A/N: I know I am writing after ages. This is not a beta read fic. Mistakes are all mine. Thank you Dani @choicesfandomappreciation for bringing joy to our fandom again and again. A little nudge from @alj4890 helped me finish what i had started so i can't stop counting my blessings this fandom has given me. This little piece is my Christmas gift to my secret pal @tveitertotwrites. I know it starts on a sad note so to cheer you up I added a little photo edit to make it more likeable. Merry Christmas!
🐦🔥🐦🔥🐦🔥🐦🔥🐦🔥🐦🔥🐦🔥🐦🔥🐦🔥🐦🔥🐦🔥🐦🔥🐦🔥🐦🔥🐦🔥
I turn the steering wheel of my sedan to the winding road leading to the palace of Valtoria. I have decided to drive myself. I just want some time alone hence I call up Gladys, the majordomo, on my way and instruct to clear the rooms.
As the spires of the palace start emerging over the horizon my heart beat paces up. The palace which was a “Dream come true” , now feels like a gilded cage. I park my car and lumber down to the entrance carelessly.
As I step in, the grandeur of the place welcomes me like an overwhelming tidal wave. The grand staircase hisses at me like a serpent of polished wood. The crisp cream walls are pale as a winter moon. I collapse on the plush red carpet that covers the vast floor of the Great Hall.
In the eerie silence I hear his hushed steps before I hear his husky voice.
“Boleyn?”
I hide my face in my palms lest he sees me in broken pieces. But Drake is Drake. He will never let go, I know. The next moment he has me engulfed in his arms.
“Hey…What happened?”
I just shake my head still covering my face. I didn’t know I was holding it, till I let out a sob.
He gently cradles me. Time drags as I sit there and he sits holding me, patiently waiting for me to unwind. When he feels my arms relax, he slowly peels away my hands from my face. I dare not open my eyes. I am scared to see the disappointment in his eyes. This is not who he had married.
But instead I feel his calloused fingers wiping away the moistness around my eyes. His lips leave a soft kiss on my forehead. He wraps his arms tighter around me, his chin settling on my head as he gently rocks me with him like a baby.
“Bri…” he starts. I know that note well. He whispers my name in that tone when he is hurting. I know I have hurt him by being so miserable. He is going to tell me how he hates me for this.
“Bri, did being at the royal palace feel exhausting today?”
“How….?” I open my eyes, surprised at his question. I thought he was going to blame me for being such a showdown when Christmas is coming up. But he has hit the nail on the head. He already knows why I am such a mess.
He pulls away and smiles at me. “Did you forget? Before becoming your husband…And before donning the title of Duke of Valtoria,” he spreads out his free hand reminding me of where I am. I wince at the reality and shut my eyes. But he brings back his hand, cupping my cheek. “Did you forget? I was a commoner struggling amidst those snobbish, mean royal people.”
“Bri…” he pauses. I open my eyes again to match his gaze. “Bri, I warned you on your first flight to Cordonia, that you don’t know what you are getting yourself into. I wasn’t trying to demotivate you that time. I was trying to be true and honest to you. And guess what?” he pauses again.
I search his chestnut eyes for an answer. They are so calm, unwavering, even in the situation I am in. I see a glint in his eyes as he speaks again, “You proved me wrong. You took the whole court by storm. You became a power to be reckoned with in the royal matters.”
I curl my fingers over his hand on my cheek. “Briar, you literally brought me back from the clutches of death, when I was shot. You didn’t have any help for 24 hours! Yet, you managed to keep me alive.”
My eyes well up as the ghosts of the past resurrect in my memories. I hug him instantly, dreading even at the thought of what it might have been.
He hugs me and is hands are rubbing my back as he continues, “You kept your emotional trauma aside and tended my wounds when we tackled Tariq in your room.”
I clutch on to his shirt as he recollects another harrowing night that we survived. Together. He pats my back. “You didn’t just treat my physical wounds. You healed me from within. You nursed that hidden trauma I carried for years alone, Briar.”
This time I pull away from him, wondering what he is talking about. He once again reads my mind and replies, “My insecurities around the royals, my guarded behaviour when I was surrounded by nobles, my anxiety under the garb of rudeness while talking to friends around. It’s all gone. You helped me get rid of it all.”
I give him a meek smile and shake my head not ready to accept his praises. He holds my face in his palms. “ Your affection brought me to a place where I could overcome my fears and think of building a future with you. Briar, You are my Florence Nightingale.”
He chuckles bringing a wider smile on my face. I embrace him and he curls his arms around me again.
“Briar?”
“Hmm?”
His fingers comb through my hair. “Never underestimate yourself. Never get dragged down by the cheap politics of the court. When their words are vicious, let them fade with your brightest smile. When their actions are hurtful, crush them with your acts of magnanimity. Their malicious strategies can never ever win against my benevolent Briar.”
I grin at his phrase of endearment. He pats my back and sits upright to face me. His smile widens. “That’s like my Boleyn. Do you want to tell me what killed your mood today?”
I clear my throat, “The Christmas decorations.”
“What about it?”
“They are going overboard with it all and I have a duchy struggling through baby steps to become independent and flourish.”
“You don’t need to worry about it.”
“How can I not worry? What about all the people of duchy expecting that … that…” I fumble with my chaotic thoughts.
“And you think you are alone in this?”
“No, I didn’t mean that. But…just the two of us …”
“Do you think Max will let you down? Or Hana will let you deal it all alone?”
“Max? Hana?”
He raises his hands in defence. “I am sorry. Max is going to give me a tough time if he comes to know I told you.” He beams.
“What do you mean?”
He pats my hands in assurance. “I wasn’t supposed to reveal but Max has all the plans aligned well in advance for you. He just wanted to keep it all under covers and surprise you.”
“Oh my God!” I cover my mouth in astonishment.
“He said he is going to ensure that your first Christmas in your duchy becomes talk of the town. And he has a big list that he is carrying in his pocket these days for it.” Drake rolls his eyes, imagining Max’ madness.
I giggle as he helps me get up from the floor. We settle down next to the coffee table. The soft lights from our Christmas tree are reflecting on our faces dimly. Drake glances at our cozy green conifer and then looks at me.
He entwines his fingers in mine. “Briar Boleyn, you are like the Christmas tree. Wherever you are, you bring joy and happiness to everyone around you. Keep sparkling.”
My eyes crinkle and my lips spread out in the widest smile. I cuddle in his bear hug. The tapestry on the wall facing me glows with the image of the phoenix, sigil of the House of Valtoria, on it. I feel the fiery Avian blessing me….to rise and shine.
Literally never use Tumblr aside from occasional reblogging (sorry for the DM's that I have struggled to respond to in um.... YEARS, I am SO sorry) I just want to say how much I miss older PlayChoices.
I haven't picked up the game in ages, I used to play pretty much every day. I jumped ship around the time Alpha was being released I think? I would maybe make a yearly appearance on the app to replay old books like ILITW, D&D, TC&TF, etc. The app used to share intriguing adventures in fantasy settings, historical dramas/mysteries and campy stories about rising to stardom. It started to almost exclusively create more smut oriented stories (which is fine but I feel like it really deterred good portion of the fan base, myself included)
I remember stories like Open Heart, Desire and Decorum and Blades of the Light and Shadow updating and the PlayChoices tag trending at number 1. Fan art, fan fiction and edits were being posted DAILY. Theories, speculations and memes would circulate, inside jokes would form, heated debates about yet another book using OH faces for MC would spark discussions. It felt like a thriving fandom bonding over different stories that were being produced by Pixelberry.
