#the coronation and proposal happen literally the same week

[softquietsteadylove]

Could we get a little something something from My Kingdom for a Heart fic that’s on ao3? Idc if it’s fluff or angst I’ll literally take anything you give out bc it’s just that good!!

Sersi was spinning around the floor with Ikaris, her veil whirling around her, sparkling silver against her emerald green gown. She always had a certain joy to her, of course. But even Thena had not seen her beaming so fully in all their lives together. It was exactly the kind of free, unburdened smile she had always wished for her sister.

To marry without obligation was the best gift Thena could pass on to her sister, and that included abdicating the throne as the eldest and making Sersi the acting queen. Thena had some reservations about the marriage in question being to Ikaris, but she had to admit, he was not so villainous. Annoying, perhaps, but that was a lesser of evils.

He was her brother now, and while she felt she was truly understanding the petulance a brother could bring to her life, their families - and kingdoms - were becoming one. Unfortunately, he still liked to argue with some of the advice she had to offer (as the royal advisor). But Sersi was always quick to hear out her sister, and that usually managed to pull her new husband along with her.

"It is a beautiful ball, your Grace."

Much to her disappointment, it was not the one she was expecting, but rather some lord or another. She did not know why he was saying so to her. She had not planned it alone, nor was she truly participating in it, past being the one who had walked Sersi down the aisle to her groom. "It is."

"Congratulations, to you and to the happy couple."

"Indeed," she muttered. She was no longer the princess and regent, she was merely Sersi's second in line, and that came after her job as advisor, as far as Thena was concerned.

"You look splendid as well, of course."

He was wearing on her patience, of course.

"I should almost think it possible for you to steal the attention away from the bride herself."

"My Lord," Thena drawled, keeping her eyes on her sister, "I should think that you would rather not insult my dearest sister in the process of attempting to compliment me."

"I-I-" he stammered, "I would never-"

Thena moved away from him. She no longer held the power to send people away with the flick of her wrist--truly the only part of her position she truly mourned. The crowd cheered for the guests of honour, concluding another of many dances this evening. Thena smiled.

"Your Grace!"

Was tonight destined to be a gauntlet through which she was to battle?

"Congratulations on your sister's happy marriage, your Grace," another lord bowed to her formally at least. "The kingdom could not be happier for the Prince and his bride."

Sersi would make a wonderful queen. "I shall tell them."

"It does free you, does it not?" he continued, perhaps not catching onto her locked tight posture and cold eyes. "Without expectation to marry the Prince, you are more able to select a husband of your choosing. Perhaps even a love match?"

Thena looked at the brazen lord speaking to her without end. He was younger than she had expected, his hair sitting atop his head with as much arrogance as he exuded in his smile. "Do you have a matter that concerns you, my Lord?"

"Perhaps," he grinned at her, and it made her want to take a long step back from him. He held out his hand to her, "if you would do me the honour-"

"Forgive me, my Lord, but her Grace has other obligations."

Thena's eyes rose, and she failed to contain her pleasure at the sight of her rescuer. "Captain, if you would be so kind as to escort me."

"Of course, your Grace," he smiled back at her as a gentleman would. He even removed his leather glove before offering his hand to her. He stood between her and the man asking to dance with her, turning his back - unthinkably rude! - on him in the process.

"Thank you," Thena murmured as they made their escape, descending the steps closer to the thrones and skirting around the crowd. "I can no longer decline such invitations without good reason."

"I would think that not wanting to listen to him preen himself is reason enough."

Thena attempted to keep her laughter contained, but a faint puff of air escaped her. She held the skirt of her dress in the hand that was not perched in Gil's. "You have rescued me yet again, Captain."

"It is part of my job," he stated, although the royal advisor was not technically part of his obligations as royal guard. He winked at her, "Thena."

She smiled down at the lush carpet beneath their feet. If her hands were free they would be wringing around themselves again and again. The Captain continued to have such effect on her, and her poor, suffering heart. "I keep telling you, it is not."

"And I keep telling you: you will always be Princess, to me."

How was she to think clearly when she had such poetry over her shoulder, no less whispering in her ear?

"Would you like to?"

"To what?" she looked up at him.

He nodded his head towards where Ikaris was claiming another dance with his bride, even wrapping his arms around her and lifting her off the ground in their shared glee. "Dance?"

Her hand flinched in his, while the one holding her dress began squeezing it for her life. Her throat dried. "I'm afraid I have not nearly the grace my sister does, Captain."

"Come on," he whispered to her, even coming to a stop at a small gap in the crowd's observation of the bride and groom. "I thought we had a deal."

Thena's eyes darted up to him and then forward again. Her heart flitted and fluttered in her chest as she sighed, "Gil."

He stood straight, his hand behind his back and the other holding hers aloft. "It is a celebration, y'know. No one would think twice about you having a little fun at your own sister's wedding."

She could feel how warm he was next to her, even with his light chest plate over his formal uniform. Her fingers trembled faintly, but he held her steadily. "I suppose your gallantry should not go unrewarded."

She winced at herself, and her need to make the simple act of a dance something obligatory. Why could she not simply say that she did wish to dance with him?

Because that would be far too damning an admission, and far too revealing for one simple dance.

But Gilgamesh just smiled at her as he always did. He moved slowly, grasping her hand as he took the first step out from the edge of the crowd, "I'm honoured."

Thena forced herself to look up at him as he swept her onto the dance floor. It wasn't that moving with him was unfamiliar, or even awkward. It felt like when he had helped her from the wagon by lifting her delicately by the waist.

If anything, it felt too familiar, and perhaps even too...nice. He was warm, and gentle, and if he were not wearing the pauldron of his armour, she had half a mind to slip her hand up to his shoulder. His hand grasped hers out from them, the other on her back in a proper and appropriate position.

"So, have you thought about it?"

"Hm?" she blinked, betrayed by her mind wandering away from her actions and instead meandering along the subject of her dance partner.

"Marriage."

The royal advisor's cheeks took on a lively rouge as he spun them around with ease. This was not the first time they had discussed such a topic, either. And remembering the last time they had never failed to send her heart into a frenzy.

Somewhere behind them, Sersi also spun past amidst her dance with her husband. Her sister's giggling reached her ears, worsening Thena's feeling of fluster. Sersi knew very well that the subject of marriage - when it involved the Captain - always left her feeling stymied.

"I," Thena started and then paused immediately. Her mastery of language was slipping from her mind. Her eyes slid down his chestplate to the crest of the kingdom sitting right in the centre. Her hand twitched in his again, "I have...considered it."

At her own insistence, her marriage simply had to wait. As soon as she had abdicated, there was little time until Sersi's coronation and the wedding happening right on top of each other. And she and Gilgamesh were at their busiest when Sersi and Ikaris were.

There was no time to consider Gilgamesh's proposal of a proposal, as it were. And a man of his word, he had not brought it up amidst all the chaos of things. But he was asking now. As she had told him, he was asking if he could ask her again.

"And?" he prompted her gently--sweetly. He ducked his head closer to hers, moving closer in their dance to a proximity one could consider salacious. "If I were to ask you, would you say yes?"

Thena tried to keep her breathing even. She felt as if she were drowning in him, and she did not fully want to emerge from it. But she forced herself to keep her face from burying itself against his neck. "Your timing could be improved, Captain."

"Oh?" he chuckled, still in good spirits as she dodged his approach to marrying her yet again. "And how is that?"

Thena closed her eyes, trying to concentrate, and unable to do so while she thought people might be observing them acting so improperly. All she needed do was turn her head for her lips to graze his cheek or perhaps even his ear (indecent!). She gulped. "It is my sister's wedding day, Gil. This is no time for you to be asking for my hand."

"I daresay she would approve."

Sersi would be the first to jump for joy. She would also point right at Thena and say that she had said so long beforehand.

"I will not become engaged on the day of my sister's wedding," Thena resolved with a bit of a huff. "Have you no sense of propriety?"

On the contrary, it was mortifyingly she who was breaths away from pressing her forehead under his jaw just to feel the warmth of his skin.

"Forgive me, your Grace." She knew he was smirking--she just knew it. "Shall I ask again tomorrow, then?"

Thena's heart pounded. He hadn't asked in the exact words, but her whole body felt flush with warmth and thrill all the same. The warmth did not drain from her cheeks as she gripped his hand purposefully with her fingers. "I will be at the garden pond at first light. I expect you will not keep me waiting."

As she had done to him.

His hand squeezed hers, and he even dared to weave their fingers together (the absolute audacity). He tilted his head, disguising the way he touched his cheek to the top of her head, no longer weighed down by a golden circlet. "I wouldn't dream of it, Thena."

[heyyyharry]

Deep End - Chapter 10: Risky Business (PREVIEW)

...in which Ezi finds out about sex.

AU: famous!harry, siren!mc, adult modern retelling of the little mermaid? lol, fake dating, enemies to lovers.

WARNING: MATURE THEMES

All chapters / Synopsis / Moodboard / Playlist

Full chapter: Wednesday, July 14, 2021. Read now on Patreon.

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Ezili stared at Harry for a long moment, trying to absorb what he’d just said. “I had absolutely no idea what that meant."

Harry’s shoulders slumped as he groaned into his palms. Then, he sat up straight, his brows furrowed thoughtfully. “Okay, so for humans, we don’t always have sex to have babies. Many of us have sex because it gives us pleasure. And when we can’t have sex, we must release the—” He gestured aggressively with his hands. “Tension. By doing what I just did.” His face suddenly grew red. “I can’t believe we’re having this conversation.”

“Why can’t you have sex then?”

“Me? The whole world thinks I’m in a relationship with you.”

“So?”

“When someone’s in a relationship,” Harry said. “they can only have sex with their partner.”

Ezili pursed her lips, curious. “What happens if they have sex with someone else?”

“I mean…if you love your partner, you shouldn’t even be fantasising about someone else.”

That really got Ezili pondering. She didn’t get to read about this in those relationship books. So according to this new information, Harry could only be in love with her when he stopped watching these naked girls on the internet and touching his tail. In order for that to happen, he must have sex with her.

“I want to have sex with you.”

“What?” Harry’s eyes went round in reaction to her proposal. “That’s not how it works!”

“Why not? I’m a female and I have the same hole—”

He grasped her hands before she could undo her pants. “No, no, no. Don’t show me that!” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Look,” he breathed, still holding her hands. “I can’t have sex with you.”

“Like now?”

“Like ever.”

Ezili blinked. “Why not?”

“Because…it’d be wrong.”

“Why?”

“You’re like...a child. That’d make me a pedo.”

“What do you mean? I’m turning twenty next week.”

Harry flinched in surprise. “Wait, what? Your birthday’s next week?”

Ezili nodded. She didn’t want to think about her birthday right now. It was supposed to be her coronation day, and now she was here on this impossible mission with the most stubborn target she had ever encountered.

“Yeah,” she said, shaking off those thoughts to resume the conversation. “So you wouldn’t be a petal.”

“Pedo.”

“That.”

“Still,” Harry blew out his cheeks. “You’re like…”

“Like?”

He eyed her up and down. “Innocent.”

“I’m not.” Brave of him to call her innocent when she’d been plotting to rip out his heart since the moment they’d met.

“No, like, you don’t know what sex is.”

“That’s why I want to try it.”

“Not with me,” Harry said with a small smile. Ezi didn’t think she’d said something funny, though.

“Should I ask Dawson then?” she asked, genuinely. Because Dawson was the only male human beside Harry that she knew. There was also Niall, but Harry had made it clear that she could not be friends with his friend.

