#trr liam x oc
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Best Kept Secrets
Best Kept Secrets - Maybe We’ll Get It Right (Chapter 18)
Characters belong to Pixelberry.
Summary: An unforeseen encounter with the past proves that even the best-kept secrets eventually make their way into the light.
Title inspiration: Hold On Tight - Forest Blakk
Book/Pairing: TRR; Liam x F!OC
A/N: Thank you to @burnsoslow for prereading most of this. Please excuse any errors.
Rating: M • Warning: This series will contain NSFW material. If you read, you acknowledge you are 18+
Catch up here
Standing in her bedroom inside the north wing, Amara stared at her reflection in the floor-length mirror. She scanned over her outfit before meeting her own anxious gaze; she took in a deep breath and slowly let it out, trying to settle her nerves.
Today would be Amara’s and Liam’s first public outing with Sophia since the statement had been given. It would be the first time the press would not only catch a glimpse of the heir but see the three of them together … as a family. She knew that the purpose behind the outing was to show the public that their King had moved beyond her betrayal and that they were putting the past behind them for the sake of their child. It was all in hopes of shifting the negative attention she was receiving and showing her in a more favorable light.
Amara was nervous, however. One would think she would find this to be fairly simple; working the press to change public perception was literally her job, but it was much different being the one whose image you’re trying to change their perception of. She wouldn’t be working her PR magic behind the scenes because she was the one under the microscope. She knew her every move was going to be picked apart, questioned, and, at times, manipulated to fit whatever narrative they were attempting to paint of her. Whatever they felt was going to sell a story was what they were going to try and sell, truth or not.
Despite knowing this was something they needed to try, Amara had second-guessed the decision since Daniel suggested it; they’d given themselves an extra week behind the palace walls to prepare, but she felt anything but because she couldn’t get out of her own head. She didn’t want her presence during these planned outings to make things even more difficult for Liam than she’d already made them.
However, when Amara subtly brought up the concern, Liam didn’t seem all too phased. They planned to spend the day on the private beach, and he reminded her that while, yes, the press was sure to be camped out nearby, they would still be far enough away so they’d be able to enjoy their day together with Sophia and that he was looking forward to spending the day out … with both of them. He seemed to be treating it as both a casual and normal outing and not one that was planned with a purpose.
Amara wasn’t reading too much into what he’d said, however, seeing his words for exactly what they were. She knew it was nothing more than his way of trying to make her feel more relaxed because he could sense that she was on edge about it. To think he meant anything beyond that was pointless. Despite her feelings for him, she’d forced herself to face reality over the last month and a half, a reality where she knew that any chance she might have had at continuing to rekindle things between them was long gone. After what she’d done, he’d never give her a second chance, and she didn’t deserve one. Her feelings for him didn’t matter and didn’t mean anything to anyone but her, so she shoved them into a box and pushed any notion of them being anything more than co-parents as far down as she could. It hurt, of course, but it was the consequences of her actions. And she’d suffer in silence because she wasn’t going to let those feelings get in the way of his and Sophia’s relationship.
A knock on the door pulled Amara’s attention, and she gave herself one last glance in the mirror before turning and exiting her bedroom. When she opened the door, she smiled at Sophia, who was giving her signature toothy grin.
“Mama!”
“Hi, baby,” Amara chuckled as she took her from Liam’s arms when she leaned over to her. She kissed her cheek as she ran her hand over her head of blonde hair.
“Morning,” Liam said.
Amara offered him a tentative smile. “Morning.” She stepped aside to let him in, closing the door behind her. “I have her stuff ready. I’ll just go get her changed real quick.”
Liam nodded and watched the two of them disappear down the hall, listening to Sophia babble and Amara laugh, smiling as he sat down in the living area to wait. He drummed his fingers against his thighs, wondering what the day was going to bring.
They would be spending the day at the private beach, and while he knew it would be accessible to the press, it would keep them far enough away so they wouldn’t be too overbearing. They couldn’t go out in public and make it obvious that they were putting on a show for the cameras.
Truthfully … it wasn’t about the cameras for Liam nor was it a show. Yes, he was doing this as a way to hopefully shift the narrative surrounding Amara, and he was looking forward to finally taking Sophia beyond the palace walls, but it was more than that for him. He wanted to spend the day out with Amara, too.
Over the last month and a half since everything had happened, one of the things he struggled with most was his feelings for Amara. At first, those feelings were suffocated by anger and resentment, but once he forced himself to let go of those emotions for the sake of moving forward, they came back tenfold. Now that he’d been spending every day with her the past two weeks, practically playing house inside the palace with her and Sophia … the three of them, together, as a family … everything he felt before seemed amplified. His feelings began to consume him, and he wasn’t sure how much longer he’d be able to continue to shove them aside. And maybe he shouldn’t. He’d been trying to do what was best for Sophia, but perhaps what was best for her was the very thing he’d been trying to ignore.
Liam had a couple of reservations, however, and they seemed to be the one thing holding him back.
The first reservation was trust. No matter which way Liam looked at the situation, he’d been betrayed. Did he now understand the place in which Amara was coming from? A little. He’d allowed himself to see things from her perspective, and he understood her headspace at the time. It didn’t change the fact that he was still lied to and kept in the dark about something as important as the existence of his child. Were there other secrets she was keeping? He didn’t know. And he didn’t know if he could trust her to not keep more in the future.
The second reservation was fear. Twice now Liam had tried to make things work between them, and he was left broken both times. They say the third time’s the charm, but this was something that now went beyond just him. If they tried again and they failed a third time, not only would it affect him but Sophia as well. He and Amara had a knack for being unable to get their stars to align. Could he really risk Sophia being collateral damage in a game he wasn’t sure he would ever win?
“Dada!”
Sophia’s squeal pulled Liam from his thoughts. He glanced over and a laugh bubbled out of him at the sight of her toddling towards him in a white cover-up that concealed her bright pink bathing suit, tiny aviators, and a floppy white sun hat. “Look at you looking like a little beachy princess,” he chuckled as he scooped her into his arms. “Are you ready for our day at the beach?” Sophia nodded with a clap of her hands. “Is mommy ready?”
They both looked at Amara at the same time, and she forced a smile. “I’m ready.”
****
When Bastien pulled into the private parking lot of the beach, Amara turned her face away from the window, shielding her eyes from the flashes of the cameras. The press had been camped outside of the gate when they left the palace and had followed them. Having spent so much time tracking the royal family’s movements, it didn’t take them long to realize where they were headed; they raced ahead so they were there waiting when they arrived.
When Liam exited the vehicle, the press, who were contained behind another gate where two more guards stood to ensure they didn’t cross, began shouting his name. He turned and tossed his hand up in a wave as they snapped photos before turning back toward the vehicle.
Liam met Amara’s gaze as she finished unbuckling Sophia from her car seat. “Here we go …”
Liam lifted Sophia from her seat and into the safety of his arms, and when he pulled her from the vehicle, the frenzy ensued. The press shouted louder as the shutters from their cameras went off. Sophia turned her head toward the clamor as her grip on his shirt tightened. “It’s ok, little love,” he whispered.
Occupied by their first glimpses of the princess, the press almost missed the moment Amara came into view. Almost. The moment they noticed her, more shouts ensued as their cameras continued to snap photos.
“Why is she with you, King Liam?”
“Anything to say about your betrayal to the King, Ms. Onasis?”
“Will she be leaving Cordonia soon?”
“Will the Princess be staying?”
Amara turned so her back was toward them and inhaled a deep breath. She felt Liam’s hand on her shoulder a moment later and looked up at him; he gestured toward the path that led to the beach and she nodded before starting toward it.
Once down on the beach, Amara set the bag she’d packed beside one of the chairs that were set up beneath an umbrella. She glanced around, taking in the silence, feeling a little more at ease, but only for a moment before she saw the press hurrying toward the edge of the barrier. The guards were already in place, ensuring they stayed on the other side, and they were far enough away where they wouldn’t be a bother, but just knowing they were there at all had her right back on edge.
“Did you hear me?”
Amara snapped her gaze to Liam. “No. I’m sorry … what did you say?”
“Sunscreen?” Liam pointed to Sophia.
“Yeah.” Amara shook her head and crouched down next to the bag, pulling out the sunscreen she’d packed for her.
Liam set Sophia down on the chair, and Amara removed her tiny cover-up before smothering her in sunscreen. Once she was finished, she stood and turned to see a now shirtless Liam setting up the toys he’d brought on the massive beach blanket that was laid out for them; he’d slipped inside the tent just behind their chairs to change. She turned away from him and closed her eyes; between the press and him, her mind was jumbled.
“Ready?” Liam’s voice sounded from behind her, and she turned, but he was speaking to Sophia. He scooped her up and set her on the edge of the blanket so she could reach the sand before laying on his side next to her.
Amara stood and stared at the two of them as they played. Then her gaze flickered to the edge of the beach where the press remained, continuing to snap photos. She couldn’t help but wonder what story they were going to try and spin from this.
“Are you going to join us?” Liam asked.
Amara looked back at him. “Uh … yeah.” She kicked off her flip-flops before reaching down and grabbing the hem of her cover-up to remove it but froze as her eyes lifted to the press again. She casually brushed her hand against the fabric of the cover-up as she moved toward the blanket and sat down on the other side of Sophia.
Liam looked up at her, squinting against the bright sun. “Did you not bring a suit?” he asked, gesturing to her cover-up that was still on.
“I’m … I’m fine right now,” Amara lied as she looked out at the water. She wasn’t fine.
Under the heat of the Mediterranean sun and the watchful eyes of the press, Amara was hot and flustered … but she didn’t want to take off the cover-up, afraid of what story the press would spin from it. Would they say she was trying to seduce him into forgiveness by flouncing around in a bikini? Would they criticize her for said bikini because she was the mother of the heir and not setting the example they thought she should? Hell, she was afraid to even look at Liam for a second too long, knowing what type of story one photo of that could paint.
Liam stared at Amara as she gazed out at the water. He knew something was bothering her and he didn’t have to ask what it was. She’d been on edge the past week since they planned this first outing, and when he saw her this morning, he knew she hadn’t eased up. It was easy for him to ignore the presence of the press because he’d grown up with it and learned to drown them out a long time ago. Amara, however, wasn’t used to being on this side of things. On top of that, she was consumed by how her presence would rub off on him and Sophia and worried what stories would be in the papers the next morning. Because of that, she was being careful. Too careful, considering she wouldn’t even remove her cover-up.
“Amara,” Liam said, and she glanced at him. “Relax.”
“I am relaxed.”
Liam snorted. “No, you’re not.” She dropped his gaze and bit her lip self-consciously. “Hey, look at me,” he whispered, but she shook her head. “Look at me.” She hesitated another moment before glancing up. “Don’t pay them any mind. It’s just you and me here, ok? Just us.”
Amara held his gaze. He knew exactly what was running through her mind without her having to say a word. And she felt the sincerity behind his words from the way he looked at her. But she needed to defuse the situation before her stupid heart took any of it to mean something more than it really did. “And Soph,” she quipped.
“Yes,” Liam shook his head with a small smile. “But you know what I meant.” With Sophia occupied with filling her bucket full of sand one small scoop at a time, he laid on his back, tucking his arms under his head as he closed his eyes. “Take off the damn cover-up and enjoy yourself.”
Liam heard her let out a quiet chuckle, and after another beat of silence, he could hear the quiet shift of the fabric against her skin. He opened one eye and inconspicuously slid it in her direction; his chest tightened at the sight of her body in the navy blue bikini before he quickly snapped the eye shut.
****
That night, Liam and Amara put Sophia to bed inside her room in the north wing. They’d spent the entire day at the beach, playing in the water and lounging on the shore. Once they returned to the palace, she’d taken a bath, and barely made it through dinner before she passed out in Liam’s arms.
The press had watched them the entire day, but Amara took Liam’s advice and ignored them as best as she could. She knew she had to come to terms with the fact that they were going to write what they wanted and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it except suck it up and deal with it.
They quietly shut Sophia’s door behind them before creeping down the hall, stopping in front of the living area. “She racked out,” Liam quietly chuckled.
Amara smiled as she leaned against the entryway, crossing her arms and tucking her hands beneath them. “She had fun today.”
“Minus the evil wave,” Liam quietly laughed.
Amara jutted her lip out in a pout before bowing her head and covering her mouth with her hand to contain her laugh at the memory of the wave that washed away the sandcastle they’d helped Sophia build. She was not happy, and her extreme meltdown over the loss was when they knew it was probably time to pack it up and leave.
“I thought she was going to try and kick that wave’s ass,” Liam chuckled.
Amara snorted against her palm before looking back up at him, and when she did, a strand of her hair caught on her eyelashes. Instinctively, Liam reached up to brush it away.
The air suddenly felt very thick as they stared at each other and both their smiles slowly faded.
Snapping from his momentary daze, Liam quickly dropped his hand. “Uh … sorry. You had — your hair, I mean … it was …” He trailed off and blew out a breath.
Amara continued to stare at him, feeling a bit bemused as her heart and mind argued over what just happened and what it meant. Nothing, she told herself. It was nothing. “Yeah … uh, thanks.”
“Well … I should probably …” Liam gestured over his shoulder to the door. “I have sand in places where there shouldn’t be sand and need to shower,” he chuckled, earning a laugh from her. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Yeah. I’ll let you know when she’s up so we can meet for breakfast.”
“Sounds good.”
Liam leaned down and kissed her cheek, letting it linger a heartbeat longer than normal before he drew back; he met her gaze for a split second before he turned and opened the door, quickly disappearing into the hall.
*******
Sitting inside his study, Liam read over an article from Trend magazine, detailing his and Amara’s outing over the past weekend in Applewood; he was needed there to go over a proposal to expand the orchids and invited Amara to bring Sophia. The article had several photos printed beside it, each one from a distance; a few of him and Sophia as they walked through the orchids, some of just her, and a few of the three of them together.
It had been nearly a month since that first outing at the beach, and the many they had after seemed to be doing the job they were intended to do. Most of the press — Trend being one — had done exactly what Daniel had said and followed his lead, looking beyond the past and focusing on the here and now. A few remained skeptical, however, questioning Amara’s motives for remaining in Cordonia and her intentions going forward. They didn’t know that she’d already decided to stay because he had yet to make a public statement. He knew he would need to make one soon, though; he’d spoken to Daniel, who told him the next step would be for the people to hear directly from him since they hadn’t at all since Sophia’s existence had been made public nearly two months ago.
Liam was happy to know that things with the press were starting to settle down. What wasn’t settling down were his feelings for Amara. Each night after they would put Sophia to bed, the length of time they lingered behind got longer. They went from a few moments of simple conversation to now talking over drinks or a late-night snack about their day and making plans for the next. They had gotten closer and had fallen back into a place where things didn’t feel so tense.
It was comfortable.
It was familiar.
Every day they spent together chipped away at those reservations Liam had and drew out his feelings even more. And every day he came closer and closer to throwing caution to the wind and taking that leap.
Hearing a knock on his study door, Liam called for them to enter; when it opened, he lifted his gaze from the magazine article just as Amara stepped inside with Sophia.
“Dada!”
“Hi, little love,” Liam grinned as he stood and walked around his desk; he crouched down as she toddled toward him and he scooped her into his arms, smothering a mix of playful kisses and raspberries against her cheeks as she giggled.
“Hope we’re not interrupting anything,” Amara said.
Liam situated Sophia on his hip. “Not at all,” he replied before leaning forward to kiss her cheek; his hand brushed down the length of her arm as he drew back. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“I wanted to come talk to you.”
“About?”
“I’m going to have to make a trip to New York.”
Liam looked at her. “Oh?”
“My lease is up at the end of the month,” Amara explained. “I’ve been putting it off, hoping to have found a place beforehand, but that hasn’t happened yet.”
Despite the surprise her words gave him, Liam kept his expression impassive. “I hadn’t realized you’d been looking.”
“Well, I haven’t … not really, I mean. I’ve perused some listings, but I’m still weighing my options between renting or buying and haven’t made a decision yet. But I can’t put off packing up my apartment any longer since I only have a couple of weeks. And I’ll have to clear out my office space as well.”
Liam nodded. “Ok. Are you thinking this weekend, or …?”
“I wanted to check with you first,” Amara said. “I didn’t know if you had anything going on, and I figured you’d want Soph to stay here with you.”
Liam thought for a moment as he glanced at Sophia; he scrunched his nose with a smile when she offered him one of her toothy grins. “How about we go together?”
Amara’s brows rose in surprise. “You … you want to go?”
“Sure,” Liam shrugged as he looked back at her. “Let Imogen know, and we can leave Friday and take the weekend … get it all done in one shot so you don’t have to worry about going back for anything. There’s plenty of room on the jet to store whatever you need to bring back with you.”
Amara stared at him for a moment. “If you’re sure …”
“I am,” Liam smiled. “I’ll have Bastien make arrangements.”
*******
A few mornings later, the SUV pulled up on the tarmac, stopping alongside the waiting jet. Liam glanced out the window at the press that were huddled together on the other side of a barrier.
“How did they know we would be here?” Amara asked.
Liam sighed with a shrug. “They always manage to find things out one way or another.” He looked over to where she sat on the other side of Sophia’s car seat. “Get her on the jet. I’ll handle them.”
Amara nodded and unbuckled Sophia’s straps before lifting her out of the seat. A guard opened the door and she and Imogen slid out; she ignored the volley of shouted questions from the press as she carried Sophia up the stairs and disappeared inside the jet.
“Sir?” Bastien said from the driver’s seat.
Liam looked up, meeting his gaze in the rearview mirror as the other two guards took their luggage and Sophia’s car seat to the jet. “I’ll talk to them.”
Bastien nodded before getting out and opening Liam’s door. When the King came into view, the press shouted at him; he was a picture of calm as he buttoned his suit jacket and made his way toward the crowd.
“King Liam, where are you headed?” Donnie Brine from the CBC asked as Liam neared.
“I’ll be in New York for a few days,” Liam answered.
Another slew of shouted questions ensued, and they were all asking the same thing in various ways: is Amara leaving with Sophia? Thinking back on his several conversations with Daniel over the past couple of weeks, and knowing he could use this as an opportunity to put any more doubts about her intentions to rest, he decided to be transparent.
Liam held up his hand to quiet them, and once he had their attention, he cleared his throat. “We’re headed to New York for the weekend to pack up Ms. Onasis’ belongings as she will be staying in Cordonia permanently so that I may continue to maintain a relationship with our daughter.”
More questions were immediately volleyed, but one in particular had caught his attention.
“Are you concerned she’ll try to leave again with the princess?”
Liam sighed, knowing they were referring to what was mentioned in Daniel’s statement. “The circumstances surrounding Ms. Onasis trying to leave in the past were entirely different.”
“Can you elaborate?” a reporter asked, holding their recorder out in front of him.
Transparency, he reminded himself. “Ms. Onasis had been spooked by the betrothal aspect of the alliance that Auvernal had been pushing for. When she learned of the blackmail threat, she became frightened of what that meant for our daughter, and in a moment of panic, yes, she tried to leave. But as a mother, she was trying to protect her child … and that’s not something I can or will fault her for. As for the move … she’s uprooting her entire life to ensure that the princess and I stay together, and I’m extremely grateful that she’s so willing to do that.”
The reporters stared at Liam in a bout of awed silence, and a heartbeat later, they were shouting more questions.
“Will they be staying with you at the palace?”
“What’s the status of your relationship with Ms. Onasis?”
“Are you rekindling your romance?”
They’d changed their tune so fast, it gave Liam whiplash. He let out a breath, feeling a bit lighter, but decided he wasn’t answering any more questions. He didn’t really have the answers at the moment anyway. He threw his hand up in a wave before turning and heading towards the jet.
****
After the long flight and traffic-jammed ride from the airport, Liam and Amara arrived at their hotel in New York that afternoon; they’d planned to arrive early enough to leave them time for Sophia to hopefully nap off the jet lag.
Once Sophia was asleep in the guest room of the suite, Liam sent Imogen to her own room that was situated across the hall to rest. He plopped onto the sofa in the living area while Amara stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, taking in the view.
“Have you missed it?” Liam asked.
Amara shrugged. “Certain things, like pizza and breakfast bagels, yes,” she chuckled. “But other than that … not particularly, no.”
Liam stood and came next to her. “Where’s your apartment from here?”
“About 15 minutes that way,” Amara pointed. “It’s in Tribeca.” They were at the Millennium in lower Manhattan. “And my office is only a block from there.”
“Have you made any decisions regarding your company and what you plan to do?”
“Not yet,” Amara shook her head. “We’re on a bit of a pause at the moment until I figure things out. Daniel hasn’t decided whether he’s staying yet, but with both Riley and I now there and him not having anything tying him down here …” She shrugged. “But I could still run the company from there and set up an office … or I could sell it …”
“You’d really consider selling it?”
“If that’s what needs to be done … yes,” Amara answered. And I know a couple of competitors that would probably be more than willing to take it off my hands.”
Liam leaned against the window frame as he crossed his arms over his broad chest. “You seem pretty content for someone giving up so much of themself on a whim.”
Amara looked back out the window. “I wouldn’t say it’s on a whim.”
Liam’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“I mean …” Amara paused, taking in a breath and slowly letting it out. “I mean that all of this was stuff I’ve thought about from the moment I found out I was pregnant.” She tucked her hands beneath her arms as she fought against the urge to look at him. “I always thought about the what-ifs … and I planned out all these different scenarios in my head for the day I finally drummed up enough courage to … to tell you. And in all of those scenarios, the outcome was the same … I was leaving New York, and either running the company from where I was or selling it. Now that I think about it … it was never really a what-if, but more of a when.”
Liam remained silent for a moment before speaking. “I just … I don’t want this move to be something you come to regret later on.”
“It’s for you and Sophia.” Amara looked up at him again. “I would never regret it.”
Liam stared at her, not having realized until that moment how close they’d shifted to one another, and he saw the moment she realized it, too. Her gaze was both hesitant and questioning, but then she looked away from him and took a step back.
“Um … I think I’m going to nap while Sophia is.”
“Yeah.” Liam cleared his throat as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I, uh … I’m actually not that tired, so I can listen for her if you want to go lay down in the master.” He’d already offered for her to take the bigger of the two rooms.
“Ok,” Amara nodded.
Liam watched Amara turn and heard her let out a breath as she disappeared inside the room.
*******
The following morning, Liam and Amara headed over to her apartment while Imogen stayed with Sophia at the hotel. Liam had arranged for a moving company to meet them there to take the boxes she would be bringing back and load them on the jet. From what she’d told him, most of it would consist of her and Sophia’s clothes. Anything she didn’t need, she planned to throw out or donate.
When they pulled up outside of the tall brick building, Liam slid out before turning to help Amara out. They greeted the staff of the moving company that was already there waiting before heading inside.
After riding the elevator up to the seventh floor, they stepped out, and Liam followed Amara down the hall. She paused in front of a door and unlocked it, and when she pushed it open and stepped inside, he followed.
Liam glanced around as he moved further inside. He’d never seen her apartment, but it was exactly what he pictured her having. Casual with a touch of modern sophistication. “This is nice.”
Amara looked around fondly; she’d always loved her apartment. “Thanks.”
“Where should we start, Miss?” a voice spoke from the doorway.
Amara turned to the movers lingering in the hall. “Uh …” She glanced around. “Living room and kitchen.” She then looked at Liam. “We can get started on Sophia’s room and then mine.”
“Lead the way,” Liam gestured.
****
Within a couple of hours, most of the apartment had been boxed up. While the movers carried boxes from the kitchen, living room, and Sophia’s room down to the truck, Liam and Amara finished up in her room.
“I’m going to take this out,” Amara said when she finished taping the last box of her shoes shut.
Liam nodded. “I’ll bring the nightstand out for you.”
“Thank you,” Amara replied before pushing the box out the door and down the hall.
Turning to the nightstand next to the bed, Liam reached down and hooked his fingers under the lip of the top. He lifted it, and when he realized it was heavier than he anticipated, he tilted it to adjust his hold; the movement caused the drawer to slide out of it and crash to the floor.
“Shit.”
Liam set the nightstand back down before kneeling to pick up the contents from the drawer now scattered on the floor. As he scooped up the items, something caught his eye, and he froze as he stared at it. A photo. He reached down and grabbed it, bringing it closer, only to notice another beneath it. And they weren’t just any photos, but ones of him and Amara. He remembered the night the one he held in his hand was taken. They were watching a movie in his quarters and were on the sofa; she was resting back against his chest with his arms wrapped tightly around her and his face was playfully nuzzling her neck with a grin as she smiled. He picked up the other from the floor. It was of them in the maze; she was on his back with her arms looped around his neck, both of them laughing.
At that moment, at the sight of those photos, at the realization that she’d kept them all this time, Liam felt the last of the reservations he’d been holding onto crumble. He wanted to be the two people in those photos again.
Two people who could make each other laugh and smile.
Two people who were better when they were together.
Two people who were happy and in love.
“Liam?” Amara’s voice carried down the hall.
Liam snapped from his daze and cleared his throat. “Coming.” He placed the rest of the items back in the drawer but slipped the photos into his back pocket before standing and carrying the nightstand out.
****
That night, Amara stood out on the balcony of the hotel suite while Liam put Sophia into bed. She stared out at the view of the city she’d called home all her life, but she couldn’t say she’d miss it all that much.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Liam said behind her.
Amara glanced over her shoulder, and her eyes followed him as he came to stand beside her. “Nothing,” she said, “just … taking in the view. Did she go down ok?”
“Yeah,” Liam nodded as he leaned against the railing. “Out like a light.” He glanced out at the view, staying quiet for a moment before looking over at her. “Are you going to miss it?”
“No … not really,” Amara answered. “I think … I think I’m ready to start over somewhere else.”
Liam stared at her for a moment before taking her answer for the opening it was. “Speaking of starting over …” He stood upright and reached back, pulling the two photos from his back pocket. “When we were packing … these fell out of your nightstand drawer.”
Amara focused on the photos in his hand, fighting against looking at him as she blinked away the sting in her eyes. “Yeah …”
“I didn’t realize you had them.”
“I …” Amara let out a soft breath and cast her gaze to the ground.
Liam’s thumb slid under her chin and he lifted her eyes to his. “No more secrets.”
Amara swallowed. “I would look at them … in hopes I could convince myself to reach out to you … to tell you about Sophia.” She fell quiet for a moment before speaking again, her next words coming out just above a whisper. “And on days when I missed you … which was all the time … I’d look at them to remind myself of what it felt like to be whole … because that’s what being with you made me feel. Whole and complete … and happy.”
Liam searched her eyes for a moment, and in the next, he leaned down, capturing her lips in his. Amara stiffened in surprise, needing to rest her hands against his chest to keep herself upright, but when his arm curled around her waist and pulled her closer, she went more than willingly. When her lips parted against his, she felt his tongue softly curl against hers, so slowly at first it was as if he were trying to savor the moment, but then he deepened the kiss, and she gripped his shirt to steady herself.
Forcing himself not to get too caught up, Liam drew back. It took her a moment to open her eyes, and they stared at each other in silence for a few heartbeats before she looked away from him. He could see the self-consciousness fill her expression and realized it was because she determined that he must have thought what just happened was a mistake … but she was wrong.
“I want to go back to being the two people in these photos. I want this again.” Liam held up the pictures. When she looked at him again, he saw the surprise in her eyes, like she couldn’t believe what he was saying. “I want this … I want us. But I want to slow down because I want us to be sure when we go in, if not for our sakes, then for Sophia’s.”
At his words, a tear trickled down Amara’s cheek, and he reached up, brushing it away with his thumb. “I didn’t think … after what I’d done—”
“When I told you I was leaving the past in the past, I meant it, Amara,” Liam interrupted. “I just need to know if you want the same … that you’re willing to try.”
