Page 1 of How to Date a Prince (Being Royal #1)

Chapter One

I n my next life, I’ll be reborn as Harry Styles. Or maybe as the reincarnation of Taylor Swift. I’ll still be famous if I must, but I’ll be famous due to my talent instead of my chance birth as a royal. I’m quite sure I’m a negative ten on the talent-o-meter.

Everything else is just genetics. And training.

It’s Friday night in London, and Mayfair glitters. When I step out of the black SUV, straightening to my full height, I pause in the drizzle for the cameras on the red carpet at the charity ball. Snapping shutters echo, and a familiar blinding flash dazzles my eyes.

I give my best public smile and stop in a flattering pose, then strike another pose for my best angles like the Danish prince once taught me during a secret fling. Work it, babe, Prince Theodor coached me then as we drank spicy margaritas, which incidentally led to more spice.

More confidence, more sultry. Hand on my hip and a three-quarter turn to the cameras.

The crowd cheers their approval as I’m blinded by the lights. I wave, smile broadly, and carry on, mindful of not tripping over my own feet.

“Prince Auggie! Over here!”

“Prince Auggie—where’s Katie? I’ll be your date!”

“Prince Auggie, come back!”

Tonight, I’m shamelessly selling the image of charming Prince Auggie, future British monarch.

I’d like to meet him too, to be honest, because he’s great in the press.

Cool guy. From the outside, he has it together.

The media and public are fascinated, so somehow, I must be doing something right.

Or quite possibly, I’m doing something wrong enough that the media sticks to me waiting for my next mistake.

I’m all kitted up in an edgy mohair tux that an up-and-coming London designer sent over to me. I’m at least looking the part of the dashing prince, even if I can’t get over the idea that the dashing prince is supposed to be me.

To be fair, I do look good enough, taking after my mum—see genetics above—though I wish I loved crowds like she had.

The looks balance out the panic, my friend Gav told me.

He said it’s heaps of fun not knowing what I might blurt out next.

For him, maybe. Meanwhile, I try to keep my mouth shut as a preventative measure in case something messy accidentally spills out.

“Prince Auggie, is it true you’re still single?”

“Prince Auggie, would you take a photo with me? It’s my birthday!”

I pause and go to the young woman at the barrier for a photo taken by her friend. The paparazzi goes wild. We both grin, and for a moment, I pretend I’m carefree. “Happy birthday,” I say, on my best behavior as she gives a small curtsy. “How do you do.”

She blushes, too tongue-tied to speak.

My father, the King, told me not to be too extra tonight, as if he can sniff out rising rebellion like the dawn breaks each day.

I’m kind of horrified that he knows what being extra means.

And that he’s applied being extra to me, specifically.

Nothing good can come of that. Especially when I’ve been on my best behavior the last few months.

Which is why I asked the stylist at the earlier magazine shoot I’m coming from to give me a smoky-eye look for evening, after we bonded over our favorite makeup.

She tousled my medium-length, light reddish-brown—blond if you’re generous during the summer—hair with product.

Plus, a touch of contouring never hurt anyone.

Use those cheekbones for the good of the kingdom, she told me, because it’s your royal duty to the people.

It’s a well-known secret I’m into fashion, which is why my father has a valet, Lauren, assigned to choose my clothing for public engagements. Meaning he’s a veto vote, like the UN, on style. He favors drab and uncontroversial over avant garde looks.

But sometimes I give Lauren the slip. Like tonight.

Soon, I’m under the dramatic lighting of the charity art gala for a Prince’s Trust project where I’m the benefactor for British art and design.

The venue’s full of celebs and socialites, creatives and art lovers and more.

Established artists and designers and celebs anonymously donated works for the silent auction.

I’ve even sculpted my own donation to the cause, an elegant white pottery vase.

And no, that doesn’t count as talent—it’s practice.

People bid throughout the evening. I’m already planning my escape when the dancing begins, something that past me—well, let’s be honest, also current me—would be into, but getting down would probably lead to a whole buffet of princely faux pas that might bring my father to an early grave and guarantee to put me on the throne in record time. Which I definitely don’t want.

So, no dancing tonight.

I drink my champagne after I’m through all of the official greetings and speeches, but I’m acutely aware of the eyes on me as ever.

I find a brief respite in the wings of the stage with a glass of champagne and check my messages.

One more hour of being seen, as opposed to finding the scene, and I can go home.

