The cover art for TRR book 4 inspired me in the worst possible way. Liam is extremely oblivious in this mess.
Series Summary: When Everly Thomas left for Cordonia she thought it was her dream come true. Prince Charming would sweep her off her feet and they would live happily ever after. When fairytales go bad is there any coming back?
When I first stepped onto the fancy private jet with Maxwell I had big plans. I would fall deeply in love with a prince and his country. We would get married and live happily ever after. It was supposed to be the perfect fairytale, and I was supposed to be the star, the modern day Cinderella. I didn’t realize then what I realize now, I’m not cut out for royalty.
The fancy dresses and parties where nice at first, but they weren’t me. I quickly felt trapped, like a caged bird desperate to spread her wings and once again fly free. I found myself ducking away from all the glitz and glam, taking refuge in the gardens. They were the one place at the entire palace that felt normal, calm, serene. It was there that my fairytale was both saved and broken. It was there that my knight in shining armor found me, hiding away trying desperately to pull myself together to be who I was expected to be. It was there that I finally fell in love, not with the prince, but his knight. He found me, saved me. I felt free for the first time since stepping foot in Cordonia. I was once again laughing when I was with him. I felt carefree and normal when I was by his side. I felt hope of still getting a happy ending to my fairytale. I felt like I might once again fly free.
If only it was that simple.
While my knight saw me as I was, a broken bird in a gilded cage desperate to be set free my prince saw me for who he thought I was. He saw a girl who would be a wonderful and benevolent queen who would rule by his side. He didn’t see how broken I was inside. He didn’t see the dried tears on my cheeks, or the forced smiles. He saw his happily ever after in me. He found his love with me, and I was once again trapped in my beautiful gilded cage from the second my name left his lips ‘Everly Thomas’.
My heart had sunk to the pit of my stomach. No, it couldn’t be. Couldn’t he see I wasn’t who he thought I was? Couldn’t he see the broken girl I had become? Why would he insist on trapping me within this gilded cage?
I tried to reason with him, tell him that I wasn’t who he thought I was. I tried to tell him I would make a horrible Queen. He brushed my words away as fears, cold feet. Everyone I tried to reach out to did. Everyone but my perfect knight. He was the only one who saw me as both the broken bird I’d become and the beautiful bird flying freely by his side. He was the only one who saw me, truly saw me. The real me.
I know you think I should be happy a prince could fall for a lowly waitress like me. I should stop complaining and be happy. The problem is, whether or not the cage is gilded or not one fact remains, it’s still a cage.
Tears dripped onto the page, ink running, as Everly dropped her pen. She rested her hand on her slightly swollen stomach. “Oh my little bird, I wish we could be free to soar.” She whispered softly. “I wish I hadn’t failed you so. You will grow in this gilded cage looking out at the world wishing to fly free. If I hadn’t been so wrapped up in fairytales and happy endings we would both be free to soar in and out of the clouds. I’m so sorry little bird, please forgive me.” She sniffled as she looked out over the courtyard from her balcony. The most beautiful cage is still a cage. Oh I wish I was free to fly. As much as she felt trapped and hated her life, the life her child would be born into she knew she would never have her little bird if she hadn’t come to Cordonia. How can something be both your fairytale and your worst nightmare?
Everly closed her journal as she wiped her tears away. She stood and walked back into her large bedroom. Fit for a Queen. She tucked her journal away in the back of her underwear drawer, closing it just as she heard the door to their quarters open. She plastered her fake smile onto her lips, she never had a true smile grace her face anymore. The smiles that made her face split in two and her eyes sparkle were gone the day he stepped away. He couldn’t be hers, he never was and never could be. As much as they both hoped with all their hearts that they could have their fairytale ending it wasn’t meant to be. So he stepped aside when the second ring was slipped on her finger, the final nail in the coffin containing her freedom, her final chain securing her safely inside her gilded cage.
“Hello love, how’s our little bird today?” Liam asked, his arms slipping around her waist, hands resting on her small bump. He kissed the crown of her head smiling into her hair.
Everly blinked back hot stinging tears, from her grass green eyes at his use of her nickname for her child. They are my little bird. You took my freedom, do you have to take everything? Her heart ached in her chest, nothing was hers anymore, she lost all her freedoms the moment she said ‘I do’. “Little bird is doing great.” She said turning in his arms, false smile on her lips. This is your life now. There is no getting out. She froze in place, her forced smile faltering when she saw him over her husband’s shoulder. Her white knight, the man she loved and lost. The man she was doomed to long for eternity. What’s he doing here? He never comes into the quarters. Her heart raced as her tear filled grass green eyes met his stormy grey. He stood, back straight, hands clasped behind his back, his stoic face twitched as their eyes met. “Liam, why is Bastien here?” She asked pulling back, struggling to conceal her emotions from her face and voice.
“Love, I have to go away to save a deal.” Liam stated, brushing her cheek with his hand, not noticing her flinch away from his touch.
Everly’s face fell, for all the luxuries she was supposed to gain by being Queen, she saw none of them. She thought she might at least see the world, but she was almost always left behind, always held in her gilded cage. Her eyes turned downward, she knew what was coming he was leaving she was staying, and her knight would be off with her prince while she sat alone in her cage.
Liam tilted her head up, his chestnut brown eyes warm and loving locking on her solemn grass green. He didn’t flinch, he never noticed when she was sad or broken, not really. The only man to ever notice was the only man she could not have.
“Now love, I know you’re sad and will miss me, but I’ve asked Bastien here because I want to leave him with you. That way I know my love and little bird are safe.” Liam said looking deep into her eyes.
Everly’s heart pounded in her ears. He’s leaving me with my knight? He wouldn’t if he knew. Her mind raced, did he know, suspect? Was this some sort of test or trick? She glanced at Bastien seeing the same surprise painted on his face. Her eyes met Liam’s once more, all she saw was warmth and love. No, this wasn’t a test. He still had no clue what Bastien meant to her. He had no clue that she was a bird trapped in a gilded cage begging to to set free. He was clueless and may never know. She swallowed turning away. “Okay.” She replied nodded. Her hand grazed her bump, if only things were different little bird. How could she ignore her feelings with him stuck in her cage with her? She had been sure her prison could never be worse than it was, she now knew she had been wrong. Her love, the man that held her heart trapped by her side was almost a fate worse than the lonely existence she had grown used to. She wasn’t sure she would be able to resist him or stay away if they were alone together.
“Sir, are you sure I wouldn’t be more needed by your side?” Bastien questioned.
Everly turned at his words, eyes locking once more. She saw everything she felt floating in his stormy grey eyes, fear, confusion, love.
“Nonsense Bastien. Everly is far more important than I am now that she is carrying our heir.” Liam replied.
Everly flinched at Liam’s words. Heir, that’s all she was useful for, providing heirs. She sat in her gilded cage and was supposed to be happy surrounded by riches, never leaving. She was seen as a means to an end by many, a way to get an heir. I’m sorry little bird. Oh what she would give to escape her gilded cage, to fly free once more, to be by the side of her handsome knight happy and free. Her hand grazed her bump. If only… If only it were his, then she could be free of her gilded cage.
