Corona looked at Simon and rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she bent down a little bit, handing Simon a cup of coffee, something she could see he clearly needed. She had invited him over after texting a while, seeing as she hadn’t seen him for a while and she wanted to catch up on everything he had been doing, he always had fun stories “Oh come on, too much Prince-like experiences back at home? Or where have you been around the globe, Mr. on-the-go-Royal?” She asked, now reaching over for her own cup and sitting down beside him.
SMILING graciously, simon accepted the warm cup of coffee and sipped gingerly from it. the twenty-nine year old had returned home to belgium for a week, but that didn’t stop him from having contact with the pretty model he had met previously. the two exchanged messages back and forth, albeit some quite flirtatious, but nevertheless, he enjoyed corona’s company. “ mother had me working nonstop. few brunches and functions, here and there, plus a brief appearance at the met gala in new york for a night. as much as i wanted to document my experience for my viewers, i was far too preoccupied with duties, unfortunately. ”
Audrea looked at him, sipping into her coffee before saying, “Did you fly coach?” She asked, “Because that’s usually why,” Audrea pointed out with a small chuckle. She was never that vain, but sometimes pretending that she was is entertaining for her.
SIMON smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. “ i may have given up my incredibly comfortable business class seat, ” he admitted. choosing not to dive into details, he left out the parts wherein he offered to switch seats with a passenger so he could score a seat next to the pretty girl he had spotted during check-in. “ all was well at first; i was seated next to a pretty girl. turns out she played for the other team.”
“ I JUST had the worst flight from belgium to venice, ” simon groaned in exasperation as he plopped down on the other’s couch. the twenty-nine year’s old’s sandy blonde hair was a mess and his two-day old outfit had creased terribly. “ remind me again why i travel for a living? ”
He rolled his eyes, though out of fondness, at the nickname Simon insisted on calling him, but smiled as he nodded his head nonetheless. “Yes, we will. Perhaps over Christmas holidays? It isn’t necessary that we be with our families then, right?” he half joked, a devious twinkle appearing in his eyes. Christmas was quite a big holiday in England, especially within his family, but he could do without the festivities with his parents. Besides, he, Elliot, and Simon were far overdue for a vacation together, considering they had hardly spent time with one another since they were teenagers.
“Really. Simon Saxe, actually staying in one place? I don’t believe it,” he scoffed, a playful grin crossing his lips. Blinking in surprise as the piece of bread hit his chest, he laughed and picked it up, putting it on the edge of his plate. “Me, a fan? That’s a bit of an overstatement….”
“I may have to make a few appearances at some events for my family, but I’ll always make time for you guys,” Simon assured, patting Oliver’s shoulder. Christmas was a busy time, especially for the royal family. As much as he’d like to continue his travels during the time, there were numerous charity balls, Christmas celebrations, and diplomatic duties that he would have to attend. If only he could avoid them all together until he’d have to become King.
Simon laughed softly, nodding along. Even as a child, it was hard to keep him still; he was always looking for something to do. It certainly hasn’t changed since then, and his good ‘ol friend knew this for a fact. “Shh...” Simon held a finger against his lips to silence him. “You don’t need to play cool with me, Vince. I’ll even sign your napkin, yeah?”
Gianna had been going for a run when she noted an odd sight. She stopped to watch, without really realizing she was staring, but by then it was too late. “Uh, long enough?” she said, brushing the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.
Simon shifted awkwardly in his stance. He always got a few odd glances here and there, and the twenty-nine year old still hasn’t gotten the hang of how to handle the situation. “I--err, sorry about that.” he rubbed his neck awkwardly. “It’s my job to humiliate myself in public.”
Avery was watching the man do the filming, a small smile on her face. She had always admired vloggers, one of her favourite things to do was to watch Youtube videos. Between her two jobs and running away, she knew that it wouldn’t be the right thing to do. “Hi, sorry if I disturbed you! Oh, only for a few minutes, I was just watching the ocean.”
Simon shook his head, smiling kindly. “Its no problem, really. I’ve been doing this for sometime now and I haven’t quite grown used to people staring.” A grown man talking to a camera as if it were a person was not an everyday sight, but growing up as a royal meant having eyes on you--something that he was certainly used to at this point. “The view’s lovely. I could see how someone would get distracted by it.”
