Disclaimer: I forgot to put this on my first chapter, but none of the characters are my own, the belong to Disney.

It was another warm spring morning and Clarisse and Charlotte were hard at work in her study when they both heard the door of her study open.

"Good morning Mother," a cheerful voice called, and Clarisse looked up to see her dark haired, bearded son standing in the doorway.

"Hard at work already? Don't you ever stop?" Clarisse had to laugh as she put down her pen and watched her son walk towards her.

"One day, Phillipe, this is going to be your responsibility, and you'll be working morning, noon and night too!" but there was a fond note her voice.

Phillipe look mock horrified.

"Hopefully it won't be too soon- you're doing a fantastic job!" He bent over to kiss her cheek and she detected the scent of cologne on his neck.

"Thank you, darling, but it will come to you soon enough." She watched as he smiled at Charlotte, who was walking discreetly towards the door, and then sat down in a chair opposite her.

He was looking more and more like his father every day- although Rupert had never grown a beard- but his character was more like hers, although he was more outgoing and cheerful. He was tall, with an athletic physique- he loved all sports, and when he wasn't doing his royal duties, he tried to have a game of rugby with some of his security men at least twice a week. He had developed an interest in soccer when he was in England at boarding school, but had become obsessed with football while in America, so he had combined both interests.

However, he also had serious pursuits such as reading, painting and politics, and took all his royal responsibilities seriously. Many was the time that he and Rupert had had heated debates over the direction of Genovia, and while Rupert had usually stormed off, Phillipe had taken it less seriously.

"Oh, I found Mia's birthday present yesterday, but I had forgotten to tell you."

"Oh, what did you get?" Clarisse asked curiously- although she had only seen her granddaughter once, she was touched to see the continuing interest Phillipe had in her life, and the relationship he had maintained with Helen, the girl's mother.

They had met in college, and although they had married and had a daughter, Helen had found the palace life too constraining for her free artistic life. It had been the hardest decision that Phillipe had ever had to make, but he decided to let them go back to the United States.

But he had made sure that he kept in close contact with them and, hopefully, one day Amelia would visit Genovia and realise her destiny. For the moment, however, she had no idea that her father was the future King of Genovia, and both Phillipe and Helen preferred it that way.

"It's a beautiful carousel music box- it was so beautiful," his face lit up at the thought of it. "I'll show you it tomorrow morning. I think she'll really like it, Mother."

After a pause, Clarisse asked, sitting back in her chair

"So, what is on your agenda for today?"

She could afford a few moments conversation with her youngest son. It was a pity that she had never had the time to do the same with Pierre, although he much preferred talking with his father.

"Not much- I have a dinner tonight at Sebastian Motez's but I was planning to go waterskiing on the lake this afternoon with some of the boys from college. It's one of my first free days in ages!" He laughed, and his mother joined in. "What about you?"

Clarisse waved to the mountain of paperwork on her desk.

"As you can see, all this needs to be read and signed, and then I have a session of parliament this afternoon but, hopefully, after that I will be able to relax"

She sounded a little tired, and Phillipe looked at her sympathetically- his mother had taken on the mantle of monarch very well when his father died, but sometimes he wondered whether she had wanted to do something else with her life. She had been a loyal and dutiful wife and Queen Consort to Rupert but just looking in her eyes at times, he could tell that she hadn't been happy. She would never have told anyone that, of course, but Phillipe was close enough and sensitive enough to realise that she needed and deserved more than the occasional affection his father had given her. She needed someone like…Joseph, who was such a good man, and cared about her dearly. Phillipe wished that she could have more in her life than being an ornament or, now in the opposite direction, working herself into the ground.

"You know, Mama, if you ever want to have an afternoon off from all of this, I'll be more than happy to do it," he said, his voice full of compassion, and Clarisse looked at him in surprise.

She was closer to him than anyone else (with the exception of Joseph, her loyal bodyguard), but it still surprised her to find out how well he knew her, and how intuitive he could be.

"Thank you Phillipe, I really appreciate that- but, you know, this time next year you will be doing all this anyway, so I'm just filling in time until then."

There was a long pause as Phillipe tried to find the words to ask her a question that had been on his mind for a long time.

"Mama, what are you going to do once I become King? I know, while still I'm unmarried you will be here acting as hostess, but what else will you be doing?"

Clarisse looked surprised at the question, although she had been pondering the same thing herself.

"I don't know, I hadn't really thought about it. I guess I could devote my time to my charity work….and to my garden, there's always something that needs to be done…"

"Would you ever remarry?" he pressed, and she looked away for a moment before looking back at him.

"Phillipe, I was married to your father for a long time and, although we weren't in love with one another. I was very fond of him. Somehow, I don't think I could ever try and repeat that again. One marriage was enough."

But they were both aware of how empty that marriage had been.

"But there are good me out there, Mama, and there are some people I know who care about you deeply, and you care about too," he added slyly, and Clarisse smiled, standing up from her desk.

"I know who you mean, my love, and I don't know how you found out about that, but I don't think people would accept a relationship, let alone marriage, between us. Besides, he might not want to marry at all!"

"Mama, he's crazy about you, always has been, and you're crazy about him too. And who cares what other people think? You won't be Queen for much longer, and you do have the right to a private life after everything you have done for Genovia!"

Phillipe was getting worked up, and Clarisse was touched, but she wasn't convinced that the people would be alright with her remarrying.

"Remember, your father was a beloved king. What kind of wife would I be if I married just a year after his death?"

"I'm not saying marrying right now, but in time, maybe the right man will come along and you will want to marry. And if that day comes, which I'm sure it will, you will have my support, 100 ."

"Thank you, sweetheart. But royalty has to set an example- something which you sometimes forget," she teased, ruffling his hair, and walking back to her desk. "No, Phillipe, I don't think it would ever work out…"

She was interrupted by the opening of the door, and in stepped Joseph.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness" he bowed at the two of them. "Prime Minister Motez would like to see you for a few minutes, Your Majesty."

"I have to go anyway, "Phillipe said, standing and stretching. "I promised I'd meet the boys at the lake at noon. And no, Mother, I won't be late back tonight," he added with a grin before his mother asked the question.

"I'll see you tonight, Mama." He walked around the desk, and gave her an enormous hug. For a moment Clarisse was seized by a momentary feeling of disaster, but she tried to ignore it- she had been having moments like these since Rupert had fallen ill.

"Have a good afternoon, Phillipe," she stood to return his hug, and was surprised by his next words.

"I love you Mama. More than you will ever know," he whispered into her ear.

"I love you too, Phillipe. You're a good boy- most of the time," she joked, trying to shake the feeling she had. He winked at her

"Think about what I said," and turned to walk away. "See you later, Joseph," he said as he walked past Joe, who smiled and nodded. Everyone liked His Royal Highness- but he especially liked him because he made Clarisse so obviously happy. Phillipe paused, and turned in the doorway one last time, and gave her one of his famous grins.

"Go on!" she chided him with a smile, and he disappeared with one last wave.