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kristinamae093 · 2 months

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Ghosted

Ghosted - Altering Visions (Chapter Eleven)

Series Summary - Prince Liam fell for Riley Brooks hard and fast. A marriage filled with love and devotion was within his reach. But everything changed when she vanished just before the end of the social season. As everyone voices their concerns regarding her scandalous departure, a confession from an unlikely source turns Liam's world upside down and makes him question everything around him.

Book/Pairing - TRR - Liam x f!MC (Riley Brooks)

A/N 1 - This AU starts right before the beginning of the engagement tour. There is a two-month lapse between the coronation and where we pick up, but we will stray from canon. Please excuse any errors found.

A/N 2 - It's been a while 🥲. Here's hoping it doesn't take me another six months to post the next chapter 😬🫡.

PSA it's a long one. Whoops, lol.

Characters belong to Pixelberry.

Liam fluttered his eyes open a short time later and squinted them against the harsh, blinding light blocking his view. When he took a deep breath, a distinct, stale aroma invaded his senses; it sparked some kind of recognition even before he could fully view his surroundings. He slowly sat up with a groan and blinked until his vision centered. He glanced around and noticed the outdated wood panels, along with the oval shape of the sconces. There was only one estate in all of Cordonia with those outdated features, and he noted that fact immediately.

Panic flourished through his body as Liam realized he awoke in Applewood.

He frantically stood with labored breaths and patted his abdomen, almost to ensure he was real. He pinched his thigh and winced, afterward placing a trembling hand on the wall to steady himself. His mind raced as he tried to comprehend what transpired and how he’d gotten there to begin with.

The events of the night suddenly invaded his thoughts. The image of a lifeless Penelope in Landon’s arms engraved and forever etched itself into his memory; he felt guilty, enraged, defeated, and a slew of other emotions.

Penelope was the big break they’d hunted high and low for. She held vital information Liam desperately needed, but seemingly would take her secrets to the grave with her. He couldn’t understand any of it — nothing made sense. The list of unanswered questions swirling around was enough to make him nauseous. A carousel of sorrow and confusion he couldn’t seem to slow down — no matter how hard he tried.

Amid his tilt-a-whirl moment, an angelic voice rang out not far away, drawing him back to the present. “Who are you? What are you doing here?”

Liam’s thundering heart suddenly stopped as recognition swept over him. He’d been so entrapped in his thoughts, he hadn't even noticed what portion of the estate he was in.

Only a few inches away was a door he remembered all too well — Riley’s. His eyes welled with tears as his vision centered on the structure, but as much as Liam wanted to rush to her, he physically couldn’t. The receptors in his brain went crazy — a jolt of electricity shot to his legs, demanding he move, but his feet weighed hundreds of pounds. Dazed and confused, he could only gawk at the blockade separating them.

“Lady Riley, we have much to discuss — have a seat,” another individual answered. Liam knew it was a male but couldn’t place his identity; although it sounded familiar, as if he could remember it from a vague, distant memory.

“Tell me who you are and what the hell you’re doing here!” Liam’s blood ran cold at Riley’s tone; the fear and adrenaline were prominent in her shaky voice. His breaths quickened and his instincts screamed to rush to her, but again, his feet refused to cooperate.

“That wasn’t a request — I told you to have a seat.” Again, Liam swore he could recall that voice, but couldn’t fully register it. He thought about it for a split second until the sounds of a loud screech and a shatter echoed behind the door.

“Don’t touch me!” Riley hollered, instantly breaking Liam’s trance. He lunged for the doorknob, but when he twisted his wrist, it snapped and turned to dust in his palm. The disintegrated fragments floated to the floor in slow motion, his heart following suit.

“You’re so beautiful when you squirm.” Liam gasped as he fully recognized that person — it was Tariq. “But if you don’t fucking stand still–”

“Riley! RILEY!” Liam forcefully pounded on the structure. “Open this door! Open it, goddamnit!” He bellowed, but the commotion inside continued, escalating by the second. The next instant, he sprinted down the hall, frantically hunting for somebody — anybody — to get him inside that room. “I need some help!” He hauled over to the other side and yelled once more, but faced only cold, deserted silence.

His vision darted all around the area before he spotted a window at the end of the seemingly never-ending hallway. Liam sprinted to it and gazed at the scene below. Outside, he could see the country jamboree still in full swing. He scoured the crowd and spotted everyone except Riley; Drake, Hana, Madeleine, and upon further inspection, he saw himself at the head table beside his father. He stumbled backward with a strangled breath, truly dumbfounded by what was going on.

As Liam recovered, he re-approached the window and banged on it. “Hey! Hey!” He wailed, but nobody below batted an eye. His hits came harder and harder, but the glass never even cracked; his hand took the damage, although he felt no pain.

The only thing he heard was Riley’s pleas for help, the sounds making his desperation grow by the second. He rushed back to the door and ran full force at it, using his shoulder as a battering ram; it wouldn’t budge. He repeated the process — again and again — but never even split the wood. Liam let out a primal wail and fisted his hair, taking deep breaths to preserve any semblance of sanity. His pulse thundered in his ears and tears stung the corners of his eyes, while he frantically determined what to do.

He took a step back and realized there was a shadow cast over the doorway. It appeared to be a man, standing with his arms crossed. He wasn’t sure if it was there before, but Liam waved his hand and nothing changed the stony silhouette. The fixture remained cemented in place, not flinching or moving a muscle, regardless of the commotion developing beyond.

“LIAM!” Riley suddenly screamed, ripping him from his trance. He was up against the structure in an instant, using every ounce of strength he had to force his way through, but his attempts were futile. Riley repeatedly called for him and every time, a dagger went straight through Liam’s already hollowed-out chest.

He couldn’t control his overflowing tears at hearing her cry out for him. No matter what he did, he couldn’t get inside; they wouldn’t acknowledge him, nobody came to help, and there was nothing he could do except sit and listen. With a loud sob, he slid down the door and sat in front of it, hoping at some point it would open and he could get to her.

Riley’s whimpers continued throughout the vicinity, but Liam’s skin turned ice cold as he heard laughter inside; not Riley’s, and certainly not cheerful. The vile sound caused all the color to drain from his face. He leaned his head against the door and completely broke down, letting the devastation and defeat wash over him.

“I — I’m sorry Riley…” He swallowed thickly, but soon let out an anguished cry. “I’m so sorry…”

The room went eerily quiet for a long while; Liam couldn’t hear much except the sound of his heart shattering, but eventually, the voices began once more. With a shuddered breath, he held his ear up to listen.

“When will I receive payment?” Tariq questioned.

“You don’t need to worry about that. Where you’re going, you won’t need it.”

“W–what do you mean?! I did what I was called to do!” Tariq’s panic was clear to Liam, even without seeing his face. His pulse somehow thundered faster, carefully processing every word.

“There is too much at stake — more than your simple mind could ever understand. For this to work, you need to disappear. You’re a weak, pathetic excuse of a man — we can not risk this entire operation being ousted because of a lousy nuisance.”

“I swear to it — you have my allegiance and my silence.” Tariq pleaded. “I will disappear, and—”

“You’re going to, alright — the both of you.”

What little color remaining in Liam’s complexion drained, and the shakiness in his hands amplified. After a split-second of complete and utter stillness, the phrase resonated and ignited a deadly determination within.

Liam sprung up and kicked the door with all his might. “LET ME IN!” He repeated the process, but again, the barrier showed no signs of weakening. He threw his fists at the structure in a mad frenzy — anything to get inside and get to Riley, then deal with this — man.

“Liam! Liam! LIAM!” Leo yelled. He repetitively jabbed the button next to Liam's head to summon the nurse, as his brother flailed in his hospital bed.

Liam was being monitored for dehydration, severe exhaustion, and a touch of malnutrition. Doctors said he had a panic attack, which combined with everything else, made him lose consciousness. All his labs came back normal, thankfully; Leo was worried someone could have slipped Liam something, but the hospital was quick to put that suspicion to rest.

Since Liam arrived, he had been resting comfortably, but that changed about twenty minutes ago; it started with small groans and subtle movements, but soon turned into blood-curdling cries and forceful thrashes. Leo hoped he would wake himself, but Liam was getting drastically worse with every passing second.

Liam suddenly flew forward with a loud gasp. His tearful eyes darted all around the room while he grabbed at his gown-covered body. As the world centered, a tidal wave of frustration and confusion washed over him.

When Liam stopped and stared down at his clasped hands, Leo cautiously re-approached the bed. “Liam?” When he didn’t answer, Leo spoke a little louder. “... Li?”

“I was there.” Liam weakly croaked, his vision locked on his lap.

Leo’s brows furrowed. “Where?”

“I heard it.”

“Heard what?”

“Riley…” Liam whispered, followed by a shuddered breath.

“What about her?”

“I was there… th–that night… just n–now—” Liam stammered, struggling to make sense of the situation. “I couldn’t get in…”

Leo’s heart instantly shattered at seeing the devastation in Liam’s features. “They gave you some medication, Li.” He reasoned. “It’s possible that—”

“I KNOW WHAT I HEARD!” Liam bellowed. The nurse appeared next to him and attempted to speak, but he shouted, “GET OUT!”

Leo lifted his hands in surrender. “I believe you, Liam… Tell me what happened.”

“She yelled for me…” Liam faintly answered, refusing to make eye contact. “She yelled and screamed and — I couldn’t get inside, Leo... I tried, but — I — I… I couldn’t save her…”

Leo took a deep breath to gather his thoughts and responded in a calm, reassuring voice. “Liam, it’s been a long couple of days and I know this has been incredibly rough on you–”

“STOP PATRONIZING ME! I KNOW WHAT I HEARD!”

Leo remained reluctant to entertain this idea. He knew Liam was dreaming, but at that moment, he was completely irrational. Leo had never seen him in such a way, even when his mother died. Given the past couple of weeks, the events of that night, and the medication, there was no rationalizing with him — Liam was spiraling, and bad. But perhaps if he entertained the notion — for now — Liam would eventually calm down.

Leo carefully spoke. “What did you hear?”

Liam stayed silent for a long moment before he turned his head to meet eyes with Leo. The look on Liam’s face slightly took him aback; the determination in his features was deadly — his sunken, puffy eyes were nearly black.

Liam let out a long, sharp huff of air and sternly explained, “There were two male voices. I can say with confidence one was Tariq, but as far as the other, I — I don’t know…” He shook his head with furrowed brows as he racked every recollection in his brain. He could almost visualize the man in question, but his face appeared blurred and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t clear the fog.

“Alright, well, let’s just take a minute to—”

“They were fucking laughing, Leo. They assaulted her and laughed about it.” Liam growled, his chest rising and falling with every sullen breath. “I want Tariq found, now. He’s going to pay for ever laying a fucking finger on her. I swear to God, Leo — I will put an end to his sorry existence with my bare hands.” He clenched his palms, squeezing hard enough to turn his knuckles white.

Leo once again held his hands up in surrender and replied in a soft voice. “I believe you. Just — take a couple of deep breaths and try to relax—”

“What if she didn’t leave Cordonia?” Liam suddenly blurted out. “What if she’s…” He trailed off, swallowing thickly. No part of him wanted to finish that statement in any fashion; the unending possibilities gave him instant nausea. “That man… he said, ‘where you’re going you won’t need it’, and then h–he said both of you... BOTH OF YOU, Leo!” He ran his palms over his head from front to back, repeating the process with a crazed look in his eye.

Leo opened his mouth to speak, but Liam swiftly continued. “It would make sense… Tariq has been untraceable… But–but Riley…. She — Bastien told me she went back to New York. But that person… I know I heard him say it… Where you’re going you won’t need it, where you’re going you won’t need it—” He repeated to himself, his voice diminishing with every anguished syllable. He clutched his hands into fists and forcefully yanked at his hair, rocking himself back and forth.

“Li,” Leo cautiously started. When Liam whipped his head to look at him, Leo was once more temporarily shocked by the fury and turmoil staring back at him; he realized Liam was hastily elevating himself to a dangerous level. “We can’t jump to conclusions… Okay? Let’s just take a deep breath and try to calm down—”

“Don’t tell me to calm down, Leo! I KNOW WHAT I HEARD!” Liam shouted as he ripped the IV from his arm, the pain not even phasing him. He ditched the rest of his connections shortly after and dashed out of bed. “Where are my CLOTHES?”

“I’m not saying you didn’t,” Leo reasoned as he followed his brother’s movements. “All I’m suggesting is that we take a step back and really think about this—”

“I’m tired of taking a step back! Look where that’s gotten us!” Liam seethed. “There is so much goddamn blood on my hands! I let her get hurt! I am responsible for all of this madness—”

“Stop that — right now,” Leo sternly returned. “You know that is not true even in the slightest.”

“Say it to MY FACE then, Leo!” Liam barked as he invaded his brother’s personal space. “LIE to my fucking face!”

“It’s not a lie, Liam,” Leo stood a little taller. “You are not responsible–” He stopped as Liam rolled his eyes and looked away. This time, it was Leo who stepped up to Liam. “No — look at me,” He bore his eyes into his brother, forcing him to see the truth in his gaze. “You are not responsible for any of this, Liam. We’re going to figure this out, I promise.”

Liam studied the conviction staring back at him and his frustration soared. He spun away and grabbed the bedside table, sending it flying with a primal roar.

Leo flinched as the wood shattered against the wall, but knew he had to calm Liam down. However, the person he was trying to reason with was not the version of Liam he was used to; this was a side Leo didn’t know lay dormant in his normally calm and stoic baby brother.

“Liam,” Leo softly started. “This is an incredibly shitty situation, and I’m so sorry that you’re being put through this. I love you, and I’m always here for you no matter what.” He confidently stated, but after a moment of silence, hesitantly added, “But I just don’t think a dream is—”

“I don’t give a damn what you say, Leo! Someone is going to pay for this!” Liam growled, his face reddening with every deep, labored breath. He directed his attention back to his earlier quest for his clothes; he didn’t know where he was going or who he was looking for, but someone was going to feel the wrath of the King of Cordonia — tonight.

Olivia didn’t even bother to knock before she and Ray joined the room. The pair opted to stay behind and investigate in Portavira a little further — that is until a random guard threw them out. Without Liam or Leo there to ensure their access, they were told to vacate the premises shortly after Liam left for the hospital. Regardless, they had enough time to prove at least one pivotal thing about that ordeal, and possibly solve quite a few others — if Liam believed them.

They walked in and stopped short at Liam’s crazed expression. “What’s going on?” Olivia sought.

“I’m leaving,” Liam bit out through clenched teeth.

“Hold on, we need to talk about something—”

“Move out of my way!”

Olivia arched her brow. “We need transparency, Liam. Tell me what is going on — calmly.”

“I was there, Olivia! I heard it! They fucking attacked her!” Liam bellowed as he found his garments and rifled through the bag.

Olivia placed a gentle hand on his shoulder to stop his mad dash. “Liam, please — I need a full explanation. I’m not stopping you or downplaying anything, but we need to know what the hell you’re talking about.”

Liam met her eyesight and saw the genuine interest in her gaze. He could tell Leo thought he was baffling, but he wasn’t. He couldn’t fathom the experience, but knew that was no dream; with every fiber of his being, Liam believed what he heard was reality. The universe mercilessly gifted him a blocked front-row seat — it was a curse, yet oddly a blessing. They spent all this time wondering what happened that night, but now he had a soundtrack to re-play. He wasn’t willing to rest until he deciphered this code, to ensure justice would be swift to all who deserved it.

He explained in great detail his occurrence and exactly what happened. When he finished, he stared blankly at the floor, cradling his head in his trembling hands; he knew how wild it sounded but didn’t particularly care. It felt so real — so raw. Just thinking about the vile chortles raised goosebumps on his arms, and Riley’s screams now played on an insistent loop in his mind — torment that would never stop. Even if good trumped evil and Riley was located safely in the end, those sounds would be a continuous source of torture until he took his final breath.

Olivia listened intently to everything he recalled. At the surface, she knew how preposterous it sounded — it was a dream, regardless of how strongly Liam felt otherwise. Her heart ached for her friend at that moment; clearly, everything that happened was taking a major toll on her childhood friend.

But — given the bombshell she and Ray sat upon, Olivia couldn’t help but wonder if there could be some truth to Liam’s encounter.

Olivia sat forward and patted Liam’s leg with the gentlest of touches. When she spoke, it was calm and reassuring. “I’m not sure what to say, Liam. I realize you want to believe it to be true, but you and I both know it’s nothing concrete…” Liam opened his mouth to respond, but Olivia held her hand up to stop him, as she saw the fire burning behind his narrowed eyes. “Let me finish… I know tonight has been hard on you for a lot of reasons, but I believe Ray and I have found a very promising lead…”

Liam’s ears visibly rose as his interest grew. “What do you mean?”

“Sir, I know it’s not what you initially hired me for, but there are a lot of things that do not add up in this current situation...” Ray started. “Between some of Lady Penelope’s behaviors, her father’s statements, and this—” He produced his phone from his pocket and handed it to Liam. “I find it very hard to believe she took her own life.”

Liam glanced at the device in his hands and realized he was looking at a photo of Penelope’s last statements. He read through it and found nothing of relevance; no mention of Riley, her involvement in the scandal, the maid, nothing. It was incredibly vague, considering it was her concluding words to the world.

“Why are you showing me this?” Liam demanded as confusion and annoyance rushed through him.

Olivia produced a document from her pocket. After questioning the legitimacy of the note left in Riley’s room, she wanted to have it near in case the situation arose. “You remember my blackmail letter — the one I got the night of your coronation?” She handed him the paper.

Liam held both items and scanned back and forth; he gasped when he realized they were nearly identical. “But, this — this means—”

“Someone took her out, Liam.” Olivia finished.

“I’m not positive if someone would have done it for her, or if she felt pressured into doing it. Either way, since she was saying goodbyes to her family, that leads me to believe Penelope knew she was in danger and foresaw her demise.” Ray added.

“This is impossible!” Liam shook his head, his rage returning full force. “How does this keep happening?!”

Olivia and Ray shared a look; the two calculated a theory, and it seemed the more that unfolded, the greater that assumption solidified itself. There wasn’t a lot of evidence to point fingers, but Olivia realized they couldn’t wait any longer; if they were correct, this situation just escalated tenfold. Liam already teetered an incredibly dangerous ledge, but perhaps that’s what the circumstances called for. Plus, after his — experience, she knew he would believe them.

Olivia softly started. “I need you to stay as calm as possible — at least until I’m finished and we know for certain who we’re directing this hostility at.” Liam nodded with furrowed brows, but Leo shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I don’t know what to say about your — encounter, but — there is reason for us to believe Riley could be in Cordonia.”

“WHAT?!” Liam practically choked as all the color drained from his face. Even though he was there and truly believed what he heard, someone else saying it out loud momentarily knocked the wind out of him.

“I checked all outgoing flights from the night of the jamboree and she wasn’t on any of them,” Ray explained. “Every log received a thorough examination, even those with different destinations — she has yet to board a plane to exit the country, to this day. I’ve looked at other modes of transportation and she is the same as Tariq — there is nothing.”

“But…” Leo hesitantly started after a moment of tense silence. “If that’s the case, then where is she?”

Olivia sighed and her eyes softened. “We’re — not entirely sure at this point… Somewhere in Cordonia, but…”

“Believe me when I say I am checking everywhere.” Ray confidently inserted. “Every crack, every crevice — any place I can think of. If she truly is in the country, I will locate her.”

“Okay, but — why haven’t we found her?” Leo returned. The uneasiness in his stomach suddenly bolted to the back of his throat, securing itself and taking root. As he took in Ray’s uncertainty, the lump multiplied in size.

“I — I don’t have an answer for that right now,” Ray calmly returned. “But I’m working around the clock and using every resource I have to uncover her location. I know those sound like empty promises, but I assure you — I will not rest until Lady Riley is located safely.” He emphasized.

Liam’s heart pounded so fast, he was sure it would give out at any moment. “I — She — B–but —” He stammered, trying his hardest to comprehend the conversation. “Bastien told me—”

“I think Bastien is involved.” Olivia abruptly cut him off. “When we found Riley’s stuff, I swear to you, Liam, I saw the fucking guilt in his eyes. Plus, he’s got his hands in everything at court. I’m not saying he’s as powerful as you, but he can twist and manipulate things like no other because of his position.”

Olivia continued. “To be honest with you, I don’t think any of us really believe Penelope killed that maid. During the social season, I saw her cry over a fucking crab bite — you can’t tell me she murdered someone in cold blood. Also, I’m thinking, based on his actions tonight, Bastien knew Penelope was already dead — I’m nearly certain of it.”

“Not to mention, he kept this information to himself until we were ready to question her,” Ray added. “I know for certain those reports take only a few days — most likely less if it’s a priority case. I haven’t seen the photos from your first crime scene, but I can tell it was a setup from Olivia’s descriptions. As the head guard, it would’ve been easy for him to manipulate the situation.”

“Are you sure, though?” Leo interjected. “I mean, I’ve dealt with Bastien a lot over the years, and I can say he is not a genius. Maybe the opposite — butter knives are sharper than he is.”

“He’s capable, though — that’s what troubles me. I think most of the time he gives off the impression he’s useless, but he’s highly trained in a sum of areas.” Olivia explained. “I sincerely doubt he’s the mastermind behind everything, but I’m confident he’s the reason we keep being set back. Who’s always around? Who’s the one directing these ‘investigations’? It’s him.“

“I — damn…” Leo ran a hand through his hair with wide eyes. “You’re not wrong, and it does kind of make sense…”

Everyone suddenly recognized Liam remained mute as they spoke. His face showed no emotions; he only stared at Olivia as if she wasn’t even there with an unreadable expression. Liam was a world away as various open ends snapped themselves into place. The murky waters of uncertainty clarified, and the bottom of the cesspool became sharper with every jumbled thought dashing through his mind.

All security decisions went through Bastien, including unauthorized entry into an estate. Bastien was the one investigating the maid’s death, and he was accountable for the search for Riley and Tariq — until Ray came along. Bastien didn’t want to let Ray into Penelope’s room because he knew what was in there, and realized Ray would see right through it; past the stuff even Olivia would have missed. He could outsmart her, but knew he couldn’t Ray, which ultimately meant Bastien knew of Ray’s true purpose. He continuously told Liam he was working to provide answers, but suddenly, he believed Bastien’s intentions to be the exact opposite.

This whole time, a mole sat right under his nose, continuously feeding them the vaguest of answers. Every time they took a step forward, it was never because of Bastien, but someone always ensured they took two back. He didn’t understand how whoever held the cards seemed to be a move ahead, but now — it made sense.

Liam thought back to all these instances and realized he didn’t remember seeing Bastien. The night of the country jamboree, a different person escorted him to his room at the end of the night. He never questioned it because it wasn’t unheard of for guards to switch out positions, but now he wondered where Bastien truly was.

The night of the Apple Banquet, he recalled seeing him at the start of it, but not again until Bastien barged in to inform him of the discovery. Now, he couldn’t help but speculate Bastien took the maid’s life himself, or at least staged the scene to frame Penelope.

Tonight, before Bastien came to Liam and gave him the news of their suspect, he was nowhere to be found; until Olivia, Ray, and Leo left to interrogate Penelope.

When Bastien told Liam their person of interest was Penelope, he was in a state of disbelief. Liam questioned him, but Bastien stood his ground. However, now he believed with everything in him, Bastien knew she was already dead and intended to manipulate the circumstances further.

Since he opened his eyes to the truth, he often felt as if he mindlessly ran in a circle, desperately trying to piece small portions of a scattered puzzle together. Now he realized he was — and Bastien directed the never-ending laps, all while dangling tiny slivers of hope in front of Liam’s face — taunting him.

Ultimately, Liam concluded without a shadow of uncertainty — Bastien knew what happened to Riley, and likely held knowledge regarding her location.

Liam suddenly shot up from the edge of his hospital bed. “BASTIEN!” He bellowed at an ear-piercing volume, loud enough to rattle the windows.

Leo winced. “H–he’s not here, Li.”

“What the fuck do you mean, he’s not here?!”

“There’s some other guy outside!”

“He was still lingering around Penelope’s room when Ray and I left.” Olivia chimed in.

“That’s it — I’m going to find him,” Liam growled through clenched jaws.