I don't know when momentum truly started to slow down on the app as I had abandoned ship before it truly became obvious, but I can't help but feel like the use of AI generated assets really stomped the passion a lot of fans had for the game. I also feel like a large portion of the fan base were maybe deterred from the overwhelming amount of smut books and lack of other genres being explored. Smut sells, I don't blame Pixelberry for this decision, but I feel like it was a really polarizing action on their part. Books like ILITW, BOLAS and ES really showed how a story doesn't have to rely on the romance aspect for it to be received positively by its audience (I would like to mention that I am aware that there were some books displaying relationships in more harmful and dangerous lights without calling them out within the narrative, such as Witness. If I recall correctly my experience reading it presented a possessive dynamic that was never discussed further, there was toxicity that was never confronted within the narrative, creating an unhealthy message to the player/reader)
I look back and think of how the Playchoices tag would trend a few times a week and smile. I think back to the community it made, how artwork of various mediums were created inspired by the books that were being released at the time. The excitement for a new book sequel to release, the dread (affectionately) of yet ANOTHER TRR book being released. I think back to how the characters in the older books and the fan artists of the community inspired me to pursue my illustrations more seriously and see my art in a new way and push myself to draw in a way that really resonated with me. It was truly heartbreaking to see Playchoices turn to AI slop instead of actual artists for their assets. I would take reused OH faces for the 1000th time over the genuine horror slop I've seen on my feed.
All this to say, without this app and its fandom I may not be where I find myself in my personal and professional art journey, for that I will be eternally thankful.
Thank you to anyone scrolling this tag and takes the time to read my ramble, sorry if it is all over the place and is read in a negative light. That's not my intention rather.... disappointment? Longing for old PB? Reminiscing perhaps? Idk but I just wanted to write a virtual message in a bottle and send it off into the virtual Tumblr sea I suppose.
I hope you have a good day to who ever is reading :3
Hello everyone, I am an oldie who was part of this fandom group for years until too much negativity poured into it. I let go for a while and decided to come back, but seeing that the TRR fanbase has quietened down breaks my heart.
Not only was TRR fun, wild, and romantic, but it was so much fun because of the wonderful fanbase that supported it.
I MISS YOU GUYS!!!!
Some of you might roll your eyes or laugh when I say this, but coming onto Tumblr and engaging with you all was my therapy.
So..... I would like to get the ball rolling by starting a Royal Romance Writing Reboot.
Please share this post so we can reach out to everyone! Whether you enjoy reading, writing, artwork, or just like sharing your thoughts, I hope you'll jump on the train.
My hope is to get everyone involved again and launch some fun events. within the next couple of weeks.
With May coming to a close this week, I'd like to get feedback on how you think the Reblog Event went. But don't worry, if you haven't finished reblogging, you still have another few days (but honestly, missed the event? reblog whenever you can, I can't imagine anyone being upset to get late reblogs!)
Did your work get some more attention?
How many work(s) did you interact with? (ie: 0-5, 5-10, 10-15, 15-20, 20+, everything)
Did you enjoy the works you interacted with? Did you just read books you already read for or did you venture into other books?
Did you interact more on Tumblr or AO3 or equally?
Do you think this event was successful?
Would you like to see another event like this in the future?
What changes would you like to see if there was another event? Did you like the structure of posting all the works at once and having a month to interact? Or would you prefer less works?
Please answer any and all you are comfortable with. You can comment, reblog, send an anon ask, or DM me. Whatever works for you!
I have not been able to reblog due to sudden increased load at work place. But I have marked and saved the original post and I am eager to read all the other writers.
This was definitely worth the effort. My fics which I felt were ignored, now have received so much love and appreciation. We should surely have more such events. Great work Dani!
With May coming to a close this week, I'd like to get feedback on how you think the Reblog Event went. But don't worry, if you haven't finished reblogging, you still have another few days (but honestly, missed the event? reblog whenever you can, I can't imagine anyone being upset to get late reblogs!)
Did your work get some more attention?
How many work(s) did you interact with? (ie: 0-5, 5-10, 10-15, 15-20, 20+, everything)
Did you enjoy the works you interacted with? Did you just read books you already read for or did you venture into other books?
Did you interact more on Tumblr or AO3 or equally?
Do you think this event was successful?
Would you like to see another event like this in the future?
What changes would you like to see if there was another event? Did you like the structure of posting all the works at once and having a month to interact? Or would you prefer less works?
Please answer any and all you are comfortable with. You can comment, reblog, send an anon ask, or DM me. Whatever works for you!
Series: None, this is a one-shot and you can find those here.
Fandom: The Royal Romance
Pairing: None
Rating: Teen
Warnings for this chapter: none
Summary: Olivia withdraws from the social season, but it’s not exactly cannon….
A/N: This is a one shot from Olivia’s POV. But who knows? It could turn into a whole thing, maybe.
Song Inspiration: Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac
Catch up here: Master List.
Oliva fidgeted with her necklace as she checked her reflection for the twentieth time. She didn’t think she had ever been this nervous before. She was sure of her decision; she just didn’t know how to make him understand.
Her mind drifted back to a million little encounters between them. From their shared childhood in the palace to the current social season. She knew he needed to choose a wife, a queen. She knew he hated this entire process. She knew he wanted to marry for love, not just duty. Sadly, she also knew that she was not the woman that could fill that role for him. She had to withdraw from the social season, and she was planning to tell him tonight.
This one shot hasn't received enough attention from you and so it is still a one shot unlike the rest of your one shots that turned into a series.. when are we getting the next chapter ?
Summary: When Riley walks down the dark hallways of the palace, she finds Drake and Kiara having a little chat.
Words: 1,914 (I swear it didn’t feel THIS long!!)
Warnings: Evil Kiara (sorry Kiara lovers it had to happen) and kissing nothing too bad.
Notes: Takes place in book 3, ch 8
All characters belong to Pixelberry
It was getting was quite late, and Riley stifled a yawn as she made her way to Drake’s room. She walked along the quiet hallways of the palace that were enlightened by the slight tinge of the moonlight spilling through the large windows.
She smiled as she walked thinking back to the marvellous date they shared at the movies that night. She was happy that Drake didn’t feel as though they had to give up little moments like these because he might be becoming a duke. Although, if he did feel too awkward she would quit being a duchess in an instant, and that thought had crossed her mind more often than she had thought.
Bringing her mind back to focus, she thought about the night ahead of them and couldn’t wait to spend them in Drake’s arms. Even though they were engaged, Drake and Riley had a habit of finding themselves in each other’s room at night time, not like either of them minded and in that case, no one else did either. Just like how Riley was now making her way to Drake’s room after she couldn’t sleep. Spending countless minutes tossing and turning, her final resolve was to go to Drake. She was sure his presence would help her go to sleep instantly.
Riley was just turning a corner to go to Drake’s room as she froze and pressed her back against the wall as the coolness of it spiked through her body. It was Kiara, and not only that, it was Drake too. Both of them. Riley’s breath hitched and she feared for the worse. She knew from her previous encounters that Kiara is attracted to Drake and often flirts with him. Although he doesn’t give Kiara any attention what so ever, it still stabs her with jealousy that the two of them are talking to each other, especially at this hour of the night.
Welcome to our first ever Choices Fandom Reblog event. The goal of the event is to try to boost fandom interactions by highlighting works in the fandom that members would like to see get a bit more attention.
In the month of May, let's celebrate these works! If the event is a success we can make it a reoccurring event.
