Summary: Drake and MC enjoy an intimate moment on the dance floor. Based on the song Perfect by Ed Sheeran feat Beyonce.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or the song used. All rights belong to Pixelberry and Ed Sheeran respectively.
Welcome to the engagement ball of Duchess Elizabeth Richmond and Mr Drake Walker.
‘Ugh they just had to plaster it on the biggest piece of cardboard to be found in Cordonia, didn’t they?’ Drake grumbled, scowling at the elaborately decorated gold and ivory board in front of him.
‘Oh no I’m pretty sure that particular piece came directly from the company that makes Hollywood billboards,’ Elizabeth replied, sarcasm heavy in her voice. Her mocking tone dropped as she raised a hand to his face, rubbing his cheek softly.
‘Look, I know big crowds and stuffy noblemen aren’t your thing but they’ve gone to such an effort to organise this for us, so don’t you think we should at least pretend to be grateful?’
Drake looked at his fiancée doubtfully.
After the attack on the palace earlier that year, it had been Elizabeth’s idea to have a big wedding to unify and inspire hope in the Cordonian people. Because of her new status as Duchess of Atlantea, the event had attracted a massive amount of attention but as time went on it was obvious that neither of them were content with the idea of a huge celebration. Surprisingly Olivia had picked up on this first and brought up the matter with Liam who proposed a compromise. Drake eventually agreed to having a more public engagement party in return for the small intimate wedding they’d been discussing. Between Elizabeth’s new title and Liam generously offering to sponsor the whole affair, it had been hard to say no.
‘I bet they have lots of whiskey in there too,’ Elizabeth teased, pleased to see his eyebrows perk up in response. ‘I’ll tell you what. If you really do hate it in there, we’ll sneak off later alright?’
He stared down at the woman he loved, marvelling slightly at her ability to make him feel better instantly. Truth be told, he’d do anything if it would make her happy. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips.
‘Well then,’ he whispered, unable to hide his growing smile. ‘Don’t wanna keep that whiskey waiting.’
She rolled her eyes, chuckling at him as the doors opened for their official entrance.
The flashes from the press cameras still lingered in Drake’s eyes as he guided Elizabeth into the main ballroom. She stayed close by his side as she’d done in the pressroom, her hand slipped around his waist, tracing his lower back gently, immediately relieving some of the tension in his frame. Nobles and members of the Cordonian royal court then came forward, offering countless greetings and expressions of congratulations.
With Elizabeth guiding him through the crowd, greeting each guest with warmth and cordiality, Drake took a second to remark to himself how a few months ago the very same people who had gossiped and spread rumours about his fiancée could suddenly be so genial and warm. At this thought, he reflexively tightened his grip on her hand, fighting to keep the disgust off his face. Noticing the gesture, Elizabeth paused in her conversation to place a small kiss on his cheek, immediately earning a series of ‘awws’ from the three maternal ladies before them.
Before long they had made it to the table at the front where their friends and members of the bridal party waited.
‘Elizabeth, you look beautiful!’ Lady Hana Lee, clad in a traditional navy Chinese gown, stepped forward, embracing her best friend.
‘Thank you Hana you look stunning as ever,’ Elizabeth replied to her maid-of-honour-to-be.
‘You do too, Drake,’ Hana addressed him with a wink. ‘Congratulations you two.’
Drake smirked in response. ‘Thanks Hana.’
Before he could say more, a flash of blue hurtled forward, almost knocking the wind out of him.
‘Draaake! Congratulations man!’
The one and only Maxwell Beaumont enveloped him in a giant bear hug. Unable to hide a smile, Drake bit back a snappy remark, allowing him to be hugged by his friend for a second longer.
‘Alright that’s it, hands off,’ he grumbled, extracting himself from the younger Beaumont brother’s grasp.
‘Ahhhh I can’t believe it!’ Maxwell exclaimed loudly. ‘My two best friends! Getting married! I could almost cry!’
‘Now we wouldn’t want that would we?’ Elizabeth interrupted, diverting Maxwell’s attention from her fiancé. ‘How would you see when you’re dancing then?’
Maxwell’s eyes grew big. ‘Nothing stands in the way of my partying skills! Congratulations to you too Elizabeth! It seems like only yesterday I was waking you up every morning for a new courtly function,’ He added, swallowing her up in a similar hug.
‘Congratulations brother,’ a deeper voice chimed in. King Liam beamed at him and this time it was Drake who initiated the hug.
‘I’m sorry for all the pomp and circumstance,’ Liam continued after they separated. ‘I know that isn’t really your scene but what could I do when Cordonia’s newest, most popular duchess gets engaged?’