“Liam, wait—”

“NO MORE WAITING, OLIVIA! Do you see what is happening?! All the blood that’s being shed?! This has to stop!”

“I know and I agree. But we need some kind of strategy–”

“No — this ends now.” Liam bit out. He hastily made his way to the bathroom with his bag of clothes, slamming the door shut behind him.

Olivia had half a mind to stop Liam until they had some kind of plan, but also felt time was of the essence. If they couldn’t prove Riley left the country, their urgency had to intensify. Her location remained unknown, but they believed she was at least in New York. When Ray first mentioned the possibility that she never left the country, Olivia didn’t want to believe it; after Penelope’s untimely demise, she realized this was a vicious, bloody pattern, and the suspicion needed to be taken seriously.

As the body count rose, Olivia’s concerns steadily increased. If history repeated itself, everyone involved would meet a deadly fate, but they didn’t have a detailed log of all entangled in this web. They had no clue where Riley’s name lay on the list of potential victims, and now they held very little information regarding her whereabouts. An involuntary shudder traveled down Olivia’s spine as the air in the room shifted, filling with an amplified haze of grim uncertainty felt heavily by everyone.

Olivia wholeheartedly believed Riley was alive, but for how much longer she couldn’t determine. The lingering feelings of uneasiness in her gut told her they were correct — she never left Cordonia — and if that was the case, her safety was more in question now than ever before.

Within the hour, Liam left the hospital and was on his way back to the main estate in Portavira. Although doctors wished to keep him longer, he left AMA — he didn’t need fluids; he didn’t need rest; he needed Riley. If Bastien knew something, he was going to tell them, even if he had to use brute force.

A part of him didn’t want to believe it, but the more he pondered, the more sense it made. A small portion of his heart wanted to give Bastien the benefit of the doubt, but that was no longer an option. The betrayal Liam felt was like no other and quickly created a raging storm inside of him, simply waiting to be unleashed.

Hearing Riley could still be in Cordonia, combined with his out-of-body experience, the need to locate her was higher than ever. Of course, he wondered where she ended up when he believed she went back to the States, but now even that was up in the air. The one thing holding Liam above water was knowing she was far away from the carnage, but that was no longer a valid crutch. The waves of despair rose dangerously high, threatening to overtake and drag him under in one fell swoop.

Liam tried his hardest to push the instantaneous bad thoughts away, but could feel it in his bones — Riley was in danger. From the beginning, he’d always thought something felt off, but he let his pride stand in the way of seeing the truth. Now it was impossible to ignore, as it tore away at his conscience. Guilty wasn’t even a suitable word to describe how he felt, knowing his negligence let this monstrosity escalate as it had. He turned his back on Riley when she needed him most; she screamed for him, yet he tried his damnedest to leave her in the past for so long.

However, he used all his willpower to remain in the moment and stay afloat; the only thing he cared about was Riley. Even if they found her and she wanted nothing to do with him, he simply needed to see with his own two eyes that she was safe. He didn’t want to think about why she could still be in Cordonia, but the growing ache in his chest told him it wasn’t a good reason.

The SUV pulled up to the front entrance of the estate, and Liam didn’t even wait for it to come to a complete stop. He rushed out and barged in through the front doors with fire under his feet. The halls remained eerily quiet as the nobility slept, but he was sure word traveled about not only his hospital stay but Penelope’s tragic passing. Leo, Olivia, and Ray all trailed behind as he ran at top speed.

Liam dashed up the stairs and rounded the corner, but abruptly stopped once Penelope’s room came into view. The door had yellow caution tape covering the opening, and Liam heard Bastien’s voice inside; the sound reigniting the rage burning deep within. He went to make a bee-line for the door, but a timid hand on his forearm ceased his movements.

“Y–Your Majesty,” Emmaline got out through hiccups. She retracted her hand with wide eyes and shakily bowed as he faced her. Liam’s features momentarily softened as he took in her running mascara and puffy eyes. “P–Please, Sir… I beg you to reconsider… Please — s–she wouldn’t d–do this…”

Liam’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“We were told they’ve ruled Penelope’s d–death… They w–were picking everything up but n–nobody would listen to us! That wasn’t her handwriting. She–she wouldn’t do this… None of it… She was happy — she wouldn’t—” Emmaline shook her head as more tears fell.

Liam placed a gentle hand on Emmaline’s shoulder and firmly responded, “I apologize for what you were told, but that is not the case — it will become a homicide investigation as soon as I can get someone else assigned. I promise you — I am going to figure out what happened and ensure she receives the justice she deserves.”

Emmaline swallowed a sob. “W–where did they take her body? They wouldn’t tell us. T–they came in and ripped my baby out of my arms and I don’t know where she is and—”

“Wait, who took her?”

“Your head guard said h–he had the authority to — remove her.” Emmaline squeezed her eyes closed as her tears fell harder, trying her hardest to wake herself from this nightmare.

Liam used every ounce of resolve he had not to march straight up to Bastien and securely wrap a hand around his throat. “Emmaline, I assure you — I will find her and bring her home. You have my word — I am going to figure this out.” He reiterated, but the fury coursing through his veins was at an all-time high. The amount Bastien thought he could get away with made Liam sick to his stomach, but he was determined to put a stop to it.

His answers were suffusive for Emmaline, so she bowed and made her leave. After taking a microscopic moment to gain some clarity, Liam addressed Ray. “Since I am removing Bastien, I need you to take over. And I want you to backtrack and look into Rhonda’s homicide as well. I’m not sure if you’ll be able to find anything, but I want you to double-check. I’ll ensure you have access to everything you need, and I’ll inform everyone you are now in charge here. The crown will compensate you generously for your additional time and effort.”

“Yes, sir,” Ray returned with a confident smile.

“Leo, I need you to figure out where he’s sending Penelope. I’m going to ask him, but in case he won’t tell me, I need her found before anyone messes with or blatantly destroys her body — there is no doubt in my mind that’s where she’s headed. Grab Maxwell and have him help you — I want her returned at once.”

“You got it.” Leo nodded before he swiftly vacated the area.

“I’m going to need some guards with me to do this,” Liam spoke, more so to himself than anyone else.

“Guards?” Olivia repeated.

“Yes. I won’t risk something happening to him — we will immediately detain Bastien. If he did nothing wrong, I’ll release and reinstate him, but until then, I am officially removing him from his position as head guard.” Liam answered, but regardless of what he said out loud, both of them knew Bastien was guilty; they just weren’t sure of the extent.

Olivia smirked. “Welcome to the game, King Liam. Would you like for me to assist with questioning?”

“I have a different job for you first. I need you to sneak into the security office and search through everything. If he’s working to cover up crimes or anything of that nature, he’s got to have something on him — I’m sure of it.”

“Knowing that cockeyed baboon, I’d say that’s a safe assumption.” Olivia snickered. “But I don’t know if I like the idea of you interrogating him by yourself...” She cast him an unsure glance.

“I don’t plan on it, Liv. I just need to find Drake.”

Almost as if on cue, Drake emerged from Penelope’s doorway, carefully dodging the caution tape. He glanced around and as his eyesight landed on Liam, he furrowed his brows and approached. “What’re you doing here, Li? Are you alright?”

“We have something to take care of.” Liam quickly and quietly laid out the current plan, as well as a vague description of their accusations.

“Fuck, man… I gotta admit — I had no clue why Liv and that guy had to leave, but I got to stick around.” Drake shook his head, trying to comprehend this blindsiding revelation.

“If I had to take a guess, I’d say he wanted someone Liam trusted around but needed to ensure the person was completely and utterly clueless,” Olivia inserted with a crooked grin.

Drake scoffed. “First of all, fuck you. Second, you might actually be right, but — you’re still a flaming bitch.”

“Stop trying to flatter me, Walker,” Olivia retorted, afterward focusing on Liam. “Are we doing this?”

Liam let out a deep huff of air. “Yeah, we are. Let’s do this.” He responded with the utmost resolution. He squared his shoulders, craned his neck from side to side, and strode into the room with Drake close behind. Olivia took off in the other direction to do her part in Liam’s plan, moving with brisk precision to reach her destination.

As he entered, Liam got the attention of a few guards and motioned for them to follow. Bastien examined underneath Penelope’s bed, completely oblivious to the added presence in the room. He cleared his throat to gather Bastien’s attention, and Liam noticed his shoulders tense as he identified who stood before him.

Bastien slowly rose with uncertainty painted on his features. “Your Majesty? What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be receiving treatment?”

Liam chortled as he stalked toward Bastien. He kept a smile plastered in place and shook his head, muttering to himself. When he made it directly in front of him, Liam lowered his voice to a low, gravely rumble; the fake grin he wore instantly replaced by a menacing scowl. “... I bet you’d like that — wouldn’t you?”

Bastien visibly and audibly swallowed. “I don’t know what you’re insinuating, sir, but I—”

“Of course not.” Liam dismissively agreed. He took a couple of steps back and shrugged. “Regardless, you’re coming with us.”

Panic flashed in Bastien’s eyes; it was brief, but Liam caught it. “With all due respect, I’m not quite finished investigating Lady Penelope’s suic—”

“That is not what this is, and you damn well know it!” Liam abruptly shouted. A tense silence hung for only a moment until he cleared his throat and flatly added, “This is a homicide, and you are no longer a part of it.” He met eyes with one guard who got the silent order loud and clear, the other following suit. They rushed Bastien and captured his arms behind his back, securely holding him in place.

“What is the meaning of this?!” Bastien hollered as he attempted to evade their grip.

“You’re being taken into custody.”

“Whatever for?!” Bastien demanded.

Drake stood in Bastien’s line of sight, mirroring Liam’s irate features. He held his gaze for a long, heated moment before snapping, “You’d better hope and pray we’re wrong, Bastien.”

“What the hell are you talking about, Drake?!” Bastien yelled, squirming against the grasp of those holding him.

Neither answered the question but merely glared at him; the sheer betrayal and outrage they felt radiated off of them, eliciting a shiver to run down Bastien’s spine. He calmly reasoned, “Sir, I don’t know what this is about, but we can have a rational conversation without all of this nonsense.” He motioned to the guards holding him.

“No, I don’t think we can, because you see —” Liam stalked toward Bastien, staring into his eyes so intently that he could almost see the wall behind him. As he made it into his comfort zone, Liam lowered his voice and rasped, “They’re only here to get rid of your body if I have to.” He smirked at Bastien’s wide eyes, as well as his complexion paling instantaneously.

Liam held Bastien’s gaze but addressed the guards. “Take him down to the cells. I’ll be right behind you.”

As they dragged Bastien away, he hollered and stirred up a fuss. Liam ignored his pleas, instead trying to prepare himself for what lay ahead. He wanted clarity, but a part of him dreaded Bastien’s confession; it would be another stark reminder of what his negligence caused. The guilt tearing away at his insides was at an unfathomable level, but he had to push that aside to focus on the task at hand.

He tried to keep his composure, but the gloves were off; there was no more control. Bastien knew something and regardless of what he had to do, Liam was hell bent on making him talk. Innocent lives taken and families destroyed, along with Riley’s heinous attack — all of which rested heavily on his conscience. He was determined to serve a steaming hot platter of justice to all he deemed deserving, regardless of what it took.

The next step in making that happen was getting a pig to squeal.

As he stood next to Drake, the facade of a composed monarch slipped onto the floor. He didn’t have enough strength left to keep it together. He embraced his emotions and vowed to follow their direction, but the only thing remaining was pure, unfiltered rage.

Gone was the timid, people-pleasing prince with his mother’s baby-blue eyes. Instead, a carnal lion with dark, dilated pupils awakened, centered on the dangling piece of meat in his face — Bastien.

#the royal romance #choices the royal romance #king liam #trr au #liam rys #trr #choices trr #choices #ghosted #cfwc fics of the week #choices fanfiction #choices fanfic #choices fic writers creations #prince liam #drake walker #olivia nevrakis #leo rys #mature

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ao719 · 7 months

Text

Vancross

Vancross - Reaching In The Darkness (Chapter 18)

Most of the characters belong to Pixelberry.

Summary: A group of friends embark on their final year at Vancross Institute with the hopes of making it their best year yet. When a new face with a complicated family plagued by secrets and rumors arrives on campus, new friendships are formed, a new relationship blossoms, and threatening challenges arise.

Title inspiration: Somewhere There’s A Light On - Ross Copperman

Main Pairing: Liam x F!OC

A/N: Multiple crossover series. There will be random sprinkles of canon throughout this story, but for the most part, it’s pretty much out the window. Thank you to @burnsoslow for prereading! Please excuse any errors.

Rating: M • Warnings: This series will contain nsfw material, language, some alcohol and drug use, and is not suitable for minors. If you read, you acknowledge you are 18+

Catch up here

Sitting on the Cordonian royal family’s private jet, bound for New York, Croía stared out the window at the passing clouds. Between the attack at Camp Eirene, her night with Liam in the safe house, Trystan showing up, Vancross canceling exams to focus on the investigation, and her invitation to spend their now extended break in Cordonia paired with the impromptu stopover they were making on the way, the last 24 hours had been a bit of a whirlwind, to say the least.

Croía slowly shifted her gaze from the picturesque view outside her window to her brother. Trystan sat on the opposite end of the jet’s cabin with Liam’s parents and their head guard; the four of them spoke in hushed voices too quiet for her or anyone else to hear, and they all wore earnest expressions.

“You ok?”

The voice along with the gentle squeeze of his hand that was curled around hers pulled Croía’s attention; she glanced over, offering Liam a smile. “Yeah,” she replied with a nod. He lifted their intertwined hands to his lips, kissing the back of hers. “What do you think they’re talking about?” she asked, gesturing toward the other side of the cabin.

Liam glanced over to where his parents were speaking to her brother and Jackson. “Not sure,” he shrugged. “Why?”

“I don’t know,” Croía answered as she nestled closer to him. “They just look … really serious.”

Liam lifted his arm, allowing her to settle in the crook of it as he wrapped it around her. “They’re probably just going over what they know about the investigation,” he suggested before kissing the top of her head.

“Probably …” Croía couldn’t shake the feeling that it was something more.

Trystan had been acting oddly since Croía and Liam were informed they were all going to New York. Not only did he seem more serious than usual, but when she was packing her bag at the lodge, she grabbed her phone, suggesting that maybe she should let their parents know about exams being canceled and the plan for her to spend the break in Cordonia. She was unsure if they were expecting her home, not that she thought they actually were; it was more because she wanted to see if they even cared about what happened since they hadn’t even bothered to call. Trystan, however, grabbed her phone from her and told her not to. He said to let Jonas handle speaking to them, that he’d already instructed her guard that he was to stay with her during her break and to not tell her parents — if they called at all — where she really was. When she looked at him questioningly, he said it would just be easier, that she could enjoy her break without worrying about anything, especially their mother.

Croía had also caught Trystan a few times, like now, in what appeared to be deep conversations with Constantine and Eleanor. They were clearly conversations that she and Liam weren’t meant to be privy to, but her brother being involved made her feel like there was something else going on.

“Are you excited about going to New York?” Liam asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

“Yeah,” Croía smiled. “I can’t wait to see Mags, and to see Trystan’s place, and maybe even meet his girlfriend,” she chuckled. She tilted her head up to look at him. “What about you?”

“Yeah,” Liam nodded. “I was actually supposed to come for the long weekend before exams to visit Drake and Max, but we all got busy and never finalized the plans.”

“Did you tell them you were coming?”

“No, but I’m pretty sure they know,” Liam replied as he gestured across the cabin to Jackson. “He told me he called to let them know what happened, so I’m sure he’s been in touch with them since with updates.”

****

After the long flight, Liam and Croía entered the junior suite on the 19th floor of the Plaza Hotel; Constantine, Eleanor, and Leo were staying in the Grand Penthouse suite above them.

While Liam took their bags to the bedroom, Croía went to the window, looking out at the snow-covered city streets and the view of Central Park in the distance. It had been six years since she had last been there, and she didn’t remember much from that trip other than her visit with Trystan when he’d snuck over to see her after Marguerite lured their father out. She hadn’t been allowed to leave the hotel, so the only bit of New York she saw was on the drive to and from the airport.

When Liam wrapped his arms around her, she leaned back against his chest. “What do you think?”

“It’s beautiful,” Croía smiled.

Seeing her fight back a yawn, Liam leaned down, nuzzling her neck. “Tired?”

Croía smiled sheepishly; it was only a little after four in the afternoon there, but her mind and body hadn’t begun to adjust to the time difference. “Flying backward in time has thrown me off,” she chuckled.

“You can lay down if you want,” Liam said.

“I’ll never sleep tonight if I do that.”

“Well, I’m assuming we’re going to do something with my parents and Leo for dinner, but …” Liam began peppering her neck with soft kisses. “We have some time to kill before then …”

Croía bit her lip through a smile at the suggestion in both his words and tone, and her stomach swirled with butterflies as flashes from the night before filled her thoughts. She tilted her head toward his, and he brushed a hand across her cheek, guiding her mouth to his. She turned in his arms, and he tightened his hold around her as he deepened the kiss. Her hands slid up his chest to cup his neck as he carefully started to walk backward, guiding her toward the king-size bed that was nestled behind the partition wall. Once at the bedroom, he pressed her body against the frame of the wall as his hands began to gently wander; she closed her eyes, sliding her hand into his hair and tilting her head back to allow him better access as his lips trailed down her neck, feeling that familiar aching need for more start to unfurl inside her.

Suddenly, they both froze when a knock came on the door of the suite. Liam slowly lifted his head from her neck, brushing his nose against her cheek as his lips sought hers again, willing whoever was at the door to go away. Just as he kissed her again, another knock came, and he pulled back with a sigh. “Hold that thought.”

Liam walked to the door and opened it, seeing Jackson standing on the other side. “Your Highness,” he bowed.

“Hey,” Liam smiled as he moved aside to let him in. “Everything ok?”

“Yes,” Jackson nodded as he stepped inside; he smiled at Croía before looking back at Liam. “Your parents are just going to relax here for the evening and plan to just order room service for dinner. Your mother wanted me to let you know because she thought perhaps you’d like to go over and see Drake and Maxwell.”

“They know we’re here, I take it?” Liam asked, despite already knowing the answer.

“They do,” Jackson nodded. “I messaged Drake when we landed. If you’d like to go over, I can take you. Leo said he’d tag along if you decided to go.”

Liam glanced at Croía with an apologetic yet questioning smile; she returned her own with a nod, knowing he wanted to see them. “Sounds good,” Liam said, looking back at Jackson.

“Alright,” Jackson nodded. “Grab your coats.”

Jackson shot a message to Leo while Croía and Liam slipped on their jackets. A few moments later, they exited their suite and headed for the elevator; when the doors slid open, Leo was waiting inside.

As the elevator began its descent to the lobby, Liam glanced over at Jackson. “Does Drake know we’re coming?”

“Since he knows you’re here, I’m sure he was already expecting you to make your way there eventually once you were settled,” Jackson replied. “He and Max don’t have to work tonight, so they’ll be home.”

When the elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open, the four of them stepped out and made their way across the lobby. They exited the hotel and Jackson gestured toward the waiting SUV; as the three royals slid inside, they didn’t see the imperceptible nod the guard gave to the town car parked behind them as he made his way to the driver’s side.

When the SUV pulled away from the curb and into the heavy city traffic, the back door of the parked town car flung open, and a pair of booted heels hit the pavement. A woman stood and made her way inside the hotel. Once in the lobby, she spotted a suited man waiting near the elevator, just where she was told he’d be; she approached with a tentative smile. “I take it you’re Jonas?”

“Yes, ma’am,” the guard nodded. “If you’ll follow me,” he gestured to the elevator.

Once inside the car, she watched the guard hit the button to the penthouse. As they ascended to the top floor, she glanced over at the man. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Good things I hope?” Jonas smiled.

“Of course,” she nodded. “I know he wouldn’t trust just anyone with what he’s asked of you.”

“I can say the same for you and what he’s asking now,” Jonas replied, referring to the reason she had come there. The woman offered a subtle smile just as the elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open. “Follow me.”

They stepped out of the elevator into a small entryway and headed for the only door; the man knocked twice, paused, and knocked once more. A moment later, the door opened and he dipped his head in a bow before stepping aside.

Trystan smiled. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”

The woman rolled her eyes with a good-natured grin as Trystan approached; he leaned down and kissed her cheek. When he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into an embrace, she could feel how tense he was, but as he buried his face in her neck, the tension slowly melted away. “You ok?”

“I am now,” Trystan whispered.

When he drew back, she looked up at him. “You really think they might be right?”

Trystan nodded somberly. “I had my suspicions already, but hearing their own among the other things they had to say … I think they’re onto something.” He smiled ruefully at her. “Thanks for being willing to help me on this.”

“Don’t thank me yet. I don’t know how much help I’ll really be.”

“Come on,” Trystan said as he took her hand. “They’re inside … they can tell you everything they know.”

When Trystan rounded the corner into the living area of the suite, Constantine and Eleanor rose from their places on the sofa. He smiled at the woman beside him. “This is King Constantine and Queen Eleanor of Cordonia. Your Majesties, this is my girlfriend, Detective Cameron Rose.”

The monarchs stepped forward and extended their hands to the woman. “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Rose,” Constantine greeted her.

“Please, just Cameron is fine,” she smiled. “And it’s nice to meet you as well, though I wish it was under better circumstances.” She glanced over, spotting Jonas and another suited man standing next to him.

Eleanor saw her wary expression. “That’s one of our guards, Anthony,” she explained.

“I saw the other one on his way out with your boys and Croía,” Cameron said. “Trystan told me you wanted to wait until they were gone for me to come up.”

“Yes,” Constantine nodded. “Eleanor and I don’t want Liam knowing anything just yet …”

“And I don’t want Croía to know anything until we have proof,” Trystan added.

Cameron glanced at him with a sympathetic smile. “Hopefully I’ll finally get to meet her,” she said, trying to lighten his mood if only momentarily.

“You will,” Trystan smiled as he kissed her forehead. “Promise.”

Cameron sat on the loveseat Trystan gestured to as he sat next to her; Constantine and Eleanor lowered themselves back down onto the larger sofa. “Thank you for agreeing to try and help us,” Eleanor smiled.

“I’ll see what I can do,” Cameron said, “but I don’t want to make any promises.”

“Trystan said you’re one of the best at what you do,” Constantine added.

“He’s definitely biased,” Cameron quipped.

“Nonsense,” Trystan grinned.

“So,” Cameron began. “Trystan told me you think your son was the target of the attack that happened during this ski trip …”

“We do,” Eleanor nodded morosely. “Based on what we know so far …”

Eleanor glanced over at Anthony, and he stepped forward as Cameron looked at him expectantly. “The chopper … when it first appeared, the way it was edging up and down along the slopes, it was almost as if they were searching for something … or someone. Based on the shell casings found in that area, the shots they fired there seemed to be random, probably to scatter the students. The guards that had assembled and started after the chopper said they noticed that when they came across the area of the flat trails where Prince Liam and Princess Croía were … its focus seemed to set solely on them. And those shots … they weren’t random.” He shook his head. “Jonas and I had to take Interpol agents back to where we found them this morning. That area where the chopper had been hovering, across from the treeline where they were hiding … it was littered with casings, and they found multiple bullet fragments in the trunk of one tree in particular and more in the snow around it.”

Sensing him tense beside her at hearing the details again, Cameron mindlessly slipped her hand into Trystan’s as she glanced back at the Cordonian monarchs. “And you have reason to believe that Drakovia … that Queen Viktoria is behind the attack?”

Constantine slid a folder across the coffee table that sat between them. “We do …”

****

After the 30-minute drive through city traffic, Liam, Croía, Leo, and Jackson exited the stairwell inside Drake and Maxwell’s apartment building; they walked down the hall to their door, and Liam lifted his hand and knocked.

A moment later, the door opened, and Maxwell beamed. “Liam!” He wrapped his arms around him in a bear hug. “You’re alive!”

“We knew he was alive, Beaumont,” Drake chided as he came up behind him.

Liam chuckled as he ruffled Maxwell’s hair before stepping inside. He met Drake’s gaze, able to see both worry and relief fill his best friend’s expression; he stared at him as though he was assessing whether he was really ok. A moment later, Drake let out a breath as he shook his head and stepped forward, pulling him into a crushing embrace.

Drake broke the silence. “When my dad called …”

Liam clapped his back, dropping his voice so only Drake could hear. “I’m ok.”

