#the royal romance fandom

[sfb123]

Christmas in Cordonia - Part 1

Book: The Royal Romance

Pairing: Liam x Riley

All characters belong to Pixelberry.

Summary: Liam and Riley celebrate Eleanor's first Christmas.

Rating: G (one curse word, and a fair amount of angst, but other than that, it's fun for all ages!)

Word Count: 1,072

I am participating in @choicesflashfics holiday prompts. The prompt Tis the season will appear in bold below.

A/N: This was a story that I started as a one shot last year, but was never going to finish in time for Christmas, so I tabled it. When I found out about the Flash Fics holiday prompts, I decided to dust it off and revisit. It quickly went from a one shot to a mini-series. The plan is to release once a week until Christmas, so I hope you enjoy!

A/N 2: Thank you, as always, to @txemrn for pre-reading! 😘

Riley put the finishing touches on her makeup, trying to get herself mentally prepared to lock away her emotions for the evening. She needed to tap into her lessons on stoicism tonight to be the perfect hostess and queen. 

It was Christmas Eve, and she and Liam were hosting a ball for the court. It was her second Christmas as Queen of Cordonia, but more importantly, her first Christmas as a mother. She thought back to the past year, and all of the struggles they had faced bringing Eleanor into the world. From the second Liam and Riley had returned from their honeymoon, it was one hurdle or complication after another. Culminating with one of their most difficult challenges to date, a forced betrothal contract with Auvernal; a contract that they spent the first several months of their daughter’s life trying to get out of. 

After an arduous battle, they were finally successful in severing ties with Auvernal, but at a personal cost to Riley, who had gone nearly a year without seeing her family. Eleanor was five months old, and she hadn’t even met her grandparents. They were supposed to fly out to be there for the birth, but she went into labor earlier than planned; and between the battle with Auvernal, and the search for Godfrey, everyone agreed that it would be safer for them to postpone their visit until things had been resolved. Now, it was Christmas, and the royal family had obligations that would keep them in Cordonia through January. 

Riley felt a single tear break out and roll down her cheek. “Fuck,” she groaned, throwing her makeup brush on the table. She picked up a tissue, trying to salvage the work she had done to look presentable, even though this ball was the last thing she wanted to do. Riley knew that marrying Liam came with certain responsibilities and obligations, and that she wouldn’t be able to spend much time with her family, but this is the longest she had gone without seeing them, and having Eleanor made it even more difficult. 

When she dreamed of having children, it always included her family. Birthday parties, holidays, random get togethers for occasions that only made sense to them. Now here she was, a mother, and her family had only seen her baby in pictures and through video chats. She loved her life in Cordonia, but it had been an adjustment to get used to the distance from home. 

“Riley, Eleanor is dressed. Are you ready to go?” Her husband’s voice pulled her from her thoughts, and she turned to him as she blotted away a makeup smudge from her cheek. 

“Yeah, sorry. I just need a couple of minutes.” 

Liam instantly saw that his wife was upset and rushed to her side. “Love, what’s wrong?”

She turned back to the mirror, adding some blush to her cheeks as she watched her husband’s concerned expression through the mirror. “Nothing, I’m fine. You know, I just get extra emotional around the holidays. Tis the season, I guess.” 

Liam placed his hand on Riley’s arm and turned her so that she was facing him. “Riley, talk to me. I know it’s more than that, and I can’t help you until you tell me what’s wrong.” 

“It’s stupid, it’s nothing.” She dropped her gaze to the floor, but Liam immediately placed a finger under her chin, lifting her face to meet his stern expression. She let out a deep breath. “Fine, I just… I had a very specific vision my whole life of my child’s first Christmas. And I knew that marrying you would change that vision, that Eleanor wasn’t going to get to go to Grampy’s house on Christmas day and open presents in the same living room I did when I was a kid. And I’m totally fine with that; I don’t want you to think I regret being here… or being with you. At all. I just figured that my family would have at least gotten a chance to meet her by now.” She felt the tears threatening to fall again.       

Liam wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. “Oh Riley, I’m so sorry, love.” He kissed the top of her head as his hand ran up and down her back, trying to soothe her. “I promise you, Eleanor will get to meet them very, very soon.” 

They stayed like that for a few moments, giving Riley a chance to release her emotions. When she pulled back she noticed the time on the clock behind Liam. “Oh crap, we’re late. And now I have to re-do my makeup, and I’m not even dressed yet. I’m so sorry.” 

“Shh,” Liam cupped her face in his hands and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. “We are the king and queen; we are never late. Everyone else is just early.” He winked at her, and she chuckled in response. “Take all the time you need. I will be in the living room with Eleanor when you’re ready.” He brought her hand up, kissing the back of it. She smiled gratefully at him, and he left her to get ready. 

While Riley touched up her makeup and got dressed, Liam sat holding his daughter in one arm, sending out a few text messages with his free hand. He turned toward the hallway when he heard a throat clear. His eyes went wide as he rose to his feet, sliding his phone into his pocket. “Riley, you look…” 

“It’s okay?” Riley spun in a circle to show off the sequin red, off the shoulder ball gown that she had paired with an emerald necklace. 

“Riley, I am at a loss for words. You look beyond stunning.” He approached her, taking her hand and lifting it, coaxing her into an encore spin so that he could admire her beauty once more before he had to share her with the rest of the court. 

“Shall we?” Riley asked, taking Eleanor out of Liam’s arms and looking her over to make sure she was ready to go. “Look at that, and you didn’t even put her dress on backwards or anything. You’re really starting to get the hang of this whole dad thing,” she teased before kissing her daughter’s cheek and holding her close. 

“That was one time,” Liam protested. He offered his arm, Riley looped hers through it, and they made their way downstairs. 

Permatag:

@3pawandme @busywoman @cariantha @charlotteg234 @choicesficwriterscreations @choiceskatie @cordonia-gothqueen @cordoniaqueensworld @emkay512 @foreverethereal123 @gryffindordaughterofathena @hopelessromanticmonie @iaminlovewithtrr @i-am-only-here-for-sims-cc @imashybish @kat-tia801 @khoicesbyk @kingliam2019 @mom2000aggie @neotericthemis @nestledonthaveone @nikirennie87 @princessleac1 @queen-arabella-of-cordonia @secretaryunpaid @sincerelyella @theroyalheirshadowhunter @tessa-liam @twinkleallnight @txemrn 

TRR:

@21-wishes @ao719 @belencha77 @burnsoslow @lovingchoices14 @ofpixelsandscribbles @queenrileyrose @the0afnan @tinkie1973

Liam:

@amandablink @cordonianprincess @custaroonie @jared2612 @xpandass420x @yourmajesty09 @zaffrenotes

[karahalloway]

Incorrect Quote Generator

Rules: Use this (https://perchance.org/incorrect-quote-generator) generator to generate a quote for your characters and share as many as you like! The results are uncanny!

Thanks so much for the tag @angelasscribbles!! This gave me some much-needed laughs this morning! 🤣 So of course, I decided to generate some of my own!

Harper x Drake

Harper: Being half asleep and feeling someone gently plant a kiss on your forehead is one of the purest kinds of love in the world. Drake: Unless you're home alone.

Yeesh, Drake! But this reminded me of the conversation that Harper and Drake had in the wine celler in Lythikos, so I had to include!

Harper: The universe is cold and unfeeling. The only constant is chaos. Drake: Was that place out of chocolate-chip pancakes again?

...most probably 🤣

Computer: Please enter a password.

Harper: *types in Drake*

Computer: Your password is too weak.

Harper: How fucking DARE YOU-

Agree with Harper 🤣

*Drake is talking about their past* Drake: I guess it was that day I came home to a cold, empty house, devoid of light and love, and I knew then that my sorrows would only grow. Harper: Drake, this is the saddest life story I have ever heard! And you haven't even covered the teen years! Christian: Oh, I'm sure it gets better! Drake: Ha! No, at eleven, things really took a turn for the worst.

I mean... It's like this thing read TRR

Harper: I have feelings for you.

Drake: Why? What's wrong with you? Are you sure you're okay?

Harper x Christian

Christian: Everything will be ok. You can not stop it. Everything will be fine. You have no choice. Harper: What the fuck kind of pep talk is that? Christian: Ominous positivity.

This one creeped me the heck out because it is so foreshadowing of things to come in (Less Than) Noble Intentions!!😬

Hana going a bit crazy with rebellion

Hana: LOWERCASE LETTERS ARE FOR THE LOWER CLASS! Drake: And here we have a capitalist. Harper: Did you just- Max: Let us all take a moment to appreciate that all of human history, human language, and the universe itself aligned to make this joke possible.

Maxwell's deepest darkest fear

Bertrand: What's the scariest horror movie you've ever watched? Drake: IT. Leo: Annabelle. Christian: Paranormal Activity. Maxwell: High School Musical. All throughout high school I was scared that everyone was gonna randomly get up and start singing and dancing, and I would be the only one who doesn't know the words.

This cracked me up no end because this is very legit Maxwell fear to have!

Drake x Christian

Christian: I feel so burnt out. Drake: Don't worry, it'll be over soon. Christian: Are you gonna... assassinate me? Drake: Well, not if you're expecting it.

Love how Drake's actually thought about it!🤣

Drake x Maxwell

Maxwell: She's the girl of my dreams! Drake: You say every girl is the girl of your dreams. Maxwell: I have a lot of dreams.

Maxwell: Drake! This soup is flaccid! Drake: LITERALLY WHAT THE FUCK DOES THIS MEAN?!

I... I... I just can't...🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Leo et al

Leo: So don't panic but one of us is possessed by an owl.... Maxwell: .... Drake: ..... Christian: ...... Bertrand: ..Who? Leo: That's the thing we don't- *Everyone stares at Bertrand*

OF COURSE it's Bertrand!🤣

Bertrand: What does "take out" mean? Maxwell: Food. Christian: Dating. Drake: Murder. Leo: It can be all three if you're brave enough.

I mean... *snort* Leo's got a point!

The Beaumonts

Maxwell: Yes, I'm adopting Bertrand and you cowards can't tell me no!

Bertrand: I can never give Maxwell shit because I'm jealous of them. They look at their life and say, "Sweet! This is perfect!" I look at my life and say, "Welp. Time to get drunk."

Savannah: How would you like your coffee? Bertrand: As dark as my soul. Savannah: Got it, one cup of milk coming right up!

Savs knows him so well! 🤣

Tagging my permas in case you need a giggle, and anyone who wants to play!

Permatags

@twinkleallnight @lovingchoices14 @kingliam2019 @petiteboheme @aussiegurl1234 @queen-arabella-of-cordonia @tessa-liam @alyshak92 @secretaryunpaid @princessleac1 @walkerdrakewalker @angelasscribbles @nestledonthaveone @tinkie1973 @twinkle-320 @knaussal @nikkis1983 @lunaseasblog @ficloverevie @indiana-jr @differenttyphoonwerewolf @xpandass420x @eversoaringqueen12 @peonierose @3pawandme @alexabeta @veebug8 @fangirling12566 @queenmiarys @berriesandpixels​ @coco-lina-s @lolablackwrites @ivyflowers13 @persephone13 @hollygirl1269 @adri-ja-96 @harleybeaumont @katedrakeohd @uneravine @bebepac

[sincerelyella]

Hello friend, it is I, @promptnonny

I have come bearing a gift for you 💗

Character A: “You’re mad.”

Character B: “No, I’m not mad. I’m happy, thrilled. I love looking like an idiot.”

Character A: “That explains your shoes.”

Have fun ❤️

Please tag me in what you come up with for this prompt 😘

Broken Toy

Book: The Royal Romance (AU)

Characters belong to Pixelberry; Ella Brooks belongs to me. Please note that my stories are not to be stolen and or reposted on any other site. Reblogs are welcome and much appreciated.

Summary: An AU based on the show New Girl (my favorite can you tell??) Just a collection of one-shots and shenanigans that allude to the show. This will NOT be canon, that means this won’t be in Cordonia and Liam isn’t a King. If you have watched the show before, you know they are in Los Angeles, California.

The Loft masterlist

A/N: This is legit so dumb lol just pure shenanigans and I apologize in advance.

A/N2: I know I pop up every now and then, I’m so sorry for that. Aaaand I also know my taglist is OLD. So please please PLEASE let me know if you want off. I promise, my shit isn’t all that important and I won’t be offended. Love y’all!

Thank you @promptnonny for sending me this, I absolutely loved the prompt!

Also participating in @choicesflashfics with two prompts in bold.

Love you @ao719 thanks for reading this and encouraging me to post this craziness that may or may not make sense LOL

Warnings: Adult language; sexual innuendos; Loft shenanigans

Words: 979

Leo sighed as he took another long swig of his beer. The loft was empty and quiet that Friday night, save for the television playing some rerun of the news from earlier. He had a rough day at work, traffic was horrendous coming home, and trying to get used to the painful and swollen manhood in his pants was proving to be a difficult task. 

The cell phone that lay on the coffee table in front of him suddenly rang, and a picture of Ella popped up on the screen. Leo’s brow raised in question as he picked up the phone and swiped to answer. 

“Yello?”

“Leo!” Ella’s frantic tone caused Leo to sit up on the couch, then immediately grimace and grab his crotch in pain. 

“What? What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“I need you to come and get me! You gave my number to the wrong guy!”

“Wrong guy?” Leo’s brain was half-buzzed and he had no idea what she was talking about. “You just don’t seem like yourself tonight, El, are you good?”

Ella let out an exasperated sigh. “I told you I liked Chad! And you gave my number to Beaver instead! And it turns out, that’s his government name! Not a nickname!”

The lightbulb finally flashed. “Oh! Chad? He’s boring as fuck! Beaver is so hilarious! What did he do?”

He heard Ella lower her voice, and there was a slight echo as if she was hiding in a bathroom. “He just told me a 10-minute joke about a squirrel with the punchline ‘eat these nuts.'"

Leo let out a loud rumble of laughter. “You’re gonna end up having sex missionary with a lot of eye contact.”

“Come pick me up now!” Ella hissed. “This is your fault!”

The next day 

Leo sat at the kitchen island, a large bag of ice over his crotch as he thumbed through a new issue of Better Homes & Gardens while sipping his coffee. Ella slammed a drawer shut and it made Leo jump. “What is wrong with you?”

“I can’t believe you did that to me, Leo,” Ella snarled as she stirred her coffee and creamer. “What did I ever do to you?”

“Firstly,” Leo stuck a finger in the air. “I did nothing to you. If anything, I was trying to help a friend. Second,” he stuck another finger up. “You set me up with that model and now my whole penis is broken! You had this coming.”

Ella raised a brow. “Aw, so sad that your toy is broken. That’s a little melodramatic, don’t you think?”

“No, what’s melodramatic is me not being able to get something going with myself! It’s like a taffy pull on a hot summer’s day!”

“Ewwww!” Ella screamed as she covered her ears. 

Drake and Maxwell walked into the kitchen, Drake with his normal scowl, Max with his cheerful smile. 

“Good morning everyone!”

