#trr valtoria

[angelasscribbles]

Heir Apparent Chapter 19: Going Public

Series: Heir Apparent.

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Pairings: Drake x Riley, Liam x Riley (past)

Rating: R

Warnings: Mature themes, language

Word Count: 2,749

A/N: Huge thank you to @karahalloway, @harleybeaumont and @dcbbw for brainstorming ideas with me for questions hurled by the press, insults tossed around, and newspaper headlines.

Everything else: Master List.

Liam waited for silence and order as he stood at the podium shuffling note cards.

Not that he needed them. He had his statement memorized.

He turned his head slightly in Riley’s direction. She seemed fairly well composed all things considered. The bombshell they were about to drop on the public was going to blow up her life far more than his.

If anything, this was going to make his life easier, while hers became infinitely harder. He recognized that and had taken steps to minimize the impact on her as much as possible.

Her medical records had all been transferred quickly, discreetly, and securely to the royal doctor. Both Valtoria and the palace had been equipped with state-of-the-art obstetric equipment, including its own ultrasound machine.

Her security detail had been ramped up and extra staff had been hired so that she didn’t have to go out in public unless she wanted to.

The plan was to make their public, joint statement, ask the public for privacy and then have her stay out of the spotlight as much as possible.

Drake was on the stage with them. Liam’s press secretary had assured them that it was crucial for him to be there to show his support. Riley was less likely to be viewed negatively by the public if her husband was beside her.

It infuriated him that anyone would cast her in a negative light because she made an error in judgment that night.

If it had been an error, it was one they had made together.

Not that he saw it as an error. He didn’t regret it and it had given him a child. He would never regret that.

It took longer than usual to quiet the room, mostly because it was obvious why they were there.

The curve of Riley’s belly gave them away.

Her oversized t-shirts and baggy clothing had been replaced with a designer wardrobe of maternity clothes.

The simple dress she had chosen for the press conference showed off her baby bump on purpose.

The press secretary thought that the visual proof of an heir would highlight the securing of the line of succession and hopefully minimize any drama surrounding the circumstances of the conception itself.

“Thank you all for coming,” he began, “I am aware of the rumors circulating in the press and I’m sure you’ve already surmised the reason for today’s press conference.”

He waited for the murmurs that rippled through the crowd to subside before continuing, “I am delighted to announce that the rumors are true. Cordonia has an heir on the way. The line of succession is secured.”

He ignored the hurled questions from the press corps.

“Who is the mother?”

“Is Duchess Riley pregnant with your child?”

“Will there be a royal wedding?”

“Are you using a surrogate?”

“Have you been having an affair?”

He turned and held his hand out to Riley, the smile lighting his face was genuine as he took her hand and helped up step up beside him.

Right where she belonged.

He shot a quick glance at Drake, who was seated on the stage behind them, back ramrod straight, jaw clenched, face blank.

Riley stepped up to the podium and smiled out at the crowd.

She also ignored the hurled questions.

“Are you pregnant, Duchess?”

“Is that a baby bump?”

“Is it the king’s baby?”

“What does the duke think about this development?”

“Will there be a divorce?”

Liam’s countenance grew serious as he called for calm to be restored.

When silence once again fell across the crowd, he continued, “As the public is aware, Duchess Riley and I shared a whirlwind romance before circumstances forced us apart.”

The murmurs were more sympathetic this time.

“We both moved on,” he lied, “but there was one last dalliance prior to the duchess’s marriage to her husband, Duke Walker.”

There were a few gasps, but mostly a lot of nodding heads.

Almost everyone understood closure with an ex.

“That dalliance, which again I would like to stress took place prior to her marriage to another man, resulted in a pregnancy.”

A small roar ran through the crowd as more questions were shouted.

“Surely the king should be married to the mother of the heir-“

“If there’s no divorce, then will custody be given to the crown?”

“Will Duke Walker give up custody?”

“Will King Liam raise the child alone?”

“Will the child be brought up traditionally, I mean considering the untraditional nature of the conception…”

“How can you be sure it’s yours? Was there a DNA test?”

Liam waited patiently for the tumult to die down before continuing, “Though our romantic relationship ended, Duchess Riley and I remain close friends and we are thrilled by this news. Paternity was verified by DNA testing and we look forward to co-parenting together, along with her husband, Duke Walker.”

He waited for the crowd to absorb the fact that Riley would remain married to Drake despite carrying his child before finishing, “Cordonia owes its future to the duchess.”

“Isn’t that a bit dramatic?” a reporter called out, “You’re a young man, Your Majesty, you have years to marry and produce heirs.”

Liam’s jaw clenched imperceptibly at the irony.

The press had hounded him relentlessly about the need for an heir. Now that he had produced one, suddenly he had plenty of time. He was used to the fickleness of the press, but it was still galling.  

Liam glanced at Riley. She didn’t know the next part was coming. He leaned into the microphone and announced, “As you all know, I found a loophole in our laws. I only needed to be engaged to ascend the throne, not to retain it. Given that there is no provision in our laws about a sitting monarch’s marital status and given that I have an heir, a biological child, I have no plans to marry. Ever.”

This time pandemonium broke out.

“What the fuck, Liam?” Riley hissed too low to be picked up on the mic.

He covered the microphone with his hand as he smiled at her and whispered, “It’s true. I will never marry. You may have moved on, Riley, but I don’t seem to be able to stop loving you. I’m sorry.”

The din was so loud, they couldn’t hear the questions being shouted at them.

“Quiet!” Liam thundered.

Once order had been restored, what he said to the crowd was, “No one should have to marry for political reasons. Effective immediately, the law will be adjusted to allow our child,” he turned his head quickly to smile at Riley, then looked back out over the crowd, “and every member of the royal family from here on out, to marry whom they wish, if they wish, for love and not duty.”

“What about necessary political alliances?” a reporter called out.

“Yes, alliances still need to be made,” Liam answered, “but by diplomacy, not by bartering the next generation out in what amounts to legalized prostitution.”

Shocked gasps and a few indignant shouts ripped through the crowd, but they were interspersed with sporadic applause and some approving murmurs.

The old guard, his father’s generation versus the newer, more progressive generation.

More questions were fired at them by the press.

“Those are very American ideals…are you being influenced by Duchess Riley?”

“Did you mention marrying for love because you’re still in love with Duchess Riley?”

“Is she the reason you refuse to marry?”

“Is she your mistress?”

Once again, Liam ignored the questions and finished the speech he’d come there to give, “the duchess and I appreciate your support. We promise you regular updates on the health and well-being of the heir and ask for our privacy to be respected as we navigate new parenthood and learn how to blend this family. There will be no questions taken at this time. Feel free to submit them to the royal press secretary to be answered in next week’s official update. Thank you.”

Liam gestured to Alec to clear the way, they had a short walk back to the safety of the palace walls.

Drake was next to Riley before she was off the stage, guiding her down the steps and along the natural flagstone path to the palace, Liam just behind them. He kept an arm protectively at the small of her back as they made their way through the throngs of people being held back by stanchion ropes and security.  

Camera’s flashed, the crowd pressed forward and reporters continued to hurtle questions at them.

“Duke Walker, did you know?”

“Did you pimp your wife out to your best friend?”

“How long has she been cheating on you?”

“Why did she even marry you?”

“Did you do it for the money?”

“Your Majesty, are two commoners fit to raise the heir to the throne?”

Drake clenched his teeth together and ignored every demeaning question, every insulting remark, and every humiliating pronouncement flung at himself. He didn’t care about that, had never cared what others thought of him.

The vitriol lobbed at her was harder for him to ignore.

“Did you get knocked up by the king for the fame, the fortune, or the notoriety?”

“Is that why the king gave you a duchy? Because you’re still sleeping with him?”

“Do you and the duke have a Cordonian arrangement?”

The questions from the press were bad enough, but there were a few hecklers in the crowd as well.

“Gold digger!”

“Crown chaser!”

“Whore!”

Riley kept her eyes forward and her shoulders back, pretending not to hear, her hand tightening in Drake’s.

Liam’s fists clenched at his side and the muscle in his jaw jumped as he struggled to maintain his composure.

They should not be talking to her like that, but he had the crown’s image to protect, he couldn’t react overtly.

Drake had no such qualms.

Fuck his reputation.

Liam saw it coming before it happened, but he couldn’t react fast enough to stop it.

Drake released Riley’s hand and turned in midstride, delivering a staggering uppercut to the jaw of the man who had just called his wife a whore.

The man staggered back into the crowd, falling into several other people, including several members of the press.

The man who had been standing to the right of the fallen man swung on Drake and a struggle ensued.

The man had hold of Drake’s shirt with one fist while trying to hit him with the other. Drake blocked his attempted blow easily and attempted to push the man away.

The first man picked himself up and shoved his way through the crowd to jab Drake in the stomach.

Liam reacted without thought, all his years of training in letting his guards handle things flew right out the window as he witnessed his lifelong best friend get sucker punched by one man while he was grappling with another.

The king of Cordonia sidestepped his personal guard and jumped into the middle of the fray, thudding into one of the assailants with his entire body.

They went down fighting. The guy landed a right hook to the king’s mouth before Liam delivered one of his own across the other man’s cheek.

Complete chaos descended on the scene as guardsmen swarmed the crowd, quickly pulling Liam and Drake out of the tussle and hauling the other two men away in handcuffs.

Drake and Liam found themselves tossed into the back of an SUV while the guard restored order.

Even though the press conference had taken place on palace grounds, vehicles with bulletproof glass were always kept nearby just in case.

An assassination attempt was a more expected thing than the king jumping into the middle of a brawl, but a security event was a security event.

“Well, that went straight to shit!” Liam groused as he gingerly touched his swollen lip.

“Yup,” Drake agreed, “what did you expect though?”

The two men regarded each other for a moment before breaking out into gales of laughter.

The king of Cordonia was flush with victory and adrenaline, “Fuck, that was fun!”

“I can’t believe you decked a guy, Li!” Drake marveled.

“He hit you!” Liam said with such vehemence that Drake stopped laughing.

“Wow, man. I didn’t know you cared so much.”

“Of course I do,” Liam gave him a reproving look, “no matter what else has happened, you’re still my brother!”

Drake clapped him on the shoulder and gave it a little squeeze as he replied, “I feel the same way.”

The panel between the front and back seat lowered and the driver said, “We’re going to drive you back to the palace, Your Majesty.”

Drake looked around in concern, “Where’s Riley?”

“Duchess Riley was removed from the situation as soon as the first punch was thrown, Your Grace. She’s waiting for you back at the palace.”

“Thanks, and just call me Drake, please.”

The driver’s eyes flicked to Liam, who nodded, before answering, “Sure thing, boss.”

Another guard slid into the passenger side of the front seat and handed them each an instant cold pack.

“Thanks,” they said in unison.

The panel slid back up as the car started to move.

Liam squeezed the cold pack to activate it as he said, “I understand now what she meant when she told me that you’ve always been there for her, and I haven’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean…I wanted to punch that guy too, Drake! But I couldn’t because I’m the king and I have to represent Cordonia!” Liam slammed his elbow into the side of the door in frustration.

“Yeah, well, I don’t think anyone would recommend following my example. I shouldn’t have let that guy get to me. It’s going to cause issues for you and her. I can see the fucking headlines now.”

“What do you want to bet there already out there?” Liam asked as he pulled out his phone and swiped it open. “Shit, look,” he held the phone between them so Drake could read with him.

Royal press conference descends into royal brawl

King Lands Knockout Punch

This is the man that will raise the heir to the throne

Has the king been compromised by American ideals?

Walker: Texas Liability

“Shit, Li. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Liam shrugged, “as I said, I wanted to punch him too. Maybe if I’d done less worrying about optics and more worrying about standing up for her, things would have worked out differently.”

“Yeah, well…” Drake trailed off, uncertain how to respond to that. He liked the way things had worked out just fine.

The car rocked to a stop and the intercom crackled to life, “We’re here, Your Majesty.”

“Give us a few moments alone,” Liam instructed.

