This is a rewrite of the scene in the courtyard with Bradshaw and Isabella and their little brats. I have used a lot of the dialogue and added my own flair. I’m borrowing Ellie from my Falling For You series, she is Olivia’s bestie and takes zero shit from ANYONE. (She bounced around in foster care for eight years before aging out.) This does not fit into the FFY timeline, but she’s the best MC for this shit show.
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“Wait, her dress is better than mine.” Lyra said balling up her little fists. “I’m the princess of Auvernal!” She stomped her foot. “I should have the best everything! Gimme!” She lunged forward, her sticky frosting covered hands fisting Kyah’s dress.
Kyah scrunched up her face as she let out a loud wail. Ellie pulled Kyah closer to her chest as she instinctively reached out, slapping the girl’s hand from her daughter.
Lyra’s face twisted as she burst into petulant tears. “Moooom!” She screeched turning towards her mother. “Why are they being so mean to me? I’m Auvernal’s only princess!” She sniffled looking up at her mother expectantly. “I should get what I want!”
“Now, now, darling.” Isabella said, patting her daughter’s head. “I’m sure Kyah will share everything she has.” She looked pointedly at Ellie. “She’s only a baby, after all.”
Lyra sniffed, wiping her tears on her arm, looking at Ellie with a sneer.
“Why, you could probably take anything from her and she wouldn’t even notice as long as you give her something shiny to play with.” Isabella said with a smug smirk. Cordonia owes us everything after all.
Kyah cried turning her head into Ellie’s chest.
“Shhhhh, baby girl.” Ellie said, rubbing her daughter’s back. “You’re not sharing a damn thing!”
Kyah hiccuped as she rubbed her face into her mother’s chest.
“These people are stupid!” Issac shouted his foot coming down hard on the paved stone. “I don’t even want to marry this dumb baby.”
You won’t be marrying her, you spoiled little shit! Ellie thought as she cradled Kyah close to her chest, gently swaying her body to soothe and comfort her crying child.
Liam stepped forward, his broad chest blocking the twins from Kyah.
Isabella laughed awkwardly. “Our children just have so much spirit.” She smiled sweetly. “You can’t really blame them, can you?”
Liam straightened his back, his body appearing impossibly tall as he towered over the twins, his face stern as he glared at Isabella and Bradshaw. “Believe me, I can.”
“Oh, come now, King Liam.” Bradshaw said, his eyes narrowing in warning. “They’re only children.”
“Don’t worry, I place a large share of the blame on the parents too.”
“Kids will be kids.” Isabella said sugary sweet, her body tense. “They just need to get to know each other before the official betrothal in a few months.”
Liam placed a protective arm around Ellie and Kyah. “I hope things go better … whenever they eventually see each other again.” He said coolly.
“About that.” Isabella said, her smug grin widening. “We’ve reconsidered. After everything tonight … clearly we need to be closer at hand.”
Oh hell no! Ellie glanced over at Liam who wore the same surprised look. “You already went through all the trouble of packing …”
“Of course,” Bradshaw smiled widely. “We wouldn’t want to impose on your hospitality any longer … we’ve purchased an estate here.”
“Isn’t that wonderful? Now we never have to leave!”
This is not happening! “I’m so happy you’ve fallen so in love with our country that you would consider moving here. I just worry that with all your constant attention here that your own country may begin to suffer and possibly be invaded, I mean your honor guard is currently in Cordonia and not Auvernal, is it not?” Ellie said her words dripping with disdain.
Bradshaw tensed. “What exactly are you suggesting?”
“I’m suggesting that you and your royal brats are no longer welcome in Cordonia.”
Bradshaw’s face hardened. “You need to start showing us some respect, we can be enemies as easily as we can be allies.”
Liam blocked Bradshaw as he took a step towards Ellie.
“I’ve got this Li.” Ellie said as she shifted Kyah to her left hip. “Respect? You want respect? I think it’s time I teach you about respect!
Ever since you showed up to our palace unannounced and uninvited while we were on our honeymoon and demanded our presence you have shown nothing but disrespect.
To have the audacity to show up to another country with demands is bad enough but then you tried to strong arm us into an alliance we didn’t want.”
