cordonia-continued

[cordonia-continued]

Captivated

Chapter 32 (final chapter)

AU - TRR Liam x MC (Riley Taylor)

A/N - Set after the Tariq scandal is cleared. Liam ends his engagement to Madeleine and proposes to MC as per the original story, but Riley turns him down. This AU follows their life from then on.

NSFW

Thanks for the likes, comments and re-blogs, I appreciate every one of them! - you guys are the best! Can’t believe this turned into such an epic fic. Thanks for reading and liking, sharing or commenting.

Word count - 2,755

@kingliam2019 @imjusthereforliam @amandablink @hopefulmoonobject @texaskitten30 @mom2000aggie​ @gkittylove99 @kimmiedoo5 @queenwalton @charlotteg234  @hopelessromanticmonie 

catch up here

The car journey back to the palace was silent, Bastien didn't dare to even glance at the king in rear view mirror. As soon as they pulled up outside the front doors Liam exited the car and walked off towards the gardens without saying a word. Now he had done his job and safely delivered the king back to the palace, Bastien returned to his office in the basement, silently cursing love and everything it stands for.

Liam crosses the perfectly manicured palace lawns and enters the hedge maze. Slowly he makes his way to the centre where he sits on the swing hanging from the lone tree that stands in the middle. He lowers his head into his hands and finally allows himself to break down. Bitterness and bile rise up into his mouth as he sobs, he realises he has no reason to swallow it down anymore. His sunshine, the one who lit him from the inside is gone, where once he used to feel a frisson of love if his thoughts even turned her way for a moment, he now feels desolate. The image of her face that once conjured his smile no matter where he was or what he was doing, now causes a pain in his chest so great he wonders how his heart is still even beating without her. He would have given her whatever she asked of him, he would have done anything for her. Now his world has become blacker than it ever was before, darker for her absence. Loneliness cripples his every thought and as those thoughts of her enslave him, his lungs struggle for breath against ribs that feel like they’re made of stone. His father had told him his heart was too soft, Liam had vehemently disagreed and argued that she made him strong and vibrant, as tears drip from his stubbled chin he shakes his head at the memory, what a fool he was for not listening, for now his heart is broken beyond repair.

He sits there for a long time pressing the base of his thumbs into his eyes to stop the tears flowing. Eventually he rises and makes his way to his quarters. He enters the door and crosses into the sitting room, Maxwell and Drake are already there waiting for him. One look at his red rimmed eyes and the despair etched on his face tells them the news that they have been waiting for.

“Shit.” Is all Drake manages to say. The three of them collapse down onto the plush grey couch in silence, staring at the ceiling, no one knowing what to say, all drowning in their own separate heartache.

****

Bastien’s lips curl up as he listens to the gate guard speak on the radio. “I’m on my way” is all he says in response. He rises from his desk and slings his discarded suit jacket back over his shoulders pushing his arms into the sleeves. He grabs the keys for a crown vehicle from the lock box on the wall, not noticing or caring what one he’s randomly chosen and makes his way to the garage. He drives slowly down the long driveway and pulls to a stop at the gate house, rolling the window down he calls out to the unexpected guest waiting for him. “Get in.” Is all he tells them. Silently they drive back up to the front doors of the palace where he pulls up and exits the vehicle, abandoning it at the front steps. Together they make their way up to the King’s quarters. Bastien knocks firmly on the door and awaits a command.

All three men ignore the hard firm knock on the front door. A few seconds later another firm knock sounds, finally Liam sighs and reluctantly peels himself up off the couch to go and open it, ready to tell the unwelcome guest to go to hell. He swings the door open and finds those sapphire blue eyes that he never thought he’d see again staring at him. He blinks his own eyes hoping his raw grief hasn't conjured up a mirage.

“Hey.” she says nervously.

“Riley!” Is all he can manage to say before she rushes into his arms, pressing herself against his strong firm chest.

“I couldn't do it Liam, I couldn't leave you.” She sobs into his chest.

“Oh my god I thought I’d never see you again.” He says into her hair, holding her tightly against him.

“I don't want to be apart from you, I love you, please forgive me.” She cries, her words muffled against him.

“Of course I forgive you. But does this mean you're here to stay.” He takes hold of her face in both hands and looks deep into her eyes. “Because life without you is meaningless, my heart couldn't take this again Riley, I need to know that you're back for good this time.”

Instead of answering, Riley reaches for him, putting her small, warm hands on the back of his neck. The aching anticipation for his kiss is suddenly too much and she pulls herself up on tip toes and pulls his mouth down to hers. He kisses her gently, carefully, his lips caressing hers. He kisses her cheeks, her forehead, her nose, then traces the line of her cheek with his fingertip, a dreamlike intensity in his gaze as he stares into her eyes. Finally he moves to kiss her lips once again, first lightly, then more urgently, sliding his tongue into her mouth as the intensity increases. Her hips tilt against his, her breasts press against his chest, her whole body sending a message that’s undeniable. He pulls her hard against him, thinking that he'd never get her close enough, that he'd keep her warm, he'd keep her safe, he'd keep her with him, always.

As their kiss heats up they stumble blindly into the sitting room, Maxwell and Drake jump up from the couch in surprise.

“Taylor.” Drake gasps. “You’re back.”

“Oh my God Little Blossom, you scared us half to death leaving like that.” Maxwell exclaims.

Neither Liam or Riley break their kiss, neither wanting to let the other one go.

“Umm guys we are still here.” Maxwell cautiously states, hoping one of them will hear him above their racing heartbeats.

With their lips locked Liam leads Riley blindly backwards towards his room, his hands tangled in her hair. He gropes behind him for the door handle and as it opens they stumble through, Liam kicks it closed with his foot.

“Fuck.” Drake announces, wide eyed. “What the hell just happened?” He asks Maxwell.

“Um I think she’s back, and I think we had better leave.” Maxwell responds. “Before we hear things we can never un-hear.”

Alone in Liam’s bedroom they stand halfway between the bed and the door. Liam finally breaks their kiss and smooths his hands down the length of her hair as he gazes into her eyes, his expression is tender and full of longing. “Are you sure?” He whispers into her ear. He can feel her nodding her head against him in reply.

“I’ve never been more sure.” She responds.

His fingers trail down her cheek to her lips, outlining the shape of her mouth. He bends down, lowering his lips against her cheek, brushing it lightly. Shivers run through her whole body, making her tremble. He brushes his mouth against the hollow of her temple then traces the line of her jawbone.

“You’re shaking,” Liam says against her lips. “I’m here, it’s me.” He whispers. “You don’t have to be afraid.”

She shudders as he kisses along her jawline to her ear, nipping at her earlobe. Over the pulse point in her neck he presses a long, languid kiss. The heat from his mouth sears her all the way down her spine. His kisses are neither tentative nor hurried. As he kisses her, her muscles slacken, her skin flushes with heat and her worry fades. For the first time in weeks, she feels human. Riley aches for him, it has been so long since she’s been touched intimately. So long since she’s wanted to be.

“It’s ok. I’m ok.” She assures him. She feels as if she can’t get close enough to him, she strains against his body, against the press of his broad chest, the solid muscles rippling beneath his shirt. With his tongue dancing in her mouth he walks her slowly to his bed and as their knees knock against it they both gently fall onto it. As he kisses her his fingers gently touch her jaw and slither down, softly tracing the contours of her neck until he reaches the top of her tank top. Riley’s eyes close as she drowns in the pleasure of his touch. He pulls his mouth away and his thumb sweeps gingerly across her bottom lip. Her lips part, catching his thumb in her mouth, she sucks on it. A soft moan comes from his throat, making the yearning burn deeper in her body. Her eyes flutter open to see him staring down at her. For a brief time they stay like that, lost in everything they’ve left unsaid.

“We don't have to do anything if you don't feel comfortable.” Liam tells her gently as thoughts of kissing his way up her from her leg to her beautiful mouth invaded his mind. “You being here with me is enough, I don't want to rush you.”

Every inch of Riley’s skin prickles with craving. “There’s nothing in the world I want more.” She tells him looking deep into his eyes. “I’m ready. I want to.”

He looks at her right in the eyes and slowly slides both hands across her shoulders, slipping them underneath the straps of her top – then pulling them down gently, making her gasp. Every touch feels like fire, she kisses him again and the taste of his lips spurs a divine hunger, a craving that’s an insatiable endless need for him. She can’t believe she ever thought she could survive without him.

His kisses are tender as he slides his lips down her neck, flutters them onto her chest and clamps them onto her nipples, which he takes in his mouth one by one, teasing them with his teeth. Then with his tongue still swirling around her left nipple, he looks up at her with a questioning glint in his eye. Her soft moan provides his answer and he grips the bottom of her top and slides it up carefully over her head, tossing it on his bedroom floor. His mouth finds her nipple again using his hands to push more of her breast into his mouth. Riley groans, bucking her hips and clutching handfuls of his thick blonde hair as he devours the delicate skin, darting his tongue over the bud.

He reaches down and unzips her jeans, keeping eye contact the whole while, his eyes questioning her once again, she nods before he pulls them down over her legs. He takes off his shirt and Riley feels another wave of desire as she stares at his tanned, muscular chest, hard above his bulging jeans. She’s nearly naked before him and his mind’s a blur, captivated by her beauty. He swirls his fingertips across her erect nipples. A soft moan escapes her lips. She trembles with excitement and bites her lip as his warm breath touches that spot on her neck. He stops kissing her and stares deep into her eyes, his breathing fast and ragged. Then, he's leaning over her, moving the material of her lace panties aside, with expert fingers he dips into her, stroking her clit with a firm thumb while his fingers seem to fill every inch of her. He presses his lips onto hers with a savage hunger. Riley feels dizzy with her need for him, his free hand locks onto the back of her head as she pulls him by his belt loops closer to her. Every bit of him is hard and strong against her as she struggles to get even closer to him.    

Liam fights hard to restrain himself, he’s still dressed from the waist down while Riley’s naked, ready and waiting, he can feel his own throbbing need straining against the crotch of his jeans. His mouth works its way down her neck, shoulders, chest and stomach until eventually his tongue flickers inside her, stroking, kissing and licking while his hands grip her legs and she writhes underneath him, gasping in pleasure. Riley clutches hard fistfuls of his hair, arching her back against his bedsheets, pressing her hips up to meet his mouth. She whimpers his name as his tongue slithers back and forth over her throbbing clit. As his fingers push up inside her, she gives up trying to find words and throws her head back as the orgasm explodes inside her, tearing primal sounds from her throat. Pleasure arcs over her body like forks of lightning. He sucks her clit again, eating up the sounds of pleasure and wetness she makes as she rides her climax.

Liam kisses his way back up her sweat moistened body to her lips. Riley pushes on his shoulders so Liam lays flat on his back, she moves on top of him and buries her face in the crook of his neck, leaving wet opened mouth kisses on his hot skin. She can’t taste enough of his skin, dragging the flat of her tongue along the side of his neck and down his hard pecks as her fingertips trace the line of his abs, unbuttoning and unzipping his fly, pushing his jeans and boxers down his legs, releasing his hard length. Her tongue flicks at the tip teasingly, and then along the underside. Liam’s body arches up, his groans encouraging her. She takes the full length of him into her mouth, and begins to suck and swirl her tongue against him. “Riley stop, I’m gonna come baby if you don’t.” He tells her, she looks up at him with a glint in her eyes, hollowing her cheeks she pulls him deeper into her throat. ‘Fuck.’ he exclaims winding his fingers into her hair. He comes quickly, moaning quietly, spilling into her mouth in torrents. She swallows what he gives her greedily. When he’s finished, she crawls up his body, straddling him and kissing him with an intense passion.

For what feels like forever they writhe and kiss, their legs intertwining, pressing blazing flesh to smouldering skin, as if they can’t find quite enough of the contact they crave. It doesn't take Liam long to harden again and he gently pushes her over onto her back. He takes a condom from inside his nightstand and tears it open, rolling it on his hard shaft. He enters her gently, filling her up in one smooth movement. “Oh God.” Riley gasps, as she raises her knees trying to take him deeper still inside her. He props himself up to watch himself sinking into her. Riley struggles to catch her breath as the first waves of orgasm build – then crash over her again and again as Liam rocks his hips back and forth, slowly at first, then harder, faster, desperate. He buries his face in her neck, pounding hard. A few moments later, she watches him as his face contorts, desperately containing his cries as he comes. He bucks against her, and she can't stop another orgasm overwhelming her. They both shudder and gasp as the waves gradually subside, delicious ripples flowing through their entire bodies. As their breathing slows, they stare at each other like they can't quite believe what they nearly came so close to losing.

Sprawled on top of the rumpled sheets Liam pulls her into him, one arm tight around her waist, the other across her bare chest, holding her back firmly to his chest.

“Promise me you won’t ever leave me Riley.” He pleads. “I love you, I don't ever want to lose you again.”

“I promise.” She assures him.

Loosening one arm from his tight hold on her, he rolls over behind him to his nightstand and takes a small black velvet box from the drawer. He flips it open and holds it out in front of her.

“Marry me Riley, say you’ll be with me forever.”

She turns around in his arms to face him and places a soft kiss on his lips.

“Yes. A thousand times yes.” she smiles as tears roll down her cheeks.

#trr fanfic #choices trr #trr liam #king liam #liam x mc #liam x riley #TRR Riley #choices fanfic #choices #pixleberry #the royal romance #the royal romance fan fic

[cordonia-continued]

Captivated

Chapter 31

AU - TRR Liam x MC (Riley Taylor)

A/N - Set after the Tariq scandal is cleared. Liam ends his engagement to Madeleine and proposes to MC as per the original story, but Riley turns him down. This AU follows their life from then on.

Thanks for the likes, comments and re-blogs, I appreciate every one of them! 

This was going to be the last chapter but I relented and there is one more after this. Everyone likes a Happily Ever After. 

Word count - 2,884

@kingliam2019 @imjusthereforliam @amandablinkk @hopefulmoonobject @texaskitten30 @mom2000aggie @gkittylove99 @kimmiedoo5​ @queenwalton​ @charlotteg234​  @hopelessromanticmonie​ (Let me know if you want/no longer want to be tagged)

catch up here

All at once the air is water and Liam feels like he’s drowning in the sea of emotion within him, desperate to swim up beyond the pain through the cloudy skies to the stars above, his heart feels like its been shattered into fragments more numerous than those stars.

“When did she give you this Maxwell?” Liam shouts over the heavy thumping base of the R&B track the DJ is mixing, swallowing down the lump that’s formed in his throat.

Maxwell nervously twists his fingers in his hands and avoids looking at the kings red angry face.

“Today. Earlier.” He stammers. “She asked me to bring her passport from home and she gave me that. I wasn't meant to give it to you until later. She made me promise.” His bottom lip starts to wobble and Drake puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“What is it Li? What does it say?”

“She’s gone Drake, I’m guessing back to New York if she wanted her passport, for fucks sake Maxwell why didn't you give this to me earlier?” Liam’s up out of his seat in seconds pulling his phone from his pocket as he races to the exit of the club. His heart pounds in his chest in time to the thumping base of the music as he presses on Riley’s name but the phone goes straight to voice mail.

Bastien watches the scene unfolding in front of him as his king races towards the exit of the club, seemingly in a panic with his phone to his ear. His pulse quickens and his hand instinctively goes to his holstered glock at his hip. His eyes scan the room but he doesn't see a threat. He takes in the kings friends at the table Liam’s just left, their eyes following Liam’s exit full of confusion. Leo is seemingly oblivious at the edge of the dance floor with his hands around the waist of a voluptuous brunette. Bastien follows at a brisk pace and radios for the car to be bought to the entrance immediately. It pulls up just as Liam reaches the exit and Bastien races to open the door for the king, Liam beats him to it and wrenches it open, propelling himself into the back seat. Bastien hastily seats himself in the passenger side and turns back to Liam as he barks out orders.

“Get someone in my quarters now Bastien, let me know if she’s there.” His words are spoken quickly and commandingly, Bastien doesn't need to ask who he means. “If she’s not I want you to call air traffic control and ground all planes leaving for the USA tonight. None of them are to leave the country do you understand, NONE!” He addresses his driver. “James, get me to the airport now, international departures, as close as you can to whatever terminal the New York flight is leaving from, Bastien find that out now!”

Bastien doesn’t question the kings orders he merely nods his head and speaks quietly, calmly and carefully into his radio with instructions for his staff. Within 3 minutes a guard has radioed back that the kings quarters are empty. Within 15 minutes he has confirmation via his earpiece that all flights to the US have been held awaiting further instruction. He already knows the headache waiting for him from the outraged airline CEO’s whose flights have been grounded and the Cordonia Aviation Authority who will no doubt have choice words for him about the sudden and impromptu cessation of scheduled international flights. Everyone’s first thoughts will be terrorism, that is until the public spot the king at the airport, and in the state he’s in now the press are going to have a field day if it gets out. He quietly relays an order into his radio for someone to contact the Royal Communications Director to get a cover story ready in case. As much as he detests fake news he won’t be responsible for the kings love life being splashed over the front pages of the tabloids yet again. The guards that are always on standby are following in a car behind as the motorcade hurtles along the highway towards the airport.  

As the cars pulls up to the airport Liam pulls a baseball cap out from the pocket on the seat in front of him, he pushes his blonde hair back and pulls the cap down low over his face. His driver has managed to use the patrolled control posts that surround the airport to drive airside and pulls up directly outside of the back entrance to the international departures lounge. As Liam goes to race out of the car Bastien locks the doors from the override button on the front console.

“Bastien, what the hell?” Liam exclaims pulling on the door handle, the anger and irritation clear in his voice.

“Your Majesty, you can’t just go bowling into the airport in a rage. Wait, let me get confirmation of the departure gate, I’ve asked passenger intel to cross reference Lady Riley’s name against the passenger manifestos of all US bound flights, wait until I know for certain what flight she’s on. I need to clear the area and make sure it’s safe for you to enter.”

“Bastien we don't have time…” Bastien cuts him off.

“We do sir, all flights to the US have been held as per your instructions, if she’s not on this one we will check any others leaving tonight.”

Liam is bouncing his legs up and down and nervously tapping his fingers on his knees. Bastien thinks carefully before his next words, he knows he’s overstepping the boundary but after over 20 years protecting the royal family he feels the need to offer some fatherly advice to the young king.

“Sir, if I may...Don't go in there all guns blazing, Lady Riley is obviously scared and afraid right now, she’s been through a lot, shouting and arguing won’t help matters.”

Liam sighs and sinks back into his seat. “Why would she do this to me again after the pain of losing her last time? I don't understand it.” Liam looks young and vulnerable, so at odds with his normal confident controlled self, Bastien’s heart hurts in sympathy for him.

“What happened has shaken her confidence, she doesn't feel worthy of you, she’s broken but she doesn't realise that she needs you to put her back together again. Don’t be angry with her.”

“Why does love hurt so much? How can something so amazing and pure also be so gut wrenching and painful?” Liam asks himself more than anyone else.

Bastien smiles a small knowing smile to himself. “Love is a double edged sword Your Majesty. You cannot control the depth of a wound that another soul inflicts upon you. Love takes effort and acceptance, it won’t always be a happy journey, because love hurts when it’s real. You can meander through your whole life in happy contentment, and then one day you stumble on that one person who will start a fire in you that cannot die. However the saddest, most awful truth you will ever come to find, is that they are not always the person with whom we spend our life.”

****

Riley looks up as the departures board flickers again. Flight TS290 to JFK – delayed by another hour. She lets out a sigh of frustration and leans back in the uncomfortable black plastic seat of the departure lounge. Upon receiving her anguished call, Jacob had dropped everything and driven her to the airport with no questions asked and she was grateful for him not quizzing her about it, he had even offered, almost insisting, that he go with her to wherever it was she was going so she wasn't alone, but she knows this is something she needs to do on her own. Now as she sits alone waiting, the adrenaline and nerves are making her hands shake and she twists her fingers nervously in her lap. Her sneaker covered foot taps a tuneless beat on the hard linoleum floor. All around her people move with ease, a sea of faces moving in an unseen current, flowing like water to their destinations. A curious mixture of bored and excited people are seated around her, lounging on the uncomfortable chairs or standing huddled in small groups. Happy chatter fills the aisles, bags and duty free purchases and the occasional tired toddler fill their arms, but Riley is oblivious to them all as pain and uncertainty pool in her stomach. She thinks about Liam reading her letter, she’s turned her phone off so she doesn't have to speak to him, so she doesn't have to look at the sad pleading messages he would no doubt be sending her when Maxwell gives him it. She’s doing this for him she keeps telling herself, he deserves someone better.

Riley is so lost in her own thoughts that she doesn't notice when the other passengers are slowly and quietly led out from the departure lounge behind her by airport security, she doesn't notice the once noisy room is now eerily silent. It’s only when someone sits down in the chair next to her that she looks up and sees those baby blue eyes drenched in sadness and she realises they are the only two people left in the lounge, the betrayed expression on his face making her feel even more guilty than she hadn't though was possible just two minutes ago. Their knees almost touch as they sit side by side in the hard black plastic chairs, she sees the hurt welling in his eyes and the inch of air separating them feels like a chasm.

“You weren't even going to say goodbye.” He whispers sadly.

Her heart constricts with love and loss so great that it takes more than a moment for her to reply, and when she does her voice is small and unsure.

“It was too hard.” Is all she manages to say tearing her gaze away from the hurt and anger in his eyes to look at the floor. They sit beside each other, the silence heavy and stretching endlessly between them.  

“I can’t believe you would do that to me. After everything.” He eventually speaks and when he does so he shakes his head sadly. “Do you not love me? Is that why?” Now it’s his turn to look at the floor, not wanting to see the answer in her eyes.

“God no Liam!” she snaps her head round to look at him. “I meant every word I said in my letter, I love you more than anything.” Her fingers rest tentatively on his forearm, just the touch of him makes her stomach roll with butterflies and she stifles a sob that's threatening to escape.

“Then why? Why would you leave me?”

The sob she was holding in bursts out of her. “It’s for the best that I go, Madeleine was right, I’m not enough for you, you need someone stronger, someone like her. All I give you is a weakness that people can use against you, I don't want that for you. I couldn't even keep our baby safe for you.” It’s then that the sobs come thick and fast, it’s more than just crying, it’s the kind of desolate sobbing that comes from a person drained of all hope.

“Is that what this is about?” He asks trying to keep his own emotion in check. He knows he can’t breakdown and cry in public however much he’s hurting, the little anonymity that the cover of casual clothing and a baseball cap give him is not enough to ever be truly anonymous, someone will no doubt recognise him through the glass walls of the now vacant lounge and plaster the image all over social media. “Riley I would never blame you for that, how could you even think I would?” When she doesn't answer him he wonders if anything will get through to let her see how much he needs her, how much he loves her. “Love, I want to beg, plead, get down on my knees and tell you that your life here has meaning, that our love has meaning, but I don't want to push you further away.”

As Riley looks at him through sore, swollen, red eyes she wonders if it would make any difference if he were to beg. She’s not sure if she wants him to cry and plead with her to stay, if the fluttering feeling in her stomach is relief that he got to her before she left, or if she’d rather he had just let her go quietly and unceremoniously. Either way her heart would break into millions of pieces, she’d rather not see his break too.

Her breath catches in her throat as he takes her hands in his, his touch still capable of sending lightning bolts zipping through her body. He turns to face her, his watery eyes locked on hers.

“I didn't plan on falling in love with you, and I doubt if you planned on falling in love with me.” His voice is quiet and composed yet his eyes betray the emotion behind his words. “But once we met, it was clear that neither of us could control what was happening to us. We fell in love, despite our differences, and once we did, something rare and beautiful was created. For me, love like that happens only once, and that's why every minute we spent together has been seared into my memory. I'll never forget a single moment of it.” Liam pauses to regain his composure before continuing. “Not a single soul comes before you. I love you. And if you choose to stay I promise I will comfort you in these difficult and painful times, but I will also I will dance and rejoice with you when the times are good again. I will never betray you, never give up on you. Though life may test me, I am yours into eternity and I will never abandon you. I will never put you in danger, and should anyone demand your life to save their own, or even mine, I will tell them to rot in hell.”

“Liam don't.” She interrupts him. “It’s already too hard to say goodbye. You know I love you. I want to stay, really I do, but I don't want to hurt you any more. These last few weeks have been so tough on you, and its been all my fault. I can’t let you go through that again because of me.”

“Shh.” He puts a finger gently on her lips. “Then don't. You don't need to do this, this doesn't have to be goodbye, neither of us want that. Riley, when you were gone, for all of those three days my brain felt like it had been electrocuted, it was so violently defocused, and the pain, the emotional pain, was so all encompassing I simply existed as a matter of will power. I knew then that I would give up everything for even just one more minute with you. I never want to feel pain like that again. Without you I don't function, without you I can’t be the ruler or the king I know I could be with you by my side. I need you, because without you I'm a nobody. When you're not there I have this feeling in my chest where it just feels empty, like a black hole, dark and barren. I'm lost and the only way for me to be found again is if you’re there with me. Please don't leave me.”

Riley closes her eyes as silent tears fall from them, she knows she loves Liam deeply but she also knows that no matter what he says there’s nothing but the cold hard truth that loving someone and being loved back is only the beginning and not the end of all the pain, that it’s the intensity of this heartache that proves the strength of their bond. Had she known that to love this deeply meant to risk great pain she would never have come to his country, she would have stayed in the anonymity of New York and pursued superficial relationships and one night stands. Her lungs heave and she knows there is no cure for her heart. She knows even now that she will never look at another, never want another. She sits with her head bowed until she has regained her composure enough to speak.

“You were everything I could have ever asked you to be. I love you beyond all thought, beyond all rhyme and reason. But I can’t stay Li, it’s for the best that I go, you can’t reign over your country while worrying about me.”

“No. No please.” he begs. “Don’t do this, please don't go.” But she’s made her mind up. She shakes her head sadly at him and pulls him into one last tight embrace.

“I’m sorry.” she says sadly. “I have to go.” Liam kisses her gently one last time on her lips and rises from his seat. He walks away out of the lounge not looking back for fear he would crumble to the ground if he did.

#choices trr #trr fanfic #the royal romance fan fic #the royal romance #king liam #liam x riley #liam x mc #trr bastien #trr liam

[cordonia-continued]

Captivated

Chapter 30

AU - TRR Liam x MC (Riley Taylor)

A/N - Set after the Tariq scandal is cleared. Liam ends his engagement to Madeleine and proposes to MC as per the original story, but Riley turns him down. This AU follows their life from then on.

Thanks for the likes, comments and re-blogs, I appreciate every one of them!