“Yes, sir.” The intercom clicked off.

Drake turned to his lifelong best friend, brows raised in question.

Liam sighed as he brought the cold pack to his face. Leaning back into the leather seat he said quietly, “I still love her, Drake.”

“I know that…” Drake responded carefully.

“I’m not going to stop just because she married you.”

“I know that too.”

“As long as we understand each other.”

“I’m sorry for your pain, I truly am. I wish there was a way we could both be happy,” Drake regretted the distance between Liam and himself but had no idea how to fix any of it.

“What if there was?” Liam’s tone was restrained, purposely neutral, and even.

Drake turned his head in confusion, “What do you mean?”

“What if I could have a relationship with Riley that didn’t threaten your relationship with her?”

“I don’t follow.”

“What if we could come to some kind of an understanding? An arrangement if you know what I mean.”

“I’m not sure I do,” Drake snapped, “What are you trying to get at?”

“I’m talking about a Cordonian Arrangement, Drake,” Liam’s tone stayed measured and calm, “She stays married to you, as she obviously wants to. But you allow her certain….freedoms.”

“Are you suggesting I let you have an affair with my wife?”

Liam shrugged, “Not suggesting, outright asking you to consider it. After discussing it with her, of course.”

Drake stared at him in astonishment, “What if she doesn’t want to be with you, Liam?”

“Then I’ll accept that,” Liam replied quietly, “But what if she does?”

“I…”

“Just think about it, okay? You don’t have to answer right now.”

Liam opened the door and exited the car, leaving Drake staring after him in stunned disbelief.  

[karahalloway]

(Less Than) Noble Intentions: Chapter 16 - Snakes in the Garden

Fandom: TRR

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

Series Summary: The social season may be over, but Harper Gale’s problems are just beginning. With everyone at court a potential suspect, can she and Drake survive the engagement tour and get to the bottom of the plot against her and clear her name? An AU take of TRR2 featuring my OTP - Harper & Drake.

Masterlist: (Less Than) Noble Intentions

Chapter Summary: Harper greets the world as the new Duchess of Valtoria, but that is not the only newsworthy item that rocks the Apple Harvest Festival...

Word Count: 7,300

Rating/Warnings: M (swearing, angst, possible ulterior motives)

Chapter theme song:

A/N1: Things are slowly coming to a head! Thanks for bearing with me on this series - I know I have a lot of other projects in the works, so I have not been updating as much as I probably should. But, we are finally getting to the exciting parts (as if what's happened until now hasn't been exciting 🤣) as after this chapter, we are into the meat of the engagement tour, and all the juicy plot changes that I have been wanting to write for over a year will finally come to a fore! *evil laugh*

A/N2: If you have not heard of TURN - the TV show from which I borrowed the chapter theme song - then, I can highly recommend it (especially if you like historical dramas, US history (specifically the Revolutionary War period), or just really good story-telling)!

A/N3: This is also much submission for @choicesjanuary2024 Day 12: Smiles / Secret

Chapter 16 - Snakes in the Garden

"Are you sure I look okay?" I ask, nervously pulling at the high-necked strip of emerald lace that circles my throat.

"Stop fiddling!" Bertrand berates, slapping my hand away. "We are running late as it, and we cannot afford to lose any more time to last minute touch-ups!"

"Yeah, but—"

"You look great, Harper," Maxwell assures me with a beaming smile. "Marcie did a great job."

The petite make-up artist that the Beaumonts had procured out of thin air bobs a curtsy to my right. "It was my pleasure, Your Grace."

Her words hit me like a whiplash.

Your Grace.

My new form of address. One I'm not sure I'm ever going to get used to. Lady Harper had been one thing, but that had always felt like a curtesy. A temporary formality that had been extended to me by virtue of my sponsorship by the Beaumonts during the social season.

But there is nothing temporary about my current situation. The weight of the ring on my hand — and its implications — bears down heavily on my finger... and my thoughts. Especially since I still haven't found a moment alone with Drake to finish our conversation from this morning... or bring him up to speed on my new status.

Because no sooner had my ennoblement been sealed with the very expensive — and very potent — champagne, than the Beaumonts had shown back up (somewhat mercifully) to crash Christian's surprise party.

And from there it had been a whirlwind of hair, makeup and outfitting for the all-important Apple Harvest Festival where I am due to make my grand debut as the new Duchess of Valtoria.

A position of some importance — Bertrand has stressed, multiple times — given that in addition to the impressive estate that I am now the official caretaker of, I also have a seat on the infamous Council, as well as a seat on the even more exclusive Privy Council. Not to mention my own fleet of staff, vehicles, bank accounts, and carefully curated online profiles.

Which is why — on top of everything — the ever-industrious press corps have worked at record speed to throw the fruits of yesterday's labours together into an exclusive, twelve-page spread as part of a special edition of Trend magazine, which dropped this morning.

And while I haven't actually had a chance to read through the copy that currently sits on the coffee table of my room (together with every other major national and international news publication), Maxwell has assured me that the social media reactions have — so far — been positive. The snaps of my stress-fuelled efforts at yesterday's apple pick have apparently helped.

Which means that Jonathan's PR gamble is starting to pay dividends, and I now have a public image to maintain. Not just for myself, but for Cordonia as well. Because when I step outside today, I'll be representing everything that the kingdom under Christian's burgeoning rule is striving to be — beauty, modernity, opportunity.

Definitely not the best day to wake up with a litany of awkwardly situated bruises!

Thankfully, both Maxwell and Bertrand seem to have had a chance to pull themselves together after this morning's surprising (and definitely explosive!) turn of events, and — after the initial shock — have set about covering for mine and Drake's mess with the same coordinated precision that they employed to pull the Beaumont Bash out of their butts.

With the result that they somehow managed to transform me from the black and blue disaster I woke up as, into the picture of a polished and refined lady.

I glance apprehensively out at the bright sunshine blanketing the hills. Hopefully, the carefully applied window-dressing survives the literal trial by fire it's about to be subjected to. Because just like yesterday, the temperature is set to climb into the mid-90's today as well, which means I'll most likely end up sweating buckets again, thanks to the Edwardian nature of my dress's neckline.

And what I definitely don't need today is for all the blush and cover-up getting smudged away so that everyone at the event can start speculating about the intimate placement of my of hickeys!

I close my eyes wearily. God, I can't wait for all this to be over...

"No catnaps!" snaps Bertrand, slapping a wide-brimmed hat onto my head. "The people are waiting on us!"

I barely have time to grab my matching clutch before the Beaumonts are whisking me out of my room and down the length of the corridor towards the manor's lawn.

"Surely the Festival can start without us...!" I gasp as I stumble after Bertrand in my heels.

"No, it cannot," he reprimands. "All members of the Council must be present for the ceremonial tree planting."

I frown. "Tree planting? Isn't that a little... agrarian for the aristos?"

"It is a time-honoured tradition!" corrects Bertrand. "Cordonia owes its existence and livelihood to the noble Ruby, so it is the duty of the Council to ensure that the fruits of our bounty are secured for future generations! Hence, the requirement to plant new saplings at the end of each harvest!"

"If you say so..." I concede as we pass through the back doors of the manor.

Based on what I saw at the apple pick, Bertrand's pronouncement seems optimistic at best, given that none of the aristos even bothered to lift a finger to a tree yesterday.

But, looks can always be deceiving, so maybe today is the day that the I am pleasantly surprised for once.

A deafening cheer erupts as the Beaumonts and I step out onto the manor's steps.

Snapping my head towards the source of the commotion, I see what appears to be thousands of people crammed behind velvet-lined cordons, screaming and jostling for position like they're in the front row of a Taylor Swift concert...

...and it takes me a second to realise that it's my name that they're shouting.

"Duchess!"

"Lady Harper, we love you!"

"You're the true Apple Queen, no matter what anyone says!"

"Wow..." I blink, taken aback by the fervency of the crowd's reaction. "I didn't realise I had such a rabid following..."

"Best wave to them," suggests Maxwell, leaning in as he raises his arm into the air with a wide smile.

"Okay..." I concede hesitantly, turning to the crowd to do the same.

The last time I experienced anything remotely like this had been on the red carpet at the Derby — my first public outing as a suitor. But even the bright flash of the cameras and the intrusive questions that the reporters had flung at me paled in comparison to the reaction I am receiving today.

Phones and cameras are thrust into the air as the Beaumonts and I descend the manor's stairs to the accompaniment of the increasingly frenzied cheers and shouts of encouragement. Even a few bouquets of flowers fly through the air, narrowly missing my hat.

And I can't help but smile in the face of the genuine outpouring of support from the crowd. Because it sure as heck feels good to be on top for once!

However, arriving at the edge of the orchard where the tree planting ceremony is due to take place, I am greeted by a very different type of welcome.

Snooty expressions drip down the ends of aristocratic noses as the members of the Council pass silent judgment on my somewhat bombastic entrance.

"They're just jealous," Maxwell whispers to me as we take up our spots at the edge of the gathering.

"Yeah..." I agree with a stilted voice. "That's what I'm worried about."

I know firsthand of the lengths that these people are willing to go to in order to exact vengeance for perceived slights. And I did not particularly feel like painting a target on my back a second time while I am still trying to recover from the hurt caused by the first.

Maybe this is a mistake...

But I don't have time to think on it long, because the public erupts into an even more deafening outburst as Christian appears with Madeleine on his arm.

"Look at her..." snips a voice from behind me. "Acting like she's Queen already."

I whip around in disbelief. "Olivia!"

The Duchess of Lythikos cuts her green eyes over at me with a derisive look. "Oh, don't look so surprised, Harper. Just because you are now a duchess, does not mean that the rest of us have taken early retirement."

"Trust me," I grumble under my breath, "this was not the plan."

"Opportunities multiply as they are seized," she replies sagely.

I quirk a brow at her. "Meaning?"

"Meaning," she expounds surly, "opportunity breeds opportunity. And only by exploiting every advantage will you uncover previously hidden gains. Do they not teach The Art of War inyour schools?"

"No..."

She scoffs under her breath. "Explains a lot."

I roll my eyes at her as Christian and Madeleine pause on the steps for photos and a couple of quick sound bites. "I guess this means your sabbatical was productive?"

"Exceedingly."

I heave a breath. "At least one of us is making progress..."

"Oh, don't sell yourself short," she counters out of the corner of her mouth. "Your recent advancements have served as a welcome distraction..."

"Not sure if that’s a compliment, or not..." I admit sourly.

"You have more power than you realise," she insists quietly. "Make sure you use it."

"Wow..." I mutter, glancing over at her in genuine surprise. "Friendly advice from the Scarlet Duchess? What else have you learnt during your time away?"

"Our interests are temporarily aligned, nothing more," she replies, shooting daggers across the lawn towards Madeleine. "And I'll fill you in shortly."

"Well, it's good to have you back, regardless," I say with a dip of my head. "Your Grace."

Olivia shoots me a sidelong look. "Don't get sentimental on me, Duchess."

But I can see the hint of a smile pulling at her lips.

Christian and Madeleine arrive at the edge of the trees. Stepping up to the row of waiting saplings, Christian pulls a stack of notecards out of his pocket and delivers a short speech to the click of the cameras.

As the mandatory applause dies down, he slots the pieces of paper carefully away... and pulls off his jacket.

"What are you doing?" hisses Madeleine as the crowd descends into a hubbub of excited reactions.

"Taking a leaf out of the Duchess of Valtoria's book," he replies, handing his jacket off to the closest shocked Councillor as he sets about rolling up his sleeves.

"Out of—!" Madeleine bristles in indignation, while trying to maintain an outwardly calm composure. "The only thing you have taken is leave of your senses! Now get back here and—!"

Ignoring his fiancée's outburst, Christian grabs the ribbon-bedecked shovel out of the hands of the footman that was holding it, and steps up to a clear patch of grass. Adjusting his grip on the handle, he digs the metal blade decisively into the ground to the accompanying slew of clicking camera shutters.

