#trr mc

[mariemarieohcontrary]

Choices MCs (Filipino Edition lol)

《Next》

Finally drew four of my Choices MCs inspired by @cassiopeiacorvus and her wonderfully done OC compilations (how do you have the patience to draw all of em omg)

I'm thinking of doing the same for my Romance Club MCs too (background would be the purple of the homescreen there)

Interested in commissioning me? Click the source! 💗

Evangeline Marie G. (Guzman) Lakandula - Ah yes, my soft, anxious babie with self-worth issues. She comes from a messy background with a horrible father. She was close to her late (paternal) grandparents and had a very complicated relationship with her late mother. One of her relatives shes v close to is her older cousin, Ethan.

She's a college dropout thanks to her father's bad choices and worked the moment she had a chance to.

After her mother passed, that was it for Evangeline. She kinda needed to go away from her dad and his loud voice and other issues. So she left home and Ethan helped her out before he left for a business trip abroad.

He had her go to a house he owned in Laguna where she could live in provided she just do the cleaning in there. She found simple work that she was qualified for and that was her life for the next few years until a certain bachelor party came into her life.

Diwa Kalangitan M. (Masangga) del Rosario - My chaotic good and very protective MC who definitely rabbleroused in the school she works in.

She was raised in a household that follows some precolonial beliefs and traditions. She has a stepfather who's an albularyo and two half-siblings. One is studying in college, the other is still in high school. She has a close relationship to both her parents.

And she is rather happy with her job as a teacher in a private school. Sure she sometimes goes against curriculum to make sure the kids enjoy her lessons. She's a class advisor also so when she found out their math teacher humiliated one of her students, she confronted said teacher.

Her trip to America is really just a birthday trip until the events of the book started. In the end she ends up in a poly relationship with Nik and Cal. (She does end up pointing out to the boys that she'll have to go back to her work and family at least just to properly resign and find work near them and also to assure her family she's safe.)

Maya Chelidonia C. (Caacbay) dela Rosa - The local tired detective who had to move abroad for their own safety. Love them SM.

Maya is the child of Jaime dela Rosa, a cop in the Philippines who does not follow in corrupt practices and tries to do right by the community. He was killed after coincidentally seeing signs of corruption in the force and wanting to expose it.

After their father's death, Maya also followed in his footsteps. On their end, they wanted to try and do some good in their job but ended up experiencing some discrimination in the work force. Enter them finding the same evidence of corruption that their father found as well. This time they managed to expose the corruption but in the end, one of their few friends in the force warned them that they'll have to flee the country due to some v angry officials.

So they fled with their mother and younger sister.

Their sister became a fashion designer. Maya found work as a private detective and the two teamed up to be able to live a decent life. Their sister travels with their mom on fashion shows. They're fine living nearby their maternal uncle with their dog, Spudge. (He's a scaredy cat and a lil crybaby who doesn't like strangers and by that I mean he starts crying when the strangers notice him. It's not out of trauma, he just likes Maya and their fam more than anyone else and is v shy with others. He's also scared of the dark and loud noises.)

Inocencia Honorata G. (Galang) Valenciano - and finally, my love's embarrassing bby. My Rafael Aveiro romancer. Love her sm.

She and her mom, older brother and little sister ran away from their father when they were a kid. Her parents annulled their marriage after a few years.

Her older brother became the youngest lawyer in the country and had a firm in New York seek him out. This led to him helping Inocencia and her sister (who had skipped grades and managed to enter college the same year as Inocencia).

Inocencia is v non-competitive that she chose De La Salle University while her sister went to their grandfather’s alma mater, University of the Philippines. At college, Inocencia got dubbed as SiaSia because of the repeated -cia in her first name and surname.

The two got accepted into Edenbrook when they were gonna start. Inocencia being 27 and her sister being 25. By then, Inocencia still isn't competitive and didn't sign up for the competition for the diagnostics team but her little sister shoved her to try it out.

[playchoicesconfessions]

Sent by @cadybear420

‘No because I absolutely adore MCs where there's no singular canon version of their character. MCs where I can restart the book and make a new MC with all different choices for them and it actually feels like I'm playing a brand new character with a different experience from my first MC rather than just the same character with a different appearance. TRR, OG HSS, ILW, LOA (and possibly more) MCs my beloveds.’

POST/CONFESSIONS DO NOT REFLECT THE MOD’S PERSONAL OPINIONS!

[fadingreveries]

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

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

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

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

Word Count: 2.2k

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

~ ~ ~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~ ~ ~

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

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

[cadybear420]

Why is r/Choices so obsessed with complaining about TRR MC not having a backstory... like that is such a non-issue. It's the king god of non-issues.

like... just come up with your own backstory for your own MC. the writers even said that that was the point. and seriously like... try it. it's fun. sometimes less is more.

[ownworldresident]

Side by Side Chapter 8: Custody

Book: The Royal Romance.

Premise: With new additions to their family, King Liam and Rayne must re-evaluate their relationship dynamic.

Themes: Found family, hurt/comfort, angst, fluff, family.

Word Count: 3.2k per chapter, 18 chapters. About 60k.

Note: This story started just after TRR3 ended, and isn't related to TRH. See also Side by Side Masterlist & Master Masterlist Link

Rayne

The room darkened a shade as Rayne locked eyes on the open doorway. She tightened her shaking grip on Liam’s shoulder, then released him and strode from the room. Blood rushed past her ears as she moved through the halls in careful, measured strides, every muscle tightening. One goal. How dare she…

“Rayne?” said a voice she recognised, but they could wait. Footsteps followed. “Rayne, wait. What…” Leo appeared before her and blocked her path. “What happened?”

“Move.” Rayne avoided his gaze and began to push past but Leo held her shoulders. She tried to pull away but was unsuccessful, and only when she was still did he drop his arms.

“Really,” he said, concern in his brow, “has something happened?”

Now she met his eyes. He searched hers for some explanation, as the darkness closed around the hall.

“I need to get to the council meeting.”

“Why?”

“I don’t have time for this,” she growled, then pushed past him. A moment later he fell in step with her, easily keeping pace with her shorter strides. He asked no more questions, and they walked in silence, with faint footsteps the only sound past the ringing in her mind. The meeting room door appeared, and her mind zeroed in on it, a spark of tightness in her chest at the guard out the front.

“I need to get in there,” she muttered to Leo, angling toward the guard. If he replied, she didn’t hear him, stopping only just before the guard, who bowed his head, but looked wary.

“We need to get inside,” Leo’s authoritative voice registered with Rayne, but the guard was reluctant.

"There is a meeting in session, Lady Rayne, Prince Leo. I cannot allow you to enter.”

“Think again.” Rayne clenched and unclenched her fists, the hold and release of tension doing nothing to clear her mind enough to reason.

“By order of the Queen, my Lady. I cannot—”

Rayne’s knuckles connected with his throat, and he stumbled back, gasping for air, and clutching his neck. She didn't need reason. Rayne turned immediately to the door as the guard wheezed. Leo’s shock was lost on her. The door was locked.

“Fuck!” She rammed it with her shoulder, the force knocking the air from her lungs. “No… this can’t be happening… it can’t…” She rammed the door again and stumbled back breathless. A firm hand grabbed her arm and she looked up at Leo, his face coming into focus. He nodded, released her, then stepped away from the door, and before she could wonder what the hell he was doing kicked out hard just above the lock. The door shuddered but didn’t move. He kicked out two, three, four more times as the door cracked, splintered, and flew open.

Rayne rushed inside and locked eyes with Madeleine, who stood at the other end of the room holding a document to show the council. Everyone looked up when the door slammed open. She advanced around the room.

Madeleine narrowed her gaze. “You aren’t authorised to be here.”

Without answer, Rayne stormed up to her, ripped the document from her hands and tore it to pieces. “How dare you,” she seethed, voice shaking with barely contained fury. “You had no right.”

Madeleine glanced at the full room, then back to Rayne. “I had every right,” she said with a wicked smile, working to keep the anger off her face. “What you’ve done here is exemplify why. Treason is not a good colour on you. But nothing less tha—”

Rayne slapped her. Hard. The sound echoed around the room followed by a sharp, collective intake of breath. Leo called her name from the doorway, but he could wait. When Madeleine looked back she looked furious, with an angry red mark across her cheek.

“Shut the hell up.” Her voice cracked, the room blurring. “You will never, ever take them away from me, you understand?” Rayne sucked in a breath and blinked away some of the tears. “What have you done to Liam? Why did I find him unconscious in his office?” The fury was evening out and she felt sick. Leo swore but the room was silent. Madeleine’s anger was limited to the fire in her eyes. She smiled, too sweetly for Rayne’s waning patience.

“Why would I do anything to harm the King?” she asked coldly, “and the heirs were never truly yours to beg—”

Rayne slapped her again. “Shut up, fucking shut up. Forcing him to sign that form, that’s treason. What have you done to him?”

The Queen drew herself up to her full height, forcing Rayne to look up at her. “I would never force my husband to sign anything, and I will not suffer his mistress to force an entry on a private meeting. This assault, after the kindness you have been shown, is proof that you cannot be trusted with the care of the future leaders of Cordonia.” She turned slightly to address the room as well. “I informed King Liam of the best course to ensure that the Crown Prince and Princess are given the best possible care. As Rayne has refused to accept my assistance, I had no choice but to intervene.”

