#riley x maxwell

[angelasscribbles]

Unexpected Chapter 12: The Beginning

Series: Unexpected

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Pairings: Maxwell x Riley x Liam x Hana

Rating: MA

Warnings: None for this chapter

Word Count: 2,351

A/N: This is it, the final chapter. But there will likely be at least one follow-up because there's still so much to explore in this universe. I might even do a spin-off series at some point. We'll see. If anyone has requests/questions for this series, please send them.

My other stuff: Master List.

“I choose….. Lady Hana Lee!”

Surprised murmurs broke out through the crowd, followed swiftly by applause.

Riley watched happily from the audience as her girlfriend climbed the stage to get engaged to the new king. She ignored the whispers and sidelong glances of the rest of the court.

Everyone had expected it to be her. In the last week, she and Liam had done very little to hide their relationship. They had been spotted coming out of the hedge maze hand in hand earlier that very night, leaves in their hair, faces flushed.

She smiled as she slid her arm through Max’s. Her gaze darted around the ballroom until she found Bertrand. He looked like he’d been slapped as he stood with his glass of champagne, mouth hanging open, eyes wide, and face pale. She felt a ping of sharp satisfaction as she watched his face slowly go from white to red with indignation.

“Come.” She tugged on Max’s arm. “Let’s go congratulate the happy couple.”

When it was their turn in the receiving line, Riley hugged the new king and queen tightly, happily, kissing each one quickly on the lips, and delighting in the shocked gasps from onlookers.

Liam entwined his hand with Hana’s as they watched her walk away and whispered to his new partner in crime, “What are we going to do with her, my queen?”

Hana shivered slightly. “Unspeakable things, I hope.”

Hana had been heartbroken when Riley first told her about her relationship with Liam and Max. But when the object of her affection had proposed a unique solution that positioned her as queen and gave her full access to exploring a relationship with both the woman she loved and the man at her side, a man she liked, respected, and was attracted to, she had for once in her life chosen the path of the unknown, of adventure, of jumping off the cliff with blind faith that things would work out. She had jumped, and it was exhilarating. The public assumed her flushed face and sparkling eyes were because of Liam. Let them. That was according to plan.

Riley’s appointment as Duchess of Valtoria would be announced within the week.

Liam had been clear with all involved that he would not hide his relationship with Riley. Royal marriages were political and there was no reason to pretend otherwise. He had promised Hana that he would treat her with dignity and respect. He would not publicize their agreement, but he also refused to treat Riley as a dirty secret. They would be reasonably discreet, but if they were photographed together, there would be no denials. A simple no comment would be the only response.

The engagement tour was scheduled, the wedding day was chosen, and the honeymoon would be at an undisclosed location due to security concerns.

The undisclosed location would be Valtoria. The press would be sent on a wild goose chase to Aruba.

A full investigation had been opened into the sabotage scheme and Bertrand’s name had been removed from consideration for the vacant council seat.

Riley and Max made their way through the crowd, only to be intercepted by Bertrand. He was livid. “What just happened?”

Riley tightened her grip on Max’s arms as she smiled serenely. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, two days ago your things were moved from Ramsford and your room at the palace into the suite next to Liam’s! What changed since then?”

“Nothing.” She grabbed a champagne flute from a passing server.

“Then why aren’t you engaged?”

“Oh, I am.” Her smile turned malicious as she held her left hand up for inspection. An enormous pear-cut diamond surrounded by a cluster of smaller diamonds sparkled on her ring finger. “I’m going to be your sister-in-law. You should congratulate us.”

Bertrand’s face darkened. “I warned you what would happen if your little dalliance with my brother ruined our chances at the crown. I will disinherit him, and I will personally ensure that your visitor’s visa is revoked!”

“You’ll do no such thing.”

Bertrand spun toward the voice. “Your Majesty! I was just—”

“I know what you were doing.” Liam’s face betrayed no hint of emotion as he reached his hand out toward Riley. She took it and stepped up to his side. “And while I can’t stop you from disinheriting your brother, I can promise you that Duchess Riley’s citizenship has been fast-tracked and cannot be revoked by anyone other than myself.”

Bertrand blanched. “Duchess Riley?”

“Oh, I meant to tell you!” Riley said with exaggerated sweetness. “Liam gave me Valtoria. So once Max and I are married, he’ll be a duke like you! He doesn’t need your money anymore and neither do I. Hm. Maybe I’ll talk to Liam about giving him that council seat you wanted.”

Bertrand paled even more as he tracked Liam’s face for some sign she was lying and found none.

Without removing his eyes from Bertrand, Liam handed the woman at his side back to Max. “Why don’t you take your fiancée to dance? I’ll be there shortly to cut in.”

Riley blew a kiss to Bertrand as she followed Max to the dance floor. “Ta!”

Liam fixed Bertrand with a steely glare. “I understand you’re disappointed that House Beaumont’s sponsee wasn’t chosen as queen, but the same can be said of every other noble house here tonight. Regardless of official titles, the duchess remains very dear to me. Slights to her will not be tolerated. Any offense against her is an offense against the crown as far as I am concerned. I hope that clarifies things for you.”

“I understand Your Majesty. I apologize. I mean no offense.”

Liam gave him a curt nod before striding out onto the dance floor.

“Are you okay?” Riley asked Max as she watched Liam approach.

“I will be. I just…need a word with my brother.”

“Good luck.”

Riley went from her fiancée’s arms to her lover. She grinned up at him. “Aren’t you worried that dancing with another woman thirty minutes after getting engaged will cause a scandal?”

He returned her grin. “Let it.”

“Oh, reckless! Are you a bad boy now?”

“Hardly!” He laughed. “You know there’s no way in hell I can give Max a council seat with his very questionable background, right?”

“Good Lord, no!” She tilted her head back and joined his laughter. “He would be terrible at it! I was just fucking with Bert.”

Liam pulled her closer to him with a chuckle. “I’ll bet he loves it when you call him that.”

“Why do you think I do it?”

While Liam twirled Riley around the dance floor, Max approached his brother with a storm raging in his eyes. “I can’t believe you want to disinherit me.”

“Oh, what difference does it make?” Bertrand scowled at him. “Valtoria is one of the wealthiest duchies in the country. You’ll be fine.”

“It’s not about the money!” Max cried in distress. “Don’t you want to be my brother anymore? Don’t you love me?”

“You think I don’t love you?” Bertrand spluttered. “Why else do you think I’ve bailed you out of your messes time after time?”

“I don’t know. To protect the family name, I assume.”

“That’s what you think of me?”

Max gave him a baleful look. “You knew Riley liked me and you didn’t tell me. You yell at me all the time. You care more about your reputation than my happiness.”

Bertrand straightened his suit jacket with a sharp tug. “One of us has to consider our reputation. Heaven knows it’s not you.”

Max scuffed the toe of his shoe on the ballroom floor as he considered that. “You know what? You’re right. I’ve done a lot of stupid shit in the past, and you’ve always come along and cleaned up behind me.”

“What are you getting at?” Bertrand sneered.

Max’s trademark devil-may-care smile replaced the gloomy expression he’d started with. He clapped his brother on the back. “You’ve always been there for me before. I forgive you for trying to keep me and Riley apart.”

Bertrand gaped at him. “You forgive me?!”

“Yeah. I forgive you. All’s well that ends well, right?”

After all, he had ended up with the girl. He, Maxwell Beaumont, had gotten the girl. And not just any girl. The girl. The most perfect woman he’d ever met.

His competition had been a literal prince and somehow, inexplicably, that was his ring on her finger. He didn’t pretend to understand how it had all happened. He had just paid for the ring like she told him to.

Bertrand shook his head as his eyes tracked from Riley and Liam canoodling on the dance floor, back to the sappy grin on Maxwell’s face. “Are you stupid? You���re really going to marry her and just look the other way while she continues to fuck the king?”

Much to Bertrand’s astonishment, Max’s smile got even bigger. “Oh, I’m hoping to watch. Maybe even join.”

He’d do whatever, and whoever, she instructed him to. Her, Hana, Liam. He just wanted to be included.

“I…. that…. You know what? The two of you degenerates deserve each other!”

Max, who was also watching Liam and Riley on the dance floor, heaved a dreamy sigh. “I know. Thank you.”

Bertrand went to find his driver. Max was Riley’s problem now.

Riley stayed occupied most of the night between Liam, Max, and Hana, but the moment she was alone at the refreshment table, Madeleine swooped in on her. “How does it feel to be tossed over for your little bestie?”

Riley turned slowly to take in the other woman’s haughty expression. She repaid the jab with a shrug. “No one was tossed over, Mads. And if you’re asking how I feel about Hana being queen, the answer is great! She’ll be good at it. She’s smart, charming, and diplomatic.”

The blonde’s brows drew together in confusion. “It doesn’t bother you that he’s marrying someone else?”

“No.”

“No?”

Riley shook her head emphatically. “I never cared about being queen, Madeleine. Unlike you, my interest in Liam is personal, not political.”

“Yes. But he just got engaged to another woman!” Madeleine was becoming increasingly annoyed at her failure to get a rise out of the strumpet who had been the bane of her existence for the last three months.

Riley followed Madeleine’s eyes to where Liam was chatting with his parents, his arm wrapped around Hana. Her face brightened as she stepped closer to Madeleine and lowered her voice. “And what a woman she is, right?”

Madeleine blinked. “What?”

“Come on,” Riley smirked. “I’ve seen how you look at her.”

Madeleine’s face mottled as red blotches marred the milky whiteness of her complexion. “I have no idea what you’re babbling about.”

“Sure you don’t.” Riley stepped away with a smile. Turning her back, she plucked a strawberry from a serving platter. “You know, you sycophants all treat the crown like some sort of prize.”

“What else would it be?”

Riley lifted the fruit to her lips as she turned back to face the countess. “The crown, and all its obligations, have been nothing but an anchor around Liam’s neck. He’d be happier without it.”

“You’re so naïve.”

Riley slowly finished chewing as she eyed Madeleine up and down with a smirk. “Right. I’m the naïve one.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

With a sparkle in her eye, Riley leaned in close and purred, “It means that I got every damn thing that I wanted and none of the crap that I didn’t. I started the summer as a waitress. I finished it with a duchy, my own money, Liam, Hana, and Max. What did you get, again?”

“I…”

“Exactly.” Riley turned and walked away while Madeleine was still trying to form a coherent response.

She made it four steps before Max was next to her. Together, they found Liam and Hana as the festivities wound down and the guests began to trail out of the ballroom.

Liam turned to the other three. “Shall we retire to the royal wing?”

“And do what?” Hana felt both apprehension and excitement punch her in the stomach.

“Not that,” Liam assured her. Then, with a wicked grin, “Unless you want to.”

Hana’s eyes widened and her breath hitched a little. “I…”

Liam grasped her hand and gave it a little squeeze. “We have our entire lives to get comfortable with each other. We can go at whatever pace you’re comfortable with.”

“Just for the record,” Max interrupted, “I am comfortable with whatever pace you like, Your Majesty.”

Liam gave him a questioning look.

Max flushed. “I know about you and Carson. I’m not wrong that you like boys too, am I?”

Curiosity and interest flickered through Liam’s eyes at the offer. With a quick glance at Riley, he told Max, “We’ll take that slow as well.”

If he had to marry someone other than Riley, he couldn’t have done better than Hana. The burgeoning relationship between the two women circumvented all the awkwardness and anxiety Riley had understandably had about his marriage to another woman. And Hana would make a good queen. He was confident of that.

Max’s offer was intriguing, and the idea of sex with Hana wasn’t exactly off-putting. But Riley was the one who had his heart. With four people in the mix, there were a lot of moving parts and he wanted to proceed at a pace that would ensure plenty of time for everyone to process things as they went and minimize fallout from any potential landmines they hadn’t foreseen.

With a lot of intentional relationship-building and a little luck, they could make this unconventional arrangement work. Not just work but thrive. He was sure of it.

As the four of them made their way toward the royal wing, Max grasped Riley’s hand. Riley placed her other hand in Liam’s, and he, in turn, took Hana’s. He gave his new queen a reassuring smile then turned his gaze to Riley and Max as he told them all, “This is only the beginning, loves.”

~Fin

[cordonianroyalairlines]

All I Want for Christmas Part 1

Series: Cordonian Royal Airlines

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Pairings for series: Various

Pairing for this chapter: Riley x Drake, Liam x Max

Word Count: 2,475

Rating: General

Warnings for this chapter: None

A/N: Listen. I had an idea for the @choicesprompts #rewritechallenge holiday edition. I had the whole scene in my head, but then I decided it needed a little lead-up. Then I decided the lead-up needed a lead-up and then these characters completely just took over, threw my script out the window, and took a whole detour to examine a little budding romance between Liam and Max when this story was supposed to be focused on Drake and Riley (and it still is, mostly).

Long story short, it got a little out of hand so I have split it into two chapters. I'm tagging all of the following:

@choicesprompts rewrite challenge, holiday edition TRR x Untamed Heart (one of my all-time favorite movies). @choicesficwriterscreations holiday prompt: Stuck together in the snow; @choicesdecember2023 Christmas and @choicesholidays: This is the worst Christmas ever.

“Goodbye, Mrs. Lassiter, have a pleasant stay!” Riley waved with a smile painted on her face as the last passenger debarked. The smile faded from her face as the guests disappeared down the jet bridge and her eyes took in the heavy snowfall blanketing the runway.

Max noticed her despondent expression. “You okay, Ri?”

She turned toward her best friend and coworker with a sigh. “Remind me again why I volunteered to work this flight?”

“Uh…because your sister is getting married in less than two months, and you needed the overtime to pay for the ridiculous over-the-top bachelorette party she wants.”

“Right. Amelia,” Riley nodded to herself, “I’m doing this for her.”

“I think you do too much for her, Ri,” Max clucked at her like a mother hen, “She takes advantage of your generous nature.”

“Oh, Max, it’s fine. You only get married once!”

He arched an eyebrow at her.

“Okay,” a giggle burst out of her, “Hopefully, she only gets married once!”

“Frankly, I’m surprised she found anyone willing to marry her. Is there something wrong with him?”

“Max!” Riley laughed as she thumped him playfully on the shoulder before turning serious. “I just hope we’re able to take off tomorrow as planned.” Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, and she had promised her mother she’d be home so she could spend Christmas day with her parents and siblings.

“I wouldn’t count on it.”

Riley turned toward the voice to find the pilot striding toward them. Captain Liam Rys stopped in front of the flight attendants to announce, “There’s a blizzard headed straight for us.”

“Maybe we could just fly out right now—” Riley started hopefully.

“That’s a negative,” Liam cut her off, “that would put me over my flight limit for the day. We’ll proceed to the hotel as planned and hope for the best but be prepared to spend Christmas here.”

“Remind me why you agreed to fly into Estonia, the blizzard capital of the world, two days before Christmas?” Max grumbled.

Liam’s eyes flicked to him in annoyance. “Because of the obscene amount of money Mr. Lassiter was willing to pay for me to do so. You’ll thank me when you get your next paycheck and there’s a substantial bonus on it, on top of the holiday bonus you just received.”

“It’s okay,” Max shrugged with a tinge of disappointment in his tone, “My brother is in Japan anyway.”

Liam’s expression softened a little. “I’m sure he wishes he could spend Christmas with you.”

“Well, he’s flying with Leo, which he loves. I’m just disappointed that we’re almost never assigned to the same flight.”

Liam averted his eyes, unwilling to tell Max that was on purpose. Bertrand had requested that Max not be on the same flight as himself after the younger Beaumont’s enthusiasm became embarrassing for him. Max had gushed to a passenger about his pride in his older sibling, proudly articulating that, “My brother’s the co-pilot. He’s really good at it. He’s almost good enough to be the pilot!”

Liam shuffled his feet awkwardly, then nodded at Max, “Yes, well…. See you at the hotel.”

“You will?” Max’s head whipped around in surprise. Liam had never expressed an interest in seeing him outside of work before.

“Well, he was a little snippy,” Riley observed as Liam disappeared down the sky bridge.

“But did he seem….I don’t know…interested in-“ a flush crawled up his neck and then flared across his face, “Never mind. Of course not.”

Riley’s brow furrowed. “Interested in what?”

“Nothing. Let’s just get this cabin cleaned up so we can go.”

***

Riley awoke the next morning to sheets of snow pouring from the sky, blanketing the city in white as far as she could see from her hotel window. Which wasn’t that far. The snow was coming down too fast and too thick for her to see past the parking lot.

“Shit!” She aggressively pulled the curtains closed and dove back under the covers.

***

“So, what have you two been up to all day?” Liam asked as the four-member flight crew sat down for dinner in the hotel restaurant.

“Well, I slept in, then I called my mom to let her know I wouldn’t be making it home today and probably not tomorrow either. Then I drown my sorrows in a steaming hot bubble bath.” Riley responded as she pulled the menu over to her.

“Yeah, but then we saw a movie,” Max reminded her. Turning to Liam, he rambled excitedly, “This hotel has a theater in it. There was popcorn and everything! And then we took a cooking class! Can you believe that? The hotel chef hosts a class here once a week, but they did an extra class today because it snowed everyone in.”

Liam smiled at Max’s enthusiasm. “That sounds like fun. Now I feel boring. I read all day. Drake, what about you?”

“What about me?” Drake was busy shoveling a complimentary roll into his mouth.

Riley laughed. “Have you not been listening to the conversation? He wants to know what you did to keep busy today, you dork.”

Drake grabbed his water glass and chugged the cold liquid down to cover the fact that he had not heard a word of the conversation since Riley stopped talking. He was still picturing her in that bubble bath. When he sat the glass down, he responded, “I did my usual morning workout. The gym here is excellent. Since I couldn’t go for a run, I hit the heavy bags and then swam a few laps.”

“How many is a few?” Max asked.

“Twenty.” Drake’s eyes flicked to Max as he answered before landing quickly back on Riley’s face searching for any clue that she was impressed, or at least interested in him.

Not that he cared. She was a coworker, and he didn’t date coworkers.

“All before lunch?” She raised an eyebrow.

He wasn’t sure if she found his morning activities impressive or stupid. Her expression gave away nothing. “I find it hard to sit still,” he answered.

Liam scoffed, “You sit in the cockpit for hours at a time.”

“First of all, that’s different. I’m doing plenty as you well know and second of all, that’s why I need more physical movement when I’m on the ground.”

“Makes sense to me!” Max nodded emphatically as the waitress arrived with the menus.

They ordered their food and ate while making companionable chit chat. After dinner, Max suggested they continue the night across the lobby.

The hotel bar was crowded. The four coworkers quickly parted in the crowd. Drake and Liam navigated to a small table in the back and ordered drinks.

“You don’t want to ask her to dance?” Liam nodded across the room to the dance floor where Max and Riley were laughing and twirling to the music.

Drake followed Liam’s eyes and froze as he watched her sway and shimmy to the thump of heavy base. “I don’t dance.”

“I’ve seen you dance.”

“Not well.”

“So, you’re worried about embarrassing yourself in front of her?”

“What? No!” Drake reached for the tumbler of single malt scotch as the server placed it on the table in front of him and took a long pull as his mind spun with ways to shift the conversation away from his nonexistent love life. “What’s going on with you and Max?”

Liam startled so hard that bourbon sloshed over the rim of his glass. He stared at Drake in a blind panic. “What do you mean?”

“I mean….you usually pay no attention to what the flight attendants are doing when we have layovers. Yet you invited everyone to dinner tonight and you’re the one that was watching them dance. I’m pretty sure you’re not into Riley because if you were, you wouldn’t be pushing me toward her. So that leaves Max. Tell me I’m wrong.”

He lowered his glass to the table with a sigh. “It’s that obvious?”

“To me, but I’ve known you for a long time, Li.”

Liam blew out a long breath. “Shit.”

“Why don’t you just tell him you’re interested?”

“No,” Liam shook his head vigorously, “I can’t do that!”

“Why not?”

“So many reasons! Starting with the fact that I’m his boss and that’s a sexual harassment suit waiting to happen.”

“Not if he likes you back,” Drake countered.

“That’s not likely.”

Again, Drake asked, “Why not?”

Liam scoffed as he gestured toward the dance floor. “I mean, look at him! He’s fun and popular and hilariously funny. And look at those dance moves! He’s interesting and cool. What could he possibly see in me?”

“Hey, don’t sell yourself short, man.”

“I’m a stick in the mud and you know it. I was the president of my debate team. He was the lead in his school’s production of Beetle Juice.”

“How do you know- “

“Bertrand told me.”

“So, you’ve been pumping his brother for information?”

“Not the point. He’s amazing and fun and talented and I’m….me.”

“Liam, come on, man, you-“

“When I was twelve, I read law books for fun.”

“Geez, okay. Never mind. You’re definitely going to die alone.”

“Shut up,” Liam laughed, “I know you think I’m being dramatic.“

“You fly planes for a living,” Drake reminded him. “In my experience, a lot of people find that sexy.”

