#Bastien Book 4

[oconnormusicstudio]

Billy Connolly and the William Tell Overture

  Today, we’ll be listening to the end of the William Tell Overture by Gioachino Rossini.  This piece, originally the overture to an opera, has been arranged for piano and is in several method books, including Piano Pronto Movements 1 and 2.  It’s also in Bastien Book 4 and Piano Maestro. The original story Maybe your grandparents watched the original Lone Ranger Or you saw the newer Lone…

[chuchuminn]

What if the Master was a child?

I think an hc is due, so here you go!! Fem!Master (an adorable one + kinda puppy/kitty like)

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So, let's say that Master is around 4-5 years old.

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Flashback..

An adorable little girl was walking around with her mom, but then saw a cat with a ring. Obviously attracted because of childrenly antics, she touched the cat, the cat spoke to her, and she got a golden ring. Then, she was transported to a mansion while her mom wasn't looking.

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First Floor

Berrien

• I think that Berrien would most likely take care of you for the most part, since he welcomed you.

• Whenever you're scared at night, he takes you to their room on the first floor and lets you sleep with him. Also makes you some warm milk to help you sleep.

• Definitely thinks you're adorable. Who could not think a child like you isn't adorable?

"Master..? Are you scared? Here, have some warm milk, and you can also stay with me if you want.."

Lono

• Cooks whatever you want, whenever you want. Of course, a child needs lots of food to grow up, right?

• Gives you headpats often to see your reaction.

• Would make designs on your food, like making your steak into dinosaur by cutting it up like so, or even desserts that look like your favorite animals, to make you happy.

"Oh, Master! You said ya wanted some cupcakes, so I made 'em earlier! I'll get them right now, just hold on a sec!"

Bastien

• He would most likely make little wooden dolls so you can play with them.

• Gifts you blankets, toys, or even a whole dollhouse with the Grosvaner's money.

• Sometimes when he wakes up from sleeping in the most randomest place ever, he sees you beside him.

"Master.. For you. I made them.. Do you like it? I heard you liked dolls."

Cutscene:

"Ah! Berrien, Master's here?" Lono said. "Shh, she's sleeping, Lono.." Berrien replied, continuing to hold you close. "She looks cute..." Bastien whispered, as both him and Lono were surrounding the two of you. You moved a bit, then nuzzling into Berrien adorably. They all cooed.

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Second Floor

Haures

• He likes playing with you, and sees you as his little sister. (RIP TRICIA)

• Decorated your room for you after you answered a few questions, and you loved it.

• Sometimes he goes out and buys gifts for you like clothes or accessories and maybe jewelry.

"Maste- Princess! I have come to save you, as I am the Honorable Knight, Haures! Hiya!" (p.s. he punched boschi after that)

Fennesz

• He likes reading books to you before you sleep :3

• Sometimes he takes you to the mansion's library so you can read things.

• He plays with you sometimes by throwing you up in the air or playing tea party. (this man is a muscle beast but a gigantic softie as well)

"Then they both lived happy ever after... The end. Oh? Haha.. She's already sleeping. Good night, and sweet dreams, Master.."

Ammon

• Absolutely would not let you play near the rose bushes, because you'll get hurt.

• He also helped out decorating your room, with your favorite flowers.

• Sometimes he makes a few bouquets for you and places them in your bedroom.

"Boschi, what are you-?! Oh, Master! Please don't go near there, like, you'll get hurt!"

Boschi

• Decorated your room as well with Ammon and Haures.

• Whenever he steals candy from Haures, he gives some to you.

• Sometimes he lets you play with his prosthetic arm, and he even thinks you're like a puppy.

"Master, you like this one? Okay, cool. HAURES, GO PUT IT UP RIGHT NOW!"

Cutscene

"Oh, my! What an elegant little princess you are!" Fennesz said, drinking imaginary tea while sitting in front of you. "You are so beautiful, like, I can't stop staring at you!" Ammon followed, also drinking this imaginary tea. "How could you try to hurt the princess?!" Haures shouted, pointing a toy sword at Boschi. "Haha, watch me!" Boschi replied.

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Third floor

Lucas

• Whenever he's drinking wine in front of you, he makes sure to tell you it's "Grown up Juice".

• He would comfort you and clean you up whenever you get hurt.

• Sometimes he gives you grape juice when you ask for the "Grown up Juice".

"Ah, you're here, Master. Hmm~? This~? This is "Grown up Juice"~ It's for grown ups, so you can't have it yet, Master."

Lamli

• You know this guy is super playful, so of course he ADORES playing with you!

• Would immediately apologize if you started crying because of his teasing.

• Whenever you do something cute he gives you a candy.

"Uh oh~! You found me Master! Now, now, it's my turn to seek! I'll start counting, so go and hide now, Master, or I'll find you~!"

Nac

• Sometimes his way of speaking makes you confused, but that's fine.

• He likes calling you a princess.

• Lucas scolds him once in a while for confusing you.

"-Nac speaking in riddles- Mm.. Huh..? - (Master) Nac, please don't say that much to Master. She's still young. - (Lucas)"

Cutscene

"Hic..! Ung.." You spoke, tears falling down your eyes. "I know, Master, but after this you'll be okay." Lucas said, cleaning up all the wounds. Apparently you had been playing in the garden, then falling down. "Master, I'll give you candy after this!" Lamli followed, petting your head. "Do not fret Master, you will be feeling splendid after." Nac then continued, wiping your tears.

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Basement

Miyaji

• He also takes care of you since he's quite fond of kids. He teaches you etiquette too.

• Whenever Lucas is drunk when you're hurt, he takes care of you.

• Lato and Flure don't let him cook for you so you won't experience hell on your little tongue.

"Okay, Master. Now, when a stranger talks to you, what do you say?" "Stop, cweepy persown!" You replied. "Great job, Master. Here's a cookie for you."

Flure

• He loves making clothes for you, you're the perfict fit for any style!

• He lets you watch whenever he's making some new clothes.

• Flure loves showing off your charm as a child when you're wearing his clothes.

"Aww, Master! You look so adorable in these clothes! I'll make more of these with different colors and features later!"

Lato

• Surprisingly, Lato took a liking to you, and now he loves talking to you.

• Whenever that time comes, the butlers don't let you talk to him, and that makes you sad.

• He sneaked out with you once, but he got scolded by Haures and Miyaji.

"Master~~ What are you doing? Are you playing? Let me join. What do I do here? Oh, so you have to do that? Okay."

Cutscene

"Now, Master, do a curtsy." Miyaji said, which you followed, then doing a curtsy. "Good job, Master." Miyaji praised. "She's so adorable in that dress!" Flure exclaimed, seeming proud of you and his work. "You're right Flure, she is cute." Lato followed, petting your head and poking your cheek.

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Villa

Yuuhan

• He loves making you happy, and treating you to things once in a while.

• Always scolds Hanamaru, which makes you feel bad.

• Yuuhan is a bit more protective of you than the others.

"Master, I bought some dessert today. Would you like some? Oh, still full? It's fine, we can save it for later."

Teddy

• He's like a big brother to you, and he always shows off.

• Big teddy bear that hugs you a lot.

• Loves it when you're doing cute stuff.

"Master, look at this! *fleexx...* Isn't it cool! Also, take a look! We found something on our mission! Do you want it? You can have it, Master!"

Hanamaru

• Like Miyaji, Hanamaru is well experienced with children, so he also takes care of you. He even styles your hair once in a while.

• He gives you tea with your snacks.

• Sometimes he gets scolded for sneaking outside and grabbing you some snacks.

"You want this hairstyle? Okay, I can do it. Were you having fun earlier, Master?"

Cutscene

"Uhm.. So.. It's like this, and then this, then..." Teddy muttered, attempting to braid your hair. "Teddy, what in the world is this?" Hanamaru replied, staring at him. "Don't be so rude, Hanamaru. He needs experience." Yuuhan then said.

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this is the end of the hcs pookies!! maybe ill make more posts of this headcanon hehe

[kamidukki]

[AKNK] Butler and Demon

List of butlers in akuneko and the demon with whom they're in contract. Included are information from main episodes (up to Ep. 3 "I can't believe anything") and event Captive Dolls.

Some notes before further reading:

🔹romanisation are taken from the Ars Goetia wiki page.

🔹the list is incomplete at the moment, either because of my mistake or the info simply hasn't not yet been released (filled in with 'unknown'). In case of the former, kindly inform me. [Additionally, there are some speculations on twitter about all the demons' name even though they haven't made an appearance yet in-game. This was made possible by finding the closest match between the butler's crest and the sigil of their allegedly corresponding demon]

🔹side effect is a rough translation of the word 代償/daishou (price) in game.

