Riley Brooks removes herself from court before the end of King Liam and Countess Madeleine’s engagement tour, leaving her group of friends heartbroken. After a decade, the crew’s given up on finding Riley, but when Drake stumbles upon news of a recent tragedy, they make a last attempt to bring her back
⇢ Forever Mine (in progress)
The time for Princess Riley to step into her role as queen fast approaches and finding the future king is Cordonia’s top priority. Commander Liam is aware of that, and has plans to make sure the princess ends up with someone suitable
⇢ Reluctant Reunion (semi-hiatus)
After not having seen each other in a while, Olivia reflects on her relationship with Vivienne
⁂ — o n e s h o t s
⇢ Lythikosian Nightmare
Liam has a nightmare
⇢ Love and War
Attack on Titan x The Royal Romance birthday fic
note: since this is a sideblog, i wont reply to comments so people don't get confused, but i will do reply reblogs from this other blog! even if i don't reply please know your comments mean so much to me and are my motivation to write! so thank you to whoever takes the time to leave one, or even read my work. muah 💛
It’s your friendly neighbor fanfic author here. In the light of this apparent new trend of people feeding unfinished fics to AI to get an “ending,” and some people even talking about “blanket permissions,” let me just say this:
I EXPLICITLY FORBID ANYONE TO FEED MY FICS TO AI. DUDE, THAT IS ABOUT THE LEAST RESPECTFUL THING YOU CAN DO. IF YOU DO IT, SHALL YOU BE EXCOMMUNICATED FROM YOUR FANDOM AND WALK ON LEGOS BAREFOOT TILL THE END OF DAYS.
❦ summary — The time for Princess Riley to step into her role as queen fast approaches and finding the future king is Cordonia’s top priority. Commander Liam is aware of that, and has plans to make sure the princess ends up with someone suitable.
➺ chapter warnings: implied smut, manipulation, mild language, violence, character death
❦ catch up here!
➺ word count: (+/-) 3020
*all characters belong to Pixelberry, except those unique to my story*
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Hakim paced around the king's office, hands behind his head, sweat down his brow, shirt untucked. Constantine, sitting on the chair of his desk, staring down at the reports of the deaths from this morning, had a similar expression on his face.
"There..." Hakim begins to speak. "There can be no interference in the social season. Whoever did this needs to be removed from the court. Nay, from Cordonia!"
"Hakim, please," says Constantine calmly. From his tone, no one could tell that he was more stressed than Hakim.
"Your Majesty." The diplomat stops pacing and comes to a stand in front of the king's desk, hands flat on the table. "If things with the social season do not go as planned, then I am certain we may have to change course. The people of Cordonia would not be happy if their princess were to marry a foreigner such as Alexander."
Constantine takes a deep breath. "I understand more than some, Hakim."
Silence spreads between them. Hakim crosses his arms and takes a seat in front of the desk, trying to take deep breaths. Trying to think the situation through.
Constantine, on the other side of the table, was furious, though there was a sense of gratefulness in him that Hakim was more in support of his plan now.
Before the king had announced the beginning of the princess' social season, he had told one of his closest friends what he planned to do: he was not going to have just any man marry his daughter, no, he was going to plan this out correctly. Just as he had deemed Godfrey's daughter, Madeleine, fit for his son, Constantine had determined that anyone from his old friend's family would be good enough for his daughter.
Hakim was opposed to it at first, saying it was against his morals and he wouldn't want to force the princess into something like that. But when the social season actually began and both of them realized the nature of the suitors and their backgrounds, Hakim had figured that perhaps Constantine's plan was in the best interest for the princess.
But this... this, Constantine told himself, was just a little hiccup in the plan. He told himself that there was no chance that Michael would become upset or embarrassed over what had happened at the palace. No, he was more upset about the chances of someone hurting him, or Madeleine, or even worse, the princess.
Constantine tells himself that it was truly terrible; such bad luck that one of the victims was close to his daughter.
"How could this happen?" Hakim yells again. "Imagine what could have happened if-"
"Exactly," Constantine interrupts. "Imagine. It did not happen, and so there is no reason to stress about it. In our game, only a few pawns were hurt." He puts a hand on his chest in mock pain, though he could truly care less. "I am deeply saddened that the woman who died was one who treated my daughter as her own, but her death will prove to make us stronger from within. I know we will get to the bottom of this issue. I trust Liam has it all under control."
Constantine leans back in his chair, making himself comfortable again. He motions for Hakim to relax.
"Now," the king begins again. "Have breakfast with me. I promise that before the end of the morning, Liam will have figured everything out. I trust that young man more than I trust my son," Constantine states, finishing his sentence in a laugh.
The servants bring in tea, bread, and berries to serve the king and diplomat for dinner.
Down the hall, Liam watches the servers bringing in and taking out plates, waiting for the right moment to approach his king with his newfound evidence.
The Commander retreats back into his office for a second, where he sees Hana speaking to herself.
Liam clears his throat and she comes to his side. He opens the office doors for her, and they begin their small walk to the king's office.
Hana, watching servers bring the king a grand breakfast, wonders how far Riley's room is from where they stand. She wonders if Riley knows anything about the Commander's doings, considering how close they seem with each other during events.
Before she can form another thought, she is presented to the king.
Liam bows once they enter the room, though not as low as Hana does.
"Your Majesty," he begins, voice laced with the same confidence that Hana noted when Liam had spoken to her. "I believe Lady Hana Lee has given us the answer to last night's mystery."
"Oh?" goes the king after biting into a strawberry.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Hana begins her speech. She knew she'd perfect it and would make no mistakes; she'd been rehearsing before the Commander called her to walk over.
