A Prince and his Pauper 7

When Charlie stepped off the train that Friday evening – alone, as his father was staying in Sydney for business – I almost didn’t recognise him as he walked towards me, carrying his bag. He looked different, older somehow, especially with his hair specially styled for the role, his posture straighter. He looked, sharp, which was evident by the heads turning in his direction.

‘How’s life in the big smoke for the movie star?’ I asked, as I took his bag from him.

He stood there grinning at me. I grinned back, then he simply shrugged.

‘It’s weird. Sydney is just a madhouse, but everyone’s really nice on the set. Everyone is there for the one thing, so we’re all pulling together, but it’s so exhausting. And that’s not even thinking about the stuff online . . .’

‘What stuff?’ I asked, as we started walking towards the end of the platform and the car park beyond that, where his grandmother was waiting for us.

He hesitated. ‘Haven’t you been keeping up? People are already posting clips and photos from the set . . . even though it’s banned. And some of them even talk about me being gay. How the hell can they get away with that, Bray? They don’t even know me!’

My stomach tightened. ‘What did you do?’

‘Nothing yet. The director said to just not engage them. Don’t give them anything at all. But it’s strange. Half of them don’t care whether I am or whether I’m not, they just want to spread the goss, as if they are breaking some important news to the world. Then there is the other half, who are cruel, making up stories, not bothering if it is even true or not. I keep thinking . . . what if someone from school sees it? What if my dad does? Or Nan?’

I touched his elbow. ‘Your dad and your grandmother already know exactly who you are, Charlie. And they love you just as you are. As for the rest of them, they don’t matter.’

He nodded, but the shadow in his eyes lingered. I could see the pain and the doubt.

The rest of the weekend flew by far too quickly. We didn’t go out much, for fear of his presence back in town creating a stir amongst our classmates, though we did invite Brad and Danny over on Sunday afternoon to hang out for a while. It felt good to have some normal friends, with whom we had shared interests and experiences.

I stayed with Charlie on the Sunday night and said goodbye to him on Monday morning, not long before he was due to catch the train back to Sydney, then walked to school from his place. There were tears when we said goodbye, but by the time I reached the school gates, they were long gone. In their place there was joy in my heart, knowing that Charlie was chasing his dreams and that the love between Charlie and me was real. I was excited by what was to come, and knowing that I would soon be seeing him again.

I managed to visit Charlie twice more in Sydney while he was still filming, each time seeing quite a great deal of change in him, from the shy kid that he had been when he left Riverbridge. He was really coming out of his shell, growing in confidence and maturity, and while he was still somewhat paranoid about the G word being mentioned anywhere around him – after all wasn’t he still just a teenager coming to terms with a good deal of what life throws at us all – I could see he was now shouldering that burden far more easily than he had in the past.

The final week of filming thankfully fell in the first week of our school holidays, and so I was able to be there for much of it. I was granted permission, by Bryan – the director – to watch from the wings, provided I, “Stay out of the bloody way.” It was said with good humour, however, as he knew Charlie and I were close. And if the truth must be known, not only was I amazed that I had been given such free rein on the set, but Bryan was actually going out of his way to talk to me about the movie and everything that was happening.

As the week wore on, everyone knew that the final scenes; the coronation of King Elwyn and his wedding to Princess Arayana, were drawing close. The exteriors were to be shot on site at the sandstone castle, at sunset on Thursday, with the castle walls glowing amber, while the interiors were set to be filmed in the mega-stage on Friday, and flowing over to Saturday if it was needed.

Everything was scheduled down to the minute, and the pressure was on for the production to wrap on time and on budget. This was real pressure, and everyone knew it, as over-runs would mean over budget.

When we fronted up to the castle at sunset, stepping out of the minivan we had travelled down in from Sydney, the set was a hive of activity. There was a buzz in the air that even I could feel.

Charlie and the other cast who had travelled with us were all whisked away to makeup upon arrival, leaving me with Rachel, who looked at me with a grin on her face that instantly had me wary.

‘Exciting, isn’t it?’ she asked me.

‘Yeah. It’s totally amazing really. I never imagined it would be quite like this.’

