A/N: Thanks to all my readers and reviewers!
The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me!
Clarisse's stomach began filling with butterflies when the flight attendant informed her that the plane was just about to make its descent into Stockholm and, at her words and Clarisse's subsequent reaction, she realized she was simultaneously nervous and excited about seeing her husband again.
It had 'only' been seventeen days since he'd left (and they had spoken on the phone almost every day) but she had missed him greatly, hence the impromptu visit. It was unbelievable, almost inconceivable that, after fourteen years of marriage and five childre, she was still crazy about the man and vice versa.
He was a very handsome, charismatic, intelligent and powerful man (an intoxicating combination) and she noticed that, even after knowing he only had eyes for her and had had for a long time, almost every woman, young and old, flirted with him whenever they danced with him at a ball or spoke to him. Sometimes the flirting was subtle, sometimes it was downright obvious and blatant, but he made it perfectly clear that he wasn't at all interested in them and politely extricated himself from their grips.
She occasionally teased him about it, most of the time secure in the knowledge that he loved her, and only her, but there were times when she worried that he would one day grow bored with her, even though she was his Queen and the mother of his children, but she had never admited her fears to Joseph, not knowing how he would react to that.
But she was well aware that he was charming and handsome, having grown and matured into his role as King (although he argued that it was marriage and children that had done that to him, whenever she brought the subject up) and that she was a very, very lucky woman to have him in her life.
Once the plane landed, it took no time at all before she was spirited off the plane and ensconced in the waiting car before it took off into the capital, and Clarisse was surprised to realize that it was growing dark very quickly- hopefully she would arrive at the embassy before Joseph returned.
It had taken a little time to orchestrate it (and ensure that no one would tip Joseph off to it) but she had planned everything without Joseph being aware of it and now everyone was expecting her- everyone except her husband, she thought with a sly smile as she watched the city glide by through the car window.
She was met at the embassy's main entrance by the Ambassador's very proper housekeeper, who informed her that His Majesty was still in meetings in Stockholm but would be back very soon and Clarisse, while slightly daunted at the woman's dour appearance and how she had spoken to her, was pleased that she would have some time to prepare before he returned.
"His private secretary also told me to inform you that His Majesty has nothing else on for the rest of the evening or tomorrow morning."
"Thank you," Clarisse said sincerely before she followed the housekeeper upstairs to the set of rooms Joseph was occupying and stepped inside, the housekeeper overing almost awkwardly in the doorway as Jack, who had brought her single suitcase upstairs only moments before while she had been talking downstairs, set it down in the bedroom and re-emerged to brush past both of them and disappeared outside
"Will there be anything else, Your Majesty?" the older woman inquired and Clarisse shook her head.
"No thank you, I'll be fine for the moment," she replied and the housekeeper disappeared back out the doors and down the hallway towards the stairs, Clarisse hearing her footsteps echoing on the polished floors and she stopped to listen for a moment before she lost interest and turned to explore the room her husband was occupying.
It was easy to see that he had been staying there, judging by the pile of paperwork on the desk, one of his jackets slung over a nearby chair and a pair of shoes near the door leading into the bedroom; while in the bathroom, his tolietries were scattered on the bathroom sink, she could still smell a whiff of cologne in the air, his robe hanging on a hook behind the door and then, in the bedroom... several pictures of her and the children on his bedside table- he never travelled anywhere without them, she thought with a fond smile.
She lifted her small suitcase on the bed (she couldn't believe that she had brought only ONE suitcase when, on other tours, she travelled with quite a lot of luggage) and she was just about to open it, intending on unpacking while she waited, when she heard voices in the next room, one of whom was Joseph's, which made her feel excited and nervous.
She strolled quietly, on stockinged feet, towards the door, about to spring out and greet him (hopefully surprising him) but she stopped in her tracks when she heard a second, unfamiliar, female voice and suddenly realized that surprising him might not be such a good idea...
She peered cautiously around the doorframe to see Joseph sitting at his desk and the mysterious voice speaking again, which belong to a tall, young, blonde woman standing opposite him, a notepad and pen in her hands and, for a moment, she felt old and unattractive, as if her premonition of Joseph growing bored with her was coming true, before she realized Joseph was speaking.
"Let Anthony know I'll be doing paperwork tomorrow morning- there a few letters that I need to answer and I need to work on the speech for the following day... remind me, what's on my schedule for tomorrow afternoon?"
"A press conference with the ambassador and dinner with some of the members of the Cabinet."
"Good... anyway, thank you for today Ingrid," he stood and stretched, Clarisse suddenly comprehending that the young woman was one of the Ambassador's assistants. "I'm sure Anthony will be better in the morning."