Amara took in a shuddered breath as her tear-filled eyes searched his. And then she nodded. “I want the same,” she whispered.
Liam dropped his hand from her face and curled his fingers around hers. “Then we take it day by day once we get back home … and we’ll see how things go.”
***************************************
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Turning the Page
Now and Then
- Chapter 9-
Choices, The Royal Romance, AU
Series Premise: As Riley Brooks journeys through life as a single parent in New York City, an epiphany strikes as she contemplates the future for herself and her two-year-old son.
Turning the Page Series Masterlist
Main Pairing: Liam Rys x F!OC Riley Brooks
All characters belong to Pixelberry Studios, except William Brooks (Rys) and Matteo Magro, who belongs to this series.
Category: On-going series, contains angst/fluff/depression. Cross-over fic with Choices, Perfect Match.
Rating: M🔞Warnings - Series will contain crude language, NSFW material – not Beta’d - please excuse all errors.
Words: 2498
Now and Then – 9
Chapter Summary: Riley and William arrive in Cordonia
Title & Music Inspiration:
Now and Then, The Beatles
When You Love Someone, Gretchen Peters, Bryan Adams
Wherever You Will Go, The Calling
A/N1: In this alternate universe, after King Constantine orchestrates two individual scandals to humiliate and entrap Riley Brooks and Olivia Nevrakis in shame, Madeleine Amaranth secures her position as the Queen of Cordonia. Riley, as the King’s mistress and Olivia, in self-imposed exile. Tariq is never found.
A/N2: My submission for @choicesflashfics, Week#67, prompt #1 - “Nothing could ever change how I feel about you.”
A/N3: My submission for @choicesjanuary2024, prompt Day 25 - ‘Remembrance’ #choices monthly challenge @lilyoffandoms #choicesjanuary2024
A/N4: Damien Nazario has been assigned as William’s personal bodyguard.
In Flight, Cordonian Royal Jet, above the Mediterranean Sea
Looking out over the vast expanse of water below her, and under the clear blue skies above the Mediterranean Sea, no clouds were in sight ... not a white cloud, nor a black cloud.
Riley gazed out the large passenger window of the private jet, in solace, with her memories. Everything felt calm; almost too calm. The flight from New York to Cordonia was eight hours in duration, and even though they left early in the morning, they would not arrive at the palace until late in the evening with the change in time zones.
Trying to and not getting any rest, her thoughts returned to the events over the holidays.
...Remembering when Liam arrived at her door, in New York on Christmas Eve, a short week ago. The expression of elation on his face as she opened the door for him...
[‘Hello, my love,’ he tenderly smiled; He was standing there with an exquisite bouquet of long-stemmed red roses, as uniformed delivery drivers from the toy store waited patiently at a distance behind him, as the Royal guard performed a security check.
Liam stepped over the threshold, leaning down to draw her in for a kiss on the cheek, as she accepted his gift. ‘Oh Li, these are gorgeous; thank you so much.’
At Bastien’s prompt, the delivery people entered the brownstone with prewrapped gifts and placed them under the Christmas tree, also filling the extra space in the living room very quickly.
Chuckling, Riley watched as Liam thanked them with a generous tip, as he closed the door after them.
“Our son will be so thrilled at what Santa brought him; wait till he wakes up tomorrow.”
Liam laughed, moving quickly to put his arm around her, pulling her to his side. “Who says all these gifts are just for him? Hmmm?” Riley turned her head towards him, as Liam bent to capture her lips in a passion-fueled kiss.
“Ah yes, your gift is right here.” Liam slipped his hand inside his coat to reveal a small box, wrapped in gold with a red ribbon. “This is for you.”}
Riley breathed out, shaking her head.
...Remembering wanting him so badly that evening ...as he kissed her forehead to say ‘good night’ before turning to the guest room; Leaving her feeling so confused, once again.
...Remembering how excited LiLi was when he saw his father again Christmas morning ... and the look of pure joy in Liam’s expression as he watched his son blissfully playing with his new toys.
...Remembering the look of adoration between Liam and his son; a private and sacred bond established between the two ... a bond only meant for them.
Riley looked down at her phone and smiled fondly at the picture of William. He was proudly standing beside his gingerbread house gift for Liam, alongside Daniel and Matteo, to smile at the camera. Riley marveled at how unequivocally her son loved his father, so quickly. As if two loose puzzle pieces finally clicked into place. There was never a doubt in her mind that William needed to be wherever his father was. The connection between father and son was undeniable.
...and with those thoughts, she agreed to return to Cordonia.
And now, she found herself on the Royal jet headed back, leaving behind her New York world for the place that shattered her ‘happily ever after,’ again.
Liam, being the new, ever-doting father was pointing out to his son the shores of Cordonia through the window. She saw the look of marvel in Liam’s eyes, as he watched his son’s reaction to seeing Cordonia for the very first time. They were sitting in seats across the aisle from her as she glanced over.
Catching Riley’s eye, Liam responded with a wink and a smile.
"Welcome home, love."
Riley smiled in return, as her heart skipped a beat.
Home...
It had been a while since she had felt this way about Cordonia. Another lifetime; so much has changed, and yet remained the same.
***
Damien Nazario, the Interpol agent who was now permanently assigned to be William Rys's personal bodyguard, was reviewing the Crown prince's dossier, and his duties to the Cordonian crown, his new employer. Bastien took a seat beside the young agent to answer any questions he may have, as head of the Royal guard, at the rear of the plane's cabin.
"So, Damien, any questions for me?"
"No, sir. I believe I have a handle on the situation.”
"Good, because you are now the official head of the security detail for Prince William, the future king of Cordonia."
"Understood, sir.” Damien was well aware of the complexity of a constitutional monarchy.
"Now, there's one more thing I need to discuss with you,” Bastien eyed the young agent.
"Yes, sir?"
"Madeleine Amaranth, the former queen of Cordonia. I have forwarded her updated dossier to you."
"Yes, I've read it through.” Damien paused, waiting for more information.
"Good, because she has expressed malicious intent towards Prince William and Lady Riley, should they return to Cordonia."
"Understood. I'll ensure her movements are tracked and reported inside and out of the country, sir."
"Thank you, Damien.”
"My pleasure, sir.”
Bastien, looking pleased, leaned back in his chair, checking the time on his watch, as he felt the plane begin its descent.
Cordonia, Capital
The jet touched down smoothly on the tarmac, as the engines powered down. The cabin door opened, and the stairs were lowered.
Riley could feel the warm breeze blow past her as she stepped off the plane.
Taking a deep breath, Riley looked around. The air was different here. It was fresh and clean. She closed her eyes and let the wind brush her cheeks.
Liam followed, with William sleeping in his arms.
"Is everything alright, love?" Liam’s brows were raised in concern, noticing her hesitation.
"Yes, I'm just taking it all in." Riley, looked down, unable to keep eye contact.
"Are you sure, Riley? You've been very quiet throughout the entire flight home."
"I'm fine, Liam. It is just a lot to process. I'm just a little overwhelmed."
"All right, I understand. Let us get to the palace, so you and William can get settled and rest ... okay?"
"Yes, thank you, Liam."
Liam glanced over at Riley with concern as he personally buckled his son into the car seat. It was quite easy for him to see and feel the apprehension in her mood. She could not hide her emotions from him as well as she always thought she could.
Riley had remained noticeably quiet during the ride to the palace as well, looking out at the passing countryside. Liam could not help but wonder if she was having second thoughts about returning to Cordonia, and/or to him.
As they pulled up to the palace gates, Liam looked over at Riley, noticing a small smile on her face.
"What is it, love?" Liam spoke softly, reaching for her hand.
Riley returned his touch with a squeeze. "This place...it's beautiful."
"Thank you, that, it is. Welcome home."
“William will be so excited when he wakes up.” Riley glanced at a still sleeping William as the SUV slowed to a stop.
"I can't begin to tell you how much it means to me.... to have you both here." Liam confessed.
"You're welcome, Liam. It's the least I can do."
Liam's heart sank at her words. He hated the distance between them. He wanted to take her in his arms and make everything right, but, for right now, he knew that was not the best strategy.
He had to accept that things had changed, and their relationship was different now. He had to be patient and give Riley the space she needed.
But he also had to make her see how important she was to him. He had to show her how much he had missed her ... that he wanted a future with her and William in Cordonia.
As the SUV door opened for her, Riley felt a sense of Deja vu. This was where she had started her journey with Liam in Cordonia all those years ago. And now, here she was, back again.
"Do you want me to take you and William to the guest wing, or do you want to stay in my chambers?"
"I would like to stay with you, if that's okay."
"Of course, Riley. I would love that."
It was surreal for Riley as she walked the pristine palace halls towards the Royal Chambers. Liam carried William, who was fast asleep in his arms beside her.
The memories of the past times she was here flooded her mind and her heart ached as she pushed the painful memories aside. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.
As they reached the large double doors of the entrance to the Royal east wing, the guards opened the doors for Liam and Riley to enter.
Riley stepped inside; the same chambers where she had spent so much time before. The familiar scent of Liam's cologne filled the air, sending a wave of longing for a past time through her mind.
Walking into her room ... it was exactly as she remembered it. Everything was in its place, from the elegant chandelier hanging above the bed, to the intricate paintings adorning the walls.
Riley took a deep breath and sat down on the edge of the bed. She looked around the room, taking in every detail.
She felt a pang of sadness as she remembered those past times.
After tucking William into his bed in the adjacent room, Liam came in and sat down next to her. He gently placed his hand on hers, and she looked up at him, their eyes meeting.
"What are you thinking about Riley?"
"I'm okay, Liam. I was just thinking about how much things have changed since I was here last."
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and held her close. "I know it's a lot, but I'm here for you, and I'll help you in any way I can," Liam whispered.
"Thank you, Liam."
He pulled away and cupped her face in his hands, staring into her eyes intently. "You're welcome, Riley. Always. Nothing could ever change how I feel about you.”
He moved in to press his lips to hers, and she melted into his kiss.
It was soft and gentle, and full of longing.
He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers, breathing heavily. "God, Riley, I've missed you."
"I've missed you, Li."
He leaned down and kissed her again, deeper this time.
His tongue swept across her bottom lip, and she opened her mouth to him.
Their tongues tangled together in a dance that was familiar and yet new.
They were no longer the same people they were when they had last been together. They were both older and wiser, and the passion between them burned even brighter.
Riley pulled away and put her hand on his chest, feeling his heart beating beneath her palm.
"Liam, I..."
"Shhh."
He placed a finger over her lips. "Don't say anything, Riley. Just feel."
His lips found hers again, and the world disappeared. There was nothing but the two of them, lost in each other.
She kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck.
She moaned into his mouth as he slid his hands down her back and pulled her closer.
He broke the kiss and buried his face in her neck, inhaling her scent.
"Riley," he breathed. "God, I want you so much."
“Liam, I ...”
Liam pulled back and looked into her eyes, “stay with me tonight.”
📌All fics & edits: @ao719 @txemrn @queenmiarys @sfb123 @twinkleallnight @alj4890 @differenttyphoonwerewolf @harleybeaumont @busywoman @karahalloway @kingliam2019 @imjusthereforliam @lovingchoices14 @kyra75 @tinkie1973 @emkay512 @malblk21 @kristinamae093 @charlotteg234
📌Liam x Riley, OC: @emersyn-in-cordonia @mainstreetreader @belencha77 @walkerdrakewalker @iluaaa @mysticalfangirl @queenwalton @bascmve01 @umccall71 @choicesfrog @amandablink @ownworldresident
📌Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @choicesflashfics @choicesjanuary2024
#tessa liam writes#liam rys#the royal romance#riley brooks#trr#king liam#trr fanfic#king liam rys#trr liam x OC#choices fandom#choices the royal romance#choices fic writers creations#choices flashfics#@choicesjanuary2024#choices monthly challenge#turning the page
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Trick or ... Treat?
Everything else can be found here.
Book/Universe - TRR
Pairing - Liam x OC (Kyla) (not much is going on here though lol).
Summary - Constantine and Kyla enjoy Halloween... at Liam's expense.
Word Count - 2500
Warnings - language, Constantine shenanigains.
A/N 1 - I am participating in @choicesflashfics with prompt number 3, which will appear in bold. I don't think this qualifies for any of the other various Halloween prompts (not the ones I looked at, anyway.)
A/N 2 - Thanks for giving me a little confidence boost about this @ao719! 🥹🫶
Please excuse any errors.
Most characters belong to Pixelberry.
Liam awoke after a restless night’s sleep, tentatively opening one eye to search the area. Constantine enjoyed messing with Liam any day of the year, but a few held special significance for mischief; April Fool’s Day and Halloween. Much to Liam’s dismay, the date was October 31st.
He enjoyed the 'holiday'; the royal family spent a few hours where they stood atop the front steps of the palace passing out candy. It was a tradition Liam intended to start alone, but Constantine and Regina both liked the idea and wanted to engage. He didn’t dress up but still enjoyed seeing all the costumes the public wore.
However, he never knew what the day could hold for him. He could handle most of it, but the part he didn’t enjoy was the jump scares; perhaps it was a bit of PTSD, but it made Liam’s soul vacate his body every single time. Constantine took this with a grain of salt; at least on those two days a year, Liam could expect nothing but chaos.
With utmost caution, Liam sat up. He patted around the mattress to ensure there wasn’t something hidden in his sheets, but there wasn’t. He got up and made his way to the bathroom to relieve himself, and while he did, a brief flicker of relief shot through him; perhaps this year would be different, given the circumstances had changed. Last year Constantine wasn’t sick, but now he didn’t have nearly as much energy. Liam hoped that just this once — that would work to his advantage.
Liam groggily made his way into the shower. He turned the water on with a yawn and closed his eyes as the soothing heat cascaded down his chest and legs. He submerged his head and ran his palms through his hair; when he opened his eyes to reach for his shampoo, he realized the water was — red.
“WHAT THE FUCK?!” Liam shouted as he stumbled backward. His back slammed against the wall as he tried to get away. He scrambled out of the shower, leaving the water running behind him.
When he made it out, Liam was in such a frenzy that he slipped; in a moment of desperation, he grabbed onto a shelf but ended up taking that tumbling down with him.
A moment later, a frantic knock sounded on the bathroom door. “Sir? Are you alright?” Bastien hollered.
Liam quickly reached for a towel to cover himself and answered, “NO! Get in here!”
Bastien came barreling inside; his eyes widened as he saw Liam lying on the floor, surrounded by a pool of crimson liquid. He immediately rushed over and crouched beside him. “What happened? Was someone in here?”
“The shower!”
“... Pardon?”
Liam narrowed his eyes. “The fucking shower, Bastien!”
Bastien cautiously approached the glass door with one hand on his holstered weapon. He glanced inside and noticed the colored water coating the floor, but also noted the discoloration of the tub; Bastien knew immediately this substance was not blood.
He reached in and turned the knobs off; as he did, a sweet aroma filled his senses — fruit punch. Bastien took a wild guess regarding what happened, and as he detached the shower head and popped it open, he realized he was correct.
Bastien exited the shower, laughing to himself. Liam paced the area but grew irritated at Bastien’s lack of panic. “What did you find? Should we call an exorcist?”
Bastien chuckled. “No, sir. It’s not blood, I assure you.” He held the opened shower head to show Liam the inside. “It would appear as if someone packed this full of a red powder; if I had to take a guess, I would say it’s Kool-Aid.”
“Kool-Aid?” Liam mimicked in disbelief. “... You’re joking.”
Bastien nodded, trying to keep his composure as he scanned Liam’s appearance. “I’m afraid not, sir. And unfortunately — it stains.” He motioned to the mirror behind Liam.
Liam turned around with furrowed brows, but his mouth fell open as he took in his appearance; his face and chest had a noticeable red tint, and his hair a pink hue. “Oh dear God…”
“It’s not that bad, sir…”
“What do you mean not that bad?” Liam mocked. “I look like a sick crab! What the hell am I going to do?! I’m supposed to be in a meeting in less than an hour!”
“Perhaps you could tell them it’s a sunburn?”
Liam narrowed his eyes and let out a huff of air; judging from how his morning started, it was going to be a long day, indeed.
Further in the afternoon, Constantine and Kyla were finishing the last touches on their concluding prank. Knowing that everything they did throughout the day was constructed for Liam, Kyla felt a sense of guilt. However, she didn’t have the heart to tell Constantine no; when his eyes lit up, she found it hard to resist his child-like elation. She only hoped Liam would forgive her, and appreciate that she kept things much more minimal than Constantine originally intended.
Constantine encouraged Kyla to dress up; the only requirement was that she couldn’t wear scrubs. She looked online and came across a cute Santa outfit and decided that would be her selection; complete with festive tights and black ankle boots, she was the holliest, jolliest person in Cordonia.
Constantine opted for something more — unconventional for a former monarch. Since the opportunity presented itself, he wanted to be a cowboy; he wore jeans, a flannel shirt, the wide-brimmed hat, and carried a lasso. He’d never dressed up before, but considering this would be his last Halloween, he wanted to experience the full effect.
“Perfect! Now, stay there and wait, boy,” Constantine ordered Trent.
Trent gave Constantine an unsure expression. “Are you sure about this?”
“Is it your job to do as you’re told?”
“Yes, but–”
“No more malarky; you’re already in costume, and you will not waste all of Kyla’s hard work. Wait until Liam comes, then—” Constantine paused for dramatic effect. “—you know what to do.”
Trent gave a weak salute, nearly knocking his hat off. Constantine slowly drove his scooter away, Kyla strolling beside him. “You did a marvelous job today, dear. I have to tell you, this stuff is much easier with you around.”
Kyla dipped into an exaggerated curtsy. “It’s my pleasure to serve.”
Constantine howled with laughter. “I suppose we should give Liam his treat.”
Kyla shuddered. “You’re seriously doing this?”
“What? It’s not poison; he’ll be fine.” Constantine waved her off. “It’s funny, and if I can figure out how to work the camcorder on my cellular device, I intend to videotape everything to show Leo; maybe I’ll upload it on that clock webpage the kids use.”
Kyla furrowed her brows. “... You mean — Tik-Tok?”
“Yes! That’s the one! Come along, now; it’s time to begin our last operation of the day.” Given that this would likely be his last Halloween, Constantine wanted to go out with a bang. The dynamic duo concocted the perfect scheme to scare Liam’s socks off. Constantine handled the set-up, Kyla advising the punch-line; together they produced a glorious mix of pandemonium and humor — for Constantine, anyway.
Constantine and Kyla made their way to Liam’s office with their — treat. Constantine knocked on the door with a smirk; as he did, he handed Kyla the box and whispered, “You should probably be the one to give him these. Tell him you made them yourself and make it believable.”
Kyla’s eyes widened. “What?! Why me?!“
“He will know if it comes from me; you need to do it. Don’t worry! It’s Halloween — we’re exempt from punishment today.”
“I don’t think that’s how that works–” Kyla was cut off as the door crept open. As it did, neither she nor Constantine could control the shrieks of laughter that escaped them at Liam’s appearance; the evidence of their opening prank shined brightly, contrasted to the natural hue of his skin they were used to.
“Yeah, yeah,” Liam grumbled. “Laugh it up. Thanks to you, I’ve had three meetings looking like this today.” He spoke to his father.
“I don’t know what you mean, son.” Constantine feigned innocence.
Liam grasped Constantine’s hand, flipping it over to look at his palm and noted the tinges of discoloration. “So… you running around red-handed is just a coincidence?”
Constantine pulled his hand away. “No, it’s a part of the costume; cow people work hard — these are farming hands.”
“What about the fake mice in my fridge? Or the trash bag stuffed to look like a body? The clown stickers on my mirrors? Or the air horn under my chair?” Liam walked behind his desk and pushed down, a loud honk thundering through the room.
“Okay, you caught me. But it’s Halloween, Liam.” Constantine gave Liam sad, pleading eyes.
“You know the expression is trick or treat, not trick or trick–“
“I’m aware, William.” Constantine subtly slid his eyes over to Kyla. “If only someone had a treat for you…”
Kyla realized that was her cue; she presented the box to Liam with the warmest smile she could force, praying he didn’t see her trembling hands. “Actually, I have something for you…”
“You do?” Liam sought with an arched brow.
“Yeah,” Kyla returned as she opened the container. “It’s chocolate — balls… I made them myself and even used white chocolate since you prefer vanilla…”
Liam alternated his gaze between the offered delicacy and Kyla; he couldn’t decide if he could trust her or not at that moment. Any other day he would, hands down; today was different and as much as it pained him to admit, he knew Constantine couldn’t have pulled the day’s shenanigans off on his own.
He slowly reached into the box and grasped a treat; he experimentally sniffed it first, noting the heavenly aroma invading his nostrils. As he took in Kyla’s innocent smile, Liam shrugged and popped it into his mouth; when he bit down, what he tasted was not sweet as expected, but disgusting.
“Ugh,” Liam shuddered with a scrunched face. “Wha tha hec is tha?“ He got out as he tried his hardest not to jostle — whatever it was inside his mouth.
Kyla gave him an apologetic expression. “It’s, uh…”
“Chocolate-covered brussel sprouts!” Constantine proudly exclaimed as he held up his phone, centered on Liam. “I know how much you’ve always loved your veggies. Oh, and say hello to Leo, son.”
Liam gagged; he lunged for the trash can and opened his mouth, the mangled ball rolling out with ease. He smacked his lips together, trying to rid himself of the awful taste, but it wouldn’t vacate. When he stood, he used his hands to scrape at his tongue, but that didn’t help either. In a moment of desperation he bolted to the bar cart, only to find it empty. He groaned, but by doing so elevated the horrible sensation.
Liam rushed out of the room, intent on reaching a bathroom or somewhere with some water. As his thunderous steps made it around the corner, a presence suddenly jumped out at him. It cackled and grasped his arms, sending Liam into an instant state of panic; he only saw their green flesh, the large nose, and glowing red eyes.
Liam leaned on his body’s natural reaction; with a high-pitched wail, his fist connected with the attacker’s throat, sending them tumbling backward. As the person hit the ground Liam stood over them glaring down, prepared to strike again; they waved one hand, the other cradling the spot of impact.
“S-sir… Please–” Trent spat out through wheezes.
“Trent?!” Liam gasped with wide eyes. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t—” The sound of Constantine’s laughter interrupted him. “Dad, this is not funny!”
“Oh, calm down. It’s just Trent; the boy could use some roughing up, anyway.” Constantine answered from behind his phone.
“Put that down!”
Constantine rolled his eyes but complied. “Fine; I suppose the good part is over, anyway.”
Liam released a deep, steadying breath to keep his composure. It’s nearly over, he thought to himself. “Trent, go visit the physician and take the rest of the day off… And tomorrow.” He softly spoke as he helped him stand. Trent nodded, still cradling his jugular, but made his leave.
An extended period of silence passed, but Constantine finally broke it. “Trick or treat?” Liam growled and opened his mouth to retort, but Constantine quickly added, “Not to put a fine point on it, but this will most likely be my last Halloween…”
Liam sighed and his eyes softened; all day, he’d fixated on his worries for what was to come, but Constantine was right. He felt guilty for not embracing the day as he should have, instead of wishing the time away.
Constantine noticed Liam’s expression shift and felt instant remorse. “I apologize, Liam, I didn’t mean to–”
“I know what you were trying to do, but — you’re right. I hadn’t thought about it like that, and now I feel terrible for not spending the day with you.”
“But if you were with me, who would the target be?” Constantine expressed, earning him a playful eye roll from Liam. “Listen, life must continue. I’m dying; technically, so are you. Every breath you take is one step closer to the grave. Just because I don’t have as far to go changes nothing. I refuse to spend my time fixated on what’s coming, and I surely don’t want you to, either.”
Liam sharply sniffed and nonchalantly cleared his throat. “Right…”
“But — given that it’s a holiday, perhaps you could end your day early; hang out with Kyla and me until the candy gifting begins.”
“Does that mean the pranks will stop?”
“Against you, maybe.”
Liam smiled. “I’d like that.”
“But you must be in costume to be seen with us; sorry, it’s a rule.”
Liam furrowed his brow. “You realize I’m the King now, right?”
“You sure like to remind me of that, son.” Constantine laughed. “I’ll go to the boutique and pick out an outfit for you.”
“The chances of me wearing whatever you’re thinking are–”
“Aaaand he’s gone,” Kyla spoke as Constantine sped away on his scooter.
Liam shook his head. “I’m almost afraid to even think about what he’s going to find.”
“Should’ve come prepared like the rest of us.” Kyla playfully elbowed his side.
“Trueché…“ The pair shared a laugh, but as it died down Liam added, "You look cute."
Kyla brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and ducked her head, trying to hide her flushed cheeks. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." He smiled at her. “I need to thank you…”
“For?”
“Making my father's time special. I’m figuring out he didn’t act alone today, but I’m glad he’s got someone to be the Thelma to his Louise.”
“I’m happy to do it; I love it when he gets excited.”
“I do too.”
“He’s taught me a lot about how to relax and enjoy the little things; to make every second count.”
Liam stared at Kyla with a grin, warmth blossoming in his chest. “Me too.”
They locked eyes but Constantine quickly re-appeared. "Oh, Li-am…"
"I don't like that tone… or that face you're making…"
"I found you a costume." Constantine answered as he held a garment up.
Liam stared into his basket and saw the remaining pieces of the getup and shook his head. "I'm not wearing that."
"Oh, come on! A cowboy needs a steed to wrangle, son! Have you not seen a western film?"
"But I don't want to be your horse!" Liam protested. "What if I wanted to be a superhero or something?"
Constantine pursed his lip with pleading eyes. "Liam…"
Liam held his stare for merely a moment before he rolled his eyes. "Fine."
Constantine's face lit like a Christmas tree but he was quick to shove the garments at Liam, insisting he go get dressed. As Liam disappeared, Constantine gave Kyla a knowing look. "... What did I tell you?"
"I can not believe that worked."
Constantine snickered. "I never planned on being a horseless cowboy."
"He probably would've done it anyway if you asked him…"
Constantine snorted. "Where's the fun in that?"
HCTS tags - @ao719 @queenrileyrose @angelasscribbles @tessa-liam @kingliam2019 @differenttyphoonwerewolf @bascmve01 @busywoman @belencha77 @mysticalfangirl @nestledonthaveone @lovingchoices14 @lunaseasblog @malblk21 @sfb123 @emersyn-in-cordonia @walkerdrakewalker @tinkie1973 @queenmiarys @choicesflashfics @eadanga
#the royal romance#choices the royal romance#king liam#liam rys#trr#choices trr#trr au#choices#choices liam x oc#king liam x oc#trr liam x oc#liam x oc#constantine rys#Halloween#choices fic writers creations#pixelberry#playchoices#choices stories you play
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Cinderfella's Adventures in Cordonia - Chapter Twenty-Three
An AU of The Royal Romance with a male MC and a bisexual prince.
Masterlist
Return to Cordonia
Liam restlessly drums his fingers against the armrest of his seat, occasionally darting irritated glances towards Callum and Drake. Pangs of anger and jealously shoot through him as he watches the two interact; his chest tightening as his observes the tender way Callum treats Drake, as if he is something fragile and precious.
Callum tucks a soft blanket around Drake then slouches lower in his seat, allowing Drake to comfortably pillow his head on Callum’s shoulder. Callum presses a soft kiss to the top of Drake’s head before picking up a battered paperback and starting to quietly read out loud. Drake’s eyelids begin to flutter, and his breathing becomes deep and even as he quickly drops off to sleep. Callum tenderly smiles down at him and resumes his reading silently, remaining as still as possible to avoid disturbing Drake’s sleep.
