DISCLAIMERS: All characters belong to Pixelberry Studios, except for the characters I create for the storyline. This story will have NSFW or explicit material in later chapters but I will make sure to give warnings at the beginning.
Summary: Liam, Drake, and Max are getting ready for their trip to New York. Liam is having dinner with Regina to talk about the commencement of his social season. Regina is still trying to convince Liam to go into his social season with the intent to marry Madeleine. Has she pushed him enough to consider it?
Three Weeks Later
Cordonia
“Hey, how was the meeting with the step witch?” Maxwell questions Liam.
“It was fine, she is really pulling out all the stops for this social season, one I might add I do not want. But it is for the good of the people, blah, blah, blah.”
“Well you know she is right, after Leo left, then your father passing, everyone is nervous about what will happen next. Your social season will give them something to distract them and hope for a new royal couple to lead us.” Maxwell stated bluntly. “And I think you could use a distraction as well.” A sly grin spreads across his face.
“Oh, no, I know that look, Max, last time you gave me that look, I cannot remember what happened exactly, but we were surrounded by peacocks. NO, NO, NO!”
“Before you completely say no. Let me tell you that it was Drake’s idea and he is in charge of everything; and there will be no peacocks involved.” Max whines. “He said if I pull any ‘Maxwell antics’ I can’t go.”
“Go where?”
“Maxwell, shut up!”
“Drake, I didn’t tell him you were taking him to New York.” explained Maxwell,
“You just did you, idiot.”
“Oh, I am sorry.”
“New York, huh,” Liam considers the idea, arching his eyebrow in thought, “I’ve always wanted to go there. When do we leave?”
“I am hoping that we leave the next week, still have to put a few more safety measures in place, then you, me, Max will board a plane and leave this behind for four days. We will leave Monday around 9:30 – 10 am. We should arrive in New York around 5:30 – 6 pm, a car will be waiting to take us to the hotel. We will have Tuesday through Friday night to do whatever, and fly home, Saturday morning so that you will be back and rested before the Masquerade Ball on Sunday night.”
“At least I will have something to look forward to.” Liam thought as he gazed outside of his window overlooking the hedge maze his mother had created when he was small. God how he missed her.
The rest of the week passed quickly, his endless meeting with nobles and counsel took up most of his time that he did not even get to ask Drake all the details of the trip. Regina filled dinner conversation with the upcoming social session events and how Liam should keep an open mind, how Madeleine is the choice that made the most sense. She could be the Queen that the country needed, but Liam knew in his heart, that she wasn’t the one that he or his lion wanted. Spending a life with Madeleine fills him with dread. She was not the one for him.
“Liam, I don’t know why you will not just choose Madeleine. She was your father’s choice for Leo, before he abdicated; she still was his choice for queen, before he passed. You need someone to help you secure your place on the throne, why must you be so foolish?” she chides him.
“I have already stated to you, I have no interest in Madeleine, and yet she is still a suitor, because that is your wish. I do not want to pick someone just for the sake of choosing someone. Father did that twice and look how happy he was.” Liam could see that his words infuriates her, still her face does not show any emotion, but there is a fierce glow in her eyes. He knew that his mother was his father’s true mate and that she had been poisoned. His father married Regina for the sake of the pride, but he never truly loved her. He never got over the death of his mother.
“Yes, your commoner mother was your father’s true mate, and look where that got her, Killed. Your father mourned her so much that he almost lost his throne, and if that would have happened if he had? He found out the hard way that ruling had nothing to do with love, but strength and power, and being willing to do whatever needed to be done for us to survive.”
Liam could feel his lion try to press to the surface, it wanted to rip Regina to shreds for the way she spoke of his mother. His mother was human, and he knew that some of the shifter women were furious when she was crowned. They saw her as weak human, a poor choice of a mate and queen, but his father loved her and so did his father’s lion. The tension in the room becomes stifling and he could feel his lion’s rage over Regina’s words, he decided that he would let his lion run tonight, before he went to bed. He is happy to be leaving with Drake and Maxwell for New York in the morning.
“Well, as lovely as this dinner is Regina, I think I am going for a run before bed. I will see you on Saturday afternoon when I return.” Liam replies leaving the dining room as quickly as he could. His lion needs to run now. In the morning, he would be getting on his private plane and get away for the rest of the week, but now, a run to soothe his animal.
A sleep deprived Liam, grumbles as Drake enters the living room of his private wing. “Wake up your Majesty, we have a plane to catch.” he bellows from the living room. He crosses the space opening Liam’s bedroom doors.
“What time is it?” Liam grunts.
“Why are you so grumpy? I let you sleep in. It’s 9am, your royal grumpiness.” laughs Drake.
“I will be ready in a moment; can you have some coffee sent up?” Liam replies as he gets out of bed.