Drake had opened his mouth for a snappy reply when Elizabeth beat him to it.
‘Don’t be fooled by that grump. He’s secretly enjoying the chance for all this whiskey,’ she replied, enveloping Liam into a brief hug. Now that all tension between them had been resolved, a solid friendship was blossoming in its place.
‘Thank you for organising all this. We really appreciate it.’
Liam bowed deeply. ‘The pleasure’s all mine.’
Though his best friend tried to hide it, Drake could see the tiredness on Liam’s face. It had been a rough couple of months since the attack and he knew his best friend had bee working tirelessly to restore order in the country and the strain was beginning to show. Before Drake could question him, Liam shook his head slightly, indicating that they would continue this line of thought at a different time.
Bertrand Beaumont approached them next with Savannah on his arm.
‘Congrats big brother. Never thought you’d be the one to get hitched first.’ Savannah quipped at her brother while Bertrand immediately swept into a deep bow.
‘Drake, Duchess Elizabeth, May I offer my sincerest congratulations and-,’
‘Oh come on Bertrand, its my engagement party. Enough with the formalities!’ Elizabeth exclaimed, clasping him into a hug.
‘I… Umm… Elizabeth…’ He sputtered when she released him, a look of pure shock on his face.
‘Don’t mind him,’ Savannah interjected, coming to stand in front of her. ‘I’m still trying to get rid of the stick up his ass.’ The two women chuckled before Savannah enveloped Elizabeth into a hug of her own.
‘I could think of better person to marry my brother,’ she said releasing her with a grin.
Elizabeth smiled. ‘Thanks Sav. It really means a lot to me that you think that.’
Liam opened the night with a toast from the couple and dinner was served immediately after.
‘How was that?’ Elizabeth whispered to Drake as the empty plates from main course were being cleared away. He licked the last of the steak gravy off his lips before answering.
‘This must be the first time there’s been something edible at a function. Just look at them.’ Drake gestured to the rest of the room where the servers weaved around tables collecting empty plates.
Elizabeth smirked. ‘Told you it would be fun.’ She leaned her head against his shoulder.
Drake conceded after a sip of whiskey. ‘Hmm I suppose it’s not that ba−’
‘HOW’S EVERYONE DOING TONIGHT?’ A booming voice cut him off. ‘EVERYONE HAVING A GOOD TIME?’
Drake sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He didn’t need to look up to know that Maxwell had taken the stage.
‘I’m gonna kill him. I really am.’
Elizabeth, in contrast, simply laughed and cheered along with the crowd in response to Maxwell’s question.
‘Now I know you folks are looking forward to another Maxwell Beaumont special,’ Maxwell continued from his place on the stage. ‘But before we do, I’d like to invite the happy couple who I am proud to call my best friends − Actually can we get a spotlight on them here please?’ He asked through the microphone.
A second later a beam of light descended from the ceiling to land on his chosen targets.
‘Yep. That’s much better,’ the younger Beaumont brother announced. ‘Now where was I? Oh yes. Before we get this party started I’d like to invite two of my best friends in the whole world, the happy couple Drake and Elizabeth onto the dance floor for the first dance of the evening.’
Drake paled, his stomach lurching at the request. Before he could formulate a response, Elizabeth touched his arm, a soft smile on her face, his grandmother’s diamond ring glittering brightly on her left hand.
‘Shall we, my love?’
How could he refuse when she looked at him that way?
Feeling her smile spread to his face, he stood up from his seat and bowed.
‘My lady, may I have this dance?’
Her smile grew and she beamed up at him as she dropped into a curtsy. ‘Certainly.’
Drake drew her into the centre of the floor and suddenly he became very aware of the spotlight and all the eyes in the room on the two of them. He felt his body stiffen, he’d never had this many people staring at him before. Elizabeth must have felt it too and she whispered softly in his ear.
‘Don’t worry about them. Just focus on me.’
She was dressed in a flowing lilac ball gown with sequins accentuating her stunning figure, soft curls framing her face and the diamond earrings he’d saved up to buy her shimmered in the light.
‘You look perfect,’ he breathed, drawing her to him as the first notes of the song began. At his words, her eyes shone brighter than any star or diamond he’d ever seen.
‘That’s rather appropriate given the title of the song,’ she laughed as his eyebrows drew together in bewilderment. ‘Just listen.’
Drake held her close and as they moved across the floor in a slow waltz, he paid close attention to the words.
I found a love for me,
Darling, just dive right in and follow my lead
Well, I found a girl, beautiful and sweet
Oh, I never knew you were the someone waiting for me
‘Sweet?’ Drake mouthed, smirking at her.
