#polo at portavira

[tessa-liam]

Marabelle Series

The Game of Kings 

Chapter 10

Choices – The Royal Romance, AU – (cross-over with Rules of Engagement) 

Series Premise – An American teenager from New York City is introduced to the world of a small European country and its society of royalty, nobility, and commoners. How will her life story be transformed? Will this new adventure bring her happiness...or regret? 

Marabelle Series Masterlist 

Main Pairing – Prince Liam Rys x F!OC Lady Sophia (Sophie) Taylor 

Other Pairings – Maxwell Beaumont x M!OC Daniel (from NYC), Drake Walker x F! OC Melanie Smithson 

Most characters belong to Pixelberry Studios 

Series Rating – M*🔞Warnings: this series will have NSFW material, crude language & innuendo. 

Not Beta’d - Please excuse all errors. 

Category – Alternate universe/on-going series/angst/fluff/cross-over with Choices Rules of Engagement 

Words: 2483 

The Game of Kings – Chapter 10 

Chapter Summary – Liam and Sophie practice for the charity polo match. Leo is on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean where he meets a woman. Speaking with his father, Leo abdicates the throne. Liam sends Sophie a Valentine’s Day gift. 

Music Inspiration: Everything Has Changed, Taylor Swift (feat Ed Sheeren) 

A/N1: Bethany Beaumont, Maxwell’s mother, is originally from the U.S. and is Barthelemy Beaumont’s second wife. Annabelle Beaumont (deceased) is Bertrand’s mother. 

A/N2: ‘Social Season’ in this AU series refers to a traditional period in the spring/summer for royalty and members of the court to take part in Balls, dinner parties and charity events. 

A/N3: My submission for Choices Flashfics @choicesflashfics, Week #72, prompt 2 - “I wasn’t the one to walk away. You were....” 

A/N4: My submission for Choices Holidays Valentine’s Day Prompts 2024 - Be my valentine/I love you @choicesprompts, @choicesholidays

.......All I know since yesterday 

Is that everything changed....... 

The Cordonian Royal Polo Club 

After adjusting the strap on Marabelle's harness, Sophie accepted the polo mallet from an attendant. She was in her element today; any time spent riding her horse was a joy but spending time with Liam, on top of that ...this was a dream come true. 

When Liam invited her to join his polo team, she was over the moon. To be personally invited to join him was extremely flattering. Her heartbeat raced and butterflies danced inside anytime and every time she thought of him. 

‘Remembering that beautiful Sunday afternoon while working on a paper for class on the terrace of the Beaumont estate, Sophie looked up, pleasantly surprised to see Liam and Maxwell come into view.  

“Good afternoon, Sophie.” Liam smiled warmly as he walked up to her table. “Hard at work as always, I see.” 

“Oh, hello, Liam. Maxwell.” Sophie stood, moving her laptop to the side. 

Liam bent down to kiss her cheek and waited for her to sit back down before he took a seat himself at the glass patio table. 

“Yes, just trying to get this paper finished before the deadline.” 

Maxwell, grinning mischievously, “Ah, the diligent scholar. Little blossom, take a break for a moment. Liam has something he would like to ask you.” 

“Oh?” Sophie smiled, curiously looking at Liam. 

Clearing his throat, a hint of nervousness in his demeanor, “well, I know your love and passion for horses. And as you know, there is a fundraising event planned for flooding relief in Portavira on Valentine’s Day. 

Sophie nods sadly, “Yes, I have heard of that tragedy; It is heartbreaking.” 

Taking a breath, Liam continued. “Indeed...I was wondering if you would consider joining my polo team. Your skills would be invaluable, and I can assure you, we would make quite the formidable duo on the field.” 

Clearly taken aback, but flattered, “Oh, Liam, I ... I don’t know what to say.” 

“Say yes, Soph! It’ll be a fantastic experience, and I can personally vouch for Liam’s team being a lot of fun. ‘Ya know, cuz I am on it.” Maxwell chuckled. 

Sophie smiled, touched by their enthusiasm, “well, how can I refuse such a charming invitation? I'd be honored to join your team, Liam.” 

Liam, grinning widely, “wonderful! I knew I could count on you, Sophie. This event is going to be legendary, mark my words. Thank you, love.”’ 

Practicing today for the Portavira Charity Polo match, Sophie, along with Liam, Drake, Melanie and Maxwell were in the field taking turns with knock-ins. 

She looked over to the sideline and spotted Liam watching her intently. He gave her a small wave and she waved back with a smile.  

"Let's go, girl," Sophie urged her horse. 

Marabelle broke into a gallop, Sophie leaning forward and keeping pace. 

Liam watched as Sophie rode toward the goal, her posture perfect, her movements smooth and confident. 

Sophie raised her mallet and struck the ball, sending it sailing through the air. 

"Nice shot," Liam called out. 

“Yes!” Sophie cried out as she turned back down the field to where Liam was standing. 

"You're a natural out there!"

"Thanks," Sophie replied, blushing. Liam offered his hand as she dismounted Marabelle. "I love riding.” 

"So, are you looking forward to the match tomorrow?" 

"I am," Sophie said. "I'm a little nervous, too. It's my first time playing in front of a crowd." 

"You'll be great," Liam assured her. "And we'll be a great team." 

“Will the entire team meet today?” 

“Yes, you will meet Rashad and Tariq this afternoon.” 

“Are we interrupting?” Drake asked hesitantly as he and Melanie walked over. 

"Hey guys ... of course not," Liam answered. 

"How's practice going?" Melanie asked. 

"Great," Liam and Sophie replied in unison, both grinning, sharing coy smiles. 

"Looks like you've got a winning team, Liam." Melanie grinned, noticing Sophie move closer to his side.

"Thanks," Liam replied, a wide grin on his face. 

“I think so, too,” Liam winked at Sophie, who smiled softly in return. 

“We only have 7 players though. Leo flew out of Cordonia last night.” Drake shot Liam a concerned look, making a mental note of asking Liam about his brother’s absence after practice. 

"We're gonna have so much fun," Drake grinned. 

"You're playing, too?" Sophie asked, surprised. 

"Of course. You didn't think Liam would let me miss the opportunity to beat him, did you?" 

"We'll see about that," Liam smirked. 

"Oh, it's on," Drake replied, a competitive glint in his eyes. 

"Don't worry, we'll kick their asses," Melanie said to Sophie. 

"Yes, we will," Sophie agreed, laughing. 

As Drake and Melanie left to finish their rounds, Liam and Sophie continued practicing. Their easy banter and playfulness made it clear to anyone watching that there was a definite attraction between them.

... And the way Liam looked at her when their eyes met, his gaze filled with admiration and affection...it made Sophie's heart race. 

She could only imagine how good it would feel to be in his arms again, his lips on hers. 

The thought made her blush, and she tried to push it aside, focusing on the game. But the feeling remained, simmering beneath the surface as they walked their horses to the stable. 

"You're incredible," Liam murmured as they left the field. 

"Thank you," Sophie replied, grinning. "You weren't so bad yourself." 

"High praise coming from you," he teased. 

"I mean it," Sophie said, her tone serious. Liam reached over and took her hand in his as the stable hands led the horses to their stalls. 

With a gentle smile, “high praise indeed, Sophie. And I assure you, I mean it. Your talent with Marabelle is unmatched.” 

Their hands remained clasped as they walked to the clubhouse. 

Azamara Cruise Ship, off the Italian coast, Mediterranean Sea 

As the luxury ship cruised through the Mediterranean Sea, the sun was setting in a vibrant display of reds and oranges. 

Leo stood on the deck, admiring the view, lost in thought. 

"Beautiful, isn't it?"  

He turned to see a young woman standing beside him, her blond hair blowing in the breeze. 

"It is," he agreed, turning his attention back to the sunset. 

"I'm Katie, by the way." 

"Leo." 

"Nice to meet you," Katie said, offering her hand. 

"Likewise," Leo replied, shaking her hand. 

"So, Leo, what brings you out here? On a pleasure cruise?" 

"Just needed to get away for a bit." 

"Yeah, me too," Katie replied. 

"It's been a tough week," Leo confided. 

"Really, how so?" Katie asked. 

"I had to make a decision that changed the course of my life." 

"That's heavy," Katie replied. "Do you want to talk about it?" 

"Not really," Leo admitted. "I'd rather just try to forget about it for a while." 

"Fair enough," Katie replied. "So, tell me, Leo, what do you do for fun?" 

Leo laughed. "Honestly? Not much." 

"Seriously?" Katie challenged.

"Yeah. I have a pretty serious job, and I'm usually focused on that.” 

"Well, that's no good," Katie replied. "You need to have some fun, too.” 

"What do you do for fun, Katie?" 

"Everything!" she exclaimed. "I love exploring new places, trying new things, meeting new people." 

"Sounds exciting.” Leo chuckled, turning his body towards her. 

"It is," she went on. "And it's made me a lot more open-minded and adventurous.” 

"Adventurous, huh?" Leo asked, intrigued by her temerity. 

"Yeah," Katie said, grinning. 

"Well, I could use a little adventure in my life." 

"Then come with me," she said, holding out her hand. 

Leo hesitated for a moment, then took her hand. 

Katie led him down to the pool area, where several people were lounging and enjoying the warm evening air. 

"Come on," she said, tugging him along. 

"Where are we going?" 

"To the hot tub," she replied. 

Leo followed her to the hot tub and watched as she slipped out of her cover-up, revealing a white bikini underneath. 

She stepped into the hot tub and turned to look at him. 

"Well, are you coming?" Her eyebrow raised.

Leo could not resist her invitation. He quickly removed his clothes down to his boxers and joined her in the hot tub. 

"Ahhh, this is nice," he sighed, sinking into the warm water. 

"Isn't it?" Katie agreed, her body glistening in the soft light. 

"So, what do you do for fun, Leo?" 

"I'm a crown prince," Leo said. "So, my life is pretty much dedicated to duty." 

"That doesn't sound very fun," Katie said, frowning. 

"It's not," Leo admitted, noting her non-chalance of his mention of his title. 

"Well, I'm sure we can find something fun for you to do," she said, a mischievous glint in her eyes. 

"I'm sure we can," he agreed, his heart beginning to race. 

"How long are you on the cruise for?" Katie asked. 

"The rest of the week," Leo replied. 

"Perfect," Katie said. "We have plenty of time to get into some trouble." 

"Trouble, huh?" 

"Don't worry," she said, laughing. "I won't get you in too much trouble. 

"I'm counting on it," Leo replied, his gaze locked on hers. 

"You are a flirt, Leo." 

"I can't help it," he said, his voice low. This woman was everything that Madeleine wasn't.

"You're very flirtable." 

Katie laughed. "I'm sure that's not a word, but I'll take the compliment." 

"Good," he said, smiling. 

"So, what's your story, Katie?" 

"My story?" 

"Yeah. What brings you out here? On a pleasure cruise?" 

"Same thing as you," Katie replied. 

"An escape..."

Beaumont Estate, Ramsford, Cordonia 

Sophie woke to the sound of knocking on her door. Groggily, she pulled herself out of bed and stumbled across the room. She opened the door to see Daniel standing there, a huge grin on his face and a bouquet of long-stemmed red roses in his hands. 

"Good morning, Squirrel," he chirped. 

"Morning, Dan. What are you doing here so early?" 

"I wanted to bring these to you before you left for the polo match." 

"Wow, they're beautiful," Sophie said, accepting the bouquet. "Thank you." 

"They're not from me, silly. They're from your prince..." 

"Oh," Sophie blushed. 

"Here's the note," Daniel said, handing her a small envelope. 

"Be my Valentine," Sophie read, her heart racing. 

"Aww, that's so sweet," Daniel smiled. "He's really smitten with you." 

"I guess so," Sophie replied, still a bit stunned. 

"So, are you excited about the game today?" 

"Yeah, I am," Sophie said. "I just hope I don't mess up." 

"You'll be fine," Daniel assured her. "I have complete faith in you." 

"Thanks, Dan," Sophie said, giving him a hug. 

"You're welcome, Squirrel." 

Sophie spent the rest of the morning getting ready for the polo match, her heart fluttering every time she lookrd at her roses. She couldn't believe he had sent her such a romantic gift, and she was eager to see him... to thank him personally.

Cordonian Royal Palace 

The morning of the charity polo match, King Constantine was getting dressed when his attendant informed him of an incoming international call.  

“Sir, your son, Leo, is on line one."

Constantine was surprised and concerned, and at once picked up the phone. 

"Son, what's wrong? Where are you?" 

"Father, I had to get away. I had to think." 

"What's there to think about, Leo? Your duty is clear. Your kingdom needs you." 

"But I don't want this," Leo said, his voice thick with emotion. "I never wanted this." 

"Son, I know it's not easy, but we all have to do things we don't want to. It's part of being royalty." 

"... that's the burden we bear." 

"I can't do it," Leo said. "I won't."

"You must," Constantine said, his tone firm. 

"No, I won't. I would rather give up my title than marry Madeleine."

"I'm sorry, son, but you don't have a choice."

"Then I'll abdicate," Leo said, his voice shaking. 

"Leo, where are you now? Are you somewhere safe?" 

"I'm on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean." 

"You are, what?! You are the Crown Prince. You need to return home right away." 

"I won't," Leo replied somberly.

"Leo, listen to me. Your place is here, in Cordonia. You just can’t walk away."

“I have. Liam will be a better King," Leo insisted. 

"Leo! You ...."

“Father," Leo interrupted.

"When have you ever put me or Liam first?” 

“I wasn’t the one to walk away. You were....”, Constantine admonished.

Leo remained quiet, steadfast in his decision.

"Leo, please," Constantine replied, his voice pleading. 

"Goodbye, Father," Leo said, and then he hung up the phone. 

Constantine stood there, stunned. 

.......All I know since yesterday 

Is that everything changed....... 

Thanks for reading

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[lizzybeth1986]

"In sandy soil, when deep you delve, you reach the springs below; The more you learn, the freer streams of wisdom flow." - Kural 396, Thirukkural, Thiruvalluvar.

Hana's first truly individual scene in Book 3 follows the pattern that a number of her diamond scenes have followed: learn from Hana, use her skills, get her insight to gain an advantage. These scenes are usually my favourite, because often Hana gets to give us an insight both into courtly life and into her inner mindscape.

The Cordonian Waltz scene gives us an insight into her broken engagement, the Moonflower Scene into her dilemma between staying true to herself and not being able to let go of her parents yet, and the Patisserie and Champagne scenes allow us to view her at different phases of her journey towards self actualization.

The Polo scene is, likewise, meant to improve the MC's skillset and provide her with an added edge in the next day's fundraising match. As is the case with dancing, baking, modelling, ice-skating and dressage, polo was one among the many skills Hana learned in order to bag a noble suitor. Skills whose uses she is beginning to question now.

Polo Moves

Playing polo for Portavira is not entirely about winning a match - it's about putting up a show worth watching for the crowd. This is a benefit match, meant to raise funds for the disaster-struck area, and it doesn't matter so much who wins or loses as it matters that people get their money's worth watching it.

Hana's gift does not lie simply in knowing how to impart skills, but in knowing which skills to impart. She understands the context of this match and what is truly important - she anticipates the needs of their audience and helps the MC deliver accordingly. Her polo lesson is as much about artistry and performance as it is about winning this match.

Hana imparts three important pieces of advice that will help us gain an advantage during the match: one focussed on the game aspect, and the other two on entertaining the crowd.

"Watch the line of the ball" helps the MC figure out how to ensure that she strikes a goal and wins. Her advice that "you can only cross [the ball's] path if there's no chance of someone running into you, or if no other players have the right of way" becomes effective in the match when the MC races Maxwell to the ball, understanding that if she distracts him adequately (either by mentioning a corgi or a dance party) she can earn sole right of way and score for her team. This allows the former Queen Regina, who is mostly silent the rest of the match, to compliment the MC on her skills ("what a play!").

The half-pass is primarily a well-known and often-judged dressage move, and a very challenging one. Unlike the easier leg yield - where the horse is bent only slightly away from the direction of travel - the half-pass is seen as more advanced, requiring greater balance, engagement, and collection from the horse. Denise Cummins, in her website The Thinking Equestrian, describes the half-pass thus: "The half-pass is not a trick. It is a skilled movement that requires the horse to have the proper muscle development and agility".

Essentially, Hana has managed to teach the MC an immensely difficult - and risky, were it a different horse (the MC's personal steed, if she has bought it, is a Derby champion and has proven to be skilled enough for dressage routines) - skill in the course of a single night.

Teaching this dressage move benefits the MC and her horse into two ways: it allows her horse to wow the crowd, and the "diagonal motion" ensures she reaches the ball before Neville does. The half-pass is more about the agility of the horse than it is about the grace or skills of the rider, so teaching her this move allows the crowd to "applaud [the horse's] elegant gait".

The other secret move that Hana passes on is one of her own invention: the windmill. She exhibits this skill when the MC asks her if there are moves she - and not just her horse - can exhibit to win over the crowd. Hana acknowledges that "riders don't usually do anything showy" but nevertheless has the perfect trick up her sleeve:

I think this tells us a lot more about Hana's intuition and perceptiveness than it does about her polo-playing skills. While yes, this move is largely a mark of her creativity and initiative, it also shows us her ability to go above and beyond the game itself to think of what could entertain the audience. For the windmill is a move that was clearly invented to be a crowd-pleaser, to draw attention to the player. This is a move that relies as much on dramatics and showmanship as on timing, allows the MC to look good, and is easy for the crowd to do as well.

If one opts for this diamond scene and gets the additional option of exhibiting this move, it results not only in the crowd enjoying it but also emulating it. Dozens of people are described "mimicking the 'windmill' with handheld flags and anything they can find at hand". Hana definitely knows what the people on the stands are looking for in a match, and is able to mould her skills to deliver just that - and in this lies her biggest gift. I will elaborate on this in a later section.

Skills and Passions

Before I go into the crux of this section - which is what Hana knows vs what interests her, I'd like to look back at a very interesting point Liam made about Hana in his Diplomacy diamond scene:

Hana's a tough one. She's clearly had the kind of lessons I'm giving you now, and then some. Her posture's almost always polite and attentive...but when she feels strongly about something, you can sense her real feelings even before she speaks up. Her eyes grow darker and more serious.

While the book does not explicitly mention her eyes, there is a clear change of tone when Hana is talking about skills she has picked up, versus things she is passionate about. Compare, for instance, the way she speaks about ice skating to piano:

(Screenshots from the Abhirio YouTube channel)

Throughout the books, we see Hana adopt a largely neutral stance about things she has learned but isn't entirely interested in (ice-skating, traditional dancing, baking, dressage, modelling, polo). In these scenes, the moments where she does show joy in the activity include her friends. Dancing becomes more appealing to her when she's competing with Maxwell, cooking and baking when she has someone to pamper with her food. She confesses to enjoying polo more after teaching the MC.

With the activities she loves doing, however, Hana is more involved, more expressive. She shows a range of emotions and is a lot more talkative on the subject of playing piano, or books, or flowers, or tasting good food.

None of these sequences mention her eyes much, but you can differentiate by her reactions what she loves and what she does not. She becomes emotional while talking about her connection to music (specifically piano), gazes in wonder with the MC as the moonflower unfurls, whispers excitedly and conspirationally about reading Wuthering Heights in secret, and does a 'happy dance' in her seat at the simple joy of tasting a french fry dipped in her milkshake. When Hana is excited about the things she is doing, she seems to be a different person altogether.

Where Do I Go From Here?

Prior to her journey in Cordonia, Hana had always assumed that the skills she was pushed into learning were all she would need. She had expectations to fulfill, she had a future mapped out for her, and her aim in life amounted to that future becoming a reality and her life as the wife of a nobleman being set. Because she grew up with the notion that her needs were deterrents to her aim, rather than an aim in and of itself, it never really occured to her to think any differently.

Which was why she was unable to properly answer Peter when he asked her if she loved him. Which was why she constantly assumed that no matter how many Pinstop boards she made, her wedding plans would happen the way her parents wanted it to happen. Because she spent long enough believing what she wanted didn't matter, it took her a while to even be able to discover what she wanted, much less articulate it.

Hana's background made her acquisition of skills that would appeal particularly to aristocrats essential. As a woman who has some Cordonian noble blood in her (through her mother) but may be at a disadvantage because she may not have a title of her own, her parents' expectations had always been focused on ensuring a marriage to a titled, reputed noble who could not just look after Hana but provide her the kind of status and stature in society that (I'm guessing here) her mother may have lost in marrying a foreign businessman. They were clear about the direction they wanted Hana's future to go in, and prepared her only for that kind of future.

In the old, hierarchical Cordonia, perhaps Hana would have been well prepared enough. A Cordonia where she was expected to be the perfect hostess and giving wife all rolled in one, where her skills would equip her for the occasional court activity and increased possibilities for hosting. But post the Homecoming Ball, there has been a phenomenal shift: she is in a position of power at court (even more so if she is marrying the MC), in a country torn apart by civil strife and filled with citizens who do not feel safe and are therefore wary of the monarchy's ability to protect them. The skills she learned were meant for activities suited to court and an aristocratic home, but what matters now is what she has to offer outside of court.

For the first time Hana has to now think of what she can give to the country that has given her refuge and a sense of freedom, and she is now confronted with how little her upbringing has actually prepared her for this. Cordonia's well-being is incredibly important to her, and now more than ever she needs to prove to herself - as much to everyone else - that she can be an asset.

Some of her skills do come into use: particularly her penchant for negotiation and now her proficiency with polo, but how long are her particular talents going to prove useful and at what point will Cordonia see how ill-equipped she feels, with regards to handling this situation?

I would argue that even within this, it's possible to see that she has gifts beyond just the things she has learned. As I have specified earlier, this scene not only highlights how talented a polo player she is, but also that she has an eye for what will appeal to people and encourage them to get involved. She has oftentimes managed to help the MC secure allies by paying attention to the other person's needs and passing that information on to the MC (funnily enough, in all of these instances it is Hana who does the research and coaches the MC, and it is largely the MC who reaps the benefits and gets the credit). While this may not seem like a skill in and of itself, it is a pretty strong foundation for other, newer skills that she can use to help Cordonia.

Hana is often seen measuring her usefulness, and her skills, by whatever goal she has set herself out to achieve. She considers herself a failure when - despite her talents - she is unable to get/sustain a match. Right now her goal is to be a useful citizen, to help Cordonia out of its crisis, and this doubt manifests itself in this question: "Are the skills I have enough to save Cordonia? Am I enough?"

