#sapere aude (wip)

[motorcide]

i love being a writer because it means i can make all the rep i want,,, we got bigender tmasc lesbians and tfem cripplepunk bisexual otherkins and tmale npd having poets and no one can stop me,,,

[bluedalahorse]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

I was tagged by @silvagrey! Thank you for bringing me into the game.

How many works do you have on Ao3?

Four so far! Heart and Homeland is massive and multichapter, though. Hoping to post two other fics this week—one old one for the Les Mis fandom, one new one for Young Royals fandom.

What's your total Ao3 word count?

254,916

What fandoms do you write for?

Primarily Young Royals. I do have one sort of experimental piece for a show called Merli Sapere Aude and am going to be posting an old Les Mis fic (that I’ve never put on AO3 before) for Barricade Day this Thursday.

Top five fics by kudos:

Heart and Homeland comes first, followed by Terrain Boundaries Territory. Peripeteia and Pieces That Make Up A Set are tied for six kudos.

Do you respond to comments?

Yes, absolutely! I came of age in the livejournal era when comments sections were buzzing with conversation. Please just come and chat with me on my fics, it’s so much fun.

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Chapter 32 of Heart and Homeland is the angstiest/most tragic ending of anything I’ve ever written and I am still proud of it. I made @heliza24 cry! But Heart and Homeland overall is going to have a happy ending, I promise.

Calculated Dust, the Les Mis fic I’m going to post, also has an anngsty ending.

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I initially read this question and went ??? because I wasn’t sure how to answer it. I think this question might be better answered by my readers and what they might find happy.

Do you get hate on fics?

No. I suppose I get more indifference because I tend to write less popular characters and pairings.

Do you write smut?

Yes! I’m one of those aces who enjoys writing smut. My smut is not very explicit, admittedly. But I enjoy it as a form of character study (and also it is fun and hot.)

Craziest crossover?

I’m not going to tell you because I want it to be a surprise, but there is a blink-and-you-miss-it reference to a favorite childhood book series in my current WIP. I wonder who will spot it?

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge. I do not recommend stealing my fics, though.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

I haven’t yet. I suppose if I wanted to be a masochist I could translate some of my fanfiction into Latin.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes! @heliza24 and I are the dream team! The great thing about writing with a co-writer is that we try to one up one another and it means our stories are full of all kinds of twists and turns. We also sometimes record ourselves reading new chapters and send them to one another in little “audiobooks.”

All time favourite ship?

Sargust aka MY SHIP OF ALL TIME. I will write them tragically, I will write them hopefully, I will write them in the 19th century, I will write them in an AU where August is also a girl and they are sapphic. Sorry not sorry but they are… so hot together actually. (Obligatory disclaimer applies.)

What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I have this unfinished series of Heartstopper vignettes where they all have to take care of “egg children” at school as a project about responsible parenting. With one exception (eggception?) people are not paired with their romantic partner as coparent. 

The most important part of the fic is Darcy and Isaac deciding to protest the coparenting assignment by arguing for a better, more inclusive sex ed curriculum. They pass out a bunch of pamphlets written by one Dr. Jean Milburn. Darcy and Isaac’s chapter is told entirely as a school email chain, including some very beleaguered emails sent by Mr. Farouk.

It would be fun to finish that but I don’t know if I will because I sort of forget about Heartstopper when it’s not airing.

What are your writing strengths?

I think I have a good grasp of how to select telling details that show what’s going on in a scene. I also am very good at getting into a character’s brain/mindset and bringing the reader close to them. 

What are your writing weaknesses?

Writing quickly. Knowing how to end scenes. Being concise. (I’m hoping to get into a workshop this summer that will help me with the “being concise” thing.)

Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

It’s cool? I like it? I read a lot of YA books that do that, so I’m used to reading it.

First fandom you wrote in?

If being a little kid and writing stories based on stories I like counts, probably Disney’s Robin Hood or The Wizard of Oz.

Here’s some Wizard of Oz “fanfiction” from when I was about four or five years old:

Favourite fic you've written?

Definitely Heart and Homeland, but the current one I’m working on (tentatively titled Swell the Numbers) is fixing itself in my heart too.

No pressure tags: to my roommate and bestie @coruscantrhapsody!

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🎯 and 👀 for the ask game! 💕

Thank you for these! 🥰

Asked from this list.

🎯 Have any of your readers accurately guessed major plot points? Care to share which?

They have not, actually. I'm mostly one shots, so to be fir, there aren't really a lot of plot points to guess. But even when I was writing Sapere Aude, I didn't have anyone get it that I know of. If anyone did, they didn't tell me. 😂

👀 Tell me about an up and coming wip please!

I have two series that I'm actively working on and trying to get out. They are both AUs that travel much farther away from canon than I ever have. I'm really excited to share them. I just need to get them out of my brain and into a word doc!