Word count - 1,946

@kingliam2019 @ imjusthereforliam @amandablink @hopefulmoonobject @texaskitten30 @mom2000aggie @gkittylove99​ @queenwalton @kimmiedoo5​ @charlotteg234  @hopelessromanticmonie ​(Let me know if you want/no longer want to be tagged)

catch up here

Riley packs the last few things she has around the room into her bag with tears streaming down her face. She doesn't want to leave the people that made her feel loved, she doesn't want to leave Liam but she knows it’s best for him if she does.

She looks around the luxurious sitting room that she has come to know so well over the last few weeks, all of this is soon going to be gone, nothing but a memory, and she will end up with no one except herself again. This is it, she tells herself. This is goodbye. She checks the back pocket of her jeans once again for her passport that Maxwell has brought from her room at the Beaumont’s house. Maxwell didn't ask any questions as she exchanged it with him for a letter that she has written to Liam. She had hugged him tightly and it was as if he didn't want to hear that she might be considering leaving so he didn't let the thought enter his mind, instead she was grateful as he rambled on about music and peacocks and all things Maxwell. 

She slowly ambles her way to the door and before grabbing onto the handle she looks back one last time, wishing this was all just a dream. But it isn't. It’s reality and reality hurts more than dreams, more even than the nightmares that have come to fill her nights without fail, leaving her trembling and sweating under the soft expensive Egyptian cotton sheets of Liam’s bed.  

Time slows as she makes her way out of the servants door of the palace. She stops and looks at the imposing building, as if her brain needs a photograph, a keepsake to remember her time here and to give her strength in the rough times to come. Then, after time immeasurable, a door or window bangs, shaking her back into the moment. She hurries into the shadows of the building and slips out of the back gate unseen. Once through the gate Riley abruptly pauses to close her eyes and take in a deep breath of the oppressively warm dusk air, she steels herself to only think of her future from here on in. A future she would mould, build and direct on her own. She walks quickly down the long winding road to the busy streets, with each stride she feels more in charge, more in command of her own mind, body and soul. She is a woman walking into her own destiny, a destiny that lay squarely in her own hands, she tells herself to be brave, that Liam will be better off without her, he will get over her and move on to someone more suited to this life, more deserving of it. She pulls her baseball cap low over her eyes as she sees Jacob’s obnoxiously bright blue sports car parked up along the street. She takes a deep breath and climbs into the passenger side as he throws her bag into the trunk of his car.  

****

The guys had moved on from the local beer garden and now all sit around a low table in the VIP section of Fabrique, an exclusive club in Cordonia’s capital.

“Yo dude...ten o’clock” Leo hits Drake on the shoulder and Drake looks over to where Leo motioned his head, he nods his head appreciatively. “Yep.” “That ass. I’d ruin it. Go talk to her bro. I bet she’s into some well kinky shit. You can just tell from looking at her.” Leo smirks. “Dude are you serious, she’s as hot as fuck. I’d make an ass of myself.” Drake laughs shaking his head, he’s not up for chatting up pretty girls, although he wonders if a brief fling with a tourist would take his mind off Riley, even temporarily. “Yeah you’re kind of ugly.” Leo laughs picking up his beer and taking a long pull. “Fuck you.” Drake hits back with a laugh.

Leo continues commanding the groups conversations in that carefree easy manner of his. “Liam cheer up and stop checking your phone for fucks sake, she’s fine, seriously you need to get a grip bro.”

Liam looks up from his phone that’s been worryingly devoid of notifications for the past hour and scowls at his brother, Leo either doesn't notice the look or doesn't care.

“Hey do you guys remember when we went to that strip club, Heavenly it was called, or some shit like that, and we had to pull Maxwell’s drunk ass off that stripper before the bouncer picked him up by his neck and threw him out. He was so drunk he mistook the cloak room for the bathroom and pissed all over everyone’s coats.” The guys all nod and laugh whilst Maxwell goes bright red at the memory.

“Hey! I dropped my phone in between her legs and I was just retrieving it, I wasn’t trying it on with her!” Maxwell protests a bit too forcefully.

“Maxwell does have a habit of relieving himself in random places when he’s drunk, was that you that I saw urinating in the fountain at the Five Kingdoms Ball? You’re lucky Regina didn’t catch you, she would have had you hung drawn and quartered.” Liam joins in, having finally put his phone in his pocket, telling himself that Riley’s probably asleep and that’s the reason she’s not texting him back. Leo lets out a loud burst of laughter and continues ribbing Maxwell.

“I mean what kind of inbred knuckle-dragger goes around pissing everywhere? Not even Drake is that uncouth!” Leo laughs.

“Hey, compared to the stuff you've got up to Leo it’s nothing. I’m not listening to any more of this, who wants another drink? Drake come and help me at the bar.” Maxwell dances off towards the bar with Drake trailing behind him.

“Oh my god you have to see this video I got sent. It’s epic.” Maxwell exclaims as him and Drake stand at the bar waiting to be served.

“Max I don't want to see any more of your stupid fucking cat videos.” Drake grumbles.

“But this one reminded me of you! It’s kinda grumpy but sweet.” As Maxwell pulls his phone out of his pocket an envelope drops to the floor.

“What’s this Beaumont?” Drake asks picking up the thick cream envelope, turning it over in his hands. He notices Liam’s name written on it in blue ink in Riley’s cursive script and his mind goes back to their earlier conversation on the beach Why does this feel like goodbye? he had asked her and she hadn’t responded.

“Oh, Riley gave it to me earlier, asked me to give it to Liam when we got back tonight, made sure I promised her that I wouldn’t give it to him before then though, so give it back, I don't want to upset her.” Maxwell looks guilty.

“Are you fucking stupid Beaumont?” Maxwell can hear the panic in Drakes voice and it makes him nervous. “What else did she say?”

“She didn't say anything else, she just asked me to get her passport from her room, did you know she keeps it in her underwear drawer Drake, I had to rifle through her knickers, she wears tiny scraps of lace Drake, I had to touch them! It felt so wrong!” Maxwell shudders at the memory of the impure thoughts he had whilst touching Riley’s underwear.

“Maxwell!” Drake shouts at him, he really didn't need the image of Riley’s underwear in his head right now clouding his thoughts.  

“She didn't say anything Drake I swear, she just said thanks, give this to Liam when you get back to the palace tonight but promise me you won’t give it to him before then. And then she hugged me real tight and said that I was her brother and she loved me, which was sweet of her because she’s not much of a hugger normally, and then I told her about that new dance tune that I played to you guys in the limo earlier, and she said it sounds cool, and then I told her about Bertrand finding his tie pecked by the peacock and that I was thinking of buying a llama, or an alpaca, but I don't really know the difference so I need to google them…”

“Maxwell for fucks sake I don't need your life story!” Drake yells.

“You asked Drake!” Maxwell huffs. “Anyway, I figured the letter was probably some sex game they have going on, some instructions of where to meet her or something, I don't know why she couldn’t just text him like a normal person, but they are odd like that aren’t they. I heard they once snuck out and did it in the hedge maze during a ball, can you believe that? And they definitely did it on a boat on the river in Shanghai, I made her spill the tea when I saw her traipsing in in the early hours.” Maxwell chuckles and shakes his head. “Do you know the difference between a llama and an alpaca Drake? What makes a better pet?”

“Maxwell, shut the fuck up for one fucking second will you! We have to give this to Liam now, I think Taylor’s leaving.” Drake races from the bar to their table.

“Drake I can’t carry all of these drinks, I’m gonna spill them!” Maxwell calls after him as he follows along behind Drake in a half dance, half run.

“Li, you have to read this, Taylor left it with Max to give you, told him not to give it to you until we got back tonight.” Drake pants out breathlessly as he thrusts the envelope into Liam’s hand. Liam places his glass on the table and calmly turns the envelope over in his hands, confusion clouding his face.

“Guys calm down, it’s probably nothing. She wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye, not after everything lately.” Maxwell states with more conviction than he’s feeling.

“What do you mean leave?” Liam asks tearing the envelope open and pulling out the single page note within. The blood drains from Liam’s face as he reads it and he feels his insides tear.

Dear Liam,

Let me start by saying how sorry I am that it has to be this way. But right now it is my time to depart, to do what I think is the right thing for you, to make the changes and the sacrifices that are necessary to keep you safe, to keep you as the king that you deserve to be. You deserve someone who will be a good queen for your country, someone strong and brave. After the last few weeks I don't think that is me anymore. Your Father was right, your love for me makes you a target to those who wish you harm.

Please don't think that me leaving means I love you any less, know that it means I love you more, too much to let someone hurt you because of me. Leaving is killing my soul as sure as a dagger can stop a beating heart. It isn't easy to leave even when I know it's the only option available. I pray that you understand, I pray that you keep our love alive in your soul. I took our bond for granted, and in my naivety I'd thought it unbreakable. I know that the strands of love will keep us together even when we are far apart. I only have to reach out with my mind and there you will be, waiting to shower me with the love you always did.

Goodbye my love, know that I will love you always.

Riley

#choices trr #trr fanfic #the royal romance fan fic #the royal romance #pixleberry #choices fanfic #liam x riley #liam x mc #king liam

[cordonia-continued]

Captivated

Chapter 29

AU - TRR Liam x MC (Riley Taylor)

A/N - Set after the Tariq scandal is cleared. Liam ends his engagement to Madeleine and proposes to MC as per the original story, but Riley turns him down. This AU follows their life from then on.

Thanks for the likes, comments and re-blogs, I appreciate every one of them! 

We’re on the home front, two more chapters left after this one and an epilogue, thanks to everyone who’s read, commented and re-blogged - you are the best! 

Word count - 4,070

@kingliam2019 @ imjusthereforliam @amandablink @hopefulmoonobject @texaskitten30 @mom2000aggie @gkittylove99​ @queenwalton @kimmiedoo5​ @charlotteg234  @hopelessromanticmonie​(Let me know if you want/no longer want to be tagged)

catch up here

The smell of bacon wafting through the apartment wakes Liam the next morning. A dull ache ebbs and flows across his skull like a low tide. His eyesight struggles to cope with the daylight as he peels the bed covers back and plants his feet on the soft carpet. He drags his heavy limbs into the kitchen where Riley is standing at the stove frying bacon, stacks of pancakes already plated up on the counter in front of her. She turns as she hears him pull out a stool from the counter.

“Morning sleepy head.” She smiles at him handing him a glass of cold orange juice. “How’s the head?” He runs his hand through his sticking up hair and groans.

“It’s been better.”

“I’m not surprised. You were steaming when you came to bed last night. I take it you had a good time with Leo?” She raises her eyebrows at him and flashes him another grin. He can’t help but notice the change in her demeanour, she seems lighter, dare he believe happier?

“Sorry did I wake you? We played some pool, drank some scotch, correction – drank a lot of scotch. It was good to see him.”

“I know you told me last night, and it’s ok, I love your scotch breath waking me up at two in the morning as you slur your words trying to tell me how much you love me. It was sweet.” She giggles.

It’s a sound Liam hasn’t heard in over two weeks and a warmth spreads through his body like the morning sun melting the frost off a lawn. In his darker times he’s let himself believe that he would never again hear her beautiful laughter emerging and filling the air with gorgeous sounds.

“You seem happier today love.” He hesitantly says, as if approaching a deer in the woods, not wanting to spook it.

Riley takes the frying pan off of the heat and places the bacon onto the plates. She had slept better last night than she had in weeks, that is until Liam had awoken her in the early hours of the morning, then afterwards she had lain awake staring at the ceiling of his bedroom, her mind whirling. Despite what Liam had said to her earlier that day she didn’t feel brave or strong. She felt shattered and terrified, a wreak of the person she really was, and beyond angry with the cruel twist of fate that had put her there. She decided she wouldn’t let the feelings that consumed her win. She’d find the strength she needed, the strength of body and spirit, indestructible determination of mind, belief in herself. Her dreams might lie in pieces around her now, the debris of a collision with life’s capricious and brutal plans, but she made a decision in the darkness of the opulent bedroom that they shared that she would put everything back together and go on as before – before she came to this fairy tale land and fell for the handsome prince. The house of cards that she had carefully constructed over the last few months was tumbling down around her and she needed to get away and retake her life before it not only destroyed her, but those around her. Liam deserved more than her, Riley saw that his bright blue eyes hadn't been able to hide the pain and helplessness he felt. She didn't blame him, it wasn't that he didn't love her, she knew he did, it’s just that she didn't think he was able to cope with seeing her as anything other than the vibrant young women he was dating. She was his Achilles heel, his biggest weakness, with her at his side he would never be the true leader he needed to be, his whole heart would never belong to his country. She had whispered her intentions to leave to him in the dead of night, when he was laid on his side next to her gently snoring in an alcohol induced deep sleep. With her decision made it felt like a weight had been lifted, her head felt calmer knowing that she was doing this for him, for his benefit.

Finally she replied to him. “Do you know what, I think I am. I think yesterday helped. I feel like I’m not going through all this on my own anymore.” She tells him.

He gingerly gets up from his stool, aware that with his hangover he would regret any sudden movement. He moves behind her and envelopes her into his arms.

“You were never alone my love.” She turns herself around in his arms.

“I know. Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. It just helped to talk about it. I feel at peace with everything. Nothing I can do will change things so I need to move on and deal with them. I’ve decided to go back home.” She leans up and places a soft kiss on his lips, forcing her eyes not to drop the tears she feels stinging behind them. “Let’s eat before it gets cold.” He tightens his arms around her not letting her move towards the table like she’s trying to.

“You know you can stay here as long as you want to? I don’t want you to go back to the Beaumont’s. I want you here with me.” He looks into her eyes but she avoids his intense gaze.

“I know you do, but I’ve made up my mind. I’ve caused you too much trouble already. Regina hates me being here and I’m distracting you from your work. I need to go Liam, you understand that don’t you?” But she knows he doesn't understand, not fully.

He sighs. “Ok if that’s what you want to do. The security at Ramsford has been upgraded. You’ll be safe there. And your new bodyguard will be with you.”

“Liam I don’t want a new bodyguard, I liked Mara. It wasn’t her fault what happened. I told her to leave me. She did nothing wrong.”

“Yeah, I don’t think you’ll convince Bastien about that. I’m pretty sure she won’t be working for us any more.” A guilt washes over Riley that Mara lost her job because of her and she makes a mental note to speak to Bastien about getting her back. “I can’t believe you made me breakfast. You know we have people who do that right?” Liam carries on unaware of her inner turmoil.

“Yes I know you have people who do this for you Liam, but I wanted to. I miss being normal, I miss cooking, and although I never thought I would say it I miss housework and laundry and the little things that people do everyday that you just take for granted until you don't have to do them any more. And anyway I thought you might need it. I guess I was right huh?”

“Yeah, my head feels like someone stuck an axe in it. I think I’ve got the day off. I should probably check that though. I have no memory after the third game of pool. Do you want to do something? We could go out, or stay in. Whatever you want.” She smiles at his eagerness to please her.

“Lets go out. How about heading down to the beach? The sea air will do your hangover good.”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll make some calls first to check Leo actually sorted everything for today then take a shower.”

Riley hesitates for a moment. “How about we ask Drake and Maxwell?”As much as she’d love to see her friends she still feels guilty that she caused them so much worry, but she needs Maxwell if she's to be able to follow through with her plan. Liam takes her hand in his and gives it a reassuring squeeze.

“I know they’d love to see you.”

“Sure.” She smiles at him. “Lets do it.”

A few hours later they are down at the private beach. The men are all in swim shorts and shades. Riley’s determine to make her last day in Cordonia a good one, she’s wearing denim shorts and a hot pink bikini top and is playing volleyball on the hot sand with Maxwell, trying her best to be normal, leaping and diving, laughing and trying to cause Maxwell to miss the ball. Drake is laid back on his sun lounger with his legs stretched out in front of him. Liam sits up on his with a leg each side, sipping from an ice cold bottle of water in his hand. Both are watching Riley from behind dark sunglasses.

“How’s Taylor doing?” Drake asks. He’s been desperate to see her since she came back to the palace, desperate to hold her in his arms and keep her there safely protected from the outside world but Liam has been keeping her closeted away in his quarters as if she would just disappear again if he wasn't with her.

“She’s doing better. It’s been a rough few weeks but I think we’ve finally turned a corner. She’s happy today for the first time in what feels like forever.” Liam answers.

“And how are you doing?” Drake asks without turning to look at his friend.

“I’m fine.” Liam responds unconvincingly.

“You sure about that? You haven’t let her out of your sight since we got here. You know you’re gonna have to eventually, you can’t be with her all the time.”

“Yeah I know. I came so close to losing her  Drake. I can’t let it happen again.”

“It’s not your fault. You know that right?”

Liam sighs. “It is my fault, she wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for me. It’s my job to keep her safe and I’ve not done a very good job of it so far have I. Bastien has upgraded the security detail and retrained the officers. She wants to go back to Ramsford. I don’t want her to. I want to be with her all the time to make sure she’s ok.”

Leo makes his way out of the sea and joins them, shaking the water off of himself like a wet puppy much to Drakes annoyance. He grabs a beer out of the cooler and raises it to his lips, chugging down half of it in one pull.

“How are you not hungover?” Liam asks him incredulous. His own head still thick from last nights scotch.

“I’ve had a lot more practice than you baby brother. And anyway a hair of the dog is a great hangover cure.” Leo laughs.

Maxwell lets out a high pitched shriek and they all turn to look at him just in time to see him throwing himself into the sand failing to hit the volleyball and landing in an unceremonious heap on the floor.

“That’s it Max. I win.” Riley exclaims bending, resting her hands on knees panting and blowing her hair off her face. She uprights herself and casually walks over to sit on Liam’s lounger between his legs. He snakes his arms around her waist and pulls her flush to his chest. The gentle sea breeze caresses her bare shoulder as Liam leans down and places kisses on the salty skin nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck.

“Are they always like this?” Leo murmurs to Drake nodding his head towards Liam and Riley.

“Yeah, you kind of get used to it.”

Drake laughs but his heart constricts with the pain that you only feel from unrequited love. He looks at the couple noticing that Riley isn’t leaning back into Liam as she normally would, isn’t giggling at his teasing butterfly kisses as she once would have, isn’t swatting his blonde head and telling him to stop even though it’s clear to whoever's with them that she really doesn’t want him to. As the cooling sea breeze moves her hair softly away from the cheekbones that he notices have become so much more prominent over the previous weeks, he sees her features buckle just momentarily before Liam whispers something into her ear and squeezes her tighter. Drake can tell she’s not yet healed. His hands involuntarily clench into fists at the thought of something so terrible happening to her that it’s changed his Riley into someone different and he has to look away. Leo notices Drakes tense jaw and balled up fists.

“Hey, how about we hit the town tonight? Drake? Liam?” Leo asks. “Down a few beers. Pick up a few chicks. Beaumont! What are you up to tonight?” He calls out to Maxwell who’s practising backflips on the sand in front of them.

“Yeah count me in!” He shouts back.

“Sure why not.” Drake reluctantly agrees.

“Liam?” Leo asks his brother hopefully, already knowing what his reply will be. Riley pipes up before Liam has a chance to answer.

“Yes, go Liam, Leo’s not going to be here for long, you need to spend some time with your friends without me. It’ll do you good. I’ll be fine here on my own.” Liam looks uncertain, he doesn't want to be away from her for even a second if he doesn't have to, but something in the way she’s so insistent that he go out and at least try and have fun makes him want to agree to it just to please her.

“Are you sure love? I won’t go if you don't want me to.” He searches her eyes for a hint of doubt in them that he can use to decline the offer, but her gaze is steady, determined that he go.

“Go Liam, you can’t be with me all the time, its fine.”

“Ok, if you're sure. Leo count me in then.” He reluctantly agrees.

Riley jumps as a shrill and unexpected ringtone suddenly cuts through the tranquillity of the beach. Liam grabs his phone from beside him, he glances at the screen and groans.

“Gabriella.” Is all he says to Riley as he extricates himself from behind her and moves away from the group to answer the call. A few minutes later he’s back, grabbing his shirt from the back of his lounger and locating his sneakers from under the sun bed. He slips his shirt over his smooth tanned chest and shoves his sand covered feet into his sneakers. He sits back down on his lounger in front of Riley and takes her face in between his hands. “I’ve got to go back to the palace, I’ll be half an hour tops. Stay here with Drake. Don’t go anywhere. Ok?” He pulls her head to him and places a tender kiss on her sun warmed forehead.

“Liam I’ll be fine. Don’t worry. I’ll be here when you get back. I promise.” He looks into her eyes pausing before finally releasing her face from between his hands and nodding at her before rising from the lounger and turning to Drake and Leo.

“Look after her for me.” Both men just nod and Liam reluctantly walks off back up the beach towards the car.

As an awkward silence falls over the group Riley’s cheeks burn with humiliation at being treated like a child.

Noticing her discomfort Drake stands. “Come take a walk along the beach with me Taylor?” Riley’s eyes dart around the beach, surveying any unknown threats that may be lurking, waiting in the reeds lining the sand dunes, or hiding amongst the seaweed on the shore. “It’s ok Taylor.” Drake tells her holding out his hand to pull her up. “You’re safe with me. Have I ever let you down before?”

She looks at the scar slicing across the skin of his bicep and shakes her head and whispers “No. Never.” As she takes his hand he feels electricity surge between them. He forces himself to let go as soon as she’s on her feet. They walk in silence down to the shore where they paddle their feet into the warm water of the Mediterranean sea and walk slowly along the coastline side by side.

“How are you?” Drake asks her solemnly.

“I’d be better if everyone stopped asking me that question.” She answers honestly.

“Sorry.” He replies.

“Yeah that word needs to go too. I’m fed up with everyone being sorry. The only one who should be sorry is me. I never meant to put you all through that. I should have been more careful.”

“Don’t say that. Don’t ever think that Taylor. None of this was your fault.”

“Yeah so everyone keeps telling me. And if so, why do I feel so guilty?” She keeps her eyes on the horizon. “I put you all through so much worry.”

“Are you kidding me?” Drake stops walking and pulls her back by her hand turning her to face him. “Stop worrying about everyone else. What we went through was nothing in comparison to what you went through. You know you can talk to me if you need to Riley, I’m always here for you.” He knows he should drop her hand but he can’t bring himself to let it go and so keeps it clasped in his, intertwining his fingers in her soft thin ones.

She raises her head and looks in to his earnest chocolate brown eyes. “Stop it Drake. Stop treating me differently.”

“What do you mean? I’m not.”

Riley sighs. “I just want everything to go back to how it was before. I was so happy. I want to go back to that feeling. Liam’s being so protective. Now you’re calling me by my first name. You never call me that. Don’t start now. Please Drake.”

“Ok Taylor. But the sentiment still stands. I’m here. I’ll always be here for you.”

“I know you will Drake but you don’t need to be. I’m going to be fine. You don't have to worry about me anymore.”

Riley takes a deep breath, she knew the time would come sooner or later but she dreaded what she was about to do. She has to say goodbye to one of the people she that she cares for most in the world, one of the people that she felt happiest with. She doesn't know how she is supposed to just do it without feeling like she’s lost a part of her, without breaking down and losing her resolve.

“Drake, all those times where we would just talk and laugh and do normal things normal people would do. When during the engagement tour I had forgotten how to live, you were the one who showed me the way. When I felt like the world was falling apart around me, you made me feel as though it wasn't so bad. When I felt like nothing could make me feel better, you somehow managed to put even the slightest of smiles on my face. I'll never forget the moments you laughed with me, drank whiskey with me and helped me. Thank you for everything. I hope one day you find your happiness.”

Drake pulls her into a hug and whispers into her hair.

“Why does this feel like a goodbye? I will always be there for you Taylor, you know that. I’ll come and see you at Ramsford whenever you need me to, just say the word and I’ll be there.”

****

Liam jogs from the road where Bastien parked the car, back down the secluded track to the beach where he left his friends. As he approaches he sees Maxwell laid back snoring on a sun lounger with earbuds in. Leo is sitting scrolling through his phone drinking from another bottle of beer. His heart skips a beat when he notices that Riley isn't there.

“Hey. Where’s...oh.” Liam’s eyes focus on Drake pulling Riley into a tight hug on the shoreline further down the beach. Leo looks up from his phone and follows Liam’s gaze out to the seafront.

“How long?” Leo questions his brother nonchalantly.

“What do you mean?” Liam asks trying to hide the tension in his voice and sits down next to Leo.

“Ok we’re playing this game are we?” Leo sighs without looking for an answer. “I’ll try again baby bro. How long has your best friend been in love with your girl? Don’t pretend you haven’t noticed. It’s obvious to everyone who looks at him, except maybe Maxwell, but that guy has about as much perception as his peacocks.”

Liam remains silent watching the pair exchange what looks like meaningful words even from this distance away.

“Liam?”

Liam lets out a long sigh, something he’s done a lot of lately.

“Always.”

Leo’s eyes widen. “What? Seriously?”

“Ok, that may be an exaggeration. Certainly since the engagement tour. Maybe before that. I was so busy with the social season, then the Tariq thing happened and I guess...I guess I knew after that that maybe there was something happening there. I stupidly chose to ignore it. I was going to chose her, she was going to be mine Leo. And then our father fucked it all up for me. And since then everything has gone to shit. I can’t even keep her safe, maybe she’d be better off with him anyway. Maybe I should let her go.” He recognises he doesn’t have the right to question her connection to his dearest friend. Not when it clearly developed while he was pretending to the world that he was marrying Madeleine and certainly not when Drake has taken a bullet for her.

“Does she not get a say in it?” Leo asks.

“I just don’t know if I’m doing the right thing anymore Leo. None of this would have happened to her if it wasn’t for me.” Liam can’t tear his eyes off of his best friend and girlfriend.

“Do you blame me?” Leo asks casually.

“How do you do that? How do you make every situation about you? No I don't... Maybe I do a bit... But no, not really. You were never cut out to be king. It was always going to be my burden to bear. I think we always knew that really. I blame our father. He should never have interfered in my life like he did.”

“I can’t believe stone cold Drake Walker fell in love.” Leo lets out a shallow half laugh.

“Yeah. Trust me it’s not ideal.” Liam replies coldly.

“Wow, I bet. What is it with you guys and this girl Li? It’s like she’s got you all captivated. I mean don’t get me wrong she’s pretty, but pretty girls are ten a penny to guys like you and me. You could have anyone. Why make life so hard by choosing her?”

Liam shakes his head not taking his eyes off the pair now wandering along the shore line. “She’s different Leo. I can’t explain it. I’ve never felt this way before. I love her. I’d follow her into hell if that's what it took to keep her safe, I would defend her with my life even if the odds were insurmountable.”

Leo looks at his brother aghast.