“I was going to fly out,” Drake said quietly.

“No need,” Liam replied as he took a step back; he looked over as Croía stepped up next to him. “You remember Croía.”

“Of course,” Drake nodded with a smile before hugging her. “How are you holding up?” he asked as he stepped back.

“I’m ok,” Croía nodded.

Drake looked at Liam. “Well … I know this probably isn’t the trip to New York you intended, but I’m glad you’re here,” he chuckled. Suddenly, Jackson stepped up in front of him, and the two men shared matching grins. “Hey, Pop.”

Jackson pulled him into an embrace. “It’s good to see you, son,” he said as he clapped his back.

“You too,” Drake replied as he stepped back. “Leo,” he nodded to him before shaking his hand. “Looks like the gang’s all here.”

“No,” Liam said, glancing around. “Where’s Riley?”

“She had an event she was working tonight that she couldn’t get out of,” Drake answered. “She’s hoping she’ll get to see you guys tomorrow. For tonight …” He glanced at his watch before looking back up at the others. “How about we just hang out here with some pizza and beers?”

“Sounds good to me,” Liam nodded.

****

After spending more than an hour looking over the stacks of documents that were inside the folder Constantine had given her — and listening to more of what he and Eleanor had to say regarding their suspicions — Cameron rubbed her chin in thought. “I mean … this is all a start and gives us a lot to look into, but we’re going to need more. Much more. Nothing here is concrete and is all based on speculation.”

“That’s where we were hoping you would come in,” Constantine said. “We know it may seem odd to you that we couldn’t or wouldn’t use other resources available to us that most don’t have … but we need to keep this completely quiet. When Trystan said he could speak with you … it seemed like our best option to keep it discreet. If we’re right and any of those speculations are true … we don’t want to draw attention to what we’re looking into. They’ll be keeping us on their radar while watching the bigger investigation into the attack and the information that brings out. They would never suspect us running our own investigation with some PI from across the pond.”

“I get it,” Cameron nodded. “And I appreciate the faith in me, even though I’m sure Trystan oversold my abilities to you,” she chuckled. She looked back at the papers in her hand, tapping her finger against her lips. “With your permission, I’d like to enlist some help of my own. Luke Watanabe is a colleague of mine; he’s a genius hacker. He could be of assistance getting us some information we’d otherwise not get our hands on.” Constantine and Eleanor nodded tentatively. “Also, there’s another detective I’d like to reach out to …”

Trystan furrowed his brows. “Did Mafalda hire someone new?”

“No,” Cameron shook her head, glancing back at Constantine and Eleanor. “They’re an old friend of mine and they’ve helped me with a couple of cases in the past. They have a lot of connections that I don’t, one in particular that could really help with this,” she held up the folder. “And they’re right here in the city. I could call … see if they’d be willing to meet tomorrow if you’re ok with it.”

Constantine and Eleanor shared a look, having a silent conversation before glancing back at her. “And you trust them? To be discreet?” Constantine questioned.

“Wholeheartedly,” Cameron nodded. “They’re one of the best people I know and one of the best in this field.”

The King and Queen shared another look, holding another silent conversation. When they met Cameron’s gaze again, Constantine nodded. “Make the call.”

****

Sitting in the living room with three boxes of pizza on the table they surrounded, Liam, Croía, and Leo caught up with Drake and Maxwell; Jackson sat off to the side, drinking water in place of the beer they were drinking, chiming into the conversation every now and then.

Liam looked at Drake. “Have you decided what you’re doing after graduation yet?”

“No,” Drake shook his head. “Still playing it by ear for now … but Riley and I have talked a little about it and should things keep going the way they are with us, she said she wouldn’t be opposed to moving since she doesn’t have anyone or anything else keeping her here.”

“Don’t tell your mother that unless you’re absolutely certain it’s happening,” Jackson said. “She’ll never stop hounding you about it.”

“Oh, she already brings it up every time we talk,” Drake chuckled. “But I won’t say anything until I know what I’m doing.”

“What about you, Max?” Leo asked.

“I’ll be heading back to Cordonia to help Bertrand, but I told him there would be ground rules,” Maxwell nodded sternly, and Leo gave him a look. “If he wants me to come home to help him, then he’s going to have to cut me some slack and not be such a stiff ass,” he shrugged.

“I wanna see you say that to his face,” Leo chuckled.

“What about you guys?” Drake asked, looking at Liam and Croía. “I mean, obviously Liam has to go back to Cordonia … but what about you, Croía? Would you go back to Drakovia?”

“Oh, I …” Croía looked from Drake to Liam. “I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it much … and we haven’t talked about it.”

Liam smiled at her. “We’ll figure it out, I’m sure.” As she said, they hadn’t talked about it, but despite knowing what he hoped would happen, he didn’t want to make her feel put on the spot.

“Would you be expected to go back?” Maxwell asked.

Liam stared at her, hoping she wasn’t uncomfortable; he hadn’t told Drake or Maxwell about her family or her relationships with them. “I wouldn’t think so,” Croía answered. “And I doubt I’d be missed if I didn’t.” She smiled, but Liam knew she truly believed those words.

****

Cameron slipped her phone back into her pocket as she returned to the living area, looking at Constantine and Eleanor. “They’re available to meet tomorrow afternoon. They said they can’t guarantee anything, but they’ll hear you out and look over what you have and go from there.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Constantine nodded. “But we’ll have to get Croía and Liam out of the hotel so we don’t draw any suspicion from them.”

“I’m sure Liam will have plans to see Drake and Maxwell again at some point,” Eleanor said.

“And Marguerite wants to see Croía,” Cameron added. “I’m sure she’ll be able to keep her more than occupied.”

“Perhaps,” Trystan nodded. “But I don’t want Marguerite knowing anything about this,” he gestured to the four of them. “She’s a Drakovian ambassador. I don’t want her getting involved and being put into a bad spot.”

Cameron arched her brow. “She’s going to kill you if she finds out you kept her in the dark about this.”

“As an ambassador, she is bound to the crown, and going against her duty in any way, including knowing and keeping information about an investigation into the country she’s supposed to serve, would be seen as nothing short of treason in my mother’s eyes,” Trystan replied. “Right now, this is a strictly need-to-know kind of thing, and she doesn’t need to know. Not yet.”

Cameron tentatively nodded. She was told how protective Marguerite was of Croía, but she knew how protective Trystan was of both his younger sisters; in his eyes, they were the only family he had. And this was his family, so she would follow his lead on how to handle it.

“Jackson just sent me a message,” Constantine said. “They’re getting ready to head back to the hotel now.”

Cameron knew that was her cue. She looked at Trystan. “I’ll meet up with you back at your place?”

“I’ll come with you,” Trystan replied. “I’m sure Croía is going to crash once she gets back from the jetlag and time difference. I’ll shoot her a text and tell her we’ll meet up tomorrow sometime.”

“We’ll let you know when they’re gone tomorrow,” Eleanor said as she rose from the sofa. Trystan kissed her cheek before shaking Constantine’s hand as she turned to Cameron. “Thank you again …”

Cameron nodded. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

*******

Late the following morning, Croía stirred awake inside the suite of the hotel; she raised her arms stretching the sleep from her body before turning to find Liam, but his side of the bed was empty. She lifted her head from the pillow just as he stepped out of the bathroom after a shower, securing a clean bandage on his arm.

“Morning.”

Croía smiled sleepily as she laid her head back down. “Morning. How long have you been up?”

“A little while,” Liam answered. A subtle smirk curled on his lips when he saw her eyes travel down the length of his body, stopping where the towel was wrapped around his waist. He moved to the bed and leaned down, pressing his lips to hers. “I didn’t want to wake you.”

“Well, I’m awake now,” Croía whispered.

Liam chuckled at the hint of playfulness in her tone as he lay next to her on the bed. “Yeah?”

“Mmhmm,” Croía nodded. She could just make out his smile before he kissed her again.

Liam slipped his hand beneath the comforter, brushing his fingers against the soft skin of her thigh as the kiss deepened. Since their night in the safe house, despite the events that occurred and the whirlwind the past couple of days had been, he’d be lying if he said the flashes of that night and the thought of having her again hadn’t consumed him. When they arrived back at the hotel after visiting with Drake and Maxwell, they both crashed, too tired to do anything else.

But they had today … right now.

The kiss turned more passionate as Liam’s hand moved over the waistband of her shorts and slid beneath the hem of her shirt. A sound rumbled from deep in his chest when his hand brushed against the side of her bare breast and she unwittingly arched into him.

Suddenly, a knock came on the door of their suite, causing Liam to break the kiss and freeze. After a silent moment, he started to lean in again, but another knock came. “Go away!” he shouted, earning a giggle from Croía as she tucked herself into his chest.

“Prince Liam,” Jackson called out through a laugh on the other side of the door.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Liam grumbled as he stood from the bed and readjusted the towel around his waist; Croía bit her lip to stifle her laugh at his irritation.

When the door flung open, Jackson tucked his lips between his teeth to hide his knowing smile. “I apologize, sir.”

“Mhm,” Liam hummed tightly in annoyance.

“Your mother and father wanted you and Croía to join them and Leo for breakfast.”

Liam inhaled deeply and slowly let it out as he closed his eyes and nodded. “Ok.”

“I’ll let them know you’ll be up shortly,” Jackson smiled.

“Thanks,” Liam bit out. Jackson nodded as he fought back another laugh and turned, heading back to the elevator as Liam shut the door. He walked back toward the bedroom and stopped in the doorway, leaning against the frame. “My parents have requested our presence for breakfast.”

Croía giggled as she sat up in bed. “Ok.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok,” Croía said. “I’m sure we’ll have time for … other activities later.”

Liam laughed, shaking his head at her teasing smile as he approached her. He leaned down, pressing his fists into the mattress on either side of her as he brushed his lips against hers. “How are you feeling from said ‘activities’ the other night?”

“I’m fine,” Croía smiled before pressing her lips to his. She drew back and met his gaze, but only for a moment before she kissed him again.

Liam quietly groaned into the kiss when her tongue met his, and he lifted a hand, tangling it in her hair. He drew back a moment later, resting his forehead against hers. “I’m not going to be able to sit at a table with my mother if you keep it up.”

Croía laughed, feeling her cheeks burn. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Liam smirked before kissing her again.

****

As she buttered her morning roll, Eleanor glanced up at Liam across from her. “How was your visit with Drake and Maxwell last night?”

“Good,” Liam nodded. “We just hung out and caught up over some pizza. They’re doing good.”

“That’s good to hear,” Eleanor smiled. “Any plans today?”

“Drake said he’d be around if we wanted to do something later,” Liam replied.

“Oh,” Eleanor looked at him. “I thought you’d take the whole day with them.”

Liam chuckled. “Trying to get me out of the hotel?”

Eleanor fought back the heat rising to her cheeks. “Not at all,” she lied, hating every word of it. “I just thought with being in the city you might do some exploring.”

“I’ve explored it plenty of times before,” Liam said.

“What about you, Croía?” Constantine chimed in. “Have you explored much with Trystan being here?”

“Oh, uh … no,” Croía answered sheepishly. “I’ve only been here once … six years ago. And I didn’t get to see anything outside my hotel room.”

“Liam, you should take her around,” Eleanor casually suggested. “There’s so much to see.”

Liam glanced at Croía. “I’m sorry,” he frowned. “I knew you’d been here, but I’d forgotten that you hadn’t actually seen the city.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Croía chuckled.

“So, how about it?” Liam smiled. “A tour, I mean.”

“Yeah,” Croía nodded with a grin. “Maybe Trystan can come. And Mags.”

“And I’ll call Max and Drake,” Liam added.

“Leo, why don’t you join, too?” Constantine said.

Leo glanced at his father then Liam, and shrugged. “Ok.”

Eleanor smiled before dropping her gaze back to the fruit on her plate. She hated keeping things from Liam, but for now, it was for his own good. She knew how protective he had become of Croía over the months they’d been together, and she loved that he loved Croía so fiercely, but it was why she, Constantine, and Trystan needed to tread carefully with their suspicions. She didn’t need or want him to do anything rash that would jeopardize their investigation … or himself.

“What do you and dad have going on today?” Liam asked.

Eleanor looked up at him; they’d told them they were coming there because they had business in New York. “Nothing you need to concern yourself with,” she smiled. “Just some meetings.” It wasn’t technically a lie.

Liam stared at his mother for a moment. Something felt off. He’d felt that way since his parents showed up at the lodge, watching them have hushed conversations with Jackson, Anthony, and Trystan. At first, he tried not to think much of it, but then yesterday, his mother was the one who suggested they go see Drake and Maxwell. Today, she suggested that he take Croía around the city, and his father urged Leo to tag along. Sure, they could just want them to take advantage of their short couple of days there, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were trying to clear them from the hotel for some other reason.

Racking his brain, Liam thought that perhaps it had something to do with the attack and investigation; his parents wouldn’t see it necessary to fill him in on every detail unless they felt he needed to know because they wouldn’t want him to dwell on what he’d been through. He also knew there was no point in questioning it, either. If there was something they were keeping, they were doing so for a reason.

****

“Did Croía call you?” Eleanor asked Trystan, who was sitting across from her in the living area of the suite; he and Cameron had arrived an hour after Liam, Croía, and Leo left to look over some things while they waited for Cameron’s contact.

“About sightseeing?” Trystan smiled. “Yeah,” he nodded. “I told her I was working on something with Cameron, but that I’d call later so we could meet up. They should be arriving at Marguerite’s office shortly; she’s going to take them all out to a late lunch.”

“What time is your contact arriving?” Constantine asked.

“They had a lunch meeting and said they’d come straight from there,” Cameron answered, glancing down at her watch. “They should be here any minute.” A knock on the door pulled their attention. “Speak of the devil,” she smiled. She rose from her seat and walked to the door, peering through the peephole before opening it.

“The Grand Penthouse suite at the Plaza, huh? Swanky shit, Rose.”

Cameron chuckled. “It’s good to see you.”

“Likewise,” they smirked.

Cameron stepped aside to allow them entry. “Come on in.” She walked back to the living area with the other trailing behind her; when they entered the room, the other three rose to their feet. “This is the King and Queen of Cordonia, and this is—”

“Prince Trystan of Drakovia,” they said, nodding to him as they extended their hand. “I recognize you from the coverage of the Hand of Mahara case.” They turned and offered their hand to Constantine and Eleanor next, giving them each a firm shake before stepping back.

“This is Damien Nazario,” Cameron said. “He’s another PI here in the City.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Eleanor smiled, and Constantine nodded in agreement.

“You as well,” Damien replied.

“Damien here has experience working for foreign royals in the past,” Cameron explained.

“That’s the connection he has that you mentioned?” Trystan asked. “I mean, no offense to you, good sir—” he looked at Cameron again, gesturing to himself with a sarcastic sweep of his hand “—but hello?”

“No, smartass,” Cameron playfully scoffed before giving Eleanor and Constantine an abashed glance. “Sorry.” They both smiled, unfazed. “The connection I mentioned is that Damien here used to work for Interpol.”

“Oh?” Constantine questioned, arching his brow with intrigue.

“That’s right,” Damien nodded. “Cameron gave me a brief run down when we spoke yesterday, and mentioned the attack at the lodge. After I got off the phone, I did a little digging to see who was working it. I happen to be very good friends with the lead investigator …”

“Have you spoken with them?” Eleanor questioned.

“No,” Damien shook his head. “I figured I’d wait to do that until I met with you to see what you have. I may not have to contact her at all.”

“I mean no disrespect,” Constantine said, “but it’s imperative that we keep this little covert investigation as discreet as possible. This friend of yours … are they trustworthy?”

“She is,” Damien nodded. “Plus, she owes me a favor anyway. You have my word that should I feel the need to call her for any information, it will not go beyond her.”

Eleanor and Constantine shared a look before glancing back at Damien and nodding; Constantine gestured to the folder on the table in front of them.

****

After a day of walking and being shuttled around the city, Liam leaned against the balustrade at Battery Park, taking in the view of the Statue of Liberty as the sun began to set.

A moment later, Drake came beside him, resting his arms on the railing. “Whatcha thinking about?” he playfully crooned, earning a laugh from him.

“Nothing,” Liam shook his head. “Just taking a breather.” he glanced around, furrowing his brows. “Where’s Max?”

“He’s on the phone with Bertrand,” Drake replied. “We just talked to my dad, and since you all are already here, we’re going to fly back with you guys for the holiday break. So Max called to let him know.”

“Is Riley coming, too?”

“Yeah,” Drake nodded, glancing over his shoulder at her while she talked with Croía. “They seem to get along well,” he noted, gesturing his head towards the two women.

Liam smiled. “Croía can get along with just about anyone once she gets comfortable enough.”

“How’s things between you two going?”

“Good,” Liam nodded, unable to contain his grin. “Really good.”

“Is she going to be in Cordonia for the break?”

“Yeah,” Liam answered. “My mom invited her to stay with us.” He glanced at Drake as a thought that had been looming over him since that morning crept back up. “Hey … has your dad seemed … off to you at all in the last couple of days?”

“Off as in …?”

“Like … almost secretive in a way?”

Drake thought for a moment. “Not really. But I haven’t been paying close attention either. Why, what’s going on?”

“I don’t know,” Liam shook his head. “At the lodge, I saw him having hushed conversations with my parents and Trystan, which I assumed was just about what happened and the investigation. Then, my parents said we were coming here, but wouldn’t say exactly for what, just that they had business. Since we arrived, it seems like they’re trying to keep us out of the hotel. It could be nothing … but I can’t shake the feeling that there’s something they’re not telling me.”

“I wouldn’t think too much about it,” Drake said. “After what you went through — and I don’t mean this in a bad way — it’s not really a surprise that you might be on edge and feeling a little paranoid. Like you said, they were probably just talking about what happened and the investigation and didn’t involve you and Croía because they don’t want you guys to have to talk about it unless necessary.”

Liam shrugged. “Yeah … maybe.” Just then, he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist; he glanced down and smiled at Croía, whose cheeks were tinged pink from the cold. “What do you think?” he asked, gesturing toward the famed monument before kissing the top of her head.

“It’s amazing,” Croía smiled before looking up at him. “Trystan just called. He’s done with whatever he’s been working on today and invited all of us to his place for dinner with him, Mags, and Cameron.”

“I’m in,” Leo spoke up from behind. “I need to meet the woman who puts up with your brother,” he chuckled.

“I’m excited to finally meet her,” Croía smiled.

“Hopefully you’ll go easier on her than your brother has on me,” Liam quipped.

Croía chuckled and shook her head before looking at Drake, Riley, and Maxwell. “He invited you three to come too.”

Drake slung an arm over Riley’s shoulders as Maxwell nodded. “We’re in.”

****

When the elevator doors slid open to the entryway of the penthouse, the group was met by a grinning Trystan. “Welcome to my abode.” Croía smiled as she stepped out of the car and wrapped her arms around him. “Did you have fun today, kid?”

“Yeah,” Croía said as she stepped back. “Minus the temp dropping 15 degrees in the last hour,” she chuckled. She turned to the group behind her. “You know these two,” she gestured to Liam and Leo. “And this is Maxwell, Drake, and his girlfriend Riley,” she pointed to each of them. “Guys, this is my brother Trystan.”

“Nice to meet you,” Trystan nodded, shaking each of their hands, and they each smiled in response.

“Come on, Sweets! I made some mulled wine!” Marguerite called out from somewhere.

Trystan gestured his head for them to follow and turned, walking further into the penthouse. Liam slipped his hand into Croía’s as they all trailed behind him.

When they stepped into the living area from the entryway, Leo let out a low whistle at not only the sheer size of the place but the modern elegance as well. “Exiled but still living like a fucking King.”

Trystan laughed, flipping him off over his shoulder just as Marguerite came into view from the kitchen. “Hello, all,” Marguerite greeted everyone at once as she slid mugs of mulled wine across the counter for them. “Nice to see you again.”

Hearing footsteps behind them, Croía turned to see a petite brunette making her way down the hall; the woman paused when she glanced up to see six pairs of unfamiliar eyes staring at her. “Hello,” she smiled tentatively.

Trystan came beside her a moment later, and Croía couldn’t help but notice the unmistakable grin her brother wore as he looked down at her with adoration shining in his eyes. He looked up and gestured toward Croía, and she stepped forward. “This is my girlfriend Cameron. Cam, this is my sister Croía.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Croía,” Cameron smiled as she extended her hand.

“You as well,” Croía grinned, shaking her hand.

Cameron’s eyes flickered up to the others, stopping on one. “You must be Liam.” He nodded with a smile, extending his hand to shake hers. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Probably a lot of grumbling and yelling, yeah?” Leo chuckled, earning a look from both his brother and Trystan as Croía’s cheeks flushed.

“That’s Leo, Liam’s older brother, and my old suitemate at Uni,” Trystan said. “And these are Liam’s friends, Drake, Maxwell, and Riley.”

“Nice to meet you all,” Cameron smiled.

“The point of mulled wine is to drink it while it’s hot, people!” Marguerite chided from the kitchen. Everyone turned and started toward her, each taking one of the mugs she prepared. “Trystan left dinner up to me, so I ordered Chinese. Hope everyone’s ok with that. If not … starve, I guess.”

Leo chuckled. “I like her.”

“Don’t even think about it,” Trystan grumbled beside him, low enough so only he could hear. “One Rys is enough.”

“I mean, it’s not like you don’t have plenty of sisters to go around.” Leo tossed his head back with a laugh at the look his words earned from Trystan.

****

After dinner, the group sat in the living area, talking over more drinks. Trystan watched Croía and Cameron as they sat in the corner of the sectional and chatted. By the way they would glance at him now and then while laughing, he had no doubt they were exchanging stories about him. He smiled at how easily they seemed to get along, not that he expected anything less.

Trystan’s eyes flickered to Liam, who was sitting on the other end of the sectional with his friends, talking with Marguerite. After his meetings with Liam’s parents and learning more about what happened at the lodge, there was something Trystan wanted to speak to him about privately, if he found the time to do so.

As if reading his mind, Marguerite stood from the sofa. “I can’t believe you haven’t offered to give them a tour of the place.”

“It’s an apartment,” Trystan scoffed.

“Our apartment in the Bronx could fit inside your kitchen,” Drake chuckled.

“And still leave room,” Maxwell added.

“Come. I’ll show you around,” Marguerite said. “Cam, come on, you can be my assistant.”

“Lucky me,” Cameron teased as she and Croía stood to join them.

As they started to file down the hallway, Trystan stopped Liam. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

Liam swallowed thickly, unsure of what this was about, but the look on Trystan’s face when he walked into that safe house flashed in his mind. “Sure.”

Trystan moved to the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living area, waiting until the voices of the others faded before looking at Liam. “I wanted to thank you …”

Liam’s brows furrowed. “For what?”

“I heard about what you did during the attack … throwing yourself in front of Croía …”

“It was nothing,” Liam said.

“Don’t downplay what you did, Liam. There’s a good chance that it saved her life. And I will forever be grateful to you for that.”

Liam could see the genuine sincerity in his eyes and hear it in his tone. “Really, you don’t have to thank me.”

“Stop being so humble and accept my damn gratitude.”

Liam chuckled with a conceding nod. “You’re welcome.”

“Listen … I know I haven’t given you the easiest time and I’m sorry for that … but it wasn’t because of you, per se.” Trystan glanced out the window. “I struggled with the idea of Croía being in a relationship with anyone at all. And not because she’s my baby sister and I wanted to play the role of protective big brother for the fun of scaring potential suitors off but because I know what she’s been through.” He looked back at him. “She’s dealt with constant letdowns and heartbreak all her life at the hands of people who were supposed to love her most. She was treated like and told she was nothing more than a mistake and disappointment, made to believe that she wasn’t worthy of attention or affection from her own parents let alone anyone else. Knowing she’d never had a relationship, I worried about her … about her falling and then dealing with that kind of heartbreak … of it happening and it making her believe those things she was told about herself growing up.”

“I would never hurt her, Trystan,” Liam said. “I love her.”

“I know you do,” Trystan nodded with a small smile. “And I can see that she loves you. You make her happy … happier than I have ever seen her. All of you do … you and the friends that she’s made. I’m glad she has you in her life.”

“She’s pretty special to all of us,” Liam smiled.

