Elise? The Elise Hennessey?" Levi clarified in awe.
"Yeah, yeah." I replied plainly while we were walking in the hallway on our way back to my room.
Honestly, I never really found Elise that extraordinary of an actress. She was the twenty-year old sister of Commander Elliot and the daughter of a high profile General which was why her popularity skyrocketed from the very beginning.
Despite her being nothing special at all, she was Levi's celebrity crush since forever. I mean who wouldn't fall for that extremely perfectly curved figure, wavy golden hair and a vogue worthy and fierce face.
Using the palace as a set for a teenage chick flick is completely unprofessional of my Father to permit to. I know he's just doing this as a favor for General George to whom he entrusts his life.
"I know she's the General's daughter but I can't believe I can get to finally see her up close!" Levi said excitedly while fanboying the model/actress.
"Levi, just because she's going to be using the palace as a set doesn't mean you can meet her." I warned as we neared my room.
"Ooooo. Looks like someone's getting jealous." Levi teased as I opened the door to my room.
"Puh-lease." I reacted. "If you can really get her, then the better so that we can finally break this stupid spell." I said before I shut the door of my room.
There were only six weeks left to the wedding and my Father accepted the shoot that will go on for a whole week.
What was my Father thinking?
The whole morning of the first day of the shoot, I never left my room. I didn't want to see what madness they have set up inside our palace. I just had my lunch brought in.
"Audrey?" At around 1 pm, Levi knocked from outside.
"Just come in." I said while doing some work on my desk. He slowly opened my door and peeked with only his head popping in.
"They said the garden looks more beautiful for the movie. Don't you want to go see?" Levi innocently suggested.
He had no choice but to stay right outside my door especially when there are outsiders in the palace. Because of this, he can't move to see the set. I'm sure he just wanted to go see Elise.
"No thanks. You can leave my doorway and go see her for yourself if you really want to." I said without taking my eyes off of my workload.
"Okay fine." He got out of his good boy face and fully went in my room and shut the door.
"Can you please, please, please go on set. You know I can't enter if I'm not accompanying the princess." He begged desperately.
"Can't you see I'm busy right now, Levi." I said as I typed my heart out some reports.
"Fine." He said as he turned the door knob. As he slowly walked out, he whispered something not so softly beneath his breath which, I'm sure, was meant for me to hear.
"You're just jealous."
Wuh?
Excuse me?
Am not!
"Okay! Let's go see the garden." I said as I immediately stood and shut down my laptop with a big smile on my face.
Levi's smile went wider than a six year old girl's in Disneyland. I was a bit annoyed because I really didn't care about the garden right now.
However, once we reached the garden, I saw the beauty Levi was talking about. The bushes were perfectly formed into uniform sized spheres with berries sticking out. The rose field was much fuller since they really prepared ahead and the water fountain was brushed and cleaned especially for this afternoon's shoot.
Across the garden, I saw a woman, who appears to be Elise. She wore a nineteenth century blue dress with laces and ruffles everywhere. She was being filmed while walking around touching flowers.
"Cut!" The director shouted from his seat.
"We need an extra!" He yelled out. At first none of them seemed to have noticed that I was there.
Until they did.
"It's Princess Audrey!" One of them told everyone which made all of them turn to look at me before they all bowed in respect.
"Please, don't mind me and go on." I said when I realized I disrupted their scene. Someone offered me a seat. Before I realized, Elise was already standing right next to me as she curtsied.
"It's an honor to meet you, your Highness." She said with her eyes lowered even though she was older and much taller than me.
"I hope I didn't disturb your shoot." I said as I stood. I was quite embarrassed that all the attention was on me earlier.
"Of course not, your Highness. I'm the one who should thank you for your family's hospitality to allow the shoot in the palace." She said meekly.
Before I could continue to talk, she asked,
"If you don't mind, can I use one of your guards as an extra for this one scene?" She requested.
I turned to look at Levi who was talking with Elliot by one of the many doorways back into the palace.
Will she pick him?
What will he even do in this scene?
Wait...
Why do I care?
"Sure! No problem." I replied.
Elise walked closer to where the guards were standing. She studied them carefully one by one from not much distance. They were completely unaware and continued to stand at attention while Levi continued talking with Elliot.
Although he was acting at ease, he was still wearing his uniform so I'm sure she knew that Levi was still one of the guards.
"I apologize, your Highness. Elise always chooses her extras wisely when they have to make any contact with her. She's that kind of person." The director sighed since Elise's particularity was taking too much time.
The extra gets to touch the star?
Since when?
Elise quickly came walking back towards me and the director while holding up her dress. The hem of her dress was still slightly brushing against the grass just like how mine always does.
My heart was pounding a bit. I don't really understand why. As she got closer, the beating inside me got faster.
"Who is that guard over there, talking with my brother?" She pointed while talking to both me and the director.
"Oh, him? He's Levi Dawson, my bodyguard." I answered nervously.
"Ohhh!" Elise said while gesturing the director to call Levi.
"I hope you don't mind if we use him on set, your Highness." She said in a way that she's simply informing me rather than asking my permission. The director, however, respectfully waited for my answer.
He's just an extra, Audrey. Elise has the most handsome Jordan Rhodes as her male lead anyway.
Anyway, if Levi gets her, then that's great! No more annoying spell.
"Sure! Of course, I don't mind at all."
"Thank you, your Highness!" She quickly left and pulled the director to inform Levi.
However, she didn't go with him. She acted all cool and waited by her corner where her full team of makeup and everything crew did a retouch.
I watched as Levi was being informed and his big head was probably exploding in the inside. I saw as his eyes brightened up while Elliot was just smiling and rolling his eyes probably used to how his sister acts. Levi looked at Elise dreamingly.
As they walked pass me, he shot me a 'yay' look. I just laughed at his disbelief of his little accomplishment.
But the pounding never died down.
I shook my head off this shoot and I thought about how much stuff I never got to finish because of this interruption.
"I'll go ahead." I told the director. They all bowed to me as I turned to leave.
Later that evening, my Father invited General George and his two children to dine with us. I heard the news from Ivy. Levi was probably too busy for his single most important scene that he never came back the whole afternoon.
"How's this, your Highness?" Ivy asked as she flashed a red dress before me while I was seated on my bed reading a book.
She helped me get into the simple cocktail dress and prepare myself for the evening. I still had my hair all down but brushed nicely. Like what Father always says, a Gold must always, always look their best in front of guests.
At around seven, it was time for dinner but Levi didn't come to escort me so I went alone with Ivy following behind. I walked into the dining hall to see my Father's empty seat at the head of the long table, Mother to the right and General George to the left. Beside Mother was Piper followed by an
empty seat for me. Next to General George was his son, Elliot.
The table can accommodate over twenty guests but we only utilized the tip of the table for that evening.
Was I too early?
I was ahead of Elise. I'm usually always last to arrive in dinners like these. Except for the King since he always enters last.
I guess celebrities are always fashionably late.
I went to my place and then a waiter offered my chair for me. I sat and then waited for Elise and Father.
A few minutes later, while sipping from a glass of water, I heard the sound of the door to the dining hall opening. After which, I heard Elise's heels clicking against the marble floor.
Upon gulping the sip of cold water down my throat, I turned to see the actress. To my surprise, she wasn't alone. Levi walked side by side her. Her hand was locked in his arms just like how I entered on my birthday. But today, she was the one he escorted.
Elise curtsied to Mother, Piper and I while Levi bowed. I quickly looked away but I noticed that we all had a bit of surprised look on our faces.
"Can Levi join us, Daddy?" She said while flirtatiously resting her hand on Levi's chest.
"Sure! I have always been fond if this kid." General George answered quite pleased.
No permission from the princess the bodyguard is guarding?
None?
Okay then.
After a while, Father came in and supper was served. It turned out that Levi was so great at accidentally grazing past her for the movie that they ended up spending the rest of the afternoon together after the shoot.
"If I may, I have something to announce, your Highnesses." Elliot said as he stood and fixed his uniform.
"What's this about, Elliot?" General George asked. I knew what this was about, alright.
I turned to look at Piper who had the most surprised look on her face. She shook her head a bit with her eyes wide open directed straight towards Elliot.
I knew she wasn't ready to announce it to our parents but Elliot just wanted to shout to the world already. I held Piper's ice cold and shaking hand while Elliot continued,
"Your Majesty," He said while looking at Father.
