A/N: I thought it would be nice to see things from Bastien’s POV. Any similarities to anything else out there is unintentional and is purely coincidental. I fell in love with the TRR series late and have only just got into it. I felt that some of the chapters just needed a bit more - it goes along with my previous fanfic where Riley went back to New York briefly after the coronation ball.
All characters belong to Pixelberry.
Apologies in advance for any typos, grammar or spelling errors.
Chapter 2
A few days after the masquerade ball there’s a knock at Bastien’s office door ‘Come in.’ He summons. The door slowly opens and Maxwell Beaumont stands on the other side his hands wringing themselves together nervously, his eyes darting from Bastien’s face to the back wall, his voice small and unsure ‘You asked for me?’
‘Ahh Lord Beaumont yes I did, come in.’ Bastien pulls out a leather computer chair from the desk next to him and places it a foot away directly in front of his own, as he sits down in his own leather desk chair he he motions for Maxwell to sit down. The poor young lad looks uncomfortable and nervous as hell as he sits on the edge of the chair. Bastien enjoys tormenting Maxwell too much, toying with him is just too easy he thinks to himself.
‘So, Lord Beaumont’
‘Please call me Maxwell all my friends do.’ Maxwell tries a smile at Bastien, he doesn’t know why the bodyguard makes him so nervous, well it’s probably got something to do with the silent but deadly looks he gives, that and the all the muscles that strain beneath the older mans suit. Oh, and the fact that he could snap him in half in an instant doesn’t help.
‘We’re not friends’ Bastien deadpans, the stern look on his face unmoving. Maxwell audibly gulps.
‘I need to know everything you know about Lady Riley Taylor.’
‘I’ve already told you everything I know about her.’ Maxwell looks at the bodyguard in confusion ’She was our waitress, we ordered whiskey and burgers, well Drake ordered whiskey and burgers, the rest of us actually wanted steak but you know how Drake is about these things, and she said the closest we’ve got to filet mignon is…’
‘Maxwell’ Bastien growls leaning forward.
‘Sorry’ Maxwell blushes, he knew he was babbling, he had a tendency to do so when he was nervous, he sat back in his chair, trying to put some distance between himself and the intimidating bodyguard.
‘She seemed to get on with Liam well- in fact I haven’t ever seen him so happy as he was when he was with her, so the next day me and Drake went back to her bar and waited for her. We asked her to come back with us and she did. That’s all there is to tell’
Bastien nods his head. ‘So you didn’t go back to her apartment with her?’
Maxwell shakes his head ‘No, we waited for her in the limo.’
‘And what about since then? She’s been living with you right? You must have learnt something about her.’
‘Oh yes!’ Maxwell exclaims, suddenly animated ‘She’s amazing, she knows all the best dance moves and has great taste in music, she puts all the other suitors in their place and yet still holds herself with grace and dignity, errr sometimes she swears but me and Bertrand are trying to drum that out of her, well Bertrand is, I think it’s kinda cute.’ Maxwell’s cheeks grow pink once again.
Oh great him as well, what the fuck has this girl got that’s got them all acting like dribbling idiots? Bastien wonders.
‘No, no, I mean what do you know about her, about her background where she’s come from, her past? Has she told you anything about her family? Her parents? What school she went to? Where she grew up? Anything like that?’
‘Oh um…’ Maxwell looks up to the ceiling tilting his head to the side thinking about the last few days with Riley ‘No, no she hasn’t. We don’t really talk about stuff like that to be honest, we’re too busy teaching her about the court and it’s many protocols.’
Shit. He knew it was a long shot asking the young Beaumont, as nice as the guy is, he’s not the brains of the family. Maybe he should have asked Bertrand he thinks, but the more astute of the two brothers would know that Bastien hasn’t been able to do his job properly, hasn’t been able to find out about the American’s past. He doesn’t want it to get out that he’s so far failed, he’s got enough on his plate with Constantine’s demands on him and arranging the security for the social season. Damn it.
‘Ok Beaumont you can go, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone about this meeting.’ He gives Maxwell his most menacing stare toying once again with the poor lad, chuckling to himself inside.
Maxwell’s up like a shot reaching for the door handle ‘oh yes of course, my lips are sealed’ he makes a key locking motion on his lips and hurries through the door.
Back to the drawing board Bastien thinks frustrated. He picks up the phone to give an old friend of his in the FBI a call, he needs help on this one, it is as matter of national security after all.
The weeks of the social season pass in a blur, Bastien is rushed off his feet organising the palace guards and personal security teams for the nobles and the Royal Family.
He gets a message that Constantine has summoned him to his chambers. He knocks on the Kings sitting room door and waits.
‘Enter’
Bastien opens the door to find the King standing at the large lead lined window
looking out over the lush green lawns of the palace grounds.
‘Ah Bastien there you are my fellow’
‘Your Majesty’ Bastien bows to the King and enters the sitting room closing the door behind him ‘You wanted to speak with me?’
That in itself wasn’t strange, they often discussed the palace security details outside of their morning briefing, especially when it involved leaving the security of the palace walls.
‘Come, have a drink with me.’ The King walks over to a drinks cart stocked full of decanters of spirits, without waiting for an answer he pours two glasses of amber liquid.
‘Your Majesty, I’m on duty’ Bastien’s not a big drinker at the best of times, preferring to keep a clear head in case he’s needed to respond to a threat at anytime.
‘Nonsense, you can indulge an old man this once.’ The King hands a glass to Bastien and knocks his own against it.
‘What are we drinking to?’ Bastien asks
‘Hmm’ The King pauses thoughtfully ‘to creating our own destiny’
Bastien raises an eyebrow and his glass to The King.
