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“Mum, tell me a story?”
“Of course, love. What kind of story?”
Fitz was out of town, which left Jemma to tuck Maddie in on her own. Not that she hadn’t done it before, but Fitz and Maddie had developed all kinds of bedtime routines that she wasn’t always a part of. Including making up stories before bed.
“Well...a fairy tale.” A fairy tale. She could do that. Her story just had to be as good as something Fitz would come up with. “About you and daddy.”
Oh. Well, that was a little more complicated.
“So, something with a princess and a castle?”
“Yes. Exactly.”
Maddie settled back against her pillows and Jemma started wracking her brain for a way to tell this story. Maybe she could find a way to include some of Maddie’s favorite people as well.
She started putting together a story in her head before sharing it with Maddie. This had to be perfect.
Princess Jemma looked into the mirror, smoothing the fabric of her ankle length dress down over her hips one last time. While it was technically Halloween, everyone knew this wasn’t a costume ball. The mystery of the masquerade was more than enough. So Jemma had bought a new dress meant to accentuate, not hide, her physical assets.
This wasn’t the kind of dress she’d ever thought she’d wear, far more daring than she had considered in the past for an event like this. It was form-fitting with a slit up the side practically to her knickers. The dark red fabric contrasted with her pale skin. Skin that was even paler now that she spent most of her time working in her office on scientific and humanitarian projects. It was fulfilling work. Noble work even. But some days...some days she just wanted to break free from the box she found herself in as the middle daughter of Queen May.
Taking a deep breath that accentuated her curves, she smiled at her reflection and then reached for the mask, complete with intricate silver swirls and fake gemstones, that would hide her identity. As if her dress and dark red lipstick weren’t enough. It was far more likely that she’d be mistaken for her younger sister Daisy than for herself. Princess Daisy was the wild one, after all. The daring one. While Jemma was the responsible one.
There was a time when she relished that role. When she thought being prepared was enough to change the world. Most days, though, she did her best not to get frustrated as her scientific expertise was overlooked and she was relegated to figurehead of her efforts to find better ways to vaccinate children in places where they didn’t have sufficient medical facilities. It was as if there was some reason she couldn’t be both a serious scientist and a princess at the same time. But it wasn’t her fault her mother was queen.
Those familiar thoughts swimming through her head, Jemma opened the door to the suite she was occupying while she visited the palace for Princess Bobbi’s birthday, and tried to focus on her goal for this evening — being daring, adventurous, and hopefully finding someone to spend the evening with who liked her for herself, without the burden of her birthright.
A wolf whistle sounded behind her and Jemma slowed before reaching the grand staircase that led into the formal entry hall where the family would greet their guests.
“Looking good, Jemma!” Daisy squealed. “I hardly recognize you.”
That was the point, of course, but it still stung a little.
“You look lovely tonight, Daisy. That color is perfect on you.”
Daisy gave a little twirl, the pale yellow skirt swirling around her legs as she moved.
Turning to her older sister and giving her a kiss on the cheek, Jemma added, “Happy birthday, Bobbi!”
Tonight, there could be no mistaking Bobbi for anyone other than the birthday girl. In addition to her height and signature blond curls, she was wearing a tiara covered in sapphires that matched the dark blue of her gown. It wasn’t quite traditional, but it was classy, and Jemma was certain her mother had a hand in selecting Bobbi’s attire for this event.
“Thanks, Jemma.” Raising her eyebrows, Bobbi added, “I hope you find what you’re looking for tonight.”
“Oh! It isn’t like that…” Jemma trailed off as Daisy snorted. “Okay, Maybe it is like that. But only because it’s easier to meet someone if they don’t already think they know everything about me.”
“Uh-huh.” Daisy looked to Bobbi and they shared a look before she added, “Just be safe.”
Jemma didn’t have an immediate response to that, and somehow the moment passed without her saying anything at all. Being anonymous was one thing, but it also meant the people — the men — she would be meeting tonight would be anonymous as well. And while she was craving a bit of excitement, she did have standards for who she romanced.
Straightening her spine for some extra courage, and some extra height, she followed her sisters down the stairs.
Several hours later, Jemma was completely certain her plan had backfired. She had received plenty of interest, from lingering stares to a few unwelcome comments as the evening progressed and the champagne flowed freely, but nothing more meaningful. No connection with a stranger that might develop into something more. Maybe she wasn’t cut out for this after all. It seemed like all she had managed to do was replace her identity as May’s daughter with an image of a woman who was flaunting her body for attention. It was embarrassing now that she thought about it. And now she had spent entirely too long standing beside the bar set up on one side of the ballroom nursing a cocktail that was a very improbable color for being mostly gin.
“There you are!” The slightly slurred words came from Daisy, who seemed to be having a great time. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Come dance.”
