"Are you sure I look ok?"
Mia inquired doubtfully as she turned in front of the floor length mirror.
"You are looking fine, Amelia- now excuse me please, I have to get dressed myself."
"Sure, Grandma- I promise I will try really hard not to embarrass you tonight- if anything happens it´s not on purpose."
"I´ll bear that in mind- I will see you in about an hour."
The queen left the room and made her way down the corridor towards her own suite where she found her ladie´s maids already waiting with her dress.
She had just finished putting it on and dismissed her maids when the door opened and Josef slipped into the room, his smile widening at the sight of her.
"You are looking beautiful- but then what´s new about that."
He kissed her hand, then glanced at his watch.
"I´ll go and escort Mia downstairs now- are you ready to join the party?"
"Yes, you can tell Charlotte that everyone can proceed to the dining room, I will be down in a few minutes- and please make sure Amelia doesn´t fall down the stairs, will you?"
"I´ll try my best- I told her to keep her hand on the banisters- just in case."
"Wonderful, what could possibly go wrong?"
They looked at each other, then started to smile at the same time and the queen sighed.
"You are right- it´s Mia we are talking about."
---
"Are you all right?"
Josef´s gentle voice interrupted Clarisse´s musings.
"Help me out here, Josef- how am I going to start? Maybe `Hello Rupert, don´t worry, everyone thought she was charming´or `I thought I´d warn you before you read in a paper tomorrow, it didn´t go too well`or `Rupert, I´m really out of ideas, how about you come up with something next´?"
"How about `she did all right for her first official dinner´?"
Josef sat down next to the queen and Clarisse leaned against his shoulder and closed her eyes.
"You really think so?"
"Yes- you are making it much worse than it actually was, everyone thought it was rather sweet and most certainly amusing."
"Does Amelia agree on that?"
"Of course not, she is just like you, she always sets too high standards for herself but other than you she has never been brought up to live up to them."
"You are right of course, I really trusted Helen to see to that but obviously I was mistaken- do you think Amelia will be all right?"
"She will be, don´t worry, just don´t be too hard on her tomorrow, skip the lessons for the day and take some time to get to know her better."
"You really think that would help?"
"I´m certain it will."
She had never seen him look so angry, he seemed to be positively smoldering with rage.
He took her arm without further comment and pulled her down the corridor towards her office, slamming the door behind them when they reached it.
Clarisse didn´t dare to say anything, she felt intimidated by him, she had only heard about his famous temper but never been a witness and most certainly not the victim to it.
"Sit."
Josef snarled and she obeyed without thinking, sitting down on her sofa.
"Now would you kindly explain what on earth possessed you to act so insanely stupid and irresponsible?"
Clarisse could tell that he was trying his very best to not loose control and yell at her and she backed away from him, further into the cushions on the sofa.
"I´m sorry I made you worry, I just thought it would be good to get away for a while, to give her a chance to relax."
Her own words sounded rather shallow to her and they certainly did nothing to console Josef.
"You thought- Clarisse, are you crazy? I have brought fifteen members of palace security over here with me to more or less be able to ensure your safety and I´ve been worried sick that it might not be enough after all and you think it would be a good idea to drive around town by yourself?"
"Josef, I´m really sorry, she looked so upset and I just wanted to make her feel better, I didn´t think much I suppose."
"I really can´t believe you- I have to get out of here for some time, try not to get into any more trouble."
"Josef, where are you going?"
"I don´t know- out, somewhere where I can get away from you."
Clarisse bit her lip, she wished she had thought properly now, she had by no means wanted to hurt Josef with her actions.
"Look, I am truly sorry."
"That isn´t enough, Clarisse, not this time- I had one hell of a day and it´s entirely your fault."
"I know- I won´t do it again, never, please don´t go."
"Don´t you have to make a phone call anyway?"
He was obviously trying to hurt her now and Clarisse knew that he would regret it bitterly lately and that she probably should just let him leave before he said even more.
"You are right, I should do that- I suppose I will see you tomorrow then."
She avoided his gaze, she didn´t want to see his nod, she had gotten so used to spending the night with him that the thought of having to sleep alone in her large empty bed tonight almost scared her.
Josef had been standing in front of the queen´s bedroom door for almost half an hour, he didn´t really know what to say to her, he had been too harsh on her earlier and he was terribly sorry and wanted to apologize but he wasn´t sure she even would want to see him, after all she had explicitly told him that she would see him tomorrow.
FInally Josef decided to wait until the morning, it was late and the queen would probably been asleep.
"Joe?"
He turned around, summoning an unconvincing smile on his face.
"Charlotte, hello."
"What are you doing up here?"
"Nothing, I was just walking past."
"Joe, you have been standing here for half an hour, stop trying to-"
Charlotte was interrupted when the door in front of them opened and Clarisse stepped out into the corridor, clad in a dressing gown and slippers.
"Is there a problem?"
"No, Your Majesty" Charlotte quickly stated, "I was just walking past on my way to the office."
"You are still working? Charlotte, you do too much."
"I just need to send an e-mail to a friend, it´s not work, Your Majesty- if you excuse me, I really should go to bed."
"Of course, Charlotte- go and send your mail, goodnight."
"Goodnight, Your Majesty- Joe."
"Goodnight Charlotte" Josef said quickly, then he turned to the queen who was watching him expectantly.
"Do you have to send an e-mail too or was there anything else that brought you to be outside my door?"
"There was actually- I want to ask you if you might consider forgiving me for my impossible attitude I showed towards you earlier."
She looked surprised but stepped aside to let him enter and closed the door behind him.
"What exactly do you mean you want to apologize to me? I believe I do owe you an apology, you were so furious that I thought you wouldn´t want to see me again today."
Josef almost sighed in relief, she wasn´t angry at him after all, he had been worried for nothing.
He reached for her and pulled her close to him, his face buried in her soft blonde hair.
"I´m sorry, my Darling, I really am so sorry, I shouldn´t have talked to you like that."
She quietly shook her head as she relaxed into his embrace, her arms wrapping around his waist to pull him closer to her.
"It wasn´t your fault, I was the one who acted insanely stupid."
"Yes, you did- I was so worried, I pictured all sort of horrible things that might happen to you, God, Clarisse, don´t ever do anything like that again, please."
"I promise- I´m sorry."
"I know- come on, let´s go to bed, you must be completely exhausted."
"I´m not that exhausted- and I´m scared, Josef, I´m scared that everything will change once Rupert gets here."
"Of course that will change everything, Clarisse, he is your husband."
Tears dwelled in her eyes and she turned away from him, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs.
He closed the door behind himself and wrapped his arms around Clarisse´s waist, pulling her back against his chest.
"Darling, don´t- we knew this would happen, we just have to try and get through it."
"I don´t know how, Josef, I really don´t know how."
She turned around and buried his face in his chest.