A Bitter Twist

Chapter 7

-Josie

I barely notice the passing scenery as the train barrels down the tracks on the way to Italy. When Liam asked if I'd ever had sex on a train, well I wasn't quite expecting this. My face and chest pressed against the glass window in our train cabin while he fucks me from behind. My dress is pushed up over my hips and one of my legs dangle over the crook of his elbow. The other hovers above the floor, not quite touching. His arm that supports my weight also reaches down to rub my clit. He’s such a good multitasker. If it was anyone else holding me like this I might be nervous, but I trust that Liam won't drop me. His hips thrust so fast and hard, bending my body with each one. Our skin slaps and moans fill the otherwise silent cabin. I feel myself getting close. My whole body seizes up with my orgasm. A few minutes later Liam comes too. He pulls out of me and gently deposits me onto the bed then plops down next to me. I laugh. "Well, I can now check trains, planes, and automobiles off my sex bucket list." I push my dress down over my hips. I briefly wonder how much the security stationed outside our door hears. I put it out of my mind. If I was the sort to constantly worry about the guards hearing us having sex, we’d probably never have sex again. The voyeuristic aspect of that is a little creepy though. I’ve realized that Liam rather likes the idea of getting caught. But only during. If someone walks in before we’ve even started it irritates him. He never locks the door. And he always wants to do it outside. The balcony is about as outside as I’m ever willing to get. But we’re going to Italy and Paris. Maybe I’ll surprise him and take him to a club. We could totally fuck in a VIP booth. Public yet private. Not something I’ve ever done before.

He laughs and rolls onto his side so that he’s facing me. He looks disheveled and his cock is hanging out of his pants. "Happy to help with that, and any other items on your list."

I smirk. "It's a long list. But we should save a good chunk of it for our future mid-life crisis."

He snorts. "A good idea."

I point down. “You may want to holster that weapon, sir.” I turn on my side and watch as he tucks himself back into his pants. I smile. "How are you feeling about the dinner tonight?"

He nods. "I feel good. I think we've made some headway on the deal with Italy."

I nod. "That's really good. It seems like Mikey and Drake are making some progress on those pictures. The spa day was a total bust, but Mikey said they found a picture of the photographer."

He nods. "Yeah. You should probably find Olivia before we get to Italy. She might have some information on her blackmailer."

I nod and wrinkle my nose. "Am I letting her in on the Applewood sex pictures? It seems undeservingly cruel considering she's got real feelings for you."

Liam's eyebrows shoot up. "She what?"

I tilt my head to the side. "Don't act like you didn't know. Why else would she be so mean to Drake? Or to me and Hana?"

"Ugh…" Liam looks completely floored.

I sigh. "Everyone knew about you and Drake. Hana is sweet and was an obvious top contender. She's smart and talented and could handle the crown easily and she'd be a really good friend and ally in the process. And me. Well it was clear to everyone how interested you were."

Liam scowls. "It's a little embarrassing how transparent it seems I was. But I guess you're right. On all three accounts. Hana was my top pick before I realized you were a contender. And Drake.. Well that's been over for a long while."

I raise a brow. "You hooked up during the season at least once or twice."

Liam sighs. "How did you know?”

I smirk. “You just told me.”

He snorts. “I'm never going to have any secrets around you, am I? Once. It was just.. I needed someone I trusted. Are you..mad?"

I look at him. "If it was before we started having sex, then no. If after then yes.”

His face flushes. “Before. The night of the regatta.”

I think about that evening. Constantine must’ve dropped a bomb on him after I left. “Can you tell me? What did your father talk to you about on the beach? I'm assuming that is the triggering event. I'm going to be your wife in a month or so and your queen."

He sighs. "It's just.. he's dying. Aggressive form of lung cancer. He doesn't want it to be public knowledge."

I nod. "I get that. But I think the people of Cordonia would appreciate more transparency in their monarchy. I think we'd be better off if we strive for that. I'm not saying defy his wishes. But secrecy breeds distrust in your government. And that usually leads to people trying to overthrow their government. So, just think about what kind of things we should share and the things we should keep private."

Liam smirks. "Such sage advice. I'll think about it. I don't like keeping it from my friends."