“Yes, well, I know your experience is quite extensive in that area but-“

“Are you calling me a man whore?”

“If the shoe fits….” Liam muttered into his drink.

“Insult me all you want, but it isn’t going to change the fact that you’ve got it bad. You should just tell him.”

“Oh, okay, Mr. I don’t like Riley.”

Fuck. Drake took another long drink. The conversation had come full circle. His eyes drifted across the room to find her again. She was still with Max.

***

Riley led Max off the dance floor and to a table as she flagged down a server for some water. “What’s up with you tonight?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you’ve been acting squirely all night and you keep looking around like you’re searching for somebody. What’s that about?”

Max flushed, “Ah….I think I might have a thing for Liam.”

“Wait…what?” Riley shrieked, then clapped her hands over her mouth.

“I don’t know….” Max dropped his eyes to the table. “I mean, you know, he’s hot or whatever.”

“Max!” She slapped his shoulder. “Since when? And why didn’t you tell me?”

He shrugged. “Just recently I’ve started to notice him more, that’s all. He’s always being nice to me and- “

“He’s nice to everyone.”

“I know, but it’s more than that! I can’t explain it, okay? It’s just…the way he looks at me sometimes….”

“I have never seen you act shy before! You hit on that model last week!”

“Oh, him? Yeah, but that was just--”

“That man is an international star, and you had zero qualms asking for his snap.”

“I know, but- “

“And he gave it to you!”

“Sure, but Liam isn’t just a pretty face, Riley! He’s so fucking smart and serious. He’s sophisticated, and there’s just no way he’d be into a goofball like me.”

“Ah, Maxey, anyone with half a brain would be into you.”

“You’re just saying that because you’re my best friend.”

“Yes. But also because it’s true.”

“No, it’s not. I’m the general fuckup in my family. Just ask Bertrand. Or my father.”

“Max, you’re not a fuckup!” Riley admonished. “You’re just different from your brother and father, thank God! I’m sorry, I know you love him, but Bertrand is the most boring man alive, and your father is a dick, so please don’t judge yourself by his opinion of you.”

“Bert’s not boring. He just had to grow up fast. My father put a lot of pressure on him and he, unlike me, rose to the challenge. I mean, look at us. He’s a pilot and I’m a flight attendant. Do you remember what my father said when I told him I wanted to be a flight attendant?”

“Yes, but on the bright side, it was the first time he acknowledged your sexual orientation.”

Max snorted, “That’s not funny, Riley.”

“You laughed.”

He bumped her shoulder with his own with an amused shake of his head, “If your point is that my father is a homophobic, controlling, abusive asshole whose opinion should mean nothing to me or anyone else with a lick of self-respect, then point taken.” He lifted his glass to her.

She lifted hers and tapped it into his with a grin. “My work here is done. Now go over there and ask him to shoot darts or something.”

***

“All right, well, this has been fun, but I’m going up to bed now.” Liam pushed away from the table and stood up, stretching as he did so.

“You really are a stick in the mud,” Drake laughed as the server cleared their table and asked if he could get them anything else. “Yeah, an unopened bottle of what we’ve been drinking tonight.”

Liam turned to go but froze as a voice that sent heat shocking through him spoke, “Hey…Liam….you wanna…go play darts or something?”

He turned to find Max smiling at him. Trying to push down the rising panic in his throat, his eyes flicked to Drake, who just gave him an amused smile, then back to Max, who looked uncharacteristically nervous. “Uh…. sure.”

“Great!” Relief washed across Max’s features. Then he remembered himself and begrudgingly turned to include Drake in the invitation. “Would you like to join us?”

“Nah, I’m good. You two go ahead. I’ve got a bottle of top-shelf whiskey, and this hotel has steak on their room service menu. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay then, goodnight and Merry Christmas,” Liam didn’t meet Drake’s eyes as he waved bye and then followed Max to the dart boards lined up against the far wall.

Drake chuckled to himself as he took the bottle from the server and thrust a handful of bills at him. He started for the door, then thought better of it and backtracked to the bar, reaching across and grabbing a clean tumbler to take to his room with him.

He had to dodge a bunch of drunk people on his way back, causing him to veer off course until he was damn near on the other side of the room.

It wasn’t so much that he saw her as he felt her presence. His head lifted and his eyes somehow went straight to her despite the dozen or so people between him and the table she was seated at. Without making a conscious decision, his body angled in her direction, and he made his way over to her, reminding himself the whole way that he didn’t get involved with coworkers.

[harleybeaumont]

Never Have I Ever

Chaper 20 - Watershed

Book- TRR

Series- Never Have I Ever

Pairings- Bertrand x MC 

Chapter Synopsis- What started out as a humiliating ordeal with Savannah has turned into a huge realization for Bertrand.

Chapter Warnings- language, sensuality

Rating - Mature

Word Count- 2,980

A/N- I know it's been a MINUTE since I posted, but I'm back and ready to continue this story! Since it's been a while since I posted the previous chapter, I'm going to include a snippet of what happened at the end of chapter 19 to refresh your memory.

_______________________________________________

Bertrand closed his eyes tightly and imagined Riley in front of him. Instead of the overwhelming scent of Chanel No. 5, he caught the faint note of Riley’s floral shampoo. Suddenly he could taste Riley’s strawberry lip gloss. He caressed her cheek, knowing there were adorable tiny freckles beneath his hand. He ran his fingers through her golden locks which were probably just let out of a messy bun or braid. He felt her arms wrap around him and she whispered against his ear, “Do you want me, Bertrand?” His mind flashed back to Riley laying beneath him, her plump lips curving into a sexy grin as she uttered, “fuck me, Bert.”

Savannah whispered against his ear, “Say my name. Tell me you want me.”

Bertrand smiled with his eyes still closed tightly and replied, “I want you, Riley.”

__________________________________________________

Chapter 20 -Watershed 

Bertrand flailed his arms in an attempt to steady himself as Savannah quite literally tossed him out of her bedroom and into the hall. “Savannah, can we just talk about-”

“No, we cannot!” She shrieked, looming in the doorway with her blouse still unbuttoned.

A creak in the hallway snapped their attention to a very startled Riley, who was holding a bag of Chewy Chips Ahoy, attempting to return to her room to watch some trash TV with a late night snack.

“Oh, isn’t this just perfect!?” Savannah spat, now directing her ire at Riley.

“Savannah, please lower your voice! People are trying to sleep and we don’t want to cause a scene.” Bertrand whispered with his hands held in front of him as if trying to calm a wild animal.

“A scene? A scene?! I’ll give you a scene!” Savannah shouted, picking up a vase from a nearby table and raising it over her head, poised to hurl it down the empty hallway. Suddenly her entire demeanor changed and she took several deep breaths. “No.. No. Lady Savannah Jane Walker is better than this. That’s right. She’s a lady. She doesn’t need to lower herself to yelling and screaming and throwing things. Especially not over a man who turned out to be nothing more than a lying, cheating scoundrel.”

Riley watched the scene before her in utter confusion and brought a cookie to her mouth, chewing slowly. This was wilder than anything she could have seen on TV. 

Savannah took another deep breath before fixing Riley with a murderous gaze. “And don’t worry, he’s all yours!” She spun around, stomping into her bedroom and slammed the door behind her, leaving Bertrand and Riley alone in the hall.

“Riley.. I..” Bertrand started, but Riley nodded her head toward her bedroom which was thankfully at the other end of the hall from Savannah’s.

“Come on. It’s probably safer if we talk away from.. Whatever that was.”

Bertrand dropped down onto Riley’s bed with his head in his hands. 

She touched his shoulder softly, “What happened?”

He sighed and mumbled without lifting his head, “Utter humiliation. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Riley?!” Savannah snapped, breaking the kiss and jerking away from him.

“What?” 

“You just called me Riley!” 

“I’m certain I did no such thing.”

Savannah’s brows furrowed and she looked as if she might physically hurt him. “You did! You son of a bitch! I knew you had a thing for her!”

“No! It’s not like that!”

“So that tramp got her hooks into you!”

“Savannah, that’s not-”

“Don’t lie to me, Bertrand! Are you two having sex?”

“I-I-I.. no?”

“Oh my god! You are!”

At that point, Bertrand could do nothing but drop to his knees and beg. “Please don’t tell anyone!”

Savannah’s mouth fell open and she ran her hands through her hair, pulling slightly so several strands stuck out wildly. “You think I would tell people about this?! This is humiliating for me! The man I’m courting is sleeping with common trash! My reputation would never recover if people found out! Why this whole thing makes me-”

Savannah suddenly stopped and took several deep breaths, speaking with an eerily calm voice. “No, no. Calm down Savannah. You can fix this. There are still several eligible men at court. What’s that idiot’s name? The one who is going to be an earl? Neville? Yes. Yes. We can do this. There’s still time for you. You’re young and beautiful. You’re going to be a countess.”

Bertrand watched her with wide, and slightly fearful eyes before saying, “I am truly sorry for-”

Savannah’s expression once again turned heated. “Oh, you're going to regret this! When I think of all the time I wasted with you, you pathetic, stuttering mess of a man! Get out of my sight!” 

He jumped up and rushed for the door and Savannah shoved him roughly into the hallway.

Riley rubbed his back soothingly, trying her best to comfort him. She wished she could have been a fly on the wall for whatever weirdness happened back there. “Ok, we don’t have to talk about it.” She smiled and held out the bag, “want a cookie?”

Bertrand looked up from his hands and burst into laughter and Riley couldn’t help but join in. He smiled genuinely, clearly thankful for some relief from the earlier tension. 

“I should probably go.” Bertrand shook his head, looking back down at the floor. “This has been an.. unusual night.”

“Understatement of the century.”

He stood and headed for the door. “I apologize that you had to witness all of that. And I truly hope that you are feeling better than you were earlier today. I was quite worried about you.”

Riley smiled and held out her arms. “Come here.”

Bertrand returned her smile and stepped toward her, easily melting into her embrace. His heart instantly stopped racing. His body erupted in goosebumps and he felt warmer and safer than he had in his entire adult life. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her neck, breathing in everything about her. The warmth of her embrace and the softness of her skin sent him into a comforting and calm place that he didn’t ever want to leave. Despite the horrible night he had, everything was suddenly right with the world and he couldn’t have been happier.

After a few moments, they separated and Bertrand headed back to his own room. As soon as he locked his door, he slumped into a chair, groaning as a new and bittersweet realization overtook his entire being. 

There was no use denying it anymore. Riley was his calm, his home. And he was in love with her. Hopelessly, desperately, madly, and completely in love.

_________________________________________________

The following day, the court returned to the palace to prepare for Liam’s upcoming coronation, but the Beaumont’s stayed behind a few more days to attend some upcoming appointments. Bertrand was thankful for some time away from the court, in particular, Savannah. He desperately needed time to think about.. Well, everything.

Bertrand had spent the last four months implausibly falling in love with the woman he had been training to be a queen. When Maxwell convinced him to sponsor this woman, the only reason he allowed it was because having someone from his house be chosen would be a way to secure his legacy. But each day spent with Riley, made him care less and less about his legacy, and more about something new. Something he had never cared about before. 

His own happiness.

Growing up, Bertrand always struggled with the guilt that inevitably accompanied any sort of happiness. His childhood and teenage years were almost completely devoid of any sort of joy. Under the scrutiny of his father, he had grown up far too quickly. There was always something he needed to improve on, and his father made sure to inform him of this on a daily basis. His adult life was spent going through the motions of trying to keep house Beaumont in good standing. There was no time for frivolity or romance in any way. Not until people in court began questioning why he hadn’t chosen a wife, did he begin to accept Savannah's persistent propositions for a date.

What was he supposed to do now that everything had changed?

______________________________________________

Riley knocked on Maxwell’s ajar bedroom door, pushing it open when he didn’t answer. “Max? You in here? Ready to go?”

A retching sound from his adjoining bathroom caught her attention. She peered around the corner and found Max slumped over the toilet. “Max, are you ok!?”

“Ughhhh.. Don’t look at me.”

“Aw, honey, what happened?”

“Armando has a stomach bug.”

Riley ran some cold water over a washcloth and blotted his forehead and neck, “Ah, that makes sense. Since you always have your tongue down his throat, you caught it too.”

Max coughed and waved Riley away, “Thank you, but I don’t want you to see me like this. I’m too hideous!” He sniffled dramatically, “Remember me as I once was, Riley. The cool, sexy, charismatic, life of the party.”

“Max, you’re going to be ok!” Riley tried not to laugh at his melodrama. “I’m going to get you some sprite and crackers and pepto bismol. Do you want me to call the doctor?”

Max put his head in his hands, “No, Armando said his is almost over, so it looks like a 24 hour bug.”

After a few moments, Riley returned with a tray full of snacks and medicine and placed it on the nightstand. She turned down his bed, clicked on his TV and lowered the lights. Max staggered into bed and pulled the sheet up to his chin. “Thank you. You’re an angel, you know that?”

She placed the washcloth on his forehead and chuckled, “I don’t know about that.”

Maxwell gasped, “Oh no! Your appointment at the boutique is today!”

“I’m sure I can reschedule.”

“No way! Do you know how many favors I called in to get you into Levre Rouge Boutique at such short notice? You have to get a killer dress for the coronation and show up all those snooty, prissy twats!”

“But.. I don’t want to go alone.”

“Ask Bertrand!”

“Do you think he’d really want to go dress shopping with me?” Riley laughed skeptically, but paused when she noticed the thoughtful look on Maxwell’s face.

“I think he’d be happy to do literally anything with you, Riley.”

Her heart fluttered and she couldn't keep the smile from her face. She patted Maxwell’s hand and made her way to the door, still unable to stop grinning. “You’ll let me know if you need anything, right?”

“I will.” Max smiled and settled into bed. “Now go get something sexy, bitch.”

______________________________________________________

Bertrand waited in the crisp, white and red sitting area of the fanciest dress shop he had ever seen in his life. Levre Rouge Boutique had dressed princesses, celebrities, heiresses, and everyone in between. Whatever they chose for Riley to wear to the coronation would surely be jaw droppingly gorgeous. Not that she needed a new dress for that.

“Ready for the first one?” Riley sashayed out in a sleek, forest green dress that hugged her curves all the way down to the top of her thighs, where a long slit began, ending in a pool of silk at her feet.

She stuck out her leg, allowing the slit to open completely and Bertrand swallowed hard as his eyes betrayed him, taking in every inch of skin he could. “It’s um, um..”

She grinned and waved him over to her side in front of several floor length mirrors. “Come over and see it properly.” She twirled and flared the dress out. “It’ll need to be taken in a bit, and it’s way too long, but the seamstress said they can have any alterations done overnight. Apparently you Beaumont’s have a lot of clout around here for some reason.” She winked and nudged Bertrand, who hadn’t taken his eyes off of her. “That.. was a joke. I mean, obviously you have clout being nobility.. Bert, you ok?”

He cleared his throat and met her eye line, desperately trying to avoid the ample amount of cleavage protruding from the top of the gown. “It’s lovely. I mean, you’re lovely. I mean, you look lovely.. In the dress.” Bertrand cringed. Somehow he always made a mess of everything he said when she was around.

She smiled and took his hand. “Thank you.”

A plump woman with gray hair pulled into a tight bun blew into the room in a cloud of tape measures and fabric. She spoke to Bertrand with a melodic french accent, “We are honored to have you here, Your Grace. And what do you think of your date's dress? You two will surely turn heads at the coronation in a gown this exquisite.”

“Oh,” Riley turned toward Bertrand, and the two blushed simultaneously, dropping one another's hands and stepping back. “We’re not-”

“She's not my-” Bertrand started. “She's my, uh..”

“Friend!” Riley finished for him. “He’s helping me find a dress. We’re friends.”

“Yes. Friends.”

The woman regarded them skeptically, but grew wide eyed as she seemed to finally recognize Riley. “Oh, mon Dieu! I apologize. When Lord Maxwell contacted me, I did not realize I would be dressing the prince's American suitor! I am so embarrassed. I should have known-"

"It's fine," Riley assured her with a smile. "Don't worry about it."

Yvette regained her composure and turned to Bertrand slyly, "Date or not, you must admit that the green brings out her beautiful eyes, no?”

Bertrand met Riley’s emerald eyes and smiled. “It does.”

Riley grinned back at him and turned toward the mirror. “Madame Yvette, I’m a little worried this one might be too revealing for the occasion. The slit is so high. Would it be inappropriate to wear in front of royalty?”

Yvette tapped her cheek thoughtfully, “Oui, you may be right. Follow me, darling, we will find you something perfect.”

After an hour and a half of trying on dress after dress, Riley had narrowed it down to two. “Bert, I can’t choose! Which one is your favorite?”

“Oh, I don’t think it should be up to me,” Bertrand shook his head.

“Well technically you are paying for it,” Riley wrinkled her nose slightly. “Which I still feel bad about by the way.”

He smiled, “And I’ve told you before, don’t worry about that. Which one do you like the best?”

“Ah, I don’t know! Let me see the other dress one more time!” She changed out of the sequined, mauve gown and back into the scarlet one, then reemerged into the dressing area where Bertrand was waiting patiently. “I’m sorry, this must be so boring for you. We’ve been here forever and I’m so indecisive.”

“You cannot rush perfection!” Madame Yvette mused as she adjusted the dress on Riley, tucking and pinning fabric until it fit just right. “And this, darling.. This is perfection.”

Bertrand simply watched in awe of how gorgeous Riley looked in absolutely everything. He had seen her in ballgowns, pajamas, jeans, and absolutely nothing at all and she was always resplendent. And not just in her appearance, in everything about her. The way she carried herself, the way she could find the good in any situation, the way she cared about everyone.

His heart clenched as he imagined the two of them as a couple choosing an outfit for a ball they would be attending together. They would dance and laugh and everyone would be jealous of him for having the most perfect woman in the world on his arm. It was never going to happen, but it was an amazing thought.

 Madame Yvette was called away for a phone call, leaving the two alone. Riley made her way from the platform to the couch where he was sitting and held out her hand. “Dance with me.”

Bertrand was sure he gulped aloud, but he stood immediately. “Dance? Here?”

“Ya, then I can see if this one feels right for a ball. Let’s give it a test drive.” She held her hand out and smiled, “please?”

Bertrand shook his head and grinned, before grasping her hand and wrapping his other arm around her waist. He looked down shyly and Riley leaned her body closer to him.

“Doesn't the fabric feel good? I’ve never worn material so soft and silky before.”

Bertrand nodded, still unable to look in her eyes.

She moved even closer to his body until there was no space left between them. “Touch it.”

He tentatively ran his hand down the fabric of her lower back, sucking in a sharp breath when she took his hand and brought it down further. 

“It’s.. quite nice.”

Riley lay her head against his shoulder and he held her close as the two swayed together to the soft jazz music playing over the boutique's speakers. “I bet this seems silly, doesn’t it? Spending all this time picking out a dress.” Especially since there is no way I’m going to marry Liam.

“Nonsense. Besides, any time I spend with you is enjoyable.”

Riley felt a warmth in her chest at his words. “Bertrand, you’re too good to me. I really don’t deserve everything you guys have done.”

Bertrand stopped dancing and looked into her eyes, more serious than she had seen him before. “Never.” His thumb traced softly across her cheek and he leaned in closer. “You deserve everything and more.”

His pulse was pounding as she smiled sweetly at him. He swallowed hard, speaking directly from his heart for once. “Riley.. I need to tell you something. I-”

“Have we made a decision, madame?” Yvette called out from the hallway as she made her way back to the dressing room.

Riley and Bertrand jumped away from each other quickly and Bertrand took out his phone in an attempt to appear nonchalant. Riley looked down at her dress and smiled. “This is the one.”

_______________________________________________

When they arrived back at the estate, it was already dinner time. Riley quickly popped into Max’s bedroom to check on him, and found him sound asleep in bed.

“I’m starving.” Riley sighed as she made her way toward the kitchen, taking a seat beside Bertrand at the bar.

“What would you like to eat? The chef has left for the night, but I can call and have something delivered for you.”

“Anything.. But you pick! I am mentally drained and honestly don’t think I could make another decision tonight if my life depended on it.”

Bertrand opened his mouth to protest, but paused as an idea hit him. “I know just the thing,” he smiled shyly and pulled out his phone.

He was going to have to step way out of his comfort zone for this. 

[kristinamae093]

Ghosted

Ghosted - Always Watching (Chapter 8)

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 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 morning after the discovery of the maid’s body, Liam sat with Olivia, Drake, and Maxwell inside the study at the Applewood estate. Liam canceled the barn raising scheduled for the day early that morning. He told the press it was because of inclement weather, which was not necessarily a lie, although it wasn’t the entire truth. 

Liam realized they could not keep the murder under wraps forever. Only a few people knew the real reason for the cancellation, including those in the safe room, Drake, Olivia, Maxwell, and the guards. He planned to keep it that way until they knew who was responsible, and then he would happily release that information to the public. He visited with Rhonda’s family briefly and told her husband they would receive a stipend from the crown, as well as college funds for her children. 

