Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize and I never will.
A/N: I have struggled with this idea for a while. I also never thought it would get written, but WildiMeiLing encouraged me to finish it. If you've never read any stories by that wonderful author, you so should…after you read this. Anyway, I wasn't sure how to spin this either, but here goes. I hope you enjoy!
Smiling and trying not to fidget, Clarisse let her mind wander. She felt justified in doing this because she had heard Rupert's speech at least ten times now. He practiced it with her last night—and each night for the past week—so she could probably recite it with him. Also, if the press asked her any questions, she could relate her answers back to his speech on the importance of the pear crop and their relationship with the farmers.
Subtly, Clarisse shifted her weight. She hated these shoes. She looked incredibly good in the outfit she was wearing, a pale blue jacket and matching skirt with a cream shell under the jacket, and she always wore the same pair of heeled, sling back shoes with it. The shoes had been dyed to match the pale blue of the suit. It wasn't that she didn't have other shoes that she could wear, but these were Rupert's favorite and when he noticed she wasn't wearing the blue shoes, he told her to change. Clarisse wasn't one to do what her husband told her without question, but she knew better than to antagonize him before he made a speech, so she changed. She figured she could suffer one afternoon with the shoes.
Keeping her eyes closed for one second longer than was necessary for a blink, Clarisse wished she had argued with Rupert. She knew she would be standing off to the side of him and knew she couldn't lean on anything during such an important speech. Why hadn't she argued with him when he insisted she wear these shoes?
Clarisse's attention was suddenly caught by a movement off to the other side of Rupert and slightly behind him. When she focused in on the movement she noticed it was Joseph. He tilted his head marginally to the side and narrowed his eyes at her. She knew what he was asking. Are you okay?
Why wouldn't I be? A narrowed eyed glance and a tilt of her head back to him.
Those shoes. Joseph's eyes cut down to her feet.
I'm…okay. Eyes closed on a longer than normal blink.
Why did you wear them? You know they hurt your feet! A wide-eyed glance and pursed lips.
Rupert. Clarisse cut her eyes to her husband.
Joseph slightly shook his head but sent no message back to her. He did roll his eyes as well and that did make her smile a real smile, rather than the fake one she had been using all afternoon. Tuning her ears back to Rupert's speech, she perked up. He was about three-fourths of the way finished. Maybe she could make it through this afternoon after all.
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"Now all we have to do is walk through the crowd," Rupert told his wife. "Shake some hands, kiss a couple of babies and our obligation for the day will be finished."
Clarisse could hide her discomfort while standing but walking was going to be a challenge. In fact, she wasn't sure she could do it. She knew a queen was expected to follow the king and be with him during these political outings. The problem was: a queen was also never supposed to show any signs of…well…feeling. Walking in these shoes would definitely have her showing more feeling than even she was comfortable with in such a large crowd.
"Rupert…" Clarisse paused. There must be something she could say to get out of the politics of the rest of the afternoon. "I really don't feel very well. I think I need to lay down."
"You can't wait an hour?" Rupert asked. "It won't look very good for the queen to slip away after a speech."
In any other situation, Clarisse would acquiesce. She knew he would be angry when he got back to the palace if she didn't go with him and normally she tried to keep their situation…calm. She just didn't feel like it today though. She was hot, she was tired and her feet hurt! "It would look a lot worse for the queen to lose her lunch on one of Genovia's citizens!"
"Joseph!" Rupert immediately called.
"Your Majesty?" Joseph inquired, giving a small bow and coming immediately to their side.
"Make sure Her Majesty gets back to the palace safely," Rupert commanded. After that statement, he began to walk toward the crowd.
Joseph cut a look to Clarisse and put his hand under her elbow to lead her toward one of the waiting limousines.
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"What did you tell him?" Joseph asked as soon as they were in the car and the privacy screen was up. Luckily, Joseph was not on driving duty today. Since both the queen and the king had to make public appearances, they needed bodyguards and drivers.
"That I would lose my lunch all over someone," Clarisse said. She didn't even have to ask Joseph what he was talking about. That was one of the many things she loved about talking to him. She always seemed to know exactly what he was saying…and vice versa.
Joseph chuckled. "No wonder he wanted you to get back to the palace. That would definitely be the wrong image!"
Clarisse smiled. "I can manipulate things when needed."
"Manipulate things now," Joseph told her.
"That's hardly proper behavior for a queen!" Clarisse exclaimed. She knew he meant for her to take her shoes off. She could manipulate her situation so her feet would stop hurting right away.
"We have a thirty minute car ride," Joseph reminded her. He looked around. "I see no one but you and me. Besides, do you really want your feet to hurt all the way back to the palace?"
"Obviously you've never worn uncomfortable shoes," Clarisse mumbled.
"How do you figure?" Joseph wondered.
"Taking them off won't make it stop hurting," Clarisse responded. "I've worn them…and stood in them…all afternoon. Merely taking them off will only make them hurt for thirty minutes less this evening. After I've taken a bath or something."
