staying in the background and paying attention).

5. You also don't have to kill her with kindness to get her friendship the way you have to do with Olivia for most of the TRR series. And perhaps that's why some don't like her much - because her friendship comes "easily" - but this is someone who has literally never had friends. I think she has good reasons then to form that bond with the first supportive people she meets straightaway.

I mean, it's lovely that we can form the strong bond we do have with Olivia...but it's a pity that the fandom hardly values what Hana brings to the table in terms of friendship, over and over and over.

everyone’s like ‘im gonna make olivia the godmother of my pixelated child’ and that ain’t me lmao. if that option even comes up (i dont even think the trr characters are catholic..that wedding sure wasn’t), it’s gonna be hana. 

she never made the mc go to a texas ranch and coordinate a wedding for her sister (for several weeks. props to hana for not having any siblings). she didn’t write a book about the mc with no permission nor at the last minute ask the mc and friends to travel to another province to promote said book. nothing bad ever happened to the mc when she visited china with her, unlike the three times the mc has visited lythikos and bad things have happened there every time. (yes i count the cold lobster bisque as bad bc it was still a terrible time)

hana has only ever been helpful and kind to the mc, romantically or not, she’s still the much better person and friend. nothing bad or annoying ever happens at hana’s side. if only the writing team appreciated her more unlike other characters, lmao. 

[lizzybeth1986]

Really, Really Slow Thoughts on TRR Book 3, Chapter 3

• This QT took two days. Because my pace has been sluggish. Because my thoughts on this chapter have been sluggish.

• This chapter is the only time in the entire series that I was barely invested. That’s only ever happened to be at the beginning of Book 1, and only because I didn’t think it would amount to anything beyond a Cinderella story. I haven’t been in that space with a single chapter in this book since Book 1,Chapter 8. I’m just…bored.

• Title: Allies among Enemies. Sounds very Kenna and Luther, no? But I doubt Kenna ever had to sit and play marriage counselor to a squabbling couple.

•

Esther asking all the relevant questions.

I mean, sure, Bertrand, I get it: I need to make a tour and that involves visiting other duchies, Justin thinks Madeleine would make a bomb press secretary, and I have to play matchmaker for her parents –

Wait what. Why do I need to resolve a personal fight because Madeleine’s parents? I know it’s all about reaching out and getting allies and making connections but playing armchair therapist just sounds extremely silly.

• I like that they’re carrying over the “house colours” strategy from TCaTF. Kenna occasionally did this during alliances, especially when meeting with the Nevrakis family.

•

So I have a dress “as green as Madeleine’s envy towards me and black as her shrivelled heart” (bomb analogy, Maxwell!). Buuuut I’m taking part in a court event. A formal ball. Why is the dress style more like what I wore in the club for Madeleine’s bachelorette and Liam’s bachelor party???

• Also can you imagine how awkward waltzing would look in this dress? Ballroom dresses are long and flowy for a reason. Part of the beauty of your twirl comes from how your skirt flows when you’re turning, esp in a dance like the Cordonian Waltz where the twirl is the highlight.

• So I’m supposed to ensure Adeleide comes for the wedding. Loooogically the story should make this easier on me because I already did the hard work of winning her over the last book right? Wrong. Because the story doesn’t care. It doesn’t care which Liam I chose, whether I’ve ever worn pepto bismol in my life or not, whether I charmed the pants off Adeleide (not literally). Nope. I still have to start from scratch (wouldn’t be the first time tho. I won over Kiara and Penelope in Book 1 only for them to ditch me next book [even though Penelope knew it wasn’t my fault. You owe me big, sister]).

• Soooo Godfrey, Madeleine’s dad, is an English nobleman. His marriage to Adeleide was a political alliance and he doesn’t actually give a shit about Cordonia unless his daughter is the goddamn country’s queen.

• Hmm. So Madeleine is half Cordonian too. Jesus Christ for a country that doesn’t like foreigners very much, a lot of its major players seem to have at least one non-Cordonian parent: Liam (possibly), Madeleine, Drake, Hana…

• I was a little confused because Book 1 mentioned that Madeleine is “practically royalty” from her father’s side - but it’s possible that’s more a hint towards his English roots. I guess we can rule him out for who the enemy is rn because this dude genuinely doesn’t give a shit.

• So Liam, whose interactions with Godfrey have been few and far between and who admits he has never really met him in a social setting, is the one who provides us inputs on how to deal with the Duke. Turns out this advice is pretty helpful, coming from someone who barely knows the man.

•

Savour this moment, Liam stans. This - and the “we need to avoid this lack of crowd at our wedding” exchange, are the only times we will get to properly interact with him today.

• I know this decor looks like a piñata threw up over the ballroom but I love the purple and the soft lighting xD

• So the first event post Homecoming is super empty, which is quite dishearting. It’s enough to make even our resident bar-hopper Adeleide upset.

•

Is it just me or does “STOICISM RULEZ!!!” Regina sound like she gives zero fucks today? I mean sure it could just be her usual irritation around Adelaide but here even Constantine seems a little taken aback. And besides, it’s not the Krona duchy that needs anything from the Crown, it’s the Crown that needs something from them. Your arrogance doesn’t have any legs to stand on, Regina.

• Also idk but am I the only one getting a different vibe from Regina this book? In the debriefing meeting she wasn’t there at all, and this is someone who has been a part of every meeting we’ve seen in the books. Then she comes here, to an event where if anything SHE needs to be begging her cousin to come for her stepson’s/some random noblewoman’s wedding, and she’s busy making snappy comments about the appetizers (and let’s be honest, everyone else found their spread incredibly good. Even Drake. DRAKE)

• Madeleine’s dad is essentially Madeleine Sr.

• “Magic Friendship Dust” my ass.

• Madeleine’s reaction to this “be my press secretary” thing is “I told you so” followed by a resounding (implied) “fuck you”. What else were you expecting, Esther?

•

It’s great that they say this, but I would have preferred if they showed it. It really isn’t that hard. Show him talking independently to a noble or two (you don’t even have to show their faces) - winning some over and not managing to sway some others. The reason a lot of Liam fans are upset is that not only does the writing make weak excuses to keep him from working WITH the MC, we aren’t even given a proper glimpse of what he IS doing!

I’ll return to this point later, because I have a LOT to say 😠

• …cheeseburgers aren’t appetizers, Drake.

• I’d agree with you about the buffalo wings tho.

• Nomnom that pasta looks good.

• I’d betray me for a plate of truffled penne too, Esther.

•

Back in the essay I wrote on the Balcony Scene, I spoke of how Liam’s mother’s story seemed like a mirror to the MC’s (I mentioned that she might be a foreigner, though, and given that Neville and Drake make the comparison between the MC and her, and that her son is customizable by ethnicity, I still think there are chances that is true). Called it! xD

• Neville is still as big a creep as he ever was and this scene was extremely ugly, especially with regards to Drake. But it was also extremely powerful because the group gets to rally around and protect him, and show Neville that Drake has people who will support him no matter what. It was a scene I felt was needed because it gives you a much better idea of what Drake has had to deal with in court. (also I know he’s taking the tour coz he wants a wife [good luck getting one with THAT level of creepy, asshole!] but I’m suspicious about him following ppl he doesn’t even like around).

• This is also amazing buildup to the dancing scene. The version of the scene I got was automatically platonic, which I loved, and I got more comfortable with this scene than I have ever felt with any non-Liam-LI scene so far (you know how you keep stressing about accidental romance points? That).

• In my playthrough, Esther keeps it professional, gives him encouragement, teaches him how to glide using a mental image. Drake points out he needs to give Liam adequate support and he will need to actually prove himself to other nobles for that. As a romantic scene, it really shines (and indeed it should, given that the Cordonian waltz is primarily romantic) but it works very well on a platonic level too.

• I also really, really loved the comparison Drake made between his situation and hers: that the MC is proof that he can hold on to who he is even if he becomes a part of the nobility/has endured this much from them. Drake’s character arc is built heavily on his fear that being part of the nobility can change people, based on very valid experiences. We’ve seen in this chapter how desperately some nobles cling to their titles, almost using it to make up for their lack of personality (I’m looking at you, Neville and Godfrey). But he has proof all around him too, that you don’t need to lose who you are through a title. In a lot of ways this plays really well into his “letting go” arc as well.

• Okay so I went with Godfrey first. He’s talking to Liam, who again makes a disappearing act (I don’t mind, because the MC specifically stated she wanted to speak to the Duke alone). I’m not surprised Liam wasn’t making much headway. This is the second dude to dump Madeleine after all, and worse still he’s brother to the first dude to dump her. No wonder Liam’s sticking to safe subjects like choice of scotch!

• YIKES @ Godfrey’s constant harping of successes and defeats. Why don’t we talk about what a failure YOU are as a dad, Duke Karlington, since you’re only ever there for Madeleine to tell her what a failure she is!

• I like the exchange they show us between Adeleide and Regina before the MC steps in. Regina’s care and concern for Madeleine has pretty much been there from the beginning and for what it’s worth, it has been genuine.

• Oh man. I want to give Adeleide a hug and some champagne. I mean I don’t exactly envision her winning the “best mother” award anytime soon, but she’s trying. Perhaps a little too pushy and a little too focused on her own coping mechanisms, but still, she cares enough about Madeleine to want to be there for her no matter what. Which is more than I can say for Godfrey, who thinks being a father means paying an annual visit to his goddamn FAMILY and judges people for failing when he’s perhaps the biggest failure in the room.

• Waltz time!

• Though between Esther not having a twirly skirt and Drake having an injured shoulder I’m not sure they even looked that good.

• WTF ESTHER WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU DOES THAT LOOK LIKE A MAN WHO IS IN ANY CONDITION TO MANAGE A LIFT

•

HE’S NOT JOHNY CASTLE AND THIS ISN’T DIRTY DANCING. STOP PUTTING DRAKE IN A CORNER.

• AT LEAST BABY DIDN’T MAKE JOHNY LIFT HER ON AN INJURED ARM. AND AT LEAST THEY AGREED TO DO IT TOGETHER NOT SPRUNG IT ON HIM LIKE A FUCKING JACK-IN-THE-BOX.

• “He winces at the pressure on his arm, but smiles through it”. …damn I’m angry at my own MC now.

• Drinking game time!!

