#trr3

[findingdrake]

#my mc #choices #trr3 #outfits

[masked-alien-lesbian]

....Fascinating. Why was this needed again? Though I'll happily take the Hana cgs.

#I don't normally reread from TRR1 #I usually start from TRR3 and onwards #So I don't have to fight Liam and Drake off with a stick #The struggles of being a lesbian #In a male loving dominating world #Trr #trr #choices #pixelberry #playchoices #the royal romance

[lizzybeth1986]

Ahead of the fic I'm currently trying to finish up for Day 7 of KTAW - here is that awful, awful dress that the team of TRR put poor Kiki in 😣

#trr3 really had all the disrespect for this woman #sure it got worse later on but the levels of sheer bullshit they piled on her in this book was something else

[sharpstake]

ACHIEVEMENT OF ALL TIME

#trr3 is just so fun aaaaa what a comfort series ❤️ #tunes titters

[ownworldresident]

Side by Side Chapter 8: Custody

Book: The Royal Romance.

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

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

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

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

Rayne

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

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

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

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

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

“I need to get to the council meeting.”

“Why?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“God, I missed this,” she whispered.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Liam

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I think that can be arranged.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---- ----

Side by Side Tag List: @tessa-liam @twinkleallnight @umccall71 @kingliam2019 @indiacater

Permatag List: @leelee10898  @umccall71  @indiacater  @speedyoperarascalparty  @brightpinkpeppercorn  @riseandshinelittleblossom @bella-ca @custaroonie  @thequeenofcronuts  @lodberg  @kuladekiwi  @mfackenthal  @carabeth  @romanticatheart-posts  @blackcoffee85  @whenyourheartskipsabeat @fromthedeskofpaisleybleakmore

(If you’d like to be added or removed from this list please let me know)

#choices the royal romance #trr liam #the royal romance #choices trr #trr fanfic #trr mc #trr #liam x mc

[cassiaallen]

King Liam Appreciation Week Day 5 - Friendships/Relationships/AU

Friendships:

We know that Drake is Liam’s best friend, but I also like (the idea of) his and Hana's friendship. They both have certain pressures upon them, such as having to marry (albeit under different circumstances/conditions); they’re both intelligent, funny, and fiercely loyal.

I also think that he and Leo are best friends, despite the age difference. One of my favourite stories was from ROE when Leo tells the MC that Liam once snuck him a slice of cake after Leo wasn’t allowed any after he almost ruined a duchess’s wedding.

Relationships:

Liam x MC is my no. 1 ship. I love how supportive the are of each other, like Liam can be vulnerable around her (and at least once this is shown in canon in the last chapter of TRR3 when he tells her how much he misses his father), he tried his best to make sure she felt at home in Cordonia, and he always has a romantic surprise up his sleeve. These two are made for each other (in the Liam route at least 😄🙈).

Liam x Olivia is another ship I like, cause I’m a sucker for childhood friends to lovers. Olivia started out as the antagonist, but she truly became a better person. Liam took care of her when her parents died and they’ve been close ever since (minus some stuff Olivia pulled during TRR1, like the forced kiss), and just little things like Liam distracting Drake when Olivia started crying in a flashback when she missed her parents or when Constantine broke her wooden sword and he changed the game to the three of them being in one team.

I love that we had the opportunity to set them up at the end of TRF if the MC chose someone else.

Liam & The Heir - I love how adorably excited Liam is about his wife being pregnant; when he holds his daughter in his arms for the first time, and just any time they interact with each other 🥰

AU:

In an AU I have outlined, Liam and MC are abolishing the monarchy and creating the Republic of Cordonia with a head of state and a president, because they recognise the importance of democracy and how much damage all these ancient rules have done (looking at you, Barthelemy). In this universe, where Liam has to take up an actual job, he becomes a historian. This is inspired by the scene (forgot which book) where he shows the MC around and tells her all those historical facts.

Long story short - Liam is a wonderful and adorable human and I’d marry him irl 😄🙈😁

Tagging: @kingliamappreciationweek @lizzybeth1986 @sazanes

#klaw day 5 #king liam #king liam of cordonia #the royal romance #the royal heir #the royal finale #choices fandom #choices the royal romance #liam rys #king liam rys #king liam appreciation week

[cassiopeiacorvus]

KTAW DAY 7 | FASHION

Tagging: @kiaratheronappreciationweek, @lizzybeth1986, and @sazanes

Pose reference from AdorkaStock on deviantART

Kiara's canon oufit for the Costume Gala in TRR3 is atrocious. Search your heart; you know it to be true. I've had this design on the back-burner for awhile and now was finally the right time to do a full scale drawing with it. I know that canonically Kiara's house colors are sable and argent, but if Madeleine and Olivia can stroll around with color on color then Kiara can change up her metal. It's not like they bothered to remember her house colors when they made her masquerade outfit in TRR: Reloaded anyway. Rather than just give her an owl necklace, I opted to reference owl feathers in the bodice, cape, ear crawler, and makeup. I'm mentally inserting this into my headcanon of TRR because Kiara deserves to serve looks at all times.

#playchoices #the royal romance #kiara theron #kiaratheronappreciationweek #KTAW #ktaw day 7 #cassiopeiacorvus draws #cassi originals

[gutsfics]

now playing through trr3 made me realize exactly why pb went with the direction they did for rcd3

like structure wise, theyre both very similar- mc is doing something that is new to her but important to her career, there's some kind of plot against her/the people she cares about, she's planning her wedding through all of it

imagine how much better rcd3 would have been if it got 22 chapters to properly marinate the plot like trr3 did

#red carpet diaries #the royal romance

[mvalentine]

Hello Mal 💖🥰

Damien Nazario, Drake Walker and Anthony Bridgerton for Fuck, Marry, Kill 😘💞

…… you’re so sick and twisted for this 😔

marry: damien nazario. i mean im SORRY it’s literally no competition that man is literally husband shaped the way he’s soooo in love with the mc like it’s sick where’s my damien nazario? where’s my grumpy simp of a boyfriend with a sir kink HUH 🤨

fuck: ….. anthony bridgerton. after THAT scene of kate’s thumb in his…… yeah yeah you get it he’s just so submissive and breedable HSJSJS

kill: drake bestie im so sorry i lich rally love you so much <3 this is extra sad because im literally replaying trr3 rn (aka the last good trr book and good is pushing it) and am in my drake era but….. alas the competition was just too strong 😔

#i guess you got your revenge bestie r u happy now </3 #m 💖 #asks

[zoey-wades]

TRR3 made me hate the TRR MC a lot. It was actually insane to watch the writers jump the shark with her fighting off terrorists on her own, right before her wedding, because her security team was nerfed into oblivion.