"Last night," she begins the scripted tale, "I was spending some time in the library after dinner. It was a very eventful day and reading helps me calm myself before bed, and I had already finished the books that I brought with me from home, so I wished to read more about Cordonia's history. Though when I was leaving and going back to my room..."
She pauses. Liam looks at her from the corner of his eye, suppressing a smirk. She visibly begins to breath quicker, and her eyes go wide a little. Liam notices how watery they are.
"When I was... retiring to my rooms after visiting the library... I noticed Lord Michael walking away from the servant's chambers. There wasn't any light in the halls, but there was something in his hand. I swear I saw it!"
"Go on," Constantine urges, having put his fork and knife down.
"Your Majesty, I believe..." she pauses again, having difficulty breathing as a singular tear rolls down her eye. "I believe I saw Lord Michael walk into the royal secretary's office! I... I heard shouts afterwards! I know I shouldn't have waited to see what would happen, but I let my curiosity get the best of me. I only heard what had happened this morning from the Commander, just as I was going to him to report what I had seen!"
"I can confirm that everything that Lady Lee said is true," Liam continues on for her. "The security tapes were taken to my team for review so there were no chances of anyone possibly tampering with them. Zoe Zacharias confirmed to me that Lady Lee was telling the truth about her location and Lord Michael's last night at the time of the murders."
"By God," Hakim states, his hand to his mouth, looking between Liam and Constantine.
The king on the other hand, seconds away from choking on the strawberry in his mouth, had his jaw gaping wide open. He swallows the food still in his mouth, then starts on a coughing fit.
"Your Majesty!" Hana cries out, taking a step towards the king's desk, though Liam puts a firm hand on her shoulder and draws her back out the room.
Large, warm hand still on her shoulder, Liam leads Hana past his office and through the corridor of where soldiers were taking reports from other guests. While the Commander nodded at the nobles he passed by, Hana looked straight forward in the direction of where she was being led.
When they reach her rooms, Liam finally lifts his hand from her, allowing Hana to turn around and face him.
"You did well today, Lady Lee," he says to her, wide, charming smile returning to his face so quickly that Hana can't even remember why she was so nervous around him. He seems so proud of her, that Hana does not want the smile to disappear or the moment between them to break.
He reaches for her hand, which she gives to him as though it was second nature, and he kisses her knuckles twice.
"I'm proud of you," he states. "You've done well." And Hana wishes she knew how to hide the blush creeping onto her cheeks.
"Thank you, Commander," she replies, silently hoping that he would let her go now.
"In an hour or two I'd like you to go into Princess Riley's room and speak to her, understood?"
Without a second thought, Hana replies, "Yes, Commander."
"Perfect."
***
Hana was counting down the seconds as she walked towards Princess Riley's room, directions given to her by the Commander. Hana had asked him what he wished her to talk about, but Liam merely responded with the demand that she must be his ears in places where he or his guard cannot go.
There was a lot more information about Liam than what he showed people, that was more than clear to Hana. His words that seemed cut off before he could finish his sentence were still perfectly executed that it made Hana feel like she was overthinking it. She told herself that she had no reason to question Cordonian military. If her parents put her faith in them, then so should she.
Hana checked her watch before knocking on Princess Riley's door. There were still 30 seconds left until the time that Liam told her to visit the Princess. She decides to wait, but once she hears footsteps coming down the halls, she knocks, hoping that no one spotted her awkwardly standing in front of the Princess' room.
Seconds later, the handle of the door twists, and Hana faces a tall, red headed woman, Duchess Olivia of Lythikos.
"Good afternoon, Duchess," Hana greets. "Is the princess currently in her rooms?"
"Good afternoon, Lady Lee," Olivia mirrors Hana. "Yes, the princess is here."
Hana expects Olivia to let her into the room, or at least ask her why she was there; Hana had planned her reasoning for the visit.
"Well..." Hana continues, after the Duchess does not continue speaking. "I wished to offer her my condolences. I know that Lady Maria was someone very close to her."
"Alright. The princess says thank you," Olivia states, without even turning to look at Riley, who was trying to motion to Olivia to let Hana into the room.
Before Riley can get out of bed and let Hana into the room herself, Olivia has shut the door in Hana's face.
"Olivia!" Riley exclaims, pushing herself out of bed, then struggling to stand with her tired and sore legs.
"What?" Olivia asked, genuinely confused. "She did what she came to do here, she can go back to her rooms now."
Riley clicked her tongue and limped over to the door. Instead of Olivia helping her, she stared at the princess and rose an eyebrow at the way she was walking. Surely five hours of not walking doesn't cause that?
Once she reaches the door, Riley opens it fully, glad to see that Hana was still there, eyes slightly watery, looking down at her watch.
"Hana!" Riley cries, wrapping her arms around Hana's frame. "It's so glad to see you. I know you've been in Cordonia since the beginning of the season but I haven't had a chance to talk to you in private yet. How are you enjoying your visit so far?"
"It's wonderful, truly," Hana consoles the princess.
Riley removes her arms from around Hana and stands straight, trying not too put too much weight on one leg. "I hope the current circumstances haven't made you too worried?" Riley questions.
Now, Hana is able to notice how dark the circles around Riley's eyes are, how different she looks from yesterday's events. The princess stands in a nightgown, not an inch of fabric free from wrinkles, with the door of her room completely open.
Hana takes a small step towards her, which causes Riley to step back and allow Hana to enter the room. After closing the door, Riley makes her way towards her bed, and pats the spot next to her for Hana to sit. Olivia sits on the stool in front of the vanity, looking at her nails while eyeing Hana.
"I'm not concerned about the safety of myself or my family," Hana begins, heart thundering, taking careful breaks in the middle of her sentences to make sure she said the right words. "I know that the Cordonian military has everything under control. And since Commander Liam is in charge of the situation, I know I have nothing to worry about."
Hana notices the way that Olivia's head comes up to stare at her, and how Riley audibly gulps and looks away, nodding her head.
"Yes..." Riley speaks in a low voice. "The Commander has his ways to make sure everything goes properly."
Hana pauses again, her breath catching. She couldn't figure out what the princess was trying to say, and she didn't like the reaction that Riley and Olivia had when she mentioned Liam. Didn't Riley always seem close to the Commander? There were many rumors about them as well, so unless Riley was uncomfortable with those rumors, Hana couldn't guess why they had such a reaction.
After the silence stretches between them a moment longer, Hana speaks again. "I came to visit you to offer my condolences. Even if they were just servants, I know that it's easy to develop close connections with people who are always around you."
Riley continues to stare down at her lap, nodding her head. "Thank you," the princess says without making eye contact.
A quiet veil covers the room. Even Olivia looks away from her nails and stares at the carpet that covers the floor. Riley does not look up, and Hana notices her hands are shaking. Neither of them try to speak at first, understanding that, even though only one person was feeling the loss, there was a presence in the room that would never show again, but always seemed to remain over their heads, permanently in the room. Hana wondered how many memories were in this room, or spread out the palace overall.
"I hope I wasn't interrupting a private discussion just now?" Hana states in a quiet voice, not wanting to shake the calm waters that settled around them. She put her hand on Riley's shoulder, who finally looks up.
"No, not at all," Riley says with a smile. "We were just talking about some people at court."
"Really?" Hana grins. "Can I ask who?"
Riley looks away again. "I won't say names, but it wasn't a suitor."
Trying to guess what was going on, Hana questions, "Were you talking about some of the ladies? The ones that gossip everyday at breakfast?"
Olivia scoffs, and Riley blushes. "No, no," the princess says. Hana can see that she was rolling thoughts around in her mind. She hopes that the princess will let her in on what they were talking about, otherwise the conversation will become too awkward for Hana to remain in the room.
Finally, Riley continues, and from the corner of her eye Hana can see that Olivia stares open-eyed at the two of them, closely analyzing what the princess was revealing.
"There's this man who I had close relations with. He isn't a suitor, but I know that some of the public has entertained the idea of my marrying him, and after talking with Duchess Olivia, we were speculating that his recent actions with me allude to the fact that he suspects that we will get married."
"And you say that he is not a suitor?" Hana questions, brows furrowed, mind racing, going through all the names of the men at court so she could guess who Princess Riley was talking about.
Riley takes the corner of her blanket and wraps it around herself. "No, he isn't," she says plainly. "So Duchess Olivia suggested that I be straightforward with him."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning I let him know that I can't and won't entertain him or further our relationship." Riley lowers her voice and looks back at Hana, gaze so empty that Hana believes Riley's asking for her approval. "I have a duty to my country before I have a duty to anyone else. Besides my father, of course."
Hana, with mixed emotions varying from confusion to concern, holds Riley's hands in her own, letting the blanket fall from the princess' shoulders.
"I think you can do it. It's a true and honest statement for a princess to make, and as long as you're determined and happy with your choices, you'll be able to lead your people as the greatest queen Cordonia nation has seen."
"Thank... you," Riley pushes out. Olivia still stares at the pair of girls, listening to every detail of their conversation. Though Riley had barely interacted with Hana these past few years, she was quick to confide in the old friend. Olivia thinks she should take initiative before Riley reveals too much information.
Standing from the stool, Olivia states, "Riley, you should try having some lunch now. I'm sure His Majesty would like to see you as well. Lady Hana," Olivia nods in her direction, "thank you for visiting."
"Of course, Hana says, embracing Riley quickly and leaving the room.
Though the interaction with the Princess had been heartwarming, and Hana was glad that, even though they hadn't discussed personal matters in almost a decade, Riley barely hesitated to confide in her.
Before she could completely make it down the hall, Hana realized that she would have to report all of this to the Commander. She tried to remember the small details of the conversation she just had.
Though a part of her burned in shame over the fact that she would betray Riley's trust like that, not an ounce of Hana's body could convince her to go against the Commander's orders. If not for the fear of what he would do if she didn't do as told, then for the way he looked at her with pride in his eyes, as if Hana had done some great deed to cure the world, to solve all his problems, causing her to want to be the only person who could make him feel that way.
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a/n: please let me know if you'd like to be added or removed from the tags :)
❦ summary — The time for Princess Riley to step into her role as queen fast approaches and finding the future king is Cordonia’s top priority. Commander Liam is aware of that, and has plans to make sure the princess ends up with someone suitable.
➺ chapter warnings: implied smut, manipulation, mild language, violence, character death
❦ catch up here!
➺ word count: (+/-) 1880
*all characters belong to Pixelberry, except those unique to my story*
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The rays of light which usually illuminate the golden palace of Cordonia's capital is no more today, as the sudden deaths of two of the palace staff is being mourned.
Curtains cover all windows, doors have all been locked with guards waiting to reprimand whoever tried to leave. No one was allowed to move around the palace freely at all, not until Commander Liam was able to interrogate all the guests on where they were last night, on who was near the princess' handmaid and the royal secretary.
While Commander Liam shout orders to his guards in the halls of the palace, Princess Riley laid on her bed with Duchess Olivia sitting next to her in attempt to soothe her friend.
