Rules: post the beginning lines of your most recent 10 published fanfics, then tag 10 people!
Thanks for the tag, @missameliep ❤️
My latest fics were posted in 2024 for King Liam Appreciation Week, I posted only three fics and one of them was simply an old fic rewritten... I don't know if I'm cheating, but I really liked everything I came up with the KLAW prompts, so I'll post them anyway 😁
1. Break - Part I revamped | Liam Rys X MC (Jade Bourbon)
While Maxwell waited outside the ladies room, Jade looked at herself in the mirror and heaved a sigh. She was a mess. Sure, she could fix her makeup and go back out there. But what for? Watching Madeleine snaking her hands over him? For more people to tell her how she became a pariah in the kingdom and should just leave? What was the point of all this anyway?
Turning on the sink, she washed her hands and placed them on the back of her neck to freshen up. She was still resolute not to give up. But for the night, she had enough.
As she walked out of the ladies room, Maxwell stood up from the settee with his usual encouraging smile.
"You seem better."
"Thanks..." She simpered. "Can I go back to my room now? We congratulated the happy couple, toasted, dined on their honor and blah blah blah..." Jade gesticulated as she twisted her lips in annoyance.
"Sure. I think the staff already has it cleaned. I'm kinda beat too."
"Let's go then."
Lacing arms with her friend, Jade walked towards the grand staircase.
2. Pause For Coffee | Liam Rys X MC (Jade Bourbon)
Blue, pink and purple hues painted the sky as Liam rested on the chaise lounge of his office before the last meeting of the day. Though this week has been calmer than usual, he still needed a couple of minutes before the video conference with Cordonian ambassador in the US. Returning to work after Elise's birth hasn't been easy. Fortunately, there's one thing that never failed to help him restore his energy.
"Your Majesty?" His assistant called after a soft knock on the door.
"Come in."
Carrying a tray with a cup of coffee and sparkling water, his assistant walked in and placed the tray on the side table. "Your coffee, sir."
"Thank you, Andrea."
As his assistant left, Liam smiled as the comforting smell of brewed coffee filled his lungs, bringing back memories of the day he tasted it for the first time.
3. Fallen Petals | Liam Rys X Madeleine, Liam Rys X MC ( Jade Bourbon)
"Thank you for coming!" Madeleine faked a smile and waved as the last guest left the grand hall. The countess then grumbled and extended her hand to her maid, who promptly squeezed a hand sanitizer on her palm.
Right next to her, Liam inhaled sharply. It still baffled him to remember that Leo endured Madeleine for three years. Keeping up appearances in front of guests was one thing. But when it was just them and the servants, it was so much harder. After all, that was exactly when Madeleine's true self would show.
"Your Majesty, your bedchambers are ready," Bastien whispered.
"Thank goodness," the King mumbled to his bodyguard, who pressed his lips together and nodded. Bastien certainly knew how obnoxious Madeleine could be.
"I beg your pardon?" Madeleine cut in.
"Bastien just informed me my room is ready and I thanked him. If you excuse me, I'd like to rest right now."
"Alright, you've been doing your part pretty well, Your Majesty." Madeleine smirked.
"Not as well as you do, sweetheart," Liam retorted as he walked towards the stairs.
Tagging: @rosesnink @princess-geek @storyofmychoices and anyone who's still writing and willing to share their latest fics
What if this fanfic was a book? - The Greatest Con (The Heist: Monaco)
The Greatest Con by @lorirwritesfanfic is a mini-series that explores the relationships between the main character Rebecca Lowe and the crew while planning a heist to steal the crown jewels and the possible implications once Rebecca's feelings for the getaway driver Fabien might get in the way and how hard it can be to keep the eyes on the real treasure… It's a sexy and fun read.
If this series was turned into a book, I thought of a few ideas for covers inspired by Rebecca and Fabien:
You can read the summary and A/N and have access to the chapters of the miniseries, info about the MC etc.
