#Madeleine amaranth

[beckywiththeshitassbangs]

“TRR is such a straight book” not to this lesbian with a hyperfixation

[lizzybeth1986]

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

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

Previous - Maxwell and Penelope: When You Like the Side Character So Much, You Gift Her A Shiny New LI

A/N1: Apologies, again, for the length of this. There was so much damn retconning to wade through that it felt like a rollercoaster to write. There is also not going to be a lot of Hana in this, as I needed to unravel so many inconsistencies in Madeleine's writing. I also didn't want this to become a repeat of my essay series on Hana (which you can read here).

CW: Descriptions of bullying and intimidation, as well as dismissiveness of the same both in canon and from fandom. A mention of the 'infertility' plotline written for Hana in TRH1. Mentions of parental abuse and neglect.

In every other essay in this series, it's been important for me to analyse the potential of the pairings TRR went for. No matter how badly PB handled them later on, one could find promise in the possibilities of these pairings, and if written well they could result in a sweet, happy ending for the LIs we didn't marry. With a better sense of balance from the writers and less vitriol and double standards (in some cases) from the fandom, they could have worked.

Not so for this pairing.

In the case of Hana and Madeleine,it would have been far far better if this pairing had never happened at all. The problem wasn't just in the development; the roots of such a pairing itself were rotten.

(White) Female Antagonists

Before I delve into the characters involved in this pairing, it's important we take another deep dive into a narrative practice we often see with PB. Their blatant favouring of specifically white female antagonists.

Now, it's not as if white men in antagonistic roles don't get favourable writing from their teams and adulation from sections of the fandom (one has to only look at some of the posts Gaius Augustine of BB, Caleb of Hero, and Kane of TE got - just to name a few). But we also often see fans of such white women decry the (very little compared to their black counterparts) condemnation that their faves get for their actions in comparison to both antagonistic and romanceable white men. Such readers often neglect to acknowledge exactly how much the narrative bends over backwards to accomodate them, in a way that they never have done for even mildly hostile/wary black and brown women. And often this is with ample support and encouragement within the fandom itself.

One cannot even pretend this is a recent development. The early books had their fair share of white-woman-adulation and you can see some of the patterns that would solidify in PB discourse already take shape in their early books.

One excellent example of this is TCaTF. Compare the treatment that white women like Helene Leventis, Hex and Zenobia Nevrakis are given, to what Rowan Thorn - a black woman - gets. Helene is allowed to escape never to return, or join Kenna, despite being the woman who killed her mentor and close friend Gabriel. Hex is well known in the series for her sadistic torture devices and for destroying an extremely prosperous kingdom. Yet, she is captured - alive - and there are two options that allow her a bit more mercy, and only one that recommends the harshest of punishments. Rowan in the meantime only betrays Kenna if the latter is an absolute tyrant to her, and letting her go if she betrays her is touted as a failure. Her loyalty doesn't ensure she will live like Diavolos' does - you can in fact leave her to die if you don't have enough diamonds/prestige points.

The Freshman was an improvement on this: even if Becca Davenport started out as a classic college mean girl, her redemption arc involved her needing to work to regain trust with the group and her best friend Madison, regardless of the MC's fondness of her. Her housemates immediately set her straight when she lashes out at them at the beginning of TS, and Becca has to plan for almost a-book-and-a-half to get her friendship with Madison back to normal again.

Sadly, this is something that rarely ever happened again. Discrepancies in character treatment became more and more obvious as the years passed. Books where black and brown women behaved even mildly unimpressed or catty with the MC, showed them either suffering grievous fates or written out of the narrative (eg. Scarlett not even getting a proper future in the VoS bonus scene) or being mistrusted and misunderstood constantly by the MC and their friends (Aurora). Books where white women could cause grievous harm depicted them being let off without so much as a slap on the wrist (eg. Aunt Mallory of RoE being rewarded with a happy life, a man and reconciliation with the niece she tried to kill and the daughter she emotionally abused).

(Screenshots from SavageLordBarlow's YouTube channel)

Perhaps the worst and most obvious case to date was that of Vanessa Blackwood of MoTY, who called a young child "guttersnipe" within minutes of encountering her, outed a lesbian teacher, encouraged her son's bullying, provided legal counsel to the MC's ex husband just to see the woman suffer, and engineered a plot to frame the MC for theft so she could lose her job. Once Vanessa had crossed her limits, PB ensured they laid on the sympathy narrative thick, having her show sad faces when the MC scolded her in a paywall scene, punishing only her brown lackey (both the white people involved - Vanessa and Guy - are never named when Tallulah is exposed, even though she literally stole jewellery and framed the MC for them). In the series finale, Vanessa was rewarded with a cushy diamond scene where the MC can choose (in what is the understatement of the century) to call her "classist and a little bit racist" - all she is given at the end of the book is an extremely softball form of criticism.

Compare this to Xanthe of ACOR, who had far less power, who was repeatedly slut shamed by the MC and others for doing her job, and whose end was met in a "comical" scene that implied she'd been sold into sexual slavery while two black members of her scholae gloated over her plight (in a manner so uncharacteristic of them that even players who didn't necessarily like Xanthe were shocked. I would highly recommend you read @cassiopeiacorvus' excellent essay on her, "Xanthe: Courtesan, Rival, Pawn").

In an essay I'd written years ago, I'd noted the following:

"Check out who the narrative rewards you for treating well, as opposed to who will be made to support you either way.

You're allowed to show basic decency to a black or brown woman. But you're expected to show kindness, understanding and empathy to a white woman, and richly rewarded if you do. In some cases you will also face consequences if you don't. (Fandom - take note of the difference, and be sure not to forget it)."

Madeleine Amaranath is probably one of the best examples of this - with blatant retcons, unfounded adulation and obvious pandering lasting over five books.

Rules of Engagement

When we look at the full cast of TRR, we find at least six characters who are callbacks to its sister series, Rules of Engagement. Leo, Constantine, Regina, Bastien, Madeleine and Rashad (the last one was an addition from TRR2 onwards). Part of TRR's appeal as a series was its ability to reference the earlier one through these characters, but this time from the PoV of Leo's younger brother instead.

Madeleine appeared in only 2 chapters in RoE. She was Leo's fiancée, in an arranged match that not only their parents but their citizens expected, unfazed by the "commoners" Leo brought to his bed and secure in the knowledge that no matter who he slept with she would eventually become his Queen. Leo dashes these expectations, however, by abdicating his claim to the throne - whether the RoE MC chooses him or not.

At this point - when TRR was barely even a concept - Leo was a clear fan favourite. Players liked the idea of romancing a rogue prince from a fictional European country; it meant they could revel in the luxury of touching royalty, while being away from all the hard, unsavoury parts. The Madeleine angle provided them with a rival to fight off, and at the time that was all that mattered.

Was Leo's behaviour in RoE, towards both the RoE MC and Madeleine, dishonest? Definitely, but not many seemed to care much at the time and it hardly created a dent in his fanbase (most of the criticisms against him and his cheating ways and irresponsibility would emerge later - when the Leo stans became Drake stans, and it was more convenient to badmouth Liam's family).

Jeffrey Herdman, a Junior Game Writer with Pixelberry for over 7 years, was a part of both the RoE and TRR teams, and proudly admitted in the TRR2 pre-release interview, to being the one in charge of writing Madeleine:

Q: Very funny. (Just so we're clear, Jeffrey is joking. Sort of.) Out of curiosity, who's your favorite character to write in The Royal Romance?

Jeffrey: Madeleine. It's fun to write someone who's constantly trying to spin a situation to their benefit, and making power plays along the way. I've actually been writing for Madeleine since her appearance in Rules of Engagement: Book 2, so we're practically besties.

Excerpt from The Royal Romance: Book 2 Interview

(If we were to compare this adulation of the character from Jeffrey, to the person who wrote Hana - head writer Jennifer Young, you'd find a surprising difference. In this very interview Jennifer talks about enjoying the process of writing Hana, but pointed to Drake as her favourite LI - "In my personal game, my love interest is definitely Drake, and I totally make Kara write him just so I can read his scenes and enjoy the romance. =)".

Perhaps if Jennifer had spent less time fawning over Drake, and more time doing Hana's story justice, that LI wouldn't be stuck in a situation where the team constantly erased her experiences and history to benefit their favourites)

When you look at Jeffrey's open admiration of Madeleine, and trace her fairly choppy and largely incoherent narrative journey through the books...a lot of things begin to make sense.

TRR1 - Would a TRR1 Madeleine Have Been A Better Fit for Hana?

When you look at the first book, you can tell that the possibility of any of the other alternative pairings besides Liam and Olivia wasn't really entertained. There is no buildup at all for Maxwell x Penelope, Drake x Kiara - and not even a single direct interaction between fellow competitors Hana and Madeleine. In fact, TRR2 often had to cover up for the lack of interaction in certain cases by making the alternative LI come up with justifications for why they weren't approaching the LI before.

There is maybe one implied interaction between Hana and Madeleine, that I don't think even the writers paid much attention to at the time. In the pie baking scene in Applewood, Hana is assigned to Madeleine's team if the MC doesn't take her along. Whichever group Hana is in, she is in charge of the pie design.

In the diamond scene, she takes the MC's suggestions and gives her advice on the amount of apples required for the filling. Given that she gives credit to the MC (in front of Queen Regina) in this option, and doesn't not do the same for Madeleine, it is likely that she was allowed to decorate for the other team, but not with much input from the captain.

This pie has a rose design, which is beautiful but lacks the intricacy and the challenge of the Cordonian Royal Seal, which the MC can suggest in the diamond scene. It's possible that by default, Madeleine handled the baking herself (since Penelope couldn't even boil water and in fact is so distracted she unwittingly helps sabotage the pie), and Hana was assigned strictly decoration duties. But even these possibilities rely on conjecture and guesswork, with no real dialogue or interaction shown.

There are no other scenes where the two women talk or do anything together. Hana may be present in one or two scenes where Madeleine is speaking (such as the dining scene in Ch 17 where Madeleine tells the court ladies about the upcoming Engagement Tour), but the two never directly engage with each other. It's more likely that (like Maxwell and Penelope, or Drake and Kiara), the writers may have thought of Hana and Madeleine only in the second or third book - more likely the third, but there are possible hints in TRR2 if you squint.

Hana is an interesting anomaly among the cast of TRR. She is both Cordonian and foreigner; the ways of the Cordonian court are, in equal parts, both familiar and confusing to her. This serves as an double-edged advantage to the MC - Hana is both skilled and knowledgeable enough to ease her into the culture, and isolated and vulnerable enough for the MC to step up as a hero on occasion. We also find out in Lythikos (TRR1 Ch 7) that she was so deep in the closet that she couldn't fully articulate her struggle to love the romantic English noble who wanted to marry her, in the presence of the woman she was slowly beginning to love. Within the competition itself, Hana is shown having a hard time finding people who will associate with her, often shown left out of events and her yacht party abandoned during the Regatta. The broken engagement could have a hand in making her appear to be struggling in the competition, but tbh Olivia is the only one who brings it up. Overall, she does well in the competition, but gets little credit for the same.

Madeleine is the polar opposite of this. Even though the ladies of the court initially view her with a mixture of pity and respect (due to her broken engagement with Leo, and her position as a Countess and winner of the previous season), their views on Madeleine once she enters the competition range from anger (Olivia), to speculation (Kiara and Penelope), to indifference and later suspicion (the MC).

Madeleine comes into the social season with several advantages: her pedigree and her years of experience at court. Both Bertrand and the MC note that Madeleine hails from a "powerful family" and "is immersed in the intrigues and maneuverings of courtly life", and therefore the MC is cautioned by Applewood to pay more attention to her than to Olivia. If the MC fails to win court favour, both Penelope and Kiara show allegiance to Madeleine. Where Hana is shown to be vulnerable despite her skills, charm and intelligence, Madeleine is meant to be viewed with respect even by her peers - and expected not to return that respect to others unless they're the king and queen.

I often view the Madeleine of Book 1 (and early TRR2), and the Madeleine of the latter half of Book 2, as two separate people (more on that in the next section). Early Madeleine was depicted as a clear threat. While she does nothing too out-of-pocket during the competition, her threats to the MC once she is (optionally) the favourite frontrunner, her singular focus on only the king and queen (and largely ignoring the Prince), and inability to respectfully lose, ensure that the reader registers her as a figure of danger early on. The first time she (optionally) faces an obvious loss and sees the MC crowned as Apple Queen, Madeleine tells her to "savour these moments. You may never hear the phrase again".

Her very extreme attempts to belatedly win Liam's favour after ignoring him the entire season (we later find out that she barged into his sleeping quarters the previous night and suggested the arrangement that Liam speaks about in TRR2), earns her speculative looks from the MC and wariness from Liam himself. Given that the outcome was so different in TRR2 but the buildup to said outcome was so rushed and chaotic, there is a 70/30 chance that Madeleine's buildup in Book 1 was meant to highlight her as someone with the capability to harm the MC, rather than just as a red herring. At the very most, Book 1 would highlight her as powerful, with the intention that Book 2 would follow through with showing her as a cog in a very vicious machine.

But because Madeleine's actions in TRR1 don't result in any direct harm, it's honestly hard to envision her as dangerous beyond the subtle threats (that people could brush off as basic rivalry) and rank classism.

Would Hana's pairing with the Madeleine of TRR1 have worked? It's equally hard to say. If we take only Book 1 into account, and ignore the very real possibility of a threat that Madeleine represents, there's a sliver of a chance that such a pairing could work...if Madeleine works on herself. At this point she hasn't manifested as a direct threat to Hana in a way that, say, Olivia has - and all the MC has at this point are theories and speculation. You'd have to probably change half of Madeleine's characterization, but it could be workable if the foundation for such a pairing was mutual respect from the start.

Still, when you take into consideration that Madeleine being involved in the plot against the MC was a very legitimate possibility, it's hard to see any opening for this pairing. Even Penelope - whose coddling from the narrative knew no limits - was no longer entertained as a potential alternative romance for an LI the moment her role in the plot was uncovered. If any harm was done to the MC, and Madeleine was found to be behind it, there is no way Hana would even be allowed to entertain the thought of her as an alternative LI at all.

You see - hurting Hana is no big deal. But hurting the MC and still getting an LI to show interest in you? Now that would be beyond the pale!

Madeleine: A Red Herring...Or A Villain Retconned?

As I have mentioned earlier, there is one writer - who has seniority in the company because of his many years there, who has always been in charge of Madeleine's writing, and who has always loved writing her. On close inspection one can say for certain that Jeffrey Herdman had a fair bit of sway in the team itself, especially from the fact that one of his weirdest writing suggestions - the MC's supposed obsession with hats - was retained in the books as a gag for a very, very long time (TRF finale livestream interview). When you take both Jeffrey's sway in the team, and the writing of Madeleine in TRR2 and 3 (and beyond), one can make several educated guesses about what Madeleine was built up to be, and how that changed midway.

Plenty of fan posts written in the gap between TRR1's finale and TRR2's release, took for granted that Madeleine would have some role to play in the plot against the MC. While one may assume this was due to "jealousy" from players or "hate for a bitchy character", there were enough signs in TRR1 and 2 that this was the route the narrative was initially planning to take with her.

The MC does voice suspicions of Madeleine in the first book - mostly after Madeleine herself voices threats to the MC during the Apple Queen ceremony. Madeleine also looks apprehensive at the (optional) public support Liam shows towards the MC at the Beaumont estate, and even shows him a suspiciously huge amount of attention at the Coronation. The MC even confronts Madeleine during the Coronation festivities when she gets a note threatening her to withdraw from the competition, believing it was sent by the latter. But beyond this, Madeleine's own words in TRR1 often sound ominous and laced with subtle threats. Still - going by just TRR1's evidence, Madeleine could still work as a good red herring, since she's not exactly crossed a clear line with anyone yet.

TRR2 seems to go in one direction when it comes to Madeleine's arc, then makes a sharp pivot in the opposite direction post Chs 7 and 8. The first half of the book has both the MC and Liam regard her with doubt and suspicion, especially when the MC learns that Madeleine had come to Liam's rooms the night before the Coronation, and insisted he continue the relationship with the MC on the sly while making her the queen. The book presents several contrasts between Madeleine and the MC, presenting their possible ruling styles and envisioning how each woman would fare as a future queen.

In a diamond scene in TRR2 Ch 4, Liam asks the MC how she would handle a plate of curry chicken falling on someone - an incident that has already occurred in some playthroughs to Madeleine (who got recognizably frustrated and called the whole episode "a disaster"). In contrast, the MC can claim she would either defuse the situation with humour or help clear the mess - both of which establish that unlike Madeleine the MC knows how to adapt to different situations, and prefers to find a solution rather than take her frustrations out on everyone else. Liam points out the differences between the two women as the MC "having perspective... every gaffe isn't a disaster".

Multiple scenes in the story focus on Madeleine's rigidity, her inability to adapt, her hunger for power, her belief that becoming queen gives her a free pass to be a tyrant, her hubris that allows her to outright harm some of her ladies in waiting and believe she will never face consequences, and her overall lack of real impact during her own engagement tour (only if the MC fails miserably does the Italian statesman Francesco even mention Madeleine). A lot of this buildup indicates that she won't be as effective a queen as other characters claim she will be.

Her overall behaviour in the first half of TRR2 seems to highlight overconfidence, and a willingness to overstep every possible boundary in the belief that nothing will now prevent her from getting what she wants ("the best part about being Queen is that I don't have to explain myself to anyone. Including you."). Even though she isn't queen yet, both Madeleine and everyone around her behave as if she has already been crowned! That kind of overconfidence - especially from someone who should know better than anyone that winning the competition doesn't necessarily mean she'll be crowned - makes more sense when she is aware that there are powerful people (like the former king and her aunt, the former queen) to back her.

There is also the fact that Penelope's involvement in the plot never got any proper buildup. There is just one scene, in TRR2 Ch 6, where she speaks about feeling uncomfortable at parties and balls, and how much she hates crowds. The reveal of her being the culprit is in Ch 7; the reveal of her social anxiety is in Ch 8. Before this, you have zero indicators of her being involved in this level of deception - even though her history of "social anxiety" should have ideally made that kind of subterfuge difficult, and she should have been able to leave a few tells, signalling her guilt. It is very clear on rereads that Penelope's involvement in the plot was a last-minute narrative decision.

But perhaps the strongest evidence that TRR2 was originally meant to establish Madeleine as part of the plot against the MC, is a line from the very first scene of the book. When a confused MC asks Bertrand how it's possible for Liam to break his engagement, Bertrand mentions a constitutional provision:

"The king is able to change his selection in specific cases for the good of the nation". The MC being proven as framed and unfairly disgraced achieves very little in this context, because the focus is clearly on the king's final choice. This means that the engagement cannot be voided on the basis of the MC being innocent, but on the basis of Madeleine being unfit for the role.

What happens to this "constitutional clause" once Penelope is declared the culprit among the court ladies rather than Madeleine? It disappears completely. If she was really meant to be a red herring from the start, the team would never have added this line in the first place. Nor would they have left the "buildup" for Penelope's anxiety till Ch 6, just one chapter before her reveal. If Madeleine was really meant to be a mere red herring from the start, there would have been more than just one crumb presented for that trail.

It is highly possible that the team had plans for Madeleine to be involved in the plot, or in something shady enough to justify breaking the engagement. It is just as highly possible that Jeffrey, the writer in charge of her character, allowed his favouritism for that character to dictate his writing of her, and convinced the team to change the trajectory of the story to benefit her.

Hana and Madeleine - The First Half of TRR2

Most of the interactions between Hana and Madeleine in TRR2 are overshadowed by one incident in Ch 7 - the one most popularly known as "the chocolate incident". Madeleine was already not too popular as a character when this scene came out, but her admission that she wanted to break Hana crossed enough of a line that a number of players would bring it up as a reason for why they couldn't ever like her, no matter how often she was retconned in canon.

A common misconception made about the "chocolate incident" from Madeleine lovers and haters alike, is that it's viewed as a singular episode rather than as an escalation in an ongoing pattern of threats that Madeleine was already making to Hana.

Viewing it as an isolated incident is precisely what allowed both Madeleine stans, and the canon narrative itself, to severely downplay what Madeleine did, and what she openly declared she would continue doing to Hana. Therefore, it is essential to look into Hana and Madeleine's interactions before Ch 7, as well as the context behind Hana's return to court and the very real and grave threat that Madeleine represents to Hana specifically.

To do this, we must first look into how Hana's return to court (after her parents forced her to leave post Coronation) is depicted. There are two versions of this story - Madeleine's version...and the truth.

