#liam and riley | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

tessa-liam · 19 days ago

Text

Chance of a Lifetime

Chance of a Lifetime

Thank you @kyra75 for your ask -- prompt #2, Rainy/Snow Day for @choicesprompts -- Flufftober event!

Choices Book: The Royal Romance, Book 2 -- timeline/the engagement tour in Paris

Pairing: Liam Rys x Riley Brooks (F!MC)

Rating: mature

Category: fluff, one-shot, ask/prompt

Words: 2.4K, with sprinkles of Canon

A/N1: not Beta'd, please excuse all errors.

AN2: my submission for@choicesmonthlychallenge Prompts: pets/holding hands/laughter

🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂

Stretching her arms over her head, Riley slowly opened one eye as she heard the familiar knock on her cabin door. The morning sun shone through the train window and across her bed. She softly smiled and swung her legs over the side, her feet touching the cool floor. She yawned and walked over to the door, pulling it open.

"Rise and shine, queen-to-be!" Maxwell Beaumont was his usual jubilant self. "Did you sleep well, little blossom? I brought you some breakfast!"

The rich aroma of medium roast coffee hit her senses while Chance jumped up excitedly at the smell of pancakes and bacon. ‘Arf ... Arf ...’

“Ah, yes. My entrance is welcomed by the corgi choir."

"That smells amazing. Thank you soooo much, Max."

"You are very welcome, Your Majesty," Maxwell winked, giving a little bow and grinning at her. "You'd better hurry and get ready."

The Royal court was in Paris, France; today's event ... the Royal tea party.

Riley took the tray from Maxwell, and Chance sat at her feet. "Good morning, little pup," Maxwell cooed, as Chance happily accepted a pet and scratch behind his ears.

"So, are you ready for afternoon tea with the former queen?" Maxwell asked.

"Yeah, I guess. She's not exactly my favorite person, but... I'm still curious."

"She's a formidable woman," Maxwell shuddered.

"But on the bright side, this could be the perfect opportunity to corner her about her involvement with the scandal and get your answers!"

"I hope you're right," Riley sighed, slipping Chance a small piece of bacon.

"At a public event, she'll be caught off guard! She won't be able to run off or dodge you." Max added.

"And if she's not forthcoming, we might be able to do a little digging with the other nobles at the tea party."

"That's the spirit!" Maxwell grinned. "If you ever need a little extra confidence, you know who to call."

"Yes. Thank you for everything, Max."

"Of course. But first, get ready for the day! We don't want to be late!"

‘Arf!’ Chance barked, agreeing with him.

"Can Chance come?" Riley wondered aloud.

"I wish he could, but the venue doesn't allow pets. I'll bring him along to the duchy later, though."

"Okay, that's good, thanks, Max."

"Now, go and get ready. Don't worry about a thing. I've got the corgis covered. See you at the tea party!" Maxwell gave Riley a mock salute before he closed her door behind him.

After finishing her breakfast and a quick shower, Riley pulled out a gorgeous light blush dress with a delicate floral print. She applied her makeup, dried her hair, then snapped a gold barrette into place.

She stepped out of the train and went into the waiting limousine. After a short drive, Riley arrived at the extravagant tea party at an uptown Parisian hotel. It was a beautiful spring day, and the hotel was decorated with the finest flower arrangements.

Riley entered the formal tearoom; hearing soft, elegant music and people's chatter. The room was decorated with luxurious chandeliers and intricate floral arrangements. Tables were covered with fine linen tablecloths, and chairs were upholstered in plush velvet. A small orchestra was playing softly in the corner, and servers were carrying trays laden with exquisite tea sets and delicious-looking cakes. Riley recognized a few ladies and gentlemen from the court, but everyone else was a mystery.

She spotted Madeleine and Hana chatting at the far end of the hall. As she approached, Madeleine spotted her and quickly ended the conversation with Hana.

"Lady Riley, its good of you to join us."

"This is lovely; I am drowning in ruffles," Riley quipped.

"I'm afraid that's one of the finer points of an elegant event like this one. To be honest, I wouldn't expect you to appreciate it lady Riley, so don't strain yourself."

"Oh, we wouldn't want that, would we?" Riley countered, rolling her eyes.

"Well, do try to enjoy yourself." Madeleine sauntered off before Riley could say anything else.

"Wow. That was... nice." Riley responded sarcastically under her breath. Stepping to the side, trying to read the place cards, she bumped into someone.

"Well, hello. What a pleasure to see you here, Lady Riley. You look stunning, as always." Liam smiled, expressing tenderness as he kissed her cheek.

"Liam! Thank you. It's great to see you, too! I didn't think you'd be here."

"My schedule's been quite busy lately. I am only here to make the opening remarks. I was actually hoping to spend some time with you after this event."

"That would be wonderful." Riley answered, delightedly.

"It's been too long. I'd love to hear how you're doing."

"Liam, ...wishing I could kiss you right now."

"Lady ... Riley you shouldn't say such things." Liam murmered as he looked at her hungrily, his eyes sweeping over her face.

"Maybe I'm hoping you'll get a little reckless." Riley whispered.

“Maxwell mentioned that you recently adopted a puppy.”

Riley’s eyes lit up, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Oh, yeah, his name is Chance. He's a little ball of orange and white fluff. He was lost when Maxwell found him.”

"That sounds wonderful. I'm glad you're enjoying his company."

"He's a really good boy. He's so friendly and happy. He loves to play, and he's really good at fetching."

"I can't wait to meet him. Maybe I'll even steal him from you," Liam teased.

"You can try, but I'm pretty sure he'd choose me," Riley shot back, her eyes sparkling with mirth.

"I would love to meet him sometime. In fact, we could spend the afternoon together at the park."

"That sounds lovely."

Noticing dignitaries walking towards them, behind Riley, Liam sighs regrettedly,

"I fear our time alone is coming to an end ... I better greet these guests. But, please wait for me. I don't want to delay any longer to spend some time with you. Let's go after the tea party."

"Okay." Riley beamed

"There's a break in the tour schedule tonight so I can slip out for the night. See you later?" Liam looked at her pleadingly.

"Yes, Liam ... later."

Riley felt the heat rise in her cheeks and butterflies in her stomach as Liam kissed her cheek, letting his lips linger on her cheek.

Squeezing her hand, Liam turned away to greet the nobles.

🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂

Placing the linen table napkin on her lap, Riley’s attention was pulled to the sound of Madeleine's voice as she stepped in front of a microphone on the dais. As she begins her formal address to the court, Olivia slid into the chair next to Riley.

“I never liked her.”

“You don't like anyone, Liv.”

“True, but I especially dislike her.”

“Oh, dear, let's get something to drink.” Hana responds trying to change the subject of conversation.

“Of course, let's engage in frivolous social conversation and engage in witty banter.” Olivia snidely responds. Her mood quickly turning despondent as she watched the King address the room.

Riley noticed her abrupt change in mood as her expression shifted to sadness as she watched Liam across the room.

“Olivia, are you okay?” Riley asked in a whisper as Olivia shakes her head, “No ... he's engaged to Madeleine and in love with you ... I can't help how I feel about him, can I?”

"Olivia, I think --"

Abruptly standing up from the table, “at least I still have my pride. Just let me leave with it.”

Olivia walked out without looking back. Hana watched her leave with a concerned look on her face. “I wonder what that was about.”

Riley bit her lip as she turned her gaze to regard Hana.

“I hope she's able to sort things out. She's been through so much."

"Speaking of which ... how are you doing, Riley?”

“I'm holding up okay,” Riley sighed, seeing the opportunity to talk to Queen Regina.

🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂

After a disappointing conversation with the queen mother, and later, saying goodbye to Hana ...

Riley looked up to see Liam waiting for her at the front entrance, appearing eager to spend some time together.

Riley couldn't help but smile as she approached him.

"Your Majesty," she dipped into a small curtsy, smiling coyly.

"Lady Riley," Liam greeted her, a smile lighting up his face.

As he escorted Riley to his SUV, Liam leaned close and softly spoke,

"we'll be having company." Liam chuckled at her confused look, as the sliding passenger door opened.

Riley peeked inside and saw a fluffy ball of orange and white fur curled up on the back seat. "Chance!"

Chance's ears perked up at the sound of her voice. He jumped out of the car, barking happily. He jumped around her, wagging his tail so fast that his entire butt shook.

Riley laughed, dropping to her knees. Chance jumped into her lap, licking her face.

Liam grinned. "Looks like he missed you."

"Aw, I missed you, too."

Arriving at a Parisian dog park, the crisp autumn air filled Riley's lungs as she breathed deeply. Puffy, white and gray clouds were overhead, and the trees were ablaze with red, orange and yellow around you.

Riley and Liam walked hand-in-hand, Chance trotting ahead of them. The leaves crunched under their feet, and the sounds of children playing nearby filled the air.

"It's such a beautiful day," Riley remarked, looking around.

"It is," Liam agreed. "Autumn is my favorite season. I love the changing colors of the leaves, and the way the air feels chilled."

Riley looked over at Liam, admiring the way his blue eyes shone in the sunlight. "I love the way you see the world, Liam."

"Likewise. You make me want to see everything in a new light."

They continued walking, taking in the beauty of the park. Chance ran ahead, chasing birds and squirrels.

As they rounded a bend, Riley spotted a man and his dog. She watched as the man tossed a ball, and the dog darted after it. The dog returned, the ball in his mouth, and the man pet him lovingly.

"That's what I want," Riley said suddenly. "To have a relationship with Chance like that."

"You will," Liam assured her. "Chance loves you, and you're already doing a great job with him. You're a natural."

As they reached the center of the park, Riley looked up. The sky was now darker; the sun hidden by the clouds.

"I wish we could just stay here, in this moment," Riley breathed. "It's perfect."

"It is." Liam gazed into her eyes, a smile tugging at his lips.

Riley leaned closer, and Liam closed the distance between them. Their lips met, and Riley felt her heart flutter. Liam's lips were soft and warm, and Riley sighed contentedly.

The moment was interrupted by the sudden downpour of rain. Riley squealed and grabbed Liam's arm.

"Let's get under the gazebo," Liam chuckled, bending down to pick up Chance.

They ran to the shelter of the gazebo, laughing and wiping the rain from their faces.

"Well, that was unexpected," Riley giggled.

"I'll say," Liam laughed.

Riley wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for another kiss. This time, the kiss was deeper, more passionate.

They stayed under the gazebo, kissing, as the rain fell around them. It was a perfect moment, and Riley never wanted it to end.

"Lady Riley," Liam breathed.

"Hmm?"

"You're getting wet."

"I am."

"And you don't even seem to care."

"I don't."

Liam laughed, shaking his head. "What am I going to do with you?"

"I can think of a few things," Riley grinned, kissing him again.

Liam returned the kiss fervently, wrapping his arms around her tightly. They stayed under the gazebo, the rain pouring down around them, lost in each other.

They pulled apart reluctantly as Chance barked and ran onto the grass and runs quickly back over to them, with a ball in his mouth.

"It seems he's ready for a game of fetch," Liam chuckled.

"I'm ready, too," Riley said, winking at Liam.

"Let's play."

Riley tossed the ball for Chance, and they both laughed as they joined the chase, returning to the downpour outside of the gazebo.

Riley giggled as she spun around, her arms extended. Liam grabbed her hands and pulled her close, the rain dripping from their hair.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," Liam stroked her cheek and gently moved her hair behind her ear.

Riley's breath caught in her throat.. She didn't know what to say.

"Liam," she whispered.

Liam leaned down, his lips brushing hers. Riley's heart raced, and she kissed him back, the rain falling around them. Liam's hands were warm on her back, and she pressed herself closer to him, deepening the kiss.

It was the most perfect moment Riley could have imagined. She didn't want it to end.

The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the park. The rain had stopped, and the air smelled fresh and clean. Riley and Liam were walking hand-in-hand, Chance trotting along beside them.

"Today was wonderful," Riley said. "Thank you, Liam."

"I should be the one thanking you," Liam replied. "You've brought so much happiness into my life."

"You deserve all the happiness in the world, Liam," Riley said, smiling up at him.

Liam leaned in, his lips brushing against hers. Riley's heart fluttered, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

"I want to show you something," Liam murmured, breaking the kiss.

"What is it?"

"Come on." Liam took her hand and led her down a path, Chance following close behind.

"Where are we going?" Riley asked, her curiosity piqued.

"It's a surprise." Liam grinned, and Riley's heart skipped a beat.

They walked through the park, the sunset painting the sky in shades of pink and gold. Riley could see the Eiffel Tower in the distance, and the streets of Paris were bustling with activity.

"Close your eyes," Liam said.

"Okay." Riley did as he asked, trusting him completely.

"Now, take my hand and step forward."

Liam's hand was warm and strong, and he guided her carefully. After a few steps, he stopped.

"Can I open my eyes?"

"Not yet," Liam chuckled.

Riley waited patiently, the anticipation building.

"Okay," Liam said. "Open your eyes."

Riley opened her eyes, and gasped. They were standing at the edge of the lake, and the water reflected the sky perfectly. The colors were vibrant, and the Eiffel Tower was lit up, casting a golden glow over everything.

Riley's hand was warm in his. Liam glanced at her and smiled. They were walking through the park, the stars twinkling above. Chance was trotting alongside them, his tongue hanging out.

"It's such a beautiful night," Riley remarked, looking up at the sky.

"It is," Liam agreed. "Though I am a bit hungry."

"I'm starving," Riley laughed. "All that exercise has me worked up an appetite."

"Let's head back to the train, then." Liam started leading them towards the edge of the park.

"Oh, no, you don't," Riley teased, tugging him back. "I have a better idea."

"What's that?"

"Let's grab some food first and then bring it back to the train."

"Sounds like a plan," Liam grinned.

"There's a little café not far from here. We could get something to go."

"Perfect."

"C'mon, Chance," Riley called. "You're eating too!"

🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂

@choicesprompts @flufftober @lovealexhunt @choicesficwriterscreations @angelasscribbles @kyra75 @choicesmonthlychallenge @choicescommunityevents

#choicesprompts #flufftober #tessa liam writes #the royal romance #liam rys #tessa liam asks #trr fanfic #choices fic writers creations #liam x riley #riley brooks #king liam x mc #choices community events #choices prompt challenge #choices fanfic #cfwc fics of the week #choices monthly challenge

55 notes · View notes

stelly38 · 2 months ago

Text

These make me laugh.

And drool a little.

#aidan turner #liam riley #world beard day

37 notes · View notes

angelasscribbles · 6 months ago

Text

All That She Wants Chapter 5: Consequences

Series: All That She Wants

Fandom: The Royal Romance

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

Word Count: 1,094

Rating: M

Warnings for this chapter: none

My other stuff: Master List.

Riley stared down at the plastic stick in her hands as a myriad of feelings washed over her.

Another negative test.

How? It had been 6 months since she’d first set her sights on Drake. They had been sleeping together regularly ever since.

Frequently even.

Disappointment and disbelief were the first emotions. She had conceived Ellie on her honeymoon with Liam. Xander had taken only two months of trying.

Frustration and relief were an odd combination, revealing her conflicted motives. Her original goal of procreation was being thwarted, and that was frustrating.

But another negative result meant she would have to keep sleeping with Drake. Not just sleeping with him, but basically dating him, per the arrangement she had agreed to.

She hadn’t meant to, but she found herself enjoying the dating part. It felt good to be wanted, to be pursued, wooed, romanced, valued.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t hear him until he was right behind her. “What are you doing?”

Her body jolted as awareness of her surroundings rushed back in. “Liam! I thought you had meetings all morning!”

“I did. But the Duke of Rothsford spilled his coffee on me and I came back up to change.” Astonishment crept into his voice. “Is that a pregnancy test?”

“It’s none of your business, is what it is!” She snapped as she moved her hand behind her back.

“Oh, I think it’s most certainly my business if my wife, whom I haven’t had sex with in months, is taking a pregnancy test!”

“Try a year and a half, Liam!” she bit back furiously.

He looked momentarily taken aback. “Has it been that long?”

“Yes!” She hated the tears that gathered in her eyes.

Liam faltered for a moment. He looked at her with compassion, his hand reached out toward her in a comforting gesture but froze halfway there. His voice was icy as he demanded, “Why are you taking a pregnancy test?”

“I wanted to see if I was pregnant, Liam, that’s why!”

“So, you’re having an affair?”

She gaped at him, the anger in his tone confusing her. “You literally told me that if I wanted another baby, to find someone else to be the father!”

“That was hyperbole, Riley!” Liam was shaking with barely restrained fury. “The Queen of Cordonia can’t just have another man’s baby!”

“Oh, but you can sleep with Olivia and ignore your wife, and that’s fine?”

“I—”

“Exactly. You’re a hypocrite, Liam. What if your mistress got pregnant? Then what?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Liv doesn’t even want children! She took the necessary precautions to prevent that years ago!”

“Wow.” Riley shook her head as anger replaced all the despair and sadness she usually felt when confronted with her husband’s infidelity. “You didn’t even try to deny it.”

