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mysticalfangirl · 1 month

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Turning the Page

A Step Back in Time, chapter 11

Choices, The Royal Romance, AU

Series Premise: As Riley Brooks journeys through life as a single parent in New York City, an epiphany strikes as she contemplates the future for herself and her two-year-old son.

Turning the Page Series Masterlist

Main Pairing: Liam Rys x F!OC Riley Brooks

All characters belong to Pixelberry Studios, except William Brooks (Rys) and Matteo Magro, who belongs to this series.

Category: On-going series, contains angst/fluff/depression. Cross-over fic with Choices, Perfect Match.

Rating: M🔞 - Warnings - Series will contain crude language, weapons, NSFW material – not Beta’d - please excuse all errors.

Words: 3268

A Step Back in Time, Chapter 11

Chapter Summary: Liam, Riley and William arrive for a weeklong retreat in Lythikos. Olivia takes Riley ‘under her wing’ to mentor and to offer advice for her return to court. Olivia was determined to get her friend into the right frame of mind and to ultimately get the sparkle back in her eyes.

Music Inspiration: What Was I Made for? Billie Eilish ; Lose Control, Teddy Swims

A/N1: In this alternate universe, after King Constantine orchestrates two individual scandals to humiliate and entrap Riley Brooks and Olivia Nevrakis in shame, Madeleine Amaranth secures her position as the Queen of Cordonia. Riley, as the King’s mistress and Olivia, in self-imposed exile. Tariq is never found.

A/N2: Damien Nazario has been assigned as William’s personal bodyguard. (Series cross-over with ‘Perfect Match’)

‘Cause I, ‘cause I

I don’t know how to feel

But I wanna try

I don’t know how to feel

But someday I might

Someday I might

Think I forgot how to be happy

Something I’m not, but something I can be

Something I wait for

Something I’m made for

Something I’m made for’

Cordonian Royal Palace, Capital

If you told Riley Brooks that she would be living in Cordonia, in the Royal palace, with the King of Cordonia just last summer ... she would not believe you. She would tell you that ‘once upon a time’, she fell in love with that King and competed for his hand in marriage in his social season. By reason of the cruelty of fate, and the callousness of the Royal court, that dream would be ripped away from her by a world that was foreign to her. Where outsiders, or commoners, were frowned upon and/or deemed lesser than the noble class. She would be relegated to be the other woman, the mistress to that immensely powerful man whose duty to his country dictated that he must marry a ‘chosen’ woman, even though he did not love her.

...and she had to watch that man she loved, marry another.

...because she loved him, she remained. Confiding to him, ‘I’ve made my decision ... I want to be with you. I don’t care what it looks like.’

...and it broke her.

In the Royal east wing, inside William’s bedroom, Riley meticulously packed his clothing into a large suitcase. Carefully selecting each item with love and care for their winter vacation in the Alps of Lythikos, she folded his small woolen sweaters with matching pants and jeans. Soft mittens and a woolen cap were nestled next to his favorite plushie, Scooby; ready to go with him on his snowy adventures.

"Li Li, sweetheart, come here please," Riley called out, her voice echoing through the spacious room. William bounded towards her; his eyes wide as he watched his mother pack his belongings.

"We go away, Mama?" William asked, his voice filled with wonder.

"Yes, my sweet boy," Riley replied with a smile, scooping him up into her arms and placing him down on his bed. "We're going to the mountains with your father to visit a good friend of ours. It's going to be so much fun."

William's eyes sparkled with delight at the mention of his father. In the five short months since he met his father for the first time, the bond between father and son had grown stronger exponentially. William adored Liam, who always had time for his son's playful antics in New York and now, here in Cordonia, as well. Despite his Royal duties, Liam made the point to spend as much time with William as possible. Riley was not surprised. Liam often spoke about what kind of father he wanted himself to be. The exact opposite of his own father. She could tell that Liam was trying his best to make up for all the time they had lost. And she could not be happier.

Riley continued to pack, tucking away William's favorite books and toys to keep him entertained during their trip in Lythikos. She had already arranged for snacks with the kitchens, ensuring they would have everything they needed for the long drive to the northern chateau.

Riley looked up, catching Liam's gaze.

Liam stood and silently watched, leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded. A gentle smile played on his lips as he watched Riley packing their son's belongings for their trip, while William happily tried to help his mother.

"Come, my King," Riley softly spoke and smiled with a playful glint in her eyes. "Help me double-check if we have everything for our little adventurer."

Liam pushed himself away from the doorframe and strolled over to Riley; he crouched down beside William, who was wide-eyed with anticipation.

“Daddy, look.” William pointed to the large suitcase, smiling happily at his father.

"Hello, my little prince," Liam greeted, ruffling William's hair. "Are you ready for an adventure?"

William giggled and nodded his head vigorously, his eyes reflecting the admiration and adoration he held for his father. Liam chuckled, “I see you have lots of toys packed.”

William climbed over to the suitcase and plucked his favorite plush to show his father.

“Ah, I see you packed your little dog. Is he your special friend?”

“Yes, Daddy. I love puppies.” William grinned, squeezing his toy.

“You do? That is good to know,” Liam winked at Riley as William returned his toy to be packed.

“I will meet you two in an hour. All right, love?” Liam asked Riley.

“Okay, Daddy,” William answered as Liam and Riley chuckled together at his response.

As Liam left to go to his study, Damien entered, bowing to Liam, “Your Majesty”.

Liam smiled and nodded 'hello' in response as he walked towards his assistant waiting in the hall followed by his security detail.

Nevrakis Chateau, Lythikos, Cordonia

Driving through the majestic mountains, Riley stared at the vista overlooking the Nevrakis chateau. Memories flooded her mind as they passed the frozen lake below. The lake where she, along with the other suitors skated on, with Liam during his social season years ago.

Riley shivered. Was it from seeing the beautiful winter landscape or from those memories of past competitions for the man she loved? Riley’s thoughts were interrupted by the happy sound of her son’s voice.

William giggled; totally enthralled by Liam’s storytelling of his past adventures in the snow. The sight of father and son was precious to Riley, as she softly smiled at the two of them. William was sitting on Liam’s lap as he pointed to the large chateau coming into view ahead.

The escalade stopped at the grand entrance of the Nevrakis chateau as members of the royal guard went into formation and opened the vehicle doors.

As they made their way toward the entrance, a flurry of snowflakes fell from the sky, adding a layer of white powder to the ground.

"Wow, this is beautiful.” Riley raised her arms to the sky. “I remember my first visit here during your social season.”

"It is. If I remember correctly, it was just as cold." Liam quipped adjusting William’s scarf.

Members of Olivia’s waitstaff greeted the party as they entered the lavish and grand estate. Standing at the base of the grand staircase, Olivia grinned as William squealed at the pair of Alaskan malamutes sitting inside the foyer.

“King Liam, Lady Riley and Prince William ... welcome to my quaint northern lodge. I am delighted to host the three of you.”

Liam approached Olivia and kissed her cheek, then gestured to Riley and William to join them.

"Olivia, it's been far too long since I last visited. The grounds are magnificent.”

"Indeed, thank you, Liam.” Olivia beamed with pride.

"Thank you for hosting us. Your hospitality is greatly appreciated.” Riley added.

"Anything for my dear friends."

Olivia's attention was drawn to William, who was petting the dogs and giggling.

"Well, hello again, prince William." Olivia walked over and knelt beside and offered treats to her two canine companions.

William looked up at her and smiled.

"Hewwo."

"He's even cuter than I remember," Olivia grinned. “This one,” she motioned to the brown tipped dog, is ‘Mischa’. And this big guy is ‘Zeus’, "she cooed.

"Now, Riley." Olivia stood and walked forward slowly, looping her arm through Riley's arm and leading her inside. "We have lots to catch up on. Liam, make yourself at home. Your Royal suite is ready for you. Gustav will be your personal attendant for your stay."

"Thank you, Liv. That is much appreciated."

"You are quite welcome. Now, Riley, let us get started on our girl time.” Liam winked at Riley, his shoulders shaking as he chuckled at Riley’s faux scared expression.

"Okay, sounds good." Riley shook her head grinning as she walked by Liam.

Olivia and Riley climbed the grand staircase and disappeared around a corner while William sat on the floor playing with the dogs.

"William, let's get you changed and settled." Liam extended his hand down for his son to take.

"Okay, Daddy."

“Bye bye puppies.” William exuberantly spoke to the large dogs.

***

Riley and Olivia sat on a plush sofa in front of a large window overlooking the mountains. The sun was beginning to set, casting a golden glow over the snowy landscape.

"It's so beautiful here." Riley marveled at the picturesque view.

"I'm glad you like it.” Olivia proudly acknowledged as she handed a large glass filled with chardonnay to Riley.

Olivia sat back and watched Riley; her expression turning serious.

"Riley, I know that things have been difficult for you since you've come back, but you have to remember, you're a force of nature. You are stronger than you think.” Olivia was continuing the conversation of their last visit at the palace.

Riley looked down at her hands, which held onto the wine glass with a death grip. She knew the invitation to spend the week in Olivia's duchy was not just a holiday for her, Liam and William. Her once adversarial friend, and now, her good friend, wanted to assist her with reuniting with Liam.

"I can see the pain and sadness in your eyes." Olivia continued.

"Oh... "

"How is it really going? Riley, how is everything between you and Liam?"

Riley sighed and set her wine glass on the table.

"I'm...I'm not sure."

"Do you still love him?"

"Yes, of course. I have never stopped loving him.”

"Do you think he loves you?"

"Yes.” There was a small smile followed by biting her top lip.

"Then what's the problem?"

"I'm not sure."

Olivia shook her head and sighed.

"You have to trust him, Riley. He loves you. And I can see how happy William makes him.”

"I know that.”

"But there's something else, isn't there?" Olivia eyed her friend for clues.

"It's just that... we've spent so much time apart. And now that we are back together, things feel different.”

"I think I understand. That is quite normal, all things considered."

"And I'm worried that he'll eventually resent me for leaving him while I was pregnant with William."

"He could never resent you, Riley. You are the mother of his child. It'# not in his DNA.”

“I keep thinking that that there will be another scandal around the corner. That something or someone will tear us apart.”

"What happened to that confident and free spirited American girl? The one who turned the court on its' head. Where did she go?"

"I know what you are asking. I feel scared; waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

"Scared of what? And why?"

"That he won't forgive me."

"Riley, listen to me. That is your guilt talking.”

Olivia reached over and grabbed Riley's hands, looking her in the eye.

"Liam loves you. He will always love you. You and William are his world. And I know that he wants nothing more than to make you happy.”

"But..."

"But, nothing. There is no 'but'.”

"Okay." Riley was not convinced. "But, Madeleine ..."

"Is out of the picture; where Liam is concerned. You have the power of position now, make Madeleine feel it."

Riley looked at her friend and took a staggered breath.

"Most importantly, you hold the King’s heart...show the world, show Cordonia, show Madeleine what that means...you will bring her to her knees." Olivia sneered.

"This is why I wanted you to come for a visit. To remind you of who you are and what you are capable of.”

“Olivia ...” Riley sighed, shaking her head, ‘no’.

"Now. Come with me."

Olivia stood and motioned for Riley to follow.

Olivia took her down to an armory in the bowels of the chateau.

"Here we are." Olivia turned and motioned to a wall of weapons.

"What are we doing down here?" Riley asked, eyeing the collection of weapons displayed on the wall.

"We're going to do some training.”

"Training? For what?" Riley questioned, perplexed.

"For the press."

"Why do I need training for the press? With weapons?"

"Because they're vultures. They will try to get a rise out of you. They will ask rude and invasive questions. They will try to trip you up.”

"But why do you think I need training? I know you haven’t forgotten that I was subjected to them during Liam’s social season."

"Because they're relentless idiots.” Olivia sneered.

"Okay, but ...”

“Now that you are back in Cordonia, the mother of the crown prince, no less ...they want to find out your intentions with their king.”

Riley took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

"Don't worry. I'm going to teach you how to handle them.” Olivia confidently proclaimed with a smirk.

"Thank you, Olivia.” Riley sighed as she eyed the collection of pointy weaponry again.

"Of course. Now, let us get started.”

Riley was grateful for Olivia's help and advice. She knew that she was right about the press, having dealt with them through the engagement tour, after the scandal was brought to light.

Riley didn't have to know that. At least, not yet.

And she knew that she needed to be prepared. Riley understood the extent to which the press would dig and manipulate information to get a juicy soundbite. But she was not aware that Madeleine would have her own agenda to discredit and sabotage her at every chance she got, all the way from Morocco. However, Olivia was well aware of Madeleine’s spite and her bitterness over losing the crown.

"First off. I want you to choose a weapon." Olivia pointed to her collection of weaponry mounted on the wall.

"A weapon?" Riley’s eyes were wide looking at the selection before her.

"Yes. You cannot fight the press with words alone.”

"Um...okay." Riley answered sceptically.

Riley looked at each weapon closely. There were swords, halberds, axes and daggers, among others.

She picked up a sword.

"Hmm...a sword? Interesting choice."

"It's light and I can move fast.”

"Good. Particularly good.” Olivia nodded approvingly. “That would be a weapon that Liam would choose.”

“Really?” Riley admonished.

"Now, we'll practice some moves.”

"Moves?"

"Yes. Maneuvers. Stances. Blocking and parrying.”

"Wow. This is serious.”

"Indeed. I'll start slow, but don't let your guard down.”

"I won't.” Riley responded warily.

"Good. Now, attack me."

"What?" Riley looked aghast.

"Attack me."

"Oh, um ... okay."

Riley raised the sword and ran at Olivia, who easily dodged the blow.

"Is that the best you've got?"

"No.”

Riley lunged at her again, and again, Olivia sidestepped each attack.

"You're leaving yourself open.” Olivia challenged.

"I am?"

"Yes. If this was a real fight, I would have cut you down by now." Olivia chirped.

"Oh.” Riley let out a large breath, wondering to herself how this lesson was going to end.

"Here. Let me show you."

Olivia demonstrated a series of moves, her sword flashing and swooshing in the air.

"Now, you try.”

Riley imitated the movements, her sword swishing through the air.

"Better.” Olivia critiqued.

"Thanks." Riley answered questionably.

"Again.” Olivia commanded with Riley going on the defensive.

They continued to spar, their swords clashing together. Riley was impressed with Olivia's skills and ability to read her opponent and react accordingly.

As they continued to fight, Riley became more comfortable with the sword, her moves becoming more fluid and graceful. Liam slipped into the back of the room, quietly watching the sparring.

"Excellent.” Olivia praised.

"Thanks.” Riley smiled at the compliment, picking up a bottle of water.

"Now we need a target." Olivia led her to a stuffed, practice dummy.

Riley chuckled as she watched her friend attach a large face photo of Madeleine onto the head with a dagger.

"Here, let me help you." Olivia handed her an assortment of knives, before she expertly threw her dagger.

Riley's first few throws landed wide, but she quickly found her mark, sinking several blades into the center of the picture.

"Nicely done.”

"Thanks."

"Feel better?" Olivia snickered as Riley laughed.

“Yes! Yes, actually I do. But I don't understand. How is this going to help me?”

"When the press asks you questions, you need to stay calm and confident. If they try to rattle you, throw them off balance. Focus on your target.” Olivia pointed to the picture.

"Let's practice."

"All right."

"Imagine I'm a member of the press. And I ask you, 'Lady Riley, where have you been all these years?'"

Riley cleared her throat and straightened her posture.

"I've been raising my son in New York. It's where he was born and raised.”

"Why did you leave Cordonia?"

"I left to protect my child. And because I knew that King Liam had an obligation to the Queen.”

"What are your intentions now that you've returned?”

"I'm here to support my son and to be a part of his life.”

"Do you still love the King?”

"Yes, of course."

“No! STOP!!!”

Olivia moved assertively towards Riley. "This is where you say, 'that's all the questions for today’ and then you walk away from the microphones. Show confidence. Show determination. Show stoicism. Control the narrative.”

Riley raised her eyebrow. "How did you get so good at this, Olivia?"

Olivia shrugged, her shoulders rising slightly. "I'm the duchess of Lythikos. People talk. And sometimes they don't realize I'm listening."

Riley nodded, a new respect for Olivia blossoming in her heart with a renewed sense of determination in her step.

Feeling his arms, Riley giggled and leaned back against him with a content smile.

Liam sauntered up to Riley from behind, wrapping his arms around Riley’s waist.

Riley turned around to look at Liam, her eyes filled with love.

“The Royal guard will then lead you away from the gathering,” Liam interjected. “You will never be left without protection.”

"Thank you, Liam.” Riley tearfully smiled.

"I want you to know that while I am alive, you will always have a home in Cordonia. And I will never let anyone threaten that ... or you ... ever again.”

Riley felt a warm feeling in her chest and a sense of calm.

Maybe everything was going to be all right, after all. As long as she had Liam and William, she knew she could face anything.

"Liam, I love you."

"I love you, too, Riley."

Liam pressed his lips to hers, and Riley melted into his embrace. They kissed for a long moment, savoring the feel of each other's bodies.

"Come, let's go get some sleep. We have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow."

"I'm ready.*

"Pleasant dreams you two. Good night."

"Olivia, thank you for your expertise. It is much appreciated.

"Your welcome, Liam. It's my pleasure."

Good night." Riley called out.

Riley followed Liam out of the room, her hand firmly grasped in his.

And for the first time since she had come back to Cordonia, she truly felt like she was home.

"Thank you, Olivia," she whispered as she lay in Liam's arms, his steady heartbeat lulling her to sleep.

Thanks for reading; please let me know if you would like to be added or removed from this series.

My current tag list:

Perma tags: @ao719 @queenmiarys @sfb123 @twinkleallnight @alj4890 @differenttyphoonwerewolf @harleybeaumont @busywoman @karahalloway @kingliam2019 @imjusthereforliam @lovingchoices14 @kyra75 @tinkie1973 @emkay512 @malblk21 @kristinamae093 @charlotteg234

TRR Liam & Riley TTP: @emersyn-in-cordonia @mainstreetreader @belencha77 @walkerdrakewalker @iluaaa @mysticalfangirl @queenwalton @bascmve01 @umccall71 @choicesfrog @amandablink @ownworldresident

Submissions:@choicesficwriterscreations

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mysticalfangirl · 2 months

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Second chance love

Part 1

Series summary- Liam stopped entertaining the idea of love and marriage after the death of his first love but everything began changing after a certain New York trip.

Book- TRR AU

Pairing - Liam x F!MC (Riley) ; Liam x F!OC(Nicole)

A/n- Using Prompt 2 — “It wasn’t supposed to end like this/that.” from Week #76 Prompts from @choicesflashfics

Rated M for mature audience

This series will contain NSFW .Not suitable for people below 18 years of age.

Warning- Gunshot;Death of character mentioned

No. of words - 1400+

No matter how much Liam wanted, he couldn't stop the constant ringing in his ears, everything around him was falling apart, people were running around trying to save themselves, as he kicked the last assassin in front of him, the adrenaline left his body and he fell down with a thud looking at his trembling hands which was covered in blood. He then looked around and when he didn't see Nicole or any of his friends he sighed in relief.

He was glad that they all managed to escape, he knew he should go but it was as if all his strength was gone and he couldn't get up. He then heard someone calling his name, he lifted his head to see Bastien in front of him.

Bastien sat on his knees in front of him, he put his hand on Liam's shoulder, his gaze filled with sympathy "Liam we have to go to the hospital."

"Hospital?" Liam asked confused.

"Yes, if we don't go now, we would be very late." Saying this, Bastien practically dragged him out of the ballroom.

"Bastien, what happened, who is hurt?"

"You'll know when we reach there, please we don't have much time left."

On the way to the hospital Liam kept asking him who was hurt but he refused to answer.

They reached the hospital around 20 minutes later, Liam was escorted to the VIP section, where he found Drake, Maxwell, Olivia and his father who was supposed to be staying somewhere safe after the assassin attempt.

They looked at him, Constantine pulled him in a hug and patted his back "You have to be strong Liam, everything will be fine"

Liam was not sure how to react, he couldn't remember when was the last time his father hugged him, looking around him he saw Maxwell trying to supress his sobs, Drake was completely expressionless, last time he was like this was years ago when Jackson died, even Olivia who would have berated Maxwell for behaving like a child was consoling him, her own eyes were red and filled with tears.

"You guys are scaring me. Please tell me what is wrong, who is hurt."

"I-I am sorry Liam it was my fault." Maxwell said as he hiccuped a bit. "I should have been careful, I should have stopped her."

"Stopped who Max? What are you saying?" When no one answered him Liam lost his patience "WILL SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT IS HAPPENING. Drake? Olivia? Please, you guys are scaring me."

"It's Nicole. She's shot" Drake whispered

"W-what?" Liam was stunned unable to comprehend what he heard"It's not funny Drake. Please tell me you're joking.

"I'm not. She is in the OT, she had lost too much blood Li, doctors asked us to be prepared for the worst."

Before Liam could react, the doctor came out of the OT, Liam left Drake's side and ran to the doctor.

"She's okay right? Please tell me they are joking?"

"I'm sorry your highness, we tried our best but it was already too late." Doctor told him with a downcast expression.

"Can we see her?" Maxwell asked the doctor as he wiped his tears.

After doctor's permission all went to see Nicole but Liam stayed behind in the corridor, he slumped down on the chair in the corridor , he had lost all hope at that moment, thinking of a future without her in it made him so miserable that he couldn't breathe, his leg felt heavy, he didn't even have the courage to go and see her.

As he sat there, Liam felt someone tapping his shoulder. He turned to see his father standing there along with everyone. "You should go see her my boy"

"I can't father." Liam said looking at engagement ring in his hand . "I was going to propose today, I wanted to get married to her, have children, to grow old together."

When Liam looked back up his eyes were red filled with unshed tears. Constantine knew how his son felt, he was in the same place almost 20 years ago he knew what he sat there beside him giving his silent support

Later Liam took a deep breath and moved towards the OT. Nicole was laying on the small hospital bed, her black ballgown was exchanged with the loose fitted hospital gown, her hair which immaculately set by the stylist had fell open and was sticking to her forehead. Even then Liam thought she was most beautiful woman ever. He went to her held her palms in his own.

Nicole felt her life slipping away, tears streaked her cheeks, her breathing was turning shallow and even when Liam held her hands in his firm grip she couldn't see any light at the end of the tunnel, all she saw was darkness, darkness that was slowly but surely consuming her.

"It wasn’t supposed to end like this. " Nicole sobbed lightly. "I... I don't want to die. Please...." Before she could finish her sentence, the electrocardiogram flatlined. Liam's head snapped to the machine, he frantically pressed the call button. He was pushed away from Nicole, after a while the doctor spoke up"Time of death 00:37"

For few days Liam worked on autopilot, he spent most of his days in either his room or roaming around the wishing well. A week later, during Nicole's funeral, everyone was dressed up in black, her mother was sobbing sitting there, while her father held his wife. They had lost their only child and the feeling was killing them from inside.

Liam arrived later than everyone else, somewhere in his heart he was wishing for everything to be a horrific dream, one that he'll suddenly wake up from and laugh his heart out for having such a ridiculous dream.

He knew nothing like that would happen, Nicole was dead and he had to accept it but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't accept the fact that the love of his life was gone.

At end of the funeral he went to Milton and Genesis Nicole's parents and gave them his condolences, not showing any emotion.

That night when he was wide awake in his room, he felt tears streaming down his cheeks, drenching his pillow, he let out a sob which he muffled through the pillows on his bed, he cried his heart out, slowly his cries turned into sniffle, crying with so much anguish left him exhausted, his eyelids got heavy and sleep consumed him for first time in days.

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

3 years later

Liam was standing near Nicole's grave with a bouquet of white lilies in his hand, he put the bouquet on her grave and sat down there. Her death took away a part of him. He was not happy, not after what happened three years ago but tried his best to live the life to the fullest, even with all the responsibilities, he might be dead inside but he wanted to live for her.

"Hey love l am sorry I wasn't here since past few days, being a king is not easy. You were my anchor and I feel that without you everything is falling apart. I don't want this life but Leo's abdication few years ago compelled me to take the role which was never meant for me. Anyways not to delve into boring stuff, I came bearing good news, Maxwell is getting married next month. Can you believe it, I couldn't." He chuckled lightly "Hana is a lovely woman and you would have loved her. Maxwell wants to have his bachelor party in New York and I'll be gone for 4-5 days. See you soon darling." Liam got up and pressed a light kiss to his fingertip before pressing it on her grave.

Late night after packing everything he needed for the trip to New York, Liam took out his sleeping pills, as soon as the medicine took effect dreamless sleep consumed him as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Thank you

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

Tags: @kingliam2019 @kristinamae0093 @kristinamae093 @busywoman @tessa-liam @twinkleallnight @malblk21 @ao719 @jerzwriter @choicesficwriterscreations @choicesflashfics @emersyn-in-cordonia @angelasscribbles @liamrysandme @busywoman @belencha77 @marietrinmimi @bebepac

#choices trr #king liam #liam rys x mc #liam x mc #liam x riley #choices liam x mc #liam x oc #trr au

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mysticalfangirl · 2 months

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Vancross

Vancross - Rescue You (Chapter 23)

Most of the characters belong to Pixelberry.

Summary: A group of friends embark on their final year at Vancross Institute with the hopes of making it their best year yet. When a new face with a complicated family plagued by secrets and rumors arrives on campus, new friendships are formed, a new relationship blossoms, and threatening challenges arise.

Title inspiration: Rescue - Lauren Daigle

Main Pairing: Liam x F!OC

A/N: Multiple crossover series. There will be random sprinkles of canon throughout this story, but for the most part, it’s pretty much out the window. Not beta’d. Please excuse any errors.

Rating: M • Warnings: This series will contain nsfw material, language, some alcohol and drug use, and is not suitable for minors. If you read, you acknowledge you are 18+

Catch up here

“Are we there yet?” Trystan cut his eyes up to the rearview mirror and stared at Blaine. “I’m just kidding. Everyone is just so fucking quiet and it’s starting to make me a little uneasy.”

“Nerves are good. Gets the adrenaline going,” Leo quipped.

They’d been driving nearly an hour with Amalas checking in every 15 minutes since they crossed over the Drakovian border to ensure their earpieces were still working. Thankfully, they hadn’t had any issues so far.

“We’ve got to be close,” Simon said.

Trystan had been quiet the entire ride, trying to get himself into the zone; he’d have to become a slightly different person once he entered the lion’s den and he needed to get himself into that mindset. But as the marker Everett placed to signal his upcoming turn came into view, he figured it was time. “We’re close …”

Trystan slowed the SUV, turned onto a dirt road, and shut off the lights, leaving the path ahead visible only by the silver moonlight from above as they moved at what felt like a snail’s pace. The path was lined by a thick forest of trees on both sides, giving nothing away as to what lay beyond them.

“I’m just gonna say it … this feels very fucking ominous,” Blaine whispered.

After several long moments, lights flickered from a vehicle parked up ahead, and the SUV rolled to a stop just as Amalas’ voice crackled in their ears.

“I see that you’ve arrived. Everything clear?”

“Good here,” Trystan confirmed, and the other three repeated his words.

Trystan and Leo exited the vehicle first, and Blaine and Simon gave one another a look before they followed suit. As they approached the other vehicle, they watched as a familiar face came into view.

Jonas, Croía’s former guard, bowed to Trystan. “It’s good to see you, sir. If only it was under better circumstances.”

“Agreed,” Trystan said. “Thank you for your willingness to help.”

“Of course.”

“Is everything set on your end?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good.” Trystan turned to look at the other three. “Don’t forget to stay alert and don’t draw attention to yourselves. Wait it out until the time comes, and once each of you has your spin as we’ve planned, you slip out through the side exit of the ballroom. Everett will be waiting to lead you to the tunnel … and I’ll meet you back here. Try not to get caught or, worse, die.” Blaine’s and Simon’s brows rose and Leo snorted. “Kidding … mostly.” He looked at each of them, not needing to say what he was thinking; the gratitude in his eyes at what they were risking for his sister said more than enough. “See you soon.”

They all shook his hand before the three of them slid into the other vehicle with Jonas, who was getting them through the gates with the help of Everett.

As they drove off back down the path, Trystan turned and walked in the opposite direction before veering off onto a smaller path in the woods. He hadn’t been down there since he was a teenager when he would hide from his lessons or escape the constant watchful eyes of his parents. It was clear no one else had been down that way in quite some time, evident by the brush covering the path.

After walking roughly a mile, Trystan came to the end of the trail where the entrance to the tunnel was located. It had been closed off over a decade ago, but he knew there was a way to open it, and instructed Everett on how to do so. He spotted the thick piece of wood that was keeping the heavy door wedged open just enough, and he smiled triumphantly when he slipped through.

“You made it.”

“Did you doubt me?” Trystan asked as he shook Everett’s hand.

“Not at all,” Everett smiled as they started walking down the dark passageway with his flashlight guiding them. “Guests started to arrive roughly 15 minutes ago.”

“And you’re going to the gate?”

“Yes. Jonas just sent me a message, so I’m headed there now.”

“Perfect.” Trystan glanced over at him. “How’s Croía?”

“I don’t know,” Everett shook his head. “I haven’t seen her today. She’s been with your mother since this morning.”

Trystan’s jaw tensed, but he nodded. When they rounded the first corner, Trystan stopped Everett. “Once you get back inside, there’s something I need you to do …”

****

Jonas waited in the car line going through the front gates of the palace where a guard was doing clarification checks of the guest list.

“A guard is circling the vehicles while the other does the clarification checks,” Jonas said quietly. “If they tap on your window, roll it down and act bored and annoyed by their presence.”

Blaine, Leo, and Simon nodded their agreement from the backseat as they fixed their masks into place; each mask was designed to conceal most of their face, giving off phantom of the opera vibes.

When the first of the three vehicles ahead of them finally pulled through the gate, Jonas drummed his fingers anxiously against the steering wheel; Everett had yet to come and replace the one guard checking the guest list. After a few moments, the next car pulled through the gate, leaving one more ahead of them.

“Come on,” Jonas mumbled under his breath. He watched as the other guard slowly circled the vehicle in front of them and felt the sweat beading his brow as they got closer to finishing. The guard circling the vehicle tapped the back of it, signaling them to go ahead. “Shit.”

Just as the car ahead started to roll through the gate, Everett appeared, and Jonas released a breath of relief as he slowly began pulling forward. He watched Everett say something to the guard, who then handed him the tablet with the lists before hurrying toward the palace as he rolled to a stop in front of him.

“IDs,” Everett said curtly, falling into character.

As Jonas spoke with Everett, Leo, Blaine, and Simon watched as the other guard slowly circled their vehicle; their eyes tracked his every movement until he stopped in front of Leo’s door and tapped a knuckle against the window.

Leo’s jaw tensed as he rolled it down. “What?” he snapped.

The guard peered inside. “Just checking the vehicle, sir.”

“Make it quick,” Leo spat in feigned annoyance. “I don’t intend on spending my evening sitting in the back of my damn car.” The man met his gaze, but unlike the guards he was used to dealing with back home, this one arched a brow almost in a challenge. It didn’t deter him, however. “Well, are your eyes fucking working? Or do I need to tell Queen Viktoria that we were late due to being held up at the gate by her incompetent guard?”

The man stared at him for another heartbeat before offering a curt nod. “Enjoy your evening, sirs.”

Leo rolled his eyes before rolling up his window. When Jonas pulled through the gate, Simon let out a snort. “Dude …”

“I just know that guy has a list of nobles he wants to kill and Lord Sterling DuPont was just added to it,” Blaine chuckled.

Leo grinned. “Gotta give ol’ Sterling a reputation.”

“Everyone still connected?” Amalas’ voice crackled in their ears.

“Good here,” Blaine answered. “We just got through the gate.”

“Good on my end,” Trystan’s voice came through. “But I’m probably going to lose you here in a second. I’ll let you know when I’m back on.”

“What do you mean?” Blaine questioned. “What if you need—”

“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. Just get inside.”

“That’s fucking great,” Leo grumbled. “We’re not even inside and he’s already going rogue.”

“I can still hear you, asshole,” Trystan said.

“I’ve got eyes on him for now,” Amalas interjected, reminding them she was watching the security feed. “If he needs assistance, I’ll let you know. You three just worry about what you need to do.”

Leo sighed just as the SUV came to a stop outside the front entrance. “I’ll see you back where we met up,” Jonas said quietly. “Good luck.” Blaine patted his shoulder right before a staff member opened the door.

Leo slid out followed by Blaine and Simon, and each offered a curt nod as they buttoned their suit jackets before making their way up the stairs. As they stepped through the front entrance, while some guests were led straight into the ballroom, they were instructed to take their place in a line.

They glanced around the foyer, dimly lit by the two gothic-style chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. In front and behind them in the line stood other masked guests … the men who would be vying for Croia’s hand that evening.

And suddenly, the full impact of what that evening was about hit Blaine like a ton of bricks. Croía was, in a nutshell, supposed to be auctioned off to one of these men … like some prized fucking animal.

It made his throat burn with bile.

“Remember, it’s not the Princess you need to impress this evening,” one man in front of him said quietly to another beside him, but not quietly enough for Blaine not to overhear. “It’s Queen Viktoria who will be choosing. And considering the Crown Matrimonial is in play—”

“I’m aware, Father,” the other man interrupted. “I’ll have no problem showing the Princess exactly where her place is and will be if I’m the one chosen.”

