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i-choose-liam · 5 years

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In My Arms - Eiko x MC (Mother of the Year)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or make any profits from this work of fiction.

Rating: K+ (suitable for all readers above the age of 13)

A/N: Just a ficlet for my favourite ship from Mother of the Year. Trying to get my creative juices flowing again, so feedback is always appreciated. Thanks!

In My Arms - Eiko Matsunaga x Ahana Day

"Because I'm in love with you! Stop making me say it!"

She didn't flinch at the sound coming from the TV. The very next moment, the two characters on the screen were kissing each other with abandon. Eiko watched it with a blend of interest and lethargy. Though she felt perfectly at peace in the moment, she tried to make it better. She rested her cheek on the side of Ahana's head. They were cuddling on Ahana's (quite uncomfortable) couch. Her feisty woman seemed absorbed with the romedy playing on her TV. But her fingertips grazed Eiko's hand as she kept holding it in hers, like she had been doing for the last thirty minutes or so. Eiko smiled and kissed the top of her head.

"Mmm", Ahana hummed.

"Someone's comfy"

Eiko said that and watched Ahana pull her arm tighter around herself. She seemed to be cocooning herself completely between those arms. No amount of hardcore snuggling was ever intense enough for her... girlfriend?

Girlfriend.

Diana's Mom. Her student's Mom.

"You're going to break my arm if you pull it any tighter around yourself", Eiko joked.

The reply was,

"We both know you're too strong for that"

"Is that right? Or are you just saying that so you can keep hogging my arms?"

"And your lap"

Cheeky minx.

Eiko gave her a squeeze before leaning to press a kiss to that plump cheek. A 28-year old woman with baby cheeks and an addiction to cuddling. For Eiko, Ahana could sometimes be cuter than her nine-year old. Speaking of whom...

"How's Diana taking the whole visitation thing?"

The body in her arms stiffened for a second, before Ahana sighed and leaned back further against Eiko's chest.

"She's... starting to notice things. Now she doesn't seem excited anymore when she has to go to his place. I think the signature charm of her father is wearing off for her now"

"Poor kid. She deserves so much better", Eiko said, "So do you"

"I wish he had never come back. Things were starting to look better for us. Now...", Ahana shook her head, "I'm reminded by almost everyone that I'm not enough for my baby. The court, Guy, the PTA, kids like August who pick on Diana because they know they will get away with it"

Ahana quickly gave a dismissive laugh, squeezing Eiko's hand which she was holding.

"Look at me. I promised myself there would be no venting today. So no. I'm cutting myself off"

Eiko spoke in a gentle voice, tucking a curl away from Ahana's face,

"I don't mind. I like it when you vent to me"

"You're too good to me, Eiko"

Kissing the back of the hand she was holding, Ahana snuggled closer between those toned arms.

"No more complaining for today. No more of the Worst Mother award monologue", she said.

Eiko tried to lighten the mood,

"You're not the worst mother. And if you ask me, you're not actually a mother"

"I'm not?"

"No. You're a MILF"

Eiko watched her shaking with laughter, and pressed another big kiss to Ahana's cheek with her smiling lips. She held on tight to the amazing woman in her arms, wondering how good would it feel to hear that laugh every day for the rest of their lives.

#eiko matsunaga #eiko x mc #moty eiko #choices moty #moty fanfiction #thatoclady fanfics #eiko x ahana #moty #playchoices #long post

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i-choose-liam · 5 years

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Two’s Better Than One - King Liam x MC

Summary: Liam is more stressed than he's ever been before. A certain guest coming to the palace has prompted this anxiety in the Cordonian King. How will Liam fare against his special guest?

Book: The Royal Heir

Characters: King Liam, MC (Riley Spencer), Dani Spencer (OC), Hana Lee, Maxwell Beaumont, Drake Walker, other original characters.

Rating: T

Word count: 1k+

A/N: This is a short series about Riley’s family. If you read this, let me know if you like it. Reblogs are always appreciated. Thanks!

Cordonia

The staff at the palace was rushing back and forth. “Yellow! Not pink! How do you get the two confused?!”, Liam’s assistant yelled at a staff-member. The unwanted linen was taken away in a cart, the sound of the wheels just a part of the entire hustle-bustle. Dani witnessed the scene in passing as she walked past the staff towards the nursery. One of Riley’s incompetent bodyguards, the hot one, was guarding the doors to the nursery. They gave her a nod. “Miss Spencer” She gave a mock salute and walked in as the doors were opened for her. The light from the windows was the first thing to catch her eye. Cordonia sure had a lot of sunshine. And said sunlight was making the couple standing in the middle of the room look like ethereal angels. Liam was talking to someone on the phone, but he perked up at once on seeing Dani. He hung up and walked over to give her a hug. “You made it”, he said, smiling. Dani hugged him back and kissed his cheek as they parted. “’course I did”, she said, “As if I would miss my niece’s first ever party” Riley spoke in that supercilious tone her voice took on when she was trying not to be condescending. “It’s a ‘royal luncheon’ in honour of Eleanor, not a party” Dani walked to her, saying, “Leave it to you to literally take the word party out of an actual party, Riles” Riley smirked, “Good to see you too, my evil twin” “You’re the evil twin” A gleeful gurgle came from the bundle in Riley’s arms. Dani got close enough to look at the cuteness-bomb her niece, Princess Eleanor of Cordonia, was. “Hiii, angelll”, Dani cooed. “You wanna hold her?”, Riley asked. Dani was still smiling down at little Eleanor. She said, “What do you think I flew all the way here for?” Riley quipped, handing over the baby to Dani, “The free booze?” She was already making kissy faces at her niece, holding her with utmost care. “No, no, no”, she said, “Aunt Dani came here for Eleanor. Didn’t I, sweetheart? My god, Riley, she’s sooo cute! I can’t believe she came out of you” Dani bounced Eleanor a little in her arms. She was doing her best to be careful, the baby was only three months old, after all. Eleanor fixed her dark, bright eyes on Dani’s face, smiling as if she enjoyed the bouncing. She gave another heart-melting gurgle, forming a tiny drool-bubble at the corner of her mouth. The bubble rose above her face, startling Eleanor. Her eyes went wide and she exclaimed “Wooh! Wooh!” as she stared at this strange anomaly near her face, shaking her fists and legs all the while.

“It’s just flight information. What is so- you know what? Meet me in my office. I’m coming down there in a minute”, Liam was saying on the phone. Dani exchanged a knowing look with her twin. She raised an eyebrow. Riley nodded. “Did you scare him?”, Dani asked. Riley said, “I didn’t. He has been researching about them for almost a week” Liam walked to them then. He sounded frantic. “Dani, I hope you’re being taken care of well. If you need anything, I’ll be in my office. Don’t hesitate to ask for anything, okay?” Before she could reply, he was saying, “And I’ll see you as soon as I can, my love. I’ll be back” Both Dani and Riley stared at him in surprise as he kissed his daughter’s forehead, having clearly meant the words for her and not his wife. Liam strode away to the door, leaving Riley gaping after him, narrowing her eyes at his frame. As if realizing he had forgotten something, Liam turned around and walked to her. He was grinning. “Sorry”, he kissed her on the cheek, “Won’t happen again. I love you” “Uh-huh”, Riley replied. Dani bounced Eleanor in her arms again, taking in the look on her sister’s face. She smiled at Riley, “Poor guy” Riley just sighed.