• I’m not going to comment much on the scene because it’s going to be part of my group scenes essay, but I *will* say I’m so happy Hana gets her due in this one. She really shines in terms of character development in this scene and she gets the best line this whole chapter xD xD xD

•

• I think Hana has had this burn simmering in her pressure cooker ever since the bell-pepper episode in Shanghai 😂😂

• “You all know there’s more to me than liking whiskey, right?”

This is unfair and inaccurate, people. Of course there’s more. He likes cheeseburgers and pasta and greasy junk food too, cmon.

• I recall speaking not too long ago about how Madeleine and Hana had very different approaches to similar issues (family pressure, feeling like they are failures, broken engagements with men they didn’t love), and that Madeleine very possibly faced a lot of family pressure (I was wrong about the source being Adeleide, though). To me this forms part of why Hana can see Madeleine the way no one else can, and why it’s essential to have her around when Madeleine opens up.

• This doesn’t really change my opinion of Madeleine, though. It makes sense of some things, but in my mind nothing can really justify the sick pleasure Madeleine gets out of breaking people. She makes excuses for herself by calling it “not tiptoeing on other people’s fragile feelings”, but that would imply she was just being honest and not actively working towards making people feel like shit. In both Hana and Penelope’s cases she was actively working on making them feel like they were beneath her, and enjoying doing that. To me what she did, especially to Hana, was emotional abuse. Speaking ecstatically about “breaking” a human being who has harmed you in no way, is abusive. No more, no less.

• Please don’t tell me a Madeleine and Hana ship will be a thing now. No. Eww. I’d rather not pair Hana with someone who was actively trying to break her. I don’t care how much of a “crush” Madeleine seems to have.

• No matter how misguided Adeleide’s attempts to parent Madeleine are, to me she clearly wins the parenting stakes hands down. She may have made Madeleine feel like she couldn’t mourn what happened to her, but at least she views her daughter as more of a human being than a prize horse.

•

Didn’t lie to get her way? Was saying “I’m allergic to chocolate and you could have killed me” just a figment of my imagination then???

•

• You have to be fucking kidding me. The MC is a duchess now. The Beaumonts are supposed to be helping her. These three should be at the top of their itinerary right now, not throwing things together at the last minute every chapter. Isn’t this Unity Tour supposed to be about knowing your allies and enemies, and preparing accordingly? Being unprepared (somehow, barely) made sense to some extent in the first two books, but things are different now.

• Penelope next week! That woman owes us big time.

General Thoughts on this Chapter:

• Things I feel might come up in Penelope’s estate:

1. Penelope’s anxiety and her parents’ fears about sending her back to court

2. Personal issues within the family maybe? Perhaps Penelope’s desire to take up pet couture designing and her mother’s disapproval of the same might feature.

3. At some point there may be some sort of redemption arc for her where she gets reminded of her involvement in what happened to the MC earlier. Penelope clearly owes the MC a great debt for letting her off the hook so easily.

4. I’ll be damned if I have to play therapist for these people too 😠

• This whole idea of “meddling” is stupid. These people are adults. Grown people, who should be expected to know how to handle their own lives and talk to each other. The royalty/the MC shouldn’t be expected to babysit them. That’s not what we came here for.

• It stings even more when you take into account that the common public is feeling pretty terrified at the moment, and having their own, and here we are busy resolving the family squabbles of rich people.

• It highlights even more strongly what’s wrong with the whole idea of a Unity Tour. I’m hoping this “resolving-aristocrat-issues” thing won’t become a pattern because it’s beginning to look ridiculous.

• @ladynevrakis mentions in her excellent write-up on this week’s chapter that this chapter is a lot better if you’re a non-Liam shipper, and extremely frustrating if you are.

Correct on both counts. As the MC you’re just starting out as a noblewoman, and you will need all the support you can get. If you’re with Drake (especially Drake), Hana or Maxwell, you get plenty opportunities for support from all of them. With Liam, you barely get a few lines here and there before he’s completely MIA. There is no opportunity for Liam or his fiancee to talk properly, or work together as a team. And this house is unquestionably the toughest one, so why does the writing not give Liam any chance to truly be there for her when she needs it???

• I can understand why he wasn’t there for the most part. In the Neville sequence he isn’t there precisely because the writers need to highlight how people treat Drake when Liam isn’t around (and to show what people say about Liam behind his back), and there is no way you could have Liam around in either the group scene or the final scene with the family without making things worse (daughter’s former fiancè, hello?). Plus if the MC is not engaged to him, it would look weird for him to be present at some of these conversations.

STILL, there were a whole range of ways you could write him without him actually being involved in the patch-up, and still do justice to his character:

1. Eat with the group: The group eating scene could have been a perfect time to have Liam come, speak about his progress with convincing ppl, bond with the group over the delicious spread, and leave before Neville enters.

2. Check in periodically: Liam is my MC’s fiancè. They are here together on their first tour as a couple. They’re doing this tour for his people and his country. She is a newcomer and it is essential he has her back. It wouldn’t have hurt to have him come in on occasion and ask her how she is holding up. It wouldn’t have taken more than a scene or two, really, and it could have worked perfectly both on a neutral and romantic level. If you’re going to make Drake such a huge presence in this chapter that you’d go the extra mile and write him two ways, you can very well do the same for Liam. It’s even more essential in his case because he is the King of Cordonia and pretty damn invested in making this tour work.

3. Have the MC notice what Liam was doing independent of her: The writing team is no stranger to writing conversations that don’t involve the MC’s presence at all. We know Liam was spending time speaking to the few nobles in attendance, but we’re never shown how he does this or whether he succeeds. I know he’s as hard at work as the MC is, but I don’t see what he’s doing. Could you really blame readers for thinking he is less involved, then?

4. The Little Things: A gentle touch here, a smile there if he’s your fiancè. Things you would do with your partner when you don’t have much time together but still want to show them they care.

It’s not like the writers don’t know how to involve Liam. They’ve done a really good job of this in the past. The entire social season saw Liam working behind the scenes to ensure the MC was protected and cared for, even when he couldn’t be involved. The engagement tour had him pitching in to help whenever it didn’t seem too suspicious to. In all these instances they kept in mind Liam’s role and limitations, and STILL managed to make him proactive.

The writers had plenty opportunity this chapter to have Liam be there for her in small ways, but hardly bothered to involve him. I appreciate wanting to make his interactions as neutral as possible but that doesn’t mean you don’t put any effort into writing him at all.

To add insult to serious injury, this chapter follows another one where the MC practically takes over Liam’s speech (post the video), leaving Liam with little space to do anything besides agreeing with her. It’s essential - now more than ever - to portray Liam as decisive and proactive, yet the writing has him take 10 steps backwards in terms of character development. The MC is his fiancèe/close friend now. She should be able to see him properly as a politician and a leader at this point. If that doesn’t get resolved soon, we’re in danger of screwing up an interesting character who has a lot of potential.

• I’m still holding out on this book, because it’s still early and I believe they can turn things around and ensure there is a fair balance between the LIs. They are taking what we say into consideration and they have worked hard to make our other LIs’ interactions with us as safe and platonic as possible. I think this is a matter of balance, and I still think they can manage to do a good job of it once they ensure there is a balance.

• But this chapter? I’m not going pretend I’m happy.

[lizzybeth1986]

Quick Thoughts on TRR Book 2 Chapter 18

• Predictions I had made for the two Finale chapters (probs not on my blog but I did say this to several mutuals):

1. Chapter 18 would be filler, Chapter 19 would be likely where shit hits the fan.

2. Diamond scenes would be split between the chapters, 2 LIs per chapter: Hana and Maxwell this chapter, Drake and Liam next chapter.

3. Why? Because Drake was the only LI with a diamond scene last week, and because given how ominous Liam’s future would be, there is a chance they will up the drama/tragedy quotient by having his diamond scene just before it strikes (remember how we got a love scene just before the fiasco at Coronation??). Hana and Maxwell have not had diamond scenes since NY, so obviously they would get a lion’s share of this chapter.

4. LIs would have significant conversations with the MC about their relationship during the diamond scenes. The scenes will be priced at 30 diamonds each - that was exactly how much they priced “last moments with LI” in Book 1. (I see they didn't do this for Maxwell possibly because no sex compared to what the other LIs are getting) (Future prediction: I think Drake’s scene might have some stuff on his real role in court but I can’t be sure, and hopefully Liam’s will expand on family history).

5. Another future prediction: We may or may not get another plot related diamond scene (similar to Olivia’s in the Book 1 finale).

• I didn’t anticipate the impromptu photoshoot or Bertrand and Savannah reuniting or Madeleine appearing at the end (tho I wasn’t exactly surprised she did, we were bound to see her sometime or other). But the rest? On. The. Money 😎

• Okay let’s start this shizz fam!

• Today’s title: Noble At Heart. Though it actually should have been I Got Land and A Fancy Title Only Because Pixelberry Wants to Justify Getting Me Involved In Some Really Complicated Political Shit The Next Book.

• We’re still not done impressing people. In fact we’re never going to be done impressing people. I fail to understand why the MC is so surprised about this. Boo, this is what you signed up for by being royalty/nobility. You’re not GOING to have a life of your own from now on *shrug*.

•

The epic shade Bertrand Beaumont, Duke of Ramsford, gave to Prince Leo tho 😂

•

I KNEW naming my duchy Daniel Henney was a good idea! 😁😁😁

• There are mixed responses on Liam’s new suit but I kinda like it? It defines his chest quite nicely I think xD xD I wish it had been a slightly duller/lighter shade of blue tho, similar to what we saw on the cover. The blue suit on the cover wasn’t this bright.

• I really wish his bow could have been silver instead of gold though? Blue and silver are Cordonia’s national colours and it would have been fitting to have him wear those to the Homecoming Ball.

• Also I think the extra diamond scene if you’re engaged to Liam is such a lovely bonus, even if I think the dress for that picture was a little too top-heavy for my tastes and WTF why does my MC have two left hands. But the picture looked sweet xD

(See the skirts are flowy and wonderful and the sleeves are lovely but I feel like there’s too much going on with the bodice!)

• Sample this dialogue exchange (if the MC says “we would have still found a way to be with each other”):

Liam: I know we have our share of history [in the palace ballroom], but to me, it will always be the place where I first saw you in Cordonia…the moment I realized you had come into my life to stay. Since then, I’d wondered time and again if I would ever stand beside you like this. Now that we’re engaged, there are a million memories I want to make with you.