Blaine’s hands balled into fists at his sides as his jaw tensed. Confirmation of these men being aware of the power being offered to them had just been given. They had no intention of showing Croía any sort of respect that evening. Why? Because they weren’t trying to gain her favor but Viktoria’s.

Tonight, they needed and were expected to show Viktoria that they’d be both willing and able to keep Croía in line.

Anger flared in Blaine’s chest at the thought of any of these assholes crossing any sort of line with his friend. And more bile rose in his throat at the idea of Liam having to hear about it.

“Blaine?” Simon whispered.

Blaine snapped from his daze and looked at Simon and Leo; both their eyes flickered down to his balled-up fists. He cleared his throat and flexed his hands open. “I’m fine.”

After several long moments, they finally stepped over the threshold into the ballroom, and they all immediately searched for Croía as the line slowly moved. They finally saw her standing at the front of the dais, dressed in a black and gold gown and a matching gold mask.

Behind her were six figures seated on the dais.

The two in the center were the unmasked King and Queen, dressed in black regalia; two chairs sat on either side of them, each one occupied by a figure dressed in a hooded black garb, and their identities were concealed entirely by full-face masks, each of a different design.

“That’s not unsettling at all,” Simon quipped.

As Simon, Blaine, and Leo grew closer to the dais, they adjusted their masks, ensuring they stayed in place. Leo’s eyes were locked in a side-long stare on the King and Queen while Blaine’s remained on Croía. Some suitors simply bowed without a word and walked away. Others, however, like the asshole in front of them that Blaine overheard in the foyer, seemed to deem it necessary to assert their dominance.

“Your Highness,” the man bowed when he made it in front of her.

Blaine watched intently. Croía didn’t move, even as the man took her hand in his without her permission. He brushed his lips against her knuckles before lifting his head, and Blaine saw the corner of his mouth quirk up in a smirk as his grip on her hand tightened. “After tonight, you’ll be the one bowing, and hopefully to me.”

A low growl left Blaine’s throat, and Leo inconspicuously nudged him at hearing it. “Chill.”

“He just—”

“I know.” Leo’s jaw tensed. He’d heard it, too. And he’d give anything at that moment to beat the living audacity out of the guy, but they had to stay focused.

It was finally their turn.

Simon stepped up to Croía first, silently bowing at the waist before stepping away; he had been worried his voice might give him away should he say anything.

Leo followed behind him. “Your Highness,” he bowed and quickly stepped away.

When Blaine stepped up in front of Croía, his eyes found hers, but she didn’t meet his gaze; she was looking through him, staring straight ahead instead as if in a trance. He quickly scanned over her for any sign of injury or distress, but nothing stood out other than her thin, statuesque posture. When his eyes fell on her face again, his jaw ticked when he saw a lone tear trickle down her cheek from beneath her gilded mask. We’re here, Croía. “Your Highness,” he said quietly to mask his voice as he bowed before stepping away.

****

Lydea closed an open stateroom door as she made her way down the hall; she was doing one last cursory check of the upper levels. When she rounded the corner, she stopped short and furrowed her brow. “What are you doing?” she called out.

Everett turned and met her gaze, offering a bow as she approached him. “Just doing a cursory check of the corridors, ma’am.”

“I’m doing the cursory checks. Your post is downstairs in the ballroom.”

“I just thought — with all the guests this evening, I mean—”

“I’ve got it handled. Now get your ass downstairs.”

“Of course, ma’am.” Everett gave another stiff bow before hurrying for the stairs. He waited a moment before glancing over his shoulder, seeing her still watching him; he quickly looked away. Once at the stairs, he inconspicuously slid his eyes in her direction once more, watching her disappear down the corridor he’d come from when she spotted him … and he smirked.

She’d done exactly what Trystan said she would.

Lydea let her gaze flicker around as she walked the length of the corridor; the guards were all stationed downstairs, either in the ballroom or on the grounds around the palace. Not in the third-floor corridor. And certainly not the one that led to the private suites of the Thorne progeny.

Once at the end of the hall, Lydea turned and started checking the doors to the rooms.

Vasili’s and Sebastyan’s doors were locked as they usually were. Marguerite’s door was locked, the same as it had been since her last visit more than a year ago.

In the next hall, Emika’s and Kaspar’s doors were locked. Astrid’s door was locked. Her own door was locked. She bypassed what was once Trystan’s room without a second thought and peered around the corner at the lone door at the end of the small hallway.

Croía’s room.

By itself.

Away from the others.

Lydea approached it and jiggled the knob. It, too, was locked. She sighed as she turned back and started to make her way back to the ballroom, but she halted a step after passing what was once her eldest brother’s room. Her brow furrowed as she turned back around, confirming what she thought she saw.

The door was cracked open.

With one hand on the hilt of her dagger, Lydea pushed open the door with her free hand and stepped inside; she glanced around, taking it in for the first time in eight years. She froze again and tilted her head to the side when her eyes fell on the oil painting on the far back wall; the portion of the wall it was hanging on was ajar and she could feel the draft coming from the stone passageway … the passageway that only she and her siblings had access to through each of their suites.

Lydea slowly moved toward the opening; Kaspar and Emika were the only ones she knew who still used the passageway from time to time, and it was entirely possible they entered Trystan’s old room for whatever reason their twisted minds felt necessary. Hell, they could be having weekly slumber parties in there and she wouldn’t know or even care for that matter. Being that Kaspar was told not to be near the palace that night and Emika was charged with keeping him away, however, she was curious if her two younger siblings had managed to sneak in.

Stepping through the opening in the wall, Lydea made her way into the passageway; she stopped once inside the darkened stone hallway, listening for the echo of voices or footsteps, but heard nothing. She stopped again at the end of the stone hall, staring at the wooden door that led to the massive chamber beyond it.

It was open.

“What the hell are those two up to now?” Lydea whispered to herself as she started for the door. She stepped inside, expecting to find her two younger siblings lounging in the secret sanctuary they used as children, but her brows rose at who was there instead.

Leaning against a column at the edge of the room, Trystan nonchalantly — and expertly — twirled a dagger in his hands. “Hello, Lyddles,” he smirked. “Long time no see.”

“Well, this is certainly a surprise.” Lydea feigned indifference while her mind raced with how the hell he’d managed to make it inside completely undetected. “I can say that you’re the last person I expected to find here.”

“You know how much I love surprises,” Trystan grinned. “You’re looking rather official in your uniform.” He tilted his head in thought. “It suits you.”

“Cut the small talk,” Lydea said as she stopped a few feet away from him. “How did you get in here? And considering you’re not supposed to step foot inside the palace, let alone the country unless summoned by the King or Queen — which you weren’t — what are you doing here?”

“To answer your first question, I have my ways. As for your second question … I think you already know the answer to that.”

Lydea stared at him. “Croía …”

“Still sharp as a whip, aren’t you?” Trystan grinned.

“Well, I hate to break it to you, but you’re not going to get very far in your task, I’m afraid.”

“You almost sound convincing.” Trystan offered a menacing smile as he skillfully flipped the dagger in his hand. “Almost.”

“The guards will be up here in a moment,” Lydea said, “and unfortunately, I’ll have to take you into custody.”

A low, sardonic chuckle escaped Trystan. “Lyddles, give your big brother a little more credit than that. You haven’t alerted your guards. And even if you tried with that silent trigger on your fancy little radio — yes, I know about it — this chamber, if I recall correctly, doesn’t emit signals for shit because we’re too deep inside the palace and these concrete walls are too damn thick. That’s why Astrid stopped coming in here because she couldn’t get a signal on her phone.” He saw the flicker of irritation in her eyes from him remembering those details, and he grinned triumphantly. “Now … we can do this the easy way or the hard way. The choice is yours.”

“No, dear brother, the choice is yours. I’m either taking you with me freely or against your will.”

Lydea kept her voice steady and expression indifferent despite knowing this was a battle she would more than likely lose. This was Trystan. She’d never admit it out loud, but her big brother could outsmart her both intellectually and physically.

“Your confidence is inspiring. Truly,” Trystan teased with a smirk. “But I’m going to call your bluff.”

“Trystan, you don’t want to do that.”

All facetiousness left Trystan’s face and his glare on his sister turned sinister as he took a threatening step forward. “Let me put it to you this way … I’m not leaving here without Croía. I’ll burn this palace to the fucking ground if that’s what it takes. And you know I’m crazy enough and feeling pissed off enough to do just that. So we have a couple of options here. I’m either going to take you out and continue on my way … or I’ll give you a chance to do the right thing and you can help me.”

“The right thing is for Croía to—”

“Don’t,” Trystan spat. “You know nothing about her and what the right thing for her is. This … she is not built for this. And I don’t mean the crown, I mean this place. You and I both know that.” The brief flicker of guilt in her eyes told him everything he needed to know. “She’s not me or you. She is good, Lydea. Let her stay that way.”

“Trystan, my duty is—”

“I don’t give a fuck about your duty,” Trystan took another step forward. “You know this isn’t right. She’ll never be the person they’re trying to mold her into no matter how hard they try. This is going to do nothing but break her. But you’d rather stand there and watch her crumble than give her a fucking chance at a life away from here because of your high and mighty duty?” He paused, tilting his head. “Or is it because you’re afraid?”

“I am not afraid,” Lydea ground out through gritted teeth.

“Huh,” Trystan hummed. “Could have fooled me. Because the way I see it, you’re acting like a fucking coward because you’re afraid of what mommy dearest will say. You never could stand to be a disappointment, even if it was in the devil’s eyes.” A breath escaped Lydea as she held her brother’s gaze. “I’ve never asked you for anything. Even when my entire reputation was on the line, even when the lies started to spread like wildfire and I knew you were probably the one person who could prove my innocence if I begged you to really look into it … I never asked you for a damn thing. I’m asking you now. Not for me but for her.” His voice dropped to a dangerously threatening tone. “And I’m only going to ask once.”

Lydea’s jaw tensed, and Trystan braced himself for a fight that would be grueling but that he knew he would win. She held his gaze for a few more heartbeats before closing her eyes and releasing a sharp breath. “What do you need?”

Trystan straightened. “You better not be toying with me, Lydea. I’m in no fucking mood for games.”

“I’m not toying with you,” Lydea chided. “Croía asked me to help her … to get her out … and I wanted to, but …”

“Well, here’s your chance to make it up to her,” Trystan interrupted.

“Again … what do you need?”

“I’m not telling you what I’m doing,” Trystan said pointedly. “Because one, I don’t know if I can truly trust you. No offense.”

Lydea crossed her arms but shrugged. “None taken.” She couldn’t blame him there.

“And two, the less you know, the better. I’m not asking you to directly insert yourself,” Trystan explained. “I only need you to help create a diversion …”

****

Long after the guests had made their way through the receiving line, Croía remained standing at the front of the dais. She wasn’t allowed to sit. She was the spectacle of the evening, the trophy for those not vying for her hand but for the crown her mother had dangled in front of them.

The “suitors” would come and stand in front of her; they’d ogle her and talk about her and make comments as though she wasn’t right there and could hear their every word. She felt like a prize up for grabs.

She felt used.

She felt disgusting.

In the last few days leading up to that night, Croía had given up; that sliver of hope she’d held onto to somehow find a way out had completely vanished after Lydea declined to help her. She hadn’t necessarily accepted the fate being forced on her that evening, but she had come to accept that there was nothing short of death itself that was going to get her out of it. And up until that night, she’d been in a daze of sorts. The days had been a blur. She’d been numb.

Now, she was scared.

Croía felt her throat burn and her eyes sting when two of the “suitors” finally turned away from her and headed back into the crowd after sharing would-be plans they had for her with one another. She felt sick. She fought the instinct to glance over her shoulder to where her mother was on the dais. Why she’d want to look to her for comfort, she didn’t know. She wouldn’t get it.

She had no one.

She was alone.

Croía’s breath hitched in her throat as she fought back the emotions threatening to spill out; she closed her eyes and thought of the one thing that could calm her … yet simultaneously wreck her.

Liam.

An ache rippled through Croía’s chest as she envisioned his smile, his kind blue eyes, and the sound of his laugh. Her mother’s words about him forgetting and giving up on her had infiltrated the deepest parts of her the past few days; as she slowly lost what little hope she had left, those words burrowed themselves into her soul.

He’s forgotten you.

He’s given up on you.

What she wouldn’t give to tell him how sorry she was. She didn’t mean to let him down. She should have listened when he warned her not to come back here. She had no one to blame but herself for where she was at that very moment, and she couldn’t and wouldn’t blame him or anyone else for feeling the same. She’d made the stupid decision to come, all to seek some form of approval and affection from her parents that she knew deep down she’d never get.

I was a fool. A naive fool.

A voice pulled her from her daze and her eyes snapped open as her body went rigid under the scrutinizing gaze of another “suitor” now standing in front of her.

****

Blaine, Leo, and Simon stood in the back corner of the ballroom, casually sipping drinks as they scanned the crowd.

They’d kept to themselves save for a few curt nods of acknowledgment that they returned to other guests. They all found themselves on edge, however. Each time one of the guests approached Croía — who had yet to move from her place at the front of the dais — they watched them intently. When the King, Queen, and their creepy hooded cronies stepped off the dais and made their way around the room, they managed to dodge them entirely, making sure to stay huddled in an area they already bypassed. When the King and Queen returned to their seats on the dais, the others remained mingling with the rest of the crowd before they slipped out; Amalas confirmed they had left, having seen them on the security feed.

“It’s almost time.”

Leo released a breath of relief at the sound of Trystan’s voice crackling in his ear. “Where the fuck have you been?”

“Handling something.”

“Handling what?” Simon asked.

“Lydea. I’m moving into my spot now. They should be starting any moment. Everett is in position waiting for you.”

As if on cue, a bell chimed, signaling that it was time for the Drakovian waltz. They had worked this part out so that no matter where they were positioned, they knew where they needed to end up. They watched as Croía finally moved from her place at the front of the dais to the center of the dance floor while the other guests took up positions around her.

As they made their way to the dance floor, out of the corner of his eye, Leo saw Lydea stride into the ballroom with another guard following closely behind her, making her way toward the dais. “Are you sure you handled your sister?” he whispered. “Because she just walked in and is headed right for your parents.”

“Just do what we planned. Don’t worry about her.”

As the music started and slowly began to swell, Lydea stepped onto the dais with the other guard and they stood in front of her parents, blocking most of their view. She leaned forward, appearing to start some deep discussion as the dance started.

Other guests besides those vying for the Drakovian crown were now on the dance floor, but the idea was to give each “suitor” a dance with the Princess.

The asshole that had been in front of them in the line earlier had somehow managed to end up as Croía’s first partner.

As they went through the steps, Simon, Blaine, and Leo kept their eyes on Croía, and during each switch, they moved closer, throwing some off as they cut them off and took their respective partners, but it was easy for them to rectify and not enough to draw attention.

Croía was being spun around from one guest to the next. When she switched partners again, the man she had been supposed to go to was cut off as another swept her away into a twirl. She glanced over at her mother on the dais, knowing the slip-up would infuriate her, but she hadn’t seen it; she was busy speaking to Lydea.

When she looked back at her dance partner, he smiled. “Nice moves, darl.”

Croía’s eyes slightly widened, recognizing both the voice and the silly term of endearment. “Si—”

Before she could finish, Croía was twirled away into another pair of arms. She glanced around for who she could have sworn she’d just been with, but she couldn’t spot him in the crowd of tuxes and masks. Her chest burned where the brief spark of hope had started to ignite but was abruptly put out. She knew it wasn’t possible and her mind had just been playing tricks on her.

Blaine had Croía now, but he couldn’t bring himself to say anything to her, not knowing how she or himself would react. He just wanted to get her the hell out of there and away from this place and these people as soon as possible.

A few moments later, Croía was spun away again, landing in another set of strong arms. She knew something wasn’t right; she should still be at the center of the dance floor, but she had somehow shifted and was now near the back edge instead. She glanced at the dais again to gauge her mother’s reaction to her having somehow messed this up, but she was still distracted in conversation with Lydea.

“Looking fancy, Cocoa Bean.”

Croía’s gaze snapped to the man in front of her at the instant recognition of the nickname; when she met his piercing blue gaze through his mask, her eyes welled with tears as her heart pounded. “L-Leo?”

“Shhh.” Leo looked around, feeling her start to shake in his grasp as he continued to shuffle through the waltz steps. “Breathe, Croía,” he whispered. “Focus and don’t draw attention to yourself right now. I’m going to pass you off here in a minute and you need to go. Do you hear me?” She gave a quick nod, holding his gaze through the mask as if she were afraid this moment wasn’t real. “Good. I’ll see you soon,” he winked.

With that, Leo spun her away from him with a bit of force, sending her stumbling backward toward an alcove at the back wall. Before she could register what was happening, an arm wrapped around her waist and yanked her through a secret door. She went to scream, but a large hand clamped over her mouth to silence her. Her eyes snapped up when she was spun around and they widened when she saw his face.

“Trystan,” Croía choked out as he pulled her to him.

“I’m here, kid,” Trystan replied. “I’m right here.” He closed his eyes when she clung to him, fisting his suit jacket in her hands; he could feel her trembling and hear her breath hitch but forced himself to refocus, stepping back from her and gripping her shoulders as he looked into her tear-filled eyes. “Listen to me. We don’t have a lot of time. I’ll explain everything, but we need to go. Now.”

Croía’s mind and heart were racing but she had enough sense to nod in reply.

Trystan gripped her hand like a vice as he pulled her down a dark and musty passageway, moving through it as if it were second nature. The sound of her heels clicking against the concrete floor echoed against the old stone walls; he was moving so fast that she had to practically jog to keep up with his long strides. She had no idea where they were or where they were going.

After turning a few more corners, they rushed toward a door at the end of the passageway, and when Trystan pulled Croía through its opening, she was outside. She watched him turn and pull out the thick piece of wood that had been there. The heavy door slammed shut with a resounding thud.

“Let’s go,” Trystan said as he turned back, grabbing Croía’s hand again and pulling her into a pathway in the woods.

Between the still lingering panic and moving so quickly, Croía was gasping for breath as they rushed through the dark woods. Her gown had snagged on branches and brambles, tearing the fabric in places and sweat beaded the hairline of her no longer elegant updo.

Soon, they burst through the end of the pathway onto an abandoned dirt road, and Croía skidded to a halt when she saw two SUVs and the silhouette of a man standing in front of one … a man she didn’t recognize.

“Trystan,” Croía’s voice cracked as she stumbled back.

“It’s ok,” Trystan said. “Everett has been helping me … feeding me information to help get you out. He’s good. He’s coming with us.” He looked at the guard as he gave a quick bow. “Everyone ready?”

“Yes, sir,” Everett nodded.

“Good. Let’s go.”

“Where are Leo and Simon?” Croía asked.

Trystan ushered Croía to the first SUV, opened the back door, and helped her in while Everett slipped into the driver’s seat. “They’re in the other SUV with Jonas and Blaine.”

Jonas and Blaine, Croía thought as she was hit with another wave of emotion.

As he yanked the seatbelt across her chest and buckled it, Trystan could sense her gaze on him, and he looked up; he lifted his hands and pulled the mask off her face. “Are you ok? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I …” Croía trailed off as a lump swelled in her throat. She was overwhelmed and confused. Too much was happening all at once and she couldn’t think straight.

Trystan. Leo. Blaine. Simon.

How they managed to get in or what exactly they had done, Croía didn’t know. But for a brief moment, she couldn’t help but think … if they were there, did that mean someone else was there?

Those words that had made a home in her soul filled her head once again.

He’s forgotten you.

He’s given up on you.

“I’m ok,” Croía finally choked out just above a whisper.

Trystan nodded. “Let’s get the hell out of here.” He stepped back and shut her door. “Amalas … we’re on our way,” he said as he walked around to the other side. He chucked Croía’s mask on the ground of the dirt road before he slid inside.

****

Amalas and Olivia looked at one another with grins. “Do you want to tell them or should I?” Olivia asked as she gestured in Liam’s and Alia’s direction; they were both pacing on the deck outside.

“You can do the honors,” Amalas replied as she looked back at the screen and began typing. “I need to get this footage onto a USB before I wipe their security feed.”

Olivia nodded as she pushed back her chair and stood, making her way toward the sliding door. When she opened it and stepped outside, both Liam’s and Alia’s gazes snapped in her direction. “They’re on their way back.”

“They … they got her?” Liam’s voice cracked.

Olivia felt an unmistakable sting in her eyes at the look on her friend’s face. She nodded, “They got her.”

Alia squealed through tears and ran inside, throwing her arms around her sister.

A sharp breath, one he felt like he’d been holding all night, escaped Liam. And suddenly, he was trembling. “They got her …” He needed to hear her say it again.

“They did.”

In the next moment, Liam sank to his knees and covered his face with his hands. Weeks worth of suppressed worry mixed with more gratitude than he’d ever felt in his life and it all poured out at once.

Olivia placed her hand on his back as she crouched down next to him. “She’s on her way, Li.”

****

Thirty minutes into their drive back to Rivala, Trystan glanced over at Croía beside him, watching her as she stared out the window. His hand was clutched in hers; she hadn’t let it go since he got into the SUV.

But she’d been silent.

And that worry Trystan had about how far inside her shell she would be gnawed at him because he hadn’t been able to gauge her.

Trystan hadn’t expected her to ask him questions about any of what took place that evening, not right now, not with Everett in the vehicle, someone she didn’t know. But it was her emotions — or lack thereof — that had him worried.

While Croía had shed some tears, it wasn’t anything like what he’d braced himself for. She’d always been an emotional person, and considering what she’d been through, to be honest, he expected her to break down now that she was out. But she hadn’t. He knew she probably had a lot on her mind and that she had to be feeling beyond overwhelmed after everything that happened just that night alone, but he wasn’t sure if he could chalk her lack of emotions up to that or not.

As she stared out the window, Croía’s mind and heart felt heavy. She wasn’t sure where they were headed, but as long as it was far away from the place she once called home, she didn’t care. Her eyes stung with unshed tears, but she continued blinking them away and pushing those emotions threatening to unleash back into their bottle; she feared if she allowed them just a little bit of freedom, she wouldn’t be able to get them back under control. So she coated herself in a blanket of numbness … but it didn’t stop those words from breaking through.

He’s forgotten you.

He’s given up on you.

Croía wished she could drown them out, but they played in an echo on repeat in her mind. And each time she heard them, that thread holding her together would fray.

Those words wouldn’t allow her to make sense of Leo, Blaine, and Simon being there. They offered excuses as to why else they chose to be a part of it, reasons that didn’t involve Liam …

Because he’d forgotten … he’d given up.

****

Sitting inside the living area of the cabin, Alia and Liam stared out the window, waiting for the slightest glimpse of headlights to shine into the darkness outside and signal that the others had returned. Amalas and Olivia had made them stop watching long enough to force both of them to eat something, but as soon as they finished, they both returned to the sofa facing the window.

Liam’s eyes flickered between his watch and the window; he’d been counting down the minutes since Olivia stepped onto the deck to tell them the news. It’d been just over an hour … they should be there.

Just as his eyes slid down to check his watch again, Alia sprung up, and his gaze snapped back to the window; the trees outside were illuminated by a light that grew brighter with each second.

Then two SUVs rolled to a stop.

Liam slowly rose to his feet as his eyes shifted between the two vehicles.

Alia was already rushing for the door. She flung it open, ran out onto the porch, and paused, watching as the back door of each SUV opened. Trystan emerged from one, and Leo from the other. When Trystan reached into the vehicle, she saw a hand take his, and a moment later, he helped Croía out.

Alia flew down the stairs, making a beeline toward her. “Croía!” She threw her arms around her.

Croía returned her embrace as her vision blurred. “Hi,” she choked out. Her eyes snapped to the front porch when two figures appeared from inside.

Olivia and Amalas.

Something inside Croía’s chest twisted, both with gratitude and heartache.

Alia drew back to look at her. “You’re ok?”

“Yeah,” Croía nodded before she was pulled into another hug. She closed her eyes, trying to compose herself.

Alia stepped back again, tearfully smiling as she tucked a loose strand of Croía’s hair behind her ear. Hearing the soft crunch of gravel behind her, she glanced over her shoulder, and when she looked back at Croía, her smile was broad.

When Alia stepped aside … there stood Liam.

Croía felt that dam inside her start to crumble at the mere sight of him.

He didn’t forget.

He didn’t give up.

He’s here.

Suddenly, that thread that was barely holding her together snapped and the last several weeks crashed over her all at once. Her heart felt as though it was folding in on itself, making it hard to breathe. Croía pressed her palm to her chest and bowed her head as a sob ripped from her throat and her knees buckled beneath her, and she began to sink to the ground.

Before she could hit the gravel, Liam was there, wrapping his strong arms around her and pulling her up to him as she fell apart, trembling through broken sobs in his embrace. He bit his lip, rapidly blinking his eyes to rid them of the sting in an attempt to hold himself together for her because, at that moment, she needed him to.

Trystan chewed the inside of his cheek, watching her finally drop that veil and break down.

With an arm wrapped securely around her and holding her against him, Liam cradled the back of her head with his hand and tilted his head, pressing his lips to her ear. “I’m here, love,” he whispered as she continued to cry into his chest. “I’ve got you.”

When he glanced up, Liam saw the misty eyes of the others as they stared at her … at the two of them. And in the next moment, he scooped her into his arms.

Croía tucked her head into the crook of his neck, clinging to him as he turned and carried her into the cabin.

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

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mysticalfangirl · 2 months

Text

Ghosted

Ghosted - Altering Visions (Chapter Eleven)

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

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

A/N 1 - This AU starts right before the beginning of the engagement tour. There is a two-month lapse between the coronation and where we pick up, but we will stray from canon. Please excuse any errors found.

A/N 2 - It's been a while 🥲. Here's hoping it doesn't take me another six months to post the next chapter 😬🫡.

PSA it's a long one. Whoops, lol.

Characters belong to Pixelberry.

Liam fluttered his eyes open a short time later and squinted them against the harsh, blinding light blocking his view. When he took a deep breath, a distinct, stale aroma invaded his senses; it sparked some kind of recognition even before he could fully view his surroundings. He slowly sat up with a groan and blinked until his vision centered. He glanced around and noticed the outdated wood panels, along with the oval shape of the sconces. There was only one estate in all of Cordonia with those outdated features, and he noted that fact immediately.

Panic flourished through his body as Liam realized he awoke in Applewood.

He frantically stood with labored breaths and patted his abdomen, almost to ensure he was real. He pinched his thigh and winced, afterward placing a trembling hand on the wall to steady himself. His mind raced as he tried to comprehend what transpired and how he’d gotten there to begin with.

The events of the night suddenly invaded his thoughts. The image of a lifeless Penelope in Landon’s arms engraved and forever etched itself into his memory; he felt guilty, enraged, defeated, and a slew of other emotions.

Penelope was the big break they’d hunted high and low for. She held vital information Liam desperately needed, but seemingly would take her secrets to the grave with her. He couldn’t understand any of it — nothing made sense. The list of unanswered questions swirling around was enough to make him nauseous. A carousel of sorrow and confusion he couldn’t seem to slow down — no matter how hard he tried.

Amid his tilt-a-whirl moment, an angelic voice rang out not far away, drawing him back to the present. “Who are you? What are you doing here?”

Liam’s thundering heart suddenly stopped as recognition swept over him. He’d been so entrapped in his thoughts, he hadn't even noticed what portion of the estate he was in.

Only a few inches away was a door he remembered all too well — Riley’s. His eyes welled with tears as his vision centered on the structure, but as much as Liam wanted to rush to her, he physically couldn’t. The receptors in his brain went crazy — a jolt of electricity shot to his legs, demanding he move, but his feet weighed hundreds of pounds. Dazed and confused, he could only gawk at the blockade separating them.

“Lady Riley, we have much to discuss — have a seat,” another individual answered. Liam knew it was a male but couldn’t place his identity; although it sounded familiar, as if he could remember it from a vague, distant memory.

“Tell me who you are and what the hell you’re doing here!” Liam’s blood ran cold at Riley’s tone; the fear and adrenaline were prominent in her shaky voice. His breaths quickened and his instincts screamed to rush to her, but again, his feet refused to cooperate.

“That wasn’t a request — I told you to have a seat.” Again, Liam swore he could recall that voice, but couldn’t fully register it. He thought about it for a split second until the sounds of a loud screech and a shatter echoed behind the door.

“Don’t touch me!” Riley hollered, instantly breaking Liam’s trance. He lunged for the doorknob, but when he twisted his wrist, it snapped and turned to dust in his palm. The disintegrated fragments floated to the floor in slow motion, his heart following suit.

“You’re so beautiful when you squirm.” Liam gasped as he fully recognized that person — it was Tariq. “But if you don’t fucking stand still–”

“Riley! RILEY!” Liam forcefully pounded on the structure. “Open this door! Open it, goddamnit!” He bellowed, but the commotion inside continued, escalating by the second. The next instant, he sprinted down the hall, frantically hunting for somebody — anybody — to get him inside that room. “I need some help!” He hauled over to the other side and yelled once more, but faced only cold, deserted silence.

His vision darted all around the area before he spotted a window at the end of the seemingly never-ending hallway. Liam sprinted to it and gazed at the scene below. Outside, he could see the country jamboree still in full swing. He scoured the crowd and spotted everyone except Riley; Drake, Hana, Madeleine, and upon further inspection, he saw himself at the head table beside his father. He stumbled backward with a strangled breath, truly dumbfounded by what was going on.

As Liam recovered, he re-approached the window and banged on it. “Hey! Hey!” He wailed, but nobody below batted an eye. His hits came harder and harder, but the glass never even cracked; his hand took the damage, although he felt no pain.

The only thing he heard was Riley’s pleas for help, the sounds making his desperation grow by the second. He rushed back to the door and ran full force at it, using his shoulder as a battering ram; it wouldn’t budge. He repeated the process — again and again — but never even split the wood. Liam let out a primal wail and fisted his hair, taking deep breaths to preserve any semblance of sanity. His pulse thundered in his ears and tears stung the corners of his eyes, while he frantically determined what to do.

He took a step back and realized there was a shadow cast over the doorway. It appeared to be a man, standing with his arms crossed. He wasn’t sure if it was there before, but Liam waved his hand and nothing changed the stony silhouette. The fixture remained cemented in place, not flinching or moving a muscle, regardless of the commotion developing beyond.

“LIAM!” Riley suddenly screamed, ripping him from his trance. He was up against the structure in an instant, using every ounce of strength he had to force his way through, but his attempts were futile. Riley repeatedly called for him and every time, a dagger went straight through Liam’s already hollowed-out chest.

He couldn’t control his overflowing tears at hearing her cry out for him. No matter what he did, he couldn’t get inside; they wouldn’t acknowledge him, nobody came to help, and there was nothing he could do except sit and listen. With a loud sob, he slid down the door and sat in front of it, hoping at some point it would open and he could get to her.

Riley’s whimpers continued throughout the vicinity, but Liam’s skin turned ice cold as he heard laughter inside; not Riley’s, and certainly not cheerful. The vile sound caused all the color to drain from his face. He leaned his head against the door and completely broke down, letting the devastation and defeat wash over him.

“I — I’m sorry Riley…” He swallowed thickly, but soon let out an anguished cry. “I’m so sorry…”

The room went eerily quiet for a long while; Liam couldn’t hear much except the sound of his heart shattering, but eventually, the voices began once more. With a shuddered breath, he held his ear up to listen.

“When will I receive payment?” Tariq questioned.

“You don’t need to worry about that. Where you’re going, you won’t need it.”

“W–what do you mean?! I did what I was called to do!” Tariq’s panic was clear to Liam, even without seeing his face. His pulse somehow thundered faster, carefully processing every word.

“There is too much at stake — more than your simple mind could ever understand. For this to work, you need to disappear. You’re a weak, pathetic excuse of a man — we can not risk this entire operation being ousted because of a lousy nuisance.”

“I swear to it — you have my allegiance and my silence.” Tariq pleaded. “I will disappear, and—”

“You’re going to, alright — the both of you.”

What little color remaining in Liam’s complexion drained, and the shakiness in his hands amplified. After a split-second of complete and utter stillness, the phrase resonated and ignited a deadly determination within.

Liam sprung up and kicked the door with all his might. “LET ME IN!” He repeated the process, but again, the barrier showed no signs of weakening. He threw his fists at the structure in a mad frenzy — anything to get inside and get to Riley, then deal with this — man.

“Liam! Liam! LIAM!” Leo yelled. He repetitively jabbed the button next to Liam's head to summon the nurse, as his brother flailed in his hospital bed.

Liam was being monitored for dehydration, severe exhaustion, and a touch of malnutrition. Doctors said he had a panic attack, which combined with everything else, made him lose consciousness. All his labs came back normal, thankfully; Leo was worried someone could have slipped Liam something, but the hospital was quick to put that suspicion to rest.

Since Liam arrived, he had been resting comfortably, but that changed about twenty minutes ago; it started with small groans and subtle movements, but soon turned into blood-curdling cries and forceful thrashes. Leo hoped he would wake himself, but Liam was getting drastically worse with every passing second.

Liam suddenly flew forward with a loud gasp. His tearful eyes darted all around the room while he grabbed at his gown-covered body. As the world centered, a tidal wave of frustration and confusion washed over him.

When Liam stopped and stared down at his clasped hands, Leo cautiously re-approached the bed. “Liam?” When he didn’t answer, Leo spoke a little louder. “... Li?”

“I was there.” Liam weakly croaked, his vision locked on his lap.