Madeleine's Version: "If it wasn't for me, she'd still be on the other side of the world. I've heard dogs remember those who feed them. I hope you'll keep this in mind and remember that dear Hana is here by my personal invitation". This is a half-truth at best and ironically, this is the version Hana sticks to. She is never allowed to tell us differently.

The truth, as said by Liam to Hana post Coronation: "I am the King of Cordonia. I'm sure Lady Madeleine knows that if she wants to keep our engagement, she'll have to give me something. Perhaps I can convince her to make you part of her court". Hana never gets to tell us this. That honour is given to Drake!

Even after the MC (optionally) gets to know this truth, she never talks to Hana about it, and Hana is never allowed to veer from Madeleine's narrative even in private. In the process, Madeleine gets to use her half-truth as a form of blackmail - threatening Hana at least twice to send her back to China if she paces even one toe out of Madeleine's arbitrary line.

In TRR2 Ch 4, Madeleine is shown antagonizing her entire court (ordering Penelope to get lemonade and comparing her to dogs, telling Kiara to exoticize herself by not speaking in English [which itself has colonial/Orientalist connotations]). But none is more ominous and disturbing than her subtle threat to Hana before introducing her to the two suitors:

Being sent back to her parents is a terrifying prospect for Hana...for two reasons. For one, Hana is committed to being there for the MC, to contributing to her investigation (and she does! Massively. Perhaps more than anyone else in the group). For another, she is just beginning to realize what a damaging environment her parents' house is, and she also knows they are already growing suspicious that she hasn't found another suitor yet. By the end of this conversation, Hana is visibly distraught... to the point of needing moral support (something she rarely asks for herself).

Remember - this is an arbitrary rule Madeleine comes up with, that applies only to Hana. In the same conversation, neither Kiara nor Penelope are placed under this kind of pressure. Though Penelope claims in Ch 6 that her parents won't allow her to come home if she doesn't get a suitor, Madeleine doesn't levy any other threats of this nature on her (she harms Penelope in other ways).

Madeleine is aware that Liam was the one responsible for Hana's return. It is implied that she is also aware that neither Liam nor Hana can say this in public. By this coin, she'd know that she shouldn't be the one who can take a call on sending Hana back - Liam is. Yet she issues this sort of a threat, and worse still...is allowed to get away with it through Hana and the MC's silence, both in private and in public.

Unlike the MC and Olivia, the other three ladies of the court are present in official positions to the future Queen, and are expected to publicly pledge loyalty to her. The narrative of TRR2 alone seems to give the King's fiancèe powers and influences similar to an actual Queen Consort's. And Hana, Kiara and Penelope aren't just random "court members" - they are Madeleine's ladies-in-waiting. They cannot even speak to certain people unless she approves of it (Ch 1), she orders them around with the disrespect that many in that nobility reserve for their servants (Penelope in Ch 4), she publicly humiliates and insults them if they make a single mistake (eg. Penelope not getting a metallic dress in time for the bachelorette), and she can get away with causing them grievous harm (Hana). There is no actual point to any of this behaviour - it achieves nothing and (by the narrative parameters of the third book) is actually foolish, because Madeleine's actions could cost the royal family their relationship with the Great Houses. Neither the MC nor Liam (the actual monarch), would be allowed by the narrative later to abuse their power the way Madeleine can, in a position that isn't even hers yet!

It is easy to view Madeleine's interactions with Hana and Penelope especially, as just some regular mean-girls shit, with all the excuses, justifications and crocodile tears that the fandom can shower on said white/white-passing mean girls. Canon itself encourages this reading when they use the word "hazing" to describe what Madeleine put Hana through. But when we speak of Madeleine's behaviour in her engagement tour that way, we miss a very important aspect of her dynamic with these two women. They are no longer competitors or mere allies. They are not just people she knows in court.

They are not Madeleine's equals. They are her employees. She is directly in a position of immense, unquestioned and unchecked power over them. Publicly, she has the authority to invite them into her court, and to throw them out of their jobs. It is from that lens, that we must view her behaviour, especially in Ch 7.

The "Chocolate Incident" and Its Aftermath

Another reason to believe Jeffrey's favouritism for Madeleine allowed for an actual change in the story, is the way this above scene - and the ones preceding it - were handled immediately in both the immediate and long-term aftermath.

Often dubbed "the chocolate incident", this scene takes place in Italy (the first stop of the engagement tour) during Madeleine's bachelorette. For anyone who has forgotten the incident, Madeleine's ladies-in-waiting are supposed to organize different fun activities for her bachelorette, and the MC uses each event as both a PR exercise and an opportunity to check the credit cards of the ladies.

The final activity is Hana's, an intricately-planned chocolate fondue party complete with chocolate-themed games and treats. If one reads too much between the lines, one could maybe notice the tiniest sliver of a romantic hint in Hana's conversation with the MC over her confusing an actual bachelorette party with the show The Bachelorette (It is just as possible tho - if not more - that this is a comic aside pointing to Hana's lack of exposure to modern media).

However, things take a turn for the worst at this juncture. Madeleine heavily berates Hana for not knowing that she is "allergic to chocolate", accusing her of an attempt to murder and even threatening to remove her from her position in court. This leaves Hana so distraught that she ruins her own dress in the process, and is damn near inconsolable. The MC can - if she chooses - comfort Hana along with their friends. At the end of the night, a heavily drunk Madeleine gleefully admits she lied about the allergy and gloats about wanting to keep hurting Hana till she breaks, because she "wants to have a little fun".

She claims, when asked why, that it's because "everyone wants something, but the nice ones like Hana don't even have the decency to act like it". Which sounds like the sort of sick logic that fandom often happily accepts from their favourite white antagonists, where they can project whatever sob story they want to make such a reasoning palatable. Such attempts ignore the fact that Madeleine is torturing someone for supposed "duplicity" when she is herself well-known for being insincere.

Later, when it was convenient for the fandom to hate on Hana, she would be either blamed for the torture Madeleine put her through (because she was "weak" or "too nice", or that she was "spineless and deserved this treatment". I even saw posts that claimed it "wasn't that bad" (in the case of one particularly memorable instance, a Madeleine stan went so far as to say, agreeing with a post expressing a fondness for Madeleine: "...before anyone mentions the chocolate prank: Did Hana die, tho?"). Some also tried to reason that it was fair for Madeleine to target Hana, either to showcase her "wiles" or because of her sad sad childhood.

As I pointed out earlier, every single one of these takes tend to downplay Madeleine's bullying/abuse so that it sounds more like a schoolyard squabble that happened only once, rather than a person in power consistently placing their employee's job under threat, with the stated intention of harming them mentally and emotionally on a regular basis, until they experienced a breakdown. The center of this conflict isn't about different people with different approaches. Nor is it about court maneuvering or wiles because honestly, nothing worthwhile was achieved through Madeleine's abuse, and she had no purpose for doing those things beyond deriving a sick pleasure from other people's suffering.

It isn't about nice vs tough, nor ambitious vs generous, nor "naive" vs "jaded". It is about a gross power imbalance. An imbalance that results in the exploitation of the more vulnerable party...which is later brushed aside by the one who claims to be the latter's "friend" like it means nothing.

Structure wise, one can see striking similarities between this chapter, and TRR1's Ch 7, where the MC can view Olivia in a new light in the first half of the chapter, but be disturbed by her vindictive nature by the end of it. Here too, the MC comes into the investigation of the credit cards fully expecting to see Madeleine as the culprit. Over the course of the evening she finds Madeleine treating her ladies-in-waiting badly, but also calling out the press for targeting only the MC but staying silent on Tariq's involvement (ironically, Madeleine herself didn't exactly believe the MC if she tells her she was set up). She is also shocked when she realises Madeleine isn't the culprit at the club. Still, the court is given a rude shock when Hana is accused of putting Madeleine's life in danger.

Clearly the aim of such a chapter was to make the MC soften a little towards Madeleine, while still keeping some of the antagonistic tension. However, the more direct impact of Madeleine's huge ego trip on Hana made the harm far more visible than Olivia's jibes towards a woman who was far away...plus the scenes that followed in the former sequence centered Drake, far more than the ones in the latter that involved comforting Hana.

Madeleine's bullying also clashes - quite conveniently - with the reveal of Penelope's betrayal, so that the latter overshadows what Hana went through altogether.

It is important to note at this point that the MC is the only person not directly tied in an alliance to Madeleine (besides Olivia and Maxwell, who are then missing at the fashion show backstage scene in Paris) who knows Madeleine's intentions towards Hana. She is the only person present at the event in Paris, who knows that Madeleine intended to continue harassing her until she broke. Hana herself is never made fully aware of this, and if she is left in a vulnerable, dangerous position while on her mission to support the MC's investigation - then the fault lies to a large extent with the MC for keeping silent, rather than protecting her friend from someone who fully intended to hurt her.

I say this because in France (Ch 8), the MC's exposing of Madeleine is by choice, rather than default (this essay has a full breakdown of said scene). Moreover, the option where the MC can "expose" her will result in Madeleine lying about the act being an "official hazing" she does for all her ladies-in-waiting. Not only does the MC neglect to contest Madeleine's claims (or even tell Hana the full truth in secret), she also parrots Madeleine's lie in a conversation with Adeleide in NY, as if it were the truth (Ch 14).

Remember how I mentioned Jeffrey - the writer who was in charge of Madeleine's scenes and sang her praises in TRR2's pre-release interview? His influence here is obvious in the way the narrative sharply pivots away from Madeleine's characterization so far, to engage in a full-blown pity party.

The abuses of her power (towards Hana and Penelope in particular) stop. The parallels that canon makes between Madeleine and the MC as future Queens, stop. No reference, ever, is made of her actions before Ch 8.

For over seven chapters, Madeleine largely fades into the background - sometimes there will be scenes where she is present, but without any dialogue or actions. Sometimes she may make a catty move like getting the MC to pick up her wedding ring, but from a safe distance. Because she doesn't openly antagonize anyone or show up much in Chs 9-15, the sense of distance could allow some to soften in their memories of her. Especially when the only strong reminders of Madeleine in these chapters come from Adeleide, her mother.

Adeleide is an important cog in the machinery that resulted in the retconning of Madeleine's character in TRR2. Without her, Patriotic!Madeleine wouldn't have become canon. Adeleide sets the stage for this extremely inaccurate reading of her, with complaints on two occasions about how Madeleine is "putting too much pressure on herself" and working too hard. Which contradicts her very real actions in Applewood and Italy, where she regularly antagonized her entire court and where she doesn't get much notable approval from foreign dignitaries (Signor Francesco) unless the MC is that bad.

The narrative, at this point, expects us to view her with sympathy, as someone who could have been "an excellent queen" (Adeleide's words, not mine). The stage is clearly set so that we pity her when Liam calls off the engagement and she loses this position, that we can see her loss as "unfair". It ensures that there is an overflow of sympathy for Madeleine's plight, especially since she had already lost her chance to become Queen once before with Leo. By this point, many readers had actually forgotten the "chocolate incident" altogether, and were more than willing to view Madeleine as a patriot who wasn't given her due. A description that, ironically, more accurately fits Hana.

Is Hana Really Just A Nice Girl who Never Fights Back?

As I mentioned before, Hana's "niceness" and "weakness" were sometimes presented in fandom as justifications/reasons for Madeleine's bullying of her, often in an attempt to shift blame or make it sound like Madeleine's stated "reasons" (in TRR2 Ch 7) to hurt her were legitimate. Almost as if to say that Hana was targeted because she presents herself as an easy target.

To be clear, I don't subscribe to such a train of thought myself. Different people react to bullies and abusers in different ways - and not being able to push back aggressively in tense situations doesn't make anyone a lesser person. In fact, canon itself doesn't mind providing a "weaker" person protection against someone like Madeleine...as long as that person is Penelope. So we cannot even claim that Hana's "weakness" is why Madeleine targets her, or why the MC shouldn't have to protect Hana better.

Canon also doesn't help much in this respect, especially with their preferences for the meaner white women. In fact the narrative doesn't even allow Hana the chance to speak up in private against Madeleine's half-truths about her return, and she is made to easily accept Madeleine's "hazing" excuse. Let's not even get into how she speaks about Madeleine in TRR3. Additionally, no one in Hana's own friend group provides adequate protection or support - they stay silent where it counts.

But is Hana really that incapable of fighting for herself? According to the finale of TRR1, no.

Even though the scene is hidden behind a paywall, Hana's pushback against Olivia's treatment of her during the social season is strong, decisive and done entirely on her own initiative, with no prompting or involvement from the MC. She is honest about the ways in which Olivia has hurt her, but also makes it clear that Olivia's opinions and vitriol no longer matter - effectively reclaiming her own power in the process.

Such a scene is a clear indicator that Hana is capable of pushing back, and isn't afraid to speak truth to power - as early as TRR1. While one could say that as a diamond scene, it is possible that it can't be fully shown as canon - there are ways the writers know how to incorporate such things. Often, they have managed to write in similar scenes or the same information into free scenes later on (eg. the selling of Liam's bachelor party photos, which wasn't even that important to the story of TRR2). Hana could have had a free pushback scene with Olivia if the writers really wanted to give her one.

That aside, it's safe to say that there is a precedent for Hana being able to fight back before TRR2, and canon could have found ways to ensure that she could safely do so with Madeleine too. Or at least have more protection and care from her friend group, if her position as lady-in-waiting prevented her from speaking out. Penelope got to demand protection later on, after all - and she wasn't even our friend.

We must also take into account the positions of power that Madeleine, Olivia and later even the MC hold. Madeleine is a countess in line to become queen in TRR2. Olivia is a duchess, and the MC herself is given this honour in Book 2. Hana - despite her skills, knowledge and charm - never gets lands, nor a title unless she marries the MC. Hana's experience in Cordonia isn't just about "other women" being mean to her with the MC being "not like other girls" - all three of the above women are in positions of power over her, and even the nicest of them uses her more often than she helps.

TRR2 doesn't exactly build Hana and Madeleine as a pair. In hindsight one can read romantic hints into Madeleine's mocking usage of the word "darling" around Hana, Hana's attempt to replicate The Bachelorette for Madeleine's bachelorette party, and read parallels into both their toxic family histories (particularly Hana with her mother and Madeleine with her father). But there is no actual romantic content there that one could find with the other three pairs, which leads me to believe that Hana and Madeleine was only taken seriously as a romantic prospect in TRR3.

How did Madeleine become the final romantic choice for Hana, and no one else? Because the relationship was never made Hana's benefit - it was for Madeleine's. Given all the evidence laid out about TRR1!Madeleine, TRR2!Madeleine and including hints that she may have actually been written as the villain at some point, it's more likely that Madeleine's main writer ensured some changes in the writing of his favourite character midway into the story, resulting in her staying longer in court and several retcons that painted her as a tragic heroine and completely erased any actions that contradicted such a narrative.

This specific narrative also seems to draw upon a narrative trope that is seen sometimes in certain stories featuring queer couples - the Armoured Closted Gay. It is employed often enough, mostly to show the pervasiveness and immense pressure heteronormativity can have on some queer people - that sometimes, they hate themselves for not adhering to the norm and therefore project that self-hatred onto people like them. PB had done a similar kind of story in TF and ILITW - with Zig and an aggressive teammate Manny (but with discussions on sexual harassment and about being closeted) and with Lily Oritz and her crush Britney. Unlike Zig's and Lily's cases though, this sort of narrative hardly centers on Hana.

Hana is hardly treated as a person in her own right in this narrative. She is treated as a "consolation prize" for Madeleine's "good behaviour" and "hard work". Which is still a really, really hard story to sell when one of the characters states outright that they'd abuse their power over the other till she breaks.

So how does PB get back from that kind of cruelty, and convert it into an actual romance?

Madeleine in TRR3 - The Royal Retcon

(In order: MC complimenting Madeleine to Godfrey (Ch 3), response to Madeleine's "send my regards to Hana (Ch 9), Madeleine asking for a dance (Ch 16), Optional response about memories of Madeleine's bachelorette in Hana's Vegas diamond scene (Ch 16))

By gaslighting an entire fandom, of course.

TRR3 requires us at the very start to do two things - to recruit Madeleine into replacing Justin as our press secretary, and to convince her family to join the Unity Tour so that Cordonia knows its nobility stands with the Crown. Until this point, we've only had hints of Madeleine's so-called "patriotism", mostly from Adeleide. TRR3 Ch 3 goes full force on this reading: having Madeleine claim (in the most positive option) that all her efforts to become queen was "for my people...it was always for Cordonia", having Hana claim that Madeleine "would mostly likely take a bullet for Liam... because you'd never leave Cordonia without a King". Coupled with Godfrey and Adeleide's toxic family dynamics, the story is set to push forward a narrative where we are meant to sympathize with her and preferably downplay her behaviour from the previous book.

Throughout Madeleine's tenure as press sec, we are expected to laud her "work" - even though the truth is that she makes our work harder by giving us heavy folders and 100 note cards of materials just minutes before our meetings, and leaving out important information (like Zeke) for us to scramble about and find. Where during her time as future queen, her ladies-in-waiting were expected to have every detail perfect as per her desires otherwise face her wrath - as our employee, we are expected to appreciate efforts alone, and be lenient when she doesn't follow our rules (eg. wearing gold for our bachelorette when she was supposed to wear muted colours, trying to sneak in a white dress to our wedding). Most of our responses to her "work" involve fulsome praise, or at most a very light criticism that still claims she's good at her job (she isn't). And it isn't just the MC - even Justin (who recommended her) and Hana are made to sing her praises.

Having canon claim Madeleine does a good job when she actually doesn't is... frustrating, but not as awful as the retconning they do for her past behaviour. But it is part of a pattern that whitewashes Madeleine altogether so the readers can consider her deserving of the rewards that the narrative so badly wants to give her, whether her actual conduct matches up to these fulsome praises or not.

One clear tactic that is used to achieve this, was to have the person she harmed the most, speak of her in glowing terms. In TRR3 Ch 3, you have at least two instances during the "Cordonia's Most" game where Hana uses the game to compliment Madeleine. Here, she compliments Madeleine on knowing how to "charm a crowd...her confidence and poise", and claims her to be very patriotic. If the MC refuses to coddle Madeleine during their private conversation, the onus to be kind to her rests solely on Hana's shoulders, where she is required to say, "maybe it's time to see if you can catch more flies with honey". Hana is also shown wanting to include Madeleine in group activities (TRR3 Ch 6, before going to the spa), in the same way she tried to include Olivia in TRR2. When we're shown a Hana who is not only willing but enthusiastic to speak to Madeleine, it further encourages the reader to befriend her - almost as if to say, "if Hana doesn't mind being friendly with her, why should you?".

And this wouldn't be possible at all if canon was honest about Madeleine's conduct in TRR2. So much about Madeleine's advice to us in TRR3 directly contradicts her own behaviour as future queen in TRR2 ("having an entourage isn't about vanity...it's about support"). Had canon actually been honest about her conduct, this statement would be viewed as extremely ironic, a huge portion of the blame for Penelope's reluctance to return to court would be (rightly) placed on Madeleine's shoulders and we would be able to call her out specifically on her tyrannical behaviour as future queen, as well as her inability to adjust her work to suit her client now. We would not be placing Madeleine on a pedestal ad nauseum, or paying much attention to her childish complaints that her "efforts" are going unappreciated.

Whenever the early part of the engagement tour is referenced, it is spoken of in the vaguest, most milquetoast terms. The narrative will speak vaguely of "meanness", but never actually specify what Madeleine did. The closest we get to any sort of confirmation of this is in the Costume Gala (Ch 9) if the MC warns Madeleine to stay away from Hana...and even there, the MC just says she did "mean things". Which is the mildest possible way I have seen of someone describing a person who gloated about breaking Hana. Like the word "hazing" from the previous book, all these vague references leave it to the readers' faint memories, or imagination, to figure out what Madeleine did.

But all of these are just hints at best, and most of what we could assume of the writers' intentions came largely from guesswork. There was constantly a sense of something not being right, but many of us at the time couldn't completely articulate it. That is, until Ch 16, and only if we pressed a specific option in the Vegas diamond scene, in just Hana's playthrough:

Unlike the previous scenes - which were mostly attempts to obfuscate the events of the previous book - this scene replaces what actually happened with blatant lies. Not only does it wipe out entirely what Madeleine did, replacing it with a casual comment from Hana about her "fun side", it also smears Kiara for something she didn't do at all during the bachelorette (for clarity, Kiara found out she was a great dancer, and looked quite annoyed if the MC chose a wrong dialogue option as an excuse to see her card. The MC never saw her lashing out at Penelope during this event). Even if the MC and Hana were so drunk that night that they wouldn't remember events clearly (which isn't how they're depicted at all when the "chocolate incident" took place), it wouldn't be replaced with things that never actually happened. The writers were more than ready to throw Kiara under the bus to make Madeleine look better, and have those lies come out of Hana's mouth (and mind you, Hana liked Kiara so much she chose her to be her MoH in Ch 18 of her playthrough, so it can't even have been spite towards Kiara on her part).

