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Thanks for covering close at the restaurant for me.

After you burned your third order of salmon,

I realized you might be doing more harm than good.

For the record, I only burned two.

Okay, two.

I'm still worried about you.

You don't have to worry about me. I'm fine.

I know this is about Steven. Are you guys okay?

We're over.

What? Just last week, you said that he might be the one.

Hey Em, it's me.

Speak of the devil.

I have nothing to say to him.

Go tell him that. I'll wait in the other room.

Em, hey, I didn't mean to upset you.

Honestly, I, I don't even know what I did exactly. Um.

That's the problem.

Okay, well, but can we maybe sit down and talk about it for a minute?

No, you won't be here long. We have nothing to discuss.

Oh, I don't understand.

One minute, we were drinkin' hot chocolate, right, and then...

You mean my mom's special candy cane cocoa?

Yeah, okay, yeah, it was a very special, your mom's very special hot chocolate.

See, this is exactly what I mean. You'll never get it.

It's over, Steven.

No, Em, please, come on,

I, I can get into the hot chocolate candy canes.

Or I'll, I'll watch Love Actually again. I won't even make jokes this time.

That was rough.

Good morning, Mother.

Good morning, Nicholas.

You're certainly up early this morning.

The annual Christmas gala is less than a week away,

and there's still so much to do.

But why are you up so early?

I told Leo I'd go to the shelter with him

to help build the playground equipment that you and Father donated.

That's very sweet of you. But don't they have people for that?

Yes, they do.

And you're looking at one of them. We're called volunteers.

Nicholas, I know what a volunteer is.

I'm proud of all you do for the women's shelter.

I only wish youwere this dedicated to your royal duties.

Royal duties? You and Father don't give me any royal duties

unless my royal duties are

a few ribbon cuttings and public appearances

while I wait for Father to die so I can become the next king of Verdonia.

Don't say things like that, even in jest.

Sorry, Father, uh, only kidding.

Oh, I know you are, son.

Succession is a patient man's game.

Don't worry. I remember the feeling very well.

Richard, don't encourage him.

Darling, he's right. He's not a child.

We need to start giving him more responsibilities to prepare him.

One day, the country will be his to run.

I'll let you two sort this out. Leo's waiting for me.

Don't look so sad.

He's putting his time to good use, helping with Leo in the shelter.

I know, you're right. We're lucky to have him.

I only wish he had this much energy

finding Verdonia's next queen and having a family of his own.

Darling, when Nicholas does find a wife,

what will that leave you to worry about?

Very funny.

For your information, right now, I'm worried about the gala.

This one has to be extra special.

Why is that?

Oh dear, I've seen this look before.

I do believe my lovely wife is up to something.

You'll know soon enough.

You know what I always say,

there are two kinds of people in this world.

Oh no, not this again.

Those who love Christmas and Scrooges.

Well, what if Steven isn't exactly a Christmas kind of guy?

That's an understatement. He's definitely a Scrooge.

I was so excited to show him my decorations.

I invited him over for some of my mom's candy cane cocoa.

I love her candy cane cocoa.

Well, he didn't. He was all bah-humbug and no ho-ho-ho.

He literally said, and I quote, Doesn't this all seem a little excessive?

- It's not funny. - I know.

You know, growing up, my mom and I didn't have much money

but, she somehow always managed to make Christmas magical.

Our house was filled with homemade decorations

and always smelled of her candy cane cocoa.

Christmas carols played 24/7,

and she always wore this pin that her mother gave her,

every day in December.

Did you explain that to him?

Christmas is a feeling.

You either have it, or you don't, and I can't make him.

I'm sorry, Emily.

Queen Charlotte, how may I assist you?

Good morning, Angela.

Do you need anything from me for the gala?

I can't belive it's almost here.

Uh, no, ma'am.

I've been coordinating everything with the house staff,

and our guest chef arrives tomorrow morning.

Did you see her resume? She's a very talented pastry chef.

Yes, ma'am, she's exactly who I would have picked

if you would've allowed me to do the hiring for the kitchen.

You know I take that responsibility very seriously.

Bringing someone to work in the castle

is like bringing someone into our home.

Everyone must be thoroughly vetted.

Yes, ma'am, I completely understand.

Plus this year needs to be the gala of them all,

for our special guest.

Special guest, ma'am?

I haven't been made aware that we are expecting anyone.

That's why I am telling you now.

I've invited someone very special to accompany Nicholas this year.

So exciting. He must be thrilled.

I sure hope he will be.

Prince Nicholas doesn't know, ma'am?

He will soon enough.

And that reminds me, I need to check in with her. Carry on.

This gala just got very exciting.

Packing is so difficult.

I'm sorry, ma'am,

but we've still got quite a lot of things to go through.

It's impossible to decide which things I can do without.

How could you choose, when you look good in everything?

Here they come.

I'm not a baby.

Get off.

This is sliced incorrectly.

Who is calling me at this hour?

It's Queen Charlotte, ma'am.

Well, what are you waiting for? Give it to me.

Hi. Good morning, Queen Charlotte.

