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ao719 · 2 months

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Best Kept Secrets

Best Kept Secrets - Built to Last (Chapter 19)

Characters belong to Pixelberry.

Summary: An unforeseen encounter with the past proves that even the best-kept secrets eventually make their way into the light.

Title inspiration: Changing Tides - The Fray

Book/Pairing: TRR; Liam x F!OC

A/N: Not beta’d. Please excuse any errors.

Rating: M • Warning: This series will contain NSFW material. If you read, you acknowledge you are 18+

Catch up here

Slipping out of the SUV, Liam strode through the front doors of the palace after returning from a lunch meeting in the capitol. His assistant met him in the foyer and matched his steps up the stairs as he handed him a small stack of papers he needed for his next meeting.

“Thank you,” Liam said as he quickly looked them over. “You can head to my study. I’m just going to stop and see Amara and Sophia real quick.”

“Of course, sir,” the man nodded.

Once they reached the landing, they turned in opposite directions as Liam headed for the north wing.

It had been a month since they returned from their trip to New York, and things had been going well.

Amara seemed more relaxed. The guilt she’d been feeling prior to the trip didn’t seem to weigh as heavily on her after their talk at the hotel that night. He was watching her fall back into the old Amara … the one he’d fallen in love with two years ago.

The one with no guilt.

The one with no secrets.

The press had ceased their verbal attacks on Amara’s intentions since learning she was staying in Cordonia. Now, they turned their focus on the status of her and Liam’s relationship, questioning if they would rekindle the romance they once had.

Liam didn’t give them the satisfaction of a response. Partly because he didn’t feel it was any of their business, at least not yet. And partly because he had nothing to give them at the moment.

In the month since they returned to Cordonia after deciding to see where things could go between them, they’d certainly gotten closer. They’d spent every evening together, but only behind the confines of the palace walls and as a family. They would meet once Liam finished work for the day in either the north wing or his quarters, they’d have dinner, and they’d play with Sophia before putting her to bed. Then they would have their time, which consisted of talking or watching a movie. And when they weren’t chatting or paying attention to a TV screen, they would get caught up in one another, but they had yet to cross any lines beyond kissing.

While Liam was the one who said he wanted to “slow down”, he found himself struggling to rein in his desires for Amara as they grew closer; the tension between them continued to thicken and each kiss they shared grew more passionate. He was determined to get things right this time around, however, so he was content with taking things slow.

Once at the north wing, Liam stepped inside and rounded the corner to see them in the living area; Amara was sitting on the sofa with her laptop in front of her while Sophia played with blocks on the floor.

“Dada!” Sophia squealed when she spotted him; she pushed herself to stand and toddled toward him.

Liam grinned as he leaned down and scooped her into his arms. “Hi, princess.” His gaze then met Amara’s as he approached her; he leaned down, kissing her cheek. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Amara smiled. “How was your meeting?”

“It was fine. I thought I’d stop by before the next one. What have you two been up to?”

“Not much,” Amara shrugged. “We just got back from having lunch with Regina. She was wondering if you’d spoken to Leo.”

“Yes,” Liam nodded. “He told me he was coming home next weekend to finally meet his niece,” he smiled as Sophia looked at him. “You’re going to have your Uncle Leo wrapped right around your little finger, I can already tell.” He then looked at Amara. “He’s looking forward to meeting you, too.”

“Me?”

“You are the mother of his niece,” Liam playfully scoffed. “And we’re … well, ya know …” He winked.

Amara smiled sheepishly with a quiet laugh as she dropped his gaze. “Right.”

An imperceptible smirk tugged at the corner of Liam’s lips at the light pink tint that he saw bloom on her cheeks. While she’d become much more relaxed since their talk, she was still being careful and seemed to get easily flustered at any comment he made in a teasing, flirtatious manner. The old Amara from two years ago was bold in her flirtations, and while he was hoping to see that bold side come back, there was something about her getting flustered that he found endearing.

It had become a secret little game of his to see it happen.

Just then, Amara’s phone rang; she glanced at the screen before rising from the sofa. “Can you watch her for a quick sec? I need to take this.”

“Sure,” Liam nodded.

As she disappeared down the hall, Liam walked to the sofa and sat down with Sophia. “Are you having fun with Mommy?” he asked Sophia before smothering her cheek with playful kisses. She giggled and pulled back, then leaned across him, stretching her arms out. His gaze shifted in the direction she was reaching and fell on Amara’s open laptop. “No, you can’t have that, silly,” he chuckled. He was about to close it, but his brows furrowed and he leaned forward to get a better look. He felt a pang of surprise mixed with trepidation when he saw what was on the screen.

It was a realtor’s website … with listings of houses for sale.

When Liam and Amara first talked after the statement was made and she told him she planned to stay in Cordonia, she mentioned eventually finding a place of her own. At the time, he didn’t think much of it, and in the nearly three months since that conversation, any notion of it had slipped his mind entirely. Even though she had only brought it up that one time, it clearly hadn’t slipped her mind.

A dozen questions and thoughts flooded his mind, but before he could process them, Amara reappeared. “Sorry about that.”

Snapping from his daze, Liam looked at her and cleared his throat. “It’s alright. Everything ok?”

“Yeah,” Amara nodded. As she stared at him, she could see the moment he sensed that she wanted to say more. “I’ll talk to you about it later.”

Liam nodded even as more questions filled his head. Talk about what? He thought it might have something to do with what he just glimpsed on her laptop, and despite wanting to ask her about it, he thought that perhaps that was better left for later.

Glancing at his watch, Liam sighed. “I have that meeting soon.” He stood from the sofa, kissed Sophia’s cheek, and set her back down in front of her blocks before turning to Amara. “We’re meeting at my place tonight?” he asked as they walked toward the door.

“Yeah,” Amara confirmed.

“I should be finished at my usual time, but if something comes up …” Liam turned to see her leaning against the wall, looking up at him. “…I’ll let you know.” She nodded as he took a step toward her, and in the next moment, he leaned down, pressing his lips to hers. His hand came up, settling on her neck as his thumb brushed along the curve of her jaw. A moment later, he drew back just enough to break the kiss and whispered against her lips, “I’ll see you later.”

“Bye …”

When Liam slipped out, Amara dropped her head against the door with a soft thud and closed her eyes as she let out a breath. For the past month, she’d been struggling with her longing for him. She swore each day she had to fight twice as hard as the one before to tamp down her growing desire.

It wasn’t just the longing, though. It was the giddiness over the way he was making her feel … the same way he did two years ago. Hell, he couldn’t even be playful or flirtatious without making her lose her composure. He’d make one small comment and the butterflies would erupt in the masses and she’d start blushing.

Amara lifted her head and took in a determined breath. She would continue to follow his lead because she didn’t want to do anything to ruin the progress they’d made.

****

That night, after their usual round of dinner, playing, and putting Sophia to bed, Liam and Amara sat in the living area inside his quarters as a movie played on the TV screen.

Liam had a few meetings that day, but he’d been distracted during each of them as thoughts of what he glimpsed on Amara’s laptop consumed his mind. He wasn’t sure why her looking for a place of her own bothered him so much … but it did.

Despite them currently living under the same roof, they were in separate wings, so Amara having her own place wouldn’t really change anything between them. But Liam wouldn’t be able to just walk a few corridors to her door. He wouldn’t be able to drop by unannounced and on the fly anytime he wanted like he could now. And spending every evening with them would probably dwindle to once or twice a week. He’d be missing out on time and moments he didn’t want to miss out on … like the one he found himself in now.

Liam drew back from Amara’s lips, trying to will his desire for her back inside its cage. “So,” he whispered as his thumb brushed against her cheek, “what was that phone call about earlier?”

“Oh, um …” Amara leaned back. “It was my realtor …”

“A realtor?” Liam asked, feigning ignorance.

“Yeah,” she nodded. “I’ve been looking since I made the decision to stay and with price drops happening left and right lately, I thought it would be a good time to really look.”

Liam shifted on the sofa, draping one arm across the back as he rested his hand on her thigh. “Really look as in …?”

“I have appointments to view some listings.”

“I see,” Liam nodded as he held her gaze. “Is this something you want to do right now? I told you there was no rush for you to find a place.”

“I don’t want to overstay my welcome,” Amara quipped, and he gave her a look. “It’s a process, not something that happens overnight, so I just think it might be time to start looking.”

Liam nodded again as he watched his finger trace a shape on her denim-clad thigh. “What kind of place are you looking for?”

“Something secure. Obviously, with Sophia …”

Liam’s jaw tensed at even the mere thought of anyone having easy access to not just Sophia but Amara as well, but he tried to remain casual. “Right …”

“Something with a yard for her to play in.”

A nod was all Liam offered, unable to say what he was thinking. She has acres and acres of yard to play in here at the palace.

“Three bedrooms.”

“Three?” Liam questioned.

“I thought having one for a guest room would be a good idea, just in case.”

“In case what?”

“I don’t know … in case Daniel or Riley or someone else needs to crash one night.”

Again, Liam offered nothing but a nod. There are guest rooms galore here.

Suddenly, the reason why it bothered him so much hit Liam like a ton of bricks. He didn’t want her to leave. And not just because he wanted her to remain at the palace so she’d be within walking distance but because he wanted her with him … in his wing … with their daughter … as a family. Together.

Yes, Liam was the one who said he wanted to take things slow, and they were — as slow as two people with a history and connection like them could. But he was struck with the sudden awareness that everything they had done up to that point had been ass-backward. Nothing about them or their situation was conventional and it never had been. So, was the impulse of wanting her to stay with him instead of buying her own house really that far-fetched of an idea? No.

But if she was so adamant about starting to look for her own place, perhaps she didn’t want the same thing he did or didn’t feel ready, at least, not yet.

“So when are you planning to start looking?” Liam asked.

“Tomorrow,” Amara answered. His gaze snapped up to hers, not having expected it to be that soon, but he managed to keep his expression neutral. “I’m not expecting to find the one on the first day, but I think it’ll give me an idea of what I want to look for going forward.”

As Liam nodded again, Amara held his gaze; she swore she could see a flash of something in his eyes, but he was quick to make it vanish. Before she could ask, commotion from the movie they’d been watching pulled their attention to the TV screen.

A moment later, Liam looked back at her as he stroked his thumb across her knuckles; the movement pulled her gaze back to him, and a heartbeat later, he captured her lips in his.

With that, the conversation ended.

*******

The following morning, an SUV carrying Amara and Sophia — because Liam wouldn’t let them go anywhere without at least one guard — followed the realtor through the gates of a residential development situated on the outskirts of the capitol. A few moments later, they pulled into the driveway of a two-story home that had recently been listed.

When they exited the vehicle, Amara smiled as Riley and Drake approached her. “Hey. Thanks for coming along.”

“I had nothing going on, and when I told this one—” Riley threw her thumb over her shoulder at Drake “— he insisted on coming to check the ‘fundamentals’,” she gestured with air quotes.

“You’ll look at the aesthetic, but there’s more to a house than just looking pretty,” Drake said. “That’s where I come in since Liam is stuck in meetings this morning. Although, I don’t know if he’d know what to look for either,” he snorted.

Amara chuckled. “Well, I appreciate you coming along. You’re right, I don’t really know what to check for other than the basics. So I’ll take any help I can get.”

“Are we ready?” the realtor smiled from the walkway to the front porch.

“Yes,” Amara nodded but only managed to take a few steps before her attention turned to another vehicle pulling into the driveway. She turned, recognizing who it was before he even stepped out.

When the door opened and Liam appeared, she gave him a curious smile. “What are you doing here?”

“I thought maybe you’d like another set of eyes,” Liam grinned as he approached them. “And I want to see the places this little one is potentially going to be living in,” he said as he took Sophia from her and tickled her belly. “So I rescheduled my meetings and cleared the rest of my day.”

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“I wanted to,” Liam smiled as he slipped his hand into hers and looked at the realtor.

“Your Majesty,” the man bowed nervously.

“Just pretend I’m not here,” Liam said.

The man offered a tense smile and nodded before gesturing for them to follow him inside.

While Amara walked around with the realtor and Riley, Drake went off on his own to check what he deemed to be important while Liam gave himself and Sophia a tour.

The house was nice. The first floor was an open-concept floor plan with the kitchen, living room, and dining room all flowing into each other. It appeared to have new wood floors throughout, fresh paint, and he was pretty sure he heard the realtor mention a new roof.

The three bedrooms were located upstairs. Two were sizable with a Jack and Jill bathroom between them, and the master was massive with an impressive en-suite and walk-in closet.

It was a pretty perfect house … but Liam didn’t want her to live there.

Liam had cleared his schedule to tag along on her hunt that day. His goal? To point out everything he could find wrong with each viewing in hopes she’d realize that the palace already had everything she would need or want. Walking through this first home, he knew it was going to be a difficult task if the other viewings were anything like it.

“Maybe Uncle Drake will find cracks in the foundation,” Liam mumbled to Sophia as they stepped out of the master bedroom and headed back downstairs. When he reached the first floor, he spotted Drake in the living room. “Well?” he questioned as he approached him.

Drake nodded positively and Liam had to swallow down his disapproval. “It’s really nice. There were a couple of minor things that I noticed, but nothing that isn’t a quick and easy fix.”

“Well, that sucks,” Liam mumbled under his breath.

“What was that?”

“I said that’s great.”

“What did you think?”

“It’s … ok.”

Drake gave him a look. “I know it’s not a palace …”

“It’s not that,” Liam scoffed. “I just have some … concerns.”

“What concerns?”

Liam whirled around at the sound of Amara’s voice, meeting her gaze with a small smile as she entered the living room with the realtor and Riley. “The house is … nice. Really nice. I’d be worried about the security, however.”

“It’s a gated community,” Drake said.

Shut up, Drake. “Yes, it is,” Liam nodded. “But the gate is accessed by a keycard, correct?” he looked at the realtor, who nodded in answer. “So there’s no one at the gate, which means anyone who wanted to try hard enough could get in undetected if they climbed over. With who Sophia is, and who you are to me … we know how relentless the press can be at times, and they’re just the tip of the iceberg of people we need to worry about. I just think somewhere where there is a security guard stationed at the gate would be better … safer.”

It was a legitimate concern, even if he pointed it out for the wrong reason. Had he been on board with this whole idea, he’d have pointed it out regardless.

“He does have a point,” Amara said as she looked at the realtor; Liam’s shoulders imperceptibly slumped in relief. “I’m sure he’s going to have a guard with us at all times, but having someone at the gate would make me more comfortable with Sophia.”

“Noted,” the realtor nodded with a smile before looking at the tablet he’d been carrying around. “That knocks off three places from our list of viewings today, but there are two we’re scheduled to see that do have guarded gates.”

Liam fought back a sigh.

That was two more places he had to hope she found something wrong with or simply didn’t like.

And it was only day one of looking.

*******

The following Friday, Amara headed toward Liam’s quarters, walking behind Sophia, who was toddling along the corridor but stopping to wave at every staff member who walked by. They were going to meet him for dinner, along with Drake, Riley, and Leo, who’d arrived a couple of hours ago.

Amara was thankful for Leo’s arrival because it gave her a day’s reprieve from house hunting, which she’d spent the entire week doing. She’d viewed 13 listings over the past week but hadn’t found one that was suitable.

Suitable not to her standards … but to Liam’s.

No matter what time Amara was scheduled to view a house, Liam made sure he was available to go with her. At first, she was thankful for it; she wanted his opinion and appreciated his willingness to help despite his busy schedule. But his opinions turned into what she could only describe as nitpicking, proving that his standards were much higher than hers.

The suggestion Liam made at the first house about a guarded gate made perfect sense. Everything that came after that suggestion, however …

The yards weren’t good enough for Sophia to play in, or there wasn’t enough space between the houses, or they were too close to the street for his liking.

At one, the floorboards were “too creaky” which obviously meant that there was something structurally wrong.

Amara had a few listings lined up to look at tomorrow, and Liam said he would go with her, but she wasn’t getting her hopes up. She knew he only wanted what was best for Sophia, but at that point, she didn’t think it was going to be possible to find a home that he deemed worthy enough for his precious little princess.

Once at Liam’s door, Amara opened it, allowing Sophia in before following her; they could hear laughter from the other room and Sophia walked curiously toward the sound. When they rounded the corner, Liam looked over from where he sat on the balcony and grinned as he playfully slapped the shoulder of the man sitting next to him before they both rose from their seats.

“Dada!” Sophia gave a toothy grin as she reached for him.

“Hi, princess,” Liam chuckled as he scooped her into his arms before looking at Amara. He leaned down to press a lingering kiss to her lips, and she softly sighed before he slowly drew back. “Hi,” he whispered, brushing his nose against hers.

“Hi …” Amara let out a breath. “Sorry if we kept you waiting.”

“You didn’t,” Liam shook his head. “Leo was with Regina earlier. He just showed up here maybe 10 minutes ago.”

“Am I interrupting?” a voice drawled.

Liam turned and stepped out of Amara’s line of vision, bringing Leo into view. When he met her gaze, she smiled politely yet warily; she was unsure of how exactly he viewed her after what she’d kept from his brother.

“Leo, this is Amara,” Liam said. “Amara, my brother Leo.”

“It’s nice to meet you.”

When he grinned, Amara’s shoulders loosened. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

“And this is Sophia.” Liam tickled her belly, eliciting a giggle from her. “Can you say hi to Uncle Leo?” She looked at Leo, staring for a moment before sinking deeper into Liam’s embrace and laying her head on his shoulder, hiding her eyes with his neck.

Leo’s lip jutted. “Aw, don’t be scared of me.”