MC: No matter how bleak things were, or how hard it got…I knew we’d find a way through.

Brb crying 😭😭😭😭

• I have a feeling there might be some emotional importance to this photograph later if you buy it - esp if something happens to Liam or they are not able to get married yet. It could be a reminder of happier, more hopeful times, or Liam could look at this and view it as motivation for a future he wants to give the MC. IDK how it will work out but it would be great if they did that.

• MC: Together, we’ll be unstoppable.

Liam: I think we already are.

Hold on to that thought, you two. You’ll need to prove it pretty soon the way this book is going.

• @feisty-mary pointed out that we get a caption for impressing Justin and speculated on a likelihood that it might have some importance in the future. That kinda depends on how the writers are going to spin his cryptic “our paths may cross again”. Ally? Enemy? He’s like Madeleine now, you don’t know yet which direction this character will be headed.

• Why did they make Hana’s selection look like an over-frosted cupcake? 😣 Stop doing my fashion queen dirty.

• Olivia’s selection was nice but I’m not sure about the tiaras for either.

• It’s interesting how they have gowns that are custom-made to suit what Liam is wearing (Hana mentions this): the pink gown I’m guessing is meant to suit Liam’s blue suit overall, and the gold one to match his bow.

• Fam this tiara is clashing with my pretty gold hairclip help.

• Now that Olivia has found out who was responsible for the threats, can’t do anything about it because it would hurt Liam, and basically feels she has nothing left to investigate, her work seems done. But is it really?

• There’s still so much story left to Olivia. Esp re: her parents. That’s why they’re keeping her appearances limited to just helping the MC this book. Book 2 is supposed to be about the MC clearing her name and defining her relationships, but Book 3 will undeniably be about Cordonia. Olivia’s story is a big part of that history so I guess it makes sense for them to put it off till then. @ladynevrakis and I have this theory going on about how Olivia’s parents might have been trying to protect Liam’s mom - I personally think that would be a great way to tie those two stories together!

• Only Olivia Vanderwall Nevrakis, Duchess of Lythikos, would suggest placing her future queen in a dungeon. Only Olivia 😂

• I’m not going to say much about the Hana lake scene, esp since it’s largely a sex scene and the non-diamond buildup is just as important, BUT HANA STANS CONGRATULATIONS I’M SO HAPPY FOR YOU.

• So Hana’s going to stay with us, Drake might stay/visit, Maxwell might visit, Olivia might return to court when she hears about Liam and Liam…man that depends on what happens next chapter 😟 So we’re kinda starting to get a clearer idea of where the gang will be at.

• The scene with the guys, Bertrand, Savannah and Bartie was sweet, but my lack of investment in Bertrand/Savannah doesn’t really let me enjoy it. I think PB did all three characters (Bertrand, Savannah, Maxwell) a disservice by handling that story the way they did. Savannah’s story started out as this very emotionally charged mystery that kept Drake going in Book 1, and people got invested enough, but IMO it was handled so shoddily you end up feeling irritated at Savannah and Maxwell for how they handled things, and saddened because Bertrand’s entire character gets shortchanged so that the only thing he seems to care about anymore is Savannah (which is fine, but the reason I liked Bertrand in the first place was the way he was depicted before she came along). So Savannah is still a big part of Drake’s story, and the Beaumont brothers’ history, but the investment in her is simply not there anymore. At least for me. Sigh.

• Also CONGRATULATIONS MAXWELL STANS! The screenshots I saw looked sweet and I’m glad they had that all-important chat about how they want to move forward. I’m guessing Maxwell’s relationship will take time since they’d just confessed to their feelings in NY and they’d need a lot more development as a couple before they reach that stage. But I’m guessing that will happen in Book 3! Splurge on those diamond development scenes like your life depends on it till then! XD

•

If Liam is sending his personal security detail to guard me…then who’s guarding Liam?? 😱 😱 😱

• Adeleide looks very happy for the mother of a thwarted almost-queen. But she did mention that becoming royalty was changing Madeleine for the worse so I’m guessing she thinks her daughter almost dodged a bullet there. Plus, free booze.

This is Adeleide when she talks about Madeleine.

• I’m totally waiting for you to get that “hip hopera” of yours’ ready, Maxwell. Like Elvis Presley would say…

• I like the idea of Bertrand getting some love in his life…I just want to be able to enjoy the good ol’ curmudgeony go-getter Bertrand we all grew to love while we’re at it. Is that too much to ask for, PB? Is it?

• “Will Madeleine spoil your big night?” - I don’t think you would have placed her so early in the next chapter if that was the case, PB, cmon (then again, the message at the end of Chapter 18 last book didn’t sound that threatening either and look what happened there. So I could be wrong). Plus, I think we have bigger threats to worry about, threats we don’t even know about yet.

• So I saw a screenshot of what would happen if you’re with Liam and tell Hana you still want her, and she seems okay with it. I have the same problems with this scene that I have with the other scene - in fact more so because at this stage the MC is officially engaged to the other LI. But you know what worries me more? That there was such an intense reaction when Liam did it (including people stating they were glad they did not choose him and comments on Liam’s “integrity” - thankfully most of the people I followed pointed out how OOC it was) but almost-radio-silence when it came to the other LIs doing the same thing. I mean Drake last chapter still got to imply that he’d be more than happy to take us up on that offer if we chose the “tour of the room” option, and Hana here immediately agrees to what the MC wants if she implies that she is willing to cheat on Liam with her (unless the MC has Liam’s consent on this, that’s what it is). Very few actually commented on either. That’s not fair, fam. You can’t hold one LI accountable for something like this and not say anything about the others.

(People who may have taken the option to have sex with Liam while being with the other LI, and continued the chapter, does the MC inform their LI about this development?)

For me, the problem in both cases is that the MC doesn’t bother to ask the other person. She doesn’t say “look this is what I want to do, but I want to talk to both you and my fiance before I move forward”. She just takes what she wants from whoever she wants and the LIs just let her. It makes me feel sorry for them and really angry at her.

• Is it me or will Hana have an outdoor kink too? Homegirl has her first time with the woman she loves just as the setting sun kisses the lake xD

• Next chapters the finale, fam. The sex is going to be HELLA. The drama is going to be HELLA. And the wait for Book 3 is going to be…not hella.

• Will Liam finally have sex with my MC in a bedroom? Or will we find some other nice outdoorsy place since the hedge maze is already done? Whatever it is, we’d better get a scene absolutely worth 30 diamonds. No fade-to-black bullshit. LIAM STANS WILL RIOT.

• This is my MC to Liam next chapter:

Credit to @callmetippytumbles the genius who began the trend of putting gifs on her “Thoughts” posts. I can’t imagine NOT using them now thanks to you 😂

[lizzybeth1986]

Quick Thoughts on TRR Book 2 Chapter 16

• IT’S HAPPENING FAM!

• Since there’s a chance that Homecoming Ball is going to be an absolute disaster, might as well put my crown on now

•

WHAT URGENT MATTER WHICH URGENT MATTER. LIAM YOU SHOULD TELL ME THESE THINGS.

• Maxwell since when was Bertrand a ‘calm presence’ 😂

• “No plots, schemes or blonde-haired barriers in the way!” Bertrand tells me. You sure about that boi? Coz everytime someone says something won’t happen in this book, it fucking happens 😑

• MAXWELL SINCE WHEN WAS ME ACCEPTING A PROPOSAL IN MY WAITRESS UNIFORM A GOOD IDEA

• When in doubt (and in NY getting engaged) dress like a New York skyscraper

• I had thought the Bertrand Savannah story would be over by now, but it isn’t. Far from it. But from what I gather - he seems to a. think that restoring Beaumont House’s glory comes first, b. feel that his love for Savannah (he does mention that he “treasures” her messages) is a distraction, c. deems himself a failure. There are some pieces to this puzzle missing and methinks we’ll find them all only in Book 3.

•

Legit. This right here is how my MC ended up head over heels for him.

• Liam: You radiated…possibility.

I believe at some point in the chapter, Liam highlights this as true not only in his own case, but applies it to how she changed Drake’s, Hana’s and Maxwell’s lives as well. I love that even in this, he doesn’t want to think only of himself. He sees how the MC has influenced his friends as well.

• I love how all our choices in Book 1 have been incorporated in this chapter.

• My favourite sequence in the chapter thus far is when Liam tells us about how he met the rest of the gang. It really does give us an idea of their background and history, and why they all really worked as a team, a unit, a group.

•

The first thing that came to my mind was how Maxwell was the first person to recognize the effect the MC had on Liam, way before even Drake did. He was the first to realise that Liam had found in the MC something he’d never had before, and thought to himself “I don’t want Liam to lose that”. It makes his first invitation to Cordonia that much more poignant, IMO.

• Lol I love how both Liam and Drake’s friendship is comprised entirely of them repeatedly rescuing each other 😂 They’re each other’s Knights in Shining Armour lol.

• OMG I FEEL SO VALIDATED BY WHAT LIAM SAID ABT HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH HANA?? I’D BEEN SAYING THIS SINCE BEFORE BOOK 2 CAME OUT OMG THANK YOU FOR CONFIRMING LIAM xD

• “Even back then…I knew [Hana and I] would be kindred spirits” - PREACH BRUH THATS WHAT I SAID

•

I SAID THAT TOO.

• “[Hana] is brilliant at a great many things…but hiding her feelings isn’t one of them”. AND THAT.

• In one fell swoop, Pixelberry made “With a Little Help From My Friends” parts one and two canon 😂😂

• Pixelberry also made @toglidethroughlife fic “This Love” partly canon with a way way happier ending if you’re a Liam stan xD

• This reminds me of that time when they made the abdication suggestion (and the MC’s response) that we saw in @violetflipflops “I Will Wait” canon too.

• “I didn’t realise that being a good ruler meant taking the reins for myself. Not until you.” Yes yes YES.

• MC you’re a shitty dog owner. You didn’t even notice your dog has been missing for the last few days? Whaaaaaa?

• He called me queen of his heart 😭😭😭😭

.• YES LIAM YES YES YES I’VE BEEN WAITING TO SAY YES SINCE CHAPTER 16 OF BOOK 1

• GUYS DID YOU NOTICE WE GET A ROMANCE MEGAPOINT ONCE WE GET ENGAGED???