For a second, Jemma was tempted, but she had already decided to head back upstairs. If she changed out of this ridiculous dress, she’d be able to relax for a bit and work on her grant proposal for a new vaccination method.
“You go ahead,” she said loudly. “I’m just going to go to bed.”
Daisy winked and gave her a thumbs up, which Jemma realized meant Daisy had completely misunderstood her, but it didn’t really matter. The last bit of her drink still in the glass, Jemma turned on her heel and ran right into another person. Her drink spilled down the front of his suit and her eyes widened. What a perfectly awful way to end the night.
“I’m so sorry!” she gasped as she pulled her glass back and reached over to the bar for some napkins. “I’m not usually so clumsy.”
“Oh, no. That’s alright. I should have been looking where I was going.”
As she began dabbing at his clothing, trying to minimize the stain or at least make sure he was a little less wet, she noticed how nicely his suit fit him, how the dark mask couldn’t hide his bright blue eyes, and how lovely his Scottish accent sounded to her ears. Leave it to her to be attracted to the man she just spilled her drink on.
“I really am terribly sorry.” She continued sopping up the remains of her drink from his clothing until he grabbed her wrist. Startled out of her embarrassment she realized she now had her hands all over him. Heat flooded her face. What was wrong with her tonight? “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry.”
She pulled her hand back quickly and was thrown off balance as someone bumped into her. The stranger reached out a hand to steady her and the warmth of his hand on her waist was almost enough for her to sway into him.
“Ah, uh, it’s alright.” He removed his hand from her and took a step back, looking slightly embarrassed. Or she thought he looked embarrassed. It was honestly a little difficult to tell when she couldn’t see all of his face, though the parts she could see looked very symmetrical. “So, do you come here often? Oh, never mind, that’s a ridiculous question.”
Jemma laughed, starting to feel more at ease than she had all night. “Sometimes.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Right. Makes sense. This is a birthday party so you must know the princess.”
“Something like that. What about you? Are you a friend of the family?”
“Me? No.” He rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. “I’m pretty sure I only got an invitation because of the charity work I’ve been doing. I actually only came on the off-chance I could talk to...but that doesn’t matter. I’m glad I met you. This is the best conversation I’ve had all night.”
His lips quirked under the edge of his mask and Jemma let her lips curl into a broad smile. “Would you like to dance?”
“Dancing?” He glanced towards the dance floor. “Yeah. Sure.”
That hadn’t been the resounding yes she’d been hoping to hear, but as he took her hand and led her out among the other couples moving across the floor, she decided it didn’t matter. His hand was every bit as warm as it had been before, and his grip was firm in a reassuring way. And if her mother really had invited him because of his work, then they might have a lot in common. A stimulating conversation could be almost as interesting as other...stimulating things.
The music changed as they reached an open space and she heard a sigh of relief as a slower song replaced the beat of a few seconds earlier.
“Oh, thank god.”
Jemma raised her eyebrows as she put her hands on his shoulders, hoping he’d take the hint. “You didn’t like that song?” she teased.
“Ah, no. I have nothing against that particular song. I just can’t dance.” He placed his hands carefully on her waist, though his touch practically burned through the thin fabric of her dress. It really had been too long if she was getting worked up like this from such an innocent touch. “But I can sway back and forth.”
“I can see that. And you are doing it marvelously too.”
The tips of his fingers grazed the bare skin of her back as they danced together. For all of his assertions that he didn’t know how to dance, it felt very natural to be in his arms following his lead as they moved together. The physical connection between them was practically electric, and Jemma almost trembled as his hands moved a little bit lower towards her bum.
Sighing, she let her head fall against his shoulder. This was what she’d been looking for this evening. A fantasy. He could be anyone and she could be anyone she wanted to be, and the only thing that mattered was two people sharing the same space. No obligations, no disappointments. At her movement, his fingers tightened a bit on her hips and he cleared his throat.
But before he could say anything the song ended, the music picked up again, and Jemma tugged him from the dance floor into a quiet corner.
“Would you like a drink?” He asked her politely. “That’s what we’re supposed to do next, right?”
“Do you trust me with a drink in my hand?”
He pretended to consider for a moment before answering. “I think it will be alright as long as you promise not to throw it at me.”
“Then I’ll take a sloe gin fizz.”
“Coming right up. Don’t run away.”
As he walked away to get their drinks Jemma took the opportunity to appreciate his bum before pinching herself to make sure this wasn’t a dream. Maybe she wasn’t ready to declare him her Prince Charming, but he was wonderful so far. She was almost sad he might not turn out to be as wonderful as he seemed.
By the time they had finished their drinks they were talking and laughing like old friends. She thought they might even be flirting. She leaned against him, the alcohol and adrenaline making her giddy.