Elizabeth playfully stuck her tongue out at him in response. They both knew their relationship hadn’t started off the most obvious way, beginning with sarcastic quips and teasing remarks. Gliding with her across the floor, he began to listen more carefully to the words.
‘Cause we were just kids when we fell in love
Not knowing what it was
I will not give you up this time
But darling, just kiss me slow
Your heart is all I own
And in your eyes you’re holding mine
Drake gasped slightly. It was as if this song had been written especially for them. Elizabeth’s smile grew bigger and she nodded at his realisation. He pulled her closer. He was completely and utterly infatuated by the woman in his arms, a feeling that he had never thought he’d experience. From the way she looked back at him now, he could tell that she was just as captivated as he was.
Baby, I’m dancing in the dark
With you between my arms
Barefoot on the grass
Listening to our favourite song
When you said you looked a mess
I whispered underneath my breath
But you heard it,
Darling, you look perfect tonight
Having Drake here holding her in his arms on their engagement night was something she had only dreamed for such a long time. Not having to hide their relationship, finally able to be with him, Elizabeth so desperately wanted to kiss him there and then but with all eyes on them already on them, she discarded the idea, deciding to sing along instead pouring every drop of emotion into her voice.
Well, I found a man, stronger than anyone I know
He shares my dreams, I hope that someday I’ll share his home
I found a love to carry more than just my secrets
To carry love, to carry children of our own
A rare genuine smile lit up Drake’s face, his eyes never leaving hers as they swayed together. She radiated such joy and hope and he couldn’t wait for what the future would bring them, looking forward to spending the rest of his life with her.
‘I love you so much,’ Drake murmured to her.
Seeing the tender look of adoration on his face, Elizabeth couldn’t help but reply.
‘I love you too.’
She watched him beam with joy as he twirled her twice before bringing her back to his arms.
We are still kids but we’re so in love
Fighting against all odds
I know we’ll be alright this time
Darling, just hold my hand
Be your girl, you’ll be my man
I see my future in your eyes
Other couples joined them on the floor but for Drake and Elizabeth, they were the only people in the room. In this moment right here, the entire world and its problems fell away, encapsulating them somewhere between time and space in a place that was just their own.
Baby, I’m dancing in the dark
With you between my arms
Barefoot on the grass
Listening to our favourite song
When I saw you in that dress
Looking so beautiful, I don’t deserve this
Darling, you look perfect tonight
Twirling her again, Drake realised that he now held his entire world in his arms. The feeling was so much for him that as she finished her second twirl, he picked her up at the waist and spun around, her dress billowing out behind her. She let out a peal of laughter and when he brought her back down she placed her lips on his in a passionate kiss, not caring this time who saw them. His arms found their way around her waist and her fingers tangled themselves in his hair, pulling each other closer as he lead her into a gentle dip.
Baby, I’m dancing in the dark
With you between my arms
Barefoot on the grass
Listening to our favourite song
I have faith in what I see
Now I know I have met an angel in person
And she looks perfect
I don’t deserve this
You look perfect tonight
‘You realise you’re gonna be stuck with me forever now right?’ Drake mused, gently running a thumb across her cheek as the final notes of the song faded out.
Elizabeth’s eyes widened in mock surprise. ‘Forever? That long? I might have to reconsider then.’
‘Very funny Richmond.’ Drake retorted, smirking as he lowered his lips to her. Elizabeth was about to reach up to him when something occurred to her.
‘You realise you’ll have to call me Walker soon,’ she replied with a cheeky gleam in her eyes.
Drake could barely contain his smile. ‘I’d have it no other way,’ he whispered, closing the distance between them.
By rising purple blood cell manufacturing, Trenbolone enhances oxygen transport all through the body, which
immediately advantages athletic efficiency and endurance.
Oxygen-rich blood supports muscle operate, delays fatigue, and accelerates restoration occasions, permitting for more intense and prolonged training periods.
The increase in oxygen also supports cardiovascular well
being to some extent, because it enhances blood circulate and circulation. This increased endurance and stamina make it potential for athletes to coach tougher, improving their overall efficiency
and ends in the health club. When deciding if this remedy
is proper for you, there are professionals and cons of steroid
injections for back pain management. These can provide aid from ache and inflammation within the quick time period,
however additionally they include some dangers. If you are contemplating this
remedy choice, carefully weigh all of the professionals and cons before deciding.
The function of coaches, brokers, and sports organizations also comes into focus, as
they might both implicitly or explicitly condone the use of
steroids to achieve aggressive advantages. This creates a culture the place successful supersedes ethical requirements, promoting an setting rife with
coercion and ethical ambiguity. In the domain of sports, using steroids raises appreciable moral considerations that stretch past the individual athlete.