***

Maxwell was humming under his breath as they sat in the antechamber to Liam’s office. Hana was saying to Drake, “And you made sure to ask the chef that he only use halal meat and sustainably sourced seafood?” “Um…”, was Drake’s answer. Maxwell chimed in, “Relax, Hana. You’re still in-charge of everything else. Liam just asked Drake to supervise the prep for the American dishes” “I know that”, Hana said timidly, “I’m just making sure” She sighed, saying, “Sorry if I seemed to be meddling, Drake. I prefer discussing this stuff with Liam and Riley. But Riley is spending time with her sister and Eleanor. And Liam’s just been so preoccupied lately” “Speaking of…” Drake indicated the door to Liam’s office. The King walked towards them at a brisk pace, taking a seat across from Maxwell. “Thanks for waiting, guys”, Liam said, tugging at his cravat.

Before he could even catch his breath, Liam was talking again. “Maxwell, I hope you followed the instructions for the entertainment program”, he said. Maxwell nodded, remembering all the non-party-esque instructions he had had to follow. “Of course. Nothing too loud, no fireworks, no confetti. Nothing un-eco-friendly. And Celine Dion will be performing shortly after lunch” “Thank you. Drake, the food and alcohol?”, Liam turned to him. “Yep. I talked to the chef. She said this might be the first time we’re going to serve fried chicken for a luncheon at the palace. Vegetarian options are available in three different Asian cuisines. And I personally selected the single malt…” Liam shot up in his chair, surprising everyone in the room. “No, no, no. No whiskey. I specifically told you she hates whiskey. Vodka. Vodka and cocktails are what she will be served”, he said, face harried. Drake said slowly, “Okayy…” Liam turned to Hana next. He said in a pleading voice, “I know you’re the only one who would never disappoint me, Hana. How are the rest of the arrangements?” She assured him, “I have followed all your instructions to the letter, Liam. And I have done my fair share of research on Analyn Torres. I’m going to do a debriefing for the palace staff before the flight lands. Maxwell will be with you at the airport for the welcoming” “No, I need you with me at the airport. I mean, I need Maxwell and you there with me” Drake scoffed, “Gee, thanks, Liam” Liam tugged at his cravat again and walked to the coffee table. He poured himself a glass of water from the pitcher and emptied it in one go. Maxwell looked at Hana with meaning, who looked at Drake, quietly urging him to talk to the King. “You know”, Drake said to Liam, “I haven’t seen you this nervous ever before. You okay, man?” Liam didn’t answer. He flopped down into his seat again, closing his eyes and absently rubbing his forehead. Hana tried, “You have addressed an entire congregation of world leaders at the UN, and you didn’t sweat a drop. This can’t be more difficult than that, Liam” Liam replied, “I have to make a good first impression” Maxwell said, trying to lighten the situation, “You are the King of one of the wealthiest, coolest countries in Europe, Liam. And she’s what? A college professor?” Drake seemed to agree. “Maxwell’s right. I don’t see why you have to be so afraid of meeting your mother-in-law. She’s probably the opposite of Spencer. She’s probably like Dani, and not Riley” Liam mumbled, “The other one is” Maxwell was confused. “What?”, he asked. Liam sighed. “Riley told me her “Mom”, Razia Spencer, is the relaxed, carefree one like Dani. My other mother-in-law, Dr. Analyn Torres, is an activist and a tenured professor at Columbia University, who’s known for her scathing criticism of capitalism and monarchy. She made the High Chancellor of Auvernal cry during his first and last visit to the USA” The room was suddenly quiet enough to hear the ticking coming from the clock on the wall. Hana said nothing, looking sympathetic to Liam’s cause of concern, as if she had known these fun facts all along. Maxwell just stared at one face from another, not knowing what to say. Drake broke the silence. “Well, damn”

***

Somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean –

Analyn scrolled the webpage on her laptop. The plane lurched a bit, sudden turbulence rocking her in her seat. She stayed calm enough to finish reading the latest from the Cordonian Daily. She kept assuring herself she was not trying to gather ammunition to use against her son-in-law, but part of her felt guilty just the same. She had promised her wife she wouldn’t judge their son-in-law before she even met him, and she always kept her promises to Razia. “Baby?” Analyn closed her laptop and turned to her wife, who was just stirring from a four-hour nap. She smiled at the look of confusion on her wife’s face, something which amused her to no end even after thirty years of marriage. Razia’s short hair fell across her eyes, which she was rubbing sleepily. “Are we there yet?”, she asked, half asleep. “No, my love. Still an hour or so, I think” “Okay” Razia clutched Analyn’s arm and rested her head on her shoulder again. She said, with her eyes closed, “Did you finish reading about Liam?” “I-I wasn’t… um…” “It’s okay. I won’t tell Riley. Hehe” Analyn smiled and put an arm around her love, saying, “Go to sleep, you. We’ll be in Cordonia soon” “I hope Eleanor’s got Riley’s eyes” “I quite like Liam’s eyes too” “He’s good-looking but, you know. Our baby’s our baby” “A stubborn 26-year old, yes” “Shush. We haven’t seen her in forever. We’re just going there to see her and our granddaughter, okay? No fighting” “Yes, darling” “Good. I sleep now. Good night” “It’s morning”, Analyn grinned. “Mhm” Her wife was asleep again in minutes. Putting away her laptop, and her inhibitions for the time being, Analyn wrapped her arm tighter around Razia and closed her eyes. She hoped to get some sleep before meeting her royal son-in-law for the first time. They had so much to talk about.

#liam x mc #king liam x mc #trh liam x mc #riley & dani #princess eleanor of cordonia #trh fanfiction #trh #the royal heir #fanfiction #thatoclady fanfics #playchoices

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i-choose-liam · 4 years

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Two’s Better Than One - Liam x MC (The Royal Heir)

Summary: Riley and Dani’s parents visit Cordonia for the first time. Liam is pulling out all the stops to impress them, especially since he is convinced one of his mothers-in-law hates him.

Rating for Chapter 3: Adult, for sexual scenes (yep, been too long since I sprinkled some smut all over your dash)

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Little Eleanor was so easily entertained. She was thrashing her feet in excitement on seeing the toy Riley held up in front of her. For Riley, her baby was all the distraction she needed from the tight knot of anticipation in her stomach. It had been over a year since she had seen her parents. She alone knew how dearly she had missed them at every single step of her new life in Cordonia. Her Mama had been understanding when Riley had said she couldn’t attend her grandfather’s funeral. It had been less than a week since Constantine’s death and Liam had needed her more. Her conscience gnawed at her often, wanting to make her believe she had abandoned her family for a life with Liam. She could only hope that wasn’t what her mothers believed. “Mama! Mom!” She heard Dani squeal from behind her. Her twin ran to the two women who had just entered the nursery. Tears filled Riley’s eyes as she turned to look at them. ‘Just the way I left them’, she thought. While Dani and Mom were squeezing each other out like bears embracing, Riley watched her Mama smile at her. “Hi, baby”, Analyn said. Two words that broke through all her queenly composure. She felt like her four-year old self again, wanting nothing more than the comfort of her parents’ embrace. Riley got up to throw herself into those arms, only to be beaten to it by her mother. Analyn gathered her in a fierce hug, sighing as if she had felt the relief of a lifetime. “Oh I missed you, my darling. I missed you”, Analyn whispered. Riley almost sobbed, saying, “I missed you too, Mama. I missed you so much. I’m so sorry” “It’s okay. You did nothing wrong. I’m so proud of you”, Analyn kissed her forehead, “You are so brave, my love. So brave” Even through her tears, Riley could see the pride and love reflected in her mother’s eyes. It was the one thing she knew that would never change.

