Important – My TRR MC is Viktoria Petit, and my King Liam is called King Istvan
Disclaimer – Characters are Pixelberry’s, not mine, this is just for fun & I don’t make any money from it.
Maxwell was uncharacteristically quiet the morning after the wine-tasting at Kiara’s family estate. Viktoria had been watching him all morning. Something was off. He was sitting alone slurping a fruit juice through a straw, while Hana and Drake were standing chatting jovially just a few feet away. He looked pensive; absorbed in his own thoughts. Viktoria shimmied as she walked up to him theatrically, which would usually crack a smile, but failed to today…
“Penny for them?”
His head jerked up to look at her,
“Penny?? What?”
Viktoria screwed up her nose and drew an enquiring glance at him,
“Penny for your thoughts? It’s an idiom. Do you guys not have that one in Cordonia? It means-”, she continued in a goofy voice, grinning, “-‘Hey Maxwell – you look preoccupied – perturbed, even – I will pay cold hard cash to hear what troubles you my dearest friend…’”
He sighed,
“Oh. We say ‘apple for your dreams’…”
Viktoria couldn’t help but chuckle, ‘Always with the apples…’
She jostled his shoulder,
“Come on then, spit it out, why so glum, chum?”
Still quiet, he shook his head,
“Oh it’s nothing. I’m being stupid.”
He sighed again, dropping his gaze. Viktoria frowned, perplexed, turning her head to follow where he’d been looking. Ezekiel was laughing and doing high fives with Penelope’s little poodles; Penelope was smiling widely and running her fingers through her hair… Victoria raised an eyebrow, half-guessing the problem… Prodding him,
Zeke’s nice…”
Maxwell answered flatly,
“Yes.”
Viktoria went on,
“Penelope seems to be getting on well with him…”
Maxwell gave a rueful sigh…
“Hmmm.“
She was right. She knew it. She quickly checked to make sure Hana and Drake weren’t in earshot, “Max… Do you like Penelope?”
Maxwell’s jaw dropped,
“No!!!”
A rosy pink glow started to creep up his neck. It was Viktoria’s turn to sigh,
“Maxwell…”
His cheeks now a perfect colour-match for his neck, he muttered,
“Yes ok?! Vik what’s not to like? She’s so sweet and pretty… But I guess I’ve missed the boat there…”
His eyes travelled back across the room, fixing on Zeke. Viktoria frowned, “Oh Max… Does she know you like her?”
He decided that trying to swerve talking about his feelings with his ‘sister’ was futile, he shook his head and started to open up,
“I felt like I got to know her better in Portavira, and we got on so well together. I was really hoping that I’d get to spend more time with her during the rest of the Tour since she agreed to come back to Court. I’ve always thought she was pretty, but now… Understanding about her anxiety too, I just want to protect her and take care of her Vik. Oh and how cute is she with those little furrybaby munchkins? It just melts my heart… I guess I thought maybe we could find a little of what you and Istvan have together… I thought we could be really good for each other…”
Viktoria’s eyes began to well up as she looked at his wistful expression,
“Oh Maxwell Beaumont! Come here…”
She pulled him into a quick hug. He grumbled as he gave her a squeeze,
“I’m fine, honestly. Don’t start crying!”
Viktoria pulled away, as she spotted Drake raise his eyebrow at the two of them. She quickly clasped his hand in hers,
“Listen Maxwell, Zeke is lovely, but she only met him yesterday. She’s known you for ages now. And I know for a fact that she thinks you’re cute.”
Maxwell’s dark eyes widened as he looked at Viktoria, his mouth opening and closing,
“Wh-what??”
She grimaced,
“During Istvan’s ‘Engagement Tour’-”,
Viktoria shuddered a little at the thought of her fiancé on ‘that’ tour with ‘that’ witch and how Madeleine had tried to make her agree to ‘an ‘arrangement’…
“-that night in Italy that we chased the photographer down?” – Maxwell was nodding, trying to hurry her to the point – “Well she said she liked you…”
Maxwell hissed – exasperated with her,
“Viktoria!! You are hopeless!! What did she say exactly? And why am I just hearing about this now?!”
Viktoria rolled her eyes,
“Jeez, sorry Bertrand… Kinda had a lot on my mind at the time dude! You know, getting set up by the love of my life’s dad to be assaulted, being thrown out of the Coronation, my face in all the papers – oh look it’s ‘The Court Whore’, having to chase photographers down the streets of Italy to try to clear my name… Should I go on…??”
Maxwell raised his hands in mock surrender, silently mouthing,
“Okay…”
His gaze turned back Penelope.
Viktoria patted his shoulder,
“Just leave it with me…”
End – VP 💖