17 Creators with 50 Works Shared
Listed alphabetically by series and name of work
Alpha
Informing the Family on AO3 (Channing x MC)
by @peonyblossom
Blades of Light and Shadow
Our Greatest Adventure (Mal Volari x MC!Daenarya) + AO3
by @storyofmychoices
Bloodbound
A Vampiric Valentine's date (Adrian x MC x Jax)
by @choicesgodfanatic
Crimes of Passion
Moment(s) of Truth (Trystan x MC!Emma)
by @loreofyore
Desire and Decorum
In Another Life (Mr. Sinclair x Roselyn)
by @princess-geek
Love, Tears, and Glory
by @princess-geek
Endless Summer
Dealing with Demons (Jake x MC) — AO3 || Tumblr
by @saskiskies
I Have You (art) (Estela x MC)
by @marmolady
Memories (Jake x MC)— AO3 || Tumblr
by @saskiskies
Rosencraft on AO3 (Estela x MC)
by @marmolady
The Endless Ending on AO3 (Estela x MC)
by @marmolady
The Freshman
A Valentine's Day Celebration (Becca x MC)
by @choicesgodfanatic
The Boy Next Door (Chris x MC)
by @eadanga
Wedding Night (Becca x MC)
by @choicesgodfanatic
When Love Found Us Again (Chris x MC)
by @eadanga
High School Story
An Unbearable Wait —Tumblr + AO3
(Aiden with mentioned Aiden/Evie(f!MC), male pregnancy)
by @cadybear420
A Breath of Fresh Breeze, Chapter 1: The First Day (Evie(f!MC)). Tumblr Post that contains AO3 Link
by @cadybear420
Milestones (Aiden/Evie)— Tumblr + AO3
by @cadybear420
Immortal Desires
158 Days: Ripley's Diary
by @rjschoicesstuff
A Late Encounter (Lewyn x MC!Callie)
by @loreofyore
A Pinch of Sugar (Terri, Seth)
by @aria-ashryver
Blood of the Covenant: Chapter 16 , (NB!MC x M!Cas x M!Gabriel)
by @cassiusadalhard
Devi's first birthday as a vampire, will be part of botc 2
by @cassiusadalhard
Fae Changelings Edit (Cas, Gabe)
by @aria-ashryver
First Valentine's Day (Cas x MC x Gabe)
by @rjschoicesstuff
Miss Me More (M!Cas, MC-Ripley)
by @rjschoicesstuff
Moving Day (m!Cas x m!Gabe x nb!MC-Luca)
by @aria-ashryver
Pillow Talk (Lewyn x MC!Callie)
by @loreofyore
It Lives Series
The Voices of Ghosts on AO3 —It Lives Within (Abel x MC)
by @peonyblossom
Open Heart
in your arms, safe and sound (Tobias x MC)
by @hazelestelle
now i wake up in the night and watch you breath on AO3
(Ethan x MC)
by @peonyblossom
This was the Year (Bryce x OC! Olivia)
by @storyofmychoices
who’d have known (Tobias x MC)
by @hazelestelle
Red Carpet Diaries / Hollywood U
Inevitable : (Thomas Hunt x MC / OC Alex) + AO3
(HWU/RCD Golden Age Hollywood One Shot AU)
by @theartoflovingthomashunt / @lovealexhunt
Love Lesson (Thomas Hunt x OC)
by @princess-geek
magic hour (Seth/Matt)
by @hazelestelle
The Royal Romance
Prologue- A Battle of Wits (Man of Honour Series) (Drake x MC)
by @whiskeyinlythikos
Chapter 1 - Desperate Measures (Plus One Series) (Drake x MC)
by @whiskeyinlythikos
Chapter 1 - A Spark in Hyde Park (Queen of Hearts Series)
(Drake x MC)
by @whiskeyinlythikos
Marabelle (Liam x OC)
by @tessa-liam
Merry Christmas (Drake x Olivia)
by @twinkleallnight
Once Upon a time (Liam, Fabian and his mother)
by @ twinkleallnight
Remember Me (Leo x Madeline)
by @twinkleallnight
Smoke & Mirrors (Liam x MC)
by @tessa-liam
The Royal Romance Part 1 (Liam x MC)
by @eadanga
Turning the Page (Liam x MC)
by @tessa-liam
TerrorFest
Terrorfest headcannons (OC Kissy)
by @cassiusadalhard
Wake the Dead
Dim Light: Chapter 1: Time is of the essence
by @somerandomjewelleryonthefloor
Sledge CG Art
by @somerandomjewelleryonthefloor
Visiting (Sledge x MC)
by @somerandomjewelleryonthefloor
Participants:
Hyperlinks (below) don't work due to the 100 link maximum, but all user names and links above do work!
Disclaimer: All characters belong to pixelberry except Fabian.
Rating: Mature
Prompt: Features day 2 of TRR Appreciation Week hosted by @trraw
Link to the Series here
"Once upon a time there was a small kingdom of Cordonia ruled by a king called Fabian.”
Little Fabian tossed in his bed at the mention of his namesake. “Mother, I would love to listen to the story of king Liam today, if you may agree please.”
She smiled at him. Her son always mesmerized her with his etiquettes and mannerisms. So much like his father, she thought.
“Sure Fabian. We can do that.” She cleared her throat and started again. “Once upon a time there lived a little prince who was very loving and caring to all. He was gentle and kind. He respected his elders and showered his love on the young ones. He stayed at the royal palace with his parents and his elder brother.”
“You were there too, mother, weren’t you?”
“Yes, my child.”
“How big is the palace?”
“You will see it soon.” She felt her heartbeat race at the thought of going back to the palace. “This little prince was named William Reynold Rhys and lovingly called Liam.”
“Mother?”
“Hmm?”
“Will the people at palace like me?”
“Why not Fabian? Everyone is going to love you.” It hurt to see her son question himself at such a tender age. She continued her story nevertheless. “Liam spent his childhood learning sincerely, all the things a prince should know. In his free time he would play with his friends around his favourite hedge maze in the royal gardens.”
“It must be fun going round and round the maze?” his eyes lit up.
She smiled at the memories and moved her fingers through her son’s blonde hair. “It was fun to get inside the maze and spend hours there as kids. When we came out late it was more fun to pretend that we were lost in there.”
“You knew all routes through the maze?” he asked wide eyed.
“Like the back of my hand!” she giggled.
“Did you ever fight when you played?”
“Liam and I? No. But we were witness to many fights that Drake and Olivia had. We would sit and watch them argue and then we would look at each other and roll our eyes.” She grinned but as she started narrating ahead her face turned serious. “Then there was this fateful day when he lost his mother.” She felt a tug on her cotton pyjamas and saw Fabian clenching them. She rubbed his shoulder to soothe him. “You see it’s not easy to be a royal blood. Sometimes things go out of way and you have to be strong. Liam was hurt and left alone. His mother was his world and now he was lost.”
“Aunt Olivia helped him, right?”
“Yes she did. She knew it well.”
“And you were there for him too.” Fabian said proudly.
Her lips curled, “Yes, I was always there for him. Liam grew up to be a handsome prince. He studied well and knew his responsibilities at the royal court.”
She sighed. She didn’t want to narrate the sad parts but she wanted Fabian to know somethings well. She wished Liam’s life had less struggle. God! She wished that their life had less struggle. “When it was time for coronation of the elder prince, he refused. He said he did not want to be a king and he left.”
“Mother can you do that? Just leave? Runaway?”
She knew her son carried his father’s streak and acted too mature for his age. His curious questions were a proof. “No, my dear. He did not runaway. You see, you should do your job with full interest and he knew his heart was somewhere else. Had he taken the role of the king, it would have been a half-hearted attempt, leaving the people of his country unhappy. He thought it better to leave.”
“ Liam was the right person to step in those shoes. And so he did. He made his people happy. He did good for his kingdom. He is known as king Liam, the kind.” She beamed proudly always stopping at that.
Leaving aside all the unnecessary details for the little brains of how she had to leave the palace under Constantine’s pressure. How she did not even get a chance to say goodbye to him. How she was forced to step out into the unknown, when Liam was having his bachelor party at New York. She had skipped all that for later.
Fabian pulled her back from her thoughts. “Now when we go there, we will be meeting the king?”
“Yes, but you have to remember Fabian, not to lose yourself in the glory.”
“Yes, mother.”
“Now it’s late. Close your eyes and have a good night.” She bent down and kissed him.
He stared up at her through his deep blue eyes.
“What are you thinking, Fabian?”
“Mother, I want to be like him. I want to make you proud.”
“Believe me dear, I love you for who you are and I am so proud of you.” She got up from his side and waved at him “Good night, baby!”