Riley's blanket covers her head, her body, her soul from the world she is so terrified of. Her body still ached from the previous night, and when she awoke this morning, she saw scratches and bruises all along her hips and inner thighs.
The news of Maria and Jean's death came from Commander Liam directly, who took Riley into his arms after telling her the news, caressing her lower back and thighs, which he could tell were in pain.
He carried her back onto her bed while she tucked her face into his neck; though they had shared an intimate moment last night, one that Riley felt brought them closer than ever, this type of relationship was not one that she had wished to have with the Commander. She didn't want him to see her face.
Liam had called Olivia into the room to console her friend, who, three hours later, was still not out of her bed.
"Get up," Olivia states, once Riley's sniffles have slowed.
"No," the princess responds plainly, her voice muffled from inside the sheets.
"You're going to starve, I'll tell one of the maids to bring you something to eat."
Again Riley's tears burst out of her, shaking her whole body and ruining her voice. As Olivia begins to walk to the door to ask for food, she realizes that her choice of words was a mistake. The thought that, in this moment, on a different morning, and now in a different life, she would have asked Maria to bring the Princess some food, who would have been happy to spoon feed Riley.
Finally, the princess emerges from her blanket, eyes puffy and red, nose swollen, lips cracked and dry. Olivia notes that she looks terribly like a child; an abandoned baby.
She lets go of the door handle and goes back to Riley's bed, holding her friend in her arms, rocking her and gently running a hand along her back as Olivia's own body began to shake.
"I know," Olivia says, a knot forming in the back of her throat. "I know."
***
"Good morning, Lady Hana," the Commander says to the woman on the other side of his desk.
"Good morning, Commander," she responds, a smile so wide that Liam can't imagine that she's so happy to see him, though it falters the longer Liam keeps his eyes on her.
A moment of silence has stretched between them, so to give her room to breath, Liam takes a sip of his tea. The moment allows her to continue her morning greetings, and she says, "I hope you had a nice evening last night. Besides the circumstances."
A chuckle rumbles through him, and for a moment Liam sees Hana's smile extend to her eyes. He wanted to mention to her that he did have a nice night, an amazing one at that.
More than one of his goals were accomplished that night, and though he had spent the last month telling himself that Riley was out of reach for him, that statement could not be more false now. Everything was falling into place. The next 10 minutes would determine another goal of his, and Liam knew he would achieve it. There were no limits to the sacrifices he was willing to take to get Riley.
Instead of saying all that though, he keeps it simple, "I had a pleasant night. But back to the topic at hand, I believe you know why we are here this morning." He pauses, waiting for some understanding to fall onto her face or another word to come out of her lips. But her features do not yield any hint of concern, besides an innocent eyebrow raise and doe-like eyes. Pure innocence.
He continues, "I need to know your whereabouts during the time of deaths."
"I was asleep, Commander," she says in a gentle voice. There is no force behind her tone, no shift of her body: her left leg remains crossed over the other, the edge of her dress stretching back over her knee onto her thigh. She knows that she can't fidget, not even to fix her dress. In public, perhaps she would move around more, but she's smart. Not as innocent as Liam suspected.
"And what is there to prove you aren't lying to me?" Liam asks, hoping that she would at least stutter.
"I alerted both of my parents when I decided to retire to my rooms, you may ask them if I am required to have an alibi."
"No," Liam says. "There's no need for you to present an alibi." For the sake of formality, he crosses her name off of the paper in front of him, writing a small note stating her claim to have been asleep. Though Liam could play this scheme into whatever direction he wished it to go in, playing with the King would not be a smart move. And though he liked to take risks, such a risk would be more of a death wish.
"Am I free to go?" Lady Hana asks, finally fixing her dress and pulling it over her knee.
"No, not yet."
There it is, Liam thinks. A small drop of panic sets over her. The smile melts off her face, her eyes look frantically at the clock on the west side of the room. Though it's not much, it's a lot more than he had two minutes ago.
"I have a few more questions to ask you," Liam says with a smirk, grabbing a plain piece of paper out of a pile. "If you don't mind, of course?"
"I don't mind at all, Commander." Lady Hana states, a sprinkle of enthusiasm lacing every other word she speaks.
"I want to ask why you choose to attend the social season this year," Liam begins. "You did not make an appearance at Prince Leo's social season. I understand that Princess Riley and you are old friends, but the princess was present during her brother's season as well."
He counts to three seconds in his head, waiting for her to begin an explanation. When she doesn't, he picks up again.
"What I'm trying to ask is, what brought about your sudden appearance in court, after more than a decade of absence?"
Still no answer.
He leans closer to her, watching her breathing quicken slightly. "If it was in order to begin a courtship with someone who your parents deemed fit to marry, then what I mean to ask is, why didn't you participate in Prince Leo's social season?"
He's repeated a question already, hinting at his own irritation at her lack of an answer. Liam's intention was never to ruin this woman's dignity or pride, but he needed to find something, even one loose board would let him lift everything up, lift the story into his own hands.
Liam leans back again. "I understand that after your previous experience with a failed engagement, and I mean this with all due respect, your mother has been pushing you back into the social life, in order to arrange another engagement with someone, yes?"
There's no longer a pause, no longer an opportunity for Hana to answer. Liam doesn't want her to change the story he's trying to tell.
"And so, with more eligible men around than His Majesty or Princess Riley could know what to do with, there has to be one of them, that continues to look for a bride within the court once they are rejected by the princess. Isn't that right?"
"I don't understand." Hana finally speaks, though Liam is confident she knows exactly what he said.
He looks away from her, pretending to organize a pile of papers next to him before continuing, "Of course only the actors know the character's true intentions. I am merely a member of the audience. Though, as a fan of the theatre yourself, I'm sure you can admit that the audience has every right to speculate on an actor's... decisions."