‘Ya mas’ he toasts before taking a sip of the fiery liquid. He remains silent waiting for The King to fill him in on the reason for this impromptu drinking session.
‘Bastien, I need you to do me a favour.’
‘Of course Your Majesty, anything.’
The King runs a hand along his cleanly shaven jaw thoughtfully. ‘It’s of a delicate nature, I need your discretion on this.’
‘Your Majesty I have served you faithfully for over twenty years now, you know my discretion is guaranteed’
‘Of course I realise that Bastien, it’s just, this is for The Prince, it’s in his best interests, only he might not see it that way.’ Lines crease the old mans forehead.
Bastien nods ‘Ok, go on.’
‘I need you to get rid of the American’
Bastien’s eyes widen and his voice falters ‘Ahh. Sir I understand, but Prince Liam is really quite taken with her, it wouldn’t be right to, um, get rid of her.’
The King lets out a deep throaty laugh ‘Good God Bastien what do you think of me! I don’t mean kill her!’ He laughs again and Bastien lets out a breath thank God for that he thinks. He’ll do a lot to serve his crown and country but murdering a suitor is way past his job description.
‘I mean get rid of her from the running, make it so she can’t stay as a suitor. Preferably before the coronation, it won’t give the right image to do it after he’s chosen her. And knowing my son as I do, he will choose her.’
‘Yes Your Majesty, I think he will. However surely it’s his choice to make. Are you sure that’s what you want? You must have noticed as well as I have how happy The Prince is when he’s with her. And the press seem to love her.’
Constantine straightens his posture and takes a sip of his scotch ‘It’s not really his choice to make. This whole ridiculous farce is just for show. He will marry the best choice for the country, not whoever he wants. That’s why I’m asking you. I’m not a fool Bastien, I’ve seen the looks he gives her, you’ve kept me updated on their antics, their romantic rendezvous. He’s just lucky he’s got you looking out for him, not letting him get carried away and caught in a compromising position by the press. It wouldn’t do for the crown to be dragged down in some gutter press scandal involving my youngest son. I don’t want Liam to be likened to his brother and the reputation he made for himself.’
Bastien clears his throat. ‘Your Majesty he’s been quite the gentleman so far.’ He feels bad that he’s required to report back to The King on Liam’s life, but that’s part of his job and he knows if The King found out something that Bastien hadn’t told him there would be hell to pay.
‘Exactly - so far. He’s a young man Bastien, and as old as I am I do remember what that’s like, he won’t be able to keep that up for much longer.’ He gives a rueful smile and turns his back to his bodyguard, moving to stare out of the window once again at the palace gardens beyond. He shakes his head.
‘Bastien I am quite sure. She needs to be gone. She can’t compete to be Queen. She’s not the right fit for Cordonia. She’s not a noble, she’s a mere commoner. Your dossier on her was…enlightening, it’s clear where she gets her stamina and veracity from, however it also made it clear that she was born beneath us, that she’s not fit for our world. As pleasant as she is she’s not good enough for my son or my country.’ He pauses thinking for a moment. His lips turn up at the thought of the pretty American woman ‘Hell, if I was a young prince I would chase after her too for some fun. But even Liam, as soft as he is, can surely see that’s all it can be, that she’s not worthy to wear the crown.’
‘Your Majesty…’ Bastien starts but is cut off.
‘And while you’re at it get rid of that damn Nevrakis woman too, she’s far too feisty and hot headed to be Queen. What with her family’s past I wouldn’t want him choosing her as some kind of consolation prize.’
‘Your Majesty, please I don’t think…’
‘I don’t pay you to think Bastien, I pay you to do. You have my orders. I don’t care how you do it I just want it done. Some kind of scandal should do the job, get it out all over the press, make sure she’s humiliated enough to leave immediately afterwards. Do you understand?’
‘Yes sir, but there has to be another way, please Sir, talk to The Prince…’
‘Bastien’ the King raises his voice an octave ‘Do not overstep the mark.’ Bastien closes his mouth and nods silently. He makes for the door.
‘And Bastien, not a word of this to anyone.’
Bastien places his barely touched drink on the antique sideboard. ‘Very well Your Majesty.’ He bows and leave the room.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. His mind is whirling, how the hell is he going to do this, Liam is never going to forgive him. He’s seen how much the young prince cares for Lady Riley. She’s done so well in her time here, even Bastien can now see what it is they all love about her, she’s got them all captured with her majestic beauty, her uncompromising strength, quick wit and dazzling personality. Even the stone cold Drake Walker has totally fallen for her, much to Bastien’s chagrin. That boy is gonna get his heart well and truly broken going after his best friends girl. Ever since Jackson Walker died in the line of duty Bastien has looked out for Drake and Savannah. Drake’s not going to forgive him for this either. He has no choice, he can’t go against the direct orders of The King.
Regretfully Bastien sets up a trap for Riley. He gets that idiot Tariq to try his luck with her, knowing that the fool couldn’t resist the thought of getting one up on The Crown Prince by getting his end away with the favourite suitor. It was easier than he thought it would be. The only thing he didn’t count on was that Drake would go piling in to save her. Still, they got the photos they needed. He sent them to the press anonymously. Constantine had orchestrated it so that it would happen at the Coronation Ball for maximum impact, Bastien was not in agreement to that, the public humiliation was a step too far in his opinion. But The King was ruthless and Bastien had no choice but to go along with it.
I love the interactions between Bastien and Maxwell. I can completely see this dynamic! I also like how you handled Constantine giving the order to Bastien to take out Riley. This is a great series!
