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thecapturedafrique · 2 years

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HLAW: Day 6—Flowers/Throwback

Good evening everyone and happy Hana Lee Appreciation Week! For day 6 I’ll be sharing the character page I created for Hana since her name itself means flower lol. As with the page I shared for Liam during his appreciation week (here), there will be notes below the read more explaining the points specific to my AU.

Tagging @hanaleeappreciationweek and the marvelous hosts @lizzybeth1986 and @sazanes!

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Full Name: Hana Lee Hua

In Hànyǔ: 李花 (Lǐ Huā)

In Greek: Ανθεια Λι (Anthea Li)

Nicknames: Meihua (Xinghai), Xiao Hua (Bao), ánthdáki (Floure), Ánnáki (Liam), Flora (Ally), Han (Maxwell & Penelope)

Noble Title: HG Hana Lee of House Ryuka, The Duchess of Chrysopolis, Guardian of the Realm, DOS, RC

Charge and Colors: sunflower; murrey and or (w/ bleu-céleste)

Epithet: The Ideal/Idol → Psyche Anthea

Age: 24

Date of Birth: September 24th, 1994

Place of Birth: Shanghai, PRC

Zodiac: Virgo ♍️ (Sidereal), Dog 🐶 (Chinese)

Gender: Cis woman

Pronouns: She/her

Sexual Orientation: Biromantic Demisexual

Enneagram: 9.3 (w1; Negotiator)

Optimistic, reassuring, supportive: have a healing and calming influence—harmonizing groups, bringing people together: a good mediator, synthesizer, and communicator.

Height: 5'6"

Race/Ethnicity: Han Chinese, Agni Hito, Malayali Nair

Nationality: Chinese and Cordonian

Face Claim: Vanessa Tevi

Education: Balissande Finishing School; Swiss Grand Diploma in Pastry & Chocolate Arts from Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland

Languages: Putonghua, Shanghainese, English, Cantonese, French, Italian (intermediate), Greek (novice), Latin (studied)

Favorite Color: pink

Tattoos: apple stylized as a heart with an A in its center on right shoulder blade; flowers growing from a book on inner left wrist

Piercings: single lobe; left nostril

Partner: Kiara Theron (girlfriend)

Best Friend(s): Ally Romiere

Family: Lorelai Lee (mother), Xinghai Lee (father), Floure Ryuka† (maternal great-grandmother), Bao Lee† (paternal grandmother), Qinghai Lee (paternal uncle), Yawen Lee (paternal aunt-by-law), Aparna Nair (maternal cousin once removed), Ganesh, Karthik, Ganga, Jyoti, and Manikantan Nair (second cousins)

Character Notes:

Hana’s Greek name is a transliteration based on the meaning of her given name 花 and her Western name Hana, as Anthea also means “flower”

As her House name indicates, she is a descendant of Sei Rhuka; I changed the surname to the correct spelling and covered up PB’s mistake in canon as being in-universe an incorrect romanization

Liam’s nickname for Hana is based off Anthea, which he chose to use in part due to the similarity between Ánnáki and the common Cordonian pet name “ánthdáki,” Greek for “little blossom” and previously used by Floure. Bao’s nickname 小花 was the Chinese equivalent, and her father called her 梅花 (“plum blossom”) when Hana was little.

Not so coincidentally, the plum blossom is one of her favorite flowers next to the lotus and the moonflower

Ally (my TRR MC) actually nicknamed Hana after the character Flora from the Winx Club due to their resemblance in both looks and personality

Since Liam mentions his desire to revitalize the old unclaimed duchies, I head canon that he also bequeathes one to Hana at the end of TRR2, both because she’s proven herself to be an excellent candidate and also because, like with the MC, he wants to ensure that she always has a home in Cordonia

Duchy Chrysopolis in particular is also significant because it was formerly held by his mother Queen Eleanor

Guardians of the Realm are members of the Order of the Seven, a knighthood which confers upon Hana the title of Dame (DOS)

The other post nominal letters RC indicate her status as a member of the Royal Council

Under Eleanor, Chrysopolis’s house sigil was a sun, and Hana chooses a sunflower as an homage to the late queen as well as her own House

During her engagement to Viscount Peter, the media dubbed Hana “The Ideal Woman” or “The Ideal” for short, and after an interview where she names Astrid Leong a fashion inspiration, the homophone “The Idol” becomes another version of her epithet when comparing her to Astrid (who is known as “The Goddess”)

Upon becoming a duchess, she’s given the new epithet “Psyche” (the goddess of the soul) appended to her Greek name, which she shares with the goddess of gardens

Hana’s enneagram is type Nine, also known as “The Peacemaker”: the easygoing, self-effacing type described as receptive, reassuring, agreeable, and complacent. She is a One-Wing, who are generally more idealistic and serious than other type Nines, and her level 3 is the level of social value.

Like their founder Sei, House Ryuka are members of the Agni Hito, the Fire Tribe’s name for their people; their lands are the regality of Antirrhinum, and their sigil is the cherry blossom

Lorelai’s father was born into the regality of Samsara’s noble House Nair, whose founders were Malayali of the Nair caste

In order to attend the Queen Charlotte's Ball, debutantes must be preparing for or enrolled at a university, so Hana is allowed to attend the Culinary Arts Academy in Switzerland where she earns her degree

In my HC, her parents disown her earlier in TRR2 during the Shanghai leg of the trip, and in a moment of pure impulse she winds up exhibiting her new freedom by getting her first tattoo while in NYC; it’s based on the ace of apples, one of the Cordonian card suits that is used within the queer community to represent demisexuality

Hana gets her next tattoo done by the same artist after Liam gives her Chrysopolis, this time choosing a regularly visible part of her body (symbolic of her sense of security)

When a body piercing is offered for free as part of the second tattoo deal, she elects to get her left nostril pierced, having always admired her mother’s own but not being permitted to have one since her parents feared it would “ruin her appeal”

Aparna is The Baroness Samsara and cousin to Lorelai, both of whom inherited the feud between their two Houses; as such, Hana doesn’t meet her until during TRR3’s timeline, and those details will be shared in Hana/Kiara’s love story B&tR

#playchoices #choices #the royal romance #trr #hana lee #hanaleeappreciationweek #hlaw #hlaw day 6 #character page #late again but i am embracing the idea that late is better than never!#not quite sure this totally matches the theme but i wanted to share this anyhow #especially bc i’ve thought of a great idea for tomorrow 😁

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senatorraines · 1 year

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top 5 lines from choices books that make u lose ur mind.

1. has to be "you're the best thing to happen to me in 200 years" LIKE ADRIAN PLEASE 😭😭 WAS ALREADY SOBBING BC MC WAS DYING AND THEN HE SAID ALL THAT I COULDN'T TAKE IT

2. dames indescribable like IM SORRY THE GAG THAT THIS WAS I WISH I COULD EXPERIENCE IT FOR THE FIRST TIME ALL OVER AGAIN IT WAS A MOMENT !!!! choices has never had a twist as good as that since i fear

3. "for the first time in your career, your scalpel hand shakes" LIKE THIS WAS CRACK TO ME I STG !!!! especially for a character like bryce my bby MY GOD . still angry over the fact that we got that in the first place bc of the gassing plot 😐

4. there's a scene in book 2 of trr where liam n mc go to this underwater cove and he starts saying how he wishes he could be with mc freely and how it isnt fair and says "i just want to put the world at your feet" 🥺 like that is my man i miss him sm

5. WE'RE IN MY WORLD BITCH !!!!!!!!! WHICH MEANS WE PLAY BY MY RULES !!!!!!! CULTURAL RESET GAG OF THE CENTURY WE WILL NEVER SEE THE LIKES OF IT EVER AGAIN !!!!! bb mc ate meemaw UPPPPPPPP

ask me my top five anything!

#ask #number 6 is obviously liam's proposal this is making me wanna replay trr soooooo bad u have no idea

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lizzybeth1986 · 4 months

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A Brief History of Alternative Romances in Choices

Series - TRR's Alternative LIs: The "Romances" that Didn't Happen

TW: Mentions of OH2's handling of Rafael (though not in detail), racism.

To be clear, this introductory essay isn't directly related to the rest of this series. TRR operated very differently to the other Choices series' when it came to alternative LIs, so a lot of what I'll discuss here won't actually apply to its specific romance mechanics.

Still, it is important to explore what it means to give an LI an alternative romance in PB, and for that we need to look at what the approach to such romances were. Both in the past, and after TRR became popular. Looking into this gives us a general idea of which specific LIs got an alternative romance, why just them and not others, and what such developments said about the way the writing team viewed a particular character.

The Choices App was introduced in 2016, with three stories that were likely meant to cater to different audiences. Out of the three, the crime drama Most Wanted was the only series that focused on a single romantic pairing.

The other two - The Freshman and The Crown and the Flame - presented players with multiple romance options for their main character(s). TCaTF split its narrative between two main characters - Kenna Rys and Dominic Hunter - exploring both Kenna's fight to gain back and then expand her kingdom, and Dom's discovery of his heritage as a member of the Fire Tribes. Even though Kenna and Dom could be paired romantically, they had other potential LIs. Notably, Kenna had 6 (Dom, Tevan, Raydan, Annelyse, Val and Diavolos) and Dom only 2 serious contenders (Kenna, Rose, Sei, Will Jackson all had romances with him. Of these four, Rose was eliminated early on in the series, and Will was a last-minute addition at the end of TCaTF3). TCaTF didn't seem to focus much on the love lives of these LIs outside of Kenna and Dom, until Book 3 in 2017 - and of the cast only Raydan and Tevan seemed to get hints at other potential romances (with Aurynn and Zenobia, respectively).