Lilith, darling, how are you?

Oh, I, I'm wonderful.

My, my assistant and I are having a glorious time packing for my trip.

Oh, that's wonderful.

We've updated your itinerary.

The royal jet will pick you promptly up at six o'clock.

Oh, I, I don't wanna be any trouble, but I really appreciate it.

It's our pleasure.

We're excited to have you here for the gala.

We'll see you soon.

Thank you, and bye.

Could this be any more exhausting?

I'm sorry, miss, but meeting the prince will certainly be worth it.

Meet the prince?

Oh, if all goes according to plan,

you will soon be attending to Princess Lilith,

wife to the future king of Verdonia.

You're in a good mood this morning.

Well, Mom always said it's hard not to be happy when you jingle, so.

So I wanted to tell you yesterday, but you were too upset.

What is it? Are you okay?

I'm better than okay.

I'm pregnant.

Congratulations!

I'm so excited for you. I thought you stopped trying.

We stopped the fertility treatments,

but I went to the doctor yesterday to confirm,

and she said, sometimes, when people stop feeling the pressure,

it just happens naturally.

You and Eric must be so thrilled.

Oh, we are.

But it means I have to turn down

that guest chef job in Verdonia last minute.

Have you talked to your doctor about travel?

It wouldn't be for too long.

You sound just like Eric.

The doctor said it shouldn't be a problem,

but, I'm not willing to risk it.

I mean, this baby's all we've ever wanted.

I applied for the position when we stopped the treatments.

Verdonia was supposed to take my mind off of everything.

Wait, Emily, you should go in my place.

- What? - Yes.

No, no, I... No, I, I don't know anything about any of it.

They, they wouldn't want me.

That's not what I mean. Go as me.

You mean...

- Pretend to be me. - That's crazy.

Okay, royal families are your thing, not mine.

But besides, I don't even know where Ferdonia is.

It's Verdonia, not Ferdonia, and it's a small country in Europe.

You can learn. You're perfect.

Well, I am perfect, but I'm not you.

Besides you interviewed with the queen personally.

She's not gonna fall for it.

Are you kidding? It was a phone call.

She doesn't even know what I look like.

Plus it's the queen.

She probably doesn't remember with everything she has goin' on.

Come on, the time away from Steven will be really good for you.

Plus the queen said

she wants me to bring American Christmas spirit to their gala.

She really said Christmas spirit?

Yep.

Okay, I know it'll work.

You were supposed to cover for me at the restaurant while I was gone,

so I'll cover for you instead.

Maybe.

There's your Christmas spirit.

Okay, but what about flights?

They reimbursed me to book my own,

and I got travel insurance, so it'll be easy peasy.

We better get you packed, okay. You have a flight tonight.

We come here all the time. Why are you so paranoid?

There are no tabloid photographers or super fans here.

You're right, we come here all the time, and I'm always paranoid.

You have a point. I guess you are consistent.

Here, put this on before we get mobbed.

Okay, so I was wrong. There are a couple of fans here.

But they're not here for me, mate. I'm not the prince.

I guess you haven't read the latest edition of the "Daily Spark".

"A Tale of Two Bachelors"?

"Verdonia's two most eligible bachelors are none other"

"than Prince Nicholas and his best friend, Leo Stanford."

"Chums since primary school,"

"it is common that when you see one of them,"

"the other is close behind."

So put this on before we get mobbed.

Try asking me nicely.

You happen to be talking to one of Verdonia's most eligible bachelors.

Just put it on.

That's a lot of red and green.

Oh, and jingle bells.

Well, you said that Queen Eliz...

No, Queen...

Queen Charlotte.

Right, Queen Charlotte requested some American Christmas spirit.

And who am I to deny royalty?

Yeah, you should learn her name. Do you know her husband's name?

It's King Richard, and her son is Prince Nicholas.

Have you even looked at this binder? It has everything you need to know.

Well, to be fair, you just dropped it off this morning.

They have a son?

I think it'd be cute to have a kid running around for the holidays,

a little prince.

Yeah, you need to study the binder.

Prince Nicholas isn't a little boy. He's our age.

And he's cute and single.

Do you have anything red, green, and lacy in here?

Not funny.

Hey, a royal fling would be a great way to get over Steven.

But you are pretending to be me,

so you need to uphold my excellent reputation.

Well, I'm sure a royal fling is forbidden.

Maybe. I guess I probably should have read that binder too, huh?

All right, let's go. Security's always worse for international flights.

It's so beautiful.

It is.

Yes, it's very impressive, but this is the main house.

We're headed to the kitchen.

I'll go find Chef Angela. You wait here.

Thank you, I'll, uh, start getting familiar with the place.

I like you, Jess, so I'm gonna give you a friendly piece of advice.

Don't do anything

until Chef Angela fills you in on how she likes things done.

She's particular.

I'm sorry, I don't mean to frighten you.

You'll get used to it, if you stick around.

What have I've gotten myself into?

That is an excellent question.

I have one too.

Who are you?

Sorry, I was just talking to myself. I'm Em, um...

Jess, Jess Walters.