Rayne lifted a hand to strike her again, but Leo’s hand rested on her shoulder, and she balled her fists instead, drawing in long breaths to try and clear her mind. The danger was partially over, but not entirely. She gestured to the assembled council. “Why don’t you tell everyone that you drugged your ‘husband’ to strongarm him into signing that form? He’s still unconscious in his office!”

“What?” Leo stepped up beside her, pressing against Rayne’s shoulder. “You did what, Madeleine?”

No one drew breath as the Queen wiped drops of blood from the corner of her mouth. The document was in pieces, but Liam…

“I had hoped you would realise in time, Rayne, that not every action can be achieved through talk alone.” Madeleine fixed her with a sympathetic gaze meant solely for the council. “Spending all their time with someone not trained in childcare or educated as a leader, not to mention prone to violent outbursts, will only have them fall short of their potential.”

Turning to one of the guards near the door, Leo instructed them to find a doctor and take them to Liam, then placed an arm around Rayne protectively and squeezed her shoulders. Rayne felt some of the tightness in her chest lessen at the action. Leo’s focus turned to Madeleine.

“You know Rayne is right. What you’ve done is a crime against the crown. And if that form had gone through…” He looked down at the torn document that now littered the carpet, squinting to read them, then exhaled and looked up. “This motion gives you complete guardianship over Leo and Evelyn…”

“Until they’re legally adults, yes.” Madeleine glared at Rayne. “You have only worsened your position here. Assault of a monarch and destruction of classified documents is a capital offense. There will be consequences.”

“No, there won’t.” Leo stepped between them. “You know he won’t let this go.” He turned to address Rayne. “Go to Liam. I’ll take care of this.”

Still shaking, Rayne stared at the document she barely remembered ripping, then up at the entire room, all watching for her reaction. Finally she met Leo’s determination, swallowed the lump in her throat, and nodded.

Tears still tracked down Rayne’s cheeks as she rushed back to Liam’s office. At the last hall, Olivia turned down the opposite corner toward the same door.

“Rayne." Olivia frowned. "Leo said… what is it?”

“It’s…” Rayne pressed a hand over her mouth and pushed the door – still ajar – completely open. Liam was where she has left him, still unmoving, and rushed to his side. “It’s… oh god…” He was still breathing.

Some time later, Rayne couldn’t tell how much, she woke up curled in an armchair beside her bed. Cold, it was cold, and she reached for the blanket that had fallen off her as she tried to rest. When that didn’t work, she went to her walk in robe and picked out something heavy.

Coming back into the room, where the curtains didn’t fully conceal the morning light, her eye fell upon the single still form beneath the heavy blanket, a flood of relief to see his chest slowly rise and fall as he slept. She returned to the armchair, curled up again, and positioned herself so she could watch him. Liam’s steady breathing was calming and an incredible relief. She could almost forget the horror of the day before, but not entirely. Her heavy eyelids began to close again, and she returned to a restless doze.

Shuffling sounds woke her not long later. Still warm, she blinked open her eyes to see Liam moving in his sleep. After an entire night almost completely still, he was returning to some kind of consciousness. A little more alert at this change, Rayne watched him more intently. A few minutes later, he opened his eyes.

“Liam…” she breathed, rushing to sit beside him. He closed his eyes again, frowning, and Rayne held her breath, silently pleading for him to come back to her. Groaning, he turned his head and opened his eyes again, squinting toward her. “Can you hear me?” she asked, remembering some of the aftereffects that the doctor had described.

He didn’t answer, slowly turning his head to look around the room, settling back on her then opening and closing his mouth a few times. His eyes widened, breathing becoming erratic. Rayne ran her fingers gently through his hair, smiling.

“The doctor said you might have trouble speaking, but not for long. You’re back in our room. You’re safe here, I promise. Safe in our room. Do you understand?”

Liam’s breathing steadied as she spoke, and he nodded, squeezing his eyes shut with a deep frown. When he looked back at her, his expression was calmer, and he brought one arm from under the covers to hold a warm hand against her cheek. Rayne sighed, eyes falling shut as she held his hand there and leaned into the touch.

“God, I missed this,” she whispered.

“Rayne.” The first word she had heard from his since the previous morning passed his lips. “Are you okay?” His voice was quiet and raspy, but Rayne let out a shaky laugh.

“I’m not the one who just woke up.” She blinked back tears, then reached for the insulated bottle on the bedside. “Water?”

Liam nodded, and she helped lift his head enough to take a drink, struggling to keep tears out of her eyes. She returned the bottle and clasped both hands over his.

“I was so worried,” she admitted, voice trembling. Liam offered a sympathetic smile, squeezed her hand, then lifted his to wipe the tears from her face with his thumb, resting his hand on her cheek again.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly. He met her gaze for a few moments, then shuffled over beneath the blankets. “Lie with me?”

Rayne swallowed the lump rising in her throat, and nodded, discarding the heavy jumper. A moment of cold, then she joined Liam beneath the blankets, lying where he had been just before. She moaned at the warmth and intoxicating familiar scent. Liam brought an arm around her to rub her back.

“I should be doing that for you,” she managed, curling against his chest.

“This is more than enough.” Liam pressed a kiss against her temple, and she drifted off again.

Liam

There was nothing casual about Liam’s journey two afternoons later, the papers his assistant had brought him held tight in his hand. Rayne had explained in controlled rage what Madeleine had done, which he couldn’t remember, and what she had done in retaliation. He had only been slightly surprised, then impressed, that Rayne had taken it far enough strike Madeleine. He could be frank that he personally found no fault in her actions. They both knew he couldn’t condone it publicly. Madeleine had gone too far this time, and what Rayne had done, in his mind, was completely justified.

It was an old law she had used, barely noticed and, since it only applied to heirs that were not the children of the queen, rarely paid attention to. He should have, he knew that now, and he had work to do make sure nothing like that ever happened again.

Much like her entrances many times, Liam did not knock before entering Madeleine’s rooms. No one was permitted to enter, and sure enough, he found her sitting alone. It had been months since he was here, and the last time had been just as unpleasant. From her desk by the window, the queen leaned back in her chair and surveyed him. Her lip was red and swollen on one side, for which he could not dredge up any sympathy.

“Husband.” She raised an eyebrow at him. She had been allowed to finalise documents and settle some personal affairs. This wasn’t a public case. Bail wasn’t an option. Without speaking, because he knew speech would compel his honesty of what he really felt, Liam strode across the room and threw the folder on the desk.

“Sign it,” he commanded. Madeleine opened the folder and scowled. “You have until tomorrow morning to read through and sign. Failure to do so will add another charge to your trial.” He left the room.

The moment he stepped into the hallway a huge weight vanished from his shoulders, leaving him almost giddy, and he released a huge sigh of relief. Everything was lighter, brighter, and he walked with a renewed buoyancy to prepare for his more exciting plan.

“Rayne?” he called from the lounge of her suite. Despite living here himself he still called it her suite and wondered why that was occurring to him now. She came down the hall with her hair and makeup done the way she only did it for them. It had been so long, he realised, gaping at the cut and fall of her lilac dress. He hadn’t seen it before, and now felt underdressed. She smiled at him, and the rest of the room faded. “You are so beautiful.” Her eyes crinkled as her smile widened.

“Isn't she?” Liam blinked back to the room as Clair appeared down the hall, looping an arm around Rayne’s shoulders. Rayne smiled and hugged her back.

“Thanks for looked after Leo and Evie. I really appreciate it.”

“All you owe me is a slice of cake from whichever restaurant your dashing beau takes you to.” Clair winked at Liam, who chuckled.

“I think that can be arranged.”

“I can allow my masterpiece to go, then. Enjoy yourself, Cinderella.” She squeezed Rayne’s shoulders again, then turned to Liam. “Take care of her, King Charming.” Still smiling, Clair returned down the hall.

As soon as she was out of sight, Liam closed the distance to Rayne, lifted her off the ground and spun around slowly. Before he put her down she linked her arms around his neck and pressed her lips softly to his. He put her down slowly and closed his eyes to kiss her more urgently before she slowly pulled away.

“I like where this is going,” she breathed, “but you said we have a reservation?”

“Being the King, I could easily delay it,” he said huskily, and she chuckled.

“Later, but right now I’m starving. I was promised food.” Rayne leant up to kiss his cheek, then moved toward the door, leaving him standing and watching her. As perfect from the back as the front. She turned back from the doorway, raising an eyebrow. He smiled and followed her out.

Rayne found his hand and threaded their fingers together as Liam closed the door behind them. He lifted the joined hands and pressed his lips briefly to the back of hers. As they walked down the hall to their waiting car, he mused over how he was going to approach the first hurdle at their dinner.

“Something on your mind?” Rayne asked as they walked, squeezing his hand. He sighed, smiling at her.

“I have something I need to tell you, when we get there.”

Rayne frowned, searching his face as they neared the exit. She must have caught the nervous excitement because she mirrored the latter. “Food first.”

---- ----

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[angelasscribbles]

Victim of Love Chapter 12: Looking Forward

Series: Victim of Love

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Pairings: Drake x Riley

Word Count: 1,852

Rating: MA

Warnings for this chapter: None, really. Some mild language.

Song Inspiration for series: Victim of Love by The Eagles

Victim of love I see a broken heart I could be wrong but I'm not no I'm not

My other stuff: Master List.