“Don’t. You. Dare,” Harry hissed.

“But you said it’d give me pleasure.” She kicked her feet and tossed her arms in the air. “Of course you want to deny me pleasure. You literally hate women. What’s the word for it? Misogynistic. Yeah, that’s what you are.”

“How?!” cried Harry. “I love women. I love women so much I watch porn with only women.”

“You’re the worst,” Ezili scoffed, crossing her arms. “I hope you accidentally break your tail the next time you play with it.”

“That’s physically impossible. See? You know nothing about—“

Without letting him finish his sentence, she shoved him right off the bed and stormed out of the room.

[evielovebot]

ask no questions and you'll get no lies (chapter 1)

Summary: Right after the Core Four defeat Maleficent at the coronation, King Adam decides the four VKs his son brought are too much of a risk and, overruling Ben, sends them back to the Isle.

Too bad they're not going to just sit still and take it. Even worse for him that they now know there are more options than to work alone and accept the lot they were given in life, and this time, it's personal.

Meanwhile, the AKs are starting to doubt their own parents and aren't content to just follow orders they no longer agree with.

After a few moments, the present crowd slowly started to comprehend what just happened and began to cheer. Even those who had been more than a little against the Villain Kids coming to Auradon were looking at them appreciatively.

Mal was shocked at seeing Audrey, of all people, smiling at her, and thought she might've inhaled some of her mother's green smoke when she saw Aurora doing the same. Queen Leah, at least, wasn't smiling, but wasn't glaring in disgust either. 

By her side, Jay wasn't looking so surprised at seeing Aziz waving at him from behind his parents, both looking confused but in good spirits. He noticed a group of boys excitedly whooping and felt warmer than expected when he realized it has his teammates gesturing at him and Carlos.

The shorter boy wasn't expecting anyone to react like that to them, but seeing them cheer for him felt good. He saw Jane smiling from where she was hanging on to her mother, and heard Dude before he jumped on his arms, and couldn't help but smile disbelievingly.

Snow White was smiling and cheering at someone, and it took a moment for Evie to realize it was aimed at her. The older princess opened her mouth, but whatever she wanted to say was lost when King Beast stepped forward and straightened himself.

"Guards! Take them away."

Everyone quieted down, all eyes turning towards the man. His wife and son included, who stared at him in confusion.

"Darling, please-"

"Dad, that's not fair!"

And then volume picked up again as people started to voice their own opinions. The VKs were once again shocked to hear most of them seemed to be in their defense. 

"You can't be serious!"

"They did nothing! They saved us!"

"They helped us! Leave them alone!"

"You can't do that!"

They recognized Lonnie, Jane, Doug and even Audrey piping in their defense, and they weren't the only ones. But it didn't matter, because Adam Florian the Beast listened to no one but himself. Not even to his son, as everyone saw when Ben stepped closer to try and reason with him, but the first word hadn't even left his mouth when his father interrupted.

"Enough! "

His shout could be better defined as a roar, and the presents went quiet under the deafening volume and the sight of fangs once more protruding from his mouth. He clasped his hands together, and smiled through it.

"You forget, children, that I am still High King. The coronation was interrupted, and it's obvious you aren't ready for such responsibility." The last part was aimed at Ben, said as the Beast picked up the crown and placed it once again on his own head. "I can do as I choose, and it will be fair if I say it is. Trust me, I know what's best for Auradon, and for all of us."

The four friends, tired from weeks filled with nerves and stress, adapting to such a change and feeling pulled in two directions, a confrontation with an actual dragon and the emotional aspect of their choice, took more to process what was happening than normally would. It was only when the guards closed in on them, and one slapped heavy iron shackles on Mal's wrists as her eyes glowed and she started to recite a spell, draining her power immediately, that they realized what would happen. That this was never meant to last, not for them. It was obvious by the way they were approached and restrained that the Beast had been ready to send them back since they arrived. Carlos was saying something, but even he wasn't sure what, and the others couldn't hear him as they were pulled away and the yelling of the crowd drowned it. The last thing they saw before new guards approached them and plunged syringes into their necks were the bright yellow and blue colors of the Auradon flags, standing proud and mocking everywhere their eyes could see as they blacked out.

☆

"If we got the same punishment for being good that our parents did for being bad, does it even matter what we do? Because it looks like we'll be judged and found guilty either way."

Evie looked up at Carlos, and tried not to wince when their eyes met. They'd been back over a week, and anyone who saw them could tell their mothers hadn't been happy about the attempted betrayal that went down at the coronation. There was a purpling bruise over his jaw, his left eye could barely close, and the shadows shaped like fingers around his neck matched the ones around hers and her arms in a grotesque way. She’d been staying in their hideout since the fourth night, when the Evil Queen moved her to her old room and she was finally able to climb out the window and run to the place closest to “safe” on the Isle. Evie had waited every waking hour for someone else to walk in, painfully aware she could not go looking for them in her state; she woke up in the middle of the night to the familiar sound of rocks hitting a metal sign and started crying as an even more familiar head of white hair appeared from the stairs. Carlos was as bruised and bloodied as she had been, but they held each other tight ignoring the sting of their wounds even when they ended up kneeling on the floor and resting against the other. Two hours later, they had helped each other clean up and they were finally talking about the elephant in the room.

"So what do you propose we do? Show them how bad we can actually be?"

"No, not really. Just do what we need to, and forget what they might think. Everyone has obviously already made up their minds about us. Now it's time for us to do what's best for us."

"Where do we start?"

It was impossible to ignore what he was saying, especially with the notable absence of the other two echoing through the hideout. Evie remembered the way Jay looked at them before his father dragged him off, the effects of the drug still weakening them enough that their parents had no difficulty imposing once again their will over theirs. There was nowhere else to go for them, their safe place too far away for them to reach like this. It had been far too easy for Jafar to get to Jay while Cruella and the Evil Queen closed in on their own children. They caught glimpses of the painful hold his father had him in as he literally dragged him by a dislocated arm to make sure he couldn’t tear away even if he regained his strength.

And Mal... Evie closed her eyes to try and forget the terrified look on Mal's face as she faced her mother, in human form again, and realized she didn't have her magic to protect her (to protect any of them). They hadn't seen any of them since. The blue haired witch opened her eyes, and exhaled slowly through her nose. Over a week alone with their parents would be cause of worry under normal circumstances; with the current situation, it was incalculably worse. Carlos and Evie had been able to get away relatively faster and more easily because their mothers had very few henchmen anymore, but Jafar had plenty men that would still listen to him, and Maleficent had the most men working for her other than- Muffling a curse with her hand, Evie looked at Carlos; by his grimace, she knew he had reached the same or a similar conclusion as her.

“We don’t have any other option, do we?”

“Not really, no one else has enough people for it to work.”

“And how are we supposed to convince them?”

A quick glance around the hideout was enough to spark an idea. Evie started to smile, ignoring how it hurt to do so.

“Say, C, do you remember that device you made a couple years back? The one that was meant to 'change things' completely?”

“Which devi- oh yeah, but it barely did anything.”

“Would you say you learned enough in Auradon to try again? If you had the necessary materials.”

She stayed quiet as he mumbled calculations and lists, and saw the answer in the set of his jaw and the rise of his eyebrows before he even lifted his head again. Carlos grinned, and his eyes darkened, and Evie had hope for the first time since they crossed the barrier for the second time.

“We have plenty of work to do, then.”

[headcanonthings]

Bakoda + Propsal

This is gonna be a bit long so buckle up!

This is tangentially connected to my Zukka Proposal post mostly using the same type of background to establish engagement practices

Background: the Southern Water Tribe doesn’t use betrothal necklaces after the start of the Hundred Year War; instead it becomes tradition to propose with a specially made item that can be used in everyday life ie Sokka uses a hand carved dagger/hunting knife to propose to Zuko

Hakoda and Bato have always been close and there were whispers about their relationship as there’s always been a current of will-they-won’t-they to their friendship but nothing really happens

It really falls away once Kya joins their village and it’s practically love at first sight between her and Hakoda

There’s a little jealousy on Bato’s side at first that is a mix of feeling like he’s losing his best friend and the love of his life but as he gets to know Kya and sees how happy the two are together he becomes genuinely happy and supportive of the relationship

Kya and Bato’s friendship really clicks into place where they find themselves commiserating over how they can love a guy who makes such terrible jokes

Bato is not the sit around and pine type so he does have a couple romantic relationships with others; Bato is a naturally guarded person and it can take a lot to get past his walls and many don’t want to put in the effort (a lot know about assume that he’ll never love them because of Hakoda so they barely try)

Bato’s longest romantic relationship ends up being a casual on-again-off-again relationship with another warrior who lost their true love to a fire nation raid; the two have an understanding where they recognize their not each other’s first choices but they still have their own kind of love and when they try they can be pretty happy and content together

Bato and his guy (let’s call him Yuka) are on again when Kya is killed and Hakoda falls into a deep depression; Yuka can see how it tears at Bato trying to decide where he needs to be so he sits Bato down and basically say “he needs you more than I do.”

Bato helps to lift Hakoda out of his grief and take some of the pressure off of Kanna by helping out with Sokka and Katara

Bato is pretty content to slip fully back into the right hand/best friend/Uncle Bato role and it doesn’t ever really cross his mind to ask for more

Hakoda throw a lot of his energy into taking care of the village and then taking care of his men while being active soldiers in the war so romantic relationships are literally the last thing on his mind

UNTIL Bato gets injured and he has to make the awful, gut wrenching, heart breaking decision to leave his best friend behind

As they sail away from the convent and Hakoda contemplates that he may never see Bato again it forces all the feelings he’s been unwittingly suppressing to the forefront and he promises himself that when, not id because he can’t lose him too, when he sees Bato again he’ll tell him that he’s in love with him

Surprisingly to Hakoda he actually follows through with that when Bato makes it to the rendezvous point and as they settle down from the impromptu celebration to welcome Bato back Hakoda confesses his love and Bato easily returns the confession

it might not be the best time to confess or try for something but they’re at war and a best time doesn’t really exist but they’ve been best friends forever and they both recognize that they’ve been walking a think line for literal decades and no one will really fault them with finding a little bit have happiness in the messed up world

Turning their platonic relationship into a romantic one is honestly barely noticeable to the others; maybe they sit just that little bit closer and their looks a little more lovesick but they’re careful to keep the PDA to a minimum one part because they want to keep a little separation/be professional and one part because Bato really isn’t the demonstrative type

They make it work all the way up to the Day of Black Sun and then they’re captured by the Fire Nation and it hurts so much more than the first time to be separated again

Then the twelve year old avatar and his gang of teenage friends, including Sokka and Katara, bring down the Fire Lord and basically end the war

Zuko becomes Fire Lord and like the first thing he does even before his official coronation is to release all POWS and have someone bring the Black Sun prisoners to the palace as his personal guests

As Hakoda watches this 17 year old boy get crowned the leader of his nation and declare that he will be working with the returned Avatar to bring peace it really settles in that Hakoda can actually think about his future and plan past tomorrow he realizes that everything he imagines doesn’t always include his kids (because he can already recognize that after all this it’ll be hard for them to stay at home when there’s so much they can still help with) but does always include Bato by his side)

He doesn’t propose right away as there’s a lot to take care of they both need to adjust to not being at war anymore and being back home but he does start to introduce the idea of full commitment and the possibility of marriage and they have a lot of long conversations about if and maybe when they’d be ready for it

