Book: The Royal Heir Book 1/The Royal Romance series
Rating: G
Pairing: None. Queen Eleanor & Signore Francesco friendship. Mention of Joëlle Theron & Queen Eleanor’s friendship.
Summary: After a visit from one of his mother’s old college friends, little Liam realizes he doesn’t actually know as much about her as he thinks. (Eleanor’s Kitchen)
There are many moments when Liam thinks he’s seen his mother at her happiest.
When she sees him and Drake, weaving their way through the still-in-construction garden, their shins darkened by mud. When Leo briefly drops his disinterested-teenager demeanor, and actually looks happy to be at home. The now-rare days when she and Father go a full day without disagreeing on something (alright…maybe not that. You can still see her eyes nervously darting, like she’s aware that the day isn’t over and there’s still time for things to go wrong). When her projects seem to take off. When people appreciate her new garden. When she goes to the public library. The rare times she gets to cook.
None of that compares, Liam realizes now, to the shine in her eyes at the sight of a carton of ripe, red, oval-shaped tomatoes in the palace.
I’m loving getting to know Eleanor better, what an incredible woman. this pasta made my mouth water, so delicious, I could taste it through your writing.
And I’m loving what you are doing with Eleanor, giving her a beautiful story and making me want her alive.
@sazanes Wow, I’m so glad you loved the description of the pasta!! And I’m especially happy you like how Eleanor’s character is developing. I really wanted to explore her character both in the way Liam perceives her, and on her own. I’m really glad that resonates with you
Book: The Royal Heir Book 1/The Royal Romance series
Rating: G
Pairing: None. Queen Eleanor & Signore Francesco friendship. Mention of Joëlle Theron & Queen Eleanor’s friendship.
Summary: After a visit from one of his mother’s old college friends, little Liam realizes he doesn’t actually know as much about her as he thinks. (Eleanor’s Kitchen)
There are many moments when Liam thinks he’s seen his mother at her happiest.
When she sees him and Drake, weaving their way through the still-in-construction garden, their shins darkened by mud. When Leo briefly drops his disinterested-teenager demeanor, and actually looks happy to be at home. The now-rare days when she and Father go a full day without disagreeing on something (alright…maybe not that. You can still see her eyes nervously darting, like she’s aware that the day isn’t over and there’s still time for things to go wrong). When her projects seem to take off. When people appreciate her new garden. When she goes to the public library. The rare times she gets to cook.
None of that compares, Liam realizes now, to the shine in her eyes at the sight of a carton of ripe, red, oval-shaped tomatoes in the palace.
@thecapturedafrique Thank you so much!! I’m so glad Liam’s relationship with his mother resonated so much and that the hints of tension are being noticed…I wanted to make sure it wasn’t too obvious for a child, but that there would still be undercurrents. So glad you liked this fic!!
Book: The Royal Heir Book 1/The Royal Romance series
Rating: G
Pairing: None. Queen Eleanor & Signore Francesco friendship. Mention of Joëlle Theron & Queen Eleanor’s friendship.
Summary: After a visit from one of his mother’s old college friends, little Liam realizes he doesn’t actually know as much about her as he thinks. (Eleanor’s Kitchen)
There are many moments when Liam thinks he’s seen his mother at her happiest.
When she sees him and Drake, weaving their way through the still-in-construction garden, their shins darkened by mud. When Leo briefly drops his disinterested-teenager demeanor, and actually looks happy to be at home. The now-rare days when she and Father go a full day without disagreeing on something (alright…maybe not that. You can still see her eyes nervously darting, like she’s aware that the day isn’t over and there’s still time for things to go wrong). When her projects seem to take off. When people appreciate her new garden. When she goes to the public library. The rare times she gets to cook.
None of that compares, Liam realizes now, to the shine in her eyes at the sight of a carton of ripe, red, oval-shaped tomatoes in the palace.
Summary: Barely seconds after becoming king, Liam faces his first ever crisis in court - a scandal that results in his chosen bride being disgraced and thrown out. Is his final decision a wise one that will protect her, or an act of cowardice? A former monarch helps him find the answer.
TW: Mentions of privacy violations and almost-sexual assault. Mentions of character death. Mentions of a violent crowd.
(Gif from the misanthropy central web blog, original painting by Richard Westall)
As Liam watches his dreams rapidly, torturously crumble at his feet, he faintly registers the discordant beep of a cellphone. Then another. Then another.
In minutes the court plunges into chaos. Whispers turn into murmurs, murmurs into audible curses, curses into frentic yells all across the room. In the already-crowded, agitated, screaming ocean of faces, he can see nothing, hear nothing. The only face he wants to see - the one that blew him a kiss mere seconds ago - is now elusive. Almost as if she’d been a figment of his imagination all along; her visage and voice dispersed in the mist.
I absolutely love what you wrote here. I love that you wrote about the courtroom being full of chaos as they’re waiting for Liam to make a decision, & his inspection of the photo & how it was obvious to him that MC was not enjoying herself in that photo & it should have been obvious to everyone else.