-First floor butlers-

Berrien

Demon's name: Belial/ベリアル (revealed in ep. 3 ch. 6 pt. 14)

Form: (unknown)

Power granted: to escape/avoid death

Side effect: (unknown)

Bastien

Demon's name: Orobas/オロバス (revealed in ep. 1 ch. 2 pt. 14, appeared in picture that shows up in ep 2.5 ch. 3 pt. 6)

Form: White fox

Power granted: an increase in weapon speed

Side effect: (unknown)

Lono

Demon's name: Ronove/ロノウェ (revealed in ep. 4 ch. 2 pt. 14)

Form: (unknown)

Power granted: increases physical endurance (Lono survives a fall that'd kill him otherwise, but it doesn't exempt him from the pain)

Side effect: (unknown)

-Second floor butlers-

Haures

Demon's name: Flauros/フラウロス (revealed in ep. 1 ch. 3 pt. 24)

Form: (unknown)

Power granted: increases comrade's fighting skill

Side effect: (unknown)

Boschi

Demon's name: Zaebos/ザエボス (revealed in ep. 1 ch. 5 pt 16)

Form: black leopard

Power granted: temporary increases the upper limit of phyisical ability

Side effect: consumes a large amount of energy

Fennesz

Demon's name: Phenex/フェネクス (revealed in ep. 1 ch. 2 pt. 26)

Form: (unknown)

Power granted: an ability to memorise everything/any book just by reading it once

Side effect: (unknown)

Ammon

Demon's name: (unknown)

Form: (unknown)

Power granted: (unknown)

Side effect: (unknown)

-Third floor butlers-

Lucas

Demon's name: Foras/フォラス (revealed in ep. 2.5 ch. 3 pt. 6, then in details in ep. 3 ch. 5 part 20)

Form: white lion

Power granted: finding out someone's chance of survival when they're in the verge of death

Side effect: (unknown)

Lamli

Demon's name: (unknown)

Form: (unknown)

Power granted: (unknown)

Side effect: (unknown)

Nac

Demon's name: (unknown)

Form: (unknown)

Power granted: (unknown)

Side effect: (unknown)

-Basement butlers-

Miyaji

Demon's name: (unknown)

Form: (unknown)

Power granted: increases speed/agility, possibly fighting prowess as well

Side effect: a change in physical appearance and general attitude (ch. 10 of event Captive Dolls), nightmares (Miyaji 1st Anniversary card story 「不器用な怒り」)

Flure

Demon's name: Furfur/フルフル (revealed in ep. 1 ch. 2 pt. 16)

Form: (unknown)

Power granted: increases sense of aesthetic and artistic faculty

Side effect: (unknown)

Latto

Demon's name: Stolas/シトラス (revealed in ch. 9 of event Captive Dolls)

Form: white owl

Power granted: great hearing ability enhancement

Side effect: (unknown)

-Villa butlers-

Teddy

Demon's name: Forneus/フォルネウス (revealed in ep. 3 ch. 2 pt. 4)

Form: white grizzly bear

Power granted: super strength

Side effect: intense hunger

Yuuhan

Demon's name: Marchosias/マルコシアス (revealed in ep. 3 ch. 2 pt. 4)

Form: black she-wolf

Power granted: a temporary increase of fighting ability in line with the number of enemies defeated

Side effect: loss of consciousness

Hanamaru

Demon's name: Focalor/フォカロル (revealed in ep. 3 ch. 2 pt. 4)

Form: a massive white horse akin to a griffin

Power granted: durability of weapon used in fighting (a blade that will remain unbroken no matter what)

Side effect: (unknown)

[pardi-real]

Tarot of Destiny / Chapter 4 - Feelings to Convey

Prev | All | Next

[Central Land, Maginaria]

We arrived at the city of Maginaria that night. As we got off the carriage in front of the inn... all the butlers who had arrived earlier were there to greet us.

Fennesz: "We've been expecting you, my lord."

Lamli: "Wow~! My lord, your outfit is absolutely splendid ♪"

Hanamaru: "Looks good, and our outfits are almost matching, right? Hehe. It's kinda like a date."

Yuhan: "Mr. Hanamaru… Please refrain from such offhand comments."

Teddy: "Please do, Mr. Hanamaru! The other butlers are giving you the cold stare!"

Flure: "Sigh... I knew you'd say that."

Hanamaru: "I-I feel like everybody is being unusually cold tonight... Sh-should we head inside the inn soon? My lord..."

Miyaji: "Yeah, that's right. You must be tired after being in the carriage for so long."

Lucas: "We’ve reserved the finest accommodations for you, my Lord."

Nac: "Yes. We've meticulously planned the security arrangements as well."

Lato: "Not even a single mouse can sneak in, so please rest assured..."

> "Thank you, guys"

[Maginaria, Inn]

I entered the inn, guided by everyone... It was quite a large inn. The interior was luxurious, almost like a hotel.

> "What a grand Inn"

Lono: "Right! Because my lord, all of us, and Lady Elvira will be staying at this inn."

Bastien: "For security reasons... We've booked this entire floor."

Boschi: "Hm? Speaking of which, where did Elvira go?  She was with us until a moment ago..."

Ammon: "Oh, her... She quickly headed to her room.  Those northern witches... Maybe they prefer being alone, rather than being in a place bustling with people?"

Boschi: "Hmph...  Even so, we're here on guard duty. It would've been nice if she said something before leaving."

Haures: "......For you to talk about manners……"

Boschi: "Huh? Got something to say, Haures?"

Haures: "No, it's nothing. Anyway... About tomorrow's plan, a few of us will take turns to guard her when she goes out. Meanwhile, the available butlers will accompany you, my lord...  And guide you through the city of Maginaria."

> "Guided city tour?"

Lono: "Yes! Because it's a special festival, after all."

Bastien: "We couldn't relax at the mansion... So, at least, we hope my lord will enjoy this trip."

Lato: "Kufufu...  We'll be accompanying you from tomorrow onwards. Rest early tonight… Please prepare yourself for the enjoyable times starting tomorrow."

"O-okay"

Yuhan: "Well then... Let us guide you to your room, my lord."

Teddy: "A soft bed is waiting for you!"

Led to the room by the butlers, I felt utterly exhausted after being rocked in carriage. I quickly finished bathing and dining, and laid my body on the soft, warm bed. Before long, I fell into a deep slumber.

~ Meanwhile, around that time ~

Tap, tap, tap

Muu: "Everyone, the lord is asleep! Seems like it's safe to start the discussion now!"

Berrien: "Understood. Thank you, Muu."

Miyaji: "So, Berrien. What's the discussion about?"

Berrien: "Yes. Of course, it's about 'the tarot card drawn by the lord.' "

Yuhan: "It's 'upright Death'...  Even though we're behaving as if we're not concerned in front of the lord... I'm still worried."

Hanamaru: "But come on. Isn't it just a mere fortune-telling? I mean, fortunes don't always come true. It's a hit or miss."

Berrien: "That being said... Lady Elvira's fortune-telling is famous for its accuracy."

Lucas: "That's right… With her fortune-telling indicating the 'upright Death'... The lord is probably... deep down, feeling anxious."

Berrien: "However... When we were in the carriage earlier... Lady Elvira mentioned something that concerns me. 'You already have a way to save the lord from a bad fate'..."

Lono: "Huh... What's that?"

Bastien: "Mr. Berrien, please tell us more."

Berrien: "Yes. According to her..."

........

Hanamaru: "Hmmm~... Through the tarot cards each of us has been given, look into ourselves... And then, the feelings that surfaced from it... convey them to the lord. I see...  I don't get it at all."

Teddy: "I don't understand the meaning either...  But if we follow as instructed, maybe it could save the lord? If that's the case... I think it's worth a try!"

Haures: "Exactly, I agree. Does everyone have their tarot cards with them?"

Boschi: "Yeah. Just in case, I've got mine in my pocket."

Fennesz: "Looking at these cards... Looking back at myself and the feelings they bring up... then...  Should I convey the feelings that come to mind to the lord?"

Flure: "I think we should. Although I don't understand the meaning at all... If there's a chance to save the lord... I'm willing to try anything!"

Bastien: "Yes. We've been spending almost two years with the lord. I can't imagine a mansion without the lord anymore."

Lato: "That's right. That's how much the lord has given us.  The lord saved me... Changed me..."

Haures: "Hmm... Yeah, indeed.  If the lord wasn't here... Some of us wouldn't be here in this world."

Berrien: "Yes... The lord didn't just save us. Our lives are heading in a better direction thanks to the lord. From before the lord arrived until now... The impression of everyone has changed a bit."

Miyaji: "Yeah... Absolutely."

Lucas: "The lord is... indeed a special person to us."

Haures: "Well then, from tomorrow onwards... As we discussed earlier, while strolling around the city with the lord... Each of us, the butlers, will convey our feelings.  Let's proceed with this plan. Does anyone object?"

Lamli: "Of course not! It's to save the lord, after all."

Nac: "If it's to save the lord, these feelings... I can keep talking about it for three days and three nights."

Lamli: "......Isn't that super annoying?"

Knock, knock

Berrien: "Oh? Who could it be at this hour...  I'll go and check.  ...Who is it?"

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[daitranscripts]

Bring Me the Heart of Snow White Pt. 1

An Alchemical Formula

Vivienne Masterpost

The PC approaches Vivienne on the balcony.

Vivienne (high approval): My dear, I’m afraid I must ask you for help. Vivienne (neutral approval): Inquisitor, I wonder if you might help me with a delicate situation. Vivienne (Low approval): Inquisitor, I find myself in the unpleasant position of asking you for help.

Vivienne: There is an alchemical formula that I must complete, but I have been unable to obtain a critical ingredient: The heart of a snowy wyvern. I had arranged to obtain one, but the chevaliers working with me were killed in the civil war.

1 - Dialogue options:

Investigate: Tell me about the wyvern. [2]

Investigate: What is this formula? [3]

Investigate: Why do you want my help? [4]

Yes: I’ll help you. [5] +Vivienne slightly approves

No: I don’t think so. [6] -Vivienne greatly disapproves

1 - Investigate: Tell me about the wyvern. PC: If I’m going to hunt down a snowy wyvern, I need you to tell me everything you know about it. Vivienne: They’re quite rare and exceedingly dangerous. Their venom is the most potent of any wyvern. Ordinary hunters would not make the attempt. The risk is too great. You, my dear, would certainly be an equal to this monster. [back to 1]

2 - Investigate: What is this formula? PC: I didn’t know you were an alchemist, Vivienne. What exactly is this project you’re working on? Vivienne: It is a special request from a member of the Council of Heralds. I am still the Imperial Court Enchanter, after all.

Vivienne (high approval): The matter is private. That is all there is to say. Vivienne (low approval): I would not have attained my position at court if I didn’t know when to be silent.

