#she got throne—has it secured—have cordonia a future queen

[ladysophiebeckett]

my predictable liam/mc baby headcanon is that it’s a girl and trr mc names her after Kenna Rys bc I miss that bitch.

[jovialyouthmusic]

Silver Service

We return to the hospital to monitor Anton’s condition, and Olivia visits Lucretia again. Liam makes Olivia an offer.

Word count 3542

A/N One of my characters tried to bail out while I was writing this, but I managed to bring her back. Odd how characters take over. No warnings, though it is a little dark - poisoning, threats, implied death of a character.

21 If only it were all simple.

‘Hello husband. You’ve been asking to see me, so here I am. Am I not worth a glance? A word?’ Anton struggled to open his eyes. He knew that voice – whose was it? He felt as if a ton weight sat on his chest, and his head was filled with a thick fog.

‘You had the gall to uphold the outdated concept of an arranged marriage. Even when you knew I wouldn’t honour it, you continued to expect me to capitulate. But Nevrakis never give in. You never had a chance of me being your wife or your Queen.’ It meant nothing to him. Nevrakis? Who was that? Queen? He fought harder. If only he could open his eyes he might be able to speak. If he could speak, maybe he could move…

‘Know this, Anton. Liam is ten times the man you are, and he and I will secure the future of Cordonia. I carry his heir, and I will never be yours. I’ll fight that to the last breath in my body, and Liam will stay by my side, whether he is King or not’

Fight to the last breath?

If you can breathe, you can stand, and if you can stand, you can fight.

The words echoed around his head as the mist cleared, and he drew all his strength together. Everything came flooding back to him.

She carried Liam’s child? When she was supposed to be his, promised to him from childhood – his bride who would rule Cordonia by his side. He forced his eyes open at last, taking in the sight of his betrothed sitting beside him, and with a superhuman effort his hand shot out and he gripped her wrist. He was rewarded by the look of astonishment and alarm in her eyes.

Then that bastard spawn of the usurper Constantine ruined it all, snatching her arm away from him. Something was happening in his chest – squeezing, crushing pain. He fought for breath as Liam and Olivia were pushed away by medical staff.

Was this a heart attack? Why did his head hurt too, throbbing with his heartbeat? He was in the right place, that was certain. This was a hospital, and he was surrounded by doctors. His arm went into spasm, followed by his whole body tensing and stiffening for a moment before going limp, and something happened in his head, something hot which spread outward. He couldn’t move – nothing – not his arms, his legs, his hands, he could not speak or swallow or breathe. The pain increased and terror gripped him. His eyes were the only thing that obeyed his will, and they widened and fixed on one of the doctors, pleading. He seemed to float above his body, looking down  as he watched the medics tending to him – able to feel everything, see everything, hear everything – but he could do nothing, make no sound, no movement… then everything went black.

------

Bastien sat beside Anton’s bed. He was as he had been before the King’s visit – alive but not conscious. The difference was that he had suffered a massive heart attack and some strange seizure after which he had to be intubated so he could breathe.

Lucretia had refused to elaborate on the nature of the poison that had been mixed in with the mussel extract that triggered Anton’s allergic reaction. All they knew was that it was a rare Lythican herb whose effects were subsequently unknown.

The swelling on Anton’s brain had subsided, but a head scan had revealed that a clot had migrated there from the one that caused his heart attack, depriving certain areas of oxygen despite his constant monitoring. Only a specialist could even guess at the results of that deprivation, but it was highly unlikely that Anton would recover and be the man he had been before.

Grimly, Bastien surveyed Anton’s features, again slack and unresponsive. If he never regained any cognition, he wouldn’t get closure from the man who had arranged the kidnap of his soulmate, assaulted her and plotted the murder of Lady Adelaide. In Bastien’s mind, those plans almost overshadowed his scheme to gain the throne of Cordonia and most likely rule as a despot far worse than Constantine. At least his former employer had maintained a semblance of benevolence and kindness to his subjects, despite doing things behind the scenes that Bastien still deeply regretted helping him to execute. He had the feeling that Anton’s reign would have been far worse, and he would have fled the country rather than serve him. Who knows whether Anton would have insisted on his loyalty or had him disposed of?

He decided that he didn’t feel the need to talk to Anton. If he had some level of cognition, he was suffering sufficiently. If he was unconscious in every sense of the word, it was pointless. He had already made him regret hurting Sophia, and Drake for Riley. This near vegetative state would atone as revenge for Lady Adelaide, and for Liam and Olivia. He rose from his seat and left the room, nodding to Paulos, the guard at the door, who stood to attention as he emerged.

‘As you were, son. You know the drill – no unscheduled visitors, and only staff that are on the approved list. If there’s an emergency, then any medical staff can be admitted. If you feel the need to observe him at any point, it must be with an approved member of staff. No single visitors or members of staff to be admitted apart from myself or the King. Have you got that?’

‘Yes Sir’ Bastien clapped him on the shoulder.

‘Good man. Contact Lewis in the first instance if you need to, or myself if he’s not available’ Bastien walked steadily away from Anton’s room without the aid of his cane, making for the SUV to go back to the Palace.

------

‘So in conclusion, Lord Severus is in a serious but stable condition.’ Liam said, looking into the TV camera lens in a statement to the nation from his office at the Palace. ‘I feel that he would not wish for us to cancel or postpone any Royal events, and were he able to speak for himself, he would applaud our continuing efforts to raise funds for deserving causes in Lythikos. Duchess Olivia herself has sponsored a brand new intensive care unit in the Lythos General Hospital in the hope that those needing specialist treatment in the Duchy would not lose valuable time having to be transported to the main Capitol Hospital.’ He looked down at his desk ‘Should there be any major change in Lord Severus’s condition I will be informed and will make any relevant decisions as needed’

‘And cut’ the director called ‘Thankyou your Majesty, this will be broadcast shortly’ The TV crew started to pack their things away, and Liam ran his fingers through his hair.

‘Thankyou for your professionalism’ he smiled graciously ‘It’s always a pleasure to work with you’ He hoped that his statement would soften the blow of Lucretia’s publicised confession to poisoning Anton. The popularity of Lythikos within Cordonia was seesawing wildly at the moment, and he intended for everything to end up with popular opinion firmly on Olivia’s side as the wronged Duchess, forced into a marriage she didn’t want and brought up by a ruthless and unfeeling relative. The week or so spent openly in her company would go some way toward softening her image ready for him to announce that she carried his heir.

Day by day it looked increasingly unlikely that Anton would ever be in a fit state to rule the country. CT scans had shown irreversible brain and nerve damage that meant he would at the very least be paralysed from the neck down, and at worst might never regain consciousness. Liam’s archivists and lawyers assured him that being fit to rule was an absolute necessity for any candidate to the throne. He wondered if part of his father’s reason for concealing his illness had been simply to remain in power as long as he could.

Now it was time for him to go to Lythikos for the charity snow sports. Nobles and commoners alike would compete for trophies in skiing, skating, bobsleighing and other events. Nobles would pay for the privilege of competing, and sponsorship for commoners had been invited from local and national businesses. Tickets were on sale to view the event and there would be a winter fair at which medals would be awarded, followed by a Ball at Olivia’s Lodge. Locals were already calling it the ‘Lytholympics’. There would be something to suit every pocket, and people would flock to the Duchy from all over Cordonia now that the King had announced that it was going ahead despite the attempt on Anton’s life.

Olivia was waiting for him in his private lounge, her bags packed ready to leave for her home duchy. She looked tired but a little less pale. Liam went up to her and she offered her cheek for a kiss. He was tempted to hug her, but held back. He didn’t want to crowd her. Instead he took her hands in his and squeezed them.

‘Chin up Livvy, it looks increasingly likely that Anton won’t be in a position to complete his challenge’ She smiled wanly.

‘I wish I could be certain’ she said fiercely. ‘Perhaps I should pay one last visit to my aunt before we go’

‘Only if you feel up to it’ Liam said softly ‘But if you think it would bring you closure, I’m right behind you. We have an hour or two to spare.’ She took a deep breath and stood straight.

‘I think I am, but I’d like to talk to her alone. You can come, but stay outside. We can take the limo to the cottage and then go straight off to Lythikos’

‘Of course. I’ll let Bastien know’

Half an hour or so later, Olivia sat in her aunt’s lounge, waiting for Lucretia. She appeared, but Olivia remained seated.

‘Niece’ the older woman said, sitting in an easy chair beside the fireplace. ‘Will you take tea?’

‘No thankyou’ she said shortly ‘A glass of water will be sufficient. I hope I can trust you not to add any herbal extracts to it’

‘Of course not’ her aunt snorted ‘You’re mother to the royal heir, and Nevrakis only hope of going forward into the future. I did what I did to ensure your wellbeing’ Olivia raised her eyebrow to that but didn’t reply. ‘So what do you want, my dear?’

‘I won’t beat around the bush. I need to know if Anton is likely to recover his senses and make his claim to the throne’

‘Is that all?’

‘Isn’t it enough?’ A maid came in with a tray and set it down on the coffee table. Olivia’s eyes flicked to the teapot and a plate of Lythican spiced cookies.

‘Bring some tap water would you?’ her aunt demanded ‘I’ll pour my own tea’ She did so, and Olivia gritted her teeth waiting. The maid came back with water, and Lucretia sipped her tea.

‘He’ll not recover’ she replied at last. ‘He’s paralysed, I take it?’ Olivia nodded ‘He will remain so, but how long he lingers depends on his constitution. Most who have been – treated in this way never speak again, and generally the poison causes a lingering death.’

‘Generally?’ Olivia asked

‘Oh don’t worry my dear - what I meant was that death is certain, but how swiftly it comes varies - as I said.’

‘Will you reveal what herb it is?’

‘Oh no dear, to be frank I don’t know. Only my herbalist does, and even the identity of that person is unknown to me, as is traditional. You are sadly lacking in certain aspects of Lythican folklore, my girl. But don’t fret, all will be passed on to you in the fullness of time. I look forward to seeing you ascend the throne’

‘I’ll not ask for that’ Olivia said, thin lipped ‘I don’t wish to be Queen. What I do want is that Liam is happy, and he has agreed that by me bearing the heir, he will be content’ Lucretia frowned

‘Not want to be Queen? Are you insane, girl? If you just act like a human incubator, who’s to say he won’t take your child away? He could discard you once he has his heir, and take another woman. Who’s to say he hasn’t made the same arrangement with other women, and promised them the same?’ Olivia’s eyes grew wide.

‘Liam’s not like that’ she said in a low voice ‘He’s not like his father – he’s gentle and caring’

‘Do you think he’ll stay the same with the weight of the crown on his head?’ Lucretia scoffed ‘Power corrupts, and he is his father’s son. He was not raised to be King, and he has barely had time to adjust to his new role. Demand to be the Queen you should be, Olivia. Hold the King to ransom – refuse him your child. Shut yourself off, close the borders of Lythikos or flee to exile if he refuses.’ She leaned forward, stabbing a forefinger at her niece to make her point. ‘You know you would be Queen if he becomes incapable of ruling, and that would be so very easy for me to arrange’

‘Are you threatening to do the same to Liam as you did to Anton?’ Olivia gasped. ‘What sort of monster are you?’

‘The monster that will fulfil the ambition of our family’ she replied ‘If you won’t make sure of your accession to the throne, I will’

‘I’ll see to it that you don’t’ Olivia hissed ‘You won’t meddle in my life any longer, you old witch’ Lucretia sat back and smiled, and Olivia rose with dignity and left the room.

---------

Liam was waiting for her outside the cottage. She was tight lipped and pale with rage.

‘Lets get out of this place’ she said ‘Let’s go to Lythikos’ She made for the car, and Liam followed her. She sat back in the seat, letting her head drop back against the leather headrest and closing her eyes, her hand going protectively to her belly. Liam sat back too, but remained silent for a while. He wanted to know what had her riled up, and the sooner the better, to help her to calm down. As the limo swept out of the Palace gates onto the main road, he leaned forward to close the security screen between them and the driver and switched off the intercom, a red light showing its status. He turned to Olivia as she opened her eyes and looked at him in query.

‘Tell me what she said, Livvy. No-one can hear us, it’s just us’ Olivia swallowed and turned her head to him.

‘You need to put her under maximum security’ she said, her gaze urgent ‘No contact with anyone outside, not even her lawyer. She got a message out though her before and god knows what other tricks she has up her sleeve’

‘Why Livvy, what danger does she pose? Can she have Anton wake up?’

‘No’ she said shortly. ‘Death is certain, though she couldn’t say when’

‘She said something about the end of the week’ Liam replied. He inclined his head and reached out for her hand. ‘That’s not all, is it?’ She shook her head

‘It’s only fair to tell you that she threatened to do the same to you’ Liam felt the colour drain from his face, and she made a hollow laugh ‘After all, if anything happens to you now, I become Queen’

‘You said you didn’t want that’ Liam said levelly. She tutted in exasperation

‘I don’t.’ she said, and raised her green eyes to his ‘I only want you to be happy’ He took a deep breath.

‘What if you were Queen?’ he asked ‘would she back off then?’ Olivia blinked, and stared at him.

‘What if I…’ her voice trailed off ‘I - I don’t know’ she said simply, then started again ‘What do you mean?’

‘If I made you Queen, she’d have no reason to have me assassinated’

‘I – who knows what goes on in that bitch’s mind? But Liam…’ she protested.

‘If it would put your mind at rest, stop you worrying, I’d do it’ he said ‘Why not? You can do as much or as little as you like, and we’d be together to bring up our child. When Leo abdicated, I expected to be forced into marrying Madeleine, with a Cordonian arrangement.’

‘I can’t believe you just said that’ Olivia said, aghast ‘After all we’ve been through’ She turned away from him, biting her knuckle. He was sure that if they’d not been in the limo on their way to Lythikos, she would have slapped him or stormed out.

‘Hear me out, Livvy’ he said ‘You’ve – well you’ve changed since you fell pregnant. You’re – you’re softer.’ He struggled for words. ‘I don’t look at other women the same. Or men, for that matter. You’re carrying my child. I just want to keep you both safe.’ She turned to him, fire in her eyes

‘So I’m just a human incubator to you – that’s what Lucretia said’

‘No Livvy, that’s not it’ he said ‘It’s more than that. We have a connection, always have had, but Father tried his best to break it. Now he’s gone, I realise. I’d never do anything to hurt you’ he said.

‘You say that now’ she said ‘But you have a country to run. I’ll never be more important than that’

‘Then help me to do it’ he said simply. She stared at him

‘I never wanted that’ she said ‘Leo was going to be King, and we – I always thought that we’d have some sort of relationship, even if I was just one of many’ He sighed

‘And I never expected to be King, you know that. Livvy, you and Drake are my oldest friends. It looks like Drake is involved with Riley – I don’t know how long he’ll stay. He came back from America for me, I can’t ask him to sacrifice his happiness for me’

‘And you can ask me?’ she said

‘But you said you wanted me to be happy’ he pointed out. ‘What would make me happy is to have a loving family, and we’re halfway there. Being King is – well of course it will be my duty for my country to come first – but whatever is left over is yours, and our child’s’ He smiled ‘I won’t have time for lovers, I’ve realised that.’

‘What if I want lovers?’ she said shortly. His face dropped. She felt cruel for asking him, but the question bubbled up and was out of her mouth before she could stop it – typical Nevrakis hot headedness, she told herself.

‘I would hope I would be enough – but if you did…’ he looked out of the window at the passing scenery. ‘I don’t know Livvy, it’s too early to say. Who knows what life will bring.’ She relented, taking his hand, wanting to banish the hurt in his eyes.

‘I’m sorry, that was callous of me. We should focus on the baby, and what he or she needs. I think we’ll both have enough on our plates being parents.’ She paused. ‘Liam, have you made any arrangement like this with anyone else?’ he stared at her

‘No, of course not’ he replied, shocked.

‘I have to ask. Lucretia brought it up’ His jaw tightened at her words.

‘She’s been pouring poison into your ears. Just what else did she say?’ Olivia closed her eyes in thought. She related everything to him as the limo made its way along the increasingly steep roads. Anger rose in him as he heard what the old woman thought of him.

‘I’d never take your child away from you.’ He said earnestly. ‘I’m determined not to follow my father’s example. I can have Lucretia locked away in maximum security if it would make you feel better. My feeling is that she would do anything to get you on the throne, and probably more to keep you there. I’m superfluous to her. She only cares about getting your family on the throne, with or without me.’ Olivia nodded reluctantly

‘I know. Once I was on the throne, who’s to say she wouldn’t try to have you assassinated?’

‘Livvy’ he said, taking her hand and squeezing it. ‘You know how many attempts there have been over the years. If it wasn’t her, it would be someone else. I’m still at risk no matter what. At least if she was locked away it would make it difficult for her and she’d be a known threat’ Olivia twisted her hands in her lap and sighed

‘I’m exhausted’ she said ‘I’m going to try and get some sleep. We can talk later.’

‘Okay Livvy. But I’m serious – I’d make you my Queen to make both our lives easier’  A faint smile crossed Olivia’s lips as she settled back.

‘I don’t doubt your sincerity, Liam’ she said ‘I’ll think about it’

@sirbeepsalot @stopforamoment @drakesensworld @katedrakeohd​ @texaskitten30​ @be-still-my-aching-heart @hopefulmoonobject @dcbbw @classylady1234 @rainbowsinthestorm @kimmiedoo5 @bascmve01  @ibldw-main @addictedtodrakefanfic @trappedinfandoms @ravenpuff02

[mrsrhys23]

Hello dad

Hello dad (chapter one) 

Parings: Liam x Mc (Adele Lykel-McKenna)

Summary: Adele Lykel-McKenna comes to Cordonia but has no idea what will unfold when she arrives. 

Warnings: 1160

Word count: I cant think of any.

A/N: These characters belong to Pixelberry Studios.

Prologue  

Permatags: @itschoicesstuff, @roisebeaumontworld21, @desiree-0816, @cordoniaqueensworld 

@kingliam2019, @lodberg, @hopefulmoonobject​

Just let me know if you’d like to be tagged.

Liam was up out of bed at an ungodly hour that morning. He was just too excited to fall asleep. At a more reasonable hour his family met outside the dining room. 

“What are you looking so happy about?” Constantine asked, as the guards opened the heavy doors and the family took their seats. Leo and Liam sat one side opposite their father and stepmother. Liam had been unable to control the ever-growing smile on his face. 

Liam cleared his throat as Leo gave him a strange look. Because it was so late last night when he received the text he didn't have any time to tell his brother or Drake she was still coming.  

He looked down at the table then up at his parents. “Adele is arriving this morning,” Liam explained. 

“Oh, yes, that noble girl you’ve befriended,” Constantine exclaimed. “Oh, talking of partners Leo,” he started turning to his eldest son, “Could you please give Bastien the name of that girl so he can have her sign an NDA please. 

“Fine,” Leo sighed, used to the drill by now. 

“Me and your father are so elated that you’ve found somebody, Liam,” Regina smiled. 

“Thank you,” Liam grinned. 

“Why don't you tell Dad what she’s like,” Leo said, staring at his brother while trying to get him to tell the truth about who this girl really was. 

“I’ve told them already,” Liam growled quietly at his brother. 

“Yeah but surely there’s more to talk about,” Leo encouraged. 

“There really isn't,” he insisted. 

“Are you sure about that?” 

“Yes,” he said through gritted teeth. 

The doors swung open silencing the boys arguments, Bastien now standing in the open doorway. 

“Good morning your majesties,” Bastien smiled at the king and queen before turning to both princes. “Prince Leo there’s a friend of yours wanting to see you,” Bastien explained, “She goes by the name Raven.” 

Leo jumped up and headed toward the doors, wanting out of the awkward breakfast and to see his knew friend. Constantine shook his head in disapproval. He was actually concerned about the future of his country If Leo was to be in charge. 

Bastien then turned to Liam. By the look he was giving the young prince, Liam had clocked that the guard probably knew. “Prince Liam,” Bastien started and by the tone of voice the guard was using Liam knew he was in deep shit. “We need to discuss the matter of security for your friend.” 

Liam stood silently, said goodbye to his father and stepmother and followed Bastien out the room. 

Bastien let the doors shut behind them before turning to the young prince. “How do you know?” Liam asked, although he already knew the answer. Drake. 

“Drake told me,” Bastien revealed. “I take It you haven't told your father.” 

“No,” Liam sighed. 

“Liam,” Bastien reprimanded. 

“I know, Bastien.” 

“Does she know all of it? Is she still coming?” 

“Yes, she knows all of it and her plane should be arriving in the next few hours,”  he explained, seeing the look of disapproval on the older man’s face. 

“What do you think is going to happen when she arrives?” Liam went silent, thinking about it because he hadn't thought this far ahead. “Exactly. So the king is under the impression she’s noble, what is going to happen when he discovers that isn't the case?” 

“I don't know, Bastien. He’s out of the palace on public engagements all day. He won’t be here.” 

“But he’s aware she’s coming, therefore, Liam, he is going to want to meet the girl.” 

“I know. If I tell him you know how he will react. I really like her, I don't want this to end because she isn't noble, Bastien.” 

“Have you got any idea of what you're getting yourself into? Does she?” 

“I know what I'm doing. She’s only going to be here for a couple of days, what could possibly go wrong?” 

*******

The plane ride to Cordonia was...well she didn't really remember it as she slept most of the way, only awaking just when they could clearly see the island, and like she had been told and the picture she had found on google it really did look like something out of one of the most magical fairytales ever written. 