If they weren’t currently 40,000 feet above the Atlantic ocean Liam would have thrown himself out of the plane without a second thought, anything to escape the painfully sick feeling he gets seeing Drake and Callum together.
Someone slides gracefully into the seat next to him, temporarily drawing his attention away from the two men.
“I took the liberty of making you some tea,” Hana murmurs, passing him a steaming mug.
Liam inhales the fragrant steam and takes a sip, the scalding tea burning his tongue and temporarily distracting him from his misery. “Thank you, Hana,” he says, smiling at her gratefully.
“How are you?” she asks, concern shining in her brown eyes.
Liam takes another sip of tea, trying to collect his thoughts. “This is a situation I never expected to find myself in,” he finally admits.
“I doubt many people do,” Hana replies, stifling a smile. “I don’t envy you, Your Majesty. Madeline is furious.”
Liam stretches in his seat, picking out a familiar head of blonde hair sitting several seats ahead of him. He shrugs, unable to muster enough energy to care about his fiancée’s anger. “It’s no secret that our marriage isn’t a love match,” he sighs. “I’m not sure what she expects from me.”
“Probably for you to not openly stare at Drake and Callum as if you’re a jealous lover.”
The king turns his head to stare at Hana, shocked at her uncharacteristic boldness.
She nervously tucks her hair behind her ears and clears her throat. “Her pride is hurt, Your Majesty. No matter the truth of your arrangement it is important to her that the two of you appear to be a loving and committed couple to the public.”
“It’s getting harder and harder to pretend,” he admits, slumping back into his seat. “I see those two together and I remember every wonderful moment I’ve had with them, and I can’t help but imagine what kind of future we could have together.”
He speaks without thinking, unwittingly admitting to his previous relationship with Drake. Hana smiles to herself, happy to have her long-standing suspicions finally confirmed, but allows the moment to pass without comment.
“But then I remember how easy it was for Callum to give up, to walk away from me without a fight,” Liam continues. “And I see how easy it was for Drake to just fall into his arms and I feel… betrayed. I’m furious, Hana. With both of them. And I don’t want to be, but I can’t help it.”
Hana levels him with a disappointed look and he squirms under her gaze. “I would hope you know both of them well enough by now, especially Drake, to know that none of this is easy for them. It wasn’t easy for Callum to leave Cordonia, but at some point he had to prioritize his well-being over the chance you might choose him. For you their relationship came out of nowhere, but Drake was Callum’s rock during the social season, sometimes even more than myself or Maxwell. They understand each other in a way we never will, because in many ways they will always be outsiders in court. They bring out the best in each other. Drake grounds Callum. And Callum makes Drake free.”
Liam frowns, silently ruminating over her words.
Hana sighs, softening her tone. “I understand that you’re angry, and that’s fair. But you need to understand that you played a part in all of this too. You decided to prioritize your duty to Cordonia, and you have to accept all the consequences that follow.”
“You know better than anyone that I didn’t have a choice.”
“There is always a choice, Liam.” Hana tentatively lays her hand over his and gazes at him earnestly. “Drake and Callum chose happiness, it’s not too late for you to do the same.”
“I…” Liam hesitates, the very thought seems overwhelmingly daunting.
Hana squeezes his hand reassuringly. “I will remain your friend whatever you decide, Liam. But bear in mind that if you do marry Madeline you run the chance of losing them both forever.”
“I know,” he whispers sadly, glancing over towards the pair. Callum has joined Drake in slumber; his cheek rests on the top of Drake’s head and he smiles faintly in his sleep. “I know.”
#pixelberry#choices#pb choices#choices the royal romance#the royal romance liam#the royal romance maxwell#the royal romance#the royal heir#choices fanfic#pixelberry studios#pixelberry choices#choices game#choices stories you play#choices stories we play#choices app#choices the royal finale#choices the royal heir#trr liam#trr hana#choices trr#trr drake#trr#trr fanfic#trr fandom#trr male oc#trr male mc#trr male#trr maxwell#trr drake x male mc#trr drake walker
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I Know Places (Happy Birthday Burns!)
Book: The Royal Romance
Pairing: Liam x Riley, Drake x Alyssa
All characters belong to Pixelberry, except for Alyssa Devereaux, who belongs to the birthday girl @burnsoslow
Summary: In a prequel to last year's birthday fic, Riley notices some odd behavior from Drake and is determined to find out what he is hiding.
Song: I Know Places - Taylor Swift
You are the only person on the planet who could get me to drop a Taylor Swift song anywhere. That's how much I love you.
Rating: PG (a couple of swear words)
Word Count: 2,703
A/N: Happy birthday to my wonderful friend @burnsoslow. You are so sweet, and funny, and thoughtful. When I came to Tumblr however long ago, and started obsessively reading your stories, I never, in a million years, thought that I would actually be lucky enough to call you my friend. I'm sitting here trying to put together words about how much having you in my life means to me, but I'm not sure they even exist. I just love you so so much, and hope that you spent today partying like it's 1999! 😘
A/N 2: No pre-reader, so you get what you get. If it sucks, and the grammar is terrible, that's all on me. Godspeed.
Tags: This is my first run with the new tag list, so if you're not on here but would like to be added, just let me know!
Liam and Riley sat on the couch in his office, reviewing their opening remarks for the Five Kingdoms Festival that would be happening the following day. A knock on the door pulled their attention away, Liam called for the visitor to come in.
“Well, well, well,” Riley said as Drake entered the room. “Look what the cat dragged in.”
Drake rolled his eyes and approached the pair. “Hello Brooks.” He walked over to Liam, who was now standing. “Hey, Li.”
“Drake,” Liam shook his friend’s hand. “It has been a while.”
“Yeah,” Drake rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ve been pretty busy lately.”
“Why don’t you stay for dinner?” Riley suggested, noticing that something was off with him. “Eleanor has been asking for you, she misses her Uncle Drake.”
Drake’s expression softened. He hadn’t been spending as much time with Eleanor as he usually would. She had just become a big sister, and he knew how hard it could be going from being an only child to having to share attention with a younger sibling.
“I really wish I could…” He trailed off, his eyes darting between his friends. “I promised Savannah I’d go up to Ramsford tonight. But I’ll be at the festival tomorrow. I’ll take Eleanor for some cotton candy or something.”
“Sure, she’d love that.” Riley agreed.
Drake said his goodbyes and exited the office. Once he was gone, Liam and Riley settled themselves back on the couch, Liam lifted his wife’s legs to rest across his lap.
“That was weird, right?” Riley asked.
“Not really,” Liam shrugged as he slipped off her shoes and began rubbing her feet. “Drake and his sister are close, of course he would want to have dinner with her.”
Riley sighed at her husband’s response. “You know, for someone who was trained to read people, you can be awfully thick sometimes.”
Liam’s movements stopped as his head snapped in her direction. “Excuse me?”
“Come on Liam, he was being so dodgy! He couldn’t give us a straight answer about where he’s been.”
“To be fair,” Liam began. “We never asked him for one. Besides, Drake has always been a pretty private person, if he wanted us to know, he would have told us.”
She returned her feet to the ground, retrieving her shoes and putting them on. “Ugh! You’re so bad at being nosy!” She groaned. “Let’s go, I miss our babies.”
Regina had offered to watch Eleanor, and the newest edition to the royal family, Prince David, while Liam and Riley worked on the final preparations for the festival. They left Liam’s office and met up with Regina to pick up the kids before returning to their quarters for the evening.
***
After dinner, and a few rounds of Candy Land, it was time for Eleanor to go to bed. In an effort to help her with the transition from only child to big sister, her parents decided to take turns putting her to bed each night ensuring she had some quality one-on-one time with each of them. It was Liam’s turn to tuck her in, so Eleanor said goodnight to her mother and brother and walked hand in hand with her father to her room.
Liam sat on Eleanor’s bed, his arm wrapped around her, holding a book in front of them. Eleanor was learning how to read, so as they made their way through the story, Liam would pause, pressing his finger against the words, encouraging his daughter to read along, and helping her as she went.
“... and they,” he pointed to the next word and nodded encouragingly at her.
“Lived happ… happy…”
“Almost, princess. Happil…”
“Happily!” She exclaimed, Liam chuckled at her excitement and kissed the side of her head. “Happily ever after!”
“That’s right! Good work, Eleanor!” Liam pulled her close, kissing the top of her head before closing the book and carrying it to the bookshelf. “Now, I believe we have one more item of business,” he made his way to the collection of stuffed animals that were gathered in the corner of her room. “Who would you like to keep you company tonight?”
Eleanor’s eyes traveled through the crowd, her index finger tapping against her lips as she contemplated her selection. Her movements halted, and her smile grew upon making her decision, “Hunny Bunny please.”
“Excellent choice.” Liam turned to the pile searching for the golden rabbit. He moved the other animals around, trying to locate it. “Hmm… she doesn’t seem to be here.”
“But where is she, Daddy?” Eleanor looked at her father with tired, sad eyes.
“I’m… well, I’m not sure, princess. Where do you last remember having her?” He made his way around the room, looking anywhere Hunny Bunny could possibly be hiding.
“I… I don’t know.” Eleanor replied through her sniffles. “Daddy, please find her.”
Liam looked up at his daughter, her eyes were beginning to water, and her chin was trembling. He knew between Eleanor being tired, and wanting her toy, a meltdown would be inevitable if they didn’t find this rabbit.
“Oh Eleanor, don’t cry.” He rushed to his daughter’s side. “Why don’t we ask Mommy if she has seen Hunny Bunny?” Eleanor rubbed her eyes as she nodded at her father. He kissed her on the forehead before going to the door. “Riley, love, could you come here for a moment?” He called down the hallway.
Riley entered the room to find Liam consoling a crying Eleanor. “What happened here?” She said as she approached the pair, placing a comforting hand on Eleanor’s back. “What’s wrong, sweetie?”
“We can’t find Hunny Bunny.” Eleanor cried before falling into her mother’s arms.
Riley looked up at Liam and she could see the worry in his face. “Okay, it’s all okay. Let’s just calm down here. She has to be somewhere, she didn’t get up and hop away.”
“When do you remember seeing her with it last?” Liam asked Riley as she continued to console her daughter.
She racked her brain, thinking back over the past couple of days, trying to picture everywhere they went, when it suddenly hit her. “Ramsford! She wanted to show Bartie, so she brought it when we were there for lunch the other day.” Riley put her hands on Eleanor’s shoulders and pulled her back gently. “Eleanor, I’m going to go call Uncle Max to see if Hunny is there, okay?”
Eleanor nodded as she rubbed her eyes. Riley stood from the bed and pulled her phone out of her back pocket as she stepped into the hallway.
“Hey Riley!” Maxwell greeted her on the second ring.
“Max, thank god! We have a bit of an emergency.”
“What’s wrong? Who’s coming for the throne now?”
Riley chuckled at his response, which helped ease her concern about the issue. After everything they had been through, if the worst thing to happen to them is a lost stuffed animal, then everything was going to be just fine. “It’s nothing like that. Eleanor can’t find her Hunny Bunny. I think we may have left it there.”
“Oh yeah, she’s here. I’ll bring it tomorrow when we come for the festival.”
“Actually, could you just give it to Drake? I’m sure he won’t mind dropping it off on his way home.” There was silence on the other end of the line. “Max? Are you still there?”
“I’m here, but Drake’s not.”
“But he said he was having dinner with Savannah tonight.”
“Nope, he hasn’t been by in a couple of weeks actually.”
“Man, I knew he was being shady!”
“Wait, what do you mean? What’s going on?”
“I’ll fill you in tomorrow. For now, please please bring Hunny Bunny with you tomorrow.”
“You bet, see you then!”
Riley hung up the phone and took a deep breath before returning to her daughter’s room. Without Eleanor’s stuffed animal of choice, it was going to be a long night.
***
The next day, the royal family walked through the crowd greeting people, and exploring everything the festival had to offer.
“I get what you’re saying,” Riley said to Liam. “But he’s not just not telling us stuff, he’s straight up lying to us. That’s not a Drake thing.”
Liam looked at his wife thoughtfully. “That’s true. As much as he’s kept to himself, I’ve never known him to lie to me.”
“So, we can confront him and ask him what’s going on?”
“Uncle Drake!” Eleanor’s excited shout pulled Liam and Riley’s attention. They looked ahead and saw Drake approaching them.
“Hey, kiddo.” Drake smiled as he lifted Eleanor into a hug.
As Eleanor and Drake greeted each other, Liam and Riley had a conversation with their eyes. Liam pleaded with Riley not to confront him, to which she agreed.
“So Eleanor, how would you like some cotton candy?” Drake asked.
The princess’s eyes went wide as she turned to her parents for permission. Liam and Riley chuckled at her hopeful expression. “Mommy, Daddy, please?” Eleanor begged. “I’ll bring some back for baby David.”
“That’s very sweet of you, princess,” Liam leaned in, kissing his daughter on the cheek. “But babies can’t eat cotton candy.”
“That’s right, baby girl,” Riley added. “So why don’t you just go ahead and eat extra for your brother?”
Eleanor cheered and jumped up and down in excitement. “Come on, Uncle Drake!” She grabbed his hand and rushed him toward the food vendors.
A while later, Riley was mercifully pulled away from a conversation with Hakim and Joelle Theron when David started crying from his stroller. She excused herself, and once she was out of their earshot, she thanked her son profusely for his timing.
“Riley! Riley, wait up!” Maxwell called as he rushed to catch up with his friend.
“Diaper emergency Max, no time.” She replied, just as he fell into step with her.
The pair stepped into the palace and into a small sitting area. As Riley set up a makeshift diaper station on a nearby table, Maxwell bounced on his heels behind her.
“Riley, you’re never going to guess what I saw?”
Riley recoiled back as she opened David’s soiled diaper. “Ugh, it can’t be any worse than this.”
“I think I know what’s going on with Drake.”
Riley turned to face Maxwell. “Spill right now, Beaumont.”
***
The next day, as the Royal Council meeting let out, Liam caught Drake before he could slip out, and invited him back to his office for a drink. As soon as they walked in the office, Liam’s desk chair slowly turned, revealing Riley, her arms crossed over her chest.
“Welcome, Drake.” She said as she rested her elbows on the desk, steepling her fingers in front of her.
Liam pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. When he and Riley talked about confronting Drake, they agreed that they would speak to him rationally. His wife appeared to have other plans.
“What’s up with you, weirdo?” Drake asked at Riley’s dramatic display.
Liam invited Drake to sit before stepping to the bar cart and making two drinks. He handed one to Drake before stepping around the desk and standing beside his wife. “Drake, we wanted to talk to you. To make sure you were alright.”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” He responded. “Why would you ask?”
“Because you’re a big fat liar!” Riley blurted out. Liam placed a hand on her shoulder at the outburst as Drake’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“Drake,” Liam interjected. “The other night, when you told us that you were going to Ramsford, Riley spoke with Maxwell, and he told her you hadn’t been there.”
“Hold on,” Drake stood from his chair. “You guys are checking up on me?”
“Not intentionally. We lost one of Eleanor’s toys, and I called Maxwell to find it.” Riley crossed her arms over her chest. “And don’t try to turn this around on us.”
“Love, stand down.” Liam leaned down, kissing her on the cheek before turning back to Drake. “Drake, we’re just worried about you. You know we don’t mind that you keep to yourself, but it’s not like you to lie.”
Drake let out a deep breath as he fell back into his chair, finishing off the rest of his drink. “I’m sorry you guys. I didn’t mean to worry you, I just needed some time to myself for a while.”
“Well that’s another lie.” Riley scoffed, Drake arched a brow at her. “You have a girlfriend!”
Drake’s eyes went wide, and his jaw dropped. “How did you…”
“Maxwell saw you canoodling at the festival yesterday.” She responded. “What’s wrong with her? Why don’t you want to show her off? Does she have an eyepatch? Pegleg? Hook hand?”
Liam and Drake both froze and stared at Riley curiously.
“What the fuck, Brooks?” Drake finally broke the silence.
“Love, I don’t think Drake is seeing a pirate.”
“Sorry, Eleanor’s been on a real Peter Pan kick. I’ve got pirates on the brain.” She shrugged.
“Riley, can you give Drake and I a moment alone?” Liam asked.
Riley stood from the chair, and moved to leave the office, pausing before she opened the door and turning back to her husband and her friend. “I just want the chance to be there for you the way you always have for me.” Before Drake could respond, she was gone.
“I’m sorry, Drake.” Liam apologized as he sat in his chair. “I didn’t mean for this to be an attack on you.”
“It’s alright,” Drake shrugged. “And for the record, I’m sorry I lied to you guys.”
The pair sat in comfortable silence for a moment. Liam finished off his drink and stood, tilting his chin toward Drake’s glass. He nodded, affirming that he wanted a refill. Liam took the glasses and took them to the bar cart.
“So,” Liam began as he refilled their drinks, “What’s her name?”
“Alyssa, Alyssa Devereaux.” He said. Even with his back to his friend, Liam could hear the smile in his voice.
“You’re happy?” Liam asked as he handed Drake his drink.
“I am Li, she’s amazing. I never expected to fall as hard as I did.”
Liam nodded as he returned to his seat, placing his drink down in front of him. “Why wouldn’t you want to share that happiness with your friends?”
Drake shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s not that I didn’t want to tell you, it’s just,” he trailed off, trying to find the best way to explain what he was feeling. “This whole world, the court, nobles, all that, it’s a lot. I know what it can do to an outsider, I wanted to protect her from it.”
“That’s reasonable, I understand wanting to protect someone you care about, you know that.” Drake nodded in response. “But Drake, if this is something that you see as long term, it’s an inevitability that you will need to start introducing her into this whole world. As much as I know it pains you to admit it, you are a part of the court.”
“Yeah, you’re right. There are just so many things that could go wrong. I don’t want to lose her, Liam.”
Liam smiled, he had known Drake his whole life, and he had never talked about a girl like this. He had it bad, and it was painfully obvious. “Why don’t you ease her into it. She doesn’t have to dive into it all at once.”
“What do you mean?” Drake asked.
“Introduce her to people that will be at court functions ahead of time. That way, she will have allies to turn to if she gets uneasy.”
Drake arched a brow. “Allies like the king and queen?”
“If you’re going to have allies, it doesn’t hurt for them to be at the top.” Liam grinned sheepishly.
Drake let out a deep breath. “I guess I can’t keep her hidden forever.”
“Wonderful!” Liam exclaimed. “You should bring her by for dinner this weekend. Just a small, unofficial get together. We’ll do it in our quarters, Riley will cook. Completely informal, just your friends meeting your… girlfriend?” Drake nodded, confirming Alyssa’s title.
“I guess that sounds alright. I mean, if it’s just you guys, I can’t imagine what could go wrong.”
Permatag:
@3pawandme @alj4890 @busywoman @charlotteg234 @cordonia-gothqueen @cordoniaqueensworld @differenttyphoonwerewolf @emkay512 @foreverethereal123 @hopelessromanticmonie @iaminlovewithtrr @imashybish @kat-tia801 @kingliam2019 @malblk21 @mom2000aggie @neotericthemis @nestledonthaveone @queen-arabella-of-cordonia @secretaryunpaid @sincerelyella @theroyalheirshadowhunter @tessa-liam @twinkleallnight @txemrn
Liam:
@amandablink @custaroonie @jared2612
TRR:
@21-wishes @ao719 @belencha77 @burnsoslow @lovingchoices14 @the0afnan @xpandass420x
#choices#pixelberry#play choices#the royal romance#choices the royal romance#trr#choices trr#trr fanfic#trr fandom#trr fan fic#trr fan fiction#trr fanfiction#drake walker#trr drake#liam rys#trr liam#drake x oc#liam x mc#liam x riley#happy birthday burns
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King Liam Appreciation Day 5 👑 (part deux)
In honor of KLAW #5, I'm sharing 2 different creations about one of my AUs called Stay (Masterlist). I hope y'all don't mind, but I felt like this one deserved a post all to itself to give props to the artist! Check out this GORGEOUS piece, created by @/artbyainna (on insta!)! It still takes my breath away.
*This is a paid commission; do not alter it or repost.
"... let's at least give them something to talk about." 🖤
---
Missed my previous post? Check it out here! Happy @kingliamappreciationweek!
#art by ainna#art commission#fanfic art#the royal romance#the royal romance au#liam rys#liam rys x f!oc#liam x reid#txemrn#choices trr
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Sunday Six 9.24.23
Happy Sunday evening, Tumblrs! I know I have been MIA for the absolute longest, and wanting to give a huge THANK YOU to those who know the dirty deets about what’s been going on this summer, and being the shoulders, ears, support, and encouragement, I need to carry on and carry through one day at a time.
Despite posting two dribbles over the past day or so, not saying I am on the comeback trail, but I have been putting fingers to keyboard, and sharing story ideas. While they are not part of today’s Sunday Six, I am working on Sins of the Father; a part two to Dead in the Water (the How to Get Away with Murder AU), tentatively titled Tell Me When I’m Telling Lies; and a Riam one-shot that may become a casual series titled Happy Family.
What I offer to you tonight dear readers are two new ideas (well one isn’t that new):
Church Folk (the MegaChurch AU) based on Wonder’s worst ever version of Riam; she looks like a cross between Wendy Williams and Dionne Warwick, and has six fingers (five whole ass fingers and a thumb); Asian Liam is a dead ringer for Joel Osteen. They are co-pastors of the First, Last, & Only Cordonian Church of God in Christ where the mottos are:
We’re Alphabet Friendly!
God LOVES a Sinner, and so do we
Jesus Ain’t No Joke!
Think of every megachurch scandal, and give Riley Tammy Faye Baker’s hair …
A Summer Place—The Graduate which is an age-gap romance between Liam and Diana, who is Drake & Riley’s daughter. Except Liam doesn’t know, and Diana knows nothing about Cordonia except it is where her parents’ once-great love story originated.
There will be two versions to this story; Version B is titled A Summer Place—Mrs. Robinson, where Riley has an age-gap romance with Andreas, Liam’s son who visits NYC for the summer before starting University. Again, they have no idea of the other.
I realize others are writing age-gap/forbidden romances, but I am hopeful that my ideas and execution will make mine different from what's out there. And it’s me; by the time I finish writing the stories, it isn’t as if I’ll be glutting the market with the trope.
Okay, enough rambling; sneak peeks are below the cut, and as usual everything is in a state of rough draft and published product may vary.
Church Folk (song inspo: Church Clap, KB/Lecrae):
Their courtship had lasted two years; at Liam’s insistence, it had been chaste as well. At least for one of them.
The couple attended church together: Monday night Praise and Devotionals, Wednesday evening Bible study, couples therapy on Saturday mornings, 11am Sunday Sermon.
Between work and church activities, Liam and Riley dated; meals, museums, hikes, volunteering at soup kitchens. No matter the time or venue, all tended to end with them getting hot and heavy in the back seat of his car: Moans, groans, fogged windows; deep French kisses, groping of breasts and fondling of balls, arching and thrusting of hips. All the while keeping their clothes on.
The son of a preacher man never allowed himself to finger Riley nor for her to stroke his manhood.
Penetration was completely out of the question.
Riley often thought it was because of her 6th finger, and that despite his protests, Liam really could not deal with it. But he assured his bride-to-be between desperate kisses that it didn’t matter. Saving themselves for marriage did.
Liam Osteen Rhys firmly believed Riley had been sent to him; her polydactyl was a sign from God Himself that this woman was to be his wife. In the biblical sense, her extra finger was a sign of both wealth and that she was a messenger of God. Liam needed the former, FLOCC needed the latter. In the scientific sense, persons with polydactyl were proven to be stronger and more dexterous than those without.
Yes, Riley B. Williams was his good thing, and he wasn’t letting lust interfere. So, after every date while Riley sat alone in her bedroom with her battery-operated boyfriend and Pornhub pulled up on her phone, Liam visited Maybelle Nussbaum, his high school sweetheart.
If all had gone according to Liam’s plan, he would be wedded to Maybelle already, but his father absolutely forbade an inter-faith marriage. Only one version of God would be worshipped in the Rhys family, and THEIR God believed in ham, bacon, shrimp, and one day to celebrate the birth of Christ.
With Maybelle, Liam could go all the way, and he did. Every time. Sometimes protection was used, but most times not. The future preacher was convinced God wouldn’t allow anything bad to happen to him because he always sought forgiveness afterwards.
On their wedding day, all of Cordonia’s press outlets were present, as well as most of the town; the Rhys family was practically royalty in the small suburb, and everyone wanted to be in attendance for the wedding of a lifetime. Liam stood at the altar with his father, best man and groomsmen, occasionally looking over the crowd still being seated.
His eyes widened when the doors to the ceremony room opened and Maybelle Nussbaum strode through, wearing baggy sweatpants, a vomit-stained tee shirt, and her hair in a messy blonde bun. A swaddled infant rested in the crook of one arm; her free hand pulled a rolling suitcase behind her.
Liam had broken it off with his lover exactly 13 months earlier; he needed to focus on being a husband and ensure no hint of scandal touched his betrothment. He did it via text message and promptly blocked Maybelle’s number and deleted their chat history. And that was the end of that.
Or so he thought.
“Here ya go, Liam! You left this in my uterus right before you blocked me,” the new mother said loudly and cheerily as she placed the baby in a non-plussed Liam’s arms.
The murmurs and whispers amongst the guests began immediately. Constantine’s complexion turned a vague shade of purple. The groomsmen’s eyes went between Maybelle and Liam, who was sputtering and stammering as he protested.
“YOU CANNOT LEAVE ME WITH THIS CHILD, MAYBELLE!” Liam thundered.
“Why not? You did it to me,” Maybelle retorted as she rolled the suitcase up to the altar. “Everything you need is in there. I’m gonna skedaddle now. Take good care of her.”
The scorned lover slipped out a side door just as the Wedding March began to play.
A Summer Place—The Graduate (Version A, Liam)
Song Inspo: Parallel, Emlie Kahn
The server and the sovereign stood at the balcony’s railing as they awaited their food. The dock surrounding the sea harbor was gaily decorated with colorful streamers and balloons. The intricately painted dragon boats sat in their slips, bobbing against the gently cresting aquamarine sea while crew members worked on last minute inspections and details before the race.
Diana’s chocolate brown eyes were wide with excitement as they took in the scene before her.
“This is amazing! I’ve never seen anything like this. Montana is basically bull riding, which is literally flags and cowboy hats. And the ocean … it’s so blue and clear, like something out of a painting!”
Liam studied her profile, wondering why he had the nagging feeling he had seen her before. Her olive complexion, high cheekbones, the curvature of her full lips. It was as if he had seen her features on another face, but not in this particular order.
“It’s the Aegan Sea,” he gently corrected her, “and yes, it’s a beautiful sight.”
Diana felt her cheeks flush crimson, as embarrassment flooded her body. She stared up at Liam contritely. “I’m sorry, you must think I’m a goof!”
Liam’s arm reached out and his palm gently patted the back of her hand. “Why would I think that? You simply didn’t know. It’s your first time here.”
Diana’s eyes went between Liam’s hand on hers and his eyes, which were filled with a gentle emotion.
“You’re fine,” he assured her as his other hand ran fingers through her hair, tucking strands behind her ear.
She felt a pleasant shiver at his touch, which she quickly dismissed as her imagination. Yes, Liam was manly perfection with his trim physique, head full of hair untouched by gray, and the face of a Greek god. But he was her father’s age and had women across the country and continent ready to do his bidding.
She was a tourist that would be leaving in a couple of months. A nobody, 24 years his junior who didn’t know an ocean from a sea. Diana slowly pulled her hand away from his.
“So, what’s for lunch? I’m starving!” she said a little more loudly than intended.
