A/N: Clarisse reveals a secret to Parliament and shocks them.


Blinking against the light, Clarisse sighed as she looked around the room, realizing that she had spent the night in Mia's room again. Looking at her granddaughter curled up next to her, she remembered what day it was. Monday morning, the day Mia had set to meet with Parliament.

Clarisse carefully got out of bed and slipped into her slippers and robe before kissing Mia's forehead. Silently thanking the young woman for her love and concern, and praying Mia would understand what she was about to do, she quietly walked out of the suite and made her way back to her own room.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, a bed she hadn't slept in even once since her return from Spain, Clarisse placed a call for Charlotte to come see her as soon as possible. Finishing the call, she turned to stare at the pillow beside her; Joe's pillow. Reaching out, she pulled his pillow to her chest and wept. Her body was wracked with gut wrenching sobs as she thought of everything she had sacrificed for her country only to have the same country take away the happiness she had waited her whole life for.

Charlotte found Clarisse sitting on her bed, rocking slightly and holding a pillow to her chest. "Clarisse?" she questioned, feeling a bit panicked. "What's wrong? Are you ill?"

Clarisse looked up at Charlotte. "No, I am not ill. At least, not in the way you think."

"Oh." Charlotte's voice was soft. "You wished to see me?"

Wiping her eyes and placing Joe's pillow back in place, Clarisse stood up and walked to the window. "Yes. I need your help."

"Anything."

"I need for you to make sure Amelia is at least a half hour late for the session with Parliament this morning."

"Your Maje…Clarisse?" Charlotte frowned in confusion.

"You will understand, soon enough, the reason for my request."

"Yes, Clarisse. I'll do what I can. Is there something else?"

"Yes, send in Olivia."

"Alright." Charlotte bowed slightly and backed out of the room, a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Clarisse was going to do something, and the thought of what it might be, scared her.

CnE

Taking a deep breath, Clarisse straightened the tiara sitting on her head. This was it. What she was about to do would change her life forever, but it had to be done. It was her fault that Joseph had been sitting in jail the last day and a half. It was her, and only her, that had the ability to fix this, that had the responsibility to fix this. She only hoped Charlotte was successful with Mia.

Walking, with head held high, into the room full of very surprised men and women, Clarisse took her place next to Sebastian. "Prime Minister," she greeted with a nod as she sat down.

"Your Majesty." Sebastian greeted with a confused look. Leaning over to her, he looked at the expression on her face. "What is going on?"

"In due time, Sebastian." Clarisse patted his hand.

"Ahh, hum." Lord Palimore cleared his throat and tapped his cane against the floor.

"Yes, Lord Palimore?" Sebastian sighed.

"I beg your pardon, Your Majesty, but what are you doing here?"

Clarisse put her hand on Sebastian's arm when he started to respond. Standing, she smiled down at the man who had always been a friend. Looking back at the others in the room, she steadied her nerves and began to speak. "First, to answer your question Lord Palimore. I have asked that Queen Amelia be detained so that I may speak with Parliament without upsetting her. Second, the reason I am here. I have a question." She stopped and took a deep breath. "Why was I not arrested with Joseph? It was I that proposed to him. It was I who married him without Parliament's approval. Is it not I that should be imprisoned?"

Lord Palimore swallowed nervously. "Your Majesty. That is, we,"

Clarisse held up her hand to stop his halting reply. "That answers my question, Lord Palimore. Now, my reason for being here." Reaching up, she lifted the tiara off her head and placed it on the desk in front of her. "As of this day, I, Clarisse Renaldi Elizalde, Dowager Queen of Genovia, relinquish my title and all privileges granted me by that title." A collective gasp was heard through the room.

"Your Majesty?" Sebastian looked at the woman he'd called friend and Queen for so many years. What had they done to her?

Clarisse ignored Sebastian. "Because I am relinquishing my title and position as Dowager Queen of Genovia, I request that my husband be released so that we may leave."

Lord Palimore looked at the woman standing so regally in front of them. Why had he and the others let themselves be talked into this mess? How had they gotten back to this place after the change that had happened at the almost marriage of Queen Amelia? But, he wouldn't, couldn't admit that he regretted any of his actions, and he was quite sure the others were in the same position. "Only when you use your correct name, will this be official."

Clarisse rolled her eyes. "Begging your pardon, Lord Palimore." She pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Sebastian. "The paper, that I have just handed to Prime Minister Motaz, is a wedding license from twenty three years ago, legally making my statement official."

Sebastian looked at the paper in his hand and blinked. Did it really say what he thought? She and Joseph had been married all these years and no one knew? Clearing his throat, he looked up. "It is indeed a marriage license as Her Majesty has stated. Twenty three years ago, Her Majesty and Joseph were united in marriage in Spain." Still feeling extremely confused, he looked around the room to see everyone's reaction.

"Thank you, Sebastian." Clarisse whispered as she put the paper back in her pocket then spoke once again to the rest. "Now, I repeat my request. Will you release Joseph so that we may leave?"

"That marriage is just as null and void as the last." Lord Palimore spoke.

Clarisse smiled. "No, I am sorry, Lord Palimore, but it is not. You see, I have had a lot of extra time on my hands the last day and a half to think on this and to make perfectly sure of what I was doing. I went to the Arch Bishop and asked him about this marriage. He assured me that he has no authority, and neither does Genovia, in this matter. He can not, nor can Genovian Parliament, declare this marriage null and void because it happened in Spain. I am, and have been for twenty three years, Mrs. Joseph Elizalde. Now, either you arrest me and throw me in prison, or you grant my request. Which is it?" Her answer came with but a moment's hesitation.

"As of this day, you are no longer Dowager Queen of Genovia. All rights and privileges are to be revoked. You are hereby banished from Genovia to live in exile, never to return to the land of your son's birth. You may take nothing but your clothes and those of your husband. After we receive word that you have left the country, Joseph will be released." Lord Palimore beat his cane against the floor to silence the murmurings.

"Lord Palimore!" Anna Cheako finally spoke up. "Do you not think this is a bit, shall we say, severe?"

"Enough. It is the way it shall be. This woman, by her own admission, has disgraced the crown. The punishment is appropriate."

Clarisse swallowed and nodded as she slowly stepped down from her place beside Sebastian. "Very well, Lord Palimore. I will do as Parliament demands. All that I ask is that I be given time to pack my things and say a proper farewell to the Queen."

"You have until nightfall." Lord Palimore granted then watched as Clarisse bowed slightly then straightened and left the room the same way she had entered – head held high, shoulders squared with a regal air of purpose.

The room was deafeningly quiet as all members stared at the sparkling tiara setting so oddly out of place where their former Queen's papers used to sit during meetings.

"What have you done?" Sebastian finally spoke, breaking the silence.

"We have done what is good for our country." Lord Palimore answered. "Do you realize what would happen if this latest bit of news reached the press? The last," he didn't get the chance to finish.

The chamber doors slammed against the walls, the banging reverberating in the now silent room. All eyes turned to see a very angry Queen Mia standing rigidly inside the open doors, her eyes shooting daggers. Seeing her anger, everyone's attention left Mia and moved to the tiara Clarisse had left behind.

Mia, seeing their attention shift, turned her gaze to where they were looking. She felt her heart stop beating as she saw the diamonds of her grandmother's tiara sparkling in the harshly lit room. "Oh god…what have they done?" she thought to herself before she turned her attention back to the people in the room with her, her anger returning. "What the hell have you done?"