“I’d be terrified,” Drake snorted as he and Riley stepped inside to greet Amara.

Liam turned his head toward Sophia with a smile as he rubbed her back. “It’s ok.”

Sophia shifted her head just enough for her eyes to peer at Leo, and he grinned as he began playing a game of peekaboo. After a few moments, a giggle erupted from her as she lifted her head, offering him her signature toothy grin.

“There’s a smile,” Leo chuckled. “You want to come hang with Uncle Leo for a minute?” He raised his hands towards her.

Sophia studied him carefully, and after another moment of hesitation, she went to him. They locked eyes and she scrunched her nose with another smile. “Hi,” she said shyly.

Liam watched his brother’s brow furrow, and his eyes widened when he saw his eyes shine with tears. “Leo …”

“Well, shit,” Leo choked out. “I can’t believe you have one of these.” A laugh simultaneously barreled out of Drake and Liam as Leo turned his head and quickly wiped his eyes on his sleeve.

“Got you wanting one now?” Drake chuckled.

“Way down the road, maybe,” Leo replied. “Now? Absolutely not. Fuck that.” His eyes widened as he looked at Sophia. “I mean … heck that.”

“Fuck.”

Amara’s and Riley’s mouths dropped open at the word Sophia repeated as Liam leveled his brother with a glare. “I’m sorry!” Leo grimaced guiltily. “I’m not used to filtering!”

Drake shook his head with a laugh. “Uncle Leo is here.”

****

That night after dinner, Liam walked Amara and Sophia back to the north wing. Once he put Sophia to sleep, he stepped out of her room and headed for the main area; he spotted Amara in the kitchen, standing with her back to him as she put dishes away in a cabinet.

A moment later, Amara’s breath quietly hitched when she felt his hands curl around her waist. “D-Did she go down?”

“Yeah,” Liam replied as he rested his chin on her shoulder. “She’s out like a light. Uncle Leo wore her out.”

Amara smiled. “They seemed to form a quick bond.”

Liam turned his head so his lips brushed her ear. “I don’t think you’re understanding how much trouble that means for us.”

Amara tried to suppress a shudder from his warm breath against her skin, but she knew she failed when Liam let out a soft chuckle at having caught it. She turned to face him, and he leaned against the counter, placing one hand on either side of her and caging her in.

Liam slowly leaned in, his eyes dropping from hers and zeroing in on her lips before he captured them in his. His tongue swept against the seam of her lips, and she parted them in response, allowing him in. When he deepened the kiss, her hands curled around his neck as an imperceptible whimper escaped her, so soft he almost didn’t hear it, but when he did, something inside him roared to life.

Gripping her waist, Liam lifted her onto the counter as he stepped between her legs and pulled her body flush against his. He slid a hand up her back and into her hair and he tugged, causing the kiss to break; his lips moved to her jaw then down the column of her neck as her hips instinctively arched against him with a gasp, the movement pulling a rumbled groan from his throat as he found her lips again.

The kiss stretched on, pulling them both deeper into the moment until it broke at the sudden ping emitting from Liam’s pocket, alerting him to a message. He reluctantly drew back and his jaw tensed as he dipped his hand into his pocket to pull out his phone.

“It’s Leo,” Liam sighed. “He wants to have a nightcap.”

Liam’s eyes flickered back to her face and more desire unfurled and clawed at his insides at the sight of her: kiss-swollen lips, tousled hair from his hand being buried in it, and her blue-eyed gaze brimming with lust.

“Ok.” Amara’s one-word response came out in a breathless whisper.

Liam swallowed thickly as he stepped back and she slipped off the counter. He cleared his throat as he ran his fingers through his hair. “So, uh … 10 tomorrow morning, right?”

“Huh?” Amara looked up at him.

“The first house viewing?”

“Oh, uh …” Amara let out a breath. “Yeah. 10.”

Liam nodded before leaning down; he stopped a hairsbreadth from her lips, reminding himself not to get too caught up before he pressed a lingering kiss to her lips. He drew back a moment later and his hand squeezed hers. “Goodnight.”

“G’night.”

*******

The following morning, Amara was standing in front of a two-story home in a gated — and guarded — community. It sat at the end of a long driveway surrounded by trees and had a large backyard with a wooden playset complete with swings and a slide. After touring the house with Liam, Drake, Riley, and Leo, who opted to tag along, it was determined not to have any creaky floorboards.

“I just think that the stairs in the foyer … there’s too many.”

Amara stiffened beside Liam.

Drake dropped his head with a silent laugh as Riley fought back her own. They’d been with them at every house and they knew Liam had been coming up with excuses for each one, but they’d kept quiet about it. It was none of their business.

Leo snapped his gaze over to his brother. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“For Sophia,” Liam clarified as he continued to stare at the house to avoid making eye contact with him. “And they’re narrow … and wooden, so there’s no cushion if she falls.”

Steven, the realtor, stood by his car and closed his eyes as he took in a calming breath. “On to the next then?”

****

“The hedges aren’t trimmed or lit up.”

“Are you—” Leo cut himself off as he looked at his brother, wide-eyed. “You can’t be serious …”

“I am,” Liam said matter-of-factly. “The housing development, which she would have to pay a monthly fee to, is in charge of lawn maintenance and it looks like shit.”

Amara turned and walked toward the car without a word as a chuckling Drake and Riley trailed behind her.

“I think you’ve gone a little crazy in the head,” Leo scoffed.

Steven slid back into his car and shut the door.

****

“This is niiiice,” Leo said as he glanced around the kitchen of the next home; it was the last one for the day.

“State-of-the-art appliances,” Drake said, smoothing his hand across the marble countertop.

“Big rooms,” Riley grinned.

Liam looked around as he held Sophia. He’d walked around the outside and had been through every room and couldn’t find anything wrong with it. Nothing. He glanced down, scuffing his foot against the floor and his eyes landed on the bottle of grapefruit juice he’d carried in with him before they slowly slid to Sophia. He turned his back toward the others as he quietly unscrewed the cap. “Want a sip?” he whispered.

Sophia eagerly leaned forward, not knowing what it was … or how bitter it was; honestly, Liam questioned why he drank it half the time. He tipped the bottle back, helping her to sip before pulling it away and screwing the lid back on. He turned back around just as her nose scrunched and her lips puckered.

“Yuck.”

Liam glanced at Sophia as everyone else turned toward the sound of her voice.

“Well, she hates it,” Liam shrugged before turning and striding out of the house without a glance back. “Way to come through in the clutch, princess,” he whispered through a laugh.

****

That evening after having dinner, Amara went back to the north wing with Sophia alone, giving Liam time with Leo, who was leaving in the morning.

Liam carried two glasses of scotch out onto the balcony and set one down in front of Leo before taking a seat next to him. “I’m really glad you got a chance to come visit,” he said before taking a sip of his drink.

“Me too,” Leo nodded. “I’ll definitely plan to come back soon and more often. Gotta corrupt my niece and all.” He chuckled at the look Liam shot him. “So …” He paused, taking a sip of his drink. “When do you plan on asking Amara to move in with you?”

“What?” Liam asked, furrowing his brow.

“Don’t play dumb with me, little brother.”

“I’m not playing—”

“You said the house had too many fucking stairs.”

“It did!”

“And what do you call the stairs in this place?” Leo tossed back. “The grand staircase alone has three times as many stairs, but those are ok … because they’re here.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Liam said casually.

“You complained about hedges not being lit up.”

“Aesthetics matter.”

Leo snorted, shaking his head. “You’re not fooling anyone, except maybe Amara, who probably just thinks you have your child’s best interest in mind. She also probably thinks that you’re nitpicky as fuck with ridiculous standards.”

Leo arched his brow in a challenge to tell him that he was wrong. He knew he couldn’t. “Fine,” Liam sighed. “I don’t want her to buy a house.”

“Because …?” Leo smirked.

Liam rolled his eyes as he took another sip of his drink. “Because I want them with me, here, in my quarters”

“See?” Leo chuckled. “Now was that so fucking hard?”

“Yes, because I can’t say that to her. She’s looking for a house. If she wanted to stay, she’d say something.”

“Would she?” Leo questioned. “After everything you told me about what happened after you learned the truth about Sophia, what Amara wants doesn’t really matter to her. And making assumptions about what you want doesn’t seem like something she’s going to do after what happened. You told me yourself that she’s been following your lead on everything. So if you haven’t come out and specifically told her that you don’t want her to leave, why would she believe otherwise? Not to mention the fact that you’ve made it a point to go look at all of the fucking houses with her, further making her believe that you’re on board with it.”

Liam dropped his head back as he let out a breath. Yes, he knew that while Amara had been better since their talk in New York, she was still following his lead with everything, but he didn’t think about it possibly having an impact on her decision to want to house hunt. Thinking about it now, he hadn’t told her he didn’t want her to go and he hadn’t shown her either.

There was still that possibility that Amara didn’t want to stay, however. Perhaps she wanted to find her own place, that she wasn’t ready for the same thing he was.

*******

The following morning after seeing Leo off at the airport, Liam stared out the window of the SUV as it pulled into a long, winding driveway. Amara had messaged him and asked if he could meet her to look at another house.

When the SUV came to a stop, Liam’s brows furrowed when he saw Amara standing in a dirt-covered clearing. He instructed Bastien to stay in the vehicle before slipping out and making his way towards her.

“Hey,” Amara smiled as he approached.

“Hello.” Liam leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Where’s Soph?”

“Regina is watching her.”

Liam nodded before glancing around. “I thought you asked me to meet you to look at another house?”

“I did … sort of.”

Glancing back at her, Liam offered an amused smile. “Is the house invisible?”

Amara chuckled. “No … this is just the location of where the house could be,” she gestured to the open clearing.

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

“I talked with the realtor about the possibility of building. This is an empty plot of land for sale … and I could have a house built to ensure it would have everything I want and everything you would be comfortable with.”

“Oh …” Fuck. Liam cleared his throat as he looked around again. “I don’t … I don’t know if that’s the best path to take.”

Amara let out an exasperated sigh. “Why not?”

Liam blew out a breath. “I mean, it’s just that … I don’t think—”

“Liam … you’ve found something wrong with every house I’ve looked at. If I build, it can be to your standards … standards that I didn’t realize were so very high and specific until this process.”

“My standards are not high nor specific,” Liam scoffed.

“I beg to differ,” Amara quipped.

“My standards are not high! I just don’t want you to leave!” The words tumbled from Liam’s mouth before he could stop them.

Amara’s brows raised in surprise. “What?”

“I don’t want you to leave!” Liam repeated as he threw his arms up. “I don’t want you to buy a house. I want you to stay at the palace with me. If you’re going to move, I want you to move in with me. I want us to be together … as a family.”

Letting out a breath, Amara stared at him. She didn’t think that was an option — at least, not at the moment — because he’d never brought it up. “Why didn’t you say anything before?”

“Because I didn’t know if you wanted the same. If getting a house is something you want, I didn’t want to stand in your way … which, it probably doesn’t seem like that now considering the ridiculous excuses I came up with …” He scuffed his foot against the dirt. “If it’s what you want, then I’m not going to stop you and I’ll have to deal with it. But if you’re looking because you think I want you to go or because you think you have to … that’s not the case.” He held her gaze, seeing her eyes glisten with tears in the sunlight peeking through the canopy of trees overhead. He took a step toward her and brushed his hand across her cheek. “This is my official offer. Stay with me, Amara. Move in with me.”

Another breath escaped Amara before she leaned up and closed the small distance between them, pressing her lips to his. Liam’s arms wrapped tightly around her as he deepened the kiss.

They drew back a moment later and Liam rested his forehead against hers with a hopeful smile. “Is that a yes?”

Amara tearfully chuckled. “Yes.”

*******

Sitting on the sofa, Liam watched Amara move around the living area, picking up Sophia’s toys and placing them in their respective baskets after she’d gone to bed.

“You can do that later.”

“I’ll just get it done now.”

Liam chuckled with a shake of his head as he removed his tie. Amara and Sophia had moved in a month ago, and he’d learned very quickly how much of a neat freak she was. He’d always known she’d kept things tidy, but this was on a different level.

As she walked by him with her hands full of stuffed animals, Liam reached up, and she yelped when he pulled her down; her one knee landed beside his leg on the cushion, and he pulled her other leg over so she was straddling his lap.

Liam held her gaze as he took the stuffed animals from her arms and tossed them back on the floor. “Later,” he grumbled before pulling her down and capturing her lips in his.

Despite having lived together and sleeping in the same bed for the last month, they had yet to cross any lines. Something would come up or interrupt every time. They played it off as best they could but were both beginning to feel more than a little frustrated.

But tonight …

Liam’s hands slid beneath the hem of Amara’s shirt and settled on the bare skin of her waist, and he smiled into the kiss when he felt her shudder under his touch. He urged her forward, causing her body to arch into him, and when he felt her hips press down against his, he groaned and deepened the kiss.

A soft moan escaped Amara when he pressed her down against him again; she could feel just how much his desire matched her own. “Liam,” she gasped against his lips.

“I love when you say my name like that.” His voice came out like gravel. “Like the slightest touch from me will make you come undone.”

Amara let out another whimper of longing as her fingers began fumbling against the buttons of his shirt until it draped open, baring his muscled torso. Her hands slid against the taut skin of his chest to his abs—

“Mama.”

Liam and Amara froze at the sound of Sophia’s voice coming through the monitor speaker.

“Dada,” she whined again a moment later.

Amara leaned back, staring at Liam; they were both flushed and breathing heavily.

“Mama,” she cried.

Amara offered a rueful grin before she slid off his lap and headed toward Sophia’s room.

Liam dropped his head back against the sofa and rubbed his hands over his face in exasperation. It’d been so long since they were last together before everything happened. And while he didn’t know how much longer he’d be able to last, it wasn’t something he wanted to have to rush out of worry of interruption either. His hands fell away from his face as an idea struck, and a moment later he had his phone in hand and pressed to his ear.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” Liam replied. “I need a really big favor …”

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

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kristinamae093 · 9 months

Text

Ghosted

Ghosted - The Apple Banquet (Chapter 7)

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

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

A/N1 - This AU starts right before the beginning of the engagement tour. There is a two-month lapse between the coronation and where we pick up, but we will stray from canon. Please excuse any errors found.

Characters belong to Pixelberry

The Apple Banquet was set to begin inside the ballroom of the Applewood Estate momentarily. The entire country was excited, as it was the first one to take place since Constantine wed Regina. All of the nobility gathered to witness the bride and groom share an apple from the year’s first harvest before the wedding.

The wedding, Liam scoffed at the thought. After they found all of Riley’s things a few days ago, he completely changed his view point on the scandal and her disappearance. He spent all this time believing she left to be with someone else, but he began to see the situation from a different light.

It seems the more he learns about Riley’s last night here, the more he believes she was forced away.

Liam learned of Riley retiring early from Maxwell, so they had a solid timeframe where someone could have gotten her out of the estate undetected and the maid to pack and move her things. He felt a sense of relief when the maid reiterated that she was not seen leaving with Tariq, but another man. Of course, he wished she would have been able to identify the unknown person, but in a way, his heart swelled knowing she didn’t leave with Tariq, although it opened a world of other unanswered questions.

Bastien had been searching for Tariq and Riley but had no luck in locating either thus far. The last trace of Riley was landing from her flight in New York, the morning after the Country Jamboree. From there, her trail runs cold. There was no trace of Tariq after his arrival to Applewood whatsoever; there wasn’t even a record of a car coming to pick him up from the estate that night. They had both simply vanished into thin air, like a ghost.

Without either of them, Liam was clueless as to how to proceed further. The few clues they had were just that, clues. There was nothing prominent enough to place blame anywhere. Riley's room had been cleared, not a trace to be found. Nothing was spotted outside, no predominant leads were found in the shed, aside from the dress and the piece of mail. Much to everyone's dismay, Bastien confirmed that he disposed of Riley's phone and the letter left in the room, so no comparison could be done. Liam took blame for everything and felt helpless, there was nothing more he could do; but he felt he had to put on his Kingly facade and continue as if nothing was amiss, at least for the time being.

However, Liam felt the time constricting on him. He was set to marry Madeleine in just a few short weeks, and he didn’t have a clue as to what he was going to do about that. Although he knew it was his duty to marry and produce heirs, he didn’t know if he could marry Madeleine just to appease the nobility, especially now that he knew someone potentially plotted to put her on the throne.

More than that, after they found Riley’s bloodied dress, Liam felt a renewed sense of urgency about locating her; he needed to see that she was unharmed. Of course he wanted nothing more than to hopefully bring her back and ultimately make her his Queen, but he didn’t want to get too far ahead of himself. Just seeing with his own two eyes that she is okay would suffice him, although it would break his heart all over again.

As Liam stood on the dias next to Madeleine greeting all of the court’s nobles, he couldn’t help but look at everyone as if they were a suspect. Although the maid said she saw Riley with a man in a suit, every single person there could have benefitted from getting rid of her; he was aware of the fact that Riley was a commoner and not everyone would be okay with having her as a Queen. Furthermore, Liam was sure it was a hired person who escorted Riley away; he knew his nobles were not stupid, but conniving and malicious. They wouldn’t risk getting their hands dirty, especially with something of that magnitude considering she would have been his selection. That meant the suspect list was open to all of the nobility at this point.

“Liam? Are you even listening to me?!” Madeleine snapped.

“No, I’m not.” Liam retorted. He realized the other nobles were lining up behind the double doors, a sure signal that they were about to be announced into the ballroom with his Father and Regina at the head. He turned away from Madeleine and headed toward the line of people. He took his position in the back of the procession, as tradition dictated. He squared his shoulders, stood to his full height, and waited.