“You can’t go around saying shit like that Li! There are plenty of people who would use that against you. You know this is why our father did what he did don't you? Even back then he knew you would do anything for this girl and he also knew you would have a responsibility to your country, to your people, he knew love would get in the way of that, that it would make you weak.” Leo says seriously.

“Who knew you’d end up sounding so much like Madeleine and our father Leo.” Liam says letting out a cold, empty laugh. “I don't care about anything other than her. I don't care about foreign policies and taxes and fucking budgets. All I care about is that she’s safe, that she’s happy. And I will spend my life making sure of it.”

“Well then you know what you have to don’t you. Before someone else does.”

“Yeah, I tried that already. She said no.” Liam is thankful for the dark glasses concealing the emotion in his eyes as tears once again form in them. Leo wonders what the hell has happened to his strong, capable brother since he’s been away.

“Fuck. You have to try again Liam. Because trust me if you don’t, someone else will.”

Leo looks at his brother earnestly and then back to his brothers best friend walking along with his arm slung around the shoulder of his brothers girlfriend.

#choices trr #trr fanfic #trr liam #liam x riley #liam x mc #king liam #choices fanfic #pixleberry #the royal romance #the royal romance fan fic #trr drake #trr leo

[cordonia-continued]

Captivated

Chapter 28

AU - TRR Liam x MC (Riley Taylor)

A/N - Set after the Tariq scandal is cleared. Liam ends his engagement to Madeleine and proposes to MC as per the original story, but Riley turns him down. This AU follows their life from then on.

Trigger Warning - this chapter contains mature adult themes, reader discretion is advised. 

Thanks for the likes, comments and re-blogs, I appreciate every one of them!

Word count - 3,242

@kingliam2019​ @ imjusthereforliam @amandablink​ @hopefulmoonobject​ @texaskitten30​ @mom2000aggie​ @gkittylove99​ @queenwalton​ @kimmiedoo5​ (Let me know if you want/no longer want to be tagged)

catch up here

Two weeks pass since Riley was released from hospital. In those first few days she spent most of her time curled up in Liam’s bed at the palace. At night she clung to him like a baby animal clings to its mothers fur. When she was laid in his bed with his arm draped over her, it was more comforting to her than any blanket she had ever lay under. She often woke in the middle of the night panting and covered in sweat as dreams of shadowy figures tormented her sleep. Liam would hold her close, stroking her hair, whispering comforting words into her ear until her breathing steadied and her eyes closed once again.

The regret and guilt over what happened to Riley comes to Liam in the quiet moments; when he’s drifting off to sleep; when he stops working to take a break; when he looks at her face and sees the anguish behind her beautiful blue eyes. It would seep to the foreground of his mind and demand to be re-examined again and again. He was tired; tired of thinking about it; tired of imaging how she was feeling; tired of the sleepless nights; tired of seeing her cry and not knowing what to say. No amount of analysis was going to turn back the clock. He had to talk to her and find out the truth. She still hadn’t spoken to him about the pregnancy test she bought the day she went missing. He’s been patient, waiting for her to bring it up, but it’s clear to him that she’s not going to. He can’t wait any longer to find out the truth even if it will break his heart. He finishes his work early and leaves his study, calling in on his assistant and asking not to be disturbed for the afternoon. Slowly he walks to his quarters, not wanting to face the truth but knowing that he needs to if he's ever got a chance of moving on.

He finds her sitting on the balcony of his bedroom, gazing unseeingly out at the palace gardens and the city beyond the iron spiked stone walls. She looks small and vulnerable in a pair of white shorts and a pale pink t-shirt, her feet bare, her tanned legs curled up underneath her. She looks up as Liam approaches, giving him a small vacant smile.

"Mind if I join you?" He asks.

She shakes her head slightly in response. He takes a seat next to her and follows her gaze out to the clear blue sky, the houses and roads of the city beneath it.

“It looks so small from up here doesn't it.”

“Hmm.” She responds.

“What are you thinking about?” He asks.

“I’m trying not to think.” She says sadly.

“Riley, I know you haven't wanted to talk about what happened, and that’s fine. I’m not going to pressure you. It’s just..." For someone who’s used to commanding boardroom meetings and presiding over legislative debates Liam finds himself lost for words. “Please don’t shut me out. I want to know how you’re feeling. I want to help you.”

“I don’t even know where to begin.” She whispers.

“Then just tell me how you feel right now.” He presses.

“Sad, I feel sad. And guilty. And...broken.” Tears fall from her eyes freely running down her face. She makes no move to wipe them away, instead letting the wet rivers mark her cheeks, glistening in the afternoon sunlight. She thinks back to what the psychologist had told her before she’d left the hospital.“It’s natural for you to be feeling sad and frightened right now. You’ve been through a lot, but you’ll find it becomes easier as soon as your strength and coping mechanism comes to the forefront.” The psychologist hadn’t seemed to doubt that it would all be ok at some point, probably sooner than she expected. He’d then talked about the counselling that was available to her at any time she required it. She knew Liam had paid for the best doctors and counsellors that money could buy. Riley often worried about what the stress of this was doing to Liam, it upset her a lot when she saw his quick flare ups of bitterness and anger at what had happened, followed by painful, anxious surges of love and guilt. This was obviously affecting him deeply, it was making her feel guilty and frustrated, even angry and resentful at times. She didn’t want to admit to it but but there were times when as soon as Liam was out of sight, Riley’s overwhelming relief at seeing him go was palpable, however it was quickly replaced by an almost panicked childlike need for him.

“I’m so sorry my love.” It’s all he can think to say.

“Stop apologising.” She hiccups out between sobs. “It’s not your fault, it’s mine. You told me to be careful when I was out, you warned me about the letters. And I didn’t listen to you. Jacob assured me it was normal to get weird fan mail, that it meant nothing and that you were just worrying unnecessarily and being overprotective.” Liam’s jaw tightens at the mention of her agents name. He’s been noticeably absent since the incident and Liam can’t help but wonder why. “And now this has happened and it’s all my fault. And now I'm a mess, a weak, broken mess.” Her cries quieten, visible only by her shaking shoulders, the wet tracks running down her cheeks and the soft sniffs she lets out.

“No. No my love, it’s not your fault. Stop blaming yourself. The guy was unhinged. Mentally ill. He was obsessed with you, he could have got to you wherever you went, or whatever you did. Look at me Riley.” She raises her head and looks into his sad blue eyes. More tears fill her eyes and she bites her lip, but she looks right into his eyes, letting him see inside her soul. “Please. Promise me you’ll stop blaming yourself? And you are far from weak or broken, you are the strongest person I know. Mistakes happen, awful things can happen in one's lifetime. But you fought Riley, you didn’t give up, you didn’t give in to him or into the despair you must have felt, don't let it consume you now. You won’t feel broken forever. You will heal from this. I promise you. Just give it time and I know you will be able to smile again."

“I hope so. I want to move on. I want to go out and see our friends but I’m scared. I’m scared they’ll treat me differently, that they’ll blame me. I’m scared that it’ll happen again. That I’ll never feel safe again.”

He takes her trembling hands in his, rubbing his thumbs over the red marks still at her wrists.

“I don’t claim to know what you’re going through but I know that there will be days when it would be a blessing not to feel at all. I know there will be days when the need to curl up in my arms to feel safe will be greater than the need to breathe. And I will be here for you, ready to hold you whenever you need me to. No one blames you for anything. You did nothing wrong. Everyone you love has supported you and they love you back fiercely. They all want to see you. I've had to dissuade Drake from barging straight in here on more than one occasion I can tell you." Riley smiles at the thought of Drake wanting to see her again. "This is the time to believe in yourself, so be brave my love and just know that I’m here. I will always be here. He’s not going to be able to get to you again, I’ve dealt with it, you don't need to worry about him anymore.” Liam pulls her close, squeezing her tightly to him. He relaxes his grip on her and she leans back into her seat.

“Thank you. I just want to get back to feeling like me.” She sniffs.

“You will my love.” He hesitates before his next words. The uncertainty and anxiety of what he may hear next making his heart beat faster in his chest.

“Riley, there’s something I need to ask you. I don’t want to upset you but I need to know.” She looks out again beyond the horizon, avoiding his gaze, hoping she’s wrong about what she thinks he’s going to ask.

“I saw the security footage from the drug store. I know why you stopped there. Why you wanted to go in on your own. I know what it was that you bought. I need to know Riley, are you...are we...pregnant?”

Her stomach drops. This wasn’t a conversation she ever wanted to have with him. She knows she’s going to break his heart. She remembers his one wish for the future was for a family. She lets out a long sigh and closes her eyes tightly as tears silently seep from them and fall down her cheeks, she’s unable to look at his face as she tells him the truth.

“No we’re not. We were, and now we’re not.” she whispers sadly.

His head falls to his chest and his eyes brim with tears. He reaches for her and pulls her onto his lap, holding her tightly against him, wrapping his arms around her trembling body protectively. His hand gently holds her head into his chest, his fingers stroking into her hair.

“Oh god Riley. Why didn’t you tell me?” Tears fill his eyes and a single tear slips down his cheek. Riley looks up at him.

“Because I couldn’t bear to see that look on your face.” She buries her face in his chest.

He holds her in silence, as her muffled sobs wrack against his chest he kisses her head and strokes her hair, rocking her slowly as her tears soak through his shirt. He holds her until her sobs turn to whimpers, finally turning to silence. When she eventually looks at him, he can see that her beautiful blue eyes are swollen and sore. Even though Liam’s read every single police report and knows all the details of what happened in that dingy basement flat, they talk about what happened while Riley was kidnapped, what happened when she was rescued. What the doctors at the hospital told her. They talk until everything is out in the open and there’s nothing more to say. Held in Liam’s strong arms Riley feels more settled and safe than she has for weeks.

Finally exhausted from crying and talking, Riley had curled up in Liam’s bed, he stayed holding her until she was snoring softly. He left her to sleep and laid on his couch in his sitting room mindlessly watching a movie. He’s trying and failing to concentrate on the plot when a knock sounds at his door. He leaves the comfort of the couch and pads over to open it, finding his brother Leo on the other side.

“Leo! What the hell are you doing here?” His surprise at seeing Leo after months of barely hearing from him since their fathers funeral was apparent on Liam’s face.

“Hey little brother.” Leo grins. “Aren’t you gonna invite me in?”

“Yeah of course, come in. What are you doing back? I thought you were in England or somewhere?”

“Yeah I was, I met this fine lady on a beach in Cypress, she was smoking Li.” Leo smirks and wiggles his eyebrows at his brother. “And I went with her back to England, you know thinking it would be all green hills and walks in the countryside. Turns out she wasn’t so hot once the holiday romance wore off and we were holed up in her dismal apartment in Dagenham, with constant rainy drizzle outside and the guy in the apartment next door snoring through the wall.” He gives Liam a sheepish grin.

“You’re incorrigible.” Liam says pulling him into a hug. He pulls back and takes in the familiar dishevelled blonde hair and leather jacket, Leo is more tanned than when he last saw him and it suits him. “It’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you too little bro. I errr...I heard what happened. It made the news in the UK. Made the news in pretty much most of Europe to be fair.” Leo takes in his brothers tired face and red rimmed eyes. “How are you doing?”

“I’m fine.”

Liam sits back down on his couch and turns the TV off. He runs a hand over his eyes and feels a tightening in his throat, a short intake of breath forecasts the explosion of emotion which to date, he has managed to keep buried deep inside. Not any more though, not in front of his brother. The images of a life created with his love which was not now to come are too powerful and gut wrenching to be kept in check; the tearing at his soul is too compelling and energetic to be contained. The vision of what could have been begins to swim in front of his eyes as tears well from deep inside and course down his cheeks. His sobs are stifled at first as he attempts to hide his grief, then overcome by the wave of his emotions, he breaks down entirely, all his defences washed away in salty tears.

Leo stands in front of his little brother at a loss of what to do or what to say. There’s a rawness to Liam’s cries, like the pain is still an open wound. When Liam at last turns his face to Leo’s he is a picture of grief, loss and devastation.

“Shit Liam, clearly you’re not fine.” Leo sits next to Liam on the couch, gripping him by the back of the neck he pulls Liam into him and holds him tightly against his chest. “She’s ok though. Isn’t she? I mean...he didn’t hurt her, did he? I would have come back sooner if I had known she was hurt.”

Liam pulls himself out of his brothers embrace and blinks briny tears from his bloodshot eyes, his thick lashes stick together in clumps as if he's been swimming. The tears have made wet tracks down his face and drip from his stubbled, wobbling chin.

“Sorry. I don’t know where that came from.” He says, wiping his wet face with the bottom of his t-shirt. “Yeah she’s ok. No he didn’t hurt her, at least not like that.” Liam’s lips tremble as he speaks.

“Hey don’t be sorry.” Leo squeezes his brothers shoulder. “I’m guessing you’ve been the strong one as usual, holding it all in. Looks like you needed to let it out before it swallowed you.”

Liam takes a shuddering breath.

“She was pregnant Leo.”

Leo lets out a puff of air, blowing his wayward blonde locks off his forehead.

“Wow congrats. Does Regina know? An heir born out of wedlock. She’s gonna have a fit when she finds out.” Leo lets out a small chuckle.

“Was, Leo. Was.” He says the words in an even steady tone, not distraught, but not totally detached either. Like someone trying to hold it all together. Leo’s eyes widen.

“No, oh god Li, I’m so sorry man. No wonder you're cut up. Why didn’t you call me?” Guilt eats at Leo as he tries to defend his absence. “I read in the papers that Riley was ok. I called Regina, she said you were ok. I just assumed you would be busy dealing with everything from the fall out. I would have come back if I had known how upset you were.”

“It’s ok Leo, I know you have issues being here. I had Olivia and Drake with me. Although no one else knows about this so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention it to anyone.” Leo nods.

“Was it...was it because of what happened?”

Liam’s jaw tightens and his voice lowers, almost to a whisper.

“I don’t know, I don’t think we’ll ever actually know, but I would guess that it had something to do with it, yeah. It was early, very early. She didn’t even know for sure until they told her it was gone. She didn’t tell me until today. I’ve been waiting weeks for her to tell me, hoping that it wasn’t this.” Liam, noticing the confusion on his brothers face explains. “Bastien showed me the footage from the minutes before she went missing, she was in a drug store. They checked what she purchased. That bastard took her before she even had a chance to find out.” Liam leans his head back against the couch cushion and closes his eyes. “I’m so fucking angry Leo. What that guy did. What he could have done.” His hands clench into shaking fists. “She’s blaming herself but it’s my fault not hers. If I had kept her safe. If our father hadn’t done what he did. If she had never of come here. None of this would have happened. I’ve got to carry on and be strong, show people that everything’s ok, when I’ve got this heavy feeling inside me that’s like the weight of the world is resting on my shoulders and there is nothing I can do to get out from under it.”

“Liam you’re not Atlas. You don’t have to carry the world on your shoulders.”

“He carried the celestial heavens Leo – not the world.”

Leo shakes his head and laughs. “Trust you to be pedantic about Greek Myth. You know it wasn’t your fault, right? It was no ones fault apart from that fucking bastard’s. And you don’t have to always be strong. If you don’t let it out, talk about things, it’ll overwhelm you.”

Liam sighs. “Yes I do Leo. I have a country to rule over, and an inconsolable girlfriend to be there for. All I want to do is drink myself into oblivion and actually manage to sleep through for a whole night. But I can’t because I’ve got to go and open a fucking school tomorrow morning. And then meet the fucking chancellor of Portavira afterwards to discuss funding for flood defences.”

“Just call in sick.” Leo exclaims.

Liam laughs a small sad laugh. “I can’t call in sick you idiot.” Leo smiles back at him.

“Yeah maybe not. Can’t you get Regina to do it instead? Cutting a ribbon of some new fancy school sounds right up her street.”

“She not in the best of moods with me to be honest. She’s not happy about Riley staying here, in my room. I’m breaking all the court protocols apparently.” Liam gives his brother a bashful grin.

Leo lets out a loud laugh. “Well, it makes a change for the golden boy to be doing something wrong instead of me. She’ll be fine with it, you know what she’s like, she just likes things done the proper way. Let me go and speak to her, I’ll grab us a bottle of the good scotch on the way back. Meet me in the games room in ten minutes, we’ll shoot some pool, drink some scotch and forget about life for a few hours. What do you say?”

Liam smiles at him. “Sounds great...Thanks Leo.”

“Hey don’t thank me, thank Regina.” Leo winks back at him.

#trr fanfic #choices trr #trr liam #liam x mc #liam x riley #king liam #the royal romance fan fic #the royal romance #choices fanfic #pixleberry #trr leo

[cordonia-continued]

Captivated

Chapter 27

AU - TRR Liam x MC (Riley Taylor)

A/N - Set after the Tariq scandal is cleared. Liam ends his engagement to Madeleine and proposes to MC as per the original story, but Riley turns him down. This AU follows their life from then on.

Thanks for the likes, comments and re-blogs, I appreciate every one of them!

Word count - 1,939

@kingliam2019​ @ imjusthereforliam @amandablink​ @hopefulmoonobject​ @texaskitten30​ @mom2000aggie​ @gkittylove99​ @queenwalton​ @kimmiedoo5​ (I’ve no idea why the tags aren’t working. Let me know if you want/no longer want to be tagged)

catch up here

The next two days pass for Liam in a blur of hospital visits and legal wrangling. He has taken it upon himself to ensure that Thomas Essien never sees the light of day again and will do everything in his power to ensure he get the maximum possible sentence.

Finally the doctors have agreed to discharge Riley from hospital and Liam has cleared his schedule for the day to personally collect her and bring her home to him.

Liam hurries down the central staircase of the palace ready to get into his car that’s prepared and waiting out the front for him, an apparently urgent phone call from the chancellor that couldn’t wait has him running late and frustrated. Just as he reaches the grand entryway his step mother Regina catches him.

“Liam I need to discuss a matter with you!” She calls out after Liam as he makes his way towards the front doors. Liam curses under his breath and plasters a forced smile onto his face.

“Regina, I’m just heading out. Can it wait?” He asks, trying to keep the impatience out of his voice.

“No Liam.” She trills in her cut glass accent “Please come into the sitting room, it’s not a conversation appropriate for the lobby.”

She turns to her left and opens the big heavy oak doors that lead into the formal sitting room, walking in she turns expecting Liam to follow. Liam sighs and follows her in to the opulent room where she has already taken a seat on one of the ornate burgundy Victorian style couches. Pictures of his ancestors glare down from oil paintings in gilt frames that adorn the walls. Liam remains standing, folding his arms across his broad chest and tapping his foot impatiently.

“Liam I’ve had word that Lady Riley is to return to the palace following her release from hospital today?” Regina asks keeping her tone even, already knowing full well what the answer is.

“Yes Regina, I’ve asked her to stay here. I want her where I can keep an eye on her. At least until Bastien has okay’d the upgraded security system at the Beaumont’s estate. I trust that’s not an issue?”

Knowing his step mother as he does Liam knows he’s in for a tough time from her. To Regina the monarchy is all about appearances, pomp and ceremony. With his father gone she has taken it upon herself to make sure the strict and stuffy rules and regulations of palace life and its traditions are adhered to.

“I thought the Beaumont’s were broke, where has the budget come from for an upgraded security system? I assume this includes a permanent security guard at the gate as well?” She raises an eyebrow at him. He knows as soon as he’s left she’ll be rifling through the Duchy’s budget forecast for this year. He’s already grown tired of where this conversation is going. After the events of this week he so badly wants to hold Riley in his arms and keep her safe, and Regina is currently standing in his way of going to get her.

“Yes it does. I have funded it from the Crowns own security budget. It’s my fault this happened, I’m going to make sure there isn’t a chance anything like it can happen again.”

Regina sighs. “Liam you are too soft. The Beaumont’s can’t expect hand outs from us. They should be providing the girl with security, not us, she’s from their house, she isn't part of the Crown.”

Liam’s back straightens and his brows knit together in frustration.

“It’s not a hand out. Security is an important matter for all Duchies. Especially when it involves the woman I love.”

“Love?” Regina queries. “Liam lets not get carried away with ourselves shall we. It’s not becoming of oneself to throw around declarations of affection. You know that. Its vulgar and uncouth.”

Liam’s jaw tightens. He remains silent, knowing if he speaks at all right now he would regret everything he said. Regina continues unfazed by her step-sons demeanour.

“Now, if you are unwilling to bend on this issue Liam, I trust that the staff are preparing Lady Riley her own room here.” She eyes him beadily.

Liam shakes his head at his step mother.

“Regina that’s not happening. I want her with me, in my quarters. As you are aware there are a number of bedrooms in there, I’ll let her decide what bedroom she chooses to sleep in. She’ll stay there until she wants to leave – If she wants to leave.”

Regina closes her eyes and inhales deeply. The lines around her lips puckering in distaste.

“Liam, you know that’s not appropriate. You are not married, not even engaged. It’s not proper for an unmarried couple to be sharing living accommodation within the palace. What will the staff think. If Lady Riley is staying here I respectfully request that she stays in her own room in the west wing. I have turned a blind eye to recent events. One night here and there I can just about tolerate, but I will not have it becoming a regular thing. I know your father would have felt the same way” She states raising her chin defiantly.

“Regina, Lady Riley has been through an ordeal, she needs to feel safe. She needs to be with me. And if my father had not interfered we would be engaged and possibly even married by now. She is staying in my quarters, it is non-negotiable.” He snaps back at her.

“It really is not acceptable Liam. It breaks all royal protocol. You can’t just do what you want with no regard to the correct procedure and etiquette – despite your position.”

Her voice is shrill and grates on Liam’s nerves. Finally he’s had enough, the last week has been hell, he’s barely slept, hardly eaten and has drunk way too much scotch each evening. Despite his affection for his step mother he won’t be dictated to in his own home. He raises his voice making sure that his opinion on the subject is clear.

“My position? Need I remind you of my position? I am the king of this country and if I say she’s staying in my room then that’s where she will stay! I am not a child. I do not have to follow your old fashioned uptight rules on what’s proper!”

Regina raises her chin. “Very well Liam, just know that I believe you to be making a mockery of this monarchy. I do not want it known outside of this palace that she is staying in your quarters. Please at least be discreet about it.”

Liam lowers his voice, his steely gaze bears down upon her.

“It’s nobody’s business but my own. I’d appreciate it if you kept your opinions to yourself. I don’t want anything upsetting Riley, she’s fragile enough as it is at the moment.” He turns on his heel and marches out of the sitting room slamming the door as he leaves.

****

Riley slides into the passenger seat of Liam’s car and inhales the heady scent of the most expensive leather interior of any car she has ever been in. She closes her eyes and leans back in the luxurious seat that holds her like a hand. Liam had insisted that he wanted to drive Riley home from the hospital himself, he no longer trusted anyone to take care of her the way he should have done long before now. So he had driven his Aston Martin to the hospital, requesting his guards bring it to the back entrance when he called for it, away from the press and paparazzi cameras crowding around the front doors like vultures circling an injured gazelle waiting for their next meal.

As they pull onto the highway Riley watches Liam as he shifts gears with the practised ease of a racing car driver. His touch is easy and smooth; the engine responds to his every whim. Riley has never been in a car with just Liam before, has never really thought much about whether he could drive or not. But of course he can, Liam can do everything, and everything he does he does expertly. He’s as romantic as a poet, as bold and commanding as the wind and as attuned to his surroundings as the guards that share every aspect of his life from the shadows. And how lucky she is to have him as a lover she tells herself. Her rock. Her best friend, and now her partner in this mad challenging and scary new world. Wanting him to know how much she appreciates him being here with her Riley reaches for his hand and curls her fingers around his. His grip tightens on her hand, but she keeps her gaze fixed on the patchwork landscape of fields outside her window, too tired to to turn her head to look at him. They cruise down the highway at a safe speed, despite the horsepower beneath the hood and his usual thirst for speed that normally sees him pushing the pedal beneath his foot to the floor and hurtling along at speeds way above the limit, the cargo he carries is precious and he’ll be dammed if anything else were to happen to her because of him. The royal guards surround his car at a safe but respectful distance, giving them the illusion they are a normal couple out for drive.

“Drake should be waiting for us when we get back.” Liam says far too brightly as he lets her hand go to put his back on the wheel, his eyes still fixed to the road ahead. Riley feels no pleasure at the thought of seeing one of her dearest friends. She isn’t capable of feeling much of anything right now. It’s hard to imagine any type of hope or enthusiasm swooping in to rescue her from the cloying debilitating gloom that’s swallowing her.

“I don’t want to see him Li.” She speaks quietly and slowly, closing her eyes and leaning her head against the car window like the effort of getting that small sentence out has drained her of all energy.

“Just for a minute. He just wants to see that you’re ok. That you got back safely. He was such a good friend to me when you were gone Riley, please, just let him see that you’re safe and that you’re ok. He’ll only worry and brood otherwise, you know what he’s like.”

Riley nods her head without opening her eyes.

The palace, as they pull up to it, doesn't look any different from the way it always has, the sculptures at the front gates that were made long ago by masters of the craft still sit on their pedestals, the flowing water still spills out of the ornate fountains and the perfectly manicured hedges still line the driveway that Liam drives them down in his black sports car. Riley hadn’t expected it to have changed, but familiar as it is, it feels different. Everything does. She guesses a time will come when she’s able to put the strangeness, the chaos and darkness of her feelings into words, or into some order of understanding, but for now she feels a bewildering sense of surrealism that makes everything seem like an endless dream- or nightmare.

As they pull up outside of the front entrance Liam parks and gets out of his car, throwing his keys to the doorman, who Riley knows will park the car back in the garage after a full wash and valet despite it being used for less than a few hours. He walks to her side of the car opening the door for her like the perfect gentleman that he always is. Drake must have been looking out waiting for their return. He’s opening the front door and is down the stone steps of the porch before Riley has even stepped fully out of the car. He barrels up to her and bundles her into a tight bear hug. One look into his tanned rugged face as he came out of the palace was the tonic that Riley hadn’t expected. The joy of seeing him, of realising he was going to be there for her was helping, if only for a few moments, to lift her from the misery that surrounds her. Riley gazes into his chocolate brown eyes and knows that the bond that they share is still there. They don't need words to express it, they can both feel it, and that’s enough. There will be time for talking later, when she’s feeling up to it, when she has come to terms with what has happened to her. After what feels like forever Drake releases her from his arms without saying a word, he nods his head once at her and walks silently away and into the palace gardens. Riley swears she can see tears welling in his eyes as he does so.

#trr fanfic #choices trr #trr liam #TRR Riley #trr mc x liam #liam x mc #liam x riley #king liam #the royal romance fan fic #the royal romance #pixleberry #choices fanfic

[cordonia-continued]

Captivated

Chapter 26

AU - TRR Liam x MC (Riley Taylor)

A/N - Set after the Tariq scandal is cleared. Liam ends his engagement to Madeleine and proposes to MC as per the original story, but Riley turns him down. This AU follows their life from then on.