Adele disembarked off the plane, got her luggage  and headed outside. For  obvious reasons Liam couldn't come and get her without being recognised, so he had sent his trusty friend, that went by the name of Drake, apparently. 

“You’re Adele, right?” a voice asked from behind her. She turned to the tall man wearing denim, with chocolate brown eyes and tousled hair. 

“Last time I checked,” she said, plastering on a smile. 

“Sarcasm. Cute,” Drake retorted, Adele not missing his eyeroll. 

“Yeah. Drake, I presume.” 

“Correct.” 

Adele held out her hand to him, Drake reluctantly took it, shaking it. “Adele Lykel-McKenna,” she formerly introduced. 

“Drake Walker.” 

“It’s nice to meet you, Drake,” she smiled warmly, not getting anything like that from her new acquaintance. 

“Come on,” he ordered, leading her over to a car. Once inside the vehicle, they clipped on their seat belts, as Drake started the car. 

They spent the first ten minutes or so in silence, until the grumpy young man spoke. “I’ve seen girls like you before.” 

“Oh yeah?”

“Yes,” Drake affirmed. “You’re all the same.” 

“How’s that then?” 

“You find out he’s a prince and you all launch yourselves at him,” Drake explained, keeping his eyes fixed on the road.

“I’m not like that,” she insisted.

“Really?” 

“Yes. You’re forgetting several key bits of information here. One: I have been talking to Liam for months, actually, without knowing that he is an heir to the Cordonian throne. Two: he neglected to mention this when we were first introduced to one another. Three: I like Liam for Liam. The fact he is a prince is almost trivial to me. Four: my final point. It is evident by the accusations you have made that you’ve seen your friend be hurt before and that it’s strikingly obvious that you care for him, judging by your protective nature, which I presume you only have for the people you care about. Which brings me to an observation I’ve made, your very guarded,  those walls are normally put up when you’ve been hurt by somebody. Your grumpy, I don't care, attitude may fool other people Drake, but it in no way shape or form fools me. I don't know when or what they did, but somebody hurt you. I don't want to get off to a bad start with you, Drake, I truly don't. From what I've heard and witnessed in the last five minutes you and Liam seem to be very good friends, meaning if me and Liam’s relationship is going to go anywhere, which I hope it does, I only wish we can also be friends.” 

“You are so gonna get eaten alive here.”

[argylemnwrites]

Not Exactly Sure, But Maybe Sure Enough

Pairing: Drake Walker x MC (Riley Liu)

Book: The Royal Romance (Post The Royal Heir, Chapter 4)

Word Count: ~1900

Rating:  PG-13 (adult language)

Summary: Riley Liu has never been much of a planner. But with the whole world seeming to be making plans for her uterus, she has to reevaluate the way she approaches challenges in her life.

Author’s Note: Written for Day 16 of the Choices July Challenge (prompt - Uncertainty). Can be seen as a companion piece to my Day 2 submission, “Living with the Consequences” (link is in my masterlist as I think that Tumblr still sometimes hates my posts with links embedded in them). Trigger warning for mention of pregnancy loss.

Wanted to take a look at the whole “Would Drake and a Drake-romancing MC really just agree to name their kid heir to the throne?” shenanigans from the perspective of my MC. After all, I probably should write more from her perspective since she is the one who would have to go through all the public scrutiny and judgement. I originally envisioned a much different piece than this, but what can I say? This just took on a life of its own!

To say that Riley Liu hadn’t always thought things through fully was a bit of an understatement. After all, you don’t get on a plane with a guy you’d known for less than 24 hours to go compete in some strange political version of The Bachelor in a foreign country without being pretty impulsive. In all honesty, so much of her life could be seen as a series of decisions she put almost no thought into, bouncing into situation after situation because it sounded fun or awesome or sometimes, just better than her current circumstances. She’d jumped from job to job, casual relationship to casual relationship, friend group to friend group endlessly. Never any roots. Never anything permanent. Until one day, she found herself with actual, real friends, not just buddies you grab a drink with once or twice a month.

There was Maxwell, who gave her a family. Hana, who showed her what trust and honesty looked like in friendship. Liam, who welcomed her with such care, even when she made it clear she didn’t feel the same way about him that he did about her. They all took her in, this flighty, detached waitress and gave her a home, both figuratively and literally. A home she shared with her husband, a concept that still in some ways felt more foreign than the fact that nearly every hero she had for the past year used apple butter instead of mayo.

Finding Drake had been something she had never dared to hope for. Here was a man who seemed to understand her soul, the fears she had that she would always be alone in the end, that she was never good enough just as she was to be a priority to anyone. Sometimes listening to Drake talk about his life felt like looking at her own experiences through a fun-house mirror. Sure, the details were different; opulent parties and snobby nobles were worlds apart from a junkie mother and a variety of foster homes. But for all that distortion, at their core, their damage was the same. And maybe that’s why things always felt so natural between them, even when she was naïve enough to think that she could have a little fling with the cute prince, catch a flight back to NYC, and have a mad story for two truths and a lie going forward, leaving Cordonia behind without a glance back.

The love she felt for her friends, her husband, her new home she would have never experienced if she had stuck to her old habits and peaced out when things got tough, less lighthearted and silly and more filled with media scandals and political drama. She knew there was a lesson to be learned there, and while she would never be one to put together a five-year plan like she knew Hana was doing, she knew Riley Walker needed to be a bit different than Riley Liu. Or at least, she needed to work on being different. For her own sake, for her loved ones’ sake, and for the sake of the citizens she now answered to. While she might have leapt into the role of duchess without much thought, she recognized that being a political figure meant that she probably shouldn’t just roll along, indulging in every whim, every adventure, every idea presented to her, without at least thinking through the consequences somewhat.

So, she was trying this new thing, taking a few minutes to run through some good and bad possibilities for any decision before she jumped in with gusto, at least when it came to the major things in her life. She wasn’t going to let being married turn her into someone boring who was always stuck in a rut, but she could aim for a little stability. Spontaneous, not impulsive - that was her new goal.

And at first it was easy, settling in at Valtoria in those first few weeks, then heading to the private island for her and Drake’s honeymoon. Telling Drake that she was ready to start a family with him, and sooner rather than later, seemed like a calm, rational follow up to their discussion of their future back during the lantern festival. If felt like something responsible adults, responsible parents did. But suddenly it seemed like that was all they talked about, really all anyone talked about around them. And Riley didn’t know how to feel about that. What was the appropriate response to Madeleine telling her that she and Drake better be having a lot of sex, other than the petulant desire to offer to fuck her husband right now if Madeleine would just leave the room? How do you respond to congratulations for a thing that hasn’t happened yet? And what the hell made her typically grumpy, jaded husband respond to Liam’s request like a seasoned diplomat?

Sure, they had a few conversations about his reasons. And she got it, kind of. But did he really not have any doubts about the whole thing? Could he not see that this increased media attention was just the beginning, that their lives were not just their lives anymore? Everyone was going to want a piece of them.

And then of course, her miscarriage happened, leaving them both shell-shocked. Super common, according to Dr. Ramirez, and no reason not to try again. But Riley didn’t know if they should try again, at least not right away. Maybe this was a sign to slow down, to not force this whole parenthood thing at such a rushed speed. But to go back on birth control felt like they were failures, letting down Liam, their friends, and all of Cordonia. Everyone seemed to need their baby so damn much, Riley couldn’t bring herself to take a few months, maybe even a year, to process her loss and heal. She could sense a similar longing in Drake, to move on together, not as public figures but just as Drake and Riley. But after agreeing to name their child heir to the throne, the sacrifice of the timing of trying for another pregnancy seemed inconsequential. What was a few months compared to years of diplomacy classes, public scrutiny, and increased security threats? So they kept trying. And a few months later, they succeeded again. But they were wiser now. No one was going to know except them and Dr. Ramirez. Riley refused to take a pregnancy test at home for that reason. She thought she could trust her staff, but then again she had trusted Gladys, and look how that turned out.

But now she was into the second trimester, out of the most dangerous window, and in certain outfits, she was starting to show. She’d had to avoid some of her favorite shirts and dresses, and Hana had made a few comments that implied that she’d figured it out for weeks now. So she and Drake invited Liam, Maxwell, Hana, Olivia, Bertrand, and Savannah over for dinner. It was exciting to share their happy news, even if they didn’t get to announce it so much as Olivia called out the ridiculousness of their charade when Riley had to excuse herself due to nausea within 30 minutes of everyone’s arrival. On the other hand, it felt a little sad, to lose that shared secret between her and her husband. 

Because now this was the nation’s pregnancy, and never had that been more clear than tonight, as a stylist zipped Riley into a long gown that was as tight as clothing she’d worn before her pregnancy, clearly meant to highlight her bump that was still pretty damn small. Meanwhile, a makeup artist and a hairstylist, both also Madeleine’s “gift” for the night, primped and prodded. Kate Middleton didn’t let her hyperemesis stop her from looking polished, Madeleine had snipped when Riley balked at the whole styling crew, and her children were much farther away from the crown. 

“The mother of the next monarch needs to look like a queen, not some sickly, sloppy piece of work with bags under her eyes.”

Riley had a lot of thoughts about that she would have expressed if she was so damn exhausted, so she settled instead for a middle finger thrust in Madeleine’s direction. Oh well, a little impulsivity was probably excusable under these circumstances.

It all felt so surreal, attending this ball thrown in honor of her son or daughter who was still just a possibility at this point. A lot still could go wrong here, not the least of which was her puking on some diplomat’s shoes in the next hour. As she sat waiting for Madeleine to come and get her, letting her know that they were ready for her entrance as the womb that carried the guest of honor, she felt like she was walking through a fog. Riley Liu would have said, “Screw this shit,” and run away, hopping on a flight or catching a bus. Getting the hell out of this world full of pressure and expectations and demands. But Riley Walker couldn’t do that. She had obligations, and she had to see them through.

She heard the door opening, but didn’t turn to face Madeleine, wanting a few more moments with just her child, no matter how fleeting they would be.

“Hey, so I got a plan to get us out of there in 90 minutes. Two hours, tops.”

She let out a sigh of relief before she even fully processed her husband’s words. He was always finding ways to give them a little more time to be just… them. Not a duke and duchess, and now not the future king or queen’s parents. Just Drake, Riley, and now their little one. 

“How’d you manage that?” she asked, turning towards him as he crossed the room and crouched down in front of her chair. She noticed he hadn’t escaped Madeleine’s grooming plans, wearing a brand new black suit with his hair parted awkwardly to one side.

“Easy. I got Maxwell to agree to give a toast that will last a minimum of 15 minutes as an ode to the best childhood moments of all of Cordonia’s kings and queens. I figure we slip out to get you some air, and we just never come back. Hana’s promised to deflect any questions about our location after we make our escape.”

She reached down, giving him a gentle smile as she ran a hand through his hair, getting rid of that awful part. Now he looked and sounded like her husband.

All too quickly, their moment of privacy was shattered as Madeleine bustled in, taking one look at Drake’s hair and rolling her eyes.

“And just what do you think you two are doing? You’re supposed to make your entrance in less than a minute!”

“Just taking a moment in between,” Riley said as Drake stood up, squeezing her hand as he pulled her to her feet.

“Well, moment’s over. Let’s get going.”

It wasn’t how she would have chosen to go about this whole pregnancy thing, but for better or worse, this was how it was happening. As Drake held tight to her hand as they walked down the hallway, she was glad for was many doubts and uncertainties as she had about this entire heir-to-the-throne situation, at least they were fumbling through this together. They might have both been out of their element, but they had each other, and maybe, just maybe, that would be enough to get them through all of it.

Tags: @dcbbw @jovialyouthmusic @iplaydrake @gibbles82 @drakewalkerisreal @riley–walker @thequeenofcronuts @notoriouscs @butindeed @choicesjulychallenge @kinda-iconic @mfackenthal

[thefirstcourtesan]

The Royal Recap: A Tale of Two Houses, Chapter 2

Welcome back to my TRM recaps! Now we tackle chapter 2. Little bit of housekeeping before we get started. I really wanted a pet wolf, so I changed Viola from House Rosario to House Aster. So from this point on, I have Viola of House Aster and Livia of House Everhart.

I also have male Hunters and Kaydans, so I will refer to them as such, and my Kaydans are Dante. I will offer a ficlet to the first person to guess why I used Livia (the whole reason because it is layered) and Dante 😂.

So the queen is dead and Annalissa is unconscious. The assassin helpfully tells us she will never wake again and that we are going to join her. Which is obviously the right time to start questioning the assassin or yelling at him 😂

Before he can harm us though Vasco rushes in, followed by the guards, one of whom looks like a bald Will Jackson. Apparently working for the Queen is an inherited position, but good hair does not run in the family. The guards chase the assassin and Vasco tends to Annalissa. Though he is more concerned about the future of our House than the fact that Annalissa is in some kind of magic sleep. Basically, he tells MC that she has to take over as head of the house and see through Annalissa’s plan to make their house noble.

As I said in my first recap, I am suspicious of Vasco, but not in a “he hired the assassins” way, but I think he knows exactly who MC is and that he is pulling a lot of strings that we don’t see. He has Raydan (and Bastien’s) face after all and as I noted before, the free outfit has the same color palette as his clothes.

It only takes a moment for the MC to agree to take Annalissa’s place and host the house’s debut and then MC and Vasco move Annalissa back home and Cordonia goes into mourning for the queen (though not that deep since the whole court is going to be at the ball 😂)

The next day keep vigil near Annalissa’s bed and talk to her and then it’s time to get ready for the ball, we can’t go to the ball in our scribe outfit. We can wear the black dress or a fancy house dress that Vasco produces for us (at the low cost of 25 diamonds).

I find the Aster dress prettier, but I have to conserve diamonds on that device so Viola got the plain black dress while Livia got the Everhart dress. After we choose the outfit it is time to greet our guests and meet the major players.

The first person of note introduced is the King Regent: Hunter! If you didn’t dance with Hunter at the ball, this is your chance to name him. We learn his last name, Fierro,. Hunter introduced himself to Livia, telling her it is a pleasure to once again make her acquaintance and she realizes he was the man in the sun mask, while Viola expresses surprise that she danced with the King.

Hunter tells us he is not yet the king, only the king-regent, and will be so until Kendra’s will is read because he is not a prince and has no blood-right to the throne but he was Kendra’s chosen heir. Also that Kendra had no children.

Sure she didn’t. I believe that. Really I do.

Next up, we’ve got Dante or as Viola refers to him “imposing man”. If you didn’t dance with Dante/Kayden, you get to choose his name. Dante and Livia reunite, while Viola denies meeting him, which he corrects and she realizes that he is the man in the moon mask. Livia has a warmer interaction with Dante and Viola with Hunter but both are cordial with the man they did not dance with.

After introductions are done, Hunter informs us that the debut is not enough to make our house noble, instead it is a test. We have to win over the majority of the royal families. There are 4 plus the crown. And this is our only chance, otherwise our house will remain “common” for another generation (oh the horror). I mean, I feel like that isn’t going to happen, even if we screw this up, but I hate failplays and can’t do it 😂, so I will be left curious.

As soon as Hunter and Dante leave us, we are introduced to “stern noble” aka. Damon Fierro, Hunter’s father and chief asshole. He starts by telling us that Annalissa deserved her magical coma for forgetting her place. Yeah, two seconds in and I know I don’t like you, dude.

After he leaves us, we are introduced us to “sassy noble”, otherwise known as Lady Renza Fierro, Hunter’s twin. She points out that they are not identical, which I know is meant for those with female Hunters but is pretty hilarious if you have a male Hunter.

Renza tells us that Hunter told her we’d need a friend at court. this must be after the masquerade, which is interesting if you barely interacted with Hunter, though he is obviously aware of who we are and is more aware of us the attitude at court, so it’s not that out of place. Renza tells us her house is out of the question, but that there are still three other houses for us to impress: Vescovi, Beaumont and Nevrakis.

We are introduced to Lord Percival Beaumont aka. Bearded Maxwell. Renza refers to him as “the local expert on the law and the lance” and adds that he has a stick up his ass but no one can get close enough to confirm (is this PB’s way of warning us he will not be an LI or a challenge? Probably the former).

Next up is Lady Theodosia Nevrakis, wearing bright pink and very concerned about how she is introduced. Renza is dismissive about Theodosia and we get a chance to comment and basically, Theodosia is dismissed as frivolous and self absorbed. Basically she reminds me of a less blood-thirsty Zenobia.

Last up is Cyrus Vescovi and Lord Pomadour. The dog is cute and Cyrus has great hair? That is about as much positive as I can say. Unlike Percival and Zenobia, we don’t hear Renza’s opinion of Cyrus, instead we get a chance to form our own as he immediately seeks us out.

He knows exactly who we are, including that we were once a scribe, so court gossip is going strong in one day. Of course, these nobles are well acquainted with Annalissa and she may have told them about her sister, but the point is everyone knows us and we know no one. Fun. Cyrus makes some gross sexual innuendo towards us and then also towards Renza and gets shot down twice, which doesn’t deter him. From Cyrus we also learn that Renza is the Keeper of the Royal Archives. They don’t go into detail what that means, but it is highlighted, so I think we are supposed to take note and I have lots of thoughts.

After Cyrus leaves, Dante appears and whisks is away for a matter of “private security” and leads us into the lawn where he tells us Damon and Cyrus are conspiring against us, we also learn that Dante is Cyrus’ half-brother, same father but Dante is illegitimate!

Dante tells us he is on our side and we can choose how to react, Viola points out that he hates Cyrus, which he confirms, while Livia teases him about liking her which he does not deny. Oh Dante, you are going to fall so hard for her and I can’t wait.

He leads us into the dance floor and tells us a dull story while instructing the MC to keep her ears open and listen to conversations around her. We can listen in on two noble groups. One is a group of women gossiping about Hunter and the other is nobles worries about the magic attack.

One of those nobles is my man Diavolos! Oh how I have missed him. And I love the facial hair. I also love how this book is incorporating reused asset like making the Nevrakis herald the Nevrakis uncle from TC&TF or Jackson a guard. Instead of just reusing the assets and shoving them in place, in this book it makes sense and it is a nice little nod to the History of the Five Kingdoms/Cordonia. Plus I’ll take any excuse to see Diavolos again. They also use some TRR assets, Maxwell of course, but also Lucretia and it’s a nice touch, seeing these familiar faces.

After dancing away from the nobles, it is time to eavesdrop on Cyrus. He tells the page he will speak against us only if he speaks first because he will not risk going against the other house’s, which is interesting, but it gives us something to work with. We also spot Theodosia staring at Cyrus’s ass, giving us an opening.

So Theodosia is into Cyrus? I mean she can do better. But I also kinda like it because it reminds me of Zenobia’s crush on Tevan. But Cyrus is no Tevan.

Before we talk to Theodosia, we get to see her magic artifact. We saw the Vescovi artefact (a magic comb) while talking to Cyrus and now we see the Nevrakis item, which is a magic cloth (as the mother of 3, I would sell a kidney for that cloth). So far the magic items are fun and practical but seem to have a limited scope. There are two items left.

Back to Theodosia. The best way to deal with her is compliment her. I didn’t want to fail play, but I decided to throw away one vote just to see and if you point out she has a magic hanky, she says this... 

Yeah, she definitely reminds me of Zenobia 😂.

After Theodosia wanders off we are back to Hunter and Dante, who are wandering away for a moment’s peace. Of course, this means diamond scene, we have a choice of exploring the study with Dante or the gardens with Hunter. You can do both, but I just did one on each device.

First, Viola explores the garden with Hunter. We learn that she hasn’t lived on the estate since she was a girl. My guess is that is when the parents died and she was sent to the library, because at the time Annalissa was too young to intervene, even if she was the head of the house.

Back to Hunter, who feels guilty about becoming king and is mourning Kendra, who he says was like a mother to him, but he is confident that she would support his plans for Cordonia and talks about how he has spent his whole life training to be King and knows there is so much good to be done, even if his father doesn’t agree. Hunter has no illusions where his father is concerned, but he has s very warm, perhaps naive view of his sister, pointing out that it was his father who chose which of them would be heir but Renza has been nothing but supportive. When you comment on it, he says this:

Yeah, being outwardly angry would be stupid and pointless. I think Renza is far too smart for that. I have posted about it this week, but I think Renza has a lot more to her than “bubbly bff who introduces us to court” and I think it is interesting that if she has a more scheming, power-hungry side, she has managed to hide it from her own twin, but then love blinds us.

There is a moment of talking about the future and then a little hand holding and then Hunter goes inside. For a guy who has a reputation as a lady killer, he is certainly moving slow. Of course, he is king regent now and may have to be a little more cautious, but still.

Meanwhile, Livia is in the study with Dante. I loved this scene because it sets up the reality of the time so well. Dante was born on the fringes of a noble house, he can read and write but does not have the same access to books that even the MC did, in fact I am guessing that there isn’t much that Dante actually owns for himself since he commented he didn’t even have a shelf, despite his now elevated position.

Dante also points out that the MC was lucky to be sent to the library and have all that access to books. I also think that was purposeful, I feel like Zya made the decision to send MC away but someone else (*cough*Vasco*cough*) decided where she would go and it wasn’t coincidence that she ended up in a place where she had access to knowledge.

We also get confirmation that Kendra was descended from Kenna and that Dante knew her well and that he feels guilty for what happens to her and for failing to protect Annalissa. Also a moment about how Cyrus is his only family but there is no family affection there and then there is a chance to hug Dante, which of course Livia does.