Leo’s brows furrowed. “Where?”

“I heard it.”

“Heard what?”

“Riley…” Liam whispered, followed by a shuddered breath.

“What about her?”

“I was there… th–that night… just n–now—” Liam stammered, struggling to make sense of the situation. “I couldn’t get in…”

Leo’s heart instantly shattered at seeing the devastation in Liam’s features. “They gave you some medication, Li.” He reasoned. “It’s possible that—”

“I KNOW WHAT I HEARD!” Liam bellowed. The nurse appeared next to him and attempted to speak, but he shouted, “GET OUT!”

Leo lifted his hands in surrender. “I believe you, Liam… Tell me what happened.”

“She yelled for me…” Liam faintly answered, refusing to make eye contact. “She yelled and screamed and — I couldn’t get inside, Leo... I tried, but — I — I… I couldn’t save her…”

Leo took a deep breath to gather his thoughts and responded in a calm, reassuring voice. “Liam, it’s been a long couple of days and I know this has been incredibly rough on you–”

“STOP PATRONIZING ME! I KNOW WHAT I HEARD!”

Leo remained reluctant to entertain this idea. He knew Liam was dreaming, but at that moment, he was completely irrational. Leo had never seen him in such a way, even when his mother died. Given the past couple of weeks, the events of that night, and the medication, there was no rationalizing with him — Liam was spiraling, and bad. But perhaps if he entertained the notion — for now — Liam would eventually calm down.

Leo carefully spoke. “What did you hear?”

Liam stayed silent for a long moment before he turned his head to meet eyes with Leo. The look on Liam’s face slightly took him aback; the determination in his features was deadly — his sunken, puffy eyes were nearly black.

Liam let out a long, sharp huff of air and sternly explained, “There were two male voices. I can say with confidence one was Tariq, but as far as the other, I — I don’t know…” He shook his head with furrowed brows as he racked every recollection in his brain. He could almost visualize the man in question, but his face appeared blurred and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t clear the fog.

“Alright, well, let’s just take a minute to—”

“They were fucking laughing, Leo. They assaulted her and laughed about it.” Liam growled, his chest rising and falling with every sullen breath. “I want Tariq found, now. He’s going to pay for ever laying a fucking finger on her. I swear to God, Leo — I will put an end to his sorry existence with my bare hands.” He clenched his palms, squeezing hard enough to turn his knuckles white.

Leo once again held his hands up in surrender and replied in a soft voice. “I believe you. Just — take a couple of deep breaths and try to relax—”

“What if she didn’t leave Cordonia?” Liam suddenly blurted out. “What if she’s…” He trailed off, swallowing thickly. No part of him wanted to finish that statement in any fashion; the unending possibilities gave him instant nausea. “That man… he said, ‘where you’re going you won’t need it’, and then h–he said both of you... BOTH OF YOU, Leo!” He ran his palms over his head from front to back, repeating the process with a crazed look in his eye.

Leo opened his mouth to speak, but Liam swiftly continued. “It would make sense… Tariq has been untraceable… But–but Riley…. She — Bastien told me she went back to New York. But that person… I know I heard him say it… Where you’re going you won’t need it, where you’re going you won’t need it—” He repeated to himself, his voice diminishing with every anguished syllable. He clutched his hands into fists and forcefully yanked at his hair, rocking himself back and forth.

“Li,” Leo cautiously started. When Liam whipped his head to look at him, Leo was once more temporarily shocked by the fury and turmoil staring back at him; he realized Liam was hastily elevating himself to a dangerous level. “We can’t jump to conclusions… Okay? Let’s just take a deep breath and try to calm down—”

“Don’t tell me to calm down, Leo! I KNOW WHAT I HEARD!” Liam shouted as he ripped the IV from his arm, the pain not even phasing him. He ditched the rest of his connections shortly after and dashed out of bed. “Where are my CLOTHES?”

“I’m not saying you didn’t,” Leo reasoned as he followed his brother’s movements. “All I’m suggesting is that we take a step back and really think about this—”

“I’m tired of taking a step back! Look where that’s gotten us!” Liam seethed. “There is so much goddamn blood on my hands! I let her get hurt! I am responsible for all of this madness—”

“Stop that — right now,” Leo sternly returned. “You know that is not true even in the slightest.”

“Say it to MY FACE then, Leo!” Liam barked as he invaded his brother’s personal space. “LIE to my fucking face!”

“It’s not a lie, Liam,” Leo stood a little taller. “You are not responsible–” He stopped as Liam rolled his eyes and looked away. This time, it was Leo who stepped up to Liam. “No — look at me,” He bore his eyes into his brother, forcing him to see the truth in his gaze. “You are not responsible for any of this, Liam. We’re going to figure this out, I promise.”

Liam studied the conviction staring back at him and his frustration soared. He spun away and grabbed the bedside table, sending it flying with a primal roar.

Leo flinched as the wood shattered against the wall, but knew he had to calm Liam down. However, the person he was trying to reason with was not the version of Liam he was used to; this was a side Leo didn’t know lay dormant in his normally calm and stoic baby brother.

“Liam,” Leo softly started. “This is an incredibly shitty situation, and I’m so sorry that you’re being put through this. I love you, and I’m always here for you no matter what.” He confidently stated, but after a moment of silence, hesitantly added, “But I just don’t think a dream is—”

“I don’t give a damn what you say, Leo! Someone is going to pay for this!” Liam growled, his face reddening with every deep, labored breath. He directed his attention back to his earlier quest for his clothes; he didn’t know where he was going or who he was looking for, but someone was going to feel the wrath of the King of Cordonia — tonight.

Olivia didn’t even bother to knock before she and Ray joined the room. The pair opted to stay behind and investigate in Portavira a little further — that is until a random guard threw them out. Without Liam or Leo there to ensure their access, they were told to vacate the premises shortly after Liam left for the hospital. Regardless, they had enough time to prove at least one pivotal thing about that ordeal, and possibly solve quite a few others — if Liam believed them.

They walked in and stopped short at Liam’s crazed expression. “What’s going on?” Olivia sought.

“I’m leaving,” Liam bit out through clenched teeth.

“Hold on, we need to talk about something—”

“Move out of my way!”

Olivia arched her brow. “We need transparency, Liam. Tell me what is going on — calmly.”

“I was there, Olivia! I heard it! They fucking attacked her!” Liam bellowed as he found his garments and rifled through the bag.

Olivia placed a gentle hand on his shoulder to stop his mad dash. “Liam, please — I need a full explanation. I’m not stopping you or downplaying anything, but we need to know what the hell you’re talking about.”

Liam met her eyesight and saw the genuine interest in her gaze. He could tell Leo thought he was baffling, but he wasn’t. He couldn’t fathom the experience, but knew that was no dream; with every fiber of his being, Liam believed what he heard was reality. The universe mercilessly gifted him a blocked front-row seat — it was a curse, yet oddly a blessing. They spent all this time wondering what happened that night, but now he had a soundtrack to re-play. He wasn’t willing to rest until he deciphered this code, to ensure justice would be swift to all who deserved it.

He explained in great detail his occurrence and exactly what happened. When he finished, he stared blankly at the floor, cradling his head in his trembling hands; he knew how wild it sounded but didn’t particularly care. It felt so real — so raw. Just thinking about the vile chortles raised goosebumps on his arms, and Riley’s screams now played on an insistent loop in his mind — torment that would never stop. Even if good trumped evil and Riley was located safely in the end, those sounds would be a continuous source of torture until he took his final breath.

Olivia listened intently to everything he recalled. At the surface, she knew how preposterous it sounded — it was a dream, regardless of how strongly Liam felt otherwise. Her heart ached for her friend at that moment; clearly, everything that happened was taking a major toll on her childhood friend.

But — given the bombshell she and Ray sat upon, Olivia couldn’t help but wonder if there could be some truth to Liam’s encounter.

Olivia sat forward and patted Liam’s leg with the gentlest of touches. When she spoke, it was calm and reassuring. “I’m not sure what to say, Liam. I realize you want to believe it to be true, but you and I both know it’s nothing concrete…” Liam opened his mouth to respond, but Olivia held her hand up to stop him, as she saw the fire burning behind his narrowed eyes. “Let me finish… I know tonight has been hard on you for a lot of reasons, but I believe Ray and I have found a very promising lead…”

Liam’s ears visibly rose as his interest grew. “What do you mean?”

“Sir, I know it’s not what you initially hired me for, but there are a lot of things that do not add up in this current situation...” Ray started. “Between some of Lady Penelope’s behaviors, her father’s statements, and this—” He produced his phone from his pocket and handed it to Liam. “I find it very hard to believe she took her own life.”

Liam glanced at the device in his hands and realized he was looking at a photo of Penelope’s last statements. He read through it and found nothing of relevance; no mention of Riley, her involvement in the scandal, the maid, nothing. It was incredibly vague, considering it was her concluding words to the world.

“Why are you showing me this?” Liam demanded as confusion and annoyance rushed through him.

Olivia produced a document from her pocket. After questioning the legitimacy of the note left in Riley’s room, she wanted to have it near in case the situation arose. “You remember my blackmail letter — the one I got the night of your coronation?” She handed him the paper.

Liam held both items and scanned back and forth; he gasped when he realized they were nearly identical. “But, this — this means—”

“Someone took her out, Liam.” Olivia finished.

“I’m not positive if someone would have done it for her, or if she felt pressured into doing it. Either way, since she was saying goodbyes to her family, that leads me to believe Penelope knew she was in danger and foresaw her demise.” Ray added.

“This is impossible!” Liam shook his head, his rage returning full force. “How does this keep happening?!”

Olivia and Ray shared a look; the two calculated a theory, and it seemed the more that unfolded, the greater that assumption solidified itself. There wasn’t a lot of evidence to point fingers, but Olivia realized they couldn’t wait any longer; if they were correct, this situation just escalated tenfold. Liam already teetered an incredibly dangerous ledge, but perhaps that’s what the circumstances called for. Plus, after his — experience, she knew he would believe them.

Olivia softly started. “I need you to stay as calm as possible — at least until I’m finished and we know for certain who we’re directing this hostility at.” Liam nodded with furrowed brows, but Leo shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I don’t know what to say about your — encounter, but — there is reason for us to believe Riley could be in Cordonia.”

“WHAT?!” Liam practically choked as all the color drained from his face. Even though he was there and truly believed what he heard, someone else saying it out loud momentarily knocked the wind out of him.

“I checked all outgoing flights from the night of the jamboree and she wasn’t on any of them,” Ray explained. “Every log received a thorough examination, even those with different destinations — she has yet to board a plane to exit the country, to this day. I’ve looked at other modes of transportation and she is the same as Tariq — there is nothing.”

“But…” Leo hesitantly started after a moment of tense silence. “If that’s the case, then where is she?”

Olivia sighed and her eyes softened. “We’re — not entirely sure at this point… Somewhere in Cordonia, but…”

“Believe me when I say I am checking everywhere.” Ray confidently inserted. “Every crack, every crevice — any place I can think of. If she truly is in the country, I will locate her.”

“Okay, but — why haven’t we found her?” Leo returned. The uneasiness in his stomach suddenly bolted to the back of his throat, securing itself and taking root. As he took in Ray’s uncertainty, the lump multiplied in size.

“I — I don’t have an answer for that right now,” Ray calmly returned. “But I’m working around the clock and using every resource I have to uncover her location. I know those sound like empty promises, but I assure you — I will not rest until Lady Riley is located safely.” He emphasized.

Liam’s heart pounded so fast, he was sure it would give out at any moment. “I — She — B–but —” He stammered, trying his hardest to comprehend the conversation. “Bastien told me—”

“I think Bastien is involved.” Olivia abruptly cut him off. “When we found Riley’s stuff, I swear to you, Liam, I saw the fucking guilt in his eyes. Plus, he’s got his hands in everything at court. I’m not saying he’s as powerful as you, but he can twist and manipulate things like no other because of his position.”

Olivia continued. “To be honest with you, I don’t think any of us really believe Penelope killed that maid. During the social season, I saw her cry over a fucking crab bite — you can’t tell me she murdered someone in cold blood. Also, I’m thinking, based on his actions tonight, Bastien knew Penelope was already dead — I’m nearly certain of it.”

“Not to mention, he kept this information to himself until we were ready to question her,” Ray added. “I know for certain those reports take only a few days — most likely less if it’s a priority case. I haven’t seen the photos from your first crime scene, but I can tell it was a setup from Olivia’s descriptions. As the head guard, it would’ve been easy for him to manipulate the situation.”

“Are you sure, though?” Leo interjected. “I mean, I’ve dealt with Bastien a lot over the years, and I can say he is not a genius. Maybe the opposite — butter knives are sharper than he is.”

“He’s capable, though — that’s what troubles me. I think most of the time he gives off the impression he’s useless, but he’s highly trained in a sum of areas.” Olivia explained. “I sincerely doubt he’s the mastermind behind everything, but I’m confident he’s the reason we keep being set back. Who’s always around? Who’s the one directing these ‘investigations’? It’s him.“

“I — damn…” Leo ran a hand through his hair with wide eyes. “You’re not wrong, and it does kind of make sense…”

Everyone suddenly recognized Liam remained mute as they spoke. His face showed no emotions; he only stared at Olivia as if she wasn’t even there with an unreadable expression. Liam was a world away as various open ends snapped themselves into place. The murky waters of uncertainty clarified, and the bottom of the cesspool became sharper with every jumbled thought dashing through his mind.

All security decisions went through Bastien, including unauthorized entry into an estate. Bastien was the one investigating the maid’s death, and he was accountable for the search for Riley and Tariq — until Ray came along. Bastien didn’t want to let Ray into Penelope’s room because he knew what was in there, and realized Ray would see right through it; past the stuff even Olivia would have missed. He could outsmart her, but knew he couldn’t Ray, which ultimately meant Bastien knew of Ray’s true purpose. He continuously told Liam he was working to provide answers, but suddenly, he believed Bastien’s intentions to be the exact opposite.

This whole time, a mole sat right under his nose, continuously feeding them the vaguest of answers. Every time they took a step forward, it was never because of Bastien, but someone always ensured they took two back. He didn’t understand how whoever held the cards seemed to be a move ahead, but now — it made sense.

Liam thought back to all these instances and realized he didn’t remember seeing Bastien. The night of the country jamboree, a different person escorted him to his room at the end of the night. He never questioned it because it wasn’t unheard of for guards to switch out positions, but now he wondered where Bastien truly was.

The night of the Apple Banquet, he recalled seeing him at the start of it, but not again until Bastien barged in to inform him of the discovery. Now, he couldn’t help but speculate Bastien took the maid’s life himself, or at least staged the scene to frame Penelope.

Tonight, before Bastien came to Liam and gave him the news of their suspect, he was nowhere to be found; until Olivia, Ray, and Leo left to interrogate Penelope.

When Bastien told Liam their person of interest was Penelope, he was in a state of disbelief. Liam questioned him, but Bastien stood his ground. However, now he believed with everything in him, Bastien knew she was already dead and intended to manipulate the circumstances further.

Since he opened his eyes to the truth, he often felt as if he mindlessly ran in a circle, desperately trying to piece small portions of a scattered puzzle together. Now he realized he was — and Bastien directed the never-ending laps, all while dangling tiny slivers of hope in front of Liam’s face — taunting him.

Ultimately, Liam concluded without a shadow of uncertainty — Bastien knew what happened to Riley, and likely held knowledge regarding her location.

Liam suddenly shot up from the edge of his hospital bed. “BASTIEN!” He bellowed at an ear-piercing volume, loud enough to rattle the windows.

Leo winced. “H–he’s not here, Li.”

“What the fuck do you mean, he’s not here?!”

“There’s some other guy outside!”

“He was still lingering around Penelope’s room when Ray and I left.” Olivia chimed in.

“That’s it — I’m going to find him,” Liam growled through clenched jaws.

“Liam, wait—”

“NO MORE WAITING, OLIVIA! Do you see what is happening?! All the blood that’s being shed?! This has to stop!”

“I know and I agree. But we need some kind of strategy–”

“No — this ends now.” Liam bit out. He hastily made his way to the bathroom with his bag of clothes, slamming the door shut behind him.

Olivia had half a mind to stop Liam until they had some kind of plan, but also felt time was of the essence. If they couldn’t prove Riley left the country, their urgency had to intensify. Her location remained unknown, but they believed she was at least in New York. When Ray first mentioned the possibility that she never left the country, Olivia didn’t want to believe it; after Penelope’s untimely demise, she realized this was a vicious, bloody pattern, and the suspicion needed to be taken seriously.

As the body count rose, Olivia’s concerns steadily increased. If history repeated itself, everyone involved would meet a deadly fate, but they didn’t have a detailed log of all entangled in this web. They had no clue where Riley’s name lay on the list of potential victims, and now they held very little information regarding her whereabouts. An involuntary shudder traveled down Olivia’s spine as the air in the room shifted, filling with an amplified haze of grim uncertainty felt heavily by everyone.

Olivia wholeheartedly believed Riley was alive, but for how much longer she couldn’t determine. The lingering feelings of uneasiness in her gut told her they were correct — she never left Cordonia — and if that was the case, her safety was more in question now than ever before.

Within the hour, Liam left the hospital and was on his way back to the main estate in Portavira. Although doctors wished to keep him longer, he left AMA — he didn’t need fluids; he didn’t need rest; he needed Riley. If Bastien knew something, he was going to tell them, even if he had to use brute force.

A part of him didn’t want to believe it, but the more he pondered, the more sense it made. A small portion of his heart wanted to give Bastien the benefit of the doubt, but that was no longer an option. The betrayal Liam felt was like no other and quickly created a raging storm inside of him, simply waiting to be unleashed.

Hearing Riley could still be in Cordonia, combined with his out-of-body experience, the need to locate her was higher than ever. Of course, he wondered where she ended up when he believed she went back to the States, but now even that was up in the air. The one thing holding Liam above water was knowing she was far away from the carnage, but that was no longer a valid crutch. The waves of despair rose dangerously high, threatening to overtake and drag him under in one fell swoop.

Liam tried his hardest to push the instantaneous bad thoughts away, but could feel it in his bones — Riley was in danger. From the beginning, he’d always thought something felt off, but he let his pride stand in the way of seeing the truth. Now it was impossible to ignore, as it tore away at his conscience. Guilty wasn’t even a suitable word to describe how he felt, knowing his negligence let this monstrosity escalate as it had. He turned his back on Riley when she needed him most; she screamed for him, yet he tried his damnedest to leave her in the past for so long.

However, he used all his willpower to remain in the moment and stay afloat; the only thing he cared about was Riley. Even if they found her and she wanted nothing to do with him, he simply needed to see with his own two eyes that she was safe. He didn’t want to think about why she could still be in Cordonia, but the growing ache in his chest told him it wasn’t a good reason.

The SUV pulled up to the front entrance of the estate, and Liam didn’t even wait for it to come to a complete stop. He rushed out and barged in through the front doors with fire under his feet. The halls remained eerily quiet as the nobility slept, but he was sure word traveled about not only his hospital stay but Penelope’s tragic passing. Leo, Olivia, and Ray all trailed behind as he ran at top speed.

Liam dashed up the stairs and rounded the corner, but abruptly stopped once Penelope’s room came into view. The door had yellow caution tape covering the opening, and Liam heard Bastien’s voice inside; the sound reigniting the rage burning deep within. He went to make a bee-line for the door, but a timid hand on his forearm ceased his movements.

“Y–Your Majesty,” Emmaline got out through hiccups. She retracted her hand with wide eyes and shakily bowed as he faced her. Liam’s features momentarily softened as he took in her running mascara and puffy eyes. “P–Please, Sir… I beg you to reconsider… Please — s–she wouldn’t d–do this…”

Liam’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“We were told they’ve ruled Penelope’s d–death… They w–were picking everything up but n–nobody would listen to us! That wasn’t her handwriting. She–she wouldn’t do this… None of it… She was happy — she wouldn’t—” Emmaline shook her head as more tears fell.

Liam placed a gentle hand on Emmaline’s shoulder and firmly responded, “I apologize for what you were told, but that is not the case — it will become a homicide investigation as soon as I can get someone else assigned. I promise you — I am going to figure out what happened and ensure she receives the justice she deserves.”

Emmaline swallowed a sob. “W–where did they take her body? They wouldn’t tell us. T–they came in and ripped my baby out of my arms and I don’t know where she is and—”

“Wait, who took her?”

“Your head guard said h–he had the authority to — remove her.” Emmaline squeezed her eyes closed as her tears fell harder, trying her hardest to wake herself from this nightmare.

Liam used every ounce of resolve he had not to march straight up to Bastien and securely wrap a hand around his throat. “Emmaline, I assure you — I will find her and bring her home. You have my word — I am going to figure this out.” He reiterated, but the fury coursing through his veins was at an all-time high. The amount Bastien thought he could get away with made Liam sick to his stomach, but he was determined to put a stop to it.

His answers were suffusive for Emmaline, so she bowed and made her leave. After taking a microscopic moment to gain some clarity, Liam addressed Ray. “Since I am removing Bastien, I need you to take over. And I want you to backtrack and look into Rhonda’s homicide as well. I’m not sure if you’ll be able to find anything, but I want you to double-check. I’ll ensure you have access to everything you need, and I’ll inform everyone you are now in charge here. The crown will compensate you generously for your additional time and effort.”

“Yes, sir,” Ray returned with a confident smile.

“Leo, I need you to figure out where he’s sending Penelope. I’m going to ask him, but in case he won’t tell me, I need her found before anyone messes with or blatantly destroys her body — there is no doubt in my mind that’s where she’s headed. Grab Maxwell and have him help you — I want her returned at once.”

“You got it.” Leo nodded before he swiftly vacated the area.

“I’m going to need some guards with me to do this,” Liam spoke, more so to himself than anyone else.

“Guards?” Olivia repeated.

“Yes. I won’t risk something happening to him — we will immediately detain Bastien. If he did nothing wrong, I’ll release and reinstate him, but until then, I am officially removing him from his position as head guard.” Liam answered, but regardless of what he said out loud, both of them knew Bastien was guilty; they just weren’t sure of the extent.

Olivia smirked. “Welcome to the game, King Liam. Would you like for me to assist with questioning?”

“I have a different job for you first. I need you to sneak into the security office and search through everything. If he’s working to cover up crimes or anything of that nature, he’s got to have something on him — I’m sure of it.”

“Knowing that cockeyed baboon, I’d say that’s a safe assumption.” Olivia snickered. “But I don’t know if I like the idea of you interrogating him by yourself...” She cast him an unsure glance.

“I don’t plan on it, Liv. I just need to find Drake.”

Almost as if on cue, Drake emerged from Penelope’s doorway, carefully dodging the caution tape. He glanced around and as his eyesight landed on Liam, he furrowed his brows and approached. “What’re you doing here, Li? Are you alright?”

“We have something to take care of.” Liam quickly and quietly laid out the current plan, as well as a vague description of their accusations.

“Fuck, man… I gotta admit — I had no clue why Liv and that guy had to leave, but I got to stick around.” Drake shook his head, trying to comprehend this blindsiding revelation.

“If I had to take a guess, I’d say he wanted someone Liam trusted around but needed to ensure the person was completely and utterly clueless,” Olivia inserted with a crooked grin.

Drake scoffed. “First of all, fuck you. Second, you might actually be right, but — you’re still a flaming bitch.”

“Stop trying to flatter me, Walker,” Olivia retorted, afterward focusing on Liam. “Are we doing this?”

Liam let out a deep huff of air. “Yeah, we are. Let’s do this.” He responded with the utmost resolution. He squared his shoulders, craned his neck from side to side, and strode into the room with Drake close behind. Olivia took off in the other direction to do her part in Liam’s plan, moving with brisk precision to reach her destination.

As he entered, Liam got the attention of a few guards and motioned for them to follow. Bastien examined underneath Penelope’s bed, completely oblivious to the added presence in the room. He cleared his throat to gather Bastien’s attention, and Liam noticed his shoulders tense as he identified who stood before him.

Bastien slowly rose with uncertainty painted on his features. “Your Majesty? What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be receiving treatment?”

Liam chortled as he stalked toward Bastien. He kept a smile plastered in place and shook his head, muttering to himself. When he made it directly in front of him, Liam lowered his voice to a low, gravely rumble; the fake grin he wore instantly replaced by a menacing scowl. “... I bet you’d like that — wouldn’t you?”

Bastien visibly and audibly swallowed. “I don’t know what you’re insinuating, sir, but I—”

“Of course not.” Liam dismissively agreed. He took a couple of steps back and shrugged. “Regardless, you’re coming with us.”

Panic flashed in Bastien’s eyes; it was brief, but Liam caught it. “With all due respect, I’m not quite finished investigating Lady Penelope’s suic—”

“That is not what this is, and you damn well know it!” Liam abruptly shouted. A tense silence hung for only a moment until he cleared his throat and flatly added, “This is a homicide, and you are no longer a part of it.” He met eyes with one guard who got the silent order loud and clear, the other following suit. They rushed Bastien and captured his arms behind his back, securely holding him in place.

“What is the meaning of this?!” Bastien hollered as he attempted to evade their grip.

“You’re being taken into custody.”

“Whatever for?!” Bastien demanded.

Drake stood in Bastien’s line of sight, mirroring Liam’s irate features. He held his gaze for a long, heated moment before snapping, “You’d better hope and pray we’re wrong, Bastien.”

“What the hell are you talking about, Drake?!” Bastien yelled, squirming against the grasp of those holding him.

Neither answered the question but merely glared at him; the sheer betrayal and outrage they felt radiated off of them, eliciting a shiver to run down Bastien’s spine. He calmly reasoned, “Sir, I don’t know what this is about, but we can have a rational conversation without all of this nonsense.” He motioned to the guards holding him.

“No, I don’t think we can, because you see —” Liam stalked toward Bastien, staring into his eyes so intently that he could almost see the wall behind him. As he made it into his comfort zone, Liam lowered his voice and rasped, “They’re only here to get rid of your body if I have to.” He smirked at Bastien’s wide eyes, as well as his complexion paling instantaneously.

Liam held Bastien’s gaze but addressed the guards. “Take him down to the cells. I’ll be right behind you.”

As they dragged Bastien away, he hollered and stirred up a fuss. Liam ignored his pleas, instead trying to prepare himself for what lay ahead. He wanted clarity, but a part of him dreaded Bastien’s confession; it would be another stark reminder of what his negligence caused. The guilt tearing away at his insides was at an unfathomable level, but he had to push that aside to focus on the task at hand.

He tried to keep his composure, but the gloves were off; there was no more control. Bastien knew something and regardless of what he had to do, Liam was hell bent on making him talk. Innocent lives taken and families destroyed, along with Riley’s heinous attack — all of which rested heavily on his conscience. He was determined to serve a steaming hot platter of justice to all he deemed deserving, regardless of what it took.

The next step in making that happen was getting a pig to squeal.

As he stood next to Drake, the facade of a composed monarch slipped onto the floor. He didn’t have enough strength left to keep it together. He embraced his emotions and vowed to follow their direction, but the only thing remaining was pure, unfiltered rage.

Gone was the timid, people-pleasing prince with his mother’s baby-blue eyes. Instead, a carnal lion with dark, dilated pupils awakened, centered on the dangling piece of meat in his face — Bastien.

Tags (if you'd like added or removed, please let me know): @the0afnan @nestledonthaveone @gabesmommie1130 @queen-arabella-of-cordonia @differenttyphoonwerewolf @lovingchoices14 @emersyn-in-cordonia @karahalloway @aussiegurl1234 @iaminlovewithtrr @hopelessromanticmonie @mysticalfangirl @umccall71 @fuckitweball0000 @charlotteg234 @busywoman @malblk21 @angelasscribbles @bascmve01 @kingliam2019 @riseandshinelittleblossom @dcbbw @tessa-liam @amandablink @cordonia-gothqueen @sfb123 @jared2612 @harleybeaumont @bebepac @choicesficwriterscreations @ao719 @txemrn @imashybish @queenrileyrose

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mysticalfangirl · 2 months

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Hello dad

Hello dad (chapter one)

Parings: Liam x Mc (Adele Lykel-McKenna)

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

Warnings: 1160

Word count: I cant think of any.

A/N: These characters belong to Pixelberry Studios.

Prologue

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

@kingliam2019, @lodberg, @hopefulmoonobject

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

Keep reading

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mysticalfangirl · 2 months

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Introducing: 'A Time for Us'

The Royal Romance, AU series

Liam Rys x F!OC Thalia Courtland, Olivia Nevrakis

Premise: King Liam, at the time of his coronation, was prepared to fulfill his duty by selecting his queen from the group of suitors.

In light of the 'love of his life', Thalia Courtland, being the target of a scandal; she was deemed ineligible for selection by the Royal council.

To buy time to find Tariq to clear her name, Liam made the decision to select his childhood friend, Olivia Nevrakis, Duchess of Lythikos, as his 'temporary choice'.

However, during the year-long search tor Tariq, Liam, Thalia, and Olivia unwittingly formed a mutual bond, and a 'throuple' was established.

Smoke and Mirrors, 'The Black Ledger'

“You know, Olivia, I really respect your work as the head of the Royal guard. You have done a remarkable job at protecting the Royal family and the Crown since the arrest of the former head guard.”

Olivia was surprised by the compliment, never being one to seek or appreciate praise.

“Oh, well, thank you ... I appreciate your commendation.”

Amalas noted her solemn expression and wondered if her former lover was doing well personally.

“I think you should know ... I never stopped caring for you, Livvie. Despite what happened, you will always be special to me.”

“I understand. We were so much more than you let us be.” Olivia smiled sadly as she shifted her focus and watched Liam and Leo as they entered the study.

Turning the Page, 'A Step Back in Time'

"You have the power of position, make Madeleine feel it."

"Most importantly, you hold the King’s heart...show the world, show Cordonia, show Madeleine what that means...you will bring her to her knees." Olivia sneered.

"There she is...there is my little blossom!" Maxwell cried, running towards Riley and engulfing her in a bear hug.

"It's good to see you too, Max. You look well." She laughed as he spun her around in the air.

"I'm not letting go until you promise to never leave me again."

"Alright, alright, put me down!" Riley giggled, feeling the warmth and affection of her Cordonian best friend.

Marabelle, 'The Game of Kings 2'

Sophie and Liam's performance was electric, their teamwork flawless as they dominated the field.

Sophie felt a sense of pride as the crowd cheered her on.

She couldn't believe she was actually doing this. It was exhilarating.

Sitting alongside King Constantine, Barthelemy watched his neice admirably; his thoughts singular...

'She will make a remarkable queen'.

📌Perma-tags:@ao719 @txemrn @queenmiarys @sfb123 @twinkleallnight @alj4890 @differenttyphoonwerewolf @harleybeaumont @busywoman @karahalloway @kingliam2019 @imjusthereforliam @lovingchoices14 @kyra75 @tinkie1973 @emkay512 @malblk21 @kristinamae093 @charlotteg234

📌Liam x Riley,MC/ OTP: @jared2612 @irisk12 @thesvnsins @walkerdrakewalker

📌Liam x Riley, OC: @emersyn-in-cordonia @mainstreetreader @belencha77 @iluaaa @mysticalfangirl @queenwalton @bascmve01 @umccall71 @choicesfrog @amandablink @ownworldresident

📌Liam x Sophie: @charlotteg234

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mysticalfangirl · 3 months

Text

Turning the Page

- Chapter 10 -

Somewhere Only We Know

Choices, The Royal Romance, AU

Series Premise: As Riley Brooks journeys through life as a single parent in New York City, an epiphany strikes as she contemplates the future for herself and her two-year-old son.

Turning the Page Series Masterlist

Main Pairing: Liam Rys x F!OC Riley Brooks

All characters belong to Pixelberry Studios, except William Brooks (Rys) and Matteo Magro, who belongs to this series.

Category: On-going series, contains angst/fluff/depression. Cross-over fic with Choices, Perfect Match.

Rating: M🔞Warnings - Series will contain crude language, NSFW material – not Beta’d - please excuse all errors.

Words: 3314

Somewhere Only We Know – 10

Chapter Summary: Riley and William settle into the palace with Liam. Olivia pays a visit and extends an invitation to Riley for a visit to Lythikos. Madeleine argues with her father in Morocco.

Title and Music Inspiration:

Somewhere Only We Know, Lilly Allen

It’s Your Love, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill

Daddy Don’t Go, Vince Allen

A/N2: Choices February Challenge @choicesfebruary2024, @jerzwriter – Eros (Passionate Love) Liam and Riley; Storge {Family Love) Liam and William, father and son; Philia (Deep Friendship) Riley and Olivia.

A/N3: Damien Nazario has been assigned as William’s personal bodyguard. (Series cross-over with ‘Perfect Match’)

“Riley,” he breathed. “God, I want you so much.”

“Liam, I ...”

Liam pulled back and looked into her eyes, “stay with me tonight.”

Riley’s heart was pounding, as she returned his tender gaze. The moment she had waited for was finally here ... and she knew that she couldn’t deny him. She would never. Not now, not ever.

Lifting her hand, placing it gently on his cheek, she whispered, “yes, I’ll stay.”

Reaching up, he grasped her hand, gently turning it to place a soft kiss on her palm. Keeping eye contact, he watched her eyes swell with tears.

“I’ve missed you, love,” he whispered intimately.

“I’ve missed you too, Li.” she sighed, her breath hitching, moving closer. Time stood still; the emotion was palpable.

