Leaving the Palace late at night with her HOS normally would have made her happy but not tonight. Having to leave her family in order to ensure their safety was the only reason she even considered it. She struggled with whether she should speak with Phillippe prior to leaving but in the end decided it was best she did not. His anger towards her would keep him away and in turn, keep him and his new family safe and that was all she wanted. Feelings, she learned a long time ago, only got you into trouble.
"Are you alright" Joseph asked breaking the silence in the car?
"Yes." She lied. It hurt her to lie to him, the man she loved but it was harder to speak the truth. She did not think she could do it without falling apart. And now was not the time for that.
Joseph knew she was lying but decided to let it go. He continued to drive in silence.
After two hours, Joseph pulled into a wooded area. He knew the route but anyone else would probably get lost. That was what made him pick the location.
"We're here" Joseph whispered as he shook her awake.
Clarisse opened her eyes and sat up until she felt a bit awake. Slowly, she got out of the car and followed Joseph inside. Immediately, she knew where she was.
"Joseph…" She turned and faced him.
"It was the only place I could think of that no one would look for" He admitted.
Clarisse nodded her head in agreement. She looked around and felt her heart squeeze as her mind took her back in time.
Many years ago
"Thank you, Joseph for bringing me here. I just…she whispered…need some time" She said as she walked across the room and sat by the fireplace as she stared at the darkness.
Joseph walked over and began preparing the fireplace for her in silence. He knew she needed time alone not someone to try and make small talk.
A few hours later, she sat in front of the fireplace in her warm, comfortable pajamas as tears ran down her cheeks.
"If you need anything…" He began to say as he approached her.
"What is wrong with me, Joseph" She asked as more tears fell?
His heart shattered at her words, he found himself kneeling beside her, taking her hands in his and adamantly stating, "Nothing is wrong with you. He is the problem. You have done nothing but help him fulfill his destiny. You gave him two sons. The people love you. The truth is, if not for you, he would not be the King he is. Everyone is aware of that."
"Then why doesn't he love me" She whispered as tears continued to fall?
Joseph looked at her with intense eyes. "Has something else happened" He asked instantly, knowing it was not the normal affair the King tends to have on occasion that had her this upset?
"No…" She lied as she looked back at the fire. But her mind replayed the moment she realized her life would never be the same again.
"Clarisse…" He said concerned that she was lying to him. He rarely used her name because he was trying desperately and unsuccessfully to keep his boundaries. She was his Queen, his boss, his friend…he dared to think but she could never be anything more, no matter how much he wanted it.
"I made the decision to move out of our suite" She managed to admit but, she could not allow herself to say anything else out loud. No one could ever know why.
"You have" He asked wanting her to open- up? He normally would have been pleased but the sadness he saw in her worried him.
"When we return there will be many changes" She warned him wanting to prepare him but not wanting to talk about what had occurred.
Joseph simply nodded his head since he knew he was not going to get any real answers tonight.
Present…
Once their bags were in the room and the fireplace was lit and warm, they sat in front of it.
"That was when you found out about Antoinette, wasn't it" Joseph asked? It now made sense. At the time, he could not figure out what could have happened that was so out of the ordinary that Clarisse had begged him to take her away, alone.
"Yes. The doctor had told me about the pregnancy and when I spoke to Antoinette, well, I figured it out…" Clarisse admitted.
"Why did you not tell me" He asked? He needed to understand why she did not trust him with that when she trusted him with their safety.
"I wanted to but I…it was easier to forget it happened. I moved out of our suite, I made sure we had limited engagements together and for a long time I put it out of my mind. Until she came back, I had not allowed myself to think about them" She admitted as she looked at him.
"All these years, why could you not trust me" He asked desperately hoping she would tell him, let her guard down enough to open- up to him?
"I did trust you, but I also knew you. I knew how you would react. Rupert fathering a child with our son's fiancée" She said honestly as she took his hand in her hand.
"You were afraid I would try to kill the King" He smiled teasingly but he knew, she had been right. He probably would have gone to the King and at the very least assaulted him and gone to prison.
"I actually was" She smiled.
"As angry as I would have been, I do not think I would have risked losing what we had by beating him senseless" He admitted lovingly.
"I did not know at the time that you had those kinds of feelings for me. I thought that we were only friends. But I suppose deep inside I knew it was not only friendship between us" She shared as she touched his face with her hand.
"He hurt you terribly. I will never forget the way you withdrew for so long. I…I'm sorry Clarisse that I was not able to protect you from that kind of hurt" He said as he looked at her with such tenderness that it took her breath away.
"And that is why I love you Joseph" She whispered honestly.
Joseph pulled her softly into his arms. "I love you too Clarisse. I know that things are really, hard right now but, you are not alone. I am here. You can trust me. I would never, ever, hurt you or let anyone hurt you" He whispered as he held her close.
"I trust you Joseph more than I have ever trusted anyone. You are the only person I trust with the lives of my family. Please don't ever doubt my belief in you or my love for you" She replied as she looked into his eyes deeply.
"Once this is all over and there is no longer a threat, you must fix things with Phillippe" Joseph encouraged her.
"I will" She promised.
"Don't just say that" He challenged her as he eyed her teasingly.
"I'm not" She chuckled.
"He is so much like you" He said making her smile.
"That is what worries me at times" She admitted.
"Why" He asked curiously?
"Rebellion can be destructive in this in line of work" She shared honestly.
"Maybe so but it has also made you the leader that you are" He replied not wanting her to forget.
"He wants to have a normal life with a wife and child. He does not understand that does not come without sacrifices" She said, the worry setting on her facial expression.
"Alright no more for tonight. You will have a lifetime to worry about him. For now, you should rest" He said changing the subject since he knew that was a much longer conversation to be had.