In contrast, Penelope is allowed to be open about Madeleine's mistreatment of her. In fact she cites it as the main reason for her reluctance to return to court, and even complains at the MC if the latter asks her if she didn't get the memo on the bachelorette dress code in TRR3 Ch 16 ("oh no, no, it's like Madeleine all over again!"). The group is required to protect her from Madeleine; in Ch 4, when Penelope is upset at the very sight of Madeleine, Drake comes to her rescue and reassures her ("She's with us, Penelope. We won't let her bite."). While Madeleine herself is protected from any consequences for what she did to Penelope (besides an optional tiny jibe in Ch 4), the MC and her group are required to reassure her that they will never allow it to happen again. In a very disgusting contrast, the narrative pushes Hana at the forefront of the diamond scene with Madeleine, without ever considering her comfort or safety around the person who wanted to break her. Not only does the group involve her without ever asking her if she wants to be part of it - Drake and Maxwell safely distance themselves when the time comes for Madeleine to speak personally about her troubles, and the MC can choose not to be sympathetic in certain dialogue options. Which means that the onus to comfort and persuade her is largely on Hana's shoulders. We must also remember that, unlike Penelope, Hana is deprived of the full truth of Madeleine's intentions in the last book too.

Where the writers were ready to at least admit that Madeleine's behaviour affected Penelope deeply, they went to the extent of completely rewriting the narrative of her TRR2 bachelorette to erase what she put Hana through.

The "Romance" in TRR3

(First four screenshots from my playthroughs, next four from the Adventure...Romance...Thrills YouTube Channel, and the final row's screenshots from the Annabelle Lee YouTube channel and the Skylia YouTube channel)

The Hana and Madeleine "romance" is hinted at in 5 scenes (4 in other playthroughs, and just one in Hana's own). As with most of the other romances, Madeleine's feelings are the most prominent. To the more romance-coded overtures, Hana's reaction is usually shock and disbelief, with a small suspicion over whether Madeleine is doing this to trick her into humiliation later. But the narrative gives her very little opportunity to even talk about anything related to Madeleine, especially anything negative. You do have a scene at the finale that is meant to provide closure, but not in a romantic way. This scene is very different from the others, and in some ways puts an end to the possibility of this relationship happening anytime soon.

How did we get from those scenes to this final one in Ch 22? It would be useful to look at the scenes, within the timeline of TRR3's release and with the context of fandom reactions.

1. The "Cordonia's Most" Scene (Ch 3)

This diamond scene is written to give the MC/reader a bit of background on Madeleine's past and family, which will prove useful later when she has to convince the Amaranths to fix their relationship with each other. It is set against the background of a drinking game where an asker can quiz everyone else about who would be the most likely to do a particular action. Hana references Madeleine twice in the game (in a very complimentary manner), and Madeleine references Hana once. It was her comment about Hana being "stupidly sweet and perfect" that caught the attention of some readers and made them wonder if that was the route PB was planning to take with Hana. This dialogue shows up in Hana's route as well.

In later chapters, we see instances of Hana trying to include Madeleine in group activities...such as in Ch 6 where she invites the latter to come with them to the spa after the football match with Jiro and Camellia.

2 and 3. Cross-Referencing Each Other at Costume Gala (Ch 9)

This is a very interesting development, at an equally interesting time. Around the time Ch 9 released (end-April 2018), PB announced that TRR's team would be taking a hiatus, mostly to work on "some exciting stuff" during that break. It also gave them the time to work on certain things the fandom was demanding, and do away with others due to stan vitriol (Kiara's attraction towards Drake being one of them). The next chapter would only appear a month and a half later (mid-June).

Ch 9 sneaked in a scene that hinted at Hana and Madeleine as a romance option, but in a way that made it very hard for players to notice on a casual read. The scene is split in two parts: the MC can choose to speak to either Hana and Olivia, or Maxwell, Justin and Madeleine. Hana and Olivia's scene shows the two commenting on Gala outfits, which kickstarts a conversation about diplomacy vs bluntness. The latter option explores a variety of topics, mostly revolving around an appreciation for Madeleine's "great work".

Both Hana and Madeleine reference each other in their scenes. Hana's dialogue depends on whether the MC is her fiancèe or not; in other playthroughs, she admires Madeleine's costume, the compliment on her good looks very personal. In her own playthrough, she compliments Kiara's outfit but in a more distant fashion ("subtle and clever, just like her...very well-chosen"). In Madeleine's scene (which is the same across playthroughs), the ending involves her telling the MC to "send my regards to Hana", in response to which she can choose a line of questioning (which ranges from "protective towards Hana" to largely indifferent. In all three options, thankfully, the MC can close with "don't let me catch you antagonizing her", but that really is one small mercy in a pile of blatant retconning.

What marks Hana's dialogue about Madeleine as an LI-specific option, is that she says something entirely different if the MC is getting married to her. This is an indication that the dialogue was intended to be read as romantic, and that it couldn't be said by an LI who was already in love and ready to marry the MC. Pretty much in the same way that Olivia in Liam's playthrough cannot hold his hand in Applewood or dance with him in Vegas.

I wrote an essay on this at the time - both on the possibility of the pairing and why it was a bad idea - and the overall response I received at the time was mixed. Those who remembered exactly what went down at Madeleine's bachelorette and weren't her fans hated the prospect, but some weren't as convinced and some refused to believe it would happen. So there was some pushback for it, citing Madeleine's "chocolate incident" (thankfully, since there were players who had forgotten about it), but it was very low-key and didn't gain much traction.

4. An Offer to Dance in Vegas (Ch 16)

The most obvious indication of Hana and Madeleine being a romantic possibility was in the Vegas chapter. It was impossible to miss for people who didn't romance Hana. This scene, again, featured only in playthroughs where Hana wasn't getting married - which meant that many Hana-romancers didn't get to know of this pairing unless they were told by a friend or saw any such posts on their dash (some even found out years later, to their shock and dismay).

The mild pushback from Ch 9 resulted in a scene where the writers could be emboldened to continue writing this pairing, but confirm (in the vaguest possible way) that Madeleine treated Hana badly. Madeleine's non-apology "apology" really reads more like an attempt to get into Hana's pants than actual regret, and is followed by a reaction from Hana that is confusing in its mildness. Hana is surprised at the offer to dance, asking Madeleine whether she's trying to trick her. While the mild suspicion is a slight improvement from Hana's fulsome praise and enthusiastic attempts to involve Madeleine in group stuff in previous chapters, it still downplays what Hana suffered at Madeleine's hands by making her present the weakest, most milquetoast examples of "fooling someone", examples that pale miserably in comparison to what Madeleine actually put Hana through.

With both the "stupidly sweet and perfect" dialogue and this scene, you'll notice that Madeleine is not only the one who initiates the conversation, but is also the only one with an actual voice in these exchanges. Forget having an opinion on whether she wants to have anything to do with Madeleine or not - the narrative doesn't even give poor Hana the opportunity to properly react beyond mere shock.

There was a stronger reaction to this scene than to the Ch 9 one, because it was way more visible (though you could avoid it just by letting Madeleine stay in her hotel) with Madeleine's romantic intentions on full display. Her asking Hana for a dance immediately after the no apology made it pretty obvious. Players who didn't see the Ch 9 scenes or who didn't believe the divergences meant anything, now couldn't deny that this was positioned as an alternative romance. Additionally by this time, those who forgot about the "chocolate incident" did get reminded of the exact scene, so the vagueness with which Madeleine "addressed" her actions in TRR2 felt criminally inadequate for a number of readers.

Most of us, however, didn't know about the retcon in Hana's Vegas scene, until years later. Those who didn't do Hana's playthrough would have had no idea, and those who did more likely chose the more romantic options.

5. "Jealous?" (Ch 20)

This scene is unique in that the option shows up across all playthroughs, but the specific reaction only shows up in two of them. It's understandable that Hana stans would have missed this - the dialogue is an option, the response is very fleeting and you would have to look through the same option in other playthroughs to recognise the variations.

In the cases of both Drake and Maxwell, Madeleine's response to this jibe from the MC is "ugh, please". Dismissive, almost mocking the idea that she would have any interest in them. In Liam's and Hana's cases, she appears shocked for a minute, then composes herself and gives a more neutral response ("I...I refuse to dignify such a ridiculous question with a response"). In Liam's case, one can safely assume that even though she had no romantic interest in him, she was still on the verge of marrying Liam and that alone would make the situation awkward. In Hana's case there is really no other reason for her to feel that awkward besides having lingering feelings that she cannot suppress.

While this version of the scene doesn't feature in playthroughs where she is single at all, it's still a very strong indicator of authorial intent. Even in the face of backlash against the pairing, the writers clearly wanted to continue hinting at the possibility, if they were slipping in hints of Madeleine's feelings for Hana as late as Ch 20 (just two chapters before the finale). The most plausible theory for this inclusion would be that the backlash was a lot more than it was after Ch 9, but not entirely enough to do away without the pairing completely...yet.

6. "I Wanted To Break You" (Ch 22)

No one knows what happened between Chs 20 and 22, and there's little I can think of that would account for such a quick change in such a short span of time. The finale has a scene featuring Hana and Madeleine, that begins by drawing more obvious parallels between the two women and their families (until now, the parallels were not as pronounced. It's not exactly a great parallel to begin with, since Madeleine has at least one supportive parent and doesn't get punished to the extent that Hana has been, if she openly protests against her parents' methods. But in TRR3 the narrative sometimes does use Hana's toxic parental situation as a parallel to garner sympathy for Madeleine's).

However, once the parents are out of the picture, the attention then turns to Hana and Madeleine, setting the stage for either a romantic confession or a full apology. This time, canon opts to go for the latter.

Unlike all the others, this scene is bluntly specific not just about what Madeleine did but what exactly her intentions were. It has her use the word "break"; it has her actually say the word "sorry". It allowed Hana, for the first time, to fully hear the truth about the harm Madeleine planned to wreck on her. And most importantly, it also allowed Hana her own voice in response to Madeleine's revelations, making it very clear to her that her forgiveness needed to be earned, over a period of time.

The dialogues used to talk about Madeleine's bachelorette in the finale are poles apart from the language they'd used earlier ("hazing", "put my ladies through their paces", "mean things", "refuse to coddle", "wronged"). The finale scene was a more accurate return to the original language and purpose of that bachelorette scene. In fact it sounds less like what canon had been attempting to gaslight their readers into believing thus far, and even seemed to borrow verbatim from the language of the readers who closely followed this issue.

One could call it a good closure scene on the surface level...but there are many, many problems with it.

One was the reaction of the MC. Her angry "excuse me?" in response to Madeleine's confession is still a very obvious retcon. It may have been done to preserve the myth that the MC is a good friend/wife to Hana, but reads as extremely dishonest when you remember that canonically, the MC knew the truth about Madeleine's intentions the whole time and just chose to leave Hana in the dark. It's an attempt to make the MC seem protective that ultimately rings false.

Another is the excuse Madeleine gives for why she targeted Hana. "I wanted to push Hana too far, and for her to drop the nice-girl act once and for all! Only, it isn't an act, is it?" My response when I first read this was "if Hana was faking it...so what. So fucking what. Who was she harming". Coming from the reigning queen of duplicity herself, Madeleine is really not in a position to be judging anyone for putting up a front. This also ties into the hollowness of the motives PB tried to belatedly cook up for TRR2 Madeleine's bullying - no matter what canon says to whitewash her actions, her attempts achieved nothing, did no good for Cordonia, and would likely have led to a very fractured court if the Unity Tour was held while she was queen.

Ultimately, the possibility of this pairing becoming canon was laid to rest in the final chapter. One could interpret Madeleine's promise of a starting gesture ("know that if anyone at court gives you trouble, I can make them regret it") as a possible opening to something more, but considering the earlier backlash, that was unlikely.

TRH - Madeleine Gets The Penelope Treatment, Hana Gets Her Entire Childhood History Retconned.

An interesting development that came up when TRH dropped was the departure of Jeffrey Herdman from the team, most likely because he was heavily involved in the writing of its Renaissance-era spin-off The Royal Masquerade. He would return, by TRF (he is part of their finale livestream), but by then his pet favourite character was likely gone.

TRH has a different set of circumstances, and different power dynamics. The MC is settled into marriage and trying for a child, the LIs are working in the council, Olivia is upgraded to cosplaying spymaster and the side characters go on with their lives. The first book of TRH seemed to do a surface-level recognition of some of the complaints certain readers had in previous books, but their favourites and the people who wouldn't get much attention or appreciation, remained the same.

TRH1 was a time when the writers praised Hana and claimed in a livestream that she was the kind of LI they would love to marry, but also where they gave her a condition that (inaccurately) made her unable to safely carry children (just for the MC to be the mother of the heir) and forced her to be immediately okay with that fate. As the sequel series progressed over the course of 4 books, the erasure of all that Hana was in the past was subtle and insidious - the narrative often compared her to Olivia and found her lesser, she was never allowed to even mention her home place China and worst of all - the writing completely retconned the emotional abuse she suffered at home by claiming it emerged from loving protection, from wanting to keep their daughter away from a cult. And even though Hana's discovery of her sexuality was described by Kara as a "journey that she's still on", no attempts were ever made to show her exploring what she likes romantically, or to show her dating. We don't know if she's involved with anyone, we don't know where she lives, we learn very little of her interests beyond what benefits the MC at any given moment, and the narrative never fails to remind us that they like Olivia more than they like her. Hell, they still encourage Olivia to keep insulting and degrading Hana! Hardly the behaviour of writers who love a character so much they would marry them irl, honestly.

On the other hand, Madeleine wasn't very prominent in TRH1, but gained notoriety in the next two books. The first book has her occasionally engage in inappropriate, invasive badgering of the MC to get pregnant quickly, and she continues to pretend that her doing whatever she likes without ever consulting the person in charge is professional behaviour (eg. Setting up the presscon about the MC's pregnancy announcement. She never even considers whether the MC would be comfortable announcing this pregnancy or not at this time). She gets to deliver a small bit of foreshadowing in the second half of the book (an early hint about Queen Eleanor's pregnancy, though Madeleine's awareness of it hardly makes sense when you look at the entire TRH series, and it never comes up as a point again). Her father being exposed as the traitor who poisoned the former queen builds up to a storyline that benefits her the most in the long run.

Hana is given one chapter where she can call Madeleine out on her entitlement (Savannah's bachelorette). She doesn't insult or berate Madeleine in TRH1 Ch 7, but is refreshingly no-nonsense and will not put up with Madeleine's constant whining about an event she had invited herself to. It's a small, cold comfort, since Hana's actions here are tied to making Savannah's bachelorette a success rather than for herself - but it's still gratifying to see Hana in a position where she can call people out without having to worry about the repercussions. Especially when the narrative disrespects Hana in so, so many other ways for the rest of the series.

In the same chapter, the ladies of the court are given an opportunity to talk about their love lives. Of the four, two women can speak about the people they like (Penelope about Ezekiel by default, and Olivia about Liam if you choose), and one only mentions him by name if the MC is married to someone else (Kiara, about Drake, if you choose to ask her over Madeleine). Madeleine doesn't mention anyone at all, insisting that marriage is something she will only consider for the benefit of her country or estate. This was a relief to players who feared that PB might attempt to push the possibility of romance between Madeleine and Hana again.

Though Madeleine doesn't get the romance that PB so desperately wanted to gift her in the last series, and she isn't given any further romances...the narrative clearly wasn't done pandering to her, even though Jeffrey was not officially a part of the team.

Remember how in the previous essay, we explored the levels to which PB encouraged players to coddle Penelope? Entire chapters would be spent just making her feel comfortable and safe, in encouraging her to help us. No actual initiative or enthusiasm from her end, even if her actions caused the problem or there were lives and reputations at stake. No, Penelope's comfort and happiness should be front and center.

Now think of that treatment, but on steroids and lasting for two whole books. That's what Madeleine's story - starting from TRH2 - looks like.

TRH1 ends with the reveal that Madeleine's father, Godfrey, was involved in the assassination of Liam's mother Eleanor. So a certain amount of narrative focus on Madeleine was expected, perhaps. But the second book doesn't stop at just that.

We are not merely asked to be kind to Madeleine. No, kindness towards Madeleine is expected of us. The warning issued in TRH2 Ch 4 promises "consequences", which means we know straight off the bat that we will be punished if we're not nice enough. It insists we take note of her "fragile state", and give her the mercy and compassion she had never given to anyone in her court.

To give Madeleine the smallest of credits, she acknowledges this just two chapters prior to the oath ("in the past, our positions were once reversed and I was...unkind to you. I had no reason to expect any kindness from you..."). However, this admission does sound disingenuous in the face of the narrative's implicit demand that we treat her nicely. Because if she did recognise her own past behaviour in TRR2 esp as hurtful, and herself as not exactly deserving of kindness, then it makes no sense for her to judge people for behaving exactly as she expected. A genuine redemption arc would have been one where she understood no one owed her kindness after what she'd done, and still determinedly forged ahead to do good for her country. After all, the narrative wanted us so badly to believe this woman was patriotic, right? If her "patriotic spirit" was so tied to her ego that you needed to pamper and praise her every five minutes, just for her to not support such an obviously-foolish tyrant as Bartie Sr, then it can't have been as strong as canon so vehemently claimed.

TRH tracks our "treatment" of Madeleine over 2 books and 10 distinct scenes. Of these, 6 scenes allow us to choose between kind responses and unkind ones, 2 others require the player to choose one among multiple options of people, and 2 scenes are check-in dialogues rather than actual choices (which means that the player doesn't choose an option, they just find out through such scenes whether they are winning Madeleine's favour or not). I imagine that the first category is the most important, with the second being options that you don't necessarily need to choose Madeleine for if you want to go for one of the others, as long as you pressed enough "kind" options.

To elaborate, here's the breakdown:

Kind/Unkind Responses

- House Amaranth's pledge (TRH2 Ch 4). Notably, the "most hurtful" one doesn't even accuse her of anything - it just tells her that the family needs to earn back the Crown's trust. Compare that to Madeleine's accusations to Hana that she was trying to kill her and deserved to lose her position in court. You know, the cruel treatment that some Madeleine stans claimed "wasn't that bad".

- Carrying the Heir's train at Anointing Ball or not (Ch 5)

- Deciphering Madeleine's conversation with Godfrey on his boat (ie whether she is betraying or helping the MC) (Ch 6)

- Acknowledging Madeleine's help in capturing Godfrey, at the Gratitude Ball (Ch 7)

- Gently encouraging Madeleine into being Penelope's bridal attendant, rather than mocking her (TRH3 Ch 2). There is no longer any need to acknowledge Penelope's earlier fear of Madeleine - we are expected to forget entirely that she was the main reason why Penelope didn't want to return to court in TRR3.

- Trusting Madeleine to help with investigations at Fydelia (Ch 6)

Choosing Among Multiple People:

- Speaking about loyalty before making a pledge to the Heir. Other ladies of the house are also presented as choices (TRH 2 Ch 14)

- Babysitting the Heir during Fox Hunt. Other choices are Regina and Savannah (TRH3 Ch 10)

Relationship Check-in:

- The way Madeleine greets you at Fydelia (Warm Welcome/Cold Front) (TRH3 Ch 6)

- Whether Madeleine helps you escape with the Heir in Ch 13, or allows the child to get kidnapped by Godfrey in Ch 15 (Desparate Times/What Goes Around)

The ending of TRH3 has Madeleine either thriving and inheriting her mother's estate, or being merely fired from her job in Royal Communications (a better punishment would have been to strip the entire Amaranth family of their lands, but I digress). She is notably absent in TRF, possibly because she wasn't entirely very popular to start with and two whole books of coddling her didn't exactly help matters either. As one of the junior writers in the TRF team said, "some people exiled her so..."

The first few opportunities to win her over, notably emerge from attempts Madeleine makes to assure the Crown/MC of House Amaranth's loyalty, and you will find that even at an early stage she expects to be included in sensitive discussions that call for discretion, and to be constantly praised for her efforts. Let me give a reminder, again, that she hardly ever gave any praise to the women working for her, and in fact punished them just to keep them constantly in fear of her.