The secret Drake Wedding made me want to fight, because if anyone deserved that it was Liam and MC, and Hana and MC after all the shit they had to deal with.

Drake TAKING HIS BEST FRIEND’S GIRL and then marrying her on that same best friend’s dime (while not even inviting him to the secret wedding) is how I knew the writers didn’t give a shit about anyone but that man.

#TRR was when I knew I couldn’t trust the writers with shit #I think TRH was the only time post-engagement that they may have considered that readers might confidently choose Liam over others #and only barely because having to spend 8 weeks on that god forsaken ranch when you’re not even married to Drake felt like a nightmare

[tessa-liam]

Get to know Game (don't worry, I play that with everyone I meet new and find interesting)

Your Top 10 Choices books?

Your Top 10 Choices LIs?

Sorry, if I might asked you this once already. Then I probably forgot.

Books:

1. The entire Royal Romance Series (8 books, fave TRR3)

2. The Open Heart Series (3)

3. Desire & Decorum (4)

4. Guinevere

5. The Cursed Heart

6. The Nanny Affair series (3)

7. Laws of Attraction (2)

8. Bloodbound (4)

9. Immortal Desires

10. Crimes of Passion

LI's

1. Liam Rys

2. Ethan Ramsey

3. King Artur

4. Ernest Sinclair

5. Prince Kieren

6. Gabe Ricci

7. Adrian Raines

8. Tatum Mendoza

9. Trystan Thorne

10. Gabriel Adalhard

[lizzybeth1986]

Maxwell and Penelope: When You Like Your Side Character So Much, You Gift Her a Shiny New LI

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

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

A/N: There won't be a lot of exploration on Maxwell x Penelope, as there is very little the pair gets in canon. I will be largely looking at their individual characterizations and the changes and retcons made there. There will be a lot of exploration on Penelope x Ezekiel.

CW: Mentions of Penelope's actions as part of Constantine's nefarious plot against the MC in TRR1 & 2, mentions of Penelope's social anxiety.

(Screenshots from the Skylia YouTube Channel, Drake playthrough)

Compared to the other three alternative romances, Maxwell x Penelope turned out to be a bit of a one-chapter wonder. It was extremely short-lived, and the only indication that it had ever happened was one conversation between Penelope and the MC in TRR2 Ch 6, after which there is no reference to it, ever again.

In my mind there are two major factors behind this pairing being left behind, which I will get into later in this essay. However, what I find even more interesting is what the narrative and the writing team did with Penelope after they set aside that subplot. What did TRR3 give her in lieu of this alternative romance, and why, and what does it tell us about the narrative that she alone got that?

But before we can get into that, we need to look (separately) at how Maxwell and Penelope were written in TRR1, and how it culminated in the characterizations they got by TRR2.

The Evolution of (White) Side Characters

One thing that fascinates me about TRR1 is the trajectory of some of the characters, when you observe them on rereads. We often go into those rereads with a strong impression of their character type (or stereotype), before we learn to our surprise that the initial writing doesn't always match the image we carried in our heads.

In the case of some side characters, we may find traces and hints of a totally different characterization, before the team zeroed in on a trope or characteristic that may have hit the right chord with the audience. When done right, this could result in a more rounded character. But in the wrong hands, the writer may keep falling back to that one trope that made the character click, and turn them into caricatures instead.

Maxwell and Penelope are representative of different tiers of side characters, at least in TRR1 - which means that what we may expect in terms of treatment will vary as well. Even before TRR2, Maxwell was more LI-tier adjacent; until he got his LI-upgrade in TRR2, he was a frequent presence in the story and the MC's life, enough that his fans started a "Make Maxwell an LI" campaign. Penelope (along with Kiara) was a far less important character with infrequent appearances.

So of course their trajectories wouldn't be the same. It's interesting, nonetheless, to see how the writing changed over the course of the series, what parallels or complementary traits made the team consider Penelope as an alternative for Maxwell by TRR2, and why they ultimately let go of the pair after one chapter.

As we go through these stories, I think I'd like my readers to keep one thing in mind throughout - Penelope is an anomaly as a character. There are very specific things she is given that at least one other character in the same position doesn't get. Why?

I might not be able to give the answer in this specific essay, but I do think it's a question we need to keep asking ourselves as we go through her story.

Maxwell and Penelope - TRR1

A truly interesting thing about Maxwell was that he was initially not even conceptualized as a prominent character in the books! In their promotional interview for TRR2, Kara mentioned this about the creation of his character:

Excerpt from The Royal Romance: Book 2 interview.

Maxwell was initially conceptualized as a fun foil for Bertrand, the MC's tentative guide for the social season - who the writers considered too stiff and boring to stand alone as a character. Owing to his proximity to both Liam (close friend) and the MC (sponsor), it made sense that Maxwell was a part of the group scenes from the jump.

Going by the interviews, clearly Maxwell's 'fun nature' was his main USP for the writers. TRR1 does try to balance this aspect of his personality with scenes where he shows perceptiveness (such as pointing out opportunities to ally with Kiara or Penelope), but as time goes on he is viewed more and more as the 'funny guy' of the group. He also has a side-story connected with his older brother, who isn't very impressed with his work during the social season (tbh, for good reason!). This side story allows us to view him with sympathy and perhaps overlook all his failures as a sponsor (and there are many examples of this throughout TRR1. Most of the opportunities to connect with the main LIs emerge from all the times Maxwell failed to adequately guide her - teaching her the Cordonian Waltz, explaining the significance of the Regatta Race, finding the right tents, telling the MC to get swimwear for a beach party!).

Of course, because TRR2 (where the Beaumonts are her staunch allies from the jump, even before the LIs return and pledge their support shortly after) and the "Make Maxwell an LI" campaign created such a strong impression on the fandom, people remember him most as the "person who was always there for the MC".

Though he doesn't become an LI in TRR1, we do get our first ever hint of the possibility midway through the book:

(Screenshots from the HIMEME YouTube Channel)

Most of the people I know joined the TRR fandom either in the middle of Book 1, or after Books 2 or 3 - therefore, much of what I'm about to say next is down to conjecture. It is possible that either some stans did pop up in the initial chapters, resulting in the hint in Ch 8, OR that the writers tentatively teased this pairing with the dialogue at the Lythikos Ball, and were gratified enough by the response to continue teasing it. By TRR1 Chs 10 and 11, there was already plenty fanfic on Maxwell x MC. The writers were clearly encouraged enough by the response to toss a few more hints (the MC asking Maxwell about taking his shirt off at the beach, the implications of the MC telling Maxwell she is falling for someone else). Before the fandom knew it, Maxwell had already become the beneficiary of two diamond scenes focused on him in TRR1 (a flashback scene that introduced Savannah, and having fun sliding down banisters in the finale).