“Oh, you are in for a treat!” Liam grinned. “Mediterranean seafood pie, scallops in a lemon garlic cream sauce, lobster tails stuffed with crabmeat, crab imperial …"
“Oh my God! It’s like Red Lobster!” Diana exclaimed as she clapped her hands together.
Liam looked puzzled. “Red Lobster?”
“It’s an American surf and turf chain restaurant. It’s delicious!”
“I can only hope Portavira lives up to such a lofty ideal.”
Tagging: @jared2612 @ao719 @marietrinmimi @indiacater @kingliam2019 @bebepac @liamxs-world @mom2000aggie @liamrhysstalker2020 @twinkleallnight @umccall71 @superharriet @busywoman @gabesmommie1130 @tessa-liam @beezm @gardeningourmet @lovingchoices14 @mainstreetreader @angelasscribbles @lady-calypso @emkay512 @princessleac1 @charlotteg234 @alj4890 @motorcitymademadame @queenmiarys @choicesficwriterscreations
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Good day people, I hope you all had a wonderful start to your New Year and it continues. I want to thank everyone who takes the time to read my work, and thanks to all who like it. Please excuse any typos or grammar mistakes
Book: TRR
Summary: Aliania returns to the Palace and she and Liam spend time together. The newcomer confesses her feelings to Drake.
Pairings: Liam x Aliania (mc), Drake x Riley (oc)-kinda
Rated:M
🍋
Word Count 3, 025
All characters belong to pixelberry, but Aliania Perez belong to me
Warning: Strong sexual content, Drinking and deception. This content is for persons over the age of 18 and older. You are advised not to read if you're under the age of 18
Song inspiration for Liam and Aliania
I would like to thank @dcbbw for pre reding and doing some editing for me and giving me some good ideas, I really appreciate it.
Song inspiration for Liam and Aliania
Song inspiration for Drake and Riley
Blinded Lines, Part 2
Liam and I were in a weird place:Two days after making love, he announced that he was looking for a wife; he ended our relationship, saying that I needed to give Drake a chance. I can hardly look at Drake without feeling super guilty. I tried to be a good girlfriend to him, but I can't when another has my heart.
It’s been almost two months since the last time I was at the Palace. Drake and I were walking down the hall, and there he was looking all good. It looked as if Liam had been working out more or something. He stood with a dark headed woman named Riley, Drake told me as we approached them, whom I avoided speaking to. It seemed as if time had stopped. I couldn't breathe.
"Please, can someone get me some water?'' She said just before passing out.
Drake went to fetch the beverage, while Liam stayed with Aliania. He asked Riley to get Bastien.
"Aliania are you okay?”
"Thanks but I got it. Enjoy your little date."
"We need to talk, meet me in our room later? Please, Aliania.” before she could answer Riley and Bastien emerged.
"Are you okay Ms. Perez?" Bastien asked
"Yes, I think I just need something to drink, although I haven't eaten anything today. Oh, there's Drake now."
"Sorry it took so long, I got you something to eat and drink. I know you, Perez; when you are stressed you don't eat.”
Liam let Drake take over, after all she was Drake's girlfriend. He got up and walked over to Riley, wrapping his arm around her. My blood was boiling, I closed my eyes so I wouldn’t see them
Drake and I made our way to his room, where I laid down for a while after I ate the food he got me; when I woke up, at 9pm, Drake was watching me sleep.
"Oh my God, Drake! I slept from 3pm until now?" Omg Liam, he probably thought I stood him up.
"I need some fresh air, I'm going for a walk. "
"After your episode today do you really think that's a great idea?"
"I'm okay."
"I can come with you." She placed her hand on his arm."
"Drake baby, while you’ve been amazing today, I just need some space please don't take it personally. "
------
I wandered down the hall, and as I reached the east hall, I took a deep breath as I got closer to the door. I opened it, and there Liam sat shirtless, I must say he looked so sexy his muscles were more tone then before.
"Hey, my love, I didn't think you'd come. We need to talk.” He was wearing my favorite Creed cologne, while smooth jazz played softy in the background .
"Are you okay? Or did you just want get me away from Riley? He smirked
"I am okay as long as I got the job done, she's not really into you.
"How do you know she's not?"
"I'm pretty sure the way she looked at Drake when he returned says it all."
"Really? So you're not just jealous over her liking Drake?"
"I'm not, because I love you and only you."
"Can you stay with me tonight?" I haven't been able to touch you in almost two months! Please stay? I need you."
"I will, I miss you so much, let me just text Drake and tell him I went home."
________________
Riley sent Liam another text but still no response
She made it down to bar to see Hana and Maxwell already there.
It was late, and Drake found himself at the bar. Not alone; Riley and Maxwell and Hana were all there. Drake smiled a greeting to the others, feeling happy he had a chance to see Riley again
"So, where's Li?”
"I'm not sure,he's not answering my calls or text.
"So no Aliania tonight?" Max asked.
"She went home."
"Are you sure?" Max asked
"Beaumont, what do you mean?"
"I saw her car outside, that's all."
Maybe she took a cab." He didn't say anything to the others. but he had a feeling that his girlfriend was lying about something.
He tapped her a quick text
_______________
"You like what you see?" Liam asked with a chuckle. "That's the third time you’ve looked at me like that."
"Well I must admit, you looking damn good." She smiled.
"Honestly, I been hitting the gym extra hard for last few weeks now." I try my best not to think of you and Drake and no matter how hard I try,all I see is him touching you and doing other things and it drives me crazy. "
"Honestly we only been together once since the last two months, I ended up stopping him right in the middle, you had announced that your looking for a wife, I had to really process this
"I love you too, but are you sure? I mean, I know you don't want to ruin my relationship with him, but I made this bed. I gave in to loving you, so I must face the consequences of losing my best friend."
"I believe he'll be mad, but there is a certain person who can pull him through, I'm telling you Riley really likes him, she likes you but it's not the same as Drake."
" It's okay, I don't have feelings for Riley meeting her in NY, I mean for most part it was to try to get over you, I didn't know Maxwell would convince her to come here."
"You really have no feelings for her?
"Aliania my love, honestly I only have eyes for you, I know what's expected of me but I don't know if I can do it if your not by my side.
"We've been here for over an hour. I'm hungry, how about you?"He asked.
"I could eat something. I want scallops, roasted potatoes, and mixed greens”. He looked up at her and smiled.” What? I didn't eat much today."
Someone brought the food up.
Riley watched from a corner of the hallway.
She remembered when Maxwell gave a tour, he said no one stayed in that wing of the Palace, but she was curious to whom was using it. Making sure no one was around, she pressed her ear to the door; she made out Liam's voice, but she barely heard the female's voice. Riley hung around the doorway for about 20 minutes until she saw a guard walking the wing’s hallway. He asked her what she was doing there.
She replied she had gotten lost, which wasn’t a total lie. When the guard led her to her room, she saw Drake was knocking on her door.
________
"There you are Brooks, don't tell me you got lost again. Well, you'll learn.”
"Yeah, I was for a minute, but Spencer showed me the way.Thank you Spencer."
"So do you want to go get some real food? I heard a new American restaurant just opened up in the Square. It’s called Wayne's Chicken and Waffles.
"Sure,I’d love to. I really haven't ate much, because a certain someone stood me up for dinner." He won't even answer my calls or texts."
"It's something you might need to get used to; I mean, if you marry him he is the king and gets very busy at times."
"Do you think he's seeing someone?"
"Why would you ask such a thing?"
"It might be my imagination, but he seems kinda distracted. I don't have his full attention."
It crossed her mind when he changed. Liam was getting to know her, but today he cut their date short as soon as Aliania came around. But that couldn’t be the reason because Aliania was with Drake.
How could she choose him over Drake? Riley thought.
She and Drake ate, then went to the beer garden where they spotted Maxwell with a female.
"Drake, can we speak?" Max asked
"What's up, Beaumont?"
"What the hell do you think you're doing with little Blossom?
"What? We’re just friends, nothing more."
"Are you sure? I believe she likes you. I caught her checking you out the other day."
Drake tried not to look excited about Riley checking him out.
"Beaumont why don’t you and your date join us, you'll see for yourself nothing is going on. "
------
After a delicious dinner, Liam and Aliania watched a movie before falling asleep. Aliania woke up around 2am. Liam had been watching her sleep for about an hour, sitting in a chair next to the bed. "Hey, why are you over there?"
"Just watching the most beautiful woman in the world sleep.I couldn't sleep with so much on my mind lately, especially you my love."
She smiled. "You've been on my mind as well. I can't stop thinking about you, no matter how hard I try. I had a dream that you married someone who wouldn't let you see any of your friends. This lady was so evil towards you. Drake woke me, saying I was cursing in my sleep. Don’t look at me like that, we didn't sleep together. He just thought I would sleep if he was there, and I did for a minute but after he woke me I couldn't go back.For weeks now this social season has been bothering me."
"I'm sorry to worry you, it's just I need to marry and have an heir; it would fulfill my duties, but what I feel for you is not just a duty, I'm actually in love with you." You consume my every thought. "Enough about that, let's focus the rest of our night on us."
Come here my love?" I miss everything about you, no other can compare."
She sat in his lap, and he wrapped his arms around her while caressing her breast. He moved his mouth, kissing her neck and nibbling her earlobes a whimper escape her, he continued to get her worked up, She felt her body relax under his touch. He scooped her up and took her to bed. Her eyes closed as he dipped between her legs.
It had been almost two long months of not touching her, seeing her; he wanted to make her never want anyone else but him. He worked his tongue before inserting his finger deep inside of her; he worked his finger making her come multiple times.
He knew what he was doing.
He smiled as she came a fourth time.
"Shit, Liam! You are an amazing lover. I want to taste you, please?"
Aliania wrapped her lips around him, stroking him up and down. She loved satisfying the man she loved. Liam looked in her eyes as she took him all in.
He was now ready.
He pulled her up and flipped her over, licking her from the back before he slipped inside. "Damn baby, you're so wet and you feel so good."
"Yes, my king! Oh yes! I missed you too.”
He had her lay on her back as he entered from the side. She loved every inch of him.
He pulled out and rolled off the condom. " I want to feel you, If that’s okay. I have another condom if you say no.”
"Yes, My king she said almostout of breath. I've been wanting to feel you.”
He slipped back in and she wrapped her legs around him. He pulled himself into standing position while holding Aliania in place,he could feel himself getting harder, he started lifting her up and down they both could feel every inch of each other, she closed her as his movement because more rapid and faster, he was definitely in the zone, she tried to protest saying she was too heavy, but he just laughed." My love, do you know I lift weights heavier than you? He said a little out of breath.
He walked the room while pumping inside her a few more times before he could feel his own release coming, Both collapsed on the bed after Liam laid her down. After all, Liam was 6'4 and she was only 5"3.
"That was incredible." Liam praised.
"Yes, my king it was."
"My love, please don't feel guilty. I can tell you that you do."
"Sorry, but I can't help it, my king. I mean, what we're doing is not right yet we can't stay away from each other.You can't stand to see me with him, and I can't stand to see you with any other woman. We need to tell him because I want to just be yours."
"I'm only yours, my love. I've tried to move forward, but as long as you're around I don't see that happening. I only see us getting married, us having children, us together forever."
—---
Riley and Drake returned about 4 am, both tipsy but not too drunk. Once they got to Riley's room, she stood for a minute.
"Thank you, Drake. My date abandoned me, and you came to my rescue. I know at first you hated me, but I hope we're good now."
"Brooks, why do you believe I hated you?”
"Well you're so mean sometimes Drake, I just assumed.”
"Look Brooks, I'm sorry if I made you feel any kind of way. I had to get to know you first. See, the world I lived in for all my life wasn't the best, so my walls are always up.”
She took Drake's hand. "Please don’t get mad at what I'm about to say?"
"What's that?"
"Ali doesn't deserve you, she's not good for you. How could she have a man as incredible as you, and not value you." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.
" But you just met her, Riley. You don't know her."
"I don't need to know her.I know plenty of women like her, and she doesn't deserve you.”
Riley stood on her tiptoes and kissed Drake; he pulled back. "Brooks, you know I have a girlfriend."
She let out a sigh. "I know, but I can't help how I'm starting to feel for you. I mean I've tried to fight my attraction to you, I've tried giving Liam a real chance. But honestly, his heart is somewhere else. It seems like he forces himself to spend time with me."
"Brooks, what are you talking about?"
"Well Liam is sweet, but he only kisses me on the cheek. I went to kiss him and he pushed me away, like he’s keeping me at arm's length because he's waiting on someone better to come along. He's canceled a lot of dates he's planned with me. It's like he's sabotaging finding a wife."
"Interesting, Brooks. Li is usually a smooth operator."
Drake laughed out loud. “Look, it's almost 5; I’d better be going. Get some rest okay?”
"Okay, I will and thank you for a good time. I wish we could have gone further." She winked before disappearing into her roo.
The wheels in Drake's mind started turning: The way Perez reacted when she saw Riley with Liam; how she had been behaving the last month. She had definitely been keeping him at arm's length. Since Liam’s announcement two months ago, Perez hardly wanted to be bothered.
He found himself at Liam’s door. Drake knew Liam got up around 5am, but no answer. He was still standing in front of the door when the maid arrived to do her morning cleaning.
"Good morning Estelle?" "Is Li having a meeting this morning?”
"I'm not sure, Mr. Walker. His Majesty did not stay here last night; I came earlier and his bed was not slept in.I just went to get a few things; since His Majesty is not here, we will deep clean his quarters.”
"Oh okay, I'll let you get to it."
It didn't make sense, Liam not in his suite.
Riley was with me, that's the only woman he's showed any interest in.
Perez had disappeared.
Max said her car was still here. She said she took Liam asked someone to take her home after what happened earlier
That explanation came through in a text that she had sent Drake after he texted her about her car. He got to his room, and crashed down on the bed, for a few minutes before taking off his clothes. He fell asleep, forgetting to shower.
Iit was now 5:30.
Riley on the other hand, couldn't sleep. All she could think about was who Liam was with.She also thought how nice it would have been if the kiss she laid on Drake had been returned. She thought of how good Drake must be in bed.
He was so fine. She could see his ripped chest through his shirt he wore.
Riley got up and made her way to east hall; this time when she got to the room, she was in luck. That was most definitely Liam leaving the room. But, she wasn't prepared for what she saw next.
Stunned and in shock, Riley stood with her mouth open in disbelief.
Aliania came to the door with a very revealing nighty on; there was no mistaking that they were indeed involved with each other.
Author's note: hello everyone I would like to ask what Riley's next move should be?
Confront Liam or Aliania?
Confront both?
Go to Drake?
If you don't like any of those ideas please, tell me your opinion of what Riley should do next you can inbox me or leave a comment.
----
@bebepac @shewillreadyou @mom2000aggie @tessa-liam @ao719
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…Sometimes Not (Part 12)
It’s Always Been You
This is a submission for @choicesflashfics, using prompt # 1.
Title inspo: It’s Always Been You - Phil Wickham
A/N: This is an au mini series to my Always You story. Not beta’d. Please excuse any errors.
Book/Pairing: TRR; Liam x OC (Reyna)
Rating: M • Warnings: mild nsfw … some lemon zest, if you will.
Word count: 2016
Catch up here
Reyna wasn’t supposed to arrive in Cordonia until later in the evening, but after days of poking and prodding from her aunt during their week-long trip to the mountains, wanting to know what was going on between her and Liam, she finally caved. She detailed Liam’s confession of how he felt, their last conversation and how she’d tried to tell him she felt the same but how he’d been so convinced she’d fallen out of love with him over the years that he wouldn’t let her say anything, and how she’d given him her journal that was filled with three years worth of letters to him expressing what he refused to let her say out loud.
Next thing Reyna knew, Aunt Elsie — who’d always been the biggest cheerleader when it came to the two of them being together — was on the phone with an old friend of hers, cashing in what she claimed was a long overdue favor to get her on an earlier flight, cutting their trip a bit short.
When Reyna arrived in Cordonia that morning, she headed straight to the palace. The first person she ran into was Leo; he told her Liam wasn’t there, but that he was set to return that evening. She planned to wait for him, but Leo — who noticed his brother had been acting a bit oddly since his return from New York — knew Liam would probably enjoy the surprise, and insisted that she go to him; he pulled a guard aside and instructed him to take her to Valtoria.
And now, here she was.
Hovering in the doorway of the master suite inside the estate, Reyna stared at Liam; he was seated on the bed, hunched over with the palm of one hand pressed against his temple to prop his head up, shielding his face from her view. His other hand gripped the top of her journal to keep it open as he read what appeared to be the last page.
Hearing his breath hitch, Reyna’s brows rounded in concern. “Liam?”
When he lifted his red-rimmed gaze and Reyna saw his tear-stained face, she felt her chest tighten as she took a tentative step over the threshold. His brows knit and more tears started to fall as he stared at her for a heartbeat, and in the next, he was standing and moving towards her.
Liam’s arms wrapped tightly around Reyna and she instinctively returned the embrace; his wet cheek pressed against hers as he tightened his hold. His whole body was taut and his shoulders shook as he silently cried.
“Liam …”
“I’m sorry,” he choked out. “I should’ve listened. And I’m … I’m so sorry, Rey.”
Reyna closed her eyes against the sting in them as he held her even tighter. She drew back just enough to look at him, needing to slightly arch because his hold on her wouldn’t loosen. Shifting her arms from around his neck, she cupped his face in her hands, gently brushing away the tears from his cheeks before they were replaced by more. She held his misty blue-eyed gaze for a moment as her own tears started to fall. “Now you understand,” she said, and his chin trembled as he nodded. “I never stopped loving you, Liam. Not for one single day.”
Hearing her words, Liam felt his heart — which was beating so hard in his chest he swore she could both hear and feel it — swell, and every heartachingly, longing-filled word he’d read in that journal filled his head again. All this time … the three years they were apart and even in the last year since they reunited … she had loved him through it all.
With her hands still cupping his face, she tilted hers toward him. She brushed her thumb against his bottom lip before drawing him to her, closing the scant distance between them when she pressed her lips to his. He sighed into the kiss, tasting the salt from both their tears as an otherworldly force pulsed through him.
It was like a long-missing piece had finally returned and locked itself into place right where it belonged. It felt like home — she felt like home.
And for the first time in years, he felt whole.
“I love you, Liam,” Reyna whispered against his lips; she barely got his name out before he kissed her again.
Hearing her say those three words again after so long awoke something inside Liam that he wasn’t sure he’d ever feel again. “I love you, too.” He kissed her again. “I’ve always loved you.” Another kiss. “And I always will.”
Liam kissed her again, and when her lips parted against his, a rush of air escaped him and his body shuddered when his tongue met hers. Keeping his one arm wrapped tightly around her waist, his free hand came up, sliding across her cheek and into her hair until it curled around the nape of her neck as he deepened the kiss. It was all-consuming, stealing the very breath from his lungs.
When Liam heard a whisper of a moan slip from her lips, something inside him snapped at the sound, his usual ability to keep himself controlled shredding at the seams. His hands dropped to the hem of her shirt and he was lifting it a heartbeat later, only breaking the kiss to pull it over her head, and as he did, she was tugging at his. He took the cue, reaching back with one hand to pull it off, and dropping it to the floor as his lips found hers again.
Wrapping one arm around her, Liam spun her away from the door, swinging his other arm out and closing it before effortlessly lifting her; her legs wrapped around him as he carried her toward the bed.
There was a tangle of arms and hands as they stripped one another of their remaining clothing between passion-filled kisses and their hands exploring each newly exposed area of skin.
With the rest of their clothes now strewn haphazardly on the floor, Liam finally drew back to take in her bare body beneath him. The years of painful longing — of wishing for just a single kiss, touch … even a mere word — came to a halt. He had no more reasons to wish, to yearn for her. She was there. They were together. And he knew it was going to be different because there was nothing standing in their way this time.
It was going to last.
It was going to be forever.
Liam slowly skimmed a hand along the curve of her body, pausing on her thigh as his gaze shifted back up to hers. “Say it again,” he whispered.
Reyna softly smiled. “I love you.”
A breath fell from her lips as they parted when she felt Liam’s hand slip between them and a finger slide against her. When he felt how ready she was, an impatient groan escaped him; he had every intention of savoring every part of her later, but at that moment, he needed to feel all of her.
In the next moment, Reyna gasped followed by a moan when she felt him filling her; Liam slowly pushed home inch by inch until he was buried to the hilt. He dropped his head to her shoulder as a moan rumbled from deep within his chest at the feeling of being wrapped around her again.
Another moment later, Liam lifted his head when he felt her fingers lace with his, and his eyes searched hers as he began to move. “You’re mine,” he whispered with a thrust of his hips, the words spoken with a hint of question behind them.
“I’m yours,” Reyna assured him. “I’ve always been yours, Liam.”
Another moan escaped him, in part from her words, in part from the way she took him even deeper when her legs wrapped around him. He found her lips again with another thrust as her hands curled around his neck and into his hair. “I’ve only ever been yours,” he whispered.
Liam drew out each stroke, prolonging the moment as long as he could until they were panting between impassioned kisses and moans, both on the edge of release.
When he picked up his pace, Reyna clung to him, and Liam didn’t relent until her back arched off the bed and his name dripped from her lips in a mantra of breathy moans. He followed a moment later, a gravelly groan ripping from his throat and his entire body going taut as he dropped his head to the crook of her neck.
After several long moments, as they both still trembled and tried to catch their breath, Liam lifted his gaze to hers; Reyna brushed a few stray locks of his tousled hair away from his forehead before she lifted her head to press a soft kiss to it, then to the bridge of his nose, then to his lips. He returned the kiss, savoring the slow curl of her tongue against his.
“I love you,” Liam whispered when they parted for a breath. “I love you so damn much, Rey.”
A sated, heartwarming smile curled on Reyna’s lips. “I love you, too.”
****
A while later, Liam and Reyna lay curled up in the bed; his arm was wrapped around her as he stroked his fingers idly along the length of her spine and their limbs were tangled beneath the sheets. Neither was in any rush to leave the other’s embrace.
Liam’s gaze shifted down to where her head rested on his chest; her fingertip traced lazy shapes against his skin as she stared off, seemingly in deep thought. “What are you thinking about?”
“You,” Reyna answered with a sigh before tilting her head back to look at him. “You and this and … us.”
“What about it?” Liam asked as he gently swept a few wisps of hair off her cheek.
“How we’re going to make this work. Because I don’t …” Reyna dropped his gaze, biting her lip somewhat self-consciously. “I don’t want to be without you anymore, Liam. I want to be wherever you are.”
Liam’s thumb scooped beneath her chin and tilted her gaze back to his. He searched her eyes for a moment before capturing her lips in his as he shifted, guiding her back against the mattress. He wanted that, too. After spending so long apart and knowing what he knew now after reading the letters inside that journal, he didn’t want to be without her. Not ever again.
And he had but one thought at that moment.
When he drew back, Liam’s thumb softly stroked her cheek, staring at her with nothing but unadulterated adoration. “Then marry me …”
“What?” Reyna gasped as her eyes widened. “Liam, we … we just got back on track. Hell, we’ve only been on track for like … an hour.”
“Rey … had the past gone differently, I have no doubts that I would have already taken that leap with you, but … things didn’t turn out that way. Yet, in all the time we were apart, nothing about our feelings — about the love we have for each other — changed. I don’t want to be without you either because we’ve spent long enough apart.” Liam was silent for a few moments as she took in his words. “You love me?”
“More than anything,” Reyna answered without hesitation.
“And I love you. That’s all that matters.” The pad of Liam’s thumb brushed over her lips. “I told you four years ago in Applewood that you were it for me, and those words are as true today as they were back then. It’s always been you and it will always be you. There is no one else I want to be with … to spend my life with … than you, Rey. And there never will be.” She took in a breath … and then smiled as she held his blue-eyed gaze. He smiled in return as he leaned down, grazing his lips against hers. “Say yes,” he whispered. “Say you’ll marry me …”
***************************************
Perma Tags (if you’d like to be added or removed for this story, please let me know): @zaffrenotes @cocomaxley @emichelle @sweetest-marbear @indiacater @gibbles82 @the-soot-sprite @esmckenzie @dcbbw @burnsoslow @deb-1106 @bbrandy2002 @charlotteg234 @neotericthemis @foreverethereal123 @choiceskatie @sirbeepsalot @gnatbrain @openheart12 @sincerelyella @superharriet @queenrileyrose @aestheticartsx @kingliam2019 @indiana-jr @bascmve01 @rainbowsinthestorm @emkay512 @marshmallowsaremyfavorite @forallthatitsworth @walker7519 @iaminlovewithtrr @amandablink @mainstreetreader @mom2000aggie @princessleac1 @21-wishes @appleone @tessa-liam @pixelatedpassion @malblk21 @queen-arabella-of-cordonia @lovingchoices14 @nestledonthaveone @forthebrokenheartedthings @nomadics-stuff @differenttyphoonwerewolf
#the royal romance#trr#choices the royal romance#choices trr#liam rys#king liam rys#liam x oc#trr liam x oc#choices liam x oc#king liam x oc#trr liam#king liam#trr fanfic#trr fanfiction#trr fan fic#trr au#trr au fanfic#choicesflashfics#cfwc fics of the week#slight ns*fw
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Cinderfella's Adventures in Cordonia - Chapter Twenty-Two
An AU of The Royal Romance with a male MC and a bisexual prince.
Masterlist
Callum and Liam battle it out and Drake chooses a side.
“Drake, I want you to consider moving to New York after Liam’s wedding. To moving in with me. To being with me. Only me,” Callum says calmly, speaking to Drake but staring directly at Liam.
********************************************
A crimson flush creeps up Liam’s neck and he scowls at me. “You cannot possibly be -”
“Ok.”
Liam whips around to face Drake. “What?”
I can’t help the smirk that creeps across my face at Liam’s outrage.
“I think that maybe Callum is right,” Drake says, taking a deep, calming breath. “You’re going to be starting a new life with Madeline, and you’ll eventually be having kids… so maybe it’s time for me to start putting myself first. Doing what’s best for me.”
“And you think Callum is what’s best for you?” Liam demands.
Drake meets his gaze head-on. “Callum puts me first. I would have a future with him, a real one, with a family and kids and little league and not having to hide. With Callum I would finally be enough. So yeah… maybe he is what’s best for me.”
Liam’s outrage is palpable, so thick in that air that I can practically taste it. And it is fucking delicious.
He clocks my grin and scowls at me. “You’re loving this, aren’t you? Driving a wedge between me and Drake? Forcing him to choose between us?”
I rock back on my heels and snicker. “I’m harder than astrophysics right now darlin’, can’t lie.”
“You are such a bastard,” Liam hisses, slamming his palms onto the countertop.
“Ooh… let it all out Your Majesty; tell the class how you really feel.” I can feel my grin turn a little sharper and my eyes narrow. This fight has been a long time coming and I’m more than ready.
“You have always been selfish,” Liam spits out. “Never willing to compromise, never willing to give an inch because you were always convinced you knew best. All you had to do was swallow a little bit of your pride, but you clearly didn’t care about me enough to make even the most basic sacrifices - ”
I bark out an incredulous laugh. “You, you of all people, are going to try and lecture me about sacrifices? About compromise and caring enough? You spoiled little shit; when have you ever sacrificed anything in your entire life? Tell me two things you have ever sacrificed for me and Drake? Go on, I’ll wait while you think.”
Drake gaze flicks worriedly between us. “Maybe we should take a time out and get some rest before we get into all this,” he says soothingly.
“I have greater worries than mere feelings; a literal country depends on the choice of my future spouse,” Liam says, talking over him.
“Don’t try to make this about Cordonia,” I scoff. “This is about Constantine and what he wants. You would be a perfectly capable king no matter who you married.”