We all listened so eagerly.
"I would like to officially ask your permission to date your daughter, Princess Piper of Dahlia."
Piper squeezed my hand even tighter. It felt like she was about to explode of mixed feelings.
Father gave a good ten second silence followed by a smirk. He looked at Mother who also looked pleased, as well as a smiling General George.
"Of course, Commander Hennessey! How can we all refuse?" Father seemed happy with the news.
Piper gave out a good sigh. Her face is in between shock and glad. I bet they all knew about their relationship already.
Elise, Levi and I had happy expressions on as well. Elliot smiled as he blushed. He seemed really relieved that I could see the tiny pearls of sweat forming on his forehead beneath his blonde neatly side-swept hair.
"Elliot, why don't you come sit here?" I said as I slid to the empty chair beside me. I pulled my used utensils to my new place to which a waiter quickly helped me finish the task and another helped bring Elliot's to the seat beside Piper.
I was happy for them.
I was now seated face to face with Levi. I tried to steal glances of him but he seemed preoccupied with his new girlfriend so I ate silently.
"Audrey, you should bring Damian next time. It's great seeing young love these days." Father suggested.
"Yes, Father. I sure will!" I happily replied remembering that I had a prince waiting for me in the next Kingdom.
After dinner, I decided to surprise Damian by visiting him and bringing him one of the food baskets the movie crew brought in for us.
I asked my usual driver, Riley, to act as my bodyguard as well for that night since Levi might be busy for now.
On my way to the Bentley, I saw Levi alone in the hallway. Maybe General George and his children already left. I continued to make my way out with Riley walking first.
"Hey, where are you going?" Levi stopped me so Riley stopped too.
"I'm bringing a food basket for Damian." I said as I pointed Riley who was carrying the basket.
"And you did not tell me to come because...?" Levi asked quite confused.
"You might have been busy with ... you know." I reasoned out. Levi just laughed a bit.
"Yeah, Audrey. She sure is something." He said while looking up thinking about Elise.
I felt weird again. I wanted to confirm something. I looked down at his finger and it was still marked.
"Levi." I called.
He looked down and those bewitched eyes met mine. They were still grey.
Maybe the spell still allows him to have multiple loves?
"I should go." I said.
"I'm coming with you." Levi insisted.
Suddenly, I saw Elise coming closer from behind him. They probably didn't leave yet. We had eye contact so she playfully gave me a shush signal with the body of her pointer finger pressed to her pursed lips. She came slowly as if trying to surprise him from behind. I shifted my eyes at Levi and gave him a smile.
"No, you're staying." I said as I turned to leave with Riley.
We arrived at around ten in the evening that I almost fell asleep during the ride. When I hopped out of the car, the guards of Quince let me enter the gates.
I walked around the garden all alone. I didn't want anyone following me so that I can be alone with Damian.
I decided to sit on the garden swing and wait for Damian there. I was just about to call him when I suddenly heard a whispering voice nearby.
"You're just imagining things!"
The voice sounded like Damian's. I tried to come closer to the sound and I realized it's from the other side of a hedge that was a part of the garden maze.
I knelt by the hedge, slowly peeked and saw half of Damian's body facing away. I quickly pulled my head back so that the one he's talking to won't see me. I saw a little of his or her image.
That person wore a black cap and a black outfit. My heart started beating so fast. I was so afraid.
Was Damian meeting up with a criminal or something?
I peeked again. It was really dark so I'm sure they wouldn't see me.
The image was clearer now. The person was wearing a blue medical mask to hide.
"I heard him, Damian! He wanted me killed."
It was a woman's voice. It seemed quite familiar. Then it hit me.
Is it?
It can't be...
"Shhh. Relax. Why don't you take that thing off so I can calm you down?" Damian said sexily while referring to the mask.
She slowly took off her mask and revealed herself.
My mouth dropped wide open and I felt my cheeks burning up in anger, fear, sadness and all the evils of this world. I felt a lump in my throat that I had to swallow back.
Tears built up in the basins of my eyes that I barely contained it. Damian took her cap off making all her long brunette hair dropping down to her waist.
Those skinny arms then locked around Damian's neck. Damian brushed some hair away from her face.
"You're with me now. So relax,
Leigh Swan."