Unlike MW and TCaTF, The Freshman's focus zeroed in on just one character. It was the first series to feature a customizable MC, whose experiences and choices alone would move the story forward. The original three-book series featured romances with three LIs - Chris Powell, James Ashton and Kaitlyn Liao. By the third book, two more were added to the roster - Zig Ortega and Becca Davenport.

You could choose a boy/girlfriend by the end of Book 1, and change partners in Book 3 if you weren't happy with your first LI and/or wanted one of the newer ones. The first three books didn't really have any alternative romances for the LIs themselves, but all that was about to change (for two LIs) in The Sophomore (released in 2017).

(Screenshots from the UnruleLee Gaming Youtube Channel)

In TS, the MC had the opportunity to pair James and Kaitlyn up with other side characters if she wasn't dating them. Kaitlyn begins to show an interest in Annisa, the new keyboardist in her punk band. Similarly for James and Reyna, a member of the editorial staff of Hartfeld's student-run newspaper. Both pairings only resulted in long-term relationships if the MC encouraged them enough, and she had both free and paywalled opportunities to do so.

What is noticeable at this point is that there are three LIs that are not given romantic alternatives - Chris, Zig and Becca. Though members of the fandom did headcanon certain pairings that had some potential in canon (such as Zig with his roommate Aaron and Becca with Madison), the narrative itself never indicated any romances for these characters, preferring perhaps to focus on their romance with the MC.

A possible reason for this could have been popularity. At the time, some in the fandom theorized that Chris was the most popular of the OG LIs, and that Zig and Becca garnered popularity quite quickly when they emerged as options in TF3. So there would be a lot more investment from the teams in charge of the book to focus their writing on their MC-centric routes.

James and Kaitlyn received criticism and sometimes outright hate from fans - some of whom complained ad nauseum whenever options to help them with their professional lives or personal development came up, while being largely accepting of the more popular LIs' conflicts. So it is possible that the writing focused on giving these two LIs other romantic options, in a way they didn't need to for the other three.

However, giving James and Kaitlyn other love interests didn't affect their overall writing. The Freshman series handled the balance between all five LIs with a deft hand, ensuring that every LI had adequate growth, development and attention within the narrative. Whether they were single or paired with the MC, all of them had unique stories that allowed the characters to make mistakes and learn from them, to confront their fears and conquer them, to deal with their problems in a realistic way.

James' story wasn't simply stuck on Reyna - he spent most of TS honing his writing skills and developing a novel, and later co-writing a play with the MC. Kaitlyn's story wasn't simply about romancing Annisa - it was about dealing with her insecurities, building her band from scratch, getting over her fears of Natasha sabotaging her again, being comfortable in her own identity. Their romances with Reyna and Annisa felt like bonus side stories that we could get if we were interested enough...not the be-all and end-all of their stories.

Alternative romances for LIs didn't happen in all books. Many didn't bother with one, especially those that wound up being one-book stories. Some books that ended with an elaborate wedding for an MC and their LI also seemed to do away with this too, mostly by eliminating other love interests or making their presence scarce (for instance, in RoE, the other two LIs for "Katie" virtually disappear when she make her choice, only featuring in brief cameos and mentions). Alternative LIs often featured in series' that were successful enough to get three books, so more often than not, two-book series' like #LoveHacks would barely even have the time to develop new characters to date any LI.

The books that did end up following this route often lasted long enough for at least three books (with PM and ATV standing as exceptions), and likely had more than 3 LIs. In certain books the pairing was paywalled, and in others you could choose a number of free options to encourage the romance.

After a while a pattern seemed to emerge in who got such romances. Sometimes the alternative LI was given only to the "forgotten fourth/fifth" of a series (the extra LI who would get the least attention) - sometimes the "lucky" LI would be a character that was NOT a late addition to the roster of LIs, but an OG LI that just got so little attention and buildup it became obvious that they were given an alternative because the writers couldn't be bothered to imagine what their romance with the MC would look like. One can confidently say this because very often the "alternative romance" was written with more thought than the romance with the LI or any of that character's individual problems, and it started becoming very obvious that the writers felt more comfortable imagining the playthroughs where such LIs could only be friends with the MC.

Once the Choices app found its "core demographic" and started churning out more books, there were more and more cases of the writers indicating who their favourites were, early on (through providing a higher frequency and quality of diamond scenes for certain LIs, and through their interviews before the book releases). Which resulted in those characters getting more popular and others less so. And it was this "popularity" that often impacted writing choices and treatment.

Such a system of storytelling results in a vicious cycle, where a team will either assume already that one particular character will rake in more money, and give them a head start over others...or where a writer - through intentional or unintentional bias - could push forward a "favourite" front-and-center to the detriment of other LIs.

Here's a list of books that wrote alternative romances for certain LIs (except for OH, but I will get to that one in a minute). See if you can figure a pattern in at least most of these books:

High School Story 3 (2018) - Caleb Mitchell (Jade Ali), Emma Hawkins (Luis Marino), Aiden Zhou (Cameron Levy)

High School Story: Class Act 3 (2019-20) - Skye Crandall (Lilith Vidal)

Desire and Decorum 3 (2018-19) - Luke Harper (Cordelia Parsons)

Perfect Match 2 (2018) - Sloane Washington (Khaan Mousavi)

Across the Void (2018-19) - Zekei Sentry becomes a love interest both to the MC as well as their sibling Eos Elara.

Endless Summer 3 (2017-18) - Quinn Kelly (Kele), Sean Gayle (Michelle Nguyen). (Technically, almost every LI does get some potential in terms of alternative romance...but Estela and Jake's pairings feature mostly in the AUs shown by The Endless (Sean x Michelle, Estela x Zahra, Jake × Yvonne are all shown - among other AU romances). Quinn and Sean's romances, however, are solidified in the MC's handfasting ceremony with their LI, where the couples could share a romantic look and Michelle even leans on Sean's shoulder.)

In theory, the alternative romance could sound tempting. It allows the MC to demonstrate care and concern for an LI regardless of their romantic interest, or lack thereof. It may potentially give the reader the surface comfort of seeing an LI they rejected lead a happy life with someone they can love. It seems like a win-win situation for everyone.

But it becomes apparent when you comb through both the romantic and friendly versions of these characters' stories, that something is not quite right. I will take two LIs here as an example.

(Screenshots from Abhirio's YouTube Channel (D&D3) and Danni Stone's YouTube Channel (PM1))

Sloane Washington's major character points in Book 1 involve her love for coding and astronomy, as well as her strong bond with her mother. Book 2 (2018) does very minimal work on either of these; once Khaan enters the picture, almost every diamond scene she gets focuses solely on the possibility of a romance with him. The narrative doesn't even focus the reunion with her mother Kim on her!

Likewise, many, many complaints emerged during D&D3 (2019) about the way Luke's wedding was handled. His mother - who is supposedly very close to him - only features in letters and one memory about his brother Ezra's gambling addiction, doesn't have a name, is given a used sprite that isn't even dressed in period-appropriate clothing, and never even attends his wedding. On the other hand, his alternative romance with Cordelia was explored in excruciating detail, to the point where the two are given a wedding and the promise of a future child. It is almost as if the writers couldn't bear to envision him marrying their precious MC.

There are two major things that become apparent the more you observe the above list of LIs who got alternative romances.

One, the LIs that don't get "alternative LIs" are often white and male (Chris in TF, Micheal in HSS, Ernest in D&D, Meridien in AtV) with a couple exceptions. The writing takes care to weave their issues and conflicts into the MC's larger narrative and try their best to ensure that we become invested in whatever they have going on in their stories. A good example of this are Ernest's larger storylines about his stepson Percival and his destroyed house in Book 3. On certain rare occasions (especially when there is no default white man in the LI cast), an ambiguously brown man who can be easily exoticized fits into this role of "Creator's Pet" just as well. The writers spend enough time on perfecting their romances with the MC that there is literally no time for anything (or anyone) else.

Two, in all but two of these books, the LI that gets their 'alternative romance' most often...is a black love interest. On the rare occasion a white character is included in such a list, it is often a canonically queer white woman (only if she is an LI tho, because white female side characters have attention and love practically showered upon them) who ends up in such a position (Emma and Skye from the HSS series'). But besides that, it is usually the black LI - who btw is often one of the first people we interact with and written as the most approachable - that bears the brunt of a narrative that makes it clear that it isn't interested in exploring their story on their terms.

That is why Luke's mother never gets a name or his younger brother is hardly seen. That is why Sloane is sidelined in her own reunion scene with her mother. That is why most of the romantic playthroughs featuring these characters feel so scarce on the details or the nuances, while their white male (or ambiguous brown male) counterparts chew scenery in their own and everyone else's playthroughs.

In narratives like these, the "alternative LI" is no longer the sweet, sensitive, "they deserve happiness" route that it pretends to be...but more a sign that the writers are uncomfortable with writing said LI in a romance with the main character, and the audience they most want to cater to is uncomfortable reading it.

When the intent behind such a supposedly-nice gesture becomes so rife with bad faith, what is the end result? What happens when an 'alternative LI' - a route that seemed to promise happier futures for certain LIs - becomes more of a tool to punish them for lack of popularity? What happens when the company that created this system stops pretending to value the diversity they claimed to pride themselves in??

What happens - is that you get a story like Open Heart 2.

A lot of the stories I mentioned above were written within the space of 2017-2019. In fact, most of the books in the list came out in 2018. During these years Choices was gaining popularity in the choice-based storytelling business, and romance stories were on the rise. Many Choices Books at this point had at least 3 LIs - 2 male and 1 female - and some had more. And most of the writing teams managed to get away with treating their LIs of colour (specifically their black male and female LIs) badly without significant backlash.

