Upon arriving back at the palace, Joseph was escorting Clarisse back to her office when they found Rupert waiting out front of it. "Joseph, give us a minute?" Rupert asked and Joseph nodded. Clarisse walked into her office and Rupert followed, as Joseph closed the door after them and stood guard. "For you." Rupert said as he brought his hand from behind his back out to show her a dozen red roses.

"Thank you Rupert. But what are they for?" She smiled as she took them from him.

"I had hoped that you and I could spend the evening together. Perhaps have dinner and just spend time together." He replied.

"That sounds nice."

"Wonderful." He smiled. "Meet me at eight?"

"Of course." She answered as he leaned in and kissed her. Then he left, and Joseph walked in and took a seat at his desk busying himself with paperwork. He figured it would distract him from the fact that what he thought he had was Clarisse was short-lived and now over. "Joseph?"

He looked up at her. "Your Majesty."

"Are you alright?" Her eyes beaming with concern as she stood up and walked over to his desk.

"Yes Your Majesty."

"Joseph," her voice now stern. "We've talked about you addressing me by my title before. What's wrong? What's happened?" As stern as her voice was, her eyes were sad.

"Nothing is wrong." He lied. "It would just be improper of me to address you by anything less."

"Why is that?"

"I'm simply your head of security, and you are my queen and employer." He couldn't look at her now, he knew the hurt look he would see on her face had he dared to look.

"You are much more than that, you know this Joseph. Now tell me what's going on."

He sighed. He knew she wouldn't let it go, so he gave in. "His Highness has asked for my help in getting both you and he to love each other as husband and wife. So I will respect the king's wishes and do as he asked. Which also means that what has happened between you and I must stay in the past."

Clarisse couldn't believe what she was hearing. Rupert never gave a damn before, and they've been married for nine years! Now all of a sudden one of his affairs ends up carrying his child so he wants to make it right with her. To top it off, the only man she ever really loved was willing to give up on his love for her because of Rupert. "Joseph…"

He finally looked up at her. "It's alright, really." He tried to mask his pain behind a small smile. Clarisse startled him by leaning over and kissing him passionately. She'd never kissed him like this before, but somehow he gave in and kissed her back. He stood up mid-kiss and pulled her in closer to himself as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

As they finally pulled out of the kiss, many moments later, the rested their foreheads against one another's and she whispered, "You are the only man I could ever love."

"But the king is trying to be a good husband to you." He protested, but held her tighter.

"I don't care Joseph. He is my husband because I was promised to him. But if I could choose for myself…" He gasped. She'd never said that to him before. "Don't leave me now, Joseph. I need you." As there was a knock on the door they both quickly pulled away and took a few steps away from each other right as the door opened.

"Joseph." Rupert said.

"Sire, is there anything I can do for you?"

"Actually, yes. Clarisse, would you mind if I borrowed him for a few moments?"

"By all means." She smiled. Joseph walked over to her, and kissed the back of her hand as he bowed, then he left with the king.

Rupert lead Joseph back to his suite where he was preparing to have dinner with his wife in a few short hours. "What do you think? Candles or no candles? Music or no music?"

"A few candles, maybe two or three, but have one in the centre of the table. and soft music, perhaps classical?" Joseph offered.

"Can I be honest with you?"

"Of course Sire." Joseph nodded.

"I'm nervous."

"Why are you nervous?" Joseph questioned.

"Clarisse and I are two very different people Joseph. If there's one thing I know about her, it's that she likes things done her way, and she's stubborn to the bitter end."

"I'm sure all will go well tonight Your Highness." Joseph gave him a small smile.

"Are you sure she will appreciate the candles and music?"

"Of course Sire, she's a romantic at heart." He was afraid he let too much slip there, but was grateful for Rupert's next comment which made him believe he hadn't.

"You are around her the most because you protect her. I'm sure she's opened up more to you about random things such as this."

"Indeed." Joseph said, glad he dodged a bullet.

"For your help, I want you to take the night off." Rupert smiled. "Also the woman you're seeing, if she's on staff, tell her I told you she has the night off too, so you may enjoy the evening together."

'Too bad the woman I'm seeing will be here with you.' Joseph thought. "Sire, I thought it was made quite clear that there is no one."

"I'm convinced that, that is just a story you're trying to tell. If there really is someone, you deserve a night alone with her Joseph. You do so much around here. Take the night off."

Joseph decided just to give in. "Thank you Sire." Joseph then returned to Clarisse's office until she was off to meet Rupert. When he walked into the room, he slumped down into his chair and let out a soundless sigh. He knew quite will that her eyes were on him, but he didn't speak, he let her go first.

"That bad?" She asked.

"The king gave me the night off." He sat up straight and looked over at her.

"Well, that's nice of him. You really do deserve a night off." She smiled.

"He also told me to tell the woman I'm seeing that if she's on staff here, that she too may have the night off, so we can spend it together."

"He's really persistent about that, isn't he?"

"He is indeed."

—

Hours later, Joseph is in his suite trying not to think about the fact that Clarisse was having dinner with Rupert. That Rupert was trying to romance Clarisse. That he had helped Rupert, and most importantly, that he was jealous of him. With his shirt unbuttoned, he poured himself a drink, hoping it would help him relax a little. As he sat down on the sofa in the main room of his suite, his drink on the table in front of him, He took off his cufflinks and really looked at them. His initials engraved on the gold in the most beautiful cursive he'd ever seen. Then as he turned it in his hand, he noticed something on the back, so he took a closer look. On the back of them both, there was a heart engraved and the letter C beside it. He then thought of that day and how later on that evening she had asked him to kiss her. At that thought, he was brought back by a knock on the door. So he set the cufflinks down carefully on the table as if they were the most fragile thing he'd ever held. He then got up from where he was sitting and was surprised to find Clarisse standing on the other side of the door. "Your Majesty." Joseph bowed his head a little.

"May I come in?" Joseph nodded and ushered his hand as if to say 'after you,' and he closed the door behind her. "Thank you." She said as he turned to face her.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Joseph asked.

"I needed to see you." She paused as Joseph raised an eyebrow. She looked at Joseph and realized that his shirt was undone and she could perfectly see his toned chest. She was openly staring at his body so he cleared his throat to gather her attention yet again.

"You needed to see me?" He reminded her.

"Yes, of course. Sorry, I just, wow." She said, her eyes wandering back to his chest.

Joseph laughed a little. "Do I need to button up my shirt so that you won't get distracted?"

"No." She said, probably a little too quickly. "I just wanted to see you this evening. I needed to see you."

He gestured to the sofa, and waited for her to sit. "Care for a drink?" He asked, walking over to his little bar.

"The usual." She smiled. He poured her, her usually glass of white wine, then sat beside her as he handed her the glass. "Thank you."

"How was your evening with the king?" Joseph asked, hating himself for asking.

"It was fine, we ate, talked, then I left and came to you."

"Hmm." Was all Joseph could say as he looked away.

"Is something the matter?" She asked, taking his hand.

"No, it's quite alright." He looked back at her.

"What have you been doing all evening?"

'Sitting here and trying to convince myself that I'm not bothered by what all is happening.' He thought. "Nothing really, just thinking."

"What about?" She asked sweetly.

"About you, just like always." He wasn't exactly lying, but there were defiantly things he was withholding. She leaned in to kiss him and was startled that he hadn't kissed her back.

"Joseph?" Her worry evident in her voice.

"I can't compete with him, Clarisse." He blurted it and he was more shocked than she was that he said it.

"Compete? You're not competing with anyone, I'm yours, remember?" He looked away. "Joseph, do you mean to tell me that you're jealous?" She giggled a bit, but stopped when he shot her a look. "Why are you jealous?"

"I don't know." He sighed, ashamed.

"Honestly Joseph, if anyone of you should be jealous, it should be Rupert." His eyes softened as he stared at her. "Don't doubt me Joseph."

"I don't." He said as he watched her set her glass down and take his other hand in hers. "I just don't like helping him try and romance you. It's one of the worst things I've ever felt." He confessed.

"I'm sorry that he's having you do that."

"It's not like I can say 'no.'"

"I know." She hung her head.

He released one of her hands and cupped her cheek as she looked back up at him. "No matter how I'm to help the king, please remember that I love you." His eyes pleading and they were burning right through her heart.

"I could never forget, just as I could never deny my love for you." She then leaned in again to kiss him and was delighted to feel him kissing her back. "I should probably go now." She said as they pulled apart. She stood up, still holding his hand, and he walked with her over to the door.

"Good night, Clarisse." Joseph said, and she kissed him one last time, then left. He only just sat back down when came a second knock at the door. With a small sigh, he stood up and answered the door to find the king there. "Your Highness." Joseph bowed.

"Do you have a minute Joseph?" Joseph ushered into his room and closed the door as the king walked in and took a seat in the sofa. Out in the hall, before Rupert knocked on Joseph's door, he saw Clarisse leave through it, and now, sitting across from him was Joseph with his shirt undone. Rupert didn't comment, but he felt like he didn't need to. "How did this evening go, Sire? If I may ask."

"I fell it went rather well, thank you. That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about." He paused as Joseph straighten up in the chair he was now sitting in. "You've courted women before, I'm sure. What do I do from here?"

"Show Her Majesty that you care for her through small things, be spontaneous. I'm sure she will appreciate the effort."

"Such as?"

'He's clueless about his own wife.' Joseph thought. "Well, you brought her flowers today, perhaps chocolates?"

"Yes, of course!" Rupert responded as if it were the best idea he'd ever heard. "Thank you Joseph." He smiled as he stood up.

"My pleasure, Your Highness." Joseph bowed his head, then as the king walked over towards the door to leave, Joseph hurried over to open the door for him— a habit that he'd acquired for Clarisse.

"Thanks again." Rupert said as he left.

Joseph closed the door and leaned against it as he released a long sigh. He looked down at his feet and realized that his shirt was still wide open. 'Damn, and with how soon he came in after Clarisse left, he might have seen her leave!' He thought as his eyes grew wide. This is a problem.