Dialogue options:

Special: You won’t tell me? [6]

[Back to 1]

6 - Special: You won’t tell me? PC: You want me to risk my life to get this thing for you, but won’t tell me what it’s for? Vivienne: My dear, it is hardly proper for me to blab the secrets of those who put trust in my discretion. ㅤㅤ ㅤ Vivienne (high approval): I would do no less for you, after all. [back to 1] Vivienne (low approval): You wouldn’t want me to speak up about your many issues, I’m sure. [back to 1]

3 - Investigate: Why do you want my help? PC: I’m not a hunter. Why do you think I can help? Vivienne: This beast is not hunted for sport as other wyverns sometimes are. It is far more deadly. In the past, chevaliers have been dispatched to either kill the creatures or drive them away from villages. Since my chevaliers have fallen to political conflict, I find myself in need of someone with a martial aptitude. [back to 1]

4 - Yes: I’ll help you. PC: I’ll do what I can. Vivienne: Thank you, my dear. I would be most grateful. I shall give the location of its lair to Cullen. Remember, my dear: I must have its heart, or the potion will not work. I eagerly await your success.

5 - No: I don’t think so. PC: This doesn’t seem like my concern. Vivienne: As you say. I shall remember this, my dear.

Scene ends.

The PC sees a book as they go to leave.

PC (mage PC/arcane perk): Is this… a youth serum? I’ve never seen alchemy this complex. Where did she get it?

PC: I can’t make heads or tails of this. Age regression? Who is this potion for?

Next: Duke Bastien

[richincolor]

Out in December! ❄️

With October in the rearview mirror and November getting underway, the rush of exciting new YA books will slow a bit, but that doesn't mean there won't be a few hot new books to look forward to in December. Here's a peek at what YA books starring BIPOC characters are coming out next month:

The Ruined (The Beautiful #4) by Renée Ahdieh The Sylvan Vale and the Sylvan Wyld are at war. Now that the unsteady truce between them has been broken, lines must be drawn. In an effort to protect the weakened Winter Court, Bastien rallies powerful allies and friends in New Orleans to come to their aid.

Meanwhile, under protection alongside her injured mother in the Summer Court, Celine is uncertain of whom to trust. She cannot get word to Bastien, and does not understand why he has not returned. When she realizes war between the fey courts is imminent, she journeys with Ali in an effort to find the time traveling mirror and change their fate. But when Celine’s rivals realize Bastien has rallied his allies in the mortal world, they decide to take the fight to him.

Caught in a Bad Fauxmance by Elle Gonzalez Rose A fresh, fun contemporary rom-com from debut author Elle Gonzalez Rose, about an aspiring artist who agrees to fake date one of his family’s longtime enemies in the hopes of gathering intel good enough to take down their rivals once and for all.

Devin Baez is ready for a relaxing winter break at Lake Andreas. That is, until he runs into his obnoxious next-door neighbors the Seo-Cookes, undefeated champions of the lake’s annual Winter Games. In the hope of finally taking down these long-time rivals, the Baezes offer up their beloved cabin in a bet. Reckless? Definitely.

So when annoyingly handsome Julian Seo-Cooke finds himself in need of a fake boyfriend, Devin sees an opportunity to get behind enemy lines and prove the family plays dirty. As long as Devin and Julian’s families are at war, there’s only room for loathing between them. Which is a problem because, for Devin, this faux game of love is feeling very real.

Our Cursed Love by Julie Abe Six days to remember. Love or lose him forever.

Remy Kobata has always wished she was destined to be with her best friend, Cam Yasuda. All the way from being neighbors from birth to mixing up magical prank potions together to their “just friends” homecoming date during their senior year in high school, nothing’s a secret between Remy and Cam―except for how much she is in love with him.

Remy is trying to work up the courage to confess her feelings during their winter break trip to Japan, when she gets selected for a mystical tea leaves reading and it reveals that they’re not meant to be together. After they stumble upon a secret magical apothecary in the back alleys of Tokyo, Remy and Cam are offered an ancient soulmate elixir, created before all love potions were banned by the magical government. They each have their reasons for wanting to take it, but what could go wrong with finding your soulmate a little earlier?

Except, after they drink up, their senior year trip flips into the worst vacation Cam has forgotten who Remy is. If she can’t help Cam remember her by midnight New Year’s Eve, they’ll both be cursed to forget each other. To unravel their past and rewrite the future, Remy and Cam must travel through Tokyo to rediscover Cam’s memories and make new ones―and maybe even fall in love all over again.

Seven Minutes in Candyland by Brian Wasson Sophomore Kalvin Shmelton has finally perfected his underground candy-selling hustle at school. He keeps his prices reasonable, his inventory fresh, and himself out of the drama. But when a heartbroken Sterling Glistern—Kal’s longtime crush— barges into the storage closet where he keeps his candy supply, a new source of income unexpectedly presents itself: relationship therapist. Sure, he only meant to help Sterling realize she’s been dating a jerk—and maybe win her over—but news spreads fast that Kalvin’s not just the master of sweets…but hearts, too! And as the son of two famous therapists, he leans into this newfound reputation and the money that comes with it.

The truth, however, is that Kalvin’s parents’ “perfect” marriage is crumbling. He was supposed to woo the girl of his dreams, fix his parents’ relationship, and lend a listening ear to a school-full of heartbroken teens. But a jealous boyfriend, a vengeful competitor, and Kalvin’s own growing ego threaten those plans, forcing Kal to rethink all he thought he knew about friendship, family, and love.

Lucero (A Forgery of Magic #3) by Maya Motayne In the aftermath of Sombra’s return, the balance between light and dark magic has been destroyed and chaos has broken out in Castallan and around the world. Sombra’s shadows have taken over to create monstrous versions of everyone Finn and Alfie love, and with war between Castallan and Englass looming, the prince and the thief must band together one last time—to save their entire world.

To stop the magical imbalance, they must find the stone relics of Sombra’s body before the god can unite the pieces and regain his full strengthonce more. But the laws of magic no longer apply, and with their own magic—and even the laws of time itself—drastically changing at every turn, Finn and Alfie are left on their own to stop Sombra and fulfill their prophecy before it is too late and the darkness reigns.

Will they restore balance to their world or will its light be gone forever?

Any of these books on your TBR list? What are you planning to read in December? Let us know! And thanks for following along on this reading journey for another year. Next up, we'll be posting our 2023 favorites!

[choicesficwriterscreations]

TRR FotW May 14-20, 2023

18+ = Adult/Mature Content 🔥 = Explicit Material/NSFW 🔹 = Submitted to CFWC

Best Kept Secrets (Series) | Liam Rys x F!MC - @ao719 Chapter 13: Maybe There's No Making it Now 18+ 🔹

Black Silk (Series) | Liam Rys x MC, Drake Walker x F!MC - @aussiegurl1234 Chapter 7: The Situation 🔹

Estranged (Series) | Liam Rys x Savanah - @twinkleallnight Chapter 2 18+ 🔹

Ghosted (Series) | Liam Rys x MC - @kristinamae093 Chapter 1: Blindsided 18+ 🔹

Just Try | Liam Rys x Madeline - @alj4890

The Life of Riley Book 2 (Series) | Liam Rys x MC - @bebepac Garden Party Photo Op 🔹

Midnights Like This (Series) | Leo Rys x OC, Liam Rys x MC - @queenrileyrose Part 7: Sparks 18+🔹

Never Have I Ever (Series) | Bertrand Beaumont x MC - @harleybeaumont Chapter 13: Bring It Home 🔥18+ 🔹

One Night in Cordonia (RR Series) | Bastien/Claudius, Madeline/Anton - @aussiegurl1234 Chapter 2: Chaos 18+ 🔹

The Rotten Apple (Series) | F!MC x M!OC - @bebepac The Last Part 🔹

... Sometimes Not (Part 1) | Liam Rys x OC - @ao719 🔹

Victim of Love (Series) | Drake Walker x MC - @angelasscribbles Chapter 1: Whisky and Women 18+ 🔹 Chapter 2: Undeniable Attraction 🔥18+🔹 Chapter 3: Old Friends & New 18+ 🔹 Chapter 4: Conflicted & Confused 18+ 🔹

Upturns | Hana Lee x MC - @unsettlingconclusions

TRR Crossover Fics

The Royal Romance / Open Heart

Serendipity Part 3| Drake Walker x MC, Bryce Lahela x MC - @deb-1106 and @walkerismychoice

CFWC MAIN FOTW LISTOPEN HEART FOTW LIST

[lizzybeth1986]

Legacies

Book: The Royal Romance, Book 3

Pairing: None - mostly Liam and Hakim bonding, mentions of Hakim and Constantine's friendship

Rating: G

Word Count: 4, 813 words

Summary: In the aftermath of his father's death, Liam struggles with the lionizing of Constantine's rule, and wonders at the legacy he wants to leave behind. Answers emerge from an unlikely source.

Tagging @kingliamappreciationweek and @sazanes for KLAW Day 2: Historian theme, @choicesficwriterscreations for FoTW, and @aprilchallenge for the prompt "Garden".

Music: "Father to Son" by Queen.

Chapter 1: The Statues

(Faceclaims:

King Liam - Daniel Henney

Hakim Thorne: M’Barek Bouhchichi)

There is a gaping emptiness in Liam's chest, from the minute his father died right before his eyes. No overwhelming grief, no soul-ripping pain, not even anger. Just a void where a beating heart should be.

Father is lying in state now at the Queen Kendra Hall - not too far from Bossina Cathedral - where he will remain for the next twelve days. Liam almost hates himself for having far clearer memories of his father's cleaned, lavishly-decorated (in every medal he'd recieved since the age of 18) corpse, than of the moment he died - before reminding himself that at least with Father he remembers something. With Mum he doesn't even have that.

Liam keeps his eyes down, his head bent and his face studiously blank as the current crowd of mourners disperse, making way for more. The Vigil of the Princes is only twenty minutes...but in that time he can see, from the corner of his eye, a wide range of people come and go - most of them from the military and the coastal communities. As Liam had suspected, the people who benefited most from Father's rule were the most invested in soaking in that one last glimpse of him.

