Although I am British, and a self confessed Royalist, this story required quite a bit of fictional tweeking!
Chapter Two:
Two weeks later…
"Princess Bella is yet to be seen in public since private pictures of her relationship with Felix Romano were leaked. Kensington Palace have yet to make a statement, and although Her Royal Highness has been due to make a number of appearances in the last two weeks, all of these have been cancelled.
When we approached the Palace regarding these appearances, we were only told that they were cancelled due to 'unforeseen circumstances.'"
Just as the news reader goes to say something else, the television is switched off.
"Hey!" I turn around to find Riley standing behind me with the remote in his hand. I glare at him. "I was watching that!"
He raises an eyebrow at me, and puts the remote down on the coffee table. "I've told you to stop watching the news. It isn't going to make things any better."
"They were talking about something else a minute ago, and then the next topic just happened to be about me…"
He rolls his eyes. "Okay, and do tell, Your Highness, what was the last thing they were talking about?"
I wave one of my hands around in a noncommittal gesture. "There has been a flood or something somewhere?"
He laughs. "Nice try, Bella."
I fold my arms. "What are you doing here anyway?"
"Besides the fact that I am your personal assistant, and all around most amazing person in your life, and that means that I am here all the time?"
"Don't be sassy. Don't you realise I'm the future Queen?" I grin at him, and get up from the chair I was sitting in to stand by the window. "Are there still paparazzi outside?" Because of where the apartment is located, I can't actually see the front of the palace, I can only see parts of the gardens.
This is why I have been watching the news solidly for almost two weeks. From the safety of my sitting room. Away from the paparazzi who have also been outside the palace for the last two weeks since the story broke.
"Yes. They are still out there." He sighs. "They won't go away, because they are all hoping to get a glimpse of you."
I know what the answer is going to be to my next question, but I have to ask it again anyway, for my own sanity.
"The injunction?" I ask softly.
Riley just shakes his head.
"So what? He's sold these pictures to the media and they are just allowed to continuing sharing them?" I move away from the window and turn the television back on. "They're still talking about it here! It's been two weeks!" My voice rises in volume as I get angrier and tears well up in my eyes. "They are all over the world already, and this means that, that… even tribespeople in the remote areas of the bloody Amazon are going to have seen me NAKED!"
I throw the remote at the television as I reach the end of my tirade, thankfully it doesn't hit the screen, but bounces off the stand. Riley walks over to me and wraps his arms around my shoulders.
"It'll blow over, it always does."
"Yes, but how long is it going to take? And they will always be there, and they will always be brought up when something happens…"
"We'll keep working on it. We'll find something that will eventually shut him up." Just at that moment, Riley's phone starts to ring, and he steps back from hugging me to answer it.
I look back to the television whilst he is on the phone, they are still talking about those damn pictures. Except this time they have some sort of royal expert at their table. I scoff. This person has probably never met any of us, how can they call themselves an expert? I pick up the remote control from the floor and turn it off.
"Bella?"
I turn to face Riley, and he's putting his phone back in his pocket. "Your father wants to see you."
I blanch. "But that means… that I'll have to leave here. They'll see me."
"We'll put you in a car before the gates, you know that."
I don't feel like arguing even more, and resist telling him that this plan doesn't mean they won't still get photographs of me.
"At least in these photographs, you'll have all your clothes on." Riley laughs. "Or is it too soon for jokes?"
I throw the remote control at his head, and he ducks just before it hits him.
"Fuck you!"
I stride out of the room, with Riley still laughing behind me.