#hard for me: cordonian ruby

[bobasheebaby]

Hard For Me- Cordonian Ruby chapter ten

Pairing: Olivia x Bastien; Ruby Rys x Beau Larkin

Word count: 1,330

Warnings: none really, it’s a tad angsty with anxiety mixed in

Summary: The group leaves Texas.

A/N: Okay, I think we can be back for at least a few weeks. I started chapter eleven and am still working like crazy on the fluffy ABC’s so hopefully I can get back to Thursday postings. Thanks for bearing with me!

A/N2: A major thanks @sirbeepsalot for all your graping, prereading, editing, and telling me when to let go. I love you boo! Thank you to my snippet reader @loveellamae who screamed appropriately.

Series warnings: character death, blood, surgical procedures done by non medical personnel, may go NSFW in the future. May contain gun violence, knife violence, threats, not sure how dark this will go. By requesting to be tagged you acknowledge you are at least 18 years of age.

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

Disclaimer: I own Ruby, Galen, Lovett, and Beau, I’m borrowing Bastien and Olivia from PB.

Leaving Texas would be the easy part. Even with the tearful goodbyes and the knot that formed in Ruby’s chest as she said goodbye to Beau’s family, she knew there was a much harder battle looming ahead.

Everything in Cordonia was unknown.

They were headed across the ocean as prepared as they could possibly be; they tried to remain hopeful, but Ruby couldn’t help the worry that grew in her gut the further from Texas they flew.

She’d questioned herself unmercifully if she was being selfish by dragging Beau away and into an uncertain future.

Ruby shifted uncomfortably in her seat, careful not to disturb her husband. Her thumb grazed her rings -- that was one new title she didn’t question for a moment.

She was born a queen but was that the role she was meant to fill? Would her title of queen be long-lived, or would a vendetta she inherited cause her to lose all that she held close?

She let out a frustrated breath. The uncomfortable cramped seats only compounded her frustration. All the moves across the country didn’t prepare her for the journey across the ocean in a plane. Normally she’d fall asleep with her head leaning against the window, today sleep evaded her. Her mind was far too busy as she went over every worry and fear she had.

She attempted to stretch out her long legs. Even sitting in the backseat with both her brothers she had more space than she did in the moment. What she would give to simply be heading to a new state instead of across the sea.

She hated the uncertainty that gnawed at her stomach. She was used to planning and feeling confident in her skills bringing her victory. All she felt was unavoidable fear. Fear that she would lose the only family she’d ever known. Fear that she would be met with an impossible question that led to a more impossible choice.

She was still so young, her life just starting. Was she simply rushing towards the end? Could she come out the other side of this no worse for the wear and triumphant or was she doomed to become barely more than a footnote?

“Everything okay RuRu?” Beau’s voice was low and laced with sleep.

Ruby internally sighed, she was trying to not disturb anyone. Her eyes scanned over the darkened cabin, everyone else had managed to drift off into a peaceful slumber, even her parents were asleep.

If only her mind would silence and allow her a few hours of reprieve.

She turned, her faint smile barely visible in the low light. “I’m fine,” she forced her voice to stay sure and even. If Beau thought something was bothering her he wouldn’t allow himself to slip back asleep. He’s lost enough today, he should be allowed to sleep.

Guilt once more clouded her heart and mind. She could only hold onto the tiny glimmer of hope that she and Beau would soon return to his family and Texas.

“Everything will be fine, I believe in you.” He slipped his hand into hers.

Five years later and she could still be caught completely by surprise at the way he could easily read her. She wanted to believe him so badly, for the first time in her life she lacked trust in herself.

So many lives were counting on her to conquer Bradshaw and return Cordonia to its former glory. Her own family’s lives hung in the balance. Never before had any opponent made her question her own ability.

She only hoped Bradshaw wouldn’t also be the one to make her face eternal defeat ...

- - -

Ruby regarded the street lined with Parisian boutiques. The quaint shops selling anything from pastries, elaborate gowns, to antiques. She couldn’t contain her surprise at how ordinary the street appeared.

Her mind had always conjured images of cobblestone paths, with colorful awnings and tables overlooking the street.

Instead of cobblestones, she was met with paved street, nothing as magical as she had once imagined. The tables were still nestled in front of eateries, and the awnings were colorful enough, though if she hadn’t known she was in Paris she could have almost imagined she was in any other city.

“Mama, are you sure we have time?” Ruby was thankful for the prolonged layover, the ten and a half hour flight preferable to the nearly thirteen-hour it could have been, but wasn’t shopping a frivolous use of their time?

She yearned to be carefree and experience the city of lights at a leisurely pace. To be walking hand in hand with Beau down the streets, nothing more than a couple in love. The memories they could create while exploring the beautiful city.

She could wish on a thousand shooting stars and it wouldn’t change the facts.

This wasn’t a vacation. This was merely a pit stop on the way to Cordonia. A layover used to reconnect with more allies and gather intel that would hopefully aid her in freeing her country from a tyrant.

Perhaps Beau and I can return.

While her future remained uncertain it was essential she held tightly to any shred of hope. While all her plans could vanish in a puff of smoke in an instant they were necessary for her to believe she would succeed in vanquishing her enemies.

“This shopping trip is a necessity I assure you,” Olivia replied as she led Ruby into a lavish boutique.

Ruby instantly felt overwhelmed and out of place as she caught sight of gorgeous gowns. The knot in her stomach grew as she scanned the gowns, the lush fabrics, beading, and lace were so far from her usual tastes. Is this what will be expected of me?

“Ruby, breathe. I know this is new for you, I assure you we will be able to find you a suitable gown that you will feel comfortable in.”

She wanted to believe her mother, but surrounded by gowns of silk and tulle she felt like she was drowning in a world she didn’t know.

“What exactly am I looking for?” Ruby asked as she straightened her back and pushed her doubt down. She needed to act strong and sure, the feeling would soon follow.

“I’m sure you remember Papa and I telling you about the social season,” Ruby nodded for Olivia to continue. “Bradshaw has been carrying on his own version of the tradition, instead of celebrating our country, he means to break us.

The start of the social season is next week. All of the court is expected so it will be easy enough for us to slip in.” Olivia turned towards the dresses, “now let’s find you something that tells Bradshaw you are the wrong royal to fuck with.”

- - -

Ruby hung the garment bag in the closet, her fingers grazing the thick dark fabric.

Her mama had been correct that they would find a gown that made her feel like the queen she was.

She had been surprised to find something that was so perfectly her amidst all the silk and yards of tulle.

She gently placed the bag containing her new shoes and the ornate masks for both her and Beau on the ground.

She turned as she heard an unfamiliar voice mingling with those of her parents and Drake in from the main room of their suite. Ignore their stares, I may look like them but I’m me. They just don’t know how to react.

She steeled herself for the gaping looks and stuttering that would surely come as she stepped into the room.

“Ruby,” Olivia greeted, “this is Maxwell Beaumont, and … where is Hana?”

Maxwell rocked on his feet, “Uh, Hana sends her regards. She wanted to join me, but wasn’t able to leave the country.”

“Why not?” Olivia’s sharp voice rang through the still room.

Maxwell shot Drake a questioning look, “didn’t you tell them?”

“Tell us what?”

Olivia's stern tone nearly gave Maxwell pause. “Hana’s Bradshaw’s mistress.”

Feedback fuels me, please like, comment reblog or send an ask. Feel free to scream, I promise I can take it.

Masterlist can be found in my bio.

@speedyoperarascalparty @liamxs-world @annekebbphotography @itsstillnotwhatyouthink @ao719 @stopforamoment @akrenich @gardeningourmet @daniv2278 @bella-ca @gibbles82 @choiceslife @blackcoffee85 @sirbeepsalot @cheeto-choices @dcbbw @alicars @desireepow-1986 @mfackenthal @bhavf @indiacater @drakesensworld @kingliam2019 @walkerswhiskeygirl @ladyangel70 @jovialyouthmusic @edgiestwinter @rainbowsinthestorm @janezillow @sleepwalkingelite @texaskitten30 @traeumerinwitzhelden @bbrandy2002 @jared2612 @blackcatkita @darley1101 @innerpostmentality @lolablackwrites @fullbeaumonty @hhiggs @itsalliepg @smalltalk88 @littlegreenmoo @mynameiskaylabella @bobbersb @imma-winchester-addict @cordonianroyalty @loveellamae @marshmallowsaremyfavorite @katedrakeohd​ @forthebrokenheartedthings​ @super-secret-fandom-blog​ @burnsoslow​ @queenjilian​ @bebepac​ @datynasuha @malvolari-take-my-soul​ @hopefulmoonobject​ @queen-arabella-of-cordonia​

[alj4890]

And Then I Left You

(Thomas Hunt x oc*Amanda) in a “what if” version to the RCD/TRR fan fic And Then I Met You Series

@krsnlove ​​​ @my-heart-beats-for-ya ​ @aworldoffandoms ​​ @flyawayboo ​​  @trappedinfanfiction ​​  @sophxwithers ​​ @twinkleallnight ​​

Masterlist

Chapter 12 A Little Too Revealing

Cordonia's oldest Cathedral...

"Thomas!" Ana held her microphone out towards him. "Will you answer a few questions?"

Bracing himself, he left his group of friends and walked over to her. Cameras flashed around him as he stood alone before the reporter.

Ana smiled at him. "Tell us, what have you thought of Prince Liam's social season?"

"It's been interesting." He put his hands in his pockets. "It truly has been a once in a lifetime experience."

"We know how close you are to the Duchess of St Orella." Ana continued. "In your opinion, what kind of queen do you think she would be if chosen?"

He hesitated. "Well, I..." He noticed carriages coming down the street. "I think Cordonia would be fortunate to have her." A half smile formed on his lips. “Any man would be lucky to find himself marrying her.”

"Do you think her chances--" Ana turned around. "The first of the nobles are arriving! The Duchess of Lythikos's carriage is the first to stop. Her grace is wearing a..."

Thomas, along with those from Hollywood quickly made their escape when the reporters were distracted with the arriving court guests.

"Phew." Addison nearly sagged with relief once inside. "Those questions were getting hard to answer."

"One of the reporters asked me if I thought Amanda's work ethic pointed toward queenly behavior." Ryan rolled his eyes. "Because I as a movie star know all about ruling a European nation."

Holly snorted while pushing him further inside. "You barely recognize the hierarchy of a film studio much less local governments’."

"Which makes me the perfect person to ask questions like that to." He teased.

"Do reporters expect us to say, no?" Matt asked. "Who wouldn't say their friend would be Liam's best choice?"

Thomas remained quiet while the group expressed their opinions. He led them up a flight of stairs where Liam had secured them seats for the coronation.

Their view was perfect to see not only where the nobles would be sitting but also of the dais where the crowning would take place. While they waited on the ceremony to begin, they were able to admire the vaulted ceiling and sheer majesty of the large cathedral. Stain glass windows shimmered in the early morning sunlight. The Cordonian oak pews glowed golden from the high polish they had been given for today's historic event.

"There's Olivia!" Addison pointed out. "Look at her dress! It's gorgeous!"

"It looks like something from the Middle Ages." Holly leaned forward to get a better look.

Olivia's blood red gown was long and flowing, reminiscent of the formal wear her ancestor Zenobia had worn during Queen Kenna's wedding. Her look was complete with her tiara of rubies and diamonds.

Following behind her was Rashad dressed in a tuxedo and white gloves. His house crest along with other highly honored medals House Domvallier had earned throughout history glittered upon his chest.

Another duke they had only seen at an event or two walked with his family, all in finery from some bygone era, towards the front of the sanctuary.

"I wonder when Amanda will--" Shannon nudged Chris. "There she is!"

Thomas finally saw his duchess walk down the aisle. He was once again spellbound by how regal Amanda appeared.

Like Olivia's, her gown harkened back to a time where gowns had a flowing train to her floor length full skirt. Upon her head sat the tiara she had worn for her ball. The blue diamond necklace and bracelet that had been given as betrothal gifts for the very first duchess of St Orella twinkled under the lights. Her dress was in the rich royal blue color with dainty silver embroidery along the scooped neckline, puffed sleeves, and edge of her skirt. Her arms were encased in elbow length white gloves.

What really stood out though to Thomas was her. Amanda's posture was straight. Her chin lifted just high enough to denote her lofty stature within the Cordonian Court. Her graceful walk down the aisle was complete with a deep curtsey, hand over her heart, and head bowed to Constantine and Regina.

When she then slipped into the pew that her ancestors before her had sat for every other coronation, she lifted her eyes to his.

The hint of softening around her lips made his own curve with pride. He didn't know how she managed to keep surprising him with these different facets to her character. It was sometimes difficult to picture the woman he had come to know with the new visions that she paraded before him.

His thoughts drifted over the last couple of weeks. They had decided to not tell any of their friends about their engagement, save for Liam. They worried over Maxwell and Addison possibly letting it slip. They knew how excited the two would be and how they would want to start planning the wedding.

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

A few days after the ball at St Orella...

"What are you working on?"

Thomas leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes when he felt Amanda's lips brushing against his neck.

"A list of shots I want to try with certain scenes." He tugged her around to sit in his lap. "I didn't think you'd be free this evening."

"I thought," she went back to kissing his neck, "that you might be interested in knowing that we are actually alone."

"We are?"

"Uh huh." She smiles against his skin. "Drake, Olivia, and Liam went on to Ramsford early. Holly and Addison dragged Ryan out to go visit with Chris and Shannon." She lifted her head and met his heated gaze. "We're the only two left."

He kept the argument to himself that there were still servants in her home, but he reveled in the fact that they were once more without any interruption from either a good meaning friend or a needy noble.

"However will we entertain ourselves?" She teased, biting down on his earlobe.

Thomas captured her lips in a kiss. He pushed his notes off the desk he had been using and set her upon it. His attention was snatched away from her when he remembered the study door.

"I locked it." Amanda held the key up.

Thomas noticed his ring twinkling in the early afternoon sunlight on her finger. He loved that she persisted in slipping it on whenever she could.

He surged forward to kiss her again.

"You know," he kissed down her neck, "we should probably use this time to discuss our wedding."

"You want a wedding?" She eased back some.

"Don't you?"

"I don't know. Nobles try to outdo each other with their weddings and parties leading up to it. The romance of the moment is overshadowed by all the pomp and circumstance." She shrugged. "I always thought it would be more romantic to elope."

He sat back down and pulled her back in his lap. "I thought you would want a church wedding."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "I suppose that would be nice if I had it at the St Orella chapel. But you probably need something bigger, don't you?"

"Why would I need something bigger?"

"Isn't that what Hollywood royalty do?” She teased. “ Make weddings more extravagant and impossible to replicate?" 

He leveled a playful warning glare upon her. "You are walking a very fine line right now."

Her smile grew. "Me? But I'm only trying to appease your fans and counterparts." She pretended to ponder the problem. "I suppose we could use the capital's cathedral and host the reception on the beach. Naturally we will let the press fightover who gets to take the first photos of us--"

She started laughing and trying to escape him when he began to tickle her.

"Stop!" She said between giggles. "I'll keep the guest list to just five hundred." She squirmed when he increased his efforts. "Thomas!"

"What was that about a guest list?" He grinned when she snuggled against him to make him stop. His arms settled around her once more.

"What kind of wedding do you want?" She asked once she had caught her breath.

"Whatever will make you happy." He gently brushed her hair back from her face. "If eloping is what you want, we'll go whenever and wherever you wish."

"Really?" She looped her arms around his neck. "You wouldn't mind it being just the two of us?"

"Amanda, since I met you I have tried to keep it just the two of us." He grumbled. "Do you honestly believe I would purposefully make us have to play host to people?"

She laughed softly. "I suppose not."

A tender smile formed on his lips. "I rather like the thought of it being just the two of us when we say our vows."

"I do too." She sighed into the sweet kiss he gave her. "I know Maxwell will be heartbroken not being my Man of Honor, but I would prefer us being alone." She rested her head on his shoulder again. "We could elope at one of my other estates."

He looked down at her in surprise. "What other estates?"

"I have one in Italy, near Lake Como and one in the Scottish Highlands."

"Are they as big as this one?"

"No. The castle in Scotland only has twenty guest rooms.” She grinned at his shock. “And the Lake Como villa is quite small. Only twelve guest rooms."

Thomas marveled at her. She seemed so content with the simplest of things and yet she had all this wealth that he never imagined.

"Which would you like to be married at?" She prodded.

"I'll leave that up to you." He cuddled her close. "Just as long as it is as soon as possible."

Her eyes widened. "You don't want to wait until the end of filming?"

"No." He kissed her once more. "I do ask that we wait on a honeymoon until the film is complete, but I would marry you today if we could."

"Thomas." She kissed him again. "I wish we could."

Her smile formed with a thought. "We could elope after the Coronation Ball."

"We could?"

She nodded.

"Then that's what we'll do." He felt his anxiousness dissipate now that they had a date set.

He wasn't sure why, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen to ruin the luck they had in being together.

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

The Royal Palace, Coronation Ball...

"We are mere minutes away from King Liam announcing his choice for Cordonia's new queen." Ana smiled into the camera. "It has been nothing but excitement since this morning's coronation." She paused and nodded. "And now the King Father and Queen Mother have taken the stage."

The camera zoomed in on the royal family.

"Honored Guests" Constantine beamed out at the crowd. "This is a great day for Cordonia. In all my years as your monarch, I have never been more certain than I am in the type of king Liam will be." He turned toward his son. "I know it came a s a surprise to many when..."

While Constantine discussed how Leo's abdication turned into something good, Thomas eased toward the back of the ballroom.

Amanda was standing near one of the glass doors leading outside. As the King father continued to drone on, her attention drifted to what would happen once Liam named Riley as his queen.

The plan was to sneak out after Liam’s announcement. Her private plane and staff were waiting at the hangar and would fly her and Thomas to Scotland where they would elope. By this time tomorrow night, she would have taken the first step into a future she had only dreamed of. 

She sighed softly to herself. After the coronation, she had been required to dine with her fellow nobles and royal family. This evening, she had completed the last of the suitor event of dinner and giving Liam a gift. There had been no time spent with Thomas. She had searched the ballroom for him, but had been caught in numerous conversations about Liam becoming king.

Just as the worry set in that Thomas might have had second thoughts about their elopement, he settled beside her, causally leaning against a nearby column.

"How much longer?" He whispered.

She barely lifted her shoulder. "I'm not sure. The way Constantine keeps talking, it is almost like he is stalling the final tradition in Liam being king."

Thomas noticed the worry that briefly appeared in her face. He moved closer to her and took her hand. She squeezed it before keeping their clasped hands hidden within the folds of her skirt.

He felt his ring on her finger and couldn't help but be touched that she refused to go without it tonight.

"Are you nervous?" She whispered.

"About what?"

"About eloping?" She tilted her head up and smiled at him.

"Not at all." He had to stop himself from lowering his head and capturing her lips in a kiss. "Are you?"

"I think I'm more excited than anything else." Amanda replied. "Won't everyone be so surprised when they--"

Liam raised his voice as he spoke before the court, silencing all conversations. He spoke about the great honor he felt in being Cordonia's new ruler and how proud he was to have found the woman to rule by his side.

His eyes met Riley's as he held his hand out to her. "I choose Lady Riley Brooks of House Beaumont to be my wife."

The reporters that had been allowed in the ballroom quickly added their commentary to this development. Cameras flashed as the young king beamed at his intended.

The moment Riley joined him, phones began to chime and vibrate.

Murmurs broke out around them.

"No!"

"She wouldn't!"

"Is this for real?"

"I knew it!" Madeleine said a bit louder. "I knew that they were hiding something!"

"Thomas!" Addison rushed over.

Holly followed along with Drake and Maxwell.

"What's wrong?" He demanded when they each seemed to be worried.

Maxwell grimaced and handed his phone over to him.

The director took one glance at the set of images and cursed. Someone had caught him and Amanda locked in a passionate embrace at Applewood. The images that followed were of them taking their clothes off as he kept her against a door, kissing down her body.

Amanda covered her mouth. She began to shake her head at their secret being revealed in such a manner. "We were so careful and--"

"Lady Bridgerton, the king father demands a word with you." Bastien appeared at her side and took her arm. His gray eyes narrowed on Thomas. "He also requests your presence as well, Mr. Hunt."

Olivia and Nadia appeared, blocking his path.

"Is she under arrest?" Nadia asked.

Olivia glared at the guard. "Unhand her! She isn't some petty thief off the street. She is a respectable duchess of his majesty's court."

"Hmph." Madeleine couldn't resist worming her way over. "Amanda's worse than a thief. I wouldn't be surprised if she's stripped of her title and lands. She betrayed King Liam by not remaining true during his search."

Amanda paled at the thought of bringing such shame to her family's name and memory. She was grateful for the first time in her life to be the last remaining Bridgerton. She wouldn't have been able to face her uncle and parents. After all they had taught her about the importance of her rank, she had ignored it all simply because she had fallen in love.

Olivia began to argue with Madeleine while Bastien pulled Amanda along.

"Please everyone!" Liam shouted. "This is all a misunderstanding that I can easily clear up."

Constantine and Regina were whispering to Liam. He held his hand up, shushing them once Amanda and Thomas were brought before them.

Constantine seemed more confused than angry.

"I think we should speak privately to them." Regina whispered once more.

Liam called the press over and began to explain to them that these pictures were his own fault.

"What?" Constantine stuttered. "These pictures were not taken because of something you did."

"No, but I am the one to matchmake Thomas to Lady Amanda."

More surprised gasps and cameras clicking filled the air.

"I found out before my season began that Lady Amanda had developed feelings for Mr. Hunt." Liam smiled at the reporters as they hung on his every word. He used all his charm to keep their attention focused on him in this moment. "I knew out of her loyalty to our country and our close friendship that she would ignore her heart and take part in being a suitor."

He then explained about his trip to Hollywood before the season started.

"Thomas admitted to me that he was in love with Lady Amanda. That was the reason I invited him to join us for the entire season. I encouraged them both to pursue one another in secret since she had already stated in an interview that she was taking part as a suitor." He smiled warmly at them. "I am pleased to announce, though I know they intended to do so tomorrow," he leaned in and whispered loudly for the reporters' sake, "you'll have to forgive me for I can't wait to share your news." He cleared his throat. "Though I wish I could take credit for what occurred during the St Orella ball, Mr. Hunt proposed marriage to the Duchess of St Orella." Liam raised Amanda's left hand. "And she said, yes."

Cameras flashed and reporters were thrusting their mics toward the two couples while shouting out questions.

"Was it difficult to keep secret, your grace?"

"King Liam? Will you and Lady Riley marry before they do?"

"How did he propose?"

While the couples weathered through the questions, Constantine called a halt to it.

"We will answer all tomorrow." He stated. "Now the King and his," he paused for a moment as he met Bastien's concerned expression, "intended must share a waltz to commemorate their engagement."

Liam lifted Riley's hand to his lips as he guided her toward the dance floor.

Once they were dancing, Constantine hissed that he wanted to speak to Amanda and Thomas immediately.

Gripping each other's hand, the couple followed him out of the ballroom.

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

"Follow them." Olivia pushed Drake towards the direction Amanda and Thomas were. “Something about these images is suspicious.”

Drake cleared a path through the crowd for the two of them. He reached back behind him and held her hand when they hit a tight pocket of slightly inebriated nobles.

When they made it to the other side, they continued to hold hands as they rushed down the hallway.

"Where did they go?" He whispered.

They heard raised voices coming from a nearby doorway and crept near it.

After checking to make certain no one was around, they pressed their ears to the door.

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

"...utterly disgraceful the way you deceived us all!" Constantine yelled. "Never in all my years as king have I ever encountered a more self-serving noble than you, Lady Amanda. If it were left up to me, you would be stripped of you title and lands then banished from Cordonia."

Thomas stepped in front of Amanda. "She is the least self-serving noble you have, save for Liam."

He didn't bother to mask his own anger at the former king. Seeing Amanda silent with her head bowed in shame struck a chord within his heart. He never wanted to see her like this when she was innocent of any wrongdoing.

He felt Amanda slip her hand back within his as she stepped up beside him.

Her head remained bowed as she spoke.

"Sir, I never intended for this to happen. I knew deep down that I was never the right person to be queen when Liam first spoke about my being a suitor. With my feelings for Thomas," she turned toward him, "I planned on seeing what could come from it after the social season was through."

Thomas let go of her hand so that he could slip his arm around her.

She settled against his side as he explained that he too had planned on revealing what was in his heart as soon as he could.

Before Constantine could lash out at their total disregard for tradition and duty, Liam stepped in.

Amanda caught a glimpse of Olivia and Drake peeking inside right as the door was shut.

The delighted, genial expression Liam had worn throughout the ball had disappeared completely. A cold fury had taken its place.

"Having a meeting without me?"

His father bristled his clip tone and lack of deference.

"I will have many meetings without you, Liam." Constantine snapped. "I am--"

"No longer king." Liam finished for him. "Since I am now, you will answer a question." He squared his shoulders and stared down Bastien and his father. "Why were pictures taken of Lady Riley's room at Applewood?"

Amanda and Thomas looked back and forth between Bastien lowering his head in shame and Constantine becoming red with fury.

"How dare you speak--"

"I demand you answer me!" Liam commanded. "You have lost the right to chastise me about this." He leaned forward. "I couldn't help but notice your attempt to delay my choice of Queen. Those photographs were taken over a month ago. No reporter would sit on such a scandal of two famous individuals all this time." His voice lowered to a tone that sent chills down their spines. "Given how thorough Bastien is with security and how involved you were with guest rooms, I know you had something to do with this."

Constantine huffed before slumping down into a chair. He dropped his head in his hands for a moment.

"Liam, you know why your choice for queen is so important. You will be left on your own soon and I--"

"And one would think that my father would want me to be with the person who eases my burdens as ruler." Liam snapped.

There was no sympathy as he settled his furious gaze upon his sire.

"Don't make me repeat myself." He ordered. "Why was Lady Riley's room photographed?!"

"You showed such favoritism to her." Constantine explained. "I don't have time to wait around and see if she could learn all that she needs to." He gestured weakly towards Amanda. "Either she or Madeleine would be able to transition to the rank better than some American waitress that you developed a crush on."

Liam's hands fisted. "What was the photographer supposed to capture?"

Bastien cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Lady Riley and Lord Tariq."

Liam blinked. "How?"

"One of the ladies of the court was encouraged to tell Lord Tariq that Lady Riley secretly had feelings for him yet was too shy to act upon them."

Amanda gasped. "That's why he tried to come into the room!"

"And that's why there was no lock." Thomas grumbled. "It was all to entrap two innocent people in scandal so that Liam would be forced to choose a Cordonian noble."

Constantine glared at him. "Yes. And just what were you two doing in Lady Riley's bedroom?"

Liam stepped in front of his two friends, redirecting his father's ire towards himself. "Amanda knew how I felt about Riley and encouraged me to spend more time with her to make certain this lifestyle as a royal was something she wanted. She and Riley switched rooms each night so that I could have evenings with her alone and away from court." His eyes narrowed. "Since you had been so gracious to place Amanda in the room next to mine, it made our clandestine meetings much easier."

"I see." Constantine deflated once more over his plan failing.