A year or two post war Hokkaido feels they’re in a good place and while he’s seen how the tribe has started to accept some of the traditions the Northern Tribe has reintroduced he’s not a big fan of necklaces himself

He’s been raised without it, he’s been the Southern Chief for a long time, and he liked the idea of keeping their newer traditions because it’s a sign of how they adapted and survived

It takes a few months for him to figure out what to make for Bato before deciding that he would create a jar for Bato’s burn lotion/salve

Kanna helps him with creating the ceramic pot; getting it to the right shape and size and supervising as he creates the design

He very carefully etches in a design that speaks to moments in their lives; little wolf cubs to show their childhood together; a canoe & iceberg from when they went ice dodging having been apart of each other’s crew; larger boats set to resemble a fleet for their time at war; and finally their home newly built with the help of Katara and Sokka

He finishes the whole thing a few weeks before the Winter Solstice and with the Northern Tribe they have reintroduced the Glacier Spirits Festival and Hakoda wants to make this special for Bato

So after he gives his official closing night speech he drags Bato off to a private spot where they can see still see the lights and presents his gift already filled with the special fire nation recipe salve Bato likes (courtesy of Zuko) and asks Bato to Marry him

Bato doesn’t cry, he’s not the type, he laughs instead and quickly pulls out from his under his cloak a battle club

The bone has been carefully treated to shine bright white and instead of the traditional blue orb a dazzling green stone (undeniably imported from the Earth kingdom), the hilt is wrapped in leather that is dyed a light sky blue color Hakoda has always been fond of; instead of carved the design has been painted on, one side resembling the lush sun filled green forests that had been a common sight in the earth kingdom that had also continuously amazed them both the other side reflects their village as they had known it with the full moon shining bright above

“The one time I planned to make the first move and you still beat me to it”

“...Is that a yes?”

“Yes, Koda, that’s a yes!”

Hakoda definitely sheds some happy tears as he wraps his arms around his fiancé

[star-spangled-eyes]

Forbidden: Part 4: Queen of the Night

This alternate universe fan fiction uses characters created and owned by Pixelberry Studios. Character names, descriptions and likenesses are owned by Pixelberry Studios. Some content in the first part are direct words from TRR Book 3, Chapter 16. The MC, Bragnae Bennett, and story is created and owned by this author.

Book: The Royal Romance (Alternate Universe)

Alternate Universe Theme: The Queen of Cordonia as an adulteress  

Pairing: King Liam x MC / Drake Walker x MC (Bragnae Bennett – *pronounced Brawn-yah)

Warnings for this series: NSFW, Adult content, suggestive and strong language, heavy angst, drama of course, very steamy sex scenes in each part -- IF YOU ARE UNDER 18, DO NOT READ THIS SERIES. Also, if you do not like reading smut, especially mine, please do not read this series.

Series Description: Forbidden is an extremely steamy story that takes place in Cordonia picking up the night of Bragnae’s bachelorette party in Las Vegas. She accepted King Liam’s proposal, despite also being in love with Drake. But when Liam gives Bragnae permission to have one last fling before they’re hitched, she chooses Drake.

Even though Bragnae tells him their dalliance is for one night only, Drake can’t seem to let it go. Once they return to Cordonia and the King marries his betrothed, Drake convinces Bragnae to embrace the forbidden pleasure of being with him in addition to filling her role as queen – consequences be damned.

Master List

A/N: I’m sorry it took me a while to get this chapter out. I had a writing lull for a few weeks, and my mini series, Dirty Mind, had to be written before Part 4 of Forbidden. Thank you all for your patience! This is a fun and exciting chapter. I hope you enjoy it!

Warnings for this chapter: NSFW, Adult content, sex (lots!), suggestive and strong language

Word Count for this chapter: 8975

Setting for this chapter: Liam returns to the palace, and Bragnae has her coronation.

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Part 4:Queen of the Night

Bragnae waited in the Grand Hall for her husband to stroll through the front doors any minute. She was looking forward to seeing him again, but feared he’d be able to read her face. He’d be able to see the shame and guilt that filled her.

Wearing a plain black dress that hugged her curves, she stood there with her hands locked together in front to keep from fidgeting. With each passing second, her nerves spiked with more anxiety. She knew she was a horrible wife. A week and a half into her marriage and she was already turning to another man to fill her desires.

But it wasn’t just any man. It was Drake. And she was in love with him. In her mind, this made things different – not that infidelity was acceptable in any form. But she felt she could justify her actions because of the deep level of feelings she had for Drake.

This whirlwind romance with Liam happened so suddenly that made it feel more like a fantasy than real life. She had abandoned her old life in New York on a whim to compete for a foreign prince’s hand in marriage. When does that ever happen? In the life she knew before Cordonia, things like that didn’t exist.

If Liam and Drake were New Yorkers, same as her, and she met them and got to know them both, Bragnae would have dated each of them separately to see which one she was more compatible with. And over time, when it felt right, then she might get married to one of them. Instead, Liam became king and the pressure was on for him to have an official queen by his side. There was no waiting.

And because Drake hadn’t told her of his feelings yet, Bragnae felt she had no other choice. She loved Liam. That wasn’t the issue. But in this rushed fantasy world, she had to go along with the plan of the kingdom even if she wanted more time to enjoy the engagement.

Now, as queen, she felt as if she missed out on how her life was supposed to be. And Drake was helping her to cope with that. Having her figurative cake and eating it too gave her control where she felt she lost it. Bragnae had a conscience and definitely knew it was wrong to sleep with Drake on the side, but a bigger part of her who craved control, as well as her desire to be with Drake, had won out.

Bragnae’s thoughts were interrupted when she heard a servant announce Liam’s presence. She looked to the door to see her handsome husband strolling in with a huge smile on his face. She watched as he walked past a few of his aids keeping his eyes on her.

Liam hastened over to her, scooping Bragnae into his arms as he kissed her with fervor. After a moment, he sat her back down on the ground allowing his kiss to linger still.

“Liam,” she smiled up at him. “Everyone’s looking.”

He obstinately kissed her again. “Let them look. I don’t give a fuck. I missed my beautiful wife.”

“I missed you, too.” She ran her hands up his chest, over his shoulders and into his hair. “How was your trip back?”

Liam shook his head. “Nope. We’ve got more pressing matters to address right now.”

“Like what?”

Liam grabbed her hand and pulled her in the direction of the stairs. “Like getting you out of that dress. I want to show you just how much I’ve missed you.”

As soon as they were through the double doors of the royal suite, Liam pressed Bragnae up against the nearest wall. He kissed her heartily letting his hands roam over her curves until he found the hem of her dress. He pulled the fabric up over her waist, and dropped to one knee.

His piercing blue eyes locked with hers as his fingers found the lace of her panties, pulling them down her smooth legs. He helped her out of the material one by one, then ran his hand up one of her legs before tossing it over his shoulder.

He gave her a wicked smirk. “Have I told you that I love seeing you from this angle? You look so sexy,” he paused to look down at her pussy. “Good enough to eat.”

Bragnae braced one hand on the wall and another on Liam’s head as he leaned forward to cover her clit with his mouth. She closed her eyes feeling his tongue swirl and lap against her making her feel dizzy. Gripping his hair, she moaned as he slid two fingers into her thrusting rhythmically as his tongue brought her closer to the edge.

“Oh, God, Liam,” she panted. Her mind went blank except for what his skilled mouth was doing to her.

He removed his fingers to spread her lips with both hands, diving further into her nipping and sucking at her sensitive skin. Bragnae felt his long tongue fuck her over and over before gently circling her entrance. The teasing was almost too much to bear.

She felt her body start to tense. Her short, anticipating breaths preparing her for the pleasure that sat within reach. Liam flattened his tongue against her, running it up to her clit again. His fingers returned to her soft insides rubbing deliberately at the spot that would release the ecstasy she craved.

She shouted his name as waves of pleasure took over her body. Her knees grew weak, and her body slumped against the wall as the incredible orgasm ran its course. Liam kissed around her clit, slowing his fingers allowing her to enjoy herself without too much stimulation. He always knew to do that making the experience even more amazing.  

Liam removed his hand so both could hold Bragnae in place before working his tongue down to her entrance again, savoring her. “You taste so good – just like a queen should. Sweet and ready for her king.”

Bragnae exhaled a heavy breath, her clit throbbing making her shiver with delight. “You’re amazing, Liam.”

“I know,” he chuckled, untangling himself before standing up. “Now, let’s get you out of this dress, so I can really show you how amazing I am.”

Bragnae still felt limp as Liam skillfully removed the rest of her clothes. He kissed her again before scooping her into his arms. “Come on, we’re going to need a chair for this.”

As it always did, the orgasm she received from Liam kept her in a daze. He could literally do anything he wanted, and she wouldn’t give a damn. He placed her down in front of a padded chair and guided her forward to kneel on it. He made sure she was steady as she rested her hands on the back of the chair before he removed his clothes.

Bragnae finally started to regain control of her breath when she heard Liam’s pants drop to the floor. She wanted more of him, and had no objections to being completely at his mercy.

Liam stepped up to her, pressing his erection into her lower back. His arms snaked around to her front, holding her close as he lowered his lips to her ear. “I’m going to fuck you hard, Bragnae. You’re going to scream so loud that everyone in the world will know you’re mine.”

She shuddered at his words feeling a guilty panic that somehow he knew she had sex with Drake while he was gone. Being who he was, Liam was naturally assertive in the bedroom. He loved to claim Bragnae as his, but it wasn’t very often that he spoke like this.

She decided if he knew she had been unfaithful to him, they’d be talking rather than fucking, so she relaxed and focused on his hands on her body instead.

Liam gently pushed Bragnae forward, straddling the chair as he guided his cock inside her. She whimpered feeling his length stretch her insides. Once he was in, he pulled her upright again. Restricting her arms, Liam slinked his right arm over her biceps, bringing his other hand up to her throat as he thrusted into her.

The top of Bragnae’s head bounced off Liam’s shoulder with every movement. Her eyes stared at the blue and gold decorative molding on the ceiling until they fluttered shut from the pleasure of Liam’s cock reaching deep inside her. He was in complete control of her body, and it was such a turn on.

The angle at which he was entering her was perfect, hitting the very spot he provoked just a few minutes ago. “Do you want to come, my queen?” He asked with another purposeful thrust, which made her cry out.

“God, yes. I’m so close, Liam.” Her words escaped in a whisper from the way he held her neck.

“Don’t come until I say,” he told her as he continued to move in and out of her. Bragnae’s back arched and her stomach jutted forward each time Liam drove into her. He pulled her face towards his in an uneven kiss. “I want to hear you scream, my love. Don’t hold back.”

Bragnae didn’t know how much longer she could hold out. He was scratching the itch she had, and an explosive response was imminent. “Liam, please. Say it.” He had commanded her orgasms before, and it was incredibly hot each time. Torturous, but hot.

Liam laughed wickedly in her ear as he grunted along with his precise movements. “I love when you beg for it. You’re so sexy.” He dropped his hand to pinch her nipple between his fingers. “Come with me, baby.”

After denying herself the pleasure for several moments and nearly losing it all together, Bragnae released the flood gates and a loud, deserving moan. She gasped for air as Liam groaned, his face pressed into her neck. Their movements slowed, and Liam released her arms so he could wrap his own around her.