[choicesficwriterscreations]

Sunday Six Highlights #24

@bebepac​ WIPs

And Then There Were Two (Chapter 1 of The Meet) | Characters not specified

I Am The Earthquake (Chapter 12 of Just The Way You Are) | M!Hayden Young x F!MC / Liam Rys x MC

@genevievemd​

Nowhere Left to Run | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

@irisofpurple​

Untitled WIP | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC [adult content]

@jessiembruno​​ WIPs

Alias (part of Agent Phoenix: Forged in Fire) | Liam Rys x MC

Rubi | Liam Rys x Madeleine Amaranth

Untitled WIP / Upcoming Colaboration | Liam Rys x MC

@lem-20​​

Untitled WIP | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC  

@lucy-268​​ WIPs

Untitled WIP | Bryce Lahela x F!MC

Untitled WIP | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

@mrsnazariowritesagain​

Untitled WIP | Damien Nazario x F!MC

@princess-geek​

Chapter VI of Unspoken Desires | D&D MC

@sfb123​ WIPs

Chapter 9 of Sapere Aude | Liam Rys x MC 

Uncle Drake And The Easter Egg Hunt | Uncle Drake, Crown Princess

Untitled WIP | Liam Rys x MC

@starrystarrytrouble​ WIPs

Art Of War | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

Distract Me | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

@utterlyinevitable​​ WIPs

Flushed & Flutter | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

Godly Sins: Echo of Nemesis | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC x Tobias Carrick

Love Rubs | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

RunAway (Part 2 of Not A Choice) | Bryce Lahela x F!MC x Ethan Ramsey

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Thanks for tagging me @jessiembruno & @aussieez!

Alright, so I actually was going back and forth between two WIPs last night. They’re really angsty Liam x Riley stuff, so I apologize in advance for the amount of self loathing Liam is about to spit.

...Another Man’s Treasure (one shot)

Liam tried to push Drake out of the way, but he wouldn’t budge. “It doesn’t matter. Riley is my everything. I vowed to protect her, and that is exactly what I’m going to do.”

At this point, Maxwell had gotten up to help Drake hold Liam back.

Sapere Aude - Chapter 8A (sounds weird, but that will make sense when it comes out...someday)

Riley...my heart, my world, my Queen. She gave up her life, her freedom, to be with me. She left her family and friends, her job, everything, for me. She has dedicated her life to my country, she has taken on my responsibilities. What have I done in return? I’ve put her in this impossible position. I’ve put her in harm's way, yet again, for the good of Cordonia. A country had never even heard of before I came in and turned her life upside down.

I’m the one that convinced her to take on this undercover mission. If I hadn’t been so selfish, we wouldn’t be in this position right now. I have to get back to her, I have to apologize.

Alright, whatcha got @txemrn @shewillreadyou @queenrileyrose? Hit me with those last lines!

Last Line Tag

Thanks for the tag @missameliep 😘

Fortunately, my muse is cooperating today. Here are the last lines I wrote for a one shot I’m writing for CFWC Female Characters Week:

Veronica nodded in agreement. She was about to say something else when the doorbell rang. “It’s her,” she breathed.

Tagging: @homeformyheart @princess-geek @thequeenchoices

[hanaelwardany]

Sapere Aude.  /Dare To Think For Yourself. (WIP)

Letterpress ManualPrint on Newspaper

2016

Hana ElWardany

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Thanks for the tag @queenrileyrose​!

I am horrible at keeping promises. Remember when I said I wasn’t going to write anything new until I was done with Sapere Aude? And then I wrote that Wacky Drabble last week and said ‘what harm could a 400 word fic do?’ Turns out, a lot of harm, because now I have a second part to Ballerina Girl in progress. Here is a little taste of that, as well as a teeny tiny bit of Sapere Aude. 

Ballerina Girl 2 - Showtime

Riley kept her hand linked with Liam’s as she guided him down the hallway and into a small dressing room in the backstage area. Once they were both inside, she locked the door and turned back to him. “Hey, handso--”

Before Riley could finish her statement, Liam’s lips were on hers, kissing her with all of the longing and need he had felt in their time apart. His hands traveled down her body, lifting her off the ground once they settled on the backs of her thighs. She quickly wrapped her legs around his waist. Without breaking the kiss, Liam walked them over to the counter and placed her down. As his lips traveled across her jawline and down her neck, his hands moved under her sweatshirt. 

She gasped as his hands cupped her breasts over her bra. “Liam, we can’t do this here.”

“Love, I haven’t seen you in over a week, you’re lucky I was able to wait until we got in here.” He moved his kisses up her neck, he took her earlobe in between his teeth and tugged gently, smirking at the moan that escaped her. 

She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him back so that their eyes could meet. “Liam, we’re in a public school, what if we get caught?”

“You forget, we’re royalty. Diplomatic immunity.” He leaned forward to kiss her again, but she ducked out of the way. 

“Baby, I want to. I really want to, but we can’t right now.” She hopped off the counter and looked up at him, cupping his face in her hands. “Besides, it’s been a week and a half,” Her hands slowly started tracing a path down his chest before stopping at his belt, “I’m going to need way more time with you than we have right now.” She kissed him soundly before pulling away and arching an eyebrow. She turned and walked back toward the door. “Come on, I’ve gotta introduce you to everyone.”

Liam cleared his throat as he adjusted himself. “You go ahead, I just need a minute.” She looked over her shoulder and winked before exiting the room.

Sapere Aude - Chapter 14

“Let’s go Riley.” Liam said coldly as he walked purposefully to the door. 

Riley gave Eleanor an apologetic look before chasing after her husband. “Liam, wait.” She caught up to and pulled him back by his arm, turning him to face her. “Talk to me.” 