Penelope's trajectory in Book 1 didn't experience as meteoric a rise in popularity, but there were changes made throughout the series until she did become somewhat popular. Her trajectory could be categorised in three parts:

1. A minor noble who was very poised and proper (snobbish, if you weren't fitting in well enough)

2. Adorable ditz

3. The lady with social anxiety (TRR2)

From their entrance in TRR1 Ch 3, both Penelope and Kiara were written as extremely minor characters compared to the three frontrunners (and one female LI) of the social season. They accept early on that they don't have much of a chance in the competition, and are the first contenders (barring Hana) that the MC can get on her side. They represent the opinions and mindsets of the royal court.

Because of this, Penelope and Kiara initially appeared almost indistinguishable from each other. The only thing that seems to set them apart is perhaps the introduction Olivia gives at the Masquerade, pointing to Penelope's lineage and Kiara's linguistic skills and diplomatic pedigree. She was the titled one, Kiara was the "smart" one.

(Penelope's scenes from my failplay, in order:

1 & 2: Ch 3, while speaking about Olivia's connection to the Prince, and if you ask her and Kiara why they allow Olivia to call them 'harpies'

3 & 4: Ch 4, Penelope's response to the MC saying, "Penelope, hands off my man"

5 & 6: Ch 6, if you don't fall in line behind the Queen and bump against her instead

7: Ch 6, when Olivia is shocked that Liam chose the MC

8: Ch 8, reaction to Olivia kissing Liam)

Penelope's early scenes in TRR1 didn't showcase the traits she is now so well-known for. She wasn't the "adorable ditz" until the Applewood chapters; in fact her scenes in the first half often showed her as poised and very proper. At the Masquerade she calmly points out to the MC that there is no reason to be offended, when Olivia bluntly declares that no one else has a chance with Liam. She expects decorum from the MC when she cuts in during her dance with Liam, and even comments on the inappropriateness of some of Olivia's behaviours and cautions her when she gets a chance. If your MC makes mistakes in public in certain scenes, Penelope doesn't hesitate to laugh at her.

Her allyship scene in Ch 10 hinges on the MC's ability to convince Penelope of the advantages of supporting her, and rescuing the lady from a crab bite. She is extremely rude in certain options, and ends their conversation with the sentence "I'm not nice" if she isn't convinced the MC is worth supporting. In fact, she is allowed to call the MC a commoner wench in a certain dialogue option!

(Screenshots from my failplay. The top half shows a response to one of the MC's dialogues (she is merely sad if you choose the second one). The second is the end of the conversation when the MC asks for her support)

In a failplay especially, she can be very, very mean-spirited, which is truly ironic given her later characterization as someone who is herself uncomfortable in court and makes more than her fair share of silly mistakes. Fortunately for most of the players, the more "positive" version of the scene sounds a bit more like she's scared and uncomfortable and not equipped to handle the rigors of court. Which makes the "adorable ditz" direction that PB takes, post Regatta, a bit more believable.

Once Penelope is no longer a contender, both she and Kiara recede to the background. You don't see much of her in Applewood and Ramsford, but the little you do see primes us to view her as "sweet and silly" with a bit of a poodle obsession. Two very good examples of this is the "cheating scene" at the pie competition (TRR1 Ch12) and the aftermath of the Beaumont Bash (Ch 16). At the pie competition, Olivia and the MC can team up to distract Penelope so they trick the rival team into adding salt in their pie instead of sugar, by getting her to talk more about her poodle obsession. At the end of the Beaumont Bash, she is shown exchanging drunken chatter with a horse. The book also makes her preoccupation with poodles way more obvious, where before it was brought up only once at the Masquerade Ball.

Discrepancies between portrayals in the first book vs the latter ones is par the course for TRR. Every character has those in some way or form. Maxwell's story in TRR1 and 2 at least could make sense with enough headcanons to fill in the gaps (for why he was inefficient in his support of the MC, for why his relationship with Drake was so fraught) and his characterization is a little bit more consistent. But Penelope's, on closer observation, is a complete mess and her story doesn't make any sense when put together.

Maxwell and Penelope - TRR2

Compared to the other three pairings, Maxwell x Penelope doesn't go beyond a single chapter.

(Screenshots from Skylia's YouTube channel)

This solitary hint pops up in TRR2 Ch 6, right after the Big Clue about Penelope's social anxiety. We're given the usual options one gets for alternative LIs - a "matchmaking" one, a gently discouraging one and an insulting one, the last two of which could be read as jealousy from the MC's end. In fact, the MC's third dialogue option in this scene is so mean spirited that Hana is required to soften the blow!

There's something interesting about the matchmaking response for this scene, and I think it says plenty about the writers and the lasting impression of these characters they wanted us to have.

"You're both a bit silly...but in a way that works." It's a reading of Maxwell and Penelope that leans very strongly into their potential as comic relief, that views the two characters as alike. Both "cute", both "silly", both there to give the characters (and readers) the occasional laugh.

Is this completely accurate to their characterizations in TRR1? Probably not. But it's clearly what the writers imagined would work well for those characters.

Interestingly, TRR2 is also where the team seems to experiment more with these two characters, and finds the characterizations they think would land with the audience. Maxwell's changes are related more to the belated buildup the narrative was giving him to be an LI, and most of Penelope's was related to her role in the plot against the MC. Maxwell is given more heroic traits (eg. the Savannah storyline and his involvement in the investigation) to beef up his story a bit, and plenty of hints are scattered specifically to tease a romantic route with the MC for more than half the book. The narrative also leans far more into his position as comic relief than TRR1 does, making it his most identifiable trait.

There are tiny nods to his "perceptiveness" (Liam mentions it twice in TRR2), but he does a lot of things that you wouldn't see a TRR1 Maxwell do, like tossing a bruschetta at a foreign dignitary or playing with food to get the forgiveness of his friend (btw the Drake Maxwell friendship reads very differently from the first book; they're remarkably chilly in their vibes towards each other initially. Of course, one could headcanon what caused a rift, but that's still us doing the work instead of the writers!!).

Because so much time has to be spent bringing Maxwell's romantic route up to speed with the rest, the progress of the relationship is different from the other three and his romantic scenes cost less (until TRR3 Ch 10, his first 30 diamond scene). Much of this is par for the course for an LI who has entered the game late. In addition, the narrative also tries in TRR2 and 3 to balance his role as the MC's sponsor with his new role as LI, and it doesn't always land (eg. his excitement for Liam's proposal to the MC two chapters after becoming an LI, or his weirdly impersonal reaction in the TRR3 Ch 11 Armory diamond scene in his playthrough, in response to Madeleine mocking Liam for the MC favouring Maxwell). In part this is a result of laziness from PB's end, and in part it's because navigating Maxwell's new role itself may have been a tricky business.

