#jess woodmire

[indescribablechoices]

let this moment be the first chapter

Pairing: Sir Luke Harper x MC (Jess Woodmire)

Word Count: 1618

Listening Suggestion: That Would Be Enough - Hamilton

Fic Tag List: @brightpinkpeppercorn @kennaxval @scalpeljockeybrycelahela @nazariobae @cora-nova @missameliep (the next few I’m tagging is because you liked or reblogged my signal boost post, but didn’t say whether you wanted to be tagged, so I did it anyway, my apologies if this wasn’t what you wanted, and I can untag you) @rain18rain @pixieferry @watamidoing

Synopsis: Jess and Luke visit Luke’s estate together for the first time after its completion and their thoughts turn to the future. (warning; my likely historical inaccuracies)

“So, Sir Luke of Harper Hall… how things have changed since we first met.”

They looked at each other as they stood on the front step to the estate, the subtly sweet scent of the surrounding flower fields carried on the wind.

He took hold of her hand and pressed a tender kiss to it, “They have. To think, the first time I held this hand I was helping Miss Woodmire from her carriage. And now… it belongs to my wife, Countess Jess of Edgewater.”

“Not bad for a Master of Horse and the bastard daughter of a seamstress.”

He let out a soft laugh, “Not bad at all.”

“So come on, dear husband of mine, give me the tour of your estate,” she insisted.

He pulled a key from his pocket and used it to unlock the door, but before she could take another step, he swept her up into his arms and carried her over the threshold as she let out a breathless squeal of surprise. She threw her own arms around his broad shoulders, their grins matching as he carried her into the front hall, now fully constructed since the last time she had been here.

Since the wedding things had been hectic, having been away for their honeymoon and then returning to Edgewater to full take her place as Countess. Luke had been overseeing the construction of his estate when he could, but ruling Edgewater at his wife’s side took most of his time. Though, things were beginning to settle down, and for the first time in a long time Jess believed that they could now get along with the next part of their lives.

She leaned in closer and stole a soft kiss from his lips before he set her back on her feet, the both of them looking around the still empty hall.

“The building has been finished for a week now,” he told her as they wandered in a little further, hand in hand, “But it still requires furnishing. I’ve been told that the essentials have already been put in; the kitchen, a basic study and the beginnings of the master bedroom. Enough so that business can still be conducted here whilst the rest of the house is finished.”

She began peeking her head into every door she could, imagining the potential for each room before she looked back at him, “I can think of no one more worthy of a chance such as this.”

“A chance?” he asked.

“I will cherish the legacy that has been passed to me through Edgewater, but this is the chance for you to begin your own legacy. Harper Hall, and the Harper name will become an example for anyone who doubts that a good person with a good heart with humble beginnings can make their mark on the world. This will be your chapter in history.”

“Our chapter in history,” he reminded her, wrapping his arms around her to hold her close, chest swelling with affection for this woman, her words truly setting in, “You are the Lady of Harper Hall, after all... My wife,” he added, quieter, softer.

“Your wife… I don’t think I will ever tire of hearing you say that,” she admitted.

“And I will never tire of saying it,” he murmured before kissing her.

She leaned into his embrace, returning the kiss before she smiled against his mouth, “Why don’t we take this tour upstairs, husband?”

He gave a soft hum of laughter, “Upstairs, hm? And which of the rooms is it that interests you?”

“The empty guest rooms, clearly,” she smirked, slipping out of his arms with a teasing glance before she headed up the stairs.

Their laughter echoing off the walls, he gave chase, the skirts of her dress billowing out behind her, her dark curls loose around her shoulders. He loved to see her hair down. It made her look more like the country girl she had grown up as rather than the elaborate updos that she wore once she arrived at Edgewater, particularly during her engagement to the now Mr Richards. But now that they were married, she wore it freely. She liked to style it on occasion, but it was her choice, not an expectation.

He watched her look at the ajar door at the end of the hall that clearly led to the master bedroom and she instead slipped into one of the empty rooms. He followed her, leaning in the doorway as she began to pace the edge of the empty room, her footsteps echoing off of the wooden floor, “So what is to be done with this room?”

“A guest bedroom most likely,” he said, “I admit I haven’t given it much thought. I have never had need of an extra room beyond the essentials before.”

“There is one essential you have forgotten, sir.”

“There is?” his eyebrows raised, “But our bedroom is already prepared and there is a study downstairs and-”

She paused and watched him getting flustered with a smile, “Well you are obviously woefully unprepared for this to be our home away from home, unless you intend for your wife to never visit you here,” she said teasingly, then started to walk the room again.

“Perish the thought,” he said, trying to desperately think of what he had forgotten.

 “We will have a bookshelf here,” she traced her fingers along one wall before turning slightly, “And a rocking chair in this corner by the fire…” she stood in front of the window, the morning sunlight capturing her face perfectly, “And here… we shall have a crib.”

She glanced at him, watching as the realisation began to dawn on his face, “A crib?”

She tilted her head playfully at him, “It is the main feature of every nursery.”

“Jess,” he said her name softly, strained almost, disbelieving.

“Yes, Luke?”

His voice shook, “Are you…? Are we…?”

She stepped closer to him, taking hold of his hand and pressing it against her stomach, biting her lip to control her grin, “I’m with child. Our child.”

He let out a hard breath as tears sparkled in his eyes, “Our child…”

“Are you happy?”

His eyes met hers and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her against his chest as he drew her into a kiss. He rested his forehead against hers, “Happy doesn’t begin to even cover the amount of joy I am feeling in this moment.”

“Truly?”

“Jess,” he held her face in his hands, “You wonderful, beautiful, amazing woman… I truly am the luckiest man alive to have you in my life, and we are going to have a family together. We’re having a baby...”

“The first of many, I hope,” she said.

He let out a joyous laugh, tears slipping down both of their cheeks, “As many as you want, my love. We have two estates to fill with children.”

“Then we should take the moments we have alone together whilst we have them,” she giggled before she leaned up on her tiptoes to press a tender kiss to his mouth, “Take me to bed.”

His eyebrows raised a little, “Can we…? In your condition?”

She nodded, kissing him again, “Briar assured me that we can. Her mother told her it was fine when she found out she was pregnant a few months ago.”

“Good,” he groaned softly, drawing her into his arms to carry her to their bedroom.

He laid her on the bed, then turned to close the door. He knew they were alone in the house, but right now, he didn’t want to think about anyone or anything else outside of this room that wasn’t his wife or the precious life growing inside her.

 *

As they lay together in the tangled sheets later, lightly dozing and drawing idle patterns on the other’s skin, Jess rolled onto her front, resting her chin on Luke’s bare chest.

“Boy or girl?” she asked.

“Well, if your plans are anything to go by we shall have plenty of both,” he smiled, reaching to brush her curls behind her ear, “But for our first? I always pictured us with a daughter.”

“You pictured it?”

He nodded, “Even before we were engaged, I allowed myself idle fantasies of what our life would be like if we could be together. She would have your curls, and my eyes. Mr Sinclaire would bring her endless books to read. Prince Hamid would tell her tales of his travels and promise to take her with him one day for an adventure. Mrs Marlcaster would be more than happy to take her on many hijinks. Miss Parsons- Well, soon to be Mrs Chambers, would teach her piano and how to paint. I would play my fiddle every evening for you both to sing and dance to. You would teach her every song your mother taught you, and she would be so good with the horses. She would be so loved.”

Jess didn’t realise she had been crying until she felt Luke’s gentle fingers wipe away her tears. She smiled at him, “She will be loved like that. I can’t wait for her to get here so our lives can begin together.”

He pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her fully, pressing a kiss to her hair, “The time will fly by, my love, I have no doubt. But as you said, we should take these moments whilst we have them.”

She settled into his arms, tilting her head up to kiss him, “I love you, Luke.”

“As I love you, Jess. Forever.”

