"They plan to marry…" Clarisse replied effectively avoiding the topic of the baby. It did not go unnoticed. She could feel Joseph eyes on her.
"Yes, he told me…it is wonderful news. I really like Helen" Pierre said honestly, a smile on his face.
Clarisse nodded her head but did not respond.
Pierre glanced at Joseph nervously.
"Mother, is Phillippe aware that they are leaving to America? I ask because he did not mention that to me just now" Pierre forced himself to question his mother. It was not out of anything other than concern. He was truly, concerned with the stress placed on his family.
"No, not yet" Clarisse admitted.
"What if he chooses to stay" Pierre asked?
"He won't" Clarisse said as she looked her son in the eyes.
A sad look crossed Pierre face when he realized what his mother meant. Phillippe had no choice. The Queen had made her decision.
Helen suite…
"Pierre truly is wonderful" Helen complimented as she smiled at Phillippe.
"He is great. He will make an excellent King. Father and Mother saw that from the beginning" Phillippe replied as he put his head down. The sadness returning.
"It will be alright. Pierre said your mother will come around" She tried to encourage him.
"He was saying that to cheer me up. I know mother as well as he does. Once she decides it is done. Of-course I know she will love the baby but…" He paused when a knocked on the door interrupted his train of thought.
"The Queen is requesting to see you" His bodyguard informed him.
"Thank you" Phillippe replied. The door closed.
"Here it goes" He sighed as he stood up.
"Do you want me to go with you" She asked wanting to support him?
"No. I think she wants to speak to me alone" He said honestly.
"I see" She sighed.
"See you soon" He reassured her as he kissed her cheek and walked toward the door.
Helen watched him and thought, please…please let her welcome us, as she placed her hand on her stomach.
Clarisse suite….
"You do not have to do this" Joseph insisted as he stood in front of his love.
"I do Joseph. I must" Clarisse said determined to follow through with her decision. The decision she knew was best.
"He will be hurt. You need to take the Queen out of this and…" He tried to convince her. but she spoke over him.
"We are not two different people. My decision is made" She spoke firmly.
"You are Clarisse! I know you. I have seen it when you change and hide away your emotions. Do not do that this time" He tried to convince her but a knock announced Phillippe arrival.
"Come" Clarisse spoke ending their conversation.
Joseph stood in his spot, clearly unhappy.
Phillippe walked in and saw Joseph rigid posture. He knew it was bad.
"You wanted to see me Mother" Phillippe spoke as he walked over to her.
"Yes, please, let us sit" Clarisse replied as she sat.
Phillippe sat facing her.
"I wanted to inform you that after some thought I decided that it is best that you and Helen return to America tomorrow" She said as she looked him in the eyes. Not once did she falter or get emotional. She had too many years of experience for that to happen. However, in her heart, she felt an ache as she noticed his face flood with emotions.
"I see. You don't want me here" He replied, tears escaping and sliding down his cheeks.
Joseph clenched his fists in anger.
"It isn't safe here" She responded automatically. She had so much she wanted to say to him, but the words did not come out.
"But Pierre is staying, right" He challenged her now upset? He wiped his tears furiously.
"It is his duty" She replied confused by his line of questioning.
"And I have no duty" He said upset. All the years of being the spare was finally catching up to him. He felt the resentment settle in his chest.
"Of- course you do but…" She tried to explain but he spoke over her, shocking her.
"But what mother" He asked hurt and upset?
Clarisse felt her temper rise in that moment. She could not believe her son was challenging her decision when he was the one who created an impossible situation. "Pierre is the Crown Prince, and he is Prince Regent. It is his responsibility to ensure the Country and the Monarchy continue to run smoothly while I am away" She replied but she had not been prepared for the reaction of her youngest. Somehow in her mind she thought Phillippe had always understood this.
"And not my responsibility, is that it? I am just the spare. The one who never does anything right!" He yelled as he stood up knocking over his seat and walking away furiously without bothering to fix the chair.
"Phillippe!" Clarisse yelled angrily as she stood up quickly and crossed the room after him
Joseph following her.
Phillippe did not stop he flung the door open and walked out down the hall.
Against the feelings in her heart and her anger she let him go.
Joseph watched helplessly as Clarisse closed the door calmly, turned around and went straight to her bedroom. She pulled out her travel case and started to shove clothes into it. Grabbing another case, she began to shove a hairbrush, toothbrush and various other items.
"Clarisse" Joseph whispered as he stood behind her and touched her shoulder. He wanted them to talk for a moment. He knew how much Phillippe words must have hurt her.
"Not now" Clarisse begged, fighting the tears as she moved away from his touch.
"Alright. I'll go pack" Joseph said as he walked out. His feelings hurt by Clarisse refusal to talk to him.
Pierre suite….