He placed sweet kisses on her neck. She felt completely satisfied and like putty in his arms. As soon as he pulled out of her, Liam took her in his arms again and brought her to the bed. He let out a deep sigh as his back hit the mattress. Bragnae immediately curled up next to him, slinging her leg over his waist.

She placed a few soft kisses on his chest. “You always make me come so hard, Liam. I love it, and I love you.” Bragnae looked up at his face. His eyes were closed, but his lips were curled into a big smile.

“Well, that’s my job as your husband.” He opened his eyes and tilted his head to look at her. “Never ever do I want to leave you unsatisfied.”

She grinned. “I appreciate that.”

He held her close to him. “I know you do.” Liam exhaled contentedly. “I have a few things to tend to this afternoon, but other than that, this is all I want to do today.”

“That sounds nice, but our friends were hoping to have a movie night with us tonight. Are you up for it?”

He sighed. “Oh, I suppose so. If it was anyone but them, I’d say no.” Liam shifted so Bragnae was beneath him. “But we will be doing this again before the day is over.”

“You won’t hear me complaining,” she said, arching her neck to capture his lips in a tender kiss.

“Good.” He bent down to kiss her again before getting off the bed to get dressed.

After taking another moment, Bragnae did the same. She slipped her black dress over her body, and bent down to retrieve her panties. As soon as she lifted them up, Liam snatched them from her.

“What are you doing? Give me those back,” she said in a playful tone.

She watched as he stuffed them into his pocket, and leaned in cupping her cheek. “Do you know how sexy it is knowing you’re not wearing any panties under that dress?” He pressed his lips against hers in a way that fueled the flame inside her again. “It will be so much easier for me to find my way later,” he murmured as his fingers gently lifted the hem of her dress, grazing her inner thigh.

Bragnae shivered beneath his touch. No matter what he did, Liam always seemed to captivate her. She was melting and already primed for round two.

“Let everyone know to meet us in the theater room after supper. I’ll see you later, my love.” He gave her another brief kiss before leaving their suite.

He sure did know how to leave her wanting more. She bit her lip dreaming of the next time she’d feel his hands on her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Drake spent the day doing whatever he could to keep his mind busy. He spent a couple hours in the gym, and after he showered, found himself playing pool in the recreational room. He knew Liam had returned and Bragnae was occupied no doubt.

His mind was constantly filled with thoughts of her. Luckily, he knew he’d have an outlet for those thoughts now that she was open to this scandalous arrangement of theirs. But, it still didn’t make it any easier knowing she was off fucking her husband somewhere in the palace. He didn’t know when he’d get to be with her again, but he was determined to make it sooner than later.

Bragnae had sent a group text to him, Maxwell and Hana letting them know of their movie night plans, and this brought a sense of relief to Drake. At least he’d get to see her even if it was in front of everyone else.

Later, Drake grabbed a quick dinner from the kitchen, and headed to the theater room. It was generous in size and could seat up to twelve people in the leather, power-reclining chairs that sat stadium style. There was a huge, blank wall that was perfect for a projector to play any movie they wanted, and a popcorn and soda machine in the back corner of the room.

Drake was the first to arrive, so he took a seat in the front row, but not direct center in case Liam and Bragnae wanted those seats. Liam usually preferred the front row. It was easier for him to leave in case his duties called him away. Plus, he liked seeing the screen without anything in front of him. Drake did too.

To his surprise, Bragnae walked in next. Alone. His eyes lit up as he watched her walk in his direction.

“Hey, Drake.” She gave him a casual smile. Not one that said fuck me now, however. He was aware of the attendant by the refreshment stand, and assumed she was just being careful. Still, he’d give anything to see that sultry look on her face. It had almost been 24 hours since he last touched her, and that was too long.

“Hi, Bennett.”

“Did you save me a seat?” She asked.

“Sure did,” he responded with his arm gesturing to the chair next to him.

“Great! I’m going to grab some popcorn. Want some?” Her eyes scanned his body. He noticed them lingering on the bulge in his pants, and he smirked.

“No, thanks. If I want any later, I’ll just steal some of yours.”

“Ha! Not on your life. I am serious about my popcorn, mister. Don’t get any ideas,” she said with that sass he loved before walking over to the stand.

He smiled to himself over their banter letting his mind wonder over what he’d do to her in this room if they were alone and weren’t expecting other people to join them. The seats were big enough for her to straddle him just fine. He was getting hard imagining her riding him with a movie on in the background and the lights down low.

Bragnae sat down in the chair next to him, putting a drink in their shared cup holder. She tucked her legs under her, and happily began eating her popcorn. The delicious buttery smell wafted towards him. He couldn’t help but look in her direction.

“You really wouldn’t share your popcorn with me, Bennett?” He narrowed his eyes at her, the corners of his lips curling up.

She stopped chewing and looked over at him. Drake watched her eyes dart over to the attendant in the corner, and then turn her head towards the door. He was curious what she was thinking about until she reached in her popcorn bucket and pulled out a piece of popcorn. She slowly brought it to his lips.

He opened his mouth as she popped the piece in letting her finger linger for a moment. Drake took the opportunity to draw his lips over her finger, tasting the buttery flavor as she slowly pulled back. Their eyes stayed fixated on each other the entire time.

Bragnae used her finger to pull down on Drake’s bottom lip ever so slowly before drawing her hand back. She put another piece of popcorn into her own mouth making sure to suck on the same finger he did. It was erotic as hell. Drake had to take a deep breath to calm his arousal.

Unfortunately, their playful popcorn escapade had to come to an end when Maxwell and Hana strolled into the room.

“Hey guys! Ready for movie night? Ooh! Popcorn!” Maxwell said in a flash as he rushed over to the refreshment stand.

“I sure am. What are we watching tonight?” Hana asked, taking a seat in the row behind Bragnae and Drake.

Bragnae took a sip of her drink before responding. “Thor! You’ll love it, Hana.”

“What’s it about?” She asked.

“He’s part of the Avengers, Hana,” Maxwell replied in between bites of popcorn.

“Oh, I don’t know who they are,” Hana said, sinking into her chair.

Drake shook his head. In some ways, Hana led a sheltered life. It wasn’t her fault, but it did provide entertainment every now and then. She was like an alien learning the customs of Earth for the first time.

Bragnae turned around in her chair to face her. “They’re a group of hot guys with lots of muscles. Thor’s the best, not to mention the hottest.”

“Oh, come on!” Drake said in disgust. “Thor? Really?”

Bragnae turned to face him. “Yeah. Are you jealous?”

Drake cocked his head, narrowing his eyes at her. There were so many comebacks he wanted to use, but they weren’t appropriate in front of the others. He wanted to hoist her up to fuck her against a wall, showing off his muscles. He wasn’t jealous at all. He had plenty of what Thor had, save for the part of being a god.

“Jealous of who?” Liam asked as he walked in the room.

“Thor, the God of Thunder,” Maxwell chimed in as he munched on more popcorn.

Liam took a seat on the other side of Bragnae. “Oh, that guy? Psht. I’ve got the blonde hair, blue eyes and muscles for days, too. I’m hotter than he is, right?”

Drake snorted at his friend’s sudden need for validation.

“Of course you are,” she replied before turning back to Hana to shake her head. Hana giggled.

“Hey! I saw that!” Liam chided with a playful, but bitter scowl.

Bragnae laughed. “I’m kidding, baby. I promise.”

“You better be,” he replied, pulling her in for a kiss.

Drake turned to face the blank wall ahead of him. He suddenly felt this movie was a bad idea. No matter what he told himself, seeing Bragnae and Liam interacting together as a couple was difficult. She was giving Drake the attention she could, when she could, but it wasn’t enough for him. And then, he literally had a front row seat to their public displays of affection.

Drake had half a mind to bail before the movie began, but then they’d all wonder why. It was best if he just stayed put, then he wouldn’t have to explain himself. And if this was the only time he’d get with Bragnae that day, then… so be it. He sighed and settled into his chair.

After another moment of incessant chatting, Liam asked the attendant to start the movie. The lights lowered and everyone reclined their chairs to get comfortable. Drake watched Bragnae out of the corner of his eye. She cuddled the side of her chair closest to Liam. Their fingers woven together on their shared armrest.

She was too far away from Drake for him to discreetly touch her during the movie, and he hated that. It was probably best not to play with fire anyway, especially when it was right in front of Liam. He wanted to be where Liam was – holding her hand, sharing her bucket of popcorn, kissing her whenever he felt like it. This fucking sucks.

About halfway through the movie, Bastien poked his head in. “Your Majesty? May I speak with you for a moment?”

“Of course. I’ll be right back, guys.” Liam said, walking out the door.

Bragnae asked the attendant to pause the movie. Maxwell immediately started asking Hana what she thought of the film so far. Drake tuned out the chatter and focused on Bragnae instead. She had turned to face the other two chiming in occasionally with her opinion.

He looked over her body. Her legs curled up next to her. They were within reach, and so was her hand. The lights were still turned off. It would be the perfect cover. He reached over and took a swig from Bragnae’s drink, and after placing it back in the cup holder, he casually slid his hand over to her side of the chair.

His hand flattened against her bare leg. He felt her tense for a moment, no doubt from the surprise of his touch, but then she relaxed as he continued to moved up. Drake slipped his fingers under her hand, and watched as she slowly tightened her grip around him.

She kept a steady conversation going. She was getting better at not getting distracted when she was in front of others. That was good. It meant she was growing more comfortable with him touching her in public. Drake smiled inside. Having this physical contact with her meant so much.

Then, Liam came back. “Hey, Bragnae. Will you come here for a second?”

She immediately let go of Drake’s hand, and stood from her chair casually. Thankfully, the darkness of the room concealed his shameful efforts to intimately touch the queen.

“Go ahead and keep playing the movie, guys. We’ll be right back.” Liam told them, placing a hand on the small of Bragnae’s back as they left the room.

Drake sighed as he begrudgingly settled back into his chair to watch the movie. With Bragnae gone, what the fuck was the point anyway?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Liam led Bragnae to a small parlor just down the hall from the theater room. It was decorated like a cigar lounge with dark furniture and mahogany walls. There was a small fire place against the far wall, and a round table in the middle of the room.

“What’s going on, Liam?” Bragnae asked, feeling concerned that he took her somewhere more private.

Liam closed the door behind her, sighing as he rubbed his forehead. “My father collapsed again today.”

“Oh no. Is he okay? Should we go see him?”

Liam shook his head. “No, he’s fine. He insisted that I not make a special trip to his room to see him. Only when it was convenient, he said. The doctor told him to do more resting than anything else, and to stay away from anything stressful. He wants to be able to attend your coronation in a few days, so he’s taking the doctor’s orders seriously.” His gaze fell to the floor.

Bragnae raised her eyebrows in surprised. She knew Constantine didn’t like her much, so she was stunned to hear how enthusiastic he was for her to be officially crowned queen. She skimmed her hands over Liam’s chest, stepping into him. “I’m sorry, honey. I know it must be painful to watch him go through this.”

He wrapped his arms around her waist. “It is. I know his time is coming, but it’s just so hard to watch such a strong man succumb to this condition when he never let anything slow him down before.”

Bragnae ran her hands up his neck and into his hair, lightly massaging his head as she spoke. “We’ll just make sure we spend as much time as we can with him.”

He nodded leaning his forehead against hers. “Thank you for being so supportive.”

“Of course. I’d do anything for you.” Bragnae stood on her toes, brushing her lips against his in a tender and loving kiss.