And you? Do you work here?

Work here?

Something like that.

I take it you're new, and you sound American.

Yes, I'm new and American. I'm a chef.

I was brought here to help with the annual Christmas gala.

Excellent. Holidays are a very busy time around here.

Have you worked here for long?

I feel like I've been here my whole life.

Yet sometimes, I guess, I feel out of place.

Oh, so like a freelancer?

I'm busy right now. Show her to her room.

Oh, I'd better get out of here

so I don't get you in trouble with Chef Angela on your first day.

I'm Nick, by the way.

It's nice to meet you, Nick. Maybe I'll see you around the castle.

I'd be happy to give you a private tour of the place.

You can do that?

I thought the royals were very particular.

Get her changed. I'll be there in 30 minutes.

I'll be in the study tonight at 10 o'clock, if you're interested.

Third door on the right, upstairs.

Chef Angela asked me to show you to your room

so you could get changed before the two of you get started.

This way.

This is one of our smaller rooms,

but Chef Angela felt it would be adequate

since you're only here for a short time.

Through that door, you have a private bathroom.

And your chef whites are in here

that you can wear while you're working here, if you need.

That's sweet, but I actually brought my own.

Ah, well, if you don't have any questions for me,

Chef Angela is expecting you in the kitchen in half an hour

to get things started.

Thank you, Reginald.

It is my pleasure.

Oh, and don't worry about a thing. You're going to do great.

Excuse me. Chef Angela?

I heard you, Jess. One moment.

It's nice to meet you, chef Angela.

Your chef whites aren't exactly white.

Um, yeah, I hope that's not a problem.

When I interviewed with the Queen,

Her Majesty,

Her Royal Highness...

I'm sorry. What do we call her?

Her name is Queen Charlotte, and we don't call her anything.

I doubt you'll have an occasion to speak with her.

Noted. Well, when I interviewed with Queen Charlotte,

she said she wanted me to bring some American Christmas spirit to the castle.

Even if she did say that,

I'm concerned that what you are wearing

might be a bit too festive, even for the queen.

What might be too festive for me?

My apologies. I did not mean to speak for you.

I'm concerned that what our guest chef is wearing

might be a bit too festive.

You know what, it's okay. I'll, I'll just go change.

No. Don't.

I quite like it. It's very festive.

I don't know why we haven't done it sooner.

Order them for everyone.

Yes, ma'am. I'll take care of it.

Your brooch is lovely.

It was my mother's.

I must say, you sound a little different than you did on the phone.

I never forget a voice.

Yeah, actually,

I was recovering from a really bad cold.

I was trying to make it, you know, not too obvious.

Yes. That must be it.

Well, Jess, welcome to Verdonia.

Thank you, Your Majesty, Royal Highness.

Don't expect that much interaction with the queen in the future.

Yes, chef.

We have work to do. Come stir this.

How's everything? How's the palace?

How was your first day? Oh, I'm so jealous.

Don't be, I just got on break,

and I'm pretty sure the head chef already hates me.

Well, you technically.

That's crazy. Nobody hates you.

Well, she does. But I'm pretty sure she might hate everyone.

Okay. How's everything else?

I met someone. His name is Nick. And he works at the castle too.

In the kitchen?

I'm not sure what he does actually, but, I can ask him tonight

when he gives me a private tour of the castle.

Oh, private tour, wow. Is he cute?

Very, and so is his accent.

Oh, I'm so excited for you.

Me too, but I should probably get back to work.

Have fun. Keep me posted.

Bye.

Jess, you made it.

Are you sure we're allowed to wander around the castle?

Did anyone tell you not to?

No, but I didn't really get through the whole binder.

Binder?

Yeah, the big book of rules.

Oh, maybe it's just for the kitchen staff.

- Probably not. - What?

Nothing, I, I just meant I never received

a binder with a lot of rules.

You've said you've been working here for a long time, right?

What is it that you do exactly?

Well, I, um, build stuff.

I was actually just chatting about my duties

with my boss earlier today after I'd built a swing set.

Oh, so you're like a handyman.

Yeah, you could say that.

Great, if anything in the kitchen breaks, I'll let you know.

You never know when you're gonna need a royal handyman.

Well, what about right now, for the tour?

This is the study.

I wouldn't come in here during the day.

Queen Charlotte uses it to work. She uses it as an office.

Oh, I actually met Queen Charlotte earlier today.

She was really lovely to me.

Really? That's nice to hear.

She was a lot more welcoming than Chef Angela.

Not surprising.

Come on, I'll show you the rest of the castle.

Finally, a room I'm familiar with.

Can I make you a hot cocoa to warm up?

I love cocoa.

Uh, maybe I should help.

Cocoa's actually my specialty.

Thank you for the tour.

With all the Christmas decorations,

the castle feels like a winter wonderland.

Do you like Christmas?

Of course. Who doesn't?

Christmas always makes me feel like a kid again.

When I was younger, I used to lay under the Christmas tree

for hours just staring up at the lights.

It felt like I was in a snow globe.

I probably sound crazy. But I just love snow globes.

