Masquerade

I couldn't believe I was standing here, at the door to the hall, dressed in my top hat and frock coat. I scanned the room for a glimpse of someone in costume as Belle, the counterpart to my masquerade as the Prince. I already knew who the someone was, but she was staying out of sight for the moment or so it would have seemed. I fidgeted nervously, noting that I was the only member of the male gender to be seen. Two familiar faces came towards me and I nodded, grinning, "Hey Jen, hey Melody. Happy Birthday Jen." I handed Jen the present I'd picked up early that morning and she giggled, dressed as the fairy godmother from Cinderella. Melody mock-curtseyed in the silver ball gown, showing her faux glass slippers. I smiled to myself, scanning the room, so far spotting Minnie Mouse, Bianca from The Rescue Rangers, Zazu, Lumiere, Mulan, Anita from 101 Dalmatians, Pocahontas, Ariel, and the wicked Queen from Snow White. My baby brother would have had a field day if I'd brought him along.

I smirked, standing behind him, watching him look for me, nervously smoothing out my yellow gown and checking my hair with a gloved hand. Jen and Melody spotted me and giggled, quickly excusing themselves as I slipped up beside him, standing on my toes, not an easy feat in heels, and whispering in his ear, "Did you miss me?" He jumped, slightly startled and grinned, taking off his top hat and bowing, "But of course, my lady." I noticed he had tied his hair the same way as the Prince did in the movie and I stifled a giggle. He offered me his arm, turning towards the clustered groups of my gossiping friends in their Disney outfits. They all turned and looked towards us, suddenly realising that he was here and whispers began to circulate. Rolling my eyes I led him towards them, laughing at the look of terror on his face. "Don't worry, they won't hurt you, not while I'm here." I winked and patted his arm with my gloved hand and he relaxed a bit, touching my hand gently.

The costumes were unbelievable. They stood in three groups, whispering among themselves, most likely about me. In the first group, I was introduced to Bridie, dressed as Minnie; Cora, dressed as Bianca, pillbox hat and all; Anda, dressed as Zazu, complete with feathered mask; and Cait, dressed as Lumiere, presumably because of her stature. I was then gently shoved towards the other two groups and introduced to Maiya, dressed as Mulan; Lydia, dressed as Anita; Marta, dressed as Pocahontas, complete with stuffed racoon; Sierra, dressed as Ariel; and Emma, dressed as the wicked Queen. They all murmured something about how wonderful it was for me to be there and complimented Mira on her costume.

I blushed, squeezing his arm gently and he grinned, bowing to them all. He leant over and quickly whispered to Jen and Melody. Jen nodded and darted off and Melody took his top hat from him. My curiosity was aroused and I glanced up at him. "What was that all about?" He smirked, "You'll see." The lights suddenly dimmed down and a romantic song quickly replaced the dance music that had been playing. I pulled my gloves off by the fingers and handed them to Melody as he bowed, "My lady, will you honour me with this dance?" I blushed and nodded and he led me out to the dance floor slowly, taking me into his arms. I rested my hand gently on his neck and slipped my other hand in his as he held my waist.

I couldn't help but smile at the choice of song. Her friends all stood around the circle, watching us dance, getting closer and closer. I could feel her heartbeat and I rested the side of my head against hers, closing my eyes. She breathed softly in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine and I held her a little tighter as the song played in the background. "You know you're all that I live for. You know I'd die just to hold you, stay with you. Somehow I'll show you that you are my night sky..." She sang along softly, resting her head on my shoulder, and, recognising from the day at the beach, I grinned to myself, resting my head against hers.

I sighed ever so slightly, my fingertips pressing into his shoulder a little, slowly pulling away as the song ended. I curtseyed and he bowed before grinning and offering me his arm. I rested my hand lightly on his forearm and we started walking off the dance floor, only to be pushed back on by Jen and Melody, clamouring that we should repeat our performance from the ice rink. Jen scampered off and the next song came on, a song from the Disney soundtrack of Beauty and the Beast. I giggled and he sighed, pulling me around to face him, his eyes locked with mine as we began to dance again.

I looked down into her eyes, my right hand lightly holding her left as my left hand rested on her waist. She placed her right hand on my shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze, smiling a little up at me and I smirked in spite of myself. Her friends stayed where they were, crowded around the dance floor, watching us. I almost laughed at the wistful look on the faces of some of them, it was like they were jealous of what Mira and I had, and what we could have in the future, if we could make it last.