He stands, looking down at a pair of eyes replicated from a frightened doe's. Liam has the high ground.
"Seductress, some may call it."
"I am nothing of the sort," Lady Hana defends. Liam can tell that she wishes to say something more. He could see it in her, the way her shoulders straightened by the smallest angle, the way her breaths became more even: she was in control of herself again, she knew what Liam was saying was false.
He smiles at himself. His intention was never to brainwash her, no, but to solidify the fact that, in this court, in front of someone like him, Lady Hana would not openly object to the ideas thrown her way. Perhaps Liam should pity her; it was a sense of freedom that neither Lady Hana or Princess Riley were given. But Liam, of course, could use that to his advantage.
After a moment of silence, during which Liam internally celebrates the fact that he got his answer, and Lady Hana begins to sweat a little, the Commander speaks again. "I have a proposition."
Doe-like eyes meet his again.
"If you do as I say and help me make sure that none of the suitors pose any danger to Princess Riley, I can grant you a promising position within the court, in which you may be able to find a match without your mother breathing down your neck."
She takes a moment to consider his words. Liam hopes that he didn't push her too lightly; he didn't want to scare her, but of course he couldn't let her walk away with the idea that she was safe, either.
"And if I don't?" she questions, clear eyes meeting his in a way that sends shivers down Liam's spine. Her confidence didn't seem to falter.
"Well, if you do not," he repeats, grabbing the piece of paper with the names of the social season's guests, the one on which Liam had already crossed out Lady Hana's name. "Then that doesn't change the fact that the royal secretary and handmaid didn't make it out of the night alive, did they? And again, I am just a member of the audience in this performance. All the actors are suspicious to me, and there is no proof that you were in your chambers last night like you said."
"But my parents-"
"Against my word?" Liam says in a low voice.
Lady Hana goes quiet, and her hands begin to fidget with the edge of her dress.
And that only took six minutes, Liam thinks to himself.
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a/n: i know it's been a long time, please let me know if you'd like to be added or removed from the tags :)
making this post before i start to tell myself that its too late to come back, even though its been more than 6 months lol
an apology is in order for having been inactive for so long </3 i promise that this isnt a dead account i was just so busy in life and it mentally got too much to handle, and then every time i'd think of coming back something else would get thrown onto my plate and i'd just get so overwhelmed.
not saying that life hasn't slowed down yet as much as i'd like it to, but i am becoming a lot more organized with my time in comparison to how i've been (/srs. i've said that every time bUT THIS TIME ON GOD)
am i coming back because i miss writing? yes. am i coming back because i feel responsible since i was so excited with all the different fic ideas but then just left them for nothing? yes. do i care about how trr ended, or have i been keeping up with choices at all? no. truth be told i have been a lot more active in different fandoms, but i really just wanted to hop in and check how the community is doing
i missed u guys </3 if anyone sees this and i was on your taglist add me back i need to see that you guys are alive too also bc i miss getting notifs from my fav mutuals </3
❦ summary — The time for Princess Riley to step into her role as queen fast approaches and finding the future king is Cordonia’s top priority. Commander Liam is aware of that, and has plans to make sure the princess ends up with someone suitable.
➺ chapter warnings: implied smut, manipulation, mild language, violence, character death
❦ catch up here!
➺ word count: (+/-) 1960
*all characters belong to Pixelberry, except those unique to my story*
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The soreness on Riley's hips and wrists along with the ache and emptiness between her legs paired with Maria, her handmaid, still calling to her from the other side of the door, served to fuel her panic and drive her near tears.
After quickly redressing himself, Liam gently pulls Riley's gown back over her, patting her hair down and wiping tears from her cheek.
"What are we supposed to do about," Riley begins to ask, but pauses when Liam squeezes her wrist.
"Stay quiet. I will do the talking," he commands, and Riley is too frightened to do anything but obey.
As he walks them over to the door, Riley feels a warm liquid traveling down her inner thigh. She looks again towards Liam, wanting some sort of assurance that they weren't going to get into trouble with her father, but he doesn't spare her a glance.
"Princess?" The royal secretary, Jean, calls out. "Your father requests your presence! I still must go and collect the Commander as well. Please, do not make this difficult for me."
Liam opens the door in one swift motion. "No need to go collect me, Jean," the Commander says to the royal secretary. "I was with the princess taking a complaint about one of the nobles." He taps her lower back, which Riley takes as a cue to nod.
"Ah... I see," says Jean, taking a moment to stare at Riley's fallen tears. "Well, then, let me lead you to His Majesty's office."
As Maria walks away, Riley and Liam follow closely behind Jean, the dark hallway illuminated by small streaks of light from the windows.
"Why do you think my father is calling us over so late?" Riley asks Liam, hoping for some gentle conversation. She was still trying to wrap her mind around what had occurred between them in the library. The pain in her inner thighs increased with every step she took.
Instead of answering her, Liam pulls out his phone, illuminating his shadowed face for a few seconds before he puts the phone back in his pocket.
Riley asks her question again, and when he turns to look at her, she looks away. His gaze brought a sense of shame in her, even though at that moment she wanted nothing more than his comforting arms around her.
"I'm not too sure," he says plainly, and they continue their walk in the dark.
When they reach the King's office, Constantine sits at his desk with Leo across from him. The old man motions for both Riley and the Commander to sit, then dismisses Jean.
As the man leaves the office, he tries to read the Commander's expression from the corner of his eye.
