Author's Note: thanks to all my readers and reviewers, you all rock!
The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me! The words in this story- the vow and the anthem- are from the Princess Diaries 2 film!
Joseph was momentarily dumbfounded when they stepped arm in arm into the room and he saw all the guests there to meet him as King to be, not the second Prince or Henrik's younger, troublesome son, and he suddenly wondered whether he could do this before Clarisse again squeezed his arm in reassurance and he knew she believed in him.
"Good evening Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Majesty and Your Majesty," Andre Motez said with a warm smile as he and his wife Andrea stepped forward to greet the two royal couples. "Tonight is certainly going to be an evening to remember."
"I can see that," Joseph joked weakly, looking around the room at the representatives and even Heads of State of the countries Genovia had dealings with and again felt a little daunted. "I didn't realize there were so many people flying in for the coronation!"
"It's a big occasion, this coronation, not only for you and Clarisse but this country and everyone wants to be here to celebrate. Tonight is meant to be a low key evening for you to meet some of your official guests, people you will be working closely with after tomorrow, as you probably won't have time to talk to them properly tomorrow."
"Yes, the coronation day can be a whirlwind," Henrik chuckled wryly. "I can barely remember mine, all those years ago..."
"Joseph doesn't need to hear any of that on the eve of his coronation!" Alexandra stepped in chidingly, mock glaring at her husband and the Prime Minister. "Everything is going to go to plan tomorrow for Joseph and Clarisse," she smiled fondly at her son and daughter in law.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, there are some people Andrea and I would like to introduce Clarisse to, so enjoy your evening gentlemen..." before the three women walked away into the crowd as Andre smiled warmly at Joseph.
"And we should do the same... come!"
0
The evening seemed to fly by in moments, both Joe and Clarisse the centre of attention as they met more people they had every imagined they'd meet, and while there were a few people that looked down on them because, Clarisse suspected, of their youth (most of them were a lot older than they were), relative inexperience and even Clarisse's pregnancy, most of them were warm and welcoming, the women incredibly solicitous of Clarisse herself when they discovered she was pregnant.
She then found herself inundated with many words of wisdom, some she had already heard of but the rest were pieces of advice she knew she would be able to use, and she was especially touched at how most of them emphasized how she had to look after herself now.
"I can imagine Joseph is definitely solicitous of you..."one woman commented gently, smiling when the younger woman blushed hotly.
"He is, very much so... he's told me that I should rest whenever I could and my schedule could be more flexibly if I need it to be..."
"Good," one of them said approvingly. "I always thought he had a big heart, and this just confirmed it."
Clarisse was surprised to discover that she had a far better time than she had expected, Joseph proudly introducing her around his wife as well as meeting some very kind women via Alexandra, and it was almost ten o'clock when she realized she was exhausted and suddenly remembered that tomorrow was going to be a very big day...
Seeing that her husband was engrossed in a serious conversation with the Spanish Ambassador, she silently began to make her way towards the double doors, pausing occasionally to chat briefly to someone she had met, and she was almost at the doors when she felt someone's arm weave around her waist and a familiar voice whisper in her ear:
"Planning on leaving without telling your husband, the King to be of Genovia?"
"You seemed to be engrossed in your conversation with the Spanish Ambassador, and I didn't want to interrupt," she protested as she slowly turned around to meet her husband's eyes.
"Not too engrossed to notice when my wife is slowly sneaking out of the room... are you feeling very tired, darling?" he asked sympathetically as he held her closer to him, well aware of some disapproving stares, but not caring. There were some couples who didn't show affection in public, and didn't approve of others showing affection, and while he didn't like doing it too often, it was clear that he was very much in love with her and, at the moment, he liked being affectionate as she was feeling very vulnerable.
"Yes, a little, and I suddenly remembered that tomorrow is going to be a big day... you don't mind if I excuse myself early, do you?" she asked almost timidly and he smiled gently.
"Not at all," he said softly as he guided her towards the door. "Things are beginning to wind down so I'm sure I'll be up soon... but you must go to bed!" he said mock sternly.