• Back when I played the chapter I assumed the megapoint meant this LI would be exclusive for you from that point on…but alas. Looks like that isn’t the case. I do think we’ll see this megapoint next chapter with the others too. Maybe.

•

What he means is “sorry, Joy, I don’t think your little eyes can handle the smut”.

• Soooo this time’s diamond option is purely sexytimes, with a side order of Lady Liberty trivia. (the lightning one sounds ominous and symbolic of Liam in some ways). I’m okay with that because I really liked the non-diamond journey that preceded it, I thought that was a beautiful way to retrace their steps to the very beginning of their journey together.

• Also. As I have said before. Cordonian men have a thing for pinning their women to walls 😂

• This comes up if the MC speaks about Lady Liberty being struck by lightning 600 times.

Liam says the MC represents possibility. The MC says this. The Bad is gonna happen fam. In the Finale 😭😭😭

• Yknow there are several ways this could go down:

1. An assassination

2. A coup

3. Possible leaking of Constantine’s involvement in the conspiracy, leading to people losing their faith completely in Liam. It would take a great amount of effort for Liam to win his people’s trust, all through no fault of his own 😭

I hate option 1 but at least I hate it the least 😭😭😭 I’d much rather Liam get heroically injured than emotionally and publically torn apart like that 😭😭😭😭

• MADELEINE KNOWS SOMETHING.

• MAYBE REGINA KNOWS SOMETHING TOO IDK. MAYBE EVEN ADELEIDE KNOW SOMETHING. OR NOT. IM SO CONFUSED.

• If you reject Liam’s proposal, the resulting behaviours from the MC’s side are highly problematic:

1. She does it NOW when this man is on his one knee with a ring. Imagine how much more poignant and beautiful this admission would have been if they let you say it way back at the balcony. Imagine having the opportunity to tell Liam you love someone else at that point, seeing him conflicted, sad, confused - BUT AT LEAST he knows the stakes and knows it involves you finally going to the love interest of your choice in the end. Imagine him saying “I’m hurt, and sad, but that’s not what matters. What matters is that we clear your name.” How much more poignant that scene would have been. How much richer would it have made Liam’s story with you even if you weren’t pursuing him. It would allow him to maybe explore other options with other people. And it would be completely in character for him to let go that way. The MC, Liam and all the LIs would have wound up all looking good. Having it stretch out this far and crushing him like this is great drama but it makes the MC look like a complete tool. ESP when Liam offers her a duchy and her response is to be happy. HAPPY. “Sure I trampled your heart on my high heels but LAND. TITLES. MY OWN COAT OF ARMS. YAY. Who cares about you boo?”

2. Having the option of kissing him, and having sex with him, even though you have rejected him. Sure, Liam tries to make us feel better about initiating by bringing up the way Cordonia secretly does relationships, but in this case they don’t have consent from the LIs. She’s telling him she wants to have sex with him, at a time when he is vulnerable, desperately in love, still not over her, shocked and confused. That’s manipulative on levels I can’t even begin to describe. There should have allowed Liam to pull a Zig here, not continue placing her on a pedestal. Zig wants the TF MC, and he makes his feelings very clear to her while playing pool, but if she chooses to cheat on her LI with him he makes it very clear how absolutely callous that is on both him and the other LI. It makes it clear that this choice - taken with no one’s consent, and obviously focussed just on her own needs without caring whether other people will get hurt in the process - is wrong. He lets her know her behavior was terrible. Liam would have been well within his rights to tell the MC that too.

At the very least they could have had Liam bring the polyamorous option up and THEN state “but hey, you shitty person, we don’t have Drake/Hana/Maxwell’s say on this yet”.

This isn’t in any way comparable to the Liam/Madeleine/MC situation. Liam was in a forced arrangement, one that he had been clearly manipulated into. Liam had Madeleine’s explicit consent, and got the MC’s as well, before moving forward. Plus he never intended to keep the arrangement with Madeleine, hoping to break it when the MC’s name was cleared (a promise he acted upon and fulfilled immediately, might I add). Here, the MC and Liam are free, as are the other LIs, and they have nothing holding them back. And as I mentioned earlier there is no explicit consent from the LIs, the way there was with Madeleine. Liam is a guy who stayed ridiculously faithful to the MC from the moment she entered the competition, didn’t even look in the direction of the rest of the competition when he was well within his rights to. Ignored Madeleine to a large extent the whole duration of their engagement. Basically ONLY lavished attention, love and devotion to the MC. What about this guy screams “yeah let’s bang without consent from the ppl you’re actually in love with” to you?

• Liam is not the one with the problem here. Nor is the player. The problem is the writing and the game.

• This is an obvious attempt at cashgrab. Now that we will begin to go official with our LIs, how are we going to buy ALL the exclusive LI scenes the way we’ve been doing so far? They can’t completely diverge the stories the way they did with RoE (RoE could afford to do this because there were other characters and storylines we could find ourselves invested in, so restricting it to just one LI in Book 3 was okay), nor can they do what they’re currently doing in TS or ES or LH because the relationship dynamics in this book are vastly different. So they bring up this piss poor excuse so that they can still manage to make sex scenes with the LIs possible even if you’re supposed to be going official with them by the end of the book. Ick. All it does is leave a bad taste in my mouth.

• Other stans I hope you get your sexytimes soon!

[lizzybeth1986]

As we have discussed earlier, Hana is often the go-to person when it comes to getting help for starting an alliance with a powerful person. In Book 1, most of her diamond scenes revolved around helping the MC adjust to court life in general and prepare herself for court balls, baking contests, dressage practice. In Book 2, the change in her role is subtle but very visible - the MC already knows the ins and outs of courtly life and behaviour, so now their focus is on helping her gain allies who can help her in her investigation.

Hana helps the MC gain Francesco’s favour through the Moonflower scene, Penelope’s through the Parisian Runway scene, Regina’s through the Patisserie scene and Adeleide’s through the Champagne scene (given that the latter three already play huge roles in the overall plot involving the MC and Cordonia, I feel Francesco might feature later on, if Hana’s help has been enlisted in forging a powerful alliance in a similar way in later chapters. This is only a theory, however).

Most other Hana scenes explore Hana’s background, her life back home and her difficult relationship with her parents. She gives us few - but substantial - snatches of her life with her parents: her engagement to Peter in the Cordonian Waltz scene, her fear of failure in the Yacht scene, her love for music in the Piano Parlour scene. These scenes help us get a better understanding of this seemingly shy, yet extremely fascinating, woman.

This scene however turns the tables on both these things. It is positioned very shortly after her fight with Xinghai, which has obviously taken a lot out of her (the book describes her hands as “shaking” through the entire ordeal/confrontation) and she is very obviously drained at this point. The last thing she wants to be even thinking of at this point are her parents and her home. So instead of delving into her background, the MC focuses on distracting Hana and helping her focus on things that will make her happier.

The other way this scene turns the routine Hana scene around is by having the MC coach Hana on American protocol. So far, it has been Hana largely in charge of helping the MC find her feet in Cordonia’s court, and of teaching her. Now that we’re moving to the MC’s home turf, it’s her turn to help Hana.

What is Home?

One of the first things Hana tells us about her reluctance to return home is that the cracks in her present connection to her house were already present before her argument with Xinghai. She tells us that her house didn’t feel much like home even before the tea party, that she felt odd staying there as soon as she arrived.

It’s interesting that Hana feels like this only after the midpoint of the engagement tour, and not post-Coronation. But it also makes a lot of sense given her character arc. Post Coronation, even if the MC had expressed interest in romancing Hana, the latter barely had any time to truly process this fact. At the Coronation ball, she has to grapple both with the tragedy of losing her beloved to the Crown Prince who is supposed to marry her, and then to a scandal that has ripped the MC’s reputation to shreds. She has spent most of the social season loving the MC without any hope of being loved back, and her own realisations that she needs a life independent of her parents’ expectations have only just begun to occur to her. Obviously, when she returns home, she isn’t really at a stage where she can envision a different future for herself.

This is why the engagement tour is so important to Hana’s own character arc. Upon her return to Cordonia, Hana gets a second shot at her relationship with the MC (if she is her LI) and a chance to discover for herself who she is and what she really wants. She is able to speak of her uncertainty at the conservatory at Applewood, try to decide who she wants to be through describing pastries, and exploring what her favourite books say about her in a French library. She has also been confronted with the possibility of staying in a loveless marriage with men like Neville and Rashad, both of whom she has zero interest in.

By the time she reaches Shanghai, she is a lot more in tune with herself than she ever was before. By then, she realises that she is a mess of contradictions, and that being so is actually not as bad as she used to think it was. This is why it makes more sense for her to feel ill-at-ease in her childhood bedroom now than it did before. It also explains why instead of being shocked or terrified by her outburst, Hana feels proud of herself for telling Xinghai how she feels.

The MC, however, now focuses on how Hana can move forward from this experience. If you choose the “you are finally being honest” option, when Hana asks you what it means for her to stand up to her father, this is what the MC says:

Prep for the New York Trip

In a charming turnaround it is Hana who gets coached by the MC on how to stand out and make a favourable impression in the US (the fact that she isn’t even mentioned in New York while all the other LIs get full-fledged diamond scenes notwithstanding). The MC gets to choose how she will describe New York to Hana, what impression of the city she will give her, and what she would like Hana to do when she’s there:

No matter the choices/responses the MC gives, one thing is perfectly clear: in America, Hana doesn’t need to adhere to rules of courtly behaviour and protocol. She doesn’t need to overthink her every move. The city will embrace her as she is of that is what she desires to show. In the food options - no matter what the MC chooses - Hana points out how unorthodox the food choices, and attempts to work out how to eat it American-style. She is shocked about having to stab the steak, about having dessert (apple pie) for dinner, by the concept of packing and eating leftovers. The MC also gets to describe New York to Hana and give her a better idea she will encounter, leading to the next question. The interesting thing about the last question is that ALL the answers seem mean something similar. They relate to Hana that she can throw caution to the winds a little in America and be free with regards to her behaviour for once.

The coaching session helps take Hana’s mind off her father and the tour, and helps calm Hana’s nerves regarding the trip to New York.