I know it sounds like I'm labouring too much on this point, but it's important to understand just how much effort the narrative had put into coddling this one woman. Chapters and chapters of branch coding, writing two routes, title cards, dialogues, rewards and consequences.

This is similar to the way the narrative encouraged kindness and sympathy towards Penelope, but it's now over a lengthier period of time and with more drastic consequences. We were required to coddle Penelope over a chapter each in three specific books, or be deprived of her support/help. We are required to constantly shower Madeleine with praise and sweet words over the course of 31 chapters, or she will help an unscrupulous Regent-Elect kidnap our child. She will even openly accept that the only reason she put a mere child through that, was because we weren't nice to her ("Wouldn't you have done the same to me? You've made it abundantly clear you see me as the enemy").

But if the MC deserved a punishment this cruel for just mocking Madeleine at every turn, then what punishments should Madeleine get for what she put her own ladies-in-waiting through? What should she get for planning to "break" one of her courtiers? A second broken engagement doesn't seem entirely enough by such parameters.

Then again - as I said before, the narrative deliberately shifted the goal posts for what a potential royal could and couldn't get away with, in the time between Madeleine's engagement tour and the MC's marriage, for this very reason. So that Madeleine would never have to face the kind of constant censure the MC and Liam would face regularly. Among characters in canon, or among largely biased stans in the fandom. Speaking of which...

Fandom

Madeleine's popularity has always been a mixed bag, ever since TRR2. By TRR2, there were people who loved her for what they thought were her craftiness and wiles, some who suspected her to be involved in the plot against the MC, and a number of Liam stans had reactions that ranged from stanning, to indifferent (after all, both Liam and Madeleine showed a mutual disinterest towards each other), to slightly jealous (after all, she was still his fiancée).

But it was Madeleine's treatment of Hana in Ch 7 that definitely crossed a line for quite a few. It was so unwarranted, and her justification for this act so inarguably cruel, that it turned several people off her immediately. The way canon dealt with this was to make her feature less in the story until the memory of the "chocolate incident" was faded and almost forgotten, and then encourage fans to sympathize with her.

The gamble definitely worked, with plenty of help from hardcore Madeleine stans who often downplayed what happened to Hana ("a prank", "making Hana cry just once" were some of the terms used to describe it). By TRR3, I recall having to remind some of my mutuals what actually happened in this scene - their own recollections of it were that vague. The Hana and Madeleine ship would have died a far quicker death if more people remembered this incident as it was shown, and not as narrative wanted us to remember it (and also, if more people cared that it was Hana being hurt, rather than their fave white girl/boy).

Madeleine gained some popularity among the wlw crowd - a couple of them did have a soft spot for stoic, aggressive or women often labelled as "bitchy" (I know a few who also showed a similar amount of love for ACOR's Xanthe or BB's Priya, to be fair...but the adulation for the white female antagonists was a lot more), and Madeleine clearly fit that bill.

A point that often came up from Madeleine stans who were wlw (and reiterated with other mean-girl characters) was that grey-shaded and villanous male characters weren't subject to as much censure as their favourites were. While there is truth to such an argument, it fails to take into account the role race often plays in the way some "mean" women are loved and certain others are scorned. Madeleine clearly did not have the scale of hate that a Xanthe or even a Kiara (who isn't even on the same level) got. In fact when it suited them, many in the fandom were more than ready to view Madeleine as a victim when Liam broke his engagement with her.

Madeleine's "patriotism" - as I've now clearly established - was a retcon made to erase the worst aspects of her characterization. Sometimes it was used to make people feel sorry for her losses, other times it was made to cover up her actual behaviour in TRR2. But there were very few readers who didn't consider it an undeniable fact. Even among those who were indifferent towards her. For instance, in an anon ask that compared Madeleine and QB's Poppy, a poster responded that "the difference between the two was that Madeleine had a sense of duty, and Poppy was just petty". In TRH3, players who claimed that "we can all agree Madeleine is fully redeemed" when she worked with the MC to protect the child from Bartie Sr, stayed mysteriously silent when the other consequence (her helping in the child's kidnapping because she didn't like the MC's pettiness) showed up.

And while these responses could be attributed to the way canon gassed Madeleine up in TRR2 and 3, some of these players had no problem nitpicking the political savvy or work of certain other (CoC) characters, esp Liam (often bashing them for "throwing parties every day", even though the general populace was depicted as being happy with their rule and influence. Mind you, no prompting from PB was necessary to bash these characters). So why were these parameters never applied to Madeleine? Why was practically no one asking what the political relevance of her bullying (as future Queen) was, or why we were expected to sing her praises for poor time management or terrible work ethics towards her boss, or ask what work she actually did in canon as Royal Comms Director? (There is a reference or two to the position, but you aren't shown that many instances of her doing much work). For quite a few, the fact that she walked around with a job title in TRH was more than enough (somehow Kiara never got this kind of fandom treatment despite being part of the Diplomatic Liaisons department).

How does this adulation for such a heavily retconned character, affect the way the Hana and Madeleine ship was viewed? For one, it meant that readers bought into the retcons easily enough that Hana's pairing with her was seen as an extension of her "redemption arc" by some.

Take the example of the various posts that argue in favour of this pairing, or fic that features them as a couple - a lot of them center Madeleine: her pain, her history, her reasons, the correctness of giving her a reward. Hana is barely mentioned or given much attention in these arguments - and often when she has any sort of voice, it is only there to humanize Madeleine. Supporters of this pair often took stances that were either ready to throw Hana under the bus, act like she hardly mattered, or treat her like some sort of blank slate to scribble their adulation for Madeleine over.

Hana is often viewed as less worthy of a focus - she is often the benevolent saint who forgives Madeleine because she "worked so hard to be better". Often it never matters to get into detail why Hana thought Madeleine earned her forgiveness, what Hana's perspective was, what journey she went through to get such a point. Because if Hana's journey really mattered in such a ship, the most pressing questions would revolve around why Hana should ever trust a person who wanted to break her in the first place. Why she should feel safe around such a person. Why her own friend group wouldn't want to protect her from such a person.

Some readers would bring up their parallels as daughters brought up in families that didn't value them, but neglect to take into account the nuances of those dynamics (Madeleine's mother at least wanted to be supportive, and no matter how bad things got, Madeleine was never in danger of being disowned. Hana was, repeatedly). Nor is it fully honest about how Madeleine was comfortable being a perpetrator of abuse, in contrast to Hana's own deep discomfort with the idea of controlling her partner.

In certain cases, I can maybe see this attitude in fandom emerging from an acceptance of the narrative's retcons as truth. But I also think there were as many readers who were just inclined to liking the mean white girl, and finding justifications and excuses for her behaviour.

Fandom's attitudes towards Hana herself often played a small role in how Hana's end of this story was ignored too. When TRR3 fucked up her arc phenomenally (by rushing her parents' turnaround from disowning her to supporting her in Ch 15), it became popular to view Hana as a lesser character, and the "meaner" white women as better. People who wanted other options for female LI often took their frustrations out on her, calling her "weak", servile and submissive, dismissing her honest accounts of the treatment she faced even from her own parents as "whining". If that was the way people preferred to view her emotionally abusive childhood...then what can one expect from such a fandom when she was being outright bullied?

Fandom was already comfortable with the idea of erasing Hana in their content, or replacing her with either their fave white girl (or an equally white OC esp in their fanfic - but more on that in a future Hana essay). So neglecting to center her in what would have been her only canonical alternative romance wouldn't be too difficult for some people.

Which merits the question...is there a way to write about (or write fic for) such a pairing, in a way that centers Hana, respects her story, makes it clear that she has the right to never forgive Madeleine no matter what she does to "earn" it - if that was what she wanted? I highly doubt it. You'd have to completely change Madeleine for that to happen, and that would more likely result in a situation where you were too busy working on her as a character, to give Hana the attention and focus she deserved.

And that's a real pity, because there's plenty to explore about Hana if you actually take the effort to look.

Conclusion

In a lot of ways, once the team had decided upon making Madeleine into a more positive character, they tried to draw a little from Olivia's arc to replicate its success. You can see some of these parallels in the way TRR2 structured the bachelorette as a semi-callback to the childhood- reveal-mocking-Savannah sequences in TRR1 Ch 7. Both chapters gave you reasons to start seeing these women in a different light, while still feeling free to dislike them. In both chapters they also targeted LIs - the only difference was that Drake's diamond scene post that confrontation centered him, and Hana's parallel diamond scene a book later...centered everyone else.

That attempt in TRR2 didn't work for several reasons - the timing wasn't right, Madeleine's cruelty had gone too far for some, the retconning hoodwinked quite a few people but not enough.

So when they tried to pair her up with the victim of her bullying, and twisted canon to make it happen - enough readers emerged to call it out, enough people pushed back by Ch 16, and the possibility of this alternative pairing garnered enough dislike that not only did the writers have to backtrack, but they also had to wipe away their past retcons and write in a scene where Madeleine gave Hana the full, unvarnished truth about the "chocolate incident". Hana was, thankfully, given a chance to give Madeleine her most polite "no".

And although that ship would never be brought up again, the team (even without Madeleine's top writer Jeffrey) still attempted to make pampering and uncritically praising her a narrative priority. She gained a bit more popularity during this time period - quite a few were inclined to feel sorry for her (especially considering the way her father's crimes affected her social standing) and saw only what happened if you were consistently nice to her.

But there was also a significant section of people who were tired of the constant coddling, and who didn't like that it was demanded of the player (when there were far more deserving WOC in the same book, who didn't get this level of kindness). It was significant enough that Madeleine wasn't given any scenes in the final book, and the writers cited her lack of popularity as a reason why.

As a Hana fan myself, it was a relief to see Hana not be paired up with her bully. But it was also immensely disheartening for me to see that "ship" get as far as it did, and to see the narrative do so much more work for Madeleine, than they did for Hana even in the follow up series. It was even more disheartening to see so many in fandom follow suit.

--

By now, we have explored 3 out of the 4 alternative pairings that TRR put forward for the LIs. They all vary in terms of buildup, attention, and payoff. But there are several things that are common about them. They all have either significant histories with the LI, or the narrative thinks they share something in common. The moment an "alternative" option ends up harming the MC, they are no longer suitable as an option because of the LI's loyalty towards her.

But perhaps the most common factor among the three women we have explored so far is how the LI is expected to treat the alternate, no matter how jealous the MC is allowed to get, no matter what the alternate themselves may have done in the past. The alternate is supposed to be treated well. With respect, with kindness, with compassion.

Betrayal doesn't allow an LI to treat their alternate badly. Bad behaviour doesn't allow an LI to treat their alternate badly. Disregarding consent doesn't allow an LI to treat their alternate badly. Classism doesn't allow an LI to treat their alternate badly. Not loving them back doesn't allow it either. Not even extreme levels of bullying...allows an LI to disrespect them.

In the next essay, we will see if any of these rules apply to our last alternative LI - Kiara.

Next: Drake and Kiara.

[twinkleallnight]

Isle of Misfits

Chapter 10: Dealing with the Paparazzi.

Fandom: TRR x Platinum x OH x CoP x TNA x ?

Series: Isle of Misfits, Round Robin 24, hosted by @choicesprompts

Characters:

TRR – Liam Rys, Leo Rys, Olivia Nevrakis, Madeleine Amaranth

RoE – Katie Rys

TNA – Sam Dalton

Word count: 1240

The phone pinged.

‘1 new message’

Leo sighed and picked up to read. He was tired of explaining himself to Katie. The world never understood him or his desire to live a care free life. The paparazzi won’t let him breathe. But he thought Katie would understand. She would always know. He had tried to be honest with her, always.

He was struggling to stay abreast sailing through the rough waters when his brother decided to take the corrective action for Leo’s deeds . He was forced into this PR stunt of a circus with his childhood friend, Bertrand, playing the ring master. And as if Gods had not had enough of entertainment, he was paired with his ex, Madeleine! Just perfect!

Coming out of his reverie, he tapped his fingers on the home screen to check the new message .

‘Meet me at the beach restaurant in 10minutes to collect your dossier .

Countess Madeleine .’

“Better than having Sam Dalton as a mentor” he consoled himself. “His brains function through that Rocket in his pocket. At least Madeleine has her head over her shoulders.”

He dragged himself out of his bed. Sharp after 10 minutes he presented himself in front of the Countess.

“What do you plan to do with this?” He lifted the heavy bundle of papers filed into a folder neatly. ‘Prim and proper. So much like Madeleine.’

But Madeleine’s reply was totally off beat. “why you have not shaved?”

Leo shook his head as if trying to decipher. “What?” He moved his fingers through the over grown messy beard.

Madeleine scoffed, “ Let me make it clear Leo. You are constantly under lens.”

“That’s exactly what I don’t want.” He cut her off.

“You were the crown prince.”

“And I abdicated.” He tried to prove his point.

“Doesn’t matter. You can’t change who you are born as.”

“Why?” He pulls his fingers through his sandy blonde hair In frustration.

“Prince Harry abdicated too. But he is always in news.”

Leo scowled, “For heavens sake! Can’t they let me live in peace?”

“Only if you don’t give them chance to rip through your peaceful personal life.” She air quoted.

He nods in agreement. “And I can see, you are here to tell me, how.”

“Now you are talking business.” Madeleine smiled.

Leo closed his eyes for a moment. He had to do this for Katie, for his children. He took a deep breath. “Okay. Tell me what am I supposed to do?”

“You need to look perfect when you walk in public. It shows that you are leading a perfect and happy life.”

Leo smirked, “Yes it’s a very happy life.”

“Make it look like one and I can tell you, they will stop chasing you.”

“Fine! What next?”

“I have appointed a valet for you. He will help with your attire, hair and your over all appearance. You will not leave your room before he checks you.”

Leo rolled his eyes. He had no other option but to accept what was thrown at him.

For the next hour he went back and forth over the plans Madeleine had laid out for him.

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

Bertrand’s office next day

Olivia was seated across Bertrand, discussing their next modus operandi. Olivia had successfully completed her task with Raleigh Carrera and was now assigned to the case of the exiled crown prince, Trystan Thorne, of Drakovia.

An urgent knock on the door brought them to a halt. They both looked at each other. Bertrand voiced, “Come in” , wondering who was their uninvited guest for the meeting .

Leo stormed in and slammed a tabloid onto the desk in front of Bertrand. Olivia stared back at Leo’s fuming face while Bertrand looked in confusion, “ What does this mean?”

“Open and see for yourself.” Leo pointed out his finger.

As soon as Bertrand picked the newspaper and unfolded it, his eyes went wide with shock. Olivia leaned towards him to peer into the news.

The newspaper had images of Leo and Madeleine sitting in a cafe. The first one had Madeleine gleaming at Leo and the second one showed them shaking hands near the exit. The tag line read ‘Former crown prince Leo Rhys, spotted with his ex, Countess Madeleine, at leisure on a private island. Do we smell something burning in Katie Rhys’ sweet home?”

A smile played on Olivia’s lips.

“Seriously?” Leo asked looking at Olivia’s reaction.

“It’s not about you.” She fanned away with her hand.

“From what I can see, it’s definitely about me.” He turned to Bertrand angrily, “This is how you were going to help me save my image and my marriage?”

Olivia spoke instead, “Its not his fault. Madeleine should have been more discreet while planning her meetings.”

Just as on clue, Madeleine stepped inside the office. “Speak for yourself. I know my job well.” She snatched the tabloid from Bertrand’s hand and glanced at the pics, dismissing it in an instant.

She focused on Leo, “ This is the reason I insisted you need to dress up properly. Had you been in a formal attire, this would have been ignored by the media as just another business meeting.”

“Great ! So now it’s all my mistake? You know what my mistake is? Trusting you guys with my future.”

Bertrand replied in a calm note, “I think you are over reacting. It’s just two pics, we can change the flow of events. My PR company can assure you, we are good at turning the waves in your favour.”

Before he completed his sentence, the doors to his office opened with a bang. Drake barged in raging in anger. “The hell you turn things only in your favour. You Beaumonts are the most mean and selfish men walking on this damn planet.” His voice echoed across the halls outside the office.

Bertrand’s eyes roamed behind Drake to check if there were any audience at his doors. He settled his gaze back on Drake. “May I know the reason for this intrusion?”

Drake sneered, “You call yourself CEO of a PR firm yet you don’t have updates of the newsflash on TV channels across Cordonia?”

Bertrand gave Drake an irritated glare and picked up the remote to switch on the flat screen hanging on the wall across his table. The screen brightened up with flashes of red haired lady bouncing on a dance floor. All of them in the room knew that was Olivia but the next few moments left everyone’s mouth hanging open.

Bertrand came into the frame trying to dance. He made some lewd gestures and then grabbed Olivia into a smooch.

Leo and Madeleine jolted back at Bertrand. Even Olivia had shock written all over her face. Definitely she was drunk that she didn’t remember this incident.

Bertrand gulped and fumbled with the remote to switch off the TV. He didn’t want to listen or let others in the room listen to the reporter’s remarks.

“I... I ... I can explain”, he said nervously.

Drake sprinted to him in two steps and held him by collar. “How many times are you going to explain? First my sister, then your back stabbing brother took Riley and now you target my girl friend?”

“Riley is with Max?” The baritone voice from the entrance of the office brought everything to standstill. They all turned to see Liam standing in a thunderstuck state.

Tags : @angelasscribbles @alj4890 @tessa-liam @lizzybeth1986 @3pawandme @annabellewynter @bascmve01 @bebepac @busywoman @dcbbw @choicesficwriterscreations @harleybeaumont @iaminlovewithtrr @karahalloway @kingliam2019 @lovingchoices14 @nestledonthaveone @neotericthemis @mom2000aggie @phoenixrising0308 @princess-geek @sazanes @secretaryunpaid @sfb123 @sillydg @tinkie1973 @txemrn @walkerdrakewalker @rubiwalker @703cowbarn @kyra75 @likealotus @kskvb20 @marietrinmimi @aussiegurl1234

[tessa-liam]

Turning The Page 

Chapter – 2 –The Sacrifice 

Choices, The Royal Romance. Alternate Universe 

Series Premise: As Riley Brooks journeys through life as a single parent in New York City, an epiphany strikes as she contemplates the future for herself and her two-year-old son. 

Main Pairing: Liam Rys x F!MC Riley Brooks 

All characters belong to Pixelberry, except William Brooks (Rys) and Matteo Magro, who belong to this series. 

Category: On-going series, contains angst/fluff/depression 

Rating: M🔞Warnings - crude language - not Beta’d - please excuse all errors. 

Words: 2499 

Turning The Page 

The Sacrifice -Chapter 2

Chapter Summary: Riley is reunited with Maxwell, as Daniel attempts to lift Riley from her feelings of melancholy at Club Kismet. Liam meets with Olivia in Lythikos searching for another perspective on the night of his coronation and his father’s transgressions against her and Riley. Madeleine discloses a secret. 

Turning The Page Masterlist 

Music Inspiration: Sacrifice, Elton John; The Sweetest Thing (I’ve Ever Known, Juice Newton; Always Remember Us This Way, Josh Rabenold 

A/N1: In this alternate universe, after King Constantine orchestrates two individual scandals to humiliate and entrap Riley Brooks and Olivia Nevrakis in shame, Madeleine Amaranth secures her position as the Queen of Cordonia. Riley, as the King’s mistress and Olivia, in self-imposed exile. Tariq is never found. 

A/N2: My submission for @choicesflashfics , Week #47, Prompt #3 - “Why are you being so weird?” 

Brooklyn Heights, New York City

Sitting beside the second-floor level home office window, Riley opened the heavy canvas satchel that held the new correspondence from her latest client. Working hard at starting her new home business, she put her business accounting skills to use for employment and landed her first client very quickly.  

After leaving Cordonia, Riley enrolled at Brooklyn College to finish her accounting accreditation while she was pregnant with William. She wanted the absolute best for her son, so earning a living was the top priority. 

Now that Riley was back in the States, her set goals also included building a life and creating a happy future for her son. So, when Daniel’s partner Matteo, who owned a six-bedroom brownstone in Brooklyn Heights, offered her a home when she arrived back in New York at Daniel’s old apartment, she readily accepted. 

Daniel met his love interest soon after Riley had left New York City to pursue her prince who captivated and captured her heart in Cordonia. Matteo and Daniel had a spacious brownstone and insisted that Riley and her baby share their home. 