No, it sounds incredible.

What is this that you sprinkled on top of the whipped cream?

A little Christmas magic.

See if you can guess.

Peppermint. It's delicious.

That is the best cocoa I've ever had.

It's my mom's candy cane cocoa.

Cheers.

You have a little...

There's still more.

I had a really nice time tonight,

but, my day starts early tomorrow, so, I should probably get to bed.

It's a good idea.

I'd love to see you again, though, before you leave.

Chef Angela hasn't given me my schedule yet,

but, I'd like that too.

Goodnight, Jess.

Goodnight, Nick.

Wow, that was fast. Took me a week to get mine.

Well, you are not the queen.

This is Rachel. She was off yesterday.

Welcome, Jess. I hear these were your idea.

- I love them. - Thank you. It's nice...

Enough chitchat.

I am going to meet Gloria to discuss the tablescapes for the gala.

Rachel, I will need for you to start lunch.

Yes, chef.

And Jess, I need you to inventory the pantry

so that we can order whatever it is you might need for your desserts.

Desserts?

For the gala.

The queen chose you specifically because you're a pastry chef.

Yes, of course. I am a pastry chef.

And you'll run everything by me, and no more crazy uniforms.

I don't wanna come in dressed like an elf tomorrow.

Are you okay? You look sort of pale.

Yeah, I'm, I'm fine.

Don't worry,

your award-winning macarons will be the hit of the gala.

Yeah, could you excuse me for a moment,

I, forgot something in my room.

I'd hurry back if I were you.

There you are. Okay, spill the tea, now.

There's no time for that. We have a big problem.

Why didn't you tell me

you put your award winning macarons on your resume?

I was so worried about all the rules that I forgot about the cooking.

Okay, well, they only hired me,

I mean you, because you're a pastry chef.

Okay, it will be okay. You can do it.

No, I haven't made macarons since culinary school,

and they were more like tiny pastel tragedies.

All right, don't worry. I'll, I'll teach you all my tricks.

Great. I can see it now.

I'll put you on video call, and you can teach me

how to make macarons while Chef Angela watches.

Okay, your night is my morning.

So we'll just, we'll do it when everyone's asleep.

Actually, that might work.

Okay, what else do you think I should make?

Ooh, make your tarts. Everyone loves those.

Just, just make 'em mini, so, you know, fancy people always love small foods.

Yeah, mini tarts. I can do that.

Oh my gosh, you should serve your mom's candy cane cocoas

in little espresso cups.

That'd be so cute, with the whipped cream and the candy cane dust.

That's a great idea.

Okay, I should probably head back before chef Angela notices I'm gone.

Chef Jess, do you have a minute?

I should really be getting back to the kitchen.

But sure. Do you need something?

I want you to know that I saw you last night, having cocoa.

You need to be careful.

Of Nick?

Nick?

Yeah. He seems like a great guy.

Am I missing something? Do you work with him?

No, I don't work with Nick.

Then what's with the warning? Is it his family?

Well, yes.

But he seems so sweet.

Don't tell me his family is with the Verdonia mafia or something.

No, he's not a member of the mafia.

Look, I know you're only here a short time,

but Queen Charlotte has some pretty strict rules.

Does the palace have no fraternizing rule?

Well, I'm certain the queen would frown on you

starting any type of relationship with Nick.

Well, I appreciate your warning, but, Nick's just being friendly.

Is that all?

Um, yes.

Don't worry, you're safe.

Chef Angela hasn't returned.

I'm happy to help you with the desserts.

I'd love to learn.

Really? That would be great.

Oh, and my room is right next door to yours.

I could come over later

and show you some pictures I took of last year's gala.

That would be amazing.

Thank you so much for printing these out for me.

Of course. It's nice having someone my age in the castle.

I'm excited to work with you too.

These are definitely giving me a better idea of what to expect.

I'm glad. I honestly think the key is having just lots of little desserts

so the guests can try them all.

My friend Jess said the same thing.

You have a friend named Jess too?

Yeah, it's the craziest thing.

Doesn't that get confusing?

Yeah, lately it really does.

Well, I have the early shift tomorrow, so I should get to bed.

But don't worry, if you need anything, I'm here for you.

Thank you.

- Goodnight. - Goodnight.

Interesting text?

You shouldn't scare your mother like that.

I just came to say goodnight, Mother.

What are you hiding?

Nothing. I guess I'm just feeling very hopeful.

I'm feeling hopeful too.

Before I forget, you're having dinner at the chateau tomorrow night

with Lilith Abernathy.

Is this another one of your setups?

Darling, you asked for more responsibility.

Consider this diplomatic relations.

Your reservations are at seven.

What a coincidence! I have Friday morning off too.

Yes, right, Mom, I'm going to learn how to make macarons

from an award-winning pastry chef.

You and me both.

Great. You know, I think it's a good idea

you're doing a trial run in the palace's oven before the party.

Macarons can be very temperamental.

Do these look right?

Yes, they're perfect.

Okay, now bang the pans on the counter to pop the air bubbles,

but let 'em dry for an hour before you bake 'em.