Sleepover

Post dinner, Hana gets to spend the night in the MC’s hotel room. This exchange can go two ways after the pillow fort is built: either they paint each others’ nails and watch rom-coms, or they have a small makeout session and watch rom-coms. The second option is extremely interesting because it raises questions of consent, readiness and feeling comfortable first before plunging into a sexual relationship.

What stands out in this scene is how incredibly big a step this is for Hana. Before the MC came along, she saw no particular need for romance or sexual contact, and in fact the only “romantic” moment that happened between herself and Peter was an orchestrated photoshoot that eventually ended in disaster. She has never been in a position where she would love someone this passionately, nor did it occur to her that any feelings she could have would be returned.

Hana’s transformation in Book 2 has been tremendous, and in many ways we see her taking charge in little ways both on the neutral and romantic fronts. But I really feel she blossoms in this love scene, because she allows herself to be naked and exposed in front of the woman she loves, and she feels comfortable enough with her to tell her that she doesn’t feel ready yet. The best part of this scene is how Hana is the one who gets to set boundaries within their relationship and make it clear to her partner how much she wants and how far she is willing to go.

(Above two screenshots from Abhirio’s YouTube channel)

The MC also gets to discuss her boundaries with Hana, and the tenderness with which each woman upholds the other’s limits and comfort zones is heartwarming and tells us exactly how in-sync the two are.

Conclusion

As a stand-alone scene, the Champagne scene does work in many ways, especially when it comes to the progress in the romance front. However, because it is the only exclusive Hana diamond scene in the Shanghai portion of the book, most of it - especially the scene in the restaurant - comes off as weak and ineffective. Had the Shanghai portion of the book been longer, and had this scene been preceeded by diamond scenes where Hana was the one showing the MC around to places she loves, this scene would have come out a lot stronger. Unfortunately, since this is the only individual diamond scene Hana has in Shanghai, it falls short.

[lizzybeth1986]

Quick Thoughts on TRR Book 2 Chapter 11

• We’re past the halfway point in the book but it amazes me how similar to Book 1 Chapter 10 (the beach party) this chapter is.

• THEY NAMED THE CHAPTER AFTER ONE OF MY FAVOURITE QUEEN ALBUMS (or a Groucho Marx film)

• “I’m saying ‘rap battles’ a lot, aren’t I?” See this is why the MC said Maxwell would be the entertainment way back in the Blue Grotto lol.

• Sooo…Regina was hoping the MC would succeed, but Constantine was more in favour of Madeleine. Regina was in fact in favour of the MC’s return to court. And Bastien answers more to Constantine more than he does to Regina. Ergo, Constantine is the one behind the plot that smeared the MC’s name.

• I wonder if there is more to it, though. I feel like his intention was to - in some warped twisted way - protect Liam. But from what?

• It’s also interesting how much more freely Regina talks to the MC when there is no Adeleide around.

•

These are the two responses based on whether you ask Regina if she didn’t want Liam to be king, or if Liam wanted to be at all. The book for the most part implied that Liam did want to be king, but for very different reasons. It’s interesting that Regina follows up her admission that the crown might not have been what Liam wanted, with “I’m not sure what he wanted, he wouldn’t open up to anyone”. Which time period was this? Was this when Leo first left Cordonia and started staying in Greece? Was this when Leo abdicated? I believe it was the former. What about Leo’s departure changed Liam to the extent that he refused to open up to anyone?

If you choose the other option, she speaks of what he does share in common with Leo. Unlike Leo, however, he feels more of a responsibility towards the kingdom and the Cordonian people, and he tries as hard as he can to temper his romantic tendencies.

• We often complain that he seems to not care about the MC’s safety when he’s with her. But from his PoV, his private moments with her are the only ones he will ever be able to get with her, and I’m not sure he wants to have them always stashed away in a bedroom, hidden like a dirty secret. Especially in Paris, he tells us about how he was never able to experience the city the way normal people did, and I feel like some part of him just jumped at that chance when it arose. Is it risky and is he making a mistake by doing so? Of course he is. But I think it’s equally important for him to show her in as many ways as possible how much he thinks of her and how much he wants a real relationship with her, as her safety.

• The book has stated several times that Liam is good at being stoic, but that it doesn’t come naturally to him. Liam himself mentions as much in the Applewood bedroom scene, where he maintains that Madeleine is a master at duplicity, but he isn’t.

•

One of the more important moments in this scene to me, because this shows us Liam at his most vulnerable.

• And that’s the only time you see him that vulnerable here. Because shortly after, Liam does what he does best - deflect, deflect, deflect.

• This is why it bugs me when this character is called bland or simplistic or lacking in any depth. This is a man who has been through a lot. A lot. And what does he do about it? He hides behind his charm and his affability. He deflects. He turns any questions directed at his personal life towards you, distracts you, makes you forget what you were asking in the first place. He makes sure you only see the surface but the book still gives us hints of what lies beneath all that. You’d have to choose to miss that to be able to call him bland/flat/underdeveloped. Look at the beginning of the diamond scene for instance. “Let’s take it from the top”, he says, before making exaggerated gestures meant to amuse the MC.

• Your Majesty, your outdoor kink is showing 😂 You’ll never see me complaining tho. I legit love his kinks lol.

• I have PLENTY to say about Liam’s diamond scene.

• I have PLENTY to say about Hana’s diamond scene.

.• I don’t have much to say about Drake’s because I didn’t play it, sorry. But from the screenshots I have seen, dude I surprised you think taking your shirt off is going to distract me. Lol. Try better strategies next time bro.

•

Make this happen, PB. I’ll pay as many diamonds as you want 😂

•

Why hello there, Zenobia.

•

This apple didn’t fall too far from the tree. (PS: amazing how Fydoria’s library ends up being not too far away from this Nevrakis-castle replica lolololol).

•

Methinks m'lad protests too much.

• Also Drake, I think you and Olivia have more in common than you realize, boi.

• Also, while (accidentally) restarting the book, I noticed that back in chapter 2, if you tell Hana her ordeal back home sounds similar to Bertrand and Maxwell’s training (which is grossly inaccurate), she tells you that Bertrand reminds her in some ways of her father. Bertrand does put a lot of pressure on appearances and protocol and can be a bit of a taskmaster, but he is also someone who places immense amounts of trust on the people he has grown close to (Maxwell and the MC). I wonder if maybe the person who really puts pressure on Hana is her mother, given that for the most part it is her mother who is at the forefront of their arguments (the fight before the jamboree for example). Is Hana’s father perhaps a marginally more supportive figure? Will he be an unexpected ally for Hana and the MC if Hana is your LI?

• Who told Regina about the mistress deal? Was it Liam? Was it Madeleine? When did Regina urge Liam to follow through? Was that what she was saying at the Coronation? If so, how did she know this so soon? And if so, would that also contribute to why Liam looked like this in his last Book 1 scene:

IF we assume that Regina told Liam to accept the deal with the hope of pursuing the relationship with the MC on the side during the Coronation, just imagine what might have been going on in his head. Not only does he have to make this horrific decision and worry about the MC’s safety, he’s also then burdened with the knowledge that he will have to treat the MC like a bit on the side. No wonder he looked pissed off.

• It amazes me how similar in structure this chapter is to Chapter 10 of Book 1. Like this one, that chapter too revolved around an important revelation surrounding Constantine (his resignation), has diamond scenes involving all the LIs (however, Drake and Hana’s diamond scene is clubbed together) and revolves around taking a breather from the stress of the social dradon/court. In my essay, I will be exploring similarities between Forgotten Falls and the Opera House scene.

• You’ll notice I’ve used Asian Liam this time around. Haha. I switch between the Liams lol, they’re pretty hot and it’s difficult to decide on just one.

• You’ve heard of people bounce back and forth like a ping-pong ball between two LIs. But have you heard of someone ping-ponging between the same damn LI? 😂😂

• I’m disappointed in the lack of Bertrand.

[lizzybeth1986]

Hana's Group Scenes: Book 2

(I will be updating this essay as and when group diamond scenes appear in a chapter)

(ETA: COMPLETED)

Bathhouse

Technically, one can spend time with Hana with or without the diamond option, as this scene is more focused on Liam, Drake and Maxwell. The bathhouse is techinically co-od, so the MC and Hana can crash if they want to. Much of the friendly/romantic conversation happens before the diamond option unfolds, and the MC has an option of either calling Hana her best friend or telling her she wants to kiss her. Both options make her happy: the second for obvious reasons, the first because she was once a lonely child who never had many friends to begin with, much less a best friend.

Hana doesn't feature much in the diamond option, except to appear unfazed by the overabundance of abs in the male section of the bathhouse, and later to make the succint (and very correct) observation that Maxwell's hippo tattoo has a very personal story behind it.

Fondue Party

While most of the group scenes in TRR revolve around a particular event/attempt to take a breather, this scene is of thematic importance to Hana herself. Like the yacht scene, it focusses on her fear of failure and her doubts whether any of her skills are valuable if they don't bag her a suitor. In the follow-up to this scene, Madeleine plays on exactly this flaw of hers and exploits it to the point where Hana does almost fall apart (especially given that immediately after Madeleine's comments, chocolate falls on Hana's gown, driving her to almost scream in frustration).

We have noticed, all through the books, that whenever the MC points out Hana's strengths, the encouragement backfires because it further feeds Hana's negative thoughts. Usually, she answers compliments like these with a response like: "then why am I not getting suitable matches?" (the latest example of this being the hot chocolate scene in the MC's bedroom, where Hana compares herself to Liam).

But by instead focussing on their mistakes, the group helps Hana understand that she isn't alone, that mistakes are natural and human and common to everyone. She already sees the MC, Maxwell and Drake (and now Olivia) as perfect in their own ways (an example of this would be her surprise if the MC chooses her in the island question at Truth and Dare, stating that she won't be a good choice becahse she isn't as "sarcastic as Drake" or "funny like Maxwell"). So to hear them talk so casually about times when they have messed up puts her "mistake" into perspective. This is something she does know, deep down, but in personally sharing aspects of their lives with her, they help her see them as flawed, and grant her the reassurance that a few mistakes don't take away her value as a person.

Camping Scene

While Drake is in charge of the trip, Liam offers help in building the tents and Maxwell (of course) entertains everyone, Hana is shown to take charge when it comes to keeping everyone well-fed. As I have mentioned in the Patisserie essay, Hana is a naturally nurturant person, and this shows in her desire to feed everyone and keep them happy. This nurturant aspect of her also emerges when she is petting the stray lizard, as it reacts differently to her than it does to either Drake or Maxwell (the lizard bites both).