Liam cupped her cheek, gently stroking her soft skin. His look fell on her soft lips, as he leaned in, capturing her mouth in a slow, soft kiss. Riley closed her eyes, getting lost in the moment and wrapping her arms around his neck, pulled him closer.

Liam placed another kiss, this time deeper, as he cradled her neck, moving closer. His tongue dancing with hers; she tasted sweet, like honey, and he could not get enough. All this time apart, he was finally home. His hand tightened around her waist as he pulled her towards him.

Breaking the kiss, Liam gazed into Riley’s eyes. “I’ve missed you so much,” his voice filled with a mixture of longing and relief.

“Liam ...” Riley moaned, her hands roaming over his broad shoulders and moving down his muscular chest. Her body trembling in his arms with need.

Riley softly smiled, her eyes showing him the depth of her emotions. “I’ve missed you too, Liam. Every moment felt like an eternity without you.”

"MAMA!" William’s cry was a terrified wail in the night.

Breaking the spell, Riley and Liam moved quickly apart.

"Oh, oh my ... William." Riley jumped up and rushed out towards his room. Sprinting down the long hallway, she moved past Damien, who stood at attention outside his door. William was sitting up in his bed, tears streaming down his cheek as she rushed to his side.

"Mama! Where were you?" William whimpered, holding up his arms. Waking up in unfamiliar surroundings, he had panicked.

"I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry." Riley scooped William into her arms, holding him tightly against her chest as she rocked him back and forth. She could feel him shaking as his small frame clung to her.

"I scare, Mama." William sobbed. "It's okay, sweetheart. I'm here now. It's okay." Riley spoke softly.

Liam stood in the doorway, watching Riley soothe their son. He could not help but feel guilty. Thinking that he should have known better than to lose control. He had just gotten Riley back to Cordonia, and he had potentially ruined everything. He had to be more careful, as he chastised himself silently in his mind.

Liam joined Riley at his bedside as he placed his hand gently on William’s back, moving his hand in soothing strokes. "I'm sorry, love. I should have known better." Liam’s guilt was on full display.

"It's okay, Liam. We both lost control." Riley quickly responded.

Liam sighed, "Can you forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive."

Liam tentatively smiled. He knew Riley had a kind heart. She had always been willing to forgive him, even when he did not deserve it.

"Can we tuck you back in, LiLi? Look, Daddy is here."

"Yes, Mama." William sleepily answered.

Riley and Liam both tucked William back into his bed, each placing a kiss on his forehead.

"Good night, Will."

"Night, night, Daddy.” William answered in a sleepy voice.

Hearing those words, Liam's heart spilled over with love for his son.

Thinking that William fell back to sleep, Riley and Liam both stood quietly to let him sleep. Leaving his room, they started to close the door behind them.

William started to whimper, and he called out, sobbing ... "Daddy?!" His little voice was sorrowful.

Feeling overwhelmed, Liam stopped and quickly returned to his son's side, picking up his little boy in his arms.

"Hey, hey...I'm here, son. I'm here."

Riley's heart melted as she watched the scene unfold. It was obvious that Liam had formed a deep connection with his son, who already trusted him completely.

William snuggled into Liam's chest, his small hands clutching his shirt.

"You're okay, little man. You're okay. Daddy's got you.” Liam whispered.

"Daddy, don't go ... peease," William cried.

"I won't. I will never leave you; I promise.” Liam closed his eyes, holding him tight.

William sighed and slowly closed his eyes, finally relaxing in his father's arms.

Liam kissed his son's forehead once more and gently laid him into bed. He brushed the hair away from William's eyes and tucked him in, sitting at the edge of his bed.

"I love you, LiLi.” Liam whispered, feeling emotional. His eyes were filled with unshed tears.

Once Williiam fell asleep, Liam quietly slipped out of his room and joined Riley in the living area.

"Everything okay?" Riley softly asked, noticing his expression. She was sitting on the sofa, with her legs tucked under her.

"Yes. He was just a little scared. That's understandable, considering everything he's been through." Liam sighed, joining Riley on the sofa as she placed her hand on top of his, brushing her thumb over his skin.

"It is. ... and I am relieved he is finally here with you.”

Liam's eyes locked onto hers. “... and I am delighted to have you both here with me.”

Riley leaned in, resting her head on his shoulder. After a few moments, Liam spoke,

"Let’s get some rest, love." Riley moved her head as he stood, holding out his hand to pull her up.

Riley hesitated and looked up at him, silently asking a question.

"You know, you can sleep with me tonight, if you'd like. We don't have to do anything, Riley. I just want to hold you in my arms."

Riley nodded, her eyes misting with unshed tears at the sentiment.

"I'd like that.” Riley nodded and accepted his hand.

Liam smiled and walked with her, hand in hand back to his bedroom.

After brushing her teeth, Riley climbed into his bed and lay down next to Liam. She rested her head on his chest, feeling his warmth and his steady heartbeat.

Riley breathed in the faint scent of his cologne as she closed her eyes. She felt his arm wrap around her waist, pulling her close.

"I've missed this," she whispered.

"So have I, love. So, have I.”

Liam kissed the top of her head and held her tightly against him.

"Good night, my love.”

"Good night, Liam.”

But sleep will elude him tonight. He was far from being tired. Every nerve ending in his body was wide awake. ... and he smiled.

He could feel her warmth seeping into his body. He had missed this, more than he could ever admit. Riley had been the only person who had made him feel complete, and now, she was back in his life. He could not help but wonder what would happen now. Would they pick up where they left off? Or should they start anew, building a new relationship from the ground up?

Whatever happened, Liam knew one thing for sure - he was never going to let her go again.

El Alami residence, Rabat, Morocco

"It is 9 am!!!" Godrey bellowed up towards the second-floor landing.

His angry voice echoed in the cavernous dining room of the Moroccan estate. Adelaide added two teaspoons of sugar to her steeped tea wishing that she brought her flask of brandy down with her this morning. Her obvious disdain for her husband was quite apparent to the wait servant standing aside the table.

“Where is she?” Godfrey’s voice blared to get his daughter's attention.

"Oh, for God's sake, Godfrey, calm down. It's only 9 o'clock in the morning."

"Only? Only?! It's almost mid-morning! How can our daughter sleep so late? It is disgraceful."

"She is pregnant!" Adelaide scolded, rolling her eyes.

"What difference does that make? Have you forgotten that she no longer is a queen. That her position is no longer relevant. Now, she has a duty only to this house, in this godforsaken country!"

As Madeleine entered the dining room, she greeted her parents.

"Good morning, Mother, Father."

"Madeleine, there you are. Finally, we have a chance to speak to you.”

"Father, please. I've been awake for hours."

“The King has brought the child to Cordonia,” Godfrey seethed.

"I am aware, Father.”

"Well, it's time to stop wasting time. It's time to take back your place at court and reclaim the Cordonian throne.”

"That's not possible."

"Of course, it is. You are the rightful Queen of Cordonia."

"Things have changed, Father. You know this!” Madeleine hissed. “I have no claim to that throne anymore." Godfrey was incensed at her nonchalant response.

"Nonsense. You are the mother of the heir to the throne.” Godfrey sneered.

"I am not. My child's father is not Liam.”

“Any child born while you are married to the King, is rightfully yours!”

“And the King ended our marriage, and I, I, ...”

“The father of my child is Eduardo El Alami!” Madeleine responded bitterly.

"This is an outrage! After everything we have done for you. After everything we have sacrificed.” Godfrey seethed.

"You've sacrificed nothing." Madeleine spat, her body shaking.

"How dare you?" Godfrey challenged.

"You know what, Father. I am tired. I am tired of not being good enough for you. I am tired of your manipulations. I am just...I am tired.”

Godfrey was furious. He could not believe Madeleine was behaving this way.

"Do you have any idea what you are throwing away? Do you?"

"I'm sorry, Father, but I must do what is best for me and my child."

"You ungrateful little...”

"Enough!" Adelaide shouted. "Godfrey, leave her be."

Godfrey turned and glared at his wife; his eyes filled with fury.

"We are not done with this conversation.” Godfrey retorted, having noticed his wife’s eyes go wide as the wait servant rushed to Madeleine’s side.

Behind him, his daughter had collapsed, narrowly missing the edge of the kitchen island.

King's chambers, Cordonian Royal Palace

The Mediterranean sun felt exquisite on her skin as Riley sat on the outdoor terrace of the Royal chambers with William. The terrace overlooked the sprawling gardens and courtyard of the palace, filled with vibrant flowers and the gentle rustle of olive trees in the breeze. The entrance to the hedge maze brought special memories of the social season. Riley breathed in the scent of jasmine, feeling a sense of peace settle over her.

William was enjoying his breakfast as Riley sipped her tea. Liam, waking earlier that morning, arranged for a breakfast cart to await the two of them on their first morning in the Royal chambers while he was in his study.

“Excuse me, Lady Riley.” Damien announced as he came into view.

“Please Damien, just call me Riley. No need to always be so formal.”

Damien smiled apologetically, “As per his Majesty’s direction, I cannot.” Riley sighed.

“You do have a visitor; shall I escort her to the terrace?”

“No need ... I already let myself in.” Olivia interjected, grinning at his expression.

Damien's eyes widened in surprise as he turned to face Olivia, the woman who had just sauntered into the room unannounced. Her presence commanding attention, with her confident stride and the hint of mischief in her eyes.

Olivia flashed him a mischievous grin, her lips curling into a smirk as she leaned casually against the nearest wall. "Life would be dull otherwise, wouldn't it?"

Damien could not help but chuckle as Riley laughed.

“Olivia!” Riley smiled and stood to greet her dear friend.

“Riley, it’s been too long! Olivia said, walking to the table.

“Oh. My. God.” Olivia's jaw dropped as she turned her head. She could not believe her eyes. Olivia paused and stared at William.

"He looks just like his father, when Liam was a boy!" Olivia tittered.

William looked up and smiled.

"I'm so happy for you, Riley. And I'm so happy that Liam is finally getting a chance to know his son."

"Thank you, Olivia."

While Riley and Olivia began to converse, catching up with each other’s lives, Damien escorted William to play inside his room.

Olivia paused for a moment and studied her friend.

Riley sighed, "what?" Do I have something on my face?" Feeling self-conscious.

Olivia smirked, "have you and Liam talked about...the future?"

"Okay ... right to the point." Riley shook her head.

"A little,” she began. “We have talked about William, and Liam’s desire to be involved in his life.”

“... and?” Olivia’s eyebrow shot up in question. Riley knew what she was really asking, knowing that Olivia had ‘front row seats’, and being a part of their history.

“We have begun to talk about finding ways to make things work between us.”

"I'm happy to hear that."

"It's going to take time, but we're willing to put in the effort."

"That's good. He hasn’t been the same since you left him, you know.”

Riley looked down at her hands resting on the table, feelings of regret coming back tenfold with guilt as her eyes began to tear.

"I'm just afraid that there are still a lot of obstacles ahead. Like Madeleine and the press.”

"That doesn't matter. ...she doesn’t matter." Olivia looked at Riley with a critical eye. Watching her friend’s sad demeaner was concerning, taking note that Riley had lost the ‘sparkle’ in her eyes. That 'something' that brought the court to its' knees.

“Riley, snap out of it!! Reality check! Liam is madly in love with you – only you!

You are the mother of his child; the rightful heir to the throne of Cordonia. That is something that Madeleine will never be able to claim.”

Olivia shook her head, taking Riley’s hand when her breath hitched.

“She is the past. You are the present. You are the future. You and that little boy.”

"You're right." Riley nodded. "You're absolutely right."

"Good. Then it is settled." Olivia smiled. "Now, let's talk about when you are coming to Lythikos.”

"Oh, um, I'm not sure. Can I ask why?”

“To get that sparkle back in your eyes. To remind you of who you are. And to remind you of what you can achieve. Riley, I know that things have been difficult for you since the coronation... but you must remember, you are a force of nature. You are stronger than you think.”

Riley tearfully looked at her friend. "Thanks, Olivia."

"Anytime. Now, I want you and William to stay at least a week in Lythikos, and that is final.”

"A week, huh? I have to speak to...” Olivia finished, “Liam is already on board.” Olivia chuckled, watching her expression.

"Yes. You need time to relax and reconnect with Liam. And William needs time to get to know his father.”

"Okay ... that sounds wonderful.” Riley’s breath hitching.

"Excellent. I'll have the staff prepare the guest wing for your arrival.

King’s study, Cordonia

Liam casually walked down the long hallway to his study after speaking with Olivia earlier in the morning. He loved the idea of a winter getaway for his family. Even better at Lythikos Keep, where he and Riley had special memories. He thanked his good friend for the suggestion and invitation, nodding to Bastien standing outside his study.

Even at this early hour, his assistant and his personal secretary were already busy at work making sure the King had everything in place for his day as he entered his study.

"Good morning, Your Majesty," his assistant greeted.

"Good morning."

"We've received a number of calls and messages for you, sir. I have forwarded them to your personal phone and email.

"Thank you, Charles."

Liam settled into his leather chair and took a sip of his coffee. As Liam read through the messages and calls, his thoughts drifted to Riley. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have her back in his life.

There was a message from Maxwell, asking about William and Riley's arrival. Liam smiled at his old friend's enthusiasm to visit ‘his blossom’ and ‘his baby blossom’.

There was a message and report from Damien, reporting on Madeleine's movements.

Liam could not help but wonder if his ex-wife was going to pose a problem. He had hoped that by bringing his son to Cordonia, she would understand his need to be a part of William's life.

But it seemed that she was still determined to be a thorn in his side, already requesting an audience with him. At least she was in another country now and not breathing down his neck here at the palace.

"Sir, do you need anything else?"

"No, thank you.”

Liam glanced at his laptop noticing that his schedule had indeed been cleared at his direction, for the most part, for the upcoming two weeks. He wanted uninterrupted time with Riley and his son in Lythikos.

He smiled to himself once again, thinking about how Riley slept peacefully beside him. How her long, dark lashes fanned her cheeks. How her lips were parted slightly as she breathed softly.

Liam felt her warmth seep into his body. He had missed these moments, more than he could ever admit.

Riley had been the only person who had made him feel complete, and now, she was back in his life.

He could not help but wonder what would happen now.

Would they pick up where they left off? Or would they start anew, building a new relationship from the ground up?

Whatever happened, Liam knew one thing for sure - he was never going to let Riley go again.

Liam's thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come.”

“Sir,” Bastien said, ushering Regina into his study.

“Regina.” Liam stood from his chair and moved around his desk, kissing her cheek and motioning for her to sit.

Thanks for reading; please let me know if you would like to be added or removed from this series.

📌All fics & edits: @ao719 @txemrn @queenmiarys @sfb123 @twinkleallnight @alj4890 @differenttyphoonwerewolf @harleybeaumont @busywoman @karahalloway @kingliam2019 @imjusthereforliam @lovingchoices14 @kyra75 @tinkie1973 @emkay512 @malblk21 @kristinamae093 @charlotteg234

📌Liam & Riley, OC: @emersyn-in-cordonia @mainstreetreader @belencha77 @walkerdrakewalker @iluaaa @mysticalfangirl @queenwalton @bascmve01 @umccall71 @choicesfrog @amandablink @ownworldresident

📌Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @choicesmonthlychallenge @choicesfebruary2024

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mysticalfangirl · 3 months

Text

Vancross

Vancross - My Way Back To You (Chapter 22)

Most of the characters belong to Pixelberry.

Title inspiration: Find My Way Back - Eric Arjes

Main Pairing: Liam x F!OC

A/N: Multiple crossover series. There will be random sprinkles of canon throughout this story, but for the most part, it’s pretty much out the window. Not beta’d. Please excuse any errors.

Rating: M • Warnings: This series will contain nsfw material, language, some alcohol and drug use, and is not suitable for minors. If you read, you acknowledge you are 18+

Catch up here

Standing inside the living area of his campus suite, Liam leaned against the back of the sofa and drummed his fingers against the cushion as he glanced around the room at the others.

On one end of the sofa, Alia sat next to Blaine and Simon, watching the two of them go over the details of their aliases despite having memorized them in grave detail over the last week.

Amalas was nestled in the corner with a laptop resting on her lap and Olivia beside her, showing her the program she would be using to hack into the Drakovian palace’s security cameras.

Trystan and Leo were on the other end of the sectional, whispering as they looked over the palace blueprints for what had to be the hundredth time in the last month.

The rest of the group had just left, but not before wishing them luck and demanding they keep them updated.

With nothing to do but stare, Liam turned and quietly slipped out onto the balcony. He climbed the ladder to the roof and walked toward their makeshift lounge; it now had one less chair after his meltdown last week. Instead of sitting in a chair, he moved to the parapet and dropped down on it as he looked out at the view of campus below.

They were leaving for Rivala tomorrow, and Liam found himself on edge with worry despite them having spent the last month planning every detail of this trip down to the wire.

An old friend of Leo’s was letting them use his SUV to take them to the private jet he was also letting them use so as to not draw suspicion from their parents until they had to. Having their guards’ schedules down, they planned to sneak out in the early morning hours while they were running perimeter checks. Liam had already played his Crown Prince card and ordered Anthony not to tell his parents that Leo and Trystan were there, but once they were “missing”, it would only be a matter of time before their parents would be alerted of their absence.

Trystan’s friend, who ran a security company in Rivala and was allowing them to use his cabin, offered to have a vehicle waiting for them once they landed.

Simon, Blaine, and Leo had packed their finest suits and acquired masks that concealed most of their faces to go with the masquerade theme. They had spent the last week being prepped by Amalas for any situations that may arise once they were inside while Trystan made sure the locations of the two exits they needed to know about were drilled into their memory.

Amalas planned to tap into the security cameras as soon as they were at the cabin, wanting to ensure everything was running as it should. Once they were inside, she’d be able to monitor everything going on and she and Olivia would feed Trystan and the others any information they would need.

Liam and Alia would be there simply as moral support to one another. They weren’t allowed to leave the cabin and Amalas made it explicitly clear that they were not to hover and watch the cameras on the off chance of seeing something that would upset either of them.

Hearing someone behind him, Liam glanced over his shoulder to see Trystan just as he stepped onto the roof. He walked over and sat on the parapet beside him. “You ok?”

“Yeah,” Liam nodded as he looked back out at the view of the campus below. “Just anxious.”

“It’s going to be fine.”

Liam glanced over at him to see the lukewarm smile he was wearing. For the most part, Trystan had remained composed over the last month of planning, but throughout the past week, his stoic facade seemed to falter now and then. It was little things most wouldn’t notice, like now and his halfhearted smile. He hadn’t said anything because he didn’t want to allow himself to believe that Trystan’s optimism was fading; it was the thing keeping not only his spirits up but everyone else’s.

Still looking at him, Liam thought about something that had been on his mind that he hadn’t recalled Trystan mentioning. “I meant to ask you … we’ve made these plans to get her out, but … what about after?”

“What do you mean?”

Liam swallowed thickly. “Are you going to take her back to New York with you?” It was the only place he could think of that they might go.

Trystan shook his head. “I can’t take her to New York.”

“Why?”

“The Homeland Accord,” Trystan answered, earning a questioning look from him. “It’s an extradition agreement Drakovia has with the U.S. It allows them to summon any Drakovian home at will, no questions asked, and the U.S. government has to comply. So I can’t risk taking her back to the States because they would have no choice but to send her back.”

“Then where will you go?”

“Honestly, I’ve been so focused on the task of getting her out, I haven’t planned that part out yet. We can stay in Rivala for a couple of days, but after that … I’m not sure yet.”

“You can bring her to Cordonia,” Liam offered without hesitation.

Trystan shook his head. “I don’t want to cause any unnecessary issues for Cordonia when my mother eventually figures out where she is, which she will. Plus, your parents are probably going to be livid with me for dragging you into this plan …”

Getting on the Cordonian monarch’s bad side wasn’t what Trystan wanted, but he had to risk it to save not only his sister but Liam as well; he was still convinced that had he not let him help, he would have gone rogue.

“Yeah, they’re going to be pissed, but more so at me than you,” Liam said. “At the end of the day, I’m an adult, and you didn’t force me to be a part of this … it was kind of the other way around. Regardless, they wouldn’t turn you or Croía away from refuge over it. And I know we don’t have any kind of agreement with Drakovia, extradition or otherwise, so that’s not something you’d have to worry about. And I … I’d be able to stay with her.”

Trystan furrowed his brows. “You do realize you still have school, right?”

“I did some research,” Liam explained. “I knew you’d have to take her somewhere and I … I didn’t want to have to be apart from her after only getting her back, so I looked into what my options were, and hers as well if she’s up to it. We can finish out the remainder of the year doing our classes online if the Dean receives a request with a legitimate reason as to why. She’s behind because she’s been gone, but she can catch up and still graduate at the end of the semester. And considering the circumstances, I’m sure the Dean would grant us the permission we need.”

Trystan stared at Liam, a little bit in awe at the lengths he was willing to go to be by Croía’s side, but he wasn’t sure why he was surprised by it at that point, either. “That’s a pretty big sacrifice to make, Liam. You’d be missing the rest of your senior year.”

“I’d rather miss the rest of it than be away from her,” Liam replied. “We could stay in Cordonia and do the classes that way … and she’d be safe there. Like I said, my parents wouldn’t turn either of you away regardless of how pissed they are. And again, most of that anger will be directed at me for lying and going behind their backs.”

Trystan looked away from him, thinking for a moment. “Well … let’s just focus on getting her out for now. After that, we’ll discuss our options. Because we have to see how she is first before we go making any decisions …”

Liam nodded and glanced away, and Trystan was thankful he either hadn’t caught what he’d said about seeing how Croía was or he just didn’t think much of it to ask him. He wasn’t sure he wanted to elaborate.

Just then, his phone rang, and Trystan pulled it from his pocket. Liam saw him sigh as he looked at the screen. “Who is it?”

“Mags. I think she’s becoming a little suspicious.” Trystan slid his thumb across the screen to answer it before putting it on speaker so Liam could hear. “Hello.”

“Hey, yourself. What are you doing?”

“Hanging out on some rooftop,” Trystan answered. It wasn’t a lie.

“Sounds delightful. Hey, listen … have you spoken to Croía?” Trystan winced before closing his eyes; he knew it was only a matter of time. “I haven’t spoken to her in a few weeks, and it’s not like her to not call me back … unless she’s pissed at me for some reason I can’t recall.”

“Don’t worry. She’s alright.” That was semi-true; Trystan had still been receiving updates from Everett, who had promised him that Croía had remained physically unharmed.

But that answer was the wrong one to give because it set off Marguerite’s alarm bells.

“What does that mean?” Marguerite snapped. “Trystan, what the hell is going on?”

Blowing out a breath, Trystan met Liam’s worried gaze. Marguerite had already been suspicious of his “trip” with Leo because of how long he’d been gone, and how he hadn’t been in touch with her — or Cameron, because of course they shared notes — as much as he typically would. His answer just now had inadvertently sent her suspicions into overdrive. And she now knew that whatever it was he was hiding somehow involved their baby sister.

Trystan hated lying to her, but he remained steadfast in his choice not to involve her. The less she knew, the better. “Listen … I know this is going to be difficult for you, but I need you to not ask me any more questions because I don’t want to lie to you, Mags. I promise that when I can tell you something, which will be very soon, I will.”

“But Trystan—”

“Mags, please,” Trystan interrupted in a plea.

Marguerite remained quiet for several long moments before speaking again. “Just … tell me you’re ok. That you and Croía are both ok …”

“We’re ok. Promise.”

****

Later, Liam stood in his room, changing into a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt after he’d finished packing his bag. He wasn’t sure how he was going to attempt to get any sleep that night because as the time for them to leave drew nearer, he found himself more and more restless.

Hearing a knock on his door, Liam called for them to enter, and Leo stepped inside a moment later. “You good?” he asked as he shut the door behind him.

“Antsy,” Liam answered.

Leo nodded in understanding. “It won’t be long now. We’ll get in and get this thing done and it’ll be over before you know it.”

Liam could only hope it would be that easy. “I offered for Trystan to bring Croía to Cordonia to stay after we get her out. I know Mom and Dad are going to be pissed … but I told him they wouldn’t turn them away when they needed someplace safe to stay.”

“They won’t,” Leo agreed. “Yeah, they’re going to lay into both of us, but they’ll get over it. I’m sure once they hear why we did what we did, they’ll understand.”

“Leo …” Liam looked at his brother, searching for the right words. “Thank you … for helping with all of this.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” Leo smiled. “I’ve grown pretty fond of Cocoa Bean.”

Liam cracked a small smile at the mention of the nickname his brother called her, a play on his Cocoa. It was the first genuine smile he had in weeks.

A chime on Liam’s laptop broke the moment, and they both glanced over. “Speaking of Mom and Dad …”

Without thinking, Leo dropped to the floor; Liam flung his arm toward the door, a silent question to ask why he didn’t just slip out, but didn’t have time to wait for a response before he turned to answer the incoming video call.

“Hey,” Liam smiled when his mother’s face came on the screen.

“Hello, sweetheart. How are you?”

“I’m …” Liam trailed off, seeing the door behind him on the screen start to open; he glanced over his shoulder to see his brother, still on the floor, army crawling out.

“Liam?”

“Yeah,” Liam snapped his gaze back to the laptop and picked it up, bringing it to his bed. “Sorry. I’m good. How are things back home?”

“They’re fine …” Eleanor eyed him curiously. “Are you alright?”

“Fine, why?” Liam answered a little too quickly.

“You just haven’t seemed like yourself lately. You seem … distracted.”

Liam chewed the inside of his cheek; he hated lying to anyone, especially his mother, but he couldn’t tell her what was going on. Not yet anyway. “Just busy with assignments.”

“Ok,” Eleanor nodded, but Liam could tell she wasn’t truly buying his answer. “And how’s Croía?”

“She — she’s fine.”

Again, Eleanor eyed him curiously because she caught the slight slip in his tone when he answered. “Where has she been? I haven’t seen or heard her with you when we’ve talked over the last few weeks.”

“She’s been busy … with assignments, too.”

“Hm,” Eleanor nodded. Liam knew that “hm” was her ‘I don’t believe a word you said, but I’m going to let it slide for now’ response. “Are you sure you’re ok?”

“Yeah,” Liam nodded. “I’ve just got a lot going on.” That was the truth. He glanced up when Leo’s head poked through the door; he flapped his hand in a talking motion and then threw his thumb over his shoulder. Code for ‘We’re having a meeting in the living area, hurry up and get your ass out here.’ “Hey, Mom, I’m sorry to cut this so short, but I gotta get going. I’m in the middle of working on, uh … a big project …” Kind of true, just not the kind of project she was probably thinking of.

“Ok, sweetheart.” Eleanor offered a smile, but he could see the concern behind it. “We’ll talk soon. I love you.”

Liam felt a pang of guilt ripple through him. “Love you, too, Mom.”

When he ended the video chat, Liam tossed his laptop onto the bed before heading out to the living area where Trystan was waiting with Leo, Olivia, Amalas, Blaine, Alia, and Simon.

“Simon, Olivia, Alia, and Amalas are getting ready to head back to their suites, so I just want to be sure we all know where to meet later,” Trystan explained.

“Edge of campus on the north side,” the others all said in unison.

“Time?”

“The guards start their morning perimeter checks precisely at five,” Alia replied.

“And if one of you gets caught …?”

“We stay behind,” Simon answered.

Trystan nodded. “It should take you no more than five minutes to get there once you’re outside. We’ll wait another five minutes at the spot. If you’re not there, I’m going to assume you got caught and we’ll leave without you. Be sure you have everything you need with you because you won’t be able to go back if you forget something. And make sure to leave your phones behind so your locations can’t be pinged.”

They all nodded.

*******

Standing along the edge of campus, hidden in the shadows of the trees, Liam, Leo, Blaine, Alia, Amalas, and Trystan were waiting for Olivia and Simon. They had easily slipped out undetected by Anthony, Jacob, and Alia’s guard Rowan while they stepped away from their posts outside their suites to do their morning perimeter checks around their buildings.

Hearing the snap of a twig, all their heads snapped to the left just as Olivia stepped into view. “Had me worried for a minute there,” Liam quipped.

“Apparently my guard is a chatty-fucking-Cathy in the morning. He barely speaks during the day, but stood outside the damn front door gossiping with Evelyn’s guard,” she rolled her eyes before looking at the others. “Where’s Simon?”

“Still waiting for him,” Blaine answered.

The group fell quiet as the minutes ticked by. Trystan broke the silence when he cursed under his breath. “Where the fuck is he?” They’d have to rearrange their whole plan going into the ball if Simon didn’t show.

“He’ll be here,” Liam said.

Suddenly, they heard the sound of stamping feet and looked over to see Simon barreling towards them in a full-on run. “Go, go, go!” he shouted.

“He’s going to wake up the whole damn campus,” Trystan grumbled. “This way!”

They all turned and rushed into the pathway that led to the outside of the campus gates on the north side, where Leo’s friend had parked an SUV for them to take to the airport.

“What the fuck happened?” Olivia shouted over her shoulder at Simon who had caught up to her.

“My guard came around the corner as I slipped out the front door!” Simon huffed through breaths. “Apparently the old bloke starts his checks early! And he’s bloody fast when he wants to be!”

They raced through the path, swatting low-hanging branches out of their way as they went until they broke through the clearing on the other side. Leo pulled a set of keys from his pocket given to him earlier by his friend and hit a button; he snapped his gaze to the left when lights started to blink from being unlocked. “There!” he pointed.

“Lord Simon!” the guard bellowed from inside the pathway.

“Haul ass!” Blaine said as he raced toward the vehicle, gripping Alia’s hand and pulling her behind him.

Once at the vehicle, Amalas, Olivia, and Simon climbed in first to the third row; Liam, Alia, and Blaine followed, sliding into the second row while Leo and Trystan jumped into the front seats.

Leo started the SUV and threw it into drive just as Simon’s guard burst through the clearing; he peeled away from the curb before making a sharp right onto the main road.

As they made their way to the airport, the inside of the vehicle was silent save for the eight of them trying to catch their breath.

Suddenly, Leo began to laugh as he glanced at Trystan. “That brought back some fucking memories, huh?”

Trystan snorted as he dropped his head back against the seat. “Sure the hell did.”

“If that was a regular occurrence for you two, I’m going to need to hear some stories,” Blaine breathed.

Leo and Trystan both chuckled. “We’ll have some time on the flight,” Trystan said.

“We could tell them about that time we gave taking a pill in Ibiza a whole new meaning,” Leo snorted.

Blaine and Liam shared a wide-eyed look as Leo pressed his foot more firmly on the gas pedal.

******

Sitting in the back of the cabin by himself, Liam stared out the window of the jet, lost in thought as he watched the morning sun cast a golden glow across the tops of the clouds. He hadn’t even thought to ask how long the flight to Rivala would be; he guessed around two hours, maybe two and a half. A yawn escaped him as he rested his head back against the seat, but he couldn’t sleep; he hadn’t gotten any sleep the night before, either, too on edge and anxious to shut his mind off. And he was sure he wasn’t going to sleep much if at all that night with the ball taking place tomorrow evening.

While Liam was on edge with worry, he was also consumed by anticipation. He couldn’t stop thinking about the moment he’d be able to see Croía, about the moment he’d be able to wrap her in his arms for the first time in over a month. And that anticipation felt like the only thing keeping his head above water at the moment. If he focused on that, he wasn’t drowning in thoughts of all the ways in which this plan they’d spent the last month devising could go wrong.

The feel of someone plopping down into the seat beside him jerked Liam from his thoughts; he glanced over to see Blaine. “How are you holding up?” he asked as he nestled into the seat.

“I’m ok.”

“Liar.”

Liam let out a breath. “How about you? Are you nervous about going in there?”

“Surprisingly, no,” Blaine answered. “I blame the adrenaline, though. Either that or I’ve just fucking lost it.”

Liam laughed despite himself, thankful for the dose of levity his friend could give him at that moment. “I don’t know if I’ve said it, but … thank you.”

Blaine knit his brows and glanced over at him. “What the hell are you thanking me for?”

“For doing this … for being willing to do it.”

“You don’t have to thank me, Li,” Blaine shook his head. “You’d do the same thing if it was Alia. Not just because of who she is to me, but because she’s your friend, just like Croía is mine.” He stared at him for a moment. “Are you really ok?”

“I just want to see her,” Liam said quietly. “I need to see that she’s ok. And I … I’m trying not to think about it, but I keep wondering … what if something goes wrong? What if you guys can’t get her out? What if you guys get caught and you can’t get out? What will happen then? What do we do? Because we’ve planned everything else in grave detail, but nothing has been mentioned about those possibilities.”

“I think not planning for those what-ifs just shows how confident Trystan is that we’ll get this done,” Blaine said. “He’s very … ‘this is how it’s going to happen’, not ‘this is what I hope will happen’. And not in a cocky way. I think he’s just determined as fuck because this is his baby sister. Watching him plan all of this out … I don’t have any doubt that we’ll get in, do what we need, and get out. And maybe that’s why I’m not feeling as nervous as I probably should.”

“His confidence and optimism can be somewhat contagious,” Liam said. “It’s definitely helped me out the past month.”

“I’m not going to pretend to know what it’s been like for you, but just … keep your head up, brother,” Blaine smiled. “That’s really all any of us can do at this point.”

****

Once they landed in Rivala later that morning, the group filed into an SUV; Trystan plugged the address of the cabin into the GPS and they drove off.