“Good night mother.” He said and obediently closed his eyes.
She shut the door behind her and walked to her room just in time to pick up the incoming phone call.
“Hey Liam.”
“How are we today, love?”
“Good. Just put Fabian to bed after another quiz time.” She shook her head smiling.
“The little guy does have a curious mind.”
“Don’t ask.” She pinched the bridge of her nose.
“I am eager to answer all his questions.”
“And I am eager to see how that interaction goes.”
“Just few more days dear.”
“I know.” She stifled a yawn.
“Sleep well sweetheart. You need some beauty sleep.”
“Good night Liam. Love you.”
“I love you too, Savannah.”
*******************************************
A/N: Liam knew Savannah much before Olivia came into his life. Little Savvy loved his company. You can read about their childhood more in this fic that brought this idea of them together to me. Santa comes to town. And their love story in my series Estranged .
You may like to read all those 6 fics if u found this cute . Because each chapter has a character narrating a cute bed time story (Drake, Riley, Max, Rashad).. and an interesting pairing for each one of them.
Thank you so much for reading and reblogging @rjschoicesstuff 🤍
(@gkittylove99 ) I want to dedicate this to you. Since the time I started writing fics, you have always been there. Your comments feed my greedy brains to write more and better each time. Thank you for reading every fic that I write. Here is the one you had asked for two months ago.
Remember me -2
Book: The Royal Romance AU
Pairing: Leo x Madeleine
Word count: 1100+/-
Disclaimer: All characters belong to pixelberry.
Rating: Mature
Warning: Mention of death.
Prompt: Features @sundayromance week 27 in bold.
A/N: Thank you @jessiembruno for pre reading part of this post.
Summary: Leo has returned, has been brought back to Cordonia after almost three decades. But he is not the same Leo we knew. He is devastated after his wife Katie’s death and his own brother Liam is not able to revive him out of the grief. Everyone looks at one person with all hopes: Madeleine. Will their story begin again at the twilight of their lives?
Catch up here
Madeleine had spent the whole day in her quarters. After all these years of only mundane work, she had not expected such a jolt and surely she was not prepared to withstand it’s force.
Once again, she stood up to face her duties, to complete the task given to her. Except that this time, the responsibility was encroaching into her personal space. The waves of emotions were lashing heavily on the gateway of her heart. This time she felt the walls of her defending bastions weakening.
The doors to her rooms opened early in the evening. Madeleine stepped out with the same grace and demeanour. She had learnt to curb the inner storms with years of experience.
A message was sent to the king that the countess is ready to meet his brother. Quick arrangements were made and she was guided to the backside of the palace that looked upon the serene lake. A curved path through the greens lead to the waters. She was told that she would find Prince Leo there. She requested privacy, so the palace staff left her alone at the passageway.
She could hear the lawnmower running nearby to trim the royal gardens. Her heart was racing high with each forwarded step. The sound of the mower reverberated in her chest. Soon the voices of outside world were lost and all she could hear was the roaring of a machine. But this was not the lawnmower, it was the noise of the racing bike on which she sat, as Leo sped them through the roads of Greece. The memories of yesteryears blinded her as her feet fell at a painfully slow pace on her path.
It was a bright sunny day when Leo had promised her a ride across the country on his racing bike. He had arranged for the bike on the borders of Cordonian land. They had stepped out of the palace in the limo with a pretext of a picnic. But Leo had some tricks up his sleeve and he played them well. Soon the couple had snuck away from the prying eyes of the security and hopped on a motorbike.
Leo took off in full speed as he was accustomed to the ride. Madeleine who was new to this free world sat snugly on the back. Her arms were across Leo’s chest, tightly held for dear life. She had shut her eyes close. The frills of her sundress were flowing madly as the bike zipped through the curving road. She was cursing herself for the wrong choice of outfit, for the wrong choice of the date, for every possible wrong choice that had put her in current situation.
Soon they were crossing a small town, when she heard the tyres screeching and she felt her body being thrown onto Leo’s back totally uncontrolled. This is the end, she thought. She quickly offered her last prayers to the lord and asked forgiveness for her mistakes. As the inertia of her fall broke, she realised she was still alive. She once again thanked the Almighty to grant her life.
She opened her eyes slowly to absorb the scene in front of her. There stood an infuriated cop in front of their bike ready to punish them. Leo signalled her to get down. She disembarked the beast and pressed on her dress to get the pleats back in order.
Her ears picked up the conversation Leo was having with the officer. She understood that he was angry on them for over speeding. But just then another rider passed by. The cop continued arguing with Leo. Madeleine couldn’t bear it anymore and charged with rage.
She started counter arguing with the cop, “That guy just went past faster than us. You didn’t catch him. How can you do this to us? This is absolutely unfair. Who is your boss? I need to lodge a complain.”
“Can you mute her down?” the cop said in an irritated tone.
“ I am sorry. Give me a second.” Leo pulled Madeleine to the other side, away from the cop. “Can you please calm down. I have this under control.”
“But Leo, how can they do this to you. You are the crown…”
Before she could utter another word, he had hugged her tight, one arm around her waist and the other hand covering her mouth. Her jade eyes were wide in shock. Leo’s sea blues pierced through her greens as he whispered over her cheek. “ Don’t mention the crown. Please.” She blinked in agreement.
“ Are we good to go?” he asked. She blinked again nodding slightly, her golden curls tickling his fingers tips in return.
He slowly moved away his hand to reveal her quivering pink lips. Her body trembled as she felt his strong arm circling her small frame. He could feel her holding her breath as his broad chest pressed against her bosom into the embrace. He loosened his grip realising it. His face lowered down, his lips crushing hers, almost sucking the air out. She stood stunned trying to gather what just happened while he quickly turned to walk back to the officer.
She tried to stabilise her steps and see through the daze. The officer was now grinning broadly. She turned her back to them, to hide her flushed face. She tried to look away at the woods, the faraway houses, anything that could take her mind away from the knots forming in her stomach.
Few more minutes passed away, when Leo tapped on her shoulder. She turned to face him, her eyes down casted, shying away from his gaze. His hand reached up. The back of his curled fingers caressed her cheek as she closed her eyes at the rising heat. He whispered against her lips, teasing her, as usual, “Mad Maddie.”
A whooshing sound of a flock of starling birds, passing by, startled her. It broke her reverie. She stopped to check if she was still on the right track, leading to the lake. Once sure, she sighed, “You were the one that got away, but the memories never wane away.”
(@gkittylove99 ) I want to dedicate this to you. Since the time I started writing fics, you have always been there. Your comments feed my greedy brains to write more and better each time. Thank you for reading every fic that I write. Here is the one you had asked for two months ago.
Remember me -2
Book: The Royal Romance AU
Pairing: Leo x Madeleine
Word count: 1100+/-
Disclaimer: All characters belong to pixelberry.
Rating: Mature
Warning: Mention of death.
Prompt: Features @sundayromance week 27 in bold.
A/N: Thank you @jessiembruno for pre reading part of this post.
Summary: Leo has returned, has been brought back to Cordonia after almost three decades. But he is not the same Leo we knew. He is devastated after his wife Katie’s death and his own brother Liam is not able to revive him out of the grief. Everyone looks at one person with all hopes: Madeleine. Will their story begin again at the twilight of their lives?
Catch up here
Madeleine had spent the whole day in her quarters. After all these years of only mundane work, she had not expected such a jolt and surely she was not prepared to withstand it’s force.
Once again, she stood up to face her duties, to complete the task given to her. Except that this time, the responsibility was encroaching into her personal space. The waves of emotions were lashing heavily on the gateway of her heart. This time she felt the walls of her defending bastions weakening.
The doors to her rooms opened early in the evening. Madeleine stepped out with the same grace and demeanour. She had learnt to curb the inner storms with years of experience.