I nod. "Of course not. It's a lot to ask of you. You should be able to share with people you trust and deal with your emotions that way. Having a good support system always helps with grief."

He nods. "Anyway, we lost the thread there. I'm going to leave it to your discretion about letting Olivia in."

I nod. "I lean towards honesty with her. I think when it comes to your safety or reputation, she's trustworthy. I'll try to be gentle. I don't relish hurting people for no reason."

He nods and kisses my forehead. "I know. You're good like that."

I sigh. "I guess I'll go find Olivia and see what she knows. Wish me luck?"

He laughs and kisses my nose. "You don't need luck. You'll be just fine, my little dancing queen."

I wrinkle my nose. "You forgot the loudmouthed shit talking girl from Queens part."

He laughs. "I'll do better next time. My loudmouthed, shit talking, dancing queen from Queens."

I smirk. "We'll have to make sure the heralds get it right."

He nods. "Half the court would have a fit at the cursing."

I dramatically fan my face and in a terrible southern accent say. "I do declare I just got the vapors. How dare such language be used in my presence." I collapse on the bed like I just passed out. Liam laughs. I sit up and I roll my eyes. "The old biddies can kiss my soon to be royal ass."

Liam smiles and grabs me playfully. "If tonight goes well, I'd be happy to kiss your soon to be royal ass." I snicker he nips at my bottom. I squeal and jump off the bed. He chases after me and grabs my waist and flips me up and bites my ass. And I’m flailing my arms and legs and laughing. And that’s when Bertrand and Maxwell come in. The look that crosses Bertrand’s face nearly breaks my heart. Then I remember that he’s engaged to someone else as am I. And if Liam wants to bite my ass he can. He liked it so he put a damn ring on it. This is the path Bertrand chose. He deserves to see what he turned down.

“Whatever you think this is. It’s not.” I say.

Bertrand raises his brow. “So the King of Cordonia was not just biting your behind?”

My brows furrow. “Of course not! That would be completely undignified!” I say with a straight face. Liam sets me back on my feet. I look at their disbelieving faces. “Well..I have a scarlet duchess to tango with. Later.” I leave Liam to deal with the fallout.

“Josie!” I hear him yell. I snicker and keep going. I get almost all the way to Olivia’s room before I remember that I’m not wearing underwear. Well, I’m certainly not going back for that. I can’t take the look on Bertrand’s face.

I get to her door and knock. “Open up, Raggedy Anne!”

She opens the door and sneers. “Ugh, Josie.. I can’t really say it’s good to see you..but here you are anyways.”

“Always so sweet. You gonna let me in, Red? Or are we going to divulge secrets out in the hall?” I ask.

She makes a sweeping motion. “Come on in, oh future Queen Josie.”

I make a tsking sound. “Now, now. We can ease up on the salt for a bit.”

She rolls her eyes. “What do you want?”

I nod. “I want to know if you found anything out about your blackmailer.”

She purses her lips. “Why do you care?”

I shrug. “Something recently came to our attention. Pictures of Liam and I were taken while we were at Applewood. Compromising pictures.” She sucks in a breath. “I’m not telling you to hurt you. We think someone might have been trying to set me up for a scandal, but it failed. But somehow my Grandfather got a hold of the pictures and sent them to me. So we thought it might be connected to your blackmailer.” I lay out all the evidence we have so far.

She rubs her chin. “I was able to extract information from the messenger who delivered the blackmail letter to me. I traced through it and discovered at least six different middle-men before it reached me.”

My brows furrow. “That’s elaborate.”

She nods. “And that’s not all. I was able to get my hands on some pictures that someone tried to sell to the tabloids. From Liam’s bachelor party in New York.” She takes them out and shows them to me.

I chew my lip. “Shit. That’s not related to the blackmailer, I can promise you that.” She looks at me. “Maxwell took the pictures but Bertrand is the one who sold them.”

Olivia glares at me. “You knew?”

I nod. “I totally forgot. Bertrand confessed and said he did it the night of the Masquerade after meeting me. And since I know I was a total ass, I let it go because nothing came of it. This may or may not surprise you, but until you brought it up, I never really thought about how it would affect Liam. I’m fairly selfish like that. I should probably tell Liam, or tell Bertrand to tell Liam.” And here I was preaching about transparency.. “Bertrand’s kind of a dick, but he wouldn’t put me in a position to be sexually assaulted or raped. And from what we’ve gathered that’s what their intent was. That and to get pictures of that to make me look like a cheater.”