“She is special,” Trystan nodded in agreement. “I can’t help but look at her and think that underneath that shy and naive exterior … there’s something big she’s destined to do. I don’t know what that is yet, and neither does she … but I think being with you is going to help bring it out of her.” Liam chewed the inside of his cheek, letting his words sink in as a silence settled between them. After a few moments, Trystan cleared his throat. “Alright, that got way too serious for my liking.” He turned and walked across the living area. “Just know that if you do ever hurt her … I will find you.” He stopped near an empty wall and turned to Liam again. “I may be exiled, but I still have diplomatic immunity. And I can turn this penthouse into a torture chamber with a push of a button.”

When Liam laughed off his words, he saw Trystan arch a brow as he reached over and pushed a small button. His eyes widened when the wall slid open, revealing an extensive knife collection that would put the one in Lythikos to shame. “Holy shit.”

Trystan plucked a dagger from its holding place and expertly twirled it in his hands as he met his gaze. “As I said …”

Liam stiffened. “Got it. Loud and clear.”

****

After leaving the penthouse, Drake, Maxwell, and Riley headed back to their apartment to pack their bags; Eleanor sent Liam a message that they would be leaving tomorrow morning. They said their goodbyes to Trystan, Cameron, and Marguerite, and Trystan promised Croia he’d see her soon.

Once back at the hotel, Liam and Croía checked in with his parents to let them know they returned before going to their suite. They stepped inside and headed to the bedroom to change.

“I forgot to ask,” Croía said as she slipped off her shoes and undid her pants. “Why did you miss the penthouse tour?”

“Your brother wanted to talk to me,” Liam replied as he pulled off his shirt.

“Oh god … about what?”

“Nothing bad,” Liam chuckled, stripping off his pants. “He thanked me … after hearing what I did at the lodge. I’m assuming Jonas or Anthony told him.”

“What else?” Croía asked, able to tell by his expression that wasn’t all.

Liam turned and smiled as he moved to stand in front of her; she was now clad in only an oversized t-shirt that hung just low enough to conceal the lace underneath. “He apologized for not going easy on me and said it was because he didn’t want to see you hurt. I told him that I wouldn’t ever hurt you …” He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers “… because I love you,” he whispered.

Croía stared up at him and smiled softly. “I love you, too.” She caught a glimpse of his smile in the dim light just as she drew his lips back to hers.

Liam’s hand tangled in her hair as the kiss deepened, and he felt that longing and need for her return and erupt to the surface. He shifted his lips to her neck, and when he kissed the spot just below her ear, she let out a soft breath. “Are we picking up where we left off this morning?”

“Please,” Croía whispered before guiding his mouth back to hers, kissing him more intently.

Pulling back for a breath a moment later, Liam brushed his thumb against her full bottom lip as he met her gaze. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” Croía whispered.

Liam turned and sat on the edge of the bed, bringing Croía to stand in front of him. His gaze met and held hers as he smoothed his hands up her thighs, stopping when they reached her hips; his fingers hooked through her lace underwear and tugged them down her legs. When they hit the floor, he gently pulled her to him to straddle his lap. As he captured her lips again, his hands slowly slid up her bare back underneath her t-shirt, pushing the fabric up; they broke the kiss just before he pulled it over her head and dropped it to the floor.

Liam’s eyes scanned over her bare body as his hands carefully began to wander. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?”

Croía’s cheeks slightly flushed with a smile before she leaned in to kiss him again, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. As their tongues curled together, he slipped his hand between their bodies, slowly stroking her; he groaned against her lips, feeling her coat his fingers.

Apparently, he wasn’t alone in his longing and need.

A delicate moan came from Croía as she drew back from his lips and arched against him. “Liam …”

Liam couldn’t draw this out like he typically would; he didn’t have that much restraint at the moment. “What do you want?” he asked as his lips whispered kisses along her jaw and his fingers continued to tease her.

“You,” Croía said. “You … like this.”

Liam leaned back to look at her, biting his lip through a smile. “You want to be on top?” Croía smiled coyly and nodded.

After maneuvering out of his boxers, Liam shifted further back on the bed, holding her against him. She closed her eyes, feeling him rub against her, momentarily quelling the ache between her thighs. When she felt his lips on hers again, she eagerly returned the kiss.

“It’s going to feel … different,” Liam whispered against her lips when they parted. “So just go slow, ok?”

Croía nodded before he shifted her hips so he could position himself beneath her. With her arms wrapped around him and his hands gripping her waist to help guide her, she slowly began to sink down on him; when he started to fill her, she closed her eyes, letting out a rush of breath mingled with a moan. After pausing a moment to let herself adjust, she continued inching down little by little until her hips were slotted against his with him buried to the hilt.

“You ok?” Liam asked in a gruff voice, struggling to rein in the neediness of his tone from the feeling of her wrapped around him.

Croía promptly nodded as she bit her lip. “Mmm-hmm.”

Drawing her mouth to his, Liam kissed her slow and deep as his hands gave a gentle nudge. He felt her tremble above him as she began to slowly rock her hips, letting out a groan against her lips that blended with her own moan. When her hands moved to grip his shoulders, he drew back from the kiss, holding her gaze as he laid back.

Liam gently rolled his hips as he held hers, drawing a gasp from her as he urged her to find her own rhythm. She splayed her hands on his chest as he helped guide her until she fell into a pace comfortable for her. She sat up, sweeping her long hair away from her face as she continued to ride him.

Liam’s cock twitched at the sight of her working herself above him, watching her lips part with a moan as her expression twisted with pleasure. “Fuck, Croía,” he groaned.

Keeping one hand on her hip, Liam let his other wander, gliding up her stomach to caress her chest. She unwittingly arched into his touch with a moan, and with her back slightly curved, he smirked as his hand dropped back down to where they connected, sliding his thumb against her.

“Liam,” Croía’s breath hitched at the surge of pleasure from the new sensation.

“Don’t stop moving,” Liam whispered as he continued to slowly circle his thumb against her as his other hand guided her forward, coaxing her to continue to chase her release. “Keep going.” He thrust in time with each roll of her hips as she gingerly picked up her pace. “That’s it.” Her breaths mingled with whimpers and she worked in time with the movement of his thumb; soon, he could feel her fluttering around him. “Come for me, Croía.”

A moment later, when Liam pressed against her just right with a simultaneous buck of his hips, Croía arched on top of him with a moan; she instinctively gripped the wrist of the hand that his thumb was circling her with as he drew out her release. He slowed his movements, feeling her quiver against him as she dropped forward with a gasp, bracing herself against his chest. He combed her hair away from her face and drew her down to him, capturing her lips in his; he moaned into the kiss, feeling her continue to clench around him.

In a quick motion and without breaking the kiss, Liam flipped them so he was on top. He drew back, shifting his lips to her neck, trailing kisses up to her ear. “Wrap your legs around me,” he whispered as he smoothed a hand down one of her thighs and lifted it to his waist. She did as he said, pressing her heels to the small of his back. He rolled his hips, thrusting back into her and drawing a moan from both of them. “God, you feel so fucking good,” he groaned.

Croía clung to him, and he still gauged her for any signs of discomfort as she moved with him; he drew out the moment, letting her savor each stroke — each roll of his hips, each deep push into her. Nearing his own release and sensing hers start to crest again, evident from the sounds she made and the way she started to tense around him, he upped his pace.

“Liam, I-I’m—” Croía’s words trailed off into a moan.

“I know,” Liam rasped. “I’m right here. Let go and come with me.”

Liam thrust once, twice, three times before Croía’s back bowed off the bed with a rapture-filled moan at the same moment he met his own shuddering release. His body went taut, a gravelly groan ripping from his throat as he held himself deep inside her, feeling her tremble beneath him. She still clung to his body, now slick with a sheen of sweat as was her own as he rested his head in the crook of her neck, both trying to catch their breath.

Lifting his head, Liam pressed a lingering kiss to the hollow of her throat, then another against her pulse point before bringing his lips to her ear. “Are you alright?” When she nodded, he drew back just enough to look at her. “Are you sure?”

Croía opened her eyes to meet his gaze, smiling as her chest rose and fell. “I’m sure.” She lifted her hands, combing her fingers through his hair before pulling him down and capturing his lips in hers in a deep kiss as they continued to come down from their high.

When they drew apart for a breath, Liam’s nose brushed against hers. “I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you, too.” Croía could just make out his smile before he kissed her again.

*******

A tangle of hands reached across the kitchen counter inside Liam’s wing of the palace, each grabbing different toppings for the sundaes they were putting together.

Leo tipped his head back, filling his mouth with whipped cream before swirling it onto his ice cream.

Drake covered his chocolate ice cream in chocolate syrup and chocolate chips while Riley did the same beside him.

Maxwell tossed a handful of gummy bears on top of his before burying them beneath a mountain of whipped cream.

Croía drizzled melted peanut butter onto hers before topping it with a couple of cherries.

They all glanced over at Liam, who topped his plain vanilla ice cream with a single cherry and nothing else.

Drake’s brows furrowed. “Dude …”

“That’s it?” Maxwell chuckled.

“What?” Liam scoffed. “Vanilla is fine by itself.”

Leo looked from the bowl to his brother. “That is the saddest fucking sundae I’ve ever seen.”

Everyone laughed as Liam shook his head with a grin before bringing a large spoonful of very plain ice cream to his mouth.

It had been two weeks since everyone returned to Cordonia from New York. After spending the holidays in Valtoria, they arrived back at the palace to enjoy the rest of their break. Drake, Maxwell, and Riley were heading back to New York tomorrow, and Liam and Croía would be returning to Vancross the day after.

While heading to the living room to watch the movie they had picked out, Liam’s phone rang; he slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled it out. “Hey, Mom,” he answered. He paused, holding his sundae in one hand and the phone to his ear in the other as he glanced at Croía, who stopped to look at him. “Ok, we’ll be right there.”

“What’s wrong?” Croía asked when he slipped the phone back into his pocket.

“My parents want to talk to you and me in my dad’s study.”

Croía knitted her brows. “About what?”

“Don’t know,” Liam shrugged. “She didn’t say.” They set their bowls down while the others got settled around the television. “Go ahead and start. We’ll be back.”

Liam and Croía walked hand-in-hand through the corridors from his wing towards the King’s study, chatting quietly. The two weeks Croía had spent in Cordonia were a far cry from what her time in Drakovia would have been had she gone home for the break. She had yet to hear from her parents, but she hadn’t reached out to them either; before they left New York, Trystan told her to just enjoy her time in Cordonia and not worry about anything or anyone back home.

When they approached the study, Liam knocked on the door, and Constantine called for them to enter. They stepped inside and were greeted by his parents. “We’re sorry to have interrupted your movie night,” Eleanor smiled ruefully as she gestured to the sofa across from them.

“It’s fine,” Liam said as they sat down. “Is everything ok?”

“Yes,” Eleanor nodded. “We called you both here to let you know … we received a call from Dean Lundqvist. You two won’t be going back to Vancross just yet …”

“Why?” Liam asked.

“They’ve been getting a lot of pushback from the board and parents — rightfully so — about students returning while still not knowing who was behind the attack or why it happened,” Constantine explained. “Vancross is shutting down temporarily and all of your classes will be virtual until further notice …”

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

Perma Tags (if you’d like to be added or removed for this story, please let me know): @zaffrenotes @cocomaxley @emichelle @sweetest-marbear @indiacater @gibbles82 @the-soot-sprite @ladyangel70 @esmckenzie @dcbbw @burnsoslow @deb-1106 @bbrandy2002 @charlotteg234 @neotericthemis @foreverethereal123 @choiceskatie @sirbeepsalot @gnatbrain @openheart12 @sincerelyella @superharriet @queenrileyrose @aestheticartsx @kingliam2019 @indiana-jr @bascmve01 @rainbowsinthestorm @emkay512 @marshmallowsaremyfavorite @forallthatitsworth @walker7519 @iaminlovewithtrr @amandablink @mainstreetreader @mom2000aggie @princessleac1 @21-wishes @appleone @tessa-liam @pixelatedpassion @malblk21 @lovingchoices14 @nestledonthaveone @forthebrokenheartedthings @nomadics-stuff @differenttyphoonwerewolf

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karahalloway · 8 months

Text

(Un)Common Attraction: Artwork - Masquerade Ball

Fandom: TRR - Book 1

Pairing: Drake Walker x F!OC (Harper Gale)

Masterlists: Main - Artwork

A/N1: Since discovering the AI art generator app, Wonder, I have been on a whirlwind bringing the iconic moments of this story to life. Below you will find some of the key moments - in chronological order - from Chapter 3: Masquerade.

A/N2: There is always some trial and error with this AI app, as even though you put in prompts, it oftentimes does its own thing. So while I have tried to keep everyone's clothing consistent, this is not always possible, so I have opted for the overall 'feel' of the pic, rather than the miniscule details.

Masquerade Ball - Artwork

Permatags:

@twinkleallnight @lovingchoices14 @kingliam2019 @petiteboheme @angelasscribbles @aussiegurl1234 @nestledonthaveone @queen-arabella-of-cordonia @tessa-liam @alyshak92 @secretaryunpaid @princessleac1 @walkerdrakewalker @tinkie1973 @twinkle-320 @knaussal @nikkis1983 @lunaseasblog @ficloverevie @indiana-jr @differenttyphoonwerewolf @kristinamae093 @eversoaringqueen12 @peonierose @3pawandme @alexabeta @veebug8 @fangirling12566 @queenmiarys @lancelotsimp @coco-lina-s @lolablackwrites @ivyflowers13 @persephone13 @hollygirl1269 @adri-ja-96 @harleybeaumont @katedrakeohd @uneravine @alj4890

#uncommon attraction #harper gale #drake walker #prince liam #olivia nevrakis #hana lee #penelope ebrim #kiara theron #trr art #AI art #maxwell beaumont

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flowerwreaththings · 11 months

Photo

June 3, 2023 | The baptism of Prince François of Luxembourg at the Church of Fischbach, Luxembourg. © Maison du Grand-Duc / Sophie Margue

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royalchildreneurope · 1 month

Text

Château Les Crostes shared those pictures on their Instagram page of Princess Claire of Luxembourg with her children, Princess Amalia of Nassau, Prince Liam of Nassau and Prince Balthazar of Nassau, on the occasion of her 39th birthday -March 21st 2024.

📷 : Château Les Crostes on Instagram.

#princess claire #princess claire of luxembourg #princess amalia #prince liam #prince balthazar #grand ducal family of luxembourg #luxembourg #2024 #march 2024 #39th birthday #birthday 2024 #princess claire of luxembourg's 39th birthday #royal children #my edit

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angelasscribbles · 1 year

Text

Friendship

Series: None, this is a one-shot and you can find those here.

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Pairing: Constantine x Eleanor, Jackson x Bianca, but really it's about the beginning of Liam and Drake's friendship.

Rating: G

Warnings for this chapter: None

Word Count: 1,894

A/N: I had written the first couple of paragraphs over a year ago then put it away with no real idea where it was going. Then @kingliamappreciationweek happened and I decided to dust this off and finish it for childhood/family and friendships/relationships. I'm late, but here it is.

My other stuff: Master List.

Liam was a serious child. Even as a toddler, people would remark about his solemn expression. It wasn’t that he never smiled, he did. It wasn’t that he wasn’t happy, he was. There had just always been an aura of thoughtfulness surrounding him. The portrait his mother had commissioned of him for his second birthday showed a somber child. He sat in an elaborate Baroque throne chair with dark red crushed velvet upholstery and a gold leaf finish. He was dressed in a toddler suit with short pants, showing his legs, still chubby with baby fat, his ebony hair brushed back from his face as he gazed solemnly out at the photographer.

Despite that, he was a friendly child who learned by the age of four that being charming got him whatever he wanted from the nannies and the kitchen staff.

A heartfelt, “Please?” netted him cookies, cakes, candies, and plenty of baklava. No one could withstand the cuteness of the little prince. Especially his mother.

His first smiles, at three months old, were for Eleanor. As he grew into a toddler and preschooler, she remained his favorite person, that somber expression turning into a wide faced grin at the sound of her voice or the sight of her face.

She read to him, she played with him, she took him on walks in the garden. She was the antidote to his father’s seriousness.

By the age of six, Liam had learned that his father’s affections were less frequent and harder earned. The bulk of Constantine’s attention went to Liam’s older brother, because Leo was going to be king, and Liam was not. He was only the spare.

Liam never resented Leo for it. He loved him. Leo was his second favorite person in the world, after Eleanor. He started toddling along behind him as soon as he could walk. Leo was older, cooler, and knew all the best games.

Leo was also a frequent rule breaker, while Liam was not. On this particular day, Leo and Olivia had decided to sneak away from the nannies and play in the woods behind the palace.

Leo had read to him until he bored of it. Pushing the stack of books away he exclaimed, “I can’t stand being inside for another moment! Let’s go out to play!”

“Finally!” Olivia cast the copy of Little Women she’d been reading to the side as she jumped up from the oversized beanbag in the corner of the library.

“I want to come too!” Liam scrambled quickly to his feet. He had learned the hard way that if he didn’t keep up with the older kids, he’d be left behind.

“Sure,” Leo shrugged, “but you have to be quiet until we get past the hedge maze.”

“Past the hedge maze?” Liam asked in alarm, “We aren’t supposed to go past the hedge maze! Father said-“

“Father doesn’t have to know, does he?”

“Maybe you should stay here, Liam,” Olivia said sagely, “I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

Liam thought for a moment, taking in Leo’s amusement and Olivia’s smug sureness that he would stay behind. He drew in a deep breath and squared his shoulders, “No. I’ll go!”

“Are you sure, Li?” Leo asked with a laugh, “Last time you got caught breaking the rules, you cried.”

Liam flushed with embarrassment. Father had been so angry. He didn’t like to make anyone angry, “I didn’t mean to break the vase.”

“Hey,” the amusement disappeared from Leo’s face, replaced with sympathy, “It’s okay! It wasn’t even your fault, I’m the one that talked you into playing football in the great room!”

“It’s okay, Liam,” Olivia placed a hand on his shoulder as she leaned down, “but I heard there’s fresh baklava in the kitchen. You should go get some!”

“Yeah…okay….” He agreed half-heartedly.

He picked up an illustrated copy of Where the Wild Things Are with a sigh as he watched Leo and Olivia sneak giggling down the hallway toward the garden doors.

Thirty minutes later he was perched on a stool at one of the marble counters in the place kitchen, shoving baklava into his mouth as he turned the pages of his book when he heard unfamiliar voices.

He turned away from his book in interest as the head of the King’s Guard entered the room with a man and a woman Liam had never seen before. Trailing behind the adults were two children.

Liam’s eyes widened as he took in the new arrivals. A little girl with dark curls and wide eyes took in everything around her in wonder. A boy that looked to be about the same age as himself kept his gaze trained on the floor indifferently, a shock of chestnut hair falling into his eyes; hands stuffed into his pockets.

Liam twisted back and forth on the stool in excitement, nearly tumbling out of it as he did.

“Careful there young master!” The pastry chef caught him before he could fall.

“Sorry!” Liam exclaimed as he twisted out of her grasp, his head spinning to keep track of the children, “Who are they? I want to go say hi! Can I?”

“Certainly!” She laughed as she released him and watched as he sprinted across the travertine tile.

The group had moved into the formal dining room when Liam caught up with them, skidding around a corner and colliding directly with the head of the King’s Guard. “Ooof! Sorry!”

“It’s alright,” Captain Sullivan helped him to his feet, “What’s the big hurry?”

“I wanted to meet the kids!” Liam ducked his head, suddenly a little shy, “Who are they? What are they doing here?”

“Okay, okay, slow down!” The captain laughed, “I’ll introduce you! Your Highness, this is the newest member of the guard, Jackson Walker, his wife Bianca and their children, Drake and Savannah. Everyone, this is Prince Liam.”

Liam sucked in a breath of surprise; he knew that some members of the guard lived at the palace. He felt like he was about to explode with excitement. Please let them live here, he prayed furiously. Out loud he said, “I’m very pleased to meet you.”

“And we’re very pleased to meet you,” Jackson shook his hand.

The girl shoved her way in front of her parents, a look of awe on her face, “Are you an honest to God, real life prince?”

“I am.” Liam grinned at her.

“It’s nice to meet you Liam,” Bianca told him before pushing the boy forward, “Isn’t it Drake? Can you say hi to the prince?”

Drake shuffled forward awkwardly, lifted his eyes to Liam’s face for a moment then dropped them as he mumbled, “Hi.”

“Can they come play with me?” Liam directed the question to the adults, lacing the fingers of both hands through each other as he pleaded, “Pleeeeease?”

“Oh, yes!” Savannah squealed, clapping her hands as she jumped up and down, adding her pleas to his, “Can we please?”

“I think that would be okay,” Jackson replied, “What you think, son? Would you like to go play with Liam?”

The sullen faced little boy lifted his copper and gold flecked eyes again and found Liam’s face. Drake’s determination to hate everything about this new place faltered a little as saw the genuine excitement bubbling over in the other child. “I guess that would be okay. What do you want to do?”

“Yes!” Liam jumped up into the air with joy, “We can play whatever you want! Hide and seek, or tag in the gardens, we have board games, video games, we could ride bicycles if we get the nannies to supervise us or we could play sword fighting-“

“You have swords?” Drake’s eyes widened with interest.

“Wooden ones but-“

“Can I dad?” Drake turned to Jackson hopefully.

“Yes, go on. We’ll come find you later.” Jackson squeezed Bianca’s hand as they watched their children scurry down the hall with the prince. Relief flooded his wife’s features, mirroring his own. Drake had been the child they had been most worried about adjusting to the move, but he seemed to be warming to the place already.

“What’s it like being a prince and living in a palace?” Savannah asked as she hurried to keep up with the older boys.

“Boring,” came the instant reply.

“Really?” Savannah sounded disappointed.

Drake laughed and Liam’s smile broadened at the sound as he elaborated, “The other kids in the palace are all older than me and no one ever wants to play.”

He was lonely.

“Drake comes up with all the best games,” Savannah told him.

“Is that right?”

“That’s right,” Drake agreed, “Where is this playroom you’re taking us to?”

“Fifth door on the left,” Liam pointed down a long hallway.

“Race you,” Drake grinned at him, “Winner gets to pick his sword first!”

“Okay-“ Liam started to agree but Drake was already sprinting down the hall. It only took a second for Liam to realize what was happening and tear off after him.

The three children tumbled through the playroom door panting and shrieking with laughter.

Drake collapsed onto the floor in purposeful exaggeration as he gasped, “I’m dying….but I won!”

“You cheated you mean!” Liam laughed as he dropped onto the ground next to him.

“It wasn’t cheating,” Drake corrected him, “It’s called gaining a tactical advantage!”

Liam was used to other children being awkward around him, letting him win games or actively trying to avoid playing with him, because of his status. The young prince was absolutely delighted by this new playmate’s utter lack of concern about his title.

Drake had been convinced that the princes would be stuffy, stuck up and boorish. He was thrilled to be proven wrong. He hadn’t wanted to move, yet again. He hadn’t wanted to give up his friends, yet again. His father had promised that this duty station was more permanent. He had been determined not to get attached to anything or anyone, but as they staged epic battles with the wooden swords, of which Liam had let him claim the best one, he found the heaviness that had sat in his chest since his parent’s had announced this move starting to loosen.

The boys quickly became inseparable.

In the weeks and months that followed, Liam became less somber, at least around Drake. He was still a serious, thoughtful child, but he had a quicker smile as Drake drew out his playful side. Drake became less guarded, at least around Liam. He was still a slow to warm up child, but he turned outward a little more as Liam gained his trust.

“Drake seems to be adjusting well,” Eleanor remarked as a maid set the tea service in front of her.

“He is!” Bianca agreed happily, “It’s been four months and he seems completely back to normal! I think it’s because of Liam, honestly.”

Eleanor nodded with a smile on her lips as she blew on her tea to cool it, “Liam is so happy to have a playmate of his own. He’s a different child now. I think this friendship is good for both of them.”

The two women turned to watch as the boys raced through the gardens, shouts and laughter filtering through the late morning air. It was a beautiful day, the children were happy and for the moment, all was well in Cordonia.

