#KTAW Day 5: Friendships

[lizzybeth1986]

Too Little, (But Perhaps Not) Too Late

Book: The Royal Romance

Rating: PG

Pairing: Kiara & Penelope (platonic). Hints of Hana x Kiara.

Word Count: 3, 085 words.

Summary: At King Liam and Duchess Esther's bachelorette party, Penelope has something to say to her best friend Kiara.

A/N: This is supposed to take place during the events of TRR3 Ch 16 (the MC's bachelorette), but with significant changes that will be a part of my series Petals and Thornes. Penelope's surname is Drammir, the bachelorette is not in Vegas but at Côte d'Or in Cordonia, and by this point in the story Kiara and Hana are secretly a couple.

Tagging @kiaratheronappreciationweek for KTAW Day 5: Friendships, @choicesficwriterscreations for FotW, @choicesjunechallenge2024 for Ending/Beginning, @choicescommunityevents for Best Friend Day.

"Un Soixante Quinze, s'il vous plait."

Kiara has been to Côte d'Or - and this nightclub - enough times that every bartender there knows without even looking at her that her favourite is a slightly tart French 75; Deirdre smiles, her eyes trained on a violet-coloured bottle somewhere.

"I'll do you one better, Lady Kiara. How about some Empress Gin and a dash of lime?"

Kiara's laughter is a silent gurgle in her throat rather than the court-appropriate tinkle or a loud cackle (that for some reason, Hana seems to love so much), the amusement making her eyes light up. "That'll be fun."

Far more fun at least than watching half the court pair up for dancing from the sidelines, knowing she can't do the same. Yet.

She tries to make her sideways glance towards the other side of the bar look casual, but damn if Hana doesn't make it hard. In a black velvet minidress studded with diamanté, like stars in the night sky, she looks good enough to eat. There is a faraway, dreamlike feel to the way she stares, unseeing, at the opposite wall; Kiara shudders. The same dreams haunt her too, night and day.

Olivia seems to be sashaying her way to the spot where Hana stands, and Kiara turns away, swallowing. That woman has a knack for noticing everything and using that skill against everyone around her in the worst ways. Neither she nor Hana need the additional humiliation of being caught by Olivia Nevrakis of all people, before they're truly ready.

She jumps as she hears a jaunty hello right behind her. It's Penelope - practically prancing her way to Kiara from her spot on the dance floor, flushed and ridiculously happy, several tendrils of hair out of place, lips and cheeks rosier than usual. Kiara instinctively searches the crowd for her brother Ezekiel, and finds him talking to a minor noble some distance away, the dishevelment of his hair barely noticeable.

Kiara smiles back at Penelope. Clearly this night isn't going to be just a celebration of King Liam and Queen Esther's very obviously romantic union, but also a chance, for the many couples that have cropped up in the past few months, to be open about their love in the wake of that passionate love story. Cordonia seems to be changing, Kiara thinks, with a brief pang (she tries...really hard this time...not to look over at Hana again), right in front of her very eyes.

Penelope's attention has already shifted to the way Deirdre masterfully mixes Kiara's drink. The gin and the simple syrup had already been mixed and shaken before Penelope made her appearance; Deirdre's now getting to what Kiara knows Penelope would consider the fun part. She squeezes out a wedge of lime, quietly stealing a glance at her audience of two as the drink's hue changes from clear to a rather vibrant shade of purple.

"Ohhhh," Penelope's gasp comes out in a burst of pleasure.

"Empress 1908 Gin," Kiara whispers to her, "they infuse the concoction with butterfly pea blossoms. They change colour if you add anything acidic to it."

Penelope handwaves the information away with the carelessness she gives most pretty things - it only matters that they look pretty; she couldn't care less for the process that gave her that incredible sight.

Much as Kiara doesn't like to admit it...the word "careless" does seem to be the apt word to define how Penelope goes through her life.

Carelessness in court. Carelessness in her everyday life. Carelessness with belongings, with tasks, with people. Even the ones she genuinely believes (and she does. Truly) she loves.

Part of it - Kiara is aware - has to do with how overwhelming court life, on its own, can be for her. Penelope may have exaggerated some of the hardships she seems to face, but this she has never once lied about.

Navigating court is hard enough, even for Kiara herself, but too often Penelope exudes the appearance of a doe entering a den of lions. For every one thing she manages to get right, Penelope has to fear the hundred things she'll do wrong. At some point you just get resigned to the possibility that a good day might be one where you made fifteen mistakes rather than fifty.

But anyone who stays around Penelope long enough knows that there is a inherent lack of urgency about her, a certain reluctance to think things through, a certain comfort with being tended to, getting pampered, being let off out of sympathy even as her choices wreak havoc. A tendency to consider only her comforts and no one else's.

It isn't meant maliciously. These things just don't occur to her.

Kiara meets Penelope's eyes once, then nods and turns to Deirdre with an order for a strawberry daiquiri. Penelope passes her a grateful glance, relieved at having that decision taken out of her hands.

Kiara sighs. There are a great many things you learn to get used to as Penelope Drammir's best friend - her indecision and passivity being one of them. She shakes her head as she absently twirls her stirrer over her drink. The days Kiara allows herself to think of how annoyed she used to feel (way back during the engagement tour) around Penelope are few and far between, and she does feel guilty of doing her friend a disservice whenever she does. Of being ungenerous, judgemental.

Of abandoning empathy. Even if empathy is a gift she hardly expects to get herself from...well, from anyone.

Kiara steals another glance towards the other end of the bar. Hana and Olivia are standing side by side, their backs facing the bar, their eyes never leaving the dancing couples. From time to time Olivia seems to say something (and Kiara almost bites down her cheek to stop herself from going there and rising to Hana's defense, in case it's something nasty). If Hana is affected, you couldn't tell - so nonchalant is her stance against the bar.

Hana's words from a week ago - warm and soothing and smelling of melted chocolate - still ring in Kiara's ears. You deserve to have people you can lean on, Kiara. As much as anyone else. You need to be able to depend on your friends sometimes too.