"Now then." Liam turned so he was addressing them all. "I think I've managed to keep scandal away from Amanda for the time being." He grimaced somewhat. "But in order for it to last, the world needs to see the two of you planning a wedding."

Thomas's lips parted to explain their elopement plans. He paused when he felt Amanda subtly squeeze him.

"When should we have it?" She asked, resigned to the fact that she was left with little choice.

"Two weeks." Liam replied. "Then my wedding to Lady Riley will follow two weeks after yours." He shook his head. "I know you don't need anymore pressure, but this needs to be as romantic as it can possibly be. The world has seen you choose Thomas over me and they will expect an epic love story for doing so."

[indiacater]

It has been forever and a day and I apologize. But hopefully I'll be working more on posting stories and other things such as food and travel posts. Hopefully I'm not as rusty and hope you'll enjoy it.

Disclaimer: This story with contain topics of racism, sexism, prostitution, sex and violence. I do not own the characters or setting of TRR or Red Dead Redemption those are owned by their respective companies. If you find anything in my stories that you find appalling or upsetting to you then don't read it. Its that simple.

Tagging: @ao719 @bebepac @texaskitten30 @glaimtruelovealways @dcbbw @speedyoperarascalparty @kingliam2019 @kingliamandriley @kimmiedoo5

Part three

Liam grabbed a washing cloth on the dresser and headed into the bathroom. After relieving himself in the toilet, he removed his filthy clothes and sat in the hot bath, taking comfort in the hot water he closed his eyes to take in the satisfaction of being a step closer to getting justice. A few moments pass and Liam was startled by the feeling of hands on his back. He violently turned around to see Jèan. Liam’s eyes widen as he turned to cover himself. The display made Jèan giggle a little.

"Didn't mean to scare you. Since you were bathing I figured I can check to see how you're healing." She says as she moves and lowers herself to Liam’s side. "Also this a good opportunity for us to get to know each other better than just word of mouth and reputation." Jèan grabs the wet cloth Liam was using to cover himself, causing him to stiffen and take a sharp breath as she moved back behind him. 

"So Liam Rhys, son to Constantine Rhys of the Cordonian Orchards plantation. Famous for the Cordonian Ruby." Jèan said, as she carefully washed Liam’s back with one hand and examined his bruises with the other. 

"You know of me?!" Liam muttered, surprised. 

Jèan chuckled. "No. I know of your family. Plus it's not that hard to know who owns the largest apple orchard in the country. I'm sorry that you lost your mother so young. I lost my mother pretty young as well." 

Liam turned around to look her in the eyes. "I'm sorry. How did she die?" Liam asked. Jèan smiled sadly as she began to wash his chest, causing Liam’s heart to beat fast. "My pa killed her.*" She answered. "Get to know me more and I may tell you the rest of the story." Jèan returns to examining Liam. After a few more minutes she hands him back the washcloth, stands up and rinses her hands off at the sink. "You’re lucky you only manage to get a few serious bruises, but they are healing nicely, so it should be a few weeks for them to be fully healed."  She then walks over a little stool in the corner and brings it to the tub and sits down again taking the washcloth and resumes washing.

*Historic disclaimer: Bass Reeves son, Benny Reeves murdered his wife, who had cheated on him. Conflicting stories of how Reeves learned of his son's warrant is hard to determine, but in the end Bass Reeves took the writ and brought his son in to face justice. Benny was sentenced to life but was released after serving 12 years, and spent his days as an upstanding citizen. 

"So I'm curious to know why you chose to ride out and search for me rather than stay in Saint Denis and put your trust in the authorities?" Jèan asked as she continued to wash his chest. Liam struggled to remain calm, but his body was betraying him.

"The authorities couldn't get my mother's killer." He answered with a shaky breath. "I couldn't do anything then. I'll be damned if I just sit by when I can do something now." Jèan saw the look of despair and determination in Liam’s eyes. She dropped the wash cloth and with both hands cradled his face. Her soft hazel/brown eyes staring deep in his ocean blue ones. "I'll do all that I can to help you get that." Jèan said. With that she got up and headed to the door. "When you finish up, come to the sheriff’s office and we'll discuss our next move. I went and got you fresh clothes and brought up your food. You'd want to hurry before it gets cold." And with a smirk she walked out. 

Liam continued to stare at the door for a brief minute, wondering if she may come back. He finished washing and walked out to dry off. He checks the outfit that was laid out, a cotton button down shirt, denim pants, and a new pair of leather boots. The clothes were more common than he was used to, but this is his life now and until his father’s killer is dead his life before no longer exists. After getting dressed he spotted the meal Jèan had left on the nearby table. 

After he finished eating he grabbed his father’s platinum watch. He opened it and for a brief moment watched the seconds tick away. "You may not have been a great father, but I still miss you just as fiercely. I will bring your killers to justice" he silently prayed before tucking the watch away and headed out the door. The bartender flagged Liam down as he descended the stairs and pointed him towards the sheriff office and jail. Walking towards the building he was grumbling over the fact that Drake had added himself into this matter. Liam didn't care for the man due to his rude behavior towards him, but for Jèan's sake he should try to be civil.

"Jèan". The thought stopped him in his tracks again bringing his hand to his cheek. After a couple of moments he shook out of his trance and continued on. As he arrived at the station he looked around but no one was around except the ones in the cells. Confused Liam looked around until he noticed a stairwell leading upstairs. Not sure what to do he ascended the stairs, getting closer to the top he can hear voices. Getting closer still he made out that Jèan and Drake were on the upper floor. 

As Liam climbs the steps he hears a strained conversation going on. He stops halfway and decides, against his better judgment, to listen.

"Drake, why do you keep bringing this up?" Jèan asked, sounding frustrated. "You know that it's something that can never happen."

"Jèan." Drake sighs loudly. "I will not push this further right now. That Rhys boy should be here. Do you still plan on coming to my room later tonight?"

Jèan chuckled lightly. "You did pay, didn't you?"

After hearing enough Liam resumed climbing the stairs. Both Jèan and Drake looked up to see his arrival. Drake went back to looking at a large table map as Jèan walked over to him to inspect the outfit she got for.

"Its a good fit for you." She said, smiling. "Not what you're used to but with what we'll be embarking it will be what you need." Again Liam’s heart jumped as Jèan caresses his face before leading him to the table. "Come we've got a long journey to plan. Let's get to work."

[choicesficwriterscreations]

July 19-25

Blades of Light and Shadow

Ashes And Embers series | Aerin Valleros x F!Elf!MC - @undermounts​

The City In The Sky

Bloodbound

His Absolute Everything | Adrian Raines x MC - @ethanramseysrookiexox​

Bound By Destiny II series | Kamilah Sayeed x MC - @clansayeed​​

The Bloodqueen

The Big Easy

Desire & Decorum

Bad At Goodbyes | Ernest Sinclaire x MC - @noesapphic​

Distant Shores

Forced Apart | Edward Mortemer x f!MC - @trappedinfandoms​

The Good Captain series | Edward Mortemer x F!MC - @khoicesbyk​

The Return: Part 1 -  Part 2

The Next Morning | Edward Mortemer x f!MC - @god-save-the-keen​

The Nanny Affair

Acquiesce | M!Sam Dalton, M!Robin Flores, Sofia Russo @txemrn​

Chapter 12 - The Gala (Rewrite) | M!Sam Dalton x MC - @khoicesbyk​

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Feel It | M!Sam Dalton x MC - @openheart12​

Nice Guys Finish... | M!Sam Dalton x MC - @txemrn​

Sunday | M!Sam Dalton x MC - @luckyferrero​

That’s Business, Honey... | M!Sam Dalton, M!Robin Flores, Sofia Russo, MC - @txemrn​

Worthy Of You | M!Robin Flores x MC - @drethanramslay​

Open Heart

Above Board | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @utterlyinevitable​

Angel | Bryce Lahela x F!MC - @drethanramslay​

Blind Dates | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @starrystarrytrouble​

Decisions | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @utterlyinevitable​

A Drink, A Dare, A Kiss | Bryce Lahela x F!MC - @storyofmychoices​

Hopeless | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @utterlyinevitable​​

Hurricane | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @utterlyinevitable​​

Kind Of A Interesting Prospect | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @ethanramseysrookiexox​

Late Night Conversation | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @lucy-268​

Midnight Cravings | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @lucy-268​​

Midnight Loneliness | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @utterlyinevitable​​

Not the End | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @alwaysmychoices​​

Rainstorm | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @poudredevie​​

Regrets | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @lucy-268​​

Road Trip | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @lucy-268​

Sleeping Beauty | Bryce Lahela x F!MC - @appiomofchoice​​

Sweet Or Sexy? | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @caseyvalentineramsey​​

The Vow series | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @plumeriavibes​

Chapter 1

Perfect Match

Guilt-Free Dance, hmmm | Damien Nazario x F!MC - @ethanramseysrookiexox​​

Platinum

Just One Goddamn Kiss | M!Avery Wilshere x MC - @ethanramseysrookiexox​

Quarantine With Me | M!Raleigh Carrera x MC - @drethanramslay​

Red Carpet Diaries

Never a Dull Moment | Thomas Hunt x MC - @theartoflovingthomashunt​

Ride or Die

Detention | Logan x MC - @god-save-the-keen​

Etched | Logan x MC - @ritachacha​

Fireworks In July | Colt Kaneko x MC - @ezekielbhandarivalleros​

I Just ... Feel Sad And Beyond Moody | Colt Kaneko x MC - @ethanramseysrookiexox​

The Royal Romance/The Royal Heir

Accidental NYE Kiss | Liam Rys x MC - @loveellamae​

Part 13

Crown Princess Blues | Liam Rys x MC - @bebepac​

Cordonian Ruby series | Bastien Lykel x Olivia Nevrakis, OC x OC - @bobasheebaby​

Hard For Me

Heroes and Villains series | Liam Rys x MC - @bebepac​

The Indiscretions Of The Father

Human Contact series | Liam Rys x MC - @queenrileyrose​

Chapter 8

Sleeper | Constantine Rys, Drake Walker, Liam Rys, Maxwell Beaumont, OCs - @queenrileyrose​

Crossovers

Red Carpet Diaries / Hollywood U/ The Royal Romance / Open Heart

Love & Scotch series | Thomas Hunt x MC, Ethan Ramsey x F!MC, Drake Walker, Olivia Nevrakis, Maxwell Beaumont, Daniel (the waiter) - @theartoflovingthomashunt​​

Whiskey Business 

[xxrainbow-princessxx]

Flowers - Leo x Isabella

A fluffy, sweet hearted fic - Leo and Isabella reminiscing on past traditions

Tagging: @drakewalkerfantasy @itslaniquelove @kingliam2019 @kimmiedoo5 @mom2000aggie @lorirwritesfanfic @lorircreates @hopefulmoonobject @rafasgirl23415 @texaskitten30 @rainbowsinthestorm @desireepow-1986 @speedyoperarascalparty @liam-rhys @choicesficwriterscreations

Bounding through the Palace hallways, Alessandra and Natalia squealed with happiness as they chased one another towards Leo’s study after they returned from grade school for the weekend “Papa!!!” They exclaimed in unison, opening the door with no regard to those in attendance. Leo shook his head as he chuckled towards the Prime Minister and the Kingdom’s secretary, “Sorry about that...” as Lia and Sasha threw their little matching backpacks into the corner, both wearing the same navy double breasted coats before running over to their father who happily propped each twin on each knee. “So where were we...” Leo tried to continue his meeting but the girls kept hugging him and whispering into his ear, “Papa...” Natalia whispered as Alessandra exclaimed, “Boo!” bringing them into a fit of laughter. Without even flinching, Leo opened the drawer of his desk taking out colouring pencils and with a scatter of pencils and paper, the Princesses happily coloured, allowing Leo to continue his meeting without as much interruption as the five year olds were distracted.

“Is that everything?” Leo questioned the Prime Minister and Secretary. Natalia on the other hand was busy showing off her picture to their visitors, “Mama... Mika.... Sasha... Me and Papa...” she confidently pointed to everyone in the picture as Alessandra stuck her tongue out in pure concentration scribbling a purple smudge, before looking at her sister angrily. The bottom lip was pushed out as her brows furrowed, “I was drawing Mika!” Yes... thank you, Your Majesty... I see...” the Prime Minister chuckled warmly, “... you have your hands full... we can pick this up next week...” Leo smiled, sighing heavily he thanked them for their understanding but he really didn’t care what they really thought, he was more interested in the twins’ day. “And how was school today for my two best girls in the whole world??” He cooed before his guests had even left the room. Alessandra began to giggle, “Lia has a boyfriend!” Leo’s sea green eyes widened as Natalia grinned up towards him proudly, “What do you mean you have a boyfriend?” Leo looked at his daughter with his nose scrunched up, “You know boys aren’t allowed!”

Natalia shook her head as Leo continued, “And what’s his name?” Alessandra giggled as Natalia rubbed her head into her father’s shoulder, “He is called Christian... he gave her a flower papa!” Leo’s brow furrowed, “A flower? Is your papa going to have to speak with Christian...” “Noooo...” the twins replied in unison, holding onto Leo as tightly as they could. Leo looked down at Alessandra, “You better not have a boyfriend too...” Alessandra didn’t answer him directly but giggled causing Leo to sigh heavily, “No... you aren’t allowed boyfriends until you’re fifty... how many times?” Lia and Sasha looked at one another holding up their fingers trying hard to figure it out, counting aimlessly as they could only count to fifteen. “Bella!” Leo exclaimed as the Laurentian Queen entered the room with her dazzling, bright white smile, “Sí mi amor...” she cooed, sitting down on the corner of Leo’s desk, the eight month pregnant Queen was content. As she brushed the twins’ loose hair from their faces, Leo acted shocked, “Did you know... Lia got a boyfriend today? He gave her a flower...” Isabella’s dark chocolate brown eyes widened as she tried to act shocked, “¡Qué... Mi querida!” she gasped, “And how is he your boyfriend?” Natalia stuck her hand into her pocket and pulled out a little squished up daisy, showing it to her mother, “Awwwwww” Isabella began to coo, looking across at Leo who was painfully rolling his eyes, “Isn’t that adorable...”

Even after the kids were in bed and the Royal couple cuddled into one another, Leo still wasn’t over it. “How the hell do they know about boyfriends?” Isabella bit down on her bottom lip, trying desperately not to laugh, “it’s innocent... don’t worry... we have another ten years hopefully to not have to worry about that...” Leo raised his brow slowly, “I wasn’t joking when I said they weren’t allowed to date until they were fifty...” Isabella pouted her lips, “Mi amor...” she giggled as she cuddled up beside him, “Do you not remember you gave me flowers...” Leo rolled his sea green eyes to the left, his lips slowly beginning to curl upwards, “That was different...” Leo began to reminisce, smiling to himself as he remembered each time that he gave Isabella a single ruby red rose every year that her and the Laurentian King and Queen visited Cordonia until he was fifteen. That was twelve bright ruby red roses; the first one presented when the Princess was born until the final year when her father and Constantine fell out. Twelve years, he faithfully presented that rare Cordonian Ruby Rose to her as a gift that only grew in the Cordonian Royal Gardens, never forgetting how the Princess looked back at him with those big brown eyes as she smiled bashfully, swearing never to have them near him again after she left, destroying the Rose bush, leaving nothing left.

Isabella was like Leo’s equivalent to the girl next door, falling in love with her more and more with each Rose he gifted her. “And how was it different?” Isabella raised her brow in question feeling Leo’s arms wrapping around her lovingly, “Because I knew...” Leo began to get lost in those dark chocolate brown eyes, picking out the golden specs that flickered in the candlelight, “... every time you looked up at me... you were mine...” Isabella smiled warmly as she grinned, looking up at the Sandy blonde haired Cordonian, “...and now we know that we know should have been together from day one...” Leo began to chuckle, “Can you imagine how it could have been?” Feeling Isabella’s fingers intertwining with his, he looked down at her wedding and engagement rings that glittered with flawless diamonds, “We could hold hands when we wanted to... kissed you when you were happy, sad, or just because we wanted to...” Isabella sighed heavily with a smile as she continued, “Celebrate each achievement, each milestone, each birthday...” Leo began to nod, leaning down to kiss the top of her head as Isabella yawned, “I’d get to kiss you goodnight...” he mumbled as his lips pressed against her head, “and tell you how much I loved you... always...”

Isabella peacefully slept, cuddled up in Leo’s arms whilst they were on the couch. The former Crown Prince of Cordonia sighed with happiness, his fingers delicately twirled through her chestnut brown curls in complete bliss. Leo sat up before he carefully carried his wife towards their bed as she sleepily wrapped her arms around him. Smiling as she cuddled into her pillow, Leo reached for his phone checking momentarily that the glare of the light wouldn’t wake her. He wanted to do something nice for Isabella. Grinning to himself, he sneakily cleared his and Isabella’s weekend calendars and sent an email to all their staff giving them the day off as the Royal family had made other arrangements. Isabella began to stir come morning as the sunlight began to flood their bedroom, her arm rolled over to hug her husband, but as she patted the blankets, Leo’s broad, muscular frame wasn’t there. The Laurentian Queen propped herself up, rubbing her eyes tiredly as she heard the rattling of silverware coming closer to her.

“Good morning sleepy head...” Leo began to grin as he pushed forward the trolley filled with pancakes, fruit, Cordonian chocolate that Leo made into a sauce and coffee. Isabella wearily smiled as her husband handed her a china cup filled with decaf coffee poured from a china coffee pot. “I could get used to you serving me coffee like this...” Isabella grinned as her eyes followed Leo’s naked torso, his silk pyjama bottoms grazed his hips, accentuating his abs and v cut. Leo began to chuckle, “I’m more than an object kitten... I should have known better!” before he gently kissed her. “What’s the occasion?” Isabella raised her brow, her dark chocolate brown eyes queried until her brow began to furrow, “Where are the girls?”

Leo handed her a stack of pancakes, drizzling the Cordonian chocolate sauce over them, “Don’t worry... they’re with your mother... I just thought you deserved a quiet weekend...” he was right, the Palace was very quiet, more than usual, “The staff are off today until Monday... it’s just us beautiful...” Isabella felt her heart melt and with a deep breath, she felt so content. He was right, it was what she needed and when she tasted those pancakes, an involuntary moan graced her lips, “mmmmm....” she smiled happily. Leo rolled his eyes to the left as he laughed, “Harry met Sally much?!” Isabella pursed her lips, desperately trying not to laugh as her husband teased her. The Laurentian King grinned, his bright smile dazzled as he continued, “I have a little present for you in the living room when you are ready...”

Isabella slowly turned, lowering herself from the Super King Size bed, draping her silk dressing gown around her. Isabella scrunched up her nose happily as she wrapped her arm around Leo’s bicep carefully before he kissed the top of her head, “I really hope you like it kitten...” as Leo escorted her happily. Isabella’s eyes widened in shock as she saw a large bouquet of long stem Cordonian Ruby Roses waiting for her. “But...” Isabella quietly murmured, “...how did you?” Leo took a deep breath as he handed her the bouquet, all fifteen stems adorned with a matching red bow. “I should have kept up this tradition a long time ago...” Isabella brought the bouquet to her nose, smelling the deeply perfumed flowers before looking up at Leo with those big brown eyes how she always used to, making his heart melt. Isabella sighed happily as she looked up at her husband, smiling at her as he always did, “Bella...” Leo whispered, “You are my everything... You always were and will be...” as he kissed her forehead gently. “Liam and I were able to find his mother’s notes and we were able to recreate the Ruby Rose... they’re only for you kitten...”

Isabella’s eyes began to water as happy tears began to roll down her cheeks, “Mi amor...” she sniffed, “I can’t believe you would do this...” as her eyes returned to the bouquet she held in her arms. Leo took the petite brunette into his embrace warmly, “There’s fourteen to cover the past and one for this year to represent our future...” he cooed, “I’m not going to ever take you in my life for granted again... I don’t think I could deal with you leaving again...” As Isabella looked up, she stared into Leo’s sea green eyes, “You’ve no idea how much that hurt me kitten when you left and I am never going to let you go!” Isabella’s chestnut brown curls bounced as she shook her head, “I’m not going anywhere...” giggling. The Sandy blonde haired Cordonian held the Laurentian Queen against him for what felt like an eternity, he didn’t want to let Isabella go, holding her a little tighter as she tried to step back, “Just a minute longer kitten... I don’t want this to end...”

[umccall71]

The Dinner Party

Characters: King Liam & Queen Sexy, Drake,Maxwell,Bertrand,and Hana

Rating:Mature, NSFW,profanity

Word Count:4314

Chapter Two

Disclaimer:All characters are property of Pixelberry. The use of these characters are for entertainment only and I am only borrowing them.

Summary:A simple dinner party among friends is always a welcome distraction until the friends become the distraction. Friends always share everything, hugs, support,love,honesty… Can friendship weather true honesty and the fallout from said ....honesty?

Warning: This series contains sexuality,profanity, a bit of adult content.This story is far from fluff,this is a walk amongst open relationships. Please be advised If you're reading this series you are acknowledging you are 18+

A/N : I know I have been horrible with posting. Life has been dealing me a tough hand lately with my health. I thank you for supporting me and my chaotic brain. I apologize for not being able to focus long enough to get o fictional characters from limbo. I hope you all enjoy 😉.

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

Moments after the door closed the three of them sat silent in the guest room. Sexy had made her way to the comfy chair nestled in the corner, Hana stood at the foot velour bed, and king liam stood grounded by the door. He could not believe he was a few feet away from Lady Hana and across the room from his Queen...contemplating taking a lover...even for one night.Liam never would have thought in a million years that he would be entertaining the thought of having his hands on another, let alone sharing intimacy...sharing such an intense act that had only been experienced with his Queen.. With his Sexy.Liam closed his eyes, turned the bottle of scotch up to attempt to wash away the large lump taking up occupancy in his throat above his very pronounced adam’s apple.

Liam barely spoke above a deep penetrating whisper, “Sexy, this doesn't have to happen...I love you, i want you, there is nothing i am lacking to have me need another to fulfill my desires.”

Sexy chimed in, voice steady not giving away an inkling of her inner thoughts, “ Liam, I know you love me as I do you, but I also know that you would walk through fire to give what I want. Why is it so hard to believe that I want to do the same for you?”, she cocked her head to the side, never looking away from his penetrating blue eyes.

She flashed a watery eyed smile that didn't meet her eyes, “we never made any formal Cordonian arrangement, but I will accept this of you for tonight.”

Hana stood waiting for the decision if they would move forward, the queen was right there and could change her mind in a split second. Her cocoa brown eyes danced between the king and queen awaiting guidance.She turned to Sexy, “we … we don't have to do anything. We can all move forward as if this never happened.”

“Nonsense Hana, we all know that you want this to transpire. Your lips can lie, but not your eyes. You need to feel Liam… I watched you undressing my king from across the room all night. At least showing me the decency to not belittle my intelligence while trying to convince me that you're not pissing me.” Sexy’s last words took on a bit of bite as she spoke.”Now you wanted to fuck my king… proceed.”

Hana removed her heels and traipsed over to Liam looking at him with her come fuck me eyes. She ran her tongue across her ruby red lips before she watched his lips questioning, “May I ?”

Liam looked away before subtly nodding an approval.He again sipped from the scotch bottle processing a feeling of disbelief that this was happening to him. He looked at Sexy trying to read her expression, her thoughts, if she was truly okay with what was going down, It was if she could sense the hesitation in her king, “i'm fine Liam.”

Hana started to move down his chest with deliberate precision. She unbuttoned his shirt slowly allowing her red manicure to glide against his skin in the path toward his slacks.She moved to his shoulder where she pushed the linen fabric from his shoulders ,down his toned arms ,and it bellowed to the floor. He let out a breath from the sudden feel of cool air drifting across his golden skin.Hana began kissing a slow ,sensual path from the curve in his neck, the hollows of his collar, dipping between his pronounced pecs and traveled go suckle his nipple between her lips, tongue, and pinch within her ivory teeth. He felt the slightest pressure as she gripped her teeth on his erect flesh and she licked and flicked back and forth. The moisture from her lips caused a sensation to rise on his neck.Liam moaned and instantly felt subconscious about betraying his queen...even with her consent.

Hana's eyes traveled the length of his chiseled abs and upward, “yes?” she seeked acknowledgement to be acceptable to continue what she had fantasized about for quite some time.She criss crossed her arms as she slid her dress over her head and dropped it to the floor.

Liam’s eyes quickly surveyed her body and a bead of sweat collected on his brow… from the heat or the alcohol he was unsure. Liam looked to Sexy and mouthed, “I love you.”

Hana dropped of her knees and quickly undid the buckle, button , and zipper of Liam's trousers. Liam’s body betrayed him as his erection was pronounced under the fabric. He never imagined becoming aroused for any woman except his wife….Sexy.Hana started breathing increasingly hard from her anticipated connection with Liam. She made short work of removing his incredibly well endowed member from his boxer briefs. “Oh wow”, she thought she whispered but everyone in the room heard her reaction.

Sexy nodded in appreciation, “ that was my reaction to my husband too the first time I met his… big friend “ She tried to alleviate the tension in the room , the awkward feeling of watching her man being handled by another.

Hana locked her lips hungrily as she slid her petite mouth slowly down the head and shaft of Liam’s manhood.She moved down his massive length a little at a time as his head fell back and he clinched his eyes and ass cheeks from the sensation.Liam but his lower lip fighting back audibly gasping. Liam’s reaction did not escape being noticed by his queen, “does it feel good my king?” She smiled but it never fully reached her eyes. “It’s okay if you like it and it feels good to you”

It was as if Hana hearing her words gave approval to take on his dick in a way she only imagined. She slurped and suctioned his length and then his balls in her eagerly waiting mouth. Liam felt the head of his length hit the back of her throat, but she still did not gag or relent from his size. Hana smiled as she continued working his dick with her hands and mouth She appreciated his perfectly erect libido jumping within her cheeks.Hana kept her gaze trained on Liam while his gaze watched his Sexy. She rubbed slowly circled on her growing baby bump watching Liam’s face and body contorted to hide the pleasure. He groaned her name, “Sexy… god I love you.” This was unexpected since it was Hana that was creating the fire in his body in that moment.

Hana sped up as her head bobbed up and down his shaft fierce trying to make him come undone to her skill. Liam pulled back flinching from the beginning sensation of releasing , “no Hana, that won’t be necessary.” She watched him attentively trying to deduce his sudden shift.

“Are you sure my king? I only want to please you.”She rose from her knees trying to make her way to his lips when she was stopped in her tracked by Liam grabbing her face. “This is not that type of party Hana, this is not that type of…” , he trailed off.

Liam’s hand moved down on breaching her soft underwear feeling Hana’s slick folds. The muscles in her belly tense at the sudden feel of his fingers. He asked, “is this okay?” She swallowed thickly fighting the urge to yell out from his touch. She could not hold back the moan as she felt him insert a single finger in between her folds as his thumb rubbed circles on her clit.

“Oh Liam”, she screamed as her nerves in her clit were ignited from the sensation. Hana had never felt anything like it … from another person. She had touched herself in the past, but never the feeling of someone’s pleasure . She was trained in the art of seduction, but she never acted upon it. She was thrilled Liam would make her body come alive for the first time… this was unbeknownst to him or anyone.