And the conversation between Liam & Regina!! Phenomenal, I had always wanted a more elaborate explanation (from Liam’s pov) of what happened that night & reading how Regina was pleading for Liam to trust her is just so good.
I also enjoyed reading Liam’s observation of his father & wandering if he’d end up looking like him, and of course, how Liam is holding on tightly to the keychain MC gifted him as he chooses Madeleine
Thank you so much @elreyesvidal!! Ever since both Liam and Regina had provided their own accounts of that night in TRR2, I’ve been wanting to write a fic like this one. It was such a high-stakes moment, with a lot of heightened emotion and familial tension, I really loved exploring that and I’m so glad you enjoyed it too!
Monuments, Memory, Meaning: King Liam and Historical Sites
“I am here tracing the History of the Earth itself, from its own Monuments.” - Jean-André Luc
When building a character, it isn’t always necessary to attach symbolism or familiar visual cues to their scenes, but it certainly helps us understand who they are and what may be important to them. It can be as simple as a childhood toy (which could represent attachment to childhood) or a flower with a particular meaning…but once we see that character consistently associated with that symbol…it opens up a lot of interpretations into what that character themselves may represent.
Liam starts out the story itself as a Crown Prince, expecting to become king in sometime vaguely in the future. He already feels the pressure of his impending role when we first meet him - but once he is hit with the double-whammy of his father’s illness and his Coronation, the pressure to fit in to this role in such a short amount of time accelerates.
We know already - both from our interactions with Liam and what his friends tell us - that Liam’s connection to the country doesn’t just begin and end with mere duty. Cordonia isn’t merely a responsibility for him, and it is definitely a burden he agreed to shoulder on his brother’s behalf. Liam is as in love with the country, with its history, with what it represents - as he is with the American woman who teaches him there is more to life than duty alone. When she finally becomes a Duchess/Queen, it is through Liam’s eyes that she learns of its rich culture.
Over the course of the flagship ‘Royal’ series, we’ve seen Liam show us many, many heritage sites - both in his home turf and around the world. A large amount of Liam’s scenes in the first three books features him in front of an architectural wonder, or a historical place. And almost every scene features him interpreting the site in his own unique way. Each monument and site we visit with Liam tells us something about him as a monarch, and as a man who loves his country immensely.
The question is…why? What does it mean, for monuments and historical sites to be so significant to the important moments in Liam’s life? What do these symbols of a nation mean to him?
King Liam - Coping Strategies, Food and Fashion Headcanons
TW: Brief mentions of death, trauma and poisons
Coping Strategies:
• Liam’s first (and not entirely final) episode of blocking memories happened in his childhood, with his mother’s last days. He has vague memories of the first half of her final month alive, and slightly clearer memories of his father trying to hold both his small family and the country together, but he cannot for the life of him remember the week she died or the funeral. He has news articles and accounts pasted in his journal later for that very purpose
• Some of these memories resurface when his wife, Esther, is pregnant with their first child - plunging him headfirst into hitherto-unresolved trauma. It comes at the worst possible time, as Esther herself is tackling unresolved issues related to her parents too. It comes to a head a few weeks before her third trimester, and the two agree to take up therapy after a meltdown that neither is able to help the other with.
• Liam took up journaling at the age of 9, and you can see a marked difference over the years in the way he writes. His younger self sounds more free, slightly more impulsive and without much of a filter. His language evolves over the years: often in his journaling there are many instances where he recalls something had truly troubled him yet he sounds very detached about it in the journal. Journaling starts out as an emotional outlet, but eventually loses that purpose because there are certain areas where Liam can’t allow himself to be open, even to himself.
@elreyesvidal Thank you so much!! I loved exploring these hcs too The pearl from the grotto tends to be forgotten sometimes, but I’m glad we Liam stans constantly keep memories of it alive!!
Book: The Royal Heir Book 1/The Royal Romance series
Rating: G
Pairing: None. Queen Eleanor & Signore Francesco friendship. Mention of Joëlle Theron & Queen Eleanor’s friendship.
Summary: After a visit from one of his mother’s old college friends, little Liam realizes he doesn’t actually know as much about her as he thinks. (Eleanor’s Kitchen)
There are many moments when Liam thinks he’s seen his mother at her happiest.
When she sees him and Drake, weaving their way through the still-in-construction garden, their shins darkened by mud. When Leo briefly drops his disinterested-teenager demeanor, and actually looks happy to be at home. The now-rare days when she and Father go a full day without disagreeing on something (alright…maybe not that. You can still see her eyes nervously darting, like she’s aware that the day isn’t over and there’s still time for things to go wrong). When her projects seem to take off. When people appreciate her new garden. When she goes to the public library. The rare times she gets to cook.
None of that compares, Liam realizes now, to the shine in her eyes at the sight of a carton of ripe, red, oval-shaped tomatoes in the palace.
Pairing: None. Queen Eleanor & Prince Liam (mother-son), Queen Eleanor & Joëlle Theron (platonic), Prince Liam & Kiara Theron (platonic)
Rating: PG for one cuss word.