His shoulders slumped as his fury abated. “I’m sorry, Riley. You deserve better than I’ve given you. I know that.”

“Did you ever love me?”

“I do love you, Riley. Things with Liv and I are…. complicated.”

“No, Liam, you don’t love me. If you loved me, you wouldn’t have shut me out. Something changed somewhere along the way, and you didn’t bother to let me know.”

“I’m not disputing that things changed. Our marriage became…stale.”

She wasn’t sure which emotion was more prevalent as she took in his assessment of their relationship. There was an ample amount of rage tempered by an overabundance of grief.

She had never stopped loving him. Had never stopped trying.

But the unvarnished truth was that he had left their marriage, at least emotionally, long ago, and there was nothing she could do about it.

For the first time since she had said I do, she admitted to herself that this was not the fairytale they had sold to the press. This was not her happily ever after and Liam was not her prince charming. They had been living a lie from the moment he proposed.

“Why didn’t you just marry her in the first place?” she asked bitterly.

“I just told you…. she refused to have children. I needed an heir.”

“So, you married me for my uterus?”

A defensive note crept into his voice. “You knew the terms. You agreed—”

“I agreed to the marriage terms because I loved you, you fucking unbelievable bastard!”

“Riley, you’re upset. I understand. But once you calm down—”

“No.”

“No? No, what?”

“No, to whatever is about to come out of your mouth. I’m done worrying about what’s best for you! It’s my turn, Liam!”

“What does that mean?”

“It means you have three choices. Either give me a baby, let someone else give me a baby, or let’s just get divorced and I’ll do as I damn well please.”

“Riley, we can’t just—”

“Those are your choices. Even the king can’t force someone to stay married to him against her will. Just imagine the scandal that would cause!”

He struggled to maintain his composure when what he wanted to do was throw things, yell, lock her in the room, and forbid her to leave it. Instead, he took a steadying breath and counted silently to ten before he spoke. “We said forever, Riley.”

“You promised to love me, Liam.”

“Who is it?”

“Excuse me?”

His voice was tight as he searched her face for answers. “Who are you sleeping with? Who is stabbing his king in the back?”

For the first time in their entire marriage, Riley had the upper hand. She gave him a self-satisfied smirk as she tossed the plastic stick into the waste bin. She crossed the room to the door, opened it, then turned back to face him. “You have two days to decide which option pleases you most, my king.” Then she was gone.

“Son of a bitch!” Liam picked up the nearest object and hurled it at the door that had just closed.

Glass shattered against the wood, as water and petals exploded outward.

Who the fuck had been sending her flowers?

He had barely noticed the vases of fresh-cut blooms that had changed every few days, assuming housekeeping had been putting them there to brighten the room. Now the certainty that someone was not just fucking his wife but romancing her took hold.

Something had to be done. A decision had to be made, and it had to be made quickly.

He pulled out his phone and quickly punched in Olivia’s number. “We have an urgent matter to discuss. I need you to drop whatever you’re doing and come to the palace immediately.”

#the royal romance #trr #drake walker #liam rys #trr fanfic #riley brooks #angelasscribbles #the royal romance fanfic #choices fic writers creations #cfwc fics of the week #choices stories you play #choices #trr fandom

69 notes · View notes

ervotica · 7 months ago

Text

doing a lil celebration for 3k! nothing official, just asking for blurb requests for characters from these fandoms:

fourth wing, twilight, acotar, outer banks, call of duty, the walking dead, stranger things, the maze runner, harry potter

— preferred characters -> liam mairi, garrick tavis, paul lahote, jasper hale, eris vanserra, rhysand, rafe cameron, jj maybank, captain john price, simon “ghost” riley, johnny “soap” mactavish, könig, glenn rhee, daryl dixon, steve harrington, gally, theodore nott

— preferred genres -> WHUMP, angst with a happy ending, hurt/comfort, smut, heavy heavy fluff

can be from my prompt lists or your own request!

tagging some mutuals for reach (please rb if you can!); @wroteclassicaly @eddiemunsons-missingnipple @eve175 @rafescurtainbangz @rafescokenostril @theostrophywife @tacticalprincess @thehighladywrites @hotchfiles @jjsmarijuana @kissitbttr @lovelyghst @littlemisstrouble @callsign-rogueone @venuslore @void-my-warranty @vampieteeth @vermithorn @nocasdatsgay @mockerycrow @murdrdocs @shellxrls @targaryenvampireslayer @taintedcigs @princessmaybank @prythianpages @babygorewhore @serpentandlily @sociorafe @proactivetypaperson @morwap @cinnamoncunt @daycourtofficial @azsazz @anqeliclust @tsunami-of-tears @plainemmanem

67 notes · View notes

aidanturner · 6 months ago

Text

Liam Riley, Paso Doble Photo credit: Rory Murphy

#aidan turner #liam riley #paso doble #rory murphy

63 notes · View notes

kristinamae093 · 3 months ago

Text

Ghosted

Ghosted — Betrayal (Chapter Twelve)

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

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

A/N 1 - This AU starts right before the beginning of the engagement tour. There is a two-month lapse between the coronation and where we pick up, but we will stray from canon. Please excuse any errors found. Not beta'd.

Characters belong to Pixelberry.

Tags - @choicesficwriterscreations

It's another long one 😬👉👈🥹. Oops.

Liam and Drake closely followed as the guards led Bastien into the depths of the Portavirian estate. The halls remained eerily quiet as the nobility slept; not a soul to be found other than those involved with Penelope’s homicide investigation. Neither male spoke a word, but both reeled in this blindsiding revelation.

The betrayal Liam felt was like no other. Bastien was like a father to him, always around when he needed someone, but now he wondered if he ever knew him. Bastien saw him at his lowest and protected him at all costs, but somewhere along the way he changed; he couldn’t determine when that shift happened or if his guard was that good of a deceiver from the start, and felt like a fool for not seeing his insubordination sooner. It didn’t matter what he said, nor how much he pleaded; Liam already knew he was guilty, but didn’t know the extent of his involvement.

So many unanswered questions ran rampant through his mind, but ultimately the one he cared about was, where is Riley? The scandal was no longer relevant; all that mattered was finding her and ensuring she was safe. Justice would be served to all who deserved it later but right now, she was the top priority. That wasn’t a new revelation, but the urgency suddenly skyrocketed.

Liam did his best to stay afloat, but couldn’t stop his mind from wandering. If Riley was still in the country, what did that mean? Was she being held hostage somewhere? Would a ransom note appear at some point? Is she even alive? The continuous spiral intensified and formed a vortex of frustration and confusion, enveloping him from the inside out. He wanted to scream and cry to the heavens, anything to relieve some of the never-ending tension slowly constricting his muscles. Every second that passed without knowing she was safe, he grew weaker, feeling control slip right through his fingertips. The never-ending vat of unanswered questions took their physical and mental toll on Liam as a monarch and man alike.

However, every ounce of strength that remained pushed him forward. The adrenaline coursing through his veins mindlessly carried him, as he and Drake walked in deafening silence.

They continued until they entered a dark room with a table and two chairs. The guards sat Bastien down on one side and secured shackles in place over his wrists, much to his displeasure. Liam took the seat that mirrored his, shooing the bystanders out as he did. Drake lingered close by, reeling in his feelings of hurt, betrayal, and anger. Bastien quieted, but his entire body went rigid after his former subordinates exited the room. Liam placed his hands on the table and stared at them for a long while, trying to slow the wild rush inside his mind.

He finally raised his head and spoke to Bastien in the flattest, calmest tone he could muster. “Do you know why you’re here?”

“I don’t, sir.”

“First, let’s talk about Penelope. You and I both know she did not take her own life, so I’m curious to know how you came to that conclusion.”

Bastien furrowed his brow. “Not to be forward, but she was literally hanging from the ceiling… We found a note in her room, and she had every reason to want to do it — considering she was about to be arrested.”

“Right… Speaking of that… I want to see that report again.”

“Pardon?”

“The report — the one that says Penelope’s DNA was all over the murder weapon because honestly, I think you’re full of shit.” Liam hissed.

“I most certainly am not, sir. The documents are in the security office. If you remove these cuffs, I will gladly retrieve them.” Bastien confidently responded.

“That won’t be necessary.” Liam knew if he told the truth, Olivia would find them and if she didn’t, Bastien just caught himself in another lie. “Now, the next order of business — where were you the night of the jamboree? I don’t remember seeing you at all.”

Bastien stiffened. “I was doing security checks around the estate—”

“If you were doing security checks, how’d a rogue photographer make it in?” Drake interjected.

Bastien swallowed thickly, his gulp echoing in the silence. “... What?”

“You heard what he said — answer the damn question.” Liam snapped.

“She must have—”

“She?” Liam interrupted with a chortle. “That’s funny — because I never mentioned gender. Do you know something that I don’t?”

“I only took a guess — there was a fifty percent chance I would be correct.” Bastien calmly, yet firmly, answered with a dismissive shrug. “I’m not precisely sure how they breached the perimeter, but we’ve been working to strengthen our units ever since.”

“Right…” Liam nodded and forcefully clenched his jaw. It took every ounce of his restraint not to reach across the table and wrap his hands around Bastien’s throat because he couldn’t trust a single word coming out of his mouth.

Drake spoke again before Liam could act on his intrusive thoughts. “What about the Apple Banquet? Where were you then?”

“I was with His Majesty while he spoke to the Beaumonts. Someone alerted me to the body, and I immediately sprung into the proper protocol.”

“No, not when the maid was found — earlier. Where were you before that?” Liam demanded.

Bastien hesitated, but quickly fixed his features. “I was addressing an issue regarding Countess Madeleine’s security arrangements. Her old guard needed to take personal leave, so I had to find a suitable replacement.”

“... And she will vouch for you?”

“Yes, sir.”

Liam’s frustration skyrocketed, as he didn’t know how to take that statement. The number of people he could trust seemed to only shorten by the day, yet Madeleine was never present, nor even an honorable mention on that list; the time to trust her word was not amid this chaos.

“Okay, then—” Liam started again, his agitation noticeably rising. “Do you know where Riley is?”

“I don’t, sir. All I know is she returned to New York, and—”

“How did you come to that conclusion, exactly? Because I’ve done some digging and found nothing to point to that. There are no traces of her after she left the jamboree whatsoever, Bastien; not flights, not vehicles — nothing.”

Bastien shifted in his seat. “My information led me to that conclusion, Your Majesty.”

“Well, your information was wrong, and I can’t help but feel you knew that all along, didn’t you?”

“I’m not sure what you’re insinuating, but—”

“You knew she didn’t return to New York because you took her away, right? Is that how she made it out undetected? Or are you the one who assaulted her?” Liam thought back to his out-of-body experience and remembered the shadow lingering in front of her door. “Or did you stand guard while it happened? Is that it?”

“I did no such thing.” Bastien hastily replied, but cleared his throat and added, “What would I gain from any of this? Why would I give a damn who you choose?”

“That’s kind of what I’m wondering.” Drake inserted with a skeptical eye. “Look, Bas — I don’t want to believe you had a hand in all this, but it’s not looking good, man.”

“What doesn’t look good?” Bastien returned. “All I’ve done is look for her! I’ve been trying to help you!”

“Bullshit,” Liam seethed. “You know something and I demand you tell me — right now.”

“I know nothing, sir. I’ve kept you updated on every piece of information uncovered.”

“You need to understand something —” Liam's breaths turned heavy and his face flushed every shade of crimson. “I am not fucking around. This is your final opportunity — if you know something and do not tell me, I will serve your head on a silver fucking platter at the next state function. Is that clear enough for you?” He rumbled through clenched teeth. The hand he raised to point at Bastien visibly trembled, as the dam broke and rage flowed freely through his body.

Bastien’s eyes widened, and he visibly swallowed. He quickly composed himself and softly answered, “I understand the circumstances have been — tense — for everyone involved. You’ve had a rough couple of weeks, and —”

Liam slammed his fist onto the table and shot up from his seat. “Do NOT fucking patronize me!” He bellowed.

The door suddenly swung open and Olivia marched inside. In her hands, she carried a folder along with a few smaller items, but her facial expression was the picture-perfect image of unrestrained fury. “You have a lot of explaining to do.” She rumbled as she bore her eyes into Bastien.

Never could she have imagined the man sitting before her would betray them in such a way, but now they had proof; undeniable, unavoidable, but yet — incredibly unsettling evidence.

Bastien audibly gulped as he recognized the documents and all traces of pigment in his complexion vanished. With so much going on, he didn’t have the chance to dispose of everything properly. Liam and his group of friends moved faster than anticipated, and with their unexpected changes to the tour, he fell behind. The important information was extracted long ago, but what remained was still very incriminating — for Bastien.

Powerful forces expected him to pull off the impossible, but he was only one person — how was he supposed to fend off four people, plus a hired professional? Multiple ends that should’ve received immediate attention didn’t. Penelope ranked fairly high on that list, but his concerns got cast aside. His instructions were to deflect, deter, and stay silent regarding the madness; trust the process and your reward will be bountiful, they would say. Regardless, he didn’t want to aid in this crazy scheme, but had no choice — they knew information about his past nobody should have uncovered, so he found himself backed into a corner.

But as Bastien stared at the evidence of his transgressions, he realized silence would no longer be an option. He knew one way or another at that moment he was as good as dead; the question was would it be at the hands of his seething monarch, the man he practically raised, or the people who made his life a living hell to begin with?

Olivia rifled through the things on the table until she found what she searched for. “Remember when Bastien told you he disposed of Riley’s phone and her note?” She held both items up to show everyone along with her letter, noting how the guard immediately tucked his chin into his chest. “The penmanship matches mine, meaning it’s the same as Penelope’s.”

Liam forcefully clenched his jaw. “You lied to me?”

“That’s not all,” Olivia continued. “Bastien told us Penelope is the one who killed the maid, but that’s not true. Sure, the gum was hers — hair too — but the funny thing is that as it turns out, there are two sets of results on that knife.”

“There’s not—”

Olivia cackled, cutting Bastien off. “Don’t even try to lie. I’m holding what appears to be the real results in my hands. What kind of moron keeps the original if he’s planning on cloning it to frame someone else? Fucking nitwit.” She shook her head, distaste lacing her words. “Of course, we’ll have these confirmed for legitimacy, but considering who this one lists as the culprit, I can see why you’d want to cover this up.”

Liam snatched the documents from her and scanned them. His eyes widened as he went through the text, his jaw falling further and further the longer he read. Penelope's fingerprints were on the murder weapon, but unlike the last report he saw, this one went more in-depth. Her DNA might've been on the knife, but only one or two barely distinguishable smears on the blade itself belonged to her. However, the lab noted prominent traces from someone else located everywhere, but mostly on the handle, indicating that their person of interest should be whoever the second set of prints belonged to.

But Liam never received this report, and when he read who the database found as the owner of that second set of prints, he realized why he wasn’t shown.

“It was you…” Liam gasped, finally tearing his attention off the file to center his glare on Bastien. “Why?”

Bastien remained silent. He kept his gaze locked on the table, but the sweat forming on his brow wasn’t unnoticed.

“We know why, Liam. He was trying to shut her up because she spoke with us. And that’s why he offed Penelope too — right, Bastien?” Olivia answered. “Dispose of the loose ends before they can out you?”

“I did not harm Lady Penelope in any way,” Bastien stated with utmost determination, looking directly into Olivia’s steely eyes as he did.

“But you know who did, and you were working to bury that too, correct?” She quickly retorted, arching her brow.

Bastien clenched his jaw and looked away, refusing to speak, but he didn’t need to — Olivia knew she was right.

“You can deny those accusations all you want, but the next ones will be fairly difficult to talk yourself out of,” Olivia snapped as she produced another file and showed it to everyone.

“Operation Ghost?” That title caught Liam’s attention, and his mouth fell agape when he read it. He flipped through the papers inside and realized this was a meticulously planned mission, not a coincidence. While he spiraled deeper into the abyss, further away from reality, intentional carnage ran rampant within his court, and it was all a part of the elaborate plan from the beginning.

Someone plotted to hurt Riley and take her away from him, and that thought momentarily left him breathless.

“Apparently so,” Olivia answered, remorse cracking through her stony features upon seeing Liam’s broken shock. She’d already searched the file and knew what lay ahead, but didn’t know how he would react; it wouldn’t be good regardless. “Someone altered or destroyed most of this —” She paused to throw a death glare at Bastien. “But… There’s something else…”

“What is it?” Drake inquired as he and Liam took in her hesitancy, causing the hair on the nape of their necks to stand at attention.

With a heavy sigh, Olivia opened an envelope and produced a few smaller documents. She slammed them down on the table one at a time, directly in Bastien’s downward cast line of vision. “Here’s Riley’s ID, her passport, and even her goddamn credit cards. Now tell me, Bastien — how did you think she got to New York without those?”

Liam snapped his head over to her. “What?!” He snatched the items off the table and stared at the photo on Riley’s passport in his trembling hands, his heart rate taking flight.