It’s been a long day. But I was happy to go cheer up children in the hospital this morning, to do the press gauntlet this afternoon, and now attend the gala.

I take a sip of my drink while admittedly getting some side-eye from a group of assistants who are taking a break.

“No, no,” says a young woman beneath a pile of curly hair to her coworker, “it’s a new reality show I’m going on as crew next after this. For Renaissance Man . I can’t wait.”

“That’s the new show with all the hot guys? You’re so lucky. It looks amazing.”

Now my ears perk up, because I’m very much into hot guys, even if it’s covertly. And despite reality TV, which I’m not into for personal reasons, I’m paying close attention to their conversation.

“Yeah. They’ve been doing a media blitz. It’s a big show on one of the major networks this fall. Can’t say more than that.”

“Who are the hot guys? Do you know?”

“I can’t say anything other than what’s public through marketing and live online. You can join the Bravoverse and guess the guests like everyone else.” She laughs, as does her coworker.

“Oh, go on and tell me.”

“Okay. Thomas Golden,” says the future crew member triumphantly. “Announced today in a press release. Major get. No wonder everyone’s gone wild online today.”

“Oh, I’d watch him day and night. Though—isn’t he gay?”

“Yes, but maybe he’s bi or pan. A girl can dream.”

The name Thomas Golden doesn’t mean anything to me. It sounds like aspirational branding for a lifestyle company. I focus on my drink in the shadows as my phone chimes before I have a chance to search who he is. Shit. I forgot to turn the ringer off.

The women glance over at me, nudging each other in whispers. I hear, “No, you go talk to him, you look brill tonight.”

I focus extra hard on my phone as if I have some super-important royal messages to get back to, like the fate of the monarchy hinges on the speed of my doomscrolling.

My best friend, Katie Hart, texted me five minutes ago.

Pretend you’re having fun. Sometimes you even are surprisingly fun against all odds. Who knew? Kx

Are you watching me like a creeper? X

No. I know you. Buy some art to decorate your palace with. Go Rococo. Or go truly naff. Or decorate a sex dungeon. Have a makeover of one of your real dungeons. I can help.

Ha. Hard no.

Go mingle. Remember it’s #princelife babes.

Don’t remind me. But you’re right. And I’ve bid on a couple of paintings.

Good boy. Also you look amazing on socials tonight btw. So you know.

You say that to all the princes. x

You’re the only prince I know. x

I’m grinning at my phone because Katie knows how to make me laugh, even if the joke’s a bittersweet one. There’s a twinge in my chest. Too bad she’s not here, but that would add more of a stir than the smoky-eye situation already has created. And I don’t want to lead her on.

Then, back to present reality.

“No, you go talk to him. Speaking of hot and eligible, Prince Auggie straight ahead, waiting for you to walk into his life.”

My mouth twitches at “straight.” There’s a facade to keep up, after all. Also, I like people, I remind myself.

I lift my head and smile warmly at them, walking over to introduce myself and be sociable for one last round. Born to mingle, that’s me.

“How do you do. I’m Prince Augustus.”

“Oh, you need no introduction, Your Royal Highness. I’m Leila Wilson, and this is Ravi Gill. We were talking about?—”

Her friend elbows her. “The Prince really doesn’t want to hear about reality TV.”

Leila blushes and stops like I’ve sucked all hope of oxygen out of the room. Except the oxygen’s already fled.

“No, please. I’d love to join the conversation. Don’t let me interrupt.”

They look at each other. “Well,” begins Leila, “if you really want to know, we were talking about a show I’m going to work on from next week.

They announced one of the stars today. There’s one more big announcement to come about another special guest, but that announcement won’t be for a while.

Everyone’s guessing who it might be. That’s all I can say, even to a prince. ”

“Don’t worry, I understand.” I give a broad smile.

Leila blushes. No doubt my father, the King, is following this program, and I’ll be hearing about it over breakfast soon enough—quite possibly tomorrow—with his guesses.

The celebrities I follow the most are pop stars rather than actors.

And soon, a message from my father pops up on my phone as if I’ve summoned him.

We need to set up a time to meet early next week to discuss an important matter which requires your attention.

I swipe the message away as a worry for future me.

But I haven’t forgotten it’s forty-five minutes more before I can retreat home to a quiet Friday night in my private sanctuary, where I can at last be myself—before duty calls once again.

Forget television and the media. That’s the biggest reality in my life.

Not figuring out who the secret mystery guest is on some show.

Because reality TV and I have absolutely nothing in common.