#alternate title: mc being a huge bitch (as they should be)

[radarchives]

i was sent to anime hell and all i got were these 7 stupid pacts

#obey me #mc #alternate title: mc being a huge bitch (as they should be) #they really got protag isekai'd poor soul #at least it wasn't by truck (probably) #this is honestly just my oc valac core he's a dick

[wildernessuntothemselves]

The Last Exhale | Prologue

Summary: The honest and hardworking poor girl finds love in the arms of the rebellious and charming rich boy, and despite all odds, their love prevails and their inspiring story gets its fairytale ending when the two tie the knot, cementing their love under the sacred vows of marriage. Except real life isn’t a drama, and the story doesn’t end here for our protagonists who, instead of being the heroes they set out to be, end up taking on the role of the villain in each other’s life story.

Word Count: 1.5k

Genre: Angst, slight smut

Warnings: substance use, domestic violence, choking, bj

A/N: if you feel like you’ve read this as a bts fic before dw I’m the original author trying to continue it as a skz fic. Hopefully I can succeed in that. The general concept of this fic is that each chapter is based on a specific song and set in alternating POVs between the MC and the member so you can see their differing opinions and takes on each event and highlight how biased every person’s perception is.

Song and title of the prologue: Back to Black

POV of this chapter: 3rd person

The member in this story isn’t decided yet so please help me decide by voting between Chan and Lix. And if you can give me a reason for either member that would favor your choice being picked.

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“I can’t believe you just stood there and let your parents humiliate me like that.” She shouts at him, not caring that the entire house staff can hear her argument with her husband.

“But I thought you were a strong woman, an Amazon, who doesn’t need my help.” He mocks her cheerfully.

She grits her teeth together so hard she thinks she could taste the pulverized bone on her tongue. “There is a difference between treating me like a prized show horse and coming to my aid when I genuinely need you.”

He cracks up. “Look at what you’re wearing! A show horse is worth more than your entire life, baby.”

She slaps him. At any other time, He would’ve returned the favor but not right now.

“Ohh, baby, are you in that mood again?” He places a hand on her ass, pulling her up against him. “Told you that you wouldn’t be able to stop for long. It feels good doesn’t it, punishing me? Hurting me? But that’s ok, I like it too. Hit me more.”

All colors drain from her face. That was a mistake. A colossal, fucked up mistake. It was during the worst time of her life, a time where she would’ve killed herself if he’d only left her alone for a second, but he just wouldn’t leave. And before she even knew what she was doing, as if she had blacked out, she was striking him, over and over again. It had started as a way to get him to leave so she can finally do it, she remembers now, but along the way, it morphed into a sick redirection of all her anger and remorse onto him, and instead of leaving or shouting or fighting back, he let her. He stood there, head bowed, and neck bared--and god help her, that only made her hit him more. But it was over now, and she would never go back to being that monster again.

A crazed laugh snaps her attention back to the source of all her torment who was staring at her with a euphoric smile on his face. “What do you say, babe?”

“Are you fucking high? You couldn’t even stay sober one night for me?” She pushed him off. She had specifically requested that he doesn’t do coke today so he can stay alert and by her side at his parent’s dinner party, but what did she really expect from him?

“You can’t blame me when you insist on embarrassing me in front of everyone I know.” She gives him a confused look and he comes up to her and tugs harshly on her dress, ripping a piece right off. “What is this shit? Why couldn’t you just let me buy you something nice to wear? How do you think it makes me feel when people see that my wife dresses cheaper than one of my father’s whores?”

She is about to slap him again but he catches her hand this time. “Not all of us have fathers who can get us what we want before we even think it up.”

“But you have me. Let me take care of you.” He puts his hands on her upper arms and searches her eyes. “Just like I used to before.”

“And have your parents think that they were right about me? That I was a gold digger all along.” She shakes his hands off of her. “And even if I do that, what happens after your father dies and your brother takes control of the company and throws you out. How will you take care of me then? You’re doing nothing to secure your place in the company and soon we will be out on the streets. What are you doing to prevent that? Going to parties and driving your expensive cars around with your friends, denying like a child that your father will ever die?”

“Well maybe if you weren’t such an uptight cunt, we could’ve worked together to find a solution instead of you spending all of your energy on constantly tearing me down and saying how useless I am.” The words held a lot of meaning but her husband’s tone was lightheartedly insane, and that stupid euphoric grin was still plastered on his face.

She could easily argue back that he wasn’t such an angel himself and that he always treated her like she were inferior to him and spoke down to her whenever she tried to suggest something that could help, always making sure to point out that she had no idea what she was talking about because she’s just a cook’s daughter.

But it was useless. He’s high out of his fucking mind and they’ve had the same argument a thousand times before. She turns her back to him and heads up the elegant marble stairway of the outrageously expensive house, looking to wash the night’s events off of herself.

“Fine, just walk away from me after you’ve ruined my fucking buzz,” He shouts up at her, but she’s sure she didn’t really. He’ll be in bliss for hours still while she sits in bed contemplating how in the world she ended up like this.

They used to be so happy before. Nothing could ever dim the love they had for each other, not his parents’ disapproval nor their different backgrounds. They were different people when they were together. They changed just for each other, and they vowed on their wedding day that they wouldn’t let anything come between them.

But the years proved them wrong. They never changed at all. They just came back full circle, and hard. The differences between them became more apparent than ever and as the years went by, they stopped seeing from the other person’s point of view and became more unyielding in their own opinions than even the people that stood in their way in the past were.

So where do they go from this?

The sound of feet dragging heavily across the floor as someone makes their way slowly down the hall would surely frighten anyone, but she doesn’t even flinch. She knew it was her husband finally back home after disappearing for hours like always.

The sound continues for a few minutes until it stops just behind her, and she turns away from the window of her little alcove to look at him. She takes his appearance in, hair and clothes disheveled and a dark aura about him. She holds the joint in between her lips and reaches out to him, looping her thumbs through the waistband of his pants and pulling him close to her before unbuttoning them and pulling them down to his thighs along with his boxers.

There on the inner side of his boxers was the evidence of his night out, dried cum and pussy juices. He didn’t even bother cleaning himself up or changing his underwear before coming to her. He wanted her to know.

She takes a deep breath from the joint and turns her back to him again, blowing out the smoke through the open window.

He never liked when she ignored him. He doesn’t like that at all. He reaches forward and snatches the joint out of her hand and snuffs it out violently with his boot. His high is very obviously over. She’s relaxed now and he’s the one on edge.  