Behind you.

Oh, I gotta go.

Hi.

You're making macarons? My favorite.

They're my specialty.

The queen requested I make them for the gala,

so I'm just testing out the palace ovens.

Macarons can be very temperamental.

Makes sense. Can I help?

Sure.

The next step is banging them on the counter

to get all the air bubbles out.

Like this.

This is fun.

What are you doing up so late?

Uh, gettin' a snack.

Uh, what do we do now?

Now we let the dough dry out for an hour, and then bake 'em.

Oh, so you have an hour to kill?

I guess so.

Go get your coat. I wanna show you something.

I promise I'll have you back within an hour.

Castle's so peaceful this time of year.

It's so beautiful.

Yes it is.

I love spending time out here.

I can see why.

I hate for this to end, but I, promised I'd get you back in an hour, so.

I guess we should go back. I had a really...

- I'm sorry, I shouldn't... - No, it's okay.

Well, I'll leave you to your macarons.

I had fun tonight.

Me too.

You still good to go out with me tomorrow morning?

Of course.

Goodnight.

Goodnight.

Deck the halls with boughs of holly Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

Tis the season to be jolly

Fa-la-la-la-la La-la-la-la

Who made the macarons?

Apparently, Jess did, last night.

She used the kitchen, after hours?

Didn't she read the binder?

I think it shows initiative.

The gala is fast approaching, and, everything must be perfect.

A surprise visit from His Royal Highness.

Avoiding your mother again?

No. I come bearing gifts.

Well, actually, it's more of a bribe.

I'm intrigued.

What secret do you need me to deny this time?

Very funny, but we both know

you could put me in some real trouble if you wanted to.

True, very true.

So what do you need?

I wanna bring Jess by this morning.

But she still doesn't know I'm a prince.

I thought I thought you were going to tell her.

I'll tell her after she meets you, and we show her around the shelter.

There must be something really special about this one.

You've never wanted to bring anyone here before.

You're right.

So will you help me?

Of course.

But, I would've done it without the bribe.

I need you to tell her

just how much my family helped the shelter,

so she knows we're good people.

That's a brilliant plan. But I have one question.

What?

How are you going to bring her here?

I don't drive.

It's going to be a little odd

if Nick the handyman has his own personal driver.

You don't suppose that she'd buy that I'm so essential

that they assigned me a driver to keep me on schedule?

Nobody's that good.

Can I use your car?

No. Not going to happen.

You said it yourself, you don't drive.

I know how to drive.

Driving the golf cart around the palace grounds does not count.

Then teach me. Quick.

You want to drive my car, my hunk of junk, as you call it?

It's perfect.

It's exactly what a normal handyman would drive.

And if I wreck it,

it's still a hunk of junk.

Get your keys. I'll tell Reginald to go back to the palace.

That was fantastic.

Fantastic is not the terminology I would use.

We were in an empty parking lot, and you almost killed me twice.

You're exaggerating.

Plus I'm only going between here and the castle.

I'll take the back roads.

This goes against all of my better judgment.

But if you wreck my car, I'll just tell your mother you stole it.

Probably wise.

Good morning, Jess.

Someone had a busy night last night.

That's an understatement.

I'm sorry. I probably should have asked.

I decided to test out the ovens last night when I couldn't sleep.

I think I'm still getting used to the time difference.

No need to apologize.

Your macarons are lovely. They'll be perfect for the gala.

I'm glad you like them.

I also finished inventory.

I left a list of all the ingredients I'll need for the desserts

on your clipboard.

Excellent. Enjoy your morning.

We have a busy afternoon ahead of us.

I'll be back by noon, ready to work.

What do you have planned this morning?

Uh, just going to explore Verdonia.

I was worried you weren't coming.

Sorry, I stopped by the kitchen

to see what Chef Angela thought of the macarons.

And?

She loved 'em. See for yourself.

Wow. Best I've ever had.

But you don't seem as happy about that as I would imagine you would be.

Something seemed off with Rachel. I hope I didn't upset her.

I wouldn't worry about it. Rachel's a sweetheart.

I hope you're right.

So where are we going today?

Somewhere very special.

That reminds me, I brought something special for you.

I don't expect you to wear them,

but hopefully just having them will make you happy.

Your kind gesture already made me happy.

Here we are, the waiting room.

Good morning, ladies. Good morning.

And last but not least, my office.

- Nice. - Thank you, thank you.

Please make yourself cozy.

Did you see? That was Prince Nicholas.

Uh, excuse me. I'm just gonna get a quick drink.

Should I go check on him?

No. He's fine.

And this gives us a minute to talk.

So what do you think of the place?

Oh, it's amazing.

You're doing such good work here. And everyone is so nice.

Thank you.

We've got quite a bit of help from the royal family

and volunteers like Nick.

He really loves it.

I can tell he's proud of the work he does here.

Nick is one of a kind.

However, hopefully I'm not overstepping when I tell you

that Nick has been volunteering here for quite many years

and has never brought anyone here before.

Really? I'm flattered, I...

Sorry about that. Good as new.