 Checking off these challenges as completed, she once again found her thoughts drifting back to the life, she left behind in Cordonia.  

...and to Liam. 

Riley could not help but think, she had made a huge mistake. As William began to grow and start to talk and walk, the guilt she felt was overwhelming. All the ‘firsts’ that Liam deserved to witness of his son; the family that she knew was his ‘heart's desire’. 

...but then, she would remind herself that if she stayed, Madeleine would demand that William live at the palace as his guardian as per the Cordonian Arrangement. Since he is the Crown Prince, she would be obliged and subjected to Madeleine’s wrath, and be forced to abide by her control as Queen. 

Riley was convinced that Liam would want his son with him, and rightfully so. The King and Queen, and the Crown Prince would be the Royal family. Leaving her as the other woman; the ‘dirty little secret’, who was never seen in the daylight. Without a doubt, Riley was convinced that Madeleine would make it her mission to sabotage her relationship with her son, and with Liam. 

If only, they could have found Tariq.  

If only Constantine had cleared her name before passing away. 

It was devastating when the day came to her realization that the marriage between Liam and Madeline would go forward. The heartbreak she had to endure, having to watch the love of her life marry another. 

Liam said he would never want her as his mistress; but she was. 

He said he wanted her to be his number one woman, his queen, but she was not. 

….and now, here she was. The mother of his child. In self-imposed exile; just like Olivia. 

This realization reminded her why she had to change the course her life was taking. To justify why she had to sacrifice her heart and move forward, without Liam. 

‘And I have never been afraid of losing now. 

And I have never wanted love to be a chain. 

I only know that when I’m with you, you’re my sunshine, you’re my rain. 

The sweetest thing I’ve ever known is loving you.’ 

Riley needed to make a connection with her past life in Cordonia. For William’s sake. It all starts with Maxwell. 

House Nevrakis, Duchy of Lythikos, Cordonia 

The crackle of an ember in the roaring fireplace snapped Liam from his thoughts as Olivia set his scotch down before him. 

Olivia studied the troubled expression of her friend very closely, noticing the added stress lines on his face. Only seeing him on video at his press conferences, this was the first time in four years since she decided to leave court, that the pair were in the same room together. 

“So, what’s on your mind Liam? Don’t get me wrong, I am delighted that you have stopped in for an unannounced visit. But I am very curious as to why, after all this time?” 

Olivia kept the following thoughts to herself, ‘I would not be lucky enough for him to declare he was wrong and made me his queen.’ 

He sighed, and a wistful expression spread across his face. “I have been thinking about my father’s transgressions against yourself and against Riley, very frequently lately.” 

“Oh?” This comment intrigued her. Olivia moved forward in her chair, moving closer to Liam. 

“Yes, well, and so you should Liam,” Olivia scoffed. 

“But why now? What has changed? 

“Liv, when you originally received the intimidation letter the night of my coronation, why did you not tell me at once upon receiving it? All you told me that evening was that you were withdrawing officially from the social season. I never saw your letter.” 

Olivia raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at his statement, “I thought I could handle it on my own. I destroyed it.” 

“Bertrand and Maxwell intercepted a courier with a letter marked ‘urgent’ addressed to Riley, as well. Like you, the letter was from an unknown sender, telling her to leave court at once saying, ‘she will never be queen.’” 

“The letter I received.... I was being blackmailed.” Olivia shook her head.

 “I had no other choice. Whoever wrote that letter knew things about my parents. That they were traitors to the crown. They had attached proof.” 

Liam sat with his head resting in his hands, a faraway look on his face. He took a sip of his scotch, his face a mask of conflict and turmoil. 

Liam let out a heavy sigh, “I now know and have proof of the party who sent those letters.” 

“You have my full attention.” Olivia rose from her chair. “Who do you mean?” 

Liam ran his hands through his hair, “along with my father, Duke Godfrey.” 

“Godfrey confessed this to you?” Olivia gasped. 

“No, I have not personally spoken to him about this matter.... not yet. This information was given to me by a very credible source. I plan to have him interrogated very shortly.” 

“Lord Beaumont has the original letter that Riley received that night locked in his estate vault.  

Along with the photographs, from both my bachelor party in New York and the Applewood incident during my social season; these documents are all now with my legal counsel.” 

“Olivia, I need two things from you.” 

“Name it; let me be the one to interrogate that bastard!” 

Liam guffawed, “I will consider it...” I am formally asking that you partake in upcoming Royal council meetings at the palace and rejoin court.” 

Olivia was unprepared to hear that request. “Me? Why me?” Olivia asked, confounded by his request. 

“Liam, did Madeleine know about this? Was she complicit?”  

Liam downed the rest of his scotch in one gulp. “Yes, and yes.” 

New York City, Club Kismet 

“All right, kids, have a couple of drinks for me tonight,” Matteo joked as he held the front door open for Riley and Daniel. 

“Thank you, Matt, for watching William tonight.” Riley smiled as Daniel held her coat out for her to slip on. “He was at the playground all afternoon and fell asleep quickly after dinner with all that fresh air. He should sleep soundly, but if you need me for anything, please call me.” 

“Matteo has lots of experience sitting for his sister’s boys,” Daniel re assured her.

“No worries, I have lots of contracts to review tonight anyway. It’s my pleasure Riley, really.” 

Matteo pulled Riley in for a hug. “Now, go. Have a fun time dancing the night away with this one.” 

“Ha, ha, Matty,” Daniel winked and kissed Matteo good-bye. 

It was a Friday night, and the New York City streets were buzzing with people going out for a night ‘on the town’. After a lot of convincing, Daniel was finally successful at persuading Riley to go out for a drink at Club Kismet. 

The past six months of not going out and enjoying herself, it was time she started living again. 

Sitting at the bar, Daniel ordered drinks as Riley turned and surveyed the room. The club was packed, and the dance floor was full. Everyone seemed to be having an enjoyable time, which made her feel a little rueful about her decision to leave William with Daniel’s partner, Matteo, for the evening. 

She was about to turn back around to face the bar when she noticed a man sitting by himself a few seats down. Riley did a double take as she was struck by his resemblance to someone she knew. 

“Maxwell?”, Riley whispered. 

“What?” Daniel said, not hearing her clearly over the loud music. 

Riley didn’t hear him. She was too focused on the man who looked like Maxwell.  

Daniel turned his head, as Riley stood and walked towards the mystery man. 

“Maxwell?” The man looked up in surprise at the mention of his name. His eyes widened when he saw her. 

“Little blossom? Oh. My. God. it’s you!” Before she could respond, he was off his chair, engulfing her in an over-the-top hug that lifted her up off the floor and spun her around.

After many moments of laughter mixed with tears, Maxwell took Riley’s hand and together with Daniel, the trio left the club and walked towards the pier next to the Hudson River. 

“Max, thank you for coming to New York.” Riley stopped walking and sat down on a bench. 

“You two get re-acquainted. I am going to get everyone some coffee.” 

“Thank you, Daniel,” Riley looked up and smiled appreciatively.  

Sitting down next to her, Maxwell was nervously fidgeting, waiting for Riley to begin. Daniel had told him that Riley needed to speak with him urgently. This had him thinking that what she had to share was going to be dire.

Looking out at the Statue of Liberty, Riley started to get emotional. 

“I didn’t know where else to turn.” 

Maxwell’s eyes softened, picking up her hand. “Little Blossum, it's no problem at all. I am here for you.” 

Wiping her tears with the back of her hand, Maxwell pulled out his handkerchief for her and pulled her into a side hug. 

Riley smiled and gave him a quick squeeze before letting go. 

“I have a lot to tell you, so you might want to make yourself comfortable.” 

Taking a deep breath, “when I left Cordonia, I thought it was the best for Liam in the situation that we were in. I wanted him to be happy, and the situation in what I found myself in.... I could not bear the thought of him being put into a situation that could taint his rule and embarrass him.” 

Maxwell looked puzzled, “Riley were you sick? Oh no, no... are you sick?” 

“No, nothing like that, but I was wrong, Maxwell. I made a huge mistake. I should never have left.” 

“I can’t imagine how hard it must have been to leave.”  

Maxwell put his hand on her shoulder, “Liam was really upset about your leaving. He still is devastated.” Riley looked down, shaking her head,

“He misses you so much. He is not the same without you.” 

Riley’s heart broke at his words. She was devastated to hear how much she had hurt him. The guilt was overbearing.

“Maxwell, I don’t know if I can face him.” 

“Riley, I’ve known Liam since we were kids. I’ve seen him happy, sad, angry and every emotion in between. And what I can say without a doubt is that he’s never been as happy as he was with you. You have no idea how much he loves you.” 

Hanging her head, “he is going to be so mad when he finds out why I left.” 

“Maybe, but he’ll also be happy to know that you came back. That you want him too.” 

Daniel walked slowly towards the pair with a tray of coffee, overhearing the last minutes of their conversation. 

Riley bit her lip, “do you think he will forgive me?” 

“Riley, did you mention William?” Daniel interjected.

Maxwell looked at Riley, noting her shaking her head. 

He then looked up at Daniel, noting his questioning stare at Riley. 

“Why are you being so weird?”

“Who is William?” Maxwell asked, clearly puzzled, and looked at Riley. 

Riley had her head buried in her hands, weeping. 

Daniel looked at Riley sadly, “William is her son.” 

Cordonian Royal Palace 

Madeleine stepped out of the SUV as the Royal guard stood at attention. After opening the door for his Queen, he bowed as she strode confidently up the stairs and turned towards the east wing in search of Liam.  

Liam, having just arrived back to the palace from Lythikos, was in his study looking over some documents that his advisor had dropped off earlier in the morning. He was distracted by the conversation he had with Olivia on his mind and could not concentrate.  

“Your majesty”, Bastien interrupted his thoughts. 

“Queen Madeleine is here to see you; shall I bring her in?” 

Liam’s jaw clenched at the sound of her name. “Yes, send her in.” Mentally preparing himself for a confrontation by his wife, he slid the documents into a folder and sat back in his chair. 

Madeleine glided into the room, dressed impeccably as always. 

Liam rose from his chair and gave her a formal nod, “Madeleine.” 

He gestured for her to sit down and then reclaimed his seat behind the large desk. 

“Liam,” Madeleine acknowledged and in turn sat in a wing back chair across from her husband. 

“What do I owe this visit?” He asked. 

Madeleine crossed her legs and smoothed her dress, “well, we need to schedule a press announcement.” 

“An announcement?” 

“Yes, regarding the new royal line.” 

Liam frowned, “what are you talking about?” 

Madeleine gave him a patient look, “Liam, we need to announce my pregnancy.” 

Thanks for reading💖

📌@ao719 @txemrn @queenmiarys @sfb123 @twinkleallnight @alj4890 @differenttyphoonwerewolf @harleybeaumont @busywoman @karahalloway @kingliam2019 @imjusthereforliam @lovingchoices14 @kyra75 @tinkie1973 @emkay512 @malblk21 @kristinamae093 @jared2612 @irisk12 @emersyn-in-cordonia @mainstreetreader @belencha77 @walkerdrakewalker @iluaaa @mysticalfangirl @queenwalton @bascmve01 @umccall71 @choicesficwriterscreations

[choicesoutofcontext]

the royal heir | book 1, ch 7

[korgbelmont]

Hi, can you please edit her hairstyle

On her⬇️

Hiya. Apologies for taking so long to get to this. You can find her below. Hope it's okay!

[disneyprincessbuffyannesummers]

Madeleine: Well, well, well. If it isn`t the woman who's ruining Cordonia.

Fleur: How could I single-handedly ruin an entire country?

Madeleine: The sad fact you are powerful, now that Albus has elevated you. It saddens me to think the damange you're capable of causing.

Fleur: Y`know Madeleine, as much as I truly could wish I could stand here and listen to you insult me all day. I have a Ball to enjoy.

Madeleine: Because frivolity is all that interests you. If you think I care your opinion of me then you haven't been paying attention.

Fleur: No, I've heard every single your proclamations that you couldn't care less about me. And you know what? That's fine because I no longer have to care about you.

Madeleine: How relieved you must feel.

Fleur: Very. Now, bye-bye.

Madeleine: Just don't think you can come crawling back to me for help when you realise you're in over your head.

[black-arcana]

METAL LADIES (2023 VERSION)

[angelasscribbles]

You know I have been waiting for this one!!!

.or, as Leo liked to call it, the Royal Nail in the Coffin.

hahaha, sounds just like him

That sexy vixen of a woman, Adelaide. The Duchess That Had Got Away.

"Christ, you are a royal disgrace..." muttered Constantine as he marched past him. "If God would've had any sense, he would've made Liam my heir instead of you. But here I am, stuck with your worthless hide instead..."

As per usual, Connie is a colossal dick

"Shit, Maddy's mum...!"

Maddy's mum, Stifflers mom...po-tay-toe, poh-tah-toe

"Not sure fighting battles was exactly fun..."

Listen, if I quoted every brilliant line in here, I would have to quote the whole damn thing! Just know that their entire exchange was brillant perfection!!!!!

Leo's heart stopped in it's tracks as he swore he felt the tip of her tongue flick over his skin.

He's not sure! He's so confused!

"Then we better give them something to talk about," he grinned, grabbing her by her toned derrière to lift her onto the edge of the billiards table.

There's the confident fuckboy we all know and love!

Who, in their right mind, disappears on their own coronation?!

hahaha, Leo, that's who! In my best Jon Snow voice, "I dun wan it..."

Adelaide raised her disheveled head from the billiards table at the sound of her daughter's distraught shriek. "Oh, sweet pea! There you are!"

She doesn't even stop or try to cover up anything, I am HOWLING!

Meanwhile, Maddy is like.....

He couldn't do it. He couldn't go through with the coronation.

HA! Just when I thought, well, Leo's going to be king in this one....

"I abdicate!"

I love this version better than any version of his abdication I have ever seen! Just seconds from being king, in front of the entire country! Constantine just.....

But he was not perturbed. He'd made his decision. "I, Leopold Maximilian Fernando Constantine Rys, hereby officially and irrevocably renounce my royal titles as Crown Prince of Cordonia and Duke of Applewood." Turning to Constantine, he added with an apologetic shrug, "Sorry, Dad. Just wasn't feeling it."

I LOVE this! (and love the addition of him being Duke of Applewood, not me having flashbacks to getting lost going down that particular rabbit hole myself....I know far more than I should about peerage titles now....like the fact that they're called peerage titles...)

Leo is the duke of horny.....

"Better luck next time, Mads!" he shouted over the growing dim as he quickly skirted around the edge of the ballroom.

This is hysterical considering that we know canonically there is a next time (as unlikely as that seems) and that she certainly does not have better luck at it!

Reaching the closest set of French doors, he threw them open and — with the practiced ease of a man who'd done this exact manoeuvre a hundred times before — vaulted over the edge of the balcony.

I literally cheered out loud at this! You have nailed his character! (at least as I HC him).

She cast him a sidelong glance. "You know this is never going to work out..." "And?" he grinned, kicking his feet up onto the dash. Throwing her head back with a laugh, Adelaide pressed the pedal down, kicking the tail of the Aston as they left the ball to dust.

This was fucking amazing and you should definitely write Leo more in the future!

Sex Bomb

Fandom: TRR

Paining: Leo Rys x Adelaide Amaranth

Series: None (this is a one-shot and can be read independently of the rest of my fics)

Word count: 4,000

Warnings: swearing, alcoholic tendencies, smut, outrage, crack ship (you have been warned)

Theme song:

A/N1: This is my long-awaited (and very much demanded) follow-up to the part I wrote for One Night in Cordinia; however, you should be able to read the current fic as a standalone.

A/N2: Since I love killing two birds with one stone, this is also my submission for this year's Smutember event hosted by @choicesprompts. The prompts that this fits into is 'Caught in the act' and 'We shouldn't be doing this...'

A/N3: Certain parts of this fic were somewhat inspired by the scene between Finch and Stiffler's Mom from American Pie. The clip, for anyone who hasn't seen the movie, is below the cut.

Sex Bomb

"Bloody hell..."

Leo dropped the edge of the heavy brocade curtain he was holding, letting it fall back into place behind the dais to conceal his presence once again.

The ballroom was heaving. And the evening had barely even kicked off. Lord knew how many more people were still battling the traffic to get a coveted front-row seat for the royal event of the century.

The Coronation.

...or, as Leo liked to call it, the Royal Nail in the Coffin.

Because in his mind, that's what it was. The final, inescapable blow that would seal his fate for good, and maroon him forever on the desolate island that was kingship... shackled in life-long matrimony to Madeleine Amaranth.

Leo shuddered at the thought. Especially when he recalled his fiancée's naked form getting skewered loudly by that Justin What's-His-Face PR pansy on the steps of Beaumont House mere days ago.

Not because of the fact that she'd had sex with someone else. Hell, he'd tapped more ass than he could count! So, he couldn't exactly begrudge his soon-to-be wife's promiscuity. Especially when she couldn't remember any of it...

No, it was the fact that here he was, on the eve of his engagement to his future Queen, and all he could think about was her mother.

That sexy vixen of a woman, Adelaide. The Duchess That Had Got Away.

Very literally.

Because in the chaos of the Shagging Smog-infused assassination-attempt-gone-wrong — aka the Beaumont Bash — Leo had lost his one chance to notch that coveted mark on his bedpost... especially considering that she would've actually been game for it, given the mind-altering effects of the aerosol-based dispersant.

Talk about fucking irony...

Leo heaved a breath.

Maybe it wasn't meant to be. Maybe there was a reason why—

"Quite the crowd out there, huh, son?"

Leo clenched his eyes shut. "Yes, Father."

Constantine clapped a hand onto his eldest son's shoulder. "It's going to be quite the night!"

"Yes, Father," Leo intoned, forcing himself to swallow down the bile that suddenly threatened to bubble up his gullet.

The King's fingers tightened on his jacket. "All eyes will be on you, lad. Do not cock this up."

Leo felt himself gag. "'Scuse me...!"

Slapping a hand over his mouth in an attempt to keep the scotch-laden contents of his stomach under wraps, he lurched past his father.

Stumbling across the ante-room, he barely made it to the nearest ficus plant before the 20-year old single malt regurgitated itself into the perfectly hydrated potting mix in front of him.

"Christ, you are a royal disgrace..." muttered Constantine as he marched past him. "If God would've had any sense, he would've made Liam my heir instead of you. But here I am, stuck with your worthless hide instead..."

The slam of the mahogany door reverberated around the room.

"The feeling's mutual, old man," muttered Leo, shooting a wad of spittle into the planter to cleanse his mouth.

Lifting his head, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

A drink. He needed a drink.

Mostly because he'd just thrown up the five fingers worth of Dutch courage he'd consumed less than an hour ago, and there was no way he was subjecting himself to the shitshow on the other side of that curtain even remotely sober.

And if Constantine had an epileptic fit...? Well, he deserved it.

The old tosser had given Leo enough hell during his 30-odd years on Earth, trying to mould him into something that the wayward prince wasn't, and never would be.

Making his way to the other side of the room, Leo located the hidden door that led to the service corridors and slipped inside.

A few twists and well-worn turns through the rabbit warren, and he emerged out into the smoking room, a plushly decorated space filled with heavy brocade curtains, velvet armchairs, a billiards table, and — most importantly — a well-stocked liquor cabinet.

Making a straight line towards the blessed promise of inebriation, he grabbed the nearest decanter of scotch, and pulled the heavy crystal stopper out.

He was about to pour himself a healthy serving when he heard the rustle of heavy taffeta behind him.

Glancing around, he nearly dropped the priceless Swarovski crystal on the floor.

"Pinching a cheeky tipple?" asked Adelaide Amaranth, surveying him over the rim of her own glass.

"Shit, Maddy's mum...!" Leo quickly composed himself. "Erm... Thought I'd get a head start on the party."

"Mmm..." purred the Duchess of Krona, perching herself on the edge of the billiards table. "Man after my own heart..."

Leo swallowed loudly as the skirt of her dress slid apart to reveal the length of her toned legs.

After the unmitigated disaster that had been the Bash, she'd appeared to him again, luscious and alone — like a siren rising from the dark depths of his previous failure — tempting him with a second chance...

...or goading him with the unattainability of his crusade.

Either way, Leo felt his guts tighten at her unexpected presence.

"So..." Her voice interrupted his thoughts. "Are you all set? To become King and all?" she asked, swirling the remnants of her drink around in the crystal tumbler.

"Furthest thing from," Leo admitted, sloshing himself a drink with shaky hands.

