Summary: After the Coronation Lady Victoria is shattered. But also Liam is shattered. Liam had to chose Madeleine even if he loves Victoria. He will do everything in his power to get her back. But will he succeed?
The last thing that Victoria heard was Drake’s shouting but she wasn’t able to understand what he was screaming.
The last thing she saw is the kiss between Madeleine and Liam. In that moment her life stopped. It was like someone took away the life, the dreams she had made with Liam. Her heart broke as the security guards stood in front of the doors to the ballroom and stopping her from going back in. It was clear, Victoria will never see Liam again.
She turned away from the palace and looks directly into Bertrand’s and Maxwell’s worried eyes. When she took a look at them, she feels a lump in her throat. She knows the tears will escape any minute. “Bertrand… I… “ Victoria stutters, unable to speak due to the lump in her throat.
Maxwell and Bertrand take her instantly in their arms. “No need to apologise if that’s what you just wanted to do. I know that you love the prince…uh I mean the King. Never would you betray him, we know that« Bertrand explains calmly. “What happend that night?” Bertrand adds.
Victoria is relieved, she knew deep down that the Beaumont Brothers will be believing her, but somehow she was still worried that they will throw her out.
“Tariq came in my room while I was just starting to prepare to go to bed. Someone must have told him that the room was his; he started a sentence trying to say something, but stopped. Also someone might have told him that I have feelings for him, he was sure I have interest in him, that’s when the photo was taken.” Victoria recalls with a shaky voice.
“But you obviously don’t have those feelings.” Bertrand interrupts carefully.
“Right. I love Liam.” she turns back to the doors but just the hateful gazes of security guards look back not the beautiful brown eyes she hoped to see. As she turns back to Bertrand he waves to the limousine ans Victoria nods. As soon as they sit down, Victoria continues.
“And then Tariq came closer and said ‘Lady Victoria, you in my room. I didn’t think it would happen so soon.’« She starts to cry. “If Drake haven’t come and helped me, I don’t know how far Tariq would’ve gone.”
Maxwell takes her in his arms and she cuddles in them and let the tears escape freely. “Whoever did this to you Vicky, we will find that person and make them regret it.” Maxwell admits.
She smiles sadly. “This is very sweet, Max. But, even if you find that person. It’s over, Liam will marry her… Madeleine.” Victoria looks down to her hands.
At the Beaumont Estate there is Drake already waiting for them. Out of breath he asks: “Sorry, but may I talk with you, Jennings?” She nods while Bertrand and Maxwell give them some privacy. After they left Drake takes her in his arms.
“Drake…” she started crying.
At the sight of her Drake’s heart breaks. He was alwaysafraid of this moment to happen. All he ever wanted was to protect her, but he failed.
“Can you bring me away from here? I don’t know where to go. And I don’t want to stay with Bertrand and Max…” Victoria whispers onto Drake’s shirt.
Drake releases her, takes her hand and brings her over to his car. He opens the door for her and nods over to Maxwell who aknowledges that Victoria is safe.
A little rode later
“Where are we?” her eyes still red and her voice weak.
“My home” Drake responds and leads her inside while Victoria is surprised that he would bring her here. “You can sleep in the guest room. I will try to get your suitcase out of the palace.”
“No!” Victoria exclaimed, louder than expected.
“No? But…” Drake asks confused.
“I don’t want any of these clothes anymore. They can burn them… and this stupid dress too.” She tries to damage the dress she wears.
“Wait” he stops her hands and looks at her. “You can have some clothes from Savannah.” Victoria stares into his eyes just to see he means what he said.
“Thank you, Drake.” Drake brings her into the bedroom, gives her some clothes and leaves her behind and let her change her outfit. Afterwards she comes out with the dress in her hands.
“Can we put that far away? Please” Drake nods and takes the dress and puts it somewhere she can’t see it. Victoria goes back into the bedroom to sit down onto the bed with her hands on her lap.
“You were right Drake” Victoria admits sadly.
“I wish I wasn’t.” Drake sat next to her, taking her hand into his. “Vicky? Liam tried to talk to you but he had to choose someone.” he adds.
Victoria looks up and Drake instantly see the anger in her eyes.
“He didn’t try hard enough. He has so much power and he didn’t do anything… Excuse me, I’m tired. Can you leave, please?” Victoria responds but puts up her walls to protect her heart. Drake wants to say more, but he just nods and stands up to leave the room. Before he leaves he wants to make sure that Victoria knows he is there for her.
“Call me if you need me.” Drake leaves the room and closes the door before returning to his own room.
