A/N: Okay, here's a big departure from the games. This chapter always bugged me because it doesn't add anything to the story and it just seems like filler. So, since I wanted the chance to amp up the angst for Riley, I thought I'd swap out (most) of the game's chapter for something a little different...hope you don't mind!

"Rise and shine, Queen-to-be!" Maxwell's voice rang out through the door of my cabin. While I had long since gotten used to his early-morning wake-up calls, this time, I was in no mood.

"No thanks!" I shouted, trying to keep my voice light.

Maxwell poked his head in, eyes closed. "Are you decent?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes, even though he couldn't see it. "Yeah, come in." I was still laying in bed, but I sat up to greet my friend. My hair was a mess and makeup from the night before was smudged across my face; I hadn't bothered to wash it off.

"Woah," Maxwell said, closing the door gently behind him. "Don't take this the wrong way, Riley, but you look awful."

"Gee, how could I possibly take that the wrong way?" I asked, laying back down and pulling the comforter over my head.

"Sorry. I just mean...you're usually more of a morning person? Are you feeling okay?"

Behind my blanket, my eyes lit up. Great idea, Maxwell, I thought. Slowly, I peeled the blanket from my face, giving him my most pathetic "I'm sick" face. I shook my head with a frown. "No, I think I'm getting sick."

Maxwell's eyes grew wide, and his face flooded with concern. He rushed to sit next to me on the bed, feeling my forehead with the back of his hand. "Was it something you ate? Are you going to puke? Do you need a doctor?"

I swatted him away. "I think I'm just worn out," I explained. "I need a day to rest up." After thinking about it for a beat, I added, "Alone."

Maxwell eyed me suspiciously, but nodded. "Okay, if that's what you think is best. You'll be missing the Queen Mother's tea party this afternoon, though."

I pursed my lips, thinking. I did need to talk to the former queen, to see if she knew anything about Bastien and the plot against me. But, if the Queen Mother was there, Madeleine and Liam would surely be there. And where Liam was, Drake was not far behind. And I couldn't stomach the idea of facing both Liam and Drake in polite society just yet. Finally, I nodded to Maxwell. "I'm sure. I'll be fine by tomorrow, I just need to catch up on sleep."

He gave me a hug and said goodbye, promising to leave instructions for the guard to keep everyone out of my room so I could rest. Once he was gone, I curled up in bed and shut my eyes tight, wishing I could fall back asleep, but knowing I was more likely going to spend the day agonizing over my kiss with Drake.

"It was just a kiss. A bet. After a few drinks. Liam will understand. Right?" I was talking to myself, pacing my tiny room, trying to work off some of my nervous energy. I felt so guilty about kissing Drake. And yet...I kept thinking about it. How it felt...how he smelled...how he tasted. The look in his eyes as he told me he didn't regret it.

It was obvious that kiss meant something to Drake. But the question was, did it mean something to me? Did I want it to? And what was I going to tell Liam?

I went on like this for hours, not coming to any kind of conclusion, just spinning in circles. I managed to take a shower and get dressed, mostly for something to do, because I was really regretting being cooped up in a tiny sleeping cabin on a train when I could be out wandering the streets of Paris. Just as I was considering whether I could sneak past the King's Guard, there was a knock at my door.

"Come in," I said, sitting on my bed, eyes trained on the door. Maxwell poked his head in cautiously.

"Hey," he said. "How are you doing?"

I bit the side of my thumb. "Fine," I said, unconvincingly.

"Well...we had an idea, that might help lift your spirits."

"We?"

Maxwell opened the door, and crowded behind him were the rest of our friends - Drake, Hana, and Liam. I felt my face flush as I met Drake's eyes, but he gave no indication that anything was out of the ordinary.

"Well, it was Drake's idea," Maxwell continued.

"I get that you're exhausted, and all the courtly drama doesn't help," Drake said, "But I thought we could take a group camping trip. Getting out of the city, relaxing by a campfire, taking in the scenery. I dunno, it always helps me unwind." He ran his hand through his hair, looking down as if suddenly shy.

"There's a break in the tour schedule, so I can slip away, just for the night," Liam said, smiling widely.

"And the leaves are changing, so it'll be so beautiful," Hana added. "Plus, I can bring my famous hot chocolate, and Drake's promised us s'mores...whatever those are."

I laughed, my eyes filling with tears a little. "You guys are the best friends ever," I said, getting up and pulling everyone in for a group hug. "That sounds fantastic."

"Yeah, yeah," Drake said, pulling away. "We're burning daylight here. And we still need to pick up some camping gear. Let's go."

I laughed again and took Hana's arm as we headed towards a waiting limo. I sat next to her and rested my head on her shoulder as we drove. She put a comforting arm around me. We stayed like that while the boys got camping gear, and then she shook me off so she could pick out food for the trip. Eventually, our limo dropped us off at the bottom of a wooded park, and we started hiking. I was quiet the whole way, and my friends seemed to understand, because no one really urged me into conversation. They spoke a little amongst themselves, but I was free to breathe, think, and take in the scenery. By the time we got to a clearing that overlooked the ocean, I was feeling a little more like myself.

"Wow, this is amazing!" I said, startling everyone with my sudden outburst. We were on a high cliff, and on three sides were acres of trees, their leaves blazing with every color of fall. And then there was the ocean. The sun was low in the sky, and cast pink, yellow, and orange highlights across the water.

