Undeniable (Part 7): Trying To Stand Tall
Book:Â The Royal Romance A/U
Pairing:Â F!OC x M!OC,Liam Rys x F!OC, Drake Walker x MC
Rights belong to Pixelberry, some characters belong to them.
Series Summary:Â Set 22 years after the event in Unplanned, the next generation prepares to take over their parentsâ legacies.
Catch-up here:Â Undeniable Masterlist
Chapter Summary:Â In the aftermath of his confrontation with Lucas, Liam asks Jackson about his intentions with Len. Hope makes a promise that she's not sure she can keep.
Song Inspiration:Â Giants by Jackson Guthy
Word Count:Â ~4.4k
Rating/Warning:Â T- Language, threats of violence
A/N: Thank you to @txemrn for pre-reading! You're the very best đ
âWe need to have a discussion about your intentions with my daughter.â
While Len darted back off into the crowd, Jackson could feel Liamâs full attention bear down on him. With his eyes darkened in a quiet fury, gone was the jovial man Jackson had known his whole life. The Liam that taught him how to play chess or would sneak him extra dessert when his parents werenât watching, was nowhere to be found.
Standing in front of him was the King.Â
Without another word, Liam turned towards the keep, motioning for Jackson to follow. The only sound between them was the thick snow crunching underneath their boots, making Jackson feel like every step was marching him closer to his death. Never before had he seen Liam so tense, his jaw looking as if it was about to snap in two.
After entering the estate, Jackson continued to follow, wondering where Liam was leading him. They walked briskly past the parlor, past the office that Liam frequently used when he visited. Jackson assumed they were going to one of the other guest rooms to speak, but all hope of that was dashed when Liam turned left instead of the usual right, heading straight into Oliviaâs armory. Jackson gulped loudly as Liam entered, taking a moment to calm his breathing before following.Â
When he entered the room, he found Liam staring at one of the walls lined with dozens of swords and other weapons. He stepped up to the wall, pulling one large, curved blade down from its resting place. Every pore on Jacksonâs body started to sweat as he looked around the room, swearing that his aunt had added to her collection since his last visit.
When Liam turned around with the sword still in hand, Jacksonâs throat constricted.Â
Yup, this is how I die.
âSome of these items have belonged to my family for hundreds of years,â Liam sighed, turning the blade over in his hands. âIâd be fascinated to know how many men this blade alone has cut down.â
âUmmmâŚ.yeahâŚ.â Jackson stammered, glancing over his shoulder at the door. A few steps, thatâs all it would take. âWas there something you wanted to talk about, Uncle Li?â
Liamâs mouth contorted into a tight smile, âYes, Jackson. There is. Iâve been very curious about your intentions regarding the season.â
âWhat do you mean?â
âWhy did you decide to join?â Liam continued. âYou have never held any interest in our politics before.â
âI still donât, not really,â Jackson answered.
âThen why are you here?â
âFor Len,â Jackson answered, holding his head up a little higher. âYouâre right; all of the royalty stuff, thatâs not something I ever wanted to get involved in. But if thatâs what it takes to be a part of Lenâs life, then yeahâŚIâm gonna do whatever it takes.â
Liam paused, studying his expression carefully. Jackson had seen this look many times before, usually when a visiting noble came to the palace for the first time. Liam was the master of reading peopleâs intentions. Without a single word, he could sense someoneâs truths. For the first time since they walked into the armory, Jackson relaxed, knowing he meant every single word.Â
With a slow exhale, Liam shifted, placing the sword back on the wall. âWhile I commend you for your honesty, Jackson, I still have apprehensions. For one, why now?â
âWhat do you mean?â
Liam crossed his arms around his chest, âYou have known my daughter for her entire life, and yet you chose this moment to express how you feel. Why?â
Jackson stopped, taking a moment to try to put his feelings into clear words. It was something heâd thought about since the season began: how close he had come to losing Len, all because heâd been too blind to realize how much she meant to him. Even if everything fell apart now, at least it wouldnât be because he never tried.Â
âLook, I know my timingâs absolute shâ,â Jackson paused, smiling sheepishly at Liamâs unimpressed frown. âMy timing wasnât the best. And I wish I could stand here and tell you that the social season didnât open my eyes. I knew coming home from New York that there was something between Len and me. And honestly, it scared me. I thoughtâŚ.maybe weâd take things slow, and figure things out as we went. But then when she told me about the social seasonâŚ.I thought about walking away. I didnât think Iâd have a shot of competing; I didnât even know if I wanted to. But then my mom told me about your season, and I knew I had to try. If I didnât at least try to see what Len and I could haveâŚ..Iâd regret it the rest of my life.â
âJacksonâŚâ