‘Yeah, I know what you mean. Have you ever wanted to be involved in this industry at all? Bryan says you seemed interested.’

‘I dunno . . . I enjoyed it when Bryan was explaining stuff to me, and I enjoyed working on the sets with our school play, but that’s about it. Like I said to Miss Carlton, our teacher, I’m more of a backstage kind of guy,’ I replied.

‘And what about being in front of the camera? No designs on that?’

‘No, I can’t say that I have.’

‘But what if you had the opportunity? What if you were asked to be involved?’

‘What?’

‘How would you like to surprise Charlie? How would you like to be an extra in these final scenes? Bryan has okayed it . . . in fact he thought it was a great idea . . . all we would have to do is take you over to the other makeup trailer, find you some costume, add some makeup, then you can stand in line with the other extras as the young Prince walks past them on his way to the coronation, then once more when he walks out as a King, wearing his father’s crown and with his wife on his arm.

‘Bryan thinks it would be great to catch the surprise on Charlie’s face when he sees an old friend in the crowd, who bows to him. All Charlie will know is that he needs to be ready for any surprises and act accordingly, as if it’s all a part of the script. We’ve been doing this a bit on set . . . his improvisation skills are just fantastic.’

Immediately I was taken back to Miss Carlton’s drama class where we practised ‘improv’, as she called it. Who knew it might actually come in handy one day?

‘We’ll be filming both the entrance and exit scenes tonight, and they shouldn’t prove too difficult. Then we film the interior coronation scenes tomorrow. All you have to remember to do tonight is to make sure he sees you, then bow as he stops in front of you. Then afterwards, as they are coming out you need to clap and cheer . . . and bow once more when he sees you again. Think you can do that?’

‘I . . . I don’t know . . . are you sure? I mean . . .’

‘Oh, absolutely, Brayden. We’re totally sure. We’ll even pay you for being an extra, and your name will be on the credits as something like . . . Boy in crowd. Welcome to the world of movies! Are you in?’

‘Well . . . yeah, I guess I better be in. I don’t know how I’ll go though.’

‘You’ll be fine. Now how about we take you over and get you all dressed up?’

I followed her over to the second makeup trailer, and surprisingly, they were actually expecting me. I knew the makeup artists from having been around the set this week, and I was quickly taken aside by a guy named Phillip, who was possibly the most camp guy I had ever met. But he was funny, and I genuinely liked him.

‘Okay then, Mr B. How about we get your gear off?’ he said to me.

‘W-what? I thought you only did makeup?’

‘Oh, I do, but the costumers have brought over some clothes for you, and we need to find something that will suit you. You’re to be one of the young townspeople . . . an old school acquaintance of the Prince, apparently. Not a pauper, but perhaps a son of a well-to-do family.’

‘Wait! You already knew?’

‘Of course. We all know, and we think it’s a fabulous idea. Now, follow me into my lair.’

‘Do you say that to all the boys?’

‘Only the ones I’d actually like to have in my lair,’ he replied, with a wink.

I was shocked by that, but I still followed him anyhow.

Hanging on a hook near the makeup chair I noticed a white linen shirt, the type with a slit halfway down and which laced up, along with a black leather vest and some olive pants. There were some other clothes beside these, but these were the ones that stood out.

‘These should all fit you nicely, I think,’ Phillip said, as he picked the hanger off the hook and then held them up against me. ‘Do you want me to leave the room while you change.’

‘I . . . ummm . . .’ I stammered.

‘It’s okay, Brayden. I’m just trying to yank your chain.’

‘But I bet that’s not all you want to yank?’

‘Oh . . . this kid is sharp,’ he joked, before pulling the curtain back and stepping outside. ‘Just call me when you’re decent, honey.’

For a few moments I just stood there, still holding the clothes in front of me, while looking into a full length mirror. I had to admit that I kind of liked the look.

Shit! Me in a movie! With Charlie! They sure as hell won’t believe this back at school.

After checking that the curtain was indeed pulled right across, I stripped down to my jocks and dropped my clothes onto the chair, then pulled the white shirt over my head, followed by the olive pants. The clothes were a little loose on me, but when I checked in the mirror I thought they looked okay.