“Given your gene pool I understand that you probably don’t know what it feels like to have an accomplished father with high expectations - ”
“Keep talking and I’m gonna punch you in the fucking mouth,” I warn him.
Liam rolls his eyes. “Charming. I don’t know what I thought it would be like to finally be back with you again, but the more time we spend together make me think that whatever relationship we had before was a mistake.”
The barb stings, working it’s way into my heart like an insidious shard of glass. “Get out of my house,” I say quietly.
“Callum,” Liam says, taking a hesitant step towards me.
“I said get the fuck out of my house!” I scream, my eyes burning with the tears I refuse to let fall.
Not in front of him. Never again.
“Fine.” Liam stalks towards the door, stuttering to a stop when he realizes Drake isn’t behind him. “Drake?”
Drake moves next to me, taking my shaking hand in a show of solidarity and support. “I’m staying with Callum,” he says quietly.
Liam clenches his jaw, his fury evident. He turns his back on us and storms out, slamming the door behind him.
Drake winds his arms around my waist and rests his forehead against my shoulder. “I got you,” he whispers. “I got you.”
#pixelberry#choices#pb choices#choices fanfic#choices game#choices stories you play#choices stories we play#choices fandom#choices fic writers creations#the royal romance bertrand#the royal romance liam#choices the royal romance#the royal romance mc#the royal romance drake#the royal romance hana#trr maxwell#trr fanfic#choices trr#trr drake#trr#trr liam#liam rys#hana lee#the royal romance#drake walker#trr mc#trr au#trr oc#trr mc x liam#trr mc x drake
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The Royal Romance (OC)
Name: Eloise Park
Age: 24
Pronouns: She/Her
LI: Hana
Hobbies: Dancing, Reading, Playing Piano, Painting
Eloise is the sixth child of the Park clan. Though she’s somewhat of a middle child, she definitely wasn’t lost in the shuffle. Similar in personality, temperament, as well as having similar interests to her grandparent and one of her mothers, she was doted on as much as if she were a youngest child.
Eloise is prim, proper, and loves all things pretty. As a child, she was probably a bit overdressed for school, but she loves wearing fancy dresses. She’s also a voracious reader and learned to read at age four. She started piano and dance lessons not too long after. When she was in high school, she began taking ballroom dancing lessons.
Eloise also learned a lot of proper royal etiquette from her grandparent. While not born into nobility themself, they did grow up as a member of a wealthy British family before coming to America. In a lot of ways, Eloise was more prepared to be part of the social season than her friend Elaine. In fact she ended up helping Elaine out when she could (so that job wouldn’t fall solely on Hana).
Instead, she ended up following her to Cordonia because to Eloise the whole premise of her supposedly meeting a prince and a random noble offering to sponsor her seemed super sketchy, and she wanted to make sure her friend wasn’t getting into something more dangerous.
Due to her grandparent’s family having a long history and being widely spread through both Europe and the states, Eloise claimed to be a part of that family, and it was enough to allow her to travel along with the rest of the nobles. Of course Elaine, Liam, Hana, Maxwell, and Drake knew the truth, but they promised not reveal her secret. She was very upfront with all of them. She was also quite upfront about not trying to win Liam’s hand. As a lesbian, she had no interest.
Eloise was not a fan of most of the other ladies at court, especially after what happened at the coronation, and though they knew of her dislike of them, she maintained a civil and polite relationship in public. In private, she avoided them. Out of everyone, she really only respected and got along with Kiara. She admires Kiara’s ambition. Eloise also knows French, and she and Kiara had a bit of fun having conversations in it when they wanted to speak in private. Eloise is wary of Olivia, and outright disgusted by Madeleine’s treatment of Hana. She was indifferent towards Penelope until she learned that she was part of the plot against Elaine.
What Eloise didn’t expect was to fall in love during her time in Cordonia. She was immediately attracted to Hana, but she wasn’t sure if Hana felt the same way. She also knew all the pressure Hana was under from her parents to win Liam’s hand, so she decided not to push things and was happy to befriend her.
Eloise also was able to quickly figure out that there was a lot more to how Hana’s parents treated her than she was letting on. The isolation, the abuse, being forced to earn their affection all reminded her of how her grandfather described his upbringing before he was disowned from his family. Eloise wanted to help Hana to get out of her bad situation, but she also knew it wasn’t easy. She just let Hana know she was there for her if she wanted to vent, cry, or just escape her problems for a while. While she was glad Elaine encouraged Hana to stand up to her parents, she also knew that could make abusive situations worse.
Spending time with Hana, she realized they had a lot in common. Both had a love of reading, flowers, and playing the piano. At Olivia’s estate after Hana played for her, Eloise played a song for Hana. The two of them spent the rest of the night laughing and playing together. They became very close during the social season and spent time swapping book recommendations, talking about music, watching shows together (there was so much Hana had never seen, and Eloise was the one who showed her some of the dance movies/competition shows she mentioned studying when she had her dance battle with Maxwell). They talked about their hopes and dreams and everything in between.
There were little romantic moments shared between the two. Some handholding, gentle reassuring touches here and there, and they even waltzed together a few times. Nothing had progressed very far until Hana was forced to leave at the end of the season. After sharing their first kiss together, and having such a heartfelt confession of their feelings, Eloise was determined she’d see Hana again. She almost flew to Shanghai, afraid that Hana’s parents wouldn’t let her come back to be one of Madeleine’s ladies in waiting.
The two continued to grow closer and spent even more time together during the engagement tour. Eloise became very protective towards Hana and kept a close eye on her, especially after Madeleine admitted to wanting to “break her” (Eloise came very close to slapping her to wipe that smirk off her face), and after Hana’s falling out with her father. She spent time with Hana trying to find a place for her to stay and helping her think about what she truly wanted from life.
Hana and Eloise both decided to move to Castelsarreillan and eventually moved in together. The two became engaged during the Unity Tour and were married about a year later. Hana and Eloise meet with Kiara often since they live nearby, and travel to the capital to see their friends there. They sometimes go to visit Eloise’s family, and sometimes her family comes to them. Hana still has a very rocky relationship with her parents, and she’s taking the time to heal. She occasionally will call or visit her father, but it’s on her terms. Hana isn’t quite sure if her relationship with her mother is something she wants to continue.
Hana and Eloise enjoy a happy and quiet life, Hana working at a library and Eloise teaching dance lessons to children. They both also teach piano on the side. They plan on having at least two children, as they each want to experience pregnancy, but they could expand their family beyond that.
A few more random facts:
Hana was Eloise’s first everything. She was really glad she didn’t have to say anything about her first kiss because she hadn’t had one yet. Though Eloise had several crushes growing up, she never acted on her feelings.
Since Eloise grew up with several other lgbtq+ family and friends and lived in a generally very accepting community, she came to terms with and became comfortable with her sexuality pretty early on. Once Hana felt more comfortable admitting she was also interested in women (I headcannon her as bisexual), Eloise was there to support her and answer any questions she might have.
The night of the coronation, Eloise painted a portrait of Hana as something to remember her by during their time apart.
Like most of her family, Eloise is a big cat person.
Eloise can speak English, Spanish, French, and also knows a little bit of Latin.
On rainy days, Eloise and Hana like to snuggle together under a blanket and read.
Eloise’s family was very worried about her with everything that happened in Cordonia, but since she’s rather stubborn, she insisted on staying to help her friends. That didn’t keep them from calling her daily to check on her.
#the royal romance#character profile#c: eloise#hana x eloise#this one got a bit out of hand because I wanted to start including all the moments I’d rewrite from trr#and the moments I’d give to hana and Eloise#instead of hana and Elaine (my mc and Liam li)#I also feel like I still left some stuff out#another one I could ramble for days about#almost tempted to have an oc for Kiara because I love her
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Stay
Chapter 2: "Ten Feet Under and Upside-Down"
Catch up here!
Word Count: ~6835 (I apologize; it's a long one)
Series Summary: With her family facing deportation back to Auvernal, fun-spirited Reid Ambrose quits college to support her family. But as fate would have it, she accepts a temporary job as a caregiver for the royal family, an experience that will challenge her, break her, and devastate her world in the most exciting of ways.
Chapter Summary: An old face returns to Cordonia to work for the royal family. But even after almost a decade away, not much has changed, and he's more miserable than ever.
Series Warning: ⛔ Please Be Advised: 18+ Only ⛔This series will contain mature material, including foul language, NSFW 🍋, discussion/depictions of war, violence, gun violence, assassination attempts; medical situations, including major character injuries; ethical dilemmas including euthanasia & bodily autonomy; mental health, including depression, PTSD, suicide
Series Music Inspo: “Awake” by Secondhand Serenade
Chapter Music Inspo: "Storm" by Lifehouse
AN: Majority of these characters and some plots belong to our friends at Pixelberry. Special thanks to my amazing friend @kat-tia801 for prereading, and my sweet friend @ao719 for helping me dial-up a scene as well as pre-reading it. Also, you will recognize some items from canon; other items may be completely contradictory to canon. Just got with it, and enjoy the story. 😊
~🖤~
Present (as a reminder: 3 years after Leo's tragic birthday party)
Coasting into the assigned parking spot at his apartment complex, Drake Walker haphazardly downshifts his truck before ripping the keys out of the ignition. All the lights seem to be out in his place, which will work in his favor for a possibly quiet night at home. No talking, especially no arguing. Hopefully with his quick maneuvering, the rumble of his old pick-up won’t disturb his wife and son from their sleep.
Fuck. It did. A lamp in the master bedroom flickers on, a glow illuminating through the window.
Drake lays his exhausted head on the steering wheel, unsure if he should turn back around and go back to his job and stay the night there. At least then he wouldn't have to hide himself, hide his emotions from his bride, pretend to be the man he promised her he would be.
Jodi doesn't deserve this. Any of this. The silent treatment. The avoidance. The denial of connection. She's too faithful, too fucking loving for her own good. Truth be told, her gentle answers, loving support, and abundant encouragement are the reasons Drake has been so successful both in college and starting his career as a physical therapist.
Why was he shutting down on her now?
It all started about six months ago, when Drake found the crown prince of Cordonia wandering on their front porch of their newly-built Texas home.
“Leo?” Drake cocked his head, furrowing his eyebrows in disbelief. He hadn’t seen the tall blond since the aftermath of his birthday party almost three years ago.
“Walker!” he extended his hand, striding widely to greet the commoner. “Long time no see, brother!”
Brother? Drake eyes the prince’s outstretched arm before hesitantly gripping it. Taking in Leo’s appearance, he notices a thick file folder under his arm, filled with what looked like a stack of disjointed documents with tabs and post-it notes.
“Jesus Christ, Texas is fucking hot,” Leo chuckled, dabbing his forehead, but his perfect pearly white smile remained on Drake. “Beautiful place you got here.”
Always the charmer. “Yeah,” Drake shifted his gaze to the screen door, seeing a curious Jodi with their son Finn on her hip. He gave her a nod with the notion that everything was okay before turning back to his visitor. “Listen, Leo…” he clapped his hands, “um, what are you doing here?”
Leo snickered. “Straight to the point as always, Walker. Is there some place we can talk?”
“Right here is just fine,” Drake fired back quickly, not trusting the future king’s intentions. He folded his arms, leaning a shoulder against a wooden post.
“On behalf of the Cordonian royal family, we’d like to hire you.”
Leo had offered Drake a full-time job to be the prince’s personal physical therapist. This, of course, made the commoner scoff, making it clear that he would never cross onto Cordonian soil again. Not for anyone, not even him. But when he stormed inside, he was stopped by Jodi who had been listening.
“He traveled halfway around the world, Drake Walker,” she quietly scolded, “at least talk to him. We’re talking about your old stomping grounds, your family… I know they treated you like shit, but… at least hear him out. Maybe it’s time to bury the hatchet, you know? Let go of your bitterness.”
“Jo… I don’t know.”
“Think of the good example you’ll be setting for Finn,” she smiled, batting her puppy-dog eyes.
Fuck, she was good.
Luckily Leo hadn’t retreated too far away from their land. Drake waved down his driver, and then invited Leo back to the house for a drink and for the opportunity to discuss his proposal. Once the crown prince was introduced to Jodi, the three of them sat down at the kitchen table while Finn took a nap on the couch.
Looking like an episode of Criminal Minds, the documents in the folder were carefully explained and spread out before the young couple’s eyes. It was a medical file, complete with lab test results, written diagnoses and prognoses by doctors, some of which were second and third opinions. Lists of medications, photographs of scarred skin, MRIs of nerve damage, degeneration and muscle atrophy: it was clear that there was a serious need.
But why him? Why Drake?
“We’ve already been through three therapists, and all of them have left us,” Leo answered somberly. “I’m not going to lie; it’s… difficult, and not just because your job is already difficult. But… he’s difficult.” Leo folded his hands on the table, mindlessly fidgeting with his thumbs. Suddenly something came over him, something more honest, something more human. “Please, Walker,” his voice shook before clearing his throat. “We… We need you.”
Drake quietly sits in the driver's seat in the stillness of the night, fidgeting with his wedding band as Leo’s words echo in his head.
We need you…
He reminisces about his childhood in Cordonia, about games of tag in the hedge maze, fishing trips out on Lake Malus, and sleepovers on the back lawn of the palace with only his sleeping bag, a flashlight and comic books.
But, along with the fond memories of his childhood came the bittersweet remembrance of his friendship with Liam. He was always there. Always–well, for the most part, at least up until the end. The prince was Drake’s confidant, his greatest support. He gave sound advice, but also knew when to sit, whether it was to listen or because Drake needed silence.
He didn’t turn his back on Drake even after he felt abandoned by his own family.
Maybe that’s why Drake finally agreed to this arrangement; maybe he felt indebted somehow to the royal family, to the memory of Liam being patiently supportive when tragedy struck. The sacrifice probably didn’t seem great to the leaders of a country, but to Drake, it was everything.
Never in a million years would Drake have guessed this would be his life, a selfless life of servitude to the royals, a miserable life putting them first before his own family. Just like his father. When he left Cordonia almost a decade ago, his decision seemed so certain, so clear, and he swore that he would never see any of these horrid people again.
He glances towards the orange glow, pouring from his bedroom window, and he worries about his marriage. The pent-up regret and festering anger has been building since the moment he stepped back onto Cordonia soil. The job was difficult, and it was near impossible to work with his ornery client. Drake returns home late every night with battle wounds on his heart.
But, tonight he suddenly feels an overwhelming sense of guilt as he watches the shadows shift against the ambient lighting. Has he been silently taking out his frustrations on his wife? He’s trying to spare her his heartache by keeping it to himself; but in doing so, is he neglecting her needs?
Damnit, my family needs me, too.
He reaches into a secret pocket of his duffle bag, and pulls out two cigarettes. Tucking one behind his ear to chainsmoke later, he lights the other one, pulling in the deep burn. He combs his fringe out of his eyes before leaning back on his head rest, exhaling his smoky breath. But still, the haunting anxiety remains.
How the fuck did we even get here?
------
9 Years ago
A sudden loud clatter jolts nineteen-year-old Drake awake from his impromptu nap. Unsure of the time or how long he has been asleep, he intently rubs his eyes with his fists before succumbing to a large, vocal yawn, stretching his sculpted arms over his head. Quickly noticing the darkness outside, he reaches for his phone and notices the time.
1:24 AM
The fuck, Liam?
Last year, the young prince started his rigorous royal training in preparation for his older brother Leo’s ascension to the Cordonian throne. Being separated from his best friend, Drake quickly made himself busy around the palace, mainly serving as a stablehand, until Liam would retire from the evening. But, with constant travels, the wearisome studies and the long diplomatic meetings, the two men discovered less and less free time to spend together. Liam was forming new bonds and new relationships with fellow dignitaries and politicians while his friendship with Drake was starving for a connection. After a few short months, they were barely texting one another.
Today is Liam’s birthday, and the two men had agreed to finally catch up with drinks at the beer garden to celebrate. Drake came home early to make himself presentable before heading over to Liam’s quarters early. He was nervous, not because he was finally going to come face-to-face with Liam, but he was anxious about talking with him. Drake had come to an important conclusion, and having Liam’s support meant the world.
When he arrived to the room, no one answered the door. The commoner let himself in with his spare key only to discover a dark room with the young prince nowhere to be found.
After leaving multiple voice messages and sending off several unopened texts, Drake contacted Lars, Liam’s personal guard.
“Walker, you know it’s against protocol for me to tell you where he is at–”
“Lars, just… c’mon,” Drake sighed, “we had plans. Tonight. I mean, maybe he forgot? Or–or maybe he thought I stood him up?” The silence on the phone spoke loud and clear, giving Drake the answer he didn’t want. “When you find a heart, tell him I was looking for him.” Ending the call, Drake slumped into a leather loveseat in Liam’s bedroom.
Sitting alone in the dimly lit room, Drake was left to his own thoughts. He remembers his mom lecturing Savannah all the time about the importance of the quality of friendships rather than the quantity of friends she claimed she had. She would say kitschy phrases, like, “Some people come into your life for a lifetime while others come into your life for a season.”
But the latter was for other people and their failed relationships; this didn’t apply to Drake and his childhood friend Liam. Right? They grew up together; they became men together. They’ve seen each other at their best and at their absolute worst. They’ve rejoiced together; they've grieved together. Liam was his ride or die.
Then why was it all of a sudden so goddamn hard to even be around each other, let alone talk to each other?
Drake rakes his fingers through his hair, finally resting his forehead in his hands as the racket continues. First, he hears keys pawing at the door, like a cat to a scratch post, followed by poorly stifled giggles and even more obnoxious hushes. Finally busts open with an unkempt, very drunk Liam with lips glued to a shapely brunette, her dress already unzipped.
Drake clears his throat, causing the couple to jump apart.
“Drake!” Liam slurs, “Just the man I was looking for!” He glides towards his best friend, patting him on the shoulder before turning his attention to the woman in the room. “I want you to meet Lady… Lady… Latvia–”
“Actually, it’s Leilani,” she kindly interrupts, “Lady Leilani of Latvia.” She offers a crooked smile to Drake while Liam plays cool, snapping his fingers and pointing to her in acknowledgement that she was correct. She stumbles forward towards the commoner with an extended hand to shake while her other arm keeps her bodice covering her chest.
Raising an eyebrow at the trainwreck in front of him before glaring at the inebriated prince, Drake raises his voice. “We need to talk, Li.”
With Leilani giving Liam a concerned look, he walks up behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist as he nuzzles his nose into her neck. “Can this wait until tomorrow?” Liam calls out, his words nasally and muffled against her skin.
Drake stands quickly with a heavy foot. “No.”
With his friend’s words shooting through him like an arrow, Liam quickly gives a sober nod. He whispers something into the young coed’s ear, causing her to giggle as he helps her back into her dress. She makes her exit, swaying her hips through the door, but not before she blows a kiss to Liam.
Liam catches the airborne kiss, touching his palm to his face as she finally exits the room. “Isn’t she something?”As he turns to face Drake, the prince is met with a cold stare, a lump suddenly forming in his throat. “Well,” Liam clears his throat as he makes himself comfortable on the side of his bed. “So, what’s up–hey! We missed you tonight, bruh” he jokes, finger-gunning towards Drake.
“‘Bruh’?” Drake scoffs. “I was here, Li… waiting for you… like we had planned.”
Liam gives him a funny look. “We did?” He shrugs off his sports coat, letting it crumple on the ground as he untucks his pale pink oxford. “Well,” the blond lays back on his bed, letting out a hefty exhale. “You should’ve joined us–”
“Are you fucking for real right now?”
���Drake, relax,” he waves his hand flippantly in the air, closing his eyes. But, when he hears a loud sigh, he sits up on his elbows with one eye open. "Wait… are you seriously mad at me? For not drinking with you? Last I checked–” Liam extends his arms above his head, allowing his head to hit the plush comforter. “It’s my birthday!”
“Fuck it,” Drake mutters, standing up to head for the door. “I’m leaving–”
“Whoa, whoa,” Liam jumps up to stop his best friend from leaving, tripping over his jacket on the way. “Seriously, dude,” Liam puts his hand to his chest as he begins to sing, “talk to me. Tell me your name–”
Drake pushes Liam out of the way, causing him to stumble to the ground.
“Whoa there, old friend,” Liam pulls himself back up. “That was kinda hard.”
“It wasn’t that hard.” Drake opens the door.
“I thought you wanted to talk,” Liam shouts, a twinge of humor in his voice.
“You’re drunk–”
“And for once,” Liam draws closer to the shaggy brunette, jabbing his finger into his chest, “you’re not!”
Drake sees red as he glares at the shell of the man that he used to consider his brother. When did he become so rude? So flippant? So careless? So… Leo? “You know what, Li?” He raises his hands in surrender, slowly stepping backwards through the door. “We’re done.” He turns on his heel and storms towards his private quarters.
“Drake? Drake, c’mon,” Liam calls out, jogging towards the commoner. He grabs him by the shoulder, turning him around. “Listen, I’m sorry. I–I'm dunk–drunk. Let’s just talk about this tomorrow–”
“No, Li. There is no more time to talk.” Drake shrugs off Liam’s hand as he returns to his pursuit. “Besides, I have a plane to catch in the morning.”
“A plane?” Liam catches up to Drake again, this time cutting in front of him. “Where–where are you going?”
"Away," he grumbles, finally reaching his room.
"Okay," Liam curiously stops, raising an eyebrow, his voice becoming softer. "When are you coming back?"
On cue, Drake unlocks his door to reveal a few packed boxes and luggage. Liam flips on an overhead light, his eyes registering the scene. He furrows his brows, as he tracks his pacing friend. Drake finally turns around, shoving his hands in his pocket before daring to look up at the prince.
"You're moving," Liam states matter-of-factly.
"To Texas," Drake finishes, eyes trained to the floor.
"But… but what about your life here–"
"What life, Liam?" Drake angrily interrupts. "I see the same three guys every day down in the stables. I eat breakfast and dinner by myself," he suddenly chokes on his words, his breath hitching as he turns away to collect himself. He looks back to Liam, his eyes reddening with the threat of tears. "I spend my free-time wondering if my fucking best friend will actually talk to me today."
"So this is my fault?" Liam shifts his weight, putting his hands on his hips. "Drake," he scoffs, "we knew this day was coming, my noble training, my duties. And this is harder, harder than I ever imagined. I’m sorry that we don’t hang out as much. But, cut me some slack."
"I have… For a long time now."
Liam looks away, his lips twisting. Every emotion flashes across his youthful, chiseled face. Confusion. Anger. Worry. Betrayal. Running a hand over his stubbled chin, he looks back at his friend.
"How do I fix this?"
Hearing the genuine desperation in Liam's voice, Drake drops his head. He rubs the back of his neck, his eyes still trained on the floor. "Li, I–"
"Just tell me. And I'll make it happen. Anything."
Drake sardonically snickers, shaking his head. "Don't you want better for me? For me to make something of myself?"
"Is it a job? Because I can get you a better job. Or we can get you into Cordonia U in the Fall–"
"Wow," Drake blows a raspberry with his lips. "Do you seriously think I need your help? That I'm incapable of creating my own life? My own future?" Fuming, Drake catches his breath. “Jesus fucking Christ, you nobles are all the same. You think you can just throw your wealth, your fucking title and get your way–”
“It never stopped you from accepting my help before.”
A dark stillness engulfs the room as the two friends stare daggers into each other. Liam crosses his arms, his physique growing rigid as he towers his extra three inches of height over denim-clad commoner. Breathing madly, Drake’s broad chest rises and falls as his hands grip into fists. They stood there for a few minutes, hurling silent insults at each other, tearing each other apart with their quiet thoughts.
Finally, Drake shakes his head in disgust, throwing up his hands before heading for the door. “I’ll send for my stuff,” he mutters under his breath as he intentionally bumps his shoulder into the prince’s arm, pushing him off balance.
Liam scoffs. He brushes off his arm as if Drake had left something dirty on him from impact. He follows him out the door to watch him walk down the main corridor.
“Like mother, like son.”
Drake spins around, his jaw tightening. He closes the space between him and Liam before launching a wrathful swing of his arm, his fist abruptly meeting a hearty crack against the prince’s chiseled face.
Liam stumbles backwards, falling to a knee as he holds his cheek. But before he can retaliate, Liam’s guard Lars quickly apprehends Drake, knocking him to the ground as he calls for reinforcements over his earpiece. With six more guards swarming the floor, Drake is picked up by his pinned arms.
“Stop!” Liam bellows, struggling to stand up. With the help of another guard, Liam steadies his gate before drawing closer to Drake, He wipes at his lip, noting the dark red crimson trickling from his mouth. He locks his eyes on his childhood friend before slowly shaking his head.
“You ungrateful bastard,” Liam growls before turning to Lars. “Show Mr. Walker out.” Liam turns on his heel, walking back to his quarters before slamming the door.
------
Present
An abrupt knocking on the glass breaks Drake’s reverie. He anxiously sits up, but his troubled heart instantly takes comfort at the sight of her, his bride, his person. It was his Jodi. Even in a ratty old SFA t-shirt and an old pair of his boxers, she was still stunning. Her hair reflects the moonlight, turning her usual golden strands into ethereal white. Her warm caramel-chocolate eyes hold the universe, Drake’s whole universe, as they sparkle and dance just for him. She delicately presses her fingertips against the pane, her heart-shaped lips offering a pleading smile. Baby, please. I’m here.
Drake furrows his brow at the sight of her. His lips can’t help but frown as the pricking of tears sting his eyes. He finally drops his head into hands, shielding his face from her view. He knew the dam that was holding back his emotions would eventually break, and his heart would bleed out as the unbearable weight on his shoulders came crashing down around him. But, he didn’t want to do this in front of Jodi, not in front of the woman that trusts him to be her rock and strength.
“Drake?” She softly calls to him. “Drake baby?” She gently taps her fingertips against the window again to get his attention, but he doesn’t answer her.
Jodi quickly rounds the truck, climbing in on the other side while shoving his duffle bag into the back of the cab. “Baby? Baby?” She slides her arms around Drake’s broad shoulders, pulling him snuggly into her embrace, resting her chin in his tousled hair. Her face etches with worry, but she’s not a fool; she knows her husband, and she knows that this–whatever this is– has been building like a cancer inside of him for a while now.
At least since they moved to Cordonia.
“I’m sorry,” Drake whispers, but Jodi quickly hushes him endearingly, combing her fingers through his hair and behind his ear. “I promised you a better life than this. I promised you a better husband than–”
“Don’t you dare talk about my husband that way, Drake Walker.” She playfully scorns, planting kisses on the crown of his head.
Drake sits up, giving his wife a half-crooked smile as he quickly dries his eyes with the heel of his hand. He then wraps a strong arm around her, pulling her to his side, their lips tenderly meeting.
Jodi reaches over, lacing her petite hand with his large fingers. Her eyes find his glassy stare, but he quickly looks away from her, clearing his throat.
She squeezes his grip before casually looking out the window. “Your mom used to say, 'He's just like Jack.'
Drake's eyes widen, turning back to his wife. "What?"
The corners of Jodi's mouth turn up as she continues. "Apparently your dad was incredibly strong. Tough. Hard-headed–"
Drake guiltily chuckles under his breath. "Sounds slightly familiar."
"And yet… very emotional. Haunted even." She looks up at her husband, their eyes locking on one another. As silence fills the truck, Jodi's attention falls to their laced fingers. Gently letting go of his hand, she begins twirling his platinum wedding ring.