“Penelope!” Madeleine snapped her fingers. “My train!”

Liam silently scoffed as he watched Penelope scurry over and take position behind Madeleine. He saw her struggling to keep up with Madeleine’s pace, but she never once let that train touch the ground.

As they reached Liam’s position, Madeleine shooed Penelope away before she turned to Liam. “Cute. I don’t know what your deal is but you need to knock it off.”

“Or what?” Liam snapped as he turned to face her.

“I’m sure I can think of something.”

“Are you threatening me?”

Madeleine indignantly laughed. “No, darling, whatever would make you think that?” She feigned innocence.

Liam stepped closer to her and lowered his voice to where only she could hear. “I told you, I'm not playing whatever game it is that you are trying to play. You'd do well to remember that you are not the Queen, not yet… I hold that power, so I would advise you to tread carefully, Countess.” He hissed through clenched teeth.

Liam found himself on edge; he was not in the mood to deal with Madeleine, or anyone else for that matter. This is the last place he wanted to be, and he was not about to let Madeleine try and boss him around or assert whatever dominance she thought she held over him.

Liam stood back up and adjusted his lapels. Madeleine’s face turned a hundred shades of crimson, but she returned her attention to the line in front of her. She attempted to thread her arm through Liam’s, but he pulled away. At a nod from the herald, the doors swung open and Liam strode inside with Madeleine walking closely beside him.

They were led by a servant to a banquet table adorned with a white lace tablecloth. A wooden stand sat in the middle of the table with a bright red cordonian ruby sitting atop it, beside the apple was a knife with a black handle and gold trim.

Liam took his position behind the table next to Madeleine and directed his attention to his father, who had taken place in front of the table with a champagne flute of cider in hand.

"The sharing of a Cordonian ruby dates back to the times of King Fabian. At that time, the King and Queen would not share cake when they wed, but instead a Cordonian ruby. The monarchy has since modernized, but this tradition is to honor those who have paved the way before us.

We gather here today to celebrate not only another year's bountiful harvest, but the matrimony that these two will share. Although no vows will be exchanged here today, the symbolism remains the same."

Constantine stopped his speech as applause filled the air. He waited for a few moments before he raised his hand to quiet the crowd and continued. "We have a bright future ahead of us as a country. I have no doubt in my mind that these two will lead us with distinction and grace, just as the Kings and Queens before them. We will not only thrive under their rule, but prosper." He lifted his glass in the air. "To King Liam and our soon to be Queen, Countess Madeleine."

The crowd all raised their glasses and echoed the former King's sentiments. Liam and Madeleine then each cut a slice from the apple and ate it to complete the needless ceremony. Liam grew up loving the Cordonian ruby and was incredibly proud of his heritage, but that particular apple tasted incredibly tart and bitter. It took all of his willpower not to scrunch his face as the tangy, sour flavor overcame his taste buds.

Liam was forced to stand for photographs with Madeleine before he could take a moment for himself. He didn't smile, but instead just started blankly into space past the camera. Madeleine was positioned at a slight angle in front of him and he made it a point to put as much space between them as he could and still get a 'natural’ looking portrait.

Once pictures were finished, Liam made a beeline for the bar and ordered himself a scotch on the rocks; he needed something to calm his dangerously high stress levels. As his drink was delivered to him, he felt a hand on his back. He turned around to find Drake. “How you holding up?”

“I’m not, Drake. I haven’t slept, I don’t want to be here. I need to be looking for them, for her; I have to find her.” Liam said before he downed his drink in one gulp and motioned to the bartender for another.

Drake stepped forward and signaled for a whiskey as the bartender refilled Liam’s glass. As he waited he addressed Liam. “I know this is hard on you especially. But, for now, you gotta just play along. Make ‘em think you’re really gonna go through with the wedding.”

“It's just around the corner. There's not a lot of time…”

“Don’t think about that. Right now, our focus is this investigation. We just need a little bit more to go off of, and we’re going to find it, Li. However, that means you gotta pretened to be a pretentious stick in the mud to appease all these ass wipes for a little bit…” Drake smirked as he took a sip from his drink and looked around the room.

Liam half-laughed. “I know you’re right. This is the best option, at least for now.” He shook his head and looked into his drink. “I’m just having a hard time being diplomatic when I know that someone very likely in this room is responsible for hurting the woman I love.”

Drake patted Liam on the back. “I know. But, just think, when all this is said and done and we figure out who did this, you’re gonna get to go full blown King on that mutherfucker! Goddamn I can’t wait for that!” Drake exclaimed with a huge smile on his face.

Liam laughed, for real this time. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so happy, even when I got you that international whiskey subscription for your birthday.”

“Man, I should order another one of those, that Hakushu Single Malt was to die for.” Drake responded as he took a drink of the whiskey in his hand, imagining it was the japanese liquor.

“Maybe when this is all said and done I can get you a whole case of that.” Liam chuckled when Drake’s eyes widened, but he soon sighed and looked out at the crowd in front of them. “I suppose I should circulate the room, pretend I want to be here. But thank you for lifting my spirits.”

“What I’m here for.” Drake replied as he lifted his glass to Liam, who returned the gesture and downed a large drink after. Liam shook his hand before he turned and made his way through the crowded room.

As he turned away, Liam saw some lesser nobles and the suitors he hadn’t chosen, minus Olivia, who was not yet joining the tour officially. At first glance, he noticed Lady Hana was not present. He was unsure if an invitation had been extended or not, but made a mental note to find out. He shook his head and looked away as he observed Penelope dabbing Madeleine’s mouth with a napkin. She trailed behind holding her drink, even going as far as bringing the glass to Madeleine's lips.

Liam continued through the room, stopping on occasion to shake a hand and exchange pleasantries. He spotted his Father and Regina as they glided throughout the ballroom together. Even though Constantine hadn’t been given much time to live, he insisted on being present throughout the tour. Liam told him he didn’t need to accompany them on the entire route, but Constantine was stubborn and was outside with everyone else when it was time for the motorcade to leave the capitol.

As Liam made his way to the other side of the room, he noticed Bertrand and Maxwell in a secluded alcove. Bertrand waved his finger in Maxwell’s face and Maxwell had his gaze trained to the floor in front of him. Bertrand’s body was turned slightly away from Liam, but he could still see his reddened face and it appeared he spoke so fast he hadn't even stopped for a breath.

Liam decided he needed to intervene and walked toward the pair. He cleared his throat as he approached them. Bertrand turned with wide eyes and bowed to Liam.

“Is everything alright?” Liam asked.

“Oh, yes, of course Your Majesty. We were just discussing House business.” Bertrand replied as he slid his eyes over to Maxwell with an irritated expression.

“That’s not what appeared to be happening. It looks as though you were once again berating Maxwell when I specifically told you to lay off of him.”

“I understand that. However, I learned today from a potential business partner that Maxwell left the estate when he should have been awaiting their call! We didn't secure that deal because he decided he had something more important to do!” Bertrand exasperated as he kept his steely gaze trained on Maxwell.

Maxwell finally looked up to meet eyes with Liam. Liam knew that Maxwell snuck away from the estate to meet Drake and Olivia before the tour started; he also knew that Maxwell had not told Bertrand about their investigation, per Liam's request. Instead, he continued to let Bertrand berate him and place blame on him for their houses' tanked reputation and financial crisis.

What Liam saw in Maxwell’s gaze was complete devastation, he knew judging from his defeated expression he was starting to break. And Liam couldn’t blame him, he had put up with Bertrand's rants daily for months.

Although Liam wasn’t entirely sure if he should, he couldn’t bear to watch his friend be torn down to nothing and let it happen; it was time to set Bertrand straight.

Bertrand began again. “He’s continuously shown his irresponsibility! You can’t pick a suitor, you can’t answer a phone, what can you do, then?! I am this close to–”

“Enough.” Liam said in a quiet but stern tone as he held up his hand to stop Bertrand from his tirade.

“Forgive me, Your Majesty, I forget myself–”

“No. You are not going to berate Maxwell any longer as if this is his fault: it is not. As far as him missing your 'important' phone call, I happen to know where he was and who he was with, and that meeting was far more important, I assure you.” Liam bit out.

Bertrand grew confused. “What? I don’t understand, what meeting? Why didn’t you tell me about this meeting?” He asked Maxwell.

“I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone…” Maxwell quietly answered, avoiding eye contact.

“What does that even mean?!”

Liam quickly looked behind him to the crowded ballroom and decided it was too risky to talk there. He motioned for Maxwell and Bertrand to follow him and led them down a hallway close by. He stopped at a nondescript door and ushered them inside.

As he faced them, Liam addressed Bertrand, specifically. “Duke Beaumont, I’d first off like to say that you should be ashamed of how you’ve treated Maxwell as of recent. Let's not forget, you didn’t even select a suitor to begin with.”

“With all due respect, Your Majesty–”

Liam held up his hand to stop him. “I’m not interested in your excuses, nor your apologies. Those are not meant for me, anyway.” Liam looked to Maxwell with a sad expression, then back to Bertrand. “I just wanted you to understand that your King is incredibly disappointed in your horrific behavior, which you had no reason for.”

“No reason?! Sir, I have every reason to be upset! Maxwell brought that… that… harlot here and she–”

“You are two seconds away from finding yourself in the cells. I know you don’t know the truth, but I’d advise you to watch your tone.” Liam hissed through clenched teeth.

“The truth? What truth is there to know? We all know what happened–”

“I have officially opened an investigation into Lady Riley’s disappearance.”

Bertrand’s eyes bulged from the sockets. “D-Disapperance?!”

Liam told Bertrand about what they had learned so far and where they were at with the investigation, as well as his suspicions of Riley being forced to leave. He told him about the shed they found, as well as the bloodied dress and letter inside.

When Liam was finished, he and Maxwell watched as Bertrand slowly walked over to a chair and sunk himself down into it. He clasped his hands together and stared in front of him for a long while. Liam and Maxwell didn’t say a word, just observed as a plethora of emotions crossed Bertrand’s features.

Finally, Bertrand spoke. He kept his gaze to the floor in front of him, “So… she was set up?” he whispered.

“We believe so, yes.” Liam answered.

Bertrand broke into sobs. Maxwell quickly crossed the room and crouched in front of Bertrand. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but we’re going to figure this out! We’re going to fix this!” Maxwell promised him as tears of his own streamed down his face.

Bertrand shook his head and looked away from Maxwell. “While I’m upset she was set up, I’m mostly ashamed of how I’ve treated you since... I’ve blamed you and berated you this whole time, and you were never at fault. You never once challenged me in all the atrocious things I said about you, you just… allowed me to do it…” He tried to swallow the overwhelming lump in his throat and quietly asked, “Did you know about Lady Riley? This whole time?”

Maxwell shook his head and quietly responded, “I only found out before the tour, although I will admit I didn’t know when I snuck out.” He looked away. “I had my doubts about it though… But you were so mad at me and I didn’t want to make it worse.”

“Maxwell… I-I’m so sorry...” Bertrand shook his head as more tears flowed down his cheeks. “You didn’t deserve any of that treatment. I can’t believe I’ve acted this way…”

Maxwell inched closer. “It’s okay, Bertrand!”

“No, it’s not okay. I treated you so… maliciously, as if you weren’t my own flesh and blood.” Bertrand wiped at his cheeks and looked Maxwell directly in the eye. “I’ll never forgive myself.”

Maxwell leaned forward and embraced Bertrand; he squeezed him as tight as he could. Even though Maxwell was still indeed hurt from Bertrand’s harsh words, he didn’t want to see him beat himself up over it. All he wanted to do was to move forward and put this entire mess behind them. Ultimately, all Maxwell wanted was to clear his best friend’s name and bring her home to make the family complete again.

“I love you Bertrand, and if I forgive you, you have to forgive yourself. You’ve been under so much pressure since Dad got sick, and I know I’ve always added to your problems. And then to lose our suitor at the very end of the season…” Maxwell took a deep breath to steady himself and continued. “You were under a lot of stress, and it was technically my fault for bringing her here to begin with, so…”

“No.” Bertrand firmly said as he pulled himself from Maxwell’s embrace, “You are not to blame here whatsoever Maxwell… In fact, I may be more at fault here than you..." He took a deep breath and quietly said, "I – I'm afraid I may need to come clean about something…"

Maxwell immediately moved and stood next to Liam with a furrowed brow. Liam felt his heart rate increase and stepped forward instantly. "What do you mean?"

"I – I worry you may find out anyway during your investigation, and I feel after my other atrocious actions I may as well come clean and take my punishment."

Bertrand was suddenly yanked up from his seat by Liam's strong hands. Liam held Bertrand by the collar of his sweater and pulled his face to eye level, nearly lifting him off his feet. "What did you do?"

Maxwell stepped forward to intervene, but Bertrand held a hand out to stop him. As he spoke, his eyes never left Liam's steely gaze. "Don't. I deserve whatever may come." He took a deep breath and told them about going through Maxwell’s phone and selling the photos from Liam's bachelor party. Bertrand realized if Liam found out on his own, his fate would be ten times worse than whatever he would be facing now. To hopefully spare himself, he was willing to come clean.

The longer Bertrand spoke, the more Maxwell's shock intensified; he couldn't believe Bertrand stooped so low. Liam saw red; he yanked Bertrand closer and growled, "You fucking snake."

"I understand your anger, sir–"

"Did you do it? Did you set her up?" Liam slightly shook Bertrand. "Did you force her to leave?!"

Bertrand's eyes widened once more. "No! My indiscretions were toward the beginning of the social season, and I changed my view on her! I believed in her until–"

"Why? Why do it then?!" Liam shook Bertrand harder, audibly tearing his vest in the process, but Liam was quick to bunch up more fabric to keep his hold intact.

"I assumed she wouldn't last and I was desperate for the money." Bertrand quickly spat out.

"So you not only sold your suitor out, but you sold me out as well? For profit?" Bertrand didn't respond, only nodded his head with shame etched in his features.

At that moment, every single thing that happened over the past couple of days combined with this newly added betrayal sent Liam overboard. He tightened his grip on Bertrand’s vest and pulled, ripping it down the middle with ease and leaving it dangling like the jacket over it. Bertrand stumbled backwards but was given no time to react before a fist connected with his jaw, the popping sound echoing throughout the room. Bertrand dropped to the floor with a yelp cradling his face as he frantically prepared himself for the next blow. Maxwell wanted to help, but he was frozen in fear at seeing the look of pure rage in Liam's features.

Liam stared down at Bertrand through narrowed eyes with heavy breaths. "Your actions are making me question whether or not you are truly fit for the title of Duke. To not only exploit your suitor, but your future King?" He stalked toward Bertrand, who was scooting backward across the floor.

The moment was interrupted by a stern knock. Without notice the door swung open and Bastien rushed inside. He quickly approached Liam and said, “Sir, we need to get you to the safe room, now.” and placed his hand on him to begin leading him away.

“What, why?!” Liam questioned as he attempted to evade Bastien’s grip.

“There’s been a body found.”

Liam forcefully stomped his feet on the ground. “What?! Do you know who it was? What happened?”

“Sir, I don’t know a lot of information right now, but I have to get you to safety before I can go secure the area.”

“Where was it?”

Bastien remained silent for a long moment. He looked as if he didn’t want to answer, but once he saw Liam’s budding impatience he finally spoke. “The west grounds, sir.”

While Liam was locked away in the guarded safe room with Madeleine, her parents, Constantine and Regina, Olivia and Drake were on their way to examine the crime scene with Bastien. The royal family had a secured area inside all the major estates for this purpose, although houses were available nearby. However, those were only used in drastic scenarios such as terrorist threats or assassination attempts. Since there was no signs someone was attempting to target the nobility, Bastien assured them they would be safe there while he and the guard did an initial investigation.

Olivia was not yet ready to join the tour on an official standpoint. She knew the time would come when she would have to, but right now she was only stalking in the shadows looking for any kind of information. Only a select few knew of her presence and she intended to keep it that way until absolutely necessary.

Olivia went back and searched Riley’s room again to ensure nothing was missed and returned to the shed to retrieve the contaminated dress. As her initial shock faded, she realized that was a prominent clue laying right in front of their faces. She went back and grabbed the article at the start of the Apple Banquet while everyone was distracted. She intended to give the item to Bastien, but when he found her and informed her of the crime committed she sprung into action and followed along, the dress momentarily forgotten.

As they walked along the path she immediately realized where they were headed; the shed she had visited just a few hours prior where Riley's things were hidden. From the front, everything appeared as it was when Olivia visited the area. Her anxiety increased as Bastien approached the structure, but he veered to the left and led them to the back, which she was nowhere near during her earlier venture.

Guards scoured all around, some people in lab coats were taking pictures, multiple evidence markers lay on the ground near the area. As her eyes searched over the vicinity, she couldn’t help but feel like it seemed incredibly – tame, for what she was guessing had happened.

Propped against the back wall of the shed was a lifeless body. Upon first glance, the cause of death was undoubtedly clear; the victim's throat had been slashed nearly from ear to ear. Olivia grew up around weapons and knew exactly what kind of damage her skills could do. As she gazed upon the gruesome gash, she immediately knew that wound was deep and absolutely intentional; whoever did this did not hesitate whatsoever. Furthermore, the face was severely battered; both eyes were swollen shut and painted every shade of black, as well as a severely broken nose. She stared at the battered face for only a moment before a small gasp escaped Olivia as recognition swept over her; it was the maid they had spoken with only a few days prior.

