I sadly own nothing. They belong to meg Cabot and Disney.

"What time do we have to be there at?" Clarisse smiled to herself as she put on her necklace. He really didn't want to go to the Christmas Eve Ball.. He didn't really like any of the fancy balls in fact. He still wasn't used to being the centre of attention, or part of it, but thats what happens when you marry the former Queen of Genovia.

"We have to be there for 7.30." Clarisse walked into the bathroom. She stood at the door watching Joseph fiddle with his bow tie. It had been four months three days and five hours since Clarisse's dreams came true when she had accepted Joseph's hand in marriage, or was it Joseph who had accepted hers. It was the moment they had both been dreaming of for over thirty years. Walking towards him Clarisse began to fix his bow tie
"Let me fix it." As Clarisse's hands touched Joseph's neck their eyes met. Joseph took Clarisse's hands in his and brought them up to his lips kissing them.
"Have I told you how beautiful you look?"
"Not in the last five minutes." Clarisse rolled her eyes slightly but Joseph could see her eyes sparkle. "You say that first thing in the morning when my hair is everywhere, I have no make-up on and I look like death. I am beginning to think you just say that to shut me up."
"With or without make-up, no matter what your hair looks like and no matter what you wear you will always be beautiful in my eyes." With that he wrapped his arms tightly around Clarisse and brought his lips crashing onto hers in a passionate embrace.
"I love you." Clarisse whispered breathlessly between kisses. Joseph smiled into their kiss. No matter how many times Clarisse said those three little words he still found it unbelievable that this amazing woman loved him. Each time she said it his eyes twinkled and danced as his smile just grew.

Pulling back slightly Clarisse rather reluctantly sighed
"I think we should be leaving." Joseph pulled her closer and silenced her with another kiss.
"Joseph we are going to be late" With a mischievous grin he replied
"I thought Queens were never late?"
"You're right but somehow I don't imagine anyone being this early." Joseph laughed but pulled her close. Clarisse raised her hand to cup his cheek.
"Just think the sooner we leave the sooner we get to come home and finish this off."
"Well when you put it like that Your Majesty." With that Joseph took Clarisse hand in his and lead her out of their suite.

Joseph decided to have a seat. He was getting rather bored with all the small talk with people he hardly knew, some he had never met before, plus he still hadn't had a chance to dance with his wife yet. He smiled at that thought. His wife. He still had to pinch himself in the morning when he woke to find her lying in his arms. Spotting Clarisse at the other side of the room his smile grew. Joseph could only stare at Clarisse as she chatted with two young women. He loved the way her eyes twinkled when she talked about something that interested her. The way her lips curved around the words she spoke, especially when she said his name. She was the most beautiful woman in the room. Actually, he thought, she is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. As if sensing Josephs eyes on her, Clarisse turned to look at him and their eyes locked. Without breaking their eye contact Clarisse excused herself from her conversation and made her way across the room towards her 'delicious husband' as she now called to him, only in his company of course. Joseph stood up as she got a little closer.

"Your majesty I'd like you to meet my niece." One of the members of parliament stepped into Clarisse's path blocking her from Joseph.
"Oh, em . . ." She peeked around the man to see Joseph. She gave him an apologetic smile and mouthed the words sorry to him. Joseph just smiled and waved his hand telling her to go. As the man lead Clarisse over to meet his niece Joseph decided to go outside and explore the gardens. While walking his mind went to Clarisse, as it always does. Looking up at the night sky he remembered the night they had first met. Joseph didn't remember much of it, though. He had been too busy admiring Clarisse as she spoke, how her eyes sparkled when she talked, how she just radiated beauty from within. From the moment their eyes had met he knew he was in trouble. Joseph had never believed in love at first sight, that was, until he met Clarisse.

"Hi handsome." Clarisse wrapped her arms around Joseph's waist and rested her head on his back. The move rather shocked Joseph as he had not heard anyone approach him.
"I didn't hear you come out. finally managed to sneak away?"
"Just about. Oh Joseph, please say we can leave. I don't want to stand around talking with these people anymore." Joseph turned around to face her wrapping his arms around his shoulders holding her close.
"Your wish is my command, my Queen. Give me five minutes and I'll speak to Motaz." He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before heading back inside to the Ball.

Not even fifteen minutes later and Clarisse and Joseph were walking back to their suite. Joseph had his arm wrapped protectively around Clarisse's neck while she leaned into him resting her head on his shoulders. Arriving at their suite Joseph dismissed the guards for the night wishing them a Merry Christmas. Once inside Joseph watched as Clarisse removed her gloves in front of the fire. She looked heavenly. Her long golden gown shimmered in the fire light. As the night wore on Joseph had found it harder to take his eyes of his wife's extremely alluring cleavage. The way the bodice of her gown clung to her curves and moulded around her breasts made it quite hard to think of anything other than kissing his way down from her delicious neck right down into the sweet valley.