Liam drew back with a smile on his face. “I love your lips. So full of passion and love.” He bent down to take her mouth again, this time more ardently than before. His hands traveled down her backside and to her thighs as he picked her up, setting her down on top of the table.

The wooden surface was cool on her bare legs. She looked up at him seeing a familiar heat in his eyes. He trailed a hand over her breast, and down her body, letting it linger near the hem of her dress.

“I’m a little surprised you’re turned on after hearing about your father.” She smirked up at him, her fingers dancing over the buttons of his shirt.

He chuckled softly. “Well, it’s not because of what I heard that I’m turned on.” He looked over her body, sighing with appreciation. “It’s all you. I can’t help but feel this way when you’re around.” Liam flattened both of his hands on her thighs focusing his attention on them. As his hands slid up, he slowly spread her legs until they were wide enough that he could stand between them.

He pulled her body so it was flush against his. She could feel how hard he was for her already, and gasped as tingles shot to her core.

“I knew this no panties thing would come in handy today.” He smirked down at her.

Bragnae reached for the zipper of his pants, bringing it down as she held his gaze. “That’s why you’re the king. You’re always thinking ahead.” She unbuckled his belt, and popped the button to his slacks open before sliding them and his boxers down his hips, not quite revealing her prize.

Extending her hand past the elastic band of his boxers, she wrapped her fingers around his rock-solid cock. She stroked him gently a few times before releasing him from the fabric. Liam groaned from her touch, watching her hands move against him.

Bragnae drew her hand away slowly, and laid back on the table, keeping her eyes on his the whole time. “Liam, I want you to fuck me right here.”

He pressed his palms onto the wooden surface, leaning over her body. “It would be my pleasure.” He dipped down to kiss her softly. “And yours.”

She shivered with delight as he gripped his cock and guided it into her. Bragnae arched her back as he pushed his way in, moaning from the pleasure she already felt as her walls tightened around him.

Liam gripped her thighs to hold her in place as he thrusted into her over and over. “You look so good sprawled out over the table.”

“It’s so hot watching you drive into me like that.” Even though he still had his shirt on, she could see his bulging biceps strain against the fabric as he worked. His handsome face adorned with a look of fire and determination. He grinned wickedly as his pace and force increased.

Bragnae lost her breath from the intensity of his movements. His pelvis slammed against her clit as he filled her with every thrust, sending a satisfying thrill through her body. Her fingertips gripped the table top, feeling her release beckoning.

Liam grunted. “You’re close, baby. I can feel it. You’re squeezing the shit out of my cock.” He closed his eyes breathing heavily. “You’re going to make me come too fast.”

“Liam… Liam…Liam!” The orgasm struck fiercely, lifting Bragnae off the table with a loud cry that teetered off into ragged breaths before she dropped back down to the table.

“Fuck yes,” he said through gritted teeth. Liam’s pumps slowed until he eventually held still inside her. His head fell back as he exhaled sharply.

Bragnae mustered the strength to sit up so she could wrap her arms around him. She needed to feel his lips on hers, and luckily he felt the same. She reveled in their lazy, but comforting kiss.

“I love you,” she said softly.

Liam kissed her again. “I love you more.”

~

Hana helped pluck the eight pound ceremonial crown off Bragnae’s head, and replaced it with a bejeweled golden tiara embellished with rubies and diamonds. She had just been crowned Queen of Cordonia – officially – and now it was time to celebrate.

Liam had invited dignitaries from neighboring kingdoms to her Coronation Ball, and tonight she would be honored. Her elaborate gown was a deep crimson with beads and crystals sewn in throughout. Liam wore a matching coat, and looked stunning as he placed the crown on top of her head.

Three days had passed since she saw her friends for the movie night. Bragnae was swept up in a whirlwind of activities and a jam packed schedule to prepare for her coronation among other things. She hadn’t even had the time to sneak off with Drake, and it was beginning to take its toll.

She’d catch glimpses of him in the hallways, giving him rueful smiles as she passed hoping he understood how busy she was. There wasn’t even time to have a five minute conversation with him, let alone strip their clothes and become one together. It was even hard to find time to be with Liam with as busy as they both were, and they shared a bed at night. Needless to say, Bragnae’s stress level was through the roof, and she was more than happy to be finished with the ceremonial part of the evening.

Hana walked with Bragnae to the entrance of the ballroom where Liam was waiting to escort her.

“There you are Queen Bragnae,” Liam said, bringing her hand to his lips. “Ready for your ball?”

She nodded. “Of course.” Liam held out his bent arm for Bragnae to slink her hand through as the double doors to the ballroom were opened.

The herald stepped forward. “Ladies and gentlemen of Cordonia, distinguished guests. May I present His Majesty King Liam and Her Majesty Queen Bragnae.”

The room erupted in a roaring applause as they made their way through the crowd. Liam led her to the stage where a long table was set up for them and their closest confidants. Once they reached their seats and before they sat down, Liam addressed the crowd.

“Thank you all for joining me on this momentous occasion to celebrate the coronation of our beautiful Queen Bragnae. Please, enjoy the evening as we honor her.” Liam kissed her cheek and sat down as did the rest of the room.

Drake sat on the other side of her husband with Hana to her right. As dinner was served, Bragnae would steal a few glances at Drake when she looked towards Liam. He was wearing a gray suit and looked very handsome. It had felt like such a long time since they last touched, much less spoke, and it was incredibly hard not to dive into a conversation with him without something substantial to say. She didn’t want to give herself away with Liam sitting in between them witnessing the whole thing.

As they finished their meals, Bastien walked up to Liam, lowering his head to speak with him. “Your Majesty, your father would like a word with you. He’s in the royal lounge.”

Liam nodded as he began to stand up. Elegant classical music started playing from the quartet in the corner of the room. Liam cursed low as he straightened his jacket, turning to Drake.

“Drake, would do me a favor and dance with my queen, so she doesn’t miss the first one of the evening? I have to go speak with my father.”

Bragnae’s heart fluttered at her husband’s request. She immediately turned to Drake who was already making a face.

“You’re asking me to dance? Really, Liam?” He asked in his usual snarky tone. Her eyes met his briefly as she waited for their exchange to play out. She couldn’t wait to feel his hands on her again, and Liam was giving them the opportunity.

Liam put a hand on his shoulder. “I know I’m asking a lot of you, old friend, but I just can’t bear to see my lovely wife sit on the sidelines while I have to tend to my father. What do you say?”

Drake looked at the table in front of him and sighed loudly before looking back at Bragnae. “Alright.” She knew he was just keeping with his ruse, but she narrowed her eyes at him anyway for his protests. That prompted a slight smirk from him, and she about fell out of her chair. She had to be careful. She was so hard up for any interaction with Drake that she might just give herself away.

“Wonderful,” Liam said as he leaned over to Bragnae. “I’m sorry I’ll miss this dance, my queen, but you’ll be in good hands.”

That I will. Liam lowered his lips to hers for a sweet kiss. She smiled at him as he pulled away, but couldn’t help it when her eyes flicked to Drake. Even though he knew damn well that she was married to Liam, which meant she’d kiss and make love to her husband, she knew it probably made him uncomfortable to watch. She felt bad when it was directly in his face like that. His unenthused expression validated her thoughts.

As Liam walked away, Drake put his napkin on the table and rose. He took a step towards her and extended his hand. “Your Majesty, may I have this dance?”

She peered up at his dark eyes already feeling lost in them. “Yes, you may.” Slipping her hand into his as she stood sent a shiver down her spine. Immediately, butterflies swarmed her stomach as she ached to be touched more by him.

Drake led her to the dance floor where they took position. As she felt his hand cup her waist, her breath stuttered and her knees grew weak. She looked up at him, her eyes scouring every inch of his handsomely rugged face.

“Stop looking at me like that, Bennett,” he said abruptly as he began to lead her in the dance.

“Like what?”

“Like you want me.”

Bragnae suddenly felt self-conscious and worried she was giving herself away. She swallowed, looking down at his chest before returning her desperate eyes to his.

“Harden your eyes. Pretend I just said something snarky,” he told her in a calm voice.

She followed his direction and narrowed her eyes at him, adding a sassy tilt to her head.

“There you go.” He squeezed his hand around her waist briefly as they continued to dance. “It’s your night. Every person in this room has their eyes on you. Don’t forget that.”

“I know. I just missed you so much. It feels like forever since you last touched me.” She looked to their joined hands trying to collect herself before looking back at his face.

“I miss you too,” he said coolly as he twirled her out of his arms across the dance floor.

She admired his strength and composure. She was so weak compared to him. “You’re so good at this,” she sighed before returning to his arms again. “This is so hard.”

“Come on, Bennett. It’s the Cordonian Waltz. You know this,” he smiled casually down at her.

“No, I meant…”

“I know what you meant. It’s hard for me too. You’ve been busy lately.”

Her fingers lightly caressed the top of his shoulder as they moved. She hoped no one would notice. “I have been, and I hate it. I’m sorry, Drake.”

“Don’t apologize. I know you would have found time if you could have.” He looked stoic with his straight posture and calm demeanor. To the unsuspecting person, he might look like he was bored and just dancing out of obligation.

As the music came to a close, Drake brought Bragnae in close to dip her back slightly. His face closer to hers than it had been the entire dance.

“Drake, if I don’t feel your hands and lips on me soon, I may die.” It may have been dramatic, but she felt every word deep at her core.

“Soon,” he said, bringing her upright again. He bowed to her as she curtsied. “I’ll find you later.”

Drake eye’s connected with hers with a seriousness that made her spine tingle, and then he walked away. Bragnae took a deep breath and began to mingle with the crowd – something she needed to do, but wasn’t in the mood for. She needed to focus her energy on anything else besides being with Drake, and that would be a challenge.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An hour or so later, Drake stopped at the bar in the back of the room for a glass of whiskey. He saw Liam speaking to Maxwell, so he strolled over to join them.

“She’s really hot. God, look at her,” Maxwell said as he and Liam looked towards a blonde woman wearing a light blue shimmering gown. “I think her name’s Rebecca. I’m going to go talk to her.”

“Go get her, buddy,” Liam cheered him on.

“Hey,” Drake said, taking a sip from his glass. “How’s your night going?”

“Oh, hey, Drake. Good. How about yours?” Liam asked, plucking a flute off of a server’s tray.

“As fancy balls go, it’s not so bad.”

Liam’s eyebrows raised as he took a drink. “High praise. So, have you had a chance to scope out a lucky young lady yet? There’s plenty to choose from.”

Drake’s eyes immediately found Bragnae in the crowd. She was talking to a couple on the opposite side of the room. “Nah.” He let his eyes casually scan the rest of the room. “No one here is really my type.”

Liam scoffed. “Since when do you have a type? They’re women. You fuck them and move on. What’s the big deal?”

He was right. Even though Drake openly showed his distaste for the nobility, it didn’t stop him from taking one to bed in the past. Discreetly at times. His status as a commoner wasn’t publicly appealing to some, but they insisted on Drake showing them a good time anyway. He didn’t care that much, mostly because he was getting laid, but sometimes he cringed at the pathetic irony of it all. He wasn’t good enough to sit at their table, but he was more than qualified to fuck their brains out behind closed doors.

“No one here is really… doing it for me,” he said, taking another swig of whiskey.

“You’re insane. There’s plenty of beautiful women here.” Liam smiled at a pair of women embedded in the crowd not too far from where they were standing.