Interludes done, it is time to go back to the business of making allies and of course Renza is waiting for us. It is time to charm Percival with our knowledge of Cordonian property law. Thanks Renza. Thankfully, we do have one tidbit to share, thanks to our work at the library and it works like a charm and Percival is won over.

Renza proposes a drink and asks us to choose our favorite. Livia chooses honey mead and Viola red wine. Renza returns after a moment with our drinks and Hunter and Dante and prods Hunter into calling the vote about whether to grant our house noble status.

Viola didn’t impress Theodosia but she didn’t vote against her, she just didn’t vote at all, which is interesting. Both Viola and Livia for Percival and Cyrus’s vote. Either way, Hunter declares it official, Damon tries to object and Renza shuts him down. Whatever her agenda is, it is definitely not the same as her father’s, but then why would it be?

Renza’s agenda aside, tonight it is in our favour and our house is granted noble status with us as the official head. Now it’s time to celebrate and that means diamond scene!

Renza organizes a drinking party with Percival, Cyrus, Theodosia, Hunter, and Dante. Also, this court needs some new blood if they are resorting to inviting Cyrus to their after parties, just saying. Or Percival.

Dante immediately tries to bow and say he is only there to watch, but Hunter is having none of it. Renza decides on the game, Queen’s Cup (I guess they didn’t have I Never in Renaissance Corodnia 😂). People drink, rules are made, Theodosia lets her thirst show, Cyrus has to compliment his dog, and Percival is the least fun a Beaumont has ever been at party.

The MC draws a 7, which means she will be locked in a closet with someone. This is actually based on prior choices (probably who you danced with) as Viola got Hunter and Livia got Dante. However, the dialogue is pretty much exact the same (except referring to Renza as “your sister” to Hunter), so they isn’t much impact but it is nice that the player’s preferences are being noted.

After that, Renza draws the final queen, meaning she has to drink a giant goblet of wine and ending the game. There is this little exchange:

This is interesting, because it hints that Renza is used to setting things up and having them the work out the way she wants and that she is not above pulling strings. Additionally, when you comment on the amount of wine, Percival comments that Renza can handle it, except she can’t and immediately needs to go outside alone with the MC. Perhaps another benefit to her drawing the final card?

Renza opens up to us about her feeling about her her father choosing Hunter, showing a vulnerable side. But she also manages to twice let us know that she drank quite a lot, giving herself a bit of an excuse. On face value, it can be taken as a bonding between the MC and the best friend character, but I don’t think this is a face value kind of book and I think everything with Renza is very carefully plotted, including this scene and her moment of vulnerability.

I am going to add that I think the Hunter and Renza dynamic is probably even more compelling when they are both women because then there is no difference between them. They are twins, both women, and yet only one can rule the house. Only one can be queen. I kinda want to play with a female Hunter just for that.

Renza’s moment of vulnerability is over and we go back inside just as the Beaumont Page announces that Queen Kendra’s will has been found and that no successor has been named and that a new king or queen will be selected from amongst the noble houses and Cyrus nominates his house, which infuriates Damon.

The speed of his decision and the fact that earlier he expressed a desire not to make enemies amongst the other noble houses makes me wonder if he knew this was coming. The other thing to note, is that he volunteered his house, not himself and I feel like that could be significant later on.

Neither Hunter or Damon are thrilled by this announcement, of course, bout it appears Cyrus’s claim is valid and Percival announces that the social season is about to begin and when it is done, they will choose a monarch. I feel like I’ve done this before, but hey at least my MC isn’t in the race this time, right? she can just sit back and relax. Ha ha ha.

And end chapter 2!

Again, I love this book. The first chapter set up the world, this one introduced all the characters and the political intrigue and I am so ready for it. I love the nods to TC&TF and TRR, I love the characters that we have met so far and I actually enjoy the MC’s role in the story and that she is navigating multiple worlds. A commoner, but one raised in privilege even if she wasn’t born to it, and now a noble. I am really curious to see how it all plays out for her.

[tabithacarlisle]

*OFF THE RECORD Pairing: Maxwell x Tabitha (TRR MC) | (Liam x Tabitha & Drake x Liam are mentioned)

Word Count: 4392 (pour yourself a drink and settle in ;)

Warnings: 18+ NS*W, 🍋, marital angst, smut, extramarital affairs, pregnancy, swearing

bonus warning: this is my first fic in a long, long time! It’s probably super messy, but this story has been bouncing around in my head ever since I first read TRR Book 3’s Vegas Fling with Maxwell & it blew my mind!! ;) Glad to finally put it out there in print. 

*OFF THE RECORD PREQUEL  <<< click here!*

*Author’s Note: any time you see text underlined, it’s a link to screenshots from Pixelberry’s Choices TRR scenes, or other chapters referenced from *OTR- click them!! :) Notes: Pixelberry Studios owns these characters, not me! I just have fun playing with them :) Also a short snippet of dialogue quoted from Choices TRR 3 Chapter 16 “What Happens in Vegas...” is used as a flashback. This chapter takes place about 4 months after the Royal Wedding in TRR Book 3 Off The Record (OTR)by Jo (“@tabithacarlisle” :) Maxwell got the Caller ID notification on his iWatch:

‘Tabitha 👑🌸’.

He answered it right away on his cell,“Hey, ‘Your Majesty!’ Glad you called! I was just thinking about calling you, actually, I—“

(Crying, she cut him off) “Oh Maxwell...”::sob:: “Hey-heyhey hey, shhhhh, it’s ok. It’s ok! What’s going on- what happened?”

“I had to reschedule my sonogram appointment that was supposed to be for tomorrow. Bastien called. He said Liam’s one-on-one meetings at the Davos Summit are running late, and he’ll need to stay out there for another week. But, Liam wants us to find out the baby’s sex together, so I’ll just... have to keep waiting! Again! Oh my fucking gawd, Max! He’s always in ‘meetings!’ He’s always gone! I was just looking forward to us sharing that moment together to see our new baby, so much. How could Liam put off such an important milestone for his first child? It’s not fair. No— I shouldn’t say that. I mean,I know —He warned me what I was getting into when I married him, how he’d have to split his loyalties between me and his duties as King. But, Maxwell, I don’t think I’m cut out to be the sole parent while he galavants around the globe all the time! Our first sonogram! Is nothing sacred? For fuck’s-sake?!” Another loud sob escaped her throat. “I’m sorry, I’m hormonal hot-mess right now and more upset by this than I probably should be, but... I could really use a friend to distract me right now. I —“ “Say no more! I’m only a quick jet-ride away. I’ll be there a-sap.” She sniffed on the other end. “Omigod, I don’t know what I did to deserve a best friend like you, Max. Thank you.” Her statement caught Maxwell off guard. He felt his breath catch in his throat & his heart take a small leap in his chest. After that beat, he spoke, “Stop it. You deserve everything good, Tabitha. And, I feel the same about you, too.” ...

Tabitha had cared for Maxwell more than anyone in his had ever cared for him in his whole life, besides his late mother, and the thought of her being sad tugged at his heartstrings like no other. He’d do anything to make her smile and take her pain away

...... Maxwell fast-walked to keep up with Mara as she led him down the long, gilded hallway to the master bedroom doors. Even with his lanky, athletic legs and naturally speedy gait, his hurried strides still kept him about half a pace behind hers. Mara spoke to him over her shoulder, “Between the two of us, OTR? I’m thankful you came, Lord Maxwell. Her Majesty has been holed up in her room all day.” He gave a solemn nod and waited at the door as Mara rapped her knuckles on the frame “Lord Maxwell to see you, your Majesty.”

The sound of urgent steps grew louder before the door opened . Tabitha covered her sob with the back of her hand. “Oh Maxwell!”

They hugged, clinging to each other as if their bodies were buoys in the middle of a vast ocean. Maxwell placed a chaste kiss on her head as she burrowed it into his chest. After a few moments Tabitha pulled away from him long enough to address her bodyguard,

“Thank you, Mara. We’ll be fine.”

Mara gave a curt bow and left the room closing the door behind her. Maxwell gripped her hands to space their bodies apart as to get a better look at her. Tears were rolling down her cheeks and Tabitha shuddered as she felt his barely calloused thumb pad wipe them away.

“It has been way too long, Tabz! I’m sorry I’ve gotten so wrapped up in my book tour. And I haven’t seen you since you and Liam announced the news. Look at you!” His eyes shone with emotion as he looked her up and down, seeing the small growing bump underneath her shift dress. “You’re going to be a mom!”

Tabitha’s sobs resumed with a heave in her chest, her hands still holding on to his. She looked down and sighed. “But Liam’s not here.” She let go to dab the corner of her eye with the back of her thumb. “This was supposed to be a big milestone. It was so important to me. It should have been important for him, too! This whole pregnancy, becoming a parent in the next few months, it doesn’t even feel real yet, y’know? I just want to see this baby so badly to prove that to myself, to hear its heartbeat again. And, I wanted this for Liam, too! He needs that affirmation just as much as I do. I want him to feel that this is real. For us. For the family we’re about to create.”

“Psssh. Of course it’s real, Tabitha! Look at me, look. This? Right here? This was always the ‘end game’ for us. Getting Liam to fall in love with you, getting the two of you married and secure your place on throne for Cordonia with an heir, it’s all real! You have no idea how proud of you I am.”

“Really?”

“You know it.” Maxwell clicked his tongue mischievously as he squatted down low, hovering his cupped palms over her belly. He looked up at her with wide, adoring eyes. “May I?”Tabitha smiled softly and nodded, touched by his reverence for her condition.Having permission, he placed both hands down over her stomach and turned his head as he spoke animatedly to it “Hello in there, Little One! Guess what? Gender reveal parties are so basic! Definitely too passé for a future celebrity trend-setter like you!”Tabitha giggled.He looked up to give her a subtle wink, then continued talking to her belly in a more of a whisper, but loud enough for Tabitha to hear him, “You are destined for so. much. more! And your favorite Uncle Maxwell is going to spoil you rotten, no matter what.”

Tabitha put her hands over his as she looked at him with happy tears beginning to well in her eyes, “I can’t wait for that to happen.”Maxwell beamed up at Tabitha and gave her belly an adoring quick kiss before he sprung up from his crouching position to a stand. He began to tear up too, seeing so much emotion stirring in her. There was so much he wanted to say, but now that she was the Queen he felt as if it was no longer his place quite like before, to be so free with his words with her. So instead, he stared intensely into her eyes and beamed at her, wishing to convey all he felt in his heart at that moment through his smile.

“Maxwell,” she began with a tentative shake to her voice “there’s somethi—“ “No, no.” he interrupted, “You asked me to be your distraction from all of this, and I promised I’d come through for you.” “When Maxwell Percival Beaumont makes a promise, he delivers!” Maxwell pulled a small thumb drive out of his pocket. “Ahem. OK, check . this . out. My buddy, Spencer, just gave me some bootleg pre-theatrical releases of ‘John Wick 3,’ ‘Avengers Endgame,’ and ‘The Curse of La Llorna’. Siiiiiick, right?! I’m so stoked! I’ll call the kitchen downstairs for popcorn and drinks, and we’re in business!“ “Ugh, no,” she groaned, turning away and shutting him down, “no action or horror movies tonight. You know how they put me to sleep.” He scoffed in mock disappointments at her, chuckling.”I still don’t get it. How the hell does anyone fall asleep during action movies?! What‘s wrong with you?” Tabitha shrugged, “I told you, without character development or drama to pull me in, it all just becomes too much overstimulation and I just, tune it out. The loud sound effects just start to sound like a white noise machine.” Yawning through her words, she continued, “But, now that you mention it, maybe that’s just what I need to cure my insomnia?” “No, nononono. I did not come all the way from Ramsford to have my bestie fall asleep on me tonight, Tabz!” Rubbing and patting her shoulders and crouching slightly to look directly into her eyes he said, “Here’s what we’re gonna do: I’m going order up sundaes to the room and we’re going to stay up hate-watching trashy reality shows. Whatever it takes for you to have the fun night that you deserve, ok?” She smirked in agreement, “Ice cream & trashy tv? Now you’re speaking my language.” Maxwell triumphantly gave his fist aquick air pump “Yes! I’ll call the kitchen up right now.” ...........

Within moments they were sitting sprawled on the oversized chaise loungers in the adjoining theater room, watching “Real Housewives of Cordonia” on the drop down projection screen and spooning mouthfuls of mutiflavored ice cream sundaes into their mouths. Maxwell had consumed enough wine for the both of them which warmed him plenty afterwards but Tabitha had to abstain. Brrrr!” She shivered “Omigod I’m freezing now!” Maxwell chuckled & shook his head, bouncing up right away to fetch a large plush throw blanket to drape over her with a dramatic flourish. He knew the drill. “Your wish, is my command.” “Thank you!” she gushed, her teeth were still chattering, “You’re so good to me, Maxwell.” “Mind if I stretch out here? I need to put my feet up.” Maxwell found her adorable when she was cold and pouty. “Of course!” He winked and motioned for her to cuddle up against him, “C’mere,” and as she placed her head on his lap he ruffled her hair playfully. In this moment, they were just Tabitha & Maxwell, ‘best friends.’ She was his first real best friend. Isn’t this what all best friends do? “She’s like the sister I never had” he’d tell his other guy friends when they had teased him about her. They didn’t believe him. Was that it though? They were about the same age but he felt an impulse to comfort and guard her from any one or anything that could make her sad. Like an older brother? No, it was much more complex than that. Maxwell draped his arm over Tabitha protectively and she snuggled up against him, her eyes closed for a brief moment, full of contentment. As the night wore on, several episodes later, Maxwell found himself laughing at a commercial and looked down at Tabitha to see why she wasn’t laughing too. She was sound asleep. “Geez, I should have known,” he whispered, “you always fall asleep when you lie down to watch tv,”

Maxwell felt a surge of warm appreciation for how much she still trusted him, after all this time, even after marrying Liam, to let down her guard enough to fall asleep on him. He found her breathtaking when she slept, watching her long lashes flutter softly over her cheeks. Pregnancy suited Tabitha; she was even more radiant than usual, and her hair was long and lush, spread out and falling over both her shoulders and his knees. Her lips were swollen and parted, and as he watched the rise and fall of her body, he fell in a sort of trance watching sleepy breaths escaping softly from her mouth every few seconds. Maxwell felt the urge to touch her. He gently combed his fingers through her hair, tracing over the braided bags that always crowned her forehead, and in doing this he began to recall the bachelorette party, the after party, “a free pass” 

....... ~(flashback to Tabitha and Maxwell lying naked together in The Vegas hotel penthouse suite bed, Maxwell playing with her hair)~

“I’m going to wake up tomorrow and wonder if any of this was real...”

“What happens in Vegas...”

“Can happen anywhere else in the world?”

“Maxwell.”

“Can’t blame a guy for trying.”

~...

He remembered that night, the way she made him feel like the luckiest guy on earth. Why me? The future queen of Cordonia could have had any one that night for her ‘last premarital fling,’ sanctioned & blessed by none other than the her future husband, the King of Cordonia himself. And she picked Maxwell Beaumont? He remembered how out of character it was for her to seem nervous talking to him when she had brought it up at the hotel bar at the end of the night. The way she blushed and seemed just slightly and uncharacteristically nervous, she had never smiled at him like that before. He remembered she shivered when he kissed her neck, her collar bone, the swell of her breast, He remembered how she smelled, how she tasted, the soft, beautiful and otherworldly sounds she made as he went down on her on the window seat overlooking the Vegas Strip, how effortlessly he had fit into her, and how easy it had been for them to find their shared rhythm as they came together...

Coming to and snapping out of his flashback, Maxwell audibly whelped as he realized how close Tabitha’s face was to his crotch and his growing erection aching against the fly of his pants. The noise that escaped from the back of his throat caused her to stir, and he cursed himself under his breath for waking Tabitha up. “Err, sorry Sleeping Beauty but I... gotta—‘xcuse me!” he started to get up

Tabitha started to sit up herself, drowsily, with her eyes squinting against the glow of the projection screen in the semi dark room. Her line of vision came into focus onto Maxwell’s lap as he hastily tried to move from under her, and just as suddenly, she became aware of what must have been the source of his need to get away. “Maxwell! Omigod I’m so sorry- what happened?” Was that - was I touching you in my sleep? Liam says I—“ Hearing Liam’s name made his flight response kick into overdrive. This was wrong, this was so, so wrong and he had really fucked up, again. Maxwell blurted out “No! No no, it’s not— I just... had to—“ “Oh gawd” she realized he was leaving to go ‘rub one out’ in the bathroom, and the thought of him doing that had made her surprisingly horny, “Wait, Maxwell...” her hungry eyes begged him, looking him over up and down and resting at his girth. Then she sat up and did that thing Maxwell loved so when she bit the corner of her bottom lip, “You don’t need to take care of that alone. I can help you.” Oh shit. He couldn’t. She was married now. To Liam. King Liam. Maxwell began to really sweat now. fuck, is this really happening? I can’t let her do this I can’t— “No!” He pleaded, unconvincingly “I can just go—mmmphf!” His words of objection were silenced when her lips crashed into his and she them with the tip of her tongue. He lost himself, momentarily suspended in disbelief and letting go, groans escaping into her mouth as his hand moved to cup her jaw. But just as suddenly as the kiss had happened he remembered where they were, who was missing, and he let her go. “No, Tabitha,... what about Liam. You can’t. We can’t” “He’s not here.” she protested, wiping off her mouth. “He won’t be back for days. Bastien said this summit goes on for—” “But” he looked down at her baby-bump, asking his head. “I can’t, I don’t want to hurt the baby” Tabitha laughed “omigod, Maxwell! do you realize how often pregnant women have sex? It’s completely safe, nothing bad will happen to the baby” “...Really?” “Doctor approved. My hormones are raging, I’ve got no more morning sickness so now I’m horny all the time! Which is unfortunate because Liam has been.. distant, and busy.. And you know about, him and Drake, right? The real reason why Drake is always coming along on these international business trips with him?” “I mean yeah, I know... I know what used to go on” he nods, “but, I thought they would have stopped that by now, now that you’re married, I mean?“ “I had thought the same thing, but Mara & Bastien & Liam have placed so many restrictions on my travel. I feel like a princess stuck in a tower! I mean I get why they’re being overprotective, I’m carrying the future heir to the throne. But now that means I can’t be there for Liam when he gets he needs to be fulfilled. Drake is there, I’m not, so... I get it, I do. We’ve talked about it and we have an understanding. But, I get so emotional and lonely now, I just wish.... Liam has needs but, so do I...” she looked up through her lashes at him pleadingly and then back down her thin fingers ghosting over his belt. He gulped. “Yeah, ::pant:: ‘needs’, I know about those...” he could feel his dick stiffening again, aching for her. She kissed her way up Maxwell’s jawline and nipped at his ear, tenderly moaning into it.“Mmhmm.” Maxwell shivered. Tabitha’s hands went straight for his belt buckle. Like Houdini breaking out of a straightjacket she expertly freed his erection. When she pulled down the elastic from his boxer briefs his cock sprung out and bobbed up against his shirt. Tabitha grabbed his shaft and took him into her mouth in one swift motion. Maxwell’s hips instinctively thrust forward and he closed his eyes, grunting “jesusFUCK that’s good. ahhh!-“ he could now feel her canines lightly grazing his skin, her pointed tongue scribbling lines on him, and though his eyes were closed he could feel her smiling with satisfaction at how easy he was to please with each moan of pleasure he made. Maxwell’s hands grabbed her hair to pull her closer as her checks once again hollowed out to take all of him in. It was hard, really hard, for Maxwell to remember to have inhibitions and to mind the Royal protocol with his dick deep in her mouth. He knew he should stop, but then again, if he should stop, why would it feel so natural and so fucking good to be like this with her? “Tabitha...” She let the tip of his shaft roll out of her mouth and rest on her pursed lips while taking the length in one hand and his balls in the other, cupping him while circling the underside of the velvety head with the tip of her tongue. Licking him down and up, she traced the sinewy underside of the shaft, her fingers massaged tight circles on the sensitive spot just underneath his sac. “Nghhnn!” Maxwell saw how the lust in her eyes made her pupils flood them with black, darkening with desire. That look from her made his cock convulse and beads of precum began leaking at the tip. Tabitha moaned with him inside her mouth causing tantalizing vibrations on his member... but Maxwell’s trance was interrupted by a sudden and inconvenient thought invaded his mind. “Wait!”He pulled away from her. Tabitha looked up at him, confused “What?” she pouted. “I can’t cum in your mouth!” he almost whispered motioning to her stomach: “The b—.” Tabitha covered her mouth in horror “shit, you’re right” She blushed furiously.

Tabitha started to get up but her eyes darted to the side as a solution presented itself to her. She looked back at him with a Cheshire Cat grin and raked her fingers up his abdomen to his chest. “Well then, Lord Beaumont,” she purred “it looks like you’re just going to have to cum inside me.” Maxwell opened his mouth to protest, but soon forgot his objections when she came back down to meet his lips again. He smiled against her mouth and deepened the kiss as they raced and fumbled to finish undressing each other. Maxwell’s teeth playfully nipped and sucked at the exposed hollow of her neck and she gasped at the sensation. “Oh god, Tabitha. I want you so bad” he murmured in his soft, husky voice at her ear before he bit at the cartilage. “I need you now, Max.” she gasped. Maxwell’s hands palmed her breasts once he had sprung them from their confines and the heat of arousal blooming from her core at his touch was almost enough to send her over the edge. He lowered his head to take them in his mouth and stopped, his lips agape and his eyes widened, at how she had changed since the last time he had seen her naked. “They’re...so...big now!” A rakish smile crept on his face from ear to ear. He bent his neck again, meaning to tease her by biting her nipple, but it had the opposite effect and Tabitha whimpered. “ahhhAahh! More sensitive now, too!” Maxwell looked up apologetically at her “Sorry! I’ll be gentle.” Taking precious care now to avoid being so rough he swirled slow circles around her nipples with his tongue before taking her breast into his mouth to suck it. She moaned in the way that let him know he was doing it just right now and she could feel him smiling on her again.Tracing the faint raised lines of his hippo tattoo on his chest with deep longing she implored, him “I need you Max, right now.”