#kingliamappreciationweek #klaw day 4 #klaw day 5 #king liam #liam rys #little liam #liam drake bromance #the royal romance #prince liam #childhood #Cordonia #angelasscribbles #trr #choices trr #choices fic writers creations #cfwc fics of the week #one shot

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krasivaa · 4 months

Text

BREAKING NEWS:

Princess Claire of Luxembourg gave birth to a baby Prince on the 7th of January, 2024!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

👶🍼 Mir sinn immens frou d’Gebuert vun eisem Jong matzedeelen.

De Prënz ass den 7te Januar 2024 an der Maternité Grande-Duchesse Charlotte op d’Welt komm.

Den neigebuerene Prënz dréit den Numm Balthasar Felix Karl.

Hie weit 3.220 kg an ass 50 cm grouss.

De Puppelchen an d‘Prinzessin Claire si bei beschter Gesondheet.

Félix a Claire

mam Amalia a Liam

——

👶🍼 Nous sommes heureux d'annoncer la naissance de notre fils, né le 7 janvier 2024 à la Maternité Grande-Duchesse Charlotte.

Le nouveau-né Prince s'appellera Balthasar Felix Karl.

Il pèse 3.220 kg et mesure 50 cm.

Le bébé et la princesse Claire sont en parfaite santé.

Félix et Claire

avec Amalia et Liam

——

👶🍼 It is with great joy that we announce the birth of our son.

The prince was born on 7th January 2024 at the Maternité Grande-Duchesse Charlotte.

The newborn Prince will be named Balthasar Felix Karl. He weighs 3.220 kg and measures 50 cm.

Prince Balthasar and Princess Claire are in perfect health.

Félix and Claire

with Amalia and Liam

——

👶🍼 Mit großer Freude geben wir die Geburt unseres Sohnes bekannt.

Der Prinz kam am 7ten Januar 2024 in der Maternité Grande-Duchesse Charlotte zur Welt.

Der neugeborene Prinz wird den Namen Balthasar Felix Karl tragen.

Er wiegt 3.220 kg und misst 50 cm.

Prinz Balthasar und Prinzessin Claire sind bei bester Gesundheit.

Félix und Claire

mit Amalia und Liam

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

via courgrandducale official Instagram account

#prince felix #prince felix of luxembourg #princess claire #princess claire of luxembourg #princess amalia #prince liam #prince liam of nassau #princess amalia of nassau #prince balthazar #prince balthazar of nassau #luxembourg grand ducal family #lgdf #benelux #benelux royals #breaking news #official instagrams #official royal instagram #official

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tessa-liam · 2 months

Text

Marabelle Series

The Game of Kings

Chapter 10

Choices – The Royal Romance, AU – (cross-over with Rules of Engagement)

Series Premise – An American teenager from New York City is introduced to the world of a small European country and its society of royalty, nobility, and commoners. How will her life story be transformed? Will this new adventure bring her happiness...or regret?

Marabelle Series Masterlist

Main Pairing – Prince Liam Rys x F!OC Lady Sophia (Sophie) Taylor

Other Pairings – Maxwell Beaumont x M!OC Daniel (from NYC), Drake Walker x F! OC Melanie Smithson

Most characters belong to Pixelberry Studios

Series Rating – M*🔞Warnings: this series will have NSFW material, crude language & innuendo.

Not Beta’d - Please excuse all errors.

Category – Alternate universe/on-going series/angst/fluff/cross-over with Choices Rules of Engagement

Words: 2483

The Game of Kings – Chapter 10

Chapter Summary – Liam and Sophie practice for the charity polo match. Leo is on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean where he meets a woman. Speaking with his father, Leo abdicates the throne. Liam sends Sophie a Valentine’s Day gift.

Music Inspiration: Everything Has Changed, Taylor Swift (feat Ed Sheeren)

A/N1: Bethany Beaumont, Maxwell’s mother, is originally from the U.S. and is Barthelemy Beaumont’s second wife. Annabelle Beaumont (deceased) is Bertrand’s mother.

A/N2: ‘Social Season’ in this AU series refers to a traditional period in the spring/summer for royalty and members of the court to take part in Balls, dinner parties and charity events.

A/N3: My submission for Choices Flashfics @choicesflashfics, Week #72, prompt 2 - “I wasn’t the one to walk away. You were....”

A/N4: My submission for Choices Holidays Valentine’s Day Prompts 2024 - Be my valentine/I love you @choicesprompts, @choicesholidays

.......All I know since yesterday

Is that everything changed.......

The Cordonian Royal Polo Club

After adjusting the strap on Marabelle's harness, Sophie accepted the polo mallet from an attendant. She was in her element today; any time spent riding her horse was a joy but spending time with Liam, on top of that ...this was a dream come true.

When Liam invited her to join his polo team, she was over the moon. To be personally invited to join him was extremely flattering. Her heartbeat raced and butterflies danced inside anytime and every time she thought of him.

‘Remembering that beautiful Sunday afternoon while working on a paper for class on the terrace of the Beaumont estate, Sophie looked up, pleasantly surprised to see Liam and Maxwell come into view.

“Good afternoon, Sophie.” Liam smiled warmly as he walked up to her table. “Hard at work as always, I see.”

“Oh, hello, Liam. Maxwell.” Sophie stood, moving her laptop to the side.

Liam bent down to kiss her cheek and waited for her to sit back down before he took a seat himself at the glass patio table.

“Yes, just trying to get this paper finished before the deadline.”

Maxwell, grinning mischievously, “Ah, the diligent scholar. Little blossom, take a break for a moment. Liam has something he would like to ask you.”

“Oh?” Sophie smiled, curiously looking at Liam.

Clearing his throat, a hint of nervousness in his demeanor, “well, I know your love and passion for horses. And as you know, there is a fundraising event planned for flooding relief in Portavira on Valentine’s Day.

Sophie nods sadly, “Yes, I have heard of that tragedy; It is heartbreaking.”

Taking a breath, Liam continued. “Indeed...I was wondering if you would consider joining my polo team. Your skills would be invaluable, and I can assure you, we would make quite the formidable duo on the field.”

Clearly taken aback, but flattered, “Oh, Liam, I ... I don’t know what to say.”

“Say yes, Soph! It’ll be a fantastic experience, and I can personally vouch for Liam’s team being a lot of fun. ‘Ya know, cuz I am on it.” Maxwell chuckled.

Sophie smiled, touched by their enthusiasm, “well, how can I refuse such a charming invitation? I'd be honored to join your team, Liam.”

Liam, grinning widely, “wonderful! I knew I could count on you, Sophie. This event is going to be legendary, mark my words. Thank you, love.”’

Practicing today for the Portavira Charity Polo match, Sophie, along with Liam, Drake, Melanie and Maxwell were in the field taking turns with knock-ins.

She looked over to the sideline and spotted Liam watching her intently. He gave her a small wave and she waved back with a smile.

"Let's go, girl," Sophie urged her horse.

Marabelle broke into a gallop, Sophie leaning forward and keeping pace.

Liam watched as Sophie rode toward the goal, her posture perfect, her movements smooth and confident.

Sophie raised her mallet and struck the ball, sending it sailing through the air.

"Nice shot," Liam called out.

“Yes!” Sophie cried out as she turned back down the field to where Liam was standing.

"You're a natural out there!"

"Thanks," Sophie replied, blushing. Liam offered his hand as she dismounted Marabelle. "I love riding.”

"So, are you looking forward to the match tomorrow?"

"I am," Sophie said. "I'm a little nervous, too. It's my first time playing in front of a crowd."

"You'll be great," Liam assured her. "And we'll be a great team."

“Will the entire team meet today?”

“Yes, you will meet Rashad and Tariq this afternoon.”

“Are we interrupting?” Drake asked hesitantly as he and Melanie walked over.

"Hey guys ... of course not," Liam answered.

"How's practice going?" Melanie asked.

"Great," Liam and Sophie replied in unison, both grinning, sharing coy smiles.

"Looks like you've got a winning team, Liam." Melanie grinned, noticing Sophie move closer to his side.

"Thanks," Liam replied, a wide grin on his face.

“I think so, too,” Liam winked at Sophie, who smiled softly in return.

“We only have 7 players though. Leo flew out of Cordonia last night.” Drake shot Liam a concerned look, making a mental note of asking Liam about his brother’s absence after practice.

"We're gonna have so much fun," Drake grinned.

"You're playing, too?" Sophie asked, surprised.

"Of course. You didn't think Liam would let me miss the opportunity to beat him, did you?"

"We'll see about that," Liam smirked.

"Oh, it's on," Drake replied, a competitive glint in his eyes.

"Don't worry, we'll kick their asses," Melanie said to Sophie.

"Yes, we will," Sophie agreed, laughing.

As Drake and Melanie left to finish their rounds, Liam and Sophie continued practicing. Their easy banter and playfulness made it clear to anyone watching that there was a definite attraction between them.

... And the way Liam looked at her when their eyes met, his gaze filled with admiration and affection...it made Sophie's heart race.

She could only imagine how good it would feel to be in his arms again, his lips on hers.

The thought made her blush, and she tried to push it aside, focusing on the game. But the feeling remained, simmering beneath the surface as they walked their horses to the stable.

"You're incredible," Liam murmured as they left the field.

"Thank you," Sophie replied, grinning. "You weren't so bad yourself."

"High praise coming from you," he teased.

"I mean it," Sophie said, her tone serious. Liam reached over and took her hand in his as the stable hands led the horses to their stalls.

With a gentle smile, “high praise indeed, Sophie. And I assure you, I mean it. Your talent with Marabelle is unmatched.”

Their hands remained clasped as they walked to the clubhouse.

Azamara Cruise Ship, off the Italian coast, Mediterranean Sea

As the luxury ship cruised through the Mediterranean Sea, the sun was setting in a vibrant display of reds and oranges.

Leo stood on the deck, admiring the view, lost in thought.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

He turned to see a young woman standing beside him, her blond hair blowing in the breeze.

"It is," he agreed, turning his attention back to the sunset.

"I'm Katie, by the way."

"Leo."

"Nice to meet you," Katie said, offering her hand.

"Likewise," Leo replied, shaking her hand.

"So, Leo, what brings you out here? On a pleasure cruise?"

"Just needed to get away for a bit."

"Yeah, me too," Katie replied.

"It's been a tough week," Leo confided.

"Really, how so?" Katie asked.

"I had to make a decision that changed the course of my life."

"That's heavy," Katie replied. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really," Leo admitted. "I'd rather just try to forget about it for a while."

"Fair enough," Katie replied. "So, tell me, Leo, what do you do for fun?"

Leo laughed. "Honestly? Not much."

"Seriously?" Katie challenged.

"Yeah. I have a pretty serious job, and I'm usually focused on that.”

"Well, that's no good," Katie replied. "You need to have some fun, too.”

"What do you do for fun, Katie?"

"Everything!" she exclaimed. "I love exploring new places, trying new things, meeting new people."

"Sounds exciting.” Leo chuckled, turning his body towards her.

"It is," she went on. "And it's made me a lot more open-minded and adventurous.”

"Adventurous, huh?" Leo asked, intrigued by her temerity.

"Yeah," Katie said, grinning.

"Well, I could use a little adventure in my life."

"Then come with me," she said, holding out her hand.

Leo hesitated for a moment, then took her hand.

Katie led him down to the pool area, where several people were lounging and enjoying the warm evening air.

"Come on," she said, tugging him along.

"Where are we going?"

"To the hot tub," she replied.

Leo followed her to the hot tub and watched as she slipped out of her cover-up, revealing a white bikini underneath.

She stepped into the hot tub and turned to look at him.

"Well, are you coming?" Her eyebrow raised.

Leo could not resist her invitation. He quickly removed his clothes down to his boxers and joined her in the hot tub.

"Ahhh, this is nice," he sighed, sinking into the warm water.

"Isn't it?" Katie agreed, her body glistening in the soft light.

"So, what do you do for fun, Leo?"

"I'm a crown prince," Leo said. "So, my life is pretty much dedicated to duty."

"That doesn't sound very fun," Katie said, frowning.

"It's not," Leo admitted, noting her non-chalance of his mention of his title.

"Well, I'm sure we can find something fun for you to do," she said, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"I'm sure we can," he agreed, his heart beginning to race.

"How long are you on the cruise for?" Katie asked.

"The rest of the week," Leo replied.

"Perfect," Katie said. "We have plenty of time to get into some trouble."

"Trouble, huh?"

"Don't worry," she said, laughing. "I won't get you in too much trouble.

"I'm counting on it," Leo replied, his gaze locked on hers.

"You are a flirt, Leo."

"I can't help it," he said, his voice low. This woman was everything that Madeleine wasn't.

"You're very flirtable."

Katie laughed. "I'm sure that's not a word, but I'll take the compliment."

"Good," he said, smiling.

"So, what's your story, Katie?"

"My story?"

"Yeah. What brings you out here? On a pleasure cruise?"

"Same thing as you," Katie replied.

"An escape..."

Beaumont Estate, Ramsford, Cordonia

Sophie woke to the sound of knocking on her door. Groggily, she pulled herself out of bed and stumbled across the room. She opened the door to see Daniel standing there, a huge grin on his face and a bouquet of long-stemmed red roses in his hands.

"Good morning, Squirrel," he chirped.

"Morning, Dan. What are you doing here so early?"

"I wanted to bring these to you before you left for the polo match."

"Wow, they're beautiful," Sophie said, accepting the bouquet. "Thank you."

"They're not from me, silly. They're from your prince..."

"Oh," Sophie blushed.

"Here's the note," Daniel said, handing her a small envelope.

"Be my Valentine," Sophie read, her heart racing.

"Aww, that's so sweet," Daniel smiled. "He's really smitten with you."

"I guess so," Sophie replied, still a bit stunned.

"So, are you excited about the game today?"

"Yeah, I am," Sophie said. "I just hope I don't mess up."

"You'll be fine," Daniel assured her. "I have complete faith in you."

"Thanks, Dan," Sophie said, giving him a hug.

"You're welcome, Squirrel."

Sophie spent the rest of the morning getting ready for the polo match, her heart fluttering every time she lookrd at her roses. She couldn't believe he had sent her such a romantic gift, and she was eager to see him... to thank him personally.

Cordonian Royal Palace

The morning of the charity polo match, King Constantine was getting dressed when his attendant informed him of an incoming international call.

“Sir, your son, Leo, is on line one."

Constantine was surprised and concerned, and at once picked up the phone.

"Son, what's wrong? Where are you?"

"Father, I had to get away. I had to think."

"What's there to think about, Leo? Your duty is clear. Your kingdom needs you."

"But I don't want this," Leo said, his voice thick with emotion. "I never wanted this."

"Son, I know it's not easy, but we all have to do things we don't want to. It's part of being royalty."

"... that's the burden we bear."

"I can't do it," Leo said. "I won't."

"You must," Constantine said, his tone firm.

"No, I won't. I would rather give up my title than marry Madeleine."

"I'm sorry, son, but you don't have a choice."

"Then I'll abdicate," Leo said, his voice shaking.

"Leo, where are you now? Are you somewhere safe?"

"I'm on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean."

"You are, what?! You are the Crown Prince. You need to return home right away."

"I won't," Leo replied somberly.

"Leo, listen to me. Your place is here, in Cordonia. You just can’t walk away."

“I have. Liam will be a better King," Leo insisted.

"Leo! You ...."

“Father," Leo interrupted.

"When have you ever put me or Liam first?”

“I wasn’t the one to walk away. You were....”, Constantine admonished.

Leo remained quiet, steadfast in his decision.

"Leo, please," Constantine replied, his voice pleading.

"Goodbye, Father," Leo said, and then he hung up the phone.

Constantine stood there, stunned.

.......All I know since yesterday

Is that everything changed.......

Thanks for reading

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theroyalsandi · 10 months

Text

BREAKING NEWS!!!

The Luxembourg Ducal Court have announced that Prince Félix and Princess Claire of Luxembourg are expecting their 3rd child. Félix and Claire already have two children: Princess Amalia (b. 2014) and Prince Liam (b. 2016) of Nassau

“Their Royal Highnesses the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess are delighted to announce that Prince Félix and Princess Claire are expecting their third child. The two families join in the joy of their children.“ - Cour Grand-Ducale

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

#royaltyedit #theroyalsandi #royal news #prince felix #princess claire #princess amalia #prince liam #grand ducal family of luxembourg

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kristinamae093 · 9 months

Text

Ghosted

Ghosted - The Apple Banquet (Chapter 7)

Book/Pairing - TRR - Liam x MC (Riley Brooks)

A/N1 - This AU starts right before the beginning of the engagement tour. There is a two-month lapse between the coronation and where we pick up, but we will stray from canon. Please excuse any errors found.

Characters belong to Pixelberry

The Apple Banquet was set to begin inside the ballroom of the Applewood Estate momentarily. The entire country was excited, as it was the first one to take place since Constantine wed Regina. All of the nobility gathered to witness the bride and groom share an apple from the year’s first harvest before the wedding.

The wedding, Liam scoffed at the thought. After they found all of Riley’s things a few days ago, he completely changed his view point on the scandal and her disappearance. He spent all this time believing she left to be with someone else, but he began to see the situation from a different light.

It seems the more he learns about Riley’s last night here, the more he believes she was forced away.

Liam learned of Riley retiring early from Maxwell, so they had a solid timeframe where someone could have gotten her out of the estate undetected and the maid to pack and move her things. He felt a sense of relief when the maid reiterated that she was not seen leaving with Tariq, but another man. Of course, he wished she would have been able to identify the unknown person, but in a way, his heart swelled knowing she didn’t leave with Tariq, although it opened a world of other unanswered questions.

Bastien had been searching for Tariq and Riley but had no luck in locating either thus far. The last trace of Riley was landing from her flight in New York, the morning after the Country Jamboree. From there, her trail runs cold. There was no trace of Tariq after his arrival to Applewood whatsoever; there wasn’t even a record of a car coming to pick him up from the estate that night. They had both simply vanished into thin air, like a ghost.

Without either of them, Liam was clueless as to how to proceed further. The few clues they had were just that, clues. There was nothing prominent enough to place blame anywhere. Riley's room had been cleared, not a trace to be found. Nothing was spotted outside, no predominant leads were found in the shed, aside from the dress and the piece of mail. Much to everyone's dismay, Bastien confirmed that he disposed of Riley's phone and the letter left in the room, so no comparison could be done. Liam took blame for everything and felt helpless, there was nothing more he could do; but he felt he had to put on his Kingly facade and continue as if nothing was amiss, at least for the time being.

However, Liam felt the time constricting on him. He was set to marry Madeleine in just a few short weeks, and he didn’t have a clue as to what he was going to do about that. Although he knew it was his duty to marry and produce heirs, he didn’t know if he could marry Madeleine just to appease the nobility, especially now that he knew someone potentially plotted to put her on the throne.

More than that, after they found Riley’s bloodied dress, Liam felt a renewed sense of urgency about locating her; he needed to see that she was unharmed. Of course he wanted nothing more than to hopefully bring her back and ultimately make her his Queen, but he didn’t want to get too far ahead of himself. Just seeing with his own two eyes that she is okay would suffice him, although it would break his heart all over again.

As Liam stood on the dias next to Madeleine greeting all of the court’s nobles, he couldn’t help but look at everyone as if they were a suspect. Although the maid said she saw Riley with a man in a suit, every single person there could have benefitted from getting rid of her; he was aware of the fact that Riley was a commoner and not everyone would be okay with having her as a Queen. Furthermore, Liam was sure it was a hired person who escorted Riley away; he knew his nobles were not stupid, but conniving and malicious. They wouldn’t risk getting their hands dirty, especially with something of that magnitude considering she would have been his selection. That meant the suspect list was open to all of the nobility at this point.

“Liam? Are you even listening to me?!” Madeleine snapped.

“No, I’m not.” Liam retorted. He realized the other nobles were lining up behind the double doors, a sure signal that they were about to be announced into the ballroom with his Father and Regina at the head. He turned away from Madeleine and headed toward the line of people. He took his position in the back of the procession, as tradition dictated. He squared his shoulders, stood to his full height, and waited.

“Penelope!” Madeleine snapped her fingers. “My train!”

Liam silently scoffed as he watched Penelope scurry over and take position behind Madeleine. He saw her struggling to keep up with Madeleine’s pace, but she never once let that train touch the ground.

As they reached Liam’s position, Madeleine shooed Penelope away before she turned to Liam. “Cute. I don’t know what your deal is but you need to knock it off.”

“Or what?” Liam snapped as he turned to face her.

“I’m sure I can think of something.”

“Are you threatening me?”

Madeleine indignantly laughed. “No, darling, whatever would make you think that?” She feigned innocence.

Liam stepped closer to her and lowered his voice to where only she could hear. “I told you, I'm not playing whatever game it is that you are trying to play. You'd do well to remember that you are not the Queen, not yet… I hold that power, so I would advise you to tread carefully, Countess.” He hissed through clenched teeth.

Liam found himself on edge; he was not in the mood to deal with Madeleine, or anyone else for that matter. This is the last place he wanted to be, and he was not about to let Madeleine try and boss him around or assert whatever dominance she thought she held over him.

Liam stood back up and adjusted his lapels. Madeleine’s face turned a hundred shades of crimson, but she returned her attention to the line in front of her. She attempted to thread her arm through Liam’s, but he pulled away. At a nod from the herald, the doors swung open and Liam strode inside with Madeleine walking closely beside him.

They were led by a servant to a banquet table adorned with a white lace tablecloth. A wooden stand sat in the middle of the table with a bright red cordonian ruby sitting atop it, beside the apple was a knife with a black handle and gold trim.

Liam took his position behind the table next to Madeleine and directed his attention to his father, who had taken place in front of the table with a champagne flute of cider in hand.

"The sharing of a Cordonian ruby dates back to the times of King Fabian. At that time, the King and Queen would not share cake when they wed, but instead a Cordonian ruby. The monarchy has since modernized, but this tradition is to honor those who have paved the way before us.

We gather here today to celebrate not only another year's bountiful harvest, but the matrimony that these two will share. Although no vows will be exchanged here today, the symbolism remains the same."

Constantine stopped his speech as applause filled the air. He waited for a few moments before he raised his hand to quiet the crowd and continued. "We have a bright future ahead of us as a country. I have no doubt in my mind that these two will lead us with distinction and grace, just as the Kings and Queens before them. We will not only thrive under their rule, but prosper." He lifted his glass in the air. "To King Liam and our soon to be Queen, Countess Madeleine."

The crowd all raised their glasses and echoed the former King's sentiments. Liam and Madeleine then each cut a slice from the apple and ate it to complete the needless ceremony. Liam grew up loving the Cordonian ruby and was incredibly proud of his heritage, but that particular apple tasted incredibly tart and bitter. It took all of his willpower not to scrunch his face as the tangy, sour flavor overcame his taste buds.

Liam was forced to stand for photographs with Madeleine before he could take a moment for himself. He didn't smile, but instead just started blankly into space past the camera. Madeleine was positioned at a slight angle in front of him and he made it a point to put as much space between them as he could and still get a 'natural’ looking portrait.

Once pictures were finished, Liam made a beeline for the bar and ordered himself a scotch on the rocks; he needed something to calm his dangerously high stress levels. As his drink was delivered to him, he felt a hand on his back. He turned around to find Drake. “How you holding up?”

“I’m not, Drake. I haven’t slept, I don’t want to be here. I need to be looking for them, for her; I have to find her.” Liam said before he downed his drink in one gulp and motioned to the bartender for another.

Drake stepped forward and signaled for a whiskey as the bartender refilled Liam’s glass. As he waited he addressed Liam. “I know this is hard on you especially. But, for now, you gotta just play along. Make ‘em think you’re really gonna go through with the wedding.”

“It's just around the corner. There's not a lot of time…”

“Don’t think about that. Right now, our focus is this investigation. We just need a little bit more to go off of, and we’re going to find it, Li. However, that means you gotta pretened to be a pretentious stick in the mud to appease all these ass wipes for a little bit…” Drake smirked as he took a sip from his drink and looked around the room.

Liam half-laughed. “I know you’re right. This is the best option, at least for now.” He shook his head and looked into his drink. “I’m just having a hard time being diplomatic when I know that someone very likely in this room is responsible for hurting the woman I love.”

Drake patted Liam on the back. “I know. But, just think, when all this is said and done and we figure out who did this, you’re gonna get to go full blown King on that mutherfucker! Goddamn I can’t wait for that!” Drake exclaimed with a huge smile on his face.