Her hand barely ghosts over her side, but Kiara doesn't allow it to linger there. She allows the words to wash over her, like balm. Like some sort of elixir that she hopes will heal her, slowly, spreading its warmth and sweetness in small trickles, taking away the hurt and resentment and self-derision bit by bit.

When she's calm enough to turn to Penelope's side again, she catches her friend staring.

Her eyes no longer on her dairiquiri; she stirs it absently, very much the way Kiara just did a few minutes ago. Those very eyes are suddenly a deeper blue, a darker shade, her gaze more intent and more serious than anything she has ever seen from Penelope in all the years they've known each other.

Kiara takes a nervous sip of her drink (sweet. tart. refreshing), her laughter betraying a slight discomfort. "You're staring at me like I've grown an extra head."

Penelope's gaze doesn't shift back to her usual - the unfocused flitting of the eyes from corner to corner. The intensity of it makes Kiara shift a little in her seat. For all her faults, seeing Penelope be her usual thoughtless, fickle-minded self - always distracted by the newest shiny object or the antics of the nearest dog - has always been reassuring.

"I...I haven't been a very good friend to you, Kiki, have I," Penelope says, quietly.

She says it as if it isn't a question but a statement, as if she has thought enough about it that it has become an already-unquestionable fact in her mind - that for a few moments Kiara finds it hard to say anything in response.

"What makes you say that, Nena?" She says, using that old affectionate nickname that Penelope only allows family and close friends to use with her.

Penelope fiddles with the shell bracelet she usually wears with the dress she's wearing, a sumptuous affair in her house colours - completely inappropriate for Esther's bachelorette (they're all supposed to wear dark or muted colours so the bride could shine in her sparkly gold outfit). But because it's Esther - who honestly couldn't care less - Penelope managed to get away with it.

Much like she has managed to get away with a great deal of things, Kiara realises with an unfortunate twist in her gut. A terrible court performance. Being involved in smearing another courtier's name (learning about that last engagement tour, realising Penelope was comfortable expecting friendship from the woman she did that to and never even bothered to let Kiara know almost ended their friendship for good). Wanting Esther and her friends to pamper her within an inch of her life if they wanted her to accompany them for their tour, even though her past conduct demanded - ethically - that she at least offer unconditional support.

(And never, ever once asking about how Kiara was healing after she was released from hospital. But that was something, perhaps, that she couldn't lay blame on Penelope alone for. For the longest time, her injury really seemed to matter that little to most).

And whether or not Penelope seems to realize how good she has had it without making enough effort from her end, yet...she certainly seems to have made a good enough start right now.

Penelope's voice goes a little softer, her eyes suddenly unable to meet Kiara's. "I think it's all the time Zeke and I have been spending together," she says, one fingernail tracing the seam of a fake shell. "He's been feeling a bit guilty himself, you know. He always tells me he's the older one, he's the one who should be taking care of you...but it's you always playing that role instead."

Kiara winces. "Well... he's never asked that of me, has he?"

Has it been like that, really? Has it? All she knows of her relationship with Zeke is how often she loses patience with him when his reluctance to move out of his safe zone creates problems, either for himself or their family. It's the one thing she has always felt a little guilty about - as much as she has felt whenever she got frustrated with Penelope.

"That's the worst part, he says. That he let you adopt that role, and never give you the same level of support. That of course you find him a little hard to understand, but that never stopped you from trying to help. And of course you never ask for any help in return, but there were so many times you should have gotten it from him anyway," Penelope's sigh comes out in a shuddering breath, and Kiara notices a redness creeping up to her cheeks from her neck. "I never realised until he said that, that I've treated you that way too."

When Penelope looks at Kiara this time, her lashes are spiky with tears. Kiara tries to swallow the lump in her own throat, suddenly overwhelmed.

For a while now, these were thoughts Kiara did have. Thoughts she'd tried to quash in the many, many hours she spent struggling to move in that hospital bed without feeling that pain on her side, thoughts she fought off after being reminded - again and again and again - how she got hurt there. Thoughts that terrified her so much she suppressed them, experiencing a mixture of relief and disappointment when no one, not even her close friends, seemed to find what happened to her important enough to remember.

These were thoughts she could only allow herself to have for no more than a few minutes. They would damn near destroy her if she thought about them any longer than that.

These were the thoughts that made her want to kick herself for being so ungenerous and petty and judgemental. To hear those same words, the words she only allowed herself to think in her darkest, most bitter moments, from Penelope's mouth - without blame, without censure - and to know that Zeke has felt it too...there is a burn in Kiara's throat that she knows won't leave for a long, long time.

Oh, no, Nena, a part of Kiara still wants to say, you're a wonderful friend. Those words, constantly at the tip of her tongue whenever Penelope gets into one of her melancholy, self-pitying moods, seem to haunt Kiara again, urging her to keep their friendship the way it is. Unequal. Unbalanced. Practically one-sided. Kiara forever as protector, Penelope forever as protected. It must be better that way.

Hana's words come back to her - a balm to her bruised spirit.

You need to depend on your friends too.

"I may not have been the friend you needed all this time, Kiki," Penelope whispers, "but from today, I promise you I'll really try."

As Kiara does in the rare occasions she finds herself overcome with emotion, she lets out a wavering, watery laugh.

Will Penelope truly change that? She doesn't know yet. But damn does it feel good that she cares enough to try.

All this time, all this guilt and self-blame...for not being the kind of friend most people would insist Penelope needed. All this resentment, because people would certainly think long and hard about what it meant to be literally anyone else's friend and catering to their needs. Olivia's. Penelope's. Even (ugh) Madeleine's.

But not Kiara's. Never Kiara's.

"I don't know how to respond to this yet, Nena. But I need you to know that I appreciate this. Truly."

Putting her daiquiri down, Penelope crushes her in an impulsive hug that almost sends tiny purple droplets of Kiara's drink flying onto her outfit. Neither of them notice.