The sounds that escaped her called the others in the dining room to the door. All three men were inebriated and intrigued. It had been a long time since Drake had made sounds like that come from a woman...too long. Maxwell had been secretly thinking about Hana… he actually cared deeply for her… Bertrand would not allow himself to go any further than the doorway. He was with Savannah, but still able to appreciate other women in that manner.He was still human and able to see the beauty in other women.

Drake slowly twisted the knob of the bedroom door allowing him to view the event unfolding. He felt his chocolate orbs stretched as he saw Hana’s near naked body. He felt the denim fabric tighten as his whiskey induced friend awoke from a slumber. He was visibly aroused and his hand took on a mind of it's own.He started to adjust himself in his pants as he heard Hana’s moans growing louder. Before Drake knew it he was unzipping his pants to gain better access to his own member. “Aww shit...fuck”, he groaned, louder than he expected.Hana peeped through the opening and locked eyes with Drake. Her body arched as Liam slid a second digit into her wanting hole, she moaned louder, “yesss Liam.”

“Move over Walker, let someone else take a look”, Maxwell protester. He felt even more drawn to Hana hearing her sounds...wishing he were the one making those noises escape her mouth.He shoved Drake a little more than he intended. Drake did not blow up at Maxwell as he was too distracted.Maxwell was paralyzed from seeing Hana as she removed her own bra exposing her peeked nipples. She tried to guide Liam's mouth to her breast but he wouldn’t oblige. Liam watched Sexy as he worked Hana into a frenzy. He knew that in spite of him being there in the moment with Hana, he was fully focused on his Queen.

Hana pushes his trousers and underwear down his well defined thighs. He pulled his hand from between her lips and noticed how his fingers were coated with Hana’s essence. She was drenched from the little contact he had made . She instantly felt abandoned from the feeling of him no longer being inside of her.Hana laid back on her back and flashed a chestnut eyes at him inviting him to join her . Liam moves her wet undies down her legs at an agonizingly slow pace.He tossed them to the floor on the waiting growing pile of discarded clothes.Liam walked over to the night table and opened it to reveal a condom. He looked to his wife and then to Hana, “are you both sure about this?”

Sexy simply asked, “is this what you want my king?” Liam reflected briefly on her words before looking to Hana for confirmation that she did indeed wish to proceed .He carefully tore open the wrapper and sheathed his manhood in the latex , this was nothing like the experience he had with his wife. There was no doubt that he would exercise caution. He came down hovering above Hana as he lined himself up at her entrance and closed his eyes. He slowly began to push inside of her, he was greeted with a tightening feeling.

Hana reaches out to hold onto his forearms as she tried to adjust to the welcome intrusion. She wore a grimacing look as she accepted Liam inside of her. A single tear escaped her eye as she allowed his member to work further inside of her now broken barrier. Liam glanced down at her furrowed brow, are you sure your okay ?” She shook her head eagerly granting him permission to continue.

Liam turned to wat h Sexy as he continued a reluctant pace feeling a sudden gush from Hana.His eyes became slightly glossy from in shed tears of guilt. He never would have requested such an allowance from his Queen. Liam was so wrapped up in Sexy that he missed his other friends Drake and Maxwell make their way inside the room . Bertrand still stood at the door, watching intently. He prided himself on being a man of great restraint. Liam after a couple minutes picked up the pace but was far from focused on Hana. Hana’s eyes rolled back as she felt Liam fill her up. She reveled in seeing Drake and Maxwell getting off to her being … pleasured.

Sexy quietly observed Hana’s change in demeanor, “ you like being watched , don’t you Hana? Drake no longer hid his growing erection, he became hardened more by the minute. “Do you wish for Drake to join you?Or perhaps Maxwell?

Hana bit her lip growing enticingly turned on. She whimpered , “yes” Within moments Drake was removing his denim shirt and T-shirt. He leaned down and devoured Hana’s mouth, kissing her fiercely, something she wanted of Liam , but was not granted. Their tongues rolled against each other , he swallowed her breath as she became lost in the overwhelming feelings coursing through her. She enjoyed having Liam inside her and Drake kissing her and his rough calloused hands work her breast. He moved down, locking his full lips in her peak buds.

Liam pulled back apologizing, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done this Hana. She reached out to catch him as he discarded the used condom. He grabbed his clothing and his wife to exit the room . “Sexy… I can’t do this with anyone else but you. I love you baby, I want to make love to you.”and led Sexy out the room down the hall to their master suite. He kissed her tenderly as salty tears escaped his blue eyes. Liam could stop kissing her and caressing her face and body. Liam strolled into the master bath and turned on the shower . He peeled away the clothing from his queens voluptuous body. He worshipped every inch of her as he slowly undressed her. Liam worked his way down starting from her neck and the sensitive spot behind her ear, he was mesmerized through the running water as he took her breast in his mouth and savored the taste of her skin mixed with the soothing warm flow, he moved down to her baby bump admiring her beauty and nature at work in her belly. “God you are so beautiful and I am a blessed man to have you. I want to spend every day showing you how much I want you and only you love. “ Liam rested his head on her belly appreciating the gift of life that he would be sharing with his Queen… his partner in a lifelong journey.

Liam lifted one of Sexys thighs over his shoulder as he tasted her sweet nectar as if it were the blood he needed to sustain life. He parted her slick folds with his tongue sliding from front to back. His lips sealed around her clit flicking and sucking for dear life. His warm breath mingled with her juices brought every into laser focus.He felt his dick twitch as it hardened eager to connect with his wife. “Sexy… I love the taste of you… promise that You will always be mine and only mine.”

She arched her back as she felt an undeniable sensation and heat overtaken her body. She was always rendered speechless when Liam worked her body so completely. She knew that Liam was hers in every way, but this solidified it in her mind to see him taking a chance with Hana, but not being able to bring himself to truly let go.

Liam stood and made short work washing over his body and Sexy’s. He wanted no reminder of what had transpired in the other bedroom . Normally Liam would take his time when he was given an opportunity to share a bath or shower with his beauty Sexy. What he wanted at this moment was to take her to their shared bed and take her … exploring her body in detail. He needed to hear her come undone screaming his name. Nothing made Liam come alive more than making love to the love of his life. He turned off the shower and didn’t bother toweling off, he took Sexy in his arms against his naked physique . He sucked in her neck marking her up and down neck.

Sexy bit her lip as her hazel eyes closed ever so softly,”that’s going to leave a mark”, she whispered.

“ I know and I simply do not care. Your mine and I don’t give a damn who knows it. It doesn’t .matter….we make love and this is one extreme happy king.” He laughed in a low tone as he peppered her wet skin with his kisses. “I need you Sexy and I will always need you.” Liam sat on the edge of the massive plush bed and pulled Sexy on his lap facing him . He parted her thighs coming down with his thumb rubbing rapid circles and applied a little pressure and her body shuttered at the feel of him. He slid her down as he slipped his manhood inside her slick folds. He filled her as his impressive girth stretched her and felt his member pulsating inside her. Liam gave Sexy’s body a moment to adjust before he guided her body up and down his length as he tensed as tightness from her wanting center milked him as he felt the urge to release. Liam’s pace increased and he thrust harder and deeper inside her quivering walls speaking to him without words.Each pounding thrust tapped her spot and started the sky fall into the depths of her pleasure as she felt the waves breached the perimeter of passion.

“ Liam…i am about to cum” Her breath burst out short and quick. He was driven further to explode and join his wife together to share that moment to go over the edge together. Liam drove harder and faster as he neared his peak hearing her screaming his name.” liaaaaaamm!!!! “ That was all he needed when he stroked several more times feeling her thighs shaking as she coated his member from top to bottom with her essence. His thrust became erratic as he too met his release beneath his queen. He wrapped her tightly against his chest and laid back on the bed cradling her nestled in his arms.

Meanwhile as Liam and Sexy were sharing an amazing experience, the bedroom down the hall became overtaken with moans and groans. Drake ran his hand down and began exploring her sex that was still very much wet from her brief encounter with Liam. He probed inside her with two large digits creating a mixture of delight and slickness as she was once again growing with desire.The sounds of the growing pool in her center.

“Drake… oh wow.” Hana grabbed his dick through his jeans and quickly yanked them down to expose his penis.Hanas head fell back as she popped him inside her warm mouth. Drake did not hold back as he was driven by being horny and the whiskey induced courage to drop his inhibitions. He started thrusting deep down hitting the back of her throat. Drake drove harder and deeper forgetting he was in her mouth. Hana did not retreat as she devoured his length, he was close in length to Liam, Liam was fuller in his girth.

“Fuck Hana… what the hell?! That feels fucking amazing”, he became vocal .

Maxwell approached the edge of the bed and dropped to his knees and began to push her legs apart and graced her center with his tongue. “ Oh Max”, she moaned through a muffled mouth filled with Drake.

He looked at her as she continued working up and down Drake’s length. “Is this okay Hana?”, he asked as he pushed her thighs further apart and each leg he flung across his shoulders. Maxwell took his time exploring her sucking, licking and flicking her tender folds as she released on his tongue and he lapped it up careful not to lose a drop.

Drake continued penetrating her lips as she could not get enough of taking in every inch of him. “Mmmmmm”, she moaned as her body responded to the pleasure being received from Maxwell. Hana lifted her ass off the bed to meet Maxwell’s lips as Drake pushed further down her throat.

Bertrand stood in the door now having undone his trousers and underwear to touch himself from the sight before him. He had a dalliance here and there back in his prime but he wanted to be a better man and father . His hand wrapped tightly around his shaft working up and down as he watched with bated breath as Hana took on both men at the same time.

Maxwell felt his moment to show Hana how it could be with him if she felt every ounce of love he had for her. He removed his pants and slid his boxers down his leg before he plunged into Hana’s hungry sex. She did not seem to want this to end. She wrapped his legs around his waist using the heels of her feet to drive him deeper inside of her.She screamed as her muffled cries of pleasure escaped her mouth barely . At one point he delivered a defining thrust over and over to her g spot as she became sexually stimulated beyond belief. She dug her manicured nails into Maxwell’s back as he made her cum undone . The sensation of her juices flowing down his shaft caused an eruption in him as he released coating her walls with his spurting Beaumont vintage essence. “Oh Hana… oh thank you! I … oh man you make a man want to dance!” Maxwell began randomly screaming things as Hana shouted from this overwhelming feeling that she had never shared .Maxwell wanted to kiss Hana but her mouth was still latched on to Drake. After Maxwell pulled away, Drake wasted no time filling the spot that was previously occupied by Maxwell and Liam. He flipped over lying on his back and pulled Hana’s limp body on top of him and she mounted him and Drake lined himself up and started working her down, his member thrusting . His hands gripped her breast that were bouncing as she met his thrust . Hana felt her nerve endings on fire and coming alive as Drake filled her and her sex wrapped tightly around him. The grunts and groans took over as Hana and Drake met a rhythmic pace building as the fires ignited within.

“Ooooh Drake… you're so deep! I’m about… about to come!” Her head fell back as she dug into his thighs as he pounded unapologetically as they both yelled as they fell over the edge in unison upon release.

There was also a smaller grunt in the corner as Bertrand too met his own release. Bertrand removed his handkerchief from his pocket, wiped his brow and cleaned himself off and fixed his clothing. “Well , I better make it home...good night .” He made his way out the room, down the hall and moments later the door to the royal quarters closed.

Hana sat on the side of bed grabbing the sheet and wrapping it around her sweaty body. Her makeup started to run down her face. She palmed her head as the reality set in of what had taken place over the last hours.She reflected on the conversation that led to her coming to be with Liam … and the others.Maxwell walked wept the bed and placed a chaise kiss on her cheek .

“Aah Hana , I had a good time tonight. Thanks again.” He turned on his heels and left in the dark of night.

Drake ran his fingers through his hair after slipping his T-shirt over his head and buttoned up his denim shirt. “ Well … Lee we can both agree that this night was not what we expected it to be. I’m going to get going … you take care.” Drake grabbed the remainder of the scotch Liam had left behind and finished the bottle.

Drake slipped out quietly and paused thinking how he had betrayed his feelings for Olivia. They had a good thing going and now he had this secret that would surely drive her already limited trust she had in few. “ Damn… what the hell have I done?”, he thought as he exited the palace , jumped in his pick up truck and drove in silence to his cabin.

Hana has envisioned this night ending differently. She imagined ending the night wrapped in Liam’s arms after a night of passion. Hana father her discarded clothing and slipped them beginning her walk of shame down the quiet hallway only stopping briefly to glance at the door of the master suite. She felt like her heart had been ripped out thinking that she would not be the one to spend countless hours entwined in passion with the king. She collected her purse from the dining room and retreated in the middle of the night.

Behind the doors of the master suite Liam and Sexy laid in a satisfying ending to an evening no one anticipated. They laid face to face caressing the others face, savoring the quiet before the storm. Liam smiles, “do you know that I need you? Sexy… never think I need to go outside of this..”, he gestured to the two of them . Sexy curled into him as he kissed her lips and forehead. “We have everything we need here … with the two, no three of us.” They both took a deep breath and closed their eyes, minds racing thinking about how they could have let this night go so far.

@dcbbw @eadanga @ao719 @carabethpow @lauradowning29 @elles-choices @hopefulmoonobject @indiacater @3pawandme @blackcoffee85 @simsvetements @wughhumans @drakesensworld @romanticatheart-posts @fantasy-of fiction @choices97 @gibbles82 @furiousherringoperatortoad @marietrinmimi @whenyourheartskipsabeat @kuladekiwi @custaroonie @smalltalk88 @jovialyouthmusic @sashatrr @jared2612 @the-soot-sprite @ownworldresident @silviasutton1989 @silverofdreams @rainbowsinthestorm @lodberg @kingliam2019

[heauxplesslydevoted]

Unexpected

Pairing: Liam x MC (Kendall Mason)

Summary: The Walker/Beaumont wedding doesn’t go as planned.

I’m tired of my faves being held hostage on that God forsaken ranch like they’re trapped in the AHS Murder House, so I wrote this.

Word Count: 2.8K+

The day of the Walker-Beaumont wedding is a very busy one. And no one has been busier than Queen Kendall herself. She’s been up since 5AM, helping the planners get everything together, making sure Savannah was calm and collected, keeping Leona and Barthelemy from killing each other, the works.

The effects of the day are starting to wear on her. Kendall has been up for almost 8 hours straights, running solely on coffee and sheer determination. Yes, she feels exhausted. Sure the coffee is making her dizzy and if she drinks any more, she might pass out, but she can power through, at least until the ceremony is over.

“You need to eat something,” Madeleine says, catching Kendall in a rare moment alone. “Like, at least a bowl of cereal.”

Kendall shakes her head at the idea. “I’m already dressed. I’m not running the risk of getting milk on my dress minutes before the ceremony.”

Madeleine sighs. “You’re on the verge of crashing. At least eat a piece of fruit. Or a granola bar.”

Kendall doesn’t respond to Madeleine. Instead she walks to the kitchen and plucks an apple out of the large fruit bowl sitting on the kitchen counter. She takes a large bite. “Happy now?”

“Ecstatic,” Madeleine replies dryly. “God, must you always be so petulant and stubborn?”

“Madeleine, I really don’t have time to listen to you today, especially since you weren’t even invited on this trip, you just weaseled your way in,” Kendall snaps in a rare outburst. “So why don’t you go find your seat? The ceremony starts in a few minutes.”

Madeleine looks taken aback by the harshness in Kendall’s time, but she doesn’t argue with her. She knows that’ll only end in disaster. She just turns on her heel and walks off, mumbling under her breath.

With the blonde woman gone, Kendall breathes a sigh of relief. The last thing she needs is her breathing down her neck all day 

She quietly munches on her apple, ignoring the fact that she really doesn’t want to eat it and her stomach is doing somersaults at the taste. Has she gotten used to only eating Cordonian Rubies? Are they the pinnacle of apples? 

“Kendall!” Kendall snaps out of her thoughts and sees Hana. “Come on, the ceremony is about to start!”

Five minutes later, the ladies were in the Walkers’ spacious backyard. A gorgeous archway covered in various flowers is set up under a pair of trees, and Bertrand was standing at the altar, a smiling Maxwell next to him. Liam’s standing in the center of the archway, as he is the officiant.

Kendall’s heart beats double time at the sight of her husband. He looks extra handsome in his royal regalia and she tries to keep her more impure thoughts at bay. A wave of lightheadedness hits, much stronger than the last one, but she manages to brush it off and continues walking. Thankfully no one notices.

Liam smiles back at her as she reaches the end of the aisle. “You look absolutely beautiful.”

“Thank you. This was a rush job, so my hair and makeup aren’t the best.”

“Could’ve fooled me. You’re still the most stunning woman here.”

“I married the most charming man on earth,” Kendall muses. “How did I get so lucky?”

“I’m the lucky one in this scenario.”

“Hey, your wedding is over!” Olivia hisses with an eye roll. “Save the lovey dovey shit for the current bride and groom.”

Before Kendall can respond, the wedding march starts. Everyone stands up and turns around, spotting Bartie toddling down the aisle, in front of Savannah’s who’s being escorted by Drake. 

They make it halfway down the aisle before Kendall realizes if she doesn’t sit down somewhere and soon, she’s going to be extremely sick. Her heart rate—which she originally chalked up to being a young newlywed excited to see her husband—has yet to return to normal, and the ground underneath her feet is unsteady. Before she can even attempt to excuse herself, she drops onto the ground with a hard thud and everything around her goes black.

~~/~~

When Kendall finally comes to, she’s no longer in the Walker’s backyard, but what looks like a hospital room. It’s not too bright, as the lights have been dimmed, but there is a loud and persistent beeping noise that won’t go away.

“Where am I?” She asks, and god does she instantly regret it. Her throat is so dry, and talking only makes it sore.

Liam, who’s been sitting at her bedside, perks up at her voice. “Kendall? Thank heavens, you’re awake!” He reaches across her bed and presses the small red button, alerting her doctor to come to her room.

“I need water,” she manages to croak out.

“Of course.” Liam grabs the cup of ice water on Kendall’s small bedside table and raises the straw to her lips. She greedily gulps down the water, unaware of how thirsty she truly is. 

“Thank you.”

Liam puts the cup down and runs a hand across Kendall’s cheek. He kisses her forehead. “You gave me quite a fright.”

“What happened? Am I in the hospital?”

“Yes. You collapsed at Bertrand and Savannah’s wedding.”

“What? Oh god, how embarrassing.”

“What’s embarrassing about it?”

“Collapsing in itself is embarrassing, and I’m sure everyone was gawking at me. And I ruined their wedding. They can’t even continue on without us because you’re the officiant and I’m the maid of honor.”

Liam dismisses the concern with a hand wave. “Nonsense. Bertrand and Savannah will survive. They know they can always find another officiant or they’ll have to wait. You come first.”

Kendall tries to sit up, but she’s exhausted and moving is too much effort. “Did the doctor at least say why I passed out?”

“When we first brought you in, she told me that your blood pressure was low. They drew blood, but those results haven’t come in yet.”

“Don’t tell Madeleine, but she was right, I should’ve eaten something.”

“Yes, you should’ve,” Liam agrees.

“Does the press know I’m here?”

“No. You weren’t wheeled in through the emergency room so no one really saw, and you were checked in under an alias. Any unsuspecting nurses and orderlies think someone named Isabel Martin is occupying this room. Plus, this is a private suite, only your nurse and doctor have access.”

“Okay.” That lessens some of the embarrassment. The last thing she needs is to be plastered on newspapers and on CNN, looking weak on a world stage.

There’s a small knock on the door and in walks a doctor. She smiles nervously upon seeing Kendall. “Hello!”

“Hi, doctor.”

“This is my first time meeting actual royalty. Do I address you as Your Highness? Your Grace? Queen Kendall? Your Majesty?” The doctor drops into an awkward bow. “Do I courtesy to you?”

Kendall shakes her head. “We’re on your turf, and calling me Kendall is just fine.”

“Very well. Hello Kendall, I’m your doctor, Dr. Washington. I’m an attending ER physician here at the hospital.”

“Nice to meet you. Will I be okay?”

“There are a few things I want to go over with you, point by point.” The doctor turns to look at Liam before turning back to Kendall. “With all due respect, is it okay if your husband stays?”

“Of course it is! You may speak freely in front of him.”

“We just have to make sure.” Dr. Washington logs into a computer and pulls up Kendall’s chart. “Your blood pressure was low, that’s probably why you fainted. We gave you some fluids to get you re-hydrated, so you should feel better soon. You need to be very conscious of how much water you drink, especially in a place like this, where it gets very hot. Your blood sugar was also low, so just make sure you’re eating enough throughout the day. I’m sure your schedule can be hectic, but you have to carve out time to eat, with some light snacking between meals.”

Kendall nods, taking in the information. “Will do.”

“And there’s one more thing I think you should be aware of: you’re pregnant.”

If Kendall wasn’t already in bed, she’s almost positive she would have collapsed again. Pregnant? She was actually pregnant? “What? How?”

“I think you guys know how.”

“But I took a test last week and it was negative.”

“Well you’re only about 6 weeks along, so you probably took the EPT too early. We did a blood test, and we can detect levels of hCG that are too low to be found in urine.”

Kendall feels Liam squeezing her hand tightly, but it barely registers. She suddenly remembers the alcohol she indulged in last week.

“Since I thought the test was negative, I haven’t been the most careful person. I had a glass of champagne at my friend’s bachelorette party, and I drank a lot of caffeine.” A tear rolls down her cheek. She’s already a horrible mother and her child isn’t even a fetus yet. “Will the baby be okay?”

Dr. Washington briefly glances at one of the monitors attached to Kendall, and she reaches out to touch the queen’s arm. “First things first, I need you to stay calm. You're not the first mom to be who drank before finding out she was pregnant, and you won’t be the last. Now that you know you’re pregnant, I say stop drinking alcohol immediately, and limit caffeine to one cup of coffee per day. But it’s still so early in the pregnancy, I don’t think one glass of champagne and some coffee will have an effect on the baby’s development.”

“Calm?” Kendall chuckles humorlessly. “My entire country’s future rests on my reproductive organs.”

“That may be the case, but none of that matters if you don’t have a successful pregnancy and delivery, and staying as stress free as possible is key. That’s the goal right?”

“Of course.”

“Don’t worry, Doctor, I’ll make sure she takes it easy,” Liam assures.

“Now Kendall, I think you’ll be okay, so I’m prescribing you some R&R. Pregnancy can make your blood sugar and blood pressure drop, because the baby is taking all of your nutrients and making your body work overtime. So I am forcing you to take it easy. Make sure you get something to eat, keep your feet elevated, drink plenty of water, and have your husband wait on you hand and foot for a few days.”

Liam smiles. “I don’t need to be told to do that.”

“And last but not least, congratulations! If you want, I can page one of our attending obstetricians to come down. It’s too early for an ultrasound, but they can go over more things with you if you have any questions.”

Kendall looks at Liam who’s just as eager as she is. She turns back to the doctor with a nod. “Yes. We’d like that very much.”

~~/~~

“Are you guys sure you can’t come back to the ranch tonight?”

Liam can hear the disappointment in Bertrand’s voice. “Yes. Kendall is exhausted, and I think there’s too much going on at the ranch, and her doctor said she needs some quiet and relaxation. If she’s there, she won’t relax.”

“That’s true. What was wrong with her?”

“She just pushed herself too hard. Lack of sleep, stress, the works,” Liam replies, not giving away any detail. “I’m sorry that I wasn’t there to officiate for you.”

“Don’t apologize, your wife is your priority. Thankfully Bianca’s minister was in attendance and he gladly married us.”

“Congratulations. I hope married life treats you well.”

“I do too. Will we see you guys tomorrow? Bianca is throwing us another get together, a goodbye party of sorts.”

“Yes, we’ll be back tomorrow,” Liam assures Bertrand. “Enjoy your reception tonight.”

“Will do. Take care of Kendall.”

“Absolutely.” Liam hangs up.

While Kendall was still in the hospital, Liam asked Hana to pack them a small overnight bag and bring it to the hospital. Liam decided that Kendall had a bit too much ranch living and thought it would be best if he got a hotel room for the night. That way, there would be no distractions, no noise, and no people bothering them.

He decided on the Ritz Carlton, and when the manager of the hotel realized that a king and their American queen would be staying with them, he gave them the entire top floor to themselves, for maximum privacy.

Liam walks back into their bedroom and finds Kendall sprawled out on the bed, wrapped up in a large white bathrobe. He gets into the bed with her. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired,” she answers honestly. “Like I can sleep for a year.”

“It’s been a long day, you deserve some rest.”

“I still feel bad about missing the wedding though.”

Liam sighs softly. He truly married the best person in the world. She was always looking out for others, even at the expense of herself. She deserve a night to be selfish.

“We can make it up to them tomorrow. They’re having another party before we all leave. And we’ll get them a very nice gift.”

“An amazing gift.”

“An amazing gift,” Liam repeats with a smile. “It’s been such a crazy day, I don’t even think we’ve had time to properly celebrate the good news. You’re pregnant!” 

The words sound like music to Kendall’s ears. “When I took the test and it came back negative, I lost a bit of hope. I thought we’d be a couple who went through years of trying before it finally happened.”

“But we didn’t.” Liam gently tugs on the belt keeping Kendall’s robe secure, letting it fall open. He places a warm palm on her stomach, stroking the skin with affection. They actually had a baby in there. He was going to be a dad. “I am married to the love of my life, the most amazing woman I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing, and you’re giving me a beautiful baby. You’ve made me the happiest man alive, Kendall. You’ve made all of my wildest dreams come true. And I hope we have a girl who looks exactly like you.”

“And she’ll have an accent like you, and speak fluent Greek and Italian.”

“Or maybe she’ll take after you and talk in a New York accent.”

Kendall rolls her eyes. “I don’t have an accent.”

“You do, and I think it’s adorable,” Liam argues.

“Well whatever we have, boy or girl, they’ll be the most loved baby in the world. Hana and Bertrand will fret with them over etiquette, Maxwell will teach them how to dance.”

“Olivia will probably teach them how to conceal weapons on their person.”

“After they turn 18.”

“Of course.”

Kendall reaches out and strokes Liam’s cheek. “Can I make one request?”

Liam catches Kendall’s wrist and kisses it gently. “You can make as many requests as you want, my queen.”

“I don’t want to tell anyone yet, at least until I’m out of the first trimester. And even when we tell people, it’s only our immediate circle. Let's not make an official, public announcement until we absolutely have to. I know we’re the king and queen, and we owe it to our people to keep them abreast on our lives, but I still want us to be a normal newlywed couple. I just want to enjoy this as much as I can, as much as we can.”

“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Liam says after a moment. “Though part of me would love to shout our good news from the highest mountain top, I also want to privately revel in this, with you.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course.”

Liam shifts his body and places a kiss on Kendall’s stomach. “Hello there, little one! I don’t know if you have ears yet, but I am going to talk to you anyway. I love so much already, and I’m incredibly honored to be your dad. I can’t wait to watch you grow up and explore. I can’t wait to show you all of the things my father never showed me. You and your mother are the most important things in my life, and I look forward to telling you that every single day.”