"I don't mind working for you tomorrow too, Your Majesty," Ingrid said in a low voice, almost batting her eyelashes at him (Clarisse's intuition told her that she was flirting and wanted Joseph to noticing her) but she missed Joseph's reaction as he led the young woman towards the door, their voices muffled by the wall separating them and Clarisse.
There was a long silence afterwards before Clarisse, curious as to where Joseph had gone and whether, if he had left the room, she could make herself more comfortable before he returned, moved cautiously through the doorway and into the main living room- there was obviously no one where- before, suddenly, someone stepped out in front of her, startling her and she was hard pressed not to stifle a scream (who would dare startle her by being in this suite?) before her eyes refocused and she saw that it was Joseph standing there, a broad grin on his face.
"Joseph, you scared me!" she gasped, a hand on her chest as her heart pounded painfully fast for an instant before it returned to its normal rhythm. "How did you know I was standing there?" she asked, a little put out. "I was..."
"Planning on surprising me?" he finished her sentence with the same grin on her face as her mouth dropped open in surprise.
"How did you know?"
"Well...I called home a little earlier, wanting to hear about Parents Day, and Em informed me that 'Mama was on her way to visit you' and I figured it out fairly quickly..." before he trailed off, noticing that Clarisse looked a little disappointed. "You're not upset she said something, are you?"
"No... the little darling couldn't help herself... still, I wish you had been a little surprised to see me."
"I am, believe me," he reassured her as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him so that he could let his lips brush the top of her head, allowing him to breath in the scent of her shamppo and perfume. "I am so touched that you flew all the way here to visit me... surprise me," he corrected with a smile before he tilted her chin up and kissed her, a kiss he had been waiting almost three weeks to give her and had been dreaming of for just as long.
They had been together for a long time, but he still disliked leaving her (and now the children) in Pyrus while he travelled- he missed them more than anything, even when it was only a brief trip- but when she had shown up unannounced (although Emily had accidentally spilt the beans), he had been so happy to see her, so thrilled that she felt the same way, that his first kiss was almost as passionate and intense as when he had kissed her for the first time ever.
"Wow..." she sounded dazed once they broke apart. "You really did miss me."
He couldn't help but laugh at the comment as he guided her back into the bedroom (he had sensed she had been in there when he and Ingrid had returned earlier) and, together, they sat down on the edge of the mattress, Joe unable to take his eyes off of her.
"I HAVE missed you very, very much..." he admitted as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and gently stroked her cheek.
"What about the girls?" she teased, enjoying the sensation of his hand against her cheek and understanding that he had missed her more than he could actually verbalize.
"Yes, I miss them too... and the boys... How were they when they found out I wasn't with you?" he asked, pulling away so that he could look and gauge her reaction- she had been understanding when he had told her he couldn't come, but he wasn't quite sure of her reaction now that she had seen the boys.
"Disappointed," she admitted carefully as she kicked off her shoes and lay back on the mattress- it felt so good to stretch out properly, even though her legs were hanging off the edge of the bed. "Pierre especially wasn't happy but I explained that you were busy this time but you would try and come the next time."
"I'll more than try," he said almost vehmently as he looked away for a moment, bitter than duty had again come before his family, as it had when he and Rupert had been at school, before looking back down at her and running a gentle finger around her face and down along her neck. "I'll be there next time!"
"They understand there are times when you are busy, darling," Clarisse soothed, slightly alarmed at his guilty expression and angry tone.
"They shouldn't have to! They deserve to have their father present on days like these!" he argued, getting angry at the thought of what he had missed that day, and Clarisse immediate sat up and grabbed his hands tightly in her own, keen to reassure him- it was obvious that he was exhausted from his trip, judging by his reaction, which was partially why she had come to visit.
"Don't blame yourself, Joseph! This wasn't your fault and the boys DO understand... Yes, it's difficult when you or I have to miss a milestone in their lives, but we're there for the more important ones AND I'm sure that you weren't the only father who wasn't there, not that that makes you feel any better... but you're doing the best that you can, my love, and, for what it's worth, you are doing a marvellous job being everything to everyone."
"I'm sorry, sweetheart," he sighed heavily, feeling better after her mini lecture. "It's just been a long trip without you and I'm looking forward to coming home at the end of the week."
"In three days, we'll be home," Clarisse said optimistically before she stood up and faced him. "Have you had anything to eat yet?" she asked in the same maternal voice she used with the children, and he had to grin.
"I was planning on something later..." and then he paused, recalling something she had just said. "What do you mean WE will be going home in a few days?"