"Listen, Jo–"
She holds a finger to his mouth and sweetly grins. "I love you, Drake Walker," her eyes twinkle, "just the way you are, even when you feel like being quiet and I know,” she chuckles, “I know. You have to mull things over before you can talk about them." She cups his face, gently stroking the coarse hairs of his bearded jaw. “But you married me. You don't have to shoulder the pain alone anymore. You don't have to worry about tomorrow or about decisions or about life alone anymore." Watching a tear swell and threaten to drop from his long lashes, Jodi gently rubs her thumb across his lower eyelid. "You can be quiet, that's fine. But you eventually need to talk to me, Drake. Please–" she sniffles, "don't shut me out. Don't–don't shut us out–"
"Oh, baby," Drake exhales, his arms enveloping his wife. He leans in, resting his forehead against hers as he closes his eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry… I–" he sighs, "I never meant to do this to you. All I want to do… is protect you, be a man that you are proud of–”
“Drake–”
“Jodi Walker… you are the most precious thing this life has ever given me… damnit–” his breath hitches as he presses his face intimately into her hair, "I need you. God, everyday. I need you every fucking day. More and more."
"I need you, too, baby," Jodi sweetly whispers in his ear, her voice hoarse from tears. She presses a firm kiss into his hairline, her fingers tangled tightly in his hair. “And I am proud of you.”
For the first time in almost six months, Drake suddenly understands what it means to be supported, to be heard and to be loved. It's not that his wife failed to do these things for him. But he realizes it's easy to feel comforted when he feels positive about himself and rewarded by life. He promised Jodi happiness, and he is bound and determined to ensure she always has that.
Even if that means hiding himself and his own demons.
But he had forgotten one very important detail: Jodi made the exact same promise of a happy life, to love him, and to comfort him through every curve ball thrown at them. He’s not that little boy anymore, suffering through his father’s death and mother’s abandonment alone. He has someone now, his person, his better half, his forever.
After spending some much needed time in each other's arms, whispering sentiments of love and sharing sweet kisses, the couple is interrupted by a tiny voice on the baby monitor. They both stare at the device intently, finally raising an eyebrow to one another, holding their breath as they try to decipher the message.
"Damnit! Okay! Fine. I have no idea,” Jodi confesses, throwing up her hands as a guilty expression paints across her face. “I have no fucking idea what the hell he is saying half the time."
"Shit, I thought it was just me," Drake snickers, rubbing his forehead.
Jodi slowly furrows her eyebrows. “You think he’s normal?”
“Meh,” Drake shrugs his shoulders, “I don’t think we’ve fucked him up too badly just yet–”
“Drake!” Jodi swats at her husband’s arm as he pretends to shield himself. They tumble into a fit of snickers as Drake puts his arm around her shoulders, hugging her tightly.
"Well, I better go check on him," she gives a sorrowful smile before pressing her lips to Drake one last time. "Take your time… but don't dare keep me waiting alone for too long, Mr. Walker," she winks as she begins to slide out of the truck.
Drake grabs her elbow, pulling her back to his side as their mouths meet again. A soft moan tumbles from her chest as he strokes her hair back.
"We're in this together… right, Mrs. Walker?" he kisses her nose, making her scrunch it up.
"Always."
------
By the time Drake makes it upstairs, a lone kitchen light illuminates his path in the open-concept layout of his apartment. He quietly sets his bag down next to the front door before kicking off his tennis shoes. He strips down into his white undershirt and boxer briefs, gathering his dirty scrubs to throw into the wash.
Softly padding to the kitchen to warm up some dinner, he notices a certain little 3-year-old’s upside-down handprint on a piece of construction paper. As he draws close to the craft, Drake’s smile begins to grow as the gray blob of paint begins to take the shape of an elephant, complete with a googly-eye glued near the base of the tiny thumb and his ear, toes and tail drawn on with a permanent marker, no doubt drawn on by Jodi.
To: Daddy
Drake traces the hand print, a sense of pride billowing in his chest. My boy. Feeling the tight ache in his cheeks from smiling, he glances towards Finn’s room and notices the door is ajar, his night light pouring through the crack out into the hallway. He quietly moseys to his son’s room, peering in to see his son, sleeping soundly with his chestnut strands sprawled out carelessly on his pillow. With a secure grip on a toy firetruck, the young child’s arm is relaxed over his head while the thumb of his other hand is tucked barely into the waistband of his dinosaur underwear.
Drake chuckles to himself, admiring the adorable vision when he suddenly looks down, noticing that he had his own thumb tucked into the waistband of his boxers.
And it hits him: what else am I unknowingly teaching him?
Drake has fond memories of his father: camping, fishing, learning how to tie a tie, grilling the perfect steak, tuning up a car. But one thing he doesn’t like to think about are the times his father wasn’t there–especially since those times outnumber the moments he was present.
And it was all for the sake of the job. Drake remembers phone calls in the middle of the night, impromptu international trips, interrupted holidays. And then when his dad was home, he wasn’t always present with them. Often times, his mother would shoo Drake and his younger sister away to allow for Jackson to rest by the fire with a bottle of scotch in his hands.
But Drake has nothing, but admiration and gratefulness for his dad, for all of the good times, the life lessons and pep talks. Because of the early, pleasant experiences, Drake always imagined raising his children the exact same way.
Only now that he’s in Cordonia, he’s not.
But that stops tonight.
Drake tenderly picks up his son, Finn’s head instantly nuzzling back to sleep on his dad’s shoulder, gripping tightly to his shirt. He knew that Jodi was probably going to kill him for getting the little one out of his bed, but at this moment, holding their boy, reminding him that Daddy is always there seems more important.
Drake strolls into his bedroom with a snoozing Finn in his arms, wrapped up with his patch-work blankie. With her eyes growing heavy, Jodi is mindlessly scrolling through TikTok in the dark when she hears her husband’s heavy steps. She sits up on her elbow, and then notices her son.
“Drake?” She turns on a lamp, slowly sitting up in bed. “What are you doing? Is he okay—?”
“Yeah,” Drake looks down at his son, nestled in his arms, “everything is perfect now.”
------
The next morning, Drake feels renewed, like shackles have been broken off of his hands and feet, setting him free. There’s no sense of dread or anxiety. He doesn't feel agonizing guilt or slithering voices of self-loathing. Rather, he's at peace; he's comforted. He has a swelling of confidence in his chest and a new lease of determination in his soul. And when he wakes up next to his wife and son, his heart almost aches from the overflow of love for them.
He contacts his work, notifying them that he would be present for his client at the regular scheduled start time in accordance with his contract. He took a very excited Finn to the kitchen for breakfast, knowing that his early-bird of a wife would be in shortly.
Only she wasn’t.
After bribing his son to take five ‘big boy bites’, Drake cleans Finn up before securing him inside a baby gate with his blankie and a new episode of Dino Ranch. Returning to the kitchen, he pours a mug of piping hot coffee for Jodi while preparing a short stack of pancakes with spiced apple butter, his wife’s new favorite topping since moving to Cordonia. Arranging the meal on a rustic, wooden tray, he carries it, tiptoeing carefully into the bedroom. He finds her already up, rinsing out her mouth before returning to bed.
“Morning, Mrs. Walker,” he smiles, presenting her breakfast like a trophy..
“Mmmm, morning, Mr. Walker,” her voice is raspy. “I see you’ve been cooking–”
“Jo–” he interrupts, putting the tray down and cradling her face. “You okay?” He gently strokes his thumbs across the dark, purple circles under her swollen eyes.
“Yeah,” she reassures, putting her hands on his wrists. “I–I’m just tired. Someone invited a certain little boy into our bed that I swear is going to be the kicker for the Cowboys someday."
“A kicker instead of a… walker?” he mischievously raises his eyebrows, ensuring his wife got the punchline.
Oh, she did. Jodi playfully glares at her husband. "You know? Just because you're a dad now doesn't mean you have to tell dad jokes."
"You love my jokes," he badgers, his voice growing heated as his mouth grazes gently across her lips.
"Mmmm… I love you," she croons.
Their mouths meet again, but the intimate touch is gone too quickly. Jodi playfully pouts, the adorable sight coaxing Drake to kiss her again. And then again. And then once more. “Greedy girl this morning,” he growls, handing her the coffee before pinching her ass.
“Baby," she yelps. "Hey, wait… shouldn’t you be at work?” Jodi furrows her eyebrows before sniffing her mug and stealthily setting it down.
“Technically my contract says I have to be in by 8:30 AM. The only one that wants me there at 6 is my fucking client–”
“Drake,” she warns.
“What?” He shrugs his shoulders, feigning ignorance.
“Are you going to always refer to him as your ‘fucking client’?”
“That’s all he is, Jo,” he spits back. He watches his wife calmly push her loose tendrils behind her ear before she dips her finger into the apple butter. Drake sighs, “I’m sorry, okay? It’s just… it’s different. He’s different.”
“I guess I don’t understand. What about all the phone calls and facetimes?” She licks her finger. “I mean I know that all stopped when… uh, well… after everything happened, and–and–and you and I had Finn, then the wedding. But I thought surely you two would go back to–”
“It’s not like that anymore, Jo,” he sighs. “I know you were hoping that somehow moving back here would be like some magical family reunion. It’s not. We’re not family anymore.”
“Have… you… talked to–?”
“No. And we don’t talk about her either.” He bites back, a silence falling between them as he stares at his twiddling thumbs. He finally sighs. “Look, Jo, I’m sorry. I know I’m being short with you, but this? This is my nightmare. Every-fucking-day. I spend my entire day trying to save him, and he’s a stranger, as if we have absolutely no history. He’s… just a fucking asshole.”
Jodi places an endearing hand on his upper back. “I know, baby. But, you’re doing the right thing–”
“Right thing?” Drake blows a raspberry with his mouth. “The only reason why I’m even here in Cordonia is I was a last ditch effort. He wants to move on, and they thought I’d be the cure,” he sarcastically snickers, “he doesn’t want a fucking cure.” He looks away from his wife, taking a moment to think. “You know? They are actually considering hiring another ‘caretaker’,” he air-quotes, “but she has to be a young female–”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. Who knows? Maybe that will interest him in wanting to stay.”
“Will she have big tits and dollar bills hanging out of her g-string?” Jodi jokes.
“They can’t hire you,” Drake winks, earning him a swat from his wife. He gets up and retrieves her plate and mug. “Which… how is the training going at your new job?”
“It’s good,” she brightens, as she follows Drake into the kitchen where they can see Finn playing with his toy cars in the living area. “I start at the embassy on Monday, and then I’ll go to the satellite campuses for interviews after that—”
“Jodi?” He interjects, his voice becoming worrisome as he observes her untouched plate. “Aren’t you hungry? That’s fresh apple butter.”
“I can tell it is,” she grins. “I’m just not hungry yet.”
Drake nods in understanding, but suddenly notices her untouched coffee, an early morning staple for a fully functioning Jodi Walker.
“So,” she continues, “I found out some good news.”
Drake sits down to put on his shoes, turning his ear to her. “Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“A spot opened up at the employee daycare, so I don’t think we need Sav afterall.”
“Jo,” Drake runs his hands down his face, “we talked about this. Sav is family–”
“And this is the start of our son's education. Did you know that they use the same programs that the nobles use for private lessons–”
Drake grumbles. “Weren’t you just asking me if I thought he was normal?”
“Drake.”
“--about how if we’ve fucked him up yet?”
“Drake Walker.” Jodi crosses her arms, raising an eyebrow. “Please don’t start with that noble shit right now. I’m only wanting the best for him. I love Sav, but I want him doing more than just playing with cars and watching television. Not to mention that drive? Everyday? Especially in Valtoria traffic?”
“You also don’t have to go back to work,” Drake mutters. When he notices the room is silent, he turns around to see a glaring Jodi with her hands on her hips. He nervously clears his throat. “Sorry. Continue, sweetheart.”
“He needs structure–”
“Have you met Bertrand?”
“Drake,” she rubs her head as if she is developing a headache. She quietly saunters towards her husband, slowly snaking her hands around his abdomen. “Please. This will be really good for Finn. I promise.” She tightens her embrace, pressing her forehead into his broad chest. “They have an open house in a few weeks that we can go to. Would that make you feel better?”
Drake gently runs his hands up and down his wife’s back, milling around the information he just learned. He takes a deep breath, finally looking down and meeting her pleading gaze. “Fine. Open house, but Savannah until then.”
“Deal.” Their lips meet briefly, eliciting a soft moan from Jodi.
“Any other benefits I should know about?” Drake sasses.
“Actually…” Jodi bites her bottom lip, “remember how I only got eight weeks off after I had Finn, and only six of them were paid for?”
Drake huffs under his breath as he pulls out his lunchbox to pack. “Don’t remind me… fucking school district is a bunch of crooks.”
Jodi widens her eyes, placing her pointer finger on her mouth as she shifts her eyes to Finn. Drake retracts his head like a turtle before mouthing the word sorry.
“Anyway,” Jodi jovially rolls her eyes, “so get this: even as a part-time employee, I still get six months of paid maternity leave. Guaranteed.”
“O…kay.” Drake titters, opening up the refrigerator, “is this your subtle-not-so-subtle way of bringing up the baby conversation again?”
“No–I mean… sortof?” She cocks her head, her tongue pressed to the back of her teeth.
The moment Drake hears the inflection in her voice, he freezes. Then whirls around to face his wife, noticing how extremely tired she looks. Then he turns to face the sink, glancing at her untouched plate and mug of coffee.
“Jo?” His eyes shift suspiciously towards his wife.
“Drake?” She smiles sheepishly.
“You’re… not…” he tries hard to stifle his smile, but the joy in his gaze betrays him.
Jodi shrugs her shoulders before nodding her head enthusiastically, biting her bottom lip. Within seconds, her husband scoops her up in his arms, lifting her off the ground as their lips melt in a tender kiss.
“Are you serious? Wait… are you sure?” He whispers. “You’re not fucking with me? We–we’re really having another baby?” Watching her husband fumble with his words, Jodi is consumed with giggles, her cheeks pinking with joy. Before she can even answer a single question, Drake pushes his mouth back into hers, tracing a trail of heated kisses to the back of her neck before finally embracing her tightly, burying his face into her gold locks. Wrapped in each other's arms, they fall into a pleasurable silence as they gently rock each other back and forth, basking in the blessing of turning into a family of four. “I love you, Jo.”
“Love you, Walker," she echoes hoarsely, sharing one last peck on his lips. Suddenly, she bounds to the baby gate where Finn is watching intently, reaching for his parents. Jodi picks him up, saddling him on her hip as she spins him around. “And… I love you!” She squeals, grabbing his belly, tickling him lightly as he throws his head back with giggles.
“Oh, damnit.”
Jodi abruptly stops, growing concerned as her husband’s face drops. “What’s wrong?”
“I just realized… I’m not gonna have any extra dollar bills for that new stripper–”
Jodi scrunches up her face. “Let’s get Daddy,” she whispers to Finn. They begin to tickle Drake as he shields himself, all the while laughing hysterically. “No strippers, ya hear me? Y’all are going to hire a sweet girl with manners… that can keep her clothes on during working hours.”
“That’s what strippers do during working hours,” he snorts, enveloping his small family, planting a kiss on Finn's chubby cheek. As Drake tries to smooth down his son's inherited cowlick, he grows quiet, his expression pensive. “You’re right, you know.” Drake exhales, becoming more serious. “I do still care… And if I can’t make him feel better, then I hope this crazy plan of hiring a nice girl works.”
“I hope so too, baby.”
“I just hope she can break through to him,” he sighs, “and that it’s not too late.”
~🖤~
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Best Kept Secrets
Best Kept Secrets - Built to Last (Chapter 19)
Characters belong to Pixelberry.
Summary: An unforeseen encounter with the past proves that even the best-kept secrets eventually make their way into the light.
Title inspiration: Changing Tides - The Fray
Book/Pairing: TRR; Liam x F!OC
A/N: Not beta’d. Please excuse any errors.
Rating: M • Warning: This series will contain NSFW material. If you read, you acknowledge you are 18+
Catch up here
Slipping out of the SUV, Liam strode through the front doors of the palace after returning from a lunch meeting in the capitol. His assistant met him in the foyer and matched his steps up the stairs as he handed him a small stack of papers he needed for his next meeting.
“Thank you,” Liam said as he quickly looked them over. “You can head to my study. I’m just going to stop and see Amara and Sophia real quick.”
“Of course, sir,” the man nodded.
Once they reached the landing, they turned in opposite directions as Liam headed for the north wing.
It had been a month since they returned from their trip to New York, and things had been going well.
Amara seemed more relaxed. The guilt she’d been feeling prior to the trip didn’t seem to weigh as heavily on her after their talk at the hotel that night. He was watching her fall back into the old Amara … the one he’d fallen in love with two years ago.
The one with no guilt.
The one with no secrets.
The press had ceased their verbal attacks on Amara’s intentions since learning she was staying in Cordonia. Now, they turned their focus on the status of her and Liam’s relationship, questioning if they would rekindle the romance they once had.
Liam didn’t give them the satisfaction of a response. Partly because he didn’t feel it was any of their business, at least not yet. And partly because he had nothing to give them at the moment.
In the month since they returned to Cordonia after deciding to see where things could go between them, they’d certainly gotten closer. They’d spent every evening together, but only behind the confines of the palace walls and as a family. They would meet once Liam finished work for the day in either the north wing or his quarters, they’d have dinner, and they’d play with Sophia before putting her to bed. Then they would have their time, which consisted of talking or watching a movie. And when they weren’t chatting or paying attention to a TV screen, they would get caught up in one another, but they had yet to cross any lines beyond kissing.
While Liam was the one who said he wanted to “slow down”, he found himself struggling to rein in his desires for Amara as they grew closer; the tension between them continued to thicken and each kiss they shared grew more passionate. He was determined to get things right this time around, however, so he was content with taking things slow.
Once at the north wing, Liam stepped inside and rounded the corner to see them in the living area; Amara was sitting on the sofa with her laptop in front of her while Sophia played with blocks on the floor.
“Dada!” Sophia squealed when she spotted him; she pushed herself to stand and toddled toward him.
Liam grinned as he leaned down and scooped her into his arms. “Hi, princess.” His gaze then met Amara’s as he approached her; he leaned down, kissing her cheek. “Hi.”
“Hi,” Amara smiled. “How was your meeting?”
“It was fine. I thought I’d stop by before the next one. What have you two been up to?”
“Not much,” Amara shrugged. “We just got back from having lunch with Regina. She was wondering if you’d spoken to Leo.”
“Yes,” Liam nodded. “He told me he was coming home next weekend to finally meet his niece,” he smiled as Sophia looked at him. “You’re going to have your Uncle Leo wrapped right around your little finger, I can already tell.” He then looked at Amara. “He’s looking forward to meeting you, too.”
“Me?”
“You are the mother of his niece,” Liam playfully scoffed. “And we’re … well, ya know …” He winked.
Amara smiled sheepishly with a quiet laugh as she dropped his gaze. “Right.”
An imperceptible smirk tugged at the corner of Liam’s lips at the light pink tint that he saw bloom on her cheeks. While she’d become much more relaxed since their talk, she was still being careful and seemed to get easily flustered at any comment he made in a teasing, flirtatious manner. The old Amara from two years ago was bold in her flirtations, and while he was hoping to see that bold side come back, there was something about her getting flustered that he found endearing.
It had become a secret little game of his to see it happen.
Just then, Amara’s phone rang; she glanced at the screen before rising from the sofa. “Can you watch her for a quick sec? I need to take this.”
“Sure,” Liam nodded.
As she disappeared down the hall, Liam walked to the sofa and sat down with Sophia. “Are you having fun with Mommy?” he asked Sophia before smothering her cheek with playful kisses. She giggled and pulled back, then leaned across him, stretching her arms out. His gaze shifted in the direction she was reaching and fell on Amara’s open laptop. “No, you can’t have that, silly,” he chuckled. He was about to close it, but his brows furrowed and he leaned forward to get a better look. He felt a pang of surprise mixed with trepidation when he saw what was on the screen.
It was a realtor’s website … with listings of houses for sale.
When Liam and Amara first talked after the statement was made and she told him she planned to stay in Cordonia, she mentioned eventually finding a place of her own. At the time, he didn’t think much of it, and in the nearly three months since that conversation, any notion of it had slipped his mind entirely. Even though she had only brought it up that one time, it clearly hadn’t slipped her mind.
A dozen questions and thoughts flooded his mind, but before he could process them, Amara reappeared. “Sorry about that.”
Snapping from his daze, Liam looked at her and cleared his throat. “It’s alright. Everything ok?”
“Yeah,” Amara nodded. As she stared at him, she could see the moment he sensed that she wanted to say more. “I’ll talk to you about it later.”
Liam nodded even as more questions filled his head. Talk about what? He thought it might have something to do with what he just glimpsed on her laptop, and despite wanting to ask her about it, he thought that perhaps that was better left for later.
Glancing at his watch, Liam sighed. “I have that meeting soon.” He stood from the sofa, kissed Sophia’s cheek, and set her back down in front of her blocks before turning to Amara. “We’re meeting at my place tonight?” he asked as they walked toward the door.
“Yeah,” Amara confirmed.
“I should be finished at my usual time, but if something comes up …” Liam turned to see her leaning against the wall, looking up at him. “…I’ll let you know.” She nodded as he took a step toward her, and in the next moment, he leaned down, pressing his lips to hers. His hand came up, settling on her neck as his thumb brushed along the curve of her jaw. A moment later, he drew back just enough to break the kiss and whispered against her lips, “I’ll see you later.”
“Bye …”
When Liam slipped out, Amara dropped her head against the door with a soft thud and closed her eyes as she let out a breath. For the past month, she’d been struggling with her longing for him. She swore each day she had to fight twice as hard as the one before to tamp down her growing desire.
It wasn’t just the longing, though. It was the giddiness over the way he was making her feel … the same way he did two years ago. Hell, he couldn’t even be playful or flirtatious without making her lose her composure. He’d make one small comment and the butterflies would erupt in the masses and she’d start blushing.
Amara lifted her head and took in a determined breath. She would continue to follow his lead because she didn’t want to do anything to ruin the progress they’d made.
****
That night, after their usual round of dinner, playing, and putting Sophia to bed, Liam and Amara sat in the living area inside his quarters as a movie played on the TV screen.
Liam had a few meetings that day, but he’d been distracted during each of them as thoughts of what he glimpsed on Amara’s laptop consumed his mind. He wasn’t sure why her looking for a place of her own bothered him so much … but it did.
Despite them currently living under the same roof, they were in separate wings, so Amara having her own place wouldn’t really change anything between them. But Liam wouldn’t be able to just walk a few corridors to her door. He wouldn’t be able to drop by unannounced and on the fly anytime he wanted like he could now. And spending every evening with them would probably dwindle to once or twice a week. He’d be missing out on time and moments he didn’t want to miss out on … like the one he found himself in now.
Liam drew back from Amara’s lips, trying to will his desire for her back inside its cage. “So,” he whispered as his thumb brushed against her cheek, “what was that phone call about earlier?”
“Oh, um …” Amara leaned back. “It was my realtor …”
“A realtor?” Liam asked, feigning ignorance.
“Yeah,” she nodded. “I’ve been looking since I made the decision to stay and with price drops happening left and right lately, I thought it would be a good time to really look.”
Liam shifted on the sofa, draping one arm across the back as he rested his hand on her thigh. “Really look as in …?”
“I have appointments to view some listings.”
“I see,” Liam nodded as he held her gaze. “Is this something you want to do right now? I told you there was no rush for you to find a place.”
“I don’t want to overstay my welcome,” Amara quipped, and he gave her a look. “It’s a process, not something that happens overnight, so I just think it might be time to start looking.”
Liam nodded again as he watched his finger trace a shape on her denim-clad thigh. “What kind of place are you looking for?”
“Something secure. Obviously, with Sophia …”
Liam’s jaw tensed at even the mere thought of anyone having easy access to not just Sophia but Amara as well, but he tried to remain casual. “Right …”
“Something with a yard for her to play in.”
A nod was all Liam offered, unable to say what he was thinking. She has acres and acres of yard to play in here at the palace.
“Three bedrooms.”
“Three?” Liam questioned.
“I thought having one for a guest room would be a good idea, just in case.”
“In case what?”
“I don’t know … in case Daniel or Riley or someone else needs to crash one night.”
Again, Liam offered nothing but a nod. There are guest rooms galore here.
Suddenly, the reason why it bothered him so much hit Liam like a ton of bricks. He didn’t want her to leave. And not just because he wanted her to remain at the palace so she’d be within walking distance but because he wanted her with him … in his wing … with their daughter … as a family. Together.
Yes, Liam was the one who said he wanted to take things slow, and they were — as slow as two people with a history and connection like them could. But he was struck with the sudden awareness that everything they had done up to that point had been ass-backward. Nothing about them or their situation was conventional and it never had been. So, was the impulse of wanting her to stay with him instead of buying her own house really that far-fetched of an idea? No.
But if she was so adamant about starting to look for her own place, perhaps she didn’t want the same thing he did or didn’t feel ready, at least, not yet.
“So when are you planning to start looking?” Liam asked.
“Tomorrow,” Amara answered. His gaze snapped up to hers, not having expected it to be that soon, but he managed to keep his expression neutral. “I’m not expecting to find the one on the first day, but I think it’ll give me an idea of what I want to look for going forward.”
As Liam nodded again, Amara held his gaze; she swore she could see a flash of something in his eyes, but he was quick to make it vanish. Before she could ask, commotion from the movie they’d been watching pulled their attention to the TV screen.
A moment later, Liam looked back at her as he stroked his thumb across her knuckles; the movement pulled her gaze back to him, and a heartbeat later, he captured her lips in his.
With that, the conversation ended.
*******
The following morning, an SUV carrying Amara and Sophia — because Liam wouldn’t let them go anywhere without at least one guard — followed the realtor through the gates of a residential development situated on the outskirts of the capitol. A few moments later, they pulled into the driveway of a two-story home that had recently been listed.
When they exited the vehicle, Amara smiled as Riley and Drake approached her. “Hey. Thanks for coming along.”
“I had nothing going on, and when I told this one—” Riley threw her thumb over her shoulder at Drake “— he insisted on coming to check the ‘fundamentals’,” she gestured with air quotes.
“You’ll look at the aesthetic, but there’s more to a house than just looking pretty,” Drake said. “That’s where I come in since Liam is stuck in meetings this morning. Although, I don’t know if he’d know what to look for either,” he snorted.
Amara chuckled. “Well, I appreciate you coming along. You’re right, I don’t really know what to check for other than the basics. So I’ll take any help I can get.”
“Are we ready?” the realtor smiled from the walkway to the front porch.
“Yes,” Amara nodded but only managed to take a few steps before her attention turned to another vehicle pulling into the driveway. She turned, recognizing who it was before he even stepped out.
When the door opened and Liam appeared, she gave him a curious smile. “What are you doing here?”
“I thought maybe you’d like another set of eyes,” Liam grinned as he approached them. “And I want to see the places this little one is potentially going to be living in,” he said as he took Sophia from her and tickled her belly. “So I rescheduled my meetings and cleared the rest of my day.”
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to,” Liam smiled as he slipped his hand into hers and looked at the realtor.
“Your Majesty,” the man bowed nervously.
“Just pretend I’m not here,” Liam said.
The man offered a tense smile and nodded before gesturing for them to follow him inside.
While Amara walked around with the realtor and Riley, Drake went off on his own to check what he deemed to be important while Liam gave himself and Sophia a tour.
The house was nice. The first floor was an open-concept floor plan with the kitchen, living room, and dining room all flowing into each other. It appeared to have new wood floors throughout, fresh paint, and he was pretty sure he heard the realtor mention a new roof.
The three bedrooms were located upstairs. Two were sizable with a Jack and Jill bathroom between them, and the master was massive with an impressive en-suite and walk-in closet.
It was a pretty perfect house … but Liam didn’t want her to live there.