His worst fears suddenly became reality, because he knew it would’ve been impossible for her to get out of the country without identification. This confirmed that Ray was right; she never left Cordonia. Of everything he suspected of Bastien, the things he knew and worked to cover up completely blindsided Liam. It hurt him in a way he didn’t know was possible, to be betrayed by someone he put every single ounce of his trust in.

Plus, had it not been for Olivia and Ray, he probably would have gotten away with it, too. The thought alone created a forceful swarm of guilt as Liam realized once again — this was what he ignored for so long. His breaths turned shallow as his mind took this new information and ran with it, automatically assuming the worst and with no signs to point in a different direction, he couldn’t find any strings of hope no matter which way he looked.

The waves came crashing down, sending him into an instant spiral of equal parts devastation and fear. He swayed on his feet, but eventually lowered himself back into his chair, willing the wild rush to slow.

“What the fuck is this?!” Drake exclaimed, smoke nearly barreling out of his ears. “Where is she?!”

“I don’t know.”

“Bullshit! She couldn’t leave without this! You’ve been lying to us all along!”

“I did what I had to,” Bastien returned, his voice devoid of all emotion. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“What did you do to her, Bastien?!” Olivia reiterated. “You can’t deny you know something — if she’s in danger, you need to tell us so we can find her!”

“I did nothing to her! All I did was escort her from the premises to the airport — that’s it.” Bastien huffed, immediately regretting the slip-up, which earned him a unanimous gasp.

“What did you just say?” Liam rumbled with clenched fists, his daze of self-hatred shattering on the spot.

Bastien hesitated but realized it was useless to redact. “I said I escorted her from the premises—”

Liam lunged for him without a second thought. He slammed his face into the table and held him there with all his might by the back of his skull. “So you not only knew, but you fucking helped too?!”

“I did what I had—”

“You son of a bitch!” Liam yelled as he lifted Bastien’s head, only to bounce his cheek against the table with increased force. “I trusted you!”

Bastien tried to respond, but Liam swiftly continued. “You have manipulated and made a fool of me for the LAST fucking time! I told you what I’d do, yet you still lied to me? YOUR MONARCH?!”

Again, Bastien attempted to speak, but Liam wasn’t quite finished. “This WHOLE TIME… You’ve known — you fucking helped — but you continuously led me astray.”

“Sir—”

“YOU DO NOT SPEAK OVER ME!” Liam bellowed, slamming Bastien’s head a third time.

A long silence passed as Liam securely held Bastien by the back of his neck, using more force with every passing second. He saw nothing but blood — everything that would’ve gotten covered up ran through his mind; the murders, Riley, and what seemed to be a never-ending list of other possibilities.

Finally, Bastien timidly sliced through the tension. “Sir, I’m willing to tell you what I know and what I’ve done in exchange for safety. If you do not ensure my life, I will be dead within hours.” He pleaded, preparing to meet the table again. “You have no reason to trust me now, but I will tell you what I can…” He emphasized.

Liam met eyes with Olivia and Drake, a silent conversation taking place. In all honesty, nobody cared what happened to him after the fact; all that mattered right now was getting Bastien to talk by any means necessary. Whoever wanted him dead was more than welcome to finish the job, but not until after he confessed.

Liam released him with a shove but never said a word. Instead, he strode back to the chair across from Bastien and slowly retook his seat. When Liam lifted his head, the pure fury staring back at him slightly took Bastien aback. The patient presence he’d grown accustomed to was long gone, replaced by a man driven to the brink of insanity. Those typically bright baby blues were now dark, vicious, and wild — nearly animalistic as his stare tore through Bastien. It sent a shiver of dread down his spine and made him momentarily fearful of his usually calm and composed king. His head throbbed, but he knew that would not be the worst of what he received — regardless of whose hands he suffered from.

Liam intently held his gaze for a long moment, clenching and unclenching his jaw, but finally spoke in an eerily calm voice. “... Tell us.”

Bastien strode through the country jamboree with an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach as he recalled what would happen tonight. A suitor would be removed from the competition, with or without her cooperation. The trap was loaded and ready to go; all they needed was the prey — Riley.

Bastien located Penelope in the crowd and watched her approach Riley. She was deep into a conversation with Maxwell, but Penelope slipped in and played the part surprisingly well. He recognized her shaky hands even from afar, but she discreetly slipped at least half of the pharmaceuticals into Riley’s drink, unbeknownst to her or Maxwell. He didn’t think that part was necessary, but the force beyond insisted it was essential so they would force her to her room before everyone else.

After a time, Bastien observed as Riley hugged Maxwell and headed toward the estate. He quietly followed behind in the shadows as she walked through the deserted halls to her room, cursing the creaky floorboards underneath his feet, but the woman he trailed didn’t notice a thing. Riley skipped, hummed a tune, and even did a little twirl; she had no cares in the world and had no clue that her perception of a fairy tale was about to be shattered.

As her door shut, Bastien took position outside, crossed his arms, and waited for the job to be completed. Everyone else remained at the party outside; it was his assignment to ensure the vicinity stayed clear. He knew who occupied the room neighboring hers, which only fueled the need to get this done and over with as quickly and smoothly as possible.

People spoke behind the door — the voices escalating by the second — but Bastien made it a point to drown them out. The situation could go one of two ways, depending on Riley's cooperation, and it didn't take long for him to realize she chose the hard way. Although he found it difficult to ignore her pleas for help, his allegiance aligned elsewhere.

After a time, a few gentlemen approached but Bastien allowed them access, as he expected them. He didn’t know who they were, just that they would deal with ‘relocating’ Tariq; his task was Riley. One had jet-black hair, while the other donned a baseball cap. They wore a matching dark ensemble, aside from the hat and one having thick, circular lens glasses. A holster of weapons surrounded their belts, making the hair on his arms stiffen. The pair went inside without a word, but Bastien felt their eyes on him as they entered.

The deafening silence hung for what felt like centuries, but eventually, they re-emerged with their cargo in tow.

“Unhand me this instant!” Tariq demanded as the muscles dragged him away.

“Not a chance, fancy boy.” The man with glasses snickered. “Got a special place for you.”

“I did what I was supposed to do!” Tariq pleaded, his tone changing once he realized the seriousness of his situation. “Please — have some compassion!”

“No can do. Boss’s orders were strict — toss you in a hole and throw those God-awful loafers into the ocean.” The dark-haired male snapped his fingers before adding, “I can leave the shoes on if you’d prefer — put some cement in them and send you both on a journey to the bottom of the Mediterranean.” His delight showed brightly, causing Bastien’s pulse rate to skyrocket.

Tariq suddenly planted his feet firmly on the ground. “DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?! OR WHO MY FATHER IS?” He bellowed. “You won’t get away with this — I WILL ENSURE THAT YOU—”

Out of nowhere, the male with the ball cap hit him with the butt of his pistol, silencing his tirade. Tariq slumped to the floor with his eyes rolled back, blood gushing from his nose in an instant.

“Thank you, Claudius. I couldn’t stomach another second of his useless ranting.”

“You and I both.”

“Get him loaded up — we’re on a schedule and need to move.” Claudius hefted Tariq on his shoulder with ease and quickly left out the servants’ exit. As he disappeared, the remaining man shifted his attention to Bastien. “So… You’re prepared to handle the fallout?”

“Of course.” He confidently responded.

“Are you sure? Because I don't think you understand how messy this situation could get in the future… And honestly? If the boss hadn’t enlisted little Miss Penny, this entire operation would’ve crashed and burned before it even took off.” He rolled his eyes. “You thought she would agree to this just for a spot beside the queen?”

“It might surprise you what people will do to get ahead around here.”

“Yes, but they’re willing to execute better with a little — added motivation.” He flashed a wide, sinister smile. “You should know better than anyone…”

Bastien swallowed thickly, his entire body going rigid. “I’m not sure what you’re referencing.”

“Of course not.” He snickered. “I don’t blame you — I wouldn’t want anyone to know you’re the one who mur—”

Bastien held a hand up. “That’s enough.” He spat out.

The male’s smile widened. “As I said, people execute better with added motivation.” He patted Bastien’s shoulder with a little too much force.

“Was there a point to this?” Bastien rumbled through clenched teeth, shaking off the man’s palm.

“I just wanted to make sure it’s one hundred percent clear — you need to ensure anything regarding this stays buried. If too many people ask the right questions before we reach the finish line and the boss has to get involved again… Well —” He grinned, baring his teeth. “That’d just be a shame, wouldn’t it?”

A chill shot down the length of Bastien’s spine. “What is that supposed to mean? Are you threatening me?”

“You may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but you’re not that stupid — you know what will happen.” He responded, amusement written on his cold features. His almond eyes deepened to black, leaving Bastien momentarily speechless.

“I’m certain that won’t be necessary.” Bastien confidently answered after he regained his composure. His companion nodded with an eerie smirk but casually lingered around the door. “Is there something else I can do for you?”

“I was just wondering about Lady Riley… Where you’re planning on sending her since you received the — opportunity to handle her?” He nonchalantly inquired, acting as disinterested as possible. “Such a great honor you have… One I practically begged for.”

“The States, where she came from.” Bastien’s direction was to ship her back to New York as discreetly as possible. Even though the plan took a drastic turn, that was the one constant that couldn't change because otherwise, they would out themselves for taking the reins and disobeying a direct order. She would land on her feet, start a new life, and forget all about Cordonia. Liam would surely want to search for her, but all Bastien had to do was stall until the coronation, when their cover for removing Riley would come to light.

“I see, I see… Well, hopefully, that works out for her.” He smiled, the sight raising goosebumps on Bastien’s arms.

Before Bastien could respond, the door creaked open, and a hooded presence strode out. He paid Bastien no mind, instead focusing on the dark-haired male. “Let us vacate. The party is nearly over, and we have tremendous amounts of work ahead of us if we want to pull this off.”

“What about the court? We can’t go back to —”

“Do not fret, Anton… We have a plan… Trust the process; this is only the beginning. Everything will work out as it should in due time, but we must move — now.”

The pair quickly walked away, but not before Bastien heard Anton loudly whisper, “About that — pit-stop…” to his companion.

Bastien momentarily pondered that statement, but shook off the queasiness inside his stomach, concluding they must be referring to Tariq. As he stared at Riley’s door, a brief flicker of guilt traveled through him. Riley did nothing wrong, and he knew that, but this is the task he regretfully accepted. It was not a personal vendetta, by any means, but this clueless woman aimlessly landed herself in the middle of the nobility; she didn’t understand the untold, dark side of the court and its inhabitants, but would learn on this day.

Bastien cautiously opened the door and entered to find Riley on the edge of her bed, cradling her side. She snapped her head over to him as she heard his footsteps, and her eyes filled to the brim with tears when she met his gaze. He once again fought a wave of remorse at seeing her hopeful expression, knowing he was not the knight in shining armor she assumed he was.

“Bastien, you—you have to help me… Please…” Riley croaked. Her words came out slightly slurred, although it surprised him that the earlier sedatives hadn’t taken a harder effect.

“I’m going to, Lady Riley. First, I need to ensure you’re not carrying anything on you.”

Bastien assisted Riley to a standing position, which she slowly did without question. He didn’t know exactly what transpired, but she had a gash on her side, blood soaking through the thin hoodie she wore. With her permission, he checked the wounds, none of which were bad enough to seek immediate medical attention. Her face was littered with cuts, surely bruises to follow with time, as one of her cheeks was already tinted with a light purple. He started at her shoulders and patted down to her abdomen, but stopped when he felt something in her pocket and pulled out her phone. He nonchalantly slipped the device into his jacket, but despite his best efforts, Riley watched him do it.

“That is my property! You can’t take that!” She protested.

“I’m afraid I can… You are to leave completely empty-handed. Now, we have to get going — you have a flight to catch.” Bastien placed a hand on Riley’s arm to lead her away.

Riley firmly planted her feet in place, shaking away his grip. “Don’t do this, Bastien!”

“You have no choice in this matter and we’re on a time limit,” Bastien replied as he checked his watch.

“What about all my stuff?”

“As I said, empty-handed.” He didn’t understand that part either, but concluded it was easier to shove her on a plane with no items to accompany her.

“On whose authority?!” Riley exclaimed. When he didn’t answer, she reiterated, “Who told you to do this to me, Bastien?!”

“That is confidential information.”

Riley snorted, her frustration written all over her face. “Bullshit! At least be man enough to tell me!”

“Fine. You want to know who did it?” He held her glare, letting the tension linger, but finally answered, “It was Liam.”

Riley stepped away as if she took a blow to the gut, but her devastation quickly morphed into the polar opposite.

Riley laughed; hard enough that tears spilled down her cheeks. “You expect me to believe that? Liam? Of all people?” She shook her head, slightly bouncing from her chuckles. “You think I’m that naïve and stupid?”

“Believe what you will, that matters not to me but my instructions were simple, so we must get moving.” He stated, very matter-of-factly.

“Bastien,” Riley pleaded, any signs of amusement suddenly disappearing. “Don’t do this. I’ll just — I don’t know!” She cried, anxiety prominent in her features. “I won’t say anything to anyone — I swear on my grandmother’s life! Or–or we can tell Liam! Whatever got you wrapped up in this, he will understand.” She reasoned. “Please — you don’t have to conform. We can find a way out of this together.”

Bastien considered it for a second, but ultimately gave Riley a sad smile and nudged her toward the door. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks, but he remained firm. He quickly dropped her phone and the pre-written note he received inside her bedside table and went to the threshold, stepping over shards of glass from a broken planter and a bloodied garment.

Leaving her phone there meant it would be an immediate dead end for Liam and her sponsors. He would want to call her — possibly track her — but this ensured that door was closed before it could even be opened. It was a distraction tactic to keep the prince occupied until his reason for her departure would present itself to him, where hopefully, he would drop the matter for good.

Bastien held her stare for a moment before he cleared his throat, emphasizing the need to move. Riley hung her head and eventually slowly walked out the door, quietly sobbing as she did.

Bastien led her down the long hallway toward the servants’ exit, as their SUV waited close by. Riley was incredibly unsteady on her feet, whether it was from the earlier medication or her injuries, he wasn’t sure, but he held his hand out to steady her wobbly steps on multiple occasions. He glanced back and locked eyes with the maid he summoned to clean the area, and even with his dark sunglasses, he still spotted her apprehension. The interaction was brief as he and Riley reached the end of the hallway, but something in his gut said he would have to deal with that later.

Assisting Riley down the stairs turned out to be tricky, as she was in an incredible amount of pain. By the end, he hoisted her over his shoulder and carried her the rest of the way down. She didn’t yell or scream, not that it would have mattered if she tried; the party still ‘raged’ in the opposite direction, leaving the vicinity barren of wandering ears. If she got combative he had a plan for that as well, but was glad she opted to cooperate, instead of throwing a tantrum and meeting a fate similar to Tariq.

He sat her on her feet when they emerged outside and escorted her to the vehicle, quickly securing her inside. He used no restraints, but she didn’t resist one bit; almost as if she’d accepted her fate, or her body just didn’t have the strength to fight back. There were no remnants of Tariq or anyone else, but Bastien moved with fire under his feet as if someone lurked right around the corner.

Within the blink of an eye, they were at the airport, where Bastien unloaded her from the back of the car. The entire ride he heard Riley’s sniffles from the backseat, but he drove faster — to unload this package and hopefully, this would be a straightforward operation. Once she was out of the vehicle his job should be done, unless too many questions arose.

Bastien parked toward the back of the abandoned parking lot so the only thing on security footage would be Riley entering the airport. With his connections, he knew exactly where the cameras were and discreetly slipped into a blind spot. Riley could hardly stand as he pulled her from the vehicle, but that was not his concern.

He did his part — all she had to do was walk inside and leave Cordonia forever.

He shoved a small envelope into her hands and said, “Here is your ID, passport, credit cards, and a ticket to New York. It’s been a pleasure, Lady Riley.” And with that, Bastien turned on his heel and returned to his vehicle, speeding away before he could second guess his decision.

He glanced back in the rearview mirror and saw the silhouette of a woman standing there disoriented, wounded, alone, terrified, and defenseless, but quickly averted his gaze, centering on the road. He nearly pushed his foot through the floorboard to get away faster, but bile rose into the back of his throat as a chilling realization sat in; he didn’t know how, but this was far from over, and the chances of him making it to see his next birthday just substantially dwindled.

“I assumed she boarded the plane, but I later received her identification and credit cards in a sealed envelope from an unidentifiable source. I tried to help her… I really did…” Bastien finished with his head bowed.

“No, you sure as shit did not!” Drake bellowed, a mix of fury and shock written on his features. “I can’t believe you!”

Bastien flinched. “I did what I had to do—”

“Where is she, then? Because she never got on that fucking plane, Bastien!” Olivia hollered.

“I don’t know! I told you everything I know about it! I tried to find out, but I can’t!”

“This is fucking unreal.” Drake shook his head and scoffed. “You expect me to believe you really don’t know? You have her ID! Her goddamn passport!”