The cool gaze she regards him with pisses him off more and he grabs her by the hair and pulls her down to his dick, “Suck.”

He wanted her to taste that woman on him. He wanted to humiliate her. He wanted to hurt her, but all she felt was numbness.

He is not gentle with her, those days were long over. He moves her around like a ragdoll over his cock, thrusting it down her throat and not stopping even when he hears her gagging around him and clawing at his thighs. Instead, he pinches her nose, cutting off her oxygen supply completely.

“Should I let you die like this? No court would dare condemn me, my father would see to that.” He growls, taunting her with his father’s power the same way she belittled him for it earlier. “It’s what a cheap bitch like you deserves for not knowing her place with her master.”

Her face was turning blue, and her throat was constricting vigorously around her husband’s cock, fighting to let a breath in but only increasing his pleasure. She hears him moaning and grunting above her but she can’t see him through her rapidly blurring vision.

She doesn’t know if he knew just when to stop or if it was a stroke of luck but right as she thought she was about to pass out, he pulls his cock out of her mouth and stops pinching her nose. She falls forward on the floor at his feet, coughing and sputtering, and he watches her from above while he gives himself those last few strokes before cumming all over her. Some of it lands on her face, some on her hair, some on her clothes…In the end, she looks as much of a mess as she feels she is inside.

Despite having nothing obstructing her airway anymore, her lungs still couldn’t believe it, heaving in huge gulps of air as if the supply would be cut off again at any moment.

Her husband tucks himself back into his pants before crouching down over her. He holds her chin in his hand causing more of the cum stuck to his palm to mess up her face. “Why do you have to make me do this, baby? You know that I love you.”

His voice sounded so hurt and sincere that she couldn’t stop yourself from spitting in his face. What did it matter that he loved her, that she loved him, when it wasn’t enough anymore? “You’re nothing to me.”

He retaliates by slapping her, sending her crashing against the floor from the powerful blow. “I’ll make you yield, you’ll see, and then we’ll be happy again.”

He walks away and she stares after him with a hatred that taints her very soul. How was it possible for the human heart to contain so much hate and love for the same person without just giving up?

_______

A/N: before I put this fic on hiatus, I had posted 4 (very long) chapters. I will be reposting one every week and hopefully by then I would’ve written chapter 5.

#stray kids smut #bang chan smut #felix smut

[zaffrenotes]

Thoughts on The Royal Heir, Chapter 11 - The Prodigal Father

Alternate Title: Pies Make Peace, but Cakes Cause Chaos

Word Count: 7800+ not counting the points section JFC what’s wrong with me I’m so wordy

Points are arbitrary and happen at random. Essay/personal thoughts after the point review of the chapter. TL;DR version – Bartie Sr. is back, stealing the spotlight when he can, and utter chaos ensues between the Walkers and the Beaumonts. It feels like we’re never leaving the ranch. Midnight moonlight hookup leads to happy times with your LI and if I haven’t said it already I LOVE LIAM good god he’s just so wonderful and adorable and I want to keep him in my pocket.

I’m putting a cut here to minimize the length of this post if you don’t want to read this, and feel free to add #ZaffEssays and #ZaffDigsDeep to your filtered tags so you don’t see this or future posts from me.

I sourced Drake/Hana playthroughs from BizzysChoices and Abhirio on YouTube, respectively.

Normal text = Liam route | Italics = Drake/Hana/Maxwell route | Bold = applies to any LI/story as a whole

-1 Heeeere’s Daddy…Beaumont. +1 Bartie Sr. thinks Bertrand’s been telling everyone he’s dead -1 How does Drake (and Liam, especially) not know that the Beaumont’s dad was in a coma all this time?! 0 For a dude who’s been in a coma the last decade or so, he recognizes Hana – whomst he’s NEVER.MET. +1 Even as Queen, MC should freak out over this man standing before her -1 Secret rehab just so he could show up the day before the wedding. Mmmkay then. -1 Barto’s ready to take over the house again, just as Bertrand’s evening things out. YUP. -1 Sounds like Barto’s the one that let the house fall to ruin while searching for a miracle cure of whatever illness he had that was so bad he had to be put on life support for years but he still doesn’t understand what was wrong with him WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE CORDONIAN DOCTORS THAT THEY CAN’T DIAGNOSE PATIENTS SOMEONE CALL ETHAN RAMSEY, STAT +1 But he wants to make amends and…start over? +1 TRR frands rally for Maxwell as he tries not to freak out over his dad being back +1 Liam elbowing Drake about the singing thing, lol -2 Excuse YOU Blake but this is not the wedding everyone will buzz about (that was MC’s wedding kthnxbai) +1 A wedding is a huge party, with cake –Jess / I’d ship Maxwell with Party Twin if she wasn’t already with Blake, lol -1 WHY is Hana a bridesmaid and not Kiara??? -1 WHERE IS BARTIE JUNIOR?! (he doesn’t appear AT ALL in the chapter) -1 Jess has already forgotten from a week ago that Sav wanted to ride in on a horse for the ceremony with a special saddle and everything -1 Bianca has somehow not told Sav until NOW that they sold the saddle a while back -1 Barto jumps in, offering to walk Sav down the aisle when um…a member of the WALKER family should give the bride away to you Beaumonts. You ass. +1 Beaumont flashback scene! I guess Bertrand really was more of a rebel when he wasn’t Duke +1 Kraken fingers as part of a secret Beaumont Brother handshake. That is all. +1 Bertrand spares Maxwell of lectures when he can and we find out Barto might’ve had money troubles long before spending money on miracle cures for his oddly unnamed illness 0 Godfrey and Barto are friends, possibly scheming against the Crown and unhappy with Queen Eleanor’s efforts to stop something from happening -1 Fat-shaming Maxwell is straight up RUDE with the “wide suits” comment. DAD. +1 more confirmation that Maxwell secretly wants to be a Disney princess (he befriended squirrels when he ran into a hedge maze, covered in fudge) +1 Bertrand and Hana’s short heart-to-heart about difficult relationships with their parents -1 Chippy I STG if you don’t stop bitching about “freeloading” this and that I will do more than throw cake at you -1 Barto wants to act as our honorary dad too? PASS. HARD PASS. +1 Liam’s unimpressed by the offer as well 0 Quiche is great for all, except for Barto; Chippy…SHUT.UP. -1 and he insults Chuck, who I don’t really care about, but that’s just RUDE, bruh +1 Liam offers to pay the Beaumont’s half of the wedding costs because Chippy won’t shut up about money, but Bianca doesn’t want it +1 Accidental food fight! +1 Brother against brother! Polenta and salad and bruschetta reinforcements! +1 Hana DOES WHAT SHE WANTS, okay Max? +1 Liam likes this, lol. Let that man throw bread at people more often +1 Bertrand stands up to his dad, sets the evening back into order, and puts his foot down on serving quiche +1 [Liam] calls MC a glowing, twilight goddess at the moonlit pond. +1 [Liam] HE WILL BEND THE KNEE, y’all (I love him so much) +1 [Drake] calls MC 1) a work of art and 2) a mythical siren. Daaaaaamn, Walker, nice! +1 [Liam] MC calls Liam out for sneaking her off to secluded water spots all the time, it’s cute +1 [Liam] nearly rips MC’s clothes off or treats her with reverent grace. I love this man. +1 [Hana] turns the scene into a sweet fairytale that they can tell their future child one day, of their moms being madly in love with one another -1 WHERE IS BARTIE JUNIOR -1 Bertrand’s MIA the morning of the wedding. Whee.