"Shall we?" asks Olivia with a sly smirk as she pushes her way to the front of the line of gawping nobles.

"Let's," I agree, instantly catching onto her plan.

"Lady Harper!" hisses Bertrand from behind me. "What do you think you're—?"

"Lending a hand to the King," I throw back over my shoulder as I step to the front of the row of aristos who are looking mutely onto the sight of their monarch working up an actual sweat before them.

Grabbing another shovel from the pile in the corner — these ones obviously having seen some honest work already, judging by the dirt encrusted on their faces — I join the King of Cordonia in enlarging the hole in the ground.

Because regardless of Christian's underlying motives for ennobling me, and whatever his broader game may be, what he is doing right now is bigger than me, bigger than him, bigger than any of us. And that deserves recognition. Especially when he is taking such active — and public — strides towards being the change he wants to see unfurl during his rule. Where the ruling class doesn't just offer empty platitudes and hollow ceremony, but actually practices what it preaches. So, what better way to do that, than by planting the seeds of change in front of thousands of people in the literal heart of the kingdom?

Christian rewards my arrival with a nod and a smile as I take up position next to him.

Hefting my shovel, I slice it into the earth that he's already uncovered, using the somewhat flimsy sole of my heeled sandals to drive it deeper.

Scooping the blade back out, I suddenly feel a presence to my left. Looking up, I see that Maxwell has also joined our impromptu work crew.

Throwing me a wink, he drops his shovel in next to mine.

With the three of us working on tandem, it takes us almost no time at all to dig out a hole large enough to house the new apple tree.

Wiping the sweat from my forehead — the weatherman had not lied, that's for sure! — I see that Olivia, with some assistance from Hana, has already prepared the sapling by shunting it closer to the hole and removing the burlap covering from its roots.

Laying down our shovels, we help her manoeuvre the tree to the edge of the dint. Cheers and applause rise up from the onlookers as the sapling thuds into the earth. Olivia uses one of the knives from her hidden arsenal to slice off the twines holding the branches together, and the tree unfurls itself with a satisfied snap.

"Your Majesty!" shouts a reporter, who I recognise as Frederick Capone. "One for the Cordonian Times, if you please!"

"And for the CBS!" adds Donald Brine, muscling his way to the front.

"Certainly," accedes Christian graciously, holding his arm out. "It was a group effort, after all."

We all gather in — sweaty and dirty, but smiling — as the press corps immortalises the scene...

...and I innocuously sweep my hair over my shoulder in a vain effort to try and hide any bruises that may have become uncovered as a result of the unplanned exertion.

"Thank you for joining me in my moment of impulsivity," Christian acknowledges softly as the bulbs flash.

"Please," scoffs Olivia out of the side of her mouth. "It was coordinated from the start."

"The people don't seem to mind," counters Hana with a demure smile as she faces the cameras.

"With the exception of about half-dozen," I note, glancing back at the disgruntled looks of the Councillors from behind us, as they try to save face by applauding our efforts together with the rest of the crowd.

"They'll fall in line." Christian assures me as he lifts his hand with a wave.

I feel a prick between my shoulder blades. Turning my head, I catch sight of the cold fire radiating out of Madeleine's gaze from behind the mask of her perfect smile.

"Maybe not everyone..." I mutter under my breath as I turn back towards the paps.

I'm already on Madeleine's shit list for daring to return to court after my very public humiliation and banishment. On the night of her engagement tour launch party, no less! So, the fact that I ended up upstaging her — again — probably means that I've sunk even further down the ladder of her estimations.

To what end, I have no idea. But I'm going to have to start being more careful from here on out.

Once the press are finally placated, we disperse across the lawn in search of some much-needed refreshments.

"Harper!"

I swallow a groan as I'm brought up short, mere steps from the freshly squeezed, rosemary-infused lemonade that I desperately need after toiling away in this heat. "What now, Bertrand...?"

"I... uhm..." He clears his throat as I turn to face him. "I wanted to apologise for my earlier outburst. It was unseemly... and in retrospect, short-sighted."

"What do you mean?" I ask with a frown. Bertrand very rarely — if ever! — apologised.

"The public reaction to the tree planting has been overwhelming," he clarifies, pulling his phone out.

My eyes bulge as I take in the view count on the screen. "A hundred thousand views already!"

"And counting," Bertrand adds. "And that is only one website."

"And look at the comments!" I exclaim, scrolling through the feed. "They're loving Maxwell as well!"

"Yes, it appears that my brother has a keener instinct for media relations than I do..."

"You should tell him that," I say. "It would mean the world to him."

Bertrand looks momentarily taken aback. "I... Well..." He clears his throat again. "Yes. Maybe I will. He deserves some recognition for his efforts in diverting — at least temporarily — the negative attention away from our financial predicaments."

"A simple hug and a 'thank-you' will do," I tell him with a knowing look.

Bertrand reels back in abject horror. "I will not subject my brother to such a sordid display of affection! Especially in public!"

I heave a sigh. "And there's your problem, right th—"

I trail off as I spot a familiar figure signalling to me from over Bertrand's shoulders.

"Excuse me," I say, palming Bertrand's phone back to him as I move towards one of the marquees that had been set up at the edge of the lawn.

Slipping inside the flap of the tent, I come face-to-face with Ana de Luca.

"Your Grace," she nods, dipping into a curtesy, something she hasn't deigned to do before. "Thank you for making the time."

"Ana," I nod in return, wondering why the influential editor of Trend chose to pull me away for a private meeting. Especially after I cornered her so forcefully at Madeleine's garden party a few days ago.

"I suppose congratulations are in order," she continues, straightening back up. "Since returning to court you have managed to elevate yourself not just in rank, but in the eyes of the public as well. Rolling your sleeves up in tandem with the King was a masterful piece of image enhancement."

"I didn't do it for myself," I reply evenly.

"Of course," she nods quickly. "We must all step in line with our new King. But your reputation is certainly reaping the benefits as well."

"As is your bottom line," I point out.

"Your initiative is markedly boosting sales of this month's special edition, as well as traffic to our website," she concedes. "For which Trend is very grateful. But that is not the reason I pulled you aside."

"What is it then?"

"I found out the name of the photographer," she replies, reaching into her handbag.

I feel my heart jump in my chest. "You're joking..."

She raises a brow at me from behind the lenses of her black-out Versace shades as she pulls a small flash-drive out. "I can assure you that I am not."

I quickly pull myself back together. "No. Of course not..."

Handing the drive over, she adds. "On there you will find all the pertinent information I was able to obtain through my own means."

"Thank you," I say sincerely, taking the piece of plastic from her. "I honestly was not expecting this..."

She shrugs an elegant shoulder. "I said I would look into it, so I did. It is not much, but I am sure you have people who can hopefully take it further."

"I do," I affirm, slotting the device into my clutch.

"After all," she adds with a knowing quirk to her lips. "You are not the only one with a vested interest in seeing your name cleared, Your Grace."

With another quick bob, she exits the marquee.

I let out a low exhale as the tent flap drops back into place in her wake. "Thank God..."

Some much-needed progress at last!

Hopefully, Drake can take the information from the drive and do a deep dive into the photographer to see if they ever crossed paths with whoever it is that has it in for me.

Which reminds me...

Opening my clutch up again, I pull my phone out and type up a quick message to my elusive boyfriend.

I haven't seen or heard from him since the event started. And now I have two pieces of critical information I need to share with him. So, rather than chasing after him like some damsel in distress, I'm going to make him come to me for a change. Because time is of the essence, and I don't want to wait.

Hitting send, I exit the tent and head back towards the orchard. I figure that since everyone is on the lawn, the secluded garden hidden amongst the trees will give me and Drake the best chance to meet in private, away from the prying eyes of the court and the press.

Slipping between the tree trunks, I try to make my way as casually as possible through the orchard, as if I am simply out for a walk, in order to ward off potential suspicion. But, as I drift further away from the Festival, I start to pick up the pace, mindful of the short timeframe I gave Drake... as well as the exposed roots on the ground.

Because as much as I might want to hurry, I definitely don't want — or need — a twisted ankle the day before we're due to start the international leg of the trip. As Mom was right — I should take advantage of the upcoming whirlwind tour of Europe to at least try and get some sightseeing in. As who knows when I'll get the chance to do this again...

...especially if I'm forced to become a hermit because we fail to expose the mastermind behind the press scandal.

I shake my head. No. I need to stay positive. It's the only way I'm going to get through—

"Competing with a herd of elephants, Gale?"

I snap my gaze up at the sound of Drake's voice... and nearly trip over a hidden apple lodged in the grass.

"You try sneaking ‘round in four-inch heels," I grumble back at him, while using the trunk of a nearby tree to steady myself.

He mutters something under his breath as he steps over to me with an outstretched hand. "Here."

Grabbing his hand, I navigate gingerly away from the tree, only to find that the slightly rotten fruit has become impaled on the end of my stiletto.

"Great..." I groan, trying to flick the stupid thing off... But it stays stubbornly stuck.

"You're a walking disaster, y'know that, right?" drawls Drake as he drops down in front of me.

"Ha-ha, funny," I snark back at him while trying to balance on one foot on the uneven ground.

He meets my eye with a wry look as he finally manages to pull the offending fruit off with a squelch. "You're only gripin' 'cause it's true."

"Yeah, well, not all of us have... reflexes... like Neo..." I reply sardonically as I save myself from tipping over by grabbing onto Drake's shoulder.

He stifles a scoff as he tosses the apple into the trees. "You good?"

"Yeah," I confirm, righting myself again and letting go of his shirt.

Drake regards me critically for a long moment — as if expecting me to keel over again at the drop of a hat — before pushing himself up.

"Thanks," I say, laying an appreciative hand on his arm.

The humour fades from his gaze at the contact.

"Drake..." I start...

...but he's already pulled away.

"What did you want to talk about?" he asks, not quite meeting my eyes as he slots his hands into his pockets, the momentary lightness of our previous interaction gone.

I heave a breath.

We really need to talk about what happened this morning. But his suddenly standoffish demeanour makes it clear that he's not quite ready for that yet.

So, I decide to start with something less contentious.

"We have a lead on the photographer," I tell him, reaching into my clutch.

His head perks up with interest. "That was fast."

"Teamwork makes the dream work," I agree with a smile, pulling the flash drive back out and holding it out to him.

His posture suddenly stiffens. "The hell is that?"

I glance around me uncertainly. "What?"

"The fucking ring on your finger," he declares dispassionately, his accusatory gaze scorching into my outstretched hand.

My heart drops. Oh, no...

This is not how I wanted to break it to him. But unfortunately for both of us, the cat has now ripped itself out of the proverbial bag, so I'm just going to have to scamper after it.

Taking a steadying inhale, I look him square in the eye. "It's my new signet ring." I turn my hand over to show it to him.

His face darkens. "Fils de pute de—" he grits under his breath, snapping a hand out to grab my wrist.

My eyes widen. "Drake, what are y—?"

A storm is raging in his espresso gaze. "Signet rings go on the little finger. On the right hand."

"Oh," is all I can manage as he swipes the golden band off my left ring finger.

"You didn't know, did you?" he asks softly, reaching for my other hand... more gently this time.

I shake my head with a constricted throat. "No, I—"

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

My head jerks ‘round at the sound of the unexpected voice. "Christian!"

"I see you couldn't resist a somewhat impulsive stroll through the orchards, either?" he asks, more rhetorically than anything else. "The scent of apples is truly luscious this time of year."

"Erm... yes...!" I manage to squeak out, shoving my right hand behind my back. "Smells like apple juice!"

Christian's brow quivers ever so slightly at my slightly random — and obviously unexpected — comparison.

But I'm too busy coordinating with Drake to get the signet ring shoved back onto my hand while trying to palm the flash drive off to him without dropping either in the process. As both outcomes would lead to some very awkward conversations!

I feel the warmth of the metal slide onto the index finger of my hand (Drake had probably ascertained that the circumference of the band was too large for my pinky), and I'm finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Embarrassing backpedaling, narrowly averted!

