The Royal Heir - The Valtoria Diaries 2

The master storyteller

(This chapter contains strong language and some violence)

"So, babe, on a scale of one to ten, how excited are you right now?" Jen glanced across at her husband as their car approached the studios.

Maxwell was trying to remain casual, tapping on his dark shades, but that colossal grin was a giveaway; he was like a can of shaken fizzy pop that was about to explode.. "Uh, eleven....... BILLION?"

Jen giggled. He'd been dancing around their hotel room since six, much to Bella's delight, and hers too.

"Our visit to the set today is gonna make big waves!" He mimed a wave with his arm. "Whoosh! Carl announced it yesterday afternoon when he announced the casting, and you just know the press will be there again..." He looked across at her again. "Still, they're gonna have their socks knocked off by how sexy my wifey is looking today!"

Jen was wearing a black dress with golden cut-out patterning that she'd treated herself to from an exclusive Santa Monica boutique yesterday afternoon. She had to admit, she probably looked the best she'd looked since before she'd got pregnant with Bella. I just want to look better than Miley. Is that petty? Do I care if it is? "Well, if I look half as good as I feel in this dress, I'll knock the press, the director, and the cast off their feet..."

"Well, you already literally knocked me off mine when you strutted out of the bathroom in it," he acknowledged. "But I reckon you might do it again at least once today."

The car pulled up outside the studios, and this time it was able to drive comfortably up to the open gate. No press were gathered here after all. "Wait, what time did they say to get here?"

"Ten thirty!" Maxwell declared.

"Babe, it's only eight thirty..."

"I know, but I just couldn't wait to get here!" He kissed her on the lips quickly, then rushed out of the car and ran around to open the door for her and Bella; seemingly that was still something he did after all.

"That would explain why there's no press around yet..." she said to him as the three of them and Mara were nodded through the studio gates by security. "It isn't really a bad thing, though. They were intense yesterday."

"Yeah," Maxwell said, but she could sense his disappointment. Hey, maybe we can have a proper look around the studios while we wait!"

A mischievous idea began to form in Jen's mind. "Ooh, how about we go check that space set out that Carl mentioned yesterday? I'm sure nobody would mind..."

His resulting expression was equally impressed, excited and confused. "You're the one coming up with the wild ideas?"

"It was Bella's idea actually," she giggled. "But what do you think?"

He took her hand. "I say we do it! Which way was it?"

Neither of them were sure, but after covertly exploring the area and then opening a few doors when nobody else was passing, they found their destination. Jen felt a real rush of adrenaline as they stepped into the futuristic spaceship set, with big open halls, purple and blue walls and a window looking out at the stars.

"Holy cow!" Maxwell was understandably awestruck. "This is just like a dream I had when I was a kid! Actually, this is like every dream I had when I was a kid. Except there's not as many robot dinosaurs."

"Sounds like you had awesome dreams," she told him. "A lot of mine involved missing homework. Or falling. Or falling into a pile of missing homework."