Romance

(The first two screenshots are from @kennaxval s playthrough, and the third is from the Abhirio YouTube channel)

As with Liam's Diplomacy scene, most of the romance emerges from the MC's choices rather than as a part of the default narrative.

The romance options are interesting, particularly in terms of timing and placement. All three of them revolve around the MC's desire to be a little playful, to distract Hana and get her to relax when she overthinks. The MC balances her out: she is playful to Hana's serious, gut-instinct to Hana's strategy. She gets Hana to think beyond the logistics of the activity and to enjoy what she's doing.

However, there is one problem.

The above options present themselves at a crucial point in the conversation between Hana and the MC, where Hana is unsure about what she'd like to try out if she could choose to do something she loves. In both the LI and non-LI scenarios, the "full-time best friend" is given as a choice. This makes plenty sense in the non-LI playthrough, and very little in the LI one because "best friend" doesn't even begin to cover what Hana represents to her fiancèe now.

The major problem here lies more in what has been left out in this scene. So far, Hana's future in both playthroughs have remained largely the same. Like Drake, she may acquire a title when she marries the MC. Unlike Drake, she doesn't get the opportunity in the narrative to ask questions about her future position as duchess, which is strange considering that it is so extensively analyzed in the Drake LI playthrough.

In Drake's playthrough, they discuss his upcoming new position as a Duke, his discomfort in being part of the nobility that had shunned him for so long, his need to be taken seriously in court as the MC's future husband, what he wants to do with his title, his need to provide for and protect his future wife and children. There are a number of stumbling blocks in his way, the biggest being the class barrier and how the court sees him.

Hana's marriage to the MC has, in contrast, only been discussed in the first two chapters, where she worries that she is imposing her desires and dreams on the MC and not adequately listening to her partner. This would have been perfect, had the MC not become a duchess and was not such a prominent political figure in Cordonia.

Ideally, Hana's playthrough should involve discussions on what her marriage to the MC should entail. This would include the following:

1. In what ways has her training prepared - and not prepared - Hana for this role?

2. In their first conversation with Neville and Rashad, the MC has the option of promoting Hana's advantage as a suitor primarily by extolling her skills as a hostess and housewife. Very little mention at this point is made of Hana actually running an estate. This is an arrangement that I'm sure Hana and the MC will never adopt in their marriage, considering Hana wants to be more involved, and the MC sees her as an equal in their relationship. It is not entirely clear whether there is a distinction, given that the only aristocratic women we have seen are largely heirs to their estates - Adeleide, Madeleine (to her county Fydelia), Emmeline, Olivia.

3. Shouldn't we have a discussion, then, on how her skills will translate into running their estate? What can she do to make Valtoria better than what it was earlier? How will they manage to run things and revive this duchy? What are their plans?

4. In keeping with her potential future crisis point, why do we not see Hana giving us a clear idea of whether she can run the duchy or not? Like Drake, her future is uncertain if she does not marry the MC, so both their efforts are channeled towards helping Liam and/or Cordonia. If they are married to the MC, both Drake and Hana face differing conflicts with regards to becoming landed nobility. Both deserve to be discussed in depth.

5. With reference to the above option list given, why can there not be an option for "duchess"? Why is she still "professional best friend", when Hana's closest friend in their circle is the MC herself, and their relationship involves a bigger role once they get married?

6. What Hana can do for Cordonia as a Duchess is also a question that needs to be raised in the story. It would still fit in with her overall narrative arc, but it would also present different issues and avenues compared to what she can do as a member of the MC's court.

Overall, I feel that while Hana has an interesting character arc in this book overall, it isn't being explored as extensively as it deserves to be, and doesn't seem very different from a non-LI playthrough of her story.

Sources:

"How to Ride a Half-Pass", by Denise Cummins from The Thinking Equestrian website.

Special thanks to @kennaxval and the Abhirio YouTube channel (@abhirio) for screenshots from their Hana-centric playthroughs.

#the royal romance #hana x mc #hana lee #duchess hana lee of valtoria #trr hana #hana: diamond scenes #polo at portavira #portavira #cordonia

[lolablackwrites]

Summary: The Unity Tour arrives in Portavira and Alice and the others participate in a celebrity polo match for charity. (slightly NSFW-sh at times)

Notes: I used some of the original PB dialogue and bedazzled it a bit. Also, fair warning, this is a long section (I don’t know when to stop, haha).

CW: references to terrorist attack

New to the series? Catch up here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8,Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Part 22, Part 23, Part 24, Part 25, Part 26, Part 27, Part 28, Part 29, Part 30, Part 31, Part 32, Part 33, Part 34, Part 35, Part 36, Part 37, Part 38, Part 39, Part 40, Part 41, Part 42, Part 43

Tag List: @mfackenthal, @thefirstcourtesan, @enmchoices, @bruhvs, @maxattack-powell, @kennaxval, @hhiggs, @tmarie82, @regrettingnathan, @littlegreenmoo, @thatspicegirlssong, @cora-nova, @crookedslimecreatorpasta​, @bobasheebaby, @stopforamoment, @zilch3, @jovialyouthmusic, @carabeth, @endlessflame, @drakesensworld, @gibbles82, @wannabemc2, @boneandfur, @fangirlingmum, @coffeebeandragon, @sirbeepsalot, @iplaydrake, @lorilli​, @hippoclipart, @lilyofchoices, @liamzigmichael4ever, @msjpuddleduck, @emceesynonymroll

#playchoices fanfic #lolablackwrites fanfic #playchoices #choices #choices stories you play #pixelberry #fanfic #TRR #The Royal Romance #canon divergence #Bastien x MC #Bastien Lykel x MC #Bastien #Bastien Lykel #Bastien x Alice #Alice Ayers #Portavira #polo #Hana Lee #Olivia Nevrakis #Liam Rys #Lady Penelope #Landon #Emmeline #Drake Walker #Lord Neville

[axwalker]

Creep 2: I don’t care if it hurts

HIGH SCHOOL AU

Pairing: Drake Walker x MC  (Lexie O’Brien) Book TRR

MASTERLIST HERE

Synopsis: Drake and Lexie are star-crossed lovers. Her father hates him and forces Lexie to stop any contact with Drake. Lost and heartbroken, he “bullies” her for two years until he discovers the truth of Lexie’s behavior.

A/N 1 This came up to me after I got an ask from @nestledonthaveone​ to write a fic based on the song CREEP.

I used to hear this song when I was a teenager, so when I read this ask, I immediately wanted to write something angsty but situated in high school.

A/N 2: Because they’re younger than usual, I decided to change my  FC. 

Words: 4,110 

WARNINGS: Parental abuse, domestic violence, toxic love.

THIS IS NOT YOUR USUAL MARSHMALLOW DRAKE. He was abandoned as a boy, he’s tortured and he doesn’t know how to express his love. His behavior is not excusable.

This is a dark love story. If you’re not comfortable with it, PLEASE do not read it.  

ALL MY FICS ARE 18+

TAGS ON THE COMMENTS

As this is darker than usual; I’m only tagging the people who commented in the previous chapter. If you want to get on or off the list for this fic, please do not hesitate to ask!! 

DRAKE

Even if she never looks at me or speaks to me again, she’s mine. Even if I’ve been a horrible jerk to her for two years and she pales every time I pull into the parking lot on my motorcycle, she is mine. Just seeing her with him enrages me, so I walk straight toward my usual seat, directly behind Lexie, and slam my textbook down onto the desk.

Startled, Rys looks up at me, “Hey, Walker. What’s up?” 

It’s not the first time he tries to make a move on Lexie. Last time –two years ago, we almost killed each other. Pretty boy might be an entitled ass, but he knows how to fight. Maybe he thinks Lexie is game again after all this time. He couldn’t be more wrong. 

 “Don’t you have a class this period?” I ask him. Liam cocks his left eyebrow, adjusting the straps of his backpack. 

“I fail to see why that concerns you, Creep.”  

My smile is murderous. “Get the fuck out of here before I break your face, pretty boy.”

I think he has a death wish because he looks at Lexie when he talks, “See you after class, Alexis, when your watchdog will be busy mowing my lawn.” Finally, he just shakes his head and gets out of the classroom. I resume my daily routine. Staring at the back of Lexie’s head, tracing the curve of her perfect neck, my cock getting hard over her perfect cherry scent. 

“So that’s what you like,” I say, leaning forward to speak an inch from her ears. “You like them with blond hair and pink polo shirts. Prospects for Cambridge or shit. A huge trust fund. Don’t you? A brat like you needs someone who can spoil her. I bet you’d introduce him to daddy, wouldn’t you?” 

She doesn’t respond. She never does. Her eyes stay stubbornly on the front of the class where the teacher has started writing today’s lesson on the board—my hands fist in desperation. I’m dying for her to talk to me. To look at me. Anything. “Too bad, Lexie. I’ll scare every single one of those fucking entitled boys off. You’re going to sit alone in your house on prom night, crying into your designer sheets like a baby. And I’m going to enjoy it.” 

The only sign that she hears me at all is the quickening rise and fall of her shoulders. Even that tiny display that I’ve upset her is agonizing, floods me with self-loathing, but I can never stop. She ripped out my fucking heart, and I can’t deal with the consequences of that alone. I can’t let her go. I’ll never let her go. This toxic feeling is the only thing left between us. My hands shake with the urge to take her in my arms, to stop the trembling I caused. To protect her from everything. Even myself. I’d love to move my fingers up into the silky, brown hair that reaches the middle of her graceful neck. I don’t have a lot of money; most of the cash I earn as a handyman goes to food and fixing my dad’s cabin, but I’d give every last cent for her to turn and lock those soft brown eyes on me, just one last time. Sometimes when I jerk off, all it takes is fantasizing about Lexie looking at me, giving me one of those shy smiles, and I lose it. One stroke. Maybe two. Done. I can’t breathe without having her close. And I can’t breathe with her close. It’s a strange condition, this obsession, but she’s an addiction that I just can’t give up. 

How could I? She’s intelligent, strong, and so damned gorgeous. Once upon a time, I thought she had a good heart too. But that was before she broke my pathetic heart only because I’m poor. I’ve been hurting since then, and I need her to hurt too. To know what it feels.

“Do you actually think that dumb rich boy would be a good choice for your first time, Lexie?” I grip my desk so tight it nearly breaks down, just thinking about her being kissed –touched by someone else. “At least that’s one thing us poor motherfuckers have going for us. We know how to fuck. If you went out with Rys for a while, you’d eventually give in and come slumming it one night, wouldn’t you? Knock on my rundown cabin door, begging me to fuck you as we both know you’d like.”

A pretty blush is starting to climb her neck. I have to take a deep breath to keep from kiss her pink cheeks. But I think if I got to touch her skin, my wall of bullshit would crumble. I’ve only fucked one girl. Since seeing Lexie for the first time freshman year, there’s been no one but her. I want no one else. She owns my cock as sure as she owns my heart. How easily she’s forgotten about both leaving me in agony. 

“Stop,” she breathes. I freeze. Did she just speak to me? It’s the first time in two years that she’s even remotely acknowledged my existence. 

“Lexie,” I managed to say. I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry. That’s all it took. One pleading word out of her mouth, and I’m done. 

“Just stop,” she says again, turning her head slightly. “Please.” 

I fall back in my chair, my heart thundering on my chest. If we weren’t in the middle of class, if I didn’t feel like a monster, I would pull her into my arms right now. I’d hug her until she stopped struggling, then beg her to hit me, bruise me, make me pay for every shitty thing I’ve ever said to her. But before long, the class is over, and she’s leaving the classroom to get out of here. To put distance between us as quickly as possible—and I have no choice but to watch her because I feel physically ill. Still, I manage to get out into the student-packed hallway, my plan to apologize for being crude and a jerk and torturing her for so long. 

My head is telling me not to apologize, though. It’s telling me she deserved it for being such a snob, for breaking me, for valuing money and status like everyone else. My damned heart is telling an entirely different story. It’s insisting there is an explanation for her behavior. Am I going to apologize or not? The decision is taken out of my hands when Lexie opens her locker, and the little gift I left before class falls down. It’s a picture I cut out from our last yearbook. In the photo is a gorgeous smiling Lexie above the caption Most Likely to Succeed. Except I’ve crossed out the caption and added my own. Most Likely to Be a Trophy Wife. Watching her read it, I almost get sick right there in the hallway. Usually, she’s perfectly composed, not betraying a trace of emotion where I’m concerned—a real Ice queen. I’ve always thought she honestly didn’t care. Today, though… she’s not pulling it off. Something is not okay with her, and I don’t like it. She has to bite down on her bottom lip to stop it from quivering as she puts the photo back into her locker, out of sight, her bright eyes finding me briefly, massacring me where I stand. Betraying with one single look how much she has been affected by my actions. Christ. She hasn’t been indifferent at all.

Before I can react, before I can call her name, she’s gone, vanished into the crowd of wild students excited to be leaving for the day. And I know what I have to do. I have to see her. To apologize. To get an explanation for everything. Tonight. I’ll return to her house for the first time in two years.

LEXIE

I’ve known this was coming all day. Sitting on the couch in my living room, trying to make myself as small as possible, I watch my father pace. He rants, gesticulating noisily. This isn’t new, my father’s rage threatening me. But it’s going to be worse than usual. Business has declined for him and it’s put his temper on a trigger. Dad’s new wife, Nancy, hates to be on a budget, and she’s been spending his money like crazy all over Paris --where she’s now. When dad gets home from the office, he’s rarely in anything but a horrible mood. A tornado eating up everything in its path. Completely terrifying. At least dad’s temper makes me forget what Drake told me today, the ugly words he said to me, the boiling anger in his eyes when he looks at me. 

“Are you even listening?” The slap across the face comes as a shock because I’d momentarily disappeared into my thoughts, but the sting quickly brings me back to reality. 

“Yes, sir,” I say, my ears ringing. “I’m listening.” 

“This C on your algebra test is going to drag your whole average down.” He’s waving the test in my face. “What a disappointment you are, Alexis. Your teacher shared my disgust.” I nod solemnly, but I’m listening for the rain outside. “I guess you’re your daughter’s mother after all. A poor Mexican girl who could barely count.” It’s not true. My mom learned English and Greek by herself, and she was a great Spanish teacher in Portavira, but my father would rather die than acknowledge how smart she was. 

“Don’t talk like that about her,” I retort.

My father snorts. “I beg your pardon?” He takes a step towards me, and I can see the threat in his eyes. 

“I’m sorry.” I hate to be such a coward, but I know what he can do to me.” I’ll do extra credit. Something to bring my grade back up to an A.” I wet my lips. “Even if I can’t manage to raise the grade, it’s not going to show up on the college transcripts I sent off with my applications.” That’s the reason I let my focus slip a little in algebra. The finish line is in sight for everyone, and we’re just waiting to find out where we’ll be accepted for college. It’s a wonder I’ve been able to maintain my focus this long in any class, considering Walker sits behind me in every period, brooding making me feel … something. At the reminder of him, I want to close my eyes and dream about him. I replay that night in my garden when he kissed me two years ago, so tenderly and passionately, when he spoke to me so sweetly and honestly before he became the second villain in my story. Someone I dread, as much as I crave the sight of him.  

At least that’s one thing us poor motherfuckers have going for us. We know how to fuck. If you went out with that punk for a while, you’d eventually give in and come slumming it one night, wouldn’t you? Knock on my trailer door, begging me to ride you right. 

Should I be ashamed of the way my body reacted to those words? I grew uncomfortably damp in the hard plastic chair, the center of my body clenching, seeming to beat like a heart. His breath on my neck made me shiver, head to toe. Even the way he scared off Liam Rys did something to me. Aroused me. Deeply. It got so bad that I broke the rules and asked him to stop. I can still hear him saying my name in that tortured way after. That shocked, uneven sound. Lexie. And whether I’m ashamed of myself for it or not, I know I’ll think of it when I touch myself tonight. His voice, his hands, his eyes obsess me. 

“College?” My father snorts, tearing the test in half. “You’re not going to college.” 

This grabs my attention. A horrible feeling is making me cold. “I’m…what? What do you mean? I applied to nine different schools. I have a four-point five GPA.” 

For the first time, I notice his red face is about more than just rage. There’s…humiliation. I’ve never seen him display that emotion. 

“None of the American colleges that accepted you offered scholarships.” 

“I’ve been accepted?” I gasp, sitting forward, heart pounding in my chest. “Where? I didn’t see the letters—” 

“All the mail in this house goes through me, Alexis. I read them. And you failed to get academic scholarships. You failed. Not that I’m surprised.”

 I don’t point out that his refusal to let me participate in any extracurricular activities is more than likely to blame for that. I’m too worried about what he’s saying, what this means. The blood is draining from my head, making the room spin around me. 

“Okay, I’m sorry about that. I’m sorry. But…we have money. We can pay tuition, can’t we? Or colleges in Cordonia are almost for free. I can go to any of them; I don’t have to go to NYU.” I have to get out of here. I have to get out of here. This is my way out. College is the escape route. I counted on going back to New York, but I can stay here and go to college in Cordonia City. 

“Listen to you, so quick to spend my hard-earned money—spoiled brat. And of course, you can’t go to college in Cordonia. What for? To end up being a schoolteacher like your mom? A housewife as Nancy?” He laughs bitterly. “No, you’ll stay here, and I’ll help you find someone suitable to marry.” 

I shake my head. “There’s financial aid, then. Loans or I can get a job and go to college in Portavira…” 

“You want to leave, just like her, don’t you? You’re all the same.”

 I don’t even flinch when he yanks me to my feet, shoving me into the wall. In fact, for the first time, I took him right into his eyes. And I can see the violence burning on them has nothing to do with me. It never had anything to do with how I behave, my choices, how hard I worked in school. How welcome I made Nancy feel or cooked a roast. It’s about him and his self-loathing. It’s his sickness. Not mine. I can also see that he was never going to send me to college. Because he wouldn’t be able to control me from a distance or stop me from sharing what I’ve been subjected to since my mother died. Not like he does now. He wasn’t physically abusive all the time. Especially not when his new wife is around. But she traveled often, and then he’d push me. Shove me. Slapped me several times. I’ll graduate at the top of my class for nothing. He knew I would all along. 

That’s when I realize I’m free. I don’t have money, but college is free in Cordonia. I can work, save a little and go to college in one or two years. I’ll be a writer; it’ll just take more time than I thought. “Go to hell,” I whisper. 

He steps back, giving me the momentary satisfaction of his shock. “What did you say?”

Liberated, I scream it this time. “Go to hell!” From the moment I sat down to have this conversation, I knew tonight would be worse than usual, but I’ve just bought myself a ticket to hell. Usually, I can retreat to the untouchable place inside of me as he unleashes his rage, but not tonight. He doesn’t stop at one or two slaps. He punches and kicks, and I’m present for every punch and kick. Every yelled insult. Finally, I start to get scared. I’m crawling across the carpet on my hands and knees, searching for a weapon I can use in my defense when I glance out the window and see Drake staring back at me, his face a mask of horror.

 Drake

 What I’m seeing just isn’t possible. It can’t be real. My head won’t accept it. Not until her terror-filled eyes meet mine through the window and the truth pounds on my chest, leaves no doubt that this is real life. Lexie’s father is beating her. Her mouth is bloody, one of her eyes beginning to swell, arms and legs visibly weakened. I can barely fucking process it before my body is springing into action, desperate to protect her. To put a stop to the worst thing I have ever seen. What the fuck. Scorching hot rage takes over. I kick in the front door and throw myself between Lexie and her father. His fist is raised, but it pauses when he sees me, his momentary confusion giving me the time I need to knock him out cold. It only takes one right uppercut from someone his own size, and he goes down, his blank, glassy eyes staring at nothing, mouth opened. It’s not satisfying enough.

Nothing will ever be satisfying enough. I want to kill him, destroy him, but my Lexie is struggling for breath behind me, and she’s all I can think about. Turning, I approach her, my heart threatening to jump off my chest. As gently as I can, I catalog all of the cuts and purpling skin. No. No. Who could do this to her? Who could lay a finger on her in anything but reverence? Get her out of here. Calling her name, I reach down to pick her up, but she flinches and hurries back, bringing her body up against the wall. 

“Don’t touch me!” Those words filled with fear rip the soul clean out of my body. My hands drop limply to my sides and two years come rushing back, hitting me in the chest like a hammer. Every word, every action. Everything I did to make her life harder when this is what she’s been dealing with at home? Fuck me. 

“Lexie…” My voice is as kind as I can. I feel broken. “I’m sorry. I came here to apologize. For everything.” 

She puffs a humorless laugh, testing her cut lip with the tip of her tongue. “Bet you weren’t expecting to see this.” 

“If I knew this was happening, I would have been here a long time ago. I would have stopped it. I swear Lex.” 

Her expression can only be described as stunned. Maybe even a little pissed. “You are not my savior, Drake. You are my enemy. You’ve been for two years, and I want nothing else from you now.”

 “I am not your enemy.” Those words barely make it out of me, my chest hurts so fucking bad. “Don’t say that.” 

Unsteadily, she uses the wall to try and stand. I try to help her, but she recoils, and it’s a dagger straight into the center of my throat. Nothing less than I deserve, though, isn’t it? Her distrust of me is entirely my fault. I’ve made her hate me. There has to be some way to fix what I’ve done. Please God, let there be away. But right now, my main concern is her physical safety. Knowing she’s been in danger all along is unbearable. I only decided to come here tonight a few hours ago. What if I didn’t? What if I arrived an hour later? The possibilities are going to haunt me for the rest of my life. From the floor, her father groans, shifting slightly. 

“We need to get you out of here,” I say, anxious to get her free of this place. “Now, Lexie. I need to get you somewhere safe.” 

She’s standing now. Leaning against the wall and cradling one arm to her stomach, regarding me warily. “How do I know I’m safe with you?” It’s so much worse that her question is honest. Not meant to hurt me. She honestly doesn’t know if I pose a threat. It guts me where I stand. 

“You are the safest with me,” I say thickly, cursing myself. Wanting to erase the last two years so badly, my hands shake. “Please believe me. I’d die before hurting you. I’d never, Lexie. I’d never do something like that.” 

Her father rolls over onto his back and slurs a few words before losing consciousness again. Still, the sound of the older man’s voice seems to scare Lexie, “I…maybe you can just give me a ride to…a motel maybe?” She pushes off the wall, her step uneven as she walks toward the stairs. “I need some things from my room.” 