After adding the vest and then pulling the lacing on the shirt a little tighter, the picture looked almost complete.

‘How are you going in there, Mr B?’

‘You can come in if you’re game,’ I replied, then the curtain was pulled back and he stepped in.

‘My, my. Don’t you look the part?’

‘You think so?’

‘Hot little thing like you? You’ll be getting laid tonight, that’s for sure.’

‘And do you think that’s an appropriate way to talk to an underage member of the cast?’ we suddenly heard from behind us, only to turn around to see Rachel standing there, grinning at us.

I thought we would both be in trouble, but the look on her face said otherwise.

‘You better watch this one, Rachel. He’s wise beyond his years.’

‘Yeah, I’ve already noticed that. So yeah, he certainly looks the part at least. Are you going to dust up his face a little now?’

‘Yeah, won’t take long.’

‘Good, we need to hide him away from Charlie for a while. Shoot starts in forty-five minutes.’

‘Got it,’ Phillip replied.

As the director called for quiet, Charlie took his place before the camera, near the head of the gathering procession, standing behind the clergyman, who carried the crown of the King of Geronia, upon a maroon-coloured and gold-trimmed pillow. While on Prince Elwyn’s arm was also his soon-to-be new bride, the Princess Arayana; radiant in white and gold, her dark hair braided with pearls, her face calm, yet unreadable.

I could see Charlie looking around and figured that he was trying to find me, as I hadn’t seen him since we had arrived earlier. I needed to make sure that he didn’t spot me, however, before he would see me in the crowd, so I stayed at the back of the group of extras as we followed instructions and took our positions along the route of the procession.

This was actually going to be fun.

The extras were herded into groups along both sides of the roadway in front of the castle, but as I took a position near the back of the group I had been assigned to, I felt someone grab my elbow. Spinning around I saw that it was Rachel, herself now dressed in period costume so that she would blend into the scene, who immediately thrust a wide-brimmed hat with a large feather stuck into the hatband, into my hands.

‘Put this on, and stand at the front. Right next to that column, okay? There are two things you need to do . . . just keep your head down until he gets close and don’t dare to look across to the other side of the street. Keep your focus solely on the Prince,’ she said to me. ‘Do you know what to do then?’

‘Yeah, I’m going to step forward, go down on one knee and bow to my Prince,’ I replied.

‘And try making something of a flourish with the hat as you bow down.’

‘Okay, I’ll try.’

Then, with a nod, she was gone.

As I pushed forward to the front of the line, some of the assistant directors were walking along the street in front of us with megaphones, trying to get the extras to build up some sort of excitement and noise. People started clapping and cheering, and the momentum started to build. With my hat slightly askew and partly covering my face, I looked out from under the brim, down towards where Charlie and all the important players were milling about.

‘Places, people!’ someone called through their megaphone.

‘Quiet please!’ said someone else, which seemed rather odd, seeing as they had just been revving us up. ‘But when we yell, ACTION, let’s make some noise, shall we?’

‘And . . . ACTION!’ called Bryan.

Instantly the crowd started cheering, then the procession began.

Charlie and the Princess Arayana fell in behind the crown-bearer, with them then being followed and Arayana’s ladies in waiting, and a procession of other court officials. The crowd continued to cheer and wave, and closer they came to me.

Studying Charlie carefully, as he walked steadily along, he looked every inch the Crown Prince he was playing; the King’s cloak, black as storm clouds and trimmed with golden thread, hung heavily across his shoulders, while the official crown of mourning circled his brow.

Beneath the magnificent cloak, Charlie wore a white shirt with tasselled front and white trousers, set off with high, black boots, shined to a mirror finish. But that wasn’t the most noticeable feature of his attire . . . it was the prominent leather codpiece he was wearing, adorned with metal studs, from which I couldn’t avert my eyes, and about which I just knew I was going to be able to rag on him later!

If there was one thing missing from this magnificent scene it was a sound: that of bells ringing, but as Bryan had told me previously, ‘We add all stuff that later, mate!’