"Yes sir... and thank you," she said gently before, not caring if anyone saw her, caressing his cheek for a moment and then slipping unobtrusively out of the ballroom.
When she reached the top of the stairs, she was tempted to check on the boys, but another wave of exhaustion hit her and she realized she needed to go to bed- tomorrow would be a big day and she wanted to enjoy it with her husband, the new King.
The thought of her husband as King suddenly took her breath away but she wasn't quite sure how to tell him that and, as she passed her desk, she impulsively grabbed a notepad, pen and envelope, wanting him to know how much she thought of him and how proud she was of him, and words seemed the perfect way to do that.
She settled herself into bed, relieved to be off her feet, and again thought about the moment before they walked into the ballroom earlier that evening- he had seemed so regal and majestic...
She hadn't written a letter to him since their honeymoon, when she had been lost for words at how much she loved him, her new husband, but now... it just seemed appropriate...
My darling Joseph,
I am writing this on the eve of YOUR coronation and I wanted you to know how much I love you and how proud I am, always have been and always will be, of you. I know you want tomorrow to be about us, but tomorrow is really about you- you are going to be King and, despite the fact it was something you never expected to happen to you, you've accepted it with such grace and enthusiasm that I know you are going to make a wonderful monarch. It will be an honour and a privilege to serve beside you as your Queen.
Dearest, I have always believed in you, from the moment we met in fact, and I now feel vindicated that other people have finally realized how intelligent and how marvellous you are (yes, this is the wife speaking) and they will see tomorrow and in the future what I have seen for the past six years... FINALLY!
I hope tomorrow is a memorable day for you, a day that you will never forget, and I hope to be at your side, enjoying the day through your eyes and supporting you as Queen.
Tomorrow, you will officially become King of Genovia, a thought that still takes my breath away, and will be to parliament, the people and the rest of the world and you will finally receive the respect you have always deserved, and while I also see you as King,you are also (and more importantly) my husband, the father of my children and the love of my life...
I know you can do this, my love, and I will be right by your side, never doubting and always proud of you.
All my love
Clarisse
She smiled as she re-read the letter and slipped it in an envelope- hopefully she would be able to give it to him sometime tomorrow, when they had a spare moment- before, realizing how late it was (and how annoyed Joseph would be if he came to bed and discovered her still awake), she placed the pad, pen and envelope on her bedside table and slid down into bed, her eyes already beginning to close, although she had wanted to stay awake until he came to bed...
It was almost an hour later when he finally crept into their bedroom, tired but exhilarated by who he had met that evening, most of whom were very impressed by him and Clarisse and professed their confidence in their reign, and he couldn't wait to seriously work with them.
At the moment, however, he was admiring his lovely wife, clearly fast asleep but as beautiful as ever, and he was careful not to disturb her as he changed and climbed into bed beside her. She didn't stir when he gently kissed her on the forehead, but he was amused and touched to discover her subconsciously curl herself towards him, and she sighed softly as he rested an arm around her waist. He sighed happily- this was the life he had always wanted, wife asleep beside him, children only a few doors down and while he was secretly terrified about tomorrow, he knew that they would never judge him, they would always support him and he was determined to keep their relationship the same as it always was...
He relaxed on his pillow, suddenly nervous- tomorrow was fast approaching... he was going to be King...
000
The next morning when she woke up, Clarisse was surprised to discover that, instead of out jogging, her husband was setting a breakfast tray on his bedside table.
"What are you doing that for?" she asked as she sat up and leant against her fluffed up pillows. "I thought you would have been having your usual morning run."
"I had thought about it, but it's just too difficult to arrange, and our security team is already stretched to the limit with all these international guests... besides, I wanted to spend a little time you before the day really begins... so, how are you feeling?" he asked solicitously as he climbed back into bed next to her and resting the tray on his knees.
"Alright... a little dizzy, but I'm hoping the morning sickness will let up for today," she said quietly, already determined not to complain if she DID feel sick during the day- thankfully, at Joseph's insistence, Dr Bangs was going to be nearby. "I really would like to enjoy today with you... your day."