“Family hug!”, Razia announced. Riley was immediately squished on both sides by her Mom and Dani. Wiping at her tear-stained cheeks, she turned to Razia and wrapped her arms around the slender frame. “Aw. There’s my Riley” Her 57-year old mother still smelled like bubblegum and candy floss, and just a touch of vinyl. Riley felt those minute calluses from her fingertips as Razia’s hands rested on her cheeks, calluses from years of plucking guitar strings and pressing piano keys. Her eyes closed as Razia planted a hearty kiss on her forehead. “Let me look at you” “Mooom. We just had a video call yesterday”, Riley grinned. “Exactly. And”, Dani interrupted, “You two have wasted too much time on the opening act. The showstopper’s there” Riley and her Mama rolled their eyes at the same time at Dani’s words, and watched Razia nearly sprinting towards Eleanor’s crib. She emitted a loud gasp as if she had discovered treasure. “Oh my god. Oh my goodness”, she kept saying in awe. Riley watched from a little distance, so as not to crowd Eleanor’s crib on all four sides. Her Mom was clutching Mama’s arm, saying over and over, “That’s our granddaughter. Oh baby, she’s so cute” “She is”, Analyn smiled. Riley offered, “Do you want to hold her?” “Yes please”, Analyn said. “Go ahead then” Tenderly, Analyn reached into the crib and took her grandchild in her arms for the first time. A pleasant warmth seemed to bloom in Riley’s chest, watching her mothers and her sister gaze so adoringly at her daughter. “Hi, Eleanor. I’m your grandma. My name is Razia. Oh you’re so precious, sweetheart, I might just cry” Dani was the first one to notice. She said, “Mama? Are you crying?” “No, I’m not” Razia immediately put her arm around Analyn, who was biting her lip and keeping her head bowed to hide her eyes. “Aw, my baby. You’re not fooling us” “She’s just…”, Analyn looked up at Riley and Dani, her eyes glistening and her brow creased in a frown, “She’s just so cute” As if accepting the compliment, Eleanor grinned at her grandmothers and let out a delightful squeal.

***

At the luncheon, Liam felt like he was witnessing the scene unfold from a different dimension. He had ensured that only their closest friends, whom he could trust to make Cordonia look good to Analyn’s eyes, were the other guests at the luncheon. With a smile, he watched Razia recount some embarrassing tale from Riley and Dani’s childhood. Analyn held Eleanor in her arms, her empty plate of food still in front of her on the table. What pleased him most was that he hadn’t seen his wife so happy and relaxed in a long, long time. As the Queen of Cordonia, Riley seldom let her guard down anymore. But sitting next to her mothers, she reminded him of the spontaneous, daring girl he had met in New York once upon a time. He was beyond grateful to Analyn, distant as she was, and to Razia for making him see Riley at such ease. The happiness he was feeling imbued him with some nerve.

Liam rose from his chair, hoping no one would follow the royal table manners and stand up because the King had done so. He walked around the table to Analyn’s side. Eleanor noticed him right away and her face scrunched up in an excited grin. She kept raising her little butt and flailing her arms, squealing a litany of baby noises at him. Analyn smiled at her and then at him. “She wants Daddy”, she said. Liam was only too happy to take his pride and joy in his arms, holding her straight so he could kiss her little nose. He was lost in his daughter’s sunshine-like smile when Analyn said, “Thank you for such a thoughtful meal” ‘Are my ears ringing?’, he wondered. Analyn thanked someone from the waiting staff who was clearing away the tables. She stood up next to Liam. His relief on seeing her smile at him was tinged with anticipation. She continued, “My daughters told me you planned every part of this lunch down to the last detail. The fried chicken, my favourite brand of vodka, the caramel ice-cream with the Madeline cookies my wife likes – it was really sweet of you” Holding Eleanor against his shoulder, with a hand behind her neck, Liam exhaled a deep sigh of relief. “I’m really glad to hear that. I wasn’t sure how you would feel about it. But honestly, everyone helped. The credit goes to the staff and our advisers” Analyn gave him a curious look, as if he had said something that secretly pleased her. “Of course”, she said, “I do feel bad that you felt the need to go to such lengths for us though. Dani told me you have planned everything yourself to make sure my wife and I feel at home here” She placed a placating hand on his forearm, the corners of her eyes crinkling slightly as she spoke. “But you don’t have to impress us. Especially not me. Whatever my political views are, it is my duty towards my daughter to see you as my son-in-law and not just another monarch. As long as you make your wife and child happy, and keep them safe, I have no right to complain” Liam could feel the tender affection in her tone, which made him wish his own mother had been there with them today. “Thank you, Analyn”, he said. “You’re welcome, Liam” Their attention was diverted by the sound of Maxwell’s voice from the stage as he announced the arrival of Celine Dion. Liam heard a high-pitched squeal coming from the other end of the lawn and saw Razia staring wide-eyed at the stage in disbelief. “Your efforts may be slightly extravagant, Liam, but for making my wife happy like that”, Analyn smirked, “…I can overlook it”

***

Liam was taking a moment for himself in the garden maze. He had finally felt some relief from the anguish of the past two weeks. Analyn wasn’t as critical of him as reading her research papers on the privileged classes had led him to believe. She had just needed some time to warm up to him. Now with the fear of being despised by his mother-in-law vanquished, he was looking forward to taking her and the family sightseeing. As he walked in the maze with his hands behind his back, he knew he would have to ask Analyn and Razia first if they were interested in sightseeing. “Boo!” Grinning, Liam caught those hands over his chest as Riley hugged him from behind. He brushed his lips against her knuckles. “Aw. I didn’t scare you?”, she asked. Liam looped his arm around her and pulled her in front of him, hugging her waist. He grazed his nose against hers, stealing a quick kiss. “Nope”, he said. Riley looked up at him with such a pleasant smile. It made him want to cover her face with kisses. “You seem happy”, she said. “I am” “Really? You’re not worried about my mother anymore?” He shook his head, saying, “I was so afraid of being judged harshly by Analyn that I jumped to some conclusions of my own. Your mother is definitely… intense” “Mhm” Riley’s playful tone suggested that Liam be careful with his wording. All those diplomacy lessons throughout his childhood were not for nothing though. He smiled. “But she seems like a very interesting and open minded woman. And I hope I get to spend more time with her and Razia” “Good answer. But…”, Riley said. Liam raised an eyebrow as she took hold of his lapels, looking up at him through her eyelashes. Riley ran her fingers down his sleeve, saying softly, “How about… you spend some time with me?” “What about…” She cut him off, saying, “Eleanor’s sleeping. Hana has engaged Mama in a very detailed conversation about modern Chinese history. And Mom’s probably asleep by now on the couch in the nursery” “Ah. I see”, Liam said. Riley moved away from his arms, swaying her hips, doing her version of a sexy dance which was anything but. Liam grinned as he watched her making waves in the air with her arms. After almost a year of marriage, Riley knew the effect her dorky dancing had on him. “This is, after all, the place where we first made love” She gave him a wink, still swaying where she stood. Liam took a step towards her, biting his lower lip as he gazed hungrily at her opulent hips. “What if someone walks in on us?”, he asked. “When has that ever stopped you, my King?”, she said. Liam slid his hand around Riley’s waist, resting it on her lower back. She turned up her chin at him. Her hair fell away from her shoulders, exposing her neck to his lustful gaze. Liam nearly growled, “Riley”