A tears slips down Kendall’s cheek and she tries to wipe it away before Liam notices. It doesn’t work. “Why are you crying?”

“I don’t know. Because I have an amazing, wonderful, beautiful husband whom I love. Because I’m having a baby with him, which is all I wanted to do. Because I’m just so ridiculously, deliriously happy in this moment.” Kendall sees Liam’s own eyes are glistening, unshed tears threatening to spill. “Why are you crying?”

Liam smiles, a smile so wide and bright, Kendall is afraid he might split his face in half. “I’m happy too. Actually, happy doesn’t even begin to describe it. I’m euphoric. It almost doesn’t seem real.”

“Well it’s real.”

Liam drops another kiss onto Kendall’s stomach. She can already tell he’s going to do this all day, every day. And honestly, she can’t wait.

“We should order room service,” Liam murmurs against her skin. “Are you hungry?”

“Starving.”

“Let’s order some food, and whatever looks best on the dessert menu. And then we can order a movie.”

“On one condition.”

“Whatever you want.”

“You have to put on the other fluffy robe.”

“Deal.”

[camillemontespan]

the history of us [drake x camille] [part three: 11th July- make it up to her]

Part Two  if you want to catch up.

Warnings: NSFW. Feelings.

@jovialyouthmusic @pug-bitch @fromthedeskofpaisleybleakmore @sirbeepsalot @moonlightgem7 @dcbbw @notoriouscs @emceesynonymroll @burnsoslow @i-bloody-love-drake-walker @sawyeroakleyscowboyhat @iplaydrake @drakewalkerisreal @moneyfordiamonds @cordoniasmost @gardeningourmet @katedrakeohd @of-course-i-went-to-hartfeld @rainbowsinthestorm @drakesensworld @ccolz88-blog

Drake sat on the sofa two hours after opening Camille’s diary.  He felt numb; so numb. He hadn’t realised Camille kept a diary and documented everything so religiously. He was seeing himself from her eyes and the view was not pretty. Sure, they had had amazing moments the past four months, but a lot of it had been.. dark. 

He was knocked out of his overthinking by Olive. The corgi nudged Drake’s leg, asking for attention. Olive adored Drake. Maybe it because he always fed her more dog treats than he should, or maybe it was because Olive just loved being around humans, but she always followed Drake everywhere. 

Cheddar was more of Camille’s dog; Olive was Drake’s. 

Drake picked her up and she settled down on his lap, licking his fingers. ‘I’ve fucked up, Olive,’ he whispered, stroking her ears. Olive looked up at him. He swore she had a sad look in her eyes. 

‘Let’s watch some TV, huh?’ he suggested. He turned the TV on and as usual, it settled on the news. Drake swiftly turned it over to a chat show. It was a panel of women who were drinking cocktails and cackling. 

Well, it was better than the news who always reported on Drake and Camille.

The women sipped their cocktails. ‘So,’ one of them said, ‘the Duke and Duchess of Valtoria. What do we think is going on there ladies?’

A brunette downed her drink and leaned forward. ‘If I speak candidly,’ she said loudly, ‘I think there’s been trouble in paradise for some time. Have you seen those paparazzi pictures whenever they’re out together? They look so withdrawn from each other. Bear in mind, only last year photos always showed them holding hands and smiling at each other. Now, it’s different.’

Drake smirked. What did this bitch know? Sometimes, photos were taken when they weren’t smiling - that was normal. Nobody was happy 24/7. 

The blonde panel member spoke up. ‘I know what you mean. It’s like their chemistry is off. Then we have Camille attending royal events alone.’

‘That is the red flag right there,’ another of the witches piped up. ‘She gets all dressed up for these events, sometimes has Lily with her, but never Drake. They used to be inseparable.’

Drake had to turn it off. He couldn’t take any more of their theories and venom. They were discussing his private life on national TV over fucking cocktails. What show was this? He brought up the information screen. 

‘Cocktails in Cordonia.’ What trash. 

Drake sighed and glanced at Camille’s diary. He needed to read more, as she wanted. He didn’t know what she was hoping to achieve. Make him feel shit?Show him what a bad husband he was?

Camille wasn’t vindictive though. She wasn’t petty and she didn’t bear grudges. She had to have a reason. 

He turned to the next page and prepared himself for another trip down memory lane. 

11th July 2023

It’s the Summertime Ball tonight. Liam holds the ball every year and it’s become a highlight of the social calendar. I’ve got my gold dress all ready and I bought Lily a beautiful pink chiffon dress with silver stars embroidered on it. She looks like the sugarplum fairy in it and she twirled around the kitchen, asking Drake to tell her she looks pretty. 

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

‘Tell me I look pretty, Daddy!’ Lily cried, twirling around the kitchen. Her pink dress blew out around her and she looked so pleased with her outfit. Camille had arranged her dark hair into a ballerina bun and Lily had insisted on having her nails painted a glittery pink. 

Drake picked her up and pressed a kiss on her forehead. 

‘You are the prettiest girl in the world!’ he told her. Lily beamed and snuggled into his chest, a lazy smile on her face. To her, Drake was her world and that was all that mattered.

Camille was watching them, her eyes shining. This was all she had ever wanted. A family. Her own little family. 

Drake placed Lily back down and he grinned at his wife. ‘You look incredible.’

Camille blushed. She was wearing a long gold halterneck dress made of silk. It skimmed her curves and showed off her caramel skin. Camille stepped forward and ran her hands down his chest. Drake was wearing a new suit; Camille loved it when he made an effort. 

‘We should get going,’ she told him. ‘Cordonia society awaits!’

She took Lily’s hand and the two of them left the kitchen to the waiting car. As the door opened, Drake heard Geoffrey say, ‘Lily, you look like a fairy princess!’ 

Drake chuckled but his smile soon faded. Another Cordonian ball. Their first since they had come back from Texas. He knew they would be interrogated by the other nobles. How was Texas? Why were they away so long? How is Valtoria? Is Lily still eating McDonalds? 

The thought filled him with dread. 

He poured himself a double measure of whiskey and downed it. He needed liquid courage to get him through the evening. 

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

Maxwell had descended on Lily as soon as he saw her. ‘You look so pretty!’ he shrieked, picking her up and twirling around. Lily laughed and stopped when she saw Maxwell’s bow tie. It was a squid.  She reached out her hand and gently touched it, whispering, ‘wow...’

Bertrand came over to greet Camille and Drake. ‘Camille, you look stunning as always,’ he told her warmly. ‘How was Texas? I’m sorry you had to come back early.’

Camille smiled. ‘Texas was amazing. Just lazy days, lots of family time. We needed it, didn’t we Drake?’

Drake nodded. ‘Definitely. So good to get a break.’ 

Liam wandered over with Hana, Olivia and Leo in tow. The group were now reunited and Hana pulled Camille in for a hug, excited to see her best friend again.  

Maxwell put Lily down and she skipped over to the group. She needed to see her Aunt Olivia. She adored the 5′11 redhead with high cheekbones, straight posture and icy blue eyes. The infatuation had began about a year ago when Lily had cast her eyes on the many ruby rings Olivia wore. Lily was a magpie and loved anything shiny; when Olivia let her wear a ruby ring that was far too big for her small fingers, Lily fell in love.  

She fell hard for her Aunt Olivia after that. Olivia found it a little strange at first, not used to being adored,  especially by children god forbid, but she soon began to enjoy it whenever Lily asked to see Olivia.  It showed the child had taste. 

‘Aunt Olivia, do you like my dress?’ she asked shyly. Olivia’s eyes ran over the dress. Drake prayed she would be kind; he knew pink was not Olivia’s favourite colour by a long stretch.

‘I think you look gorgeous, babe,’ Olivia said honestly. ‘I love the stars.’

Lily giggled. Because Olivia loved the dress, she wasn’t planning to take it off for the next week. 

The live band began to play a jazz number. Lily looked up at Drake. ‘Daddy, dance with me.’

Camille nudged Drake, who picked up his daughter. ‘Come on, show me your best moves,’ he said, carrying her to the dance floor. He set her down and took her by her hands; his hands were gigantic around hers. Drake had to bend to dance with her, twirling her around. 

This was the only time when Drake was really comfortable on the dancefloor. When he danced with Camille, he felt calm, knowing the steps, but he still felt a little out of place no matter how hard she tried to convince him that he was a good dancer. But when he was with Lily, he forgot about everyone around them. It was just him and his little girl, dancing together. They didn’t need to do the moves, why would they? She was four. Instead, he twirled her around, swung her up in the air so her dress flew out, making her a fairy in flight. There were no rules or etiquette needed for dancing with Lily. It was just fun. It was free. 

Drake picked her up and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he bobbed around in a circle. Camille and Hana watched them together. 

‘He’s such a good dad, isn’t he?’ Hana whispered. 

Camille nodded, smiling. ‘He really is. He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to us.’ 

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

‘So, Drake, how does it feel being back in Cordonia?’ Lord Stanley asked. Drake plastered an artificial smile on his face. ‘It feels good! It’s nice to get back to normality.’

The lie came out of his mouth so easily.

‘We heard that you’re thinking about sending Lily to a regular school?’  Lady Victoria probed. ‘That’s a different choice. Every other noble child has gone to boarding school.’ 

Drake fought back the urge to tell her to fuck herself. Instead, he cleared his throat. ‘Well, as myself and Camille were born commoners, we want Lily to have the same sort of childhoods that we had. We want her to make friends with kids who aren’t noble so she can see there’s other ways of living.’

‘Other ways of living..’ Victoria murmured, her eyes wide. 

‘Surely though she will inherit the duchy of Valtoria?’ Stanley asked, struggling to keep up with Drake’s modern way of thinking. ‘If she doesn’t go to boarding school with other nobles, she won’t know how to support her people!’

Drake cast his eyes around the room, searching for Camille. He needed his team mate. 

‘Well, Lily might not want to inherit the duchy,’ Drake said casually. ‘We want her to see the world, learn other cultures, just be grounded and more openminded.’ 

The two nobles were staring at Drake as if he had grown three heads.

‘Besides, we can teach her how to support the duchy if needed,’ Drake went on. He was trying to justify his parenting decisions to these people and he had no idea why. What he and Camille chose to do for their daughter wasn’t their business.

‘But it could be good for her to meet other noble children?’ Victoria suggested. Drake ignored her and his eyes found Camille’s.

Camille excused herself from talking to Liam and she came over to help Drake. 

‘Ah, Lord Stanley, Lady Victoria! How good to see you both again,’ Camille said. 

The lie came out of her mouth so easily. 

‘Duchess Camille, you look glowing!’ Victoria said, taking her by the hands. ‘What’s your secret?’

‘Creme de la Mer,’ Camille deadpanned. Victoria blinked. 

‘Uh, so Drake was just telling us that next year, you might be sending Lily to a regular school?’ Stanley said. 

‘Not might,’ Drake corrected him. ‘We will be.’ 

Camille looked at Drake and his eyes bore into hers. She knew without speaking that he been getting interrogated. She took Drake’s hand and placed her hand on his chest. 

‘Yes, we’re so excited for Lily to go to a school with normal kids. More relaxed, she can meet all kinds of people and think for herself!’

Victoria frowned. ‘Are you saying our children can’t think for themselves?’

‘Welllll..’ Camille shrugged. ‘Anyway, so lovely to see you again. We need to circulate, there’s so many people we haven’t spoken to yet.’ She dragged Drake away. 

‘Jesus, they’re horrible,’ she muttered under her breath. Drake smirked. ‘Glad you think so. Who honestly gives a shit about what we do? It’s our life.’

Camille bit her lip. ‘I think because we’re already so different from them, they want to see how we run things. Clearly, sending Lily to boarding school was an expectation that we have yet again not met.’ 

‘We’re not sending her away,’ Drake ground out. Camille looked up at him and gave his hand a squeeze.  They both looked out at the dance floor to see Lily dancing with her Uncle Leo and Uncle Maxwell, who were showing her how to do the robot. 

‘I promise that’s not going to happen. She’s ours.’

She kissed him gently. ‘I’m going to continue my conversation with Liam. Want to join?’

‘In a moment,’ he told her. ‘You go ahead.’ 

She left him to it. Drake went to the bar and ordered a glass of whiskey, double measure. He sank the drink then gestured to the bartender for another. 

He studied the nobles around him. Aside from his friends, he hated everyone in the room. The way they spoke to him and Camille so patronisingly grated. They always looked like they felt sorry for them. Like Drake and Camille knew nothing. Like they were going to destroy Valtoria with their inexperience, despite the fact that they had been Duke and Duchess for four years. 

Fuck them. 

Drake sipped more of his whiskey and watched his wife burst out laughing at something Liam said. She looked at home here. She was certainly more regal than Drake. He sometimes worried he held her back, but he never told her that. He knew she would get upset if she knew the thoughts that went through his mind. 

But he knew she hated the nobles too. They would bitch about them while having drinks on their balcony. Camille was just better at hiding it. 

Drake signalled for another drink. 

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

They got home around midnight. Lily had fallen asleep on Drake’s lap when they had been sat at the table in the ballroom, which called for them to head home. Once Camille set her down in bed, she kissed her forehead and left the bedroom door slightly ajar; Lily was scared of the dark and felt better when she could see the hallway light. 

Drake’s head was spinning. Usually, he was a heavy weight but with each drink he had drank tonight, he had asked for double measures. Silly idea. 

He fell back onto the bed, still dressed in his suit, and looked up at the spinning ceiling. He heard Camille enter the bedroom and shut the door. 

‘You okay there, champ?’ she joked. She hadn’t realised how much Drake had drank, instead thinking he had just drank whiskey on an empty stomach and that was why he was conked out on the bed. 

She got on her knees and crawled towards him, suspending her body over his. He smelled of whiskey.  Drake looked into her eyes and reached out to twirl a lock of her hair around his finger. 

‘You’re beautiful,’ he whispered.

Camille smiled. ‘You’re drunk.’

‘Yeah. You’re still beautiful though.’

Camille leaned down to kiss his neck, enjoying the groan that escaped his lips. She began to peel off his suit jacket and unbutton his shirt, exposing his broad chest. She loved how broad he was; how manly he was. 

Kissing down his chest, she stopped when she heard him snore. 

Oh well. He would just have to make it up to her tomorrow. 

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

Drake did make it up to her the next morning. He had a memory that she had tried to make a move on him last night but he had been so drunk, he’d fallen asleep. His face flamed red when he remembered this. 

Her alarm had gone off and she slipped into the bathroom to shower. Drake followed. His head may have been aching but he wanted to make it up to her. 

Drake knocked on the shower door. Camille turned to open the door and she looked out at him, her hair slicked back from the water. Drake’s eyes roamed her naked body hungrily. 

‘You coming in?’ she asked, looking up at him from under her eyelashes. Drake gave her a wolfish grin and stripped off his clothes. He let himself into the shower. 

His hands slid down her wet body, slick from the water and shining. He kissed her neck and moved down to tease her nipple with his tongue. Camille gasped and closed her eyes, focusing on the sensations. 

Drake gently pushed her up against the wall and lifted her by the ass. She wound her legs around his waist, crying out when she felt his cock enter her.  He wasn’t taking his time; he wanted to make it up to her. 

‘Fuck Drake..’ she breathed, digging her fingernails into his back. Drake began to drive into her, keeping her body supported as he did so. His hips bucked against hers, grinding into her deeply, not wanting to stop. Drake wanted to make it up to her. 

As he bucked against her, he placed his finger on her clit and began to circle. She let out a groan as he teased her, feeling her core begin to come alive. Their bodies moved together, desperately now, as Drake began to increase the pace. He was relentless. He wanted to make it up to her.

Their mouths found each other and their tongues twisted, dancing. Drake could feel Camille’s fingernails digging into his back, probably scratching his skin but he didn’t care. 

He could smell the coconut shampoo she used and he inhaled her scent. She was his own personal paradise.  

‘Drake, I’m gonna cum,’ she breathed. Drake continued to drive into her, keeping up momentum. 

‘Cum for me,’ he growled in her ear. 

She let go, crashing over the wave. Her body jerked against his and she wrapped her legs around him tighter. Drake followed after, crying out her name into the crook of her shoulder. 

‘I love you,’ she whispered. Drake kissed her neck, then her cheek, then her lips.

‘I love you too.’

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

Drake stopped reading the diary entry. Camille hadn’t written about the shower sex but she had written about the ball and about the stuffy nobles. 

They’re so judgemental, I’m sick of it. But I can’t say anything to them otherwise I’d cause a riot, so instead I plaster a fake smile on my face and act like Duchess Camille. Who even is Duchess Camille? She’s not me. She’s elegant and knows etiquette and how to smile. She can curtsey and knows how to use the correct cutlery at dinner. Her fake laugh is fantastic, it sounds so genuine. But she’s not really me. She is a part I play. 

Sometimes I wish I could just be normal Camille. The one who wears denim shorts and oversized sweaters. I’d love to go to a football game with Drake and eat hotdogs and not have to worry about anyone bothering us. I’d love to take Lily out to the park without needing a bodyguard.

But we signed up for this life when we became Duke and Duchess. It was always going to be hard. I just want us to try and be as normal as possible and that includes sending Lily to a normal school. I’m so happy Drake and I share the same values; we’re a good team. As long as we have each other, it’s going to be alright.

Drake swallowed a sob.  His breath became haggered and his head began to swim again. His vision began to blur and that was when he realised he was crying. 

Drake had only cried three times in his life.

When he was told his father was dead.

When he saw Camille walking up the aisle towards him on their wedding day.

When he held Lily in his arms for the first time. 

This was the fourth time in his life Drake cried. How could he have fucked up something so good? Something that made him happy? How could he have pushed away the one person who truly saw him for who he was? 

Drake wiped his eyes roughly and looked through the box again. He came across a photo of him, Camille and Lily playing rock paper scissors while sat at a table during one of the palace balls. His memory flashed back and he remembered that Maxwell had taken the photo of the family. 

They looked carefree. They didn’t care what people thought of them. 

Drake sniffled and put the photo down, picking up the diary again. He needed to keep reading. It was what Camille wanted him to do and he was sick of letting her down. 

He turned the page. 

[lizzybeth1986]

Quick Thoughts on TRH Book 1, Chapter 3

• I'm hoping that if I have this chapter out early enough (doubtful, because compiling and organizing my screenshots takes time, and my drafts often don't save which means there are times I will have to replicate whole paragraphs from scratch. But fingers crossed!), I might try and do revisits of the first book. I did four of those chapters last year, and I think now - when we're looking at some of the stories told to us in Book 1 from a new lens - is a good time to explore that first book again.

• I hope the read more issue is resolved by now. It made posting quite hard the last time. In the meantime these are the tags you can block: #long post, #trh quick thoughts, #trh qts, #trh qt reblogs.

• Thanks a lot to @pixieferry for her Hana playthrough, @thefirstcourtesan for her Drake playthrough screenshots and the Abhirio YouTube channel for the Maxwell playthrough screenshots. Not much of those are up, because of lack of space to put up the pictures and the fact that this particular chapter wasn't specifically LI centric.

• Title: Your Kingdom Awaits.

Alternative Title: Tell Me What's Gestating in My Womb Today, Cordonia! A Cordonian Ruby? An Autumn Glory? A Granny Smith?

• Three chapters in and I'm getting more and more baffled by this story by the day. There's stuff I like. Some of the characters I still love. I have fun looking at the little hints, the bits of symbolism, the callbacks. I love theorizing what we'll be doing next! But all of this needs to be glued together by a coherent storyline and this just isn't it.

• Even if we push aside the gross inequalities in balance (re: character development), there's still so much that just doesn't make sense. Why is there so much rush. Why is everyone in this country (and outside) so invasive and entitled over this one noble's child? Why are we doing such insane scales of prep over a process that is in itself is so unpredictable? Why am I learning about Cordonia's allies/potential enemies in such a vague and shoddy fashion? And most of all what kind of bullshit Royal Council is this???

• But I'll elaborate on all those questions later. For now let's move on to the chapter!

• If you didn't buy the corgi in Book 2, they ask you if you'd like to buy it now at the beginning of the chapter. Possibly that may affect the entry of the second corgi in some way? Idk. 

• Esther, the Queen of Cordonia is also still the queen of winging it. You'd think they'd have planned a look for her (esp given the amount of time they could spend on the train) and gotten her ready by the time they reached there, not scrambled around for an outfit the minute they reached Valtoria.

• The LI tells the MC that they're fixed an appointment with the best obstetrician they could find, and we will be going there to ask our preliminary questions plus get a check up. I was wondering if in Hana's case they would be going to a fertility specialist instead.

• In any case, Bertrand volunteers to help us with an outfit for the last time in a short while, because he's traveling to Texas to prepare for their wedding. (we're going there too, but later. I'm not looking forward to another round of Savannah-worship - possibly with an added side of Bianca-worship - no thank you).

• Bianca's ranch is called the Walker Ranch, after Jackson's last name. Why Jackson's?

• Our OOTD!

Electric blue with a gold belt and a black and white border on the neckline, accessorized with a necklace (I think it's pearls set in gold?) and a brooch pin in the shape of a crown.

I kinda like this one and knowing the way this team operates when it comes to outfits most of the time, I'm pretty sure the colour scheme was chosen on purpose. With this outfit, the MC is presenting herself in the national colours, with a tiny signifier of what her future role might be. Either as Queen or as mother of the future heir to the Crown. This is an outfit that would send a message during Liam's announcement, whether she is (symbolically) wearing that crown or not.

• I'm obviously not very comfortable with the implications that would go with that outfit (esp if she is not the Queen), but I can't deny it does its job.

• The MC can opt to go for either being poised, acting like a diva or being very casual in her approach. Whatever she does the crowd pretty much worships her.

•

So everyone except Liam has someone (media, a fan, common people) approaching them as a way of showing how famous and revered the entire group has become in Cordonia. Liam doesn't need one coz he's anyway getting his moment with his big speech in front of the Valtoria manor.

Drake - Donnie Brine from the CBC speaks to Drake, positioning him as a man of the masses, the person that the Cordonian people see as their representative. Drake is woefully unprepared and freezes, blurting out that "things are great" which probably might end up becoming a meme on Cordonian internet later. Random Cordonian Woman from Applewood saves him by confirming this statement even though her trees have yet to grow and the tax problems are pretty much making her life "not great".

Maxwell - Where are Jiro and Camellia from Applewood? I like little Marco and Valerie but I hope they're not the only kids PB is going to be showing every time they need to show children. Marco approaches Maxwell and the MC both to sign his copy of Maxwell's book, and Maxwell takes care to do a dramatic signature that will not "obscure the picture of his face". I'm giggling at that image.

Hana - Valerie approaches Hana with a handmade flower necklace, presumably with a pattern made from "the Lee family crest". Now either Lorelai's family in Cordonia have the same surname as Xinghai, or Xinghai got himself a house crest for some reason. Either way, to toss out a detail like that so casually (a family crest is something that passes down through generations, esp in noble families) without even thinking of the logistics of it...(when an entire book of yours has been dedicated to sigils and crests) is pretty lazy.

BUT. In good news this means that my longtime speculation that Hana's mother's house had flowers as part of their court of arms is correct! (I was also right about a couple other things, like Maxwell's ancestors and Liam's mother being alive when Olivia was brought to the palace. YAY! 😁)

• We now move on to Liam's public announcement. Which sounds kinda weird whichever way you look at it. A married Liam announces that he and his wife are on a mission to enjoy babymaking and a single Liam announces this:

(Screenshots from a Hana playthrough by @pixieferry)

I will translate what both Liams are saying into Cordonian:

Married Liam: We don't have an apple cinnamon bun in the oven yet, but we're definitely having fun kneading that dough nudge nudge wink wink.

Single Liam: I'm neither making apple buns nor kneading dough. I'll leave that to my friends the bun-making experts here. I'm just gonna park my butt outside the oven door along with the rest of Cordonia.

Sounds weird? You're welcome. It was meant to sound weird.

• Esther finally reunites with her corgi Joy! I wonder if at some point she'll meet up with her horse Celestia and red pandas Hansel and Gretel too xD

• Mara tells me safety checks have been done, but...it's Mara saying that, so I'm not sure I'm quite convinced. The alternative is Bastien, so...we're kinda screwed I guess.

• The group then discusses the future foetus, and Liam takes this opportunity to hint at their childhood history. You know what that means? DIAMOND SCENE!!

•

(Screenshots for Asian Liam from my playthrough, Black Liam from @pixieferry and White Liam from @thefirstcourtesan)

LOOK AT THE WEE LITTLE KIDDIES AND LIAM'S MOM OMG AAAAAA.

As far as I can tell, among the kids the sprites for all three Liams and Drake are very much new, and the rest come from variations and changes to different faces. Maxwell's face is a copy of Simon from THoBM (only the mouth is slightly different), Hana's has a lot of similarities to young Kenna in TCaTF, but with pigtails instead of tiny buns. Olivia's is a little harder to place but I think there are plenty similarities between hers and RoE Camellia's face. For Queen Eleanor they used Young Mary's (MC's mother) sprite from D&D in accordance to whichever Liam you chose. Perhaps the only Mary sprite not used here would be the brown/Indian one, because Liam's ethnicities mainly feature White, Black and Asian. She even wears Mary's opera outfit (that incidentally Mary also ended up wearing to her wedding lol).

• Somehow they forgot that Maxwell was supposed to be a cute chubby little hippo who was loved by his mother.

• I'd like for Black Liam to grow more hair on his head because the curls on his younger self are lovely 😍

• Since most of the childhood tales revolve around the experience of growing up in the palace, this build up to the diamond scene begins with the MC asking questions about each of the boys (Liam, Drake, Maxwell).

- Little Liam and His Crown: Liam claims he only wore those during state occasions, but Maxwell (who admittedly didn't see Liam as much as Drake did but saw him often nonetheless) saw him practically sleep in the thing, and Drake has pictures to prove it lol.

- Grumpy Drake: Maxwell and Liam agree on Drake becoming grumpier as he grew older, but disagree on what metaphors to use to describe it. Maxwell favours "scratchy bark on a secretly loveable tree", and Liam claims he is "whiskey maturing in its barrell". ("oh", I want to ask Drake, "so that's what they call 'old grain mash' these days?" 🤣 This is my revenge for him referring to wine as old grape juice back in Book 2). No prizes for guessing which metaphor Drake liked better.

- Banning Maxwell from Palace Rooms: Maxwell's lucky he has a king for a friend because apparently before Liam jokingly and unwisely decided to give the man a royal pardon Maxwell was banned from all the good rooms 😅

• Hana clearly hasn't lost her touch when it comes to epic savagery. "I imagined you guys like the Three Musketeers, only...less French". 😅😅

• This diamond scene is split into three parts. You have the fun 'adventures' of the little boys (and later Olivia) at the palace, split in between by a slightly more sombre tale of little Hana's loneliness. The narrative voice in all three is very much that of a child, and focuses on Liam's and Hana's imaginations, so as to make their childhood stories more real to us while still providing us background information about the country's recent history (the "recent history" bit doesn't apply to Hana, though, since she is in China at the time).