T O T A L 4 points for this chapter with Liam as your spouse 1 point for this chapter with Drake/Hana/Maxwell as your spouse

DAD?!: So. Bartie Senior is alive, having recovered from some number of years of being in a (medically induced) coma…and kept his recovery a secret. Umm….how about NO? Drake says what we’re all thinking – “Your dad’s alive?” and “…the way you always talked about him. In the past tense. And he was never here.” – because despite Drakes’s attempts at telling us he’s not really friends with the Beaumonts, he’s friends with the Beaumonts. Wouldn’t he, being a friend, know about Bartie’s condition? At least as first? Wouldn’t Liam, as friggin KING, know about Bartie Sr.’s condition?? Wouldn’t Constantine at least have given Liam a head’s up during the brief time between Liam’s coronation and Connie’s demise about House Beaumont’s status??

ALSO. If OG Bartie’s been in a coma, how does he know who Hana and MC are? (Yes, I get that if he’s taken months to recover, he would’ve started reading Cordonian news outlets and caught up with all he missed out on, but STILL) So he welcomes MC to House Beaumont, and MC can choose to hug him, shake his hand, or freak out over him being not dead. Hug him and he’s surprised at MC’s strength; a handshake gets a smile; Freak out and he’s amused that his return would get such a theatrical response.

Maxwell tells the group that his dad was sick for a long time, with little to no hope of recovery, so having him there in Texas is nothing short of a miracle. MC can respond by asking about his recovery or whether he should’ve called first. Ask about recovery – OG Bartie tells the group he spent months in rehab to recover in secret so he could surprise everyone just before Bertrand’s wedding. Ask if he should’ve called first – he says he didn’t want to ruin the surprise to see the looks on everyone’s faces (thereby making the moment ALL ABOUT HIM).

Firstly…NO. Cognitive function after YEARS (FIF-FUCKING-TEEN OF THEM, as we find out in the next scene) of being in a coma would take such a toll on a person, let alone dealing with things like muscle atrophy and speech therapy. Secondly, what kind of a dick move is that to keep your recovery a secret, just to show up to Bertrand’s wedding? What about the disservice to Maxwell stans, whose wedding was just over a month (maybe two months) ago??? Thirdly, even IF OG Bartie wanted it to be a surprise and didn’t want Bertrand and Maxwell to be notified of the change in his condition, the hospital would HAVE to notify the next of kin because they would’ve had to wean him off life support, which would change the charges on whatever ongoing hospital bill the Beaumonts would’ve been paying all this time. That at least explains part of their financial problems – keeping someone on life support for any extended amount of time is expensive.

At this point, even Bertrand wishes he’d known when OG Bartie woke up probably to avoid his father from stealing the spotlight from what’s supposed to be an important moment for Bertrand and Savannah’s lives which is low key exactly what he’s doing. OG Bartie says he’s ready to lend a hand with duchy things to ease the burden from Bertrand and Maxwell, and MC can either tell him Bertrand’s been managing just fine, or that he could use a break. Bertrand’s managed just fine earns MC a thank you from Bertrand, and he and OG Bartie start talking about why he took over (MONEY); a break would be good so Bertrand can focus on his family results in Bertrand agreeing, but he brings up why he took over in the first place.

OG Bartie tells the group that he spent a significant amount of money on snake oil type “miracle cures” for whatever mystery illness ailed him, but he wants to make amends to his sons now that he’s apparently all healed. Maxwell’s quick to say he didn’t let them down; OG Bartie tells Bertrand to take some time and think over his offer while they focus on the upcoming nuptials. At least Sav’s excited to have a father-like figure in her life now, and OG Bartie offers to do whatever he can to be there for her, and they invite him to attend the rehearsal dinner.

NERVOUS MAX/REHEARSAL CEREMONY: Everyone departs to change and get ready for the wedding rehearsal, and Maxwell’s all flustered as he tries to finish getting ready. Everyone notices how on edge he is, and he explains that he’s nervous having his dad back in the picture – because he’s always been the (loveable) screw-up, but now he has no idea what to say to his father or make him proud. MC can opt to tell Maxwell to tell his dad one of three things – I missed you, just to let him know they can work through re-establishing a relationship; I love you Dad causes Maxwell to have a mini-freakout over whether he loves his dad, and MC reminds him it’s been years since they’ve spoken and to just take things one step at a time; Catch up with 15 years of Pictagram is the lighthearted answer, where Maxwell swivels his anxiety of getting to know his dad again to ‘oh my god do I need to teach my dad how to use a smartphone?!’ and Hana reminds him to focus.

Maxwell wants to be able to show his family – Bertrand, Sav, and now his dad – that he can keep it together for a night. MC and Hana tell him he’s not alone and they’ll help him get through the night, and Liam offers up his support, even if Maxwell needs his friends to cause some kind of distraction. Even Drake is willing to help, though he doesn’t want a distraction to involve singing – to which Liam elbows him, haha.

Time for everyone to dress up! Liam’s in his white shirt/blue cravat and black suit, Drake’s wearing his green shirt/blue blazer combo, and Hana’s in her little black dress. MC can opt to wear her standard LBD, or the diamond option blue dress with floral hemline. I’m a sucker for a blue dress so I bought it. If you buy it, your LI smiles as you twirl for effect.

WEDDING SNAFU: Everyone gathers to a clearing behind the house, where things are set up for the ceremony, and Jess and Blake welcome everyone. Blake has the audacity to say this wedding – THIS wedding – is gonna be the one they talk about across the US and Cordonia. EXCUSE YOU, KATRINA’S A QUEEN and our wedding was the bomb. Not only did she marry the King, she fought off assassins – TWICE – ON THEIR WEDDING DAY. How TF are you gonna top that?!

