Thanks to all my readers and reviewers- you all rock! Happy New Year

The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me

It was actually ten minutes later when the car slowly drew alongside the curb and came to a stop, startling both Joseph and Clarisse, both of whom had been staring out their respective windows in companionable silence, their hands clasped on the seat between them.

"What… what's going on?" Clarisse asked, startled.

"Uh…I don't know… actually," Joseph said, glancing out the window again, the scene registering properly with him. "I do believe that we're here at our hotel."

"We're finally here?" Clarisse looked at him with understanding dawning in her eyes, quickly followed by delight and excitement.

"Yes, indeed we are… and it's one of the best hotels in London… are you ready to get out?"

"I…" she glanced out her window- the traffic was still racing by and she wasn't quite sure she could get out that side without getting hit by a car, before Joseph tugged her hand.

"I know you don't approve of sliding across a seat… but surely you could do it one time?" he gave her a significant look and she smiled, before pretending to turn serious.

"I suppose, my dear husband, I could deign to do that… although you must promise not to tell anyone that you saw the former Queen 'slide' across the back seat of the car…."

"I promise," he vowed gravely, his eyes twinkling just as much as hers before he stepped out of the car, Clarisse sliding across the seat and then stepping out, Joseph's hand still holding hers tightly, shivering slightly as she realised that it was cloudy and there was misty rain on the air.

For a moment, she was reminded of the many, many moments when he had helped her out of the car- even when Rupert was still alive, he very rarely helped her out of the car, opting to have one of their security men do that while he walked ahead with the leader, ambassador or whoever important they were meeting- but Joseph had never done that, he had always been at the door almost as soon as the car stopped, his hand out stretched to help her out and then, as she walked along, he was almost on her heels, his hand resting gently on her back. When he was around, she felt safe, secure and protected.

"You look thoughtful," he murmured into her ear as, hand in hand, they walked up the front stairs to the fancy entrance way of the hotel- she couldn't see any of their men, inside, outside or even behind them (she had to glance back to look at the traffic again- something she hadn't had a chance to do before- and she couldn't help but marvel at how many cars, motorbikes, trucks and buses were whizzing along the road) but she assumed that they were there, watching over them and making sure that nothing went wrong.

"Mmmm?" she finally remembered that Joseph was asking her a question, but before he could repeat himself, they stepped through the glass, revolving doors and into the foyer of the hotel…and Clarisse couldn't help but stare around her… it wasn't much different to the foyers of the many embassies she had stayed at over the years, but… it was different in that it was a hotel foyer, there was a check in the area the furtherest part away from the doorway, there were hotel staff milling around (including a trolley for the luggage of the guests) as well as the guests themselves and two elevators, with people waiting to get on and get off.

"Wow," she murmured almost to herself and Joseph grinned to himself- this was probably going to be the very best experience she would have. "Do we need to go and check in?"

"If you want, although…" he signalled to someone and she sighed softly when she realised that it was one of his men, and they had already checked in for them. "I thought… although if you're disappointed…" he wasn't sure the sigh he had heard was one of disappointment or relief- he wanted her to have as normal an experience as possible while on their honeymoon, but there were also instances when he had had to have plans put in place to prevent recognition or other problems, not that he didn't think (or hope) that anything would happen while they were away.

"No, no, no…I'm actually relieved… I wouldn't have minded playing pretend, pretending that we were a normal married couple checking in to their hotel on their honeymoon, but then….I'm not exactly not unrecognisable in Europe...and I'm actually looking forward to seeing our room," as they began walking towards the elevators.

"By the way, I should have thought…do you need to meet anyone… let anyone know that you're here?" he asked as they stepped onto the elevator- thankfully, they were alone, no one else joined them before the doors closed- and Clarisse shook her head.

"No… if I'm not on an official visit, or haven't contacted them prior to arriving, I don't need to worry, especially now that I'm actually not Queen anymore… why? Were you worried that you might actually meet a member of the royal family as my husband, rather than as my Head of Security?" she teased.

"Not really," he blustered, trying to hide the fact that yes, he had thought that they might have to make official visits and that he would have to try and make polite small talk with people that he didn't know very well. "I just wanted to make sure… so that I…."