Main Character: Rebecca Lowe
Mini series: The Greatest Con
Rebecca was sure stealing the crown jewels of Monaco would be an easy job, but as
thank you for tagging me @lorirwritesfanfic!! this was a lot harder than i thought it would be, but still a lot of fun!
Rules: Bold/color the things that you relate to and then tag some people to play.
I write: daily | most days | a few times a week | a few times a month | random
I write most often: when I first get up | later in the morning | afternoon | evening | the wee hours of the night | whenever (esp. if i’m procrastinating with work)
In one sitting, I tend to write: a few sentences at a time | a few hundred words | a few thousand words | a complete chapter/section no matter how long | An outline | whatever comes
I tend to write scenes: in chronological order with no skipping | mostly in order but with some filler/skipping | whatever scene I feel like | who knows what’s gonna come out????
The things that comes easiest to me are: dialogue | description of senses | description of action | description of characters | exposition | other | introspection
I tend to write: on a phone | on a laptop | in a notebook | on whatever paper I can find | with speech to text | in the blood of my enemies | it doesn’t really matter to me | on paper first and then typed up | old school typewriter | On a computer
When I take a break from writing, it usually lasts: a few days | a few weeks | a few months | it’s kind of random
My favorite thing to do when I’m on a writing break is: recharge with other creative hobbies | read/ consume other media | do something physical | catch up with old friends | work on my WIP in other ways like with playlists or art | other
In general, I think my writing habits are: pretty much what I need them to be | okay, but I’m working on making them better | non-existent | not great :/ | i’m excited to develop them further | totally random | perfect for me :D
tagging anyone who wants to share! @kelseaaa; @pearlsandsteel; @lilas; @veeteeshirt; @tuomniia;
This character profile was created specifically to fit King Liam on Liam and Jade's Love Story universe. I unfortunately don't own the character, I don't assume to know everything about him and I have no intention to affirm this is exactly who he is and how other people should write him. I'm merely a hardcore enthusiast of this lovely character and I do my best to keep his essence while adding a few headcanons of my own;
Though I mostly write canon compliant fics in L&JLS, Lena isn't included in this character profile because I haven't played TRF and I personally don't know how relevant she would be for the series.
Name: Liam Rys
Nationality: Cordonian
Birthdate: January 10, 1990
Hometown: Cordonian capital
Current Residence: Cordonian capital / Duchy of Valtoria, Cordonia
Occupation: Politician, Head of State of Cordonia
Titles: His Royal Majesty of Cordonia, Colonel-in-Chief of Cordonian Army, Duke of Valtoria, Patron of the University of Cordonia, Patron of the National Museum of Cordonia, Patron of the National Library of Cordonia
Parents: Constantine Rys and Eleanor Rys (both deceased)
Siblings: Leo Rys
Spouse: Jade Isabel Bourbon-Rys
Children: Elise Valentina Bourbon-Rys, Louis Philipe Bourbon-Rys, Sophie Eleanor Bourbon-Rys
Closest relatives: Regina Rys (stepmother), Ava Mei Tsui-Rys (niece), Emma Zhen Tsui-Rys (niece), Daphne Wang-Foredale (fourth cousin)
Background: Second son of King Constantine Rys and Queen Eleanor Rys, Liam is a kind-hearted, polite and sophisticated man with impressive diplomatic skills. Though he wasn't raised to be king, he was prepared from a very young age to serve the Cordonian Crown taking etiquette lessons, politics, philosophy, learning different languages (aside from English, he's fluent in Greek, Spanish, French and Italian) and even dancing and survival skills. While growing up, he was a free-spirited kid and had more opportunities to enjoy his childhood with his friends and the Walker family than his older brother.
After his mother's tragic passing, Liam became a reserved person, taking his role in the Royal family more seriously. With time, Liam grew apart from Drake (who left to the US to go to college) and joined the Royal Air Force to please his father. A few months after, the Royal family suffered an assassination attempt. Liam developed signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, avoiding social interactions, having trouble sleeping, being easily frightened/startled and showing some physical symptoms of panick (sweating, nausea, trembling). Leo asked Drake to return to the palace to help Liam, both encouraging the young prince to seek therapy.