As he and Arayana walked steadily behind the leader of the procession, I could see Charlie glancing around from side to side, taking in the moment, studying his people. He was close now, just a few metres away, so I stepped forward, hoping that I timed it to perfection. His eyes flicked over me just once . . . just for a heartbeat . . . and then looked away again.

He didn’t appear to have recognised me. So, swiping the hat from my head, I dropped down to one knee and offered an extravagant bow. Apparently, just then, he sensed my movement and his head snapped back in my direction. I dared to glance up at him and look straight into his eyes, as shock and surprise registered, before then breaking out in a massive grin.

In an instant I could see the decision made. He stopped, then took a step towards me, while holding out his hand. Instinct seemed to take over, and without even realising what I was doing, I reached out and took hold of his hand, then leaned forward and kissed the back of it, before allowing it to drop away.

‘Go, my Prince. Your coronation awaits,’ I whispered. Then he was gone, and the procession continued.

I stood and watched, along with everyone else, as Prince Elwyn and Princess Arayana, along with the many lords and dignitaries, disappeared inside the castle, then once they were all out of sight and silence fell outside, there came the call, ‘And . . . CUT!’

Something of a cheer went up from everyone around us, then a few minutes later Charlie and all the other actors came bustling out, mostly laughing and carrying on . . . all except Charlie, who was making a beeline straight for me, brushing past people who were trying to congratulate him.

‘And how bloody long were you sitting on that little secret?’ he demanded to know, though he was laughing as he said it.

‘It was sprung on me straight after you were taken off to makeup, just after we arrived here today.’

‘So that’s why I couldn’t find you before the shoot started?’

‘Yeah . . . I was with Phillip . . .’

‘Oh, I bet that was entertaining?’

I could only grin at him in reply.

It was just then that Bryan came over to us, smiling like a crazy man.

‘You two were perfect!’ he exclaimed, as he patted us both on the shoulder. ‘Perfect! The chemistry between the two of you is off the charts! You know that, don’t you? Brayden, if it wasn’t the last day of filming, I’d be tempted to cast you as Barnabus!’

Charlie looked at me, his eyes growing wide. But then he burst out laughing.

‘Anyhow, back to work, lads. We have another scene to complete tonight, you know! Then after that . . . The Coronation, tomorrow! Almost there now! Almost there!’ Bryan enthused, before setting off in search of some other victim.

Along with Charlie’s dad, I was also lucky enough to be on set the next day at the filming of The Coronation of King Elwyn of Geronia, and his wedding to Princess Arayana, to see the key pieces of the story puzzle fall into place. The coronation, the marriage, the uniting of two kingdoms, the sealing of their future; it was a surreal moment for a kid from the bush, even if it was all make-believe!

Standing inside the mega-stage was like standing inside some grand cathedral from Europe, with the entire wraparound screen lit up with the image of a vaulted, decorated ceiling, with sandstone walls and columns and torches burning. I could almost smell the smoke, but of course, they were only on a screen . . . weren’t they?

But then, someone called, ‘Quiet on the set please!’ before moments later Bryan called, ‘And . . . ACTION!’

Through the magic of movie making, the procession from the previous evening outside the castle, now began to make their way into the cathedral setting, all dressed exactly as they had been yesterday, and all in the same positions. They passed between two fake columns, which looked as real as real can be, upon which burned two real torches. And then I noticed the candles, glowing brightly and scenting the air with beeswax and incense.

Ahhh . . . the smoke I could smell!

A camera, running on a makeshift set of tracks, carefully followed Prince Elwyn, passing just behind a row of townsfolk and capturing his every solemn step, through the gaps between the crowd, while elsewhere at least three other cameras were doing the same thing.

‘We cover every angle, lad,’ Bryan had told me during one of our many chats onset. ‘Then we just piece it all together in the editing room. Often saves having to do take after take. The magic of movies, mate. Fun stuff, don’t you know?’

He was right, of course. This making movies really was fun, and if I was being perfectly honest, I think it had lit a small flame somewhere in the back of my mind about following this as a career path, in one form or another.

The procession passed along the centre aisle of the cathedral, flanked by two lines of armoured guards, holding back dozens of nobles and dignitaries from the two kingdoms. The boy Prince – who was indeed still very much a boy – appeared to be striding with confidence now, his chin raised and pointing with purpose towards the altar that had been created at the end of the make-believe cathedral, and the dignitaries awaiting them. I strongly suspected, however, that his hands would be trembling right now.

