None of these characters belong to either Crtjester or Little Obsessions, they belong to Meg Cabot and Disney. Please enjoy. Thanks for all the great reviews!

The Genovian palace came alive early every morning. Queen Clarisse Renaldi was an early riser anyway. She had been up for over an hour before her ladies maids entered her suite. She had never known life to be without interruptions, even as a small child she could remember having maids. This morning was no different. They set about caring to the comfort of their Queen. Clarisse was especially fond of that comfort, but often she found herself longing for privacy.

"Excuse me, Your Majesty, but would you like breakfast in here this morning?"

"Tell me, has my husband eaten yet?"

"Yes m'am, King Rupert left earlier this morning."

"Very well," she resigned, "I'll just have tea for now."

"Yes m'am."

Clarisse sat sipping her tea, watching the snowflakes shower down, landing on her balcony. Watching the weather often reflected on her mood. Right now she seemed peaceful enough.

"Excuse me, Your Majesty." His voice was deep and low, and she was sure it could calm a storm. "Good morning, Joseph," she spoke as she smiled to him. "Sleep well?"

"Very well, thank you. I was wandering at what hour you would like to leave for the winter lodge? It is not very far, but in this weather it will take longer. Also the weather reports are giving much more snow."

"So we need to leave as soon as possible?" She questioned the man, admiring his black attire, and the way it so perfectly fit him.

"Yes, it would be a good idea." He noticed her eyes as they travelled the length of his body and back again. He stood tall and proud, and tried to hide from himself the thoughts of her that plagued him.

"Joseph, I'll leave that up to you, and I wanted you to know that I'm very glad you'll be going with us." She gave him a soft look that he knew would melt the devil himself. He nodded to her, smiling in return.

"I'm honoured to be going. I know of two boys who are especially excited this morning also. They have been up since 6am, practicing sledding downstairs on that ramp."
Clarisse let out a laugh at the thought of her boys. They were her pride and joy, and she relished the antics they would get themselves in. They were so carefree and honest. "Oh, I bet they have."

"We should leave no later than noon," reminding her, "we want to get there before nightfall."

"Very well. I'll have them pack up the boys, and I'll be ready by then." She couldn't help but look in his eyes. They were so deep, and his soul could be read by what she saw in them. Bringing herself out of the trance, she blushed, knowing her stare was caught by him.

"Then I'll meet you downstairs at noon. Excuse me for now." Joseph turned sharply, hiding from her the smile he could not hold inside. She was beautiful to him, everything she did, even the way she blushed. He had to shake her off his mind. He had work to do, a trip to prepare for. He had yet to pack for himself. At first thought, he had not liked the idea of spending the holiday tucked away in the mountains, but now he was beginning to take to the idea. Yes, he would enjoy spending time with her.

Joseph bundled his coat closer around him. This was the fourth trip to the limo, and they had yet to finish loading her bags. It was already past noon, and the snow had measured another inch since this morning. Two boys were running around the limo, covered in the wet slush. Snowballs bounced and splattered in every direction. Joseph had keen eyesight and reflexes, therefore had yet to be hit. However, he was the only member of the staff that had escaped their wrath.

"Pierre, Philippe! Time to go."

"Joe," Pierre stopped his torment on the guards, "Father isn't going to meet us at the lodge, is he?"

"Your father is King, you know he has duties that must come first." Joseph hated having to see the disappointment on Pierre's face. "I'm afraid not." Pierre quietly climbed in the back of the limo, obviously sulking.

"I don't mind. It'll be good anyway," Philippe popped another snowball on an unsuspecting guard. "That's the spirit." Joseph made sure the boys were in, and comfortable. Philippe had never cared much for his father. He was his mother's boy. As long as he was with her, all was well in the world. "Let me get your mother, and we'll be off...and no snow in the limo." Joseph was careful to stress that last part. After all, there would have been had he not said something.

The main doors opened for her, wrapped tightly in white fur. Joseph hurried up the steps to help her down, carefully watching for ice. "Your Majesty, you're late."

"Honestly Joseph, I'm never late," she explained as she took his arm.

There was nothing he could say to that. She was Queen of Genovia, she had the power to change the time in this country if she wanted, he just wished she could rule the weather as well.

Clarisse made herself comfortable. It was to be a few hours drive. Her boys were with her, they would keep her occupied enough, especially Philippe, who could talk hours on end to her if she let him. Noticing Pierre's withdrawal, she commented, "He can't always come, darling."

"He could just once," the little boy blurted out, showing off his hurt.

"Believe it or not, I understand," she tried to reason with him. "My father was always away or too busy too. I hardly ever got to see him, and when I did, it would be for only a few minutes time. I didn't really understand it when I was your age either. Sometimes I still don't. The point is, Pierre, he will always be your father. He loves you, and he makes sure you are taken very good care of. He doesn't mean to be away so often, there just are not enough hours in the day." She rested her head back as she noticed his ease. She would always try to cover for him, for the sake of her boys. If her mother would have loved her, she would have done the same thing.

The words he heard her speak were the truth, in a round about way. He admired her for that. She had a lot of hidden strength. She had a lot that was hidden. Oh, he had to stop thinking of her like that. Even now he sat admiring her form in the mirror, the most beautiful sight this trip had to offer was sitting right behind him. It brought to mind the sanity of his own King. How could he walk away from her so easily? What was the reasoning behind avoiding a family such as this?

It was an hour into nightfall before the lights of the winter lodge came into view. Pierre had slept for several hours. Philippe had caught sight of everything they passed, and spoke of it like he had never seen one before. It wasn't hard to believe that he talked in his sleep. Joseph made sure she was in safely before helping to unload the car, both boys now running through the pale blue snow landscaped perfectly over the side of the mountain.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" she quietly asked of him as he sat down the last of the luggage.

"Breathtaking," however he would never know which sight he referred to.

"Better get the boys in. It's getting colder out there, darker too." She threw a wrap around her as she opened the main front door. "Pierre! Philippe! Come in!"

Clarisse shook the few snowflakes from her clothing off, Joseph carefully eyeing her.

"Mother!" a little snowman hustled in, "Mother, Joe! I can't find Pierre." He was out of breath, having run around the entire building.

"What? What do you mean? He was with you, where were you?" The look on her face was ghastly. Her hands flew to him, shaking him a bit as she questioned him.

"I can't find him, we were playing, running and throwing snowballs, and then you called, and he was gone." Philippe said, running the entire sentence with no oxygen.

"Joseph..." He was buttoning his coat, already half out the door when she looked to him. The door slammed, bringing an eerie echo through the home.

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