Liam laughed, for real this time. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so happy, even when I got you that international whiskey subscription for your birthday.”

“Man, I should order another one of those, that Hakushu Single Malt was to die for.” Drake responded as he took a drink of the whiskey in his hand, imagining it was the japanese liquor.

“Maybe when this is all said and done I can get you a whole case of that.” Liam chuckled when Drake’s eyes widened, but he soon sighed and looked out at the crowd in front of them. “I suppose I should circulate the room, pretend I want to be here. But thank you for lifting my spirits.”

“What I’m here for.” Drake replied as he lifted his glass to Liam, who returned the gesture and downed a large drink after. Liam shook his hand before he turned and made his way through the crowded room.

As he turned away, Liam saw some lesser nobles and the suitors he hadn’t chosen, minus Olivia, who was not yet joining the tour officially. At first glance, he noticed Lady Hana was not present. He was unsure if an invitation had been extended or not, but made a mental note to find out. He shook his head and looked away as he observed Penelope dabbing Madeleine’s mouth with a napkin. She trailed behind holding her drink, even going as far as bringing the glass to Madeleine's lips.

Liam continued through the room, stopping on occasion to shake a hand and exchange pleasantries. He spotted his Father and Regina as they glided throughout the ballroom together. Even though Constantine hadn’t been given much time to live, he insisted on being present throughout the tour. Liam told him he didn’t need to accompany them on the entire route, but Constantine was stubborn and was outside with everyone else when it was time for the motorcade to leave the capitol.

As Liam made his way to the other side of the room, he noticed Bertrand and Maxwell in a secluded alcove. Bertrand waved his finger in Maxwell’s face and Maxwell had his gaze trained to the floor in front of him. Bertrand’s body was turned slightly away from Liam, but he could still see his reddened face and it appeared he spoke so fast he hadn't even stopped for a breath.

Liam decided he needed to intervene and walked toward the pair. He cleared his throat as he approached them. Bertrand turned with wide eyes and bowed to Liam.

“Is everything alright?” Liam asked.

“Oh, yes, of course Your Majesty. We were just discussing House business.” Bertrand replied as he slid his eyes over to Maxwell with an irritated expression.

“That’s not what appeared to be happening. It looks as though you were once again berating Maxwell when I specifically told you to lay off of him.”

“I understand that. However, I learned today from a potential business partner that Maxwell left the estate when he should have been awaiting their call! We didn't secure that deal because he decided he had something more important to do!” Bertrand exasperated as he kept his steely gaze trained on Maxwell.

Maxwell finally looked up to meet eyes with Liam. Liam knew that Maxwell snuck away from the estate to meet Drake and Olivia before the tour started; he also knew that Maxwell had not told Bertrand about their investigation, per Liam's request. Instead, he continued to let Bertrand berate him and place blame on him for their houses' tanked reputation and financial crisis.

What Liam saw in Maxwell’s gaze was complete devastation, he knew judging from his defeated expression he was starting to break. And Liam couldn’t blame him, he had put up with Bertrand's rants daily for months.

Although Liam wasn’t entirely sure if he should, he couldn’t bear to watch his friend be torn down to nothing and let it happen; it was time to set Bertrand straight.

Bertrand began again. “He’s continuously shown his irresponsibility! You can’t pick a suitor, you can’t answer a phone, what can you do, then?! I am this close to–”

“Enough.” Liam said in a quiet but stern tone as he held up his hand to stop Bertrand from his tirade.

“Forgive me, Your Majesty, I forget myself–”

“No. You are not going to berate Maxwell any longer as if this is his fault: it is not. As far as him missing your 'important' phone call, I happen to know where he was and who he was with, and that meeting was far more important, I assure you.” Liam bit out.

Bertrand grew confused. “What? I don’t understand, what meeting? Why didn’t you tell me about this meeting?” He asked Maxwell.

“I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone…” Maxwell quietly answered, avoiding eye contact.

“What does that even mean?!”

Liam quickly looked behind him to the crowded ballroom and decided it was too risky to talk there. He motioned for Maxwell and Bertrand to follow him and led them down a hallway close by. He stopped at a nondescript door and ushered them inside.

As he faced them, Liam addressed Bertrand, specifically. “Duke Beaumont, I’d first off like to say that you should be ashamed of how you’ve treated Maxwell as of recent. Let's not forget, you didn’t even select a suitor to begin with.”

“With all due respect, Your Majesty–”

Liam held up his hand to stop him. “I’m not interested in your excuses, nor your apologies. Those are not meant for me, anyway.” Liam looked to Maxwell with a sad expression, then back to Bertrand. “I just wanted you to understand that your King is incredibly disappointed in your horrific behavior, which you had no reason for.”

“No reason?! Sir, I have every reason to be upset! Maxwell brought that… that… harlot here and she–”

“You are two seconds away from finding yourself in the cells. I know you don’t know the truth, but I’d advise you to watch your tone.” Liam hissed through clenched teeth.

“The truth? What truth is there to know? We all know what happened–”

“I have officially opened an investigation into Lady Riley’s disappearance.”

Bertrand’s eyes bulged from the sockets. “D-Disapperance?!”

Liam told Bertrand about what they had learned so far and where they were at with the investigation, as well as his suspicions of Riley being forced to leave. He told him about the shed they found, as well as the bloodied dress and letter inside.

When Liam was finished, he and Maxwell watched as Bertrand slowly walked over to a chair and sunk himself down into it. He clasped his hands together and stared in front of him for a long while. Liam and Maxwell didn’t say a word, just observed as a plethora of emotions crossed Bertrand’s features.

Finally, Bertrand spoke. He kept his gaze to the floor in front of him, “So… she was set up?” he whispered.

“We believe so, yes.” Liam answered.

Bertrand broke into sobs. Maxwell quickly crossed the room and crouched in front of Bertrand. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but we’re going to figure this out! We’re going to fix this!” Maxwell promised him as tears of his own streamed down his face.

Bertrand shook his head and looked away from Maxwell. “While I’m upset she was set up, I’m mostly ashamed of how I’ve treated you since... I’ve blamed you and berated you this whole time, and you were never at fault. You never once challenged me in all the atrocious things I said about you, you just… allowed me to do it…” He tried to swallow the overwhelming lump in his throat and quietly asked, “Did you know about Lady Riley? This whole time?”

Maxwell shook his head and quietly responded, “I only found out before the tour, although I will admit I didn’t know when I snuck out.” He looked away. “I had my doubts about it though… But you were so mad at me and I didn’t want to make it worse.”

“Maxwell… I-I’m so sorry...” Bertrand shook his head as more tears flowed down his cheeks. “You didn’t deserve any of that treatment. I can’t believe I’ve acted this way…”

Maxwell inched closer. “It’s okay, Bertrand!”

“No, it’s not okay. I treated you so… maliciously, as if you weren’t my own flesh and blood.” Bertrand wiped at his cheeks and looked Maxwell directly in the eye. “I’ll never forgive myself.”

Maxwell leaned forward and embraced Bertrand; he squeezed him as tight as he could. Even though Maxwell was still indeed hurt from Bertrand’s harsh words, he didn’t want to see him beat himself up over it. All he wanted to do was to move forward and put this entire mess behind them. Ultimately, all Maxwell wanted was to clear his best friend’s name and bring her home to make the family complete again.

“I love you Bertrand, and if I forgive you, you have to forgive yourself. You’ve been under so much pressure since Dad got sick, and I know I’ve always added to your problems. And then to lose our suitor at the very end of the season…” Maxwell took a deep breath to steady himself and continued. “You were under a lot of stress, and it was technically my fault for bringing her here to begin with, so…”

“No.” Bertrand firmly said as he pulled himself from Maxwell’s embrace, “You are not to blame here whatsoever Maxwell… In fact, I may be more at fault here than you..." He took a deep breath and quietly said, "I – I'm afraid I may need to come clean about something…"

Maxwell immediately moved and stood next to Liam with a furrowed brow. Liam felt his heart rate increase and stepped forward instantly. "What do you mean?"

"I – I worry you may find out anyway during your investigation, and I feel after my other atrocious actions I may as well come clean and take my punishment."

Bertrand was suddenly yanked up from his seat by Liam's strong hands. Liam held Bertrand by the collar of his sweater and pulled his face to eye level, nearly lifting him off his feet. "What did you do?"

Maxwell stepped forward to intervene, but Bertrand held a hand out to stop him. As he spoke, his eyes never left Liam's steely gaze. "Don't. I deserve whatever may come." He took a deep breath and told them about going through Maxwell’s phone and selling the photos from Liam's bachelor party. Bertrand realized if Liam found out on his own, his fate would be ten times worse than whatever he would be facing now. To hopefully spare himself, he was willing to come clean.

The longer Bertrand spoke, the more Maxwell's shock intensified; he couldn't believe Bertrand stooped so low. Liam saw red; he yanked Bertrand closer and growled, "You fucking snake."

"I understand your anger, sir–"

"Did you do it? Did you set her up?" Liam slightly shook Bertrand. "Did you force her to leave?!"

Bertrand's eyes widened once more. "No! My indiscretions were toward the beginning of the social season, and I changed my view on her! I believed in her until–"

"Why? Why do it then?!" Liam shook Bertrand harder, audibly tearing his vest in the process, but Liam was quick to bunch up more fabric to keep his hold intact.

"I assumed she wouldn't last and I was desperate for the money." Bertrand quickly spat out.

"So you not only sold your suitor out, but you sold me out as well? For profit?" Bertrand didn't respond, only nodded his head with shame etched in his features.

At that moment, every single thing that happened over the past couple of days combined with this newly added betrayal sent Liam overboard. He tightened his grip on Bertrand’s vest and pulled, ripping it down the middle with ease and leaving it dangling like the jacket over it. Bertrand stumbled backwards but was given no time to react before a fist connected with his jaw, the popping sound echoing throughout the room. Bertrand dropped to the floor with a yelp cradling his face as he frantically prepared himself for the next blow. Maxwell wanted to help, but he was frozen in fear at seeing the look of pure rage in Liam's features.

Liam stared down at Bertrand through narrowed eyes with heavy breaths. "Your actions are making me question whether or not you are truly fit for the title of Duke. To not only exploit your suitor, but your future King?" He stalked toward Bertrand, who was scooting backward across the floor.

The moment was interrupted by a stern knock. Without notice the door swung open and Bastien rushed inside. He quickly approached Liam and said, “Sir, we need to get you to the safe room, now.” and placed his hand on him to begin leading him away.

“What, why?!” Liam questioned as he attempted to evade Bastien’s grip.

“There’s been a body found.”

Liam forcefully stomped his feet on the ground. “What?! Do you know who it was? What happened?”

“Sir, I don’t know a lot of information right now, but I have to get you to safety before I can go secure the area.”

“Where was it?”

Bastien remained silent for a long moment. He looked as if he didn’t want to answer, but once he saw Liam’s budding impatience he finally spoke. “The west grounds, sir.”

While Liam was locked away in the guarded safe room with Madeleine, her parents, Constantine and Regina, Olivia and Drake were on their way to examine the crime scene with Bastien. The royal family had a secured area inside all the major estates for this purpose, although houses were available nearby. However, those were only used in drastic scenarios such as terrorist threats or assassination attempts. Since there was no signs someone was attempting to target the nobility, Bastien assured them they would be safe there while he and the guard did an initial investigation.

Olivia was not yet ready to join the tour on an official standpoint. She knew the time would come when she would have to, but right now she was only stalking in the shadows looking for any kind of information. Only a select few knew of her presence and she intended to keep it that way until absolutely necessary.

Olivia went back and searched Riley’s room again to ensure nothing was missed and returned to the shed to retrieve the contaminated dress. As her initial shock faded, she realized that was a prominent clue laying right in front of their faces. She went back and grabbed the article at the start of the Apple Banquet while everyone was distracted. She intended to give the item to Bastien, but when he found her and informed her of the crime committed she sprung into action and followed along, the dress momentarily forgotten.

As they walked along the path she immediately realized where they were headed; the shed she had visited just a few hours prior where Riley's things were hidden. From the front, everything appeared as it was when Olivia visited the area. Her anxiety increased as Bastien approached the structure, but he veered to the left and led them to the back, which she was nowhere near during her earlier venture.

Guards scoured all around, some people in lab coats were taking pictures, multiple evidence markers lay on the ground near the area. As her eyes searched over the vicinity, she couldn’t help but feel like it seemed incredibly – tame, for what she was guessing had happened.

Propped against the back wall of the shed was a lifeless body. Upon first glance, the cause of death was undoubtedly clear; the victim's throat had been slashed nearly from ear to ear. Olivia grew up around weapons and knew exactly what kind of damage her skills could do. As she gazed upon the gruesome gash, she immediately knew that wound was deep and absolutely intentional; whoever did this did not hesitate whatsoever. Furthermore, the face was severely battered; both eyes were swollen shut and painted every shade of black, as well as a severely broken nose. She stared at the battered face for only a moment before a small gasp escaped Olivia as recognition swept over her; it was the maid they had spoken with only a few days prior.

Olivia’s widened eyes traveled down the body and she was unable to tell if there could be more wounds on the maid’s chest and abdomen, or if the coat of blood was due to her fatal injury. However, that’s where Olivia’s suspicions sky rocketed; the body was covered in a heavy layer of blood, but the ground around her had nothing.

“Walker, come here.” Olivia beckoned. Drake walked over to her with furrowed brows as Olivia stood. “Tell me I’m crazy, but there’s absolutely no blood around that body.”

“Huh…” Drake answered as he looked around. “You’re right. Hey Bas!” He hollered over his shoulder. Bastien appeared within an instant with a pen and pad in hand. “Have you noticed how there’s no blood here?”

“Hmm…” Bastien glanced down at the area with an unreadable expression before he nodded and wrote something down. “I’ve added it to my notes. Do be sure to let me know if you notice anything else. The more information we have, the sooner we can find an answer.”

“Are we just going to ignore the gigantic elephant in the room?" Olivia motioned to the shed. “This is no coincidence. Who this is, where she’s at, the fact that I'm certain this body was placed here specifically…”

Drake’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. “Holy shit–”

Olivia rolled her eyes. “I’m going to start charging if I have to keep spelling everything out for you.”

Bastien spoke before Drake could retort, “I hadn’t made that connection; excellent work Duchess.”

Olivia raised an eyebrow and watched Bastien jot something yet again on his pad. “Okay, him I understand needing a preschool explanation, you on the other hand should’ve made that connection instantly.” She snapped as she continued to eye him critically.

Bastien was slightly taken back, but quickly recovered himself. “I understand your frustration. However, I’m becoming aware of developments at the same rate as you. I’m grateful for your assistance.” He bowed to her. As he stood he addressed the pair, “I’m going to secure the perimeter.”

Olivia watched him leave with narrowed eyes. He went over to a guard and spoke quietly then aimlessly walked around the area. Every now and again he would write something down, but otherwise he only made laps. She knew Bastien was senseless at times, but he almost seemed more so than normal.

For the first time, she took a good look around and again couldn’t help but notice how everything seemed conveniently placed. The yellow evidence markers were almost in a straight line in clustered areas. She approached one and bent down to observe and saw it was a wad of hair; not one single hair, a bunched up ball of long, dark hair. Another was simply a piece of gum; she was no criminal mastermind, but who in their right mind would spit their gum out in the middle of a vicious murder? Of course, it’s possible to be unrelated, but this area was practically of no use; that is until Riley’s things were shoved here. Regardless, Bastien still continued to search the area as if this was a normal crime scene and nothing was amiss.

As she scanned the area, the sudden realization of what was going on on a broader spectrum hit her; whoever orchestrated getting Madeleine on the throne was surely onto the fact that they were now asking questions. It was a silent agreement that whoever managed to remove the top two suitors from the social season was a powerful force, but it suddenly seemed much stronger and deadlier than before. This entire scene was pieced together to send a message; someone knew, and whoever it was was not happy about their venture for answers.

Olivia pulled Drake aside and spoke in a low, cautious tone. “We need to get out of here.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Look around, Drake! Even you have to notice something does not add up! This was fucking staged – someone is trying to send us a message.”

“We gotta tell Bas–”

“Why? So he can write it down?” Olivia rolled her eyes. “We need to plan our next steps… our next move has to be calculated.” She looked around with a nervous expression. As she did, her eyes landed on Bastien who simply nodded and returned to his grazing.

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ao719 · 2 years

Text

The Pact (Part 2)

This is a submission for @choicesflashfics, using prompt #1: “I’ve had a rough day and all I want right now is a drink and someone to cuddle with.” and prompt #3: “I have a perfectly reasonable explanation for this.”

A/N: This is an au mini series to my Hopeless Hearts story. Thank you to @burnsoslow for prereading! Please excuse any errors.

Pairing: Liam x OC (Aria)

Warnings: None but some mild language and innuendos.

Word count: 2269

Song Inspiration: Bad Guy - We Three

Catch up here

Whistling to himself as he stepped out of the suite of the hotel, Liam walked down the hall to the elevator; he stepped inside and hit the button for the lobby. As the car began making its descent, he looked at his reflection in the mirrored wall, running his fingers through his hair.

The doors slid open, and Liam stepped out, scanning the lobby. Standing next to Rashad and Maxwell, Drake threw his arm up to get his attention; when he noticed, Liam moved through the small crowd toward them. As he got closer, he spotted Lea, Maia, and Korinna standing with them.

No Aria in sight.

“Hello,” Liam smiled as he approached. He greeted each of the ladies with a kiss on the cheek before shaking the guys’ hands.

“So you ended up making it after all,” Maia smiled.

“Yeah. The diplomatic trip with my brother was cut short because the Italian statesman had a family emergency.” The women all nodded in understanding. “So,” he said, looking around, “where’s my favorite arch-nemesis?”

Drake snorted, shaking his head as Lea rolled her eyes with a good-natured grin. “She’s not coming out with us tonight.”

“Aw. What a shame,” Liam said, pressing his palm to his chest while pouting his lip dramatically as he feigned being upset. It was a little bit of a shame … but he’d never say that out loud. “What could she possibly be doing that’s better than hanging out with me?”

“She’s on a date,” Korinna chuckled.

Liam fought back the grin that was threatening to form. “Is that so?”

“Yeah. She was pretty excited about it,” Lea smiled.

“Where was she going?” Liam asked.

“She didn’t go into detail, but I’m sure she’ll tell us all about it later,” Maia replied.

Liam nodded. Just then, his phone rang, and he pulled it from his pocket. Perfect timing, he thought. “It’s my father. You guys go in ahead, I’ll catch up.”

“You sure?” Drake asked. “We can wait.”

“No, no. He’s probably going to want details on the trip — ones Leo didn’t give — that you all don’t need to be bored with, and I don’t know how long he’ll keep me. I’ll just meet you guys …” Liam trailed off, looking at them expectantly.

“At Oasis,” Lea answered.

Liam nodded. “Got it. I’ll be there soon.” They nodded in return before pushing their way through the revolving door, and Liam raised the phone to his ear.

****

A few minutes later, after rushing his father off the line — but thankful he bought him the time he needed away from the others — Liam ambled his way out of the hotel, staring down at his phone as he pulled up Pictagram and entered Aria’s user name into the search bar; they didn’t follow one another, but she didn’t have her account set as private either. One thing he noticed about her was that whenever their group was out to eat, exploring somewhere new, or just hanging out and doing something fun, she always took pictures. And she always posted them. They were anything from selfies with the group — except Liam — to food and drinks.

When Aria’s account popped up, Liam clicked on it. Sure enough, her newest post, made just an hour beforehand, was of a cosmopolitan. The caption: Drinks at Agora. Liam smirked, shaking his head. She should know better by now, he chuckled mischievously to himself. Granted, she was under the impression, as were the others, that Liam wouldn’t be there that trip, so she more than likely thought she was safe.

She was wrong.

It had been a year since Liam and Aria’s little drunken pact was made that if they were still single at 25, Liam would skip his Social Season and they would get married. Was there any truth or rationality to the pact? No, most definitely not. Honestly, the mere idea of it was laughable. But they sure as hell were doing whatever they could to make sure the other had remained single the past year.

It started just a couple of weeks after the pact was made. Aria was on a date one evening and wasn’t coming to hang out with the others that night when the guys came in for a visit.

Liam found out where this date was taking place and sabotaged it by sending a singing telegram to the restaurant she was at.

It was a song — a lovely lyrical piece, if you asked Liam — depicting how Aria had given its sender much more than they bargained for after spending a night with her, and they were now on antibiotics to clear up the mess down below. Her date ran off, more than horrified, leaving her stunned and mortified at the table as other guests snickered around her.

Aria had no idea what the hell happened, and when she demanded the performer tell her who sent him, he nervously pointed to the window at the offender who was standing outside, grinning smugly. Her eyes narrowed and she ran out of the restaurant after Liam as he laughed, screaming at him as she chased him down the streets of Delphios.

It had been a back-and-forth between them ever since with Aria retaliating against Liam in her own evil little ways. And it led to them not typically making it beyond a successful second date with anyone, a third if they were lucky.

Was there a part of Liam that was a little jealous whenever he saw Aria out on dates? Of course. He would never tell her that, though. He would never tell anyone. They were known to their group of friends as the two who loathed one another and merely put up with each other’s presence for the sake of everyone else.

None of them knew that over the past year and a half since they first met, Liam and Aria had spontaneously hooked up on several occasions.

None of them knew of the ridiculous little pact they drunkenly made.

None of them knew that the reason they were both having so much trouble locking down any form of a relationship with anyone was because of the other.

And none of them knew that the real reason behind Liam’s year-long sabotage was because he was too stubborn to admit that he actually liked her. He wouldn’t admit that he wanted Aria for himself.

Truthfully, he didn’t see a point.

Liam had just come to terms with the fact himself not too long ago, forcing himself one evening to finally acknowledge why she drove him so utterly mad. He went along on trips and outings with the others when he could say no at any given time because he wanted to see her. He irritated her because that was just their way of communicating. He sabotaged because he was jealous.

Aria had made her feelings, or lack thereof, towards Liam very clear over the last year and a half, however. Sure, they had hooked up — as recently as a month ago — but he knew better than anyone that those moments didn’t mean anything. For her, each time it happened, it was impetuous, simply to scratch an itch, and so, he played it off just the same. He didn’t see a point in changing how he approached their antagonistic relationship by putting himself out there and confessing how he felt when he knew all that would come from it was certain rejection as she laughed in his face.

So why bother to continue his little sabotages? Because it was just … their thing. It’s what they did. It was all part of this game they played to get under one another’s skin and draw a rise from each other. If there ever came a point and time when one or both of them showed genuine interest in stopping, he would gladly cease the game.

Today was not that day.

****

After walking a couple of blocks, Liam glanced up to see Agora’s illuminated sign. He slipped his phone into his pocket with a subtle smirk as he started for the door.

When Liam stepped inside, he was met with mingled chatter from the other restaurant-goers as they dined. He scanned the crowd, looking for her. “Can I help you, sir?” the hostess asked as she greeted him with a smile.

“I’m meeting someone — oh! There she is,” Liam grinned.

The woman gestured for him to go ahead and Liam nodded in thanks. He started making his way toward a quiet back corner where Aria was sitting at a booth. He began to chuckle quietly, imagining what her reaction was going to be; he was approaching her from behind, so she wouldn’t see him coming.

When Liam approached, the man she was with looked up at him just before he slipped into the booth right beside Aria, slinging an arm over her shoulder. “Hi, babe,” he said a little too enthusiastically.

Aria’s eyes widened as she snapped her gaze over to him; her eyes then flickered between Liam and her date. “What the hell are you doing here?” she whispered harshly.

“I’ve missed you, too, love,” Liam smiled, turning his head to smother a kiss and a laugh against her cheek.

Aria shoved him back, but he kept his arm around her. “Um … who are you?”

Liam looked at the man across from him at his question; he had a defined jawline, dark hair, and light brown eyes that popped against his tan complexion. Of course she’d go for someone like him. Flaunt the title or not? No. “Liam. Aria’s boyfriend,” he said as he extended his hand across the table, ignoring her too-stunned-to-speak expression. “And you are?”

“Boyfriend?” the man asked incredulously, ignoring Liam’s hand as he looked at Aria.