Audrea giggled as he mentioned her pigtails; she used to love Dorothy so much. “Well you seem to have gotten rid of those rabbit teeth,” the girl returned his tease, now being able to offer him a comeback instead of helplessly letting him tease her.
“I have, actually. I am one of your loyal viewers,” Audrea chuckled, trying to talk over he music. “Ugh, you are probably the luckiest royal ever—-not having to do your diplomatic duties to travel the globe,” she said, although she was not bleeding with envy, Audrea would definitely admit that it was a charmed life Simon is enjoying. “I’ve been helping my father run the business, believe it or not. No more modelling or becoming a fashion designer,” she shrugged. “Speaking of, where are you staying? I can get you a suite at my hotel ASAP if you need to.”
Simon smiled, flashing those pearly whites of his (that were certainly bought, and not earned.) “Three years of being a braceface was totally worth it,” he quipped.
Feigning surprise, he held a hand against his chest. “You are? Boy, am I flattered.” Although the two don’t see each other often, they did follow each other on social media. He was able to keep up with Audrea’s life from her modelling career to her time in college, while he was most likely partying in Ibiza or attending charity galas in California. “I still fly back from time to time to do some work for mom and dad,” he admitted, “Although, Cedric has been taking over most of my diplomatic duties.” Thankfully, his twenty-two year old brother was willing to stand in his place in the meantime. Although it took a bit of bribery, it got the job done. “I’m renting out a quaint apartment in Murano with my bodyguard. Thank you for the offer, though.”
Sephy let out a small smirk, hugging him back. “That’s good. I like how my presence automatically improves your day. I think my day has just gotten btter as well.” Their relationship had been flirtatious from the get-go, the male being great at distracting her. “It’s not been so bad. I was just headed back to mine, I need a long bath. Care to join me?”
Simon let his hand linger on her lower back as he smirked at her, a mischievous glint sparkling in his blue eyes. “Hmm... sounds like someone is eager for my company,” he teased. It would be a lie to say that the idea was not appealing. After all, it would be a sin for him to reject a pretty girl. Leaning close to her ear, he whispered, “You know I simply cannot resist you, Seph. Lead the way.”
Lucy frowned in sympathy as he expressed his dismay for having to quit travel vlogging for the sake of taking over his father’s role in whatever work he did. She did not feel it right to importune just what that job may be– perhaps he did not want to talk about it, as he clearly wasn’t excited about the proposition in the first place. “I’m sorry to hear that,” the brunette offered with soft compassion in her eyes. “Giving up what you love is never easy.” She glanced at the hands folded in her lap at that, knowing her own wisdom all too well.
“I would love it,” she said with enthusiasm, a smile returning as he explained his role in charity work. “I admire that you did all that for those children. I feel too many people nowadays are lacking in empathy and a desire to make a difference, which is why I so greatly respect the people willing to go against the tide and do what they think is right, especially for the betterment of everyone. Humans need each other, whether we like it or not, and it does no good to let each other suffer.”
A fond look came onto her face as he joked with her, and her smile grew. “Were you knighted by the Queen, too?” she teased in return. “Well, at least I know someone else who is close enough to my roots, even if it is through others, like you are.” She bit down on her lower lip lightly as she racked up a short list to respond with. “The architecture never ceases to amaze me. Even the least important building has the most beautiful, rugged and vintage appearance. And while I’m no Italian, and some of their customs may throw me off a little, I can genuinely appreciate the culture. England could be a bit bland at time, at least where I grew up– my town was very uniform, cookie-cutter, however you’d describe it. The accessibility to amazing art and literature probably interests me the most, though.”
The twenty-nine year old studied her as she spoke for it seemed like there was an underlying meaning behind her words. He wondered if she knew exactly what he felt like, but decided to not push the topic. It seemed rather strange for him to bring it up to someone he just met, and he’d rather not scare her off. In all honesty, Simon enjoyed listening to her talk about the things she loved. Lucy seemed incredibly genuine and sweet--something that he encountered rarely.
A soft laugh escaped his lips as Simon run his fingers through his hair nervously. He hasn’t been knighted by the Queen, but he certainly has met her--numerous times, in fact. Of course, that was a bit of information he didn’t give up easily. “Venice is a beautiful city, indeed. I think that’s what I love about Italy, in general; I consider myself a history buff, and I love any country with a rich history. Here, it’s very evident in the architecture. The Italians may seem odd, but they’re phenomenal with preserving their history,” he rambled. “It seems like we both have left our bland hometowns in search for greener pastures. Where are in England are you from, if I may ask?”