“That’s it! The last one!” Riley declared as she removed the needle from the rump of the heifer in the chute in front of her. Turning her head to the cowboy manning the chute door she said, “Let her out!”

“I really can’t thank you for everything you’ve done for us, Riley.”

Riley turned to smile at Drake’s mother. Dressed in trousers, a flannel shirt, and boots, with her hair tied back and pushed under a wide-brimmed hat, Bianca Throckmorton Walker looked every bit the matriarch of a family of ranchers.

Riley shook her head with a laugh, “What? Administering annual vaccinations to the herd? Any of your cowboys could have done that!”

“I’m not talking about that, and you know it! I’m not sure the herd would have survived without your intervention. Walk with me for a minute?”

Liam did not follow Riley after she left Hana’s room. She hadn’t expected him to, she meant it when she said he needed to stay and focus on his wife and unborn child.

It still hurt.

She clung to Drake and poured that hurt out as she sobbed in his arms.

“Is Hana okay?” Drake asked in alarm.

Riley nodded as she lifted her head to take in the concern in his eyes and it somehow made her feel better. She wiped her face as she staunched her tears and came to a decision, “I’m going to Texas with you.”

“What?”

“You said something was wrong with the herd, but no one knows what?”

“Yes, but-“

“Do you have a large animal veterinarian on staff?”

“No, because-“

“Because there’s an alarming shortage of large animal veterinarians in the U.S.”

“Right. We have one that we use but he covers a very large area and is currently at a ranch about two hundred miles away investigating a similar issue there.”

Riley nodded as she stepped out of his arms, “Vets who work with farm and ranch animals have to work outside in the elements, no matter how hot, how cold, or how rainy, they stay on their feet all day and they work long hours.”

“Yeah, that sounds like the job description,” Drake agreed.

“They’re also on call several nights a week. Most new graduations are choosing small animal care, dogs, cats, even exotics because they have regular hours in an air-conditioned office.”

“And the fewer people that choose to go into it, the worse the workload gets for everyone else,” Drake surmised.

“Yep! And the less anyone new wants to sign up for fourteen-hour days and being on call five days a week.”

“Yeah, okay….so?”

“So, there’s a good chance that no one is coming to help you in time.”

“Yeah, but….Riley, this isn’t your problem, you don’t have to-“ he rubbed the back of his neck as he fought an internal battle. As much as he would love to take her home with him and have a chance to get to know her better, he wasn’t sure she was thinking clearly. She was obviously upset.

“Drake!” Her tone was sharp, “I don’t have to tell you that losing an entire herd could be financially catastrophic for a cattle ranch.”

The fidgeting stopped as his eyes searched her face, finding nothing but an earnest seriousness there. She was right. Losing the herd might be a blow the ranch couldn’t recover from. “Riley, are you sure?”

“I’m sure! Now come on, I need to go pack! And I’m going to need the contact information for that other vet so we can compare notes and hopefully nip whatever this thing is in the bud!”

“I can’t take all the credit for that,” Riley followed Bianca up a small hill overlooking the northern part of the ranch, “Wow, this is a great view!”

“Isn’t it? My grandfather used to bring me up here when I was a kid. He’d tell me stories about the ranch’s history, point out all the places we could see from here, and explain what each was used for.”

“That sounds like a good memory.”

“It is. Later, after he died, I started coming up here by myself. At first, it was just to feel close to him, but the more time I spent looking at and thinking about this place, the more determined I was to save it.”

Riley nodded in understanding. Drake had told her how Bianca’s father had abandoned the ranch. Preferring the cushy life of a politician to the harsh life of a rancher, he had let the ranch fall into a state of disrepair. “I get it. You love this place. It’s obvious.”

“I do. The only thing I love more is my children; you’re good for both.”

“What?” Riley blinked against the afternoon sun as she studied the other woman’s face.

“You’re good for this ranch, Riley, and you’re good for my son.”

“Oh…I…”

“I’m not reading that situation wrong, am I?”

A flush spread across Riley’s face, “No, ma’am, you’re not.”

Riley had been prepared to stay in a hotel room, but neither Drake nor his mother would hear of it. She had been given a room in the main house, right down the hall from Drake.

The first few weeks she had tried to maintain some kind of boundary between them. She was there for the cattle, she was there to give Liam and Hana space, and she was there to heal a little and figure out her next steps.

What she wasn’t there to do was jump straight into another relationship, one with Liam’s best friend, one that was likely a rebound. Especially when she was there to work.

But it had proven impossible to keep her distance from him for any appreciable amount of time. Not only did he run the ranch, which threw them into close proximity with each other as they worked to find the cause of the illness spreading through the herd, but since she had agreed to stay at the ranch rather than a hotel, they were eating meals together and spending their downtime together.

“Why have you been avoiding me?”

“What?” Riley spun toward the voice. She hadn’t heard anyone enter the stables, “What makes you think I’ve been avoiding you?”

“Because you’ve been avoiding me.”

She sighed as she tightened the girth on the horse she was tacking up, “I’m sorry, I just wasn’t sure how to handle the whole situation.”

“What situation?” He opened another stall and lead a beautiful chestnut gelding out. He wasn’t going to cancel his plans to ride just because she was there first. In fact, he was prepared to follow her if that’s what he had to do to get answers.

“You know what situation, Drake.”

“No, I really don’t. I thought we really hit it off in Cordonia. We got along well; the sex was amazing, and you spilled your guts to me on the plane ride home about everything with Hana and Liam. What changed? Did I do something wrong?”

Riley took the horse by the reins ready to lead her out of the stables, but she paused in astonishment, “What? No! You’ve been nothing short of amazing, Drake! You’ve been there for me in a way very few people ever have!”

He dropped the saddle he was about to put on the horse on the ground and moved closer to her, “Then why are you avoiding me?”

“I just…” tears welled up in her eyes, “I’m sorry. After everything that happened, what you witnessed with me and Liam and Hana….and after everything I told you….I just assumed you would want to extricate yourself from that whole mess. I didn’t want you to feel obligated-“

With almost no warning, she found herself in his arms, “Riley, look at me! Extricating myself from this situation, as you call it, is the last thing I want! And obligation is the last thing I feel when I think of you! Goddamn it, girl! How do you not know what you do to me?”

“I just thought, maybe I should get myself sorted before I get more entangled with you. I still have feelings for Liam and-“

“I’m well aware of your feelings for Liam,” his fingers traced up the side of her face and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. His eyes locked on hers, full of pleading, longing, and determination, “I’m not asking you to stop having feelings for Liam. I’m not asking you to end your relationship with him. But I am asking…no, I’m begging you, Riley, to give this, to give us the same chance! And I have never begged anyone for anything in my life! Don’t you want to know if this could be something?”

The world stood still as she stared back into his eyes for an eternity. Then she nodded.  

“Yes? That’s a yes? You’ll give us a chance? Stop avoiding me?”

“Yes.”

He surged forward and claimed her lips.

“I’ve never seen my son this happy,” Bianca told her, “And you saved this ranch.”

“I had help,” Riley demurred.

“I know you collaborated with other ranches and vets in the area, but-“

“And Texas A&M University-“

“Yes, I’m aware, but still, it was you here on our land, up before the sun came up and up after it went down, working right alongside all of us. You kept up with seasoned ranch hands, Riley, that’s impressive.”

Riley laughed, “Don’t let the title fool you, I’m no stranger to hard work. I was waiting tables in my parent’s restaurant at twelve and I could run the kitchen by fifteen.”

“And you were top of your class in Veterinarian school.”

“Bianca! Did you run a background check on me?” Riley’s mouth fell open in astonishment.

Bianca shrugged, “When my son told me he was bringing some woman I’d never heard of home to mess with my cattle? You’re damn straight I did!”

Riley burst into laughter, “Fair enough!”

“I know you’re planning to return to Cordonia soon, but I wanted to make sure you knew that you had other options.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean you could stay. I’m offering you a job here at the ranch as well as a home. If you don’t want to stay in the main house, there’s a small guest house closer to the stables that you could take. And I’m also giving my stamp of approval to your relationship with my son.”

Riley sighed as she turned away from Bianca and looked out across the miles of pasture. The job offer wasn’t a total surprise. Large animal vets were scarce, and Bianca liked her.

But she wasn’t at all sure she wanted to move away from Cordonia permanently. “What if I say no to the job offer? Will you still give your blessing to my relationship with Drake?”

Bianca scoffed, “Of course, I will. I mean it, Riley, you’re good for him. Just think about the job for a day or two before you make up your mind, okay?”

“Okay,” she agreed, a multitude of emotions swirling and mixing inside her, “I’ll think about it.”

[mondays-moodboards]

MC x Maxwell moodboard

[justcallmefox89]

Cinderfella's Adventures in Cordonia - Chapter Twenty-Two

An AU of The Royal Romance with a male MC and a bisexual prince.

Masterlist

Callum and Liam battle it out and Drake chooses a side.

“Drake, I want you to consider moving to New York after Liam’s wedding.  To moving in with me.  To being with me.  Only me,” Callum says calmly, speaking to Drake but staring directly at Liam.

********************************************

A crimson flush creeps up Liam’s neck and he scowls at me.  “You cannot possibly be -”

“Ok.”

Liam whips around to face Drake.  “What?”