Drake uses the opportunity to extract the flash drive from my hand as well, dropping the device casually into his pocket as he moves beside me. "She ain't wrong."

"No," concedes Christian, eying the two of us for a second longer than strictly comfortable. "She rarely is."

"So, umm... Are you hiding from the paps as well?" I ask in a bid to diffuse the growing tension in the air.

"No, I came looking for you, actually," he corrects, taking a step forward. "I saw you slip into the orchard, and thought it prudent to follow you."

"Oh?" I say, feeling my stomach tighten again. "Worried I might get lost?"

"I was hoping to catch you alone," he corrects, coming to a stop in front of me.

I swallow tightly as I see him glance over at Drake.

Please don't fight... Please don't fight...

Christian's gaze reverts to me. "But I suppose it is convenient for Drake to happen to be here as well."

My heart skips an uncomfortable beat. "It is?"

"Yes," he affirms. "I have received some news that you'll both be interested in hearing."

"Well, don't keep us in damn suspense, then..." mutters Drake with a noticeable edge to his voice.

I try to reach discretely out to brush my fingers against his, to reassure him that come what may, we'll get through it together, that—

"We found Tariq."

Christian's words hit me like a kick to the chest. The breath explodes out of me so forcefully that I am actually forced to take a step back in a bid to maintain my balance as the apple trees descend into a spin around me.

No way...

"Where?"

Drake's voice floats across the edge of my awareness. And even in my spaced-out state, I can feel the weight of the cold, calculated fury infused into that single word.

No corner... No mercy.

"Dubai," replies Christian, who also sounds like he's miles away. "He—"

But Drake's already spun away. "Send me the coordinates."

"Harper?"

I blink up at Christian in a daze. "Huh?"

"Are you alright?" he asks, laying a concerned hand on my cheek. "You... You looked as if you were about to faint..."

"I..." I swallow past the sudden dryness in my throat. "I'm okay."

"Are you certain?" he presses, peering down at me. "I could ring for a doctor, and—"

"No," I insist, pulling away from him. "I'm fine. I... I guess I just got caught off-guard..."

"It is an unexpected development, certainly," he concedes. "But hopefully still a welcome one?"

"Yes!" I blurt out. "Of course! I want to clear my name more than anyone, and Tariq is key to that! I just..." My voice trails uncertainly off.

Christian flashes me a knowing half-smile. "Feel some trepidation about the prospect...?"

"I guess so," I concede, my fingers moving unconsciously to the horseshoe charm at my wrist.

Because as much as I may want Tariq to pay for what he did from a rational point of view, from an emotional standpoint, I’m terrified.

As even though I know in the back of my mind that a lot of my trepidation has to do with the fact that I am still trying to recover from the psychological trauma that Tariq inflicted on me, a major part of me is also scared of what setting the record straight would entail in practice.

Christian had mentioned that there were 'methods of persuasion' that could be used to force a confession from Tariq. But then what? Would I be made to very publicly relive the entire horrible episode in the form of TV spots and interviews, or would we be able to get by with one official press release? And given my spotty history with the press, will people actually believe my side of the story...?

I mean, Meghan and Harry didn’t exactly fare well in the court of public opinion when they tried to counter the official royal narrative...

On top of all that, in light of my very visceral reactions to returning to Applewood, I have no idea how I'm going to react to seeing Tariq in person again. Would I burst into tears? Have a nervous breakdown? Dissolve into a panic attack? Stab him in the gut and then the nuts?

And (possibly worst of all) what if we discover that Tariq had been acting alone? And his attack on me — while traumatising — is in no way connected to the larger, and definitely more dangerous plot to remove me from the running for Queen? What then...?

"Your qualms are not as misplaced as you may initially think," Christian consoles. "It is a daunting prospect to face the person who actively sought to harm you."

Something in his tone catches my attention. "What do you mean?"

Christian heaves a sigh. "I do not know if you are aware of this, but several years ago, I was the target of an assassination attempt."

I nod tightly. "Yes. Drake told me."

"Then I presume he also told you how deeply the experience affected me," he says, catching my eye with an uncharacteristically guarded look.

"Yes," I affirm, thinking back to the conversation in Olivia's wine cellar that felt like years ago.

"What he probably didn't tell you, however," he continues, "is that I visited the perpetrator in prison."

My jaw drops. "You what!"

"Not publicly and certainly not in any official capacity." He shakes his head wryly. "I did not even talk to the man."

"Then why...?"

"I... I was having trouble reconciling with what had happened," he explains. "And moving past it. The trauma councillor that I was working with suggested that it was perhaps because I was subconsciously endowing the gunman with too much power, and thereby transmuting the man into something more akin to an evil monster."

A shiver runs down my spine at Christian's words. It's like he's talking about Tariq...

"So, to help break the negative emotional associations I had built up, my councillor arranged a clandestine meeting where I would have the opportunity to face the man."

"How... How did that go?" I ask nervously.

"I was terrified, of course," Christian admits. "I had no idea what to expect and each scenario I imagined in my head was worse than the last. But, when I finally got into room where the meeting was to take place, I was surprised by what I saw. As rather than some hulking, shadowy fiend, it was a pale, somewhat diminutive man sat across from me."

"So… what did you do?"

"We simply sat at a table and stared at each other," he recounts. "He with more than a bit of contemptuous malice, I have to admit, but in that moment, I realised that he was a flesh-and-blood person who had fallen prey to the same misguided emotions as I — anger, fear, resentment — just manifested differently. And that helped set me onto the path of true healing. As ultimately, I was able to forgive him."

"Forgive him?" I gasp disbelievingly. "For trying to murder you?"

"Nobody acts in isolation," Christian advises calmly. "Even the most unconscionable horrors perpetrated by the villains of humanity — torture, mass murder, genocide — sprout from the basis of an emotional or psychological motivator such as love, fear, greed, jealousy... to name but a few. So, while we may disagree with and condemn the action retrospectively from the safety of the moral high-ground, it is very possible that had we found ourselves in a similar situation, we would end up being just as guilty as the person we are looking to condemn."

"So, what?" I demand testily. "I should feel sorry for Tariq for what he did to me?"

"Showing empathy and compassion towards our counterparts does not mean forgetting or excusing the harm suffered," counsels Christian. "But it will certainly allow you to start on the path of true healing."

I shake my head as I turn away. "I'm not sure Tariq deserves that..."

"It is by no means an easy assignment," he admits, laying a hand on my shoulder. "But even if you cannot find it in your heart presently to forgive him, do at least try to keep yourself open to the possibility down the line. You may be surprised by the results."

Looking up, I can see that there is sincerity welling on his emerald gaze. And — for once — I don't doubt the true intent of his words. "Thanks. I'll think about it."

"As diplomatic as ever," he smiles, the tips of his fingers brushing down my back as he drops his hand. "And, regardless of what you choose to do, I'll be right by your side to support you."

"Thanks," I mutter with what I hope is a genuine smile, suddenly acutely aware of the fact that with Drake’s abrupt departure, it’s just me and Christian amongst the trees. Taking a step back towards the way I’d come, I ask, "So, umm... How did you end up finding him?"

"Instagram," replies Christian with a wry chuckle as he falls into step beside me.

My head snaps up in bewilderment. "He posted his whereabouts?"

"No," he laughs, looping my arm through his in reassurance. "Not intentionally, at any rate. He took shelter on his cousin's yacht docked off the coast of the Palm Jumeirah, and—"

"What's that?" I ask with a frown.

"One of a trio of artificially constructed archipelagos located off the coast of Dubai," he explains. "They are so called for their shape, which resemble stylised palm trees."

"Sounds... fancy," I admit, while trying to maintain some semblance of platonic distance between the two of us.

"They really are a sight to behold," he affirms, pulling me back to his side. "But it is part of the reason why we were not able to locate him initially — we knew he has family in the Emirates, of course, but—"

"He does?" I interject in surprise. This is certainly news to me...!

"Yes," he nods. "His father is a Cordonian nobleman, but his mother hails from the House of Al Falasi, the branch of the Bani Yas tribe that also produced Dubai's ruling family."

My eyes widen. "So, his mom is royalty?"

"No," chuckles Christian. "She is not directly connected to the Al Maktoum dynasty. But her family is nevertheless influential in the region. Which is why when we hit a roadblock with the French authorities, we decided to focus our efforts on countries where we knew he had familial or business connections. The Emirates, however, boast a multitude of private airfields, not to mention water-based ports of entry, so attempting to narrow down Tariq’s possible time and method of arrival and determining where he went from there was providing to be a complex undertaking. Especially since we had to ensure to conduct our enquiries outside of the official channels."

"Specifically, via social media," I supply dryly.

"Yes," confirms Christian, only half jokingly. "When we realised that Tariq must have switched off or changed out his phone, Drake suggested that we set up a facial recognition-based search algorithm that could scour the various social media and news portals in a bid to help us pinpoint his exact location."

"That sounds... technical," I admit.

"A few years ago, it would have been, But the technology is relatively commonplace now, thankfully."

"So, you managed to get a hit?"

"Yes," he affirms. "One of his cousins on his mother's side posted a selfie featuring his new yacht a couple of days ago... and someone who partially matched Tariq's features was visible on the edge of the frame. But it wasn't until this morning that our man on the ground was able to obtain independent confirmation that it really was him."

"Wow..." I manage. "Talk about blind, dumb luck."

"Never underestimate the awesome power of serendipity," counsels Christian with a smile as we reach the edge of the trees again. "It certainly played a hand in crossing our paths."

I swallow nervously. "Yeah, I—"

"You have some nerve!"

Before I have a chance to realise what is happening, Madeleine has swooped in from seemingly out of nowhere to intercept us with all the wrathful precision of a homing missile.

"Ow!" I hiss, feeling the ends of her manicured nails sink into my arm as she wrenches me off Christian like I'm some kind of plague.

"One would think you would be grateful to His Majesty for his benevolent generosity in elevating your previously non-existent status to that of a duchess," she spits with barely disguised contempt as she pulls me nose-to-nose with her.

"Get off me!" I grit, trying to shake her loose.

"Madeleine..." interjects Christian from behind me in a voice that I only heard him use once before... in the hallway at Ramsford when he realised that Drake had brought me back to Cordonia. "You overstep."

But the Countess of Fydelia seems to hear neither of us as she tightens her claw-like hold on me. "Yet instead, you repay him by not only by hijacking a royal event to serve your own shameless self-aggrandisement—"

I shake my head in disbelief. "Wait... Wh—?"

"—but then you have the unmitigated gall—"

"Madeleine," says Christian again, more forcefully this time. "That is enough."

But Madeleine is oblivious to the quiet threat suffused into the sound of her name, choosing to continue her tirade instead, "—to sneak off into the bushes with my fiancé in order to do God-knows-what when he should be—"

"I said, enough!" snaps Christian, coming suddenly between Madeleine and me with a face of thunder.

The force of his command is loud enough to cause a few heads on the edge of the lawn to turn curiously towards us.

Even Madeleine startles somewhat in response to the uncharacteristically vehement order. But not enough to let go of me.

"Can you not see what she is doing?" she demands indignantly as she turns to face Christian. "Or does she have you wrapped so tightly around her finger that you cannot even—?"

"How I choose to spend my time with the Duchess of Valtoria in private is of no concern to you, Countess," interjects Christian bluntly. "Or do I need to remind you of the conditions of our engagement?"

Madeleine's alabaster cheeks flush scarlet. "No..."

"Then I strongly suggest that you unhand Lady Harper, and ensure that this kind of juvenile outburst does not happen again."

Madeleine's eyes blaze with cold fury. But she relinquishes her hold on me, nevertheless. "My apologies, Duchess..." she snips, her voice dripping with insincerity.

I reach up to rub the spot where her nails had been on the verge of puncturing my skin.

Bitch...

Christian nods tersely in approval. "Now that that is sorted, I believe our guests are waiting. Lady Madeleine, if you'd be so kind..."

Madeleine takes his arm with a look that could've killed. "Of course, Your Majesty."