"I thought I would spend the last three days here with you," Clarisse said simply. "Emily, Grace and Claire will be fine- although I'll have to call them soon... I thought you would enjoy the company- although I could leave in the morning..." she teased, but before she could say anything else, he tood had stood up and pulled her in for a bear hug.
"Don't you dare," he breathed into her ear and she chuckled into his shoulder before pulling away.
"I won't, but YOU really should have a shower while I'll organize something for us to eat and then..." she wove her arms around his neck. "... then, we can relax for the evening."
"I'LL organixe the meal while YOU have a shower," Joseph argued. "You've been travelling all day!"
"Or," Clarisse began with a sly smile. "We could share a shower, organize food together and then relax..." and her husband's face lit up at the suggestion.
"That's the best idea yet!" he grinned impishly before he led her towards the bathroom, clothes dropping on the floor along the way...
0
"So, how WAS Parents Day?" he inqured much later as, clad in their robes, they relaxed on the double bed, having opted to have a tray in the room. Joseph had already been planning on having a quiet night in his rooms, but this, sharing and eating a light meal with his wife was a far better way to spend his time and he said so when they were comfortably resting against their pillows before, she blushing slightly, he changed the subject, bringing it back to Parents Day.
She had called the girls earlier, and they were fine, although Emily admitted she missed them, and that she had "told Daddy' about Clarisse's surprise, although her mother quickly reassured her that it was alright.
"How are the boys doing academically?"
"Pierre is doing well..."
"He would- he really is a book worm."
"Phillipe, however, needs to be a little more disciplined and do his work with more care and a little more slowly."
"Sounds exactly like Rupert and I," he said ruefully. "We both know who Phillipe takes after!"
"But they're both happy there- they're both horse riding and are interested in other sports- Flip more than Bear- and I'm more than satisfied that they're fine... although it did feel strange being there on my own..."
"In what way?" he inquired, sipping from the glass of scotch that had been resting on his bedside table.
"Well, I have rarely been unescorte for the past fourteen years and I was glad to have James and Lisa there... but I felt as though everyone there was looking at me as if I was a single mother, my husband not at all bothered about coming with me."
"I'm sure they didn't see you as that," he said but while they both knew the truth, it was easy to interpret her solo arrival at the school as trouble in their marriage.
"Well, they certainly knew who I was, judging by the black suited men who trailed me everywhere, the car and the press camped outside the gates."
"They weren't?" he looked shocked- he hadn't expected that, and it wouldn't have made Clarisse's visit any easier on her or the boys. "Did someone at the school let them know?"
"Charles, the headmaster, assured me that THEY hadn't said anything to them..."
"Good."
"So I'm assuming that someone who was there knew I would be there and sold the tip to the papers... thankfully, they didn't get any pictures of me or the boys..." but it did bother her that someone had deliberately invaded their privacy by inviting the press to what was supposed to be a normal, quiet day between a mother and her sons.
"Well, if we find out who they are, perhaps it would be a smart move to suggest confidentiality agreements the next time we visit," he joked as he removed the tray and took it back into the other room, locking the main doors as he did so.
"Confidentiality agreements?" she laughed when he returned seconds later and joined her back on the bed. "Are we going to have everyone at the school sign them? Isn't that a little impractical?"
"Maybe... but at least you smiled at my suggestion," he teased before he moved closer and cupped her cheek in his hand. "But we'll worry about that tomorrow... tonight, it's just you and I..." before, almost simultaneously, he gave her a long, lingering kiss while the other hand undid her robe and slipped inside, and he smiled as he felt the satin of her lingerie before his hand moved lower, and he almost chuckled when he felt goosebumps on her thigh.
"You certainly are a charmer!" she murmured between kisses, her hands just as busy as his as she pushed his robe off his shoulders. "You're driving me crazy..."
"Maybe I've been away too long..."
"Maybe I'll have to come with you next time..."
They were speaking in hushed murmurs, their kisses growing more and more intense as they both struggled to catch their breaths- fourteen years had done nothing for their attraction towards each other.
"What about the girls?"
"They... can come... too... or Em...can..." she almost gasped the last words before they completely disapeared in their own world and the children, Sweden, the press, the tip off all completely disappeared and were forgotten.
"I've missed you..." he mumured, puasing to look down at her- sometimes, given how badly he missed his family, he wondered if he was the right person to be King. "This has certainly been a surprise I will never forget!"
"Good..." she rested a hand on his cheek for a moment. "I did it because I missed you too...and I love you..."
"I love you too..." he whispered again before he bent down to meet her lips again and finally there was silence in the room...