I blushed a little, smiling at him, my eyes meeting his and he pulled me closer, his lips resting gently against my forehead. I sighed a little in contentment, closing my eyes, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. The music filled my ears so I couldn't hear the inevitable giggles and whispers of my friends and at that moment I truly felt like I was a fairytale princess. I opened my eyes and looked up at him, grinning a little as we began singing together, "Two lives have begun now, two hearts become one now, one passion, one dream, one thing forever true. I love you!"

I leant in, my fingertips brushing against her cheek softly, my lips mere inches from hers, "I love you Mira." She smiled a little, slipping both her arms around my neck, "I love you Leo." I grinned and leant in, kissing her softly as her friends started singing, much to my surprise and amusement, "Certain as the sun, rising in the east. Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme, Beauty and the Beast…" The music slowly faded and I grinned as she raised her hand to my lips, brushing away the lipstick gently. God knows what my mother would say if she saw the lipstick.

I felt like I was in a state of euphoria. This had to be a dream. He offered me his arm and we strolled off the dance floor, this time not stopped by any of my friends who were standing there, mouths wide open, all except for Jen and Melody who were giggling uncontrollably. I shot them a glare and they stopped, for about five seconds. Sighing, he retrieved his top hat and my gloves, handing the gloves to me. I slid them on and he placed his top hat on his head, "Shall we go for a walk?" I glanced at Melody and Jen and they gave me the all clear so I nodded and we stepped outside into the cool night air.

I pointed to a set of swings, "Feel like indulging in memories of your childhood?" She grinned and I led her to them, sitting together, side by side. She pulled off her gloves and I did the same with my top hat and coat, leaving them on the grass nearby. She slipped her hand into mine and I smiled, even though it was almost too dark to see anything, squeezing her hand back gently. We rocked back and forth on the swings, before she spoke. "My mother approves of you…you certainly made an impression on her…" She looked down and I could have sworn she was smirking. I grinned and squeezed her hand, "My mother still thinks you're a good influence on me, and she's encouraging me to see as much as possible of you while we're here. She wants to invite you along to everything we do, or get me to take you somewhere we can be alone." She squeezed my hand back, "Well we're alone now, aren't we?"

I batted my eyelashes ever so slightly at him and he leant in, kissing me softly. I kissed him back and it was as if everything around us had faded into one of those Disney love scenes that so delight little children everywhere. I giggled at this and he pulled back a little, looking at me questioningly, "What's funny?" I giggled again and explained it to him and he laughed, standing up and bowing, "Honour me with a dance, Beauty?" I slid to my feet, the ball gown starting to irritate me as it hindered my movements. "Only with you, Prince." He laughed and then we fell into the old cliché, dancing in the moonlight. "You know, if you'd told me when I was fifteen that this is where I would be now, dressed up as a prince from a Disney cartoon and dancing with the most beautiful girl imaginable dressed as Beauty, then I would have called you a liar." I grinned, reaching up and stroking his cheek ever so slightly, "I'm not the most beautiful girl imaginable, but this is the perfect date." He grinned and swept me off my feet, swinging me a little before setting me down again and pressing his forehead against mine. "To me you are perfect, don't let anyone else tell you different." I blushed, glad he couldn't see my face in the dark.

She looked up at me and smiled, "No one could ever take your place Leonardo Prospero, because you're too fantastic. And yes, I know that I tease you about having a swollen head, but all that I say about you is true, no one could ever be as wonderful to me as you are." I gently brushed my fingertips against her cheek, "Darling Miranda, I pray you will never change." I had a sudden urge to burst into song, and to my surprise, the song I wanted started playing. "You're so lovely, with your smile so warm and your cheeks so soft. There is nothing for me but to love you, and the way you look tonight." I sang along and she laughed, pulling me down and kissing me softly. I kissed her back, closing my eyes and vaguely hearing fireworks go off around us, illuminating us for all to see. Mira pulled back and laughed, looking up at me, her eyes sparkling. I slipped my hand into hers, picking up my coat and hat as she picked up her gloves and we returned to the party.