"Well, that's good, right?" Joseph asked. In a quieter voice, he assured her, "You don't have to act like a queen with me."
Clarisse pressed her lips together. He had told her that many times and she knew it was true. Still though, she struggled dropping her queen façade for anyone. If she were going to, Joseph would be the person to do it for…but could she?
Seeing the wheels turning in her head, Joseph stayed quiet. He had a plan, but it would only work if she took her shoes off. He wasn't sure it was the "proper" or even the "correct" thing to do, but he was her bodyguard. He could make a case for it if he had to.
Looking down at her feet, Clarisse's resolve started to crumble. They did hurt and she was all for anything that would make the pain go away faster. Slowly, she reached down and slipped the strap down her heel. After she got the first shoe off, she used her big toe to slip the strap on the other shoe down. Once both shoes were off her feet, she sighed, closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the seat.
Waiting only a few seconds, Joseph leaned down, took hold of her heels and put her feet in his lap. Knowing this was going to cause a gasp, many arguments and possibly a slap from his sovereign, he kept one hand on her ankles and began to rub the soles of her feet with the other hand. The hand on her ankle was to ensure that she didn't get her feet out of his lap while she was doing the gasping, arguing and slapping.
"Joseph!" Clarisse gasped. "What are you doing?" Trying to yank her feet away, she gasped again when she realized he wasn't going to let go.
"I'm helping your feet stop hurting," Joseph told her nonchalantly. "I called ahead to the palace and told your ladies maids to have a hot bath ready, but as I stated before, we have a thirty minute car ride."
"You can't massage my feet," Clarisse hissed.
"Why not?" Joseph inquired in that same nonchalant voice.
"You know why!" Clarisse exclaimed in a whisper. The last thing she needed was for the driver to think something was wrong and lower the privacy screen. Normally the drivers couldn't, but in certain cars they could, and she wasn't sure if this was one of them.
"I'm your bodyguard," Joseph pointed out. "Your feet are part of your body. I'm…protecting…them from pain later on tonight."
That brought Clarisse up short. "I…don't have an argument for that, but I'm sure this isn't proper!"
"It probably isn't," Joseph agreed. "Are you going to tell anyone?"
Clarisse sighed in resignation. Should Joseph be doing this? No. Was she going to argue? Probably not. After all, his massage did feel very good on her hurting feet and she was sure after this and a bath, her feet might not even hurt at all!
Joseph heard her sigh and knew she wasn't going to argue anymore. He took his hand off her ankles and began to use both hands to knead the soles of her feet.
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"Two minutes to the palace, Sir," Joseph heard in his ear.
"We have two minutes until we arrive at the palace," Joseph told Clarisse. He took his hands away from her feet.
Leaving her feet in his lap for the moment, Clarisse took the opportunity to glare at her shoes. "I wish it was proper for the queen to go barefoot."
Joseph chuckled and gently pushed her feet to the floor. "I'm afraid you couldn't get away with that. And I don't think I can make a case for carrying you."
Looking down at her shoes again, and now her feet next to them, Clarisse sighed. Her feet were finally feeling a little better and now she had to put those horrible things back on. This was why she shouldn't have let Joseph massage her feet.
Joseph knew how much Clarisse didn't want to put those shoes on and he knew how badly they hurt her feet. He also knew she wouldn't have worn them if it hadn't been that Rupert wanted her to and he had to give a big speech. "I can try though. If you need me to carry you, I'm sure I can find a reason."
"No!" Clarisse immediately said. She was not going to let Joseph carry her. She would never let him carry her, married to the king or not. She turned to him and softly put her hand on his cheek. "You've done plenty this afternoon. Thank you."
Immediately, Joseph squelched the urge to tell her he would love to do so much more for her if only she would let him. He settled for giving her shoes a glare from him as well. "Just don't wear those shoes again."
Smiling slyly, Clarisse raised her eyebrows. "I don't know. I kind of preferred these shoes today. After all, I got some great benefits out of wearing them."
She was teasing him, Joseph knew. Two could play at this game. As they pulled up to the palace, he said, "Shall I escort you to your room? We could continue the benefits there."
Joseph had to smother his laugh at her shocked gaze. He got out of the car and walked around to assist her. As he opened the door, he wished he had kept his mouth shut. The look on her face immediately warned him of trouble.
"In your dreams," Clarisse teased. And with that, in those incredibly lovely, high heeled torture devices, she soundly stepped on his foot.
Well, what did you think? I'm not sure Clarisse was as mad at him as all that, but I really wanted to put the foot stepping in there. Very Mia-esque, don't you think? I kind of thought of the "In your dreams' as a teasing remark and I hope you did too! I may have a sequel for this, but I haven't started on that, nor have I figured out how to start it. So we'll see if anything comes from that small idea. I really hope you'll review and tell me what you thought and thanks so much for stopping by to read!