Next morning Drake makes breakfast and waits for her to come out of the room. As she does, he is shocked to see her like this – puffy and red eyes, dark circles surrounding her eyes. She doesn’t look like the cheerful girl from New York anymore, now she is sad and broken – unable to sleep or to smile. Judged by her eyes, she must have cried the whole night and obviously quiet so that Drake couldn’t hear her.
Unable to say anything, Drake just sat there in silence when she sat down. Drake gives her one croissant in hope she will at least eat.
“I’m not hungry Drake.” Victoria murmurs, while he lets out a sigh, quiet so she wouldn’t hear it.
“You have to eat something.” Drake whispers.
“I just want a tea.” Victoria responds and looks down onto the table. Drake nods and walks over to his tea collection.
“I have Blueberry, New York Cheesecake, Peppermint or App-” Drake gets interrupted.
“Everything but Apples.” Victoria groans.
“Then Blueberry?“ Drake turns to her who just nods. After he gives her the tea he takes his cup and drinks coffee. No one says something – Victoria just looked on the table, deep in thoughts; and Drake couldn’t say anything that would make her feel better.
Suddenly someone knocks on the door. Drake looks first at her, but she seems to be far away with her thoughs to notice the knock. So he gets over and opens the door just to reveal…
“Liam?” Drake says shocked.
The moment Drake says the name Victoria looks up and meets his gaze, meets the black eyes she fell in love with. But then she remembers what has happened and stands up to lock herself in her room.
“Vic, wait! Please… let us talk!” Liam takes a step towards her but Drake interrupts his way and holds him back. Liam looks over to his best friend who just looks at him. “Drake?” Liam asks bewildered. “Let me talk to her.” But Drake shakes his head. Only after he heard her lock he let him in.
“What the… Drake! Why!?“ Liam screams.
Drake looks up to his friend and stares at him before asking him. “Do you believe any of those pictures? Do you really think that she would do this after everything she went through?” Drake raged.
Liam shakes his head and responds “Of course no. I don’t believe any of them. This isthe reason why I am here! I’m here to talk to her…”
Drake sits down on a chair. “She won’t talk with you Liam.”
“But-” Liam starts but gets interrupted by Drake.
“No Liam. You saw her right? Have you ever seen her like this? She always had been a person full of happiness but now there is nothing but sadness.” Drake reminisces.
Liam sits down and puts his head in his hands and sighs. “This is my entire fault. Without me she would have never come to Cordonia. If we hadn’t gone to this bar, she would still be cheerful and happy.”
Drake lays a hand on his shoulder. “It was her decision to come to Cordonia. You had a great time together, so don’t blame yourself. Please. The only thing we can blame is the nobility, the court but not you.” Drake reassures Liam.
Liam looks up to her room. “But I broke her heart because I didn’t stand up for her, because I wasn’t strong enough to change the traditions; to stand up against my parents… We live in the 21st century and I acted like we are in the 18th century. And to which price? Our love…” Liam looks back to his friend and then to the table.
The door to Victoria’s room opens and she comes out but doesn’t look at Liam. Liam looks at her and watches her sadly before taking all courage to speak up “Vic…. Can we please talk?“
He carefully stands up and walks over to her to take her arm but she turns away before he can touch it. When she turns around Liam meets her very angry eyes. He never saw her that angry. Normally she had herself under control but now?
“Don’t you dare and touch me.” She takes another tea and goes wordless back to her room, but before she could close the door he puts his hand on the door, looking at her, pleading her with his gaze to let her in.
“Vic, stop pushing me away please. Let us talk…” He begs with a weak voice.
Victoria walks over to the window and looks out. “You believe them, don’t you? Even after we made love in the maze? Even after I told you I got a threatening letter?“ She puts the tea down and hugs herself. But never tear away her eyes from the window.
Liam goes over to her and carefully lays the arms around her. “I don’t believe them. I believe you. I trust you. And I meant what I said. I love you. I want you. And I will marry you.” Liam whispers but Victoria goes out of his arms.
“Don’t Liam. Don’t make it harder for me. It’s over.” Victoria shakes her head and walks away from him.
For the first time she looks up to him. Into his black eyes, into the beautiful face.. A tear streams down her cheek, but not only she has tears but Liam has them too.
Vic… I will find a way to make it good. Just tell me what happened in that night.“ But Victoria doesn’t say anything. Then Drake knocks at the door.
“Come in Drake.” Victoria responds looking at the door and ignoring Liam. “He was there to Liam.” Victoria adds.