The cabin was situated deep in the Rivalan mountains, not too far from the Drakovian border, and was about an hour’s drive to the palace. A few of them had brought up concerns of whether or not the cabin would be able to fit them all, but Trystan told them not to worry.

After a drive that felt entirely too long inside the cramped SUV, Trystan turned into a driveway that went up the mountain about a half mile. When the cabin came into view, everyone’s eyes widened save for Trystan’s. He put the vehicle in park and chuckled at their reflections in the rearview mirror. “I told you not to worry.”

“You said it was a cabin. Not a damn mountain mansion,” Blaine said as he flung the door open.

The “cabin” was massive, and sat on the edge of the mountain, offering a picturesque view from the front. “There’s five bedrooms,” Trystan said. “Someone will have to take the sofa, and there’s another sofa with a pull-out bed.”

“I’ll take the sofa, and you can take the pull-out,” Leo said to Trystan. “Everyone else can grab a room.”

Trystan nodded as they stopped at the front door; he unlocked it and pushed it open, stepping inside as the others followed. “If only we were here for another reason …” Simon trailed off as he looked around.

“It’s nice,” Olivia smiled.

“I’m not really a cabin in the woods kind of girl,” Amalas said, “but if I was, I’d have to agree.”

“Bedrooms are upstairs,” Trystan explained as he dropped his bag down behind one of the sofas. “He made sure the kitchen was stocked, so help yourselves to anything you want. We’re on our own for dinner, so work with whatever’s here.”

****

That night, after relaxing most of the day and having a thrown-together dinner, everyone headed to their respective rooms to try and get some rest.

Earlier, Amalas had set up her equipment and gotten into the Drakovian security system, pulling up the cameras on her laptop. And true to her word, she wouldn’t let Liam or Alia near her for even a glimpse of the screen. Olivia came to Liam a while later and told him that they hadn’t seen Croía on any of the footage, and promised him that she’d find a way to let him know if they did.

After lying in bed and staring at the ceiling for an hour straight, Liam got up and headed downstairs to get a glass of water. It wasn’t that late, but between their early morning and the flight and drive, the others were more tired than usual.

When Liam crept down the stairs, he spotted his brother asleep on one of the sofas; the pull-out bed that Trystan was sleeping on was empty. His brows furrowed as he looked around while making his way to the kitchen, and he stopped near the sliding door that led to the back deck. A wooden gangway was connected to the deck and led to another smaller dock, floating on a pond that sat nestled in the back of the property.

And on that smaller dock, silhouetted in the lights that surrounded it, stood Trystan.

Careful not to wake his brother, Liam slipped out through the sliding door and made his way across the gangway. He’d noticed since arriving at the cabin that Trystan had seemed quieter than usual. There was obviously something on his mind, and at first, he suspected that it was just anticipation now that they were there. Now, seeing him standing out there alone, he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was something else.

Not wanting to startle him, Liam didn’t mask his footsteps, and when Trystan heard them, he looked over his shoulder. “What are you doing out here?” Liam asked as he approached.

“Just thinking,” Trystan replied before looking back out at the water. “Are you doing ok?” he asked Liam as he stopped beside him.

“I’m … as best as can be expected, I guess. I just wish there was more that I could do to help tomorrow.”

Liam hated feeling useless, and that’s exactly how he felt. He knew he was only there with the others as a courtesy and that his presence made no difference in their plan for tomorrow evening.

“You’re going to help, Liam,” Trystan said. “The minute she sees you, it will help.”

Liam remained quiet for a few moments before looking at him. “Everyone keeps asking me how I’m doing … but how are you doing?”

Trystan let out a wry chuckle. “I’m ready to get it over with.”

At that moment, Liam saw that same falter in his facade that he’d noticed over the last week, and knowing something was bothering him, a pang of panic struck him. He’d mentioned it to Blaine on the jet but had avoided asking Trystan this question for the last month, but now … he had to know. “Are you … are you worried? That something will go wrong and you won’t get her out?”

Trystan glanced over and met his gaze in the dim lighting that surrounded the dock. He was worried, yes, but not for the reason Liam thought. He hadn’t wanted to say anything, not wanting to cause him more concern than he knew he was already feeling. But maybe in being honest and telling him about the growing worry that had been nagging at him, he could, in turn, prepare him.

Looking back out at the water, Trystan blew out a breath. “I’m scared out of my damn mind, not because I don’t think we’ll get her out … but because I’m worried we’ll get her out too late …”

“Too late?” Liam questioned as his brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

Trystan sighed, looking at Liam with a vulnerability in his eyes he hadn’t seen from him before. “Croía’s been there for over a month. And I know the mind games my mother is playing with her and the kinds of things she’s been filling her head with — that no one cares, that no one’s reached out, that you and Alia and everyone else she thought she meant something to have just forgotten her. She’ll keep saying it to her over and over and over in an attempt to pull her further into her thrall. And if Croía loses hope … if everything goes dark and she doesn’t see a way out … she’s going to believe those things. I’ve seen her lose hope before … I’ve seen it go dark and watched her retreat into her shell … and I’m worried about how far inside that shell she’s going to be when we get to her.”

Liam swallowed thickly as he took in his words. He’d also seen her retreat into that shell, and that was after just a one-day visit from her mother. After five weeks … he didn’t want to think about it.

“We’ll get her out of Drakovia tomorrow, that I’m certain of because I will not leave there without her. It’s what comes after that I’m worried about.” Trystan turned to him. “I didn’t agree to let you come along simply to placate you. You being here will show her that everything my mother has filled her head with isn’t true. That you didn’t forget her … that you fought for her. That’s why you being here helps more than you realize, Liam. So please don’t feel like you’re not doing anything, because out of this entire plan … you being here is one of the most essential parts. You make her feel safe. You make her feel loved. And she’s going to need that … need you … more than anything else.”

Liam rubbed a hand over his mouth as he blinked away the sting in his eyes. He’d been so focused on getting her out and the what-ifs of the plan, he hadn’t really stopped to consider the aftermath.

About how shredded apart her self-worth could be.

About how broken she might be.

If Croía had lost hope and things were dark, Liam would do anything he could to pull her out of that darkness, to remind her of how loved and worthy she was. He could only hope that she’d believe it … believe him.

*******

The following afternoon, Amalas and Olivia were seated in the dining room with their equipment in front of them, making sure everything was still running as it should.

Blaine, Simon, Leo, and Trystan were upstairs changing.

In the living room, Liam sat next to Alia, both of them silent; his leg bounced anxiously while she drummed her fingers against her thighs.

Liam’s mind was a storm of thoughts and his emotions were no better. The guys would be leaving shortly for Drakovia and he’d be left there … waiting and hoping they returned with Croía in tow.

“Are you nervous?” Alia whispered beside him. “I’m nervous. I kind of want to throw up.”

Liam kept his gaze straight ahead as he reached over and patted her leg in a poor attempt for comfort. “It’ll be ok,” he said with a resigned nod. He wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince her or himself.

“Well, one thing is for sure,” Blaine’s voice sounded from the stairs, “I can wear the fuck out of a tux.”

Liam and Alia both turned to see Blaine walking down the stairs, dressed in a sleek black tuxedo and carrying a mask. Alia stood and moved toward him with a grin. “Of course you can, baby,” she chuckled, reaching up and adjusting his black silk bow tie when he hit the bottom of the stairs.

“What about me?” Simon drawled.

Alia glanced up to see Simon and Leo, both in similar attire, both holding their masks. “Looking snazzy.”

A moment later, Trystan appeared; he was dressed in black dress pants, a black shirt, and a black suit jacket. “Then we have Bond here,” Leo quipped.

“I’m not going into the ball,” Trystan said as he buttoned his jacket. “I don’t need the penguin suit.”

“Why dress up at all?” Simon asked.

“I may be sneaking in to break my sister out, but I’m still going to look good doing it,” Trystan smirked as he tugged the lapels of his jacket.

“Here,” Amalas said, approaching them as they huddled in the living room. “Your earpieces. Put them in so I know they’re working.” She handed them a small device and they each placed them in one ear; they were clear and so small they were practically invisible. Amalas turned to where Olivia was standing outside on the back deck and gave a thumbs up.

“Hey, assholes,” her voice crackled in each of their ears. “You’re all looking very debonair.”

The guys chuckled with nods. “They’re working,” Trystan said.

“They’re equipped with a tracker,” Amalas explained as Olivia came back inside. “Leave them in and I’ll keep checking throughout your drive to make sure they’re still working.”

They all nodded again.

“And I’ve checked to verify your aliases are still on the guest list, which they are,” Amalas said. “I’ll check again when you arrive just to be sure we don’t have any surprises.”

“You guys have your masks?” Trystan asked. Blaine, Simon, and Leo held them up. “Alright …” He glanced at his watch: 4:30 p.m. The drive was an hour, give or take, and the ball started at six. “Let’s head out.”

Everyone blew out a collective breath.

Amalas and Olivia wished them luck and walked away.

Blaine and Alia stepped aside, and she threw her arms around him.

Liam walked up to Leo and shook his hand before they pulled one another into a brotherly embrace. “Stay safe,” he whispered.

“You know me,” Leo stepped back with a small grin. “See you soon.” He turned and walked out the door.

Simon clapped Liam’s shoulder before following Leo outside. Trystan approached him a moment later and held his hand out. “Try not to wear a path in the carpet with your pacing,” he joked as they shook hands.

Liam offered a halfhearted smile and nodded. “Be safe.”

Trystan turned and walked out the door as Blaine stepped up to Liam. “You good?”

“Not really,” Liam answered truthfully.

“We’ll be back with her before you know it,” Blaine said before he held a fist out to him. The two went through their playful handshake routine before clapping one another’s shoulders. “Remember what I said. Head up, brother.”

Liam and Alia followed Blaine outside, stopping on the front porch; he gave Alia one last kiss before moving to the vehicle. He slid into the backseat and tossed them one last wave before shutting the door.

They held their breath as the SUV pulled away, and they both threw up a silent prayer as they watched it disappear down the driveway.

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

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mysticalfangirl · 3 months

Text

Vancross

Vancross - Through the Darkness (Chapter 21)

Most of the characters belong to Pixelberry.

Title inspiration: Wake Me Up - Tommee Profitt & Fleurie

Main Pairing: Liam x F!OC

A/N: Multiple crossover series. There will be random sprinkles of canon throughout this story, but for the most part, it’s pretty much out the window. Thanks to @burnsoslow for prereading! Please excuse any errors.

A/N 2: Since this is more of a filler/check-in chapter, I made it a submission for @choicesflashfics, using prompt #2. Fair warning, our girl Croía is not doing well 🥲

Rating: M • Warnings: This series will contain nsfw material, language, some alcohol and drug use, and is not suitable for minors. If you read, you acknowledge you are 18+

Word count: 2468

Catch up here

•Three Weeks Ago•

Standing on the balcony of her room, Croía wiped the tears from her cheeks as she watched the last rays of the sun start to disappear behind the horizon. When she made the choice to come home, being told she was going to be forced to stay was not something she had anticipated.

Considering the way she’d been treated growing up, Croía thought they’d be happy to be rid of her, but at dinner that night, her mother informed her that she had “more important plans” for her. When she returned to her room, she saw a few stacked boxes at the foot of her bed, and when she opened them, she found all of her belongings from her room at Vancross. She rushed to her nightstand where she’d put her phones, knowing she needed to reach out to someone, but they were gone.

When her eyes shifted to the waves crashing against the jagged rocks below, Croía searched her muddled mind for some way out, but with no way to contact anyone and knowing there was no way for her to leave, panic clutched her heart.

Gripping the concrete balustrade, Croía dropped to her knees and a sob escaped her as one thought crossed her mind: Liam.

•Two Weeks Ago•

After a meeting with her mother to discuss exactly what was expected of her in the coming weeks, Croía was escorted back to her room. The meeting was one she remained completely silent throughout. In the week since being told she would be staying in Drakovia, she remembered why it was better to just keep quiet.

After being told that she was being named heir and was being forced to take a husband of her mother’s choosing, a husband who would end up with more ruling capacity than her to ensure she couldn’t ruin their plan — a plan she still knew nothing about — Croía became something she’d never been before: defiant. When she was summoned to meet with her mother, she refused to go. Her mother then came to her and an argument ensued, but one forceful backhand across the face that knocked her to the floor was all it took to remind Croía of where she was and exactly who she was dealing with.

Once at her room, Croía stepped inside as the two guards who’d escorted her took their positions on either side of her door. She was their new assignment. If she left her room, they followed. When she was in her room, they were stationed outside.

When she shut the door, Croía went to her balcony and finally set free the emotions she’d been holding back for the last hour; shuddered breaths escaped her as did her tears as she leaned against the balustrade.

At that moment, Croía couldn’t help but think of Liam, not that he was never not on her mind. She wondered what he was doing … what he was thinking. They were back on campus now. Knowing him, she was sure he had tried to reach out, but after a week of silence on her end, did he think she just chose not to return without a word?

Was he worried?

Was it possible he reached out to Trystan and Marguerite, and if so, were they trying to figure out what happened to her?

If they could figure it out, would they find a way to get to her?

What if she never saw or spoke to any of them again?

Croía choked on another sob as she tried to take in a breath; she stood upright, wiping the tears from her cheeks only for them to be replaced by more. Her eyes then shifted to the rocks below.

What if she was stuck here forever?

No. She couldn’t be … she wouldn’t be.

Nothing good could come of these plans her mother had, and Croía didn’t want to be a part of whatever they were. As she stared down at those jagged rocks, watching the waves slam against them, she knew that if all else failed … there was, at least, one way out.

•One Week Ago•

Sitting inside the great room with her parents, Croía stared off, not paying much attention to anything they were saying. She wanted no part in the discussion they were having about the upcoming masquerade ball where her mother planned to choose a suitor for her. Why she was summoned to be there for the discussion was lost on her; she was nothing more than the pawn they were trading off to the highest bidder. She’d been diminished to nothing but an object … a duty … a plan.

Croía had been in Drakovia for a month and she was losing all sense of herself, becoming a shell of the girl she had been before arriving. She was beginning to lose hope that she’d get out of this, and because of that, she was cold and distant, not that anyone there noticed or cared. And those who she thought would care — Alia, Liam, the other friends she’d made at school — she’d been told to forget them … just as they’d forgotten her. She was told no one had even reached out, and when she shook her head in disbelief, she was shown her phone; there were no missed calls, no messages. There was nothing. She swore her mother took pleasure in delivering those blows to her.

Yes, Croía knew that her mother could have easily gained access to her phone and erased any truth, but there was an insecure voice in the back of her head that made her question everything, and it only got louder with each passing day.

Was she right?

Had they forgotten her?

Had they come to their own conclusions of what happened and simply carried on?

All of those thoughts and more kept filling Croía’s head, unable to get that doubt-filled voice to be quiet, and none of it was doing her state of mind any favors.

Croía was pulled from her daze when her father stood from the sofa and excused himself; she watched him leave the room just as Lydea entered.

“Since you’re both here,” Lydea said to her mother and sister as she approached them, “we should go over some protocol for the night of the ball.”

Croía stood as she let out a breath. “I’m tired. We can do it another day,” she said as she started for the door.

“You’re here now,” Lydea bit out. “So we can do it now.”

“Another day,” Croía repeated.

“I wasn’t asking,” Lydea said as she darted toward her, grabbing hold of her wrist. “We will do it now.”

Croía turned, meeting Lydea’s narrowed gaze. “The last time I checked, you’re the head of the royal guard and I’m the Crown Princess. I don’t take orders from you. You take them from me.” She yanked her wrist free from her sister’s tight grip and turned, disappearing into the hall.

Lydea’s brows rose in surprise as she turned to her mother.

Viktoria was smirking at the door, almost impressed by her youngest’s curt attitude. Almost. Croía had a ways to go, but something was finally starting to break inside her, and in order for it to last and for her to become a semblance of what she needed her to be, she would need to continue to push her to that edge. She lifted her cup of tea to her lips, meeting Lydea’s gaze and shrugging as she took a sip.

•Present•

Standing on the alteration platform inside the palace boutique, Croía stared back at the floor-length mirror, focusing on the reflection of her own ice-blue eyes; she couldn’t help but notice how the light that had been in them the last several months had all but vanished.

Croía was trying to keep her attention off the gown she wore because every time she glimpsed it in the mirror, her chest tightened, her eyes stung, and her anxiety spiked; with the ball less than a week away, she was more on edge than ever. The gown wasn’t her — black with a barely there illusion neckline and lace appliqués in shimmering gold on the bodice that led into the top of the skirt. Leave it to her mother to want to parade her around in something like this; she felt like a piece of bait.

“We’ll have to take in the waist again, Your Highness,” the seamstress said as she rose to her feet after checking the hem. Upon hearing what sounded like a hint of worry in her tone, Croía glanced at her in the mirror, watching as she pinched the bit of loose fabric at her sides and gently pulled it against her body.

The first time Croía tried it on was only a few days after that regretful dinner. She’d taken in the waist two weeks ago by just a small bit, but now it needed to be taken in again.

Croía only offered a silent nod in response to the woman’s words. The seamstress offered a sad smile in return before turning to her supply table.

When the door to the boutique opened, Croía stiffened at the sight of her mother and Lydea. She schooled her expression into impassiveness as they approached her, both taking in the details of the gown.

“A little loose, don’t you think?” Lydea asked as she pinched the loose fabric at her sister’s side.

“I’ll be taking in the waist,” the seamstress replied. “I need to go grab some more pins. I’ll be right back.”

As the seamstress stepped out, Croía met Lydea’s gaze in the mirror, and she knew she had to be truly losing it when she swore she could have seen a flicker of concern in her eyes.

“It’ll do,” Viktoria said as she circled her like a vulture. “She’ll at least look presentable, yes?”

“She’s standing right here,” Lydea gestured to her. “How do you feel about it?”

Croía dropped her eyes to the floor, focusing on the hem of the gown in the mirror.

“Well?” Viktoria asked as she came in front of her and crossed her arms. “You can be honest. What do you think?”

Croía lifted her eyes to her mother’s. She knew it was a rhetorical question; she could hear the threat in her tone and see it in her body language. But if she was giving her an opening for honesty, she was going to take it.

“I think I don’t want to do this,” Croía said just above a whisper as she held her mother’s stare. “Any of it.”

“You’ll be securing a husband and, eventually, the crown,” Viktoria scoffed. “What’s not to want?”

Croía softly shook her head. “I don’t want either,” her voice cracked, shattering her impassive mask.

A smirk tugged at the corner of Viktoria’s painted red lips. “Oh, darling, I hope you’re not still holding onto any hope for you and Liam.” Viktoria moved to her back, meeting her gaze in the mirror as she leaned closer to her ear. “There is nothing more painful than watching the person you love give up on you, is there?”

Croía’s lip imperceptibly trembled as she stared at her mother’s reflection through her blurring vision.

Did he really give up? Possibly.

Could she blame him if he had? … No.

“He’s probably moved on from whatever insignificant thing you two had,” Viktoria said as she stepped back. “Because that’s how he sees you … insignificant. I suggest you do the same and let it go.” She turned and strode out of the room.

Lydea stared at her sister for a moment, watching her fight to keep her composure before she turned and followed her mother.

Once alone, Croía bowed her head as a quiet sob escaped her.

****

That evening, Croía stood on the balcony of her room with her vacant eyes fixated on the rocks below. It would be so easy, she thought. As a fresh tear slid down her cheek, her hands curled tighter around the balustrade as she leaned forward, really taking in the drop below.

It was beginning to feel like the only way to out.

Maybe it was.

A knock on her door startled Croía back, and she let out a shuddered breath as she snapped back to reality. She wiped her cheeks as she turned and stepped inside, headed for her door.

When she opened it, Lydea stood on the other side, having momentarily dismissed the two guards who were usually there.

“What?” Croía asked tersely.

“I wanted to check on you,” Lydea said.

Croía’s brow knit before a derisive laugh bubbled out of her. “I’m sure.”

“I’m serious.”

“Don’t pretend to give a damn.”

When she attempted to close the door in her face, Lydea stuck her polished boot in the threshold, and Croía pulled the door back and met her gaze. “Do you think I like seeing you like this? Do you think I find enjoyment in your misery? I don’t.” She stepped into the room and shut the door behind her. “I know this isn’t what you want. I know you don’t want the crown or this arrangement, but it’s nothing more than a game of politics.”

“My life is not a game,” Croía bit out. “And I’m not suited for this. For any of it. She doesn’t even believe I am and she never has. She’s made that perfectly clear over the years. I’m only here because I’m her last chance because there is no one else. I’m just a pawn in whatever game this is that she’s playing and I want no part of it.”

“Croía—”

“If you meant what you said, then get me out,” Croía interrupted, and Lydea took in a breath as she stared back at her. “Please, Lydea,” she whispered in a plea as her eyes filled with tears. “I can’t … I can’t do this. I don’t want to do this. I’ve never asked you for anything before … but I’m begging you now … get me out.”

Lydea continued to stare at her, and when Croía sensed her hesitation, she felt a spark of hope … but then she shook her head. “I can’t do that,” Lydea said. “They’re our monarchs above all else, and as their head guard, I swore an oath to them, Croía. I have a duty to uphold.” Croía deflated as she dropped her gaze; she should have known better. “I … I’m sorry.” With that, she turned and opened the door, shutting it behind her as she disappeared into the hallway.

Croía went to her bed and laid down, curling into herself at the center. Fisting the duvet in her hand, her tears began to fall again as Liam’s face flashed through her mind.

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

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mysticalfangirl · 3 months

Text

Turning the Page

Now and Then

- Chapter 9-

Choices, The Royal Romance, AU

Series Premise: As Riley Brooks journeys through life as a single parent in New York City, an epiphany strikes as she contemplates the future for herself and her two-year-old son.

Turning the Page Series Masterlist

Main Pairing: Liam Rys x F!OC Riley Brooks

All characters belong to Pixelberry Studios, except William Brooks (Rys) and Matteo Magro, who belongs to this series.

Category: On-going series, contains angst/fluff/depression. Cross-over fic with Choices, Perfect Match.

Rating: M🔞Warnings - Series will contain crude language, NSFW material – not Beta’d - please excuse all errors.

Words: 2498

Now and Then – 9

Chapter Summary: Riley and William arrive in Cordonia

Title & Music Inspiration:

Now and Then, The Beatles

When You Love Someone, Gretchen Peters, Bryan Adams

Wherever You Will Go, The Calling

A/N2: My submission for @choicesflashfics, Week#67, prompt #1 - “Nothing could ever change how I feel about you.”

A/N3: My submission for @choicesjanuary2024, prompt Day 25 - ‘Remembrance’ #choices monthly challenge @lilyoffandoms #choicesjanuary2024

A/N4: Damien Nazario has been assigned as William’s personal bodyguard.

In Flight, Cordonian Royal Jet, above the Mediterranean Sea

Looking out over the vast expanse of water below her, and under the clear blue skies above the Mediterranean Sea, no clouds were in sight ... not a white cloud, nor a black cloud.

Riley gazed out the large passenger window of the private jet, in solace, with her memories. Everything felt calm; almost too calm. The flight from New York to Cordonia was eight hours in duration, and even though they left early in the morning, they would not arrive at the palace until late in the evening with the change in time zones.

Trying to and not getting any rest, her thoughts returned to the events over the holidays.

...Remembering when Liam arrived at her door, in New York on Christmas Eve, a short week ago. The expression of elation on his face as she opened the door for him...

[‘Hello, my love,’ he tenderly smiled; He was standing there with an exquisite bouquet of long-stemmed red roses, as uniformed delivery drivers from the toy store waited patiently at a distance behind him, as the Royal guard performed a security check.

Liam stepped over the threshold, leaning down to draw her in for a kiss on the cheek, as she accepted his gift. ‘Oh Li, these are gorgeous; thank you so much.’

At Bastien’s prompt, the delivery people entered the brownstone with prewrapped gifts and placed them under the Christmas tree, also filling the extra space in the living room very quickly.

Chuckling, Riley watched as Liam thanked them with a generous tip, as he closed the door after them.

“Our son will be so thrilled at what Santa brought him; wait till he wakes up tomorrow.”

Liam laughed, moving quickly to put his arm around her, pulling her to his side. “Who says all these gifts are just for him? Hmmm?” Riley turned her head towards him, as Liam bent to capture her lips in a passion-fueled kiss.

“Ah yes, your gift is right here.” Liam slipped his hand inside his coat to reveal a small box, wrapped in gold with a red ribbon. “This is for you.”}

Riley breathed out, shaking her head.

...Remembering wanting him so badly that evening ...as he kissed her forehead to say ‘good night’ before turning to the guest room; Leaving her feeling so confused, once again.

...Remembering how excited LiLi was when he saw his father again Christmas morning ... and the look of pure joy in Liam’s expression as he watched his son blissfully playing with his new toys.

...Remembering the look of adoration between Liam and his son; a private and sacred bond established between the two ... a bond only meant for them.

Riley looked down at her phone and smiled fondly at the picture of William. He was proudly standing beside his gingerbread house gift for Liam, alongside Daniel and Matteo, to smile at the camera. Riley marveled at how unequivocally her son loved his father, so quickly. As if two loose puzzle pieces finally clicked into place. There was never a doubt in her mind that William needed to be wherever his father was. The connection between father and son was undeniable.

...and with those thoughts, she agreed to return to Cordonia.

And now, she found herself on the Royal jet headed back, leaving behind her New York world for the place that shattered her ‘happily ever after,’ again.

Liam, being the new, ever-doting father was pointing out to his son the shores of Cordonia through the window. She saw the look of marvel in Liam’s eyes, as he watched his son’s reaction to seeing Cordonia for the very first time. They were sitting in seats across the aisle from her as she glanced over.

Catching Riley’s eye, Liam responded with a wink and a smile.

"Welcome home, love."

Riley smiled in return, as her heart skipped a beat.

Home...

It had been a while since she had felt this way about Cordonia. Another lifetime; so much has changed, and yet remained the same.

***

Damien Nazario, the Interpol agent who was now permanently assigned to be William Rys's personal bodyguard, was reviewing the Crown prince's dossier, and his duties to the Cordonian crown, his new employer. Bastien took a seat beside the young agent to answer any questions he may have, as head of the Royal guard, at the rear of the plane's cabin.

"So, Damien, any questions for me?"

"No, sir. I believe I have a handle on the situation.”

"Good, because you are now the official head of the security detail for Prince William, the future king of Cordonia."

"Understood, sir.” Damien was well aware of the complexity of a constitutional monarchy.

"Now, there's one more thing I need to discuss with you,” Bastien eyed the young agent.

"Yes, sir?"

"Madeleine Amaranth, the former queen of Cordonia. I have forwarded her updated dossier to you."

"Yes, I've read it through.” Damien paused, waiting for more information.

"Good, because she has expressed malicious intent towards Prince William and Lady Riley, should they return to Cordonia."

"Understood. I'll ensure her movements are tracked and reported inside and out of the country, sir."

"Thank you, Damien.”

"My pleasure, sir.”

Bastien, looking pleased, leaned back in his chair, checking the time on his watch, as he felt the plane begin its descent.

Cordonia, Capital

The jet touched down smoothly on the tarmac, as the engines powered down. The cabin door opened, and the stairs were lowered.

Riley could feel the warm breeze blow past her as she stepped off the plane.

Taking a deep breath, Riley looked around. The air was different here. It was fresh and clean. She closed her eyes and let the wind brush her cheeks.

Liam followed, with William sleeping in his arms.

"Is everything alright, love?" Liam’s brows were raised in concern, noticing her hesitation.

"Yes, I'm just taking it all in." Riley, looked down, unable to keep eye contact.

"Are you sure, Riley? You've been very quiet throughout the entire flight home."

"I'm fine, Liam. It is just a lot to process. I'm just a little overwhelmed."

"All right, I understand. Let us get to the palace, so you and William can get settled and rest ... okay?"

"Yes, thank you, Liam."

Liam glanced over at Riley with concern as he personally buckled his son into the car seat. It was quite easy for him to see and feel the apprehension in her mood. She could not hide her emotions from him as well as she always thought she could.

Riley had remained noticeably quiet during the ride to the palace as well, looking out at the passing countryside. Liam could not help but wonder if she was having second thoughts about returning to Cordonia, and/or to him.

As they pulled up to the palace gates, Liam looked over at Riley, noticing a small smile on her face.

"What is it, love?" Liam spoke softly, reaching for her hand.

Riley returned his touch with a squeeze. "This place...it's beautiful."

"Thank you, that, it is. Welcome home."

“William will be so excited when he wakes up.” Riley glanced at a still sleeping William as the SUV slowed to a stop.

"I can't begin to tell you how much it means to me.... to have you both here." Liam confessed.

"You're welcome, Liam. It's the least I can do."

Liam's heart sank at her words. He hated the distance between them. He wanted to take her in his arms and make everything right, but, for right now, he knew that was not the best strategy.

He had to accept that things had changed, and their relationship was different now. He had to be patient and give Riley the space she needed.

But he also had to make her see how important she was to him. He had to show her how much he had missed her ... that he wanted a future with her and William in Cordonia.

As the SUV door opened for her, Riley felt a sense of Deja vu. This was where she had started her journey with Liam in Cordonia all those years ago. And now, here she was, back again.

"Do you want me to take you and William to the guest wing, or do you want to stay in my chambers?"

"I would like to stay with you, if that's okay."

"Of course, Riley. I would love that."

It was surreal for Riley as she walked the pristine palace halls towards the Royal Chambers. Liam carried William, who was fast asleep in his arms beside her.

The memories of the past times she was here flooded her mind and her heart ached as she pushed the painful memories aside. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.

As they reached the large double doors of the entrance to the Royal east wing, the guards opened the doors for Liam and Riley to enter.

Riley stepped inside; the same chambers where she had spent so much time before. The familiar scent of Liam's cologne filled the air, sending a wave of longing for a past time through her mind.

Walking into her room ... it was exactly as she remembered it. Everything was in its place, from the elegant chandelier hanging above the bed, to the intricate paintings adorning the walls.

Riley took a deep breath and sat down on the edge of the bed. She looked around the room, taking in every detail.

She felt a pang of sadness as she remembered those past times.

After tucking William into his bed in the adjacent room, Liam came in and sat down next to her. He gently placed his hand on hers, and she looked up at him, their eyes meeting.

"What are you thinking about Riley?"

"I'm okay, Liam. I was just thinking about how much things have changed since I was here last."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and held her close. "I know it's a lot, but I'm here for you, and I'll help you in any way I can," Liam whispered.

"Thank you, Liam."

He pulled away and cupped her face in his hands, staring into her eyes intently. "You're welcome, Riley. Always. Nothing could ever change how I feel about you.”

He moved in to press his lips to hers, and she melted into his kiss.

It was soft and gentle, and full of longing.

He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers, breathing heavily. "God, Riley, I've missed you."

"I've missed you, Li."

He leaned down and kissed her again, deeper this time.

His tongue swept across her bottom lip, and she opened her mouth to him.

Their tongues tangled together in a dance that was familiar and yet new.

They were no longer the same people they were when they had last been together. They were both older and wiser, and the passion between them burned even brighter.

Riley pulled away and put her hand on his chest, feeling his heart beating beneath her palm.

"Liam, I..."

"Shhh."

He placed a finger over her lips. "Don't say anything, Riley. Just feel."

His lips found hers again, and the world disappeared. There was nothing but the two of them, lost in each other.

She kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck.

She moaned into his mouth as he slid his hands down her back and pulled her closer.

He broke the kiss and buried his face in her neck, inhaling her scent.

"Riley," he breathed. "God, I want you so much.

“Liam, I ...”

Liam pulled back and looked into her eyes, “stay with me tonight.”

📌Liam x Riley, OC: @emersyn-in-cordonia @mainstreetreader @belencha77 @walkerdrakewalker @iluaaa @mysticalfangirl @queenwalton @bascmve01 @umccall71 @choicesfrog @amandablink @ownworldresident

📌Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @choicesflashfics @choicesjanuary2024

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mysticalfangirl · 4 months

Text

Vancross

Vancross - One Step Forward, Two Steps To Hell (Chapter 20)

Most of the characters belong to Pixelberry.

Title inspiration: The End - Thomas Day

Main Pairing: Liam x F!OC

A/N: Multiple crossover series. There will be random sprinkles of canon throughout this story, but for the most part, it’s pretty much out the window. Not beta’d. Please excuse any errors.

Rating: M • Warnings: This series will contain nsfw material, language, some alcohol and drug use, and is not suitable for minors. If you read, you acknowledge you are 18+

Catch up here

Liam stared at Trystan, and he swore his heart momentarily stopped beating as he took in his tense demeanor and the look of dismay in his expression.

“Liam,” Trystan nodded.

“Hi …” Liam stepped aside to allow him in, and Blaine and Alia stood from the sofa when they saw him, both their bodies tensing. When Liam shut the door, he turned to face him as the other two approached. He was afraid to ask, not knowing what he was going to say, but he forced the words out. “Did you hear anything?”

Trystan nodded. “I, uh …” He rubbed a hand over his mouth. “I think we should sit,” he said as he gestured to the sofa.

Liam stared at him warily for a moment before the four of them walked to the sofa and sat down. He continued to eye Trystan, watching as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs and clasping his hands together. He remained silent for a few moments; despite taking the entire flight from New York to mull over how to approach this conversation, his words seemed to fail him at that moment.

“Trystan …” Liam broke the silence as he continued to stare at him. “What is it?”

“It’s … it’s not good news,” Trystan cautiously replied.

Liam felt his chest tighten. “What do you mean? Is Croía alright?”