Trigger Warning - this chapter contains mature adult themes, reader discretion is advised. 

Thanks for the likes, comments and re-blogs, I appreciate every one of them!

Word count - 4,176

@kingliam2019 @ imjusthereforliam @amandablink @hopefulmoonobject @texaskitten30 @mom2000aggie (I’ve no idea why the tags aren’t working. Let me know if you want/no longer want to be tagged)

catch up here

Found.

Alive.

As soon as Liam hears those words sound out from the radio that's clutched in Drake’s white knuckle grip he’s up out of his seat and shouting commands at the guards that are standing at the doors of the conference room. No other thought enters his scrambled brain except getting to Riley.

As soon as the blacked out SUV carrying the king pulls up outside the rear of the hospital Liam rushes out and through the back entrance doors before anyone can blink.Two of his kings guards race behind him with Drake and Olivia eagerly on his tail. Their speedy progress is halted just passed the doors by a plump, rosy faced nurse. It takes all of Liam’s restrain not to grab hold of the girl and shake the slow torturous words from her mouth as she unhurriedly and calmly checks a computer before she directs them up to the private wing. His heart is hammering in his chest as they exit the lift and rush out into the corridor. Bastien is standing guard outside of a room and Liam knows Riley must be in there. His heart constricts with a mixture of anger, love and concern.

Before Liam can make it to the door of the room Bastien makes his way down the deserted corridor towards them. His eyes show the kind of gentle concern that a father might reserve for his children. He motions to a side room and despite Liam’s urgency to see Riley he steps in without argument followed by Drake and Olivia. As the two King’s Guards stand watch outside, Bastien rapidly explains that Riley is with the doctors, that they will have to wait to see her. He then immediately leaves to take up his promised post outside her door, leaving his king before he has a chance to take umbrage or refuse to wait. Bastien has seen that steely intent in Liam’s eyes very few times before and knows it’s only a matter of seconds before he demands access to her, and woe betide anyone who gets in his way.

As soon as Bastien leaves the room Liam can no longer hold in the anger that’s been building up inside of him for the last 3 days. In one swift movement and with an angry cry he launches his fist at the wall puncturing a hole straight through the drywall. Drake walks calmly over to him putting a hand on his shoulder, he pulls Liam around into a tight bear hug. Eventually Liam collapses down hard into the armchair behind him. Olivia holds out a coffee in front of him, he grabs the cup and hurls it at the wall, the flimsy paper cup releasing the brown liquid, splattering it up the beige paint work.

“Liam!” Drake admonishes him. “Calm down. You’re no good to Taylor like this.”

Liam bends over resting his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands.

“I’m so sorry Olivia, that wasn’t aimed at you. I’m just so fucking angry. If he’s touched her Drake I swear I’ll kill him with my bare hands.”

Drake’s heart echoes the same sentiment as Liam’s and his fists curl up at his sides at the thought of someone harming Riley. It’s usually he who’s the brash one, lashing out without thinking. He pushes his anger down to comfort his normally level headed friend.

“Li stop thinking like that. We don’t know anything yet. Just wait and see what she says.”

“I can’t help but think the worst.” It comes out of Liam as a sob.

Drake crouches down in front of his friend.

“Just let the doctors and the police do their job. Taylor’s strong, she’ll get through this.”

“I hope so Drake.” Liam sighs pinching the bridge of his nose, composing himself.

To distract himself from his torturous thoughts Liam looks around the empty waiting room, it’s clearly a room designed to inspire confidence and allay apprehension. Watercolours of beach landscapes are hung on the walls, each depicting slightly different versions of the same beautiful calming scenery of rolling waves on idyllic sand. A pale wooden glass topped coffee table with health magazines on top sits in the centre of the room. Comfortable chairs in complementary browns, fawns and blues line the edges, calming neutral beige coloured walls, one now splattered with brown coffee, surround them. Underfoot is a dull beige carpet that covers the whole room. A television is hung in one corner displaying the 24 hour news channel on mute. A montage of pictures of Riley flash onto the screen over and over again, captions recounting the disappearance of the king’s girlfriend run along the ticker tape at the bottom of the screen. Liam is too anxious to read any of the magazines or watch TV. He sits on the edge of the rigid armchair and taps his foot impatiently, placing his hands on his knees with the hope that it’ll stop them from bouncing every five seconds.

****

Riley’s eyes flicker open, she scrunches them up tightly against the harsh dazzling strip light above as she tries to make sense of the noise and unfamiliar smell of the room surrounding her. She slowly and hesitantly peels her eyes open and tries to call out but her voice is a small stifled moan inside the mask covering her mouth. As she looks around the sparse clinical room, to her fuzzy eyes everything appears to be coated in a fog that feels like it’s not only in her eyes but in her head too, deep inside her brain, spreading all the way through her, right out to the edges of her vision, circling everything she looks at in a dim misty halo. She blinks...someone is speaking to her, saying her name.

Confusion and fear descend upon her like clouds in a thundery sky heavy with the threat of rain. She jerks her arms and feels relieved when the move freely. Sudden clarity hits her and she remembers she’s in hospital, she’s safe, the person saying her name is a kindly looking nurse with a cheery round face covered in freckles wearing a too bright pink lipstick and too much blusher.

Suddenly embarrassment washes over her as she thinks back to when she was bought into the hospital. The nurses had tried to prise her hand from Bastien’s so she could be examined and she had screamed at them, thrashed her legs and clawed at his shirtsleeves, trying to keep her grip on him, not wanting him to release her from the safety of his firm hold. Eventually they sedated her to calm her down and make her let go of the vice like grip on his hand, the last thing she remembers was him promising her he wouldn’t move from outside her room, and then the fog closed in, colourless and opaque, and everything went quiet as she floated into the darkness away from the strange sounds and confusion and pain.

A short while later Riley tries to listen intently as the doctor with his pleasantly accented voice explains to her that she’s dehydrated and is being given fluids and pain meds from an IV line. He explains that they’ve run blood tests to check that whatever her kidnapper injected into her has left her system and to see if they can identify what it was. She’s struggling to concentrate on his words, her mind is a tangled mess of emotions and jumbled thoughts. Her troubled gaze keeps going to the back of Bastien’s head that she can see through the open blinds hanging at the glass window in the door of her room, checking he’s still there, checking that he’s not left her on her own. Her doctor clears his throat. And she turns her attention to him, trying to focus her brain.

“I’m very sorry Lady Riley but you unfortunately suffered a miscarriage.” She’s about to correct him and tell him to just call her Riley when she belatedly registers what he said. Her head snaps up to his face. For a moment the room spins and her mouth goes dry.

“What?” She questions gasping. The doctor notices the shocked look on her face.

“Sorry, you didn’t know you were expecting?” He asks kindly.

Her voice shakes and uncontrollable tears fall once again from her eyes. “No. Well, I thought maybe....I mean.” Her foggy brain struggles to find the words she needs. “I was going to do a test but I never got the chance. How can that have happened I’m on birth control.” She sobs.

“These things are never 100% effective. All it takes is an upset stomach or a missed pill and pregnancy can happen. I would say from hormone levels that you were 6 or 7 weeks along. We have confirmed the miscarriage with a physical examination and I would like to perform an ultrasound to check there are no complications. The pain meds should help with the cramping. Unfortunately we can’t say what caused it. Whether it was from what you were injected with, due to stress or dehydration or if the pregnancy just wasn’t viable.” He continues speaking, saying more, much more, but none of it changes what he has already said so she barley listens to him.

“Does...does Liam know?” She interrupts the doctors flow.

“His Majesty is not your next of kin.” He checks her chart. “Some one called...” He pauses as he flips through the pages. “Bertrand Beaumont is listed.”

“Oh God, please don’t tell Bertrand, he would never forgive me for another scandal.” Her chest tightens and her breathing quickens. She pulls her legs up to her chest as she struggles to take in a breath. A blackness creeps in once again from the edges of her eyes as her vision narrows into a tunnel. She leans over and puts a hand to her chest gasping, she thinks she’s having a heart attack and wonders if this is how she dies, after all of the drama of the last three days, it seems a bit ordinary and undramatic.

“Calm down, its ok.” The kindly older doctor rubs her back up and down. “Take deep breaths, you’re having a panic attack, I know it feels scary but its ok.”

How can I take deep breaths when I can’t even get one breath into my lungs Riley thinks as she struggles to breathe.

“Breathe with me – in, two, three...and out, two, three.” Her doctor continues in his soothing calm voice. Until finally she controls her breathing and feels her racing pulse settle back down.

“Patient confidentiality is taken very seriously, I promise I won’t tell anyone. Legally I cannot tell His Majesty anything about your medical history without your consent. But if you would like me to tell him I can.” He asks.

She shakes her head and quickly chokes out “No. No please don’t.”

“Then I will respect your wishes. Do you wish him to know about any other injuries or illnesses sustained? It might be easier coming from me. He’s been asking about your welfare since the moment he got here.”

She nods. “Just not about the pregnancy, please. He doesn’t need to know about it, not now.”

The doctor nods and leaves the room. She buries her head in her hands and sobs until her eyes sting and her throat feels like it might close from exhaustion.

****

For an agonisingly long time Liam stares at the blank wall in front of him and tries not to give in to the thoughts that are racing through his mind; why are they taking so long; what has she been through; how badly is she injured. The room is deathly silent, save for the ticking of the silver framed wall clock, which seems to linger an extra minute at every passing second. Time seems to stand still as he takes his gaze off of the clock, silently vowing to not look at it once more until he absolutely needs to. He can’t hold a conversation or sit still while his thoughts dance in infinite directions, Drake and Olivia sense it and shoot each other concerned glances but remain silent. He feels the tension and anxiety build up in him as he stares blankly at the insipid beach landscape watercolour on the wall, his mind full of questions. Just as he regains a steady heartbeat by practising breathing techniques he had been taught long ago, he hears the familiar continual tap of a heel against the vinyl floor of the corridor outside and his pulse rate shoots up once again. He stands up almost too quickly, sending a dizzying rush of blood to his head.

A knock at the waiting room door draws all of their attention. They all watch as the shiny silver handle lowers and a middle aged man walks into the room. He’s dark skinned with wavy black hair that’s greying at the temples. He’s wearing a white coat and horn rimmed glasses and has a quiet air of confidence and dependence about him. He addresses Liam directly.

“Your Majesty, I’m Lady Riley’s doctor, Dr Sanjay Ahmed.” He bows his head at Liam.

“Doctor can you tell us anything about what happened? How is she?” Words rush out of Liam in a panic. He’s halted by the calming voice of the older man.

“If I may have a private word with you Your Majesty?”

Drake and Olivia reluctantly leave the room closing the door behind them and wait impatiently in the corridor. Olivia leans back against the cool wall behind her, closing her eyes and resting her head back. Drake sits down heavily into one of the plastic seats lining the walls.

Inside the waiting room Dr Ahmed leads Liam over to an armchair and takes a seat opposite him. He eyes the hole in the wall and the coffee stain now dry on the paintwork. He keeps his voice even and calm.

“As you are not Riley’s next of kin I can only tell you the information that Lady Riley has agreed to allow me to divulge.”

Liam tries to protest but the doctor holds firm.

“Your Majesty, unless I have a court order compelling me to disclose a patient’s medical records I will treat all of my patients with the same confidentiality regardless of who they are.”

Liam nods in understanding. Both him and the doctor know he could use his position to quite easily have an order drawn up and signed by a judge within the hour, but he also knows he will respect Riley’s wishes.

“When she was bought in Lady Riley was confused, anxious and agitated, we had to give her a drug for rapid tranquillisation to aid with examination. It’s not something I’m surprised about given the extreme situation she’s been in. She will still be feeling the impact and will be drowsy and may seem out of it for a while. She is dehydrated and we have her on fluids through an IV line to rectify that. Her blood pressure is low and she has a rapid heart rate, the machines she is hooked up to are nothing to worry about and are just monitoring it. It’s most likely been caused by the dehydration and the immense stress she’s been under.”

The doctor clears his throat and continues on, trying not to let the fact that he’s sitting opposite the king of his country phase him.

“We found a small puncture site at her neck”

Liams eyes widen and the doctor hesitates for a fraction of a second.

“Now, I’m not sure how much you’ve been told about what’s happened but from her description of the events on the day she was taken we believe she may have been injected into a vein with an unknown substance to knock her out.”

The doctor pretends not to see Liams face drop and the colour drain out of it.

“Due to the length of time that has elapsed since the injection we don’t think that we will be able to identify what it was exactly, we can narrow it down to a few possibilities but it may be a cocktail of more than one, we have taken bloods and will get the results soon.”

Sanjay can feel his nerves are making him talking too fast and makes a conscious effort to slow down. Liam sits opposite in stony silence, the occasional head nod the only indication that he’s taking all of the information in.

“She’s been extremely lucky, any tranquillising drug can lead to respiratory depression or cardiac arrhythmia, especially those found on the black market. The police have been made aware that they should inform us immediately of any drugs found during the premises search. As we cannot verify the syringe used we have also tested for any blood diseases that can be picked up from used needles just in case. The results for that will take a bit longer to come back, post exposure treatment will not be viable as more than 72 hours have elapsed so we will need to test again in one and three months, I would suggest that until then you either refrain from physical intimacy or use protection.”

The doctors flow is interrupted as an anguished gasp involuntarily releases from Liam’s mouth, but he otherwise remains silent. He leans his head back against the wall behind him and stares at the glaring strip lights that adorn the ceiling, taking in the deeper meaning of information being given to him, blinking heavily and willing the tears in his eyes not to fall.

“She has superficial lacerations to her wrist from tight ligatures, those have been cleaned and bandaged but they will clear up on their own in time with minimal scarring if any. She has some bruising and minor scrapes to her arms and shins. She’s weak and exhausted, both mentally and physically. She’s understandably very upset and emotional, she’s been through quite an ordeal. She’ll need time to come to terms with what happened to her. I recommend counselling and can provide some good therapists who come highly recommended.”

Liam has to clear the emotion from his throat before he can speak.

“Thank you Doctor Ahmed.” He pauses before he can get the next words out. “Can you tell me...was she...did he touch her?”

The doctor knows immediately what the king is trying to ask. Although Riley didn’t give her express permission to divulge those details, he knows Liam needs to hear them. He makes a split second decision in that moment to provide his king with the answers that he seeks.

“I can tell you that that we found no sign of any injuries in line with a sexual assault.”

“Oh Thank God. Thank you. Thank you so much for telling me.” He lets out a long puff of breath and closes his eyes. His shoulders visibly relax. “How long will she be here?”

“We will keep her in overnight to get the fluids into her and reassess her tomorrow, it’s likely she will be able to be released in a few days.”

“Thank you again doctor.” Liam’s gratitude is genuine and he makes a mental note to ensure that a formal letter of gratitude is sent from the crown to the straight talking physician and that a large donation is sent to the hospital.

Dr Ahmed looks down at Liam’s hand, now red and angry, a purple bruise beginning to appear on his knuckles next to the small scrapes.

“Your Majesty I can get that hand looked at for you.”

Liam’s cheeks blush pink and he looks down at his hand in embarrassment while shaking his head.

“No, no it’s fine...I’m sorry about the wall...I guess I just lost it momentarily. It’s been a long, difficult few days. I’ll get someone to arrange a repair straight away.”

“It’s ok Your Majesty. It’s not the first time it’s happened, I’m sure it won’t be the last. I’d rather you let me get that X-rayed.” He takes Liam’s hand in his and examines the knuckles. Liam pulls it away ashamed of his earlier outburst.

“No. It’s fine. Thank you.”

The Doctor nods. “Very well, I’ll get a nurse to bring you an ice pack. I’ll see if Riley’s ready to see you now.” He adds before leaving the room.

****

Liam approaches Riley’s room with trepidation, unsure of what he’ll find. He slowly pushes the door open and sees her small body curled up under the white sheets of the bed facing away from the door, an IV line going into the back of her hand, machines beeping out a steady rhythm at her side. He looks around the typical hospital room, it’s sparse and functional with the usual hospital undertone of bleach. She makes no movement or noise to acknowledge his presence and he wonders if she’s asleep. He approaches the bed slowly and quietly, sitting in the chair next to it. He reaches out and gently strokes her arm, he feels her whole body tense under his touch and knows that she’s awake.

“Riley love, it’s me, are you awake?” He whispers softly. She shakes her head no in reply and he smiles at her back. “I just want you to know that I’m here my love, if you want to talk to me?” She turns over and gives him a small sad smile. He notices her eyes are sunken and ringed with dark circles. Her once bright skin now looks pale and sickly, her long blonde hair hangs limply around her face.

“Hi” she croaks out. He smiles back at her. Her eyes, once always bright and sparkling are now soaked in pain. He has never seen her so sad and pained and he swallows down the sob that’s trying to escape him.

“I’m so glad that you’re safe. I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you.” He longs to reach out and hold her. Instead he holds himself back and gently rubs a finger over the back of her hand.

Riley’s voice freezes in her throat. She can’t form words and just shakes her head again, tears spilling down her cheeks.

“Hey it’s ok you’re safe now. Can you tell me what happened? Are you hurt? Did he...Riley, did he touch you?” Conflicting emotions swirl within Liam, he doesn’t want to hear the answer but at the same time he has a strong need to hear every detail that she went through.

Riley curls up into a ball and rolls over facing away from him. She doesn’t want him to see the pain and guilt in her eyes. She pulls the sheets up over her head as she sobs at the memory of the man’s hands on her. She retches as she remembers his cold slimy tongue trying to press into her mouth, she clamps her lips and teeth shut to as if to block the memory of its path.

“Please love, talk to me. Tell me what happened.” Liam begs, but she merely sobs harder in response. A knock at the door disturbs them and Liam looks up to see Bastien hesitating at the threshold.

“Sir, the police need to speak with Lady Riley now.”

Liam nods. “I want to stay.”

In a quiet whisper from under the bed sheet he hears Riley say “No.”

“Yes. I need to hear what happened. I want to stay and make sure you’re ok.”

She turns to him, her eyes red and puffy, a desolate expression on her pale face.

“No Liam. Go. Please.” She knows she can’t re-live it in front of him. She knows she won’t be able to hold it together if she sees his reaction or has to look at his face as she recounts what happened. She longs for him to hold her, to feel safe in the comfort of his arms again, but she can’t let herself fall into him, not yet, not until she’s done this. She feels dirty and impure. She feels the need to wash every part of her skin until it’s raw before she can let him touch her again. She’s scared once she holds him she might never let go. He reaches for her and she shrinks back against the bed. His heart feels like it’s breaking in two.

Bastien speaks from his position still at the doorway.

“Sir, I think it’s best if you leave the police to do their job.” Liam nods at his guard and wipes a single tear from his face.

“I’ll be outside love, I won’t leave you. I promise.” He rises from the chair and leaves the room. He turns to his guard as they step out into the hallway.

“Bastien please stay with her, I need to know what happened.” His guard nods and walks back down the corridor, dreading their debrief already.

Two police detectives – one male and one female file into Riley’s room with Bastien. Riley motions for Bastien to sit in the chair next to her bed while the others pull up chairs and place them at the foot of the bed. Lifting her hand she reaches for Bastien’s, he complies and reaches his hand out to hers, his heart hurts for her as she links her fingers through his, careful not to dislodge the tube running into the back of hers. Her fingers hold tightly to his as if letting go would cause her to spiral down into an abyss of such darkness and despair that she would never find her way back. Since she saw him racing towards her in that god forsaken hell hole she was held captive in, he’s become her protector – although Bastien would never class himself as such, he works hard everyday for others and considers it an honour to have the chance to do so. He’ll never forgive himself for Riley going missing on his watch. He’s already planning the team upgrades and demotions, heads will roll for this, metaphorically if not literally – although if the king gets his way it might well be literally.

Hesitantly Riley relays all that she remembers from the last 3 days, her voice small and quiet, her story punctuated by sobs. The detectives tell her that her kidnapper has been apprehended at his place of work and that he’s in custody. Her whole body sags in relief.

#choices trr #trr fanfic #trr liam #TRR Riley #king liam #liam x mc #liam x riley #the royal romance fan fic #the royal romance #pixleberry #choices fanfic #choices #tw misscarriage

[cordonia-continued]

Captivated

Chapter 25

AU - TRR Liam x MC (Riley Taylor)

A/N - Set after the Tariq scandal is cleared. Liam ends his engagement to Madeleine and proposes to MC as per the original story, but Riley turns him down. This AU follows their life from then on. 

Thanks for the likes, comments and re-blogs, I appreciate every one of them! 

Word count - 2,730

@kingliam2019​  @imjusthereforliam @amandablink​ @hopefulmoonobject​ @texaskitten30​ @mom2000aggie​ (let me know if you want/no longer want to be tagged)

catch up here

Another night gives way to another day and as the early morning light streams in through the lead lined window of Liam’s study, glinting off the empty scotch glass on his desk. Liam stirs, stretching his neck from side to side, it’s stiff and sore from where he fell asleep on the hard unforgiving couch. He rises and stretches out the rest of his aching sleep deprived body, his head feels full and heavy, his heart sinks as the events of yesterday replay in his mind. He runs his hand over his tired eyes and scratches at his stubbles jaw, his staff never see the normally pristine looking king anything but clean shaven and well put together, today, however, he doesn’t care for appearances, no one would question why he’s still in yesterday’s crumpled clothes or why his thick blonde hair is mussed up.

He makes his way out of his study, his feet echoing on the stone floor of the corridor, empty at this early hour. Liam reaches the closed conference room door, he steels himself, taking a deep breath before reaching for the brass polished handle, dread still sits heavy in his chest, not knowing what’s going on behind that door, silently sending a prayer up to God that Bastien has at least some good news, hoping beyond hope that he doesn’t have bad. He lowers the handle and confidently strides into the room, using all of his strength to keep up his stoic, calm facade.

Around the room men and women sit at double screened computer stations set up on makeshift workstations around the edge of the spacious room, some sit at the central large conference table with hard copy maps spread out in front of them, red spots plotting out routes and locations. Liams eyes scan the quiet methodical activity and locate Bastien standing in a far corner in deep conversation with one of his team. Bastien’s face as usual betrays no sign of emotion and Liam wonders if he’s been here all night, if so he certainly doesn’t look as unkempt as Liam does right now.

Bastien looks up and nods, just one small movement of his head that lets Liam know he’s seen him, he finishes his conversation and slowly makes his way over to the entrance of the room where Liam stands routed to the spot.

“Bastien, any update?” Liam asks with a very slight tremor in his voice, that to anyone else wouldn’t be detectable, but Bastien, knowing Liam as well as he does, hears it.

“Good morning Your Majesty.” His guard bows, it seems courtly procedure has been reinstated since last night and Liam, not usually one for excessive heirs and graces, is calmed by the familiarity.

“The team are still processing the licence plates of the white vans, as you’re aware we’ve had police out throughout the last two nights checking various addresses. But it’s slow going I’m afraid sir, we’ve got nothing concrete. There is still no word from any known terrorist group claiming to be holding Lady Riley. We would have expected a ransom demand or video evidence of her capture from them by now.”

For a moment Liam can only nod in response. Yesterday has seemed to blend into the day before and he can’t see any further progress on them finding Riley.

“Are there any other avenues we can explore Bastien?“ he asks sternly “have we got people checking all of the ships leaving the ports and all of the airports and air fields? Are they locked down? What’s the state of play with freight leaving the country? I don’t care what the cost is Bastien, we can’t let the kidnappers take her out of the country, I will personally compensate the businesses affected by any disruption from this if I have to.”

Liams words come out rapid fire and harsher than he had intended. Bastien gently takes the kings elbow and leads him away from the main hubbub of activity.

“Sir, I’m doing everything possible to find Lady Riley, we have every ship and plane being searched prior to leaving the country, customs staff have been given strict instructions not to let anything out without checking it. My best men and women are here researching CCTV, internet activity and gleaning what we can from witnesses, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. I have men on the ground searching any lead we have. We will find her.”

Liam closes his tired eyes and takes a breath, nodding his aching head at his guard.

“Of course you are Bastien, I just feel so helpless, what can I do?”

Bastien places one of his large hands on the young kings shoulder and gives it a reassuring squeeze.

“You need to look after yourself sir, go shower and change, eat something. I’ll call if I have anything I need to share with you.”

Resigned to being able to only watch while everything goes on around him Liam’s shoulders slump.

“I’ll be back soon. Please call me if anything happens.” His watery blue eyes meet the hard uncompromising ones of his guard, conveying his helplessness.

He reluctantly turns his back on the quiet hum of activity and leaves the suffocating confines of the palace’s main conference room. The room in which he has held countless meetings and consultations has become his own prison for the last three days, the room where he once commanded and presided over trade deals and foreign diplomacy is now home to a fractured and despairing king.

Once safely in his own quarters, out of view of anyone else, Liam’s composure slips, he stands under the hot shower, his mind in shreds. He turns the dial up until the hot water is nearly unbearable, steam clouding his vision. He stands there under the thundering stream of scalding water, letting it beat over his head and aching shoulders in steamy rivulets. He closes his eyes as the heat soaks into his skin, leaning back against the cool tiles his legs weaken and threaten to buckle under him. All the fear and anguish he’s held in for the last few days comes pouring out, the hot water washing his tears down the drain, the water pounding on the tiles drowning out his sobs. He stays there sobbing until the skin of his finger tips turn pink and wrinkled, not since his mother died all those years ago has he let himself go like this, not since then has he felt an ache in his heart so bad that it almost floors him. Finally he gains enough inner strength to pull himself together, he scrubs his face and body with soap, rinsing his tears away with the suds and shuts off the water, reaching for a towel as he steps out onto the slate tiled floor. He dries himself roughly and wraps the towel around his waist walking towards his closet, he yanks open the door and stares numbly at his clothes in a daze.

A sudden rush of noise at his door snaps Liam back into focus, his heart once again hammers in his chest as he stands naked and vulnerable in his bedroom, a dozen scenarios crowd his mind in the few seconds it takes to for Drake to come bursting in through his unlocked bedroom door.

“Li! Quick get dressed!” Drake shouts. “They’ve got something!”

Liam throws a pair of blue jeans and a navy blue sweatshirt over his still damp body and rattles out a thousand and one questions to Drake. Drake tells him to wait to ask Bastien. Together they race through the palace corridors back to the conference room, it’s only when Liam feels the cold stone floor beneath his feet that he realises in his rush to get dressed he hasn’t even got socks on, let alone shoes, anyone seeing the king like this, dressed so carelessly and casually would be shocked.