Whether it was nerves or anticipation, he wasn't sure. Either way, he was now doubly, triply in need of the hard stuff... in part because he could feel some other stuff becoming hard as well.

"Hence why you're looking for something to take the edge off," she mused, running her aqua-coloured gaze over him. "Smart thinking."

"Tell that to my Father..." scoffed Leo, dropping the decanter back on the cabinet top, trying to maintain his cool in the face of her intoxicating closeness.

"Or my daughter," agreed Adelaide with a roll of her eyes. "If anyone needs a bevvy, it's her! Speaking of... have you see her? She's quite disappeared on me..."

"Nope. Can't say I have," admitted Leo, throwing the scotch back greedily.

Adelaide surveyed him for a long moment before shrugging. "Probably for the best, really. She can't stand me on the best of days. She's under some misguided impression that I'll say or do something that will embarrass her..."

"Welcome to my world," muttered Leo, reaching for the decanter again. "I am the living embodiment of my father's resentment. You know, he even told me tonight that I am — quote-unquote — a 'royal disgrace' and Liam should've been his heir instead."

"Hmm..." murmured Adelaide, sliding off the billiards table yo shimmy up to him. "I don't know about any of that... I think you'll look fantastic in a crown..."

Leo snorted. "That is hardly a qualification for kingship..."

"Isn't it?" pressed Adelaide, leaning her empty glass against her cheek as she cocked her head at him.

"I have it on rather good authority that there's a bit more to it than that..." murmured Leo ruefully, unable to stop his gaze from sliding down her neck to the bare skin of her cleavage that sat exposed between the lines of her dress.

"Don't listen to them," chided Adelaide, reaching up to run a finger through his thick, blonde hair. "A king needs only three things — a royal bloodline and an iconic profile. Everything else will be taken care of for you."

Leo felt an uncharacteristic shudder course through him as her fingertip brushed over the sensitive skin of his temple. "Apart from the actual ruling..."

"You'd be surprised..." she smiled. "I haven't set foot in Krona in months! The equerries take care of all the pesky details."

"Running a kingdom's a tad more involved than running a duchy..."

"Pfft!" she scoffed. "Duchy? Kingdom? What's the difference? You sign the odd piece of paper, and throw the occasional ball. That's it!"

"And lead Council meetings, host foreign dignitaries, review petitions, attend—"

"Leo, darling, you are terribly overthinking this!" chided Adelaide with a laugh, reaching for the decanter to pour herself another glass. "You think the kings and queens of old bored themselves with all the minutiae? No! They delegated, so they could have fun fighting battles and posing for portraits."

"Not sure fighting battles was exactly fun..."

"My Prince," she said, leaning in, as if imparting a secret. "All I'm saying is you have nothing to worry about. You could conquer nations with that jaw-line..."

Leo's heart stopped in it's tracks as he swore he felt the tip of her tongue flick over his skin.

"...your sense of duty is just a bonus."

"And... and the third thing?" he stammered.

"The Crown Jewels," she declared, pulling back to fix him with a knowing look.

Leo frowned. "You mean the Apple and th—"

"I mean these jewels," she corrected, grabbing the front of his trousers without warning.

Leo nearly jumped out of his skin as he felt her manicured nails close emphatically around his meat and two veg.

"Holy f—!"

"Mmm," purred Adelaide, tightening her hold on him. "Seems to be present and accounted for..."

Leo merely squeaked in response. He had no idea what was happening, or how he'd even gotten to having Adelaide's hands wrapped around his sex pistol in the first place, but he sure as bloody hell wasn't going to tell her to stop!

"...but one cannot be sure without a proper inspection."

Leo froze. "Inspection?"

Adelaide lifted her gaze to met his square on. "Darling, you are marrying my daughter. I cannot — in good conscience — let you bed her without ensuring that all the royal parts are in working order... and capable of producing grandchildren."

"Trust me..." wheezed Leo as he felt Adelaide's hands reach for his belt. "The lads have never let me down."

"Oh, yes," smiled Adelaide, undoing his buckle and letting the ornate belt drop the floor. "I am well aware of your many... conquests. But I also know the papers like to exaggerate. So, surely you cannot begrudge a mother for wanting to obtain independent confirmation."

"How 'bout a live demonstration?" blurted Leo, grasping at the edge of the drinks cabinet for support as Adelaide wrestled with the buttons of his trousers.

Hell, if this was happening, then he was gonna make damned sure that it was happening!

"Don't jump the gun, darling," Adelaide tutted, ripping the fronts of his pants open. "You need to pass muster first."

Leo gasped audibly as his sexcalibur sprang — finally, blessedly! — free of its confines.

"Not one for briefs, I see..." she observed, running her fingers critically over him.

"I threw them all out years ago," he panted in response to the feel of her silken touch on his heated gherkin.

"Another thing we have in common," she smirked, reaching for his hand to guide it over the back of her dress.

A desperate groan escaped him as his palm skated over the smooth, unencumbered expanse of her backside as she continued to fondle him. "So, what's the verdict?"

"A package worthy of a king," Adelaide assured him, rolling his plums together in her palm.

Leo felt his eyes tip back into his head at the overwhelming sensation...

...before it stopped just as quickly as it had started.

Creaking his eyes open, he saw Adelaide throw him a cheeky smirk over her shoulder as she glided sinuously towards the billiards table.

"Aren't you coming, darling?" she whispered back at him.

Leo nearly tripped over his own trousers in his haste to get to her. He was going to get the chance to live out his dirtiest, most depraved fantasy, after all! He was not wasting one more second!

"Lord, you have no idea how long I've waited for this..." he gasped, stumbling across the room towards her.

"Oh, I know very well," she assured him, leaning back to spread her arms out over the polished walnut. "I've seen you looking at me, Leo."

He faltered. "You have?"

"Of course, my darling," she assured him, cocking her leg seductively. "You were hardly subtle in your attentions. A woman notices these things..."

"You know this is highly improper..." he pointed out as he finally made it to her.

"Oh, sweet boy!" she laughed. "This would be the scandal of the century!"

"Then we better give them something to talk about," he grinned, grabbing her by her toned derrière to lift her onto the edge of the billiards table.

"Mmm... I can think of a few things..." she breathed, planting her hands on his shoulders to push him down towards her nether region.

"I'm sure you can, m'lady," he grinned, shifting his hands to the back of her knees to yank her towards him, the sudden momentum sending the top half of her body falling back onto the felt. "But allow me to put even your wildest dreams to shame."

"Bold words..." purred Adelaide with a coy smile as he lifted her legs up to anchor her Valentino Gavarani-clad feet on his shoulders, causing the skirt of her dress to cascade down towards her hips.

"I've yet to receive anything other than a stellar review," he winked at her, grabbing her waist to invert her almost fully as he lifted her sacred centre up to his face.

"That may be so, darling, but unlike some ladies, I have high standards..." murmured Adelaide, lifting her arms above her head in anticipation. "I don't dish out gold stars to just anybody..."

"I don't intend disappoint," Leo assured her with a cocky smirk as he bent his head towards her.

"...why must I do everything myself!" seethed Madeleine, stomping down the otherwise empty corridor in her Valentino sling-backs.

She'd known Leo was an immature and unreliable cad who was more interested in finding the next skirt to lift than paying any semblance of attention to actual matters of state.

And while she would've definitely preferred a more dedicated and biddable prospect — such as his younger brother — to share the rigours of governance with, she ultimately wasn't marrying the Playboy Prince because she liked him.

In all honesty, the man could've had warts and halitosis and she still would've gone through with the union!

Because this was a political match, pure and simple. The House of Rys allying itself with the House of Amaranth, the richest and most influential noble family in Cordonia in order to keep Queen Kenna's line alive...

...with the added benefit of elevating Madeleine's own status to that of Queen. A role that she'd been training for since before she could even walk, given her father's unrelenting pursuit of power by any and all means — an endeavour that she very much shared, much to her mother's disgruntlement.

But she couldn't exactly get engaged if her intended was missing! Tonight, of all nights!

Who, in their right mind, disappears on their own coronation?!

Of course, she was well aware of Leo's infamous tendency to pull vanishing acts, but what the blasted hell was the man thinking? To leave an entire country in the lurch?

Certainly not on her watch!

She'd already dispatched Bastien and all available members of the King's Guard to search high and low for the errant prince. But the Palace and its grounds were massive, and given the sheer number of people that had descended on the Rys stronghold for tonight's event, trying to find anyone was an exercise akin to weeding a needle out of a haystack.

So, she'd been forced to join the search herself. Even though it was insulting beyond measure and much below her station.

But, desperate times called for desperate measures, and she'd rather sweat into her ballgown running up and down the corridors now, than stand like a hapless bimbo in front of all the dignitaries and news crews trying to explain why her future king and fiancé had skipped out on an entire nation on one of the most important nights of its recent history.

No. She most certainly did not need those headlines running in the morning... or ever.

Best that she focused her efforts on helping locate the wayward heir, and hope that he wasn't halfway out of the country already... because by God, she'd send the Cordonian Secret Service after him if she had to!

Arriving at the next set of doors on her mental task-list, she wasted no time in pushing the handle down...

"Leopold?" she called, steeping into the room.

...only to freeze in shock at the sight in front of her.

There he was — the next in line to the Cordinian throne — head thrown back, trousers around his ankles, thrusting like an animal into—

"MOTHER?!"

Adelaide raised her disheveled head from the billiards table at the sound of her daughter's distraught shriek. "Oh, sweet pea! There you are!"

Leo raised his hand in a wave. "Hi, Mads!"

Madeleine's rouged lips jerked soundlessly, trying to formulate some kind of response, but nothing was forthcoming.

Never — in all her life! — had she imagined that she'd ever witness such sordid... brazen... obscenity!

She was literally lost for words. Her! The person who has been giving televised interviews since the age of four!

"Darling," soothed Adelaide, propping herself up onto her elbows to reveal the tautness of her age-defying, silicone-enhanced breasts, "I know this looks frightfully ghastly, but I can assure that—"

"Shut up..." she finally managed to croak.

Adelaide frowned. "Darling, are you—?"

"I SAID, SHUT UP!" Madeleine screeched.

Both Leo and her mother's eyes widened in the face of the uncharacteristically deranged outburst... but they nevertheless managed to refrain from commenting.

"I don't know how this..." She gestured derisively in the couple's general direction. "...colossal cock-up happened. Nor do I care. But what I do know — and most certainly care about — is that the coronation ceremony is starting. And I will not let you, Leopold—"

Leo groaned at the sound of his full, Christian name. "Jesus, Mads! I told you I—"

"Do not interrupt me!" snapped Madeleine. Sucking in a breath to collect herself, she continued, "I will not let you fuck this up for me, or the kingdom. So, if you want to keep your royal sausage, then I suggest that you pull it out of my mother and get your fatuous arse to the ballroom before I have the Guard drag you there."

Leo glanced down at Adelaide. "You sure she wasn't adopted or—?"

"NOW!!!" thundered Madeleine.

"Okay, okay, sheesh!" huffed Leo, grabbing for his trousers, given that he was already very much deflated, his fiancée having managed to suck the literal joy out of his joystick with her mere appearance .

"And you, Mother..." hissed Madeleine, turning her attention to her disheveled parent. "You have undermined me for the last time."

Adelaide scoffed. "Darling, all I have ever done is—"

"Which is why my first act as Queen will be to banish you to Krona," finished Madeleine with a haughty air of finality.

Adelaide's eyes widened. "You wouldn't dare!"

Her daughter's demeanour was icy. "You're lucky I'm not banishing you to Siberia. But if you test me—"

"Siberia at least has decent vodka..." chimed in Leo, sauntering past her out the room.

Adelaide tipped her head contemplatively. “He's got a point, you know…”

"Argh!!" screamed Madeleine, slamming the door behind her with such vehemence that it rattled the bottles in the liquor cabinet.

Vile cretins! The whole bloody lot of them!

Grabbing her intended by the arm, she hauled him all the way back to the ball, ignoring the profanity-filled protests.

Stopping in front of the pair of footmen that were manning the ballroom doors, she snapped, "Inform the King that Prince Leopold is ready for his coronation."

"Actu— Ow!!"

She brutally silenced the forthcoming objection with a heel to Leo’s foot.

As the servants rushed away to do her bidding, she manhandled Leo back into the same ante-chamber that he'd disappeared from earlier.

"Mads, stop!" he pleaded as she pulled him across the Persian carpet like a stubborn mule. "Can you please just—?"

"No," she declared, shoved him through the velvet curtains and onto the gilded dais without ceremony. "You will do your duty, even if it kills you, you ungrateful oaf!"

The hubbub of the crowd instantly ceased as Leo stumbled to a stop.

"There you are!" snap Constantine into his ear. "You have some nerve—"

"Just get on with it..." sighed Leo, the weight of finality crashing down on him as he caught his brother's the eye from across the room. Liam always hated it when his brother and father argued, and Leo didn't want to subject him to a public spectacle.

Constantine looked like he wanted to say more, but quickly decided against it. Turning to the congregation, he spread his arms and launched into his pre-prepared speech.

"Good evening, one and all! It is a great honour to have so many of you come out tonight to show your support not only for—"

"Pay attention!"

Glancing down, Leo caught Madeleine's disproving glower from the foot of the dais.

He suppressed a groan.

How they were going to sire royal babies, he had no idea...

...probably with copious amounts of drugs and alcohol...and possibly even a paper bag.

Because he already knew that there was no way that he wouldn't be able to not think about Adelaide while doing it with her daughter.

As even now, in the midst of his own coronation, his mind kept drifting back to the passionate coitus they'd shared on that billiards table before it had gotten oh, so rudely interrupted.

The way she'd moved... The sounds she'd made... That thing with her tongue... It sent shivers down his spine all over again.

And suddenly he had a stark realisation.

He couldn't do it. He couldn't go through with the coronation.

Not if it meant never being able to see her again.

"...and, now..." his father was saying, holding upon the ancient Rys signet ring, "with the bestowal of this ring, I—"

"I abdicate!"

A collective gasp of disbelief rose from the room.

Glancing up, Leo found his father and step-mother staring at him with open mouths, all semblance of propriety forgotten in the face of the shocking announcement.

But he was not perturbed. He'd made his decision. "I, Leopold Maximilian Fernando Constantine Rys, hereby officially and irrevocably renounce my royal titles as Crown Prince of Cordonia and Duke of Applewood." Turning to Constantine, he added with an apologetic shrug, "Sorry, Dad. Just wasn't feeling it."

The heavy gold band clattered to the floor as the cameras exploded into a frenzy of flashing.

"What the devil are you doing?!" demanded Madeleine, appearing in front of him as he hopped off the stage. "Get back up there and—"

"Better luck next time, Mads!" he shouted over the growing dim as he quickly skirted around the edge of the ballroom.

Reaching the closest set of French doors, he threw them open and — with the practiced ease of a man who'd done this exact manoeuvre a hundred times before — vaulted over the edge of the balcony.

Landing on the gravel, he caught sight of the lone pair of headlights idling in front of the Palace steps, and the figure that was in the process of getting behind the wheel.

A knowing smile spread over his face.

Loping across the drive, he managed to intercept the Aston Martin Vantage convertible before it had a chance to drive off.

The driver raised a brow at him as he approached. "Aren't you supposed to be getting crowned?"

"Realised I had somewhere more important to be," he admitted, coming to a stop by the side of the car. "Room for one more?"

Adelaide's lips curved into a smile. "Always, darling."

"Excellent!" exclaimed Leo, hopping into the passenger seat.

She cast him a sidelong glance. "You know this is never going to work out..."

"And?" he grinned, kicking his feet up onto the dash.

Throwing her head back with a laugh, Adelaide pressed the pedal down, kicking the tail of the Aston as they left the ball to dust.

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[katedrakeohd]

Heartstopper (Part 1)

Masterlist

This is my entry for King Liam appreciation week 2024. @kingliamappreciationweek

@tessa-liam @sazanes @rafasgirl23415

@lizzybeth1986 @kingliam2019

Klaw Day 2

Character Appreciation/Vanilla

Summary:

It's Coronation night and the unthinkable has happened for the new King of Cordonia as the woman of his dreams gets dragged out of the ballroom.

Cast: the usual TRR gang, with Kate Darling as the MC from New York. In this story the King's name is Nicholas instead of Liam.

Author's note:

Prepare yourself for all the angst and heartbreak as the story is told mostly from the young King's perspective.

Rated: M for Mature - Angst, swearing, violence, bodily harm, car chase, fluff

-__-----_👑_-----__-

The crowded ballroom was filled with a cacophony of sound, but Nicholas tuned it all out. At the back of the room, the love of his life, Kate Darling, was being dragged away by his own security guards. Her face was twisted in a look of shock and betrayal as their eyes met. He mouthed a silent, Kate, as the crowd poured into the space where she had once stood. His eyes frantically searched for her, but she was gone.

Next to him on the stage Madeleine stood with a perfectly crafted fake smile on her face. He was still holding her hand, because he had just named her as his choice as Queen. Her name had left a sour taste in his mouth, and he felt queasy. A cold sweat bloomed on his upper lip, and he lifted his other hand to his mouth to wipe it.

"Nicholas?.. Nicholas?..."she said behind her clenched white teeth, "Say something."

She curled her fingernails into his palm to get his attention and he recoiled, dropping her hand.

He raised his hands up in an attempt to appease the uproar of the people as the wave of sound finally enveloped him like a tide. "Please! Please Everyone! If you could direct your attention this way." He raised his voice and the heads started to turn and the crowd began to still.

"Thank-you." He stepped closer to Madeleine and tucked his forearm stiffly behind her back to draw her to him. He looked at Madeleine and then turned back to the crowd and forced a happy smile onto his face.

"Please allow me to present her Royal Highness, Queen Madeleine Amaranth."

The crowd of strangers erupted into applause, their faces beaming with pride for their new King and Queen.

As he held his smile in place, his stepmother Regina walked over to stand at his other side. She grasped his hand, and he squeezed back tightly, making her wince. "Where are they taking her?"

Regina waved to the crowd and then leaned in to answer. "They're sending that insufferable slut back to New York, where she belongs."

"Over my dead body," he grounded back angrily and dropped her hand. He took a step back and with a quick salute to the crowd he slipped through the curtains and then out the door to the balcony.

The warm Mediterranean air smelled much sweeter than all the sweaty heavily perfumed party goers crowded into the ballroom. Not that he didn't wear cologne himself, but he missed the sweet scent of Kate's vanilla perfume most. He took a deep breath and then pulled out his mobile phone. Below the balcony there was a sea of paparazzi photographers and reporters with news cameras and microphones. When they saw him, their shouted appeals for his attention overlapped like squabbling water fowl. He turned away from the camera flashes and the video spotlights to stand in the sliver of shadow next to the building. He tore a small hanging flower pot off the wall and used it to smash out the bulbs of the light sconces by the doors. This gave him a little more darkness and he heaved a deep sigh to calm himself as he dialed Bastien, his head of security.

Bastien picked up on the second ring, "Yes, Sire? How may I be of service?"

The relative calm in the guards voice made Nicholas lose his own. "..be of service?! What the fuck, Bastien? We never agreed to have her dragged out like a criminal."

"I'm sorry, Sir."

"What happened to quietly escorting her out after the gala was over? And where are Drake and the Beaumont Brothers?"

Bastien broke away to talk to someone else briefly and then returned, "As per your Father's request the Beaumonts and Mr. Walker have also been removed and detained..."

Nicholas interrupted, "Detained? But why? They're hardly threats to anyone."

Bastien calmly replied,"I was just doing as I was told, Sir. But as for Mr. Walker, he is no longer in custody."

Nicholas chuckled, "Of course he isn't. Let me guess, he hit you."

"Not me, Sir. But one of the junior cadets now has a sprained wrist and a broken nose."

"Good, tell him he's fired."

Nicholas hung up and then went to the far corner of the balcony to catch a glimpse of the black line up of fleet vehicles by the gate. Only one had it's engine running. He used his phone to take a picture of it, zooming in on the serial number badge on the back window. 725

He dialed Drake, hoping he was nearby.

A few agonizing seconds of dial tone tone later, Drake answered. He sounded slightly winded as if he was running. "Nic?! ..what the fuck? This is not a good time. .. I'm being chased by one of Bastien's minions."

"Hold on.." Nicholas hung up and then sent an angry text to his head of security.

HRH : Tell your god damned attack dog to stand down and let Drake go.

Nicholas looked back toward the gate. He saw a pair of guards forcefully trying to escort a woman in blue toward the waiting SUV. Kate was putting up the fight of her life. Bless her heart.