Liam’s gaze briefly traveled back to Eleanor, who was watching the pair intently. Riley took his trembling hand in hers and watched as he tried to hold back the emotions running through him in that moment. She turned around, signaling to Eleanor that they would be back in a minute before guiding Liam out into the hallway. She placed her hands on either side of his face, forcing him to meet her gaze. “Hey, tell me what you’re thinking.”

He covered her hands with his and looked into her eyes briefly before breaking contact and stepping away. “I’m thinking we need to go home. Our daughter is waiting for us.”

“Liam, this isn’t you, you don’t run away from your problems or your emotions. Don’t let her do this to you.” 

“Riley, I have nothing to say to her. How can I face her after everything she’s done?”

Riley approached him slowly, reaching out and taking his hands in hers. “You have everything to say to her. Tell her everything that you’re thinking right now, everything you feel about what she did to you. I think it might help you start to heal and move past it.”

Ok fam, whatcha got? @phoenixrising308 @emkay512 @txemrn @bbrandy2002 @callmeellabella @burnsoslow​

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Thank you @burnsoslow for the tag! 😘

Of course I get asked for a glimpse into my WIP folder on the day I start a new (mini)series. In case you missed it, check out chapter 1 of The Final Goodbye. I’m tempted to give you a taste of chapter 2 already, but I’m going to be good and pace myself. Instead, here’s a little look at the next chapter of Sapere Aude:

Liam exited the bedroom and walked toward the sitting area. He paused at the end of the hallway to observe his wife and his daughter sitting on the couch. Riley had her blouse in hand, sewing on the button Olivia sent her for her undercover mission. She was showing Eleanor how to sew, talking her through every stitch. The princess was watching and listening intently, taking in every word her mother said.

He leaned his right shoulder against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest as he admired his family. He didn’t understand how it was possible to fall even more in love every time he looked at them. All he wanted in this world was their happiness and safety, and now here he was, sending his wife straight to the enemy.

“Hi Daddy!” The angelic voice of his daughter pulled him from his thoughts.

“Hi Princess. Are you being a good helper for mommy?” He lifted Eleanor off the couch and sat in her seat, placing her on his lap.

“Best helper a girl could ask for.” Riley held her hand out, palm up, and Eleanor gave her a high five.

What’s the happs, @jessiembruno @txemrn @kat-tia801?

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Sapere Aude - Part 11

Book: The Royal Heir

Pairing: King Liam Rys x Queen Riley Brooks

All characters belong to Pixelberry.

Catch Up Here

Series Description: I developed a theory of what I think will happen in TRH Book 4, and I was encouraged by some very lovely people to turn my theory into a fic, so here it is. Basically, Riley is recruited to join the Via Imperii, this series will follow her as she joins them to try and bring them down from the inside, and all of the drama and bombshells she learns along the way. Sapere Aude is Latin for “dare to know” it seemed like an appropriate title.

Rating: PG-13 Adult language, discussions of death, conspiracy, blackmail, and other adult themes.

Warning: The Royal Heir Book 3 Spoilers all over the place.

Disclaimer: I have no current affiliation with any other Via Imperii themed stories. Any claims that I have pre-read anything are false.

Word Count: 2,909

A/N: First of all, I have a couple of new readers (hi, thank you, I love you) if this is your first Sapere Aude, stop here, go back, and start from the beginning. This series has a lot of bombs and surprises, so none of this is going to make sense, and it’s going to make it less exciting if you aren’t reading from the beginning. 

Sorry, another long wait for a chapter. I got stuck, and distracted, and like a million other things. The Choices Insider email last week kind of lit a fire under me. When I started writing this (in December) the plan was to have it finished before the last book came out, so I have like a month to get through this. I’m going full out on getting this completed now, I will be working on nothing but this until it is done, and am hoping to finish it in time for the next book to come out so that PB has plenty of time to steal my ideas. 

This chapter took a while for me to work through, but @jessiembruno was amazing and helped me every step of the way, and got like a million rambling text messages from me once the idea dam finally broke. And then pre-reading and leaving me some amazing love notes, and super helpful suggestions. She also kept encouraging me, and pushing me to work on it when my mind would wander into new ideas, or thoughts on some other random WIP that I started throwing together. I love you, and I am so grateful for this friendship that goes way beyond any of this. By the way, you are an AMAZING writer, and I will continue to shout it from the mountain tops as long as I live. 

As always with this series, I need to thank @txemrn for pre-reading. I was having SUCH a miserable day and feeling so shitty about myself (for non-fandom reasons), and your reactions to this chapter made me laugh out loud for the first time in what felt like forever. I appreciate you so much my dear friend. 

And of course, thank you @twinkleallnight for my beautiful series moodboard. 

Tags: Listed below, you know the drill. 

Liam exited the bedroom and walked toward the sitting area. He paused at the end of the hallway to observe his wife and his daughter sitting on the couch. Riley had her blouse in hand, sewing on the button Olivia sent her for her undercover mission. She was showing Eleanor how to sew, talking her through every stitch. The princess was watching and listening intently, taking in every word her mother said. 

He leaned his right shoulder against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest as he admired his family. He didn’t understand how it was possible to fall even more in love every time he looked at them. All he wanted in this world was their happiness and safety, and now here he was, sending his wife straight to the enemy. 