They all believed that the incidents shared a relation; the only steady lead they had regarding Riley wound up dead days later, and that was no coincidence for anyone. Olivia explained to Liam in great detail her observations at the crime scene; after hearing her retelling, he too believed the area was staged, but he couldn’t make too many conclusions until Bastien presented him with the evidence. 

The bloodied dress put a sense of urgency on things, but the murder really made everything more critical. Whoever was behind this was clearly not playing a game and didn’t want their plan to be uncovered. He was growing restless, not knowing the extent to which this treachery ran. 

It appalled him that all of this happened right under his nose. The doubts about the narrative against Riley were always there, but this runs deeper than just wanting a particular woman to sit on the throne as Queen. Whoever orchestrated all of this was an enemy of the Crown, and Liam was determined to rid that negativity of his court. 

Another part of his impatience was purely the need to see with his own eyes that Riley was safe. The guilt he felt for turning his back on her crept up on him at random times throughout the day, but he was trying to push that aside and focus on locating her at any cost. He hoped that whoever was responsible hadn’t been able to locate her either; he prayed with everything in him that after she arrived in New York, she found a safe place to retreat, far away from the turmoil that was unraveling around him. 

“OH! What about this one?” Maxwell exclaimed, as he sat next to Drake and scrolled through an online catalog of outfits for an upcoming gala.  

Drake rolled his eyes. “Please stop showing me this crap. S’long as you wear something, I don’t really give a shit what you show up in.” 

“What are you going to wear?”

“Clothes, most likely.”

“Clothes, most likely.” Maxwell mocked under his breath. 

“What was that?” Drake snapped. 

“Nothing! Oh, this has a matching one! Look! Ohmygosh we could match! Twins!” Maxwell exclaimed as he once again shoved his phone in Drake’s face. 

Drake grimaced at the sight before him. It was a set of bright blue ocean wave suits, complete with a bright orange squid bow tie. “God, no. Not even if you paid me.” He replied as he shook his head. 

“Oh, come on, Walker. You can be a sea creature instead of one who drags his knuckles on the ground.” Olivia added with a smirk. 

Drake flipped her off. “Fuck. You.” 

Olivia snickered. “I’d rather take a lava bath, but thanks.” 

“I’ll see if Bertrand will match me,” Maxwell said with a mischievous grin. 

“Good luck with that, Beaumont,” Drake answered. 

“It could go better than you think, honestly. He’s been super nice to me ever since we told him about all this stuff with Riley. I miiiiight be able to get him to do it.” 

“I’m taking pictures if it happens, hands down,” Drake chuckled. 

Olivia subtly rolled her eyes. “Stay away from me, regardless of what you wear. You too, Walker.” 

“Way ahead of you there, Ice Duchess.” 

Liam stayed quiet; although he still held rage with Bertrand and his tasteless actions, he hadn’t given his status as Duke much thought. Although it had not left his mind, for now, especially for Maxwell’s sake, he was keeping his inner thoughts to himself. 

A knock interrupted them from their uplifted moment. Liam stood and granted them entrance, and Bastien appeared with a bow. “Your Majesty, I was hoping to give you an update on the homicide.” 

“Of course.” 

“We have no clear suspects. However, we discovered a murder weapon.”

Olivia’s ears perked up from her seat, and Liam’s eyes widened. “You did?” 

“Yes, sir. We found it in the woods near the area, and I sent it off for analysis. It was a black knife with gold trimmings; I believe it to be the same one used in the earlier ceremony that night.” Bastien held out a folder to Liam, who accepted it and started looking through it immediately.  

The picture at the start revealed the murder weapon, which was the same knife used to cut the apple with Madeleine, but covered in blood from the tip to the hilt. He flipped further and felt his stomach churn at the images of the crime scene. The first few photos were of the maid’s face and he could recognize her, but barely. As he proceeded, he suddenly pulled the file away from his face with a grimace as he saw the cause of death photographed.

“I apologize, sir. I should have given you a warning beforehand.” 

Liam swallowed thickly and with a deep breath resumed, but a tad more prepared for the sight this time. “My God…” He gasped. “What – How – I –” He stammered before closing his mouth with a shake of his head.  

“We still don’t know a lot, sir, as it’s still the early stages of investigating. But we are working around the clock to ensure we receive a solution promptly. Obviously, we’re certain the cause of death was the wound in the jugular, however, we have sent the body for analysis as well. When I spoke with the other staff, they recalled seeing her earlier in the day, but her whereabouts past three p.m. are unknown.” 

“Is that everything?” 

“For now, yes. I will let you know something else as soon as I know.” 

Liam resumed his venture through the folder and furrowed his brows at some of the random items photographed as evidence; the things Olivia noted were present, as well as what appeared to be a cap for a tube of lipstick with a clear set of fingerprints. Of course, the suspect could have dropped the item, but it seemed conveniently placed within the other markers. The only thing that implied relevance was a bloodied shoe print. He could tell it was a woman’s, as the base was short and narrow, not to mention the pinpoint of a heel. However, it was still an odd discovery given that there appeared to be no other signs of blood anywhere else except on the body itself. “Bastien, are you questioning the legitimacy of this crime scene? At all? I see multiple red flags here just at first glance.”  

“We found a few things out of the ordinary, but I have sent everything for analysis. I’m confident either way, the forensics will produce some kind of answer.”

Liam nodded, sufficed by his response. “Have you looked for Riley? Or Tariq?” 

“I have attempted but have found no new leads. However, I am still continuing even with arrangements for the tour and the homicide investigation. I am doing everything in my power to provide you with some answers.” 

“Thank you, Bastien. Just… keep me updated…” Bastien nodded and bowed before he exited. As he did, Liam stood staring blankly at the door behind him, his mind a jumbled mess of chaos that seemed to only get worse by the day. 

Drake cautiously approached Liam. “You alright, man?” 

Liam laughed sardonically. “No, Drake, I’m not… How am I just supposed to wait? How long is it going to take Bastien to find something?”

“I’m not sure, but what else can we do?” 

Liam ran a hand down his face and let out a frustrated sigh. “I don’t know. If I did, we’d be doing it.” He snapped, but immediately caught himself and retracted. “Sorry, Drake. I’m just…” 

“Na, it’s cool. I get it. I wish there was something we could do, but… it sounds like we’re just waiting until Bastien can get those reports back.” 

“Goddamnit,” Liam growled as he slammed his fist down on the desk he stood beside. “I– I can’t just sit here and wait. I need to do something now."

“Perhaps we should seek outside help,” Olivia interjected. 

“What do you mean?” 

“I have an acquaintance who is somewhat of a… ‘private investigator’. He’s not cheap, but he’s worth every penny. He can look into Riley and Tariq’s locations, for sure, as well as whatever else you may see fit…” 

“I’m not against the idea… but how would that even work?” 

“We can figure out the details later, but I have somewhat of a cover already thought of. I can easily say he’s my driver, or bodyguard, or anything, really. Who’s going to question me? Honestly?” 

“Much as I hate to admit it, maybe she’s onto something, Li,” Drake interjected with a sour face. “Bas clearly has his hands full, and I know you wanna get some kind of answer.”

“See? Even the cave dweller agrees!” Olivia exclaimed, earning her a middle finger from Drake. “Plus, perhaps having another set of capable eyes around will do us some good.”

“I want to agree, I really do. It’s just… the last person to get involved with this was… well, you know. Do we really want to put someone else in danger like that?”

Olivia snickered. “It’s cute of you to worry, but he’s more than capable of defending himself.” 

“I don’t know…”

“Do it, Liam! DO IT! Or I will myself!” Maxwell exclaimed. 

“No offense, but how are you gonna pay him?” Drake asked. 

“Perhaps he would be interested in a one-on-one interpretive dance class; we could trade one service for another.”

“Hate to break it to you, but your dance class ain’t worth shit.” 

Olivia rolled her eyes but approached Liam and blocked Maxwell and Drake from view, forcing him to focus on her. Of course, her top priority was ensuring Riley’s safety, but in addition, she had her own questions regarding her blackmail. She would help Liam with anything, but this was more than merely a favor; it was personal. However, Bastien’s competency was undoubtedly questionable in Olivia’s mind. She couldn’t rule him out as a suspect, but she didn’t exactly have something concrete to tie him to anything. For the time being, she needed a second set of capable hands.

“Liam, we have to act on this now. Whoever did this is actively covering their tracks. If we don’t do something, we may never figure this out.” Olivia pleaded.

Liam swallowed thickly and kept his gaze trained on the floor. “I know…” 

“So, let my associate come and assist us. If he doesn’t provide answers, I’ll pay his service fees out of pocket. But of course, I’ll be working alongside him.” 

“I trust you, Olivia, I do. However, I’m worried that putting another person into the equation may end up biting us in the ass in the long run.” 

“I understand, but again, he’s highly trained and knows what he’s doing. All we have to do is keep his cover intact until we can locate one of them. We can’t tip the mastermind off and give them an opportunity to bury this deeper. As long as everyone in this room keeps their mouth shut about his true purpose, we should have no issues.” 

Liam looked away with a heavy sigh; although he remained hesitant to add another person to this mess, the thought of getting any kind of answer outweighed any con he could think of. And, he trusted Olivia to steer him correctly. He finally said, “Okay, do it...” 

“I already did, Liam. He’ll be in the country this evening, hopefully,” Olivia smirked. “Now, we need to address the next order of business…” she trailed off as she approached the window and stared out. “Whoever did this killed that maid to send us a message; I think we need to send one back.”

Liam’s jaw fell open. “What?! Why would you think that, Olivia? We–”

Olivia held her hand up to stop him. “Let me finish; we need to send a message while doing ourselves a favor. The tour leaves for Italy in four days, but that can not happen, Liam.” 

Liam furrowed his brows. “You want me to cancel the tour?” 

“No, I want you to rebuild it to stay in the country. Think about it; you’re technically still going along with their plans, but perhaps throwing a wrench into them. You’re showing that you’re willing to play along for now, but you won’t back down entirely like they assume you’ll do.” 

Liam shook his head. “I don’t think that’s smart, Olivia. We don’t know what they’re capable of or what lengths they’ll go to.” 

“I’m aware of that, but it’s not like you’re canceling everything; you’re simply rerouting, so to speak. The results will still be the same; you’ll ‘marry Madeleine.’ How you get there shouldn’t matter.”

“Isn’t that suspicious? To suddenly keep the tour within the country?”

“It would be, but I thought ahead and I think I have a decent proposal laid out.” Olivia produced a file and handed it to Liam. “How are we going to figure this out internationally? We have to stay here…”

Liam opened the folder and saw a detailed explanation for the sudden changes, as well as a list of future events to be held within the duchies. “Wow,” He responded with wide eyes. “This – this is convincing, and you’ve practically already planned everything… When did you have time for all this?”  

“Last night. I wanted to come and find you right after Walker and I left the crime scene, but I assumed my plan would get a stronger reaction if I laid it out for you. All you have to do is make the calls…”

“I think it’s a solid move, Li,” Drake interjected. “You’re standing your ground but yet still giving the appearance that you’re moving forward for the ‘greater good of Cordonia.’ I’ll help you take care of anything you need help with, or try to at least. But she’s right; we won’t find any more information about what happened to Brooks globe-trotting.” 

“Trust me, I don’t want to leave, but we already set these events! What am I supposed to do to–” 

“You need to pull your head out of your ass, Liam.” Olivia interrupted. “You’re the King and I think this would be a lot easier if you’d start acting like it.” She saw Liam contemplating her statement and stepped closer to him with narrowed eyes. “It’s time you put your fucking Crown on and show these assholes that you won’t back down. What’s really important to you here, Liam? Do you want to figure this out, or are you going to let them use your duty to control you – again? I lay the plan out for you and when my associate joins us, we are that much more prepared if they were to strike back, but we can’t pussyfoot around anymore. You wanted to do something now, so do it.” 

Liam stared at her for a long moment as her words echoed in his mind and a newfound determination took over him. His nostrils flared as his hands balled into fists at his sides. The bright blue orbs that were previously dimmed seemed to darken even further. Olivia was right; this was his country, his call, and the ball was now in his court.

Liam never said a word, but soon marched over to the desk and picked up the phone. He listened intently until someone answered the other end of the line. “Buonasera, Francesco. I’m afraid I’m going to have to cancel our pre-scheduled festivities...” 

Liam, Drake, and Maxwell worked the rest of the day and into the evening to cancel all the tour’s events, and were well on their way to planning what Olivia had mapped out. With the newly produced schedule, they would have much more time to focus on their investigation while still keeping the same number of events as before.

Liam’s determination in his decision stood firm, however, he couldn’t deny feeling apprehensive as well. He was sure there would be retaliation in some form and was unsure as to just how far they would go. However, the power he felt at that moment was something he wasn’t used to. Since his ascension, he’d signed treaties and other small documents, but this was the first time he was going to assert his authority in such a large capacity. Adrenaline ran through his veins and for the first time, he felt like a King. 

The door to the study was suddenly flung open without warning, startling everyone inside. Madeleine marched into the room with a red face. “What the hell, Liam?!” Constantine trailed not far behind her, although his expression was one more of confusion than anger. 

“Ah, I take it you’ve learned of our changes?”

“There will be no changes! We’ve had this planned for weeks! We’re not canceling within a few days–”

“I already did.”

The color drained from Madeleine’s face. “No, you didn’t.” 

Liam indignantly laughed. “Oh, I sure did.” 

Madeleine’s cheeks heated further, nearly purple. “What the fuck is wrong with you?!”

Constantine put a gentle hand on Madeleine’s shoulder. “Language.” He scolded. Madeleine stepped back with her arms crossed over her chest. “Liam, I want to believe you’re not doing all of this for an irrational reason.”

“I’m simply doing what’s best for Cordonia.” Liam shrugged. 

Madeleine scoffed and shook her head. "Unbelievable! Have you completely lost your mind? How is this what’s best for anyone?!” 

Constantine turned and gave her a warning glance. “Although I do not agree with her delivery, I echo Countess Madeleine’s question.” 

“First off, explain to me how an international tour is beneficial to Cordonia at this current moment. The only event that even made a difference was the charity banquet in Paris; the rest of it was just a bunch of bullshit. This way, we can rally our people behind us.” 

“It was for publicity, Liam!” Madeleine exasperated. “We need to worry about our international standings, which are going to be shit now that you’ve–” 

“Our key priority is the Cordonian people. My father pointed out to me that the citizens doubt our union already, and I can’t say I blame them. It isn’t a secret that you weren't my first choice, not even the second.” Liam had to hide his smile as he stood from his seat and crossed the room to stand in front of Madeleine. 

He forced the softest tone he could when he spoke again. “I want to do everything I can to ensure this works. I know I haven’t done my part, but this is my first step in making amends. Although the international publicity would be good, we need our homeland’s support more. We can enlist in media coverage so we can still get the word out, but Madeleine, we need to stay here. Cordonia needs us right now; Cordonia needs to see its future leaders united. We have to show them we are going to lead them together.” He swallowed down the lump of bile in his throat. 

Constantine observed Liam’s body language during their interaction. Never had he seen him so confident about a decision; he looked regal, authoritative, not a hint of doubt to be present. Liam made undeniable points, and he had preached to both of them to do more to keep the people's faith in their union. However, he couldn’t help but feel like Liam could have ulterior motives for the sudden change. 

Constantine arched his brow. “That’s why you’re doing this?” 

“Yes, father. I just want to ensure the right people are supporting us. We need strength internally. I’ve adapted all the best traditions into our stops along the tour to honor those who have come before us. And, well–” Liam sighed and looked away. “I need to show the Cordonian people I am in the right mind to lead them. They’ve questioned me since my coronation. I have to show them I can do this… I can’t do that from Italy or Paris...” 

Constantine eyed Liam sternly for a long moment. Throughout his life, he could force Liam to break with only a glance. It never worked on Leo, but Liam always cracked under the pressure if he was hiding something. However, Liam showed no signs of hesitation and there were no slips in his facade. He looked regal, poised, composed, calm, and firm, with just a hint of vulnerability. Since he passed the signet ring to Liam, he was practically begging him to get his head together, and the man standing in front of him appeared to be doing just that.  

Liam knew exactly what Constantine was doing as soon as his brow arched. It’s the same glare that had gotten him into trouble multiple times growing up and he expected to endure the stare as soon as he told his father the news. It took all of his restraint, but he never let his carefully placed expression stray from his features. He silently prayed Constantine couldn’t notice the sweat profusely forming in his palms, though. 

After a long moment, Constantine’s face broke out into a small smile. He stepped forward and patted Liam on the shoulder. “I believe this is an excellent idea, son. You have my full support.” 

Liam had to fight hard to hide his surprise. He expected more of a fight from Constantine, but perhaps Olivia provided the perfect excuse. He slightly bowed and said, “Thank you, father.” 

“Let me know if you require any support in the plans.”

“Thank you, but we’re nearly finished.” Liam turned to Madeleine, who stood with her arms still crossed over her chest. “What do you say, Madeleine? You’re free to look over the arrangements if you’d like. We’ve left your bachelorette party on the same day as before, but the location is open to the entire country… Just say the word and I'll have the jet prepared...” 

Madeleine rolled her eyes. “I don’t get why you want to cancel an international tour so we can go to the same old duchies–” 

“Countess, your King made his wishes known and his reasons are relevant. Do you wish for the people to doubt your reign as Queen?” Constantine asked with his hands clasped behind his back. “Perhaps after the coronation fiasco this would have been the best solution, anyway.”

“Fine, we can proceed with your new plans.” Madeleine finally relented. “But there had better be media coverage, Liam.” 

Liam fought the urge to roll his eyes. Instead, he nodded. “You have my word.” 

Constantine smiled and put a hand on both of their shoulders. “I’m proud of both of you. You’re going to change the course of Cordonian history, the two of you. Have you prepared a statement, son?”

“I’m working on it,” Liam answered. “Would you like to be present with me, Madeleine? Perhaps it would be better if we announce the changes together.” 

Before Madeleine could respond, Constantine did so for her. “Yes, that’s a splendid plan. Do use urgency so we may stay on track. Be sure to extend invitations to our international counterparts who we expected to see along the tour, though.”

Liam nodded, and Constantine exited with Madeleine at his side, who trampled away with heavy footsteps. Drake audibly gagged as soon as the door closed behind them. “That was hard to watch.”

Liam shuddered. “Tell me about it. Do you think they bought it?” 

“I think so,” Maxwell answered. “Your dad seemed really into the idea, honestly… and as long as it’s heavily publicized, Madeleine will be happy.” 

Liam rubbed his hands together. “Right… Right… You’re right…”

“Calm down, Li. You did good.” Drake patted him on the back. “They bought it and I think you made a smart move by enlisting Maddy to make the statement with you.”

“I agree. It’s showing the mastermind that although I’m changing things up, Madeleine is on board. That’s who they’re concerned about, anyway... I’m hoping that having her support on this will work to our advantage.” 

“Damn straight. Now, we gotta hurry and throw all this bullshit together so you can get your statement out there.” 

A few hours later, Olivia was on her way to meet with her contact on the outskirts of the city limits. Her acquaintance was someone she worked with in the past and trusted to assist them. He helped her look into the source of her own blackmail after she hit a wall. Olivia only traced it back to three different middlemen; had it not been for her associate’s aid, she never would’ve found the others. He didn't classify himself as an investigator, spy, or hacker; simply a jack of all trades. His skill set and knowledge were insurmountable, and Olivia knew he would be a worthy asset. 

Olivia pulled up to an empty parking lot aside from one other vehicle. A tall man in a black leather jacket stepped out and adjusted his shirt underneath as he did so. He took off his sunglasses and leaned against the side of the car. She exited her own SUV and made her way over, all the while looking around to ensure they were alone. 

“Thank you for meeting with me, Ray. I have a job for you.” Olivia cautiously spoke as she reached him. 

Ray smiled and bowed to her. “What can I do for you, Duchess?” 

“I need you to look into the whereabouts of two people. The first is Tariq, second Riley Brooks.” 

Ray nodded. “I was wondering if you were going to seek help there.” Olivia’s brows furrowed, causing Ray to chuckle. “Please, anyone could tell those photos were fakes or set up. It seems likely that the one who leaked the story is the same person who blackmailed you.”

“It’s not just the story, Ray. We think someone removed her from the situation. We found this–” Olivia produced the trash bag with Riley’s contaminated dress and held it out to Ray, who took it and glanced at the contents. “–inside a shed, along with all of Riley’s other belongings.”

“A shed?” 

“Yes.” 

“Why?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

Ray gave her an unsure expression. “I don’t like that, Olivia. That instantly gave me an unsettled feeling. There’s a reason her stuff is there.” 

“Trust me, I know...” 

Ray once again looked inside the bag. “You haven’t sent this off anywhere? To check the DNA?” 

