Which scenes did you cut, and which were added in [title]?
Oh man. I was agonizing over a speech I was going to make Zach give in (I think) Chapter 10, before I realized I could just jettison that shit, since it wasn’t saying anything important anyway. I am not a speechwriter, lol.
I also cut a bunch of future-y stuff from the last chapter, in large part because I might eventually get around to making it into little add-on ficlets.
I did purposely add the last bit with Anton to give him and Zach a bit more of a good professional and personal relationship and a good send off. I don’t think I would have before Anton passed away while I was in the middle of writing this one, but it was needed. 😦
I know I already posted a teaser for this, but that was clearly premature since I did it three months ago like an ass. Now, here is your Chapter 11 and final The Princess Diaries (And Me) teaser. If you need to go back for a reread, I won’t blame you, it’s been an obscene seven months since I’ve updated. SORRY, I SUCK. There are two chapters left, and I will post both this Pinto de Mayo weekend!
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“Good morning, Your Majesty, Your Highness,” Soren greeted, rousing Zach with a grumble. “Majesties Queen Rosalind and Queen Clarisse have requested to breakfast with you both this morning.”
“Nngh, fuck that,” Zach groaned, pulling the covers over his head and curling into a lump beneath.
Anton added, “They’re waiting in the King’s Parlor, sirs.”
“Let them fucking wait, then,” came Zach’s muffled answer.
Chris shook his head, looking to their two valets, “I got this, guys. Give us a minute.”
“Of course,” Soren nodded, and Anton followed him out.
Chris shrugged out of his robe and slipped back under the blankets. The air felt thick and warm in his lungs, but he tucked himself back up against Zach, kissing whatever skin his mouth found—a shoulder.
“Morning,” he whispered.
Zach rolled over to face him, both of them still tucked fully beneath the silken sheets. They bumped noses and giggled.
“No more lazy mornings, I guess.”
Letting out a noise of discontent, Zach wriggled closer, their hands tangled in the space between. Neither of them spoke for long seconds before Zach clawed the covers away to a gasp of cool air, pulling their hands out in the dim of the morning, tracing the ring on his finger.
“Let’s be honest, you’ll be the better King between the pair of us, anyway.”
“I don’t know about that,” Chris countered, shaking his head. “You have more firsthand experience with this governing stuff than I do.”
“And you know more about taking the moral high ground, being fair and compromising. Your stories taught you all of that.”
“Fairytales don’t teach you to be a leader,” Chris said, “I’m a total city slicker and that whole place is like this idyllic utopia straight out of a Disney movie. I don’t know that I could do what my Aunt does. I don’t know that I could always be so good at listening, sit for hours in the Throne Room, trying to make the people’s problems go away.”
Zach tilted his head at that, raising his eyebrows, “Wait, she actually sits on the throne and ‘receives the people’ with their issues? For real? They line up to be heard one at a time?”
“Yeah,” Chris nodded, “Do you not do that?”
“Um, no?” Zach laughed incredulously. “That’s some medieval shit right there. I’m sure there’s an office somewhere where people send letters and they get filtered up the food chain, but getting something done like that with five million people? I’d never leave the damn chair.”
Chris chuckled, “True. I think my Aunt just likes doing it.”
“Did you like it there?” Zach asked curiously. “That was the first time I’d ever been to Genovia.”
Chris thought back to those two weeks. Even with the crazy schedule and the culture shock, he couldn’t pretend he didn’t enjoy parts of it, the beautiful quiet countryside, the people, his friends on the staff, the food, and admittedly, the opulent lifestyle too. “Yeah. I did.”
Zach stared up at him, whispering, “Do you like it here? With me?”
Chris pulled his fingers through Zach’s silky hair, looking down at the soft, warm caramel of his eyes, “Yeah. I do.”
It’s time for your The Princess Diaries (And Me) Chapter 9 teaser!
The crowds grew into louder cheering and waving when, behind the latest group of marching guards in separate dark blue uniforms and bearskin hats with bayonets, there was a carriage drawn by four matched horses. It carried a pale blonde woman, cool and stoic as she waved to the crowd, the cheering and waving of flags intensifying.
She had to be the Queen, but she was the carriage’s only occupant. Where was the King, and where was Zach?
The carriage rolled by, followed by a single dapple-grey horse. It’s rider was also clothed in the red military jacket and hat with a silly horsehair plume like the rest of the cavalry, but set apart by a royal blue sash covered in medals. Chris’ heart gave a jolt of recognition.
“Zach!” he cried out as the horse trotted past, but the cheering of the crowd and the hard clop of hooves drowned out his voice. “Zach!”
The woman standing next to him suddenly gasped, touching his shoulder, “You are Chris Pine!” She turned to her younger friend, “Det er amerikansk Prins Chris Pine!”
He felt himself flush as more and more people around began to peer at him and point with excitement, some whipping out phones. His first instinct was to duck and run, but he’d come out here with no plan whatsoever, no idea how he thought he was going to see Zach in the first place. What did he expect, to be able to walk right up to a castle and knock on the front door? This might be the only chance he had, the closest he would get, and Zach’s horse was steadily trotting farther and farther away up the broad street. He cupped his hands around his mouth to yell, “Zach!”
“Prins Zachary! Prins Chris!” the women started to chant, and it quickly spread, until the whole crowd took it up. “Prins Zachary, Prins Chris!”
Zach slowed, sidestepping his horse out of the way of another following cavalry regiment and looking quizzically around at the chanting audience as they all pointed him back down the line of barriers. “Prins Chris! Prins Chris!”
He turned in his saddle, a searching look on his face.
“Zach!” Chris called again, and their eyes finally met.
OMG I’m so excited for this!!! **cheers @suedescripture on madly**
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