“Yes m’am!” He scooped her up into his arms and she squealed with surprised delight as he carried her over to the bed. Maxwell set her down dotingly on the pillows and kissed her again as he maneuvered himself on his knees between her legs. He allowed his shaft to slide against her folds, slick with arousal, rubbing back and forth on her clit. Tabitha grabbed the sheets and arched her back mewling with pleasure. “Now, Maxwell!” He guided himself into her and they connected at last. Tabitha’s ankles wrapped around his hips and he audibly groaned at how good it felt to be inside her again. His hips rolled into her rhythmically and she rose her pelvis up to meet them at his speed. She closed her eyes and reached down to rub her clit, but had made the mistake of forgetting how much Maxwell had liked to be the one in charge. He smirked and playfully slapped her hand away, replacing it with his own. “Nuh-unh, your Majesty, that’s my job.” This dominance in the bedroom was completely different than the dynamic she had with Liam and it was such a turn on. She whelped at the new waves of pleasure that coursed through her now, completely at the mercy of his touch. Grabbing one hand onto his bicep and the other at the nape of his neck, she anchored herself to him. Maxwell lowered himself to crush his lips against hers again, groaning and all the while never losing the tempo of his thrust. Tabitha pulled back to take a sharp breath and he pushed her wrists down to hold them against the bed and as he planked himself above her. Maxwell’s biceps flexed to hover over her just so as to not crush her with his weight. They stared deep into each others eyes, both a deep sapphire blue mirroring each-other’s intensity with pupils ever growing and darkening their depths, “Max- I’m gonna... nnhhh”

Her words came as he felt her walls begin to throb around him, and it set every nerve in his body alight. With ever quickening pace his breaths and hip gyrations intensified. He could sense that familiar feeling of his sac tightening, and from her shallow breathing he knew they were both almost there. Maxwell closed his eyelids as he gave over to the delicious pressure boiling over in him, and they climaxed together, groaning into each other’s necks to muffle their sounds of wanton euphoria

......

He turned over and collapsed sweaty and spent onto the pillow top mattress. There was a smattering of lazy breathless kisses and pets shared between them, but no words of consequence spoken. Staring at the ceiling, Maxwell took a deep breath and collected his thoughts. His mind was wrestling with the two warring impulses. One: get out of bed right away, get dressed and leave. She was not his & he was not hers, that was the standard procedure for all of his other one night stands. The second one was to wrap his arms around her and stay that way till morning in that beautiful postcoital bliss that he had only ever felt with her. Maxwell was relieved when Tabitha made the decision for him, nuzzling her head into the crook of his shoulder and tenderly draping her arms around him. He combed her hair with his fingers, staring at the ceiling until his heavy eyelids began to give way to sleep. They stayed that way for many moments, silent and breathing slowly with their chests rising and falling in alternation. “I love you” he whispered under his breath, meaning only for himself to hear it, just before drifting off. But then, he heard her, murmuring in her sleep, “The... baby... might be yours” Was he dreaming already? She couldn’t have really said that. Tabitha said she was on the pill during the unity tour, surely there was... no way that— but he couldn’t finish the thought before falling into a deep & dreamless sleep

...................

To Be Continued......? <<< click for *OTR Part 2

Tagging: @brightpinkpeppercorn @itsbrindleybinch @silversparrow02

also tagging some of my favorite bloggers who’ve tagged me before on their fanfics ;) : @tmarie82 @boneandfur @ritachacha @breaumonts @fullbeaumonty@scgdoeswhat @ludextruction @littlecrookedheart @jovialyouthmusic @queen-among-writers @choiceslife

[jaggerytreat]

In TRR 1 Madeleine clearly pointed out that Liam was forced to pick a Queen during the Social Season as it was the law.

In TRR 2 Constantine talks about how the country's enemies have gotten bolder and that's why he wanted to show stability by getting Liam married to Madeleine.

When you as the MC tells him that you could have learnt the same things Maddie did he replies by saying there is no time, and talks about how Maddie had trained for years. He believes the MC can learn how to be Queen but she has years to catch up on courtly duties.

In TRR 3 there has been multiple assassination attempts. The people have lost some faith In Liam and that's why we had the unity tour. I know the Tour could have been handled better. And instead of just visiting nobles they could have mixed in more events that build up public support. Charity drives, healthcare improvements, better education for the citizens, etc.

But garnering support for the new King was imperative one way or the other. This tour could have been used to improve your image as Duchess for non Liam routes while helping Liam. And to give Drake a better understanding of Cordonia with fresh eyes, Help Hana find herself properly outside of her parents influence and given Maxwell more time to accept that he's not a screw up. Instead of just speaking about it in the end of the book.

Now it may seem unlikely, but with Liam not following the bethrothal law from book 1 and having gone through TRR 3, why wouldn't neighbouring countries and even certain nobles continue to question the new King's rule. Constantine left the country more vulnerable than before.

If TRH means that Liam can secure his reign only by declaring an heir it would fall flat. Unless they add in a clause that the Duchess' child is an heir to be only.

Now Leo's kids have no right to the throne. And his abdication may not show his kids as favourable contenders for Liam's heir. Also do we honestly believe that Leo will return to the castle and life he abandoned, to go through the process of being King/Queen for his child.

It's only been 2 chapters in. And unless the TRR writers got lazy, the basic plot for TRH can make sense.

Politics depends heavily on public image. And for monarchs especially this point is much truer. Look at the British monarchy. Liam wanting to display stability and growth in his reign early on makes sense. Granted if the marriage to other LIs had atleast set in for maybe a year then it would make the urgency of the succession matter more credible.

And since he's not able to fall in love and marry just yet, who does he turn to for help. Cordonia's most famous and beloved Duchess. Champion of the Realm. Who has proved her merit to the world. And in a year's time of marriage it is very natural to start planning for babies. And a year gives you the time to build on your marriage and start your reign as duchess.

The time gap would have helped the non Liam routes.

Drake in a year being a part of the Council understands the laws better. And would be more confident in his role. Hana always wanted kids so after one year of being with someone she actually married for love she's ready for the next step. And we all Hana would make a great mother to any future ruler. Maxwell after helping Savannah with Bartie in secret for more than a year and then seeing him grown makes him yearn for one of his own. Applies for Drake too.

But this is just my opinion. Not meant to offend anyone.

[alwaysmychoices]

Red

Pairing: Drake x Olivia

Synopsis: The night of the Royal Wedding between King Liam and Collins Alexander, Drake and Olivia find each other and are surprised by the comfort they find…

Rating: Teen (mild cursing)

Words: 3427

----

Where is Red?

That question echoed in Drake’s mine as he searched the room for her flash of red hair in the sea of traumatized wedding guests hiding their pain in another rendition of the electric slide, but Olivia evaded his gaze.

All night, he’d done this.

Drake looked for Olivia in every crowd, every corner, and every glass of whiskey he could find. Sometimes, she’d step into view. He’d watch as she navigated the wedding like a timid child hiding behind her characteristic scowl. She smiled for their friends, joining the dance floor that rattled the castle. But the smile always faltered. There was a crack in her ice fortress, revealing a sliver of the emotions locked within her.

Somehow, she slipped from view once more. Long after the newlyweds had left the reception, the party raged on as thousands of guests hid from their horror in the luxurious open bar. Maxwell and Hana remained committed to the dance floor, and Drake stayed out of necessity. Once he escaped the music, he’d return to reality – a reality where he’d almost lost all that mattered to him. Isolated in the bubble of wedding merriment, he could celebrate to numb the pain. He was a few whiskeys deep and mid-moonwalk when he realized Olivia was no longer beside him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her in the corner, and he knew not to follow. He’d known Livvy long enough to know when she needed to be alone…

For the next hour, he watched for her, and a wave of relief crashed over him every time she stepped in his sight. When she disappeared this time, something dark and dangerous gripped his heart. Fear rattled his bones as he waited for her to return.

But she didn’t.

The longer he waited, the more unnerved he became. Uncertainty itched at his skin and urged him to do something he had never done before – search for Olivia Nevrakis.

The whiskey in his blood emboldened him enough to abandon the dance floor. Once he passed the security guards, the noise faded, and the guests became fewer and fewer. Wandering down the corridor, the path darkened and wound in a confusing path. Just beyond his reach, he could hear an uncomfortably familiar noise – crying.

Still, nothing prepared him for what he would see when he turned a corner.

Olivia Nevrakis was sobbing.

Drake had known Olivia Nevrakis for decades, but tonight was the first time he’d witnessed true vulnerability in those emerald green eyes. The walls of ice she built around her heart were thick and her defenses strong. Occasionally, she’d let a generous prince with a kind smile through the gates but rarely the plucky commoner. Drake was never one to readily share his emotions, nor was Olivia. Together, they lingered on the cusp of vulnerability but shied away from the edge. Beneath their feigned disdain for each other lurked profound respect. Olivia would never show weakness to Drake Walker, but now, here she was.

Tears slid down her cheeks, staining her porcelain skin with streaks of black mascara. Tendrils of wild red curls escaped their secure up-do, and each stray curl further distorted her fearsome image. Her dress – a couture creation designed exclusively for her – had lost its glory. Beads were missing. Hemlines were frayed, and punctures marred the crimson fabric. A tight bandage sat beneath the largest cut, spots of blood peering through the white gauze. Clutching her broken heels in one hand and downing a glass of champagne with the other, Olivia was not the picturesque duchess feared by all who dared to cross her path.

She was a woman in pain.

Drake stopped dead in his tracks, nearly dropping his whiskey out of shock, and something inside of him shattered. Never before had he so desperately wished to fix something- someone -  he cared about.

“What the fuck do you want, Walker?” Olivia snapped, wiping her eyes with the hem of her dress as she glared up at him. She had found this place for a reason. She didn’t want to be seen, especially not by him.

“I-I…” Drake stammered, “I was looking for you.”

“Why? To see if I’ll murder an heir? Don’t worry. Security’s already doing that,” Olivia’s voice seeped in bitterness.

“You saved the King and Queen of Cordonia! Surely, no one could doubt you!” Drake’s grip on his glass tightened as disdain and anger bubbled in his chest. Olivia had done nothing but proven herself, even if her methods were unorthodox.

“It’s their job,” Olivia sneered, “And I don’t blame them. I have every incentive to want Liam and Collins out of the way. I guess it says something about me that it’s unfathomable I would act out of love for friends instead of securing my own interests.” There was a twinge of something raw in Olivia’s voice that night.

The last year had taken Olivia by surprise. The Nevrakis defenses crumbled and left her exposed to the many secrets hidden in the ancient walls. Her parents, her own flesh and blood, were distorted as their legacies shattered to reveal the dark underbelly of ambition. They weren’t heroes of legend.  They were grimy assassins determined to claim the throne. Olivia had invested so much time in protecting the Nevrakis legacy, but now… She shuddered at the idea of becoming a true Nevrakis, consumed with greed and dangerous to all she encountered.

But who was she to be now?

Her future was unclear. For the first time, she lacked an ancient code of conduct to establish her behavior. Her name, once impeccable and intimidating, had lost its glorious sheen. Beneath coats of armor, she was suddenly aware of the vulnerability she maintained. Everything she’d dreamed of – everything she’d planned – was gone.

“That’s not fair,” Drake didn’t know why he said it. He was certainly the last person to console Olivia Nevrakis, but he couldn’t help himself. Looking at her in this state did more than surprise him, it terrified and pained him.

“Oh really?” Olivia cocked an eyebrow, “I’m sure that if you asked most people in that room,” Olivia pointed in the direction of the wedding reception, “they’d disagree.”

Drake considered her argument, leaning against the wall and sliding down beside her as he mulled over what to say next. Olivia stared at him in confusion. What the hell was he doing? Nobody in their right mind would declare Drake and Olivia friends, and he was the last person to pour out his emotions.

Still, Olivia didn’t stop him. She didn’t berate or reprimand him for sitting next to her. Instead… in ways that were still confusing to her, she welcomed his company. His presence was familiar and calming, and she liked it.

“Maybe that’s true… But the people that really matter know the truth,” Drake looked over at her, draping his arms over his knees as he settled into his spot on the floor, “Olivia, you’ve been a bitch. Nobody will tell you otherwise. I’ll be the first to admit that I spent most of our childhood hating you, but you’ve changed. Today, you watched Liam get married, and you cheered him on as a bridesmaid to Collins, a woman you used to hate. A year ago, you would have murdered them both, but now, you’re one of their best friends.”

“She’s a plucky American. She makes everyone like her,” Olivia grumbled, and an unwilling chuckle rumbled from Drake’s chest. Olivia’s eyes widened. Drake never laughed at her…

“That she is,” Drake shook his head, “I’m pretty all of Cordonia wants to marry her.”

Olivia swallowed, recognizing the unacknowledged truth in his words. He wanted to marry her. He’d loved Collins Alexander with a burning passion he’d never felt before, and while he’d accepted her fate with Liam, he’d be lying if he said it didn’t sting to watch her marry another man.

“It’s weird, isn’t it? Watching them marry each other,” Olivia murmured, “When you always thought they’d be with you instead.”

“Yeah,” Drake admitted, letting out a long exhale he’d held in from the moment he entered the cathedral, “I guess it is…”

Silence.

Olivia and Drake sat beside each other in complete silence, both sharing a location but mentally miles away. They were close enough to smell the alcohol on each other’s breath but so far apart in their heads. A million things ran through their minds as they processed their personal trauma of the evening. Saying goodbye to the people they loved was hard enough, but the violence and fear of Anton’s antagonization lingered.

“My marriage ended on the day Liam got married,” Olivia bit back a rueful laugh, “Fate has a sense of humor.”

“Are you doing okay with it?” Drake asked, so intimidated by the process of asking her a personal question that he clarified, “Liam and Collins, I mean.”

Olivia considered the question for a moment before finally nodding her approval.

“Yes, I am. I really am,” Olivia affirmed, partially for Drake’s benefit but also to remind herself, “I still love Liam. I probably always will, but… They’re so happy. That’s really all I want for the two of them. As much as I hate myself for saying this, I love Collins, too. Liam and I were never meant to be, and I’m okay. Today’s just… hard. Watching them pledge their lives to each other is the final nail in the coffin of a potential relationship, and it stings.”

Drake nodded his head in quiet agreement. He didn’t vocalize it, but he knew exactly how Olivia felt. The same emotions had plagued him all night, and as much as he wanted to set them free, he knew better than to announce his love on the day of Collins’ wedding. So, he sat next to Olivia and wondered if she knew… Part of him hoped she did. The old Olivia would have ridiculed him for daring to love a woman of higher rank, but this Olivia understood things he could never put to words.

“Cheers to love lost,” Drake held up his drink of whiskey for a toast, and Olivia feebly raised her empty glass of champagne.

“It’s a bit late for that,” Olivia nickered, and Drake felt a squeezing of his heart at the familiar sound of her snicker. The Olivia he knew was still in there, even if her sharp wit was hidden under layers of pain and trauma.

Drake shoved the glass of whiskey at her, “Take this then. You need it.”

“This is disinfectant, not alcohol,” Olivia crinkled her nose in disgust.

“Suit yourself. Stay sober if that’s what you want,” Drake taunted, and Olivia released a dramatic sigh.

“Fine,” she took the drink of out of his hand, practically holding her breath as she gulped down the brown liquid. The alcohol burned down her throat, settling in a warmth in her belly that numbed the pain, “At least I can’t feel my injuries anymore,” Olivia murmured.

Drake rolled his eyes, removing a flask from his coat pocket. He’d been saving this whiskey all night, fearing that the next stage of the wedding would be even more dangerous than the last. But sitting here next to Olivia, the world had slowed. He didn’t fear an ambush attack, and he was left with the battle scars to process.

“Speaking of, that was stupid as hell on your part, Nevrakis,” Drake swallowed the bitterness in his voice. He couldn’t contain the overwhelming disappointment and anger he’d held onto since the battle for their lives.

“Excuse me?” Olivia demanded incredulously, and if he hadn’t been annoyed with her, he might have laughed at how easily he got a rile out of her, “Who do you think you’re talking to?”

“You could have gotten yourself killed!” Drake warned.

“So could you, dumbass. We all made a choice,” Olivia barked, “A Nevrakis doesn’t step down from a fight, especially a fight for something as important as Cordonia and our loved ones.”

“Hey, don’t call me a dumbass!” Drake insisted, his cheeks flushing with annoyance.

“Then don’t be a dumbass,” Olivia rolled her eyes, a familiar smirk spreading across her lips, and despite his irritation, Drake felt something rise in his chest at the sight.

“I’m just saying, you came close this time,” Drake pointed at the gash in Olivia’s dress, “You can’t keep running into fights and assuming you’ll come out without a scratch.” Something tightened in Drake’s throat, horrified at the idea now swirling around in his mind.

“A Nevrakis always survives,” Olivia narrowed her eyes, and then her face fell. That name. That legacy. It was so ingrained in her identity that remnants of its glorious past still found their way in conversation… “A Nevrakis. What does that even mean anymore?”

Olivia rested her head in her hands, a wave crashing over her as she vocalized a fear that had been burning inside for months, “My family highlights bravery, but they’re all just cowards… Despicable, greedy cowards,” Olivia’s jaw tightened, “I built everything on them – on what they taught me. Who am I supposed to be now?

Drake stopped, shocked by Olivia’s honesty.

He took his time, considering all she said and all she’d held on to. Drake knew Lady Olivia Nevrakis, but Olivia? No, he didn’t know her – not really. She’d appeared in spurts throughout their childhood, a flash of her true personality peering beyond the walls she’d built to protect herself. At the time, Drake had no shame in the hatred the two had shared. Often vying for Liam’s attention, they attacked each other’s weaknesses with the carefree malice of youth.

It was easy for Drake to classify his relationship with Duchess Nevrakis: he fucking hated her. Everyone did.

But Olivia was complicated. Olivia had appeared in his darkest hours, but she never stayed long enough for Drake to form an opinion on her.

After a moment of hesitation, Drake spoke freely, suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to tell her the truth they’d both long forgotten.

“You’ll still be you. You’re the same person, Olivia. You won’t be a Nevrakis, but we’re lying if we say that was the only element to you. You’re much more than the Scarlett Duchess, and you know it,” Drake didn’t shy away from the brutality in his tone, and Olivia gawked at him as he added, “You’re not a Disney villain. Nobody is… This is an opportunity to reinvent yourself with the burden of a Nevrakis name.”

Olivia fought the urge to belittle him for his tone and the dig at her family name, and as thousands of insults laid on the tip of her tongue, she swallowed them all and stared instead.

“Thank you.”

Those two words were rarely said, and they caught both off guard.

Another moment passed as a pair of green eyes stared deeply into the chocolate brown pair across from her. Something had changed. Something so profound that it hid in plain sight. Decades had been building up to this moment, but nonetheless, it felt sudden and unexpected. A barrier had been lifted and a line crossed, and the world would never be the same again.

Olivia finally averted her gaze, settling on the flask in his hand. It was warm to the touch, heated by Drake’s body as it rested in his coat pocket throughout the reception, but the whiskey inside was rich and smooth enough to counteract its container.

“This might be the whiskey talking, but you’ve made tonight better,” Olivia begrudgingly mumbled her compliment, somewhat hoping he wouldn’t hear it. Squirming with the weight at having complimented him, she added, “Of course, if you want a real drink, you should be drinking from my wine cellar. I’ve amassed an impeccable collection.”

“I go there all the time, Red,” Drake smirked with true content as he shared his dirty little secret, “Not even your defenses can keep me from alcohol.”

A mischievous glint flashed in Olivia’s eyes at his confession, and with a deliberate smile she explained, “I know.”

Drake’s face dropped, surprised. She’d known about his secret trips to the wine cellar? That was impossible. The duchess he knew would never allow a commoner to snoop around her home and encounter her prized collection.

“I’ve hidden a bottle of whiskey in there for you to find. It’s been sitting there for years,” Olivia picked a piece of lint off her dress, taking a large gulp of whiskey as she laughed, “Perhaps I gave you too much credit when I selected the hiding spot.

“That sounds like a challenge, Olivia,” Drake felt something burn inside of him, and the unmistakable heat of rivalry mingled with an unknown feeling he couldn’t shake. Something bigger than animosity…

“Interpret as you wish,” Olivia shrugged, “Perhaps I’ll be forced to drink it myself if you continue at your pathetic pace of exploration.”

“Now, that is a challenge. As if I would allow you to waste precious whiskey when you can’t even enjoy it,” Drake insisted, his voice growing more passionate.

“On that note…” Olivia decided to leave Drake to stew in his apparent failure and the excitement of a new competition between the two of them, and despite her injuries and high blood alcohol levels, she stood effortlessly and gracefully. Pulling out a key bobby pin, her wild red hair escaped their domineering up-do and made their public debut, casting Olivia in a shroud of mystery and danger. Draining the final sips of the flask, she returned it to its owner and flashed her signature smile.

If Olivia Nevrakis could save Cordonia, she sure as hell could save herself.