"So, should you" She reminded him.
"You go up to the bedroom. I'm staying down here" He said in a tone that meant do not try to change my mind.
"Alright. Goodnight" She whispered as she kissed him softly.
"Goodnight" He replied as he watched her go up. He set the alarm system and stationed himself near the door.
The Next day….
Pierre escorted Phillippe and Helen to the airport very, early in the morning before the sun rose. They did not want media attention. After a heartfelt hug, Helen boarded the plane first. Pierre and Phillippe stood facing one another in silence for a long moment.
"Mother loves you even if she is not here to tell you herself. Please, do not ever forget that. No matter how hurt and angry you are. She is risking her life to save us and the monarchy" Pierre reminded him.
"I know that. That is what gets me angry. She does not get tired of sacrificing herself and us, for this place. And for what? Father is lying on a bed he could die, and these people would grieve for maybe a day. Why do they care so much about what these people think? Why do you" Phillippe asked resentful?
"If we do not care, who will? This is our home. Our country. Father is fighting for his life for this Country. Mother is fleeing for her life for this Country. You must leave for this Country because I, have to stay and fight for all of us, if I do not then we are turning a blind eye and allowing Mabrey and those people who only care for themselves and their wallets to take over. This will all have been for nothing if we do not fight. We are each fighting in different ways" Pierre said adamant.
"And what of our family" Phillippe asked, tears escaping down his cheeks? He knew what Pierre meant. If something happened to Pierre, he would become Crown Prince. That was his duty. The spare.
"We will always be family no matter where we all are. You will come back home when it is safe once mother is back and the people who did this to father are in prison" Pierre promised.
"You believe that" Phillippe asked as he wiped his tears? He truly feared for his family safety.
"Yes, I do" Pierre admitted.
Feeling calmer and less afraid, Phillippe nodded his head in agreement.
"Chin up. I will see you soon little brother" Pierre smiled.
Phillippe smiled back and then boarded the plane.
Pierre watched until the airplane was out of sight. He truly hoped things would turn out the way he had explained it to his brother. He was also very worried about their parents and the future of the Country.
Palace…
The Palace was on night detail which meant all non- security staff were either in their rooms or already went home for the night. The new safety protocol was in force. The royal wing was closed off to only the top security officials Shades designated. The King and Pierre would be the only two in the wing. It was not a complete surprise when Antoinette stormed into the security office and asked to speak with Hans, but he was not there.
"I demand to speak to the person in charge" Antoinette demanded furiously?
"That would be me Lady Antoinette" Shades said from behind her.
"I want to know where the Crown Prince is" She demanded?
"Please follow me" He replied calmly as she followed him into Joseph office.
"Where is he" She spat angrily?
"I cannot disclose that information" He replied honestly.
"I am his fiancée. How dare you keep this from me" She yelled her voice rising?
"I am only following orders Lady Antoinette" He admitted.
"Whose orders" She demanded to know?
"The Crown Prince" Shades replied confused.
Antoinette felt her anger reach explosion level, but she did not react. Instead, she walked out of the security hub and headed straight to Pierre suite. On her way there, she ran into him coming back from the airport. They both stood facing one another in front of his suite.
"We need to talk. Here or in your suite" She threatened?
Knowing she would only make a scene; he nodded and opened the door allowing her in. Once inside she turned to face him in a fury.
"Before you start, let me remind you that we are not really engaged" He stated clearly.
"Before you make a decision that you cannot take back let me remind you that the people of Genovia love us, not you, not her, us" She hissed angrily but controlled.
Pierre eyed her carefully. She was up to something. He could see it clearly in her eyes.
"I am not going to marry you" Pierre stated clearly and firmly.
"You are" She replied in a way that alarmed him.
"I am not" He insisted.
"Pierre, you do not seem to understand that this is not something that you or I can control. We are and will be getting married. There is nothing you or I, your parents or that woman can do to stop it" She said in a way that truly had him worried.
"So, you do not want to do this either" He asked curiously?
"No, I do not. I think you know how I feel" She said the attitude fading and a sadness crossing her features.
"You are still in love with my father" He replied with less hurt then he thought.
She nodded her head without saying the words.
"He loves Mother" He said hoping that she would realize he was not saying this to hurt her.
"He always has" She whispered as she looked away.
"Antoinette, look…" He tried to explain.
"She doesn't love him. She never has Pierre" She said as she looked him in the eyes.
"I would not say never" He tried to explain without much conviction.
"Oh really. I think we both know she loves Joseph, and he loves her" She stated matter of fact.
House in the woods….
Joseph sat in the chair, his thoughts on Clarisse and her family. The mess they were all in. The King lying in that bed. Antoinette being in the Palace. And his last thought, where was Hans? Was he working with Mabrey? Not having answers, he sighed and buried himself down into the warm blanket. His thought drifted to Clarisse being upstairs and how this may be the only time they have to be alone. He quickly shook that thought of his head.
Clarisse was upstairs, lying in bed, wide awake. Her mind was all over the place. Her children, the unborn baby, Rupert, Antoinette and her son, and…Joseph. She sighed as she turned restlessly on the bed and faced the door. Would he come to her tonight, she wondered? She quickly shook those thoughts away.
Before either one knew it they found themselves face to face in the hallway. He had gone upstairs to "check on her" and she had left her room to "check on things".
"Everything alright" Joseph asked nervously?
"Yes…you" She asked just as nervous?
"Yes…" He replied reassuring her.
They stood in silence, their eyes speaking volumes.
"Goodnight" Joseph whispered as he turned around.
"Please…will you…stay" She forced herself to say.
Joseph turned around and looked at her with loving eyes.
"I don't want to be alone" She admitted as she looked back at him with loving eyes.