Penelope's TRR2 trajectory, in contrast, is the textbook definition for "throw spaghetti against the wall and see what sticks". Hints of her involvement in the plot don't even show up until Ch 6, just one chapter prior to the reveal. The reasoning given for Penelope's actions in TRR1 - social anxiety - also directly contradicts what is shown of her during the timeline when she was supposed to have been involved in the plot. TRR1 Ch 14 and the Coronation at the finale shows her acting calm, collected and enjoying herself. A lot of Penelope's actions in TRR1 and 2 - esp at the Coronation and in Fydelia - cast an extremely poor light on her when you take into account that she knew the MC was innocent, and that she'd played a part in framing her. From the way the reveal of her condition was done, and the way we're expected to brush her wrongdoing aside immediately, it's clear that Penelope's "social anxiety" was more about tossing in a last-minute Hail Mary to excuse her actions, rather than any real interest in exploring the subject.

Given the sloppy execution of this reveal, it is entirely possible that Madeleine could have been the "lady" in initial drafts (the strongest evidence of this is TRR2 Ch 1's "constitutional clause", which is never referenced again once Madeleine is no longer a suspect), and they made a switch in the nth hour.

It is also possible that writers in the team liked Penelope enough that they wanted readers to still like her after she'd betrayed their MCs. She hasn't been referenced or mentioned in any team interviews, but the writing speaks for itself. No matter what she's done, the narrative insists the MC center her, sympathize with her, and coddle her. I will speak more at length on how in the TRR3 section.

Why did Maxwell x Penelope Not Take Off?

(The first three screenshots are from the Abhirio YouTube Channel, and the rest are from the Radiance Guardians YouTube Channel)

Unlike in the case of the other pairings, not a lot was said in the fandom about this pair either way, even among Maxwell stans. You did have the occasional "hands off my man!" post from a Maxwell shipper, but not to a great extent. At this point many of them were still unsure whether a Maxwell route would be finalized, and even kept Liam as a standby in case all that teasing from the team came to nothing.

Again, most of the theories for why this pairing had just one scene are mere conjecture, since there isn't much evidence overall. But looking at the placement of this scene and what happens before and after it, I can think of two possible reasons why it was nipped in the bud:

1. Maxwell being a late-in-the-game LI could have made balancing an actual romance route and interactions with an alternative love interest tricky in the long run. As it is, his writing was subject to gaffes and mistakes in TRR3 even without this added storyline. It's possible they decided to just ensure that they got Maxwell to the point where he could have his own 30-diamond love scene (which happened in TRR3 Ch 9 btw (half a book after Drake and Hana got their first 30-diamond scenes), and not focus on anything else.

2. This teaser scene came up in Ch 6. Ch 7 is when Penelope is revealed to have tricked Tariq into coming to the MC's room, and paid the photographer to take intimate photos of her. Now to be fair, the narrative does insist she be sympathized with rather than judged. But I do think a subplot like that would automatically make her an unpopular candidate for any LI, much less one who hasn't even been clearly established as an LI yet! Having Maxwell fall for a woman who did the MC dirty wouldn't reflect very well on him, social anxiety or no. In fact, in Ch 8, Maxwell's reaction to the news is the strongest - he calls Penelope "a few dogs short of a pack", "downright diabolical" and even suspects she was lying about having poodles.

3. It is just as likely that Maxwell x Penelope was never a serious consideration for the writers in the first place. Possibly, Penelope's scene here was simply another hint in a rising pile that teased a Maxwell romance route. Players often do get an added pleasure from watching their MCs mouth a catty dialogue or two to a romantic rival, so this scene may have been more for the benefit of a Maxwell stan who wanted to "fight for her man" rather than an actual possibility if he wasn't getting picked.

Whatever their reasons, Maxwell and Penelope's chances as a couple ended pretty much in the same chapter that it began. It didn't create much of an impact, and no one really seemed to notice this pairing, or the lack of it. It basically started and finished with a whimper.

TRR3 and Beyond - Penelope and Ezekiel (ft. A Flanderized Maxwell)

Penelope is an anomaly among the side characters (and even among certain mains!) in both series'. She is the only person seriously involved in the plot against the MC, who needs massive coddling to even answer our questions about her betrayal (if not, Hana has to take over for you). She is the only lady-of-the-court who can refuse to attend your wedding. She is the only lady-of-the-court who can choose to travel with the entourage to another duchy, despite not being part of the Unity Tour. She is the only one among the three former ladies-in-waiting who can openly complain about Madeleine's bullying, and expect protection against her from the group. Until TRH2, Penelope was the only side character for whom massive divergences in the narrative would be made as well, to accommodate her comfort and mental health (More on that in this essay).

She is also the only alternative LI to be "rewarded" with a brand new character, crafted specially for her.

Until TRR3 Ch 7, the fandom didn't even know Kiara had an older brother. Even though the person we know best in Castelserraillan is Kiara, we actually spend less than a minute with her, and far more time with Ezekiel Theron. There is an entire diamond scene that's about pampering and complimenting him, making him comfortable around us, getting him to open to us - even though his sister was the one injured at Homecoming Ball. And of course, the entire reason for Penelope to even be present at Kiara's estate is so that she and Zeke can be paired up by default! Even at the Food and Art Festival, Kiara's only real default dialogue apart from winning over her mother (or not), is about moving Penelope and Ezekiel's romance along.

Both Penelope and Ezekiel join the Unity Tour only by option, so the narrative puts in a great deal of effort to get the romance going (by having Penelope only stop at Kiara's estate by default) and allowing the two to still have a fledgling courtship going on if they weren't together at the Unity Tour (Penelope still gets to meet people who inspire her into dog fashion and she and Zeke still show their interest in each other, propelling the parents to discuss their match).

The only thing we know about Ezekiel, and pretty much the only thing that really matters, is that he loves animals. In a court that views Penelope's love for dogs as an oddity, Ezekiel is a character tailormade to romance her. He rarely features in scenes that don't show her (the only exception is the menagerie scene in Ch 14), he rarely has dialogue outside of his scenes with her, he doesn't even have a personality beyond what would best suit Penelope. This character exists only to romance Penelope, which is depressing esp when you consider that she is a white woman, and he is a black man - and she is clearly the only one who even matters in this relationship!

There wasn't any real reason to give Penelope a partner. "Penzekiel" doesn't really do much for the story in general, and not a lot would change if you dropped them. But the narrative deems it essential to give her a "reward", which is ironic considering what she put the MC through and how much we had to coddle her for her to even consider cooperating, either in the investigation or during the Unity Tour. Presumably this "reward" is for her "niceness" and "sweetness", which only works because the narrative completely erases her misdeeds in the social season after TRR2. She never has to remember what she did, nor does anyone in the core group remind her.

