Hollywood Zenith



" Wah, look at that!"

" Oh my god, she looks just like a princess!"

" Look at the man beside her; although he is wearing a hat, you can tell he is handsome!"

" Father and daughter pair are going on a walk."

" Not father, a princess and her escort! Don't you see how he is holding her carefully? Such a lovely couple!"

Samuel was casually strolling the streets of Paris with Elise in his arms while Lucie followed them at a distance. Several people started making remarks about their appearance as soon as they entered a crowded area, and why wouldn't they? The pair looked absolutely amazing!

Fran did her best, and within two hours, she made Elise into a proper princess. Her golden hair was properly curled, and the bang over her forehead was shortened, bringing out her pretty round baby face and deep blue eyes. With a long pink dress and minimal jewellery, she looked like nobility! 

On the other hand, Samuel wore a tight deep blue suit that emphasised his muscular physique. Underneath he wore a simple white shirt and a cyan tie, but the most eye-catching was one-string braided hair which matched Elise. When they were dressing her, she explained with awkward hand gestures that she wanted them to have matching hair.

His face was still partially hidden under the cap, but that didn't diminish the power of his flowy silver hair that danced with each of his steps.

They were properly dressed, but something was still missing; Elise was still a little shy around strangers, which was hard to let go in a day, but he wanted her to come out of her shell a little.

" Elise, what's wrong? Don't you want to be a princess?" Samuel asked softly.

She shook her head sideways, denying it, but Samuel could see her weary eyes.

" Then, you can tell me anything. If not, you can whisper into my ear." Samuel pointed his ears toward her mouth. He was hoping she would say something, but she didn't. She simply kissed his cheek and gave him a charming smile, making him stop pressuring her.

" It's alright, let's see. From now on, just the points and things you want; I promise I will try my hard to procure them for you. How is that?" Samuel tried something different.

She was still a bit reluctant, so Samuel tried again.

" It will only be for today! Don't you think it will be fun? You can ask me anything." 

This time she nodded meekly; it had become her signature move which tells that she wanted to agree but was shy or apprehensive about it.

" Good girl! Now, shall we start?" Samuel patted her head and began their game.

Getting newfound confidence, she pointed toward an ice cream on the sidewalk. The sun was slowly burning up as noon approached, which was the best time to have something cold. Samuel walked toward the cart to see a young man operating the stand, he looked about the same as Samuel, but probably due to lack of nutrients, his body was scrawny.

" Which do you want?" Samuel asked her, pointing toward different coloured pictures. Few people were lining up, and they kept repeatedly looking at him and Elise. Their stares made whatever progress they made non-existent. Samuel decided to boost her morale differently because she was not doing anything.

" Elise, I know you are scared, but do you know why princesses don't fear anything?" She looked at him curiously.

" That's because they are always surrounded by their loyal guards! You only see me, so you might feel hesitant, but there are others." Samuel smiled, which grew her curiosity even more. She began looking around, but she only saw Lucie smiling, listening to their innocent conversation.

" You don't believe me?" She nodded positively.I think you should take a look at

" Okay, I will show you. Guards!" Samuel shouted, pulling everyone's gazes toward him. He was aware of the ghost soldiers that always followed him and made eye contact with one of them. It was brief, but they understood his request.

" Show yourself! Your Highness' loyal guards!" He was embarrassed but had to do it for Elise's sake.

" Whoa, what's happening?"

" I think a shoot is happening, but I don't see any cameras."

" It must be hidden; how else would you explain their attire?"

" Still, that little girl looks so cute! Even her hair looks like a professional's work!"

People kept chattering, but suddenly, half a dozen people that were previously mixed in the crowd came forward. They formed a simple line and immediately kneeled down in front of Elise. She was surprised and looked at Samuel for answers.

" There are you, guard, Princess! They had to blend into the crowd to protect you from hidden dangers!" Samuel proclaimed, but before Elise could comprehend it, people started clapping.

She also joined in while giggling, but it was hard to know whether she understood Samuel. Regardless, she was more confident, which meant his goals were met.

" Now, can you tell me what you want?" This time she pointed at a mango-flavored ice cream. Samuel nodded to one of the soldiers, who promptly went ahead and placed the order. It took a few minutes before he returned with a small cone neatly placed on a tray.

Samuel looked at the stall owner, who gave him a small wave confirming he understood their abrupt requirement. It must be hard to follow them on a busy day, but Samuel was thankful he could play along with Elise.

" Your Highness." He presented his tribute in a cold tone. It was evident he was not used to these types of settings; killing was much easier for him.

Elise took the ice cream and handed it to Samuel. Samuel didn't know what was happening, but she pointed at the soldier who was leaving for some reason.

" Wait!" Samuel stopped him.

" Young master?" he returned, awaiting his next order. Elise again pointed at his hand.

" Present your hand." Samuel conveyed her feelings.

Elise gently grabbed his hand with one hand and moved the other inside her dress through her neck sleeve. After rubbing something for a few seconds, she pulled out her hand and started rubbing the soldier's hand.

No one knew what she was trying to do, but Samuel soon understood it. The man's hands were covered with scars, some new, some old, but it was not pretty. Elise seemed to pull off some of the makeup that Lucie used to hide her scars and rubbed it on his hand.

Due to the difference in skin colour, his dark hands were left with white stains, but in the end, it did cover up some of his scars. She tried her best for a few minutes before the man himself interrupted her.

" Your Highness, it's okay now. Thank you for casting your healing magic on me!" Although he said something cliche, seeing the little girl try her best, his heart warmed. Their team knew about the circumstances regarding her origin, which made it worse when he thought about it.

" Elise is such a good girl! She cares about everyone!" Samuel praised her again. He was happy on the outside, but inside, he knew it would take some time for Elise to heal. He was too rash with her until now, but now he only wanted her to have a fun day, nothing more.

They finished their ice cream, and Samuel tipped the stand owner a thousand pounds for his inconvenience. He didn't want to accept it at first, but with Elise's help, it was a losing battle for him anyway!