Across the hall I caught a glimpse of Barnabus, Elwyn’s young lover, looking suitably forlorn. That was one character with whom I felt I would be able to share in the emotions of this day.

When the procession reached the altar and stopped, the presiding Archbishop, Halverin; tall and austere, his vestments layered in crimson and ivory, stepped forward, flanked by his lesser clergy.

When Prince Elwyn and Princess Arayana reached the steps, they stepped into a shaft of golden light, which bathed the altar and all who were present. It was a moment that was worthy of a great romance, a moment in history, as Archbishop Halverin lifted his staff and tapped it three times on the stone floor. The murmuring crowd fell silent, before the royal couple dropped to their knees on velvet cushions.

‘My lords, my ladies, and all who have come to bear witness,’ Halverin began, his strong voice echoing through the vaulted space, ‘we gather today under the gaze of the Eternal Light to sanctify a union long promised. In times of peace and in times of shadow, the joining of two houses strengthens more than blood. It strengthens realms.’

He turned first to Arayana, gazing down at her with an expression that was devoid of admiration, or love, or anything other than duty.

‘Princess Arayana, of the House of Caerthwynn, do you take Prince Elwyn, son of King Harrow of Geronia, heir to the High Throne, as your husband and sovereign partner? To stand beside him in duty, in counsel, and in all the burdens of the crown?’

Without even glancing at Elwyn, Arayana’s voice rang clear with determination. ‘I do.’

Halverin then turned and faced Elwyn.

‘Elwyn, Crown Prince of the House Ragarrd, do you take Princess Arayana as your wife and Queen? To honour her counsel, uphold her dignity, and join your fates for the prosperity of both your peoples?’

Elwyn swallowed, his throat tight, the weight of expectation pressing against his ribs. Nervously he glanced at Arayana, only to find her staring his way, a soft smile upon her lips, before he finally managed to say, ‘I do.’

After passing his staff to one of the assisting bishops, the Archbishop stepped forward and reached down, taking the right hands of both Elwyn and Arayana in his, and then joining them. A ribbon of gold silk was deftly wrapped around them and knotted once, loosely, as a symbol of unity. The bishop murmured ancient words in an unknown tongue, before lifting his arms high before the congregation.

‘Before all those present, under the gaze of the Eternal Light, and in accordance with the ancient laws of the land of Geronia, these vows spoken hereby declare Elwyn and Arayana joined herewith,’ the Archbishop declared, before clasping his hands together and looking down at the young couple, then smiling for perhaps the first time on this day. ‘It is tradition for the bride and groom to kiss at this point,’ he added with some tenderness, causing those closest to the couple to chuckle quietly.

Elwyn and Arayana, or should I say, Charlie and Lily, looked at each other.

As the Princess leaned in, and the Prince did the same, my stomach lurched. All I could see was that Charlie was about to kiss a girl. My boyfriend was about to kiss someone who wasn’t me, and it was going to hurt. I could only look away.

Moments later, a soft sigh rippled through the crowd, followed thereafter by some laughter, then an occasional cheer. A hand landed on my shoulder and I looked up to see Charlie’s father smiling down at me. He knew what I was feeling. The air seemed to be charged, filled with something unexplainable. Was it concern, or hope, or relief? Or was it something else? And it was more than just that which I was feeling, it was what the congregation was feeling, all the dignitaries of Geronia, all the cast and crew of this production. It was a moment. An event. And the beginning of something that would last.

And it wasn’t over yet.

As I glanced back at the newlyweds, Archbishop Halverin stepped back, allowing two attendants to bring forth the two crowns to be passed to the new bearers of these precious items.

Halverin reached for the Crown of the High King – the same crown that had led the earlier procession, the same crown that had been worn by King Harrow the Steadfast, now heavy with history and grief.

An attendant stepped in and carefully removed the Crown of Mourning from the head of Elwyn, while a second attendant removed the crown being worn by Arayana.