By the time Drake and Liam reach the main conference room Olivia and Madeleine are already there, Drake having obviously called them on his way to Liams room. Liam ignores the raised eyebrow aimed at him from Madeleine as she takes in his blood shot eyes, wet hair, casual clothes and bare feet.

Bastien calls them over to where he’s sat in front of a double screened computer. As they all stand behind Bastien’s chair Liam’s feet sink into the plush carpet and he feels cold drips from his wet hair snake down his neck, dampening the neck of his sweatshirt. Liam is too focused on the screen to notice the maid silently placing a clean towel, socks and shoes down on the couch where the group were sat.

The screen that they all stare at in silence displays a still taken from a city centre traffic camera. It’s black and white image is pixilated and unclear but vehicles, trees and street furniture can be made out. Bastien clears his throat and begins without looking behind at the group, his eyes fixed on the image in front of him.

“Sir we’ve got a lead. From traffic cameras situated at various lights and junctions around the city we’ve pieced together the journey that Lady Riley’s car took. We’ve identified that the same white van is behind Lady Riley’s car on at least three occasions as they enter the capital and travel down towards Main Street, we believe it could have been following them for some distance. In the absence of any footage from outside of the drug store we lose sight of it here.” Bastien points a finger to a location on a map that’s displayed on a second screen next to him. “Our driver stopped here.” He moves his finger to a location further along the road. “We can’t locate the van again until it leaves the city via the highway here, twenty minutes after Riley was seen leaving the store.” He moves his finger again, this time to a point further away.

“Is that the van?” Liam jabs his finger at the first screen “Why was it not picked up before then?” Liam questions, the cadence of his voice low and stern. “How can someone be following a crown car and not be noticed? What kind of security service are you running here Bastien?”

The rest of the group remain silent, not wanting to be the one on the end of Liams wrath. They feel his quiet anger in the air around them as it seeps out of him, his face hard, his mouth set in a thin angry line.

Bastien slowly spins his chair to face the group and rises up out of it, respectfully, he stands in front of his king ready to shoulder the blame for his guards mistakes.

“It’s believed he used back roads and short cuts to avoid detection, neither the driver nor Lady Riley’s personal guard noticed anything amiss, the traffic was busy that day in the city centre. From his use of back roads we can establish he’s a local. I’ve got a team working to identify who the vehicle is registered to. It seems that he’s taken steps to make sure it’s not traced back to him.”

“Busy? BUSY!” Liam’s previously low quiet voice has become loud and brusque.

“That is literally your teams job Bastien! How did they miss this?”

A look passes between Drake and Olivia, neither daring to speak out loud, both conversing silently with their eyes, both sharing their worry and angst for their best friend.

Liam pinches the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger, he takes a deep breath as people continue to work around them, not daring to look up. Before continuing he works hard to steady his breathing and tries to regain his composure. He is not a tyrant like his father, he will not resort to intimidating and belittling his staff no matter what his feelings are. It takes a minute for him to be able to speak calmly again, a minute in which the room is muted, at odds with the amount of people crammed in there.

“Is this the same person who sent her the letters? The phone calls? Why the hell wasn't this discovered before now? Why wasn't he stopped before he got to her?”

Liam fires questions out directed towards his head of security. His voice is no longer a shout but it still exuding an animosity towards Bastien that’s like acid – burning and potent beneath the cool exterior of the kings facade. Drake looks away from his silent conversation with Olivia to Liam and notices the trepidation in the kings eyes, it fails to hide the scared man behind them and he moves to stand by his best friends side as a show of solidarity, a small part of him feeling traitorous to take sides against the man who was like a father to him.

“How long do you think it will take to locate him?” Liam spits out angrily when Bastien fails to answer his previous questions.

Bastien shakes his head solemnly. His own disbelief that something like this could happen on his watch playing on his own mind.

“I don’t know sir, as soon as I get a name we can work on a location, I will go with the team as soon as we know.”

“I want to go with you.” Liam states confidently.

“No.”

It’s one small word but Bastien knows it’s not the word that Liam wants to hear. Liam raises his widened eyes incredulously to Bastien. Bastien stares back defiantly, the usually tough mans hands have taken on a slight tremble at defying his king but Bastien knows he can’t let the young monarch go with him to see what could be lying in wait for them at their destination.

“It’s safer if you stay here. I will leave a radio for you to listen in to so you know what’s happening.” Bastien states firmly with more conviction than he feels.

“Bastien, I want to be there when she’s found.”

The cool steely tone of Liam’s voice scares Bastien more than when he was shouting at him. Liam squares up to his bodyguard and puts his face directly in front of Bastien’s. Bastien is at least 3 inches shorter than Liam and his years of servitude have instilled in him a duty to oblige his masters commands, however, Bastien pulls himself up straight and stares at his king in the eyes unblinking.

“No.”

He pauses for it to sink in before continuing.

“Sorry but no, that’s not happening. We don’t know what we could be going into, it could be dangerous, we don't know if she’ll be there. Or if she’s even…” Bastien trails off unable to finish his sentence.

“Or if what!”

Liam roars pulling himself up to his full height. His wrath consumes him, engulfing his moralities and destroying the boundaries of loyalty, he grabs the front of Bastien’s shirt in his clenched fist as anger boils deep inside as hot as lava, churning within, hungry for destruction. He’s ready to push his guard down to the floor and pummel his face if he so much as utters a thought that Riley could be dead, knowing full well that that’s what the guard can’t bring himself to say. The bodyguard just shakes his head and lowers his eyes from Liam’s fearful gaze.

“It’s just better if you stay here.”

Drake finds his feet and springs forward to get in between Liam and Bastien, he places a firm hand on Liam’s chest and forcefully pushes him back, away from the table, not stopping until he gets them over to the armchairs at the back of the room.

“Calm down. Let them deal with it. They know what they’re doing.” Drake tires to placate his friend.

“How can I calm down Drake?” Liam rages. “Some fucking nutter has taken her! Bastien might have well just said that they don’t think she’s alive!”

Liam is frantic, pacing the floor, running his hands through his thick blond hair.

“She’s dead Drake. He thinks she’s fucking dead!”

“Well you charging around like a fucking bull in a china shop isn’t going to help is it!” Drake shouts at him. Liam fixes him with a stare that could have frozen the Pacific.

“Well I see royal protocol has well and truly been forgotten in here.” Madeleine’s clipped tone suddenly quips from behind them.

“FUCK OFF MADELEINE!”

They both turn and shout in unison. Her mouth opens in shock as she look from one to the other, disbelieving that they dared shout at her. Immediately and without further discussion she turns on her heel and marches out of the room.

                                         ****

Shards of light filter in through the crack under the door of the dank, dark bedroom. Riley blinks the sleep out of her eyes and tries to stretch out her aching limbs. The ropes tied at her wrists score painful grooves into the delicate skin there, marking her pale skin with red welts.

As her eyes adjust from the darkness of sleep to the gloominess of the room she feels an ominous presence around her, she jumps as she notices the dark figure of Tom is sitting in a plastic chair in the corner of the room. He’s nervously bouncing his legs up and down and clutching a book to his chest. He notices her moving and stills.

“Hello.” He smiles a shyly at her. “I’ve been waiting for you to wake. I want to read with you.”

Riley remains silent. She’s unsettled at the thought of him watching her sleep. She stares with wide eyes as he pulls his chair closer to the bed, his knees bump against the side of the mattress and he fumbles with the book he was clutching. He fingers shakily through several pages until he finds his place and begins to read in a monotonous tone from the book in his hands.

“Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. For the spirit does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”

Verse after verse he reads aloud, his voice gaining in confidence with each one, each verse he reads depicting notions of purity and remorse. He continues for what feels like hours to Riley, until eventually he closes both the book and his eyes. For several minutes he sits still as a statue, eyes closed, a strange half smile playing at his thin cruel lips. Eventually he opens his eyes and widens his smile at Riley.

“I hope that makes you feel better. Pure of heart, pure of mind.” He says to her earnestly.

Riley sits on the dirty bed staring back at him in confusion and repulsion.

“Please Tom.”

She whispers, her mouth is so dry and scratchy that each word feels like it burns the back of her throat as she says it.

“Please just untie me. I’m begging you. How can you love me if you have me tied up? Please just untie me and we can talk. We can talk about whatever you want. Us, the future, anything.”

Tears once again stream down her face, sobs hiccup out of her uncontrollably. Tom leans forward and Riley can smell the stench of the body odour that clings to him.

“Don’t be sad my darling. You know I would love to do that but I just can’t right now. We need to wait until it all dies down.”

Even though Riley’s brain is utterly exhausted she picks up on his choice of words.

“What do you mean dies down? Is someone looking for me.”

Her voice rises hopefully and she can feel her heart inside her weakened body, racing, hammering painfully against her ribcage.

“Tom if you just let me go now no one will have to know about you.” She pleads “I would just say I don’t remember anything. I’ll keep you safe, keep you a secret, I promise. Please. If Liam is looking for me he’ll have the kings guards and police working on it. You know you’ll be better off if you just let me go now.”

Her words come out punctuated by sobs. She startles as Toms face contorts into a twisted rage.

“DO NOT MENTION HIS NAME IN THIS HOUSE.” He yells. “He doesn’t love you, I DO!”

He stabs a slim finger into his chest.

“He doesn’t deserve you. He chose someone else. I chose you. Me! Not him!”

The anger and rage in his voice shocks Riley and a fresh wave of tears burst from her eyes. She scrambles to move further back, pressing her body as far into the corner as she possibly can. Her knees pressed into her chest. In instant Tom’s demeanour changes. His face relaxes and his voice is a calming low hum.

“I’m sorry, I scared you my darling. It’s just you need to get that man out of your head. He’s no good for you. He could never love you like I do.”

He moves slowly to sit on the bed beside her. He puts a hand on her knee and squeezes it in his bony fingers.

“It’ll all go away eventually. They’ll forget about you. Maybe they’ll think you’ve gone back to America. New York isn’t it? Where you’re from? That’s a big place. They would never find you if you went there. Maybe you should write him a letter so he stops looking for you. What do you think my darling?”

Riley can only sob in response.

“There, there. You really need to eat my angel, I’ll bring you some food. I’ll be back soon.” He holds her firmly by the chin, his bony fingers digging into her soft flesh, his finger nails dirty and stained yellow. He moves his face closer and pushes his dry thin lips to hers. Satisfied with himself he gets up from his chair and leaves the room.

Riley’s heart flutters at the thought that Liam is looking for her. She hopes that he hurries up and finds her soon, she doesn’t know how much longer her body or her spirit can cope with this hell.

                                                   ****

“We’ve got him!”

Bastien shouts from the other side of the room hours later. He comes striding over to where Liam and Drake are sitting.

“We believe the van is being used by a Thomas Geoffrey Essien, his record shows minor infractions for shop lifting when he was younger but more recently an ex colleague filed for a restraining order against him. Accused him of some stalker type behaviour. He lives in a rented basement apartment in a small town about an hour and a half away from the city centre. I’ve got a team of armed police officers on their way, I’m heading there to meet them. Stay here and listen in on this.”

He chucks Drake a radio and rushes out of the room with two other kings guards following him.

Drake and Liam stare at each other in shocked silence both praying they find her in time.

                                                  ****

Endless hours crawl by as Riley sits in the dismal stinking room. Despite Tom’s promise of coming back with some food he hasn’t. She’s had no food or water apart from the small sip given to her in the three days she’s been there. Hours ago she heard the front door slam closed and has heard no movement since. As much as she tries not to let her mind think of the worst scenarios she finds herself wondering if he’s ever going to come back, if he might kill her or rape her or if maybe he’s going to leave her there to die, to starve to death sitting here on this dirty bed surrounded by filth, she contemplates which one of the two would be worse.

Riley drifts in and out of consciousness, dreams of shadowy figures tormenting her fitful sleep. Suddenly a loud crashing noise and glass breaking shocks her awake. The sound of men barking out foreign words that she can’t quite make out come from beyond the locked door of her room. Her heart hammers in her chest, she's unsure if they are here to help her or harm her, if she should call out or stay quiet. Before she’s had time to contemplate what to do the door to the room bursts open and a shadowy figure in black body armour and helmet with a large gun pointed at her stands in the doorway. Riley lets out a hoarse scream, terrified that this is finally the end for her, terrified that the intruder will shoot her.

The large imposing figure shouts the word police in both English and then what she assumes is Greek. He turns his head out towards the hallway and shouts out "She's in here!"

A balloon of hope rises out of the heavy grey puddle in her chest as more men with guns pile in to the room. She recognises Bastien as he charges towards her, removing a flip knife from his pocket he slices the rope from her writs. She's crying so hard she can hardly breathe as she reaches towards him and clings on to him, her arms wrapping around his neck.

"It's ok, I've got you, you're safe. You're safe."

He murmurs it to her over and over again. He speaks into his radio and her brain picks up on him conveying the words found and alive. He picks up her weak frail body from the bed. She’s acutely aware of just how dirty and smelly she must be as he carries her in his arms out of the room and into a dark hallway. They make their way through a front door and up some concrete steps into fresh the air, she fills her lungs with the clean air, trying to rid her senses of the mildew stench that’s surrounded her for days. Her eyes ache as they adjust to the light. Bastien’s hold on her remains tight and firm. She’s vaguely aware of all of the police cars and men in uniform that surround her as Bastien carries her to a waiting ambulance where he gently lowers her onto a stretcher. He stands to go and she shoots her arm out grabbing onto his jacket, her fingers bunching up and knotting into the material.

"No. Please don't leave me." Her voice is shrill and raspy. "Please. Please." she begs reaching for his hand, panic rising in her chest, her vision closing in, her breaths coming short and laboured.

He nods and shouts over to his fellow guard who’s loitering outside of the ambulance.

"Get the King to the hospital now. Tell him I'll meet him there."

Bastien sits down beside her in the ambulance, one of his large capable hands strokes over her matted blonde hair, shushing her, telling her to breathe while the other one is clutched in both of hers. Blue lights and sirens ring out into the crowded roads and vehicles part as they race through the traffic to the hospital. Riley’s grip on Bastien’s hand never loosening.

#choices trr #trr liam #TRR Riley #trr fanfic #the royal romance fan fic #the royal romance #trr mc x liam #liam x mc #pixleberry #choices fanfic

[cordonia-continued]

Captivated

Chapter 24

AU - TRR Liam x MC (Riley Taylor)

A/N - Set after the Tariq scandal is cleared. Liam ends his engagement to Madeleine and proposes to MC as per the original story, but Riley turns him down. This AU follows their life from then on.

Thanks for the likes, comments and re-blogs, I appreciate every one of them! 

Word count - 1,692

@kingliam2019​  @imjusthereforliam @amandablink​ @hopefulmoonobject​ @texaskitten30​ @mom2000aggie​ 

(let me know if you want/no longer want to be tagged)

catch up here

Time slowed.

And slowed.

And slowed.

It slowed to a point where Riley thought it might just stop and she’d be suspended in this one moment for eternity. She’s lost all concept of time, she doesn’t even know what day it is or how long she’s been in the dank dark bedroom. She remembers leaving the Beaumont estate to go and to meet Drake and Olivia for lunch and then it’s blank. She struggles against the restraints at her wrists but they’re too tight, the rope cuts into her skin as she tries to move against them. She’s thirsty and tired; her head is still pounding; her eyes are throbbing and her stomach cramps in unbearable pains. Inside she feels utter despair and hopelessness. Her mind wonders to Liam and what he’s doing right now, she wonders if he even realises that she’s missing and if he’s panicking as much as she is, her fragile brain can’t even remember if she was due to see him since she’s been gone or not, would he even know, she wonders, is he even concerned? She can’t help but feel despair at why, with all of the resources available to him, if he knows she’s missing, why has nobody’s found her. As the door slowly creeps open once again fear engulfs her consciousness, knocking all other thoughts aside.

                                                       ****

The news of the disappearance of the king’s girlfriend filters through the various media outlets throughout the day. Bastien’s team and the police continue working long shifts, tirelessly searching for a lead. Pouring over security footage, analysing intel on the known enemies of the crown, tracking the whereabouts of key suspects of the notorious terrorist factions. The 24 hour news channel plays on mute on the large flatscreen TV on the far wall. A lump catches in Liam’s throat every time the images of Riley flash on the screen and he tries his best to swallow it down. By the time late afternoon comes he can’t stand the confines of the busy conference room any longer. He leaves the room without a word to anyone and wanders aimlessly around the palace gardens, finally settling on a stone bench on the raised patio looking down towards the hedge maze. He stays sat there until the warm light of the sun finally fades below the palace walls and evening envelopes the gardens, turning the luscious green lawns into navy blue seas and the cobalt blue sky into a dark canopy of luminous stars that materialise amongst the ocean of blackness, glittering in the dark moonless sky. He tilts his head skyward staring in hopelessness at the millions of bright specks dotted on the black canvas of night, wondering if Riley can see those same stars.

The crunch of gravel from the direction of the place alerts Liam that he is no longer alone, from behind him Bastien quietly approaches. He silently sits on the hard unforgiving grey stone next to Liam, in this moment all courtly procedure and protocol are long forgotten. Bastien clears his throat before he speaks, his voice softer than Liam has ever heard it.

“Sir, I have an update.” Bastien speaks softly and carefully. Liam can’t formulate a response, he closes his eyes and braces himself for bad news.

                                                      ****

Tom steps slowly into the dimly lit room Riley’s being held in, he nervously hovers by the doorway, seemingly afraid to fully enter, as if it’s him who’s scared of her.

“I bought you some water.” He moves slowly forwards as he opens a small plastic water bottle and places it in her hand. She takes a small sip warily, just enough to quench her dry lips, not trusting that it contains only water. He takes the bottle from her and places it on the bedside table unintentionally just out of her reach.

“Please, please I’m begging you, let me go.” Riley cries. He moves over towards the bed and she shuffles back as far as she can against the wall. He sits down on the bed at her side facing her. She notices that he’s wearing the same dirty clothes he had on yesterday and his body odour is cloying. He reaches out a hand to her face. His fingers stop just before they connect with her, as if he’s scared his touch might shatter her delicate skin.

“Shhh don’t cry my darling. I’m here now.” He moves his quivering hand the rest of the way forward and gently wipes a tear off her cheek. He slowly moves his finger to his mouth and licks the salty liquid from it. Her stomach heaves and she pulls back even further, her heart thumping against her chest. She squeezes her eyes shut.

“I hate to see you cry.” He rubs a hand over her denim clad thigh and she winces. Now he’s touched her he can’t seem to stop. “I’ve loved you from the shadows for so long. I can’t wait until we can marry and I can make love to you and you can bear my children.” His face becomes serious “Not until we marry though. God does not like sinners.” Once again it transforms in an instant with a bright smile. “You’ll be mine to love forever. I didn’t expect our life together to start so soon.” He leans forward towards her and tries to aim a kiss on her lips. Riley clamps them shut and thrashes her head from side to side trying to get out of his line. He reaches forward and grips her chin firmly in his his clammy hand.

“Don’t do that, just let me love you, why do you want to fight it?” He holds her chin tightly, squeezing his bony fingers into her soft flesh. He presses his lips to hers, she tries to hold in the vomit crawling up her throat as his cold slimy tongue snakes out and flicks against her tightly shut lips. Fear tortures her guts, churning her stomach in tense cramps that bend her body in two. He lets go of her chin and moves back. She retches at the thought of him touching her, the water she’s just sipped filling her mouth as she tries to swallow it back down.

“You don’t look well my darling, please try to sleep. You’ll feel better when you’re rested.” He gets up from the bed reaching out to stroke her cheek once more before leaving the room, closing the door behind him. Riley lets out the breath she was holding, panting in short rapid bursts. Her finger nails have dug crescent shaped gouges into her palms. Her wrists ache and sting from pulling her arms against the rope. The only thought that comes to her at that moment is that her fate is sealed, realisation dawns that she’s probably not going to make it out of this dingy room alive, sobs wrack her body as she takes big heaving gulps of the stale air until she’s so exhausted from crying that she falls asleep.

                                                      ****

Liam sits on the hard, cold stone bench rigid with fear, certain that Bastien is going to tell him something he doesn't think he can stand to hear. He takes a deep breath and steels himself then nods at his guard.

“A citizen has come forward with some information following the appeal from the Chief of Police.” Bastien says calmly. “She hadn’t seen the news until she got home from work this evening. She recalls seeing a woman matching Lady Riley’s description being bundled into the back of a white van, the time frame fits.”

Liam’s eyes widen, his voice rises. “Fuck! Why the hell didn’t she say anything sooner?”

“She says she didn’t realised the relevance of it at the time sir. Just thought it was some argument between a couple that she didn’t want to get involved in.”

“So someone’s definitely taken her? Who? Why? What’s happening now Bastien? What are you doing?” Panic is making his voice tremble, his words racing out, his heart beating fast in his chest.

“We’re reviewing the traffic camera footage again from the surrounding area, this time isolating the images of any white vans to identify a licence plate. Unfortunately white vans are very common in the capital sir, and Main Street was exceptionally busy yesterday lunch time. We’ll run all of the owners details through the national criminal records database and prioritise sending police teams out to those who are identified as high risk or known criminals. I’ve got a team working on it. I’ll let you know as soon as we find something, but it could take a while.”

“Thanks Bastien. I can’t be in there right now. I’m going to try and get some sleep.”

“I understand sir. We’re getting closer.” They both rise, the guard placing a hand on the young kings shoulder and squeezing it reassuringly.

                                                    ****

A noise in the claustrophobic room awakens Riley from her fitful sleep, she remains still, squeezing her eyes shut trying to keep her breathing steady. She can hear him breathing in and out, feel his presence standing next to her, feel the air shifting across her skin from his movements. Sweat drenches her skin as she tries to keep as still as possible, trying to keep the sobs escaping from her chest. She decides the safest option is to pretend she’s asleep. She can feel him move her t-shirt up over her stomach and run his cold clammy hand over her bare skin, it creeps up under the soft fabric and further up until his fingers graze the very edge of the lace of her bra. Her stomach churns as she fights her body’s natural reaction to shrink away from his touch. She can hear his breathing becoming rapid, feel his movements speed up next to her. She desperately fights to keep up the pretence that she’s asleep as bile rises up her throat. She tries to think of anything she can to block out what’s happening next to her.

A loud involuntary sob escapes her throat, immediately his hand shoots back as if it’s been scalded. He stumbles backwards and trips over his lowered pants as he rushes to pull them up. He scrambles to his feet and scampers out of the room closing the door firmly behind him. She opens her eyes to the dark room, leans over on trembling arms and vomits up the bile from her stomach onto the floor. She lays back on the dirty bed and cries until sleep takes her once again.

#choices trr #trr fanfic #the royal romance fan fic #TRR Riley #trr liam #liam x riley #liam x mc #trr mc x liam #king liam #pixleberry

[cordonia-continued]

Captivated

Chapter 23

AU - TRR Liam x MC (Riley Taylor)

A/N - Set after the Tariq scandal is cleared. Liam ends his engagement to Madeleine and proposes to MC as per the original story, but Riley turns him down. This AU follows their life from then on.

Word count - 1,558

@kingliam2019 @imjusthereforliam @amandablink @hopefulmoonobject @texaskitten30​ @mom2000aggie​ (let me know if you no longer want to be tagged)

catch up here

Riley can feel a sharp pain radiating between her temples and along her forehead, her mouth is as dry as The Sahara desert and her body feels strangely heavy. She tries to stretch her arms out to bring some life back into them but finds their movement restricted. Slowly opening her eyes, she looks around in confusion at the dimly lit room. The first thing she notices is the thin rope tied around both her wrists. Her eyes follow the line of the rope and she swallows as she realises that it’s tied to the black metal headboard of the small single bed she’s laying on. Panic rises in her chest as she looks at the blue bed covers under her that are dirty and creased. She takes in a gulp of the thick, heavy putrid air that smells like unwashed feet. She notices that she’s no longer wearing her blazer or any shoes, and her once white t-shirt is now marked with dirt. Her heart hammers in her chest, bile rises up from her stomach and she feels the taste of vomit in her throat. Her eyes dart around the brown walls of the room, she sees that they appear to be dappled with mildew as she tries to take in as much information about her whereabouts as she can.

The room is hot and stuffy, and yet despite the stifling heat a cold shiver runs down her spine. Slowly her eyes adjust to the gloom as dark shadows merge into focus, a small bedside cabinet is just out of reach next to her, a pine dresser sits along the wall with a matching single wardrobe next to it, the wooden furniture crowding the small room. Looking past the dated decor and unkempt carpet she scans the small room for anything that may be useful to help her determine where she is. Finally Riley finds her eyes focusing on the far wall. Eyes that were squinted in their effort to focus in the darkness widen as realisation creeps in. Plastered over the entire wall floor to ceiling are what seems like hundreds of photos that cover the ageing striped wallpaper, each overlapping the next, a collage of faces and people, some newsprint and magazine articles among them. Riley once again narrows her eyes to better focus them, even in the dim light she can see that the pictures all have one thing in common, they are all of her.

Dread sits heavy on her shoulder like an invisible demon that only she can hear, she tries to block out the whispering torment it brings. She can feel sweat prickle on her chest and the blood drain from her face. A tremor begins in her hands and she can’t stop the shaking from spreading throughout her body. Her head becomes giddy and her stomach nauseous. She can see some of the pictures have been cut out of newspapers and magazines, some printed from online articles and websites. Some however, are actual glossy photographs, they appear to have been taken of her while she’s been out and about living her life completely unaware she was being watched; light-hearted and carefree laughing at a café table; walking through a park; a close up one of her dancing with Jacob in a club. Her gaze rests on one that catches her eye, it’s been printed from a gossip magazine website, the article and headline are still attached. It’s of her and Liam, she can tell from the champagne coloured sequinned gown she’s wearing that it was taken on the red carpet of a film premier they attended a few weeks ago, the thing that caught her eye however is that Liam’s face has been crossed out with a red pen, the force from whoever did it has caused the paper to tear.

Riley’s head slumps back against the cold metal of the headboard as the reality of her situation sinks in. Her heart beats wildly in her chest as her eyes search the dingy room for more clues as to her whereabouts. The tears that prickled at her eyes now run freely down her face, her restrained hands unable to wipe them as they drip from her trembling chin.

After what feels like an age the steel handle of the inconspicuous white gloss door to the room, yellowing with either age or mildew, lowers. Riley’s eyes widen adjusting to the light filtering into the dimly lit room as she tries to make sense of the dark shape that’s now taking up space in the door frame. Her breathing quickens as the door creeks further open. In the half light she can make out a slim wiry man standing in the entrance, the light casting shadows on his dark unwashed lank hair hanging in stringy strands down the side of his face. As he enters the room further she can see he has a wide forehead that sits above a pair of dark eyebrows. His voice when it comes is assured and low. His accent is local but neither rough nor polished.