"Do you think this is a good idea" Charlotte asked unsure as they sat to have dinner?
Pierre had the staff set up a table for two and the kitchen bring up dinner with a bottle of wine. He had wanted to surprise her.
"It is fine. Relax and enjoy the meal" He smiled.
"Alright" She smiled.
Pierre poured them both a glass of wine. They clinked glasses and took a sip. They began to eat and talk casually about themselves.
"Did you ever think we would be here like this" She asked shyly?
"I never let myself think it but when I returned to the Palace, yes, I did" He admitted.
"Do you miss the church" She asked genuinely wanting to know?
"Sometimes, yes" He admitted not wanting to lie.
"If you could, would you choose the church again" She asked cautiously?
He knew she was concerned but was glad that she asked. "If I did not have you in my life, yes, I would."
She smiled at him. Her heart filled with joy.
After dinner, Pierre walked Charlotte out to her car.
"Drive safe" He said concerned about how late it was.
"I will" She reassured him with a smile.
"See you tomorrow" He replied with a smile.
She smiled more and then got into her car as Pierre shut her door.
He watched her drive off wishing for a few moments that he was not the Crown Prince and that he was normal like everyone else and could kiss the woman he was in love with after a great night.
Helen suite…
Helen sat with Phillippe for a long time. She had not asked any questions. All she did was hold him as he cried. She felt helpless and she felt anger towards Clarisse. How could she do this now? Force Phillippe to leave when his father health was so fragile. She knew how afraid Phillippe was to lose his father. She did not understand what was happening to cause Clarisse to be so heartless toward her own son. Eventually, Phillippe fell asleep on the sofa. She covered him with a blanket. As she sat, she touched her stomach thinking of their baby. This was not the kind of life she wanted for their baby. She realized in that moment it would be best that they left back to America, but she planned to talk to Clarisse first.
Determined, Helen left her suite and walked to Clarisse suite. On her way down the hall she saw Pierre entering his father suite.
Pierre sat staring at his father who was still in a coma. He looked paler and thinner. He knew his mother had to leave for the safety of everyone and that Phillippe was being sent back to America with Helen but, he was worried. It weighed heavily on his shoulders that his father would not survive this. Sensing someone Pierre suddenly turned around.
"It's alright. Come in" Pierre encouraged her.
Helen walked over and sat beside him.
"He would have loved to know that there is a little Phillippe" He said smiling at the thought of the baby.
"Phillippe would love a son" She smiled back.
"Mother would want a girl. She never got to have one" He said as he looked her in the eyes.
Helen remained silent.
"My mother feels more then she shows" He shared as he looked back at his father.
"I know that this is not the best timing and that everyone is under tremendous stress but sending us away, now, isn't the answer. I want her to know that Phillippe cried himself to sleep" She said upset.
"That would only hurt her. Is that what you want? You want to hurt my mother" He asked calmly?
"No. Of-course not but, she has no right to treat Phillippe this way" She said getting more upset that he was defending her.
"Our mother is the Queen of Genovia. She is responsible for an entire country. Can you imagine what that must be like" He asked?
"You agree with her decision" She said realizing that the one person she thought would be on their side was not.
"Yes, I do" He admitted.
"How could you agree with this" She asked confused?
"Because I now must think about an entire country before I think of my family, myself. It is a weight that consumes you. Your thoughts and feelings must come last, if it does not you could cause irreparable damage" He tried to explain.
"I do not see how letting us stay here would cause damage to the Country" She said convinced that they were both over exaggerating.
"If the press or my family enemies find out you are pregnant, what do you think would happen" He asked her to wonder if she thought about it?
"We would be the highlight of gossip for a while" She guessed.
"You would be more then just gossip and Phillippe would probably be exiled" He said shocking her.
"What do you mean" She asked panicking?
"This country, our government is not like America. Helen, as hard as this is the both of you need to go back to America. Mother is trying to protect the three of you. Phillippe will realize that in time" He said certain that once his brother stopped reacting with his feelings, he would see the situation as a royal.
Neither of them noticed as they sat in silence thinking about their conversation that Clarisse stood in the door- way. She had over- heard them. She felt hurt by the way things ended with Phillippe but, she felt proud of Pierre and the way he was guiding their family. He truly would make a great King someday. Her eyes looked over at Rupert form. She realized that someday may not be that far away.
Across the Palace…
Joseph was in his room packing his bag, his thoughts on Clarisse and Phillippe. He truly felt sad for them both. He wished Clarisse had listened to him and spoken to her son as his mother and not his Queen. She had been so, matter of fact that it shook him to the core. He knew that Clarisse learned long ago that feelings only got you into trouble. He had selfishly hoped that once she allowed herself to feel for him that it would change her perception on this but, tonight it was obvious that it had not changed her at all. It made him sad and it made him worry about them.