I can’t help the smirk that creeps across my face at Liam’s outrage.

“I think that maybe Callum is right,” Drake says, taking a deep, calming breath.  “You’re going to be starting a new life with Madeline, and you’ll eventually be having kids… so maybe it’s time for me to start putting myself first.  Doing what’s best for me.”

“And you think Callum is what’s best for you?” Liam demands.

Drake meets his gaze head-on.  “Callum puts me first.  I would have a future with him, a real one, with a family and kids and little league and not having to hide.  With Callum I would finally be enough.  So yeah… maybe he is what’s best for me.”

Liam’s outrage is palpable, so thick in that air that I can practically taste it.  And it is fucking delicious.

He clocks my grin and scowls at me.  “You’re loving this, aren’t you?  Driving a wedge between me and Drake?  Forcing him to choose between us?”

I rock back on my heels and snicker.  “I��m harder than astrophysics right now darlin’, can’t lie.”

“You are such a bastard,” Liam hisses, slamming his palms onto the countertop.

“Ooh… let it all out Your Majesty; tell the class how you really feel.”  I can feel my grin turn a little sharper and my eyes narrow.  This fight has been a long time coming and I’m more than ready.

“You have always been selfish,” Liam spits out.  “Never willing to compromise, never willing to give an inch because you were always convinced you knew best.  All you had to do was swallow a little bit of your pride, but you clearly didn’t care about me enough to make even the most basic sacrifices - ”

I bark out an incredulous laugh.  “You, you of all people, are going to try and lecture me about sacrifices?  About compromise and caring enough?  You spoiled little shit; when have you ever sacrificed anything in your entire life?  Tell me two things you have ever sacrificed for me and Drake?  Go on, I’ll wait while you think.”

Drake gaze flicks worriedly between us.  “Maybe we should take a time out and get some rest before we get into all this,” he says soothingly.

“I have greater worries than mere feelings; a literal country depends on the choice of my future spouse,” Liam says, talking over him.

“Don’t try to make this about Cordonia,” I scoff.  “This is about Constantine and what he wants.  You would be a perfectly capable king no matter who you married.”

“Given your gene pool I understand that you probably don’t know what it feels like to have an accomplished father with high expectations - ”

“Keep talking and I’m gonna punch you in the fucking mouth,” I warn him.

Liam rolls his eyes.  “Charming.  I don’t know what I thought it would be like to finally be back with you again, but the more time we spend together make me think that whatever relationship we had before was a mistake.”

The barb stings, working it’s way into my heart like an insidious shard of glass.  “Get out of my house,” I say quietly.

“Callum,” Liam says, taking a hesitant step towards me.

“I said get the fuck out of my house!” I scream, my eyes burning with the tears I refuse to let fall.

Not in front of him.  Never again.

“Fine.”  Liam stalks towards the door, stuttering to a stop when he realizes Drake isn’t behind him.  “Drake?”

Drake moves next to me, taking my shaking hand in a show of solidarity and support.  “I’m staying with Callum,” he says quietly.

Liam clenches his jaw, his fury evident.  He turns his back on us and storms out, slamming the door behind him. 

Drake winds his arms around my waist and rests his forehead against my shoulder.  “I got you,” he whispers.  “I got you.”

[somewillwin]

Liam x Mc kofi request ♥️ thanks for the support ✨✨

Kofi

[mariemarieohcontrary]

Evangeline Lakandula my beloved 💖

God its been forever since I did this style it looks a bit wonky so I gotta get used to it again 😭

Interested in commissioning me? Click the source! 💗

[playchoicesconfessions]

Sent by @lover-also-fighter-also

‘We already see the vaa imperii organization pattern in the royal heir book 3 when MC and co break Olivia out when she gets captured, even before it was mentioned. MC = The Empress. Liam = The Face. Drake= The Fist. Hana = The Voice. Maxwell = The Eye’

POST/CONFESSIONS DO NOT REFLECT THE MOD’S PERSONAL OPINIONS!

[fadingreveries]

The Royal Romance, Bk1 Ch2: Welcome to Cordonia (Pt. 4)

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

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

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

Word Count:

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

~ ~ ~

After quickly unpacking a few of her belongings, Riley made her way out of her assigned room on a mission to explore the palace boutique’s options. Luckily for her, Maxwell had told her that the store was located on the ground floor near the front entrance.

A few minutes later, Riley pushed past the doors into the boutique. The soft pink walls contrasted nicely with the brown mahogany floors and the light gray floor rug covering the entire ground. A silver chandelier with bell-shaped glass shades hung directly in the middle of the room. Several mannequins dressed in various formal attire for men and women were scattered across the rooms.

Absentmindedly, Riley brushed her hand against the silk and satin dresses placed on one of many racks on display. The closest she had ever gotten to seeing such beautiful formal dresses was outside display windows of luxury stores on her way to school and work.

“Oh!” A girl yelped out, stepping out of a changing room and holding a dress.

Startled with the sudden voice, Riley looked over her shoulder to see who it was. However, when she noticed that the girl was only dressed in her underwear, Riley quickly turned back around. While she felt a hint of excitement to meet new people up close and personal, this wasn’t exactly what she had in mind.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” Riley apologized, feeling embarrassed at seeing a stranger looking so vulnerable. “I didn’t realize someone was already here. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have just barged in.”

With Riley’s back turned, the girl quickly draped the curtain of the changing room over her body to cover herself. Only her head poked out, a sign she was eager to invite Riley into a conversation.

“Oh, it’s no problem at all. To be honest, I didn’t have an appointment. I forgot to book one before my flight landed a few hours ago but thought I would peruse down here before it became too crowded,” the girl sheepishly replied, making Riley turn around to see her friendly smile. “I’m Hana. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Pleasantly surprised with the girl’s bright kindness to a stranger like her, Riley gave a smile in return. “You too. My name’s Riley.”

“I suppose you’re also here to prepare for the Masquerade tonight,” Hana replied, before disappearing behind the curtain to pull on the dress she was holding. “Since you’re here and not already dressed, I must assume that you’re just like me… searching desperately for something to wear.”

“More or less,” Riley replied, with a relaxed laugh. Her neck craned around to catch short glimpses of the dresses in the boutique, wondering how on earth she would be able to narrow it down with the surprising variety.

“The seamstress seems to be running late, but I can show you around! The boutique has the most exquisite gowns. Quite a few of them were shipped just this morning,” Hana answered, pulling the curtain to the side. “Let me just zip this dress up and we can look for one for you!”

Walking to a floor-length mirror, Hana faced her reflection to note her appearance. There was an immense amount of pressure on her from her parents to make a good first impression on the nobility during the court’s social season. She took a deep breath, examining the rose gold laced bodice with rhinestones and a matching floor-length satin skirt.

Her hands arched around her back, trying to get a firm grasp on the tiny zipper. Replaying her parents’ never-ending lectures in her mind about securing the hand of the prince, she felt a slight tremble in her grip and found herself unable to zip herself in the dress. What was she going to do if she failed to secure his attention?

“Need a hand?” Riley offered, admiring how confident and poised Hana looked in front of the mirror with her masquerade outfit.

With a relieved laugh, Hana answered, “That would be amazing.”

Making her way behind Hana, Riley grasped hold of the zipper and slid it all the way up. On a nearby side table, Hana picked up a salmon pink mask with gold accents that matched her dress perfectly. She carefully settled it on her face, making her happily sigh with a satisfied smile.

Turning to face Riley with a grin, Hana complimented, “Thank you. It’s a pity that not many girls here are like you.”

“Helpful?” Riley asked, a smile on her face at Hana’s comment.

“Genuinely nice,” Hana explained, with a simple knowing nod. “It would make the social season much less intimidating if we were here to converse as ladies instead of constantly viewing each other as competition.”

If Drake was right about the ruthlessness of noble ladies, it seemed Riley had found a rare ally in her. Unbeknownst to her, Hana held the same sentiments. Most ladies would secretly turn their noses up at her out of jealousy, let alone help her—something Hana was used to growing up as a noble.

Hana spun for Riley, her full skirts twirling as she giggled. “Ah, this dress is perfect! Now, what about you? One must have a mask for the Masquerade!”The two girls perused through racks of dresses, holding up possible options to the other for a second opinion. Ten minutes later, Hana’s eyes widened in excitement as she pulled two garment bags from a rack. “Have you seen the angel costume? You’d look amazing in white,” Hana suggested, eagerly holding up the white dress in her right hand and the other dress in her left hand. “Or there’s also a red one, if you’re feeling more devilish.”

“I’ll take a look.” Riley giggled, as Hana handed her both garment bags.

Inside a dressing room, Riley eyed the first costume meant to resemble a sultry devil. The crimson red colour of the strapless dress was striking along with sections made of mesh lace fabric highlighting embroidered patterns. Along with the dress were two devil horn accessories and a bold black mask with sparkling rhinestones.

Ultimately, Riley decided on the angel costume that Hana first suggested. It was much simpler with its draped off shoulder straps, a sweetheart neckline, and a shimmery sparkle that brightened the pure white colour. After stepping out of the changing room, Riley fixed the matching halo accessory on top of her head and plucked a detailed silver mask off of the table.

“How do I look?” Riley asked with a smile, giving a little twirl similar to the one Hana had done moments ago.

Hana’s face brightened up, as she grinned and the two made their way out of the boutique. “Heavenly! A costume as angelic as the girl wearing it.”

