I start by apologizing for taking so long to update and I want to thank everyone who continues to read this story, follow and add to fav. And, if you can lose 30 sec, please leave a review.

Here we go again…

C / J

Clarisse felt his gaze land on her. It was impossible not to. Joseph had been pacing the room for more than half an hour. Without looking up from the book she was reading , Clarisse could imagine all of her husband's expressions. Poor Joseph, twenty-one years unaware of where his son is ... Twenty-one years of a life that was not his ... Clarisse closed the book and placed it beside her on the sofa. She took off her glasses and held out her hand. Joseph stopped, looked at her and smiled. He took her hand and sat beside her on the sofa, putting his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him. Clarisse leaned against him and laid her head on her husband's shoulder.

"I don't know what my life would be like if you weren't always close to me."

Clarisse looked at the hand that had clasped in his hand and smiled.

"You haven't been a bad anchor either. Not bad at all! "

Without moving, Joseph saw, out of the corner of his eye, Clarisse's almost fruitless attempt not to smile. How he likes to see her smile. This woman has the gift of giving him life, of filling his heart with a happiness that, for many years, he believed could end at any moment. Never, not even in his wildest dreams, did he imagine Clarisse Renaldi asking him to marry him ... in front of millions of people! Now it was he who couldn't hide his smile ...

"You can't imagine how much I like to see you smile!" Said Clarisse kissing his palm. Joseph moved slightly away from her but to lean over and kiss her.

"What if it's not him? ..."

"We will still looking!"

"What if it's him?"

"If it's him, the nights at the Palace will be spent in the living room, in front of the fireplace, amid stories ... You will be the happiest man in the world and I, the lucky one who has the blessing to share your days."

No matter how hard the effort, Joseph was unable to stop a treacherous tear from falling down his cheek in the middle of a wicked smile.

"I hope you are not forgetting that you're supposed to share my nights too!" He said, with a bad boy expression, which made Clarisse burst out laughing. Then she got up, sat on her husband's lap and put her arms around his neck, looking him in the eye. Joseph smiled, with his hand he pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and, quietly, started to sing ...

"Perhaps I had a WIC k d childhood,

Perhaps I had a miserable youth, but somewhere in my wicked miserable past,

There must have been a moment of truth.

So here you are,

Standing there,

Loving me,

Whether or not,

You should…

So somewhere in my youth

Or childhood,

I must have done something good! "

And this time it was Clarisse who was unable to contain her tears. She hugged him tighter and hid her face in his neck. Joseph stroked her back and let her cry silently. It was not Queen Clarisse that he held in his arms. It was Clarisse Renaldi, his wife. The only woman he has ever loved. The only woman he would gladly die for. A few minutes later, Clarisse calmed down and raised her head and looked at him. Joseph wiped away the tears that still wet her face and asked, with a raised eyebrow:

"That bad?"

Only after a few seconds did Clarisse understand and burst out laughing.

"Oh you ..."

"I serenade you and you start to cry… I have to take some singing lessons!" And for a few minutes, the only thing that was heard in Clarisse's suite, was their laughter.

"I love you, Clarisse

"I love you more, Joseph!"

"I love you moistest and I won! And now, let's take you to bed ! It was a hell of a day! "

C / J

"If we look closely, there is something in their eyes that is ... similar!" Whispered Charlotte. Clarisse nodded and looked around to make sure Joseph was not around.

"I think so too, dear. But what if it's our imagination? What if the fact that we want Joseph to find Frederic so badly leads us to find similarities and create false expectations? "

Joseph's voice outside Clarisse's office ended the conversation between the two women.

"Good morning, Lady's. "

"Good morning, Joseph!" Replied Clarisse and Charlotte. "You come five minutes ahead of time!"

Joseph fixed the collar and coughed slightly to clear his throat.

"I confess that I am nervous, my dear."

"Your Majesty, do you wants me to bring you some tea"

"No, Charlotte. You don't need to leave, dear. You know perfectly well what is going on. "

Charlotte looked down and blushed.

"I know, Your Majesty, but I thought you wanted to be alone ..." But the announcement, through the headpiece, of Lord Nicholas' arrival interrupted her.

"Your Majesty, Lord Deveraux is here!"

Joseph tried in vain to control his nervousness. In his memory , only images of Frederic's tiny hands arrived. How his little fingers did wrap around his. The baby laugh, the smell of his hair… Clarisse grabbed his hands and smiled.

"Joseph, if you want you can go out and I'll talk to Nicholas alone."

"It is not necessary, Clarisse. I'm not going to make him understand anything- We're here to understand his intentions towards Mia. I'm not going to ruin everything with an assumption. "

"That's not what I meant ..."

Joseph realized that she misinterpreted his words, pull or her to him and kissed her forehead.

"I know, my dear. I'm sorry, I'm just really nervous. Send him in, Charlotte, please."

Charlotte left the office and returned a second later with young Lord Deveraux.

"Good afternoon, Your Majesty. Sir Joseph." Said Nicholas, kissing Clarisse's hand and shaking Joseph's hand. "Did you send for me, Your Majesty?"

"In fact, I did. Please sit down, Nicholas. "

Joseph was watching Nicholas closely. He sat down beside him, in front of Clarisse's desk.

"Nicholas, I want to thank you for the support you gave Mia, even going against your uncle. That support was very important and decisive. I owe a debt of gratitude to you. "

"Your Majesty, I truly believe what I said and I know that Princess Mia will be an extraordinary Queen and follow in her grandmother's footsteps."

For almost half an hour, the two talked a little about everything, but especially about Mia. Using all of her subtlety, Clarisse was testing the young Lord, to realize his true intentions towards Mia.

"I want to invite you to be present at the Coronation Ceremony, Nicholas. Mia has a great esteem for you and both me and my husband too. " Joseph smiled and looked at Clarisse.

"I appreciate the invitation, Your Majesty. It will be an honor to witness the beginning of a new journey in this great country. And believe Your Majesty, if there are two people that I admire and respect, these people are Your Majesty and Sir Joseph. And I want to thank you, once again, for the invitation to the ceremony. It will be an honor and privilege to be present. "

"Thank you, Nicholas. We both have great affection for you. And please, came visiting us whenever you are in the city. It will always be great to be able to spend some time with you. " Joseph replied getting up, followed by Nicholas and Clarisse.

As soon as Nicholas left the office, Joseph collapsed in his chair, visibly shaken. Clarisse joined him and grabbed his hands.

"You are shaking, my dear."

"Clarisse, he could really be Frederic. In part, his eyes remind me of Sandra… "Clarisse stroked his face and remained silent. The expression of anguish on Joseph, made her feel helpless, tightened her chest. "It's like I've known him forever ..."

"There has to be a way to confirm without everyone knowing it. Especially Nicholas. And honestly, my love, I don't even know how to deal with it, Joseph. "

"For the past twenty years, I have been thinking about it every day and I have not come to any conclusions. I don't know what to say… I don't even know if I have that right. "Joseph got up and went to the window. Clarisse follow and hugged him .

" Tomorrow I will visit Thomas Trend ..."

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Thank you,

Maria