- Pirate Adventures at The Palace Courtyard: Liam, Drake and Maxwell pretend to be pirate kings, battling rivals on the palace courtyard. After rescuing Maxwell from being stuck on the branches of a tree, the trio decide to continue their adventures on the gardens that are his mother's brainchild, but are stopped by a palace guard. Liam is briefly saddened by this, but is comforted by Drake and Maxwell. The boys then decide to continue playing in the palace kitchens. This scene begins by focusing on the antics of the little ones, but is really about the changed atmosphere in the palace that the boys themselves were too young to notice at the time.

(We also find out which place in TCaTF the Beaumonts originated from, since young Maxwell refers to himself as a pirate from Panrion in both scenes that he is in *cue Lizzy looking very very smug because I've been saying the Beaumonts were from Panrion/someplace in Ebrimel since way back in Book 2*)

The MC has options to respond to this tale (either about whether they were always this naughty, or about the increased security in the palace). In response to her question about the three of them, the boys tell us that Liam was known for being a free spirit and would skip many diplomacy meetings before he even met the other two (again, Constantine, Liam was A CHILD). If you ask the question they want you to be asking, however, about the increased security in the palace, Drake and Maxwell will tell you the security wasn't as strict earlier, and Liam will explain that the royal family had recently received threats at the time, and his parents were a lot more tense and on-edge than usual. Either way, you either get to know a bit about the political atmosphere at the time, or realize that little Liam wasn't the heavily burdened one we met on that first night in New York.

- Pretend-Teatime with a Young Hana: Hana continues on this thread of conversation by focusing on the bond between the boys, commenting on how she never grew up with that kind of experience. To which Drake and Maxwell have these reactions:

@Drake, pls fall on a cactus.

@Maxwell. Honey. She said this to you yesterday. She's probably said this more than once. You've seen her parents!! Wtf kind of friend are you if you can't even take what she said seriously the first time?

@Hana pls get yourself better friends 😭

Like @callmetippytumbles said in her response to this scene, I have no patience for this kind of selective stupidity.

So Hana's scene is technically a call-back to something she once told the MC back in Book 1 Chapter 6, when they were on their way to the post-Derby tea party with Queen Regina. At the time, Hana spoke of her parents not allowing her toys because they thought them frivolous, and how she had to make do with whatever was lying around instead. We actually see this happen in reality here. We see her PoV of what her inanimate objects do, we see her practicing court etiquette on these objects with her tea set, and we see her leave space for her asshole mother even though Lorelai doesn't deserve that much respect or consideration. There is a lot to unpack in this scene and I want to do that in my General Thoughts section later on...but for now I'll just say that it broke my heart, and not just in an "oh poor Hana" way.

- The Attack from Lythikos: I love this sequence too, not only because it shows us Olivia, a younger Constantine and Liam's mother Eleanor, but because the narrative framing in itself alludes to what happened between Lythikos and the Capitol earlier through the pirate story. Liam and Olivia still speak in the language of their story, but the sequence actually plays out what happens in their real lives. Olivia attacks the pirates, but is left desolate, sword broken, at the end of it (just like her parents tried to, and died in the process - leaving an innocent Olivia alone without support). Liam offers her terms that would give her safety and protection, and in return, she asks to be Pirate Queen and for Drake's sword - which he reluctantly gives.

Constantine mistrusts Olivia and attempts to limit her natural abilities and instincts, but it is Liam's empathy, support and validation of her pain, that eventually makes her the steadfast ally that she becomes as an adult - not Constantine's paranoia. Had Liam followed Constantine's lead, the chances of Olivia falling into the trap of subscribing to her aunt's beliefs would have been much much higher, and Constantine would have found himself at the receiving end of a self-fulfilling prophecy. The narrative may also be implying how deep Eleanor's own impact on her son must be, long after her death, since the narrative frames him as adopting her way of dealing with situations often.

In any case the narrative allows us to see the children as they were before their individual tragedies changed them (except in Olivia's and Hana's cases - where they were still struggling to survive the situations they were in), and allows us to see what shaped them into the adults they are today.

The MC then gets to ask one of two questions: either why Constantine treated Olivia so badly, or about the arguments his parents were having. We learn from these that this incident was shortly after Liam became friends with her and his parents brought her to the palace (this references both Liam's conversation about Olivia to the MC in Book 1 Chapter 7, and Lucretia's complaints about Constantine "keeping Olivia hostage" in her diamond scene in Book 3).

• Possibly this may not be the only scene of its kind we will see. Possibly the next few may be Drake-centric, since we may actually meet Bianca in a few chapters. But these scenes may definitely have an impact on dialogue later, just like how learning of the assassination attempt in Drake's Italian Restaurant Scene and Eleanor's death in Liam's Fydelia Balcony Scene in Book 2 are referred to later (if bought) in the hospital scene with Constantine.

• In any case, we leave the past in the past (for now), and move towards Valtoria's throne room. Where we meet Penelope, just back from her first canine fashion show, Kiara who tells us she has everything kept under control (you always do boo 😍) and Madeleine who is all up our uterus.

• She mentions King Bradshaw from Auvernal and his "impossible to control" wife, then mentions a Queen Amalas immediately after without bothering to tell us where this person is from. WTF? At least tell me the name of her goddamn country if she's another person!! You'd just have to say Queen Amalas of ChickenFeetonia and I would understand.

• ...you're telling me the Queen of this country (in my playthrough) has barely looked at a map of the place she's ruling or checked out who rules what?? You're telling me that the Royal Communications Director is STILL going to give her a gazillion flash cards to read something that she could sum up in five minutes, at the very last minute? Bitch what have you been doing this entire time? Touching up your manicure??

•

@Penelope: No you're not.

@Kiara: STOP ENABLING HER, KIKI, AND GET YOURSELF BETTER FRIENDS.

@Madeleine: Pls fall on a cactus.

• Madeleine hasn't been here for even five minutes and already I've had enough of her entitled ass. "Little apple gestating in your womb"...just...I can't. Ugh. Get your nosy nose out of my oven!!

• Remember how I told you guys about how apple analogies may be used to denote fertility? (mostly because RoE spoke of this apple cutting ceremony and it was a very obvious indicator towards apple metaphors being used to describe pregnancy and childbirth).

• I facepalmed when Kiara agreed with her but she's also probably thinking "well see this is why they call me the smart courtier. I don't have to deal with this shit anymore and now you do" (she isn't wrong).

• WELL HELLO OLIVIA.

• She informs us that we're expected at the solarium. I have a solarium?

• Apparently it was Mara's honeymoon gift to us. More like her "sorry Bastien and I screwed up last book" gift, I'd say.

• So wait where was this roster Liam was speaking about in the last book's epilogue? I see one Cordonian noble and one Englishman who until my wedding wanted to have nothing to do with Cordonia, and who's now bleating "our country, our kingdom, we're under attack" like a panicking patriotic nanny goat.

• Why can I not see Emmeline here, who is clearly the expert on her duchy? (I mean like. Landon is nice, but I'd really like to see more women in this Council too). Also does Kiara's inclusion into the Council cancel out the presence of her father Hakim, who is a seasoned diplomat and might possibly have some really good suggestions for dealing with these foreign powers (and seriously he'd be a better option than Godfrey anyway).

• Now Esther has a suggestion! Let's see what it is...

• A royal ball, apparently. Which...given the company, I'm sure it probably would be appropriate but I'm pretty sure we'll need to have more than that in place. I'm pretty sure the people in this council should either be finding out whether the person making these suggestions knows anything about these issues or whether she is simply talking out of her ass. This was a problem last book as well. The MC rarely feels the need on her own to explore these situations more, is okay with just learning things last minute and rolling with it and has the same solution to everything. It's either tours or balls but very little actual exploration of the situation. (I mean there is even a point where she barely shows any empathy at Portavira - even though they're still reeling from a bunch of natural calamities - and thinks it's appropriate to tell them to come for her wedding anyway. No wonder Liam panicked and started giving her diplomacy lessons, stat!) I'd actually take the MC seriously if she were doing her research and her suggestions weren't so shallow and one-note.

• Hana is grinning and giving justifications like this suggestion makes sense. STOP. ENABLING. HER. HANA.

• I especially want to know what Liam's experiences with these dignitaries have been. Both last chapter and this one, I'm seeing him in a position where he is defiant and digging his heels into whatever ideas he is having, but I don't know the context yet and would like to make sense of that. From whatever I've read so far...Liam took the year following Leo's abdication to familiarize himself with taking the front seat in negotiations, and probably may have been familiar with this kind of situation and the kind of people involved even before he became Crown Prince. It makes me wonder how difficult negotiating with them has been, and I want to see why Liam is so done with these people, so fed up. We're missing some context here and I think learning at least a little more than these scraps would have been better for everyone.

• I like that they remember Kiara as the only one outside of the charmed six to get a seat in this council (Kiki deserves the best). I also liked how succintly she summed up Drake and Hana's points about what the heightened taxes are doing to the people as "a reminder that we're not just here for ourselves".

• I find the entire idea of Drake Walker being the sole commoner representative in the Council laughable, especially in a narrative where every other commoner barely has a face, hardly has a name, and almost never has a voice. A man who has spent a huge chunk of his life in a palace, and who I've hardly seen even interacting with a commoner in the story...I'm expected to believe he will have great insights on commoner issues?? Even in this meeting, it's Hana who does a better job explaining this situation (she's the one highlighting the tax issues) than he does. Then again this Council also somehow gave a seat to Duke Karlington - a man who literally never had Cordonia's best interests in mind last book, and who only ended up attending our wedding because we had to be brought in as family counselors to settle HIS family disputes (I mean lol Godfrey how can you call this wedding a disaster when it caused you to magically become so "patriotic"!)

For God's sake, I want to see other commoners on this council. I want people who are actually living these experiences highlighting their issues. This is an issue I have with the MC too. She started out a commoner herself a waitress who wouldn't even flinch at the sight of rats in a dumpster. For someone of that background and who has possibly lived under the worse circumstances than some Cordinians themselves, you'd think that she'd have questions and show interest in how the people who aren't owning lands and are regular individuals on the street live their lives, and whether things are okay for them. But she's so immersed in the world of nobility that she rarely ever even tries to come out.

• Before Liam takes into account everyone's points and comes to a conclusion, the MC has the opportunity to give them her opinion. She can either say that we can't trust anyone, which Godfrey agrees with, or that an alliance would be good for Cordonia, which Godfrey views as naive, OR (and I didn't expect to like this response but I actually do) that she's a waitress from the States, and wouldn't know all that much about this situation. To which there isn't much of a reaction as such, but that's kind of what seems different about this book compared to the others.

• Once the meeting is wrapped up, our LI and Maxwell/Hana whisper in a corner about a surprise they have in store, and take us upstairs to show us what it is. If you're marrying any of the other three, Maxwell is the one who has arranged and picked out themes and colour schemes for the nursery. If you're married to Maxwell, Hana takes over this role.

• Ooooh. New (I think!) baby music! Nice. Very lullaby-like.

• Every design has these basic components:

a crib with a pillow (which I think will be updated later)

a couch nearby, likely for comfort when the mother wants to breastfeed (the updated versions seem to have a footrest)

a table with a lamp

three empty frames (also to be updated. I'm guessing for one of those "my first hand/foot impression" kind of thing and maybe even photoshoots etc)

a ceiling lamp/chandelier

a hook, also on the ceiling.

The two updated versions have footrests, updated lamps and ceiling decorations, additional carpet and customized designs (except for the crib and the pictures and the hook, which I think will be updated later). The Royal Glam theme is all reds and golds, very luxurious and very Valtoria. The Fairytale Forest theme has more whimsy, with bears, foxes, leaves, flowers and apples on the wallpaper, wood paneling, a beautiful golden lamp. Very pretty. Both seem to reference the MC's journey in TRR: her being either a Royal and the closest thing to one, and her journey being very fairytale-like (remember, the same logic was used for Hana's "something blue" gift for the MC's - where she views her as Cinderella).

• Only problem is...who exactly buys a nursery before they have a baby! Especially considering how unpredictable pregnancy and childbirth can be.

• We now meet Dr Ramirez for an appointment. I'm not sure about her suggestion that prenatal vitamins etc they will deal with after she has conceived. I know a number of people who did pre-pregnancy appointments and vitamins and folic acid were on the top of the list of things they'd start a routine with.

• As expected, all the appointments go roughly the same, with the usual answers to the usual questions (one about sushi, another about morning sickness and a last one about potential complications). The MC and LI are in the clear, and can start preparing - but apparently shouldn't stress. LMAO. Thank you doctor, I'm sure that will be easy to do in this country 😂

• Hana's goes differently, and it's clear this doctor's visit was primarily written to address her situation with the MC. The tests go differently, the suggestions given to them are different, the questions the MC asks (one about choosing donors, when they should start, and who should carry the child). The bombshell that immediately follows this is:

Wow. Seriously. Wow. You couldn't find a more temporary reason for why the MC has to be the one conceiving? It has to be something that would make her overall ability to conceive almost impossible?? (and this we find after one test? No follow ups?) I recall someone putting up/reblogging these screenshots with a caption about how the narrative pretty much took Hana's entire ability to conceive from her, and it's so true - and so disturbing when you place it in the context of how they've dealt with her issues so far (more on this later).

• In Hana's playthrough, she struggles with implications of this news, but constantly tries to veer the focus back to "well at least one of us can is able to have this baby". Twice, she is shown moving away from her pain to ask about the other possibilities for the MC.

• Anyway...we now move to the next morning, when the couple wake up to bad news - and it's concerning the pictures taken during their honeymoon. Given that Maxwell/Hana is holding a magazine when they tell the MC they found out who was responsible...I wonder if it's one of our news outlets. Or whether it's a foreign media rep.

• So I guess this complicates things at our Ball, since we're already on thin ice and this news would have spread to those other dignitaries as well. So we're going to have to deal with whatever implications come with those pictures (perhaps a spin on the royal gang having fun while Cordonia is in a national crisis? Who knows. It would be hypocritical of Cordonians and people from other neighbouring countries to judge the couple over the babymaking that they themselves were enforcing on these two!)

• In any case...royal ball this week. And in the universe of PB's stories that usually means some shit will go down.

General Thoughts and Observations:

• The funny thing about the MC's responses now is that her heightened position now seems to allow her to get away with a lot more than she used to. Now if she gives a joke response, the media and people laugh with her rather than at her. If she is a diva, the crowd will lap it up. I'm guessing what the book is trying to imply is that these are the people she has won over and doesn't exactly need to worry about, and now the ones she will have to convince are from other, more powerful countries - ready to back Cordonia into a corner anytime.

• As you can tell by now, I absolutely loved the childhood sequences. They sounded like children, most of the narrative lines up with what was already said in the previous series, and there were some interesting narrative devices used here.

• I think the third sequence especially drives home the point about what Liam did right, even as a young boy, and what Constantine refusing to look past Olivia's lineage to see her as an individual could have cost him. Constantine's ruthlessness and lack of genuine care for his bonds/friendships (eg. Hakim) had him in a position where he was unable to relate to anyone beyond his own tiny bubble (even his own wife Regina was taking countermeasures to make the best of his horrid plan), and had him make decisions that did more harm than good. For instance, take what he did to the MC, for no fault of her own other than that he didn't think she'd be a good Queen. Not only was what he did utterly disgusting, but it also would have made his own family a subject of shame in the country (which is why Constantine practically begs her never to expose him, because then Liam would be paying the price). Imagine what would have happened if Constantine didn't agree with Liam and perhaps Eleanor, never brought Olivia to the palace, and Liam had never shown her his constant support. Liam's genuine empathy in this case pretty much ensured the safety of his own line.

• I also love the implications of that sequence. Constantine is so wrapped up in his fear that he tries to break what Olivia considers most precious (Zenobia the sword in this case, but this could allude to her parents' deaths and later, her possible marriage to Liam at his Coronation). Liam attempts to fill that gap by taking her in, caring for her, and giving her the tools to continue being the Lythikos fighter she has always been.

• There are a few TCaTF references in the palace scenes: Maxwell mentions Panrion twice, and Olivia calls her sword "Zenobia" in honour of her historical hero (she still speaks of Zenobia with something akin to worship during the Winter Festival in Lythikos).

• Olivia's dress is also modelled on Zenobia's, with the same colour and bodice embroidery. In fact most of the clothes are very similar to their adult garments: Drake still wears denim, Maxwell favours dark colours (still should have been chubby though), Liam's clothes are similar to his casual wear minus the ascot, and Hana wears pink, with flower designs on the skirt.

• What I like most are the narrative voices for both Liam and Hana, who are the ones narrating these stories, and how rooted in their imaginations the scenes themselves sound. But there are significant, heartbreaking differences in how we see their imaginations play out:

Here are a few samples of narration I've managed to save from Liam's PoV. Notice how Liam and his friends are so into their little game that they find adventure in everything? Notice the language they use to describe themselves and what they are doing? Once-defiant topiaries shaking in fear at their antics. "Liberating" chocolate tarts. "Conquering" the upper floors. These boys are playing out their dreams and showing us the kind of men they would want to be. The heroes. The victors. The ones everyone looks at with awe and reverence.

This is also not a story Liam is creating alone. Drake and Maxwell happily join in, sink into their characters and display their heroics alongside him. Olivia also joins in and holds her own, and when Liam's father tries to break her spirit, Olivia shows Liam her trust and faith in him by using the language of the game.

On the other hand, here is what the narration technique in Hana's tea scene looks like:

There is a lot to unpack here. A lot. There is perhaps more in this one scene of Hana's than there is in all of Book 3, where she was pretty much pushed to the sidelines.

We were told in Book 1 that Hana had to get creative because she wasn't allowed toys. This was told to us in a rather matter-of-fact way, by a person who was normalized in this way of life and who hadn't yet realized just wrong her upbringing was or how damaged her self of self was. It's perhaps easy to forget this bit of dialogue if you were reading it for the first time because at the end of the day it's spoken of without much gravity.

It's when you see it play out in front of you, in little Hana's voice, from an adult Hana who will now view this entire sequence very, very differently, that the tragedy of it all really hits you. At such a young age she is forced to make do with the little she has: the little she has in terms of things to play with, the little she has in terms of relationships. What the MC says after that sequence is half-right, it's sweet how Hana used her imagination in spite of her parents' rules and strict lifestyle. But what that misses is the burden experiences like that would place on a child in her earliest, more formative years. What stand out to me the most in this sequence are these:

- The most obvious: the use of a 'tea party' to teach herself etiquette and diplomacy. In the present, Hana tells the group that "a lot of what I learned about courtly negotiations, I learned from the tea table". This is the level Hana chooses to focus on after telling her tale, to soften the blow of the story itself.

- The fact that despite her mother's treatment of her, Hana still leaves space for Lorelai. Still wants to believe the best of her, still wants her involved in her life. Lorelai denies her her support and comfort, which is the initial layer to her injustices against Hana. In a lot of ways, even now - Hana is still leaving space for Lorelai, giving her chances to improve, trying to educate her on respecting her boundaries better. It's a long, exhausting process, and Lorelai doesn't deserve the many chances Hana keeps giving her, but Hana is also a person who struggles to completely cut off from the people in her life, controlling and emotionally abusive though they may be.

- At the end of the day, the objects she is giving a life and a personality to, are inanimate objects used for other purposes. Not toys, not real friends. Every last one of them. Miss Doily is kind and caring, Princess Sinckerdoodle is jealous and gives a damn about etiquette (I like how you can see allusions there to Olivia and the MC in the Bakery Ball dialogue!). But they're essentially all objects that cannot move the way her narration describes them as moving. Even dolls and toys, inanimate though they are, are made for the express purpose of allowing a child to participate in pretend play. They can be given a voice, their limbs can be moved, the child can easily turn such a space into an active space with the use of her toys. The doily, the napkin, the sock...these are things Hana will have very little actual control over. They will not be able to move the way she wants them to, do the things she wants them to. Everything has to be happening in her head and there is very little outlet for her other than the few things she has at hand (a similar example of of Hana using scraps we will also find in Book 2, where she draws whiskers on a rock to replicate a toy mouse).

Look again, at the differences in the way Liam narrates his tale and how Hana narrates hers. Liam's is also a fantasy, also uses inanimate objects. But supporting him in building this imaginary universe are his friends, and the parents who both don't stop him from immersing himself in this imaginary world, and have a safe normal (for now) life to return to when those "adventures" are over. On the other hand, Hana has to do the heavy work...in every way. She has to imagine not only the background of what is happening, but also what the objects in front of her are like, what they will do, how they will interact with her, how they will interact with each other.

If I had to replicate such a scene into film, the loneliness of this sequence would perhaps hit harder. A large, empty room. A tiny girl. A tea set and several strange items - and none of them actually move. She is sitting alone, in the dim light, in the silence, talking to these objects that will never respond so she pretends they do, just to chase away that yawning, aching feeling of not having a single friend. All she gets in return is silence. All she finds in front of her is space, and more space. The kind of space that could swallow a child in its emptiness.

And in the center, is a seat left empty. For a mother who doesn't believe her daughter is worth the time.

I think there will be very few who will appreciate the strength it takes to survive a lifetime of that, and that's sad.

• The little Hana sequence reminds me of the animated film Cinderella, particularly in how the main character uses dreams and imagination as an escape from her life of drudgery and the abuse she faces daily. Particularly the song "Sing Sweet Nightingale", where Cinderella's dull world bursts into vivid colour through the soap bubbles that emerge from the washing bucket.

It's a beautiful, soft, almost surreal little sequence...but when you strip it all down to its basics, what you're essentially seeing is a woman so abused by her family and so trapped in this life she does not deserve, that she has to grasp at straws to find joy. Or in this case, soap bubbles.

What Hana faces in her home is perhaps a little more similar to Rapunzel's situation in Tangled than Cinderella's, but there are definite similarities in the way both characters use their imaginations to soothe and comfort themselves. She is forced into a situation where her imagination - and these things that can't respond to her - are all she has, and the only ways she can keep herself safe and happy. That's way too big a burden for a child so young to bear.

• I wonder if there will be more than the memories. Perhaps documents, news clippings, research material that the MC can use to dig further into what's going on in this country. It's possible, but it's also possible that memories will entirely be how we unravel this mess. I was speaking to @thefirstcourtesan the other day and she mentioned that Bianca and Bastien would both be pretty good sources for finding out more - Bastien, after all, had a lot of respect for the second queen and was close to Jackson, and Bianca would have heard certain things from her husband or witnessed something at the very least (and if they were friends, that angle too). I probably would add Lucretia and maybe Anton (if we see them and if they cooperate), Bertrand or someone new who knew Bartamely (if we can find out more about the Beaumont house that would be lovely!), the Lees, and...Francesco? (I still haven't forgotten that Bertrand mentioned him as being a friend of Liam's mother). I also want to see what new information Olivia got from the last time she did her research on any hidden deals or laws that could endanger the kingdom. There are quite a few possibilities in terms of what we could find and how it can be presented, so I'm looking forward to that. This scene was a good start.

• Having said that, this was something they should have been addressing the previous book. If they hadn't spent so much of their focus on all the wrong things, we wouldn't have as much ground to cover as we do now. And I'm not sure they've learned their lesson enough that we will not see the same mistakes repeated this time.

• Why is the system in place to inform and update the MC on what's happening so poor this time. At least earlier, we'd have a fairly good idea of what would be happening next, even if some important stuff was done last minute. Now the explanations themselves are poorly formed and done without proper thought on whether the MC/readers might understand what's going on or not. It doesn't look good on the story, nor does it look good on those characters esp the MC. This is stuff she could have maybe gotten away with as a suitor. But now she is Duchess/Queen, and an influential figure. What looked good in her days as a suitor won't look so good on her now.

• The Royal Council could be a way forward - for the nobility and royalty-heavy narrative to something that shows us more perspectives from the people who really form the backbone of this country - the commoners who actually populate Cordonia's lands and duchies, whose hard work likely keeps the economy running. Just one Drake isn't adequate for that kind of representation - not when he very rarely addresses their issues in the first place. Please tell me there will be more in that Council because the Council as it stands is in no way an improvement on the status quo.

• I've said more than enough about how bizarre and downright OOC Liam sounds, but I do think we should not ignore the context - the fact that every single individual involved is making these demands of the MC and expecting her to save their country through her child without really checking if she has basic knowledge or other resources in place (such as information about the rulers she is meeting). That includes the LIs. It's very easy to make just a character or two a convenient scapegoat, but let's not forget that there isn't a single person in this entire narrative that is bothering to examine the implications. Not a single.

• What really got me angry...was the Hana doctor sequence. Maybe two books ago it would have just hurt - but more on the level of "it hurts to see Hana like this but I have hope for her". Hope that she would have the space to grieve something she had lost before she could ever even have it, hope that the narrative would validate her pain and encourage her healing. But I can't even hope for that anymore.

This is a very very painful, complicated situation to put a person in. And yes, sometimes those are things you want to talk about and finding out you can't have children when you've always wanted to have them is a very real, very difficult situation - and there is a lot you can explore in terms of how a person with these conditions would feel. But the thing is...Hana has already been on the receiving end of multiple tragic storylines. I have already seen enough and more of her in pain. What I'm not seeing is a good - or even adequate - payoff that validates her painful journey and allows for a release of those emotions. I'm constantly seeing more tragedy, less triumph. I'm not seeing enough satisfactory resolution to those many many issues, and I've spent three books just watching her hurt be brushed aside both by the people who bully her AND the people who are supposed to be her friends (let's be real, they're doing it even now). And now is supposed to be a good time to pile up another difficult situation on her???

• Whenever Hana has been forced into situations that hurt her, her emotions and thoughts have always been pushed to the sidelines - unless and until it was to elevate the MC to a pedestal in Hana's eyes. Hana has rarely - if ever - been given the space to speak out against injustices done to her, has rarely been allowed to have an opinion on people who have harmed her.

When the narrative should have been validating what Madeleine put Hana through, they opted to create sympathy for Madeleine instead...and had her completely minimize what she did to Hana ("I'm sure Hana will be willing to let bygones be bygones").

When the narrative should have been allowing her to discover what her sexuality was, they opted not to talk about it at all. They opted to make her MC-sexual instead. Even with the "alternative LI" they planned for her (*pukes*), they focused more on Madeleine's feelings than Hana's.

When the narrative should have allowed her the space to explore what her parents did wrong and arm her against their faulty arguments about her being the "delicate flower" who cannot survive without them, the writers opted to push her into a 'solution' that was still centered around her usefulness, not her emotional state. Her 'happy ending' with her parents involves constantly educating them on how to treat her with respect, a suffocating, draining process for a child with her background.

When the narrative should have - at least - given her a good wedding, after showing us what dreams she had for it, a wedding where she was treated like a bride, not a bridesmaid, her writers did exactly the opposite. She is more skilled than the MC yet it is the MC that gets the duchy. She is the creative one who comes up with the polo moves yet it is the MC that gets the credit. She is the one that didn't have a chance to fully plan her own wedding the way she wanted earlier, yet the same MC still treats her like her wedding planner rather than a bride. In not one of these situations is she ever allowed to vent about or even speak of what this is doing to her.

Maybe they will give her a chance to explore this difficult journey, maybe they won't. But how dare they push another tragic, difficult (to her) truth such as this, when they have barely allowed her to voice discontent or pain on a host of other issues!