With regards to Maxwell, by TRR3 he is a full-fledged LI who gets a wedding with his MC, in certain playthroughs. Much of his playthrough focuses on trying to catch up with the other 3 LIs - you can sleep with them if they're your fiancé/ée, but you have to wait until Ch 10 to sleep with Maxwell. The narrative mentions him taking up "responsibilities" for House Beaumont in lieu of Bertrand, but without any real scenes that show us what he is doing, nor any tangible results (we will not talk about Maxwell's book here!).

He doesn't have any alternative romances. In fact even his romantic playthrough is kinda bare - his only individual scene is the Armoury scene which isn't even about him, and there were glitches that were very noticable particularly in his and Hana's playthroughs. There are no references at all to the alternative romance Maxwell was given in TRR2; it's almost as if that option had never existed.

Penelope being a romantic option for Maxwell doesn't stop the two from having friendly exchanges in TRR3 though. Maxwell was not only allowed - but expected - to treat Penelope with sympathy and respect.

(First set of screenshots is mine, the second is from Skylia's YouTube Channel)

Not only Maxwell, even Drake - who hates most nobles - is shown being extremely protective of Penelope in both TRR3 (promising Penelope to protect her against Madeleine) and TRH3 (showing anger at Guy's blackmail of Penelope and her family). The narrative is very clear that we are expected to make Penelope feel safe, even if she has never made us feel anything but unsafe.

This relationship - and the level of coddling that Penelope has always received from TRR2 onwards - continues into TRH, where she and her beau Ezekiel are shown together, there are occasional updates on their relationship when either one appears in a chapter, and where they eventually marry and start a family. An interesting pattern begins to emerge once we get into TRH.

(Screenshots from Skylia and HIMEME's YouTube Channel)

As the only courtly lady in a relationship in TRH, Penelope gets a nicer, cleaner, more luxurious and more drama-free parallel to the MC's romantic journey. Like the MC, she finds a suitor who falls for her and wants to be with her. Like the LI, he eventually stages a grand proposal for her (TRH2 Ch 18), after they have spent a significant amount of time together. Like the MC, she has a widely publicized wedding (though tbh Penelope's was better customised to her tastes, and as the MC we put even more work into her wedding than we ever did our own!! (we were both her bridesmaid and her officiant, our daughter is the flower girl, we give her the perfect bachelorette, we rescue her from her asshole ex-husband, we help her select lingerie!!!)). And when the MC announces her second pregnancy, Penelope announces to us her first. Penelope's storyline has all the romantic trappings that the MC had with her LI, but without the tension, the conspiracies, the attacks and kidnappings, or the constant fear that someone is out to get her and her family.

Penelope is basically treated like MC-lite. Quite the upgrade for a mere side character who actually did us dirty at one point.

Does Maxwell - her potential LI for all of one chapter - suffer as a result of this upgrade? Apart from the Flanderization, I would say no, he actually didn't.

He doesn't get the lavish Drake treatment, true, but he is centered in the issues that bother him. The MC, by default, has always been expected to defend him to Bertrand from TRR1 onwards, and often argues that Maxwell tried as hard as he could to help her, even when he didn't. Her sympathy towards him whenever Bertrand justifiably berates him for his negligence is by default too. And while he improves in TRR2 and (somewhat) 3, in TRH3 the entire group is thrown into this position again. Even though Maxwell exaggerates events in his friends' lives to an insulting degree in his book and the subsequent movie adaptation, the group often brushes their discomfort aside and supports him instead. And even though his lies in said book about Bertrand (TRH2 Ch 11) indirectly cause the latter to give up his lands to their father (resulting in Bartie Sr's attempt to usurp the throne), the MC spends all of the next book comforting him, involving him in her investigations, and patting his hand sympathetically while he moans about the father who killed the former queen of the country, all while ignoring the son of the woman Bartie Sr. killed, and raging against the elder brother who is secretly supporting them (even after the reveal, the group judges Bertrand heavily and even suspects him of being part of Via Imperii in TRF). Very little is said - either by Maxwell himself or by anyone else - about his role in facilitating this awful takeover.

All in all, Maxwell may have not gotten an alternative LI at the end of the day, and his overall LI path was pretty messy - but there was some thought and consideration put into his writing. The focus on Penelope and her new romance never actually harmed Maxwell.

Fandom

As I've mentioned before, Maxwell wasn't an LI in the beginning, but rose to LI status in Book 2. While the writers did make claims once in their TRF finale livestream that they had planned to make him an LI all along, I find that a bit hard to believe. From the way the hints were dropped it's way more possible that this was a development that came up once enough people in the fandom found him attractive enough to be LI material.

As the Make Maxwell an LI campaign grew in popularity, the fandom often held a rosy view of him, calling him "the only valid white guy", celebrating his queerness (as they should! It was hinted that he was pansexual in TRR2 Ch 18), showered him with sympathy and called Bertrand names for berating him. None of the nitpicking that certain other LIs would get for not supporting her properly, ever touched Maxwell. Nor did the fandom - who did criticize him quite a bit for his trashy book, and protested his Flanderization - ever view him with anything besides sympathy when he struggled to believe his father was evil, after he'd encouraged his brother to make said father the head of Beaumont House. This was the same fandom that didn't hesitate to find the most nonsensical excuses to trash Liam.

The Maxwell-Penelope scene was a fun way for some Maxwell stans to allow their MCs to act a bit possessive of him, and they were very critical of Penelope's betrayal later. But the overall response to Penelope's storyline was overwhelmingly positive. Many related to what she said about suffering from social anxiety, and especially to the lines about her emotional support poodles (ironically in another book, Sloane Washington got scant sympathy or respect despite clear indicators that she suffered from social anxiety too), and were quick to forgive.

(I must confess I was among this portion of the fandom too, but with the belief that she would address it more strongly herself in TRR3)

Fandom didn't mind buying into the canon myths that Penelope was a "sweet, naive" girl, and part of this is understandable because not many got to see what she was like in the failplay. So it was easier to presume that she would still take a little responsibility and wholeheartedly regret her actions, without seeing the failplay scenes where she is shown expecting to be treated like royalty by the woman she screwed over. Penelope and Ezekiel were viewed by most as a cute pair, with some (justifiably) liking this interracial match initially. Many readers who were fond of Penelope even criticized Kiara for being "mean" to her or "joining in Madeleine's bullying of her", when Kiara's behaviour was clearly more protective than harmful.

There was a slight rise in a general negative attitude towards Penelope in TRH3, when she could prioritise her wedding over the looming terror of the MC's child being taken away from her, and only speak up when the MC encouraged her at the altar. But very often people who made these criticisms clubbed her and Kiara together, as if they were a single unit...as if their actions and choices throughout the series were the same. As if Kiara got the same concessions and pampering that Penelope did. In reality, the choices the two women made - and the narrative treatment the two women got - couldn't be any more different.

