The Best of Intentions
By Misha
Disclaimer- Not mine. I’m just borrowing them for a little while and will return them when I am finished.
Author’s Notes- This is my entry for Day 17 of my 31 Day Prompt challenge: “I love you, but you don’t love me and I have to be ok with that.” I’m actually behind on my play-through with my Drake-loving MC due to my internet situation so this is a more “what I would have liked to see” and isn’t based on what happened in the chapter, it’s just a short little scene between Liam and Amelia at the Beer Garden. I also know I said I was done with Drake fics for this challenge, but this isn’t really a Drake fic, this is an Amelia-centric story.
Pairing- Slight Drake/MC, hinted Liam/Olivia
Rating- PG
Summary- Liam and Amelia have a conversation at the Beer Garden.
Words- 567
“Liam?” I asked hesitantly, approaching the King, who had wandered away from our group and was sitting by himself. We were at the beer garden, drinking and celebrating and yet I felt a weight on my chest. Liam had been so kind about everything, so gracious about the fact that I’d turned down his proposal, despite how badly I’d handled it.
He smiled politely. “Lady Amelia.”
“You don’t feel like dancing?” I asked, nodding my head to where Drake, Hana, and Maxwell were dancing.
Liam shook his head. “This isn’t really my venue, I’m better in a ballroom.”
“I guess it pays to stick to your strengths,” I said lightly. “Liam… I’m sorry, for everything.”
He tensed and gripped his beer glass. “You have nothing to apologize for, Lady Amelia.”
“We both know that’s not true,” I told him, “I could have handled the situation much better than I did.” Liam was silent. “You’ve been so kind,” I continued, “you would have been within your rights to ask me to leave Cordonia, but instead you made it possible for me to stay. Why?”
“I would never punish you for not loving me,” Liam told me quietly, “I love you, but you don’t love me and I have to be ok with that. Besides, I meant what I said, I believe that you have a lot to offer Cordonia.”
That was the Liam I had grown to know so well, putting the welfare of his country and the feelings first. Once again I felt a sense of overwhelming guilt that I wasn’t able to love him the way he deserved. This should have been a fairytale, he should have found a woman who would love him as much as he loved her and who wanted to be swept off her feet towards happily ever after. But then, life wasn’t a fairytale and people rarely got what they deserved.
There was a long silence and then Liam stood up. “I believe I am going to get another drink and then I’m going to talk to Lady Olivia, I’ve noticed she’s been very quiet.”
I’d noticed that too and I had been avoiding a one-on-one conversation for Olivia because I was afraid that she would tear into me for breaking Liam’s heart.
“I think she’d appreciate that,” I said after a moment, knowing it was true. I knew it had hurt Olivia to see Liam fall in love with me and it had hurt me because neither of them had deserved this situation and I kind of hoped with everything out in the open, maybe Liam would finally appreciate Olivia and that they could find the happy ending they deserved.
Liam nodded. “I’ll catch up with you later then, Lady Amelia.” He paused. “Go have fun, after everything you went through, you deserve it. Things may not have worked out the way I hoped, but I am glad that they are settled.”
“Me too,” I said quietly.
I watched him go and then headed back to the others. As I climbed back onto the table, my eyes met Drake’s and while he still seemed outwardly happy and relaxed, as our eyes met I could see the tiny bit of regret there. Whatever happened between us, wherever we went from here, we would have to live with the knowledge that we’d hurt Liam, even if that had never been our intention.
- End