His heart sank as he saw one of the guards slap her hard across the face. She went limp in the other guard's arms.

Nicholas's phone started ringing. It was Drake. He kept his eyes on the guards as they shoved her bodily into the back of the SUV. He answered the call.

"Talk to me."

Drake was clearly out of breath, he struggled to put his sentence together. "I ..*huff*..gue..guess ..*huff* I lost him."

"Good, where are you?"

Drake was a little more composed as he replied, "I .. I'm heading toward the service ...entrance by the East Courtyard. I can see a crowd of reporters waiting outside."

Nicholas nodded his approval, "Good, that's right below me. I'll distract them so you can get through."

Drake stopped at the door, "Where do you need me to go?"

Nicholas walked back to the right and closer to the balcony railing. "They're trying to send her back to America, Drake. I just saw some guards shove Kate into the back of an SUV."

"Those bastards! Where, what SUV?" Drake spat back angrily.

"Number 725, over by the gate, and hurry I think they're leaving."

"On it. Just get these paps outta my way. Are you giving me permission to use whatever methods I want."

"Affirmative, BFI is now in effect. Good luck."

Nicholas reached the railing, and as predicted, the reporters followed. A flood of flashing camera light and a chorus of demands met him as he casually leaned on the railing. He ignored their questions and struck up a casual conversation with them instead, determined to take their attention off Drake so he could get away.

"Good Evening everyone. Lovely weather we're having tonight for the Coronation..."

Drake pushed the door open and elbowed his way through the crowd. "Excuse me...pardon me...move! ..Hey, look over that way. The King is doing interviews.."

He stomped through the garden bushes on the edge of the courtyard, taking a short cut to the gate. There were four black SUVs parked by the curb, but none of them had drivers. 725 had already left.

Drake presumed that the airport was the destination, but with the extra traffic in the city tonight clogging the roads because of the gala they shouldn't be too far ahead. On the other side of the gateyard civilian and diplomat cars were parked and waiting. A silver sedan had it's engine running and a chauffeur behind the wheel. Bingo

He looked left and right to check for moving vehicles and then cut across the gravel to the sedan. He knocked on the window and the startled driver looked up from his phone. He buzzed the window down. "Uh, Hello? Is the gala over already?"

Drake shook his head, leaning heavily on the door so he could look the driver in the eye. "No, but I need a ride."

The driver looked over at Drake's large hands as they gripped the door frame. He visibly swallowed. "I'm s..sorry Sir, but I'm here for the ambassador." He glanced down at the phone in his lap and then back at Drake. He started tapping out a message.

"Nope, I wasn't asking."

Drake reached in the window and grabbed the guy's phone out of his hands and threw it like a frisbee off into the bushes. "Go fetch."

The driver protested, "Hey!" And then reached for the door handle to open the door. Drake stepped out of his way and then jumped into the driver's seat. He slammed the door shut and locked it, and then threw the shifter into drive.

Gravel sprayed up from the tires as the Audi dug in deep with its four wheel drive. He tugged the seatbelt across and clicked it into place as he shot through the open gate. He glanced to his left and right quickly to check for impending collisions and then cranked the wheel hard to the left and fishtailed into the line of traffic. He wiped the trickle of sweat off his brow and quickly assessed the road ahead. He eased off the gas and slowed down a little, searching for an opening to weave into. A car up ahead signaled and then changed lanes to turn left. He pulled into the left turning lane and then cut sharply to the right to squeeze into the gap. A chorus of honks protested this move and he shrugged, bite me. As the line of traffic rolled up to a red light, he shifted into Park and struggled his way out of his suit jacket. His phone slipped out of his pocket as his coat got turned inside out and tossed on the passenger seat. His phone rang from where it had landed on the floor as the line of traffic moved again. He shook his head nope and shifted back into Drive.

Nicholas held court with the reporters for about five minutes, just long enough to see the silver sedan exit the gate in a hurry. With a smile he waved goodbye to the reporters and then went back inside the Palace.

The gala was in full swing as if he hadn't left. Music was playing and people were dancing. Everyone else mingled and drank his champagne. He didn't feel like partying. He meandered through the throng of dancers and drinkers. Some of them stopped him long enough to shake his hand. He graciously accepted their congratulations and then moved on. He finally made it to the double doors at the back of the ballroom and the security guards held people back as he passed. He nodded his thanks and then headed for the wood paneled "door" beside the suit of armor in the hallway. It looked like any other carved alcove like all the others, but this one led to his own private elevator. He pressed his thumb print on the scanner hidden inside the shiny button. A vibration signaled that his thumb was read correctly and the panel opened. He stepped in and then pushed the arrow up button. The door slid closed and he sagged back against the wall. He hoped that Drake was successful and got to Kate in time.

Drake crept forward with the traffic, whipping out into the left turning lane to leap frog whenever he could. He wasn't sure how effective this method was, but at least it alleviated the tedium of stop and go traffic. He kept scanning the line of traffic up ahead for the telltale high roofline of the royal fleet SUV. So far no such luck. The exit for the airport was coming up soon, about a kilometre away. Hopefully that route wasn't as crowded as this one.

In the backseat of 725, Kate Darling was lying down with her eyes closed. She wasn't asleep, but listening instead to the two guards arguing in the front seat.

"I told you, we should have taken the turn onto Spencer Avenue. We'd be closer to the airport by now," the guard on the right complained.

"And I told you not to smack the girl around. If that hit gets leaked back at the Palace we're screwed."

The guy on the right shrugged, "Who's she gonna tell? She'll be on a flight back to America within the hour."

Kate touched her sore cheek. There was going to be a big bruise there soon, and it was going to speak for itself. The thought of going back home to America made her want to cry. She had left her old life behind four months ago, and didn't want to go back. She felt the SUV swing hard to the left, and held onto the seat to stop herself from tumbling onto the floor. The vehicle sped forward and Kate's stomach lurched with panic. If they had turned onto another road, it most likely meant that the airport wasn't far away. She had to do something.

Drake saw the turn off for the airport coming up on his left, he signaled and went into the left turning lane. After turning left he took the onramp that swung around to cross over the boulevard that he'd just been on. This road had a faster speed limit and the traffic had thinned out considerably. He leaned into the gas pedal and sped up to make it into the flow of traffic. Now he could definitely catch up. He just hoped he wasn't too far behind.

Kate sat up, and the pain in her head throbbed. He had evidently hit her harder than she thought. She caught the driver's gaze in the rearview mirror and he jumped in surprise. "Oh shit, Cinderella is awake." He smiled uneasily.

She narrowed her eyes at him, "Don't call me that. I have a proper name you know."

The guard on the right turned to look back at her, "It's the color of your dress. It reminds him of Cinderella."

Kate looked down at her dress, "Oh right. I'm Kate by the way. And when Nicholas gets a hold of you two, you'll wish you'd never been born."

The driver scoffed, "We're not afraid of him."

Kate quirked her eyebrow and smirked, she pointed to her swollen cheek. "And when Drake sees this and finds out who you are, you're gonna beg for mercy."

The guy on the right scoffed, "Drake who?"

Kate laughed, but then winced in pain, instantly regretting it, "Oh, He's just the King's best friend and my personal bodyguard. And when I say he takes any harm done to me personally I'm not exaggerating."

The guards up front went quiet, and Kate slid over in her seat and buckled up. This was going to hurt, but it was time to put her plan into action. The doors were all locked because they were traveling forward, but she knew that in the event of an accident that the locks would disengage. She crossed one leg over the other and removed her high heeled shoe. The guards up front weren't paying attention to her anymore. She looked out the darkly tinted window and noticed it was starting to rain. It was go time.

"Hey!" She shouted, and got the startled reaction from the driver that she was expecting. He looked over his shoulder at her and in the process jerked the wheel to the right, at the same time she launched her high heel at his face and it lodged into his eye. He screamed in pain and his hands flew up off the steering wheel, "You Bitch!"

Kate braced herself as the car swung wildly from left to right, and then she heard the tires crunch onto the right hand gravel. A split second later the SUV started to roll and she hugged herself and prayed that the airbags would catch her.

[lorirwritesfanfic]

Fallen Petals

Book: The Royal Romance Characters: Liam Rys, MC (Jade), Madeleine Amaranth, Bastien Lykel Pairing: Liam Rys x MC (Jade) Rating: E Word count: 1066 Reading time: 4 min Summary: After the first dinner to celebrate his engagement to Madeleine, Liam couldn't stop thinking about Jade. He had to find a way back into her heart. Based on the prompts: @kingliamappreciationweek Day three: Roses / Golden

Author’s note:

Jade Bourbon is a creation of this author. The other characters belong to Pixelberry Studios;

Thank you to @lizzybeth1986 and @sazanes for hosting another KLAW. The event never fails to wake up my writing muse from hibernation 😁

This fic is part of TRR series, To (Secretly) Love You, but I believe anyone who played TRR Book 2 will understand the context.

County of Fydelia, January 2018

"Thank you for coming!" Madeleine faked a smile and waved as the last guest left the grand hall. The countess then grumbled and extended her hand to her maid, who promptly squeezed a hand sanitizer on her palm.

Right next to her, Liam inhaled sharply. It still baffled him to remember that Leo endured Madeleine for three years. Keeping up appearances in front of guests was one thing. But when it was just them and the servants, it was so much harder. After all, that was exactly when Madeleine's true self would show.

"Your Majesty, your bedchambers are ready," Bastien whispered.

"Thank goodness," the King mumbled to his bodyguard, who pressed his lips together and nodded. Bastien certainly knew how obnoxious Madeleine could be.

"I beg your pardon?" Madeleine cut in. 

"Bastien just informed me my room is ready and I thanked him. If you excuse me, I'd like to rest right now." 

"Alright, you've been doing your part pretty well, Your Majesty." Madeleine smirked.

"Not as well as you do, sweetheart," Liam retorted as he walked towards the stairs.

"Just try to not ogle that commoner when she's around and we should be fine."

Liam stopped in his tracks as his hands balled into fists. How Madeleine planned to keep up with this engagement if she insisted on pushing his buttons it was still a mystery to him. But he would never let her know she was getting under his skin.

"Have a good night, Madeleine," he said, plastering his best fake smile then headed upstairs.

Inside his bedchambers, Liam drank the last of his scotch and heaved a sigh. This certainly would give him the worst migraine in the morning, but at this point, it didn't matter. He just wished the whiskey could help him sleep and forget this night ever happened. Yet, he couldn't. How could he forget the look in her eyes? She clearly seemed upset, but her eyes still searched his from time to time. And she changed. Her hair, the way she dressed, her posture... Did she miss him too? Did she still want anything to do with him? He needed to know how she was doing, what she was thinking. He just didn't know how.

A soft knock pulled him out of his reverie.

"Yes?"

"The maid is asking if you want anything from the kitchen, Sir," Bastien explained.

Liam scanned the room, searching for any dirty dishes, when his eyes landed on the flower arrangement on the table outside.

"Actually, I do want a couple of things from the kitchen." Liam began to list a few things he wanted so his guard would pass it along to the maid. "Also, do you know if there are any flower shops open at this hour?"

"I'm not sure, but I can ask around."

"Get me the number of the best flower shop in town. I'll talk to them myself."

"Your assistant can handle this matter, Sir."

"No, let's keep this between us."

"As you wish, Sir."

About half an hour later, the Royal motorcade rolled to a stop before the largest flower shop in Fidelia. Once the King's guard cleared the perimeter, Liam climbed out of the car and walked in, greeting the flower shop owner with a smile.

"Your Majesty, it's an honor to have you here." The woman bowed in respect.

"Thank you for accepting my request in such short notice, Mrs. Atwood. Shall we see the roses?"

As the florist led him to her workstation, where dozens of roses were displayed on vases, a cold breeze blew against the flowers. Liam watched a few petals fall on the floor as a sudden memory took over his mind.

Cordonian capital, November 2017 (coronation night)

A giggle escaped Jade's lips as Liam's hand caressed her lower back and traveled to her derrière.

"So you're a butt man, huh?" She grinned.

"Pardon?" His brows furrowed in confusion.

"You know... Some people prefer boobs, others prefer butt. And since your hands can't seem to rest anywhere else..."

Liam's cheeks flushed crimson. "I didn't realize... I—"

"It's okay," she interrupted, leaning in for a quick yet torrid kiss. "I like it."

A slow smile played on his lips. "Oh, do you now?" Liam captured her lips once again, grasping her buttocks in the process.

"If you squeeze them harder, we might never leave this maze, Your Highness," she whispered.

"Nothing would make me happier."

She pulled away just enough to look at him and arched an eyebrow. "Nothing?"

"Well, there's one thing..." He gazed at her in adoration as a gentle breeze ruffled roses, a few petals falling near them. "Making you my queen would make me the happiest man. Are you ready?"

"I am. As long as I'm with you, I'm ready for anything, my love."

"I love the sound of that."

"Great! Me too."

Both of them chuckled. 

Just then, a gust of wind blew inside the maze, ruffling the flowers, rose petals and leaves flying towards them.

"Oh! So cold!" Jade shivered slightly, hugging him tighter. "I think my butt is going to freeze!"

Liam guffawed then reached for his jacket, covering her backside and part of their thighs.

"Thank you." She smiled softly as a rose petal fell on her hair.

Liam then reached for a red rose nearby, tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and placed the rose on her hair bun. Jade has always been an attractive woman to him, even when she wore that unflattering waitress uniform from the New York dive bar. But, right now, wearing simply a red rose from the maze garden, she never looked more beautiful.

County of Fydelia, January 2018

"How many flowers should I get for the bouquet, Your Majesty?" The florist asked.

"All the red roses you have."

"All of them?" The woman's eyes went round.

"And a few baby's breath to adorn the arrangement," Liam said as he touched a fallen petal on the table. 

The florist nodded in surprise (probably shocked that the King knew a thing or two about flowers) and left to pick up the flowers. When she returned, she placed a card and a pen on the table. "You can write a note to your fiancee. I'm sure she'll be delighted to know you came here to pick the flowers yourself."

"Thank you." Liam smiled and reached for the pen and the card. He could only hope the person he'd send those roses to would be willing to read his note and to see him again.

[beckywiththeshitassbangs]

I stand with my cancelled wife

[lizzybeth1986]

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

A complaint that often emerges from readers about the TRH series, is the amount of time that LIs who are not married to the MC spend hovering around her. They seem to be ever-present, ever- ready to do her bidding, give her attention, and shower her with praise. They hardly seem to spend much time at their own homes, don't date, and haven't settled with anyone in the five year-timeline of the series.

"It's almost as if they have no life of their own!" we complain.

Yet this wasn't always the case. TRR was in fact one of the rare Choices series' that had intended - at different points in the first 3 books - for an alternative romance for each of the LIs. So what happened? Why did these attempts fail?

It is easy to assume that the answer would be the same for every alternative pairing - the "crazy stans" threw a tantrum, and the writers backtracked. But one has to only look at the trajectory of each pairing to realize that this reading doesn't apply equally to all of them.

Many factors played into why the writers did a full about-turn and left all their LIs single. Some related to the writers' attitudes towards an LI, some related to how they felt about the side characters they paired the LIs with. And often, the fan response to each fed into those biases and opinions. This essay is an attempt to explore these factors and give as full a picture as I can manage, to answer the question of "why did these pairings not happen?". I hope I can succeed in that.

I will be tagging all those who had responded to the previous feeler post on this or showed interest earlier, but if you see this and would like to be tagged in this series, do let me know!

Intro: A Brief History of Alternative Romances in Choices

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

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

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

Drake and Kiara: When You're Fucking Racist

[kckuhaku]

❝ so how goes wilful disobedience of late? ❞ from anthy :3c

⊰ 🙵. blood & darkness ;; ⊱ // @wh0rehome

MADELEINE HEARS AMARANTHE before her words, the familiar sound of her steps of her longtime friend, her old roommate, her beloved friend. madeleine doesn't even bother turning around at her voice, offering a hum in acknowledgement instead. her teasing words would have annoyed her if it came from anyone else, but from anthy, madeleine cannot help but simply roll her eyes.

« what could you possibly mean, anthy. » she feigns, anthy is simply catching up as it's been a while since they've last caught up - but madeleine, now that she recollects her thoughts, thinks has she done anything out of the ordinary worthy to note ? a pause, before madeleine turns to anthy, panic upon her features.

« oh god, did i ship something to your address by mistake again ? » had she been negligent with her online purchases ? there was a chance that she had failed to double check the shipping address and an unfortunate package may have been sent to anthy's apartment instead of hers - madeleine tries to recount every online purchase she's made in the last while but fails to pinpoint a specific item. scrambling from her seat, madeleine grabs anthy's shoulders and screams a whisper -

« it wasn't one of the supposedly inconspicuous yet very conspicuous boxes, was it ?! »

[tessa-liam]

Turning the Page

Make You Mine - Chapter 14 

Choices, The Royal Romance, The Royal Heir AU 

Series Premise: As Riley Brooks journeys through life as a single parent in New York City, an epiphany strikes as she contemplates the future for herself and her two-year-old son. 

Turning the Page Series Masterlist, My Complete Masterlist 

Main pairing: Liam Rys x F!OC Riley Brooks 

All characters belong to Pixelberry Studios, except William Brooks (Rys) and Matteo Magro, who both belong to this series. 

Category: On-going series, contains angst/fluff/depression. Cross-over fic with Choices, Perfect Match. 

Rating: M 🔞 - Warnings – Series will have crude language, weapons, NSFW material – not Beta’d - please excuse all errors. 

Words: 4816 

Make You Mine - Chapter 14 

Chapter Summary: Daniel & Matteo get married in Greece 

Music Inspiration:

Unchained Melody, Righteous Brothers 

A/N1: In this alternate universe, after King Constantine orchestrates two individual scandals to humiliate and entrap Riley Brooks and Olivia Nevrakis in shame, Madeleine Amaranth secures her position as the Queen of Cordonia. Riley, as the King’s mistress and Olivia, in self-imposed exile. Tariq is never found.  

A/N2: Damien Nazario has been assigned as William’s personal bodyguard. (Series cross-over with ‘Perfect Match’) 

A/N3: My submission for @choicesaugustchallenge , prompt "Summer Wedding"

"What an amazing wedding venue!" Riley gushed as she and Liam leisurely strolled, hand-in hand along the pristine beach with William. "This white sand ... the turquoise water ... it's absolutely breathtaking!"  

Liam smiled tenderly as he admired her elation and innocent amazement of the seaside in front of the hotel. Arriving on the island of Santorini, the weeklong pre wedding festivities began as wedding guests arrived to join the celebration. 

“It truly is," Liam agreed as he also took in the beauty of the scenery." I can definitely see why Daniel and Matteo chose this location. However, I must say that Cordonian bea --" 

Interrupting his father, William tugged his hand and pulled, "Daddy, I wanna play in the water. Pleeaaase?!" 

“Is that so?”

William squealed when Liam at once picked him up and twirled him around, giggling and clapping his hands in delight.

"He's getting so big!" Riley cooed, reaching out to tickle William's belly. "You're such a big boy now, aren't you?" 

William grinned and nodded. "I'm three now, mama!" Grinning and patting his chest proudly. 

"That's right, Will," Liam chuckled, giving him a high-five. "You're growing up so fast!" 

They continued their walk along the beach, taking in the sights and sounds of the ocean waves crashing against the shore. Riley slipped her arm through Liam's and leaned her head against his shoulder. William began to pull away from them to follow a seagull that flew up from the water's edge. 

"William, don't run too far ahead," Riley called after him. 

"I won't mama," William called back, slowing his pace. Damien, who followed close behind, kept an eye on the prince. As they continued their walk along the beach, Riley and Liam enjoyed the feeling of the warm sun on their skin and the gentle breeze blowing through their hair. 

"What a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon," Liam smiled joyfully. "This is what I have always dreamed of -- you by my side, with children underfoot ...enjoying life with my family." 

"I couldn't imagine being anywhere else," Riley said, returning his smile. 

"Nor I, Riley," Liam said, placing his arm around her waist pulling her closer. 

"I'm so happy for Daniel and Matteo," she sighed. "They're perfect for each other." 

"And so are we." 

"We are," Riley murmured, tilting her head as she leaned up and captured his lips. The kiss was slow and deep; savoring the taste of him.  

Liam's tongue brushed against hers, sending a thrill of desire throughout her body. He pulled her even closer, his hand splayed on the small of her back. She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, tugging gently as she kissed him harder. 

They were so caught up in each other that they did not even notice when Maxwell, Bertrand, Savannah and Bartie strolled alongside. 