Was Liam proud of himself, Jean wonders? Being with the Princess alone so late at night was not only dangerous for her but was guaranteed to cause rumors to go around. He was thankful that it was only him and Maria that had heard what was happening inside. For the princess' sake, Jean told himself that he wouldn't tell anyone what he had witnessed.
"I called you all in here to tell you," Constantine begins, "that the end of the season will be Riley's coronation."
Leo and Riley shift forward in their seats, surprised at their father's words.
"There's no reason for you to be surprised, Riley," the King says. "You knew of this before the season began."
"True, but," she stutters. "It... it was never finalized."
"It has been now," the man says. He opens his mouth to say something more, but Riley interrupts him before he can.
"But why? You told me that I would have months after the season to prepare for the wedding and for my role as queen. Why didn't you—"
"Your father has cancer, Riley," Liam interrupts her.
She turns her head to him in shock. "How long have you known?" the princess asks, a feeling of betrayal filling her eyes with tears.
"There's no way you've been telling your Commander these personal issues before your own children," Leo speaks out.
Constantine raises his voice to answer, "Trust me when I tell you that I wished to tell you sooner, but I truly couldn't."
"Bullshit," Leo states, falling back into his seat.
The room falls into stiff silence. Riley stares down at her hands, anxiety and confusion filling her chest. Leo couldn't shake the anger out of his head; how was Liam a more important person to tell compared to Leo and Riley?
Meanwhile, Constantine and Liam give each other a meaningful look, and the King instructs the Princess that she should get some rest before the morning. He tells Leo to stay in the room for a moment longer.
Liam offers his hand to Riley, and as she stands she sees Leo giving her a meaningful stare from the corner of his eye, but she can't guess what his unspoken words mean. The Commander and Princess walk out of the room arm in arm.
As the door to the King's office closes, Liam's elbow falls away from Riley's, leaving her to reach for him, but she takes a step back before her fingers graze his sleeve.
Riley notices someone else is in the hallway, but cannot recognize them. Liam greets the person with a nod.
"Is it still the same person from your message, Commander?" the soldier asks.
"The same three, Zacharias," he states.
"Of course, sir, my apologies."
Three? Three what? Riley wonders. She had complained to him about Michael, so it would make sense that he would call someone else to do the job for him. But who were the other two he was talking about? Could it be unfinished business?
She takes another step closer to him but stops when the soldier's eyes land on her.
Without another word, the Commander and his soldier walk away from each other, and Liam locks his arm with Riley's again to bring her to her room.
He kisses her hand when he leaves her outside her door, and when she's about to sit on her bed and is unexpectedly met with Maria, Riley jumps away.
"My apologies, Princess," the old woman says. "I just wanted to make sure that you made it back to your room safely."
"You don't have to worry about me, Maria. I'm not a small child anymore," Riley claims.
"I know, but," the woman pauses. "I do not think you should be spending so much time alone with Commander Liam."
"Why? Do you have something against him?"
Maria hesitates before answering. "I just think it's improper."
Riley doesn't respond to her statement. "I'm tired," she says instead. "Good night, Maria."
"Sleep well, child," the woman states, watching Riley roll into bed, then leaving the room.
As she walks the halls towards the servant's quarters, Maria feels a brooding presence behind her. She turns to look, suspecting that someone was following her, but the space behind her was empty; everyone had gone to sleep hours ago.
She continues walking through the palace, purposefully avoiding her room, until she circles back to Riley's chamber. Still, she feels something behind her, until Maria builds up the courage to ask, "Who's there?"
She waits for a response, staring at the dark space she had just come from. Maria stands still until the presence becomes dull, until the clouds outside cover the moon, and the small amount of light she had disappears, and she is left in the dark with an unknown stranger.
...
Even though the king had dismissed Jean, he had other duties to finish before his night came to a close. He made his way quickly to his small office and sighed as he sat down.
Jean grabs papers from the files he still has to work on, telling himself that he'll be fine sleeping on the couch in the corner of the office, but his thoughts are interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Who's there?" he calls out, heart thundering, mind racing through the possibilities.
"It's just me, Jean," Zoe Zacharias laughs as they respond.
"Hey, Zoe!" Jean reacts to the pleasant visit. Though he and Zoe were not friends, they had been working closely since Liam became Commander. "Did the Commander dismiss you for the night, too?"
"Yeah, but I'm not too tired," they state, eyeing the pile of documents on the corner of Jean's desk.
Jean follows their gaze towards the pile. "Heh, must be nice being let out early. I can't go to sleep right now even if I wanted to."
Zoe responds with a light laugh. "How about we go get some drinks?"
"I can't," Jean states, motioning towards his pile.
"Afterwards I'll help you with your forms," they state, holding out a hand to lead him out of the room.
They walk quietly into the palace kitchen, which only has a few dim lights on, letting the two of them see around the room. Zoe walks towards a cabinet and grabs two bottles of wine, while Jean survey's their surroundings, worried that someone might catch them.
"You don't have to worry about someone finding us," Zoe states after they grab the bottles. "The Commander lets me get a drink whenever I want."
They start to make their way back to Jean's office, but Zoe stops and walks onto a balcony and Jean follows close behind.
The two of them listen to the melody of the night, the soft whisper of the wind, the gentle hum of life that had yet to sleep. When the bottles are open and they both take a swing, Jean wonders whether he should confide in Zoe about what he knew happened between the Princess and the Commander.
Zoe worked closely with Liam, even if she knew this information, she wouldn't blabber it on to other workers in the palace, would they?
But when Jean turns to look at Zoe, their eyes already stare daggers into him. Jean's body gives a jolt, and he almost chokes on his wine.
"You look like you have something to say," Zoe states.
"No. No, nothing," Jean claims.