Leo is at the other end of Father's casket, also dressed in military garb, the torchlight from the walls making both his and Liam's medals sparkle. Liam cannot see his elder brother now but he knows, instinctively, that the struggle on his face to hold himself together must show. In the past this struggle had baffled him. There had been times when he pitied Leo his inability to uphold the family propensity towards being stoic. Over the years there have been times he was grateful Leo didn't have to worry about the consequences of his emotions showing on his face anymore.

But not today. Today, Liam envies his brother for the luxury of feeling.

Five minutes before Bastien - from his vantage point on one of the smaller balconies - taps his staff five times to signal the end of their vigil. A brief flash of Father in his last seconds blazes behind Liam's closed eyes, before disintegrating into an image of his gnarled, faintly-discoloured hands this morning. Clutching a book in his right hand, his left barely touching a blue flower placed on his chest.

Every member of the royal family is buried with at least 3 items that were either close to their hearts, or that acted as symbols for their reign. Father was one of the... dubiously fortunate few in recent times, who could draw up a will that included this (and other) details: a fresh blue Aster - their national blossom - plucked the day they prepared his casket, a small decanter of the calvados that had been made almost 62 years ago in celebration of his birth, and a copy of An Insighte Into The Great Apple War of 1244 by Artemisia Fierro and Sofonisba Vescovi, two scholars of the Renaissance who had once held connections to Cordonian nobility.

Liam takes in a deep breath as memories of his father's love for that book flood him. It had been only the second tome ever written on one of the last and most successful war campaigns in Cordonia, he'd whispered almost conspirationally to Liam once, and was considered the better-researched text of the two.

Father had always had a fascination with studying past wars. Almost as if to gear himself up for some sort of battle.

Was any of that ever worth it? Liam wants to ask his father one last time. The fear, the paranoia, the frowns that deepened almost to permanence on his skin in his final years, the forever impulse to look over his shoulder for the knife in his back...did any of it do any of them any good in the end??

As if in answer to his questions, Bastien's staff hits the floor five times. Without even looking around, Liam's footsteps move on instinct alone towards the area where Esther stands patiently with the Queen Mother, waiting. Her eyes are sheilded by the half-veil from her black box-hat, and the rest of her face is the very portrait of serenity. But as she places a hand over the crook of his elbow, he notices how they tremble.

They both nod in Mother's direction, their hearts turning over at the sight of her pale, pinched face, and move away.

This week cannot possibly have been easy for Esther. All week she has had to give interviews - as the last person outside of the King Father's family to speak to him before he died. All week the press has been badgering her to wear the medallion he had bequeathed to her, if only in his honour. She has been listening to every kind word, every eulogy, every speech with studied calm - only the rise-and-fall movement in her throat giving her away.

Brilliant strategist. Ruthless towards his enemies and devoted to his people. A truth pioneer of his times. The lifeblood of this land, a lion among men. A man who devoted his life in pursuit of ensuring the safety of all under his reign.

Liam's eyes were trained towards the dias when that speech was being given. On his arm, the light sting of Esther's manicured nails digging into his flesh grew sharper. He pressed his lips together and bore the pain, shaking his head and smiling weakly as she fretted over the half-moons left behind on his hand an hour later. It's nothing.

And that isn't a lie.

The truth of her feelings towards the father he had once loved and hero-worshipped...the father he still catches himself admiring sometimes...settles on Liam's chest like an unbearable weight. It is one he is prepared to carry - their whole lives if need be. Because as much as it hurts him to see the woman he loves lose all respect for his childhood hero, it is nothing compared to the hours and hours she has spent sitting through a thousand emotional tributes to the man who had so coldly planned such a complete violation of her space. A space that, as a foreigner in King Constantine's land, she had trusted him to keep safe for her...at the very least.

As he turns away from Esther to watch The Vigil of The Great Houses - their observance half the time of the Princes' - Liam steals a glance towards Olivia, the ruby on her brooch the only spot of colour against her black attire and pale visage. Her countenance is solemn until the moment her eyes rest on her aunt - the sight of the woman making her lock her jaw in such defiance that he can almost hear the message she is sending.

I am the Duchess of Lythikos. I will make sure we do our duty and pay our respects to the man who was once our king. Yes, auntie, Lythikos' king. Fight me.

Standing a few feet away is Bertrand, his senses strangely attuned nowadays to the cries of babies and toddlers...the mental calculations of what his little son sounds like now writ large on his face.

The Duchesses Emmeline and Adeleide, of Portavira and Krona respectively, fold their hands in front and bow their heads solemnly. Liam supposes he can only be grateful that Countess Madeleine's mother chose the sheer dreariness of sobriety today rather than her usually unflappable high spirits; for besides a few furtive glances in her determinedly stoic daughter's direction she shows nothing but a muted (but perhaps not entirely sincere) sorrow.

But it is the Duke of Castelserraillan - standing directly in line with Liam's field of vision - that captures Liam's attention. Jaw set, eyes dark and glittering, his face such a tapestry of restrained grief and resignation that Liam is certain he juat imagined the flicker of bleak anger in the older man's eyes.

The last time he had seen Duke Hakim was at the Costume Gala. Amid the festivities, Liam spotted him with Father, their heads leaning slightly in each other's direction, as if exchanging long-repressed confidences...the Duke on occasion placing a hand on Father's arm with a familiarity that Liam had only heard of secondhand. There was even a point in the conversation where Duke Hakim looked directly at his father, eyebrows raised, a subdued delight glimmering in their dark depths.

Esther would inform him later on that the two had fought over Father's repeated snubs and Duke Hakim's fraying patience at the beginning of the ball, but patched up in seconds.

Looking at Duke Hakim's face now, he wonders which sentiment haunts the older man the most - relief over that one second chance they got, or an unhealed hurt. Unhealed hurt over the the fact that King Constantine didn't have a chance to make good on the promises he'd broken, long ago.

Promises, perhaps, that the Duke may not even be sure his best friend intended to keep.

--

For as long as Liam can remember, he has always associated the moonlight with the Capitol Square. Walks around the city were a luxury the little prince could ill-afford with his Father's packed schedule. When these little excursions did happen, they happened at night, in the light of the moon and the street lamps, the air fragrant with the scent of wildflowers. He would take Liam alone. Mum would often find reasons to demur...although in later years Liam suspected she made them up so her husband and youngest son would have their own time together to spend.

He would look up at the strong, chiseled features of his father's beloved face, admiring the way the moonlight emphasized its sharp, decisive angles. Father loved to show strength and control, even on a casual outing with his children. His was a jawline that seemed carved out of marble, softened only by full lips that dazzled when he offered the rare smile. A smile Liam saw most often when they stood at the Capitol Square.

Look at these statues, young man. Father would say, his hand gesturing vaguely towards the sword on famed Captain Guard Valentina Greaves raised left hand. At the age of 5 the statues - with their weapons and their fierce gazes - terrified him, at age 12 they intimidated him. Look at these faces, look at the resolve in them. To better their country. To fight for it. To keep it safe. Cordonia has always depended on the best of us to take her forward into the future - and these indeed represent the best of us.

He hasn't come here since his Coronation. Indeed - one could always put it down to the amount of travelling the new King had to undertake since...but Liam knows better. He has been hesitant to visit this place since the night he had confronted his father on his hospital bed in Shanghai.

Tonight is different. Tonight he needs answers. Tonight he needs to understand, for himself, if in refusing to play in the shadow of his father he is making a mistake - or circumventing another tragedy.

Both he and his future Queen have been sitting through three days straight of eulogies. Of stump speeches that have been lightly modified to suit the gravity of the moment, of stories and anecdotes that lionized and whitewashed the man King Constantine was. Not just from nobles but from businessmen, fisherfolk, soldiers and generals.

Liam has long determined that he will never follow the route his father swore by. It is not who he is as a man; it will never be who he wants to become as a king. But on nights like tonight those words of praise for his predecessor haunt him. If the ghost of his father were to ever take shape, it would do so in just one question.

You have become so stubborn in your need to be the antithesis of me. Will Cordonia end up paying price for that?

So tonight he takes that walk to the square alone. In anticipation and in dread.

Until he finds himself at the foot of the statue of Valentina Greaves, and discovers he isn't alone, after all.

"Your Majesty," the voice behind him is deep and rumbling, its sound resembling the depths of a pounding waterfall. Duke Hakim has discarded his jacket this warm night, the waistcoat and shirt registering the straightening of his shoulders. In his right hand, an ornate gold pocketwatch.

Liam smiles briefly in welcome, letting the older man know he isn't intruding in on a private moment of mourning.

"Good evening, Duke Hakim," he straightens his own shoulders. There was once a time - a time that has faded into blurred memory - that he took joy in calling this man "Uncle". When did that stop? It has been so long he cannot even recall.

The two keep silent for a time. There is, after all, far too little and far too much to say. Stripped of their titles and reduced to the basics, Liam is the son of the Duke's best friend. He is also the son of the man that had his friendship and loyalty in the palm of his hand for years, and never understood or appreciated it. So much of what Liam knows of Father's friendship with Duke Hakim, he knows in bits and pieces: in the exchange of disappointed glances between his mother and Kiara's parents, in piling-up of invitation cards to events on Father's desk that went unanswered. In the too-long pauses Queen Regina would take every time she returned from an event at Castelserraillan, where she went as the King's representative. Even in the rare moments Father remembered his university days. There isn't a single second in those memories that Duke Hakim didn't play a starring role in.

It is in silence that they move from the statue of Val Greaves to the next. The night breeze brings with it the scents of orange blossom and french lavender - gifts from Duke Hakim's great-great-grandparents to an ancestor of his. The next figure of marble glares defiantly to his right, a spear in one hand and an apple cupped in the palm of the other.

"King Aithan." Is it his own imagination or is Duke Hakim's smile truly trembling on his lips? "who won the Great Apple War of 1244 in the most decisive victory since his grandmother united the Five Kingdoms."

