Page 4 of Royal Extra After

Gary chuckled. “I think I wish I was here for it.” He noticed the glove Ned was holding when the gold emblem embossed on it glittered in the sunlight. It was three stars circled by a wreath of olive branches. “Can I see that glove?”

“Sure,” Ned tossed it at him.

Gary’s eyes grew wider as he studied the emblem. “Was this her glove? The woman that was giving you all the royal tips.”

Ned, bored, nodded. “Now, let’s get back to work. We’re losing light. We need to get more press photos of Simone during our shoot. Are you guys ready?” he asked the photographers.

“Ready,” they both answered in unison, holding up their cameras.

“Hold on. Wait,” Gary said, excitedly.

“For what?” Ned asked impatiently. “Time is money. You know how much I’ve already invested in this movie. Everyone, including you, thought I was nuts doing an independent film, investing my own money. Now, my bank account and reputation are on the line. I’m all in on this one. I can’t afford any mistakes.”

“I know,” Gary said. “And as your producer, I’ve been telling you to sell this movie. We have to get more press and generate more interest.”

“And that’s why we’re shooting more press photos with our Princess Lorna. Everyone loves a princess.”

“Exactly,” Gary said with a calculating smile. “Just imagine if we could get a real princess in our movie. We’d be fighting off the press and buyers!”

“What are you talking about?” Ned asked, confused.

Gary waved the glove he was holding. “I thought I recognized her as she was rushed off by her bodyguard.”

Simone’s eyes grew huge. “Her bodyguard?”

“That’s what I’m guessing,” Gary said. “She wouldn’t be out without some kind of security.”

“Who is she? An actress?” Simone asked.

“No,” Gary said, his smile growing. “She’s a princess, the real deal.”

Ned laughed. “Right.”

“I’m serious, Ned. I saw her on the news this morning,” Gary said. “She’s from a small sovereign state in Eastern Europe. She’s a real princess. She’s in town promoting some charity.”

“Seriously?” Ned asked. He hadn’t seen Gary this excited in a long time.

“Yes!” Gary answered. “And the charity is having a big ball tonight. We need to go!”

Ned laughed. “Even if this were all true, how would we get an invite to the ball?”

“Leave that to me,” Gary said. “You just concentrate on how we’re going to convince this princess to be in our movie.”

With its glittering crystal chandelier and white twinkle lights, the hotel ballroom looked magical as guests dressed to impress in ball gowns and tuxes danced to a full symphony orchestra.

Princess Isabella looked stunning in a silver sequin ballgown as she graciously greeted everyone who was lined up to talk to her. Benson was standing watch nearby.

As a working royal, attending charity events and supporting worthy causes was one of her favorite things to do. This charity event was extra special because it was the first time her parents, the king, and queen, had allowed her to travel alone on an international trip representing the family. It was also close to her heart because it was a children’s literacy program called Tell Your Story that focused on encouraging young people to be storytellers and to share their personal experiences ensuring there are more diverse stories in books, movies, and on television that truly represent all people.

The princess smiled, remembering how she devoured every book she could get her hands on when she was growing up. Books gave her a window to the world outside her small sovereign state. William Shakespeare was her father’s favorite author, and the king was thrilled when his only child also began enjoying Shakespeare’s stories, starting with his sonnets.

As she grew older, American television and movies also became her passion. Every year she tried to watch and study the TV shows and movies nominated for awards, hoping it would help make her a better writer. She’d wake up several hours early every morning just to get some writing in before her royal duties began.

She dreamed of writing and directing her own epic, empowering movie someday that would leave a lasting impact, something to remember her by beyond her royal title. But when she’d tried to tell her parents about her ambitions, they thought writing was a wonderful hobby if she had time to fit it in while doing her real job, representing the family. She had let the topic drop knowing she’d never be able to be a professional writer with her royal position.

But still, she wrote every day because it brought her so much joy. She’d started writing a lighthearted, witty romantic comedy. Taking a page from the idea of writing what you know, she wrote about a princess who could never keep a boyfriend because none of the guys could handle all the royal rules they had to follow.

So far, she’d never met anyone that truly challenged or intrigued her. She wanted a partner in life, someone smart, loyal, and creative who shared her passion for traveling, charity work, and creating change in the world. She’d never thought about dating an actor or anyone in the movie business until she met Ned. He was doing what she dreamed of doing. Even if he was a bit prickly, she knew he was someone she wanted to know more about.

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