Zoe raises an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"
Jean gulps and nods his head. He considers running back inside to the comfort of his office couch, but Zoe's gaze makes him too afraid to move.
"Is it something about the Commander?" Zoe guesses, causing Jean's body to go cold.
Noticing the reaction, Zoe throws their head back and laughs. They take a swing from their bottle and wipe the corner of their mouth.
"You can tell me, Jean," they say. "I've got plenty of embarrassing stories about Liam. Some that he'd kill me for if he knew that I'd told anyone." Zoe gives him a wide smile. "Your secret's safe with me."
"Oh, thank God!" Jean breathes a sigh of relief. "I thought you were going to tell the Commander and he would... would execute me or something!" The words fall out of Jean's mouth before he knew what he was saying. "I mean I didn't mean to walk in on him and the Princess, and even though I didn't see anything, I still think that it is beyond improper... I mean imagine if the king found out!"
"Exactly," Zoe states as Jean gives out a nervous laugh, staring out into the now moonless night. "Imagine if the king found out."
As Jean kept laughing, the clouds covered more and more of the night sky, leaving him and Zoe unable to see anything in front of them; the light from inside the palace wasn't even sufficient enough. And as the world around Jean becomes darker and darker, his vision turns black, and he is left feeling nothing but an increasing pain in the back of his head.
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a/n: i know this was short but i hope you all enjoyed this :))
❦ summary — The time for Princess Riley to step into her role as queen fast approaches and finding the future king is Cordonia’s top priority. Commander Liam is aware of that, and has plans to make sure the princess ends up with someone suitable.
*all characters belong to Pixelberry, except those unique to my story*
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Walking to the Commander's office alone was a bad idea. Even worse considering that it was past midnight. But Riley couldn't help it; nor could she hear the voice in her head telling her to stop over the thundering in her ears.
Maybe she should have gone to Drake instead, or even Maxwell. Even Olivia would have helped.
She wears slippers and a gown, one that wasn't appropriate in case someone saw her. The lights of the guest bedrooms she passed were on, she could hear some maids and guards in the distance; there were too many chances of her getting caught, yet her feet still led her down the cold hallway.
Leo had sent her a text an hour ago, telling her that he finally came back from his day's activities and that their father was upset. She could walk to her father's office and say what she needed to tell Liam. Or she could even walk to Leo's room, her older brother wouldn't push her away, would he?
But her feet kept moving. She had put on the wrong shoes before leaving her room: she hadn't worn these in more than a year, and they were a size too small. The cold floor stung the heals of her foot every time she took a step. Riley longed for the warmth of the library fireplace, the softness of Liam's fingers, his gentle embrace.
But that wasn't what she was going to him for. Yes, she was lonely, and yes, she wanted some company, along with some validation that she had done a good job today, but she was going towards the Commander's office to complain about one of her suitors. Riley knew that out of all the people she'd tell about her grievance, Liam was the one who would take action.
She doubted that Leo wanted to help her with anything that had to do with the season, and she knew that her father would tell her to bear it and stop complaining. Drake and Olivia's intimidation tactics wouldn't work to drive away someone she didn't want around, and Maxwell's family was slowly losing significance, so he couldn't help either.
But Liam, Liam could. Riley knew. Out of all the people in her circle, he had the most power. He wasn't self-absorbed like her father, he didn't avoid responsibility like her brother, he isn't afraid of the spotlight like her. He'd be the one to take action.
Since before the season began, she had dreamed up hypothetical situations in which she, in a flurry of emotion, didn't wish to marry any of the men who presented themselves to her, and she would run to Liam to tell them to go away.
It would be perfect for both of them, wouldn't it? There wouldn't be another power-hungry man near Constantine trying to take Liam's position away from him, and there would be no one controlling Riley. It would be perfect for both of them.
The belief that Riley was doing the right thing, not only for herself but for Liam, too, gave her the confidence to open the door to his study.
Her eyes land on unruly hair that had been perfectly styled this morning, hunched over stacks of papers, pen in hand with ink staining his long fingers.
She didn't move from the entryway, forgetting that there was an open door behind her, listening to the pen scribbling away on paper. The Commander had missed the day's festivities and was still working? Riley couldn't imagine the stress he carried on his shoulders, visibly weighing him down.
"Commander?" she calls as quietly as she can.
He looks up at her, but she cannot make out his eyes from such a distance. She walks up to him slowly, remembering why she came. Tears form in her eyes from the frustration, though her voice is steady when she says, "I wish to talk to you about—"
"Princess, please," he soothes, standing up to brush tears from her eyes. He leans closer to her, and Riley shivers when she feels his breath on her cheek. "I'm busy right now, darling." Another shiver shakes her spine. "I'll meet you in the library in twenty minutes."
He sits back down and she is left staring at the top of his head again. Riley only moves when she hears footsteps from outside the room, prompting her to dash towards the library.
When she reaches the library, Riley makes sure that it is empty. She checks her phone and finds messages from her brother and Drake asking where she is. Her heart thunders in her chest, running wild with excitement that Liam will join her shortly. She doesn't want anyone interrupting them, so she tells Leo and Drake that she's reading a book in the library, and warns them not to bother her.
She takes a seat on a desk near the fireplace, thinking of how to introduce her complaint to Liam. How would he react to her words? Would he call her childish, think she overexaggerated or misunderstood? Would he laugh at her? She loved making Liam laugh but knew that if he ever laughed directly at her, she would cry in front of him.
And even though she doesn't want to show Liam any tears tonight, a dull sense of dread rises in Riley's chest and stops her breath. How much longer did she have to endure this? Why did she have to suffer through unsolicited comments, not only by the men and nobility who participated in the season but all the reporters who spoke to the world?