A message was sent to the king that the countess is ready to meet his brother. Quick arrangements were made and she was guided to the backside of the palace that looked upon the serene lake. A curved path through the greens lead to the waters. She was told that she would find Prince Leo there. She requested privacy, so the palace staff left her alone at the passageway.
She could hear the lawnmower running nearby to trim the royal gardens. Her heart was racing high with each forwarded step. The sound of the mower reverberated in her chest. Soon the voices of outside world were lost and all she could hear was the roaring of a machine. But this was not the lawnmower, it was the noise of the racing bike on which she sat, as Leo sped them through the roads of Greece. The memories of yesteryears blinded her as her feet fell at a painfully slow pace on her path.
It was a bright sunny day when Leo had promised her a ride across the country on his racing bike. He had arranged for the bike on the borders of Cordonian land. They had stepped out of the palace in the limo with a pretext of a picnic. But Leo had some tricks up his sleeve and he played them well. Soon the couple had snuck away from the prying eyes of the security and hopped on a motorbike.
Leo took off in full speed as he was accustomed to the ride. Madeleine who was new to this free world sat snugly on the back. Her arms were across Leo’s chest, tightly held for dear life. She had shut her eyes close. The frills of her sundress were flowing madly as the bike zipped through the curving road. She was cursing herself for the wrong choice of outfit, for the wrong choice of the date, for every possible wrong choice that had put her in current situation.
Soon they were crossing a small town, when she heard the tyres screeching and she felt her body being thrown onto Leo’s back totally uncontrolled. This is the end, she thought. She quickly offered her last prayers to the lord and asked forgiveness for her mistakes. As the inertia of her fall broke, she realised she was still alive. She once again thanked the Almighty to grant her life.
She opened her eyes slowly to absorb the scene in front of her. There stood an infuriated cop in front of their bike ready to punish them. Leo signalled her to get down. She disembarked the beast and pressed on her dress to get the pleats back in order.
Her ears picked up the conversation Leo was having with the officer. She understood that he was angry on them for over speeding. But just then another rider passed by. The cop continued arguing with Leo. Madeleine couldn’t bear it anymore and charged with rage.
She started counter arguing with the cop, “That guy just went past faster than us. You didn’t catch him. How can you do this to us? This is absolutely unfair. Who is your boss? I need to lodge a complain.”
“Can you mute her down?” the cop said in an irritated tone.
“ I am sorry. Give me a second.” Leo pulled Madeleine to the other side, away from the cop. “Can you please calm down. I have this under control.”
“But Leo, how can they do this to you. You are the crown…”
Before she could utter another word, he had hugged her tight, one arm around her waist and the other hand covering her mouth. Her jade eyes were wide in shock. Leo’s sea blues pierced through her greens as he whispered over her cheek. “ Don’t mention the crown. Please.” She blinked in agreement.
“ Are we good to go?” he asked. She blinked again nodding slightly, her golden curls tickling his fingers tips in return.
He slowly moved away his hand to reveal her quivering pink lips. Her body trembled as she felt his strong arm circling her small frame. He could feel her holding her breath as his broad chest pressed against her bosom into the embrace. He loosened his grip realising it. His face lowered down, his lips crushing hers, almost sucking the air out. She stood stunned trying to gather what just happened while he quickly turned to walk back to the officer.
She tried to stabilise her steps and see through the daze. The officer was now grinning broadly. She turned her back to them, to hide her flushed face. She tried to look away at the woods, the faraway houses, anything that could take her mind away from the knots forming in her stomach.
Few more minutes passed away, when Leo tapped on her shoulder. She turned to face him, her eyes down casted, shying away from his gaze. His hand reached up. The back of his curled fingers caressed her cheek as she closed her eyes at the rising heat. He whispered against her lips, teasing her, as usual, “Mad Maddie.”
A whooshing sound of a flock of starling birds, passing by, startled her. It broke her reverie. She stopped to check if she was still on the right track, leading to the lake. Once sure, she sighed, “You were the one that got away, but the memories never wane away.”
Poor Leo! Losing Katie must have been devastating, I can’t even imagine what that’s done to him.
I love how the sound of the lawnmower slipped into that memory of being on the bike with him. It felt so natural and vivid. And then the birds pulling Madeleine back to the present, it made everything come full circle in such a quiet way.
They’re not the same people anymore, but maybe that’s the point? Like, if they were, things might just end the same way again. Maybe this time it’ll be different. I really hope they can find some kind of happiness, or at least help each other heal.
Leo is in a very bad shape in this fic.. losing his sense on and off, lucid occasionally.
The idea of a lawn mower and the engine of a bike excited me when it struck me first. I am so glad I could place it coherently here.
I was attracted to Leo, a lot, during the days I wrote this fic. My aim was to write a story about him but somehow my fingers typed a narration of struggles Madeliene went through. The initial title was "loving leo" but as the story advanced , it made more sense to rename it.
Madeliene 's heartbreak can be felt when you read the first part of this fic
Thank you so much for revisiting my pages and giving me so much love! What more does a poor writer look for? Thank you!
This one is for you dear @texaskitten30 . Thank you for hosting this @cordonianroyalty. Many more thanks to @indiacater for helping me out of my worries and pre reading it for me.
Book: The Royal Romance AU
Pairing: Drake x Olivia
Word count: 1376
Disclaimer: All characters belong to pixelberry.
Rating: Mature
Warning: Mention of pregnancy and childbirth.
Prompt: Features wackydrabbles prompt 71 in bold.
The Nevrakis-Walker Christmas
24 December 2019
“I don’t want to go.” Olivia threw a tantrum umpteenth time.
Drake again patiently tried convincing her. “Come on it’s been a month since we planned the Christmas eve at Beaumont’s manor.”
“Don’t push me Drake. I know you want to don the best uncle’s hat for Bartie and Eleanor. Go ahead. I. Don’t. Want. To. Go.”
“ Livia, please.” Drake closed the distance between them. Standing behind her, he curled his hands around her shoulders, kissing the loose red tendrils of hair away from her neck. “I promise it will be fun.”
“You said it last time too when that bone-head Beaumont set up the April fool prank and look where I stand now.”
Drake delicately moved his hands from her sides to cover her swollen belly. “Well, I don’t regret what we have here, thanks to that prank.”
01 April 2019
They were newly weds when Max called them over to help him prepare for his first book reading session while Bertrand was off to the palace for some official meeting. He locked them in the library and planned to have some fun on April fool’s day. As luck would have it, Bartie fell down and got hurt. Max had to rush to the hospital with Savannah and the couple was left bolted, forgotten by Max. Alone in the library without any rescue plan, soon their carnal desires took over. What were they thinking? No protection and a month later Olivia tested postive.
24 December 2019
Olivia leaned back, Drake taking her weight and trying to relieve her stress. Olivia was an organised person and this unplanned life changing event in their life was giving her nightmares. She was still not prepared, even after all the parenting classes Drake planned and attended with her. To add to it, she witnessed Eleanor’s birth and she was shit scared if she will be able to go through it.
“Livia, you were the smartest little girl I knew growing up. The sharpest teenager I admired and you bloomed into the strongest woman I know. You give me strength and courage to look into the eyes of this world. Our baby will be blessed to have you. You will be a great mother. And I promise I will be there with you at each step, always at your side to share all the moments. Please, stop questioning yourself.” He tilted his head to kiss her on her temple.
Olivia turned around and shrunk into him as he hugged her, trying to wash away her insecurities.
‘How? How will I take care of the tiny being? I grew up with servants, Liam and Drake were my only family. I have never known what being a mother is ? What if I hurt the little life? I want to give you the world Drake but I don’t know how?’ Olivia thought to herself but she still didn’t have the courage to voice it out in front of Drake. A teardrop rolled down her cheek whilst her face was hidden in his broad chest.
She pulled herself together for Drake once again and dressed up in the Red floral dress Drake had bought for her. “ For god’s sake, floral pattern Drake?” she had scowled.