Olivia’s widened eyes traveled down the body and she was unable to tell if there could be more wounds on the maid’s chest and abdomen, or if the coat of blood was due to her fatal injury. However, that’s where Olivia’s suspicions sky rocketed; the body was covered in a heavy layer of blood, but the ground around her had nothing.

“Walker, come here.” Olivia beckoned. Drake walked over to her with furrowed brows as Olivia stood. “Tell me I’m crazy, but there’s absolutely no blood around that body.”

“Huh…” Drake answered as he looked around. “You’re right. Hey Bas!” He hollered over his shoulder. Bastien appeared within an instant with a pen and pad in hand. “Have you noticed how there’s no blood here?”

“Hmm…” Bastien glanced down at the area with an unreadable expression before he nodded and wrote something down. “I’ve added it to my notes. Do be sure to let me know if you notice anything else. The more information we have, the sooner we can find an answer.”

“Are we just going to ignore the gigantic elephant in the room?" Olivia motioned to the shed. “This is no coincidence. Who this is, where she’s at, the fact that I'm certain this body was placed here specifically…”

Drake’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. “Holy shit–”

Olivia rolled her eyes. “I’m going to start charging if I have to keep spelling everything out for you.”

Bastien spoke before Drake could retort, “I hadn’t made that connection; excellent work Duchess.”

Olivia raised an eyebrow and watched Bastien jot something yet again on his pad. “Okay, him I understand needing a preschool explanation, you on the other hand should’ve made that connection instantly.” She snapped as she continued to eye him critically.

Bastien was slightly taken back, but quickly recovered himself. “I understand your frustration. However, I’m becoming aware of developments at the same rate as you. I’m grateful for your assistance.” He bowed to her. As he stood he addressed the pair, “I’m going to secure the perimeter.”

Olivia watched him leave with narrowed eyes. He went over to a guard and spoke quietly then aimlessly walked around the area. Every now and again he would write something down, but otherwise he only made laps. She knew Bastien was senseless at times, but he almost seemed more so than normal.

For the first time, she took a good look around and again couldn’t help but notice how everything seemed conveniently placed. The yellow evidence markers were almost in a straight line in clustered areas. She approached one and bent down to observe and saw it was a wad of hair; not one single hair, a bunched up ball of long, dark hair. Another was simply a piece of gum; she was no criminal mastermind, but who in their right mind would spit their gum out in the middle of a vicious murder? Of course, it’s possible to be unrelated, but this area was practically of no use; that is until Riley’s things were shoved here. Regardless, Bastien still continued to search the area as if this was a normal crime scene and nothing was amiss.

As she scanned the area, the sudden realization of what was going on on a broader spectrum hit her; whoever orchestrated getting Madeleine on the throne was surely onto the fact that they were now asking questions. It was a silent agreement that whoever managed to remove the top two suitors from the social season was a powerful force, but it suddenly seemed much stronger and deadlier than before. This entire scene was pieced together to send a message; someone knew, and whoever it was was not happy about their venture for answers.

Olivia pulled Drake aside and spoke in a low, cautious tone. “We need to get out of here.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Look around, Drake! Even you have to notice something does not add up! This was fucking staged – someone is trying to send us a message.”

“We gotta tell Bas–”

“Why? So he can write it down?” Olivia rolled her eyes. “We need to plan our next steps… our next move has to be calculated.” She looked around with a nervous expression. As she did, her eyes landed on Bastien who simply nodded and returned to his grazing.

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

#the royal romance #king liam #liam rys #choices the royal romance #trr #choices trr #trr au #choices #liam x riley #choices fic writers creations #ghosted #liam x mc #prince liam #drake walker #olivia nevrakis #trrmystery #what happened to riley?#where is riley?

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dcbbw · 1 month

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Stormholt Masterlist

This limited series will be my re-write of the hit movie sensation Saltburn. It will be a TRR AU, and include the iconic and infamous bathtub scene, vampire scene, and the cemetery scene. Because it’s me, there will be pushing of boundaries. (Chapters will be appropriately tagged with content warnings)

If you are unfamiliar with Saltburn, on the surface it appears to be the story of an unlikely friendship between outsider Oliver/Ollie (Drake Walker) and rich, popular Felix (Liam). However, it quickly devolves into an intricate web of obsession, deceit, depravity, and murder.

Trailer: Saltburn | Official Trailer (youtube.com)

Not saying I will do the original story any justice, but hopefully I achieve my objective of crafting an enjoyable story that is both similar to and vastly different from its inspiration, while still able to toss a few twists and surprises in.

Chapters will be posting soon. (I know I say that alllll the time, but promise I am working on them now) Order of and titles of chapters may change.

Cast of Characters:

Drake Walker: the outsider who infiltrates everyone’s lives

Liam Rys: rich, popular, living a frantic life at a frenetic pace

Regina Rys: Liam’s stepmother; pompous, prideful, a bit daft

Constantine Rys: Liam’s father, he knows more than he tells

Riley: Liam’s wife; blunt, erratic, and mentally ill … but not stupid

Madeleine: Regina’s cousin (once removed), who has outlived her usefulness in all ways

Maxwell: Childhood friend who has fallen on hard times and found a soft place to land

Leo Rys: Liam’s half-brother, a member of the duchy’s constabulary; Drake looks very familiar to him

Katie: Leo’s wife; her motto is “touch but don’t look”

Savannah Walker: Drake’s estranged sister

Jackson and Bianca Walker: Drake’s parents

Casey Valentine: Drake’s ex-situationship

Bastien & Gladys: Long-time servants at Stormholt; they came with the house

Chapters:

Prologue: A Fine Morning

Chapter One: Meet. Cute.

Chapter Two: Besties

Chapter Three: Menagerie

Chapter Four: Getting to Know You

Chapter Five: Deadly Sins

Chapter Six: My Best Friend’s Sister

Chapter Seven: Rub a Dub Dub

Chapter Eight: I Know What You Did Last Night

Chapter Nine: The Train Station

Chapter Ten: A Thief in the Night

Chapter Eleven: Little Lies

Chapter Twelve: A Series of Unfortunate Events

Chapter Thirteen: The Kingdom of Heaven

Epilogue: Alone at Last

#dcbbw writes #trr au fanfic #saltburn fanfiction #writer on tumblr

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angelasscribbles · 4 months

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Chain of Love

Series: None, this is a one-shot and you can find those here.

Fandom: The Royal Romance

TRR characters in this: Regina, Drake, Riley.

Rating: G

Warnings for this chapter: None

Word Count: 990 <- Me trying to keep any song rewrites under 1,000 words and succeeding!!

A/N: This is my first submission for the @choicesprompts song rewrite challenge. This is a complete AU. No Cordonia, no royalty.

The song I chose is The Chain of Love by Clay Walker

My other stuff: Master List.

Regina guided her Mercedes over the icy road with trepidation.

She shouldn’t be out here alone, but she had wanted to beat the winter storm that was coming. She was on her way to visit her sister and determined to make it before the bad weather set in.

There was a loud thump and her car pitched to the left. She fought to get it under control and brought it to a stop on the side of the road.

Shit. Just what she needed, a flat tire.

Regina had led a charmed life. Some might call her spoiled. Changing a flat tire was not something her parents had taught her. It was not something she’d ever done. First her father, and then her husband, had always taken care of such things. But her father was long dead, and her husband was two hundred miles away, unable to get off work for the holidays.

She pulled out her cell phone to call AAA, but there was no signal. She fought the panic rising in her throat. She couldn’t get stranded out here in the middle of nowhere.

A beat-up ancient truck pulled up behind her. A pair of dirty work boots hit the ground. A man who looked about the same age as her youngest son walked up to her car.

She cracked the window, unsure if she should trust a stranger.

“Howdy, ma’am. Need a little help?”

Relief surged through her. “I really could use some, if you don’t mind.”

“No problem. Happy to oblige. Do you know where your spare tire is located?”

“I…I’m not sure. I’m so sorry!”

“It’s okay. They’re usually in the trunk. If you could just pop it for me, I’ll find your tire and if you don’t have a jack, that’s all right because I do.”

Regina exited the vehicle so she could move her suitcase from the trunk to the back seat, but he shooed her away, telling her to stay in the car where it was warm. He moved the suitcase, then walked back to his truck and returned with a floor jack.

Fifteen minutes later, he was at the driver’s side window again. “All set, ma’am.”

She tried to pay him, but he refused the money. “I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror if I took money for helping someone who was stranded like that.”

“But I could have sat here all night until the car ran out of gas and I froze to death. You saved me!”

The man laughed. “Not likely in these parts. Someone would have stopped.”

“Please let me give you something for your trouble.”

He shook his head with a grin as he wiped the grease from his hands. “Tell you what. If you really want to thank me, then just pay it forward to the next person.”

“What does that mean?”

“Just do a kindness for a stranger that seems to need it.”

“Okay.” She agreed. “What’s your name just so I know who rescued me?”

“Name is Drake Walker.”

“Well, thank you, Drake. My name is Regina Rys. I appreciate you more than you will ever know. I’ll be sure to pay it forward.”

He waved at her as he walked back to his truck. She put the car in gear and navigated back onto the road, realizing how hungry she was. Glancing at the clock on the dash, she decided she had time to grab a quick bite to eat.

The parking lot of the unassuming brown building that housed the town’s only restaurant was about half full when she pulled in. She pulled her coat on and hurried from the car to the warmth of the restaurant, where she was seated quickly.

The waitress was young, pretty, and very pregnant. She made polite chitchat as she filled her water and took her order, but Regina could tell the young woman was exhausted. Dark circles ringed her eyes and her hand kept going to the small of her back with a small grimace of pain. Despite her obvious discomfort, she was efficient and friendly.

“When are you due, dear?”

“In a week or two.”

“Oh, my! Shouldn’t you be at home resting?”

The waitress smiled ruefully. “Probably. But the rent doesn’t pay itself.”

Regina finished her meal quickly, pleased with the quality of the food and the service. As she was counting out bills to pay her check, her eyes fell on the waitress across the way and Drake’s words came back to her.

She patted the woman on the shoulder on her way out. Glancing at her name tag, she said, “I left your tip under the plate, Riley. Congratulations on your baby.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” Riley smiled. She waddled back over to the table, expecting a five or ten-dollar bill. Her mouth dropped open when she saw two crisp hundred-dollar bills. Her head spun around, looking for the woman. It had to be a mistake. She ran to the door, but the woman was already pulling out of the parking lot.

Her eyes widened when she realized the lady had meant to leave her that much money. Elation soared through her. This would be enough to pay what was left on the doctor’s bill and to finish paying off the stroller she had on layaway. She squealed with delight as she pocketed the money.

She drove home tired, but happy. She peeled off her clothes and took a hot shower before crawling into bed next to her sleeping husband. She wasn’t surprised he was asleep already. He had been working double shifts to make extra money so she wouldn’t have to work after the baby came.

She’d tell him about the extra money in the morning.

He shifted in his sleep as she slid under the covers next to him, moving closer to her. She leaned over and kissed him softly on the cheek and whispered, “I love you, Drake.”

#choicesprompts #song rewrite #trr au #drake x mc #drake walker #angelasscribbles #choices fic writers creations #cfwc fics of the week

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lorirwritesfanfic · 5 months

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The Fairytale Ball

Book: The Royal Heir Pairing: Liam Rys x MC (Jade) Characters: Liam Rys, MC (Jade), royal heir (Elise), Maxwell Beaumont, Hana Lee Rating: T Word count: 3415 Reading time: ~13min Summary: The Queen's Ball is the event of the year for the young generations. But Princess Elise isn't as happy everyone hoped she would be on her debut. Based on the prompt: @choicesnovchallenge: National Princess Day

Author’s notes:

Jade Bourbon-Rys, Elise Bourbon-Rys, Charlotte Amaranth, Zain and Gael Maldonado are creations of this author. The other characters belong to Pixelberry Studios;

This oneshot is part of Liam and Jade's universe, but I'm sure you'll have no problem reading it if you never read anything from my TRR series.

"One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three," Hana counted as she passed by, watching every young couple dancing in the ballroom.

"Relax your shoulders, Toshio." Maxwell instructed, gently tapping a young boy's shoulder.

"That's beautiful, Marnie!" Hana praised another girl.

In the corner of the ballroom, Elise counted the steps as she tried to follow her partner's steps. Her mother and godmother always said Cordonian Waltz wasn't that hard. She just had to let her partner lead. Unfortunately, the dance partner Queen Mother Regina chose for her wasn't as good advertised. At least, not in her opinion.

"Ow!" The boy complained, wincing in pain.

"Sorry, Zain..." She said with a weak and apologetic smile.

"Is everything okay?" Hana asked, placing a hand on Elise's shoulder.

Elise grimaced. She knew her godmother wouldn't scold her as her grandmother probably would. But she still didn't wish to disappoint.

"It's alright, ma'am," Zain forced a smile as he continued to dance.

How could he go on, given how hard she stepped on his foot? It was a mystery to her.

The Queen's Ball was an annual ball/cotillion hosted by Queen Jade of Cordonia during Elise’s month of birthday to raise funds for the orphanages and community centers of the kingdom. It was a tradition in which all noble women she knew were involved and her mother was adamant about the princess joining the young couples dance this year. However, she couldn't say she was as excited to join as she hoped to be.

"One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two—"

"OW!" Zain whined.

This time, however, it got a few other couple’s attention. The music stopped.

"Crap... I'm so sorry, Zain..."

"It's okay, Your Highness. I'm fine," the boy murmured.

"Watch out for Princess Klutzy, Zain!" A female voice in the middle of the room mocked. A voice Elise was unfortunately quite familiar with.

Suppressed giggles echoed in the ballroom.

Elise glared at Lady Charlotte, who replied with a smirk.

"That's enough." Maxwell called out, a rare scowl adorning her godfather's face. "Back to your places, everyone!"

"Pay close attention to your partner, ladies. And don't forget your posture," Hana said, roughly straightening Charlotte's head.

Elise pressed her lips together to hide a smile when Zain winced again.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah... I'm kinda beat from football practice."

The princess frowned watching the boy kept dancing, trying to disguise he was limping slightly.

"It's okay if you admit I hurt your foot. We can take a break."

"I'm fine, Your Highness."

"You don't have to play nice with me. And you don't have to call me Your Highness all the time. I don’t call Lord Zain of Bellmere."

"All right... If you let me lead, we'll do a lot better, you know," Zain suggested.

Elise smiled shyly. "Okay..."

Maybe she was overthinking again and just needed to chill. She had tons of dance classes over the years. Cordonian Waltz wasn't that hard after all.

For the next couple of minutes, things went smoothly between them. The princess even started to enjoy the dance and the company of the young Earl of Bellmere.

"One, two, three. One, two, three. Excellent! Now spin!" Hana instructed.

"Ready?" Zain asked.

"Yeah," Elise nodded.

But as Zain lifted her arm for the princess to spin, a couple bumped into them, pushing them both on the floor.

Laughter rose in the ballroom as Hana and Maxwell rushed to help Elise and Zain.

"Damnit!" Zain complained, massaging his left foot.

"I'm so sorry..."

"Are you two alright?" Hana asked in worry.

"My foot hurts..." Zain winced.

Elise frowned.

"I told you Princess two left feet would hurt you." Charlotte snickered.

Something snapped on Elise as she heard Charlotte's voice again. Standing up, the princess stomped her way to the other girl and jumped over her.

"Elise, no!" Maxwell yelled and darted to the princess, followed by the royal guards.

"You stuck-up bitch!" The princess bellowed as she mounted on the girl, grabbing her hair with both hands.

Before Elise could do any real damage, four guards split the girls while the others sent everybody out.

A few hours later

Steps and murmurs reverberated through the walls as Elise sobbed in her room. The Royal guard may be discreet, but the servants loved to gossip. By the time she locked herself in her room, the entire kingdom already knew she got into another fight with Charlotte Amaranth again. But having her name on the tabloids and strangers judging her was nothing compared to Queen Jade’s reaction. And the princess certainly didn’t want to face her mother now.

Just then, a gentle knock on her door interrupted her thoughts.

“Go away!” She whined.

Much to her disappointment, the door opened.

“Hey, you can’t tell the King to go away.”

Elise sat up as she recognized the voice. The moment her father sat on the bed, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Dad!” She croaked.

“It’s okay, my Lil Bunny…” Liam murmured.

“Is it though?”

“I just talked to Lord Zain and his parents. He had already injured his toe during football practice. He just didn’t tell anyone because he didn’t want to be cut out of the team before Junior League started.”

Elise pulled away from the embrace. “But I stepped on his foot over three times!”

“Zain mentioned it, but he still doesn’t blame you. His doctor also said that landing on his feet when he fell most likely was the real cause of the injury.”

“Fine. Now what?"

“As we speak Maxwell and Hana are searching for a new dance partner for you. So now we have another matter to talk about..."

“Ugh…” The princess laid down again, pressing her face on a pillow.

“What happened during the rehearsal?”

“You know exactly what happened," she grumbled.

"I do. But I still want to hear your version of the incident."

Her father had a point. As always.

She then sat up again and began to speak. "I hate Charlotte!"

"Hate is one very strong word."

"It's how I feel about her!"

"Very well. Does it justify you mounting on top of Lady Charlotte to pull her hair and beat her up?" Liam arched an eyebrow.

"She said what happened to Zain was my fault!"

"Elise, you've had spats with her before, but it never came to physical fight. What happened this afternoon that made you cross that line?"

The princess looked down at her hands.

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

"She is a bully, dad."

"I see..." Liam said, not surprised to hear that Madeleine's only child took after her mother.

"I don't care when she says something about me..." Elise fiddled with the hem of her sweater.

"Did she say anything about something else?"