~ ~ ~

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

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

[grovershire-girl]

I'm not really sure if I should call this a rant or just simply putting my thoughts out there. Mostly, it's just me trying to give some defense to the Royal Romance Mc. I don't really interact with the Choices fandom very often, but whenever I do see stuff, especially towards mc, it's mostly negative. Now, I by no means believe that there are NO issues with the books, but I do feel like mc receives more of the blunt of those frustrations than she really deserves.

First, before I get into this, I will be honest and say that mc is one of my favorite choices characters, so there is some bias. The way I view the story, the characters, and the various events that happen throughout are completely my own. I personally kind of add to the stories as I play through them. I'm definitely going to try to give valid reasoning here, but it's totally understandable if you disagree or dismiss this. I don't want to start any arguments. I personally greatly enjoy her and have played through the entire series multiple times now (I'm currently in book 2 as we speak). The main thing I've noticed throughout these replays, the thing I'm going to be using as my main driving point, is that mc is doing her best in strange situations that do not let up for even more than a moment.

At the very start, mc is just a regular person living in New York, working as a waitress/bartender, and probably isn't living the best of lives, again just trying to work with what she's got. Along comes this guy and his friends. She'll probably just thinking that their her last customers before she can go home and crash into bed, but then the guy comes up to HER and asks her to accompany them for the night. Her reaction is sort just like, "You know what, sure. Why not? I ain't got anything going on." If you do the diamond scene, she arranges an impromptu boat tour for Liam mostly just because she noticed how down he was, and then pretty much just shrugged her shoulders and gave Maxwell a thumbs up when he asked her to go with him to Cordnia.

Right from the start, it's shown that mc is impulsive and tends to just go with the flow and do without thinking too much about it. Now, if you're like me and like to mentally fill in the (many) gaps that the writers have left, you probably came up with your own reasons and background stories that explain why she's like that. Most likely on purpose, as even though mc is her own character, she is still supposed to be a representation of you. Her impulsiveness is simply an outline of who she is, and you, as the reader, color her in.

That's not to say that she can't stand on her own at all, though. One thing I find that I notice in all the books, at least in my perspective, is that mc is incredibly observant and clever. It may not come across that way all the time, and those two things definitely don't always mean smart, as mc has more than enough fumbles to show for it, but by no means is she at all stupid. Even in her sillier moments, she seems to knowingly like messing around, both for her own entertainment and to be petty and get under people's skins. Like with her whole "fwieeeends" bit with Olivia, for example. She is definitely well aware of the fact that it's annoying and seems to take great enjoyment out of it.

But that is to say, in circling back around to my earlier statement, she's just trying to work with what she's got. From the very beginning, when she arrived in Cordnia, she has people looking down on her, namely Drake, Olivia, and Bertrand. I'm not sure if Pixelberry ever gave them official ages, but I'd say she's around 24 or 25, maybe. She also clearly didn't have a whole lot of people close to her in New York. So all and all, she's a young girl brought to a foreign country to compete in a competition to marry a prince, but now also has the entire weight of the Beaumont legacy suddenly thrown on her back, is sorting through complicated feelings that she might be developing for other people, and has been all but shoved front and center into the national (and global) spotlight. Despite all of that craziness, she is STILL able to navigate through it all until the end when forces outside of her control send it all crashing down.

And it it pretty much like that in all the books. Mc is working with a semi steady bombardment of issues (mostly do to an extremely flawed monarchy system) and rarely really has time to actually stop, come to terms with what's going on, properly plan, of even just breath. Regardless of whether she's queen or duchess (especially if she's a duchess), she has way more thrown on her that she actually should. And all she can really do about it is roll with the punches, try to figure things out as much as she can, and make silly little comments and jokes to keep herself from having a breakdown.

[sfb123]

Christmas in Cordonia - Part 2

Book: The Royal Romance

Pairing: Liam x Riley

Catch up here.

All characters belong to Pixelberry.

Summary: Liam and Riley celebrate Eleanor's first Christmas.

Rating: G

Word Count: 1,192

I am participating in @choicesflashfics holiday prompts. The prompt What's wrong? Do you not like your gift? will appear in bold below.

A/N: Thank you @txemrn, as always, for pre-reading!

“His majesty King Liam, her majesty Queen Riley, and her highness Princess Eleanor,” the herald announced as the ballroom doors opened. 

Liam and Riley entered the room arm-in-arm with Riley carrying Eleanor on her opposite hip. The young princess took in the crowd that was clapping for her, and she began giggling and clapping back much to the delight of the attendees. 

The royal family walked across the dancefloor to the stage. Liam stepped up first, extending his hand to guide Riley up the steps. They stood for a few moments posing for photos before Liam stepped up to the microphone. 

“Good evening, everyone,” he began, “I would like to thank you for celebrating with us tonight.” Liam paused, turning to Riley and smiling when he saw Eleanor nestled into the crook of her neck. “This is certainly a milestone holiday for Cordonia, but most importantly, for my queen and myself as we celebrate Princess Eleanor’s first Christmas. 

“It has been a difficult year, faced with many challenges. But we have come together as a country, and now we are stronger than ever.” The crowd applauded, and Liam stepped away from the microphone, signaling for Riley to step up. 

“Tonight is not about treaties, or policies, or politics,” the queen began. “There will be plenty of time for all of that in the new year. Tonight we invite you to eat, drink, dance, and be merry. With that being said,” She continued. “I would like to invite my husband to join me in opening the dance floor for the evening.” 

Riley stepped to the side of the stage where Regina was standing and handed Eleanor off to her. She then turned to her husband, taking his hand. The two stepped off the stage and into the center of the dancefloor. Once they had taken their positions, the band started playing “White Christmas”, and they began moving across the floor as the members of court looked on. 

“You were perfect up there,” Liam beamed. 

“I learn from the best,” she smirked at him, and he chuckled, pulling her closer. 

As the evening progressed, everyone seemed to be having a great time. The atmosphere was much more laid back than a typical royal function, which is exactly what Liam and Riley had hoped for. When Riley first came to Cordonia, events like this were very rigid and formal. They still were, for the most part, but for Christmas, she wanted everyone to just relax and enjoy each other's company. 

Riley used to spend Christmas Eve at her aunt’s house. It would be packed full of friends and family, and it was her favorite night of the year. They would all sit around laughing, eating, and telling stories. She knew that it wasn’t going to be exactly the same here, but she wanted to bring a little of that at-home Christmas spirit to the Cordonian court. 

After making their rounds and sharing a few more dances, Liam and Riley invited their guests to sit down for dinner. As the first course was served, the ballroom doors flew open, grabbing everyone’s attention. 

“Merry Christmas, Cordonia!” The former crown prince announced as he entered the room. He was clad in his full royal regalia, and donned a headband that dangled a sprig of mistletoe over his head.

“Leo?” Liam said in disbelief, as he stood from his seat. “What are you doing here?”

“What’s wrong? Do you not like your gift?” Leo jested as he approached his brother, extending his arms out for a hug. 

Liam stepped forward, embracing his brother. “No, it’s perfect. I just didn’t expect to see you. I thought you were traveling.” 

“I was,” he clapped Liam on his back before pulling away. “But I decided to surprise you. Besides, I couldn’t miss my niece’s first Christmas.” 

Leo leaned down to Eleanor’s high chair, lifting her out and kissing her cheek. “First rule of Christmas, El, this is mistletoe.” He pointed to the small plant suspended over his head. “If you’re under it, you’re getting kissed.” He peppered kisses all over her face as she giggled in delight. 

Once Leo had said the rest of his greetings, he settled into the newly set place beside his brother, and everyone tucked into their meals. 

As the last of the plates were cleared, the guests began pairing up and making their way to the dance floor. 

“Whelp,” Leo began as he stood from his seat. “I think it’s time to work off that meal by dancing with my favorite sister.” He bowed to Riley, who was still seated beside Liam. 

Riley rolled her eyes as she took his hand. “Leo, I’m your only sister.” 

“Semantics.” He shrugged before leading her out to the dance floor. 

Riley and Leo glided effortlessly across the floor. “Look at that, you’ve still got it.” 

“Pfft… it’s like riding a bike,” Leo said as he led her into a spin. “So, how are you holding up?” 

“I’m fine. This royal function stuff is all old hat at this point.” 

“Ri, that’s not what I meant,” Leo responded, dipping Riley with a flourish. “Liam mentioned you’ve been missing your family. I know you’re close with them.”

“Yeah,” Riley sighed. “I mean, I have to be okay, right? Besides, I’ve got my Cordonian family. It’s my daughter’s first Christmas. I’m not going to ruin that by being all Grinchey.” 

Leo laughed, and twirled his sister-in-law once more. “That’s too bad; you look good in green.” 

The pair turned their attention when they heard a throat clearing behind them. 

“May I cut in?” Liam asked, smiling at his wife. 

“Aww… little brother, I thought you’d never ask!” He stepped away from Riley and took Liam’s hand. “I’ll lead.” 

Riley burst out laughing as Liam slapped his brother’s hands away. “Would you get off of me! I want to dance with my wife.” 

Leo sighed playfully. “Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.” He said as he wiped away a fake tear. “Excuse me while I go drink my pain.” 

Liam chuckled as he pulled Riley close. “I’m glad Leo was able to make it for Christmas.” 

