Disclaimer: Not to state the obvious, but, no, I do not own the Princess Diaries (book or film), it's characters, or anything related to it except for my two DVDs. I make no profit from this story. I am merely borrowing these characters for a little bit of fun.

A/N: Ok, so, yes, the last chapter was VERY short, but on the other hand, you got the first chapter to the Royal Secrets prequel (In the Shadows). Sill, I felt a little guilty about making you wait a whole week for the next chapter so, here it is. Just to make you all happy, this one is substantially longer than the last, and, well, several things happen which I really enjoyed writing.

Thank you for your reviews for the last chapter, and I hope you enjoy this next installment!

I hope you enjoy, and please review:

Clarisse did not turn to the noise which, she too, had heard. Nor did she need to hear the tumult rumbling towards her as the reporters surged forwards with their flashing cameras to know exactly who had exited the palace doors.

She felt herself take a shuddered breath, fighting fiercely to remain composed and dignified even as her eyes momentarily fluttered shut, the knowledge that he had come to stand with them bringing a small shred of the warmth she had missed over the past month back into her chest.

Smiling with true joy as she saw Joe exit the Palace doors and stand, his hands clasped before him, just to the left of the entrance, Mia turned back to the crowds and, not bothering with the noise coming towards her, nodded to the reporter, "yes," her look was triumphant, "everyone stands behind the Queen."

As the crowds hushed at her declaration, Mia proceeded, "of course, there are still many feelings and issues to be dealt with privately. This is a difficult time for our family, and we will continue to work towards resolving this situation in the best way possible in the weeks and months to come. There are still hurt feelings and it may take time for forgiveness to come, however, the…"

She was interrupted again, "so everyone hasn't forgiven her! They, don't really stand behind her! They," the reporter gestured to Pierre and Joe, "are just here for show!"

His attempt at keeping calm failing, Pierre felt angry for the first time in a long time. It had upset him that these people would be ruthless and disrespectful on paper and on television when they knew nothing about the situation, it outraged him that they would continue to try and prompt conflicts even when Mia was telling them the truth.

Looking back to where Joe was standing, he could tell that the older man, too, had reacted to the accusation. Despite their feelings, despite Joe's pain, they were both there of their own free will. They did both stand behind his mother, if as nothing else, then at least as their Queen. How dared the reporters try to twist his niece's words to fuel the fire that they had started?

Stepping forward, he took his mother's hand and joined his niece at the podium, the queen standing between them both, her eyes now on her son as he adjusted the microphone towards him and spoke.

"I assure you," Pierre spoke looking not at the reporter, but out to the crowds, "that I am here of my own volition. I am not a puppet, brought out to pretend that everything is alright. As Princess Mia has stated, this is a difficult time for all of us, but I have forgiven my mother. I have spoken to her, and to…" he hesitated a moment, then decided not to anger the crowd further, "…to Mr. Bonnell. I understand the situation and I stand with my mother completely. It may take time for forgiveness to come for others, this is a very complicated situation, but none of us feels that this revelation should impugn the years of hard work and sacrifice that my Mother has dedicated to this country. Despite the complexity of the situation and our hurt feelings, I feel no hate or anger towards my mother, and nor does anyone one else directly involved."

Pierre squeezed his mother's hand and smiled at her, before proceeding.

"I am a priest. I dedicate my life to teaching forgiveness and love. I will not stand here and preach to you about what you should think or feel – that is not my place. But I do urge you to consider this situation carefully - to look at the facts that are being put to you, and to decide, for yourselves what you should think. I pray that you will find it in you to forgive my Mother for this one transgression – that you will stand behind your Queen as she has stood behind you all – behind Genovia – for her whole life."

Nodding to Mia, Pierre indicated that he had finished. He didn't know if his words would help, but he could not have stood silent any longer.

"I agree with my Uncle entirely," Mia spoke again as Pierre placed an arm around Clarisse's shoulder and she smiled up to him in thanks. "I do hope that you, the people, will take everything that has been said here to attention as you consider your individual thoughts and feelings regarding this issue. Furthermore," Mia now turned her eyes to the reporters, "I would like to urge the press to respect our family's privacy at this difficult time. I love Genovia, and I love its people. I understand that among the people's rights, is the right to free speech and that we could not exist as a democratic nation without the free press. However, I do believe that the media attention which has been thrust upon this issue has only served to further confuse the situation and, at times, has been simply sensationalist and hurtful. This is a private matter – one that will be difficult to deal with and one that in no way affects the monarchy, the Genovian people or the running of this great country…"

"How doesn't it affect the people?" one reporter called out.

"How can you say it doesn't affect the monarchy or government when we don't even know if there is an heir to the thrown?!" another shouted out from the opposite side.

