Royally Damaged

by Crowne, K. C.

  A gentle knock sounded on the door and both Stephen and Dylan woke up to full attention. Stephen peered through the peephole and said, “It's her.”

  Peeling the door back he, revealed her tiny figure in the doorway. She looked exhausted but as cute as ever.

  “I need to speak to you,” she said. “Can we go for a walk?”

  I looked up at Stephen and he nodded.

  Outside, we walked down to the beach. Looking up at my room, I saw both Stephen and Dylan standing on the balcony watching every move.

  “Is it true?” she asked.

  “I did try to tell you,” I said. “I tried to tell you so many times.”

  I heard all the things the paparazzi said. They called you Your Highness. They called you Prince Philip. You're really him, aren't you?”

  I hung my head. It was the first time I had felt ashamed to be a prince.

  “I thought it was a joke at first,” she said. “That was until I found this.”

  She pulled out her phone and fluttered her fingers across the screen.

  “The savage prince,” she said. “That's what they call you.”

  And then she did something that made my stomach tie itself into a knot. She turned to an article with the unmistakable image of me and Bibi, with her model pal in Club X. Some areas were strategically blurred out, but my face was plain to see.

  “A scandal in a sex club,” she said. “That's why you're here. Because your father, the king was so embarrassed about you he sent you away. I at least thought you would have learned your lesson. How long did it take you before you started bedding woman again? How many were there before me? In fact, how many are there right now? It says here you've slept with hundreds of women, thousands of them! They say you're a sex addict. That you're obsessed!”

  “Lizzie, please listen to me.”

  “How many?” she screamed. “You told me you loved me. I even told you I loved you!”

  “I do lo-”

  Before I could get the words out she slapped me hard across the face. It was the shock rather than the pain that took me back. I stood there for a long while looking at her, wondering how things could have gone so wrong so fast. I held a hand to my cheek felt the heat rise.

  “You're the only one,” I told her, reaching out for her arms and pulling her to me.

  But she wiggled free of my grasp clearly not believing a word I said.

  “Save your lies for someone else,” she spat, turned on her heel and walked away.

  “Lizzie!”

  “I knew you were too good to be true,” she said. “I can't believe I let myself get sucked in again.”

  “Wait! Come back!”

  But she was gone, walking away into night. I tried to run after her, but before I could, heavy hands landed on my shoulder. It was Stephen, and he looked worried.

  “You better come back inside,” he said. “Angelo spotted another paparazzi. Sneaky little fucker was hiding in the bushes.”

  “But I need to go after her.”

  “You need to come back inside,” he said. “It's not safe out here.”

  Lizzie

  I watched as Christy's cousins got their makeup done. They looked like the perfect bridesmaids, like angels that should it be on top of a Christmas tree. It was actually a beautiful sight watching them become transformed. Still in my bath robe and slippers, I sat waiting for my turn.

  In the next room we could all hear Christy and Louise squealing as she squeezed herself into her wedding dress. In less than two hours she would be walking up the aisle along the beachfront saying the words she had been waiting for years to say. I wondered if she would cry, but from all the noise next door I gathered Louise and her had been crying all morning.

  In front of me, Christy's cousin, Lara, a mousy girl with thick glasses kept glancing at me. I knew what she was thinking. It was what everyone was thinking because they had all seen the image. The one where my hand had connected with Phil's face at just the right moment when the paparazzi caught us from behind a parked car.

  I knew word traveled fast, but I could never have anticipated just how far the photograph would have spread, reaching every celebrity blog and social media account within just a few hours. I woke up this morning to a barrage of emails, texts, missed calls and tweets. Everyone was dying to know who the girl was who slapped a prince.

  If I was that way inclined I would have loved the idea of my newfound celebrity, but I couldn't because all I kept thinking was how I could have been so stupid.

  But still, no matter how angry I was that he hadn't told me who he was, there was still a yearning inside me to see him again.

  And he was supposed to be here right now, wasn't he? Shouldn't he be waiting downstairs with the rest of the guests with all the other men being groomed and preened as they donned their best suits.

  My mind was in tatters. I didn't know what to think. On one hand, I was raging mad at him and didn't want to see him again. But on the other hand, I wished I hadn't got so angry last night and lashed out.

  The sliding doors to the adjoining room opened and out stepped Louise looking even more glamorous than usual although her eyes were watery.

  “The bride requires the maid of honor,” she said.

  I walked through and found Christy standing in front of the floor length mirror gazing at herself with sheer adoration. For a second, I barely recognized her. I hadn't seen the dress until now, and was shocked at just how truly beautiful it was. Down to her ankles, but sheer and soft with a small scattering of crystals along the neckline, it made her look like something out of a fairy tale.

  “Oh, Christy you look fantastic! Josh is going to pass out when he sees you.”

  “That was the look I was going for,” she laughed.

  Her eyes met mine in the mirror and she turned around.

  “I didn't just get you in to see the dress,” she said. “How are you feeling?”

  “I have no idea how I'm feeling. like my brains been put on a spin cycle or something.”