Liam had cleared his schedule to tag along on her hunt that day. His goal? To point out everything he could find wrong with each viewing in hopes she’d realize that the palace already had everything she would need or want. Walking through this first home, he knew it was going to be a difficult task if the other viewings were anything like it.
“Maybe Uncle Drake will find cracks in the foundation,” Liam mumbled to Sophia as they stepped out of the master bedroom and headed back downstairs. When he reached the first floor, he spotted Drake in the living room. “Well?” he questioned as he approached him.
Drake nodded positively and Liam had to swallow down his disapproval. “It’s really nice. There were a couple of minor things that I noticed, but nothing that isn’t a quick and easy fix.”
“Well, that sucks,” Liam mumbled under his breath.
“What was that?”
“I said that’s great.”
“What did you think?”
“It’s … ok.”
Drake gave him a look. “I know it’s not a palace …”
“It’s not that,” Liam scoffed. “I just have some … concerns.”
“What concerns?”
Liam whirled around at the sound of Amara’s voice, meeting her gaze with a small smile as she entered the living room with the realtor and Riley. “The house is … nice. Really nice. I’d be worried about the security, however.”
“It’s a gated community,” Drake said.
Shut up, Drake. “Yes, it is,” Liam nodded. “But the gate is accessed by a keycard, correct?” he looked at the realtor, who nodded in answer. “So there’s no one at the gate, which means anyone who wanted to try hard enough could get in undetected if they climbed over. With who Sophia is, and who you are to me … we know how relentless the press can be at times, and they’re just the tip of the iceberg of people we need to worry about. I just think somewhere where there is a security guard stationed at the gate would be better … safer.”
It was a legitimate concern, even if he pointed it out for the wrong reason. Had he been on board with this whole idea, he’d have pointed it out regardless.
“He does have a point,” Amara said as she looked at the realtor; Liam’s shoulders imperceptibly slumped in relief. “I’m sure he’s going to have a guard with us at all times, but having someone at the gate would make me more comfortable with Sophia.”
“Noted,” the realtor nodded with a smile before looking at the tablet he’d been carrying around. “That knocks off three places from our list of viewings today, but there are two we’re scheduled to see that do have guarded gates.”
Liam fought back a sigh.
That was two more places he had to hope she found something wrong with or simply didn’t like.
And it was only day one of looking.
*******
The following Friday, Amara headed toward Liam’s quarters, walking behind Sophia, who was toddling along the corridor but stopping to wave at every staff member who walked by. They were going to meet him for dinner, along with Drake, Riley, and Leo, who’d arrived a couple of hours ago.
Amara was thankful for Leo’s arrival because it gave her a day’s reprieve from house hunting, which she’d spent the entire week doing. She’d viewed 13 listings over the past week but hadn’t found one that was suitable.
Suitable not to her standards … but to Liam’s.
No matter what time Amara was scheduled to view a house, Liam made sure he was available to go with her. At first, she was thankful for it; she wanted his opinion and appreciated his willingness to help despite his busy schedule. But his opinions turned into what she could only describe as nitpicking, proving that his standards were much higher than hers.
The suggestion Liam made at the first house about a guarded gate made perfect sense. Everything that came after that suggestion, however …
The yards weren’t good enough for Sophia to play in, or there wasn’t enough space between the houses, or they were too close to the street for his liking.
At one, the floorboards were “too creaky” which obviously meant that there was something structurally wrong.
Amara had a few listings lined up to look at tomorrow, and Liam said he would go with her, but she wasn’t getting her hopes up. She knew he only wanted what was best for Sophia, but at that point, she didn’t think it was going to be possible to find a home that he deemed worthy enough for his precious little princess.
Once at Liam’s door, Amara opened it, allowing Sophia in before following her; they could hear laughter from the other room and Sophia walked curiously toward the sound. When they rounded the corner, Liam looked over from where he sat on the balcony and grinned as he playfully slapped the shoulder of the man sitting next to him before they both rose from their seats.
“Dada!” Sophia gave a toothy grin as she reached for him.
“Hi, princess,” Liam chuckled as he scooped her into his arms before looking at Amara. He leaned down to press a lingering kiss to her lips, and she softly sighed before he slowly drew back. “Hi,” he whispered, brushing his nose against hers.
“Hi …” Amara let out a breath. “Sorry if we kept you waiting.”
“You didn’t,” Liam shook his head. “Leo was with Regina earlier. He just showed up here maybe 10 minutes ago.”
“Am I interrupting?” a voice drawled.
Liam turned and stepped out of Amara’s line of vision, bringing Leo into view. When he met her gaze, she smiled politely yet warily; she was unsure of how exactly he viewed her after what she’d kept from his brother.
“Leo, this is Amara,” Liam said. “Amara, my brother Leo.”
“It’s nice to meet you.”
When he grinned, Amara’s shoulders loosened. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”
“And this is Sophia.” Liam tickled her belly, eliciting a giggle from her. “Can you say hi to Uncle Leo?” She looked at Leo, staring for a moment before sinking deeper into Liam’s embrace and laying her head on his shoulder, hiding her eyes with his neck.
Leo’s lip jutted. “Aw, don’t be scared of me.”
“I’d be terrified,” Drake snorted as he and Riley stepped inside to greet Amara.
Liam turned his head toward Sophia with a smile as he rubbed her back. “It’s ok.”
Sophia shifted her head just enough for her eyes to peer at Leo, and he grinned as he began playing a game of peekaboo. After a few moments, a giggle erupted from her as she lifted her head, offering him her signature toothy grin.
“There’s a smile,” Leo chuckled. “You want to come hang with Uncle Leo for a minute?” He raised his hands towards her.
Sophia studied him carefully, and after another moment of hesitation, she went to him. They locked eyes and she scrunched her nose with another smile. “Hi,” she said shyly.
Liam watched his brother’s brow furrow, and his eyes widened when he saw his eyes shine with tears. “Leo …”
“Well, shit,” Leo choked out. “I can’t believe you have one of these.” A laugh simultaneously barreled out of Drake and Liam as Leo turned his head and quickly wiped his eyes on his sleeve.
“Got you wanting one now?” Drake chuckled.
“Way down the road, maybe,” Leo replied. “Now? Absolutely not. Fuck that.” His eyes widened as he looked at Sophia. “I mean … heck that.”
“Fuck.”
Amara’s and Riley’s mouths dropped open at the word Sophia repeated as Liam leveled his brother with a glare. “I’m sorry!” Leo grimaced guiltily. “I’m not used to filtering!”
Drake shook his head with a laugh. “Uncle Leo is here.”
****
That night after dinner, Liam walked Amara and Sophia back to the north wing. Once he put Sophia to sleep, he stepped out of her room and headed for the main area; he spotted Amara in the kitchen, standing with her back to him as she put dishes away in a cabinet.
A moment later, Amara’s breath quietly hitched when she felt his hands curl around her waist. “D-Did she go down?”
“Yeah,” Liam replied as he rested his chin on her shoulder. “She’s out like a light. Uncle Leo wore her out.”
Amara smiled. “They seemed to form a quick bond.”
Liam turned his head so his lips brushed her ear. “I don’t think you’re understanding how much trouble that means for us.”
Amara tried to suppress a shudder from his warm breath against her skin, but she knew she failed when Liam let out a soft chuckle at having caught it. She turned to face him, and he leaned against the counter, placing one hand on either side of her and caging her in.
Liam slowly leaned in, his eyes dropping from hers and zeroing in on her lips before he captured them in his. His tongue swept against the seam of her lips, and she parted them in response, allowing him in. When he deepened the kiss, her hands curled around his neck as an imperceptible whimper escaped her, so soft he almost didn’t hear it, but when he did, something inside him roared to life.
Gripping her waist, Liam lifted her onto the counter as he stepped between her legs and pulled her body flush against his. He slid a hand up her back and into her hair and he tugged, causing the kiss to break; his lips moved to her jaw then down the column of her neck as her hips instinctively arched against him with a gasp, the movement pulling a rumbled groan from his throat as he found her lips again.
The kiss stretched on, pulling them both deeper into the moment until it broke at the sudden ping emitting from Liam’s pocket, alerting him to a message. He reluctantly drew back and his jaw tensed as he dipped his hand into his pocket to pull out his phone.
“It’s Leo,” Liam sighed. “He wants to have a nightcap.”
Liam’s eyes flickered back to her face and more desire unfurled and clawed at his insides at the sight of her: kiss-swollen lips, tousled hair from his hand being buried in it, and her blue-eyed gaze brimming with lust.
“Ok.” Amara’s one-word response came out in a breathless whisper.
Liam swallowed thickly as he stepped back and she slipped off the counter. He cleared his throat as he ran his fingers through his hair. “So, uh … 10 tomorrow morning, right?”
“Huh?” Amara looked up at him.
“The first house viewing?”
“Oh, uh …” Amara let out a breath. “Yeah. 10.”
Liam nodded before leaning down; he stopped a hairsbreadth from her lips, reminding himself not to get too caught up before he pressed a lingering kiss to her lips. He drew back a moment later and his hand squeezed hers. “Goodnight.”
“G’night.”
*******
The following morning, Amara was standing in front of a two-story home in a gated — and guarded — community. It sat at the end of a long driveway surrounded by trees and had a large backyard with a wooden playset complete with swings and a slide. After touring the house with Liam, Drake, Riley, and Leo, who opted to tag along, it was determined not to have any creaky floorboards.
“I just think that the stairs in the foyer … there’s too many.”
Amara stiffened beside Liam.
Drake dropped his head with a silent laugh as Riley fought back her own. They’d been with them at every house and they knew Liam had been coming up with excuses for each one, but they’d kept quiet about it. It was none of their business.
Leo snapped his gaze over to his brother. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“For Sophia,” Liam clarified as he continued to stare at the house to avoid making eye contact with him. “And they’re narrow … and wooden, so there’s no cushion if she falls.”
Steven, the realtor, stood by his car and closed his eyes as he took in a calming breath. “On to the next then?”
****
“The hedges aren’t trimmed or lit up.”
“Are you—” Leo cut himself off as he looked at his brother, wide-eyed. “You can’t be serious …”
“I am,” Liam said matter-of-factly. “The housing development, which she would have to pay a monthly fee to, is in charge of lawn maintenance and it looks like shit.”
Amara turned and walked toward the car without a word as a chuckling Drake and Riley trailed behind her.
“I think you’ve gone a little crazy in the head,” Leo scoffed.
Steven slid back into his car and shut the door.
****
“This is niiiice,” Leo said as he glanced around the kitchen of the next home; it was the last one for the day.
“State-of-the-art appliances,” Drake said, smoothing his hand across the marble countertop.
“Big rooms,” Riley grinned.
Liam looked around as he held Sophia. He’d walked around the outside and had been through every room and couldn’t find anything wrong with it. Nothing. He glanced down, scuffing his foot against the floor and his eyes landed on the bottle of grapefruit juice he’d carried in with him before they slowly slid to Sophia. He turned his back toward the others as he quietly unscrewed the cap. “Want a sip?” he whispered.
Sophia eagerly leaned forward, not knowing what it was … or how bitter it was; honestly, Liam questioned why he drank it half the time. He tipped the bottle back, helping her to sip before pulling it away and screwing the lid back on. He turned back around just as her nose scrunched and her lips puckered.
“Yuck.”
Liam glanced at Sophia as everyone else turned toward the sound of her voice.
“Well, she hates it,” Liam shrugged before turning and striding out of the house without a glance back. “Way to come through in the clutch, princess,” he whispered through a laugh.
****
That evening after having dinner, Amara went back to the north wing with Sophia alone, giving Liam time with Leo, who was leaving in the morning.
Liam carried two glasses of scotch out onto the balcony and set one down in front of Leo before taking a seat next to him. “I’m really glad you got a chance to come visit,” he said before taking a sip of his drink.
“Me too,” Leo nodded. “I’ll definitely plan to come back soon and more often. Gotta corrupt my niece and all.” He chuckled at the look Liam shot him. “So …” He paused, taking a sip of his drink. “When do you plan on asking Amara to move in with you?”
“What?” Liam asked, furrowing his brow.
“Don’t play dumb with me, little brother.”
“I’m not playing—”
“You said the house had too many fucking stairs.”
“It did!”
“And what do you call the stairs in this place?” Leo tossed back. “The grand staircase alone has three times as many stairs, but those are ok … because they’re here.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Liam said casually.
“You complained about hedges not being lit up.”
“Aesthetics matter.”
Leo snorted, shaking his head. “You’re not fooling anyone, except maybe Amara, who probably just thinks you have your child’s best interest in mind. She also probably thinks that you’re nitpicky as fuck with ridiculous standards.”
Leo arched his brow in a challenge to tell him that he was wrong. He knew he couldn’t. “Fine,” Liam sighed. “I don’t want her to buy a house.”
“Because …?” Leo smirked.
Liam rolled his eyes as he took another sip of his drink. “Because I want them with me, here, in my quarters”
“See?” Leo chuckled. “Now was that so fucking hard?”
“Yes, because I can’t say that to her. She’s looking for a house. If she wanted to stay, she’d say something.”
“Would she?” Leo questioned. “After everything you told me about what happened after you learned the truth about Sophia, what Amara wants doesn’t really matter to her. And making assumptions about what you want doesn’t seem like something she’s going to do after what happened. You told me yourself that she’s been following your lead on everything. So if you haven’t come out and specifically told her that you don’t want her to leave, why would she believe otherwise? Not to mention the fact that you’ve made it a point to go look at all of the fucking houses with her, further making her believe that you’re on board with it.”
Liam dropped his head back as he let out a breath. Yes, he knew that while Amara had been better since their talk in New York, she was still following his lead with everything, but he didn’t think about it possibly having an impact on her decision to want to house hunt. Thinking about it now, he hadn’t told her he didn’t want her to go and he hadn’t shown her either.
There was still that possibility that Amara didn’t want to stay, however. Perhaps she wanted to find her own place, that she wasn’t ready for the same thing he was.
*******
The following morning after seeing Leo off at the airport, Liam stared out the window of the SUV as it pulled into a long, winding driveway. Amara had messaged him and asked if he could meet her to look at another house.
When the SUV came to a stop, Liam’s brows furrowed when he saw Amara standing in a dirt-covered clearing. He instructed Bastien to stay in the vehicle before slipping out and making his way towards her.
“Hey,” Amara smiled as he approached.
“Hello.” Liam leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Where’s Soph?”
“Regina is watching her.”
Liam nodded before glancing around. “I thought you asked me to meet you to look at another house?”
“I did … sort of.”
Glancing back at her, Liam offered an amused smile. “Is the house invisible?”
Amara chuckled. “No … this is just the location of where the house could be,” she gestured to the open clearing.
Liam’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“I talked with the realtor about the possibility of building. This is an empty plot of land for sale … and I could have a house built to ensure it would have everything I want and everything you would be comfortable with.”
“Oh …” Fuck. Liam cleared his throat as he looked around again. “I don’t … I don’t know if that’s the best path to take.”
Amara let out an exasperated sigh. “Why not?”
Liam blew out a breath. “I mean, it’s just that … I don’t think—”
“Liam … you’ve found something wrong with every house I’ve looked at. If I build, it can be to your standards … standards that I didn’t realize were so very high and specific until this process.”
“My standards are not high nor specific,” Liam scoffed.
“I beg to differ,” Amara quipped.
“My standards are not high! I just don’t want you to leave!” The words tumbled from Liam’s mouth before he could stop them.
Amara’s brows raised in surprise. “What?”
“I don’t want you to leave!” Liam repeated as he threw his arms up. “I don’t want you to buy a house. I want you to stay at the palace with me. If you’re going to move, I want you to move in with me. I want us to be together … as a family.”
Letting out a breath, Amara stared at him. She didn’t think that was an option — at least, not at the moment — because he’d never brought it up. “Why didn’t you say anything before?”
“Because I didn’t know if you wanted the same. If getting a house is something you want, I didn’t want to stand in your way … which, it probably doesn’t seem like that now considering the ridiculous excuses I came up with …” He scuffed his foot against the dirt. “If it’s what you want, then I’m not going to stop you and I’ll have to deal with it. But if you’re looking because you think I want you to go or because you think you have to … that’s not the case.” He held her gaze, seeing her eyes glisten with tears in the sunlight peeking through the canopy of trees overhead. He took a step toward her and brushed his hand across her cheek. “This is my official offer. Stay with me, Amara. Move in with me.”
Another breath escaped Amara before she leaned up and closed the small distance between them, pressing her lips to his. Liam’s arms wrapped tightly around her as he deepened the kiss.
They drew back a moment later and Liam rested his forehead against hers with a hopeful smile. “Is that a yes?”
Amara tearfully chuckled. “Yes.”
*******
Sitting on the sofa, Liam watched Amara move around the living area, picking up Sophia’s toys and placing them in their respective baskets after she’d gone to bed.
“You can do that later.”
“I’ll just get it done now.”
Liam chuckled with a shake of his head as he removed his tie. Amara and Sophia had moved in a month ago, and he’d learned very quickly how much of a neat freak she was. He’d always known she’d kept things tidy, but this was on a different level.
As she walked by him with her hands full of stuffed animals, Liam reached up, and she yelped when he pulled her down; her one knee landed beside his leg on the cushion, and he pulled her other leg over so she was straddling his lap.
Liam held her gaze as he took the stuffed animals from her arms and tossed them back on the floor. “Later,” he grumbled before pulling her down and capturing her lips in his.
Despite having lived together and sleeping in the same bed for the last month, they had yet to cross any lines. Something would come up or interrupt every time. They played it off as best they could but were both beginning to feel more than a little frustrated.
But tonight …
Liam’s hands slid beneath the hem of Amara’s shirt and settled on the bare skin of her waist, and he smiled into the kiss when he felt her shudder under his touch. He urged her forward, causing her body to arch into him, and when he felt her hips press down against his, he groaned and deepened the kiss.
A soft moan escaped Amara when he pressed her down against him again; she could feel just how much his desire matched her own. “Liam,” she gasped against his lips.
“I love when you say my name like that.” His voice came out like gravel. “Like the slightest touch from me will make you come undone.”
Amara let out another whimper of longing as her fingers began fumbling against the buttons of his shirt until it draped open, baring his muscled torso. Her hands slid against the taut skin of his chest to his abs—
“Mama.”
Liam and Amara froze at the sound of Sophia’s voice coming through the monitor speaker.
“Dada,” she whined again a moment later.
Amara leaned back, staring at Liam; they were both flushed and breathing heavily.
“Mama,” she cried.
Amara offered a rueful grin before she slid off his lap and headed toward Sophia’s room.
Liam dropped his head back against the sofa and rubbed his hands over his face in exasperation. It’d been so long since they were last together before everything happened. And while he didn’t know how much longer he’d be able to last, it wasn’t something he wanted to have to rush out of worry of interruption either. His hands fell away from his face as an idea struck, and a moment later he had his phone in hand and pressed to his ear.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” Liam replied. “I need a really big favor …”
***************************************
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Marabelle Series
The Game of Kings
Chapter 10
Choices – The Royal Romance, AU – (cross-over with Rules of Engagement)
Series Premise – An American teenager from New York City is introduced to the world of a small European country and its society of royalty, nobility, and commoners. How will her life story be transformed? Will this new adventure bring her happiness...or regret?
Marabelle Series Masterlist
Main Pairing – Prince Liam Rys x F!OC Lady Sophia (Sophie) Taylor
Other Pairings – Maxwell Beaumont x M!OC Daniel (from NYC), Drake Walker x F! OC Melanie Smithson
Most characters belong to Pixelberry Studios
Series Rating – M*🔞Warnings: this series will have NSFW material, crude language & innuendo.
Not Beta’d - Please excuse all errors.
Category – Alternate universe/on-going series/angst/fluff/cross-over with Choices Rules of Engagement
Words: 2483
The Game of Kings – Chapter 10
Chapter Summary – Liam and Sophie practice for the charity polo match. Leo is on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean where he meets a woman. Speaking with his father, Leo abdicates the throne. Liam sends Sophie a Valentine’s Day gift.
Music Inspiration: Everything Has Changed, Taylor Swift (feat Ed Sheeren)
A/N1: Bethany Beaumont, Maxwell’s mother, is originally from the U.S. and is Barthelemy Beaumont’s second wife. Annabelle Beaumont (deceased) is Bertrand’s mother.
A/N2: ‘Social Season’ in this AU series refers to a traditional period in the spring/summer for royalty and members of the court to take part in Balls, dinner parties and charity events.
A/N3: My submission for Choices Flashfics @choicesflashfics, Week #72, prompt 2 - “I wasn’t the one to walk away. You were....”
A/N4: My submission for Choices Holidays Valentine’s Day Prompts 2024 - Be my valentine/I love you @choicesprompts, @choicesholidays
.......All I know since yesterday
Is that everything changed.......
The Cordonian Royal Polo Club
After adjusting the strap on Marabelle's harness, Sophie accepted the polo mallet from an attendant. She was in her element today; any time spent riding her horse was a joy but spending time with Liam, on top of that ...this was a dream come true.
When Liam invited her to join his polo team, she was over the moon. To be personally invited to join him was extremely flattering. Her heartbeat raced and butterflies danced inside anytime and every time she thought of him.
‘Remembering that beautiful Sunday afternoon while working on a paper for class on the terrace of the Beaumont estate, Sophie looked up, pleasantly surprised to see Liam and Maxwell come into view.
“Good afternoon, Sophie.” Liam smiled warmly as he walked up to her table. “Hard at work as always, I see.”
“Oh, hello, Liam. Maxwell.” Sophie stood, moving her laptop to the side.
Liam bent down to kiss her cheek and waited for her to sit back down before he took a seat himself at the glass patio table.
“Yes, just trying to get this paper finished before the deadline.”
Maxwell, grinning mischievously, “Ah, the diligent scholar. Little blossom, take a break for a moment. Liam has something he would like to ask you.”
“Oh?” Sophie smiled, curiously looking at Liam.
Clearing his throat, a hint of nervousness in his demeanor, “well, I know your love and passion for horses. And as you know, there is a fundraising event planned for flooding relief in Portavira on Valentine’s Day.
Sophie nods sadly, “Yes, I have heard of that tragedy; It is heartbreaking.”
Taking a breath, Liam continued. “Indeed...I was wondering if you would consider joining my polo team. Your skills would be invaluable, and I can assure you, we would make quite the formidable duo on the field.”
Clearly taken aback, but flattered, “Oh, Liam, I ... I don’t know what to say.”
“Say yes, Soph! It’ll be a fantastic experience, and I can personally vouch for Liam’s team being a lot of fun. ‘Ya know, cuz I am on it.” Maxwell chuckled.
Sophie smiled, touched by their enthusiasm, “well, how can I refuse such a charming invitation? I'd be honored to join your team, Liam.”
Liam, grinning widely, “wonderful! I knew I could count on you, Sophie. This event is going to be legendary, mark my words. Thank you, love.”’
Practicing today for the Portavira Charity Polo match, Sophie, along with Liam, Drake, Melanie and Maxwell were in the field taking turns with knock-ins.
She looked over to the sideline and spotted Liam watching her intently. He gave her a small wave and she waved back with a smile.
"Let's go, girl," Sophie urged her horse.
Marabelle broke into a gallop, Sophie leaning forward and keeping pace.
Liam watched as Sophie rode toward the goal, her posture perfect, her movements smooth and confident.
Sophie raised her mallet and struck the ball, sending it sailing through the air.
"Nice shot," Liam called out.
“Yes!” Sophie cried out as she turned back down the field to where Liam was standing.
"You're a natural out there!"
"Thanks," Sophie replied, blushing. Liam offered his hand as she dismounted Marabelle. "I love riding.”
"So, are you looking forward to the match tomorrow?"
"I am," Sophie said. "I'm a little nervous, too. It's my first time playing in front of a crowd."
"You'll be great," Liam assured her. "And we'll be a great team."
“Will the entire team meet today?”
“Yes, you will meet Rashad and Tariq this afternoon.”
“Are we interrupting?” Drake asked hesitantly as he and Melanie walked over.
"Hey guys ... of course not," Liam answered.
"How's practice going?" Melanie asked.
"Great," Liam and Sophie replied in unison, both grinning, sharing coy smiles.
"Looks like you've got a winning team, Liam." Melanie grinned, noticing Sophie move closer to his side.
"Thanks," Liam replied, a wide grin on his face.
“I think so, too,” Liam winked at Sophie, who smiled softly in return.
“We only have 7 players though. Leo flew out of Cordonia last night.” Drake shot Liam a concerned look, making a mental note of asking Liam about his brother’s absence after practice.
"We're gonna have so much fun," Drake grinned.
"You're playing, too?" Sophie asked, surprised.
"Of course. You didn't think Liam would let me miss the opportunity to beat him, did you?"
"We'll see about that," Liam smirked.
"Oh, it's on," Drake replied, a competitive glint in his eyes.
"Don't worry, we'll kick their asses," Melanie said to Sophie.
"Yes, we will," Sophie agreed, laughing.
As Drake and Melanie left to finish their rounds, Liam and Sophie continued practicing. Their easy banter and playfulness made it clear to anyone watching that there was a definite attraction between them.
... And the way Liam looked at her when their eyes met, his gaze filled with admiration and affection...it made Sophie's heart race.
She could only imagine how good it would feel to be in his arms again, his lips on hers.
The thought made her blush, and she tried to push it aside, focusing on the game. But the feeling remained, simmering beneath the surface as they walked their horses to the stable.
"You're incredible," Liam murmured as they left the field.
"Thank you," Sophie replied, grinning. "You weren't so bad yourself."
"High praise coming from you," he teased.
"I mean it," Sophie said, her tone serious. Liam reached over and took her hand in his as the stable hands led the horses to their stalls.
With a gentle smile, “high praise indeed, Sophie. And I assure you, I mean it. Your talent with Marabelle is unmatched.”
Their hands remained clasped as they walked to the clubhouse.
Azamara Cruise Ship, off the Italian coast, Mediterranean Sea
As the luxury ship cruised through the Mediterranean Sea, the sun was setting in a vibrant display of reds and oranges.
Leo stood on the deck, admiring the view, lost in thought.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
He turned to see a young woman standing beside him, her blond hair blowing in the breeze.
"It is," he agreed, turning his attention back to the sunset.
"I'm Katie, by the way."
"Leo."
"Nice to meet you," Katie said, offering her hand.
"Likewise," Leo replied, shaking her hand.
"So, Leo, what brings you out here? On a pleasure cruise?"
"Just needed to get away for a bit."
"Yeah, me too," Katie replied.
"It's been a tough week," Leo confided.
"Really, how so?" Katie asked.
"I had to make a decision that changed the course of my life."
"That's heavy," Katie replied. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not really," Leo admitted. "I'd rather just try to forget about it for a while."
"Fair enough," Katie replied. "So, tell me, Leo, what do you do for fun?"
Leo laughed. "Honestly? Not much."
"Seriously?" Katie challenged.
"Yeah. I have a pretty serious job, and I'm usually focused on that.”
"Well, that's no good," Katie replied. "You need to have some fun, too.”
"What do you do for fun, Katie?"
"Everything!" she exclaimed. "I love exploring new places, trying new things, meeting new people."
"Sounds exciting.” Leo chuckled, turning his body towards her.
"It is," she went on. "And it's made me a lot more open-minded and adventurous.”
"Adventurous, huh?" Leo asked, intrigued by her temerity.
"Yeah," Katie said, grinning.
"Well, I could use a little adventure in my life."
"Then come with me," she said, holding out her hand.
Leo hesitated for a moment, then took her hand.
Katie led him down to the pool area, where several people were lounging and enjoying the warm evening air.
"Come on," she said, tugging him along.
"Where are we going?"
"To the hot tub," she replied.
Leo followed her to the hot tub and watched as she slipped out of her cover-up, revealing a white bikini underneath.