It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her we don’t have time, but I’m just grateful she’s trusting me enough to leave with me, so I don’t argue. I just wait until she’s halfway up the stairs, then tie her father’s hands behind his back with my belt in case he wakes up before we leave. I have no problem knocking him out a second time, but Lexie has seen enough violence for one night. Cautiously, I walk up the stairs toward the light coming from a room halfway down the hall. This place is a far cry from my home. It’s elegant and clean, and tasteful, but it lacks any warmth whatsoever. It’s cold, like a museum. Turning the corner into Lexie’s room, it’s time to hate myself all over again. There is nothing on the walls, none of the expensive furnishings. Just four white walls, a bed, and a dresser that doubles as a desk. Several textbooks. She looks back at me over her shoulder as if judging my reaction, and I keep my features impassive, though I’m dying on the inside. 

“What can I do?” I ask. 

“How long do we have?” 

“As long as you need.” It’s physically painful not to pull her into my arms when I’m standing this close, and she’s hurt. Sad. Yet full of more inner strength than I’ve ever witnessed in another human being. I’m lucky just to be in her presence. I fucked up royally. And if she allows me back in, I’ll never do it again. It’s probably, definitely, too much to hope for. Being allowed back in. She doesn’t even look sure about having me in her room. Let alone her heart. I was trying to protect my own heart, but I lost it instead. 

 “Um…” She closes her eyes to focus, a familiar trait I’ve seen in class countless times. “There is a black bag in the hallway closet. Can you just stuff anything into it from the bathroom that looks useful?” 

Ask me to bring you a unicorn. I’ll find a way to do it. “Sure.” We work in silence, Lexie taking things out of drawers and adding them to the bag, which I’ve left open on the floor. I add toiletries from the bathroom, and once it’s zipped, I wait, watching her hesitate in the doorway. 

“Lexie?” Conflicted chocolate eyes meet mine. 

“I can’t just leave, can I?” 

“You’re not safe here, baby,” I say softly, trying to keep the residual rage at bay because it’s the last thing she needs. Not to mention she’s had her fill with negativity from me. No more. “How long…how long?” 

She shrugs, the saddest expression in her eyes. “My mom died five years ago. Ever since then, it’s gotten worse and worse. Although I never had a chance to talk to anyone about what happened behind closed doors, you know? I don’t think a person can evolve into a monster. It’s inside him.”

 “I don’t know,” I say. “I became one, didn’t I?” 

That gives her pause, forms a line between her delicate brows. “Yeah. I guess you’re right.” 

She starts to walk past me, stops, standing close enough to fill my nose with cherry. “He told me if I ever spoke to you ever again, he would hurt me. Ruin you, have you evicted. Make sure you never got hired again. I didn’t mean to…hurt you. Or hurt your feelings, if that’s what happened.” 

That revelation destroys me, sets me on fire. “Jesus, Lexie. You were protecting me? And I…I tortured you for it?” I twist the neck of my T-shirt, trying to calm down, but it doesn’t work. I’ll never be calm again “I’m so fucking sorry.” 

She glances at the doorway, then back at me, eyes closed again in that way that says she’s thinking. “All I want from you now is a ride out of here, okay? And on Monday morning, you’ll stop.” She opens her shining eyes again. “No more bullying, Drake. If you’re really sorry, you’ll do that for me.” 

Fuck. I couldn’t say one more single shitty thing to her if my life depended on it. Put me at gunpoint, and I’d rather get shot at than torture this girl for one more second. But I’m highly, painfully aware that with an end to the bullying comes an end to the possessiveness. No more scaring off guys who show interest in her. No more getting close enough in class to count the hairs on her head, to smell her sweet fragrance. And to tell the truth, I’m pretty fucking worried I don’t know how to give those things up completely. I don’t think I can physically do it. This addiction with Lexie isn’t something I can cut off. A leg would be easier to sever. But my hesitation is causing her eyes to worry. If I don’t agree to, essentially, let her go… she’s not going anywhere with me. And that means her safety won’t be guaranteed. I need it to be. More than anything. 

“No more bullying,” I say, finally. A moment later, I follow her out of the room and down the stairs, trying desperately to count the hairs on her head before I no longer have the chance.

#tw domestic violence #toxic relationship #tw bullying

[twinkleallnight]

Drake of my dreams

Book: The Royal Romance AU

Pairing: Drake and all the women

Word count: 1852

Disclaimer: All characters belong to pixelberry.

Rating: Mature

Prompt: Features @wackydrabbles prompt 105

A/N 1: This fic is written as a gift for the winner of wackydrabbles 100 week celebration. Congratulations @thegreentwin. This ones for you. Hope you enjoy reading Drake as much as I enjoyed writing him for you. Thank you @sirbeepsalot a lot and @burnsoslow for making me a part of the celebrations!

Thank you @phoenixrising308 for your constant support while I wrote this. A big hug to the selfless @princess-geek for sprinkling positivity over me all the time.

He flexed his muscle and beamed at her. She faltered on her toes just looking at him. He smirked and fixed his cowboy hat a bit. She somehow gathered her steps and reached to him.

“You don’t have the right to look that handsome!” she chimed at him. He gave out a husky laugh and circled his arm around her. He effortlessly pulled her close. She was slime in his hands.

“And you don’t need to look so beautiful!” He rubbed his nose in her dark hair, giving her tickles.

She slapped on his broad bare chest and tried to push him away. “Maybe, I need to remind you it’s time to pack bags and return home.”

He hugged her tighter in response and moaned in the crook of her neck. “I don’t want this vacation to end. Let’s ask Liam to shift the Cordonian embassy to Texas. You can work from home then.”

“I can, but your office needs you more. You can’t run the security services for the DC companies sitting in Texas.”

“Okay, you win!” he groaned. “I will wrap this up and be with you in ten.”

As he moved away, she already started missing the warmth and felt a shiver. A soft hand rested on her shoulder and shook her. “Kiara? What are you thinking?”

“Huh?... Nothing.” She fumbled. Once back from her reverie she realised he is not hers. He was standing at the far extreme in her sight, in the ball room. She sighed, “Nothing…”

She looked at Penelope who caught her gaze and smiled. “I know whom you were daydreaming about. I can understand. He is special.”

“What do you know?” Kiara questioned her.

“Do you remember that Polo match they organised at Portavira?”

“Yes. What about that?”

Pen shyly looked down at the burnished floor. “We met while I was walking my poodles. He was so sweet. He played with them and the pets loved him so much. He is a gem at heart.”

Pen batted her lashes looking at him and it brought a strong streak of jealousy to Kiara. “I will be back in a jiffy.” Kiara excused herself and made some distance from Penelope only to bump into Riley.

“Bonjour!” came the ever-excited squeal from Riley.

Kiara rolled her eyes and turned her head to glance at Pen, with a double mind. ‘Whose company is better Pen or Riley’ she thought. Her eyes flickered again towards Drake.

Riley’s sharp eyes registered it all. “Whom are you trying to run away from? Penelope or Drake?” she asked teasingly.

“Why would you care?” she sneered and turned on her heels to move to the other direction. Riley shook her head smiling. She knew Kiara liked Drake.

Riley took a minute standing alone, there admiring him. He did have a charm. She couldn’t deny the tug in her heart herself. She was here for Liam but secretly, she enjoyed the special moments with Drake. His carefree laughter, his taunts, his accidental touch that sent shiver up her spine. She had misjudged his roughness until he opened up his marshmallow heart. But now it was too late.

She strolled towards them, him. Her eyes were still fixed over his chiselled jaw. She shifted her vision to her fiancé when she realised, she was dangerously close to being caught devouring at another man.

“Hey.”

“My love! What took you so long?” Liam placed his hand on the small of her back gently.

“You already started missing me? I just went around for a nature’s call.” She forced a smile at them, especially Hana, standing besides Drake. Her piercing eyes made Riley a bit uneasy. Hana gave back a knowing smile. How could she hide the conflicts of heart from her best friend?

Soon the music began to play, and the stage was set. Liam offered his hand to Riley as the crowd looked at them expectantly. Soon the couple was waltzing on the floor.

Hana slipped her hand around Drake’s elbow. Drake looked at her quizzically.

“Can I have this dance with you?” Hana asked.

“You know, I can’t!”

“I know you can!” Hana challenged him.

“Even if I can, I won’t.”

“But why?” she pleaded.

He shrugged. “Just, not here. Not the right place. Not the right people.” Drake politely squeezed his arm out, “Excuse me.”

He walked away to the bar. Hana’s heart screamed aloud. ‘Please come back. Just this once. Can we be together? Let me show you, how much I care. I can take you to some place better than where you’ve been. Maybe you can feel the love. Can’t you hear me? Turn back. Turn back. Oh, please turn back.’

Her heart sunk when he didn’t look back. Her eyes welled up.

“Why shed tears over a commoner?” Madeleine waved her hand to interrupt Hana’s view. Hana seethed, and glared at Madeleine, the water in her eyes on the verge of breaking the dams. But Madeleine won’t step back. She never did. Instead, she poked more, with her snarky comments.

“Little girl, have you forgotten your lessons? Your parents want you to woo a nobleman. You have failed them by not winning the Prince. Now you cannot disgrace them further by going after a commoner.”

Hana was infuriated to the extent that words failed to form on her lips. She was biting hard on her lips to avoid creating a scene. She stomped away to the washrooms to hide her agony.

Madeleine smirked wickedly. She swirled the bitter liquor in the glass she held and gulped it all at once. Her lips curled thinking of some evil plans. She strutted to the bar where Drake stood for his drink. “Mr Walker and his whiskey…”

“What are you looking for, Madeleine?” he asked in an irritated tone.

She placed her clear goblet on the counter. “I just want to refill my empty glass.” She stared at him shamelessly.

“There must be some nobleman of your taste in this crowd. Look around” Drake tried to remain decent.

She fanned her hand out, “I am tired of the hollow promises made by these royals.” She seductively moved her fingers up over his sleeve, “I am thinking of exploring greener pastures.”

Drake caught her hand and roughly shunned it away. “Countess, this is not Fydelia and you don’t own everything in Cordonia.”

She pouted her lips, “Oh dear, why don’t we take this conversation to some better place. Maybe, I can show you what you are missing.”

Disgusted with her lewd remarks, Drake thought it better to make some distance from her to avoid any unwarranted situation. “Good luck with your search Madeleine.”

He peeped into his watch. ‘Its time’, he thought and sneaked out of the doors into the darkness.

He wended his way through the known stairs of the palace till he reached the palace rooftop. He smiled at the welcoming view and strode ahead with a spring in his steps.

Once close to her back, he draped his arms around her.

“Fancy seeing you here Mr Walker.”

“I am sorry to keep you waiting.”

She relaxed her stiff back against his chest, as her head leaned back to rest on his left shoulder.

“I know you were busy mingling with those women.” she teased him.

“And here I was thinking that you conspired with those ladies to keep me away.” He crooked down to leave a kiss on her cheek. “Did you miss me?”

“Not as much as the serene night that I wanted to share with you.” She rubbed her hands over his. “What about you?”

“You know how much I hate these balls but today I missed you most when I saw Riley twirling happily in Liam’s arms.”

Her lips curled in a soft smile. “That can be fixed.” She turned to face him, bringing her hands up, to curl around his neck. They hugged each other and swayed to the music of the wind, the distant sea waves and the hustling tree leaves.

Her head resting on his chest, she tried to bring up the topic again. “Drake?”

“Hmm??” his eyes were closed and he had placed his chin on her soft red hair bun.

“I happened to have a meeting with Liam earlier today.”

“Ahaan…”

“I told him that I planned the Lythikan Rite of Union.”

Drake’s eyes opened in surprise as he held her at an arm’s length. “You planned what?”

She held her head high and said with more conviction, “Lythikan Rite of Union. I hope you know what that means?”

Drake’s voice was still a pitch higher, as he tried to comprehend what was happening. “Growing up with a Nevrakis I know it very well. The Lythikan Rite of Union, which has been illegal for half a century. Where the unmarried couple traverse the icy peaks of the Alps and on the dawn of the thirtieth day, they are wed, their officiant being survival itself.”

Olivia proudly looked up to him. He knew. Her eyes shone with happiness. Her gaze fixed on him endearingly.

“Livy?” Drake gently shook her. “Are you sure about this? I have told you; these customs and rituals… I don’t care. I will stand by your side come hell or high water. You don’t have to do this for me. You don’t…”

She placed her slender finger on his lips, stepping closer to him. “I want to wear your ring. And what better way to make it official by reviving an old tradition. It feels just the right thing to do. You, me and the wilderness that both of us love.”

Drake’s brown eyes softened and he rubbed his knuckles on her glowing alabaster cheek. “You really want it to be official?”

“Did you notice those women at the ball? All ogling over you.” She pulled him closer, grabbing his coat, “I want to whisk you away from them all.”

Drake threw his head back, laughing out. “It’s definitely… interesting. But is that the only reason why the Duchess wants to marry a simple guy like me?”

Olivia’s smile broadened thinking of how stupid she sounded. “One of the many reasons. But tonight, I definitely want you to be a part of my dreams only.”

He cupped her face with one hand, letting his other hand hold her close to him at the waist. “It is a dream for others. For me, you are my reality. I love you and I am ready to step into the wilderness with you.” His hand moved around her neck and pulled her into a kiss.

Tags: @annekebbphotography @alj4890 @anjanettexcordonia @bascmve01 @charlotteg234 @choicesficwriterscreations @cordonia-gothqueen @cordonian-literature @drakewalker04 @gkittylove99 @krsnlove @hopelessromanticmonie @indiacater @phoenixrising308 @kingliam2019 @lisha1valecha @neotericthemis @ntoraplayschoices @princessleac1 @secretaryunpaid @speedyoperarascalparty @texaskitten30 @txemrn @sweatyrysconnoisseur @theroyalheirshadowhunter @aestheticartsx @yourmajesty09 @lovelyladyk88 @mainstreetreader @choiceskatie @claireloutoo @tinkie1973 @mom2000aggie

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[alj4890]

I have ask? We know in TRR book three that Riley and Drake go fishing. They never tell anyone where they went. What if something where to happen we know there was a recent earthquake but what if there was still the aftershocks and drake and Riley are caught in the middle? How will king Liam react what can he do when he’s up against mother nature.

A/N I am going to go ahead and apologize. I honestly don’t know how this fic came about. For some reason this request took me down one of the angsty-est roads I have ever traveled for a Liam drabble. After doing some research on earthquakes and aftershocks, I came across some situations where the aftershocks were as bad and sometimes worse than the initial earthquake. This is what our TRR group will experience that evening in Portavira. I'll try and write some fluff soon to make up for what I'm about to do to each character. On that note, who's ready to enter this nightmare situation I’ve conjured with our favorite king?

Trigger warnings: Blood. Life threatening injuries. Character deaths. And probably some other horrible situations I'm forgetting.

Masterlist

@gkittylove99 @darley1101 @krsnlove @kingliam2019 @texaskitten30 @yourmajesty09 @mom2000aggie @ofpixelsandscribbles @twinkleallnight @lodberg

One Fateful Night

"Hey." Riley paused in the hallway. "Where is everyone?"

Drake shrugged. "Liam got pulled into some conversation with Penelope's parents. Maxwell said something about sleeping for the next week or so." He glanced up from studying his phone. "I last saw Hana walking off with Penelope, talking about outfits for poodles."

Riley snorted on her laughter. "Sounds about right." She leaned over to see what was on his phone. "Planning on buying a boat?"

"Not likely." He studied her a moment. "I wanted to get some fishing in before we leave." A slight smile formed on his lips. "You want to come along?"

"The Drake Walker is inviting company?" Riley pretended to be shocked.

"Ha. Ha." He grumbled. "I can always take it back."

"Nice try, but you're stuck with me." She checked to make sure no one was around. "I don't want to talk poodle fashion or whatever thing Penelope's parents are discussing with Liam."

Drake snorted. "Don't blame you." He slipped his phone in his pocket and cocked his head toward the exit. "Ready to go?"

"You think I should leave a note for Liam?" She asked.

"You could or just tell Mara." He replied.

Riley could hear Penelope and Hana's voices. "No time!" She whispered. "Go!"

The two escaped quietly with no one noticing.

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

Later that night...

After a couple of drinks and a promise that they would talk once more over breakfast, Liam managed to leave Landon's study before it got too late.

Expelling a deep breath at somehow getting through the quagmire of the duke's worries over not only Portavira surviving another earthquake but in also finding a suitable noble for Penelope to marry, the young king was determined to relax with the one person who always put him at ease.

Riley.

Just her name alone caused a smile to form on his lips. He had hated that after the polo match they had been pulled apart by people wishing to talk to them. Before he knew it, he had lost sight of her just as Landon had all but demanded his attention.

It was enough to make any man lose his patience.

All that had caused the tension in his neck and shoulders was done for the moment. He would find his love and steal a few precious moments with her. He intended them to be all that an engaged couple deserved.

Nothing but romance was on his agenda.

Just as he made it to the courtyard of Penelope's family mansion, the earth shifted, causing him to fall to the ground. Unholy sounds of rumbles and screeches seemed to fill the air as he and everything around him was violently shook. In disbelief, he watched as stone walls began to crack and collapse around him. The very earth split open as he was thrown into a nearby flower bed.

Clutching in vain to clumps of grass, he closed his eyes while the very ground under him rose up and down. It seemed to never end until at last, the earth stopped moving.

Screams rent the silence that followed the abrupt stillness.

Liam lifted himself up. Seeing that he only suffered minor injuries, he then noticed what the earthquake had left behind. Small fires and utter desolation surrounded him. Every window and doorway was blocked and covered with the once beautiful ivory sandstone that had been used in construction of the manor.

He then realized that he was trapped within the courtyard that had been placed in the very middle of the mansion.

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

A few seconds later, thirty miles off the coast of Portavira...

Once Drake was far enough out from the nearby commercial fishing boats, he and Riley settled in for some fishing and good natured teasing. Time went by with only him catching a hat. Riley's laughter at his expression had prompted her to snap a quick picture with threats to show everyone they knew.

Her pole had then began to tremble and bend with her own fish.

Drake whistled when she reeled it in. "That's some catch, Brooks."

Riley studied the large mackerel. "Is it bigger than anything you've caught."

"Almost." He grumbled. "What do you want to do with it?"

"Set it free." She relaxed back on the rickety seat of their boat. "I've eaten more fish the last couple of days than I ever have in my life."

He worked the hook out and dropped it back in the ocean.

"Drake?" Riley sat up straight. "You hear that?"

Both turned toward the distant, lighted port. A rumbling almost like thunder roiling could be heard. The beacons that dotted the shore began to quiver before going abruptly out.

"What the--"

Massive waves began to strike at their boat. The tiny ship Drake had insisted was sea worthy was tossed into the air as if it was nothing but a bathtub toy.

Riley screamed as she fell overboard. Her life jacket popped her up just as the boat was coming back down. Unable to see or move away, the boat fell on her, knocking her back under. Blood floated around her unconscious form as she remained pinned under the boat.

Drake had been thrown in the other direction. The choppy waves caused from the earthquake's tremors pulled him even further and further away from where Riley had landed. Calling out her name while struggling to keep his head above water, Drake knew that his search in the dark night was in vain.

Their fishing trip had taken a deadly turn.

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

An hour later, Liam was doing his best to dig through the rubble that blocked the entrance to the guest wing. He could hear the faint cries of what he prayed was Riley and the rest of his friends. Ignoring the blood dripping from his fingers and palms, he worked frantically when he heard a piercing scream.

"I'm coming!" He cried out in a hoarse voice. "Please!" His head dropped into his hands as he prayed. "Please don't die!"

Swallowing down his fear, he tore at the slabs of marble, sandstone, and tile. Wood splintered deep within his hands as he continued to throw everything behind him. Each new obstacle made him curse as he used whatever was at hand to move it. Broken branches and warped benches helped him pry some of the heavier pieces aside.

He managed to make a hole big enough that he could peer down the hall. Unable to see clearly, he used his flashlight function on his cell phone.

It revealed a hallway that looked as if a bomb had dropped upon it.

"Riley!" He yelled through opening. "Riley!"

"Liam?" Came a tentative voice.

"Madeleine!" He responded. "Are you hurt? Do you see any of the others?"

A bloody figure stumbled over the debris of a nearby guestroom. She fell against a half standing wall before forcing herself forward.

Liam stared in shock at her left hand and wrist nearly black from being smashed by something. The cuts and wounds to her head alarmed him when he noticed how much trouble she was having focusing on him.

"Madeleine." He breathed. A new fear gripped him at what state the others must be in.

"I'm fine." She mumbled, falling on her knees near the hole he had made. "Hana..." She cradled her crushed left hand against her chest. "She's pinned under two ceiling beams. I'm to get help."

Liam swallowed. "Have you seen Riley or any of the others?"

"No." She slumped down further, eyes drooping closed. "Forgive me for not checking."

"Madeleine!" Liam yelled sharply. "Keep talking."

"Yes, your majesty." Her faint voice barely registered.

"I'm coming through." He told her, keeping up a steady chatter with every move he made. His questions were screamed at her to try and keep her talking. Each answer was taking longer and longer to come around.

Liam managed to finally make a space big enough to squeeze through.

He dropped to his knees beside his former fiancée and searched for a pulse. He finally found a faint one as he searched her for any other wounds. Promising he would come back, he left her side to begin searching for everyone else.

The first room he came to was Maxwell's. Clearing out the barrier blocking his entrance, he dodged a dangling, sparking electrical line near what was once Maxwell's bed.

Liam covered his mouth and slowly backed out of the room when he saw what had become of his oldest friend. Maxwell had been in bed when the earthquake had occurred. The ceiling had fallen and with it a marble tub in the room above had landed on him, crushing the once fun loving noble to death.

Once back in the hallway, he heard another scream followed by a voice trying to calm the lady down.

Following the sounds, Liam turned sideways to fit in a hole in the wall. Smoke was slowly filling the room, making his eyes burn and water.

He tripped over a body and saw that it was Bastien propped against what was left of a wall, clutching a wadded towel to his side. Blood was turning the once violet towel magenta in certain spots.

"Your majesty." He breathed in a painful breath. "Thank God." He turned his head toward the right. "Lady Hana, she's--"

Hana whimpered another scream followed by a man's voice apologizing.

"I'll go to her." Liam promised. "Have you seen Riley?"

"No sir." Bastien winced when Hana cried out again. "Mara was on her way to Lady Riley's room while I monitored the hallways. Then the earthquake struck."

"How badly hurt are you?" Liam asked.

"I'll be fine. A piece of wood pierced my side." Bastien muttered. "Go help the others."