As he got better, Liam enrolled in the University of Cordonia to study History and returned to the Royal Air Force. Liam had plans to follow an academic career when Leo abdicated the throne. After Liam got his major degree, he was formally introduced as the Crown Prince and officially prepared to rule the Kingdom. Though it was a drastic change of path in his life that required many sacrifices, Liam adjusted to the life of future monarch quite fast, undeniably enjoying the perks of using the many skills he had developed over the years to make a difference as a politician.
What's his family like?
Constantine wasn't a present parent, nor a father who easily showed affection towards his sons. Liam was mostly raised by his mother and a few nanies and tutors. Eleanor constantly talked about the importance of Constantine's role as king and father not just for their family but for the entire country, which is why Liam always looked up to his father.
Eleanor was a loving mother to him and his brother, but also disciplined them when necessary. She shared her love for reading, writing and History with Liam. Her passing had an enormous impact on Liam's life and personality. He still misses her dearly and visits her whenever he can. He always takes a bouquet of jasmines to her grave on Mother's day and on her birthday.
Being six years younger than Leo, the brothers always had divergences, often teasing each other, Leo and Liam played pranks that usually led to getting both of the. in trouble while growing up. Yet, Leo always knew Liam was a better fit for the Crown and has always been a protective of his baby brother, taking the blame for himself whenever Liam did something wrong, defending his brother from malicious comments and insults, helping him during his first months as Crown Prince and teaching him self-defense and mixed martial arts. Liam looks up to his brother and fully supports the lifepath and choices his older brother makes.
Regina entered the Royal family a few years after Eleanor's passing. Despite her usual commanding presence towards her stepsons, she cares for them deeply. Liam has great respect and fondness towards Regina.
Liam doesn't have a long list of relatives he's truly close to. The only exception are the Foredales, specially Lady Daphne.
Favourite childhood memory: Playing with Drake and Maxwell around the palace, trips to the Walkers ranch and summers at Applewood Manor.
Nicknames: He didn't use to have nicknames while growing up, but he loves all the petnames Jade has given him.
Hobbies: reading, horse riding, sailing, playing guitar, singing, writing
Top 5 songs:
The Seasons, op. 37a: VI. June "Barcarolle" - Piotr Ilitch Tchaikovski
Requiem: Lacrimosa - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Bachianas Brasileiras n°1 - Heitor Villa Lobos
And I Love Her - Beatles
Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton
Favorite books:
The Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka
Dubliners - James Joyce
Hamlet - William Shakespeare
Charneca em Flor - Florbela Espanca
Jane Eyre - Emily Brontë
Favorite movies:
Star Trek (1979)
Matrix (1999)
The Lord of Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2011) [he likes all the LOTR saga, but the first one is his favorite]
Black Swan (2010)
Lion (2016)
Favorite TV shows: Liam enjoys watching anything that gets his mind out of his life. He grew up watching The X-Files and Firefly with Drake and Maxwell. A friend introduced him to Death Note during his teenhood and it blew him away. Nowadays, he likes watching Stranger Things and Arcane by himself, but he often watches comedies like Friends and Parks and Recreation with Jade.
Biggest guilty pleasure: he's getting addicted to watching videos of people building things from scratch like furniture, houses or doing crafts. In any spare time he has, he will watch people building furniture out of bamboo, small cabins in the woods and intricate craftsmanship like jewelry design, intarsia and pastry sculpture.
Sweet or savoury? Sweet.
Favorite food: Baklava, chicken tagine, apple pie, any sort of pasta.
Favourite drinks: coffee (the stronger, the better), vanilla milkshake, wine, scotch.
Most treasured possessions:
A Lion Cross Royal Crown designed for his thirtieth birthday;
A small double bladed dagger that belonged to his ancestor Queen Kenna Rys;
Photo albums with many pictures of his family and friends
A Statue of Liberty keychain given by his wife on his coronation night;
Jade cufflinks given by his wife during the trip to China;
His wedding band;
His children's baby teeth (the kids find it gross, but Jade and him proudly keep them in the family safe).
