Out of all women in Europe…
Liam glanced over at Riley across the small living room at their safe house. The dusty ambient was making his nose twitch, but he did not bother himself too much with it, there was more pressing matters on his mind. Someone attempted against his life and Riley's last night. They bypassed the tight security detail that surrounded the court. Again.
Most importantly, as it stands, he is still a bachelor, and would likely be for a long, long time.
Out of all women in Europe…
They spent the night apart, the king, the lady and their friends. The security detail's priority was his safety, regardless how many times he had said he preferred dying to have Riley hurt, how many times he had ordered for them to prioritize her above all else. As such, he was taken to a panic room, alone. Riley and Drake, he came to find out, fled up mountain to an old hunting lodge turned into safe house, and Hana and Maxwell were removed with the rest of the nobles to the city downhill.
The monarch had to thank Bastien for his dutiful work, though, in spite of their recent disagreements in relation to crown loyalty, what it meant and whom was entitled to it. The man had debriefed his sovereign overnight about the whereabouts of his friends, and managed to arrange for them to meet once more when broke morrow.
Liam met Hana and Maxwell first, and then the three of them made their way to the hideout. His nerves were high, he was concerned with Riley. He knew she had been shot at, but he did not know how she was faring, if she was actually hit, if she needed medical attention.
As the car made its way through the hills and forested paths behind the palace, his nerves flared up. They had to arrive right now, Liam had to save Riley, she needed him.
Their encounter in the lodge was anticlimactic, though. Riley was perfectly fine, and was tending to Drake's gunshot wound in her limited abilities. The commoner was angry and frustrated, because he was feeling vulnerable having his fiancée watch him in pain. His friend was a simple man like that, Liam remembered.
"Ow!" Drake hissed and tried to pull his shoulder away.
Good. It is only right. Liam could not help but think when he saw Drake in pain. Such instances were becoming common. He was not even feeling guilt about these thoughts any longer.
"Stop being like a baby!" Riley scolded and grabbed his arm, trying to hold him steady. He was significantly stronger, and would have no trouble in shrugging her off, but he complied. "I'm trying to help you Drake."
Stop that! Do not help him anymore. Do not care about him anymore. He was not worth of it. The aristocrat thought, venomously, and then spoke out loud, "Lady Riley, Bastien has first aid training. Perhaps Drake would feel more comfortable with him clearing his wound."
"Hell no!" The man exclaimed. "I am just fine. Can you just drop it?"
"Drake, you've been shot! I certainly am not dropping anything." Riley exclaimed, emphatically.
Maxwell smirked. "She is so concerned! See, Drake, that's a woman in love!"
Shut up, Maxwell.
"Shut up, Maxwell." Drake echoed his thoughts. That was a first, they have not been seeing eye to eye for a long time, now.
"Well, in any case, we should help, too." Hana offered. "I'll boil some water and sterilize some cutlery, if we happen need it."
"That would be great, Hana, thank you." Riley said.
The Asian girl smiled. "It's no bother. Excuse me."
"Maxwell, why don't you do something too and go check on the fuse box. We're out of power." Drake ordered, gruffly.
"Sure, sure." The young man dismissed. "I'll take Bastien, too. For safety. Are there any bears in this forest?"
"For the love of…" The patient grumbled.
"Maxwell, there has not been a bear accident in Cordonia for over a century, you'll be fine." Liam assured him, with a kind voice.
The younger man nodded. "Good, good. Cool. I'll be going now. If I shout a bear alert, you close the door. Or find a shotgun and try to save me!"
"Maxwell, go!" Drake snapped and Maxwell scrambled away.
Then, there were three.
After a few minutes of silent observation, Liam frowned when he noticed Drake staring up lovingly at Riley.
No. No! Only I can look at her like that! He thought, his heartbeat quickening. Out of all women in Europe…
Liam sighed, what was he doing with his life? He's jealous? Get a hold on yourself! You are the King of Cordonia! Drake is only but a dirt-poor peasant. She will definitely eventually fall for you, just give it time. She is just nervous, anxious, but she will tire of Drake soon enough.
Liam told himself that often, ever since he met the waitress in a New York dive bar. He is young, rich and handsome. He is an actual Prince. There was no way she could ever not fall in love with him, right?
Yet, as the months went by, as they suffered their own individual trials, as he fell more deeply in love, Riley seemed to slip away further and further towards Drake, towards the life he wanted to take her away from. Little by little, his mantra felt like sand on his mouth, but stauncher he became towards his undying hope she would come to her senses and return to him.
Her refusal of his proposal is only a momentary setback, a short lapse in her rationality. There was hope, still. He would still have what he wants.
Out of all women in Europe…
"Are you okay, Liam?" Riley's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "You've been sighing a lot."
"I am just fine, Lady Riley. I am merely thinking." Liam answered quickly.
Riley stared at him for a few seconds longer to confirm if he was lying or not. Liam lightly blushed from her intense stare. She knew he was but she let him off this one time. She had much to worry about.
"Alright, I suppose." Riley went back to cleaning up Drake's wound.
Liam groaned, but this time he made sure not to groan out loud, just on the private insides of his mind, and he surrendered himself to the impulse to surreptitiously glare at Drake.
The lowborn knew what went through his former friend's mind. The animosity is very clear to him, and it has been so for months now. He has always known about such a nature of the courtesans, but he had never had something one of them wanted. Until now. Unfortunately for the Crown, he was not willing to part with Riley's love all that easily. Friendships and loyalties to be damned.
Soon enough, the attributions of the group were finished, and they sit around the small living room, talking out their experiences in the night of terror. Liam continues his dirty eyes towards the couple.
"Everything was very scary…" Hana commented. "The security guards herded us to the lawn like we were cattle, and there was a lot of people screaming and crying. I thought it was a massacre unfolding before my very eyes."
"Where did you and Maxwell spend the night?" Riley asked.
The woman averted her eyes in shyness. "We weren't allowed to leave the city, so we went to a hotel down at the harbour. We shared a room, because all others were booked with nobles and dignitaries fleeing the upper neighbourhoods."
"Nothing happened, OK!" Maxwell asserted anxiously. "I slept on the ground and she slept in the bed!"
"Of course not! I said I was too nervous to sleep, but you said, 'well, I ain't', turned around and hogged the bed!" She pointed out, frustrated. "I had to sleep on the couch!"
"Weren't you too nervous to sleep?! I was beat tired!" Maxwell defended.
Drake and Riley laughed at their antics. Slowly, as if to avoid anyone from noticing it, he wraps his good arm around the woman's waist, pulling her closer against him.
Out of all women in Europe…
Liam stands up suddenly. "Excuse me, I will check with Bastien whether we can return to the palace."
He walked out of the room as fast as he could without making it clear he was running away. Once he shut the front door, he undid his tie and gasped for breath, holding up the tears from falling. He just wanted to scream and punch something, or rather, someone.
As he broke down, he calmed himself by reminding it was only temporary, he would prevail at the end. It was alright, it was only temporary, but by the Lord above, it was getting too hard to stand this torture. Something had to be done. Anything.
Out of all women in Europe, why did you have to fall for this one?