He had lifted her off her feet in an instant and pinned her against the tall hedge. Liam rested his hands under Riley’s ample butt to support her weight. She seemed to be pulling him even closer with her legs around his waist. Liam could practically feel the heat radiating from between her legs, and he was sure she could feel his. Riley sought his lips in a passionate kiss, impatiently tasting his mouth with her tongue. The low moans from her throat stoked his fire further. “Mmm” Riley moaned into his mouth as Liam squeezed her cheeks from below. She was panting for breath when he broke away from their kiss to nip at the sensitive skin of her neck. “You’re incredible”, he said hoarsely. Riley slipped her hand between their bodies and rubbed him through his trousers. Liam gasped, sensitive to her touch despite of the layers of fabric between them. “You’re locked and loaded to go, huh?”, she teased him, still rubbing the front of his trousers. Liam slid his hand up her dress and between her thighs, making Riley shiver and tighten her thighs around his fingers. Liam swirled his fingertips in the wetness which now coated his fingers. “You’re one to talk”, he said. Riley braced her hands on his shoulders, trying to put her feet back on the ground. Liam let her. He reached for her breast with one hand gave it a gentle squeeze. Her breasts were so full lately, from having to feed their daughter, it drove him crazy to even think about them. “L-Liam…” He flicked her stiff nipple through her clothes with his thumb, feeling the slight dampness that wasn’t there a moment ago. “I wanna taste you”, he said. “I wanna taste you first. Please” Liam watched Riley get down on her knees before him with delicious anticipation. She unzipped his pants and tugged them low. Liam hissed a breath as she reached in lovingly to free him. “Riley…” She rubbed her thumb over the head, making him wince with pleasure. Liam looked down into her eyes as Riley took him in her mouth, and slowly passed her lips along his girth. He curled his fingers at the back of her head. Her silky hair in his hands, her soft lips on his raging erection, her teasing tongue, the warmth of her mouth – Liam was in… “Oh my god!” Riley let go of him quickly, startling him further. Liam barely had time to pull up his pants as she got to her feet and looked behind him. Her petrified gaze told him all he needed to know. But as Liam turned around, trying to zip up his pants, his fears were confirmed. Razia was hiding her face in her wife’s shoulder, and Analyn stared at him with a subdued look of horror on her face. Riley whispered to him, sounding mortified, “I can’t believe my Moms just saw your butt”

#riley & dani #king liam x mc #trh liam x mc #liam x mc #liam x mc fanfiction #trh #trh fanfiction #the royal heir #playchoices #thatoclady fanfics #princess eleanor of cordonia #fanfiction

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i-choose-liam · 5 years

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If I Could Turn Back Time (A Bastien Story)

Book: The Royal Heir

Characters: King Liam, Queen Riley, Queen Mother Regina, Bastien.

Rating: K+ (suitable for all readers above 12 years)

Summary: Even on his last day working at the palace, Bastien deals with the aftermath of the wrongs he committed at the Applewood Manor.

A/N: Bastien x MC shippers may not enjoy this story. It has no romantic content. The MC (Queen Riley) in this story and King Liam have different opinions about Bastien as compared to the canon. I mostly wrote this to get myself to finally create a masterlist here. Sorry for the long post. Posting this from the tumblr app. Thanks in advance for reading!

______________________________

Regina glanced at her stepson in surprise. She had not expected that this would be what he had wanted to talk about. She had to make sure.

"You're sure that you do not want to present Bastien with the medal, a medal he will be receiving for a lifetime of his services to our family and the Crown?", she asked, slowly enunciating every other word.

Across from her, Liam looked pensive yet determined.

"Yes", he said, "I'm grateful for all that Bastien has done for me, for Leo, for Father, and for my mother. But I still can't find it in me to forgive him for his role in the incident with Tariq"

At the mere mention of that unsavoury event in Cordonia's recent history, an event that had harmed his beloved wife, Liam's brows knit together in anger. Regina couldn't help a small knowing smile on noticing that. She tried to reason with him.

"Bastien was only following his King's orders, Liam. You know how much he loves you and your brother"

"I know, and I value that relationship. But I can't stand before the nation and publicly honour the man who had a part to play in invading a woman's privacy when she was in such a vulnerable state. This isn't just about Riley, Regina. My feelings about Bastien's actions in that matter would still be what they are now if it had been some other victim that night instead of my wife"

"But the public does not know Bastien was involved"

"But I know", Liam said, "And my conscience doesn't permit me to honour him in public. It's why I had to ask you - will you present the medal to Bastien on behalf of the Crown?"

Regina took in his somber expression, thinking how different this kind and honourable young man was from his father. She had loved Constantine, and she had done it while fully aware of the flaws in his character. But Liam seemed to be made of a cloth entirely different from his brother's and father's.

"I would be honoured", she said, sighing.

Liam gave her a nod, still looking contemplative.

"Thank you, Regina"

---

On the last day of his work at the palace, Bastien was doing the best he could to keep his emotions in check. He had talked to nearly every one of his colleagues that day, and most of the inhabitants at the palace. Liam had told him he would be missed, but the warmth in their unique relationship from before Riley's scandal had long been gone. Now Liam regarded him simply as a devoted employee (ex employee now), not as a friend he could rely on. It had hurt, but Bastien felt he deserved the apathy. Liam wasn't the only one who couldn't forgive him for his role in bringing such disgrace on Riley. Bastien hadn't forgiven himself either.

He had been standing patiently outside Riley's office chambers for over thirty minutes. She had been avoiding him per usual. But she had to step out some time. Bastien knew she and Liam would be leaving for a short visit to Castelsarreillan in a few hours. And that too just the day before Liam was supposed to present the medal to him, a task which now befell Regina.

He heard Riley's and her assistant's voices getting closer to the doors they were behind.

"I really don't want to use the jet unless it's necessary. Liam and I intend to show the Cordonian people that we're not wasteful. People already have enough reasons to oppose monarchy. And we..."

The doors opened and she stopped mid-conversation on seeing him. Bastien bowed, saying,

"Your Majesty"

Riley looked at him for another moment before asking,

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes", Bastien smiled at her, "I just hoped to talk to you before... tomorrow. I don't know when I will get to see you and King Liam again. That's all"

Riley dismissed her assistant, who walked away in her clacking heels.

Bastien stood across from Riley in the otherwise quiet corridor. His smile mellowed somewhat on realising she wasn't smiling back at him. But she didn't look angry. For the first time in many months, Bastien allowed his gaze to take in Riley's form.