“Me too.” She smiled up at her husband. 

He could see the sadness in her eyes. “Riley…”

She blinked back the tears that threatened to spill over, and shook her head quickly. “It’s fine, I’m good.” She looked around the room before looking back to Liam. “Hey, did you lose our kid?” 

Liam leaned down, kissing her on the nose. “Nope.” His lips moved to hers, kissing her again. “Savannah was bringing Bartie up to the sitter, so I asked her to bring Eleanor as well.” 

He smirked when Riley’s brow lifted in curiosity. “I thought we might be able to slip out for a bit,” he said, as his hand traced her curves, landing on the small of her back. “Perhaps take an evening stroll through the maze?” 

“Would it be a true royal function if we didn’t?” She smiled.

Liam leaned down, kissing her softly on her lips once more. “True.” He leaned in close, his breath tickling her ear. “Follow my lead.”

“Yes, my king.”

*****

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[ownworldresident]

Side by Side Chapter 5: Influence

Book: The Royal Romance.

Premise: With new additions to their family, King Liam and Rayne must re-evaluate their relationship dynamic.

Themes: Found family, hurt/comfort, angst, fluff, family.

Word Count: 3.2k per chapter, 18 chapters. About 60k.

Note: This story started just after TRR3 ended, and isn't related to TRH. See also Side by Side Masterlist & Master Masterlist Link

After the Homecoming Ball

Rayne

“You could go to them,” she proposed to the table she stood beside. Three sets of eyes landed on her hard, but she couldn’t quite meet them.

“What do you mean?” came Liam’s voice beside her, ever soothing. She smiled, still at the table.

“If you think the court is too concerned to come to the wedding after… after the ball, you could go to them. Convince them that we need to stand strong.” Each word was a little surer. “A personal visit from the King and the…” She swallowed, lifting her gaze to the not-yet-queen, who quirked a brow. Rayne grit her teeth and looked to the Countess directly. She would not be cowed. “The future Queen. That would surely help.”

Only now did she look at them all properly. Constantine considered her words with a frown, Madeleine crossed her arms and watched her like Rayne had stolen her juice box. Liam watched her thoughtfully, before turning to the others.

“That could work.” He tapped his chin. “A show of support, we can unite against the assassins, show them that Cordonia does not and will not bow to such a threat.”

Constantine nodded to his son, a small smile on his face as he then appraised Rayne. Considering his former hostility, this borderline respect was unnerving. Perhaps it was because he had won, and she would not be queen, perhaps it was her significance to Liam, or even their talk during the engagement tour. It seemed unlikely he had simply decided she was suitable for court and consultation.

“We would have to postpone our wedding, darling. That would be tragic.” Feigned hurt, and the need to assert herself, was not a good look on Madeleine, nor was it particularly impressive anymore. Hopefully she would settle once there was a pretty crown on her head. Rayne looked from her to Liam, who’s jaw tightened, and wished she could reach out and touch him. Madeleine spoke again. “I just can’t wait to be married to you.”

“Whilst I appreciate your anticipation, Countess Madeleine,” Constantine addressed her, hands linked behind him, “Lady Rayne’s suggestion has merit. If we can bolster the people’s faith and trust in the monarchy, this could be exactly what we need.”

“And we cannot ask for that trust blindly,” Liam added.

“Precisely.” Constantine nodded, then turned to smile at Rayne. “Thank you for your insight, Rayne.”

It made her uncomfortable when he did not address her with a title.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Of course it makes sense,” Madeleine spoke up. “Though Rayne’s presence here does not. The attempt was aimed at the monarchy, not the common people.” The look she gave her was nothing new; a quick once over to make sure that yes, Rayne was still the same subpar Laotian-American woman she had always been. With a new appreciation for bullet proof clothing.

“It is an excellent idea,” said Liam, emerging from his thoughts. “We will postpone the wedding to visit each of the noble houses in person, to invite them and to reassure them of our strength.” The careful relief in his voice was apparent to Rayne, and she bit back a wider smile. He nodded to her, then turned to Madeleine. “And to answer your question, the attackers targeted Rayne as well. She has just as much stake in this as we do.”

That was a bold statement, and judging by Madeleine’s scowl, she wasn’t the only one to think so. Silence fell again, then a loud clunk outside jarred Rayne’s thoughts. Clutching the chair back before her, she closed her eyes as the din of the ball returned. The lights going out, tripping and falling, the armoured man with a gun pointed at her face… She grimaced, then a warm hand rested on her shoulder, and drew her back to the room.

“A Unity Tour,” she said quietly, and once again all eyes were on her. “That’s what you could call it.” Liam’s hand squeezed her shoulder gently.

“It’s settled, then,” he said to the room, then turned worried eyes toward her. “Thank you, Rayne.”

Present Day

Liam

After three weeks with his young family, Liam's office seemed alien. No matter how much he wished to still be there, the work had piled up in his absence, and he couldn't postpone it forever.

Some things he did not trust to Madeleine; some she refused to do; and some could only be completed or signed off on by him. It seemed that for every task he could delegate there was another he could not. Letters for consideration, documents that had been through council, minutes for missed meetings, memos from council, things that in an everyday capacity took careful time, but would now take a few days of long hours to properly complete.

Many of the notes and letters were preceded by often lengthy congratulations for him and for Rayne which brightened his mood. He had sorted the work into piles according to complexity, time consumption, and urgency, made lists for himself, and now worked quickly with his assistant bringing in a steady supply of coffee. Hours into his work, the door opened again, and Madeleine walked in.

He hadn’t seen her since their argument the day Evelyn and Leo were born and would have been happy for that to continue.

“Husband,” was her opening. The sweetness of her smile meant this would be an unpleasant interaction. Liam looked at his watch. Still early.

“Good morning.” He sipped his coffee. “Thank you for your work in my absence.”

The corner of her mouth quirked. “No thank you is necessary. As this country’s queen, I take my responsibilities seriously.”

Placing his cup down, Liam leant back in his chair. “Nevertheless, I am grateful.”

“Indeed.” She surveyed his desk and the couch against the wall which was currently serving as a second table. Ordered but still crowded with various tasks. “I have a suggestion to permit you to further prioritise your duties as king. Duties which do not pause for you to assist your mistress and children. One can survive without, and the others do not require your presence at their age.”

Liam breathed deeply and displayed none of the irritation at her reference to Rayne as his mistress, or assumptions about his family.

“Get to the point, Madeleine,” he said coolly, patience fading. She smiled and approached the desk, lifting one of the more complex tasks. He knew it was a holdings-related proposal, and also knew that the first paragraph was a lengthy congratulations, with no mention of Madeleine. She frowned, then schooled a warm smile in an impressive transition, and closed the file.

“For the benefit of all involved, I have appointed a nanny to assist Rayne. She will appreciate this offer, coming from her monarch. If not, you may need to convince her it is the best course. For the good of our country.”

“And what makes you think I would do that, knowing as well as you that she has declined that option in the past?”

“Because you will not be there to help her, and just because she is their biological mother does not make her equipped to care for the heirs to the Cordonian throne. You cheating on your fiancé does not qualify your mistress to raise a monarch.”

“That’s enough,” Liam said firmly, feeling the hot flash of anger. “You know full well we agreed upon my relationship with Rayne over a year ago, as a condition of our engagement that you first proposed, I might add. I never cheated on you. You are out of line.”

She placed down the file and narrowed her eyes.

“I am never out of line, husband.”

“That is where you are wrong. I shouldn’t need to remind you that the power here ultimately rests with me.” Months ago, keeping a clear head when she so clearly intended to provoke him would have been difficult. Her words hit hard, but he had more control over his response than she would like.

“That may be, but much of your power rests in the image you present. The family man, with a generous wife allowing you to legitimise your mistress’s children. The mistress, need I remind you, who was never absolved of her part in the Applewood Manor scandal. What would happen if that image failed?”

“Madeleine…”

“It would be so easy.” She pressed a hand to her chest. “Maybe you have a temper?” Her eyes widened. “Maybe you spend more time in the cellar than previously thought? Maybe certain members of your staff are afraid to be near you in the evening?”

“They would never believe such things.”

“Maybe so, yet it was so easy for the public to believe you were holding Rayne hostage last year.”

Liam’s jaw tightened. “This is blackmail.”

“No, dear.” Madeleine smiled again. “This is security. I gave you three weeks, but I won’t cover for you again. You must commit to your formal duties, which will leave Rayne to care for those two alone. You know she is stubborn enough, but how could you let her suffer?”

He didn’t respond immediately, but met her gaze, mind racing as he tried to escape the box she had forced him into.

“I can split my time effectively.”

“You are running solely on caffeine and it isn’t yet noon. You look as if you haven’t slept in days. You will sacrifice your health, and the country will suffer as a result. You need to let me help her, Liam. And you. And your children.” Madeleine glanced at a photograph at the corner of his desk – a smiling photo of himself and Rayne on tour – and sighed. “The heirs to the Cordonian throne need to be taught right, starting now, by someone who understands the gravity of their responsibilities.”

He cleared his throat and considered her case, sipping his coffee, now cool, and measuring his words. “Rayne is the most capable person I know. I trust her completely in the care and upbringing of her children. Appoint help if you must, but if she refuses, respect that.” They locked eyes for a moment. “I will manage my responsibilities regardless.”