"Charlotte said Aunt Hana needs to grow a backbone. She put a melted candy bar on Sophie's seat to make it look like crap and mocked her in front of the entire school."

Liam's eyes widened in surprise. "That's why Sophie was upset today."

"The only reason I didn't beat that girl up at school was because Ava and Louis stopped me so I wouldn't get suspended."

"I assume what happened this afternoon was the last straw."

"Yeah..."

Liam pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"Are you mad at me?"

"No. I don't approve of what you did. This is absolutely not how we raised you and your siblings, but I understand your reasons."

"How bad is the press talking about it?"

"They're loving it. The rivalry between you two is being strongly associated with the one your mother had with Madeleine during my social season and engagements."

"Do they think Charlotte and I dislike each other because of a guy?!" Elise made a face. "Tabloids are so stupid."

Liam chuckled. "They usually are. Little did they know only Jade was fighting about a guy."

"Oh?"

"That's a story for later."

"Okay... What do we do now?"

"You go back to being my sweet daughter and future heir of the throne while your mother and I talk to the Royal Communications department to handle the press."

"But Charlotte's mom is the head of Royal Communications! Lady Madeleine will make it worse!"

"How so?"

"She doesn't like me."

"Madeleine doesn't like anyone in our family except Regina and Leo. But she's still loyal to the Crown."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Whoa..." Elise mumbled in astonishment. "Okay. If you say so..."

"You still have to apologize to her."

"Dad!"

"I'm not asking you to be friends with Lady Charlotte. Just be polite."

"But she—"

"Do it for Regina's sake. Your mother and I will be present to ensure you'll keep it civil."

Elise folded her arms. "How do you know Charlotte won't be the one to start a fight?"

"I was watching the rehearsal from the security cameras when the fight started. She can't win a fight against Sophie's turtle Pabblo."

Father and daughter exchanged looks and chuckled.

"Dad?"

"Yes?"

“I don’t wanna dance anymore.”

"Pardon?"

"I'm not going to dance."

"Sweetheart, you've been talking about partaking in the Young Couples Dance for years," Liam tried to reason.

"I lost my dance partner, I'm the talk of the kingdom today... Maybe it's for the best." She gave her shoulders.

"You know your mother won't like this, don't you?"

"Can you talk to her?"

"Are you sure?"

She nodded.

"I can try..."

"Thanks," Elise murmured, resting her head on her father's shoulder.

About an hour later

"She's not quitting!"

"My love..."

"She's not quitting, Liam!" Jade demanded, glaring at her husband from her vanity dresser mirror. "Our daughter is not a quitter!"

"Elise doesn't want to cause a commotion with the press and the guests being in the same room as Charlotte."

"That's it?! Fine! I'll cut mini Madeleine out of the dance." Jade put down her face cream on the nightstand with full force. "There! Problem solved."

"Jade..." Liam called, staring deadpan at his wife.

"What? No one is gonna miss her anyway."

Liam suppressed a chuckle as he sat on the opposite side of the bed. "Regina won't be happy with this..."

"I don't care!"

"Don't you?"

The couple exchanged knowing looks.

Jade rolled her eyes. "Why do you always have to be reasonable?"

"Somebody has to be. Plus, I know you don't want to have animosity with Regina."

"I created this ball for Elise! I'll be damned if I allow Madeleine's daughter or anyone to get in my daughter's way of having her dance!" Jade fumed.

"Did you truly create this ball for her or for yourself?"

"You know precisely why this ball exists." Jade scowled.

Liam looked back at his wife and arched an eyebrow.

"Sure... Maybe I've been daydreaming about Elise's first dance with her high school crush for years. But I created the ball because she wanted to dress and dance like a princess."

"Jade, she is a princess. It's her birthright."

"This is not about monarchy and titles, Liam. Do you remember when we attended Calenvia's Baile de Debutantes? And the Queen's Debutants Ball in the UK? How mesmerized she was by cousin Manuela dancing with her girlfriend?"

"Yes."

"Well, that's the only thing she hasn't experienced yet!"

"A fairytale moment."

"Exactly!"

"She was a five year old fascinated by fairytales. And I doubt her fairytale moment would come given how she barely seemed comfortable around Rashad's son."

"You don't get it, do you?" The queen pursed her lips in annoyance. "She has a Pinterest board with inspirations since she was seven. She booked herself an appointment with Galia Lahav to get an exclusive design for her gown. She may not have a crush on Zain, but they looked good together. We all saw the day she explicitly told Zain what type of flowers he should get for her corsage and his lapel!" Jade then stood up and sat next to her husband. "I'm telling you: Elise wants this. She cannot let go of her childhood dream just because that little project of Regina George pissed off my daughters."

"Hmm..." Liam pondered for a moment. "Fair point. But I guess we both know there's only one person who can convince her to attend," he said, giving his wife a knowing look.

"What if she thinks I'm forcing her to do it?"

"You're fully capable of persuading anyone, my love," he said, kissing the back of her hand.

"Okay..." She heaved a sigh, resting her head on his shoulder.

Liam smiled as he once again realized how much his daughter took after his wife.

The next day

As the young princess finished her homework, Elise left the library and walked down the hallway, looking out the window. The Queen's

Ball night was near, so the servants began decorating the gardens, adding snowflake-shaped string lights on the walls and on the maze. The Winter Wonderland theme was her idea and she was completely sure it'd look amazing. Too bad it felt like a dream she would have to postpone for a while.

"Elise?"

The princess stopped in her tracks as she heard her mother's voice. They haven't talked since her mother left the palace to take Zain to the hospital. The queen looked furious then. Was she still mad at her?

The princess turned around to look at her. "Yes, ma'am."

"I heard you have a free schedule now. Follow me to the entertainment room."

"The entertainment room?"

"You'll understand why soon."

Oh, man... Was she going to use one of those educational videos just like the ones her parents showed Louis about STIs? Educational videos were part of her father's style of educating. Her mother's approach was a bit more straightforward.

Once they stepped into the room, Elise took a seat in one of the chairs on the back and Jade followed. On the cinema screen, small clips of Elise as a toddler dancing in the ballroom with the queen, watching her parents dance then joining them, clapping as she watched the first young couples and her dance lessons while growing up.

As her eyes welled up, Jade changed seats to be closer to her daughter. "I know why you don't want to join the Young Couples Dance after what happened yesterday. Facing the press after a scandal isn't easy. But I want you to know why I created and have been hosting The Queen's Ball all these years."

"What?" Tears streamed down Elise's face. "But you always said it's an event to celebrate Grandma Eleanor and Grandma Elaine and help kids in need."

"I know. I'll keep mentioning them and their charity work they did because The Royal Communications said it'd be a good excuse to turn a ball into a charity event and attract more donations. But its first name was Fairytale Ball."

"Fairytale ball?"

"Yes." Jade reached for her daughter's hand. "All I wanted was to give you a fairytale moment."

"Mom..." Elise threw her arms around her mother's neck and hugged her tightly. "Aren't you mad?"

"I should be." Jade replied, stroking Elise's hair. "I should scold you and ground you for weeks. But honestly? I wish I had slapped some people's faces during your father's social season and engagement to Madeleine."

"People?" Elise pulled away and stared wide-eyed at her mother. "Who?"

"Literally everyone in this palace except Hana and Max."

"Even uncle Drake?"

"Oh, sweetie... Drake was the worst sometimes..."

"Really?"

"We can talk about that later. Right now, I want to know what you want to do."

"I want the fairytale."

"Okay."

"But I don't have a dance partner!"

"Actually, Maxwell found three candidates for you. Next?

"Mom, there's the press…"

"Your father and I can handle them. What else?"

"I don't want to be anywhere near Charlotte."

"I can throw her in the dungeon."

"We don't have a dungeon..."

"Well, not in this palace... But my guards can certainly escort Charlotte to Valtoria lower ground floor..." Jade commented with a sly grin.

"Mom!"

"I'm joking."

"You're so not!"

"You say it as if anyone is going to miss her..."

Mom and daughter shared a glance and laughed.

"I want to dance. But I don't want to harm anyone in the process."

"I know..." Jade smiled, glad to realize how much her daughter had in common with her husband. "We'll figure it out. Now, onto more important things." Jade fished her phone out of her pocket and showed it to Elise. "These are your possible dance partners."

"A girl?!"

"And this lovely gender-fluid person who just won a scholarship at The Royal Dance Academy."

"Really?"

"What? We're keeping our options open just in case."

Elise looked at each picture, and though one person caught her eye, she prompted. "Mom, I don't know... Is there a way I can talk to them?"

The queen smirked. "I thought you'd never ask."

A few days later

Purple, blue and white lights tinted the Royal Palace walls as the guests arrived for the Queen's Ball, one of the most opulent events of Cornodia's social calendar. Among the many attractions of the night, young members of nobility and wealthy families across the world traveled to the Cordonian capitol to partake in the Young Couples Dance. Their hopes were to be introduced to the crème de la crème of world society, sharing their accomplishments and plans for the future.

This year, however, the press was far more interested in news about the Royal Heir, Princess Elise Bourbon-Rys. After the incident between the future queen and Lady Madeleine's daughter, rumors about more spats, feuds between the princess's friends and her rival's at school and possible absence of both of them from the ball spread fast. Yet no one from the palace confirmed nor denied any information. Would the princess miss her own mother's ball? Or was it Lady Charlotte who took the fall?

"Your Majesties! A word, please!" A reporter chanted.

The king and queen smiled to the press, signaling for them to step closer.

"Good evening, everyone!" Liam replied.

"We hope you're enjoying the ball," Jade continued.

"Lady Charlotte just arrived with her family. Does it mean Princess Elise is still grounded?"

"Elise wasn't grounded. Queen Jade and I believe that encouraging our children to do volunteer work is a much more effective way to teach them about compassion and non-aggressive methods to deal with their feelings."

"Can we expect the Princess to attend the ball then?" A paparazzi asked.

"Yes. Elise is preparing herself to join the festivities, just like all the other teenagers partaking in the Young Couples Dance," the queen affirmed.

"Aren't you concerned about another disagreement between the young ladies, sir?"

"There's no reason for concern. They've made amends that same day and they've been working together at the senior's shelter."

"Are they friends now?"

"What about the situation with Lord Zain?"

The reporters continued to ask more questions when the Queen's assistant approached her and whispered something in her ear.

"We would be glad to talk to you some more, but the first attraction is about to start. Please join us in the celebration of this magical evening honoring the children of our country," the queen stated before walking away with the king.

After outstanding performances of Cordonian Royal Ballet academy and a play presented by Queen Eleanor's children home, it was time for the Young Couples Dance. All couples were introduced by the herald and as soon as they took their places in the ballroom, musicians played a traditional Cordonian Waltz. The crowd eagerly waited for any kind of mishap or incident. Contrary to all expectations, the young couples gracefully danced to the song, making it another successful performance.

"Maxwell and Hana did an excellent job with the kids this year," Liam commented.

"I know. Aren't they lovely?" Jade beamed as the couples spinned in perfect synchrony.

"They are. But there's one couple stealing all the attention though." The king nodded towards Princess Elise, who was all smiles to her dance partner. "Who is he?"

"Gael Maldonado, heir to the Ducado de Rivas."

"A Calenvian lord."

"Maxwell was betting on Amalas's child, but I saw how our Lil Bunny was like when she facetimed Gael."

"I see... Did Drake run a background check on him?" Liam asked, scrutinizing the boy.

"What would he—" the Queen then arched an eyebrow in amusement. "Are you jealous, Your Majesty?" Jade teased.

"No..."

"Liam..."

"It's just a precaution."

"You don't say..." she grinned.

"Our children won't have a social season. We need to find out more about their possible..." Liam made a face as the boy whispered something in Elise's ear, making her giggle. "...suitors."

Jade chuckled, hugging the king's arm. "Honey, they just met. Let them enjoy the night with no pressure."

"Are you really not worried?"

"Why would I be? Look at them!"

Elise beamed as Gael spun her around and held her with back pressed against his chest.

The king then gave his wife a knowing look. "You already did a background check on him, didn’t you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…” Jade reached for her champagne flute to avoid his gaze.

“Uh huh…”

The king and queen smiled proudly, watching their eldest daughter dance.

#choices fanfic #the royal heir #liam rys #liam x mc #hana lee #maxwell beaumont #choicesnovember2023 #lorirwritesfanfic #lorircreates #liam and jade's love story

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twinkleallnight · 1 year

Text

False Truth-2

Book: TRR AU

Pairings: Drake x Riley, Drake x Olivia, Liam x Riley .

Word count:3075

Disclaimer: All characters belong to pixelberry.

Rating: Mature

Warning: mental health, mention of death.

Catch up here for chapter 1

A/N: Thanks a ton @lizzybeth1986 for holding my hand and bringing this to reality. This is a mini series of 6 chapters loosely weaved around themes for the days of drake-walker-appreciation week.

Prompt: Day2: Throwback @drake-walker-appreciation week

3 months ago……

Sirens blared through the roads as one ambulance after another zipped through the Capitol city of Cordonia. Olivia was frantically driving her SUV, accelerating at a deadly speed towards the ruckus in the city. She wanted to reach the hospital, right now! The usually composed Duchess could not digest the blow of the phone call that she received an hour ago.

'The Crown Prince's convoy has been attacked while heading to the palace from the airport. The prince and his chief of guards were reported injured. They have been rushed to the hospital. Conditions currently unstable.'

She had almost dropped her phone but her training had kicked in and she had rushed to the garage without waiting for any assistance.

After driving for almost an hour, she hit the brakes, her vehicle screeching to a halt in the parking lot of the City hospital.

She dashed to the ER but froze at the chaos she witnessed. There were shrieks and shrills, screams and shouts, wounded and attendings, cries and tears, pain and panic, all together overwhelming her senses.

She tried to peer through the plethora of people in search of her husband, her friend….. maybe even a receptionist who could guide her.

She caught hold of the nearest person in the hospital uniform.

"Excuse me, I am looking for my husband, Drake Walker."

The person filled her in quickly, "Ma'am, there was an attack on a whole convoy, we have thirteen injured and two deaths. I would suggest you to please connect with the front desk over there."

She felt a chill run down her spine. 'Two deaths' her mind reverberated the words. With heavy steps, she crossed the distance to reach the desk. Her lips parted but her voice was choked. 'Two deaths?' she was questioning herself. Was she prepared for the worst? NO.NEVER! Her thoughts screamed back at her.

She cleared her throat loudly enough to crush down her fears and to gain attention. She asked the relevant details. Thankfully, this time she was guided well till the entrance gates of ICU where Liam and Drake were being treated.

Constantine and Regina were already seated there. They were holding each other's hands in silent prayers, waiting to receive the news of the well being of their son. Olivia greeted them both with a downcast face and stood in a corner. They gave her a meek smile.

Moments passed to make minutes and minutes passed into hours. Nothing moved, except for the shuffling of security around the royals. Savannah slipped in next to her sometime in between. But there was no effort to break the silence. Worried eyes met anxious ones, then shied away to hide their fear.

After what seemed like ages, the glass doors slid open. The doctors stepped in the waiting area to let everyone know that things were under control. But, it was going to be a long road to recovery.

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

Present day ……

The ivorine winged-back chair looked tempting with plush cushions. Olivia lowered herself into the softness of the upholstery. Her hands rested naturally on the arms of the chair. She let her head relax back while her long porcelain legs pointed out. She closed her eyes and stretched out with a moan.

"Feels better?"

She wasn't ready for any intrusion yet. But that was the whole reason to visit this place. Her heart was stalling the process of greeting the person in front of her, but she knew time was precious. She opened her eyes with quite an unwillingness. She adjusted herself to prop up on the chair with modesty. "How I wish!"

Her interviewer sat down on a sofa across the spacious room. She didn't understand why they needed such a big room when the conversation could have very well been conducted in a small office across a desk. Her eyes traversed the gap between them, creeping over the fine carpets, hopping across the center table, revolving around the coffee mug to land on the clipboard they held. The click of their pen demanded her attention back to the present. Now. Here.

"It didn't go well?" The stream of questions started.

She shook her head in defeat. Her eyes trained low on the rug, lest her audience could see the tears floating over her emerald orbs.

"What did he say?"

She swallowed thickly before replying, "It was as if he didn't care. As if he had not even read the letter."

"Are you sure he read the letter?"

" It was lying open on his table. No one else visited the room. So, yes, he did read it."

"But he refused to acknowledge it?"

"He stomped away as soon as I went into his room."

"Did he call you or did you go on your own?"

" He was talking to someone again."

"On the phone?"

"No, his phone was on the stand."

"So, whom do you think he was talking to?"

Olivia turned her head to the side and let out a sigh. "It was her." She swallowed over the lump in her throat. "He called out her name, again and again and laughed like a maniac. It scared the hell out of me."

"What else did u hear him say?"

"I knocked on the door only when I heard his laughter and her name in his voice. I don't know what conspired between them, before that."

"Between whom? Are you saying you believe there is a woman named Riley in Drake's life?"

Olivia leapt ahead in her chair with a snarl. "What do you expect me to say?"

"Whatever is coming to your mind. What you feel is the truth." A calm reply came.

Olivia stomped her foot on the rug and stood up. " The truth is, I am losing him. Every passing day." She said through her clenched teeth. "He is living in a delusion."

She got up and went behind the chair to create a safe barricade between them as she faced her interrogator. She wasn't sure she could control her actions. She clutched the back of the chair hard and lashed out, "The truth is that damn accident snatched away everything from me. I lost my friend, my love...my husband, my peace of mind...my happiness. Everything! All I am left to do is, struggle day and night. I have to remind the only man in my life…. Of who he is and who I am."