"You wouldn't have embarrassed me, my love," she turned to look at him seriously. "You are just as good, even better, than some of the people I have met over the years and I would definitely be proud to introduce you to them… but….this time I'm glad I don't have to do that."

"Why?" Joe asked curiously, although a tiny bit hurt.

"Because," she reached over and touched his cheek gently with one hand. "We are on our honeymoon," she finished with a gentle smile. "I'm off duty- permanently, as it is- and this is the first time I have actually had some time to myself… I'm not going to share myself with anyone except you…."

"I'm glad of that."

"Why's that?"

"Because…" as the elevator dinged, signalling their arrival on the floor they were staying on, before the doors slid open. "Because…" he grinned at her. "I'm not very good at sharing."

000

Stepping out onto the carpeted floor, Clarisse looked around curiously, seeing all the doors, all leading into rooms where all different types of people- singles, couples, teenagers, families, young and old- so many people, she marvelled, from different parts of the world, all here at this hotel.

Clarisse had always had a keen interest in people (which made sense, considering she had been Queen for a long time) and their lives, and when she was a little girl, she had imagined the lives of the people around her, alternating between 'happily ever after' and 'tragic circumstances that they couldn't overcome'. It was only once she was married that she had stopped imagining about other people's lives- her own life was complicated enough to deal with.

"This is going to be a long, quiet honeymoon," Joseph suddenly, almost dryly, said as they reached the doorway at the end of the hallway and Clarisse turned to him, startled- she had though their honeymoon had started splendidly…

"What do you mean?"

"Wait until we get inside…." He looked at her with an expression of seduction, a look that usually made her weak at the knees, which again happened this time before he scooped her up into his arms.

"Joseph!"

"I'm just carrying you over the threshold."

"You don't have to do that!"

"I want to," he said with a confident look, leaning forward to kiss the tip of her nose before stepping over the threshold, kicking the door closed behind him, his grip on Clarisse firm and strong, before she wriggled out of his arms and he turned to lock the doors before turning back to see Clarisse looking at him alertly.

"You were saying?"

"Hmmm?" Joe was suddenly unaware of his wife's question- he was more interested in the fact that they were finally alone, away from Genovia and their respective responsibilities, free to enjoy their honeymoon as an average couple (although still on the cusp of not being average)… and that their honeymoon suite was glorious…..

"You intimated that this honeymoon would be… 'long and quiet'… what did you mean?" Clarisse said evenly- they were both excited about being away from Genovia and the 'interruptions' that were part of their day, but she still wanted to know what he meant.

"Sweetheart, I was being ridiculous, forget it."

"Joseph, if there's something I can do to make things better…."

"No, there's nothing you can do to make anything better, everything is perfect," he almost snapped before pulling her close to him and dropping soft kisses into her hair- she was perfect, she didn't have to make anything better, ran through his mind before he looked at her and saw that she was still watching him.

"Joseph…"

"Alright, alright, I know it's nothing but… you seemed distracted before and very quiet… and I was just wondering what you were thinking…."

"Oh!" Clarisse suddenly looked understanding, realising his problem. "Oh, I'm so used to keeping my thoughts to myself, thinking but not telling anyone, that… it's going to take a little while to actually reveal myself and my thoughts to anyone, even you."

"I understand… I was just worried….I just wondered… but you don't have to tell me…."

"I want to… I was thinking when we got out of the car that you were always there to escort me, you never walked away like Rupert did…."

"I think I would have been fired if I had done that," he joked and she gave him a small smile.

"Yes, I suppose you would have… but you were always there to protect me, no matter what…"

"I wanted to."

"And... in regards to your other question…"

"What other question?"

"You didn't say it but you intimated it in your statement… when we stepped off the elevator, I was just looking around and wondering about all the rooms and the people that were staying in them….that there were so many different people with different lives to our own and I was trying to imagine some of them…."

"And what did you come up with?"

"I can't remember," she replied with a sheepish smile. "Although I couldn't help but wonder…."

"Wonder what?"