But that is not all. Hana also shows a healthy dose of independence in this scene when it comes to building her own tent. Liam offers to help her, but she declines, stating that "it's kind of like a puzzle, isn't it? I think I can figure it out". And figure it out she does. For all her nervousness that she might not fare very well outside of court, Hana seems very determined to push her limits and do well on her own.

Hana doesn't have a camping story like Liam or Drake do, since she doesn't have much experience doing it. This is why she reacts with fear and worry, wondering if she will be attacked by animals in the middle of the night. Being with the MC makes her feel safer and more secure. While she is happy trying new things, it still naturally frightens her to an extent, and the MC's presence in her tent is reassurance enough.

Panda Reserve

Hana does not feature very strongly either in this scene or the one in the Night Market, but outside of this scene at least she gets a personal childhood story about her, related by Xinghai. This scene also, in some small ways, features her creativity and ingenuity with whatever materials are available.

Given that it is a panda reserve surrounded by bamboo, it is amazing to see Hana place a crown made entirely of the shoots on Yang Yang's head. She is disappointed, however, when Yang Yang finishes off her handiwork in a single bite, only to be comforted by Maxwell about how - coming from a panda - that would be a compliment. She is seen later playing with Yue Yue and Yang Yang, with a ball she made, also out of bamboo.

Perhaps the most heartwarming part of this is the non-diamond scene that follows, where Xinghai tells us why the panda reserve was such an emotional investment to him, citing how excited little Hana was to see a newborn panda. This story highlights how deep and complex Hana's bond with Xinghai really is, and that underneath the sky high expectations and incessant demands to fit in, Hana's father really does love Hana and genuinely want the best for her. It is important that this sequence is shown in the chapter before the tea ceremony, because it gives us a glimpse of the personal history Hana is leaving behind. It also helps us understand why she might return to her parents - which I am sure will happen at some point in Book 3, given that we haven't seen Hana's mother yet, or fully explored her own background and childhood in Shanghai very thoroughly.

Shanghai Night Market

This scene is interesting, because while it is not centered around Hana she still manages to shine in it. The buildup to this scene is entirely on her, and gives us a very good glimpse of her skills of perception: she correctly guesses (even though she was hardly part of the Savannah drama) that Drake and Maxwell need to air their issues out and rebuild their friendship, and is also able to see Olivia grow to become an important part of their group.

In this scene, she is friend, guide and translator. Hana is truly at her element here, giving food recommendations and ordering such Chinese street delicacies as rou jia mo, shansi leng mian and xiao long bao in fluent Mandarin.

Her parting line about how food creates bonds is a particularly Hana thing to say, given that she is well known for her skills in cooking and baking, and is seen on more than one occasion using food and drink to gain alliances. The MC may scoff at the "cementing political alliances" portion of Hana's statement, but we must remember that it is Hana's suggestion of bringing Regina/Adeleide a religeuse/champagne bottle that helps the MC win their favour more easily.

Coney Island

The trip to Coney Island allows the group to celebrate the MC's newfound freedom from the scandal that has followed her since the Coronation, and allows them to experience the fun and thrill of being in a theme park. Each LI gets their fortune told, a go at the high striker, a chance to spend time with the MC on the ferris wheel and be gifted a soft toy.

Hana's fortune stands out as a beacon of hope given the uncertainty of her current circumstances, and allows her to feel a little better about her future. At this point, whether she is the MC's LI or not, Hana is at the precipice of something new and terrifying, something she knows she wants but has always been afraid to reach out for. From here, the only way she can go is up.

Hana comes out the dark house in the high striker competition, surpassing Drake, Liam and even Maxwell (whose puck almost hits the goal, but not quite). She is written as "studying the spot where the lever strikes the puck" and achieving a perfect aim in doing so. While it seems to be largely a show of strength, it is Hana's show of wits that help her win in the end.

At the ferris wheel, Hana cannot resist taking in the sights and marvelling at the way the stars reflect in the water. She is amazed at the "carefree, indulgent" vibe of the place, exclaiming that "it's like a whole other planet". This is an environment that is completely new to her, as she explains at the beginning of their trip, and she revels in it, and in her own newfound freedom.

On being gifted a soft toy by the MC, she treats it with a particular tenderness that could only come from someone who rarely had much by way of friendships, and who probably had to make do with with inanimate objects and imaginary friends. Back in Book 1, Hana did tell us about pretend tea parties with make-believe friends - since she couldn't have toys - and admitted to finding solace in a lake as a child. In the library scene, she speaks of how she drew whiskers on rocks to create a replica of Templeton, the mouse from Charlotte's Web. This is possibly the first time she has ever had a toy to call her own. Here, she treats it like a real flesh-and-blood being, insisting on spending time with it so she can figure out the perfect name.

Beer Garden

This group scene - the last of its kind for Book 2 - gives everyone small, fun moments doing different things: drinking, chatting, dancing atop a table. However, Hana in this scene gets a few moments to shine.

Liam points out to us how truly talented Hana is, when he recognizes the dance form that Hana is doing on the table as the Cordonia Harvest Dance. Upon hearing this observation, she shows us the extent of the preparations done by both Hana and her parents when she tells him - with a completely straight face - that she learned all 26 of the traditional Cordonian dances, because she wasn't sure which ones were still in fashion at court.

But the real highlight of this scene comes with Hana's confrontation of Neville, and her very public rejection of him. Unlike her tumultous exchange with Xinghai back in China, this outburst acts as a clear stressbuster for her - similar to the effect that telling Olivia how she felt at the Coronation had back in Book 1. The exchange at Shanghai leaves her drained, but this particular bold move makes her feel much better, perhaps because she has no emotional attachment to the person she is arguing with in this scene. She has been stating her disinterest for him clearly multiple times, but this is the first time she allows herself the space to actually say so.

Hana's breaking point with Neville emerges the moment he speaks condescendingly of commoners, and given that this was a dig aimed at Drake for taking away their table, it makes complete sense for Hana to feel protective. She does not mince her words here: stating he is far too stuck-up and boring for her taste, that she will never be interested in him, finishing her diatribe with a particularly cutting remark about his questionable fashion choices.

However, there is still a little part of Hana that is not completely used to taking charge like this, which is why she expresses doubt about whether she did the right thing almost immediately after.Perhaps the most interesting reaction to this question comes from the support she gets from Olivia. Olivia: the person who had jokingly claimed that Hana had "finally grown a backbone" when the latter argued with her father in Shanghai. Here, she is more encouraging and sees Hana as a stronger person.

To me this highlights an unlikely friendship between two very different women, that comes full-circle. Hana's first independent outburst (in that it was the first time she made the decision to speak up to someone who had belittled her, without encouragement) was against Olivia herself, where she called the duchess out on her awful behaviour towards her, ending it nonchalantly and with little regret (Good night, Lady Olivia. It turns out I don't care what you think). It is Hana herself who reaches out to Olivia and offers to include her in the group, who points out that the latter is slowly becoming a part of them. This sequence is the first time Olivia - a highly guarded, "prickly", wary woman - encourages Hana and applauds her for the same courage Hana had once displayed, in front of her.

The beer garden episode may mean different things to different characters in this diamond scene, but for Hana it is another step in the new direction her life has now taken.

[lizzybeth1986]

Quick Thoughts on TRR Book 2 Chapter 10

• Maxwell saying “rise-and-shine, little blossom” at mid-noon is everything 😂😂

• Madeleine. I’m not a corgi. Stop talking about training me you steaming pile of dog poop.

• I’m surprised Liam didn’t throw a frying pan to her face when she suggested it to him. That man has superhuman doses of control.

•

Olivia. I get it. Lythikos is home. It has great things. Absolutely nothing compares. But…like…don’t compare everything everywhere else to Lythikos? You sound like me when I have a shawarma in India after spending most of my life hogging on really delicious ones in Dubai, and pretty much everyone rolls their eyes at me when I complain about how terrible the hummus is. For good reason. 😂

•

Liam’s my LI, but I was hoping for exactly this kind of exchange when Liam and Olivia finally interacted. Tbh I really like their friendship: the fact that Olivia has seen him as an anchor ever since he protected her as a child, and his genuine concern for her even though he doesn’t agree with a lot of what she does. He showed the same concern at the Finale, but it was so rushed it almost went unnoticed. He tells us Olivia “has been through so much” and I feel it’s great to see him acknowledge that and appreciate it. I would expect nothing less from him.

• I wonder why Savannah wanted to go to France in the first place. Is there more to that story?

•

Penelope you precious bean ILY 😍😍😍

• Do you ppl have ANY idea how happy I am that they’re finally letting Liam pitch in and help? I love that he’s more involved in our side of the investigation now. And that he’s still concerned about her safety enough to worry about what Regina might do to the MC.

• The Cordonian Male Singing Quartet 😂😂😂 (well, trio in this case). I have a feeling the song they’re singing is either their national anthem (which I doubt, because it’s more likely to be in their native language, possibly Greek) or a random patriotic song (@misha726author suggested it might be the latter).

• For some reason the Cordonia song reminded me of the Hogwarts school anthem. I think it’s the “teach us all we need to know” line.

• @feisty-mary suggested to me recently that Adeleide and Regina might have been related, and she was right! It’s not kept completely under wraps, but no one really talks much about it either. This makes me wonder if Regina’s interest in Madeleine - besides her affinity and family connections - could also be because it means getting one more queen from the Fydelia province, where Regina obviously comes from.

• While Regina’s connection to Madeleine seems to be an open secret, I find Madeleine’s past comments on her association to the former queen quite interesting now. Regina is her aunt, but to the media and the general public she always maintains that they are close friends. Obviously marrying someone who could be a step-cousin will sound…weird…so I don’t blame her for using that line of talking, but still 😂

• I also found the Regina - Adeleide exchange pretty interesting. Adeleide seems to have a way of deflecting insults thrown her way in a fashion that makes her seem better than the other person, and bring them in line without seeming too direct about it. She had done this before with Madeleine at the Italian dinner party, and she does the same here with Regina.