Uh, we'd better go so that we can get you back to the castle on time.

Oh my gosh, you're right. This morning just flew by.

- Thank you so much, Leo. - It was a pleasure.

Thank you for bringing me here today.

I can see why you love this place so much.

Glad you like it.

There's somethin' else that I wanted to talk to you about,

but I don't wanna rush it.

Maybe I could meet you at the courtyard at 10, tonight?

I'd like that.

Hey, I haven't offended you, have I?

You are certainly full of secrets.

Are you mad I made the macarons last night without you?

I'm still counting on you to help me make them for the gala.

The macarons are the least of it.

I'm sorry. I don't understand.

Why act like you're so nervous about the gala?

With your connections, you have nothing to worry about.

My connections?

I saw the two of you together last night in the courtyard.

Me and Nick?

He's not your ex, is he? I didn't know.

I am most certainly not dating Prince Nicholas.

What? Prince who...

Prince Nicholas is off limits.

The rules are clearly stated in the binder.

Don't you mean Nick the handyman?

What?

Quick, tidy up. Queen Charlotte is coming this way

with Prince Nicholas's special guest.

Of course, we look forward to seeing you too. Thank you.

Thanks for the loan, no new scratches on me or the car.

I'm relieved.

What did you think of Jess?

She's great. Out of your league.

How'd she take the royal news?

I'm telling her tonight.

There wasn't enough time to explain everything properly.

Or you're just a royal chicken.

That too.

But she genuinely likes me for me, and I've never experienced that before.

Everybody always knows me as a prince first.

You want to be the one to tell her.

Definitely.

So don't dilly-dally.

And finally, I'd like to introduce you to our kitchen staff.

First we have our head chef, Angela,

our guest chef, Chef Jess, and that's Chef Rachel.

Lily?

Do you two know each other?

No, I assure you we do not,

as I have never been called Lily.

Oh. Sorry, I must be mistaken.

It's fine. No harm.

Now that we have that settled,

I would like everyone to welcome Lilith like she's part of the family.

She will be attending the gala as Nicholas's special guest.

It's an honor.

We are all here to serve you.

If there's anything you need,

other than your imported glacier water,

your hand-churned butter for your scones,

or your white truffle oil from Alba,

please let one of us know.

Oh, you are so sweet, but, I certainly wouldn't want to be any trouble.

It's no trouble at all. The cooking staff is here to serve you.

Now, let me show you to your room so you can rest.

With the gala only two days away,

I've made a reservation for you and Nicholas at the chateau

so our wonderful cooking staff can stay focused.

Right this way.

I'll be right back, I forgot something in my room.

Come in.

Are you okay? Chef Angela wanted me to check on you.

I assume you're upset because you didn't know

Prince Nicholas had invited a special guest to the gala.

It's worse. I didn't even know he was Prince Nicholas.

What?

He told me he was Nick, the royal handyman.

What?

Prince Nicholas, a handyman?

You definitely didn't read the binder.

Yeah, that's what he told me.

Why would he lie?

I don't know.

But I guess it doesn't really matter anymore.

He and Lilith will be riding off into their fairytale sunset.

Have you really met Lilith before?

I'm certain of it.

You never forget the person who bullied you

throughout primary school.

No, you don't.

And now I get to cater to her every whim.

How did I get so fortunate?

I should get back to the kitchen. We have a lot to do.

What do you want me to tell Chef Angela?

Nothing. I'm coming with you.

We'll get through this gala together.

All right then. Let's do this.

Overnight delivery for Jess.

What is that?

You'll see.

Bells? I didn't think you could get any more festive.

My mom always said it's hard not to be happy when you jingle,

but I could take them off. I don't wanna be a distraction.

By all means, wear your bells and be happy.

The palace has much to celebrate this holiday season.

Are you receiving packages here?

Yes. I hope that's okay.

I needed the special candy canes for my mom's candy cane cocoa.

I'll be making it for the gala.

Special candy canes? I didn't think there was such a thing.

My mother was from Germany, and she swore

that her hometown made the first and best candy canes.

I think it's exactly what we need.

Only the best for the gala.

I could prepare you a cup for your approval.

I like your initiative. Please, carry on.

I came to find you.

I want you to take Nicholas and Lilith on a romantic drive after dinner.

Show her around Verdonia.

Of course, whatever you wish.

Good.

Oh, come in.

I'm excited to try this. I love cocoa.

Hmm, delicious. The peppermint is exquisite.

It's like Christmas in a cup.

That's what we'll call it, if that's all right with you.

I know it's your mother's recipe.

Christmas in a cup. She would've loved that.

It'll be the hit of the gala.

Thank you, Queen Charlotte.

Thank you, Jess.

I am stuffed.

How was your dinner?

Underwhelming.

It could have been better.

Sorry to hear that.

Oh, no, I'm, I'm often disappointed

by things that don't quite live up to my standards.

Speaking of, I, uh, I had assumed that there would be paparazzi

and, you know, that everyone would recognize us while we were out.

This is the prince.

No, the staff here go to great lengths

to allow my family to dine privately, so.