âI care about Len,â he said firmly, refusing to back down, no matter how hard his heart was pounding. âItâs taken me a long time to realize how much, but I think itâs always been there. Sheâs everything to me, Liam. The rest of thisâŚâ Jackson motioned to the air around him. âNone of it matters to me. Nothing but her.â
Liam stared at him for a long moment, his hardened expression never faltering. Finally, he cleared his breath, âI am glad to hear that, Jackson. But that doesnât excuse your behavior today. Any wrong move on your part could reflect poorly on my daughter. That, I will not allow.â
âIâm sorry, Liam,â Jackson said. âLen already let me have it for that. Itâs just Prince Lucas. Heâs such aâŚ.â
âEntitled jerk?â
âYes!â Jackson snapped, looking back at Liam in confusion. âWait, you know?â
Liam sighed, âNot exactly. You sounded a lot like your father for a moment. He uses that term fairly often to describe some of the other nobles.â He pinched the bridge of his nose, âI understand that they have their flaws; no one is immune from weakness. Many of the others have been raised to search for those in their competition. Give up yours so easily, and they will not hesitate to act upon it. You must learn to rise above their comments. If Len were to choose you at the end of the season, you would need to have your temper under control. I have had plenty of moments when I wanted to act brashly, when I was tempted to let my personal desires outweigh the needs of our kingdom. But to give in to such impulses is selfish and can have dire consequences. You must remember that when you feel your anger starting to build.â
âUnderstood,â Jackson answered, bowing his head. âIt will not happen again.â
âIt better not. I would hate to have to repeat this conversation,â Liam said, taking a small blade into his hands. âAnd then there is the matter of you spending time alone with my daughterâŚ.â
Jackson gulped, wishing more than anything that he had a normal aunt. Why couldnât Olivia hoard cats instead of every blade known to man? He had never seen Liam with a dagger before, but every move was smooth and controlled. Clearly, he had underestimated Liamâs skills. With a flick of his wrist, the blade sliced through the air. It seamlessly slid into the center of a practice dummy on the side of the room, only the hilt visible.Â
Just as Jackson saw the final moments of his life flash before his eyes, a chuckle came from behind Liam. What the fuck? Jackson searched for the source, finally noticing Liamâs phone perched against one of the displays, the screen showing that it was on speaker. Â
Liamâs eyes followed the same path, pinching his brow with his forefingers before speaking, âYou said you would be silent.â
âSorry, Li. I tried my damndest, but your intimidation tactics need some work.â
âAs if you could have done better! I would love to see how youâll act when someone comes to call on Hope.â
âHave you met my girl? Trust me, Iâm gonna be the least of that guyâs problems.â
âDad?â Jackson finally barked out, his mind slowly rectifying what was occurring. With an open mouth, his eyes darted between Liam and the phone, still unsure if he should be fearful for his life. âCan someone please fill me in on whatâs happening?â
âPayback,â Drake laughed.Â
âAfter your display on the ice, I thought it would be best if we had a conversation about what occurred. I wanted to have a calm discussionâŚ.â he gave a pointed look at the phone.Â
âI thought it would be funnier if Liam scared the shit out of you,â Drake said, his voice still uneven with laughter. He cleared his throat, âLook, Jack, I get why you reacted that way. However, you canât go around knocking out all of the nobles that piss you off.â
âSays that man that dueled with Lord Neville on the front lawn of the palaceâŚ.â Liam sighed.Â
âOne time!â Drake protested. âAnd only because that jackass challenged me first.â
Jackson leaned against the wall, running his hands over his face. As his father and Liam continued to bicker about which nobles would win in a duel, a thought suddenly popped into his head. âWaitâŚ.so youâre not going to throw me in the dungeon for talking to Len?â
âOf course not,â Liam laughed. âI would have to be a fool not to realize how deeply you care for her. Besides, if my wife has taught me anything, a womanâs heart is her own. I would not interfere with Lenâs choice unless it could cause her harm.â He placed his hand on Jacksonâs shoulder, staring him straight in the eye. âAnd you have no intention of causing her harm, correct?â
Jackson shook his head, âNever.â
*****
Len paced through the guest room, trying to keep her breathing steady. The last thing she saw was her father leading Jackson away, unsure what he wanted to speak to him about. She knew that her dad had reservations about Jackson entering the season. But if anyone was here for Len, it was him.Â
She hoped her dad could see that. He had to see that, right? She popped her thumb into her mouth, chewing the nail bed as her anxieties grew.Â
âRelax, you're burning a hole in my rug,â Hope called from the couch. Laying against the pillows, she continued scrolling through her phone as Len glared down at her. âItâs not like your dadâs going to kill him. Worst case scenario? Maybe a little light poking with one of Aunt Livâs knives.â
âThatâs not funny!â Len snapped.