They part, reluctantly, and spend the rest of their time together drinking in companiable silence as the vibrations from the nightclub's loud music thumps on the floor beneath them. When the tune changes to a slower, more romantic tune, Kiara can't stop herself from taking a peek at the other side of the bar.

Penelope follows her gaze, and smiles when it lands on Hana. "You should go there."

"Hmm?" Kiara murmurs, barely hearing Penelope. Hana and Olivia are still talking, but the vibes feel far more chilly than they seemed to be a few minutes ago. Now Hana is the one slightly smiling, like the cat who got the cream, and Olivia looks surprisingly...pale? Perhaps a little ill?

Definitely not as smug as she seemed when she sauntered her way to Hana's side.

She isn't sure how that came about, but the possibility that Hana may have had something to do with it does fill her with an odd sort of pride. The kind of pride that makes her want to point to Hana in front of a crowd of twenty-plus nobles and announce, as loud as she can, "that's my girlfriend!!"

Penelope giggles so hard she almost snorts her drink out of her nose. "Go get your girl, Kiki."

Kiara stares at Penelope for a minute, then self-consciously runs her palms over her own outfit. "Am I that obvious?"

Penelope is still giggling. "Only right now, and only because I'm literally standing next to you."

Kiara laughs, relieved. This love she shares with Hana will still be her - their - secret. She wants it to stay that way, just a little bit longer.

The strains of the love song currently playing feel a little out of place for this nightclub, but Kiara's feet are almost itching for a slow dance in someone's arms. Head over heels when toe to toe. This is the sound of my soul. By the way Hana is looking at her now - alone at the bar again - Kiara can tell she wants it too.

Penelope places a hand on Kiara's shoulder, taking her leave with a grin and a conspiratorial wink. "Zeke must be looking for me. Have fun, Kiki!" Clearly in a mood for generosity, she kisses Kiara on the cheek before she leaves.

(For a woman who has never slept with, well, anyone before, Hana seems to be quite adept in the art of seduction already. Kiara has to bite the inside of her cheek just to fight the urge to whisk her to her hotel room for the rest of the night)

When she reaches Hana's side, the other woman's gaze moves over her in the most leisurely pace known to man. Slow, sensual, soaked in knowing, promising more than just one dance.

The soles of Kiara's feet tingle just from imagining the possibilities. She knows what they're going to be doing at least an hour (Kiara's being generous - she probably might not even last that long) from now.

"Lady Hana," Kiara says, holding out her hand and inwardly laughing at her own playful formality, "I believe I owe you a dance."

Hana breaks character, laughing delightedly. "A dance would be a good start."

Hana rests her head on Kiara's shoulder, her face nestled close to her collarbone. Her face is nestled close enough to Kiara's collarbone that she could breathe in her perfume if she wanted; she can feel Hana's long, deep inhale reverberate through her own body as she does. As Kiara runs a hand down Hana's back, she begins to sigh in tandem to the music too, drunk on her love for this woman. Ah ah ah haa haa. I know this much is true.

Even with her eyes closed, Kiara can feel the lights - deep purple and sea green - dancing behind her eyelids. The feel of Hana's palm against hers. A whiff of Gucci Bloom that comes and goes - that Kiara registers, instinctively, as the presence of her best friend stealing another dance with her brother. Kiara sighs happily.

Tomorrow might be as hard to live through as yesterday was, as this morning was, as every morning has been since this tour began. But every once in a while, she's gifted with tiny miracles.

This evening - every bit of it - has been a tiny miracle. And if this tour has taught her anything, it's that the tiny miracles are often the most memorable ones.

Almost as if they can both sense a desire to come closer, Hana and Kiara tighten their arms around each other almost imperceptibly.

Kiara smiles, again. Tomorrow may be different. But today...today has been beautiful. Today has been perfect.

This night of miracles does seem to be in any hurry to leave, and she's going to embrace it with both hands.

--

References:

French 75 - a cocktail made from gin, champagne, lemon juice, and sugar. It is also called a 75 Cocktail, or in French simply a Soixante Quinze.

Learn more about Empress Gin gin French 75 here.

The song Hana and Kiara are dancing to at the end is "True" by Spandau Ballet.

A/N1: I hint at a scene that is not part of canon but that will eventually show up at this point of the story when I write it in Petals and Thornes (basically Hana and Olivia talking. I won't be talking about it here, but it will be a major scene from Hana's PoV at this point in the story).

A/N2: Often, when the fandom speaks about the Kiara and Penelope friendship, there tends to be a lot of sympathy for Penelope and criticism for Kiara. But when you take a closer look at canon, the opposite applies. The narrative tends to center this friendship on Penelope alone, with Kiara needing to constantly worry and protect her, and Penelope rarely ever showing the same regard or concern for Kiara. It's a grossly imbalanced friendship, and I did want some acknowledgement of that.

A big thank you to @thecapturedafrique for suggesting this title 😁😁

[kiaratheronappreciationweek]

We're on our final day of KTAW 2024!! It's been wonderful to see the entries so far - we saw some new faces and lots of fresh stories, and every work we've got so far has shown such love and admiration for a character so often overlooked!

Our final theme(s) tomorrow are pretty simple and straightforward! This day is about exploring how Kiara navigates her relationships with people - Familial, Platonic or Romantic! We all know she is protective of the people she loves even if she may not fully understand their way of dealing with their problems. It would be great to see how our Kiara fans will look at these dynamics!

Any content is welcome!! Just make sure your work centers Kiara, and presents a positive depiction of her. Fic, art, meta, headcanons, edits, icons, interactive media, even simple character appreciation posts!! We also accept WIPs, so if your piece isn't entirely complete by the end of the week, fret not - you can still send us the WIPs!

The themes are simply inspirations. If you bring a piece for one of the days later, it's entirely okay...just make sure you tag the posts with the day you meant it for! We will always be keeping a bonus week in case you couldn't complete the piece during the week itself, so our official deadline for pieces will be June 1st!

We'd also like all of you to know that KTAW 2024 will be open ALL YEAR ROUND. So if you're unable to finish a piece before June 1st, pls do send it whenever you're ready to (and tag us!), and it will definitely be up on our masterlist!!