"Lady Harper," acknowledges Christian with a dip of his head as he starts to steer his seething fiancée away.

Knowing that all eyes are still on us, I drop into a quick curtesy as they walk past, on one hand grateful to Christian for shutting Madeleine down, but on the other hand wondering how badly we kicked into a nest of hornets in the process.

As it is clear that Madeleine is still raging with jealous insecurity... Perhaps even more so than she had been back at her manor when she cornered me in the bathroom. And the fact that — despite the massive diamond on her finger — I now technically outrank her is definitely not helping the situation!

So much for making allies at court…

Blowing a wayward strand of hair out of my face, I turn back towards the festivities…

…only to be greeted by a wall of judgemental eyes, and more than a few camera lenses.

"Great..." I mutter under my breath.

Whether catching me with Christian had been the genuine straw that snapped Madeleine's cool, or whether she deliberately fabricated the showdown to undermine the positive reactions I got from the press earlier, the end result is the same...

I'm going to be on the front page tomorrow. Again.

Exactly in what form, I have no idea. But I've been at court long enough now to know that the whole thing will be blown completely out of proportion, and the resulting story will generate even more press frenzy.

But if there’s one thing that Drake has taught me, it’s that I cannot allow myself to give the aristos the satisfaction of ever thinking that they’ve managed to squash me into the dirt. Because that would undermine the entire reason why I came back to court in the first place, and given how close we now are to claiming back the truth, it would be a massive and premature admission of defeat.

So, raising my chin defiantly, I make my way back across the lawn to rejoin the remainder of the Festival.

The story continues in Chapter 17 - News Flash

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(Less Than) Noble Intentions only (let me know if you want to be added!)

@thetruthisthatiloveyou @anakjaybon-blog

[masked-alien-lesbian]

Just a spontaneous commission of Hana Lee and my TRR mc (Raelyn) wedding snapshot done by the awesome @mrgabel. Thank you so much for the commission!

Introducing Valtoria's newest duchesses Mx. & Mrs. Lee!

[choicesholidays]

Fics of Christmas Past, a Throwback Event.

A December to Remember 2023. Master List of holiday throwback stories. Thanks to everyone who submitted!

Thanksgiving Throwbacks:

Thankful by @liaromancewriter OH

Thankful: A Bad Romance One-Shot by @angelasscribbles TRR

Thanksgiving in Valtoria Part 1 by @angelasscribbles TRR

Thanksgiving in Valtoria Part 2 by @angelasscribbles TRR

Just Getting Started by @liaromancewriter OH

Thanksgiving by @karahalloway TRR

Timeline Collapse by @aallotarenunelma ITLW/ILITW/ILB

Hanukkah Throwbacks:

Light and Hope by @storyofmychoices MoTY

Christmas Throwbacks:

Christmas Throwback Master List

New Year's Eve Throwbacks:

New Year's Eve in Valtoria by @angelasscribbles TRR

New Year, New Beginning by @trappedinfanfiction OH

New Year's Eve by @liaromancewriter OH

Holiday Edit Throwbacks:

This OH Edit by @liaromancewriter. Submitted by @jerzwriter

[thecapturedafrique]

TRR MC: Ally Romiere

Hello tri-state area Tumblr! In preparing to finally create a masterlist, I decide to first release the character page I made for my The Royal Romance character, Ally Romiere. A while back, I also did the Choices MC ask game for Ally and another MC which you can read here!

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Full Name: Alejandra Carmen Romero de Torres

Legal Name: Ally Romiere

In Greek: Αλεξάνδρα Κάρμεν Ρωμαίος από Πύργους (Alexándra Kármen Romaíos apó Pýrgous)

Nicknames: Ale (María), Cinderella (Olivia), ma moitié (Maxwell)

Noble Title: HM The Queen Consort Ally of Houses Romiere and Beaumont, Duchess of Valtoria, Champion of the Realm and Saviour of Cordonia, DCOS, RC

Charge and Colors: phoenix; gules and or (w/ blue celeste)

Epithet: the Undefeated

Age: 25

Date of Birth: August 18th, 1993

Place of Birth: Queens, NYC

Zodiac: Leo ♌️

Gender: Cis woman

Sexual Orientation: Bisexual

Pronouns: She/her

Enneagram: 2.3 (w1; Companion)

Encouraging and appreciative, able to see the good in others. Service is important, but takes care of self too: they are nurturing, generous, and giving—a truly loving person.

Height: 5'8"

Race/Ethnicity: Latina (Nahua) and Afro-Caribbean

Nationality: American (renounced) and Cordonian

Face Claim: Lindsey Morgan

Education: GED

Languages: Spanish, English, Greek (novice)

Favorite Color: red

Piercings: single lobe; often wears ear cuff on upper right

Tattoos: five-point crown behind left ear; familia quote with dragonflies on left side of rib cage

Partner: Liam Reese (husband)

Best Friend(s): Hana Lee and Maxwell

Family: María del Pilar† (abuelita), Leo Reese (brother-in-law), Regina and Constantine Reese (in-laws), Bartie Beaumont and Luca Karvelas (nephews), Bertrand Beaumont and Maxwell Beaumont (House members)

Character Notes

There is a reason why Ally legally changed her name, which will hopefully one day be explained within Silver Spoons

Maxwell’s nickname for Ally is French for “my [better] half” and is used platonically in the same sense as the English phrase “my partner in crime.” He starts using this for Ally during the investigation in TRR2 and it sticks

As the Champion of the Realm, Ally is a member of the Order of the Seven, which confers upon her the title of Dame Commander (DCOS); the other post-nominal letters (RC) refer to her position on the Royal Council

Ally’s enneagram is type Two, also known as “The Helper”: the caring, interpersonal type described as demonstrative, generous, people-pleasing, and possessive. She is a One-wing, who are generally more ambitious and outspoken than other type Twos, and her level 3 is the level of social value

Her parents were both Mexican immigrants with primarily Native ancestry aside for her father, whose mother María was an Afro-Dominican who moved to Mexico following the civil war in 1965

As part of becoming queen of another country, Ally had to renounce her American citizenship

The dragonflies on her tattoo represent the three family members she’s lost (both her parents and her grandmother María), and the quote translates to, “Where life begins and love never ends.”

[lizzybeth1986]

Tagging @choicesfandomappreciation for Day 3 of Choices Spread Kindness Event!

(Again...REALLY sorry for the lateness of this post!!)

I'm a huge huge fan of fanart...often art was what used to draw me the quickest to a book or character and make me more eager to play it! It was also a great way - like fanfic but differently - to incorporate things you wouldn't find so easily in canon. Here are some of my favourite artists!!

@sazanes - She is not only an incredible artist - she is also a ball of enthusiasm and great talent!! We first met when she sent me Hayden-focused asks after finding out we were both Hayden stans 😄 Her art is absolutely gorgeous and packed with so much fine detail. I still remember being amazed by her while running my first Hayden Young Appreciation Week - not only did she make an art piece for every day...she also ensured that if the character was customisable, she did an art piece each for each face (she did this both for Hayden and Liam). And given that some of those faces have less representation even though they're among the best faces (esp bl!Haydens and bl!Liam) I truly, truly appreciate her commitment to representing them. My favourite art work of hers is this beautiful poster of all the Haydens in kimonos, this beautiful picture of kid!Sloane and Kim, Liam helping the Heir plant her tree, Hana with a teasing mile and her signature hot chocolate, and of course this recent one of Kiara experiencing intense secondhand embarrassment 😄

@cassiopeiacorvus - There's an incredible style, attitude and verve about her work. She's done a depiction of every MC she's created thus far and I find them amazing coz she draws them with a body diversity that you won't often find in canon. Some of my favourite artworks of hers include a drawing of Xanthe and the ACoR MC in their "sexy red outfits", a reworking of Kiara's Costume Gala outfit (which is, btw, FAR BETTER than anything PB came up with for her), Jax and Lily with the BB MC and Leah and LH MC being a "black power couple" as Cassi put it 🤗

@toyhenoctus - I absolutely love their cute and vibrant comics, with cheeky and vibrant characters. Whether it's the gun-toting Siobhan or Effie who wants to declare her love for Aurora Emery to the world, it's always a treat to read them!!

@ohmyblues - She was a recent find, and I absolutely loved her Hana drawings! The first one I saw of hers featured Hana by the Valtoria lake, during the lantern festival, and the use of colours was so unbelievable and Hana looked so enigmatic in the picture. But I think my absolute favourite so far was the one they made of Hana at the piano. The texturing of the silver dress was so detailed and sublime, and her expression of being lost in the music was blissful to see.

@shazrystyles - Shaz is an absolute treasure! I've always loved her work but got to meet her personally when a friend bought a commission from her for me as a gift. Her artwork is so soft and delicate and so fun and fresh at the same time. My absolute favourites include this compilation of Hayden Young sketches, this supercute sketch of Zig performing ballet, this amazing one of Liam as a fencer and here is Hana and her MC on their wedding day 🥹

@burnwoods - Their art and style is so beautiful and interesting, and honestly they depict the characters in such a gorgeous, realistic way. I love the watercolor, stepped-right-out-of-a-painting quality of their work. My favourite was one of the entire cast of TRR/H, a picture of Rafael and the OH MC hugging and looking like the giddy reunited lovers that they are, and this cute picture of the entire ITB crew!

@they-callme-ami - Just the fact that they do such incredible art of black characters brings me so much joy 🥰🥰🥰 Here's their awesome commission page! I'm new to their art so I'm really excited to reblog them and have more people see them!!

@ellezelindraws - I absolutely love their drawings of Hana Lee (personal favourite is the one of Hana in a pink cheongsam) and their lovely cartoons of Hana and the MC as a married couple (like this one of the MC dreaming Hana might be bald, Hana gazing admiringly at a sleeping MC, and goth!Hana). They've done some other incredible art of wlw in particular as well, like Sabina, Annabelle, Ava and Kamilah. I can't wait to see more of their art!!

@danniseyebrows - They make incredible art of a lot of characters but the ones I am most familiar with are her TRR MCs (she has one each for each LI!) My favourite of the lot is her Hana MC Valerie, and one of my most enduringly favourite works of theirs is a depiction of the MC reacting to the dress that Hana made for her (in Shanghai) in a way that truly acknowledges these women as being in love with each other 💗

If any of their commissions are open, please do check them out and consider commissioning art from them...you definitely won't be disappointed!

[choicesficwriterscreations]

Throwback Fics #129

Open Heart

Baby It's Cold Outside | Tobias Carrick x F!MC - @jerzwriter

Here with Me | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @coffeeheartaddict2

Hottest Man Alive | Ethan Ramsey x M!MC - @dr-colossal-pita

Kokoleka Wela (Hot Chocolate) | Bryce Lahela; Keiki Lahela - @storyofmychoices

On the East Coast | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @potionsprefect

Still Into You | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @liaromancewriter

The Royal Romance

Cinnamon Spice | Unidentified Male character from TRR  x F!OC - @bebepac

Hinge: New Beginnings (Christmas in Valtoria) | Liam Rys x MC x Drake Walker - @angelasscribbles

A Winged Wish | Drake Walker x MC - @karahalloway

[bbrandy2002]

I posted 117 times in 2022

10 posts created (9%)

107 posts reblogged (91%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@ao719

@burnsoslow

@charlotteg234

@kingliam2019

@dcbbw

I tagged 23 of my posts in 2022

#queued - 9 posts

#the royal romance - 5 posts

#king liam - 5 posts

#liam x mc - 5 posts

#trr - 5 posts

#liam x riley - 5 posts

#bbrandy2002 - 3 posts

#fools rush in - 3 posts

#long post - 2 posts

#choices - 2 posts

Longest Tag: 35 characters

#who says we dont work in the summer

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Happy Sunday @charlotteg234

🥵 Enjoy!

13 notes - Posted April 10, 2022

#4

An Apology

Several months ago I accused someone of sending me a hate anon. I've thought about that ordeal from time to time, but even more so recently.