Bastien forcefully clenched his jaw. “I received them before the tour in a sealed envelope. I don’t know where it came from and I can't trace its origin.”

Drake scowled. “We’re supposed to believe that?” He looked away and rubbed a hand down his face, his frustration steadily rising. “Let’s say I do — you chose to keep that to yourself? You didn’t think that was worth mentioning when we opened an investigation into her goddamned disappearance?!” He over-enunciated, sarcasm dripping off every syllable.

“What was I supposed to do, Drake?!” Bastien responded, but couldn’t fathom meeting his eyes for even a brief second.

“Not be a spineless piece of shit, for one,” Olivia answered. “For two, you could’ve refused to cooperate from the beginning. Or, told the truth, regardless of what would’ve happened to you then… Or, made sure she got on the plane, at least. You drugged her and left her for dead, Bastien! Who knows where she’s at by now?! Do you realize how much time we’ve wasted because of you?!”

“I did not drug her or leave her for dead—”

“But you didn’t fucking stop it either, and that’s just as damning in my eyes,” Drake spoke in a bland, empty voice as he tried to comprehend this betrayal. “I don’t know what happened to you, but you’re not the man I used to look up to, not anymore… I can’t believe you did this and continuously lied to us about it!”

Bastien slouched. “I never lied—”

“Bullshit! You’ve done nothing but lie! You’ve gotta stop and tell us the truth for once!”

“I told you everything I know, everything I’ve done. I killed the maid and had every intention of Lady Penelope taking the fall — I’ve led you astray and tampered with evidence — I admit it.”

“I don’t care about any of that shit right now!” Drake shouted. “We wanna know what you did with Brooks, Bastien.”

Bastien sighed. “Drake, I told you, I don’t know where she’s at! She was supposed to go inside and board the plane!”

“But you didn’t wait and ensure she did, at least?” Olivia asked with an arched brow.

“I didn’t think I needed to! After what I heard coming out of that room, I assumed she would run inside to get away… If anyone knows, it’s probably that Anton character!”

“Anton…” Olivia repeated, her curiosity peaking. “What do you know about him? And the other guy? Claudius?”

“Absolutely nothing. I’d never seen them before and haven’t since. All I know is they were in charge of relocating Tariq.”

“And you don’t know where that is, either?”

“No, I don’t. I didn’t ask questions, and I wasn’t told. I ran their names in the system to see if I could figure anything out, but they’re ghosts — there aren’t even medical records with either name on it.”

Olivia scoffed. “So, why do it, then?”

“I have my reasons…” He finally gathered the courage to take a peek in Drake's direction, but when he spotted the wild blaze of fire in his eyes, swiftly glanced away.

“Yeah… Okay…” Olivia indignantly laughed. “So was this your idea, or were you working under someone else’s watch?” He didn’t reply, but she and Drake noticed his shoulders tense. “That’s all the answer I need. So who is it? Who’s pulling the strings here?”

Bastien shook his head. “That I can’t tell you.”

“You’re already a dead man no matter which way you look at it, so you may as well just tell us. If you do, there is the tiniest chance that you may receive mercy,” Olivia growled as her hand instinctively reached for the dagger hidden in her waistband.

“I’m aware of that, but I cannot tell you.”

“Bas, you need to fucking—”

“Damn it, Drake, I can’t!” Bastien shouted. He knew the pain Drake felt was nothing compared to what he’d feel if he knew the truth, but he refused to open that can of worms.

Liam remained eerily quiet as he listened to Bastien retell the events of that night. To say he was fuming would be the understatement of the millennium. Bastien’s continuous misleading and knowledge of Riley being drugged, assaulted, and potentially still in Cordonia sent Liam overboard. Not to mention, he basically left her for dead in a parking lot. Bastien did all of that; he may not have physically harmed her himself, but he stood guard, let it happen, and actively worked to cover it up, making Liam physically sick to his stomach.

The all-consuming rage he tried to control reached its boiling point. He was no longer asking nicely — he was demanding.

Liam slowly stood from his chair, the loud screech halting the surrounding bickering. He leaned over the table on his knuckles and positioned himself at eye level with his former guard. “You told her that I did it?”

Bastien’s eyes spread eagle. “I just needed to get her out of the door… I assumed that would get her to leave willingly, but she didn’t believe a word I said.”

Liam indignantly laughed, the sound sending waves of uncertainty through everyone in the room. “So it wasn’t enough to physically break her — you had to pile emotional pain on top, too?”

“Sir, she did not believe me,” Bastien reasoned. “She knew you would never do such a thing. It was only a last-ditch attempt on my part to get her out.”

Liam mindlessly nodded, ignoring the new wave of dread filling his veins. He’d convinced himself even through all this madness, when they reached the bottom of this intricate web, there was still a slight chance Riley could love him back, but that hope burst into flames instantaneously. Regardless of whether she believed the lie, he was more determined than ever to find her, ensure her safety, and make sure she knew he played no part in this. He had no intentions of hiding his prolonged negligence of the situation from her, but wasn’t willing to let her hate him over something he had no part of.

Liam took a deep, steadying breath and spoke in a low, timbre rumble. “I’m ordering you to tell me who orchestrated all this, Bastien — you owe me that much.”

Bastien remained silent for a long moment as he held his monarch’s intent gaze. Eventually, he sat back in his chair and broke eye contact while pursing his lips together. “Damn it, tell me!” Liam shouted, his voice echoing against the concrete walls.

Bastien hesitated, as he quickly planned his path from here. The potential to get caught was always there, and he thought extensively about what he would do and who to say in this situation. His secrets fueled a small portion of his decision, but the majority centered around fear. He wouldn’t be safe either way but would take his punishment from the crown. Aside from keeping his skeletons inside the closet, to defy the — others — would essentially put nails in his coffin, just waiting to be hammered in. He’d seen firsthand the carnage they were capable of; a couple of treason charges were nothing in comparison.

But if he pointed them in the right direction, it wouldn't be him outing the culprit.

The tension lingered but right when Olivia opened her mouth to push, Bastien quietly answered, “It was your father…”

The room went silent; not a single breath to be heard. Olivia took in the steadfast determination in Bastien’s features and knew for once — he wasn’t lying. And it made some sense; Bastien was purely manpower, not an active brain contributing, and Constantine had the power to force him into anything. However, she instantly knew the former monarch was not the person behind that door with Riley.

Constantine was in high demand and there was no way he could’ve slipped away from the jamboree that early unnoticed. Olivia recalled that night, and to her knowledge, Constantine retired at the same time as Liam. Plus, if they believed Liam’s out-of-body experience to be reality, Constantine was right beside him while the attack took place.

She believed him but also realized while he told the truth, he didn’t tell all of it. There was more to the story, and she intended to get any and every ounce of information out of him, no matter what it took.

Olivia opened her mouth to address Bastien, but Liam beat her to it. “My father?” He repeated, confusion showcased brightly on his face.

“Yes, sir,” Bastien softly spoke. “I know that may be hard for you to hear, but—”

“Shut the fuck up!” Liam suddenly bellowed as his shock quickly morphed into dangerous fury. “You’re still trying to lie?!”

Bastien’s eyes widened. “I swear to you — he’s the one who told me to send her back to New York.”

Liam shook his head, his face reddening with every sullen breath. “No… You’re just trying to cover your own ass, that’s it!”

Bastien sighed. “I don’t expect you to believe me, but that is the truth. Your father is the one who—”

Liam paced the small area, his racing thoughts spiraling out of control. “My father would not do this, regardless of how strongly he felt about it. This is fucking evil and deranged — he is a lot of things, but he would never do something like this to me.” He seethed. “So I will ask you one final time — who was it?”

Silence commenced once more, but Bastien eventually answered. “I told you who it was. If you choose not to believe me, that’s your prerogative. I did what he ordered me to do.”

Fast as lightning, Liam brought his fist up and connected with Bastien’s jaw. He went around the table and hit him again, and again, until Bastien was on his knees with his head dangling in between his still cuffed hands. Liam didn’t care if he killed him or not at that moment; all that mattered was exacting revenge on behalf of his beloved, even if she wasn’t there to witness it. The monarch checked out, replaced by a vicious beast — a starved one, at that.

Liam saw nothing except Riley’s face, the sound of her cries from his out-of-body experience echoing in his mind. His hand throbbed as he relentlessly took his frustrations out on Bastien, but he barely felt it because of the pure hatred and adrenaline pumping through his veins.

Olivia and Drake watched, exchanging worried glances as Liam continued his assault. Both felt incredible amounts of anger toward Bastien, but they saw the bits of truth. Liam might not want to believe it, but Constantine made the most sense.

However, Olivia wholeheartedly believed Constantine was not the one in that room. He may have ordered Bastien to engage, but deep down she knew he was not the one calling the shots that night. As Liam continued to pummel him, she had half a mind to stop him, but the person taking out his anger on his crumpled guard was not her childhood friend, and even she was hesitant to interfere.

It was Drake who finally intervened, laying a firm hand on his shoulder. “Li…” When Liam shook him off, he tried again with more force. “Liam!”

“Get your fucking hands off of me!” Liam shouted, quickly returning to his mission. Every bone that snapped underneath his fist soothed a portion of his soul, but he wasn’t willing to stop until Bastien felt even a small portion of the pain enveloping his entire being.

The door crept open and Leo went to step inside, Maxwell close behind, but halted when he spotted a bloodied and battered Bastien dangling from the side of the table. Liam continued his attack, completely oblivious to the additional presences in the room. Leo noticed the mixed expressions from Olivia and Drake and quickly pieced a vague conclusion together. Never in his life did he think Bastien could be capable of such atrocities, but clearly they found something to tie him to it.

Leo stepped toward Liam and timidly tapped his shoulder to gather his attention. “Li, we found Penelope. She was headed to the palace with orders for incineration upon arrival, but we stopped it and she should be back soon. I talked with Landon and Emmaline and they’ve agreed to send her wherever you see fit for autopsy. Ray recommended a specialist, but I wanted your input before I started the process.”

Liam finally stopped his assault and stared down at Bastien’s crumpled body with labored breaths. “The amount of which you’re willing to go to bury this is ridiculous! WHO could be that important that you would do all this — risk EVERYTHING for?!” He bellowed, his voice booming against the walls.

Bastien never answered, whether by choice or from his injuries, but a silence took over as Liam really pondered that question for a moment. This wasn’t just some measly scandal anymore; this was an extensive operation concocted to remove the top competitors and ensure he married Madeleine. At first assumption, it would be easy to point a finger at Madeleine herself, but Bastien held no allegiance to her, and the two hardly spoke before the start of the engagement tour. She held no power over him and had no way to get him to bend to her will.

And that was simply too easy — right?

Bastien’s involvement suddenly narrowed down the potential list of suspects, as Liam knew there was a very short number of people he would have no choice but to obey. Despite everything, he didn’t want to believe Bastien willingly did all of this. He expressed feeling some kind of remorse while it was happening, but he still aided and lied about it afterward, making his guilt irrelevant.

He had no reason to trust Bastien, but the more he thought about it, the more his heart accepted the tale.

The betrayal from his former guard was a lot to process, but knowing who could have ultimately constructed the whole thing shredded him into a million tiny pieces. Half of him was ready to unleash a wrath like no other, while the other half wanted to crumple into a ball and cry. His already fragile heart couldn't take the strain; right when he thought this situation couldn't get worse, it did. Someone so close forcefully took something so precious, knowing how much Riley meant to him, and it completely blindsided him.

His back hit the wall and he slid down it, clutching his chest. Leo and Drake quickly moved to catch him, thinking he was having another episode, but Liam shook them off. As everyone took in his dejection, they realized he accepted who their next subject of questioning would be.

“Leo…” Liam swallowed thickly, his breaths rapid and labored. “Tell me — tell me our father wouldn’t do this… He’s not evil, just hard-headed — right?”

Leo winced. “I… I wish I could, Li, but…” He didn’t want to believe it but with Constantine’s infatuation with the throne, he couldn’t put it past him. Their father was never malicious, but he had a control problem regarding the crown; Leo knew firsthand.

But would he go this far?

Liam let out a forceful huff of air and ran his hands down his face, trying and failing to keep his tears at bay. “I — I thought it was bad that Bastien betrayed me, but — him? Why would he do this?”

“I want to answer that, Liam, but I’m not the person to ask… One way or another, you know we have to confront him…”

Liam grimly nodded. “I know… I just — what if he is the one who did all of this? What am I supposed to do then, Leo?”

Leo remained silent for a long moment, gathering his thoughts, but was to no avail, as he genuinely didn’t have an answer. “I don’t know, Liam… I really don’t…”

52 notes · View notes

belencha77 · 2 days ago

Text

CAPITULO 54 - AMOR EN EL AIRE 🔥Ⓜ️

<<Punto de vista de Liam>>

En este punto, sentía que los nervios me estaban consumiendo. Normalmente, tengo un buen autocontrol, pero por primera vez estaba luchando con ello. Con mi mano temblorosa, saqué una caja de terciopelo roja del bolsillo. Me arrodillé frente a Riley, y ella comenzó a llorar de manera descontrolada, colocando sus manos sobre su boca.

|| He esperado toda mi vida por ti. Siempre he querido casarme por amor, no por una alianza o algún tipo de ganancia política. Cuando me convertí en el Príncipe Heredero... || Hice una pausa, tratando de controlar mis emociones. || Sabía que sería difícil casarme por amor. Pensé que tendría que casarme por deber, por la corona y el país. Pero llegaste tú... || Sonreí y abrí la caja, mostrando el hermoso anillo que había traído. Tomé su mano izquierda entre las mías mientras ambos temblábamos. || Y no tuve duda alguna de que podría tenerlo todo contigo. Riley Marie Brown, reina de mi corazón, he anhelado decir estas palabras durante mucho, mucho tiempo... ¿Quieres casarte conmigo? || Riley se quedó sin palabras, sus ojos llenos de lágrimas y emoción. Asintió vigorosamente con la cabeza, incapaz de hablar al principio || ¿Eso es un sí? || Pregunté con un toque de nerviosismo, pero ella se rio y lanzó un gran suspiro.

|| ¡Sí! ¡Un millón de veces sí! || Gritó con júbilo, lanzándose hacia mí y abrazándome con fuerza, su risa y sollozos entrelazados en un torbellino de emociones. || Me casaré contigo... Seré tu esposa. || Yo sonreí y rápidamente deslicé el anillo de diamantes talla princesa de seis quilates en su dedo || Oh, Dios mío, ¡es tan hermoso, Liam! || Exclamó, admirando el anillo con ojos llenos de asombro y amor. Y nuevamente comenzó a llorar al mirar su dedo. Me reí entre dientes mientras la levantaba del suelo, atrayéndola hacia mi pecho y besando la parte superior de su cabeza.

|| Este era el diamante del anillo de compromiso de mi madre. Lo puse en una nueva configuración para ti. ||

|| Me encanta, Liam || susurró. || No puedo esperar para ser tu esposa. ||

|| Será la primera boda real desde que mi padre se casó con mi madre hace tantos años. || La miré fijamente a los ojos, su expresión era completamente ilegible salvo por su sonrisa, más brillante que nunca. Mi corazón se hinchó de emoción y la volví a levantar en mis brazos, haciéndola girar en el aire. || ¡SOY EL HOMBRE MÁS FELIZ DEL MUNDO! || Grité con fuerza, mientras ella reía de emoción.

|| ¿En serio? ¡No lo creo! || bromeó Riley. La acerqué rápidamente para besarla profundamente, pero también de manera tierna y apasionada. Sostenía su cuerpo apretado contra el mío mientras ella envolvía sus brazos alrededor de mi cuello, hundiéndose en mi abrazo. Después de lo que parecía una eternidad feliz, nos detuvimos para respirar. La deslicé hasta el suelo, pero aún envuelta en mis brazos, su frente apoyada contra la mía || Liam, te amo tanto. ||

|| Y yo a ti, Riley, te amo demasiado. ||

|| Pensé que el anillo de tu mamá lo tenía Madeleine. ||

|| Jamás podría habérselo dado, ella recibió otro… El anillo de mi madre estaba destinado solamente para la mujer que amo, y esa eres tú. || Tomé su rostro entre mis manos, mirándola fijamente. || Cuando pienso en todo lo que nos llevó a este momento, no puedo evitar estar asombrado por ti. No hay nadie a quien prefiera tener a mi lado ||

|| Eso es bueno, porque ciertamente no pienso dejarte nunca... Y no puedo esperar a ver qué tipo de vida podemos construir juntos, Liam. Me llena de emoción poder compartir mi vida contigo. ||

|| No tengo ninguna duda de que no solo eres la elección correcta para mí, sino también para ser la Reina de Cordonia. Serás la mejor Reina y duquesa que Cordonia haya tenido. || Al decir esto, ella me miró confundida.

