Author's Note: Thanks to readers and reviewers... you all rock!

The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me!

The countdown to the wedding began in earnest after the engagement party and the Genovian press began clamouring for more and more pictures of the newly engaged couple, eventually resorting to wilder and crazier lengths to seek a photograph (even after Rupert and Isabel made themselves readily available) or some gossip about them, stopping short of stepping onto palace grounds, still remembering the wrath of His Majesty and Joseph during the final months of Clarisse's pregnancy.

Rupert was nonchalant about the additional attention, having grown up with it, but Isabel wasn't used to it, feeling that it was a little frightening at times to attract so much attention, but she was determined to handle it- after all, she would one day be Queen.

"How did YOU cope when the press was practically following your every move?" Isabel asked Clarisse two weeks after the party, as they took Pierre for a walk on the palace grounds. "It must have been awful when you were expecting Pierre."

"It was," Clarisse nodded seriously. "I can relate in some ways with the engagement- the attention in those brief two months we were engaged was awful, but it was infinitely worse when I was pregnant, the press constantly trying to take pictures of my burgeoning stomach, and while I understood that everyone was excited because I was expecting the first royal baby in over 27 years, I was also uncomfortable exposing myself to the world. Having a child is a very special moment in a couple's life, but having to experience much of my first pregnancy in front of the entire country was a little too much... but I was fortunate to have the love and support of my husband and his family and you will too," she stopped, still patting Pierre on the back, although he was now fast asleep and smiled reassuringly at her friend.

"Everything may seem overwhelming at the moment, but it will settle down and you will get used to it," she finished calmly and Isabel smiled in relief.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're very mature for 24?"

"Joseph has many times," Clarisse blushed modestly. "But you and Rupert will be alright- Rupert is a good man."

They continued their walk for a time in silence- they had only planned on strolling to the forest and back- and were just turning back in the direction of the house when Isabel stopped and looked seriously at Clarisse.

"I'm a little envious of you," she admitted simply and Clarisse looked a little surprised- despite the age difference, she and Isabel had always been close, and while Clarisse had been quiet and shy with remote parents, Isabel had been exuberant and outgoing with kind parents, and their friendship worked.

"Envious of me? Why?"

"Because of how settled you are with Joseph, and how he looks at you- as far as he's concerned, you are the only one he will ever see, whenever you are or aren't there- and he is so devoted and protective of you and Pierre. I know everything doubted your relationship lasting when you married so quickly, but I knew you two would make it and I was right, seeing as you're still so madly in love with each other..." she sighed dreamily as Clarisse simultaneously smiled and blushed- everyone still thought they were a fairy tale couple (although there were also sceptics who thought that their marriage wouldn't last), but she she secretly liked everyone knowing that he only had eyes for her, they were still a normal couple who happened to be royal (and she knew Joseph agreed with her).

"I know your mother has never really approved of you and Joe, but I do and I'm glad you're together."

"I'm glad we're together as well, and I love him dearly, but you don't have to be envious of me- you and Rupert will be happy together and Joseph and I will be there to support you as well."

"Thank you... I just never imagined that I would be marrying the future King of Genovia!"

"As I never imagined marrying Joseph, but I will never regret how quickly we got married," Clarisse said firmly as they came back into vie of the house and noticed that Rupert and Joseph had returned from their meeting as they were standing in Clarisse's semi completed garden.

"Where have you two been!" Joseph called playfully when they were within earshot but stopped abruptly when Clarisse signalled that the baby was asleep.

"We went for a walk to calm Pierre down- I think he might be teething again," she explained when they were closer and Joseph looked at his sleeping son sympathetically.

"Poor little guy," he said quietly before noticing that Rupert and Isabel were smiling shyly at each other- they were still shy about showing affection in front of anyone, unlike him, who liked showing how much he loved Clarisse, but he could see that they were finally relaxing with each other. "So, how was your walk?" he discreetly turned to Clarisse, happy to give them some privacy before Rupert suddenly stepped in, inspired:

"Would you two like to join us for dinner tonight? We're going to Elyce's tonight and we..." Isabel nodded enthusiastically at his words. "... Would love it if you could join us."

"We'd love to," Joseph said after a brief glance at his wife- he too was certain that the four of them would become inseparable and he was happy to encourage the relationship- he and Rupert had always been close, and since Rupert and Isabel had supported him and Clarisse when they were newlyweds, they would do the same.