Queen Kenna, the aforementioned ancestor, is right behind them, her legs standing apart and an array of weapons from all over the Five Kingdoms at the base of her statue. If you took in the sight of both figures together, Father had told him once, you could almost convince yourself that she seemed to stare directly at Aithan, imparting her blessings and her wisdom. More than the words, it is the shine in Father's blue eyes that Liam remembers most.

Duke Hakim's eyes glitter oddly in the moonlight. There is a moist sheen to them now that Liam is almost afraid to ask about for fear of intruding. The next words that come from his mouth are uttered softly, so softly that it's as if he is saying them to himself, as if he has forgotten that the man next to him exists.

"I've lost count of the times we used to played tag here." Absently, he runs a tender finger along the back of the watch fob he is holding, staring at it with a gaze soaked in muted grief. "It wasn't very hard to find Kontos. He always chose King Aithan's statue to hide behind."

Liam offers a sad smile of his own. "My father was nothing if not predictable."

The two men share halting, reluctant chuckles over this shared image. An image neither of them expected the other to recognise. It unravels some tightened cord between them - one that made it impossible for them to speak as if they knew each other.

"I didn't realize you and Father knew each other so well as children," Liam whispers as they pass other statues. Queen Ilona, 1346, who staged several successful attacks on the more hostile of their neighbours. King Calix, 1420, who thwarted at least three coups in his lifetime and finally managed to keep the Nevrakis family in a stronghold that they found impossible to wriggle out of until two centuries later. Queen Flora, 1492, who held her two year old child in one hand and slashed down the traitors who had entered her bedchambers with the other. The sword on her right hand is sculpted to appear as if it's still in midair, perhaps to complement the fire and brimstone in her eyes. "All the stories Mum told me of the two of you seemed to happen in university. I always assumed you weren't close till then."

A small frown pierces the skin between the Duke's eyebrows. When he speaks, his words are suddenly clipped, as if they are strangers again. Liam bites his tongue, chiding himself on his uncharacteristic carelessness.

"We weren't close until University. Just playmates whenever my mother brought me down to the Capitol. Duchess Emmeline and Duke Barthelemy could have boasted of the same." His voice is a hoarse rasp, his nails scraping lightly over the watch. "I'm more surprised you heard those stories from Ellie's mouth, not his." As if she were the only one who cared enough to keep them alive, Liam can imagine him thinking, and on an instinct fostered by years of now-destroyed blind worship, he leaps to his father's defence.

"I did hear a few from him. Just not as many. You'd know when he was the happiest because those were the stories he'd tell."

Duke Hakim respectfully appraises his King in a speculative glance, not entirely convinced. Liam cannot find it in him to blame the elder man. For years, Queen Regina - and then himself - had been the mouthpieces Father used to deliver excuses for his rejections of Castelserraillan's overtures. Each time the Duke would briefly glance over their shoulders as if expecting someone else - each time the glow of hope would dim from his eyes when he saw no one. Over the years it has made him wary not only of his old friend, but of them too.

The distance between the men has undoubtedly created a chasm amongst the families - one Liam doesn't know yet how to break through. There is no real reason for Duke Hakim, or his wife, or his daughter (who he had befriended himself over the course of the social season, and who has been around less and less since the Gala. It's gone long enough for him to begin worrying. Should he change the subject and ask the Duke about her?)...no reason at all to believe that Liam is different, that he is a man who will not abandon his well-wishers. Or even that he is a king who shares their goals, their dreams for this country.

There may come a time when Duke Hakim will believe Liam cares about what he thinks. Today is not that day.

As if to encourage a change in the subject, Liam looks around at the many statues dotting the Square. "Every single figure here is that of a warrior."

Duke Hakim grants him a weak, resigned smile. "I hear there used to be more. It was your grandmother who had them removed."

Yiayia Cassandra. Whose intimidating, terrifying countenance made his own father appear like a lamb in comparison - a statement both mother and son would've loathed to hear. Who hated the Nevrakises but kept tomes and tomes of their ancient books on war strategy. Who scoffed at art as being a useless, ego-fuelled and far too fanciful exercise.

Father would often speak of her with the same blind worship Liam had once reserved for him. It isn't surprising then his politics turned out the way it did, that despite his disdain for Olivia and her lack of courtliness, a part of King Constantine wouldn't wholly disagree with a lot of what she could propose.

Strength and authority. Those were the qualities the Royal Family wanted above all others in their heirs; anything different would spell failure.

Already, as Liam poses the question to the man beside him, he realises with a lump in his throat that he knows what the answer will be. "Which statues were those?"

"Artists. Scribes. Inventors. Scientists. People who advanced the nation in times of peace."

Liam smiles sadly. "And who are often overlooked in favour of the drama and glamour bloodshed brings." He responds with a shiver.

He is rewarded for this admission with a sharp, shocked look from Duke Hakim. An emotion, a memory, seems to flicker in his eyes before it swiftly disappears in the neutral game-face he has been showing around Liam all this time.

"I don't have the most trustworthy memory on the ones I did manage to see; it's been too long." The watch fob disappears into his fisted hands. "One of our own was part of this esteemed gathering. Dominique Lavigne, a master sculptor of her own time, who dressed as a man to get recognition. Yusuf Hadid from Domvallier, who combined Arabic calligraphy with our own Cordonian arts in handwriting. Saengdao Adair from Krysanthe, a pioneer in herbal medicine and the reason Krysanthans excel in both traditional and allopathic medicinal fields even today."

Liam freezes. "That last name? Could you repeat that again?" It's a name he's read about, vaguely, in obscure texts...but the fact that there's a statue...

"Saengdao Adair," the Duke says, locking his companion in a quizzical gaze. "Her statue -"

" - was mentioned in my father's will. Among others." Liam whispers, almost to himself.

Hakim's eyes widen. The contents of a passing monarch's will - even one who had passed on his throne to the next in line before his death - would be jealously guarded by the Palace, only released to the public years or maybe decades later. This is clearly information the King wouldn't impart so arbitrarily to just anyone.

More than once he has tried to stop himself from wondering if the boy had more of his mother in him. It was a hope he'd always held to his chest in the early years of Constantine's withdrawal...one that died when it became clear that he wanted little - if at all - to do with the Thornes. Against all wisdom, this small exchange is beginning to allow that hope to flare up within him again. Belatedly, he loosens his grip on his old, trusted watch fob - a gift from Kontos the year they graduated.

Liam rubs the space between his brows, trying to remember. "His will mentioned the King Fabian Alcove," he whispers, "that arrangements were to be made to shift it there from the Stirling Halls."

"Stirling Halls," Duke Hakim repeats, his voice suddenly hollow. Liam knows he must be remembering it as the place that was open to no one barring the Royal Family - not even members of the Great Houses. That was where all art went to die?

"The date on the will is from two and a half weeks before the Costume Gala," Liam says softly, his eyes searching Duke Hakim's face, then the hands that have dropped to his sides. The pocket watch is still there, his thumb running distractedly over it. "They only transfer artifacts to the alcove when they -"

"...when permission is granted to reveal those works to the public."

The two men stand still, soaking in their collective memories of the man whose body now lies in wait, to be descended into the Royal Family Vaults. To be buried beside men and women he'd read about in textbooks, loved, idolized. Who embodied his favourite words: Bravery. Valour. Strength. Warriors.

But he would also be buried next to men and women who understood the value of times of peace. Who - as he had often heard in Duke Hakim and Duchess Joëlle's speeches - advocated that a country gave you its best when its environment made you feel safe enough to create. And that was a safety that went far beyond border protection and weaponry.

People that Father would regularly dismiss when he and Leo were growing up. People that Cordonia wouldn't give a second thought to, nowadays. Because the value of their advancements were seeped so deep into public consciousness that they were often taken for granted.

Here in Cordonia, the mindset of the reigning monarch and the collective mindsets of their people often fed on each other. Yesterday's history books could hail one man a hero one minute, and a weakling the next. And for at least two centuries - perhaps bored from decades and decades of peace and good diplomacy, who knows? - the popular view seemed to favour a fondness for the most dramatic and bloodthirsty of their ancestors. Father was no different in holding that view.

When had that changed?

The moonlight casts the Duke's face into a fascinating interplay of light and shadow. The lines of his jaw are softer than Father's, but signify its own unique brand of strength. The air around them is scented and heavy, almost as if this moment promises a watershed of sorts, and that very air is drawing a bated breath.

"I haven't visited that alcove in a long time," Liam admits, looking away, "I don't remember where it is."

Duke Hakim swallows, then motions his hand vaguely to their left. "It's this way."

The alcove is inside a garden - a fairly large one, made of old red brick and surrounded by an array of beautiful creepers. The two men stop short of going inside, halting their steps and drawing a gasp at the sight in front of them.

"... Saengdao Adair?" Liam whispers, drinking in the sight of this pioneer with his eyes. Her hair is long, her voluminous folds of her robe billowing almost realistically as if they were real linen, not marble. A mortar and pestle rests in one hand; her other is raised, delicately holding a sprig of stinging nettle.

There are others. So many others. A woman with a map and a compass, staring ahead into horizons not yet explored. A man with a richly-feathered quill in his hand, a book in the other. A woman holding a jewel-embellished half-mask. A simple sculpture of a man dressed in the garb of the ancient Technocrats, his eyes glowing at the sight of the nails and bolts in his hand, ready to invent something new.

A woman seated on her heels, hammer and chisel in hand, lips pursed and eyebrows scrunched together as she worked at transforming stone to a work of art.

Liam lets out a small, watery laugh. "A sculpture for a sculptor."

The Duke responds with a smile, shaking his head. "Fali Kraine from the Blackspine Mountains."

Liam nods. "They say she had this precise look on her face and sat exactly this way while sculpting this piece. What I wouldn't give to witness that."