The dark-haired woman smiled back, wiggling her fingers in an attempt to wave. The strawberry-blonde next to her took a flirtatious stance, simultaneously running her hand down the arm of her friend while biting her lip looking in Liam’s direction.

Drake watched his friend as his gaze focused on the two women. “What are you doing, Liam?”

“What?” He asked keeping his attention on the ladies.

What the fuck? He’s openly flirting with them at his wife’s coronation ball. “You’re checking out other women.”

“It’s okay, Drake. I’m not going to do anything with them.” He continued to smile their way.

The nerve of this asshole. Sure, Drake knew he had no business lecturing someone on ethics, but when it involved potentially hurting Bragnae, he didn’t give a shit. He stepped in front of Liam, blocking his view. “You better not, Liam. You’re married now. Things are different. You can’t just fuck any girl you want anymore.”

Liam scoffed again, gently pushing Drake to the side. “Relax, Drake. I have the most gorgeous woman in the whole kingdom as my wife. I don’t need them. They’re just fun to look at from time to time. No harm in that.”

Whole kingdom? Try the whole fucking world, dickhead. Drake was suddenly very disgusted with his friend. It was as if Liam didn’t truly appreciate what he had, what he claimed as his own. And that pissed him off. One of the ladies beckoned him with a not-so-subtle nod, and Drake watched in shock as Liam strode over to them.

That bastard. Bragnae doesn’t deserve this. If Bragnae was his wife, he’d only have eyes for her. He’d appreciate everything about her. He’d worship and cherish her like the goddess she was. And that’s what he’d do now. Fuck Liam.

Drake finished off the whiskey in his glass and set it down on a server’s tray as he made his way across the room. He sidled up next to Bragnae lightly tapping her on the shoulder. She turned to face him, beaming.

“Your Majesty, may I have a moment of your time?”

“Of course, Drake. One second.” She turned back to the couple she was already speaking with closing out her conversation with them. When they walked away, she shifted her attention back to him.

“What can I do for you?” She asked with hope in her eyes.

Drake took a small step towards her lowering his voice. “Would you like to meet me in my room in 20 minutes?”

“I’d love to,” she replied immediately. “I’ll see then.” She spun around and walked to another group of people who undoubtedly were waiting to speak with her that evening.

Drake grinned as he left the ballroom. He headed straight for his room to wait.

Exactly twenty minutes later, Drake heard the knock on his door. He stood against the wall waiting for her. He didn’t want her to have to wait in the hall for long in case anyone saw her. Opening the door wide, Bragnae smiled and entered his room.

As soon as the door was closed, Drake pushed her against the wall with vigor, kissing her with all the hunger he’d built up over the past four days. Bragnae clutched his back bringing him as close as she could muster. Her eagerness fueled him even more. His tongue found hers in a sensual duel as he pressed into her. She moaned against his mouth running her fingers through his hair and gripping it tight.

The fast paced carnal stimulation coursed through his body making him harder by the second. The gown she wore was thick and he could barely feel the curves of her body, so he started to lift up the heavy fabric when she stopped him.

“No,” she said breathlessly. “Please. I need to feel you touch me everywhere. Take this dress off me.”

The corner of his mouth lifted as he devoured hers again in a passionate kiss. After a moment, she moaned to get his attention. He pulled back to let her speak.

“And don’t mess up my hair.” She smiled.

“Anything else, Your Majesty?” Playful snark dripped from every word.

“Yes, as a matter of fact. Once you get this dress off of me, I want you to fuck me really hard – like you missed me.” Bragnae panted as she bore a sultry look into him.

“That won’t be difficult… because I did. Very much.” Before she could say anything else, Drake spun her around so he could get her out of the dress. He located the zipper immediately. “Thank Christ this is easy to take off of you.”

Bragnae laughed, looking over her shoulder at him with her hands braced against the wall. As soon as the zipper was all the way down, Drake pushed it off her shoulders and down to the floor with ease. She turned to face him as he scooped her up and out of the pile of fabric.

She skipped the bra with this gown, so that was one less obstacle in his way. He tore off his own suit jacket leaving a fitted, white button-up, a gray vest, and the damned tie. He immediately regretted an outfit with so many layers. He started to tug at his tie when Bragnae put her hand over his.

“Here, let me.” She loosened his tie enough to pull it over his head without untying it. Her hands skimmed over his bulging muscles, biting her lip as she looked him over. “You’re so fucking hot, Drake.”

His eyes raked over her body. She still wore a jeweled gold necklace, a black lacy thong, and high heels that accentuated her toned legs amazingly. He blew out a whistle. “Look who’s talking.”

She continued to remove his clothes exposing his chest halfway down.

“Just leave it like that. At least now I can breathe.”

Bragnae frowned. “I wanted to see you, too.”

“There’s not a lot of time, Bennett. We’re sneaking away from a ball in your honor. We better make this quick, so you’re not missed.”

“Okay, but the next time we’re together, I want us both to be completely naked. And I want to take our time, so I can appreciate every inch of you.” She ran her hand down his chest, palming his erection.

Drake groaned. “I promise you next time I won’t be wearing a goddamn thing.” He pulled her in for another kiss. “Now, I believe you wanted to feel my hands everywhere.” He spun her around once again so her back was to his chest.

Bragnae moaned approvingly as Drake nudged her head to the side, laying soft kisses on her neck. She rested her head on his shoulder as his hands cupped both of her breasts, kneading them slowly and rolling her nipples between his fingers. She gasped when he became overzealous and tugged them hard.

He dropped one hand down her stomach, sliding under the fabric of her panties. His fingers circled around her clit before dropping further down to her silky opening. He glided a finger inside her easily groaning along with her.

“I love how wet you get when we’re together,” he whispered against her neck.

“I’m always ready for you, baby.” She curled an arm around his neck, leaning her weight against him as his fingers skated a figure eight over her sensitive skin. “I want you, Drake.”

Oh, thank God. He removed his hand and gently pushed her forward toward his bed, so he stood behind her. Finding the lace with his fingers, he pulled her thong halfway down her legs before undoing his pants. Drake gripped his steel hard cock in his hand and guided himself to her heat. He rubbed his tip where his fingers traced making her tremble.

Bragnae gripped the blankets on the bed as he pushed himself inside her. “Ohmigod. I missed your dick so much.”

Drake chuckled. “And it missed you.” The warmth and softness of her beckoning walls made his knees grow weak. “We’re not going to mess up that pretty little hair-do you got going on, but I am going to fuck the shit outta you. Are you ready?”

“Oh, God yes.”

A wicked grin crossed over his lips. “Hold on.” Drake gripped her hips drawing back slowly, and into her again. And another. And then he thrust into her with all his might. Their bodies connecting in an audible force over and over again.

Bragnae exhaled quick but sweet sounds every time Drake drove into her. Each thrust deeper than the last. His hastened pace, the sight of her luscious body slapping against his, the noises she made, the mind-numbing pleasure of her hot, wet walls contracting around his cock overwhelmed him. He was close… oh, so close to coming. He prayed she’d find her release soon because he couldn’t stop. He didn’t want to. He needed Bragnae and this delicious surrender.

Without warning, Bragnae erupted into a fury of cries. Her lungs singing praises in a chorus of pants and spontaneous moans. Her pussy emphatically embracing his cock. With one more thrust, Drake gave in, satisfying every need in his body.

Letting out shaky breaths, Drake draped himself over Bragnae kissing her back in between breaths. After another moment of enjoying their pleasures, he helped Bragnae to stand, pulling her panties back up. She turned to him looping her arms around his neck.

“That was amazing.” She pulled him down for a tender kiss.

“You’re amazing.” He stroked her cheek with the back of his finger. Looking into her eyes he was reminded of his conversation with Liam earlier. Before him stood an incredible woman in every sense of the word, and Liam took her for granted. A part of him wanted to tell her what he witnessed earlier. If she knew how frivolous Liam was being with other women, maybe she’d want to leave him.

“Bragnae,” he said, taking a deep breath. “You’re beautiful, smart, and sexy as hell. You make me so happy. I love you.” He couldn’t do it. Not because he’d be ratting out Liam. No. Fuck him. He couldn’t tell her because it would hurt her, and he wouldn’t be the one to do that. Not again.

An endearing smile transformed her lips. “I love you, Drake. You make me very happy, too.” Their mouths met again in a loving kiss that lingered.

Drake helped her into her dress after tucking himself back into his suit. He’d happily wear Bragnae’s glaze on his dick for the rest of the night. He couldn’t claim much when it came to her, but at least he’d have this memento from their time together.

Drake peeked outside his door to make sure the hallway was clear. No one was coming in either direction. He closed the door again, peering back at Bragnae who was looking herself over in his mirror, straightening her dress and ensuring her hair was in place.

He couldn’t help but smile. “You look great.”

She beamed, walking over to him. “I feel great.” She rose to her tip toes to kiss him, playfully tugging at his lower lip with her teeth. “We better get going.”

Drake opened the door stepping out before Bragnae. As soon as she cleared the doorway, he turned to lock the door. She pulled him into another quick kiss.

“What the hell is going on?” A familiar, indignant voice demanded behind them.

They broke their kiss immediately. Drake spun around. His heart caught in his throat when he saw Constantine standing before them livid. Frozen, wide-eyed and unable to speak, Drake’s mind raced searching for anything he could use as an excuse.

Constantine stepped forward looking at Drake. “You should be ashamed of yourself. You’re Liam’s best friend. How could you go behind his back like this? You’re a pathetic, commoner filth, and I hope Liam shows you no mercy.”

Drake snapped out of his stunned trance, narrowing his eyes at the former king.

Constantine focused his wrath on Bragnae next. “And you. I was right to paint you as the whore you are. You’re filling that role quite well, young lady.”

Drake instinctively stepped in front of Bragnae to protect her. Rage brewed inside him. He wouldn’t get away with speaking to her like that.

“Say what you will about me, but you will not speak to her that way.” Drake clenched his fists tightly considering whether or not to hit the old man.

Constantine scoffed. “I call it like I see it, and she is a whore. What would your father say if he saw how you are disgracing the Crown? Betraying your best friend? It’s deplorable—,” the former king’s sudden coughing cut off his sentence.

Bragnae took a step forward to reach out to him, but Drake held her back. They watched as Constantine struggled to compose himself as the coughing continued. He clutched his chest gasping for air that was blocked by more coughing.

Drake, filled with a burning hatred for the man, watched as Constantine dropped to the floor attempting to catch his breath, but was not successful. The former king lay on his back as one last wheezing inhale was made before the life drained out of his eyes and his body went limp.

Bragnae gasped, bringing her hands to cover her mouth.

Drake bent down putting his fingers to Constantine’s throat to check for a pulse. There was no way he was walking away from this not being certain the asshole was dead. Satisfied that he no longer lived, Drake stood again.

His eyes darted back and forth as he formulated a plan. He turned to Bragnae, grabbing her arms to get her attention. After a second, she shook herself finding his eyes. Fear and shock consumed her. “Go find Liam, and tell him you saw his father struggling to breathe, and he needs help. Go now.”

Bragnae stared at him for a second before looking back at Constantine. “But…”

“Bragnae,” he said firmly, “go!” He gave her a light push to get her moving. Drake watched her hustle down the hallway.

Clenching his teeth, he glared at Constantine’s lifeless body feeling grateful his and Bragnae’s secret remained safe.

[shadowdianne]

Prompt - SQ : "How long are you planning on standing there?"

(Since Iknow you like my ongoing version saying fuck off to the canonical ending of s7…)

"How long are you planning on standingthere?"