 *

In the years that followed, they were blessed with four beautiful children; Daisy Annabelle Harper, Mary Briar Harper, Vincent Ernest Harper and Edward Hamid Harper. They were all raised with the unconditional love of their parents, and the affection of all of the extended family they were named for.

[indescribablechoices]

no beat, no melody

Pairing: Mr Harper x MC (Jess Woodmire)

Word Count: 588

Listening Suggestion: The World Was Wide Enough - Hamilton

Fic Tag List: @brightpinkpeppercorn @kennaxval @teamtomsato

Synopsis: The consequences of the duel; part one. (warning; mentions of blood and injury, and also my likely historical inaccuracies)

A shot rang out through the air and Jess closed her eyes involuntarily at the sound, not knowing in that split moment the outcome. She had promised herself that she would watch every second of the duel, but as her eyes reopened she felt her world come to a complete stand still as she took in the scene before her.

She saw the smoke rising from the pistol that had fired. She saw the spray of blood silhouetted against the rising sun. She saw the light catch on the castle’s windows, sending a kaleidoscope of colour across them all as a body toppled to the ground.

She saw her beloved Luke lying in the grass.

She screamed his name, tearing out of Briar’s grasp as she ran to him, falling to her knees at his side, desperately cupping his face as tears streamed down hers. He coughed up a mouthful of blood as he took a ragged breath, looking up at her.

He took in the sight of her; her wild dark curls loose around her face, surrounded by a halo of light. If this was the last thing he was looking on in life, or the first thing he was seeing in the afterlife; he did not know for sure, but it set him at peace.

“Jess,” he whispered her name as he used the last of his strength to take hold of her hand; the hand he had held her first day at Edgewater as he helped her down from the carriage, knowing right then that this beautiful, wonderful, woman would change his life forever. He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a tender kiss to it, looking up at her as she cried, thinking of all of the things he wished he had the strength to say.

Do not cry for me, my darling. Whatever lies beyond this life, I will be at peace. I’ll be with my family, and yours. 

My love, take your time; I’ll see you on the other side…

Jess felt Luke’s grasp on her hand go limp, his eyes looking upwards towards the sky as he let out his final breath. The grief-stricken cry that left her body would haunt the memories of those in attendance until the day they died. She held tight to his hand, harshly sobbing, unable to contain the unbearable pain in her chest.

Her Luke; her love, her life, the kindest and most wonderful man she had ever and would ever know… gone. Taken from the world with a single shot of a gun.

Just… one single shot.

Luke never fired his gun.

She let out a shaking breath as she took the pistol that was still in Luke’s other hand. She held it in her grasp for a moment, her eyes finally turning to look at the Duke who stood watching her; a cruel smile on his face, clearly enjoying her pain.

She rose from the ground, Luke’s blood still on her hands and dress, the pistol still in her grasp.

She didn’t flinch when she felt Mr Sinclaire’s hand on her shoulder, his voice low behind her, “Think very carefully about what you are about to do.”

She glanced back at him for a second, her face emotionless, “I have nothing left to lose.”

She raised the pistol to aim squarely at the Duke. Her mind filled only with a blind hatred for the man that had taken everything from her. She squeezed the trigger, waiting for the inevitable shot…

to be continued.

[indescribablechoices]

a garden you never get to see

Sequel to No Beat, No Melody (can be found on my Masterlist)

Pairing: Mr Harper x MC (Jess Woodmire)

Word Count: 898

Listening Suggestion: The World Was Wide Enough - Hamilton

Fic Tag List: @brightpinkpeppercorn@kennaxval @teamtomsato

Synopsis: The consequences of the duel; part two. As Luke lies dead in the grass, Jess turns the gun on the Duke (warning; my likely historical inaccuracies)

She raised the pistol to aim squarely at the Duke. Her mind filled only with a blind hatred for the man that had taken everything from her. She squeezed the trigger, waiting for the inevitable shot…

 But it never came.

She looked down at the gun in her grasp, frustrated for a moment before she fired again. And again. And still no bullet left the pistol.

She examined it again as the Duke began to stalk towards her, yelling about an attempt on his life, about how he was going to have her locked away the moment they were married for such an insult, but her eyes snapped up as cold horror dawned over her.

“You tampered with the pistols!” she hissed, “This isn’t a shot in this gun.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, dearest,” he seethed, “Now come along quietly and perhaps I’ll forget all about you pointing a pistol at me. I’ve made my claim on you fair and square.”

“I am not going anywhere with you,” she shot a look at Sir Gideon, “I should have known you would use your lapdog to cheat. You would never duel honourably you sadistic, cowardly bastard!”

He took another step towards her, rage written across his expression but Mr Sinclaire stepped between them, Briar, Prince Hamid and Miss Parsons at her side.

“In the case of breaking the terms of a duel, you forfeit any right to Lady Jess’ hand,” Sinclaire told him, “I suggest you return to Karlington, Your Grace. There is nothing for you here.”

The Duke’s mouth gaped open for a few moments, taken aback by the swift turn of events; from thinking himself the winner of the duel to having his cheating revealed. He shot them all a glare in turn before his eyes landed on Jess, “This isn’t the end of this. You will be mine.”

She put a hand on Sinclaire’s arm, moving him backwards so that she could stand squarely in front of the Duke, “I will never be yours. Everything I had to give, I gave to the man I love. There is nothing left for you to stake a claim on,” she said quietly, her eyes burning as she looked at him.

They stared each other down before he finally tuned and began walking away, Sir Gideon falling into step beside him. As soon as they disappeared into the treeline, the anger left her and she fell to her knees at Luke’s side, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks.

Luke had kept his promise that she would be free of the Duke. But she had never wanted it to cost this. Nothing was worth the price of his life, not even her own freedom. In that moment, she would have endured a thousand years of marriage to the Duke in exchange for one more day with Luke.

She barely remembered returning to Edgewater that day, or the days that followed, losing herself in her grief. Luke was given the full honours of a military burial; the entirety of Edgewater coming to a standstill for a day for those who wanted to pay respects to the well-loved groom. For those days, Jess didn’t play her role as the heir to Edgewater, she didn’t pretend that they had simply lost their former Master of Horse. She had lost the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, and she didn’t care who knew.

She had a small stone erected down by the lake they loved to sit by together, and visited there every day, laying whatever wildflowers she had gathered on her walk, sitting in the grass and telling Luke about the things he had missed; about the growing affection between Mr Marlcaster and Briar, about how she checked on the horses every day for him.

She told him about Mr Chambers, and how she had still accepted his proposal, the Duke swiftly taken care of by all of the evidence she had collected against him. She knew she would never love another the way she loved Luke, and if she had to marry, she wanted it to be to a good man. She could be happy knowing that their marriage would keep him and Mr Konevi together. They deserved all of the love in the world.

She grew content in their marriage, in their afternoon walks around the grounds, in their late-night conversations around the fire with Mr Konevi, in seeing her friends often at the dinner parties they hosted, in returning to Grovershire every few months to visit Mrs Daly and show her husband the simple village in which she grew up. He danced with her at the Harvest Festival, and before long; they had two daughters of their own that he danced with as well.

Daisy and Mary became Jess’ greatest joys in life. She never believed that the hole Luke’s death had left in her heart would be filled, but her love for her children brought her a happiness she never thought possible. Jess raised them with all of the love and kindness her mother had raised her with.

 And when Daisy was much older, after years of asking about the coin her mother always carried around in her pocket, Jess sat her down, looking into those all too familiar green eyes, and told her about Luke Harper; her real father.