• The group camping trip! This one was okay, but nothing on the bathhouse one. I do like how we got to know about everyone’s camping experience (when we sneak into their tent) and haha we meet Alex and Elena’s pet lizard from RoE! Did they leave the little guy behind at the fall festival 😂

• No comments on Hana’s pastry shop scene. Y'all know the drill by now, fam. Hana finally has a good essay reserved for her - one that I’m happy to write - because this was a pretty amazing diamond scene. And given that Hana has been receiving the short end of the stick with diamond options, nothing makes me happier.

• King Liam is waiting for the MC in Box 5? Will they make out at the opera? Will we have a bedroom scene next chapter? Sorry fam, they haven’t had sex since the beginning of the tour and my MC’s thirst knows no bounds 😂😂

[lizzybeth1986]

Note: Since this post is about group scenes, and Book 2 is still ongoing, I will be updating this essay as and when a group scene appears in the book. As with Book 1, I will be concentrating mainly on the portions that include Liam.

ETA: COMPLETED

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Bathhouse/Spa Scene

Technically the spa is free - the part that costs diamonds is crashing the “boy’s” side and getting to spend time with your LI if you’re going for Drake or Liam. It also gives us some great insights into Maxwell’s past, by revealing his hippo tattoo.

Like Liam, Maxwell appears to have been very close to his mother and remembers her fondly for the unconditional support he recieved from her (calling him her “little hippo”, telling him that hippos were strong and tough). Both Liam and Maxwell have similar backgrounds - privileged upbringings that nevertheless had its negative effects, lost their mothers at a young age, and as adults they cling to those memories in varying ways.

The scene then diversifies into time spent with Drake/Liam, depending on who the reader ships. The encounter with Liam can go two ways - one is the romance option: a massage followed by some stolen kisses (the MC still manages to kiss him if she so chooses a few minutes later, even if she doesn’t choose the massage), and the other, more neutral option: asking Liam about the “raising a barn tradition”. I’d like the elaborate on the latter, because I believe it raises some very interesting points.

Today I’d like to talk about Liam not in respect to his relationship with the MC, but instead to his relationship with the reader. Whether one chooses him as an LI or not, he is our main link to this fictional kingdom. He is the reason our character gets the opportunity to travel to Cordonia in the first place. Book 1 is about his social season. Throughout the series, we see Cordonia through the eyes of someone who is completely new to the place (the MC), and in that position Liam (as Cordonia's future/current king) is our main source of information to truly building a worldview of this place.

Now, all the prominent characters in their own capacities help the MC understand the country. Hana, Maxwell and Bertrand help us understand the rules, norms and conditions of high society within the kingdom (for instance, making us understand how important apples are to the economy), Drake gives us a unique perspective of the royal court through Savannah’s experience, Olivia in her one diamond scene gives us an insight into Cordonian history that will prove to be important later.

But Liam, in his capacity as Prince and then King, gives us an insight into the heart of the country, its culture, why it is the way it is, why things happen a particular way here.

At the Masquerade, he elaborates on the importance of the social season, warns us about the fierce competition, and reveals how dangerous instability within the royal family can be.

At the Regatta, he recounts the history of the boat race, and talks about Cordonia’s ties with its neighbours. Sharing this historical tidbit saves the MC a lot of embarrassment while dealing with the press.

At the Forgotten Falls, Liam narrates a love legend. This may not have much to do with Cordonian politics or the court, but love legends are part of a country’s cultural fabric.

At the ruins, he talks about history and how his father views his place in it, and wonders what mark he will leave on his kingdom.

Here, after building the barn, he briefly touches on Cordonia’s agrarian roots, but more importantly, helps us understand that the start to a new couple’s life is a community effort in Cordonia - that not only are the couple or their families part of raising the barn, but also their friends, neighbours and peers. Whether this applies to all, or even some, aspects of Cordonian society, is something we may only learn over the course of book 2.

Liam, in telling us these stories that don’t seem to important in that moment, allows us to chart Cordonian history and culture, and gives us an insight into the way the country works. He is our source of information for many of its cultural anomalies, and gently guides the MC - who cannot always relate to their way of life - into knowing how to tackle things and what to say.

In a sense, Liam is our Encyclopedia Cordonia 😂

The MC’s Journey

I’m just going to leave this bit of dialogue here:

MC: When you put it that way, I'm not sure if it's an amazing advanture or something I'd barely survive.

Liam: Most great things in life are a little bit of both, if only metaphorically.

If this isn’t a summary of what the MC’s entire story in The Royal Romance is, I don’t know what is.

Fondue Party Scene

This scene takes place in Italy, during Madeleine's bachelorette party celebrations and after she has thoroughly humiliated Hana. The purpose of this scene, therefore, is to cheer Hana up and make her feel less of a failure than she already does.

As with the Truth or Dare sequence in Book 1, Liam doesn't feature in this sequence, possibly for two reasons: a. Possibly kingly/political duties, and b. He also happens to be the fiance of the bride whose bachelorette party it is, making it even more unlikely that he will be close by, unlike Drake and Maxwell.

However, he does feature in a childhood story Drake tells us, of the two playing hide and seek in the palace as kids. This story highlights Drake's competitive nature (not coming out of the laundry chute for hours because he didn't want to lose) and Liam's tendency to panic/worry when he cannot find people close to him.

This is possibly a trait that has followed him to adulthood, if his appointing of Drake as the MC's bodyguard is any indication.

Camping Scene

The camping scene takes place as a breather for the group, coming right after a charged sequence where the MC gets to ask Queen Mother Regina about her involvement in the plot and learns about her filial relationship with Adeleide. The MC needs time to come to terms with these revelations and arm herself for the next confrontation, and the rest of the group need to be away from court drama. It is Drake, the camping veteran, who suggests exploring a campsite.

Liam is more relaxed and himself in this sequence, watching his friends tend to a stray lizard and offering help to set up the tents. While helping the MC with hers (if she so chooses to let him), he talks of going camping with Drake often enough that he would have to know how to build a tent and fend for himself if he had to survive. Later, he tells her about getting lost while camping, and being found by Drake afterwards. This sequence helps us understand two things about Liam:

1. The Liam - Drake dynamic. Liam jokingly tells us, early on in the book, that Drake "never lets me get away with anything", and that that is his favourite thing about him. Liam sees Drake as someone who keeps him grounded, and as a person who has had his back when he has needed it, such as the boat rescue and the lost-at-camp story. Later in New York, Drake buys Liam a compass as a wedding gift, hoping that if Liam is to ever feel like he will lose his way, the compass will remind him of who he is, and what he hopes to achieve.

2. It also gives us a glimpse into how truly lonely Liam can be sometimes, and why he holds his friendships so close to his heart. Liam is the only one in the group known to be so intensely involved in court, and he can find no genuine friends there. Maxwell is involved only to a certain extent as is Hana, and we aren't completely sure yet how involved Drake is, even though he may be more involved than he lets on.

Liam cannot trust easily. He has learned long ago that there aren't a lot of people he can genuinely rely on. So he holds on to the few friends he has like a drowning man to a raft. He needs this group as much as they need him, because he knows these people care for him as a person and worry about his well-being.

Shanghai Panda Reserve

The group scene at the panda reserve begins with a scenario where only Liam is allowed inside the enclosure, given his privilege as King of Cordonia. If the MC and her friends convince Xinghai to let them join him, this scene is unlocked.

This scene does not have any specific signifcance like the Night Market scene later on in the chapter, but is more of a fun activity involving cute animals.

Liam, particularly in this sequence, shows his characteristic ability to communicate well with animals: introducing the group to Yue Yue and Yang Yang, happily carrying them around, predicting correctly that hunger may causing their change in mood. Liam's ability to connect with animals is a recurring theme in the books: he is shown speaking affectionately to the horses in the stable just prior to the Fox Hunt in Book 1, cares for the MC's horse (if she buys it) while she is gone, has an instant connection with the corgi when they meet in Paris - to the point where he is able to train him for the proposal in New York and is adored by the pandas in the short time that he is there.

Coney Island

The trip to Coney Island takes place shortly after the MC's name has been cleared, and is planned as a way for the group to celebrate the MC's victory over the scandal that nearly ruined any chances of her staying in Cordonia. This - along with the Beer Garden sequence - are meant to lull the characters into a feeling of false security, a feeling that everything has been worked out and they don't need to worry anymore. But even in this relaxed atmosphere, there are signs that things will soon take a turn for the worse.

The most prominent part of this sequence is the scene in the fortune telling booth, where each of our main characters get varied fortunes. The most confusing so far is Liam's, which is the only one written in the form of a verse. We will explore what this fortune could possibly mean in a separate essay.

Liam confesses to wanting to go to the circus/carnival from time to time, but tells the MC later at the Ferris Wheel that he had "only hoped to see the circus, not join it. My youthful rebellion had its limits". Why is this particular statement interesting? Because his older brother Leo, in RoE Book 3, relates to us a story of how he desired to be part of the circus as a young boy, and how Liam wanted to be his assistant. Yet here, Liam tells us that he was more comfortable with enjoying parts of it rather than actually joining it. In a lot of ways, one can see the circus as representative of the world outside Cordonia: while Leo feels trapped in his role as Crown Prince and desires freedom from it, for Liam it is a part of who he is. The outside world represents everything Leo could possibly want from his life. Liam, however, is happier with having freedom in small doses - his joy lies in simple moments where he can shed his role for a while, but not completely because in being King, being protector and guardian of his country, lies the core of his identity. It may not have been a role he may have always wanted, but one cannot deny that it's who Liam is. So while Liam may enjoy thr circus/outside world from a distance, he may never truly be a part of it.

Other moments involving Liam include him joining the others in a high-striker competition (and reaching only the halfway mark), a cute childhood story about how he used to give titles to all his soft toys (when one has the power to grant titles, why let it go to waste?), and an offer to buy cotton candy for everyone. I see the last as his way of caring for the group: he tends to match Hana when it comes to looking after them, individually and together (an example of this would be him ensuring that Drake is well-taken-care-of when he goes to play pool in Paris, and his offer to help build tents).

Beer Garden

The Beer Garden sequence is seen as the last chance the group will have to interact together before the Finale, and is seen as a breather they take before the Homecoming Ball the next day. Almost half the court makes an appearence here, including former ladies-in-waiting Kiara and Penelope, and noblemen Neville and Rashad.

Much of the scene is provided to the player for free, even allowing us time to have a chat with Bertrand about what happened in Paris. The sequence is extended if the rest of the group manage to convince a reluctant Liam to stay back and enjoy the festivities, and involves plenty of drinking and dancing on a table.