Being in a place in my life where Im not so stressed out anymore or disillusioned by every little thing, Im able to make rational thoughts and think things through a little clearer. Looking back at old messages with someone else, I have a pretty solid feeling I know who actually did send them and thankfully they're not around here any longer.

With that said, when Im wrong, I say Im wrong. And in that instance ... I was wrong. Even if I never said her name publicly, I would like to apologize to @queenrileyrose for my accusations and the hurt you experienced following that. I've already done so privately and the nature of that conversation will remain so.

I can't undo what happened, I can only try to make it right.

Here's to 2022 being about positivity and kindness. Again, my humblest apologies to QRR.

13 notes - Posted January 3, 2022

#3

Happy Birthday to ...me lol

I have to take a moment here to show off these two amazing commissions my bestie @burnsoslow and my great friend @ao719 had done for my birthday.

The first piece by Burns is from her ORDIV Ch 33 when Liam proposed to Riley in the gazebo at Valtoria where the had their first day 🥺🥺🥺

The second one is from Anitah, who used a scene from the fic Burns wrote for my birthday last year Heaven, Hell or Houston when Liam and Riley had met at the bar and when on this whirlwind date, kissing at every stop light 😍

Two of my favorite scenes captured so perfectly and it makes my heart swell so big.

Thank you both so much for these precious works that I will cherish and most likely stare at everyday for weeks to come. I love you both with all my heart and thank you for making another year of getting older a lot more bearable and for your friendship that I value so hard!

59 notes - Posted May 19, 2022

#2

Fools Rush In

Chapter 21

Book: TRR

Pairing: Liam x Riley

Series Premise: With two weeks before he is set to marry Madeleine, the guys throw Liam an impromptu bachelor party that results in him (and Drake) leaving Vegas with more than he bargained for.

Word count: 3900 -ish

Warning: Language

Soooo ... hey lol It's been a hot minute since I've written or posted anything (or just been around in general). Anyway, I came back to several messages asking about this chapter. I actually had 90% of it written back in October and just thought it was pure shit and gave up on it ... actually, I gave up on writing altogether. Having some time this week, I opened up the doc, rewrote some things, deleted out some stuff and finally managed to finish it. It's still not even close to what I wanted it to be, as it's the end of this arc, but I've decided to just have fun writing again. If there's anything Ive learned during my time away it's that none of us will ever write the perfect story, or use the perfect words, or have the most compelling characters and it's okay; I think I finally have accepted that. Just have fun doing it!

This concludes my TedTalk

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

“Doctor ... Wolfschitz?” a bewildered Alyssa questioned.

“That’s no damn doctor!” Drake bore his eyes into the former prince, who was already howling with laughter, dodging a pillow that whirled in his direction from Drake. “What the actual fuck is your problem, Leo?”

Leo clutched his side, trying to catch his breath. “The look on your face, man … I can't. I really had you going there for a minute didn’t I, Walker? Afraid you were about to lose that new pee-pee, huh?” He continued to laugh riotously at Drake’s expense before his gaze hastily shifted its attention toward Alyssa. “Why’d you blow my cover, thong girl?”

“Thong girl? Alyssa muttered, absentmindedly crossing her legs while attempting to hide the fact her face was quickly glowing bright pink. How’d he know I was wearing one?

“Why are you here, Leo?” Drake repeated as Leo casually strolled up to his bed and scooped up a chocolate pudding cup from Drake’s food tray. “And how in the sam hell did you even know I was in the hospital?

“Came with Liam,” he replied nonchalantly as he plopped his ass down on the end of the bed and peeled off the top of his pudding cup, licking the plastic wrap clean. “He’s down the hall with Riley right now. Seems my little brother is a prized stud after all … got that Rys sperm in him, ya know? Knocked her up real good yo. Hafta say … I’m impressed.”

“Knocked her up?” Alyssa gasped before stepping closer to him. “Hold up; Riley’s pregnant?”

Leo nodded and shoveled a giant heap of pudding into his mouth. “Yeah. I’m going to be an uncle again --” he eyed Drake’s plate contemplatively, “ -- You gonna eat the rest of that meatloaf, man?” Drake scowled and pushed his tray toward the hungry Prince.

Alyssa quickly put all the clues together. “So that’s why Riley was so sick earlier? She didn’t have a concussion, --” she smiled endearingly, “ -- she just had morning sickness. ... Well, is she okay? Is the baby okay? The fall didn’t hurt them, did it?”

Leo, concentrating on finishing the rest of that meatloaf, languidly shrugged. “I dunno.”

“Well, did they at least give her something safe for her back pain yet?” Alyssa probed further.

Leo shoved another large bite of meatloaf and again answered. “I dunno.”

“Oh my God! Do you know anything?” A frustrated Alyssa finally asked.

With a mouthful of food, Leo tilted his head back in deep thought and replied the best he could, “I know this meatloaf is fucking BOMB, dude. Not too shabby for hospital grub.” He swallowed heartily. “The pudding on the other hand … absolute shit.” He tapped the edge of the plastic container with his plastic spoon as he spoke to it, “Snack-Pak, you disappoint me.”

Desperate for an answer, Alyssa reached out and grasped Leo’s shirt, jerking him closer. “Fuck the snack-pak, Wolfshitz; what about Riley?”

“Riley? Oh, she never disappoints me …” Leo sideways glanced with a frown. “Liam on the other hand ...”

Stunned by this strange man’s erratic and seemingly unhinged behavior, Alyssa shot a wide-eyed glare at Drake, who just shook his head slowly. “Don’t try to make sense of him, Alyssa. Just don’t. You’ll never be able to figure him out.”

Needing to be reassured, Alyssa pulled a cell phone from her back pocket and started furiously shooting off a text to Riley. While her back was turned to the men, Drake couldn’t help but notice the way her ass hugged perfectly in those skinny jeans and soon realized his new body part had showed up in tandem with his sudden arousal. With Leo’s interest remaining focused on the damn meatloaf for the time being, Drake eased a hand under the white sheet covering him and felt around the area below his waist; his breath hitched with relief at the rock-solid bulge that had erupted. Feeling a little giddy that everything was working as it should, the euphoria soon subsided when he caught a glimpse of Leo’s saucy gaze on Alyssa.

Overcome with a strong sense of jealousy over the girl he’d just caught sneaking a peek at his naked self less than five minutes ago, Drake quietly urged through gritted teeth, “Stop looking at her like that, Leo! She’s not some conquest you can just sack for your sick playboy pleasures.”

“Says the guy who caught panty crickets from a $2 hooker and needed a dick transplant.” Leo retorted with a smirk. “Besides, father always said, ‘I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it.” He wagged his tongue in lust. “And I see that.” He motioned to Alyssa’s backside.

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73 notes - Posted April 7, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

First Comes Love

Chapter One

Book: The Royal Romance -Complete AU

Pairing:Liam x Riley/Liam x Madeleine (I promise Maddie’s nice here)

A/N: This will most likely be a mini-series; no more than 5 or 6 chapters.This is loosely based on a movie you might recognize but I’ve tried to make it my own. 

Series Premise: It's destiny when two people from different worlds meet. Riley is an up-and-coming wedding planner who finds herself tasked with planning the biggest wedding of her career, only to find out the man she fell for after a brief encounter in NYC is the groom ... and a king.

Trigger Warnings: There is a mention of suicidal ideation, but it’s not part of the plot. Some minor language.

Thank you @burnsoslow for pre-reading. All grammar errors are my own.

It’s been so long since I’ve started a new fic, I don’t even know if I have a taglist that isn’t filled with people who have left or hate me now; I guess I’m starting all over again. If you want tagged, let me know.

New York City

Liam zoned out 2.1 seconds after stepping inside a trendy office on the upper floors of a high-rise building in downtown Manhattan. The pale pink shades of the walls, decorative cushions, window scarfing, and gloss on the lips of his future bride, screamed out bottles of Pepto to the new King -- if only he had some to help with the unease in the pit of stomach.

That morning, a meeting with a highly renowned woman was on the agenda, discussing and presenting potential options for his upcoming nuptials, just weeks away. Even under normal circumstances, a wedding wasn’t exactly something that excited Liam. Not that he was never thrilled for the couple and wished them all the happiness in the world, it just held little importance in his day-to-day life. Weddings served as yet another reminder of what he wanted -- and what he couldn't have. 

It was amusing to Liam how he could hold so much power, yet wielded none of it for himself.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

The owner of this particular firm, Jill Gordon, had built quite the reputation as the elite among modern event design, planning, and production companies, with a specialty in weddings. The clientele included a long list of celebrities, politicians, affluent Manhattan debutantes, and occasionally acquired foreign business. The latter is how Madeleine first heard of The Jill Gordon Company while attending the French Ambassador's ceremony several months ago as a representative for Cordonia. With the last stop of their engagement tour in New York City, the future queen was eager to add a visit to her appointment book before they returned home and began the laborious task of planning the biggest wedding in Cordonian history.

Although the palace had more than their fair share of staff with experience hosting monumental events, such as balls, state dinners, and various celebrations, there hadn’t been a royal wedding there in over 20 years. Madeleine thought someone with experience handling grand-scale weddings with a sophisticated flair, who could share their vision and expertise with the staff and take charge of the arrangements, would guarantee everything went off without a hitch. 

The King simply went along to get along.

Madeleine and Liam sat across from Jill at her glass-top desk, where a single, lone laptop sat catty-corner on top. While the owner enthused and embellished her business to an attentive Madeleine, Liam focused on the assemblage of black-and-white portraits meticulously placed in neat rows along the wall behind the woman’s desk. It was no doubt a deliberate focal point to showcase the clients her agency had done work for in the past. Maybe others who had previously sat in the same chair he sat in at that moment were charmed with the love and joy captured in each of those images; the twinge in Liam’s heart wasn’t buying into it. 

After a lengthy social season and with a lot of pressure from his father and the council, he’d chosen Madeleine to become his queen. At first, he couldn’t stand her -- Hell, maybe he never could. She was pretentious, overbearing, cunning, and frequently insensitive. But somewhere between his coronation and the beginning of the tour, she changed almost as if overnight. At that first stop in Fydelia, he noticed a more relaxed, more thoughtful, and just easier to be around Madeleine. It’s possible she’d finally gotten the coveted prize she had obsessed over long before being dumped after Leo abdicated and could put aside some of that anxiety that brought out the worst in her. But to Liam, it seemed to be a little something more: either the Countess had come to her senses about her standoffish behavior, or maybe it was this new business venture Hana and Rashad talked her into, causing a distraction for the Countess. 

Whatever it was, was a welcome change. Liam had grown to respect her, find some common ground, and put away some of that overwhelming dread about spending the rest of his life with her. And while it was no secret between the two that there wasn’t more than friendly affection, duty made no exceptions when it came to their obligation. 

For both of them, that's precisely what this was. Now it was time to make the best of it and move forward.

Jill sat forward in her swivel chair with a warm smile. Her hands splayed on the glass top as she spoke in a refined tone. “I have the perfect person in mind to handle such an important wedding, as yours… that is if you choose to go with us.” Jill quickly added, not wanting to scare them off with too much pressure, too soon. She knew adding a royal wedding to her list would attract mass attention in the press and social circles for her business, which meant huge profits.

“Really?” Madeleine crowed, glancing over at Liam, who promptly brandished an over-enthused smile before she turned her attention back to Jill. “Tell us more about her.”

“Elaine has over twenty-three years of experience and is the best in this business, and has served most of our biggest named clients. She recently planned the President’s granddaughter’s wedding.” Jill boasted.

“I heard of that one …” Madeleine swooned before adding, “glamorous, yet sophisticated and classy, which is exactly what we’re looking for. Would she have time to meet with us now?”

Jill frowned. “I apologize, but she’s actually booked for the day, preparing for another wedding this evening. A busy lady that one is. Let me see what her calendar looks like.” She moved the mouse beside her laptop around and clicked a few times, pausing momentarily to scan the screen. “She’s free in the morning if you’re able to return then.”