But the centerpiece of the alcove is a woman. A scribe. Hunched over - in the rough cotton garb of a scribe from the Renaissance - books and parchment. Transcribing - letter for letter and word for word - the history of her nation so that her descendants could share it with their children. His ancestor. Queen Lisabetta.

"King Fabian commissioned this," Hakim's voice is a hoarse, shaky whisper, "to remind his beloved wife of the value of the work she had once done."

Liam swallows a painful lump in his throat. Back in the palace, an hour ago - he had stayed in Esther's room, knowing she would need him more these next few nights if she were to preserve an ounce of her sanity.

"You're a good man, Liam," she had murmured against his throat.

He held her tighter, smiling slightly against her hair. "That won't always translate into becoming a great king, my love."

Against her own will, she let out a long yawn. Her fingers ran lightly over his chest before resting against his heart. "But it certainly helps."

He had held her until he was sure her body was resting softly and heavily against his, her breathing slow and deep...and then quietly slipped out of her arms to walk to the Capitol Square.

He looks at the Duke too. Both he and his children took this trip without Duchess Joëlle, who chose to go to Switzerland. He remembers every account of how attached the couple are and how much they dislike being apart - including his own mother's. Liam winces; he never recognized until now the sacrifice Duke Hakim made in coming here without her.

Yet here he is. For a country that will not always respect him. For a friend who would not always accept him. For a King he isn't entirely sure he can trust.

For an ideology that won't capture the country's imagination, the way valiant heroes on horseback do. But if these commemorations had been shifted to this alcove, with the intention of placing them around the Capitol Square...that must mean some change was underway. Within his father, and with Liam's help perhaps within the rest of the country too.

"It's getting late," Liam says, straightening up and getting ready to leave the alcove. "We'd better head back to the palace."

"In a minute, Your Majesty," Duke Hakim says, giving him a brief bow, then turning to the statue of Queen Lisabetta.

As Liam leaves the alcove, he hears a voice so soft he wonders if he had imagined it.

"Kontos," the voice said, a sigh released from deep inside a man's chest, "Kontos, you listened."

--

A/N: This mini series takes place in the Petals and Thornes universe, that revolves around a romance between Hana and Kiara. While a lot of the story beats follow canon, I do make a lot of deviations from the text, including with other characters who aren't central to the story but whose stories have a definite influence on the larger plot. I'm hoping to make Legacies one of them. At present I plan for it to be a four part series.

A/N2: In canon, Constantine's funeral and burial arrangements lasts just a week, all of which was skipped entirely to the Lythikos leg of the Unity Tour. I have increased that time to 12 days.

The Vigil of the Princes is based on the British tradition (of the same name) in royal funerals - esp that of the monarch - where the family members stay vigil for 10-15 minutes near the casket of the deceased. Family who has served in the military perform this ritual in their military uniform.

The Great Houses' Vigil is my own creation but with elements borrowed from the above tradition. My HC is that it is shorter and unlike the surviving royals, the members of the Great Houses are not required to wear military uniform.

Kontos is a playful nickname that Constantine's close ones were allowed to use for him, as long as they didn't use it in public (because apparently the meaning in Greek is "short")

Krysanthe is the modern-day Aurelia, with Hana being their current Duchess/Head of House. Saengdao is indeed Annelyse's descendant. Here is my HC on the duchy and Hana's rise to Duchess.

Characters from my playthrough of TRM in this story:

Artemisia Fierro - Hunter (f!Asian)

Sofonisba Vescovi - Kayden (f!Black)

Lisabetta Rosario - MC, who fell for Artemisia initially but married Fabian later on. Artemisia and Sofonisba keep in touch with the royal couple and are protected by the Crown.

[fujihime-rc]

ROMANCE CLUB AND CHOICES

Currently Playing on Romance Club

Arcanum - On-going (Waiting)

Heart of Trespia - On-going (Waiting)

Kali: Call of Darkness - On-going (Waiting)

Vying for Versailles - On-Going (Waiting)

Dracula: A Love Story - On-Going (Waiting)

The Flower from Tiamat's Fire - On-Going (Waiting)

Path of the Valkyrie - On-Going (Waiting)

Theodora - On-Going (Waiting)

Sins of London - On-Going (Waiting)

The One - On-Going (Waiting)

Hell and High Water - On-Going (Waiting)

Desert Rose - On-Going (Waiting)

Completed Books on Romance Club

Rage of The Titans (Adrian Route ; Divinity Path) ✅

Legend Of The Willow (Kazu Route ; Fire Fox) ✅

Heaven's Secret (Malbonte Route ; Angel Path) ✅

Seduced By The Rhythm (Brandon ; Passion Path) ✅

Chasing You (Alexander Route ; Logic Path) ✅

Sails In The Fog (Sebastian Route ; Diplomacy & White Magic Path) ✅

On Thin Ice (Hodge Route ; Light Path) ✅

Sophie's Ten Wishes (Benedict Route ; Wallflower Path) ✅

Wave Patrol (Jake Route ; Daring Path) ✅

Shadows of Saintfour (Michael Route ; Caution ; Starve Inner Demon Path) ✅

Moonborn (Max and Victor Route)✅

Currently Playing on Choices

Slow Burn - Currently at Chapter 4

Law of Attractions Book 2 - Currently at Chapter 1

Murder at Homecoming - Currently at Chapter 2

The Phantom Agent - Currently at Chapter 1

Surrender

Completed Books on Choices

Across The Void (Sol Route ; Peace Path)

America's Most Eligible (Adam Route)

A Very Scandalous Proposal

Bachelorette Party (Reed Route)

Big Sky Country (Sawyer Route)

Blade of Light and Shadow (Tyril Route)

Blood Bound (Adrian Route)

Crimes of Passion (Thyrstan Route)

The Crown and The Flame (Raydan Route)

A Courtesan of Rome (Marc Anthony Route)

The Cursed Heart

Desire and Decorum (Ernest & Prince Hamid Routes)

Distant Shores (Edward Route)

The Elementalists (Beckett Route)

Endless Summer (Forgot who I ended here, Needs a Replay)

Foreign Affairs (Tatum Route)

The Freshman Series (Chris Route)

The Haunting of Braidwood Manor

The Heist : Monaco (Forgot who I ended here, Needs a Replay)

Hero (Forgot who I ended here, Needs a Replay)

High School Story (Michael Route)

High School Story : Class Act (Rory Route)

Home for the Holidays (Nick Route)

Hot Couture (Marco Route)

Immortal Desires (Cas Route)

Law Of Attraction (Book 1 - Gab Route)

It Lives Book 1(Lucas Route) Book 2(Tom Route)

Love Hacks (Ben Route)

Most Wanted (Forgot who I ended here, Needs a Replay)

Mother of the Year (Thomas Route)

Ms. Match

My Two First Loves (Noah(Bad Boy) Route)

The Nanny Affair (Book 1)(Book 2)(Book 3)

NightBound (Cal Route)

Open Heart (Bryce Route)

Passport to Romance (Ahmed Route)

Perfect Match (Hayden Route)

Platinum (Raleigh Route)

The Princess Swap

Queen B (Ian Route)

Red Carpet Diairies (Matt & Thomas Routes)

Ride or Die (Logan Route)

The Royal Masquerade (King Regent Hunter route)

The Royal Romance (Prince Liam Route)

Rules of Engagement (William Route)

Save The Date (Justin Route)

Shipwrecked

Sunkissed (Nate Route)

The Unexpected Heiress (John Route)

Untameable

Veil of Secrets (Forgot who I ended here, Needs a Replay)

Wake The Dead (Eli Route)

Wishful Thinking (Jaime Route)

With Every Heartbeat

Witness: A Bodyguard Romance

Wolf Bride (Bastien Route)

[peonyblossom]

I posted 2,534 times in 2022

That's 2,436 more posts than 2021!

656 posts created (26%)

1,878 posts reblogged (74%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@jamespotterthefirst

@peonyblossom (not my own account being number 2 😭)

@storyofmychoices

@jerzwriter

@gutsfics

I tagged 1,272 of my posts in 2022

Only 50% of my posts had no tags

#open heart - 418 posts

#sadie oakley - 311 posts

#ethan ramsey - 307 posts

#ethan ramsey x sadie oakley - 239 posts

#answered - 225 posts

#red carpet diaries - 121 posts

#jackie hunt - 117 posts

#hollywood u - 113 posts

#mc monday - 104 posts

#sydney valentine - 94 posts

Longest Tag: 138 characters

#also there's the fact that i lowkey feel like maybe i picked the wrong major but i'm in too deep now and i just gotta finish at this point

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Expectant

Book: Open Heart (post-series)

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x f!MC (Sadie Oakley Ramsey)

Words: ~530

Rating: General

Summary: Ethan and Sadie find out they are going to be parents!

AO3 link here

See the full post

34 notes - Posted April 11, 2022

#4

Donahue’s

Book: Open Heart (takes place sometime during Book 1 or 2)

Pairing(s): Ethan Ramsey x f!MC (Sadie Oakley)

Words: ~1.2k

Rating: Teen

Warnings: Slight suggestive language

Summary: Sadie drunkenly flirts with Ethan and he makes sure she gets home safe :-)

A/N: Inspired by @jerzwriter​‘s fic Message Delivered (which is a great fic btw that i’d highly recommend) 

A/N 2: Participating in @choicesmonthlychallenge​‘s To Be or Not To Be Event prompt, snuggling/cuddling :-)

AO3 link here

Taglist: @rookiemartin​

“Oh my God, Ethan’s here!” Sadie grabs onto Sienna’s arm on the dance floor. “I’m gonna go say hi.”

“No, Sadie–”

Sadie pushes her way through the crowd, stumbling, until she makes it to the bar where Ethan is. She sits on the stool next to him, a little closer than necessary.

“Heeeey, hot stuff.” Sadie leans against the bar, and almost slips off her stool, before catching herself.