“Ah good you’re awake.”

He’s wearing a washed out grey round necked t-shirt and dirty green cargo pants, his face is thin and unshaven, his small eyes are the colour of mud and suggest someone who’s wary, hopeful and slightly nervous all at the same time. They narrow, studying her.

Riley can’t help but marvel at the indistinct and ordinary middle aged man, he could be anyone, a bus driver, a store clerk or even a neighbour; someone she would have no cause to notice or be concerned about. He enters the room fully and catches her eyes flickering to the far wall.

“Oh, you noticed my little homage to you.” He gives a large grin showing his yellow uneven teeth. “I was hoping you’d like it. I only picked the best photos don’t worry, I didn’t include any that weren’t flattering.” His face turns into a serious scowl. “Not that I think you could ever have an unflattering photo. You’re beautiful in every picture I’ve ever seen of you.” He nervously moves forward towards her, then changes his mind and turns to the pictures on the wall, staring up at it wistfully.

“I look at them every day. You are so perfect. I didn’t think you would ever notice me, but then why would you? I'm a nobody, an outcast.” He reaches out to touch a photo and traces his finger across her paper cheek. He addresses the two dimensional image of her. “I can’t quite believe you’re here. I’ve waited for this day for so long. I love you so much.” He shakes his head as if to clear it and smiles at the picture with a creepy thin smirk.

As he turns his attention back to her, Riley notices the sweat glistening on his furrowed brow. His hands are clasped tightly in front of his stomach and he constantly fiddles with his knuckles, weaving his thin fingers in and out of each other nervously.

“I’m sorry about the rope.” He gestures vaguely at the bed. “I couldn’t chance that you wouldn’t just run as soon as you woke up. I know it’ll take time for you to love me back. But we have time, plenty of time.” His thin lips curl up into a smile at her and her stomach turns at the sight. “It’s ok, you can talk to me, we can get to know each other. Oh I’m sorry, how rude of me, I haven’t even introduced myself. I’m Tom. I know who you are. You don’t need to introduce yourself.” He laughs. “I’ve been following you for a while now. I noticed you when you were in that stupid suitor competition. The papers called you The Mystery Woman.” He rolls his beady eyes. “At first I was rooting for you. I hoped you’d win. But then I realised that winning would mean you’d marry him.” His expression clouds over and his demeanour changes from chatty and eager to what appears to be anger. His nose wrinkles as he continues. “And I didn’t want that. I’m glad he didn’t choose you. He’s a fool for not doing so. But I’m glad. That Countess was not a patch on you, I mean sure she’s pretty, but you, you’re stunning. That’s when I decided that if he didn’t think you were good enough for him, then I would make you mine.” He smiles at her again, the clouds that shrouded his face lifting. “Anyway we don’t need to worry about that now do we.” He claps his hands together excitedly. “You’re finally here. Sorry about the mess, I would have tidied up but I wasn’t really expecting company so soon. It all happened rather more quickly than I had anticipated. I expect you’re used to much grander surroundings, but we can make it cosy. Just tell me what you want and I can sort it. How about some flowers? Would flowers help? I hope you got the ones I’ve sent to you previously. You look like the type of person who would appreciate the beauty of flowers.” He pauses waiting for her to respond to him.

Riley finally finds her voice, and when it leaves her mouth she hears it as though it belongs to someone else, someone braver.

“I want to go home. Tom. Please. There are people that will be worried about me. People will be out looking for me. If you let me go I promise I won’t say a word to anyone.”

He gives a small chuckle and she winces at the sound.

“I can’t do that. I wouldn’t want to do that. I want you Lady Riley. I want to keep you. Just for me. I’ll treat you as the Lady that you are, how you deserve to be treated. I would never choose another over you. Soon you’ll love me as much as I love you and then we’ll be together properly. Just like I described to you in my letters. You have read them right? I know you didn’t reply but I expect you were just busy. Probably just haven’t got round to it yet. Right?”

Riley’s heart is beating so fast she’s worried it might stop from over exertion. “Tom please. I can’t stay here. I’ve got things I need to do. People who are expecting me home. Please just untie me, we can talk about it properly if you just untie me.” Silent tears stream down her cheeks.

“Soon I promise. Not yet. Soon.” He walks towards her and reaches out a hand. Riley recoils backs against the wall as far as she is able to with the restraints at her writs. His clammy hand halts in mid air as it reaches for her and he lets it drop to his side.

“I’ll let you get some rest my darling. I’ll be back soon.”

#choices trr #trr liam #TRR Riley #trr fanfic #the royal romance fan fic #trr mc x liam #liam x riley #liam x mc

[cordonia-continued]

Captivated

Chapter 22

AU - TRR Liam x MC (Riley Taylor)

A/N - Set after the Tariq scandal is cleared. Liam ends his engagement to Madeleine and proposes to MC as per the original story, but Riley turns him down. This AU follows their life from then on.

NSFW

Word count - 2,528

@kingliam2019 @imjusthereforliam @amandablink @hopefulmoonobject @texaskitten30​ @mom2000aggie​ (let me know if you no longer want to be tagged)

catch up here

Bastien pushes Madeleine up against the ballroom wall, his body moves closer in front of her, pinning her there with his hips, putting himself between her and the faceless and nameless attacker that’s stormed the palace. She lets out a sensual gasp as she feels his hard muscular body pressing into her soft curves.

“Like it a bit rough do you Your Grace?” He purrs into her ear, his rough beard scratching against the smooth porcelain skin of her neck.

“How very dare you.” She simpers. “You’re just here to protect me.” She presses her full breasts against his chest, grinding her curvaceous hips into him, she feels his arousal thick against her pelvis. Her eyes dart around the chaotic ballroom.

“Worried about being seen with me?” He whispers nuzzling into her soft fragrant skin. “What would the court think if they saw you with a commoner like me.” He raises his thick dark eyebrows, his chocolate brown eyes staring into hers with unabashed lust and desire. Madeleine’s heart beats wildly in her chest, she can’t remember Bastien ever grunting out more than five words to her before now. Without thinking about anyone around them she leans forwards and captures his lips in a passionate, hungry kiss all thoughts of the mystery attacker pushed aside. His beard tickles her face as his insistent hips grind into her core, she looks down at the large bulge in his pants with longing in her eyes. Bastien follows her gaze and smirks.

“Don’t worry, I’ll let you ride it Countess. I’ll show you how well a working class commoner like me can treat a posh pussy like yours.” His rough sultry words light a fire within her and send blood pulsing down to her centre, an ache throbs between her legs. His hands tangle in her hair as his lips meet hers again, his tongue demanding access to her mouth. Suddenly a loud alarm echo's out across the ballroom startling them both. Madeleine wonders why it sounds so loud, as if its right next to her head, and so familiar, as if its a sound she’s heard before...

Madeleine reaches a hand out to her bedside table as she blindly gropes around for her mobile phone. She immediately silences it as soon as she locates it and snuggles back down into the duvet, hoping her sleepy mind will wander back to the dream she’s just been rudely interrupted from.  She’s barely had time to nestle back into her cosy pillows before it rings out again, loud and shrill in the otherwise silent room. Groaning she pushes her silk sleep mask up onto her forehead and forces her eyes open. She glances at the illuminated clock on the table next to her, the neon green numbers dance and blur before her sleep filled eyes as she squints to make them out – 04:38 it reads. Whoever the hell is calling her before dawn is going to be on the receiving end of a piece of her mind she thinks to herself cursing under her breath. She answers without looking at the caller ID.

“What?” She barks into the handset. “Jim who?” Her patience is wearing very thin with this early morning wake up call already. “Jim Baxter? Oh Jim. Sorry, of course I know who you are, why on earth are you calling me at this ungodly hour?” Madeleine curses giving her personal number to the smarmy yet undeniably hard working media mogul, office hours to him are an unknown concept. Suddenly the fog clouding her sleep deprived brain clears and she bolts upright in bed. “What? Are you sure?” She asks incredulous at what he seems to be telling her. “No, no I don't have a comment or a statement at the moment. Where did you hear this?” Her usual professionalism has returned as she rises from her bed and makes her way into her dressing room. “Right. Leave it with me and I’ll find out what's happening and get back to you. Jim, how long have I got until this makes the news?” Her stomach drops when he gives her an impossibly short deadline. “I’ll call you within the hour.”

Madeleine takes a cold shower and dresses quickly, taking time to check her appearance in the mirror and carefully apply mascara and her trademark red lipstick. She finds her phone where she left it tangled in her bed covers and scrolls through her contacts, locating Jacob Henley’s number. He answers it with a croaky voice sounding thick with sleep.

“Is she with you.” Madeleine barks at him as soon as he says hello.

“Good morning to you too. How lovely to have a wake up call from you this morning countess.” He replies. Madeleine can hear the smug smile that she knows is on the cocky but undeniably good looking agents face.

“Jacob I don’t have time for your bullshit today.” She admonishes him.

“You know I love it when you talk dirty to me.” Madeleine bristles. His incessant flirting with her was enticing to begin with and she stupidly encouraged it, however right at this moment it’s infuriating.

“Jacob. Is. She. With. You?” She says enunciating each word slowly and purposefully with a hope to him understanding the gravity of the situation.

“Madeleine.” He purrs. “I have no idea what you are talking about. Is who with me? I’m guessing you mean Riley?” He sighs and shifts in his bed untangling himself from the brunette reality TV star who’s snoring softly next to him. Madeleine hears him let out a groan as he stretches his body out.

“I paid you to to get close to her, to get a few candid photos taken in public so they split up or to make her fall in love with you so that she leaves him. Now she’s done that you need to keep your end of the deal, send me pictures of her with you now, the more incriminating the better.” Madeleine snaps. “You’re causing me a headache right now. I need to issue a press statement clearing up this stupid issue of where she is, she’s with you isn't she?”

He sighs, as much as he hates to admit defeat it’s clear to him he will never be more than a friend to Riley, and if he keeps pushing his luck trying to get the pictures Madeleine wants he won’t even be that soon.

“Madeleine we both know that’s never going to happen, this plan of yours isn't working, she’s not going to leave him, she’s not with me.”

“Just shut up for a second will you.” She snaps pressing a hand to her eyes. “I paid you to get rid of her from Liam’s life, now what the fuck have you done with her? Where is she?”

Jacob bolts upright in bed as what Madeleine is saying to him sinks in. “What? What the fuck are you talking about? I only spoke to her yesterday morning, she said nothing about leaving him. Is this what the call from that gruff kings guard was about last night? What the hell has happened? Why is everyone asking me where she is?” He fires questions at her making her head spin.

“I don’t know what’s going on.” Madeleine admits. “I got a call from Jim Baxter, you know the media mogul who owns half of the newspapers and TV stations in Cordonia. They’ve had word that she’s missing. It must be one hell of a story if he’s calling me himself. If I find out you and her have some little scam going, I swear I will hunt you down, cut off your bollocks and wear them as earrings.” Jacob knows the countess doesn't make idle threats.

“Madeleine I swear I have no idea where she is. What’s Liam said about it? Let me know as soon as you hear from her, please? Despite what you think about me Madeleine, I do actually really care about Riley you know.” Jacob’s heart leaps from his chest to his throat, he doesn't just care about Riley, he admits to himself, he’s totally and utterly in love with her.

“Ugh whatever. Just call me if you hear from her. And do not engage with the press, leave that to me.” She hangs up without waiting for a response and makes her way to the palace offices to see if she can find out what’s going on.

                                                       ****

Bastien’s team and the police work continuously through the night on locating Riley. Liam and Drake stay in the conference room with them the entire time, surviving on cups of strong coffee. Olivia finally retired to bed in the early hours insisting they wake her if anything happens.

As Madeleine enters the room her eyes dart around taking in the number of people and activity going on around her. She notices Liam and Drake slumped in armchairs at the back of the room and makes a beeline for them.

“Liam, you look like shit. What the hell is going on in here? Please tell me the rumours I’ve heard are not true.” She barks at him. He groans. He could do without her snark right now.

“Madeleine what exactly is it that you’ve heard?”

“That Lady Riley is missing. I guess from the activity in here that it’s true? Don’t tell me she finally left you and ran off with that cocky agent of hers?” Her full painted red lips curl up into a cruel smirk.

“Madeleine.” Drake warns her. “Not now ok.” She turns to him as if she’s only just noticed his presence and curls her lip in disdain.

“I am the Royal Communications Director, it is my job to know what’s going on. I shouldn’t have to hear it by being woken in the early hours by Jim god damn Baxter asking for a statement.” She folds her arms across her chest and sticks her chin up defiantly.

“We were trying to keep it quiet Madeleine.” Liam snarls through gritted teeth. “The police think she’s been taken.”

“As ever Liam, you have done a wonderful job of keeping your private life out of the media.” She states sarcastically. “What do you mean taken?”

Her voice is shrill and it hurts Liam’s sleep deprived brain. He winces as he replies.

“I mean kidnapped for fucks sake Madeleine, what the hell do you think I mean!” He shouts the last part at her. Madeleine’s eyes grow wide and Drake knows it has more to do with the normally placid kings uncharacteristic outburst than the fact that she’s hearing about Riley’s potential kidnapping. The agents working around them look up in surprise at the disruption. Liam lowers his voice again. “The police have agreed that they don’t want any news reports scaring whoever’s got her into doing something stupid.” He looks at the floor so she doesn’t see the tears pooling in his eyes.

“Why was I not informed of this! This is unacceptable. We need to work on a statement right away. My phone has been blowing up all morning. The press have obviously got hold of the story from somewhere. Something about a café owner on Main Street being questioned yesterday afternoon. Liam we need to take control of this before any news channels pick it up.”

“No!” He says firmly.

“Liam, they are going to run the story anyway. We need to get ahead of the curve and put our own spin on this.” She snaps back equally as firmly.

“Madeleine this is not some fucking PR stunt. Contact the Chief of Police, Officer Beckett. Work with him on what they want put out to the press. Do not do anything without his say so. Is that clear?” Liam orders.

She crosses her arms over her chest. “Liam, I need to get something out within the next half an hour or it’ll be speculated about on breakfast news. We need to draft something together. This should come from the palace not the police.”

He’s finally lost his patience with her and lets out an explosion of pent up anger.

“NO! Madeleine I have given you a direct order and I expect it to be followed!” He bellows. The police and agents working around them share sheepish glances with each other as activity around them ceases and the room goes deathly silent. He turns to his best friend in the chair next to him.

“Drake I can’t deal with her right now, get her out of here.” Liam’s normally kind blue eyes are cold, grey and steely and Drake immediately rises silently from his seat and leads a shocked and open mouthed Madeleine out of the room.

Olivia passes them in the hallway. “Drake, Countess Madeline. I assume from the lack of calls overnight that there’s no update?” Madeleine stalks off down the hall without pausing, ignoring them both.

“No Liv, nothing. I don’t even know if they are any closer to finding out what happened. The press have got a hold of the story. Maddie is off to draft a statement with the Chief of Police. Liam just tore her a new one, he had me escort her out.” He raises his eyebrows at Olivia.

“He’s still in a state then?” She questions, already knowing the likely answer.

“Yeah. Although he’s still putting on a brave face. I’m gonna go and shower and change and see if I can get my head down for an hour. See if you can get him to do the same. Call me if anything happens.” He walks off down the corridor as Olivia takes a deep breath and enters the conference room.

“Liam, you look like shit.” She kisses him on the cheek and sits in the chair next to him.

“Yeah, you’re not the first person to tell me that today.” He replies with no hint of humour or sarcasm in his voice.

“You need to go shower and change. Get something to eat. Try and sleep for a bit. I’ll stay here, I’ll call you if anything happens, ok.” Liam shakes his head.

“Olivia, I can’t. I need to stay here.”

Olivia takes both of his hands in hers.

“Liam, no one wants to see their king as a stinking mess, what would Riley think if she saw the state of you? Go and shower. Have some food. You’ll be no good to anyone if you burn out.” Liam knows if Riley was here she’d tell him to relax, to take deep breaths, to take care of himself. Stop worrying about me she’d say to him, I’m a big girl, I can take care of myself, I’m a New Yorker remember. Liam stifles a sob.

“I look that bad huh?”

“Yes you do. Now go.” Olivia pushes him up out of his seat.

“Make sure you call me straight away if anything changes.” The cold grip of fear still hasn’t left his chest and Liam feels its fingers tightening around his heart.

“Of course I will. Go.”

“Thank you Olivia.”

“You don’t have to thank me Liam.” He nods at her and leaves the room.

#the royal romance fan fic #choices fanfic #trr liam #TRR Riley #liam x riley #king liam #liam x mc #trr madeleine #trr bastien

[cordonia-continued]

Captivated

Chapter 21

AU - TRR Liam x MC (Riley Taylor)

A/N - Set after the Tariq scandal is cleared. Liam ends his engagement to Madeleine and proposes to MC as per the original story, but Riley turns him down. This AU follows their life from then on.

I work in investigation and my best friend's husband is a body guard so apologies if this chapter turned out too ‘techy’, I tried not to make it like that and to keep it very brief while still trying to be accurate, although they do say write about what you know! 

Word count - 3,366

@kingliam2019 @imjusthereforliam @amandablink @hopefulmoonobject @texaskitten30​ @mom2000aggie​ (let me know if you no longer want to be tagged)

catch up here

Liam is sitting at the long highly polished walnut table in the main conference room at the palace, he’s been locked in a meeting all morning with several of his advisors discussing budget cuts and he’s just about had enough. He’s welcome of the interruption when Bastien knocks on the door. His mind soon turns to concern however when the guard enters without waiting for an invitation. He looks up from his notes in surprise at the intrusion and sees the look on Bastien’s face, he knows immediately that something’s wrong. He rises from his seat and excuses himself as everyone around the table stands on ceremony with him. He follows Bastien down the hallway in silence to his study. He takes a seat at his desk as Bastien shuts the door firmly behind them.

“What’s wrong?” Liam asks as soon as the door is shut, knowing from the concerned look on Bastien’s face that this isn’t the time for pleasantries.

“Sir, don’t be concerned but I’ve had a call from Mara, they seem to have mislaid Lady Riley.”

“What?” Liam’s face creases in confusion. “What do you mean mislaid her? She not a wallet Bastien, how can you mislay her?” Bastien’s heart thumps wildly in his chest, he had hoped to avoid having to impart this news on his king, had hoped that Mara would have called him telling him that she had found Riley in a shop or cafe by now.

“They can’t find her sir. They stopped on the way to meet Drake and Duchess Olivia for lunch on Main Street. Somehow, and I don’t quite know how yet sir, Lady Riley went into a store and that was the last anyone saw of her. Her phone was found on the pavement with its screen smashed. There is no trace of her anywhere on the street or in the other shops. She’s not turned up to meet Drake.” Liam notices what appears to be shame and regret cross Bastien’s usually calm and competent face.

“What? How long ago did this happen?” Liam’s jaw sets ridged and Bastien notices a vein popping out on his strained neck. He bows his head avoiding the Kings steely eyes.

“About 30 maybe 40 minutes ago sir.”

“How has this happened Bastien? Where was Mara for Christ’s sake? You need to find her now!” Liam yells.

“I’m on it sir. She probably just went shopping and lost track of time, or ended up on a different street and got a bit lost. Don’t worry just yet, I’m sure it’s nothing. I need to go and makes some calls. I’ve got guards going to the loss location now. We’re getting the security footage for all along the street as we speak. If nothing turns up in the next hour I’m going to inform the police and set up a control centre in the conference room. Don’t worry Your Majesty, we’ll find her.”

“You had better Bastien.” Bastien nods and leaves the room, racing down to his office.

Liam’s phone silently buzzes in his pocket. He pulls it out, his heart hammering as he looks at the caller ID hoping it’s Riley. It sinks when he sees it’s Drake.

“Drake?”

“Li what the hell’s happening? Where’s Taylor?”

“I don’t know. Bastien’s just told me they can’t find her. Drake why is she not with you? I thought she was meeting you and Olivia for lunch? Where the fuck is she Drake?” As soon as Drake hears the usually calm Liam curse he knows that it’s serious.

“Shit Li, stay calm. We’ll find her. She has to be there somewhere. You know what she’s like, she probably saw a kitten and followed it and got lost or something. Me and Liv are going to stay here in case she turns up. Keep me updated yeah.”

“Yes of course, same goes for you too.”

“Yep sure thing buddy. Speak soon.”

Liam sits down on the couch in his study and puts his head in his hands, panic rising through him, adrenaline pumping through his veins making his hands shake. He stands, his legs trembling, and walks over to his desk, picking up the phone he presses the button for his assistant.

“Gabriella please dismiss the gentlemen in the conference room. Tell them something unexpected has come up. And cancel my meetings for the rest of the day. Please field any phone calls unless they are from Bastien, the police or...” his words catch in his throat. “Riley.”

2 hours later and there’s still no trace of where Riley disappeared to. Liam enters the conference room as Bastien’s team and plain clothes police officers are setting up phone lines and computers. A uniformed man walks over with Bastien, he bows and holds out his hand. 

“Chief of Police, Officer Beckett. Pleased to meet you Your Majesty.” Liam shakes his hand. “I want assure you sir we are doing everything we can to locate Lady Riley. I have my best team on it and we will be working around the clock. The ports and airport are on high alert.”

Liam nods in response. “Bastien I want to stay here, I won’t get in the way. I need to know what’s going on.” It wasn't a request but a command.

“Very well sir. We are currently reviewing the security footage from the shops and the highways agency. We have a very narrow time frame in which she disappeared so we hope it will give us some results. A team of police officers are taking statements from anyone that we can identify who was in the vicinity at the time.” Liam nods his head in understanding. Bastien looks at the King gravely and lowers his voice. “I have an officer on the way to the Beaumont’s, we need to search Lady Riley’s room, see if anything’s missing, find out if she’s taken any clothes or personal effects, check if her passport is still there. I have asked an officer to be posted at the estate going forward until we have a clearer picture of what’s going on. We know that the letters and calls we recently identified were addressed to her there, I’ve spoken to the Duke of Ramsford and made him aware of the situation and he has agreed to allow us to place a tap on the phone line there. We need to be ready for the possibility of a ransom demand being sent. At the moment we have no lead on whether this is a planned attack by a known enemy of the crown or something else. Or if she’s gone of her own volition sir.”

“She wouldn’t do that Bastien.” Liam assures him.

“Sir at this point we can’t rule anything out. I have stationed guards at the restaurant she had planned to go to today in case she makes her way there, I have contacted Drake and Duchess Olivia they are on their way here. If you receive a call on your personal mobile phone from an unknown or unrecognised number don’t answer it and alert me immediately.”

Liam looks directly into his guards eyes. “Bastien you have to find her.”

“I know sir. I will.” He nods.

An hour later Drake and Olivia race into the conference room. Liam’s surprised as Olivia pulls him into an uncharacteristic hug. Drake fires questions at him. Liam holds up his hands.

“Drake slow down. I don’t know anything yet. Just that she was there one minute and gone the next. We have no ransom demands or contact from anyone claiming to be holding her.” He leads them over to the sitting area where they all perch nervously on the edge of the armchairs. They sit in silence as Olivia mindlessly drums her fingernails on the side table next to her. Like hail on a glass pane, the noise is as relentless as it is loud. Each click of the French polished nails on the table echoes the tumultuous thudding of all of their heart beats.

“Olivia!” Drake eventually snaps. “Quit it!” She glares at him, her face rigid with tension. As Drake looks at her he can’t help thinking that she seems to have aged a decade in the past few hours. She gets up and pours them all a cup of coffee from the pot on the low coffee table in front of them. She takes her cup, cradling it in her hands but not taking even one sip. She paces the plush carpeted floor back and forth asking the same questions that they’re all thinking but no one knows the answers to. Where is she? Why did she leave her phone? Why the hell was Mara not with her? What the fuck was she thinking going off on her own?

Waiting is easier for Drake than it is for the feisty Duchess. He’s had plenty practice while fishing. He leans back in his chair and closes his eyes trying to clear his mind of the intrusive thoughts that are creeping in. He knows Taylor wouldn’t go off on her own and not let him know she was safe, she would know how much he would worry about her. Olivia is firing her questions at an unresponsive Liam who’s engrossed in his laptop, scouring every known news website for any information that may have been leaked to them, reading every comment on Riley’s social media in the hope of finding a clue, continually refreshing his email in case a kidnapper tries to make contact that way.

As the productivity of the police and guards go on around them, time for the trio slows to a trickle, minutes and hours blend into each other. Eventually Bastien calls Liam over to where he is standing looking over the shoulder of one of his technical officers.

“Your Majesty I think you need you to see this.” He points to the image of the inside of a store displayed on one of the large computer screens set up on the table. Bastien then addresses his officer. “Lucas go and take five please.” The techie gets up wordlessly from his chair and wanders off to the coffee and pastries that the palace staff have set up along the far wall. Bastien takes his place pulling a chair over for Liam. He presses play on the footage and Liam’s heart leaps into his throat as he sees Riley on the screen.

“These are the last movements we see of her sir. Here she is entering the shop. She goes directly to this aisle, picks something off the shelf here and then we see her from the other camera angle.” He switches to another clip. “Here. She goes to the checkout clerk and pays with her credit card. She leaves the shop here. The cameras in the front of the shop are broken. We don’t see anything after she walks out of that door.” Liam nods not taking his eyes off Riley on the screen.

“Sir we have confirmed from the footage and with the store clerk what her purchase was. It explains why she wanted to make the purchase herself and why she wanted to go into the store alone.” Bastien pauses and takes a deep breath, he lowers his voice so only Liam can hear him.

“Your Majesty, Lady Riley purchased a pregnancy test.”

Liam’s head snaps to his guard as his eyes go wide.

“What! Are you sure?”

“Yes Sir. I’m sorry to be the one to have to tell you.”

Liam gulps audibly. “No, don’t be. Thank you Bastien. I’d rather no one else knows about this. No one Bastien, do you understand?”

“Of course Your Majesty. Lucas my digital investigator who enhanced the footage and Mara who spoke with the store clerk are the only other people who know.” Bastien can’t look at Liam as he says the next words. “Sir I hate to say it but we can’t rule out the possibility that this is the reason for her disappearance. It could be that she doesn’t want to be found at the moment, maybe she needed time to come to terms with whatever the result was.”

Liam closes his eyes and presses his fingers into them. He’s silent for a long moment. Thoughts swirl around his brain. He shakes his head but he can’t dislodge them. He wonders why she wouldn’t have told him about this; is she worried about how he would react. He wonders if she’s scared or excited at the prospect of becoming a parent. Maybe Bastien is right – would she be scared enough to run; to leave him alone carrying the burden of never knowing what happened to her. He can’t even begin to think about what his own feelings are on the subject, not with so much worry in his stomach about where she is. He addresses his guard with a certainty that he doesn’t quite believe.

