Reversed Circumstances
This is my very first attempt at fan fiction. The idea struck me just a couple of hours ago and I started writing. I have no clue if Iโm formatting this the right way. Please reply with any tips or criticisms- just be kind! I donโt know yet if this is a stand-alone or a series or what.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to PB.
Drake Walker was sitting at his second favorite place in the world - the counter of a well-stocked bar. His most favorite place was next to the woman he... he loved โ Jenna York, Crowned Princess of Cordonia.
โLove,โ he thought. โItโs still so unbelievable that after knowing her her whole life, I can now admit that I love her.โ
The thought was one that would typically bring joy to even the grumpiest of men. For Drake, who was in fact the grumpiest of men, joy was one of a million emotions the thought of loving Jenna triggered. There was joy. Fear. A familiar feeling of unworthiness that had plagued Drake for most of his life. And there was another feeling that had worked itโs way in to his stoic, brooding heart: Hope. Hope that she would follow her heart, not her crown. That she wouldnโt choose one of the dozen suitors vying for her heart. That she would choose him.
Before he could let himself truly enjoy the possibility of a future with her, the pleasant chattering of the hundreds of nobles around him grew into a cacophony of โoohsโ and โaaahsโ and he knew โ Jenna was there.
He took one last sip of whiskey, closed his eyes, and took a steadying breath. But the second he turned around that breath, every breath in his body, came whooshing out as he saw her. She was stunning. โFuck that,โ he thought, โsheโs always been stunning.โ
Tonight she was extraordinary. Her gown was something beyond gold - miners could spend centuries digging and never find anything as brilliant as she was in this dress: a creation almost as beautiful as she. It was a soul-stirring blend of sparkling sequins and soft feathers. The perfect representation of its wearer โ a glittery brilliance from afar, but when you have the chance to get close all you can see is a soft, delicate beauty.
Drake had been one of the chosen few who had seen the real Jenna. Truth told, heโd seen more of her than anyone. Not in THAT way (though the thought of being able to see her in that way made him reach for another swig of whiskey). But after twenty-three years of knowing Jenna and two months (years, decades, lifetimes) of loving her, heโd seen things others didnโt.
Where others saw a regal sense of confidence, he saw vulnerability. Where others saw power, he saw fragility. Where others saw composure and poise, he had seen passion and a desire to break the mold that centuries of royal blood had constructed for her.
Knowing the moment heโd been dreading and hoping for was coming near, Drake left the safety of the bar and joined the other men vying for Jennaโs hand:
Neville Vancouer, Future Earl of Cormery Isle and the slimiest and most entitled man Drake had ever met. Unfortunately Neville was considered a favorite because his home bordered two countries that had shaky diplomatic relationships with Cordonia. King Constantine, Jennaโs father, hoped a York-Vancouer marriage would strengthen those relationships.
Lord Rashad, Heir to Duchy Domvallier. Drake was never able to figure out the future duke. Rashad was a hard worker, and one of the few members of the court who didnโt rely on his title to get ahead. Another favorite according to the bookies (yes, bookies!) to win Jenna. Thankfully he seemed to have his eye on Hana Lee, Jennaโs college roommate and best friend.
Tariq Abadi, the foreigner. The son of an Saudi billionaire, Tariq was being sponsored by Duke Godfrey of Karlington. Godfrey had no sons. His daughter, Countess Madeleine of Fydelia, was a member of Jennaโs court. Godfrey had spent years trying to get close to the throne. He hoped Tariqโs money and status could tempt the King and his daughter.
Then there was Liam. Liam Richmond came into the competition as the dark horse. He was American, a distant cousin to Bertrand and Maxwell Beaumont. Bertrand was too old to court Jenna, and Maxwell was too... well, Maxwell. So they brought in a ringer - a distant American cousin that Jenna had met during a trip to New York City the year prior. The Beaumonts hoped that that one meeting and Liamโs โHollywood good looksโ would appeal to Jennaโs adventurous side. They werenโt wrong.
Jenna liked Liam, Drake knew that. Drake had grown to like him as well. The two became surprisingly fast friends. Among the things they had in common was that theyโd both fallen for Jenna. But Drake prayed that the events of the past two months would induce her to make the one choice no one expected. That she would choose him.
Drake wasnโt a noble. His father was King Constantineโs protector - head of the Kingโs Guard. Jackson Walker had died years earlier, protecting Constantine from an attack on the throne. After Jacksonโs death, Drakeโs mother left Cordonia for her familyโs ranch in Texas. With Jacksonโs sacrifice in mind, King Constantine agreed to take Drake and his younger sister Savannah in as his wards. Through the years, Drake had looked at Jenna as another sister. But when Jenna came back from college in England, everything changed.