She wanted it to stop, it was too much. She felt disgusted with herself that she prefered to go back to the life where she didn't have to worry about anything; other people would do that for her. She wanted to go back to the sweet noble life.
The library door opens and she spins around. Liam's hair is still out of place, and his military coat unbuttoned. She can see the shirt that usually stretched under his muscles, now hanging untucked and lose from his slouch.
She doesn't want him to see her tear-stained face, so she wraps her arms around him and buries her face in his chest, pleasantly surprised by the smell of lime and jasmine.
His calloused fingers come to rest at her hips, and she can feel the depth of his voice in his chest as he says, "Tell me what happened."
"Lord Michael..."
She only manages to utter his name before he speaks up again, "Say no more, I'll get rid of him."
"Please don't do something rash."
"I won't, darling. I'll make sure he's gone by morning."
She feels his attempt to move away from her, but Riley wraps her arms tighter around him. "I missed you today," she states, without realizing the weight of her words.
Liam doesn't respond. He looks down at her, the scent of lavender shampoo filling his nostrils. His fingers tighten their grip. Riley gives a soft whimper but doesn't protest.
Should he let go? Leave and return to his office? Stay and comfort her? What type of comfort did she need? He was stressed enough as it is, but he didn't want to leave his darling alone.
"Come here," he says into her locks, leading her towards a reading chair. There was only one chair, and when he sits down she continues to stand, looking around for another seat.
Liam, lacing his fingers through her's, gives Riley's hand a gentle pull, motioning her to sit on his lap. He expected her to pull away, every voice in his head told her that she better do the proper thing and move away, go grab another chair.
But after a moment of hesitation, Riley sits between his knees, taking the time to wrap her legs and arms around Liam's back. She tucks her head into his neck and takes a deep breath, while Liam's breathing quickens.
"You had all those men around you," he reminds her, feeling her breath catch in her throat, "and you still missed me?"
He hears a soft hum in his ear and continues, "Cordonia's greedy little princess."
Riley's face heats up from those words, but she doesn't move. Nor does she stop the Commander from moving his hands below her gown or grinding his hips against hers.
Through all that, the princess slowly lifts her head to let her eyes meet Liam's. Their breaths getting faster as they stared into each other, trying to find an answer or queue.
Liam wanted her to pull away, while Riley, unsure of herself, wanted him to continue. She had no idea what she was doing, but her heart had never moved this fast or felt this warm, she never before had wanted a man to tell her that he loved her. So she let him continue.
With his hands on the underside of her thighs, Liam stands and walks her over to a desk, lifting her gown off of her as he places her down. Riley doesn't want the Commander to look at her body, so she gently pushes her lips against his.
Liam instantly regrets his decision, but she doesn't pull away so he continues.
Riley's insides burn with shame, but he doesn't scold her, so she moves to help him undress.
Pain and pleasure break through her as Liam tells her to lie on her back and greedily thrusts into her. She holds her hands against her mouth, forbidding any sounds to escape. Meanwhile, Liam's filthy words feed the pleasure and shame inside Riley.
He grabs her wrists and holds them over her head. She struggles to hold in moans and tears, wanting to scream from the way he was pushing into her with the intensity of a man who had long been deprived of sexual gratification.
Panic and fear build in her chest after a knock at the library door. Liam doesn't turn his head or slow his pace.
"Princess?" a voice comes from outside the door. Riley hopes that they cannot hear what's happening. "The royal secretary has been searching for you." Riley recognizes the voice, it was her handmaid, Maria.
"Princess Riley," the royal secretary speaks out. "Your father is requesting your presence. He understands that it is late, but the issue is urgent. Prince Leo told me you would be here."
Frantically, Riley turns to Liam and squirms, wanting to release her hands from his grip and push him off of her, but his fingers tighten around her wrists.
"Go on, princess," the hulking man prompted in a hushed, sultry tone. "Answer them."
"I... I'm okay!" she manages to belt out, just before his thrusts increased tenfold.
Riley felt blood on her tongue from how hard she bites down on it. She tries desperately not to release the hot flurry of moans that wanted to spill from her lips. The metallic taste flusters her more.
The pleasure Liam causes is enough to make her head spin. The way he curves toward her cervix, hitting a spot just near it with every pound, made her see stars. Riley fears that she may soon give away her and the Commander's compromising position if he didn't stop.
"Please," she sobs quietly, to which he responds with a dark chuckle in her ear.
Liam had been waiting so long for this. Why would he stop now, when he had her exactly where he wanted her since they had first met? She was enjoying him. She was accepting him.
"Does my little girl want to cum?" he taunts. "After teasing me like a little whore for years?"
It was what she needed that moment, but she was more concerned about the people outside the door entering and seeing her like this. She wanted the release. She wanted this. She wanted Liam, or at least in this moment, she believes she does.
Nevertheless, she didn't want anyone to witness her in such a vulnerable state beneath him. She didn't know what would happen. Worst of all, she didn't know what Liam's fate would be, once her father discovered his treachery.
"Ah... ah, the... d-door."
"Do it before they decide to check on you, because I won't stop.
And she believes him, because this isn't the sweet, caring man she knew. This is someone who wanted nothing more than to dominate her. This was someone who had been wanting to do this.
All those fleeting glances and touches, had they been precursors to this? But the thought was lost as he brought her to climax around him, and only then did Liam begin to worry about who was still at the door.
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a/n: okay y'all i've never written smut before and i know this is really bad so please don't judge. I told myself i would never write smut. but i had to do it for the plot🤌🏻 anyways i hope y'all enjoyed this lol