|| ¿Duquesa? ||

|| Así es, mi amor. Uno de los beneficios de ser Reina es que, al llegar a Cordonia, serás nombrada duquesa. Hay algunos ducados no reclamados, y se te legará uno como parte de convertirte en mi reina. Eso es solo uno de los muchos beneficios que vendrán. Creo que los disfrutarás. || Le dije con una inmensa felicidad.

|| ¿Y uno de esos beneficios es casarme contigo? || Me dijo con una amplia risa, haciendo que yo riera igual.

|| Bueno, ese es uno de los principales. || Respondí mientras ella se acercaba más a mí, tomando mi rostro entre sus manos y acariciándolo suavemente. Me dio un tierno beso en los labios.

|| Liam, casarme contigo es el único beneficio que me importa. || Me dijo, y aún no puedo creer la maravillosa mujer que he encontrado. Muchas, como Madeleine, buscan la posición y el renombre. Pero a Riley no le importa nada de eso. La miré asombrado y sorprendido.

|| Pensé que estarías complacida también con la perspectiva de tener tu propia casa y tierras... Pero ciertamente no me quejaré si me prefieres a mí. Los arreglos aún están en progreso, pero no te imaginas lo ansioso que estoy por mostrarte tu nuevo ducado. Tengo el ducado perfecto para ti. || Le dije, pero de repente, la idea de sus sentimientos hacia Drake volvió a mi mente. ¿Qué pasa si Riley no solo lo ama como amigo sino como algo más? ¿Estoy dispuesto a compartir?

|| Liam, ¿qué pasa? || me preguntó, su voz llena de confusión y preocupación.

|| Riley... || Suspiré, sintiendo cómo la inseguridad y el miedo me consumían. || No puedo evitar sentirme aterrado por lo que sientes por Drake. Quiero que seas feliz, eso es lo más importante para mí, pero cuando Drake se entere de que nos vamos a casar, se va a sentir miserable. Existe... bueno, tú sabes que tenemos el acuerdo Cordoniano, en el que yo podría ayudarlos a los dos. Aunque me duele profundamente, estoy dispuesto a dejar que Drake y tú tengan los momentos que necesiten. || Mis palabras salieron con un nudo en la garganta. Riley me miró, sus ojos llenos de admiración y sorpresa, dio un paso atrás, observándome con atención.

|| Liam, ¿por qué me estás sugiriendo esto? || Dijo, frunciendo el ceño mientras yo me pasaba la mano por el cabello, tratando de encontrar el valor para continuar.

|| Riley, tu felicidad es lo más importante para mí. Como he dicho muchas veces, Drake es como mi hermano. Siempre me ha apoyado y respaldado. Sé que dije que no me gustaría compartirte, pero quizás hacerlo sea una manera de apoyar a Drake de la misma forma en que él lo ha sido conmigo. Pero... || Mi voz se quebró un poco. || No puedo soportar la idea de que te alejes de mí, incluso por un momento. Aun así, estoy dispuesto a hacerlo porque quiero darte todo lo que necesitas, incluso si eso significa compartirte. || Bajé la mirada rápidamente, sin poder creer lo que acababa de proponer.

|| Liam, mírame... || dijo Riley con lágrimas en los ojos, tomando mis manos con fuerza. Lentamente levanté el rostro para encontrarme con sus ojos.

|| Cuando te dije que sí a tu propuesta, no fue solo de labios para afuera. Quiero ser tu esposa, tu Reina, tu pareja, tu amante. Quiero ser tuya por completo. || Su mirada se suavizó y acarició mi mejilla. || Lamento tanto haberte herido así… No era mi intención. Me ilusioné, me enamoré y me confundí con Drake y… || Cerró los ojos con fuerza, como tomando ánimo. || Y sí, estuve con él. Pero fue un error. Me dejé llevar por mis sentimientos y emociones. Pero como te dije, el amor que siento por él no es el mismo que siento por ti. Ahora te pertenezco solo a ti, Liam. No quiero a otro, soy tuya completa y totalmente a partir de este momento. ||

|| ¿Lo dices en serio? || La miré con nostalgia mientras mi voz temblaba de emoción.

|| Lo digo en serio, mi amor… Soy solo tuya. || Me sonrió y se inclinó, trazando sus labios sobre mi cuello, mandíbula y hasta llegar a mi boca. Nuestro beso fue suave al principio, pero luego se volvió más firme. Riley de repente empujó su cuerpo contra el mío mientras yo pasaba mis brazos alrededor de su cintura. Mis labios y lengua se mezclaron con los suyos.

|| Eres mía, || susurré, || ¡toda y solamente mía por siempre! ||

|| Así es, hasta que la muerte nos separe, mi Liam… mi Rey, || me dijo suavemente. Apoyé mi frente contra la suya mientras la miraba con ternura.

|| Mi Riley… mi Reina, || suspiré, recordando que tenía una última parada en mente. Aclaré mi garganta. || Cierto, tengo un último plan para la aventura de esta noche... claro, si eso es lo que mi futura Reina desea. ||

|| Usted manda… mi Rey. || Me dijo y tomé su mano y comenzamos a caminar de regreso al helicóptero.

|| Tendremos un hermoso paseo para ver Nueva York en su esplendor desde los cielos y luego una cena privada en la suite presidencial del hotel. ¿Qué dices? Deseo seguir disfrutando de esta hermosa velada juntos antes de anunciar al mundo nuestras noticias. ||

|| No hay nada más que me encantaría hacer. ||

Al subir al helicóptero, las luces de la ciudad empezaron a brillar como estrellas en un cielo despejado. El piloto despegó suavemente, y pronto estábamos volando sobre el imponente horizonte de Manhattan. La vista era impresionante: rascacielos iluminados, puentes resplandecientes y el río Hudson reflejando el brillo de la ciudad.

|| ¿Cuál es tu parte favorita en Nueva York? || De repente pregunté.

|| Mmmm tendría que decir que conocerte... || Dijo y me reí mientras que ella me miraba levantando una ceja || Es en serio, no te rías… cuando vivía aquí, pensé que no podía haber nada más emocionante que la vida en la gran ciudad, pero luego conocí a un guapo extraño en un bar y la palabra aventura adquirió un significado completamente nuevo… Liam, eres el regalo más grande que esta ciudad me dio ||

|| Mi amor, tú eres el mayor regalo que me ha dado la vida... || Le dije y Riley me apretó la mano, sus ojos brillando con emoción y amor || Quería que esta noche fuera inolvidable, una celebración de nuestro amor en el corazón de una de las ciudades más emblemáticas del mundo ||

|| Es perfecto, Liam. Todo esto es perfecto. Esta ciudad siempre tendrá un lugar especial en nuestros corazones ¿Verdad? ||

|| Así es… Siempre tendrá un lugar || Le dije con certeza.

Al aterrizar en el helipuerto, una limusina nos esperaba para llevarnos de regreso al hotel. Llegamos al The Langham, donde la suite presidencial estaba preparada para una cena privada. La habitación estaba decorada con velas y flores, creando un ambiente íntimo y romántico.

|| Después de ti mi Reina, todo esto es para ti, || le dije, tomando su mano mientras nos sentábamos. || Porque quiero que cada momento contigo sea tan especial como tú lo eres para mí. ||

Riley me miró, sus ojos llenos de amor y gratitud.

|| No puedo esperar a pasar el resto de mi vida contigo, Liam. Eres mi todo. ||

<<Punto de vista de Riley>>

Disfrutamos de una cena exquisita en la que el tiempo pareció detenerse para nosotros. Fue una noche en la que nos sentimos completamente libres, como si no hubiera nada que nos atara. Estábamos solo él y yo, sin preocupaciones, sin miedos. Después de la comida, nos entregamos a una balada romántica que parecía haber sido escrita para nosotros. Nuestros cuerpos se movían al ritmo de la música, pero lo que realmente se podía sentir era el latido sincronizado de nuestros corazones, palpitando de alegría y amor.

Liam me miró con una profundidad que me conmovió. Su sonrisa era una promesa de amor eterno, y lentamente me incliné hacia él, nuestros labios encontrándose en un beso que se volvía cada vez más ardiente. Sus brazos me envolvieron con fuerza, como si quisiera fundirse conmigo en un solo ser. Cada toque, cada caricia, estaba cargado de una pasión que habíamos estado esperando tanto tiempo.

Nos separamos un poco, nuestras frentes aún unidas, y su voz vibraba con una felicidad incontrolable.

|| Estoy tan feliz de poder besarte con libertad, sin miedos. Si quiero hacerlo en público, ahora lo haré sin restricciones, || me dijo con una mirada que era a la vez ardiente y tierna.

|| Yo también soy feliz, pero… ¿Qué te parece si hacemos esto? || Le susurré mientras lo empujaba suavemente hacia la cama. Lo presioné contra ella, mi cuerpo sobre el suyo, y me incliné para capturar sus labios en un beso ferviente. Era un momento cargado de electricidad, nuestros labios se encontraban en una danza apasionada. Liam se apartó un poco, su mirada llena de deseo y devoción.

|| Riley, nunca te he deseado más que en este momento. || me dijo con voz profunda y cargada de emoción, mientras tomaba mi rostro entre sus manos. Nuestros ojos se encontraron, intensos y llenos de un deseo palpable. Me acerqué lentamente, mis labios buscando los suyos, y al contacto, sentí una oleada de emoción recorrer mi cuerpo. Sus labios eran cálidos y suaves, y su lengua trazó un camino en mi labio inferior que envió escalofríos por toda mi columna. Coloqué una mano sobre su pecho para encontrar estabilidad mientras el deseo se apoderaba de mí.

En un movimiento rápido y decidido, me encontré debajo de él.

|| Te deseo Liam, con todo mi ser || susurré, mi voz temblando de emoción y anhelo.

|| Tus deseos son órdenes para mi || respondió, su voz cargada de una promesa ardiente. Usó una mano para apoyarse contra la cama, mientras la otra trazaba líneas de fuego desde mi mandíbula hasta mi cuello y pecho. Su beso era voraz y urgente, como si intentara apoderarse de cada parte de mí. Comencé a desabotonar su camisa, mis dedos temblando ligeramente mientras me incliné para besar su oído y cuello. Un gemido se escapó de sus labios, resonando en mi oído y avivando aún más el deseo entre nosotros.

Poco a poco, nos fuimos despojando de nuestras ropas, cada prenda caída era un paso más hacia la intimidad completa. Nos quedamos desnudos, el calor de nuestros cuerpos fusionándose en un abrazo que nos envolvía por completo.

Coloqué mis manos en sus caderas, guiándolo mientras se hundía en mí. Cada movimiento suyo estaba lleno de una intensidad eléctrica que me recorría, desde la punta de mis pies hasta la cabeza. Sentí un hormigueo incontrolable que me envolvía, y los gemidos de placer se escapaban de mis labios, intensificados por los suyos. Mi cuerpo se arqueaba, moviéndose en perfecta sincronía con el de Liam, y en ese momento, nos fusionamos en una unidad completa.

Tras un tiempo, nos hallamos envueltos en una intimidad serena. Yacía entrelazada en los brazos de Liam, sintiendo una paz profunda que llenaba cada rincón de mi ser. La tranquilidad de la noche envolvía la habitación, y el calor de nuestros cuerpos juntos era el único consuelo que necesitábamos. Cada respiración se volvía un susurro compartido, cada latido un eco de nuestra conexión.

|| Me alegro de que estés conmigo esta noche, || respondí con una sonrisa sincera, acariciando su pecho.

Nos miramos a los ojos, compartiendo un tierno beso que reflejaba nuestra profunda satisfacción. Lentamente, el sueño comenzó a arrullarnos. Liam me atrajo aún más hacia él, envolviéndome en su abrazo con un afecto protectora. Sus brazos se ajustaron alrededor de mí como un refugio, y yo me acurruqué contra su pecho, sintiendo el ritmo calmado de su respiración.

Con el suave y constante latido de su corazón como mi guía, nos dejamos llevar por la serenidad de la noche. La calidez de su cuerpo era mi alivio, y el silencio compartido era un manto de calma que nos envolvía. En esta noche de unión y tranquilidad, nos sumimos en un sueño profundo y reparador, sabiendo que, finalmente, éramos solo nosotros.

A la mañana siguiente, me desperté con la suave sensación de la mano de Liam envolviendo la mía. Al abrir los ojos, vi su mirada llena de amor mientras contemplaba el anillo en mi dedo. Sus ojos se encontraron con los míos, rebosantes de ternura.

|| Buenos días, mi amor. || Su voz era un susurro lleno de ternura.

|| Buenos días, guapo, || respondí con una sonrisa radiante, mi corazón rebosante de felicidad mientras admiraba el anillo. No podía creer que, tras todo lo que habíamos pasado, estábamos finalmente comprometidos.

|| ¿Estás feliz? || Liam me preguntó, su sonrisa mostrando un destello de esperanza y amor.

|| Más de lo que podrías imaginar, || le contesté, inclinándome para besarlo con suavidad. Sentí la profundidad de mis sentimientos en cada toque de nuestros labios.

|| ¿Lista para regresar a casa? Tenemos que hacer un gran comunicado de prensa. ||

|| Muy lista… ¿Podemos avisarles a nuestros amigos después? || pregunté, sintiendo que este momento era solo nuestro.

|| En realidad, no quiero apresurarme. Quiero disfrutar de este instante contigo ahora mismo. Quiero desayunar contigo, ducharme contigo… Luego, cuando estemos en el jet y estemos por llegar, podemos reunirnos con ellos y compartir nuestra noticia. ¿Te parece? || Liam me besó tiernamente en la frente, su mirada llena de amor y promesas.

|| Claro que sí, es perfecto. || Asentí con una sonrisa emocionada, abrazándolo con fuerza. Sentí que cada segundo a su lado era un regalo, un sueño hecho realidad.

Algunas horas después, estábamos de regreso a Cordonia en el jet real. Maxwell y Hana me bombardearon con preguntas sobre la noche anterior, pero les dije que tendría que esperar hasta que llegáramos a casa para compartir detalles.

En medio del vuelo, el mensaje de Drake volvió a mi mente con fuerza. ¡Oh, no! Con toda la emoción de la noche, había olvidado por completo que había escrito para vernos. Decidí acercarme a él.

|| Hey, Drake, || le dije mientras me sentaba a su lado.

|| ¡Oh! Hola, Brown… ¿Todo bien? || me preguntó, con curiosidad en su voz.

|| Sí, todo bien. Quería disculparme por no contestar tu mensaje de ayer. La verdad es que tuve un montón de cosas que hacer y, sinceramente, me olvidé de hacerlo || Le dije, sintiendo el peso de mi descuido.

|| No te preocupes, lo entiendo… || respondió, tratando de ocultar su decepción. || Al ver que no tuve respuesta, supuse que no irías. ||

|| Lo siento tanto. ¿Era algo urgente? ¿Te gustaría hablarlo ahora? || le pregunté, ansiosa por resolverlo.

|| Mmmm… || me miró con una mezcla de curiosidad y duda, como si estuviera tratando de encontrar las palabras correctas. || Se podría decir que no es tan urgente… Pero podríamos hablarlo cuando lleguemos a Cordonia, si te parece. ||

|| Perfecto, suena bien. Hablamos allá entonces. || Le sonreí y le apreté la mano antes de regresar a mi asiento. Hana estaba acurrucada cerca de Maxwell y Liam estaba en la sala de conferencias. Aproveché para descansar en una de las camas, dejando que el cansancio de la noche anterior se desvaneciera mientras me preparaba para lo que nos esperaba en Cordonia.