He smiled fondly, nodding his head; it was honestly a dream come true, being in the same city as his closest loved ones. He had felt bad leaving everyone behind in England, but by then, he was a fully grown adult, anyways– it was bound to happen sooner or later. “It really is quite lucky. We have a lot of lost time to make up for,” he chuckled.
“Yeah, getting as far away from England as possible was kind of the goal. You know how my parents are,” he said with a light sigh. He knew he owed a lot to the Duke and Duchess, but after the incident with Lucy, he had needed to leave. He was also well aware that Simon was similar to him in the sense of avoiding the royal life as much as possible– it was one of the reasons they understood each other so well. “That sounds amazing, honestly. I’ve been meaning to travel there one day, I hear some parts are beautiful. Besides, I’d love to help out.” Smiling as he listened to the other, he shook his head to himself. “Well, you better save that for after I leave Venice, because I’ll be disappointed if you abandon me when we’ve only just reunited,” he teased, eyebrow raised. “Have you come across any fans here?”
Simon laughed, recalling how Oliver’s parents were like growing up. “One day, 50 Cent, we’ll have that trip that you, Elliot, and I have always dreamt about.” Despite being raised from affluent roots, the boys--or Three Musketeers, as they were so often called--never really had time on their own. The only times they’d get to hang out in person was during events wherein Simon would fly to England, with their biggest adventure they’ve gotten was when they snuck out and explored the streets of London together.
“Venice has given me a lot of reasons to stay. I’m thinking of spending a lot of time here, actually,” he disclosed as he tore a piece of bread and popped it in his mouth. “Fans? Of course. I’m talking to one right now,” Simon teased, throwing a piece of bread at his companion.
“Oh, wow, that’s amazing! I’ve always wanted to go to Africa, more specifically to assist in educational needs since I really believe education is of the utmost importance and it can drastically change the lives of little girls and boys for the better. It may be something I do later in life once I serve my purpose as a psychologist for those that need help around me right now.” She beamed and added, “It’s great that you did charity work there as well. There are far too many people who try to show off a perfect picture from vacation in places where poverty and injustice reign, and it’s shameful, really.” She nodded at his assumption before answering his other questions. “As English as they come,” she joked lightheartedly. “I just needed a change in scenery, I suppose. And what better place for that than the polar opposite of England?” She noted the mischievous look he gave before answering with a teasing lilt to her voice, “Work, I’m afraid for you. But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy many of the things Venice has to offer.”
“Indeed,” he agreed, pleased that he could have an actual conversation with this girl. A lot of women would rather talk about shallow matters, such as parties and juicy gossip about his celebrity friends, but Lucy was definitely someone he could talk to regarding things with actual substance--stuff that mattered to him. “Unfortunately, I won’t be doing this for too long. The responsibility of taking over my father’s... err... job awaits me when I return home to Belgium. I can’t say I’m ecstatic about that.” Simon didn’t want to give too much away regarding his status as a royal; he enjoyed the shroud of normalcy that being with someone who wasn’t aware of his identity had to offer.
Simon nodded as she expressed her thoughts, smiling softly at her excitement. “My line of charity mostly involved education. I helped build some classrooms, and spend some time teaching kids. It was wonderful. I imagine you’d like it.” He left out the part where he and his family donated a large sum of money to fund numerous scholarships in Kenya. If he had known her four months ago, he would’ve taken her under his wing and invited her to be part of his volunteer group in Africa.
“I consider myself as an honorary Englishman since my two best friends were from there,” he joked, memories of growing up with Elliot and Oliver fluttering through his mind. “Oh, yeah? And what does Venice offer that you find of particular enjoyment?”
The blonde suppressed her laughter as she watched Simon finish his video, a smile dancing on her lips. ‘’Long enough,’’ she replied to his question and walked over to him, sitting on the opposite chair. ‘’Three days of our beautiful city only? Your viewers deserve way more’’ she asked teasingly.