0

That evening, when they went out for the first time, there was no publicity and no one paid any serious attention to them.

"After all, who would really expect the two Princes of Genovia to emerge from the palace for dinner out?" Joseph joked over dinner, also feeling a little relieved that, now that Rupert was engaged, going out to dinner was much easier- in the past two years, it had always seemed that Rupert had been the third wheel while Clarisse was on his arm.

"We really should do this again," Rupert suggested and the other three agreed with him- it had been an enjoyable evening, a rare opportunity to leave the palace and be two 'normal' couples.

Unfortunately, the next time they went out to dinner a week later, someone recognised them and, within minutes, the restaurant was surrounded, effectively ruining the evening for the two couples.

"I'm surprised we weren't recognised the first time," Rupert sighed in the car, after being forced to abandon dinner and return to the car, Clarisse and Isabel hidden behind Rupert, Joseph and their bodyguards as they left the restaurant.

"It was a good idea," Joseph said staunchly, noting Rupert's gloomy expression and wanting to make him feel better. "But just because we can't leave the palace grounds doesn't mean that we can't have fun together."

"Absolutely," Clarisse immediately concurred. "We can always have dinner at our house or at the palace!" before Joseph added:

"But I can see what you were trying to do- you were trying to be 'normal' and do something that everyone does..."

"But I can't- it just goes to show that we'll always be different from everyone else," Rupert sighed, looking out the window before grinning at the other three. "But thanks for trying to make me feel better."

"It will be alright and we will have fun," Joseph sounded determined and Rupert couldn't help but laugh- his brother really was a good guy at times...

00000

Joseph and Clarisse turned out to be correct- they COULD (and did) have fun behind palace walls and the four of them enjoyed many dinners of the ensuing months as the wedding drew closer and closer (as the press constantly reminded them) but neither Rupert nor Isabel showed any sign of pre wedding jitters, although, as Rupert confided to Joseph in mid May, it would be inevitable that there would be some nerves closer to the day.

"Although YOU didn't seem at all nervous when you married Clarisse!"

"No I wasn't-I was so excited about marrying Clarisse that I actually pushed our wedding FORWARD six months!"

Both he and Clarisse were as busy as usual with full schedules both as a couple and as individuals, Clarisse investing a great deal of time and energy into her charity work.

While she had been initially been fearful that the Queen would feel that she was encroaching, Alexandra had been delighted at Clarisse's genuine interest in charity work, and Clarisse had suddenly found herself involved with the hospital and other charities while being inundated with other requests for her patronage and involvement.

Joseph too was very busy- Henrik had decided that, since he was showing some very impressive diplomacy skills and that his travels were always received well, Joseph should be groomed as an eventual successor for the Ambassador in Spain.

However, despite their often overcrowded schedules, as well as planning a major trip in October to England, Spain, Portugal and France, they both made sure they spent quality time with Pierre and were determined to make his first birthday, only days away, special. Clarisse had already planned a small party with some of their closest friends and family (including James (the now proud father to baby Patrick), Charlie, Andre Motez and his 2 year old son Sebastian, as well as both of their families (except Clarisse's mother) and a special birthday cake that had been made for the baby Prince by the palace's chef.

Joseph especially was looking forward to spending the entire day with his son, having cleared both his and Clarisse's schedules for the day, but then his plans were changed for him...

"I can't go to Denmark! Pierre's first birthday is in two days... I can't miss his first birthday!" he cried seconds after being informed he was to represent the country at an international education conference. "I thought Rupert was supposed to be representing the country at these sort of conferences!"

"It is unfortunate, but you MUST go," his mother said crisply, looking over her reading glasses at him. "It's sweet that you want to spend time with your son, but if you want to become a more prominent person on the international stage (and be taken seriously as a potential Ambassador), you need to put your country first!"

"But..." he began to protest, wanting to argue with her, saying that HE wasn't going to be a stranger to his own children, before he realized that his mother was glaring at him.

"You are a Prince of Genovia, you always have been and you always will be, and you WILL do your duty by attending this conference," she said sharply. "Enough of the protesting and just say that you will do this- it's only two days and you may be home in time... do you understand me, Joseph Renaldi?"

"Yes ma'am," he said meekly, his shoulders slumping, hating having to choose between his family as his duty. It was times like these that made him seriously consider walking away from everything and just leading a normal, private life with his wife and son.