Be sure to do the following when you send in your work:

1. Use the tags #kiaratheronappreciationweek and #KTAW in your posts. Make sure to tag the day as well (#KTAW Day 1, #KTAW Day 2, etc)

2. Tag @kiaratheronappreciationweek, as well as hosts @sazanes and @lizzybeth1986

Fan Community blogs are super important to our promotion of events, so we'd definitely love for you to check out some of these awesome blogs and their challenges:

@choicesficwriterscreations - Primarily fanfic and fanart (no AI allowed). Check out their rules and roster of events!

@choicesmonthlychallenge and @choicesmaychallenge24 - Any and all content welcome! This month's prompts are delightfully Greek mythology-themed!

@choicespride - Any and all content welcome, as long as it centers LGBTQ+ characters and/or themes! They will be hosting this year's pride event soon!

@choicesholidays - Any and all content welcome, as long as it is centered around one of the holidays listed! Currently, they are hosting Spring Fling!

@choicesprompts - Any and all content welcome! Currently no events, but you could check out all the cool stuff they've been up to so far!

@choicescommunityevents - Any and all art welcome as long as it is on-theme! Currently hosting the AAPI Heritage Month!

With Day 5, this week may be officially over, but as we mentioned earlier our bonus week will still be up!! You have time till June 1st to send in entries! The masterlist will also be open the whole year through for entries as well.

[lizzybeth1986]

The Perfect Gift

Book: The Royal Romance Book 1

Pairing: Kiara Theron & Prince Liam (platonic), Kiara Theron & Hana Lee (currently platonic). Brief mention of Liam x MC.

Rating: G

Summary: Six different suitors, six different Coronation Day gifts. Kiara Thorne watches as each suitor gives Prince Liam their gift, and wonders at the bonds they all share with him.

Word Count: 2,677+ words

Tagging @choicesficwriterscreations for FoTW

A/N: Isn't it the most awful coincidence that the two people whose coronation gifts to Liam we never get to see are Hana and Kiara? (and yes I say coincidence with a tone heavily dripping in sarcasm) 🤔

The perfect gift, Kiara's Jadde had told her once, would have a little bit of the giver, a little thought for what the reciever loves, may hold a tinge of a shared memory, but must be given with a pure heart.

And even though she knows no one else would care much about what she has to offer for the Prince anymore...a small part of her still hopes his face lights up when he sees it.

Kiara sighs. Perhaps...perhaps a month ago this wouldn't have mattered all that much. Before this social season began Prince Liam was little more than a boy she'd known too long ago, a faraway, gosammer-thin memory of a friendship she barely even remembered. She would compete for the Prince's hand, indulge in inconsequential chatter, hopefully get far enough in the competition to be recognised as someone to watch out for, he would eventually find someone he liked far more, she would go back to focusing on things that mattered.

Something changed in that first meeting as a suitor with Liam.

His one hand was careful and measured at the base of her spine, the other holding delicately the palm of her hand. His back was ramrod straight. The dance steps were slow, practiced, impersonal. The smile was not.

"Lady Kiara," his voice was deep and quite grudgingly amused, "I was wondering if you still play football."

Kiara looked back, eyes wide. "Forgive me, Your Highness," she said when she realized she'd been staring at him rather than answering the question, "I was surprised anyone had remembered."

"You handing us our posterièurs on the daily - at the football field and the hedge maze - was immensely memorable, I would say," he quipped, his eyes glinting with humour. It took almost five years off of his face.

Rather taken by the vivid image he presented to her - an image of her as a young girl that she only faintly remembered - made her break out into delighted laughter. And the laughing reminder released its own floodgates of youthful, silly little memories. Oh dear, she thought immediately. She had to get herself under control so her laughter wouldn't sound too loud and scare the poor man away.

She didn't see herself having a relationship with this man even then, every bit as much as he did. The kind of women she desired may be of a far wider range, but she knew she was woefully specific in the type of man that set her pulse racing.

But by the end of the night, there was no doubt in her mind that they'd shared a bond once - a beautiful bond that they both delighted in - and she knew the kind Prince wanted to renew it as much as she did.

They didn't have as much time to renew their friendship as they would have liked, but Kiara doesn't begrudge Prince Liam that. Such is the nature of a social season where the heir to the throne is to pick a spouse. Once you're out of the running, you no longer had the right to request their company, and any public attempts from them to engage with you would be deemed an insult to the frontrunners.

Kiara chose her pockets of time with him carefully when she was still in the competition, then took great pains not to directly approach him once she was out of it. He was under no obligation to approach her, or Penelope, or Hana - but he did, and his exchanges with her were always affable and warm. He'd even teased her about her childhood passion for chicken tagine, telling her his favourite one was on the menu that night and giving her the most mischievous, shit-eating grin as he did.

Kiara is first in line, and she knows her offering may set the tone for the rest.

She truly hopes he will like her gift. Not just because it will be mentioned in the papers the next day, not just for the accolades from the public her House will gain if the gift wins the new King's favour. Prince Liam just has the brightest smile on his face when he sees something that sparks his interest, and she must admit - she has grown rather fond of it.

"Good evening, Your Highness," Kiara says, with a curtsey, "Congratulations on your Coronation tonight."

"Good evening, Lady Kiara," the Prince returns her greeting, with an encouraging smile that belies the formality of his words. "It is an honour to have House Thorne grace us with their presence this illustrious evening."

"You are far too kind, Your Highness." Like all the others, her gift is not wrapped in tinsel paper - that would be too much of a hassle for both the Crown Prince and their palace staff; besides, the event will be too packed for one to waste time on unwrapping multiple gifts.

Liam's smile is one of warm recognition as he slowly reads the title of the book Kiara has brought for him.

"Culinary Travailes Across Cordonia..." he whispers, "authored by Artemisia Fierro and Sofonisba Vescovi...holy apples!! This is such a rare edition of that book! I've been looking for it for ages, ever since..."