âIt is to me,â Hope shrugged, shifting to sit up. A wide smile broke out on her face, âDo you think your dad is doing that thing?â She squeezed the bridge of her nose with her forefinger and let out a long sigh, âYou know the move. The one he does when heâs about three seconds from losing his shit?â
Len groaned, âI seriously hope not. Heâd only do that if Jackson said something sarcastic.â Hope gave her a pointed look. âDonât say it.â
âItâs not that bad. If something happens to Jack, you can always just marry one of those other guys. Not to mentionâŚIâll finally get to move into the big bedroom. Seems like a win-win to me.â
âHope,â Len said, subconsciously mimicking her fatherâs exasperated gesture. âYou are not helping the situation.â
âJust promise me if that happens, youâre not gonna pick Lucas.â Hope continued, muttering under her breath, âStupid fucking asshatâŚâ
Len stopped, arching her brow at her friend, âWhat is the deal with the two of you? Ever since he arrived, youâve had nothing but negative things to say about him.â
âI donât trust the guy, Len.â
âAnd why is that?â
Hope sighed, running her hand over her face. In truth, besides the incident on the ice earlier, there was no clear reason why she couldnât stand Lucas. She tried to say it was because of how he treated Len, but that was a lie. At all of the events, he was the perfect gentleman and never failed to make her friend smile. Maybe it was because he was competing with Jackson, but even that didnât hold as much weight as it used to. While he might have made comments about Jackson, he never interfered in his time with Len, at least not yet. Hope sighed, rolling her eyes as she tried to put her gut feeling into words, âHis faceâŚ.â
âIs handsome?â Len smirked.Â
âNo!â Hope stammered. âI mean, yeah, sure. Objectively speaking, I guess you could say heâs good-looking in that stereotypical way.â
âThen what is it?â
âHis face is extremely punchable,â Hope finally muttered. Len stared at her best friend before a laugh rang out between them. âTell me Iâm wrong!â
Len pinched her brow, âWhile I appreciate your completely non-biased assessment, I think you should give him a chance. Weâve spent a lot of time together over the past few years. Trust me, he is not who you think.â
Hope started to say something, but looked up and met Lenâs gaze instead. She could tell with just that one look that this meant something to her best friend. âFine,â Hope huffed. âI will try to be nicer to him. But if he starts with me first, Iâm not backing down.â
âThank you,â Len sighed, plopping down next to her.Â
Hope twisted her fingers together as they sat in silence for several minutes. Her frown deepened; a question continued to gnaw at her. Every time she tried to force it down, it came back with more force. With a defeated sigh, Hope turned toward Len, âWhy does it matter what I think about Lucas?â
Len scrunched her face, âI donât knowâŚI just think it will make things easierâŚâ
âIf you pick him?â Hope asked quietly. âDo you think you might?â
âIt is early in the season. I still need to take the time to get to know each of the suitors.â
âNope. This isnât a press conference, Len,â Hope said. âI donât want the bullshit answer. Between us, do you think you might choose Lucas?â
Len paused for a long moment. Furrowing her brow, she thought about their past interactions. On paper, Lucas was everything that she would want in a partner. He came from a similar background, he made her laugh, and he was the perfect host during their last visit to Monaco. But never for a moment was there a spark between the two of them. Being around him was like visiting an old friend, and being away never caused any longing in her heart. It was the opposite of Jackson, who burned through her skin like wildfire. Every moment away from him, he was in the forefront of her mind. What she felt around Lucas could never compare.Â
Len shook her head, âI thought when he first arrivedâŚmaybe. But then Jackson showed up and I knew.â
âKnew what?â
âThat Lucas could never make me feel the way Jackson does,â Len quietly answered. âEven if things donât work out between us, I could never settle for less now. It would be like living in black and white after being shown technicolor.â
As Hope started to reply, a knock came on their door. Jacksonâs voice called out as it opened, âHope, you in here?â
âWe both are,â she answered, standing to greet her brother.Â
As he stepped inside, his eyes immediately met Lenâs, his face breaking into a wide smile. Without another word, he pulled her into his arms, holding her tight against his chest. Len ran her hand through the short hairs on the back of his neck. âDid it go that poorly?â
âBoth of our fathers are absolutely fucked in the head,â Jackson groaned. âBut noâŚI think it actually went pretty well.â
âI donât see any bloodstains, so it definitely could have gone worse,â Hope muttered. But neither seemed to hear her, too wrapped up in each other to acknowledge her comment. With a long exhale, Hope stood, walking towards the door. âIâll give you guys a minute. But I swear if you do anything in my room, I will kill you both.â
âNoted,â Jackson laughed.Â
As she walked back into the hall, Hope let out a long sigh. While Lenâs words had soothed some of her fears, she couldnât quite shake off her nerves. When her brother stepped into the room, she could see his emotions written on his face. He might not have said it, but she knew. He was in love with Len. Part of her wanted to scream at him to lock it down, to keep his feelings in check until the end of the season. But she knew better than to try to stand in their way.Â
As she turned the corner towards the main part of the keep, Hope spotted a tuft of blond hair in her periphery. Lucas, owner of the extremely punchable face. She stopped in her tracks, leaning against the wall in case he turned back in her direction. As she leaned forward to watch where he was heading, Hope swore he was acting shiftier than usual.