She paused but her chest was heaving with the burden. She was puffing out hot air to calm herself. She dug her nails deeper into the leather. "This isn't helping Dr June!"

"Olivia, we have discussed this earlier too, there is no magic wand that I can use and get you the results. It is a slow process and it needs a lot of patience, especially from your end."

Olivia hung her head in despair. She had no other option. She had tried every possible measure to get Drake out of his dreamland. Dr June , psychiatrist and behavioral psychologist was her last resort after much research. She had helped relieve Drake from the nightmares that had followed after the accident. Drake was on the recovery path, though with a memory loss. Olivia knew better, so she composed herself and came back to take her seat.

"Thank you." Dr June nodded. "Now, can you tell me any special moments that you had spent together? Just the two of you. A moment that you think may have a deep impact on Drake's mind. Some place that he may still remember is related to you?"

"Lythikan rites." Olivia blurted out without a second thought.

"What rites?" Dr June asked, confused.

"It's an old, obsolete tradition from my province, which has been illegal for half a century. The Lythikan Rite of Union. An unmarried couple traverses the icy peaks of the Alps and on the dawn of the thirtieth day, they are wed, their officiant being survival itself."

"Interesting…" Dr June encouraged her to continue.

"I was always fascinated with it. Two years ago, when we decided to get married, Drake decided to do it for me."

She spoke as if in a trance, reminiscing those moments. "The very next day that we started our journey, I was in a mess. I was frustrated to not have my lady in waiting to manage my tousled hair.

When he saw me struggling, he unfeignedly took my comb from my hands. He walked me to a small rock nearby and sat down on the rock, his legs firm on the ground. He then pulled me closer, my back flush with his chest and made me settle against him. He started releasing the knots in my hair. He gently raked his fingers through my tangles. He then delicately brushed it smooth."

Her gaze shifted to Dr June. "Do you know, I have never felt so much loved ever. He made me feel special. My world had zeroed down on him at that moment."

Olivia had a smile dancing on her lips, her eyes transfixed into a dtstant space, as she spoke again. "I had never seen him so jovial before. He was humming. Drake Walker was humming a song!... for me!...while he neatly interweaved my tresses into a braid. He then cupped my face and said, 'I like them this way, so that, I can drown into the oceans of your green eyes. Olivia Vanderwal Nevrakis, I love you more than my life. I don't want to say till death do us apart because I can never forget you even if this body fades away.'

Olivia suddenly paused looking puzzled at Dr June . "He was never supposed to forget me, doctor. What went wrong?" Her pain broke out through her words.

"We will find it out soon and correct it, Olivia." She reassured her. " Until then remember what he did for you back then. He took good care of you."

Olivia nodded in agreement, dwelling into the past. "It was cold for him, snowy, harsh, yet I had him, all the time, beside me.…..holding my hand."

She peered through the lone window to her left. Her eyes were dreamy, looking far away across the greens of the landscape outside. Her voice was soft and low. "Our hearts felt exhilarated. Our bodies shared the warmth. Our minds had an adrenaline rush."

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

"It was cold…." Drake started narrating. "Snowy, harsh but it didn't matter to me. Riley was beside me……holding my hand. She said she felt exhilarated. And the warmth she felt with me would pull her through. She felt the adrenaline rush, she said."

Dr June listened calmly. This was another session where Drake was imagining Riley, she was sure now. His description matched what Olivia had narrated earlier. Dr June had to be careful.

Getting Drake into the sessions had been difficult enough.

"Why am I here?" He would ask every time.

"You met with an accident. You have a memory loss and I have been appointed by your kin, as your doctor." She would remind him of every appointment.

"Oh!" He would look around disoriented and then just settle down for his family's sake.

Dr June knew one thing for sure, Drake would go to any extent for his family. But wasn't it the same for Olivia too? She was somehow washed away from his memory after the accident. And an unknown identity Riley had taken her place.

The question was, who was Riley? Where did she come from? No one had ever heard of her.

What Dr June had gathered from Drake was that Riley was a brunette as against his red-haired wife. She had honey brown eyes unlike Olivia's green eyes. She was dusky but Olivia was pale as a pearl. She was merely five feet as against Olivia's taller stature. Everything about Riley was in stark contrast to Olivia.

Was Drake attracted to a different person altogether and was he done with Olivia?

"I don't understand it." Olivia had repeated it umpteen times and Dr June always had tried to explain.

" No one does, Olivia. We claim a lot in medicine, still, for the most part, the brain remains an unknown frontier. The human mind is a very complex area. Neuroscientists don't yet fully understand how information is processed by the brain of a worm that has few hundred neurons, let alone by the brain of a human that has 100 billion neurons. You never know where and how it gets jumbled up into a thick heavy ball that's impossible to untangle."

Olivia stared at her in dismay. Dr June held her hand to show her support and give her some strength. "All we can do is TRY."

And so they kept trying.

"Where is Riley from?" Dr June planned to test the waters in today's session, asking Drake the details of his imaginary girlfriend.

"New york." He answered casually. His thoughts seemed very well sorted.

She further asked, "Where did you meet her?"

"At a bar." That didn't give much detail. She anyway noted his answer.

"How long have you known each other?"

"Almost a year now." This was a surprise for her. Olivia did not even know and Drake claimed to know Riley for a year now.

"Where does she stay?"

"Here, with me."

Dead end. She again hit a wall in her investigation. But today she had planned to dig deeper. So she continued, "Is she here with you today?"

"Yes, I requested her to wait outside."

"Please bring her in."

Drake got up promptly and opened the door to call her in. He came back a bit worried. "She is not there. Do you mind if I look around and get her?"

"Sure. I will see you in ten minutes."

Drake wandered around the place for sometime while,in a neighboring room, Dr June filled in Olivia with the new information that she had.

"New york?" Olivia tried to assimilate the newly received details.

Dr June nodded. "Past one year."

Olivia looked wide eyed. She started pacing the room.

Dr June asked, "Any accomplice who can throw some light on what his itinerary was like? Whom he met? Which places did he visit?"

Olivia stopped and turned to Dr June. "He never visited New York. Past two years Drake has been busy managing the role of head of security guards here in Cordonia."

"Hmm." Dr June pondered. They both stood in silence in their grappling mess. A knock on the door startled Olivia. She scurried behind the door before it opened.

Drake peeped in. "Dr June, I found Riley. She was in the gardens. I just came to inform you that we will be waiting for you in your counseling room."

"Sure, I will be there in a minute." Dr June forced a smile.

Drake left. Dr June shifted her gaze to the left of the open door. Olivia had hid herself there and now she stood there stunned. Riley was here. Again.

Dr June took a deep breath and stepped ahead. She patted Olivia's shoulder in reassurance.

"What are you going to do now?" Olivia questioned with teary eyes.

"Let's see. Maybe burst his bubble."

As much as she wanted Drake to come back to reality, she didn't want to see him hurt and in pain. "He has been through a lot, Dr June. Is there no easy way?"

"We are trying our best." She asserted and moved on.

When Dr June entered her counseling room, Drake was alone sitting in his chair. She could judge his anxiety by his continuously shaking left leg.

"Is Riley not joining us?" Dr June asked.

"She started feeling dizzy and wanted some rest, so I sent her home. Maybe you can meet her later?"

"Sure. Can I ask you something?"

"Yes, please."

"Sometime ago you mentioned your trip to the Alps. Do you remember any special moment you spent with Riley there that she really loved?"

Drake smiled,"I hunted for her, I practiced making s'mores for her. "

"Something you still do for her and she misses?"

Dr June observed the change in his demeanor. He was deep in his thoughts, his eyes had focused on the bouquet of red roses that brightened one of the dull corners of the room.

"Her hair, they were always so bunched up. She still loves it when I comb and brush them for her." He was captivated when he uttered, " Her thick red mane! I just love them.. but i love them weaved into a braid. It shows her bright green eyes so clearly, you can drown in them." He smiled shaking his head.

"You mean Olivia's hair."

"No, I said Riley's." He looked at her suddenly with a jerk.

"But you said red hair?"

"No I did not! " He protested.

"You just now said 'her thick red mane."

He stared at the doctor while she warmly looked at him and continued, "her thick red Mane, bright green eyes.

Drake gave her a confused look. She tried to explain.

" It was Olivia with you, Drake. Always. All this time. Riley is… she is someone in your subconscious mind, playing games with your conscience. She is a figment of your imagination."

Drake shook his head violently.

" No, no, no! That can't be." And he got up from his chair. "You are lying. You are all lying. You are trying to kill her. I won't let you. I will protect her. I promised, I will…" He ran out of the door.

Olivia rushed in as soon as he left. "What happened, Dr June? Why was he running away like that? "

Dr June replied, still staring at the door where he left from, a few moments ago. "He thinks Riley is in some danger. He wants to protect her, he said he promised he would." She then looked at Olivia. "Do you know whom he made promises as a chief of guard? To protect someone or to save someone?"

Olivia pondered, " As a chief of guard he was answerable only to the king." She peeped out of the door and asked, "Do you think he can be left alone in this situation? I feel I should go after him. He may need me. "

"Sure. We will meet later. Go." Dr June waved. Olivia turned around to leave, when Dr June called her. "And one more thing,Olivia…"

"What is it?" Olivia looked back.

"Somewhere deep inside, he still remembers you."

Tags: @3pawandme @alj4890 @angelasscribbles @bascmve01 @bebepac @busywoman @dcbbw @gkittylove99 @harleybeaumont @iaminlovewithtrr @karahalloway @kingliam2019 @lizzybeth1986 @lovingchoices14 @nestledonthaveone @neotericthemis @mom2000aggie @phoenixrising0308 @princess-geek @riseandshinelittleblossom @sazanes @secretaryunpaid @sfb123 @sillydg @tessa-liam @tinkie1973 @txemrn @walkerdrakewalker @yourmajesty09

#drake walker appreciation #drake #pixelberry #playchoices #the royal romance #trr fandom #trr #drake walker #olivia nevrakis #twinkleallnight

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choicesficwriterscreations · 7 months

Text

TRR F/AotW - Sep 24-30, 2023

✒️= Fanfic | 📱= Text Fics/Edits | 🎨= Fanart Ⓜ️ = Mature Content 18+ | 🔥 = Explicit/NSFW 18+ 🦄= Bisexuality Awareness Week | 🏳️‍🌈= LGBTQIA

Birthday Waltz ✒️Ⓜ️| Constantine x Regina - @dcbbw

Bringing Sexy Back ✒️Ⓜ️🔥| Liam Rys x MC - @dcbbw

Can't Take My Eyes Off of You ✒️Ⓜ️🔥| Maxwell Beaumont x Olivia Nevrakis - @alj4890

Cinderfella's Adventures in Cordonia (Series) ✒️🏳️‍🌈🦄| Liam Rys x M!MC - @justcallmefox89 Chapter 18

The Crown & The Shield (Series) ✒️🏳️‍🌈🦄| Constantine x Jackson - @angelasscribbles Chapter 6: Let's Be Happy

The Dark Kingdom (Series) ✒️Ⓜ️| Liam Rys x MC, Drake Walker x MC - @angelasscribbles Chapter 6: Bonded

Marabelle (Series) ✒️Ⓜ️🏳️‍🌈🦄| Liam Rys x F!OC, Maxwell Beaumont x M!OC - @tessa-liam Chapter 7: It's a Dream Come True

Thro(n)es of Passion: A Bad Romance One Shot ✒️🎨Ⓜ️🔥🏳️‍🌈🦄 | Liam Rys x MC x Maxwell Beaumont, Drake Walker x MC) - art by @rosefuckinggenius fic by @angelasscribbles

The Proposal ✒️Ⓜ️🔥| Multiple Pairings - @aussiegurl1234

Queen of Hearts (Series)✒️ Ⓜ️🔥| Liam Rys x MC - @angelasscribbles Chapter 1: Let the Games Begin Chapter 2: Negotiations

Royal Love (Series) ✒️| Eleanor x M!OC - @eadanga Part 15

Savage Love (Series)✒️Ⓜ️🔥| Liam Rys x MC, Drake Walker x MC - @angelasscribbles Chapter 35: Some Answers, More Questions

Sometimes Not... (Series) ✒️| Liam Rys x F!MC - @ao719 Part 10: Love is Ruthless

Vancross (Series) ✒️Ⓜ️ | Liam Rys x F!OC - @ao719 Chapter 18: Reaching the Darkness

Main CFWC F/AotW List

Open Heart F/AotW List

#the royal romance #the royal romance fanfic #trr fanfic #choices fanfic #playchoices fanfic #liam rys #drake walker #maxwell beaumont #olivia nevrakis #choices fic writers creations #cfwc fics of the week #cfwc art of the week #playchoices #choices the stories you play

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bebepac · 1 year

Text

Tornado Taylor 🌪

I am participating in @choicesflashfics prompt # 22 “I am at my wits end with you.” which will be in bold

I am also participating in @choicesmonthlychallenge prompt: Can I at least tell my side of the story, which will also be in bold.

The Book: TRR (no royals) Series: Chapter 6: School Dayz (link posted if you need to catchup) Pairings: Liam x Riley Word Count: 1575 Warning and Ratings: NONE! Mood Music Monday Song Imspiration: The Call: Regina Spektor Summary: Riley gets roped into shenanigans with her sister.

Original Post: 03/04/23 at 9:15PM EST.

“TELL ME THE TRUTH RIGHT NOW RILEY ANTONIA BROOKS!!! RIGHT NOW!!!!!!” My father’s voice boomed in anger.

This was probably the most angry I had seen him in a long time.

‘I didn’t do it! I promise!”

“I am at my wits’ end with you!”

Taylor remained silent.

“Taylor!!!!” I screamed at her. My sister had her look. Her ‘She’s pleading the 5th look where she stops answering questions.’ She wouldn’t leave me to hang out to dry like this in something I had no part of…. Would she? Her own sister - - her identical twin at that.

“Taylor please….”

“Dad, she said no. She didn't do anything wrong.”

“I don’t believe either of you right now. We’re leaving.”

“Dad, no, I already took the written test. I took it!” Taylor insisted.

Dad grabbed me by one arm and then Taylor by the other taking us up to the examiner.

“Are you able to verify which one of these girls took the written driver’s test?”

The examiner looked from Taylor to myself, and back again, The both of us were dressed identically, We looked the exact same down to my sneakers.

“No…I can't tell the difference between the two of them.”

“Didn’t think so, so we won’t be completing this driving test today.”

You may be asking yourself how I got myself into this predicament. I have two words for you. Tornado Taylor.

I love my sister, I really truly do. She’s smart and not just another ditsy popular girl.

If she put as much focus into hair-brained schemes as she put into school, she’d be on the dean’s list right now, like I am, instead of barely on A / B honor Roll. School came pretty easy to Taylor and if she actually studied…. Like I have to study, she could be running circles around me.

But I’m getting sidetracked. Here’s how Tornado Taylor sucked me up into her vortex.

Three Hours Ago:

I woke up that morning without incident. Since it was a teacher’s work day and we didn’t have school, my body is used to its routine of getting up early. I decided to make myself a bowl of cereal while the house was still quiet. Afterwards I showered and dressed in a t-shirt and a pair of jeans.

She peeked her head into my room.

I lounged on my bed streaming the new series that had just debuted on the APP called The Vampires Live On. I had to share my login with Taylor but at least we watched different things. It was very rare that the two of us watched the same shows or had to restart a series.

“Ri, Breakfast.”

“I already ate.”

“Oh. You’re already up and dressed?” Taylor was still in pajamas.

“Yeah, I’m laying low today.”

“After breakfast Dad’s taking me to the DMV to get my license.”

“Good Luck!”

“I don’t need luck, I have a plan.”

I should have taken it as a warning... but I didn’t.

Two Hours Ago

Hungry from my binge watching I came into the kitchen for a snack finding Jaiden sitting on the couch about to turn on the TV.

He looked at me in an odd way.

“Hey?”

“What are you planning on watching?”

“Don’t know yet. What are you watching currently?”

“The Vampires Live On.”

“Yeah I heard that’s supposed to be good. You like it?”

“Yeah. You should check it out. I’m on episode 2 it’s really good.”

“Noted.”

“Taylor and Dad are still at the DMV?”

“Yep, Taylor had one job. To make her appointment for her driving test and exam and she didn’t. Now they’re waiting to be seen. Of course she blamed the app and not herself.”

“God… Dad is probably livid. You know he just hates sitting somewhere waiting.”

“Yep.”

“I’ll be sure not to be around when they get back, he’s going to be grumpy.”

“Yep. I’m taking Bebe to the lake.”

“Have fun.”

“We will.”

One Hour Ago

I had dozed off binge watching the show and woke up when my phone buzzed.

Taylor: Riley help!

Riley: What’s wrong?

Taylor: Can you come to the DMV right now?

Riley: Why?

Taylor: I need you.

Riley: Why?

Taylor: I need a tampon. I’m in the bathroom. I’m embarrassed to come out.

Dad, even though he could be grumpy at times, when it came to “womanly concerns” as he called them, he had no problem going to buy what we needed and even coming back with our favorite chocolate candy in tow with him without us asking. He knew I liked kit kats, Taylor, peanut butter cups, and mom likes a bag of bite size snickers. Dad tried to be sensitive to those things. He had taught Jaiden to be sensitive too, and Jaiden was just like dad in that aspect.

When I didn’t respond Taylor texted again.

Taylor: Dad is mad at me because I didn’t make an appointment on the DMV app, and I don’t want to have to send him out to get something else, or he’ll go nuclear. Can you help me please?