“I believe I hear YMCA,” Olivia said the song’s name as if it was an infamous curse on the tip of her tongue, nearly cringing at the thought of the wedding reception reduced to line-dances and drunken dancing to top hits of yesteryear, “That’s my cue to leave.”

Drake shook his head, silently amazed by the woman in front of him. In the face of danger, she didn’t flinch, but when exposed to polite small talk or common dancing, she was practically petrified and practiced avoidance at all costs.

For the first time, Drake looked at her and saw the fragile human being as well as the badass woman. She was distressed and damaged by her trauma, but she persevered. She was nobody’s victim, not even Anton’s.

“You kicked his ass you, know,” Drake added, staring up at her.

Olivia glanced over her shoulder, a feigned look of disinterest on her face, “Elaborate.”

“We won tonight because of you,” Drake explained, fully aware of the ego-boost he’d just delivered. But it didn’t matter. She earned it.

“I suppose I played a role,” Olivia bit back the face-splitting smile building.

“Will I see you tomorrow at the traditional apple cider brunch?” Drake asked though he didn’t know why he did.

“Perhaps,” Olivia offered no guarantee, “I’ll be returning to Lythikos soon.”

“Oh,” Drake chastised himself for the disappointment he felt. Why should he be upset that she was leaving? Normally, he’d jump for joy.

“My people need me,” Olivia’s voice grew uncertain as she voiced the true concern she felt for her people. It was hardly in line with Nevrakis character, but maybe the rules were different for the new Olivia…

Olivia didn’t offer a goodbye. Instead, she chose to walk away wordlessly. She had only taken a few steps away, however, when she felt an odd but consuming urge. Without thought, Olivia turned around and suggested, “You could come… If you wish, of course.”

It was impossible to tell who was more surprised by Olivia’s suggestion – Drake or Olivia herself.

And Drake’s answer didn’t hesitate to shock even further.

“Maybe… to get a head start on the whiskey hunt, of course.”

Olivia decided to shrug instead of answering him, emitting a nonchalant air that attempted to conceal the wave of excitement she felt with his tentative acceptance.

What the fuck is wrong with you??? Olivia questioned herself, horrified by the developments she’d just witnessed.

Three words lingered on the tip of Olivia’s tongue, stopping her heart and changing all she thought she knew. A sentiment she’d never vocalized before – especially not to Drake Walker- weighed on her, and she realized it had never been more accurate.

She didn’t say them – not tonight.

One day, she’d say it, and it would change their world. But for tonight, they just looked at each other and thought the same three unthinkable words – I love you.

---

This is the first time I've posted Olivia x Drake (which is weird because I love them together), so I'm still finding their voice. But I hope you still enjoyed it. I'm thinking about writing a series around this and what they've started...

[lizzybeth1986]

Quick Thoughts on TRR Book 3 Chapter 19

• It's our WEDDING DAY. But it looks like Anton wants to make it our Deathday first.

• For the kind of wait most of the stans have been keeping since this book has begun, seeing our MCs finally married to our favourite LIs is quite...satisfying. Well. For most of us at least.

• Title: You Are Cordially Invited. To see me get married or to see me die?

• Mara goes outside, vowing that to get through to us they'd have to get through to her first.

• Madeleine and Bertrand barricade the door with a couch and Bertrand warns everyone to have something in hand (Olivia is one step ahead, obviously, with her sharp-as-fuck stilettos).

• That girl is ready and prepared to commit maritricide, y'all! XD

• Hana picks a vase, Madeleine keeps her clipboard, Penelope is panicking at the back with Merlin and Morgana (this was the shit I was trying to avoid with court, Mom! I can almost hear her thinking), but if you really want to see a legend minus the legend points...I should point you all to Kiara:

I repeat. A legend I stan.

This is someone having a trigger attack, and steeling herself despite the trauma of two previous experiences before plunging herself into a possible third one. That takes serious guts.

• Madeleine isn't exactly prepared to fight (clearly being Queen never seemed to involve fighting assassins before for her, strangely enough), but Olivia sure is. She says "do you want to keep bleating like a defenseless lamb or do you want to get ready to fight?"

• Honestly though Olivia delivers some of my favourite lines this chapter.

• Ana is staying out if this - (in public) because she "does not have the equipment for this" and (in private) because she wants to capture the scoop of the century!

• THANK YOU MAXWELL for gifting me that sword!

•

(All the screenshots, except for the Maxwell one from the HIMEME channel, are mine)

I have better bodyguards inside this boutique than I do outside. Look at all of these people. Picking up clipboards, stilletoes, vases, mannequins, scissors, THEIR OWN BARE HANDS, and defeating these dudes. Like...like...they may have been incredibly sheltered and protected by their families but all of them know how to make the best of a situation where their lives are under threat. And mind you, at least two of those women openly struggle with issues related to their mental health and still manage to emerge from this doing what they can.

• I loved the sword scene! It was a nice look back at TCaTF (esp Book 3) and a nice way to celebrate the Choices anniversary. In TCaTF books 1 and 2, you had different point systems for Kenna and Dom: prestige for her and power for him, to show the rise of Kenna as a formidable leader and the gaining of Dom's fire powers. Because he possesses enough power to transform into a dragon by the end of Book 2, the focus then shifts to them gearing up for their biggest battle yet - the one with Empress Azura of Ducitora (though part of this book is spent with Dom trapped inside an airship fighting a particularly frightening form of mind control from Hex). The implication is that Kenna becoming a legend consolidates her position as the uniter of the Five Kingdoms, which is what she becomes by the end of the story. It's therefore fitting that the legend points feature here, just before the MC's wedding - for like Kenna, she has just returned from reuniting the nobility (or not) into supporting Liam's right to the throne through her wedding, and like Kenna she needs to fight a Nevrakis, while possibly having the support of other Nevrakises...well, just one in the case of TRR.

• If you're marrying Hana, she features nowhere in this scene, and Olivia stabs the assassin who attacks Madeleine with knives. If you're not, she is part of your entourage, and particularly is shown taking action when Madeleine's life is under threat. If they hadn't already been hinting at Madeleine's "feelings" for Hana, and the latter's convenient amnesia regarding the events of the engagement tour...I wouldn't have minded. But I do. Very much.

• Maxwell only features in this scene if you choose him as a bridesmaid, but I would highly recommend choosing him as one at least once (if he's not your LI that is) because he and Bertrand do so amazing fighting together here.

• Ana's motto will be "my life may leave me but never my desire to catch proof of a burning-hot scoop".

• Gee, Bastien, you took a while to get here. Like...8 chapters or something.

• Mara comes back with an injury and an attempt to say our code name, which...sure thanks Mara but you still suck at your job. If guarding us is really your job at all.

• Bastien and whoever is with him have managed to capture the remaining assassins but Anton managed to escape. If that doesn't come back to bite us in the ass later...

• Why is Madeleine so involved when it comes to MY dress? Her hand is literally trembling. Please don't tell me this design was intended for her wedding. That'll be a waste of 25 whole diamonds.

• Or perhaps she's just shook coz THERE IS FYDELIA LACE INVOLVED YOU PEASANTS.

• "I need to have security remove any guests wearing white," says the press sec who tried to sneak in a white dress to wear for my wedding.

(Yes. I plead guilty. I just needed an excuse to cram in a Brian May gif there. I can't help that this man is the Meme King of Queen).

• OF COURSE I'M WEARING DRAKE'S POCKET WATCH AND HANA'S SHOES.

• We've finally reached the cathedral! After threatening to either drive the carriage through the premises, cry or sue Cordonia if we don't get there soon enough.

• I see the Applewood people! You get loads of options to greet the crowd. And of course I was going to try getting Esther to say " 'sup" once lol. I think depending on how you wave to them, the press will either see you as graceful or playful.

•

(Screenshots: Hana's is mine, Maxwell's from the HIMEME YouTube channel, Penelope's from @sgt-peppers-coffee-club , Olivia's from @i-dream-so-i-write , and Kiara's from @callmetippytumbles )

Here's all our Maids (plus one Man) of Honour! All of them speak about this day being a long time coming, but also reflect with the MC on what it took for them all to get to this point. I think Olivia (by virtue of being the Fighter of the lot) and Kiara (because of what she's faced at least thrice now) get some particularly meaty lines for their MOH scene.

• You get to choose whether Bertrand should accompany you down the aisle, since it's tradition to be done so by a member of your House, and the Beaumonts have been her sponsor from the beginning. Cue an emotional moment with Bertrand, who regards you as family now and is immensely proud of you. The Maxwell stans got a similar conversation in the vows diamond scene, but in more detail because it's his kid brother you're marrying, but now we get it as an honorary Beaumont as well. He gets super super emotional if you ask him to walk you down the aisle.

• Oooh pretty! And so many stained glass windows! Why was Leo complaining so much about this cathedral in RoE Book 3? I would have given an arm and a leg to get married there.

• NEW MUSIC!!! Lots of lovely flowery piano notes and trumpets. Very regal and very much a wedding march tune.

• So technically I'm guessing this is where we get to see the results of our tour, because in my playthrough everyone is here.

• If you're marrying Drake, you get to see his mother Bianca, and she speaks to you after the ceremony. I can kiiinda see where Savannah gets her "I only met you ten seconds ago but OMG WE'RE GOING TO BE BFFS" vibe comes from.

• WTF none of these people changed clothes it seems 😂 Everyone's else is wearing what they usually wear. Guys, this wedding is going to be freaking TELEVISED and these nobles are wearing their usual dusty outfits 😂😂

• The Best Men/Women, are depicted positively - whether they have feelings for the MC or not. Drake is said to be showing a "rare, unabashed grin", and Liam is "smiling proudly". Kiara is "smiling excitedly".

• So as you all know, you can choose between Liam (if you're marrying Hana or Maxwell), Leo or Regina for officiating your wedding. The speech is largely the same - they all mention the seed and apple tree analogy, the traditions of Cordonia and how important love is - but the opening lines vary.

(Regina's is from mine, Leo's is from the Bizzy's Choices channel, and Liam's is from @kennaxval )

Regina's is distant and formal, which suits her and suits the scale of the occasion. Leo's is humorous, and Liam's is flowery and poetic. This suits both of the men as we know them. Leo is known to not take himself very seriously, and Liam's language is very ornate by default.

• The vows (I'm talking about the LIs' ones here, since the MC's is customizable) are all beautiful. Every single one delves into their history with her and how their relationship with her grew from strength to strength. You can see why they decided to go off-script for their vows. Their story with her has always been personal and these vows are about acknowledging the long, hard journey that got them to this altar.

•

Liam's is about how the MC taught him to believe in possibility, to believe that he needn't be stuck in the rut of royal stoicism to be the king his people need. Hana's is about the freedom the MC gave her from a future carefully charted out for her, into a better, brighter one. Maxwell's is about how he has found a woman whose very presence represents adventure for him, someone who will raise him up rather than tie him down. Drake's is about embracing change, accepting the love the MC has for him and the love he tried to deny having for the MC. I love them all.

• In my mind this is the improved version of the wedding scene in TCaTF, as is the RoE wedding. I recall, way back when Kenna got married, fans (rightly) pointed out that while her LIs' vows sounded heartfelt and acknowledged their relationship with her, the few options given for Kenna's vows made her sound impersonal and not very involved in comparison (for instance, even though Diavolos appeared only by Book 3, Kenna still was made to sound like the relationship had been there for longer). In RoE, they attempted to correct that, by giving us the diamond option to personalize our vows (still using their choices, but we got more options here and went into more detail). In TRR they've gone a step further and have US type what we want with our wishes, because even when you have the same LI - no two people can view one character the same. There's space for shitposting haha, but it's also to ensure that we have enough say in the vows we want our MCs to repeat.

• If you don't choose either your corgi or Bartie, the Cordonian children become your ringbearers. In this case, they are Valerie and Marco, the little ones from Lythikos, which I think is a very interesting choice. Because it does show us that though the Nevrakis clan seem to want to destroy Liam and his line, Lythikos itself - represented by Olivia - is in support of him. If Liam doesn't marry you, it makes even more sense that the children meant to represent Cordonia come from Olivia's estate.

• Lol everyone got the same ring. At least it isn't the cheapass one Madeleine had us pick up for her in Book 2.

• Vows exchanged, tears shed, and we can be as thirsty as we want in public without anyone saying a thing (wink at the LI, tell them you wish you both were alone instead of at a cathedral, give them a steamy kiss after your vows are exchanged).

AAAAAAAND WE'RE MARRIED!!!!

(Screenshots: for Drake and Maxwell it's was @sgt-peppers-coffee-club and for Hana it was @kennaxval 😄)

Ngl I was super super emotional when I saw the wedding portrait it took us so LONG and it was so BEAUTIFUL 😭

• Esther wants to call the monarchy the "DuPont dynasty" right now haha. I think there are some playthroughs (for instance Maxwell's I think) where Hana speaks of creating the Lee dynasty which...well...is odd if you're not marrying her, yes. This chapter had a whole bunch of goof ups going on.

•

YES DONNIE KEEP SAYING IT. I'M QUEEN NOW. FINALLY.

• From rats in a dumpster to this...what a journey.

• We now have a reception to go to! There is a teaser about whether this reception will be the one we hoped for (which is shorthand either for "gear up for drama folks" or for "you didn't spend enough diamonds for this, sucks to be you" 😒).

General Thoughts:

• How many of you folks have seen Cold November Rain? That music video from Guns n Roses? In that one, there's a wedding and Slash, the band guitarist (cum best man who seems to be in love with the bride) drops the ring in the bridegroom's hands and then steps out into a...desert for this:

Would have been epic if either Drake or Liam left the ceremony midway to perform an epic guitar solo to the bustling crowd in Cordonia 😂 (you know the writers have friendzoned Hana and Maxwell hard enough that that will never happen for them).

• For the most part this chapter definitely did live up to the hype. This wedding was the culmination of everything we've been through since the book began so of course it was going to be big - and it was. I may have lost a lot of love I used to have for this book, but damn did I feel emotional when I read those vows, saw that wedding screenshot, heard the wedding music, fought alongside my girls.

• I think there may be two chapters left. Next chapter will be dedicated to the reception, and we'll see the following choices we made play out, most of which are certainly diamond-options:

1. The nobles (free, but it largely depends on whether you won them over or not)

2. The main course (from the food festival in Castelserraillian). Liam also showed us a chocolate souffle from there which he was suggesting for the wedding but IDK if that one will feature.

3. The wedding cake (Capitol cake scene) and the surprise dessert for the LI (baklava, cheetah cake, s'mores, hot chocolate).

4. The chocolates/macarons for guests

5. The gifts for the LIs (all of which open up a special scene).

6. The presence of Drake's mother (if you are marrying Drake).

That's a whole lot of stuff to code so get ready for a few goof-ups here and there, fam. As long as it's not as bad as the one they did at Hana's wedding that would be fairly okay.

• Now I know the "husband and wife" thing was a goof-up with the code, as is Liam not wearing the white uniform if you chose it for him and Hana's comment on the Lee dynasty with the MC (which somehow never showed up on my Liam playthrough). And technically, not many would actually be this angry about it if it weren't for the fact that Hana has been treated like crap by her writers before this, and on a smaller scale so has Maxwell. It's bad enough that she is the only option out there. It's even worse that while Drake gets extra development and extra scenes and extra characters (they worked hard enough to do the artwork for his mother for just that one playthrough), Hana is stuck with lazy writing and the person shown having a crush on her was her bully in the previous book. Having Liam announce that Hana and the MC are "husband and wife" even after different options had been given or chosen, would feel like a slap in the face.

Thankfully, PB has recognized how badly this could alienate fans, especially fans of characters like Hana and Maxwell who don't get the attention they deserve, and not only apologized but recognized how hurtful it was and tried to compensate.

I mean, how would you feel if the LI you liked was constantly being treated like they didn't matter? Wouldn't it frustrate you? Wouldn't a "glitch" like this one be the rotten cherry on a huge crapcake?

I'm saying this because I have seen at least a few say "this is a glitch lmao why are you guys complaining so much". This is why. It goes beyond just the glitch. It goes into why "husband" has to be the default here. It goes into chapters and chapters of shitty writing given only for certain LIs. That frustration is bound to boil over at some point.

• We'll also definitely be sneaking out and doing some post-matrimonial banging at some point. And if I don't get lingerie before that happens Ima be very very angry 😡

• I think it would be better to spread this out into two chapters.

• Is there a chance Anton might actually try something at the reception? Possibly.

• Will it be enough to warrant another full-length book? I don't know. I hope not.

• Alright, it's time for Chapter 20 now!

[madaraism]

Achlys – Part VI of Himeros

Ἀχλύς ; Of misery, sadness and chaos.

A/N: I apologise for the delay in these chapters, life has been mega crazy. Thank you so much for being so patient with me and for sticking through with this series. The quotes come from The Crown on Netflix – Season 2, Episode 5, Marionettes, and Season 1, Episode 2, Hyde Park Corner. Please read the previous parts from the link below.

Part I – Himeros // Part II – Algea // Part III – Aletheia // Part IV – Apate // Part V – Hestia

Summary: Of the past, present and future; Cordonia will always be number one.

Pairing: Liam x Riley

Rating: Mature           TW: Sensitive topics regarding pregnancy.

Words: 4880

Inspirations for this chapter – The Truth Untold by Steve Aoki ; Acoustic ENG 

Perma Tag: @topsyturvy-dream @hellospunkiebrewster @umccall71 @blackcatkita 

Tag list: @hhiggs @theroyalweisme @itzmequeenb @alicars @cocomaxley @trianiasti @viktoriapetit @kawairinrin @jayjay879 @bobasheebaby @choiceswreckedme @queencatherynerhys @laniquelove @gracepedia @boneandfur @jamielea81 @jared2612 @hamulau @alwaysthebestchoice @pbchoicesobsessed @ashtonmore @creatingjana @morriganswife @pens-girl-87 @aloap-giorno @speedyoperarascalparty @zilch3 @chiarace @sleeplessescapades @confessionsofabrokegirl @h3llostrang3r @littleredroseonthevalley @smritysriv @ladyoftherings @choices97 @philiasperanza @mfackenthal @captainkingliam @hopefulmoonproject

How far must one go to demonstrate their love for their country?

How far must she go to prove just how much she wanted to be Queen?

-

Damp curls stick onto the side of her pale face. Heaving body over the sink, a sheen of sweat clinging to her skin.

Her hands grasp at the edges of the basin. Bile in her throat. The sour residual taste in her mouth.

She feels disgusted. At herself, of her situation, of the damn thing in her.

Cold water meets her face. Remaining droplets cling onto her hair, the others trailing down her neck, her collarbone; leaving damp, darkened circles on the collar of her dress.

She looks at her own reflection. Lipstick smeared, dark circles around her eyes.

Pathetic.

Queenship had suited her. She had stood proud on her temporary pedestal, basking in the glory of her glamorous title, harvested the fruit that she planted that brought stability in Cordonia. All eyes on her as she walked, commanded and guided her people with her head held high.

A bitter laugh sounds from her swollen lips. Her fingers, trailing over her lower abdomen while her eyes stare blankly at the reflection from the mirror.

But it wasn’t as if she couldn’t see, couldn’t tell.

She remembers the words she had uttered with such judgement, with such common sense at Liam. The ridicule she had drowned him in for even thinking of going after the American girl.

Palace walls have ears.

Yet here she stands, feeling the backlash of it all tenfold.

People talk.

She could care less about the curious glances from the palace staff, from the curious people and the ever-present press. No, she wasn’t raised to give a damn about gossip, not if she played by the rules and stuck to her part. Not when she can outsmart her opponents before they could attack her first.

But no matter what she did or what she said, gossip will still remain and will always circulate out of her grasp.

People talk. She cannot deny that.

Five years of reigning as Queen. Five years of masked smiles, staged kisses and false pretences.

A lifetime of being born and groomed to be the perfect suitor, to be the perfect Queen.

Her fingers claw at the material on her dress, dragging and digging into her stomach.

She had it all.

It was an easy, well-paved path that was almost handed to her on a silver plate, but she had it all.

The nobility, the country, the people, the queenship.

Yet this thing.

This wretched thing, existing within her, growing and stealing, sucking everything away that was handed to her like some sort of void, some sort of vacuum; her title, her country, her people, her queenship.

It made her physically sick thinking about it and it wasn’t because of morning sickness either.

She is not a stupid woman. She knew this was the result of her own mistakes, her own impulsiveness; the rage and brashness that slipped through the cracks of her façade just because of him.

Even if you were to be in a room by yourself, there are eyes and ears everywhere.

It had been something that her father had so brashly repeated over and over, branding the words into her very existence to make sure she would calculate the repercussions of her every step, her every move.

Perhaps it was the pressure from it all. The way he would utter that American woman’s name when he slept with her, the way the press had begun their progressive waves of questioning six months into her role as the King’s wife, a child-bearer for the throne. Perhaps it was the constant nagging and lecturing from her father, drilling into her to secure her place as Queen, or her mother’s constant counter argument to take things slow.

Perhaps even, it was the way her aunt would ridicule her inability to prove herself worthy for the crown. The dreaded topic of the damned Rys brothers that would always circulate around her, complaints about her grasp on the former crown prince’s reigns too tight, or how it is too loose around the current King’s.

She was trained to rule a kingdom, not men who lusted after lowly commoners.

Below perfect in her family’s eyes.

A pathetic failure.

She wants to mutter profanities, but such words were below her level of class.