Jess thanks Liam for his recommendation to use their services to Bertrand and Sav and…personally for me this is weird, because I’ve played ROE and that means Jess is related to Liam (and Katrina) via my ROE MC marrying Leo. So they’re family. I know it’s just one of those things, because PB would have to work in a way to make that work if you did/didn’t marry Leo, but I just think it’s odd.

Jess and Maxwell see eye to eye on weddings – it’s a big party, but with cake at the end, haha. MC asks Jess when do we eat (Answer: as soon as you get through this rehearsal) or how’d you and Blake meet (Answer: opposites attract on a Mediterranean cruise *hint hint LEO*) but Blake tries to keep things professional and on schedule, so everyone gets into place.

Sav thanks MC for being her MoH and Hana… Hana… for being a bridesmaid…when at least one of those roles ought to go to Kiara, who knew Sav before MC or Hana arrived at court and taught this bish FRENCH so she could hide out in an expensive ass city to give birth in secret. There’s talk of how Sav wants to make her entrance, which – Jess. You asked her this a week ago when y’all arrived to start setting up. She wants Drake’s dream wedding but never got to ride a horse down the aisle and use some special saddle that Bianca used when she married Jackson.

Except this is when Bianca tells her they sold it. Not a week ago when the wedding planners showed up. Not a month ago when Sav and Bianca would’ve started discussing wedding plans during MC’s reception where Bertrand proposed to her because she’s a whiny ass and was about to up and leave him AGAIN without a word and it would’ve been a good time to bring up things like “oh hey mom, remember that saddle you rode on when you married dad? I wanna use that. Where is it?’ and I ju—UGH. NEXT.

OG Bartie volunteers to walk Sav down the aisle in lieu of the horse thing, which is a nice offer and all but… shouldn’t a member of her family WHO IS STANDING RIGHT THERE give the bride away to your eldest son, Barto?? Call me crazy, but maybe, just maaaaybe Bianca would like the honor of the symbolism behind letting go of her only daughter; if not her, then Drake – being her brother, and the only male representative of the Walker family. It’s archaic and old-fashioned but so what. I’m sure there’s a small part of him that would’ve been honored to do that for his sister. But Barto made the situation about himself – again – even when Sav tried to politely turn down his offer.

Bianca tries to hide her disappointment and keep her opinion to herself for the sake of keeping the peace between her soon-to-be in-laws (being the bigger person in the situation, which, okay, credit to her for that) but she regrets selling the saddle. I can understand why she would’ve sold it, but at the same time, uh, WHY. If it’s something that was used for some kind of family tradition – Leona hints that their family doesn’t have a lot of grand traditions, but using the wedding saddle was one of them – why not figure out some other way to hold onto it FOR YOUR ONLY DAUGHTER. I discussed this with @ooo-barff-ooo (who came up with a great lil Drake and Joanna AU around the Walker Ranch) and others. They could have rented the saddle out to brides who wanted their own country wedding. They could have RENTED OUT THE RANCH AS A WEDDING VENUE as a side business to the actual ranching business. The property was good enough for Bianca and Jackson to use to get married, why not share that picturesque location with other couples?!?

While the group kills some time so Blake and Jess can set up for the rehearsal dinner, MC talks to Maxwell and Bertrand. If things went well, Maxwell’s in agreement, but Bertrand’s concerned about too many last-minute changes to the wedding he and Sav have been planning, and how their father has a tendency to steal the spotlight.

BEAUMONT BOYS: In a diamond scene, we get another flashback to the young Brothers Beaumont and the way they viewed certain aspects of growing up when their father was still well enough to be in charge of the duchy. Liam and Drake persuade Bertrand to tell MC and Hana about the motorcycle that Maxwell gifted to him in the previous chapter. Maxwell’s in absolute awe of the newly-purchased bike, as is Bertrand. Maxwell can suggest Bertrand do wheelies down the grand staircase – to which Bertrand replies (paraphrasing here) ‘nay, down the railing!!’ – off the roof (into a pool that doesn’t yet exist) – in which case Bertrand says they should slow down – or race through fireworks like a stuntman, to which Bertrand agrees.

Maxwell climbs onto the bike behind his brother, and the engine revs to life. If they ride through the kitchen, Bertrand navigates through the servants corridors and says “careful is for cowards!” when one of the staff tells him to be careful; Maxwell grabs two cookies as they pass through, and they toast the cookies when Bertrand pulls to a stop on the veranda. Suggest going over the pond using Maxwell’s skate ramp and Bertrand hesitates for a moment, fearing what would happen if he doesn’t stick the landing. Then he assures Maxwell that they will absolutely ride over the pond, but he should deny everything in the event that their Evil Knievel stunt goes south. Take a spin around the house and Bertrand speeds around the property.

MC interjects the story and comments on Bertrand’s rebelliousness, causing him to uncomfortably adjust his tie, and he says those were less trying times; comment on having an actual childhood, and Bertrand says in between lectures and lessons, they still managed to find time for some mischief. MC notes their father wasn’t mentioned in the story, and Maxwell’s reasoning is their dad was great because (he wasn’t around to stop them from) they could do whatever they wanted, whereas Bertrand explains that their father seemed to care less about what the brothers did after Lady Beaumont passed. The only time they saw their father was when he pointed out when they were doing something wrong.

Returning to the flashback, Maxwell recalls their father craning his neck to look at them from his study window, and calls them both inside. Bertrand tries to spare Maxwell from another lecture and tells him to watch the motorcycle, and he (Bertrand) goes inside to speak with their father. From Maxwell’s point of view, the exchange between Bertrand and their father went fine, and Bertrand asks what Maxwell planned while he was gone. Maxwell’s been thinking about biker jackets with krakens and tigers on them, and Bertrand says he’ll get them matching helmets. They start to do their secret brotherly handshake, and I couldn’t NOT pick whatever “kraken fingers” are from the options – which means Maxwell holds his hands up to his face and wiggles his fingers like squid tentacles while Bertrand salutes him. Aiming high or low for a high-five type of handshake yields in a high-low slap/handshake/salute or circle slap/hip-check/chest bump, respectively.