  “I just don't believe it,” she said. “He's a prince. A real prince, and he didn't even tell you.”

  “A sex addict prince,” I reminded her.

  “All the better,” she chuckled.

  A bottle of champagne was sat on her vanity half-empty already. She poured me a glass and handed it to me. As I took a sip, I made a vow to myself that as soon as I got home I was going to stay off booze for as long as possible. After this it was juice cleanses every week, frequent trips to the gym and no more carbs.

  “I saw the picture,” she said. “You really slapped him good.”

  “I know. I feel terrible I've never hit anybody before, not even Adam and he really deserved it. I was just in shock, you know, finding out who he was. Finding out he lied.”

  “But did he really actually lie? Or did you just not tell you who he was?”

  “Well, I mean...”

  “Because they're totally different things. And maybe for security reasons he couldn't tell you who he really was, not at first anyway.”

  “I suppose so, but the photos of him in that disgusting sex club, the scandals, his sex addiction. I read all about him. Apparently, he's slept with over a thousand women. Well, a thousand and one if you count me. But it's not just that. He told me he loved me, Christy! How stupid was I to fall for that?”

  “Maybe he does.”

  “How could he? I'm just another girl, just one in a long line that fell for his nonsense.

  “Not really,” replied Christy, still looking at herself in the mirror. “I mean if you were just like all the other girls falling for him and his money you would have known he was a prince.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean if he was trying to impress you just to get you into bed wouldn't he tell you straight away he was a prince. Instead of hiding it, and getting to know you, and treating your really well, and telling you he loved you?”

  When she put it like that I had to admit she had a po
int.

  Louise returned and made a move straight for the bubbly.

  “Not long until you have to go down, Christy,” she said. “Please don't tell me you're getting cold feet.”

  “Never,” said Christy. “I can't wait to get down there.”

  * * *

  I was pleased so discover I looked pretty good in bridesmaid's dress and as I walked behind Christy up the aisle, I was aware of a few admiring glances. But as much as I enjoyed the attention, I couldn't stop myself looking around the room for Phil.

  Out the corner of my eye, I noticed Adam in the second row.

  Why is he looking at me like that? Like I'm the fucking Virgin Mary or something? Take your eyes off me!

  But he just kept on staring at me like I was the best thing he'd ever seen. I turned my attention back to Christy and followed her up the aisle. At the altar, Josh met her with a kiss and wiped a tear from his eye. Seconds later, Christy started blubbering too.

  Oh, for Christ's sake. I can't handle it if everybody's crying. It'll set me off too.

  Once again, I looked around the room for Phil and saw he was nowhere to be seen.

  That's it. He's gone forever. He thinks I'm a violent thug who hits people.

  I watched as Christy and Josh began to say their vows. Behind them, the perfect backdrop of the turquoise sea shimmered. Above, the sun was shining without a cloud in the sky. It was like we were in heaven everybody, crying tears of joy except me. I was crying real tears of sadness. Tears of heartache because I just knew me and Phil were over.

  I'm never going to see him again.

  A tear fell off my chin and Louise handed me a Kleenex. I dabbed it gratefully to my face and sniffed.

  It felt as though the ceremony was passing so fast I wasn't taking any of it in. It wasn't until I heard Christy say the magic words, I do, that I snapped out of my thoughts. There was a rapturous applause from around the beach, everybody clapping like seals.

  I was ashamed to say I hardly remembered a thing, but at least she looked the happiest I had ever seen her. She looked like a teenager again, her skin glowing and her eyes sparkling.

  The string quartet played out the bride and groom as they practically skipped down the aisle, everyone clapping after them.

  I felt a hand on my shoulder as Louise pressed a tissue into her eyes.

  “I've never been so proud,” she said. “Doesn't she look just mesmerizing?”

  I walked along beside her as we entered the reception.

  “I've got to say, I'm actually pretty jealous.”

  “Don't worry it'll be your turn soon.”

  “I doubt it,” I said, forcing a laugh.

  At the reception, I watched as Christy made her way around the room, kissing everyone on the cheek and dancing from guest to guest, champagne in one hand and Josh and the other. She looked like she did this kind of thing every day of her life. I was so proud of her and felt lucky that she was my best friend.

  But still I found myself looking around the room for Phil, and sat sulking. I didn't know why I was so naive to think that he would show up. The more I watched the party, the sadder I got. It was as though my eyes only noticed every happy couple in the room.

  I need to go outside. I need some air.

  Out back, the large glass doors opened out on to the decking along the beach. Apart from a couple smokers, there was nobody out there. I took a few minutes to sit and enjoy the silence as the muted sounds of the party carried on behind me. The breeze rustled through my hair cooling me down.

  “Not enjoying the party?” came a voice.

  It was a voice I didn't want to hear. It was a voice that left me cold

  “Adam...”

  Whether I liked it or not he sat down beside me.

  “Where's your boyfriend?” he asked. “Or should I say the prince.”

  “Don't tell me. You saw the photo as well.”

  “Everyone has seen it, Lizzie. Everyone's talking about you. How could you not have known who he was?”