Even now, within the supposed safety of the walls of her bathroom, spitting vomit and bile from her mouth, she can feel the pressure and scrutiny of it all. The lesser members of society, the palace staff, the questionable members of court, all looking at her, whispering, questioning, “Where is the heir? The successor of the crown? Is Cordonia doomed?”

And what did she have to show?

A blasted, pathetic thing that would bring her no glory, no security, no title.

Perhaps her life is destined to be filled with irony and questionable decisions.

She thought her brave visit to New York was the end of it. She had been calm and had accepted her situation, her revoked title, her life of exile.

She thought she was prepared.

Prepared to perhaps raise a child; an unrightful child against her will, but still her child.

Prepared to perhaps resolve to other pathways that would involve her not raising a baby.

She hadn’t fully decided.

She can imagine her father’s harsh words if he knew; how she should’ve known better, the bitterness and fury in his voice when he reminds her how she had everything after the mess that was her engagement with Leo, for her to throw it all away simply because she couldn’t control herself.

And her mother’s voice if she knew; one that was shrill, full of drunken, careless laughter as she would tell Godfrey to get over it, that Cordonia could probably care less about some child.

But Regina…

Her fingers dig deeper into the thin material of her dress, long nails beginning to leave red marks on her skin.

She scoffs at her Aunt’s words.

The option she had suggested to her; so direct, so straightforward, so easy sounding.

An obstacle?

There was truth in her words, she knows. This thing was indeed an obstacle. One that could be removed easily.

It was almost like viewing it as a malignant tumour.

So easy. So simple. A straight forward surgical procedure.

She wants to laugh.

Her title, her position can be so easily maintained in Regina’s eyes.

Simply for the sake of Cordonia’s welfare.

Cool marble supports her as she faces away from the sink, her body weak. Her eyes are downcast, so void of colour, but so much emotions running through her mind. Her hand somehow retaining strength, clinging on and tracing her belly ever so lightly.

She blinks and finds a tear further dampening her dress.

She is oddly melancholy; she thought she was prepared to do whatever it takes to become Queen and to stay as Queen.

She had gotten so far…

How much more was she, herself, willing to take? How much more must she demonstrate her capabilities and willingness of being Queen?

Her caresses turn back to claws, “Oh, you poor, pathetic, cursed thing...”

Just how much is too much?

-

“The history of the monarchy in this country is a one-way street of humiliation, sacrifices and concessions in order to survive.”

-

To be a queen is many things. It is not a simple job given to one as their birthright, or by marriage.

Regina has seen how different qualities attribute to a country’s rise and fall. The media is brash and far from forgiving. The nobles hold knives in the shape of tongues, bullets in the shape of words. The people are blind and hungry, ones who crave for continuous news regarding the crown, mindlessly following whatever they read or hear.

The first queen was weak and selfish. She was one who could not withstand the pressures and expectations yet was selfish enough to provide false hope to a pity country that wished for her to pull Cordonia forward.

Her heart cared for nothing but herself as she gave no second thought when she left her family and her country in the form of broken, sickly ruins.

A weak and selfish queen produces nothing but weak princes, and her son had proved her speculations.

Leo was weak and unsuited to be king; a reflection of his mother and her actions. One to flee and to take flight the second problems arose, or when matters got too complicated. Both with the same lack of care attitude that had frustrated her to no end. Leo’s abdication was something that she had predicted, rooted for, even. His reputation, failure to attend to appointments, meetings and failure to pick up and tend to finer details would have resulted in Cordonia’s downfall.

Leo’s departure left Cordonia in a mess. Regina had expected this, predicted this. It mirrored his mother’s departure.

Like mother, like son.

But she had higher confidence and expectations in the second son.

The second queen was a diligent and loving woman. Selfless, almost. She had almost admired her strength and courage to pull Cordonia through the political dramas and the mess that the first queen had left for others to clean.

But her selflessness made her predictable; it made her a target. Her status as a commoner was also a contribution.

And Cordonia was thrown back into darkness once again.

A good queen sees and learns.

Regina did not have any children.

However, she had Liam to control over and Madeleine to groom for the throne.

Two, highly compatible people to bring Cordonia back from its depths of despair.

Liam, having inherited the selflessness and love from his mother, now learnt the importance of maintaining tradition and structure in their country. He learnt the skills of negotiation, of charm and wit. The apt skills that she had subtly thrown at him prior to Leo’s abdication; skills that he seemed to be born with, to be principled and diplomatic for the greater good of Cordonia; so humble, so kind and selfless in such a way that he carries himself, the words the speaks and the gestures he does so admirable and lovable. A perfect suit to be king; a bit from the second queen and a bit from the third.

Madeleine also had the perfect makings to become a suitable queen. She had the bloodline and nobility that the second queen lacked. She had the grace and poise of a high-class noble, she had the tactfulness, cunningness and patience to observe and to strategize. She had the perfect, cool demeanour to withstand trials and hardship that queenship might throw at her, but most importantly, she had the thirst and willingness to prove herself to be suitable.

A perfect suit for the benefit of Cordonia.

Such a shame for it to crumble away.

No, she would not allow it. Not after all the careful planning and strategizing she had done over the years.

She stands tall, almost frigid, in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. Her eyes are dark, mind full of thoughts. She stares at the scene of the garden before her; something that she had found herself to be doing rather more often these few years.

She loves Cordonia; arguably more than anyone does in the land. It was her home, her pride. Her life, a devotion to this small country in the Mediterranean.

Regina sees Cordonia for what it is. A small country, but a proud country nonetheless. Full of hard working people that dedicated themselves to their land. Selfless people ruled under a selfless but principled king. Always so full of laughter and so full of love for their families, their neighbours, their businesses and their land.

She sees them for what they are. People dedicated to the crown. In her eyes, Cordonians willingly worked themselves for the monarchy. It was a traditional system that was understood and well-versed; their labour brought success to the country, helped it flourish, thus in turn, helping the crown that governed them.

The monarchy is simple. One that was absolute and with rightful authority. Blessed by deities that they were born into a reigning family that was so loved and admired. Their presence alone gave hope to the people. Such monumental figures they were; so cherished. So grand, at a level that was almost unattainable for everyone else, yet so close and admired in their homes.

Yes, the monarchy symbolised hope; an escape from the complexities and reality of their drab commoner lives. A figure and system that the people worked hard for. Their faces, titles and presence much loved, an ideology that brought light in their dull, working lives, one that lifted commoners out of their miserable, pitiful reality into a fantasy.

Anything that does not do well in favour of the crown is seen as an obstacle in Regina’s eyes. It is an image that they have carved themselves for centuries that must be protected and maintained. The ideal life that the monarchy represents.

Like in previous occasions, she knows how to tackle such obstacles with precision and grace; for the sake of the crown, for the sake of the country.

She is a calculating and opportunistic queen.

“Ma’am…”, The man starts when he enters the room with a soft knock on the door, nothing of high status, simply a messenger, a newcomer. “Her majesty, Queen Madeleine was hoping you would join her in the east gardens for afternoon tea.”

“How charming of her, to ask for my presence instead of the king’s.”, Her eyes remain at the view outside, her body still.

“…Ma’am…?”, He speaks, rather confused at the direction of the conversation. His only experience was to simply pass on messages.

“My poor niece, working so tirelessly for our country. How is she expected to produce the heir that the monarchy needs when our king is off galavanting in The States?”

“…I…uh…”, He is flustered with such finer details, pink dust his cheeks as he averts his gaze to the details on the carpet.

“He is a good king.” Regina reassures him with a smile that could be passed off as friendly by the untrained eye. “But our poor queen… if only the press and public would treat her kinder. She is supposed to be preparing herself for motherhood, after all.”

His nods are frantic, desperate to agree, to remain in the good books; it is rare for conversation to happen and he grasps at the opportunity to flaunt his love for the monarchy and country, “K-King Liam is a great king. He is always so selfless and does what is best for Cordonia… We all love and admire him. We wish for nothing but the joyous news of an heir with her majesty, Queen Madeleine, when he returns.”

The Queen Mother nods, the frosty smile still present as she turns to look at him, “I do too. Now, let us head to the east gardens. Poor Madeleine has done her fair share of waiting for people.”

-

“The fact is, the crown must win. Must always win.”

-

It is odd, Riley ponders as she sits in the almost-obnoxiously large airplane seat of Liam’s Royal Cordonian Jet. Odd how their lives changed so vastly; from a minuscule, cold and damp apartment in New York one day to be on a plane that escorts them back to a lavish castle.

It was a lot to process; her thoughts on returning to Cordonia, her worries for Levi, her reputation and her relationship with Liam…

The past few weeks spent with Liam and Levi had been such bliss for her. She remembers the anxiety that she had initially dealt with since Madeleine appeared at her door that one afternoon. The uncertainty and hurt that she felt when she confronted Liam in Central Park. The tension and the tears when they were united the first time as a family.

It seemed so long ago since Levi had uttered his distrust towards Liam, the implied complications that a sudden father figure would bring. She remembers so clearly the guilt she feels, one that she sometimes still experiences on occasion even now.

She remembers how strong her worries were as a mother, when Liam had appeared. She trusts Liam wholeheartedly, of course, but being a target herself, she understands the complications that the crown will bring. It was one that she had worried over now that Liam and Levi were rather well acquainted. Liam had proved her wrong within those few weeks; the domesticity of it all made her feel at ease and peace with the idea that Levi was living a somewhat normal life. The routine; the breakfasts, the walks, the dinners, the play time, the shared readings… she loved it all.

The safe haven she sought to provide for Levi had finally come to full use, and for just a short while, they were all able to live a life away from the complications of the crown.

Riley admired how Liam was able to push his way into Levi’s heart, even if at times it seemed like he was still scratching at the surface. As a mother, she can tell how Levi has warmed up to the idea of having a father. The small smiles the boy would let slip at the man, laughter here and there when Liam would bring up something funny that they had seen whilst she was at work and the little surprises that Levi would take credit for; the hand-picked flowers, the attempt at home-cooked food from the both of them.

And oh, how Levi surprisingly enjoyed learning about Cordonia through his constant questions.

She dwells back on a time where she thought America would be the only home for Levi, that he would grow up not knowing about Cordonia until much later in his life. But the excitement that showed in his eyes, the curiosity in his voice… she loved how much Liam had to share, and how surprisingly willing she was to share about her time spent in Cordonia as well.

The earlier months that she had spent in Cordonia were filled with happy tales and laughter. She remembers sharing the silly tales of mischief that she had gotten up to with the friends that she had made, and the curious but cheeky grin that Levi would always give her.

Going back to Cordonia meant so many things, both for herself, Levi and for Liam. Especially with the pressure of Levi’s experience with the country and his decision to accept the crown or not.

For a brief moment, she allows her mind to wander, and to ponder on how the other people that she cared about in Cordonia were doing; if Maxwell was still his cheery self, how long Bertrand would reprimand her for leaving on a whim, if Drake was still so sulky over nobles and if Olivia was still as prickly as ever.

With encouragement over the years, she knows Hana has found support for her own clothing business, which had gained popularity over the years without the need of some stuck-up noble like Lord Neville or be faced with the ongoing pressure from her parents.

Upon such recollections, she is reaffirmed with the lack of regret of ever leaving New York. The time she spent in Cordonia was turbulent and filled with trials, yes, but going to Cordonia also gave her an opportunity to fall in love with Liam. She has gotten to know how perfectly selfless he is and has seen how he has always put everyone else before himself, no matter how negative the situation may be. He is humble in his talents and skills as a king and as a person, but also so tactical, principled and honourable in every right. She has seen how other nobles have the skill to twist and manipulate certain circumstances for their own benefit, but with Liam who harbours the same skill, he uses it in the most selfless way to find a common ground which benefits everyone.

She has grown so close with him during his social season, through his arranged wedding and the time she spent as his mistress. She knows the pressures he carries, yet he is still so loving, willing and selfless all the time.

Being king wasn’t a role that he was born for, she knows, but she has seen firsthand just how well he is suited for kingship, and how well-received he is by the public.

And above all, moving to Cordonia, getting to understand Liam and falling in love with him gave her Levi.

Her reputation was still tarnished, but she feels a glimmer of hope with Liam’s reassuring words, Madeleine’s collected evidence and Bastien’s team with thorough workmanship skills. Whilst she would’ve preferred Bastien and herself to go confront Tariq, she is grateful that the security detail had a team that he trusted wholeheartedly to tackle the issue while Riley could stay by Liam and Levi’s side with Bastien protecting them.

She hopes that her name would be cleared soon. It seems like such a long shot after everything that has happened. Happiness to share her love with Liam in a public place still seemed so farfetched, like a dream, but she cannot deny the smallest amount of hope bubbling within her.

She is also cynical on her potential relationship with Liam, purely because of all that has happened, and she wants to be nothing but realistic. The more realistic she is about the situation, the less disappointed she will be, she reasons. There is a lot to consider; a lot of positives and negatives to think through, but for now, she chooses to focus on Levi’s newly established identity as the crown prince of Cordonia.

There is a lot of things to consider for Levi, as well. Riley is on edge as a protective, anxious mother. She knows she cannot bubble wrap the boy but hopes he will find his moments to enjoy life like other children of his age. She hopes for him to focus less on the pressing matters of the monarchy and for him to enjoy the trip, to admire the beauty that Cordonia has to offer and to spend some time as a family.

She sees him next to her fast asleep, the usual book of The Little Prince on his lap.

Riley remembers just a few hours ago Liam and Levi had been making further progress on the book. It was adorable and almost hilarious just how many faces Liam can make when trying to assist Levi with the longer, harder words. She remembers giggling at the scene before her; Liam pronouncing each phonic, prompting Levi, the noises they would make to get the correct noises out, and how proud the three of them were in the private Cordonian jet when Levi could finally pronounce the words.

Levi himself is a bundle of emotions, too. Riley could see the determination in his body whenever he pressed his forehead against the window, gazing out at the white clouds below them. The worry in his voice when he would further ask more questions. The excitement of being a first-time flyer. The beginning of more intellectual conversations Levi had with Liam that Riley almost did not feel up to par with to discuss on.

Liam is so excited underneath the level of calmness, Riley can tell.

But Riley herself is anxious.

She wants to spill the familiar words that she has spoken to Levi for the past few days, “Are you okay? Are you sure you want to do this?”.

Always the same questions, always the same worry.

And always the same answer. It had gotten to the point where Levi knew when she was going to ask and would give her reassurance before she even opens her mouth.

Liam, on the other hand, has developed a system of comfort for Riley.

His hand would always automatically find Riley’s, his thumb brushing repeatedly backwards and forwards on the back of her hand. He would always notice whenever she got anxious; the telltale signs of her fingers fidgeting, playing with her nails, the hem of her shirt, turning the ring around her finger.

It all showed at this very moment; her left-hand fondling with the ring he had given her, her right switching from drumming pointless rhythms on her armrest to playing with her nails, her teeth catching on to the fullness of her bottom lip.

He distracts her with his hand in hers, his thumb automatically rubbing circles to calm her down. His lips meet the side of her head, and he can already see her little anxious tics begin to disappear.

“It will be okay.” Liam mutters into her hair. “I will be with you, every step of the way.”

She has been so trusting with him despite everything that has happened because of the crown. He can only wish and demonstrate with his actions just how much her and Levi meant to him.

Riley sighs and takes deep breaths with her eyes closed.

The last time she was this anxious, she was leaving Cordonia. It was laughable how such similar waves of emotions can hit her once more now that they decided to go back.

At least this time she has Liam by her side.

-

When Liam wakes her up, Riley catches the last few words from the pilot that signalled the beginning of their descent down to Cordonia.

It was an odd mixture of feelings for Levi; slightly scared of the new country that he was about to encounter, the people that he will meet, the expectations that Liam had set up of Cordonia, mixed in with his first-time experience of all the noises of machine whirring during a descending plane.

His small hand clenched so strongly onto his mothers, and Riley copies Liam’s movements by rubbing the comforting circles onto his hand.

Liam smiles at the scene and nudges them towards the window as soon as they had made it through the slightly turbulent sea of clouds, “Welcome back to Cordonia, my loves.”

Picturesque.

Levi cannot hide his joy and happy surprise as he takes in the view; the brilliant blue skies, the orange tan of rooftops, the wonderful mix of sapphire and aquamarine of the ocean, white seafoam crashing onto light sand.

It is everything that he has been shown and so much more.

Their arrival back in Cordonia is a lot more private, for the sake of Riley and Levi. The transition from jet to limo is nothing unusual for royalty; the second several guards bow in Liam’s direction with their chorus of “Welcome home, your majesty” as they descend the stairs of the plane, it truly kicks in for Riley that they are back in Cordonia.

Riley was eternally grateful for the ‘no questions asked’ policy as they were ushered into the waiting limo, appreciative of the heavily tinted windows.

She feels numb once again at the thought of being back, which put Levi on quiet alert while Liam continues to reassure them.

-

Words have no wings but they can fly a thousand miles. Regina is familiar with this. Every noble is familiar with this. But to take advantage of such a miserable situation is a skill that needs to be mastered, otherwise it would all backfire.

And Regina exceeds in this criterion with such amazing talent.

A normal, messenger boy with a simple expectation to deliver a message.

An unknowing conversation shoved in his direction.

One so scripted, so calculated; on a whim, of course, Regina was more than proficient.

The poor boy, so full of pride that something happened out of the norm, he couldn’t help himself but to talk about it with the other palace workers.

And this is how gossip spreads like wild fire; twisting and burning, raising questions and curious looks for the next week.

It does not matter how tinted the windows are in the limo.

It does not matter how private Liam wanted their return to be; once gossip got out, that is it.

Cars and motorbikes of various reporters and paparazzi follow the limo, the police brigade serving limited protection from the flashing lights of the cameras.

The shouts and direct questioning follows them as they get closer to the Beaumont Estate; the slowing vehicle that edges towards the opening gate is bombarded with camera lenses that try to press themselves against the window from those who have been lurking around the estate.

Liam’s jaw is clenched and his body is stiff at their words.

Riley is half-curled up into Liam with Levi held tightly in their arms.

Levi is absolutely still, quiet and void. His mind is a sponge, absorbing in everything they had to say.

And their words are not kind ones.

 “Did you enjoy America, your majesty?”

 “Did Queen Madeleine know you were gone?”

 “Your majesty, where is our heir?”

 “Is there a secret child behind Queen Madeleine’s back, your majesty?”

 -

“And so it goes; the stings and bites we suffer as it slips away. Bit by bit, piece by piece. Our authority, our absolutism, our divine rights.”

-

[silviasutton1989]

The True Kings Ch.6 “The Plan”

A/N: I really am not thrilled with this one (am I ever??) But I had to get this damn story moving. So much has happened in the span of 3 days so after this chapter we will move a LOT faster (next chapter is crazy).

Pairings: Idk they have to figure it out (lol)

Rating: Teen ( I may have some course language)

Word Count: Look it’s over 2000 but not 3000 that’s all I’m gonna say...

Summary: Liam proposes a unity tour for Drake and Riley’s engagement. Olivia has a plan to find Boss.

Catch up: Chapter 1  1.2  2  3  4 5

"Father will kill us if he knew we were down here, Liam."

"No he won't....we are almost there." Leo and Liam walk through the dark corridors of the palace dungeon. He tried his best to hold the flashlight sturdy, to seem unafraid, but really all he wanted to was hold his brother's hand. But 10 year old's don't hold their big brother's hand--not even if they are in a scary dungeons...right? No...he had to stop her from screaming, protester or not, he had to help her.

They reached the caged cells where a figure is huddled in the corner trying to keep itself warm rocking and moaning.

"M-Miss...we brought you this." Liam pushes the blanket through the openings of the cell.

"Yeah and this..." a frustrated Leo carelessly slides the plate of bread onto the floor under the opening of the cell

"Ok I helped! And I made sure you didn't get yourself killed down here. Can we go now?"

Leo turns on his heals to leave as Liam watched the figure. It scurries to the bread like a hungry rat.

"You two are the King's boys aren't you?" The figure stampers closer to the cell walls to get a better look. "Yes you are aren't you? You came down here to show me kindness?" She says through her toothless grin.

"They don't usually feed the prisoners....I just thought it might help you get through--"

"Stop talking, Liam." Leo grabs his brother's arm to leave "We must be going ma'am. May God be with you."

"God!" The protesters smile fades, as her eyes fill with rage. "How dare you. You come down here with your day old bread and flea ridden blankets and speak of God! I will die soon but you..you and your selfish family will suffer till the very last one of you are plucked from that throne." Her voice screeches as she clings to the bars. The boys are frozen where they stand.

"Your father thinks he is God and so did his father and so do you. BOTH OF YOU. You sit on your throne of lies and murder any person who knows the truth about you.  But the True Kings will come to claim their throne back. To rid Cordonia of the blood thirsty impostors your family is. Ha! You’re all going to die. Your father...then you...then you!" Her laugh echos throughout the dungeon.

"Let's go now!" Leo orders as he takes his little brother's hand quickly stepping away from the cells. They don't let go of each other even as they reach the large door, still hearing her behind them:

"The True Kings will kill you! Every last one of you!"

"That's why I feel we should be having a serious discussion about a wall surrounding our borders, your majesty. I know it may be costly but I have a 38 step plan that if implemented--."

"You mean a 138 step plan, Scribes. Your idea is hogwash!"

The two men bicker back in forth, Lord Scribes and Colonial Martin. They are polar opposites and argued like cats and dogs on a daily basis, but they were loyal to Cordonia. At least that is what Liam hoped having called them to his office.

"I didn't call you two here to speak on border patrol. We all know this is a domestic matter."

The men silently nod in agreement.