She runs her tongue over her teeth. “You’ll tell Liam the truth?”

I nod. “Of course.” I head to the door. “Oh, if you meet the statesmen, try to make a good impression. You know, be a little less you and a little more..Hana.” She glares at me. “Hey, Liam has been working nonstop on this deal. Kissing a little Italian ass won’t kill you for one night.”

She rolls her eyes. “I’m the Duchess of Lythikos. I don’t kiss..ass.”

I roll my eyes. “You wanted to be his wife because you loved him, well part of that is helping him run Cordonia. If you can’t even play nice now, what makes you think you would have been good for the job?”

She works her jaw. “I’ll try to reign it in a little.”

I nod. “That’s all I’m asking. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to apologize and rat Bert’s ass out. Oh, can I take those?”

She nods and hands them to me. “Bye, Josie.”

I head back to my room. I go inside and Liam isn’t in there. Well poop. I would have liked to get this over with. I start on my hair and makeup and put my dress on. I come out of the bathroom and see Liam flipping through the pictures. He looks up. “What are these?”

“Olivia somehow got her hands on these.” I clear my throat. “They’re from New York. I don’t know if you were told but someone tried to sell them on the night of the Masquerade.”

He presses his lips together. “Drake mentioned something..”

I nod. “Yeah, well Maxwell took these. Whatever that reason was..well it was probably innocent. He’s a good egg. Anyways Bertrand sold these after meeting me. He confessed to me the next day and I put it out of my head until now. Well I guess that’s not entirely true. Drake brought it up once and I kinda just didn’t say anything. I’m sorry. I should have told you. All I can say is that, knowing they were confiscated, I just didn't think it was a big deal at the time. But now, I can see it was a betrayal to you. I guess I was thinking about it from a selfish standpoint..”

His lips flatten. I can tell he’s mad. “What do you think I should do about Bertrand?”

“That’s up to you. I’ll support whatever you decide. I’d prefer if you guys talked it out, so I can keep Madeleine around. She’s the mastermind and planner for this whole tour. But if you decide to send his ass packing..well I’ll figure things out. I’ll manage.” I say truthfully.

He nods. “I’m disappointed in you for not telling me right away. But I can guess why you didn’t..”

I look at him. “I’d prefer you not guess. I’m a selfish ass. That’s why. I didn't think beyond it not really impacting me. And there’s some old school snitches get stitches mentality. Tattle tales always got their asses kicked in foster care. I’ve learned that the hard way. That’s not a very good excuse, but that’s the truth. It wasn’t some misplaced loyalty. I had just met you guys and at the time I didn’t consider anything beyond myself.”

He chews his lip. “So it wasn’t because you had feelings for him?”

“No.” I say.

His shoulders relax. “Good.”

“Do we need to talk about that?” I ask. I’d rather not.

Liam shakes his head. “No. You chose to be with me. You had ample opportunity to tell me if you changed your mind. I trust you to keep your promises to me.”

I chew my lip. “That’s..” I wrap my arms around him and kiss him. “Sorry. I know you’re probably mad at me.”

He shakes his head. “No. I’m actually not. I forgive you. You confessed and apologized. You could have just forced Bertrand to confess and he wouldn’t even let on that you knew already..”

I purse my lips. “That’s probably true. But we’re partners and I’m supposed to have your back. And when I do the wrong thing, well I’m going to admit it.”

He nods then I see a wicked gleam in his eye.. “I appreciate that. But let's go back to how you left me to deal with the Beaumonts?”

I purse my lips and try not to laugh. “My poor baby. Were you embarrassed?”

He nods. “Yes. And I’ll be taking it out on your ass later tonight, Lady Josephine.”

Desire and lust shoots through me. I love filthy roleplay games. And I don’t mind a little spanking. Lies. I love it. “Now who’s the tease?”

He smirks and swats my ass. “If you’re ready, we should really be going.”

-Drake

We arrive at the restaurant for dinner. I see Michael veer off following a woman. I follow him and see that he has the photographer cornered. “You’re going to tell me who hired you..or I’ll let Viktor know how unhelpful you’ve been.” I’m certain that’s an empty threat, but the woman doesn’t know that.