Liam nodded and hurried toward Hana.

A disheveled Rashad and Neville worked at trying to get Hana free. Blood covered most of Neville's face from the cuts and broken nose he now sported. An arm hung limply on Rashad. His face was nearly a greenish gray from the pain of his arm being knocked out of socket had caused. He too sported bruises and cuts all over his body. A seeping wound along his ribcage caught Liam's attention.

"Sit down." He ordered when Rashad's gash opened more with each effort he made to lift the beam off Hana.

"She's trapped and her leg..." Rashad trailed off as tears filled his eyes. "Liam, she can't..."

Neville wiped at the blood on his own face. "We made a tourniquet to try and stop what we know will happen after we lift this."

Liam looked down and blanched at the sight of Hana's once perfect left leg completely severed below the knee.

"I'm sorry." She cried when another scream struck. "It hurts and I..." She wiped her tears when another gut wrenching sob tore through her. "I can't feel it. I can't feel my foot."

Liam swallowed as he knelt beside her. He took her hand in his and spoke gently. "Hana, you are one if not the strongest person I know." His fingers gripped hers. "I need you to prepare yourself. I know you know that panic will not help you or us."

Hana nodded jerkily.

"We are going to try and get this off of you to make you more comfortable." He had a near death grip on her hand now. "I will need your help in keeping Bastien, Madeleine," he glanced at Rashad weakly sliding down to the floor, "and Rashad awake and talking. I need you to keep them calm as I try and find the others and get us help."

She bit her bottom lip as more tears fell. "I will. I'll help."

He kissed her hand and nodded. Getting to his feet, he and Neville each took a side and lifted the first heavy beam off of her. After a brief moment to catch their breaths they then lifted the second one.

Hana struggled to slide out from it, whimpering when she noticed that not all of her had moved.

"Hana." Liam blocked her view of her severed leg. "Look at me."

She lifted her eyes to his while struggling not to hyperventilate.

"We will get through this." He told her.

Her bottom lip trembled as she repeated his words over and over to try and calm down.

"We will get through this."

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

After carefully moving Madeleine, Hana, Bastien, and Rashad out into the courtyard; Liam and Neville went back through to find the others.

Liam yelled out Riley and Drake's names the closer he got to their rooms.

He found Mara dead in the hallway, crushed to death much like Maxwell had been.

Whispering how sorry he was, Liam and Neville were forced to climb over the debris that covered her. Smoke was rising in this part of the hallway the further they went.

The silence from his love's and best friend's rooms made him panic as he was screaming their names.

Neville too was breathing fast with each failed response to his calling out.

Riley's door was blocked on the inside, making it impossible to get into. Liam kicked the door in frustration a few times while Neville worked on clearing Drake's door.

"We'll find another way in." Neville promised. "We will try from the outside to get into her room."

Liam broke off a plea for them to do it now as he turned to force himself to check if Drake had survived.

Their search for him was fruitless as they realized he wasn't anywhere in his chamber.

"Where could he be?" Liam mumbled.

Neville merely shrugged while picking up a broken chair. He waved Liam back and smashed through the bedroom window. Using the bedspread, the two wrapped their hands in it to protect from glass getting in their already raw cuts.

They tumbled to an uneven ground and made their way to Riley's room. Smoke was slowly seeping from the tiny cracks of the windowpane.

Liam knocked Neville to the ground right before the glass exploded out. A burst of flames followed it.

"RILEY!" Liam screamed as he hurried to the window. He held his hand up as he tried to see into the inferno.

Neville yanked him back as more of the mansion collapsed near them.

The two men helplessly sat there watching it all without being able to do anything about it.

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

Many hours later...

Emergency medical teams took over the digging and searches for the missing people.

Penelope and her mother had been found dead with her father seriously wounded. He did not survive past the initial examination.

Most of their servants were injured and only the butler and cook had been killed.

Liam watched helplessly as Hana and Madeleine were airlifted to a hospital in the capital. Rashad and Bastien were in a nearby tent that had been set up to tend the injuries that weren't life threatening.

Maxwell's body lay in another tent with Penelope's and her family. There were too many that were being brought to that tent as searches continued on into the early morning hours.

Of all the people in the world that Liam knew, he never would have expected that Neville Vancouer would be the one to stand by his side. Somehow the one noble that caused the words selfish and pompous to come to mind had worked tirelessly with Liam and search and rescue teams to find those that remained missing.

"Sir?" A newly arrived king's guard bowed. "The King Father wished to hear from you when I found you." He nodded toward a smaller tent that had been set with a satellite phone and chairs.

Liam forced himself to go in there. He didn't know what to say to his father. How did one explain a horror unlike any other? How did one explain what he had lost?

"Liam?!" Constantine's terror came through loud and clear. "You're not hurt are you?"

"No sir." Liam managed to say. "We lost the Duke and Duchess of Portavira, Lady Penelope, " Liam closed his eyes as tears threatened to spill out. "Lord Maxwell."

"Oh!" He could hear Regina's muffled cry in the background. She struggled to speak. "Liam, dear, I am so sorry."

"Ladies Hana and Madeleine suffered some serious injuries." Liam continued with a slight tremble in his voice. "Lord Rashad and Bastien are having theirs tended to here."

"What of Riley?" Constantine asked hesitantly. "I was told that she is missing."

"She and Drake have yet to be found." Liam explained. "I will join in the search around town once the duchy's is finished."

"Oh no." Regina mumbled through her tears. "You must tell him." She said softly to her husband.

"We've sent a helicopter for you." Constantine explained. "There was another attack from the Sons of the Earth last night."

Liam collapsed in a chair. "Where? What did they do?"

"They burnt down the apple orchards near Applewood." Constantine hesitated. "Liam you have to go there and reassure the people that all is and will be taken care of."

Liam shook his head. "No. I can't leave until I find Riley."

"You must." Constantine stressed. "You are the king now. You must show the people you care."

"I can do that from here." Liam snapped. I'll give a press conference while explaining that my missing fiancée is what is keeping in this place of desolation."

"Liam," Regina said gently, "I'll return to Portavira and help guide the search and rescue teams. I'll keep you updated on all that is discovered." She paused. "You have already shown Portavira that you stand with them from yesterday's polo match. Now you must do so with the farmers."

Liam gripped the phone, tempted to throw it as far from him as he could. He knew that being king meant putting everything before himself. But to put duty before finding the woman he loved, the very one he was meant to have a happily ever after with? Could he do that?

Didn't I promise Riley that I would be a better king, a better man for her?

"You have no choice." Constantine's voice cut through his tormented thoughts. "As soon as you finish dealing with the farmers--"

"He'll have to spend the night to prove that he is not going to let the terrorists drive him away." Regina cut in.

"You can return to Portavira first thing in the morning." Constantine promised.

"You won't do anyone any good sitting there waiting." Regina added. "This way you can help your country while we wait on news."

Liam knew he didn't have any choice. He hated that this was his lot in life. He was forced once again to do the good kingly thing instead of what his heart wanted, needed to do.

"Very well." He relented. "I'll go."

"Good." Constantine said in relief. "A word and gesture from the king is what they need."

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

Early afternoon...

Liam had never felt so alone as he made his way toward Applewood's orchard. He had gotten used to having Riley, Maxwell, Drake, and Hana with him on each venture. Even Madeleine's stern ways would have been welcomed right now.

He glanced up at the smoke filled sky. He tried to prepare himself for what he was about to see, but nothing could have prepared him for the scorched earth he encountered. His footsteps faltered as he looked about the place that had once held some of his happiest moments.

His mother would walk with him through the orchard, telling his stories of dragons and brave knights. He and Drake would play soccer among the blossoms. Maxwell had climbed trees with him so that they could choose the best apples for a snack. Olivia had created kingdoms for them all as they pretended to be rivaling countries of old. Riley had been crowned the Apple Queen here.

He could still see her smile soften when he rose and kissed her cheek that day. Her sneaking off later to spend a few minutes with him...the kiss that had followed...her words of supporting and believing in him being a great king...

"Thank you, my love." He whispered. "Even a memory of you brings me comfort."

"Liam?"

He spun around to see Olivia. Her head tilted some in question.

"Are you," she took a step closer, "how are you?" She shook her head in frustration. "Don't answer that." Blinking back tears, she reached for his hand. "I'm here if you need me."

He squeezed it gratefully. "Thank you." He nodded toward the crowd of farmers and reporters. "Help me get through this, please."

She nodded and walked with him.

"Your majesty! Any idea who could have done this?"

"King Liam? How is Portavira? Is it true that--"

"Where is Lady Riley?"

"When will--"

Many voices spoke over one another causing Liam to raise his hands up for silence.

"We will find whoever did this and bring them to justice." He began. "I come to you with a heavy heart. Portavira suffered another devastating earthquake." His eyes touched on the burnt stumps that had once been beautiful apple trees. "Both Applewood and Portavira have gone through--" he trailed off when he saw his father coming to join them.

Constantine nodded in encouragement before moving to stand behind him with Olivia.

"They have gone through the worst of what man and nature can do." Liam continued. "We've lost loved ones, homes, and a way of life." He swallowed down his sadness. "I intend to make certain that both our farmers and our fishermen are taken care of." His voice trembled. "We..."

Olivia spoke up to help him. "We will not break from this." Her hard tone caused people to feel hope. "We will overcome what the Sons of the Earth have done and we will rebuild all that has been destroyed by the recent earthquake."

"Lady Olivia is right." Constantine continued. "We have been given a king that feels every hurt that befalls Cordonians. Liam will not rest until all is made right."

Liam bowed his head. "We will make this right." He lifted his eyes to the crowd. "You have my word."

The people were moved by the heartbreak they could see in their sovereign. Many walked up to speak to him, leaving them with hope and reassurance that though it might be a difficult road, he would get them through it."

Olivia and Constantine returned to the country manor and tried to keep Liam's spirits up. Unable to stand their awkward hopefulness, he left them with the excuse that he was tired.

"Let me know immediately if there is any word about Riley and Drake." He ordered them.

"We will." Constantine promised.

"Try and sleep." Olivia added. "You'll be of no use in searching for them if you don't."

Once he had ascended the stairs, Olivia turned to the former king. "Has there been any word yet?"

Constantine shook his head. "Regina promised to call the first moment she has free."

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

Somehow, Liam fell into a dreamless sleep. Perhaps it was the exhaustion and shock he had been through, but his body seemed to sink down into his bed as soon as he sat down. He had intended to rest without sleeping. Yet the next thing he knew, he was jerking awake from his door being knocked.

He forced himself out of bed. Seeing he was still dressed in the khakis and white t-shirt he had changed into in case he needed to return to Portavira in the middle of the night, he called out for whoever was at his door to come in.

He stilled when both Constantine and Olivia stepped inside. The duchess shut the door and refused to meet his eyes.

His father seemed to have aged overnight when he faced his son.

Liam's eyes narrowed as he watched his father try and form the words.

"Liam, I--that is--a man came forward last night with information." Constantine began.

"Information?" Liam repeated.

"Yes. Drake and Riley had rented a small boat to go fishing."

Liam felt instant relief. Fishing! Why hadn't he thought of that. It sounded like just the activity the two would have chosen to relax after such a stressful day. Fishing meant they weren't hurt on land somewhere. They had been safe on the water.

"Have they returned?" He asked, a smile forming. "I bet they were irritated about having to spend the night on an uncomfortable boat."

Constantine and Olivia shared a loaded glance.

"Not exactly." Olivia answered.

"They're not back?" Liam's smile disappeared. "Call the coastguard and have them search the ocean. They probably got lost when the lights went out and..." He trailed off when his father shook his head.

"Regina did send the coastguard." He explained. "And they discovered...what happened...and..."

Liam knew what was about to be said. He didn't want to hear it. He couldn't hear it. It was impossible. It wasn't fair! Didn't he deserve to have his happy ending? Hadn't he sacrificed enough in life? Lost more than anyone should have to? Couldn't he be allowed to keep one dream for himself?

"Riley was found not too far from the boat." Olivia bit back tears. "She was injured somehow, a skull fracture and blood loss, and..." She took a shaky breath. "She drowned."

Liam shook his head. That phrase did not belong with his Riley. Riley was life itself. She was the epitome of every good thing in his life. She couldn't be dead. There had to be some mistake.

Drake would have kept her safe. He had already jumped in front of her to keep her from being shot. He was Nature Guide Extraordinaire, able to take care of everyone when outside in the elements. The coastguard must have found some other unfortunate victim. It couldn't be Riley.

"They found Drake about fifty miles west of Portavira." Constantine added. "His body was washed ashore.

Liam ran his hands over his face as tears began to fall. This couldn't be happening. It couldn't.

Olivia stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on Liam's shoulder.

He lifted his eyes to hers and saw nothing but sorrow and pity.

She would never give him such news unless it was true. Her own tears fell in steady streams down her cheeks as she waited on his reaction.

His body seemed to crumble as he fell to the floor. His anguish over not being able to save his true love and best friend washed over him, nearly smothering him with the grief taking hold of him. He had been too late. Too late for Maxwell. Too late for Drake.

Too late to spend one last moment with Riley's smile. Her touch. The way she felt in his arms. Her voice. Her wit. Her gentle humor. Too late.

He would never have it again. Nothing from his life would ever be the same. How could it? The ones who had made his life what it was were taken from him in a single night.

How could he possibly move on from this?

#the royal romance #trr #liam x riley #king liam x mc #choices the royal romance #choices stories you play #play choices fanfic #trr drake #trr hana #trr maxwell #pure angst

[mind-reader1]

Queen of Hearts (Ch. 10 Part 2)

Drake x MC (Emma Barnes)

TRR AU: What would happen if Emma loved Drake but had to marry Liam?

Catch up here

Warnings: None

Note: Sorry this chapter is kind of boring. Eh. I’ll post 11 on Saturday and 12 on Sunday to make up for it! I promise there’s some juicy drama coming up next chapter!

Word Count: 1598

Summary: Olivia tries to start drama because she’s an unapologetic bitch (I love her lol). Emma and Liam have a heart to heart, they’re trying to stay friends, but things are complicated obviously. 

Chapter 10 Part 2: Like I’m Gonna Lose You (Meghan Trainor)

I woke up in tears

With you by my side

A breath of relief

And I realized

No, we’re not promised tomorrow

So I’m gonna love you like I’m gonna lose you

And I’m gonna hold you like I’m saying goodbye

Wherever we’re standing

I won’t take you for granted

‘Cause we’ll never know when, when we’ll run out of time

So I’m gonna love you like I’m gonna lose you

I’m gonna love you like I’m gonna lose you

In the blink of an eye

Just a whisper of smoke

You could lose everything

The truth is you never know

The restaurant overlooked the water, sparkling and a deep blue spreading out before them, it was breathtaking. Maxwell winked and walked away to his seat as Emma admired the view.

“Portavira has some of the clearest waters in all of Cordonia.” Liam approached her side.

“This is hardly an acceptable waterfront fortress.” Olivia grumbled.

“Are we under attack?” Maxwell looked around with a butter knife in hand, as if he was going to do something with it.

“I think we already are given present company.” Drake muttered.

“Drake don’t you think that the ring Emma is wearing on her long chain is beautiful. Looks an awful like a valuable engagement ring.” Drake’s face paled and Emma brushed past Olivia, shoulder checking her, she was tired of Olivia’s remarks. Liam approached behind her and whispered.

“What is she talking about?” Emma turned and kept a smile plastered on her face, trying not to create a bigger scene.

“It’s nothing Liam. Olivia knows and she’s testing us is all. We can discuss it later.” She finished just as Penelope ran over, a big smile on her face.

“I’m so glad you all made it!”

“It’s good to see you Penelope.” She pulled Emma into a hug and then greeted the others. She introduced Emma to her parents next, Emmeline and Landon. After some brief small talk, a delicious meal of crab legs and other seafood was served. Liam invited them to the wedding but as Emma and Liam had feared, they were worried because of the floods that had recently hit their duchy. Penelope also expressed her fears of returning to court after the attack and without her poodles. Madeline asked Penelope’s parents for a history of Portavira, it was obvious that Liam, Drake’s and Emma’s minds were all elsewhere; Olivia’s comment about the ring getting to each of them earlier. Emma was still trying to maintain some poise and tried to focus on the conversation, when they mentioned a charity polo game, she had an idea.

“Let Liam and I play. The King and soon to be queen in a charity polo match, that should raise a lot of money.” Emmeline and Landon shared a look.

“That would be wonderful. Thank you, Duchess Emma, your majesty. If all goes well from the match, perhaps we will be able to attend your wedding after all.”

“Well we will certainly be hoping for the best.” On the way back to the estate, Liam hung back, enjoying the sunset. A dark blue, and yellow with tints of orange and red reflected off the water, making it look like a nice pink bubble bath.

“Something on your mind?” Liam turned and gave Emma a smile.

“Just enjoying the sunset, doing some thinking.”

“What about?”

“You were tactful at dinner despite Olivia. I really admired it.” He sighed. “I also wanted to talk to you about what she said. What do you say to a private boat ride?” Emma knew that this conversation would have to happen, why not make it enjoyable she thought to herself.

“She definitely makes it difficult, but we should talk. I’ll follow you captain.” Liam lead Emma over to a yacht and exchanged a few words with the captain, they set sail shortly later. They sailed in silence, watching the water break away from the boat before Liam spoke.

“She knows?” Emma sighed and walked up next to him.

“Yes. She cornered me on the train in my room and tried to expose me in the boutique in front of Madeleine. We should just tell her Liam. She loves you, I don’t know how you feel about her but maybe you can work something out with her. At the very least she’s our friend and deserves to know before she blows this for us.” Liam let out an incredulous laugh.

“You’re the second woman this year to suggest I have a mistress. Makes me wonder if there’s something wrong with me.” Emma sighed and grabbed Liam’s hand.

“It’s nothing you did Liam, I didn’t mean to offend. I just want you to find some kind of happiness.” He smiled down at her.

“I know Emma. What was this about a ring though?” His eyes darted to her hand where he was relieved to still see his ring.

“I put the ring Drake gave me on a chain, normally it rests under my top, but this dress didn’t allow for that. It’s really nothing Liam, just Olivia trying to start drama.” He stayed quiet and they both watched the water, eerily calm.

“Do you think I’m a good king Emma? It feels as though my reign has been one catastrophe after another.” The question caught her off guard.

“I do Liam. I know that it has been difficult, but your people trust you. They aren’t calling for you to give into the terrorists demands, you just need to continue to support them and earn their trust.”

“I think that may be largely due to your influence but thank you all the same Emma, for everything.” He began to walk away and stopped.

“I think if Lady Olivia is giving you so much trouble that you should speak to her, I can too if she continues.” Emma nodded, and Liam wandered off. A few moments later she felt the ship turn and they headed back towards the docks. When they arrived back at the palace, she found Mara waiting for her. She had some information about the terrorist group who had filmed the video, but they still hadn’t caught anyone. On her way back to her room, she found Hana, Maxwell and Penelope out by the pool. In the interest of recruiting Penelope, and giving Cooper a chance to stretch his legs, she decided to spend some time with them and enjoy a good ice cream sundae in her “Poodle Palace.” After spending some time with her dogs and reassuring her that it would be okay if they came, Penelope agreed to return to court. Emma was relieved, they needed as much support at court as they could get. By the time they called it a night, she was exhausted and ready for bed, only Liam and Drake were standing outside of her room.

“Are we having a slumber party? Should I get hair ties ready to braid Drake’s hair?” She teased. Drake on the other hand, looked horrified.

“Hana said this was a strategy meeting for the polo game!” Hana and Maxwell approached as if summoned by Drake’s words.

“I called everyone here, so we can strategize about how to make sure the polo game goes smoothly tomorrow.”

“About that.” Liam smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Landon and Emmeline spoke with me after dinner. They want us all to play, a celebrity match. They want Emma, Hana, Penelope and I on one team and on the other is Drake, Maxwell, Rashad and Neville.” Drake groaned out loud, that was the worst possible team he could have been put on.

“I like it, Team Underdogs!” Drake shot Maxwell a look, for the third time today, if looks could kill Maxwell would have been dead on the spot, again.

“I know how to ride a horse and play polo Maxwell.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about, it’s about you and Neville...on the same team.”

“I’m sure we all want to win but we should remember this is a charity event for relief efforts.”

“I’ve got it. Don’t worry.” Drake shut the conversation down before anyone else could express their concerns. Liam and Maxwell excused themselves to get some rest, leaving Hana, Drake and Emma outside of Emma’s room.

“Do you know how to play polo Emma? I could give you some lessons tonight if you’re up for it!” Emma smiled at Hana, she was such an amazing friend and Emma could have probably have used some lessons, but she was just so exhausted that she declined. Once Hana was gone, Emma and Drake checked the hall before slipping into her room.

“Are you really going to be okay playing with Neville tomorrow?” She asked changing into her pajamas. Drake turned to look at her, his eyes roaming up and down her body before he answered.

“Uh-huh.” He mumbled. Emma rolled her eyes playfully.

“Wipe the drool off your face Drake. I don’t want slobber all over my pillow. But seriously?” A blush crept into his cheeks.

“Maybe I can knock him off his high horse, literally.” Emma chuckled, she knew she shouldn’t encourage Drake, but she definitely wouldn’t be opposed to seeing that.”

“I guess we’ll see tomorrow. I’m ready for bed. You coming or not?” Drake climbed into bed beside her and they curled up together, asleep the second their heads hit the pillow. Drake was gone early the next morning when Emma awoke to Maxwell insistently knocking on the door. As per usual, she had to go to the boutique to get the perfect outfit and meet Madeleine for a breakdown of the day. This time, she chose a chic floral dress with some matching silver jewelry, the chain with Drake’s ring on it clearly hidden today. After the drama of yesterday, she was very aware of how visible it was and how important it was to hide it from Olivia and Madeleine. Once she arrived at the field for the polo game, Emma sighed in relief, even before the game begun the stands were filled with people. That was a very good sign that she would be able to recruit Penelope’s parents to come to the wedding.