A brief switch to Bertrand’s POV in the flashback reveals what happened in the Beaumont study. Godfrey’s visiting with OG Bartie, and Bertrand overhears Godfrey talking about Constantine almost signing some kind of paper, but Eleanor got him to reconsider. OG Bartie tells Godfrey he’s not trying hard enough to sway Connie’s opinion – to which Godfrey replies “I’m not in his bedroom every night!” – referring to Eleanor. Bertrand makes his presence known, and OG Bartie goes into the “why aren’t you doing things to improve House Beaumont’s name instead of goofing off” spiel. Bertrand pulls the mom card and says exercise is important, so he was just enjoying some time out of the house with his brother; their father comments to Maxwell’s wide suits that he used to wear (referring to when he was overweight). Godfrey chimes in and surprisingly defends Maxwell, calling him an adorable boy; he has vivid memories from one of Liam’s birthday parties where Maxwell managed to get covered head-to-toe in fudge and ran off into the hedge maze, where palace squirrels made friends with him before the Kings Guard found him.

Maxwell. Covered in fudge. Befriending his squirrel army. I love this guy so much, why is he so damn adorable?! Anyway, OG Bertie lays into Bertrand about upholding the family name yadda yadda honor the house blah blah blah. Before he departs, Bertrand brings up a matter over an overdue bill, and this likely gets under Barto’s skin, dismissing the accounting issue while he’s got company (Godfrey) present. Bertrand attempts to stand up to his father and either says it’s important house business (Barto says ‘important’ is up to him to decide and it’s not talk of a bill) or swears it’ll only take a moment (OG Bartie says they can discuss it later that night).

Back to Present Day, and MC can either respond with Barthelemy really let you have it or Barthelemy and Godfrey were friends? – with the first option, Maxwell starts to see just how harsh their dad was, and how much Bertrand protected Max from the receiving end of that harshness so Max could have more of a “normal” childhood – just like any big brother would do for their sibling. With the second response, we learn that Godfrey would visit Ramsford often, and stay in the study for hours at a time with their father. As long as Maxwell and Bertrand weren’t too much of a nuisance (of the “be seen and not heard” variety) things were okay. While Bertrand sides with upholding the image and honor of the House Beaumont name like their father, OG Bartie wasn’t the best at setting an example in terms of responsibility – like most parents of his generation, he expected more from his children than he was willing to do on his own. He wasn’t a perfect parent, but Maxwell and Bertrand were expected to be perfect children.

Maxwell tries to defend their father, claiming that Old Dad vs. New, post-coma Dad are different, and he just wants them to be happy together. Bertrand’s skepticism is hard to break though; he’s waiting for the other shoe to drop, because (I might be projecting here) the shoe has ALWAYS eventually dropped. It’s something only an older/elder sibling witnesses, and keeps to themselves instead of telling their younger sibling. Hana offers some comforting words to Bertrand regarding difficult relationships with parents, and at least the Beaumont Boys had each other to lean on when things got rough. Bertrand offers his support to Hana, should she ever need it, and tries to look at the situation with optimistic eyes – but Hana warns that not all bridges can be mended.

ESCAR-NO: The group heads into town for the rehearsal dinner, which is a pop-up restaurant Blake’s set up for the occasion. Almost everyone’s excited to be there, except for… Aunt Chippy. Whining that none of the existing places to eat in town are good enough for “these nobles.” Bianca tries to get her sister to shut up and chill, but all Chippy can think about is money this and money that, especially with the arrival of an “unexpected, free-loading guest” aka the FATHER OF THE GROOM, you BITCH. She complains about Barto trying to talk Sav into upgrading the reception chairs, and Bianca says Sav can hold her own. Also, pot? Kettle. Look at your niece and nephew – one ran off to an expensive city with no plan on income and depended on secret Beaumont money to keep her afloat for at least a year; the other lived in the palace for years upon years as “Liam’s Best Friend” for a job title.

MC, her LI, and the rest of the group sit across from Barto, and there’s an awkward moment as Maxwell chats with his dad. If you paid for the blue dress, you get Barto’s approval – but he credits Maxwell with dressing MC (EXCUSE YOU, SIR. I PACKED THIS DRESS.). MC goes along with it, and Jess starts serving an appetizer of bruschetta.

Barto tells MC that he considers her a member of House Beaumont more than Duchess of Valtoria/Queen, and extends himself as a father to her as a result. MC can respond with one of three options. Neutral that’s kind of you prods Barto to praise her efforts at court to raise House Beaumont’s status, to which your LI responds with an equally neutral “how generous” reaction. With Liam as my husband, I can see him internally thinking “you just want to call my WIFE your family because she helped your House reputation.” If you tell him he’s being pretty forward for someone (I) met six hours ago and MC hardly knows him, your LI says it’s been a long time since anyone at court has known him (and can vouch for him). Barto’s jaw twitches, and he tries to save face by stating the obvious – honorary membership of the House and his role as leader again, now that he’s conscious. A cheery Great! House Beaumont forever! translates to blind acceptance, which is what he seems to want, making an example of MC to his sons about House pride.

To put everyone’s minds at ease, OG Bartie says they can ask him questions to put their minds at ease, noticing that Maxwell is only ever this quiet when he has too many questions on his mind. Panicked by the idea of having only one question to start things off, Maxwell looks to MC for help. If you ask where Bertrand got his love of cutlery from, you learn it’s all part of Things The Firstborn of a House Should Know 101; ask about his favorite memory about Maxwell as a child and he tells a story about the time Maxwell skipped his lessons (again) and found Maxwell in the bedroom, looking in on Lady Beaumont. She was under the weather, so he’d brought her flowers and some of his toys to cheer her up; while his father had to talk to him about not neglecting his lessons, that was when he realized Max wasn’t indifferent to his responsibilities – and began to see there were some things he cared about more. It’s a sweet anecdote, and shows the side of Maxwell that we all know – that boy can wear his heart on his sleeve once you figure out his tell. If you ask to know more about (Barthelemy’s) illness, he tries to gloss over it as impolite dinner conversation, and divulges that it nearly took everything from him (financially perhaps as well as physically?) and his rehabilitation was a long road.

We’re given another family motto – in addition to the Beaumont’s “The depths remember!” – that he repeated to himself during his recovery; “The seas may be rough, but a true Beaumont can weather any storm.” It’s an interesting motto because not only does it make another nod to the Beaumonts being sea-faring people, but it could hold weight in this series the way Olivia’s house motto carried on through TRR.