Summary: Eleanor and Liam get a visit from Joëlle and her daughter Kiara, along with a few surprises. (Takes place a few weeks after Chapter Two. Liam is seven years old, Kiara is five)
Note: In this series, Hakim, Joëlle and Kiara’s surnames are spelt Thorne.People close to Constantine call him “Kontos”.
Tagging@choicesmonthlychallenge for the May Challenge - Day 31 - smile|macaroons | “This isn’t goodbye”
Chapter 3: Djaj M'qualli bi Zeitoun
Today is one of those rare days when Liam finds both himself and his mother in a bad mood, near-identical pouts jutting out from their lips.
He suspects Mum’s has something to do with a phone call today from Duchess Joëlle Thorne, instructing her strictly not to cook, because this time she wants to be the one bringing food. Mum had practically forgotten she was Duchess Joëlle’s Queen and got on the verge of pleading, several times. But the other woman, miles away on holiday in France, would not budge.
Aww Kiara is so cute, I loved her so much, she has a strong personality since she was a child I loved the fact that Joelle adjusted the recipe for Liam, she noticed something he never thought anyone would find out about him Leo being the traditional older brother and Eleanor realizing what Leo is going through
now what destroyed me is this beautiful friendship between Eleanor and Joelle, Joelle knows Eleanor so wellJoelle is so powerful, damn I want to be like her when I grow upEleanor I want to hug you, save you, God Eleanor you deserve the world and Constantine being an idiot since forever Hakim is a dream I love him and the Theron family is so special I’m already changing the canon in my mind reading this masterpiece you’re writing Lizzy, thanks for sharing your talent with us.
@sazanes Thank you so much!! I’m so glad you liked all the dynamics. Kid!Kiara was so much fun for me to write and I really loved adding those little touches for Joëlle to show how much she cares for both Eleanor and Liam. And I’m esp happy that you noted the presence of Hakim! He’s not in this fic much but it was important to have him feature
Thank you so much for the reviews. They bring me so much joy!
Summary: At Liam and Esther’s wedding dinner, Kiara encounters a surprise dish for main course. (This fic is a companion one-shot to Ch 3ofEleanor’s Kitchen)
“Did you know,” Hana whispers in Kiara’s ear at the dining table, “Liam and Esther chose their main course for the wedding from Castelserraillan.”
“Really?” she whispers back. Under the table, she takes care to only barely brush her hand against Hana’s. “Was it at the Food and Art Festival this month?”
“Mhmm.” Hana suppresses a shiver.
Kiara is tempted enough by Hana’s reaction to do more, but the presence of Hana’s mother right next to them is enough to stop her. This is far newer ground for Hana than it ever has been for her, and she’ll be damned if she doesn’t make this as easy for her new girlfriend as she can manage. “The stalls had feijoada, ash-e-reshteh, and chicken tagine. All incredible. Which one is it?”
Hana gifts her a cheeky grin. “I know which one they chose, and I’m not telling you.”
I loved the hidden secrets within the story… a budding relationship… childhood memories… the successions of birth in two families sharing the same meaning and feelings… the longing to connect with someone over mutual emotions…
Even down to the scents and atmospheric display… it all made me feel like I was there seeing it all!
@secretaryunpaid Thank you so much, I’m so happy you liked this fic!! I love all the things you noticed and I’m so glad the descriptions felt vivid enough for you - that’s an area where I usually struggle. This fic is part of a fic series, most of which revolves around Liam and his mother Eleanor, and the foods they’d make or enjoy together
Summary: At Liam and Esther’s wedding dinner, Kiara encounters a surprise dish for main course. (This fic is a companion one-shot to Ch 3ofEleanor’s Kitchen)
“Did you know,” Hana whispers in Kiara’s ear at the dining table, “Liam and Esther chose their main course for the wedding from Castelserraillan.”
“Really?” she whispers back. Under the table, she takes care to only barely brush her hand against Hana’s. “Was it at the Food and Art Festival this month?”
“Mhmm.” Hana suppresses a shiver.
Kiara is tempted enough by Hana’s reaction to do more, but the presence of Hana’s mother right next to them is enough to stop her. This is far newer ground for Hana than it ever has been for her, and she’ll be damned if she doesn’t make this as easy for her new girlfriend as she can manage. “The stalls had feijoada, ash-e-reshteh, and chicken tagine. All incredible. Which one is it?”
Hana gifts her a cheeky grin. Underneath the table, she nudges Kiara’s foot with hers. “I know which one they chose, and I’m not telling you.”
Kiara being happy for her childhood friend but wondering if she’ll ever get a chance to lead like Liam does
Kiara wishing her friendship with Liam could have persisted after Eleanor’s death
How the tagine comes full circle as the meal that brings Liam and Kiara back together.
@mand-delemonde I’m so happy to read this!! I honestly loved writing Hanara…I can’t wait until I finally get to work on the series I’d been planning for them for over two years!! And yes to all three of those points - I honestly believe there’s so many ways Liam and Kiara’s stories run parallel, and I really wanted to explore that once! I especially love what you said about the “full circle” symbolism of the tagine possibly bringing them closer again!!