Close Friends: Drake Walker, Maxwell Beaumont, Hana Lee, Bertrand Beaumont, Leo Rys
Goals for the future: Liam has many goals for Cordonia such as bringing back economic stability to the country, hosting big events that will increase tourism, supporting projects involving environmental sustainability, arts, culture and philanthropy, etc. But in his personal life, he simply wants to travel around the world with Jade, watch his children grow and spend as much time as he can with his loved ones.
Dog lover or cat lover?
Dog lover. He loves strolling with the family corgis. But he also likes Jade's cats and encourages his kids to have any domestic animals as long as they actually take care of them.
Early bird or night owl?
Early bird. But he can't deny he loves late nights with his wife.
How does he relax after a bad day?
It depends gon how bad the day was. On a not so bad day, half an hour listening to music (he has a soothing playlist on Spotify) when he needs to slow down will do. He goes horse riding or walking when he needs to clear his head. But on really tough days, he'll go to the gym to practice any sort of martial arts. Muay Thai and Krav Maga are his favorites.
Personality: INFJ-T (Turbulent Advocate)
Idealistic and principled, people with the INFJ personality type (Advocates) aren’t content to coast through life – they want to stand up and make a difference. For these compassionate personalities, success doesn’t come from money or status but from seeking fulfillment, helping others, and being a force for good in the world.
Thoughtful and often selfless, INFJ personalities pour a great deal of energy and care into their relationships, but this doesn’t mean that they always feel appreciated in return. People with this personality type tend to slow down and really evaluate how what they do might impact others before they take action. Consequently, it can frustrate them when other people don’t recognize their good intentions. INFJs are very sensitive to criticism of any kind and can take things very personally. A few close relationships, provided that they’re genuine, can fill INFJs’ hearts to the brim.
One random headcanon: Liam joined the Cordonian Royal Air Force when he was nineteen. He was progressively rising on RAF ranks (he reached Flight Lieutenant rank) and was in his third year studying History when Leo abdicated the throne. He still pilots helicopters and small planes from time to time, but since he doesn't fly often, he has never piloted any aircraft with his children in it. He took Jade a few times when they were newlyweds (it involved a lot of begging and persuasion on her part), but there was always an aircraft pilot team on board just in case.
Book: The Royal Romance
Pairing: Liam Rys x MC (Jade)
Rating: M
Word count: 2124
Reading time: ~8min
Summary: After dinner in Fydelia, Liam sent a message to Jade asking her to meet him so he explain why he didn't stood up for her and chose Madeleine to be fiancee. But neither of them were ready to face the outcome of their conversation.
Based on the prompt: @kingliamappreciationweek day 4: Relationships
Author's note:
Jade Bourbon is a creation of this author. The other characters belong to Pixelberry Studios;
This year's KLAW brought me back to the days I wrote incessantly about Liam, so I decided to revisit some old fics and revamp them. This piece was originally part of Coming Back With a Bang, but because I've been frustrated with book two scene in the balcony with Liam since 2018 and my attempt to write a fix-it fic then lacked emotion, I'm rewriting it and hoping this time I can do justice to Jade and show how she felt;
There may be some lines from canon in here. I just don't know which ones 😅
Thanks to @lizzybeth1986 and @sazanes for hosting KLAW again. I don't know if a rewritten fic will be accepted, but regardless it is or not, thank you for once again inspiring me with prompts to write Liam.
While Maxwell waited outside the ladies room, Jade looked at herself in the mirror and heaved a sigh. She was a mess. Sure, she could fix her makeup and go back out there. But what for? Watching Madeleine snaking her hands over him? For more people to tell her how she became a pariah in the kingdom and should just leave? What was the point of all this anyway?
Turning on the sink, she washed her hands and placed them on the back of her neck to freshen up. She was still resolute not to give up. But for the night, she had enough.
As she walked out of the ladies room, Maxwell stood up from the settee with his usual encouraging smile.
"You seem better."