“No. She wouldn’t do that. I can’t believe that she would do that. And we know from the time stamp that she text Drake after she left the shop. Why would she have done that if she was planning on leaving? And she wouldn’t leave her phone.” Liam rises from the desk.

“Have you contacted Jacob Henley?” He asks, not wanting to hear the answer, Liam wonders if she would have confided in Jacob rather than him and hopes to God that it’s not true. He can’t even imagine the pressure that Riley must feel at potentially carrying the heir to a country when she’s she’s not even married to its king.

“Yes sir.” Bastien responds, he merely shakes his head no as an answer. Liam understands and can’t quite decide if he’s relieved or not.

“I need to take a minute, let Drake know that I’m going to get some air. I’ve got my phone, please call me straight away if anything changes.”

“Yes sir.”

Liam leaves the conference room and walks with heavy legs to his study. So many hours have passed since Riley was last seen and they have no leads. Fear curls up inside him and clings to his ribs, settling uncomfortably in his chest. He feels powerless. The not knowing is torturing him, thoughts of what might have happened creep into his mind, images of the love of his life being hurt or alone, crying or in pain. He walks over to his cabinet and takes out a decanter of scotch, he pours a large measure into a crystal glass and downs it in one gulp immediately pouring another. He takes his glass over to the leather couch and sits down heavily. He rubs his hand over his face, trying to rub away the thoughts that torment his mind. He sits alone staring blankly at the palace gardens beyond his window for some time until there’s a quiet knock at his study door. He ignores it, knowing if it was Bastien he would have called him or burst into the room already. The knocking starts up again a moment later before the door knob slowly twists and the door creeps open. A sombre looking Drake peers around the door frame.

“Hey Li, ok if I come in?” He asks with uncertainty in his voice.

“Yeah sure Drake.” Liam sighs. “Help yourself to a drink.” He lifts his glass to his friend. Drake makes his way over to the cabinet and chooses a decanter of whiskey. He pours a large measure and takes a seat next to Liam on the couch.

“You ok?” Drake kicks himself as soon as he’s said the words out loud.

“Not really no.” Liam shakes his head. And Drake winces at his own stupidity.

“Yeah, stupid question. Sorry. I don’t really know what to say.”

“It’s ok. You don’t need to say anything. Thanks for just being here.”

Drake shakes his head. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else. You know that. Olivia is staying over, she’s claimed a guest bedroom, sent one of your staff out for clothes and toiletries. Although I don’t know that anyone will do much sleeping. And Maxwell has not stopped texting me. He tells me he’s having a bit of a breakdown, although I’m hoping that’s what he meant and it was just his phone that autocorrected it to breakdance, the thought of him dancing at a time like this seems wholly inappropriate. But then again it is Maxwell we’re talking about here. He’s keeping me updated with the goings on at the Beaumont Estate through emojis.” Liam can’t even muster a smile for his best friend.

“Is there anything happening in there?” Liam gestures towards the direction of the conference room.

“Everyone seems to be busy but they’ve not given us any kind of update.” Liam nods. “Don’t worry Li, we’ll find her. She’ll be ok. She’s got to be. She’s probably just lost. She’ll be back before you know it with some grand story about how she lost track of time after finding an injured puppy and how she nursed it back to health with the help of a group of ragamuffin street kids, finding common ground by singing show tunes, or you know, something equally as farcical.”

“I hope so Drake. I can’t live without her.” Liam’s voice is barley a whisper. Drake knows exactly how Liam feels, his own heart echoes the same sentiment. The two men sip their drinks in silence for a long while until Liam eventually breaks it.

“Drake.” He takes a deep shaky breath. “Bastien said that she might have chosen to leave. Do you...do you think that she might have left because she wanted to?” Drake can see his best friend is holding back tears. Drake quietly contemplates the question before answering honestly.

“No Liam, I don’t think Taylor would do that. And if she did want to leave she would have told you first, probably in a big dramatic argument knowing her.” He smiles thinking of how Riley would never let anything go. She’s steely and determined, headstrong and impetuous. “She wouldn’t have wanted you to worry like this. She knows how much you love her. She wouldn’t leave her phone, she’s glued to the damn thing most of the time.” Drake smiles softly at the memory of arguing with Riley about having her phone permanently glued to her hand, remembering her asking him to take a dozen photos of her in the same God damn pose for Pictagram, how he wishes she was here badgering him to take her picture now. “And she would have definitely told Maxwell. She wouldn’t let people down.”

“Then that means that something’s happened to her Drake. Which is worse.” Liam’s voice breaks. “Someone’s taken her. I don’t know what to do Drake. I feel so useless.” A tear slips out of the kings eye and runs down his cheek. He wipes it away angrily.

“We don't know that Li. And it’s ok to have emotions. It’s normal to let them out from time to time you know. We can stay in here for a while.” Liam drains his glass and puts it down on his desk. He clears this throat and fixes his face into a much practised and disciplined unemotional façade.

“No. I need to get back in there and see what’s happening.”

He stands and Drake sees his friend transform in front of his eyes; brave on the outside, leading from the front regardless of personal cost. Everyone else has to see him as flawless, the polished version of himself to inspire confidence. Whilst Drake knows him as a friend he can’t help but respect him as a king. He doubts that the citizens of the country Liam reigns over could ever comprehend how much he has given up for them; he’s always the king that they need, stoic and strong. Drake sees the man underneath the crown, the man afraid of not being enough, of failing in his duty, of his purpose being unfulfilled. He sees a man that loves truly and deeply with his whole heart. A heart that’s in the process of breaking. Drake knows, because Drake’s is in the process of breaking too.

#choices trr #trr fanfic #the royal romance fan fic #choices fanfic #liam x riley #king liam #liam x mc #trr mc x liam #trr drake #trr bastien #trr liam

[cordonia-continued]

Captivated

Chapter 20

AU - TRR Liam x MC (Riley Taylor)

A/N - Set after the Tariq scandal is cleared. Liam ends his engagement to Madeleine and proposes to MC as per the original story, but Riley turns him down. This AU follows their life from then on.

Word count - 2,885

@kingliam2019 @imjusthereforliam @amandablink @hopefulmoonobject @texaskitten30​ @mom2000aggie​ (let me know if you no longer want to be tagged)

catch up here

“Max I’m running late already!” Riley calls out to her friend as she makes her way to the waiting car in front of the house. “We’ll talk about it later.” Maxwell was talking in that rapid quick-fire way of his that exhausted her, she puts her finger tips to her forehead and takes a deep breath before opening the back door of the car.

“Ok Little Blossom, just think about the navy blue silk dress that Cara Cavoletti sent over for the charity gala tomorrow night, I think it really suits you, and her clothes are so hot right now! And send my regards to Drake and Olivia, apologise to them that I can’t join you but Bertrand is being a real grump today, there’s no way in hell that he’ll let me out of the mountain of paperwork that he wants me to help him with!”

“Will do Max. See you later!” She calls out and waves back with far more energy than she possesses at this moment in time, slipping into into the back of the sleek black Mercedes she already feels utterly exhausted.

The black ribbons of the highway roll hypnotically before her as the air conditioning vents blast Arctic air over her. Riley fidgets in her seat anxiously, she can’t think straight this morning. Her stomach shifts uneasily and she notices that her clammy hands are clasping and unclasping each other as if in constant need of touch and reassurance. She’s thankful for the cloudless July day that means the oversized sunglasses she’s wearing to hide her tired eyes can be considered a summer fashion statement. When she rose out of bed this morning the sheets were in a knot and aside from a few fit-full half hours of vivid dreams she didn't sleep a wink. She’s on her way to meet Drake and Olivia in the capital for lunch, they’ve finally managed to all get an afternoon free to catch up. She was disappointed when Liam couldn’t make time to join them, but right now she’s relieved, she knows he would see through her too bright smile and notice her restless hands, and she really doesn’t want to answer his questions; not until she’s sure of the answer herself anyway.

She blinks dry eyes behind her sunglasses and yawns so widely her jaw clicks. The security detail that Liam put in place includes a personal driver, always at the ready to safely deliver her to wherever her heart desires. As the landscape outside her window changes from the monotony of straight roads and fields to the bustling traffic and crowded pavements of the city centre she decides that she needs to either put her mind at rest or face up to reality. She can’t take another restless night. She addresses her driver.

“Greg, can we make a pit-stop on the way, I really need to pop into a shop and pick something up.”

“I can do that for you Lady Riley.” Her bodyguard Mara annoyingly pipes up from the front seat. Riley grits her teeth and tries not to snap back at her.

“No it’s ok Mara, I can do it myself. I don’t need you to run errands for me. Greg can you just pull over here?”

“I can Lady Riley but there’s nowhere to stop and the traffic down Main Street is really heavy.” Greg warns.

“It’s ok Greg I’ll hop out. Circle back round and by the time you get through the traffic I’ll be here for you to pick me up.”

By the time her driver pulls over Riley’s hand is already gripping the door handle in anticipation of a quick get away. She quickly hops out onto the sidewalk hoping that Greg pulls away before Mara can follow. Unfortunately the bodyguard springs out of the passenger seat before the car pulls back into the traffic.

“Mara can you do me a favour and go and grab me a coffee from that coffee bar over there please?” Riley points to a distant coffee shop.

“I can’t do that Lady Riley, my orders are to be with you at all times.”

“Mara, I am perfectly capable of going into a store on my own, I’ve managed well enough up until now. Please just go and grab us all a coffee, I’ll be right out. Look there’s no one in there.” Riley gestures to the drug store in front of them devoid of customers. “And you’ll be like 50 feet away from me. I really need a caffeine fix right now, and we’re late already, I don’t have time to do both. Pleeease.” She pouts her plump pink lips and moves her eyes into what she hopes resembles a cute puppy dog look. A flash of doubt flits over Mara’s face. She’s conflicted between following Bastien’s orders to the letter and doing what Riley wants. Slowly she nods.

“Very well. But wait here for the car. Do not go anywhere else.”

Riley rolls her eyes.

“Of course I won’t. I am a grown adult Mara, I can look after myself you know.” She states with more venom than she intended. She doesn’t wait for a response before turning and entering the shop. She takes a deep steadying breath glancing around to make sure no one’s near her as she locates what she needs. The box shakes in her trembling hand as she takes it to the empty checkout and pays. She’s suddenly very glad for the dark glasses and cloak of long blonde hair that give her the anonymity she needs right now. She buries the box in the bottom of her handbag and pulls out her phone as she exits the shop. She texts Drake that she’s running late and will be with them in 20 minutes, she smiles to herself as she imagines him grumbling about her predictable tardiness to Olivia.

With her head down in her phone Riley doesn’t see the lanky man in front of her until it’s too late. She goes careering into him, losing the grip on her phone, it goes crashing down onto the pavement. Apologising profusely she bends down to retrieve it from the side walk. As she leans down she feels a hand grip the hair on the back of her head firmly. They pull on it, yanking her hard backwards. She opens her mouth to scream just as a gloved hand covers it. She kicks her legs out in any direction she can as she’s suddenly and forcefully bundled into the back of a van. She hasn’t even had time to register what’s going on before she feels a sharp pain in her neck and everything goes black.

                                                       ****

Mara walks back to the front of the store with a cardboard cup holder filled with 3 cups of coffee in her hands. She’s expecting to see Riley waiting for her by the road where Greg had dropped them off not ten minutes earlier and is annoyed when she sees she’s not there. Sighing in frustration she walks into the drug store looking down all of the aisles. When she fails to spot Riley down any of them she quickly walks to the checkout clerk.

“Excuse me, did you happen to see a blonde woman in here wearing a grey blazer, white t-shirt and jeans?” The young clerk looks at her blankly. “Tan leather peep toe pumps, tan leather tote bag?” Mara vaguely wonders why it is that she can conjure up a picture of exactly what Riley was wearing today but quickly dismisses the thought and puts it down to just doing a thorough job.

“About so high?” She raises her hand up to Riley’s height. He continues to stare at her as if she’s talking in a foreign language and she wonders if she should repeat herself in Greek. “Wearing sunglasses indoors? She was just in here a minute ago.” She adds, this seems to jog his memory.

“Oh yeah, sure, I just served her. She left a couple of minutes ago.” He shrugs.

Mara curses under her breath and runs out on to Main Street looking in the nearby shop windows for a sight of Riley. She’s mumbling to herself about Riley wandering off to go shopping as their car pulls up alongside the sidewalk. Mara runs over and yanks the back door open, hoping to see the petite blonde in the back seat impatiently waiting for her. However the back seat’s empty. She asks their driver if he’s seen Riley, he shakes his head in response complaining that he’s going to get a parking ticket if he has to wait much longer. Mara curses Riley for wandering off when she specifically told her not to go anywhere else. Placing the coffee cup holder on the roof of the black car she pulls her phone out of her back pocket. She finds Riley’s mobile number and jabs at the call button. She hears it ringing on the other end just as a nearby tinkling sound catches her ear. She moves away from the car listening to where the sound’s coming from. She follows the sound until she locates a phone face down on the black asphalt, picking it up she notices the screen is smashed like it’s been dropped.

Mara’s heart jumps into her throat as she taps a finger on the phone screen and it lights up with a background picture of King Liam and Lady Riley at the top of the Eiffel Tower. A text from Drake Walker and a missed call from her own number cut through the picture in notification banners across the screen. Panic begins to rise steadily in Mara’s chest, her breathing quickens as she leans into the car and yells “Where the fuck is she?” at their driver Greg who just stares at her blankly. She moves quickly as she looks in all of the nearby shops. She once again takes her own phone in her hand and with shaking fingers she hits the speed dial number for Bastien, she can hear her heart pounding as it rings, knowing he’s not going to like what she’s got to say.

                                                            ****

“What do you mean you can’t find her? Have you tried ringing her phone?” Bastien asks pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. He leans back in his black leather desk chair, away from his computer screen, where he’s already preparing tomorrow’s briefing.

“Sir I have it here in my hand. I found it on the sidewalk, the screen is smashed. I’ve looked in all of the local shops and cafés. It’s like she just disappeared. I was gone literally 5 minutes.”

“What do you mean you were gone? Where was Greg?” Bastien asks between gritted teeth. He can feel a headache beginning to pull at his temples.

“We stopped on Main Street in the capital sir. Greg couldn’t park so he circled. She asked me to go get her a coffee while she went into a shop. She was insistent that I didn’t go in with her and that I go and get the coffee sir.”

“Mara you should have waited outside!” He yells. “I gave you very clear instructions on what this Close Protection Officer role entailed. The keyword here being close!”

“I know, I’m sorry sir but we were running late and she was really insistent.” She runs a shaking hand through her cropped brown hair. She knows she’s fucked up on this one and could kick herself for agreeing to go and get coffees. There’s something utterly captivating and endearing about Riley that makes Mara want to please her just so she can feel the warmth of one of her genuine smiles. Her eyes brim with tears. Guilt and regret churn up from her stomach. She clears her throat and swallows all other thoughts down as she pulls all of her training to the forefront of her mind.

The head of the Kings Guard barking orders at her down the phone interrupts her thoughts.

“Have you searched the vicinity? Have you spoken to anyone in the surrounding area? People don’t just disappear. Get the security footage from every shop along Main Street and the ones opposite. Text me your exact location, I’ll call the highways agency and see if they have any traffic cameras on that strip. Don’t leave the area in case she comes back. Do you understand.”

“Yes sir.” She answers, her mind already planning her next steps.

“Where were you going? Maybe she’s gone on ahead?” Bastien asks.

“She was on her way to meet Drake Walker and Duchess Olivia Nevrakis for lunch sir. The location is the Meraki Estiatorio on Limes Avenue.” She checks her watch. “We were due there 30 minutes ago.”

“Ok leave that with me, I’ll call Drake and see if she’s there. Mara you know I’m gonna have to tell the King if she’s not located in half an hour right?”

“Yes sir I know. She can’t have gone far, she’s probably just shopping or something. I’ll keep looking.”

Drake’s phone rings and he fishes it out of his pocket expecting it to be Riley calling to tell them she was late as usual. He’s planning his sarcastic retort when he glances at the caller ID noticing Bastien’s name.

“Hey Bas, what’s up man?”

“Drake is Lady Riley with you?”

“Nah not yet, she text me about twenty minutes ago saying she was twenty minutes away, you know what she’s like she’s always late. She should be here any minute, you want me to get her to call you when she gets here? Is Liam ok?”

“Drake don’t leave there until you hear from either me or her, do you understand?” Drake hears the gravity in Bastien’s low gravely voice.

Drake sits forward in his seat. “Bas what’s going on? Where’s Taylor?”

“I don’t know.” Bastien sighs.

“What do you mean you don’t know? Haven’t you tried calling her?”

“Drake listen to me, just stay there and let me know if you hear from her ok?”

“Why do you want us to stay here? Bastien tell me what’s going on!” Drake raises his voice. Olivia quirks a perfectly groomed eyebrow at him.

“Drake I need you to stay calm ok. I don’t know what’s going on yet. Just stay put and call me as soon as you either see her or hear from her. Ok. I need you to do that for me. And don’t call her. We have her phone with us. And give me a chance to speak to the King first before you call him.”

“Bastien you’re worrying me now. Where the fuck is she? Why do you have her phone?”

“Drake I will call you when I know more. I have to go.” He hangs up abruptly not waiting for a response.

“Drake?” Olivia questions. Drake’s forehead creases in confusion.

“They can’t find Taylor. I’ve no idea what’s happened, they wanted to know if she was with us. Asked us to stay here in case she turns up. They’ve got her phone. I’m guessing she must have left it behind or something. But that doesn’t make any sense, she text me 20 minutes ago. Maybe she left the Beaumont’s without them and they’re just panicking. I’ll give Max a call and see if he knows what’s going on.” He finds Maxwell’s name in his phone and calls his friend putting it on speaker so Olivia can hear.

“Drake!” Maxwell answers enthusiastically. “Don’t tell me you’re all missing me and couldn’t live without hearing my voice?”

“Yeah something like that Maxwell. Listen, when did Taylor leave?”

“Oh, maybe an hour ago. She was running late, don’t worry she’s only like ten or twenty minutes late, I’m sure she’ll be there in a minute. What colour do you think goes best with navy blue? I can’t decide between silver and blush pink.”

“Max, now is not the time to discuss fucking mood boards. I need to know where Taylor is.”

“Jeez Drake, I was just after an opinion. Have you tried calling her? They’re probably just stuck in traffic, you know what it’s like in the city at this time of day. She’s not even that late. Remember that time that we kept you waiting for an hour on your own at that R&B club and you got accosted by that girl with more facial hair than me?” Maxwell laughs at the memory of entering the club and seeing Drake trying to unsuccessfully extract himself from the clutches of the bewhiskered woman.

Olivia smirks at Drake and he narrows his eyes at her. “Max, focus. Did she leave on her own?”

“Who Hairy Mary? No we had to hide when she went off to use the restroom remember?”

“Maxwell! For fucks sake, Riley. Did Riley leave on her own?”

“Oh! No, Mara and her driver were with her.” Drake looks up at Olivia, concern on his face.

“If you hear from her can you call me right away?”

“Sure thing. Is something up?”

“I don’t know to be honest Max, just call me yeah.”

“Yeah will do. When you see her can you ask her opinion on the navy blue situation please. Speak later Drake. Bye.”

Drake shakes his head.

“Something’s going on Liv.”

#choices trr #the royal romance fan fic #trr drake #trr liam #TRR Riley #trr fanfic #liam x riley #trr mc x liam #liam x mc

[cordonia-continued]

Captivated

Chapter 19

AU- TRR Liam x MC (Riley Taylor)

A/N - Set after the Tariq scandal is cleared. Liam ends his engagement to Madeleine and proposes to MC as per the original story, but Riley turns him down. This AU follows their life from then on.

Chapter Summary -  Liam addresses the Paparazzi with a statement about privacy and lets it officially be known Riley is his girlfriend. (I might have ‘borrowed’ from an actual British Royal family press statement here and changed it up slightly 😉)  Short filler chapter before some actual drama in the next chapter. 

Word count - 955

@kingliam2019 @imjusthereforliam @amandablink @hopefulmoonobject @texaskitten30​ @mom2000aggie​

catch up here

The next morning Madeleine is sitting at her desk in her office at the palace sifting through her emails when her desk phone rings. Gabriella the kings personal assistant is on the other end of the line.

“Countess Madeleine, good morning. His Majesty has asked that you meet with him in his study at your earliest convenience.”

Madeleine hangs up the phone, her lips curling into a sly smile. She hopes that this means that Liam has finally seen sense about the tacky little waitress and that he wants her to handle the fall out. He’s had the paparazzi photos of her lips locked onto that handsome agent of hers for 3 days now, she wondered how long it would take him to come to the realisation that the crown is no place for a commoner.

Ten minutes later, she arrives as his door a triumphant smile playing at her lips.

“Your Majesty, you wanted to see me?” She enters and takes a seat in front of his desk.

“Yes Madeleine, I want you to issue a statement to the press. I’ve written it already, I just need you to send it out to all of the national newspaper editors please.”

“I’m not aware of any statement, what’s it about? Let me guess you want me to let it be known that you’re once again Cordonia’s most eligible bachelor?” She purrs.

“Here.” He hands her a printed copy. She reads it aloud.

“Due to a spate of unacceptable and unprecedented paparazzi behaviour, including attempts to breach the privacy of His Majesty The King and his girlfriend Lady Riley Taylor using long-range lenses. What?” Her face drops “You’re still together? You really are a love sick fool if even photos of her kissing another man aren’t enough to make you see sense.” She narrows her green eyes at him.

“Madeleine I will not have this conversation with you. We both know that those photos show nothing more than a friendly greeting, Jacob Henley is nothing more to her than her agent and a friend.”

“If you say so Liam.” She forces out through gritted teeth.

“I do.”

“Do you not think it crass to call her your girlfriend in a statement? Is this really the most appropriate way of making it public? This is going to cause a media storm, you know that right?”

“That’s what she is, what else am I to call her? It’s common knowledge that we’re together, there have been photos in the papers for weeks now. There’s no harm in confirming it.”

“Hmmm.” She continues. ‘He demands that it stop. Lady Riley should, like any other individual, be able to go about her everyday business without this kind of violation of her privacy. The situation is proving intolerable for all concerned. Should it continue the Royal Family will issue legal proceeding against those involved.’ Is this really necessary? I mean it’s to be expected of ones life in the royal family is it not? And has she not courted the press for her own gain? There’s not a magazine in Cordonia that her face isn’t plastered all over.”

“Photographs of her and I together in private, or of her and her friends whilst out are not the same as posed photos for fashion magazines and interviews Madeleine. The media need to respect our privacy, she shouldn’t have to look over her shoulder wondering if someone is going to photograph her half naked in her bedroom again like at Applewood.”

Madeleine changes her voice to a softer comforting tone. 

“Liam, look, you’ve had your fun. Surely now it’s time to step up and realise that Cordonia needs a Queen, one that can actually rule along side it’s King. One that actually knows and cares about the country. One that's not going to embarrass you by kissing other men in public. The people will appreciate it in the long run. I can handle the fall out of the break up with the media.” She pauses thoughtfully placing her index finger to her painted red lips. “No doubt she’ll want to get her side out first, if I get a head start on this I can spin it favourably for you.”

“Madeleine enough.” Liam raises his voice and narrows his eyes at her. “Let me guess, you’d be oh so willing to step in as a replacement?”

Her lips turn up once again in that sly smile.

“Well, now you mention it, I am still the best option for a Queen for this country. My offer still stands Liam.” She leans over his desk towards him and puts her hand on his forearm. She bites her lip seductively at him. “Or you know maybe we could actually make a go of it together ourselves.” He cuts her off and moves his arm out of her reach.

“Oh hell no! Madeleine that is not happening. I am not breaking up with Riley.”

“Well let’s just hope those photos don’t get out online or in the papers.” She huffs sinking back into her chair.

“I thought you’d said you dealt with it? If those photos are published I will take that as a sign that you are unable to do your job properly and I will have no choice but to reconsider your employment with the crown. Do you understand?”

“Liam don’t be such a sap.”

“Do you understand Madeleine!”

“Urgh, yes Liam!”

“Good. I want the editor’s codes of practice and the Privacy Act legislation looked at by the royal family lawyers to see anywhere that it can be strengthened and tightened. I want a proposal written up to do so put before the Council at our next meeting.”

“Fine. I’ll get onto it now.”

“Good.”

#trr fanfic #choices trr #trr liam #liam x riley #liam x mc #trr mc x liam #king liam

[cordonia-continued]

Captivated

Chapter 18

AU- TRR Liam x MC (Riley Taylor)

A/N - Set after the Tariq scandal is cleared. Liam ends his engagement to Madeleine and proposes to MC as per the original story, but Riley turns him down. This AU follows their life from then on.

Chapter Summary -  Fallout from the paparazzi photos of Jacob and Riley. NSFW

Word count - 2,466

@kingliam2019 @imjusthereforliam @amandablink @hopefulmoonobject @texaskitten30​ @mom2000aggie​

catch up here

Liam and Riley leave the awards ceremony shortly after it finishes, neither of them wanting to stay and party with the celebrities or press present, much to Maxwell’s dismay. Both are exhausted by keeping up the fake smiles and polite chit chat all evening. They enter the waiting limo and sit next to each other in silence, each turning away from the other staring out of the window next to them.

The silence looms thick, unyielding and as complete as a wall between them, Riley finally cracks when it becomes too all encompassing to put up with any longer.

“Liam, this is stupid, you’ve hardly spoken to me all night. You're clearly angry about the photos, I've told you nothing happened.”

“So you keep saying.” He sighs. “I'm annoyed that they even exist, that you got into that situation in the first place. Especially after all the trouble the last lot of photos caused.” He shrugs, undoing his bow tie and the top button of his shirt, not turning his gaze from the street lights streaming passed the window. Riley gasps, hurt and anger flash across her delicate features.

“I cannot believe you just said that! You know how hard I fought to clear my name!”

He turns his head to face her, his eyes darken and she sees anger and disappointment reflected in them.

“I know, which is why I thought you would have been more careful now. How do you think it looks for me that my girlfriend is kissing random men on the lips in the capital city of my own God damn country?” He watches her face fall as tears prickle at her eyes.

