by Jenny Frame
“Ma’am, an investigation will be launched into today’s events, but there was nothing from the main groups we’ve been monitoring that would have suggested this. I think we have a lone operative here,” the MI5 commander said.
George nodded in agreement. “Seemed like a lot of parlour tricks to me. Lang?”
“I’m not sure, Ma’am. I recommend we have a cross-agency meeting. When the necessary Internet chatter has been monitored, someone may claim responsibility.”
“Yes. That sounds like a fair plan. I’ll be talking with the prime minister shortly and I’m sure she will make some recommendations. Thank you, gentlemen.”
As they made their way out, Cammy came in to see her. “I have the Elliots, Ma’am.”
George stood, smoothed back her hair, and pulled down her red tunic. She’d asked Cammy to contact Major Fairfax and have him bring them to meet her at the palace, as she knew Bea would be very worried. “Show them in, Captain.”
Bea came rushing in and, forgetting royal protocol, threw herself into George’s arms. “Georgie, I was so worried.”
George held her tight, breathing in the scent of her golden hair. “I’m absolutely fine. It was all a lot of stuff and nonsense.”
Bea pulled back, looked into George’s eyes, and said, “I’ve never been that scared.” Bea looked uncomfortable and took a step back. “Your Majesty, this is my mum, Sarah, and my dad, Reginald.” They bowed and curtsied.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard such a lot about you both. You’ll have to excuse the state of my tunic, but as you saw, we had a bit of excitement earlier.”
“Your Majesty, we’re so pleased to meet you,” Sarah said.
“I hope this didn’t spoil your enjoyment of the day.”
“Not at all, Ma’am. It was a day to remember for my wife and me,” Reg told George.
She indicated to the comfortable couch she had in her office. “Will you all take a seat? I’ve called for some tea.”
When they all sat, Bea said sadly, “We’ll have to cancel your birthday night out now, I suppose.”
George shook her head. “Oh no, Miss Elliot. You’re not getting out of it that easily.”
Chapter Twenty
Bea paced up and down the hotel room, waiting for the Queen to arrive. Holly had all her equipment laid out, ready to transform Georgina into Rex. “Maybe she’s not coming. Maybe Inspector Lang has convinced her it’s a bad idea.”
Holly sighed, having heard variations of this for the last half an hour. “She told you she was coming. Her people have checked out Mickey D’s and are going to have officers in plain clothes throughout the pub, and they’ve booked out this floor of the hotel. They’ve put in extra security since the Trooping the Colour incident. I don’t think she’d go to all that trouble and not turn up.”
Bea looked at herself in the mirror and smoothed down her little black dress nervously. “I suppose.”
“You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”
She snapped her head round at her friend, but before she could reply, there was a knock at the door. She hesitated before opening it. “It doesn’t matter what I am, Holls, we live in different worlds.”
Bea opened the door and curtsied, before allowing the Queen and Cammy to enter.
“Good evening, Bea, you look absolutely stunning.” She felt George’s eyes rove over her body.
George handed her a beautiful bunch of flowers, making it feel ever more like a romantic occasion.
“Thank you.” Bea heard Holly clear her throat behind her. “Oh yes, Ma’am, Cammy, let me introduce my good friend, Holly.”
Holly walked forward and bobbed a curtsy.
“Delighted to meet you, Holly. I understand you’re going to make me unrecognizable.”
“Yes—I’m going to try my very best, Your Majesty.”
“Excellent, now please just treat me as normal from now on, Holly, or I may be discovered.”
Bea had already warned her friends Lali and Greta not to curtsy when they all met at the bar.
“Of course, Ma’am.”
George indicated to Captain Cameron. “This is my aide, Cammy.” Holly and Cammy shook hands. “I do hope these clothes will suffice. It was hard to get the captain here to agree to anything as informal as this. I took advice from Theo as to what was acceptable to wear to a pub, since I only ever wear suits, a uniform, or jeans and a dress shirt. I’m not what you would call fashionable, and well, I hope it’s okay.” George had on designer jeans with black boots, a white T-shirt, and a green army-style jacket, and sticking out of her pocket was a matching baseball cap.