Simon rolled his eyes, throwing a smirk at his best friend as she settled in the empty seat across from him. “Cut me some slack, V. I just got here. There’s way too much to explore for only three videos,” he mused, bringing his glass of San Pellegrino to his lips. “Is there anything I can get for my darling best friend?”
i. trouble- p!nk / ii. famous - kanye west / iii. make daddy proud - blackbear / iv. super rich kids - frank ocean + earl sweatshirt / v. same drugs - chance the rapper / vi. get away - the internet / vii. somewhere in paradise - chance the rapper / viii. don’t go alone - cruisr / ix. it’s time - imagine dragons / x. mr. brightside - the killers / xi. riptide - vance joy / xii. whole wide world - bahamas
THE MODERN PRINCE: WHERE IS HE NOW?
In a brand-new exclusive interview, What’s Hot uncovers the mystery that is one of the world's hottest royals, Prince Simon.
No stranger to the public eye, His Royal Highness grew up in the spotlight, being the eldest son of King Nicolas of Belgium. Despite having a load on his back, he was a force to be reckoned with. He was known to be an adventurous boy with an eye for trouble. As a teenager, he was often spotted wreaking havoc with his best friends, Elliot Prescott De Clare, Marquess of Gloucester, and Barrington Vincent Lascelles, Marquess of Kent. “They loved to play pranks together,” a source closed to the royals shared with What’s Hot. “Whenever Prince Simon was in England—which was often—they were inseparable.”
Prince Simon moved closer to his friends to attend college at the prestigious University of St. Andrews in Scotland, joining the ranks of alumnus Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. There, he studied psychology, and had a specific interest in neuropsychology, but did not pursue this career following graduation. Instead, he adopted the lavish life of a socialite; he would often attend social gatherings and hang out with the young, rich, and beautiful. In a previous interview, he stated charity balls, art galleries, and film festivals as his particular favourites. It would be an understatement to say that the Prince had a life to envy; so what would lead him to decide to pack up his bags and walk away from it?
Nowadays, you could catch the handsome bachelor through his social media accounts; he has nearly a million subscribers on his YouTube channel, SimonTravels, where he posts vlogs about his journey around the world. “I decided to start my own adventure and not live one that was built for me,” Prince Simon—who prefers to go by Simon Saxe—tells What’s Hot in a phone interview. “I’m doing some self-discovery and getting in touch with the world around me. I want to be more than a prince, you see. Luckily, my parents are very supportive of my choice. I still have a long way to go, but I look forward to my future escapades. I’m fortunate enough that I get to share my experience with people all over the world.”
Handsome and philosophical? What a catch! Tune into his YouTube channel to learn more about this soul-searching royal as he paves the way for his individuality in a chaotic world.
“Me?” Vaughn glanced over his shoulder at the non existent people behind him, looking back at Simon with a half smile, “Yeah uhm – probably about five minutes? Were you filming like…live?” he asked finally, holding a bouquet of flowers in his hands. He was standing outside the shop, so it wasn’t like he was too awkwardly out of place.
“No, not live.” Simon shook his head, returning his grin. “I don’t have enough confidence with that yet,” he joked, running his fingers through his hair. It was true: he had just started vlogging recently and although he was quite successful already, with nearly a million followers and subscribers under his belt, he was still getting used to being in front of the camera on his own terms. He smiled, approaching the boy with a hand extended for him to shake. “I’m Simon Saxe.”
“You’ll have to forgive my poor wording, I told you, I don’t know much about it,” she laughed, a light flush staining her cheeks. She accepted his hand, gently shaking in greeting. “Lucy Ives, clinical psychologist.” Her eyes held a slightly teasing look to them as she copied his form of introduction. She was glad he had responded so kindly, and he was certainly one of the more attractive men she had met in Italy. “So how often do you travel to do this vlogging thing?” she inquired, tilting her head curiously at him.
Lucy. Her name was familiar, and he was very sure he has heard that name before. Then again, he has met a lot of Lucy’s throughout his life. He dismissed the thought immediately; Simon would definitely remember her if they had met in the past. “Clinical psychologist,” he repeated, rather impressed. “I took up psychology in college, but my expertise was neuropsychology. It’s clear that I decided to go... another route when I graduated.”
“I just arrived from my first leg of my world tour: four months in Africa going on safaris and doing some charity work,” he explained. “You’re English, I presume? What brings you to Venice? Work or play?” Simon raised an eyebrow at her mischievously.