[indescribablechoices]

okay but luke and mc talking about mc being a queen in the ruins, especially because I headcanon that their descendant is trr mc who becomes a literal queen??? thank you pb for supporting my fiction

[indescribablechoices]

The One I Was Meant To Find (Mr Harper x MC)

Part of the @choices-september-challenge​ 

Day One: Rain

Pairing: Mr Harper x MC (Jess Woodmire)

Word Count: 1682

Listening Suggestion: Rewrite The Stars (Acoustic) - Zendaya

Fic Tag List: @brightpinkpeppercorn

Synopsis: Jess can’t take the pressure any more and runs away from the estate. Mr Harper comes to find her, and in the wake of an impending proposal, they finally admit their feelings for each other. (please forgive my historical inaccuracies, I live for drama)

Without a second thought, Jess bolted from the room. As soon as she hit the doorway, she kept running, hitching her skirts up as she went, ignoring the horrendous downpour of rain that lashed down upon her, soaking her within seconds. Blind in the dark, she didn’t dare stop, desperate to put as much distance between herself and the house as possible. She lost herself in the trees on the edge of the estate, eventually stumbling from exhaustion, tripping over broken roots and falling to the ground.

She sat in the mud, sobbing as she yanked the various pins and jewels from her hair, throwing them into the dirt. She would have torn off the dress too had it not been for the fact that she would be left in her under-things.

Her head snapped up at the approaching sound of horse hooves and she attempted to scramble to her feet, but a sharp pain in her ankle sent her back down again.

“My lady?”

Tears of relief flowed down her face along with the rain water at the sound of the voice.

“I’m here,” she called back.

Out of the darkness, the familiar shape of Clover appeared through the trees, Mr Harper swiftly dismounting and running to her side.

“My lady, are you alright? Are you hurt?” he asked, eyes darting across her to search for injuries.

“I’m okay,” she nodded, falling into his strong arms as she tried to stand, her ankle giving out underneath her again.

“You could have a sprain,” he observed as he took her weight with ease, “I should get you back to the estate-”

“No,” she said quickly, meeting his eyes as he saw the desperation in her expression, “I can’t go back.”

“My lady…” he began to say, but her gaze turned pleading.

“Please. I… I will go back in the morning, but I need some time. You’re the only one I can trust, I need your help.”

He let out a soft sigh, then nodded, “I know somewhere you can go for tonight, my lady.”

“Thank you, Mr Harper,” she whispered. He pulled his jacket off and slipped it around her shoulders. It was as wet as her own clothes, but she appreciated the gesture nonetheless. He helped her onto Clover’s back then climbed on behind her, just as he did her first night at Edgewater, his arms safely around her, his chest warm against her back even as the chilling rain continued to pour down on them.

They rode further into the darkness, a comfortable silence between them as they went. Eventually, he brought them into a village a few miles from her old home. She had visited the market here once as a girl with her mother, but by now the market was closed, and the only light came from the inn, outside which they stopped.

He led her inside and her heart warmed at the cosy interior. The smell of cooking drifted from the other room and a few of the locals glanced their way as they entered but paid them little mind.

“Luke!” an aging barmaid stepped out from around the corner, arms and smile wide as she hugged Mr Harper, “It’s been too long. My, how you’ve grown.”

“I apologise, Mrs Henderson,” he smiled.

“And so polite,” she beamed, giving his cheek as squeeze, “I’d say it was the Edgewater lot that did that to you, but you’ve always been a sweet lad. Isn’t he just the sweetest?” her eyes flicked to Jess for an answer.

She nodded, a smile of her own spreading across her mouth, “The sweetest,” she agreed.

“Come sit by the fire, both of you before you catch a death of cold,” Mrs Henderson insisted, guiding them over to the hearth and grabbing two blankets to drape around their shoulders, “I’ll get you some stew and warm ale to keep the chill out of your bones.”

“You are too kind, good woman,” Jess told her, “This is too much.”

“Nonsense, dear child,” she waved her hand, “Luke’s father was a good man, always helped around the village. I always promised him I’d keep an eye on his boy if anything happened to him. He might not be a boy anymore, but I intend to keep that promise. If there’s anything else I can get you, you need only ask.”

“We were wondering if there was a chance of a room for the night,” Mr Harper said, his cheeks flushing as Mrs Henderson raised an eyebrow at him, “Two! Two rooms. One each.”

She chuckled, “Of course.”

She brought them back their ale and stew a few minutes later and they both hungrily tucked into the steaming bowl of food.

“I’ve missed such simple cooking,” Jess admitted, “The food at the estate is wonderful but…”

“There’s no love in it,” he said, a knowing look in his eyes.

She let out a sigh, “There’s a lot of that going around lately.”

“Is that why I found you crying in the woods tonight, my lady?” he asked.

She nodded, roughly wiping her fresh tears away with the back of her hand, “Mr Sinclaire asked for my hand in marriage this evening.”

“Oh,” he said quietly, “Congratulations, my lady.”

She gave a hard laugh, “I was sobbing in the mud, I’d hardly say that’s cause for a congratulations.”

“Are you not happy, my lady?” he asked, “I was under the impression that you and Mr Sincalire were… close.”

“We are,” she admitted, “And I care for him, and I think he for me, but there is no love between us in that sense. We are friends. Good friends. But friends nevertheless. He knows that I need a husband to secure the estate, and there is pressure for him to marry again; being so young, and childless, but I do not want to marry a man because it is convenient,” she sighed, “I always pictured a simple life for myself. Marrying a good man who loved me, having a family and living out our days in a beautiful village. I… I never wanted this life.” She wiped her tears away again, “I must sound like such an ungrateful child, but I am grateful for all that I’ve received. My father, my grandmother, the wonderful clothes and food, and my dear friends; Miss Parsons, Prince Hamid, Mr Sinclaire… and you. It’s you I’m most grateful for.”

“Me?” he asked.

“If I had only met you a month sooner than I did,” she said softly, her fingers brushing against his on the arm on their chairs, “Things could have been so different.”

He glanced down at their hands, side by side, taking a rare moment to squeeze her fingertips gently, “My father always used to say that we have to play the cards we’ve been dealt. We were fated to meet, but nothing more,” he said sadly, letting her hand go, “You would lose everything for a man like me… You… You could be happy with Sinclaire. He could give you everything you heart desires.”

She stared at him for a moment, “Not everything.” She stood, handing his damp jacket back to him and heading upstairs, muttering a quick goodnight.

She undressed from her wet clothes, the rain still pouring hard against the thin wooden roof. She hung her dress across the back of a chair in front of the fire to dry. In the morning, she would have to return to the estate. She knew that she would accept Sinclaire’s proposal. He was a good man, and Harper was right, he could give her anything she wanted. They could have a good marriage together, throw small parties only for their friends, read poetry together and have a family.

But he wouldn’t make her happy.

She glanced up when she heard a soft knock at her door. She pulled a robe that Mrs Henderson had lent her around herself and opened it.

Harper was stood on the other side, eyes searching hers as though drawing the courage to say the next words that left his mouth, “My lady, I adore you more than words can describe. And you were right, had we met earlier, things would have been so different. I would have loved you so freely, and so openly, not having to hide away my feelings like I do now. I would have brought you wildflowers every day. I would have taken you to the village dance and let Mrs Henderson fawn over you as she pestered me to ask for your hand. And I would have asked for your hand after just weeks of knowing you, because I knew the moment I met you that there was no other in this world that I would rather spend my life with.”

She couldn’t bare it anymore. She closed the gap between them and pressed a kiss to his lips, heart beating hard in her chest as he stiffened under her touch, only to let out a soft breath and draw her closer, kissing her back. His arms slid around her waist as hers went around his shoulders.

He pulled back after a moment, “We can’t…”

“I don’t care,” she said softly, lips still grazing against his, “I don’t care about any of it anymore. Just you. Only you. I love you, Luke.”

His breath hitched, “As I love you, Jess.”

They kissed again, desperate to feel each other. She began to shift backwards, leading him into her room, but he stopped just shy of the doorway.

“We shouldn’t. You’re going to get engaged tomorrow,” he reminded her.

“Tomorrow is a different day,” she said, “If I must marry a man I don’t love and let him take me to bed, then I want this be my choice. I want it to be with you. The man I love.”

“Then let us have tonight,” he whispered hoarsely as he stole a tender kiss.