“Hi Daddy!” The angelic voice of his daughter pulled him from his thoughts. 

“Hi Princess. Are you being a good helper for mommy?” He lifted Eleanor off the couch and sat in her seat, placing her on his lap. 

“Best helper a girl could ask for.” Riley held her hand out, palm up, and Eleanor gave her a high five. 

Liam enjoyed the company of his family for a few more moments, before placing a kiss on his daughter’s cheek. “Alright Eleanor, why don’t you go play in your room for a little while? Mommy and daddy have to talk about grown up things.”

“Yes, daddy. Will you come play after?” 

“Of course, I believe I am owed a tea party.” He gave her a hug before setting her down and watching her run to her room. When she was gone, he turned his attention back to Riley. “How are you feeling, love?”

Riley cut the lingering thread from the button and placed her blouse on the table in front of them before responding. “I mean, obviously I’m nervous, but I’m optimistic that I’ll come back with something we can use. How are you feeling?”

He sighed and pulled her close to him, kissing the top of her head as it landed on his chest. “Riley, I love how much you worry about me, but let me worry about you right now. Let me be your support system. Tell me truly, how are you feeling?”

“I’m...I’m terrified.” She pulled back and looked him in the eyes, tears beginning to pool in her own. “I’m trying so hard to be strong, to put on a brave face, but this is fucking terrifying. We don’t know how deep it goes, we know some of the people that are involved, but how do we know that that’s everyone?”

“You’re right, there are a lot of unknowns, and that’s scary.” He cupped her face in his hands, wiping a falling tear with his thumb. “But I truly believe that we are going to end this. That you are going to end this. Don’t forget, you are the Champion of The Realm.”

“Yeah, but I’m sleeping with the guy who makes those decisions, he may have been a little biased.” She shrugged, half joking. 

Liam removed his hands, his expression becoming more serious. “Riley, that’s not funny. You have earned every single thing you have received since you arrived in this country, our country. I don’t ever want you to believe that my feelings for you overrule my judgement when it comes to your abilities. You are the strongest person I have ever met. If anyone can do this, it’s you.”

“IF anyone can do this. What if nobody can?”

“Then we will face the fallout together. Like we always do, like we always will. We are the King and Queen of Cordonia, Liam and Riley Rys. We are a force to be reckoned with.” He raised an eyebrow as he parroted back her reassuring words from a few nights before. 

She smirked at him. “Hey, no fair, you can’t use my own words to prove your point like that.” 

“Yes I can, old negotiation tactic.” He winked at her and stood from the couch reaching for her hand. “Come on, we still have the whole day ahead of us. Let’s go have a tea party with our daughter, then I’m taking my girls out for dinner.”

****

Two days later, Riley was sitting in the back of an SUV heading toward the Fierro Estate. She was doing her best to quell her nerves, but she couldn’t help her hands from fidgeting in her lap. 

“You seem on edge, ma’am. Is everything ok?” The sound of Mara’s voice cut through the silence, startling Riley. 

“Oh...yeah, I’m fine Mara. I’m just not really sure what to expect from this meeting. Last time I went to one of these events, I found out my mother in law wasn’t actually dead. I don’t know if I could handle another surprise like that.”

Mara chuckled at her concern. “Don’t worry your majesty, this is a simple strategy meeting followed by a dinner. You have met all of the members, so there will be no surprise guests this time around.”

Riley nodded and turned her head, watching the scenery pass by as they continued to their destination. Her mind was racing thinking about what this meeting would have in store. She practiced taking pictures with the pen, and activating the recorder she had sewn into her shirt. As they got closer to the estate, she felt her heart rate speed up, and the knot in her stomach tighten.

When they arrived, Riley was ushered into the grand room, which had been set up with a large table. The other members were standing around in small groups chatting until it was time for the meeting to begin. Riley fidgeted with the pen, twirling it in her fingers before lifting it to her face and tapping it against her chin and clicking it several times. She hoped it came off as a nervous habit, providing cover for the fact that she was actually taking pictures around the room. 

She gasped and nearly jumped out of her skin at the feeling of a hand gently being placed on her shoulder. She whipped around to see Eleanor smiling softly at her. “Riley dear, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Oh, Eleanor. Hello.” Riley held her hand to her chest, trying to get her heart rate back to normal. “It’s ok, I’m just a little nervous. Not really sure what to expect from this meeting.”

“Don’t worry, I promise it’s just regular business, nothing earth shattering. Come on, it’s time to get this started, and you’re sitting next to me.” Eleanor wrapped her arm around Riley and led her to the table. The other guests took this as their cue to follow, as the meeting was about to get underway. As Riley sat, she adjusted her skirt and blouse, using the opportunity to activate the microphone embedded in her button. 

As the chapter president, Eleanor kicked off the meeting by greeting their newest member, Queen Riley, and explaining that she was there to help push their initiatives though with the King. Riley clenched her fist ever so slightly, a trick she used when she was trying to keep her expression neutral. They continued on, reviewing the minutes of the last meeting, it all seemed to be pretty mundane, things that wouldn't even necessarily cross hers or Liam’s desk. 

Then they opened up the floor to new business, and Neville stood to address the room. “I would like to revisit the Auvernal alliance.”