Individually, Maxwell's and Penelope's stories show us what happens when the writers of a story lean too much towards fandom adulation, and allow it to dictate the way their stories will go. In both cases PB found a beat that the readers liked and stuck with it, never expanding beyond that one trait and causing the two to be caricatures of themselves. In Penelope's case especially, once her anxiety story resonated, the narrative used that to encourage readers to pamper her ad nauseum, and justified her lack of genuine care for anyone but herself through constant reminders of her mental health condition.

I will repeat the question I'd asked at the beginning of this essay - What did TRR3 give her in lieu of this alternative romance, and why, and what does it tell us about the narrative that she alone got that? That's a question I hope you'll keep asking in the next two essays.

Next - Hana and Madeleine: When You Reward Your Favourite Bully with One of Her Victims

#maxwell beaumont #penelope ebrim #the royal romance #the royal heir #the royal finale #essay series: trr's alternative lis

[ownworldresident]

Side by Side Chapter 5: Influence

Book: The Royal Romance.

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

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

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

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

After the Homecoming Ball

Rayne

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

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

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

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

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

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

Present Day

Liam

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

She placed down the file and narrowed her eyes.

“I am never out of line, husband.”

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

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

“Madeleine…”

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

“They would never believe such things.”

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

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

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

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

“I can split my time effectively.”

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

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

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

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

Drake

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He chuckled. "Went well for her."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Then why are you resisting?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---- ----

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[twinkle-320]

Look What You Made Me Do

Book:  The Royal Romance 3 (somewhat AU) 

Pairing:  Drake Walker x MC, Liam x MC

Summary:  The unexpected happens while everyone is in Las Vegas for Riley and Liam’s stag and doe party.

Rating: Teen

Warnings:  mild language, hints to sexual activity

Word count:  2062

A/N: I wrote this little one-shot after seeing an AU Prompt list that sparked the idea.  I don’t know if this is something that’s been done before...I don’t recall reading anything like it but then again, my memory is horrible so I’m sorry if this has been done.

Tags: @ladyangel70 @gkittylove99 @lovingchoices14 (if you only want to be tagged in my series posts, please let me know) @choicesficwriterscreations​

Woken by a wave of nausea, Riley rolled onto her back with a groan, stretching the aches and pains from her body.  As the throbbing in her head got stronger, her eyes fluttered open and she was thankful that the curtains had been drawn tight.  One too many of Maxwell’s glittery cocktails the night before, in addition to the whiskeys she consumed at the after-party made her feel like death and there was no way she could tolerate the sun.

Feeling the familiar weight and warmth of her fiancé beside her, Riley sighed softly to herself.  Even with the wedding only a few days away, it still felt surreal and she still wasn’t quite used to sharing the bed.  “You’ll have to get used to it,” she told herself.  In a few days time, she’d have everything she never wanted…a powerful husband, a country to rule, and the weight and expectations of a crown on her head.

As she grappled with her reality in her foggy mind, images of Drake ran through her mind unbidden. Their first real moments of connection in Lythikos.  Finally admitting their feelings after he’d saved her from Tariq.  Forbidden kisses in the Beaumont study and in the courtyard before the Coronation.  It was the night of the Coronation that she had realized she was falling in love with him. Despite that love, she had been prepared to say yes to Liam’s proposal out of fondness for him and obligation to those that said she needed to become Queen.  Everything changed in the blink of an eye though when the scandal broke.

When she returned to court, obligation was no longer enough of a motivation.  She had returned with no intention of pursuing Liam; her only goal was to clear her name.  In the weeks that followed she fell even more for Drake and Liam kept drawing her into his orbit wanting to maintain a secret relationship causing even more confused emotions.

On their final stop of the engagement tour in New York they finally located Tariq and Riley’s name was cleared.  Despite their agreement to talk about them when her name was cleared, Drake had left New York ahead of the rest of the court, leaving only a note saying that they couldn’t be together and that she and Liam deserved each other.  On their final night in the city, Liam took her back to the Statue of Liberty, got down on one knee, and proposed.  Riley had tears in her eyes but they weren’t the tears of joy that Liam assumed them to be.  With her mind screaming “No,” Riley nodded and said “Yes, Liam…I will marry you.”

From there, everything became a whirlwind.  Attacks at the palace and orchards, a Unity Tour, an attempted coup at Lythikos.  Through it all she smiled at Liam’s side as they grew closer, but she still wasn’t in love.  Each day though she made herself promise to find happiness in her upcoming marriage. Even though the threat to their country had yet to be eliminated, Maxwell surprised them with a stag and doe party in Las Vegas.

While they partied the night before, Riley told herself with each drink that she was just celebrating her wedding.  Sitting at the bar with her chin in her palm, drinking her whiskey, and watching Kiara throw herself at Drake, she feigned a smile when Liam joined her.

“Has this evening been everything you hoped for, love?” she recalled him asking.  Afraid her voice would betray her, Riley simply nodded.  “Is there anything else I can do for you to make it perfect, my future queen?”  All she could recall from there was being touched by how loving and kind he was, everything else was a blur.

Standing slowly from the bed, Riley grabbed a blanket to wrap around her naked body and made her way to the mini-bar for some water and ibuprofen.  Groans filled the room and she heard the rustling of blankets coming from behind her.  Grabbing an extra bottle of water she returned to the bed, leaning against the headboard with her legs stretched out in front of her and holding out the extra bottle.

“Thought you could use some water. I know I can, my head is pounding.”

Suddenly the bed covers flew off. “Nevin?”

Riley turned, over come with panic, looking where she had expected to find Liam and instead found Drake staring back at her in shock.

“Drake?  What are you…?  How? Did we…?”

A quick glance to where the covers had been thrown off told Riley that Drake was as naked as she was.  “Oh my god,” she gasped, noticing the condom that had been opened but laid unused on the nightstand beside Drake.  Things must have gotten hot and heavy before they could put it on because the tingle in her body alone was enough to tell her what they had done.

Drake ran his hands through his hair, still not making any move to cover himself up.  “Holy shit!  What did we do?”

“From the looks of it I’d say…”

“Don’t!  Don’t say it.”  Drake stood from the bed and began to gather his clothes that were strewn all about the room.

Despite herself, Riley couldn’t help but admire his body.  “Well this is a nice view,” she said with a nervous laugh.

“Do you really think this is the time for jokes, Nevin.”

“Sorry,” Riley shrugged.  “Just trying to cut the tension.”

“Not even Olivia’s sharpest blade could cut this tension.  I can’t believe this…how did I let this happen?”