Ever since you found it listed on the bibliography for your mother's university thesis. I know. Her mother had mentioned that thesis - and this book in particular - often over the years, and only recently let it slip that both she and Signor Francesco de Rosa, the Italian statesman who never fails to pay Castelserraillan a visit everytime he comes to Cordonia, have a copy each of the first draft Queen Eleanor had ever made of it. To be honest, that was the gift Kiara hoped to give Prince Liam, but it was hidden too deep for her to find in time.

Besides, Maman had said, dolefully, almost to herself, we're no longer close enough to the royal family, to know whose values the Crown Prince would subscribe to more: King Constantine's...or Ellie's.

But from the few moments they have spent in each other's company, Kiara has a feeling she knows the answer to her mother's question - an answer that Maman would likely be delighted and relieved by (even if a bit skeptical). It would be wiser, however, to gauge his reaction to this gift first. If he likes it as much as she is convinced he will, she'll make sure to find that first draft - complete with Auntie Eleanor's notes and scribbled commentary - in time for his wedding.

It's not the best gift she can think of - she knows - and it's far from perfect in her eyes, but seeing his eyes glisten with joy at the sight of something his mother must have read in her youth...she knows she made the right choice for today.

As she moves away from the line of suitors, she makes it a point to stay somewhere where she won't be noticed, but can still get to see the gifts that follow. It wouldn't hurt to sate her curiosity a bit.

Penelope is next, with a gem-encrusted poodle. Liam's expression doesn't change as he thanks her for the offering, though there is a glimmer of amusement in his eyes when the Portaviran suitor indicates that she has the lady of the pair, and that she hopes he will think of her when he sees the gift. I'm sure I could think of no one else, she can imagine him saying.

Kiara isn't entirely surprised by what Penelope has chosen - in the time they've come closer, Kiara has lost count of the number of ways Penelope could thrust forward the topic of poodles in a conversation. Penelope is sweet, but a lot of what she does and how she acts is centered around her desires and her comfort. She can just imagine the thought that went into this gift: I'll give him something I like. Besides, who wouldn't like poodles?

Kiara sighs. If what Countess Madeleine said today at dinner about an engagement tour is true...it's going to be a long, long one, filled to bursting with every poodle story known to humankind.

The Countess herself is up next, with a tasteful offering of diamond cufflinks. Elegant, sophisticated. Kiara smiles at the gift until she notes the lack of genuine emotion on Prince Liam's face, the slightest tinge of discomfort on his face. He presents multiple openings for the Countess to close the conversation and allow the next person to step forward, but Madeleine seems intent on demanding more of his time.

Fed up of waiting for this particular frontrunner to take a hint and leave, Kiara moves her gaze to the remaining suitors. Somewhere at the back of the line, she can see Duchess Olivia engaged in an argument - yet again! - with a rather perplexed Lady Esther. Whatever it is they're discussing, Lady Esther seems to have no clue about whatever Lady Olivia may be accusing her of, and after a moment's flicker of confusion the Duchess' expression softens. Kiara doesn't know what to make of the exchange; can't be much besides another skirmish between two suitors emotionally invested in the same man, perhaps.

Bored, Kiara stares back at the diamond cufflinks on the Prince's palm. On paper, they are perfect. They embody both the stature of the Amaranths and the illustrious legacy of the Crown...but it is clear both from Liam's disinterest and Madeleine's last-minute attempts to gain belated favour with him, that there was no thought or interest in the man behind the Crown she so wantonly seeks.

Normally, Kiara would respect the single-mindedness of that kind of ambition...but seeing it rest so nakedly in the face of a court veteran makes the (now rather impossible, thank heavens) prospect that she may win...rather distasteful.

Duchess Olivia hurries back to her place in front of Lady Hana, just in time to present her own gift. Kiara does a double-take when she sees an ornate golden box...with the thorns of a cactus peeking out when Liam opens it. She watches carefully as his surprise and confusion melts into an expression of affection; clearly, for whatever reason, he is a little touched by the gift. She wonders if it has anything to do with the old stories she's heard from the palace, the ones about young Olivia being relentlessly teased about her prickly nature, until one day she raised her chin defiantly and owned it.

She didn't expect there to be a touch of something so personal in Olivia's gift - not from a woman so guarded and so afraid of showcasing her more sensitive emotions. Not that Kiara is very fond of emotional displays either - but she's almost always seen Olivia naturally gravitate towards the more aggressive ones. It's a strange gift, the cactus, and although Prince Liam seems to love whatever story Olivia is telling him about it, there is still a flicker of confusion in his eyes. Perhaps he views the thorny plant, and the bond he shares with the Duchess, a little differently from whatever the latter is seeing.

Kiara finds Liam's smile at Lady Hana's gift, an exquisitely handcrafted flute made of violet bamboo, very similar to the one he gave her. She understands why he is so taken by the gift - he is a lover of music, and she has heard often from Maman that the late Queen Eleanor had a guitar she would often strum at picnics in Applewood. She isn't sure how much of a fan the Crown Prince is of flute music, but perhaps his wide grin is a befitting answer to that question.

There is plenty of Hana herself in that gift, Kiara knows - her heritage, her birthplace - but unlike Penelope's, Lady Hana seems to have put at least a measure of thought for the Prince himself into the gift. Like Kiara, Hana's own friendship with him seems to have blossomed - though from the reports and rumours, it seems like friendship is a disappointing, watered-down substitute for what her parents had really hoped would happen. Still, what mattered in the end is what Lady Hana would want, non?

As the last suitor makes her way to the Prince, Kiara sees Hana Lee approach. She smiles. One would have thought it would be hard for anyone to notice her here, but since the day they'd become friends it's become clearer than ever to Kiara that Hana misses nothing. That's how observant she is.

"I'm surprised Penelope hasn't made her way here yet," Hana whispers in Kiara's ear.

Kiara gives her friend a conspirational wink. "The night hasn't even started and she looked exhausted already. Must be at the palace kitchens, trying to convince Anais to let her have some more champagne." She turns to look at Lady Esther now, her gift small enough to fit her palm. "Nice gift, by the way."