While he stepped through the corridors, Hope tried to subtly follow him, curious where he was going. All of the events were done for the day; the suitors had free reign of the keep. But Hope hated the idea of this asshole lurking around. Besides, this was her chance to gather intel about his movements. Ever since her spectacular fail earlier, she hoped sheâd get another chance to spy on Lucas.Â
As he turned underneath the stairs, Hope let out a slew of curses, knowing that the path led down to the cellars. With only one way in and out, there was no way sheâd be able to get down there without him realizing. She glanced back up the stairs, unsure if she should try to head back to her room. But with Jackson and Len talking, please let them just be talking, she didnât want to head back yet. She chewed on her lower lip, letting her curiosity get the best of her. Hope quietly creaked the door open, listening for any sign of Lucas in the room below.Â
Hopeâs brow furrowed as the words âson of a bitchâ echoed from the base of the stairs. Several more swears followed quickly after, completely crushing what was left of her willpower. With a silent step, she closed the door behind her, heading down the spiral staircase into the cellar. As she reached the base, she immediately spotted Lucas in the corner, holding his phone up in the air. Grimacing at the screen, he continued to let out several swears. Hope smiled to herself, finding some evidence that the asshole wasnât the perfect prince he tried to present to the court.Â
With one last curse, Lucas shoved the phone into his pocket. Before she was able to dart back up the stairs, he turned, locking eyes with Hope. âVery subtle,â he said with an annoyed look. âDo you make it a habit of spying on people?â
âI donât know what you mean,â Hope said innocently. âI just came down to grab a bottle of wine. Len and I are having a movie night, and Olivia always has the best stuff down here.â
âOf course, you were.â Lucas rolled his eyes. âGrab your wine and go.â
âWow, so hostile. You really should talk to someone about your displaced anger,â Hope chuckled, stepping toward the rows. Fuck. She literally knew nothing about wine. Fermented grape juice was the furthest thing from her drink of choice. She chewed on her lower lip, hoping that Lucas wouldnât notice her stalling.Â
As her fingers trailed along the dusty bottles, Lucasâ phone chirped and he quickly pulled it out. But when he read the screen, his face instantly fell. âFuck,â he muttered.
âBad news?â Hope said. âSomeone put garlic in your room? I heard that smell can be a real bitch to get out.â
âBecause you think Iâm a vampire?â Lucas asked with his brow arched, looking unimpressed.Â
âNo, I think youâre an asshole,â she bit back. âBut being a vampire would explain the whole heartless, soul-sucking thing youâve got going on.â Damn, she was really failing these spy games. Amalas would be very disappointed. So much for playing nice like she suggested. Every time Hope was around this guy, her mouth moved faster than her brain.
âClever,â Lucas chuckled.