Tag List: @notoriouscs @sleepwalkingelite @brightpinkpeppercorn @ooo-barff-ooo @princesstopgun @choicesyouplayandmore @leelee10898 @roonarific @indigo39 @skyila @speedyoperarascalparty@andy-loves-corgis @furiousherringoperatortoad @blackwidow2721 @drakewalkerfics@findingdrake @sue9659 @smritysriv

#liam #king liam #liam rhys #liam the royal romance #liam trr #queen of hearts #trr #trr3 #trrfanfic #trr fandom #trr fanfic #trr fanfiction #trr choices #trr drake #trr liam #choices #choices stories you play #choices fanfic #choices fanfiction #choices you play #choices trr #choices trr3 #drake #drake walker #drake x emma #drake trr #drake the royal romance #blake lively #michiel huisman #liam hemsworth

[tmarie82]

The Stakeout

Pairing: Damien x MC (Camille Jensen)

Book: Perfect Match

Word Count: ~1,100

Rating:  PG

Author’s Note: This fic idea popped into my head after the last chapter of Perfect Match when Damien takes MC on a “stakeout” on the roof.  Basically I just think Damien is adorable and couldn’t resist this little bit of fluff.

This is also a semi-crossover with TRR based on a (hilarious) conversation amongst Tumblr friends yesterday. 😂 Tagging the following peeps per request (keep me honest guys, I hope I didn’t forget anyone!): @mfackenthal @boneandfur @simplyaiden-blog @decisso  @lizeboredom @confessionsofabrokegirl @butindeed @goirishsunshine

Thank you for reading! 😘

~~~~~~~~~~

Damien surveyed their surroundings before grabbing her hand and pressing a finger to his lips.  “Shhhh . . . . “ he whispered before he scurried quietly to the far wall with her in tow, pressing them both flat against the surface as they waited.  “Now, we can’t just run in there yet . . . We have to wait until the right moment.”  She just nodded her head in agreement, brow furrowed as she intently watched their target.  

Damien watched as their subject stood mesmerized in front of the TV watching the news.  After a few moments, she lost interest in the topic and moved back to her task.  The scraping of metal on metal and clanking of equipment provided the perfect distraction to move unnoticed.  He tapped his partner on the shoulder, then motioned towards the table in the middle of the room.  He pointed to himself and then gestured that he would stay in their current position, and then pointed to her to move to find cover behind the table.  She nodded once and started to move that way before he grasped her hand to get her attention.  She turned around to face him, watching his eyes soften at the sight of her and a soft smile appear on his lips.  He gave her a quick “good luck” thumbs up and she winked back at him before scooting slyly across the hardwood floor towards the table.  

As their target continued to move about the location working on her project, she positioned herself behind the table out of sight.  She crouched down and eyed her prey, then looked back to Damien for his signal.  He gave her a solemn look and signaled to hold on.  They waited expectantly for a few moments, looking for the perfect opportunity to strike.  And then it came . . . the target walked over to the large metal sink and turned on the faucet full blast.  Damien motioned towards the sink and held up three fingers, then he counted down on his hand and mouthed “Three, two . . . ONE!” and waved his handle quickly to her to move!  She took her window and pounced . . . 

Sophie surprised her mother and shouted “Boo!”, causing Camille to drop a large pot in the sink and shriek.  “Oh my goodness, Sophie Grace, you scared me!”  Camille caught her breath for a moment, then tickled her daughter’s belly with her wet, soapy hands.  The six-year-old girl squealed in delight and laughed as her father walked towards his two girls with a smirk on his face.  Camille looked up at him with an exasperated expression.  “Damien, you have to stop encouraging her to sneak up on me!  My nerves cannot take it.”  She scolded him, but she couldn’t hold back a smile.  She loved when Damien and Sophie played detective together, even when it meant she was the subject of their “investigation.”

Damien placed a quick peck on her cheek and chuckled.  “Sorry Babe, Sophie asked me to teach her a few more stakeout  tricks and you were a very easy target this morning.”  He beamed at his daughter and nudged her in the side, causing another giggle.  “Right, Squirt?”

Sophie smiled.  “It was too easy.  We totally got you again, Mommy.”

“Yes, yes I supposed you did . . . although it’s not exactly fair to attack a poor woman cleaning up the kitchen after her messy husband and daughter up and disappeared!”  She shook her head.  “Alright, now Sophie we need to get ready to visit Cousin Nadia.  Go upstairs and brush your teeth and comb your hair.”  Sophie rolled her eyes, reluctantly turning around and walking towards the stairs.  “And don’t forget the toothpaste this time!”  Camille called after her, Sophie waving her hand in acknowledgment as she started heading upstairs.

Camille turned back to her husband and gave him an amused look.  “You know, sometimes I think you have more fun playing detective than she does, Damien.” He moved closer to her, wrapping his arms around her waist.  “That may be true.  Getting to spy on you, who could blame me?”  He gave her a devilish grin and wiggled his eyebrows.  She laughed.

“Alright, I’m glad you enjoyed that . . . But now, you better help me finish cleaning up.”  She handed him a stack of dirty plates off the kitchen table and motioned towards the sink.  He took them begrudgingly, then walked towards the sink.  Camille turned to give him a swift smack on the rump for encouragement, causing him to jump a little and let out a little hoot.  As he turned the hot water on and started scrubbing the plates, she turned back to the TV.

“Oooh, they’re talking about the Cordonian Wedding again!”  She stood closer to the flat screen and turned up the volume.  “King Liam and several other members of the royal court have accompanied Duchess Emma and her fiancé Drake Walker on the Unity Tour, hoping to rally the Cordanian nobles for their upcoming nuptials.  Just yesterday the group participated in a charity polo event in Portavira . . . . “ Camille stood glued to the TV, watching intently as Damien approached her to grab the dirty pans from the stovetop.  

“Babe, are you seriously watching this again?”  Damien shook his head in disapproval, but snickered a little at how wrapped up Camille had been with the whole noble wedding.  

“Shh, you hush Damien Nazario!”  She waved him away as she continued watching.  “I can’t help it.  I’m fascinated.  It’s like a real-life fairytale.”

“Except in a fairytale, wouldn’t the girl end up marrying the prince?”  She waved him off again, but he continued.  “I mean, I don’t get what this Duchess sees in that Walker guy anyway.  He seems like kind of . . . kind of an ass.”  He shrugged as he walked back over to the sink and continued with the dishes.

Camille kept her gaze glued to locked on the TV, but responded in a cool tone.  “Funny you should say that.  I personally find Drake Walker extremely attractive.”  She turned to admire her husband from behind, while he paid her no attention.  “And he actually reminds me of someone I know.”   He didn’t seem to hear her, but she smiled to herself as she watched him scrub away.  Prince or not, she definitely understood what Duchess Emma saw in Drake Walker . . . but Camille was more than happy with her own version of a fairytale standing in her kitchen.

END

#damien x mc #damien nazario #perfect match #tmarie82 fanfic

[tessa-liam]

Marabelle Series

Choices – The Royal Romance, AU 

Series Premise – An American teenager from New York City is introduced to the world of a small European country and its society of royalty, nobility, and commoners. How will her life story be transformed? Will this new adventure bring her happiness...or regret? 

Marabelle Series Masterlist 

Main Pairing – Prince Liam Rys x F!OC Lady Sophia (Sophie) Taylor 

Other Pairings – Maxwell Beaumont x M!OC Daniel (from NYC), Drake Walker x F!OC Melanie Smithson 

Most characters belong to Pixelberry Studios 

Series Rating – M*🔞Warnings: this series will have NSFW material, crude language & innuendo. 

Not Beta’d - Please excuse all errors. 

Category – Alternate universe/on-going series/angst/fluff 

Words: 2389

The Awakening, Chapter 9 

Chapter Summary – The Duke of Ramsford, Barthelemy Beaumont returns to House Beaumont. Liam prepares for the polo match charity fundraiser in support of disaster relief in Portavira. Sophie attends classes at the University of Cordonia. King Constantine reveals his illness. 

Music Inspiration: The Crown Prince, Waylon Jennings 

A/N1: Bethany Beaumont, Maxwell’s mother, is originally from the U.S. and is Barthelemy Beaumont’s second wife. Annabelle Beaumont (deceased) is Bertrand’s mother. 

A/N2: ‘Social Season’ in this AU series refers to a traditional period in the spring/summer for royalty and members of the court to take part in Balls, dinner parties and charity events. 

A/N3: My submission for Choices Flashfics @choicesflashfics, Week #68, prompt 1 - “Don’t start something you can’t finish.” 

 Personal Care Home, Vallenheim 

Standing in the waiting room, staring out of the window at the parking lot outside of the personal care home, the gray-haired man appeared aloof and unapproachable to anyone passing by. That was, until he spotted his wife and eldest son step out of the town car. The corners of his mouth upturned as he saw his auburn-haired wife gracefully step onto the curb and walk toward the building. His son, Bertrand, followed behind her, his back straight, his expression stoic. 

As the two approached the door, the man straightened his posture and smoothed his salt and pepper hair. He took a deep breath, preparing himself for the reunion he had been anxiously expecting after the years apart. 

The door swung open, and his wife entered, her dark eyes lighting up as they landed on him. "Barthelemy," she breathed, a smile spreading across her face. 

"Bethany," he replied, stepping toward her and taking her hands in his. "It is so good to see you." 

"And you," she said, squeezing his hands in return. 

Their moment was interrupted by their son, who cleared his throat. "Father," he said, inclining his head respectfully. 

"Bertrand," the man replied. "I trust you've been taking proper care of your mother." 

"Of course," Bertrand replied, a hint of defensiveness in his tone. "I wouldn't dream of doing otherwise." 

Bethany chuckled. "He's done a fine job, Barthelemy, along with Maxwell," she assured him. "I couldn't have asked for better sons." 

Barthelemy nodded, satisfied. "Good." 

He then turned his attention to the doctor, who had been watching the exchange silently. "Is everything in order, Doctor? I'd like to get home to Cordonia as soon as possible." 

"Yes, Your Grace," the doctor replied, handing him a thick folder. "Here are all the instructions and prescriptions you'll need. The nurse will be along shortly with the medication you need to take during your trip home. Just be sure to follow the dosage schedule carefully." 

"Of course," Barthelemy replied, a hint of irritation in his voice. He loathed being told what to do, even by medical professionals. Unbeknownst to Bethany and Bertrand, he was playing, along with the doctor and nurse, the role of a lifetime: The miraculously awakened coma patient. 

The doctor smiled apologetically. "Forgive me, Your Grace. I just want to make sure you have all the information you need."  

"I understand, Doctor. And I appreciate your thoroughness." 

The nurse entered the room with a wheelchair, which Barthelemy at once objected to. 

"Surely, that's not necessary," he protested. 

"It's just protocol, Your Grace," the nurse explained. "It's clinic policy.” 

"Very well," Barthelemy sighed, reluctantly settling into the chair. 

Bethany and Bertrand flanked him, each taking the handle of the wheelchair. 

"Are you ready, Father?" Bertrand asked. 

"As ready as I'll ever be," Barthelemy replied. 

The Cordonian Royal Polo Club 

"Hey, Liam, I thought I'd find you out here," Drake called out as he approached the stable, his boots crunching on the gravel. 

"Oh, hey Drake," Liam answered. "I didn't think you were coming until later." 

"Yeah, well, I finished my rounds early, and I thought I'd come by and see how you're doing. How was the New Year's Ball?"  

"It was excellent," Liam smiled, his mind flashing back to his romantic interlude with Lady Sophie. "We had a lot of fun." 

"I'll bet you did," Drake smirked, knowing that his 'smitten' best friend personally asked Sophie to attend.  

"It's not like that," Liam protested, though his ears turned slightly pink. 

"Mmm hmm.” 

"It's not ..." Liam started. 

"Whatever you say, Liam." Drake chuckled, shaking his head knowingly. 

"Anyway," Liam said, changing the subject, "I'm just getting started on the polo drills."

"Mind if I watch?" 

"Of course not." 

Drake sat on a bench while Liam mounted his horse. His crisp white polo shirt accentuated his tanned muscular physique with his riding breeches and boots. 

"All right, boy, let’s see what you can do," Liam calmly spoke, gently kicking the horse's flanks. 

The horse took off like a shot, galloping across the field at top speed. 

Liam leaned forward, urging the horse on. 

Drake watched, transfixed, as Liam and the horse moved as one, their bodies in perfect sync. 

"That was impressive! Excellent!" Drake called out, as Liam brought the horse to a halt in front of him. 

"Thanks," Liam replied, breathing heavily. "He's a dependable and efficient steed," giving the horse a pat on the neck. 

Liam dismounted and accepted a bottle of water and towel from an attendant. As Liam and Drake walked toward the clubhouse, the ranch hands steered the thoroughbred back to the barn. 

“That reminds me, Drake. Are you still available to join my polo team for the fund-raising event in Portavira next week?” 

 “Yes, Mel and I are looking forward to kicking noble ass." Drake grinned knowing that Neville was on the opposing team.

"I still need to find one more player since Rashad had to cancel."

“What about Sophie? Melanie tells me she played polo in New York.” 

“She mentioned she studied dressage back in the U.S. and was thrilled to learn that Marabelle was quite proficient. That skill could come in handy for the team.” Liam pondered aloud. 

“Sophie is a skilled rider, and she would be a terrific addition to the team, Li.” 

“I can't wait to see her ride again," Liam responded, smiling,

"Uh huh, I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun," Drake smirked. 

Liam sighed, shaking his head. "Not everything has to be a double entendre, Drake." 

"I know, but it's so much more fun that way," he cheekily responded.

University of Cordonia, Capital 

"I can't believe it's been a week since the New Year's Ball," Sophie exclaimed, taking a bite of her sandwich. "Time seems to be flying by." 

"I know," Maxwell replied, stirring his salad. "I feel like I need to plan the next Beaumont Bash already!" 

Sophie laughed. "Do you ever stop thinking about these events?" 

"Not when there's so much work to do to organize," Maxwell grinned. "But that's what makes me so good at it." 

"You certainly are, but Max, this is your last semester...don't start something you can't finish." 

“I don’t have to worry about my grades; I have already met the requirement to graduate with honors.” 

"I've been thinking," Maxwell said, a mischievous glint in his eye, "about a different theme for the next Beaumont Bash after my graduation." 

"And what theme were you thinking about having?" Sophie asked, knowing exactly what was coming. 

"I'm going to make it a costume ball!" 

"I knew it! That sounds like so much fun," Sophie grinned. 

"It will be, and you'll be celebrating your first-year anniversary as a Cordonian.” 

"Of course, I'll be there.” 

"So, how are things with Liam going?" Maxwell asked, his eyes twinkling. 

"Good," Sophie blushed. "We had a great time at the New Year's Ball." 

"Did you have a good time, or 'a good time'?" Maxwell waggled his eyebrows. 

"Maxwell!" 

"Okay, okay. I will not push."

"What did I miss?" Daniel asked, as he grabbed a chair to sit down. 

"Sophie was just telling me about her New Year's kiss with Liam," Maxwell winked. 

"Ooh, do tell." 

"There's nothing to tell," Sophie laughed, her cheeks burning. 

"Come on, Soph, give us all the deets," Daniel prodded. 

"Fine. We kissed. It was amazing." 

"I knew it!" Maxwell exclaimed. 

"So, when's the wedding?" Daniel joked. 

"Shut up," Sophie retorted, laughing. 

"Seriously, I'm happy for you. It's been a long time since I've seen you this happy, Squirrel." 

"Thanks, Daniel." 

"So, how are you doing with your Dad coming back tomorrow, Max?" Daniel inquired. 

"I'm okay. I mean, I am glad he is better. But I do not know if I am ready to face him yet.” 

"It's still so weird to me that you and Sophie are related." 

"Yeah, it's a small world," Maxwell chuckled. 

"No kidding. So, what is the deal with your Dad, anyway? What was he doing all that time?" 

"He was in a coma," Maxwell replied, his voice soft. 

"Oh, shit. I am so sorry, Max." 

"It's okay. It's just..." Maxwell paused, looking uncomfortably at his hands. 

"What?" 

"It's hard to know what to believe, you know? After everything he put us through." 

"I get that. But don't forget, he's still your Dad."

"He was a shit one, though," Maxwell pointed out. 

Sophie put her hand on Daniel’s arm, “Let’s change the conversation, Dan.” 

"It’s all right. I always knew that I would have to deal with it eventually. But right now, I just want to focus on graduating and figuring out my next steps." 

"That sounds like a good plan," Daniel agreed. 

"Yeah. It'll all work out in the end." 

"That's the spirit"  

Daniel slid his binder under his arm, "... see you guys later. Oh, and Max, just remember, you've got this." 

"Thanks, man." 

Maxwell watched his friend leave, feeling grateful for the support. 

"He's right, you know," Sophie began. 

"About what?" Maxwell looked at Sophie 

"You've got this. No matter what happens with your father, you will be okay. You're stronger than you realize." 

Maxwell sighed. "I know you are right. I am also grateful that Mom will be there as a buffer for you." 

Sophie wrapped her arm around him. 

"It will be fine. 

Now, let's get to class before we're late." 

Sophie and Maxwell walked together out of the dining hall to their next classes, feeling bolstered by each other's support. 

Cordonian Royal Palace 

King Constantine sat in his study, staring out the window.   

After hearing the devastating prognosis about his health from his personal physician, he directed his queen to track down and summon Leo as soon as possible. Regina, to her credit, tried to assuage her stepson’s concerns as to Constantine's urgency when she found him in the palace gymnasium.

However, Leo knew that his father would not have requested his presence so suddenly unless the news was dire. 

Constantine stood up as Leo and Regina walked into his office, his posture stiff, his face grim. 

Leo looked at his father and at once sensed the seriousness of the situation. 

"Father, you wanted to see me?" 

"Yes, son," Constantine said, his voice low. "I'm afraid I have received some rather unpleasant news." 

"What is it?" Leo asked, his concern piqued. 

"I've just come from a meeting with the royal doctors, and they've given me a prognosis." 

"Prognosis?" 

"Yes," Constantine said, his expression darkening. "They've determined that my health has deteriorated to the point where I can no longer carry out my duties as king." 

Leo's blood ran cold. He knew what was coming next.

"W-what are you saying?" 

"I'm saying that my time as king is over. And yours has begun." 

"What?" Leo swallowed loudly. 

"You're going to be crowned king, Leo. And you will ascend the throne immediately." 

"I have advised the Prime Minister to make the formal announcement tomorrow morning to the country." 

"I have begun preparations for your Royal wedding to Madeleine as well." Regina added. 

"What? No!" Leo shouted. 

"Calm yourself, Leo," Constantine admonished. 

"How can you ask me to calm down?" Leo demanded, his hands shaking. "You're asking me to give up my life, my freedom. My future." 

"As the Crown Prince, you know your duty to your country is paramount. It is what you have been preparing for since birth." 

"No. I won't do it." Shaking his head from this unexpected shock. 

"Don't be so dramatic, Leo," Regina said, her tone exasperated. "This is your birthright.” 

"It's not drama," Leo insisted. "I will not marry Madeleine. I don't love her. And she doesn't love me." 

"Love has nothing to do with it. You are betrothed to her noble house," Constantine stated. "This is about duty and honor." 

"And I won't be bound by either," Leo declared, his eyes blazing. "If I have to marry her, I'll abdicate. You can't make me be king." 

Constantine's jaw clenched, and he stared at Leo with a mixture of anger and disappointment. 

Leo turned and stormed out of the room, leaving his father and stepmother behind him, fuming. 

Constantine sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "He'll come around, Regina." 

‘It’s hard to be the crowned prince 

When it all hits home 

You can’t hide behind the wall 

Around the throne’ 

💕Thanks for reading

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[lizzybeth1986]

Hey, it's the Kiara Deserves Better™ anon! I haven't had the chance to finish it until recently. Your essay was great as always and highlighted why I'm so frustrated with how they've written Kiara. I'm tempted to ask you for another essay, but I'm not sure what to ask for xD. But I figured since you've written so much for me already, I thought I'd share about me: I want to replay and do Hana's route because she deserves better as always, so are there any diamond choices you would *not* pick?

Ahhh yes! I remember you xD I'm always happy to churn out essays as long as I know what I'm talking about 😅😅 I'm glad we agree about how frustrating (and downright disgushing) the treatment for Kiara was. I can't promise to do entire essays on her BUT I sure am planning some fanfic prominently featuring her and Hana 😃 I'm just in two minds because either I'll need to wait until TRH QTs are over or I'll need to abandon my QTs altogether. But I have loads of ideas and I'm impatient to start!!

Okay soooo...which Hana scenes wouldn't I pick? I think that depends on what kind of diamond content you wouldn't like, but rn I'll go with the ones I feel have least value in terms of actually getting to know her.

A lot of the times my problem is that you can tell when they wrote a scene clearly so you could gain advantages, rather than anything related to Hana herself. In such scenes she is not important - how the MC can use her (and at least on one occasion steal credit for Hana's creativity) is. Which bleeds into my overall problem with the canon Hana and MC dynamic (friendship or romantic) itself. Like, when you have to aggressively rewrite whole parts of canon in your fanfic to make your MC seem like a better friend at least...you know there is something wrong.

Book 1: Most of the scenes are top level! Cordonian Waltz...Piano Scene...Yacht scene...Her Confession Scene...Her Finale Scene...all very beautiful and very unique and they all explored different facets of her character. Like even the ones that are about skill or give perks have space for HER personally!

Perhaps some of the scenes in Applewood you can skip, but that would mean you won't get much time to interact with her on closer level there. The pie baking contest is really more about the special touches Hana adds to the pie (like the decoration and additional instructions), but I think you can win the contest for free as well! Buying the Derby champion horse also unlocks an extra scene where she teaches you dressage moves but a lot of the personal stuff she tells you is mostly free content. So on a more personal level (and if you don't mind Hana winning the horse race at Fox Hunt 😁) it doesn't exactly count for much and you can maybe give it a miss.

Book 2: Oof. Terrible mostly. I won't deny you'll find a few gems (Patisserie scene...Library scene...Proposal scene 😍😍😍 Even the McDermots scene is pretty good, besides that one dialogue option where they make Hana call Shanghai "ancient" 🙄). One of the worst ever Hana scenes comes from this book.

Hot Chocolate Scene: Okay so on it's own it's actually a nice scene! It involves genuine personal time with Hana where you ask her questions and show concern...and that gets harder to come by later on in the series. BUT the part that makes this so awful is that this scene should have been where we saw the flashback, not Drake's. In fact the scenes should have been reversed. Drake had no authority talking about something that involved Hana esp when Hana herself never gets the opportunity to use this fact (that Liam brought her back, not Madeleine) to her advantage. So yeah. This scene is good coz you know a little more about her family but awful coz she was robbed of the chance to talk about how she REALLY returned.

PARIS RUNWAY: I put this in caps and italics and red letters because it is the worst scene in the history of this series!!!! Like ever. Where do I even begin with the PROBLEMS in this one.

First, this is not a Hana scene. It's a Penelope scene with a Hana kiss tacked on at the end, for convenience. I bought the scene in my fail playthrough and didn't include Penelope and you could really feel the difference.

Second, like...you know how wearing the Snow Bunny outfit in Book 1 unlocks the Drake Meteor Shower scene, right? They could have easily used that kind of coding here. Buy the outfit and you unlock the chance to model. You know what happens if you don't buy it and buy the Hana scene? The audience applauds you for going on stage in a tank top and jeans. In Paris. It doesn't make any fucking sense!

Third, this particular chapter has diamond scenes for all three LIs. Liam gets to take the MC to the Eiffel Tower and talk about his father as a King and his vision for Cordonia, Drake gets an emotional reunion with his sister. Hana gets...this. A scene that doesn't even give HER importance coz no, kissing Penelope's ass is more important. Hana got bullied the previous night and Madeleine lied through her teeth about her motives the next day (by option) but no, the girl who secretly dragged our reputation through the mud is more important.

Fourth, the scene preceding this one was a group scene masquerading as a "Comfort Hana!" scene. That scene basically focused on anyone who wasn't Hana (including Olivia btw)

The other scenes are fine (following this is patisserie scene and library scene, my favourites in this book), and the Champagne scene is okay, but ultimately it's a decent scene that views the upcoming trip to NY as more important, and there is very little on Hana herself. When you think of that in the context of Hana having very little attention to herself in her own home, and the fact that in the next chapter she is NOT THERE...it's not great. But you can still purchase it because nothing can ever be as bad as the Paris Runway scene.

Book 3: Okay so in this book your scenes are split between "character" and "LI" scenes. The first you will get no matter who you are marrying, coz it's supposed to be about their issues or things only they can specifically impart to you. The second will be exclusively romantic scenes with your LIs.

Character Development Scenes: Hana has three and none of them are good at all. The team took laziness to a whole other level in this book. The Polo scene gives you extra perks at the game in Portavira, but there are very few variations between the "friend" version of this scene and the "LI" versions. Like when Hana has questions about her future the MC - whether she is marrying Hana or not - can claim (optionally) that Hana could be a "professional best friend" (to this day I don't understand why they couldn't replace that option with "Duchess" in Hana's playthrough). The scene where they get Hana's traditional handmade outfit was supposed to be the culmination of Hana's arc but it was awfully executed but the big downside to NOT buying it is that Hana never gets to wear that lovely outfit again (except for a brief time during the wedding). I would have called this the worst scene if Paris Runway didn't take that title and run with it. The Snow Angel scene is Lythikos is...okay, I guess? At least it's about her and not how the MC can best use her.

Again, in the case of both Polo scene and Snow Angel - the scenes are decent, but in both those chapters they're pitted against Drake scenes where you can see the difference in effort!! You can tell Hana's scenes were a real quickie, and devoid of any care or love from the writer for that character.

LI scenes: Thankfully you get better LI scenes for her in plenty. I'd avoid the one in the bathtub in Chapter 2. It's not very well written and the LIs all sounded like each other. This was originally a problem in the Applewood spa scene too but I think they changed it here and there. The rest of the LI scenes were pretty fantastic Hana wise. Some of them even delved a little into the aftereffects of her upbringing...which they never ever brought up again.

Honorary Mention: Hana's Gift. Coz every other LI gets beautiful gifts that are unique to them but for Hana the MC grabs a...telescope and slaps a Hallmark card message to it.

But the thing is that perhaps your criteria for what scenes would be good or not would be vastly different from mine, so do keep that in mind when you're choosing. A good way to gauge would be to maybe take a look at a particular scene on YouTube just to confirm.

Hope this helped!!

#ask me #ask lizzy #hana lee #the royal romance #long post #anonymous #courtly ladies anon

[callmetippytumbles]

So Why Can't Kiara Get a Diamond Scene?

Okay now that we are pretty much done in Castelsarrellian and we are headed to the Capitol in this week’s chapter, I feel a lot more comfortable with expanding on my feelings Kiara’s noticeable absence in these past two chapters.

Of all the women that are the core members of the court that we have interacted with, Kiara is the one we know the least about.  The book does not definitively define her race.  I interpret her as Black-European.  For the purposes of this essay, I am going to assume she is Black, but if canon later shows that she is of East Indian descent or even Afro-Latina, what have you, I will go back and update.  A lot of my points for this will still hold up, regardless.  

Race aside, we still don’t know that much about Kiara going into Chapters 7 & 8.  What we knew before those chapters were the following:

Kiara is a woman of color

Her father is a diplomat

She is a polyglot (10 languages including French and German) 

She was the one that taught Savannah French before she disappeared.

She has a crush on/is romantically interested in Drake

She wants to work in the ministry

She would like to have a husband as well

She is apparently a good dancer (which she did not even know)

Dassit.  

When you look over that list critically, a lot of it is secondhand knowledge, that is to say, we learn this stuff about her from other people, or we can infer it, but it’s not said by Kiara herself.  The only thing that we hear her talk about directly is her professional aspirations to be part of the Cordonian Foreign Ministry.  The only reason we know that she sees herself getting married is that the MC says that her professional desires are in direct conflict of Kiara wanting a husband and Kiara asserts that she wants and can have both.  Work out, KiKi!

When it comes to her personality, what we learn about Kiara is not from direct, one-on-one interactions.  Most of it is filtered through Penelope and Madeleine.  Whoever is the filter also sets the tone for how Kiara is to be viewed.  Whenever you see the favorable parts of Kiara, it’s usually with Penelope.  

For example when Penelope was walking in St. Clair’s fashion show, who was her loudest supporter? Kiara.  Even when Kiara was matter-of-fact about Penelope’s need to get over her anxiety about bigger events in Capri, it’s not necessarily shown as harsh but as tough love.  Now that I think about it, most of the times you see Kiara in the books, especially in Book 1, it’s usually with Penelope.  The only times you see Kiara apart from Penelope is when you try to garner her support after Olivia kisses Liam.  

Conversely, when Kiara is meant to be seen more in opposition to the MC, it will be done through Madeleine.  Like when the MC returns to court at the beginning of book two, Kiara chastises Penelope for being openly friendly with the MC because they are both part of Madeleine’s court now which requires them to be loyal to her.  

In book three, we are given the premise of the Unity Tour and that we would be traveling to the duchy’s of some of the core members of the court to convince them to be our allies.  This included Kiara.  I don’t know why I expected to learn more about Kiara when the writers have shown consistently that they are not interested, but I did.

Our time in Fydelia, gives the MC a laundry list of tasks to accomplish in order to secure the alliances there.  The MC has to recruit Madeleine to be our press secretary (which I still have yet to see this play out to something beneficial[1]), resolve the infighting in her family to convince Adelaide and Godfrey to attend.  

If the MC is romancing Liam, she also has to contend with easing over the fallout from Liam breaking off his engagement to Madeleine to choose the MC instead.  (Liam’s breaking off the engagement is particularly awkward since despite Madeleine being awful she wasn’t an active participant in the scandal against the MC.  Tariq’s statement did not indict her, but Liam was still able to break it off.  She is right to be pissed about that.)  

To achieve these goals and overcome the obstacles that would make this difficult, there are plenty of interactions (free and paid) to glean information about Madeleine to accomplish this.  We are in Fydelia for one chapter, but we get a great deal of information about Madeleine from her mother, Adelaide.  We get a sense of where Madeleine gets her high expectations of herself from Godfrey.  Madeleine has a diamond scene which reveals her determination to achieve her goals.  

In the end, you do accomplish your goals, and all of your issues with Madeleine that would have kept her from saying yes were addressed.

We get two chapters in Portavira with Penelope, one that features gaining her alliance and the other still features her prominently.  In fact, Penelope is so centered in her chapters, in order to obtain her father Landon’s allyship you have to assure him that Penelope’s needs are met.  Emmeline wants the charity polo match to be a success but other than that, you don’t really spend much time with her.  Penelope also gets a diamond scene that focuses on her struggles with anxiety and her service poodles.  This is the second time that we spend a lot of time with Penelope learning about her and her anxiety and assuaging her fears that being a part of the MCs court would be the same as being part of Madeleine’s court.  The first time was in Paris where we were doing this to make Penelope trust us so that she can be honest about her involvement in the scandal.  (To be clear her involvement is that she was the one who convinces Tariq the MC had feelings for him, arranged for Tariq to be in her room, and arranged for the photographer to take photos.  I know Bastien asked her to do it, but Penelope still agreed to do it.)  Penelope does not mention her anxiety directly but spoke of how she would get panic attacks before court events until she got her service dogs and how their absence has made the Engagement Tour that much harder.