Riley was able to maintain her stoic expression, but her body tensed at the mention of Auvernal. She and Liam had made it perfectly clear that there would be no alliance. “I don’t believe there is anything to revisit there.” She chimed in. “King Liam and I determined that the alliance would not be beneficial for Cordonia.”

“Actually, I believe you determined the alliance would not be beneficial to you and your husband.” Neville rebutted, crossing his arms over his chest. “You didn’t want to marry off your daughter, you didn’t bother thinking of what the alliance could bring to our country.”

“Are you questioning the decisions of your monarchs? I urge you to remember your station, Lord Neville.” Riley raised an eyebrow and stood a bit taller. 

Neville scoffed at her threat. “And I urge you to remember that you may have slept your way to the top in Cordonia, but the Via Imperii is bigger than the monarchy, and in this society, I outrank you.”

“Well, if being the Queen doesn’t matter in this room, then there is nothing stopping me from coming over there and beating your a...”

“Ok ok ok, let’s all calm down here.” Eleanor grabbed Riley’s arm, stopping her from charging at Neville. “Let’s all sit down and have a rational conversation, weighing out the pros and cons of an alliance.” Riley and Neville both sat down and exchanged narrow glances. “Now Neville, since you have brought this proposal to the group, you will go first. Please explain to us your thought process on revisiting the alliance.”

Neville nodded and smirked at Riley. “It is clear that combining the financial security of Cordonia with the military strength of Auvernal would make us an unstoppable force. Besides, we need the extra protection given our country’s recent history.” He glared at Riley once again.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Riley huffed. 

“Look at the instability we have faced in recent years. Our crown prince abdicated, his successor, our current king, broke off a perfectly suitable engagement to marry a foreign commoner who was marred in scandal.”

“He released a statement that cleared that whole thing up. The scandal is irrelevant.” She could feel her cheeks heating up.

“Do you really think people stopped talking about it? You can’t really believe that it won’t be a part of your legacy as our Queen.” 

Riley slouched down in her seat. She knew she should remain composed, but bringing up the Tariq scandal hit a nerve that she didn’t know still existed. One of her biggest concerns in continuing her relationship with Liam, and accepting his proposal, was that his success as King would be overshadowed by the scandal she had faced. She had thought that after all these years, it would have been forgotten, but Neville bringing it up just brought everything back up and made her realize it would be something that was attached to her name forever. 

“Besides the personal problems our royal family has faced, there have been multiple attempts to overthrow them just within our own country. Sons of Earth, Duke Godfrey, Barthelemy Beaumont, just to name a few. Other countries are seeing this, and it won’t be long before they try to come for us as well.” Neville continued. 

“While I don’t agree with his delivery, Lord Neville does make some valid points.” Emmeline interjected, the rest of the room began murmuring in agreement. Riley couldn’t hide her shocked expression as she felt tears start to build up in her eyes. She blinked them away, she was not going to give them the satisfaction of seeing their queen cry. 

Eleanor took back control of the room before turning to Riley. “Riley, would you like to counter? You and Liam worked directly with Auvernal during the marriage alliance talks, you clearly have some insight that we may not be privy to.”

Riley took a deep breath to get her emotions under control before standing to address the room. “Aside from the fact that Bradshaw and Isabella are deplorable people with hell spawn children, the main reason that we decided an alliance was not in the best interest of Cordonia, was because it was clear that their interest was not an alliance, but a hostile takeover of our country.”

“Perhaps we would prosper under their rule. I haven’t heard of any coup attempts in Auvernal, it seems to me like they’re doing something right.” Neville spoke up. 

“So that’s it then? You all think Bradshaw and Isabella would do a better job as your king and queen, so I’m just supposed to convince Liam to relinquish the throne?” Riley threw her hands up in frustration and stepped away from the table. 

“Your majesty, we’re not making the final decision right here, right now, we just want to remain open to the idea and explore some options.” Emmeline tried to talk Riley down. “Perhaps you and King Liam could take a meeting with them, a friendly lunch maybe, just to open the lines of communication.”

“This is ridiculous. I can’t believe you all expect me to agree with this!” Riley was now pacing the room, overcome with a nervous energy.

Eleanor stood and lifted a hand to quiet the room. “Alright, that’s enough. I think we’ve gotten as far as we’re going to get with this conversation tonight. Dinner is being set out in the dining hall. I suggest we adjourn for the day. Let’s all compose ourselves and think about all sides of this conversation. We will pick up the conversation at the next meeting.”

As the members started filing out of the room, Eleanor approached Riley and gently placed her hand on her arm to keep her still. “Are you alright Riley?” 

Riley shrugged Eleanor’s hand off of her, anger clear on her face. “Of course I’m not alright. I basically just had a room full of my subjects telling me that my husband and I are doing a shitty job, and they think those monsters are better suited to look out for their best interests. Of course I’m not fucking alright!” Riley moves in closer, lowering her voice but not losing any of the anger in her tone. “I thought you were here doing this to protect Liam. Do you really think that this is protecting him? Handing his kingdom over to Auvernal?!”

“Riley, I always have Liam’s best interests at heart, I promise you that. Why don’t you head home, take a couple of days to relax and take everything in. I will set up a meeting for you and I later this week to talk about everything and work out a game plan.”