The woman starts shaking. “Look, I don’t know who hired me. I never got their name, just an anonymous email from them. And a payment. When I realized who the girl really was, I sent all the photos and film to Viktor. I don’t want any part of anything that girl is involved in.”

I nod. “Send us those emails and anything else connected to the person who hired you.”

The reporter hedges. Michael glares at her. “Whoever hired you can’t be worse than answering to Viktor. Send everything to us or I’ll call him right now.”

The reporter pulls her phone out and gets the information ready to send. “Email?”

Michael takes her phone and types in an email. And hits send himself after that he says. “You can leave now.” The reporter leaves. He looks at his own phone. “There’s a money transfer on here. I should be able to trace back who sent the money.”

I look at him. “How are you going to do that?”

Michael shrugs. “I’m not personally. I’ll contact one of Gisele’s accountant guys. They should be able to figure this out pretty quick.” He does a few things on his phone then puts it in his pocket. “Come on. Let’s get back in there. If I go MIA for too long, Jo might murder me.” We go inside the restaurant and Michael goes to the table where Bertrand and Madeleine are sitting with the Italian statesman.

I go find a corner to hide in and wait for this dinner to be over. “Drake Walker wearing a suit for a random dinner party. I never thought I’d see the day.”

I turn to the voice. “Olivia.”

She smirks. “I had heard the rumors that you would be wearing one and I didn’t believe it.”

I roll my eyes. “What do you want?”

She smirks. “Well, our future Queen has mandated that I have to play nice with the Italian statesman. But you’re fair game.”

I smirk. “She put a muzzle on you, Liv?”

She rolls her eyes. “Hardly.” I see the vicious look on her face. She nods to Liam and Avery. “Does it bother you? Seeing them so happy together? Seeing him so happy with her. Happier than he ever was with you?”

I clench my jaw. “You know what? No. It may have bothered me before, but now? I’ve moved on. Go find another carcass to pick.”

Olivia pouts. “You’re no fun.” Her gaze lands on Bertrand and Madeleine. “What’s the deal with them?”

I shrug. “They’re engaged.”

Olivia makes a face. “Ew. I haven’t been gone a month and so much has already changed.”

I nod. “Things move fast at court, you know that.”

She nods. “Who’s the giant?”

“Avery’s brother, Michael.” I point out Gisele. “That’s her adopted mother, Gisele.”

She nods. “Ah. And who is it that you’ve moved on with?”

I glare at her. “Nice try. Mind your own business.”

She smirks and shrugs. “I’ll find out eventually.”

She leaves to sit at the table with the Italian statesman. I watch and there seems to be a confrontation.

-Bertrand

I can not wait for this dinner to be over. Between trying to keep the image of the King biting Josephine’s rear out of my head and Madeleine trying her best to keep Michael and Olivia in line. It’s been unbearable. “Are you a fan of football, Signore Avery?”

Michael nods. “Please, Just Michael. I watched the game last night. That free kick to tie the game..”

Francesco nods. “And that stoppage time golazo! I was on the edge of my seat. Magnifico!”

They continue talking and I notice Duchess Olivia glaring at me. “Josie told me about the photos..”

I raise my brow. “Did she now?”

Olivia nods and whispers. “You had better have a good reason for betraying Liam like that.”

I press my lips together. “I didn’t really consider it a betrayal of him at the time. But I should’ve and apologized to him as well.”

Olivia nods. “Better do it sooner, rather than later. You should also tell Maxwell so he’s not blindsided by this.”

Francesco asks. “Is this your first visit to my country?”

Michael shakes his head. “No. I’ve been here several times. My little sister Josie, she was a prima ballerina and I’ve attended a lot of her European performances. But I’ve always loved coming here the most.”

Francesco nods. “Yes. The rolling hills of Tuscany, the shores of Cicily, and the bustle and history of Rome.”

Olivia rolls her eyes. “You’re forgetting the crowded streets and the annoying tourists.”

Francesco shakes his head. “Nonsense. Only someone with a truly narrow mind can’t look past those inconveniences.”