He stepped inside and closed the door.

When the morning came, they both knew that everything would change. But if they could only have tonight, then they would make it count.

Outside, the rain kept pouring.

[indescribablechoices]

Enough (Mr Harper x MC)

Part of the @choices-september-challenge

Day Seventeen: Unexpected. The final part of this little mini series. Part One/Part Two/

Pairing: Mr Harper x MC (Jess Woodmire)

Word Count: 2590

Listening Suggestion: That Would Be Enough - Phillipa Soo

Fic Tag List: @brightpinkpeppercorn @kennaxval @tanyaschoices

Synopsis: Left alone and scared for her future happiness, Jess knows that she has to do something before she finds herself wed to the Duke and torn apart from her beloved Mr Harper forever. Warnings for mild discussions of sex and loss of virginity, my complete historical inaccuracies and generally just mentions of Duke Richards.

Just over two months had passed since Mr Harper’s departure from Edgewater, in which the time frequency of Duke Richard’s visits increased as wedding arrangements were made. Jess took what small comfort she could with Annabelle’s visits, which her friend ensured were more frequent than the Duke’s to keep her in good spirits. When she wasn’t required, she remained in her room, desperately trying to think of anyway out of her predicament.

If she could convince her father to allow her to marry Mr Sinclaire instead. Or perhaps even Prince Hamid; her dear friend who could take her far away from this place where she could start a new life with someone she knew cared for her. But her father had become closed off from her, not talking to her as he once had.

When she could, she wrote to her beloved Luke, slipping the letters to Briar to give to Mr Woods with the hope of finding him. There had been no reply, and no luck in finding where he had gone.

But she knew that she was running out of time.

She sat in the drawing room one afternoon doing needlework with Annabelle, Miss Sutton and her grandmother, who too had been notably silent about the entire affair, when she felt her stomach churn. She paused in her movements, hoping it was a passing discomfort, but when it churned again she knew she had to leave.

“If you’ll excuse me,” Jess said, rising to her feet and hurrying out of the room. She made her way quickly into the garden, unleashing the contents of her stomach into one of the rose bushes. She knelt in the grass, taking in deep breaths to ease the nausea in her body, raking her hair back off of her face to cool herself down.

“Jess?” Annabelle’s voice called from the doorway.

“I’ll be back in a moment,” she told her.

Annabelle’s footsteps approached anyway, running to her side when she saw her in the grass, “Whatever’s happened?”

Tears immediately filled Jess’ eyes, “What am I going to do?”

“It’s just a little sick,” Annabelle assured her, “It’s quite alright.”

She shook her head, tears sliding down her cheeks, “I’ve been sick for days… And I haven’t bled this month.”

“Oh Jess,” Annabelle said softly, realising crossing her expression, “But when?”

“The night Mr Sinclaire came to the house, when I thought he was going to propose,” she told her.

“If he knows, he may be able to convince your father to reconsider his offer.”

“You misunderstand. I wasn’t with Sinclaire that night.”

“Of course not; that was the night you ran off to the village. Oh, my sweet Jess, did someone…”

“No, no,” Jess shook her head again, “I lied about being alone out there. Luke came to find me.”

“Luke?” her eyebrows shot up, “Mr Harper? The groom?”

Jess chewed her lip, “I love him, Annabelle. And he loves me. We knew that we could never marry, so we allowed ourselves one night… And now I’m carrying his child.”

She began to sob harshly, and Annabelle drew her into her arms, holding her tight as she cried.

“We’ll figure this out,” she said, “I promise.”

“I’ve ruined everything,” Jess whispered, “I cannot hide it for much longer. Soon I will show, and even if I could marry the Duke and convince him that it was his child, he would know when the babe was born.”

“Write to Mr Harper. If you can get him to return and if the two of you were to elope, there would be nothing anyone could do,” Annabelle said.

“He hasn’t responded to any of my letters,” she told her.

“If your love is as true as you say, he likely stays away to protect his own heart, and to protect your reputation.”

Jess laughed softly, a hand pressed to her stomach, “My reputation hardly matters much now.”

Annabelle ran a hand over Jess’ curls, “Tell him of your child. What I do know of him, I know that he is a good man, with a good heart. He will come back for you.”

***

My Luke,

I know that no letter has been able to reach you yet but I hope to god that you read this. My heart yearns for you every day, my darling. Every day draws me closer to my marriage to Duke Richards, and if that day comes, I know not will come of me.

The truth is that I am with child. Our child. Our one night of love has left me with a piece of that love inside of me. But I cannot hide it forever.

I beg of you to return to Edgewater. You may be the only one that can save me now.

My eternal love,

Your Jess

***

Weeks passed with no reply, and every day Jess struggled to hide her pregnancy symptoms. She admitted the truth to Briar, and every morning she helped adjust her corset to attempt to distract from her changing figure. She knew that some women didn’t show until much later, but already her breasts began to swell, as did her usually flat stomach.

She watched the road every day, hoping and praying that she would see Luke’s familiar figure approaching, that he had come to rescue her.

But he never came.

The week before her wedding to Duke Richards, she was called downstairs by her father to his office. But as she entered, she saw the Countess inside as well. She closed the door behind herself.

“Father, what’s going on?” she asked.

Her father placed an envelope on the desk, sliding it towards her. She crossed the room and took it, recognising her own writing on the front immediately. She pulled out the letter inside, her heart sinking into her gut as she realised that this was her last letter to Luke, informing him about the child.

“Is it true?” her father’s voice was quiet, his eyes not leaving his desk.

“Of course it’s true,” the Countess sneered, “It’s all there in writing. The little harlot confessed.”

Jess’ head snapped to look at her, “How do you have this letter? It was my own private letter.”

“I have every single letter you sent to your beloved Mr Harper,” she told her, “Mr Woods decided where his true loyalties lie.”

“Which means you threatened him. You evil witch.”

“Better a witch than a whore,” the Countess gave a hard laugh, “I was right to suggest to the Duke to have him sent away.”

“I should have known that was you. You have been determined to make my life miserable before you even met me.”

“I knew from the beginning that you were a no-good harlot like your dear mother.”

“Enough!” the Earl said, glancing up to look at his daughter, “Tell me plainly, Jess. Is what you wrote in this letter true?”

She let out a sigh, “Yes, Father. It’s true.”

“So that night you ran away…”

“Mr Harper came to rescue me as I had gotten lost in the woods. I begged him not to take me home so he took me to safety in the village. We confessed our love for each other, and we made our peace with the fact that I would never be able to marry the one man I will ever love because of the position I now have. But we… we allowed ourselves one night together. For all of the nights we would never have.”

The Earl shook his head to himself, “All of the men that came asking for your hand, and you fell for the horse master.”

“No different than you did with my mother,” she said simply.

He met her eyes then; his eyes, the only thing about her that didn’t remind him entirely of his beloved Mary. He let out a breath to himself. How had they been any different when they were younger? Stealing their moments of love together despite knowing that cruel fates would eventually part them.

“I will contact Duke Richards in the morning,” he told her, “And postpone the wedding.”

“Postpone?” she frowned.

“Until after your child is born,” he said, “We will make whatever excuses necessary. Illness perhaps. And when the child is born, you will wed the Duke to secure your position.”

“And what of my child?” she asked.

“An orphanage,” he said, “Or perhaps there will be a couple in the village that will take it. I know it is not an easy thing to consider, but it is the best way for everyone involved.”

Her hand went to her stomach as the Countess began to argue with the Earl, demanding that she be sent away, not be allowed the chance to still take on the estate, that she had proven herself unworthy of her family name.

“No.”

“Excuse me?” the Countess looked at her.

Jess held herself taller, “I said no. I will not give my child away to save my reputation. Ever since the day I set foot here, I have tolerated everything that has been thrown at me. I have worn the fancy dresses, attended the dances and the parties, listened to people who have never met me whisper rumours behind my back, allowed disgusting old men to grope me and call it romance, resigned myself to marriage with a man I didn’t love only to be sold like cattle to the highest bidder all in order to maintain a family name I never knew about until six months ago. But taking away my child? That I will not stand for.”