“What did Rys do now?” Drake asked upon seeing Ella with her hands over her ears.

Ella let out a frustrated sigh. “I can’t even repeat it, I can still see the visual in my retinas!” She stomped off to her room in a huff.

“She left her coffee,” Max quipped. “Let me bring it to her before she short circuits.” He grabbed the mug and high-tailed after her.

Drake took the first sip of his black coffee and sighed happily. “Hey, how long are you gonna ice that thing?”

Leo shook his head sadly. “Eight weeks. Any excitement is excruciating pain.”

Drake nodded in response; then his mouth curled into a mischievous smirk. “Boobies.”

“What?”

He hid his growing smile behind his mug as he took another sip of coffee, then repeated himself a little louder than before. “Boobies.”

Leo sat up in his seat, a broad smile on his face. “Oh I love boobies … ow!”

Drake couldn’t contain his grin as he continued. “Girls with clean hair.”

Leo’s smile had faded and his face contorted into a grimace as he groaned in pain. “This is the least funny game we’ve ever played.”

“Models eating sliders.”

“What the fuck, Walker? Stop!” 

“Bernadette Peters on a high beam.”

Leo pressed his forehead against the kitchen island as he squirmed and continued to grab himself to lessen the pain.

“Freshly baked bread,” Drake gleefully continued his word torment.

“Why do you hate me?” Leo yelled.

Drake cackled. “Leo, this is just your hypochondria.” 

“No, when I sat on the mute button and thought I’d gone deaf, that was my hypochondria!” He slowly slid off of the bar stool and hobbled to his room. “I need a fucking cast on this!”

“You’re mad.”

“No, I’m not mad,” Leo hollered from his room. “I’m happy, thrilled. I love when you make me look like an idiot.”

Drake wandered to the open door and smirked at his friend laying face down on his bed. “That explains your shoes,” he snorted. “I kid, I kid. But really, they’re ridiculous.”

Leo’s head flung up and glared; he had his fluffy dinosaur house shoes on. “It’s cold and comfortable!”

“It’s 68 degrees, Rys!”

“What are you wearing? Like I’m the one wearing stupid shit!” Leo gestured to Drake’s pants. “Are those your girlfriend’s pajama bottoms?”

Drake awkwardly looked down at himself, forgetting he threw it on and pulled his shirt down over his crotch. “It’s uh … football pants for breast cancer awareness.”

“It’s pink with 'juicy' written on your ass, you freaking weirdo.”

Throwing back the last of his coffee, Drake grimaced and released an exasperated breath. “I like how it hugs my junk okay?”

A door opened down the hall and a female voice echoed down the hallway. “Drake, where are my pants?”

Drake’s eyes widened and he turned and ran back to his bedroom. Leo let out a hoot of laughter, then grunted and grabbed his crotch in pain. “Busted!”

[justcallmefox89]

The Royal Romance: Cinderfella’s Adventure’s in Cordonia - Chapter Twelve

An AU of The Royal Romance with a male MC and a bisexual prince.

Drake, Hana, and Maxwell reveal their grand plan; Drake makes a confession. 

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Drake swallows hard, the muscles of his throat jumping beneath my hand.

“Don’t make me repeat myself,” I murmur, trying to ignore the way hips cant back against me.  “Why the hell are you here?”

“Liam is getting married,” he manages to croak out.

I tighten my grip on Drake’s body, unconsciously betraying my distress at the mention of the Cordonian prince.  “That’s got nothing to do with me,” I respond, relaxing my hold, but still keeping his body tight to mine.

“We need to stop the wedding.  And we need your help.”

“Goddamn it,” I mutter, leaning forward to rest my head on his shoulder.  I let out a frustrated groan and Drake shivers, his breath catching.  I shove him away from me, running my hands through my hair in an attempt to calm my nerves.  “Come on then.  Let’s get this over with.”

Thirty minutes later…….

“I’m sorry… you want me to do what?”  I lean back in my office chair, looking over my desk at Hana, Maxwell, and Drake.

“Attend Liam and Madeline’s engagement party,” Hana says hurriedly.

“Talk to Liam privately,” Drake says.

“And blow up the engagement so Liam can call off the wedding!” Maxwell finishes.

I rest my elbows on my desk and drop my head into my hands.  “Yeah, that’s what I though you said.”

“I know we’re asking a lot of you,” Hana says, rising from her seat and joining me behind my desk.  She wraps her arms around me and squeezes tightly.  “And I’m sorry we just barged in like this, but we really don’t know what else to do.”

I raise my head and gently extricate myself from her embrace.  “Even if I agree to do this, there’s a chance it won’t work, Cinnamon Bun.”

Hana smiles at my use of her nickname.  “It may not,” she admits.  “But at least we’ll have tried.”

“Liam has to get married at some point,” I continue.  “Why can’t he just marry Madeline and get it over with?”

Maxwell grimaces.  “Madeline is awful.”

“Liam deserves to be happy.  And you made him happy,” Drake says, looking as if this admission is causing him physical pain.  “He needs to be reminded that there’s more to his life than just duty to Cordonia.”

I bark out a laugh, the sound loud and startlingly cruel in the relative silence of my office.  “He didn’t care when I left; what makes you think he’s going to care now?”

“To be fair you completely ghosted him.  What was he supposed to do?” Maxwell says bitterly.

“I left him a note.”  Defensive, I cross my arms over my chest.

The three of them exchange a look I can’t decipher.

“Liam never got a note,” Hana says slowly.

I shake my head.  “No.  No… I left a note in his room, just like I did you guys.  I told him… it doesn’t matter now.  But I left him a note.  Are you sure he didn’t get it?”

“No, he didn’t.”  Drake scowls. “Which means someone got to it before he did.”

“You really think someone in the palace would hide something like that from Liam?” Maxwell asks, frowning.

“Constantine,” Hana whispers.  “Constantine would.”

 “It doesn’t matter now,” I repeat, shaking my head.  I drum my fingers against my desktop, thinking.  “So to re-cap... you want me to go to a party full of people who despise me and would do almost anything to keep me from being with Liam. Then you want me to somehow sneak past who knows how many bodyguards to try to speak with Liam privately.  And if he does agree to talk to me, you want me to convince him to rebel against his father and call off his wedding, which could potentially affect his ability become king?”

“Yeah, that about sums it up,” Maxwell says brightly.

“You’re all fucking insane.”

Hana sighs.  “We understand, Callum.  It was unfair of us to even - ”

“Do it for me,” Drake interrupts her.  “Please, Callum.  Please do this for me.”

His brown eyes bore into mine, silently pleading with me.

“Motherfucker,” I mutter, rubbing my forehead.  “Fine.  Fine. What’s the plan?”

The trio exchanges a surprised look, like they hadn’t actually expected me to ever agree.

“You can come to the engagement party as my date,” Drake blurts out suddenly. “And the three of us can get you an opening to talk to Liam.”

“Drake…”  Hana glances between Drake and I, suddenly hesitant.

“You really want me as your date, Brat?” I ask, unable to keep the teasing note from my voice.

“Absolutely,” he replies, his voice low and husky.

This is insane.

“When are we doing this?”

“Tomorrow night,” Maxwell says.  “Dress code is black tie.”

I shove a post-it and a pen towards him.  “Write down the details.”

“The party is in the ballroom of the hotel we’re staying at. You should meet me at my hotel room before the party starts,” Drake says, blushing faintly.  “So we can walk in together.”

My heart thumps loudly in my chest.  “Sure,” I manage to say, my mouth suddenly dry.

“We should probably go,” Hana says, breaking the tension between me and Drake.  “It’s late and tomorrow’s going to be a big day.”

“Yeah,” I mumble in agreement.

I hug Maxwell and Hana before they hurry out of my office, leaving Drake to linger behind.

“You need something else?” I ask, arching one eyebrow.

He takes a step closer to me.  “From you?  So many things.”

My eyes widen in surprise, and a frisson of excitement streaks through me.  I raise my hand, cupping the side of his face.  Drake sighs, nestling further into my touch.  I run my thumb over his full lower lip as a number of sinful thoughts run through my mind.

“Tell me,” I whisper.  “Tell me and I’ll give you anything you want.”

Drake nervously licks his lips, his tongue flicking out and touching my thumb.  I groan, unable to stop myself, the warm, wet touch of his tongue sending every drop of blood in my body straight to my dick.  Drake suddenly jerks away from me, breaking the spell.

“Maxwell and Hana are waiting,” he says, stumbling to the door on shaky legs.  “See you tomorrow.”

“See you…”

What the fuck was that?

I heave out a shuddering breath, staring at my closed office door.  “What am I doing?”

I sit back down in my office chair, taking out my phone and automatically opening up a news app.  

“Cordonian Prince Visits New York as the Last Stop on Official Engagement Tour”.  A full color picture of Liam and Madeline walking arm in arm accompanies the headline. They look happy.  

Like they belong together.

“What is wrong with me?” I mutter, unable to take my eyes off of my phone screen.  I trace Liam’s face with the tip of my finger, remembering the softness of his skin. His scent.  The way his body felt against mine.  The way his lips tasted.  How his eyes would crinkle at the corners when he would smile.

“Fuck!” I scream, throwing my phone.  It shatters against the walls, bits of plastic flying through my office like shrapnel.  I sweep my arm across my desk, scattering papers and bits of office paraphernalia.

Rage…

Grief…

Love…

Confusion…

The emotions I’ve spent that past year bottling up swirl in my chest, refusing to be contained any longer.  I scream again, tearing the computer monitor from the top of my desk, and smashing it on the floor.  I slam my office chair against the wall, tearing a hole through the dry wall.  I tear pictures and framed certificates from the walls, dropping them to the floor and crushing them beneath my boots.  A visitor’s chair gets tossed against the door, cracking the smooth wooden finish.  When I run out of things to destroy, I crouch down in the far corner of my office, tugging on my hair as I breath heavily, using the pain as an anchor.  

Liam…

 The next evening…

“Damn it.”  Drake stand in front of a mirror, struggling with his tie.  A soft knock sounds on his hotel door, breaking his concentration.  He sighs, giving up on his tie, and goes to answer the door.

“Hey, Brat.”  Callum leans against the door jamb, smirking languidly as his eyes lazily rove over Drake’s body.  “You look good.”

Drake’s brain short circuits as he takes in Callum’s appearance.  Dressed in a form fitting black suit and black silk shirt, black gauges and septum ring his only jewelry, he oozes confidence and sex appeal.  Unlike Drake, he’s opted not to wear a tie, leaving the top few buttons of his dress shirt undone and showing off a tantalizing strip of skin that Drake desperately wants to kiss.

“Having some troubles?” Callum asks, gesturing to the undone tie hanging around Drake’s neck.

Drake clears his throat, trying to fight the blush creeping over his cheeks. “Yeah… I never really learned how to tie one of these things.”

“Want some help?”

Drake nods, sighing in relief.

“What do you say when you want something, Brat?”  Callum’s voice is low and playful.

“Huh?”

“What’s the magic word?”

Drake narrows his eyes.  “I’m not playing this game with you.  I’ll figure it out on my own.”

Callum kicks the door closed and takes a step closer, gazing down into Drake’s eyes as he takes hold of the tie around his neck.  “Who’s playing?  All you have to do is say one little word… then I’ll give you what you want.”

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Drake blushes and clears his throat, growing increasingly flustered by my flirting.

Too easy.

“You should quit teasing me,” he mutters.

“Who says I’m teasing, Brat?” I purr, using the tie to tug him closer, until his chest is pressing against mine.

His eyes flit away momentarily before meeting mine once again. “Can I ask you something, Callum?”

“Of course,” I say, confused by the sudden subject change.

“If we had met somewhere else… anywhere else.  At a club in New York, or in an airport, or at a party… If you hadn’t been our waiter that night, and I hadn’t been sitting next to Liam…  Do you think all of this… do you think it could’ve been different… between us?”

I blink, stunned into inaction by the question.

Would it have been different?

Drake stares up at me, beautiful brown eyes wide and beseeching as he waits for my answer.  Drake, who had always been on my side, who had done his best to warn me about the dangers of the Cordonia court.  Who had been there for me when Liam wasn’t.  Who let me be myself and liked me in spite of it.  Drake, who stands before me open and vulnerable, laying his feelings bare for me to accept or reject.

I lean forward until our mouths are barely a hairsbreadth apart.  “Yeah, baby,” I murmur, our lips gently brushing together with every word I speak.  “It would’ve been different.  I think everything would’ve been different.”

[rogue-indshadows]

ARGHHHHH!!! THIS HUG 🤗🫶🏻♾️

[choices-binglebonkus]

[ao719]

Best Kept Secrets

Best Kept Secrets - Built to Last (Chapter 19)

Characters belong to Pixelberry.

Summary: An unforeseen encounter with the past proves that even the best-kept secrets eventually make their way into the light. 

Title inspiration: Changing Tides - The Fray

Book/Pairing: TRR; Liam x F!OC

A/N: Not beta’d. Please excuse any errors. 

Rating: M • Warning: This series will contain NSFW material. If you read, you acknowledge you are 18+

Catch up here

Slipping out of the SUV, Liam strode through the front doors of the palace after returning from a lunch meeting in the capitol. His assistant met him in the foyer and matched his steps up the stairs as he handed him a small stack of papers he needed for his next meeting. 

“Thank you,” Liam said as he quickly looked them over. “You can head to my study. I’m just going to stop and see Amara and Sophia real quick.”

“Of course, sir,” the man nodded.

Once they reached the landing, they turned in opposite directions as Liam headed for the north wing.

It had been a month since they returned from their trip to New York, and things had been going well. 

Amara seemed more relaxed. The guilt she’d been feeling prior to the trip didn’t seem to weigh as heavily on her after their talk at the hotel that night. He was watching her fall back into the old Amara … the one he’d fallen in love with two years ago. 

The one with no guilt. 

The one with no secrets. 

The press had ceased their verbal attacks on Amara’s intentions since learning she was staying in Cordonia. Now, they turned their focus on the status of her and Liam’s relationship, questioning if they would rekindle the romance they once had. 

Liam didn’t give them the satisfaction of a response. Partly because he didn’t feel it was any of their business, at least not yet. And partly because he had nothing to give them at the moment. 

In the month since they returned to Cordonia after deciding to see where things could go between them, they’d certainly gotten closer. They’d spent every evening together, but only behind the confines of the palace walls and as a family. They would meet once Liam finished work for the day in either the north wing or his quarters, they’d have dinner, and they’d play with Sophia before putting her to bed. Then they would have their time, which consisted of talking or watching a movie. And when they weren’t chatting or paying attention to a TV screen, they would get caught up in one another, but they had yet to cross any lines beyond kissing. 

While Liam was the one who said he wanted to “slow down”, he found himself struggling to rein in his desires for Amara as they grew closer; the tension between them continued to thicken and each kiss they shared grew more passionate. He was determined to get things right this time around, however, so he was content with taking things slow. 

Once at the north wing, Liam stepped inside and rounded the corner to see them in the living area; Amara was sitting on the sofa with her laptop in front of her while Sophia played with blocks on the floor. 