Oh, I suppose that's okay.

Um, so tell me about the gala.

- Will I be introduced as your date? - Oh, it's not...

Will there be a royal photographer?

Oh, formal photos would be so lovely,

especially one day they'd be really good for...

Whoa, whoa, stop, hey. Please don't finish that sentence.

What? When your mother invited me,

she insinuated that I was one of the few women

that she thought would be fit to be your...

- No, really, stop. - What?

I can assure you I am the only one to make that decision.

I think this has all been a huge misunderstanding,

and I, think it's best if you don't attend the gala.

That's fine.

I'm sorry, sir. Was it the food?

No, the food was perfect, as always.

It was me.

I'm afraid I offended my dinner companion.

I'm sorry to hear that, sir.

Don't be,

she's not who I should have been sharing this lovely meal with anyway.

If I may offer some advice, you should go to her.

Wait, I'm not finished.

Nicholas, are you jingling?

Indeed, I am. Someone special gave these to me

and said it's impossible to be unhappy when you jingle.

I've heard that recently myself.

Seems to be working so far.

How was your evening?

We weren't expecting you home so early.

Yeah.

It was a disaster.

And Lilith will not be attending the gala.

What?

Mother, you need to stop trying to play matchmaker.

It's not the same as setting up play dates when I was a child.

Don't be so dramatic, Nicholas.

Darling, he's right.

Nicholas needs to find someone on his own terms.

Thank you, Father.

Goodnight.

Don't worry,

I'm sure he'll find the perfect woman.

You know, the heart wants what it wants,

or else it doesn't care.

Are you really using a quote from Emily Dickinson against me?

Believe I just did.

So let me get this straight.

You are supposed to go meet Prince Nicholas tonight in the courtyard,

and you're standing him up?

No, I'm standing up Nick the handyman.

Prince Nicholas is someone I've never met.

What time are you supposed to meet?

10:00.

It's already 10:10.

Don't you think you should go talk to him?

With his special guest in town,

I doubt he'll be at the courtyard either.

I thought you didn't care.

I don't.

But if I did care,

it would be about someone who's only focused on me.

Look, I've known Prince Nicholas a long time.

And trust me, by the way he's acting,

he is only focused on you.

Go talk to him.

It's nice to meet you, Prince Nicholas.

Believe me, I was gonna tell you today at the shelter.

We just ran out of time.

Remember I told you there was something else

that I wanted to talk to you about tonight?

Honestly, I'm more upset about Lilith, your special guest.

Mother's special guest.

You didn't invite her?

Of course not. I knew nothing about her.

I was told it was for diplomatic relations.

That's an interesting way of putting it.

As a matter of fact, tonight at dinner,

I told her that she should not attend the gala.

You uninvited me to the gala for this, this tiny little...

Really, stop.

Don't say anything that you'll regret.

That I'll regret?

I think I'll excuse myself and let you handle this situation.

Wait. Are we good?

I think so.

Is everything okay?

I'm sorry, but I need your advice. I don't know what to do.

I just learned that Nick the handyman is Prince Nicholas.

Wait, what? You're dating Prince Nicholas?

The handsome Prince Nicholas?

That's the one.

How did you not know?

Oh, yeah, that's right.

The binder, I know, I didn't read the binder.

But what do I do? I really like him.

What's so funny?

You guys are both pretending to be someone else.

In a way, that means the prince has fallen for me.

I better tell Eric he has some competition.

Focus, please.

I'd start by telling him the truth about who you are too.

Then let him worry about his family's rules.

Good morning, Queen Charlotte. I hope you enjoyed your breakfast.

May I get you anything else?

No, thank you. I'm here to speak with Jess.

Oh, my apologies, ma'am. She's not in yet.

We stagger our shifts. I'm happy to send for her.

Not necessary.

Just have her come to the study before she starts working.

Of course, ma'am.

Oh, Chef Angela asked me to let you know

that Queen Charlotte wants to see you in her study before you start your shift.

Oh no. Do you think she found out about me and Nick?

That's what I was thinking. You might wanna hurry.

There you are. Please come in.

I'm actually surprised how difficult this is for me.

But I'm afraid I'm going to have to let you go.

This country and our castle are run with honor,

and you have not lived up to it.

The rules are clearly spelled out in the binder.

I'm so sorry, Queen Charlotte.

I didn't mean break the rules. I didn't...

We've arranged for you to be on the first flight back to America.

What about the gala, and the desserts?

Your presence will only be more difficult for my son.

Chef Angela and Chef Rachel will have to handle it all.

It won't be as good, but with Lilith leaving,

somehow it just doesn't seem as important.

I don't know what else to say except I'm deeply sorry.

I'm certainly glad this charade didn't last any longer.

Nicholas's heart is already broken.

That will be all.

I regret having to tell you

that I am sending our guest chef home before the gala.

There will be no more mention of her in the castle.

I trust the two of you will be able to handle everything.

Yes, ma'am, whatever you need.

Thank you. I'm grateful.

What are you working on?

Reginald is taking Lilith to the airport shortly.

So I'm preparing a basket of all her specially requested items

as a parting gift.