Riley: I'll be there in a little bit.

I put on my shoes and headed down the stairs.

Jaiden perked up when I walked in the room.

"Where are you going?"

"Taylor needs me."

"She's fine with Dad."

"It's a girl emergency.”

“Oh. You should change though.”

“No time. I won’t be gone long.”

Jaiden sighed. Now I think my brother knew exactly what I was walking right into. Tornado Taylor.

I ran out the door. It didn’t take me long to get to the DMV, I went immediately to the bathrooms.

“Taye?”

“Last stall.”

“Well open the door.”

I was surprised to see Taylor dressed identically to me.

“What are you doing?”

“I banked on the chance you wouldn’t change your clothes. So funny story.. I need your help for something else.”

“I don’t like where this is going Taye…”

“So I totally didn’t study for the written test, can you take it for me?”

“What? No!!!!”

“I will totally ace the driving part.”

“Taylor no! This has to be illegal or something. NO! Or the very least identity theft.”

“Theft is a strong word, especially if I’m letting you borrow my identity.”

“That is not how it works Taylor!! Did you even need the tampons? Stupid me of course you didn’t!!!”

There was a knock on the door.

“Taylor, they called your number, time to take your test.”

“Okay Dad, I’ll be right out.”

“Riley come on!!!”

“No.” I said in a forced whisper.

“Riley please!?!?!?!”

“NO!!!”

“Then you’re stuck in here until we can sneak you out.” Taylor commented in a matter of fact way. I couldn’t believe I got myself roped into Taylor’s shenanigans yet again.

About thirty minutes later Taylor returned.

“Dad went to the vending machine to get us drinks. Let’s get you out before he sees you or your car.”

I had almost made it to the door out of the DMV when I heard my father’s voice.

“What’s going on here?”

I turned around to face my father.

“Hey Dad.”

“Riley, what are you doing here?”

He took a moment to look at the two of us, his face turning bright red.

“Taylor Jeanine Brooks you have three seconds to tell me what’s going on.”

Taylor smiled her megawatt smile, “So Dad, funny story….”

“Nope, nevermind, that’s probably going to be a lie. Riley, tell me the truth.”

“Dad…..”

“TELL ME THE TRUTH RIGHT NOW RILEY ANTONIA BROOKS!!! RIGHT NOW!!!!!!” My father’s voice boomed in anger. This was probably the most angry I had seen him in a long time.

Annnd… we’re back to where you guys came in. Tornado Taylor got me again. I could expect nothing less than World War Brooks when we all got back home. I was able to drive myself back home, and you know what? I didn’t feel the least bit sorry for Taylor having to ride all the way home with our father who was as angry as a disturbed hornet’s nest.

The moment we got home Jaiden came into the living room when he heard all the commotion.

“Riley, give me your car keys. You’re grounded.”

“But Dad…. I didn’t do anything. Can I at least tell my side of the story?”

“She had no clue what she was walking into Dad. Look at Riley’s phone.” Jaiden spoke up for me.

At that moment, I could have completely saved myself and given my father the phone, but something was stirring in my stomach.

“Riley, give me your phone.”

“No.”

Shocked, Taylor glared at me. Even though Tornado Taylor was a mess at times, read all the time, I still loved her to the moon and back again.

“I am trustworthy, and if I say I didn’t take the test for her, you should believe me Dad. Despite the overwhelming data that says we did something shady. You should believe ME….I’ve never given you a reason not to trust me. So, if not giving you my phone right now means I’m grounded too, I guess I will be grounded too.”

I dropped my car keys on the table and walked upstairs towards my room.

In the distance I heard the equivalent of my sister falling on the sword for me.

“Dad, please don’t ground Riley. She did nothing wrong, this is all my fault.”

From that moment on, the relationship between us changed. My sister never again saw me as someone she could manipulate to get what she wanted, but let’s be honest, she should have never been looking at me that way in the first place.

#bebepac writes #school dayz #trr au fanfic #trr fanfic #trr fandom #choices fanfiction #liam x riley #choices monthly challenge #choices flashfics #play choices #choices fic writers creations

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thecapturedafrique · 4 months

Text

TRR MC: Ally Romiere

Hello tri-state area Tumblr! In preparing to finally create a masterlist, I decide to first release the character page I made for my The Royal Romance character, Ally Romiere. A while back, I also did the Choices MC ask game for Ally and another MC which you can read here!

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Full Name: Alejandra Carmen Romero de Torres

Legal Name: Ally Romiere

In Greek: Αλεξάνδρα Κάρμεν Ρωμαίος από Πύργους (Alexándra Kármen Romaíos apó Pýrgous)

Nicknames: Ale (María), Cinderella (Olivia), ma moitié (Maxwell)

Noble Title: HM The Queen Consort Ally of Houses Romiere and Beaumont, Duchess of Valtoria, Champion of the Realm and Saviour of Cordonia, DCOS, RC

Charge and Colors: phoenix; gules and or (w/ blue celeste)

Epithet: the Undefeated

Age: 25

Date of Birth: August 18th, 1993

Place of Birth: Queens, NYC

Zodiac: Leo ♌️

Gender: Cis woman

Sexual Orientation: Bisexual

Pronouns: She/her

Enneagram: 2.3 (w1; Companion)

Encouraging and appreciative, able to see the good in others. Service is important, but takes care of self too: they are nurturing, generous, and giving—a truly loving person.

Height: 5'8"

Race/Ethnicity: Latina (Nahua) and Afro-Caribbean

Nationality: American (renounced) and Cordonian

Face Claim: Lindsey Morgan

Education: GED

Languages: Spanish, English, Greek (novice)

Favorite Color: red

Piercings: single lobe; often wears ear cuff on upper right

Tattoos: five-point crown behind left ear; familia quote with dragonflies on left side of rib cage

Partner: Liam Reese (husband)

Best Friend(s): Hana Lee and Maxwell

Family: María del Pilar† (abuelita), Leo Reese (brother-in-law), Regina and Constantine Reese (in-laws), Bartie Beaumont and Luca Karvelas (nephews), Bertrand Beaumont and Maxwell Beaumont (House members)

Character Notes

There is a reason why Ally legally changed her name, which will hopefully one day be explained within Silver Spoons

Maxwell’s nickname for Ally is French for “my [better] half” and is used platonically in the same sense as the English phrase “my partner in crime.” He starts using this for Ally during the investigation in TRR2 and it sticks

As the Champion of the Realm, Ally is a member of the Order of the Seven, which confers upon her the title of Dame Commander (DCOS); the other post-nominal letters (RC) refer to her position on the Royal Council

Ally’s enneagram is type Two, also known as “The Helper”: the caring, interpersonal type described as demonstrative, generous, people-pleasing, and possessive. She is a One-wing, who are generally more ambitious and outspoken than other type Twos, and her level 3 is the level of social value

Her parents were both Mexican immigrants with primarily Native ancestry aside for her father, whose mother María was an Afro-Dominican who moved to Mexico following the civil war in 1965

As part of becoming queen of another country, Ally had to renounce her American citizenship

The dragonflies on her tattoo represent the three family members she’s lost (both her parents and her grandmother María), and the quote translates to, “Where life begins and love never ends.”

#playchoices #choices mc #the royal romance #trr #mc: ally romiere #character page

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ao719 · 10 months

Text

…Sometimes Not (Part 4)

Watching, Waiting Patiently

This is a submission for @choicesflashfics, using prompt #2, “Pretending to be happy is pretty damn exhausting.”

Song inspo: Let the New Begin - CHPTRS

A/N: This is an au mini series to my Always You story. Not beta’d. Please excuse any errors.

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

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

Word count: 2500

Catch up here

Sitting inside his home office, Gideon flipped through paperwork on an early Saturday afternoon; the penthouse, which a few hours earlier consisted of Catherine and his sister Elsie chattering loudly over breakfast before going to meet Reyna, was now quiet.

Hearing his phone, Gideon kept his eyes on his papers as he blindly reached for it, lifting the receiver to his ear. “Hello?”

“Hello, old friend.”

Gideon smiled as he leaned back in his chair. “Constantine,” he said with amusement in his tone. “Isn’t it past your bedtime there?”

“It’s only 7:30, you ass.”

A rumble of laughter erupted from Gideon. “As I said …”

Constantine chuckled. “How are you?”

“I’m good. Trying to lessen my Monday workload by doing some today. How are you and Regina?”

“I can’t complain, and Regina is well,” Constantine replied. “How’s Catherine?”

“She’s good. She and Elsie went out with Reyna this morning.”

“Ah,” Constantine said. “Wedding planning, I gather?”

“Trying.”

Constantine heard the shift in his friend’s tone. “Why do you sound bothered?”

Gideon sighed. “I’m not bothered. Reyna just seems to be … stalling.”

“How so?”

“They went to look at a venue today because she needs to choose one in order to choose a date,” Gideon explained.

“She hasn’t set a date yet?”

“No. And today’s visit will be the fifth place they’ve gone to look at over the past few months. They’ve already been to The Plaza Hotel, The Pierre, the Cipriani Wall Street, and — the groom’s top pick, probably because he’s not paying for it — 620 Loft & Garden, all of which are undoubtedly the most high-end and sought-after wedding venues in the city … but she has said no to all.”

“And her reasons?”

“She says ‘they don’t feel right,’” Gideon said, repeating his daughter’s words.

“Hmm,” Constantine hummed in thought. “Perhaps she wants something less … grand.”

“Well, the place they went to look at today, Blue Hill At Stone Barns, is still high-end, but more … laid back.”

“I’m sorry … did you say barn?”

“It’s not an actual barn,” Gideon scoffed. “Think of it more like … one of your fancy countryside estates. It sits outside the hustle and bustle of the city, a very nice venue. But I have no doubts that Catherine will be back soon and will say that Reyna found something wrong with it.”

“They’ve been engaged, what, nearly a year?” Constantine asked.

“Yes,” Gideon answered. “Which isn’t that long. Luca, however, seems to be growing a tad impatient as of late.”

“Has Reyna said what kind of place she’s looking for? What would make it feel right to her?”

Gideon sighed. “I think you and I both know that the venue has nothing to do with it not feeling right.” Constantine fell into an agreeable silence. “Speaking of … how’s Liam?”

Constantine and Gideon had monthly phone conversations, keeping each other up to date on their lives and that of their children. They never shared the updates with Liam or Reyna, however, per their requests.

It had been two months since Liam’s divorce had been finalized. Gideon’s initial inclination was to tell Reyna after Constantine shared the news, but he reluctantly agreed when Catherine said they couldn’t; she told him that if she was going to find out, it needed to be on her own and not because he was trying to meddle.

Meddling. It was a fair accusation.

Gideon made his concerns about Reyna’s decision to accept Luca’s proposal no secret to his wife. To him, it felt rushed and for all of the wrong reasons. And despite knowing that learning of the changes in Liam’s life could potentially alter her decision, he knew she needed to see things differently on her own.

Reyna had said she didn’t want to rush the engagement, but after nearly a year, Luca seemed to be pushing her to set a date, just like he pushed her to put that announcement in the Times. And she was going along with it as best she could, looking at multiple venues over the last few months, even caving and buying a few bridal magazines to make herself appear more interested than her father believed her to be, but she had yet to make any actual decisions.

Gideon wasn’t upset that Reyna had yet to plan any of this wedding; his frustrations stemmed from knowing that deep down, she was stalling for a reason, one she refused to acknowledge because she felt guilty and, in a way, obligated. He and Catherine both knew it, but they also knew she needed to navigate this on her own. He would step in when he needed to — if he needed to.

According to the updates from Constantine over the last two years, Liam, like always, had been a mask of stoicism; even after what happened with Drake and Riley, he carried on as a paragon of emotionless perfection. That was up until a month ago when Leo pushed his brother to finally open up about how he was really doing. Liam completely broke down, not about his divorce and what had led to it … but about how much he missed Reyna. According to what Leo told Constantine, he’d never seen Liam that upset before.

Knowing that Liam was still affected so much by the absence of her in his life more than two years after the fact tugged on both of the fathers’ heartstrings. And Gideon knew, even though he was the one thing she never talked about with him or anyone else, that Reyna was still affected by Liam’s absence as well. He knew not only because of his fatherly instincts but because he happened to stumble across a journal while helping her move into her apartment; he never spoke of the pages he glimpsed when it fell open on the floor from a box of books he’d been carrying.

Both Gideon and Constantine knew that the things Liam and Reyna had gone through would have been easier had they had one another to lean on, and in hindsight, probably wouldn’t have happened at all. Yet here they were, over two years with no contact, and both internally miserable.

A while after ending his call with Constantine, Gideon was sitting in the living area of the penthouse. The elevator doors slid open, and Catherine stepped out. “Hi,” he said as he stood to greet her.

Catherine smiled as he kissed her cheek. “Hello.”

“Well …?” Gideon asked as he drew back.

Catherine shook her head. “It was a no.”

*******

•Three Months Later•

Gideon stood in front of the elevator as Catherine, Reyna, and Elsie piled inside with their luggage. They were headed out of town for a girls’ weekend after the two elders deemed that Reyna, despite insisting she was fine, needed some time away from the city.

“Have fun,” Gideon smiled. “And be safe. Call me when you get there.”

“Stop being such a worry wart,” Elsie playfully scoffed before the doors started to close.

As soon as the doors slid shut, Gideon turned on his heels and hurried down the hall to his home office. He picked up the phone, quickly dialing the number.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Constantine,” Gideon said as he sat in his chair. “How are you?” The two briefly caught up on their busy lives in the few weeks since they last spoke. “And how is the family?” he asked.

“They’re well.”

“How’s Liam been?”

“Pretending to be happy is pretty damn exhausting, but he’s pushing through, like always. How’s Catherine?”

“She’s well,” Gideon answered.

“And Reyna?”

“She’s good,” Gideon replied, then there was a pause. “She’s one of the reasons I called. I have news …”

“Has she finally picked a date? Is this my official invitation?” Constantine chuckled.

“Quite the opposite, actually.” Gideon fell quiet for a moment. “She ended the engagement …”

“Oh?” Constantine perked up. “Did … did something happen?”

Gideon explained how last week, Luca had taken it upon himself to look into a destination wedding without talking to Reyna about it … until after he booked it. He went on to say that he was tired of her “dragging her feet” and that he wanted to marry her “sooner rather than later.” That seemed to have snapped something into place for Reyna, realizing that nothing felt right because it wasn’t right, not for her at least. She ended both the engagement and relationship.

With a box of her favorite gourmet cupcakes in hand, Gideon stopped by her apartment on his way home from work the following evening. While picking at a decadent red velvet treat, Reyna told him she should have ended things sooner, that she never should have accepted the proposal to begin with. When he asked why, she said that she’d not been fair, that he was a consolation prize, and it was guilt that made her stay.

Gideon didn’t ask who he was second runner-up to. He didn’t need to.

“How is she holding up?” Constantine asked.

“Good, all things considered,” Gideon replied. “She seems … lighter than she has in a while, no longer holding onto that guilt.”

“Good … that’s good to hear.”

The two men fell silent, each able to tell the other’s wheels were turning just as their own were. Finally, Gideon cleared his throat. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Indeed. It’s time.”

********

Constantine drummed his fingers against the mahogany surface of his desk, staring at the door to his study as he waited.

It had been five months since Constantine and Gideon decided to secretly conspire. They waited a month or so, allowing things for Reyna to settle a bit before they began trying.

At first, it started with phone calls, purposely phoning the other for “casual conversation” when Liam and Reyna were around. They hoped that it would ignite some spark of curiosity, enough to get the two of them to talk. It seemed to rouse something; Constantine would catch Liam staring at him while he spoke to Gideon, and Gideon would catch Reyna lingering when she would normally excuse herself to give him privacy. The two fathers quickly realized, however, that the almost three years that had passed since they last saw or spoke had created a barrier of awkwardness that stopped them from reaching out.

They thought about telling them about the changes the other had gone through — Liam’s divorce and Reyna ending her engagement — to maybe help coax them into that first step. They couldn’t, though, not without drawing suspicion from Catherine and Regina should they find out. They wouldn’t be pleased with the two of them meddling.

After a couple of months, when the phone calls failed to make headway, Gideon and Constantine shifted their plan to try to work out an “impromptu” visit. Schedules had not been aligning, however. With both Liam and Reyna constantly on the go, it seemed nearly impossible without making it blatantly obvious.

Until now.

When Catherine fell ill with a bout of the flu, unable to attend a charity event in Paris as a member of its board, Gideon convinced Reyna to go in her stead; she’d done it before.

Now the ball was in Constantine’s court. He needed to get Liam to Paris, and the timing with his schedule couldn’t have worked out better.

A knock on his study door had Constantine sitting up straight before calling for them to enter. A moment later, Liam stepped inside. “Hello,” he smiled. “You asked to see me?”

“I did,” Constantine nodded. “How’d the council meeting go?”

“Good,” Liam answered. “I was given the last of the budget reports from the duchies. Now, I’m officially on vacation.” He’d taken a much-needed two weeks off.

“About that …” Constantine smiled sheepishly. When Liam’s expression fell, he held up his hands defensively. “You can say no.” I’m really hoping you don’t. “The Cordonian Art Gallery opening is in a few weeks, and there is a French dignitary who has a piece he’d like to donate.”

“Ok …” Liam furrowed his brow. “And?”

“He wants to donate it to you … directly. In-person … in Paris. And this week is the only time he’s available before the opening. The piece … it’s an original Monet. I don’t think I need to tell you how prestigious that could be for the gallery to have on display.”

“Why does he want to donate it directly? Why can’t he just draw up a promissory note?”