As soon as we stepped back into the hall, Jen and Melody came running over before stopping and looking at Leo, their mouths wide open. I glanced up at his face and chuckled, wiping the lipstick off it as he grimaced. "You should be more careful," I teased and he swung me around again. I shrieked as he did, holding on tightly and he smirked as he put me down. "Don't mess with the prince." I batted my eyelashes at him as I replied, "But if the princess can't mess with the prince, then who will?" He laughed and bear-hugged me as Jen rolled her eyes a little, "Honestly you two, can't keep your hands off each other, can you?" Melody burst into a fit of giggles and it was my turn to roll my eyes.

Her friends could be so immature I swear. We sat against the wall as her friends danced. I'd declined politely simply because of the music and she refused to dance without me. Honestly, at times she could be as stubborn as me, and that was saying something. She sipped from the fake goblets that the drinks were served in and I nudged her with my elbow gently. She nudged back, smirking. I leant over, whispering into her ear, "We should have stayed outside." She giggled a little, covering her mouth. "The costume party's almost over, are you ready to spend the night with a bunch of giggling girls?" she whispered and I grinned, "Only if you're there with me to keep me sane."

I laughed, "I'm not leaving you to the mercy of my friends!" I slipped my arm through his gently. "Besides, Jen already said that if we didn't want to watch the movies, we could go into one of the other rooms and just unwind, listen to some music and basically do what we want." I could have sworn I saw a gleam in his eye but I shrugged it off as Jen called over to us loudly. "Your Highnesses, are you ready to go?" We nodded as my friends giggled, and stood arm in arm, as we followed them across the road, me stumbling a little in my heels and him holding me up lightly with one arm, each of us carrying our overnight bags.

I wasn't sure what to think, I'd be sharing a room with her and eleven of her friends for the night. She noticed the look on my face and laughed, "Don't worry, she actually has three rooms that we're supposed to sleep in tonight. God knows if we'll get any sleep, but there's enough space for all thirteen of us." I chuckled and squeezed her gloved hand gently. "Well at least I get to spend some time with you, right?" She grinned, squeezing my hand back, "We'll keep each other sane." We stepped into the hall of Jen's house and she grinned, directing the two of us to one of the rooms and shoving everyone else in the other two. I laughed when I saw the amazing stereo system, Jen obviously knew me too well. I also noticed there were very few places to sleep, meaning there would be maybe two people joining us, most likely Jen and Melody.

I couldn't help laughing out loud at Jen, she had planned this out to the most minute detail. I left my bag against the wall and he did the same, stretching and yawning a little. "Well I suppose we should make an appearance in the kitchen, if only to get soft drink and junk, because otherwise they'll get suspicious." I kicked off my high heels and he nodded, also kicking his shoes off, "Indeed, and then they'd come bursting in." I laughed at the thought, undoing my hair and he smirked, taking off his jacket and top hat and leaving them on the desk chair. We crept out to the kitchen where the rest of them were laughing and talking loudly, pouring drinks and debating the choice of DVDs. They all grinned at each other when they saw us come in and I grabbed the bottle of Coke, pouring two glasses as he rested his chin on my shoulder, his arms around my waist.

Much to my annoyance, someone had a digital camera, and was snapping various pictures of us. When I threatened to break it, they laughed and stood at the back of the group, still snapping. I sighed and rested my cheek against her neck lightly, grinning. If they were going to take pictures, they may as well be good ones of their friend Beauty and her Beast. I pretended to bite her and they got the picture, giggling and scampering away with their junk food, leaving us to take our pick from what was left. I grabbed a few more bottles of soft drink and the two glasses and she grabbed a couple of bags of chips and junk food, each of us carrying our bounty back to what we, and her friends, had dubbed 'our' room.

I left the junk food on the desk and he did the same with the bottles of drink and the glasses. I sprawled along the length of the double mattress and he grinned, collapsing next to me. I turned toward him, my head resting on my arm and he grinned a little. For no reason I started laughing and so did he. I pulled my pillow down to under my head and he did the same with the one Jen left for him. "This is weird." I muffled my voice with the pillow and he nodded, "Definitely weird…I'm still having trouble with the fact that it's you." I laughed at that and poked him gently in the ribs, "Well I'm not exactly melting so yeah, I'd say that I'm real." He laughed and poked me back, "I guessed as much. I mean, if you weren't, you would have melted away earlier this evening, with the whole fireworks thing."