“No!” Aria said, a little too loudly before dropping her voice back to an indoor level. She let out a nervous breath. “I have a perfectly reasonable explanation for this,” she said as she shrugged Liam’s arm off of her.

“Well, I’d love to know what the hell is going on! You never mentioned having a boyfriend!”

Aria began to protest. “That’s because he’s not—”

“I’m sorry. I still didn’t catch your name,” Liam interrupted as he looked at him.

“Ambrose,” he grumbled.

Oh, Jesus Christ. “Nice to meet you,” Liam grinned. He looked at the man’s half-eaten plate. “Oh, did you have the lobster dolma? It’s excellent here, isn’t it? That’s one of my girl’s favorites. She loves a good dolma.”

“Shouldn’t you be in Italy?” Aria grumbled.

“My trip got cut short and I wanted to come home and surprise you, love,” Liam smiled, wrapping his arm back around her shoulders and nuzzling his face in her hair. Aria elbowed him in the gut, causing him to grunt through a laugh as he pulled her closer to his side. “She really loves to play rough,” he winked at Ambrose before looking back at her. “Baby, listen,” he crooned, twirling her hair around his finger before she swatted his hand away. “My trip was a bit arduous and then the flight … needless to say, I’ve had a rough day and all I want right now is a drink and someone to cuddle with. I’ve missed you so much. You know how much I hate being away from you.” He was struggling to fight back his laugh.

Aria tensed her jaw. “Liam, I swear to god—”

“Yeah, I’m going to go,” Ambrose said as he stood.

“Wait! Please,” Aria said, pushing Liam off of her before scooting around to the other side of the booth. “I promise, this is not what it sounds like,” she pleaded.

Ambrose shook his head, clearly agitated. “Lose my number,” he huffed before stomping away.

Aria watched him leave before her narrowed eyes turned to Liam as he rested back against the cushion of the booth. “Well, that was much easier than I anticipated,” he chuckled.

“I hate you so much.” Aria slipped out of the booth, heading for the exit.

Liam pulled out his wallet, throwing some cash down to cover a meal he didn’t even eat before hurrying after her. He followed her outside and down the sidewalk, falling into step beside her. “Aw, come on. You’re not the least bit happy to see me?” he teased.

“I was happy when I thought you weren’t going to be here this weekend,” Aria snapped.

“Ouch. You wound me, babe,” Liam snorted, hearing her let out an annoyed breath. “Listen, let’s not act like I didn’t just do you a favor. Ambrose? Really? He sounds like a walking red flag. And look how fast he caved under just a wee bit of pressure. You don’t want someone like that.”

“Do not presume to tell me what I want. And I didn’t ask for your opinion,” Aria ground out.

“Well, lucky for you, it’s on the house,” Liam quipped. “And you’re welcome.”

“God, you’re so damn infuriating,” Aria chided. She could sense Liam’s smug grin beside her without even glancing at him. “Where is everyone else?”

“At Oasis.”

“You’re covering my tab for the rest of the night!”

“Dinner and drinks?” Liam chuckled, earning a questioning look from her. “I covered yours and little Ambrosia’s bill since you both skipped out like delinquents. Again, you’re welcome. Now, back to this whole dinner and drinks thing … so what I’m hearing is, we’re now on a date.”

“No, we are not!”

“Uh-huh, sure,” Liam grinned. “Keep telling yourself that.”

“Have I told you before how utterly obnoxious you are?”

“Once or twice,” Liam shrugged with a smirk.

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

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karahalloway · 6 months

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Sleepless in New York: Chapter 12 - Hungover on You

Series: TRR

Pairing: Drake Walker x F!OC (Harper Gale)

Synopsis: What if Drake met Harper on the first night of Prince Christian’s New York bachelor party? A stand-alone AU written from Drake's POV.

Masterlist: Sleepless in New York

Chapter Summary: The time has come to fly back home... but who won the bet?

Word Count: 6,800

Rating/Warnings: E (swearing, aggravation, references to graphic images, references to sex, references to bodily functions, toilet humour, motive for murder, way too much caffeine)

Chapter theme song:

A/N1: Thank you so much for bearing with me! This chapter was supposed to be done quickly but then it suddenly exploded into the almost 7,000-word monster that you see before you (I blame Leo 😆). Hopefully, the contents make up for the longer-than-planned wait! There will be one more chapter.

A/N2: As an FYI, everything that is mentioned is true/correct/accurate. Yes, everything! You'll know what I mean when you get to it! 🙃

Chapter 12 - Hungover on You

"Mmm... You're right... These pancakes are heavenly...!" enthuses Max 'round an overstuffed gob.

"I have to admit, I may have been skeptical at first, given the somewhat... dated nature of the décor," admits Chris, skewering the last bite of his own stack, "but I am very glad that I did not allow first impressions to sway me, and to instead let the delights of the fare speak for itself."

I throw him a sidelong glance. "I told you to trust me, didn't I?"

"That you did, mate," Chris chuckles good-naturedly. "That you did."

"Drake always finds the best food," sighs Max as he closes his eyes in blissful appreciation.

I shrug nonchalantly. If you know where to look...

Having hit up Times Square and snapping the obligatory pic or two — it's the end of the trip... fuck it — I'd heeded Chris' final request for this trip by tracking down somewhere we could fuel up before our fast-approaching flight home.

And given the questionable-looking nature of our chosen venue, Chris' initial trepidation had been more than understandable.

Because from the outside — but for the tell-tale smell of bacon wafting out onto the street — this joint looks more like an illicit drug den than a bona fide restaurant. The single-paned window that faces the street has a massive crack in it, the doorway stinks of stale urine, and I wouldn't be surprised if a dead body or two had ended up in the dumpster 'round the back.

The inside's not much better, either. It's a cheap, no-frills galley-kitchen kind of set-up manned by a single, overweight chef who pumps out eggs, bacon, pancakes and hash browns in massive portions while you sit on the other side of the greasy, Lino-covered counter on creaky, '60's bar stools, sipping fully-leaded coffee from chipped mugs.

In short, the complete antithesis of the polished and slightly over-glammed feel of the retro, 1950s diner we ate at yesterday.

And that's why I picked it. Because after having been up the whole night, we need something to sub-in for our lack of sleep, and nothing tastes better than comfort food when you're craving a calorie hit. Plus, Chris had wanted a 'classic' Stateside breakfast experience, and it doesn't get much more Americana than this...

"What is all that sticky goop that it's swimming in?"

...except for the fact that I have Tariq sitting on the other side of me, complaining loudly about every-damn-thing that offends his toffee-nosed sensibilities.

Because as per usual, I can't seem to take two steps in this fuckin’ city without the Almighty crapping on me.

Our butts had just hit the stools when Chris' phone began lighting up with a million-and-one messages from Max asking where we were, what the plan was, and was there any food anywhere.

So, Chris (being Chris) had extended the breakfast invite to not only Max, but to the rest of our band of noble misfits, meaning that our laid-back outing has now morphed into a real-life rendition of The Breakfast Club.

I suppress a groan as I take another swig of my scalding coffee, careful not to move my mouth too much, given that — on top of everything — my jaw has set into exactly the kind of contused stiffness that I'd hoped to avoid.

My own damn fault for not icing the damn thing down when I had the chance...

The only person missing is Leo.

Not that I really care. I've had enough of that guy and his BS for one trip. And the main reason I haven't decked him yet for the shit he pulled last night is because I haven't actually seen him since Gale and I got booted from the club.

And I don't want to ruin Chris' last hour in the Big Apple by knocking his brother's teeth out.

The same can't be said for Tariq, though...

"It's maple syrup, Besnard..." I grunt at him, trying to maintain my focus on the viscous caffeine in my hand, and not the half-a-dozen ways in which I could smash the asshole's face into the countertop.

Because after the steady stream of crap that's hit the fan in the past 36 hours, the only thing keeping me on this side of sane right now is the free-refill mugs of coffee that I've been pouring into myself since we sat down.

Which means that my mood's dancing on a hair trigger, and I'm one stupid comment away from committing violence.

The chef'd probably thank me, though...

Tariq flashes me a disgusted look. "Maple syrup...? You mean tree sap? That is the most disgusting thing I have ever heard of!"

"A lot of things come from trees, dipshit..." I mutter, forcing myself to keep staring at the wall ahead.

Tariq scoffs. "Why would—?"

"Cinnamon is obtained from the inner bark of various South and South East Asian tree species," Chris reminds him.

"And cloves are the dried aromatic flower buds of the clove tree," adds Max, chewing loudly on a ketchup-coveted tater-tot.

Tariq glares down the counter disdainfully. "What are you lot? Walking encyclopaedias...?"

"We just know where our food comes from, Besnard," I grind out around the rim of my mug. "As would you if you ever bothered to step outside."

"Where it comes from is irrelevant," comes the derisive clap-back. "The only thing that matters is the price tag."

"Even when it's been through the digestive tract of a wild animal?" interjects Max with a perfectly straight face.

Tariq nearly spews his over-steeped tea across the room. "What!"

"Certain brands of coffee demand a premium price because of their somewhat... exotic processing process," affirms Chris. "For instance, Kopi Luwak is the most exclusive coffee in the world primarily because it comes from beans that have been consumed and then excreted by the Indonesian palm civet."

Tariq's eyes bulge. "Excreted... As in—?"

"Pooped out," confirms Max gleefully. "Through tiny little butt holes."

Tariq looks like he's about to puke.

"That is correct," continues Chris. "The bile in the civet's digestive system causes the fermentation of—"

Tariq bolts from his chair.

"Lemme guess..." I drawl, turning to face the other two. "The fuck stick's just realised that he's willingly subjected himself to this fancy ass coffee."

"Ass being the operative word..." sniggers Max as he mops up the escaped yolk from his sunny-side-up eggs with a piece of over-buttered toast.

"Yes," laughs Chris, reaching for his own mug of coffee. "He accompanied his father on a business trip to Indonesia last year where he was given the 'Holy Grail' of coffees as a gift..."

"...not realising what it actually was," I snort. "Typical."

The door of the dive creaks open.

"Speaking of typical..." I muttered under my breath as I glance over my shoulder and catch sight of the familiar figure who's just stepped through the entranceway.

"Hey, hey, hey, party people!" greets Leo as he saunters up to us like he doesn't have a care in the world...

...Oh, wait. He never does.

"Glad you could make it!" smiles Chris as he gets up from his stool to clasp his brother's hand in his own. "I was starting to think maybe you lost your phone again."

"I did, as a matter of fact," confirms Leo with a lop-sided grin, fist-pumping Max as he flops down into Tariq's now-vacant seat.

Chris frowns. "But then how—?"

"DiCaprio took pity on me and gave me a new one he had lying around his flat... Which, I have to say, is pretty sweet."

Max is gaping in starry-eyed admiration. "You got to go to famous Leo's apartment? Jealous!"

"No party like the after-party! And that man knows how to party. Oh! Bacon!" the elder Rys exclaims, suddenly laying eyes on Tariq's abandoned plate.

Chris still looks confused. "But if you lost your phone—"

"The magic of the eSIM, baby!" declares Leo with a full mouth as he brandishes a brand-new iPhone into the air. "Been using it for years! Why d'you think my number never changes?"

Chris opens, then closes his mouth. "Fair point."

"Glad to see you haven't lost your touch, Walker," continues Leo with a shit-eating grin as he elbows me in the ribs. "This place is the perfect spot to get daytime murdered in!"

"Careful what you wish for, Rys..." I mutter under my breath.

"Good bacon, though!" he quips, filching another rasher.

"We can order you a helping if you're hungry..." offers Chris.

"Nah, I'm good," replies Leo, dunking the bacon into some syrup. "Grabbed a bagel on the way from this awesome little Jewish place. Do you know that they even—?"

"Oh, dear God...!" gasps Tariq, bursting back into the dining area with a horrified look on his face. "That restroom is disgusting!"

I clench my eyes shut. Sweet Jesus give me strength...

"I admit it smelled a bit funky," concedes Max, "but nothing worse than when Bertrand—"

"There is excrement floating in the toilet bowl!" Tariq all but shrieks.

"Lemme guess..." I murmur to Chris under my breath. "He didn't know how that shit got made either."

Chris' eyes bulge as his coffee goes down the wrong way.

"That is generally what happens when you take a dump," Max tells him prosaically.

"It wasn't mine!!"

"Hate to break it to you, old sport," intones Leo, laying a hand on Besnard's shoulder, "but not every pisser flushes itself. So, you're going to have t—"

"No!" interjects Tariq, shoving Leo's arm away. "I refuse to go back in there! In fact, I've had it with this entire establishment, this entire city, and this entire bloody trip! Everybody is rude, nobody respects me, and I have suffered enough denigration to last me a lifetime! I am leaving!"

Throwing his nose into the air, he turns on the heel of his treadless Ferragamo loafers to stomp out of the diner.

"Christ!" huffs Leo as he jerks a derisive thumb in Tariq's direction. "Who pissed in his Earl Grey?"

"Oh, he's just miffed because he knows he lost the bet last night," supplies Max 'round a mouthful of toast.

Leo perks up. "What bet?"

"Oh, for fuck's sake..." I groan.

I'd completely forgotten 'bout the stupid bet...

"He does know that the hotel is in the other... direction..." coughs Chris, having finally managed to clear the wayward coffee from his lungs. "Doesn't he?"

"I wouldn't bet on it," I mutter, watching Tariq nearly get run over by an early morning cab as he tries to cross the street. "If we're lucky, he'll end up in Brooklyn again."

Chris starts hacking all over again as he tries and fails to stifle a laugh. "You're a...horrible person..."

"But I'm not wrong," I tell him, pointedly lifting my mug to my mouth again.

"Screw the sour-arsed sod!" cries Leo. "I want to know about this bet! And why I wasn't included on it!"

"You weren't there," I tell him tersely. "Plus, you'd've been ineligible anyway."

"Why would I—?" The proverbial lightbulb clicks to life in Leo's head. "Ooh! It was a race to fourth base, wasn't it?"

"Congrats, Sherlock," I grunt. "You've graduated to deductive reasoning..."

"Not just a pretty face, Walker," winks Leo in reply.

I roll my eyes as I return my attention to my coffee.

"But who's the winner...?" Leo continues contemplatively, eyeing the rest of us.

Max opens his mouth...

"No! Don't tell me!" decrees Leo, shoving a hand into the Beaumont's face. "I wasn't included in the bet, so I demand some vicarious recompense! I'm going to guess!"

"How—?" starts Chris.

"By using my incomparable situational awareness, sprinkled with just a smidge of mind-reading!"

"Sounds mystical..." admits Chris.

"Oh, it is! Prepare to be amazed!"

"I'm ready!" shouts Max like an overeager five-year old.

My head hits the Lino between my arms with a pained groan. Somebody just shoot me...

"Alrighty, then," declares Leo, rubbing his hands together with an ungodly dose of perverse satisfaction. "So, we know for a fact that Toss-Pot Besnard never made it out the gate, and—"

"How are you so certain?" asks Chris with a frown.

"For a start, it's Tariq," I mutter at him from the greasy countertop. "Plus, if by some miracle he had managed to pull, he'd've been bragging about it as soon as he walked in."

"True..." Chris concedes with a laugh.

"But, more importantly," adds Max, "Lucy and Jamie — the two girls he'd been after — ended up taking me home last night."

My head snaps up so fast, I nearly give myself whiplash. "They fucking what?"

"You heard me!" grins Max like the Grinch who stole Christmas.

"Hayley and Harper's friends..." reiterates Chris carefully. "You slept with both of them?"

"Yup!" comes the cocky affirmation.

"Well, fuck me running..." I scoff with a shake of my head.

Though I can't seem to stop an involuntary smirk from pulling at my mouth. Because that shit? That's impressive.

"Yes, gold star to Baby Beaumont," agrees Leo with a grin, slapping Max on the back. "But did he seal the deal before my little brother? That's the million-dollar question..."

"What about Drake?" interjects Chris. "He and Harper—"

"Oh, Walker didn't score!" laughs Leo.

Chris' eyes widen as he turns back to me. "You didn't? But you were the first to leave."

"Not by choice..." I admit sourly.

"Captain America here got his arse handed to him by a couple of beefcakes..." Leo explains.

"Fuck you, Rys!" I snap. "It was five against one and I still held my ground!"

"It was you who got caught up in that fight?" gasps Max. "That looked brutal..."

"It would certainly explain the bruises on your face," muses Chris, eyeing me critically. "And the ripped shirt."

I make a vague noise by way of reply. But I don't bother to correct him. The details aren't important. They lead to the same result.

Not that that's anybody's business...

"...and promptly got tossed out the club with Swifty in tow," continues Leo cheerfully. "Which I'm guessing is the reason why she wasn't willing to put out, because—"

I shoot off the stool, shattering the mug in my hand in the process. "Mention her one more time, Rys, and I swear to God—"

"Wait, wait, wait, wait!" interjects Max with a frantic wave of his hands. "If he left with Harper, how do you know that he didn't—?"

Leo jabs an uncompromising finger into my face. "Does this look like the expression of a man who spent the night warmly cocooned by the soft embrace of a woman's supple and welcoming thighs?"

I slap his hand away with a growl.

"Hmm..." muses Max, narrowing his eyes at me. "Now that you mention it... He does seem surprisingly grouchy this morning. Even more so than he was last night..."

"Beaumont..." I warn.

"Whereas my little brother is positively glowing!" continues Leo, fanning his hands around Chris by way of illustration. "Tell me you don't see the difference!"

"Fuck you, both," I grunt, slinging myself down into the barstool again.

A fresh mug of coffee appears before me, as if by magic.

I grab for it tersely. Where's the whiskey when you need it...?

"I rest my case," declares Leo smugly. "Which means, it's down to Lord Three-Way Beaumont and Prince Pull-Hard Charming. But who took their ladies to Heaven first...?"

"It doesn't matter," I grunt abrasively. "Max isn't in the running."

"I am afraid he is correct," Chris agrees after a second's reflection, glancing at Max. "No one backed you, so—"

"Rubbish!" objects Leo loudly. "The sheer act of the ménage à trois should guarantee him a spot in the champions' league, if not the entirety of the pot outright!"

"Except he's not the one who gets the money," I point out. "It's the person who ponied him."

"Christ, if it's that much of an issue, I'll punt him!" declares Leo. "What were the stakes?"

"Eight hundred ducats," Max tells him.

"Done," Leo declares, pulling his wallet out to drop a handful of Ben Franklins on the counter.

Chris meets my eye. "Your call, Drake. It's your money on the line."

I flick my eyes between Max and Chris, before letting out a low breath. "Fuck it. Let's make it interesting."

Pulling my own wallet out, I slap the requisite cash down as well.

Because worst case? I'm out of pocket $500. But best case? I net four times that. And I'm my book, that's a play worth making. Especially when my money's on Chris.

"That's my man!" whoops Leo, punching me enthusiastically in the arm.

"Careful, Rys," I warn him as Chris and Max add their contributions to the purse as well. "It's your dough I'm about to walk away with..."

"Eh..." shrugs Leo unconcernedly. "Money's relative."

"Spoken like a born-and-bred fat cat," I reply dryly.

"And now for the big reveal!" shouts Leo, clapping his hands together. "The stakes are set. The buttocks are clenched. Who takes the crown of Don Juan?"

Chris and Max exchange wry looks.

"What time did you get back to the hotel?" Max asks.

"Just after midnight, I believe..."

"Twelve thirty-five," I tell him.

Max's feet start dancing beneath him. "Oh, this is going to be close! We got back to the girls' flat around half-past as well."

"Sod all that!" cries Leo. "Get to the climax, gents! We want to know who got slob on their knob first!"

"Well, after we got back to the suite, we shared a drink before we..." Chris clears his throat. "...retired to the bedroom. So, perhaps 1am?"

"Yeah-yah!" enthuses Leo with a snap of his fingers. "Bring it home like a pro, bro!"

"Not sure why you're rooting for him," I scoff.

"I am permitted to share in my little brother's sex-tastic accomplishments!" he counters. "Especially when I'm the one who taught him everything he knows!"

"Except now, it's about to leave you out of pocket," I smirk, reaching for the pile of cash.

"Hold on!" interjects Max, scrolling furiously through his phone. "I think I have Christian beat!"

I frown. "How in the—?"

"Watch it and weep!" the Beaumont exclaims triumphantly, thrusting his phone out.

Leaning in towards the device — from the speakers of which spew the unmistakably pornographic sounds of sex — Leo, Chris, and I are greeted with a bird's eye view of Max balling Lucy from behind while she went down on Jamie's spread-eagled form on the bed.

Leo's jaw drops. "You filmed it?"

"Would've been rude not to," smirks Max.

"You dirty bugger!" laughs Leo, grabbing the Beaumont to noogie him.

I pull my eyes away from the X-rated spectacle. "Okay, but how does this—?"

"Look at the...time stamp," prompts Max from beneath Leo's arm.

Glancing back at the screen, I focus in on the tiny numbers at the top.

12:52am.

My shoulders slump. "Goddamn it."

"Looks like we have our winner," Chris concedes with a wry chuckle.

"You're not even going to contest it?" I demand, throwing an accusatory hand out at Max.

"I am not sure there is anything to contest," replies Chris. "The numbers speak for themselves. And since Maxwell is the only one out of the two of us who had the foresight to record the exact timing of the event, I think it is only fair that he takes the pot."

"Yeah, baby!" whoops Leo, jumping off his stool with outstretched arms to thrust out an in-your-face victory dance à la Ace Ventura. "Can you feel it? Can... you... feel it?! Damn, it feels good!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever..." I grunt with a roll of my eyes.

But, Leo's asinine antics aside, I have to hand it to Max. Not only did the guy manage to go above and beyond, but he somehow managed to beat the clock as well.

So, I can't begrudge second place too much.

"I believe this is rightfully yours, big brother," declares Chris, graciously handing the pile of bills over.

"Why, thank you, little brother!" grins Leo as he accepts the winnings with a mock bow...

...before studiously dumping the cash into Max's lap.

The Beaumont's eyes widen in disbelief. "I— But you— I didn't—"

"Hey, I wasn't the one with my pants down on the front lines last night," he says. "So, if anyone deserves the spoils of war, it's you."

Max is still gawping like a stupefied goldfish. "But—"

"Spend it well, kemosabe," the elder Rys incants somberly, laying a hand on Max's shoulder.

"Th-thank you," stammers Max, suddenly overcome with unexpected emotion.

"Ehh... Don't mention it!" shrugs Leo with a grin. "I'm just here for the memories. Though... speaking of, if you want your lasting memories of this trip to be anything other than dear Father sending a squadron of Guards after you to haul you back across the Pond, I suggest you get your tushes to the airport."

"Oh, shit..." I cuss, glancing down at my watch. "We gotta move." Necking the last of my coffee, I signal for the cheque.

"Are you flying back with us?" asks Chris as he pushes himself off his stool.

"Nah," demurs Leo, reaching across his brother to grab the final piece of bacon off Tariq's plate. "As much as I'd love to steal your thunder by gate-crashing yet another fancy ball that I don't have an invitation to, you know Regina still hasn't revoked that shoot-on-sight order she put out on my head last year."

Chris laughs. "I'm sure it's not all that bad..."

"You'd be surprised!" insists Leo with only a touch of sardonicism. "Plus, I promised Katie that I'll bring her back a box of cronuts. So, I got a few errands to run before I jet out."

"Well, in that case," replies Chris, reaching out to envelop his brother in a hug, "thank you for coming, and we'll hopefully see each other soon!"

"You can bet on it, matey," confirms Leo, giving Chris a heartfelt thump on the back before pulling away. "At the Coronation, if nothing else."

Chris' eyes widen. "Father signed off on your attendance?"

"Not yet," the elder Rys admits. "But I'm slowing wearing the old man down."

"Well, I — for one — certainly hope you succeed!" laughs Chris.

"I have faith in myself," winks Leo. Leaning past Chris, he reaches out to bump knuckles with Max. "Beaumont. Say hi to Bert for me."

"Will do," nods Max. "And thank you. Again. You really didn't—"

"Like I said," Leo deflects with an arrant smirk. "Don't even mention it."

Max nods gratefully.

Finally, Leo turns to me. "Walker."

I meet his eye impassively as I draw myself up to my full height to face him. "Rys."

"You got his six, right?" he asks, inclining his head almost imperceptibly back towards his brother, who — true to his earlier promise — is in the process of intercepting the bill before it can make it to me.