Primarily, the integrity of sports is called into question when athletes resort to performance-enhancing substances.
This apply can undermine the ethos of honest play, where success
is ideally earned through hard work, training, and natural talent.
Hormonal imbalances are one other essential consequence,
particularly in males, where steroids can result in decreased sperm manufacturing, testicular shrinkage, and gynecomastia.
The primary reason folks misuse anabolic steroids is to increase lean muscle mass
when using them in conjunction with weight coaching.
In many places, together with the Usa, anabolic steroids are categorised as managed substances and are
illegal with no prescription. Another important medical use of steroids is in the treatment of autoimmune diseases,
including lupus, a number of sclerosis, and rheumatoid
arthritis. In Accordance to the Nationwide Institute of Well Being,
steroids can suppress the immune system and reduce the irritation that happens in these
conditions.
Many have heard peptides being referred to as the “building blocks of proteins.” Not Like proteins, peptides are much shorter and
don’t type complex three-dimensional buildings. As A Substitute, peptides usually
consist of 2-50 amino acids, which are usually in a linear configuration [1].
All of our content is written by individuals with a powerful science background, together with medical researchers.
HA injections might help relieve symptoms and assist your knee better take up
shock by offering further lubrication in the affected knee,
in accordance with the AAOS. Nevertheless, it’s important to note that
PRP is only obtainable as an off-label remedy for knee
osteoarthritis. Researchers also agree that extra research
are needed to fully assist using PRP for knee osteoarthritis.
PRP therapy is an injection that makes use of your individual blood
to assist regenerate tissue broken by osteoarthritis.
Take a take a look at a few of its pros and cons earlier than you decide what stand to tackle the difficulty.
The health dangers and reduced athletics performance are the most obvious downsides of steroids Buy and other efficiency enhancing medicine.
Knowing their pros and cons might help you determine whether or not to make use of or to
not use them. Some athletes, bodybuilders and others misuse these
drugs in an try to enhance performance and/or improve their physical appearance.
Anabolic steroids are the most typical appearance-
and performance-enhancing medicine (APEDs). Roughly three to
4 million folks within the United States use anabolic steroids for nonmedical functions.
Healthcare suppliers prescribe them for sure conditions, corresponding to male hypogonadism and certain forms of breast cancer.
Total, in case you are considering using steroids, it is essential to weigh the potential
advantages in opposition to the dangers. Whereas steroids might help you construct muscle and improve your athletic performance, they’ll also have critical
long-term effects in your health. Anabolic steroids are the sort of
steroids that are typically abused by athletes and bodybuilders.
They are synthetic versions of testosterone, a hormone that’s naturally produced within the body.
Anabolic steroids are designed to promote muscle progress and
enhance energy, however they’ll even have critical side effects.
Users should be prepared to help their bodies through PCT to mitigate
the consequences of testosterone suppression and shield their well being.
In summary, whereas cortisone injections can present vital relief
for varied conditions, they don’t seem to be with out
dangers. It’s important to weigh the pros and cons and discuss them together
with your healthcare supplier. This article describes how cortisone injections work, the possible dangers and unwanted side effects, and the pros and cons to suppose about in case
your healthcare supplier recommends treatment.
Sure, if you take prescription anabolic steroids under the supervision of your healthcare
supplier for a medical purpose, anabolic steroids
are typically secure. Throughout puberty, increases in testosterone levels enable the
event of traits corresponding to facial and body hair
growth, increased top and muscle mass, a deepening voice,
and the intercourse drive. There are a quantity of various sorts of performance-enhancing steroids, together with testosterone, nandrolone, stanozolol, and oxandrolone, amongst others.
These steroids are sometimes taken orally, injected, or
applied topically in the form of gels or creams.
While some steroids are legally available with a prescription for medical functions, many individuals obtain them illegally by way of the black market.
In some instances, steroids are used medically to help athletes get
well from injuries. They can be prescribed to minimize back muscle wasting, improve tissue restore,
or tackle situations that have an effect on physical performance.
Understanding these aspects is essential for individuals considering Tren, as
it helps them weigh the transformative results in opposition to
the numerous health risks. For anyone seeking rapid bodily changes,
understanding the professionals and cons of Trenbolone can assist in making an knowledgeable and protected decision. In some instances, a steroid shot
can cut back or get rid of the necessity for oral steroid medications.
Oral steroids, when used long-term, may cause various unwanted effects, corresponding to weight gain, temper changes, and an increased risk of infections.