By the end of Penelope’s chapters, her concerns about the stressful nature of court life and her needs being accommodated are addressed before Penelope gives her support.

So now in Castelsarrellian, I assumed we were going to spend a lot more time with and learning about Kiara.  Especially when going into those chapters, we know so little about her, her background, and her family.  I can see that compared to Madeleine and Penelope, the writers had a lot of ground to cover.  Then there is the added tension of Kiara was one of the people injured during the Homecoming Ball.  If the last time I hung out with you I got stabbed or “hit with a stray knife” that would be a perfect reason for me to be at the very least reluctant to hang out with you again.  It’s a lot.

I can understand that everything getting covered in both chapters is really hard.  For Madeleine and Penelope, what we gain in knowledge about them personally we lose in learning about their region’s history.  I can appreciate those constraints.  

What I do not get is while we do get to learn a lot about Kiara’s family, especially her brother, which I will get to in a minute, we do not learn as much about Castelsarrellian as a region, but most importantly we do not learn about Kiara.  When you contrast the attention Kiara receives in her chapters to Madeleine and Penelope in theirs, it's quite clear.  The contrast is further highlighted when you consider how much we knew about Madeleine and Penelope going into those chapters.  Especially Penelope.  Also, we still got to learn about their families while they were always centered in that narrative.

As I have already mentioned in my THOTs for Chapter 7, we were in Kiara’s home, but we did not spend a lot of time with Kiara.  We met her father Hakim, her mother Joelle, and her brother Ezekiel.  In that chapter, we spend more time with Ezekiel or Zeke than we with Kiara.  

At the beginning of Chapter 7, we are greeted by Kiara and Zeke.  Then during the cocktail hour inside Kiara’s house, she introduces us to Hakim and mentions his full title (Duke Hakim of Castelsarrellian).  We do not hear from Kiara again until she provides the window of how the MC and Liam can possibly make headway with him (get into the International Art Association).  

After Hakim dismisses himself to attend to the other guests, this is the only moment we get with Kiara that focuses on her...somewhat.  She shows everyone to a seating area where they can talk.  The conversation that secures her alliance starts with her potentially leaving Cordonia because of being injured at the palace.  

After Kiara explains that the MC has to turn that around, these are her options:

Either response gets pretty much the exact same reaction from Kiara:

The same anecdote from Zeke:

Finally Kiara’s agreement to join court and attend the wedding:

There is no real pushback from Kiara, who definitely has reasons to do it.  She has been stabbed at a court event.  No one has really mentioned that a lot.  The MC acknowledges this when she greets Kiara at the entrance to her home. It doesn’t get more than a passing mention from Kiara. No one else talks about it. Not her family, or the other characters. Even Liam, the King, does not address this directly with her.

Also, there is no real effort to convince Kiara either.  The appeals that everyone, mainly the MC make are based on a sense of duty towards Cordonia.  “I know you want to do what is best for Cordonia” or “Cordonia needs you. What kind of diplomat leaves when their kingdom is on the line?”  They address her desire to fulfill her civic duty, but it doesn’t solve or even point out the previous threat to her safety and how that will be rectified going forward.  It's treated as a nonfactor in the discussion even though it is a factor in her family choosing to go to Switzerland.  

I can only excuse this if Kiara’s injuries were minor...something that we don’t know entirely since once again so little is said about it, we don’t know for certain.  All we get is this from Liam in Chapter 1:

“Caught by a stray knife” is all we get. It could have grazed her, or the knife could have been lodged somewhere not fatal. We don’t know which.

After Kiara’s support is given, the entire focus of the chapter shifts from Kiara to Zeke. The first diamond scene does not even feature Kiara at all. Instead, you are learning about wine with Zeke while trying to make him feel at ease.  We just met this dude, and we know more about him than his sister who has been here for 2 whole ass books. Deux. Let me remind you that we did not meet him until earlier this chapter.

In fact, after Kiara leaves to help Joelle stop Hakim from making everything Naija green and white, we do not see her again for the rest of the chapter. She gone. Her purpose, her unconditional support, has been given. That is all we want from her.

We do not get to see Kiara again until late next chapter. She does not show up again until the international food festival part of the chapter, and that is if you buy the diamond scene. If you chose not to spend your ducats (because you save them all for sex, I won’t judge), you don’t see her until after you have secured Hakim’s and Joelle’s support.  Even then it’s mostly to talk about how you got her parents support.  When you can prompt her on another topic, two of the three choices are about Zeke.  You know the guy we just met the last chapter.  

The last one isn’t directly about her, but it is about how she grew up.  It points out that even though her family is the type to have long drawn out discussions about everything, they have honest and open communication and do not debate their love for each other.

After that interaction, she is not just going to hang with her brother and BFF. Nope.  Kiara has to handhold these two to handhold.  Deadass.

At the end of the chapter Kiara set off to join us on the rest of our travels, and we know the teensiest bit more about her, but we know more about her family than we got to actually see her.  Meanwhile, Zeke, who just got here, had a diamond scene already and is potentially being set up for Penelope.  Zeke got all of that shine (which I suspect is only because of the Penelope pairing), we can’t even get recently lotioned Rashad to bat a lash in Kiara’s direction (let alone have her and Drake have a moment). They may allow that happen at the Capitol. Maybe.

Since I am talking about Kiara romantically, let’s go there.  We first meet Kiara when we are introduced to the other suitors for the Crown Prince in Book 1.  The first thing she says in the entire series is “Le prince va tomber amoureux de moi” or “the prince will fall in love with me.”  After that we never see Kiara interact with Liam.  Keep in mind we see Liam interact with Olivia, Madeleine, and Penelope.  The MC interrupt Liam and Penelope when she is talking about her poodles.  Olivia is frequently taking Liam away from the MC.  Also, you see Liam and Olivia talk about growing up together.  Madeleine and Liam interact during the gift exchange sequence in Chapter 18.  

Kiara, on the other hand, is not seen getting any time with Liam.[2]  We don’t even know what gift she got him in the gift giving scene, but we know everyone else’s.  Even in the most recent chapters we still do not see Liam and Kiara interact much.  It’s actually Liam who seeks out Zeke’s approval first.  The story just continues with that focus.  

Outside of Kiara and Liam’s relationship which is nil because we don’t even see them interact much.  Kiara is written to be at least attracted to Drake.  We first see this in Book 2 Chapter 3 when Drake helps to lift a beam off of her when she trips and falls.  (Kiara was trying to lift the beam by herself because Penelope ditched her.)  It’s also one of the few times one of the LIs is seen from someone else’s gaze as opposed to the MC’s.  Drake is written to not be interested in her.  This happens again at the tea party scene.  Drake is interested in finding out more about Savannah and Kiara is subtly flirtatious when she mentions that French is her favorite language because it’s so romantic.  When the MC points out that Kiara is interested in him, Drake responds by saying that he doesn’t think he is her type.  Finally, when Kiara sees Drake at her home, she compliments his suit showing clear interest, and he shifts awkwardly under her gaze (if he is single) or announces that he is engaged if the MC is betrothed to him.  

Even though Kiara may have eyes only for Drake, it’s not that she doesn’t get noticed by other men.  During the garden party before the send-off, Rashad points out that he admires Kiara’s ambition.  Too bad that she follows Madeleine’s shitty advice to not speak very much English to maintain an air of mystery, though it just puts Rashad off since he does not speak French.  

This is some of the better treatment Kiara gets in terms of the writing since at least the writers are willing to write that someone can be interested in her and not be threatened by her ambition. So kudos there.  Other than that she frequently gets the short end of the stick.  She does not get to say much about herself directly, she is frequently paired off Penelope and Madeline, as foils at best and as an afterthought to the scene at worst, and when parts of the narrative should be about her, they aren’t.

I didn’t forget about Zeke’s ass, and now I am back for it.  What was most bothering about Chapter 7 for me was that we spent a lot of time with Zeke even though does not even want to be part of court or actually be a diplomat like his father.  Zeke even says that.  Why is Zeke all of the sudden important when next chapter is may not even be there because he is not about that court life?  Why do we care about if Zeke is going to show up if we do not see him again until the end?  It’s like the writers went out of their way to not have to write about Kiara.  The writers curved writing about Kiara faster than Rihanna curved Drake at the VMAs.  

It’s not like Zeke’s desire to not be a fixture at court and Kiara’s desire to be part of the foreign ministry could not fit in the same chapter.  You could talk about Kiara wishing she could take on the responsibilities for the duchy that Zeke obviously does not give two shits about but the patriarchy is like nah.

Why doesn’t Kiara get a diamond scene?

With that said, I can see why they may not want to write a lot more for Kiara.  It may mean having to talk about race in Cordonia, and nobody wants to do that.  The writers can avoid talking about race with the other characters because they are read as White by default.  Even Liam and the MC who are customizable don’t talk about their race.  Why they don’t is understandable. Coding for multiple races and experiences is tasking and risky. Especially when you are mindful of the MC’s American experience and understanding of race versus Liam’s European experience.  That’s a lot, and I can understand and appreciate why they just opt out.

Like Liam, Kiara’s experience with race wouldn’t be an American one but a European one.  From my understanding, the Choices writing team is America-based, and they may not be as knowledgeable about the difference between the two experiences.  It’s also why they may not have even disclosed her race.

I can appreciate those concerns.  If it isn’t because of race and not wanting to talk about it, why else would Kiara be treated this way?  I mean, if we are really going to do the colorless “she just happens to be not white” route then why doesn’t she get the same opportunities for narrative exploration that the other women of court seem to get?  Madeleine gets a whole fucking redemption route after basically in no uncertain terms revealing herself to be a narcissistic sociopath. Penelope gets her anxiety explored. Olivia is expected to receive a dense storyline about her storyline when the Unity Tour stops in Lythikos.  Then why was Kiara made the secondary character in her own home?  Let’s remember that Kiara was injured during the Homecoming Ball (which I again suspect is mostly so that people can’t argue for Kiara to be the MC’s new press secretary).  That injury was addressed only fleetingly, and then we do not spend much time with her after that. Why?

With all of that said, the writing we do get for Kiara isn’t terrible.  When she is written and thought of (not just included as an afterthought), that writing does come across as interesting and nuanced.  Kiara is smart in her own right, she speaks 10 freaking languages.  Drake questions if he is her type.  Rashad is not threatened by her ambition.  Her family loves and respects her and her goals.  It’s not like Kiara’s character needs a whole revamp or anything like that.  Kiara needs to be present.  I hope we get to see that a little more in the book.

Those are my thoughts on Kiara for now. THOTs for last week’s Chapter will be up later today.  

1. I have never seen Madeleine as so uniquely skilled or adept at being a press secretary that she is the only choice, especially when there were other characters in-universe that are just as skilled, like Kiara and Justin. Both Kiara and Justin were injured during the Homecoming Ball pretty much to force the MC to have Madeleine be the press secretary. This is fucking bullshit JSYK. ↩

2. We see Liam and Hana interact in group scenes but not romantically because both Hana and Liam are far more interested in the MC than each other. The only reason we do not see Madeleine interact directly with Liam more is that she is more focused on her relationship with Constantine and Regina. ↩

#the royal romance 3 #trr kiara #choices the royal romance #playchoices the royal romance

[mrswalkerreynolds]

House Party - Drake x MC *April Fanfic Challenge*

Summary - Sam wants to pull and April Fools prank on Drake. With the help of their friends, things get... pretty wild. Takes place after the polo match in Book 3. This was written for the wonderful @laniquelove‘s April fic challenge! 

Words: 1100

Rating: T for language

“Ok, just remember, act super drunk, and don’t let it slip that all the whiskey is just iced tea!” Sam giggled quietly to Maxwell, Hana, Liam, Olivia, and Penelope.

They were celebrating what Drake thought was going to be a classic Beaumont house party to commemorate the successful polo match earlier in the day in Portavira. What Drake didn’t realize, is that this match fell on April Fool’s Day, and his fiancé finally had the chance to play a prank on him.

“We all need this,” Sam laughed through her explanation of the prank to Maxwell the night before. “It’s been such a crazy year, with the social season, the coronation ball, the attacks on the crown, we have to do something fun!”

“You don’t have to tell me twice! Do you think Penelope’s parents would be super upset if I let out the flock of peacocks into the ballroom? Oooh! And maybe Penelope would let me hold the poodles on the grand staircase like Simba in The Lion King!” Maxwell exclaimed, continuing on as Sam laughed hysterically. This would be perfect, she thought.

The next night, as they were walking toward the grand ballroom, Sam grabbed Drake’s hand and smiled, “Let’s just let loose tonight, Drake. It’s been such a hard year for all of us, I think we deserve it,” she said, her eyes glimmering as she leaned up to kiss Drake’s cheek.

“Plus, I hear that the new whiskey that Olivia had shipped in from her duchy is supposed to be killer.” Sam’s eyes gleamed mischievously as she watched Drake’s eyebrows rise in curiosity.

“Hell Reynolds, you know how much I love whiskey,” Drake sighed, “almost enough to make me deal with another Beaumont party” he finished his eyes rolling in contempt.

“Easy, Walker, don’t use all your angst in one go, you have the whole night to account for,” Sam teased, pulling on his shirt as she opened the heavy oak doors to the ballroom.

What came next took both of them by surprise. Holy shit they’re really going for it, thought Sam as she surveyed the scene.

The doors opened on what seemed to be a circus mixed with the craziest house party either one had ever witnessed. Hana was laughing hysterically while she ran behind Merlin and Morgana, both dressed in what looked to be lion cub costumes. Olivia and Liam chased each other through the ballroom in only their bathing suits, hurling overfilled water balloons at each other, cackling at the top of their lungs as they dodged what looked to be a herd of peacocks from Penelope’s family aviary. Maxwell then appeared at the top of the stairs, downing a tumbler full of what looked to be whiskey, as he then mounted the banister like a horse and yelled at the top of his lungs as he began his descent to the middle of the ballroom, “I CAME IN LIKE A WRECKING BALLLLLLL!”

Drake looked at Sam, frozen on the spot with a look of shock on his face, “Holy shit Sam, what is in this whiskey, Rufalin?!”

Sam just looked him in the eye, and chuckled. “Time to join the party, Walker!�� As she grabbed a bottle of whiskey off the table and took a long pull, not bothering with a glass.

The night wore on, and things got crazier from there, but Drake kept wondering how all of his friends were so drunk, but it felt like he had been drinking water all night. Is my tolerance really this high? This stuff doesn’t even taste like alcohol. Damn maybe I need to lay off the sauce for a little while. I might have a problem. Drake thought to himself as he watched Hana stumble along after the poodles. They’re all so wasted and I’m just…sober?! This is my hell. Drake brooded, watching with shock as Sam threw off her sundress leaving her only in her bra and underwear as she yelled, “Everyone in the pool, “IT’S SKINNY DIPPING TIME!”

“Last one in is a grumpy commoner!” Sam giggled as she smirked at Drake. “Bet you can’t catch me Walker!” she slurred, knowing he loved a challenge.

“Watch me Reynolds,” Drake stammered. If anyone was going to see his fiancé naked, it was only going to be him, the only chance he had to avert everyone’s eyes was to jump into that pool before her, only in his birthday suit.

Drake started to run toward the pool, losing articles of clothing as he went. As he got closer and closer, he realized he was going to be the first one in. Fine, I’d rather they see my naked ass then ogle my fiancé. Plus everyone is so drunk they won’t notice or even remember me doing this, Drake had as his final thoughts as he made it to the edge of the pool, jumping in and feeling the shock of the water rush over him.

Drake surfaced to find all of his friends on the edge of the pool, laughing hysterically, and fully clothed? “What the hell?!?!” spurted Drake as he surveyed the scene, watching Maxwell fall over a lounge chair he was laughing so hard.

“April Fools, babe!” Sam said, now with her dress back on, holding a bottle of whiskey in one had. “Do you need some more iced tea to take the edge off of being naked in front of all your friends?” She laughed, tears rolling down her cheek, as she took a large pull from the bottle.

“Iced tea?! ICED TEA?!” Drake moaned loudly, quickly pulling on the towel Liam threw at him as he climbed out of the pool.

“You’ll pay for that one later, Reynolds” Drake growled in Sam’s ear as he pulled her into his arms. “But for now, can someone get me a real damn drink, I need to forget this ever happened.”

“Here you go, Drake,” giggled Hana as she handed him a tumbler full of the good stuff. “But don’t forget, there could have been a hidden camera in the bushes!”

“You know, for blackmail!” Yelled Maxwell as he sprinted off back into the ballroom, running away from what he knew would be an angry Drake.

“I’ll hunt you down Beaumont!” yelled Drake as he took off behind Maxwell.

Sam collapsed on the floor in a fit of laughter. This is what she missed, all of her friends, her family happy in one place. Why couldn’t they be happy like this everyday? April Fools, she sighed.

*All characters belong to Pixelberry and are not my own.

#aprilchoices #fanfic #trr #trr drake fic #trr drake #trr drake fanfic #trr drake walker #drake x mc #drake x mc fic #drake x mc fanfic #drake walker fic #drake walker #drake walker fanfic #drake walker trr #pixelberry choices #choices #choices fic #choices the the royal romance #the royal romance #drake the royal romance #drake walker trr fic #drake x sam #trr 3 #april fools #fanfic challenge #oc #the royal romance drake #the royal romance fic #the royal romance drake fic #drake walker fanfiction

[kitsumiekat]

For Kingdom, For Her - Liam x OC , Maxwell x MC (TRR Fanfic) (4/?)

Book: The Royal Romance

Pairing: Liam x Kina (OC), Maxwell x Riley

Rating: PG (NSFW for certain chapters?)

Summary: In the aftermath of the attack, the Unity Tour starts of at Fydelia. But Madeleine still nurses a deep grudge not only to the royal family, but to the new Duchess Riley, and point blank refuses to step in to help. Help comes in a different form… and one that absolutely distracts Liam in ways he never expected.

A/N:

Tags: @decisso​

---

The win was plastered all over the news, and as the afternoon sun began to dip, everyone began to file back to their respective estates. Liam himself took a long, much needed shower before heading back out, grinning when he almost ran into Maxwell. “You’re in a rush. What’s the hurry?”

“Sir Toffee disappeared, and Hana and I have a bet on who can find him first.” he explained, his competitive streak showing.

Liam laughed, not at all surprised at the two’s antics. “Did you see Kina anywhere?”

“I think I saw her in the library?” 

Before Liam could ask further, Maxwell had ran off screaming that he spotted the tuff of a tail, leaving Liam chuckling to himself as he wandered towards where Penelope had pointed out her family library the day before. It was no surprise to him at this point when he realized he was keen to find the blonde, petite girl. Her banter amused him, awoken a part of him that years of training to be a royal and a King had tampered down. The way she did things inspired him to step up even more in his game, to embrace his duty yet still find the time to let loose.

Liam Rys was a man who was falling fast, that much he was willing to admit.

Pushing the door open, he glanced inside, his eyes searching and then finally fell upon a figure curled up in the couches the Portavira duchy had placed strategically around the library.

“Lady Kina? You did well today. Riley was splendid.”

He smiled when she looked up, and then frowned when she suddenly scrambled up in a hurry. His brows creased when she slammed her book shut, and backed a few steps away from him, keeping her head respectfully bent as if they had never shared all of the conversations, as if he had never been privy to the beautiful smile she wore when she was content, happy.

“Kina? What’s the matter?” Liam asked, taking a step closer. 

“Thank you for the compliment, Li- Your Highness. I- she started, and then paused. Hesitation warred on her face, that much was obvious to the King. “I apologize, Your Highness. I overstep my boundaries.”

“What do you mean?” he asked. His breathe was suddenly shallow, a fear gripping him. What had happened when he was on the field? Why was she so formal, so proper now?

“My sister was your fiancee, and the Queen Mother has reminded me of that fact. I assume too much by speaking to you as I would a casual acquaintance. I should have considered my position.” Kina replied, her tone stable but indignant.

In an instant, Liam felt the ire at the meddling habits of his stepmother. Regina always looks for the interests of her husband and of Cordonia, yet sometimes Liam couldn’t help but think that she is too set in her ways. As it was, she still did not approve of his deciision to grant Riley her own duchy.

“Pay no heed to her words, Kina. She is simply-”

“But she is right. I have not had the upbringing my sister had. Madeleine was groomed to be a Queen since birth. I... was not.”

“So?”  Liam snapped, irritation making his tone sharp. Almost immediately, he regretted it, but did not miss the shuttered way in which Kina closed up immediately.

“I am here as Riley’s press secretary, and I will ensure the successful conclusion of the Unity Tour, and the marriage of Duchess Riley and Lord Maxwell. I assure you it will end well, Your Highness.”

With irritation welling up in his throat, Liam did not trust himself to speak, and could only watch as Kina backed away and walked out of the library. His hands clenched by his sides, facial features hardening in a simmering anger. As it was, his father and Regina’s fiddling the first time resulted in Riley’s departure and subsequent haste to clear her name. While it ended well when Riley found her love with Maxwell, that didn’t mean Liam was going to stand for it a second time. Not when this involved someone he was actually taking his time to get to know, and just beginning to realize that he was actually falling.

But tomorrow.

At his current state of irritation, he would only cause more trouble if he went to talk to anyone for now. 

Gritting his teeth, he spun on his heels, and walked out of the library, heading for his room when he almost collided into Riley and Drake.

“Whoah, who stepped on your tail?” Drake asked, when they recovered from the surprise and he noticed the irritated look on Liam’s face. Trust his best friend to not miss a single beat.

“Just... people.” he growled. 

Riley blinked in surprise. In her months in Cordonia, she’s never seen Liam lose her cool before. He had always portrayed the image of the calm, collected and level-headed crown prince and King. Drake on the other hand, knew that not many could irk his best friend.

“Riley, you good?” he asked. The American girl nodded, and Drake grinned, motioning for her to return to her room, before turning to Liam. “I got some good whiskey in my room. Come have a drink.”

Liam remained stoically silent, and Drake rolled his eyes. His best friend could be very stubborn about his feelings sometimes.

“Come on.” he cajoled, nudging Liam’s shoulder. “Who else could offer you an ear?”

Despite himself, Liam let out a chuckle. Drake always knew his strings to pull, and in all honesty, the King would trust no one else more then he trusted Drake. Giving in, he trudged off towards Drake’s room.

---

The next morning, Kina groaned when her alarm blared. The royal train was scheduled to leave Portavira within the next two hours, and she had to get ready so she could help Riley get ready for their next location, yet fatigue weighed her body down, sleep tugging at her eyes.

It took forever for her to fall asleep the night before, her mind racing with all the could-have-beens and what-ifs. 

Kina was no idiot. She saw Liam’s frustrated look yesterday, but what Regina said was right. She would merely be a burden to Liam if they explored this sizzling attraction they had with each other. Plus the fact that she wasn’t even sure if he was entirely over Riley at this point. Kina liked to believe that Liam wasn’t the kind to randomly use a girl as a rebound, but that didn’t change the fact that there were too many red flags for her to even go further. He was the King for god’s sake, who was she to even hope?

Groggily, she got up and slipped into her blank pantsuit, tying her hair up in a no nonsense bun at the top of her head and grabbing the next dossier she had prepared. With her bag packed, she stepped out, only to be greeted by a huddle of people in the courtyard gathered around Maxwell’s phone.

“Morning everyone! Are we watching the highlights of yesterday’s polo match, or did Maxwell find another cute dog video?” Riley’s bright voice came from behind her, and Kina turned to see the duchess heading in their direction.

Joining Riley, a sense of dread filled Kina when the shock and anger on everyone’s faces became clear. “Is everyone okay?” Kina asked shakily.

“No.” Hana responded, her tone grave.

“What happened?” Riley asked.

“Those bastards...” Drake growled out.

Instinctively, Kina’s eyes sought out Liam’s, and there she could see the anger in his eyes. Whatever happened the day before now took a seat to the back with his next words. “The attackers have sent out another video.”

Maxwell held out his phone, and when he pressed ‘play’, your jaw dropped as the scene unfolded in front of your eyes, the barren and burnt state of the orchard in Applewood, the pride and joy of Cordonia. 

---

“Who did this, Bastien? Who burnt down the Applewood Orchard?”

Kina had been making her way to her own private car, when Liam’s aggravated voice made her freeze in her tracks. Unable to resist, she peeked in to the adjoining dining car, just in time to see the King’s brows knitted in anger and frustration, listening together with the rest of the entourage to Bastien’s response. 

“My King, we are doing everything we can. Right now, we’re pursuing leads in both the Liberation Core and the Sons of Earth. Duchess Olivia has been very cooperative with questioning, but we have yet to locate her aunt. I will let you know as soon as we have any new information.”

With a curt bow, the bodyguard bowed, and strode towards the exit, revealing her presence as he slide the door open. Kina froze, but Riley and Hana beckoned her over, as they surrounded Liam.

“I can’t believe someone would want to burn down the orchard...” Hana murmured in a forlorn tone.

“It’s a low blow.” Drake jumped in with a fierce scowl. “Attacking the orchard when the real target is the monarchy...”

“Their assassination attempt was foiled, so they now resort to terrorising the citizens.” Liam muttered, anger obvious in his voice.

“The people living in Applewood must be terrified.” Maxwell chimed in, his fingers laced with Riley’s. “How are we going to get through this?”

Silence settled over the group, obvious worry and despair like a cloud over everyone, when Kina finally snapped and spoke up. “Don’t give in to them.”

“Give in?” Riley echoed, confusion lacing her words.

“Being like this,” Kina waved her arms around the despondent group. “This is exactly where they want us. If we lose hope, who would continue protecting Cordonia and it’s citizens? You’ve tracked down missing people, win over the toughest of characters, reunite families... all of you are exactly what Cordonia needs. Show that to the people, assuage their fears, and the terrorists will have lost.”

“Well... when you put it that way.” Maxwell murmured, a slow smile coming back to his lips.

But it wasn’t Maxwell, nor anyone else she looked at as she finished her little speech. As luck would have it, her eyes fell on Liam, and the way his gaze glowed at her, Kina would have fumbled with her binder had she been holding one, especially when he smiled at her as if she was the most special thing he’s seen in a long time. 

“Kina-” he started, but Kina didn’t want to deal with this now. Not when she still had the Queen Mother’s words swirling in her mind, and a million things to do now with the recent attack.

“I’ll leave now, to put in some calls to media outlets. I’ll have to make sure every single news outlet in Cordonia will be at Applewood upon our arrival. Riley, I’ll see you in the boutique carriage.”

Hurriedly, before anyone could ask, Kina backed away, leaving the group with perplexed faces. Drake couldn’t help but nudge Liam, flashing his best friend a pointed look.

“What?” Liam hissed.

Drake rolled his eyes, and then motioned at the retreating figure of Kina.

Liam turned to look, and then sighed. He knew he had to do it, he just wasn’t keen on it.

“Dude.” Drake hissed.

“I’m working on it.” he finally muttered under his breathe, out of earshot of everyone else. Liam Rys wasn’t keen, but he was a man of his word, at least.

---

“What’s the deal?” Drake had asked, pouring out a measure of whiskey into the snifter that he passed to Liam, before making another for himself. He took a seat on his bed, facing Liam ensconced in a cushy armchair, awaiting his best friend’s answer. “And don’t you dare tell me nothing, either. I’ve noticed how often you and Lady Kina disappear together.”

Immediately, Liam flashed him a panicked look. Had anyone else noticed? Was he that transparent? Did someone see them on the boat?

Noticing his look, Drake laughed. “Don’t worry buddy, no one else knows, I think. I’m just sharp that way. The rest of the nobles around here are too caught in their own roses to notice anything else.”

Hearing his words, Liam breathed a sigh of relief, but made a mental note to be extra careful as he took a swig of the whiskey, grimacing as the hard liquor burned on it’s way down.

“It’s... she’s- I don’t know, Drake. Kina’s... different.”

“Different how?” Drake asked, probing for more.

Liam averted his gaze from his best friend, the rock getting heavier on his chest. “I... oh, I don’t know. Bright? Just... different. She may have been brought up as part of a noble family, but she seems far from it. Definitely not like her sister.”

“I’ve heard that before.” Drake muttered with a snigger.

Liam glared, and he immediately held his palms upwards in a defensive manner. “Alright, relax. So what do you plan to do about it? She’s twitchy around you. Good chance she probably feels the same way.”

Again, the King sighed, taking one last swig of the last dredges of his whisky. His silence was answer enough for Drake, because Liam knew that was a good question. What was he going to do about this infatuation of his?

---

“... And then you end the conference on a hopeful note. I have a baby tree ready for you to be planted. Got that?” Kina ended, checking off the last thing on her list as the train drew nearer to Applewood. Smiling as Riley nodded, she looked over her shoulder, just in time to see Hana and Maxwell emerge from the boutique. “Got the right dress for our duchess?”

“Of course! Never doubt my superior wardrobe hunting skills!” Maxwell exclaimed exitedly.