“Don’t be stubborn, try it! Red colour is for you dear, the flowers are for our little bean.” he had lovingly planted a kiss on her growing tummy.
Drake was all smiles to see his wife in the dress. “Lose the grin Walker!” she threw the car keys at him, which he caught at the right moment without letting them smash his face.
As they drove to the Beaumont manor, Olivia warned Drake against Max. “ I promise you I will stab him if I find that bone head within 6 feet of my vicinity.”
“And I promise you that he won’t stand in the room that you occupy. He has still not revived of the shock you gave him last time when you tried to kill him by targeting that flower vase at him.”
Once at the manor, everyone got busy in the preparations for the festivities. Olivia kept close tab on Riley and keenly observed how Riley managed little Eleanor. Riley had sensed Olivia’s anxiety long back and would always keep the company whenever they met.
Max was always at safe distance. Even for dinner, he sat at the far end of the table away from Olivia.
After the meal, Riley and Savannah took their kids to bed. Bertrand and Max went to load the gifts with Bastein to be taken to the charity next day. Liam and Drake sat in the library and discussed the security for Christmas party at the palace. Olivia relaxed in the parlour. She got up to get a glass of water for herself when it all happened suddenly. Olivia felt a sudden rush of fluid down her legs. At the same time, Max came hurrying to pick the leftover gifts and bumped into Olivia. She twirled a bit as Max held her in his arms firmly but she lost her mind. “Drake!!!” she screamed.
Drake barged in, absorbed the scene in front of him and didn’t waste a second. He lifted Olivia and scurried to his car calling out, “ Liam call up the hospital and tell them I am on my way with the mamma bear.”
Luckily, Bastein was out near the car to help. He volunteered to drive them to the hospital.
In all the overwrought, no one realised that the younger Beaumont was left frozen in his place. He was scared to death, never realising that it wasn’t his fault.
“I told you I didn’t want to come!”
“Calm down dear. It has nothing to do with Max. All is under control. We were expecting this. It's time. Have faith Livia! Just breathe!” Drake maintained his poise while reassuring his wife.
Dr Montgomery was waiting at the hospital after receiving the phone call from the king himself. Olivia was admitted. Next few hours passed in a whirlwind, Olivia trying to concede in her fate, unsure about what was to happen. Drake never left her side for a minute. He was holding her hand and talking sweet nothings to their baby while soothing Olivia at the same time. He kept dabbing her face, rubbing her back running around for the ice chips. He had the hospital bag ready in the car for emergency. She had never even bothered about it. She knew he would be a doting father. Olivia was counting her blessings!
Her contractions started nearing and it was finally at the dawn of 25th December that the Duchess of Lythikos along with her loving husband welcomed their baby girl.
The royal couple who was waiting in a special room at the hospital was informed and called in, to greet baby Nevrakis-Walker. Max came with them.
Olivia was holding the tiny little red head in her arms, her eyes welled up with tears. Riley went to her side and hugged her. Liam congratulated the proud father while Max stood at a distance.
Olivia caught his attention and smiled, “Come here you!” Max apprehensively came close to her. She stretched out her free arm to hug him. “I have targeted you a lot this year. Blame those hormones.” Max was relieved that Olivia and baby were fine. “You planned it well for us Beaumont! Look we have a Christmas baby!” Olivia said gleefully. Drake was glad that his nervous Olivia was finally relaxed and happy. Max was overwhelmed, and left speechless. He just hugged her back.
“So what do we call this little bundle of joy?” Riley asked, all excited.
Olivia looked at Drake quizzically. Drake circled his arm around Olivia and gently moved his fingers over their little red head. “Lilith, fierce and strong, just like her mother.”
“Lilith,” Olivia repeated softly. “You will be the strong and protective eldest daughter of our family.”
“Livia!” Drake was surprised at her announcement. His wife who was unwilling to accept any change in her life till a day prior just announced that she was ready to dive in and let the family grow! He couldn’t stop himself and kissed his wife. Olivia was beaming at him.
Tagging those in the Christmas Gift of Writing @texaskitten30 @kingliam2019 @iaminlovewithtrr @anjanettexcordonia @kat-tia801 @eadanga @xxrainbow-princessxx
I actually searched for the meaning of many names and then zeroed on Lilith. And I thought Drake should be calling his wife Livia to make more sense of choosing this name.
I did have Addison in my mind and that's how Dr Montgomery came into existence. I am so excited to see our minds thinking alike !
Thank you so much for reading and appreciating my work.
This was more sentimental fic, loaded with Olivia 's insecurities. But now that you mention it.. I can imagine the hilarious situation where everyone will be with her sarcastic comments and screaming dialogues in the delivery room.
Thank you so much for reading and reblogging with those cute comments.
This one is for you dear @texaskitten30 . Thank you for hosting this @cordonianroyalty. Many more thanks to @indiacater for helping me out of my worries and pre reading it for me.
Book: The Royal Romance AU
Pairing: Drake x Olivia
Word count: 1376
Disclaimer: All characters belong to pixelberry.
Rating: Mature
Warning: Mention of pregnancy and childbirth.
Prompt: Features wackydrabbles prompt 71 in bold.
The Nevrakis-Walker Christmas
24 December 2019
“I don’t want to go.” Olivia threw a tantrum umpteenth time.
Drake again patiently tried convincing her. “Come on it’s been a month since we planned the Christmas eve at Beaumont’s manor.”
“Don’t push me Drake. I know you want to don the best uncle’s hat for Bartie and Eleanor. Go ahead. I. Don’t. Want. To. Go.”
“ Livia, please.” Drake closed the distance between them. Standing behind her, he curled his hands around her shoulders, kissing the loose red tendrils of hair away from her neck. “I promise it will be fun.”
“You said it last time too when that bone-head Beaumont set up the April fool prank and look where I stand now.”
Drake delicately moved his hands from her sides to cover her swollen belly. “Well, I don’t regret what we have here, thanks to that prank.”
01 April 2019
They were newly weds when Max called them over to help him prepare for his first book reading session while Bertrand was off to the palace for some official meeting. He locked them in the library and planned to have some fun on April fool’s day. As luck would have it, Bartie fell down and got hurt. Max had to rush to the hospital with Savannah and the couple was left bolted, forgotten by Max. Alone in the library without any rescue plan, soon their carnal desires took over. What were they thinking? No protection and a month later Olivia tested postive.
24 December 2019
Olivia leaned back, Drake taking her weight and trying to relieve her stress. Olivia was an organised person and this unplanned life changing event in their life was giving her nightmares. She was still not prepared, even after all the parenting classes Drake planned and attended with her. To add to it, she witnessed Eleanor’s birth and she was shit scared if she will be able to go through it.
“Livia, you were the smartest little girl I knew growing up. The sharpest teenager I admired and you bloomed into the strongest woman I know. You give me strength and courage to look into the eyes of this world. Our baby will be blessed to have you. You will be a great mother. And I promise I will be there with you at each step, always at your side to share all the moments. Please, stop questioning yourself.” He tilted his head to kiss her on her temple.
Olivia turned around and shrunk into him as he hugged her, trying to wash away her insecurities.
‘How? How will I take care of the tiny being? I grew up with servants, Liam and Drake were my only family. I have never known what being a mother is ? What if I hurt the little life? I want to give you the world Drake but I don’t know how?’ Olivia thought to herself but she still didn’t have the courage to voice it out in front of Drake. A teardrop rolled down her cheek whilst her face was hidden in his broad chest.
She pulled herself together for Drake once again and dressed up in the Red floral dress Drake had bought for her. “ For god’s sake, floral pattern Drake?” she had scowled.
“Don’t be stubborn, try it! Red colour is for you dear, the flowers are for our little bean.” he had lovingly planted a kiss on her growing tummy.
Drake was all smiles to see his wife in the dress. “Lose the grin Walker!” she threw the car keys at him, which he caught at the right moment without letting them smash his face.
