Royal Wedding - Meg Cabot Page 0,47

course that I want to help people and be brilliantly happy and with Michael Moscovitz, of course), all too often they answer, “When I grow up, I want to be famous, like you, Princess Mia!”

At first this made me very depressed. Famous? Being famous isn’t a job!

Then I realized that it is. Being famous is very hard work, but it’s also empowering, because you have influence over a large number of people and can do amazing things with that power.

And it doesn’t even matter anymore how you happen to come by that fame, singing or dancing or posting a sex tape on the Internet or finding out that you’re a princess. It’s what you do with your fame that matters.

So I began explaining to the children that they could become famous by doing something helpful in their community, such as being a doctor, teacher, police officer, engineer, or architect. That can be totally empowering, even if it doesn’t make them “famous” internationally.

Of course none of them has fallen for it . . . yet. I think I have to work on my delivery. It definitely isn’t going to help if my eyelid is twitching as I say it.

And I must say I appreciate the complimentary bottle of champagne and box of chocolate-covered strawberries that the concierge has just sent up, along with her congratulations and a note saying that if we like our room, we should be sure to post about it on our Instagram accounts.

“Well,” Michael just said as he came out of the shower in his fluffy white Regalton bathrobe, smelling of Kiehl’s beauty products, his dark hair sticking damply to the back of his neck (how I love when this happens). “I could get used to this. Did you see that there’s a television in the mirror in there? Inside the mirror. According to Inside Edition, the reason we’re getting married in such a rush is because you’re carrying my unborn twins. Congratulations. At least they’re not Prince Harry’s this time.”

“I liked Sleepy Palm Cay better, where there were no TVs,” I said, “especially not in the bathroom mirrors.”

“I never in a million years thought I’d hear you say such a thing.” Michael lay down on the bed beside me and lifted one of the chocolate-covered strawberries and dangled it over my mouth. “Open. We must keep you well nourished as you’re now eating for three.”

I thought about refusing, but who can refuse a delicious chocolate-covered strawberry? Besides, I hadn’t yet brushed my teeth. I’d been busy reading José’s dossier on Olivia (the news isn’t as bad as I thought. But it isn’t great either. Olivia doesn’t appear to be happy in her school, though she does make very good grades).

“Don’t eat any more of those,” I warned Michael, after I’d swallowed. “They’re blackmail berries. They only gave them to us in exchange for us posting photos of ourselves eating them on our social media network, with a hashtag mentioning the Regalton. But if we do that, it will look like I’m promoting a for-profit business, and you know it’s Renaldo royal family policy never to do that. We only promote nonprofits.”

“So?” Michael lifted another strawberry. “You know in the old days people simply used to accept gifts and enjoy them and not feel guilty about failing to photograph themselves doing it.”

Then he opened his robe to reveal that beneath it, he was wearing absolutely nothing. Then he put the chocolate-covered strawberry on a place I’m not going to write here, but it was quite naughty, even for a visitor to this planet from another galaxy, unaccustomed to our ways and his humanoid body.

All I have to say is, this princess bride thing definitely has its upside.

CHAPTER 29

10:02 a.m., Tuesday, May 5

In HELV on way to the Community Center

Rate the Royals Rating: 1

Michael let me sleep in and was up and gone before I ever even opened my eyes. He left me a text (whatever happened to romantic, handwritten notes left on pillows, along with a chocolate-covered strawberry? Oh, well, we ate them all, and texting is more expedient).

Good morning! There’s an E. coli outbreak in California due to bags of allegedly prewashed salad mix. 213 hospitalized. Also, the wife of the Crown Prince of Qalif is alive. She tweeted that she’s very angry about this new law her husband has issued that women in his country are not allowed to swim in public.

So we are no longer the lead story! I’m at work, call me when