“Dada!” Sophia squealed when she spotted him; she pushed herself to stand and toddled toward him. 

Liam grinned as he leaned down and scooped her into his arms. “Hi, princess.” His gaze then met Amara’s as he approached her; he leaned down, kissing her cheek. “Hi.” 

“Hi,” Amara smiled. “How was your meeting?” 

“It was fine. I thought I’d stop by before the next one. What have you two been up to?” 

“Not much,” Amara shrugged. “We just got back from having lunch with Regina. She was wondering if you’d spoken to Leo.”

“Yes,” Liam nodded. “He told me he was coming home next weekend to finally meet his niece,” he smiled as Sophia looked at him. “You’re going to have your Uncle Leo wrapped right around your little finger, I can already tell.” He then looked at Amara. “He’s looking forward to meeting you, too.”

“Me?”

“You are the mother of his niece,” Liam playfully scoffed. “And we’re … well, ya know …” He winked. 

Amara smiled sheepishly with a quiet laugh as she dropped his gaze. “Right.”

An imperceptible smirk tugged at the corner of Liam’s lips at the light pink tint that he saw bloom on her cheeks. While she’d become much more relaxed since their talk, she was still being careful and seemed to get easily flustered at any comment he made in a teasing, flirtatious manner. The old Amara from two years ago was bold in her flirtations, and while he was hoping to see that bold side come back, there was something about her getting flustered that he found endearing. 

It had become a secret little game of his to see it happen. 

Just then, Amara’s phone rang; she glanced at the screen before rising from the sofa. “Can you watch her for a quick sec? I need to take this.”

“Sure,” Liam nodded. 

As she disappeared down the hall, Liam walked to the sofa and sat down with Sophia. “Are you having fun with Mommy?” he asked Sophia before smothering her cheek with playful kisses. She giggled and pulled back, then leaned across him, stretching her arms out. His gaze shifted in the direction she was reaching and fell on Amara’s open laptop. “No, you can’t have that, silly,” he chuckled. He was about to close it, but his brows furrowed and he leaned forward to get a better look. He felt a pang of surprise mixed with trepidation when he saw what was on the screen. 

It was a realtor’s website … with listings of houses for sale. 

When Liam and Amara first talked after the statement was made and she told him she planned to stay in Cordonia, she mentioned eventually finding a place of her own. At the time, he didn’t think much of it, and in the nearly three months since that conversation, any notion of it had slipped his mind entirely. Even though she had only brought it up that one time, it clearly hadn’t slipped her mind. 

A dozen questions and thoughts flooded his mind, but before he could process them, Amara reappeared. “Sorry about that.”

Snapping from his daze, Liam looked at her and cleared his throat. “It’s alright. Everything ok?”

“Yeah,” Amara nodded. As she stared at him, she could see the moment he sensed that she wanted to say more. “I’ll talk to you about it later.” 

Liam nodded even as more questions filled his head. Talk about what? He thought it might have something to do with what he just glimpsed on her laptop, and despite wanting to ask her about it, he thought that perhaps that was better left for later. 

Glancing at his watch, Liam sighed. “I have that meeting soon.” He stood from the sofa, kissed Sophia’s cheek, and set her back down in front of her blocks before turning to Amara. “We’re meeting at my place tonight?” he asked as they walked toward the door.

“Yeah,” Amara confirmed.

“I should be finished at my usual time, but if something comes up …” Liam turned to see her leaning against the wall, looking up at him. “…I’ll let you know.” She nodded as he took a step toward her, and in the next moment, he leaned down, pressing his lips to hers. His hand came up, settling on her neck as his thumb brushed along the curve of her jaw. A moment later, he drew back just enough to break the kiss and whispered against her lips, “I’ll see you later.”

“Bye …”

When Liam slipped out, Amara dropped her head against the door with a soft thud and closed her eyes as she let out a breath. For the past month, she’d been struggling with her longing for him. She swore each day she had to fight twice as hard as the one before to tamp down her growing desire. 

It wasn’t just the longing, though. It was the giddiness over the way he was making her feel … the same way he did two years ago. Hell, he couldn’t even be playful or flirtatious without making her lose her composure. He’d make one small comment and the butterflies would erupt in the masses and she’d start blushing. 

Amara lifted her head and took in a determined breath. She would continue to follow his lead because she didn’t want to do anything to ruin the progress they’d made. 

****

That night, after their usual round of dinner, playing, and putting Sophia to bed, Liam and Amara sat in the living area inside his quarters as a movie played on the TV screen. 

Liam had a few meetings that day, but he’d been distracted during each of them as thoughts of what he glimpsed on Amara’s laptop consumed his mind. He wasn’t sure why her looking for a place of her own bothered him so much … but it did. 

Despite them currently living under the same roof, they were in separate wings, so Amara having her own place wouldn’t really change anything between them. But Liam wouldn’t be able to just walk a few corridors to her door. He wouldn’t be able to drop by unannounced and on the fly anytime he wanted like he could now. And spending every evening with them would probably dwindle to once or twice a week. He’d be missing out on time and moments he didn’t want to miss out on … like the one he found himself in now.

Liam drew back from Amara’s lips, trying to will his desire for her back inside its cage. “So,” he whispered as his thumb brushed against her cheek, “what was that phone call about earlier?” 

“Oh, um …” Amara leaned back. “It was my realtor …”

“A realtor?” Liam asked, feigning ignorance. 

“Yeah,” she nodded. “I’ve been looking since I made the decision to stay and with price drops happening left and right lately, I thought it would be a good time to really look.” 

Liam shifted on the sofa, draping one arm across the back as he rested his hand on her thigh. “Really look as in …?”

“I have appointments to view some listings.” 

“I see,” Liam nodded as he held her gaze. “Is this something you want to do right now? I told you there was no rush for you to find a place.” 

“I don’t want to overstay my welcome,” Amara quipped, and he gave her a look. “It’s a process, not something that happens overnight, so I just think it might be time to start looking.” 

Liam nodded again as he watched his finger trace a shape on her denim-clad thigh. “What kind of place are you looking for?”

“Something secure. Obviously, with Sophia …” 

Liam’s jaw tensed at even the mere thought of anyone having easy access to not just Sophia but Amara as well, but he tried to remain casual. “Right …” 

“Something with a yard for her to play in.”

A nod was all Liam offered, unable to say what he was thinking. She has acres and acres of yard to play in here at the palace. 

“Three bedrooms.”

“Three?” Liam questioned.

“I thought having one for a guest room would be a good idea, just in case.”

“In case what?”

“I don’t know … in case Daniel or Riley or someone else needs to crash one night.”

Again, Liam offered nothing but a nod. There are guest rooms galore here. 

Suddenly, the reason why it bothered him so much hit Liam like a ton of bricks. He didn’t want her to leave. And not just because he wanted her to remain at the palace so she’d be within walking distance but because he wanted her with him … in his wing … with their daughter … as a family. Together. 

Yes, Liam was the one who said he wanted to take things slow, and they were — as slow as two people with a history and connection like them could. But he was struck with the sudden awareness that everything they had done up to that point had been ass-backward. Nothing about them or their situation was conventional and it never had been. So, was the impulse of wanting her to stay with him instead of buying her own house really that far-fetched of an idea? No. 

But if she was so adamant about starting to look for her own place, perhaps she didn’t want the same thing he did or didn’t feel ready, at least, not yet. 

“So when are you planning to start looking?” Liam asked.

“Tomorrow,” Amara answered. His gaze snapped up to hers, not having expected it to be that soon, but he managed to keep his expression neutral. “I’m not expecting to find the one on the first day, but I think it’ll give me an idea of what I want to look for going forward.” 

As Liam nodded again, Amara held his gaze; she swore she could see a flash of something in his eyes, but he was quick to make it vanish. Before she could ask, commotion from the movie they’d been watching pulled their attention to the TV screen. 

A moment later, Liam looked back at her as he stroked his thumb across her knuckles; the movement pulled her gaze back to him, and a heartbeat later, he captured her lips in his. 

With that, the conversation ended. 

*******

The following morning, an SUV carrying Amara and Sophia — because Liam wouldn’t let them go anywhere without at least one guard — followed the realtor through the gates of a residential development situated on the outskirts of the capitol. A few moments later, they pulled into the driveway of a two-story home that had recently been listed. 

When they exited the vehicle, Amara smiled as Riley and Drake approached her. “Hey. Thanks for coming along.”

“I had nothing going on, and when I told this one—” Riley threw her thumb over her shoulder at Drake “— he insisted on coming to check the ‘fundamentals’,” she gestured with air quotes.

“You’ll look at the aesthetic, but there’s more to a house than just looking pretty,” Drake said. “That’s where I come in since Liam is stuck in meetings this morning. Although, I don’t know if he’d know what to look for either,” he snorted. 

Amara chuckled. “Well, I appreciate you coming along. You’re right, I don’t really know what to check for other than the basics. So I’ll take any help I can get.” 

“Are we ready?” the realtor smiled from the walkway to the front porch. 

“Yes,” Amara nodded but only managed to take a few steps before her attention turned to another vehicle pulling into the driveway. She turned, recognizing who it was before he even stepped out. 

When the door opened and Liam appeared, she gave him a curious smile. “What are you doing here?”

“I thought maybe you’d like another set of eyes,” Liam grinned as he approached them. “And I want to see the places this little one is potentially going to be living in,” he said as he took Sophia from her and tickled her belly. “So I rescheduled my meetings and cleared the rest of my day.”

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“I wanted to,” Liam smiled as he slipped his hand into hers and looked at the realtor.

“Your Majesty,” the man bowed nervously. 

“Just pretend I’m not here,” Liam said. 

The man offered a tense smile and nodded before gesturing for them to follow him inside. 

While Amara walked around with the realtor and Riley, Drake went off on his own to check what he deemed to be important while Liam gave himself and Sophia a tour. 

The house was nice. The first floor was an open-concept floor plan with the kitchen, living room, and dining room all flowing into each other. It appeared to have new wood floors throughout, fresh paint, and he was pretty sure he heard the realtor mention a new roof. 

The three bedrooms were located upstairs. Two were sizable with a Jack and Jill bathroom between them, and the master was massive with an impressive en-suite and walk-in closet. 

It was a pretty perfect house … but Liam didn’t want her to live there. 

Liam had cleared his schedule to tag along on her hunt that day. His goal? To point out everything he could find wrong with each viewing in hopes she’d realize that the palace already had everything she would need or want. Walking through this first home, he knew it was going to be a difficult task if the other viewings were anything like it. 

“Maybe Uncle Drake will find cracks in the foundation,” Liam mumbled to Sophia as they stepped out of the master bedroom and headed back downstairs. When he reached the first floor, he spotted Drake in the living room. “Well?” he questioned as he approached him. 

Drake nodded positively and Liam had to swallow down his disapproval. “It’s really nice. There were a couple of minor things that I noticed, but nothing that isn’t a quick and easy fix.” 

“Well, that sucks,” Liam mumbled under his breath.

“What was that?”

“I said that’s great.” 

“What did you think?”

“It’s … ok.” 

Drake gave him a look. “I know it’s not a palace …” 

“It’s not that,” Liam scoffed. “I just have some … concerns.”

“What concerns?” 

Liam whirled around at the sound of Amara’s voice, meeting her gaze with a small smile as she entered the living room with the realtor and Riley. “The house is … nice. Really nice. I’d be worried about the security, however.”

“It’s a gated community,” Drake said.

Shut up, Drake. “Yes, it is,” Liam nodded. “But the gate is accessed by a keycard, correct?” he looked at the realtor, who nodded in answer. “So there’s no one at the gate, which means anyone who wanted to try hard enough could get in undetected if they climbed over. With who Sophia is, and who you are to me … we know how relentless the press can be at times, and they’re just the tip of the iceberg of people we need to worry about. I just think somewhere where there is a security guard stationed at the gate would be better … safer.” 

It was a legitimate concern, even if he pointed it out for the wrong reason. Had he been on board with this whole idea, he’d have pointed it out regardless. 

“He does have a point,” Amara said as she looked at the realtor; Liam’s shoulders imperceptibly slumped in relief. “I’m sure he’s going to have a guard with us at all times, but having someone at the gate would make me more comfortable with Sophia.” 

“Noted,” the realtor nodded with a smile before looking at the tablet he’d been carrying around. “That knocks off three places from our list of viewings today, but there are two we’re scheduled to see that do have guarded gates.” 

Liam fought back a sigh. 

That was two more places he had to hope she found something wrong with or simply didn’t like. 

And it was only day one of looking.

*******

The following Friday, Amara headed toward Liam’s quarters, walking behind Sophia, who was toddling along the corridor but stopping to wave at every staff member who walked by. They were going to meet him for dinner, along with Drake, Riley, and Leo, who’d arrived a couple of hours ago.

Amara was thankful for Leo’s arrival because it gave her a day’s reprieve from house hunting, which she’d spent the entire week doing. She’d viewed 13 listings over the past week but hadn’t found one that was suitable. 

Suitable not to her standards … but to Liam’s. 

No matter what time Amara was scheduled to view a house, Liam made sure he was available to go with her. At first, she was thankful for it; she wanted his opinion and appreciated his willingness to help despite his busy schedule. But his opinions turned into what she could only describe as nitpicking, proving that his standards were much higher than hers. 

The suggestion Liam made at the first house about a guarded gate made perfect sense. Everything that came after that suggestion, however … 

The yards weren’t good enough for Sophia to play in, or there wasn’t enough space between the houses, or they were too close to the street for his liking. 

At one, the floorboards were “too creaky” which obviously meant that there was something structurally wrong.

Amara had a few listings lined up to look at tomorrow, and Liam said he would go with her, but she wasn’t getting her hopes up. She knew he only wanted what was best for Sophia, but at that point, she didn’t think it was going to be possible to find a home that he deemed worthy enough for his precious little princess. 

Once at Liam’s door, Amara opened it, allowing Sophia in before following her; they could hear laughter from the other room and Sophia walked curiously toward the sound. When they rounded the corner, Liam looked over from where he sat on the balcony and grinned as he playfully slapped the shoulder of the man sitting next to him before they both rose from their seats. 

“Dada!” Sophia gave a toothy grin as she reached for him. 

“Hi, princess,” Liam chuckled as he scooped her into his arms before looking at Amara. He leaned down to press a lingering kiss to her lips, and she softly sighed before he slowly drew back. “Hi,” he whispered, brushing his nose against hers. 

“Hi …” Amara let out a breath. “Sorry if we kept you waiting.”

“You didn’t,” Liam shook his head. “Leo was with Regina earlier. He just showed up here maybe 10 minutes ago.” 

“Am I interrupting?” a voice drawled.

Liam turned and stepped out of Amara’s line of vision, bringing Leo into view. When he met her gaze, she smiled politely yet warily; she was unsure of how exactly he viewed her after what she’d kept from his brother. 

“Leo, this is Amara,” Liam said. “Amara, my brother Leo.” 

“It’s nice to meet you.”