Tall and purposeful, slightly rounder than the first time he had seen her. Riley's arm was unconsciously around the obvious bump in her belly. Bastien's smile returned again on looking at her face. She was positively radiant. A good kid. And he had done his bit to almost ruin her. He looked down at the floor, guilt replacing the pride he had been feeling seconds ago.

"I... You will be missed around here", Riley said to him.

He composed himself. Holding his hands together in front of him above his knees, he nodded.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will miss you all too. Words can't convey what an honour it has been to serve you and the Crown these last thirty years of my life"

"We appreciate your service", she said.

What had he hoped for? That she would forgive him with a hug and say something that would make him feel less shitty every time he thought of her?

"Riley...", he began.

It didn't escape his notice that she still had her arm around her belly, looking at him with an expression that reeked of caution. Like she still didn't trust him.

"You have to know... I didn't want to hurt you, or Liam. I was..."

She said, when he faltered,

"Following orders. So you have said"

"Yes. I wish I hadn't, but... there's no use dwelling on that now"

"No, there isn't"

Bastien looked her in the eyes, trying to convey how sorry he was. That his heart had broken into pieces on fully realising what he had actually done, and to whom.

"You have to know - I'd never hurt you or Liam willingly. I care deeply about him. I still feel like I should be here protecting him for as long as I live. It's my loss that I won't be around to see his boy grow up"

"We don't know if it's a boy"

The corner of Bastien's mouth quirked in a smile, as he said,

"The staff has a running bet on what it's going to be. Most of them have bet it's going to be a boy"

Riley smiled,

"I see"

She sometimes reminded him of Liam's mother. The same poise, a lively spirit, intelligence abound. Queen Eleanor had been more forgiving though. But Bastien didn't feel he had any right to expect Riley to forgive him after what he had let Constantine and Tariq do to her.

"I should let you get on with your day", he held in a sigh, "Thank you, Your Majesty"

He bowed and was about to walk away, when Riley said his name.

"Bastien..."

She took a step closer to him. Her voice was still devoid of emotion, the way she had come to speak to him ever since knowing the truth about that night. But Riley looked equal amounts of vulnerable and formidable.

"I'm grateful for all the years of loyal service you have given. It can't have been easy for you to spend so many years doing such a challenging job that held so much responsibility. I also appreciate that you saved my husband and his family on many occasions. Don't think me ungrateful", she said, "But I can't forgive you for what you did. I wish I could, but I can't. Even if I hadn't been the victim that night, I still wouldn't trust you. And yet, I understand you did it for your king. You're a soldier, a guard. You were practically brainwashed into believing that the word of your leader means everything, like so many people in the world are made to believe. I don't hold that against you. But... I can't lie and say that I'd trust you with protecting me or my child"

Bastien gave her a slight nod, too sad to speak. Riley said,

"You are not an exception. You and I both know that everyone involved in the attack on me at Applewood Manor is no longer welcome in my personal life. Lady Penelope may be a regular fixture at court but I still keep her away from my personal life. So I hope you don't take it personally"

"Of course, Your Majesty", he said.

She went on to say,

"Liam might not think so at the moment but he will miss you now that you're retiring. You're as close to a good father figure as he's ever had in his life. If it's not too much to ask, maybe you could come by every now and then to visit him?"

Bastien looked up at her face again. She wasn't saying it out of pity. And just for a moment, she seemed to look at him the same way she used to before he had betrayed her trust.

"I would love that", he managed to say.

Riley gave him a small smile that eased his old heart more than she would ever know. She extended her hand to him, saying,

"Thank you for your service"

He took it in both of his and shook her hand. Her hand... as soft as her mother's used to be.

Tears threatened to spill out of Bastien's eyes, making him let go of the Queen of Cordonia's hand. He gazed into her face for one long moment, taking in the eyes he had loved on her mother before she had birthed Riley. He could feel his knees begin to give away as he remembered learning of the truth from his long lost love, in the letter she wrote before her death -

"Duchess Riley... she's ours, Bastien. She's our baby that was adopted by those Americans... I only wanted to let you know so you would look after her better... My baby, my poor baby. What a wretched mother am I that I won't even be able to tell her she's mine, and yours..."

Bastien gave a curt bow to his Queen - his child - and walked away. Her happiness would be secure in not knowing that the man she despised was the father she never knew. He kept walking until he was out of her sight, and her life.

#long post #trh #the royal heir #trr bastien #king liam #trr regina #queen regina #king liam x mc #liam x mc #trh fanfiction #thatoclady fanfics #playchoices #fanfiction #playchoices fanfiction

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i-choose-liam · 4 years

Text

Two’s Better Than One - Liam x MC

Summary: Liam meets Riley’s mothers at last.

A/N: I’m trying to keep this story tense but light-hearted, as it’s mostly focused on Riley’s parents. I had so much fun writing the next chapter, I can’t wait to post it soon. Any feedback and reblogs are always appreciated. Thanks!

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Riley and Dani were in the middle of a conversation when Liam burst into the nursery. He opened his mouth to announce something when the sight of his daughter asleep seemed to have caught his eye. Liam walked to them then, and spoke in a low voice. “Their flight is supposed to land in thirty minutes. Hana, Maxwell and I are headed to the airport soon” Riley got up to lay a hand on her husband’s arm. “Liam, we talked about this. Are you sure you have to be at the airport? I mean, I think it’s incredibly sweet of you but you are the King of Cordonia. I don’t want the press to put some kind of weird spin to you personally receiving my parents at a public airport. You know what I mean?” Liam shrugged, “Who cares about the press right now? I just came here for a good luck kiss” Riley smiled as Liam planted a big kiss on her forehead, as if he was drawing strength from her. She held his face between both hands, lowering it to hers for a kiss on the lips. Liam went in for seconds. “You have nothing to be nervous about. My parents are going to love you, because they respect my decisions and they know I wouldn’t marry just anybody. Okay?” Liam rested his forehead against hers, inhaling a deep breath. Riley smiled and caressed his slightly stubbled cheeks with her fingertips. “Okay”, he said. “Good”, she said sweetly, “I love you” He kissed her again, “I love you too. So much” As they parted, Dani encouraged Liam. “Go get ‘em, tiger”, she said. “Thank you” With another nervous glance at his wife, Liam walked out of the room. It worried her. Riley knew how important it was to him, meeting her parents for the first time. She only wished she could assure him everything would go well with Mama. “Did you talk to Mama?” Dani’s question broke her chain of thoughts. Riley nodded. She reached down to tuck Eleanor’s little hand under her blue blanket. Dani leaned back into the couch, saying, “I talked to her too” “What did she say?” “She said, ‘Of course, darling. I don’t have anything against the man. I just don’t approve of what he represents’. Y’know, the usual” With a groan, Riley lay down sideways on the couch.