“So, ah, what do you do?” He sounded a little flustered but he was too warm and comfortable for her to care too much that she was invading his personal space. He hadn’t pulled away or asked her to stop.
“I'm a scientist. Biology mostly, but I’m interested in other fields as well.”
“Really? I’m a scientist as well. I wonder if we’ve met before.”
Jemma blinked behind her mask. It hasn’t occurred to her that she might already know this man. But surely she would have recognized him if she did. She would remember if she had seen those piercing blue eyes or heard his voice before.
She looked down, searching for another topic of conversation, and noticed his watch. “Oh, my! Is it really that late?”
“Um, yeah. I guess it is.” He smiled at her. “What’s wrong? Are you going to turn into a pumpkin at midnight?”
Midnight. It was almost midnight, the time the masquerade would come to an end and everyone would reveal their true identity. She had planned to be long gone by then, leaving the mystery intact. But maybe if she stayed they could make plans to see each other again. She found that she wanted that very much.
“— while we still don’t know who each other is.”
Tuning back to the conversation she realized he was still talking. Inclining her head the way she had seen her mother do hundreds of times, she gave a slight nod to be polite and smiled back at him. She had no idea what he had said, but whatever it was, it was probably lovely based on their interactions so far.
And then his lips were on hers in the gentlest kiss she had ever experienced. His hands tentatively came up to her cheeks and his touch was feather light on her skin. He tasted sweet and a little like whiskey, but at the moment, it was the most intoxicating thing in the world.
He released her lips and pulled back slightly, his eyes still closed. Not ready to let him go, she followed him with her lips, and this time the kiss was more urgent. His hands slid into her hair and she clung to his jacket, pulling him as close as she dared.
His hands slowly stroked down her back and she shivered in his embrace. The only thing in the world that could stop her was the clock striking midnight, so when the sound of the bells chiming twelve times echoed through the speakers, she reluctantly let him go. No matter what happened next, it had been a lovely dream...and that kiss would certainly fuel her fantasies for some time to come.
He reached for his mask and tugged it down almost shyly.
She gasped. “Dr. Leopold Fitz!”
He grimaced slightly. “Just Fitz is fine.”
“Fitz.” She repeated his name, finding that it suited him.
“How do you know who I am?”
“I was actually planning on calling you next week. I have an idea based on some of your work.”
His mouth was hanging open slightly. It was now or never, she supposed, reaching for the strings of her mask.
“Bloody hell, you’re Princess Jemma! I’m sorry. I had no idea.”
Her heart sank a little at his words. It was bound to happen, after all. His entire view of her was certain to change once he knew who she was.
“Oh, it’s alright.” Whatever it was that he was apologizing for, it was her role to be gracious and forgiving.
“No, no it’s not. I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you.” He seemed to be a little agitated and she reached out to rest a hand on his arm.
“Fitz?” she asked gently.
He blew out a breath. “It’s just that I came here to talk to you...and we did talk and it was wonderful. You’re wonderful. But we didn’t talk about the thing I’d hoped to talk to you about.”
“What did you want to talk about?”
“Well, I was reading some of your recent research and I realized that your concentrated vaccines might work well with the injection mechanism I’ve been creating.”
Laughter bubbled up through her and she suddenly wanted to kiss him again. “You’ve read my research?”
“Of course I have. I think you’re brilliant. Your ideas are revolutionary.”
“Well, it just so happens that I’ve read your research too, and I was planning on reaching out to you as well. I just haven’t had the opportunity because of...family obligations,” she said, waving a hand around to include the entirety of the palace.
“That’s understandable,” he said, with a wide grin on his face.
There were a few seconds of silence between them before he asked, “So, can I see you again? To talk business, of course.”
She studied him as she licked her lips. When he didn’t know who she was, it had felt like they had a connection. He’d wanted to kiss her. Maybe he still did. And that was something she definitely wanted to explore more.
“No, but you can take me to dinner.”
He looked startled. “Someplace nice? Like a date?”
“Yes, of course.” It didn’t really matter to her where they went.
“Alright.”
“Alright,” she agreed. And then she kissed him again. This time even more certain she was doing the right thing. Because what was happening between them — between her and Fitz — wasn’t just for tonight. She was certain he’d be in her life for a long time.
Jemma smiled to herself, missing Fitz a little bit more than she had a minute ago. Well, that story had a nice ending at least,
“Mum? Can you tell me another one?”
“Another story?”
“Daddy always tells me two stories before bed.”
Jemma sighed. “Alright, just give me a minute to think of a good one.”
“They usually start with once upon a time.”
“Oh, I’ve got it!” Jemma said excitedly. “Once upon a time, there was a prince who was lost among the stars…”