"MY day? I think it's YOUR day as well," he teased, leaning over and kissing her cheek. "And I hope you'll be able to enjoy it as well."
"It's going to be such a big day- the coronation itself, photographs, meeting the press and parliament, and then the ball tonight... I'm feeling a little tired just thinking about it," she sighed and Joseph was immediately concerned, secretly wondering if this pregnancy was even harder on her than she was willing to admit, and feeling a little guilty that he had almost insisted on them having the baby.
"As I've said before, you can rest between different occasions and, if really necessary, you can cut your attendance to the ball short... "
"I could, but you've already had to fight to have parliament accept me being crowned as Queen in my own right... how it would look if said Queen cuts short her duties just because she's feeling a little tired?"
"Sweetheart, don't work yourself up about this- yes, you will be Queen in your own right but you are also expecting a baby and it would only be someone very cruel (and I know who you are referring to) that would hold you leaving the ball early against you..."
"But I..."
"Don't you worry about them, my dear, I will be able to handle them if they cause you any trouble... are you sure... I'm feeling a little guilty about insisting on having this child, especially as the morning sickness seems to be terrible..."
"Joseph, I want this baby as much as you do," she smiled, leaning forward to cup his cheek in her hand. "Yes, I have been feeling sick for a while, but hopefully it will pass off soon and, in six months, I will have forgotten all about it as we will have another son or a daughter... don't feel guilty about this, I want it as much as you do..." before she kissed his lips softly.
"Okay... " he cleared his throat gruffly, still concerned about Clarisse but relieved she hadn't felt rail-roaded into any decisions she hadn't wanted, before changing the subject. "So, are the boys going to be alright with my mother?"
They were planning on letting the boys be present at the ceremony, as well as being included in some of the official photographs, and while Henrik would be involved in the ceremony, Alexandra had volunteered to keep an eye on the boys, something Joseph was a little concerned about as, at nearly 2 and nearly 4, they were very active and tended to get restless very easily.
"Yes, she's sure she'll be alright- after all, one of the nannies will be sitting with them... it's a historic moment and while they probably won't remember it, they will have been there to see their father crowned King, which is pretty amazing..."
"It is," he smiled, slightly misty eyed at the though of his two sons being present at one of the most important days of his life.
"Well..." Clarisse said after a long silence, handing her tea cup back to Joseph and stretching. "I need to have a bath before my hair and make up people arrive..." she sighed again- up until now, she had done her own hair and make up, but now that she was to be Queen, she had to have assistance...
"Lucky you... but I'm sure whatever they do will only enhance the beauty I see in front of me right now..."
"Such a charmer!" she caressed his cheek before sliding out of bed. She spied the envelope on her bedside table and, sensing that now would be the most appropriate time, she handed it to him. "Here, this is for you."
"What is it?" he asked, genuinely surprised.
"You'll just have to open it and see," she teased him before disappearing into the bathroom as Joseph curiously opened the envelope and pulled out a single piece of a paper... it was a letter... a letter to him from Clarisse...
His eyes filled with tears at her words, and he was so moved that he had to re-read the letter, unable to believe what he was reading- it was so loving, so sweet, so full of pride for him and belief that he would be a good King, that he was seriously tempted to race into the bathroom and kiss her, but he decided to wait until she re-emerged, which he did, sitting on the edge of the bed and continuing to re read her tender letter, tears slowly sliding down his cheeks.
Clarisse discovered him a little later when she exited the bathroom, and she was genuinely alarmed to see him sitting on the edge of the bed, clutching her letter and an unusually sombre expression on his face.
"Darling, is something wrong?" she asked in alarm, kneeling down in front of him, and he regarded her solemnly for a moment before silently helping her up and suddenly pulling her down onto his lap, burying his face in her shoulder.
"Darling?" she tried again, even more worried now- she didn't mean to upset him with that letter, she just wanted him to know how proud she was of him, and how much she believed in him...
"Please talk to me... did that letter upset you?" she asked as his arms tightened around her waist, smiling slightly when he felt the slight swelling of her stomach.