At the time of OH2's release (2020), the book had four LIs in its lineup. Ethan Ramsey - like most white male LIs - was meant from the start to chew scenery. Comparatively the other LIs: Jackie Varma, Bryce Lahela and Rafael Aveiro were at a disadvantage and often it felt like the team seemed to work more on writing them out rather than incorporating their stories organically into the narrative. Rafael particularly seemed to suffer from this in the first book, and by this time making one LI the "forgotten fourth" became accepted as the norm. So when OH2's cover showed every single LI except for Rafael, there was a sense of mild alarm.

It soon became clearer, however, that something more insidious was afoot. The book itself began with a funeral, and Rafael was missing in the first chapter. When Rafael stans finally did get to see him, in Ch 2, they would be hit with a nasty surprise - the LI who was utterly devoted to their MC and introduced them to his beloved Vovó, would be shown dating a childhood sweetheart without any explanation or warning.

(Screenshots from Gabbieschoices YouTube Channel)

When asked about the sudden shift, PB's response was cryptic...but also ominous to a fandom who had already seen all kinds of unfair, horrible treatment meted out to a wide range of black characters by then:

For all intents and purposes, the relationship between the MC and Rafael appeared to be over, with very little by way of closure. Even the few diamond scenes they would get later would show friends-only options. As the book went on, it became frighteningly clear that the narrative was planning to do away with Rafael. At one point, Rafael even spoke of leaving the city altogether, and there were hints towards a far, far worse manner of departure in later chapters.

(Most people who were playing at the time remember PB's plans for OH2 Ch11-12, and the backlash, response and hiatus that followed. If you weren't there at the time, PB's Statement following the backlash - "Representation at Pixelberry" - briefly alludes to the issues that people in the fandom had with the writing decisions OH2 took at the time)

As most of us know by now, this ended with significant changes in the existing story - ensuring that Rafael lived, reinstating him as an LI and having Sora break up with him so they could disappear from the book altogether. Post 2020, no further attempts have been made the "alternative LI" route for LIs.

Part of this could be attributed to the change in format. With the introduction of VIP-access and single-LI books, the need to prepare an alternative romance for an LI has reduced greatly. Other factors too could have contributed: the extra romances becoming too much work, possible fatigue among fandom towards such pairings leading to less revenue from diamond options featuring them, certain books having only one or at most two LIs.

No one in PB has spoken of Rafael's treatment or the inclusion of Sora in OH directly...but since OH2 featured the last ever alternative romance till date, it would be safe to say that perhaps even PB recognised that the Sora story crossed a significant line. In any case, this practice hasn't been adopted in recent books in a while.

At the outset, one could argue that the Rafael and Sora situation is extremely different from the "alternative romances" I have listed so far. Unlike all the others, the intent behind introducing Sora was to deny the player a Rafael romance altogether, rather than present Rafael himself with an option. Whatever the problems with the other LIs, at least they got a romance with the MC!

However, I do think the Sora story was rooted in what the alternative LI route had become over time. It may have started with good intentions - with the idea that perhaps if the numbers showed certain LIs being ignored, it may be kinder to give them happy futures with other people who would love them. As long as the alternative romance was just a part of the character's larger story (as is the case with James and Kaitlyn), it felt less harmful and more sweet.

But when the ability to rake in finances becomes a marker of a character's worth, when the writing itself rigs the game from the start of a series, when both PB and fandom find themselves incapable of examining their own biases with regards to said characters...the purpose of such romances becomes warped.

At such points, it becomes more about establishing that this character's romance with the MC is not worth exploring. About delivering the message that it's okay to drop this LI - that as a player, you had more chance of getting your money's worth if you did drop them.

To be more clear, the Sora story is a culmination of what happens when a certain type of LI is set up to fail from the start. There are less opportunities for them to win the reader over, less time, less options to bring in money. In such an environment, the "alternative romance" becomes about considering certain types of LIs "less worthy", and spending far less time developing their MC-route - because as far as the "data", "money" and "finances" are concerned, they hardly have one!

The culmination of such a system, is that the worth of an LI can be brought down so much that the writers become comfortable with killing a non-main and non-white LI. Sora, as an alternative LI, was a way to write Rafael himself out as a romantic option, not a route meant to move his own story ahead. Sora is what happens when PB pushes forward favouritism and racism to the point where the writing is emboldened to take such steps for LIs of colour (particularly black LIs) they deem unpopular.

Which is why - in the present climate - the elimination of such a system is a marginally better prospect. If we cannot trust such a seemingly "nice" process, what's the use of having it around?

This essay series isn't about all of PB's stories, however. It is about TRR. Still - it is essential to explore and understand the original intent behind using these romance routes, and the history of how such storylines developed over time. Considering that TRR released from 2017-2018, analysing the significant patterns of that time places the writing of TRR's alternate romances into context.

TRR's approach to the alternative LI route has been different from other books, in very specific ways. One of the most prominent ways was that the narrative featured romantic options for the three OG LIs, and briefly attempted one for a fourth (the closest parallel to this in another book would be Endless Summer). Even popular love interests were presented with romantic routes, in case the MC wasn't going to marry them.

Does this mean that TRR managed to avoid falling into the same rabbit hole of bias and favouritism, that the other books did? Not by a long shot. The same problems just manifested in very different ways - and in this essay series, I will discuss those problems, romance route by romance route.

Next - Liam and Olivia: When You Prefer the Side Character to the Main

#essay series: trr's alternative lis #intro essay #playchoices

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ao719 · 9 months

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…Sometimes Not (Part 6)

The Scars Still Follow Me Around

Song inspo: Don’t Hold Me - Dean Lewis

A/N: This is an au mini series to my Always You story. Thank you @burnsoslow for prereading! Please excuse any errors.

Book/Pairing: TRR; Liam x OC (Reyna)

Rating: T • Warnings: None but some mild language.

Catch up here

“Are you all packed?”

Reyna looked at her phone that was propped up against the pillows on her bed. “Yeah,” she replied, patting the top of her suitcase. “I think I got everything.”

“Everyone is really excited you’re coming,” Liam chuckled. “When I told Maxwell, he was practically bouncing up and down.”

Reyna smiled. “It’s been a long time …”

Liam smiled in return. “Too long.”

In the few months since Liam and Reyna’s Paris run-in, the two had quickly fallen back into the friendship they once had. They resumed their video chats a few times a week and kept one another up to date on their day-to-day, playfully bantered and bickered, and laughed and joked, just like old times.

It was crazy how once that awkwardness ebbed away, it felt like no time at all had passed. They were back to the Liam and Reyna they were before they crossed that line … and that included her keeping her feelings for him hidden, just like she had before. Their past situation had gone unspoken about by either of them, seemingly brushed under the rug and ignored as though that part of their story never happened. He didn’t bring it up, so neither did she … but maybe that was for the best.

Liam had also been in New York a few times, and the pair had hung out like they always had before. Now, Reyna was preparing for a trip to Cordonia. It was Leo’s 30th birthday, and the Aldridge family had been invited to attend the ball being thrown in his honor. Liam had called to extend the invitation himself along with the offer to send the royal jet for them. Reyna smiled as she said she was looking forward to it … but behind that smile lingered some scars.

This trip to Cordonia would mark the first time Reyna had returned since Liam’s coronation ball, the last time she saw him before their reunion three years later; it would also be the first time she would see any of the Cordonian gang since then as well. Knowing she was going back there was proving to be more difficult than she thought it would be.

More than three years had passed, but Reyna’s upcoming visit brought to light unresolved feelings and issues that she hadn’t realized she held onto until now. And along with that was a simmering resentment she didn’t even know she carried.

“You ok?” Liam asked, pulling Reyna from the daze she’d fallen into.

“Yeah,” Reyna smiled as she looked at him through the screen. “Just tired. It is almost midnight here.”

“You can sleep on the flight over,” Liam said. “Also, I made sure the jet was stocked with all your favorite snacks.”

“And they say chivalry is dead,” Reyna chuckled.

Liam winked with a grin, then glanced at his watch. “Alright, I better shower and start my day. And you need to go meet your parents at the airport. I’ll see you later.”

Reyna smiled halfheartedly. “Can’t wait …”

****

A couple of hours later, high above the North Atlantic, Reyna stared down at her book, the words blurring together beneath the dim overhead cabin light. She couldn’t concentrate; the jet smelled of rich leather mixed with the lingering scent of Liam’s cologne. All she could think about was him … and her impending arrival in Cordonia.

“I’m surprised you’re not asleep,” Gideon said just above a whisper.

Reyna glanced over at him; he was sitting in the seat across from her, beside her sleeping mother. “Same to you.”

Gideon smiled. “So … what’s on your mind?”

“Nothing,” Reyna replied with a shrug. “Just reading.”

Gideon gave her a look, and when Reyna furrowed her brows in question, he sighed. “If I didn’t know you as well as I do, the way you’ve been staring at the same page of that book for the last 45 minutes was a dead giveaway.”

Reyna sighed, closing the book and drumming her fingers against the cover. “This will be my first time back in Cordonia since … everything … and it just seems to be dredging up some stuff.”

“You and Liam are in a good place now,” Gideon said. “You can’t let what happened back then ruin what you just got back.”

“It’s not about Liam.” Not specifically. Reyna glanced over to meet her father’s gaze. “It’s the first time I’m going to see Leo …”

Gideon stared at her for a moment. “Ah,” he nodded in understanding.

“It’s been over three years and I … I didn’t know it even bothered me, but getting ready for this trip, knowing I was going to see him … it seems to have brought up this resentment I didn’t even know I had. All I can think about is what he did being the reason …” Reyna trailed off, shaking her head. “I know, it’s stupid.”

“It’s not stupid,” Gideon said. “But holding a grudge isn’t going to change the past, Reyna.”

“I know,” Reyna sighed.