Still annoyed and disappointed, but not wanting to return home and provoke an argument with Clarisse, Joseph went for a long walk around the estate, trying to calm down but still stewing over the fact that every time something was happening with Clarisse or Pierre, forces beyond his control conspired to keep him from sharing another family moment.

Yes, he was Prince of Genovia, and as such had a duty to his country, and he did enjoy travelling and participating in policy discussions and inter-country negotiations, but he also had a responsibility to Clarisse and Pierre, and the though of missing his son's first birthday was unbearable.

Clarisse was just coming downstairs after putting Pierre to bed when he stepped into the foyer and the concerned expression on her face relaxed a little when she saw him, although she was still worried.

"Where have you been?" she asked as he lightly kissed her cheek. "I thought your meeting was only brief..." she paused and looked at him critically. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

Joseph sighed heavily as he sat down on the stairs, feeling simultaneously annoyed, jealous and disappointed.

"I really hate to tell you this, but... I won't be here for Pierre's birthday," he said in a rush, avoiding his wife's eyes as he didn't want to see the same disappointment in her eyes as he was feeling right now, and he kept his eyes on his shoes before he heard her sigh and felt her sit down beside him.

"I see," she said softly with a definite tinge of disappointment before he felt her reach out and tip his face up so that he was looking into her eyes, and he could see there was disappointment there. "Why won't you be here?"

"I have to go to a conference in Denmark... and, believe me, I wish I could postpone it but..."

"You can't and I understand... I do!" she added as he glared at her. "I would love you to be here, but if you can't... we'll have a special party when you get back, just the three of us."

"It's not the same," he muttered but almost subconsciously reached over to squeeze her hand. "Someone is always doing this to me... I had to go away two weeks after he was born..."

"I know, and I know it won't be the same, but despite the fact that you won't be here, you will still remember it and that's what matters to me and to Pierre... and I'm sure that you will be here for many more of his birthdays," Clarisse finished, lifting his hand to her lips and kissing it. "I'm sad, and I will miss you, but we'll see you soon."

"Are you sure?" he looked at her seriously, his fears and disappointment somewhat assuaged by her words, but he was still annoyed that he wouldn't be there- it was a day that would never come again.

"I'm sure," she nodded affirmatively before he leaned over and kissed her. "So... do you want your dinner?"

000

Despite Joseph's absence two days later, Pierre's first birthday was a wonderful success with the birthday boy and his guests enjoying the sunny day and the cake.

"It's a shame Joe couldn't be here today," Charlie commented as Pierre and his guests enjoyed their cake with their nannies overseeing everything and their parents watching nearby. "I'm sure he would have enjoyed the party..." before James, the more diplomatic one of the two, nudged him in the ribs and he realized that he was being tactless. "Sorry, I..."

"It's alright,"Clarisse said softly as she held tiny Patrick, remembering that, a year ago, she was about to give birth to her son who was now a year old. "It's a little strange Joseph not being here, but he will be back in the next day or so..." she said bravely with a smile,but she was missing her husband badly.

It had been very disconcerting to wake Pierre up that morning, wishing him a happy birthday as she did so, and while she had given him one of their presents for him (a musical ball, as he was fascinated with balls, although he had shown more interest in the wrapping paper that morning), she was saving the rest of his gifts until his father was there to share in his joy.

The house seemed so empty and hollow without Joseph's energy, presence and enthusiasm for life and his family, and she had silently vowed that she and Pierre would definitely travel with him from now on.

"He'll be back as soon as he can, we know that," James reassured her, seeing that she seemed a little down. "Did you want us to stay a while after the party and keep you company?"

"No but thank you," she smiled gratefully at him- he and Charlie were almost like older brothers to her now. "I do appreciate that, but Rupert and Izzy are staying and I'm sure I'll probably go to bed early, like the birthday boy..." she smiled over at her son who had chocolate cake all over his face as Rupert hovered around, taking pictures of him.

It had been a very relaxing, simple day, the perfect way to spend his first birthday, but still...she wished that Joseph was there and, despite the company she had that night, she was looking forward to being alone and going to bed- only the year before, she and Joseph had been dining with his parents and Rupert and she had already been, unknowingly, in labour...

"Are you sure you don't want us to stay longer?" Rupert asked as Clarisse walked them to the door after dinner, the party long since over and Pierre upstairs being bathed, and she smiled tiredly at them.

"I'm glad you were here, but..." before the three of them spied a car stopping in front of the house, and they all stared, wondering who it was, before the only passenger stepped into the lights as the car backed away and it was... Joseph!