“I intended to, but then I was called to a homicide for the only solid lead we’ve had regarding Riley.” Ray didn’t even try to hide his shock, which caused Olivia to chuckle. “Yeah, tell me about it. Obviously, we’re thinking it’s all connected, but…” 

Ray noticed Olivia’s hesitant expression and inquired, “What?” 

Olivia sighed and explained to Ray all the things she observed the night of the maid’s murder. When she finished, she added, “I was going to have Bastien send that dress off to forensics, but after his futile behavior, I don’t think I want him near it. He’d probably fuck around and lose it or something.” She rolled her eyes. 

“I can have it sent to the lab I use if you’d like. If I tell them it’s a stat order, I should only have to wait a few days.” 

Olivia nodded. “Yes, do that.”

“You got it. Now, have there been any leads into either of your missing persons?” 

“All Bastien has found is that Riley landed in New York the morning after the jamboree.”

“Nothing on Tariq?” Olivia shook her head. “Hmm… I find it odd that there would be no trace of him.” 

“I can confirm on my end I found the same result when I searched.” 

“I’ll begin at once. And you want me to travel with you?”

“Just for now. If we’re correct once the news breaks of the tour’s new destinations, there may be retaliation. I’m not sure what that could look like at this point and I need more people around who can properly assess situations. Honestly, finding Riley’s dress and leaving it opened my eyes to the fact that we’re all emotionally involved in this. There’s no reason for it to have sat in there a second longer once we found it, but we were all so stunned nobody was thinking. I hate to admit it, but even myself included.” 

“I can see why; it’s a lot of information to learn at once and not a lot of it makes any sense from where I’m standing. But I agree that having someone with a firm and clear mindset could benefit you.”

“I’m counting on it.” Olivia handed him a thick folder. “Here is your dossier to cover you throughout the tour. You are now Harold Marshowitz, my new bodyguard. Alternative forms of identifications are in there as well as any security clearance you may need.” 

“Got it.” 

“Great, let’s get moving.” 

“Wait–” Ray stopped her. “While we’re free to speak openly, I wanted to bring forth another potential lead I see…” 

Olivia arched her brow. “I’m listening…” 

“Have you looked into that article? At all?” 

“What do you mean?”

“It had to come from somewhere; it didn’t just appear. Not only did someone have to take those photos, but there was a story attached to it. Someone concocted that; I’m unsure if it’ll be the same person, or…” 

Olivia shook her head as frustration washed over her. “No, I hadn’t even thought about that…” 

“As you said, you’re all emotionally involved in this. I’m not, so I can see things a little more clearly…” Ray trailed off, then hesitantly spoke. “I’m, uh – a little surprised that the guard didn’t think of that.” 

“Bastien is an idiot, but something about his demeanor lately has struck me as off… I don’t know if he’s developing dementia, or if it’s something deeper…”

“All the more reason to have me around,” Ray smirked. 

“Is that something you can look into? The article?”

Ray flashed her a cocky smile and straightened his jacket. “Who do you think you’re talking to?” 

Olivia rolled her eyes. “I’m trusting you, Ray. I need you to come through for me.” 

Ray placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “All jokes aside, this is what I live for, Olivia. I love sinking my teeth into a juicy mystery. I will find them, you have my word.”

Out of sight, a figure was lurking in the shadows not far away, intently watching and listening to the meeting. As Olivia and Ray vacated the area together, the peeper clenched their jaw and repetitively punched the tree they stood beside. After removing their surveillance equipment and slamming it to the ground, they started vigorously pacing.

Everyone assumed Liam could start asking questions, but his duty and broken heart were supposed to keep him blinded. The expected time for his inquiries was long after the wedding when the job would be fully completed. However, Liam and his collective group of friends were making progress in their search and had uncovered too much in a short period; not everything, but it wouldn’t be that hard to find the rest of those answers, especially now that he brought on a competent professional to help. Considering how early it was in the tour, the possibility of him figuring it out suddenly skyrocketed. 

As a result, the entire operation was in more danger than ever before; that was not an option for anyone involved. They served the deception all around; if the mission was uncovered, multiple people would go down for it, and they would face the wrath of more than the current monarch. 

It wasn’t hard to guess where their investigation would lead them next, and that meant another loose end just identified itself. The unknown person brought out their phone to make a call, which was answered on the first ring. “We have a tremendous problem…”

Tags (let me know if you'd like added or removed): @choicesficwriterscreations @ao719 @txemrn @imashybish @queenrileyrose

@kingliam2019 @riseandshinelittleblossom @dcbbw @tessa-liam @twinkleallnight

@amandablink @cordonia-gothqueen @sfb123 @jared2612 @harleybeaumont

@bebepac @charlotteg234 @busywoman

@malblk21 @angelasscribbles

@bascmve01 @iaminlovewithtrr @hopelessromanticmonie

@mysticalfangirl @umccall71 @fuckitweball0000 @differenttyphoonwerewolf

@lovingchoices14 @emersyn-in-cordonia

@aussiegurl1234 @karahalloway @the0afnan @nestledonthaveone

[fadingreveries]

The Royal Romance Retelling Masterlist

Series 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.

The Royal Romance, Book 1 🏰 - Bk1 Ch1: Once Upon a Time (part 1/part 2/part 3/part 4/part 5/part 6/part 7) - Bk1 Ch2: Welcome to Cordonia (part 1/part 2/part 3/part 4/part 5) - Bk1 Ch3: Reunited

[averagetastesofonelittlebird]

"I can make you happy."

Sobbing because my headcanon is that Riley is much older than Maxwell, and despite their age gap he is hopelessly in love. She wants him, but she is torn between him and her feelings for the prince.

[txemrn]

Book: TRR/TRH (events actually occur in TRH Book 1)

Pairing: Liam x MC (Riley); Bertrand x Savannah

Word Count: ~2500

Warning: innuendos; a little language; fluffiness

A/N: I usually enjoy writing fairly angsty TRR material, but when I started gearing up for this past week's @kingliamappreciationweek, I decided I really wanted to write something new that wasn't so dramatic. So, I started thinking about how Liam is a history buff... and if y'all don't know this by now, I'm from Texas, and the thought of that tall glass of water knowing about my home state's history...whew... Give me a moment... This is pure silliness. It's a re-write of Bertrand's bachelor party/Savannah's bachelorette party, and it's just... silly. It does not follow canon very well. But, I hope you still enjoy it! Happy KLAW 2023, friends!

A/N 2: This is my submission for @choicesflashfics week 30! I will be using prompt 3: "That's how the story goes." It will be in bold.

A/N 3: These characters and some of the plot belong to our dear friends Pixelberry. This was not truly pre-read or beta'd. Please excuse my errors.

~👑~

"Alright, lil' ladies with the beautiful bride-to-be!" A burly bartender with a thick drawl and matching beard comes out from behind the counter, making his way to Savannah Walker's bachelorette party.  Delivering a tray of golden caramel-colored shots, he piles each one high with decadent whipped cream. "Here ya go: six blow job shots."

Hana spews out her cocktail, covering her mouth with rosy cheeks.

"Mon dieu! Did–did he just say–"

"Like you don't know what that is, Kiara," Olivia snorts. "Drink up, poufiasse."

Savannah, Madeleine, and Riley cover their giggles, leaning into one another as they take their drinks.

"Wait," Hana holds up her hands as they prepare to toast their third round of shots. "Where's Penelope?"

"Oh, I'm here! I'm here!" She runs up, out of breath, her short hair and denim dress completely drenched.

"What on earth happened to you?" Riley starts grabbing napkins.

"I was checking in with my dog sitter, but the reception here is awful. Plus, it's raining like cats and dogs out—oooooo!" Penelope's eyes beam at the sight of the shots. "What are these?" She leans down to sniff before humming in approval.

"Blow jobs," Olivia smirks.

"Oh!" Penelope nods with curious fascination. "Leo said that about my lips one time–"

"He said what?" Madeleine raises an eyebrow.

"I know, I didn't understand what he meant either."

"No, that's not–nevermind."

"Hold up." Riley raises her hands to silence everyone before turning to Penelope. "Raining like cats and dogs?" She grimaces, glancing at Savannah. "I hope the guys are alright–"

"Gunther!" 

The sudden boisterous voice of Drake Walker echoes through the dive bar, the doors swinging loudly, clapping up against the wooden walls. The large bartender turns, then brightens when he sees his old-time customer and friend coming into his establishment. 

"Whiskers, is that you?"

The girls quietly glare at one another, mouthing the word 'whiskers.'  

The two men grab each other's hands in a shake before pulling into a brotherly hug. Liam, Bertrand and Maxwell file in through the door, shaking droplets from their wet clothes.

"You guys!" Riley jumps up to greet her husband. 

Savannah follows behind, wrapping her arms around Bertrand before brushing a kiss against his lips. "What are y'all doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Maxwell chuckles, throwing his thumb behind his shoulder.

"The campgrounds were rained out," Liam explains, combing his wife's hair behind her ear. "We thought we could stick it out as long as the creek didn't rise too high. But then," he shakes his head, chuckling, "the tents flooded. The truck almost got stuck in the mud."

"Our clothes and shoes are airing out back at the house," Bertrand states, watching his bride fix his wet hair.

"Wow," Olivia snickers, "so much for roughing it for your bachelor party, huh, Beaumont?"

"I beg your pardon," Bertrand stiffens in annoyance, "we almost died out there, duchess."

"It's water."

"Centimeters upon centimeters–"

"Imagine meters of it. Frozen–"

"Well," Riley interjects the budding feud, "I, for one, am happy you guys are out of the nasty weather." She holds her hand up to the bartender, "first round on the crown!" 

"I like the sound of that," Maxwell chuckles.

"'First round on the crown'?" Liam whispers in his wife's ear, humored.

Riley scrunches up her nose, a mischievous grin crawling across her lips. "What can I say?" She giggles, slinking an arm around her husband’s waist. "I've been a queen for over a month, and I haven’t declared anything yet." She turns to her friends. "Let them drink booze!" She glances back at Liam, who's shaking his head at his tipsy wife. "What? I was channeling my inner Marie Antoinette."

"I… caught the reference," he narrows his eyes, gently placing a grip around Riley's neck. "I hope she’s not the inspiration of your own reign," he squeezes his fingers playfully, lowering his voice into a growl. "I'd hate for you to end up like her."

"You're not convincing me otherwise with your hand around my throat, my king." They knowingly snicker to one another, sharing a kiss.

"Okay, you newlyweds," Olivia snickers, rolling her eyes before turning to Drake. "So, um, Whiskers?"

He crosses his arms. "Yes…Red?" He collects a tray of glasses and a fifth of whiskey from Gunther to bring to the table.

"Curious minds want to know about this nickname."

"Awww, you’re thinking about me, Red?" She scoffs as he purposely bumps into her shoulder. "Maybe you'd rather a demonstration of why they call me Whiskers–"

"Drake Elmer!" Savannah scolds. "You're disgusting." She glances to the ladies. "Only Gunther calls him that, and the only reason he calls him that is because of Dad."

"Dad had a rule," Drake air quotes, "that I couldn't taste whiskey until I had whiskers." He nods towards the bartender, "Gunther there served me my first whiskey right after Dad's funeral–"

"Drakey!"  The syrupy voice of Savannah's ex-boyfriend bellows from across the room. "And he brought his royal round up!" The broad-shouldered red-head gives a curt bow, removing his Stetson as he notices Liam, switching to a British accent. "Your majesty."

Liam nods cordially before casually turning towards Riley. "What is it with you Americans thinking everyone in Europe talks with that accent?" Riley giggles under her breath, pinching her husband teasingly.

"Bert!" Chuck opens up his arms, pulling the duke into a tight, bear hug. "How's our groom? Come down here to flex your trivia knowledge?"

"Trivia?" Maxwell questions.

A sudden jolt of excitement hits Drake, his eyes widening as he looks to Gunther. "Is that tonight?"

"You bet yer' asses, Whiskers. $250 cash prize and a bottle of Jack to share."

"Whatd'ya say, Drakey? For old time's sake?" Chuck holds out his hand. Without giving it much thought, Drake clasps Chuck's calloused hand, pulling him into a quick hug. The men begin to hoot and grunt, clapping as they turn to join the rest of Chuck's friends in the corner.

But then Chuck stops, spinning on his heel. He glares at Bertrand before fixing a charming smirk to his mouth. "Where are my manners? Bert, the team is full, or else I'd invite you to join–"

"That's–" Bertrand clears his throat, "--quite alright, I assure you–"

"I mean," Chuck motions to Liam and Maxwell, "unless y'all wanted to make your own team." He glances over his shoulder, “Gunther, what’s tonight’s theme?

"Texas history, fellas," Gunther announces. "Trivia about the greatest fucking country in the world. Texas."

"Ahh. See?" Chuck swings out his arms, shrugging. "That’s how the story goes. Y'all better sit this one out."  With the deep clack of his cowboy boots, he adjusts his belt buckle before slowly strutting back to his seat. 

Seeing the defeat in his face, Savannah runs a hand across Bertrand's chest before giving him a sweet kiss on the cheek. "Don't worry about it, hun," she softly croons, "that's not even your idea of fun anyway."

Bertrand grows rigid. "What do you mean? I like to have fun–"

"Of course, B, just… in other… ways–"

"I," he pulls away from his fiancée, pressing his finger into his chest, "am… the epitome of fun–"

"You're right, but–"

"I'm a crate full of apes!"

Riley looks over her shoulder to Liam, whispering, "Does he know that it's a barrel full of–?"

"Shhh," Liam softly hushes, "just let him go."

"You there!" Bertrand shouts to Gunther, causing everyone to freeze. "We would like to play."

"Uh, Bertrand? A word." Maxwell motions for his brother to join him as he stumbles over to Liam. "Are you crazy?" He whisper shouts. "These people already enjoy making fun of us. Why do you want to do this?" 

"It's the principle of it all," Bertrand grows serious.

Maxwell sighs. "What do you think, Li?"

Liam looks up at Bertrand whose gaze is now attentive to Savannah. She laughs at something Kiara says, causing Bertrand's demeanor to slump a little more, as if each second with her reminds him he's not worthy of her.

Liam gets that.

"I think we should do it."

"See, Bertrand? Even Li–wait, what?" Maxwell's jaw drops. "You think this is a good idea?"

"It's just a game, right?" Liam winks handsomely. "Besides, I think Bertrand needs this."

"But Li… Texas trivia? Those guys reek of BBQ, football and leather."

“And we have survived how many secret coups attacks? Liam shrugs before patting the younger Beaumont on the back. "This could be fun."

—

Liam, Bertrand and Maxwell settle at a bar top table near four other teams, including Chuck and Drake's group.  As Gunther passes out electronic buzzers, he explains the rules. Chuck rubs his hands together in cocky delight as Bertrand wipes his brow with small drink napkins.

"Alright! Is everybody ready?" Gunther announces over a karaoke machine microphone. "Let's begin. When is Texas Independence Day?"

Chuck buzzes in with a proud, sarcastic snicker. "March 2nd."

"Correct!"

"Ahh, snaps, you guys," Maxwell hangs his head in his hands. "This was a bad idea."

"It's only been one question," Liam encourages.

"And we're already losing!" Maxwell whines, covering his eyes. 

"Next question. Before her independence, Texas was governed by how many different nations?"

Liam hits the buzzer, turning to an unsuspecting Bertrand. "Psst… how many forks are in the traditional Cordonian place setting?"

Bertrand scoffs. "Six!" He barks out loud before realizing everyone is silent, staring at him.

"Correct!"

"Huh?" Maxwell looks up, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Way to go, Bertrand!" Riley and Savannah cheer as the other ladies clap and whistle.

"Alright," Gunther starts, "next question…"

The trivia night continues, back and forth, question for question. The other teams at the bar had opportunities to answer, but overall, Chuck and Drake's team remained in the lead.

But not by much.

The men from Cordonia gave them quite a run for their money, thanks to Liam and his wealth of knowledge. But although Liam knows the majority of the answers, he is yet to speak for the team; rather, he turns to Bertrand each time after hitting the buzzer, prompting him with a different question that possesses the same answer.

"Okay, folks," the bartender announces, "this is the last question. If this team," Gunther points to Bertrand, Liam and Maxwell, "chimes in and gets it right, it will tie the game, sending us into sudden death." The bar fills with cheers, patrons shouting with excitement and pounding their fists on the tables. "Here we go. The Texas Revolution started in what year?"

There's a slight hesitation, but finally Liam turns to Bertrand and states, "The ending of the Bavarian Regency of Greece." Bertrand furrows his eyebrows, but Liam gives him a reassuring nod as he hits the buzzer.

He clears his throat. "1835?"

Everyone freezes, a hush falling over the bar in anxious anticipation.

"Folks? We've got ourselves a tied game!"

Bertrand exhales heavily, closing his eyes. Liam pats him on the back while Maxwell cheers, tugging on his brother's shoulder.  The entire bar is in a fuss as Chuck and Drake stare confusingly at each other. Gunther gets back on the mic, and explains the sudden death round, which requires for each team to choose one member to represent them.

"You've got this, Li," Maxwell applauds, Bertrand smiling and nodding.

"I think… Bertrand should take this."

"Pardon my insolence, sir, but I do not find that to be a wise decision," Bertrand argues.

"I agree with my brother, Li," Maxwell nods, "you knew all those answers–"

"But Bertrand scored us those points," Liam counters, "he needs to put up a fight until the game is over. It's the principle, remember?"  

Hearing Liam repeat his words, Bertrand grins, courage blooming in his chest. He looks to Savannah who is clapping, mouthing the words 'I'm so proud of you.' 

"I'll do it."

Bertrand and Chuck step forward for the sudden death round, peering into each other's eyes. "Are we ready, gentlemen?" Gunther asks. Both men shake their heads yes, their gazes not leaving each other. "Let the best man win."

For a split second, Bertrand glances at his fiancée, and realizes he might not be the best man, but to her, he is. And no matter what, he's already won.

"Here's the question: made popular by an Alamo hero, this portable weapon that can kill and butcher game. Name the weapon–"

Chuck buzzes in. "The Swiss army knife." He smiles brightly, pulling out his own pocket blade and twirling it in victory.

Bertrand turns back to Liam and Maxwell, shaking his head. Maxwell mouths, 'that's okay! You did your best!' Bertand shakes his head more adamantly, but now he’s starting to grin.

"Actually," the bartender starts, "that’s incorrect, Chuck." Gunther turns towards Bertrand. "Do you have an answer, my foreign friend?"

Bertrand smirks. "You are referring to the Bowie knife."

A stillness hushes the crowd; Savannah and Riley anxiously wait, hands clasped with bated breath.

"That… is correct!"

The entire room erupts with shouts of praise and earth-shaking applause.  Several men remove their ten-gallon hats to whoop in honor of the winner, the women of the bachelorette party squealing in glee.

Drake shakes Bertrand's hand before pulling him into an endearing hug. Liam and Maxwell both clap the duke on the back in congratulations. Savannah quickly cuts in, throwing her arms around her fiancé as her lips crash into his. Gunther comes over with the prize, and shakes Liam's hand. Maxwell snatches the bottle of Jack and the cash, and holds it over his head like a trophy.  More shots and drinks are ordered, the night carrying on into a wild honky-tonk of a dance party.

Riley finds Liam, roping her arms around his neck as he secures his large hands to her waist.

"I'm so proud of you, partner," Riley attempts a drawl. Liam laughs, kissing her forehead as they begin to sway to the slow country beat. "Bertrand said that you actually never gave him any answers; you just… asked him questions that had the same answer"

Liam nods slowly, "Yep."

"Why?"

"Oh, my queen," he beams looking down at her, "it's the principle."

"The principle?" She cocks an eyebrow.

"A man wants to win a woman's heart."

"But Savannah loves him–"

"That's not the point," Liam counters. "A man wants to win her over… and over and over again. If I gave him the answers, that would've cheated him out of proving to her and to himself that he's worthy of her."

"Do you ever feel that way about me?" She croons.

A rosy hue swirls across Liam's cheeks. "More than you realize."

Riley presses a tender kiss to her husband’s chin before continuing their dance. "But… I gotta ask. When did you become so smart about Texas history?"

Liam chuckles. "I've been best friends with Drake Walker since I was 8 years old. We used to do our studies together, and… he was terrible at history."

"So?"

"So?" Liam stifles his toothy grin, licking his bottom lip. "Who do you think did his Texas history homework?"

"William Rys!"

~👑~

Thank you so much for your support! Every like, comment and reblog means the world to me! 🖤

~👑~

Tags (please let me know if you wish to be added/removed)

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ALL TRR

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[alj4890]

L-O-V-E Part 2 (Liam x Riley)

A/N The writer's block is killing me. I know how I want this to go but every time I sit to work on it, the words just don't come. So let's try once more with this storyline.