“You ungrateful wench,” the Countess said.

“I am grateful. For the father I never knew. For a loving grandmother. For the opportunity to realise that this is not the life that I am meant for. Father, you have to power to force this upon me, to lock me away and take my child, then marry the Duke. But to do so would be to will kill my spirit. I will go on in this life a miserable husk of the girl I once was; the daughter you claim to love.”

“What would you have me do, Jess?” he asked.

“I would have you give the estate to Mr Marlcaster, only to inherit after his mother’s death; not yours,” she said, shooting a suspicious eye at the Countess, “He is a good man. You have raised him as your own, name him as your heir and give him your name.”

“And what of you?”

“I will leave and I will never cause you pain ever again. My life will be my own to live how I wish.”

They watched each other for a moment before her father walked around the side of his desk and pulled her into his arms, holding her tight.

“Know that you have never brought me pain, my dear daughter. I have only ever wished happiness for you, and if that happiness must lie beyond these walls, then I must let you go,” he said.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she held him back, “I love you, father.”

“As I love you, Jess,” he stepped back to look at her face once more, “I know not exactly where Mr Harper is now, but I know he had family near the coast. If he is not with them, they may know where he is. Go now, and find joy in your life. Be happy, my darling, and love well.”

As the Countess leapt to her feet in outrage, Jess turned and walked away. Briar helped her pack what little she needed, and after retrieving Clover from the stable, she climbed into the saddle and headed towards the road. She knew her journey would be long, but it could only lead to Luke now.

***

Luke glanced up from the stall he’d been mucking out when he heard footsteps approaching. They were light, clearly that of a woman.

“I’m sorry, miss,” he called, “If you require room and board, you need to ask inside the inn.” There came no reply, so he wiped his hands off on the rag he kept stuff in his back pocket and headed out into the stable proper, “Miss, I…”

His words trailed off at the sight before him. A familiar woman, beautiful as the day he had last seen her, her dark curled hair tied back off her face but allowed to flow around her shoulders, donned in a simple blue dress that hugged around the bump that swelled from her abdomen.

“Jess,” he whispered.

They closed the gap between them, both of their legs urging them forwards. He wrapped his arms around her and their mouths met in a hard, desperate kiss. She began to kiss him back before she suddenly let out a gasp, a hand going to her stomach. He looked at her in alarm, but she grabbed his hand and pressed it against her bump. Faintly, just under his palm, he felt a jolt of pressure.

“Is that…?”

“That’s our baby,” she told him, tears welling up in her eyes, “It’s the first time I’ve felt a kick. She knows her father.”

“It’s a girl?” he asked.

“I think so,” she smiled up at him, heart swelling as his other hand came up to cup her cheek.

“Our baby,” he said the words quietly, testing them in his mouth.

“I wrote to tell you months ago, but the Countess had all of my letters intercepted,” she admitted, “My father wanted me to give the child away and wed the Duke after, but I couldn’t allow that to happen. So I left.”

“What about your inheritance? The estate?” he frowned.

“I could care less for money and an estate if it meant giving up everything that truly matters in life,” she said, one hand on her bump as the other came to rest of his heart, “This is what matters.”

“I have nothing to offer you,” he said quietly, “I work for a modest fee here. I only have a small cottage in the village. I…”

Her hand slid up to press a finger to his lips, “Hush my darling. As long as I have you and our child, that is enough for me. You are enough.”

He brought his forehead down to rest against hers, “You beautiful, wonderful woman.” He went down onto one knee in front of her, “Jessamyn Woodmire, I have adored you from the moment I met you. You became the sole reason for my happiness, and though I never believed this day would come, I have dreamed about it since the first day you took my hand and I helped you out of your carriage to Edgewater. Now I would ask that you for that hand again,” he took hold of her hand gently, “Jess, my Jess, will you do me the honour of being my wife?”

“Yes,” she whispered through her tears, “A thousand times yes.”

***

Mr and Mrs Harper were wed by the end of the week in a modest ceremony in the village church, with Luke’s aunt and uncle as witnesses. They settled into their life together, Luke helping with his family’s inn by keeping the stables running and Jess taking up work as a seamstress.

Their daughter Daisy Annabelle Harper was born five months later on a sunny afternoon in their cottage, a beautiful mix of both of her parents but Jess would always be thankful that she would grow to have Luke’s eyes and his kind heart.

[indescribablechoices]

How Does Your OC Flirt?

What it says on the tin. Thank you @queerchoicesblog​ for the tag!

Alicia Harper (The Royal Romance)

Though she can be a very genuine and sweet woman, she likes to flirt by playing up to her role as Queen. She has never abused her power, but she doesn’t mind flaunting it on occasion to get her own way. Sometimes to catch the attention of visiting nobles, but mostly to tease Liam. He loves every side of Alicia, but seeing her acting like the Queen she is does something to him.

Kai Park (Perfect Match)

She has two approaches to flirting; light and fun or hot and heavy. The girl is a relentless tease; lingering touches, eye contact, emphasising everything she does with her mouth. But she knows how to keep it more playfully flirty if the mood suits. She can switch between the two easily with Damien, letting herself get more handsy after years of friendly playful flirting.

Hadley Byrd (The Haunting of Braidwood Manor)

Two words; useless lesbian. She’s a fairly confident and outgoing girl in usual situations until she sees a pretty girl then she falls apart. She gets giggly and flustered, using terrible lines. Luckily Eleanor found it very endearing. 

Marli Greene (Veil of Secrets)

Everything about Marli screams confidence. She’s a girl that knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go for it. She was quiet until college, then Kate dragged her  out of her shell and unleashed the real Marli on the world. Being a journalist has also given her thick skin so she doesn’t worry too much about rejection. Poor Flynn didn’t realise what he was in for when Marli walked into his life.

Emeline Martinez (Bloodbound)

Em grew up in a family of eight siblings; she learned very young that being her usual soft-natured self would only get her so far. She is usually a sweet and charming flirt, but when she met Adrian, she knew that she would need to use her tougher side to survive. There is nothing Adrian finds sexier than seeing his loving and soft hearted girlfriend standing her ground in front of vampires that could tear her apart within seconds, protecting him, or the Clanless. She likes to play on this fact to bring her powerful boss down a peg or two.

Maggie Young (It Lives In The Woods)

Maggie couldn’t flirt to save her life. She’s only had a few crushes throughout her teenage life and never taken any of them farther than the time she told Andy he looked good when they were fifteen. They had both awkwardly blushed and didn’t speak for two months. It wasn’t until they were eighteen and everything with Mr Red went down that she even attempted to talk to him again in that capacity, and even then it was all playful; never daring to hope that he might like her back. She attempts to flirt a little more when they first start dating properly, but he reminds her that she’s terrible at it but he loves her just the way she is.

Jess Woodmire (Desire and Decorum)

Jess learned from her grandmother and Miss Parsons the more subtle art to flirting, quickly mastering the use of her fan and body language to entice potential suitors like Mr Sinclaire or Prince Hamid, and keep unwanted others at bay; namely Duke Richards. Though she is only subtle in her flirtations for the sake of appearances. Away from prying eyes, she is a shameless flirt with her dear Mr Harper, clearly stating her feelings to him, finding any excuse she can to be with him.

Tagging; @brightpinkpeppercorn @clarissafics @i-choose-liam @choicessa and anyone else who wants to do it!