Oh God, she looks gorgeous. “You look wonderful,” Bea said. She felt her cheeks start to burn but saw George had a broad smile on her face. “Why don’t we let Holly start, then, Your Majesty?”
“Of course.” George clapped her hands together. “Where do we start?”
Holly stepped forward with an inconspicuous-looking box and handed it to Cammy. “Perhaps the captain could help you with this part, and then I’ll work on your facial features. You’ll find instructions inside.”
Cammy peeked inside the box and said, “Yes, I think that would be wise. Ma’am, if you could follow me to the bathroom?”
George looked intrigued and followed her aide. Once the bathroom door was shut and locked, Bea asked, “What did you give her, Holls?”
Holly smirked. “Everything she needs to change her body’s appearance to Rex.”
Bea’s eyes went wide. “You mean…”
“Yes, I do mean, and I know you’ve always liked that.” Holly left the word hanging in midair. There were no secrets between Holly, Lali, Greta, and herself. They talked about everything, and now Bea wished they didn’t.
Bea felt panic gnaw at her stomach. “Holls, please tell me you just gave her something for show—tell me you didn’t give her Intelliflesh?”
Intelliflesh was a technology that had revolutionized the medical world and Holly’s own world of cosmetic art. It could be fashioned into any shape, and when attached to the body could provide a full sensory experience. It was used both medically, for prostheses, reconstructive surgery, and gender reassignment, and in the movie industry to change the appearance of actors. And it was also very popular for more intimate use as well.
Holly shrugged her shoulders and smiled coyly. “Of course I did, it’s what I work with every day, and I’m going to be using it to change her appearance.”
“You know what I’m talking about, Holls, the downstairs department? And don’t tell me you work with them every day because I know you prefer the real thing,” Bea said, getting more worked up by the second.
“I thought the Queen would like the full experience.”
Bea threw her hands in the air in frustration. “The full experience? This isn’t just some new friend, Holls, It’s the Queen of Great Britain and the Commonwealth. She shouldn’t even be going on a night out like this. She’s doing it for me because I stupidly thought it would be a great birthday present. She’s going to be so embarrassed now.”
Holly looked in surprise at her friend. “What are you so worried about? That she’ll react to you and you’ll have no choice but to see and feel how attractive she finds you?”
Bea couldn’t answer; the thoughts whizzing around her head were so confusing. “I’m going for a walk. I need some air.”
*
George hung her jacket on the back of the door of the large bathroom. “So, what’s in there? Something to bind my chest, I suppose, such as it is.” She was small-breasted, which suited her well, as she’d always felt more drawn towards masculinity than femininity.
“Yes, it’s an Intelliflesh binding.”
“Intelliflesh? Ah, I suppose Holly uses that a lot in her business. It will be interesting to see what it feels like. Let’s get on with it then.” George pulled off her T-shirt and compression shirt, ready for Cammy to put the flesh-coloured binding on. It looked like a rectangular piece of thi
n rubber. “How does this thing work?”
“According to the instructions, I pull it tightly around your torso, Ma’am, and it will shrink and merge more naturally with your skin.”
After it was pulled tightly, George felt herself pulled in and held very firmly. “Bloody hell.” She imagined this was what a corset must feel like.
Cammy walked around the front to examine the effect. “Is it too tight, Ma’am?”
“No, I can live with it, Captain. How does it look?”
“It looks excellent, it fits in perfectly. No one will see anything, even with your tight T-shirt on. See for yourself.” Cammy pointed to the mirror on the bathroom door.
George was amazed to see herself with a flat, muscular chest to match her muscular shoulders and arms.
“Do you have sensation? You can usually feel something after a few minutes.”