Her resolve shifted then, and she ended the discussion. “When the time comes to choose, I hope you remember that I tried to help you.” She swivelled and left the room.

Liam pressed a thumb and forefinger against his temples, mind echoing with Madeleine’s threats and his responses. The lengths she was already willing to go to in order to manipulate him was potentially a precursor to more serious threats in the future. If Rayne wanted assistance he would source it in a heartbeat, but he doubted that would be her choice. Regardless, they would need to be ready.

Drake

Walking into Rayne’s apartments was like walking into another world. He could see why Liam preferred it. The royal apartments were tall and dark and impressive; every vestibule emitted a sense of grandeur, as if the monarch needed reminding of their own wealth and rank. These apartments were smaller, the ceiling lower, and the whole place bright and warm. Natural light shone through open windows to the expansive room, and only upon conscious observation did he realise the lights weren’t even on. There was so much warmth here, beyond the physical sense, and he felt calmer just being here as he crossed to the window.

Liam still worked in his office, not looking to be finished any time soon, and Drake had thought to offer company to Rayne, meagre as it was, as she adjusted again to his absence. As it occurred to him he didn't know where she was, he registered voices in an adjoining room.

"I appreciate the offer but as I have said, I don’t need another set of hands. I am managing fine."

"I have been appointed by the Queen herself to assist. She wishes to ease the pressure on your shoulders, given King Liam has returned to his duties."

The voices approached from the hall leading the the bedrooms and Rayne stepped in, followed by a young, neatly dressed woman with a kind face. Rayne didn’t seem to notice him at first. She cradled Leo in her arms and faced the woman calmly. Drake stood awkwardly beside the window, unsure whether to announce himself or not, and wondered if she realised the kind of authority she commanded.

"Please thank her for the effort but I assure you it is unnecessary," she said, moving through the room. "If, in the future, I require assistance, I will ask for it." She reached the door to the hall and opened it, turning back to the room. For a brief moment, their eyes met. He smiled awkwardly, and she seemed mildly surprised, then smiled and winked. The young woman seemed to struggle with herself for a moment, and sighed.

"As you wish." She gave Rayne a short bow. "You have my credentials and contact information."

"I do, thank you." Rayne nodded, and ushered out the woman, who paused on the threshold, bowed again, and left. Drake was sure that one was to Leo. Rayne shut the door and turned back.

"Hey, Drake." Rayne rested her cheek against Leo’s head, swaying as she moved away from the door and looking as if she'd been doing this for years, not weeks.

"What was that about?" He asked, gesturing at the door. She rolled her eyes.

"Nothing important. Just our benevolent queen trying to force a nanny down my throat."

He chuckled. "Went well for her."

"I don't know what she expected. That I'll suddenly roll over and submit? Cold day in hell." She glanced at the door, then back with a smirk. "You seem surprised. Expecting more New York Waitress than King Liam’s Mistress?" Her accent was still there, but like his it had been watered down and changed in her time here.

"You know that isn't who you are, right?" he said, settling on the arm of a lounge chair.

"Relax, I'm just teasing. For them, though…" She sighed, then focused on her son as he began a quiet protest. "Shh baby, it’s okay. Mommy's okay," she cooed, patting his back. He quieted, and she kissed his head. "There we go."

Drake realised, again, how little he knew about parenting and children. Rayne, conversely, took on this role with as much natural confidence as she did answering the press, calming citizens, and charming nobles. She looked up again.

"I know that many people see me at face value. I'm just the mother—"

"Those are the people Madeleine has poisoned, they—"

"Drake, listen, please." She stopped him, and waited a moment before continuing. “You know as well as I do that refusing to consider an opposing perspective makes us no better than those who think ill of us. I can’t judge them for their beliefs, nor can I ask them to change, but I know I am more than what they say.” She paused, then exhaled sharply. “I know what you’re thinking.”

“Then why are you resisting?”

Rayne tensed, lips pursed, and looked away from him. He had crossed a line. Again.

“Why do I keep having the same conversation with everyone?” she said, exasperated. “The only person who has respected my decision from the beginning is Liam. This is my choice, Drake.” In her arms Leo stirred again. Her expression softened as she turned down to him, then back. “Excuse me.”

As she left the room, Drake ran both hands over his face and cursed his tactlessness. He had come here thinking she might like company, but his challenges were straining their relationship. It wouldn’t be the first one he had ruined. Surely though, after enough attempts, Rayne would see how capable she was, and change her mind.

It took a while for her to return, but when she did he knew for certain it wouldn’t be today.

“Do you understand how little control I have over my life?” she said, seeming much taller than she was. “This is my life, my decision. I will not fall back on expectations because you think it is the best course. You do not decide for me, and do not presume it is your place to try.” She met his gaze unflinching, and after a moment, he nodded.

“You’re right,” he conceded. And stubborn, and brave, and exhausted… “I’m sorry.”

“Thank you.” Satisfied, she closed her eyes and visibly calmed herself somehow, before sitting on the arm of the next chair with a smile that made him nervous. “Now, I’m glad you came. I have a question for you.”

There seemed an audible click in his mind as he connected her tone with the question. “I really don’t think—”

“Why haven’t you asked Olivia out yet?”

He stared at her, less prepared than he should be considering he’d been asking himself the same thing. “Because I…” he cleared his throat, then assumed what he hoped was a convincing attempt at nonchalance. “Even if I was interested, there’s no way she’d agree.”

Olivia was coming to the palace in a few days, and sure they had a few things planned, but that was all casual. Rayne rolled her eyes.

“Not with that attitude she won’t. Come on, it’s not as if you’re asking her to run a kingdom. She isn’t going to agree if you never actually ask her, and she isn’t going to wait forever.” She grinned, but he was saved from fumbling for an answer by a knock on the hall door. They both turned.

“Expecting anyone?” he asked. She shook her head.

“Maybe Liam is back early?” The hope in her voice was painful to hear. Liam wouldn’t be back for hours.

“I don’t think so,” he said, suddenly unsettled. “I’ll get it.” He stood and stepped forward but she held up a hand.

“You stay right there. Work on that answer.” Rayne winked at him and approached the door, but there was tension in her shoulders.

She paused with a hand on the doorknob, then squared her shoulders, pulled it open, and froze.

---- ----

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[angelasscribbles]

A Fervid Fixation Chapter 3: Controlled Burn

Series: A Fervid Fixation

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Pairings: Riley x Drake

Rating: MA

Warnings for this chapter: Language

Word Count: 2,542

A/N: So it's not a three-shot, lol. I know, you're all shocked! Mini Series then. Four maybe five chapters. We'll just see how it goes.

My other stuff: Master List.

The SUV tires crunched on the gravel as it pulled into a small parking lot in front of a darkened restaurant. A metal sign that read “Mama Rita’s” swung from a chain above the front door.

The SUV pulled around back and stopped next to a deep maroon Devore GT with a black racing stripe down the center.

“What are we doing here?” Riley asked nervously, “Where are we?”

“We’re just switching cars,” Drake explained as he opened the door and hopped out. He pointed a key fob at the Devore and the trunk popped open.

The driver exited the vehicle and started pulling her luggage out of the back and transferring it to the trunk of the other car. She recognized him, “Marco, right?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he grinned at her as he pushed the trunk closed, “and for what it’s worth, I was there that night the shit went down with that duke…I know you weren’t having an affair with him or whatever that reporter is claiming.”

“Thanks, Marco.”

“You’re welcome. Good luck with everything,” he waved at her as he headed back to the SUV.

“Wait…you’re leaving?”

“Yes, I have to get back to my duty station before my next shift.” He told her as he climbed back into the driver’s seat and closed the door.

“Aren’t you on duty right now?”

“Technically no,” he responded, “Just doing a favor for a friend.”

“Thanks for that, by the way,” Drake called as he pulled the passenger door of the Devore open.

“Anytime, Walker,” Marco gave him a wave as he backed out of the parking spot.

Riley watched the taillights as they disappeared around the building, leaving her alone with Drake. A prospect that both frightened and excited her.

“Come on Brooks, let’s go.”

She turned slowly toward him ignoring the frisson of desire that sparked through her at the sight of him, “No.”

“No? What do you mean no?”

“I mean no, Drake! I’m not getting in the car with you!” She turned and started walking across the parking lot.

“Riley! Get in the car!” He roared.

“No!” She said over her shoulder.

“Riley!...Shit! Fuck!” He kicked the car and then ran after her, trying for his most pleading tone, “Riley….Riley, please, please, please get in the car!”

She stopped and turned to face him, “I said no, Drake!”

“Why the fuck not?”

“I’m not sure I should get in a car with you without knowing where we’re going and why!”

Shock spilled across his features, “I’m trying to help you!”

“Help me, Drake? Help me? Did I ask for your help? I don’t even know what the hell is going on! I was drug out of the coronation by one set of guards, intercepted by another set and now I’m just supposed to get into this car with you and go God knows where with you? And literally, no one knows where I am?” She was on the verge of a panic attack.

“Okay, okay…” he held both hands up in front of him in the universal sign for surrender, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I didn’t realize…” he trailed off as confusion then surprise darted across his face, “Riley…are you afraid of me?”

“I...I’m not sure…maybe…”

“Why? I mean, I know we’ve had some dustups, but what have I ever done to make you think I’d hurt you in any way?”