Piling more pain on top of the pain a character already has, isn't going to make your character better developed. Allowing them the space to feel and show those feelings to others will. Thinking of worthy resolutions to those issues, will. If you want to be fair to Hana, center her in her story. Expand on her origins. Focus on story not skills. And validate her pain goddammit!!

• Sigh. Until next time, folks.

[lovemychoices]

Before There Was You-5A

TRR x ROE

Three years ago while travelling in Europe, Eve Sommers was involved in a car accident. She woke up from her coma two weeks later with no memory of what happened to her in the past seven months. Three years later and still no recollection about what happened to her before the accident. But all of that is about to change. Will she finally know the truth? Will there be consequences?

*THIS SERIES PRACTICALLY THROWS CANON OUT THE WINDOW* YEET!YEET!

Characters belong to Pixelberry, I am just borrowing them.

Word count : 1800

Chapter Summary: Eve is finally in Cordonia! What are the obstacles she’s going to face? Will she fail or come out victorious?

A/N: This is my first fiction series so it will definitely not be 100% perfect, in other words be kind 😬Grammatical errors are expected 🤣 Feedback and comments are welcomed. If you think this series could be your cup of tea then let me know if you want to be added to the series tag list, also hit that LIKE and REBLOG button if you like what you read.

Catch up with the series HERE

Warning : I’m rating this PG18 cause there will probably be PG18 stuff that’s going to happen in future chapters. So if you read this series you acknowledge that you are 18 and above.

BTWY Tag list: @thecordoniandiaries @leelee10898 @ao719 @annekebbphotography @desiree-0816 @rainbowsinthestorm @emceesynonymroll @the-soot-sprite @carabeth @cora-nova @charliejane-blog @dcbbw @hopefulmoonobject @cmestrella @jlpplays1 @pixieferry @romanticatheart-posts

The ride from the airport to the palace was awfully quiet, Eve was still mad at Drake about what he said back in the jet so she didn’t feel like talking much. Maxwell, who sat between them, could feel the tension that came with the awkward silence. He wondered what happened while he was asleep on the plane, he tried to break the silence with a few of his jokes only to be ignored with more silence.

The SUV starts to pull over as it reaches the main entrance of the palace. Oh thank God Maxwell thought to himself, the silence was killing him. Eve steps out the SUV followed by Maxwell and then Drake. Drake quickly walks away leaving the two at the main entrance.

“Welcome to the Cordonian Royal Palace!” Maxwell beamed excitedly. “This is where we’re going to stay most of the time for the next five months. Come on I’m excited to show you your room!” He says pulling Eve by the hand and taking her into the palace before she could even take in all of her surroundings.

****

Eve enters her room and could not help but be amazed by how big it was, it was maybe four times the size of her room back in New York. The walls were painted a soft ecru colour and paired with gold trimmings. A beautiful giant antique chandelier hung in the middle of the room with a picture of a baby cherubs eating an apple on the ceiling.

“So I assume you have something to where for tonight.” Maxwell asks.

“Huh. Sorry. What?” She shakes her head and turns her attention back to Maxwell.

“You know for the masquerade ball it’s the start of the social season.”

“I’ve packs a few dresses for the occasion but I don't think I have a mask to go with the outfit.”

“That's alright, I’m sure they’ll have some you can borrow in the palace boutique.”

Maxwell's phone buzzes, he reaches for his pocket to see who it could be. “Oh look a text message from Bertrand, I gotta go he wants to see me. You’ll be fine without me till tonight right? He asks cocking an eyebrow.

“Sure…”

“Okay cool, the ball starts at 6 so don’t be late.” He informs her and leaves in a huff.

Eve opens her suitcase to get her dress ready when she realises she doesn’t know where the boutique was. She steps outside of her room to look for Maxwell but he’s already out of sight. She reaches in her pocket for her phone to call him but her battery is dead. Damn it! she thinks. “Oh well, guess I’ll have to find my own way to the boutique.” She murmurs.

A noble woman passes by and Eve tries to ask for some directions. “Excuse me miss, would you mind telling me where I can find the boutique?” She asks politely. The woman takes one look at her and grimaces before walking away, ignoring her question. Okay not much friendly people out here. She thought. lets see if I were a boutique in a big ass palace where would I be? Not paying attention to where she is going she accidentally bumps into someone.

“Oops! Sorry princess, didn’t see you there.” Leo apologises, she turns to face him and when she does he is take aback and eyes go wide open like he’s seeing a ghost from the past. “Eve?”

Eve cocks an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, have we met before?”

***

Three years ago - Paris, France

“Nice to meet you Eve, I’m Leo.” He smiled shaking her hand and she smiled back. “So what brings you this part of town?”

“Well I was actually going to take some photos by the Seine and check out the flea market when I got mobbed on the way.” She answers, her eyes go wide open when she realises she’s supposed to meet Ruby at the Louvre by now. She reaches for her purse but remembered her phone dropped in the river.

“Eve is something wrong?” Leo asked when he noticed she looked a bit worried.

“Um... So this is might sound a little awkward but would you mind if I borrowed your phone for a minute? I dropped mine in the river and I’m supposed to meet a friend at the Louvre right now, she’s probably worried that I haven’t shown up.”

Leo chuckles “I have a better idea, why don’t I take you there instead, it’s only a few minutes away if we take my motorcycle.”

Eve looks at him then at the motorcycle, she’s never ridden a motorcycle before. She bit her lower lip wondering if this was a good idea.

“I promise you it’s perfectly safe, do you trust me?” Leo grinned offering an extra helmet,

“Screw it.” She murmured under her breath and with a smile took the helmet. what could go wrong she thought.

***

“I’m sorry, have we met before?”

Leo doesn’t answer at first his mouth slightly open a look of confusion written all over his face.

“Eve? Is that you?” A familiar voice calls from across the hall. “Liam?” Eve smiles when she sees that it’s him. Liam walks up to her and gives her a long welcoming hug.

“I’ve missed you” He says

Eve closes her eyes taking in the scent of his sandalwood cologne. “I’ve missed you too.” She replies. They pull back a few seconds later. “Sorry I would have called but my phone died.”

“That’s alright as long as you’ve safely arrive, I trust Maxwell had everything in order? Was the plane ride okay?” He asks placing his hand on her shoulders.

“It was fine Liam, more than fine, thank you.”

“That’s good to hear. Oh , where are my manners?” He grins letting go of her. “Eve I'd like to introduce my older brother, Leo.” Liam says motioning Leo at the back.

“Oh you’re Liam's older brother!” Eve beamed, giving him a quick hug taking Leo off guard. She pulls away a few seconds later smiling. “Liam has told me so much about you.”

“It’s nice to meet you too Eve” Leo replies with a rueful smile. Of all the people in the world his brother could have fallen for it had to be her. He looked between the two rubbing the back of his neck. “Ah so, I need to go I’m sure you two have a lot of catching up to do.” He says and quickly turned on his heels walking the opposite direction.

Eve cocks an eyebrow as she watches Leo walk away. That was quick? She turns her attention back to Liam. “So... what's next?”

Liam heaves a sigh. “I wish I could stay and take you on a tour of the palace but i have a meeting to attend.” He took his hand in hers. “I’ll make it up to you tonight, I promise.”

“Then I shall be looking forward for tonight.” She grins. “By the way any idea where the boutique is? I kinda need to borrow a mask for the masquerade ball and I have no idea where I’m going.”

Liam chuckles. “It’s just around the corner.” He takes her right hand and kiss her knuckles giving a mischievous look. “Save me a dance tonight?”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” She replies with a playful wink. “Until tonight.”

****

Eve stood in front of the mirror making some final adjustments to her dress. She chose to wear a beautiful strapless scarlet red mermaid dress that clung to every curve of her body. She walked towards her dresser where her phone charging to check for any messages she might have missed. 10 miss call and 5 messages from Ruby. Oh crap I forgot to call and let her know I safely arrive Cordonia. Let’s see it’s should be almost noon there so here goes. A few dial tones later..

“Hey Red…”

“Omg! Where have you been? I’ve been trying to call you all day! Do you know how worried I was?” Ruby bellowed.

“Yeah sorry, my phone died and I kinda lost track of time.”

“Yeah yeah yeah. At least you called. So how’s Cordonia treating you?”

“Hard to say I’ve only been here a couple hours, there was this really snobby woman I met and oh I did manage to run into Liam and his brother Leo—.”

Ruby spat out her drink when she heard the name. Could it be? Nah maybe it’s just a coincidence there are plenty of European guys out there with the name Leo last name Rys, could there? But just to be sure.

“Hello Red, you still there?”

“Oh yeah sure still here.. Hey Eve you wouldn’t mind sending a photo of Liam’s brother would you?”

“No, why would I have his photo and why do you want one?”

“Oh you know just.. to for some background check…” Ruby stutters

“Right…” Eve replies with a skeptical tone. “I don’t know, trying searching the Royal Archives online or something I’m sure he’s in it. Listen I love to continue this conversation but I’ve got an event I need to get you. Text you later on the details?”

“You’d better…”

They both hang up while Eve continued to get herself ready, Ruby quickly clicks on her googles app on her phone typing the Cordonian royal archives on the search engine. A few clicks later, her eyes go wide open when she finds out it Liam’s brother really is the Leo.

Ruby runs to her room opening her closet and taking out a box which was well hidden inside a secret hole in the wall. She opened the box and takes out a cellphone, which used to belong to Eve. She turns the phone on and looks through Eve’s phone book wondering if Leo still uses the same number. Couldn’t hurt to try.

Leo sat on the ottoman in his room staring up at the ceiling trying to wrap his head around what he just saw. He feels his phone buzzing in his pocket and takes it out, his eye go wide open when he sees the number that was calling. Could it be? Does she remember who I am?

“Hello?”

“You son of a bitch—”

Leo heaves a sigh. “Ruby it’s nice to hear from you again.”

“Listen you! I don’t know what shit you’ve got planned but if you—.”

“If this is about Eve, believe me I was as shocked as you are. And you know I would never do anything to hurt her intentionally ”

“Look I’m not mad at you for what happened in the past, that’s all in the past. But do you think it’s a good idea to be around her? What if she remembers what if she gets hurt again? Can’t you just leave?”

“Believe me I would if I could but I promised my brother I’d be here the entire social season to help him out, if I knew she was the one he was vying for I would have never made that promise and left before this whole thing began.” He shook his head. “Karma really is a little bitch.”

Ruby pinched the bridge of her nose trying to gather her thoughts and calm down. “Loook Leo, I’m sorry if I got all mad and shouted at you earlier on but you know how much I love Eve. I just don’t want her to relive all the pain she went through before a second time.”

“I understand and I promise, I’ll try my best to keep my distance.”

Ruby heaves a sigh. “I’m trusting you Leo.”

“I know…”

****

[mrswalkerwritesagain]

Score - Drake x MC (Rated 18+)

Book: The Royal Romance Genres: Fluff, Romance, Smut Rating: 18+ Pairings: Drake x Louisa Word Count: ~1900 Prompt: We shouldn’t be having sex here and, oh my god, did I make that stain?! 

Happy Thirsty Thursday, ya’ll!

“Oh, come on! What the hell was that?!?”

Drake drags his hands over his face and lets out a muffled groan of frustration. He can’t believe how badly this is going. How could his team be undefeated all season and then choke this badly in the semifinals? He loves football, soccer as Louisa insists on calling it even after all her years of living in Cordonia, but this is just painful.

“Ah, I can almost taste the steak dinner you’re going to owe me,” Liam says, grinning widely. In public, King Liam might be gracious and magnanimous, but his friends, especially his oldest friend, knows better. Liam loves to win.

“Just so you know, the smart-ass thing isn’t a good color on you,” Drake frowns and slouches back on the sofa in Liam’s den.

“Come now,” Liam laughs. “You’re just bitter because you’re about to lose our bet for the 4th year running.”

“Hey, there’s still time. Don’t count Valtoria out just yet,” Drake tells him defensively. “I have a chance.”

“Half a chance perhaps. There’s less than 10 minutes left and the score is 6 to 1…oh, wait…” Liam pauses to watch the game on the projector screen where the Stormholt Dragons drive down the field and score on the Valtoria Stallions yet again, “…7-1. It’s all right to admit defeat, my friend, and you’ve forgotten I like my steaks medium rare.”

Drake is about to respond when there’s a brisk knock on den’s door.

“Enter,” Liam calls out, still grinning smugly. 

A small, bird-like woman in a black pantsuit scurries into the room carrying swatches of fabric in varying shades of reds. She apologizes profusely before holding out the fabric to Liam.

“I know it’s late, Your Majesty, but I need your opinion on the velvet. The ruby is an obvious choice with it’s correlation to the Cordonian Ruby. The garnet is a good choice if you want something a little more sedate. If you’d prefer to go with tradition, this shade, rather unfortunately called blood red, is what was used previously.”

“New suit?” Drake asks. Liam and the woman gape at Drake in disbelief. 

“What?”

“A new suit…made of red velvet?”

“Well, how the hell should I know why you’re picking out fabrics!”

“We’re reupholstering the chairs in the council chamber,” Liam shakes his head and returns his attention to the fabrics in front of him.

Drake chokes on his drink and coughs harshly, “What? Why?”

“It was past time anyway,” Liam explains, “but recently Olivia found a rather unsightly stain on hers and she’s put up a rather...unyielding in her demands to have it remedied.”

“Oh…shit,” Drake hisses.

Two weeks ago at the Cordonian Masquerade Ball…

“We shouldn’t be doing this…oof!” Drake grunts as Louisa pushes him onto the chair in the council chambers. He’s pretty sure it’s Olivia’s, but it’s too dark and he’s too distracted by the wicked glint in his wife’s eyes to pay too much attention. He loves and hates when she gets that look in her eyes; it always spells trouble - usually sexy, drunken, helluva-lot-of-fun trouble, but trouble nonetheless.

“Come on, Drake,” Louisa purrs, sliding her hands down the curves of her body, over the intricate beading of her costume gown. “We spend so much time in this room and you’ve really never thought about doing this?” 

“Usually when were in here I’m just trying to stay awake.”

Louisa giggles at that. The Royal Council of Cordonia has done a lot of good for their country, but there’s no denying that the meetings are pretty dry and boring a lot of the time. He’s definitely seen Lou herself zone out a time or two. 

“Doing this here has literally never crossed my mind,” Drake tells her. 

He’s not saying he doesn’t want to do this. They make time to escape almost every event they attend as the Duke and Duchess of Valtoria, but these days it’s usually just for a quiet moment away from the crowd - chance to breath in fresh air and take a walk together. It’s been a while since they’ve snuck out to fool around. Tonight, Louisa clearly wants more than stroll through the gardens though judging by the hungry look in her dark eyes. 

“I love you, Lou, and I want you,” he tells her earnestly, “but this probably isn’t the best place. We’re not that far from the ballroom and someone could catch us. I think this might be a...very...bad...idea...”

Drake’s words grow strangled and he swallows hard as Louisa holds his gaze and pulls her floor-length dress up to reveal her shapely calves and thighs.

“Yes, but lucky for me..." she reaches under her skirt, shimmies a little bit, and a moment later, her black satin panties hang off her finger. She drops them to the floor and gives Drake a knowing look, “...you love my very bad ideas, don't you?"

“Goddammit, Tennant,” he growls and takes her by the hips, pulling her to him as she laughs. She bends at the waist and holds his face in her hands as she kisses him deeply. God help him, bad idea or not, he can’t resist her. He’s never been able to resist her.

“I want you so much, Drake. God, I need you...” Louisa moans as Drake lays kisses along her neck. His pride surges at the way her breath catches from his touch. He runs his hands down her body, across her back, over her buttocks, and down the back of her thighs to pull her skirt up once again.

As he strokes the soft skin of her inner thighs, teasingly close to her folds, Louisa undoes his pants and takes him her hand, pumping up and down until he's stiff and throbbing. The feeling of her small fingers wrapped around him makes his eyes roll back and Drake lets himself get lost in the pressure of her touch. His breathing turns shallow as pleasure burns through his veins.

“Fuck...Lou...come on...” Drake moves his hands to her waist and urges Louisa closer. She quickly straddles him and Drake's hips jerk when the wet heat of her brushes his tip. He lets out a low moan as she sinks onto him. He forces his eyes open to watch a look of rapture play out on her soft features. Louisa’s mouth falls open and a deep sigh falls from her lips as they curl into a blissful smile.

"God, you're beautiful," Drake mutters, awestruck by the way the moonlight illuminates her in the dark council chambers. Louisa looks down at him with a tender smile and cups his cheek.

"So are you," she tells him and rolls her hips against his in slow, deliberate movements that send jolts of electric heat through both of them, drawing gasps from both of them.

Drake leans in to bite the strap of her dress with his teeth and he drags it down her shoulder. Louisa wriggles and pulls at the other strap until she’s laid bare in front of him save for a sheer bra of satin and lace. God, he loves when she wears things like this. It’s rather run-of-the-mill as far as turn-ons go, but he’s a simple man. 

Drake buries his face in the valley of Louisa’s bosom, dragging his tongue over the swells of her breasts and the hem of her bra. Louisa arches backwards in his embrace and he takes one of her nipples into his mouth through the lacy fabric, lavishing attention on the taut bud. Louisa writhes on top of him and grips Drake’s shoulders so tightly he feels her nails through the fabric of his jacket and shirt and it only spurs him on. He pistons his hips upward harder as she grinds down to meet him.

“Fuck, that feels good,” Drake grunts and drives upward, drawing a cry from Louisa.

“Ooooh...god...more...Drake...more..."

Drake cups the back of her neck in his hand, pulling her into a passionate kiss. They break apart gasping for breath as Louisa's movements grow more ardent and desperate. Louisa grasps the ornately carved chair back behind his head and rides him with wanton abandon. She throws her head back and Drake wraps his arms around her back, pulling her close. He can see all the signs that she's getting close - the way her pupils are blown wide and dark, the way she's biting her lip, the whimpering, pleading way she's whispering his name.

"Lou...look at me, καρδιά μου," Drake commands hoarsely and Louisa turns her heated gaze to him, staring into his eyes as comes with a breathless cry of his name. She shudders and then she collapses boneless and gasping against him. With a couple more thrusts, he follows her, groaning deeply as the light behind his eyes goes white with euphoric bliss.

“Wow, that was…wow,” Louisa laughs as they come back to themselves and Drake gives her a broad, dazed smile. 

“Yeah, wow about covers it,” he tilts his head up to meet her soft kiss and reluctantly releases her to extracts herself from his embrace. She pulls her dress back up over her shoulders as he stands on slightly shaking legs to zip up his pants and straighten his suit. Louisa has just finished pulling on her discarded panties when she lets out a high-pitched little shriek.

"What? What? Are you okay? Did someone see?" Drake looks over at the doorway they'd snuck in early, his blood pumping hard at the thought of getting caught, but Louisa isn't looking at the door. Her eyes are glued to the chair they just vacated with a horrified look on her face.

"Oh, no, no, no!" she points at the chair frantically. "Drake! Look! There’s a stain. Oh god. We stained the Olivia’s chair!"

"Jesus Christ," Drake looses a string of curses in Greek. "I told you this was a bad idea, Lou!"

"You weren't complaining a minute ago!"

"I tried to tell you! But then you took off your underwear and just jumped right on my dick!"

"Hey! It takes two to tango, Walker!" Louisa snaps at him, panic still written over her face.

"You know what?" Drake says, trying to stay calm for both their sakes. "Maybe it wasn't even us. Maybe it was there before."

Louisa presses her fingers to the dark spot on the red velvet and grimaces.

"It was definitely us. It's still wet," she tells him and Drake can't help but grin a little. Damn right it is. Louisa catches the look on his face and slaps his shoulder. "Stop smiling! What are we going to do? What do we do? This is a royal chamber! Is this some kind of treason?"

"No! Well, I don't think so anyway," Drake says. He looks around and spots someone’s left behind jacket on the back of one of the other chairs. He nabs it and lays it, hopefully rather haphazardly over the stain, and steps back. 

"There. No one will come in here with the party going on tonight and it’ll be dry by the time they notice anything is amiss."

"Are you sure?" Louisa asks, looking skeptically from the pillow to Drake and back again.

"Yeah. Positive."

Present day...

"Drake? Are you in there, friend?"  

"What!" Drake jumps at Liam’s hand waving in front of his face. 

The decorator woman is gone and it’s just the two of them again. Drake hadn’t even seen her leave. Liam studies Drake’s face carefully and Drake prays his newly grown in beard will hide the embarrassed flush that’s burning on his cheeks. 

"Where did you go?" Liam eyes him with concern. "You completely zoned out and the game is almost over.” 

"Oh, uh, just, um,” Drake laughs nervously, “thinking about...scoring," 

[bobasheebaby]

When you’re supposed to be working on chapter two but your muse plays the entire second half of chapter six in your head.

Just let me map out chapters two through five so maybe I can start posting!

[likethetailofacomet]

Come Back to Me

A/N: I thought this chapter might actually be the death of me, guys, no lie. But, by some miracle, I am still here and so are these characters. One more chapter, ya’ll. ONE. MORE. (phewwwwww) 

Pairings: Drake x Claire, Jackson x Bianca, Bastien x Annabelle

Warning: gun violence, character death, angst out the wazoo  

no music for this one. silence. deafening silence. 

The room was dark and empty and for a moment he couldn't quite place where he was standing. There didn’t appear to be any walls, just an endless expanse of deep black oblivion all around him. He took a step forward and the hard soles of his shoes slapped against the marble floor loudly. He looked down and recognized the intricate golden inlay- a seven pointed star, one point for each of the seven duchies, with a Cordonian Ruby at the center. He was in the palace ballroom. He looked up and sure enough the enormous crystal chandelier glittered down at him. He was starting to wonder where everyone was, was starting to realize that something was not right, when he turned and saw her. She was standing alone in the middle of the floor in her white gown, the silver embellishments twinkling like stars in the heavenly light that shone around her. He felt happiness spread through him as he made his way towards her, forgetting his worry that something was wrong, reaching out to take her hand in his. "Berkley," he whispered as he brushed his lips to her knuckles. "May I have this dance?" she nodded, not really meeting his eyes, and he couldn't understand why she looked so sad. He circled his arm around her and drew her in. She laid her cheek against his chest and brought her free hand up to his shoulder, running her fingertips over the fabric of his jacket. Drake’s eyes fell to his right hand, fingers twined with hers, his thick and knobby, hers thin and delicate. He started to sweep her across the floor, simply content to have her in his arms. Who knew I’d like dancing so much? Just needed the right partner, he thought, closing his eyes and breathing her in, feeling her lean her slight weight into his body.

For a few beats they swayed together, his hand pressed to the small of her back as she continued to run her fingers over his shoulder and chest. Drake opened his eyes and looked down at her. His heart plummeted into his stomach as he realized her cheeks were wet with tears. “Hey, Berkley, don’t cry. What’s wrong?” He ran his hand up and down her back soothingly, the fabric of her dress smooth against his palm.

“I love you, Drake,” she mumbled softly. “I love you. I love you, you have to come back to me.”

Come back to her? What does that mean? He shook his head slightly, his forehead wrinkling with confusion. “I’m right here, Berkley. I love you, I’m right here, not going anywhere. Wherever you are, remember?” He looked down at the heart shaped charm hanging from her neck.

She seemed not to hear him, despite her closeness as she pressed even closer to his chest. Her eyes were following her fingers, now tracing two circles where his chest meets his shoulder. “I love you,” she just mumbled again. “You have to fight, Drake. You're so strong...you have to fight.”

He was about to ask her what she meant again when something in his peripheral vision caught his eye and he whipped his head around to see what it was. They weren't alone, after all. Laughter, sounding far away as though traveling through a tunnel, underwater, through time. The swish of a skirt as two more dancers came into view, smiles on their faces, on their lips and in their eyes, floating across the floor. Is that...how can... He looked down at Claire. She hadn't seemed to notice the other couple gliding across the floor. His eyes found their way back to them and he realized he knew exactly who and what he was looking at. My parents...my...dad...

As suddenly as he found himself standing in the ballroom, he was transported out of his body, watching the two couples- himself and Claire, and his mother and father- twirling on the floor from the doorway. He realized that he was watching a memory, his own memory. He was maybe seven, and he and Liam had sneaked back downstairs to pilfer more desserts after having been sent to bed an hour ago. They were on their way to the kitchens when they passed the open door of the ballroom, music, and the musicality of laughter and clinking glasses and revelry spilling out. He was caught, like a spell, like a trance, as his eyes landed on his mother and father dancing among the royals and the nobles. His mother's mouth was open wide in surprise as his father turned her under his arm sending the light blue skirt of her gown swirling around her ankles. The look on his father's face was pure joy, dark eyes lit with love and happiness as his wife leaned in to kiss him upon returning to the hold. Before he could react to what he was seeing, he was back, his arms around Claire, her tears against his shirt, her mumbled “I love you,” in his ears.

He wanted to tell her it was alright, wanted to wipe her tears away, wanted her to look up, to see his parents, to meet them. As he opened his mouth to speak, a third couple danced into view, and he squinted in their direction as they came closer. Bastien? But he looks...young... But there was no mistaking the silver eyes of the man he'd always known to be a part of his life. He was much younger here, his face not yet set into the stern mask he wore now. In his arms was a lithe young woman, brightness in her eyes, her copper hair cascading in soft curls down her back. She looks so familiar...I know her...she's...she was... but he couldn't remember her name. The girl laid her head against Bastien's chest and he rested his head atop hers lovingly. Drake could taste the young woman's name on the tip of his tongue, knew that somehow she had been part of his life, too. But it flew away, just out of reach, like a bluebird taking wing.

“You have to wake up, Drake.” His attention was brought back to the woman in his own arms. Her eyes were focused up at him, red rimmed but alert. She took the hand that had been on his chest and brought it to his face. He leaned into the feel of her touch, his skin tingling where it was met with hers. “I love you, and you love me, and you can't leave me now... we still...you're still...Drake, you have to come back to me, please.”

“Berkley,” he breathed, feeling a tear slip down his own cheek at the pain and pleading in her voice. What does she mean? Why doesn't she understand? I'm here, I'm right here and I'd never...

His thoughts were interrupted again by a loud bang, shattering the splendor, and a scream, piercing the picture. He felt Claire shudder and held her tighter to his chest. That was a gunshot. His heart pounded and his pupils dilated and he realized that while they’d been dancing it had been getting dimmer and dimmer around them. Another scream, another bang, and then he saw; his father on the ground, his mother sobbing as she slowly faded away from the ballroom; Bastien clutching his arm, stumbling, the copper haired girl, eyes flooded with tears as she slipped out the back door.

Dad... Bas...

The chandelier crashed down behind him, sending shards of glass all over the floor. Drake moved to shield Claire with his body only to realize she was no longer in his arms. No, where is she? “Claire,” he choked out her name as the air cleared she came into view, just a few feet in front of him. He opened his arms, ready to scoop her back into them, to protect her, get her out of here. As his foot left the ground to take a step towards her, he saw her lips drop open in a scream, one word, “No!” followed by his name, as her eyes went wide and focused on his chest. He hadn’t heard the third shot, or the fourth, hadn’t felt them pierce his shoulder blade, tear through artery and bone, through the front of his shoulder and pectoral muscles. He hadn’t felt any of it, just a need to be near her. He looked down to his jacket. Where a boutonniere might adorn his pocket, two bright red stains were blooming instead. 