"Thanks..." She simpered. "Can I go back to my room now? We congratulated the happy couple, toasted, dined on their honor and blah blah blah..." Jade gesticulated as she twisted her lips in annoyance.
"Sure. I think the staff already has it cleaned. I'm kinda beat too."
"Let's go then."
Lacing arms with her friend, Jade walked towards the grand staircase.
"Wait, we don't have to go back and say goodnight to them, do we?" Jade made a face.
"Nah... It's okay. It's been a long day for all of us."
"Tell me about it..."
A soft knock on the door echoed in the room, waking Jade up. She had no idea how much time had passed or who could be knocking on her door right now.
After getting out of bed and taking a quick look in the mirror, she reached for a robe and answered the door.
"Hey you!” Her eyes soften at the sight of Maxwell. “What’s with the flowers?”
“Special delivery!” Maxwell beamed as he walked in carrying a huge red roses arrangement. “Housekeeping sent over a new centerpiece for your end table.”
"Now?"
"The staff apologized for sending it so late, but they thought it'd be nice for you to wake up and see the flowers."
"Aw, it really is nice..." She smiled, burying her nose on the centerpiece to smell the roses when she noticed a small envelope wrapped around one of the stems.
Opening the envelope, she picked up the note inside and her eyes rose in surprise.
"I wouldn't blame you if you're furious with me, but please meet me so I can at least explain. I'll be on the balcony outside my room in twenty minutes."
- L.
As if pulled by a magnet, Jade walked outside to search for Liam's balcony.
Maxwell picked the note from the floor, read it while following Jade outside. "You're thinking about it, aren't you?"
"I shouldn't..." Jade bit down her lip as her eyes began to water.
“Hey..." Maxwell approached her, placing his hand on her arm. "I cannot imagine how much it stung to see him with Madeleine. But Liam wouldn't send you this if he didn't think he owed you an explanation."
"Should I go?"
"You're my friend, but I'm also his friend and I kinda want to say 'hell yeah! Go get your man!'" Maxwell enthused, making her giggle, but immediately his features grew a bit serious. "I'm rooting for you two, but if you say it's too much for you right now, I'll get it."
Jade chewed on a nail.
“Whatever you decide, I'll support you. Don't forget to get some rest, okay?”
"Thanks, Max."
"Have a goodnight, Little Blossom." Maxwell said as he left the balcony and then left her room.
Alone once again, Jade mulled over Liam's note and remembered their encounter earlier. The way he gazed at her, complimenting her, kissing her hand as gentle and passionate as ever, his eyes searching for hers throughout the dinner...
Jade walked back into the room and searched for the nicest yet comfortable clothes she had in the closet. She needed to be ready to climb his balcony if necessary, but still look her best in case they end things. Maybe he did have an explanation. She just hoped it'd be a good one.
As soon as Jade stepped into the garden, her eyes darted to Liam's balcony. As one of his fingers idly ran on the rim of a nearly empty wine glass, Liam sat by himself, lost in thought. Ignoring her racing heart and dry mouth, she walked towards the pillar under his balcony and hoped she could not only climb it, but manage to tell him everything that was choked inside her.
“Jade!” Liam murmured in surprise as he rushed to help her get into his balcony.
Her feet barely had touched the ground when Liam swept her into his arms. His nose buried on her hair, tears fell down her cheeks as the inebriating scent of his cologne overtook her. It was so hard not to lose herself in his embrace. If there was any place she yearned to be again, it was certainly within his arms.
Yet, flashes of coronation night and the dinner earlier came to her, reminding her of her current situation. Reality always seemed to hit her as hard as a slap on the face.
After wiping her tears discreetly, Jade pulled away from his eyes and said, “You're engaged."
Liam swallowed hard and nodded.
"We need to talk."
“Yes, of course. It’s just…" Liam took a step closer, gazing into her eyes. "Damn, Lady Jade, how I’ve missed you.”
Jade averted her gaze for a moment to gather strength and say what she had to tell him. “Aren’t you going to ask me if it’s true?”
“No. I don’t need to ask to know it was a set up.”