As they drove to the Beaumont manor, Olivia warned Drake against Max. “ I promise you I will stab him if I find that bone head within 6 feet of my vicinity.”
“And I promise you that he won’t stand in the room that you occupy. He has still not revived of the shock you gave him last time when you tried to kill him by targeting that flower vase at him.”
Once at the manor, everyone got busy in the preparations for the festivities. Olivia kept close tab on Riley and keenly observed how Riley managed little Eleanor. Riley had sensed Olivia’s anxiety long back and would always keep the company whenever they met.
Max was always at safe distance. Even for dinner, he sat at the far end of the table away from Olivia.
After the meal, Riley and Savannah took their kids to bed. Bertrand and Max went to load the gifts with Bastein to be taken to the charity next day. Liam and Drake sat in the library and discussed the security for Christmas party at the palace. Olivia relaxed in the parlour. She got up to get a glass of water for herself when it all happened suddenly. Olivia felt a sudden rush of fluid down her legs. At the same time, Max came hurrying to pick the leftover gifts and bumped into Olivia. She twirled a bit as Max held her in his arms firmly but she lost her mind. “Drake!!!” she screamed.
Drake barged in, absorbed the scene in front of him and didn’t waste a second. He lifted Olivia and scurried to his car calling out, “ Liam call up the hospital and tell them I am on my way with the mamma bear.”
Luckily, Bastein was out near the car to help. He volunteered to drive them to the hospital.
In all the overwrought, no one realised that the younger Beaumont was left frozen in his place. He was scared to death, never realising that it wasn’t his fault.
“I told you I didn’t want to come!”
“Calm down dear. It has nothing to do with Max. All is under control. We were expecting this. It's time. Have faith Livia! Just breathe!” Drake maintained his poise while reassuring his wife.
Dr Montgomery was waiting at the hospital after receiving the phone call from the king himself. Olivia was admitted. Next few hours passed in a whirlwind, Olivia trying to concede in her fate, unsure about what was to happen. Drake never left her side for a minute. He was holding her hand and talking sweet nothings to their baby while soothing Olivia at the same time. He kept dabbing her face, rubbing her back running around for the ice chips. He had the hospital bag ready in the car for emergency. She had never even bothered about it. She knew he would be a doting father. Olivia was counting her blessings!
Her contractions started nearing and it was finally at the dawn of 25th December that the Duchess of Lythikos along with her loving husband welcomed their baby girl.
The royal couple who was waiting in a special room at the hospital was informed and called in, to greet baby Nevrakis-Walker. Max came with them.
Olivia was holding the tiny little red head in her arms, her eyes welled up with tears. Riley went to her side and hugged her. Liam congratulated the proud father while Max stood at a distance.
Olivia caught his attention and smiled, “Come here you!” Max apprehensively came close to her. She stretched out her free arm to hug him. “I have targeted you a lot this year. Blame those hormones.” Max was relieved that Olivia and baby were fine. “You planned it well for us Beaumont! Look we have a Christmas baby!” Olivia said gleefully. Drake was glad that his nervous Olivia was finally relaxed and happy. Max was overwhelmed, and left speechless. He just hugged her back.
“So what do we call this little bundle of joy?” Riley asked, all excited.
Olivia looked at Drake quizzically. Drake circled his arm around Olivia and gently moved his fingers over their little red head. “Lilith, fierce and strong, just like her mother.”
“Lilith,” Olivia repeated softly. “You will be the strong and protective eldest daughter of our family.”
“Livia!” Drake was surprised at her announcement. His wife who was unwilling to accept any change in her life till a day prior just announced that she was ready to dive in and let the family grow! He couldn’t stop himself and kissed his wife. Olivia was beaming at him.
Tagging those in the Christmas Gift of Writing @texaskitten30 @kingliam2019 @iaminlovewithtrr @anjanettexcordonia @kat-tia801 @eadanga @xxrainbow-princessxx
I actually searched for the meaning of many names and then zeroed on Lilith. And I thought Drake should be calling his wife Livia to make more sense of choosing this name.
I did have Addison in my mind and that's how Dr Montgomery came into existence. I am so excited to see our minds thinking alike !
Thank you so much for reading and appreciating my work.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to pixelberry except Fabian.
Rating: Mature
Prompt: Features day 2 of TRR Appreciation Week hosted by @trraw
Link to the Series here
"Once upon a time there was a small kingdom of Cordonia ruled by a king called Fabian.”
Little Fabian tossed in his bed at the mention of his namesake. “Mother, I would love to listen to the story of king Liam today, if you may agree please.”
She smiled at him. Her son always mesmerized her with his etiquettes and mannerisms. So much like his father, she thought.
“Sure Fabian. We can do that.” She cleared her throat and started again. “Once upon a time there lived a little prince who was very loving and caring to all. He was gentle and kind. He respected his elders and showered his love on the young ones. He stayed at the royal palace with his parents and his elder brother.”
“You were there too, mother, weren’t you?”
“Yes, my child.”
“How big is the palace?”
“You will see it soon.” She felt her heartbeat race at the thought of going back to the palace. “This little prince was named William Reynold Rhys and lovingly called Liam.”
“Mother?”
“Hmm?”
“Will the people at palace like me?”
“Why not Fabian? Everyone is going to love you.” It hurt to see her son question himself at such a tender age. She continued her story nevertheless. “Liam spent his childhood learning sincerely, all the things a prince should know. In his free time he would play with his friends around his favourite hedge maze in the royal gardens.”
“It must be fun going round and round the maze?” his eyes lit up.
She smiled at the memories and moved her fingers through her son’s blonde hair. “It was fun to get inside the maze and spend hours there as kids. When we came out late it was more fun to pretend that we were lost in there.”
“You knew all routes through the maze?” he asked wide eyed.
“Like the back of my hand!” she giggled.
“Did you ever fight when you played?”
“Liam and I? No. But we were witness to many fights that Drake and Olivia had. We would sit and watch them argue and then we would look at each other and roll our eyes.” She grinned but as she started narrating ahead her face turned serious. “Then there was this fateful day when he lost his mother.” She felt a tug on her cotton pyjamas and saw Fabian clenching them. She rubbed his shoulder to soothe him. “You see it’s not easy to be a royal blood. Sometimes things go out of way and you have to be strong. Liam was hurt and left alone. His mother was his world and now he was lost.”
“Aunt Olivia helped him, right?”
“Yes she did. She knew it well.”
“And you were there for him too.” Fabian said proudly.
Her lips curled, “Yes, I was always there for him. Liam grew up to be a handsome prince. He studied well and knew his responsibilities at the royal court.”
She sighed. She didn’t want to narrate the sad parts but she wanted Fabian to know somethings well. She wished Liam’s life had less struggle. God! She wished that their life had less struggle. “When it was time for coronation of the elder prince, he refused. He said he did not want to be a king and he left.”
“Mother can you do that? Just leave? Runaway?”
She knew her son carried his father’s streak and acted too mature for his age. His curious questions were a proof. “No, my dear. He did not runaway. You see, you should do your job with full interest and he knew his heart was somewhere else. Had he taken the role of the king, it would have been a half-hearted attempt, leaving the people of his country unhappy. He thought it better to leave.”
“ Liam was the right person to step in those shoes. And so he did. He made his people happy. He did good for his kingdom. He is known as king Liam, the kind.” She beamed proudly always stopping at that.
Leaving aside all the unnecessary details for the little brains of how she had to leave the palace under Constantine’s pressure. How she did not even get a chance to say goodbye to him. How she was forced to step out into the unknown, when Liam was having his bachelor party at New York. She had skipped all that for later.
Fabian pulled her back from her thoughts. “Now when we go there, we will be meeting the king?”
“Yes, but you have to remember Fabian, not to lose yourself in the glory.”
“Yes, mother.”
“Now it’s late. Close your eyes and have a good night.” She bent down and kissed him.
He stared up at her through his deep blue eyes.
“What are you thinking, Fabian?”