When he brought his eyes back up to Claire, he was looking at her from the ground. She was calling out to him frantically, but something, someone was dragging her away. 

“This can’t keep happening, Drake.” A voice filled his ears as the last bit of light left the ballroom. Who... Bastien? And as Claire vanished from view the voice, Bastien’s voice spoke once more. “Bianca, Annabelle, Claire...” Annabelle, that’s right. “Don’t let this place tear you from her, break your love apart. Drake, you have to wake up.”

He felt his eyes slip closed, felt the world shrink. “This can’t keep happening” bouncing around the inside of his skull, “I love you, Drake, come back to me,” etching itself in his heart.

How? How do I get back to her? I need to, but how? 

“Please Drake, you have to wake up.”

.  .  .  .  . 

An inhale through his nose. Sterile, clean. But also, daises, lemongrass, her.

A deep ache in his chest. Burning, spreading. But also, a change to the rhythm of his heart, a skip as it found it’s mate, hers. 

His eyes opened slowly. Blinding, dry. But there she was. Another inhale, less pain, as his eyes found her hand wrapped around his. Another thump of his heart, pumping warmth and life and love through him. His heavy eyelids fell closed again but he pried them open again to drink her in. She was really there, he’d made it back to her. Her cheek was resting against the bed where he lay, her eyes closed, soft golden hair feathered out against the white sheets. White sheets, white walls, hospital. He was distantly aware of beeps and hums, of a bulky bandage wrapped tightly around his upper torso and left shoulder, and a much smaller one wrapped around his right hand. He was aware of that dull, deep digging feeling in his back and chest and bicep. But he blinked again and felt her breath on his fingers and he tried to squeeze her hand but couldn’t. He needed to look in her eyes though, needed to hear her voice, needed her to hear his. He attempted to clear his throat. it felt like he’d swallowed broken bits of glass but he didn’t care. “Berkley,” he managed, using all the strength he had to make his voice as loud as he could.

She stirred, a small hum from the back of her throat, a sniff as she moved her head. “Berkley,” said again, this time more clearly, this time less painfully. Her eyes snapped open and she let out a gasp as they met his. My girl, there she is. “Good morning, Berkley”. He didn’t know if it was morning. Didn’t matter.

“Dr-Drake?” Her voice wavered as she gasped again, her fingers tightening on his, the blue pools of her eyes deepening like the sea. “Drake! Oh, god, Drake! Drake, you... you’re awake, oh my god,” she scrambled to stand, to get closer to him. Her hands both went to his face and he closed his eyes as he felt her forehead rest against his own. “You came back to me,” she whispered, “I knew you’d come back to me.”

There was pain, some confusion, as flashes of what he could remember and what he’d just dreamed traded places and danced through his head. But relief was flooding his veins along with the medication, just to feel her close to him, to know that they were still together. Wherever she is, so am i.

“I’ll always come back to you, Berkley,” he whispered, his throat still sore but the words he needed to say mattered more to him than the discomfort. “Always.” She was kissing him gently on his eyelids, his temple, the crest of his cheek. “I love you, Gra Go Deo, I love you forever.” Forever. He wouldn’t let anything break that, wouldn’t let anything tear her away from him or him from her.

Jackson and Bianca. Bastien and Annabelle. The dangers of the Cordonian court had torn them apart. But it wouldn't happen again. Not to Drake and Claire. He felt a smile form as he took another breath, as her lips and her hands and her words fell all over him. There was still a lot he didn’t know, still a long road to healing ahead of him, but he was here, alive, in the arms of his soul mate meaning that she was there, alive, and that was all that mattered. He could endure anything with her by his side. That’s what love was, what he had learned it to be.

.  .  .  .  

Bastien’s phone had vibrated in his pocket just minutes before Drake had woken up, and he’d stepped out of the room to take the call. Closing the door softly behind him, he answered the call he’d been waiting for since he promised it to Liam almost 48 hours prior.  But he’d managed to do better than a secure line. “Hello? Leo? Have you landed?” A pause and then, “A car will be there any minute to pick you up. See you soon.” He hung up the phone and walked past the other room on the private wing, Liam’s. The King was resting, Lady Olivia by his side. He let out a breath, glad that Liam would have his brother soon, would have his family to help him through everything that had happened.

Just then, A nurse ran towards Drake’s room, then another, and Bastien felt the air grow still. Don’t let this happen again, he silently pleaded as a doctor entered Drake’s room and he hovered closer to the room. No whining beep of a flatline, no wailing or screaming from Claire. He held his breath until his feet took him to the door and he peered inside to see Drake and Claire, their eyes locked on one another while the doctor took vitals and made notes. 

Olivia poked her head out into the hallway, catching Bastien’s eye. “Is he...?” Her eyes were sharp and her tone was even but her quick, almost gasping breaths were giving her away. 

“He’s awake,” Bastien told her, and they both  felt peace settle into their hearts. Bastien cleared his throat and headed for the waiting area, settling back into one of the chairs he’d sat in with Claire and Olivia. 

The Duchess was only a few paces behind him, carrying Claire’s phone. He watched her    dial a number before she covered the speaker and said “Claire’s family,” pointing to the phone. Bastien nodded. “Hi, Dan, it’s Olivia... I just wanted you to know... he’s awake.” A pause. “Yes,” she wiped at her eyes and nodded at what Dan was saying. “Yes I think you should. I think... I think she’d like that.” They spoke for a minute or two more before he heard her say “Bye Dan... see you soon.” 

. . . . . 

tagging:  @ooo-barff-ooo  @sleepwalkingelite @zaffrenotes @brightpinkpeppercorn @jovialyouthmusic  @mind-reader1 @endlessly-searching-for-you @endlesstaylormckenzie @agent-bossypants @andy-loves-corgis @drakewalkerrosenberg @akrenich @nekkidmolerat @indiacater @thequeenofcronuts @the-everlasting-dream @the-whiskeywife @roonarific @stopforamoment @mkatschoicesblog @mfackenthal @drakewalkerisreal @jlouise88 @drakesensworld @gibbles82 @gardeningourmet @iplaydrake

[cocomaxley]

The Start of Forever

This is a part of a TRR A/U called Cordonians Gone Wild, a collaborative effort by @ao719 @speedyoperarascalparty @leelee10898 @riseandshinelittleblossom and yours truly. Catch up HERE.

Summary: A look back to when Rashad proposed to Genevieve and the couple’s engagement party.

Rating: NSFW, mature and very bad decisions.

Tag List: @hopefulmoonobject @fullbeaumonty @brightpinkpeppercorn @katurrade @krsnlove @alj4890 @zaffrenotes @annekebbphotography @carabeth @moneyfordiamonds @give-me-ernest-sinclaire @3pawandme @indiacater @ooo-barff-ooo @ownworldresident @tornbetween2loves @perfectprofessorherokid @stopforamoment @editboutique @wannabemc2 @enmchoices

Flashback to One Night in Vegas…

Rashad led Genevieve out to a waiting limo and they both got into the backseat.. He laced his fingers with hers and smiled at her. “Where are we going, honey?” she asked. He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it, “You'll see. It's a surprise.” They arrived at an airfield and he led her to a waiting helicopter. He helped her into the front seat before getting into the pilot seat. “A helicopter ride? Just like our first date,” she said with a big smile on her face. “The past year and a half has gone by really fast hasn't it?” She asked him.

“It's been the best year and a half of my life, Gen. Do you remember how hard I fought my feelings for you? I think it's because I knew...I knew you were the one and I was terrified.” He looked at her with such love on his eyes it made her own well up with tears.

“Well I'm glad you finally gave into those feelings. I've never loved anyone as much as I love you, Rashad. So…are you going to tell me where we are going?”

“You really don't like surprises, do you?” He said with a chuckle, “I just thought it would be nice to have time just you and me and see the Vegas lights at night.”

She looked around, it truly was a breathtaking view of Las Vegas. He turned the chopper and flew over the main strip. She pointed, “There's the Bellagio fountains. It looks amazing up here. Oooh look at Caesar's Palace, the sign looks like there's a proposal…” her mouth fell open and he laughed. She turned to him with wide eyes, “Rashad...that says…” she put her hand up to her mouth.

“Genevieve Sanchez, you are the most amazing woman I have ever met. You are funny, caring, kind, beautiful inside and out. I have known from the moment I saw you that you were the one. My only regret is letting my fear stop me from being with you sooner. I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you...will you marry me?” He looked at her with vulnerable eyes as tears streamed down her face.

“Yes! Yes! Yes! I can't wait to marry you, Rashad!” He landed the helicopter and pulled a box out of his pocket revealing a gorgeous round cut engagement ring with a criss cross band that he slid onto her finger. She unbuckled her seat belt and launched herself into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a passionate kiss. She put her hand at the back of his neck deepening the kiss. When they finally broke apart, he put his hand up to her cheek, “You have made me the happiest man in the world. I am going to spend the rest of my life trying to make you just as happy.”

He helped her out of the helicopter and pulled her into another deep kiss. “I love you, Rashad. So much.”

“I love you too, sweetheart.”

He took her hand in his and said, “We should go find the others and share our news. Then you and I are having a private celebration.”

The Engagement Party…

Genevieve looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing an off the shoulder, fitted white lace dress with long sleeves. Rashad walked up behind her and kissed her neck, “You look beautiful, wife to be.”

She turned around, “You're looking quite sexy yourself, husband to be.” She walked to her jewelry box and put on the ruby and diamond bracelet that Rashad had given her some time ago. She was about to put on a necklace when he stopped her. “I have something for you.” He handed her a black velvet box. Inside was a necklace with marquise and pear shaped diamonds and round cut rubies. She turned to him wide eyed. “Rashad, this is beautiful. Is this from your family's collection too? It matches the bracelet.”

“Actually no, it's new. I had it designed for you. Let me help you put it on.” He stood behind her and clasped the necklace around her neck. They both took a moment to look at it in her reflection in the mirror.

“I have something for you too,” she walked over to the dresser and pulled out a wrapped gift box. He opened the box revealing a pair of cufflinks. “Is that our house crest on there?” He asked as he started replacing the cufflinks he was wearing. “Anitah told me about a place that does custom engravings, so I thought the Domvallier crest was perfect. She picked it up for me when she went to China last month.”

“I can't wait to marry you, Gen,” he leaned down and kissed her lips. “Now let's go before my father comes looking for us,” he chuckled. Genevieve loved Demetrius. Since her family was so far away, it was nice to have a father figure in her life, especially one as kind and good natured as him.

They walked hand in hand to the estate’s ballroom to greet their guests and start the party. After dinner, Rashad and Genevieve walked around and mingled with their guests. “Lord Rashad, Genevieve, it's nice to see you again,” Sebastian walked up with a pretty woman with dark hair and dark eyes on his arm. She felt Rashad tense up next to her. “You remember Alexis, don't you, Rashad?” Genevieve turned to him and his jaw was clenched in anger.

“Genevieve, meet Alexis. Rashad's former fiancée,” Sebastian said with a smirk. “It's nice to meet you, Alexis. Thank you for coming today,” Genevieve said with a smile.

“Sebastian, may I have a word?” Rashad said in a cold tone. After they left, Alexis stood next to Genevieve, “Ah so you are the one he settled for...Sebastian told me he was getting pressured to marry so he had no choice but to finally propose.”

Genevieve turned to her and smiled coldly, “Spoken like a true scorned woman. Rashad asked me to marry him because we love each other. It's funny he never once mentioned your name. Sounds like you didn't mean all that much to him.”

Before she could walk away, Alexis grabbed her arm, “Maybe he didn't mention me because deep down he wishes that we were still together. I'm here to remind him of that.”

“Bitch…” before she could finish her sentence, Sebastian walked up and led Alexis to the other side of the room. Genevieve walked into the hall and sat down trying to calm her nerves. She and Rashad didn't discuss his prior engagement in great detail. He never told her how he felt other than that the breakup left him in bad shape, which is why he didn't date for a long time. His father decided that he would step down once they were married which meant that Rashad would be taking over as Duke and she would become Duchess. She couldn't help but feel like Alexis may have been right, that he was settling or worse. What if he never truly got over his ex-fiancée?

A short while later, she felt the bench seat next to her sink as someone sat down. She looked up and saw Sebastian sitting next to her. “Are you alright? You look upset.”

“Yes, I'm fine. I just needed to get some air and clear my head,” she stood up and he held her arm.

“Please stay. I didn't mean to intrude it just looked like you needed someone to talk to, especially after all those things Alexis said to you,” he gave her a comforting smile. “Judging by your reaction, it seems like he hasn't been honest with you about his relationship with her. They were together for three years. He proposed after two. They were so happy together, so in love. After he started his company, they started drifting apart. He was gone more than he was home. So she broke up with him, but I don't think he ever really got over her. He told me one night that he would always love her, and if she ever gave him another chance, that he would take it. No matter the circumstance.”

She felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. “Excuse me, Lord Sebastian. I must check on something for the party.” She got up and walked down the hall into Demetrius’s study. She sat in the chair and tried to keep the tears from falling. She heard a knock on the door and she quickly wiped the tears away, hoping her eyes weren't red and puffy.

Pam poked her head in the door, “Hey, why are you hiding in here? What's wrong, Gen?” She entered the room followed by Anitah, Alicia and Stephanie.

She smiled, “I'm fine. Just a little overwhelmed, that's all.” Pam gave her a look and she knew that Pam wasn't buying her act. She hung her head and said, “Do you guys think that Rashad...that he settled by being with me? That maybe I'm not good enough to be Duchess or even his wife?” She couldn't hold the tears back anymore and they started to fall down her cheeks.

Anitah had an angry look on her face when she asked, “Who the hell told you that?”

Pam looked at her, "Why the hell would you think that? You have never once questioned your relationship...why now, Gen?"

She wiped her face and caught her breath. She explained everything that Alexis and Sebastian has told her about Alexis being the love of his life, and how heartbroken he was when she ended things. Sebastian adding salt to the wound with the comment that he would run back to her if given the opportunity.

“Aw, Gen don't listen to them. They’re just trying to screw up your night,” Stephanie said, patting her shoulder.

Alicia crossed her arms, “I'm going to punch that bitch in the face!”

“Besides, that man loves you so much. He puts up with your crabby ass every morning, and he still asked you to marry him,” Pam giggled.

Genevieve laughed, “Thanks, guys. I'm so lucky to have my squad.” She pulled all of them into a group hug. They walked back into the ballroom and Rashad walked up to her with a big smile on his face.

“There you are, I couldn't find you, and I was starting to worry,” he said placing a soft kiss on her cheek. “What's the matter? You look like you've been crying.” She shook her head, and her eyes welled up with tears again.

Rashad gently took her by the arm, led her into the hallway and into an empty room. “Are you alright? I didn't know he was bringing her.” She faked a smile, “I was just surprised. You never really mentioned her before...” she tried to keep her voice even as she continued, “She said some things…Sebastian said some things and they got in my head.”

He tilted her face to look at him, “What did they say? I can tell that it's bothering you, and I want to set your mind at ease.”

She told him about her conversation with both Alexis and Sebastian. His face contorted with anger and then turned to concern, “Sweetie, none of that is true. Yes, I was engaged to her, and at the time I thought I loved her. After I met you, I realized that what I felt for her was nothing compared to what I feel for you. I love you. I am not settling. If anything you're the one settling because I don't feel like I am good enough...for you.”

She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. She rested her face against his chest, trying not to cry. “I love you. I'm sorry for being silly and feeling insecure.” He chuckled and kissed her forehead, “You're not being silly or insecure. Alexis and Sebastian are the worst kind of people. I know for a fact that he still wants to court you, even though our engagement is official. So bringing her here as his date was probably part of his plan to try to rip us apart.” He sighed, “I might kick his ass tonight. I was close during the auction, but he crossed a line today by upsetting my fiancée during our engagement party.”

“Well I might bitch slap her because I hate her,” she said with a laugh. He placed his finger under her chin and tilted her face up to look at him. He leaned down and placed a sweet kiss on her lips. There was a knock on the door and Demetrius walked in, “Come on you two love birds. The guests are looking for you. My darling girl, are you ok?” He walked up to her and pulled her into a hug. “I'm fine now, all I needed was a hug from my future father in law,” she hugged him tight and they returned to the party.

Rashad led her onto the dance floor and held her close while they danced. She looked at Alexis who was staring at them with narrowed eyes. Genevieve flashed her a smile before pulling Rashad into a deep kiss. “I love you,” he whispered into her ear. She looked up at him, “I love you too.”

Demetrius walked up to the microphone and the crowd quieted down waiting for him to speak. “I want to thank you all for joining us to celebrate my son and future daughter-in-law's engagement. As a father, I can't express how proud I am to have you as a son, Rashad. You are driven, ambitious, dedicated and loyal. After we lost your mother, we only had each other. I did my best raising you on my own, and I can honestly say that I've done a damn good job,” he chuckled before continuing, “I love my family more than life itself, and I am so happy that in a two short weeks, it will expand to include this wonderful woman. Genevieve, I have never seen my son so happy as I have in the past two years. When he came home and told me that he met ‘the most amazing woman’, I knew that he had found his other half. I knew that because that's how I felt when I met his mother. Thank you for making him happy and for loving him. I wish you both a lifetime of happiness because you deserve nothing less.”

Rashad wiped the tears from his eyes before pulling his father into a hug. Genevieve had given up on wiping her face and her tears flowed freely. She joined the two men and wrapped her arms around both of them.

At the end of the evening, Rashad and Genevieve bid their guests farewell. Alexis and Sebastian approached them. Demetrius was the one to address them, “Thank you both for coming today.”

“Demetrius, it was wonderful to see you. It's really too bad, I know how much you would have loved for me to be your daughter-in-law,” Alexis said with a wicked smile.

Genevieve took a step forward, and Demetrius placed his hand on her shoulder as he spoke to Alexis, “My dear, you really need to move on. Rashad found the love of his life and quite frankly, I prefer her as my daughter-in-law.” He squeezed Genevieve's shoulder. Alexis’s jaw dropped, but no words came out.

“Good night, Alexis. I'm afraid your RSVP for the wedding has turned up missing,” Genevieve said with a smile, “don't let the door hit you where the good lord split you, darling.”

“Thank you for that,” Genevieve said to Demetrius. He smiled at her and kissed her cheek, “No need to thank me, it was the truth. Besides, I never did like her.” He laughed and wished them goodnight. “I love your dad,” she said to Rashad as she laced her fingers with his while they made their way back to their quarters.

When the door was closed, he pinned her up against the door and kissed her hard. She pulled the lapels of his jacket to deepen the kiss, her tongue gaining entrance into his mouth finding his. Their lips remained locked together. He lifted her leg around his waist and she could feel him harden against her. “I love you, Rashad.”

“Let me show you how much I love you, sweetheart,” He lifted her up by the backs of her thighs and carried her towards the bed. He set her down and unzipped her dress, allowing it to fall at her feet. Rashad let out a growl, and he quickly removed her bra and thong. She pushed his jacket off of his shoulders and made quick work of his shirt and the fastenings on his pants. He kicked off his pants and boxers and lowered her onto the bed. He kissed her neck and slowly trailed kisses down her body. He stopped at each breast and licked her nipples into hardened buds. “Mmmm, Rashad,” she moaned, running her fingers through his hair. He continued to move lower, settling between her legs, placing feather light kisses on her inner thighs. He slipped a finger into her wet center, and she let out a moan as he pumped his finger at a steady pace. He added a second finger and his tongue found her sensitive nub. “Oh God, Rashad!” His tongue continued to swirl around her clit and he felt her body tensing. She gripped his hair as he continued to lick and suck at her clit. Pleasure coursed through her body and got more and more intense until she came undone yelling, “Yes! Yes! Oh my God!”

After he felt her body relax, he made his way back on top of her. He lined his long hard length with her wet entrance and thrust into her slowly. He groaned at the feeling of her stretching around his hard cock. He thrust into her at an agonizingly slow pace, enjoying the feeling of her around him. “Gen, you feel so good,” he moaned. She wrapped her legs around his waist, making him go deeper, hitting that spot. She could feel another orgasm building and she moaned, “Rashad, I'm…ohhh!”

“Cum for me, Gen,” he said in a low tone, increasing his pace until she came apart again screaming his name. “Fuck, Gen!” He felt her walls pulsing around him and his movements became more erratic until he came, spilling himself inside her. He leaned down and captured her mouth in a passionate kiss before lying down next to her on the bed. He gathered her up in his arms, and she laid her head on his chest. “I love you. I can't wait to make you my wife.” She smiled at his words, “I love you too.” They both closed their eyes and fell asleep in each other's arms.

[ehkw1989]

A Desire and Decorum Christmas Carol

Pairings: Sinclaire x MC (Edith Wu)

Warnings: Angst, mentions of sexual assault, Duke Richards being a horrible creature

Words: 4404 words.

A/N: It’s only 16 days until Christmas!  I was watching the Muppet Christmas Carol and this popped into my mind.  Without further ado, I present a Desire and Decorum Christmas Carol.

“Grandmother, I beg you to reconsider.  Erne-, Mr. Sinclaire has proposed to me and I had accepted.  With Mr. Sinclaire as my husband, we will be able to ensure Edgewater’s survival despite Lady Henrietta’s meddling.”  Edith pleads with her grandmother as Dominique prepares for bed.

“Hush, my darling.  I fear that Mr. Sinclaire may not have the connections required to keep Edgewater out of Lady Henrietta’s hands.  You may grow to like, perhaps even love Duke Richard.  I too disliked your grandfather at first but we eventually grew a . . . fondness for one other.” The elderly woman replies.  Upon noticing her granddaughter’s tears trailing down when her cheeks.  “My darling, it is the only way to save Edgewater; surely you don’t want to see it fall into Henrietta and Edmund’s hands.  If there was another way, you know that I would not have asked this from you.”

“Edmund is not a horrible monster, Grandmother.  We only need to separate him and Henrietta.  He has grown to be a fine man under Father’s influence.”  The crestfallen young lady protested.  “Father would not have wanted me to marry out of love to save Edgewater.  He knew of my fondness for Mr. Sinclaire and considered him a suitable choice.  Please reconsider.”

“Enough!” As she noticed Edith flinching at her tone, she softens it as squeezes her granddaughter’s hand “I’m sorry, Edith but this is the only way to preserve Edgewater.  Please help me keep it in our family; surely you do not want to see it go to Lady Henrietta.”

“Very well, Grandmother.  If you believe that it is the best way, I will do as you ask.  But only a Christmas miracle can make me like Duke Richard.  Good night, Lady Grandmother.  I shall see you in the morning.”  Edith whispered dejectedly before leaving the bedroom.

“Cheer up, child.  Tomorrow will be Christmas!” Dominique calls out.  “It is the only way to save Edgewater.” Dominique reassured herself as she lies in bed, staring at the bottom of the tester.  “Edith will learn to be happy with Richard.”  She repeatedly mutters this statement as she thinks about her granddaughter’s fate.  “Perhaps I will go to her now and try to talk some more sense to her.” She reaches for the candlestick only to notice that it has gone out.

“Dominique . . . Dominique . . . my dearest one . . .” She hears an eerie whisper call her name.

“Rupert?  It . . . it cannot be!”  She drops the candlestick in fear, the hot wax forming a puddle on the floor as she recognizes the voice. “You’re dead!  This cannot be!”

“But it is.” He moans her name as he approaches her, his chains rattling as he comes closer.

“Why are you in chains?  Go away!  Go away!”  She began to reach for the bell to ring for the servants but only to see it being thrown to the wall.

“I am in chains to pay penance for what I have done.  Hell is real, Dominique and I am in hell atoning for my sins.”

“Everything that you did was for the good of Edgewater.  The good Lord knows that.  You cannot be in hell, Rupert, for I did the same thing you did.”  Dominique makes the sign of the cross as she edges closer to the door.  She is filled with despair as she hears the sound of the door being locked.  “Please let me go.”

“We separated Vincent from the love of his life; our granddaughter was raised in an environment ill befitting of someone of her statue.  And now you will give her away to my protégé.  A man I know to be a vile, despicable creature.”  Rupert shakes his chains in anger, filling the room with a terrible sound.

“Please stop that terrible noise!” Dominique shouts.  “Duke Richard can preserve Edgewater, Mr. Sinclaire cannot.  He has no connections that can stop Henrietta and Edmund from taking Edgewater from us.  We have worked so hard to ensure that Edgewater will live on and I will not be the one to lose it.”  She seethes as she thinks about the possibility of losing Edgewater.  “Do you think I want Edith to not marry for love?  I want her to be loved unlike how I was but I have no choice.”

“I have tried to warn you, let Vincent be my witness.” The flickering spirit gestured to her necklace that contains a lock her son’s hair.  “Dominique, listen to me closely.  This is your last chance to ensure your fate will not be the same as mine.  Three spirits will visit you tonight – the ghost of Christmas past, present and future.  I pray that you will heed my warning and listen to them closely.”  Rupert warns her as he fades away.

“Rupert!  Rupert! Come back; I need you to explain!” Dominique cries as her servant’s frantic voice comes through the door.

“Lady Dominique, is everything alright?  May I come in?”

“Yes, Alice.  Hurry!”

Alice jiggles the doorknob in an attempt to open it. “My lady, I cannot; the door is locked.  I will go and –” To Alice’s astonishment, Lady Dominique’s pale face has appeared behind the door, “My Lady, are you ill?  Shall I fetch more coverings?”

“No, Alice, do . . . do you see anyone in the room?” Dominique opens the door, allowing Alice a clear view of the bedroom.

Alice glances around the room as she steps in.  “No, my Lady.  We’re the other ones here.  Are you alright?”  When Dominique did not reply, she repeats her question.  “Lady Dominique, are you alright?”

“No, Alice, I am not alright.” As she glances at her maid’s worried face, “But, there is no need to fear.  I . . . I would like to rest now.”

“Of course, my Lady.” The young girl bows and walks towards the door.  Before she closes the door, she hesitatingly asks, “My Lady, please forgive my insolence but . . .  but I heard Lady Edith crying in her bedroom. Is everything alright?”

“Yes, all will be well.  You can go now, Alice.” Dominique smiles at her.  “Until tomorrow morning.”

“Good night, my Lady.”  Alice bows once more and closes the door behind her.

“It was but a nightmare.” Dominique reassures herself, “Nothing but a nightmare.” She whispered as she fades to sleep.

“Lady Dominique? Lady Dominique?”  Dominique hears an eerie voice whispers as she glances at the clock through half-lidded eyes.  “Alice, do go away.  It has only been two hours since I have slept.  I asked that I was to be woken at half past eight.” Dominique mumbled crossly.

“I am afraid I am not Alice, Lady Dominique.”  The old woman sits up quickly in bed and turns to see a pale face staring at her.  “Please wake up, we have so much to see and I’m afraid I don’t have much time.”

The old woman lets out a shriek as she recognizes the face. “It . . . it cannot be.”  She pulls the soft covers over her head only to feel them yanked away.

“But it is, my Lady. I am the Christmas past.” The familiar face of Mary Wu peers at her.  “We must leave now; the other two spirits will be coming soon.”