“You knew?”
Her eyebrows rose as she tried to process what he said.
"You knew?!" As she repeated, a wave of anger took over her. “Then why? Why did you let me go?" Her eyes glisten with tears again. "Why didn't you try to reach out to me? Why did I have to hide like a criminal if you knew I was the victim? Why did you have to choose… her?” Her lips quivered, her emotions taking the best of her as she cried again.
"Oh, Jade..." Liam whispered, pulling her back into his arms. "If only you knew how much I wanted to tell you that I believe you, that I always knew you'd never spoken more than a few words to Tariq because you were simply polite to him... But I couldn't."
Her hands balled into fists as she tried to push him away, yet Liam didn't let go. She continued, hitting his chest harder as hot tears streamed down her face.
And in spite of it all, Liam didn't pull away nor tried to defend himself. He simply continued to hold her as tight as he could. When she finally hugged him back, Liam kissed her forehead in adoration. He waited for as long as it took her for her to calm down then led her to the settee so they could talk.
"Why did you say you couldn't?"
"Though I knew it was set up because Drake told me about the broken lock on your door, I had no proof. No one knows where Tariq is, who could've told him to go to your room. Someone had gone to great lengths to frame you." A muscle in his jaw twitches. "If I chose you that night or tried to remain in touch with you or the Beaumonts, I might have put you in greater danger."
"Oh?"
"I haven't told you about my mother."
"You mentioned she died when you were young."
"The details of passing weren't disclosed to the press, but she was poisoned."
Jade's mouth fell open.
"We still don't know who caused my mother's death. And if that person is still out there, walking freely into the country estate that was built to be secure..." He shook his head. "I can't think about the possibility of losing you, Jade."
Jade chewed on a lip, not knowing what to say.
"I'll regret what I did at the Coronation for the rest of my life because it hurt you and I'm sorry that it happened as it did. But in that moment, the only thing that I could think of to keep you safe was to make whoever is behind this believe that they won. But I am so, so sorry... This must have been miserable for you."
Liam reached for her hand and kissed her knuckles.
"You could've called..." Jade murmured.
"I had to make it seem like I had no more ties with you. But I knew you were safe at Ramsford. Bertrand kept you distracted with etiquette, ballroom dancing and Cordonian history lessons."
Her eyes widened. "How do you know that?"
"Bertrand and I talked briefly through a secure line. I told him to cut you slack so you could have time to go jogging. I heard you were playing the piano sometimes..."
"He did keep you up to speed," she concluded, still annoyed.
"In case you were wondering, we only had short calls. If I had talked to you, I wouldn't be satisfied with a one minute call every now and then."
"Me neither..." Jade sighed. "Okay... I guess it makes sense. But I still have one question. Why her?"
"Madeleine is different from the other suitors. We never really got along, she doesn't care about that I feel nothing for her. I couldn't ask any of the other ladies to go through an arrangement like this. I wouldn't want to hurt anyone else's feelings."
"But you don't care about Madeleine?"
"You've had time to talk to her."
"Unfortunately... Is she awful with you too?"
"To put it mildly..." Liam made a face.
"I thought she was mean to us girls because we were competition."
"Perhaps it was, but in my opinion, that's Madeleine being herself."
"This arrangement you have with her…" Jade pressed her lips together, struggling to think about what she was going to ask. "Does it make me your mistress?”
“Hardly. You’re the woman I love. The only one.” Liam locked his fingers through hers. “I know this is not what any of us hoped for, but all I could think about at that moment was finding a way to keep you in my life.”
“Liam, I—" She shook her head. “This is a lot.”
“I know. But my hope is that it's all temporary. Just until we find whoever schemed against you. After all of this, if you still have me, our love won't have to be a secret.”
“But what if we can't find who did this?"
"I'll still be all yours even if I have to marry Madeleine. But if you don't want it, I..." He trailed off, then took a deep breath. "I won't stand on your way."
As tears welled up on her eyes once again, Liam went down one knee and cupped her cheek, wiping a tear with his thumb. “Stay."