Liam, who had been studying the glass wall that separated Jill’s office from the reception area and wondering why in the hell anyone would want to be watched while they worked, finally contributed to the discussion for the first time since walking in. “We’re actually leaving first thing in the morning.”

“Not until 9:30,” Madeleine hastily clarified. She continued cheerfully, “Tonight marks the official end of our engagement tour, and we’re wrapping up with a celebration in Midtown. We fly out tomorrow.”

“That's wonderful!" Jill replied. "Perhaps the two of you can stop in before your flight in the morning and meet Elaine personally and see if we can work out an agreement. I don’t think you’ll regret it,” she trilled, able to conceal the shameless desperation behind her words like a true professional. 

Well schooled in body language and tone, Liam smirked to himself, able to hear it anyway.

See the full post

119 notes - Posted January 2, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[trrvisuals]

Unbreakable: The Riley Campbell Chronicles

The Riley Campbell Chronicles consists of one mini-series, the Unbreakable Universe and the Unbreakable AU's.

I have so many visuals for this series! This was the story I came here to write. And I did. Then I started writing other stories and well, the rest is history lol.

Unbreakable is a series of connected stories that lead chronologically into each other. They are fairly canon compliant.

My Best Friends Girl (MBFG) is based on book one of the Royal Romance and is in first person from Drake’s point of view. It is canon compliant for the most part. The major difference is that Drake has an important function at the palace, he is not just a free-loading professional best friend. Some things take place “off page” (were not in the original story) but do not change the things that are “on page” (aka canon).  

Three Weeks in Ramsford (TWIR) Is based on the time period between book 1 and book 2 that Riley spent at the Beaumont estate. It is canon divergent in that Drake finds a way to make and stay in contact with her during this time period. Some of the events are changed slightly.

Complicated is the sequel to Three Weeks in Ramsford. This series explores the complicated emotions as Riley finds herself entangled in a love triangle, torn between Liam and Drake. It’s canon divergent in that it adds scenes that weren’t in the original (as well as some original characters) and develops the relationships more. The main events/timeline are the same.

Hinge is the fourth installment in the ongoing saga of Riley, Liam and Drake. This series explores the emotions and logistics as they enter into a “Cordonian Arrangement” and learn to navigate a polyamorous relationship.

The Proposal is a short miniseries and my very first foray into TRR fan fiction. Unbreakable was the (very) expanded version of this idea.

Next came the AU's for this universe. She's still Riley Beth Campbell, canon still mostly happened up until the end of book one, and their personalities are much the same.

My Best Friend's Girl Remix starts with an alternate ending to My Best Friend's Girl, namely that Drake went after her the night of the coronation, and continues their story.

Forbidden Passion finds her married to Liam, but unable to stay away from Drake.

Heir Apparent has her married to Drake, but pregnant as a result of the Vega's fling with Liam.

Yoga Pants takes place during Three Weeks in Ramsford. It happens during the hot yoga session and was written for the Drake's Tight Pants Anthology hosted by @drake-walker-appreciation

Complicated Couples was a little project that follows the other couples from Complicated, including all my OC's that I kept having to create and my cross-over couple from RoD.

These are all extras from Hinge:

Liam's ring (was his mothers)

Drake's ring (was his maternal grandmothers)

Coffee cups in the cabinet at Valtoria. Riley and Liam have an ongoing argument about who loves who more.

This one is from Riley to Liam

From Drake to Riley

From Riley to Drake

This is definitely Drake's

Christmas ornaments

[the-i-don-t-know-what-i-m-doing]

Fresh ___________

The Royal Romance AU

Liam x MC (Charlotte)

Words: 1689

Warnings: N/A

Summary:  Tariq was found two months too late.  Two months after Liam married Madeleine.  Charlotte Rose stayed in Cordonia, and took the opportunity to be the duchess of Valtoria.  Her relationship with Liam became nothing more than a professional relationship between a Duchess and the King.   Five years later, Liam has given up hope of ending his marriage to Madeleine, and the two of them are on the brink of meeting the country’s demands of an heir.  What is Liam willing to do for a fresh start?

_____________________________________________________________________

Chapter 1:  Done

“I’m not doing this anymore,”

The queen blinked.  “What?”  

King Liam of Cordonia sighed and removed the crown from his head, realizing that it probably wasn’t helping the overwhelming ache in his head.  He placed the headpiece on a nearby table and turned back to his queen. She stood there in her ballgown, her blonde hair still pinned back and tucked into her tiara.  She looked beautiful, every ounce like the perfect queen for the country.  The two of them had just returned to his study after a long evening at a charity ball. They were supposed to be sitting down to debrief and discuss what funding had been brought in by the event, much like they always did.  “I’m done.” He whispered.  

“What are you talking about, your majesty?”  She spoke through gritted teeth.  “Can you please just tell me what it is you that you are finished with?  Hurry up, I’m exhausted, we have a lot to discuss, and I need to get out of this dress because I can’t breathe.”  

Liam looked at the woman in front of him and the crown that sat on his desk before he sighed deeply again. He didn’t know how to tell her this. She was a good queen, truly made for this role.  She was organized, decisive, poised, and charismatic.  She provided exactly the type of support he had needed as a young monarch.  As much as he hated to admit it, the two of them worked well together.    

“Madeleine…”  There was a knock on the study door.  Bastian’s head appeared.  

“Duchess Olivia is here, your majesty.”  He announced.

“Thank you.”  Liam quietly spoke. Madeleine watched as the red headed duchess walked into the study, an annoyed look on her face.  “Thank you for coming, your grace.  I hadn’t expected you so soon.”

“Liam, it is 1:30 in the morning.  I was told that you needed to speak with me urgently.  Of course I came quickly.  What on Earth do you need me for?”  Olivia’s voice had its usual bite to it, but she looked exhausted.  

Madeleine’s eyes darted back and forth between Liam and Olivia.  She couldn’t tell what was happening.  She had never been good at reading Liam.  He was stoic as always, and had not given her an ounce of emotion to go off of since she’d entered the study. So many things were spinning through her mind as she stared at the man in front of her, trying to understand what he wanted to say. Why was Olivia here?  Why was Liam surprised she had come so quickly?  

“Liam were you finally able to divorce me?”  Madeleine asked before thinking.

She knew he didn’t love her. He had only married her because of the crown, and after six months of marriage he had tried everything in his power to end their marriage.  The counsel had told him that it couldn’t be done unless one of them had been unfaithful. Liam had stopped trying to fight it after that, and the two of them had fallen into a routine.  They were never romantic.  He didn’t ever try to woo her.  They lived in separate apartments within the palace, and she had never even seen his bedroom.  They had been married for five years and the counsel was pushing for them to produce an heir to the throne, so they had begun the process of IVF because sex was not an option.  

But maybe he had found a way, maybe the counsel had agreed to let them go their separate ways.  Had he decided to marry Olivia?  Madeleine looked at the red headed duchess, knowing that was probably not the case.  Liam had only ever had eyes for one woman, and she was not in the room.  So, what did Olivia’s presence mean?

“Duchess Olivia, Queen Madeleine…”  Liam began to speak, and Madeleine felt her heartrate quicken.  “Thank you both for being here.”  

“Save the formalities, Liam.”  Olivia sneered, rolling her eyes.  “You had me brought to your study after midnight.  This is not the time.  Get this done.”  

“Very well,” Liam nodded. “Shall we sit?”  The ladies nodded, and Liam sat down behind his desk. Madeleine and Olivia sat in front of him.  The king took in the scene in front of him and the finality of what he was about to do began to hit him. What he was about to say would change all three of their lives forever, not to mention the lives of every citizen in Cordonia. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately, and I’ve decided that I must make a change.”  He began speaking, and part of him thought he might change his mind in that moment.  He watched as Madeleine began wringing her hands and Olivia rolled her eyes.  He felt his heartrate quicken as adrenaline began pulsing through his body.  

“And what change would that be, your majesty?”  Olivia glared, feeling irritated with how long the king was taking to make his point.  What could possibly be so important that he’d had to put her and Madeleine in the same room so late at night?

“I’ve decided to abdicate the throne.”  Liam’s voice was calm, his face looked peaceful.  All the nerves he’d been feeling, all the anxious tension that had been building up in his body faded.  The two women in the room had very different reactions.  Liam watched as Olivia’s face turned as red as her hair, while Madeleine’s went completely pale.  

“You’ve decided to do what?”

“I’m going to be sick.”

“I am abdicating,” Liam said again.  “I am giving up the Crown.  I don’t want it anymore.”  

“You...don’t…want…it…any…more?”  Olivia spoke slowly through gritted teeth, her eyes were narrowed and Liam suddenly felt a small amount of fear.  

“Excuse me.” Madeleine ran out of the room, hand over her mouth.  Olivia and Liam sat in silence, Olivia glaring at Liam as they listened uncomfortably to Madeleine retching right outside the study door.  

“Are you insane?” Olivia hissed.  Liam shook his head, a solemn look covering his face.  Olivia let out an irritated laugh.  “Well then you must be dying.”  

“No.  I am simply taking advantage of my right to advocate.  I can’t do this anymore, Olivia.”  Liam shrugged.  He was trying not to show the relief that was filling him after finally telling someone about his plan.  This had been building up for years, and it was finally happening.  He was finally going to be free from this prison of a life.

“But, what about the Rys dynasty?”  Olivia raised an eyebrow, and Liam simply shrugged.

“It ends tonight.”  He shook his head.  “There is no one left in the family to take keep it going.”  

Olivia blinked at his heedlessness “And you don’t care?  Liam, your bloodline has been on the throne since the very beginning of our nation.  The people trust you, they need a leader.”  

Liam took a deep breath, unsure if Olivia knew why she was in the room.  “Do you know why I called you here tonight, Olivia?”  Before Olivia could answer, Madeleine burst into the room. Her coloring looked better, but her face still showed anxiety.  

“I’m sorry,” She said quietly.  Liam nodded, offering her a bottle of water.  She took it with a small smile.  Her eyes went to Olivia.  “Did you talk him out of it?”  

Oliva let out an exasperated sigh before covering her face with her hands.  “Liam, this is ridiculous.  You can’t just abandon your country and leave them with no leader…what is going on?”  

Madeleine’s eyes widened like she had an idea, but quickly narrowed again. This time anger filling them.  “If this is about that duchess…”  

“Madeleine, I can assure this has nothing to do with any duchess.  This is strictly my decision.  I am no longer happy with my role as king, and therefore I am stepping down. I have called an emergency council meeting at 7:00 tomorrow morning to make it official.  I’d suggest you begin packing your chambers.  We will have to leave the palace after I make my statement, which will be brief.  I will be asking for our marriage to be dissolved in the morning as well.  You will be free to live your own life.  I will expect your presence in the morning.”  Liam watched as a tear fell down Madeleine’s cheek.  

She stood up and nodded. “Yes, your majesty. I will be there.” She whispered as she walked toward the door.  

Liam watched her leave, and as soon as the door was shut he turned back to Olivia.  “What does Drake think about this?  

Liam shook his head.  “I haven’t told him,”  He responded quietly.  

“You haven’t told Drake that you’re abdicating?”  Olivia shook her head and smirked.  “That man is going to throw you a whisky party.”  The moment of humor was brief as Olivia suddenly realized that something wasn’t right.  “Wait, why did you tell me before you told Drake?”  

“Olivia,”  Liam braced himself for what was about to come.  

“Don’t you dare say what I think you’re about to say, Liam.  Don’t you do this to me.  You of all people cannot possibly do this to someone.”  Olivia’s eyes pleaded with him, but he would not relent.  He had prepared himself for this, knowing that it would be the hardest part.  Knowing exactly what was about to happen to Olivia.  

“Surely you already knew, Olivia.”  His voice did not waver.  He felt bad for what he was doing to her, because she was right.  He did know exactly what she would feel as soon as he stepped down in the morning.  “I know that you were well aware of what is to happen when there are no more members of the Rhys family to take the throne.”  