“Well … perhaps this trip will give you some closure you didn’t know you needed.” Gideon smiled sympathetically when she looked at him. “Try and get some rest.”

****

Much later, after his last meeting of the day, Liam hurried from his study and headed to the south wing to change; Reyna and her parents would be arriving soon. He’d filled his schedule with back-to-back meetings in hopes of helping him pass the time by staying occupied, but it didn’t do much in helping to keep him distracted.

Liam was excited for Reyna’s arrival, but a little on edge, wondering how her visit would affect the way he’d already been struggling. They were in a good place now and he didn’t want anything to ruin that, which is the reason he’d kept how he still felt about her to himself the past few months since their Parisian reunion.

It hadn’t been easy.

They had fallen so easily back into their old routine, and while Liam was enjoying having his best friend back in his life, every time he saw or spoke to Reyna, he was only reminded of all the reasons he’d fallen in love with her in the first place. Her bigger-than-life personality, her wit, her sense of humor, her brilliant smile and infectious laugh, her kind heart.

Holding those feelings in had been difficult, but there was one thing that helped Liam: the simple fact that he was terrified. He had just gotten Reyna back in his life and he didn’t want to do anything to risk losing her again. Sure, what they shared three years ago was without a doubt the greatest thing that had ever happened to him, but then everything went to hell and he lost his best friend because of it. And that was something they hadn’t even spoken about. They had talked about everything that had happened during those three years apart except the reason they had missed them. It was like it didn’t exist … like crossing that line and how they felt never happened. She didn’t bring it up, so neither did he … but that was probably for the best.

After changing, Liam rushed down to the foyer, having received a message from Bastien that the Aldridge clan had arrived. When he reached the top of the stairs, his eyes immediately fell on Reyna, standing with her parents while they spoke to his father and Regina; she glanced up, smiling when she saw him.

Liam descended the stairs and everyone turned their attention upon hearing him. “Your Majesty,” Gideon grinned.

“None of that,” Liam chuckled, shaking his hand before greeting Catherine with a kiss on her cheek. He then turned to Reyna, meeting her outstretched arms. “Hey, you,” he whispered; he hugged her tightly, inhaling her scent before stepping back. “It’s good to see you all. How was the flight?”

“Long,” Catherine chuckled.

“It’s a tiresome journey,” Constantine said.

“Oh yeah. Flying by private jet,” Gideon playfully rolled his eyes. “How grueling.”

Constantine chuckled and looked at Liam. “I was just saying how nice it is to have Reyna here again.” He glanced back at her, watching Liam sling his arm around her shoulder with a grin. “It’s been so long.”

Reyna smiled. “It has.”

“I couldn’t believe it when Liam told me he ran into you in Paris,” Constantine grinned.

Gideon coughed to conceal his laugh. “Yeah … small world.” He cut his eyes over to Constantine. “So, where’s Leo?”

Constantine chuckled at his quick change of subject. “He’ll be meeting us for dinner.” He looked at his watch. “Which will be in an hour. You should all get settled beforehand.”

Staff members appeared, grabbed Gideon’s and Catherine’s luggage, and headed up the stairs to the guest wing. “Come on,” Liam said as he grabbed Reyna’s bag. “You’re in the south wing with me.”

Reyna nodded, dropping his gaze as they turned toward the stairs; that wing — his wing — held so much history. It was where everything between them started … and where it ended.

“We’ll see you at dinner,” Constantine called out as they reached the top of the stairs; Liam lifted his hand in a wave of acknowledgement before they disappeared down the corridor.

When they entered the south wing, Liam started down the hall toward her room. As Reyna passed by the living area, she paused, hit with the memory of the last time she stood in there.

“I love you so much, Rey … and I wish that were enough. But things … they are different here.”

“So that’s it? Everything that we had … is just done and over … just like that? Like none of it ever happened … like none of it fucking mattered at all?”

“You matter. We matter, Reyna. We always have. I … didn’t cross that line … with the intention of us finishing here …”

“Rey?” Liam called out. She stiffened, blinking away the tears before continuing down the hall. His brows furrowed. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” Reyna smiled. “Just jet lagged.”

Liam stepped inside her room, setting her bag down; she flopped down on the bed a moment later, and he chuckled as he laid on his side next to her, propping his head on his hand as she yawned. “You have time to rest before dinner.”

Reyna glanced at him. She wasn’t quite ready to see everyone. “Do you think we could have dinner up here, just us? We can hang out … maybe watch a movie?”

“Sure,” Liam nodded, not thinking anything of it; he knew she was probably tired. “No one will mind. What are you in the mood for?”

They stared at one another, both their mouths curling into smiles as they tried to read the other. “Pizza,” they chuckled. “Jinx.”

“I’ll call for it and let my father know we won’t be joining them,” Liam smiled as he rose from the bed.

*******

That night, after consuming two pizzas while watching some rom-com Reyna put on, Liam lay wide awake in bed. Not only was Reyna’s presence there keeping him awake, but the way she seemed off was as well. It could have been as simple as the jet lag like she said, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was something else.

Once they decided to remain in the south wing for dinner, Reyna seemed fine; she was fine while they ate and watched their movie, talking and laughing with him the entire time. Then Leo called, asking if they wanted to meet up for drinks because he hadn’t seen her yet. Reyna’s demeanor shifted; she said she was tired and was going to go to bed.

Liam rolled to his side, letting out a breath. He wondered if just being there was hard for her … and if it was hard, was it because maybe … maybe she still felt — No. He scolded himself as he closed his eyes, pushing the thought far out of his mind.

*******

The following afternoon, with the palace abuzz with final preparations for that evening’s ball, Liam and Reyna strolled through the gardens.

Liam’s eyes slid to Reyna; she’d still been acting off. Any time he asked if she was ok, she said she was fine, but he wasn’t buying it. She opted for one of his omelets that morning instead of joining their families for breakfast and seemed to get lost in thought a few times while they walked through the palace afterward. It only made him question the thought he had last night that he was trying but failing to ignore.

When they came to the hedges at the entrance of the garden maze, Liam turned to her with an impish grin. “It’s been a while … how well do you think you remember?”

Reyna laughed knowingly. “I could find my way blindfolded.”

“Bold words,” Liam quipped.

“I’ll even give you a head start so I can’t follow, and I bet I still beat your royal ass to the center.”

Liam’s brow arched at her challenge. “You must love losing.” He turned and ran into the pathway.

Reyna laughed as she started after him, but then the memory of the last time she stood in that spot between the hedges made her freeze in place.

“I wish I could go back and change it, Liam … I wish I could take it all back, that entire summer. I regret all of it.”

“Don’t say that, Rey … you don’t mean that.”

“I do. Because at least if it never happened … you and I would still be friends. The exact fear that had kept us from crossing that line all these years … has now become a reality, Liam. A decade worth of friendship … it’s been ruined. And for what? Because in the end … none of it was worth it. It broke our friendship, and I can’t speak for you … but it broke me. And there’s no coming back from it … nothing between us will ever be the way that it was before we crossed that line.”

“I don’t hear you!” Liam’s voice singsonged in the distance. “Are you lost already?”

Pulled from the memory, Reyna shook her head and let out a shuddered breath before she started after him.

****

That evening, Leo’s birthday ball was well underway. Liam stared at Reyna from where he waited at the bar for a refill while she caught up with Maxwell and Olivia. Despite appearing to have a good time to everyone else, he knew her and could tell she was putting on a bit of a front. Something was bothering her, and he was pretty certain at that point that he was right in thinking that being there was hard for her. He’d finally pieced it together once he realized the significance of each place where she seemed to get lost in thought, including that ballroom; when they entered, she momentarily froze as if hit by a painful wave of nostalgia.

What Liam couldn’t figure out is what it meant, if anything at all.

While speaking to a group of friends across the ballroom, Leo spotted Reyna as she stepped away from Maxwell and Olivia and headed for the balcony. He excused himself from the group and started making his way toward her.

Like his brother, Leo was good at reading people, and it was obvious to him that Reyna had been avoiding him since her arrival. She’d skipped out on dinner the night before, declined to have drinks, skipped breakfast that morning, and had yet to even say hello to him that night. She was alone on the balcony now, however, and there was a long overdue conversation they needed to have.

Leo knew that his actions three years ago catalyzed Liam and Reyna’s downfall. What he did was the reason things between them had ended because Liam was suddenly faced with the duty and responsibility of the crown and all of the bullshit that went along with it. He’d heard over time from both his father and Liam about how Reyna was affected by everything that transpired after.

When Leo heard from Liam that the Aldridges were coming for his birthday celebration, he told himself then that he would talk to Reyna. It might be three years too late and there was a good chance she’d never forgive him, but he needed to at least try to give her the apology he had long since owed her. She may be his brother’s best friend, but Reyna was his friend, too; he also shared over a decade worth of memories with her, and she became the sister he never had.

Reyna stood on the balcony, letting the cool night air wash over her. As good as it had been to see some familiar faces that night, that was the last place she wanted to be. The moment she stepped inside the ballroom on Liam’s arm, the night of his coronation and watching him choose someone else flashed in her mind. She’d wanted to leave ever since. It was ridiculous, she knew, to allow the past to affect her this way, but it was as if her mind and heart were screaming for closure she wasn’t sure she’d ever truly get, not when it came to Liam anyway.

That trip only continued to remind Reyna of how unfinished they felt and probably always would, at least to her.

When Leo stepped outside, Reyna turned upon hearing him; he watched her shoulders slightly stiffen, but she smiled. “Hey, stranger.”

“Hi,” Reyna replied. “Happy birthday.”

“Thanks,” Leo smiled as he came next to her.

“I was going to come find you later … once everyone stopped crowding around you,” Reyna lied.