When he grinned, Amara’s shoulders loosened. “It’s nice to meet you, too.” 

“And this is Sophia.” Liam tickled her belly, eliciting a giggle from her. “Can you say hi to Uncle Leo?” She looked at Leo, staring for a moment before sinking deeper into Liam’s embrace and laying her head on his shoulder, hiding her eyes with his neck. 

Leo’s lip jutted. “Aw, don’t be scared of me.”

“I’d be terrified,” Drake snorted as he and Riley stepped inside to greet Amara.

Liam turned his head toward Sophia with a smile as he rubbed her back. “It’s ok.” 

Sophia shifted her head just enough for her eyes to peer at Leo, and he grinned as he began playing a game of peekaboo. After a few moments, a giggle erupted from her as she lifted her head, offering him her signature toothy grin. 

“There’s a smile,” Leo chuckled. “You want to come hang with Uncle Leo for a minute?” He raised his hands towards her. 

Sophia studied him carefully, and after another moment of hesitation, she went to him. They locked eyes and she scrunched her nose with another smile. “Hi,” she said shyly. 

Liam watched his brother’s brow furrow, and his eyes widened when he saw his eyes shine with tears. “Leo …”

“Well, shit,” Leo choked out. “I can’t believe you have one of these.” A laugh simultaneously barreled out of Drake and Liam as Leo turned his head and quickly wiped his eyes on his sleeve. 

“Got you wanting one now?” Drake chuckled.

“Way down the road, maybe,” Leo replied. “Now? Absolutely not. Fuck that.” His eyes widened as he looked at Sophia. “I mean … heck that.” 

“Fuck.”

Amara’s and Riley’s mouths dropped open at the word Sophia repeated as Liam leveled his brother with a glare. “I’m sorry!” Leo grimaced guiltily. “I’m not used to filtering!” 

Drake shook his head with a laugh. “Uncle Leo is here.” 

****

That night after dinner, Liam walked Amara and Sophia back to the north wing. Once he put Sophia to sleep, he stepped out of her room and headed for the main area; he spotted Amara in the kitchen, standing with her back to him as she put dishes away in a cabinet. 

A moment later, Amara’s breath quietly hitched when she felt his hands curl around her waist. “D-Did she go down?”

“Yeah,” Liam replied as he rested his chin on her shoulder. “She’s out like a light. Uncle Leo wore her out.” 

Amara smiled. “They seemed to form a quick bond.”

Liam turned his head so his lips brushed her ear. “I don’t think you’re understanding how much trouble that means for us.” 

Amara tried to suppress a shudder from his warm breath against her skin, but she knew she failed when Liam let out a soft chuckle at having caught it. She turned to face him, and he leaned against the counter, placing one hand on either side of her and caging her in. 

Liam slowly leaned in, his eyes dropping from hers and zeroing in on her lips before he captured them in his. His tongue swept against the seam of her lips, and she parted them in response, allowing him in. When he deepened the kiss, her hands curled around his neck as an imperceptible whimper escaped her, so soft he almost didn’t hear it, but when he did, something inside him roared to life. 

Gripping her waist, Liam lifted her onto the counter as he stepped between her legs and pulled her body flush against his. He slid a hand up her back and into her hair and he tugged, causing the kiss to break; his lips moved to her jaw then down the column of her neck as her hips instinctively arched against him with a gasp, the movement pulling a rumbled groan from his throat as he found her lips again. 

The kiss stretched on, pulling them both deeper into the moment until it broke at the sudden ping emitting from Liam’s pocket, alerting him to a message. He reluctantly drew back and his jaw tensed as he dipped his hand into his pocket to pull out his phone. 

“It’s Leo,” Liam sighed. “He wants to have a nightcap.” 

Liam’s eyes flickered back to her face and more desire unfurled and clawed at his insides at the sight of her: kiss-swollen lips, tousled hair from his hand being buried in it, and her blue-eyed gaze brimming with lust. 

“Ok.” Amara’s one-word response came out in a breathless whisper. 

Liam swallowed thickly as he stepped back and she slipped off the counter. He cleared his throat as he ran his fingers through his hair. “So, uh … 10 tomorrow morning, right?”

“Huh?” Amara looked up at him.

“The first house viewing?”

“Oh, uh …” Amara let out a breath. “Yeah. 10.”

Liam nodded before leaning down; he stopped a hairsbreadth from her lips, reminding himself not to get too caught up before he pressed a lingering kiss to her lips. He drew back a moment later and his hand squeezed hers. “Goodnight.”

“G’night.” 

*******

The following morning, Amara was standing in front of a two-story home in a gated — and guarded — community. It sat at the end of a long driveway surrounded by trees and had a large backyard with a wooden playset complete with swings and a slide. After touring the house with Liam, Drake, Riley, and Leo, who opted to tag along, it was determined not to have any creaky floorboards. 

“I just think that the stairs in the foyer … there’s too many.” 

Amara stiffened beside Liam. 

Drake dropped his head with a silent laugh as Riley fought back her own. They’d been with them at every house and they knew Liam had been coming up with excuses for each one, but they’d kept quiet about it. It was none of their business.

Leo snapped his gaze over to his brother. “What the fuck are you talking about?” 

“For Sophia,” Liam clarified as he continued to stare at the house to avoid making eye contact with him. “And they’re narrow … and wooden, so there’s no cushion if she falls.” 

Steven, the realtor, stood by his car and closed his eyes as he took in a calming breath. “On to the next then?” 

****

“The hedges aren’t trimmed or lit up.”

“Are you—” Leo cut himself off as he looked at his brother, wide-eyed. “You can’t be serious …”

“I am,” Liam said matter-of-factly. “The housing development, which she would have to pay a monthly fee to, is in charge of lawn maintenance and it looks like shit.”

Amara turned and walked toward the car without a word as a chuckling Drake and Riley trailed behind her.

“I think you’ve gone a little crazy in the head,” Leo scoffed. 

Steven slid back into his car and shut the door. 

****

“This is niiiice,” Leo said as he glanced around the kitchen of the next home; it was the last one for the day. 

“State-of-the-art appliances,” Drake said, smoothing his hand across the marble countertop. 

“Big rooms,” Riley grinned.

Liam looked around as he held Sophia. He’d walked around the outside and had been through every room and couldn’t find anything wrong with it. Nothing. He glanced down, scuffing his foot against the floor and his eyes landed on the bottle of grapefruit juice he’d carried in with him before they slowly slid to Sophia. He turned his back toward the others as he quietly unscrewed the cap. “Want a sip?” he whispered. 

Sophia eagerly leaned forward, not knowing what it was … or how bitter it was; honestly, Liam questioned why he drank it half the time. He tipped the bottle back, helping her to sip before pulling it away and screwing the lid back on. He turned back around just as her nose scrunched and her lips puckered. 

“Yuck.” 

Liam glanced at Sophia as everyone else turned toward the sound of her voice.

“Well, she hates it,” Liam shrugged before turning and striding out of the house without a glance back. “Way to come through in the clutch, princess,” he whispered through a laugh. 

****

That evening after having dinner, Amara went back to the north wing with Sophia alone, giving Liam time with Leo, who was leaving in the morning. 

Liam carried two glasses of scotch out onto the balcony and set one down in front of Leo before taking a seat next to him. “I’m really glad you got a chance to come visit,” he said before taking a sip of his drink. 

“Me too,” Leo nodded. “I’ll definitely plan to come back soon and more often. Gotta corrupt my niece and all.” He chuckled at the look Liam shot him. “So …” He paused, taking a sip of his drink. “When do you plan on asking Amara to move in with you?”

“What?” Liam asked, furrowing his brow. 

“Don’t play dumb with me, little brother.”

“I’m not playing—”

“You said the house had too many fucking stairs.”

“It did!”

“And what do you call the stairs in this place?” Leo tossed back. “The grand staircase alone has three times as many stairs, but those are ok … because they’re here.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Liam said casually. 

“You complained about hedges not being lit up.”

“Aesthetics matter.”

Leo snorted, shaking his head. “You’re not fooling anyone, except maybe Amara, who probably just thinks you have your child’s best interest in mind. She also probably thinks that you’re nitpicky as fuck with ridiculous standards.” 

Leo arched his brow in a challenge to tell him that he was wrong. He knew he couldn’t. “Fine,” Liam sighed. “I don’t want her to buy a house.”

“Because …?” Leo smirked.

Liam rolled his eyes as he took another sip of his drink. “Because I want them with me, here, in my quarters”

“See?” Leo chuckled. “Now was that so fucking hard?” 

“Yes, because I can’t say that to her. She’s looking for a house. If she wanted to stay, she’d say something.” 

“Would she?” Leo questioned. “After everything you told me about what happened after you learned the truth about Sophia, what Amara wants doesn’t really matter to her. And making assumptions about what you want doesn’t seem like something she’s going to do after what happened. You told me yourself that she’s been following your lead on everything. So if you haven’t come out and specifically told her that you don’t want her to leave, why would she believe otherwise? Not to mention the fact that you’ve made it a point to go look at all of the fucking houses with her, further making her believe that you’re on board with it.” 

Liam dropped his head back as he let out a breath. Yes, he knew that while Amara had been better since their talk in New York, she was still following his lead with everything, but he didn’t think about it possibly having an impact on her decision to want to house hunt. Thinking about it now, he hadn’t told her he didn’t want her to go and he hadn’t shown her either. 

There was still that possibility that Amara didn’t want to stay, however. Perhaps she wanted to find her own place, that she wasn’t ready for the same thing he was.

*******

The following morning after seeing Leo off at the airport, Liam stared out the window of the SUV as it pulled into a long, winding driveway. Amara had messaged him and asked if he could meet her to look at another house. 

When the SUV came to a stop, Liam’s brows furrowed when he saw Amara standing in a dirt-covered clearing. He instructed Bastien to stay in the vehicle before slipping out and making his way towards her.

“Hey,” Amara smiled as he approached.

“Hello.” Liam leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Where’s Soph?”

“Regina is watching her.” 

Liam nodded before glancing around. “I thought you asked me to meet you to look at another house?”

“I did … sort of.”

Glancing back at her, Liam offered an amused smile. “Is the house invisible?”

Amara chuckled. “No … this is just the location of where the house could be,” she gestured to the open clearing. 

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

“I talked with the realtor about the possibility of building. This is an empty plot of land for sale … and I could have a house built to ensure it would have everything I want and everything you would be comfortable with.” 

“Oh …” Fuck. Liam cleared his throat as he looked around again. “I don’t … I don’t know if that’s the best path to take.”

Amara let out an exasperated sigh. “Why not?”

Liam blew out a breath. “I mean, it’s just that … I don’t think—”

“Liam … you’ve found something wrong with every house I’ve looked at. If I build, it can be to your standards … standards that I didn’t realize were so very high and specific until this process.”

“My standards are not high nor specific,” Liam scoffed.

“I beg to differ,” Amara quipped. 

“My standards are not high! I just don’t want you to leave!” The words tumbled from Liam’s mouth before he could stop them.  

Amara’s brows raised in surprise. “What?”

“I don’t want you to leave!” Liam repeated as he threw his arms up. “I don’t want you to buy a house. I want you to stay at the palace with me. If you’re going to move, I want you to move in with me. I want us to be together … as a family.” 

Letting out a breath, Amara stared at him. She didn’t think that was an option — at least, not at the moment — because he’d never brought it up. “Why didn’t you say anything before?”

“Because I didn’t know if you wanted the same. If getting a house is something you want, I didn’t want to stand in your way … which, it probably doesn’t seem like that now considering the ridiculous excuses I came up with …” He scuffed his foot against the dirt. “If it’s what you want, then I’m not going to stop you and I’ll have to deal with it. But if you’re looking because you think I want you to go or because you think you have to … that’s not the case.” He held her gaze, seeing her eyes glisten with tears in the sunlight peeking through the canopy of trees overhead. He took a step toward her and brushed his hand across her cheek. “This is my official offer. Stay with me, Amara. Move in with me.” 

Another breath escaped Amara before she leaned up and closed the small distance between them, pressing her lips to his. Liam’s arms wrapped tightly around her as he deepened the kiss. 

They drew back a moment later and Liam rested his forehead against hers with a hopeful smile. “Is that a yes?”

Amara tearfully chuckled. “Yes.” 

*******

Sitting on the sofa, Liam watched Amara move around the living area, picking up Sophia’s toys and placing them in their respective baskets after she’d gone to bed. 

“You can do that later.”

“I’ll just get it done now.”

Liam chuckled with a shake of his head as he removed his tie. Amara and Sophia had moved in a month ago, and he’d learned very quickly how much of a neat freak she was. He’d always known she’d kept things tidy, but this was on a different level. 

As she walked by him with her hands full of stuffed animals, Liam reached up, and she yelped when he pulled her down; her one knee landed beside his leg on the cushion, and he pulled her other leg over so she was straddling his lap. 

Liam held her gaze as he took the stuffed animals from her arms and tossed them back on the floor. “Later,” he grumbled before pulling her down and capturing her lips in his.

Despite having lived together and sleeping in the same bed for the last month, they had yet to cross any lines. Something would come up or interrupt every time. They played it off as best they could but were both beginning to feel more than a little frustrated. 

But tonight … 

Liam’s hands slid beneath the hem of Amara’s shirt and settled on the bare skin of her waist, and he smiled into the kiss when he felt her shudder under his touch. He urged her forward, causing her body to arch into him, and when he felt her hips press down against his, he groaned and deepened the kiss. 

A soft moan escaped Amara when he pressed her down against him again; she could feel just how much his desire matched her own. “Liam,” she gasped against his lips.

“I love when you say my name like that.” His voice came out like gravel. “Like the slightest touch from me will make you come undone.” 

Amara let out another whimper of longing as her fingers began fumbling against the buttons of his shirt until it draped open, baring his muscled torso. Her hands slid against the taut skin of his chest to his abs—

“Mama.” 

Liam and Amara froze at the sound of Sophia’s voice coming through the monitor speaker. 

“Dada,” she whined again a moment later. 

Amara leaned back, staring at Liam; they were both flushed and breathing heavily. 

“Mama,” she cried. 

Amara offered a rueful grin before she slid off his lap and headed toward Sophia’s room. 

Liam dropped his head back against the sofa and rubbed his hands over his face in exasperation. It’d been so long since they were last together before everything happened. And while he didn’t know how much longer he’d be able to last, it wasn’t something he wanted to have to rush out of worry of interruption either. His hands fell away from his face as an idea struck, and a moment later he had his phone in hand and pressed to his ear. 

“Hey.”

“Hey,” Liam replied. “I need a really big favor …” 

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

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

[tessa-liam]

Turning the Page  

Now and Then

 - Chapter 9-

Choices, The Royal Romance, AU 

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

Turning the Page Series Masterlist 

Main Pairing: Liam Rys x F!OC Riley Brooks 

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

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

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

Words: 2498

Now and Then – 9 

Chapter Summary: Riley and William arrive in Cordonia 

Title & Music Inspiration: 

Now and Then, The Beatles                                       

When You Love Someone, Gretchen Peters, Bryan Adams 

Wherever You Will Go, The Calling 

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

A/N2: My submission for @choicesflashfics, Week#67, prompt #1 - “Nothing could ever change how I feel about you.” 

