Author's note: thank you readers for following and reviewing.

Scene 3 – crucial dealings

The Queen bent over an antique table in her suite to inhale the scent of the flowers Mia left behind. Joe stood behind her and turned her toward him.

"All the while you were talking to the Prime Minister I wanted to drag you impossibly close to me mi amor. I longed to feel your soft feminine curves press against my hard muscled chest querido. To see you blush mi vida when you feel the proof of my desire for you."

"Oh darling, has that ever made me blush? Seriously Joseph you sound like a hero from a romantic novel."

"Romance is my middle name corazón. Passion is my third name mi seductora."

Joe started kissing the Queen's neck and in between he said: "You are the sun around which I move and tonight I will make you go supernova mi estrella. I will start by nibbling your lips while my arms will imprison you but a sweet imprisonment it will be mi paloma. I will caress your back, cup your delicious bottom, rip off your clothes and-"

"Stop talking?" the Queen huskily interrupted.

"Don't you find the sound of my deep manly voice exciting mi reina? Doesn't it deliciously vibrate through your body, heating the blood in your veins … uhm… A synonym dictionary!"

Joe ran to a bookcase. It took him some time to locate a Spanish dictionary and to find a suitable endearment. When he, with a relieved sigh, faced his bride again, he found her sitting on a sofa and working on her embroidery.

"Where was I?"

The Queen put down her needlework. "You were at Heating the- "

"Si! Heating the blood in your veins- (Joe briefly looked in his dictionary) mi monada."

The Queen rose. "Mi monada? Ducky?!"

Joe dropped the book and took a step back. "No no no! It means sweetheart."

There was a knock on the door and Mia entered. The girl ran to the Queen but misstepped and somehow turned her fall into a somersault.

Joe applauded her. "Seven out of ten princess!"

The Queen held up an embroidered 6.

Mia walked toward her and hugged her. "Welcome home grandma!"

The Queen warmly smiled at her granddaughter. "Thank you my dear. Now can you say grandmother?"

"Sure."

"Please prove it."

"Grandmother."

"Good. Do keep that up."

Mia hugged Joe. "So Joe, did you have a nice time?"

Joe looked at the Queen in a latin-lover way and walked toward her. He kissed her left hand. "It."

Right hand. "Was."

Left hand. "Per."

Right hand. "Fect."

"Ah! This is so romantic! It's almost as good as a foot popping kiss!" Mia cried out while whirling with wide open arms. When she fell over a footstool and disappeared out of sight, the Queen passionately kissed her husband but the moment Mia rose, the Queen looked perfectly composed again. Joe quickly walked to a French window and stared outside to hide his excitement.

"But you should really try to be romantic too grandma! Other! You only just returned from your honeymoon and you're doing needlework again. That is so unromantic! You should go and make long walks under a full moon or go rowing on the lake or sit on Joe's lap and watch a James Bond movie. Did I say James Bond? I mean You've got mail or -"

"Amelia?" the Queen said in a sugar coated voice that made Joe close his eyes and swallow hard.

"Yes?"

"What have you done?"

"Nothing." Mia's face turned pink. "Nothing at all."

Under the Queen's glare the princess's face turned red. "I was just trying on some of your shoes."

"And then a brooch fixed itself to your shirt?"

Covering the jewelry with her hand Mia said: "No it didn't."

The Queen raised her eyebrows.

"Mia," Joe, still looking out of the window, said, "Give in."

"IwasjustgoingthroughyourfaultIdidn'ttakethisbroochmyselfandsomeearringsfellintothedrainandeverythingwassobeautifulIguessbeingaQueenhasitadvantagesright?"

Joe, alarmed, took a stand next to his Queen.

"Describe the earrings," the Queen calmly ordered.

"They were... shiny?"

Joe walked to the bookcase and took out a big volume: House Renaldi jewelry. He placed it on a table and the Queen made her granddaughter sit down in front of it. The Queen opened the book. Front, back, right-side and left-side pictures of a pair of pearl ear-studs showed, with plates containing a number.

"No," Mia said.

The next page shows ruby ear-studs. "Nope. They were long."

Skipping some pages the Queen made the girl watch a pair of dangling diamond earrings.

"No. They were green."

The Queen inhaled deeply and sat down next to her granddaughter. Mia turned a page and in doing so accidentally tore it. Joe took over, turning one page after the other until Mia cried out: "Found them!"

"Asterisco!" Joe cursed and he poured the Queen, who looked white as a ghost, a glass of water.

"Don't worry grandma, the insurance will pay, right?"