“From what I know, she is … as ok as can be expected.”

“What the fuck does that mean?” Liam snapped.

“Liam,” Blaine admonished as he looked at him.

“I’m sorry, I just—” Liam let out a breath, looking back at Trystan with pleading eyes. “Who did you talk to?”

“I got in touch with Jonas first,” Trystan said. “And I found out that he was fired.”

“What?” Blaine’s brows furrowed. “Why?”

“Because when Croía landed in Drakovia on the Cordonian royal family’s private jet, it became obvious where she’d been,” Trystan replied. “Jonas never informed them of where she was … per my instruction. They fired him less than an hour after they arrived and he was escorted from the grounds. He didn’t call to tell me himself because he thought Croía would have told me.”

“What did he say about Croía?” Liam asked, feeling his palms begin to sweat.

“Nothing,” Trystan answered. “He hadn’t seen her since he was let go. So I reached out to Everett, another guard that I was close with and who I kept in touch with now and then …” Trystan inhaled a deep breath and slowly let it out as he met Liam’s gaze. “Wednesday morning, my mother instructed Lydea to assemble a few of her guards — Everett was one of them — and they were sent here to collect Croía’s belongings.”

“Wednesday … that was the last day Alia and I heard from her,” Liam said. “She hadn’t seen your parents since she’d arrived, but sent a message to tell me that she was having dinner with them that night and that she’d call me later to tell me how it went, but … I didn’t hear from her after that.”

Trystan nodded. “While they were having dinner, my mother sent guards to her room to have it searched … knowing she wouldn’t dare bring them with her to dinner, she had both of Croía’s phones confiscated, which is why no one’s been able to get a hold of her.”

“Both?” Alia questioned. “How did she find out about the other … the one for you? And does she know that’s what it’s for?”

“I don’t know,” Trystan answered. “She might know … or it was just found alongside the other so they took both.”

“But why take the phones?” Blaine asked.

“Because they don’t want her to have contact with anyone on the outside,” Trystan replied, looking at Liam again; he knew he was probably at the top of that list. “Croía … when she agreed to have dinner with them that night, knowing her, she was probably thinking — hoping — that they were just finally making time to see her, but she unknowingly walked right into a trap. And my mother … she has no intention of letting her come back here.”

“Why?” Blaine questioned as he glanced at Liam, watching his jaw tick.

Trystan chewed the inside of his cheek; there was no easy way to say what he needed to. “She’s planning to force Croía into an arranged marriage.”

“What?” Liam’s brows rose in surprise. “To who?”

“I don’t know,” Trystan shook his head. “According to Everett, this has been in the works. There’s been a ball planned for weeks now. I’m assuming she was planning to somehow get Croía home at some point, but then she chose to visit …”

“Why the hell wouldn’t this Everett guy tell you any of this before now?” Liam asked. “You said you kept in contact with him. He didn’t think to reach out and fucking tell you about what they were planning?”

“Because number one, Everett didn’t even know Croía and I still talked. No one there does, and it’s always been that way for her protection,” Trystan explained. “Jonas didn’t even know until I told him after I learned he was going to be her charge while she attended Vancross. Number two, there’s probably only a select few who knew the true reason for this ball and I can guarantee Everett wasn’t one of them. He found out its purpose after they returned from getting Croía’s stuff because they had a guards meeting that evening to go over the preliminary security measures for the night of the ball, and it was mentioned then by Lydea because she had to explain the sheer importance of why no one could afford to fuck up.”

“I don’t understand,” Alia said, shaking her head as her eyes flickered between Liam and Trystan. “Why? Why are they arranging a marriage?”

Trystan met Liam’s gaze again, knowing he’d understand the weight of what he was about to say better than anyone. “Because they have officially named Croía my father’s successor. She’s now Crown Princess … and the future Queen of Drakovia. I’m guessing, like most kingdoms steeped in tradition, they want her engaged or married before she takes the throne.”

Liam furrowed his brows as he let out a sharp breath, trying and failing to wrap his mind around what was just said. Croía was being married off … because she was going to be Queen.

“That makes no fucking sense,” Alia spat. “Your parents, especially your mother, have done nothing but treat Croía like garbage and make her feel incapable and less than her entire damn life, so why the hell would they want her to take the throne?”

Blaine looked at her; it was very rare to see Alia snap or even raise her voice, but this news about Croía — who had become one of her closest friends — had struck a deep nerve.

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” Trystan said. “I’m waiting for a call back from Everett. He’s trying to gather whatever intel for me he can, but he needs to be extremely careful. I’m hoping to hear from him soon. I know that none of this is much to go on, but I knew you were waiting for some kind of explanation and I didn’t want to tell you any of this over the phone … which is why I came.”

“What …” Liam trailed off, throwing his arms up in frustration and worry. “What the fuck are we supposed to do? We can’t just leave her there and let them do this to her!”

“I have no intention of letting them do anything,” Trystan stated as he looked at Liam, determination filling his eyes. “I’m going to get her out.”

“How?” Blaine asked.

“I don’t know yet,” Trystan answered honestly. “I need to wait and see what Everett can tell me … and I’ll go from there. What I do know is that I made a promise to Croía years ago that I would never let them force her into an arrangement like this, and I have no intention of breaking that promise.”

“I’ll help,” Liam said matter-of-factly.

“No,” Trystan shook his head adamantly. “I am not asking you—”

“You’re not asking me anything,” Liam interrupted.

Trystan sighed. “Liam, you can’t—”

“You can’t expect me to sit here on my ass and do nothing while she’s fucking trapped there,” Liam spat, his tone sharp and cold. “And I wasn’t asking because I sure as fuck don’t need your permission. I’ll do something to try and get her out with or without you.”

Blaine and Alia shared a glance before looking back at Trystan. “We want to help, too.”

Trystan stared at them. He didn’t want to get Liam any more mixed up with his family than he already was, and getting Croía out of Drakovia was going to be no easy feat. He also knew, however, how Liam felt about his sister, how protective he’d come to be of her, and that he would do anything to get her out of this situation and back with him; that went for Blaine and Alia as well, who Croía had become close with. He didn’t doubt that if he refused to allow them to be a part of this in some way, they would go rogue and try to do something on their own, and with their worry and emotional investment, it would be something foolish and impulsive … something that could end up doing them and Croía more harm than good.

There were things neither Liam nor Croía knew, things discovered during the investigation he was doing with the Cordonian monarchs. Had he known Croía was planning on going home, he would have tried to warn her without jeopardizing their plans, but he didn’t know, not until she called him from the Drakovian airport … and he didn’t answer the phone because he was busy. She left him a message to let him know. By the time he’d gotten the message, it was too late. He never got the chance to warn her, and the guilt he was feeling at that moment as he looked into Liam’s pleading gaze was insurmountable; he couldn’t help but feel responsible.

In trying to shield them both from the truth until they had all the answers, they had unwittingly let Croía walk blindly into the snake’s nest. Trystan couldn’t tell Liam the truth behind his parents’ backs, just as they didn’t tell Croía behind his, but he couldn’t — wouldn’t — let him or her other friends walk into a trap of their own, either.

“Fine,” Trystan reluctantly agreed. “But however we do this, we do it my way. And that’s not up for debate. And Mags and Cameron can’t know anything about this …” He sighed. “They’ll try to stop me, or worse, offer to help and put themselves at risk.”

“I won’t be telling my parents, either,” Liam said.

“Did you tell them about not being able to get in contact with her?” Trystan asked.

“No,” Liam shook his head. “I didn’t say a word before I left. As far as they’re aware, we’ve all arrived back here.”

Trystan didn’t want to keep anything from Constantine and Eleanor, having gained their trust, but Liam was determined to help him, and keeping it to himself was the only way to ensure the prince didn’t go rogue behind everyone’s backs. “Very well,” he nodded. Just then, his phone rang; he quickly pulled it from his pocket and looked at the screen, glancing up at the others a heartbeat later. “It’s Everett.”

Liam watched anxiously when Trystan answered the call.

“Hey,” Trystan greeted him. “Where are you?” He paused, listening for a moment as he glanced up, seeing a knowing, worried look in Liam’s eyes as he stared at him. “Have you seen Croía at all?”

Liam held his gaze, watching him as he listened. When Trystan nodded and mouthed that she was ok, he let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding.

“No, don’t relay any messages to her. I don’t want to risk anything and I don’t want to give her false hope either. Just … keep as close of an eye on her as you can without drawing suspicion to yourself,” Trystan said. “What were you able to find out?” Several moments of silence passed before his head snapped up as his body straightened. “What did you hear?” Liam watched Trystan’s brow furrow as he listened to Everett; his eyes shifted in different directions as if he were taking in the information being given to him on the other end of the phone and piecing a puzzle together. “Are you sure that’s what was said?” He closed his eyes with a sigh when he was answered. “Ok. If you find anything else out, give me a call, but I’ll be in touch.”

When Trystan ended the call, the other three sat forward. “Well?” Alia asked.

“He hasn’t found anything … not yet, anyway, but he’s going to keep looking and listening for anything that may help,” Trystan explained. “But he did overhear something that makes me believe there was never any intention of Croía choosing a suitor at this ball. I think my mother plans to choose for her …”

Alia’s brow furrowed. “What makes you think that?”

“A lot of the reason why she treats Croía the way she does is because she sees her as too naive and not cunning enough, not willing to do what it takes for the sake of not our country’s crown but our family’s crown,” Trystan explained. “She’s seen as too meek. Too empathetic. Too compassionate.”

“So why choose Croía as their heir at all?” Liam asked.

“Well,” Trystan sighed. “I’m exiled. Lydea gave up her position in the line of succession to run the Royal Guard. Kaspar and Emika enjoy theft and torture too much to even be considered fit to rule. And it would complicate Astrid’s dating and sex life too much for her liking.”

“You still have three other siblings,” Blaine scoffed.

“And they’re—”

“Illegitimate,” Alia interjected.

Trystan nodded. “Vasili, Sebastyan, and Marguerite are my father’s children with his mistress; they have no legal claim to the throne. Which only leaves Croía.”

“Go back to your mother choosing for her,” Liam said. “What do you mean?”

“I think my mother is going to try to put someone on the throne who’s going to do her bidding once my father steps down next year … once she no longer holds her position of power.”

“How would they do her bidding?” Blaine asked. “I’m no royal, but wouldn’t whoever Croía potentially marries merely be a consort or whatever and therefore not have any real power?”

“Normally, yes,” Alia answered. “When a female in a royal bloodline marries, her husband is not allowed to take the male form of her title because they would essentially outrank her.”

“But they can get around it if granted the Crown Matrimonial,” Trystan said.

“What the hell is that?” Liam questioned.

“Everett said he overheard Lydea speaking to my mother in passing and that he heard something about a Crown Matrimonial mentioned. I asked if he was certain that’s what he heard, and he was absolutely sure. When he said it, it clicked … it all makes sense …”

“What is it?” Liam repeated. “And what makes sense?”

“If offered as part of a marriage agreement, the Crown Matrimonial would grant the betrothed the power to co-reign equally as King, not consort.” Trystan shook his head. “If that’s what they’re planning … whoever is chosen will be a legal co-sovereign of Drakovia alongside Croía … which would give them the same power in making decisions as her and, as King, they’d technically outrank her, so there wouldn’t be much she could do to argue their decisions even though it would be her throne by right. And it makes sense because they know Croía wouldn’t rule as they have … but they’ll have someone there that will …”

“Why the hell would they give someone that much power over their throne … over their heir?” Liam asked.

“The only way it would be offered is if there was a guarantee of it being of use to them,” Trystan replied. “They’re not just going to agree to hand over their throne to an outsider — people they typically despise — without getting something in return. Something big.”

And because of what they uncovered from the investigation, Trystan had an idea of what that something pertained to.

“Why step down at all then?” Alia questioned. “What’s the point?”

“All Drakovian monarchs have to step down at the age of 65, which he’ll be next year,” Trystan explained. “Some old King claimed that stepping down at that age would prevent Drakovia ever being weakened by a monarch past their prime. For some reason, no one’s ever thought to challenge that tradition.”

“If they’re so willing to give an ‘outsider’ that much power, why not just put one of the other three on the throne?” Blaine asked. “I understand they’re considered illegitimate, but your father’s bloodline would still remain, right?”

“Yes, but my mother would never agree to that because she wants one of her children on the throne so her bloodline is there as well,” Trystan answered before looking at Liam. “Croía would ensure that for her.”

Liam’s jaw tensed as he swallowed down the bile that rose in his throat over the implication of Croía being used or, worse, forced to carry on that bloodline. Over his dead body would he allow that to happen. He cleared his throat and let out a breath. “So what are we going to do? What’s the plan?”

Trystan thought for a moment, searching his muddled mind for the best path forward based on the little information he had. “I think our best bet is the ball,” he finally said. “It’ll be crowded with other guests and is our best option for getting her out less noticeably.”

“When is the ball?” Liam asked.

“A month.”

“A month?” Liam repeated incredulously. “We can’t leave her there that fucking long!”

“We don’t have a damn choice,” Trystan retorted. “I don’t want her staying there any more than you do, but we have to play this carefully and meticulously for it to work. And this will give us time to plan because we have to have a plan going in.”

Liam sighed, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger as his other hand balled into a fist. It’s not as if he had much of a choice but to go along with it, but to have to wait a month wasn’t going to be easy. He was already hanging off the edge.

“Li, he’s right,” Blaine said. “We have to go into this with a full-fledged plan, not only for our sake but Croía’s.”

“I know,” Liam grumbled.

“I’ll let Everett know so he can get us whatever information we’ll need and can use leading up to the ball,” Trystan said. “For now … I have a few days before I’m expected back in New York, so we can work with what we know and start to try and formulate something …”

****

A few hours later, the four of them sat in the living room with boxes of pizza stacked on the coffee table in front of them; Blaine and Alia had offered to go grab something for them to eat while Trystan talked to Liam.

Trystan tried to lessen Liam’s qualms about Croía’s situation; Liam listened and simply nodded at all of his attempts to do so, but he knew nothing he said was going to be of any help. He could tell the young prince was trying to mask his worry and stress as best as he could, and while he saw right through it, he didn’t push him to voice any of it.

Once Blaine and Alia returned, Trystan reached out to Everett to let him know of their intended plan; the guard offered to help in any way that he could and promised to find out as much as he could about anything pertaining to the ball. Trystan also reached out to Jonas; he knew he’d be more than willing to help.

“So, I take it that this isn’t a ball we’re going to be able to waltz right into?” Blaine said before taking a bite of pizza.

“No,” Trystan laughed wryly. “Security is tight on a regular day. It’ll be extra tight that night.”

A knock on the door paused their conversation; Liam stood from the sofa to answer it while Blaine and Alia shared a glance and subtle, conspiratorial smiles.

When Liam opened the door, his brow furrowed when he saw Olivia, Rashad, Simon, Kennedy, Tatum, Dionne, Peter, Zaira, Evelyn, Alexei, and Henri all on the other side. “Hey,” he greeted them as he stepped aside to let them all in; they filed in one by one. He shut the door and turned to see them all facing the living area; he stepped into their line of vision, looking at them questioningly. “What are you all doing here?”

“Blaine and Alia called a little group meeting on their way to get your pizza, so we all met at mine and Kennedy’s suite,” Dionne answered. “They told us what was going on with Croía.”

“They said you’re planning to get her out of there,” Peter added.

“And we want to help,” Kennedy said. “In any way that we can.” Tatum tipped his head to Liam in agreement as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

Trystan stood from the sofa and came to stand beside Liam, who let out a quiet breath as he looked at each of his friends. “I appreciate that, really, but … no. It’s not a good idea. You don’t need to get mixed up in whatever this is.”

“Well, thankfully, you don’t get a say,” Olivia scoffed, and he shot her a look. “You can give me that look all you want, but it’s not going to change my mind or anyone else’s. We’re helping.”

Rashad crossed his arms over his chest. “Whether you like it or not.”

Liam shook his head. “You guys—”

“Croía is our friend too,” Zaira interrupted, and Evelyn nodded her agreement beside her.

“What she said,” Alexei subtly smiled as Henri nodded behind him.

“So, tell us what we need to do to get our girl back,” Simon said.

Liam stared at all of them for a moment; their expressions didn’t falter, silently telling him in no uncertain terms that they were not backing down. He then glanced over his shoulder at Blaine and Alia, and they both shrugged innocently; the amount of pizza they returned with, which was far more than enough for just the four of them, now made sense. Finally, he looked at Trystan beside him; Liam had agreed to do this his way, so this decision rested with him.

Trystan looked over the group in front of him and after a few long moments, he subtly nodded, giving his approval.

Liam looked back at his friends. “We don’t have anything planned yet, we’re just … going over some details.”

“Fill us in,” Simon said as he clapped Liam’s shoulder before heading toward the living area, followed by the others.

Liam and Trystan both turned, watching them all get situated on the large sectional, reaching for slices of pizza. When Liam looked over at Trystan again, his brow knit at seeing the corner of his eye glisten. “You ok?”

“This is all she ever wanted,” Trystan quietly replied, gesturing toward the group as he looked at Liam. “When Croía came here to Vancross … the one thing she wanted more than anything was to just make some friends.” He glanced back to the group, watching them all for a moment. “She found a lot more than that …”

*******

Stepping outside from where his last class of the day was held, Liam started toward his building; he weaved his way through the crowd of other students before his steps quickened once through the thick of it.

It had been two weeks since they returned to campus, two weeks since Trystan had shown up outside his door to tell him what was happening with Croía and why nobody had heard from her … two weeks since they decided to work together to get her back.

Liam stepped inside his building and opted for the stairs, bounding up them two at a time as he held his heavy backpack in place over his shoulders. Once at the top floor, he turned down the hall toward his suite; he opened the door and stepped inside, met by the chatter from the others who were there.

Their suite had become the makeshift headquarters of their covert operation.

“Have fun today?” Trystan asked.

“As much fun as classes can be,” Liam replied.

“And do you have any homework?” another voice sounded playfully, earning a snort from Trystan.

Liam glanced over, giving his brother a look at his question, which was nothing more than a joking attempt to “parent” him.

A few days after arriving at Vancross to tell Liam what he knew, Trystan headed back to New York; he returned just a few days later with Leo in tow. They’d been there ever since.

Trystan had reached out to Leo himself to ask if he’d be willing to help with the undertaking of getting Croía out of Drakovia; he trusted him, but more than that, he knew Liam was on edge and figured having his brother around might help to keep him grounded. Leo agreed without an ounce of hesitation, and the two used one another as their excuse for being away.

The Cordonian monarchs along with Cameron and Marguerite were under the impression that the two old friends were catching up at a motocross event in the South of France. The timing worked out in Trystan’s favor since the side investigation he was helping them with was at somewhat of a standstill while they continued looking for that smoking gun they needed.

Over the last two weeks, Everett had kept Trystan as up-to-date as he could on Croía, but couldn’t tell him much other than she was unharmed, and he only knew that from seeing her in passing. The guard couldn’t speak to her as his position gave him no reason to, and he couldn’t ask those who may know more because it could draw suspicion.

The ball being held in Drakovia, which they learned — much to their luck — was a masquerade, was now two weeks away, and while they had a fairly solid plan in place, there were some obstacles they were working through and details they were still hashing out.

“How’s that going?” Liam asked Leo and Trystan, tipping his head toward the kitchen counter.

“About the same,” Trystan answered.

“I’m not in yet,” a voice called out from where they sat at the counter, having overheard the conversation. Crown Princess Amalas looked over her shoulder and smiled at Liam. “But I will be soon.”

Set up in front of Amalas were three laptops, all running a hacking program. Liam glanced between the three screens. He had no idea what he was looking for; hell, he had no idea what he was looking at. To him, it was just a bunch of random letters, symbols, and numbers that auto-scrolled and kept changing every time he blinked.

They’d been working on breaking into the Drakovian palace’s servers to access the guest list for the ball. It was one of the obstacles in their way; they needed to access the guest list in order to add to it.

Before he left for New York, Trystan mentioned how he wished he could ask Cameron’s friend Luke for help getting their hands on the guest list, knowing he’d be able to find a way to access it. Alia chimed in and suggested asking her sister. The Crown Princess of Monterisso had a reputation for her technological skills and Alia was certain she’d be more than willing to help knowing how close she and Croía had become. Amalas may seem hardhearted to others, but she had a soft spot for her baby sister.

Just as Alia thought, Amalas agreed. She arrived at Vancross two days later; she was staying in Alia’s suite but had set up her equipment in Blaine and Liam’s as that’s where everyone had been meeting.

Alia walked past Liam and looped her arms around her sister’s shoulders from behind. “Still working on it?” she asked, having just arrived with Blaine after their last class.

“Yes,” Amalas answered. “Their firewalls are …”

“Complex?” Blaine interjected.

“Yeah,” Amalas nodded.

“I’d expect nothing less,” Trystan replied as he moved toward the kitchen island. He glanced down at what was lying on it as Liam and Leo came beside him. “Everett sent us the details for the outside security perimeter earlier,” he explained as they looked over the Drakovian palace blueprint that Jonas had managed to get ahold of and send him; the perimeter had already been marked on the diagram. “They’re going to have two guards positioned in each of these locations,” he said as he pointed to a few spots marked with an ‘X’. “The entrance I will use is here,” he tapped a finger to a spot at the back of the palace; the exiled prince couldn’t be seen and needed to sneak in. “It’s accessible from a secret tunnel that runs beneath a back road behind the palace.”

“What about your siblings?” Leo asked. “Should we be particularly worried about any of them being there and being a problem?”

Trystan shook his head. “Vasili and Sebastyan may be present in the beginning, but they’ll be scarce and then leave; Bas will be wallowing in his anger and Vasili will be trying to calm him down. Astrid, if she bothers to show up at all, will be too focused on the suitors so she can move in on those who aren’t chosen. And my mother isn’t going to allow Kaspar near the palace, which means Emika will be charged with keeping him away.”

“Why wouldn’t she allow Kaspar there?” Liam asked.

Amalas snorted. “Because he’s a goddamn klepto, that’s why.” She looked over at Liam. “Did you know he’s barred from entering several countries, including Monterisso and Cordonia?”

“What?” Liam and Alia both said in unison.

“Years ago, he stole the Crown Jewels of Monterisso,” Amalas answered, earning a gasp from her sister. “Obviously, we got them back, but mother and father didn’t take too kindly to it and barred him from stepping foot in our country again. And as for Cordonia, he tried stealing the Cordonian Golden Apple.”

“You guys and your fucking apples,” Blaine snorted.

“Like I said,” Trystan began, “my mother isn’t going to risk having Kaspar anywhere near the palace that night. The only one we’ll need to worry about is Lydea.”

“Pfftt,” Leo scoffed. “I could take her.”

“No, you can’t,” Trystan said matter-of-factly. “Lydea can be lethal when she wants and needs to be. I think it’s best if I handle her. She’ll be able to fight, but I have an advantage.”

“What’s that?” Liam asked.

“I’m better,” Trystan said confidently.

****

Later, while Amalas still worked on getting into the guest list, Liam, Blaine, Trystan, and Leo sat up on the roof after everyone else save for Alia, who was inside the suite with her sister, had left.

Holding his breath with the hit he’d just taken, Leo passed a blunt to Liam; Trystan watched from his seat across from him as he put it to his mouth. It wasn’t hard to see that Liam had been on edge the last couple of weeks — understandably so. He wasn’t doing much to hide it. Hell, he’d been on edge himself, but he was better at controlling it than Liam.

It’s why Trystan had made a decision earlier that he knew Liam wasn’t going to be happy about.

When Liam passed the blunt to Blaine, Trystan cleared his throat. “Once Amalas gets the list, the decision has been made that Leo, Blaine, and Simon will be the ones added under the aliases, which she’s still working on coming up with.”

Liam snapped his gaze to him as he exhaled. “What about me?”

Blaine and Leo shared sidelong glances as Trystan held his stare. “Liam, you’re too emotionally invested to be on the inside.”

“Everyone involved is emotionally fucking invested in one way or another,” Liam retorted.

“Yes, but not in the way you are,” Trystan replied. “I know how you feel about Croía and how protective you are of her, and while I both respect and admire it, under these circumstances, those feelings are a liability. You’re already a ticking bomb. I’m not going to let this plan’s success hinge on whether or not you’ll be able to control yourself.”

Liam shook his head. “That’s bullshit!”

“Li—”

“No, Leo!” Liam shot his brother a look. “He’s asking me to leave getting her out of there in everyone else’s hands!”

“I’m not asking. I’m telling you,” Trystan said sternly. He knew he was upset, but he wasn’t going to change his mind. “This is how it’s going to be done.”

Leo glanced at his old friend. Yes, he was right that Liam was a ticking bomb, but so was Trystan, and this little rift between them was bringing down his usually stoic facade. “Look, maybe Liam can—”

“He agreed that we would do things my way,” Trystan interrupted. “This is my way.” He looked back at Liam. “So either get on board or get the fuck off the ship.”

Liam stood from his chair, grumbling obscenities under his breath as he made his way off the roof without a backward glance. A moment later, Blaine stood. “I’ll go talk to him …”

Leo sighed when he disappeared from view and looked over at Trystan. “Look. Tensions are high. And I get it. But don’t be a dick.”

“I’m not trying to be a dick,” Trystan said, “but he needs to realize this is the best way. I understand he wants to be there and help, but you know I’m right, Leo. He’ll be fueled by emotions going in and that’s not going to do us any favors.”

“I know,” Leo nodded. “And I’m sure deep down, he knows that too. I’m just saying … he’s worried. He’s already on edge. You both are …”

Trystan looked at him and let out a breath. “Sorry. I just … we only have one shot at this. We can’t afford to fuck anything up.”

“I know.”

“I’ll go talk to him,” Trystan said as he went to stand.

“No,” Leo held up his hand to stop him. “Give him time to cool off. Because he can be a dick, too, when he’s pissed off and I really don’t want to have to get in between the two of you if things take a turn.”

“You don’t think I could take him?” Trystan quipped.

Leo snorted. “You probably could, but I can tell you from experience that he’d put up one hell of a fight. You’d both come out looking a little worse for wear.”

Down in the suite, after sharing concerned glances with Alia and Amalas, both of whom saw Liam storm inside and slam his bedroom door behind him, Blaine knocked on his door; when he didn’t answer, he opened it anyway. Liam was pacing the length of his room with his hands clasped behind his head. Blaine took a step inside and shut the door behind him, leaning against it as he folded his arms across his chest.

“What?” Liam snapped.

“Don’t get snippy with me,” Blaine said. “I didn’t do anything.”

Liam stopped his pacing. “Did you know you were going in with Leo and Simon?”

“Not until about 20 minutes before everyone left tonight,” Blaine explained. “He told me and Simon together while you were talking to Leo and said that he was going to talk to you about it.”

“It’s fucking bullshit.”

“Yeah, it is,” Blaine agreed. “But you know he’s right.” Liam looked at him. “He is. And I get it. I get why you want to be there. If the shoe was on the other foot and it was Alia, I’d be absolutely fucking feral, and the second I saw her, all bets would be off. Which is exactly how you’ll be if he lets you go in. You’re one thing going wrong away from losing it as it is.”

Liam threw his hands up in both frustration and defeat. “What the fuck am I supposed to do?”

“You’re doing everything you can,” Blaine answered.

It had been three weeks since Liam had last heard from Croía, and each day that passed took its toll on him. He wasn’t sleeping well, and between classes, assignments, and late nights working with everyone to put a plan in place, he was more stressed than he ever remembered being before.

This just added to everything else.

Liam let out a breath and ran his fingers through his hair. “I feel like I’m losing my fucking mind.”

“I know you’re worried,” Blaine said, “but at the end of the day, we have to trust that Trystan knows what he’s doing.”

*******

A week later, the entire group was gathered in Liam and Blaine’s suite with Trystan and Amalas standing before them; she’d finally hacked the guest list and had spent the last several days putting together aliases for the three that would be going in with Trystan.

With everyone there, Trystan explained that he’d reached out to an old friend who owned a cabin in the mountains just outside of the Drakovian border in Rivala; they would be arriving there the night before the ball. Amalas also planned to get into the security feed now that she hacked the server; she was going with them to monitor that and pass along whatever information she could to Trystan once he was inside. Olivia, who wouldn’t take no for an answer, was tagging along to help her with that task.

In the week since their rift on the roof, Trystan and Liam hadn’t spoken about what was said between them. Trystan figured Liam was still upset and was waiting for what felt like the right time to approach him. Liam hadn’t sought Trystan out to speak to him privately because everything he said about being too emotionally invested was true; he was still struggling with getting his emotions under control and didn’t feel like proving Trystan’s point.

Trystan did, however, agree to let both Liam and Alia come with them after talking to Leo and Amalas. Next to him, they were closest to Croía, and they thought it might help to keep Liam calm if he came along.

Everyone else was staying behind at Vancross. They didn’t want to draw suspicion with their entire group suddenly being MIA. Their job while the others were gone was to stave off anyone who might come asking questions about where their friends had disappeared to.

Once Trystan finished explaining the details about his friend’s cabin, Amalas stepped forward. “I’ve given each of you an alias as a noble from Rivala,” Amalas said, handing Blaine, Leo, and Simon each a piece of paper. “You have a week to commit them to memory. They’re basic and boring because you don’t want to make spectacles of yourselves. Putting you on the list was risky in itself because we don’t know how exclusive the list was to begin with, so we don’t want to draw any unwanted attention.”

The men stared down at the information they were to memorize about their assumed identities. “What is this?” Blaine scoffed. “Lord Elias Lambros? What happened to the list of names I gave you?”

Amalas cut a pointed glare in Blaine’s direction as she settled a hand on her hip. “I’m sorry, I don’t think Phil McGroin, Mike Rochburns, and Ben O’Verbich would have worked out very well.”

Blaine snorted at hearing her say them. “I thought they were pretty great.”

“Ben … Ben O’Verbich?” Leo chuckled as he looked at Blaine.

After three weeks of stress, exhaustion, and worry, that dose of levity seemed to be the thing everyone needed at that moment. Suddenly, the entire room broke out into hysterics. Simon and Rashad bent over, placing their hands on their knees as Leo and Trystan stumbled into each other, holding their stomachs. The others all joined in and laughed as Amalas smirked and shook her head.

“What?” Blaine chuckled as he glanced around the room at everyone. “They were good names!” he exclaimed, throwing his hands up. He glanced over his shoulder to gauge Liam’s reaction … just in time to see the sliding glass door leading to the balcony shut. The sound caused the room to fall silent as everyone turned their attention to the door Liam had just disappeared out of.

It was the thing everyone needed … except him.

“Shit,” Blaine mumbled as he turned toward the door.

Trystan stepped in front of him. “I’ll go,” he said. “You have an alias to study up on.” Blaine sighed with a nod as he turned away.

When Trystan stepped outside, the balcony was empty, and he glanced up at the ladder that led to the roof; he walked over to it and began making his way to the top. Just as his head poked over the last rung of the ladder to give him a view of the roof, he saw Liam pick up one of the old chairs they had set up in their makeshift lounge; he swung it up over his head before slamming it to the ground with an anguished growl, and Trystan winced.

Letting out a breath, Trystan pulled himself the rest of the way up to the roof; once he stood, he slipped his hands into his pockets. Liam turned to look at him, having heard the scuffling of his feet; his jaw tensed as he turned away, lacing his fingers together at the back of his neck as he tipped his head back and looked at the night sky.

Trystan slowly made his way over, stopping right beside him, and the two stood in quietness for several long moments.

“I can’t laugh …” Liam finally broke the silence. Hearing his voice crack, Trystan glanced over to see the moon illuminating a wet trail on his cheek. “I can’t laugh with her being stuck there and imagining what she’s going through, which is the worst, by the way. All I can think of are the worst possible outcomes. Of how she’s being treated. Of what she’s thinking and feeling.” He dropped his hands to his sides. “I can’t laugh,” he whispered.

“She’d want you to laugh,” Trystan said, earning a scoff from Liam, but he ignored it. “And if she knew her absence was causing so much turmoil … I don’t know if she’d be surprised or feel guilty.”

“Both,” Liam said. “She’d be both.”

“Probably,” Trystan nodded. “And if she knew you and I had a row over how to get her out, she’d be angry with us both … and also feel guilty about it.”

Liam looked at him, clearing his throat. “I’m sorry … for how I acted the other night. I just …” He sighed. “I want to help.”

“I know you do,” Trystan nodded. “And you are, even if it doesn’t feel that way. And I’m sorry, too. You’re not the only one who’s been on edge.”

Liam shook his head. “I’m the only one letting it get the better of me, it would seem.”

“When I said you were too emotionally invested, I didn’t mean it as a bad thing,” Trystan said as he looked at him. “Croía … I don’t think she’s ever had someone wear their heart on their sleeve for her the way you do … not even me. And I know you’re worried. But I promise you, Liam … we will get her out. You have my word.”

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

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mysticalfangirl · 4 months

Text

Dashing Through the Snow ❄️

Everything else can be found here.

Book/Universe - TRR

Pairing - Liam x F!OC (Kyla)

Summary - A new festival commences at the palace, and the terror twins get creative to ensure their victory. (HCTS AU)

Word Count - 2500

Warnings - two bad words, a lot of fluff, shenanigans.

A/N 1 - I am using the following prompts-

@choicesflashfics prompt number 3, which will appear in bold.

@choicesflashfics holiday prompts numbers 10, 17, 18, 46, and 97, which will appear in blue.