Before placing the Crown of the High King upon the head of the new King, Halverin raised his voice for the full assembly.

‘Hear now the charge laid upon the one who shall, from this day forth, wear this crown. When one King passes from this world, the line must endure. Duty must endure. The realm must endure. A sovereign is not born to serve his own needs or comfort. He is born for service. For the legacy that must endure. To be King is to be the first to rise in times of peril, and the last to rest in times of peace. It is to guard the borders, uphold the laws, give justice to the least of your subjects, and shield them from famine, from war, and from all threats that creep in the dark. The crown is not a reward, but a burden – and to wear it, one must bear the weight of history.’

He fixed his eyes on Elwyn, and for a moment the abbey seemed utterly still.

‘Elwyn, son of Harrow, do you accept this burden? Do you take upon yourself the sacred duty to protect, to guide, and to rule with wisdom, mercy, and unwavering resolve?’

Elwyn felt Arayana’s fingers brush his. He drew breath.

‘I accept,’ he answered, in a voice that sounded surprisingly firm.

Halverin nodded once. Solemn. Satisfied.

‘Then by ancient right and holy seal . . .’

He then lowered the crown onto Elwyn’s head.

‘. . . I proclaim you Elwyn the First, King of the High Realm. May your reign be long, your judgement true, and your courage unbroken.’

Next, an attendant came forward carrying a gilded sword, which Halverin took in his hands and held in front of him.

‘And now, the sword of King Harrow the Steadfast shall be passed to Elwyn the First, King of the High Realm. May it serve and protect him always.’

Next, he then turned to Arayana, holding above her head the silver coronet of the Queen.

‘And I proclaim you, Arayana of Caerthwynn, as lawful wife of the sovereign ruler, to be Queen of the High Realm. May your wisdom guide the throne, may your body be fertile, and your strength fortify the bond between our peoples.’

The abbey erupted in applause, cheers rising even through the still-smouldering grief of the late King’s funeral. Somewhere, an organ thundered to life. Sunlight broke through the high windows in slanted beams, catching on Elwyn’s crown like fire.

Arayana leaned slightly toward Elwyn, her voice barely a whisper.

‘Now you may breathe, my King.’

Elwyn exhaled – a boy now stepping into a man’s burden, a kingdom’s hope settling on his shoulders like a suit of iron – and from somewhere, as the procession from the abbey began, the sound of bells really did toll; not for mourning this time, but for a reign begun.

‘And . . . CUT! And that’s a wrap!’

Applause broke out. Crew members cheered. Someone threw confetti from the lighting rig. Charlie blinked at it all, stunned, then started laughing; the pure, unguarded laugh that always ensured he stood out in a crowd, even when he was trying to hide.

That night, the wrap-party began, and kicked on until the early hours, though we didn’t see the end of that, they were still going strong when we crept out around midnight. After returning to our hotel, we were still buzzing; it was a feeling I’d never experienced before.

We were tempted to take a walk along the harbour’s edge, but instead we stole our way to the rooftop garden and looked down at the shimmering harbour below us. Charlie was leaning against the railing, looking down, while I stood behind him, my body against his, my arms wrapped around him and hugging him tightly, my chin on his shoulder. His hair smelled faintly of makeup and smoke from the fires on set.

‘So, finally it’s done,’ I said.

‘Yeah.’ He exhaled slowly, then turned around in my arms to face me. ‘Now they edit for months. Then there’ll be the press junkets. Interviews. Premieres. Maybe festivals to attend.’

‘And after that?’

He smiled. ‘Back to school, I guess. Back to being just Charlie.’

‘Somehow, I don’t think you’ll ever be just Charlie again.’

He playfully thumped my shoulder. ‘You say that like it’s a bad thing.’

‘It’s not. Just . . . don’t let them change the real you, okay?’

He looked at me seriously. ‘You’re the one who will always get the real me, Bray. You always did, and you always will.’

As we stood there in the cool night air, city lights shimmering on the harbour below us, the sails of the Opera House bathed in light, I finally realised something. The boy who’d once been terrified of being seen had become someone the whole world was about to notice. And my heart soared for him.

Apparently it takes a long time to put a movie together once filming has wrapped. Who knew?

