His Royal Sweet Tooth

Chapter 1

I was happy, for the first time in months.

“Congratulations, Charlie!” The director of the show said to me, as the rest of the crew, and contestants came over to congratulate me again, once the filming was done.

They kept telling me that ‘you deserved it, Charlie’ but in my mind, it all felt too surreal, too hard to believe, after all, I had just done something I would've never done in the past.

Emma, along with some new hires at the bakery suggested I sign myself up for not just any show, but the best bake off in Britain, ‘Bake off with Britain’ as a ‘you never know’ spring of the moment.

Only a week later, I would find out from a phone call that I had been selected to appear on the show, and had a chance to win half a million pounds, money I could only dream of but never touch in the real world.

It'd been months of moping around, and feeling sorry for myself, that I finally had something to look forward to, so once I made it to the studio, I felt like me again, before I left my high paying job to open a bakery.

“What are you going to do now, celebrate?” The director asked, as I could not honestly answer the question.

I was still coming to terms with having won, due to popular demand from viewers. “I… don't know.” I laughed, as I smiled at those who once again, came over to shake my hand, pat me on the back, and congratulate me.

I had never been happier in this moment, having finally clarified for all my hard work that I put in during my time here.

Once everyone started to pack up, and take the celebrations out to an expensive restaurant in London, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket.

Reaching in to take it out, I turn on the screen and see I had a text message.

Opening it, I recognised the number instantly, which made my stomach drop and heart throb.

Unknown: Congratulations on your win, I voted for you.

Was all that was written, but if I went further back, there were more messages from him than I cared to admit.

I had almost forgotten that I had deleted his contact from my phone since it became clear that whatever we had was over.

Nicholas became King, six months after his fathers death, Nicholas and his family paid tribute to their father, and King, by walking behind his coffin during a public funeral.

Even though I never saw him again, he would sometimes text me random things, things that sometimes didn't make sense, and some that did.

Scrolling up, I look at the most recent ones.

Unknown: It's going to snow today.

Unknown: I had a weird dream last night, it made me think of you.

Unknown: Candy passed away.

Unknown: There's a lot of stars in the sky tonight, can you see them too?

The latest one was him congratulating me, and each time he texted me, I couldn't bring myself to text him back.

Fifteen messages, in the span of six months, and I couldn't reply to a single one.

I would see him on TV, in the news or in the newspaper, and whenever I looked at him, I would recognise that same smile, the one that never reached his eyes in every photo, and every recording.

Even though nobody else could see it, I saw right through him, and his smile.

Nicholas wasn't happy, but because he was who he was, he smiled anyway.

I hadn't thought of him since his last text, but now it was like my guilt was ready to eat me alive, but none of it mattered now, we had gone our separate ways.

I shouldn't let it bother me anymore.

*****

“What?” I stared at my new manager, Kim, in shock, as she sighs and repeats the words over to me again.

“The King, Nicholas would be giving the reward during the ceremony, with photos and a few questions about you and your win.”

I felt like I had just been run over, and then again and again by a double decker bus, and then again for good measure, because surely this had to be some sick joke?

“It's an honor, Charlie.” She told me, picking up her purse.

“The country loves you, everyone wants a piece of you right now and right now you need to milk the attention for everything you're worth, this will help promote your cookbook, and that cute little shop you own.”

I felt like I was going to be sick in my mouth, and as she continues to speak on and on about the importance of image, and things that absolutely bored me to no end.

“I… need a second.” I excused myself, then rushed to the bathroom across the hall of her office and then emptied what food I had in my stomach from breakfast this morning.

Oh god, I was embarrassing myself, but what's worse was that I couldn't stop my hands from shaking.

Nicholas… I was going to see him again.

I had ignored his texts, which I knew were his way of trying to connect with me, and had moved on with my life, after months of not a word from him, then one day, a text out of nowhere.

“Charlie?” A knock at the bathroom door made me jump. “Are you alright?” Kim asked, as I gripped my head in my hands.

I was a complete mess, just look at me.

Anyone else in my shoes would be jumping at the opportunity to have a face to face talk, and photo session with the King of a country, but I… I simply couldn't think of anything worse.

I flushed the toilet and stood up from my knees, then turned the tap on behind me and then splashed my face with water, before rinsing my mouth out.

“Charlie?” Kim knocked again, as I hung my head low, trying to pull myself together.

Once I washed my hands, and patted my face dry, I opened the bathroom door to see Kim there waiting for me, a look of concern in her eyes.

“Hey.” She reached out and touched my arm. “Are you ok? Do you want me to get you anything?”

“No.” I smiled, despite my insides ready to drop.

“My breakfast must not have agreed with me, is all.” 

She looked at me, trying to figure me out, then sighed out in relief. “Jesus, you made me worried.”

“I thought you were nervous about the ceremony.” She sighed again, turning around to head back into her office.

“It's in a week, so make sure you don't eat that morning.” She tells me, going to sit behind her desk, her glasses falling down to the tip of her nose.

“Got it, Charlie? This is your big moment, we don't want to cause waves, we want to make them.”

“Now go get some rest, a car is waiting to take you home downstairs.” Was all she said, as I nodded my head and said my goodbyes.

As I walked down the hall, I felt completely and utterly numb to the core, my head was spiraling and my hands had not stopped shaking.

I was flooded with guilt, and nervousness, but mainly I was excited to see him, which only made me want to throw up again.

All in all, there was no going back on this, it was something I had to do, and with Nicholas, I knew that if I didn't show up, it would only prove my point.

That I moved on and despite still being in love with him, I was surviving and thriving, with new found glory, and fame, something I no longer felt that I deserved.

This week….

It was going to be the longest of my entire life.