***

At the airport, the Royal Guard had cordoned off the area where their King and members of the Royal Council were awaiting their guests. The flight had landed and people were already coming out of the plane. Liam took deep breaths, inaudible ones so no one could tell how nervous he was. On either side of him, Maxwell and Hana were craning their necks to get a better look at the line of travelers disembarking. “Is that them?”, Hana wondered aloud. Muscles tensing all of a sudden, Liam kept his eyes on the crowd. There they were indeed. Razia Spencer looked just like he had last seen her. He had talked to her before on two of the many video calls she had had with Riley. The first one was before their wedding, and the last one was three months ago after Eleanor’s birth. A tall woman with a faraway smile on her face. Her short hair and lean build made her look much younger than she was. She wore a flannel button-up and ripped jeans. No wonder she was the “cool Mom” of the two. Analyn Torres, on the other hand, looked like she had stepped off the plane for an important international conference. She was slightly shorter than her wife, about the same height as Riley he guessed, but looking more imposing anyway. She carried their cabin luggage in one hand while her wife clung to her other arm. Taking Liam by surprise, the woman’s stoic face broke into a bright smile at what Razia said. Something told him that smile was only reserved for Analyn’s wife and daughters. “Let’s go. You ready, Liam?”, Hana asked. “Yes”

They strode forward to receive his in-laws, without any guards in tow. That had been Liam’s idea, one he had had to argue with Bastien to implement. He wanted his mother-in-law to see him as a man first, not a powerful King. Razia gave him a big smile as he reached them. “Liam!”, she exclaimed, “Finally we meet!” “Hello, Razia”, he smiled too. She gave him a quick hug, never taking her eyes away from his face. “I thought Riley was exaggerating cause she loves you, but you really are even more handsome in person” He grinned, trying not to blush. “Thank you. It’s so good to have you both here” He glanced at Analyn, who was studying him with a small polite smile. Razia put an arm around her and said to him, “This is Analyn, my wife and my love. Don’t let the flight fatigue fool you. She’s been really excited to meet you and Eleanor” “Hello, Dr. Torres” He offered her a smile, remembering she didn’t like being hugged. Analyn gave him a nod, maintaining her curt smile, “Hello, King Liam. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. Thank you for inviting us” “Of course. I only wish Cordonia could have been brightened by your presence sooner” Razia said, “We regret not coming to your wedding, we really do. But you know the reason” Liam gave a somber nod, and heard Maxwell say, “I don’t” Razia turned to Maxwell, speaking candidly, “It was because of Analyn’s father’s illness. He was in and out of the hospital for over a year. And we couldn’t trust anyone else to look after him. We thought he was getting better but... he passed away two months ago” “Oh”, Maxwell seemed embarrassed, “I-I’m sorry. I had no idea” “That’s all right”, Analyn said to him. Liam broke the awkward silence that followed. He cleared his throat. “Allow me to introduce you to Lady Hana Lee, Guardian of the Realm and Riley’s best friend. And this is my dear friend, Lord Maxwell of House Beaumont. He represents the people of his duchy when his elder brother Lord Bertrand Beaumont is occupied” “So you are Maxwell”, Analyn looked at him with an unflinching gaze, “The one who… sponsored Riley and brought her to Cordonia” “Yes, ma’am”, Maxwell mumbled. He said suddenly, as if trying to compensate for something, “Uh… seeing you both, now I know where Riley gets her good looks from” Razia tried to laugh at his comment but the laughter never left her mouth, turning into an awkward smile at last. Analyn stared at Maxwell. She told him, “Our daughters are adopted” Something which should have been clear to Maxwell by looking at the stern Filipina and the uneasy Indian woman standing before them. Especially since both Riley and Dani were Caucasian. “Oh I know. I just… it was supposed to be… a joke”, Maxwell managed to say. To Liam’s relief, Hana took over. She gave them a charming smile. “You must both be tired from such a long flight. Why don’t we head home? Riley and Dani are waiting, and Eleanor should be up from her nap by the time we get there” Liam saw Razia discreetly squeezing Analyn’s arm before they started moving. He stepped forward. “Allow me” Analyn didn’t let go of the trolley bag. “Oh no, no. I couldn’t let a King carry my luggage”, she said. “It’s no trouble”, he tried. “Exactly. It’s a trolley bag, I can just drag it behind me”, Analyn said, “You can lead the way” Reluctantly, Liam walked ahead of their guests with Maxwell, leaving Hana to chat with them as they headed to the cars.

***

“Thank you”, Analyn said. The staff-person gave her a deep bow before retreating, making her feel quite uncomfortable. Traveling as part of a motorcade for the first time had caused her visible discomfort, and having people wait on her was no different. She closed the doors behind the retreating figure and turned to her wife. Razia was bouncing on the bed she sat on. She gasped, “My butt is in heaven. These beds are so soft!” Analyn walked to their bags, muttering under her breath, “Probably made from workers’ tears” “Baby” That was her warning tone. Analyn braced herself for some admonishment. “We just got here. And you promised you would be nice”, Razia reminded her. Analyn turned to her as she took off her travel-crumpled clothes. She said, “You and our daughters must think I’m some kind of monster. That somehow I have it out for King Liam the Perfect” Razia got off the bed, saying, “This is exactly what we meant. You rushing in to judge Liam by his title” Analyn just shook her head, walking to the washroom. Razia stopped her by putting her arms around her waist from behind. “Baby, he is a good man”, Razia said, “You know Riley would never settle for anything but the best. And he isn’t like other rulers. He has had a really difficult childhood. They only found out before Eleanor’s birth who it was that poisoned Liam’s mother when he was a kid. He’s not a stuck-up, pretentious jerk. He’s really sweet and down-to-earth. I’ve talked to him, so I know this. You would have known it too if you had talked to him on the phone when Riley and I kept asking you to” Analyn hated her body for relaxing under her touch so easily, even after all these years. She had been angry just a second ago. But what Razia said made sense to her. “If you don’t trust our daughter’s judgment, trust mine? If anyone deserves the benefit of your doubt, it’s him, I promise you” Trying to stay stubborn when her wife was holding her and speaking to her in that gentle voice was something Analyn had never been able to do. She pictured her daughter’s face for a moment, before finally giving in. “Fine” Razia smiled and kissed her wife’s cheek from over her shoulder. “That’s my girl. Now come on, let’s wash up and get ready to meet our babies”

#liam x mc #king liam x mc #trh liam x mc #trh fanfiction #trh #the royal heir #choices fanfiction #fanfiction #riely & dani #princess eleanor of cordonia #thatoclady fanfics #playchoices #riley & dani

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i-choose-liam · 5 years

Text

Stress Buster - King Liam x MC

A/N: I apologise for the length of this post for those who want to scroll past. I wrote this on the fly and I'm posting it from mobile, so I couldn't add the "Keep reading" line. Sorry! 💙

Hello! This is my first time posting a fic in quite a few months. So any feedback is appreciated. It's sort of a continuation (with a major leap in between) of my TRR Chapter Tie-Ins series. You don't have to read the previous parts to make sense of this story. For those who haven't read the previous parts, my MC in this series is Riley Spencer, a law school dropout and twin sister to Dani Spencer, the MC from Lovehacks. So this is actually a The Royal Romance and LoveHacks crossover.

This is for the anon who asked me to write a fanfic about Liam teasing a tired Riley. It's a bit different than what you asked for, but I hope you like it, anon! ☺️

***

It was the end of a long, tiresome week. Liam was holding himself back from grabbing Riley and jumping into bed together. He took deep, calming breaths as he sat on the ottoman and took his shoes off, watching his Queen fire away some rapid texts on her phone. He wondered how it was possible that she grew more and more beautiful with each passing day. There she stood by their bed, holding her phone up at eye level.