Olivia’s eyes filled with tears, and she choked out a sob.  Liam hadn’t seen her cry since she was a little girl missing her parents.  He watched the normally emotionless duchess process what was happening, her tears falling freely.  He reached for a box of tissues to give her, but she threw them back at him before quickly regaining her composure.  “I’m going to smack you.”  She sneered.  

“It’s no longer treason.” Liam grinned at his lifelong friend. “Plus, you have diplomatic immunity now…your majesty.”  

[playchoicesconfessions]

Sent by @living-in-an-alternate-universe

‘I love the MC’s duchy. I was fine with being Queen (had I chosen Liam), but I didn’t really want to be a duchess. But it’s so beautiful without being overly grand at the same time!!!! The lake, forest, and mountain combo is my dream. We also got to make a lot of choices that made it feel like a real home for Drake and my MC’

POST/CONFESSIONS DO NOT REFLECT THE MOD’S PERSONAL OPINIONS!

[angelasscribbles]

KLAW 2023 Relationships: Move Night in Valtoria

@kingliamappreciationweek

This is from my series Hinge, where Liam is in a V relationship with Riley as the hinge between Liam and Drake. This was from Troptember 2021. The prompt was: slice of life/domestic/found family. 

Pure fluff (the line about no one was drunk is a nod to my Cordonian Karaoke  series that all start with, "It was karaoke night in Cordonia. Everyone was drunk.")

[karahalloway]

I posted 1,327 times in 2022

That's 456 more posts than 2021!

115 posts created (9%)

1,212 posts reblogged (91%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@angelasscribbles

@aussiegurl1234

@harleybeaumont

@the-soot-sprite

@petiteboheme

I tagged 128 of my posts in 2022

#drake walker - 71 posts

#the royal romance - 69 posts

#drake x mc - 54 posts

#harper gale - 52 posts

#trr fanfic - 48 posts

#less than noble intentions - 35 posts

#choices fic writers creations - 31 posts

#kara halloway - 26 posts

#sleepless in new york - 20 posts

#uncommon attraction - 19 posts

Longest Tag: 51 characters

#denim shirt and biker jacket…what else do you need?

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

WHOOOO!!!

Just got a message from Tumblr support informing that my account has been restored and I am officially un-shadowbanned! (Apparently it was glitch at their end that was causing the problem... 😒)

But... it got sorted much quicker than last time, and I’ve got my account working properly again, so...

...PAAARTAY!

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65 notes - Posted February 16, 2022

#4

100 Followers!😧

OMG guys... 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

Thank you so, so, so much!

It seems like only yesterday that I hit the 50 followers milestone, and now to have 100 lovely people who thought that the stuff I post on my account is worthy of their attention is just...

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68 notes - Posted March 7, 2022

#3

TRR Round Robin - Part 9: Danger Zone

In the universe that The Royal Romance/Heir fan fiction inhabits, the people are represented by two not necessarily separate yet equally important groups: The Writers, who come up with these fantastical stories, and The Readers, who eagerly consume them. One writer, @sirbeepsalot, was struck with inspiration and came up with the idea of a round-robin story based on The Royal Romance/Heir.

This is that story.

What’s happened so far?

Liam and Olivia were plotting a plan which Leo interrupted; Queen Madeleine and King Liam are hiding at Drake’s cabin with Max, but Drake has disappeared with his motorbike bike while Max texted someone, who turned out to be Bertrand. Riley Brooks, Royal Communication Director, played her part for the King, by giving a press release with fake news of Queen’s miscarriage, but has unknowingly revealed the whereabouts of the King and Queen to Eirik. Leo shot Anton dead and fled away from the crime scene with his lover, Olivia, and the secret contents of the box. Barthelemy has extracted the whereabouts of the King and Queen’s location from Bertrand at the point of a gun. Leo and Olivia realise that Liam and Madeleine are not at Valtoria and Drake has found a note.

Catch up here.

Book: The Royal Romance/Heir

Pairings: Liam x Madeleine, Riley x Drake (sorry... not sorry! I’m an unabashed Drake stan so... 🙃)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Swearing, kidnapping, torture

Word count: 1,000. On. The. Dot.

I am participating in @wackydrabbles with this post. The week 135 prompt is “Why did I let you talk me into this?” and will appear in bold below. 

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68 notes - Posted February 24, 2022

#2

Sleepless in New York: Chapter 4 - Showtime, Baby!

Series: TRR

Pairing: Drake Walker x OC (Harper Gale)

Rights belong to Pixelberry, most characters and some dialogue belong to them.

Synopsis: This is a short-story series written from Drake’s POV that explores an AU where Drake meets Harper (my OC from (Un)Common Attraction) by himself before the boys come to the bar on the last night of Christian’s bachelor party.

Masterlist: Sleepless in New York

Chapter Summary: The sparks fly (in more ways than one!) as Drake faces off against Harper...

Word Count: 6,700

Rating/Warnings: M (swearing, sexual tension, Drake going all out - change of panties advisable 😆)

Chapter theme song:

Also available on Wattpad

Chapter 4 - Showtime, Baby!

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75 notes - Posted January 17, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

(Un)Common Attraction: Dive into the Deep End Comic

The amazingly talented @blueberryarts18 has done it again! 🤗 She created a jaw-dropping comic that brings to life a pivotal moment from (Un)Common Attraction - Harper and Drake’s first kiss! 

I literally have no words... 😭 Every time she sent me a WIP of this comic, I squeed, loving watching the scenes come to life with more and more detail, until she sent me through the final, finished work and I was honestly rendered speechless...! It is a thousand times better than I had imagined it in my head - the colours, the facial expressions, the emotion in each panel... It’s seriously as if she looked in my head and saw what I saw when I wrote the scene... 🤯

Extract of accompanying scene below the cut.

Extract from Chapter 21: Dive into the Deep End

Warnings: Swearing, minor smutty moment, major angst

"Now there's a million-dollar view if ever I saw one," I remark, taking in the beautiful vista.

"Worth the climb, isn't it?" murmurs Drake, leaning against the wall.

"Definitely! You get a workout and a view! What more can you ask for?"

Drake glances at me briefly before looking back out over the water. "We should start heading back before they send out a search party."

"Back the way we came, I'm guessing?"

"Or you could jump."

I stare at him in disbelief. "You're joking... That's a 30 foot drop at least!"

"Don't chicken out on me now, Gale," he replies with a cocky grin, edging backwards.

In the next instant, he becomes a blur of motion as he dashes forward and leaping into the air, throws himself off the cliff. I gasp as he twists into a forward flip before straightening out and diving expertly into the water below.

"Holy shit..." I breathe as I watch him resurface a couple of seconds later to let out a loud whoop of exultation.

"You comin' or not?" he calls, treading water as he looks up at me.

I gulp nervously as I stare down at him.

While I really did not want to jump, the alternative was to try and make my way back down the way we had come... And unfortunately, without Drake's help, that option would most likely result in a sprained ankle, if not something worse.

So, despite every instinct in my body screaming at me not to do it, I back up as far as I can go. Closing my eyes, I heave several deep breaths to try and calm my thundering heart. Then, pushing my self-preservation instincts aside, I rush forward and throw myself over the edge.

My mouth opens to emit a terrified shriek as I flail my arms and legs in a vain attempt to slow myself down, before I remember that I need to straighten up to avoid seriously hurting myself when I hit the water.

Lifting my arms above my head, I press my legs together and point my toes just before I cut through the cool water like a knife. With my lungs crying out for air, I kick back up, taking a ragged breath as I break through the surface.

"Oh. My. God!" I exclaim breathlessly, every inch of me tingling from the sudden rush of adrenaline. "That... That was..."

"Pretty intense, huh?" grins Drake. "Though in all the excitement, you seem to have dropped something."

I gasp in horror as he holds up my bikini top with one finger.

"Give that back!" I cry, lunging towards him.

How the hell did I manage to end up basically naked with both Christian and Drake just days apart?!

"Or what?" he taunts with a wicked grin, swivelling easily out of the way.

"I'll...I'll..." I flounder. "Oh, I don't know! But if you don't give it back, this instant, I swear you'll regret it, Walker!"

"I'll take my chances."

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76 notes - Posted May 14, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[ohmyblues]

I miss my wife so I made a quick drawing about her in Valtoria, because why not.

I got lazy with the outfit, don't judge me

Enjoy!

(tap for better quality, Tumblr hates me lmao)

[rysandraines]

The Royal Romance: 

↳ ❝Traditonally, lanterns represent two things. A wish, yes, but often the desire to let something go as well.❞

[thecapturedafrique]

KLAW: Day 4 Post—Childhood/Family

It’s @kingliamappreciationweek’s last day for submissions, and I wanted to share some head canons I’ve developed for my TRR MC Ally and Liam’s three kids. Tagging the amazing hosts @lizzybeth1986 and @sazanes!

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Face Claim: Issa Lish

Full Name: Regina Adriani Hongyao Romero de Torres Reese

Noble Title: HRH The Princess Regina of House Reese, Princess of Neso, Duchess of Faryll, Countess of Applewood

Named after her yayá Queen Mother Regina (whose disposition she also shares), Adriani goes by her middle name, though most call her Adri for short

She’s named in Chinese for her late grandmother Eleanor’s favorite flower, as her name 红药 (Hóngyào) means “flower of the Chinese peony”

A model for her godmother Hana’s charity fashion shows part-time, in the fashion world she is known as “the Princess of Poise” for her svelte figure

The definition of a horse girl, Adri is an accomplished equestrian and champion polo player, which has earned her the epithet of “the Centauride”

Bertrand is the favorite of all her uncles and aunts both surrogate and biological, which is helped by Bartie being her best friend

Adri is left-handed and plays the violin, and she often finds herself at odds with her little sister as she winds up playing the Liam to the other’s Leo

Raised by a bisexual mother in a very open environment, she never had to formally come out as a lesbian; rather, she simply demonstrated an attraction to girls—and only girls—from a young age

A total daddy’s girl as well, Adri’s greatest fear is not measuring up to her father as a sovereign

Face Claim: Sebastian Castro

Full Name: Diego Alexander Hongguang Romero de Torres Reese

Noble Title: HRH The Prince Diego of House Reese, Duke of Ennan, Earl of Limáni

Diego’s named after his late maternal grandfather, and in Chinese his name 红光 (Hóngguāng) means “ruddy glow”

His favorite sport is football, and he plays midfield; in fact, he made it into his grandmother Eleanor’s alma mater on a sports scholarship

Of the three royal children, Diego is the one considered the press darling, having won them over with his genuineness and goofball antiques

His godmother taught him how to play the piano, and she is also the favorite of all his aunts and uncles

After coming out as aroace as a teenager, Diego was given the title Duke of Ennan after graduating college rather than upon his marriage as tradition dictates

He’s a mama’s boy and closer to his younger sister than his older one

At 5’7”, Diego is considered a short king, which along with his temperament earned him the epithet of “The Little Prince”

Of all his siblings, he is the best at speaking the multiple languages of their household, which include Greek, Spanish, Sabir, and Putonghua

Face Claim: Jessica Sanchez

Full Name: María-Eleonora Hongyue Romero de Torres Reese

Noble Title: HRH The Princess María-Eleonora of Valtoria

Named after her late maternal great-grandmother and late paternal grandmother, she goes by Nora for short

Her generation name is 红 (Hóng) like the rest of her siblings, and her name 红月 (Hóngyuè) in Chinese means “red moon”

As third in line to the throne, Nora is set to inherit Valtoria from her mother, and thus shares her charge (the phoenix) and colors (gules and or)

She’s the lead guitarist and singer for her own band, Spoiled Barrel, which was formed while she was in lyceum

The night before her cotillion, Nora cut her hair short and dyed it pink, and she keeps it in that style but experiments with various shades

She’s skilled in embroidery and has a passion for fashion like her godmother, having designed most of her personal wardrobe

Even with her penchant for rebellious and impulsive behavior, Liam often says that Nora of all his children reminds him most of his mother

Leo is Nora’s favorite among her many aunts and uncles because he’s one of the only who won’t take her parents’ side when it comes to her acting out