Jess and Blake serve up the main course to the group as a preview for the wedding reception TOMORROW (I HAVE A BONE TO PICK WITH THIS LATER IN THE CHAPTER) – and almost everyone’s excited to dig into the quiche they’re served. Barto frowns and pokes at the food, and Chippy pulls a Drake and quips at him for the fAnCy food not being fAnCy enough. (gawd I see where Drake gets it from) Barto thinks the dish is fine for being quiche, but too casual for dinner fare at a wedding. Poor Blake says he was going for a rustic theme, which – would totally fit for having a wedding/reception on a ranch for a bride and groom that have likely already consulted with him over the menu. BERTRAND is the groom – you know that man would weigh each decision carefully, taking into consideration what Sav would want/be comfortable with in addition to how each of their choices would be received by anyone from Cordonia’s court as a guest at their wedding. He probably had stress dreams about the silverware and what china to use, and whether whatever decorations they use would be up to par for House Beaumont standards. BACK OFF, BARTO.

Trying to make sure everyone’s happy, Blake suggests changing the dish to something with escargot. This makes Barto happy, but Sav’s not excited – she’s never even had escargot, and she already likes the quiche. How about you don’t change the menu at the last minute, dude? The poor bride will be lucky to get a few mouthfuls of dinner while they float around to tables to say hello to everyone, let the poor woman have her eggs! My god, you’re making my sympathize for Sav and I DON’T LIKE HER.

And then Jess and Blake bring in the cake, with Chuck in tow carrying dessert plates. The cake? Cinnamon sponge with cream cheese frosting and blackberry compote filling. As they prep to cut and serve the cake, Barto gets all o_O and calls Chuck a giant, questioning his attire for the evening. He’s wearing his Big Sky Country outfit (black cowboy hat, black collared shirt with silver/white embellishment) as he usually does for his scenes in this book. I guess it’s too jarring for Barto. Chippy adds her unwarranted opinion (all day, every day, I just want to shout “Nobody asked you, PATRICE!”) and says Barto should pay his share of the wedding if he keeps insisting on making last minute changes to the menu/décor/dress.

Liam tries to offer to pay on behalf of the Beaumonts (knowing their financial situation is still rocky), but Bianca says they don’t need the Crown’s assistance and she’s never asked for anything from Cordonia. WHY THE HELL NOT, BINCS? Your husband died in the line of duty – that’s just like a military soldier being killed in action, or a police officer/firefighter dying while he was doing his job. The very LEAST that could be done is assisting a family when someone literally put their life on the line. BUT WHATEVS. She doesn’t want the help, she wants to do it on her own, that’s fine.

Barto says House Beaumont’s funds are “complicated” right now…honestly, when aren’t they complicated? Between the way he seems to have spent the family money in an effort to cure himself, and Bertrand having to sell off things and work around finances to cover his hospital bills in addition to keeping up (minimal) appearances at court, this family needs lessons in fiscal responsibility.

Things are tense. Some guests are unhappy. It’s all around awkward, but Chuck tries to keep doing his job and offers cake to ol’ Barto, who tries to wave it away. In the process, he strikes the plate and sends the cake flying, landing directly on Aunt Chippy. She perceives this as a declaration of war, and…

Barto gets quiched, courtesy of Chippy. Maxwell rushes to protect his dad, demanding polenta from Bertrand, who doesn’t want to get involved in the food fight. LoL Maxwell argues that if Bertrand’s not with him, he’s against him, and dumps salad on his older brother. Bertrand shoves up his sleeves (fml you stop that right now, Bertrand) and lobs polenta at Maxwell with astonishing accuracy. (LI) swipes wayward cake away before being hit, asking MC who they’re supposed to be fighting, and MC can either protect her LI or go on the offensive attack (you hit Barto and Bianca with whatever food you can grab at).

MUST.PROTECC.KING.AT.ALL.COSTS.

MC tugs (LI) behind a chair as bruschetta flies past. Drake warns his aunt that he’s on her side, and she demands he “cake” Barto. Maxwell’s not sure why the bruschetta keeps appearing, lol – Chuck is somehow still serving food for ammunition, and Hana’s getting into it by throwing slices of cake. If Hana’s your LI, she comments that they’ve been under a lot of pressure and the food fight is a way to release some of the tension. Liam uses a silver tray as a shield against flying cake and uses his free hand to pelt people with bread rolls and--- my sweet king, chucking bread rolls 😂I love him. He finds it cathartic and suggests making it some sort of annual tradition in Cordonia, haha. If Liam’s your LI, he tells MC that throwing the bread/the food fight is a way to release some of the pressure they’ve been under lately.

MC and LI duck behind a banquet table, followed by Bertrand and Sav, who notes the food fight has gotten out of control. LI asks if they should do something to put it to a stop, and MC tells Bertrand to either let everyone know how (he) feels, embrace the chaos, or remember this is only the rehearsal. If you go with the first option, MC says there’s no use trying to be polite at this point; embracing the chaos/reminding them that this is only the rehearsal leads to Bertrand saying “…that’s a thought” and Sav is kind of glad this is all going down now to let off steam.

All points lead to Bertrand agreeing that holding back is no way to live, and he moves to stand, but his father calls for attention first. Barto says they need to establish order again, and he’ll be the one to do it, if necessary, but Bertrand stands on a chair while holding a quiche, and clears his throat. He stands up to his father, defending the choices he and Sav have made for THEIR wedding, putting his foot down on serving quiche. Barto thinks the stress has gotten to Bertrand and tries to get Max to outvote him, but Maxwell backs his brother (AS HE SHOULD!) and says Bertrand knows what he wants. Even though things go a bit haywire, Bertrand can hold it together and make things happen.

Once the food fight is over, you can do the responsible thing and stay to help clean up, or try to run off. If you stay to clean, Blake’s distraught over his cake (I understand your pain, bruh) and everyone works together to get the space back in order. Jess thanks everyone for helping out and says (she and Blake) will see everyone on the big day. IE TOMORROW, RIGHT JESS?! If you run off, Sav says the cleaning duties are included in the deposit, but MC and the others make a run for it anyway, lol.

MOONLIGHT MAKEOUT: Back at the house, MC’s with LI, going over the night. If you’re with Hana, this happens after another round of at-home fertilization. Liam/Drake/Maxwell/Hana then chat about the evening, and somehow the food fight was a good thing for everyone. LI asks MC what else is on her/our mind, and MC can respond with one of 3 thoughts. Thinking about the people of Cordonia, MC wonders if they’ve been away too long and what the people must think of them. [Liam] tells MC the people are likely fine, understanding the need for an heir and what that entails – and then he puts his palm on MC’s belly and I—sdjfksdjhfs. He reiterates how they want to grow their family and I am so SOFT for this man. The YT playthroughs I watched went with the last option, so I’m making an educated guess the discussion was mostly the same with the other LIs.

