The Royal Romance - What nearly happened...

The moment

Maxwell raised his voice so the nearby press could overhear. "Lady Jen, there's.. something I need to say to you."

She looked at Maxwell, no acting required on her part to make this look genuine. Nearby paparazzi turned their heads towards the two of them.

He went on. "Tonight, I discovered something about myself. Something I suppose I've known was true for a long time, but.. I couldn't admit it to myself until now. There was always something missing, some piece of me that wasn't there. But then.. then something unbelievable happened. Tonight, I realised what has been missing."

Jen looked on adoringly as Maxwell got down on one knee in front of her. A crowd of paparazzi began to form around them.

"And it's like my eyes are opening for the first time!" he said, slightly overdramatically.

"I don't understand.." she said, trying hard not to laugh.

"Jen, now that I know, I need the world to know."

Jen glanced around, spotted the photographer in the crowd, and winked at Maxwell. "Maxwell, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that.. I love.."

He reached into his pocket. The crowd gasped, and cameras flashed. And Jen just wished this was real.

But then, instead of a ring-box, he pulled out a spoon. "I love gelato!" With that he grabbed a bowl from the platter of a nearby server and ate a spoonful, eyelids fluttering in delight. "Sho derishush."

"What?" Jen heard Ana de Luca say in confusion.

He continued to tuck in. "How have ah lived wivout you for sho lon?"

Jen just watched him, proudly. "I've never seen a love so pure."

The paparazzi groaned in disappointment as they began to disperse.

"I guess we got what we deserved for speculating about those two," Jen heard Donnie Brine say.

Maxwell dropped his bowl of ice cream. "Let's get that photographer!"

Jen slipped through the crowd to follow the woman, but she looked back and started running.

"After her!" Jen called to Maxwell.

The two of them ran after the photographer. She tripped up a hostess on her way out the door, blocking their path.

Jen was able to leap gracefully over the fallen hostess, gaining speed as she pushed off the ground. "I'm coming for you!"

She heard Maxwell call behind her. "Jen, you're as nimble as a gazelle!"

"Uh, thanks?" she called back, but didn't stop. She followed the photographer into the moonlit streets of Italy. The photographer bounded across the street as passing cars honked. One drove right in front of Jen.

"JEN!!" she heard Maxwell shriek behind her, as she rolled over the hood of the car, its movement propelling her even further. "Jen.. are you okay?"

She was okay, she knew he had her back. "I'm gaining on her!" she called back.

"Whoa! Nice moves, Jen!" He was still a little way behind her.

Up ahead, the photographer ducked into an alleyway and out of sight.

"Hey! You're not getting away that easily," Maxwell shouted.

Jen turned into the alley right on the heels of the photographer. It was a dead end. "I've got you now."

As the photographer realised her mistake, Maxwell arrived at the scene.

"Maxwell, I got her!" Jen said, grinning from ear to ear, adrenaline pumping. "I guess jogging with you paid off, after all."