I've prepared some of your favorite things for your travels home.

Oh, you really ought to watch where you're walking,

especially in such, uh, confined quarters.

Thank you so much for the basket though.

It was really very thoughtful of you.

That doesn't look good. I need to take you to go get an X-ray.

No, get someone else to take me. Just get her out of here.

Shall we?

Lovely meeting you.

Hey, is everything okay?

No, nothing is okay.

They're gonna have to cancel the gala. It's Chef Angela.

What happened?

Lily. Lily happened.

I'm not following.

Lily tripped Chef Angela as she was leaving.

She may have broken her arm. I told you she was a bully.

Reginald just took her to the hospital.

I've been prepping all day, but I, I can't do it all myself.

Well, have you told Queen Charlotte?

No, Prince Nicholas heard what happened

and asked us not to tell her.

He's afraid she'll be crushed.

Well, let me help you.

It's the least I can do, and I'll stay out of sight,

and no one will know I'm still here.

I can't ask you to do that.

Plus, if Queen Charlotte finds out, it'll be the end for me too.

The desserts won't be as fancy, but I'll just figure something out.

Goodnight.

Goodnight.

Chef Angela, are you in here?

I'm sorry, don't be mad.

I just wanted to help.

Did Rachel ask you?

No, actually, she asked me not to help.

But I kind of feel like some of this is my fault.

More than some of it.

I know you're mad at me, but don't let it ruin the gala.

And honestly, you kind of did the same thing to me,

and I forgave you.

What? The same thing?

This is not the same thing.

I'm not married.

Married? What?

Oh, Jess is married.

Yes, Jess. Mother told me you're married.

No, no, I'm not married. I'm not even Jess.

She's my best friend, and she is very married, and pregnant.

She found out right before she was supposed to come here

and didn't wanna cancel last minute,

so I came in her place.

So you are not married?

No, I am most definitely not married.

My name is Emily. Emily Parker.

And I'm sorry I wasn't truthful about who I am,

but, I thought that's why your mom fired me

and why you were mad.

Because I was pretending to be someone I'm not.

I guess we both have that in common.

Is it broken?

Yes, and it's too swollen for a cast, so, I must wear this for now.

What are you two up to?

Um, making macarons for the gala.

I thought you were banned from the palace.

Did Queen Charlotte approve you being here?

No, I did,

and Mother must not find out about any of this until after the gala.

Are you still able to oversee everything tomorrow?

Of course. I still have one good arm.

Then I will finish them tonight.

We will finish them.

Mother's coming.

How is everything going?

I was just coming to check on that.

Uh, Chef Angela, Chef Rachel have everything under control.

Excellent. Our guests will be here soon.

Oh, you decided to make the macarons?

I didn't think there'd be enough time.

Chef Rachel stayed up late to make them, right?

Mm-hmm, yes, that's right.

It appears you two have handled everything.

Come, Nicholas, we need to prepare for our guests.

I can't believe we pulled it off.

Thank you both for making it happen.

I think we should hug.

- Oh, my arm. - Sorry, sorry.

Oh, but I'm full.

I'll take one, actually.

Very wise.

Oh, darling, you've outdone yourself again.

You really have, Mother. Everyone's having a great time.

Indeed, it's a wonderful party.

Nice.

Oh. Thank you, Reginald.

If you'll excuse me, there's something urgent I must attend to.

Mother, I'm sure everything is absolutely fine in the kitchen.

Where is she?

Lilith left.

I'm quite aware she left.

And I'm also aware of the disaster she left behind.

Now, where's Jess? I know she made the cocoa.

I'm sorry, Queen Charlotte.

I know you asked me to go,

but, I couldn't leave Rachel to handle everything

after Chef Angela got hurt.

Well, that's quite admirable of you,

especially after the way I treated you,

but I can't condone what you've done.

Uh, Mother.

I'd like you to meet Emily,

Jess's very single best friend.

Don't worry, I'll explain everything later,

but, for now, you have a gala to attend to.

My darling, our guests are calling for you.

Very well.

You should go back to the gala too.

I think we have everything under control now.

Only if you promise to meet me in the courtyard tonight at 10.

What is that?

Open it and see.

You remembered that I love snow globes.

It's Verdonia.

It's beautiful.

Not as beautiful as you.

And if I have my way, one day, the real Verdonia will be yours.

Hi, Queen Charlotte.

Hello, Lilith.

I'm so happy to see you. I just wanted to say thank you so much

for not making me wear those awful prison uniforms.

I mean, orange is really not my color.

You have yet to ask how Chef Angela is doing.

Oh, I, I was just about to.

Uh, I feel just absolutely terrible that she had that accident,

and she fell, and she tripped and hurt herself.

I mean, this has all just been a really big misunderstanding.

We've convinced Chef Angela not to press charges.

And we, the royal family, are declined to pursue any legal action against you.

Thank you.

Under one condition.

I marry your son?

No, you are banned from the country of Verdonia forever.

A ROYAL CHRISTMAS SECRET

Subtitling: FAST TITLES MEDIA