“Excuse me?” Ethan responds, looking at her quizzically. Sienna finally makes it through the crowd and puts a hand on Sadie’s shoulder, from behind her. Ethan looks at Sienna and says, “I think maybe you should take her home.”

“Ugh, I know. I’m the designated driver tonight but I feel more like a babysitter. I can’t- I can’t keep track of everybody.” Sienna looks around the bar, hoping to see her other friends making good choices, but she can’t even find them.

“Do you want me to take her home?” Ethan asks.

“Ooh, yes!” Sadie says, jumping up off her stool and tripping on who knows what. Ethan catches her and she grabs onto him, refusing to let go.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t mind?” Sienna asks.

“It’s not a problem.” Ethan grabs his keys out of his pocket.

“Thank you. Sadie, Sadie, make sure you call me when you get home, okay? Or, Ethan, maybe you should call me. Someone call me when she gets home safe, okay?” Sienna rambles.

“We will,” Ethan says, before leading Sadie out the door. When they get to Ethan’s car, he helps Sadie into the passenger’s seat, before getting into the driver’s seat himself.

“Are we going to your place?” Sadie asks, looking out the window as Ethan pulls out of the parking lot.

“No, I’m taking you back to your place.”

“But I wanna go back to your place,” Sadie pouts, looking at Ethan.

“Why?” Ethan asks, not taking his eyes off the road.

“‘Cause I wanna hang out with you. We never hang out outside work. We just work together. Which is not the same.”

Ethan sighs before saying, “I’m taking you back to your place.”

“No! Please,” Sadie begs.

See the full post

35 notes - Posted February 17, 2022

#3

I’m trying to read Wolf Bride (for diamond mining) but it’s literally so hard to read. All the scenes with Bastien (werewolf guy) feel like fucking stockholm syndrome and make me want to vomit. It’s so obvious PB wants you to romance him, but I can’t fucking stand him. UNFORTUNATELY I am too stubborn to leave the book unfinished 🙄

36 notes - Posted January 12, 2022

#2

Love Lost

Part 2

Book(s): Open Heart 2 (takes place sometime in Book 2, before the senator attack)

Pairing(s): Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Sadie Oakley)

Words: ~2.9k

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Miscarriage (due to ectopic pregnancy), talk of abortion, fertility issues

Summary: Sadie got pregnant during her second year of residency and had a miscarriage before she told Ethan. In the aftermath, she struggles to cope. Based on Cristina's plot in S2E3+4 of Grey's Anatomy. Some dialogue belongs to Grey's Anatomy writers.

A/N: I would be willing to write an epilogue-type fic if anyone is interested (or if i just feel like it) so lmk if you’d like to read that

AO3 link here

Taglist: @rookiemartin

Sadie loved running. It was good for her, it was fun, it made her feel happy. But not today. Today she wanted to curl up in bed with some popcorn and a stupid comedy movie that might take her mind off things. Unfortunately, she had friends who cared about her, including Sienna, who had dragged her out of the house for a run before their shift at Edenbrook.

“Oh, you are stupid. You are a stupid, evil sadist and I wanna kill you,” Sadie said to Sienna as they ran through the park.

“Endorphins are good. Endorphins are mood elevators. This is supposed to make you feel better. Besides, you love running!” Sienna responded.

“Yeah, when my life isn’t falling apart! Sleeping with my boss was a great idea,” Sadie said sarcastically as the two stopped for a break. Sadie laid down on her back in the grass and Sienna laid down next to her.

“Have you cried yet?” Sienna asked, looking over at her friend.

“Of course I cried. I cried when I found out and now I don’t need to cry anymore. I’ve done that part.” Sadie answered.

“You can cry more than once.” The two stared at the sky for a minute.

“Do you want me to cry now?” Sadie asked.

“No-”

“Okay, let’s- let’s just run.”

❉ ❉ ❉

As Sienna and Sadie walked around the hospital doing their rounds, their conversation had somehow turned to Sadie’s pregnancy.

“I just think you should still tell him about the baby because he should at least have the responsibility of having to pay,” Sienna told Sadie.

“No! Look, he will never know. It’s over. Once this pregnancy’s taken care of, Ethan won’t even be a blip on my radar. He’ll be a smudge,” Sadie responded.

“Right,” Sienna said, unconvinced.

Sadie grabbed Sienna’s arms, forcing her to face Sadie and told her, “Sienna, leave the sarcasm up to me. Really, it doesn’t suit you.”

❉ ❉ ❉

Of course, of course, she’d be working with Ethan today. As if that had any chance of going well. But she couldn’t tell Ines or Zaid why, so she had no legitimate reason to fight them on it. Not that Zaid would listen either way, but she could totally swing Ines in her favor. Nevertheless, now she was with a patient with Ethan and she felt like shit. Not even just emotionally, she literally felt dizzy. Probably because she couldn’t keep any food down all morning, but no one, especially Ethan, needed to know that.

“Oakley?” Sadie heard Ethan ask, from the other side of the patient’s bed.

See the full post

39 notes - Posted February 6, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

44 notes - Posted July 8, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[oconnormusicstudio]

Billy Connolly and the William Tell Overture

  Today, we’ll be listening to the end of the William Tell Overture by Gioachino Rossini.  This piece, originally the overture to an opera, has been arranged for piano and is in several method books, including Piano Pronto Movements 1 and 2.  It’s also in Bastien Book 4 and Piano Maestro. The original story Maybe your grandparents watched the original Lone Ranger Or you saw the newer Lone…

[libertyreads]

December TBR--

December might be my weirdest TBR of the year. Let's go out with a bang shall we? I have a couple of new releases to read this month as well as a couple of library books for the holidays. And I'm starting a series that I'm really unsure about. Let's get into the books. Starting with the ones I don't have in physical form (at least not yet).

The Ex-Mas Holidays by Zoe Allison (library)-- Another Christmas novel for me to read. I'm loving that I'm giving myself the space to read these this year when I haven't for the past few. I normally do a Christmas in July and then don't read any more but it's so fun to feel the festive spirit while reading. The synopsis for this one will be taken straight from GoodReads: "It's hard to escape your ex when you're working together over Christmas in the Scottish Highlands, but being stuck together might be the best possible present in this sparkling new contemporary romance."

Holiday Kisses by multiple authors (library)-- This is a holiday anthology featuring stories from Alison Kent, Jack Burton, HelenKay Dimon, and Shannon Stacey. I've already read the one from HelenKay Dimon (it's actually how I found out about this anthology after the fact). So, I will probably be logging these as the separate entries they are in my spreadsheets and updates. But we follow: 1) a man who gives the gift of trust and receives a second chance at love in return, 2) a woman who helps to heal the wounded heart of a soldier, 3) a couple who finds that true love knows no distance, and 4) a young window who learns that there can be two great loves in a lifetime. Festive and romance filled these should be good, quick reads for me.

Freshman Year by Sarah Mai (NetGalley)-- A contemporary graphic novel that follows Sarah as she goes to school in Minnesota and hopes to impress her professors, meet interesting new people, and stay close to her friends and boyfriend back at home. What seems manageable at first quickly unravels as Sarah's high achieving roommate puts her to shame, her summer love dissolves, and she is quickly overwhelmed with the freedom, isolation, and possibilities that college gives her. This looked so cute on NetGalley and I'm excited to read it this month.

The Ruined by Renee Ahdieh (new release)-- The finale to The Beautiful comes out this month and I'm excited to finish this one out. This hasn't been a stand out series for me but I'm connected to the characters enough to see it through. Especially with the way the last book ended. This series is about vampires set in 1800s New Orleans but it definitely becomes more involved as the series goes on. In this one we watch as the Sylvan Vale and Sylvan Wild go to war while our beloved Bastien and Celine are separated and dealing with their own dramas.

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes-- This is the series starter that I'm unsure of. This is a 2012 Fantasy novel with four p.o.v.s so it can go one of two ways: 1) I love it, 2) I hate it. There will probably be no middle ground. Synopsis? In the three kingdoms of Mytica, magic has long been forgotten and hard-won peace has reigned for centuries. But underneath it all a deadly unrest simmers. Each ruler grapples for power while the lives of their subjects are brutally transformed. Four key players find their fates forever intertwined; caught in a dizzying world of treacherous betrayals, shocking murders, secret alliances, and unforeseen love.

Defiant by Brandon Sanderson (new release)-- This is the final book in the Skyward series (but I've heard rumblings of a spin off series) and I'm sort of just ready to see it finished. I agree with a lot of the people who are out there saying that it's basically flight school in every novel which has gotten stale. The Skyward series follows Spensa who wants to train to becoming a pilot for the military but has to deal with her father's past. The world expands and expands as the series goes on. It's an okay series that I enjoyed more in the beginning. I think this final book is what will either make the time I've spent on the series worth it or a waste of time. It's Sanderson so I'm kind of hoping what I've heard about his finales holds up.

On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden (library)-- This is a pretty well loved Sci-Fi graphic novel from what I can tell. We follow Mia who joins a crew that rebuilds run down structures throughout the deepest reaches of space. It flashes back to Mia's pivotal freshman year of school and a mysterious new student she falls in love with. We also find out the true reason Mia joins this crew. I love space. I love found family. I'm here for it.

All of these books are pretty much being sourced from different places: preorders, my physical TBR, the library, NetGalley. So, I'm happy to see that. I just hope I have a good time completing a couple of series, starting a new one, getting into the festive spirit.

[beeanz]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: VINTAGE MUSIC INSTRUCTIONAL BOOKS FAIR CONDITION.

[bryceslahela]

now i’ve played most of all the vip books, i. can confidently say that ms match is the best out of all four.

[bobasheebaby]

Gilded Cage- When Fairytales Break chapter 1

Pairing: Liam x MC; Bastien x MC

Word count: 1,589

Warnings: angst, feelings of being trapped, depression, suggestion of past adultery. 

Summary: Everly finds herself contained in the worlds most beautiful cage, but all she wants is to break free. 