  I stared off into the distance thinking about all the things I had being suspicious of. The way he was so obviously rich but couldn't explain why, the hesitation behind telling me his name, how he had access to the biggest yachts and the fanciest hotel rooms, the mysterious men who dragged Adam away.

  “Did you know?” I asked.

  “I suspected something,” he said. “I just wasn't sure why there were always these meatheads following him around, and he always seemed so arrogant, like he was entitled to everything.”

  “He literally is entitled to everything. This is his hotel. This is his island. He owns everything we're looking at right now.”

  Adam, obviously feeling inferior, hung his head.

  “I'm going back inside,” I said.

  “No, wait, just a minute.”

  There was something about the pathetic quality to his voice that held me back. I had never heard him sound that way before, so small, so desperate. It was as though he had been drained of all the anger he had.

  “Just a minute,” I said. “Not a second more.”

  He edged his way over to me nervously as though if he got too close I would bite.

  “I still love you,” he said.

  “Oh, don't, Adam.”

  “But it's true,” he insisted. “My God I really fucked up with us. I don't know what was wrong with me cheating on you. How stupid could I have been?”

  “Really fucking stupid,” I told him.

  “I know. I know. You don't have to tell me. I know what I did was wrong.”

  He held his head in his hands and rubbed at his eyes.

  “It's been torture the last few days seeing you with him.”

  “Good.”

  “Do you think...”

  He began slumping even further forward as though he was defeated by his own guilt.

  “Do you think we could start again?”

  I stared at him. He had to be kidding me.

  “Are you joking? How could I start again with you!”

  “But I really love you,” he said.

  “But I don't love you. Not anymore. Not after the way you treated me. How stupid do you think I am?”

  “Please Lizzie. Let's try again. Give me a second chance!”

  “Fuck off.”

  I couldn't remember the last time I had used the f-bomb so many times on someone, but right then I didn't think Adam deserved anything more eloquent.

  Storming back inside just as the music got louder, I saw Christy start a conga line in the center of the dance floor. She waved me over, demanding I join the back. Dancing in a conga line was the last thing I wanted to do, but it looked as though I didn't have a choice. Joining the back, I forced a smile and pretend I was having a great time. But my eyes were always on the lookout for Phil.

  But I knew he wasn't coming.

  I was never going to see him again.

  Phil

  I was watching from the balcony as the guests from the reception split out onto the beach. From the sounds of it, the wedding had been a riot. It was midnight and I could see that people were starting to become tired as the week drew to a close.

  “Philip,” said Stephen. “Are you okay?”

  “As okay as I'll ever be.”

  “Drink?” he asked.

  “Just water please.”

  He raised his eyebrows in surprise, but handed me a bottle anyway.

  We both looked out at the sea as we leaned on the railings. From somewhere in a distance I could hear Christy's laugh.

  “Why didn't you go?” asked Stephen.

  “How could I? She hates me.”

  I raised a hand to the cheek that she slapped. It was the last time she had touched me.

  “She thinks I'm some sort of sex-crazed royal maniac.”

  “Aren't you?” asked Stephen.

  If it was any other member of staff I would have severely reprimanded him, but as it was him I almost let him get away with it.

  “That'
s your first warning,” I said with a wink.

  “Noted,” he replied.

  “But I suppose you're right,” I said. “That is what I'm famous for although I wish it wasn't. But I've got to tell you it was different with Lizzie. She wasn't like the others. She wasn't just a trophy like some of the other girls were. I really thought we had something.”

  My heart was sinking at the thought of her.

  “The worst thing is that there's nothing I can do about it now. She flies home tomorrow. I guess I'm just going to have to admit to myself that I've really messed this one up.”

  A lump was forming in my throat. I actually felt close to tears at the thought that I was never going to see her again. It felt weird. It felt wrong. I had never felt about anyone this way before.

  I quickly swallowed the water as though I was trying to drown my sadness. Of course, it didn't work.

  “Are you going to say goodbye to her?” asked Steven.

  “No, I don't think so. I doubt she wants to see me.”

  I remembered the look on her face just before she slapped me. It was a look of pure hatred as though she thought I was total garbage. I hoped that as long as I lived nobody would look at me like that again.

  “I hope you don't mind me speaking so freely,” said Steven. “But if I was in your position I would want to see her one last time.”

  Looking down at the beach, I wondered where she was. Someone as beautiful as her would have attracted her fair share of attention. No doubt there were loads of guys who wanted to talk to her and dance with her. Maybe she hooked up with one of them. I wouldn't blame her.

  Of course, it would have been nice to see her in her bridesmaid dress, but another peculiar thought came into my head.

  What would you look like dressed as a bride.

  I shook the idea out my head, drank the last of my water and crushed the bottle in my hand.

  “You're right, Stephen. Just one last time. I need to tell her goodbye.”

  * * *

  I stood outside her door and waited. From inside the room I could hear gentle movement. With a hesitant hand, I knocked on the door. After a few seconds it opened and she stood there, mascara smudged just below her eyes and a weary look on her face. She looked exhausted but I'd never wanted to hug her so much.