“Fine, I can’t stay here anymore anyway. And I definitely don’t have an appetite for dinner.” Riley walked out of the room, looking for Mara so that they could get back to the palace. She stepped into the dining area and saw Mara standing in the far corner talking to Neville. She clenched her jaw and took a deep breath before approaching the pair. “Mara, we will not be staying for dinner. We are returning to the palace immediately. I want to be home to put my daughter to bed.” She wasn’t going to give Neville the satisfaction of knowing she was leaving because of what he started. 

“Of course, your majesty.” Mara nodded and exited with Riley. 

The ride home was silent. In all the years that Mara had worked for Riley, she had never seen her this upset. She wasn’t entirely sure how to handle it, or what would be considered overstepping her duties, so she decided to stay quiet and let Riley speak, if she wanted to. She didn’t. 

They arrived at the palace and walked together to the royal quarters. As Riley placed her hand on the doorknob to enter, Mara cleared her throat to get her attention. “Your majesty, I know this was a difficult evening for you, but I do feel I need to remind you that discretion is key in the Via Imperii. His majesty cannot know what happened tonight. You will need to lock those feelings away for the time being.”

Riley pressed her lips into a thin line and nodded. She knew she was going to fall into Liam's arms and cry the second she saw him, and then she would tell him everything, but she couldn’t let Mara know that. “Liam and I will be staying in for the rest of the night. You are dismissed for the evening.” Riley walked into her quarters and shut the door before Mara had a chance to respond. 

As soon as she closed the door, she leaned back against it and dropped her head into her hands. Liam came walking into the room, the smile that appeared on his face when he heard the front door open quickly faded as he took in the sight of his wife sobbing at the front door. “Riley?” She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face as she tried to catch her breath. He rushed over to her and pulled her close, she buried her head in his chest as he stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head trying unsuccessfully to soothe her. “Shhhh, it’s alright love, I’m right here, I’ve got you. Tell me what happened.”

Riley could barely speak, but she slowly tried to explain everything that had happened that night. Liam walked her to the couch as she spoke, she needed to sit, anything to help her relax and calm down. He stared at her in disbelief as he listened to his wife tearfully recap her evening. 

On the other side of the door, Mara pulled her phone out of her jacket pocket, selecting one of the contacts and bringing the phone to her ear. “My lord, you were right. We will need to put your plan in motion.”

Permatag:

@anjanettexcordonia @athena-penrose @bbrandy2002 @chemist-ana​ @choicesficwriterscreations​ @choiceskatie​ @cordonia-gothqueen​ @cordoniaqueensworld​ @emkay512​ @gabesmommie1130​ @gkittylove99​ @hopelessromanticmonie​ @iaminlovewithtrr​ @jessiembruno​ @kat-tia801​ @khoicesbyk​ @kingliam2019​ @lucy-268​ @marshmallowsaremyfavorite​ @mile9213​ @mom2000aggie​ @pixie88​ @queenrileyrose​ @secretaryunpaid​ @sweatyrysconnoisseur​ @tessa-liam​ @theroyalheirshadowhunter​ @twinkleallnight​ @txemrn​

Sapere Aude:

@burnsoslow @busywoman @gardeningourmet @ofpixelsandscribbles

Liam x Riley:

@jared2612

Liam:

@amandablink @yourmajesty09

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My tag list is a mess, I honestly didn’t think I’d ever have anyone that gave enough of a shit to actually read my stuff, so I had no plan for organization. I kind of just tag everyone on everything and hope they want it, that’s bad. So I’m going to clean it up.

Below is a a list, and brief description of my WIPs, as well as links to their individual master list. To get a taste of my one shot prowess, head over to my main master list to check out what I’ve done so far. I have tagged everyone who has ever requested to be tagged in my stuff, let me know what you want to be tagged in either by comment here, or DM me. If you want me to stop tagging you period, just don’t respond back, and I’ll take the hint (no hard feelings).

If you want to continue to be tagged, please respond by 3/1, if you don’t respond, you will not be tagged in anything I post from 3/2 onward.

Permatags: Tagged in any fic I post. This includes ATOC. Right now, I’m only really writing TRR/TRH stuff, if I branch out and write from other stories, I will reach out to you and ask if you’re interested before tagging you.

A Taste of Cordonia (ATOC): Not a fic, in this series, I go through all of the books in the Royal saga and review the food and drinks that they have along the way. I add some personal anecdotes and humor as I go.

Sapere Aude: Sapere Aude follows Riley immediately after the final s cene of The Royal Heir book 3 as she is invited to join the Via Imperii. It is basically just me writing my version of book 4 before Pixelberry releases theirs. 

The Adventures of Uncle Drake: A series of one shots from my Sapere Aude world that digs into the relationship of the Royal Heir, Princess Eleanor and her Uncle Drake.

One Shots: If you don’t want the commitment of a series, but you’re still down for some good old fashioned fluff from time to time.

Specific Pairings: Romantically, I really only write Liam x Riley, but I do also specialize in friendship fics, so if I have a particular friendship pairing that you are into, or you want to dig deeper into my version of Liam and Riley let me know who.

Thank you for your time.

Xoxo

sfb123 💚💜

Tags: @txemrn @texaskitten30 @kingliam2019 @anjanettexcordonia @twinkleallnight @mile9213 @kittypryde-bipride @motorcitymademadame @kat-tia801 @bebepac @gkittylove99 @khoicesbyk @jessiembruno @queenrileyrose @athena-penrose @pixie88 @eadanga @iaminlovewithtrr @hopelessromanticmonie @annarenee355 @burnsoslow @shewillreadyou @imturaxamara @gabesmommie1130 @cordoniaqueensworld @hopefulmoonobject @marshmallowsaremyfavorite @cordonia-gothqueen​

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Thank you for the tags @callmeellabella @queenrileyrose @kat-tia801 & @bebepac​!

I have a lot of WIPs rattling around, but the one that I’m sure most people are waiting for is the next chapter of Sapere Aude. As we now know, they are saying that the final book will be released next month. My goal when I started this series was to have it completed before that happened, needless to say, I need to get my ass in gear. I knocked out chapter 11 the other night, and it will go up probably tomorrow or Tuesday. I’m also going to put a temporary hold on any other ideas or stories until this is complete. Anyway, here’s a taste of chapter 11:

They arrived at the palace and walked together to the royal quarters. As Riley placed her hand on the doorknob to enter, Mara cleared her throat to get her attention. “Your majesty, I know this was a difficult evening for you, but I do feel I need to remind you that discretion is key in the Via Imperii. His majesty cannot know what happened tonight. You will need to lock those feelings away for the time being.”

Riley pressed her lips into a thin line and nodded. She knew she was going to fall into Liam's arms and cry the second she saw him, and then she would tell him everything, but she couldn’t let Mara know that. “Liam and I will be staying in for the rest of the night. You are dismissed for the evening.” Riley walked into her quarters and shut the door before Mara had a chance to respond. 

As soon as she closed the door, she leaned back against it and dropped her head into her hands. Liam came walking into the room, the smile that appeared on his face when he heard the front door open quickly faded as he took in the sight of his wife sobbing at the front door. “Riley?” She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face as she tried to catch her breath. He rushed over to her and pulled her close, she buried her head in his chest as he stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head trying unsuccessfully to soothe her. “Shhhh, it’s alright love, I’m right here, I’ve got you. Tell me what happened.”

Riley could barely speak, but she slowly tried to explain everything that had happened that night. Liam walked her to the couch as she spoke, she needed to sit, anything to help her relax and calm down. He stared at her in disbelief as he listened to his wife tearfully recap her evening.

Whatcha up to @jessiembruno​ @emkay512​ @txemrn​ @burnsoslow​ @bbrandy2002​?

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Thanks for the tags @darley1101 @queenrileyrose & @kat-tia801!

There’s a new prompt list making the rounds, and it’s perfect for Uncle Drake (who was been sitting dormant since Easter), so check out the 50 Prompts with Little One and send in some requests, I’ve already got one hanging in the inbox, hoping to get to that tomorrow or Tuesday.

As far as WIP that are actually in progress at the moment, I’ve been plowing through Sapere Aude, chapter 12 is ready to go and will be out by Wednesday. This also ended up being split up into 2 chapters, so chapter 13 is already in progress. Here’s a look at chapter 12:

“Your Majesty.” Mara approached, interrupting the conversation. “I apologize, but I need a moment of your time.”

“Of course.” Riley stood from her seat and addressed her friends. “I’ll be right back guys.” Liam kissed her hand before releasing it, watching her walk away.

Once they got out of earshot of everyone else, Mara informed Riley that Eleanor had sent a request for the one on one meeting she had mentioned at the Via Imperii gathering. And that she would need to leave immediately to meet with her.

“But I’m on a family vacation, Mara. Can’t this wait another day or two?” Riley didn’t want to have this meeting at all, and now it was going to be interrupting time with her family.

“I’m afraid not ma’am, she said it is time sensitive.”

“Fine.” Riley sighed. “Please go get the car ready, I will let everyone know that I have to step away.”

Mara nodded in acknowledgement and took her leave to arrange for their departure as Riley returned to the table. Everyone took note of her somber expression, they had a feeling they knew exactly what this was about.

Liam stood from his seat and approached her, taking her hand. “What is it, love?”

“She wants to have that meeting. Now.” Riley took a deep breath running a nervous hand through her hair. “Mara went to get the car.”

Liam pulled her into a comforting embrace, wrapping his arms securely around her. “It’s alright, this may actually work in our favor. We were all going to talk about a plan tonight anyway. Maybe you will be able to get more information, or anything else that could help us.”

Riley pulled away and met his eyes. “You’re right. I need to suck it up, I just want this to be over.”

“I know love, I know. Me too.” He placed a hand on her cheek and kissed her on the forehead.

Whatcha working on @jessiembruno @txemrn @emkay512 @burnsoslow @callmeellabella?

[choicesficwriterscreations]

Sunday Six Highlights #14

@bebepac WIPs

Back To The Future (Epilogue of Fast Forward series) | Liam Rys x MC

Breakfast Blind Date (Chapter 4 of Just the Way You Are series) | TRRMC, M!Hayden Young x F!MC

Stuck In Reverse (Chapter 8 of Mia’s World) | TRRMC, Chris Powell x MC

The Purge (Chapter 9 of Mia’s World) | TRRMC, Chris Powell x MC

@caseyvalentineramsey WIPs

The Colour Of Love Is Red | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

Desk Job | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

Dirty Games | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

Meant To Be | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

Shadows Of Her Past | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC 

@dr-colossal-pita​

In Your Eyes | Ethan Ramsey x M!MC

@former-westchester-resident​

T-Shirt | Adrian x MC

@genevievemd​

Part 2 of Evermore | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC  

@homeformyheart​ 

Chapter 2 of Unraveling Truth | Colt Kaneko x MC

@lorirwritesfanfic​ 

New Traditions (Chapter 16 of Meant To Be series) | Hamid x MC

@lucy-268 

Untitled WIP | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

@missameliep 

Netflix And Cafuné. | Hamid x MC  

@otherworldlypresents​

Chapter 4 of Ruin & Resurrection | Adrian x MC

@sfb123​

Sapere Aude | Liam x MC

@starrystarrytrouble

Part 3 of Jealous | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC 

@storyofmychoices​ WIPs 

Blame It On the Rain | Mal Volari x F!MC (species not mentioned)

Fashionably Late | Bryce Lahela x F!MC

Untitled WIP | Bryce Lahela x F!MC

Untitled WIP | Mal Volari x F!MC (species not mentioned)

[choicesficwriterscreations]

Sunday Six Highlights #26

@bebepac WIPs

And Then…There Were Two (Chapter 1 ofThe Meet) | Liam Rys, Leo Rys, MC

Country Glitter (Chapter 14 of Mia’s 🌎 World) | TRR MC x M!OC

If You Lived (Part of Just The Way You Are) | TRR MC x M!OC  / M!Hayden Young x F!MC

@callmeellabella​ WIPs

Chapter 1 of The Royal Treatment | Liam Rys x MC

Part 2 of Special Delivery | Liam Rys x MC

So Close | Liam Rys x MC

@lucy-268 WIPs 

An Unavoidable Dinner | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

Untitled WIP | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

Untitled WIP | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

@genevievemd

The Reckoning (Part 3 of Nowhere Left to Run) | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

@khoicesbyk​

Chapter 17 of Beloved | WBMC, F!OC

@sfb123​

Part 10 of Sapere Aude | Liam Rys x MC

@somersetmummy

Between The Scenes: Nanny’s Night Out | M!Sam Dalton x MC

@starrystarrytrouble

Untitled WIP | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC [adult content]

@stygianflood WIPs

From Eden | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

Hideaway | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

[choicesficwriterscreations]

Sunday Six Highlights #18

@bebepac WIPs 

I Fell In Love (Chapter 28 of The Life of Riley) | Liam Rys x Riley love wip alert 💗

Seeing Double (Chapter 7 of Just The Way You Are) | M!Hayden Young x F!MC, TRR MC 

@irisofpurple

We’re Golden | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC love wip alert 💗

@jessiembruno

A Valentines Addition Of Agent Phoenix: Love | Liam Rys x MC love wip alert 💗

@khoicesbyk

Chapter 23 of Second Chance Romance | Liam Rys x MC love love wip alertt 💗

@lucy-268​

Untitled WIP | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

@sfb123

Sapere Aude | Liam Rys x MC

@utterlyinevitable

The Conference (Part 10) | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

[sfb123]

💖 What do you like most about your own writing?

👀 Do you have any WIPs that you would never let see the light of day? If yes, what are they about?

🌈 What inspired you to write [insert fic here]?

💻 Do you do research for your fics? What’s the deepest dive you’ve done?

💋 [Freeform - what is something you want to know about one of poster’s fics?]

Answered from this ask list. 

💖 What do you like most about your own writing?

I like the outlet it gives me to escape real life, and vent out my frustrations.

***

👀 Do you have any WIPs that you would never let see the light of day? If yes, what are they about?

I have one that I am very much on the fence about. I shared a snippet at one point in a WIP post, but I don’t know if I’m every going to actually release it. It’s a one shot where the gang runs into Riley’s ex during one of their trips to New York.

***

🌈 What inspired you to write [insert fic here]?

So I reached out to ask which stories she wanted to know about, these are the two she gave me:

A Taste of Cordonia - I started this back when I swore I would never be a fic writer (good call, dummy). I wanted to contribute something to the fandom, and my family always gives me a hard time for what a picky/weird eater I am, so I figured I’d use that and my satirical nature to go through the books and review the food.

The Adventures of Uncle Drake - This was a total accident. People were so taken by the interactions between Eleanor and Drake that I figured I’d dig into it a little more. Originally, it was just going to strictly follow them any time Drake watched Eleanor in Sapere Aude, but it became so much more and is now just overall cute fluffy stories of the two of them.

***

💻 Do you do research for your fics? What’s the deepest dive you’ve done?

I do a little. My deepest dive has been into secret societies for Sapere Aude. I read about them, but mostly just watched two episodes of Veronica Mars that were about secret societies, and the Stonecutters episode of The Simpsons.

***

💋 [Freeform - what is something you want to know about one of poster’s fics?]

She didn’t have a specific ask for this one, so I’ll just impart a little nugget about Sapere Aude; though the main story is wrapping up, I do have a couple of ideas for one shots and a possible prequel, so the adventure is likely to continue. I just wanted to get the main story out there before the final book gets released for real.

Thank you for the asks!

💚💜sfb