She stepped into the hot tub and turned to look at him.
"Well, are you coming?" Her eyebrow raised.
Leo could not resist her invitation. He quickly removed his clothes down to his boxers and joined her in the hot tub.
"Ahhh, this is nice," he sighed, sinking into the warm water.
"Isn't it?" Katie agreed, her body glistening in the soft light.
"So, what do you do for fun, Leo?"
"I'm a crown prince," Leo said. "So, my life is pretty much dedicated to duty."
"That doesn't sound very fun," Katie said, frowning.
"It's not," Leo admitted, noting her non-chalance of his mention of his title.
"Well, I'm sure we can find something fun for you to do," she said, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"I'm sure we can," he agreed, his heart beginning to race.
"How long are you on the cruise for?" Katie asked.
"The rest of the week," Leo replied.
"Perfect," Katie said. "We have plenty of time to get into some trouble."
"Trouble, huh?"
"Don't worry," she said, laughing. "I won't get you in too much trouble.
"I'm counting on it," Leo replied, his gaze locked on hers.
"You are a flirt, Leo."
"I can't help it," he said, his voice low. This woman was everything that Madeleine wasn't.
"You're very flirtable."
Katie laughed. "I'm sure that's not a word, but I'll take the compliment."
"Good," he said, smiling.
"So, what's your story, Katie?"
"My story?"
"Yeah. What brings you out here? On a pleasure cruise?"
"Same thing as you," Katie replied.
"An escape..."
Beaumont Estate, Ramsford, Cordonia
Sophie woke to the sound of knocking on her door. Groggily, she pulled herself out of bed and stumbled across the room. She opened the door to see Daniel standing there, a huge grin on his face and a bouquet of long-stemmed red roses in his hands.
"Good morning, Squirrel," he chirped.
"Morning, Dan. What are you doing here so early?"
"I wanted to bring these to you before you left for the polo match."
"Wow, they're beautiful," Sophie said, accepting the bouquet. "Thank you."
"They're not from me, silly. They're from your prince..."
"Oh," Sophie blushed.
"Here's the note," Daniel said, handing her a small envelope.
"Be my Valentine," Sophie read, her heart racing.
"Aww, that's so sweet," Daniel smiled. "He's really smitten with you."
"I guess so," Sophie replied, still a bit stunned.
"So, are you excited about the game today?"
"Yeah, I am," Sophie said. "I just hope I don't mess up."
"You'll be fine," Daniel assured her. "I have complete faith in you."
"Thanks, Dan," Sophie said, giving him a hug.
"You're welcome, Squirrel."
Sophie spent the rest of the morning getting ready for the polo match, her heart fluttering every time she lookrd at her roses. She couldn't believe he had sent her such a romantic gift, and she was eager to see him... to thank him personally.
Cordonian Royal Palace
The morning of the charity polo match, King Constantine was getting dressed when his attendant informed him of an incoming international call.
“Sir, your son, Leo, is on line one."
Constantine was surprised and concerned, and at once picked up the phone.
"Son, what's wrong? Where are you?"
"Father, I had to get away. I had to think."
"What's there to think about, Leo? Your duty is clear. Your kingdom needs you."
"But I don't want this," Leo said, his voice thick with emotion. "I never wanted this."
"Son, I know it's not easy, but we all have to do things we don't want to. It's part of being royalty."
"... that's the burden we bear."
"I can't do it," Leo said. "I won't."
"You must," Constantine said, his tone firm.
"No, I won't. I would rather give up my title than marry Madeleine."
"I'm sorry, son, but you don't have a choice."
"Then I'll abdicate," Leo said, his voice shaking.
"Leo, where are you now? Are you somewhere safe?"
"I'm on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean."
"You are, what?! You are the Crown Prince. You need to return home right away."
"I won't," Leo replied somberly.
"Leo, listen to me. Your place is here, in Cordonia. You just can’t walk away."
“I have. Liam will be a better King," Leo insisted.
"Leo! You ...."
“Father," Leo interrupted.
"When have you ever put me or Liam first?”
“I wasn’t the one to walk away. You were....”, Constantine admonished.
Leo remained quiet, steadfast in his decision.
"Leo, please," Constantine replied, his voice pleading.
"Goodbye, Father," Leo said, and then he hung up the phone.
Constantine stood there, stunned.
.......All I know since yesterday
Is that everything changed.......
Thanks for reading
Perma-tags: @ao719 @txemrn @queenmiarys @sfb123 @twinkleallnight @alj4890 @differenttyphoonwerewolf @harleybeaumont @busywoman @karahalloway @kingliam2019 @imjusthereforliam @lovingchoices14 @kyra75 @tinkie1973 @emkay512 @malblk21 @kristinamae093 @charlotteg234
Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @choicesflashfics @choicesprompts @choicesholidays
#tessa liam writes#liam rys#the royal romance#trr fanfic#choices fic writers creations#choices flashfics#choicesprompts#valentines day 2024#trr liam x oc#prince liam#marabelle#sophie taylor#trr
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Blame It On The Mistletoe
Everything else can be found here.
Book/Universe - TRR
Pairing - Liam x F!OC (Kyla)
Summary - A festive rewrite of Liam and Kyla's meeting/HCTS P1 (HCTS AU - AU)
Word Count - 2500
Warnings - language, mature themes, NSFW - 18+ ONLY 🍋
A/N 1 - I am using the following holiday prompts-
12, 31, 48, from @choicesflashfics, which will appear in either red or green
Strangers in a bar from @choicesficwriterscreations
Also submitting this to @choicesholidays because well... Christmas.
A/N 2 - This is happening because I was trying to get @ao719 to write some holiday spice (it's not too late for that, either 😉). But she suggested that this prompt would be perfect for a little holiday rewrite for the first chapter of HCTS, so here we are... PLEASE NOTE - This does not contribute to their story and does not change anything. Consider this an AU of an AU with very little purpose, lol. Also, this is only my second (public) attempt at smut, so... just keep that in mind 😬.
Song Inspiration - Blame It On The Mistletoe - Ella Henderson x AJ Mitchell (Thank you for that @ao719!)
Please excuse any errors, and thank you in advance for reading and sharing!
Most characters belong to Pixelberry.
Liam walked through the crowded club with his head dejectedly hung. Life wasn’t going at all how he foresaw this time two years ago; he expected to be happily married and thriving but instead, he was alone on Christmas Eve, wallowing in his self-pity. To make matters worse, his father’s recent remission only added to the plethora of emotions Liam was fighting to keep under control. He felt defeated, angry, hopeless, but most frequently lonely.
He hadn’t looked twice at a woman since Riley, yet here he was — out in disguise seeking any kind of companionship. He longed to check out from his grim reality, even if only for a moment.
He glanced at the dancefloor and all he could focus on was the couples. They didn't have a care in the world, as they held each other close. Envy filled his veins, but it faded as he spotted the only lone woman in a sea of pairs. She wore a sheer black dress that fit her curvaceous figure immaculately, combined with a festive elf hat. Her smile was radiant, reflecting off the lights and nearly blinding him, even from afar. She danced as if nobody was around, and didn’t seem bothered to be the only person without a partner. He grinned for a split second, admiring how she could let loose so easily.
With a heavy sigh, he went to the bar, plopped down, and ordered a scotch on the rocks. The noisy commotion continued, but everything faded as Liam’s thoughts wandered back to the dark place he’d been trying to escape from; leaving the palace did nothing to halt the spiral. Just when he was about to call this mission a failure and head back to self-isolation, a soft voice spoke beside him.
“Excuse me?” She politely attempted to get the bartender’s attention. After a moment of being ignored, she tried again. “Sir?”
Liam realized this was the dancing woman; the hat was a dead giveaway. The bartender obviously heard her, as he threw her a side eye, so Liam figured he might as well lend a hand. “HEY!” When the bartender faced them, he calmly stated, “A lady is speaking to you.”
The man huffed but approached and took her order. As he left, the woman addressed Liam. “Thank you for that — seems like he was avoiding me.”
“No problem.”
She extended her hand to him. “I’m Kyla — It’s nice to meet you.”
As he stared at her outstretched palm, he realized this woman didn’t know who he was; the notion was exciting. “Liam,” He smiled, returning her gesture. He met her gaze and goosebumps erupted on his skin as he peered into the brightest diamond eyes he’d ever seen.
“Well, Liam — how about I buy you a drink to repay you for getting his attention?” She giggled. “And if you stick around, I’ll let you get it for me next time, too.”
Liam took in the glint of mischief in her eye, and his heart palpated. “I’ll stay, but it would be impolite of me not to buy you a drink — I am the gentleman here, after all.”
Kyla grinned from ear to ear. “Then that means it’s time for shots!”
Liam grimaced. “Perhaps a mixed drink would suffice–”
Kyla playfully rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell me that such a big, muscular man can’t handle his liquor.”
Liam scoffed, but the color creeping up his neck gave him away. “I can — I just don’t normally consume spirits with such predominant—”
“Woah,” Kyla held her hands up. “Who are you �� freakin’ Shakespeare?” She laughed.
Liam chuckled. “I apologize. I can get — unusually formal when I’m…” He trailed off with a heavy sigh.
“Sad? Mad? Stressed?”
“How about all the above?” Liam shook his head and glanced away.
Regardless, Kyla still noticed his dejection. “Listen… I know I’m totally a stranger but… It’s Christmas and you’re clearly going through some shit, so… if you want to get it out I’ll listen to all of your problems — or — we could dance or something until you forget about it…”
As Liam took in her vibrant demeanor, a yearning flourished in the pit of his stomach; he wanted — no, needed — to enjoy her company. However, he was hesitant. “Surely a beautiful woman like you isn’t here alone. Won’t your boyfriend be upset?”
Kyla flushed at his compliment. “No — no boyfriend. I don’t have anyone, really…” A brief glint of sadness flickered behind her gaze, but it disappeared just as fast as he saw it.
“Then it sounds like maybe we could help one another… Like you said, it is Christmas Eve, so perhaps we can keep each other company.”
“I did say that, didn’t I?” Kyla giggled as a wide smile spread across her face. “Then we’re going to be needing those mistletoes!”
Liam nearly choked on his saliva. “I’m sorry — we need — what?”
“Not literally,” Kyla howled with laughter. “It’s a yuletide shot — the kind that’ll make you holly and jolly.”
“... Must we, though? I’m not entirely sure that I should partake—”
“I bet those big, fancy words of yours only last two shots, tops…” she smugly replied. “Maybe three.”
Liam’s brows lifted skyward. “Is that a challenge?”
“What if it is?”
Liam smirked. “You’re on — I hope you’re prepared to lose.”
“Woo!” Kyla exclaimed with a fist bump. “The tree isn’t the only thing getting lit this year!”
Liam chuckled and shook his head. A moment later, the server delivered their drinks and Kyla downed hers, Liam mindlessly doing the same. What was supposed to be one quickly turned into four until a content silence overcame them.
Kyla stared at Liam, the silent question prominent in her patient gaze. He couldn’t place it, but there was something about this woman; almost as if an aura of comfort accompanied her presence, and Liam felt drawn to her in multiple manners.
He smiled, gently grasped her hand, and led her to a secluded corner of the dance floor. Although he wore the disguise of sunglasses, he didn’t want to risk being spotted and swarmed. Bastien lingered somewhere, but regardless, the media circus that would create would be a nightmare.
As the heavy bass rattled his bones, a sudden wave of nerves hit Liam; he’d never danced this way, and certainly not with a partner. He didn’t know what to do and unfortunately for him, four shots weren’t enough to make him throw away propriety. Kyla sensed his hesitation and gave his shoulders a firm shake, eliciting a loud rumble of laughter from Liam. He instantly relaxed and instead of overthinking what he was doing or his problems, he focused on Kyla and the beat of the music.
The first few songs they kept their distance, but an invisible force pulled them together; by the third, Liam’s hands securely gripped Kyla’s hips with her back pressed against his chest. The way she moved, the softness of her skin, the fragrance of her hair; everything about her mesmerized Liam, and he didn’t dare look away. He mindlessly swayed along behind her, using all of his willpower to control the stiffening in his pants. Unfortunately for him, it was a losing battle; after being deprived of a woman’s attention for so long, his body reacted without consent.
Liam flushed and suddenly stepped away, causing Kyla to spin around with worry prominent in her features. “What’s wrong?” She yelled over the music.
"Nothing," Liam answered, as he tried to cover himself nonchalantly.
Kyla noticed and heat instantly bloomed in her core; she bit her lip with a soft whimper that wasn’t heard over the loud bass. Liam saw her staring but Kyla slowly approached, holding his gaze with a smirk that intensified with every step closer. Liam stopped breathing as he followed her every move with rapt attention. She pressed her chest directly against his with her face tilted upward, and Liam’s hands fell to her lower back, almost out of muscle memory. Kyla took her time dragging out the anticipation but carefully inched closer until she finally made contact.
When their lips connected, Liam swore fireworks exploded around them. Everything else faded away in an instant, as he let the electrical current transferring between their lips consume him. Kyla secured her arms around Liam’s shoulders, but as their urgency rose, her fingertips traveled downward, intently headed for the imprint bulging from Liam’s trousers.
As she reached her quarry, Liam broke away with an elated gasp. He saw Kyla’s bright orbs darken at least two shades, making his cock pulse with every rapid course of blood flow.
Kyla stared into his lustful eyes through her lashes, her chest rising and falling with every shallow breath. The moisture between her legs amplified and she clutched her knees together, seeking any kind of friction. For a split second, she considered asking if he wanted to leave, but she wasn’t willing to wait even a second longer.
Kyla grasped Liam by the collar and pulled him away from the crowd, down a long hallway. He eagerly followed behind, not even knowing where this enticing stranger was leading him. She entered a door labeled staff and Liam stepped in behind her. As the structure closed, Kyla flipped on a light and he realized they were in some kind of linen closet; he recognized the dark colors of the hanging shirts from the staff around the establishment.
“Do you work here?”
“Nope,” Kyla answered.
Liam’s brows furrowed. “Then why—”
Kyla suddenly lunged for Liam, capturing his lips with such intensity that he stumbled backward. After the shock wore off, he returned her energy with enthusiasm, happily swallowing her needy whines. He shamelessly wandered every crevice of her figure as she headed for the buttons of his shirt.
Clothes flung everywhere within an instant, their lips never straying far from one another. As Liam completed his mission, he used his weight to pin Kyla against the wall, his middle finger eagerly seeking her slick folds. He easily glided through, teasing her clit for a moment before plunging deep inside. Kyla loudly moaned, her eyes rolling to the back of her head as Liam expertly worked her toward release. His lips caressed every inch of her neck and chest as she squirmed against his palm, the sensations from his ministrations forcing her to see stars.
With a loud wail, Kyla came on his hand; he growled at the sounds of her pleasure, drowning out the music in the distance as he worked her through the high. The next instant he hoisted Kyla up, placing her back flat against the wall. Kyla shrieked, but it turned into a needy whimper as Liam’s swollen manhood circled her entrance; she tightly closed her eyes, anticipating the stretch from his impressive girth.
“Look at me… I want you to watch as I personally make sure you’re on the naughty list…” Liam rumbled, the deep baritone in his voice vibrating Kyla’s chest.
Kyla met his gaze. “Joke’s on you. I’m already on the naughty list.” She smirked.
Her attention shifted to the shelf beside them, and Liam followed her inquisitive gaze. He spotted what gathered her attention and shook his head. “No…”
“Come on, just wear the Santa hat for a little bit. Please?” Kyla pouted. “You can be Santa and I’ll be your — helper elf…”
Liam snickered. “Or, you could be my ho ho ho…”
They erupted with laughter, Kyla still securely held in Liam’s arms with his cock nudging against her abdomen. “This is the only time that joke will be appropriate.” She reached for the hat and placed it on his head, afterward admiring her handiwork. “... There.”
“Better?” Liam smiled.
“Mmmhmmm,” Kyla hummed but quickly captured his lips; it was soft and felt natural as if this were a normal occurrence. It rendered both speechless at the intimacy of the moment; nothing was demanding or hasty but gentle, comforting, and warm. They parted and shared a flushed grin, staring into the other’s gleaming eyes with heavy breaths, but they could not resist the burning fire of desire a moment longer.
Kyla pulled him closer and pleaded, “Take me…” against his lips.
Liam didn’t need to be told twice; he used the wall to help keep Kyla steady as he lined himself at her tight opening. Never breaking eye contact, he delicately broke the threshold, Kyla’s fingernails sinking in and creating crescents on his shoulder blades. Buried to the hilt, Liam stilled, using every ounce of willpower that he had not to tip over the ledge immediately.
“Shit,” Liam groaned, as her velvety walls accommodated around him. “You’re so tight… So wet…”
“Oh — OH God — Yes,” Kyla hissed through clenched teeth as Liam steadily built their pace.
Sweat coated their bodies as a tidal wave of euphoria appeared on the horizon. Liam tried to control himself but his thrusts turned frenzied as the cliffs of completion neared dangerously close, but he wasn’t willing to jump until Kyla launched over first.
“You’re a decent elf,” Liam started, as his thumb found her clit and circled with determination. “But I want you to be a good little ho and cum for me.”
Kyla reacted immediately; her back arched off the wall, pressing her pert nipples securely against Liam’s chest. Her legs quivered as a burst of fluid coated his pelvis, adding to the sounds of wet skin relentlessly slapping together. Kyla chanted his name, the intense high hitting like an abrupt wall and forcing all coherent thoughts away; the only thing she understood was Liam.
As if her contracting around his dick wasn’t enough to do Liam in, hearing his name roll off her tongue did something to him; satisfaction swelled in his chest, creating a whole new rush of endorphins. With a few more labored thrusts he coated every inch of her spasming walls. His balls twitched as he rode wave after wave of pure, unfiltered bliss.
He held Kyla’s hips as close as possible, but soon slipped his softening member out of her. He gently lowered her to the floor, offering a hand to assist as she got her bearings. They breathed heavy breaths as their pulses returned to a normal rate, but they did not make eye contact or speak as they dressed.
Finally, it was Kyla who broke the silence as they finished with their garments. “I… I don’t normally do the whole hooking up thing…”
“Me either,” Liam agreed, but that earned him a snort from Kyla. “What? I’m being serious!”
“Please — you can’t be that fucking chiseled and not lay it down on the regular.”
Liam smirked at her boldness. “Really — I never do this… Ever… It’s been quite a while for me, actually…”
“Me too,” Kyla shyly admitted, but just as their gazes locked, the door abruptly flung open.
“Hey! What’re you doing here?” A man in uniform suddenly appeared. “The sign was clear — staff only.”
“Sorry!” Kyla squealed. “I lost my purse, and we were trying to find it.”
“Well, it’s not in here — so beat it.”
“Will do,” Kyla quickly answered, tugging on Liam’s sleeve to pull him along.
Just as Liam made it to the doorway, the man suddenly froze with wide eyes. “Wait… Are — are you–”
“Let’s go,” Liam grabbed Kyla’s hand and took off, not stopping until they were outside. As they made it he spotted Bastien waiting, and a conveniently placed cab pulled behind the SUV.
Liam stopped before the vehicles and rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly feeling vulnerable. “Kyla, I — I’d really like to see you again…”
Kyla sighed heavily. “We’ll have to see what happens these next couple of weeks…” Liam nodded, but as his features fell, her chest constricted. “But I could give you my number… Then maybe if fate allows it, our paths will reconnect.”
Liam smiled and exchanged devices with her. “Hopefully fate will be on our side, then…” The pair shared a flushed grin, but Liam soon led Kyla over to the waiting cab. He helped her inside but lingered before closing the door. “Hey, Kyla?”
“Yeah?”
“... Merry Christmas.”
Kyla fixed the askew hat that Liam forgot was on his head with a vibrant smile. “Merry Christmas, Santa.”
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Cinderfella's Adventures in Cordonia - Chapter Seventeen
An AU of The Royal Romance with a male MC and a bisexual prince.
Masterlist
Callum speaks to his former competition and receives an offer from Madeline.
“What just happened?” Drake asks, stunned.
Liam slowly shakes his head. “I honestly have no idea.”
***************************************************************************
I lean my head against elevator doors, the cool steel soothing the sharp pain stabbing at my frontal lobe.
Hi, God. It’s me, Callum. I say this with full disrespect… you have a sick sense of humor. Believe me when I say I am not one of your strongest warriors; I definitely don’t need to be tested any further. And another thing –
The doors spring open, interrupting my impromptu heart to heart with God. I unobtrusively straighten my jacket as I step out of the elevator and back into the ballroom, and quickly work my way to the bar, keeping an eye out for Maxwell and Hana as I do.
I slide onto a barstool, coming face to face with the bartender from earlier.
“Back so soon?” he asks coyly, leaning his elbows onto the bar top, bringing his face close to mine.
“Couldn’t stay away.” I manage to give him a half-hearted smile. “Could I get a bottle of the Baird Dark Sky and two shots of the seventeen year old Hibiki whiskey, neat? Please?”
���Anything for you, sir.” he says playfully, smirking as he turns away to get my order.
Hi, God. It’s me again… am I a joke to you, old man?
“Here you are, sir.” The bartender slides my order to me, peeking up at me from beneath his lashes. “I was wondering if you had any plans – ”
“Seducing the help already, Callum?”
I’d know that shrill voice anywhere. I still hear it in my nightmares.
“Excuse me, darlin’. I need to speak to Satan’s mistress for a moment.” I twist on my barstool to come face-to-face to with her. How’ve you been, Smokeshow?”
She takes a sip of her drink, gazing at me over the rim of her glass, and shrugs one delicate shoulder. “Busy. Traveling with the court as we partake in this,” she grimaces. “Engagement tour.”
I toss back my first shot, chasing it with a sip of beer before I say anything. “Yeah, about that.” I lean forward and lower my voice. “What the hell happened? Madeline? Madeline, of all people?!”
“She was the best choice out of all the remaining suitors,” Olivia says sourly. “Liam had very few choices by the end of the social season.”
“Where the hell were you when he was making his choice?”
“I was forced to leave the competition shortly after you dropped out.” She gives me a tight smile.
“Why?” I squint at her suspiciously.
“Someone had information about my parents. Something that could hurt them, damage their memory. I couldn’t let that happen. Not even for Liam.”
“Somebody was rigging the competition,” I realize. “They wanted Madeline to win.”
“Exactly,” Olivia says grimly.
“Did you ever figure out who it was?” I ask, sipping my beer.
She looks away, draining the last of her drink before answering me. “Constantine.”
“Why am I not even surprised?” I mutter, throwing back my second shot. “Does Liam know?”
Olivia nods.
“And he still chose to go through with this?” I raise my eyebrows.
She shrugs. “Liam agreed with Constantine that Madeline was the most qualified suitor left. He wasn’t willing to leave Cordonia without a queen.”
“And he’ll do anything for Cordonia,” I finish her thought.
“What else could he do? You had already left; all Constantine had to do was eliminate the remaining competitors until the only appropriate choice was Madeline. He backed Liam into a corner.” She gracefully slides off her barstool. “As fun as this little reunion has been, I’m ready to leave now.”
“See you around, Smokeshow.” I give her a slight finger wave, watching the back of her red dress until she disappears into the crowd. I swivel in my seat, leaning back against the bar top and gazing out into the ballroom. I slowly sip my beer as I study the party guests, scanning carefully as I attempt to locate a certain former king.
Gotcha, old man.
Beer in hand, I slide off my barstool and weave my way into the crowd, moving towards a recessed corner of the room where Constantine stands, accompanied by two bodyguards.
Where’s Bastien?
I leave a few people between myself and the trio, patiently waiting until Constantine becomes distracted by the mayor, who draws him into a lively conversation. A few seconds later the bodyguards turn their attention away from the king and begin scanning the ballroom for threats, each one looking in a different direction. Using the surrounding party goers as cover, I slink over towards Constantine, coming to a stop directly behind him.
“Don’t move,” I say quietly as the mayor moves away, drawing my index finger down his back until it rests between his shoulder blades.
“What are you doing?” he hisses, stopping himself mid-turn.
“I didn’t appreciate you leaking all the private details of my life to the Cordonian media,” I say conversationally.
“MacKenzie.” Constantine clenches his jaw so tightly I can hear his teeth grind together.
“I heard you threatened to do the same thing to Lady Olivia.”
“Liam could not be trusted to make the decision on his own. I needed to make sure that he would make the correct choice for Cordonia,” he says coldly.
“He deserves to have better than you as a father,” I seethe.
“Think what you want. Liam’s decision to wed Madeline is final, and there is nothing that can change that. Did you come over here just to discuss my son’s engagement?”
“No,” I say softly. “I just wanted to let you know I know exactly what you did. And to you remind that no matter how many bodyguards you have, someone will always be able to get to you. Have a lovely evening.”
I melt back into the crowd, quickly putting some distance between me and Constantine’s bodyguards. I spy Hana and Maxwell on the dancefloor, and move to take up a spot nearby to watch them, hoping to speak to them when the song is over. After a few moments, someone steps over to stand next to me. I glance down and see Madeline scowling at me.
“What are you doing here?” she demands.
“I was invited,” I say in a bored voice.
Madeline snorts. “If you’re back in Liam’s life that’s fine. Have all the feelings you want for one another. A tryst here and there can be managed but do not embarrass me.”
“You don’t care that you’re about to marry a man who is in love with someone else?”
“When you’re behind closed doors, you can have his heart and whatever other part of him you want. As long as I have the crown and an heir and a spare, I really don’t care what he does. This is practically the best thing that could’ve happened to you.”
I glance at her out of the corner of my eye. “I think you’re severely overestimating my interest in your future marriage.”
“I’m trying to work with you,” Madeline sighs.
“Once again, not interested.” I shrug my shoulders. “But… if I do decide I want Liam again, I won’t be sharing him. Don’t get too comfortable, Madeline.”
She opens her mouth to snap back, quickly closing it as she sees Maxwell and Hana hurrying towards us. Madeline sneers at me one last time before stalking off.
“Was that Madeline?” Maxwell asks, peeking around me. “Where’s Drake? Have you talked to Liam yet?”
“Drake is with Liam. I’ve talked to him… we’re just taking some time to think about things.”
“We don’t time to think about things,” Maxwell replies. “Liam is getting married in a few days!”
Hana gives him an exasperated look. “Callum is well aware of that, Maxwell.”
“As fun as this has been, I think I’m ready to call it a night,” I quickly interject. “Hana, I’m going to text you my address. If you happen to see Liam or Drake…”
“I’ll be sure to pass it on,” she assures me with a smile.
*****************************************************************************
One long Uber ride later I’m finally back in my building and unlocking the door to my apartment. Sashimi meets me at the door, purring and winding herself around my ankles. I bend down to scratch beneath her chin, and she rumbles with happiness. “Hey, my beauty. How was your night? Did grandda stop by and feed you?”
After living in the same building as my father and his boyfriend for the past nine months, my girl has become accustomed to their visits and the pampering the two of them shower on her. I shed my suit jacket and dress shirt as I move through my apartment, dropping them on the floor as I make my way to my bedroom. I fall backwards onto my bed and stare up at my ceiling with a deep sigh.
What a fucking night.
I close my eyes and sink deeper into my mattress. They shoot right back open a few seconds later as someone loudly knocks on my front door. Groaning, I roll off of my bed and shuffle towards the door. I press my eye to the peephole and have to stifle a gasp when I see who is standing outside in the hallway. I quickly unlock my door and throw it open.
“Now what are you two beauties doing here?” I ask, leaning against the doorjamb and raking my gaze over Drake and Liam.
“We need to talk,” Drake says bluntly.
I arch one eyebrow in interest and step aside, silently inviting the two best friends into my apartment. I wait until we’re settled in my living room to say anything. “So… who wants to start?”
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