[indescribablechoices]

MC Masterlist

Here’s a list of all of my MCs and their romances to make things easier if people ever wanna send prompts or asks or whatever. Ask box is always open! (gif warning)

The Royal Romance

Name: Alicia Harper

Romance: King Liam Rys

Faceclaim: Gal Gadot

Perfect Match

Name: Kairi ‘Kai’ Park

Romance: Damien Nazario, Hayden Young and Alana Kasuma

Faceclaim: Gina Rodriguez

It Lives In The Woods

Name: Marguerite ‘Maggie’ Young

Romance: Andy Kang

Faceclaim: Lana Condor

It Lives Beneath

Name: Spencer ‘Penn’ Vance

Romance: Tom Sato

Faceclaim: Victoria Justice

America’s Most Eligible

Name: Winnie Reed

Romance: Mackenzie

Faceclaim: Margot Robbie

Bloodbound

Name: Emeline ‘Em’ Martinez

Romance: Adrian Raines

Faceclaim: Nina Dobrev

The Haunting of Braidwood Manor

Name: Hadley Byrd

Romance: Eleanor Waverley

Faceclaim: Tessa Thompson

Veil of Secrets

Name: Marlowe ‘Marli’ Greene

Romance: Flynn O’Malley

Faceclaim: Anna Kendrick

Desire and Decorum

Name: Jess Woodmire

Romance: Luke Harper

Faceclaim: Naomi Scott

The Elementalists

Name: Hallie Russell

Romance: Beckett Harrington

Faceclaim: Zoey Deutch

A Courtesan of Rome

Name: Korina of the Capaldion

Romance: Syphax and Sabina

Faceclaim: Oona Chaplin

The Heist: Monaco

Name: Nina Nazario-Young

Romance: Sonia Alves

Faceclaim: Diane Guerrero

Open Heart

Name: Cora Chase

Romance: Rafael Aveiro (in-game), Kyra Santana (in personal canon)

Faceclaim: Rachael Taylor

Ride or Die: A Bad Boy Romance

Name: Rose Wheeler

Romance: Mona (during the book), Ingrid (at college)

Faceclaim: Zendaya Coleman

Across The Void

Name: Bo Elara

Romance: Sol

Faceclaim: Brie Larson

Wishful Thinking

Name: Kit Huxley

Romance: Jaime Lewis

Faceclaim: Jamie Chung

Passport To Romance

Name: Eleanor ‘Nell’ Shepherd

Romance: Ahmed Khabbaz

Faceclaim: Naya Rivera

Red Carpet Diaries

Name: Bailey Johnson

Romance: Matt Rodriguez

Faceclaim: Karen Gillan

Big Sky Country

Name: Daphne Dehaven

Romance: Sawyer Oakley

Faceclaim: Anne Hathaway

Rules of Engagement

Name: Katherine Leanne ‘Kaylee’ Buchanan

Romance: Leo Rys

Faceclaim: Katherine Langford

Home For The Holidays

Name: Robyn Joy

Romance: Holly Wright

Faceclaim: Emma Watson

Nightbound

Name: Willow Greeves

Romance: Nik Ryder

Faceclaim: Shay Mitchell

Platinum

Name: Adelyn Oliver

Romance: Shane Parker

Faceclaim: Adria Arjona

Bachelorette Party (Not Finished)

Name: Mallory Jackson

Romance: TBD

Faceclaim: DeWanda Wise

Sunkissed

Name: Skylar Bell

Romance: Samson

Faceclaim: Aimee Carrero

Mother of the Year

Name: Lorelei ‘Lori’ Day

Romance: Thomas Mendez

Faceclaim: Gugu Mbatha-Raw

The Royal Masquerade

Name: Ophelia of House Aster

Romance: Kayden Vescovi

Faceclaim: Sophie Skelton

Baby Bump

Name: Theo Cassidy

Romance: Myra Dixon

Faceclaim: Katie McGrath

Blades of Light and Shadow

Name: Aurora Feathertide

Romance: Nia Ellarious

Faceclaim: Aiysha Hart

Distant Shores

Name: Emily Hawthorne

Romance: Charlie Smith

Faceclaim: Jessica Parker Kennedy

The Nanny Affair

Name: June Martinez

Romance: Sam Dalton

Faceclaim: Mila Kunis

Queen Bee

Name: Briar Hughes

Romance: Ian Kingsley (in game), Carter Jackson (post game, or when PB will stop being cowards)

Faceclaim: Caitlin Stasey

The Unexpected Heiress

Name: Marianne Hayes

Romance: John Somerset

Faceclaim: Shannyn Sossamon

Foreign Affairs

Name: Maia Jackson

Romance: Tatum Mendoza

Faceclaim: Hailee Steinfeld

Wolf Bride

Name: Felicity Monroe

Romance: Morgan

Faceclaim: Gemma Chan

[indescribablechoices]

Masterlist (updated 06/09/20)

Fics are listed in chronological order according to story progression, not date of posting, and obviously some were written before books were fully released so I’ve taken some liberties with plots. Ones listed at the bottom are for future fics I plan to write, please feel free to send asks/prompts.

MC Masterlist

The Royal Romance (Liam Rys x Alicia Harper)

This Room Where You Should Be  -  After having her engagement party ruined by assassins, Alicia speeds towards a safe house with an injured Drake, not knowing what lies ahead; whether any of her friends or her beloved Liam made it out alive. (will direct to my old blog)

Wish Comes True -  During an interview, Alicia gets herself in a twist over the thought of the holidays, and Liam makes a promise he intends to keep.

Piece by Piece -  A year after their wedding as Alicia, Liam and the others celebrate her birthday.

Where You Abandoned Things -   A figure from Alicia’s past turns up, and Liam learns why his wife has never spoken about her family before.

Reach In A Little Deeper -  When a security threat leaves Alicia and Olivia trapped in a room together, things only get worse when Alicia goes into labour with hers and Liam’s first child.

Count On Me (Maxwell x Penelope) -  Maxwell comes to Alicia for advice. Feelings and an abundance of platonic love follow.

Your Kingdom (D&D crossover) -  After becoming Queen, Alicia begins to look back over her own family tree and finds some things she didn’t expect.

Side by Side -  Liam and Alicia wake up together on their five year anniversary.

Lift Your Chin A Little Higher -  Twenty years after the events of TRR, Liam’s daughter visits the gardens in Valtoria to reminisce about the past, hoping to find comfort for the future.

Enchanting Series (updated 28/04/20) -  The story of Liam and Alicia’s daughter Lyra as she enters the social season in search of a husband. Familiar faces, sibling shenanigans and naturally; romance, all await along the way.

Perfect Match (Damien Nazario x Kai Park)

All I’ve Ever Learned From Love  -  Kai and Hayden have barely spoken since everything that went down with Eros in New York. During a quiet moment, he begins to reevaluate their relationship and what it means for the future. (will direct to my old blog)

Afraid of Falling  -  After talking with Hayden, Kai heads out to find Damien and finally fess up her feelings. But it seems Damien had the same idea.

Nobody But You (NSFW) - After admitting their feelings for each other, Kai and Damien let their desires get the better of them.

Indescribable  - Kai’s life is falling apart when the truth about Damien is revealed.  (will direct to my old blog)

Walking The Wire  -  A rewrite of the reunion scene with some memories more personal to my Kai and hers and Damien’s relationship.

Someone’s Bound To Get Burned -  Kai and the others rescued Damien days ago, but he barely look at her. Kai confronts him, and an argument ensues.

Miss Me When I’m Gone -  Kai and Damien talk about Nadia leaving in a quiet moment together. Discussions about the future ensue.

Take What Comes  -  Distracted texting leaves Kai in an awkward situation when her auto correct decides to propose to Damien.

Dancin’ Merrily -  Kai and Damien spend their first Christmas together as a married couple with their family.

It Isn’t Easy  -  Damien heads home to Kai after a long day at work, but some discussions about the past may affect their future.

My Arms Will Hold You -  Four times Kai Park woke up in Damien’s arms and one time she didn’t. Set across their years of knowing each other.

Dedicating Every Day To You  -  Kai wakes up in the middle of the night and Damien isn’t beside her. She finds him in the nursery instead.