Thinking about having this baby already, MC worries how long the process will take, if it even happens for them at all, or if something goes wrong. In Liam’s case, he puts his hand on her shoulder and assures her they’ve taken every precaution and have the best doctors available, along with a great support system; not to mention he’ll be there every step of the way.

Thinking about being alone with LI leads to LI surprising MC with a late night swim at a hot spring in the woods. All the LIs use the same line – moonlight, nature, and nothing else/a romantic midnight getaway is just what they need. Say yes to the diamond scene and your LI gets a mischievous grin on their face, and you head into the woods until you find a secluded spring, lit up by moonlight and fireflies.

SWEET EVANGELINE: I’ll break down the diamond scene by LI. First up (with the most detail on the choices) – Liam. MC can respond to the secluded spot by saying it’s beautiful, or she likes any activity where Liam has to take off his shirt, lol. Option A leads her to ask Liam how he found the spot, and he says he’s unwilling to reveal all his secrets (DRAKE. DRAKE PROBABLY TOLD HIM) or else he’d never be able to surprise MC. Option B leads Liam to joke that the lack of clothing might have been a determining factor. Either response leads to MC pulling Liam close by gripping his shirt collar, and undressing him while gazing into each other’s eyes. Before he gets into the water, he carefully undresses MC and places her clothes at the bank of the pond, and steps back to admire her. And then he calls her a GLOWING TWILIGHT GODDESS, FIT FOR WORSHIP. Oh, and he’ll get down on his knees to worship her if she just says the word.

W O R D 

That man. That man, with all the power in his being, is so willing to bend for his Queen, and only then. God I love him. He takes MC’s hand and they head into the water together. MC calls him out on his penchant for sneaking her away to secluded water features – the Forgotten Falls after the Regatta, the Blue Grotto in Italy, and even the lake in Shanghai for a late night boat ride. Liam hopes they can return to the Blue Grotto so he can go diving for another pearl to match the one he’d hidden there for his perfect partner (what happened to that pearl in the first place?!). MC says so much has changed since then, but things are ironically the same, because they either have to steal moments away together or Liam has an eye for romantic escapes.

Liam tells MC that they’ll always be in the spotlight as public figures, so time alone isn’t a luxury they’ll always get. At least for tonight they can just be husband and wife, and Liam can do things like wrapping his arms around MC and kissing her until they’re both breathless. If you tell him he’s got the eye for romantic spots, he’s glad to hear he hasn’t lost his touch, and MC makes a joke that she’d suspect some sort of invasion of the body snatchers if he DID lose his touch. Liam flirts back with “what if *I* wanted to be the body snatcher?” and grabs MC, pulling her in for that breathless kiss again.

MC can either pull Liam in or splash him. Splash him and he splashes you back, and he pins her arms? I think? He’s willing to accept a truce on the condition of a kiss, and I—WHY IS HE SO CUTE? Pull him in for a kiss and MC slides her hands up his back until their bodies are close together and they make out until MC sighs and Liam’s fingers cling to her hips, before telling her that he’s been thinking about this moment with her all day. Both options lead to Liam putting two fingers under MC’s chin (swoon) and kissing her tenderly on the forehead (double swoon) before kissing her on the lips (HALP).

You can either just kiss, or do the deed and – WHY WOULDN’T YOU DO IT WITH HIM YOU PAID GOOD MONEY FOR THIS. Okay, so let’s go with just kissing first – it’s sweet, and you kiss over and over, and he calls you “my queen” again, and you float/let him carry you in the water, feeling safe in his arms. Go all the way and he wastes no time gripping the back of MC’s thighs to hold her in the water, while she locks her ankles around his waist. You’re still wearing too many clothes, so if you tell Liam you don’t have all night, he all but rips off MC’s lingerie and he kisses MC with nearly wild abandon and he says he needs to feel MC close to him. If you tell him you want him to enjoy the process, he takes his time undressing MC with slow, tender kisses and reverent gazes. With rapt attention, he calls MC beautiful as she discards her underwear before him, and she helps him out of his boxers. Both options lead to Liam asking where MC wants him – on the shore or in the water. On the shore he carries MC out of the water into the soft grass by the edge of the water and…yeah. He tugs at MC’s lower lip with his teeth and she grabs fistfuls of grass until sjdhfskdhjf. Stay in the water and he picks MC up again, their movements causing the water around them to ripple. He calls her his queen again and digs his fingers into her waist, breath ragged as he picks up the tempo until you both give in.

Laying on the shore afterwards, Liam confesses how easy it is to forget all his cares while MC’s in his arms. One thing on his mind is how complicated families become, seeing the tension and strife within the Walkers, the Beaumonts, and his own family, and how to relate to their own child as time goes on. MC can either tell him that the food fight like the one they witnessed might not be peak family bonding, but it was hilarious – and even though the night was full of tension, hopefully they can look back on the evening in a year or so and laugh about it. MC wants them to be able to instill the idea that no matter what life drives between them, they won’t be apart for long. If MC opts to say food fights and shouting are her domestic nightmare, she wants them to promise that they won’t keep problems buried so deep that their friends or future children would want to throw food at them. Liam agrees, stipulating that any adult food fights will “only take place under predetermined, consensual rules of engagement.” I think he really just wants to pelt some people with more bread rolls, lol. MC reluctantly pulls apart from Liam and they gather up their clothes, eventually heading back to the ranch so they can sleep in a real bed.

SO. With Drake – at the pond, we find out the water is phosphorescent (algae? All I hear is Tamatoa from Moana talking about bioluminescent “AL-ghee,” lol) and he gets undressed without any prompting from MC. MC undresses slowly, and he says that what he’s looking at (MC) belongs in a museum, because if MC’s “not art, then I don’t know what is.” They wade into the water, and he tells MC the spot they’re in is actually called Make-Out Point; he didn’t understand what that meant when he was younger (when some older boys told him about the spot) and curiosity got the best of him. MC can see why a teenage girl would swoon, and Drake jokes about HIS MC swooning. MC then pretends to swoon in the water and he catches her with ease. He catches MC with a fiery kiss as his arms wrap around her, and she tugs on his hair – which is apparently HIS kink, since he lets out a low groan in response. MC dips her head back and with her hair wet from the totally not radioactive water, Drake pauses to admire her in the moonlight and compares her to a mythical siren wuuuuuut.

They roll with the siren roleplay and MC can tell him to answer her siren call and have his way with her or kiss her; going with Option A, MC tugs at Drake’s hair again and Drake starts in with the foreplay, wanting nothing more than to watch MC writhe at his touch. You then have the option to tell him to be rough or gentle; Drake bites MC’s lower lip as his hips start rocking in the water, and his breath becomes ragged as he increases the tempo, until you both burst.