"Are you alright darling?" Shaking his head Joseph brought himself out of his thoughts to find his wife standing in front of him with a mischievous grin on her face.
"I was just admiring the gown you are wearing this evening." He took her in his arms and kissed her lightly on the lips. "You were making it very hard for me to think about anything else tonight."
"Thats was the point darling." Clarisse laughed teasingly before extracting herself from his arms and walking towards their bedroom. "I am going to take a shower." Seeing the look of disappointment on her husbands face she tried to hide her smile. Before entering the bathroom Joseph heard her call out to him.
"Are you coming or not?" He didn't have to think twice about his answer before Clarisse knew what was happening she was in Joseph's arms being stripped of her gown.

Clarisse rolled over in bed burying her head in the pillow next to her. Slowly opening her eyes she realised she was alone in bed. Sitting up she wrapped the bed sheets around her body, Clarisse looked over at the clock to find that it was only 6.30. They finally fell asleep around four last night after getting extremely carried away in the shower and then moving their fun to the bedroom. Hearing a noise coming from the living room she called out. "Joseph? Darling is that you?"

Joseph came through the doors holding a tray full of breakfast and wearing a Santa hat. Clarisse began to laugh. "Well good morning Santa. What do I owe this pleasure?" Joseph laid the tray on the floor next to the bed, removing his robe he slipped in next to her.

"Merry Christmas Mrs Romero."

"Merry Christmas Mr Romero" Joseph brought his lips down onto his wife's in a passionate kiss. Clarisse moaned into the kiss and Joseph took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, the breakfast lying forgotten on the floor.

"Can I open the presents now?" Clarisse couldn't help but chuckle at her husbands child like behaviour as he waited to open the presents.

"Ok but open this one first. Its from Mia and she asked me to give it to you first." As Clarisse watched Joseph unwrap the gift she couldn't help but think about her grand-daughter. Both Joseph and herself had decided to lock themselves up in their suite for Christmas Day as Mia and Nicholas wanted to spend the day in the little cottage on the outskirts of the grounds. She still couldn't believe that Mia had now been a married woman for just over 3 weeks now. Clarisse was taken out of her thoughts when Joseph opened up the present to reveal a brand new pair of shades. Like he really needed another pair of shades she thought.

"Ok your turn." Joseph handed his wife a beautifully wrapped gift. Opening it up Clarisse couldn't help but gasp.

"Oh my Joseph this is really..." She couldn't think what to say. How in the world had he managed to find it. "I can't believe this. How...where...I..." Tears began to spill from her eyes down her cheeks.

"I found it when I was in Italy. I remembered you telling me that it looked exactly like the broach you mother used to have when we were there and when I went back a few weeks ago I picked it up."

"I can't believe you remembered. This is just so much." Clarisse fell into his arms. He knew she would love the gift but he hadn't quite predicted this reaction. He knew the broach meant alot to her as it was the same as her mothers favourite which was one of the items stolen from Clarisse's personal vault a few years back.

"You okay?" Clarisse lifted her head up to look him in the eye

"I'm wonderful. Thank you so much for the gift darling." Placing a small kiss on her nose he picked up another gift.

"So is this one for me?" Wiping the remaining tears away she smiled

"Yes you can open that one." Before Clarisse had even finished her sentence Joseph was ripping the wrapping paper off. Joseph looked at the gift. It was a model Harley Davidson. "Now if you can be just a little more patient darling this time tomorrow you should have a real life size one outside at the main entrance." The look on Joseph's face was priceless.

"Really? I have my own Harley? You bought me a Harley?"

"Yes I did. You get it on one condition."

"What is that?" Clarisse moved closer to him wrapping her arms up around his neck.

"Well I have always had this fantasy which involves you, me, a Harley and very little clothing." With that Clarisse kissed him with everything she had. The couple fell backwards to lie on the rug everything forgotten. Wrapping paper, breakfast, dressing gowns all lay forgotten around them.

Lying wrapped in each others arms, legs entwined, basking in the after glow of love making, Joseph looked over at the clock. It showed that the time was five past midnight.

"Well darling, did you enjoy your first Christmas as Mrs Romero?" Looking up at him Clarisse smile.

"You bet I have and I can't wait for the next. So what was your favourite present?"

"You really have to ask?" They both laughed "What about you?"

"I would have to say the best present is lying next to me in bed because you are all I ever wanted plus a whole lot more." With that Clarisse moved to lie on top of Joseph and preceded to show him just what he meant to her.

Firtst time writing a fic (very scary) hope you enjoyed!