Hope waited, sure that there was some nasty remark heading her way. But when she turned her head, instead, she found Lucas staring wistfully at his phone. She sighed, his defeated expression making her stance soften slightly. âSeriouslyâŚ.are you okay?â
âFine,â Lucas answered, showing her the screen. âMy friend just sent me the line-up for a race tomorrow and Iâm not pleased with the results.â
She furrowed her brow. âWait, youâre this pissed about a race?â
âNo, not just a race,â he snapped, pulling the phone back from her. âIâm pissed about the results of the qualifier for the French Grand Prix. One of the Mercedes drivers managed to snag the pole position.â
Hope stared back at him, trying to decipher what he was saying. âAnd thatâs a bad thing?â
âForget it, you wouldnât understand,â he muttered, heading towards the door.Â
She reached out, placing her hand on his arm. As they both looked down to where she was touching him, she jerked her hand back, tempted to wipe it clean on her jeans. âI might not know what youâre talking about, but I hope it works out like you want it to.â
âThanksâŚ.â he said slowly, turning back towards the stairs. As they opened the door, he craned his neck to glance out the window. âHmm, thatâs odd.â
âWhat is?â Hope asked.
âIt doesnât look as if Hell froze over, yet you are being nice to me. Maybe I should search the skies for flying pigs.â
âSuch an asshole,â Hope groaned, rolling her eyes as they headed up the stairs to the guest rooms.
âThere she is. I was worried for a moment.â
âDonât worry,â she smirked. âIt was a momentary lapse in judgment. Iâll be back to the bitch you know and love in the morning.â
âLooking forward to it,â Lucas called out as their paths diverged. âHave a good night, Detective Clouseau.â
âSleep well, blood-sucker.â
*****
Upstairs, Jackson and Len laid on the couch side by side, watching as the fire crackled in front of them. After going over his conversation with Liam, Jackson was content to just enjoy this moment, needing nothing more than the girl in his arms.Â
Len shifted, turning to run her fingers through his hair. âAre you sure that youâre all right?â
âYes,â he said, leaning in to give her a soft kiss. âBut Iâm definitely going to stay on your dadâs good side. Did you know he knows how to handle a sword?â
âIâve seen him a few times,â Len chuckled. âBut he would never cause you harm. You know he loves you.â
I love you. The words screamed out in Jacksonâs mind, completely stealing the air from his lungs. They itched on his skin, desperate for him to breathe them to life. It was too soon; he knew that. He wasnât even really dating Len. Instead, he found himself involved in a bullshit competition for her hand. For years, heâd ignored his heart, telling himself that the idea of them being together was just a fantasy. But looking back on it now, he knew the truth: heâd been in love with Eleanor Rys for as long as he could remember.Â
And now that he knew what it felt like to hold her, to kiss her lips? There was no question at all that he wanted to spend the rest of his life by her side.Â
Lenâs face scrunched up, staring into his eyes, âWhat is it?â
Jackson shook his head, knowing that he couldnât tell her just yet. Right now, being in the midst of the social season meant that the words had strings attached. As much as he wanted Len to choose him, Jackson wouldnât try to skip the scales like that. Len deserved the chance to make up her mind for herself. And while he thought she might feel the same, Jackson couldnât imagine saying the words before the end of the season. When he told Len that he loved her, he wanted it to mean something, for them to signify the beginning of their lives together. Not some desperate plea for her to pick him.Â
He nuzzled against her head, âNothing. Just enjoying being here with you.â
âMe too,â Len said as she held him tighter.Â
âSoâŚâ Jackson said, trying to distract his mind. âWhere are we heading next?â
âApplewood,â Len smiled up at him.Â
âMy favorite place.â
âWhy is that?â
Jackson smiled fondly back at her, letting her thumb coast along her cheekbone. âThere are lots of good memories at that estate. Iâm looking forward to making more with you.â
Lenâs cheeks furiously darkened, her teeth finding her lower lip. In these quiet moments, it was easy to forget the purpose of the social season and the demands being placed on her. But her solace was dashed when she remembered one of the reasons they were traveling to Applewood next. âIâm not sure how much time weâre going to get to spend alone together.â Jackson arched a brow in question. Len pushed a breath between her lips, âThe Royal Council will be joining us for the next couple of weeks. They have asked to meet with all of the suitorsâŚâ
âShit,â Jackson hissed, sitting up to drop his head into his hands, âAnd if they decide they donât like me?â
âIâm not sureâŚ.â Len answered, running her hand along his back. âBut we need to make sure that does not happen.â
Jackson tried to match her confidence, but he couldnât. No matter how close they were with the Rys family, the Walkers had always been the commoners the royal family pitied in the eyes of the court. After a lifetime of condescending smiles, Jackson wasnât sure if there was anything he could say to convince them of his merit. He tried to smile at Len, to make her feel more at ease than how he felt internally, âThen I guess I better be on my best behavior.â