@choicesholidays prompt its tradition, which will also be blue.

@choicesficwriterscreations holiday prompt snowball fight.

Please excuse any errors, and thank you in advance for reading and sharing!

Most characters belong to Pixelberry.

The palace was alive with activity, as it usually was on a Saturday afternoon, but today was a special day and called for additional hands. What would now be named Winterfest would soon open; a plethora of holiday-themed activities and competitions lay ahead, the most awaited a snowball fight with participation from both nobles and commoners. Despite the snowstorm from the day before, the projected attendance was still substantial.

Constantine banned the unofficial tradition long ago after Liam suffered a harmless injury, but Liam wanted to resurrect the idea. The holidays were near, and Liam saw an opportunity to strengthen the bond with his people and start the new year on a positive foot.

Liam lingered in the foyer, observing the commotion beyond the window. The elated smiles of the growing crowd mimicked his own, as he anxiously awaited the start of the festival.

Constantine emerged from the hallway singing, bundled in multiple layers and a thick hat. “Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open–”

Liam was a patient man, but could withstand only so much; Constantine had been doing this for weeks. “I swear to God if you sing another damn Christmas carol…”

“It’s fitting!” Constantine protested. “Seems like someone wants to be on the naughty list this year…”

“Ha! You want to talk to me about who’s naughty?” Liam snickered. “You’re getting coal this year… No doubt about it.”

Constantine’s mouth fell open. “Why? Give me three justifiable reasons–”

“Halloween alone gives me plenty.”

“You’re not Santa — you may be the king, but that doesn’t mean–” Constantine stopped as Liam arched his brow. “You know what? Forget I said anything…” He nonchalantly grasped Liam’s bicep. “... Have you been working out?”

Before Constantine could respond, Kyla appeared in the doorway. She traded out her usual scrubs for jeans and a coat and let her long, luscious locks flow freely. Liam couldn’t help but admire the pep she held in her step as she bounced over; the smile on her face stretched from ear-to-ear and Liam momentarily swore he was staring directly into the sun.

“There you are!” Constantine exclaimed. “I hope you’re ready for a day of fun!”

“Oh, I am.” Kyla beamed.

“Good! We have a lot to accomplish today.”

Kyla furrowed her brows. “What do you mean?”

“Since I am forbidden from participating, that means I shall live vicariously through you.”

Kyla’s eyes widened. “Me?”

“Precisely! Since the Grinch over there believes that my health won’t allow me to toss a snowball.”

“I stand by that statement,” Liam interjected. “And that’s Mr. Grinch to you.”

“I have to agree with him, sir…” Kyla timidly spoke, but threw her hands up when Constantine glowered at her. “I’m not the one being a hard ass about it — I just gave my professional opinion.”

“Hey!” Liam cried, the creases on his forehead duplicating.

Constantine chuckled. “You’ve got a point there — his rear is solidifying as he ages.”

“Really…” Liam placed his hands on his hips, glancing back and forth between the pair.

“Perhaps we should venture outdoors while we await the first contest?” Constantine spoke to Kyla, completely ignoring Liam. “It’s a hill race, but we can explore the vendors in the meantime.”

Kyla’s stomach rumbled. “Does that include food?”

“As far as the eye can see,” Constantine laughed. “Let’s go find something to munch on and we can discuss our plans…” He quickly cut his eyes over to Liam and smiled brightly, but soon directed his attention back to Kyla and whispered, “Let’s talk elsewhere…”

Kyla clenched her lips together to conceal her laughter. She nearly broke when she saw the feigned offense etched in Liam’s features, but could tell from the playful glint in his eye that he wasn’t upset — actually, he looked as if he were fighting the crack in his stony facade.

The pair quickly exited, leaving Liam alone in the entryway. He watched them disappear and couldn’t help but grin. However, his father glanced over his shoulder with a distinct glint in his eye that Liam recognized all too well, causing the hair on his neck to stand at attention — he didn’t know what it was, but the terror twins were up to something.

The day was enjoyable for Kyla; she survived an exhilarating sled race and placed third in an apple bobbing contest with Constantine cheering from the sidelines. The pair bounced around at a steady pace, visiting the multiple booths and sampling the offered delicacies. Liam was scarce as the center of attention, but made it a point to smile and wave whenever he spotted them.

After Kyla made a snowman that resembled the former monarch — much to Constantine’s delight — they retrieved some hot chocolate. Kyla's hands practically froze in the brisk air, but the warmth of the cup soothed her icy fingers as they sat together on a vacated bench.

Constantine took a swig of his drink and observed the crowd. “It would appear as though the finale starts shortly…”

“Seems like it…”

He reached into his pocket and dug out a trinket, handing it out to Kyla. “Take this — it’s your secret weapon.”

Kyla’s brows furrowed. “... What is that?”

“You know what it is, Kyla.”

“Okay, but — how is this a weapon? And for what?”

Constantine snickered. “The last person standing is victorious, and that is going to be you.”

“Me?” Kyla reiterated with wide eyes.

“Yes, but we have to get creative…” He lowered his voice. “Here’s our plan — Liam will eliminate most of the competition because he’s competitive by nature, so you need to stay hidden until the playing field dwindles.”

“… Then?”

“Then you’re going to catch Liam off guard, and victory shall be ours!”

Kyla’s confusion intensified as she stared at the object in her palm. “But I don’t see how this will –”

“You know what to do with it, Kyla…” Constantine suddenly stopped. “You don’t have to actually do anything, but act like you intend to…”

“That seems kind of… mean…” Kyla unsurely answered. “And I still don’t see how–”

“Just play along — distract him — the rest is taken care of…”

Before Kyla could respond, static from a microphone peeled through the air. Atop the stage was Liam, wearing a vibrant smile. After the crowd roared for a moment, Liam held up a hand to silence them. He detailed the past traditions that were being honored, as well as his intention to continue the festivities annually, which everyone in attendance was receptive to. He thanked the vendors and the staff for their service, but everyone listening was patiently awaiting the commencement of the last activity.

“Alright, let’s get to business,” Liam started. “Our last event will be the snowball fight. Remember that today there are no titles — everyone playing is engaging as equals, myself included. In order to win, you must be the last one standing when the bell rings, and that person will receive this plaque, along with substantial bragging rights.” He held up the item and the crowd erupted, eliciting a chuckle from Liam. “I will see you on the west grounds in five minutes.”

As Liam vacated the stage, Constantine addressed Kyla. “Alright — you’re ready for this.”

“I am?”

“Yes! Follow my instructions and you’ll be fine.” Constantine reassured while leading Kyla to their destination.

Kyla nodded and before she knew it, they'd arrived. The country came out in full swing; there wasn’t a patch of snow-covered ground that didn’t have eager feet on it. The area was transformed into a makeshift battlefield, including ridges to take shelter and piles of pre-made balls scattered around.

A loud horn sounded and chaos ensued; most ran to the nearest stockpile to arm themselves while others dropped to the ground to form their ammunition. Within seconds, Kyla’s vision neared completely white as snow sailed through the air. She recalled Constantine’s instructions and hid in a bank away from the brunt of the commotion. She fended off a few people on her venture but made it to her spot safely.

Liam bobbed and weaved the multiple projectiles flying in his direction. He hadn’t had this much fun in years and although the preparations were draining, this moment was worth it. He laughed and regardless of his frozen fingers, he never stopped even for a second. Liam took out anyone who dared to provoke him and as he watched them fall, his confidence skyrocketed.

As the playing field lessened and only a few contenders remained, he didn’t even try to seek coverage; Liam felt ten feet tall and bulletproof, and nothing was going to stand in his way. Usually, he would have to compete against Drake or Olivia, but the storm impacted their travels; nobody was blocking his path to victory.

Kyla could tell from the dwindling voices that people were bowing out; she carefully raised her head and saw very few contestants left. Liam stood in the open firing at anyone he saw, and Kyla couldn’t help but smile at the pure elation etched in his features. The moment was short-lived as she watched Liam force yet another participant to concede; she knew her moment was now.

She dashed to the closest shelter near Liam. “Hey!” Kyla exclaimed, just loud enough to grab his attention. “C’mere!”

Liam jogged over, but kept his ammunition in hand. “Well, well, well…”

“I come in peace!” Kyla proclaimed but knew it was a lie.

“You know you’re supposed to be throwing these…” He trailed off while holding up his snowball.

“I know… But… Well, I have this — thing that I wanted to show you…”

“Now?”

“Yep…” Kyla unsurely answered, suddenly realizing how blatantly obvious this ploy was. But Constantine was trusting her, and she was going to see this out. She dug the object he’d given her out of her pocket and held it over their heads. “Look, there’s mistletoe. We have to kiss, it’s the law.” She bluntly stated, but instantly flushed and scolded herself.

Liam smirked and was tempted to succumb to her — oddly timed request, but it faded as he pieced things together. “So… You’re just running around out here with mistletoe in your pocket?”

“Don’t you? I thought everyone did.” Kyla nervously chuckled. “You know, Romans believed that mistletoe brought about peace, and they hung them over their doorways for protection.”

“Is that so?” Liam asked, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

“Yep.”

“Okay, then.” Liam dismissively agreed. “I’m going to have to take a rain check on your offer, but don’t worry — I’ll be back to collect.” He winked.

“What–” Kyla stopped as two people appeared behind Liam, poised and ready to strike. It didn’t take long for her to figure out that the first was Trent, the other Bastien. However, Liam instantly thwarted their plan as he sensed their approach. He wasn’t a monarch at that moment — he was a predator.

Liam spun around in true action hero fashion, hurling projectiles in every direction; despite his blind reaction, he landed a few critical hits. As Bastien and Trent retreated, he launched his ammo with precision, intently focused on his targets. “You think you’re sneaky? HA! Better luck next time!”

Kyla watched and knew Constantine’s plan must be failing; on instinct, she took matters into her own hands. She quickly crafted some artillery and rose with her arm cocked, expecting Liam’s attention to be on Trent and Bastien but they were gone, and Liam was staring directly at her with a smug grin.

“If you throw that snowball, you’re declaring war,” Liam emphasized.

“Kyla!” Constantine yelled from the sideline. “Do it! Finish him!”

Liam saw Kyla considering it. “Don’t — you will regret it.”

Kyla’s brow arched. “Is that a threat?”

“Nope…” Liam snickered. “It’s a promise.”

Kyla contemplated her options for a moment before she lowered her arm with a sheepish smile. “Sorry… I guess the battlefield got to me for a minute.”

Liam smiled. “No harm, no foul.”

“Yeah… Perhaps it’s best if we hugged this one out.” Kyla suggested, trying to buy herself time.

Liam’s grin faltered. “... Truce?”

“Truce,” Kyla agreed. She hugged him, taking a moment to bask in his scent, but knew she had to think of something.

Liam held Kyla closer, relishing in the added warmth from her petite frame, but noticed she was tense. The thought was short-lived as a brisk chill started at the base of his neck, slowly traveling downward and creating icicles in the wake of the snowy path.

He recoiled away from Kyla, shuddering and dancing to vacate the sensation freezing his skin. Kyla giggled, and that’s when Liam recognized her deception. A newfound sense of determination washed over him at this sudden betrayal but before he could react, an icy projectile landed on his chest, followed by another, then another.

“Throw the snowball like you mean it!” Constantine hollered.

Kyla did as instructed and wildly launched snow at Liam; she wasn’t crafting balls anymore but hurled anything in his direction. Liam returned fire, but Kyla proved to be precise. Regardless, he snuck his way back to her. He secured his arms around her waist to subdue her, but Kyla wasn’t willing to go down without a fight; she squirmed and kicked up snow as he lifted her and spun in circles. The sound of Kyla’s infectious laughter filled his heart to the brim, but Liam's deep rumbles joined the symphony of her joy.

He eventually stopped and Kyla stilled, but Liam kept his hold intact. He stared down at her, admiring the elation sparking behind her doe-like eyes. A force beyond himself took over; he inched closer, never once breaking their intent gaze, but he could see the anticipation coursing through him reflected in Kyla’s vibrant orbs. Just when he was about to make contact the concluding bell sounded, startling them apart.

The crowd invaded the field again to congratulate those remaining, and Liam made a small statement to finish the day. People surrounded him after, but he politely deflected their attempts to get his attention; he had a prize to collect.

He quickly located Kyla, his father, Trent, and Bastien together. “Ah, so I’ve found the circle of treason.”

Trent’s jaw dropped and he stuttered something, but Constantine rolled his eyes and snapped, “Compose yourself, boy. You’re safe for now, even if you failed miserably.”

Bastien laughed. “Don’t worry, kid. I’ve got your back.”

“And you,” Constantine scowled. “I expected better out of you.” He went off on a long rant about honor and dignity, causing Liam and Kyla to chuckle. They quietly slipped away from the commotion, but kept Constantine in their line of sight.

“So…” Liam started after a period of comfortable silence.

“Yes?”

“I believe I was promised a — prize — of sorts…”

“You weren’t the only winner, thank you very much.” Kyla confidently stated.

“Then consider it a reward for both of us...”

As she took in Liam’s smirk, realization swept over Kyla. “Oh…” She bowed her head with flushed cheeks. “You want…?”

“It’s tradition, Kyla, and I always honor traditions…”

Kyla giggled and softly pecked his lips; it was so fast and sudden that neither was sure it truly happened, but the jolt of electricity told both it was very real. However, Liam needed more — a little taste of her simply wasn’t enough. He brought her closer and kissed her properly, cradling her face in his palms as they savored the tranquility of the moment. Butterflies swirled in their chests as their lips softly curled together, but Liam eventually pulled away wearing a bright smile that mirrored Kyla’s.

“Now that’s a prize...” Kyla playfully swatted his chest, eliciting a bark of laughter from Liam. “Thanks for coming today, Kyla… I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too.”

“Do you think Lancelot failed Arthur, such as you have me?” They heard Constantine bellow over the crowd, as he laid into Bastien and Trent. “Yet, there are two of you, and you still couldn’t manage a simple task–”

“Should we rescue them?” Kyla asked Liam.

Liam considered it a second before he shrugged. “Nah. They can consider this punishment for their treason.”

“Aww… Is William butthurt that his men turned on him?” Kyla batted her lashes with a toothy grin.

Liam rolled his eyes. “Always with the 'William'…”

Tags (let me know if you want added or removed) - @ao719 @queenrileyrose @angelasscribbles @tessa-liam @kingliam2019 @differenttyphoonwerewolf @bascmve01 @busywoman @belencha77 @mysticalfangirl @nestledonthaveone @lovingchoices14 @lunaseasblog @malblk21 @sfb123 @emersyn-in-cordonia @walkerdrakewalker @tinkie1973 @queenmiarys

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mysticalfangirl · 4 months

Text

Turning the Page

Home is Where the Heart Is -8-

Choices, The Royal Romance, AU

Series Premise: As Riley Brooks journeys through life as a single parent in New York City, an epiphany strikes as she contemplates the future for herself and her two-year-old son.

Turning the Page Series Masterlist

Main Pairing: Liam Rys x F!OC Riley Brooks

All characters belong to Pixelberry Studios, except William Brooks (Rys) and Matteo Magro, who belongs to this series.

Category: On-going series, contains angst/fluff/depression. Cross-over fic with Choices, Perfect Match.

Rating: M🔞Warnings - Series will contain crude language, NSFW material – not Beta’d - please excuse all errors.

Words: 2501

Home is Where the Heart Is – 8

Chapter Summary: Madeleine reveals her threat to the Royal council, while Liam makes initial preparations to bring Riley and William home to Cordonia. William, with Riley’s help, decorates a gingerbread house for his father. Liam arrives in New York on Christmas Eve.

Music Inspiration:

Bless the Broken Road, Selah, Melodie Crittenden

All I Want for Christmas is You, Mariah Carey

A/N2: My submission for @choicesflashfics, Week#64, prompt #2 - “I’m not in the mood for a lecture.”

A/N3: My submission for @choicesflashfics, Holiday Prompt #82 - “The only thing I want for Christmas is you.”

A/N4: My submission for @choicesdecember2023, prompt, Food and Feasts - ‘Gingerbread House.’ #choices monthly challenge

A/N5: My submission for @choicesholidays, Winter Holidays 2023 prompt event, Week5 – This is the best Christmas ever! @angelascribbles

Brooklyn Heights, New York City

As Riley carefully placed the gumdrops on the roof of the gingerbread house, William stood nearby, watching her intently. “Mama, put red one there,” pointing to the chimney top. William was serious about the details of the house. For him, everything had to be ‘just right’.

Riley softly smiled. William wanted everything perfect for his Christmas gift to his father.

"Mama, can I help?"

"Of course, honey." Riley handed him the bag of candy, and William began to place them on the house, giggling as he did so.

"You're doing a great job, LiLi. Your Daddy will be so proud of you.”

"Look, Mama! It's finished."

"Yes, it is ... almost. We just need a few more pieces of candy and we should put more ‘snow’ on the roof."

William squealed with delight as Riley handed him the piping tube of frosting to hold, as they began to finish the roof together.

Just as they were finishing up, Riley heard the front door open, and she turned to see Matteo coming into the brownstone, a large bag of Chinese take-out food in his arms.

"Surprise! We thought we'd bring dinner." Daniel announced while Matteo nodded his head to the royal guard standing next to the entrance. Daniel followed, stomping the snow from his boots.

"Thanks, guys. You're the best." Riley carefully moved the house to the counter to set, to make room for dinner.

"Unca Dan Dan! Unca Matty! Look what Mama and I made." William tugged at Daniel’s coat.

"Wow, that looks so cool, LiLi." Daniel squatted down for a mini fist bump.

William beamed, "It's a gingerbread house for Daddy. He's going to be surprised."

"He will. I'm sure he'll love it." Matteo placed the bag of food on the table and pulled out his phone. "We should take a picture."

Riley nodded, "Good idea. Come on, everyone."

They all gathered around the gingerbread house, smiling as Matteo snapped a few photos.

"Perfect. Thanks, guys.”

"We got your favorites, Ri. Orange chicken, vegetable lo mein, and fried rice."

"You know me so well." Riley smiled appreciatively.

“Ummmm ... Ri?”

Riley looked at Daniel, noticing he was moving his head toward the Royal guard. “Do we need to feed ‘Lurch’ over there?” he whispered.

Smirking, Riley shook her head ‘no’ and asked, "What's the special occasion?"

"Just a quiet night in. It's been a long week of travelling." Matteo sighed. “I am beat.”

"Well, we have three days here before we leave for Greece," Daniel shimmied over to kiss Matt on the lips as William climbed into his toddler seat.

"What's happening in Greece?" Riley asked, puzzled.

"Matty’s corporate New Year's Eve party is being held at a private estate this year in Athens," Daniel answered.

"Wow. Sounds fancy." Riley grinned, setting plates on the table.

"It will be.” Matteo winked at Daniel.

“Speaking of fancy ... and what about you, Riley? What has Liam planned for you and William this Christmas?”

Riley glanced at the royal guards standing near the entrance. She knew Liam would be returning in a few days, knowing that the guards received the King’s itinerary this morning. "Actually, I'm not entirely sure, yet."

"Maybe a romantic dinner up in the Hampton’s," Daniel suggested, waggling his brows at Matteo. "The man owns a private jet, Dan. The sky’s the limit." Matteo added.

Riley giggled, "Who knows? I am just thrilled he will be here with us," mussing William’s hair as he returned her smile.

"So, how are things with you two?" Riley asked, changing the subject.

"Good. Great, actually" Daniel replied with twinkling eyes.

"Couldn't be better, Daniel is right. The change of scenery has been fantastic," Matteo agreed, giving Riley a wink.

"Uh, ha," Riley chuckled, suspiciously. "Okay ... what is it?” Riley laughed, knowing her best friend all too well.

"We might have some news."

"Daniel ..." Matteo shook his head, "Not until after we formally announce it."

"Spill. You can't just say something like that and not give details." Riley demanded., chuckling.

"Okay, okay. I cannot keep it a secret any longer. We're getting married!"

Riley gasped, "Oh my god, Daniel! Oh! You guys! Congratulations!”

"Thank you, Ri.” Riley stood up and gave Daniel a huge hug. Matteo smirked, knowing all too well that Daniel could not wait to tell his best friend the good news.

"I can't believe you're getting married. That is amazing.” Riley gushed hugging Matteo.

"We're really, really happy, Ri. And we could not have done this without you. If you hadn't encouraged us to take a chance, we would have never realized how perfect we are together." Matteo gazed lovingly at Daniel.

"It was all you two,” Riley countered. “You both just needed a push in the right direction.”

"We're so glad you were the one to push us. This is the best Christmas ever!”, Matteo grinned.

"So, when's the big day?"

"We haven't decided yet. But we're thinking sometime in the spring," Daniel squeezed Matt's hand.

"That sounds lovely. I can't wait." Riley paused ... “Oh, I mean ...”

"Neither can we. Riley, would you do me the honor of being my maid of Honor?”

"Oh, yes! I'm really, really happy for you guys. You deserve all the happiness in the world. Yes! I would be honored.”

"Thanks, Ri. That means so much to me."

As they sat down and began to eat, Riley could not help but feel a tinge of sadness. She knew that the wedding would be beautiful in Greece, and she was happy for her friends, but ... she could not help but wish that she and Liam were engaged, too, and planning a future.

"Mama, can I have some chicken?" William asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Of course, honey." Riley placed a piece of chicken on his plate, cutting the piece into bite size portions. William dug in, grinning.

Standing up from the table, Riley's eyes were filling with unshed tears as she excused herself from the table, turning towards her bedroom. Needing a chance to breathe and have some space, she walked into her room and clicked the door closed behind her. Riley bowed her head, wiping the tears now flowing freely down her cheeks, and slid down to the floor.

It was hard not to think about all the ‘what-ifs’.

What would have happened if they could have found Tariq in time to stop the wedding?

What if Liam had chosen her the night of his coronation instead of Madeleine?

What if Liam had chosen her, scandal be damned? As she sat on the floor, more memories surfaced.

A memory of her and Liam together in the blue grotto in Italy, when Liam mentioned abdicating the throne as a way of moving forward.

'There's this thought I can't shake off ... what our life could look like together. You and I. Without the court and the Crown.'

'What does it look like?'

'The parts I know? We elope and get married in a small, private ceremony...'

Riley wiped her tears. knowing that this was in the future for Daniel and Matteo, but not for her.

‘But you can't abdicate, Liam. You wouldn't be happy if you gave up the throne and... you wouldnt be you. In your heart, you know that.’

’If I do marry Madeleine, can you go on like this? Stealing moments, meeting in secret?’

"Mama?" William’s little voice sounded outside her door, interrupting her thoughts.

"Yes, LiLi?" Riley softly spoke, standing up and wiping her tears away. She opened her door to see William looking up at her.

"Are you sad, mama?" William pointed to her eyes.

"No, honey. I'm just happy for Uncle Dan and Uncle Matty."

"They marry?"

"Yes, they are. Isn't that exciting?"

"Mama, are you and Daddy marry, too?"

Riley took a deep breath and put her arm around William, "someday, maybe."

“We can be a real family."

"We're already a real family, William. No matter what happens, you and I will always be together."

"Promise?"

"...and Daddy too?"

Riley closed her eyes, her hands trembling as she tried not to break down. She was unable to speak and was trying to catch her breath.

"Mama? Why crying?"

"I-I'm sorry, William. I'm just feeling a little sad. It has been a long day.”

Overhearing William, Daniel pushed open the bedroom door.

"Hey buddy, go see Uncle Matt and finish your dinner."

“Okay, Dan Dan.” As William went back into the kitchen, Daniel sat down beside Riley and hugged her tightly.

“Riley?" Daniel questioned his friend.

"Y-Yes. Everything's fine."

"Doesn't look like it."

"I'm just...it's hard, you know? To watch my best friend, get married when..."

"I know, Riley. It is difficult. But remember, you and Liam are in a good place, now. And who knows? Maybe someday, you will be the ones getting married."

Riley’s breath shuddered as she looked at Daniel, searching his eyes, staying silent.

"I understand this is hard, but you can't let the past hold you back. You and Liam have come so far. You just have to take things one step at a time."

Riley's cell pinged with a message. Picking up her phone, ‘Liam’ appeared on the screen.

Cordonian Royal Palace

Olivia, standing in for Liam, and standing for the Royal council, sat at the King's desk. Rashad and his father, the Crown’s personal legal counsel, sat on the sofa next to Liam’s large ornate desk. Madeleine's heels could be heard clicking down the hallway, stopping outside of the study door. Madeleine cleared her throat before Bastien opened the door and allowed her to enter.

Entering the King’s study, her face was impassive.

"Where is Liam?"

"The King is occupied with important matters. He's asked me to represent him in this meeting." Olivia coldly, but politely answered the ex-queen of Cordonia.

Madeleine’s glare turned nasty as she looked at Olivia in disdain.

"Keep it up Madeleine. As the King’s representative, you will deal with me and answer all the questions I am looking for. Is that understood, Madeleine? I am not your subject.” Olivia sat back confidently.

"I am not in the mood for a lecture," Madeleine scoffed.

"Very well. I am here to discuss the matter of the succession of the Crown. I trust the council has brought you up to speed?"

"Indeed, they have." Olivia responded.

"Good. Then there is no need to waste time. Let's get down to business." Madeleine said with a smirk. "As you know, the King has yet to select a queen, and secure an heir to his throne. Given his indecisiveness, I propose that the council appoint an heir, should Liam not produce an heir by his thirtieth birthday."

"We're well aware of the succession laws, and I assure you, the council will make the necessary decisions, should the time come." Olivia rebutted.

"The King's appointment must meet the established criteria. Should the King choose an heir that does not meet the qualifications, the council is authorized to remove the heir from the line of succession."

"Your point being, Madeleine? I am sure that you understand that you no longer have any sovereignty in Cordonia." Olivia confidently countered.

"My point is, is that if he fails to produce an heir, then the council has the authority to choose an alternate. I propose that the council select my unborn child to be named as the heir, since the child was conceived while our marriage was valid. My child meets the requirements, and should the King fail to produce an heir, the council would have no choice but to appoint my child."

Rashad's eyes narrowed. "I'm afraid you're mistaken, Madeleine. The law is quite clear. A child cannot be appointed as an heir, unless said child is adopted by the monarch first."

"...and Liam could adopt my child,” Madeleine seethed.

Rashad continued, “that would require the child to live under the guardianship of the monarch, which is not possible, given the circumstances. Your residence is in Morocco, not Cordonia. as per the marriage dissolution filed legally."

Olivia nodded, "The council will consider your proposal. In the meantime, Liam's position is still unchanged. He is free to choose his own heir, should the need arise.”

Madeleine stood up from her armchair and turned toward the bay window overlooking the gardens, contemplating her retort her arms crossed.

"Madeleine, you cannot expect the King to simply appoint your child, when he has another option." Olivia rebutted, knowing that Madeleine was aware of William.

Rashad added, “again the law is quite clear. A child who is conceived by the monarch while married or not, has the right to a place in the line of succession, even if the parents are not together."

"Even if the child is a bastard? He was conceived outside our marriage.” Madeleine spat, frothed with resentment.

"Yes. As was your child," Rashad reminded her.

"This is absurd. We are done here....guards!” Olivia summoned, as Madeleine was escorted out of the study by the Royal guard.

***

Liam, Leo, Drake and Bastien watched the entire exchange virtually from Liam’s personal quarters.

"Do you think she's capable of harming Riley?” Drake wondered aloud.

"Yes, I am sure of that. If not herself ... her father. Liam sat back in his chair, his hands steepled in front of his mouth, annoyance etched on his face.

"I think that she is desperate and will do whatever she can to get what she wants.” Leo added supporting his brother.

“Bastien, begin the surveillance protocol on the countess and her father, Liam commanded.

“Consider it done, your Majesty.” Bastien confirmed, standing to leave the room.

"Do you think it’s wise to bring Riley and your son back to Cordonia?” Drake questioned.

"It's the only way, Drake.”

"What if Riley doesn't want to come back to Cordonia?"

"Then I will support her decision, but I have to at least try.”

Liam stood, walking to his private chambers, with phone in hand.

‘Hello Riley!’

‘Liam, hi! How are you?'

‘I'm well. How are you and William keeping?’

‘We're doing great. We miss you, though.’

‘I miss you both, too.’

‘I have a proposition for you...’

‘Oh?’

‘How would you and William like to come to Cordonia and stay with me at the palace after Christmas?’

Riley blinked, not sure how to respond.

‘When I go home after spending Christmas week with you...come back to Cordonia with me.'

'Liam, you can't be serious.'

'I'm quite serious, love.'

'You want me and William to come to Cordonia and stay with you in the palace?'

'Yes, I want you both here with me.'

'Li, I don't know. That seems like a big step.'

'I understand your hesitation. But please, just consider it.'

'I will see you in a couple of days, love. We can talk more then.'

'OK, I am looking forward to seeing you, Li. William made something special just for you.'

Liam smiled, 'I look forward to seeing it, but love, the only thing I want for Christmas is you.'

Thanks for reading!

📌Liam x Riley, MC/ OTP: @jared2612 @irisk12 @thesvnsins @walkerdrakewalker

📌Liam x Riley, OC: @emersyn-in-cordonia @mainstreetreader @belencha77 @walkerdrakewalker @iluaaa @mysticalfangirl @queenwalton @bascmve01 @umccall71 @choicesfrog @amandablink

📌Liam x Sophie: @charlotteg234

📌Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @choicesflashfics @choicesdecember2023 @choicesholidays

74 notes · View notes

mysticalfangirl · 4 months

Text

Turning the Page

Because I Love You - 7 -

Choices, The Royal Romance, AU

Series Premise: As Riley Brooks journeys through life as a single parent in New York City, an epiphany strikes as she contemplates the future for herself and her two-year-old son.

Turning the Page Series Masterlist

Main Pairing: Liam Rys x F!OC Riley Brooks

All characters belong to Pixelberry Studios, except William Brooks (Rys) and Matteo Magro, who belongs to this series.

Category: On-going series, contains angst/fluff/depression. Cross-over fic with Choices, Perfect Match.

Rating: M🔞Warnings - Series will contain crude language, NSFW material – not Beta’d - please excuse all errors.

Words : 2450

Because I Love You – 7

Chapter Summary: Liam and Riley spend their first day as a family with William. A threat is revealed in Cordonia, while security is tightened in New York. Liam is called back to Cordonia.

Music Inspiration: When You Say Nothing at All, Alison Kraus & Union Station

A/N2: My submission for @choicesflashfics, Week#62, prompt #1 - “Forever means nothing to me if I don’t get to spend it with you.”

A/N3: My submission for @choicesflashfics, Holiday Prompt #18 - “If you throw that snowball, you’re declaring war.”

A/N4: My submission for @choicesdecember2023, prompt, Food and Feasts - ‘National cocoa day.’ #choices monthly challenge

A/N5: My submission for Choices Holidays Prompt Event, @angelasscribbles @choicesholidays, Week 3, “This is definitely going to land me on your naughty list.”

A/N6: My submission for Holiday Prompts 2023, prompt – Snowball Fight – Building a snowman.

Brooklyn Heights, New York City

The snow had drifted up against the patio door throughout the evening and continued to pile up as the new day began.

William looked up and gasped. "It's snowing! Look, Mama, ... loooooooook!"

Riley sauntered over to the glass door and gazed out at the beautiful sight. "It is snowing, LiLi. You are so right!"

"Can we go outside and play, Mama? ...Pweeeeeze?"

"Not yet sweetheart, it's still too early. But, maybe later today, the snow should still be falling."

William grinned, his eyes lighting up. "Yay!"

"You can show me all your favorite places outside in the snow." Liam chimed in, walking up to stand beside Riley with his coffee.

"Daddy, can you make a snowman with me?"

"Yes, I can. In fact, I'm a snowman-making expert." Riley's eyebrow shot up quickly turning to see a smirking Liam beside her.

"Really? Wow." William excitedly clapped his hands. Riley smiled warmly at William's reaction, which mirrored closely with Liam's expression of delight.

"Yes, I have a special way of making them. Do you want me to show you how?"

"Yes, Daddy, please!"

Riley giggled, shaking her head. “Snow in the Capital?”

“Not the Capital, but it was always snowing in Lythikos.” Liam quipped back with a grin.

Liam whispered, “... and Mama can help too.” Liam smiled affectionately at Riley, softly stroking her cheek with his thumb.

“But first, I would like to show you a train set at the toy store in the city! Would you like that, William?"

"Yes, yes, yes! I want to go see the train." William excitedly bounced in his chair. Liam grinned, captivated by the joy in his son's expression.

"Alright, let's finish our breakfast, and then we can get ready to go. We can also pick up some hot cocoa and marshmallows along the way."

William squealed in delight. “Oh yes, Daddy.”

Riley’s shoulders shook uncontrollably, with her laughter barely held.

“You are having way too much fun, Li.”

Liam bashfully looked at Riley and winked. “I will have Bastien prepare the car. We can go as soon as it gets here.”

“Okay, little man. Let’s get you ready to go.” Riley walked to pick up William from his toddler chair as Liam made the arrangements.

***

After visiting F.A.O. Schwarz in Rockerfeller center, as promised, Liam took Riley and William for a hot cocoa treat while admiring the huge Christmas tree in the center court.

As they walked along the bustling streets of New York, Liam could not help but smile at how much fun his son was having, and truth be told, so was he. They had visited the toy store, where Liam had bought him a set of toy trains, and stealthily selected more toys for Christmas morning for William.