The words cameout brasher than expected and Regina winced as she heard the ruffle of Emma’s shoesagainst the floor, the carpet doing nothing to cover the fidgeting. Glancing upfrom the papers she had been staring at, she zeroed on the younger woman’sface, pen still on her fingers and mind filled with laws and rules that feltfar much more complicated now that logistics of different realms and kingdomsneeded to be taken into account.

Although,the brunette admitted to herself, Emma’s presence was enough to relegate thoseconcerns to the back of her mind. Putting the pen down, she tilted her head andtucked a few strands of her own hair behind her ear, waiting for the blonde tospeak. Something, she recalled, that they hadn’t truly done ever since thecoronation.

The memorymust have been shown on her face as Emma stifled a surly chuckle, one that diedalmost as soon as it was born and that hung between them while the blonde putboth of her hands on her jeans’ back pockets, the movement causing the long-sleevedshe wore -far too thin, to rile up just enough for Regina to lose momentarilytrack of her thoughts.

“I don’tknow.” It took the brunette a couple of seconds to realize Emma was answeringto her previous question. Her voice was subdued, soft, and Regina’s fingerscurled irreflexively at that detail, at the way that, despite the palemirroring of a pose Regina knew was Emma’s, the voice that escaped from herwasn’t.

Once upon atime she had accepted that fact, that change, as part of something that hadhappened so subtly she hadn’t realized when it had settled in. Now, however,after spending so long away from the blonde woman, the difference between her memories,the real ones, the ones that had haunted her in the form of dreams and ghostsand shadows, and the woman that now stood in front of her was far too painful,far too ire-inducing. She, however, could feel her magic beginning to cracklethrough her veins, purple biting into her flesh and she averted her eyes formthe blonde figure, still angry at her own apparent lack of control on her magicwhenever she was far too emotional. A secondary effect of her time outside andone she knew would only disappear with time.  Nibbling her bottom lip, she willed the magicto disappear even if she was aware that the harm was already done: Emma’s ownpower was attuned to hers, the blonde’s own dirty white sparks were alreadydancing on her eyes by the time she was able to re-focus her gaze on her.

Which onlymade the shudder that run through her body much harder to hide from her.

It didn’tmatter what version of the blonde she found looking at her after all; Emma alwayscould sense things she sometimes wished she couldn’t. Opening her mouth,letting her lips immobile for a second too long, Regina waited until thepressure of the silence that filled the room felt unbearable.

And, fromwhat she knew about the younger woman, if she was irked, Emma’s own skin mustbe crawling.

“Emma…” Shedidn’t finish the sentence, not entirely sure what she wanted to say. What onecould say to the woman she had almost stopped an entire coronation for? Consequencesbe damned, the way nobles, those who now saw her as a hero apparently, wouldsee her if she even didn’t follow through the actual process, not a blip on herradar as she had stared at Snow while trying hard not to mention Emma’s name.

What onecould say to that woman indeed. The woman who had arrived, late but warm andwhile still strangely cagey, a brighter version that the one Regina had seenforwhat she had thought would be the last time. To the woman who had beenstanding right next to her throughout the whole evening once Hope had fallenasleep, not saying much but engaging in conversations and having, quiteliterally sometimes, Regina’s back when her previous epithet as Queen came in aconversation. To the woman who, after the party had started to dwindle, had proposeda stroll. The idea too chivalrous, too echoey of a world that Emma hadn’t beenpart of even if Regina had had and, despite that, Regina had accepted the offerwith only a frown and a nod.

To thewoman who, as they walked through the castle, had almost grasped her handseveral times, always stopping herself in the last seconds, dirty white on hereyes, pupils dilated and irises dark. To the woman who had muttered hundredths ofapologies before telling her one simple thing.

“I want to kiss you.”

“It wasstrange not seeing you for our meetings.”

Regina blinked,back in the present, as Emma approached her, hands still inside her pockets,shoulders rising.

“I know youweren’t going to be here, of course. But… I still almost came a few times.”

Thebrunette couldn’t say anything to the raw honesty Emma’s words exuded. She knewwhat the blonde was talking about of course. By the time she had gone to saveHenry, the blonde’s friendship with her had reached some short of impasseneither of them seemed to truly know how to maneuver. They were still close,magic as strong as ever whenever they were needed to defend the town, butRegina couldn’t stay with Emma for too long before she needed to walk away, ahole inside her chest. The only moments when both still kept having some timetogether were in those weekly meetings in where Emma kept bringing her files toher. Despite both of them knowing there was no need to do such a thing.

And now Emmastood in front of her admitting she had missed those meetings, those momentseach week in where they could almost pretend that everything was simple. Orsimpler, than it had been back then. Swallowing a far too dry reply, Reginatook a deep breath and eyed the taller woman.

She hadn’tbeen evading her, not really, but the fact still made her fingers tingle, herskin on fire beneath her clothes.

“If youhave come for that…”

Emmainterrupted her, taking another step towards the other side of the table, chinraised suddenly, cocky, brave, Emma.

“I didn’tcome for that.”

Regina’smind latched on those; a barely-there memory of a dream she had had once swirlingon her brain as she stood slowly, tips of her fingers pressed against the table’ssurface.

“Then what did you come for.”

She couldalmost hear the words, escaping her mouth, painting themselves in the air withquill and ink. Muscles aching, she fought against the sensation, swallowing thewords, trapping them between her teeth as she refused to say them. She wasn’t apuppet on an already told story. Not like that.

And sheknew there were a myriad of things she could do; she could ask Emma to leave, askher to stay, ask why, after so many years, it had been there, after acoronation, after everything, when Emma had finally decided to admit somethingRegina had known ever since Neverland. She could ask and she could demand butshe didn’t feel like doing neither of those things.

Pushingherself away from the desk, she circled it with slow strides as Emma’s eyesfollowed her movements. Taking a step back when Regina finally came to herside, the blonde freed her hands and let them hand limp at both sides, sparksbreaking free from her skin, biting into her, trailing through Emma’s neckbefore they were swallowed back.

“I want tokiss you.”

The words,echoed back after some weeks, elicited a gasp from the blonde, clearly not havingexpected that.

Which onlyspurred Regina further.

“I want tokiss you.” The brunette said, tasting the words, savoring them as she kept hereyes on Emma, not blinking, chest barely moving and lightheadedness beginningto settle at the very back of her skull. “I want to tell you that I’ve lovedyou for a very long time and that seeing you with him killed me. I want to tellyou how angry I am that you let him was what destroyed you. That I didn’t wantfor the marriage to happen. That I tried to tell you this very same thing timeand time again only for you to pull away.” As much as she tried, her breathingwas labored by the end of her speech and Regina pressed her lips together,voice quivering when she finally continued. “I want to tell you that we both knewthis.”

Emma’sanswer was a nod, so minute, so short, Regina almost missed it. Almost.

But shedidn’t and for that she lowered her eyes for a moment, magic resurfacing, cracklingand far too warm for her body to bear; blisters raising on the palm of herhands only to be healed seconds after.

“I want tokiss you.” She repeated. Simple.

And Emma’slips rose and curved.

“I know.”The same words Regina had used on her a few weeks prior. Only that, rather thandoing the same the brunette had done at the time, Emma closed the space betweenthem, hands grasping Regina’s, effectively suffocating the beginning of flameson her fingers as she closed her eyes and crashed her lips against the olderwoman’s.

“I know.”

[orbemnews]