"I could get used to this," Liam said, stepping up beside me.

Maxwell dropped his supplies and cupped both hands around his mouth. "HELLLOOOOO!" He shouted, listening for his echo. "Wonderful," he sighed.

"It's stunning," Hana said, eyes darting across the landscape like she couldn't get enough of it.

While the rest of us marvelled at the beauty, Drake stacked up wood for a campfire. "Drake," I said, "Aren't you going to take in the view?"

He paused, glancing up at the view for a second, then continued his work. "Yep, sure is nice," he said.

"You're the one who suggested coming here, for the view," I accused.

"I'll get to it later," he said. "Right now, I'd rather make sure we have warmth."

"I'm okay with that," Hana said, hugging her arms to her chest with a shiver. "Maybe Drake's caveman instincts are kicking in."

"Protect and warm the tribe. I'm all over it."

"This is how he gets when he goes camping," Liam explained. "Best to let him have his way."

"Exactly," Drake said, nodding at Liam in appreciation. "This trip was my idea. It's my responsibility to make sure you all survive out here."

Maxwell made a show of brushing off Drake's words. "Please, we'd be fine on our own. I'm very resourceful."

"You'd be the first to go," Drake said, deadpan serious.

"Really? Even before Hana?"

"Hey!" Hana protested.

Liam and I laughed, holding up our hands like we weren't going to get involved in that debate. Drake managed to light the fire at last, and we all settled in around it. Hana started unpacking the food she had brought, and we tucked in. After a few moments of silence while we ate, Maxwell stretched, looking out at the ocean, where the sun was dipping below the horizon. "This is the life," he said. "It's just food, nature, and friends."

"It is liberating," Liam agreed. "I'm certainly glad to be here with everyone." He was across the campfire from me, and he gazed fondly at me as he spoke. My cheeks turned red, and I looked down, concentrating on my hot cocoa.

"We should set up our tents before dark," Drake said.

"What if we've never done that before?" Hana asked.

"I'll be here to help anyone who needs it," Drake assured her.

"Did we really all need our own private tents?" I asked as everyone grabbed a pack to set up.

"Hey, I don't need to wake up to Maxwell's face tomorrow," Drake said, glancing quickly at Maxwell, who was already making a complete mess of his tent.

"Would you like any assistance, Riley?" Liam asked, sidling up to me with a small smile.

"Um, I think I've got it?" I slowly but surely managed to piece my tent together, and Liam gave an appreciative round of applause.

"Is there anything you can't do?" He asked, making me blush again.

By the time the last of the sunlight faded away, we had all managed to build our tents - well, Maxwell's was re-built by Drake, but other than that, everyone was pretty capable. After a while of sharing camping memories around the fire, Drake declared that we should all turn in. "We have an early hike back tomorrow," he said, dousing the fire with water before he disappeared into his tent.

Everyone else quickly settled into their tents, but I hesitated. I still hadn't talked to Liam, and I thought this might be the best, most private, moment we would have. I quietly tiptoed to his tent, unzipping the flap and sliding in as quickly as possible.

Liam was arranging his sleeping bag and jumped a little when I entered. "Oh!" he said, his shock turning into a grin. "This is a pleasant surprise." He looked down at his shirtless chest. "I'm afraid I'm not dressed for company."

"Sorry for dropping in unannounced," I said, looking down. "I was hoping we could talk for a minute."

"Of course," he said, pulling me down so we were sitting, cross-legged, across from each other. He waited patiently as I found my words.

"I needed to tell you something...Last night..." I was still struggling, and growled, shaking my head. "Sorry, I just...this is hard."

He took my chin in his hand, tilting my head up to look in his eyes. "Riley, are you trying to tell me that Drake kissed you?"

My eyes widened, "You already know?"

Liam nodded. "Drake told me earlier today. He was feeling guilty."

"Did he tell you...why he kissed me?"

Liam laughed, dropping his hand from my chin and letting it trail down my shoulder and arm. "I can imagine why. You're beautiful, you're kind, you're a wonderful friend..."

"I asked him to."

He sucked in a sharp breath of air, but his face was stoic. "You did?"

I nodded. "We were just...talking and drinking - not that that's an excuse - but we have gotten rather close, and Drake said some things that made it clear he...has feelings for me. And I don't really know what I was thinking, but I asked him to kiss me."

"Do you have feelings for him?" Liam's voice was low and measured, as if he were speaking with great control.

"I love you, Liam," I said, although that wasn't really an answer to his question. I put a hand to his cheek, and he placed his own hand on top of mine. "It's been a difficult few weeks, and Drake has been there for me when you...couldn't be. I don't know what it means, but...I do...care for you both."

Liam took my hand, still cupping his cheek, and brought it to his lips for a kiss. "I understand," he said at last.

"Really?" My eyes were wide and full of tears waiting to be shed.

He nodded. "Our relationship has been so complicated. Our future is so muddled and hazy. I can't be there for you the way I want to be, the way you deserve. And, I love you so much Riley, but I can't presume to own you."

"I really do love you, Liam. So much." I leaned in and gave him a tentative kiss. He pulled me to my knees so he could wrap his arms around me, and I parted my lips, letting his tongue flick into my mouth, and then I had to pull away because if I didn't I would never make it back to my own tent.

Our foreheads were resting against one another, and I was panting a little from that short but passionate kiss. "We're going to make it through this," Liam whispered.