William was in awe of the trains, and he had insisted on carrying the bag personally all the way to the café by himself.

As they entered, the waitress smiled warmly at them, and Riley was grateful for the privacy that being with the King afforded. She did not need any extra attention from onlookers.

"Good afternoon, folks. What can I get for you?"

Liam turned to Riley, "we will all have hot cocoa, with whipped cream and marshmallows."

“That sounds delicious …yes, please.” Riley agreed.

The waitress nodded, "you got it."

As she walked away, Liam turned to Riley, "thank you, Riley."

"For what?"

"For letting me be part of William's life. I now know that I can't imagine not having him in my life."

"I'm glad, Li. He's a very special little person."

"He is. Just like... his mother."

Riley blushed, "you're sweet."

"Not as sweet as you."

"Stop, Li," Riley laughed, shaking her head.

"Hey, I have an idea. Why don't we go to the park after this? We can build a snowman."

"That sounds wonderful. LiLi will love it."

"… and later, I was thinking just the two of us," Liam suggested, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "We have a lot of catching up to do."

"Oh...that sounds nice too." Riley smiled coyly.

The waitress returned with their drinks, and they spent the next hour talking and laughing, enjoying each other's company. When they were done, Liam paid the bill, and they headed out into the crisp, winter air.

"It's a date then?!" Liam continued to watch William.

"It's a date." Riley confirmed. “Oh, yeah?” Liam beamed.

“Yeah,” Riley confirmed, squeezing his hand.

"I meant what I said earlier, Riley. I want to be a part of your lives, both yours and William's.

As they continued to stroll, Liam reached out and took Riley's hand in his, a feeling of contentment washing over him.

"I know, Li. And we want you in our lives too."

"Good. Because now that I have you back in my life.... I want us to be a family."

"I love you too, Liam."

"Forever means nothing to me if I don't get to spend it with you."

Central park was beautiful, covered in a blanket of fresh, white snow, and Riley could not help but smile as she watched Liam playing with William. The two were building a snowman, and William was giggling and squealing with delight.

"Do you like it, William?" Liam asked, grinning.

"I love it, Daddy."

Liam's heart warmed at the sound of the word, and he scooped up his son, twirling him around. "I love it, too, LiLi."

"Daddy, look, the snowman needs arms."

"It does. What should we do?" William picked up two twigs and poked them in to its sides.

"Can we throw snowballs at the snowman nowe, Daddy?" Liam laughed.

"Of course, we can. Whatever you would like."

Liam put William down and helped him scoop up a handful of snow, showing him how to shape it into a ball. Then, they began to throw the snowballs at the snowman, laughing and enjoying each other's company.

As they played, Riley couldn't help but feel her heart swell with love and happiness. It was a sight she would never forget, and she knew that their lives together were just beginning.

"Riley, watch out!"

Riley turned to see a snowball hurtling towards her, and she ducked just in time, laughing. "Hey, that's not fair, you two!"

Liam and William looked at each other, trying to hide their giggles, and Riley picked up a handful of snow, forming a snowball.

"If you throw that snowball, you're declaring war."

Liam ducked as her snowball flew past him.

They shrieked with laughter, running around and chasing each other. As the sun began to set, Liam picked up his son and kissed his forehead and pulled Riley close.

“This is definitely going to land me on your naughty list.”

"Would that be a bad thing, Li?"

"God, no!"

Liam put William down and held his hand out for Riley, pulling her in close to his side.

"And I love you, my love," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her.

Riley melted into his kiss, savoring the moment, knowing that this was only the start.

Liam stood up and turned away from the fireplace after starting a warm glow, heading into the kitchen. Riley had prepared a feast of pasta, meatballs, and salad.

"Dinner's ready," she called out.

"Smells delicious."

"Hopefully, it tastes as good."

"William is fast asleep on the sofa. Let me get him into his bed."

"Okay, Liam, thank you."

They sat down and dug into their meal, both enjoying the warmth of the fire and the comfort of being together. Liam couldn't help but marvel at how normal things seemed.

As they ate, Liam cleared his throat, "I spoke to Leo earlier."

"Oh?" Riley's heart started to race, knowing that Liam will eventually have to go back home to Cordonia.

"We need to get back to the Capital."

Liam looked at Riley, his heart filled with love and sadness. "I wish I didn't have to leave you and William."

As Liam looked st Riley, his heart tightened.

"Liam, is something wrong?"

"No, everything 's fine. Just a lot on my mind."

"Me too, Li. But we'll be waiting for you here."

"I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise."

"I know."

"Wait!" Riley untangled her arms from Liam and ran to the kitchen.

When his guard appeared at the door, Liam leaned in to kiss Riley goodbye, he could not help but think about all the moments they had shared together over the past few days. It was a bittersweet moment, and he couldn't help but feel a tug at his heart.

"Ri, what are you doing?"

"Just wait, you’ll see, Li."

A few moments later, Riley returned, carrying a twig of mistletoe.

“Ahhhh, I see.” Liam watched Riley with amusement as Riley was trying to figure out a place to attach it.

"There. Now we can have our Christmas kiss."

Liam laughed, "You' dont have to bribe me, love." ...as the mistletoe twig fell to the floor.

"I know. You've mentioned it a few times."

"Well, it's true."

Liam picked up the mistletoe and held it over their heads, grinning. "My future queen."

"My king."

Liam gently wrapped his hand around her cheek as he tugged her close. They shared a passionate kiss, both of their hearts aching with the thought of separation.

"I love you, Riley. With everything that I am."

"And I love you, Liam. ....so much."

As they pulled away, Liam tucked the mistletoe in his pocket, determined to bring a piece of their love story back with him to Cordonia.

"Take care of yourself, Riley. I will be back as soon as I can."

"Stay safe, Liam."

With one final look, Liam left the brownstone, his heart heavy.

Moroccan Royal Palace

The heat from the Moroccan sun was stifling, as Madeleine sat on the outdoor terrace reading the latest news from Cordonia. Looking up, she saw a familiar face walking towards her.

"Father ..." Duke Godfrey had a grim look on his face.

"The council has just received word that King Liam has been spotted in America with a woman and a child. He has a son."

Madeleine's eyes widened, "with her? That cannot be true."

"Apparently, it is. You know what this means, Madeleine."

"Yes. Our plan has failed. We must change course.

"How do you propose we do that?"

"Liam has made his choice, and now we must make ours. There is only one way forward."

"And what is the next step in our plan, father?"

Madeleine smirked, "I couldn't agree more."

"We must ensure that no one stands in the way of the succession of the true heir, your son."

"How do you suggest we do that?"

"It seems we will have to remove them from the equation. Permanently."

Madeleine smiled coldly, "I've been waiting a long time for this. Let's get started."

As the sun set over the Moroccan desert, Madeleine stood on the terrace, surveying the landscape, thinking.

Brooklyn Heights, New York City

Riley was startled when Bastien showed up at her door, but she couldn't say she was surprised. After everything that had happened, she had expected Liam to take extra precautions.

"Your Majesty has sent a team of security personnel to protect you and young William."

"Oh. I see.

"I apologize if it's an intrusion, but the King wants to ensure your safety and that of the Crown Prince.."

"It's not an intrusion, and I appreciate the gesture. Thank you, Bas."

What Riley wasn't expecting was the added security of Interpol.

Leo had also arranged for his Interpol contact, Damien Nazario, to oversee Riley and William's security when Liam has to return to Cordonia as an added precaution.

When Riley opened the door, she was greeted by a tall, muscular man with dark hair and a serious expression.

"You must be Riley. I'm Damien Nazario. Your security detail."

Cordonian Royal Palace

He shook his head, trying to focus on the task at hand. He had a lot to discuss with Olivia, and he didn't have time to get lost in his thoughts.

As Liam stepped off the plane, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He had missed Cordonia, but there was a big part of him that wished he could have brought back Riley and William with him.

But it was too early for that.

Something felt off.

As he entered the palace, he was greeted by a familiar face.

"Your Majesty, it's good to see you," Olivia said, smiling.

"Likewise, Olivia. Shall we head to my office?"

"Of course."

As they entered his office, Liam's eyes landed on a letter that had been placed on his desk.

As they walked through the halls of the palace, Liam could not shake the feeling that something was wrong. It was a strange sensation, and he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"What's this?"

Olivia's eyes widened, "I have no idea. I didn't see anyone leave anything."

Liam picked up the letter, and as he read its contents, his blood ran cold.

"What is it, Liam?"

Thanks for reading!

📌Liam x Riley, MC /OTP @jared2612 @irisk12 @thesvnsins @walkerdrakewalker

📌Liam x Riley, OC @emersyn-in-cordonia @mainstreetreader @belencha77 @walkerdrakewalker @iluaaa @mysticalfangirl @queenwalton @bascmve01 @umccall71 @choicesfrog @amandablink

📌Liam x Sophie @charlotteg234

📌Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @choicesflashfics @choicesdecember2023 @choicesholidays

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mysticalfangirl · 5 months

Text

Turning the Page

-6- Right Here Waiting

Choices, The Royal Romance, AU

Series Premise: As Riley Brooks journeys through life as a single parent in New York City, an epiphany strikes as she contemplates the future for herself and her two-year-old son.

Turning the Page Masterlist

Main Pairing: Liam Rys x F!MC Riley Brooks

All characters belong to Pixelberry, except William Brooks (Rys) and Matteo Magro, who belong to this series.

Category: On-going series, contains angst/fluff/depression.

Rating: M🔞Warnings - Series will contain crude language, NSFW material – not Beta’d - please excuse all errors.

Right Here Waiting - 6

Chapter Summary: After spending time with his son, Liam begins his journey to repair his relationship with Riley.

Music & Title Inspiration: Right Here Waiting, Richard Marx

A/N2: My submission for @choicesflashfics, Week#59, prompt #3 - “That was then. This is now. Things change.”

A/N3: My submission for @choicesnovchallenge, prompt #28, Holidays and Events – French Toast Day

Words: 2500

Brooklyn Heights, New York

Straightening his back, Liam rubbed his eyes, as the jet lag took its toll. After checking the time on his cell, Liam stood up and took another look at his sleeping son. His heart was full, and he felt a sense of peace that he had not known in a long time. He knew it would take time, but he was determined to earn Riley's trust again, and that he would never give up on his son.

Riley waited for him in the kitchen and offered a warm smile as he entered its rustic décor. “I know it's late, but I'm starving. Do you want something to eat?”

Liam was grateful for the offer. “Yes, thank you. I haven’t eaten anything since lunch. That would be great.”

“Have a seat, and I’ll make us some dinner.” Riley smiled coquettishly, pulling a chair for him from under the table.

Liam sat down at the kitchen table and watched as Riley busied herself with preparing their meal. It was a surreal moment, and he had a hard time believing that this was actually happening, but the aroma of the food and the sight of Riley moving about the kitchen with ease, made it all too real.

As they ate, Liam could sense the tension between them. He knew there was so much left unsaid, but he was hesitant to push Riley too far, too fast. He decided to try a different tactic, one that was more familiar to them both.

“How have you been, Riley?”

Riley was startled by his question, and her eyes darted up to meet his. “I’ve been … okay. Busy with work, and William keeps me on my toes,” she replied.

“Tell me about him,” Liam encouraged.

Riley’s eyes lit up, and a smile tugged at her lips. “Well … he’s amazing, Liam.” Riley’s eyes sparkled with genuine love. “He’s smart, funny, and so full of energy. He loves animals, and his favorite food is chicken nuggets. He’s just …” she trailed off, tears filling her eyes.

“He’s your whole world,” Liam finished for her.

“Yes,” Riley said softly, her voice choked with emotion.

“I am so, sorry I was not there for you, Riley. For both of you.” Liam’s expression was wistful.

“Liam, how could you have known?” she replied, looking down; not able to return his gaze.

Liam reached across the table and gently squeezed her hand.

“Riley... look at me, please.” Slowly lifting her head, she met his gaze. “I will never stop regretting that I was not there for you. That you felt that you could not confide in me.”

She gave him a tearful smile, her lips trembling. “We both know, had I told you, you would have given up the throne. And the country could not afford that. And Madeleine …” Riley lost her battle with her tears and looked down to her hands. “Madeleine would have taken advantage of the situation, and …"

Liam sighed, his thumb brushing the back of her hand. “Riley, I would have found a way. But you are right. My duty is to my people, first and foremost. Duty is important, especially when its most difficult to carry out.”

“That is what I admire most about you, Liam.” Riley’s breath hitched, “that is why I agreed to be your mistress when Tariq couldn’t be found.”

“Riley, you were never my mistress, you are the love of my life,” he replied, his voice firm.

“Liam, please.” Riley wiped the fresh tears away.

“No, Riley, please let me finish...

When I was crowned King, I vowed to always put the needs of my people before my own. I went through the motions of an engagement and then the marriage. But the day you left, love, I realized that without you, I could never be the King my people deserved. I was miserable, and I knew that if I lost you forever, I would never be happy again. Riley, you are my home.”

“Liam, I …"

“No, my love. You do not have to say anything. I just need you to know how I feel. I love you, and I will do whatever it takes to prove that to you.” Liam watched as Riley broke down and he at once moved to her side, taking her into his arms.

"You don't have to say anything," he assured her. "I just want you to know that I'm here for you, and I'm not going anywhere. If you feel the same about me.”

"What about Madeleine?" Riley asked, her eyes searching his.

"As of this afternoon, Madeleine was served with dissolution papers. My lawyers have already let me know that, in exchange for clemency, that Madeleine will leave Cordonia. Riley, that marriage and along with it, the Cordonian arrangement, has been absolved.”

Riley was speechless, clearly overwhelmed by his revelations.

Liam lifted his hand to cup her cheek; he could see the exhaustion on her face, and he knew they both needed some rest. "Let's get some sleep, and we can talk more tomorrow."

Riley nodded and stood, and he followed her down the hallway to her bedroom. They walked in silence as Riley's nerves were very aware of Liam’s proximity. He looked so good, and it had been so long since she had felt his touch. She demurely smiled up at him and started to pull him through the door.

"Riley," Liam began, slowing his walk, pausing beside the guest room.

"But..." Riley protested.

"Please, Riley, let's not rush this. I want to do things right this time. Let us begin to re-write our story.”

Liam kissed her cheek. "Good night, my love. Sleep well."

"You too, Liam," she responded.

As Liam turned to leave, Riley impulsively reached out again to pull him close. Their lips met in a tender kiss, and Liam was lost in the sensation of her soft lips on his. It had been so long, and his body reacted instantly, the fire within him threatening to consume him. He forced himself to pull away, his breath ragged.

"Riley..." he warned, unhooking her arms from his neck.

"I know, Liam, I just had to have one last taste."

Liam laughed, his heart soaring. "One last taste? Who said this will be the last time?"

Riley giggled, her face flushing. "Good night, Liam."

"Good night, Riley."

They stood there for a moment, each taking in the sight of the other. Finally, Liam reluctantly turned and headed into the guest room. Riley closed her door and leaned against it, her heart pounding. She could not believe what had just happened, but she was elated and hopeful for the future.

The Four Seasons Hotel, Manhattan

Stumbling into the penthouse suite, Leo chortled, guiding the blond to his room with his hands firmly locked on her waist. The young woman giggled and pushed the door open, and he followed, closing the door behind them with a kick.

"Now where were we?" Leo suggestively said, pulling the woman close and kissing her soundly.

"Leo, stop," the woman giggled, pushing him away.

"Come on, baby, don't be like that," he purred, pulling her close again.

"Leo, no ... you're drunk," she protested, but he could tell she was enjoying the attention.

"So are you," he countered, his lips scaling down her neck.

“I know,” she snickered. “Do you remember my name?” Leo pulled away and looked at her. She was gorgeous, and he couldn’t help but smile.

"Of course, I do," he lied, "but maybe you can refresh my memory?"

She laughed and shook her head. "It's Ashley."

"Ashley," Leo repeated, tasting the name on his lips. "I like that."

"I bet you say that to all the girls," she teased.

"No, no ... only the beautiful ones," he replied, his words slurring slightly.

Ashley laughed, "hey, stop .... your phone is vibrating!"

Leo grabbed the phone from his pocket and squinted at the screen.

"It's a text from my brother. It says, 'we need to talk.’”

Concerned, Leo called Liam back at once, disentangling Ashley's arms from his neck.

"What is it, Li? Are you alright?" Leo's voice was laced with worry.

"I'm fine, but I have news." Liam's tone was calm, which confused and intrigued Leo.

"What's going on, Liam?" Leo asked, his concern growing.

"Riley and I... well, I just met my son."

After a moment of silence ...

"You...you have a son?" Leo repeated, his eyes widening in shock.

"Yes. William. Riley's son. Our son."

Leo ran his hand through his hair and looked around the room, his mind racing.

"Are you there, Leo?" Liam asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, sorry. This is just a lot to take in."

"I know. I'll explain everything later. I will be staying here with Riley, for now. I need you to take care of a few things for me."

"Sure, Liam. Anything," Leo agreed. “But I need all the deets, asap.”

"Thank you. And Leo, keep this quiet. We don't need the press finding out about this."

"Li.... what should I tell Olivia? The council? They are expecting you to attend the Five Kingdoms Festival opening ceremony next weekend."

"That was scheduled months ago. That was then. This is now. Things change."

"You got it, Liam. Talk to you soon."

Leo ended the call and stared at his phone, still trying to wrap his head around his brother's news. He looked up to find Ashley slipping out the door. Sighing, Leo poured scotch into a crystal tumbler and switched on the television.

Brooklyn Heights, New York City

The sun's rays were streaming through the patio doors of the kitchen as Daniel scooped three teaspoons of sugar into his black coffee. Matteo quickly kissed him goodbye before heading out the door as William climbed up on his toddler chair with his train car.

"So, buddy, what would you like for breakfast?"

"I'm hungery, Dan Dan."

Grinning, Daniel poured apple juice into a sippy cup, "you are? Hmmm. I'm thinking french toast with berries and syrup.”

William's face lit up, and he clapped his hands excitedly. "Yummy!"

"You got it, kid," Daniel chuckled, pulling out a pan and the ingredients.

Liam walked into the kitchen as Daniel's eyes widened in surprise. "Your Majesty, good morning."

"Good morning, Daniel. I think it's time you started calling me Liam. No need for formalities."

"And good morning to you William." Liam smiled affectionately, turning his attention to his son.

William looked up to the tall man, shyly, "Hi".

"Okay, Liam. Can I get you anything to eat or drink?"

"Just a cup of coffee, please."

Daniel poured the King a cup as Liam sat down at the table; already knowing that Liam had come to reunite with Riley yesterday evening.

William was watching Liam closely and offered to share his toy train.

"For me? Thank you." William smiled and pointed at his breakfast.

"Dan Dan made me it."

"Is that so? It looks delicious. Do you mind if I have some too?"

William giggled, "okay."

"Dan, could you please make me a plate as well?"

Daniel nodded, "absolutely. Coming right up."

"Thank you.”

“So, William, I see you like trains?"

"Yes! And puppies.”

"Wow, you really do like a lot of things."

William grinned, taking a sip of his juice.

"You and I have a lot in common. I love trains, too. And... puppies.” Liam smiled.

William grinned, "you're funny, Mr. Liam."

"You think so? I'm glad you think so, William. You know, I've always loved trains, even when I was a little boy. Would you like to hear a story about a train I rode on once?"

William's eyes widened in delight. "I like stories.”

"Okay, here goes," Liam said, taking a bite of his food. "One day, when I was about your age, my father and I were traveling across the country, and we decided to take the train instead of our usual car. It was a very big train, with many cars, and we had to ride in a special car just for us."

"Wow!" William exclaimed; his eyes wide with wonder.

"We rode that train for hours and hours, and we stopped in many different towns and cities. Each one was more beautiful than the last. But then, something strange happened."

"Oh," William asked, his face a mixture of fear and curiosity.

"We got stuck. The train stopped working, and we were stranded. It was a very scary situation. We were all alone, with no one to help us. We had no idea what to do. But then, something amazing happened."

"What? What happened?"

Liam leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, "a magic train came along and rescued us. It was like something out of a fairy tale."

"Wow," William breathed, eyes wide.

"Yes, it was quite incredible. We were all safe, and the train took us the rest of the way. But it was an adventure I will never forget."

"Wow," William breathed in awe.

Leaning against the doorframe, Riley looked at the two, smiling as she took in the scene before her.

"Good morning, everyone," she announced brightly.

"Good morning, Riley," Liam replied, standing up to greet her, kissing her cheek.

William's eyes widened, "Mama, look, Mr. Liam told me a story."

Riley grinned, ruffling her son's hair, taking the seat next to William.

"LiLi, this man …” Riley reached across the table and squeezed Liam’s hand.

“... is your Daddy."

"Daddy? My daddy?" William turned and looked up at his father, eyes wide, filled with wonder.

"Yes, I am," Liam softly replied; overcome with emotion.

Liam stood and knelt, meeting his son's eyes. "I've been away for a while, but I'm here now, and I want to be part of your life, if you'll have me."

William smiled, wrapping his arms around Liam's neck. “My Daddy.”

Liam's heart swelled as he embraced his son.

"And Mama, too?" William asked.

"Of course, and Mama too." Liam looked at Riley lovingly.

Thanks for reading!

📌TRR/TRF Liam & Riley: @irisk12 , @walkerdrakewalker @thesvnsins @jared2612

📌Turning the Page: @emersyn-in-cordonia @mainstreetreader @belencha77 @iluaaa @mysticalfangirl @queenwalton @bascmve01 @umccall71 @choicesfrog @amandablink

📌Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @choicesflashfics @choicesnovemberchallenge

79 notes · View notes

mysticalfangirl · 6 months

Text

Turning the Page

Against All Odds –5-

Choices, The Royal Romance, AU

Series Premise: Series Premise: As Riley Brooks journeys through life as a single parent in New York City, an epiphany strikes as she contemplates the future for herself and her two-year-old son.

Turning the Page Masterlist

Main Pairing: Liam Rys x F!MC Riley Brooks

All characters belong to Pixelberry, except William Brooks (Rys) and Matteo Magro, who belong to this series.

Category: On-going series, contains angst/fluff/depression.

Rating: M🔞Warnings - Series will contain crude language, NSFW material – not Beta’d - please excuse all errors.

Words: 2812

Against All Odds – 5

Chapter Summary: Liam and Leo arrive in New York City. As Leo represents Cordonia and attends the U. N. conference, Liam, with the assistance of security intelligence, finds and reunites with Riley, uncovering her secret.

Music Inspiration: To Love Somebody, Beyries; More Than Words, Extreme

A/N2: My submission for @choicesflashfics, Week#58, prompt #3 - “I just wanted to make sure you were ok.”

Brooklyn Heights, New York City

As the season's first snowflakes fell softly on the ground, Riley sat curled up on her couch, a soft blanket tucked around her legs, her laptop balanced on her knees. William, who had spent the afternoon playing with his toy train and building blocks, was now napping peacefully beside her.

Riley was lost in thought, the events of the past few days weighed heavily on her mind. She had read the news about Madeleine's pregnancy and had read the press statements on the internet. She was more than surprised by the announcement and curious about Liam's reaction to Madeleine’s revelations. Of all the questions she had, what bothered her most was the question of what would happen next. She couldn't imagine the stress Liam was under, but she also couldn't help but feel a sense of relief that the marriage was finally over.

Riley was drawn from her thoughts by the sound of her cell phone ringing. She reached over and picked it up, glancing at the caller ID. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw that it was Maxwell. She took a deep breath and answered the call. "Maxwell, hello!" she said, trying to sound casual.

"Riley! I am so glad I got a hold of you! Are you doing alright? “I just wanted to make sure you were ok.” Maxwell's voice was filled with concern. Riley could hear the background noise of the city through the phone, and she could picture him rushing down the busy streets of the Capital, his phone tucked between his ear and his shoulder. "Did you see the news? How are you holding up?"

"I'm okay, Maxwell. A little shocked, but okay." Riley paused, her mind racing. She wasn't sure how much she should reveal, but she knew that she could trust Maxwell. "To be honest, I've been thinking a lot about Liam and wondering how he's doing. Do you know if he is alright?"

Maxwell hesitated for a moment before responding. "I'm not sure, Riley. He was not taking questions after the press conference. When Drake and I tried to get his attention, he was called away by his advisors, but he did smile back at us. I think he'll be okay." He paused again, and Riley could tell that he was carefully choosing his words. "Look, Riley...I don't want to keep secrets from you, and there's something you should know."

Riley's heart started to race. "What is it, Maxwell?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to be blunt. Liam is coming to New York, Riley. He's coming to find you."

Riley was speechless. Her mind was reeling, and her heart was pounding. She had so many questions, but all she could manage to say was, "He's coming here?"

"Yes, he's arriving tonight. Look, Riley, I know you're probably not ready to see him yet, and that is completely understandable. But I wanted you to hear it from me and not from someone else. And... I just want you to be prepared."

Riley's head was spinning, and she could feel tears starting to well up in her eyes. "Maxwell...I don't know what to say … are you sure about this?"

“Little blossom, yes,” Maxwell responded, somberly.

"You don't have to say anything, Riley. Just promise me that you'll give him a chance. He needs you now, more than you know.”

***

As the snow continued to fall, Riley sat quietly on the couch, staring out the window, lost in thought. Her heart was conflicted. On the one hand, she knew that Liam’s arrival would bring a torrent of emotions and feelings that she was not yet ready to face. But on the other hand, she could not deny that part of her was excited to see him again.

… and William! Riley’s swallowed hard; her hands trembling, as she felt him stir beside her.

The Four Seasons Hotel, Manhattan

Liam stared out of the floor to ceiling window of the penthouse suite, the lights of the Manhattan skyline spread out before him. He was filled with a mixture of anticipation and apprehension. He knew that finding Riley was the first step, but he had no idea how she would react to his arrival. He sighed and turned away from the window, walking over to the bar cart.

“Well, Li, how do I look?” Leo asked, walking out of his room, slipping gold cufflinks into his sleeves.

Liam chuckled and lifted a bottle of Macallen and poured the amber liquid into two crystal tumblers. “Very dapper, brother. I’m sure the ladies will love it.”

“Oh, please. Like I need help getting their attention.” Leo flashed a wicked grin, accepting a tumbler of scotch.

“Right. Just make sure you stay focused, Leo. I am counting on you to stand for and represent the crown.”

Leo raised an eyebrow. “I know, I know. You have nothing to worry about. I will handle the press and keep them off your back.”

Liam nodded, grateful for his brother’s support. “I appreciate it, Leo. What would I do without you.”

“You would be a royal mess, that’s for sure,” Leo quipped.

Just then, a knock at the door interrupted their conversation. Bastien opened the door, allowing for a stream of Liam’s royal guards into the suite.

“Your Majesty, we have a report that the American media has caught wind of your arrival and are converging on the hotel.”

“It’s showtime,” Leo said with a smirk, downing the last of his drink.

Clapping Liam’s shoulder, Leo left with two of the guards to attend the U.N. conference opening ceremonies. Liam had no doubt that his brother would be the center of attention and charm of the press and dignitaries. As Liam finished his scotch, he turned his attention to Bastien.

“Bastien, is the car ready?”

“Yes, Your Majesty, it is waiting downstairs. There is press coverage outside the front entrance; I suggest we exit via the service entrance, Sir.”

“Very well, lead the way.”

The limo ride to Brooklyn was a blur, as Liam’s thoughts were consumed with seeing Riley again. He knew he was taking a significant risk by arriving unannounced, but he could not let another moment go by without reaching out to her.

When the limo finally pulled up in front of her brownstone, he took a shuddered breath as he watched Bastien get out and perform a quick perimeter sweep. Once completed, Bastien returned to open the limo door, and Liam stepped out. As he walked toward the steps and up to her door, the air felt electric, and he could feel his heart racing.

What would she say when she saw him?

Would she even speak to him?

Liam had so many questions, but the only way to find the answers was to take a leap of faith and knock on her door. He hesitated for a moment, then lifted his hand and rapped on the wooden door. After a few moments, the door opened, and Liam’s heart stopped. There she was, the love of his life, the one who had captured his heart and never let go.

“Riley...”- he managed; his voice choked with emotion.

“Liam,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Their eyes locked, and Liam felt as if the rest of the world had melted away. They stood there, staring at each other, both lost for words. Liam’s mind raced, and his heart pounded. He had imagined this moment so many times, but now that he was standing here in front of her, he was paralyzed with fear and uncertainty.

...and, wow, she looked incredible!

Her chestnut hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her chocolate brown eyes sparkled with emotion. She was dressed simply; a soft, silver grey sweater and jeans. But there was no mistaking the elegance and grace that radiated from her. Liam’s breath caught in his throat, and his heart ached with longing.

She was his sun and stars, his everything.

He knew he was in for a battle, but for Riley, it would be worth it.

Riley lost her struggle, her eyes welling with tears.

“Liam...” she managed, before stepping forward and wrapping her arms around his neck.

He held her close, inhaling her scent, savoring the feel of her body against his. It felt like a dream, a moment too good to be true.

“I missed you,” he whispered.

“I missed you, too.” Her voice was a soft murmur, muffled by his shoulder.

Liam felt her trembling, and he pulled away to look into her eyes. “Are you alright?” he asked, concerned.

“I’m fine. I’m just...” she trailed off, unsure how to continue.

He smiled tenderly and gently brushed a strand of hair from her face. “It’s all right. I am not going anywhere.”

His heart was pounding as he looked down into her beautiful eyes, and he knew in that moment that he would do anything for her.

Riley grasped his hand. "Please, please, come in." She turned and pulled him toward the living area and motioned for him to sit on the sofa.

"Would you like something to drink? Wine, scotch, whiskey?" Riley asked.

"Scotch sounds great."

As she busied herself with pouring his drink, Liam took the opportunity to look around her home. It was filled with warmth and love, and it was clear that a family lived there. Toys were neatly gathered beside the fireplace, alongside a bookshelf of children's books.

Riley returned with his scotch and settled onto the couch next to him with bottled water for herself.

“You have a beautiful home, Riley,” Liam commented.

She smiled shyly. “Thank you. It's not quite a palace, but we’re happy here.”

Liam noticed all the pictures, framed and positioned throughout the room. Taking note of the two men and small boy standing beside Riley next to a Christmas tree.

“So, you’ve got a family now. Are you married?”

Riley’s expression grew serious. “No. No, I’m not.”

Liam breathed a sigh of relief. Riley noticed the framed picture Liam referenced.

“Remember, Daniel?” Riley paused, breathing deeply.

“Yes, he worked at the bar...”, Liam’s words trailed off.

“That’s right. Daniel, along with his husband, offered me a place to live, here, when I returned from Cordonia. They didn’t want me to be alone in the city.”

Liam noticed that her hands were trembling as she set her water bottle down on the coffee table.

“Liam...” Riley began, her voice trailing off.

“What is it, Riley? Please tell me.” Liam encouraged, as her eyes filled with tears.

“This is really hard for me.” Riley choked out the words.

“Riley?” Liam questioned softly, placing his hand on hers. The worry now etched on his face.

“There is something I need to tell you, Liam,” her voice wavering. Riley closed her eyes, unable to continue looking at him.

“We have a son. His name is William. He is two years old.” Riley blurted out quickly.

Liam was stunned. Rendered speechless. His head was spinning as he looked into her eyes. He swallowed thickly, not sure what to say.

“Liam, say something,” Riley pleaded.

“We have a son,” Liam said, his voice barely a whisper.

“Yes,” Riley said softly. “I am so, so sorry I didn’t tell you. I wanted to, but it was never the right time.”

Liam took a deep breath and tried to steady himself.

“I know it’s a lot to take in, and I don’t expect you to be okay with it. But I wanted you to know the truth. It was wrong for me to keep it from you.”

“...but I was scared. So scared of what would happen if I stayed in Cordonia. Of what Madeleine would do. Of what that would do to your reputation.”

Liam sat back on the sofa, his gaze not leaving Riley's face.

"I understand why you would feel like you had to do that, Riley. I'm not mad at you," Liam said, his heart heavy.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, concerned.

"Honestly? Confused, hurt, a little angry," Liam admitted.

"I'm so sorry, Liam," Riley said, her voice breaking.

"Riley, I just need some time to process this."

"I understand," Riley said softly.

"Do you want to meet him? William, I mean," she asked.

"Yes," Liam said, his voice choked with emotion. “Very much."

Riley stood up and walked down the hall. Liam followed her and stopped when they reached a door covered in brightly colored stickers.

Sleeping on his side, wrapped in a blue blanket, William slept hugging his Scooby-doo plushie.

Liam's heart swelled with emotion. He knelt beside his bed; eye-level with the little boy.

“This is your son, Liam. William.”

“My son.” He slowly repeated.

Riley's lip trembled, watching his emotions starting to overtake him. “I'm going to leave you alone with him... if that is OK. I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything."

"Thank you, Riley."

She squeezed his hand and then quietly left the room.

As Liam looked at the child sleeping before him, a whirlwind of emotions washed over him. Pride, love, regret, sadness, all vied for a place in his heart. But most of all, he felt an overwhelming sense of protectiveness and responsibility. This boy, his son, was a gift. Liam would do everything in his power to make sure he was safe and loved.

Liam leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on the boy's forehead.

"I love you, William," he whispered. "I will always be there for you."

With tears streaming down his cheeks, Liam made a silent vow:

No matter what, he would do right by his son.

Thanks for reading 🫶

📌TRR/TRF Liam & Riley @irisk12 @thesvnsins @walkerdrakewalker @jared2612

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