In this sequence, we see Liam preferring to be a distant observer who isn't very keen on dancing alone. He tells us that he is not altogether comfortable doing so, which comes as a surprise (considering the MC remarked that he was an excellent dancer during their first waltz together).

This is similar to how he acted at Drake's birthday party at the American bar in Applewood: he has to be pushed to "show a move" during the celebrations, and seems more comfortable doing a slow romantic dance with the MC. Here, too, he needs the MC's encouragement to climb on the table and dance along.

This reminds me of a dialogue said by Madeleine during her bachelorette, when the court ladies explain to her that this is their first time at a club. We don't all have the luxury of engaging in such gauche behaviour. Liam would have been brought up in a similar manner, perhaps with even more stringent restrictions. It would not be altogether surprising if his inability to dance outside of choreographed waltzes requiring partners has more to do with not having enough opportunities to let loose very often.

[lizzybeth1986]

TBH, I feel like Adelaide has something to do with the scandal. Part of it is the fact that she's Madeleine's mother. But, the way she said something to Maxwell back in ch 1 bothered me. It was something about his family being more "settled". I'm not sure what she meant, but ever since then I've been a bit leery of her and just kind of watch her actions a bit more when she shows up on screen. BTW, I STILL love all your essays since I started following you. I'm just too nervous to come off anon

Thank you so much, nonny! I’m really glad you enjoy the essays and read my stuff 😊 Don’t worry about using the anon feature, I’m just very glad you’re giving me this lovely feedback.

I’m not sure how far involved Adeleide is in the current scandal, but I do believe she plays some sort of role in the bigger picture. There’s a reason she’s been introduced, IMO, and her interactions seem innocent and silly on the surface but she does seem to have a way of turning a conversation in her favour (as seen in her exchanges with Madeleine and Regina). I feel at this point having Constantine be the most powerful player in the game would be too simplistic. He may have orchestrated the scandal against the MC, but I feel the conspirecies that happened earlier (the various rebellions, Liam’s mother’s death etc) are things that happened to him and his family, rather than him having much to do with them. There are (possibly) people who may want to undermine, and then overthrow, the royal family - and Adeleide and her husband may be either powerful allies he has chosen to side with, or enemies he has difficulty fighting against at the moment.

I hope this helped!

[lizzybeth1986]

Quick Theories on TRR Book 3, Chapter 11

• So I don't have a lot of space on my original QT post to elaborate on my theories, ergo this new post dedicated to just that.

• This is what I think might happen so far:

1. We will (possibly?) somehow manage to save Madeleine in time, but more people will fear for their lives and we will have a tough time convincing people to be with us for the duration of the tour. For good reason.

2. Our investigation will continue. It is possible that Kiara might be touted as a false suspect, and there are chances she might give us a lead (somewhat like how Adeleide last book). Hana mentioned that we might need to talk to her prior to the end of the festival so perhaps that opportunity may come up next chapter.

3. We might have a Liam diamond scene possibly helping him with the aftermath of what has happened to him? Rn what I'm seeing is some amount of PTSD. I think Hana's parents might also make an appearance in future chapters, possibly to reconcile with her and give her union with the MC their blessing. We might meet Hana's mother. I don't know if we will meet Leo's mother, but it's a possibility. I feel like we might uncover the truth to some extent in Lythikos and that our final destination will be Valtoria.

• It’s been pointed out that Kiara has been acting weird, or suspicious this chapter - idk man, why wouldn’t she? She was one of the few to be injured badly enough at the Homecoming Ball that she was hospitalized, and instead of addressing any concerns she may have had about safety, we tell her to join because “you know what Cordonia will think if you do otherwise”, and then completely ignore her in favour of her brother once we have gotten what we wanted. And now…as soon as she comes back, the palace is bombed?? Anyone with their brains still left in their heads would opt out.

• Perhaps we will find out at this point that more people are involved.

• These are the people I'm doubting are involved (again, don't take my word for it, I've been wrong before):

1. People who have already ended up being caught for something in the books so far. For me, Bertrand and Penelope come under this category. Bertrand has already been viewed as guilty of something shady (selling the photos of the bachelor party in NY to the press) and Penelope has been questioned about her role in the conspiracy against the MC during the social season. I feel like having them involved would be repetitive. Furthermore, Bertrand's story is interwoven with that of Maxwell's, and the woman he loves is Savannah, Drake's sister. Having him involved complicates things in both those stories (but particularly Maxwell's, since his sense of worth is also intensely connected to Bertrand) so while it's possible...I'm not sure it will be quite the case here.

2. People who haven't really had much to say especially in this book, because it would be really bad writing if there was no proper foreshadowing. Rashad was presumably at the tour (we don't know if he was present at Fydelia but he definitely was there by the time we were in Portavira) and Francesco (given that he was only present in Castelserraillian and even there had little to nothing to do - plus he wasn't at Fydelia either. We also don't see him at the Ball).

3. (This is iffy and I may be wrong, but I'll toss it out there anyway) People who seem to align strongly with Liam's approach to ruling a kingdom. Having such people become part of a destructive agenda where Cordonia is destroyed bit by bit in order to goad the public against the current King, would possibly cast a negative light on his vision. Duke Hakim and his family come under this category quite strongly. Liam's diamond scene in Applewood came to us with the hint of providing useful information in upcoming chapters, and we found out from there that Hakim and Joelle have very King-Fabian-like views. Not only do they show this in public, but they genuinely believe this personally. Remember, when Joelle tells the MC at the Festival about differing in mindset from Constantine's way of thinking, she confesses to not really knowing whether Liam subscribes to his father's views or not. So it seems like Hakim or Kiara may be guilty, I'm not sure of that yet.

4. People who weren't there at the Ball and have little connection with those who were there at the Ball.

• I suspect three people highly so far: Lucretia, Justin (I don’t want to…but I can’t help it dude. You fishy) and Neville.

• Here's my criteria for being involved in this conspiracy:

1. Someone who has history with the Crown and knowledge of the past.

2. Someone who had access to the MC, since she was targeted.

3. Someone who was present from the beginning of the tour, specially because they were aware of Madeleine liking pineapple drinks. Madeleine has never really expressed a liking for pineapple drinks earlier, so visiting Fydelia is very important considering this is the first time that fact is established.

4. Someone who was part of both the engagement and Unity tours. During the engagement tour, Damien Nazario was hired to keep an eye on Liam and a woman he had interest in - something Constantine definitely could not have been doing given that he was compelled to protect and support the MC from Shanghai onwards. Someone who was part of the engagement tour must have been involved enough to view the MC as a target, and someone (either the same person or a different one) had to have been a part of the tour, as was confirmed in this chapter's meeting.

5. Someone who is from a powerful house, powerful enough to be considered royalty.

• The people I will mention below could fit into one or more of these categories:

Lucretia: Is she up to something or a red herring? Could go either way as of now. But one thing is for sure: with Lucretia, comes the true story of Olivia’s parents’ deaths. Either Lucretia was the mastermind and her sister took the fall, or her sister and brother-in-law were actually innocent and Lucretia is intent on revenge. Our current standing with Olivia may count I believe she won’t betray us anyway, but our relationship points with her would certainly tip the balance more towards our side.

Justin: Probably has some connection with the Nevrakis family. Quoted Olivia's father once (I believe her parents may be innocent, but not Lucretia. If both are involved, and both have a beef against the Crown, it's possible that Justin may quote his influence). The news that was leaked under his nose could be seen as potentially damaging to Liam and his fiancée, which was why the MC could choose (against Justin's personal preference) to wait until it was right to release the information. He also arrived in Lythikos just before Madeleine got poisoned and was the first to mention that everyone else would have Lythikos Nog.

Neville: In addition to the list of “why Neville might be guilty” I made in Chapter 9, I will also add this: the only other time Madeleine had - and showed a preference for - pineapple flavoured drinks, was in Fydelia. None of the other nobles were even part of the tour back then. Which other person was there when Madeleine first tasted Maxwell’s Pineapple Paradise Punch and complimented it in the Fydelia ballroom? Neville, obviously! (Rashad was probably there too, but he barely appears in the book at all - except maybe the match in Portavira and to congratulate Drake post-duel). It’s possible that if he were involved, he’d be the one giving this piece of information to someone else. I don’t think he’s the mastermind, but I’m having a feeling he’s involved.

If these three are involved, I see it thus: Lucretia is armed with history and great power, Justin has access to the MC and is trusted by her and Neville has been a constant presence at both tours, can provide information and possibly distract people. There is a possibility that Neville could be the groom Lucretia has been meaning to marry Olivia off at to, if this theory is correct.

It is possible that Neville may have not come to Lythikos at all (since he doesn’t appear this chapter, and since he was defeated in the duel) but there’s no concrete proof that he has left the tour yet, and even if he does leave it’s just as easy to pass information to whoever is in charge so they know which drink to put poison in. In any case, I’m sure of a few things: there are multiple people involved, and at least one of them was present from Fydelia onwards.

Why Now, And Why Madeleine?

Liam and his allies are on shaky ground right now. View this point in the story as “going back to square one”.

We’re back at a point in the story where an attack has taken place at the palace, and where people are clearly nervous (again) about being part of the tour, where Liam’s capabilities as a King will (again) be questioned. Where we have made very little progress on who is targeting us. Getting to a point where the country seems united and Liam and the MC seem to be succeeding is bound to be frustrating if you’re the enemy, so what better way to defeat them than to drive people away from this tour?

The attack this time ensured that at least one family distanced themselves from the tour (though they still support the MC and the Crown), but that’s obviously not going to be enough. They need to send the message that NO ONE who supports the King is safe.

Targeting Madeleine could be due to multiple reasons: her family is one of the most powerful in Cordonia, and has a long allyship with both past and present kings of Cordonia - Constantine and Liam. She was the first noble to agree to support the tour, despite being rejected twice by the sons of the royal family.

If the future Duchess of Krona, and the woman who could have become Queen, is not safe - then who is?

In closing, I'd like to specify that these theories might be wrong, but I do believe these three do have some involvement, and I do hope Kiara isn't involved. As it is, the writing doesn't do justice to her, and treats her like she is worth less attention than Madeleine. Madeleine. I do believe she will turn out to be a false lead, leaving us to look out for our next suspect possibly armed with clues.