“Drake, calm down, you’re freaking out.”

“Uh-huh,” Drake said buttoning his jeans, “join me, won’t you?”

“No…I won’t.  We’ve both wanted this for a long time now.  It was bound to happen.”

“Not this way…not when neither of us even remember it and not when you’re marrying my best friend in three days.”

“I’m only marrying him because you want me to.”

“Don’t say that, Nevin.”

“Why?  It’s true,” she said, watching him pull a t-shirt over his head, “it should be…”

Riley stopped, a breath caught in her throat watching Drake tug his t-shirt down his waist.  “Ummm…Drake?” she stammered, nodding to the t-shirt.  “Where did you get that?

Drake looked down at what he had assumed was his standard plain white t-shirt and saw the word “Mr.” in bold black letter screen printed on the front.  “I don’t…I don’t know.”  

When he turned in search of his normal shirt, Riley gasped again.  “Oh.my.god.”  Across the back of the t-shirt were the words “Just Married – Cupid’s Wedding Chapel, Las Vegas.”

Drake ripped the shirt off again holding it to see the back.  “No, this can’t be true,” he stammered.

Riley rose from the bed and scooped up her own clothes.  Sifting through them quickly, she found what her gut knew would be there, a shirt matching Drake’s with the word “Mrs.” emblazoned on the front in black script lettering.  “Drake…” she said, holding it up for him to see.

“Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit…” Drake began chanting, pacing nervously around the room.  It didn’t matter that it was 9AM, Drake needed whiskey, stat.  Pouring a finger for each of them with shaky hands, he carried Riley’s glass over to where she stood silently staring out the window, clutching her t-shirt.

“No, thank you,” she shook her head when he tried to hand it to her.  “Isn’t that what got us here in the first place?”

Drake nodded solemnly.  “Look what you made me do,” he whispered to the glass in his hand, not caring if it was crazy to be talking to the booze.

“How much do you remember?” Riley asked.

“Some…not a lot,” Drake replied.

“Tell me.”

“Uh, let’s see.  We were in the hotel bar for a few hours.  You were keeping your distance from almost everyone. If it, ahh…weren’t for how beautiful you looked, someone might have mistaken you for me sitting there alone brooding over whiskey.”

“You weren’t alone though, Kiara was with you,” Riley said with the jealousy apparent in her voice.

Drake rolled his eyes.  “I ignore Kiara, even when she’s right next to me.”

“Oh please, Drake.  She’s a beautiful woman who clearly wants you.”

“I told you before, Nevin. You’re the only girl for me.”

Riley finally turned to meet Drake’s gaze.  “Then why have you been pushing me into this marriage to Liam.  We never even talked after Tariq’s statement like we said we would. You disappeared and left a note.”

“There was nothing to talk about, Nevin.  I’ve told you all along, I can’t give you the life you deserve.  Only Liam can do that.  That’s why no matter how hard it is to watch, I want you to marry him.”

Riley angerly turned from the window, walking over to the table and slamming down the glass of whiskey she still held.  “Well what about what I want?  You make this unilateral decision and just expect me to be okay with it.”

“Damn it, Riley,” Drake yelled, “at least some part of you must have been okay with it because you said ‘Yes’.”

“What the hell was I supposed to do?” she shouted back.  “You left! I wanted to talk about us and then talk to Liam together, but you left!  I was going to talk to him on my own that night…tell him everything even though you clearly didn’t want to be with me.  I felt like he at least deserved to know, but before I could, he was down on one knee. God, Drake,” she exclaimed throwing her arms in the air, “when he asked, I thought of you and it made my heart ache so bad and I cried.  I’m sure Liam thought they were tears of joy, but they weren’t, they were for you.  But he looked so hopeful, and I…I just couldn’t hurt him.  Not like that.  I do care about him, he’s one of my best friends.  I wanted to say no, but I didn’t want him to feel the same heartbreak I felt when I got your note.”

“I did want to be with you, Nevin.  I do want to be with you, but I can’t.  My best friend loves you and can give you the world.”

“I don’t need the world, Drake,” Riley yelled.  “I just need love…and not the kind of love I can live with…I want the kind of love I can’t live without.”  Riley crossed the room to where he stood and placed her hands on his cheeks.  “That’s you, Drake…you’re the love I can’t live without.”

Drake shook his head and reached up taking her hands from his face.  “No, Nevin.  You may not feel that for Liam now, but you will in time.  I’ve seen you getting closer throughout the tour, Nevin.  If you let yourself fall, you can have that kind of love with him.”

Hot angry tears rolled down Riley’s cheeks.  “No…no. I believe that kind of love is a once in the lifetime thing, Drake.  And I know you love me like that too, Drake.  I know you do.”

Drake nodded and wiped a tear from her cheek.  “I do. And that’s why I can step aside for your happiness.”

“Why are you so thick skulled? Look at me?  Do I look happy?  A crown and a kingdom won’t give me the happiness you think I deserve; only you can do that.  But instead you want me to marry a man I don’t love while I have to see you and long for you every day.”

“I won’t put you through that, Nevin.  I’ll leave after the wedding.  Without me in Cordonia, you can move on.”

“No, don’t say that…I can’t…I can’t lose you, Drake,” Riley said as her body shook with sobs.

“I’m sorry, Riley.  But it’s for the best.  You need to stop thinking about me, about us…the wedding is in three days.”

Riley’s breath hitched and she looked down at the t-shirt still clutched in her hand.  “I can’t have a wedding if I’m already married,” she said softly.

Drake looked at her with wide eyes.  “What? What are you saying, Nevin?”

“I’m saying I want to stay married, Drake.  I’m already married to the love of my life, I can’t…I won’t marry someone else. There isn’t going to be a wedding.”

#trr #trr3 #trr fanfic #trr drake #trr drake x mc #trr liam x mc #trr au #trr mc #choices fic writers creations #fics of the week

[sfb123]

TRR Book 3, Chapter 6: A Retelling

Pairing: Liam x Riley

Warnings: None, tame fluff piece. Some allusion to 🍋 but noting even remotely racy.

Word Count: 1,316

Author’s Note: This is my first story ever. I had an idea to take the spa scene from TRR3 and re-tell it from the perspective of Maxwell, Drake, and Hana after Liam and Riley sneak off for some alone time. I hope you all enjoy it. Shout out to @bebepac for looking it over for me and providing some super helpful feedback!!!

The Tag list is just my Taste of Cordonia tag list, plus a couple of sweethearts who have been so kind and encouraged me to write (and who talked me off a ledge last night when I was panicking about posting this). If you want to be added or removed for future fics, just let me know!