"No, it didn't... quite the opposite, in fact- it was such a beautiful, loving letter, like what you wrote on our honeymoon... why didn't you just say it to me?"
"Well, when I wrote the letter on our honeymoon, I was lost for words at how much I love you, but this time.. it just seemed appropriate... something that you could keep... I meant everything I wrote in it," she said gently as he looked at her, his eyes again filling with tears.
"I know you did, and I had to read it again and again, it was so sweet and tender... you really a beautiful lady.. thank you, I love it..." before he tilted her face towards his and kissed her.
"As lovely as this is," she smiled as she gently extricated herself from his grip and stood up. "We both need to start getting ready..."
0
The morning flew by quickly as their suite quickly filled and emptied of people in rapid succession- Henrik and Alexandra, the boys (only briefly as they needed a small nap before the ceremony), her ladies maids, his valet, Clarisse's hair and make up people, Joseph's new private secretary and his assistant, the Prime Minister- and it was only at 11:00, half an hour before the ceremony was due to start when they were finally alone in their suite.
"You look beautiful," he raved appreciatively as he surveyed her in her cream coloured, jewel encrusted gown, sitting very carefully in a chair as not to wrinkle the gown or the red velvet coronation mantle resting on her shoulders.
"Thank you... you don't look too bad yourself," she said, running her eyes up and down his figure- he was wearing his best navy blue suite, a purple coloured velvet mantle resting on a nearby chair until it was fastened on his shoulders, and while he had removed his earring for the day, Clarisse had made him promise he would put it back in.
"It's part of who you are, and I think you look slightly dangerous with it," she had smiled sexily when he had removed it the day before and he laughed.
"Thank you, I knew that was what attracted you to me...however," he sobered up slightly. "I will, but I can't guarantee that I may be forced to take it out permanently... but not without a fight, however!"
"Those silly parliamentarians and press shouldn't judge you for how you look!" Clarisse said indignantly.
"You look very handsome and majestic," she added with a smile, returning to the present. "You're a King already in my eyes... Your Majesty..."
"Your Majesty..." he repeated with a smile, regarding her seriously for a moment before disappearing into his dressing room for a moment, returning seconds later with a black jewellery case which he then handed her.
"What's this, sweetheart?" she looked at him curiously but he only grinned in response, prompting her to immediately open the case and gasp in surprise... sitting in the case was a beautiful sapphire, ruby and diamond silver necklace, slightly old fashioned but very regal- precisely what a Queen would wear..
"It's beautiful," she breathed, and continued to stare at it until Joseph reached down, lifted it out of the box and draped it around her slender neck.
"My mother wore it on my father's coronation day, and she wanted to you to wear it today- she said that a real Queen deserved the best."
"But she was a real Queen too!"
"Nevertheless, she wanted you to have it!" he said simply, handing her a nearby hand mirror and sat on the edge of her chair, smiling as she gently touched it.
"It's lovely, and your mother is so sweet...I love it..." she said in a shaky voice, her fingers trembling slightly as she touched the masterpiece. "I don't think I can accept it, though."
"It's too late, it's around your neck and both my mother and I would be offended if you DIDN'T wear it," he murmured softly before leaning over and kissed the base of her neck gently, his beard gently tickling her as she tried to keep her breathing normal before he kissed her again and then abruptly pulled away.
"So, you can't let us down, can you?" he stood up and looked down at her, her eyes twinkling and she chuckled as she smiled back up at him.
"I guess not," she replied, her cheeks turning a pale pink but before she could say anything else, there was a loud knock on the door, the signal that it was almost time for them to go, and Clarisse suddenly felt dizzy as Joseph helped her to her feet.
"This is it," he said bravely, suddenly feeling nervous before noticing that Clarisse had gone pale. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," she smiled brightly at him, the dizziness passing off as quickly as it had appeared. "I'm ready to go..." she leaned over and kissed him gently. "Are you ready for this?"
"I am," he squeezed her hand. "Are you?"
"Wherever you go, I go too," she said simply before there was another, more urgent knock on the door and they looked at each other, realizing that their lives were about to change forever...