“Mother, I want to be like him. I want to make you proud.”
“Believe me dear, I love you for who you are and I am so proud of you.” She got up from his side and waved at him “Good night, baby!”
“Good night mother.” He said and obediently closed his eyes.
She shut the door behind her and walked to her room just in time to pick up the incoming phone call.
“Hey Liam.”
“How are we today, love?”
“Good. Just put Fabian to bed after another quiz time.” She shook her head smiling.
“The little guy does have a curious mind.”
“Don’t ask.” She pinched the bridge of her nose.
“I am eager to answer all his questions.”
“And I am eager to see how that interaction goes.”
“Just few more days dear.”
“I know.” She stifled a yawn.
“Sleep well sweetheart. You need some beauty sleep.”
“Good night Liam. Love you.”
“I love you too, Savannah.”
*******************************************
A/N: Liam knew Savannah much before Olivia came into his life. Little Savvy loved his company. You can read about their childhood more in this fic that brought this idea of them together to me. Santa comes to town. And their love story in my series Estranged .
I am glad you liked it.. I was on peak of my writing during this series I feel. The whole series has 7 stories. Each story mentions one character and each ends with a twist you won't have imagined. I am so proud of this AU and I wish I can make more n more fans read this.
Thank you for reading and reblogging. It means a lot when this old FIC is revisited after 5 years of its creation.
The Choices fandom may be small but it's not gone! Let's try to strengthen our community by interacting with works we may have missed or not known existed.
Join by May 2nd
The Basics:
Reblog this post (or DM me) with the links of up to 3 works you'd like to see get more attention. See below for more details on what you can submit
If you submit work, you are encouraged to interact with as many things as you can. If someone has you blocked/you have them blocked, or that user makes you uncomfortable, then you would respectfully skip them.
I'll organize all the links into a masterlist (whether it's 1 list or a few smaller ones will depend on the number of entries)
I will tag everyone when the masterlist is posted. You reblog as many as they can in the timeframe of the event. This would be on the honor system. I'm not tracking people down. I don't have time. I'm going to trust that if you submitted links that you are interacting with others in the event and trying to support people you may not normally interact with.
I will also reblog all submitted works here for additional support.
What you can submit:
Any creative work for the Choices or Pixelberry fandoms: writing, edits, art, moodboards, etc.
AI created work will not be accepted
AO3 links (we'll try this. I don't know who is joining this event and how much they use AO3, but I'm willing to try it!
This is the first event I've done like this so if I'm missing info here or if you have questions, don't hesitate to reach out! If this event is successful and helps encourage creativity in this fandom it can be something we do a couple of times a year.
I am one person who has enjoyed re-pairing "The Royal Romance" characters for the fandom. My mini series , 'Once upon a time' is the best example of crack ships.
Sharing my fav amongst them all
💬 15 🔁 34 ❤️ 37 · Book: The Royal Romance AU
Characters: Liam, Fabian and his mother.
Word count: 963
Disclaimer: All characters belong
Second thought I always had is what if we could have the pairs as they were supposed to be? "Remember me", brings back one such couple whom many detest yet I am proud of showcasing their naive romance of early age.
💬 2 🔁 36 ❤️ 25 · Remember me -2 · Belated birthday wishes Amy!
(@gkittylove99 ) I want to dedicate this to you. Since the time I started
And that one pair every fan hoped to find but never got... Dralivia.
In my main completed series these two don't get a chance to unite. But I have written a couple of one shots for them. My fav :
💬 15 🔁 30 ❤️ 37 · Merry Christmas! · The Christmas gift of writing.
This one is for you dear @texaskitten30 . Thank you for hosting this
The Choices fandom may be small but it's not gone! Let's try to strengthen our community by interacting with works we may have missed or not known existed.
Join by May 2nd
The Basics:
Reblog this post (or DM me) with the links of up to 3 works you'd like to see get more attention. See below for more details on what you can submit
If you submit work, you are encouraged to interact with as many things as you can. If someone has you blocked/you have them blocked, or that user makes you uncomfortable, then you would respectfully skip them.
I'll organize all the links into a masterlist (whether it's 1 list or a few smaller ones will depend on the number of entries)
I will tag everyone when the masterlist is posted. You reblog as many as they can in the timeframe of the event. This would be on the honor system. I'm not tracking people down. I don't have time. I'm going to trust that if you submitted links that you are interacting with others in the event and trying to support people you may not normally interact with.
I will also reblog all submitted works here for additional support.
What you can submit:
Any creative work for the Choices or Pixelberry fandoms: writing, edits, art, moodboards, etc.
AI created work will not be accepted
AO3 links (we'll try this. I don't know who is joining this event and how much they use AO3, but I'm willing to try it!
This is the first event I've done like this so if I'm missing info here or if you have questions, don't hesitate to reach out! If this event is successful and helps encourage creativity in this fandom it can be something we do a couple of times a year.
It definitely seems there are people interested in this event but the ideas of how to navigate this event are far tricker than I anticipated. There are many ways it could work. I did suggest a few possibilities but I think that poll got lost in the reblogs.
I thought it might be easier to have a discussion (reblog/comment on here) rather than going to another poll. Let's talk possibilities.
Oh, also, I switched blogs. It seems like it makes more sense to be from this blog. Sorry for any confusion.
Idea #1 *NEW IDEA*
It definitely seems like this event could easily get out of hand and overwhelming, especially if I include AO3 links (which was suggested). If say 15 people each submit 3 things, we're looking at 45 links, that could seem overwhelming for someone to decide what to interact with.
so here is my newest idea for this event...
People submit up to 3 things they want more interactions on by a deadline.
---- If you submit work, you are encouraged to interact with as many things as you can. If someone has you blocked/you have them blocked, or that user makes you uncomfortable (use of AI seems to be the biggest issue I come across from hosting other events), then you would respectfully skip them.
I will take the links and break them up over say a month. Each week I'll post a smaller list of links. I'll try to mix it up so it's some art/edits and writing to make it more manageable. I'll tag everyone who submitted something in each weekly masterlist so you can choose some to interact with. (This way you have maybe 10 links to consider instead of 40+... maybe try to interact with half?)
I will also reblog all submitted works here for additional support.
This would be on the honor system. I'm not tracking people down each week for a month. I don't have time. I'm going to trust you are interacting with others in the event and trying to support people you may not normally interact with.
Idea #2: *New Idea*
People submit up to 5 things they want more interactions on by a deadline.
I put everyone on Wheel of Names and do this like a secret pal event (you can tell me who you don't want to be matched with, as always and I'll avoid that person(s) also if I see your match interacts with you frequently and is already on your submitted posts, I'd spin again)
You get a name and you try to interact with 2 of their posts.
I still post a masterlist of all submitted works and people are encouraged to still check out others works on the list, but it wouldn't be required.
Idea #3: Already mentioned
People submit up to 3 things they want more interactions on by a deadline.
I post everything in one list regardless of how many entries.
I tag everyone in the post and people reblog as many as they can in the timeframe of the event.
I wouldn't keep track so you can participate with who you are comfortable with but I am asking that you remember the purpose of this event is to increase interactions in this fandom so that you really try to support new works you haven't looked at yet.
Idea #4: same as 3 but..
Same as 3 but every reblog from the works on the list would get you an entry into a small give away. More reblogs= more entries = better chance of winning.
I'd love it if we could just do #3 and try to encourage each others because it's nice, but I get that it's not always easy so sometimes an incentive helps.
Idea 1 / 3 Combo: We move forward with both and then depending on how many links we choose between the two. Maybe like 25 or less = idea 3, and more than that goes to idea 1.
Just a Note...
in the descriptions I'm saying interact/reblog because I anticipate most entries to be tumblr, but if you want to submit AO3 links then obviously an interaction would be a comment. However, if you don't have AO3 and want to interact with the creator, you could potentially send them a message to their inbox with a comment too. But we can work this out more as we go.