Michael nods. “When it’s your home you don’t see those things. New York is crowded and there’s just as many tourists. But it’s home and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I’m sure you feel the same way, Francesco.”

Francesco nods. “I always say that Italy is an unrivaled wellspring of art and culture. Our artisans and craftspeople are world-renowned! But..their tenacity outpaces the local market.”

Michael looks at him. “Okay?”

Francesco says. “Honest Italians sell their work in Cordonia, but are disadvantaged by tax incentives that favor Cordonians. Shouldn’t the Crown level the playing field?”

Michael shrugs. “That’s a question for the Crown, bro. But if we're being honest, Italy should give Cordonia access to new markets in kind. If they want something, they should give something equally enticing in return.”

I nod. “Excellent point Mr. Avery.”

Madeleine straightens. “It is only fair, after all.”

Francesco nods. “No shrewd politician would consent to such a request without getting something in return.”

Michael nods. “I’m no politician, but I’m not immune from political maneuvering within my own career. Anyone who wants to climb ranks has to use politics to do so. Or know high powered people. And Josie may look like a naive young woman, but she’s far more shrewd than she’d ever let on. She wasn’t picked to be the queen because she’s pretty. She was picked because she played politics well. She played the game and won.”

Francesco eyes him. “Interesting.” A server offers him some desert. “No, thank you. I’m afraid I must pay the happy couple my respects and leave now. I have some business matters to attend to. It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Michael. Arrivederci.”

Michael nods. “Arrivederci.”

I turn to Maxwell. “Maxwell a word? Alone.”

Maxwell nods. “I’ll be back for tiramisu!” He shoots finger guns at Michael and follows me to a secluded area. “What is it?”

I sigh. “I need to confess something to you. I took pictures from your phone and sold them to the tabloids.”

Maxwell’s brows furrow. “Pictures of what?”

“The bachelor party in NewYork, where you met Josephine.” I say.

He looks horrified. “Bertrand! Why would you do that? How could you do that to Josie and Liam?”

I purse my lips. “Money, Maxwell. I don’t know where it’s all going or why, but we’re hemorrhaging funds and whatever you’re hiding isn’t helping.”

He looks momentarily guilty. “You went through my phone?”

“I’m truly sorry for invading your privacy. I was doing research, all in the name of saving House Beaumont. But I betrayed you, Maxwell, my only brother, my own flesh and blood. Father would be so ashamed of me.” I say apologetically.

Maxwell sighs. “Have you apologized to Liam and Josie? They’re the ones you should be saying sorry to.”

I sigh. “I’ve already apologized to Josephine. I should have told you sooner. In my mind she was the only person that would be potentially hurt. It never occurred to me that I should confess to you and King Liam as well.”

He nods and looks down. “I forgive you, brother, but you’ve got to apologize to Liam. He doesn’t deserve this. He never did.” He takes a breath. “When?”

“Hmm?” I ask.

Maxwell chews his lip. “When did you confess and apologize to Josie?”

I shrug. “After everyone got back to the palace after the derby and picnic.”

Maxwell looks at me. “Did she tear you a new one?”

I purse my lips. “She shrugged it off. Her exact words were ‘no harm, no foul’.”

Maxwell looks surprised. “That’s..”

I nod. “It surprised me too. She manipulated me into rubbing her feet.” I shudder. Feet are disgusting.

Maxwell smirks. “She does that. She tricked me into rubbing her feet a lot during the season.”

“Go have your desert. I’m going to see if Madeleine is ready to leave for the night.” I say.

After dinner we all return to the train. I make my way to King Liam’s cabin to talk to him. I get to the door and knock. The door opens. “Bertrand? Did you need something?” King Liam asks.

“Yes. I actually came to speak about a personal matter, Your Majesty.” I say.

He lets me in. I see Josephine sitting at a vanity taking her hair down. She looks at us through the mirror. “Do you want me to leave, baby?”

I shake my head. “That’s not necessary, Lady Josephine.” She nods and returns her attention to the task of taking down her hair. I clear my throat. “I’m certain that Josephine has told you about the pictures?”

King Liam nods. “She did.”

I sigh. “The night I confessed to her, I should have confessed to you as well and offered my sincerest apologies. I regret that. Not only did I betray our friendship and your trust, but I put Josephine in a position where she felt she had to keep it a secret. For her own safety. Snitches get stitches. I believe that’s the term you used, correct?”