Hana laughs. "It's a touch better than our original plans, fortunately."

"And what would that be?"

Hana flushes, but doesn't respond. It has been this way the whole night - every time the topic of her parents or her plans after the Coronation emerges, she clams up and no longer seems to want to be part of the conversation.

Kiara lets it go, for now. Perhaps she will ask Hana after the Coronation festivities are over. She might become far more relaxed then.

The Crown Prince holds up the gift the top frontrunner has gotten him, and Kiara takes a sudden, sharp breath.

A keychain??

The Mystery Woman from House Beaumont, who has been doing so well thus far...who got half the court, most of the public and all the press to back her in her quest to win Prince Liam's hand in marriage...is giving the future King of Cordonia a fucking keychain? A thing she likely grabbed off of the cashier's side-rack at the airport giftshop??

And stranger still - it's of an American monument - not even one that represents Cordonia?

Kiara has long known audacity to be Lady Esther's middle name, and perhaps the one quality that has served her well enough to get her this far in the competition, but this is ridiculous.

But perhaps the night has more surprises in store, because Prince Liam's reaction to the gift is a sight to behold. His eyes take on an eerie, almost-sparkling quality as he holds the keychain on his palm, his lips slightly parted. There is a quiet fire in Lady Esther's eyes as she gazes at him, holding up a keychain of her own - a tiny replica of a Cordonian Ruby.

"Wow," Hana whispers. "She's giving him a part of her home, and letting him know that she keeps with her a part of his."

It's a description so unflinchingly romantic, that even Kiara - who normally can't stand dramatic, cheesy romance - has to sigh.

Liam tucks the keychain of the Statue of Liberty inside his breast pocket, his hand lingering over his heart for more than a few seconds. Smiling, the world in her eyes, her gaze never leaving his, Esther places hers in the matching red clutch she had likely bought with her outfit.

Kiara and Hana look away almost at the same time. It's a moment so shockingly intimate, that Kiara suddenly feels like an intruder.

She knows immediately that Hana's reasons are different - the redness on her cheeks and the unshed tears, give her feelings away.

Hana leaves without another word. Kiara stands in the same place, ruminating over what she has just seen, and how easily she had forgotten her own grandfather's words.

A piece of the giver. Affection for the reciever. Shared memories. Offered from the heart.

Who knew, Kiara tells herself as she finally leaves to join the procession to the ballroom, that an object smaller than the center of your palm could tick all of those boxes?

This must be what true love feels like, Kiara thinks. To find joy in things no one else would look twice at. She isn't sure how many people are fortunate enough to find something like that in their lifetimes.

But if she can think of one person who more than deserves it, it is Liam. The future King of Cordonia. The boy who was warm and open and spirited, the man who is charming and affable yet guarded.

Her old friend.

--

Notes:

Jadde - Darija for grandfather

Posterièurs - French for posterier

• This fic makes references to Chapter 3 of Eleanor's Kitchen, which explores both Liam and Kiara's friendship as children, and Joëlle and Hakim's friendships with Eleanor and Constantine. For context, Eleanor, Joëlle and Francesco de Rosa (the Italian statesman from TRR2 and 3) studied in university in the same year, and Constantine and Hakim were their seniors. Eleanor did a thesis in gastrodiplomacy.

• Artemisia Fierro and Sofonisba Vescovi are my versions of Hunter and Kayden respectively from TRM. I speak more about them in this HC about Castelserraillan.

• Hana's gift on Liam's Coronation was mentioned in Part 2 of With A Little Help From My Friends. No canon mentions have ever been made of either Kiara's nor Hana's gifts for the occasion, so the headcanons for both are all my own.

• In Part 1 of my short fic duo, Keychains, Esther buys a keychain of the Cordonian Ruby apple along with the one of the Statue of Liberty, the latter of which is gifted to Liam as per (optional) canon. I reference the same at the end of this story.

[kiaratheronappreciationweek]

We are on our final day of the Kiara Theron Appreciation Week! So far we have got some lovely entries: fanfic, headcanons, edits...with more to come soon. We will be extending the deadline for pieces by a week (until 3rd March), so if you still have an idea for Kiara that you'd like to send in, please do!!

On Day 4 we covered Kiara's home and family - and on Day 5 we will be covering her relationships! Whether it is a romantic one, featuring a love interest of your choice (be it Hana, Rashad, Liam, an MC or an OC, Olivia, Drake - anyone!!) or a platonic friendship - we would love to see how Kiara expresses her feelings for them or how she interacts with them! So for this day we will be focusing on Romance and Friendships!

Our final day is also a good time to show off your old pieces featuring Kiara, as it includes our Throwback theme! To make it a bit more fun, we encourage you to let us into the process of creating your content - where the idea for the piece came from, what challenges you may have faced, what you enjoyed etc. Here is a possible template you can use.

Any and all content is welcome - as long as it focuses on Kiara, and is a positive depiction of her. Fics, art, edits, moodboards, meta, interactive media, headcanons, playlists, even screenshots featuring her favourite scenes! We also accept WIPs so if you aren't sure you'll be able to finish your piece on time, you can still send us a few snippets!

Be sure to do the following when you are making your posts:

1. Use the tags #kiaratheronappreciationweek and #KTAW, along with the date/theme you're intending for the content (#KTAW Day 1, #KTAW Day 2)

2. Tag @kiaratheronappreciationweek and the co-hosts @sazanes and @lizzybeth1986 on your posts.

Fan-content blogs have been a major source of inspiration and promotion for us! We would definitely love for you to explore these wonderful blogs and participate in their events if you can:

@choicesficwriterscreations - Primarily fanfic. Check out their roster for weekly and monthly events here!

@choicesmonthlychallenge and @choices-february2023 - Any and all content welcome. Check out their prompts for February!

@choicespride - Any and all content welcome as long as the content focuses on queer characters or themes. They plan to host an Aromantic Awareness Week soon, and would appreciate suggestions for prompts.

@choicesprompts

@choicesholidays

@maxwell-beaumont-appreciation and @drake-walker-appreciation will be hosting events soon.