“No worries,” Leo nodded, then looked at her. “How’s it feel to be back?”

Reyna glanced away from him. “It’s been fine.”

Leo sighed. “Listen, I, uh … I’m actually glad I caught you out here because there’s something I really need to say to you.” He let out a breath as she looked at him again. “I owe you one hell of an apology for everything that happened that summer you were here.”

Reyna was surprised he’d brought it up, but despite feeling the way she had been, she tried brushing it under the rug; she couldn’t bring herself to let him know it still bothered her. “That was three years ago,” she shook her head. “It’s in the past.”

“Is it?” Leo questioned, and she furrowed her brows. “Reyna, you’ve been avoiding me since you got here.” Guilt flashed across her face, and he shook his head. “I don’t blame you. We haven’t seen each other since that night, and I never gave you the apology you deserve. And I understand if you hate me because what I did back then was so fucked. I wish I could go back and change how I went about it, but I can’t. But I’m truly sorry for everything you had to go through and deal with because of what I did.”

Reyna stared up at him, and just like that, her resentment was snuffed out; his acknowledgment and genuine apology turned out to be exactly what she didn’t know she needed. Then, guilt of her own hit her. “I’m sorry, too … for avoiding you and not just talking about it. To be honest … I didn’t even know it bothered me until I was packing and it just … hit me that I was going to see you for the first time. Then all of these … feelings followed … and I didn’t really know how to go about dealing with them.”

“I get it,” Leo nodded. “I … I wasn’t thinking back then … at least not about anyone but myself. When I came back, Liam … boy did he let me have it.” He rubbed his jaw, remembering the crack of his brother’s fist across it that day. “He was so angry with me … and so broken. And then I heard from my father about how you had been … and I felt so guilty knowing I was the reason you both were hurting so much.”

Reyna let out a breath. “For what it’s worth … it wasn’t only your doing. I know I was to blame, too, for how certain things played out.”

Leo knitted his brows. “How are you to blame?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Reyna shook her head. “It really is in the past now,” she subtly smiled. “And if Liam can forgive you, I certainly can.”

“It wasn’t easy,” Leo scoffed. “It took him nearly a year to be close to normal with me again,” he chuckled. “But thank you … for your forgiveness. Honestly, it’s the best birthday present I could have asked for.” He held his arms out in an offer, and she smiled as she stepped forward and he pulled her into a hug. “By the way—” He squeezed her tightly before he stepped back “—It’s fucking good to have you back. Liam moped around this goddamn place for the last three years like you were his puppy someone dognapped.” Reyna snorted, but then her eyes slightly widened, darting from him to over his shoulder. Leo stiffened. “He’s standing right behind me, isn’t he?”

“Sure the fuck am,” Liam snapped. “Mind if I steal my puppy for a moment?”

Leo grimaced guiltily as Reyna laughed. “That’s my cue.” He gave her one last hug. “Thank you again,” he whispered before kissing her cheek. He turned, chuckling as he dodged out of the way of Liam’s fist aiming for his arm before disappearing inside.

Reyna met Liam’s gaze when he turned to her; she wondered about how much, if any, of that conversation he’d heard. He smiled at her, slipping his hands into his pockets. “How does continuing our age-old tradition of sneaking out sound?”

Reyna grinned. “Heavenly.”

“Not as heavenly as the burger, fries, and milkshakes I have waiting for us up in my wing,” Liam winked as he held out his hand. Reyna laughed as she took it, and he led her off the balcony.

****

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”

Reyna giggled as she stared down at Liam; his head was in her lap with a white bowed microfiber headband keeping his hair back from the facial mask she had painted on him. “Open,” she chuckled.

Liam complied, parting his lips to be fed a French fry. When she pulled the cucumber peels off his eyes, he fluttered them open, staring up at her with a deadpan expression as he chewed, which only made her laugh harder.

“Your face is gonna be so purrty,” Reyna snorted.

“I’m already purrty,” Liam scoffed, finally cracking a smile when she laughed again.

They’d come to the south wing and consumed their burgers, milkshakes, and most of their fries before she talked him into letting her give him a facial. He waited, wondering if she’d bring up the conversation she had with Leo … one he’d partially overheard. He couldn’t take it anymore, though; there was a question burning inside him about something she said that he needed an answer to.

“So … I, uh … I heard you talking to Leo on the balcony,” Liam said tentatively.

The smile faltered from Reyna’s lips. “How much did you hear?”

“I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop. I was coming to get you to make our getaway … and I heard him apologizing.”

“Yeah,” Reyna nodded.

Liam continued to stare at her. “I think it’s good that he did … and I know he appreciates you forgiving him. You didn’t hear it from me, but he was a little nervous about you coming,” he smiled ruefully.

Reyna chuckled. “Lil’ old me?”

“Please,” Liam snorted. “I’ve seen you mad. You may be small, but you’re scrappy when you want to be.”

“It’s part of my New York charm,” Reyna quipped.

“Well … I’m glad to know things between you two are back to normal, but …” Liam hesitated for a moment before continuing. “Can I ask you something?” He held her gaze as she nodded. “Why do you blame yourself?”

Reyna took in a deep breath and slowly let it out; she knew it was coming the moment he’d mentioned he overheard. Her fingers brushed against his temples as she adjusted the headband in order to distract herself long enough to come up with something plausible, but the truth came out before she could. “I wasn’t there,” she said in a cracked whisper. “Your dad gave you … gave us … a way, and when you came for me, I wasn’t there. Because I wasn’t coping like a normal person. I had hit rock bottom … and I wasn’t there.”

“Rey …” Liam sat up and turned to face her. “It’s not on you.” He sighed, his shoulders slumping as he stared at her misty eyes. “Ok, well … you admitted that you blame yourself, so I suppose I should admit …” That I’m still so in love with you and never stopped. “So do I. It remains the biggest regret of my life … and I’m certain it always will be.”

Reyna’s brows knit. “What does?”

“That I didn’t fight harder … for you to stay … for us … to find you when I came to New York. I should have fought harder.”

“Liam …” Reyna shook her head. “It’s not your fault.”

“And it’s not yours,” Liam retorted. “It was … it was circumstance, Rey. Do I wish things had been different? Yes, more than anything …” A flash of something flickered in her gaze. Hope? He shook the thought; it wasn’t that. He cleared his throat, needing to mask his mistake. “Because, at the least, we wouldn’t have lost those three years. But taking the blame … that isn’t going to change any of it.” She nodded, knowing he was right. “So how about no more blaming ourselves? Deal?”

Reyna smiled. “Deal.”

“So … is that all that’s been on your mind?”

The way in which he asked Reyna told her he already knew the answer. She should have seen it coming based on the way he kept catching her lost in her musings and asking if she was ok each time. It didn’t matter that they had those three years apart; he still knew her better than anyone, even better than she knew herself most of the time.

“I just …” Reyna shifted her gaze from his, letting out a breath mixed with a wry laugh. “It’s my first time back since …” She trailed off, not needing or wanting to say it. “And I just keep remembering things …”

Liam nodded in genuine understanding. “I get it … I live here, so I really get it.” He had three years to get used to the memories constantly invading him. No matter where he went inside his own home, remnants of their relationship lingered everywhere, good and bad. “But maybe now that you’ve had this first visit and things are better … it’ll be easier next time … if there is a next time.”

Reyna smiled at him. “There’ll be a next time.”

“Good,” Liam smiled in return.

It wasn’t the whole conversation, but the past was somewhat acknowledged, so it would be enough. At the least, they knew that it wasn’t simply forgotten by the other.

As they stared at one another, however, those lingering confessions were on the tips of their tongues, that their past was still very much their present and they both felt the same way now as they did back then.

Neither was willing to put their friendship at risk again, however … so they swallowed the words.

After a moment, with him still staring at her with such genuine affection, Reyna’s head tilted to the side as her smile grew and a chuckle escaped her.

“What’s so funny?” Liam asked.

“I’m having a hard time taking you seriously right now,” Reyna giggled.

Liam’s brows furrowed, but then he watched her gaze flicker up to the bowed microfiber headband he’d forgotten he was wearing; he rolled his eyes with a good-natured grin as she laughed. “Get this shit off my face,” he chuckled as he turned, laying back and resting his head in her lap again.

“You love it,” Reyna smiled down at him. “Ok, but wait …” She grabbed her phone and twisted her upper body, bringing her face down next to his; holding her phone above them, she snapped a photo. “Ok,” she chuckled as she sat up. She took two facial pads, gently wiping his face clean. “There.”

Liam opened his eyes to meet her gaze, and he stared up at her. She started to lean down, and for a moment his heart shot to his throat in anticipation, but then she rested her forehead against his.

“Thank you,” Reyna whispered.

“For what?”

“Knowing me … and knowing I needed to get away and talk.”

Lifting his arm, Liam rested his hand on the back of her neck. “You don’t need to thank me for that.”

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

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choicesficwriterscreations · 9 months

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CFWC Writer of the Month - Aug 2023: ao719

Each month CFWC highlights one of our talented fanfic writers, and this month’s writer of the month is @ao719. We hope you will enjoy learning more about them and their work below! The writer is selected at random. More info can be found on the navigation page.

Quick Links:

Tumblr Blog: ao719 Blog Masterlist

How do you want to be known on Tumblr? Anitah

1- When did you start playing Choices? What was the first book you played?

I first started playing in June 2018. The Royal Romance was the first book I played, and I got hooked from the end of the first chapter. At the time, they were midway through releasing TRR book 3, so I binged books 1 & 2 and finally caught up on the day of the wedding, where the chapter ended with the attack at the boutique. Then I didn’t know what to do with myself because it was the first time I had to wait a week to find out what was going to happen.

2- When and why did you join Choices fandom?