She nods. “Or just an old fashioned ass kicking.”

“Anyway, I am truly sorry for what I did. I panicked after meeting Josephine and after a few drinks, I went through Maxwell’s phone and sold those pictures.” I say sincerely.

King Liam nods. “I believe you are sorry. And I understand why you acted the way you did. Josie is..” He trails off.

“A pain in the ass?” She supplies.

He snorts. “I was thinking along the lines of a nonconformist. You blended into our ranks and kept every part of what made you special. But I can understand that you didn’t see right away what I saw the first moment I saw her.” Oh, I saw it. I shoved it down and did my best to ignore it. He rubs his chin. “I’m not entirely certain how I should react. Part of me wants you gone.The jealous part. But another part of me sees that sending you off solves nothing. The logical part. I also know that I need as much support from our country’s leadership as I can get.”

I nod. “If you wish me to leave the tour, I will. Maxwell and Madeleine can stay behind.”

Josephine snorts. “She won’t stay if you’re kicked out of court so to speak. That would be embarrassing and leave her to deal with the whispers of why she’s still here and you’re not. It’s not fair to even ask her to bear the brunt of any part of what you did.”

The King looks at her thoughtfully then turns his attention back to me. “I’m going to allow you to stay. If there are any other…indiscretions you need to confess to do it now. I might not be so lenient next time.”

“I have nothing else to confess to.” I say.

He raises a brow. “Very well. If Josie was so willing to forgive you, I will try to do the same.”

I make a face. “I hope you don’t want me to rub your feet too?”

Josephine grabs her stomach and doubles over laughing. King Liam snorts. “Who hasn’t she tricked into rubbing her feet?”

Josephine smiles. “Drake and Olivia? But I’m still working on them.”

King Liam rolls his eyes. “Are you telling me, you got the Queen Mother to rub your feet.”

“Or the King Father?” I ask curiously.

Josephine’s face turns red. “Okay, so maybe I’m a skank for foot rubs. I may have implied that I could be..” She moves her hand in an arc over her stomach. Ah she implied she was with child.

The King snorts, clearly amused. “Are my rubs not enough for you, love?”

She puts a hand on her chest. “Your hands are magic. But the feet want what the feet want. In my case they’re indiscriminate.”

I raise a brow. “Madeleine too?”

Josephine smirks. “She’s the one who said I could be carrying Liam’s heir as we speak..so maybe I’ve used that to get foot rubs.”

My heart nearly stops. “You’re not though, are you?”

The king sits up straighter. “That’s a bit personal, Your Grace.”

Josephine presses her lips together. I nod. “I didn’t mean to pry. I should retire for the night, Good night, Your Majesty. Good night, Lady Josephine.”

They bid me good night and I leave to go to my cabin that I share with Madeleine. She looks up when I enter. “Where have you been?”

I shrug. “I needed to speak with King Liam about a few things.”

She nods. I get undressed and get ready for bed. I crawl in next to her. She rolls into my arms. I feel her hands exploring my chest and she starts kissing my neck. Her hand slides into my pants and wraps around me. I slide my hand in between her legs and find her really wet and quite bare. "Did you start without me, my dear?"

She moans loudly. "Yes." My fingers work her sex and she grips me. I roll her onto her stomach and pull up on her hips. I shove my sleep pants down and guide myself into her. Her fingers dig into the bed. I give her a moment to adjust. While I wait, I see her back entrance. And it looks very enticing. I rub my thumb over it. She moans and I feel her clench around me.

I smirk. "You like that." Her head bob's in an affirmative action. I lick my thumb and push it inside her. She makes a strangled sound and I start moving my hips in a rhythm that is slow but draws her pleasure out. My mind imagines it's Josephine face down on her knees in front of me. I pick up my pace until I feel her release. Then I find my own release shortly after. We clean ourselves up and lay there in each other's arms. Madeleine drifts off to sleep. My thoughts turn to Josephine as they quite often do. The very idea that she could be with child breaks my heart. It was always a fantasy that she might break things off for me. I know that even in that scenario it wouldn't work out for us. I wish I could let her go as easily as she let me go.