“I can't believe you're blaming me for this Liam! I told you what happened, what am I supposed to do? Lock myself in the palace all day every day unless you happen to be available to fit me into your busy schedule to escort me around? Do you just want to keep me like some tropical pet bird, locked in a gilded cage?” Her eyes widen in realisation as her hand goes to her chest, fingering the expensive piece of jewellery sitting there. “Is this what the necklace was for? An expensive gift to buy my affection? Or to show off to someone else? To stake your claim on me? To show a certain someone who I belong to?”

“Don't be stupid.” His voice is calm but steely.

“I can’t believe you’re reacting this way, this is about more than the photo isn't it?”

His fists curl into balls and he takes a deep breath to try and calm the anger rising up his body.

“I just don’t trust the guy ok. It’s clear that he wants you more than just as a friend. Don't be so naive Riley, there was nothing accidental about him putting his lips on you.” He raises his voice. “My lips should be the only ones on you. MINE! NOT HIS!” He shouts angrily pointing a finger into his chest. “And are you going to explain to me why the fuck you have his sweatshirt?”

“He’s just a friend!" She shouts back.  “For Christ’s sake, I told you, I was cold so I borrowed it.” She crosses her arms protectively over her chest and stares out of the window avoiding his eyes.

“Photos like that make me look weak, they make me look like a love sick fool who’ll put up with any bullshit from the pretty American suitor that’s already made him look a fool once before.” He doesn't know where his words of scorn are coming from but he can’t stop them from pouring out of his mouth, all he knows is the anger that he feels deep in his gut at seeing the woman he loves lips on another man - a man that he despises. Riley’s mouth gapes open and she blinks back tears from behind her eyes.

“What the hell has gotten into you? Are you actually being serious right now? I watched as women threw themselves at you, dancing with you and pawing at you for weeks, Olivia even full on kissed you in front of me!”

“That was different...” He tries to interrupt her but she keeps going, her voice shaking with unconcealed rage.

“I stood there and watched you choose to marry another woman because your father couldn’t stand to see you choose me! A woman who offered me as your mistress no less! I watched you with her on your arm, kissing her, posing for photos with her, looking every part the doting fiance! Did you hear me shouting and screaming at you in a jealous rage?”

Liam remains silent looking down at his hands clasped in his lap with shame in his eyes.

“No you didn't, because I trusted you, I believed in you, I believed in us Liam!” Her voice is loud and piercing and Liam closes his eyes wincing at the hurt he hears in it. Upon hearing her impassioned words, knowing the truth that she spoke, guilt washes over him and eats away like a worm boring into an apple. In one fell swoop remorse hits him like a sledgehammer. He stares at her without speaking. She lets the silence hang between them. It’s so sharp she worries she might cut herself on it. She suspects he feels it too. A tremor runs down his muscular throat as he swallows. When he finally speaks his voice is quieter than usual.

“I know. I’m sorry.”

She stares at him in silence, her eyes still filled with sadness and pain. Neither speak for the rest of the journey back to the palace.

They exit the car and walk up to the kings quarters in silence. Liam goes straight to the bar pouring them both a drink, he hands a crystal tumbler full of amber liquid to her and sits on the couch, leaning forward, his forearms resting on his knees, gripping his glass in both his hands. She stays standing in the doorway, not quite committed to staying.

“I'm sorry." He says again looking down into his glass. "I should never have said those things, they were never a reflection on you. I trust you, of course I do. My anger was just that, a flash of fire to cover my own weaknesses, my own insecurities. I shouldn’t have shouted at you.”

She moves slowly away from the door and kneels down in front of him. She takes the glass from his hands and places it on the floor, setting her own glass next to it, taking both of his hands in hers.

"Liam, I love you, but this is the last time that I am going to say this ok? There is nothing going on between me and Jacob. I’ve sacrificed so much to be with you. I mean don’t get me wrong, being with a king has its advantages – the fashion, the parties, the palaces – but it definitely also has its drawbacks, from the end of privacy to the dreaded rumour mill. This is just Madeleine stirring up trouble.”

"I know." He nods at her, moving his eyes up to meet hers. With the door to his quarters closed every pretence falls and the façade he shows to the world melts away. He speaks in a quite voice. "Every day I have to be strong and unwavering in front of everyone. I have to hold in my feelings and put on a show, a mask of strength and stoicism. Today, those feelings overwhelmed me and the waves of emotion and insecurity engulfed me. I took out my anger and frustrations on the one person who matters most to me in the world. I got lost in the tide and I caved, swept away by my own fears, and I truly am sorry. Beyond all the palaces, the money, the power...I'm just a man, and seeing his lips on yours – I’m not going to lie, it got to me...I know it's no excuse, I shouldn't have behaved the way I did tonight. I should never have raised my voice to you. You deserve better than that."

At that moment, his expression is so painfully vulnerable that Riley's heart contracts with the urge to make all well between them again. She reaches up, holding his face in her hands.

"What did I say to you the night that you proposed?” It was a rhetorical question and she doesn’t wait for an answer. “I said I wanted to see the Liam in here." She puts a hand on his chest. "I don't want you to have to put on a show for me, I don't want you to hold your feelings in. I want you tell me when something is bothering you. Jacob is the one friend I have outside of this place, and yeah he’s cocky and annoying but he’s also funny and playful, his cockiness is just part of his charm, you get used to it, I’m not going to stop being friends with him just because you don't like it Liam. Please don't let Madeleine come between us, I'm sure all of this has something to do with her. She's probably got a photographer following me just waiting to get anything she can use against me. You know what she's like."

“Riley I would never tell you who you can and can’t be friends with. Just watch out ok.” He smiles sadly at her. "I love you more than I have ever imagined I could love someone. I don't want anything to break that."

He leans forward and brushes his lips against her forehead lightly. Even that light touch sends shivers through her that makes her body tremble, all the anger and upset she felt tonight now a distant memory. She kneels up and pulls him to her. He kisses her lips gently, carefully and tenderly. She responds, drawing him in closer, feeling his body loosen and relax against her. His hands rest on her neck and he rubs his thumb along her jaw, his tongue disappearing inside her mouth. No one has ever kissed her the way Liam has, as though he’s inside her body even though he’s only inside her mouth. She knots her fists in his shirt and pulls him down onto the floor with her, both kneeling on the soft white rug beneath them. He groans softly, low in his throat, and then his arms circle her, gathering her against him. She pushes his jacket off his shoulders and down his arms, letting it drop to the floor behind him, then slowly unbuttons his shirt, her lips never leaving his. She pushes his shirt off, letting it join his jacket on the floor and places one hand on his bare shoulder, the other slowly stroking his back, from the nape of his neck to the base of his spine. She moves her hand from his shoulder to stroke his cheek and kisses every inch of his neck until he moans again.

He softly pushes the spaghetti straps of her dress down her arms, the silk slips down her body pooling on the floor at her knees. Light fingers trace a path down her spine. She shivers, the touch of his hands warm on her bare skin, sending a burst of heat straight to her core, making it ache as a small sound escapes her. His arms wrap around her back and in one gentle pull their bare chests meet. Her breath grows short as he lowers his head and kisses between her breasts then slowly runs his tongue up her neck. His hands gently caress her back, her arms, her shoulders, and she feels their heated bodies press together, skin to skin. She unbuckles his belt and pushes his pants down his muscular thighs, her hands tracing the hard curve of his perfect ass.

He gently guides her back, laying her down on the floor as he pulls his pants and boxers off the rest of the way. The thick soft rug is warm against her back as she wriggles out of her dress, feeling his naked body on top of hers.

“You’re beautiful.” He says kissing every inch of her chest. “I love you so much.”

He slides his hand over the smooth skin of one curved hip, slipping her lace thong down over it and down her smooth legs. He buries his head into her neck as his hands rove all over her body. His fingertips trace down her sides, causing her skin to tingle and goosebump. Further they slide down, caressing her inner thigh. She closes her eyes and feels him touching her, his fingers stroking her sensitive clit, dipping inside her before guiding himself in. He enters her slowly and gently, rocking his hips, building a perfect rhythm. He hasn’t felt this type of need ever in his life. It isn’t carnal or primal or lustful, just emotional. Just the need to feel the touch of her skin, to be connect to her, to feel her giving all of herself to him.

As their bodies move in sync as one, their breathing becomes ragged. A blaze of pleasure fills her as he pushes deeper into her body. He intertwines his fingers in hers, raising her hands above her head. He holds her gaze, the intensity in his eyes feels like he’s looking into her soul. He moves slowly and purposefully inside her, prolonging both of their pleasure until she cries out as a delicious heat floods through her and she comes hard, spasming around him. He doesn't stop. Her second climax comes not long after the first one. She doesn’t just feel it, she experiences it with her whole being, with all of her senses. It’s as exquisite as it is powerful. It leaves her shaking and breathless. She shudders under him, his name falling from her lips. Upon hearing her moaning his name he’s gone, beyond thought of anything but the pleasure gripping him. He gasps and with one final push he pours himself into her, in the sweetest relief and most tender giving he’s ever known.

They lay together on the floor trying to settle their breathing and heart rates into a steady pace. Riley turns her body onto its side to rest her head against his heaving chest. She feels at peace as she’s laid against him, settled in his embrace; she feels at home. She closes her eyes, her breathing slows to match his as she listens to the thump of his heart. They’re both quiet for some time before she speaks again.

“I wish we could stay like this forever.” She sighs.

“Me, too,” he says softly in her ear. “Although the bed might be more comfortable.”

#choices trr #trr fanfic #trr liam #TRR Riley #liam x riley #trr mc x liam #liam x mc #king liam #the royal romance fan fic #pixleberry

[cordonia-continued]

Captivated

Chapter 17

AU- TRR Liam x MC (Riley Taylor)

A/N - Set after the Tariq scandal is cleared. Liam ends his engagement to Madeleine and proposes to MC as per the original story, but Riley turns him down. This AU follows their life from then on.

I split this chapter into 2 as it ended up so long so I will post both now, but I recently got to thinking of doing a whole Sliding Doors thing (90′s movie ref for anyone too young to remember it) where there are two separate paths for what happens - although they won’t be released side by side as I have only written two chapters for the new version, so it may not happen! 

Chapter Summary -  Liam confronts Riley with the paparazzi photos.

Word count - 3,663

@kingliam2019 @imjusthereforliam @amandablink @hopefulmoonobject @texaskitten30​ @mom2000aggie​

catch up here

"Is he still working Bas?" Riley asks Liam’s bodyguard as she arrives at the palace the next afternoon and heads straight to the kings quarters. Bastien meets her outside and unlocks the door for her while the palace staff take her overnight bags into the sitting room.

"Yes Ma'am, he's just in a meeting, he'll be up shortly, he insisted that you make yourself at home and please just ask any of the staff if you need anything. Myself and Mara will be down in my office until we need to leave later."

She hangs her long dark green silk dress up and showers in Liam's bathroom, wrapping herself in a large soft white towel while she dries her hair and does her make up in his bedroom. She's standing putting her earrings in in front of the large mirror when Liam enters his room. He walks up behind her and places a kiss on the top of her head.

"Hey Love."

"Hi" She looks up at his reflection in the mirror in front of her, noticing the dark circles under his eyes. "You look exhausted Li, you're working too hard." she turns around to face him and places a soft kiss on his lips.

“I'm fine, I just couldn't sleep last night. Here I got you a present.” He leans past her and opens the top drawer of his dresser taking out a black velvet box. He hands it to Riley who takes the box from him.

"What have I done to deserve this?" She smiles up at him.

"I just want to show you how much I love you." He shrugs.

"Liam, you show me that everyday, you don’t need to buy me gifts."

She opens the plush box to reveal a white gold necklace with a large teardrop shaped diamond pendant surrounded by a halo of smaller diamonds.

"Oh my God.” She gasps. “Liam it's beautiful."

"Nothing could ever be as beautiful as you my love. Here let me help you put it on." He moves her hair across one shoulder and fastens the necklace around her neck, kissing the delicate skin as he does so.

"Thank you, you didn’t have to do that you know."

“I know.” He kisses her neck again, his tongue tracing a path up her throat. As she lets out a soft moan he tries to ignore both the feeling of insecurity gnawing in his stomach and the feeling of himself hardening in his pants. Reluctantly he steps away from her. “Listen, I've got something I need to talk to you about.” He walks over and opens the top drawer of his bedside table and takes out the photos that Madeleine gave to him the previous day. "Riley, these photos were passed to me. I need you to tell me about them. Tell me they're not what they look like." He hands her the photos and Riley takes them from him, he studies her face, watching as it creases in confusion as she looks through them, her eyes widen as she takes them in one at a time. She realises they were taken during a lunch meeting with Jacob last week. She remembers them choosing an outside table at a harbour front cafe in the city and having a relaxing afternoon sipping cold crisp Pinot Grigio and sharing seafood. She laughs.

“Are you serious right now?” He looks at her, his blue eyes turning darker matching his serious face. Her eyes widen even further. “Oh god you are.” She swallows. “Liam, there is nothing going on with me and Jacob. He’s just a friend.”

“Then why were you kissing him?” His voice is calm but firm, his gaze unwavering.

“I wasn’t!” She protests. “He went to kiss me on the cheek just as I was turning to say hello and he accidentally kissed me on the lips! It was less than a second before he profusely apologised and I cracked up laughing! But I guess there are no photos that show that are there?” He shakes his head at her remaining stonily silent. He knows nothing the smarmy agent does is ever accidental.

“Liam if I was having an affair with Jacob do you really think I would be stupid enough carry it on at an outside pavement table of the incredibly busy Café La Sasion in front of anyone and everyone?”

He says nothing.

“Well?”

He lets out a long sigh and rubs his hand over his face and tired eyes.

“No, I guess not. It’s just...” He hesitates.

“It’s just what Liam? You don’t trust me? After everything. After Tariq?”

“Of course I trust you, I don’t trust him. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. The way he tries to make you question everything I say and put doubts in your mind.”

“Liam he doesn’t do that, he just wants what’s best for me. He’s my agent, and a friend. I promise you there is nothing going on. He just...” she hesitates knowing what his reaction will be to the truth of what Jacob really thinks of him.

“He just what?” He crosses his arms tightly across his broad chest.

“He...sometimes...thinks you’re too controlling.”

“What! How dare the little weasel. I knew he didn’t like me!” He explodes. Liam isn't used to people not liking him, he's used to putting everyone at ease, drawing them into liking him and them wanting him to like them in return. In the boardroom he's the finest diplomat, sweet talking his advisors and foreign ambassadors before delivering the critical thing he needs them to sign off on. He's used to getting everything he wants, everything he needs, while they grin and hang on his every word thinking he's their best friend.

Riley holds him at the elbows gently rubbing her hands up and down his folded arms.

“He does like you. I’ve explained to him about protocols and your press office needing to know every detail before he releases anything to the media or before he can say yes to any appearances and interviews. He’s just not used to working like that, that’s all.”

“I’m the fucking King, Riley, of course I’m controlling! He’d have you cavorting half naked on magazine covers across Europe if I didn’t stop him! I’d be a laughing stock!” He yells.

“Hey, calm down, you know I wouldn't do that! I’ve told him. He understands. Please just try and be friends with him. Please. For me?” Liam remains silent. “Please tell me you don’t believe those pictures?”

“Of course I don’t. I'm just angry that Madeleine bought them to me and had a dig about it that’s all. I don’t like looking like a fool. Especially in front of her. You need to be more careful, you know those vultures are everywhere just waiting to blow something like this up and make it something it’s not.”

“I know, I’m sorry Li, it was just an innocent accidental peck on the lips. I promise you.”

“Ok. Get dressed, I need to go shower." He stalks off into the bathroom locking the door behind him.

"Liam!" She calls out after him. "Liam, wait, you're clearly still angry, please talk to me!" She hears the shower turn on and gives up trying to reason with him.

                                                        ****

Liam and Riley’s Limo pulls up at the end of the red carpet for the National Film Awards, Bastien opens the back door for them. Liam climbs out of the car and holds a hand out for Riley to follow him, she ignores his hand and gracefully climbs out on her own. His face momentarily turns into a scowl before he pulls his lips up into a dazzling fake smile. Cameras flash and reporters shout questions to them as they walk down the red carpet side by side, neither one daring to look at the other, let alone speak. They are ushered in front of a bank of waiting cameras, Liam puts his hand on the small of Riley’s back and they pose, straight backed and ridged, faces contorted into tight smiles that don’t reach their eyes. As they enter the hall Riley goes and finds their seats at the table while Liam makes his way over to the bar, chatting and socialising with other charity patrons and celebrities. Riley’s thankful they’ve been sat on a table with Maxwell and Penelope – her incessant droning on about her poodles making it easy for Riley to silently brood without it being noticed. She glances at Liam at the bar. The rest of the group he was chatting with have moved on, except for one. Cassandra Giovanni. The daughter of an Italian diplomat. Tall and elegant with legs up to her arms pits, cheekbones so sharp they could cut glass and glossy black hair that swishes back and forth every time she moves her head. She’s leaning into Liam, the red tipped fingers of her hand resting on his forearm as he says something into her ear. Riley’s staring, she knows she’s held her gaze too long but she can’t look away as Cassandra simpers softly and takes a step forward, her lithe body clad in figure hugging black velvet just inches from Liam’s. Maxwell follows her gaze.

“You know it’s all a show Riley, he doesn’t mean anything by it. It’s what he does. He can talk to anyone about anything and make them feel like the only person in a room, its an art form, it really is.”

She smiles a small guarded smile. “I know Max. It’s not that. It’s...it’s ok. It’s nothing.”

Liam makes his way to their table, taking a seat next to Riley.

“That looked cosy.” She states with an air of casual indifference, then kicks herself for getting drawn into his game.

“I was merely having a conversation with an old friend.” He responds in an even tone. “You’ll notice that my lips didn’t touch her once.” Sarcasm drips from his words but his face is blank, impassive. There’s no curve of the eyebrow to indicate disbelief or amusement, no curl of the lip to imply irritation or longing.

She gasps. “There’s no need for that Liam. I’ve told you it was nothing.” She hisses at him in a low voice. It’s obvious to her that he’s still seething about the photos Madeleine gave him. She knows his little show at the bar was for her benefit. It appears that even the king is not above playing games. He ignores her and turns to talk to the rest of the table, leading the diners in polite conversation as the atmosphere remains frosty between the two lovers.

“You are fucking kidding me.” She hears Liam mutter under his breath. Riley looks up from the linen napkin that she’s mindlessly running through her fingers in her lap. Her stomach drops when she sees Jacob striding towards their table, a cocky grin on his handsome face, a minor B list celebrity on his arm. Maxwell is out of his seat in no time, shaking Jacob’s hand and clapping him on the back and leading him towards their table. Despite himself Liam rises and shakes Jacob’s outstretched hand.

“Jacob. Didn’t expect to see you here tonight.” He says pulling his thunderous face into a forced smile.

“Ah, yeah, last minute stand in. Anneka here can’t seem to keep a boyfriend long enough to bring him to one of these events. Just doing my chivalrous duty as her agent to make sure she has a good looking man on her arm. Isn’t that right dear?” He turns and grins at the young brassy blonde who looks up from her phone for a fraction of a second just to scowl at him and to flash a dazzling smile at Liam.

At hearing Jacob refer to himself as good looking Riley bites the inside of her cheek to stop the giggle from escaping her mouth. The guy is overconfident and has no shame, she thinks to herself. What Liam finds irritating about him she can’t help but find endearing. Jacob lets Anneka’s arm drop and moves to behind Riley’s chair. He bends down to kiss her cheek, placing each one of his warm hands on each one of her bare shoulders. Riley can feel her face going red as he whispers into her ear.

“You look stunning as usual my dear.”

If Jacob is purposefully winding Liam up he’s doing a good job of it. The king retakes his seat and looks at the exchange going on next to him with murderous eyes.

“Any chance I can get that sweatshirt you stole from me back any time soon.” Jacob winks at Riley and she feels her face instantly redden. She lets out a too loud false laugh and quickly changes the subject asking Jacob’s date a question about her outfit.

As Jacob leads his date away to find their own table towards the back of the full room Liam turns his steely eyes onto Riley, he speaks to her quietly and with a passive face so those around them are oblivious.

“Sweatshirt? I’ve never seen him wearing anything other than a full three piece suit, when does he ever wear a sweatshirt and how the hell have you stolen one of his?” He asks trying to keep his voice light and his tone even.

“I just borrowed one when I was cold one time, its nothing, stop being ridiculous.” Riley hisses and turns her attention to Penelope. “So tell me all about this new trick you’ve taught your poodle Pen.”  

When Jacob arrives at his own table he’s thankful that it’s still devoid of other guests as he strategically swaps the place cards around so he has an uninterrupted view of Riley.

“Why did you tell them I couldn’t get a date.” Anneka whines next to him in her high pitched rough local accent that makes Jacob wince. “You’re the one who begged to come with me to this thing. How is it going to do my reputation any good if you start rumours like that?” She pouts. “And why didn’t you introduce me to King Liam, or even tell me that you knew him? I can’t believe you actually spoke to him! My Picta is blowing up with the candid photo of him that I just uploaded. He’s so dreamy. Do you think he’ll let me take a selfie with him?” Jacob ignores his dates fangirling as she stares off wistfully at the kings table at the front of the room.

When Madeleine had phoned him yesterday and informed him that she had shown Liam the photos of his little ‘accidental’ kiss on Riley’s lips, she told him to make sure he was here tonight as well, just to rub it in. Jacob didn’t need any persuading, he knows Riley’s diary better than his own, and as soon as he saw that she would be here tonight, even before Madeleine had told him, he had trawled through his client list until he found one with an invite and a thirst for fame. He easily persuaded Anneka to bring him as her plus one by dangling the promise of getting her a slot on a celebrity panel show in front of her fame hungry eyes. The lengths he would go to for one glimpse of Riley, one touch of her soft skin, one smile from her full pink lips – were a mystery to even him. Never has he been so captivated by another human being. His date prattles on incessantly.

“You could have set me up with another one of your clients, a soap star or even a reality TV star, I’m not fussy. Someone who would raise my profile.”

“Anneka for gods sake stop whining. You’re lucky to be here at all.” He doesn’t look at her as he speaks and she follows his gaze to the front of the room.

“I can’t believe he’s here with that American. Didn’t she cheat on him?” Not yet thinks Jacob, give it time and maybe he and Countess Madeleine will both get what they want. He sees Riley rise from her chair and make her way to the door at the side of the room.

“I’ll be back in a bit. Don’t drink too much and make a show of yourself like at the Music In Cordonia Awards ok. I don’t want to have to deal with clearing up a mess like that again.” He can hear the wannabe huffing as he quickly moves from his seat and makes his way to the same door Riley’s just gone through. He sees her walking down the wide corridor and hurries to get close enough to reach out and catch her wrist from behind.

Riley lets out a small yelp at the unexpected hand grabbing her and spins to see Jacob holding onto her wrist. She puts a hand to her chest, breathing heavily as the sudden and brief shock subsides.

“Jacob, you scared me!” She gasps. She sees his eyes widen and his face fall as he realises that he frightened her. She laughs and he joins in.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to.” He stutters.

She shakes her head still giggling. “It’s fine. What are you doing here anyway? You didn’t mention you were coming.”

“Oh, like I said it’s just a last minute favour.” The lies fall easily off his tongue. “Anneka’s a bit of a handful. The last red carpet event she attended ended with her pulling out a fist full of her love rivals hair extensions. I couldn’t let that happen again, although all publicity is good publicity, isn’t that what they say?” He smirks and wiggles his eyebrows at her. “I’m just here to keep and eye on her. How are you? We need another night out dancing soon.” He winks at her and Riley rolls her eyes good-naturedly at him.

“Thanks for letting me crash on your couch that night. I can’t believe you let me drink so much!” She laughs.

“As far as I remember it was you plying me with tequila, not the other way around.” He teases. “I swear I had a two day hangover.”

Riley’s face turns serious and she gently guides him by his elbow to an out of the way alcove further down the corridor. She lowers her voice to barely above a whisper.

“Listen Jacob, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention me staying at your place to Liam, he sort of doesn’t know and I don’t think it would go down too well if he did.” Jacob gives Riley one of his trademark foxy grins. And moves in closer to her so no one can overhear their conversation.

“He sort of doesn’t know.” He mimics her American accent and laughs loudly. “You mean to tell me that your jealous boyfriend doesn’t know that you spent the night with a devastatingly handsome gentleman and you want me to lie to him about it. Hmmm.” He crosses his arms and puts a finger to his pursed lips. “He is the king Riley, would that not be considered treason?” He teases. “What’s in it for me?”

“You are so full of yourself you know that?” Riley laughs and shakes her head at him. Jacob puts his hand on the wall behind Riley’s head, pinning her there without physically touching her.

“Yeah but you love it Lady Riley. Tell me you don’t love it.” His lips are dangerously close to hers as he speaks in low breathy tones, she smells the musky heady scent of his cologne and sudden visions of them dancing too close together flood her mind. She curses herself for drinking too much and forgetting herself that night; curses herself for letting her guard down and being swept along in the sea of writhing sweaty bodies in the club; curses herself for allowing him to press against her and sway to the intoxicating music. As her eyes dart around the corridor she silently prays that no one captured a photo of them dancing together that night and worries that someone might catch another photo of the inappropriate closeness between them now. She would have taken a step back if she wasn’t backed up to the wall already.

“Jacob.” She keeps her tone low, even and friendly and puts a palm to the centre of his chest gently pushing him back. “I’m not asking you to lie. I’m just asking you not to say anything, nothing happened, there’s nothing to tell anyway. Trust me it’s in both our best interests, he’s not in a great mood tonight and I really don't need anything else winding him up.”

Jacob’s grin widens and his hazel eyes twinkle with mischief.  

“If nothing happened why does it matter if he knows that you slept on a friend’s couch? Don’t tell me the king of Cordonia is jealous of little old me?” He places a hand on his heart and acts at being shocked.

“Get over yourself Mr Henley.” Riley laughs. “Just trust me, it’s better this way ok. Look, I should be getting back, people are going to wonder where I’ve got to.”

She moves around him back into the middle of the hallway smoothing down imaginary wrinkles on the front of her dress just to avoid the piercing gaze of his sparkling hazel eyes. Mara suddenly steps forward from the shadows where neither of them knew she was lurking.

“Ma’am do you need a hand with anything.” She throws a dirty look Jacob’s way. Riley clears her throat and turns on her heel.

“No thank you Mara, I’m fine.” She sing-songs too brightly. It’s when she reaches her table and retakes her seat that she remembers the purpose of her leaving the room was to use the bathroom. She curses to herself quietly under her breath and shifts uncomfortably in her seat. Liam looks at her quizzically when five minutes later she excuses herself again.

#trr fanfic #the royal romance fan fic #the royal romance #choices trr #choices fanfic #liam x riley #trr mc x liam #liam x mc #king liam

[cordonia-continued]