"You majesty, if I may, now that we know the True Kings are behind the attack the other night and that mishap yesterday, I propose..." Colonial Martin's voice gets lower as he speaks. "we implement your father's tactics on the issue.."

"Surly you are not going to go around killing anyone with connection to that group! Sire, that's preposterous!" Lord Scribes sits up in his chair."The True Kings are a peaceful group on the basis of legacy and heritage. We cant just go exterminating them because of a few miscreants!"

"Sounds like you know a lot about them, Scribes."Martin says with a sly smile.

"Why I--"

"No one is accusing you of anything. And no I don't think my father's tactics are the best way to go for this issue." Liam taps his fingers together as he leans back into his leather chair. "The intruder yesterday mentioned that the attack was done by one person. The True Kings now approve of it but initially they were not out to kill me.Therefore we will continue to look for that sole individual and keep a close watch for anymore attacks."

Martin scoffs, "You father's actions may have been harsh but they kept this monarchy alive...literally. It would be foolish to not look at your father's rule as an example of how you should conduct leadership."

Liam could feel his leg beginning to shake underneath his desk. He places a firm hand on it just a his father would do. There were very few things that could get Liam riled up but one was to compare him. He hated that. Growing up the younger brother of a future king, his life was built on comparisons. He was the spare, and therefore he must be identical to his brother's achievements in every way. It was a feat twice as hard given that Leo was handsome charismatic and even great in his diplomatic studies. Liam foolishly believed that after his brother's abdication that the comparisons would stop. But instead of his brother he had to compete with his father now. A competition he feared he could never win. His father was ruthless, one trait that Constantine had always noted that neither of his sons had.

His leg shook at a rapid pace forcing him to stand up from his chair. The two men look up at him in shock. He tries to play the emotional act off and walks to his bar for a drink. After a few deep breaths and a small glass of brandy, Liam turns back to the men with his diplomatic smile.

"Gentlemen, I have developed my own plan. Yes, my father did great things for this country, but he also prolonged another generation of problems for me to fix. I want the monarchy secure for my successor and I believe that we must tighten the bond within our own ranks."

Liam sits back at his desk. "Many of our nobles have fled the palace. Fearing that it is too dangerous here.  We must fix this first. Our power is only a strong as those that believe in us. We need them here...all of them."

"Well how do you suppose we do that...drag them to court kicking and screaming?"

Before Liam could answer Scribes, there's a knock on the door. He smiles as the door begins to open. Liam barley slept 4 hours last night trying to form his plan and walking through the door was his answer.

"Ahh Lady Riley." Liam walks to her guiding her to towards the men. Her brows furrow in confusion he ignores it. "I would like you to meet two members of my privy council Colonial Marian and Lord Scribes. Please have a seat."

Riley takes a seat in between the two men. She tries to catch Liam's eye but he only looks at her for a second or two. He needs this to go accordingly.

"Lady Riley recently got engage."

The men congradulate her and she nods a thank you, still more confused as ever.

"Her wedding can become the very thing that brings our nobles back, showing our solidarity and strength."

"Are you proposing a unity tour?"

"Indeed, Lady Riley and I will go to our absent nobles and personally ask them back to court an support her union."

Through the corner of his eye he can see Riley' eyebrows rise in shock. There was a large lump in his chest he couldn't swallow. He knew he should have asked her first. But there wan't time.

"Well, I do believe that that is a splendid plan. Cordonians love celebrations. And since we will not have a royal wedding anytime soon, one for our newly elected duchess just may be the distraction this country needs while we fix this whole True Kings situation." Scribes beams as he turns to Riley (her eyes still trying to stare daggers into Liam). "I wasn't that pleased when the king announced you were to become a duchess, but you are proving your loyalty and for that I thank you."

Riley sees the hopeful eyes of the three men. "Anything for Cordonia." Her statement sounded more like a question a she shrugged and smiled to them.

"We don't have very much time to prepare." Colonial Martian stands to his feet bowing to the king as he begins to walk out the door. "Our guards must be ready this tour must start soon if not within the week."

"The week but--" Riley tries to interject but Lord Scribes is right behind Martin.

"Yes if we can get the unity tour out of the way within a month or two, she can be wed by June. Everyone loves June weddings."

The two men continue their conversation even as the door closes behind them, leaving Riley and Liam alone. The lump grew 3 times once he could bock Riley's glares.

"Riley, thank you for th--"

"Oh you want to thank me? Now! Why not wait till my June wedding!"

"Listen Riley we need a distraction. My monarchy is at stake I hoped that you would be willing to help in the matter."

"Our friendship is at stake! And you didn't give me that option Liam...oh I'm sorry your highness!"

She stands to feet and marches toward the door.

"So are you saying you don't want a grand wedding...one fit for a queen. I'm giving you that even though..." He couldn't say the rest that damn lump was beginning to choke him.

"I'm saying I would have liked the opportunity to agree to this.To be thankful and appreciative and on bored with anything you ask. But you didn't ask me you are forcing me to do this. And what's worse you didn't even include Drake. It's his wedding too Liam I'm marring Drake not ..." Riley storms out of the room choosing to finish her sentence where he couldn't hear. "You!"

..but he heard it just the same.

Issac rubbed the sleep from his eyes. His body was sore, well mostly his face and chest. Wherever Olivia fist landed currently hurt like hell. But that pain couldn't compare to his anger after seeing the scars on her body. Or the disappointment on her face when he told her his plans to join the True Kings.

He needed to explain himself to her.  He had to clarify to her that his intentions where never to kill Liam but to expose Constantine's decades of tyranny. Issac can still remember leaving his only home, the duchy that had been stripped from his family, along with their title.

Issac still remembers walking into his father’s bedroom, seeing his dad curled up on his bed holding a picture of his mother, sobbing into the bed. 7 year old Issac rubbing his father’s back.

“It’s ok papa…” young Issac says to his weeping father.

Issac lays in the bed of the royal palace, a courtesy gift along with a bogus title of being a Count were the only forms of an apology Constantine thought to give.

A sharp tap on the door drew Issac out of his thoughts.

Olivia bounding through, wasting no time for him to answer.

“So you want to help me?”

“Help you?” Issac sits on the edge of his bed, and watches the determined woman pace in front of him. She was thinking. He loved to watch her think, he always have. The way she would suck in that pink bottom lip, the way her eyes would zone out as if she was planning 5 steps ahead. He didn’t know what her plan ways. He never knew, and never dared try to guess the workings of Olivia Nevarkis’ mind, but it was a beautiful mind, one that aroused him just as much as her body.

“You want to help me find Boss right?”

“Yes of course!”

“Ok so I never saw him…well I’m assuming it was a man. I did hear him talking to Mick but I was more focused on the words than the actual tone. And I didn’t get to see where I was taken…BUT I did see a hallway.”

“A hallway?”

“Yes for about 5 seconds before…” Olivia rubs the back of her neck. “Before Mick found me….Anyway yes I saw a hallway and I have seen that hallway before. I figure if I find the hallway—“

“You will find Boss.”

“Correct.”

Issac rubs his back-still sore from his falls to the ground. “So what are you going to do sneak into every noble’s home and patrol their hallways?”

“You know you should really put something on that nose of yours…I think it’s swelling.” Olivia’s sly smile sweeps her face watching Issac jump to his feet speeding to a mirror. “Oh don’t worry I’m sure a swollen nose will not hinder your pursuit of sleeping with every woman in Cordonia. No I don’t plan to sneak into their homes. I will be invited in.  Apparently hobo Drake has decided to chain himself to Lady Riley—I’m sure you have slept with her too.”

“I haven’t slep—“

“Anyway. Liam has decided-for some bizarre reason—that it’s a good idea to support this sham of a union. He has formed a unity tour starting in a couple of days.”

“So while Liam is promoting the engagement trying to unify his nobles you—“

“I plan to follow and find out which noble is betraying him.”

Olivia smiles from ear to ear, it’s a real smile not a condescending one she has on most of the time. It’s one that she only shows when she is happy or she has a plan and right now –for a split second- she has both.

“I just have one question. Why do all this? Why not just run up to Liam tell him what you know… Let his guards deal with it?”

“Liam thinks I am responsible for the attack at the Homecoming Ball.”  Olivia sits down in a nearby chair, and though her face was stoic her tone was hurt.

“Nah..I don’t believe that, Cherry. You should just—“

“You didn’t see the look in his eyes yesterday, Issac. He may not admit it now- knowing him he will wait till he has undoubted proof—but he thinks I’m involved.” Olivia shakes her head. “No. we are doing this my way. “

“We?”

With a sigh of frustration she stands up. “You’re the only one that…knows about what happened. I mean I can do this on my own. I’m sure I can. I—“

He didn’t know when he stood from the bed or when he walked over to her, but before he could stop himself he had one hand at the small of her back, the other tilting her chin up staring into her green eyes. Those eyes daring him to do something.

Don’t do it Isaac. She will probably punch you again.

But telling himself not to kiss her was like telling a moth not to fly into the dangers of a flame- it was impossible. With his body hungry for the smallest sample of heaven, he dips his head to kiss those soft pink lips. Somehow, however his lips land on her finger, as she blocks their mouths from touching."

"Who did you sleep with the night of the attack Issac?"

"Umm.."

"Never mind I'm sure it was nothing personal... right?" She paces back to the door, Issac unable to move. "I am on a mission Issac, I have no time for your little escapades, if your going to help me we will do this as friends are we clear?"

She's out the door before he even answers. She walks down the hall, proud of herself for not giving into him...at least not this time.

Tag List: Ok so I do not want to upset anyone so I’m going to put this with the tags every time. If you want to be on the tag list permanently (this one is randomly selected with some permanent in as well)  let me know. If you DO NOT want to be tagged ever just send me a message I will not be upset.

@darley1101 @speedyoperarascalparty @mfackenthal @jadedpixiescribbles  @boneandfur @andy-loves-corgis @blackcatkita @missevabean @snyggflicka @stopforamoment @agent-zephyrkah @endlessly-searching-for-you@indiacater @choiceswreckedme @choiceswhodunnit @liam-rhys @alesana45​ @drakewalkerrosenberg​ @drakewalkerfics​ @butindeed​ @lienka12345​

[jovialyouthmusic]

Silver Service

Anton is a thorn in Liam’s side, and Madeleine has a question for Bastien

Word Count 3583

Warnings - some smut, so NOT SUITABLE FOR UNDER 18s

14 Loose Ends

‘As Queen in Waiting, I can refuse to meet him’ growled Olivia, but Liam shook his head. They were back at Applewood after the interview with Anton and his lawyer. He and Olivia were in his office discussing the ins and outs of what had been said. She stood looking out of the window toward the orchard.

‘To do that I would have to enact the ‘Monarch in Waiting’ clause’ said Liam ‘That would give Anton the power to make his own legitimate demands, and you would be acknowledging the legality of your marriage’ He sat back in his chair, passing his hand over his forehead.

‘What the hell are we going to do?’ snapped Olivia. She was more used to making a physical gesture to settle anything that she didn’t agree with, and burned to be alone with Anton and a sharp knife – that or slipping poison into his food or drink. The idea of meeting him and just talking made her skin crawl. She crossed her arms across her chest, hugging them close to her body.

‘The archivists and lawyers are going over everything with a fine toothcomb’ Liam sighed ‘If anything comes up they’ll let us know immediately’ There was a knock at the door and after a discrete pause Liam’s aide entered.

‘Beg pardon Sir, Lady Madeleine wishes to talk to you. In person’ Liam made his best effort to stay calm – something he had already been attempting for some hours now after a restless night. Talking to Madeleine was a small thing, but at some point he was fearful he would crack and lose it altogether.

‘Is she outside?’ he asked, and the man nodded. Liam turned to Olivia.

‘I expect you’ve no wish to meet her, my dear’ he speculated, and the sour look she gave him confirmed his suspicion. ‘Tell her I’ll meet her in the library in ten minutes’ he said. Olivia smiled in gratitude as the aide left to deliver the message. It was pleasant to see her expression change after the stress she had borne over the last few hours.

‘Thankyou Liam’ she said simply. ‘I’ll go to my room when the coast’s clear. See you for lunch?’

‘Of course.’ He bowed and took an adjoining door that lead to the library without going out into the ante room by his office. He knew that Madeleine would not be pleased at being told to wait. Sure enough, she was scowling when she entered, but made a curtsey all the same.

‘Your majesty’ she intoned.

‘What can I do for you, Lady Madeleine?’ he asked, indicating that she sit on one of the many wing backed leather upholstered chairs. She sat neatly and elegantly, ankles crossed and thighs angled toward him.

‘Oh please, do we have to keep up the ‘Lady this’ and ‘your Majesty’ that?’ She said haughtily ‘We were very nearly engaged, and we’ve known each other a long time’

‘Maddy’ he sighed ‘I’m sorry, but I would never have willingly proposed to you, despite my father’s wishes, you should know that by now’ He remained standing, positioning himself in front of her, straightening his jacket in a gesture that belied the informality in his tone.

‘Well that’s a moot point, as Olivia is betrothed to Anton Severus’ she said acidly. He cocked his head at her ‘I can tell you were going to enter into some god forsaken alliance with her, I’m not stupid’

‘That’s not something I’m willing to discuss’ he said in a neutral tone.

‘But you’re not denying it’ she sniffed. He pursed his lips

‘What do you want, Maddy?’ he asked. She raised her eyebrows innocently.

‘Why, to be by your side, Liam’ she replied ‘If you can’t have Olivia, who else are you going to fall back on? I’m prepared to forgive you your rejection and stand shoulder to shoulder with you against Anton’ Liam gritted his teeth.

‘We’re doing all we can to refute his claim to the throne, and I have faith that we will find a way’

‘You have to have a back up plan’

‘I’m sure you’re going to tell me what I should do’ he replied, and she smiled triumphantly

‘If the worst comes to the worst, you marry me to produce an heir in order to continue your fight for the Crown, in Cordonia or in exile’ She got up to leave ‘Considering your need for an heir, perhaps you should treat my offer with more urgency’

‘I’ll never leave Cordonia willingly’ he asserted ‘and I doubt that I’ll be taking up your offer, Lady Madeleine.’ His face changed ‘Give my love to your mother when you get home’ she said smoothly. Madeleine scowled.

‘I plan to stay close to you .’ she asserted, but Liam knew he had planted a seed that would hopefully bear fruit.

------

Back in her private suite at Applewood, Madeleine pondered her conversation with Liam. When he had rejected her after Constantine’s death, she was prepared to hurt him in retaliation, but finding out about his plans with Olivia and her arranged marriage to Anton had changed everything. Madeleine still had a chance at being Queen, and she would give it all her energy. Her thoughts went to the people most likely to support her efforts, and frowned as she looked at her phone. Her mother wasn’t answering her calls, and there were no messages either. She wasn’t at the manor at Fydelia, or any of their other properties.

The last thing she had heard was that she had been making a short business trip to Monaco. She knew her well enough to surmise that ‘business’ was shorthand for some sordid liaison. She had been gone for a few days now, with no word of when she would return, which was unusual. Ordinarily she would be bombarded with messages about when she would be back, and invitations to dinner or lunch if they weren’t in the same residence together. She bit her lip and thought again, beginning to wonder how much she should worry. There was one person she could rely on to find out where she was; Adelaide was always talking about Bastien Lykel and only barely concealed how attractive she found him. He had a connection with her that none of the other guards did, plus he was discreet.

She made her way down to security and was admitted to the office. Lewis was on duty and told her that Bastien was off duty. If she’d known where his suite was she would have gone straight there, but instead asked for him to see her at his earliest convenience. She went back to one of the lounges and listlessly leafed through a glossy magazine, and after a while Bastien appeared.

He was dressed casually, and she noted a change in him. She narrowed her eyes. To be truthful, she hadn’t taken much notice of him lately – he was, after all, staff, not nobility, and she didn’t really pay attention to commoners unless she had need of their services. He looked relaxed, not as stuffy or serious as she remembered. Then she recalled some gossip about him and one of the other staff. Well, if he was involved with someone else she wouldn’t have to bump into him at Fydelia manor as she had in the past, supposedly on duty, but in reality making his way back from her mother’s rooms. That hadn’t occurred for quite some time now, but it was a relief to think that it wouldn’t happen again.

‘You wanted to see me, Lady Madeleine?’ he asked, and instantly he was back to his usual self, grave and efficient.

‘I did, Captain Lykel’ she replied ‘I’d prefer to speak to you somewhere private’

‘Of course your Grace. Perhaps the library is free’ She nodded in agreement and he went to the door to open it for her. It was gratifying to be treated with respect. Lykel had always been deferential and professional, she noted, and she was grateful that while it was obvious to her that he had some physical relationship with her mother, it had remained a secret. They reached the library, and again he opened the door for her after scanning it for other occupants and ushered her inside. She sat in the same chair she had used not so long ago when she had talked to Liam. He stood and waited for her to speak.

‘Captain, I won’t beat around the bush. I haven’t seen my mother for some days now, and I’m concerned’ She saw a flicker of some unexpected emotion briefly cross his face. Not worry or surprise – something told her he knew something she didn’t.

‘Indeed. That must be worrying, your grace’ She huffed impatiently

‘It is. I wonder if it would be possible for you to discover her whereabouts. I’m sure the King wouldn’t begrudge you your time on such a matter. Anton Severus may be in custody, but that doesn’t mean that anti monarchist sympathisers might not target members of the nobility in retaliation’ His expression was more readable this time – uneasiness and a hint of indecision, she realised. Most people wouldn’t notice the brief flickers of emotion on his face, but Madeleine was good at reading people. It was a useful skill when one seldom betrayed one’s own feelings or thoughts.

‘As a matter of fact I know exactly where your mother is’ he replied, and she raised an eyebrow in surprise ‘Unfortunately I can’t give you any details, but I can assure you she will return to Fydelia Manor in the near future’

‘You can’t tell me?’ she asked coolly.

‘I’m afraid not’ he replied. ‘I am often told things in confidence, and this is the case right now.’ He gave her a sympathetic smile ‘but I may be able to get her to contact you before she returns’

‘I’m disappointed in you, Captain Lykel’ she snapped, rising to her feet in irritation,  but he moved closer and placed a hand on her shoulder. She was instantly taken back to the first time she met, when he was on his first solo mission as a guard and she was a schoolgirl, home for the summer. His grey eyes showed concern and he radiated stability and reassurance. If she had been able to choose a father it would have been someone very much like him, even though he was marginally closer to her age than to her mother’s.

‘Trust me Madeleine’ he said gently ‘She will be home soon. It’s not my place to tell you anything more – that’s down to your mother.’

------

‘So we have to release him from prison?’ Liam said incredulously ‘At the very least he’s guilty of kidnapping, and is most likely heavily involved in an attempt to kill Lady Adelaide’  The afternoon briefing with his legal team and security teams was not going well.

‘Unfortunately, until we can totally refute his claim to the throne, we cannot keep him in jail. The matter of the kidnap of Lady Riley and Miss Turner is secondary. Moreover, Lady Adelaide’s assault did not take place on Cordonian soil.’ The lawyer said grimly ‘We can however keep him in detention somewhere more in keeping with his demands’

‘I propose that we allow him a little slack and watch for him to trip up’ Lewis chimed in. ‘Once he’s in more comfortable quarters he may very well let his guard down.’ Bastien nodded sagely, pleased to observe that his confidence in his second in command was well earned.

‘Very well, unless and until we can lock him up in jail ready for trial, we shall have to find somewhere secure for him.’ Liam acknowledged. The meeting went on for a short while before winding down.

Alone in his study, Liam sat back in his chair, scraping his fingers across his scalp, tugging at his short hair and groaning in frustration. Cordonian law was different to many other European countries. Thanks to his father, the death penalty had never been abolished, and the law tended to treat nobility different to ordinary people. Having noble blood quite literally meant ‘innocent until proved guilty’, hence Liam’s difficulty in getting Anton permanently locked up in jail. His father had gotten over that problem by more direct methods – those that disagreed with him tended to disappear or go into permanent exile.

Liam would not descend to his father’s level. He intended to use the law to defeat Anton, but it was proving increasingly difficult. Sophia was only one of the historians, archivists and lawyers working round the clock trying to unravel the ins and outs of Anton’s claim. It rather resembled the chicken and egg dilemma. Could a noble who claimed to be the rightful King be guilty of treason, or could the tables be turned and the reigning King be ousted due to a legitimate claim brought by that same noble? At what point did the monarch become the rightful ruler – at the death of the previous monarch? At his coronation? The law was vague. There had been a gap of a week or so after the death of Constantine’s father and his coronation – a week in which Anton’s grandfather Alfred had come out of exile to claim the title but then disappeared.

In the meantime, he had the distraction of the Lantern Festival at Valtoria. Security was not as much of an issue now, but Lewis and his men had gone over the manor with a fine toothcomb. Bastien was going back there that evening, taking Sophia with him in order to see to the arrangements. Damien had decided to take a couple of days off to attend the festival. After that he would have to return to his Interpol duties – for one thing, Greece was requesting that Anton be turned over to them to answer charges there, and the incident involving Adelaide in Monaco still needed some attention.

He sighed. The festival may be one of joy and relaxation but there may be little peace of mind for him, or for Olivia.

------

Sophia kicked off her shoes to stand by the huge bed and let herself fall back onto the mattress, gazing up at the ceiling.

‘If this is a guest suite, what’s the master suite like?’ she called out to Bastien, looking up at the gilded plaster frieze and ceiling rose from which a modest chandelier hung. It had been a two hour drive from Applewood, and she was excited to be at Valtoria. It was late and she wouldn’t see the grounds properly until daybreak, and didn’t need to eat until breakfast. She heard him chuckle before he entered with their suitcases, wheeling them to the side of the room for unpacking.