"Liam..."
"I'm talking about tonight. Stay here. I need to see with my own eyes that you’ll be safe.”
Jade sobbed. This was too much. Becoming his mistress was a hard limit for her. Yet, how could she leave him if every part of being came alive under his gaze? Unable to find words to express what she felt, she just sat there and sobbed while Liam took a plce by her side again, pulling her close in his arms.
It was still dark when Jade woke up. Around her waist, one of Liam’s arms pressed her back against his chest. On the sleeve of his shirt, makeup stains. Signs of how much all of this has been tough on them.
She took a deep breath, taking in the scent of his aftershave lingering on the pillow, the warmth of his arm and chest protecting her. She knew deep inside he would do anything to shield her from insults, dirty looks and any threats. But it still was a lot for both of them.
“Liam,” she whispered, rubbing his hand.
He frowned a little before opening his eyes.
“Hey...” she turned to face him and gave him a weak smile.
Hey,” he said, stifling a yawn. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. I just have to go back to my room now.”
“Of course. Let me talk to the guards outside first.”
He then got out of the bed, ran a hand in an attempt to fix his tousled hair and opened the door. A couple of minutes later, he returned.
“You can take the hallway. None of the guards will ask questions. As far as they're concerned, you were never here,” he said, placing his hands inside his pockets.
“Thank you.”
Jade sat up, put her flats back on her feet and headed to the door.
“Jay...” he called, taking one of her hands before she reached the doorknob. “What about us? Will we be okay?”
“I hope so... But I need time to think. It’s a lot to process.”
Liam nodded, looking down at her hand as his thumb stroked her mother’s ring on her finger.
“Hey," she uttered, cupping his cheek gently. "We're not over. I just..."
"I know."
Before they could think about it, her arms wrapped his neck as his hands clenched on the back of her sweater. Would things change between them if they stayed away from each other? Would life give them another chance? They didn't know. But as far as anyone else knew, there was no way back for them.
Book: The Royal Romance
Pairing: Liam Rys x MC (Jade)
Rating: T
Word count: 1138
Reading time: ~4min
Summary: After a long and tiring week of work, Liam will be rewarded with two things he craves the most.
Based on the prompt: @kingliamappreciationweek Day One: Baklava
Author’s note:
Thank you so much to @lizzybeth1986 and @sazanes for hosting KLAW again 😍
This piece is set about a year after the wedding, before they have kids.
The sound of joints cracking echoed on the walls as Liam approached the Royal Apartment doors. The king and his wife would travel to Valtoria the next morning in hopes to have a quiet time away from the hectic life they have in the capital. However, it also meant working overtime and less time spent with his wife before the trip. He didn't realize how tense his back was until he stretched a bit before opening the door. After a long week of meetings, conferences and analyzing documents, he couldn't wait for his one week break in the woods.
As he opened the door to the Royal Apartment, a rich smell of nuts, spices and butter wafted Liam's nose. Traveling preparations to Valtoria often included Jade, Hana and part of the kitchen staff cooking many kinds of homemade pastries they'd take to Valtoria Community Center. Yet, this particular combination of smells ignited a feeling the king rarely gave in to.
"Jade?" He called, placing his jacket inside the closet.
"In the kitchen!"
On his way to the kitchen, his mouth watered, but he shook his head. "It can't be..." He thought to himself. She didn't know how to cook it.
But as he stepped into the kitchen, his jaw dropped. Wearing a silk robe partially covered by an apron, Jade bent over to pick up a tray from the oven.
"Good evening, love."
She smiled and proceeded to place a tray of brownies on the cooling tray.
"It sure is..." He mumbled, ogling his wife's round rear and toned legs as she bent over again to place a tray of cookies in the oven.
"Excuse me?"
"I said 'good evening to you, my queen'." He smiled. "Is everything ready for tomorrow?"
"Yep," she answered, removing her kitchen mittens to set the oven timer.
Liam eyed the counter with many boxes of sweets already packed to go, but no sign of what he thought she had prepared. Perhaps his senses have deceived him.