Just One More Thing  -  Damien and Kai head to the local dog shelter and bring home a new member of the family.

Go Gentle  -  Kai receives a phone call from her children’s high school, listing off all of the trouble her son is in. She asks for an explanation from him and delves deeper than she planned.

(Damien Nazario x Hayden Young x Kai Park x Alana Kusuma)

Stay The Course -  On the flight from Tokyo to San Francisco, Damien and Hayden take a moment to talk and clear the air for the first time since everything happened with Eros. Bonding and fluff ensue.

The Things That You Want -   During a quiet afternoon in San Francisco, Damien asks Kai about her feelings for Hayden and makes a proposition that could benefit everyone.

Be Your Safety (NSFW) -   After Hayden walks out in San Francisco, Kai goes after him, and a heart to heart leads to confessions. 

The Human In Me -   Damien comes home on his lunch break and interrupts more than a dance party. 

How Long You Would Wait For Me (Alana x MC focused) -   After receiving the worst news possible, Kai reflects on her relationship with Alana.

One So Small -   Kai is in labour, and needs the people she loves around her.

So Snowy White -   A little glimpse into one Christmas at the Nazario-Young household. Damien pulls a scam. Kai teases her boys. Hayden learns the meaning of a perfect memory.

Let Me Go Home (part one, TH:M crossover) -   Eighteen months after the events in Monaco, Nina brings Sonia home to meet the family.  

It Lives In The Woods (Andy Kang x Maggie Young)

Pull Me Closer -  After their first kiss in the pool, Andy and Maggie head into the laundry room to dry off. 

If I Only Could  -  Andy wakes up from surgery and realises that not everyone made it out of the ruins. (will direct to my old blog)

The Sharp Knife of a Short Life  -  Maggie decides to pay a visit to Jane and Noah’s mother after Noah’s ‘death’ in the ruins.

Tonight  -  Maggie is preparing to go to prom with her friends, but she can’t help but feel the absence of her boyfriend as he rests his still injured leg. But it seems that fate, and Andy, have other ideas.

It Lives Beneath (Tom Sato x Penn Vance)

A Love Like This -   Tom and Penn spend a lazy afternoon together, and Tom has a sudden realisation.

The Haunting of Braidwood Manor (Eleanor Waverley x Hadley Byrd)

So Full Of Love  -  Hadley reflects on her time with Eleanor and begins to worry that she made the wrong choice.

When I Am With You  -  Hadley and Eleanor discuss their plans as the seasons begin to change and reflect on the time they’ve had together.

Your Kiss Is Like A Lost Ghost (AU) -  AU in which Hadley is a reincarnated version of the original governess of Braidwood Manor, and when she returns in present day, she finds herself falling for Eleanor all over again.

Veil of Secrets (Flynn O’Malley x Marli Greene)

Running Out Of Words To Say -  After the events of VoS, Marli heads home for real this time, but will either her or Flynn have the courage to tell the other how they really feel?

Bloodbound (Adrian Raines x Emeline Martinez)

All That Grace  -  Adrian has a beautiful night out planned for him and Emeline to prove his commitment to her, but her all too human immune system gets in the way. Though things always have a way of working out in the end…

It’s You And Me -  An engagement party with Em’s family has Adrian wondering about the future, and the things they can and can’t have together.

We Can’t Tell The Future (AU) -  What if Adrian hadn’t recognised Emeline in time when his body was overtaken by the serum? What if it had other lasting effects on his body?

Open Heart (Rafael Aveiro x Cora Chase) (Kyra Santana x Cora Chase)

Where You Belong (Rafael x MC) -   AU. There is no attack on the hospital, and Rafael leaves Edenbrook for the last time. Cora realises that she has one chance before the man she loves is gone for good.

Guess I’d Rather Hurt Than Feel Nothing At All (Part One) -   Months after their breakup, Cora and Rafael spend one more night together.

Just A Delicate Kiss (Part One.5) -   Cora gets called into Ethan’s office, and her true feelings about Kyra come to light.

Everything You Kept Inside (Part Two) -   After finding out that she is pregnant after a one night stand with Rafael, Cora has a lot to think about.

These Nights Never Seem To Go To Plan (Part Three) -   Cora finally tells Rafael about the pregnancy.

America’s Most Eligible (Mackenzie Harris x Winnie Reed)

Me and My Ripped Jeans and You -  Mackenzie goes over to Winnie’s apartment one afternoon and finds her girlfriend wearing her jacket.

My Sweet Honey Bee -  Mackenzie and Winnie take the next step in their future together.

Desire and Decorum (Luke Harper x Jess Woodmire)

Let This Moment Be The First Chapter -  Jess and Luke visit Luke’s estate together for the first time after its completion and their thoughts turn to the future.

No Beat, No Melody (AU) -   The consequences of the duel.

A Garden You Never Get To See (AU) -   The consequences of the duel, part two.

The One I Was Meant To Find (AU) 

-  Part One: Jess can’t take the pressure any more and runs away from the estate. Mr Harper comes to find her, and in the wake of an impending proposal, they finally admit their feelings for each other.

Losing Sight of You (AU) -  Part Two: The morning after, Jess awakes with the man she loves, but she knows that this happiness cannot last.

Enough (AU) -  Part Three: Left alone and scared for her future happiness, Jess knows that she has to do something before she finds herself wed to the Duke and torn apart from her beloved Mr Harper forever.

Your Kingdom (TRR crossover) -  After becoming Queen, Alicia begins to look back over her own family tree and finds some things she didn’t expect.

The Heist: Monaco (Sonia Alves x Nina Nazario-Young)

This Woman Is My Destiny -   Nina takes the biggest risk she’s ever taken, and Sonia gets a surprise visitor.

Let Me Go Home (part one, PM crossover) -   Eighteen months after the events in Monaco, Nina brings Sonia home to meet the family.

Red Carpet Diaries (Matt Rodriguez x Bailey Johnson)

The Best Day With You -  A little family fluff fic between Matt, Bailey and their daughter Sofia.

Across The Void (Sol x Bo Elara)

Oh, Let’s Get Lost -  Sol and Bo take some time away to themselves, enjoying being in love on a distant planet away from everything else.

A Courtesan of Rome (Syphax x Korina x Sabina)

Lead Me Back Home (Syphax x MC focused) -  Finally away from the grasp of Rome, Korina takes in the life she has built with the people she loves

Mother of the Year (Thomas Mendez x Lori Day)

Surrounded By Your Embrace -  Thomas and Lori celebrate their two year anniversary together. Lori thinks back over their relationship and Thomas gets a present he wasn’t expecting.

Big Sky Country (Sawyer Oakley x Daphne Dehaven)

Scars On Our Hearts -   After Sawyer is injured at the rodeo, he and Daphne get into a fight at the hospital about the decisions they’ve both made.

The Elementalists (Beckett Harrington x Hallie Russell)

Blades of Light and Shadow (Nia Ellarious x Aurora Feathertide x Imtura)

Nightbound (Nik Ryder x Willow Greeves)

The Royal Masquerade (Kayden Vescovi x Ophelia Aster)

Ride or Die (Mona x Rose Wheeler) (Ingrid Delaney x Rose Wheeler)

Distant Shores (Charlie Smith x Emily Hawthorne)

Unexpected Heiress (John Somerset x Marianne Hayes)

The Nanny Affair (Sam Dalton x June Martinez)

Queen B (Ian Kingsley x Briar Hughes)

Platinum (Shane Parker x Adelyn Oliver)

Sunkissed (Samson x Skylar Bell)

Wishful Thinking (Jaime Lewis x Kit Huxley)

Home For the Holidays (Holly Wright x Robyn Joy)

Baby Bump (Myra Dixon x Theo Cassidy)

Rules of Engagement (Leo Rys x Kaylee Buchanan)

Passport to Romance (Ahmed Khabbaz x Nell Shepherd)

[indescribablechoices]

your kingdom (Liam x MC, Mr Harper x MC)

A short TRR x D&D crossover. This was a little headcanon I came up with when we met Mr Harper because he shares the same second name as my TRR MC Alicia Harper, and it just felt meant to be when it was revealed that the Dowager Countess was from Cordonia. Note; I’ve taken some personal liberties with the plot of D&D.