A/N3: My submission for @choicesjanuary2024, prompt Day 25 - ‘Remembrance’ #choices monthly challenge @lilyoffandoms #choicesjanuary2024 

A/N4: Damien Nazario has been assigned as William’s personal bodyguard. 

In Flight, Cordonian Royal Jet, above the Mediterranean Sea 

Looking out over the vast expanse of water below her, and under the clear blue skies above the Mediterranean Sea, no clouds were in sight ... not a white cloud, nor a black cloud. 

Riley gazed out the large passenger window of the private jet, in solace, with her memories. Everything felt calm; almost too calm. The flight from New York to Cordonia was eight hours in duration, and even though they left early in the morning, they would not arrive at the palace until late in the evening with the change in time zones. 

Trying to and not getting any rest, her thoughts returned to the events over the holidays.

...Remembering when Liam arrived at her door, in New York on Christmas Eve, a short week ago. The expression of elation on his face as she opened the door for him... 

[‘Hello, my love,’ he tenderly smiled; He was standing there with an exquisite bouquet of long-stemmed red roses, as uniformed delivery drivers from the toy store waited patiently at a distance behind him, as the Royal guard performed a security check. 

Liam stepped over the threshold, leaning down to draw her in for a kiss on the cheek, as she accepted his gift. ‘Oh Li, these are gorgeous; thank you so much.’ 

At Bastien’s prompt, the delivery people entered the brownstone with prewrapped gifts and placed them under the Christmas tree, also filling the extra space in the living room very quickly. 

Chuckling, Riley watched as Liam thanked them with a generous tip, as he closed the door after them. 

“Our son will be so thrilled at what Santa brought him; wait till he wakes up tomorrow.”  

Liam laughed, moving quickly to put his arm around her, pulling her to his side. “Who says all these gifts are just for him? Hmmm?” Riley turned her head towards him, as Liam bent to capture her lips in a passion-fueled kiss. 

“Ah yes, your gift is right here.” Liam slipped his hand inside his coat to reveal a small box, wrapped in gold with a red ribbon. “This is for you.”} 

Riley breathed out, shaking her head. 

...Remembering wanting him so badly that evening ...as he kissed her forehead to say ‘good night’ before turning to the guest room; Leaving her feeling so confused, once again. 

...Remembering how excited LiLi was when he saw his father again Christmas morning ... and the look of pure joy in Liam’s expression as he watched his son blissfully playing with his new toys. 

...Remembering the look of adoration between Liam and his son; a private and sacred bond established between the two ... a bond only meant for them. 

Riley looked down at her phone and smiled fondly at the picture of William. He was proudly standing beside his gingerbread house gift for Liam, alongside Daniel and Matteo, to smile at the camera. Riley marveled at how unequivocally her son loved his father, so quickly. As if two loose puzzle pieces finally clicked into place. There was never a doubt in her mind that William needed to be wherever his father was. The connection between father and son was undeniable. 

...and with those thoughts, she agreed to return to Cordonia.  

And now, she found herself on the Royal jet headed back, leaving behind her New York world for the place that shattered her ‘happily ever after,’ again. 

Liam, being the new, ever-doting father was pointing out to his son the shores of Cordonia through the window. She saw the look of marvel in Liam’s eyes, as he watched his son’s reaction to seeing Cordonia for the very first time. They were sitting in seats across the aisle from her as she glanced over. 

Catching Riley’s eye, Liam responded with a wink and a smile. 

"Welcome home, love." 

Riley smiled in return, as her heart skipped a beat. 

Home... 

It had been a while since she had felt this way about Cordonia. Another lifetime; so much has changed, and yet remained the same. 

***

Damien Nazario, the Interpol agent who was now permanently assigned to be William Rys's personal bodyguard, was reviewing the Crown prince's dossier, and his duties to the Cordonian crown, his new employer. Bastien took a seat beside the young agent to answer any questions he may have, as head of the Royal guard, at the rear of the plane's cabin. 

"So, Damien, any questions for me?" 

"No, sir. I believe I have a handle on the situation.” 

"Good, because you are now the official head of the security detail for Prince William, the future king of Cordonia." 

"Understood, sir.” Damien was well aware of the complexity of a constitutional monarchy. 

"Now, there's one more thing I need to discuss with you,” Bastien eyed the young agent. 

"Yes, sir?" 

"Madeleine Amaranth, the former queen of Cordonia. I have forwarded her updated dossier to you." 

"Yes, I've read it through.” Damien paused, waiting for more information. 

"Good, because she has expressed malicious intent towards Prince William and Lady Riley, should they return to Cordonia." 

"Understood. I'll ensure her movements are tracked and reported inside and out of the country, sir." 

"Thank you, Damien.” 

"My pleasure, sir.” 

Bastien, looking pleased, leaned back in his chair, checking the time on his watch, as he felt the plane begin its descent. 

Cordonia, Capital 

The jet touched down smoothly on the tarmac, as the engines powered down. The cabin door opened, and the stairs were lowered. 

Riley could feel the warm breeze blow past her as she stepped off the plane. 

Taking a deep breath, Riley looked around. The air was different here. It was fresh and clean. She closed her eyes and let the wind brush her cheeks. 

Liam followed, with William sleeping in his arms.  

"Is everything alright, love?" Liam’s brows were raised in concern, noticing her hesitation. 

"Yes, I'm just taking it all in." Riley, looked down, unable to keep eye contact. 

"Are you sure, Riley? You've been very quiet throughout the entire flight home." 

"I'm fine, Liam. It is just a lot to process. I'm just a little overwhelmed." 

"All right, I understand. Let us get to the palace, so you and William can get settled and rest ... okay?" 

"Yes, thank you, Liam." 

Liam glanced over at Riley with concern as he personally buckled his son into the car seat. It was quite easy for him to see and feel the apprehension in her mood. She could not hide her emotions from him as well as she always thought she could.

Riley had remained noticeably quiet during the ride to the palace as well, looking out at the passing countryside. Liam could not help but wonder if she was having second thoughts about returning to Cordonia, and/or to him. 

As they pulled up to the palace gates, Liam looked over at Riley, noticing a small smile on her face. 

"What is it, love?" Liam spoke softly, reaching for her hand. 

Riley returned his touch with a squeeze. "This place...it's beautiful." 

"Thank you, that, it is. Welcome home." 

“William will be so excited when he wakes up.” Riley glanced at a still sleeping William as the SUV slowed to a stop. 

"I can't begin to tell you how much it means to me.... to have you both here." Liam confessed. 

"You're welcome, Liam. It's the least I can do."  

Liam's heart sank at her words. He hated the distance between them. He wanted to take her in his arms and make everything right, but, for right now, he knew that was not the best strategy. 

He had to accept that things had changed, and their relationship was different now. He had to be patient and give Riley the space she needed. 

But he also had to make her see how important she was to him. He had to show her how much he had missed her ... that he wanted a future with her and William in Cordonia. 

As the SUV door opened for her, Riley felt a sense of Deja vu. This was where she had started her journey with Liam in Cordonia all those years ago. And now, here she was, back again. 

"Do you want me to take you and William to the guest wing, or do you want to stay in my chambers?" 

"I would like to stay with you, if that's okay." 

"Of course, Riley. I would love that." 

It was surreal for Riley as she walked the pristine palace halls towards the Royal Chambers. Liam carried William, who was fast asleep in his arms beside her. 

 The memories of the past times she was here flooded her mind and her heart ached as she pushed the painful memories aside. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. 

As they reached the large double doors of the entrance to the Royal east wing, the guards opened the doors for Liam and Riley to enter. 

Riley stepped inside; the same chambers where she had spent so much time before. The familiar scent of Liam's cologne filled the air, sending a wave of longing for a past time through her mind. 

Walking into her room ... it was exactly as she remembered it. Everything was in its place, from the elegant chandelier hanging above the bed, to the intricate paintings adorning the walls. 

Riley took a deep breath and sat down on the edge of the bed. She looked around the room, taking in every detail. 

 She felt a pang of sadness as she remembered those past times. 

After tucking William into his bed in the adjacent room, Liam came in and sat down next to her. He gently placed his hand on hers, and she looked up at him, their eyes meeting. 

"What are you thinking about Riley?"  

"I'm okay, Liam. I was just thinking about how much things have changed since I was here last." 

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and held her close. "I know it's a lot, but I'm here for you, and I'll help you in any way I can," Liam whispered. 

"Thank you, Liam." 

He pulled away and cupped her face in his hands, staring into her eyes intently. "You're welcome, Riley. Always. Nothing could ever change how I feel about you.” 

He moved in to press his lips to hers, and she melted into his kiss. 

It was soft and gentle, and full of longing. 

He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers, breathing heavily. "God, Riley, I've missed you." 

"I've missed you, Li." 

He leaned down and kissed her again, deeper this time. 

His tongue swept across her bottom lip, and she opened her mouth to him. 

Their tongues tangled together in a dance that was familiar and yet new. 

They were no longer the same people they were when they had last been together. They were both older and wiser, and the passion between them burned even brighter. 

Riley pulled away and put her hand on his chest, feeling his heart beating beneath her palm. 

"Liam, I..." 

"Shhh." 

He placed a finger over her lips. "Don't say anything, Riley. Just feel." 

His lips found hers again, and the world disappeared. There was nothing but the two of them, lost in each other. 

She kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. 

She moaned into his mouth as he slid his hands down her back and pulled her closer. 

He broke the kiss and buried his face in her neck, inhaling her scent. 

"Riley," he breathed. "God, I want you so much."

“Liam, I ...” 

Liam pulled back and looked into her eyes, “stay with me tonight.” 

📌All fics & edits: @ao719 @txemrn @queenmiarys @sfb123 @twinkleallnight @alj4890 @differenttyphoonwerewolf @harleybeaumont @busywoman @karahalloway @kingliam2019 @imjusthereforliam @lovingchoices14 @kyra75 @tinkie1973 @emkay512 @malblk21 @kristinamae093 @charlotteg234

📌Liam x Riley, OC: @emersyn-in-cordonia @mainstreetreader @belencha77 @walkerdrakewalker @iluaaa @mysticalfangirl @queenwalton @bascmve01 @umccall71 @choicesfrog @amandablink @ownworldresident

📌Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @choicesflashfics @choicesjanuary2024

[choicesficwriterscreations]

CFWC Top Stories of 2023

You asked - we answered! These were CFWC's top 10 stories of 2023 and the number of submissions they had within the year.

1. Open Heart (648) 2. The Royal Romance (473) 3. Blades of Light and Shadow (249) 4. Crimes of Passion (98) 5. It Lives Anthology (43) 6. Perfect Match (30) 7. Red Carpet Diaries (28) 8. Immortal Desires (27) 9. Wake the Dead (25) 10. Bloodbound (23)

Thank you for another wonderful year of creativity and we can't wait to see what you have in store for 2024!

[mariemarieohcontrary]

Choices MCs (Filipino Edition lol)

《Next》

Finally drew four of my Choices MCs inspired by @cassiopeiacorvus and her wonderfully done OC compilations (how do you have the patience to draw all of em omg)

I'm thinking of doing the same for my Romance Club MCs too (background would be the purple of the homescreen there)

Interested in commissioning me? Click the source! 💗

Evangeline Marie G. (Guzman) Lakandula - Ah yes, my soft, anxious babie with self-worth issues. She comes from a messy background with a horrible father. She was close to her late (paternal) grandparents and had a very complicated relationship with her late mother. One of her relatives shes v close to is her older cousin, Ethan.

She's a college dropout thanks to her father's bad choices and worked the moment she had a chance to.

After her mother passed, that was it for Evangeline. She kinda needed to go away from her dad and his loud voice and other issues. So she left home and Ethan helped her out before he left for a business trip abroad.

He had her go to a house he owned in Laguna where she could live in provided she just do the cleaning in there. She found simple work that she was qualified for and that was her life for the next few years until a certain bachelor party came into her life.

Diwa Kalangitan M. (Masangga) del Rosario - My chaotic good and very protective MC who definitely rabbleroused in the school she works in.

She was raised in a household that follows some precolonial beliefs and traditions. She has a stepfather who's an albularyo and two half-siblings. One is studying in college, the other is still in high school. She has a close relationship to both her parents.

And she is rather happy with her job as a teacher in a private school. Sure she sometimes goes against curriculum to make sure the kids enjoy her lessons. She's a class advisor also so when she found out their math teacher humiliated one of her students, she confronted said teacher.

Her trip to America is really just a birthday trip until the events of the book started. In the end she ends up in a poly relationship with Nik and Cal. (She does end up pointing out to the boys that she'll have to go back to her work and family at least just to properly resign and find work near them and also to assure her family she's safe.)

Maya Chelidonia C. (Caacbay) dela Rosa - The local tired detective who had to move abroad for their own safety. Love them SM.

Maya is the child of Jaime dela Rosa, a cop in the Philippines who does not follow in corrupt practices and tries to do right by the community. He was killed after coincidentally seeing signs of corruption in the force and wanting to expose it.

After their father's death, Maya also followed in his footsteps. On their end, they wanted to try and do some good in their job but ended up experiencing some discrimination in the work force. Enter them finding the same evidence of corruption that their father found as well. This time they managed to expose the corruption but in the end, one of their few friends in the force warned them that they'll have to flee the country due to some v angry officials.

So they fled with their mother and younger sister.

Their sister became a fashion designer. Maya found work as a private detective and the two teamed up to be able to live a decent life. Their sister travels with their mom on fashion shows. They're fine living nearby their maternal uncle with their dog, Spudge. (He's a scaredy cat and a lil crybaby who doesn't like strangers and by that I mean he starts crying when the strangers notice him. It's not out of trauma, he just likes Maya and their fam more than anyone else and is v shy with others. He's also scared of the dark and loud noises.)

Inocencia Honorata G. (Galang) Valenciano - and finally, my love's embarrassing bby. My Rafael Aveiro romancer. Love her sm.

She and her mom, older brother and little sister ran away from their father when they were a kid. Her parents annulled their marriage after a few years.

Her older brother became the youngest lawyer in the country and had a firm in New York seek him out. This led to him helping Inocencia and her sister (who had skipped grades and managed to enter college the same year as Inocencia).

Inocencia is v non-competitive that she chose De La Salle University while her sister went to their grandfather’s alma mater, University of the Philippines. At college, Inocencia got dubbed as SiaSia because of the repeated -cia in her first name and surname.

The two got accepted into Edenbrook when they were gonna start. Inocencia being 27 and her sister being 25. By then, Inocencia still isn't competitive and didn't sign up for the competition for the diagnostics team but her little sister shoved her to try it out.

[sfb123]

Trick or treat! 🎃

7, 8, and 14

I love you!

Ahhhhh you started your ask with trick or treat! Amazing!

