Chapter 27: My Girlfriend is a Princess
The man arrived in a black tuxedo, driving a limousine with small flags—the flags of Genovia—mounted on either side.
Jake recognized him; he was the Queen's head of security, and apparently had a somewhat close relationship with the Queen.
"You're not trying to run away, are you?" He walked over to the two, holding an umbrella over Mia, then picked up the umbrella Jake had tossed aside and handed it to him. "Dressed like that?"
"I'm going to a party!" Mia shouted, trying to escape Jake's embrace like a startled rabbit, though it seemed more like embarrassment.
"Very good." He nodded approvingly and opened the car door. "Get in."
Was this guy really going to leave him standing here?
Jake watched Mia get into the car, looking relieved that she wouldn't get any wetter. Girl, you're too quick to forget! Have you already forgotten someone?
Fortunately, the security chief didn't keep Jake waiting in the rain. Instead, he turned around and introduced himself. "I'm Joe, Queen Clarisse's head of security."
Jake shook hands with him. "Hello, I'm Mia's boyfriend." Always good to stake a claim early.
"Not my boyfriend!" Mia protested, tapping the car window. "At least not officially." Her tone softened, as if afraid of upsetting Jake, who had come to find her in the pouring rain.
"Would you like to join us for the event?" Joe invited.
"But I don't have formal attire," Jake pointed to his soaked suit.
"Hehe, please get in the car..."
Genovia's press conference was held at a five-star hotel. Joe led Mia and Jake through the service entrance, as the main entrance was crowded with cameras and media.
By the time they reached the kitchen, they could already hear Queen Clarisse's voice: "Good evening, everyone..."
However, Mia had a problem: she absolutely couldn't speak in front of crowds without getting overwhelmed; it made her shake and even feel nauseous.
"Don't be afraid," Jake said, wiping the rain from Mia's hair with a towel, transforming into a supportive boyfriend once again.
With encouragement from the others, Mia stepped onto the stage, just like when Jake first saw her at her school assembly.
"Hi, um, hi..." she stammered nervously, pausing awkwardly between words.
"The rain has stopped," she said, gesturing to the windows, but the room remained silent.
She didn't know what to say, but when she looked at Jake, she saw him giving her a thumbs-up.
This reminded Mia of the morning she first met Jake, standing on stage, terrified, even feeling sick. It was Jake's encouragement that allowed her to say what she needed to say then, and now, in such an important moment, she couldn't afford to be timid!
She watched as Jake mouthed words to her: "You've got this. Say what you need to say."
With a forced, relaxed laugh, Mia tucked her wet hair behind her ear before continuing. "I'm actually not good at public speaking. In situations like this, I usually get really nervous. I might faint, run away, or even... throw up."
Her words startled the distinguished guests below.
Jake couldn't help but cover his face; this girl really had no filter. He waved at Mia, signaling her to skip the self-deprecating introduction.
"Of course... of course you don't need to know that," she said, shifting her weight. Her shoes felt like buckets filled with water; with each movement, water would slosh inside. But only she knew this; she kind of liked the sensation, as if it grounded her and reduced her nervousness.
"I'm not afraid anymore. My father helped me," her tone suddenly became calm. "Before tonight, all I could think about was rejecting this title, but my mom, who raised me, comforted me, supported me, and always gave me everything she had... and my boyfriend—well, he's not officially my boyfriend yet, actually..." Seeing the media perking up, clearly wanting a headline about the princess's romantic interest, Mia waved her hand. "We shouldn't be talking about that right now."
"Anyway," she took a deep breath.
"This morning when I woke up, I was Mia Thermopolis. But by the grace of the throne of Genovia, I am now and forever Amelia Mignonette Thermopolis Renaldi, Princess of Genovia."
Applause erupted.
Jake watched Mia announce her acceptance of the title, and he suddenly remembered that this was a Disney film. Disney movies always have happy endings; while they might not be groundbreaking, they're satisfying.
Music started playing, and the hotel's styling team was already waiting, helping the soaking wet Mia change into elegant attire with an appropriate hairstyle.
She looked like a true princess, while Jake, taking advantage of the preparations, returned to the real world to shower and change into his best suit. The princess's first dance had to be with him.
At the reception,
soft, elegant music filled the air as everyone found their partners, most of whom had brought dates.
"When did you change?" Mia asked, looking at Jake in his sharp new suit, naturally placing her hand on his shoulder.
Jake, in turn, naturally put his arm around Mia's slender waist. "While you were getting ready. How do I look? Presentable?"
Although Jake had never formally studied ballroom dancing, he'd already absorbed basic techniques from films he'd watched while using NZT-48, and he at least looked competent.
"Very handsome."
"Thank you. So, are you my girlfriend now?"
"Because you can see me when I'm invisible, and even though I'm royalty, I'm no different from anyone else. I only need to go to Genovia for a few days when necessary, but I still go back to school and live normally, um, I..." Her speech became faster and faster, so much so that Jake had to silence her with a kiss.
Wasn't this a different kind of yes?
The reception lasted well into the evening, finally ending near midnight.
The only noteworthy moment during this time was when Jake and Mia's affectionate behavior was noticed by her grandmother, but Queen Clarisse was quite progressive about young love and even seemed to approve of Jake.
However, this was a wake-up call for Jake.
His identity in this world was manufactured and wouldn't hold up to serious scrutiny. If he didn't want to lose Mia, he needed to establish a legitimate identity in this world.
As for whether or not to tell Mia that he was a world traveler, Jake felt it would be better to wait until later, perhaps when the events of the sequel would occur naturally.
Of course, in the meantime, he would gradually reveal hints about his secret to Mia, so she could mentally prepare.
However, those were concerns for the future. Tonight, Jake still had plenty of time to spend with Mia. They were making their relationship official and doing what new couples do—talking late into the night about everything and nothing.