0
They had run over and rehearsed every detail of the coronation ceremony in the days leading up to the ceremony itself, but Clarisse still couldn't believe that it was actually happening and that her husband was soon to be King.
As part of the ceremony, Joseph and his father were to walk down the stairs leading into the ballroom and meet on the podium in the middle where the Archbishop, his assistants and Clarisse were waiting. Clarisse was secretly relieved that she was where she was (although still the centre of attention as she stood near the table where her crown was waiting, sitting on a fluffed up cushion, and she smiled when she saw Alexandra, one of the nannies and the boys discreetly sitting in the corner.
Both boys went almost wild when they saw her, and she wanted to run over and hug them, but she kept her cool and Alexandra and the nanny kept them in line, and there was only a moment's pause before the orchestra started playing, the trumpets sounded and she looked in the direction where everyone else was looking to see both men walking into the ballroom, side by side behind the Archbishop's assistant and she almost gasped out loud, her husband was almost unrecognisable as he kept his eyes ahead of him.
It was only once they were on the podium and were about to turn to the crowd that he winked at her, and she smiled... there he was...
Much of the ceremony seemed to pass in blur for both of them, Joseph painfully aware of everyone watching and waiting to see if he would make a mistake, but he was perfect, having practised it so many times, but when the Archbishop asked him the words that he had learnt off by heart but yet had to find a deeper meaning for them...
"Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the people of Genovia according to the statutes in parliament agreed on, and the respective laws and customs of the same? Will you, in your power, cause law and justice and mercy to be executed in all judgements?" he almost burst into tears, now fully understanding the power of those words and what he was really committing himself to, and he almost wished Clarisse was standing beside him, but he managed to say, in a loud, clear voice, proud of his commitment:
"I solemnly promise so to do."
After his vow, followed by Clarisse's (who was shaking like a leaf when she repeated her vow, also realizing the momentous life that she was about to step into), they stood, side by side, (and Joseph longing to hold her hand- she was just as scared as he was) as the Archbishop transferred his father's crown onto Joseph's head, a moment that Joseph couldn't believe was happening, before he placed Clarisse's crown on her head and they turned to look at each other and he mouthed: "I love you" and she smiled as she mouthed the reply before the private moment was broken as they turned to look at their guests, their guard of honour already waiting for them to walk through as the boys struggling to get through the barrier to race towards them, and Joseph didn't hesitate to take her hand in his, squeezing it tightly.
He was so glad that she was with him, enjoying the moment and feeling the way he was at the moment, before the Prime Minister, from his position with the choir, began to sing the Genovian National Anthem, the signal that they were to begin their travels down through the guard of honour, out onto the balcony to meet their waiting, celebrating public.
Genovia
The land I call my home
From the green clear summers
From blossoming pear trees.
Magnificent her mountains and seas.
Genovia, Genovia
You're noble, proud and brave.
Genovia, Genovia
Forever
Will your banner...Wave!
"Presenting... Their Majesties, King Joseph and Queen Clarisse Renaldi of Genovia!" the Prime Minister announced when they were standing in the doorway, Clarisse still unable to believe what had happened and how they had suddenly become King and Queen... before she realized that Joseph was watching her tenderly and she found that she could barely look at him without feeling shy... he was still her husband, but he was also her King...
"Are you alright, my darling?" he murmured into her ear as they waited for the doors to open and Clarisse, struggling to find the right words, finally said:
"I'm fine... I just feel that I should be curtseying to you..."
"No," he said firmly, squeezing her hand. "You do not curtsey to me... I should bow to you..."
"No...but we'll decide that once this happens..." she indicated the two men waiting for the signal to open the doors, the shouts and cheers already able to be heard- the crowd was clearly excited to meet their new King and Queen.
"Are you ready?" he looked at her lovingly, suddenly the man she had always loved, and she beamed at him.
"I am," she replied affirmatively, pushing her fears of him being different and her constant morning sickness wrecking havoc on her schedule... today was just about them...and their new roles... before they stepped out onto the balcony and the crowd went wild...