George stroked her fingers across her chest and gasped. The feeling gave her goosebumps all down her arms and thighs. “It’s so strange, the feeling…” Suddenly she realized what Cammy had said and turned around sharply. “Wait, you’ve used this before?”
“No, Ma’am, I used another version of the product.”
George saw Cammy trying her best to hide a smile but let it go. She pulled her T-shirt back on and admired her shape. “So is that it then? Am I manly enough?”
Cammy directed her gaze down to the Queen’s fly and smirked.
“Oh, I see. Something to give me a bulge down there?”
“Yes Ma’am.”
George smiled and rubbed her hands together. “So, Captain, what do you have for me?”
Cammy opened the box and pulled out the Intelliflesh strap-on. “Holly has provided us with exactly what you’ll need.”
George quirked an eyebrow to her friend. “Impressive size. Holly flatters me. Still, I am a Queen.”
“It goes by your height and build, Ma’am,” Cammy told her with a smile.
“Wait—is this the same as the chest binder?” George panicked.
Cammy nodded. “Yes, it’s functional—in a limited way, obviously. Is that a problem? If you’re uncomfortable with it, Ma’am, I’ll come up with something else for you.”
George thought for a moment. She was nervous about using it, but had always wanted to explore that side of her sexuality. “No, I’d like to try it, I think. Is this the other version of the product that you’ve used, Captain Cameron?”
Cammy laughed and said, “An officer never tells tales about her liaisons with the lassies in her life.”
“Oh, please, Captain Cameron. Going by the ladies who’ve lined up to wave you off at whatever port we were leaving, I would say you kept them happy. You’ve used one?”
“Yes, Ma’am, and enjoyed the experience very much.”
“I’ll give it a try. It’s just for show of course.”
Cammy handed the strap-on to her. “Of course. Now I’ll leave you to it. Attaching it is a personal thing.”
*
Bea had taken a walk to clear her head, but nothing seemed to calm her nerves, so she made her way back up to the floor the Queen had taken over. George’s protection officers waved her past the security checkpoint at the lift area. As she approached the hotel room and saw Inspector Lang standing guard at the door, she realized how surreal her life had become.
In that hotel room, Queen Georgina of Great Britain was being fitted with a strap-on and chest binder, to accompany her out to Mickey D’s disguised as a man. Insane!
“Thank you Inspector. I suppose you think this is ridiculously odd.”
She hadn’t ever seen the large, gruff-looking policeman smile, but he did then. “Miss, when you work for the royal family, you see and do many strange things, but it’s a privilege to protect them. I had my concerns about this evening, but I think it was a very kind idea, Miss Elliot. She deserves one night of normality.”
Bea had noticed that all the Queen’s staff were fiercely loyal to her, not just because they were doing their jobs, but because they genuinely liked her and had huge respect for her role as sovereign.
“Thank you Inspector, I’m going to try and make sure Her Majesty enjoys her evening.”
When she entered the room, she found George sitting at the dressing table being worked on by Holly. She couldn’t see her face yet, as George had her back to Bea.
“How’s it going, Holls?”
Holly added one last brush of make-up and stood back to admire her handiwork. “I’m done. What do you think, Ma’am? I haven’t added too much, just enough to give you the effect of some very light stubble and sideburns.”
“It’s looks top notch, Holly, thank you.” George stood and faced Bea. “What do you think, Bea? Will I do?”
Bea looked, transfixed, at George. Holly was right—she hadn’t had to do much to give George a more male appearance. Her face looked a little fuller, and with the completely flat chest and bulge in the correct place, she doubted many would suspect Rex of being Queen Georgina.
When Bea didn’t answer, George asked Cammy and Holly if they could give them some privacy.
“We’ll be outside, Ma’am, just tell us when you’re ready to go,” Cammy said before holding the door for Holly and ushering her out.
When they were gone, George walked up to her and said, “Do I look that bad?”