Liam furrows his brows. “Drake?” Liam looks between Drake and Victoria.
“Yes I was there too. Direct after those photos were taken.” Drake explains, leaning against the door frame.
“Explain it now. Both of you.” Liam demands.
Drake looks at her to see if she wants it or not. She just nods. “My room was next to her like you insisted. And I just heard her scream that’s why I ran to her. I saw her in her underwear and Tariq in front of her, trying to kiss her. I hit him, he hit me.” Drake looks at Liam.
“And then after Drake came and helped me I told him what happened. Tariq came in my room and said it was his room. But it was mine. So someone told him that his room changed and that I have feelings for him. Which is not true? And he came over to me even if I said ‘stop Tariq.” She looks down at her hands. Ashamed and feeling disgusted.
“And after all, I notice that her room doesn’t have a lock.” Drake adds.
Now Liam looks shocked. “What? But everyone had a lock.”
“Not hers Liam. Someone wanted this to happen.” Drake confessed.
Liam sits down onto her bed and mutters: “Madeleine.”
Drake nods and Victoria looks down to Liam. “I’m sorry.”
Liam stands up and goes on his knees in front of her and takes her hands. “Don’t apologise for this. I will take care of this. As a King I will banish Tariq and I will get Madeleine away too. And if not I will abdicate.” Liam explains determined.
Victoria looks at him shocked. But before she can say something Liam speaks again: “Vic… I love you so much. I never loved anyone. And I don’t want to lose you. I won’t be a good king without you. So I rather am no king at all. I understand my brother now. Why he really abdicate. Because he knew what would happen.”
“There has to be another way.” She said weak. “Cordonia needs you.” She adds.
“And I need you.” He looks in her hazel eyes and she looks in his.
Drake coughs a little bit. “I think I forgot to turn off the oven.” He leaves and Liam and Victoria giggle.
Liam gets up and looks down to her and strokes her cheek. “Stay with me. We all – Bertand, Maxwell, Hana, Drake and even Olivia – find the person who did this to you and me” He takes something out of his pocket. And for the first time she notices that he still wears his Prince clothes.
“What are you looking for in your pocket?” Looking at him she sees a little box. Her eyes widen.
“Vic, I want you to take this ring. It’s yours. Not Madeleine’s. I want you to know you will be the women on my side and no one else. I will talk with my father and my mo-“
“Don’t talk with the Queen.” Victoria interrupts him and Liam looks confused.
“Why?” Liam wonders.
Victoria looks away. “I think she has something to do with it. Madeleine and she have been close for a long time. I mean Adelaide and Regina are cousins after all. And I was in the way.”
Liam looks at her, thinking about those words. “Good argument. Then I will just talk with my father.” He kisses her on the forehead and takes her chin gently, forcing her to look at him. She looks back at him and put her hands on his chest, stroking her way up to her neck to pull him down for a bigger kiss. He instantly responds by pulling her closer.
A few hours later in the Palace
“Your Majesty, King Liam Rys.” the announcer says.
“Excuse me to be so bold to cut in, but can I have a few words with my father?”
The court nods and his father came over to him. “You okay Liam?” He whispers to him.
He takes his father out in the garden. “Someone did this on purpose. Olivia got a threatening letter, Victoria too. Just Madeleine didn’t get one. Suspicious right?”
Constantine nods. “How is Lady Victoria?”
“Bad. Of course. Like me. Heartbroken. Shattered.”
Constantine stops walking and addresses his son. “What will you do now?”
Liam turns around to his father. “I will make everyone clear that I will marry her or Cordonia won’t have a King.”
These words hit Constantine hard. He knew Liam would say something like this but to actually here it, is still a shock. “I understand you both. You and Lady Victoria seem to be very close. You were happy for once in your life.” Constantine came over to him. “But let’s talk about this with Reg-”
“No. She won’t ever know something about our conversation here.” Constantine doesn’t know what is wrong with Liam but he knows Liam will have his reasons.
“Okay. We will find a way. And you will marry Lady Victoria, no matter what the court or Regina will say.”
Liam looks at his father. “Thank you Dad.” This is the first time after years Liam said dad instead of father.
Maybe one day he will succeed, clearing her name and reveal the person who did, but as long as this isn’t done he has to act like Constantine and he aren’t planning anything. He visits Victoria as often as he can; he avoids the touches of Madeleine. And he sleeps in Drake’s cabin next to Victoria. Only during the day Liam is in the palace to find out if Madeleine and Regina really did something or who else did that to Victoria and him.