Finding Tumblr was a complete accident. I was googling something really dumb about Liam and TRR and happened to stumble across a link for a fic on Tumblr. At the time, I didn’t know what Tumblr was; I’d heard of it but had no idea what it consisted of. The fic I came across was around 40+ chapters, and I was in my glory reading this angsty story about Liam, but it wasn’t finished, so when I reached the last updated chapter, I was like, “I need more.” So I opened Tumblr and searched for more Liam fics and found a trove. I lurked for another month or so before finally making my account in September 2018.

3- How did you pick your blog name?

I wish I had some good story for it, but it’s the most basic thing, lol. It’s just my initials and a significant date. I think if I came into the fandom with the intention of actually doing something with the blog, I would have tried to come up with something a little more clever and creative, but I had zero intention of doing anything but reading. I thought about changing it a few years ago, but when I learned that I’d have to relink everything in my masterlist, it didn’t seem worth the hassle.

4- Pull up the first post in your archive, and tell us about it!

It’s from the day TRR 3 ended and it’s about how I was sad that it was over but was glad that I had all these stories to read.

5- How long have you been writing fanfiction?

I’d never written anything until I joined the fandom, so I’ve only been writing for almost five years now. The thought of writing didn’t even cross my mind when I joined the fandom, but within a couple of weeks of making my blog, I had a random idea pop up in my head, and for some reason, I decided to write it down. A few days later, after talking myself out of posting and then talking myself back into it, I bit the bullet. For me to post a story that I wrote was entirely out of my comfort zone. I’m pretty shy and tend to be more of a wallflower, so I don’t usually put myself out there, especially like that, and I’ve never been someone who does something where I intentionally set myself up, knowing there is a very good chance that I will fail. And social media on any platform can be a pretty intimidating and terrifying place when you open yourself up, especially to strangers, even by way of posting a measly little fanfic. So to say I was terrified of posting that first fic is an understatement, but I’m so glad that I did.

6- What is your favorite Choices book, and what is your favorite Choices book to write about?

The Royal Romance will always be my favorite. It was the first book I ever played and was the only one I played for well over a year (I just kept replaying over and over and over until @cocomaxley convinced me to give MotY a try, which I fell in love with). It’s my comfort book. And like every book, it definitely has its flaws, but I love it and the characters so much. And TRR is my favorite book to write about. Liam will always be my number one guy.

7- Share the first fanfic you wrote with us. Do you still like it, or would you change it if you were writing it today?

The first fic that I wrote was I Dare You. It’s not an all-time favorite of mine, but I like it well enough that I wouldn’t change anything about it.

8- What is your favorite fic that you’ve written?

This is tough because I have a few that I love for different reasons, but I think Always You will always be the most special to me because it was the first series I wrote that I can truly say I poured my whole heart into. I love that story, and I love the history between Liam and the OC, their bond, and their relationship.

9- Do you have a fic that you didn’t expect to be well received, but it was? What about one you expected to be but found could use a little more love?

When I decided to start Hopeless Hearts, I didn’t think it would be received any differently from most things I’d written before. It was an idea I’d kept on the back burner for over 2 years prior to writing it because I didn’t think it was anything spectacular or out of the box. It turned out to be my most well-received series, and it became one of my personal favorites as well.

I don’t think anything I’ve written has left me feeling as though I wished it had gotten more. I’m still surprised to this day that anyone wants to read anything I’ve written at all, so any love that my fics get is beyond appreciated.

10- If you could write only angst, fluff, or smut for the rest of your writing life, which would it be and why?

Angst (but with a HEA). I love putting my characters through the wringer before giving them that happily ever after they deserve. Whether I’m reading or writing, there’s something about feeling the pain and longing they’re going through that gets me emotionally invested. I think that’s why I love the second chance romance trope so much, too. It’s a really versatile trope, but there’s a lot of room for angst in those kinds of stories because of that established history between the characters and a past that tore them apart the first time around.

11- Do you ever recognize yourself in any of your MCs or in your writing?

I think I sprinkle a little bit of myself into all of my MCs/OCs. It’s usually something small like a favorite food, a hobby, certain mannerisms, etc. I think the one that I’ve added more of myself into than any other and can relate to the most personality wise would definitely be Charlotte.

12- What element of writing do you struggle with most?

I struggle with all of it here and there, and I’m constantly questioning whether something makes sense, if it’s flowing together, if it’s too descriptive or not descriptive enough, etc. I think the one area I most consistently struggle with is deciding where and how to end because I always want to leave my chapters with a cliffhanger or if I’m finishing something for good, I want to give it the ending it deserves.

13- Do you have any neglected work you really want to finish?

I have quite a few that are unfinished that I know I more than likely won’t ever pick back up, mostly because I just lost my mojo for them, but there are definitely some that I want to finish. I’d really like to get back to Past Meet Present one day. I don’t even remember why I got off track with writing it, and it’s been at least two years or more since I last updated it 🫣 so I’m not sure if anyone would even still be interested at this point, but I’d really like to finish that along with Breaking Point and Us Again.

14- If someone you know in real life (who isn’t involved in fandoms) asked to read your work, would you let them? If yes, what would you recommend they read first?

No. Maybe. I don’t know, lol. I try to be a “never say never” kind of person, but writing is something that I’ve done for almost five years that literally no one in my real life knows about. Not my friends, not my family, not a single soul. It’s like my dirty little secret. And it’s a little tough because it does get lonely sometimes when you have something that you love doing so much but you just feel like you can’t share or aren’t ready to share that part of yourself with even those closest to you. I’m a pretty self-conscious person, and posting on here where I can hide behind a screen is hard enough; I get nervous and have a good spike of anxiety every time I post something, no matter what it is. I don’t know if I could handle someone who knows me personally even knowing that I write, let alone actually reading something I’ve written. I’ve got the bubble gut just thinking about it 🥴

15 - Are there any writers (published authors and/or fanfic writers) who influenced your writing?

I’ve been lucky enough to talk to and befriend some amazing and talented people in the time I’ve been here who I’ve certainly looked up to when it comes to their writing talents. And there are also those writers who I got to know after I’d been writing for a while that not only continued to inspire me with their amazing stories and talent but who also became a huge support and really close friends. They were and/or are always willing to brainstorm, look over snippets, help in those moments when I’ve been extra critical of myself and feeling very unsure, and/or have just been the absolute best cheerleaders and constantly supportive and encouraging to not only me but others as well. I don’t want to make a list because I always end up forgetting someone and I don’t want to leave anyone out, but anyone that fits that bill above, you know how much I love and appreciate each one of you.

16- Which one of your stories would you most like to see as a movie/series?

I’d say either Always You or Hopeless Hearts for a movie. Series I think Full Disclosure with some Charlotte shenanigans would be pretty fun 😂

17- Do you write original fiction?

I haven’t. I’ve been asked a few times about whether I’ve thought about turning a couple of my series into original stories, but I just don’t think I’ll have the confidence to ever do it 😬

18 - What other hobbies do you have?

I do photography. I love calligraphy and making hand drawn quote signs on wood or canvas. I love to read — I’m currently in my fantasy girl era and have been obsessing over the ACOTAR series for months, lol.

19 - What’s your favorite emoji?

I use so many to express myself in conversations that I think it would be hard to pick just one. My most commonly used ones: 💀 😂 🥲 😬 😍 🥴 🥹

20: BONUS - tell us anything you’d like (if you want to).

I just want to thank CFWC for working so hard to help keep this fandom active and supporting everyone here.

To anyone who’s taken any time to read my stories and interact with me in any way, I appreciate it more than I can say.

This place has been such an escape for me over the past (almost) five years, one I’m still very much in need of. So, whether you’re a content creator, writer, artist, reader, whatever the case may be, whether we’ve interacted before or not, thank you for what you’ve done to help keep this fandom alive.

#choices fic writers creations #cfwc writer of the month #playchoices #choices the stories you play #writer of the month #ao719 #august 2023 #choices fanfic #playchoices fanfic

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theoakleafpancake · 1 year

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Arazan’s Wolves kinda sorta spoilers ?

I want to know more about Arazan. When did she start learning magic? What made her become a “villain?” What was her life like?

(A version of a young Arazan except I have ✨no idea✨ what she would look like)

#is she #celtic?#i think so but maybe she just moved there #but idk #anyways #procreate is starting to grow on me now that I have brushes that I actually like #rangers apprentice #john flanagan #the royal ranger #arazan’s wolves #trr 6 #trr 6 spoilers #sylvar’s art #my art

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fadingreveries · 2 months

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The Royal Romance Retelling Masterlist

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

The Royal Romance, Book 1 🏰 - Bk1 Ch1: Once Upon a Time (part 1/part 2/part 3/part 4/part 5/part 6/part 7) - Bk1 Ch2: Welcome to Cordonia - Bk1 Ch3: Reunited

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theraven-gil-lyn · 1 year

Photo

(minor)

‘But it wouldn’t be very diplomatic to do so,’ Will said.

Arazan’s Wolves // Ch 3

#trr 6 spoilers #//#oak.tree #oak.art #ranger's apprentice #rangers apprentice #the royal ranger #gilan davidson #maddie altman #will treaty #alyss mainwaring #wilyss

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choicesprompts · 2 months

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Isle of Misfits (Round Robin 2)

Second @choicesprompts round robin.