Now here he stood, vying for a chance at her hand and her heart. When his... well, when Olivia Nevrakis came to him and offered to sponsor him in the competition, his distaste for all things court-related went out the window and the possibility of a life at Jennaโs side prompted him to agree. He was the dark-horse and a late-comer to the competition, but heโd given it his all.
He often wondered what Oliviaโs reason for sponsoring him was, but with all his efforts spent on courting Jenna he decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth. โHeh, if Olivia ever heard me refer to her as a horse, sheโd probably skewer me with her stiletto and roast me over an open flame,โ thought Drake.
So here they all were. And there stood Jenna. More beautiful than heโd ever seen her. There was also a new kind of confidence about her. He wondered if this confidence came with knowing who she was going to choose. Who she would spend her life with.
Jenna, along with the King and Queen, made their way to the center of the ballroom. As the conversation came to an excited halt, Constantine made his way to the microphone.
โOn behalf of my lovely wife, Queen Regina, let me please welcome you to the Coronation Ball.โ Constantineโs words were met with a cheerful applause. He gave a little cough and the crowd once again became still. โYou know why we are all here. The time has come for me to step down from the throne. It is now time for my daughter, the incredible Princess Jenna, to take her place as Jenna, Queen of Cordonia. As our forefathers dictated centuries ago, before Jenna can become Queen, she must choose a King. My darling Jenna, the choice is yours.โ
โHere it is,โ Drake thought. โThis is the moment where my life begins or ends.โ
Jenna stepped to the microphone, stopping only to kiss her father on the cheek. And then she spoke. โThank you all for being here tonight. My life is about to change in so many ways. I love Cordonia more than I can express. I pray that I grow to become the fiercely loyal ruler that my father was before me.โ Jenna blushed under her fatherโs adoring gaze, then continued. โMy father could not have ruled over Cordonia as well as he did without my mother by his side. Their love is what kept them going when times were rough, and their love for each other only made their victories more sweet.โ
With that, Jenna paused to look each of her suitors in the eye. โWoah,โ thought Drake, โwas it me, or did she throw me a smile?! Could she really be about to choose me!?โ
Drakeโs question was about to be answered. โThe time has come for me to decide who will stand with me during my reign,โ Jenna continued. โI have chosen someone who has not only won my hand, but had won my heart.โ
Drake took a look at the other men. Neville looked like heโd already won and was ready for his own coronation. Drakeโs fists clenched as he saw that Tariq was very obviously undressing Jenna with his eyes.
Then he saw Liam. Liam had a smile on his face that he recognized all too well. Heโd seen it in photos taken of himself with Jenna. Heโd felt it on his own face every time Jenna touched him. โHe loves her,โ thought Drake. โDoes she....โ Before Drake could finish his thought, Jenna was speaking again.
โSo, with no further ado, I choose, for my hand and my heart....โ
All at once phones started beeping and buzzing. The blue electric glow of hundreds of screens began to cast an eerie glow on the room. Bastien, Jackson Walkerโs protรฉgรฉe and friend, passed his own phone to Constantine and to Jenna.
โNo way!!โ โHe wouldnโtโ โThe bastard!โ Drake heard exclamations bursting out all around him. โThereโs no way this is going to end well,โ he thought. He began to make his way through the crowd. As everyone turned to look at him, Drake was searching for the only face that mattered.
Jenna looked broken. She faced Drake and his heart shattered. Where just a minute ago there was joy, he only saw anger, betrayal, and heartbreak.
He felt someone grab him and turned to see Bastien. โDrake Walker, you are hear-by banned from the Royal Court. You have twenty minutes to pack your belongings. You will then be taken to the airport where a ticket will be waiting for you. It will take you anywhere youโd like to go.โ
โWhat!?! Bas, NO! The only place I want to go is to see Jenna! I donโt know what this is all about, but Iโve done nothing wrong. I love her!โ Bastien stood calmly as Drake yelled and tried to pull away. Without a word, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and showed Drake what everyone else had already seen โ a grainy photo of him and... Kiara!!
Kiara was a member of Jennaโs court and claimed to be her friend. A few weeks earlier, during a visit to Applewood Manor, Kiara and snuck into Drakeโs room. When he entered later, she jumped out clad only in lingerie and tried to kiss Drake. Disgusted, Drake had tossed her out on her lace-covered ass. โBas, I can explain! This isnโt what it looks like!โ
โIโm sure it isnโt,โ Bastien said. โBut that doesnโt change the fact that I have orders to follow. I love you like a son, Drake, and I know you love Princess Jenna. The best thing you can do is go willingly. If itโs meant to be, you and Jenna will find your way back to each other.โ
โBullshit, Bastien. Iโm going back in. I have to see her.โ
Bastien reluctantly looses his grip and Drake took a step towards the ballroom. Just then he heard Jenna begin to speak again. He picked up his pace and walked through the door just in time to hear Jennaโs voice, smaller than heโd ever heard it, say three words that broke his heart forever:
