Grey - The early years of His Royal Highness the Prince Consort

His Royal Highness

Copyright 2019 R.S. Grey

Authors Note:

His Royal Highness is a full-length standalone novel. At the end, Ive included an excerpt from my bestselling romantic comedy Not So Nice Guy.

His Royal Highness concludes at around 90% on your device.

Happy Reading!

XO, RS Grey

M y life is a fairytale. Or ratherit takes place inside of one. Smack-dab along Georgias southern coast is the largest theme park in the world. When guests turn off the highway, they drive beneath a colorful two-story welcome sign and leave all vestiges of the outside world behind them. A winding road cuts through patchy pine forests and sprawling grasslands. Long minutes pass. The trek continues, seemingly endless. Children grow restless in the back seat of a rented minivan. Tiny shoes and crackers start to fly. The leader in the drivers seat fears he took a wrong turn and wonders to himself ifnay, when he should admit he has no idea where hes going.

This is all intentional.

That drive is a black hole, transporting theme-park-goers from their mundane 9-to-5 lives and plopping them down into a world filled with magic and wonder.

At the precise moment in which a U-turn seems all but inevitable, a sight appears on the horizon: a medieval French castle with purple-roofed spires jutting toward the sky, so large and imposing, theres no way to miss it.

The driver is unsure if his vision is failing him. He convinces himself its just a mirage right up until his children start to scream with glee. Were here! Were here!

Both parents wipe beads of sweat from their brows. The driver can now admit, with a relieved laugh, that he was near tears there for a second.

Welcome to Fairytale Kingdom.

I work inside that castle on the horizon, on the bottom floor inside a room designed to mimic a great hall. It has stone floors and tapestry-covered walls. A spiral staircase leads guests up to a restaurant that requires reservations one year in advance. I stand across from the staircase, in front of an oversized hearth wearing a pale green iridescent gown. Soft music plays from a harp in the corner and several hundred children stand in line waiting for their turn to meet me.

ITS HER! MOM! ITS THE REAL PRINCESS ELENA!

A toddler stares at me starry-eyed. Another girl cries with excitement when I glance in her direction then she quickly shoves her face into her moms dress, overcome with shyness. I smile and wave gracefully and continue to act my part.

All the while, security tries to extricate a little boy who has wiggled his way up underneath my dress.

Its not the first time this has happened.

My tulle skirt is a sparkling poof of temptation, a fabric cloud begging to be repurposed as a hiding spot. I knew the little boy was trouble as soon as I laid eyes on him. He wiped snot from his nose with the back of his hand while he scanned my dress, eyes alight with possibilities. Beside him, his older sister waited patiently with her autograph book clutched to her chest, shaking with excitement. When it was finally her turn to meet me, her brother didnt miss a beat. He bypassed her and nosedived for my dress, too quick for his mom to grab.

Now I laugh lightheartedly, all the while trying to signal to Ryan to hurry it up down there. Under my dress, the boy wraps his skinny arms around my leg and shifts my center of gravity a smidge to the right. For the first time, my mask crumples. Oh noIm going down. In a second, Ill be lying face down in a heap of fabric and this carefully constructed idyllic scene inside Elenas Castle will be ruined as paramedics rush in to tend to my broken nose. Hundreds of children will be scarred for life by the image of blood raining down across my gown.

Theres protocol for this situation. Under no circumstances should I break character. Under no circumstances should I put my hands on the child and forcibly remove him myself. The Knightley Company doesnt want photos circulating on the internet of one of their princesses manhandling a little boy. Thats Ryans job.

Ryan is the man cast as His Royal Highness, Princess Elenas love interest. On top of playing his part, hes supposed to function as a form of first-level security. He should have this situation under control, but he doesnt. Hes too gallant and sweet. He kneels down and tries to goad the boy out from under my dress with promises of candyYou like Skittles? Yeah? How bout I buy you a pack? Ten packs?but the boy just giggles with glee and clings to me tighter. I waver on my heels, wide eyes finding Ryans.

Please hurry! I whisper.

With gathered courage, Ryan flips up the bottom of my skirt, sticks his upper body underneath, and tries to grab ahold of the little boy. Oh dear god. Ryans hand accidentally glides against my bare calfthe one I forgot to shave this morningand the boy wiggles away like a little snake. My face turns the same shade as my hair: blazing red.

Children and parents start to worry. I try hard to spontaneously combust but am still fully intact when Ryan shouts, Gotcha!

He rips the little boy out from under my dress. The boy cries with rage. His mom apologizes profusely. More park security rushes into the great hall, brushing past the boys sister with her autograph book still clutched to her chest. She stands in mortified shock, her mouth agape. This was her moment. She traveled from somewhere far away, waited her turn for hours, and now its ruined. She wont get to meet me.

Security wants to check that Im okay, but I brush past them and, without hesitating, crouch down in front of the girl, my hands clasped daintily. I tilt my head and smile. My cheeks are still stained red with embarrassment, but other than that, Im Princess Elena.

Hello there. Whats your name? I ask, tone soft and sweet, just a pinch higher than my normal voice.

Mc-McKenna, she stutters.

I smile. McKenna, its a pleasure to meet you. Thats a pretty book you have there. May I see it?

She nods and hands it over, and just like that, the situation is salvaged. Five minutes later, McKenna has a shiny new autograph and three photos with Princess Elena ready for her mom to purchase in the gift shop. Her smile is permanently affixed to her cheeksor it will be until her brother does something else to annoy her.

For the remainder of my shift, I smile and chat and pose with children, but inside, I am dead. Not only did I bypass my razor this morning, I also said, Eh, screw it, and decided to leave on my cotton granny pantiesyknow, the droopy ones that cover your entire butt and then someand I know Ryan saw them.

I know.

Theyre an ugly, faded pair the color of eggplants, but I cant bear to part with them.