Halloween OTP Questions

7. Do they watch horror movies during Halloween or do they watch normal movies? Which ones and why?

I answered this one here. I was trying to think of something I could add, but it's actually a pretty elaborate answer lol.

8. Do they make any halloween candies or baked goods for the holiday? 

Oh please, my Riley? You know she's all about being on theme! She goes through a lot of orange, green, and purple food coloring in the month of October! She likes to try to find new things to make every year, but there are a couple of constant.

She's got a pretty elaborate collection of holiday cookie cutters, so lots of bats, pumpkins, gravestones, that she decorates with the kids. Liam joins them whenever he can.

She also makes "Graveyard Dip". Remember worms in dirt? Well it's pretty much the dirt from that, but with Milano cookies sticking out of them, decorated to look like headstones.

14. Which one is the cool Halloween adult and which one is the lame Halloween adult in the eyes of kids (theirs or other kids)? 

They're both the cool Halloween adults... now. Liam kind of had to learn. Their first Halloween, Liam was that guy that suggested giving out apples. They're the symbol of his country, so he thought it would make sense. Plus, the kids would be getting so much junk that they should have something healthy. Riley straightened him out real quick.

Thank you so much for asking! Love you too! 😘

[karahalloway]

Harper & Drake’s Scrapbook - Drake’s Cabin

Series: TRR - (Un)Common Attraction universe

Pairing: None

Synopsis: Drake takes a break to revisit an old haunt

Word count: 125

Theme song:

This is my submission for Week 1 of the Choices Holiday Prompts hosted by @choicesholidays. The Week 1 prompt was 'so much to be thankful for'. The idea for this came around yesterday while I was thrawling through Pinterest (looking for something completely different) when I stumbled across some of the pics that ended up featuring in this moodboard. Enjoy!

Turning off the main road, I hit the dirt track and I feel my shoulders instantly relax.

The weathered tree trunks start to thicken as I drive further into the woods, the cares of civilisation fading away to be replaced by the simple, here-and-now presence of nature.

Rolling down the window, I let the freshness of the forest envelope me as I trundle down the long, rutted drive that led to my destination.

It’s been way too long...

Following the curve of the trail, I pass through the lichen-covered fence posts that marked the edge of the property, and feel a smile tug at the corner of my mouth as I lay eyes on the little, wooden cabin nestled amongst the pines.

I was home.

Permatags

@twinkleallnight @lovingchoices14 @kingliam2019 @petiteboheme @aussiegurl1234 @queen-arabella-of-cordonia @tessa-liam @alyshak92 @secretaryunpaid @princessleac1 @walkerdrakewalker @angelasscribbles @nestledonthaveone @tinkie1973 @twinkle-320 @knaussal @nikkis1983 @lunaseasblog @ficloverevie @indiana-jr @differenttyphoonwerewolf @xpandass420x @eversoaringqueen12 @peonierose @3pawandme @alexabeta @veebug8 @fangirling12566 @queenmiarys @berriesandpixels​ @coco-lina-s @lolablackwrites @ivyflowers13 @persephone13 @hollygirl1269 @adri-ja-96 @harleybeaumont @katedrakeohd​ @uneravine​​

Picture credits

Kit - Backpack - Unwind - Stove - Chill - Fishing - Cabin

[sincerelyella]

So Close Part 6 - Restless Nights

Book(s): The Royal Romance & Open Heart crossover (AU)

Pairings: Liam x Ella (MC); Ethan x MC

Characters belong to Pixelberry; Ella Brooks belongs to me.

Song inspiration: Lonely Days by Fiji & J Boog

Summary: Ella was stuck in between two men, Bryce and Ethan. When she had to make a choice, she ultimately chose Ethan … but he refused. Now what?

Catch up here - So Close masterlist

A/N: It’s been entirely too long since I’ve updated this story, I’m so sorry I’ve been MIA. I hope ya’ll forgive me.

Thank you @ao719​ for encouraging me to finish writing all these stories, prereading and telling me to “quit hoarding all of them” LOL love youuuuu!

Warnings: angst (lots of it); mentioning of bodily injuries and blood; character death

Words: 1469

Ella felt the pounding headache first against her eyes. It hurt to even take a deep breath in and she winced at the stab of pain and began to cough.

“She’s awake!” Bryce.

“No shit, Sherlock!” Jackie. There was a smacking sound.

“Was that supposed to hurt?” Bryce.

“Stop it!” Ethan.

“Ella?” Sienna.

“Mmm?” Ella struggled to open her eyes, her vision was blurry and she forced herself to blink to clear it. “… happened?”

“You fainted, sweetie, do you remember that?” Sienna sat next to her on the hospital bed, a concerned look on her face.

Ella shook her head slowly.

Ethan had his arms crossed against his chest, a nervous look over his features. Bryce had his lips tucked between his teeth, tapping a finger against his mouth; a tell that he was also nervous. Ella couldn’t figure out why, but something was going on. Words just … were too hard right now. She looked from Ethan to Bryce and back again; Sienna understood. “Dr. Ramsey has something to tell you.” She stood from the bed and gestured for Ethan to take her place.

He let out a sigh and sat next to Ella. “I’m glad you’re awake,” he murmured. “How do you feel?”

“Headache,” she whispered. “But … tell me.”

Ethan nodded. “You hit your head and was asleep for a bit. You fainted because … you saw on the news that Liam” - he hesitated and cleared his throat - “There was an accident.”

Ella’s eyes widened as the memory started to flood back to her in waves.

King Liam Rys of Cordonia was reportedly on a plane home and left from the Boston airport.

She sucked in a breath and let it out slowly.

That plane was the target of an assassination attempt.

Ella’s heart rate started to slowly increase and the machine next to the bed began to alarm.

No news on whether King Liam has survived this heinous attack.

“Ella!” Sienna gasped and jumped forward. “Try to calm down, sweetie.”

“El,” Bryce’s gentle voice distracted her from the memories and she turned to look at him as he sat on the other side of her on the bed now. Ella’s eyes were swimming with unshed tears. “He’s on his way here, he’s alive as far as we know.”

Her eyes widened at Bryce’s statement. The young surgeon took her small hand in his and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles.

Earlier that day

An out of breath Dr. Ramsey carried Ella from the cafeteria to the ER. “I need a bed, now!” A nurse opened a door to an empty room and Ethan ran inside. “She fainted in the cafeteria and she needs a CT.”

“Are you thinking a PE or do you want a head CT?” The nurse typed the orders into the computer and pulled her work phone out to call radiology.

“No, just a head CT is fine,” Ethan scanned Ella’s body in a quick assessment and his eyes went back to her eyebrow that was crusted with blood. “She got some … surprising news. I don’t think she has an embolism.”

“Alright, Dr. Ramsey, we’ll wheel her over there. I’ll start an IV when we get to radiology. Fluids?”

“Yes, just NS at 75.”

A middle-aged man with wrinkled green hospital scrubs approached Ethan as Ella was wheeled from the room to radiology. “Ramsey, what’s going on?”

“Keifer,” the two men shook hands. “Dr. Brooks fainted in the cafeteria and I brought her down for scans.

“Oh,” Dr. Kiefer’s brows furrowed. “I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll look at them as soon as they're done.” The radiologist turned and followed Ella’s bed to look at her results.

“Ethan!”

He turned to see Naveen approach him. “There has been an accident, some King of Cordonia?”

Ethan nodded. “Let me guess, he’s on his way?”

“Yes, how did you-”

Ethan waved the question away with a sigh. “It’s just my luck, that’s all. What does he need?”

“I have all hands on deck for this as I’m not sure how serious the injuries are; he is royalty from another country,” Naveen’s brows furrowed. “Why are you here? You hate rounding in the ED.”

Ethan let out a breath. “Ella saw the news report, she … knows the king. She fainted in the cafeteria. I’ve got scans going right now.”

“I’m sorry, Ethan,” Naveen patted his friend’s shoulder. “Well, you stay put with Dr. Brooks, I’ll round up the bunch and have them do some work.”

Ethan nodded and went to sit inside the dark control room where Ella was getting her workup done. He watched her body, still and lifeless, on the table as they took pictures of her brain. For some reason, his mind flashed to their argument at his place and how she said she was done with him. His chest constricted at the memory, and he silently berated himself for his behavior that night. Something about Ella made him crazy; he would do anything and everything for her, protect her with his damn medical license if he could, and keep her from having to endure any issues with the medical board, but he still kept her at a distance. Not wanting to get hurt, not wanting to hurt her … but he did hurt her. And had her run to the arms of her ex-boyfriend that’s a fucking king. Ethan rubbed his temples and let out a frustrated sigh.

Bryce, Sienna, and Jackie all congregated in the front of the hospital where Dr. Banerji was to make an announcement.

“What do you think is going on?” Bryce asked as he tossed a few pieces of candy into his mouth.

“I don’t know,” Baz Mirani quipped as he stood next to the group, buzzing with excitement. “I heard that there’s some king that was part of an assassination attempt and he’s coming here.”

“Can you imagine?” Sienna said with wide eyes. “A king?”

Everyone heard someone clear their throat from the front of the stairs and turned to see Dr. Banerji standing with Dr. Emery and another physician that was head of trauma medicine, Dr. Albrey.

“All,” Dr. Banerji banged his cane against the stairs to get everyone’s attention. “I called this all-hands meeting because there was an airplane incident near our waters and the survivors are coming here. If you have no cases, you will be assigned one. We need all the help we can get. I need the Diagnostics Team up front after this please, everyone else, head to your departments for detailed instructions. I don’t have the details of the injuries as of yet but once I know, you will.”

The crows dispersed and the remainder of the Diagnostics Team filtered through and approached Dr. Banerji.

“I knew it was a plane crash!” Dr. Mirani whooped. “I am so ready!”

“Yes, well, unfortunately, the team is a bit short today,” Naveen adjusted his glasses. “I’ll assist until Dr. Ramsey can join you.”

“Where is Dr. Brooks?” Harper inquired.

“She had an accident and Dr. Ramsey is tending to her in the ED,” Naveen explained. “Let’s regroup in the office, we can call and see what the ETA is.”

500 miles off the coast of the North Atlantic Ocean

The ocean waves had taken the large emergency raft back towards Boston. Burning parts of the royal aircraft were floating alongside the raft while the sun was about to set; casting the ocean in an orange glow. It was a somber, tense, and quiet time; Bastien, Maxwell, and Liam were the only survivors. Rashad, the two stewardesses, and the two pilots did not survive the attack.

Bastien had a large gash across his leg and was bleeding from his shoulder. He had taken his shirt off and tied it around his injuries like a tourniquet. When he found Maxwell in the water, he was barely conscious and bleeding from both his arms. He pulled the tall, lanky man into the raft and tore his dress shirt off to wrap it around his lacerations to stop the bleeding. It took about 30 minutes for Bastien to find Liam, who was also barely conscious, but treading water. Once he pulled him onto the raft, Liam immediately passed out. The King of Cordonia had a head injury, the dried blood had dripped down his face to his neck. Bastien wrapped Liam’s head with his shirt; then looked up to the sky when he heard helicopters circling the crash site. He let out a small sigh of relief and began to wave his good arm in the air. They were safe … for now.

[choicesfandomappreciation]

Choices Spread Kindness Celebration

Welcome to the third annual Choices Spread Kindness Celebration! This event begins on Social Media Kindness Day (November 9) and "ends" on World Kindness Day (November 13). I say "ends" because there's a bonus day to celebrate you on the 14th.

The goal of the event is simple: spread kindness in the fandom by shouting out people who make it great. Sometimes the smallest acts of kindness can change someone’s day.

Event Overview / Themed Days

November 09: Choices Fandom Shoutout Day

November 10: Writer’s Love Day

November 11: Artist's Love Day

November 12: Creator's Love Day

November 13: Fandom Love/Secret Admirer  (Please sign up by 11/4)

November 14: Self-Love Day

Use the tag #ChoicesSpreadKindness when you post

November 09: Choices Fandom Shoutouts! Let’s kick things off by showering people with love!

This can be for anyone: readers, supporters, creators, event hosts, ….anyone in the fandom in any capacity! Let people know they're important to you and make a difference to your time here in the fandom. Everyone deserves to feel a little special and appreciated now and then.

Give them a shoutout here, @choicesfandomappreciation!

Fill their inbox with love and encouragement

Send anon messages of support

Gift them edits, moodboards, drabbles, or anything small that they enjoy to bring a smile to their face

*Just a special note to remember your readers/supporters, make sure to send them love too!

November 10: Writer’s Love Day Some ideas to show your favorite writers some love:

Reblog your favorite stories they’ve written

Share their masterlist with your followers

Send love to their inbox

Give them a shoutout here

Post about why you love them

Share your favorite lines from their fics

Ask questions about their MCs/OCs

Find a new writer to support by checking out @choicesficwriterscreations's extensive database of many Choices books (new and old)

November 11: Artist’s Love Day Some ideas to show your favorite artists some love:

Reblog your favorite art they’ve done

Share their commission information (if available)

Send love to their inbox

Give them a shoutout here

Commission some art (if you can)

Find a new artist to support

November 12: Creator Love Day

This is a day for any other content creators: editors, moodboard makers, songwriters, playlist creators, event organizers, headcanon creators, etc (anyone who does not fall under the writer or artist days that creates for the fandom, even if just for MC / OC challenges/games)

Some ideas to show them love:

Reblog your favorite content they’ve created

If they have a master list share it

Send love to their inbox

Give them a shoutout here

November 13: Fandom Love Day (Secret Admirer Day)

This is sort of like secret Santa but just for kind messages. You do not need to create, buy, or gift anyone anything. This is open to anyone in the fandom (creator, reader, supporter, anyone!)

All that is required is that you write the person you’ve been assigned a kind, encouraging, supportive message for November 13th. It can be generic, but I do encourage you to take a few minutes to look over the person's blog and see if you can give them a compliment specific to them that might be more meaningful.

To participate, message me here (@choicesfandomappreciation) or @lovealexhunt and let me know you want to join. *If there is someone you absolutely cannot be paired with please let me know that too, no judgement and it will be kept private.

On November 5th, I will randomize everyone who is interested in participating and send you one person’s name. On November 13th, send your message to this blog anonymously (@choicesfandomappreciation ).

I will tag your person so they see your message.

Feel free to reblog others’ messages of support and appreciation and add on to the thread.

November 14: Self Love Day (Bonus Day) Some ideas to show yourself some love:

Reblog your favorite content that you've created

Make a post introducing your MC or OC if you haven't already (then, submit it to @choicesficwriterscreations for their database)

Make a post linking your favorite works (recent or older)

Tell more about you (let us know your favorite things outside of the Choices Fandom)

Give yourself a compliment (you deserve it!)

Share your masterlist

Create or do something self-indulgent/spoil yourself

Don't forget to drink water 💛

If you reblog/reshare your work on your blog, feel free to tag @choicesfandomappreciation and I can also share your content here

Use the tag #ChoicesSpreadKindness when you post anything new and tag @choicesfandomappreciation in all posts to make sure they get reblogged here.

Feel free to save this graphic to help you keep track of the days

Please let me know if there are any questions or concerns.

💛💛💛

[rogue-indshadows]

"That's the choice. I love him, with all that, because of all that. On purpose. I love him on purpose" ~ RWRB ❤🤍💙.

[kristinamae093]

Ghosted

Ghosted - Two Steps Back (Chapter Ten)

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

Characters belong to Pixelberry.

After the Regatta

Penelope hobbled to her room on a sore foot and a painfully bruised ego. This wasn’t going as expected; advisors told her toward the beginning of the season she might stand a chance, but after only the first few events, they hastily changed their tone. Between Madeleine, Riley, and Olivia, they knew Penelope would not be the new king’s choice.  

Regardless, Penelope was enjoying her time away. The friends she’d made were irreplaceable; she and Kiara formed an everlasting bond. Even Riley was incredibly friendly, despite her commoner status. Penelope was rooting for Riley to win it all because she was genuinely a nice person, and Penelope was looking forward to what Cordonia could look like with her as queen. 

Penelope approached her door whilst humming to herself. The day was long, and she was relieved to be in the comfortable solace of her own space. She planned on calling her parents for their daily video chat, and to get some doggy face time to tide her over while away. Her anxiety was through the roof without having them close, but the friendships she’d made were a momentary distraction. She was glad the ladies were nice enough; otherwise, this experience would’ve been a nightmare. 

Penelope entered and made a bee-line for the bathroom. She did her business, washed her hands, and bounced her way over to the dresser to get more comfortable for the evening. Just as she opened the drawer, a stern knock sounded on her door. Penelope scrunched her face; she was expecting no visitors but thought perhaps Kiara wanted to hang out. 

As Penelope opened the structure, a thunderous force shoved through her and entered, slamming the door shut. Penelope stumbled backward but caught her footing. She could only stare at the person in front of her as panic flourished through her body. She didn't recognize them, but the death glare plastered on their face told her that notion was not applied on both ends. Her instinct told her to scream for help, but the visitor addressed her before she was given the chance.

They spoke in a low, raspy voice. “Have a seat, Lady Penelope. We have a lot to discuss.” 

“W–who are you?” 

“You need not worry about who I am, only what I know.” 

“What do you mean?” 

The person clasped their hands behind their back and stalked around Penelope; like a vulture circles its prey. “Everyone around you thinks you're the sweet, poodle-obsessed Penny, but I see otherwise. I know all about you… The things you’ve done… What your daddy tries his damndest to hide…” 

Penelope’s already increasing heart rate spiked. “I don’t understand.” 

“Of course you don’t. It’s alright, I wouldn’t want anyone to know, either.” They dismissively shrugged.

“Know what?” 

The person snickered at her attempts to deflect, but they could see the panic rising in her eyes. “It’s quite a common expression — young and dumb. But, when you’re in the nobility, there are no secrets unless you know the right people.” 

Penelope thickly swallowed. “I don’t – I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“Really? So, then you’ve never been — joined in holy matrimony, right?”

Penelope’s eyes widened. “I–” 

“Enough with your attempts to feign confusion; that will only prolong this process and I am not in the mood to play games. I know of your estranged marriage; how your father pays plenty of hush money per month to keep his mouth shut. I imagine it would be fairly difficult to talk yourself out of that situation if the press were to catch wind; considering Portavira continuously requests the Crown’s compensation. And I do believe the monarch would not be happy to learn your family has developed a slush fund, either.” 

The intruder gave Penelope a wicked smile and added, “Not to mention the — fatality that was caught amid your poor life choices…”

Penelope visibly tensed. “That’s not – I didn’t–” she stammered before snapping her mouth closed; her flustered state prohibited her from forming an argument.

“It’s a matter of opinion, I suppose. Regardless, I attained the records from your procedure.” They waved a piece of paper in Penelope’s face, and recognition swept over her instantly. She released a shuddered breath as the document came to a stop, her tearful eyes centering on the text. 

Despite Penelope’s panicked state, the aggressor continued, “Tell me, do your parents know of your aborted fetus? I mean, I saw you on security cameras entering the clinic alone. It was smart of you to use a fake name, but unfortunately, that was not enough to cover up your mistakes.” 

Penelope never answered, but the assailant watched her swallow thickly with shame etched in her features. She couldn’t fathom how this stranger had found her deepest secrets that she was certain would never see the light of day. 

Penelope found out she was pregnant the day after her annulment was discreetly settled. Terrified wasn’t a strong enough word to describe how she felt, as she stared down at the positive test; she went to the clinic in disguise to find out about her options and decided abortion would be the best solution. Being only nineteen years old, Penelope was practically a child herself and didn’t believe she was at a point to care for a baby like they deserved. And she was alone; when she dreamt of this moment, it happened completely differently in her head. She longed for the fairytale love, where they would start a family together; not single and inevitably disgraced.

Her parents didn’t know, she was too afraid to tell them — especially after her father agreed to pay a continuous hefty fee for Guy’s silence. Penelope was always well-behaved; the perfect trophy daughter. The look of pure disappointment held in their eyes when they found out about her marriage haunted her; she never wanted to do anything out of line again. All Penelope desired was to move on from her mistake, but life had other plans.

Panicked and ashamed, Penelope made the impossible decision alone, not wanting anyone to know of the stupid decisions that led her there. Her fear and guilt only increased after the procedure, but she grieved what could have been and pushed it into the deepest pit of her mind.

She never told a soul – nobody knew – or so she thought.

“All it would take is a small whisper to the press and it would destroy not only you, but your fraudulent parents as well…” 

Penelope gasped as her tears freely flowed. “No! P–please, don’t!” 

The person laughed; the sound sending an involuntary chill down Penelope’s spine. They stalked forward until her back hit the wall and they breathed over her. Penelope squeezed her eyes closed, but felt them draw nearer. The tangy scent of alcohol mixed with cigar smoke filled her nostrils, as they whispered in her ear, “If you want my silence, you’re going to have to earn it.” 

Penelope’s eyes shot open as she frantically nodded her head. “Okay, j–just tell me what you need, and I’ll do it.” 

“I knew you’d see reason,” the unknown presence spoke while taking a small step away. They produced an envelope from their jacket and handed it to her. 

Penelope opened it and started skimming over the information; it was an email address with a set of instructions and a few other notes. She didn’t understand what it all meant; the main thing that stuck out was the location of where they wanted the photographer to be. 

“Why are they going to be outside Riley’s room?” 

“The less you know, the better.” They once again reached into their jacket, this time pulling out a small vial and handing it to her. “You need to give this to her beforehand. I do not care how it happens, just make sure it gets in her system; the earlier, the better.” 

“W–what is this? Is this a drug?” Penelope stammered as she stared down at the bottle in her trembling hands. 

The person smiled; a dark, wicked smile. “You don’t need to worry about that; just make sure she ingests it at an early enough hour.”

Tears once again streamed down Penelope’s cheeks as she frantically shook her head and tried to hand the items back. “N–no. I can’t do that, and I won’t. I would rather disgrace myself than–”

“You’re going to do it.”  

Penelope stood a little taller and yelled, “No, I won’t! I–”

Penelope received a sudden, sharp backhand to her cheek. She fell to the floor cradling her face but was soon flipped over onto her back, her aggressor pinning her to the ground. She opened her mouth to scream, but quickly closed it as she saw the gleam of a blade in the light right in front of her face. 

“Make a sound and I’ll kill you right here, right now.” The attacker moved the knife to hover over Penelope’s throat, applying just enough pressure to keep her subdued. “You have two options — you either comply and do as you’re told, or this is where your life will end. If you refuse to cooperate, you already know too much, and I will ensure you don’t live to tell the tale personally. But I won’t stop there, no – I’ll ruin your parents as well; the entire world will know what a fraud you and your family are.” 

“No… P–please. I – I can’t – I –” Penelope frantically stammered, trying to develop a coherent sentence. 

“You can, and you will. Otherwise,” they leaned forward, close enough to touch noses with Penelope. “I’ll dig your grave myself and throw those mangy mutts in with you after. Perhaps we can make it a family affair and shove your parents inside, too. After all, being exposed to the world and losing their only disappointment of a child would leave them with nothing left to live for; especially once they know of your treacherous sins.” They sat back with a vile chortle, letting the words linger.

Penelope cried harder, her breathing rapid and erratic as her panic boiled over. She opened her mouth to shout for help despite the blade at her throat, but a firm hand abruptly pressed against her lips. “I think I’m being very understanding, actually. I could just end you and move on to the next useless suitor, but I’m allowing you to make the correct choice; to answer the call of service for your country. That commoner has no business being here; you know it, I know it, everyone knows it! We have to deal with her!” 

After a tense moment of silence, her intruder grew restless. They rolled their eyes and huffed, “You’re running out of time. I’ll gift you ten seconds; agree, or...” The blade on Penelope’s throat suddenly held more force; hard enough she could feel her skin being lightly pierced. “I don’t think I really need to finish that sentence, do I?”

Penelope subtly nodded her head, afraid to move too much. Although she didn’t want to betray Riley in that way, she saw no other way out. Not only was her own life being threatened, but her parents as well; she was not willing to let them die because of her secrets they knew nothing about.

Her attacker soon chortled and sat up. “I had a feeling you would see it my way.” They patted her cheek, hard, before they stood and adjusted their clothing.

The intruder walked to the door and turned back around to address a whimpering Penelope. “As a reward for your service, I will make you a lady-in-waiting for the soon-to-be queen. I’d suggest you take the position and use discretion whenever necessary from here on out. If you do anything to compromise this operation, you will be sorry. Am I clear?“

The following afternoon, Olivia met with Liam, Leo, and Ray as they discussed the events of the night prior. The court just arrived in Portavira, although there was a break in events until the polo match in a few days. They gathered in Olivia’s room, as that’s where Ray set up his equipment and continuously ensured the area remained free of compromises. 

Olivia told them about Penelope’s involvement, and Liam was certain Olivia was lying or playing some kind of sick joke. However, after seeing the proof himself, he knew it had to be true. He wasn’t close with Penelope by any means, but still felt betrayed. Riley was kind and warm to those around her, not a malicious bone in her body; what made Penelope want to get rid of her?

“We have to question her. I can’t be sure, but she might know we’re onto her. The look in her eyes –” Olivia shook her head with a heavy sigh. ”– I can’t explain it, but I don’t like it.”  

“I agree,” Leo interjected. “We need to know why she did it, man, because this makes absolutely no sense. I mean, Penelope – of all people? Did she accidentally eat some dog food or something, and it made her go kookoo?” 

Despite his overflowing anxiety, Liam laughed. “I really don't know. But we’re not all going to question her. I think it’s best if myself and Leo did this, so we don’t overwhelm her.” He spoke to the entire group. 

“Are you… okay to do that?” Leo tentatively asked. “I can take Olivia — or hell, even Maxwell or Drake, if you don’t think you can keep your cool. We can’t really risk her shutting down and withholding anything important...” 

Liam remained silent for a long moment. Honestly, he didn’t know if he could control himself. The selfish side of him wanted to confront Penelope face-to-face and demand answers. However, he knew he was teetering on a dangerous ledge, and her confession could provoke several different reactions. 

He didn’t remember the last time he’d slept or ate a full meal. Days were molding together, and he had no sense of time unless it pertained to the tour. Liam was simply muttering through, doing the dutiful checklist a monarch should on the daily and trying his hardest to stay afloat; even though in all reality, he felt like he was drowning in a sea of uncertainty. No amount of training could prepare him for something like this; he was simply in limbo until one of the many open ends finally led them to something of importance. As the King he held mighty authority; yet, he’d never felt so powerless. Every second of not knowing something was torture; he just wanted to see Riley with his own two eyes. 

“I… don’t think I can, actually. If you wouldn’t mind questioning her, I would very much appreciate it, Leo.” 

Leo patted Liam on the back with a reassuring smile. “No problem. Care to accompany me, Livvie?” 

“I suppose if we want some kind of answer, I’ll have to, won’t I?” Olivia smirked. 

“Are we doing this now, or?” 

“Yes. The sooner, the better.” 

“And we’re certain she’s here?” Liam asked. 

“She was out earlier with her dogs,” Olivia answered with an eye roll. 

Liam nodded as he rubbed his palms together. “This is a decent plan. I have a good feeling about this, guys.” 

For the first time since he opened his eyes to the truth about the narrative against Riley, Liam felt like this could take them somewhere relevant. This was a solid lead and although he knew it probably wouldn’t provide him with all the answers he was seeking, it was a damn good start. 

Liam spoke again, “Any other updates?” 

“I received the diagnostic report on Lady Riley’s dress on the way here." Ray explained. "The blood was mostly Riley’s, but traces from Tariq were present as well. There were a few hairs and skin cells noted, but the DNA only registers those two.”

“Oh… okay…” Liam quietly responded. He hoped deep down the mess was from someone else, but immediately felt foolish to let himself believe such a thing. Hearing it confirmed out loud made his stomach burn with anxiety; this is what he blinded himself to, this is what he ignored. The overwhelming guilt Liam was fighting momentarily took his breath away. 

“Otherwise, there are no new leads.” Ray briefly met eyes with Olivia, the both of them having a silent conversation; unbeknownst to Liam. It wasn’t technically a lie, but not the entire truth. Ray found something — interesting, but Olivia decided now was not the time to bring it up to Liam, at least until after they learned what exactly Penelope knew. “Where Tariq is concerned, I’ve hit a complete brick wall; there’s absolutely nothing.” 

“Nothing?” 

Ray shook his head. “Not a trace. His accounts show no transactions, and his family has not heard from him in months. I’ve checked every mode of transportation available to leave the country and he wasn’t on any of their databases.” 

“How is that even possible? There has to be something, somewhere. Seriously – Tariq has the IQ of a fucking peanut.” Leo interjected. 

“It could be a collection of reasons,” Ray answered. He suddenly stopped typing on his keyboard and took in everyone’s curious expressions. “Either he’s just incredibly clever and has an immaculate ability to cover his tracks, has hired someone to do that for him, or…” 

“He’s dead…” Liam quietly inserted, just above a whisper. His palms started trembling in his lap, and the only thing he could feel was his heart erratically thumping.

The deeper this web went, the further Liam felt himself slipping from reality. All he wanted was a sign, a concrete clue, anything to put him one step closer to finding Riley. The longer that time passed, the more he believed there was a grim reason they couldn’t find them. Just when the light at the end shined brighter, Liam was suddenly drug further down into the abyss of questions, making him doubt everything. 

“We can’t confirm that right now, Your Majesty. I’ve searched hospital records and there are no reports of him checking in at any of them and nothing solid to point to that conclusion. There are a lot of open ends regarding his whereabouts, but I have a couple more places to look before we should start truly discussing that possibility.” 

“Right…” Liam quietly responded as his mind raced. If Tariq’s DNA was on her dress, does that mean he’s the one who injured her? They already knew he was close to Riley; the pictures obviously showcased them together, but was Tariq responsible for attacking her, too? Those thoughts created a storm of rage he’d never felt before; just when he thought the fire had sizzled out, another splash of gasoline was poured onto the diminishing coals. Liam may not have felt a lot of hope, but he sure as hell felt the rage consuming his entire being. 

Leo noticed Liam's forelorn expression and reassuringly gripped his shoulder. “Don’t worry, man. We’re going to get an answer — soon.”

A short while later, Olivia, Leo, and ‘Harold’ walked the halls of the Portavirian estate, searching for Penelope’s room. Liam opted to have a drink with Drake instead of being alone, as his already overflowing anxiety seemed to increase with every passing second. 

They rounded the corner and Olivia tapped on Penelope’s door, but received near silence; muffled barks rang out beyond the structure, although seemingly at a distance. After a few moments, she stepped forward and repeated the process, but again, no answer. Leo knocked a few times a little louder, but heard nothing — aside from the dogs. He reached for the handle and tried to turn it, just to see, only to find it locked.

“What should we do?” Leo asked Olivia. 

Olivia tapped her index finger against her chin. “I don’t know…” She furrowed her brow and stared at the door in front of her. “The poodles are inside, so she shouldn’t be far… Maybe we search around and see if we spot her anywhere? It’s still relatively early; she could have stepped out for a moment.” 

Leo and Ray both agreed, and the trio began their trek. They started outside by the pool and checked the lounge area, but Penelope wasn't located anywhere. They searched nearly every floor, even the roof, but found no signs of her. Everyone else was already in their room for the night, the estate nearly deserted as they scoured the abandoned hallways. After a while, everyone agreed to take their chances and return to Penelope’s door, as a good hour passed since they last attempted. 

A voice called out to them as they made their way up the grand staircase. They turned around to see Landon making his way to them with a grin on his face. “Good evening, Your Majesty, Duchess, a pleasure to see you both. Are the two of you just strolling, or have you been out on the town?” He chuckled with a playful side eye directed at Leo. 

“You know me,” Leo smirked, “but actually, we’ve been looking for your daughter.” 

Landon’s smile faded, instead replaced with a perplexed expression. “What do you need from Penelope?”

Leo and Olivia shared a hesitant look. “Actually, it’s confidential… Do you know where she is?” 

“She said she was retiring to her room earlier.” 

Olivia spoke next. “We checked there. We checked everywhere and we have no clue where she’s at.” 

“Perhaps she’s already in slumber; she is quite the heavy sleeper. How about I come with you? I was headed there anyway, as she was acting fairly strange earlier.” 

“Strange how?” Leo asked. 

“She kept hugging her mother and me, and told us how much she loved us. She just seemed — sad, as if she would burst into tears at any moment. And she asked me to ensure Merlin and Morgana get plenty of treats.” Landon furrowed his brows and shook his head. “I asked her what she meant, and she just gave me another hug. Emmaline thinks she’s getting ready for her time of the month, which is why I came prepared.” He held up a wad of chocolate bars and laughed.

“I take it Merlin and Morgana are the poodles?”

“Oh, yes. They’re practically her children. It’s been hard on her to leave them at home, but she’s done fairly well. The unexpected route changes actually ended up being very beneficial to her, since she gets to be with them for a few days. I’m certain she’s going to have a hard time leaving again, but I know she appreciates getting to see them. When it was time to leave for the engagement tour, she was practically inconsolable; she didn’t want to leave, to the point we weren’t sure she would attend at all.” 

“So, she didn’t want to return, then?” Olivia inquired, hanging on his every word. 

Landon sighed and looked away. “I don’t believe so, no. But we made sure she knew how much of a tremendous opportunity this was for her. She was incredibly reluctant, but finally agreed. In all honesty, I think most of her reservations were regarding the fact that she was going so far away. Penelope is a very timid girl; she doesn’t particularly enjoy the crowds or being away from home. I’m confident staying in Cordonia where things are a little more familiar will turn things around for her; perhaps she will enjoy herself a bit.” 

“Right…” Olivia trailed off, as her mind swirled around these new little bits of information. She questioned if Penelope's reluctance to come back had to do with Riley's disappearance. The haunting look in Penelope’s eyes as that cab drove away told Olivia she could be correct. 

“Lead the way, then,” Leo inserted with a forced smile, as uneasiness crept into the pit of his stomach. The hair on the back of his neck suddenly stood at attention, an involuntary shudder traveling through his body; he shook it off and politely smiled at Landon, who returned the gesture before starting the journey.

Everyone strolled through the halls together and within a short time, they were nearing Penelope’s room once again. Leo and Landon made small talk along the way, but Olivia didn’t listen most of the time. A bad feeling rapidly grew as they walked; why, she wasn’t sure, but it was becoming impossible to ignore. As they got closer, the air suddenly felt cold, raising goosebumps on her skin and sending a shiver down her spine. The hallway had an eerie aura to it that was beyond explanation; judging from the cautious expressions of everyone around, Olivia knew her feelings were not in her head. Landon appeared to be the only one who didn’t notice the atmosphere shift, although he hadn’t stopped talking long enough to take in the environment. 

Just as they were about to arrive, they heard muffled voices speaking not far away. Olivia furrowed her brows and started walking faster, practically running, with Ray and Leo not far behind. 

She came to an abrupt stop as she saw a litter of guards standing outside of Penelope’s room; dressed in full riot gear with what she assumed to be loaded assault rifles, all appearing to be awaiting instructions. Standing toward the back of the mass of people was Liam, who was speaking with Bastien in hushed tones. She could tell even from afar he was talking sternly; his angry demeanor instantly drew Olivia to him. Drake lingered close-by, wearing an expression of pure confusion.

Olivia approached them and inquired, “What’s going on?” 

“There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you,” Liam replied. “Did you question Penelope?”

“We were looking for her, that’s why we’re here, now.”

“But you didn’t find her?” Liam snapped, not even trying to hide the annoyance in his tone. 

“Not yet…” Leo answered as he took in Liam’s tense shoulders and ticking jaw. “Liam, what is going on?” 

Before Liam could respond, Landon interjected himself. “What is the meaning of this?!” 

Liam took a deep breath to calm himself and spoke in a calm, yet authoritative voice. “Duke Landon, I understand this may be hard for you to hear, but we have to take Penelope into custody.”

“Custody?! On what grounds?!” Landon hollered. 

Liam swallowed down the ball of anger and agitation lodged in his throat and spoke in a flat voice. “She is the prime suspect in the murder of Rhonda Floros.” Everyone’s eyes widened as their jaws hit the floor. “We will investigate further, but she has to be detained until we can–” 

“I – what?! You have no proof! This – this is an injustice!” Landon yelled as he frantically paced in front of Penelope’s door. 

Leo hesitantly spoke in a hushed manner. “Li, all we knew about was the photographer. How can you jump to that conclusion?” 

“The forensics came back and Penelope’s prints were all over the murder weapon. Her DNA was on everything else as well, but I’m focused on that knife.”

“Impossible! There has to be some kind of mistake!” Landon pleaded. 

“I’m sorry Landon, but the forensics does not lie,” Liam replied with a sad smile. “Trust me, I don’t want to believe she could have done something like this and I intend to figure it out, but we have to locate her first!"

Landon quickly stepped toward Penelope’s room and pulled a set of keys from his pocket. “She is in here — I know she is; she’s sleeping. I’ll wake her up and we can figure out this mess together, because I know for certain she is innocent.” He spoke as he unlocked the door and turned the handle. He entered and flipped the switch on the wall, the area becoming illuminated. 

Liam motioned for the guards to stay outside and followed closely behind. Olivia entered next, followed by Ray. However, a stern hand on Ray’s chest halted him in the doorway. 

“You are unauthorized personnel,” Bastien snapped.  

Liam quickly intervened. “No, he’s not.” 

“Your Majesty, with all due respect, I entered his credentials myself. I know for a fact what clearances he has and doesn’t.” 

Liam stepped up to Bastien with narrowed eyes. “Poof.” He snapped his fingers. “I just gave him access. Now, step aside.” He growled through clenched teeth, the vein in his neck profusely popping out.  

To be honest, Liam was stalling until he found Ray and Olivia; the three of them were going to question Penelope together. His earlier worries about keeping his cool were well out the window; now he was simply confused. Why did she hire the photographer? Did she really kill that maid? Did Penelope know they had spoken to her? Every piece of random evidence found had Penelope’s DNA – and only hers – on it in some fashion. Although the legitimacy of the scene was still in question, her fingerprints on the murder weapon were more than enough to detain her for questioning. 

Bastien never once took his eyes off Ray during the entire interaction. Ray observed Bastien's face crack slightly and saw him swallow and clench his jaw when Liam commanded him to stop. He finally moved his hand to allow Ray entrance, but held his intent gaze for just a moment too long. Olivia watched and noted how she wasn’t stopped, nor Drake or Leo — only Ray. She couldn’t help but wonder why Bastien didn’t want him specifically there. 

Liam glanced around as he entered and saw no signs of Penelope and nothing raising any kind of alarm. He’d never been inside this room before, but to the naked eye, not a thing was out of place. However, Liam couldn’t deny the sudden chill he felt as he stepped over the threshold. His skin instantly clammed up, and his heart rate increased substantially with every tense second that passed. 

Everyone else followed behind and did the same, but Landon circled the room while frantically calling Penelope’s name, only to get no response. He ducked into the bathroom to check there, but saw no traces of his daughter. Everything appeared just as it was earlier that morning when he personally prepared everything for Penelope’s arrival.

“This doesn’t make sense,” Landon huffed as he reemerged. “She said she was coming to bed. Where else would she go? Should we contact Lady Kiara? They had grown quite close.”

Liam sighed and ran a hand down his face. “Bastien, send someone to Lady Kiara’s room to check.” His patience with this situation was dissipating. An answer was right there dangling in front of his face; he could practically taste it. Even if he had to turn the entire continent upside down, Liam was going to find Penelope and make her answer for her part in this mess — whatever that could have been. 

“Yes, sir.”

Olivia glanced at the dresser and saw a jewelry box. Something on top of it quickly caught her attention; it was a piece of paper neatly folded with the words read me written on it in red ink. Her breaths immediately stopped as she stared at it for a long moment. Goosebumps raised on her skin as she realized the penmanship was strikingly familiar.  

She slowly reached out and brought it closer; Ray noticed and came to stand beside her to see what she had found. Liam and Landon continued to speak on the other side of the room, completely unaware of their discovery. Olivia carefully unfolded the sheet and quickly scanned over the contents. As she started reading, the color suddenly drained from her face, her hands trembling, and even tears were forming in the corners of her eyes. Her mind instantly started spiraling, trying to decipher what this meant.

Olivia and Ray stood gawking at the paper in a trance for an unidentified amount of time. The sound of Landon’s thunderous voice suddenly brought both out of their dazes. “This is absurd! She did nothing wrong!” 

“I understand your frustrations but as I said before, the forensics does not lie,” Liam answered in the calmest tone he could muster. “I have questions about all of this, Landon! But one way or another her DNA was littered–”

“Bullshit! Run the tests again! Something is going on here!” 

Liam winced at Landon’s volume, but shook it off and stood to his full height. “Duke Ebrim, you’d do well to remember who you’re speaking to and watch your tone. While I understand why you’re upset, I’m only here to figure this out. If you want to clear her name, help us find her so we can speak to her!” 

Landon frantically looked throughout the room, desperately trying to make sense of what was happening. At that moment, they heard a bark, followed by another softer cry; everyone suddenly stilled and an eerie silence took over, as they glanced at one another with furrowed brows. It sounded undeniably close, but there were obviously no dogs in the area. The silence in the air was deafening, but then it happened again and Landon finally pinpointed the location — the closet. It would make sense; Penelope heard the commotion and retreated in there with her poodles to hide because she was afraid. 

Landon made a bee-line for the door and wildly swung it open. He took a step back and two fluffy dogs slowly came out with their heads down, causing Landon to take a few steps back; they laid at Landon’s feet and whimpered. 

“What is it, Merlie?” Landon asked as he rubbed one of the dogs’ heads, their howls intensifying. 

The room’s air suddenly felt incredibly thick at the interaction. Liam felt physically sick to his stomach as recognition swept over him from head to toe — something was waiting for them in that closet. His hands shook at his sides, his breathing shaky and uneven as he stared into the dark, open doorway. 

Landon stepped over the poodles, who went and lay on the bed, but continued whining. As he entered, he ran a hand along the wall until he found the switch. The small area came to light, and his worst nightmare suddenly became reality right in front of his face. 

“NO!” Landon wailed at an ear-piercing volume as he dropped to his knees near the doorway. 

“What’s wrong?” Liam sought, but Landon broke into a fit of sobs and crumpled to the floor. 

Liam swallowed thickly and took a couple of cautious steps forward. Olivia suddenly appeared and tried to redirect him, but Liam was steadfast; whatever it was, he needed to see it for himself. As he got closer, he could see a chair lying on its side. His eyesight started on the floor and slowly traveled upward. He hadn’t made it very far before the color drained from his face with sweat immediately beading his brow at seeing a pair of dainty feet dangling in the air; one heel on, the other nowhere to be seen. 

Liam looked away but with a shuddered breath followed the body back up to the face, and sure enough, it was Penelope.

Landon suddenly shoved Liam out of the way. “MOVE!” He rushed over and held Penelope’s lifeless form, lifting her easily with one hand; the other quickly moving to remove the belt from around her severely bruised neck. Her limp body dropped into his arms and he cradled her to his chest as he rocked back and forth, making cries that would haunt Liam until the day he died. 

Liam regained his footing but remained cemented in place. This was it; this was their big break, but they only received more unanswered questions. Hopelessness flourished, as he saw no other solutions in sight. He felt like a mouse, mindlessly running through a maze just trying to reach the end for the reward. Penelope's testimony was that reward, but instead of finding the end of the maze, he encountered a sudden, abrupt wall.

Regardless of their actions, they faced a grim reality where a devastating setback countered every advance they made; one step forward, only to be met with two deadly steps back.

Liam suddenly couldn’t breathe; his lungs felt like fire with every rapid, hollow breath. The room started spinning, his vision hazing at a rapid rate. His heart pounded mercilessly, the sound overpowering Landon’s continuous wails filling the room. His hands flew to his chest and he stumbled backward, Leo and Drake quickly moving to catch him before he hit the floor. 

They lowered him to the ground and sat over him as Liam’s vision slowly faded out, their faces disintegrating into a pixelated, blurry image. He blinked his eyes a few times to regain himself, but found the rapidly spinning room made him nauseous. He felt Leo lightly tapping his cheeks, but when he tried to open his mouth, only an anguished cry escaped. 

Liam stared at the ceiling until the bright lights suddenly dimmed. His eyelids grew incredibly heavy until he succumbed to the weight of the world forcing them down. Darkness consumed him as he slipped into unconsciousness, a still silence overcoming his being. 

"Goddamn it," Leo grumbled to himself, as he watched Liam’s body relax. "Get a fucking ambulance! Now!" He hollered over his shoulder before his teary vision centered on his brother again. "Cummon, Li..."

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