As mentioned previously, this may be the official end of the week, but we will still be allowing for entries till 3rd March!

Happy Kiara Theron Appreciation Week, everyone!

[kiaratheronappreciationweek]

We're now moving towards the last phase of KTAW. Unbelievable how quickly time passes!! And we've gotten some really lovely entries thus far.

We are now going into Day 5. Day 5 is all about exploring Kiara's relationships outside of her family - be it romance or friendship. Give Kiara either a romance of her own or stick to canon's initial pairing...or even explore her friendships! You can even try seeing her dynamic with characters she was never close to before.

Any and all content is welcome. With this event we will be accepting WIPs and older pieces featuring Kiara as well!

As always the theme itself is a prompt for the day, and you needn't rush to finish it that very day. If you do send in something later, you can send them on a later date as long as you tagged it for the day you meant it for.

Be sure to do the following when making your posts:

1. Use #kiaratheronappreciationweek and #KTAW in the tags

2. Tag @kiaratheronappreciationweek, and co-hosts @lizzybeth1986 and @sazanes

Optionally, there are challenging from our awesome community blogs that you could be a part of if you want!

@choicesficwriterscreations: Primarily fanfic. Has a roster of weekly events.

@choicesmonthlychallenge: Any and all content welcome. Current events: PICKtober and Naughty and Nice.

@choicesprompts: The blog is currently on hiatus, but you can still submit entries for their previous prompts till January!!

Happy Kiara Theron Appreciation Week, everyone!!

[kiaratheronappreciationweek]

(this incredible poster is the handiwork of our lovely host @sazanes!!)

Welcome to our third Kiara Theron Appreciation Week! That time of the year when we get together and celebrate this wonderful character (though to be honest, every day is a great day to celebrate Kiara).

This year, we will be holding this event around May 21st, which is World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development! Basically, a day specially meant to celebrate all cultures and diversities. And which estate is best known for its rich culture, art and literature? Castelserraillan, of course!

Here are our themes for this year:

Day 1 - May 21st - Culture/Festivals

Day 2 - May 22nd - Character Appreciation/Throwback

Day 3 - May 23rd - Languages/Wine

Day 4 - May 24th - Diplomacy/Nature

Day 5 - May 25th - Family/Friendships/Romance

Any content is welcome - art, fanfic, edits, essays, moodboards, interactive media, headcanons...even short appreciation posts and screencaps! Our only requirement is that the content should be Kiara-focused and depict her positively.

Each day has a theme, and some will have two. For those days, you can choose whichever theme you prefer or you can even combine them! It isn't completely necessary to post the content exactly on the day it's meant for...just make sure you tag it with the day and theme even if you're submitting it on a later day.

We also will be accepting pieces after the event is over, and all year round until the next KTAW! So even if you have your post ready much later, please don't hesitate to tag us! 🤗

Blogs to Tag: @hanaleeappreciationweek, and hosts @lizzybeth1986 and @sazanes

Tags to Use: #kiaratheronappreciationweek, #KTAW, #KTAW 2024

There are some incredible fan-community blogs that work tirelessly both to promote creative fandom works and make the experience fun for their writers! Do check them out!!

@choicesficwriterscreations, @choicesmonthlychallenge, @choicespride, @choicesflashfics, @choicesholidays, @choicesprompts, @wordwarriors, @choicescommunityevents

If you know any others who would like to be tagged, please let me know! Here are the amazing works sent in for 2023 and '22 if you'd like to get more inspired!

KTAW 2022 | KTAW 2023

Can't wait to see all our fellow Kiara fans next month!!

✅✅signal boosts are always appreciated!✅✅

[kiaratheronappreciationweek]

KTAW 2024: Masterlist

(this delightful poster is courtesy of our lovely host @sazanes!!)

KTAW 2022 | KTAW 2023

Day 1: Culture/Festivals

Culture

Fanfic

Holi: The Festival of Colours, Love and Spring by @masked-alien-lesbian

Laylat al-Henna by @lizzybeth1986

Festivals

Art

A Bouquet at the Flower Festival by @cassiopeiacorvus

Kiara as Rowan Thorn at the Five Kingdoms Festival by @sazanes

Day 2: Character Appreciation/Throwback

Character Appreciation

Art

Très Embarrassant 2.0 by @sazanes

Moodboard

Kiara by @masked-alien-lesbian

Edit

SpreadJoy Quote: Kiara Theron by @storyofmychoices

Video Edit

Character Appreciation by @a-cloud-for-dreams

Throwback

Fanfic

It Takes A Village by @lizzybeth1986

Midterms by @mand-delemonde

Ours by @mand-delemonde

Day 3: Languages/Wine

Languages

Art

Kiara's Passion for Languages by @sazanes

Fanfic

A Child of Babel by @lizzybeth1986

Wine

Fanfic

Wine Aren't You Mine? by @masked-alien-lesbian

Day 4: Diplomacy/Nature

Diplomacy

Fanfic

the art, the science by @exbex

Nature

Art

All Set for the Apple Blossom Festival! by @sazanes

Edit

Kiara the Fae Queen by @masked-alien-lesbian

Moodboard

Bellemere/Castelserraillan by @lizzybeth1986

Day 5: Family/Friendship/Romance

Family

Headcanon

Kiara in Relationships: Platonic, Romantic and Familial by @masked-alien-lesbian

Friendships

Fanfic

Too Little, But (Perhaps Not) Too Late by @lizzybeth1986 (Kiara & Penelope)

Romance

Art

"Every day with you is a priceless gift" by @sazanes (Kiara x Hana)

--

Note: If you still have a piece/idea for a piece that you weren't able to post during the week - fret not!! This masterlist will be open for entries all year! Don't forget to tag this blog or its hosts when you post any content you want to send for KTAW!!

Here are the themes if you want to reference them.

Until next year - thank you so much to all our contributors! To our readers, all the pieces sent here are incredible and we hope you get as much pleasure looking through these amazing works as we did!!

See you all in 2025!