She laughed and I hit her with my pillow grinning. She hit me back, over the head and I growled playfully, hitting her more. Laughing, she rolled onto her back as I attacked her, covering her head with her hands. Seizing the opportunity, I tickled her mercilessly and she wriggled helplessly, almost crying with laughter. I laughed and finally let her go, lying on my side next to her again. She relaxed a bit, stretching her arms above her head and looked at me. I noticed her eyes were now blue with an amber ring around the pupil and I leant in, brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face, "Your eyes are blue now." She smiled, "They change all the time."

He smiled at that and slipped his arms around my waist, pulling me against him, my back to his chest. I leant back against him slightly and he relaxed, his arms holding me gently. I could feel his breath on my ear and I shivered a little, turning my head to look at him. He grinned at me and I touched his cheek gently with my fingertips. He leant in, singing softly, "Right now, face to face, all my fears pushed aside. And right now, I'm ready to spend the rest of my life with you." I blushed and he laughed softly, "Think I've been watching too much of The Princess Diaries with my sister?" I laughed and turned over to face him, "I love that movie, the brother always reminds me of you." He laughed, "Yeah, I suppose he does, and hey, the princess always reminds me of you. Not the whole ugly to beautiful thing but how she believed in herself and her friend's brother. Oh, and the kiss with the fountains and lights in the background."

She laughed and I grinned, pressing my forehead to hers. "Jen told me you were boy crazy before we met." She giggled, "But you know the only boy I'm crazy about is you." I smirked, "Well, it's the same for me, I'm the only boy I'm crazy about too." She cracked up and I laughed along with her. "Don't do that." She stuck her tongue out at me and I grinned, "Why not?" She tilted her head to the side a little, "Because you sound narcissistic?" I nodded, "Alright, Your Highness, I will do your bidding." I tried to hide a smile but failed miserably and she grinned. I leant in and kissed her bare shoulder gently, smiling more as she shivered slightly, her fingertips coming up to graze against my cheek lightly.

A slight knock on the door startled us and we both sat up as Kathleen poked her head around the door, "Jen told me you and your Prince Charming would be in here." She came in, grinning, extending a hand to him, "Hi, I'm Jen's stepmother, Kathleen." He shook her hand firmly, "Leonardo Prospero." She grinned a little and nodded, "Well, enjoy your night. I, for one, am going to bed." I nodded, "Goodnight Kathleen, hope he doesn't wake you up too early." She sighed melodramatically, "He always does, dear Mira. Always." She grinned again, "Nice to meet you, Leonardo. She'll keep you entertained if I know her. Such a way with people." I laughed and she ducked out before I threw the pillow at her, closing the door behind her. He grinned, "Entertain me, eh?" I blushed a little and he smirked before getting up to turn off the light.

I undid my waistcoat, which was starting to get too tight, and felt my way over to the mattress, where I found her sliding down the overskirt of her gown. "It's too big to lie down in," she grumbled and I laughed, pulling her down with me as I collapsed on the mattress. "Yes, I agree, the ball gown was much too big." She giggled, her back pressed gently against my chest and I breathed out softly onto her neck, making her shiver. She pulled my arms around her waist, settling back against me and I kissed her bare shoulder gently, moving slowly up her neck. She turned slightly, catching my lips with her own softly. "I love you," she whispered, her eyes like diamonds in the dark and I smiled, kissing her softly, "I love you too." She turned over, snuggling against me and I grinned, easing her under the blankets before sliding in beside her, taking her into my arms again.

I snuggled up to him, the blankets over us. He smiled and kissed my forehead, his hand rubbing my back through the silk bodice gently. I grasped at his white shirt gently with my hands, my head resting against his chest and he wrapped his arms around my waist, murmuring, "I never thought it would be like this." I smiled softly in the dark, "I was afraid we'd end up hating each other." He stroked my cheek gently with his fingertips, "So was I." He leant in and kissed me gently. I kissed him back softly, my hand running through his hair and the song rang in my ears. To my astonishment, he broke away from the kiss and starting singing it, "Right now, face to face, all my fears pushed aside. And right now, I'm ready to spend the rest of my life with you…"

©Jessica Horton, May 2004