Sighing, Mia broached the subjected she'd been dreading but had known would inevitably come up. "I have heard the speculation regarding my father's parentage and the rumours that, he, too, might not have been my grandfather's biological son. However," she spoke clearly and determinedly as the crowd began to get restless again, "I have discussed the matter with my grandmother and have been assured that there is no truth to those accusations. My father was King Rupert's son, he was a crown Prince of Genovia and the line of succession is in no way threatened by these recent revelations."

"And we're supposed to just take her word for it, are we?" a female reporter asked from somewhere in the middle of the group.

Sighing and dropping her head for a moment, Mia replied, "I am prepared to take a DNA test should one be required. However, let me make this clear," she paused surveying everyone before her, "I wholeheartedly believe my grandmother and have no doubts that my father was the rightful heir to the throne."

"How can you have no doubt if she was sleeping around behind King Rupert's back?" another reporter called out, his precise location obscured by the murmur rolling forth from the crowds, obviously not convinced by their Princess' words.

Nicholas, the only one still standing close to Joe, a few steps behind where Mia, Clarisse and Pierre stood, could almost feel the head of security's anger as the knuckles of his clasped hands whitened. He understood. When Mia had been set to marry Andrew, he too had spent time with her in secret, and had anyone insinuated that she made a habit of running off behind her fiancé's back with other men, he too would have been furious.

Straightening her back and standing tall, Mia turned her eyes to the crowd, "how many of you are married?" she asked, seemingly making little sense. When there was no response, she spoke again, "please, raise your hands. How many of you are married?"

This time, over half those assembled raised a hand in the air.

Nodding, Mia smiled. "Now raise your hands if you married for love – if you married the partner you chose and who you wanted to spend your life with."

The same hands remained raised, the respective faces masks of confusion and puzzlement.

Mia nodded, "I did too," looking briefly back to Nicholas, she continued, "however that was a luxury that was never afforded to my grandmother," looking to Clarisse, simultaneously asking for permission and apologizing for revealing so much of her private life, Mia forged on, "despite the public belief that my grandmother and grandfather had had a great teenage love story and married young ready to stand side by side in running Genovia, the truth is very different. The truth," Mia looked again to Clarisse who gave her a short nod and a soft smile, "is that my great grandfathers, Lord Gérard Valois and King Édouard IV arranged the marriage when my grandmother was only fifteen. The truth is that theirs was a marriage of convenience – not for them, but for their fathers. They were friends – best friends, even. But they were not in love."

Squeezing his mother's shoulder where his hand rested, Pierre smiled to her in reassurance as Mia spoke.

"I cannot speak for my grandfather who, unfortunately, I never met. But my grandmother did find love. She did find someone with whom she wanted to spend the rest of her life – Mr. Bonnell."

Holding his mother tighter, Pierre hoped to ease the pain that he knew she was trying to keep from her eyes.

"The accusations that my grandmother may have had multiple lovers are unfounded and hurtful. Like her Majesty, I too was almost forced into an arranged marriage. A little over two years ago, I stood in the Pyrus Cathedral, ready to marry a man who was a dear friend, but whom I did not love. Had I been given a chance to spend even a few moments with the man I did love, I would have done so without a second thought. That is what my grandmother did. That is all she did. She and Mr. Bonnell had a brief relationship and, yes, from that relationship resulted a son who my grandmother pretended was the King's son. What other choice did she have? Should she have chosen her child and abandoned her country and the duty she had to it, or should she have, once again, sacrificed her own happiness for Genovia and had an abortion?"

Pierre felt hundreds of eyes on him as the people pondered Mia's question.

"How can we possibly criticize her Majesty for taking a chance on love when she had the chance? How can we blame her for wanting what we all take for granted in our own marriages?" Mia asked as a deafening silence took over the crowd – it seemed her words had hit home.

Quietly, almost like the first few drops of rain falling on a window, scattered clapping broke the silence. Slowly but surely, the clapping grew in intensity until the only sounds heard were the closing of camera shutters and the resounding thunder of hundreds of people applauding in unison.

"Long live the queen!" someone shouted from the far back of the crowd.

"Long live the queen!" another voice came from closer to the front.

"Clarisse! Clarisse! Clarisse!" the crowd began to chorus as they clapped and cheered.

Smiling, Mia thanked everyone for their attention and stepped back a little, motioning for Clarisse to take the microphone. Silently, Clarisse locked eyes with her granddaughter and, unseen by the crowds, mouthed a sincere 'thank you' to her, her eyes shining with pride.

TBC

Well, that was long, had plenty of different characters in it, and had a somewhat happy ending ... I hope you're happier now than you were at the end of the last chapter ;)

Please let me know what you thought and, if you haven't yet and you want something to keep you going until the next chapter, check out the San Francisco- based prequel for Royal Secrets - "In the Shadows."

Thanks,

CJS-DEPPendent