“Leave to where?” Her eyes widen with fear as she thinks of her passing.  “No, I cannot go; Edgewater and Edith still need me.”  Dominique clutches the bed covers tightly as if that will save her from her fate.

“Just to see the past, my Lady.  Your time is not at its end; you will live to see your actions through.” Mary whispered as she flickers in and out.  “Come with me, my Lady.”  She extends her hand to the old woman.

“No, I do not want to see the past!” Dominique shrieks as Mary pulls her out the window.  “Let me be!”  A bright flash of light engulfs the room as Dominique and Mary disappears.

As Dominique takes in the scene of a merry Christmas celebration, she can smell the scent of mulled wine in the air.  She can feel her heart growing with hope as she recognizes the familiar scent.  “Can it be, Mary?  Have you taken me home?”  She sobs with homesickness.

“Yes, Lady Dominique, we are in Cordonia.  Look at the Cordonian ruby apple!  Or have you forgotten what home is?”

“Never, Mary.  I . . . I just . . .” Dominique wipes tears from her eyes as she recognizes more details from the scene.  She sees a younger version of herself laughing with a handsome gentleman.  “That’s Alfred.  Oh, Alfred!” She laughs in happiness and rushes to embrace him only to feel nothing.

“Mary!  What is this?  Why can I not hug Alfred? I miss him so.”

“We’re ghosts, Dominique.” Mary reaches out to touch an apple only to see her hand disappear through it.  “Just like they are, we will all eventually be the ghost of a memory.” She smiles forlornly at the laughing couple; she moves to hold Dominique in place, “Look at them, you cannot ignore your past.”

“England was lovely but I missed you so, Alfred.” The young woman smiles demurely at her companion.

“I don’t believe that you missed me as much I did, my dearest.  I hope that you will never leave again.”

“I hope not, Father had hoped that I would learn to like England during these past six months.” She pauses as she notices her companion’s crestfallen expression.  “Fear not, Alfred, I had advised Father that I will never learn to like England and its gloomy weather!  Come on, Alfred, let’s leave the past miserable six months behind and dance!”  Alfred laughs at her enthusiasm as he twirls her into a Cordonia waltz.

“We need to move on, my Lady.” Mary tugs at Dominique’s elbow, “We still have much to see and not enough time.”

“No, please let me stay a moment longer.  I was so happy here; oh Alfred, how I missed you so.” The old woman covers her mouth as she lets out quiet sobs; trails of tears flowing down her wizened cheeks. A bright flash appeared as the two woman went on to a different memory.

“Where are we, Mary?”  Dominique glances around the room.  There was an oak desk in the room along with floor to ceiling bookcases.  An old man and a young woman were arguing with neither side giving up.  “Is that Papa?  No, no, no!  Please, I don’t want to see this!”

“Hush, you must listen to this!”

“No, I do not want to.” The old woman sobs.  “Please, Mary, I’ve seen enough.  Please have pity on an old woman.”

“Did you have pity on Edith and me when you separated my husband and me?” Mary stared stonily at her, unmoved by Dominique’s sorrows.  “My daughter deserved so much more than I could have given her.  And I loved Vincent so . . .”

“It was for the best.  Everything that I have done was for Edgewater.  I regret nothing.” She stares at Mary but her gaze was on her father and her younger self.

“Papa, please.  Alfred has connections too and I love him so.”  The young woman pleads with her father.

“No, Dominique; the matter has been decided.  Lord Rupert will be here in a fortnight and you will marry him.  You should be grateful for this marriage; Lord Rupert will make you a happy wife.”

“You mean he will make you a wealthy man.  Tonight is Christmas Eve, have you no mercy on your only family?  No pity?” She spat.

“Enough! Go to your room.  You will stay there until Lord Rupert arrives.”  The young woman slams the door shut as she runs out the door crying for Alfred.

“I hate you!  I hate England and I hate Lord Rupert!”

“Please, Mary; please have pity on me.  I don’t want to see anymore.”

“Very well, we will go.”  Mary takes Dominique’s hand as they move on to the next memory.  As Dominique takes into the sight of the furniture and walls, “Mary, I thought we were done.”

“No, Dominique, watch.  Watch as you sell my daughter to keep a house and some land.  Watch as you give her to someone who doesn't love her.”  Mary turns the old woman gently towards the scene.

“Duke Richard, thank you for agreeing to meet with me.”  Lady Dominique hides her grimace as the vile man kisses her hand.

“The pleasure is all mine, my Lady.”  He smirks at her.  “Shall we adjourn to the parlour?  Tea has been laid out for us.”

“That won’t be necessary.  I have to come to speak with you about my granddaughter’s daughter.  I . . . I have come to offer you Lady Edith’s hand in marriage.”

“Lady Edith has made her mind quite clear.” He scoffs.  “And she is most certainly not a Lady.”

“But she is still the heiress of Edgewater.  Your marriage will unite Karlington and Edgewater together; can you imagine that?”  As the Duke hesitates in response, she quickly injects, “I will make sure Edith will arrive at the altar.  Can you imagine my beautiful granddaughter and you joining in holy matrimony?”

A lecherous grin breaks open on his face.  “I can.  You know, Lady Dominique.  I am surprised that you are willing to go this far for Edgewater considering how you originally felt about this place.”

“Edgewater is my home and I will do everything that I can to protect it.”

“You remind me of your father.  He understood what it took to preserve the family name.”

“Enough, Mary!  I’ve heard enough; I don’t want to listen anymore.  Please let me go.”  The old woman covers her ears and closed her eyes in an attempt to block the memory.

“Very well, Dominique.  I believe that we have seen enough, we will go this time.  But be warned, the two other ghosts will not be as kind as me.”  In another flash of bright light, they returned to her bedroom in Edgewater.

“Thank the good Lord that I’m back.” She pulls the cover over herself.  “But Mary said that there will be two other ghosts.  Perhaps . . . perhaps it was all a dream.”

“I’m afraid, Mother, that this isn’t a dream.” An icy voice echoes in her bedroom.

“Vincent?  Is that you?  It cannot be.  Are you the ghost of Christmas Present” She whispered at the emerging shadow.  “Please, Vincent, don’t . . . don’t come closer.”

“Why not, Mother?  It is I, your beloved son.  And you are correct, I am the second spirit that has come to visit you tonight.” She flinches as she feels an icy hand on her shoulder.

“Why have you come to torment me so?”  She looks up to see his ghostly face.  “Everything that I have done was to make sure that you would be happy in life.”

“Do not speak to me about my happiness.  You separated my true love from me and you are now separating my beloved daughter and her true love.  You know that I approve of Ernest.  Why did you sell my daughter to that vile creature?”  The ghost hissed in anger.  “You can still change my beloved daughter’s fate.  Come with me, Mother.  See for yourself who you have given my daughter to.”  With a wave of Vincent’s hands, they appeared in the streets where Lady Edith is running away from Duke Richards.

“I will never be yours!  Stay away from me!  Help!”  Lady Edith rages as Duke Richard chases her.

“Look around, Lady Edith!  We are alone! I have the upper hand.  Do what I say or else I’ll tell everyone you’ve already give in to my charms.  Your reputation will be ruined.” He smirks at her.  “And who will people believe? The Duke of Karlington, or the bastard of some wanton singer?”

Dominique gasps at Duke Richard’s threat and the callousness of his description of Mary; she turns to her son to see him clenching his fists tightly. “Take a good look, Mother.  See what monster you have sold my daughter to.  You have sold your one and only granddaughter to a despicable creature.”

“There are ways to get rid of him after they have married.” Dominique whispered.  “I didn’t want it to come to this.  But to save Edgewater, Edith must marry him.”

“Ernest and Edith can preserve Edgewater but I can see that you have already made up your mind.  I can only hope what comes next will change your mind.”  As Vincent states this, the scene has changed to Edith’s bedroom.  There is a brightly lit fire casting merry shadows in the room but the mood is sombre as Briar tries to comfort Edith.

“Oh, Edith.  Fear not, there is always hope.  Remember what your mother always sang to us as children?”  Briar holds her best friend close.

“She . . .” Edith sobs as she remembers.  “Mama always sang O Come All Ye Faithful or The Twelve Days of Christmas.  Do you remember, Briar?”

“Of course!  On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me . . . a golden watch and a promise!”  The girls dissolve into giggles as they think of their true loves.

“Do you believe in miracles, Briar?”

“You have to, Edith!  I know you will marry Mr. Sinclaire and live happily ever after.” Briar pauses thoughtfully.  “And have many children . . . and Edgewater will be safe with the two of you protecting it.”

“I hope so, Briar.  I don’t know if I can survive without Ernest.  I don’t believe I can; look what they did to Mama.  She died pining for Father.” She looks at Briar mournfully.  “Sometimes I wish I wasn’t the heiress of Edgewater!  I would be free then.  Free to love, free to marry . . .”

“But you would have never meet Mr. Sinclaire.”  The maid protests.

“I would have found him, some way or another.  Look at my parents.” She smiles fondly.  “I don’t need all of this.” She gestures at the opulent room.  “I only need Ernest.”

“Edith is wrong. She needs Duke Richards to ensure Edgewater’s survival.” Dominique argued.

“You’re wrong, Mother.  Edith will fade away and you will be alone.  Edgewater will not survive if Edith marries the Duke.” Vincent retorted.  “My time here is done, Mother.  Let us return to the present.  I can only hope that the next spirit can convince you that you are wrong.”  Before Dominique can tell Vincent that she loves him, she is back in her bedroom, alone as before.

“Vincent, my dear son.  I love you so.” She whispered into the empty room as she lies back into her bed.  “It is the only way to save Edgewater.” She tries to reassure herself as the statement echoes in the room.  A cold air begins to fill the room as the candlelight flickers once more.  “Spirit?  Is that you?”  Her hand trembles in fear as she reaches for the candle.  “Spirit?”  The apparition did not reply as it gestured towards her.  “No more, spirit.  Take pity on an old woman and spare me the future.” The spirit grabbed Dominique’s arm and whisked her to the future where a dimly lit fire was lit in a cold bedroom.  Briar was trying to sooth Edith as the young heiress coughs blood into a handkerchief.

“Edith, please rest.  Edgewater will still be here in the morning.”  The maid pleads with the sick woman.

“I cannot, Briar.” She whispered as tried to get out of bed, only to sit back as racking coughs shook her body.  “Edgewater needs me; look at this manor.” She gestured towards the peeling wallpaper and damaged furniture.  “Father would be so disappointed in me.”

“Surely Mr. Sinclaire can help; he has done so many times before. What about Prince Hamid?”

“No, the new Mrs. Sinclaire will not allow him to do so and Ernest’s help only makes it worse.  My husband only gets viler as the whispers grow louder.  And dear Hamid is so far way.”  She takes Briar’s hand.  “Help me get up, Briar.” She weakly instructed.

“The doctor said you need to rest.  My lady, it can wait.”

“I don’t think I have the time to wait.” There was another cough as the white cloth turns to red. “Please, Briar; I don’t have much longer.  I must make sure Edgewater doesn’t fade like I do.”

“What do you mean she does not have the time? Spirit, please what happens to my dear Edith?”  Dominique pleads as the scene changes.  “No, please I need to know, my poor girl.”  The old woman weeps uncontrollably as she looks at her surroundings.  There were tombstones everywhere as far as she can see.  Even in the pouring rain, she can make out Mr. Sinclaire and Duke Richards arguing by a grave inscribed: Here lies Edith Richards, beloved wife.  “No, my darling Edith cannot be dead.  It’s too soon!”

“I hope you’re happy, Duke Richards.” Mr. Sinclaire hissed.  “Lady Edith is dead and Edgewater belongs to Lady Henrietta!”

“It cannot be!  Edgewater was supposed to be safe in Edith and Duke Richards’ hands.  What happened?”  Dominique moans.

“My wife died; I had debts.  Lady Henrietta gave me an offer I could not refuse.” The Duke smirks at him.  “You lose again, Sinclaire.  Not only could you not protect Edith but you had to lose Edgewater as well.  I never understood what Vincent saw in you.”

“Everything that you are not.” He retorts.  “Did you kill Edith?  Or was it Henrietta’s idea?”

“The doctor said she died of natural causes.”  Duke Richards replied as he sauntered off to his carriage.  “It matters not, Sinclaire.  Edith did her duty; there is an heir for Karlington.  A legitimate heir.”

Ernest made a move to give chase to Tristan but hesitates as he remembers where he is.  “My love, I will try to get Edgewater back from Lady Henrietta.  I will try to give Edgewater back its true master.”  He vowed.  “For you.” He pressed a kiss on the tombstone as he walks to his horse.

“Spirit, please tell me that this is not the future.  Do I still have a chance to fix this?  I can tell Bishop Monroe it was all a terrible mistake.  I can still save my darling Edith.  Oh, my poor girl.  What have I done to you?” Dominique collapses on the ground, sobbing into her wrinkled hands.  “Take me back, spirit, I beg of you.”  She felt an icy hand touch her shoulder and she was in her bedroom once more.

The dawn has just broken, filling the room with a gentle light.  Dominique grimaces as she remembers the visions she had last night.  “My darling Edith,” She touches Vincent’s lock of hair as she promised.  “I will not let you marry that vile creature.”

A knock interrupts her train of thoughts.  “My lady, it is half past eight.  Shall I bring breakfast up to you?”

“Alice, it’s alright.  Do you know if my granddaughter is awake?”

“Lady Edith . . . Lady Edith has been awake since six.  Shall I bring her to you?”

“No, Alice, I will not need that.  In fact, why don’t you go home for the day?  Everyone should be with their family on Christmas day.”  The old woman smiles at her young maid who is gaping at her.  “Do close your mouth, Alice. “ Lady Dominique presses a half-a-crown into Alice’s hands.  “I’m giving you a few days off to see your family.  Don’t you want to see them?”

“Of course, I do.” Alice smiles.  “Thank you, my Lady!” She curtsies as she begins to run off.

“Alice, wait!  Go and ask Mr. Woods to prepare a carriage for you.  Ask the cook for a goose as well.  I need you to do something for me before you go home.”  The old woman whispered something into the maid’s ears.

“All of Edgewater will be so glad to hear this.  God Bless you, my Lady!”  She shouts as scampers off in her delight.  Dominique smiles at her young maid’s excitement as she knocks on her granddaughter’s door.  There was a great deal of shuffling movement as Edith says, “Just a moment, please.”  There was a sound of a lid slamming shut.  “Please come in.”

“Good morning, Edith.  Happy Christmas, my darling!” Dominique smiles as Briar opens the door and bows to her.  “Good morning, Briar.  I thought you had left to go see your family last night.”

“Good morning, Lady Dominique.  Lady Edith requested my presence for today; I will be returning home shortly.”

“Whatever for, my darling?”  Dominique asked with a twinkle in her eyes.  “Whatever could be so important that my granddaughter would keep her best friend from her family on Christmas day?”

“Nothing . . . nothing, just homesickness.  I thought I could spend Christmas Eve with family.”  Edith replies with a slight edge in her voice as she attempts to block something from Dominique’s view.  “Shall we head down to breakfast, Grandmother?”

“I just wanted to let you know that a very special guest will be joining us for Christmas breakfast along with Bishop Monroe.  Briar, please ensure to dress Edith in a white dress and put the tiara on her.”

“But I thought that I still had some time before I had to marry . . .”

“My dear girl, the sooner you marry the sooner Edgewater will be safe.  I’m so sorry, my darling but you will need to marry today.”

“Please, Grandmother, please, I can’t . . .” Edith sobs softly, “I beg of you.”  The elderly woman raised her hand to stop the protests.

“My darling girl, Mr. Sinclaire is on his way here.”  She smiles at her granddaughter’s confused face.  “I’ve asked Alice to pass a message to him. With any luck, you will be Mrs. Sinclaire before noon today!”

“Do you mean it, Grandmother?”  The two women embrace one another as Briar tries to contain her excitement for her best friend.

“I do.  Will you forgive a foolish old woman?”

“There’s nothing to forgive.  You’re my only family left.”

“Not if you marry today, my darling!”  Dominique kisses her on the forehead with great affection.  “I will leave you two.”  She pauses before closing the door.  “If you hurry, you may be able to unpack everything.” She winked as the two girls blushed at being caught.  “And for goodness’ sake, pull up the rope from the window and close it.  You might catch a cold before marrying Mr. Sinclaire!”

Tag List:

@darley1101; @boneandfur; @everythingchoices; @drakewalkerwhipped; @walkerismychoice; @hellospunkiebrewster, @angstymarshmallow, @mrswalkerwritesagain @pbchoicesobsessed@choicesfanficlibrary@choiceswreckedme; @parkerattano, @simplyaiden-blog, @snyggflicka, @drakewalkerfantasy, @drakelover78, @theroyalweisme, @confessionsofabrokegirl

[europeanguy]

Gotta Gogh [Part 1: Tour-guiding for Dummies]

Pairing: Nadia x Maxwell

Genre: Fluff (?)

Words: 1,684

Tags: Canon Divergence, Crossovers, Curse words probably, The Riot Club!AU sort of

- an accompanying fic for this drawing

There were two people looking at the Cordonian Ruby — Nadia assumed they were a couple by the way that they stood a little too close together and the magnetic energy that seemed to spark between them. Like she couldn’t have pulled them apart if she tried.

Two girls. Well, women. One was tall, tan, and toned to the gods. She probably modeled, or played sports professionally. The other one was shorter, medium blonde hair done in a side-braid, pretty enough to be an actress. Neither was Nadia’s type of course. She looked at them the way she looked at Picasso’s paintings — she likes what she sees. It was a nice sight.

The tall one snakes an arm around the blonde’s waist as they walk away and once again, Nadia was alone. Like something in this museum would come alive any second now. Nadia swore that one time that the portrait of the late Queen Kenna Rys blinked at her, but that was probably the result of caffeine withdrawals.

 “Welcome home,” – the letter said. Nadia could never forget the feeling when she received her acceptance letter — it was like getting accepted to Hogwarts — if Hogwarts had exchange programs that would only last for one semester. 

The University of Cordonia had a thriving student population of 5,000 (they were very selective) — composed of the country’s finest minds or filthy rich. You could be either or both. They offered an amazing Fine Arts program, given the country’s own rich history and deep love for the arts. Not to mention the white sand beaches, castles, princes she could bring home and make Kai so jealous with — but the truth is, it’s been two weeks and Nadia had been nothing but lonely. She hasn’t so much as dipped one toe into the ocean, visited a castle, nor met a prince (this one was unrealistic, even Nadia would admit so). So far her only friend would be Otis — the museum custodian — who happens to be sixty-eight and hard of hearing.

 The next day Nadia is greeted by a boatload (literally a boatload – well, cruise ship) of tourists. She was advised by the financial aid admin through a phone call to be prepared with extra research this time as to not repeat the Cordonian Ruby incident.

“Look, I know you try your best, but please be more careful this time,” Nadia could hear the anxiety radiating off of Helena’s voice. “I was advised that the Pierce moneybags would be present today.”

“...moneybags?”

“Yes! They’re looking to invest in the museum.”

Nadia looks around the empty entrance hall from her chair. If there was a speck of dust anywhere she wouldn’t be able to spot it (care of Otis). The rooms were individually temperature-controlled. They even had wifi.

“Do we even need it?”

Helena heaves a sigh so loud that Nadia could almost feel her exasperation herself. “Yes, Nadia, we need it! It can give us access to public collections, long-term maintenance,”

Nadia’s mouth forms into a small “o”.

“And think about Otis, he can retire right now and be at home, not worrying about anything because the museum WILL generously pay for his retirement plus pension!”

“I think Otis wants to live here until he dies.” Nadia whispers.

“Bottomline is, Nadia, you have to know what you’re talking about this time.”

“Yes, I know you’re referring to the Cordonian Ruby incident-“

“Don’t call it that.”

“Anyway, the incident — well, it’s not gonna happen again. Don’t worry.” In hindsight, Nadia’s first lesson should have been The Significance of Apples in Cordonian Culture 101. It would explain so much.

“Right. I trust you,” Helena says. “They’ll be arriving at around eleven in the morning.”

 The tourists arrive right on the clock, they had a tour guide of their own (a giant 6’5 guy who looked like he could bench press three of her, plus Otis) but apparently the boss-man Bartholomew Pierce wanted someone who was more familiar with Cordonian art scene. Nadia was hardly a local, but she had been studying nothing but the country’s art everyday since she got here – she lived and breathed it. Well, for two weeks anyway.

Chaz – the tour guide – hands Nadia a blue flag with “EOS” on it. “You can take it from here,”

The crowd was pretty small, more or less forty people, she wouldn’t need a flag. It’s not like the museum had other people aside from the group. “EOS?” Nadia gingerly takes the goofy flag.

“Ember of the Sea.”

“Shouldn’t it be EOTS?”

Chaz snorts. “No that sounds stupid, now go.”

 Nadia takes her place in front of the group, holding the blue flag above her head. “Hi everyone, I’m Nadia, on behalf of the University of Cordonia, I’d like to welcome you all to the museum,” She takes a deep breath before continuing. God, public-speaking never gets easier. “Firstly, I ask that you do not touch anything, and please do not deviate from the group-“

 The tour goes surprisingly well. Nadia studied up on the Cordonian Ruby (the country’s Mona Lisa – in terms of notoriety). Oil on canvas, commissioned by King Fabian – a direct ancestor of the current royal family, painted by an anonymous artist in 1816. The artist was rumored to be a mixed English noblewoman who became a lover of the young King, resulting into her painting the Cordonian Ruby, a gift to symbolize her love. However, she died of heartbreak since the late King loved his Lythikos Moscato and other mistresses more than her.

 Nadia leads the group to the portraits section – or as she secretly calls it stuffy-rich-people-paintings – and with this she gets to relax a bit. She tells them a few facts, lands one or two (Helena-approved, non-offensive) jokes, and lets the group disperse across the room to let them look at the art without her spewing random information about how Luther Nevrakis from The Crown and The Flame is actually based off of a real Luther Nevrakis who wasn’t a super-villain. Well, an obvious super-villain.

 “Nadia?” A pre-teen girl approaches her, followed by a… twin? Except the second one wore glasses and a slightly embarrassed look on her face. “Who do you think is hotter?”

“We’re trying to settle an argument.” Glasses explained. They gesture to a family portrait of stoic looking parents – the mother’s expression a little warmer than the father’s – and two starkly different brothers. One with black hair and fierce gaze, and a younger one with brown hair and the tiniest smile on his face.

“I’m not sure I’m comfortable talking about boys your age…” Nadia laughs awkwardly.

“Well, they’re dead so it doesn’t matter… right?” The first twin looks at Glasses. She simply shrugs.

“I don’t care I don’t even like boys.” Glasses pushes up her specs on the bridge of her nose as-a-matter-of-factly. “But now that she said it, it is really weird to ask her that.”

Nadia checks the information plate beneath the family portrait. Beaumont, 2004. “Well, this was seven years ago, so I don’t think they’re dead.”

A small, and sudden racket at the other end of the room captures Nadia’s and the twins’ attention. A group of boys (students, probably) were speed-walking through the room, laughing in a way that disturbed the peaceful vibe – and Nadia realizes that they were walking towards the one place that only Otis is allowed in. He explicitly told her to never go there or let anyone in. It was a tall and narrow arch-way that leads to a grand curving staircase, but that was only as far as Nadia saw. She wasn’t the type to break rules anyway. 

The first guy jumps over the velvet rope, followed by a second guy who merely steps over it. Before the last one could lift his feet, Nadia’s onto their heels.

“Sir, you can’t go through there!”

The first one is long gone, already shooting up the staircase like a man child on a sugar-rush. The other two turn around looking like they just became aware of her presence – along with the other tourists. The middle one looks snooty – expensive coat, slicked back hair. He doesn’t acknowledge Nadia, instead he turns to his friend. “Handle this.” With one last judging look at Nadia, Slick turns around to follow the first one up the staircase. “Leo, wait up!”

“Um-!” Nadia could feel the heat rising up her cheeks. Oh, she would follow them up the stairs, damn Otis’ rules, she would like to give these entitled boys a piece of her mind-

Someone clears their throat. Nadia looks up at him, the only guy left, – he was tall and broad-shouldered, brown wind-blown hair, and an amused expression in his eyes. He doesn’t say anything, instead he lifts his gaze from Nadia to a painting on her right. Nadia turns to where he’s looking and it registers on her. Same brown hair as the kid, same smile, only this time he was alone in the portrait and older. The plate said 2010. One year ago, and the man on the portrait was standing right next to her.

Shit.

A small part of Nadia still wanted to climb up the stairs and kick them out the window, but a bigger, smarter, part of her knew that if this guy was important enough to have his portrait hung in the same room as a prince – let alone the fact that he even had a portrait, in this case two – she had better start apologizing.

“I… am so, SO, sorry.” I’ve been here two weeks please don’t have me kicked out of Cordonia or assassinated I’m still young I still have dreams-

“Hey,” he flashes her an embarrassed smile and Nadia’s cheeks heat up. “It’s fine, honestly.”

“Max!!” Someone calls from upstairs. Probably Slick.

“Sorry, I gotta go.” He looks apologetic as he turns around to walk away, but not without looking at Nadia over his shoulder.

 “Whoa, he is hot,” Glasses and her twin suddenly appear beside her. “Okay, Jess, you win I guess.” Glasses shrugs, but Jess’s jaw is still dropped.

“That was… the Beaumont guy…” she says, looking at his solo portrait.

And sure enough, when Nadia reads the plate under his painting, it says Maxwell Percival Beaumont (2010), oil on canvas.

to be continued

FUN FACTS that you don’t have to read but the story will make more sense if you do lol and honestly I just really like fun facts pls read... please?

Title:

- I literally chose “Gotta Gogh” on a whim

Canon divergence:

- This takes place in 2011. Maxwell is 21 (1990) and Nadia is 19 (1992).

- This is inspired by that one scene in the riot club. There WILL be a version of the riot club in later parts, but it will be small since its mostly about Nads and Max.

Names:

- Otis means “keen of hearing”

- Helena the financial aid administrator is just a Cordonian parody of Helen Twombly. Points for creativity lmao honestly i just imagined helen twombly but it wouldnt make sense for her to be in cordonia

The Cordonian Ruby:

- The anonymous artist is the D&D MC and her death is based on the actual wife of the Prince Regent (George IV), Princess Caroline who “died of a heartbreak” - a cold hard fact. Jk, no, but she was in a toxic marriage and it was just a Bad Situation. George IV had several mistresses, fathered illegitimate children, and apparently was a Party Boy and he was an immensely unpopular ruler. This is all based off of my art history professor telling us Georgian Era gossip instead of sticking to the syllabus.

- The mystery of what the Cordonian Ruby Incident will never be solved. That is, until I actually know what happened during the “incident” HAHAHA

Progress:

- I wasn’t gonna post this originally, I just wrote it on my phone during a 3-hour trip (I got inspired by my own drawing LMAO) and I kept updating it during the week every night before I slept and suddenly it just blossomed into something that I kept thinking about so now it’s a fic!

- I will be posting more art and updates on max and nadia’s story in the near future lol I already know how it ends so dw I’ll come thru and finish this! (probably around 4-5 parts)