Bea shook herself. “No, you look handsome and beautiful, but you always do, Georgie, with or without any cosmetic help. I’m just surprised because I thought you would look really different, and it would be like going out with a stranger, but it won’t.”
George took her hands and said, “I suppose I don’t need much help to look male. It’s probably a lot easier than making me look feminine.”
Bea laughed gently. “It’s your prize bull qualities shining through.”
George took another step closer to her. “Do you like my prize bull qualities?”
The air around them seemed to be charged with an energy that was pulling Bea to George. This was more than lust, or even love. Bea had thought she’d loved Ronnie, but nothing could have prepared her for the deep need she had for George. She felt powerless against it. Bea reached up and cupped a newly stubbled cheek. “I love your bully qualities, but no matter what Holly had done to you, I realize now I would know you anywhere from those eyes of yours. I know them.”
“I know. You always know me.” George’s arms went around her waist and pulled her close.
Bea didn’t stop her. She was tired of fighting her heart, sick of constantly worrying about the pain that she felt was inevitable. “Remember, Georgie, tonight you are Rex. You have no responsibilities to anyone, no throne, no family, no press to worry about. You are just a man called Rex enjoying an ordinary night out at the pub with his friends. It’s your night, so enjoy it.”
“As long as I’m with you, I will.” George lowered her lips towards her and Bea wasn’t going to stop her. At this second there was nothing that mattered more than George’s lips on hers. They were inches apart when they heard a clap at the door.
“Ma’am? Lang has the cars at the front of the hotel when you’re ready.”
The spell was broken and Bea stepped back quickly. “We’d better get going, Rex, come on.”
Cammy drove them to the pub in an ordinary looking but fully armoured all-terrain vehicle, to make it look as if they were simply four friends on a night out. Inspector Lang and one of his officers followed behind discreetly, and he had both male and female officers spread throughout the pub, to react to any threat to the Queen immediately.
They pulled up at the front of the club, where an officer was waiting to take the car and wait to pick up the party of friends later. Cammy and Holly got out first, leaving George and Bea alone for a minute.
“Are you ready for this, Georgie?”
“I can’t wait to see what a normal evening out is like. Before we go in, I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate you doing this for me. No one else but you would have realized how valu
able being someone else for the evening would be.”
“I just hope it lives up to your expectations. Just remember—this is your chance to do what you want. You are Rex, and Rex has no restrictions on his life.”
George nodded in understanding. “Just one more thing, before we get out and I become Rex. Your Georgie wants to tell you that you look absolutely beautiful, and I will be so proud to be out with you tonight.”
Bea smiled and she kissed George on the cheek. She wanted so much more. “You are such a sweetheart. Let’s go get Rex a drink. I hope Rexie doesn’t mind you stealing his name for the evening,” she joked.
“Never—he was delighted that I was going to spend the evening with you.”
“Told you that, did he?” Bea looked sceptical.
“Of course, would I lie to you?”
Bea laughed and said, “Come on then, Rex.”
*
George was normally a very confident person in public, or could at least appear confident, but walking into a pub for an ordinary evening out was a different thing altogether. She prayed that no one would recognize her, or her one chance to spend an evening like this with Bea would be over.
When they walked through the door, George was delighted by the absence of the looks that would normally follow her; but as they followed Holly and Cammy across the bar, she became aware that a lot of the women at the bar and the tables turned and hungrily appraised Bea. George felt a hot surge of anger go right through her. It was a foreign feeling, but her body seemed to react on instinct, and without thinking in a rational fashion, her hand shot out and took hold of Bea’s in a proprietary manner.
Before George got a chance to admonish herself, Bea smiled up at her and squeezed her hand in response. George was delighted and felt immense pride that she was the one Bea wanted to be close to, wanted to hold on to. When she looked back around the bar, those who looked at Bea with hunger had turned back to their drinks and friends in defeat. George felt smug, and she didn’t care if that was bad or not. It was the truth. I want you to be mine, my darling Bea.