[kiaratheronappreciationweek]

KTAW 2023 - Masterlist

(this beautiful poster is the work of our host @sazanes!)

DAY 1 - ART & LITERATURE/WINE

Art and Literature

Edit

Quote Edit by @storyofmychoices

Fanfic

The Stolen Interview by @twinkleallnight

Wine

Art

Funny How People Are A Bit Like Wine by @sazanes

Fanfic

Batalla del Vino by @lizzybeth1986

DAY 2 - POLYGLOT

Art

Kiara's Eclectic Playlist by @sazanes

Fanfic

Loving a Polyglot by @twinkleallnight

Headcanon

Headcanons: Kiara the Polyglot by @lizzybeth1986

The Languages Kiara Knows by @mand-delemonde

DAY 3 - AROUND THE WORLD

Art

Kiara Strikes A Pose On Travel by @cassiopeiacorvus

Beach Extravaganza by @sazanes

Fanfic

Around the (Stamping) World by @twinkleallnight

Moodboard

Moodboard and Character Appreciation by @angelasscribbles

DAY 4 - HOME/FAMILY

Family

Fanfic

Wordlessly by @lizzybeth1986

Second Born by @dcbbw

Ours by @mand-delemonde

Home

Art

Bedtime Reading with Maman by @sazanes

Fanfic

Home Is Where My Family Is by @twinkleallnight

DAY 5 - ROMANCE/FRIENDSHIP/THROWBACK

Relationships

Art

First Waltz: Hana x Kiara by @sazanes

Fanfic

Boxing with God (WIP)/KTAW WIPs (synopses) by @dcbbw

Moodboards

Kiara x Hana: Winter Romance by @lizzybeth1986

Throwback

Fanfic

Fashion Faux Pas by @lizzybeth1986

Once Upon A Time: Rashad, Kiara and Noah by @twinkleallnight

If Only...For the Night by @bebepac

--

Once again, we thank everyone who was part of this week, especially to our wonderful contributors who gave their heart and soul to these amazing pieces we have here. We're so incredibly proud of the content we got, and we urge everyone to check each and every piece on this masterlist. The range of topics here and the number of ways Kiara and her background were explored is unbelievable.

Even though the week is over, we are still open for content. If you'd like to send some that you'd intended for KTAW 2023, do tag us! Here are the list of themes! And here is last year's masterlist: KTAW 2022!

Check out every piece listed here... they're all such beautiful explorations of Kiara as a character, and please do pass on lots of love to our wonderful contributors who made this week so vibrant!!

See you all in 2024!

[kiaratheronappreciationweek]

KTAW Masterlist 2022

(This lovely poster has been brought to you by the wonderful @sazanes!)

Day 1: What We Love About Kiara/Throwback

What We Love About Kiara

Art

Très Embarrassant by @sazanes

Character Appreciation

What I Love Most About Kiara by @cassiopeiacorvus

SpreadJoy Quote: Kiara Theron by @storyofmychoices

Fanfic

An Ear to the Ground by @lizzybeth1986

Headcanon

Kiara Theron: Character Sheet by @thecapturedafrique

Throwback

Fanfic

Eleanor's Kitchen: Djaj M'qualli bi Zeitoon by @lizzybeth1986

Melting Moments by @twinkleallnight

The Wallflowers by @dcbbw

Midterms by @mand-delemonde

Headcanon

Hana and Kiara's Wedding by @lizzybeth1986

Day 2: Family

Art

Kiara and her Telescope by @cassiopeiacorvus

Kiara and Hakim by @sazanes

Fanfic

All We Have Is One Another by @twinkleallnight

Headcanon

The Lee-Thorne Children by @lizzybeth1986

Day 3: Diplomat/Polyglot

Polyglot

Fanfic

Common Ground by @thefirstcourtesan

Headcanon

Kiara's Personal Knowledge Management System by @cassiopeiacorvus

Playlist

A Multilingual Playlist for Kiara by @lizzybeth1986

Diplomat

Art

Diplomatic Liaison on The Royal Council by @sazanes

Fanfic

Hidden Agenda by @dcbbw

WIP: Untitled (Cotillion Piece) by @thecapturedafrique

WIP: Untitled by @twinkleallnight

Day 4: Origins/France

Origins

Art

Kiara's Cotillion, ft. the Spirit of Rowan Thorn by @cassiopeiacorvus

Headcanons

The Thorne Family - Origins | Family | France by @lizzybeth1986

The Therons: Origins/Family/France by @mand-delemonde

France

Art

Kiara with Joelle in Paris by @sazanes

Headcanons

Joëlle's (and Kiara's) French Lineage by @thecapturedafrique

Day 5: Relationships/Friendships

Romance

Art

Love is In The Air (Hana x Kiara) by @sazanes

Fanfic

The Arrangement (Liam x Kiara) by @dcbbw

Hidden Agenda (Liam x Kiara) by @dcbbw

Support (Hana x Kiara, Kiara&MC) by @thefirstcourtesan

Headcanon

Relationship Chart: Hana x Kiara by @cassiopeiacorvus

Friendships

Fanfic

The Perfect Gift (Liam&Kiara) by @lizzybeth1986

The Yale Adventures: First Impressions (Kiara&MC) by @thefirstcourtesan

Day 6: Castelserraillan

Art

Kiara's Costume Gala Outfit by @sazanes

Fanfic

It Takes A Village by @lizzybeth1986

Headcanon

Castelserraillan Headcanons by @cassiopeiacorvus

Day 7: Fashion

Art

Kiara's Costume Gala Outfit by @cassiopeiacorvus

Fanfic

Fashion Faux Pas by @lizzybeth1986

--

Once again, we thank everyone who was part of this week, especially to our wonderful contributors who gave their heart and soul to these amazing pieces we have here. We're so incredibly proud of the content we got, and we urge everyone to check each and every piece on this masterlist. The range of topics here and the number of ways Kiara and her background were explored is unbelievable.

Do read these works, pass your love to every content creator here and we hope to see you with more incredible events...in 2023 and beyond!! 💖💖