Rating: G for fluff

@gkittylove99 @kingliam2019 @texaskitten30 @yourmajesty09 @mom2000aggie @ofpixelsandscribbles @twinkleallnight @lodberg  @amandablink @neotericthemis  @mm2305 @sfb123 @tessa-liam @thesvnsins @krsnlove @choicesficwriterscreations

Masterlist

L-O-V-E Part 2

Charlotte's chambers...

"Your highness?"

Charlotte blinked a few times only to realize she had become distracted.

A servant waited on her to finish discussing the plans for dinner this evening.

"Forgive me." Charlotte's nose wrinkled over her thoughts drifting to the young man her sister had brought along. "I believe there will be at least eleven of us this evening. Perhaps we should plan for twelve in case the Duchess of Lythikos decides to make an appearance."

"Very good, your highness." The servant bowed as he backed out of her sitting room.

Charlotte waited until the door was shut before flopping back onto her couch. She stared up at the ceiling, eyes tracing the intricate crown molding, while wondering why she couldn't get Sean off her mind.

Perhaps it is because he is my sister's best friend. That must be why I'm so interested in him. Shouldn't I want to know more about him to make certain he isn't the type to take advantage of her new status and fortune?

Charlotte could only deceive herself for so long. She knew her reasons for fixating upon the young man were simple: she found him very physically attractive.

His dark, nearly black eyes shined with a great deal of intelligence. His smile was warm with a touch of humor. His thick head of ink black hair made her long to run her fingers through it to see if it was as soft it appeared. He wasn't too terribly tall, which made her grateful.

She'd never liked being dwarfed by many of the noblemen and diplomats who regularly visited her father's court. They almost seemed to use their immense size to push whatever agenda they were after upon her petite figure.

They soon realized that though she was soft spoken and genuinely pleasant, she had a backbone of steel that no amount of posturing or arguing could cause her to bend in ways she was opposed to.

Charlotte released a sigh as her imagination drifted once more to what she found appealing in Sean.

She jumped when her phone rang.

"Yes?"

"Hey. It's Sean."

She rolled off the couch at the sound of his voice.

"What was that?" He asked when he heard her hit the floor.

"Nothing!" She winced as she stumbled to her feet. "How may I help you?"

He cleared his throat. "I was wondering, if um, I could go for a walk. Outside."

"Of course!" She replied. "We have many lovely trails throughout the palace grounds."

"Which one is your favorite?" He asked.

"Hmm." Charlotte contemplated that for a few moments. "I think I tend to take the trail that takes me to the apple orchard more often than the others."

"Would you like to go with me?" He asked a touch nervously. "Or if you're too busy, could you at least point it out."

"I'd love to." She replied. "Nothing would make me happier than showing you one of my favorite places."

"Great! I was hoping you would go with me!"

His enthusiastic outburst brought a smile to her face.

Sean cleared his throat. "I will wait here for you since I'm not sure where your room is."

"I'm on my way."

She set her phone down then ran into her bathroom. She stopped in front of the large floor to ceiling mirror to critically take in her face and figure. A slight groan escaped as she tried to decide whether or not to change clothes once again.

Knowing it would take too long to decide on a new outfit to wear, Charlotte swiped up her powder to touch up her makeup. She brushed her hair until it fell in soft golden waves upon her shoulders. While tucking a stray strand behind her ear, she wondered if Sean found her pretty.

Twirling around to make certain that all was as it should be, she practically skipped out of her room.

Perhaps this walk would allow her to find out if this attraction she felt was mutual.

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

Liam's study, second floor of palace...

Liam glanced up when he heard voices coming down the hall. With a smile forming he got to his feet to greet the group of people who had remained by his side all these years.

Hana entered before Drake and Maxwell. Very little had changed her appearance over the past twenty years. She was still strikingly beautiful, graced with a warm smile that revealed how kind she still was. Her figure made one think it was impossible that she was the mother of three.

Drake's dark hair was sprinkled with gray strands which he swore was from dealing with Maxwell's antics along with now having a teenager of his own.

Maxwell's few wrinkles came from years of laughter and smiling. He still was the same, inside and out, that he'd always been.

"Are they here?" Maxwell asked.

"Yes. They're upstairs resting." Liam asked a servant to bring in refreshments. "And Riley can't wait to see you again."

"I can't believe she's here" Drake remarked. "The night Brooks left, I was sure we'd never see her again."

Hana wiped at the few happy tears that spilled out. "I didn't think we would either."

"And to think that our Blossom went and had a little blossom all on her own." Maxwell shook his head. "That had to be tough on her."

"Did you bring your families with you?" Liam asked.

He was worried that too many people might make Riley and Hope uncomfortable for their first night back.

"No." Hana's smile dimmed some at the mention of family "I told Neville that he should remain at Comery Isle with the children until the night of the ball."

"Candace has to work the night shift at the hospital these next few days." Drake explained about his own spouse. "She'll be off the night of the ball and will come then. Jackson has a big project to work on plus he's got a new girlfriend."

Drake rolled his eyes over Maxwell's catcall.

"He's so wrapped up in her that I doubt he heard me explain the plans we have for this week."

Maxwell grinned when they all turned towards him.

"Sherry's out of town again for a photoshoot." He told them with a hint of pride over his famous photographer of a wife. "She took Annabelle with her to practice with her new camera. They should be back by the ball."

"Good." Liam relaxed some. "I invited Olivia to join us. She said she might come."

He hesitated as he thought of their unusual past. He never understood why Olivia left early the night of the coronation. She'd been in tears and yet she seemed only willing to speak to Riley.

He never found out what had bothered her nor why she remained for the most part in Lythikos. Olivia only came to the capital when it was a direct invitation from Liam. She'd accepted an arranged marriage offer from the late Duke of Domvallier to marry his heir, Rashad.

They had two children, an heir for each of their duchy's, and for the most part lived apart. Rashad's work schedule kept him out of the country for the majority of the year, yet he made certain to spend as much time as he could with his children. He and Olivia got on well together, both having a loyal, determined work ethic, and had been strong supporters of Liam as king and now of Charlotte as future queen.

Liam couldn't help but think how many of them had settled for arranged marriages. He originally thought there was nothing wrong with them. But then, a certain American came along and opened his eyes to possibilities he'd once thought were impossible.

Perhaps they had been. After all, he ended up married to Madeleine. Hana agreed to her parents' decision to match her to Neville Vancouer. Olivia accepted Rashad shortly after Liam married.

It took years for Drake to find someone he could love. One night, shortly after Charlotte was born, he confessed to Liam that he'd fallen in love with Riley. Drake told him how she didn't return his feelings, having fallen for Liam, but that he didn't know if he would ever find someone who could make him feel that strongly again.

When Charlotte was three, she came down with tonsillitis. Candace was the nurse brought in to help care for her during her recovery from surgery. Drake was still living at the palace at the time and the two began to hang out while the little princess slept.

Two years after that, Candace became pregnant. The couple eloped and had settled down on a plot of land Liam had gifted them with. Drake began to raise and train race horses, becoming the most sought-after trainer in Europe.

Maxwell went nearly a decade before meeting someone he could fall head over heels for. He'd become a romance author. His first book was a fictionalized version of Liam and Riley's relationship. He'd made sure to give them the happy ending he'd wished his friends could have had.

After his first novel was turned into a movie, he'd gone on to create an entire Royal Romance series with the cast of characters who eerily resembled those he knew so well. His stories bordered on the line of absurdity with threats from foreign powers if the princess was not put into an arranged marriage along with the fictional king having an unknown sister who was in a secret society that controlled all the powerful people of the world.

Cordonians devoured the books and films that followed.

When HBO offered him a chance to create a series to rival Netflix's The Crown, he not only said yes, but also met his future wife.

Sherry was the one to shoot the photographs from his interview and then those on the set. Her fun loving nature matched his and the two began a love affair that led to marriage and the birth of their own daughter.

Liam wondered though what would have happened to them if Riley had been here. How different would their lives have been if they'd had her friendship and support?

Would they each have different lives or would things have basically worked out the way they had?

As his friends talked about the past, he decided to forget the what ifs in his life and focus on the present and possible future.

"So?" Maxwell nudged him. "You and Riley still have sparks?"

Liam's eyes widened. "I certainly feel them. I'm not certain she does though."

"Ask her out." Drake argued. "You're single. She's single. What have you got to lose?"

"I have a great deal to lose." Liam pointed out. "I want a relationship with Hope like I have with Charlotte. If I ruin things by pushing Riley into a relationship, then chances are that I will ruin them with Hope."

"You can't miss out on love again." Maxwell told him.

Hana nodded, reaching for his hand. "You know what it's like to be in a marriage without love. We both do. Don't lose out on this rare chance."

Liam gently squeezed her hand in understanding. He got to his feet and paced over to the window to look out over the palace grounds. His attention was captured by the sight of Charlotte walking with Sean towards the apple orchard.

His lips curved when the young man stumbled. His daughter stopped him from falling then kept her arm linked with his as they continued on. They both were laughing and gazing at one another as if no one else existed.

He then noticed movement to his right.

Hope and Bartie we're rushing over to the hedge maze. They were holding hands while Bartie pulled her into the entrance. Even from this distance, Liam could see the excited smile upon her face.

He wanted that. He wanted his daughters to find love with two young men he approved of. He wanted to find love again. He wanted Riley to find it too.

But he wanted her to find it with him.

Liam turned back towards the three people he trusted the most.

"I already asked Riley to be my date for the ball."

The hopefulness in their faces made him grimace with what needed to be said.

"She didn't necessarily say no, but she did state that she was a scandalous woman and that she doubted anyone would approve of us being seen together."

The three remained silent.

"Then we'll have a talk with her." Hana decided.

"Playing Cupid is what I'm best at." Maxwell added. "Time to put my skills to work once again."

"If ever there were two people made for one another, it was you and Brooks." Drake said when Hana and Maxwell pointedly looked at him. "We'll convince her to give you a chance."

"Thank you." Liam glanced out the window again. "Hopefully, all will work out like it should."

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

The hedge maze...

"So you're a lord?" Hope asked.

"I am Lord Barthelemy Beaumont, heir to the Ramsford duchy." He replied. "Though I prefer to be just Bartie to those I am close to, which drives my father crazy."

She laughed over the face he made.

"I've never met a real life lord before."

"Am I everything you imagined?" He teased.

"Not at all." She squeezed his hand. "You are way more fun than I expected."

"I wish I could say that all of my rank are like this, but sadly I'm the only one." Bartie tugged her down a pathway.

"What about my sister?" Hope asked. "Charlotte is able to be fun while still maintaining her princess decorum."

"That's what I've always loved about Lottie." Bartie replied. "She is exactly what you see." He winked at Hope. "But she's not a lord."

She rolled her eyes with a giggle. "I know that. I meant she's part of your world yet still fun."

"That's why she's been my best friend since childhood." He turned a corner to a spot he thought Hope would find symbolically beautiful.

"I know that's why Sean has been my--"

Hope gasped at the sight of dozens of rose bushes waiting for the chance to bloom.

"Like it?" He asked with a grin.

"It must be beautiful in the spring!"

"Your grandmother planted these." He told her.

"She did?"

"This is the spot where King Constantine proposed to Queen Eleanor. To keep it special, she personally planted every single rose bush. He had that bench and trellis built for them to sneak off too during balls and such."

Hope walked over to it and read the engraved gold plaque.

For my Eleanor and the endless joy she has given me.

"He must have been a romantic." Hope replied.

"I think so too." Bartie joined her on the bench. "Though their time together was short, I believe they were very happy."

"That's all I want out of life." Hope sighed at the thought. "Someone to simply be happy with, share things with, laugh with..."

"Sneak around palaces with?" Bartie added while draping his arm along the back of the bench.

Hope laughed then turned towards him.

"Who wouldn't want someone to sneak around palaces with?" She teased. "That's the foundation to any romantic relationship."

He chuckled, fingers gently brushing her shoulder.

"So that's what makes a relationship romantic?"

Hope's cheeks flared with color. Her eyes though held his.

"Well yeah. Didn't you know that?"

His eyes dropped to her lips. "I mean, I always assumed it was."

"First comes sneaking around," she explained, "then comes the knowledge of what this means."

"And then?" He lowered his head towards hers.

"And then," she licked her lips, head tilting in anticipation, "there's a kiss."

Her eyes closed over the first touch of his lips. The soft kiss made her melt against him. Bartie moved his lips against hers in an achingly slow fashion as if he was savoring every single second.

Hope tangled her fingers in his hair when he deepened the kiss.

It was, she decided before all ability to think fled her, the most romantic kiss she'd ever received.

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

Riley's room...

After waking from a much needed nap, Riley took a shower. As she went through the typical motions of drying her hair and such, it hit her that not only was she in the same spot she was twenty years ago but that the man she'd fallen head over heels for was once again asking her out.

And just like that young woman she once was, she was highly tempted to say yes to his escort to the ball.

"I guess I've never really grown up." She said to her reflection.

It didn't matter that she'd gone on to raise a child of her own or that she was a successful woman who had managed to have a career and family all by herself.

There was simply something about Liam that made all her common sense disappear.

Logically, she knew she should not encourage anything with him. Her past would be held against her. She'd been photographed in her underwear with another man. That alone would be a source of contempt regardless of whether or not she'd had the reigning monarch's child.

She could only imagine the media blitz that would strike the moment she entered the ballroom with Liam.

Riley couldn't do that to Hope. She wanted her to have a peaceful existence here. She knew there would be whispers and whatnot about her previous visit to Cordonia, but she believed that the people would focus on getting to know their new princess more so than on her mother's past.

As long as nothing scandalous occurred, Hope would be welcomed with open arms.

The only way to ensure that Riley was not caught in anything questionable, was to not do anything to draw attention to herself.

Like going on a date with the king.

With a loud groan, she slipped her shoes on and left the comfort of her room.

If she could manage to get through dinner without any more temptation, then her first night back in Cordonia would be a success.

I can do this, she thought to herself. "No matter what, I'll just steer clear of Liam.

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

"Your grace," a servant bowed as he held the door open.

Olivia gave a short nod as she walked through the front door of the palace. Her attention was immediately drawn to the woman hurrying down the stairs.

Riley looked up and came to a halt at the sight of the duchess she'd once competed with.

Smiles dawned on both their faces as they walked over to greet the other.

"It's good to see you again." Olivia suffered through Riley's impulsive hug.

"And you." Riley stepped back, shaking her head in disbelief. "How did you manage to not age like the rest of us?"

Olivia smirked, linking her arm with Riley's, as they followed a footman toward the dining room.

"The air in Lythikos freezes more than water."

Riley laughed, feeling her earlier tension lessen. "I need to visit. Time is trying to march across my face every night."

"You should. You and your daughter will always be welcome." Olivia replied.

Riley gently squeezed her arm. "Thank you."

Olivia truly meant her invitation. Though she was cold and distant to most of the people from her past, she couldn't be with Riley. For over twenty years, Riley had kept her family's secret. She could have sold it to the press for money, especially when she discovered she was pregnant. Yet, Riley had proven that she was truly a friend, one that the duchess could let her guard down somewhat.

And for that, Olivia would remain loyal to her and her daughter.

The two stepped into the dining room, causing the conversations to abruptly stop.

Before Riley could say a word of greeting, she was snatched up in multiple hugs from Maxwell and Hana. Even Drake gave her a brief hug.

While the four talked over one another, Liam edged around them to be able to speak to Olivia.

"I'm glad you decided to come." He pressed a kiss to her hand. "It's been a long time since your last visit to the palace."

Olivia lowered her eyes. "I know. How is Charlotte?"

"She is in alt over having Hope here. I can't wait for you to see them together."

"Are they not joining us for dinner?" She asked.

"They are supposed to." He checked the time. "It isn't like Charlotte to be late."

Riley overheard him as she talked to Bertrand and Savannah. "Sadly it is for Hope."

At that moment the two girls rushed in with shy smiles for everyone.

The two young men following at their heels also had apologies at the ready for their tardiness.

Liam waived those away with assurances that it didn't matter. He then stood between his two daughters and proudly introduced Hope to his friends and Regina.

Exclamations followed on how much she looked like Riley had all those years ago. Then everyone began to ask her questions about her studies, her hobbies, and anything else that came to mind.

Hope's nerves lessened with having Charlotte and her father practically beaming with delight in having her there. Their kindness and acceptance was still such a shock to her. She didn't know how she'd ended up so lucky to have such people as family.

Her mother sat not too far away and smiled encouragingly at her while helping her answer some of the questions. She didn't know what she would have done without her mother always there as her biggest champion.

Sean too explained their years growing up and what kind of child Hope had been. He made everyone laugh with many of the stories of their adventures around New York. Hope also noticed that he made certain to make Charlotte laugh as much as he could. His eyes always drifted back to the crown princess. Hope couldn't be more pleased with this new development.

Hope also had a new, unexpected champion sitting beside her. Bartie slipped his hand discreetly into hers under the table each time a question was asked. His fingers twined with hers, letting her know she wasn't alone.

As the dinner went on, Hope relaxed and thought she might be able to hold up well talking to more people in her father and sister's world. At least she hoped that would be the case.

She honestly was terrified of the upcoming ball.

[dcbbw]

Sneak Peek Sunday

Hoppy Easter to all the Tumblrs that celebrate! 

I am behind on a ton of deadlines posting-wise. I’m just dealing with a LOT: medical issues, legal issues, family drama, and hot-ass messiness at work. I’m also pondering my future on tumblr, but for now I do have at least 4 more fics that I intend to write, and post here: an MC lunch ask, #KLAW submission, @bebepac​’s birthday fic, and possibly a Drake-centric fic inspired by a song (or two) currently on repeat in my Spotify.

All of that is to say I DO have something to share: snippets from two fics that WILL be posted this week: my submission for Maxwell Beaumont’s birthday appreciation and my Luck of the Draw fic.

Snippets are below the cut, and a little longer than six sentences as I only have two entries this time around. As always everything is in a state of rough draft; final versions may vary.

Birthday Boy

Once again, it’s my birthday. A milestone one: The big 3-5.

I remember when I thought 35 was old.

I’m celebrating at the Great House that belongs to the duchy King Liam bestowed upon my wife. I’m celebrating with family, friends, and members of Cordonian Court. How I’m greeted lets me know which category a person falls into.

The East Ballroom has been transformed from cold marble and stiff curtains into a discotheque, complete with sequined balls suspended from the ceiling, a DJ, and a dance floor with color-lit tiles. At the moment, the children of Court are playing hopscotch on it while the adults partake of the buffet tables and open bars.

As I make my way through the throng, I grin, shake hands, and thank people for coming. I see my children in my peripheral vision and feel my heart swell to near bursting; my daughter is the spit and image of her namesake, Annabelle. My mother. Her tobacco-colored ringlets bounce as she skips over squares colored green, blue, red, purple. Her sapphire-blue eyes squint in concentration, and her plump lips part as she emits laughs and squeals.  

Her brother Dimitri, two years younger, follows behind her as he clumsily mimics her movements while yelling it’s his turn. He has dark hair and brown eyes like his mother, but he gets his personality from me.

I press forward, my wife now in my sights. Her dark hair is in an upsweep knot, and her cream-colored gown flows over her body. I pause to take her in and marvel at how far she’s advanced since Social Season. She’s no longer coarse and rough-edged; now she’s polished and cultured.

Sometimes.

She’s talking to the King and Queen, and I can tell from her posture the conversation is either agitating or exciting her. Her hands are gesticulating wildly; I already know words are tumbling from her lips as if they were balls being lobbed from a machine.

The King’s eyes roll in amusement while my wife talks; I assume it’s excitement that has my partner so animated. Liam tugs his Queen closer to him just as Crown Princess Eleanor tugs at her mother’s dress and pulls the monarchs’ attention.

As I draw closer to the trio, I wonder for the zillionth time how she’s with me.

After all, she came to Cordonia for Liam.

She stays in Cordonia because of Liam.

Three Blind Mice (LotD, Chapter 6 of The Commoner’s Wife)

“I appreciate your obvious…. attraction to me, Your Highness, but my heart and affections have been claimed by another.”

“You mean your best friend’s wife? Listen to me, Your Majesty….no royal or noble worth their salt will accept a divorced commoner as Queen. Your court will be the laughingstock of Europe and you…. you’ll be the biggest scandal since King Edward VIII. At least he was lucky enough to choose love over Crown, but you don’t have that luxury, do you? Your brother beat you to it.”

“What I do with my personal life, especially when it takes place in Cordonia, is no one’s business but mine. And if you wish our countries to remain in good standing, you will stop talking,” Liam growled.

“Even when it involves fucking other men’s wives?” Marguerite arched an eyebrow.

She lowered it when Liam’s eyes narrowed dangerously. The Princess still needed to make an advantageous match; Liam was the best of the lot. When she spoke again, her tone was more conciliatory.

“Darling, I’m offering you not only a union, but an alliance … a chance to rule over two countries, not just one. We don’t need to be in love and arrangements can be put in place, but only one of us can be scandalous, and I’ve already claimed dibs on that.”