"I wondered how people could view us, people that don't know what happened in Genovia… that if they had been watching us, what they were thinking… that we were a couple that had been married a long time, or a couple having an affair…." Joe snorted at that one. "Well… what do you think?"

"Well, firstly I think that you have a very overactive imagination…"

"Thank you, dear."

"…especially to be wondering what about other people's lives…isn't your own life enough for you?" he teased and she blushed.

"I can't explain it, ever since I was a little girl, I have always been an observer of people around me…"

"Which is a good thing, considering that you're Queen and have a prodigious memory for details."

"I had to, I had to look like I cared."

"Which you did."

"But I always wondered about other people's lives… and how different they were to mine."

"I think that the people you were observing probably wondered about your life as well… but you could probably go crazy wanting a life other than your own."

"I know, but still…."

"Just keep focused on us and our life," he wove his arms around her waist and gazed at her intently. "I'm sure that will keep you busy enough….and no, I don't think people would have thought we were having an affair- they probably would have thought what a good looking couple we are and that we have been married for years… honestly, I don't think many people would have been watching us, and I'm sure that's what you were hoping for as well."

"Touché," she responded before he leaned over and kissed her.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and Clarisse pulled away, looking alarmed- they hadn't been discovered, had they- before Joseph winked at her.

"It's only our luggage, my darling… I probably shouldn't have locked the door."

Minutes later, they were alone again, after two of their security team carried in their luggage, taking it straight through to the bedroom (she assumed it was the bedroom, considering they hadn't really explored their suite yet) and then silently retreating out the door.

"So…." Clarisse said after a moment, sitting down on the sofa and kicking off her shoes. "What now?"

"Aren't you a little curious about your surroundings?" Joseph teased as he stood above her and she chuckled as she stood up again.

"I suppose so… this room is very fancy, isn't?" she said as she looked around- the living room was obviously the largest area of their room, and the furniture, pictures on the walls and the other decorations looked quite expensive. "Joseph, is this a suite?"

"Only the best for my wife," he looked at her with twinkling eyes.

"Joseph, I would have been happy in a smaller room," Clarisse responded, feeling guilty that he spent money on a suite when a smaller room could have sufficed.

"Nonsense… and before you say anything, I had a considerable discount on the suite as well as…." He stopped short, realising that he was about to spoil the surprise, he had promised his co-conspirators that he wouldn't say anything, but Clarisse had frozen in place, looking at him curiously.

"What, Joseph? What?"

"Nothing, my dear, nothing… I want to see the rest of this suite," he said smoothly, pulling her to her feet and leading her through the living room to the doors leading into the bedroom. "Wow… this is amazing!" stopping short when he saw the massive king sized, wooden canopy bed that dominated much of the room, as well as the wooden furniture on either side of the bed.

"Much bigger than our bed at home?" Clarisse teased as she led him into the room and they sat on the edge of the bed. "Maybe much better?"

"Definitely not better," he said firmly- their bed back at the palace was where they had consummated their marriage on their wedding night and, for that reason, would always be special to him. "I still prefer our bed to this one."

"We'll see," she said with a sly smile, although she had to admit that she preferred their bed at home for the same reason that Joseph did. "Although…this bed has its advantages," she said with a seductive smile as she lay back on her elbows and crossed her legs, watching Joseph swallow hard.

"Such as…."

"It's much, much softer…." Clarisse said as she sat up and began shrugging off her jacket.

"What else?" He was watching her as she tossed her jacket over a chair and moved further up the bed.

"There's plenty of room for two or more…. I can feel that the sheets are soft…" she patted the bedspread before slowly beginning to unbutton her blouse. "And these pillows…" she continued, finally having reached the head of the bed. "Amazing…" before she sank back on them, her eyes still on his as she finished unbuttoning her blouse, Joseph still frozen at the end of the bed.. "I think I might like this bed better than the other one… maybe… although I may need to experiment….I may need to take a nap to see if I'm correct…" she stretched languidly, her blouse falling off her shoulders. "Mmmm… I might need one now," she yawned and sank slowly onto her pillows, but before she could close her eyes, Joseph had kicked off his shoes and crawled frantically up the length of the bed before pouncing on Clarisse with a passionate kiss that deepened very, very quickly…..