His facial expression was so bewildered and so hurt that her heart rate dropped back to normal as she replied, “Nothing to me, specifically…”

His face cleared as understanding dawned on him, “You’re talking about Nick and Tariq.”

“Well, yeah…”

“All right, let’s talk about it then, okay?” he waited for her to nod before continuing, “First of all, I need you to understand that I don’t usually just go around hitting people, I would never hit a woman and I have never punched a man that didn’t deserve it!”

“So, when you came into my room that night-“

“I heard you scream, Riley! I would have never just walked into your room otherwise! When I saw Tariq with his hands on you…” he paused as he struggled to get his emotions under control. His fists clenched at his sides and his lips pressed tightly together. His entire body was thrumming with tension as he replayed the events in his head.

“Hey,” Riley reached out tentatively and touched his arm, “It’s okay, I’m not really mad about you kicking that idiot’s ass.”

“You’re not?” He blinked at her in surprise.

“No,” she shook her head, “He kind of had it coming if you ask me.”

Drake barked out a disbelieving laugh, “But Liam made it sound like you were upset by the...how did he put it….oh yeah, all the violence you’d witnessed.”

“I mean, it was a lot, Drake. I just don’t understand why you did it.”

He looked taken aback as he said, “I did it for you, Riley! He hurt you! He was touching you without your permission!”

Her eyes widened, “That’s it?”

“That’s it? What do you mean, that’s it? Isn’t that enough? He had no right to put his hands on you!”

She smiled at his agitation, “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah, okay.” The truth was she had liked the feeling it gave her watching Drake swoop in and come to her defense. Like a flock of butterflies were trying to burst out of her chest.

Her smile drew one of his own, as he asked, “Why are you smiling?”

“No reason...just…if you got that worked up over the idea of someone else hurting me, I guess you’re not likely to do it yourself.”

His smile disappeared, as his hand brushed her cheek, “I would never do anything to hurt you, Riley!”

She looked down at the ground and then back up at his face, “Okay, I believe you, but…”

“But?” He dropped his hand and stepped back.

“But Nick wasn’t hurting me, Drake.”

He raked a hand through his hair with a sigh, “No, no, he wasn’t.”

“So, what was that about?”

He tipped his head back to stare up at the moon as he collected his thoughts, “I saw him as a threat. He was a stranger, with no security clearance to enter the area he was trying to enter, and he wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

It was at least part of the truth.

“Okay.”

“Okay, what?”

“Okay, I’ll get in the car with you, but you have to promise to tell me what the hell is going on!”

Relief rushed over him like a river crashing over the edge of a cliff face, “I promise!”

He talked as he drove, “I guess you know by now that pictures of you and Tariq somehow made it into the papers.”

“Yeah, I saw that, briefly. About two seconds after everyone got the notification I was being drug out of the ballroom!”

“Right. Didn’t that seem strange to you?”

“Yes! It was an extreme overreaction and I don’t understand-“

“No, not that part! The part where it only took the guard two seconds to react to something that was allegedly a surprise to everyone?”

“Oh…I…now that you mention it, I guess that is strange…”

“Because it wasn’t a surprise to everyone.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean there were guards on standby waiting for the signal to take you into custody. The limo to take you to the airport was waiting outside before that story dropped and the plane ticket was purchased a week ago.”

“How do you know all this?”

“Not important. What’s important is that these arrangements were made by someone with the authority to issue orders to not just the regular palace guards, but the King’s Guard! Which means that someone high up and close to Liam is responsible for it. And it also means the thing with Tariq was a setup. Who took those pictures, Riley? Someone knew he was going to be there!”

She sat back in her seat in shock, “Why would anyone want to do this to me?”

“Because you’re a threat.”

“To who?”

“To anyone that doesn’t want the monarchy to change! Liam is too enamored of you and there are those that see that as a threat.”

“But I’m not a threat to anyone!”

Drake laughed, “Tell that to all those noblewomen drowning in jealousy and resentment at having spent their entire lives training to marry a king only to have a foreign interloper, a waitress no less, swoop in at the last minute and steal him right out from under them.”

“I…never thought about it like that…so, you think it’s one of the other suitors?”

“Maybe, but probably not. Trust me, there are factions that would go to great lengths to keep the monarchy from what they see as corruption.”

“Corruption?”

“Yes, corruption from any ideas that are too modern, too liberal, too…American…”

“Shit…”

“Exactly.”

They pulled off the pavement onto a dusty backroad before turning down a long, twisting private drive. At the end of the drive was an unassuming two-story cabin nestled in a clearing next to a small lake.

“Sorry, it’s not a palace or the Beaumont estate,” he said as he unlocked the door and ushered her inside, “but you’ll be safe here.”

“I’m actually a little sick of the inside of the palace,” she admitted.

“I thought you liked the glitz and glamour, being catered to like a spoiled rich girl.”

“Do you always have to insult me?”

“Sorry, habit.”

“But why is it a habit?”

“I do it for the same reason I call you by your last name.”

“Which is?”

“None of your business. Now come on and I’ll show you to the bedroom.”

They were halfway up the stairs when she stopped, “Wait, did you say the bedroom? As in, there’s only one?”

Drake’s face flushed red as he pushed past her, “Yeah, but don’t worry. I was planning to sleep on the couch.”

“Oh! I…” she hurried up the steps after him, “I don’t want to put you out of your own bedroom! Wait…is it your bedroom? Whose cabin are we in?”

“It’s my cabin, Brooks,” he told her as he pushed open the only door on the left-hand side of the small upstairs hallway.

“What are those? They aren’t bedrooms?” She gestured to the three doors on the other side of the hall.

“Technically, yes, but they don’t have beds in them. The one at the end has a pool table in it, the one in the middle is a bathroom and the other is full of boxes of my dad’s old stuff,” he told her.

“I guess you don’t get much company, huh?” She smirked at him as she entered the master bedroom.

“I know that’s a crack about me not having any friends, but the answer is no I don’t because I actively don’t want any.”

Very few people knew it even existed.

He had never brought a woman to it before.

“Wow,” she breathed as she looked around the room. It took up most of the second floor, a fireplace graced the center of the room, and the bed was huge.

Her appreciation for it caught him off guard. “You like it?”

“Yes, I love it! It’s amazing! Why are you surprised?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged, “It’s not a palace and there are no servants.”

Annoyance pulled through her, “You know I lived in a two hundred square foot apartment in New York, right?”

“Yeah, well, I figure you’ve gotten used to a different lifestyle by this point.” He muttered.

“Do you really think I’m that fucking shallow?” she snapped.

“I don’t know. Are you?” And just like that, the attitude was back in his tone.

“Why did you even bother to bring me here and try to help me if you have such a low opinion of me, Drake? Huh? Why? I don’t get it. I don’t get you!”

“Me? I’m an open book! You’re the one that-“

“Open book? How the hell do you figure that? You’re the most inscrutable, closed-off, judgmental, hostile, cynical person I’ve ever met and you have a fucking outrageous temper with a hair trigger! Frankly, I don’t see how you’ve survived at court all these years!”

His jaw set, “Tell me how you really feel, Brooks, don’t hold back.”

“I’m just saying-“

“I know what you’re saying, and you’re the one judging me right now! Maybe being at court all those years made me this way! Did you ever consider that?”

“Maybe your problems at court were caused by your bad attitude! Did you ever consider that?”

“Says the woman who was fucking nice to everyone and still got set up, slandered, and drug out of the coronation by armed guards!”

“Oh, fuck you! How do I know you’re even telling me the truth about any of that?”

“Why the fuck would I lie about any of that?” He asked in astonishment.

“I don’t know, Drake, you tell me! Maybe Liam was right, maybe you are obsessed with me! Maybe this wasn’t a rescue, maybe this was a kidnapping!”

“Are you fucking serious right now? Turn on the fucking news! You’re all over it and no one is defending you!”

“Oh, and how am I supposed to do that, Drake? Huh? You took my phone!”

“You know what? I’m going down to bring in the rest of your luggage and check the propane tank. Give you time to calm the fuck down.”

“Calm down? Calm down? You want me to calm down, Drake? Get me a fucking phone!” She pulled her shoes off and flung one at him.

“You’re welcome for the save by the way!” He yelled as he stepped into the hallway and shut the door behind him. The shoe thudded into the closed door and bounced onto the floor.

“Fuck!” She threw the other shoe at the door for good measure.

She needed to get a message to Liam. She needed contact with the outside world. She needed to see what the news was saying. She needed Hana.

But first, she needed a long, hot bath to wash this day off her.

She locked the bedroom door and made her way to the master bath. There was a cast iron claw-footed oval-shaped bathtub, long enough for her to stretch out in and be completely underwater. 

There was amazingly enough hot water to fill it. That fact that there was women’s body wash, shampoo, and conditioner gave her pause, but then Drake’s little rescue/kidnapping scheme had to have also been planned in advance, which meant that the King’s Guards weren’t the only ones that had known that story was going to break ahead of time.

How long had Drake known and why hadn’t he warned her?

She had questions and she needed answers, but as she soaked in the steaming bath, she found herself fighting to keep her eyes open, so she climbed out, dried herself off, and climbed into the bed.

The mattress was soft, and the bed was piled high with fur-lined blankets and a goose-down comforter. She was asleep the moment her head touched the pillow.

Answers would have to wait until morning.