S Carolina considers ban on trans students in girls’ sports S Carolina considers ban on trans students in girls’ sports House subcommittee didn’t take a vote on the bill Updated: 8:14 AM EST Feb 24, 2021 Hide Transcript Show Transcript WE TAKE A LOOK AT HOW LONG THOSE CHANGES LAST COMING UP. NIGEL: STARTING TODAY, EDUCATORS IN NORTH CAROLINA ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE VACCINE. IT’S PART OF A STAGGERED GROUP THREE ROLLOUT. WYFF NEWS 4’S KYLIE JONES IS LIVE NOW FROM HENDERSON COUNTY, WITH WHO THIS INCLUDES. GOOD MORNING, KYLIE. KYLIE DANA AND NIGEL, GOOD : MORNING. THIS IS SPECIFICALLY GROUP THREE A. IT INCLUDES ANYONE WHO WORKS IN CHILDCARE, OR PRE-K THROUGH 12 SCHOOLS. IN HIS ANNOUNCEMENT, GOVERNOR RAY COOPER SAYS TEACHERS, BUS AND VAN DRIVERS, CUSTODIAL AND MAINTENANCE STAFF, AND FOOD SERVICE WORKERS WILL BE ELIGIBLE FIRST. GROUP ALSO INCLUDES, STAFF IN THREE CHILDCARE CENTERS AND HOMES, HEAD START PROGRAMS, PRESCHOOL AND PRE-K PROGRAMS, AND STAFF IN PUBLIC, PRIVATE AND CHARTER SCHOOLS. THE NORTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF EDUCATORS RESPONDED TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT. THEY SAID THE PRIORITIZATION OF ANYONE IN CHILDCARE OR EDUCATION, WILL GET EVERYONE BACK IN THE CLASSROOM MORE QUICKLY. COOPER SAYS THEY HOPE TO START ADDING THE OTHER FRONTLINE WORKERS INTO THE MIX ON MARC 10. DANA AND NIGEL? NIGEL: THANK YOU. NORTH CAROLINA’S NEW CONFIRMED CORONAVIRUS CASES ARE THE LOWEST WE HAVE SEEN SINCE EARLY NOVEMBER. OFFICIALS REPORTED JUST OVER 1500 NEW CASES, WITH A POSITIVITY RATE OF 6.2%. DANA: SOUTH CAROLINA REPORTED A SIMILAR POSITIVITY RATE, WIT 718 NEW CASES. IN SOUTH CAROLINA, 7436 PEOPLE HAVE DIED WITH COVID. NORTH CAROLINA IS REPORTING 11,000 DEATHS, AND IN GEORGIA, MORE THAN PEOPLE HAVE DIED. 14,700NIGEL: STARTING TODAY, BUSINESSES WITH FEWER THAN 20 EMPLOYEES HAVE AN EXCLUSIVE TWO WEEK WINDOW TO APPLY FOR COVID RELIEF. THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS EXPANDING THE PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM. IN MARCH, NEW RULES WILL ALLOW MORE BUSINESSES TO PARTICIPATE. THE PPP PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO HELP BUSINESSES IMPACTED B PANDEMIC LOCKDOWN MEASURES. DANA: NEW OVERNIGHT, TIGER WOODS IS AWAKE AND RESPONSIVE, FOLLOWING SEVERAL SURGERIES AFTER HIS ROLLOVER CRASH. NIGEL: THE HIGHLY ACCLAIMED GOLFER’S TEAM TWEETED, HE HAD A ROD PLACED IN HIS TIBIA AND SCREWS AND PINS TO STABILIZE HIS ANKLE. RIGHT NOW, NO WORD ON WHAT CAUSED THE CRASH TUESDAY MORNING IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. WOODS WAS THE ONLY ONE IN THE VEHICLE, AND NO OTHER CARS WERE INVOLVED. HE WAS WEARING A SEATBELT. DANA: SWITCHING GEARS THIS MORNING CONGRESS IS PREPARING TO , CONTINUE ITS INVESTIGATION INTO THE DEADLY JANUARY ATTACK ON THE CAPITOL. SECURITY OFFICIALS CLAIMED MISSED INTELLIGENCE WAS TO BLAME FOR THE BREACH. NIGEL: NOW, IT’S THE HOUSE’S TURN TO HEAR FROM THEM. JARRED HILL IS IN OUR EXCLUSIVE WASHINGTON BUREAU WITH A LOOK AHEAD. JARRED: A BIG FOCUS TODAY IS ON THE DAMAGE FROM THE JANUARY RIOT NOT JUST TO THE CAPITOL , BUILDING ITSELF, BUT LOOKING AT HOW THE ATTACK IMPACTED T PEOPLE WHO WORK THERE, FROM CONGRESSIONAL STAFF TO FOLKS RESPONSIBLE FOR CLEANING UP AFTER SPENDING HOURS ON LOCKDOWN. THIS COMES AFTER YESTERDAY’S JOINT SENATE HEARING. WHERE SECURITY OFFICIALS, RESPONSIBLE FOR PROTECTING THE CAPITOL, DESCRIBED FAILURES ACROSS THE BOARD. THEY SAID SOME INTELLIGENCE WARNINGS NEVER MADE IT UP THE CHAIN OF COMMAND. IN PARTICULAR, AN FBI THAT CAME IN THE NIGHT BEFORE THE ATTACK BUT THE FORMER CAPITOL POLICE , CHIEF SAID HE DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT IT UNTIL TWO DAYS AGO. MEANWHILE, THERE ARE STILL QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT LAW ENFORCEMENT KNEW BEFOREHAND. WHY CAPITOL POLICE WERE SO AND UNPREPARED. PAUL BASED ON THE INTELLIGENCE, : WE ALL BELIEVED THAT THE PLAN MET THE THREAT AND THAT WE WERE PREPARED. WE NOW KNOW THAT WE HAD THE WRONG PLAN I WAS JUST STUNNED THAT YOU >> KNOW, I HAVE OFFICERS THAT WERE OUT THERE LITERALLY FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES. JARRED: THERE ARE MORE HEARINGS ON THIS TOMORROW AND NEXT WEEK. AS LAWMAKERS TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BEST SECURE THE CAPITOL COMPLEX, AND KEEP IT ACCESSIBL — TO THE PUBLIC. IN WASHINGTON, I’M JARRED HILL WYFF NEWS 4 4. NIGEL: NEW DETAILS ON A FIRE IN SPARTANBURG COUNTY. THE CORONER SAYS A TODDLER DIED. DANA: THE FIRE MARSHALL IS WORKING WITH THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE TO FIND OUT WHAT SET OFF THE FLAMES. IT STARTED TUESDAY AFTERNOON AT A MOBILE HOME COMMUNITY ON LAPEAR DRIVE, OFF HARMON DRIVE. FIRE CREWS SAY WHEN THEY GOT THERE, THE MAJORITY OF THE HOME WAS ON FIRE. THE CORONER SAYS 19-MONTH-OLD BROOKLYN FOSTER DIED. NIGEL: RIGHT NOW IN ANDERSON COUNTY, OSHA AND THE CORONER ARE INVESTIGATING A WORK-RELATED ACCIDENT. IT HAPPENED TUESDAY AFTERNOON ON WEST FRANKLIN STREET. A TREE FELL AND HIT A LIFT BUCKET. THE CORONER SAYS JACOB WILLIAMS FELL 30 FEET TO THE GROUND, AN DIED AT THE HOSPITAL. DANA: ASHEVILLE POLICE ARE ASKING FOR YOUR HELP, FINDING A MISSING CAR AND PUPPY. IT WAS PARKED AT WESTGATE SHOPPING CENTER MONDAY NIGHT. POLICE SAY THE CAR IS A SILVER 2008 SUBARU IMPREZA. WITH A DENT ON THE LEFT BACK FENDER. MAMA WRITTEN IN PINK ON THE DRIVER’S SIDE WINDO AND “LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE” ON THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. NORTH CAROLINA PLATE 263 571 -14. AND THE PUPPY IS A SEVEN WEEK OLD PIT BLUE HEELER AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD MIX. NIGEL: IN TEXAS, FOUR ENERGY BOARD MEMBERS ARE RESIGNING, AFTER CATASTROPHIC BLACKOUTS DURING THE WINTER STOR MORE THAN 3 MILLION PEOPLE WERE WITHOUT ELECTRICITY. THE DROP IN TEMPERATURE LED TO FIRST PIPES, AND A SEVERE WATER CRISIS TO FOLLOW. THE BOARD MEMBERS SAY THEY’RE RESIGNING TO ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS. THE GOVERNOR SAID HE WELCOMED THE RESIGNATIONS. ALSO IN TEXAS, NEW VIDEO SHOWS A FIERY EXPLOSION, AFTER A TRAIN AND 18-WHEELER COLLIDED. THE DRIVER WAS NOT HURT. CREWS FOUND ABOUT A DOZEN OF THE TRAIN’S CARS OVERTURNED, AND ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THEY WERE CARRYING GASOLINE, COAL AND PETROLEUM PRODUCT. OFFICIALS SAY IT COULD TAKE DAYS TO FULLY PUT OUT THE FLAMES. DANA GAMESTOP IS LOOKING FOR A NEW CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER. JIM BELL WILL RESIGN MARCH 26. THE COMPANY HINTED THE MOVE IS TO HELP TRANSFORM THE COMPANY INTO AN ONLINE RETAILER. REDDIT USERS CAUSED A MASSIVE SPIKE AND LATER, DROP IN GAMESTOP’S STOCK. THE COMPANY ANNOUNCED LAST FALL IT WAS PLANNING ON CLOSING UP TO 450 STORES AROUND THE WORLD. — STORES. NIGEL: TODAY, THE DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKFORCE WILL HOLD A MASSIVE STATEWIDE VIRTUAL HIRING EVENT. THE FIRST HOUR WILL ONLY BE OPEN TO VETERANS. WE ARE TOLD THERE WILL BE MORE THAN 90 EMPLOYERS AVAILABLE, WITH MORE THAN JOBS AVAILABLE. 2900 THE EVENT OPENS UP TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC FROM 10:00 A.M. TO 1:00 THOSE WANTING TO TAKE P.M.. PART MUST REGISTER AND UPLOAD THEIR RESUME. DANA: THE A.C. HOTEL BY MARRIOTT IS NOW OPEN. LET’S TAKE A LIVE LOOK OUTSIDE. IT’S IS ON THE CORNER OF MAIN AND BROAD STREETS. PALOMA IS NOW ALSO OPEN. IT’S THE FIRST OF SEVEN FOOD AND BEVERAGE CONCEPTS AT THE HOTEL. PALOMA OFFERS A MEDITERRANEAN-INSPIRED TAPAS BAR ON THE GROUND FLOOR WITH INDOOR AND OUTDOOR DINING IT HAS BEEN NICE TO SEE A FEW PEOPLE DRIVING BY. ALDI IS COMING TO MAULDIN. THE GROCERY STORE HELD A GROUNDBREAKING TUESDAY MORNING. IT WILL BEGIN HIRING FOR THE NEW STORE THIS SUMMER. NIGEL: HAPPENING TODAY, A BLOOD DRIVE IN HENDERSONVILLE. ADVENT HEALTH HENDERSONVILLE IS PARTNERING WITH THE BLOOD CONNECTION. THEY’LL BE AT THE MAIN HOSPITAL CAMPUS, FROM 10:00 A.M. 23:00 ALL DONORS WILL BE P.M.. SCREENED FOR COVID ANTIBODIES, AND WILL GET A 20 DOLLAR GIFT CARD DANA: BALLET SPARTANBURG GOT SOME NEEDED FUNDING RECENT THANKS TO A TIK TOK MEGA STA CHARLI D’AMELIO IS A DANCER AND HAS THE MOST FOLLOWERS ON TIK-TOK WITH ONE HUNDRED AND 8 — TIKTOK IS A VIDEO SHARING $8.7 MILLION. SOCIAL NETWORK SITE. ONCE SHE ECLIPSED ONE HUNDRED MILLION FOLLOWERS, TIK TOK DONATED $10 MILLION TO AMERICAN DANCE MOVEMENT IN HER NAME. WE’RE TOLD THAT WAS DIVIDED AMONGST 10 NATIONAL DANCE STUDIOS ONE BEING BALLET SPARTANBURG. BALLET SPARTANBURG SAYS THE $10,000 WILL DIRECTLY IMPACT DANCE STUDENTS AND TEACH S Carolina considers ban on trans students in girls’ sports House subcommittee didn’t take a vote on the bill Updated: 8:14 AM EST Feb 24, 2021 House members spent more than an hour Tuesday listening to testimony on a bill in South Carolina that would prevent transgender students from playing on girls’ sports teams in middle and high school.It wasn’t enough time to hear from everyone, so the House subcommittee didn’t take a vote on the bill.(Video above: Wednesday headlines) Rep. Ashley Trantham sponsored the proposal. She said there have been no complaints of transgender students playing on girls’ teams yet, but her intention was to prevent it from happening before it could become a problem.“The next generation of female athletes in South Carolina may not have the chance to excel in those same sports,” the Republican from Pelzer said.All athletes in South Carolina would have to play on teams based on their “biological sex” listed on their birth certificates. More than a dozen other states are considering similar bills. Idaho passed a proposal, which is held up in the courts.The bill is “unnecessary, unenforceable and it is dangerous,” said Chase Glenn with the Alliance for Full Acceptance.Glenn said there is no evidence a transgender student would have an unfair physical advantage. Opponents said there are so many other things that decide athletic advantage like hand-eye coordination, practice and innate talent as opposed to hormones and physical differences.To be able to play on a sports team, transgender students might be required to come out, which is unfair too, Glenn said.The proposals in South Carolina and other states come as a growing number of state high school athletic associations in the U.S. have enabled transgender athletes to play on teams based on their gender identity, and the NCAA has trans-inclusive guidelines for all its member schools. COLUMBIA, S.C. — House members spent more than an hour Tuesday listening to testimony on a bill in South Carolina that would prevent transgender students from playing on girls’ sports teams in middle and high school. It wasn’t enough time to hear from everyone, so the House subcommittee didn’t take a vote on the bill. (Video above: Wednesday headlines) Rep. Ashley Trantham sponsored the proposal. She said there have been no complaints of transgender students playing on girls’ teams yet, but her intention was to prevent it from happening before it could become a problem. “The next generation of female athletes in South Carolina may not have the chance to excel in those same sports,” the Republican from Pelzer said. All athletes in South Carolina would have to play on teams based on their “biological sex” listed on their birth certificates. More than a dozen other states are considering similar bills. Idaho passed a proposal, which is held up in the courts. The bill is “unnecessary, unenforceable and it is dangerous,” said Chase Glenn with the Alliance for Full Acceptance. Glenn said there is no evidence a transgender student would have an unfair physical advantage. Opponents said there are so many other things that decide athletic advantage like hand-eye coordination, practice and innate talent as opposed to hormones and physical differences. To be able to play on a sports team, transgender students might be required to come out, which is unfair too, Glenn said. The proposals in South Carolina and other states come as a growing number of state high school athletic associations in the U.S. have enabled transgender athletes to play on teams based on their gender identity, and the NCAA has trans-inclusive guidelines for all its member schools. Source link Orbem News #ban #Carolina #Considers #girls #SCarolinaconsidersbanontransstudentsingirls’sports #sports #Students #Trans #transstudents #transgendersouthcarolina