Riley laughed, while Hana rolled her eyes and handed the duchess a set of blue shirt and maroon pantsuit, completing the look with a pair of sunglasses and a beautiful tiered gold necklace. “Professional, photograph-friendly and great for planting trees!”

Riley grinned, accepting it and entering the dressing room, eventually appearing again to great applause and cheer. “Let’s go kick some names and take some ass!”

“Er... I think you meant that the other way around, Maxwell.” Hana muttered, wile Riley laughed, watching the two exit the boutique carriage as the train rolled to a stop beneath them.

Kina was about to follow suit, when a hand on her shoulder stilled her steps, and she turned a set of questioning eyes on Riley.

“What was that?” the duchess asked in a kind tone.

Kina gulped, unwilling to venture to thattopic just yet. Instead, she played dumb. “What was what?”

“That. Back with Liam.” Riley didn’t bother beating around the bush. “You’re worried for him aren’t you?”

“He-he’s our ruler!” Kina stammered, putting on what she hoped was an incredulous face. “Of course I’ll be worried!”

“Not the way you are.” Riley squeezed Kina’s shoulder. “Liam’s a great man. Don’t... Don’t break his heart, will you?”

In that instant, Kina could see why the King had been so enamoured with the New York-born duchess of Valtoria. Her generous soul and kind heart was no fiction, and Kina could see the genuine concern she had for her. Yet this was no time for concern, and Kina simply did not want to deal with the aftermath of what will happen should she and Liam decide to explore what they had further.

“I don’t think I am capable of that, Duchess Riley.” Kina deflected, smiling cordially. Stepping aside, she gestured at the door to where the train’s door was open, leading to Applewood Manor. Even from the door, they could smell the acrid smell of lingering smoke. 

“Shall we?”

#liam x oc #maxwell x mc #trr #the royal romance #trr fanfic #liam rys #king liam #playchoices fic #playchoices #choices fic #choices #choices fanfic #fanfiction #liam fanfic

[tessa-liam]

Marabelle Series

The Game of Kings 2 

Chapter 11

Choices – The Royal Romance, AU – (cross-over with Rules of Engagement) 

Series Premise – An American teenager from New York City is introduced to the world of a small European country and its society of royalty, nobility, and commoners. How will her life story be transformed? Will this new adventure bring her happiness...or regret? 

Marabelle Series Masterlist 

Main Pairing – Prince Liam Rys x F!OC Lady Sophia (Sophie) Taylor 

Other Pairings – Maxwell Beaumont x M!OC Daniel (from NYC), Drake Walker x F!OC Melanie Smithson 

Most characters belong to Pixelberry Studios 

Series Rating – M*🔞Warnings: this series will have NSFW material & innuendo, crude language, intimidation, physical violence.

Not Beta’d - Please excuse all errors. 

Category – Alternate universe/on-going series/angst/fluff/cross-over with Choices Rules of Engagement 

Words: 3259 

The Game of Kings, Part 2 – Chapter 11 

Chapter Summary – It is game day! Let the games begin... Liam discovers Leo’s plans to abdicate. Sophie is targeted by an opponent. 

Music Inspiration: Till Forever Falls Apart, Ashe, FINNEAS 

A/N1: Bethany Beaumont, Maxwell’s mother, is originally from the U.S. and is Barthelemy Beaumont’s second wife. Annabelle Beaumont (deceased) is Bertrand’s mother. 

A/N2: ‘Social Season’ in this AU series refers to a traditional period in the spring/summer for royalty and members of the court to take part in Balls, dinner parties and charity events. 

A/N3: My submission for @choicesaprilchallenge24, dialogue prompts: “(Congrats.) You’re one of us now.”, ‘games’ 

The Royal Cordonian Polo Club, Game Day 

The sun was shining brightly over the expansive polo field, casting a golden glow over the lush green grass and fluttering banners that adorned the venue. It was the day of the highly anticipated charity polo match to raise funds for flooding relief due to the earthquake that struck the coastal duchy of Portavira.  

The atmosphere was charged with excitement and anticipation as spectators arrived at the venue. Royalty, nobility, and the common folk were all greeted by the sight of elegant tents and marquees set up around the field. Grandstand bleachers were erected around the perimeter of the playing field to the south, while across the field in the VIP area, distinguished guests and sponsors were treated to a luxurious experience. The VIP tent was elegantly decorated with floral arrangements and comfortable seating, offering a panoramic view of the polo field. Waitstaff moved gracefully among the tables, offering champagne and hors d'oeuvres to the noble classes enjoying the pre-match festivities. 

Members of Liam’s team, Sophie, Drake, Melanie and Maxwell were assembled at center field waiting anxiously, but enthusiastically, to start the match. The opposing team members, Rashad, Penelope, Neville, Kiara and Tariq stood opposite, discussing strategy in hushed voices. As each player stood beside their steeds, Marabelle snorted impatiently, muscles tense with anticipation as she felt the energy pulsing through the crowd. Sophie stroked Marabelle’s mane as her hooves pawed the ground, eager to explode into action. 

Standing beside Maxwell, Liam listened intently to Drake’s scheme to outwit the other team but was periodically distracted by Sophie’s voice as she spoke soothingly to her horse. He looked over and admired the smooth contour and silky skin of her neck as her long hair was pulled up and hidden underneath her safety helmet. As Maxwell asked Drake a question, Liam stepped closer to Sophie and murmured into her ear, trying not to be overheard. "I have a confession to make.” 

"What's that?" Sophie giggled as his breath tickled her neck. 

"I'm totally checking you out right now." Liam shamelessly flirted, watching her reaction with delight, and enjoying the moment. 

"Oh, am I distracting you, Your Highness?" Sophie cheekily whispered, grinning wide. 

"Extremely," he admitted, their banter adding an extra layer of excitement between them. 

"Then we're even," she smirked, batting her eyes. 

"Even for what?" Liam chuckled not knowing where Sophie was going with that comment. 

"For the flowers and the note." Liam paused, recalling the gift he had sent over to the Beaumont estate on Valentine’s Day. 

"Ah, yes, the flowers and the note," he said, biting his lip, trying but failing not to smile. 

"That was very sweet of you." Sophie replied glancing up, watching his reaction through her eyelashes, smiling demurely. 

"Well, I try." Liam winked, turning his attention to acknowledge the referee walking towards him. 

Melanie could not help but notice their intimate, and soft conversation as she needlessly adjusted her mare’s saddle, moving in close by to stand beside Drake. 

“Congrats. You’re one of us now.” Drake’s voice interrupted her thoughts with his congratulatory remark to Sophie as she spun around to his voice, her annoyance clear.  

“What?” Melanie snapped; her tone sharp as she pivoted to him. 

"Whoa ... whoa, Smithson! Calm down..." Drake responded, raising his hands in a placating gesture, seeing Melanie's irritation. The tension between them was now palpable, adding an uncomfortable twist to the atmosphere between them. 

Melanie's frustration simmered just below the surface as she glared at Drake, her eyes narrowing. She had always felt like an outsider amongst this group, and seeing Sophie being welcomed so warmly and repeatedly by everyone only intensified her feelings of exclusion and jealousy. 

Drake, sensing her ire, took a step back. "I didn't mean to upset you, Melanie," he said, his tone more cautious now, trying to diffuse the situation. "We're just happy to have Sophie join us." 

Melanie huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Sure, whatever," she muttered, turning her attention back to adjusting her mare's saddle. But deep down, she couldn't shake off the hurt of feeling left out once again. 

Drake's face fell. He'd meant what he'd said, but it seemed like no matter what he did, it was always the wrong thing where Melanie was concerned. 

He opened his mouth to apologize, but then stopped himself, realizing that anything else he said would only make things worse. 

With a heavy sigh, he turned and walked away, leaving Melanie to stew in her own irritation. 

Meanwhile, Sophie, oblivious to their underlying tension, beamed with excitement at being accepted by the group. She couldn't wait to join them in their adventures and create lasting memories together. Little did she know the dynamics within the group were about to shift in unexpected ways very soon. 

The referee approached Liam, bowing respectfully before him, presenting the game ball with a solemn air. Liam inspected it carefully, making sure it was in good condition. After confirmation, Liam signaled all the players to mount. 

"Good luck out there, everyone," the referee said, and then he stepped back, signaling the start of the match. 

Liam led his teammates as they kicked their horses into action, eager to get the game underway. 

Sophie, riding Marabelle moved alongside Liam. Her heart was racing, and she could not believe she was about to play in front of such a large crowd which included the king and queen.

She looked over at Liam and nervously smiled. "There are so many people here," she called out. 

"Yeah, this is the biggest turnout we've had in a while," he responded. "Are you ready?" 

"As ready as I'll ever be," she answered, feeling the butterflies return to her stomach. 

"Just focus on the game and having fun. That's what it's all about," Liam smiled. 

"Right," she said, taking a deep breath. 

"We've got this," he assured her. 

As all the players took to the field, the crowd cheered and waved flags bearing the colors of their choice team. 

Liam rode his horse first onto the field. His teammates followed behind him, each looking confident and determined. 

"And here they are, ladies and gentlemen, the Cordonian Royal Polo team and the Domvallien Polo Club team!" The announcer’s voice boomed over the sound system.

The applause was thunderous as Liam smiled and waved at the cheering crowd. 

Lord Rashad, the heir to the Duchy of Domvallier led his team onto the field as he also waved to the crowd. 

"Let's give them a big hand," the announcer continued. "They're going to be giving their all today, in support of the relief efforts for the victims of the recent floods in Portavira." 

Sophie smiled and nodded, trying to calm her nerves, as she noticed her Aunt Bethany and Daniel waving to her from the stands as she rode by.

The starting pistol sounded and the game was underway. Liam and Drake took turns driving the ball toward the opposing team's goal. Sophie watched their fluid movements with admiration, trying to predict their next moves alongside Maxwell. Across the field, Neville and Rashad were also closely following the play as Kiara and Melanie followed closely behind Penelope and Tariq. 

Liam passed the ball to Sophie, who received it confidently, her body moving in sync with Marabelle. 

She deftly guided the ball toward the opposing team's goal, her mallet striking the ball with precision. 

The crowd cheered as the ball sailed through the air and landed in the net. 

"And the first point goes to the Cordonian Royal Polo Team!" the announcer shouted. 

"That was incredible," Liam shouted, smiling with admiration. 

Sophie smiled back, her heart pounding in her chest. 

"Let's keep it up," he said, giving her a wink. 

Sophie's heart fluttered, and she nodded, her determination renewed. 

As the game progressed, Neville seized an opportunity for the opposing team and scored a goal, eliciting cheers from his teammates and spectators. Passing by Sophie, he could not resist shooting her a snide glare, his expression smug and condescending. 

 Sophie, unfazed by Neville's behavior, remained focused on the match and ignored his intimidation tactics. She knew that in polo, actions spoke louder than words, and she was determined to contribute to her team's success. 

 Liam, watching the interaction, felt a surge of protective instinct towards Sophie. He made a mental note to keep an eye on Neville's antics to ensure that Sophie was not affected by his arrogance. 

Sophie and Liam's performance throughout the game was electric and their team was flawless as they dominated the field.  

Sophie felt a sense of pride as the crowd cheered. She could not believe she was actually doing this. It was exhilarating. 

VIP Tent 

"Duke Barthelemy, so glad you could make it," Constantine welcomed, offering his hand. 

"Constantine, good to see you," Barthelemy acknowledged, shaking his hand. Dressed in a tailored suit, his salt-and-pepper hair neatly groomed, he took a seat at the table next to the King. 

“Your Majesty.” Bertrand bowed. "This is quite a turnout," Bertrand commented, surveying the crowd. 

"Indeed, it is," Constantine agreed. "I see Maxwell and Sophia have joined my son's team for the match." 

"I must admit, I'm a bit surprised to see my youngest son playing on the same team as the prince," Barthelemy said, a hint of disapproval in his voice. 

"Nonsense, Barthelemy," Constantine replied. "Maxwell is a fine player, and a valuable addition to the team.” 

"And it's always paramount to support the Crown," Bertrand added. 

"Yes, well, I suppose," Barthelemy said, his lips pursed. 

"Oh, come now, Barthelemy," Constantine chided, laughing heartily. "There's no need to be so apprehensive. This is a charity match, after all. Lighten up and enjoy yourself." 

Barthelemy gave a tight smile. "Of course. You are right, your majesty.”  

"Good," Constantine said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Now, let's watch these youngsters put on a show." 

“However, Constantine, I am surprised your other son is absent from today’s activities."

"He's a grown man, Barthelemy. He has his own life." 

"Still, this is a very important day for the monarchy, and he should be here, supporting the Crown and country. He is the Crown Prince." 

"Leo has a lot on his mind, and he needs time to sort through it." Constantine replied stoically, purposefully not revealing any information to his old friend.

Barthelemy noticed the look of irritation on the King's face. "I see. Forgive me for being forward, Your Majesty, but I feel the need to remind you that this is a pivotal moment for Cordonia. And as the Crown Prince, Leo has a responsibility to the people of our country along with his betrothed." 

"I'm well aware of my son's duties," Constantine replied, his voice low and terse. 

"Come now, Constantine. There is no need to be distressed." Regina patted his arm trying to defuse her husband's aggravation.

The game was nearing half-time as Barthelemy watched his niece with admiration. His thoughts were singular... Her dedication, talent, and composure on the field spoke volumes about her character and capabilities. 

As he watched Sophie and Liam's undeniable chemistry and teamwork, Barthelemy's thoughts turned to her future. He knew that Sophie had all the qualities of a great leader and ruler. Her compassion, intelligence, and ability to inspire others were qualities that would make her a remarkable queen one day. 

King Constantine glanced at Barthelemy, noticing the proud smile on his face. "She's quite impressive, isn't she?" the king remarked, acknowledging Sophie's talent. 

Barthelemy nodded, his gaze never leaving Sophie. "Indeed, Your Majesty. She has exceeded all expectations today. It's moments like these that reaffirm my belief in her potential." 

 'She will make a remarkable queen', Barthelemy mused, having heard abdication rumors amongst the nobility; his speculation peaked.

The match continued with intense excitement, each team giving their best effort. Sophie and Liam's team kept their lead, highlighting their dominance on the polo field. The atmosphere was filled with excitement and anticipation as the last moments of the first half approached. 

At half-time, the players dismounted and enjoyed refreshments in the players tent. Speaking with Liam, Rashad asked what he thought of Leo’s phone call to his father, the king.

Liam sighed, "Leo is probably just frustrated and needed time to think, away from the palace."

Rashad looked concerned. "But the timing couldn't be worse. With your father's health declining, and Leo refusing to take the throne..." 

"Rashad, I've known Leo my entire life. He's stubborn, but he always comes around." 

"I hope you're right," Rashad sighed. 

“My apologies, your highness,” a royal courtier addressed Liam, interrupting the conversation, handing Liam an envelope.

After ending his conversation with Rashad, Liam read the note from his father announcing that he was to meet with his father at the Royal tent at the end of the match. 

As the game progressed, it was clear that the Cordonian Royal Polo Team had a strong advantage to win.. They scored several goals, much to the delight of the crowd.  

Sophie felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through her veins with each successful play. The cheers and applause from the crowd fueled her determination, and she rode Marabelle with unwavering focus and skill. 

Sophie's skills were improving with every play, and she quickly became an asset to the team. 

However, as the game continued, she could not help but notice that Liam seemed distracted, his usual focus and intensity absent.  

As the final whistle blew, the crowd erupted into cheers and applause. Sophie couldn't hold her joy and excitement, exchanging high-fives with her teammates and sharing a triumphant smile with Liam. 

The Cordonian Royal Polo Team had won the game and the match raised a significant amount of money for relief efforts in Portavira. 

Liam approached the players'tent, a broad grin on his face. "Congratulations, everyone," he said, his voice filled with pride. "That was an amazing game. I couldn't have asked for a better team." 

Sophie blushed, the thrill of victory still coursing through her veins. 

"We couldn't have done it without you, Liam," Drake replied. 

"We couldn't have done it without our secret weapon," Liam corrected, his gaze resting on Sophie. 

"Thanks, guys," Sophie replied, touched by their support. 

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Drake asked. "Let's go celebrate!" 

"Not just yet," Liam said, his expression growing serious. 

"What is it, Liam?" 

"My father has requested to see me. I will meet up with you guys later at the beer garden." 

"Sure, whatever you need, man," Drake replied, patting Liam on the back. 

Liam kissed Sophie's cheek. “I shouldn’t be long, love.” 

“All right, see you later.” Sophie grasped Marabelle's reins and started walking towards the stables. 

Liam left his team, walking across the grounds toward the VIP tent. He spotted his father standing outside, surrounded by a small group of nobles and officials. 

Constantine noticed Liam approaching and waved him over. "My son," he boomed. 

"Hello, Father," Liam said, his expression solemn. 

"That was quite a performance out there today."

"Yes, thank you. The team performed admirably. "

"Indeed. And Lady Sophia," Constantine added."Quite the addition to the team."

Liam's face lit up. "She's incredible, isn't she?"

"I can see that you are quite taken with her. She is a charming young lady."

"Father, I don't just think she's charming, I --"

*I know," Constantine interrupted. "But we can discuss that later. For now, I need to speak with you about an urgent matter."

Liam nodded in understanding, "what is it, Father?"

"Your brother," Constantine replied, his voice grim.

"Leo? What about him?"

"He has refused the crown."

"He has what?" Liam's jaw dropped. 

"Calm yourself, Liam. You are in the presence of others," his father reminded him. 

"Father, I..." 

"Later," Constantine cut him off. 

Liam was shocked and angry. He couldn't believe his brother would abandon his responsibilities like this. 

"Liam, it's time we had a discussion about the future of our kingdom," Constantine said, his voice low. 

"Of course, Father," Liam replied, his thoughts racing. 

"Walk with me," Constantine instructed. 

The two men walked in silence, the crowd of nobles and officials following them at a respectful distance. 

"Liam, you must prepare yourself. The crown will soon pass to you, and with it, the heavy responsibility of leading our country," Constantine began. 

Club Stables 

Neville had been watching Sophie with growing annoyance. He couldn't understand why Liam and the others were so taken with her. She was just a commoner, a nobody, and yet they treated her like she was special. She was fortunate to be a relation to House Beaumont, however, she was an American. Not nobility. Another commoner for Liam to grant station to.

After Sophie dismounted from Marabelle and secured her into a stall, Neville approached, a smug smile on his face. 

"Good job, Lady Sophia," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. 

Sophie looked over and ignored his comment, trying to get her bearings. 

"Hey, I'm talking to you," he snapped, stepping in front of her. 

"Leave me alone, Neville," she retorted, trying to push past him. 

Neville grabbed her arm, his fingers digging into her skin. 

"Get your hands off me," she hissed, struggling to free herself. 

He pushed her and Sophie stumbled backwards, losing her balance. She tried to regain her footing, but her foot caught on the edge of the gate, and she tumbled to the ground, landing hard on her side, her head smacking the ground.

She winced in pain, clutching her arm. 

"You should be more careful," Neville sneered, stepping over her. 

"You bastard," she muttered, tears stinging her eyes. 

Neville laughed, his expression mocking. "That's what you get for thinking you're better than you are." 

As he walked away, Sophie lay on the ground, tears streaming down her face. 

She was hurt, and angry, and she didn't know how she was going to get up to get help, feeling dizzy. She laid back down holding her arm close, listening to Marabelle whinny as she reared in her stall.

But one thing was for certain: she was not going to let Neville get away with hurting her like this. 

"Squirrel? Are you okay?" Daniel exclaimed, rushing to her. 

"No, I'm not," she replied, her voice choked with emotion.

"What happened?" 

"Neville happened," she said, anger replacing her pain. 

"What? Why would he do that?" 

"Because he's a jerk," Sophie replied, her voice breaking as she covered her face with her hands.

Daniel helped her to sit up, his face etched with concern. He reached for his phone and tapped Maxwells number.

"Do you want to tell Liam?" 

"No, I don't want to make a scene. It's just a few bruises." 

"Okay, if you're sure," Daniel said, his voice uncertain. 

...I swear that I'll be yours forever, till forever falls apart...

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[kitsumiekat]

For Kingdom, For Her - Liam x Kina, Maxwell x MC  (3/?) (TRR Fanfic)

Book: The Royal Romance

Pairing: Liam x Kina (OC), Maxwell x Riley

Rating: PG (NSFW for certain chapters?)

Summary: In the aftermath of the attack, the Unity Tour starts of at Fydelia. But Madeleine still nurses a deep grudge not only to the royal family, but to the new Duchess Riley, and point blank refuses to step in to help. Help comes in a different form… and one that absolutely distracts Liam in ways he never expected.

A/N: TRR is on break again? T_T Just when it was getting good too!

Tags: @decisso 

---

Leaning on the rail, Kina closed her eyes, giving herself to the breeze as the boat Liam had commandeered zoomed its way out to the waters. The sun had begun to set, golden streaks melting into the dark as the stars begin to come out to play. As the boat began to stop once it got far enough out into the ocean, Kina turned to her back when she heard footsteps coming on the deck. 

“It’s a beautiful night.” she murmured looking out at the horizon, the purplish sky that was quickly darkening. He leaned on the railing next to her. The waves lapped slowly on the edges of the boat, and the soft bob of the boat was soothing as it was gentle.

“I’ve always loved how things are so quiet on water.” he responded in an equally soft voice, almost reverent as if he was afraid to taint the peace of the night. Liam turned to look at her out of the corner of his eye, noticing properly for the first time the fine contours of Kina’s facial features. In many ways, if one squinted, he guessed he could see the resemblance to Madeleine, but where his former fiancee was more strait-laced and serious, Kina’s smile seemed free spirited, yet something seemed to constrain it.

As if noticing his eyes on her, she turned to give him a questioning raise of her brows.

“I promised you lessons.” Liam quickly responded, hoping to deflect any questions he wasn’t ready to answer yet. Instead, he walked out to the deck’s bar and pulled out a chilled container, from where he produced a bottle of champagne. “And this first lesson requires some props.”

Kina laughed at the grin he wore, and strolled on over as Liam filled up two flutes of the bubbly, and took the one he offered her. “I thought Lord Maxwell was the drink connoisseur of our entourage?”

He smirked at her. “He is. But this first lesson is about toasts.”

“Not the edible kind?” she teased, and grinned when Liam laughed. Kina was beginning to realise that with all the stress of the attack, his father’s declining health and his broken engagement, the king rarely laughed.

The thing is, Kina sort of liked his laugh, really.

“No, the ones that require alcohol accompaniment.” Taking a sip of the bubbly, Liam twirled the stem in his finger, slipping a hand in his pocket. And for that brief moment, Kina saw the King he was brought up to be.

“Fortunately, it’s pretty simple. A good toast is all about acknowledging your audience, making them feel welcome regardless of the who or why they've come to see you."

Kina put on a thoughtful look. “Sound’s easy enough.”

“Shall we practice?” he suggested, clearing his throat. “Pretend you’re giving a speech at the Haberdasher’s Guild.” As Kina launched into a pretend speech, Liam found his chest swelling with pride at how at ease she seemed, and how well she would look on his arm as his Queen.

Whoah, slow down there Liam Constantine Rys. 

It was a harsh reminder, and Liam wasn’t stupid to deny the fact that he was entirely charmed by Makeena of Fydelia, but that didn’t mean he didn’t learn from rushing into things with Riley.

When she finished, he grinned and gave a light applause. “Nicely done.”

Kina gave a happy smile and a small curtsy. “I’ve watched how Father and Madeleine do it. I’ve... never had to do it myself of course, nor do I ever have to I guess, but I’ll definitely be able to be the fly in Riley’s ear should she need it.”

“Why did you never do it?” Liam asked in surprise. He would’ve assumed Godfrey would’ve had both his daughter’s on stage.

“I-” Kina started, and then paused as if considering her words. “Madeleine had always been the... one with more star-quality of the both of us. I preferred to stay within our family’s libraries. So Father’s always sent Madeleine as his representative. I was... the glorified housekeeper?”

Liam felt the familiar pinch of anger at Godfrey’s behaviour again, but kept his silence on her father, and instead took a step closer to clink his glass with Kina’s own. “I think you’ll do splendid as a Queen, even.”

His tone was a hushed whisper, audible only to Kina over the lapping of the waves on the boat, and for that split moment as their eyes met in their close proximity, Kina felt her breathe caught. She knew better then to read more into his words then she was supposed to. All her life, Godfrey had always reminded her that her aim in life was to provide assistance to her sister as Madeleine worked to uplift their duchy and to serve Cordonia. She was second rate in her father’s eyes, yet as Liam smiled gently, encouragingly at her... for the first time, Kina believe she could be way more then her father’s words.

“I believe you were here for lessons, Lady Kina.”

---

It was a quiet walk back to Penelope’s estate after docking the boat, but it was anything but quiet the moment Kina and Liam arrived, with the rest of the entourage gathered in a hallway leading up to the bedrooms that Penelope’s family had readied for them.

“Is there a sleepover planned that we didn’t know about?” Kina asked in surprise, as they approached the group.

“Hana,” Drake piped up immediately, horror mixed in with surprise in his voice. “You told me this was a strategy meeting!”

“Relax Drake. I invited everyone over to brainstorm.” Hana chuckled. “We need to make sure tomorrow’s polo match is a success!”

“About that,” Liam interjected from where he stood next to Kina. “Penelope’s parents wanted to speak to me about the match when I returned to the estate.”

“Are they getting us front row seats?” Maxwell asked, surprise and hope evident in his eyes.

Liam laughed. “Something like that.” he paused, and then gave a grin. “They want us all to play.”

---

In a way, Kina admired the king. Watching as the whole gang prepared for their polo match on the estate grounds, Kina noticed how easily they melded and played together, and how despite Maxwell having technically ‘stolen’ his sweetheart from him, Liam seems to treat the young Beaumont just like before, as a friend and a brother, with no malice or animosity in his actions at all.

He really is a noble King, and a gentleman at that.

“Interested?” 

Kina jumped, turning around to find Riley smiling knowingly at her. Immediately, her cheeks flushed, and the blonde shook her head quickly. “Nope. Just... making sure you’re all prepared for the game.”

“You don’t have to worry you know.” Riley murmured, handing the horse she had been riding off to a stable hand. “I may have been attracted to him back in New York at first, but it was a fleeting attraction. Nothing like what I feel for Maxwell. That being said... he is a very sweet man. I still feel bad for letting him down.”

“I’m sure Liam wouldn’t want you to tie yourself to a marriage you didn’t want though,” Kina replied when she saw the guilt flash past Riley’s face. “He only ever wanted your happiness.”

“Like how he puts everyone else before himself. He... needs someone who will put him first. And I’m willing to help him.”

As Riley said that, she gave Kina a pointed look, and the girl quickly averted her gaze, unwilling to entertain that idea. Instead, she quickly made a show of checking the time on her wristwatch, pretending to be surprised when she saw the time. “Come along, Duchess Riley. We’ll need to get you dressed for the match. Your main aim in the match is to...?”

“Impress Penelope’s family?”

Kina grinned, flashing Riley a thumb’s up. “That and wow the crowd, of course. Your biggest problem isn’t convincing Emmeline or Landon because I’m sure you’ll have that in the bag. It’s indifference.” Kina stopped at the entrance to the boutique, and quickly popped in, leaving Riley to follow as she padded over to a shelf marked as ‘reserved’. From there, she pulled out a floral dress with a flourish, grinning when Riley gave a pleased look.

“You do know how to pick a dress, don’t you Kina.” Riley commented, as she shimmied into the new dress.

“You don’t learn nothing after living with Madeleine for twenty-six years.” Kina replied breezily, helping the duchess with the zipper. “Now go out there and blow Portavira out of the water.”

---

The match grounds were filled with people and tensions were high as Kina slipped into the stands, eyes immediately searching out the royal entourage. It wasn’t hard to spot them, but what surprised Kina the most was how quickly Liam’s eyes settled on hers, and that within the next minute, he was suddenly jogging across the field in her direction.

“Hey.” Liam greeted, with a casual smile that hid his racing heartbeat, a result of adrenaline of the upcoming match, and the fact that he actually decided spontaneously to greet Kina the moment he saw her in the stands. Already when he announced he would be back within a few minutes, Drake and Riley both shot him suspicious looks. He had no doubt that speculation would be running wild on the Cordonian papers within the next week, but somehow Liam found that he didn’t care.

Kina gave a lopsided smile, unsure of how to respond. The king just literally made a trip across a polo field to greet her, someone relatively tiny in the sphere of things. How did one react to that?

“Hey. Nervous?” she asked, uncertainty lacing her tone.

He shrugged. “I guess. Neville and his big head are driving Drake up the wall, but otherwise I think we’re solid.”

Kina smiled, and for the moment neither of them said a word, just letting their gazes meet, before she finally cleared her throat when the sound of the umpire announcing the start of the game pierced through the cloud they had created for themselves. “Good luck.” she wished, a hesitant smile.

Liam grinned a bright smile that had her heart skipping again, before turning around to jog back. Left in a daze, Kina started when someone cleared their throat behind her. Turning around, she gulped when the disapproving face of Queen Regina stared at her. Apparently, the King Father had meandered off to their royal stand, but the Queen on the other hand, had lingered when she noticed Liam running to the stands.

“Know your place, Lady Makeena. I’m sure Lord Godfrey has taught you since birth.” she reprimanded, in a voice that clearly meant no nonsense. “You have much to learn from your sister.”

And just like that, Kina was reminded once again, of how highly everyone regarded her sister... and how dispensable she was to everyone else. Who was she to even imagine for one second, that she actually felt a difference around Liam? 

“Yes, Queen Mother.” Kina bowed respectfully. Because what else could one say in this situation?

#the royal romance #trr fanfic #maxwell x mc #maxwell x riley #liam x oc #king liam #playchoices fic #playchoices fanfic #choices fanfic