A/N: FINALLY finished! Thank you to all my loyal readers and reviewers, I hope you have enjoyed the journey and I will be back soon enough!

The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me!

The excitement of the royal wedding hadn't dimmed at all by the morning of the coronation- in fact, the wedding added even more excitement to the coronation itself. To the people of Genovia, the wedding had signified the beginning of a new chapter, a new generation of Renaldis to lead the country into the twenty first century.

The Queen to be had been busy in the lead up to the coronation- while her grandmother was on her honeymoon, she had assisted Charlotte with the final preparations to the coronation, as well as starting to peruse the paperwork that her grandmother had been reading before the summer session.

"There is quite a lot to read, isn't there?" Mia joked to Charlotte one morning after she had read the minutes of the last parliamentary sessions. "I never realised how much happens in a session of parliament!"

"There are important issues usually discussed, but that meeting…" Charlotte trailed off, realising that the last session had invoked the law that had forced the princess to marry within thirty days before ascending the throne…

"Yeah, that meeting was quite a meeting… I was there, did you know?"

"Really, where?"

"I was listening through that secret passageway….I thought I was discovered when Grandma made that speech…"

"Yes, I think there were a few people who were wondering who made that noise."

"I found the tunnel completely by accident," Mia protested and Charlotte laughed.

"Your grandmother said that your father and uncle found it quite useful at times, particularly when they were playing pranks or trying to get away from their security…"

"Getting away from their security, hmm?" Mia suddenly looked impish and Charlotte gave her a mock stern glance.

"Don't you dare even think about it, Her Majesty and Joe will not allow you to do that."

"Ohhh," she sounded momentarily childlike, before she gave Charlotte a broad smile. "No, I don't think that I will try that."

"Good."

There was a short silence for a moment as Mia shuffled through the papers on her grandmother's desk before looking back up at Charlotte again.

"Have you thought about what you're going to do now?"

"No, not really… I wouldn't mind going back to the Attaché Corps, there's always different opportunities there, and my former boss said that he would be very happy to have me back there."

"No."

"I'm sorry," Charlotte was startled at the vehemence in her tone. "What?"

"No, you can't go back to the Attaché Corps- it's like you'll be going backwards."

"Well, what do you suggest I do, Your Highness?" Charlotte asked coolly.

"Well… I've been thinking about it and I want to introduce women into parliament. There are a few men that will be retiring after Christmas and…. I want to change a few things… and I think that you would make a fantastic member of parliament… and Grandma agrees with me, as does Uncle Pierre."

"You… spoke to Her Majesty about this? W…when?"

"Oh, before the wedding of course… actually it was in the last couple of weeks, and she thinks it is a great idea."

"B… But," Charlotte couldn't stop stammering but she was genuinely shocked- the princess and Pierre had been discussing her career options behind her back, and had involved Her Majesty in the process.

"I know you don't want to leave the palace, and I think I would love you as my personal assistant, but I think you deserve a promotion- and being a member of parliament is definitely a promotion."

"But… what about the Prime Minister? Surely…."

"I've already briefly mentioned it to him, and while there will be a few things that we will need to discuss, he's on board as well… Come on Charlotte, it's a massive compliment to you and I think you would do very well… I need more women in my parliament."

"Well… I'll think about it."

"You will do more than think about it, you will accept it."

"You're not trying to boss my personal assistant around, are you Amelia?" came a voice from the doorway and they turned to see Clarisse and Joseph, hand in hand, standing there.

"No, Grandma… I was just telling her that she has to accept my offer to be in parliament… I think she would do really well there."

"You don't know whether it's going to be allowed."

"I think it will, and I think Charlotte should be in parliament…. What do you think, Joe?" she turned beseechingly towards Joseph who only chuckled and shook his head.

"Don't bring me into this, Princess," he said before he looked at Charlotte. "But, for what it's worth, Charlotte would make a fine parliamentarian."

Charlotte blushed at the praise and Mia clapped her hands together in delight as the Queen rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, Mia."

"I could ask why you and Joe are here, you're supposed to be on your honeymoon!"

"We… well, I," Clarisse amended as Joseph squeezed her hand gently. "Just wanted to make sure that everything was ready for the coronation."

"It is, Your Majesty," Charlotte said quickly. "Everything is all done and ready."

"Good… and Charlotte?" the Queen looked at her with an arched eyebrow. "After tomorrow, you cannot call me Your Majesty anymore… tomorrow, I will be Clarisse."

"Yes, ma'am," Charlotte nodded, trying not to blush.

"But you can call ME Your Majesty," Mia said with a cheeky grin and her grandmother sighed exasperatedly.

"Mia!"

000

The day of the coronation dawned fine and bright, and the palace, as always, was a hive of activity- even Her Majesty… Clarisse… and Joseph were up early. Pierre went to church earlier in the morning and was back in time for breakfast with his family.