The Princess smiled brightly before downing the remainder of her beverage. She looked around the room before setting the champagne flute on the table in front of her and gathering her purse.

“I’m sure the three of you have much to discuss; I’ll see myself out,” she spoke to everyone and no one.

She began rummaging inside her bag, murmuring to Liam that he could email her a non-disclosure agreement. “As juicy as this morning has been, I wouldn’t tell anyone; however, I understand the need for assurance.”

Marguerite rose, a plastic keycard between her fingers which she offered to Drake.

“Retaliation fucks can be most satisfying. I have a standing room at the Savoy Five Kingdoms. They have an excellent bar and even better room service. Drop by anytime today; I fly out in the morning.”

Riley’s face was dark with anger; her eyes held a flicker of fear.

Liam’s head fell into his open palms.

Drake stared blankly at the key before raising his eyes to the monarch of Monaco.

“Fuck you,” he spat.

Marguerite looked puzzled as she tucked the key into his jacket’s breast pocket.

“That’s the entire purpose, darling.”

Tagging: @jared2612​ @ao719​ @marietrinmimi​ @queenjilian​ @indiacater​ @kingliam2019​ @bebepac​ @liamxs-world​ @mom2000aggie​ @liamrhysstalker2020​ @neotericthemis​ @twinkleallnight​ @umccall71​ @superharriet​ @busywoman​ @gabesmommie1130​ @tessa-liam​ @beezm​ @gardeningourmet​ @lovingchoices14​ @mainstreetreader​ @angelasscribbles​ @lady-calypso​ @emkay512​ @princessleac1​ @charlotteg234​ @queenrileyrose​ @alj4890​ @yourfavaquarius111​ @motorcitymademadame​ @queenmiarys​ @choicesficwriterscreations​

[duchess-of-lythikos]

“Heh. Most people prefer me in small doses.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. You’re funny, sweet and kind. You’ve been nothing but nice to me since I got here.”

“That’s not how Bertrand feels. “You’ve endangered our house’s reputation. You forgot the color of the tents. You didn’t teach her to dance!”. Sometimes I think It’s amazing you’ve even survived this season with me as your guide.”

“I wouldn’t want anyone else! You’ve done the most important thing… you’ve encouraged me when all Bertrand did was doubt me. Remember, if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t even be here.”

“Lady Riley, it was my pleasure.“

“Maxwell, I always enjoy the time we spend together” For @maxwell-beaumont-appreciation Week, day 1: Appreciation The quote is from TRR book 1

[angelasscribbles]

Unexpected Chapter 7: Red Flags

Series: Unexpected

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Pairings: Riley x Maxwell, Riley x Liam

Rating: MA

Warnings: None for this chapter

Word Count: 2,221

My other stuff: Master List.

Liam lay on his back staring up at the ceiling, turmoil swirling through him.

He had finally bedded the American suitor. She was still naked, sleeping innocently beside him as he struggled to reconcile the conflicting emotions she inspired in him.

His moment of vulnerability had been real. His developing feelings for her were also real, but he was leading her on with even the implication that he was going to choose her to marry.

He couldn’t. The council would never approve it, his father would never allow it, and the rest of the nobility would never accept it.

The common people and the press might love her, but she was ill-suited to be queen.

None of the other suitors interested him, it was true, but his interests were never the point. He had tried to be fair, tried to give each woman an equal chance but that ended today. There was no point. She was the one that he wanted, but he would never be allowed to make that choice. Last night everything had seemed so simple, but in the cold, harsh light of day, he knew better.

So, while he was done pretending that any other woman had a chance of taking his heart, his impassioned resolve to choose her for marriage crumbled in the face of reality.

He had to tell her, had to be honest with her. He determined to explain the situation to her immediately but as he glanced down at her sleeping form, refusal to accept his fate surged through him. There had to be a loophole. His mind spun with possibilities, solutions, and avenues that would give him what he wanted. There had to be a way. There was always a way.

He picked up his phone and typed a quick message. She stirred in the bed beside him. Tossing the phone aside, he rolled back toward her just as her eyes fluttered open. He smiled at her with genuine warmth. There was no reason to spoil the night they had just shared, especially when there might be a way around all of it.

He ran a hand down the side of her cheek, “Good morning, my love.”

“Mm,” she stretched her entire body before responding, “Good morning.”

God in heaven, why did she have to look so damn good lying in his bed? Like she belonged there. He placed a gentle kiss on her cheek before telling her, “As much as I’d love to stay here with you, I have a meeting to get to. But please, stay as long as you like. I’ll let the guards know to bring you whatever you require. Breakfast, a change of clothes, whatever you need.”

He would give her the world if he could.

“Are you sure you can’t spare a few minutes?” She purred as her arms wrapped around his neck and her body arched into his.

His entire body exploded with heat in response, “I can be late….”

Forty minutes later he was out the door of his suite, humming happily as he made his way to the monthly budget meeting.

He hurried through his morning engagements distractedly, impatient for the only meeting that mattered. The most important one of the day, perhaps of his life.

Just after his luncheon with the Prime Minister of Italy, the answers he’d been waiting for all day arrived.

They were not the answers he had hoped for.

“You can’t marry her,” Drake slapped a manilla folder down on the desk in front of him, “You asked me to look into her background, I looked. She has a criminal record! Even if the council could overlook her commoner status, they won’t, and shouldn’t overlook her history of scamming and fleecing romantic partners.”

“No,” Liam shook his head in denial as he pulled the folder closer, “The initial background check would have found that!”

“Well, technically she’s never been convicted of anything. But I went beyond the initial check. You said to do a deep dive, so I did a deep dive. She’s had more than one complaint lodged against her by people she scammed out of their money.”

“She’s a con artist?” Liam flipped through the file quickly.

“Specifically, she targets men and women with a little bit of wealth. Takes them for what she can get financially, wipes out their bank accounts then disappears. I’m sorry, Li. I know you really liked her. But I doubt her being our waitress that night was an accident.”

“No,” he shook his head again as he closed the file and pushed it back across the desk, “No one knew we were there; she had no way of knowing who I was-“

“Come on, man,” Drake scoffed, “She didn’t have to know you were a prince to know you were loaded. Your high-end clothing, that Rolex on your wrist, Tariq whining for filet mignon…”

“Perhaps. But it couldn’t have been pre-planned. You chose that restaurant at the last second.”

Drake held his hands up in front of him, “All right. I’ll concede that it wasn’t premeditated. But when she realized you had money….”

“But she knew that it was only for one night. She could not have predicted Max asking her to come back with us.”

“No. But when he asked, she sure jumped at the chance, didn’t she?”

“But she couldn’t have known ahead of time that was going to happen. So, what happened between us in New York was real, Drake, I know it was!”

“Even if it was, there’s no way you can marry her. The optics-“

“The press loves her. We can bury this.”

“Look, I get it,” Drake softened at the desperation in Liam’s voice, “Leo had to abdicate the damn throne so we could be together. But-“

“Can it be suppressed?”

“Maybe. But if it ever comes to light, it will do irreparable damage to your reputation. I don’t think it’s a risk worth taking. Especially since she’s probably only playing you for your money. What happens if she marries you then absconds with millions from Cordonia’s coffers?”

Liam’s body sagged heavily into the leather upholstery of his chair as he considered the repercussions. He had to put Cordonia first no matter his own feelings.

Was she really faking everything?

He could handle the nobility; council members could be bribed. His father would be the biggest obstacle to a union with the American.

But he couldn’t marry her if she was only after his money. He couldn’t risk Cordonia, or his heart, like that.

Drake’s voice drew him out of his musings, “Besides that, I’m pretty sure there’s something going on between her and Beaumont.”

Liam’s head snapped up, his brows furrowing, “Bertrand?”

“No,” Drake snorted, “Maxwell.”

Liam sat up straight in his chair, steepling his fingers and bringing them to his lips, “Why do you think that?”

“They’re always together. He acts weird around her-“

“You always think he’s weird.”

“Weirder than usual. And he’s at her door at all hours of the day and night.”

“His house is sponsoring her.”

“It is,” Drake rubbed his eyes with a sigh, “I have no proof. Just my gut instinct.”

Liam tapped his lips as he thought, “He does have a history of being….inappropriate with women at times.”

“At times?” Drake snorted, “Okay.”

“Do you think he’s been harassing her?”

Drake’s mouth fell open, “That’s what you got out of this conversation?”

“No one deserves to be harassed, Drake.”

“No, of course not! I just meant….” He looked up at the ceiling as if beseeching the almighty for intervention, “Fine. I’ll look into it.”

“Thank you. You’re a good friend.”

“Yep,” he muttered under his breath as he rose, “I’ll make sure the scammer isn’t being harassed by the pervert that brought her here.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

Liam checked his watch. He had ten minutes before his next appointment. Pulling his phone from his jacket pocket, he sent a text to Riley asking her to meet him after the official Suitors Dinner Regina had scheduled for the evening.

He got an immediate response. He always did. Was that because she was falling for him or because she was playing him? He needed answers, and he intended to get them.

Riley breezed down the hallway in the suitor's wing of the palace, still on a high from her time with Liam. After a little earth-shattering morning sex, she had ordered a  decadent breakfast of raspberry crêpes, rashers, and a ham and cheese soufflé and then taken her time eating it, savoring every bite.

She had taken Liam up on his offer and sent the guards for her favorite bath products and a change of clothes from the palace boutique. After a long leisurely bath in the impossibly huge soaking tub in the royal suite, she had booked an appointment at the palace spa. Her nails had needed a touch-up. She had gotten in immediately.

Yes, she thought as she made her way back to her room, a girl could get used to this life. She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn’t see him until he spoke, “Where were you last night?”

She slid her eyes sidewise at him, “None of your business.”

Max matched her pace, keeping his body as close behind hers as he could without actually touching her, his hands shoved into his pockets to keep himself from touching her, “But you never came back after your meeting with Bert.”

“I came back.”

“To the palace maybe, but not to your own room.”

She stopped outside her door, and he stumbled into her. Turning to face him, she pinched his cheeks between her fingers and leaned close, “We need to have a talk about boundaries, Max.”

She turned back to open her door then pulled him through and closed it.

At the end of the hall and around the corner, a figure watched them from the shadows.

Drake’s brows were drawn together in a frown. Maybe Liam was right. Maybe Max was being creepy with her. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time he’d been inappropriate with a woman. If he were a commoner instead of a son of the nobility, his ass would have been in a jail cell long ago. But his brother always managed to dig him out of trouble somehow. Bribery most likely.

Surely Bertrand would want to know if his brother was harassing their sponsee. He turned on his heel and headed toward the duke’s room.

Bertrand’s head lifted from the copy of Civility: Manners, Morals and the Etiquette of Democracy that had him thoroughly engrossed as an incessant pounding noise issued from the door of his room. With a sigh, he placed a bookmark between the pages, carefully closed the tome, and sat it on the end table with meticulous precision, ensuring it could not be knocked off by a careless passerby.   

He rose from his seated position and took a moment to smooth his clothing out. One never wanted to look rumpled or unkempt, after all. He crossed the room unhurriedly and pulled the door open slowly. His eyes widened as he took in his visitor. “Sir Drake! What are you-“

“Can I come in? It’s kinda important,” Drake shoved past him without waiting for an answer.

“By all means,” Bertrand grumbled as he moved aside, “Why wait for an invitation?”

“Don’t need one.”

“It is my room-“

“In Liam’s palace,” Drake reminded him drily, “Do you want to know what your brother’s up to or do you want me to just report him to-“

“No, no, no!” Bertrand closed the door quickly before anyone happening by could overhear, “Please…” he gestured toward the scattered seating before squeezing his eyes shut as he pinched the bridge of his nose, “What has he done now?”

Drake didn’t bother to sit as he dove in without preamble, “He’s been harassing Riley.”

Bertrand froze as his eyes popped open. “What do you mean?”

“I mean I overheard him questioning her about her whereabouts last night and when she told him it was none of his business, he pressed the issue, and she told him they needed to have a discussion about boundaries.”

“Where was she last night?”

“That doesn’t matter. The point is-“

“Was she with Liam?” Bertrand tried to suppress the glee in his tone.

“I’m not here to divulge Liam’s business. Are you going to put a leash on your brother or do I need to do it?”

“No need for that. I’ll handle it. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.”

“Yeah…sure,” Drake started for the door, pausing with his hand on the knob, he turned back to Bertrand, “By the way…how much do you know about her past?”

“Lady Riley?”

“No, Queen Regina. Yes, Lady Riley!”

“Just that she was your waitress in New York and shared some kind of adventure with the prince. Why do you ask?”

Drake regarded him critically for several long seconds as Bertrand’s body twitched and his eyes darted around the room, landing everywhere but his face.

He was lying.

“No reason.” Drake exited the room and then stood in the hallway outside Bertrand’s door contemplating the duke’s deception. What was he hiding?

He didn’t know, but he was damn sure going to find out.

[alj4890masterlist]

1st set of Choices drabbles and request

2nd set of Choices drabbles and requests

Everything's Sweeter with Three (Liam x Riley)

One Night (Thomas Hunt x OC)*NSFW*

Premiere Date (Thomas Hunt x OC)

The Getaway (Ryan Summers x Holly Chang)

Trapped in Awe (Thomas Hunt x OC)

Baking Woes (Matt Rodriguez x Addison Sinclaire)

Hollywood Magic (Seth Levine x MC*Jessica Clarke)

An Ugly Time of Year (Victoria Fontaine x Jessica Clarke x Chadley Fortnum) *platonically*

Change of Plans (Thomas Hunt x OC) *NSFW*

It's Unavoidable (Thomas Hunt x OC)

Tis the Season (Thomas Hunt x OC)

The Christmas Card (Liam x Madeleine) (Liam x Riley)

Another Chance (Thomas Hunt x OC)

Christmas Journal (Liam x Riley)

The Christmas Card (prologue to L-O-V-E) (Liam x Riley)

L-O-V-E (Liam x Riley) part 1

L-O-V-E (Liam x Riley) Part 2

L-O-V-E (Liam x Riley) Part 3

Time Together (Thomas Hunt x OC)

Right by Your Side (Maxwell Beaumont x MC)

Something Sweet (Jax Matsuo x MC)/On a Rainy Afternoon (Thomas Hunt x OC)/Addiction (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

Don't Let the Light Go Out (Tobias Carrick x F!MC

Interrupted Plans (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

A Couple of Drinks (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

The Date (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

The Reason (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

Mine (Tobias Carrick x F!MC) *NSFW*

The Offer (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

The Wake (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

On the Run (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

A Glimpse (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

Meeting the Family (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

Tobias x Chris artwork (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

Holding On (Ethan Ramsey x F!MC)

Tea Time (Naveen Banerji, Ethan x F!MC)

Something Sweet (Ethan Ramsey x OC)

Something Sweet Part 2 (Ethan Ramsey x OC)

The Morning After (Thomas Hunt x OC) *NSFW*

A New Kind of Intimacy (Trystan Thorne x F!MC

The Babysitter (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

No Time Like the Present (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

What Might Have Been (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

Nope (Trystan Thorne x F!MC)

Whose Is It? (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

Processing and Developing (Tobias Carrick x F!MC) (Ethan Ramsey x F!MC)

Processing and Developing Interrupted (Tobias Carrick x F!MC) (Ethan Ramsey x F!MC)

The Getaway (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

Asked and Received (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

Always Winning (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

TBI (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

Can't Help It (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

Anticipation (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

You Know, What! (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

Game On (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

The Dinner Party (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

Oops (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

Heart's Choice Part 1 (Ethan Ramsey x F!MC) (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

Heart's Choice Part 2 (Ethan Ramsey x F!MC) (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

Heart's Choice Part 3 (Ethan Ramsey x F!MC) (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

First Night Out (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

Comfort (Ethan Ramsey x F!MC)

Perceive (Thomas Hunt x OC)

Repeat Performance (Thomas Hunt x OC

Rough Start (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

Tobias Carrick x F!MC artbyainna

Admittance (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

Say It (Ethan Ramsey x F!MC)

Searching (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

[harleybeaumont]

Never Have I Ever

Chapter 19 - Date Night

Book- TRR

Series- Never Have I Ever

Pairings- Bertrand x MC 

Chapter Synopsis- Bertrand and Savannah go on their date.

Chapter Warnings- language, drinking, mentions of drug use, mentions of sex, sensuality

Rating - Mature

Word Count- 3,600

________________________________________________

Chapter 19 - Date Night

Bertrand awoke early the following morning to a musical knock at his bedroom door. He checked the clock with bleary eyes before calling out, “Come in, Maxwell.” Bertrand sat up and rubbed his hands down his face. What in the world would make Maxwell wake up this early? Bertrand’s 6 a.m. alarm hadn’t even gone off yet.

“Hey, heeey!” Max chirped as he strutted inside, looking around the room curiously. “Uh.. anyone in here with you?”

Bertrand straightened his posture, trying to appear completely oblivious. “Why would anyone be in here with me?”

“Umm, no reason. Just asking.”

“Why are you up so early? Is everything alright?” Bertrand slid his feet into his camel brown, suede slippers and stretched his arms overhead while he watched his younger brother curiously.

Max fidgeted with his hands the way he always did when he had something on his mind that he didn’t want to say aloud. Growing up, this was usually a tell that he had done something wrong. “I was just gonna ask what you had planned for the day.”

Bertrand arched an eyebrow and shuffled past his brother toward his adjoining bathroom. “I have a meeting scheduled this afternoon with our financial advisor, another right after with the head of housekeeping, and a personal engagement this evening for dinner.”

Maxwell sighed, watching his brother brush his teeth. “A personal engagement? Does that mean you’re still going out with Savannah tonight?!”

Bertrand paused his brushing for a beat and glanced at Maxwell’s reflection behind him in the mirror. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Fucking hell..” Maxwell muttered under his breath, and stalked back into the bedroom, dropping down onto Bertrand’s bed face first. “I can’t even with this idiot.” Maxwell quietly mocked Bertrand’s comment, “‘Why wouldn’t I?’ Because I’m an oblivious dumb ass.”

Bertrand emerged a moment later, still baffled by his brother’s strange behavior. He poked him in the leg with his slipper. “What is the matter with you? Are you unwell?”

Max blew out a long breath and jumped up, taking his brother by the shoulders. “Bertrand, you know I love you, and I have nothing but the utmost respect for you. You’re a smart guy. All I’m going to say is please, please reconsider going on this date. Maybe.. go hang out with Riley instead.”

Bertrand swallowed hard, hoping he wasn’t blushing at the mere mention of Riley’s name. “I don’t understand. I thought you liked Savannah.” 

“Honestly, as a person, she's meh at best.” Max shook his head, “But I could put that aside if you two were actually in love.”

“Maxwell, that’s a very impertinent thing to say.”

 “She’s not the one, bro. She’s not right for you.”

“How do you know that? We always seem so compatible-”

"Compatible with you, or with who you think you're supposed to be? You know what? Go out with Savannah tonight,” Max suggested. “But while you’re out with her, I want you to really look at her. Really pay attention to who she is as a person. Her personality, her sense of humor, her likes and dislikes. And while you’re doing that, I want you to ask yourself if she's really right for you.”

Before Bertrand could respond, Maxwell gave him a clap on the back and headed out the door, but not before winking and saying, “Just think about it.”

_______________________________________________

Bertrand hadn’t seen or heard from Riley the entire day, and each hour that passed, made him a little more sick to his stomach. She didn’t join the rest of the court for breakfast or lunch. Maybe it was his fault. Maybe she didn’t want to see him. Maybe she was upset with him for taking things too far last night. Maybe he misread the situation entirely. 

That evening, before he could think better of it, Bertrand found himself outside of Riley’s bedroom door with his heart thrumming in his chest. He raised his hand and let it drop several times before finally rapping softly against her door.

She cracked it open slightly, her emerald eyes widening as she focused on his face. “Bert!”

“Riley!” He smiled brightly, thankful that she was ok. “May I come in?” 

“Uh.. Sure.” She stepped aside and he slowly entered, taking in her appearance.  She was wearing a white tank top and plaid pajama pants and her eyes were slightly puffy and rimmed red. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun and she smoothed out her rumpled clothes, looking uncomfortable under his gaze. 

“Are you alright?” He asked as he looked her over, growing increasingly concerned.

She crossed her arms over her chest, glancing at her reflection in the mirror. “I’m fine.”

There was no way she was fine. Bertrand stepped closer, fighting the urge to touch her. To brush her hair behind her ear. To take her in his arms and hold her. His heart hurt seeing her this way. “You haven't been.. crying, have you?”

She turned away and cleared her throat. “No.”

He stepped closer. “Did something happen? Are you hurt? Are you sick?” His stomach turned as he dared to ask, “Is this because of what happened between us last night?”

Riley took a deep breath and responded quietly, “No.”

“Are you upset with.. with me?”

Riley shook her head and turned around to face him with a sad but honest smile. “I’m not upset with you, Bert.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. I’m not sick, I’m not hurt, I’m not upset with you, I’m not pregnant, I’m not-”

“Preg-? P-pregnant?!”