"Have you been cooking all afternoon?"
"Pretty much." She simpered and ambled over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck for a kiss.
"All by yourself?"
"No. Hana and Chef Nico were here earlier to help. Hana just left."
"Did they actually let you cook this time?" Liam joked.
"Hey!" She shoved him playfully. "Mind you, I did most of the cooking. I left just for a couple of minutes to shower and change. It was too hot in this kitchen."
His eyes traveled from her lips to her neck and décolletage as his hands rested on the small of her back. "It still is," he murmured.
"I know, right?" She fanned herself with one hand, apparently oblivious to the real meaning of his comment. "Go sit on the lounge while I grab some drinks for us."
Liam glanced at his wife one more time and left for the lounge slightly disappointed. Jade rarely didn't respond to his flirting and it only happened whenever she was mad at him. Was it too subtle? Had he lost his touch after so little time of marriage?
As soon as he sat on the sofa, his eyes widened in surprise. Carrying a tray with two glasses of wine and a large plate of his favorite dessert, Jade walked in with her robe open, revealing a sheer bodysuit underneath it.
"I hope you like what you see..." Jade bent over, placing the tray on the coffee table.
"I honestly don't know where to look first."
A mischievous smile played on her lips.
"You've been really busy and we've barely seen each other this week, so I thought you deserved a treat for your hard work."
"How sweet of you, my love," he said as his eyes followed his wife as she sat beside him. "But I'm having a hard time figuring out what's the treat here."
"If the baklava tastes good, it's the treat. If it doesn't, I'll stick to plan B."
"Which is...?"
"Abuela always says the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. But I wondered 'why should I take the scenic route if I can take a shortcut?'"
Jade then slid to the opposite side of the sofa, removed the hairpin tying her hair and it cascaded over her shoulders as she rested her calves and feet on his lap.
"Clever. Though I have to say the shortcuts you take always seem quite scenic to me," he said as his hands caressed her legs.
"Oh, trust me. It's so hard to make phyllo dough from scratch and it's so complicated to use it..." She grimaced. "Sex is definitely the shortcut."
Liam chuckled. "I think you did great so far. It looks and smells amazing."
"Now we need to know if it tastes good too."
"Okay."
The king then reached for the plate of baklava and put a small piece in his mouth. The flaky buttery dough with almonds and honey syrup perfectly blended in his mouth. Memories suddenly pervaded his mind: warm summer breeze, the nutty smell of almonds, kids' laughter, opulent table decorations, hiding under the table to steal baklavas from his mother's brunch with her friends. A smile spread across his lips and he took another piece.
"Is it good?"
"Good is an understatement. This is heavenly," he grinned, sipping his wine.
"Oh, thank goodness!" Jade sighed in relief. "Well, I guess I won't resort to plan B."
The queen then proceeded to close the robe around her frame when Liam immediately reached for her hands to stop her.
"I don't think we should dismiss plan B just yet," he said, lifting one of her hands to his lips before opening the robe again.
"What?" Jade frowned, pretending to be wounded. "But you just said the baklava tastes heavenly."
"And I stand by my word. Your culinary skills soon will put the best pastry chefs to shame, my queen," he said, pulling her flush against him and gently kissing her lips. "But..."
"But...?"
"One small piece of baklava has hundreds of calories," he murmured as he gently brushed her hair aside and leaned in to kiss her shoulder.
"Does it?"
"It does." He whispered as he peppered kisses along her neck and jaw until he stopped just a inch apart from her lips. "We're going to have to burn all those calories somehow."
"I did find a great shortcut to your heart, huh?" She grinned.
"And you know it like the back of your hand, my love."
Liam captured his lips in a long searing kiss as she unbuttoned his shirt and unbuckled his belt.
"What about the baklava?" Jade asked.
The king then reached for a piece and lifted it to her mouth, his eyes darkening as her lips brushed against the tip of his fingers. "I think this plate is going to be empty very soon."
Sharing mischievous smiles and kisses, the couple continued to disrobe each other to savor a pleasant first night of their one week break.