A/N: I blame my muse and PB for this series literally no one asked for. My first thought when I saw the cover for TRR4 was “what if the baby comes out looking like Bastien?” My muse took this to a kinda dark place. There was no scandal, Everly was chosen right away. Canon Liam is slightly oblivious, especially when it comes to MC having feelings for one of their friends, well this Liam is REALLY oblivious. You’ll see, he’s not evil, just a little blind to the facts.

Series warnings: dark, depression, feeling of being trapped, past cheating, cheating, may go NSFW. By asking to be tagged you acknowledge you are at least 18 years of age and can handle the content. 

Let me know if you want to be added or removed from my taglist.

Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters, I’m borrowing them. 

When I first stepped onto the fancy private jet with Maxwell I had big plans. I would fall deeply in love with a prince and his country. We would get married and live happily ever after. It was supposed to be the perfect fairytale, and I was supposed to be the star, the modern day Cinderella. I didn’t realize then what I realize now, I’m not cut out for royalty. 

The fancy dresses and parties where nice at first, but they weren’t me. I quickly felt trapped, like a caged bird desperate to spread her wings and once again fly free. I found myself ducking away from all the glitz and glam, taking refuge in the gardens. They were the one place at the entire palace that felt normal, calm, serene. It was there that my fairytale was both saved and broken. It was there that my knight in shining armor found me, hiding away trying desperately to pull myself together to be who I was expected to be. It was there that I finally fell in love, not with the prince, but his knight. He found me, saved me. I felt free for the first time since stepping foot in Cordonia. I was once again laughing when I was with him. I felt carefree and normal when I was by his side. I felt hope of still getting a happy ending to my fairytale. I felt like I might once again fly free.

If only it was that simple. 

While my knight saw me as I was, a broken bird in a gilded cage desperate to be set free my prince saw me for who he thought I was. He saw a girl who would be a wonderful and benevolent queen who would rule by his side. He didn’t see how broken I was inside. He didn’t see the dried tears on my cheeks, or the forced smiles. He saw his happily ever after in me. He found his love with me, and I was once again trapped in my beautiful gilded cage from the second my name left his lips ‘Everly Thomas’. 

My heart had sunk to the pit of my stomach. No, it couldn’t be. Couldn’t he see I wasn’t who he thought I was? Couldn’t he see the broken girl I had become? Why would he insist on trapping me within this gilded cage? 

I tried to reason with him, tell him that I wasn’t who he thought I was. I tried to tell him I would make a horrible Queen. He brushed my words away as fears, cold feet. Everyone I tried to reach out to did. Everyone but my perfect knight. He was the only one who saw me as both the broken bird I’d become and the beautiful bird flying freely by his side. He was the only one who saw me, truly saw me. The real me. 

I know you think I should be happy a prince could fall for a lowly waitress like me. I should stop complaining and be happy. The problem is, whether or not the cage is gilded or not one fact remains, it’s still a cage. 

Tears dripped onto the page, ink running, as Everly dropped her pen. She rested her hand on her slightly swollen stomach. “Oh my little bird, I wish we could be free to soar.” She whispered softly. “I wish I hadn’t failed you so. You will grow in this gilded cage looking out at the world wishing to fly free. If I hadn’t been so wrapped up in fairytales and happy endings we would both be free to soar in and out of the clouds. I’m so sorry little bird, please forgive me.” She sniffled as she looked out over the courtyard from her balcony. The most beautiful cage is still a cage. Oh I wish I was free to fly. As much as she felt trapped and hated her life, the life her child would be born into she knew she would never have her little bird if she hadn’t come to Cordonia. How can something be both your fairytale and your worst nightmare? 

Everly closed her journal as she wiped her tears away. She stood and walked back into her large bedroom. Fit for a Queen. She tucked her journal away in the back of her underwear drawer, closing it just as she heard the door to their quarters open. She plastered her fake smile onto her lips, she never had a true smile grace her face anymore. The smiles that made her face split in two and her eyes sparkle were gone the day he stepped away. He couldn’t be hers, he never was and never could be. As much as they both hoped with all their hearts that they could have their fairytale ending it wasn’t meant to be. So he stepped aside when the second ring was slipped on her finger, the final nail in the coffin containing her freedom, her final chain securing her safely inside her gilded cage. 

“Hello love, how’s our little bird today?” Liam asked, his arms slipping around her waist, hands resting on her small bump. He kissed the crown of her head smiling into her hair. 

Everly blinked back hot stinging tears, from her grass green eyes at his use of her nickname for her child. They are my little bird. You took my freedom, do you have to take everything? Her heart ached in her chest, nothing was hers anymore, she lost all her freedoms the moment she said ‘I do’. “Little bird is doing great.” She said turning in his arms, false smile on her lips. This is your life now. There is no getting out. She froze in place, her forced smile faltering when she saw him over her husband’s shoulder. Her white knight, the man she loved and lost. The man she was doomed to long for eternity. What’s he doing here? He never comes into the quarters. Her heart raced as her tear filled grass green eyes met his stormy grey. He stood, back straight, hands clasped behind his back, his stoic face twitched as their eyes met. “Liam, why is Bastien here?” She asked pulling back, struggling to conceal her emotions from her face and voice. 

“Love, I have to go away to save a deal.” Liam stated, brushing her cheek with his hand, not noticing her flinch away from his touch. 

Everly’s face fell, for all the luxuries she was supposed to gain by being Queen, she saw none of them. She thought she might at least see the world, but she was almost always left behind, always held in her gilded cage. Her eyes turned downward, she knew what was coming he was leaving she was staying, and her knight would be off with her prince while she sat alone in her cage. 

Liam tilted her head up, his chestnut brown eyes warm and loving locking on her solemn grass green. He didn’t flinch, he never noticed when she was sad or broken, not really. The only man to ever notice was the only man she could not have. 

“Now love, I know you’re sad and will miss me, but I’ve asked Bastien here because I want to leave him with you. That way I know my love and little bird are safe.” Liam said looking deep into her eyes. 

Everly’s heart pounded in her ears. He’s leaving me with my knight? He wouldn’t if he knew. Her mind raced, did he know, suspect? Was this some sort of test or trick? She glanced at Bastien seeing the same surprise painted on his face. Her eyes met Liam’s once more, all she saw was warmth and love. No, this wasn’t a test. He still had no clue what Bastien meant to her. He had no clue that she was a bird trapped in a gilded cage begging to to set free. He was clueless and may never know. She swallowed turning away. “Okay.” She replied nodded. Her hand grazed her bump, if only things were different little bird. How could she ignore her feelings with him stuck in her cage with her? She had been sure her prison could never be worse than it was, she now knew she had been wrong. Her love, the man that held her heart trapped by her side was almost a fate worse than the lonely existence she had grown used to. She wasn’t sure she would be able to resist him or stay away if they were alone together. 

“Sir, are you sure I wouldn’t be more needed by your side?” Bastien questioned.

Everly turned at his words, eyes locking once more. She saw everything she felt floating in his stormy grey eyes, fear, confusion, love.

“Nonsense Bastien. Everly is far more important than I am now that she is carrying our heir.” Liam replied. 

Everly flinched at Liam’s words. Heir, that’s all she was useful for, providing heirs. She sat in her gilded cage and was supposed to be happy surrounded by riches, never leaving. She was seen as a means to an end by many, a way to get an heir. I’m sorry little bird. Oh what she would give to escape her gilded cage, to fly free once more, to be by the side of her handsome knight happy and free. Her hand grazed her bump. If only… If only it were his, then she could be free of her gilded cage. 

Feedback fuels me, please like, comment or reblog to let me know how much you like it. I can handle the screams, so scream away. 

Masterlist can be found in my bio.

Taglist: @speedyoperarascalparty @liamxs-world @annekebbphotography @syphaxs @hopefulmoonobject @itsstillnotwhatyouthink @riseandshinelittleblossom @cocomaxley @ao719 @blackwidow2721 @katurrade @leelee10898 @stopforamoment  @akrenich @cora-nova @gardeningourmet @daniv2278 @bella-ca @gibbles82 @tornbetween2loves @choiceslife @sleepwalkingelite @carabeth @traeumerinwitzhelden @blackcatkita @bobbersb @endlessflame @kadencantarella @innerpostmentality @imma-winchester-addict @tornbetween2loves @blackcoffee85

[bastienpianobasics]

Bastien Piano Basics

Free piano lessons , Free sheet music,  WWW.bastienpianobasics.com

 Hi if you're like me, I love music . Some of you are professionals others just like to play. Well on that note I did some research on learning to play piano easily and quickly . For young beginners James Bastien has always been recommended by professional music teachers for years. Some of his most popular books for beginners include Bastien piano basics level 1 Bastien piano basics level 2 Bastien piano basics level 3 Bastien piano basics level 4 Bastien piano basics SCALES, CHORDS & ARPEGGIOS. Just to name a few. If your older or want to learn to play quickly i thought it would be great if i could help by providing a couple of places that not only can get you playing in no time best part is it's a lot of fun i have one place alone that has taught over 90,000 people help to start from beginning and be playing in just days. If you play any instrument one thing everyone needs is sheet music . Well now not to worry because i have you covered there also. But here is the best part i thought i would surprise you by saving the best for last. You will even get to learn to play one of my favorites Bastien piano basics Boogie Rock and Country level 1 made for beginners how fun that is. Here’s The best part its all free lessons sheet music and more. So if you want to rock out, play at a party or maybe even just for fun . Everything you need is here for you  hope you like it .

  click the link .http://www.bastienpianobasics.com                                                               This is also really amazing you can play any instrument but the sheet music place will give you some free sheet music its a good selection. But if you want an amazing deal . For less the $50.00 they will let you down load all the sheet music you want for a whole year that's crazy. They have an awesome collection. If you find this helpful let me know i will be happy to get you more free things for you. Thanks Dave Warman.