For ages we heard nothing, and life got back to normal, back to our old routines of school and homework and afternoons spent in each other’s company. For a while there, Charlie was something of a celebrity at school. Miss Carlton would spend hours listening to Charlie’s tales about the time spent making the movie, and never seemed to tire of them. At least Martin Collins and his goons knew well enough to steer clear of us now, though. They knew they wouldn’t be able to get away with anything physical, but that didn’t stop the jibes and not-so-subtle digs each and every day.

I think Charlie and I had both grown thicker skins and anything they tried just seemed to fall short.

The one thing that we didn’t mention was the fact that I had a very small part to play. I wasn’t sure why, exactly. I guess I just didn’t like being in the limelight, but still, it would be a fun surprise for our friends when they got to see the finished movie . . . assuming that I hadn’t ended up on the cutting-room floor.

But then, just as we were beginning to wonder if the movie would ever come out, the telephone rang at home one night, and as I often did, I answered it, thinking it would be for one of my parents.

‘Oh, is that you, Brayden?’ the woman on the other end asked.

‘Yes. Who is this?’

‘It’s Rachel Devine. Remember me from the movie set?’

‘How could I forget?’ I answered. ‘How are you?’

For a minute or two we chatted like old friends, which we had kind of become during the process of filming the movie, and presently she got around to the purpose of the call.

‘So, I’ve just been speaking with Charlie and his father, to give them an update on what is happening regarding the movie.’

‘Okay.’

‘Things are really starting to hot up, and we will be having a special preview screening for the cast and crew, so I wanted to make sure that both you and Charlie can come along to that. But there’s one little thing we were hoping you could do for us beforehand, if you could?’

‘You want me to do something?’

‘Yes. No doubt you will remember your appearance in the movie?’

‘A bit hard to forget!’

‘Well, Bryan was wondering if it would be possible to get you to record what you said . . . something about, “Your coronation awaits, my Prince”, wasn’t it? Just so that we could dub it into the scene, as the recording of your voice wasn’t good enough to use, what with the noise of the crowd and no microphone close enough. Would you have any objection to that?’

‘Errr . . . ummm . . . no, I don’t think so.’

‘Okay, that’s great. We’ll see if we can find somewhere local for you to go and do it, then once we have it we can dub your voice into the scene, and then we’ll almost be ready for the preview screening. This is so exciting!’

‘Errr . . . yeah. It is, I guess.’

‘Oh. C’mon, Brayden, get excited! You’re going to be in a movie with your best mate. It’ll be something you’ll be able to look back on in years to come and say, “We did that!” Not too many other kids will ever get the chance to do that.’

‘No, I guess not. I’m sorry, I guess it’s just a lot to take in.’

‘Just enjoy the ride, Brayden. I’ll be in touch again, just as soon as we find out where we can get you to record the line. I’ll speak with you again soon.’

Then, just like that, she was gone, leaving me standing there holding the phone and staring at it.

‘Everything alright, son?’ I heard my father ask moments later. He and my mother were standing at the doorway into the living room and looking at me with some concern.

‘Yeah, I think so. The movie is almost ready . . .’

‘But?’ my father asked.

‘Do you remember when I said that I was in a scene right at the end?’ I asked them.

‘Yes.’

‘They want me to re-record what I said, because it didn’t come out very clearly. A scene where I speak to Charlie.’

‘Well, that’s wonderful,’ mum enthused. ‘My son, the movie star, complete with a speaking role!’

‘It was five words, mum.’

‘Five, or fifty. You’re still my movie-star son! I might have to ask for an autograph!’

‘And what about this recording?’ dad added. ‘What do you have to do for it?’

‘They’ll find somewhere local to do it, then they have to dub it in, then after that there is going to be a special screening somewhere, for all the cast and crew,’ I replied.

‘Sounds like shit is getting real!’ said dad, which only earned him a swat on the arm from mum.

‘Yeah, it does, doesn’t it?’ I replied, grinning.

‘Are you excited?’ my mother asked, but before I could even answer her the phone in my hand rang once again.

‘Braydennnnn!’ I heard Charlie almost squeal on the other end, once I clicked on the button to answer the call. ‘They’re going to do a screening! Just for us!’