"Joseph!" Clarisse gasped in delight before running forward and throwing her arms around him. "You made it!"

"I told you I would," he grinned, holding her close and kissing her gently. "I will never break a promise to my wife and the mother of my son... is he in bed yet?" he asked, grinning over her shoulder at Rupert and Isabel.

"Not yet, and I'm sure he'll be glad to see you!" she began, leading him back inside, her hand firmly clasped in his, before he paused and turned back to Rupert and Isabel.

"If you don't mind, I need you and your camera..." he smiled mysteriously at Rupert, mystifying all three of them- what was Joseph up to now?

Pierre was already dressed for bed but was still up when the four adults walked into his little nursery, and his face lit up when he saw his father, squealing delightedly as Joseph teasingly held him high for a moment, marvelling at how alert and happy his boy was before turning back to Rupert.

"Can you take a picture of the three of us?" he asked Rupert as he pulled Clarisse closer to him and wrapped an arm around her waist.

There were plenty of pictures of them together, the past twelve months of Pierre's life adding more photographs to a rapidly thickening album, but Joe was keen to add a picture of them on Pierre's first birthday- Rupert had already taken pictures throughout the day, but this one was special.

"It would be my pleasure," Rupert, a keen photographer, grinned as he pulled his camera out of the bag and captured the tiny family in a frame, frozen forever in a photograph and showing two beaming young parents and their one year old son, a moment that would never come again but would always be remembered.

00000

The next three and a half months leading up to the wedding seemed to disappear in the blink of an eye, everyone in the royal family leading their own lives but all knowing that the wedding was going to be an historic moment in Genovian history.

"It should make us feel insignificant," Joseph joked easily to his wife over breakfast in mid August as he perused the paper, the press counting down to the 'wedding of the year' and Clarisse only laughed in response, knowing that he wasn't at all jealous.

"Don't tell me you actually wanted that attention when we got married?" she teased gently before Pierre, his nanny hovering in the background, toddled into the room and Clarisse immediately scooped him up into her lap, tears pricking her eyes again as he beamed at her and said: "Mama... and Papa..." he added, glancing briefly at his father before allowing Clarisse to cuddle him.

"No, we did the right thing for us..." he argued as he sat down next to Clarisse and beamed at his son. "What do YOU think, Bear? Do you think your parents should have had a bigger wedding?" he teased, gently tickling his bare feet and Pierre only startled giggling uncontrollably before reaching out for him, and Joseph sat him on his lap, still tickling.

Clarisse smiled at the scene before her, always enjoying witnessing the bond between father and son- Joseph was definitely a loving and devoted father and Pierre adored him. While she suspected she should be jealous of their relationship, she wasn't and she never felt left out when she was around them- Joseph was just as proud of her as his wife and Pierre's mother.

As she watched them, Pierre laughing out loud, her thoughts turned towards the future- the wedding had occupied (and continued to occupy) the family's attention and would until the wedding was over (although Rupert and Isabel's relationship hadn't been called a 'fairytale' as theirs continued to be) but she was thinking beyond the wedding.

Pierre was now a thriving, happy 15 month old toddler, and both of his parents, as well as his uncle, future aunt, friends and 3 of his 4 grandparents all adored him, but since Clarisse had held James' baby at his first birthday (and even going as far back as their anniversary) she had realized it was time to expand their family and have another baby.

She wanted as many of Joseph's babies as she able to have (she could picture them being surrounded by a houseful of children and, one day, grandchildren) and she was ready to have another baby... she only hoped that Joseph was too...

"You're looking very thoughtful," she heard him say and she looked over to see Joseph watching her carefully as Pierre sat in his lap, muttering to himself. "Is something wrong, my dear?"

"No, I was just thinking about how lucky Pierre is to have so many people who care about him..."

"He is that," Joseph agreed, ruffling his hair.

"I was also thinking about how the wedding is going to occupy everyone's time and thoughts until it's over... not that I'm at all jealous- Rupert and Isabel deserve all this attention..."

"Yet something else seems to be troubling you," he said quietly, noting something indefinable in her eyes. "What is it?"

"Nothing is troubling me,but... I have been thinking beyond the wedding, and have been since our anniversary, especially after seeing James' little one, and I've realized that..." she paused, taking a deep breath in and hoping that Joseph would be willing to at least listen to her.

"I think... I think we should expand our family... actually, I know that... I'm ready to have another baby..."