Summary: At Liam and Esther’s wedding dinner, Kiara encounters a surprise dish for main course. (This fic is a companion one-shot to Ch 3ofEleanor’s Kitchen)
“Did you know,” Hana whispers in Kiara’s ear at the dining table, “Liam and Esther chose their main course for the wedding from Castelserraillan.”
“Really?” she whispers back. Under the table, she takes care to only barely brush her hand against Hana’s. “Was it at the Food and Art Festival this month?”
“Mhmm.” Hana suppresses a shiver.
Kiara is tempted enough by Hana’s reaction to do more, but the presence of Hana’s mother right next to them is enough to stop her. This is far newer ground for Hana than it ever has been for her, and she’ll be damned if she doesn’t make this as easy for her new girlfriend as she can manage. “The stalls had feijoada, ash-e-reshteh, and chicken tagine. All incredible. Which one is it?”
Hana gifts her a cheeky grin. Underneath the table, she nudges Kiara’s foot with hers. “I know which one they chose, and I’m not telling you.”
wow super curious to know more about Hana and Kiara dating it was so cool to see a little bit of the two couples, who are in different stages of their relationship, I hope that Kiara and Hana also have a beautiful wedding The surprised Leo with the tagine was so amazing Awwww Kiara and Liam remembering the day they ate tagine together I loved reading about the happiness of this dinner, it was the best part of the book and reading after the Eleanor’s Kitchen 3 made this scene more special thank you for sharing your talent with us Lizzy
@sazanes Ohh thank you!! I’m so glad you liked and wanted to know more about Hanara. I’ve been wanting to do a series focusing on them for a very long time, and I’m hoping to start on that once Eleanor’s Kitchen is over! And yes! I really liked the idea of Kiara and Liam bonding over the memories of that tagine as adults
Pairing: None. Queen Eleanor & Prince Liam (mother-son), Queen Eleanor & Joëlle Theron (platonic), Prince Liam & Kiara Theron (platonic)
Rating: PG for one cuss word.
Summary: Eleanor and Liam get a visit from Joëlle and her daughter Kiara, along with a few surprises. (Takes place a few weeks after Chapter Two. Liam is seven years old, Kiara is five)
Note: In this series, Hakim, Joëlle and Kiara’s surnames are spelt Thorne.People close to Constantine call him “Kontos”.
Tagging@choicesmonthlychallenge for the May Challenge - Day 31 - smile|macaroons | “This isn’t goodbye”
Chapter 3: Djaj M'qualli bi Zeitoun
Today is one of those rare days when Liam finds both himself and his mother in a bad mood, near-identical pouts jutting out from their lips.
He suspects Mum’s has something to do with a phone call today from Duchess Joëlle Thorne, instructing her strictly not to cook, because this time she wants to be the one bringing food. Mum had practically forgotten she was Duchess Joëlle’s Queen and got on the verge of pleading, several times. But the other woman, miles away on holiday in France, would not budge.
@lilyoffandoms Thank you so much for the lovely tags!! I’m so glad you liked this fic.
Re: Kiara’s hair, yes! I really liked the idea of her choosing her style and having her own individual touches to it at a young age (eg having butterfly clips).
Re: Tagine. Yes! I def enjoyed working on the sibling dynamics in this one! I also loved what you wrote here: “the idea that food is what brings people together and that food is prepared out of some emotionally expectant place…I just loved that idea”. That’s a beautiful thought and it definitely reminded me a little of Liam’s food diplomacy scene in TRR3!
It all began two months ago, on a diplomatic trip they took to an island in Venice. Mum was visiting a monastery there, hoping to “introduce initiatives that will benefit several Armenian communities, both in Cordonia and around the world”. Liam didn’t understand all of that, but what he did understand was that the monks at San Lazarro degli Armeni loved their roses.
I can’t pick a favorite part! Little Liam is the cutest thing (the little gap was such a lovely touch!) and everything was so perfect, from the astonished prince who couldn’t understand his mother’s fascination with the roses to the cooking part (I was not familiar with cooking flowers and turning them into jam, so I’d be as baffled as Liam even as an adult and be certain his mother was a wizard!) and specially the ending part when Eleanor’s is committed to cooking again and creating as many wonderful memories of her children’s childhood as she can So relatable! Trying to commit to memory and register as much as possible is possibly an almost universal experience to mothers.
Kids do grow up so fast and for a Prince a childhood certainly lasts even less…
Thank you for sharing your stories with the fandom!
@missameliep Thank you so much!! I had a lot of fun writing this first chapter because I had the same experience making the same jam for the first time, and that was just a few years ago! And yeah, losing milk teeth was a personal touch, I have a kid who is losing her own right now haha.
So glad you liked the first chapter! Hope you enjoy the rest of the series!
Pairing: None. Queen Eleanor & Prince Liam (mother-son), Queen Eleanor & Joëlle Theron (platonic), Prince Liam & Kiara Theron (platonic)
Rating: PG for one cuss word.
Summary: Eleanor and Liam get a visit from Joëlle and her daughter Kiara, along with a few surprises. (Takes place a few weeks after Chapter Two. Liam is seven years old, Kiara is five)
Note: In this series, Hakim, Joëlle and Kiara’s surnames are spelt Thorne.People close to Constantine call him “Kontos”.