Writer order and rules

Chapter 1: Welcome @angelasscribbles

Chapter 2: Untitled @christina-stark-skarlet-stileto

Chapter 3: Untitled @sender-paulson

Chapter 4: Initial Meeting TRR Olivia x Platinum Raleigh @alj4890

Chapter 5: Don't Call Me Angel OH Bryce x F!OC and Tobias Carrik @peonierose

Chapter 6: A Royal Kidnapping. Leo Rys. @aussiegurl1234

Chapter 7: Three Princes Walk Into a Bar. TRR, ROE, COP. @thosehallowedhalls

Chapter 8: Burnt by the Truth TRR, ROE, COP, TNA @karahalloway

Chapter 9: Inconvenient Truths TRR, ROE, COP, TNA @tessa-liam

Chapter 10: Dealing with the Paparazzi Mostly TRR @twinkleallnight

Chapter 11: The Final Cut Mostly TRR @angelasscribbles

#choicesprompts #round robin #round robin 2 #round robin 2024 #master list

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harleybeaumont · 10 months

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Never Have I Ever

Chapter 19 - Date Night

Book- TRR

Series- Never Have I Ever

Pairings- Bertrand x MC

Chapter Synopsis- Bertrand and Savannah go on their date.

Chapter Warnings- language, drinking, mentions of drug use, mentions of sex, sensuality

Rating - Mature

Word Count- 3,600

________________________________________________

Chapter 19 - Date Night

Bertrand awoke early the following morning to a musical knock at his bedroom door. He checked the clock with bleary eyes before calling out, “Come in, Maxwell.” Bertrand sat up and rubbed his hands down his face. What in the world would make Maxwell wake up this early? Bertrand’s 6 a.m. alarm hadn’t even gone off yet.

“Hey, heeey!” Max chirped as he strutted inside, looking around the room curiously. “Uh.. anyone in here with you?”

Bertrand straightened his posture, trying to appear completely oblivious. “Why would anyone be in here with me?”

“Umm, no reason. Just asking.”

“Why are you up so early? Is everything alright?” Bertrand slid his feet into his camel brown, suede slippers and stretched his arms overhead while he watched his younger brother curiously.

Max fidgeted with his hands the way he always did when he had something on his mind that he didn’t want to say aloud. Growing up, this was usually a tell that he had done something wrong. “I was just gonna ask what you had planned for the day.”

Bertrand arched an eyebrow and shuffled past his brother toward his adjoining bathroom. “I have a meeting scheduled this afternoon with our financial advisor, another right after with the head of housekeeping, and a personal engagement this evening for dinner.”

Maxwell sighed, watching his brother brush his teeth. “A personal engagement? Does that mean you’re still going out with Savannah tonight?!”

Bertrand paused his brushing for a beat and glanced at Maxwell’s reflection behind him in the mirror. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Fucking hell..” Maxwell muttered under his breath, and stalked back into the bedroom, dropping down onto Bertrand’s bed face first. “I can’t even with this idiot.” Maxwell quietly mocked Bertrand’s comment, “‘Why wouldn’t I?’ Because I’m an oblivious dumb ass.”

Bertrand emerged a moment later, still baffled by his brother’s strange behavior. He poked him in the leg with his slipper. “What is the matter with you? Are you unwell?”

Max blew out a long breath and jumped up, taking his brother by the shoulders. “Bertrand, you know I love you, and I have nothing but the utmost respect for you. You’re a smart guy. All I’m going to say is please, please reconsider going on this date. Maybe.. go hang out with Riley instead.”

Bertrand swallowed hard, hoping he wasn’t blushing at the mere mention of Riley’s name. “I don’t understand. I thought you liked Savannah.”

“Honestly, as a person, she's meh at best.” Max shook his head, “But I could put that aside if you two were actually in love.”

“Maxwell, that’s a very impertinent thing to say.”

“She’s not the one, bro. She’s not right for you.”

“How do you know that? We always seem so compatible-”

"Compatible with you, or with who you think you're supposed to be? You know what? Go out with Savannah tonight,” Max suggested. “But while you’re out with her, I want you to really look at her. Really pay attention to who she is as a person. Her personality, her sense of humor, her likes and dislikes. And while you’re doing that, I want you to ask yourself if she's really right for you.”

Before Bertrand could respond, Maxwell gave him a clap on the back and headed out the door, but not before winking and saying, “Just think about it.”

_______________________________________________

Bertrand hadn’t seen or heard from Riley the entire day, and each hour that passed, made him a little more sick to his stomach. She didn’t join the rest of the court for breakfast or lunch. Maybe it was his fault. Maybe she didn’t want to see him. Maybe she was upset with him for taking things too far last night. Maybe he misread the situation entirely.

That evening, before he could think better of it, Bertrand found himself outside of Riley’s bedroom door with his heart thrumming in his chest. He raised his hand and let it drop several times before finally rapping softly against her door.

She cracked it open slightly, her emerald eyes widening as she focused on his face. “Bert!”

“Riley!” He smiled brightly, thankful that she was ok. “May I come in?”

“Uh.. Sure.” She stepped aside and he slowly entered, taking in her appearance. She was wearing a white tank top and plaid pajama pants and her eyes were slightly puffy and rimmed red. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun and she smoothed out her rumpled clothes, looking uncomfortable under his gaze.

“Are you alright?” He asked as he looked her over, growing increasingly concerned.

She crossed her arms over her chest, glancing at her reflection in the mirror. “I’m fine.”

There was no way she was fine. Bertrand stepped closer, fighting the urge to touch her. To brush her hair behind her ear. To take her in his arms and hold her. His heart hurt seeing her this way. “You haven't been.. crying, have you?”

She turned away and cleared her throat. “No.”

He stepped closer. “Did something happen? Are you hurt? Are you sick?” His stomach turned as he dared to ask, “Is this because of what happened between us last night?”

Riley took a deep breath and responded quietly, “No.”

“Are you upset with.. with me?”

Riley shook her head and turned around to face him with a sad but honest smile. “I’m not upset with you, Bert.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. I’m not sick, I’m not hurt, I’m not upset with you, I’m not pregnant, I’m not-”

“Preg-? P-pregnant?!”

She shrugged, “I thought that might be your next question.”

“Dear God, I hadn’t even thought about that.” His legs were suddenly wobbly and he braced himself against the wall.

“Well, you don’t have to, because I’m not.”

The two stood awkwardly in front of one another, neither knowing what to say. Riley spoke first, “What are you doing here?”

“I was going to ask you the same question. No one has seen you all day, and I wanted to see if you were alright.”

She smiled slightly. “You were worried about me?”

Bertrand nodded, “Yes, of course. And Maxwell insisted that I speak with you before my date.”

Her face dropped and her entire demeanor turned icy. “Ah. So you’re here because Max sent you.”

“Well, no.. not exactly..”

Riley turned and waved him away, “I’ll see you tomorrow. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take a nap.”

“A nap? It’s 5:30 in the evening.”

“So?” She snapped as she dropped down onto her unmade bed.

Bertrand had never seen her so cold. “Um.. Well.. Can I have dinner brought up for you? You need to eat.”

“I’m not hungry. Enjoy your date.”

He started for the door, stomach twisting into knots. His date. “Can I ask you something?”

She sighed and turned to face him, her expression softening slightly. “You know you can ask me anything.”

He paused, trying to think of any excuse to stay with her for a few more moments. “Can I.. have one of your gummies for tonight?”

She couldn’t help but chuckle, and Bertrand’s heart warmed instantly at the sound. “Bert, don't tell me you wanna get high tonight, of all nights!”

He shrugged, “It might help me get through this date.”

“Get through it?”

Riley raised her eyebrows in amusement and Bertrand stammered, “Wait! Wait, that is not what I meant! I mean, it’s not like I don't want to go!”

Riley laughed and rummaged through her suitcase before handing him a gummy. “Here. Remember it takes a little while to kick in.”

“Thank you.” Bertrand held her hand with his own for a moment and their eyes met, before Riley turned away.

“Can you turn the light off on your way out?” She asked, then crawled back into bed and clicked on the TV.

Bertrand nodded and flipped off the light switch, making his way out of her bedroom to prepare for his date, even though it was the last thing he wanted to do.

_________________________________________________

Bertrand smiled cordially as he watched Savannah make her way down house Beaumont’s grand staircase toward him. Her cream colored, satin blouse was unbuttoned slightly to reveal a diamond and sapphire necklace, and her navy, tweed, pencil skirt stopped just above her knees. A pair of high black pumps adorned her feet and her perfectly coiffed, chestnut brown hair rested on her shoulders. He held out his hand to help her down the last step. “Good evening, Lady Savannah.”

“Good evening, Your Grace.” She accepted his hand with her perfectly manicured french tip nails resting atop his skin.

Bertrand stepped back and smiled slightly. “Perhaps we could forgo our titles this evening? I don’t suppose we need to be so formal.”

Savannah looked taken aback. “Who are you and what have you done with Duke Bertrand Beaumont? Besides, I love hearing you call me ‘lady’.” She touched his arm, fingernails skimming across the sleeve of his white oxford and onto the exposed skin on his wrist. “The only thing I’d like better is hearing you call me ‘duchess’.”

Bertrand turned away and cleared his throat loudly, “Yes, well.. I suppose we should go. It appears the car is ready.”

He slid into the back seat after Savannah and she smiled demurely. “So where is this mysterious spot you’re taking me for our date?”

Bertrand shifted toward her, brimming with pride. “It was going to be a surprise, but I suppose it’s alright to tell you now since we’re already on our way. We’re going dancing.”

He waited for her elated reaction, but her entire face dropped. “Wait.. dancing? You told me this date was more informal. I’m not dressed for ballroom dancing!”

He grinned, “No, no! We’re going to a nightclub! I wanted to take you somewhere fun and.. and normal where we could relax and get to know each other better.”

Savannah stared at Bertrand for a moment before throwing her head back and laughing hysterically. “Oh Bertrand! You had me going for a while! Who knew you had a sense of humor?! Duke Bertrand Beaumont taking me to a dirty nightclub!”