MC and Drake are on the shore, and she’s laying her head on his chest, and there’s the option of telling Drake she can’t wait to have a bundle of joy cuddled between them, or she’s enjoying the quality time with him before they become parents. MC teases Drake about the inevitability of dad jokes becoming his thing, and they make their way back to the ranch to go to bed.

HANA…the scene with Hana holds the most innocence, so to speak. They arrive at the pond and the scene is described as “a symphony of nocturnal creatures fills the air around the pond” versus focusing on the temperature of the air with Liam, and it being a secluded moonlit spring with Drake. Hana’s already smiling at MC and says this is already the best part of her day. MC undresses first, pausing to let Hana admire her (at Hana’s request), before Hana undresses and MC stares at her, lol. MC and Hana help each other out of their remaining clothes and get into the water, and Hana wanted to give MC some time to relax since they’ve been under pressure and wanted to see how MC was feeling. MC tells her do to the same, and Hana remarks that “secrets mark the death of marriage.”

Hana gives MC a massage, noting that it was exhilarating – if not tiring – to participate in the food fight earlier. MC can return the favor and give Hana a massage or let her keep going; Hana appreciates the gesture and they start to kiss, before MC lifts Hana up into her arms with the help of the water. There’s a lot of heated kissing and touching, and Hana does the ol’ tease you till you’re close then slow down routine, until MC’s ready to explode.

Afterwards, floating around in the pond, Hana confesses that she’s always wanted to sneak into the woods with someone she loves, like something out of a fairytale or swimming in a sea of stars. Hana wished for storybooks where a princess could find love and happiness on her own, with the freedom to embrace her life, and hopes to tell their future child about tales like this. Tales of their mothers going off on secret adventures and stealing kisses in magical forests, madly in love with each other.

RUNAWAY GROOM: AND THEN. WHAT’S UP WITH THIS “A FEW DAYS LATER” BULLSHIT. Wedding rehearsals take place the NIGHT BEFORE the wedding. That’s a pretty common practice, since you’re ironing out all the little details about the ceremony to take care of small issues or timing things. Blake even said it earlier at the dinner – they’re getting a peek at the dinner, which is planned for THE NEXT EVENING, so…what the hell, yo? What’s this “days later” nonsense??

It’s the day of the wedding – WHENEVER THAT IS, because I don’t know at this point – and Sav’s all panicked because Bertrand is MIA. End scene.

I’ve been distracted AF this week, with a lack of regular sleep and my absolute fangirl freakout yesterday over my favorite Liam FC being cast in a new series. (Hint – It’s Henney. He’s going to be in a “tv” adaptation of The Wheel of Time as al’Lan Mandragoran via Amazon. “Lan” is an uncrowned KING/protector/warrior tasked with guarding a female magician as she completes some kind of quest. It’s HUGE. Aragorn level huge – because this (14?) book series is up there with Lord of the Rings and I’ve been missing it for yearrrrrsssss so guess who’s about to fall into a completely new obsession as a result of Henney being cast? YUP. IS ME. Anyway, I digress.)

So Daddy Beaumont is back, eh? I can’t say I’m super excited for the Beaumonts, because it feels like they sort of accepted the fact that he just wasn’t going to be around anymore. Bertrand’s nearly coming into his own as head of the family – although, Bertrand my man, the stress of managing the house hasn’t done you any favors whatsoever, based on that flashback. Maxwell’s starting to coming into his own, with a little help from the gang. It just feels rather suspect that Daddy Beaumont’s appearing NOW. Right before Bertrand and Sav’s wedding (also WTF, he couldn’t recuperate in time for Maxwell’s wedding, if MC was marrying him?) and with everything still sort of up in the air in regards to the Royal Council and getting Cordonia back into a good place.

We’re getting bits and pieces about what might be going on with Constantine and Eleanor before her untimely demise – now with Barto and Godfrey plotting something that Eleanor’s fighting against. Bertrand’s right – their dad really has a way of making moments all about him, with walking Sav down the aisle, and scoffing at wedding details. I don’t like Chippy and her constant griping towards the nobles and frequent nagging about money – it’s a wedding, woman, what the hell did you expect? For it to cost nothing?! But I can see how Barto’s comments could easily piss anyone off, especially a bride on the eve of her wedding.

Which brings me to the subject of TIME once again in PB-land. Blake says the wedding’s the next day, but at the end of the chapter, a “few” days have passed before it’s the morning of the wedding where Bertrand’s gone missing. WHAT. THE. FUCK. Make up your minds, PB! Is it a day or more than 2 days? Like… a simple proofread should’ve caught that! *I* caught that just playing through the chapter for the first time!

I loved the food fight for the absolute chaos that it was, and the interaction of the TRR gang, even amongst themselves. It’s one of the best things about the series that keeps me from not playing. The image of Maxwell dumping a bowl of salad on his brother for wanting to be Switzerland, and then Bertrand with his freakish accuracy at lobbing polenta had me laughing until my ribs hurt. I get it – sometimes the families you marry into aren’t what you expected. At all. You’re going to have these underlying tensions, but you might as well pull a Festivus and air out your grievances, to avoid future food fights when it comes to holidays and birthdays.

Each of the LIs (sorry Maxwell stans – anyone playing his route wanna start giving me recaps?) go through the diamond scene at the pond with accurate representation of their core character traits. Liam’s romantic and passionate, his thoughts constantly on family expectations and how he hopes to raise his child(ren) differently than the way he was raised. Drake’s all sexy and smoldery, and we’re seeing his guard go down in regards to what he’s into (being more submissive, the hair pulling, etc.) as he relaxes into being married. His focus is on enjoying the time together with MC before they inevitably become parents – driving home his whole “appreciate the moments in between” idea from TRR Book 1. Hana’s sweet and steamy, but most of the attention is still on MC and making MC feel good/relaxed/happy. She envisions their life as something from a modern fairy tale – one she wishes she could’ve read about as a kid, and wants to focus on showing their future child that love doesn’t have boundaries.

#the royal heir #choices the royal heir #the royal heir chapter recap #TRH chapter recap #king liam #Drake Walker #Savannah Walker #Bertrand Beaumont #Maxwell Beaumont #Hana Lee #ZaffEssays #ZaffDigsDeep #king liam x mc playthrough #choices king liam x mc #super late recap #I was busy fangirling over Henney sorry y'all #I keep getting distracted and i-- #oooh shiny!