"Come hell or high water," I affirm.

"Good," he nods, his expression uncharacteristically tight. "'Cause there's going to be both. And he'll need someone to help pull him through."

"This ain't my first rodeo, Leo," I remind him, watching Chris trying to figure out which greenback was which with Max's help as he sought to pay for our breakfast.

"I know," acknowledges Leo, his face tightening as the memories of the fallout from the assassination attempt flash through his memory. "But I still appreciate it. He is my only brother, after all."

I meet his eye. "Then you know why I'm doing it."

Leo holds my gaze for a long moment before extending his hand. "You're a good friend, Drake."

"Someone's gotta be," I tell him with a wry smile, reciprocating the gesture.

Leo might grate me up the wrong way with his bad jokes and juvenile attitude, but we are — and always have been — on the same page when it comes to Chris.

"They're rarer than you think," Leo murmurs softly. Dropping my hand, he turns back to Chris and Max, who have finally managed to settle the bill, plus tip. "Ciao, amigos! It's been a blast!"

"Have a good flight!" Chris tells him with a wave.

"I always do!" Leo assures him. "Stay safe, little brother. Give the ladies a fair chance, don't do anything I wouldn't—"

I scoff. "Is there even such a thing?"

"—and remember," Leo continues unabashedly, "if you're ever in doubt, there's always the balcony!"

Chris stifles a laugh. "I'm sure it won't come to that..."

"Never underestimate the beauty of a Plan B!" Leo hollers over his shoulder as he pulls the rickety door open, and steps out onto the street.

Max stares after him with a perplexed look. "When he said 'balcony'... Did he mean you jumping off it, or you throwing the lady off?"

"I wouldn't read into it too much," I advise as I grab my leather jacket to pull it on. Turning to Chris I ask, "You good?"

"Yes, I think I managed to sort the bill..." he replies, pulling his own jacket on as well. "Fifty percent gratuity is acceptable here, right?"

I nearly dislocate my shoulder putting my arm into a non-existent sleeve. "Erm... Yeah. Sure. More than acceptable."

Christmas definitely came early for this waitress!

But at least the hefty tip would help smooth over any wayward resentment left in the wake of Tariq's ass-like behaviour.

Chris' face visibly relaxes. "Oh, good! I wasn't sure of the correct etiquette."

"Trust me," I drawl, opening the creaky door. "You ain't never gonna fall flat in that department."

"If you say so," concedes Chris with a smile as he and Max follow me out onto the street.

"I know so," I assure him, leading the way back to Broadway.

At just gone 7am on a weekday, the city is already a hive of activity with cyclists, taxis, and pedestrians vying for position on the thoroughfares against the buses, garbage trucks, and private vehicles, as everyone tries to get where they're going just that much faster.

My gaze tracks west almost on auto-pilot. Wonder what Gale's doing... Is she still asleep, or—?

I yank myself forcefully back from the precipice of that dead-end drift.

The only thing that matters right now is getting Chris and Max (...Tariq can go fuck himself) back to the hotel and then getting 'cross town to Teterboro in time for scheduled departure.

Leo hadn't been joking when he'd said that Constantine would not hesitate to unleash a squadron of King's Guard on our tails if we didn't arrive back in Cordonia by the agreed time.

That had been the agreement.

Because the first event of the season kicks off tomorrow with the Masquerade Ball, and Chris has a full week's worth of engagements penciled into the twelve hours beforehand.

Which means that there can be zero deviations, zero slippages. We have to be on that plane...

...even though that's the last thing any of us want to do right now.

Because glancing back at Chris and Max as we make our way up back to the hotel, it's clear that New York has been a much-needed escape for both of them. Not just from the daily grind of court, but also from the strictures of expectation. As here, you weren't your name, or your title, or your birthright.

You were just another guy on the street, trying to make your American dream come true.

And despite — or rather, because of — their stations, that's a privilege that neither Chris nor Max have ever had the luxury of experiencing before. Because even though they may have all the money in the world, one thing they could not buy with it is freedom — true freedom. As money garnered expectations and expectations choked you out like chains around your neck.

And that was life's unfair trade-off...

...unless you were Leo, who somehow managed to screw the pooch into laying him a golden egg by finding a woman who was apparently not only worth abdicating for, but who also turned out to be loaded in her own right, thanks to a very generous inheritance provision in her grandmother's will.

And because that money came with zero strings attached, the lucky bastard got to have it all: living it up large, while also getting to flip the rules and regulations that he's always hated the bird.

But, unfortunately for the rest of us mere mortals who weren't born with the luck of the devil, the best we can hope for are those rare moments in between when the constraints of your usual life fall away, and you're rewarded with a much-needed breath of levity.

And maybe that's why I'd fallen so hard and fast for Gale. Because irrespective of the magnetic pull she had on me, she wasn't just some hot girl I'd happened to hit it off with. As while undeniable, the deep seated attraction went beyond the mere physical... or even the personal.

Because beyond the fact that she was gorgeous, funny, and knocked me for six at every turn, she was more than just simple perfection. She was the sweet promise of possibility. Tantalising me with a taste of what could've been in a world free of obligation. Where I was just me — not an undercover Guard, not a duty-bound friend to a prince, not a jaded outsider confined to the sidelines, always looking in.

But as entrancing as the experience had been, I know it couldn't last.

Because such moments are — by their nature — transient. And like a pre-dawn mist on the water, they dissolve with the first light of the sun.

Just like our time in the States.

Which means that it's time to return to reality. Whether we want to or not.

Because duty always calls.

Arriving back at the hotel, I see that the pre-arranged limo is already idling next to the curb.

Detouring by the driver's side window, I have a quick word with the chauffeur to let him know that we'll be back down in a sec with our bags.

Turning to lope into the hotel, I catch up with Chris and Max just as the lift arrives in the lobby. The doors ping open and we pile in to make our way up to our floor, each of us lost in our respective thoughts.

The elevator arrives on our booked-out floor and we disperse into our rooms to throw our shit together. While packing, I send a text to Schweitzer to let him know that we're bugging out, so his team can start the clean-up and check out.

Zipping my duffle up, I do one last sweep of the space before grabbing the keycard and exiting the room for the final time.

Stepping back out into the corridor as the door clicks shut behind me, I find Chris already waiting for a lift.

"You were quick," I say, coming to a stop next to him.

"Wasn't much to pack," he admits.

"Hayley still there?"

"Yes, she's sleeping," he confirms with a ghost of a smile. "I couldn't bring myself to wake her."

I nod wordlessly. Good-byes suck. They're either gut-wrenching, or awkward, or both. Best to just—

"Will...you be back?" "I wouldn't hold my breath." "Maybe I want to."

The ding of the elevator knocks me back into the present.

Shaking my head, I step into the car after Chris. But for some reason, I can't seem to duck the sudden sense of emptiness that's dropped into my guts. Like I'd forgotten something... Even though I know I haven't.

I rub my eyes. I'm just beat...

I'm about to hit the button for the lobby when Max careens in out of nowhere to throw himself through the wedge between the doors, Gucci backpack dangling haphazardly from his arm.

"Oh, thank God!" he pants, falling gracelessly into the small space. "Thought you'd left already!"

"We wouldn't dream of leaving without you, dear friend," Chris assures him with a laugh.

"Speak for yourself," I grunt abrasively as the doors finally close. "You fall behind, you get left behind."

Max's eyes widen. "You wouldn't!"

I meet his gaze impassively. "Try me."

"But Tariq—"

"—can find his own damn way home," I cut in flatly. "If he ain't buckled up by last and final call, that plane's not waiting for him."

Max flicks his horrified gaze from me to Chris.

Chris shrugs. "Drake is correct. It is unfortunately too short notice to modify the flight plan and—"

Throwing his head down, Max begins typing away furiously on his phone.

"You're wasting you're time, Beaumont," I tell him with a low exhale. "Regardless of where the fuck-wit is, he'll still need to come back to the hotel to get his passport, if nothing else. He ain't gonna make it."

"But we can't just abandon him!"

"He's a grown-ass man," I grunt dispassionately in response as we hit the ground floor again. "If he can't be bothered to look at his overpriced Rolex, then that's his problem. Not mine."

"Chances are he is waiting for us at the terminal already," advises Chris optimistically.

"But—"

"Drop it, Beaumont," I grunt, grabbing my duffel to march out of the elevator car without a backwards glance.

I have no clue why Max is being so hard up about waiting for the dipshit who wasn't even supposed to be on this trip in the first place. Especially since that same dipshit also happens to be in possession of a gold credit card.

So, I really can’t give a flying fuck if Besnard misses the flight. He can pay for his own charter home.

I'm not about to jeopardise Chris' commitments for the benefit of a self-absorbed prick.

Exiting the lobby, I beat a straight line to the back of the waiting limo. The chauffeur spots my approach and scrambles to open the door, but I've already beaten him to it.

Popping the trunk, I toss my duffle in before making my way to the front to grab the shotgun seat while Chris and Max offload their own bags.

A slam of doors, a click of seatbelts and we're pulling out onto 57th St., only ten minutes behind schedule.

I try to settle down for the half-hour drive, but I find my knee jackhammering impatiently. I know we have plenty of time to spare before takeoff, but I hate running late. Even if it's only by a minute.

Because you never what kind of shit's gonna hit the fan — roadworks, lane closure, freeway pileup — and you can't mitigate if you ain't got any time in the bank.

I can only hope and pray that we don't run into any last-minute surprises on the 15 or so miles to the airport.

Chris strikes up some kind of conversation with the chauffeur, but I'm in no mood for small talk. Folding my arms, I try to tune out whatever it is they're saying by watching the skyscrapers flick past as we head west, then north to pick up the George Washington Bridge to Jersey.

And apart from a brief wait at the toll plaza on the other side of the Hudson, the journey passes quickly and uneventfully.

Arriving at the airport concourse, we exit the limo and make our way into the main terminal building. Luckily, at this time in the morning, there are not too many flights, so we pass through customs without any hang-ups...

...except for the fact that Max remains glued to his phone, obsessively-compulsively checking for texts from Tariq every two seconds, even as we board the jet.

"Have you tried calling him?" Chris asks as he stows his bag in preparation for the flight.

"At least ten times," confirms Max, glancing anxiously out the window in the over-keen hope that Tariq will magically appear.

"Maybe his phone ran out of battery..." offers Chris hopefully.

"More likely he got mugged," I grunt, falling into one of the leather seats.

Max throws me a disbelieving look. "That's a horrible—! Oh. You're actually serious..."

"Guy like him... Prime target," I reply dispassionately.

Max's face drains of colour. "We have to call the police!"

"And say what?" I snap abrasively. "That the bell-end got himself lost somewhere in Manhattan? They'll laugh us off the call."

"But—"

"If Tariq really is in trouble, he can hit up the Cordonian consulate," I declare uncompromisingly. "But it was his bright idea to throw a hissy fit and stomp off in the wrong direction when—"

"You ungrateful ingrates!"

My eyes snap past Max. "For fuck's sake..."

Tariq is stood in the doorway of the jet, looking like he'd literally battled his way through the nine levels of hell to get here. His over-gelled hair looks like it's been zapped with a Taser, his clothes are somehow drenched and filthy, and he's wearing only one shoe.

"Would it have killed you to wait?!" he shrieks, throwing his Louis Vuitton man-bag onto the closest seat.

"Yes..." I reply.

Tariq shoots me a murderous expression. But before he can open his mouth again, Max has crushed him into an over-eager bear hug.

"You made it!" he enthuses. He pulls back suddenly. "But why were you not picking up your phone? And also, why do you smell like a wet dog?"

"Because I was robbed!"

"Told ya," I smirk across the aisle at Chris.

"It's not funny!" shouts Tariq, jabbing an irate finger at me. "If you only knew of the horrors that I have been subjected to, you would think more than twice about making light of my plight!"

"Pretty sure I wouldn't..." I mutter with a roll of my eyes.

"What was that?" demands Tariq imperiously.

"Nothing," I grunt as a steward appears next to my seat.

"Can I interest you in a pre-flight refreshment?" she asks.

"Yeah, sure," I shrug.

She hands me something pink and bubbly in a champagne glass. "Enjoy!"

"I doubt it," I mutter, grabbing the flute to throw it back in one swig.

I grimace as the sour mix of grapefruit and Prosecco hits the back of my throat. But alcohol's alcohol, and at this point, I would've downed windscreen wash if it'd've helped drown out Tariq's high-pitched info dump of his trials and tribulations.

Kinda wish we had left the bastard behind...

But I couldn't seem to win on this trip, so I'm just going to have to suck up the next twelve-or-so hours locked up in an airtight fuselage with the bouchebag and pray that there's enough whiskey on board to keep me from choking him out.

Pulling my phone from my pocket to help distract myself, I shoot off one final text to Schweitzer to let him know that we've made it to the airport and we're about to take off.

I'm about to do the same for Bast when the over-taxed device finally gives up the ghost and the battery dies halfway through the text.

"Great..."

Reaching into my duffel with a sigh, I extract the phone's charging cable and plug it into the seat's USB port so it can get some life back while we're airborne.

As Tariq continues to piss and moan about nearly getting run over, having his phone stolen right out of his hand as he tried to call a cab — followed shortly thereafter by his watch — and then tripping and falling into an open excavation hole as he tried to chase after the pickpockets, the cabin crew shut the aircraft door and complete their final cross-checks in preparation for departure.

A quick intro from the captain, and the jet starts rolling. After a short taxi, we're out on the runway, where we idle for a couple of minutes waiting for the go from the tower.

As soon as we get it, the pilot revs the turbines and the jet lurches forward. We hurtle down the runway, wheels bouncing and jet engines whining before jumping into the air to start our climb to 41,000 feet.

Glancing out the window, I watch the ground fall away as we ascend over Jersey, my ears popping from the rapid altitude change.

The plane banks sharply to the right and I catch sight of the Manhattan skyscape...

...but there must've been something in the mimosa because I’ve crashed out before the plane fully levels off.

The story concludes in Epilogue: Into The Night.

A/N: As another little bonus, here is a pic of Chris in Times Square:

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Sleepless in New York only

@bebepac

Picture Credits: Breakfast - New York - Diner - Chris - Tariq

Max, Leo, and Drake were generated using the AI art app Wonder

#drake walker #sleepless in new york #prince leo #prince liam #maxwell beaumont #tariq #the royal romance #new york #trr fanfic

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fadingreveries · 1 month

Text

The Royal Romance, Bk1 Ch1: Once Upon a Time (Pt. 4)

Click here for the TRR retelling series masterlist for more chapters! 🏰

Story Summary: In this novel-style retelling of TRR, beloved scenes with original commentary from the Choices stories including your favourite group of royals and friends will be expanded upon. Contains extended commentary and scenes from the original story, in-depth descriptions of bonus scenes, and premium choices and outfits.

Chapter Synopsis: Love awaits in the royal court of Cordonia as Riley competes for the Crown Prince! Will she accept his proposal, or will someone else win her heart?

Word Count: 1.9k

Disclaimer: All rights to original commentary, scenes, and characters from The Royal Romance series reserved to Choices and Pixelberry Studios. No copyright infringement intended.

~ ~ ~

But before Liam could move, Maxwell grabbed his arm and sputtered out, “When was the last time you talked to a normal person?”

“Considering I hang out with you two…” Liam started, before his face betrayed him with a mischievous grin. “I must say it’s been awhile.”

This earned Liam a lighthearted punch from Drake, who pretended to act wounded when he guffawed. “Hey!”

“Exactly,” Maxwell stated matter-of-factly, pointing his finger at the two of them.

This time, Drake mulled Maxwell’s words over in his mind, turning to Liam. “I suppose Maxwell does have a point. If you accidentally blow our cover and she calls the paparazzi, we might cause an international scandal.”

“Surely it can’t be all that different from talking to one of the noble ladies at court,” Liam pointed out, shrugging his shoulders.

“Okay, pop quiz, Prince Charming…” Maxwell began, rubbing his hand over his chin deep in thought.

Drake raised his eyebrows, shaking his head and reaching for his glass of whiskey. “This ought to be good.”

“You’re next, Dragon,” Maxwell added, a look of amusement in his eyes before turning back to Liam. “What do commoners talk about?”

“Commoners talk about…” Liam slowly replied, trying to form his own thoughts on what others who weren’t burdened with the responsibility of a kingdom and its citizens on their shoulders pondered about. What did they talk about? Liam bashfully shook his head, clearing his throat. “Uh… Drake, help.”

Drake shrugged his shoulders, giving Liam and Maxwell a blank look of confusion. “I mostly grew up with you guys. Why do you think I would know?”

“It’s probably the denim shirt. It makes you so approachable,” Maxwell responded, reaching out to pinch fabric on Drake’s shoulder to make his point.

With a scowl of annoyance, Drake brushed off Maxwell’s comment of his fashion choices. Drake advised Liam, “Look, we can’t waste any more time on this. Her shift’s going to end. Just go apologize for our group being so demanding, tell her you hope we didn’t cause her too much trouble, and thank her for everything. Then we’ll head out.”

“Ooh! Ask her if there are any good clubs around here!” Maxwell excitedly added, his eyes lighting up. Time to bring on the drinks and partying!

The frown on Drake’s face returned, as he chastised his friend, “Maxwell!”

“I shall attempt to work it in,” Liam answered, taking a deep breath and standing up from his seat.

It was a little after the bar had closed when Liam walked over to the waitress, feeling his stomach twisted in knots. While he exuded confidence and prestige as the Crown Prince of Cordonia in front of crowds, this was the first time he had ever felt unsure of himself talking to a person.

Riley was finishing up stocking supplies away on shelves and cupboards when Liam tapped her on the shoulder. He felt almost as if he was a schoolboy, cheeks on the verge of turning red at the sign of a beautiful girl in front of him.

There was a look of surprise on Riley’s face when she turned around, as her lips turned up in a smile. “Hello.”

“I think we’re about ready to head out. I just wanted to thank you… and apologize. I know we kept you late, and my friends can be… demanding,” Liam apologized, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

Riley thought the apology was more endearing than it was meant to be. Something about the way he graciously apologized for his friends—although nothing that warranted a real apology—had touched her because he was courteous of how others felt. “Demanding? Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

Liam chuckled, another bright smile washing away the initial anxiousness he felt walking up to this beautiful woman. “I had the feeling that you could take care of yourself.”

For a moment, the two stared at each other with equal amazement and wonder. Riley shyly looked away, her cheeks flushing a soft pink. Liam bit his bottom lip, trying to hide his smile from growing wider. This was the moment where Liam knew he should have said goodbye but for some reason, he couldn’t.

Instead, Liam cleared his throat and suggested, “If you don’t have any other plans tonight, maybe I can make it up to you by buying you a drink. We’re about to go to a club.”

That sounded pretty normal, right? Liam thought with a smile. Then his eyes widened in shock. Oh no, what did I just say?

He tried to rethink what exactly was so embarrassing about what he said. It was his bachelor party and there was nothing harmed from offering a polite invitation. Besides, it was an unlikely chance that she would accept. There’s no cause for concern. There’s no way she would accept an invitation from a complete stranger. That would be—

“Oh? Which one?” Riley curiously inquired, knowing that the busy weekend promised fully packed clubs in all of downtown.

Shrugging his shoulders, Liam admitted, “Uh… We were hoping you might have some advice about that. We’re not from around here.”

With a thoughtful expression, Riley racked her mind full of the clubs she knew that were popular with university students and young adults in general. Then she decided against it and went on a whim with an honest answer, not sure if Liam would take a liking to it. “I recommend going to a gorgeous secret cove by the beach. Forget the club.”

Raising his eyebrows in an amused manner, Liam nodded with a smile as if to say she had single-handedly guessed exactly what he was in the mood for without knowing him very well. “You know… that actually sounds perfect. To be honest, I’m getting a little tired of the usual bachelor party antics. Lead the way.”

“Sure! Let me finish up here, and I’ll meet you out front,” Riley answered, trying not to let her excitement show.

Riley quickly finished her work and headed to the back to change. She caught a glance of herself in the breakroom mirror. I am so ready to get out of this uniform, she excitedly thought.

Pulling her outfit out of her bag, she put a forest green coloured off-shoulder dress that ended midway on her thighs but with a slightly longer coverage behind her. She put on a few layer necklaces and strapped in her chestnut-coloured sandals before heading out of the bar.

Meanwhile, Liam walked outside to meet with the guys who stood on the sidewalk in front of the bar and restaurant. Tariq was down the street taking photos of his shoes in the light of a storefront display for his social media. Drake and Maxwell looked at their best friend expectantly, wanting to know how the conversation they had talked him into had gone.

“How’d it go?” Drake questioned, shoving his hands into his pockets.

It was obvious that it had gone better than expected. Liam had already given away his answer with a wide grin. “Oh, you know… I took your advice… I apologized… thanked her… invited her out with us.”

Drake thought he misheard his friend. Maybe he was in the mood for jokes now that they had loosened up a bit at the bar? “What was that last part?”

Just then, Riley stepped out of the bar, adjusting her purse on her shoulder. “I’m here. Are you ready to head out?”

The four men of the bachelor party turned to glance at the waitress they met earlier, with all of them staring in awe and mouths hung wide open. Riley could feel herself almost blushing, thinking about how funny it was that they were all looking at her differently only after changing out of her uniform.

“Wow,” was all Drake could say, his expression blank this time out of shock compared to his own doing.

Fiddling with the strap of her purse, Riley simply echoed him, “Wow?”

“I… almost didn’t recognize you,” Drake admitted, taking her in from head to toe. He couldn’t lie to himself; she was gorgeous in her new get-up. It was probably why he let that unfiltered comment slide without realizing.

Tariq smiled, taking note of how Riley stood up straighter in confidence. “That uniform wasn’t doing you justice.”

“Yeah. The waitress is hot,” Maxwell remarked, trying to flatter Riley.

A scowl made its way onto Liam’s face and his eyebrows knitted together. There was something in the way that Maxwell worded his compliment that didn’t sit right with him. It was almost as if it implied that she was only worth noticing because of her attractive looks. Liam couldn’t deny that, but he felt there was so much more to her than anyone realized. She was genuine and that in itself was more than enough reason to consider her something more worthy than merely “hot.”

“Her name is Riley, and I doubt she appreciates you talking about her like that,” Liam responded, shooting her an apologetic look. It made Riley smile. She had never been defended that way by a man before and she found it quite attractive.

“Right. Sorry, Riley,” Maxwell apologized, a sheepish laugh coming from him. “I meant to say you look lovely.”

“So she’s our tour guide now?” Drake asked incredulously, waiting for his best friend to second-guess her joining them. He looked at Riley, then Liam with an unsure expression on his face.

“Riley was kind enough to agree to show us around. She’s doing us a favour, so be nice,” Liam emphasized, giving his friend a knowing look.

“Sweet! Let’s get this party going!” Maxwell yelled out enthusiastically, his party mindset always steering towards The more, the merrier.

Riley led the way down the street, and the four men followed. While Tariq conversed with Riley about luxury stores nearby where he could purchase new suits for his next business meetings, Maxwell and Drake slowed down and joined Liam behind them.

Drake turned to Liam, grumbling under his breath, “Are you sure about this?”

“How can anyone be sure about anything, Drake?” Liam asked. Truth be told, he didn’t have the faintest idea why he had decided to invite Riley with them. There was simply an intuitional force driving him to do all that was spontaneous which he couldn’t do back in Cordonia.

With a shake of his head, Drake muttered, “Seriously though, she seems cool, but we don’t know the first thing about her.”

Ever the skeptic, Liam knew Drake only had good intentions and was merely cautious on his behalf. He always appreciated Drake’s protective nature. “I just… have a good feeling. Trust me?” Liam said, a small smile on his face.

Drake glanced at Riley, before sighing. “Okay. But that doesn’t mean I trust her. Don’t let her know who you are.”

“Of course! I’ll keep a… what-is-it-called?” Liam promised, trying to think of a term Drake had used earlier at the start of the bachelor party. “A small profile?”

Drake gave Liam one long look. The thoughts he ignored and the things he put up with for his best friend.

A wide grin made its way on Liam’s face, as he gleefully chuckled. “Thank you for looking out for me.”

“Yeah, yeah, come on,” Drake brushed it aside, trying to enjoy the new twist of events for the four guys.

~ ~ ~

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