"Constantly looking down at the phone causes neck and spine problems, babe", she had told him once.

A small smile curved the corner of his lips, as he took in the sight of her. Those silken locks in ombre, which he had curled around his fingers nearly every night since their wedding. The graceful bearing with which she carried herself, even as she stood still. And that face - the one which had illuminated his life, like the moon did to a clouded night.

"Are you texting Madeleine?", Liam teased.

"Yes"

Normally, that name was enough to make Riley roll her eyes or crack some joke about the Countess. But she kept typing away, filling in Liam about some event she had to attend on Monday and how important it was for the apple export. It didn't sit well with Liam to see his lovely wife in her Queen mode when they had done with their duties for the day and were now alone in their bedroom. He shed his coat and unbuttoned his collar as he walked to her. The fading smell of her shower gel and deodorant, with just a smidgen of that womanly musk, was what greeted him first. Liam placed his chin on Riley's shoulder from behind, letting his arms wrap themselves around her. He closed his eyes as he kissed her cheek, gently rocking her sideways in his snug embrace.

"Honey, not right now. This is important stuff", she said, without looking back at him.

Liam didn't get upset or angry. He smiled in defeat as he recognised what was happening. He let go of her, but couldn't help putting his hands on her shoulders. He said,

"Do you realise what's going on?"

Riley said, still looking at her phone screen,

"What?"

"You're pulling a Riley"

That earned him a tired glare from over her shoulder. Liam grinned.

"I'm sorry but that's what this is. You have been doing so much these last few weeks. And unlike a normal person when overworked, you just jump deeper into the deep end"

She said, pouting a bit at her phone as she typed,

"This is not a "Riley". I'm just... just busy"

"Darling, you remember what happened the last time you got overburdened and wouldn't let anyone help you?", Liam reminded her, "You ended up eating all the cake at Maxwell's birthday, you called Drake a denim whore, then you wept while hugging both our corgis, and kept saying "It's a cool name, Mr. T! Mr. T's a cool name!*"

Riley's shoulders stiffened a bit under his hands. Liam smiled and massaged them.

"Do we want an encore of that?", he asked, trying to keep the smile out of his voice.

His wife was stubborn as she was beautiful. She said,

"There's not going to be an encore cause I'm not overworked. I've got everything under control. Totally"

She shrugged his hand off her shoulder and took her phone to the bathroom. Liam decided to let her have her privacy. But he was worried about her now. She had confided in him about her law school days, and how she had been put on "leave" by the school for reasons concerning her own mental and physical well being. That was when she had started working as a waitress and met him.

'Ah, fateful night', Liam thought.

How fearless and carefree she had seemed to him then. In a way, she was still all that. But her type A personality reared its head every now and then when the going got tough. If she kept throwing herself into work 24x7 like she had been doing lately, Liam was sure there would be repercussions for her health.

'If only there was someone who could...'

Liam smiled to himself. There was. There was someone who could pull Riley out of her workaholic spiral. The only person who could do it in fact.

Liam checked the time, and making sure it was still daytime in San Francisco, he called.

"Liamm, hii!", answered the voice from the other end.

Liam grinned at that enthusiastic tone and the thumping sound of music coming from somewhere behind his sister-in-law. He said,

"Hello, Dani"

***

Riley had back to back appearances scheduled before apple picking season. As a suitor for Liam's hand in marriage, she had hated the Cordonian obsession with apples. But as the Queen of her people, she had come to realise that the apples were a symbol of the Cordonian spirit. The Cordonian Ruby was one of their most valued exports and she knew its importance to the Cordonian morale and economy quite well.

"Riley, this is such a lovely dress. I didn't know you had something from Ana de Luca's summer '19 collection", Hana said.

Riley had to turn her head to look at Hana, who was sitting next to her in the car. At first glance, she saw a large apple in place of Hana's face.

'What?'

Overworked for the last few days, she had to shake her head to clearly see the winsome face of Lady Hana Lee.

"I haven't even seen Ana's summer collection this year, let alone buy something. What are you talking about?", Riley said.

Hana showed her the webpage on her phone, the picture just taken that morning... of Liam and Riley leaving the Parliament.

Her mind was so bungled with apples and all the bullet points on her schedule for the day that she had to take a minute to think. Hana pointed out,

"This was taken a few hours ago. But you've been with me since morning"

Riley asked, clearly confused,

"What?"

Hana looked concerned. She said,

"Riley, you were photographed with Liam outside the Parliament this morning. But that can't be you cause you have been with me all day. So who is this? And what happened to you? Are you okay?"

In a quick snatch, Riley had Hana's phone in her own hands. She speed-read through the article and slowly scrolled past the three pictures. Only her side profile was caught in the pictures, most of it hidden by a gigantic hat. Riley scowled, angered but not scared. She handed the phone back to Hana.

"That's my twin sister", Riley said, "And she and Liam have a lot to answer for when I get to them"

***

Come evening, Riley nearly stormed into the palace, followed by her assistant who frantically tried to keep in pace with her. She had confirmed with Liam's assistant that he was at home after the day's work. Dani she hadn't bothered calling because her head already felt like it would burst. If she had to argue with her reckless, impulsive sister for one...

"That's one big butt to carry on your neck, butthead"

Riley turned around at the call that had come from behind her. Dani stood laughing in the distance, in casual attire that made her stand out even more amidst the palace interior. She met Riley halfway, hugging her tight.

"Oh Riiless, it's been sooo long!"

Dani hugged her tight, shaking her a bit. Riley would have offered an even tighter hug which her family, the Spencers, were known for. But she remembered what had put her in a bad mood for the entirety of her day.

"The photos this morning", she said, without any emotion.

Dani drew back, still grinning,

"Your press secretary didn't tell you? I was on my way to surprise you here at the palace. She... what's her name... like that cookie Mom likes?"

"Madeleine?"

"Yeah, that one. So she saw me and she was like, "Ah the twin sister". I tried to be polite and all but she didn't seem to have time for that. She asked me if I'd be okay to stand in as you for a few pictures for the paparazzi. I thought what the hell, and did it"

Riley folded her arms and asked, raising her eyebrows,

"Oh really? You just conveniently happened to run into Countess Madeleine and she asked you, even though I was just a phone call away, to take pictures with Liam? And for whom, the paparazzi? Dani, I know this is some stupid prank of yours but you've really lost your touch. That is so absurd I can't even..."

"I'm not kidding, seriously", Dani explained, with an earnest expression, "I told her that someone might notice the slight differences in our features. You know, twins being mirror images and all. She said that your face was plain enough to not warrant such close scrutiny. Yikes"

Riley bit her lip. She said,

"Fine. That does sound like something Madeleine would say but it doesn't make any sense why she would want me and Liam to be photographed together by some paparazzo"

Dani explained,

"Right? I asked her the same thing. She said it was because rumours have been going about your marriage losing its spark cause you two are barely seen together in public anymore"

Ouch.

