A/N: Thanks to all my readers and reviewers- you all rock!

The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me!

Clarisse was still struggling to regain her equilibrium when she entered the library, her mind still whirling at what had happening in the garden- he had proposed… proposed… although not necessarily in the manner she had expected from Joseph- it seemed rather… awkward, so formal… but still, it was a proposal from the man she loved and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him… but would it actually happen? It was up to her….

Clarisse blocked her thoughts from her mind- very unprofessional, so very unlike the normal, 'regular' (although what defined 'normal?) thoughts she usually had- and glanced around the library, seeing Charlotte, Olivia and Priscilla waiting but… no Mia- as usual, she was late…

"Where is Amelia?" she asked in a slightly sharper tone than she had wanted to use, but the maids and Charlotte didn't look at all bothered.

"She is on her way," Charlotte confirmed. "Her maids are bringing her down right now."

"Right… good," she said distractedly, glancing around the room again, her mind still whirling from what had occurred and trying to remember what she was planning on doing with her granddaughter that day.

There was an awkward silence in the room for a moment, before suddenly….

"Hi! Hi… Sorry I'm late!" came a youthful voice from outside the library doors, followed by the skittering of footsteps before one of the doors crashed open and Mia dashed into the room, followed by her two ladies maids, who immediately slowed to a walk when they saw Her Majesty.

"Amelia," Clarisse began in a warning tone and Mia turned to give her a sheepish look.

"I know, Grandma, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm late… I just got… caught up…"

"Which is an excuse you will not be able to use when you are late for a meeting with important diplomats," Clarisse said crisply, secretly relieved that she had successfully covered her emotional turmoil from those around her.

"I know, I know Grandma, I really am sorry," the younger woman's expression was apologetic and Clarisse realised that she had pressed the point a little too far, thanks to her stirred up emotions- she had never felt so out to sea with her emotions as she did now- but she knew that she really had to calm down so as not to alert anyone to her change in mood… damn Joseph….

Deep breath in… let it out slowly…

"It's alright, Mia, I only just got here myself," she replied calmly, and she saw an expression of then why are you lecturing me about being late flit across Mia's face before it disappeared just as quickly, but Clarisse could understand Mia's annoyance.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Mia asked cheerfully. "Reading more boring history books or etiquette lessons…?" she made a face and Clarisse couldn't help but laugh- Mia was verbalising what both Phillipe and Pierre, as well Clarisse herself when she was having 'lessons' with her mother in law, had felt in regards to those 'lessons'.

"Well, I can't promise that today won't be boring… but you WILL learn something new and useful."

"Well… bring it on."

0

Joseph calmly made his way back to the security hub after leaving Her Majesty at the door to the library, to have another 'lesson' with the princess (he had coined the term 'princess lessons' after hearing about Clarisse's negotiations with the then 15 year old; when Her Majesty had heard about the term, she had laughed heartily- "a good description" and it had become an in palace joke) and Joe to return to his office to, amongst other things, peruse the guest list for the next palace occasion- the royal wedding.

Wedding….proposal…

"Hey Boss!" Scott said cheerfully. "The Eagle back in her nest?"

"In the library- and the Sparrow?"

"Racing down to the library as we speak," he pointed to a screen where three figures were seen racing down the hallway.

"Good, good," Joseph said half vaguely, unaware that he had unconsciously echoed the words and vagueness of the woman- the Queen- he had just proposed marriage to….

"Everything alright out here?" he glanced around, almost unseeingly- the hub was quiet and fairly unoccupied (most men were out on patrol in and outside the palace walls), the Eagle and Sparrow were 'contained' in in the library and there were only a few men in the hub, completing their tasks- they were fine.

"Of course, boss- and we don't have anything that needs your attention at the moment."

"Good, let me know if you have anything," before he hurried into his office, gently closing the door behind him and then collapsed into his chair, burying his face in his hands.

What had he done?

He actually hadn't planned on that spontaneous proposal, the dry words- 'bringing out friendship out of the shadows' wasn't exactly what he had in mind, but… the words had flowed out, unbidden, unprepared and unprofessional… in the garden, when they were alone…it definitely wasn't what he had planned…

What HAD he been thinking?!

Yes, he did want to marry Her Majesty… Clarisse (as he called her during their private moments alone)- he loved her, he adored her- they had been bodyguard and Queen for so long, they had developed a deep friendship that had somehow had developed into love…surely they didn't need permission to marry…

But.

This was probably the worst time in the world for him to ask her to marry him… the Princess was due to be married in less than thirty days, parliament was breathing down Clarisse's neck to step down so that the Princess would become the new Queen…Viscount Mabrey was causing trouble and pushing his nephew onto the throne instead of Mia… and the press were keeping an extremely close eye on the palace and the inner workings, trying to find stories that they could splash across newspapers and television screens, the more scandalous and negative the better….

What had he been thinking?

He was usually calm and collected, considering every aspect of every issue, making carefully thought out decisions and ensuring that everything went according to plan… and now, he had made a spontaneous decision and now…

And now….

And now…

He had proposed to Clarisse and now he had to wait and see what was going to happen…

Wait and see…

He had been waiting and seeing for a very long time- he had actually NEVER imagined that he would have the opportunity to propose to the Queen… Clarisse…

He had accepted that he loved a woman that was unavailable- yes, he could have moved on, found someone else, but he hadn't wanted anyone else… and he had never dreamed of the possibility… not even when His Majesty had passed away, he hadn't even dared to hope… he had accepted that he would spend the rest of his life loving someone who wouldn't be able to share the rest of her life with him…

Until…

Until he realised that she felt the same way about him and that their relationship had possibilities for a future….

Wait and see

Wait and see…..