Un tierno beso en la frente me despertó suavemente, sacándome de un sueño profundo. Al abrir los ojos, me envolvió una sensación de tranquilidad, aunque aún sentía el ligero cansancio de tantas horas de sueño. Confundida, me pregunté por qué Liam me despertaba con un gesto tan dulce.

|| Amor… Tuvimos un pequeño desvío, pero estaremos en casa muy pronto || me dijo Liam con suavidad. A medida que sus palabras penetraban en mi mente, me di cuenta de que había estado dormida sin darme cuenta, inmersa en un sueño reparador.

|| ¿Desvío? || pregunté, algo confundida. || ¿Por qué un desvío? ||

|| No te preocupes, no es nada grave. Solo quería avisarte que te espero en la sala de conferencias. He solicitado a todos que se reúnan allí antes de llegar para tener un pequeño desayuno juntos. ||

Asentí con la cabeza, agradecida por su preocupación. Liam me dio un dulce beso en la frente antes de dejarme. Me levanté para ir al baño, deseando refrescarme para el desayuno que nos esperaba. Miré mi reloj: eran alrededor de las seis y media de la mañana en Cordonia. Con emoción y anticipación, me dirigí a la sala de conferencias, donde todos ya estaban reunidos, charlando animadamente y con miradas expectantes. Les sonreí con entusiasmo al entrar.

|| Chicos, ¡realmente me alegra tanto verlos a todos aquí! Nueva York fue una montaña rusa de emociones, pero anhelo dejar atrás los hoteles y regresar a mi hogar en Cordonia. Y, por supuesto, estoy deseando ver a mi Chance. Lo he extrañado mucho… || Miré a Maxwell con cierta preocupación. || Por cierto, Max, ¿cómo está Chance? ¿A quién se lo encargaste? || Maxwell me miró con una expresión de tristeza y algo de inquietud, lo que hizo que mi corazón diera un vuelco. || ¿Maxwell? || pregunté, sintiendo una creciente preocupación.

|| Este, mi Flor… ¿Recuerdas que te comenté que tenía malas noticias que decirte? Bueno, resulta que cuando viajé a buscar a Tariq, encargué a Chance con el personal y se lo llevaron a Cordonia. Pero a él no le agradó en absoluto y… el pequeño se escapó. Aún lo siguen buscando || Maxwell me miró con tristeza, y mi angustia se reflejó en el silencio que siguió a sus palabras.

|| ¿¡QUÉ!? || exclamé, horrorizada y llena de angustia. || ¿Maxwell, por qué no me lo dijiste antes? ||

Maxwell se acercó y me abrazó por el costado, arrodillándose cerca de mi asiento.

|| No quería alarmarte más de lo necesario… Solo iba a preocuparte aún más, como lo estoy haciendo ahora. Están haciendo todo lo posible por encontrarlo, te lo prometo, mi Flor || Sus palabras me conmovieron, pero el dolor por la pérdida de Chance seguía pesando en mi pecho || Por favor no te enojes conmigo ||

Me sentí triste, pero comprendí que no tenía sentido enojarme. A pesar de todo, había superado peores situaciones.

|| Está bien, Max, tranquilo. Solo espero que aparezca pronto. Debe estar muy asustado. || dije, tratando de mantener la calma.

|| Lo sé, pero es bueno estar en casa de nuevo. Él volverá a nosotros, ya verás || añadió Max, con un atisbo de esperanza en su voz. Mi mirada bajó, reflexionando sobre cómo había dejado pasar tanto tiempo. Quizás fue mi culpa que se perdiera. De repente, sentí una mano cálida tomando la mía.

|| Tranquila, amor. También me aseguré de que lo buscaran por todos lados || me dijo Liam con ternura. En ese momento, el grupo guardó silencio. Miré a Liam con una sonrisa agradecida. De reojo, noté el leve cambio en la expresión de Drake, que reveló incomodidad y celos, aunque trató de ocultarlo. Se aclaró la garganta para romper el momento tenso.

|| Este... Liam, ¿dijiste que había algún problema de seguridad con el último tramo de nuestro vuelo? || Pregunto y Liam, con una mirada protectora hacia mí, asintió levemente, pero su mano aún mantenía un agarre cálido sobre la mía.

|| Hubo un pequeño desvío, pero no es nada de qué preocuparse. Cuando la guardia real tiene inquietudes, es mejor escucharlas. Prometo que pronto estaremos en Cordonia || dijo Liam con una sonrisa entusiasta mientras comenzábamos a disfrutar del desayuno. La atmósfera estaba cargada de alegría, y mientras conversábamos y comíamos, Liam se levantó lentamente. Sus ojos brillaban con emoción y nerviosismo mientras me miraba y lanzaba miradas furtivas a nuestros amigos, buscando el momento adecuado para revelar nuestra noticia. || ¿Lista? || me susurró con una sonrisa radiante.

|| ¡Sí, lista! || Le respondí, con el corazón latiendo con fuerza de anticipación. Liam sonrió y aclaró su garganta, un gesto que indicaba que estaba a punto de hacer anunciar las noticias.

|| Amigos, por favor, presten atención un momento || dijo Liam, capturando la atención de todos en la sala. || Antes de que lleguemos a Cordonia, Riley y yo tenemos una noticia que queremos compartir con ustedes ||

|| ¿Qué será? || preguntó Drake, con una mezcla de curiosidad y ligera incomodidad.

|| Como todos saben, mi compromiso anterior fue cancelado || anunció Liam, dirigiendo una mirada seria a Drake, quien se sorprendió. Luego, su expresión se transformó en una sonrisa radiante. || Anoche le pedí a Riley que se casara conmigo, y para mi alegría, aceptó. ¡Estamos comprometidos! || Liam mostró el anillo en mi dedo, y nuestros ojos se encontraron llenos de amor. La sala estalló en aplausos, pero noté la incomodidad en la expresión de Drake, quien dejó su comida y mostró una mezcla de incertidumbre y celos. Liam, captando la tensión, me rodeó con su brazo en un gesto protector, marcando claramente que este compromiso era solo nuestro. || Riley y yo estamos emocionados por este nuevo capítulo || dijo Liam con determinación. || Queríamos compartirlo con ustedes porque son muy importantes para nosotros. ||

|| ¡Riley, esto es maravilloso! || exclamó Hana, levantándose de su asiento para abrazarme con entusiasmo. Su alegría era contagiosa, y me envolvió en un cálido abrazo que me hizo sonreír de oreja a oreja.

|| No puedo creerlo, aunque sospechaba algo… ¡Pero necesito saberlo todo! ¿Dónde estaban? ¿Qué dijo Liam? ¿Qué dijiste tú? || preguntó Maxwell, lleno de emoción, mientras tomaba mi mano para admirar el anillo con una sonrisa radiante.

|| Las felicitaciones vienen primero; las preguntas pueden esperar hasta más tarde || intervino Drake, con un tono que trataba de sonar natural mientras evaluaba sus palabras. || Estoy… feliz por ustedes. Felicitaciones. ||

|| Gracias, amigo || respondió Liam, dándole una palmada en la espalda. Aunque Drake le devolvió una sonrisa levemente forzada, sus ojos mostraban un destello de dolor que intentaba esconder. Luego, se volvió hacia mí con una mirada que no podía disimular completamente su desilusión.

|| Gracias || dije con sinceridad, dirigiéndome a todo el grupo. Noté que Drake evitaba mirarme directamente; sabía que la noticia le había afectado más de lo que había anticipado.

|| Muy bien, estoy seguro de que todos tienen preguntas... || comenzó Liam, pero fue interrumpido de inmediato por Maxwell, que no podía contener su entusiasmo.

|| ¡No tienes idea! || exclamó Maxwell, casi saltando de su asiento. || Dime, ¿dónde fue la propuesta? ¿Qué fue lo que... ||

Justo en ese momento, el piloto anunció que íbamos a comenzar el descenso, y todos debían regresar a sus asientos. La emoción de Maxwell se desvaneció momentáneamente, pero su ansiedad por conocer los detalles de la propuesta era palpable.

|| Qué pena, pero parece que tendremos que posponer las preguntas para después... || dijo Liam, envolviéndome en un cálido abrazo. || Hemos llegado a nuestro hogar. ||

La calidez y amor en su voz eran evidentes. Finalmente, estábamos de vuelta en nuestra amada Cordonia. La sensación de estar en casa, con Liam a mi lado, llenaba el aire mientras el jet descendía suavemente.

If anyone else wants to be tagged, just let me know. I hope you enjoy this wonderful love adventure.

@tessa-liam, @kingliam2019, @choicesficwriterscreations, @delmissesryanandcassi, @OneNoeOne, @scentedeclipseghosteggs, @s0m3thingkmp

#choices trr #choices the royal romance #choices #liam x mc #liam x riley #trr fanfic #trr liam #trr fanfiction #novela romantica #liam rys #CFWC creator of the month

21 notes · View notes

gaiuskamilah · 11 months ago

Text

for @choicesfandomappreciation's secret pal event, i got @tessa-liam! here's a liam and riley (and chance the corgi) for you, i hope you like it and happy holidays!! ��️

bg & silver medal from pb official art bc i was too tired to draw it by hand lol

#playchoices #choicessecretpal23 #the royal romance #trr #liam rys #liam x mc #riley brooks #my art

86 notes · View notes

dr-fizzovich · 4 months ago

Text

so apparently today i am going to greece :3

also i have drawn 2 more drawings at my grandma's but i forgor to post them... but i will post them in separate posts!! :P (by the way one is from my ii dragon au :D )

anyways... i literally bought all the john wow cool shirts on roblox. new hyperfixation hits hard 🤘🗄🤘 if i can't get the skibidi kevinbird t-shirt irl i gotta get it on roblox >:3

anyways. obligatory hfjone drawing i drew on roblox speed draw a year ago and got first place.

21 notes · View notes

bebepac · 10 months ago

Text

Traditions

This is a special holiday edition of School Dayz. To catch up on the series in general please click School Dayz

I am participating in @choicesdecember2023 for Christmas

I am also participating in @choicesprompts holiday rewrite challenge in which I used the candy cane gram scene from Mean Girls.

I am also participating in @choicesflashfics christmas prompt # 59: "Ice-skating? Do you seriously trust me with knives on my feet?" will appear in bold. I also used a previous prompt as well Are you seeing this too or am I having a stroke?

Series: School Dayz

The Book: TRR (no royals)

The Pairings: Liam x Riley

Word Count: 1464

Warnings and Ratings: None. This is for anyone who has eyes. A total fluff piece.

Original post: 12/31/23 at 7:15PM EST.

Science class was different for me now that I no longer sat next to Liam, and shared a table with my sister, since Mrs. Barbour decided to make the class sit in alphabetical order, which I think the only reason for the change was to make taking roll easier. I glanced across the room to Liam whose partner was now Rashad.

My adorkable boyfriend who caught me watching him, smiled and held up his hot cocoa cup to toast me from across the room. Liam was the sweetest boyfriend and stopped by the local coffee shop Brew Bros and always got hot chocolate every morning the way that I liked it.

So I smiled while holding up my cup.

“Oh my God, can you two be any more nerdy?” Taylor asked.

“He’s nice, and you reap the benefits of it too. My boyfriend brings us both hot chocolate, or in your case a coffee drink you like every day without us asking.”

Taylor cocked her head to the side and air toasted Liam, taking a sip from her drink when the door opened.

“Ho , Ho, Ho!!!!! Candy Cane Grams, sponsored by the National Honor Society.”

“Make it quick, Santa.” There was a hint of sarcasm in Mrs. Barbour’s voice as she went to sit at her desk for a moment.

“And his lovely assistant Max Noel!”

“Wait… a sec… Are you seeing this too or am I having a stroke?”

Taylor doubled over in laughter “It is!!!! It’s Drake Walker-Claus.”

Taylor’s laugh seemed to antagonize Drake for a second, but good thing he had his assistant Maxwell. His brooding mood was offset by Max Noel making the class laugh with his dance versions of Christmas music as he followed around the room behind him.

“Hana Lee one for you.”

“Chris Powell four for you, you go Chris Powell!”

“Do we have a Riley Brooks here?”

“That’s her Max Noel. She’s Riley Brooks and looks nothing like the girl sitting next to her. Those two can’t possibly be related.”

“Riley Brooks here you go, one for you.”

“Thank you Santa.”

“Um….”

“And nothing at all for Taylor Brooks, not even coal or black licorice, bye.”

Drake and Max ran out of the room.

Taylor looked at me with curious eyes at the candy cane gram in my hand.

“Who’s that from?”

It wasn’t any of her business. I opened the envelope and read silently to myself.

Liam’s sweet words made me smile, and I didn’t have to answer her, and I looked at him from across the room.

“Oh my god. You guys are too much.”

Taylor looked upset, even though she shrugged it off. Later I found out why at her locker.

“I told you to get me a candy cane gram Nico!!!!”

“Well you telling me to do it, takes the surprise out of it. Me not doing it, guess what you were surprised weren’t you?”

My sister who was always loud looked at him and said nothing.

Before I knew it the words flew out of my mouth.

“Wow, you’re a really bad boyfriend Nico, my sister deserves better than you.”

I slammed my locker walking away from the two of them. I found out later that day, my sister broke up with him, in front of everyone in true dramatic Taylor fashion. I was proud of her.

Christmas Eve

Everyone had come over and was enjoying mom’s Christmas cookies and snacks. My dad brought in a big box sitting it down on the floor.

“I want to thank everyone for coming over tonight to spend time with our family. Our children picked people they care about to spend this time together with you. Ren and I are happy to have you in our home. We both grew up in the foster care system, and learned early in life, sometimes the people that care about you most, are not your blood relatives. So we try to celebrate that.”

“And when we had the opportunity to open our home up to two adorable identical twin girls, we couldn’t say no.” My mother chimed in.

“It’s the best decision they ever made. I went to sleep one night wishing I had a little sister. The next morning I woke up with two.” Jaiden spoke up.

“And we know what it’s like to be alone on Christmas, or missing someone special on Christmas that you were once close to. So we wanted to do something special. Liam would you mind sharing the Christmas Eve tradition you had that you told me about?”

“Christmas was my Mom’s favorite holiday. Every Christmas Eve that I can remember she’d dress us up in these ugly Christmas sweaters

and we would go ice skating on Lake Pine. She loved to ice skate. Then she’d make us take these dorky pictures in our Christmas sweaters that matched. I miss her a lot.”

“I miss her too. I’m not adopted, but Liam’s Mom always made me feel like I was her son too. So I really get what you’re saying about family not always being blood related. She was my mom too.”

Liam hugged his brother.

My dad opened the box.

“With a little help from Riley I found some what I would think are hideously awesome ugly Christmas sweaters, and am secretly happy for your love of Star Trek too. I’m sorry Liam, you can’t be the Captain, this is mine. But this one is yours.”

“Well if I can’t be Captain, being the science officer is the next best and most logical choice.” Liam took his blue sweater graciously.

“That’s what I said! Dad please say you got me a blue sweater too.”

“I did.”

After all the sweaters were handed out, there was still one left in the box.

“Guess you guys bought this before I broke up with Nico. No big deal.”

Once everyone was dressed, they headed out to the vehicles, and Liam stuffed the extra shirt into Leo’s trunk.

“I really don’t know how this is going to go Liam.”

“What do you mean?”

“Ice skating? Do you seriously trust me with knives on my feet?”

“Well good thing you’re not just Riley Brooks today, you’re the science officer for the USS Enterprise. Live long and prosper.”

Liam expected Riley to be as horrible on ice skates as she had been on roller skates, but Riley amazingly was incredibly balanced.

“Have you ice skated before?”

“No! I don’t know how I'm good at this! I usually have no natural balance.”

“You’re a natural at skating…”

“Ice skating. Let's clarify that.”

Taylor was still sitting on the bench watching the couples skate by. “She still hasn’t gotten out on the ice yet. I think she’s feeling lonely and the extra shirt probably made her think of Nico.”

Liam’s phone beeped. “Why don’t you go sit with her for a little bit, and I’ll be back in a few with some hot cocoas for us all.”

“Is cocoa your favorite drink?”

“Yes, and my mom used to always say your heart won’t feel cold if you always have a nice warm cup of cocoa. It always makes me feel better.”

I went to sit with Taylor and Liam continued walking toward the concessions stand.

“You okay?” I asked Taylor.

“I just don’t feel like skating, and look over there.”

Nico was there, with another girl on his arm.

“To be honest I never liked him Taylor. He called you T, like you were a drink or a shirt or something. He wasn’t even really that nice. Good riddance, I say.”

“I never thanked you for standing up for me that day Riley. It really meant a lot.”

“You’re my sister Taylor. I will always have your back, even when you pull me into a tornado.”

“Not on purpose!” She laughed.

“Oh it never is.” I remarked pulling Taylor closer to me in a hug. After a few seconds she pulled away from me.

“What are you doing here?”

“Helping Liam deliver hot cocoa. This one is yours.

I don’t like all the extra stuff in mine.”

Drake handed Taylor her cocoa, as he sat down next to her.

“Just hot and cocoa pretty much then right?”

“Exactly. I’m not that difficult to understand.”

“Do you like to ice skate, Drake?”

“Like it? It’s okay, but I can. Would you like to skate Taylor?”

Drake took off his coat wearing the remaining ugly sweater.

“Okay.” Taylor said in a nonchalant voice.

Taylor’s mood picked up immediately as she skated around with Drake on the ice. She never once glanced in Nico’s direction.

“That was really nice of you to do Liam.”

“He really does like her, you know. Maybe now she can finally see him with Nico out the way.”

“You’re so adorkably sweet Liam.”

“I know Riley, I know.”

#bebepac writes #bebepac still writes #christmas fic #choices fandom #trr fanfic #trr fandom #trr liam x riley #school dayz #adorkable liam #adorkable riley #trr no royals #choicesprompt #choicesflashfics #choices monthly challenge #choices fic writers creations #fic of the week

67 notes · View notes

tessa-liam · 1 month ago

Text

Royal Adventures

-Prologue-

Book: Choices, The Royal Romance Series Finale + A Smoke & Mirrors Series Alternate Universe

Pairing: King Liam Rys x F!MC Queen Riley Brooks-Rys OTP

Rating: Teen, not beta’d-please excuse all errors

Category: On-going series, fluff

Warnings: a few swear words

Most Characters belong to Pixelberry

Music Inspiration: I Want It That Way, Backstreet Boys

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

Smoke & Mirrors Masterlist

My Main Masterlist

Series Premise: A collection of stories of the journey 12-year-old Crown Princess Eleanor Rys of Cordonia indertakes as she officially starts her Royal education. Tutors and advisors, that had been personally selected by Their Majesties King Liam Rys and Queen Riley Rys, were set to begin her royal lessons, and her days were packed full of knowledge. The young princess was a natural leader, and the King and Queen could not be more proud of their daughter.