She shrugged, “I thought that might be your next question.”

“Dear God, I hadn’t even thought about that.” His legs were suddenly wobbly and he braced himself against the wall.

“Well, you don’t have to, because I’m not.”

The two stood awkwardly in front of one another, neither knowing what to say. Riley spoke first, “What are you doing here?”

“I was going to ask you the same question. No one has seen you all day, and I wanted to see if you were alright.”

She smiled slightly. “You were worried about me?”

Bertrand nodded, “Yes, of course. And Maxwell insisted that I speak with you before my date.”

Her face dropped and her entire demeanor turned icy. “Ah. So you’re here because Max sent you.”

“Well, no.. not exactly..”

Riley turned and waved him away, “I’ll see you tomorrow. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take a nap.”

“A nap? It’s 5:30 in the evening.”

“So?” She snapped as she dropped down onto her unmade bed.

Bertrand had never seen her so cold. “Um.. Well.. Can I have dinner brought up for you? You need to eat.”

“I’m not hungry. Enjoy your date.”

He started for the door, stomach twisting into knots. His date. “Can I ask you something?”

She sighed and turned to face him, her expression softening slightly. “You know you can ask me anything.”

He paused, trying to think of any excuse to stay with her for a few more moments. “Can I.. have one of your gummies for tonight?”

She couldn’t help but chuckle, and Bertrand’s heart warmed instantly at the sound. “Bert, don't tell me you wanna get high tonight, of all nights!”

He shrugged, “It might help me get through this date.” 

“Get through it?” 

Riley raised her eyebrows in amusement and Bertrand stammered, “Wait! Wait, that is not what I meant! I mean, it’s not like I don't want to go!”

Riley laughed and rummaged through her suitcase before handing him a gummy. “Here. Remember it takes a little while to kick in.”

“Thank you.” Bertrand held her hand with his own for a moment and their eyes met, before Riley turned away.

“Can you turn the light off on your way out?” She asked, then crawled back into bed and clicked on the TV.

Bertrand nodded and flipped off the light switch, making his way out of her bedroom to prepare for his date, even though it was the last thing he wanted to do.

_________________________________________________

Bertrand smiled cordially as he watched Savannah make her way down house Beaumont’s grand staircase toward him. Her cream colored, satin blouse was unbuttoned slightly to reveal a diamond and sapphire necklace, and her navy, tweed, pencil skirt stopped just above her knees. A pair of high black pumps adorned her feet and her perfectly coiffed, chestnut brown hair rested on her shoulders. He held out his hand to help her down the last step. “Good evening, Lady Savannah.”

“Good evening, Your Grace.” She accepted his hand with her perfectly manicured french tip nails resting atop his skin.

Bertrand stepped back and smiled slightly. “Perhaps we could forgo our titles this evening? I don’t suppose we need to be so formal.”

Savannah looked taken aback. “Who are you and what have you done with Duke Bertrand Beaumont? Besides, I love hearing you call me ‘lady’.” She touched his arm, fingernails skimming across the sleeve of his white oxford and onto the exposed skin on his wrist. “The only thing I’d like better is hearing you call me ‘duchess’.”

Bertrand turned away and cleared his throat loudly, “Yes, well.. I suppose we should go. It appears the car is ready.”

He slid into the back seat after Savannah and she smiled demurely. “So where is this mysterious spot you’re taking me for our date?”

Bertrand shifted toward her, brimming with pride. “It was going to be a surprise, but I suppose it’s alright to tell you now since we’re already on our way. We’re going dancing.”

He waited for her elated reaction, but her entire face dropped. “Wait.. dancing? You told me this date was more informal. I’m not dressed for ballroom dancing!”

He grinned, “No, no! We’re going to a nightclub! I wanted to take you somewhere fun and.. and normal where we could relax and get to know each other better.”

Savannah stared at Bertrand for a moment before throwing her head back and laughing hysterically. “Oh Bertrand! You had me going for a while! Who knew you had a sense of humor?! Duke Bertrand Beaumont taking me to a dirty nightclub!”

He forced out a chuckle before quickly sending the driver a text to stop at Savannah’s favorite Italian restaurant instead, hoping and praying that they could get a table ready quickly so she wouldn’t know this wasn’t part of the plan. So much for dancing.

Savannah sat down at their usual table with a grin. She took Bertrand’s hand and smiled at the waiter before speaking loudly. “Thank you, sir. The Duke and I would love to start off with a bottle of your finest champagne. This is a very special occasion, isn't it dearest?”

Bertrand felt the curious gazes and whispers of every patron in the entire restaurant fall on him and he smiled politely. “Er, right.”

Savannah looked up at the waiter once more and raised her eyebrows impatiently. “That will be all for now.”

“Yes ma'am.” The man scurried away toward the kitchen.

She faced Bertrand and rolled her eyes, “Well, he’s clearly new. He didn’t even recognize us!”

Bertrand looked down at the menu, avoiding the stares from people around him, but most especially the woman in front of him. Maxwell's earlier advice echoed in his mind. Really pay attention to who she is as a person. Ask yourself if she's really right for you.

Had Savannah always been so.. Supercilious? 

Bertrand tried to stop himself, but couldn’t help chuckling as he recalled the first time Riley heard him use that word.

He was seated across from Riley at the kitchen table, having one of their daily lessons over lunch. Bertrand used the term supercilious to describe a certain Earl at court.

“Super sillyous? That’s like when something goes beyond silly and hits that extra silly mark, right?” Riley joked as she took a bite of the strawberry pie she had made that morning.

Bertrand furrowed his brow, “absolutely not!”

Riley leaned across the table toward him, “Yes it is! See, I’ll use it in a sentence.” She took a dollop of whip cream and dabbed it on his cheek. “Bertrand looks 'super sillyous' with whip cream on his face.”

Bertrand’s mouth fell open, “You.. you did not just do that!”

“Oh I do believe I did! What are you going to do about it?”

Bertrand was still frozen in shock at the sheer audacity of this woman, when she made her way over to his side of the table. “Oh don’t worry, I’ll clean it up.” She leaned toward him, cupping his face, and he felt the warmth of her tongue against his cheek as she licked the cool whip cream from his skin.

“Riley!” He gasped and she smiled as she wiped the rest off with her thumb.

“There. All better.”

“What’s so funny?” Savannah asked as she smoothed and primped her hair while she watched herself on her phone.

“Oh,” Bertrand smiled softly. “I was just thinking of something amusing that Riley said. It’s nothing.”

Savannah’s brow furrowed and she picked up her menu. “Riley, huh?” Bertrand kept quiet while Savannah tapped her nails against the menu. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something about her..” Bertrand’s heart sped up and his palms began to sweat as Savannah continued. “What do you think of her becoming queen? Honestly.”

“Oh,” Bertrand breathed a sigh of relief. “Well, I believe she would make an excellent queen. She’s been training night and day, and even though it’s only been a few months, she’s very well versed in the matters of court. Riley is smart. She picks up on things quickly. She’s social and polite, and good at reading people. She’s truly a remarkable person.”

Savannah glared at Bertrand while the waiter poured them a glass of champagne. She took a long sip, before replying, “Well, I think she’s kind of a bitch.”

“W-what?” Bertrand reeled back. “Why would you say that?!”

Savannah glanced away nonchalantly, “I’m very good at reading people, and I just get a weird vibe from her. I mean, how well do you really know her? She could be trying to get with Liam because of his money and fame! She could be stealing from you as we speak! And who just abandons their current life and goes with someone they just met to a foreign country? Was she homeless or something? Maybe a drug dealer on the run?”

Bertrand was completely dumbfounded. “Savannah.. How could you even say those things?”

“I’m not the only one! Surely you’ve heard what people are saying about her! I’m just worried about House Beaumont’s reputation, for your sake. You know I care about you.”

Bertrand’s mind flashed back to when he and Riley were in the club together and that flirty woman called her a bitch. Riley told him it happened all the time but he didn’t believe it. How could anyone insult her? She was wonderful! His blood boiled, but he took a calming breath before addressing Savannah. 

“Lady Savannah, I will ask you not to speak ill of Riley in front of me. She is a very kind person who has been through a lot. She has been nothing short of amazing in the time I’ve known her and I consider her my friend.”

“Amazing?” Savannah finished the rest of the champagne in her glass before fixing him with a stern look. “Bertrand, is there something you want to tell me?”

He felt his face flush, “N-no! I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

Savannah leaned forward and lowered her voice, “Why are you always so quick to defend her? And not only that, you’re gushing about how ‘amazing’ she is! I’ve never heard you talk that way about anyone before!”

Bertrand stammered, “I-I’m her sponsor! Of course I’m saying nice things about her.”

Savannah searched his face with a scowl, “If you say so. I just wonder if-”

The waiter returned, interrupting their conversation. “Are you ready to order now, my Lady? Your Grace?”

“Oh, thank God,” Bertrand muttered, and quickly corrected himself, “I mean, yes. Yes we are.”

The rest of their dinner passed at an agonizing pace. Bertrand managed to acquire two last minute tickets to a ballet being performed at a local theater, and Savannah was less than impressed with their seats in the upper balcony next to the emergency exit. 

The ride back to the Beaumont estate was a quiet one. Bertrand checked his phone for any new texts from Riley, but unfortunately there were none. He sent her a quick, “How are you feeling?” message, praying that she would respond. While he waited, he scrolled back to read some of their most recent messages in the chat and smiled to himself.

“Who are you texting?” Savannah muttered, reading over his shoulder and Bertrand fumbled the phone onto the floorboard.

“Jesus!” He yelped, throwing a hand over his heart. “I apologize, Savannah. I mean, Lady Savannah. You just started me, that’s all.”

“Texting Riley?” She asked flatly.

“She isn’t feeling well. I just wanted to check on her, but I suppose she went to sleep.”

Savannah nodded and slipped her hand into his, and Bertrand reluctantly returned her grip.

Bertrand walked Savannah to her bedroom door and paused outside, thankful that the night was finally over. “Goodnight, Lady Savannah.”

She ran her hand down his arm and smiled. “Goodnight already? It’s still early. Come inside my room for a nightcap at least.”

His stomach twisted and he backed up, “Oh, I really shouldn’t. It wouldn’t be proper for us to be in your bedroom alone.”

She took his hand and pulled him forward with a smirk. “Come on.. It’s just a drink. Just one?”

Bertrand reluctantly followed her and stifled a gasp when he saw the state of her bedroom. Half melted, ivory candles lit the room and red rose petals were spread out across the bed. “Dear God, no,” he whispered to himself while Savannah made her way to the drink cart in the corner.

“You still like Glenlivet, right?” She asked while she opened the 18 year old bottle.

“Oh. Yes.”

“Have a seat.” She gestured at the bed, but he sat in a chair by the door.

Bertrand took several deep breaths while he assessed the situation. He was in Savannah's room alone.. with candles. So many candles. Thankfully the entire estate hadn’t burned down while they were left unattended. She had clearly planned for something romantic to happen between them tonight. 

“Bertrand.” Savannah handed him his drink and ran her hand up his arm before moving behind him and massaging his shoulders. “You’re so tense. Let me help you relax.”

“I.. I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” He placed his scotch on the table beside him, ready to stand up and retreat asap.

“Come on.. Just close your eyes and relax. Let me take care of you.” 

Everything about this situation felt wrong, and he couldn’t have relaxed if his life depended on it. 

He wouldn’t do anything with Savannah tonight. He couldn’t. Although technically this exact situation was what Riley had been helping him prepare for from the beginning. After everything they had been through, would Riley still want him to do this? His heart told him no, but his brain was a jumbled mess. The sex they had the previous night felt so real and so intimate, but could it just have been part of her plan? Maybe an impromptu lesson? Everything was too confusing and he needed some time to think. He sighed and when he opened his eyes again, Savannah was standing in front of him with her blouse completely unbuttoned.

He jumped farther back in the chair as she leaned toward him. “Bertrand,” She purred, caressing his cheek before pulling him to his feet.

“Y-yes?”

“Kiss me.”

“Lady Savannah, I apologize, but I just.. can't. I've actually been thinking that maybe we should take a step back and-”

“You have got to be kidding me!” She fumed, stalking away from him. “It’s Riley, isn’t it? I fucking knew it! I knew there was something going on between you two! You’re a completely different person lately! So what happened? Did she seduce you? She did, didn’t she?! Oh just wait until everyone finds out what a whore-”

Bertrand swiftly pulled Savannah to him and pressed his lips against hers. She returned the kiss instantly, and wrapped her arms around him. Surely there was a better way to squash her suspicions of him and Riley, but for now it was all he could come up with. 

Maybe she would just be satisfied with making out a little and he could leave. He reluctantly continued kissing her, and Savannah pressed Bertrand’s hand against her breast. Or maybe not! He tried to back away, but she kept moving closer.

What the hell am I going to do now?

Bertrand closed his eyes tightly and imagined Riley in front of him. Instead of the overwhelming scent of Chanel No. 5, he caught the faint note of Riley’s floral shampoo. Suddenly he could taste Riley’s strawberry lip gloss. He caressed her cheek, knowing there were adorable tiny freckles beneath his hand. He ran his fingers through her golden locks which were probably just let out of a messy bun or braid. He felt her arms wrap around him and she whispered against his ear, “Do you want me, Bertrand?” His mind flashed back to Riley laying beneath him, her plump lips curving into a sexy grin as she uttered, “fuck me, Bert.”

Savannah whispered against his ear, “Say my name. Tell me you want me.”

Bertrand smiled with his eyes still closed tightly and replied, “I want you, Riley.”

[kristinamae093]

Ghosted

Ghosted- A Plan (Chapter 2)

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 MC (Riley Brooks), hints of Liam x Madeleine

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.

A/N2: Please excuse all errors, I'm posting as I leave for work. No Liam this chapter, but I promise next is ALL Liam.

Characters belong to Pixelberry.

Soft music filled the ballroom of the Beaumont estate. White tablecloths adorned every table, all complete with centerpieces of white and navy flowers. Servants bustled through the room clearing tables from the dinner that had just concluded, and rounded the room with Ramsford’s own sparkling wine. Nobles circulated and chatted while they waited for the proper party to begin. 

The air filled with tension only a select few could feel. 

Maxwell sat at the head table alone and watched the crowd. This was the point in the evening he would usually become a one man dancing machine, but Maxwell didn’t feel like dancing.

Since Riley disappeared, Maxwell was completely desolate. He felt like he had lost his sister, his best friend. He couldn’t fathom why she would do this. Her departure had come at such a random time, completely out of the blue; nothing about it made sense. She seemed happy. She talked like she was genuinely excited about the future. There was never any sign she regretted her decision to come to Cordonia or wished to return home. His mind’s questions had to be pushed aside, however, as they had to continue forward with the social season. 

As they left Applewood for their own estate, Bertrand’s sadness cleared, and an all-consuming cloud of anger, regret, and panic engulfed him; the realization that they were truly doomed dawned on him. With no suitor, they would face scrutiny and mockery; it was inevitable. The press would surely catch wind of their tanked finances, and now there was no end in sight.

Bertrand was incredibly upset with himself for allowing their reputation to be put in such a situation. But, he found the most fault to ultimately lie with Maxwell, for making such an irrational decision to begin with. He had only been a fool and went along with his ridiculous suggestion. 

When they arrived and found that their cleaning crew had canceled, they had to scramble to get their estate in order for their upcoming doomsday. Drake stayed behind in Applewood with Liam, and nobody else could know their situation; there was no one to call. So Bertrand and Maxwell had to roll up their sleeves and scrub the entire structure from top to bottom. They worked all day and all night; even then, Bertrand still nit-picked the job they had done. 

Bertrand had spent the entire time scolding Maxwell and continuously telling him he was at fault for their predicament. He lashed out and berated an already devastated Maxwell, but in his panicked stupor, Bertrand did not care one bit. Deep down he knew Maxwell did nothing wrong, but any rationality he had left him.

As Maxwell looked throughout the room, he spotted Liam in the corner with Drake, but twisted his gaze elsewhere. He figured if anyone had a right to be mad at him, it was Liam. He knew the turmoil he was experiencing, and couldn’t even imagine what Liam must have felt. Liam’s heartbroken face after he read her note permanently engraved itself in his mind, as well as the animalistic cry that escaped him soon after.

Maxwell had sat across from Liam at dinner, but avoided eye contact. The two didn’t speak; in fact, nobody really spoke. Regina asked about Riley’s whereabouts, but Bertrand quickly steered the conversation elsewhere. The King and Queen were the only two at the table who had even finished their meals; everyone else opted to pay more attention to the wine.  

Maxwell was pulled from his daze by Bertrand, as he tapped on his glass to get the room’s attention. “If everyone would please enter the reception hall, we will proceed with the festivities.” He stated, very matter-of-factly. 

Maxwell continued to sit in his seat and ignored Bertrand’s request. He knew it was time for their infamous toast, and his anxiety heightened the more he thought about it. Everyone expected to see three Beaumonts, and he didn’t know how Bertrand planned to spin things. 

Maxwell caught movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to see Bertrand as he stomped towards him. He let out a breath and prepared himself for the tongue lashing he was about to receive. 

“Maxwell! Get up! You have a toast to make!” Bertrand ordered.

Maxwell’s eyes widened. “What? Me? B-but… we’re supposed to do this together!” he stammered.

Bertrand scoffed, “Absolutely not! All night, I’ve had to avoid questions regarding Lady Riley’s whereabouts. Since this is your fault, you will set the record straight.”

“But-”

“But nothing! I will not take fault for the situation we’re in due to your poor choices! It’s time you owned up to your irresponsibilities! Our entire lives, I have continuously bent over backwards to fix the things that you’ve broken, but no more.” Bertrand shook his head. “I still can not believe this is happening! What would father say, Maxwell?!”

“Well, he pr-”

“He would disown you! Our reputation, our finances, it’s as good as gone! All of it! There is no solution! No one will want to do business with us! We’ll be lucky if we can stay afloat until Christmas!”

“I’m sorry, Bertrand! I didn’t mean to-”

Bertrand laughed sardonically. “Sorry won’t save you this time. You’re going to have to take responsibility for what you’ve done and deal with the repercussions. The Beaumont name will be tainted forever, but I will not allow you to bring me down with you. You, and you alone, will take responsibility for this monstrosity you've created.”

“Bertrand please! I didn’t do anything! I swear! I-I’m just as shocked as you are!” Maxwell pleaded. 

“This is not a discussion! I am telling you what is going to happen, whether you agree or not. You can continue to sit here and cry about it, or you can get up and be a man for once in your life, and take accountability for your careless decisions.” 

Maxwell continued to sit and stare wide eyed at Bertrand, as his last statement cut through his heart like a knife. He physically felt his entire soul hit the very pits of his stomach, and shatter even further. He wanted to believe Bertrand didn’t mean any of the crude things he had been saying, but the glare Bertrand gave said otherwise. Bertrand looked completely disgusted, enraged, and disappointed in Maxwell; all because he took a chance on a quirky American who had captured the heart of one of his dearest friends. 

“MAXWELL. NOW.” Bertrand boomed.

Maxwell stood from his seat and looked at Bertrand with a broken expression. “Bertrand, please… Can’t we-”

Bertrand took a step further to stand in Maxwell’s personal space and growled, “No. NO. Get this ‘we’ notion out of your head this instant! You, and you alone, will take responsibility for this; do you understand?” 

Maxwell held his intense gaze for a few brief moments before he finally relented and slightly nodded his head. He could give no other response, as his throat had constricted. He turned and made his way to the reception hall. Maxwell could feel his heart thump rapidly in his chest, as well as the wine from dinner doing somersaults in his abdomen. His hands trembled at his sides, and he felt incredibly dizzy as he slowly made his way to his destination. 

As Maxwell approached the stairs, he stopped and looked back at Bertrand, who had followed closely behind him. Maxwell gave him a look of disdain, but Bertrand gave him a stern nod of the head and ignored Maxwell’s silent plea. 

Maxwell reluctantly turned back around and trudged up the staircase. At halfway, he turned around to address the crowd. 

“H-Hello everyone… Um… So… First off, I’d like to thank you all for coming. We really appreciate you being here.” He stopped to look at Bertrand, who shook his head. “I mean, I really appreciate you being here…” he trailed off.  

Maxwell looked out into the crowd and squinted his eyes to blind his vision from the rays of chandelier lights on his face. As his eyesight re-centered, he saw every gaze in the room intently directed at him. He ran a visibly shaky hand through his hair, and attempted to continue, “Uh … Y-You’re probably wondering where Lady Riley is… And um, well… “ he tucked his chin down to his chest before he quietly and quickly spit out, “she left.”

Maxwell heard a throat clear and looked up to meet Bertrand’s steely gaze. Maxwell looked at him with sad eyes, silently begging Bertrand to end this nightmare. He held his gaze for what felt like a lifetime before Bertrand once again nodded his head in a silent order for him to continue. 