“I think he wants to use the opportunity for a photo op with the King, but you didn’t hear that from me,” Constantine chuckled. Liam sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “I know you were looking forward to doing nothing. But you can still do nothing in Paris. Who doesn’t like a little getaway to The City of Light?”

Liam met his gaze; the art gallery was a project his father had taken on after he found out he was in remission two years ago, wanting to keep himself busy. He knew how important this opening was to him, and what a big part the pieces it displayed would play in its success.

Constantine’s phone rang, and he looked down. “That’s him now …” He glanced back at Liam with a hopeful flicker in his eyes.

“Fine,” Liam sighed. “When can he meet?”

“Let’s ask,” Constantine grinned before reaching down and lifting the receiver to his ear. “Mr. Moreau! How are you?” His eyes flickered to Liam and he waved him over. “He just walked into my study. Hold on.”

When the call was placed on speaker, Liam leaned against the desk. “Hello, Mr. Moreau.”

“Bonjour, Votre Majesté!”

Liam startled; the man’s greeting was loud and … enthusiastic. “My father tells me you have a piece you’d like to donate to his gallery?”

“Oh, oui oui! Ze most exquisite! I promise, eet eez really worth eet!”

Liam’s gaze snapped up to his father and his eyes widened at the now thick — and strange — French accent he spoke with. “Uh … yes, so I’ve heard.” He cleared his throat. “Is there a particular day that works better for you to meet?”

“You come tomorrow and I let your papa know! Au revoir pour le moment!”

The line went dead.

Liam stood upright. “You’re joking, right?”

“He’s just … eccentric,” Constantine said.

“What the hell was wrong with his voice?”

“Don’t be rude,” Constantine admonished. “It’s just how he talks.”

“He didn’t even give me an exact day!” Liam scoffed.

“So, just go tomorrow … take some time for yourself, enjoy Paris, and I will be sure to be in touch with him and let you know, no later than the middle of the week.”

Liam sighed as he turned. “You owe me.”

Constantine held back his smile until Liam disappeared into the hallway; he stepped around his desk and moved to the door. When he peered out to make sure Liam was gone, he spotted his eldest son coming down the hall.

Leo tipped his head to him in greeting, and Constantine returned it. “Mr. Moreau.”

“Bonjour!” Leo snorted. “I can’t believe he actually bought that bullshit. He really does need a vacation.”

Constantine chuckled as he slipped back inside and shut his door, hurrying to his desk; he reached for his phone and dialed the number. When Gideon answered, Constantine quickly brought him up to speed, letting him know Liam would be heading to Paris sometime tomorrow.

“Reyna left this afternoon,” Gideon said. “I set her up in the hotel across from the one you said Liam normally stays at when he’s there.”

“So, what’s the plan now?” Constantine asked.

“We did our part. Now it’s up to nostalgia and fate …”

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

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kristinamae093 · 6 months

Text

Trick or ... Treat?

Everything else can be found here.

Book/Universe - TRR

Pairing - Liam x OC (Kyla) (not much is going on here though lol).

Summary - Constantine and Kyla enjoy Halloween... at Liam's expense.

Word Count - 2500

Warnings - language, Constantine shenanigains.

A/N 1 - I am participating in @choicesflashfics with prompt number 3, which will appear in bold. I don't think this qualifies for any of the other various Halloween prompts (not the ones I looked at, anyway.)

A/N 2 - Thanks for giving me a little confidence boost about this @ao719! 🥹🫶

Please excuse any errors.

Most characters belong to Pixelberry.

Liam awoke after a restless night’s sleep, tentatively opening one eye to search the area. Constantine enjoyed messing with Liam any day of the year, but a few held special significance for mischief; April Fool’s Day and Halloween. Much to Liam’s dismay, the date was October 31st.

He enjoyed the 'holiday'; the royal family spent a few hours where they stood atop the front steps of the palace passing out candy. It was a tradition Liam intended to start alone, but Constantine and Regina both liked the idea and wanted to engage. He didn’t dress up but still enjoyed seeing all the costumes the public wore.

However, he never knew what the day could hold for him. He could handle most of it, but the part he didn’t enjoy was the jump scares; perhaps it was a bit of PTSD, but it made Liam’s soul vacate his body every single time. Constantine took this with a grain of salt; at least on those two days a year, Liam could expect nothing but chaos.

With utmost caution, Liam sat up. He patted around the mattress to ensure there wasn’t something hidden in his sheets, but there wasn’t. He got up and made his way to the bathroom to relieve himself, and while he did, a brief flicker of relief shot through him; perhaps this year would be different, given the circumstances had changed. Last year Constantine wasn’t sick, but now he didn’t have nearly as much energy. Liam hoped that just this once — that would work to his advantage.

Liam groggily made his way into the shower. He turned the water on with a yawn and closed his eyes as the soothing heat cascaded down his chest and legs. He submerged his head and ran his palms through his hair; when he opened his eyes to reach for his shampoo, he realized the water was — red.

“WHAT THE FUCK?!” Liam shouted as he stumbled backward. His back slammed against the wall as he tried to get away. He scrambled out of the shower, leaving the water running behind him.

When he made it out, Liam was in such a frenzy that he slipped; in a moment of desperation, he grabbed onto a shelf but ended up taking that tumbling down with him.

A moment later, a frantic knock sounded on the bathroom door. “Sir? Are you alright?” Bastien hollered.

Liam quickly reached for a towel to cover himself and answered, “NO! Get in here!”

Bastien came barreling inside; his eyes widened as he saw Liam lying on the floor, surrounded by a pool of crimson liquid. He immediately rushed over and crouched beside him. “What happened? Was someone in here?”

“The shower!”

“... Pardon?”

Liam narrowed his eyes. “The fucking shower, Bastien!”

Bastien cautiously approached the glass door with one hand on his holstered weapon. He glanced inside and noticed the colored water coating the floor, but also noted the discoloration of the tub; Bastien knew immediately this substance was not blood.

He reached in and turned the knobs off; as he did, a sweet aroma filled his senses — fruit punch. Bastien took a wild guess regarding what happened, and as he detached the shower head and popped it open, he realized he was correct.

Bastien exited the shower, laughing to himself. Liam paced the area but grew irritated at Bastien’s lack of panic. “What did you find? Should we call an exorcist?”

Bastien chuckled. “No, sir. It’s not blood, I assure you.” He held the opened shower head to show Liam the inside. “It would appear as if someone packed this full of a red powder; if I had to take a guess, I would say it’s Kool-Aid.”

“Kool-Aid?” Liam mimicked in disbelief. “... You’re joking.”

Bastien nodded, trying to keep his composure as he scanned Liam’s appearance. “I’m afraid not, sir. And unfortunately — it stains.” He motioned to the mirror behind Liam.

Liam turned around with furrowed brows, but his mouth fell open as he took in his appearance; his face and chest had a noticeable red tint, and his hair a pink hue. “Oh dear God…”

“It’s not that bad, sir…”

“What do you mean not that bad?” Liam mocked. “I look like a sick crab! What the hell am I going to do?! I’m supposed to be in a meeting in less than an hour!”

“Perhaps you could tell them it’s a sunburn?”

Liam narrowed his eyes and let out a huff of air; judging from how his morning started, it was going to be a long day, indeed.

Further in the afternoon, Constantine and Kyla were finishing the last touches on their concluding prank. Knowing that everything they did throughout the day was constructed for Liam, Kyla felt a sense of guilt. However, she didn’t have the heart to tell Constantine no; when his eyes lit up, she found it hard to resist his child-like elation. She only hoped Liam would forgive her, and appreciate that she kept things much more minimal than Constantine originally intended.

Constantine encouraged Kyla to dress up; the only requirement was that she couldn’t wear scrubs. She looked online and came across a cute Santa outfit and decided that would be her selection; complete with festive tights and black ankle boots, she was the holliest, jolliest person in Cordonia.

Constantine opted for something more — unconventional for a former monarch. Since the opportunity presented itself, he wanted to be a cowboy; he wore jeans, a flannel shirt, the wide-brimmed hat, and carried a lasso. He’d never dressed up before, but considering this would be his last Halloween, he wanted to experience the full effect.

“Perfect! Now, stay there and wait, boy,” Constantine ordered Trent.

Trent gave Constantine an unsure expression. “Are you sure about this?”

“Is it your job to do as you’re told?”

“Yes, but–”

“No more malarky; you’re already in costume, and you will not waste all of Kyla’s hard work. Wait until Liam comes, then—” Constantine paused for dramatic effect. “—you know what to do.”

Trent gave a weak salute, nearly knocking his hat off. Constantine slowly drove his scooter away, Kyla strolling beside him. “You did a marvelous job today, dear. I have to tell you, this stuff is much easier with you around.”

Kyla dipped into an exaggerated curtsy. “It’s my pleasure to serve.”

Constantine howled with laughter. “I suppose we should give Liam his treat.”

Kyla shuddered. “You’re seriously doing this?”

“What? It’s not poison; he’ll be fine.” Constantine waved her off. “It’s funny, and if I can figure out how to work the camcorder on my cellular device, I intend to videotape everything to show Leo; maybe I’ll upload it on that clock webpage the kids use.”

Kyla furrowed her brows. “... You mean — Tik-Tok?”

“Yes! That’s the one! Come along, now; it’s time to begin our last operation of the day.” Given that this would likely be his last Halloween, Constantine wanted to go out with a bang. The dynamic duo concocted the perfect scheme to scare Liam’s socks off. Constantine handled the set-up, Kyla advising the punch-line; together they produced a glorious mix of pandemonium and humor — for Constantine, anyway.

Constantine and Kyla made their way to Liam’s office with their — treat. Constantine knocked on the door with a smirk; as he did, he handed Kyla the box and whispered, “You should probably be the one to give him these. Tell him you made them yourself and make it believable.”

Kyla’s eyes widened. “What?! Why me?!“

“He will know if it comes from me; you need to do it. Don’t worry! It’s Halloween — we’re exempt from punishment today.”

“I don’t think that’s how that works–” Kyla was cut off as the door crept open. As it did, neither she nor Constantine could control the shrieks of laughter that escaped them at Liam’s appearance; the evidence of their opening prank shined brightly, contrasted to the natural hue of his skin they were used to.

“Yeah, yeah,” Liam grumbled. “Laugh it up. Thanks to you, I’ve had three meetings looking like this today.” He spoke to his father.

“I don’t know what you mean, son.” Constantine feigned innocence.

Liam grasped Constantine’s hand, flipping it over to look at his palm and noted the tinges of discoloration. “So… you running around red-handed is just a coincidence?”

Constantine pulled his hand away. “No, it’s a part of the costume; cow people work hard — these are farming hands.”

“What about the fake mice in my fridge? Or the trash bag stuffed to look like a body? The clown stickers on my mirrors? Or the air horn under my chair?” Liam walked behind his desk and pushed down, a loud honk thundering through the room.

“Okay, you caught me. But it’s Halloween, Liam.” Constantine gave Liam sad, pleading eyes.

“You know the expression is trick or treat, not trick or trick–“

“I’m aware, William.” Constantine subtly slid his eyes over to Kyla. “If only someone had a treat for you…”

Kyla realized that was her cue; she presented the box to Liam with the warmest smile she could force, praying he didn’t see her trembling hands. “Actually, I have something for you…”

“You do?” Liam sought with an arched brow.

“Yeah,” Kyla returned as she opened the container. “It’s chocolate — balls… I made them myself and even used white chocolate since you prefer vanilla…”

Liam alternated his gaze between the offered delicacy and Kyla; he couldn’t decide if he could trust her or not at that moment. Any other day he would, hands down; today was different and as much as it pained him to admit, he knew Constantine couldn’t have pulled the day’s shenanigans off on his own.

He slowly reached into the box and grasped a treat; he experimentally sniffed it first, noting the heavenly aroma invading his nostrils. As he took in Kyla’s innocent smile, Liam shrugged and popped it into his mouth; when he bit down, what he tasted was not sweet as expected, but disgusting.

“Ugh,” Liam shuddered with a scrunched face. “Wha tha hec is tha?“ He got out as he tried his hardest not to jostle — whatever it was inside his mouth.

Kyla gave him an apologetic expression. “It’s, uh…”

“Chocolate-covered brussel sprouts!” Constantine proudly exclaimed as he held up his phone, centered on Liam. “I know how much you’ve always loved your veggies. Oh, and say hello to Leo, son.”

Liam gagged; he lunged for the trash can and opened his mouth, the mangled ball rolling out with ease. He smacked his lips together, trying to rid himself of the awful taste, but it wouldn’t vacate. When he stood, he used his hands to scrape at his tongue, but that didn’t help either. In a moment of desperation he bolted to the bar cart, only to find it empty. He groaned, but by doing so elevated the horrible sensation.

Liam rushed out of the room, intent on reaching a bathroom or somewhere with some water. As his thunderous steps made it around the corner, a presence suddenly jumped out at him. It cackled and grasped his arms, sending Liam into an instant state of panic; he only saw their green flesh, the large nose, and glowing red eyes.

Liam leaned on his body’s natural reaction; with a high-pitched wail, his fist connected with the attacker’s throat, sending them tumbling backward. As the person hit the ground Liam stood over them glaring down, prepared to strike again; they waved one hand, the other cradling the spot of impact.

“S-sir… Please–” Trent spat out through wheezes.

“Trent?!” Liam gasped with wide eyes. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t—” The sound of Constantine’s laughter interrupted him. “Dad, this is not funny!”

“Oh, calm down. It’s just Trent; the boy could use some roughing up, anyway.” Constantine answered from behind his phone.

“Put that down!”

Constantine rolled his eyes but complied. “Fine; I suppose the good part is over, anyway.”

Liam released a deep, steadying breath to keep his composure. It’s nearly over, he thought to himself. “Trent, go visit the physician and take the rest of the day off… And tomorrow.” He softly spoke as he helped him stand. Trent nodded, still cradling his jugular, but made his leave.

An extended period of silence passed, but Constantine finally broke it. “Trick or treat?” Liam growled and opened his mouth to retort, but Constantine quickly added, “Not to put a fine point on it, but this will most likely be my last Halloween…”

Liam sighed and his eyes softened; all day, he’d fixated on his worries for what was to come, but Constantine was right. He felt guilty for not embracing the day as he should have, instead of wishing the time away.

Constantine noticed Liam’s expression shift and felt instant remorse. “I apologize, Liam, I didn’t mean to–”

“I know what you were trying to do, but — you’re right. I hadn’t thought about it like that, and now I feel terrible for not spending the day with you.”

“But if you were with me, who would the target be?” Constantine expressed, earning him a playful eye roll from Liam. “Listen, life must continue. I’m dying; technically, so are you. Every breath you take is one step closer to the grave. Just because I don’t have as far to go changes nothing. I refuse to spend my time fixated on what’s coming, and I surely don’t want you to, either.”

Liam sharply sniffed and nonchalantly cleared his throat. “Right…”

“But — given that it’s a holiday, perhaps you could end your day early; hang out with Kyla and me until the candy gifting begins.”

“Does that mean the pranks will stop?”

“Against you, maybe.”

Liam smiled. “I’d like that.”

“But you must be in costume to be seen with us; sorry, it’s a rule.”

Liam furrowed his brow. “You realize I’m the King now, right?”

“You sure like to remind me of that, son.” Constantine laughed. “I’ll go to the boutique and pick out an outfit for you.”

“The chances of me wearing whatever you’re thinking are–”

“Aaaand he’s gone,” Kyla spoke as Constantine sped away on his scooter.

Liam shook his head. “I’m almost afraid to even think about what he’s going to find.”

“Should’ve come prepared like the rest of us.” Kyla playfully elbowed his side.

“Trueché…“ The pair shared a laugh, but as it died down Liam added, "You look cute."

Kyla brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and ducked her head, trying to hide her flushed cheeks. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He smiled at her. “I need to thank you…”

“For?”

“Making my father's time special. I’m figuring out he didn’t act alone today, but I’m glad he’s got someone to be the Thelma to his Louise.”

“I’m happy to do it; I love it when he gets excited.”

“I do too.”

“He’s taught me a lot about how to relax and enjoy the little things; to make every second count.”

Liam stared at Kyla with a grin, warmth blossoming in his chest. “Me too.”

They locked eyes but Constantine quickly re-appeared. "Oh, Li-am…"

"I don't like that tone… or that face you're making…"

"I found you a costume." Constantine answered as he held a garment up.

Liam stared into his basket and saw the remaining pieces of the getup and shook his head. "I'm not wearing that."

"Oh, come on! A cowboy needs a steed to wrangle, son! Have you not seen a western film?"

"But I don't want to be your horse!" Liam protested. "What if I wanted to be a superhero or something?"

Constantine pursed his lip with pleading eyes. "Liam…"

Liam held his stare for merely a moment before he rolled his eyes. "Fine."

Constantine's face lit like a Christmas tree but he was quick to shove the garments at Liam, insisting he go get dressed. As Liam disappeared, Constantine gave Kyla a knowing look. "... What did I tell you?"

"I can not believe that worked."

Constantine snickered. "I never planned on being a horseless cowboy."

"He probably would've done it anyway if you asked him…"

Constantine snorted. "Where's the fun in that?"

HCTS tags - @ao719 @queenrileyrose @angelasscribbles @tessa-liam @kingliam2019 @differenttyphoonwerewolf @bascmve01 @busywoman @belencha77 @mysticalfangirl @nestledonthaveone @lovingchoices14 @lunaseasblog @malblk21 @sfb123 @emersyn-in-cordonia @walkerdrakewalker @tinkie1973 @queenmiarys @choicesflashfics @eadanga

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