Royal Adventures

-Prologue-

Busy days turned into busy evenings when Ellie Rys enjoyed her free time. As a 12-year-old, her parents wanted her to enjoy her childhood as long as she could, but the Crown Princess' life was going to change forever when she would reach her coming of age, and she would be required to take her place at court, as her father had taken previously.

Ellie knew her parents had a strong bond, and their love for one another was the reason their country had remained at peace for well over a decade. The Princess had always felt safe and secure, knowing she was loved and cherished.

Ellie didn't have a typical royal upbringing and was a carefree and happy child. Liam was more than happy that his children had an American mother as a role model, that grew up in a world of freedom.

She didn't have the same pressures that other royal children had, but the pressure would eventually start to mount in the next few years as she would grow older and need to learn more about the world and her duties of a future Queen.

Liam and Riley made it a point to ensure their kids were well-adjusted and had a happy childhood.

They'd taken trips all over the world, and their favorite place was New York, where they'd visited during the last Christmas season.

Ellie had seen the Rockefeller Center Tree, the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and the Staten Island Ferry. However, what she enjoyed the most was the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Broadway musical 'Wicked'.

She'd been mesmerized by the performances and sang along to the music. Liam and Riley couldn't help but chuckle at their daughter's enthusiasm.

"What?" she'd asked innocently, with her big blue eyes and her cute dimples.

"You remind me of myself at your age," Liam replied, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and pulling her close.

"I can't wait until we go back to New York," she'd exclaimed, as the family flew back to Cordonia on their private jet.

"Me either, Princess, but we'll make sure you have many more happy memories at home," Liam said, and planted a kiss on the top of her head.

***

Liam walked into his study, after he escorted Ellie to the royal library for her first royal lesson. As he watched his daughter attentively listen and interact with the history tutor, the pride he felt was all consuming. He couldn't believe his little girl was growing up so fast. It seemed like only yesterday when he and Riley were watching their newborn daughter take her first steps.

It was later in the afternoon when he looked up from his laptop to see Riley's soft smile as she walked in and closed the door behind her.

"Hello, love. How was Ellie's lesson?" Liam stood and walked around his desk to greet his wife with a kiss.

"It was great, Li ... she's a natural. The tutor was impressed." Riley grinned as Liam smiled wide.

"Of course, she is. She's a Rys."

"She's just like her father. Always eager to learn new things," Riley teased, kissing him softly in return.

"And her mother. Ellie has the heart of a fighter, and she's smart, brave, and kind."

"I hope she's ready for all of this. It's a lot to handle." Riley sighed, biting her lip.

"She will be. She's surrounded by love and support, and we will always be here for her."

***

Ellie's first day was going well, until ....

Leo had a mischievous grin on his face as he crept towards the library.

"Leo, what are you up to?" Maxwell asked as he noticed him peering through the gap between the double solid oak doors of the Royal library.

"SSHHH! ... You'll see," he replied in a hushed tone.

"Come on, man, don't pull anything stupid," Drake warned him as he walked up to join Maxwell.

"Just watch and learn, boys."

Leo peeked through the space and saw the tutor reading a textbook to Ellie. He knew it would only be a few minutes before the lesson was over, and he had to act fast.

He reached into his bag and pulled out a remote control.

Leo found a way to sneak a glitter bomb into the library without anyone noticing earlier in the day. He'd done it a million times at parties, and he knew it would create a big mess.

"This is going to be epic," he muttered.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Drake whispered.

"Oh, come on, Drake, it's harmless. I've done this tons of times. Watch and learn, boys. "

"Fine, we'll see," Maxwell shrugged.

Leo took a deep breath, and with one flick of his wrist, the balloon was triggered and exploded with a loud pop.

As it burst, the glitter covered everything, and the sound of the balloon burst startled everyone.

The tutor had a look of horror on her face, and Eleanor was shocked, standing up and moving quickly away from the table.

"Oh no," Leo whispered.

"This is not what I was expecting. Shit."

"Well, you better think of something quick," Drake shouted.

Through the gap in the door, Ellie spotted her uncle. Her brow furrowed, she pushed the heavy oak door forward.

"I can't believe you, Uncle Leo," Eleanor scowled, "you've ruined my first royal lesson."

"I'm sorry, El, it was supposed to be a harmless prank." Leo looked at his neice regretfully.

"Well, you ruined everything. I can't even look at you right now. "

"I'm so sorry. I was just trying to make things fun. I was always bored in these sessions, and I was just trying to lighten the mood."

"You are the worst Uncle, ever, you know that?"

Leo raised his eyebrows and chuckled. "Oh, come on Ellie, you know it's all in good fun." Ellie was fuming, "Uncle Leo, you've made me feel awful, and I can't believe you would embarrass me like that."

"Hey...hey, Ellie, don't be upset. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"Really? How can you say that after what you did? I want Daddy to be proud of me. I want it that way!"

Crossing her arms, Ellie stared down her uncle, smirking, "wait till mom finds out!"

"Wait, you wouldn't. Not your favorite uncle," Leo pleaded.

"Maybe, maybe not, depends how you behave from now on."

"Alright, I'll do anything, just don't tell your parents."

"Anything?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I will not be your servant again, though." Leo thought back to an earlier prank gone wrong, and shuddered.

"Then don't mess with my lessons again! Deal?"

"Deal." Leo sighed.

Drake and Maxwell were speechless as they watched their friend and their niece, banter with each other.

"Wow, El, you've got your uncle Leo wrapped around your little finger."

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Max. I'm a reformed man." Leo admonished.

"Yeah, whatever you say, Leo." Drake snorted.

"Okay, okay, free drinks at the beer garden. Now ... are you two going to help me clean up or not?"

✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️

📌tagging my perma's in the notes❣️

📌please let me know if you would like to be tagged for this series❣️

#tessa liam writes #royal adventures #smoke and mirrors #liam x riley #drake walker #maxwell beaumont #eleanor rys #the royal romance #choices fic writers creations #cfwc fics of the week #choices fanfic

57 notes · View notes

fadingreveries · 4 months ago

Text

The Royal Romance, Bk1 Ch2: Welcome to Cordonia (Pt. 3)

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

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

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

Word Count: 2.2k

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

~ ~ ~

Pulling along her suitcase, Riley followed Maxwell to the front doors of the palace. Maxwell nodded in acknowledgement to the officers of the King’s Guard dressed in their black uniforms as they opened the doors for them.

The coffered ceilings of the castle were much higher than she imagined they could be with beams laid in a grid which created a pattern of recessed squares. There were rooms leading to sitting areas that had furniture and objects fancier than she had ever seen with plush velvet couches, dainty bouquets in vases, intricate gold and glass centrepieces, and sparkling crystal chandeliers.

“I thought the outside was amazing on its own, but being inside…” Riley wondered aloud, her head swivelling around as she lost her trail of thought.

It was only until she entered the palace where she realized how different her world was from Liam’s. He had grown up here, learned to follow his father’s footsteps as a prince, met all kinds of nobles, and possibly brought fancy socialites home after dates. This was his childhood home; his whole world seemed to embody glamour and prestige.

She, on the other hand, had grown up in a cramped but cozy apartment with her mother and father. It wasn’t much, but the love her parents had for her and each other was more than what most people were lucky to have. With her American upbringing, her Korean mother’s roots, and her father’s Filipino culture, she was grateful for the homes she would forever have in the U.S., the Philippines, and South Korea.

They showered her with love and reassurance, frequently reminding her that family was the most important thing to cherish that motivates and grounds you at the same time. She never felt like she had lacked anything in her life, not when she had the most loving, supportive parents anyone could have.

At least that’s what it felt like before she lost the two people she loved the most in her life. But that was a story for another time, one for where there was less pressure and anticipation facing some of the most important people in Codonia.

A small piece of doubt began to spring up once again in her mind. Based on her appearance alone, it was clear that she was not from Cordonia, much less part of the country’s nobility or highly-respected citizens. She didn’t want to let Maxwell and his brother down from her upcoming representation of their house.

But in a split second, as she’d done everyday since they were no longer in her life, she heard her parents’ words in her mind saying, One day at a time.

“It’s like a whole other world, huh? Don’t worry, you have tons of time to roam and explore and get used to it,” Maxwell reassured her, as he followed her gaze landing on all lighting and fixtures. “After all, you’ll be here for the next few months of the social season.”

They made their way to the grand staircase with gold handrails decorated with artistic panel inserts of flowing swirls. A large velvet red carpet regally covered the steps leading up to the top platform where it separated into two staircases that led to the left and left wings of the castle.

“So, what’s the deal with Drake? Why is he… so jaded?” Riley questioned, fixating on the elegant staircase she had only ever really seen replicas of in movies. Seeing all the luxury decorations and furniture reminded her of Drake's annoyance with her fascination with all the new sights she was seeing. “Is he always like that?”

“I can get that for you,” Maxwell offered, implying Riley’s suitcase as she willingly handed it to him. He lifted it up as they climbed the staircase together, before answering her question, “Oh, don’t mind him. Drake’s never really… fit in. He doesn’t like court as much as others love being part of it.”

“Not used to courtly life?” Riley suggested, glancing at Maxwell for confirmation.

“Definitely not. Technically, he’s a commoner. He grew up here at court with us, but he’s… always been an outsider here in a way. Even if he is Liam’s best friend,” Maxwell responded, even though it was something he wondered himself as well.

With a nod, Riley pondered his answer. It made sense why he seemed to stick out like a sore thumb compared to Liam and the others, although it didn’t seem plausible that someone would choose to stay in a place where they would only be somewhat excluded.

She questioned, “But if he’s not fond of spending time with royals and nobles, is there a reason why he tries to tolerate it so much? Besides being there for Liam, I’m guessing.”

“Beats me,” Maxwell responded, shrugging his shoulders. “Sometimes it’s hard to know what he’s thinking. He’s pretty much known for being mysterious and antisocial to almost everyone, so I wouldn’t take it personally.”

At the top of the stairs, Maxwell and Riley turned down one of the many elegant corridors of the castle. The ivory marble floors were decorated with intricate designs of mosaic art and sophisticated medallions. A gleaming chandelier glistened from the sunlight peering into the hall through the arched glass windows. The gold accents on the walls brought out the pastel blue that brightened up the space.

“Your room’s here in the west wing. In case you need anything from me or my brother, our rooms are just a couple rooms away,” Maxwell informed her, as the two of them walked past several large wooden arched doors.

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. For some reason, Maxwell struck her more as an only child with his keenness for adventure and love for the spotlight. She wondered if his brother was as easy-going and laid-back as he was. Riley curiously commented, “I didn’t know you had a brother.”

“Yeah, an older brother. His official title is Duke Bertrand Beaumont. As the eldest son, he’s the heir and I’m the spare. You’ll see him tonight. He’ll be excited to meet you,” Maxwell answered with a smile, although his last sentence had a hint of uncertainty that Riley hadn’t noticed. He already had a slight idea on how his brother would react, and well... let’s just say they would have to brace themselves.

Maxwell stopped short in front of a magnificently ornate door with the dark wood accentuating the designs. As Riley stood beside him, he turned the doorknob. Oh, boy. If this didn’t get her even more excited than he was about solving House Beaumont’s problem of not having a suitor, he would run down the corridor and do three cartwheels in a row.

“This is it… Here’s your room!” Maxwell revealed, with a giddy edge to his voice.

Riley entered a lavish guest room with a gold and dark magenta palette accompanying full-length paintings and gilded ceilings. Two end tables with beige and gold accents to the solid wood foundation were placed on both sides of the queen bed with understated white lamps on top of them. A shiny gold candle chandelier hung daintily above Maxwell and Riley, where they stood underneath it beside the bed with silky cream sheets and dark fuchsia pillows matching the ottoman nearby.

“Wow…” was all Riley could muster, as her neck craned high and low to take in the simple, regal style of the bedroom.

It was official; she had fallen asleep and dreamt of being in an alternate universe where she was treated as if she were royalty. Even if it was only temporary, she could only imagine what her younger self would do if she knew how lucky she was to be where she was now.

“As a royal guest, you’re spared no luxury,” Maxwell said, matter-of-factly as he observed her walking out the balcony where the cool, fresh air blew in peacefully.

Looking over her shoulder back at him with a hint of mischief to her smile which he recognized as resembling one of his own, Riley asked, “So nothing’s stopping me from jumping on the bed?”

“There’s not much anyone can take away from you by doing that. Maybe only your dignity.” Maxwell guffawed, watching as her shoulders rose up in anticipation.

As her smile turned up even more in delight, Riley clasped her hands together and simply said, “Perfect.”

With a running start, Riley rushed over from the balcony and leaped on to the bed with a soft plop. As she sunk into the mattress and felt the smooth silk sheets over her, she sighed happily. When was the last time she had ever been able to let out a true peaceful sigh in a very rare calm moment? Due to school and work, it seemed she hadn’t been able to rest easy in years.

“Ah… this is so much better than memory foam,” Riley complimented, snuggling with a fluffy pillow and allowing herself to close her eyes to cherish the peace and quiet. “I feel like I could sleep here forever.”

“Just one of the perks you have as one of the Crown Prince’s suitors,” Maxwell remarked, laughing in goodhearted nature. He walked away from the bed towards the door. “I’ll let you settle in before your big debut tonight.”

Immediately, Riley’s eyes opened in shock at his words. What did he mean? She sat up in surprise, calling after him, “My what?”Maxwell stopped at the door, before turning back to Riley with a nervous smile. Whoops. He knew he was forgetting something, but he couldn’t figure out what.

“I’m sorry, I keep forgetting that you’re not used to all this. Things are always complicated around here when it comes to special events like this, but we’ll take it one step at a time,” Maxwell reassured her. Riley’s shoulders relaxed a bit, so he continued to clarify, “The first event of the social season is tonight… The Masquerade.”

“Oh… it sounds important,” Riley commented, fiddling with her fingers. Her knowledge of fitting in with socialites and moguls was limited. She couldn’t help but think about how out of place she might look in front of the finest nobles of Cordonia. She thought she would have had a little bit more time to prepare. “I’ve never been to an event like that before. Are there scheduled activities I need to prepare for in advance?”

“Compared to the balls held to welcome nearby countries, not really. Sometimes, they go full-out with the masquerade theme where everyone takes off their masks at midnight. Then, networking goes on for hours,” Maxwell explained. “This ball, though, is where all the suitors will be presented to the Prince, as well as to the King. Most people at court already know each other really well, so it’s less uptight in a way. Just good music, dancing, and food.”

“Does that mean the guests have to be in specific costumes with masks prepared tonight?” Riley questioned, finding the idea of attending a masquerade for the first time interesting.

Shrugging his shoulders, Maxwell replied, “Not everyone dresses in costume, but some people plan months finding one to wear for it. You can be sure that the ladies competing for Liam’s attention will be pulling out all the stops.”

For a split second, Maxwell glanced doubtfully at Riley’s modestly-looking suitcase. When they were at her apartment back in New York, he watched as she hurriedly packed her most essential belongings. Among her things in her suitcase were keepsakes and books as well as her quintessential New York attire.

“I’m guessing it’s too much to ask if you’ve got a costume or fancy ballgown in there,” Maxwell joked, although he was seriously racking his brain trying to remember if she stuffed one or two in there as a backup.

With a sheepish smile, Riley lifted her suitcase on the bed. She unzipped the main compartment where she pulled out a flowy, floor-length dress as blue as the calm Cordonian sky. “I packed a dress.”

“Well, I wasn’t sure, so I’ve made an appointment for you at the palace boutique. Maybe you’ll find something you like better there!” Maxwell cheerfully informed her.

For once, he wasn’t scrambling to fix things; he was actually preparing in advance. Bertrand would be so proud of his initiative. Maxwell just knew it.

Tucking her dress back into her suitcase for the meantime, Riley replied, “I’ll check it out. There’s nothing wrong with another option or two.”

“Remember, tonight is very important. It’s your chance to make a first impression on all the influential people at court and to stand apart from everyone else. If you’re going to leave a lasting impact, you might as well stun them with some style,” Maxwell responded, with a hint of cool confidence in his last sentence.

Triple S’s and alliteration? Man, was he on a roll with smooth words. Maxwell could definitely shimmy his way into being a reality TV show host. Maybe The Bachelorette or The Bachelor could use a new host in the near future…

An eager grin made its way on her face, as Riley reassured him, “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.”

~ ~ ~

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

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

22 notes · View notes

stelly38 · 1 year ago

Text

Since it seems that many, understandably, would like to watch this, I've included a link to the trailer, below. It is only a trailer thus far, and it has no sound, but it does, incredibly, feature the wank heard 'round the world.

I have no great hope of ever seeing this short film in the US.