He forced out a chuckle before quickly sending the driver a text to stop at Savannah’s favorite Italian restaurant instead, hoping and praying that they could get a table ready quickly so she wouldn’t know this wasn’t part of the plan. So much for dancing.

Savannah sat down at their usual table with a grin. She took Bertrand’s hand and smiled at the waiter before speaking loudly. “Thank you, sir. The Duke and I would love to start off with a bottle of your finest champagne. This is a very special occasion, isn't it dearest?”

Bertrand felt the curious gazes and whispers of every patron in the entire restaurant fall on him and he smiled politely. “Er, right.”

Savannah looked up at the waiter once more and raised her eyebrows impatiently. “That will be all for now.”

“Yes ma'am.” The man scurried away toward the kitchen.

She faced Bertrand and rolled her eyes, “Well, he’s clearly new. He didn’t even recognize us!”

Bertrand looked down at the menu, avoiding the stares from people around him, but most especially the woman in front of him. Maxwell's earlier advice echoed in his mind. Really pay attention to who she is as a person. Ask yourself if she's really right for you.

Had Savannah always been so.. Supercilious?

Bertrand tried to stop himself, but couldn’t help chuckling as he recalled the first time Riley heard him use that word.

He was seated across from Riley at the kitchen table, having one of their daily lessons over lunch. Bertrand used the term supercilious to describe a certain Earl at court.

“Super sillyous? That’s like when something goes beyond silly and hits that extra silly mark, right?” Riley joked as she took a bite of the strawberry pie she had made that morning.

Bertrand furrowed his brow, “absolutely not!”

Riley leaned across the table toward him, “Yes it is! See, I’ll use it in a sentence.” She took a dollop of whip cream and dabbed it on his cheek. “Bertrand looks 'super sillyous' with whip cream on his face.”

Bertrand’s mouth fell open, “You.. you did not just do that!”

“Oh I do believe I did! What are you going to do about it?”

Bertrand was still frozen in shock at the sheer audacity of this woman, when she made her way over to his side of the table. “Oh don’t worry, I’ll clean it up.” She leaned toward him, cupping his face, and he felt the warmth of her tongue against his cheek as she licked the cool whip cream from his skin.

“Riley!” He gasped and she smiled as she wiped the rest off with her thumb.

“There. All better.”

“What’s so funny?” Savannah asked as she smoothed and primped her hair while she watched herself on her phone.

“Oh,” Bertrand smiled softly. “I was just thinking of something amusing that Riley said. It’s nothing.”

Savannah’s brow furrowed and she picked up her menu. “Riley, huh?” Bertrand kept quiet while Savannah tapped her nails against the menu. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something about her..” Bertrand’s heart sped up and his palms began to sweat as Savannah continued. “What do you think of her becoming queen? Honestly.”

“Oh,” Bertrand breathed a sigh of relief. “Well, I believe she would make an excellent queen. She’s been training night and day, and even though it’s only been a few months, she’s very well versed in the matters of court. Riley is smart. She picks up on things quickly. She’s social and polite, and good at reading people. She’s truly a remarkable person.”

Savannah glared at Bertrand while the waiter poured them a glass of champagne. She took a long sip, before replying, “Well, I think she’s kind of a bitch.”

“W-what?” Bertrand reeled back. “Why would you say that?!”

Savannah glanced away nonchalantly, “I’m very good at reading people, and I just get a weird vibe from her. I mean, how well do you really know her? She could be trying to get with Liam because of his money and fame! She could be stealing from you as we speak! And who just abandons their current life and goes with someone they just met to a foreign country? Was she homeless or something? Maybe a drug dealer on the run?”

Bertrand was completely dumbfounded. “Savannah.. How could you even say those things?”

“I’m not the only one! Surely you’ve heard what people are saying about her! I’m just worried about House Beaumont’s reputation, for your sake. You know I care about you.”

Bertrand’s mind flashed back to when he and Riley were in the club together and that flirty woman called her a bitch. Riley told him it happened all the time but he didn’t believe it. How could anyone insult her? She was wonderful! His blood boiled, but he took a calming breath before addressing Savannah.

“Lady Savannah, I will ask you not to speak ill of Riley in front of me. She is a very kind person who has been through a lot. She has been nothing short of amazing in the time I’ve known her and I consider her my friend.”

“Amazing?” Savannah finished the rest of the champagne in her glass before fixing him with a stern look. “Bertrand, is there something you want to tell me?”

He felt his face flush, “N-no! I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

Savannah leaned forward and lowered her voice, “Why are you always so quick to defend her? And not only that, you’re gushing about how ‘amazing’ she is! I’ve never heard you talk that way about anyone before!”

Bertrand stammered, “I-I’m her sponsor! Of course I’m saying nice things about her.”

Savannah searched his face with a scowl, “If you say so. I just wonder if-”

The waiter returned, interrupting their conversation. “Are you ready to order now, my Lady? Your Grace?”

“Oh, thank God,” Bertrand muttered, and quickly corrected himself, “I mean, yes. Yes we are.”

The rest of their dinner passed at an agonizing pace. Bertrand managed to acquire two last minute tickets to a ballet being performed at a local theater, and Savannah was less than impressed with their seats in the upper balcony next to the emergency exit.

The ride back to the Beaumont estate was a quiet one. Bertrand checked his phone for any new texts from Riley, but unfortunately there were none. He sent her a quick, “How are you feeling?” message, praying that she would respond. While he waited, he scrolled back to read some of their most recent messages in the chat and smiled to himself.

“Who are you texting?” Savannah muttered, reading over his shoulder and Bertrand fumbled the phone onto the floorboard.

“Jesus!” He yelped, throwing a hand over his heart. “I apologize, Savannah. I mean, Lady Savannah. You just started me, that’s all.”

“Texting Riley?” She asked flatly.

“She isn’t feeling well. I just wanted to check on her, but I suppose she went to sleep.”

Savannah nodded and slipped her hand into his, and Bertrand reluctantly returned her grip.

Bertrand walked Savannah to her bedroom door and paused outside, thankful that the night was finally over. “Goodnight, Lady Savannah.”

She ran her hand down his arm and smiled. “Goodnight already? It’s still early. Come inside my room for a nightcap at least.”

His stomach twisted and he backed up, “Oh, I really shouldn’t. It wouldn’t be proper for us to be in your bedroom alone.”

She took his hand and pulled him forward with a smirk. “Come on.. It’s just a drink. Just one?”

Bertrand reluctantly followed her and stifled a gasp when he saw the state of her bedroom. Half melted, ivory candles lit the room and red rose petals were spread out across the bed. “Dear God, no,” he whispered to himself while Savannah made her way to the drink cart in the corner.

“You still like Glenlivet, right?” She asked while she opened the 18 year old bottle.

“Oh. Yes.”

“Have a seat.” She gestured at the bed, but he sat in a chair by the door.

Bertrand took several deep breaths while he assessed the situation. He was in Savannah's room alone.. with candles. So many candles. Thankfully the entire estate hadn’t burned down while they were left unattended. She had clearly planned for something romantic to happen between them tonight.

“Bertrand.” Savannah handed him his drink and ran her hand up his arm before moving behind him and massaging his shoulders. “You’re so tense. Let me help you relax.”

“I.. I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” He placed his scotch on the table beside him, ready to stand up and retreat asap.

“Come on.. Just close your eyes and relax. Let me take care of you.”

Everything about this situation felt wrong, and he couldn’t have relaxed if his life depended on it.

He wouldn’t do anything with Savannah tonight. He couldn’t. Although technically this exact situation was what Riley had been helping him prepare for from the beginning. After everything they had been through, would Riley still want him to do this? His heart told him no, but his brain was a jumbled mess. The sex they had the previous night felt so real and so intimate, but could it just have been part of her plan? Maybe an impromptu lesson? Everything was too confusing and he needed some time to think. He sighed and when he opened his eyes again, Savannah was standing in front of him with her blouse completely unbuttoned.

He jumped farther back in the chair as she leaned toward him. “Bertrand,” She purred, caressing his cheek before pulling him to his feet.

“Y-yes?”

“Kiss me.”

“Lady Savannah, I apologize, but I just.. can't. I've actually been thinking that maybe we should take a step back and-”

“You have got to be kidding me!” She fumed, stalking away from him. “It’s Riley, isn’t it? I fucking knew it! I knew there was something going on between you two! You’re a completely different person lately! So what happened? Did she seduce you? She did, didn’t she?! Oh just wait until everyone finds out what a whore-”

Bertrand swiftly pulled Savannah to him and pressed his lips against hers. She returned the kiss instantly, and wrapped her arms around him. Surely there was a better way to squash her suspicions of him and Riley, but for now it was all he could come up with.

Maybe she would just be satisfied with making out a little and he could leave. He reluctantly continued kissing her, and Savannah pressed Bertrand’s hand against her breast. Or maybe not! He tried to back away, but she kept moving closer.

What the hell am I going to do now?

Bertrand closed his eyes tightly and imagined Riley in front of him. Instead of the overwhelming scent of Chanel No. 5, he caught the faint note of Riley’s floral shampoo. Suddenly he could taste Riley’s strawberry lip gloss. He caressed her cheek, knowing there were adorable tiny freckles beneath his hand. He ran his fingers through her golden locks which were probably just let out of a messy bun or braid. He felt her arms wrap around him and she whispered against his ear, “Do you want me, Bertrand?” His mind flashed back to Riley laying beneath him, her plump lips curving into a sexy grin as she uttered, “fuck me, Bert.”

Savannah whispered against his ear, “Say my name. Tell me you want me.”

Bertrand smiled with his eyes still closed tightly and replied, “I want you, Riley.”

#never have i ever #trr fanfic #the royal romance #bertrand x mc #bertrand beaumont #bertrand x riley #bertley #maxwell beaumont #cfwc fics of the week

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