Over many years of persistently taking PEDs, an individual can experience diminished athletic efficiency.Depending on the PED, an individual could
expertise varied signs that cause decreased
athletics abilities. In an occasion, steroids could cause melancholy that results to lack of motivations and lose of
interest in sporting activities. Stimulants can improve stamina, however it might additionally cause dizziness or
cramping – things that scale back athletic performance throughout
sporting activities. Optimistic Well Being BenefitsPerformance enhancing medicine are typically designed to offer health benefit.
In an occasion, steroids can help scale back inflammation that results from allergy symptoms or illness.
They’re completely different than anabolic steroids, which are used to build muscle.
In our experience, bodybuilders have an increased risk of nephrotoxicity, with several of our patients displaying high creatinine levels.
Leal Herlitz, MD, examined the kidney perform
of 10 bodybuilders who had utilized steroids long-term.
Anavar will lead to an imbalance in HDL and LDL levels,
which will have an effect on a user’s ldl cholesterol profile.
Desoxycorticosterone is a long-acting, injectable mineralocorticoid while fludrocortisone may be given orally and has each mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid exercise.
Each of these medication are quite secure however may cause elevated thirst and urination. Extra critical unwanted effects
are usually seen only when dogs are overdosed or abruptly cease receiving their medications.
Steroids—they’re some of the frequent forms of medicines given to canine.
But did you know that there are actually seven lessons of steroid drugs, every of which works in one other way in the physique and has
its personal set of potential facet effects?
You will discover extra underground lab versions, but again the Depot version shall be
far more widespread. As the injectable version is much more practical, in a performance capacity
it should all the time be your first choice if both can be found.
Though it has been profitable in female remedy plans, Schering has not released a regular
dosing guide for females. In performance circles, the
usual female Primobolan dosing vary will be at 25-50mg per day.
Nonetheless, most ladies will discover a better plan will be a lower dose of Primo together with a steroid like Anavar.
Guaranteeing you implement loads of cardiovascular activity into your routine is also important.
As most might be utilizing Primobolan during a chopping cycle this
shouldn’t be too hard to do. Most often, steroids in injections are utilized by
athletes who’re already familiar with anabolic tablets and wish to additional progress in sports achievements.
The injectable type of pharmacological medicine for
athletes is rather more effective than the oral
kind. Thanks to this, in the meanwhile, a course of injectable steroids may be selected for any
objective, which may be for mass achieve, fats burning, restoration from injuries, or after critical illnesses.
For example, testosterone is commonly prescribed to individuals
with low levels of male hormones for a treatment referred to as Testosterone Alternative Therapy (TRT).
Although it’s clear that the course of medicine prescribed
for this purpose is in small dosages.
Visceral fat is positioned deep within the stomach, unlike subcutaneous fat,
which could be visually seen (in the type of stomach fat).
Excessive visceral fat is taken into account adverse
as a result of it can improve the risk of sort
2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In our expertise, how long do anabolic steroids stay In your system shut down a user’s testosterone ranges will be is decided by the dose and length of the cycle.
High doses and longer cycles will trigger a more extreme suppressing effect.
The body’s testosterone ranges will rise when first taking Dianabol, as a result of it basically being
exogenous testosterone. Nonetheless, the body will recognize that testosterone ranges are excessively high,
and thus, in a bid to maintain up homeostasis, it’ll shut down pure testosterone manufacturing by way of the testes (17,
18). It does this by inhibiting the HPT (hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular) axis.
Whole restoration will still take a number of months, however this will cut the entire time down dramatically and guarantee a easy recovery.
For athletes and bodybuilders, injectable anabolic steroids are wanted
for their capacity to promote muscle growth. By increasing protein synthesis and nitrogen retention, these steroids improve
muscle tissue restore and recovery, leading to increased muscle mass
and strength. This includes HDL cholesterol suppression and
will increase in LDL ldl cholesterol, and the total modifications could be significant.
Throughout use, liver enzyme values will enhance, but it’s essential
to recollect will increase in values does not equate to wreck but
somewhat stress and potential injury. In order to avoid damage, use ought to be restricted to six
weeks of whole use. There also needs to be no much less
than 6 weeks of no C17-aa use earlier than starting
a model new course.
Firstly, Dianabol causes noticeable water retention because
of aromatization. We see this trigger a puffy and bloated look, which might appear like someone has gained fats (when really they haven’t).
Arnold is probably demonstrating the everlasting
effects of steroids throughout old age (via the process of muscle memory).
Both grades of Dianabol could be bought on-line; nonetheless,
people can also discover a dealer by asking around at their native bodybuilding health club.
This means some sellers are selling placebos but labeling it
as real Dianabol.