Tagging@choicesmonthlychallenge for the May Challenge - Day 31 - smile|macaroons | “This isn’t goodbye”
Chapter 3: Djaj M'qualli bi Zeitoun
Today is one of those rare days when Liam finds both himself and his mother in a bad mood, near-identical pouts jutting out from their lips.
He suspects Mum’s has something to do with a phone call today from Duchess Joëlle Thorne, instructing her strictly not to cook, because this time she wants to be the one bringing food. Mum had practically forgotten she was Duchess Joëlle’s Queen and got on the verge of pleading, several times. But the other woman, miles away on holiday in France, would not budge.
I think I know where Kiara gets her stubbornness from, Liam thinks to himself - remembering his sometimes-playmate who always drove hard bargains during their “toy trade wars” and beat him, Drake (and Maxwell whenever his father Duke Barthelemy brought him over to the palace from Ramsford) in raucous games of football.
1. I’d totally want kid!Kiara to be my friend and tell me her favourite foods and show off the gap from her fallen baby tooth too
2. GSGSGSGSG I loved writing that! Those cuss words are notoriously easy for kids to pick up
3. I really loved writing Joëlle and Eleanor together. Especially with having Eleanor a little less self-aware and Joëlle being a huge support in that area.
4. Oooooh…all I can say is, this chapter isn’t the last you’ve seen of Hakim
5. Yes! Though I’m not looking forward to what that will eventually culminate in…
Thank you so much for this review Cassi!! I loved it!!!
Pairing: None. Queen Eleanor & Prince Liam (mother-son), Queen Eleanor & Joëlle Theron (platonic), Prince Liam & Kiara Theron (platonic)
Rating: PG for one cuss word.
Summary: Eleanor and Liam get a visit from Joëlle and her daughter Kiara, along with a few surprises. (Takes place a few weeks after Chapter Two. Liam is seven years old, Kiara is five)
Note: In this series, Hakim, Joëlle and Kiara’s surnames are spelt Thorne.People close to Constantine call him “Kontos”.
Tagging@choicesmonthlychallenge for the May Challenge - Day 31 - smile|macaroons | “This isn’t goodbye”
Chapter 3: Djaj M'qualli bi Zeitoun
Today is one of those rare days when Liam finds both himself and his mother in a bad mood, near-identical pouts jutting out from their lips.
He suspects Mum’s has something to do with a phone call today from Duchess Joëlle Thorne, instructing her strictly not to cook, because this time she wants to be the one bringing food. Mum had practically forgotten she was Duchess Joëlle’s Queen and got on the verge of pleading, several times. But the other woman, miles away on holiday in France, would not budge.
I think I know where Kiara gets her stubbornness from, Liam thinks to himself - remembering his sometimes-playmate who always drove hard bargains during their “toy trade wars” and beat him, Drake (and Maxwell whenever his father Duke Barthelemy brought him over to the palace from Ramsford) in raucous games of football.
Another amazing addition to the series! Joëlle/Eleanor friendship is always a win in my book, plus getting to see Kiara and Liam interact was such a treat considering how much PB screwed us over in that regard.
I like how as a child (and the non-formal setting), we get to see Kiara too be less reserved and staying from her adult image as the perfect diplomat, but we still get hints of that personality in how Liam points out the contrast with her usually not taking offense to different opinions lol. Not that I blame her of course, she should be mad because it sounds delicious!
Very cute to get to hear about Leo and Liam’s competitiveness and how neither wants to be the one who goes running to Mom. Can’t wait to see Leo in the flesh interacting with Eleanor and Liam (yet another thing canon ignores!) but interesting to see how his relationship with Constantine is also growing strained. Seeing Eleanor so word down is really saddening, maybe especially because of how much Liam can take note of. But it’s good to see that she has some sort of support system, even when we know ultimately how things will end.
In that same vein, Liam referring to Hakim and Joëlle as his uncle and aunt just makes me wonder about what sort of future Cordonia and the royal family as a whole could have had if Eleanor had lived. Perhaps it would have been revealed (thanks to her detective work) that the culprits were Constantine’s closest advisors? Maybe he would have had a change of heart overall and trusted/relied more heavily on the word of his queen? Though that does mean no Queen Regina, I’m sure she’d have popped up somewhere, especially if Adelaide was still more of a partier than a duchess. But putting happier AUs aside, this series is a wonderful addition to canon and fleshes out Eleanor the way she deserves. Fantastic work as always Lizzy!
@thecapturedafrique Thank you for this, Nikki, I love this review so much and I’ve been reading it over and over - it’s so good
I’m so glad you liked the friendships. From the time Joëlle spoke about the value of art in a thriving kingdom I’ve been convinced she and Hakim would have loved Eleanor, and IMO it really was a missed opportunity to not have them be her friends (though, tbh, who else do they allow to be Eleanor’s friend besides Drake’s dad and the woman who eventually planned her murder? ). And yes - in canon they don’t even allow Liam and Kiara to speak by default, and I wanted to go the opposite direction here.
And yes! I remember reading about the children being more carefree when they were young often, so I tried to bring that vibe while adding little touches of their adult personalities too! Similarly with Leo and Liam - I loved adding that touch of how they feel about going to their parents with their problems coz that is definitely something you think about when you’re moving into the pre-teen/teen years.
Yes, I did want to highlight how exhausted Eleanor is becoming, not only because of the clashes with Connie, but also she’s trying to do too much and not always succeeding, and Joëlle as an old friend can see that far clearer than Eleanor herself can. And wow…I love that AU. I feel like so much would change…for instance I definitely feel like the royal family wouldn’t be as distant and Liam would be encouraged a bit more to go out of his “statesman’s bubble”. I feel like they’d have a bigger support system as well!
You’re right - it would mean no Queen Regina, which is a bit of a sad thing but I can also see her thrive and take the reins of Krona herself, given that her cousin doesn’t really give much of a damn about the duchy. But (spoiler alert) I do plan to feature her in a future chapter!
Pairing: None. Queen Eleanor & Prince Liam (mother-son), Queen Eleanor & Joëlle Theron (platonic), Prince Liam & Kiara Theron (platonic)
Rating: PG for one cuss word.
Summary: Eleanor and Liam get a visit from Joëlle and her daughter Kiara, along with a few surprises. (Takes place a few weeks after Chapter Two. Liam is seven years old, Kiara is five)
Note: In this series, Hakim, Joëlle and Kiara’s surnames are spelt Thorne.People close to Constantine call him “Kontos”.
Tagging@choicesmonthlychallenge for the May Challenge - Day 31 - smile|macaroons | “This isn’t goodbye”
Chapter 3: Djaj M'qualli bi Zeitoun
Today is one of those rare days when Liam finds both himself and his mother in a bad mood, near-identical pouts jutting out from their lips.
He suspects Mum’s has something to do with a phone call today from Duchess Joëlle Thorne, instructing her strictly not to cook, because this time she wants to be the one bringing food. Mum had practically forgotten she was Duchess Joëlle’s Queen and got on the verge of pleading, several times. But the other woman, miles away on holiday in France, would not budge.
I think I know where Kiara gets her stubbornness from, Liam thinks to himself - remembering his sometimes-playmate who always drove hard bargains during their “toy trade wars” and beat him, Drake (and Maxwell whenever his father Duke Barthelemy brought him over to the palace from Ramsford) in raucous games of football.
@kingliam2019 I’m quite sorry there isn’t a tagine gif out there. I’ve been loving your food and eating-related gifs so…keep ‘em coming. And thank you! I had fun figuring out what Kiki would like to do fashion wise at this age.
It all began two months ago, on a diplomatic trip they took to an island in Venice. Mum was visiting a monastery there, hoping to “introduce initiatives that will benefit several Armenian communities, both in Cordonia and around the world”. Liam didn’t understand all of that, but what he did understand was that the monks at San Lazarro degli Armeni loved their roses.
I love little Liam, so cute… His relationship with his mother is depicted so well here. I wonder how the queen treated his friends, like little Drake and Olivia when she joins starts living at the palace. @sfb123 you may like to check out the recipe.
@twinkleallnight Thank you so much!! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the first fic in this series I wanted to explore more of Eleanor and her relationship with Liam, but also give her her own friends. I’m certain she was kind and encouraging to Olivia and Drake, and their friendship with Liam. Hope you enjoy the rest of the chapters!
Box step, reverse, spin, twirl*. An arrangement of dance steps. Until you came along, that was all Liam ever imagined the Cordonian Waltz to be.
Oh, he’s listened to the history of this dance form a million times. Had a dozen dance masters scold him for his stiffness, his aloofness, the distance he never fails to maintain between him and his partner. This isn’t just any dance, they’d say: it is a conversation*. Flirtation in fluid motion. A way to show her how you felt when you weren’t allowed any other way**.
With Olivia somehow, he’s always gone through the motions. They grew up together on this dance, practising the steps in the palace ballroom till their backs ached and their feet were sore. There’s an easy familiarity in their footwork and hand-presses, in how they glide and fall together. A tendril finds its way out of her elegant chignon as she twirls, and she looks flushed and happy, he thinks. He’s glad because this sight is so rare.
And then it’s your turn. He remembers the first time you told him you didn’t know how to waltz, how you followed his lead and entrusted yourself in the safety of his arms. He wonders if he needs to do it again, and realises he would kill for a chance to do so.
But you don’t. You move backwards when he moves forward, allow his arms to frame you, glide effortlessly against him. When he spins you he notices that your eyes never leave his*. Suddenly he can’t stand to be stiff anymore. You move together, poetry in motion. Suddenly he feels so alive and even as you joke about this being just a “choreographed waltz in the dance floor of a private ball”*** both of you know this isn’t entirely the truth.
He twirls you just like Maxwell did, your back against his chest, his arms around you, his heartbeat quickening behind your ear. He whispers against your hair. Yes, you are special to him, he says. You look up. Your face is flushed. You stay ensconced in his arms a second longer than the dance dictates. Your stupid expressive face tells him everything he needs to know.
It’s then that he understands. What this dance means. Why it exists. Who it was meant for.
It’s then that he realises. You’ve ruined him for anyone else. He can never dance the Cordonian Waltz again without remembering how you made it feel. He can never dance the Cordonian Waltz with another woman again. Not without thinking “this isn’t how its meant to be”.
The Cordonian Waltz will never be the same again.
He will never be the same again.
–
* If you choose the diamond scene with Hana where she teaches you the Cordonian Waltz, she uses these terms, tells you that 1. the dance is like a conversation, 2. the man tends to place pressure on the woman’s palm to get her to move backwards, 3. focus on a spot when he spins you.
** Maxwell tells the MC that this waltz was the only way couples used to flirt.
***Liam says this when the MC says “fancy running into you” as soon as she starts dancing with him.
I loved everything about it, specially the ending part about the waltz gaining a different meaning because of MC and Liam himself realizing he would never be the same man again.
@missameliep Thanks so much!! I agree with you, that trope of feeling forever changed by something you considered ordinary, in the hands of the right person, is a favourite of mine and the Cordonian Waltz felt like the perfect vehicle to carry that trope ☺️
Box step, reverse, spin, twirl*. An arrangement of dance steps. Until you came along, that was all Liam ever imagined the Cordonian Waltz to be.
Oh, he’s listened to the history of this dance form a million times. Had a dozen dance masters scold him for his stiffness, his aloofness, the distance he never fails to maintain between him and his partner. This isn’t just any dance, they’d say: it is a conversation*. Flirtation in fluid motion. A way to show her how you felt when you weren’t allowed any other way**.
With Olivia somehow, he’s always gone through the motions. They grew up together on this dance, practising the steps in the palace ballroom till their backs ached and their feet were sore. There’s an easy familiarity in their footwork and hand-presses, in how they glide and fall together. A tendril finds its way out of her elegant chignon as she twirls, and she looks flushed and happy, he thinks. He’s glad because this sight is so rare.
And then it’s your turn. He remembers the first time you told him you didn’t know how to waltz, how you followed his lead and entrusted yourself in the safety of his arms. He wonders if he needs to do it again, and realises he would kill for a chance to do so.
But you don’t. You move backwards when he moves forward, allow his arms to frame you, glide effortlessly against him. When he spins you he notices that your eyes never leave his*. Suddenly he can’t stand to be stiff anymore. You move together, poetry in motion. Suddenly he feels so alive and even as you joke about this being just a “choreographed waltz in the dance floor of a private ball”*** both of you know this isn’t entirely the truth.
He twirls you just like Maxwell did, your back against his chest, his arms around you, his heartbeat quickening behind your ear. He whispers against your hair. Yes, you are special to him, he says. You look up. Your face is flushed. You stay ensconced in his arms a second longer than the dance dictates. Your stupid expressive face tells him everything he needs to know.
It’s then that he understands. What this dance means. Why it exists. Who it was meant for.
It’s then that he realises. You’ve ruined him for anyone else. He can never dance the Cordonian Waltz again without remembering how you made it feel. He can never dance the Cordonian Waltz with another woman again. Not without thinking “this isn’t how its meant to be”.
The Cordonian Waltz will never be the same again.
He will never be the same again.
–
* If you choose the diamond scene with Hana where she teaches you the Cordonian Waltz, she uses these terms, tells you that 1. the dance is like a conversation, 2. the man tends to place pressure on the woman’s palm to get her to move backwards, 3. focus on a spot when he spins you.
** Maxwell tells the MC that this waltz was the only way couples used to flirt.
***Liam says this when the MC says “fancy running into you” as soon as she starts dancing with him.
This was my first ever fic, written way back in Sept 2017!
@lizzybeth1986 I’ve read this before a long time ago, and I remembered it as I’ve reread today. I just wanted to say, love it. One of my favourite things is a character ruining something for another like this. It’s beautiful
@my-glitter-heart Awww thank you so much!! What you mentioned as your favourite trope was definitely the first thing that crossed my mind when I conceptualized this fic I’m so glad you liked it!!
Format I Read: audio dramatization (previously read the ebook)
Length:2h 22m
Genres: Horror, Gothic, Vampires
This review is going to be a little different.
Since we’re in the midst of spooky season and Halloween is less than a week away as I’m writing this, I decided now would be a good time to reread and discuss this book. The fact that audible is giving away a dramatization of this book for subscribers also helped, and though I’ve read Carmilla before, the dramatization is the version I went with for the reread. The dramatization is really good, all the actors are wonderful and Rose Leslie in particular really said gay rights with her performance.
Carmilla is a book that I’m always surprised by the people who do know what it is and the people who don’t. I feel like it has gotten a lot more recognition over the past few years with the web series of the same name being pretty popular among internet gays, but even some people who watched that web series didn’t realize that it was based on a novella from the 1800s (though it said as much in the credits).