Maxwell tried to swallow the prominent lump in his throat, but it would not budge. He shuffled his feet for a moment before he cleared his throat, and abruptly and loudly blurted out, “Lady Riley is no longer in the social season.” 

Gasps and whispers filled the room. Everyone turned their heads to the person next to them to confirm they had heard him correctly. It was completely unprecedented for a house to lose their suitor, especially so close to the finish of the season. Rumors immediately started regarding why they had lost their suitor, and at such a crucial moment in time. 

Maxwell gulped, and at another stern nod from Bertrand continued. “I’d like to take this opportunity formally to accept responsibility for this……oversight. My brother trusted me to make a wise decision, and I-I failed… I failed him, I failed our country, and I failed myself…”

Drake arrived at the bar shortly later. He exited his truck and leaned up against it as he waited for Olivia’s SUV to arrive. He had tried to get Olivia to ride with him, but Olivia said she ‘would rather enter the pits of hell barefoot’ than get into his truck with him. 

As the SUV that carried Olivia pulled up, Drake crossed the parking lot to meet her as she exited the vehicle. He followed behind her as the two approached the doors. 

Upon entering the establishment, Olivia scrunched her nose. “What is that smell?”

“A bar?”

“It smells like… you… Ugh... It’s repulsive.” Olivia shuddered.

Drake stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face her. “Can you not be a bitch for ten seconds?”

Olivia stopped as well. “Sure, when you can refrain from being a neanderthal for three.” she retorted with a smirk as she kept her gaze straight in front of her. 

Drake sighed and ran a hand down his face. “This is gonna be a long night…”

A bark of laughter escaped Olivia. “HA! You’re telling me!”

Drake put his hands up in surrender. “Look, I don’t like you. You don’t like me. That’s fine. But we have a common goal here. For the sake of whatever is going on, we need a truce.” 

“Not a chance.”

“Olivia.” Drake growled. 

Olivia let out a huff before she relented. “Fine. Until we figure out this maze of an ordeal, I suppose we can have a truce.”

The two shared an intense glare before Drake extended his hand for a handshake. Olivia glanced at it momentarily before she caved and lightly returned the gesture.

As she released Drake’s hand, Olivia promptly reached into her bag and pulled out a small container of hand sanitizer. She squeezed a generous amount onto the hand Drake had just shook and rubbed her palms together. 

“Seriously?!“

“What? I don’t know where your hands have been.” Olivia retorted with another shudder. She put her head up and walked further into the crowded bar. 

Drake shook his head and muttered a few obscenities under his breath, but followed her path. He scanned the crowd and noticed Maxwell sitting at a secluded table in the corner. He wore a hat and sunglasses, but was anything but subtle. The hat he wore was bright blue, with what looked to be peacock feathers etched in the design.

Drake pointed out Maxwell to Olivia, who rolled her eyes at his ensemble; the two of them made their way over to Maxwell.

As Drake approached the table, he asked, “Maxwell, what the hell are you wearing?”

“A disguise! Duh!”

“Yeah, I get what you were going for. But for the record, dark colors help hide you better.”

“This is the only hat I have!” Maxwell said as he quickly pulled the cap from his head. He tucked it into the seat next to him and took his sunglasses off before he looked back up at Drake. “It’s been a long time, Buddy! I’m so glad to see you!”

“Don’t call me Buddy.”

“But it’s been so long! Cuuummmmmmoooooon Drake, you know you missed me!” Maxwell sang at him. 

“Don’t push it.” Drake grumbled. He took a seat at the table next to Maxwell, which then revealed Olivia as she stood behind him.  

Maxwell gasped and grabbed Drake by the arm. “Drake, are you alright?! Are you sick? Do you have a fever?!” He tried to put his hand on Drake’s forehead, but Drake quickly slapped his hand away.

“I wish…”

“Ha. Ha.” Olivia said as she rolled her eyes and took the seat across from Maxwell.

Drake turned to Maxwell. “So, how are you? And yes, it has been a long time, but you still can’t call me Buddy.”

Maxwell sighed as his peppy demeanor faded, and an air of melancholy overcame his entire being. “I mean, I’ve spent the last two months hiding from the world in spreadsheets and graphs, so…”

“Why do you think you need to hide, Max? What happened wasn’t your fault!”

“Isn’t it, though? I’m the one who invited her here…” Maxwell trailed off as he picked at his napkin on the table in front of him. 

“But you are not responsible for what happened!”

“Try telling that to Bertrand…”

“He still bad?”

Maxwell cringed before responding in a quiet voice. “Yeah… I don’t think we’ll ever be the way we were before. Even with the scandal, he still blames me... Except then it changed to ‘you brought an American harlot here to represent House Beaumont'." He looked down and shook his head. “He’s told me multiple times he doesn’t want me trying to help him salvage our house’s finances. It’s only so I stay in his sight, and don’t ruin our reputation further…” He cleared his throat and looked away.

House Beaumont had been in a tumultuous time, to say the least. Rumors spread immediately regarding their suitor’s sudden departure, each with their own theory as to why. Before they were given a chance to issue a formal statement, Ana De Luca ran her story about their broken financial situation and tied the two together. That rumor ran through the mill until the Coronation, when the new conclusion for Riley’s departure came to light. But the damage had already been done to House Beaumont.

Deals started falling through and donors retracted donations. Nobody wanted to be associated with the sullied brothers; the ones who had sponsored the disgraced suitor to begin with. Stories would still occasionally run, and they were always regarding their continuous downward spiral. They had enough secured transactions to stay afloat this long, but found themselves quickly drowning in a sea of ‘no’s and denial.

Bertrand continued to berate and blame Maxwell, but Maxwell never said a word, nor challenged him; because he truly believed what he was saying to be true. He placed all blame on himself, and could only take his scoldings for his error in judgement like the ‘man’ he thought he needed to be. Maxwell had given up hope a long time ago that Bertrand would forgive him, instead he just did whatever was requested of him without hesitation or question. He did the best he could, but Bertrand always found an issue with the work Maxwell would present. 

“Damn, I’m sorry, man….” Drake responded and gave him a pat on the back, unsure of what else to say.

Maxwell shook his head in acknowledgement before an awkward silence overtook the group. Olivia sat and eyed the patrons critically and questioned why she even agreed to come. Drake took a menu and browsed the drink selection to decide what to order. Maxwell sat and stole quick glances between Olivia and Drake as he tried to decipher why the two of them had arrived together. 

“So……” Maxwell started, attempting to break the silence.

“Something to say, Beaumont?” Olivia quipped.

“Well… I was just kind of wondering why you’re here. This definitely doesn’t seem like it’s your style.”

Olivia laughed. “It’s not. Unfortunately, we have business to conduct.”

Maxwell’s eyes grew wide. “Um… We? Like… with me?”

“Yes, you. But before we begin, I need you to understand that this is a delicate situation, and your utmost discretion is necessary. Can you agree to that?”

“Yes?” Maxwell responded with uncertainty. 

Olivia glared daggers at Maxwell. He sat up straighter and cleared his throat. “I mean, yes. Of course. How may I be of service, Duchess?”

Olivia rolled her eyes, but quietly told Maxwell about everything that she knew and her suspicions, but didn’t show him the pictures due to the capacity in the bar. Maxwell sat and listened intently to every word she said. He hung on every word she said, trying his hardest to process and keep up. 

When Olivia finished, Maxwell sat and stared into his drink for a long while. Long enough that Drake grew worried. 

“Uh, Max?” Drake asked as he tapped his arm to get his attention.

“I knew it,” Maxwell whispered as he wiped a tear from his eye, “I didn’t know what happened exactly, but I knew something wasn’t right…” he trailed off and shook his head. 

“I know, man. I kinda think we all did. But nobody had anything to back it up…” Drake ran a hand through his hair and fixed his gaze on the table in front of him.

Both men let a wave of guilt wash over them for not acting sooner. Drake and Maxwell each had their doubts with the country, and Liam’s conclusion that Riley had run off to be with Tariq. But Drake knew that with Liam as enraged as he was, bringing up the idea could have gotten him exiled, especially with no proof. 

Maxwell was put to work under Bertrand’s watchful eye, cut off from the outside world. He spent every moment he was awake with Bertrand. The only reason he managed to escape for a night was because Bertrand had a meeting and left the estate. He wouldn’t dare utter a word about his suspicions to Bertrand, as he probably wouldn’t have listened to him, even if Maxwell had said something.

Olivia sat and watched both men get lost in their thoughts. She let them wallow for only a minute or two, before she slammed her palm down on the table; causing Drake to nearly flip over in his chair, and Maxwell to almost knock his drink off the table. 

“What the hell, Olivia?!” Drake shouted.

“You two have to stop sulking! What’s happened, happened. There is nothing we can do to change that. We can, however, try to get some answers for everyone involved.” 

Olivia placed her hands on the table in front of her before she continued. “Now, Beaumont. You were the last person to physically see Riley in Cordonia, that we know of. Does anything stand out from your last conversation with her?”

Maxwell shook his head. “No. Not at all. She said she was tired and was going to head to bed. She even said she would see me in the morning!”

“Do you recall what time that was?” 

“Not really. I know it was shortly after the toasts concluded, though.”

Drake’s eyes widened. “Seriously?! That was super early! I stayed down there for at least another hour, possibly two!“ 

“Was it? I didn’t think much of it. We had been traveling for days on end and any second of down time she had was spent being lectured by Bertrand.” Maxwell responded with a shrug. 

“That would make her one of the first to retire. If she had already packed, she could have easily made an escape in that time frame. Especially with everyone else still at the party downstairs.” Olivia interjected. 

Maxwell shook his head. “Her stuff wasn’t packed, not before the party anyway. I know that for a fact. I was with her before the Jamboree started while she got dressed and what not.”

Drake’s mind started running overtime. He knew he did not hear Riley at all that night. Drake had found her gone at the same time as Liam and Maxwell. He started pondering about her retiring early. If she moved fast enough, she could have packed and left before he had made it back to his room for the night. 

But would she do that?  

Olivia sighed, “Well, I’m not sure if that will be relevant, but it is worth noting.”

“We gotta take all this to Liam!” Maxwell exclaimed. 

“That’s where I started. He doesn’t think the pictures are enough proof, and her retiring early doesn’t prove much at this point either.”

“How?! I haven’t even seen the pictures, but I believe you!”

Drake answered. “I saw it in his eyes when Olivia showed ‘em to us. I know he’s thinking about it. But he’s hurt and has been since she left. He’s channeling all that humiliation and sadness into anger. And a part of me thinks he doesn’t want to admit he was wrong and didn’t jump on investigating sooner.” 

“I’d agree that would be a safe assumption. We have to find more evidence to prove to him that something did happen that night.” Olivia responded with a determined expression.

“But what do we do? Where do we even start? It’s been two months, Olivia! I want to believe that there’s something out there, but what if we’re just chasing a dead end?” Maxwell asked as he dejectedly looked into his drink.

“To start, we need to locate Tariq. I did some searching, and it seems there’s no trace of him. The last time he was seen was at the Country Jamboree.” 

“How do we do that?” Drake asked. 

“I’ll look into it. Thus far, I haven't had any luck. But, I have a contact in intelligence. Maybe I can work out a deal for Tariq’s location.” 

“What about Riley?” Maxwell asked quietly, with his gaze still fixated on his drink. 

“We will get to that. But if what Liam said was correct, Bastien already couldn’t locate her. So we may have easier luck getting to Tariq and making him talk first.”          

“What can we do in the meantime? While you try to find him?” Drake asked.

“Since the engagement tour is starting in a couple of days, we can use that as a cover for our investigation. I take it we will all be in attendance?”

“Yep.”

“I mean yeah, but… I don’t know how much help I can be... Bertrand has already made it very clear that the only reason I’m being allowed to go with him is because the invitation was formally addressed to Bertrand and Maxwell Beaumont.”

“That’s fine. We need to bide our time for the first couple of events until the court reaches Applewood. I’m not sure what we can find, given how much time has passed, but we at least need to rule it out. We must investigate any and every lead, no matter how small, and that was the last place either of them was seen in Cordonia.” 

“I agree. I’ll see if I can get Liam to tell me where they put her phone.” Drake suggested. 

Olivia raised her brows in surprise. “Wow. Good thinking, Walker. Maybe this won’t be as horrendous as I feared.” 

“You’re not the only smart one here, thank you very much.” Drake scoffed.

“Looks can be deceiving, I suppose,” Olivia smirked. 

“I always wondered about that. Why did she leave her phone? What was the purpose of that? Wouldn’t she need it?” Maxwell asked. 

“You’re right. That’s just the start of things that don’t add up, of the things Liam’s turning a blind eye to.” 

Drake nodded. “We gotta get past this wall he’s built up. I know he doesn’t believe that shit for a second.” 

Olivia laughed. “Trust me, Walker. It won’t take much. He can try all he wants, but I am better than him at his own game. I can read right through him. In his heart, he knows the truth. He’s only denying because he feels like he has to.” 

“But why? Why does he have to? He loves her! He shouldn’t be fighting us on this!” Maxwell exclaimed. 

“I know. He shouldn’t be, but he’s been through a lot. He thinks he’s protecting himself. But we will make him see the truth.” Olivia replied with utmost confidence. 

Drake gave her a determined look. “Yeah, we will. You know what? I’m gonna go see him, invite him to Applewood with us. I’ll give it my best shot and hopefully make him see reason.” He turned to Maxwell. “You can come too. Maybe if we leave the intimidating red dragon at home, he’ll actually listen.”

“Awwwww, you think I’m intimidating, Walker? How sweet of you.”

Drake ignored Olivia as he awaited Maxwell’s answer. “I… Uh… I guess I could go…” Maxwell responded in an unsure tone. 

Drake patted Maxwell on the back. “Relax. It’ll be fine. Ain’t nothin’ to worry ‘bout.”

“... Okay, but... promise me if we decide to form an official alliance, we will be the Cordonian Power Rangers, and I get to be the blue one.” Maxwell stated with a completely firm expression. He held it for only a few moments before a small smile crept across his face.

Drake and Olivia both rolled their eyes, but Drake subtly grinned. It was nice to see bits of the old Maxwell poke through, despite everything he had been through.

Drake retrieved his forgotten menu, and finally selected a seasonal skull cracker ale; the regular skull cracker, but with a slight spice flavor added. He put his menu back in the holder before he turned his attention to Olivia. “You gonna order something?”

Olivia rose from the table and scoffed, “God no. My business here is done. I suppose I’ll see you two on the engagement tour.”

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[fadingreveries]

The Royal Romance, Bk1 Ch2: Welcome to Cordonia (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: Riley travels to Cordonia, but what will await her there?

Word Count:

Disclaimer: All rights to original commentary, scenes, and characters from The Royal Romance series reserved to Choices and Pixelberry Studios. No copyright infringement intended.

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After quickly unpacking a few of her belongings, Riley made her way out of her assigned room on a mission to explore the palace boutique’s options. Luckily for her, Maxwell had told her that the store was located on the ground floor near the front entrance.

A few minutes later, Riley pushed past the doors into the boutique. The soft pink walls contrasted nicely with the brown mahogany floors and the light gray floor rug covering the entire ground. A silver chandelier with bell-shaped glass shades hung directly in the middle of the room. Several mannequins dressed in various formal attire for men and women were scattered across the rooms.

Absentmindedly, Riley brushed her hand against the silk and satin dresses placed on one of many racks on display. The closest she had ever gotten to seeing such beautiful formal dresses was outside display windows of luxury stores on her way to school and work.

“Oh!” A girl yelped out, stepping out of a changing room and holding a dress.

Startled with the sudden voice, Riley looked over her shoulder to see who it was. However, when she noticed that the girl was only dressed in her underwear, Riley quickly turned back around. While she felt a hint of excitement to meet new people up close and personal, this wasn’t exactly what she had in mind.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” Riley apologized, feeling embarrassed at seeing a stranger looking so vulnerable. “I didn’t realize someone was already here. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have just barged in.”

With Riley’s back turned, the girl quickly draped the curtain of the changing room over her body to cover herself. Only her head poked out, a sign she was eager to invite Riley into a conversation.

“Oh, it’s no problem at all. To be honest, I didn’t have an appointment. I forgot to book one before my flight landed a few hours ago but thought I would peruse down here before it became too crowded,” the girl sheepishly replied, making Riley turn around to see her friendly smile. “I’m Hana. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Pleasantly surprised with the girl’s bright kindness to a stranger like her, Riley gave a smile in return. “You too. My name’s Riley.”

“I suppose you’re also here to prepare for the Masquerade tonight,” Hana replied, before disappearing behind the curtain to pull on the dress she was holding. “Since you’re here and not already dressed, I must assume that you’re just like me… searching desperately for something to wear.”

“More or less,” Riley replied, with a relaxed laugh. Her neck craned around to catch short glimpses of the dresses in the boutique, wondering how on earth she would be able to narrow it down with the surprising variety.

“The seamstress seems to be running late, but I can show you around! The boutique has the most exquisite gowns. Quite a few of them were shipped just this morning,” Hana answered, pulling the curtain to the side. “Let me just zip this dress up and we can look for one for you!”

Walking to a floor-length mirror, Hana faced her reflection to note her appearance. There was an immense amount of pressure on her from her parents to make a good first impression on the nobility during the court’s social season. She took a deep breath, examining the rose gold laced bodice with rhinestones and a matching floor-length satin skirt.

Her hands arched around her back, trying to get a firm grasp on the tiny zipper. Replaying her parents’ never-ending lectures in her mind about securing the hand of the prince, she felt a slight tremble in her grip and found herself unable to zip herself in the dress. What was she going to do if she failed to secure his attention?

“Need a hand?” Riley offered, admiring how confident and poised Hana looked in front of the mirror with her masquerade outfit.

With a relieved laugh, Hana answered, “That would be amazing.”

Making her way behind Hana, Riley grasped hold of the zipper and slid it all the way up. On a nearby side table, Hana picked up a salmon pink mask with gold accents that matched her dress perfectly. She carefully settled it on her face, making her happily sigh with a satisfied smile.

Turning to face Riley with a grin, Hana complimented, “Thank you. It’s a pity that not many girls here are like you.”

“Helpful?” Riley asked, a smile on her face at Hana’s comment.

“Genuinely nice,” Hana explained, with a simple knowing nod. “It would make the social season much less intimidating if we were here to converse as ladies instead of constantly viewing each other as competition.”

If Drake was right about the ruthlessness of noble ladies, it seemed Riley had found a rare ally in her. Unbeknownst to her, Hana held the same sentiments. Most ladies would secretly turn their noses up at her out of jealousy, let alone help her—something Hana was used to growing up as a noble.

Hana spun for Riley, her full skirts twirling as she giggled. “Ah, this dress is perfect! Now, what about you? One must have a mask for the Masquerade!”The two girls perused through racks of dresses, holding up possible options to the other for a second opinion. Ten minutes later, Hana’s eyes widened in excitement as she pulled two garment bags from a rack. “Have you seen the angel costume? You’d look amazing in white,” Hana suggested, eagerly holding up the white dress in her right hand and the other dress in her left hand. “Or there’s also a red one, if you’re feeling more devilish.”

“I’ll take a look.” Riley giggled, as Hana handed her both garment bags.

Inside a dressing room, Riley eyed the first costume meant to resemble a sultry devil. The crimson red colour of the strapless dress was striking along with sections made of mesh lace fabric highlighting embroidered patterns. Along with the dress were two devil horn accessories and a bold black mask with sparkling rhinestones.

Ultimately, Riley decided on the angel costume that Hana first suggested. It was much simpler with its draped off shoulder straps, a sweetheart neckline, and a shimmery sparkle that brightened the pure white colour. After stepping out of the changing room, Riley fixed the matching halo accessory on top of her head and plucked a detailed silver mask off of the table.

“How do I look?” Riley asked with a smile, giving a little twirl similar to the one Hana had done moments ago.

Hana’s face brightened up, as she grinned and the two made their way out of the boutique. “Heavenly! A costume as angelic as the girl wearing it.”

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[averagetastesofonelittlebird]

THE LORD - Extract 01

The palace's grand ballroom was an opulent affair of gold and marble, with sparkling chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. A live orchestra played an old-fashioned waltz in the background, while guests moved across the polished floors in perfect harmony. Riley stood at the entrance, nerves alight. This was her first royal event in Cordonia, and she couldn't help but feel intimidated by all the wealthy and influential attendees.

Maxwell stood beside her in an elegant navy blue suit. The expensive garment was a perfect fit for his tall and slender frame. "Don't be nervous, Riley," Maxwell smiled, offering his arm for her to take. "You look beautiful, and I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time."

Riley blushed and tentatively placed her hand on him. "Thank you, Maxwell," she said. "I just can't believe I'm really here. It's all so overwhelming." Maxwell chuckled again and gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. "Just relax and enjoy yourself," he said. "I have a feeling we'll have a great time tonight.

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