"It's the beginning of a new era!" he said to Charlotte with a grin when they collided in the foyer. "My mother has had an extraordinary reign, but it's time for her to have a private life and Mia is more than ready to become Queen…. and she was be just as extraordinary."

"I agree… Pierre," Charlotte asked after a moment.

"Finally, you manage to call me by my name rather than my former title!" he chuckled. "Yes, you wanted to ask me something?"

"Do you… did you want all this?" she waved around the foyer at the flowers, the decorations, the palace staff milling around, and he shook his head.

"No. Never. Even when I was growing up, I never felt that I would be King… Phillipe, yes, but not me and while I knew that I would disappoint my parents when I abdicated, I couldn't stay. The throne didn't feel as though it belonged to me…. and it does belong to Mia that I know."

The rest of the morning flew by quickly, the guests began arriving (including Lord Nicholas Devereaux, who hadn't been seen since the wedding and his loud proclamation of his devotion to Queen Mia, who had surprised the young Queen to be in the throne room) and both the Queen and Princess were in their suites, dressing.

The Princess was very excited- she had her mother, Lily and some of her girlfriends in with her- but she pulled away from the group to hug Charlotte.

"Thank you, thank you so much for everything… helping both Grandma and me so much… I won't forget it."

"It's been an honour and a privilege, Your Highness… Mia," she corrected herself quickly.

She paused outside the Queen's suite for a moment- this would be the last time she would address Her Majesty as such, and she was feeling a little nervous on her behalf.

When she stepped inside, Joseph was pacing slightly while Her Majesty was sitting calmly in a chair, the crown she had worn on her coronation on her head.

"Everything is ready when you are, Your Majesty," she said politely and Joseph looked at his wife for a moment.

"This is it."

"This is it," Clarisse affirmed before reaching out her hands towards Joseph and he helped her slowly to her feet.

"You look beautiful," he murmured, lifting her hand to his lips and brushing it lightly. "You will be most beautiful woman in the room… along with your granddaughter," he added, before he kissed her hand again. "I'll see you downstairs," and he smiled warmly at Charlotte as he passed her.

There was a long silence before Clarisse slowly made her way towards her, a warm, radiant smile on her face- she was clearly very happy being married to Joseph, her son and granddaughter were back in her life and now that she was about to step down from the throne, Charlotte couldn't imagine how much happier she could be.

"I would like to thank you for everything you have done for the past couple of months, especially, but ever since you came to work at the palace. You have done an absolutely amazing job and I… have commended you to Sebastian Motaz as a possible candidate for parliament."

"Your Majesty….Clarisse…. it's been more than an honour and a privilege working for you, but you didn't have to do that…."

"I do and I did," she said firmly, pausing in front of Charlotte and taking her hands in hers. "You are a very bright young woman and you will be of great assistance to Mia in parliament… although I will miss seeing you around the palace," she added with a gentle, joking smile. "But I hope that we will be able to see each other around sometimes, at least."

"I'm sure that can be arranged," Charlotte said gently, before there was a knock on the door, signalling that it was time to go.

"Alright… let's go," Clarisse took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. "I had forgotten how heavy this crown is… but let's go," before she slowly made her way towards the door, Charlotte, as always, at her side.

0

The coronation ceremony was as dignified, formal and traditional as possible, but there was a difference- both the past and present Queens were radiant, clearly, absolutely radiant- and both were ready to let go (Clarisse) and embrace her future (Mia).

It also helped that the men in their respective lives- Joseph and Nicholas- were standing as close as possible to the stairs, and Charlotte couldn't help but notice Joseph move closer to Clarisse as soon as the Archbishop lifted the crown off her head.

She got chills when the Master at Arms banged his gavel on the floor once the ceremony was over and announced: "Presenting Her Majesty Amelia Mignonette Thermopolis Renaldi, Queen of Genovia!" and she couldn't help but feel intensely patriotic as the choir began singing the National Anthem again.

"This has been a great day," she heard Scott say from behind her once the ceremony was over the guests were milling around- for once, Charlotte had a few moments to herself.

"Yes it has."

"So, what now for you?" Scott knew about her concern for her future- and he too thought that she would make a great parliamentarian- but for today, Charlotte wasn't going to worry about it. She had a few options- although she suspected she would be in parliament, a thought that excited and appealed to her greatly, although she didn't want to be seen to be using her close relationship with the Queen Dowager to bring that about- but today, it was all about celebrating the future of Genovia.

"I'm not sure yet, but I do know one thing."

"What's that?"

"I hope I'm not going to be eavesdropping anymore!" Charlotte turned to him with a grin and he laughed along with her.

"Well, it certainly made your life more interesting….but yes, I think your eavesdropping days may be over!"