‘I took advantage of my position for once’ he said, sitting on the edge next to her. ‘If I’m retiring from service soon, we might as well take advantage while we can’ Sophia rolled over onto her front and pivoted so she lay next to Bastien. The high ceilinged room had huge windows looking out to the rear of the property.

‘You spoil me’ she said ‘I wonder what we’ll be able to afford when we move out of the Palace’ She lay propped up on her elbows, chin supported in her palms. She raised her feet off the bed and waved them in the air.

‘We may be eligible for a grace and favour apartment’ he said ‘Though it wouldn’t be as good as our present suite at the Palace. Liam won’t throw us out, you know’

‘We should think about where we’re going to go. I’d rather have a place of our own – you know, choose something we both like’ she said. He reached down and rubbed her back, angling his body toward hers.

‘I can’t plan until Anton’s answered for his crimes’ he said regretfully ‘I’m afraid this bid for the Crown changes things somewhat and I need to be close to the King’ He kicked his shoes off and bent over to place them neatly by the dressing table, following up by taking his socks off with a sigh, balling them up to place in one of his shoes before he turned back to her.

‘You’re still leaving the Guard though, aren’t you?’ she queried.

‘Yes, theá mou, but His Majesty has offered me a post as advisor to the Council. I would like to take that role, at least until the business with Anton is settled’

‘He also said there would always be a role for me at the Palace, and I’ve been busy helping look through all the documents’ she mused ‘So I suppose it will be okay until we think of something else – if that’s what you want’

‘Of course I want to be with you, theá mou. I’m sorry I can’t be more definite, Sophia’ he said regretfully ‘I’m still getting used to the idea of a life outside the Guard. I’ve served the Crown all my working life, and I’m not ready for early retirement’ She shifted so she could squeeze his thigh.

‘We’ll work it out’ she said, and cast her gaze at his groin. She bit her lip and let her hand creep higher. ‘But for now, we really should test this bed. The room is a nice size, I bet the suite next to ours wouldn’t hear a peep if I should – you know, shout out in my sleep. If I had a nightmare…’ Bastien grabbed her hand and stood, smoothly rolling her over onto her back and followed her onto the bed, straddling her prone body and hovering over her, pinning her wrists to the mattress above her head.

‘You’re ready, my love?’ He asked, as a few days before he had comforted her on her period, and as usual they had abstained. Luckily for her, when they were bad they were short, so she nodded.

‘All over now’ she said ‘I need you’

‘Then let’s see if we can be heard’ he murmured. ‘I plan to give the mattress a thorough testing too.’ he dipped down to kiss the hollow of her neck ‘and any other part of the suite you think needs attention’ She shifted underneath him, her hips rolling. She luxuriated in the sensation of being held back, her nerves tingling in anticipation.

‘You’re a very thorough man, Mr Lykel’ she said throatily. He released her and sat up to unbutton his shirt and take it off. The sight of his torso never failed to make her tingle, and she reached to the hem of her top, seizing it with crossed arms and lifting herself off the mattress to pull it off as he unbuckled his belt and unfastened his pants. He got off the bed to strip them off as she unfastened and took off her slacks. She rolled over onto her front to watch him swiftly fold his clothes and strip off his pants, standing only in his boxer shorts, with the inevitable bulge that made her pulse race.

She sat up to face him and reached behind her back to unfasten her bra, letting the straps down and dropping it over the edge of the bed onto the floor. He prowled onto the bed and pressed her onto her back again, stopping to kiss her belly and move down to take the top of her panties between his teeth. He drew them down and she giggled, lifting her hips off as his fingers deftly took over, pulling them down to her ankles. She let her knees fall outward and he groaned at the sight of her womanhood, delicate petals enticing him in. He stood to take off his boxer shorts, letting his length swing out, thick and heavy, and crawling over her again, lips to her collarbone.

She slipped one of her feet free of her panties but let them dangle scandalously from her other foot as he continued his attention to her body with his lips, ranging down over her belly to her mound. She stretched her arms up over her head to open her naked body to him completely, and he spread her thighs wide. Soon she felt the scratch of his beard as he explored with his tongue and she voiced her appreciation of his devotion and skill. He brought her to the edge, but just as she expected her release, drew away. She whimpered with loss until he pivoted his body to bring his hips between her thighs, and she brought her arms up around his neck to pull his lips to hers, tasting herself on his tongue.

‘I need you, my goddess’ he said hoarsely ‘Tell me you need me too’

‘Take me’ she whispered, and he pushed gently into her, gradually filling her until he was deep inside her, relishing her softness, warmth and the snug fit that welcomed him. It was short and sweet after their abstinence. Together they moved, naked bodies united in the search for pleasure, the rhythm building to a crescendo, Sophia allowing herself full voice as she came and Bastien followed. They lay back on the bed, Bastien lying on his side curled protectively around Sophia for a while before fetching cloths to clean up with. Sophia slipped under the bedclothes and they lay facing each other until her regular breathing told him she had fallen asleep, and he allowed himself to follow her.

Next Chapter 15 Up in the Air

[jovialyouthmusic]

Abdication, a Royal Romance fanfic

If you’ve read my ‘Summer of Love’, the latter part of this will make sense. As far as faceclaim goes, I wanted to put across how young Liam/Brad is when Leo abdicates. I’m currently enjoying exploring the relationship between Brad/Liam and Drake. If you hadn’t already worked it out, this takes place when Leo abdicates from the throne of Cordonia.

Abdication

‘I had to tell you first little bro, as it will hit you hardest. I’ve met the most incredible girl, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I was never cut out for this life and I think you knew it all along. Brad, little Bro, I’m abdicating. You’ll be King when Father steps down.’

Brad’s life had stalled at that instant. He was stunned, devastated – lost. He wished he could talk to Drake, but he was thousands of miles away at College in Texas. He loved his country and had planned all along to serve his people in some way or other, but to suddenly have such a burden dropped on him was crushing.

Constantine was stoic as always, putting on a brave face for the people. In private he ranted about Leo’s irresponsibility. Madeleine, Leo’s intended bride was stony faced. She had never been emotional, known to all as the Ice Queen, cold and calculating. Free-spirited Leo would have been miserable with her. Brad wondered if his father would insist on him marrying her instead, and the thought made his blood run cold.

Beyond the task of learning all the protocol and diplomacy needed to be King – he had sat in on all the meetings along with Leo but never dreamed he would have to implement it – was the matter of the Royal Succession. Constantine was getting older and Brad needed to think of finding a Queen-to-be worthy of Cordonia and capable of bearing a son. He had never expected to be allowed to marry exactly who he wanted but being second in line might have allowed him some extra element of choice. Ordinary people married for love – he would marry out of duty. He might be allowed a mistress, at least the laws of Cordonia allowed for some leeway there, but he did not relish the thought. None of the ladies of the court inspired him over much though many of them were pleasant. A life of service to his country stretched ahead into the future.

The De Montford sisters had bid Drake and himself goodbye when summer had ended, revealing that they were to be married themselves within months, to two brothers from another duchy. The two friends had been their last glorious fling, and he would carry the memory and experiences they had given him for the rest of his life. The summerhouse was now bare, stripped of the furnishings the girls had put there for their assignations.

He had not been chaste since – word of his performance spread so he had managed to sneak out to meet one or two girls, and Bastien had been surprisingly accommodating in letting some into the palace. None of them compared to the sisters and he did not engage emotionally with anyone although he was kind and courteous to them. He found he had a penchant for having sex in risky places where he might be discovered – no time for sweet nothings when a security guard or nobleman might walk past the grove of trees or out on a balcony. Emotional engagement would lead to affection, affection would lead to attachment, and that would complicate matters when he had to choose a bride – and that had become even more vital since the abdication. Sex for him had become a need to slake an appetite, like eating when he was hungry.

Drake had gone to college and only returned briefly for Christmas and a few weeks in the summer. They were still firm friends and spoke every month or so on the phone, but they were not as close as they had been. Drake was studying vetinerarian medicine, hoping to specialise in equestrian medicine, and who knew where in the world he might end up practising. He was in his second year of study when Leo made his shock announcement in January. Brad missed his friend’s down to earth attitude, scepticism and mockery of the court nobles around him, and his take on the new situation was sorely missed. Talking on the phone did not cut it for Brad.

He grew listless. The world just didn’t seem to have any colour in it, and food tasted like cardboard. He let his grooming regime go, and when Maxwell tried to cheer him up he smiled obligingly, but inside he felt numb. The endless meetings he now had to attend were meaningless. He was just cruising through life on autopilot. He didn’t realise he was sinking deeper and deeper into a black depression.

 ----------

Maxwell Beaumont sat looking at his phone, his finger hovering over Leo’s number. He didn’t know where he was or what he was doing but he had to get in touch with him. He’d already thought of texting Drake, but he was thousands of miles away – the chance was Leo was a lot closer, somewhere in Europe hopefully. He composed a message and sat looking at it for a while before he hit send

Hey man, need to talk to you. Urgent. Code red

He sat and waited, but no response came. He sighed heavily and made his way to bed, leaving his phone on the side table. At 2 am it pinged with a message, and he sat up blearily to read it

What’s up, Maxxy?

He tapped away

It’s about Brad. He’s not so good.

Yeah, sorry about the abdication thing. He’ll make a great King

He’s taken it bad. He’s hardly eating

Sorry to hear

Barely comes out of his room

Sounds bad

We have to do something

Can’t you talk to him

IDK what to say

Sorry for the mess

He needs someone to talk to

Don’t think I’d do the trick

Dammit Leo. He’s in pieces

There was an agonising pause before the next text, and just when Max though that was it, his answer came.

I have an idea

Oh yeah?

We need Drake

He’s in Texas, remember?

I’m in the States. Leave it with me            

 ---------

Drake had read the press reports in disbelief. He had called Brad but he had not answered first time. On the third attempt he got through. The prince sounded tired and non-committal. All the life had gone out of his voice, and he couldn’t get anything out of him about his real feelings. He had banged his fist on the desk after with frustration. He was furious with Leo and desperately wanted to go back, but he couldn’t just up and leave. He called Constantine and asked for a plane to take him back at Spring Break, but he had refused.

‘My son has advisers to help him, your input is not necessary.’ he had said. Pompous old fool, he thought. He never was particularly fatherly, always more concerned about State matters than his family’s well-being.

He sat at his desk in his dorm trying to cram for an exam, wearing earphones to help him concentrate. His room overlooked the sports field, and he became aware of a commotion outside. There was a vibration in the air that got stronger and eventually made his chest resonate with the thump thump thump of helicopter blades. He wondered if one of the college footballers had been injured and the air ambulance had been called in. He took his earphones out and took a look; it was a private helicopter landing on the football field, and campus security were making their way out to it as the rotors slowed.

He squinted as he saw two men get out – two very familiar figures. After a moment of disbelief he rushed to cram all his clothes into a bag and looked out again. A dark haired man stood talking to security and the other ran toward his building. He grabbed his bag and went to meet him, almost hitting him with the door as he entered the building.

‘Drake, we need you to come back. Brad’s in a bad way.’ said Leo. Drake nodded and in seconds he was airborne, the helicopter flying himself, Leo and Bastien to the airport.

 -------------

It was a long flight from Texas to Cordonia, and he had slept some of the way, but not before having a heated exchange with Leo. The noise in the helicopter had not allowed for conversation and after that it was somewhat complicated getting access to the private jet, so he waited until they were airborne. He didn’t trust himself not to punch the ex Crown Prince, so was glad of the air turbulence that necessitated the wearing of lap belts. Bastien would probably step in if things got bad.

‘What the fuck Leo – how could you do this? How could you drop something like that on Brad?’ Leo had the grace to look ashamed.

‘I really didn’t think he’d take it so bad. I’d dropped enough hints. You know what a terrible King I’d have made. Brad is perfect for it’

‘Yes, he is, but that’s not the point. He looked up to you Leo, you’re his idol. He was ready to serve Cordonia, but the difference between serving and being responsible for every policy, every treaty and trade agreement, every damn noble and citizen is an entirely different thing.’

‘I truly am sorry. All I can say is, when you fall in love, you’ll know how I feel. I want to spend every waking moment with Katya.’

‘Where is she then? You’re awake, and she’s not here. What is she, some sort of Sleeping Beauty who’s slumbering away the time you’re absent?’ Leo flushed and looked angry – something Drake had never seen in all his years of living at the Palace.

‘Careful what you say Drake, my man. I’m here to fetch you thousands of miles to help my little bro. I don’t think my support and advice would cut it right now, as I’m the cause of it all. We need that Walker magic.’ Drake wanted so hard to punch Leo’s smug face it hurt. Except he wasn’t smug, he was a likeable guy just like Brad, and it was hard to imagine he was capable of intentionally hurting anyone, much less his own younger brother. But that had apparently been short circuited by some girl, someone who wasn’t good enough to be Queen and who had tempted him to give everything up. He wondered how the brothers could possibly be so different from their father. Perhaps the strain of ruling did things to a man. He feared for Brad’s likeable nature.

He told himself love wasn’t for him. He had never felt a jot of affection for the noble ladies who treated him like a piece of meat. He had some encounters with girls at College, but even though they weren’t noble or entitled, again he always felt like an object to be used and thrown away. He still felt attracted to them, but in his experience none of them took the trouble to find out about the real him. He was just someone to while away the time before looking for some poor sap to pay the bills and have babies with. He was always extra careful to take precautions just in case any of them were trying to trap him into domestication.

He had turned away from Leo in disgust and slept away the rest of the journey. It was Bastien who awoke him as they approached the runway. Leo stayed in the jet, and Drake did not ask where he was going. All the way to the palace he tried to imagine how Brad must be feeling. Bastien said he was barely eating and had not left his room for days. He stopped for nothing once he got to the Palace and went straight to his friend’s suite. He was starving and before he went in, he asked Bastien to arrange for food to be sent along as soon as possible.

The door to Brad’s suite was unlocked. Apparently, he was in his bedroom, so Drake knocked there and spoke in a clear tone.

‘Brad – it’s me, Drake. Let me in.’ For a moment there was silence, then he heard shuffling and the door lock clicked. Nothing else happened, and he opened the door. The room was in disarray, clothes strewn across the floor, the bed unmade. Brad was normally tidy to the point of obsession, so this was a bad sign. Brad was walking away from the door, toward the window. Drake stepped in and followed him. The Prince barely seemed to notice him and gazed out over the garden.

‘I wonder, would she like the way the maze has turned out?’ he said softly. Drake knew he was talking about his mother, who had left designs for the garden before her untimely death. Brad’s first floor room overlooked that part of the garden. He said he’d asked for that suite, so he could feel closer to her. He turned to Drake ‘What do you think?’

‘I don’t know Brad, I never met her.’ he said with regret. He and his family had only moved into the Palace after Brad’s mother’s death, when he was very young, and Savannah was barely walking. He was shocked at Brad’s appearance – he had not shaved for days, and Drake had never seen him unshaven. There were dark shadows under his eyes and his skin looked sallow. He wore his pyjamas and dressing gown, and although they did not hang off him, his usual upright posture was gone. His clothes did not look fresh and clean either, and normally Brad only wore immaculately laundered and pressed garments.  It was pretty obvious that he had not showered for a while either.

Brad sat on the edge of the bed and sighed heavily. Now was not the time to mince words.

‘Brad, you look like shit.’ The young Prince – now Crown Prince, Drake reminded himself, hung his head dejectedly.

‘How am I going to do it, Drake? I never thought I’d be King.’

‘Brad, you may not have expected it, but you were born for it.’ Drake said. Brad drew in a long breath, looking up at nothing in particular, his chin thrust forward, his shoulders slumped. Drake continued. ‘You know Leo would have done a lousy job. He’s a free spirit’

‘He didn’t give me any time. He just told me and that was it.’

‘It was shitty what Leo did, and he didn’t think that through. He genuinely thought you were the better man, and he’s right. Cordonia needs you, and you need to get a grip. How long is it since you had a shave?’ Brad looked puzzled.

‘I – I don’t know.’ he said, running his hand over his chin. Drake heard the door to the Prince’s suite open and close, and the sound of a trolley being brought along the corridor. Drake went to Brad and gently put his hand on his shoulder, pressing him forward to guide him to his feet. Brad responded almost automatically, his eyes blank.

‘Well your Highness, I have had a long flight and I’m starving. I ordered breakfast in your study. Go freshen up and see me there.’

Drake went through to the study, hoping Brad would respond to his prompts. He devoured bacon and eggs and buttered toast. He drank an entire pot of coffee and ordered more by popping his head out into the corridor outside the suite. Brad emerged from the bathroom, still unshaven but looking as if he had washed his face and had a clean dressing gown on. Drake gave him a firm pat on the back and guided him to the study.

Brad sat heavily on a chair in front of the table laid out with the remains of Drake’s breakfast. When he didn’t respond any further than staring at it, Drake poured him some orange juice and buttered some toast. He handed the glass to Brad, and again he looked at it. Drake took a glass too and clinked it with the Prince.

‘Bottoms up’ he intoned solemnly, and at last the corners of Brad’s mouth twitched, and he took a sip as Drake did. He choked, and Drake got up to pat him on the back.

‘Better start with water then.’ he said, and poured a glass. ‘Just sip.’ Brad did as he was told, his gaze starting to focus on the food in front of him. ‘See anything that takes your fancy?’ asked Drake.

‘Boiled egg and soldiers.’ said Brad absently, and Drake texted Bastien to get the ball rolling.

‘You can have toast while we’re waiting for the egg.’ suggested Drake. ‘Don’t make me do the airplane thing.’ Again the corners of Brad’s mouth twitched, this time creating the ghost of a smile. He picked up a triangle, took a bite and started to chew. He swallowed after a while and then spoke.

‘Mother used to cut the toast into triangles and set it out like a Christmas Tree’ he said, a soft expression crossing his face ‘She called it Christmas toast, and made it on my birthday too, and called that Birthday toast.’

‘I’m glad you have that memory of her.’ said Drake. Brad continued eating, a little colour returning to his pale face.

‘Are you on break from College?’ he asked. Drake did not have the heart to tell him he’d dropped everything in the middle of exams.

‘Yes, I thought I’d come over and see how you were doing.’

‘That’s good of you. Did father send a jet, or did you have to book on a commercial flight?’ He stared off into the middle distance as he ate, not avoiding eye contact but almost oblivious to the need to look at another human being.

‘I came by jet with Bastien.’ Drake didn’t think it was wise to mention Leo again in case he undid all the good that he hoped he had done so far. The boiled egg and pot of coffee arrived. Brad reached for the coffee, but Drake stopped him ‘Easy tiger, get some more in your stomach before you go for the hard stuff.’ Brad seemed a little steadier and made short work of knocking the top off his egg and looked to enjoy dipping the ready cut fingers of toast into the yolk. Drake drank more coffee and surveyed the food on the table. He peeled and ate a banana, and Brad eyed the fruit with interest as he cleared his plate.

‘I think that might be enough for you now, Brad.’ advised Drake. ‘How about you have a bath? I’ll get you some clean clothes too.’ Brad shrugged.

‘If you say so.’ he said, and Drake went through to the bathroom to draw a bath. Brad followed him after a while and started to strip.

‘Woah Brad, the last time I saw you naked we were with Annabelle and Lisa.’ protested Drake. ‘I’ll help if you want, but you’re a grown ass man.’ Brad looked indignant.

‘Okay, I’ll wait until you’re gone. Get out and let me bathe in private – if you please.’ Drake was surprised at Brad’s sudden change in manner, and gave him a mock bow.

‘Your Majesty.’ he intoned, and Brad put his hand over his eyes.

‘I’m sorry Drake, that was crass. I really appreciate you coming. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.’

‘I suspect a lot of it is shock, but it doesn’t matter what’s wrong. What does matter is that you get better. One step at a time Brad - have a bath, shave and put some clean clothes on, and we’ll go get some fresh air.’

 -------

The two friends found themselves at the lake next to the summer house in the cool winter air. Brad was clean shaven and dressed in a soft shirt with a fine woollen jumper over it, winter jacket and woollen scarf and pressed trousers. Drake as always wore jeans, t shirt and denim shirt, topped with a bomber jacket zipped up against the cold.

Brad picked up a flat stone and held it in his hand, studying its shape and weight. He smiled at Drake.

‘Best of three?’ he asked, but Drake shook his head.

‘I never lose a bet with you, and right now you need some positivity in your life.’ Brad nodded and gestured toward the summer house.

‘Do you remember…’

‘Oh boy, do I remember.’ replied Drake with a grin. ‘Perhaps you need to get laid.’

‘Perhaps. But it’s even riskier for me now. Scandal would not be good for Cordonia. The country needs stability. I daresay father will be putting pressure on me soon to secure the Royal succession’

‘You see now, that’s why you will make a great King, Brad. You didn’t think about your own needs, you thought about your country.’ Brad nodded, gazing out over the lake.

‘And where do you see yourself, Drake? I don’t just mean work wise – do you see yourself marrying? Having children? That’s what I want, but I can’t choose just anyone.’ Drake rubbed the back of his neck distractedly

‘I never really thought of having a family. I suppose I saw myself taking over Mom’s ranch, but Cordonia’s my real home. I reckon until something better comes along, I’ll hang around, keep you straight.’

‘My wing man.’ chuckled Brad. ‘You can vet all the Court ladies with ambitions of being Queen.’

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