In case you don’t know, Carmilla is a novella that revolves around a young woman named Laura who lives in Styria with her father, and under weird circumstances they take in a house guest: Carmilla, a girl who appears to be of a similar age as Laura. Assumptions can be made when I say that this is a vampire story, and its ones that predates Dracula by several decades. It’s also very gay and the namesake of this very blog you’re reading now.
I don’t think spoilers really ruin the book, and I think a lot of the “spoilers” that I’m going to discuss are rather obvious, but here is your one and only spoiler warning. Normally I’d be more careful, but as I said, this is a different sort of review.
Given that I named my blog Karnstein Review, after the Duchess Karnstein herself, it should be fairly obvious that I adore this book. It’s a book I knew at least hinted at some sort of sapphic relationship between Laura and Carmilla, but when I’d first read it, I assumed it would just be hints. And subtle hints at that. It was written in the 1870s, after all. Well, it’s very very very gay. I’m not sure how else to describe it other than that. The gayness is not only overt, they blatantly discuss love and romance and kiss each other. It’s a lot more than I expected from a 19thbook.
But, I also have to acknowledge that it is a 19th century book about a lesbian, and it’s one written by a man nonetheless. Things don’t end well for Carmilla and Laura’s relationship, and there’s pretty intense judgement on any kind of sexual feelings, much less sexual feelings between two women. The message that Carmilla’s seduction of Laura is wrong and immoral is as blatant as her seduction of Laura is. So why do I like this book so much?
Well, for one thing, I’ve always been a sucker for vampire stories (my god I only realized that pun after I wrote it). I think that a lot of queer people who grew up with religious backgrounds are drawn to vampires and vampire stories, and there’s a reason for that. Particularly with these older stories like Carmilla and Dracula, one of the major themes of vampire stories is sexual fear, desires, and moralizing about those things. Vampires represent something that we are told is dangerous. Something that can kill us and even hurt our very soul. Vampires will seduce you and take something from you that you need to live a normal happy life. They may even steal your salvation. In Carmilla when I was rereading it, I noted that her need for blood is never described as thirst or hunger. It’s called lust, specifically “lust for living blood.” Many who grew up with feelings for people of the same gender have been told similar things about those feelings. Vampires are those feelings. And these vampire stories were often written specifically to express and moralize about sexual feelings. Of course vampire stories are attractive to us.
With Carmilla the sexual moralizing plain, and it would definitely not be something I let fly in a modern book, but there’s something strangely familiar about it here. The book is told from Laura’s perspective, and she herself described her confusing and intense feelings for Carmilla. She’ll say she’s in love with Carmilla and repulsed by Carmilla in the same sentence and it doesn’t feel like a lie either time. She’ll be clearly very troubled by Carmilla’s overt flirtation and courting, but also keep doing things that put her close to Carmilla. She’ll keep flirting back and keep acknowledging the feelings that she has. It’s paradoxal, but it’s a familiar feeling. It’s someone just realizing that they have feeling for someone of their same gender and being very, very troubled by what that means. Laura’s words and thoughts feel very familiar to me, and I don’t think that J. Sheridan Le Fanu was purposely trying to accurately portray my own gay panic, yet he definitely did.
I don’t think that Carmilla is the perfect story. I keep imagining all the ways in which I’d like to rewrite it, which all involve me just giving Carmilla and Laura a happy ending, but I think it’s an important to the history of gay fantasy and horror. I also think that it’s a story that can still mean a lot and speak to queer people today, as evidenced by the very popular web series adaptation of it. It’s a book I would happily suggest, but it’s also a book I’d suggest you know what it is going in. It’s a lesbian vampire story written in the 1800s, and all the implications that come with that are true.
Most of my issues with the books and the reasons why I maybe didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted had nothing to do with the queer characters. I went in only kinda remembering that there was a f/f romance or a lesbian character or something, and I’m glad that actually turned out to be the case because I wasn’t completely sure…and I remained unsure for a while…
But yes, the “main character” Tory (not sure she actually counts as that as the book gets further along because there are a ton of point of views) is a bisexual woman and her love interest is a professional geek named Olivia who is also a lesbian and autistic. It’s a horror novel, so there are threats and all throughout, but I didn’t find the book played on any negative queer tropes. There’s a lot of trauma from being hunted by killer mermaids, but that’s about it.
Synopsis: Years ago, Tory’s sister was part of a film crew that sailed out to the Mariana Trench to make a mockumentary about mermaids and everyone on that trip mysteriously disappeared. The company behind the failed expedition signs on Tory and a bunch of other scientists to repeat the trip, this time with the intention to prove that mermaids are actually real. Well….they are. And they’re hungry.
The Good: As I said, there are no real negative queer tropes that I picked up on. There are certainly threats of death for the f/f couple, but that’s true for every character in this, because mermaids. The characters are also explicit about defining their sexualities so there’s no question or obscurity.
What Might Hinder You from Reading It: Don’t like horror, or you follow me on goodreads and saw I only gave it a meh review overall.
Would I Recommend It?: Ehhhhhh…. Probably not, but that has nothing to do with the queerness. I’m not going to get into my issues with it here, but there was a lot that made me roll my eyes throughout and I found a lot of the reveals and horror pretty boring.