Ellie turned towards Isabella. “Your little ‘girl’s trip’ was no better. From the moment Hana, Olivia and I stepped foot in your country all you did was try to embarrass us.
First you tried to guilt me into buying a gown. Then you decide I must lead an inspirational speech for your honor guard, you tried to set me up to fail but I. Don’t. Fail.
The little stunt in the steam room though. That was really going too far, but I endured as I always do. I didn’t flinch, even as you tried to burn me.
I wish that I could stop there, that your list of transgressions didn’t continue. Hell, I wish I could say you were good people who cared about their country and that you were just a little over the top with the way you approached people, but you aren’t.
You have spent more damn time in Cordonia than in your own country and it shows! Your children clearly don’t know you and don’t have respect for you or anyone else. They are nothing more than misbehaving spoiled brats!”
“You wait here —”
“NO! I’m not done yet King Bradshaw!
You keep waltzing into my country like you own it and you don’t!”
“You aren’t even from Cordonia.”
“I said I wasn’t finished Isabella!
Though I don’t know why I expected more from a woman who came to my baby shower and thought it was appropriate for her to lay her hands on my stomach without asking. Newsflash, it’s isn’t!
I possibly could have overlooked all of that if you hadn’t brought your entire honor guard to The Last Apple Ball as a threat.
I don’t take threats lightly, Cordonia doesn’t take threats lightly.
But what really pisses me the hell off is the way you two despicable humans behaved when the Queen and heir’s lives were at risk.
Had you helped us out of the goodness of your heart we would have been thankful. We possibly would have even spoken about an alliance without a betrothal.
Of course you couldn’t possibly do anything out of the goodness of your heart because that would imply that you actually have one!
Instead of helping you took advantage of my husband. You used his fear of losing me and our daughter to get you what you wanted. Well I am telling you right here and right now; Kyah isn’t marrying either of your demon spawn!
So you can go ahead and take your packed bags, honor guard, and your snotty little bastards and return to Auvernal!”
“You obviously don’t know who you are speaking to! Isabella was correct in saying you are too hormonal.”
“Excuse me?” Ellie said stepping closer to Bradshaw. “Do you want to try to say that again?
And by the way Bradshaw, I do know exactly who I am speaking to. You are nothing more than a tiny little man with an over inflated ego!”
“How dare —”
“Oh I know all about you, and how you haven’t ever stepped foot on a battlefield and that every ‘honor’ you’ve achieved has been won from behind a desk.” Ellie smirked as Isabella’s face paled. “I also happen to know that the only reason you want this goddamn alliance is because you’ve misappropriated your funds and you have nothing. Auvernal is broke, all you have is a few shiny medals, an army you couldn’t begin to actually lead, and the bravado to appear scary and threatening.
I’m not scared, I’m not threatened.”
“You’re making a mistake.”
“No Bradshaw, you are the one who made a mistake!
You thought you could come in here and bulldoze us like every other country you’ve ‘allied’ with. You underestimated my country, my husband and me.”
“We could end your country in a second.”
“I’d surely like to see you try. You seem to be forgetting a few things.
First, Cordonia has friends. We have allies who actually respect us. We have more than enough friends that we would be able to take out your little country with no problem if you tried to invade us.
Second, I don’t sit behind a desk. I’m from the goddamn streets, I had to fight for myself. Hell I fought assassins on the day of my wedding in my wedding gown, and in heels.
I fought back to back with my husband with our friends by our side. We took out those who underestimated us before, what makes you think we couldn’t do the same with you? Because from where I’m standing you are sorely lacking in resources, allies, and skill, all of which Cordonia has in spades!
If you want respect you have to earn it! And all you’ve earned from me today is a reality check.
So get the hell out of my country, teach those hellions some goddamn manners, and stay the hell away from my family, because I’m telling you right now if either of your little uncivilized, ungrateful, spoiled hoodlums touches my daughter again I will show you just how scary I can be!
One more thing, if you even think about invading my country I will call up every single one of our true allies and end you!” Ellie turned towards Liam ignoring the sputtering and gaping royalty behind them. “Let’s go back inside because we are done here.”
“Have I told you how much I love you?”
“All the time, the feeling is mutual.” She lightly bounced Kyah on her hip. “Come on baby girl, let’s go talk to people we actually like.”