It took Riley a moment to counter that. She tried,

"But... it's not... it's just because we've both been busy with our individual duties. There's nothing wrong with our marriage. We love each other"

"I'm sure you do, Riles. Don't listen to what the haters say. They have nothing better to do", Dani assured her.

Riley couldn't stop thinking about it though. Had it really been so long since she and Liam had been seen together in public? She couldn't recall the last time they had had a private moment together let alone one in front of other people. She had thrown herself into the role of the best Queen she could be and yet...

"You okay?", Dani said, "If I had known it would bother you so much, I wouldn't have done it. That Madeleine said she would let you know and you'd be okay with it"

What hurt her - more than the speculation about her marriage - was the fact that Liam had gone along with this scheme. He had let himself be photographed with Dani as a substitute to his lawfully wedded wife.

Riley had to ask,

"What did Liam say? He must have felt pretty uncomfortable pretending you were me"

"I don't think he noticed it was me and not you. We didn't say anything to each other. We just walked side by side, not even holding hands. And that was it", Dani shrugged.

'No way. Not in a m...'

Riley shook her head, giving a little laugh of disbelief.

"Now that's taking it too far. Liam would have immediately known it was not me. Or Madeleine must have told him it was you. Yeah. That's why he..."

Really? She thought to herself. Did Liam really not care or notice that the woman next to him wasn't his wife?

It hurt. But Riley endured. She put on a smiling face for her sister and saw her to the guest chambers.

***

Riley dropped the impassive act when she walked into her own bedroom that she shared with Liam. He was sitting on the settee, reading a book. Like a child in want of attention, Riley walked over and stood right in front of him. Liam looked up at her from his book then, asking,

"When did you get in, my love?"

Oh the nerve.

She folded her arms across her chest, trying her best not to let her cheeks swell in anger like they always did. And which was enough to make Liam not take her seriously as he kept trying to "puncture" her cheeks instead.

"Did you seriously pose with Dani this morning and not know it wasn't me?", she asked.

Liam closed the book, his perfect eyebrows furrowing just a bit. He asked sweetly,

"Dani? Your sister?"

"You posed for paparazzi bait shots with her this morning. Did you really not know it wasn't me?"

Liam stood up and peered down into her face. He said sincerely,

"Riley, I really didn't think for a moment that it wasn't you. And Dani... when did she arrive? And why was she the one posing with me?"

Riley recapped for him what Dani had told her. He sighed, scratching the side of his brow.

"That's too much, even for Madeleine. I'll talk to her"

"I'm not jealous or something that you posed for a picture with my sister. It's not that", Riley said in small voice.

"What is it then?"

She could feel her stupid cheeks inflate as she spoke.

"It's just that... you couldn't even tell that it wasn't me. I know Dani and I are identical twins but I thought...", she mumbled, "I thought you would always be able to tell"

"Oh"

That's it? Oh? That was what he had to say in his defence?

Liam said, a bit sheepish,

"Well, to be honest with you, we didn't talk during the photos. She was wearing a very... interesting hat that hid nearly half her face from me. I supposed that you were busy and didn't want to talk, that's all. I didn't want to annoy you"

This wasn't something she had expected to hear from her Liam. Riley gripped his arms with her hands, saying,

"You don't think I'd ever be so mean and want to avoid you? Not you, Liam. You're the only reason I'm even here. You know that, right?"

He took her in his arms. But cautiously, she noted.

"I know. I'm sorry", he said, "It's... you have been so busy lately. I know how hard you try to give your best to everything you are called upon to do as the Queen of Cordonia. I just didn't want to annoy you when you have been working yourself to the bone lately"

That sure did it. Riley could feel the tears murking her vision. She had been so occupied with being a good queen lately that she had forgotten who she was doing it all for. The man who was holding her in his arms like she were made of fire and would burn him any instant.

She didn't want to know the answer to it but she asked anyway.

"Liam?"

"Yes, dear?"

"You're not scared of me, are you?"

He stroked her hair away from her forehead, smiling.

"Of course not, my love. I'm in awe of your strength and your courage every day. But you have never given me any reason to fear you"

Throwing herself into his embrace, Riley muffled her face against Liam's shirt. He seemed to panic.

"Hey. You okay? What's wrong?"

Riley mumbled,

"I pulled a Riley"

She could feel the laugh reverberating through Liam's chest. He kissed the top of her head, saying,

"There, there"

"I'm so sorry", she said, sniffing.

"Don't be. I appreciate how much effort you put into being a good ruler. You have no idea how grateful I am for that", Liam held her face so she was looking up at him, "But nothing's worth the anguish and damage to your health. You are the most important person in the world to me. And if anything were to happen to..."

Riley sniffed petulantly, interrupting him,

"Why am I like this?"

Liam kept reassuring her, kissing her tears away.

"There's nothing wrong with you, my love. I just wanted to remind you to take it easy"

She wiped another tear falling down her cheek. The exhaustion of the past few weeks was catching up with her. More than that, she was chiding herself for reverting back to her old workaholic ways. She didn't need all the stress when they were trying for a baby.

Liam looked at her like a sad, guilty puppy, which just added to her confusion. He suddenly pulled her closer.

"Oh my darling, I'm sorry. Don't cry. I'm so sorry", he said.

"Why?", she wondered.

"If I had known it would make you feel so bad, I never would have agreed to Dani's plan"

Hold up.

Riley looked up sharply through tearful eyes that were now blazing with a slow fury. She repeated,

"Dani's plan?"

Liam confessed,

"Yes. I asked her if she knew how I could stop you from overworking yourself to a burnout, and she said that she would fly to Cordonia and help. She didn't tell me much. She just said that I shouldn't speak a word to you or her today if we met in public, and that she would handle the rest. I knew it was not you with me this morning outside the Parliament, but since she had forbidden me from speaking to either of you, I didn't say anything"

Liam was startled when a woman's voice in an American accent called him "Tattle tits!". Both he and Riley turned to see Dani standing in the door to their bedroom, with her hands on her hips.

"For the record", Dani said to her sister, carefully taking a step backwards, "Lady Hana and Madeleine were in on this too. So you can't just punish me for the whole thing"

Riley gave her husband a sweet smile that spelled murder. She said,

"I'm going to deal with you tonight, right after I kill my sister"

She could tell from Liam's eyes that he was up for whatever sexual punishment she had hinted at. He said softly, so only she could hear,

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but whips and chains excite me"

She shook her head at him in horror, saying,

"Oh my god. You only spent like half a day with her... Jesus Christ. Dani!"

Liam couldn't help but grin as he stood there watching. Dani dashed out of their rooms with a laugh, followed by the Queen of Cordonia and her shoe.

"Oww!", he heard Dani yelp from somewhere outside, "That hurt, you jerk!"

The loud bickering he - and the guards - could hear outside reminded him of similar occasions from his own childhood.

Not wanting to get in Riley's way when she was in an avenging mood, Liam took his phone and dialled a number.

"Leo?", he smiled on hearing the voice, "Hello to your filthy self, brother"

He sat down to catch up with his own sibling while Riley punished her imp of a twin outside.

---

*That line's from a Key & Peele sketch. God I miss that show.

#king liam x mc #fanfiction #riley & dani #lovehacks #trr #trh #the royal heir #the royal romance #playchoices #romance #comedy #siblings #twins #king liam #thatoclady fanfics

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