"Hey, lovebirds," Savannah called, breaking them out of their passionate embrace quickly. 

"Sorry," Riley giggled, her cheeks flushing. 

"It's okay, you're just young and in love," Savannah smiled, giving her a knowing wink. "But don't forget, there are little eyes around, too." 

"Yes, save some of that for later, you two," Bertrand chimed in, indignantly.  

"You're one to talk, Bertrand," Maxwell guffawed. "I've seen the way you and Savannah can't keep your hands off of each other." 

"I suppose you have a point," Bertrand conceded, looking pleased with himself. Liam acknowledged, "Duke Beaumont, you are correct. It is good to relax and spend time with the people we care about. It's what we all need." 

"Indeed," Bertrand said, his eyes sparkling. 

"We'll try to keep our hands off each other, just for you," Riley laughed, teasing the elder Beaumont. 

"Good, thank you," Bertrand huffed. 

Maxwell chuckled, "Yeah, I'll make sure Bertrand behaves himself in public, too. For Bartie's sake, of course."

"What are you talking about?" Savannah asked, her brows furrowing. 

Bertrand’s eyebrows shot up in annoyance. "Nothing," Maxwell and Bertrand said in unison. 

Bartie, seeing William up ahead, tugs his mother's hand wanting to join his friend. 

"Bartie, don't go too far," Savannah called as he sped off to join William.  

"Please excuse me, your majesty," Bertrand quickly followed the chase. 

Liam and Riley exchanged an amused look and continued their stroll along the beach, hand in hand. “Hey, Max, how did you convince your brother to come to the beach, anyway?" Riley grinned mischievously. 

“Ha,” I had to bribe him,” Maxwell shook his head, chuckling. “I told him if he would come out here that I would look after Bartie during the wedding. He was reluctant at first, but eventually, he caved.” 

"That's sweet of you, Maxwell," Riley said. 

"Yes, Maxwell, that's noble of you. It is good that you are looking after your nephew. You're a great uncle." 

"Thanks, Liam. I appreciate that." 

"Of course," Liam smiled. "What on Earth--"

Up ahead, as Bertrand pursued his son, the chase ended when he tripped and landed face first, with a splash, into the water. 

"Bert!" Savannah called out, "Bartie, what did I tell you?" 

"Sorry, mommy," Bartie said sheepishly. 

"Bertrand, are you okay?" Maxwell asked, rushing to his brother's side. 

Bertrand grunted, pulling himself up and wiping his face. "I think that's enough for today," he said, looking annoyed. 

Savannah giggled, "It's okay, Bertrand. Accidents happen." 

"Right," he nodded, with a look of disgust at his wet clothing. 

"Let's get out of here before something else happens." Maxwell chimed in, trying, but failing not to laugh. 

"I think that's a good idea," Liam said, suppressing his amusement. 

"Yes, I'm fine," Bertrand grunted as he stood up, soaking wet. 

"Let me help you with that, Bert," Savannah offered, handing him a towel. 

"Thank you, Savannah," Bertrand said, taking the towel. 

Maxwell helped his brother dry off while Bartie looked on, a look of concern on his face. "Father, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you fall into the water." 

"It's alright, Bartie. Accidents happen," Bertrand replied, giving the boy a small smile. 

"Come on, let's get you back to the hotel so you can change into some dry clothes," Savannah said, taking Bartie's hand. 

"Yes, good idea. Let's go," Maxwell followed behind, shaking his head with a smirk. 

As they walked, Bertrand turned his head back to Maxwell. "Did you see what happened? I could have sworn that there was a shark fin in the water. It looked like it was heading straight for Bartie!" 

"A shark? Really?" Maxwell burst out laughing uncontrollably. 

Damien, overhearing their conversation, grinned as he turned with William and walked towards Liam and Riley. 

"That was quite the scene, huh?" Damien quietly commented and snickered. 

"It was something," Liam nodded, as he bit the inside of his cheek, successfully holding his laughter. 

"It was quite entertaining," Riley chuckled. "Bertrand needs to come out here more often, especially with Bartie. He is so sweet." 

"Having his son and Savannah with him at House Beaumont has been a positive influence on him." Liam replied. "Bartie is just curious and adventurous. He's a good kid." 

"He's a little rascal," Damien laughed. 

"Maybe, but he's a cute one," Riley added. 

Damien stopped walking as he noticed Olivia and Drake up ahead at the hotel entrance. 

"I'll be right back," Damien said, making his way towards the entrance. 

Riley watched him leave; her brow furrowed in question. "What's going on?" 

"Well, I think Duchess Olivia has an admirer." 

"Is that so?" Riley asked, her interest piqued. 

"It would appear that way," Liam said, his lips curving into a knowing smile. 

As Damien approached closer, he saw Olivia and Drake locked in an intense discussion. He could not make out what they were saying, but he had a feeling that things were getting heated. 

"We should keep walking," Riley said, smiling coyly at Liam. "Yes, let's get out of here." Liam agreed, taking her hand and leading her further down the beach. 

"This is the perfect place for a honeymoon," Riley mused. "Greece is so romantic." 

"Do you see that temple over there, Riley?" Liam asked, motioning to a magnificent structure that rose up from the shore of the main island. 

"That's the Temple of Apollo," he continued. "It's one of the most famous monuments in Greece." 

"Wow, it's gorgeous," Riley breathed, awestruck. "It looks like something out of a movie." 

"The ancient Greeks were known for their exquisite architecture," Liam explained. "They used materials like marble and limestone to create these stunning monuments." 

"It's incredible to think that something so beautiful has lasted for thousands of years," Riley pondered. "I wish I could have seen the world back then, when these temples were still new." 

"Me too," Liam chuckled. "Although I'm not sure how I would have adjusted to a time without modern technology." 

"True," Riley laughed. "I can barely manage going without my phone for a few hours, let alone a lifetime." 

As they continued to walk along the beach, Liam regaled her with stories about the Greek gods and goddesses, and how their myths had inspired the Greeks to create some of the most iconic art and literature in the world. Riley listened with rapt attention, enthralled by the stories of love, betrayal, and heroism. 

"So, which god do you think would be the best fit for you, Liam?" she asked teasingly. 

"Hmm, that's a tough question," he chuckled. "But I think I would have to say, Hermes, the god of travel and trade." 

"A good choice," Riley nodded. "What about me?" 

"Definitely Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty," he replied without hesitation. 

"Wow, high praise indeed," she blushed. 

"It's no less than you deserve, my love," he murmured, kissing her cheek softly. 

The sun was beginning to set over the sea, casting a warm, golden glow over the beach. The breeze ruffled Riley's hair as she leaned against Liam's chest, her heart filled with joy and contentment. 

"Thank you for coming here with me, Liam," she whispered. "This means so much to me." 

"It is my pleasure, Riley," he murmured, holding her close. "I'll never get tired of seeing the world with you." 

He leaned in and moved a lock of hair behind her ear, and kissed her lips, as she melted into his arms. 

Daniel and Matteo’s wedding day... 

The setting was stunning, with the Aegean Sea providing a breathtaking backdrop. The guests were greeted with glasses of champagne, and Riley and Liam mingled with their friends and Matteo's family.  

 As the sun started to set, Riley noticed that Daniel and Matteo had not arrived yet. She began to wonder if there had been any delays, but as she was about to text them, the guests heard a motorboat approaching the shore.  

 Riley gasped as she saw the two grooms arrive on the boat, looking dashing in their tuxedos. The guests cheered as the two men disembarked and made their way towards the ceremony venue. 

The music changed to a slower, more romantic song as Daniel and Matteo walked down the aisle, arm in arm. 

"Welcome, family and friends, to the wedding of Daniel and Matteo," the officiant began. "We are gathered here today to witness the union of these two wonderful people in marriage. 

“Daniel and Matteo have chosen to write their own vows, which they will now recite to each other." 

Matteo nodded and took Daniel’s hand. 

"Daniel, when I first met you, I knew you were someone special. You are intelligent, kind, and incredibly generous. You have brought so much joy into my life, and I am so grateful that I get to spend the rest of my life with you." 

Matteo paused and took a deep breath, his eyes glistening with tears. "Danny, I promise to love and support you, to be by your side through good times and bad, and to share in your dreams and ambitions. I will love you and cherish you for all the days of my life." 

With tears in his eyes, Daniel takes a deep, shuddered breath. 

 "Matteo, When I first met you, I never imagined that we would end up together. But every moment we have shared since that day has made me realize that you are the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. You are kind, funny, and so very dear to me. Thank you for making me a better person and for loving me unconditionally. I vow to be your partner in all things, to stand by your side through the ups and downs of life and to love you forever and always.” 

After the exchange of rings, the officiant asks, "Matteo, do you take Daniel to be your lawfully wedded husband?" 

"I do," Matteo replied, his voice thick with emotion. 

“And Daniel, do you take Matteo as your lawfully wedded husband?” 

“Yes, yes, I do.” Daniel smiled through his tears. 

"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and husband. You may now kiss the groom!" 

Daniel and Matteo wasted no time embracing and kissing each other passionately. The guests applauded and cheered. 

"Congratulations, Daniel and Matteo!" the officiant announced. 

"I love you, husband," Matteo said, cupping Daniel's face. 

"And I love you, husband," Daniel replied, kissing him again. 

The newlyweds made their way down the aisle, surrounded by their friends and family. As they walked, they could hear the guests chanting "kiss, kiss, kiss!" 

Finally, Daniel and Matteo obliged, stopping to give each other a long, loving kiss. Matteo lifted Daniel's hand in thew air and with the other he lifted a glass. Grinning, he smashed it down and yelled, "Opa!" 

Matteo chuckled. "I can't wait for our honeymoon." 

"Same," Daniel grinned. 

Riley smiled as she watched the two men walk off hand in hand. She turned to Liam, her eyes sparkling with happiness. 

"That was so beautiful," she said, her voice full of emotion. "They are truly in love." 

"They are," Liam agreed, his voice tinged with sadness. 

Riley turned to him; a questioning look in her eyes. "Are you okay, Liam?" 

Liam nodded; his expression somber. "I'm just thinking about the past. How could my life have been different if I had chosen you from the start." 

"But you did choose me," Riley reminded him, her tone gentle. 

"Yes, but at my coronation --," Liam began, his tone regretful. "If I had given you that ring, things would be so different." 

Riley placing her hand on his cheek, “we're together now, and that's all that matters. I'm so glad you came with me here," she said softly. 

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be," he replied, his voice low and husky. 

He leaned in and captured her lips, and she happily responded. 

Amidst the cheers and applause, the guests were gathering for the traditional Greek wedding dance. Riley and Liam were swept up in the moment, as Maxwell and Savannah linked arms with them as they joined in the dance. 

The music changed to a slower, more romantic song, and the guests formed a circle around the newlyweds. 

"This is called a Syrtos," the band leader explained. "It's a traditional Greek dance that symbolizes the union of two souls. Daniel and Matteo, if you will please take the center of the circle." 

"Now, everyone, join hands and begin the Kalamatianos," the band leader instructed. 

The guests joined hands and began to dance, circling around the newlyweds. 

"Great! Now, the bride and groom will walk around the inside of the circle, holding hands. Opa!!!" 

Daniel and Matteo danced around the inside of the circle, their arms linked. As they passed their friends and family, they shared smiles and hugs. 

"This is a wonderful tradition," Liam whispered in Riley's ear. 

"I know, it's beautiful," she agreed, smiling. 

The dance came to an end, and the guests broke into applause. 

"Thank you all for joining us on this special day," Matteo called out, his smile beaming. "We are so happy that you could share in our celebration. We hope you have a wonderful time and that you will join us for the reception." The reception was a beautiful blend of traditional and modern, with delicious Greek cuisine and a lively dance floor.  

"Congratulations, Daniel and Matteo," Riley said, giving them both hugs. 

"Thank you, Riley," Matteo replied, smiling. 

"We're so happy for you both," Liam added, shaking Daniel's hand. 

"Thanks, Liam," Daniel said. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a reception to get to!" 

With that, Daniel and Matteo made their way to the wedding feast, hand in hand. The guests followed, ready to continue the celebration. 

The newlyweds were soon swept away by the joy and excitement of their reception, and the party began in earnest. Loud music played and the guests danced and celebrated well into the night. 

Riley and Liam spent the evening talking and laughing with their friends, and when it was time to cut the cake, the couple fed each other a slice, much to the delight of the guests and then snuck off to take some photos. 

William pointed to the wedding cake displayed on a nearby table. "Look, Mama! Big cake." 

"That's right, sweetie. That’s a wedding cake."  

“Mama, you and daddy married, too?" Riley’s eyes snapped up to meet Liam’s gaze as he smiled tenderly, raising his eyebrows.

"Maybe someday," she said, winking at Liam. 

"Can I have cake now, pleeaase?" 

"Of course," Riley smiled. 

"Come on," William said, getting up from his chair, grabbing Liam's hand. 

"Okay," Liam chuckled, as he started to stand up to follow his son. “Oh Liam, no worries. I can take him.” 

As Riley started to rise from her chair, Liam tenderly put his hand on her shoulder, urging her to still be seated. Liam bent down and placed a sweet kiss on her cheek.  

William led his father over to the wedding cake, where they were greeted by an older woman. 

"Ah, King Liam." The woman bowed her head and dropped down to curtsy. "How can I help you, Your Majesty?" 

Liam graciously bowed his head in respect and placed his hands on William's shoulders. “My son would love to try some of the wedding cake, thank you." 

"Of course, Your Majesty. Would you like a small or large piece?" 

"Wait ... is the cake made of baklava?" Astounded by his favorite dessert in the world made into a wedding cake. He was ecstatic. 

Matteo overheard his question and leaned over, a grin on his face. "It is, actually. It’s my favorite." 

"Wow," Liam breathed. "This is amazing." 

"My yia yia [grandmother] made it herself." Matteo said. 

"So, would you like a slice, Your Majesty? She smiled warmly. 

"Please," Liam nodded, his eyes sparkled happily. 

Matteo 's grandmother first cut a slice for William and then cut a generous slice and placed it on a plate for Liam. 

"Here you go." She smiled proudly.

"Thank you," he said, his tone sincere. 

"You're welcome, Your Majesty." 

Liam took a bite of the cake and sighed contentedly. "αυτό είναι απίστευτο" ["This is incredible"].

"Χαίρομαι που σου αρέσει" ["I'm glad you like it"], Matteo smiled. 

"ο Βασιλιάς είναι ένας σοφός άνθρωπος" ["The King is a wise man!"] Matteo's grandmother exclaimed. 

"μιλάς ελληνικά;" ["You speak Greek?"]

"Έκανα μερικά μαθήματα" ["I took a few lessons," Liam admitted.

"Λοιπόν, τότε είναι διπλή τιμή που σας έχω εδώ! [""Well, then I'm doubly honored to have you here."]

"παρακαλώ η τιμή είναι δική μου!" ["Please, the honor is all mine."]

*** 

After the desserts were served, the band began playing a lively tune. Maxwell grabbed Savannah's hand and dragged her to the dance floor. Bertrand contentedly remained seated with Bartie. 

"Come on, Daddy," William said, pulling at Liam's sleeve. 

The woman's eyes went wide as she realized the little boy was his son.

"Θεέ μου ο Μάτι ο βασιλιάς έχει έναν γιο!" ["Oh, my goodness, Matty ... the king has a son?"]

*** 

Later in the evening, Matteo's grandmother approached Liam, as he enjoyed a drink with Drake and Olivia.

"Your Majesty, please give this to your bride. It's a family heirloom, and I want her to have it," the elderly woman said, pressing a small, ornate necklace into Liam's hands. 

"Yia yia, With respect, I can't accept this. It's too much," Liam protested, but the old woman was adamant. 

"Nonsense," she insisted. "It's a gift from me to your bride, for more healthy babies. 

Liam felt his face flush at her words and the thought of having more children with Riley. He swallowed hard and nodded. "Thank you, Yia yia. But I must ask why." 

The old woman smiled, her eyes twinkling. "Because I see the love between you two, and it reminds me of my late husband and me. You are a lucky man, Your Majesty. I hope you cherish each other always." 

Touched by her words, Liam gave her a hug and thanked her again. 

As Liam sat back down, he could feel the intense gazes of his friends look straight through him.

***

Laughing, and out of breath, Riley and Maxwell sat down from dancing at the table. "This was so much fun. I am so thirsty ..."

"Say no more, Ri. I'll be right back with refreshments," Maxwell stood up and saluted, in jest, and went to the bar.

"It's lovely to see you celebrate Daniel and Matteo's wedding." Liam squeezed her hand.

"They are so happy together." 

"They are," Liam said, a slight wistfulness in his tone. 

Riley caught his gaze and held it for a moment, reading the look in his eyes. 

"We're going to get our happy ending too, you know," she lowered her voice, giving his arm a reassuring squeeze. 

"I know," Liam replied, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. 

"And even if we have to wait a little longer, it'll be worth it," Riley continued, her tone firm and confident. 

"I couldn't agree more," Liam said, his expression softening, making a mental note to send Olivia a 'thank you so much' gift for helping Riley find her spark again.

"Besides," Riley added, a mischievous glint in her eye, "I can think of a few ways to pass the time until then." 

Liam laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "You're incorrigible," he said, his tone playful. 

"You know you love it," Riley teased, leaning in closer. 

"I do," Liam said, his gaze fixed intently on hers. 

Their faces were only inches apart, and Riley could feel her heart racing. She knew she could pull away, but she couldn't seem to make herself do it. 

Liam leaned in and kissed her soundly, the taste of scotch lingering on his lips. Riley closed her eyes and kissed him back, savoring the moment. 

When they finally broke apart, their faces were flushed, and their breathing was ragged. 

"Come on," Riley said, her voice low and husky. "Let's go back to our room." 

"Gladly," Liam replied, his voice matching hers. 

They slipped out of the reception, their hands intertwined. As they walked back to the hotel, they knew that, no matter what challenges lay ahead, they would always have each other. 

***

Later that night, Liam and Riley were getting ready for bed in their hotel room. Riley had just finished washing her face and was brushing her teeth when she noticed Liam staring at her from across the bedroom. 

"What?" she asked, toothbrush still in her mouth. 

"Nothing," he chuckled. "You're just so beautiful." 

She grinned, her cheeks turning pink. "Charmer," she mumbled. 

Liam walked over to her and gently took the toothbrush from her. "Matteo's grandmother gave me something for you," he said, pulling the necklace from his pocket. 

Riley's eyes widened as she saw the beautiful piece of jewelry. "Liam, it's gorgeous," she breathed. 

"Here, let me put it on you," he said, his voice soft and husky. 

He reached around her neck and fastened the clasp, his fingers brushing against her skin. Riley shivered at his touch, her body responding to his closeness once again.

"Thank you," she whispered, her heart fluttering. "But I don't understand why--" 

"She told me it was for more healthy babies," he interrupted, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. 

"Oh," Riley said, her blush deepening. 

"Well, we should probably get started then," Liam said, his eyes darkening with desire. 

He pulled her close and kissed her, his tongue brushing against hers. Riley melted into his arms, her body pressed against his. 

"Yes, Your Majesty," she murmured, her lips curving into a smile. "We should definitely get started." 

Thank you for reading, tags are in the comments. Please let me know if you would like to be added or removed.

@choicesficwriterscreations @thosehallowedhalls

[multi-cookies]

The notebook opens..

hello! this is my first time actually doing this. but i hope this will end good! i do have rules for this. Muse list. Canon cookies: Madeleine Cookie (tag name: "divine's chosen one") Tea Knight cookie (Tag name "the goetic soldier") Werewolf cookie (tag name "Lone lycan") Affogato cookie (Tag name "the reclusive siren") Rye cookie (Tag name "Cowbell warrior") Princess cookie (tag name "pinkberry heir") Burning spice cookie (Tag name "reformed destruction") -------------------------------------------------------------------- Cookie ocs Focaccia cookie: Male. he/him. leads the biggest mafia in parfaedia. (He is almond cookie's father) (tag name "the tiger of parfaedia")

Amaranth Tea cookie: Female. she/her. a ancient hero fae. (tag name: "the gentle fae") ------------------------------------------------------------------------- rules!!

dni proshippers, ship haters, Ai users

There will be dark topics and such, so this blog isn't sfw. (madeleine's backstory IS sad, so fair warning for that)

multiship, the only ones not multiship acceptable is almond and focaccia

the characters are canondivergent, based on a rp that my friends on discord made!

"what are goetics,sirens,etc? good question! that also ties to the rp! i'll post the list in a seperate post!

Have fun!