Here ya go: W * A * N * K

#aidan turner #paso doble #liam riley #the most beautiful wank

79 notes · View notes

angelasscribbles · 4 days ago

Text

Crush: A Bad Romance One-Shot

Series: Bad Romance Continues

Original Series: Bad Romance

Fandom: The Royal Romance/The Royal Heir

Pairing for this chapter: Riley x Max, Riley x Drake, Riley x Liam with tiny hints of Liam x Max

Rating: Fluffy

Warnings for this chapter: None

Word Count: 3,274

Thanks to @kyra75 for this ask for the "secret admirer" prompt for the @choicesprompts 2024 Flufftober event. This is my late submission.

A/N: This is a prequel because we already know what happens during Bad Romance so it doesn't fit there. I could have placed it after but I would have had to either bring in a new person which I didn't want to do or go the predictable route of it turning out to be the person's partner all along. Instead, I decided to place it before the events of Bad Romance, and here's why: I've written next to nothing about Riley's first few months in Cordonia but Bad Romance does state that Liam had to work his butt off to pry Riley's attention away from Max during that time. In fact, Liam mentions it often because he's still salty about it. Max mentions it too because he did eventually get dumped for Liam. I thought this was a perfect place to show some of that. I know it's a little angsty, but I hope it's got enough fluff to satisfy the requirement.

To reiterate: This takes place in the first month of Riley being in Cordonia, while she is sleeping with Max, Liam is trying to change that and Drake is trying to pretend he doesn't like her like that.

My other stuff: Master List.

For the life of me, I cannot remember if someone sent me this image or if I stumbled across it myself. It's been in my save folder for awhile. I'd like to give proper credit, so if you sent it to me, speak up!

Riley entered her room and stopped to smell the roses. The two dozen red roses to be exact. They had been delivered to her room earlier. She closed her eyes as the sweet floral scent washed over her.

The smell was sublime.

She opened her eyes to admire the blood red petals. Her fingers gently stroked a lush bloom, her expression contemplative as her mind whirled.

She turned her head to observe the man who had entered the room with her. “You’re sure they’re not from you?”

“Yes, Riley, I’m sure,” Max admittedly a little reluctantly.

“Any ideas who they might be from?”

He shrugged dismissively. “Could be anyone, really. You have many admirers at court. I’m not surprised one of them decided to shoot his shot.” Hana’s face flashed before his eyes. “Or hers.”

She fluttered her lashes at him. “Does that bother you?”

Max shook his head, and then gave her that boyish grin that always made her heart flutter. “How can I blame them? You’re the total package, babe.”

“You sweet talker.” Riley grinned at him as she strode across the room to pinch his cheeks.

Despite the fact that they were sleeping together, the simple sign of affection from her caused heat to flame across his face. He studied the toe of his shoe as he told her, “You deserve flowers. I should have thought to send you some.”

“Hey,” she put a finger under his chin and lifted his head. “The roses are lovely, but you do sweet things for me all the time. I’m very happy with our little…. Arrangement.”

His face lit up. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She leaned forward and brushed her lips softly across his. “We’re staying in tonight, right?”

They were in between royal events for the next week and while eating in the main dining hall was always an option, Max had suggested room service and a movie marathon in her room instead.

Riley had agreed because frankly, she was sick of Madeleine’s shit. Eating with all the bitchy divas of the nobility was not her idea of fun. Drake avoided her like the plague ever since their encounter on the plane ride over, and Liam rarely made appearances in the public dining hall in between official royal events.

Not that she was interested in him. Their night in New York aside, she knew he would never choose a waitress to be queen. He couldn’t. So, she had found other diversions.

She could certainly do a lot worse than Maxwell Beaumont.

“Right,” Max agreed, as a shiver ran down his spine at her touch. “I had the kitchen make your favorite dinner.”

“See?” she purred. “That’s what I mean about how thoughtful you are.”

“Let’s meet back here at dinnertime, okay?” He stepped away from her and headed for the door.

“Where are you going?”

“You’ll see.” He gave her a mischievous grin as he exited the room.

“Okay then.” With a furrowed brow, she returned her attention to the roses. After a brief moment of consideration, her decision was made.

She might not know why Max was acting weird all of a sudden, but she had enough time before dinner to do a little investigation into her secret admirer.

****

“I’m coming!” Drake yelled in irritation.

Who the fuck was knocking on his door in the middle of the afternoon on his day off?

“Can’t get any peace and quiet ever.” He muttered under his breath as he yanked the door open. “What?”

His eyes widened with a sharp intake of breath. “Riley! What are you doing here?” His eyes darted frantically up and down the hallway. This girl was a scandal waiting to happen.

“Was it you?”

“Was what me?”

“The flowers. Were they from you?” Her gaze bore into him with laser intensity.

His forehead creased as he tried to make sense of the conversation. “Flowers?”

Her eyes scanned his face, then she shook her head. “Of course not.”

His brain finally caught up. “Someone sent you flowers?”

“Isn’t that what I just said?”

“Weren’t they from your boyfriend?”

Was that a note of bitterness she detected? She smiled from ear to ear as her body swayed slightly back and forth. “What boyfriend would that be?”

His face fixed in a scowl, he grunted, “Max.”

She bit into her lower lip as she leaned forward and ran a hand up his arm. “Are you jealous of Max?”

His arms crossed defensively over his chest as he took a step back. “No!”

“Sure, you’re not. But someone sent me two dozen roses, and it wasn’t Max. Any ideas who it could have been?”

Drake blew out a resigned sigh. Of fucking course he knew who it was. Who else would it be? But he wasn’t telling her that.

While he wasn’t going to stand in Liam’s way, he sure as hell wasn’t going to help him. Instead, he shrugged with what he hoped was nonchalance as he shook his head. “Nope.”

“Okay. Bye then.” She spun on her heel and started back down the hallway.

“Riley, wait!” He stumbled out the door into the hallway, ready to sprint after her.

She stopped and turned back with arched eyebrows. “Yes?”

“I…” All the reasons he should not and could not pursue this woman poured through his mind as he stood frozen in the middle of the corridor.

“Well?”

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Never mind. It’s nothing.”

“Hm. Well, if it’s ever something, you know where my room is.” She wiggled her fingers at him before spinning to leave again.

He watched her go as frustration and regret danced through his chest.

****

Riley questioned several guards and a couple of butlers, but no one knew anything.

She was on her way back to her room when she bumped right into Liam. She found herself tangled in his embrace, laughter rumbling through him as he caught her. “Whoa there! Where’s the fire?”

“Liam!” She made no move to extract herself from his arms. Instead, she smiled up at him. “Sorry. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was walking.”

“I see that!” He stared down at her with a sappy grin for several long seconds before remembering himself. He cleared his throat as he stepped away from her. “Were you on your way to the dining hall?”

“No, my room, actually.”

“I hope everything is okay.”

She gave him a bright smile as she leaned in and lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Everything is fine. I just can’t take another dinner with those fucking harpies.”

Liam threw his head back and laughed. Yes, it was a scandalous remark, but he found her honesty refreshing. He found everything about her refreshing, not to mention alluring. He moved closer to her to whisper, “Why do you think I never eat in the public dining hall?”

It was her turn to laugh. “Oh, my! What an unprincely thing to say!”

“You seem to bring out that side of me.” His tone suddenly serious, he blurted, “Have dinner with me tonight? In my private dining room?”

“I’d love to, but I already have plans for tonight.”

“Oh. I thought you said you were having dinner in your roo—”

“Yes, we are.”

His shoulders slumped. “I see.”

“Tomorrow?”

His head snapped up. “You’ll have dinner with me tomorrow?”

“Sure. Why not?”

“That’s…. not exactly the response I was hoping for—”

“I mean, if you’d rather not—”

“No! No… I mean yes! I mean… I definitely want to have dinner with you, Riley. Tomorrow night it is.”

“Great. Just text me the time.”

He immediately whipped out his phone and sent her a text.

She rewarded him with a seductive smirk. “That was quick.”

“He who hesitates is lost.”

“I would have said you snooze, you lose. But that works too.”

“I don’t intend to lose.”

“Lose what?”

His voice was unusually low and quiet as he returned the phone to his pocket. “You, Riley.”

Riley Brooks was seldom taken aback by anything a man said, but that did the trick. “What?”

“Surely you haven’t forgotten our night in New York so easily.”

“Of course, not. I just didn’t think—”

“Did you like the roses? They’re from my mother’s garden.”

“That was you?”

“Yes.”

“But…why?”

“Why?” He looked at her with his mouth agape. Glancing around quickly to ensure they were still alone in the hallway; he reached for her and yanked her body to his. Lowering his lips to her ear, he murmured, “I know you think New York was just about sex and that a prince would never marry a waitress, but you’re wrong, Riley. Dead wrong. On both counts.”

She pulled back to search his onyx eyes with her emerald ones. She couldn’t help the skepticism in her voice. “Really?”

“Yes, really! What do I have to do to convince you of that?”

“I don’t know, Liam. But it’s going to take more than a few roses.”

Gifts were not about to win her over. Sure, she had come from poverty, but he hadn’t. Material things were easy for him to come by and easy for him to part with. Simply spending money on her only convinced her that he wanted to sleep with her.

While sex with the smoking hot prince was something she was more than willing to engage in, she refused to let her heart get involved when she already knew disappointment was waiting at the end.

No matter what he said, he was never going to marry her. He wasn’t in love with her. He was in lust with her and that was something she was familiar with, something she could roll with. But she would not be tricked into letting her feelings get involved.

If he expected her to fall in love, he was going to have to invest a lot more than just money. That was too easy. She refused to be merely one more victim in the trail of broken hearts he’d left behind him.

Liam watched her walk away with a myriad of emotions crashing through him. If she wanted him to work harder to get her attention, he would do that. He knew she liked him. The night in New York had proven that. But since her arrival in Cordonia, she had frozen him out. Were her plans tonight with Max? What the fuck did she see in Max that she didn’t see in him? It was frustrating, galling, and, if he were being honest with himself, a little thrilling. He did love a good challenge.

***

Riley let herself back into her room to a stupendous surprise. The two dozen red roses still graced the console table near the entry, but every other available surface, save the bed, was now covered in vases brimming with all manner of blue flowers. Deep blue roses, baby blue hydrangeas, several shades of carnations, and blue and white morning glories, among others, were spread across the tops of the dresser, the end tables, and the vanity.

She gasped as she turned circles, taking it all in. “Max! What is this?”

“Ah…” pink flamed across his cheeks. “I know red roses are romantic and all, but I also know blue is your favorite color, so I took a chance that you might like them.”

“Like them? Max, I love them! But you didn’t have to do all this just because Liam sent me flowers.”

“It was Liam?” His heart sank.

He felt pretty confident about his chances of competing against most of the men at court. But Liam was another story entirely. Of course, she would want Liam. Hell, he wanted Liam, so he certainly couldn’t blame her.

Maybe now was the time to tell her that his feelings for her were real. That it was more than just fun and games for him. “Riley, I—”

There was a knock on the door.

“Hold that thought,” she told him as she strode across the room to answer it.

She pulled the door open to find Drake standing in the hallway. Her face lit up with surprised delight. “Hey, handsome! Did you finally decide on something?”

“I…ah... wanted to talk—” his words cut off mid-sentence as Max appeared in the doorway behind her. A storm raged across his face. “You know what? Never mind. I shouldn’t have—”

“Drake? What are you doing here?”

All three heads turned toward the new voice.

Drake’s brain spun frantically, trying to find a reasonable explanation for his presence. “Ah, I noticed they were missing from the dining hall and wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

Liam’s shoulders relaxed. He had asked Drake to keep an eye on her for him. To personally ensure her safety.

“What are you doing here?” Riley directed her question to Liam.

“I needed to change the time of our date tomorrow night.”

Max stiffened. Drake inspected the casing around the doorframe.

“You couldn’t have texted me that?”

“I could have…” that sparkle that she remembered from New York was back in his eyes. “But I wanted to see you in person.”

“Hm.” She smiled as her finger tapped her lips. “Well, since you’re both here, would you like to come in and join us? We were going to have dinner sent up and have a movie marathon.”

Drake looked skeptically from her to Liam to Max. “I don’t know if we should—”

“I’d love to!” Liam swept into the room with satisfaction radiating from every pore of his body. He pushed past a dismayed Max.

That satisfaction evaporated as he took in the scene in front of him. “That’s a lot of blue flowers.”

Max perked up as his arm went around Riley’s shoulder. “Blue is her favorite color, so I thought she might like some to offset all that red.”

“Yes, I get it. You had to go big after copying my idea.”

“I—” Max’s reply was cut off by Riley’s hand on his chest. “No fighting, boys. We’re going to watch movies and have fun tonight.” Turning back toward Drake, she motioned for him to come in. “Are you going to stand in the hallway or are you going to get in here and help me make sure these two behave?”

Drake hesitated only a second or two.

What could it hurt?

He glanced around at the room full of flowers. Two dozen of Cordonia’s finest red roses, straight from the crown’s own garden shimmered in the waning daylight. At least a dozen vases of flowers turned the room into a shimmering ocean of blue. The younger son of one of Cordonia’s noblest houses and the crown prince himself at a standoff over her attentions, and still she wanted him there. That meant something, right?

Not that he was interested in her. If Liam got his way, and Liam usually did, she was going to be the next queen and his best friend’s wife. Both of those things put her firmly off limits to him, no matter how much she inflamed his desires, haunted his dreams, and bedeviled his waking hours.

Still. What could it hurt to watch a couple of movies with her and two of his oldest friends? It was really Liam and Max he was staying for. To make sure they didn’t fight over her too much. Yeah, that’s why he was staying.

Riley leaned over and whispered into Max’s ear. His scowl was replaced with a flushed face and a broad grin. He nodded as he pulled his phone from his pocket and started swiping. His eyes flicked up long enough to say, “Make yourselves comfortable. I’ll have the kitchen send up more food.”

Drake took the lounge chair next to the bed just as Riley climbed up and settled herself in the middle of the bed. She patted the space on either side of her. “Who wants to join me?”

Before Drake could react, Liam was in the closest spot and Max had hurled himself onto the bed, clambering over two sets of legs to claim the other side. With a disgruntled shake of his head, he thumped back into the chair.

This had been a bad idea.

But it hadn’t been a bad idea. His misgivings were soon put to rest as they all balanced their dinner plates on their laps and got completely and inexplicably sucked into Barbie.

Not a movie he would have picked, but as it turned out, it was not a kid’s movie at all. The existential angst, the clever humor, the insightfulness, and the adventure had him forgetting the awkwardness of the situation and laughing along with his friends at the onscreen antics. He was relaxed and actually enjoying his night off.

Max had pushed aside his insecurities about Liam, choosing to focus, instead, on the promises Riley had whispered in his ear about the rewards he’d receive later for being a good boy and playing nice with everyone. His eyes kept sliding sidewise to gauge her reactions to the movie. He wanted to share all of them with her…. every laugh, every gasp, every moment. Not just of the movie, he realized, but for the rest of his life.

His gaze flicked briefly to the man on her other side. He knew Liam was still an obstacle, but he had infinite amounts of patience and faith, deep in his heart, that everything would work out in the end.

Liam didn’t miss the sidelong glances Max was throwing at both him and Riley. He couldn’t say he was completely oblivious to Max’s charms, but he was nothing if not persistent.

She didn’t trust him yet. That was fine. He would prove to her that she could. She needed him to put in work, and he would do that. He had yet to set his mind to any task that he couldn’t master. He just needed to try harder, be smarter, and focus deeper. Winning her heart would be worth it. He knew to the very core of his being that they belonged together.

Long after the dishes had been cleared, and the night had deepened, Riley lay with her head on Liam’s shoulder, drifting off as the credits for the latest Ghostbusters movie rolled. Max was curled up against her on her other side, one arm slung over her waist as Liam’s fingers gently combed through her hair. The sound of Drake’s soft snoring drifted through the room.

She should probably wake everyone and tell them to go sleep in their own beds. That would be far more comfortable, especially for Drake, who was dozing in a chair. But the warmth emanating from the men on either side of her, combined with the softness of the bed and the darkness of the room, lulled her into a contented coziness that she was loathe to break.

The quiet hum of the air conditioning filled the room as the TV clicked off, sealing her decision as she let herself drift off to sleep surrounded by the sounds, scents, and warmth of the three men who had commanded all her attention for the last month.

For the moment, none of them were fighting each other or her. Their earlier laughter still rang in her ears. For tonight, things were peaceful, calm, and happy, and not a single one of them wanted to do anything to disrupt that.

Liam was the last one left awake. He kissed the top of her head and whispered, “Good night, Riley.” Before closing his eyes and slipping into a contented slumber of his own.

#angelasscribbles #the royal romance #trr #the royal romance fanfic #choices fic writers creations #cfwc fics of the week #choices prompts #flufftober2024 #flufftober 2024 #one shot #choices stories you play #choices #drake walker #liam rys #maxwell beaumont #riley brooks

30 notes · View notes