After becoming Queen, Alicia begins to look back over her own family tree and finds some things she didn’t expect.

“You’ve been busy, darling.”

Alicia turned from the paper-covered table to glance around at her husband, tilting her head up to receive his kiss as he sat beside her.

“It turns out that when you’re royalty, people are quite willing to help you track down your heritage,” she told him, gesturing to the makeshift family tree that she was slowly beginning to piece together.

“How far back have you gotten now?” he asked, his arm draping across the back of her chair.

“I’ve managed to trace the Harper family all of the way back until the 1800s,” she said, “It looks like I have ancestors from England, but looking at the rest of the tree it seems they left the country and settled somewhere in Europe.”

“Who were they?”

“According to these old diaries I found, a young Miss Jess Woodmire was the daughter of the Earl of Edgewater and after the death of her mother she went to live with him at his estate where she met her future husband and my great-great-great-something grandfather. It was rather scandalous actually.”

“Scandal and the Harper family seem to go hand in hand,” he teased, “Do tell.”

“Well, the diaries are incomplete, but from what it looks like; Jess was the earl’s bastard daughter, but when he tried to claim her as his rightful heir, his wife caused all sorts of trouble to try and push her out, whilst all the while Jess tried to find herself a rich husband to secure her position in society.”

“So even your ancestors had a thing for noblemen?” he smiled.

“Apparently not,” she said, “This is where the scandal really kicks off. Despite catching the interest of several eligible bachelors and even being offered more than one hand in marriage, she actually fell in love with the Master of Horse; Luke Harper, whom she would eventually elope with.”

“How romantic. What happened to them afterwards?”

“They lived in England for a few years together, but they eventually found a home in the south of France after the birth of their first daughter Daisy Harper. There were a few letters sent from Jess to her maid back in England about their life together. They were so happy, and they had many other children after their first, and they all then moved all across Europe, which was how my heritage has become so mixed. It looks like my exact line of Harpers went as far as Turkey or Israel before finally settling in America after the Great War.”

“That’s incredible. Did you manage to get any further back than Jess?”

“I found some information on her father and his ancestors, but his mother was the really interesting one; the Dowager Countess,” she said, leaning across the table to grab a laminated diary page and handing it to Liam, “This was Jess’ grandmother… Look where she’s from.”

He scanned over the writing, his eyes going wide as he read one of the sentences aloud, “’Though I do love England and the life my husband and I are creating here, I do home I see my homeland of Cordonia again in my lifetime. I should like to show it to my children one day’... She was Cordonian?”

Alicia nodded, “I don’t think she ever managed to get her children back here, but I like to think she would approve of where her descendants have ended up.”

He pressed a kiss to her lips, “Looks like you were always destined to be here, my queen.”

“I always knew Cordonia felt like home, now I understand why.”

[princess-geek]

let this moment be the first chapter

Pairing: Sir Luke Harper x MC (Jess Woodmire)

Word Count: 1618

Listening Suggestion: That Would Be Enough - Hamilton

Fic Tag List: @brightpinkpeppercorn @kennaxval @scalpeljockeybrycelahela @nazariobae @cora-nova @missameliep (the next few I’m tagging is because you liked or reblogged my signal boost post, but didn’t say whether you wanted to be tagged, so I did it anyway, my apologies if this wasn’t what you wanted, and I can untag you) @rain18rain @pixieferry @watamidoing

Synopsis: Jess and Luke visit Luke’s estate together for the first time after its completion and their thoughts turn to the future. (warning; my likely historical inaccuracies)

“So, Sir Luke of Harper Hall… how things have changed since we first met.”

They looked at each other as they stood on the front step to the estate, the subtly sweet scent of the surrounding flower fields carried on the wind.

He took hold of her hand and pressed a tender kiss to it, “They have. To think, the first time I held this hand I was helping Miss Woodmire from her carriage. And now… it belongs to my wife, Countess Jess of Edgewater.”

“Not bad for a Master of Horse and the bastard daughter of a seamstress.”

He let out a soft laugh, “Not bad at all.”

“So come on, dear husband of mine, give me the tour of your estate,” she insisted.

He pulled a key from his pocket and used it to unlock the door, but before she could take another step, he swept her up into his arms and carried her over the threshold as she let out a breathless squeal of surprise. She threw her own arms around his broad shoulders, their grins matching as he carried her into the front hall, now fully constructed since the last time she had been here.

Since the wedding things had been hectic, having been away for their honeymoon and then returning to Edgewater to full take her place as Countess. Luke had been overseeing the construction of his estate when he could, but ruling Edgewater at his wife’s side took most of his time. Though, things were beginning to settle down, and for the first time in a long time Jess believed that they could now get along with the next part of their lives.

Keep reading

[ohsnapitzlovehacker]

You...you can't...

no beat, no melody

Pairing: Mr Harper x MC (Jess Woodmire)

Word Count: 588

Listening Suggestion: The World Was Wide Enough - Hamilton

Fic Tag List: @brightpinkpeppercorn @kennaxval @teamtomsato

Synopsis: The consequences of the duel; part one. (warning; mentions of blood and injury, and also my likely historical inaccuracies)

A shot rang out through the air and Jess closed her eyes involuntarily at the sound, not knowing in that split moment the outcome. She had promised herself that she would watch every second of the duel, but as her eyes reopened she felt her world come to a complete stand still as she took in the scene before her.

She saw the smoke rising from the pistol that had fired. She saw the spray of blood silhouetted against the rising sun. She saw the light catch on the castle’s windows, sending a kaleidoscope of colour across them all as a body toppled to the ground.

She saw her beloved Luke lying in the grass.

She screamed his name, tearing out of Briar’s grasp as she ran to him, falling to her knees at his side, desperately cupping his face as tears streamed down hers. He coughed up a mouthful of blood as he took a ragged breath, looking up at her.

He took in the sight of her; her wild dark curls loose around her face, surrounded by a halo of light. If this was the last thing he was looking on in life, or the first thing he was seeing in the afterlife; he did not know for sure, but it set him at peace.

“Jess,” he whispered her name as he used the last of his strength to take hold of her hand; the hand he had held her first day at Edgewater as he helped her down from the carriage, knowing right then that this beautiful, wonderful, woman would change his life forever. He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a tender kiss to it, looking up at her as she cried, thinking of all of the things he wished he had the strength to say.

Do not cry for me, my darling. Whatever lies beyond this life, I will be at peace. I’ll be with my family, and yours. 

My love, take your time; I’ll see you on the other side…

Jess felt Luke’s grasp on her hand go limp, his eyes looking upwards towards the sky as he let out his final breath. The grief-stricken cry that left her body would haunt the memories of those in attendance until the day they died. She held tight to his hand, harshly sobbing, unable to contain the unbearable pain in her chest.

Her Luke; her love, her life, the kindest and most wonderful man she had ever and would ever know… gone. Taken from the world with a single shot of a gun.

Just… one single shot.

Luke never fired his gun.

She let out a shaking breath as she took the pistol that was still in Luke’s other hand. She held it in her grasp for a moment, her eyes finally turning to look at the Duke who stood watching her; a cruel smile on his face, clearly enjoying her pain.

She rose from the ground, Luke’s blood still on her hands and dress, the pistol still in her grasp.

She didn’t flinch when she felt Mr Sinclaire’s hand on her shoulder, his voice low behind her, “Think very carefully about what you are about to do.”

She glanced back at him for a second, her face emotionless, “I have nothing left to lose.”

She raised the pistol to aim squarely at the Duke. Her mind filled only with a blind hatred for the man that had taken everything from her. She squeezed the trigger, waiting for the inevitable shot…

to be continued.