‘Yeah, babe,’ I answered. ‘Rachel called me. Not too sure when or where exactly, though.’

‘Who cares where. We’ve got to go.’

‘Of course! Just try and stop us!’

True to her word, Rachel organised a time and place for me to re-record those five words I had spoken to Charlie on set, with the local radio station fitting the bill. I had been given some instructions to follow, trying different tones or inflections, slightly faster or slightly slower, firm or soft, all just so that they could find something to pick from that would match the vision.

The files were sent off to the production company, but we didn’t hear anything for weeks afterwards, then one night, about six weeks later, I was over at Charlie’s when he received a call from Rachel. When he hung up the phone, he looked at me, grinning like a crazy boy.

‘Cast screening will be held two weeks from today, in Sydney at the studios,’ he said. ‘She said it’s brilliant.’

‘Well, she would, wouldn’t she?’

‘But they’ve made a change.’

At that, my heart kind of sank. I felt sure that I’d been left on the cutting room floor.

‘It’s not called The Boy Who Would Be King anymore.’

‘What?’

‘It’s now called Crown of Winter. It’s supposed to make it sound more . . . grown up. Like, bigger, grander, more dangerous, Rachel said.’

Two weeks later I was travelling to Sydney once more, with Charlie and his father. We caught a cab at Central Station and settled into the same hotel we had stayed at previously. We were excited that tomorrow morning we would finally see the finished product and could hardly sleep that night.

The following morning we walked through the studio gates right at ten am, with our invitations in hand, joining about thirty other people who were obviously there for the same purpose. Somehow, I thought there might have been more than that.

The mood was light and everyone’s expectations were high . . . we were about to be the first to see the movie that we had all, to varying degrees, toiled over. Was it going to be hot, or a flop?

I guess we would all know in a couple of hours, but as we were shown into the small theatre we couldn’t possibly know what the answer to the question was going to be.

By the time we left it, however, around three hours later – after also having to listen to speeches from Bryan and the producers, both before and after – we sure as hell knew. As would be expected, judging by the lengthy standing ovation from the relatively small crowd in attendance, it was simply amazing. Charlie was superb and deserved every one of the slaps on the back he had received once the screening had finished.

That final shot of King Elwyn the First and Queen Arayana, before the castle and looking out over their lands at sunset, having vanquished the usurpers who were to blame for his father’s death, would live with me forever. In fact, an artistic version of it had already become the image to be used in the promotional posters, showing the two proud and stunningly beautiful young rulers standing close and gazing into each other’s eyes, with the many supporting characters, like Barnabus and the villainous Brink Callfarrow, among others, all standing behind them to either side in two retreating lines.

There was a darkness about the poster, which we had passed as we had entered the theatre, yet at the same time there was light, along with youthful beauty, and strength and power on display. And if you looked really closely, you could also see the hand of Barnabus being held by Elwyn, which I felt sure would cause the righteous brigade to totally lose their marbles over, when they eventually noticed.

Afterwards, we were treated to a vast spread for lunch, and we got to mix with Bryan and the producers, along with the other cast members and crew. Charlie was praised for his performance, which I could see was making him clearly uncomfortable, yet at the same time there was an element of excitement about not only this movie, but what the future may hold for him.

Even the Boy in the Crowd received some praise, as embarrassing as that was to me, with one of the producers repeating what Bryan had said to us at the completion of filming, saying there was clearly some chemistry between the two of us, and he would love to know something about the history of that. Thankfully, Rachel steered him away from us and we didn’t give him another thought, as we continued chatting with some of the others.

Gradually the crowd started to thin and Rachel came back over to us, handing Charlie some sheets of paper.

‘Promotional program,’ she said to him. ‘You may recall we mentioned in your contract that we’ll need you for some of the promotional events, like the premiere night and some TV appearances, and the like. We’ll talk to you and your father beforehand, though, so that we can plan it all out.’

‘Okay then, I guess.’

‘Relax, Charlie. We’ll try to space it all out for you, but just so you know, this movie is going to make you a star, sweetheart! A genuine star!’

To be continued . . .