Tag List: @txemrn, @kingliam2019, @anjanettexcordonia, @texaskitten30, @twinkleallnight, @mile9213, @kittypryde-bipride, @motorcitymademadame, @kat-tia801, @bebepac

It was an emotional day at Applewood Manor, seeing the orchards completely destroyed was like a punch in the stomach to everyone. They were able to make it through the press conference and tree planting without issue. The mood quickly turned for the better once they invited little Jiro and Camellia to join them for a game of soccer in the Manor’s Courtyard. A game that proved to be exhausting and strenuous, which led Maxwell to suggest returning to the spa they had visited after the barn raising. A little relaxation was absolutely needed, and that was exactly what they were going to get, especially considering Madeline turned down the invitation Maxwell felt obligated to extend with her standing there as they made the plans.

Once they arrived, they split off into the designated changing areas, and met back up in the co-ed room. They each entered the pool and grabbed a glass of the complimentary cider that had been set out for them. The realization soon hit them, that the cider was likely made with apples from the now defunct orchard, which brought the mood down, once again. In the sake of keeping things light, they quickly changed the subject with a toast to the orchard, the Cordonian citizens, and “the best friends in the whole world,” which led Riley and Maxwell into one of their signature bits about how loveable they were. Once the toast was completed, Liam effortlessly slid beside Riley. The two of them started whispering and making those eyes at each other. Soon after that, they climbed out of the pool and started heading out the door.

Maxwell caught them exiting out of the corner of his eye, “Hey, where are those two going?”

“Do you really have to ask?” Drake replied, as he finished off his glass of sparkling cider.

“But this is supposed to be friend time. No cliques!” Maxwell protested. He loved having this tight group of friends, and he knew once Riley and Liam got married, moments like this would be few and far between. Riley would be thrust into the role of Queen, which would give his best friend much less time for movie nights and karaoke parties. He thought the Unity Tour would give them one last hurrah as a group. That wasn’t going to happen if Liam and Riley kept sneaking away.

“Maxwell,” Hana turned to face him “They’re both going through a lot right now. I’m sure they just need a moment.” She laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“As much as all of this sucks for us, think of how it is for them. We all saw first hand how hard they had to fight to be together, the hell they both went through. They finally get that, and announce their engagement, and it gets overshadowed by these attacks.” Drake explains, matter of factly.

“On top of that, Liam hasn’t been King for that long, I can imagine he’s taking these attacks very personally, and doubting himself as a ruler.” Hana added.

“Exactly. Liam’s pretty comfortable turning off that King stuff with us, and just being himself. But since the attacks, I can see that the wall isn’t fully coming down. If anyone can change that, it’s Brooks. He needs this, they both do.”

“Yea, I guess you’re right. More pool space for the rest of us!” Maxwell hopped out of the pool and slowly backed up, a grin spreading across his face.

“Beaumont, don’t you--” before Drake could finish his warning, Maxwell charged full speed toward the pool.

“CANNONBALL!!!” Maxwell hugged his knees in and flew through the air. The water displaced and the huge splash completely drenched Drake and Hana.

Drake grimaced as he pushed the wet hair out of his face, Hana laughed and applauded Maxwell's less than graceful, dive. The three friends sat in the pool area a bit longer, joking and chatting and reminiscing about the good times they had all shared since Liam’s social season. Drake glanced up at the clock and realized how late it was getting.

“We should probably head out. They’re going to be closing soon.” Drake stepped out of the pool they had been relaxing in, and grabbed a towel. Maxwell and Hana agreed, drying themselves off and heading back towards the changing rooms.

As they walked down the hall, Hana asked “What about Riley and Liam? We don’t know where they went.”

Maxwell heard some muffled noises coming from one of the saunas, he slowed down and pressed his ear to the door. He paused, his eyes went wide and his face started to turn red.

“What happened, Maxwell? What’s going on?” Drake looked concerned, and sped up his pace to meet him at the door.

“I...uh...I think I found them.” Maxwell started to giggle.

As Drake’s ear hits the door, it is met with a deep groan from the other side. “Yup, that’s them alright.” He shook his head as he stepped away and continued walking.

Maxwell knocks on the door “Hey, get a room, you two!”

He and Hana giggled as they went on their way.

A few minutes later, Liam joined Drake and Maxwell in the men’s changing area. “Well, I’m feeling relaxed.”

“I’ll bet you are.” Drake replied, raising an eyebrow at his friend.

“Yes, sorry about that, we seem to have gotten a bit carried away.” Liam replied sheepishly.

“Meh, it’s not like it’s the first time we’ve heard that. You guys get carried away a lot.” Drake shrugged.

Liam looked up at his friends with an expression of shock and confusion.

“Yea, we went camping with you guys in France, remember?” Maxwell said, nudging Liam with his elbow.

“...and you assigned me to the room next to Brooks when we were in Applewood for your engagement tour.” Drake added.

“Ok, ok, so we haven’t been quite as discreet as we thought we were. You’ve made that point very clear. Thank you.” Liam’s face was bright red, as he turned to his locker and took his clothes out to change.

Maxwell and Drake continued to give him a hard time as they finished getting their things together, and soon they headed out of the changing area to meet up with Riley and Hana, who were already in the lobby waiting for them. As soon as Riley saw the three men walking towards them her cheeks turned pink and her eyes fell to the floor.

“Brooks.” Drake nodded.

“Blossom,” Maxwell winked and nudged Riley’s shoulder.

“Hey guys.” Riley mumbled, barely above a whisper, clasping her hands behind her back.

Hana followed Drake and Maxwell to the door, Liam stepped up to Riley and put his arm around her shoulders, as they started to walk towards the exit.

“Are you alright, love?” Liam inquired, rubbing his hand up and down her arm to soothe her.

“Liam, they HEARD us. It’s so embarrassing!” she looked up at him, and the horror in her eyes made Liam chuckle.

“I don’t know if this will make you feel better or worse, but apparently, this wasn’t the first time.” He pulled her closer.

“I know! Hana said that every time we go missing the guys place bets on which one of us comes back more disheveled. And by the way...worse, it definitely makes me feel worse.” Riley grumbled with a deep sigh.

“Would you like to stop sneaking away from events? It’s certainly not my preferred solution, but I will do whatever makes you happy.” He stopped walking and turned to face her.

“No! Of course not! Sneaking away is my favorite part of events! Maybe we could just try to put a little more emphasis on the sneaking part.” Riley suggested with a shy smile.

“As you wish, my Queen.” Liam kissed her forehead, and took her hand in his before continuing out the door.

#choices trr #trr/trh #royal romance #trr king liam #trr mc x liam #trr mc #trr3 #trh fandom #fanfic #trr fandom #trr fanfic #trh fanfic

[zigwouldnever]

Just a reminder of why being nice to Madeline is hard AF

#trr3 #choices #play choices #playchoices #Madeleine