“You can have coffee on the plane, I am ready to get out of here. So, you have 30 minutes, I will help you pack.” Drakes yells so that Liam will hear him over the sound of the shower.
After a quick shower and getting dressed. Liam and Drake make their way through the palace to the SUV waiting outside. As the men exit the building they notice Bastien waiting for them.
“I hope that you both have fun. Drake, you are responsible for anything that happens to his majesty. I should not have to tell you how imperative it is that you do not let anything happen to him.”
“Don’t worry old man, you have told me this million of times before, and he has always returned in relatively one piece. Anyway, I have left a complete dossier of the whole trip with you. I will call if our accommodations have to change, and any sign of trouble, his ass will be on the plane back here. Are you satisfied?” Bastien nods in agreement.
The ride to the airfield was silent, Liam wasn’t sure what he was feeling, it was more than excitement, but he couldn’t quite place it. He just had a feeling that this trip would change his life somehow, but he wasn’t quite sure how to articulate what he was feeling. As they arrived he noticed that Maxwell was already waiting by the plane, he also noted that Max wasn’t his jovial self, as sometimes he was way too animated in the early mornings to everyone liking.
“Hey Guys, took you long enough to get here, they wouldn’t let me board until you got here.” Max pouting.
“Of course, they won’t, you are not the King and the plane had already been cleared for his safety,” Drake states shaking his head.
They have a chuckle while they watch Maxwell’s face trying to understand the reason that Drake gives him. Once everyone was settled on the plane, Drake goes to the cockpit to tell the pilot that they were ready for takeoff. By the time he has gotten back to his seat, Liam informs him that he had already ordered breakfast for them once they were at a cruising altitude.
“So, what do you have planned for us, Drake?” Max chimes,
“Well, we will be staying at the Baccarat Hotel, in the Baccarat Suite. You and I will be sharing a room, Maxwell, don’t get on my nerves” he warns. “We should get there about 5:30 pm New York time, and I thought that we would just chill in the suite tonight and make plans of what we are going to do the rest of the week.”
Maxwell and Drake’s voices seem to be lost in the background as he focuses on the clouds passing by. He could feel his lion stirring, he was anticipating something happening, but what? What is this feeling? Liam sips his coffee, lost in his thoughts. He knew that he wants to enjoy this trip because he would soon be forced to choose someone that was not his true mate.
It is a mostly quiet flight, after lunch service Liam reflexes once again about the conversation he and Regina had the previous night. Maybe Regina was right, he should think of everyone else and stop being so selfish, but the thought of choosing Madeleine is more than he can stomach. Yes, she is beautiful, intelligent, duplicity is a way of life for her, but she is also cold, calculating, and unfathomably manipulative. Though she was raised to be a queen, she wasn’t raised to be a wife, a partner. Having children would be part of the job for her. He did not want to have children with a woman who would not love them. He closes his eyes hoping that it would not come to having to choose her and falls asleep.
New York
It is mid-morning on Tuesday, Si is awakened by the sound of her cell ringing.
“Hey Si, what is your schedule like this week? Got any plans for Friday?” Em asks.
“Yeah, I have to work a double Em, since Sarah had to go out of town. So, I will not be doing anything from my birthday.”
“That sucks, I will have to just talk to Dan and have him work his magic, and by magic, I mean scare the crap out of your boss.” smirked Em.
“That is ok, he is working too, the other bartender Jack, got into with Sam, and Jack quit on the spot, I think that Sarah may have quit too, she had a thing for Sam, but that is just my opinion. So, for a Friday night it is me, Dan and some new girl, that I will be training all this week, with Friday being her first night flying solo.”
“Well good luck with that, hey I better get going, I have to go into a meeting and I know you have to get ready for work. So, I will talk to you soon, Si, bye.”
Si, sighs as she turns on the shower, she lets stream fill the small bathroom before she steps in. As she thinks about her week ahead, she somehow has a feeling that this week is going to change her life. She hears her alarm go off, she stumbles out of the shower and realizes that she only has 30 minutes to get to work. “Shit!” Dressing quickly and applying the bare minimum of make up to her face, she grabs her purse and runs out of her apartment.
Luckily, there was not a line at her favorite coffee cart and she knows that the owner would save her a cronut and have her favorite roast ready, just prepared the way she likes it.
“Running late, again are we?” he gives her a rue smile.
“Story of my life, “Si giggles. “Thanks, so what does my horoscope say about my week?”
“Good fortune is finally smiling on you, you are at the start of a journey that will change the course of your life forever, trust your instinct and follow your heart.” the cart owner reads.
“Well, we will have to see about that won’t we? See ya tomorrow!” Now, she is really going to be late. She ponders the horoscope and thinks with a wishful smile on her lips, “it would take a miracle for that one to come true.”
Start writing…