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Day Five: Aug 1995; Summer Palace
"So you slept with Joseph on this day last year?" Rupert asked as he and Clarisse shared a nice nightcap at the family room. Tonight's the night of 'love day' and usually the couple only share nightcaps after a terribly worse day, so it seems this year's Valentine's Day turns out the worse for the past seven years.
"Don't speak his name." Clarisse sneered as she pinched the bridge of her nose, "He's been on my nerves for the past twenty-four hours."
"Clarisse we've been married for years but there are times that I don't really get you." he shook his head, "He's not even here.."
"That's the point! Both of it…" she sighed as she leaned back her chair, "I've been with myself my whole life and I don't get myself either… Maybe myself is on my nerves because… because I think he is on them."
Rupert almost choked on his drink as he can't help but snorted at what she said, "I may have expected myself to not understand that but I did last minute." he groaned with a laugh as he stood up and sat beside her, "So that's why you think this is the day to cut out our seven-year record of not sharing beverage at night."
"It's a bit confusing actually.." she spoke, her voice latched with an unfamiliar taste of remorse and confusion, "Did I really snapped at everybody today?"
"Yup.. to the point where everyone thinks you and Joe are more than friends." Rupert nodded with a smirk, "Then again you are more than that. Maybe it's because you missed him."
"Oh~ go to hell, will you?" Clarisse rolled her eyes and sighed, "Yeah you're right… I do miss him."
She and Rupert remained quiet, both looking at the muted television and the moving images of a cartoon show.
Who will believe that inside the Royal Family Room, Genovia's King and Queen will be found watching The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Tom and Jerry and Tiny Toon Adventures? Muted with a cup of tea spiked with some liquor?
"Clarisse?" Rupert mumbled as they watched the cat and the mouse chase each other off again, just like they did for the rest of the other episodes, "Are you in love with Joseph?"
Clarisse can't believe that she's raising her eyebrows even higher with what he said. Her anxiety for the cat falling to a deadly contraption is high already but, just her eyebrows, it rose higher after failing to think of an excuse- a proper answer- to tell to her husband.
"Don't even think about it," Rupert muttered, "Lying and covering up I mean.. Come on! We've been married for decades and you underestimate my skill of seeing through you?"
The queen groaned and playfully smacked his arm, just like what Jerry's doing to Tom's hands, "Alright I admit."
"So that means you're more than just 'getting laid'?"
"No… we're just doing it."
"What for?"
"Oh well- why do you get laid?"
"'Cause it's damn fun?"
"Well there you go.."
"But Clarisse-" Rupert groaned irritatingly, "You love him."
Clarisse shook her head, "No.. I'm in love with him. It's different," she said in a matter-of-fact tone before going to a whisper, "And besides… he's gay."
"So?"
Clarisse's face crumpled with confusion as she finally broke her face off the tv and turned to her husband, "So?"
"Aren't you gonna tell him?"
"And what? He'll say he does too and I'll leave you so we could live happily ever after? Why not? If things were different, I would do as exactly as that."
Rupert's crumpled with amusement as he looked at her, "If we're not royals, I doubt we'll be married."
"Touché." she shrugged as she turned again to the tv, flinching when the episode ended with baby Tom bouncing up and down with a rocket thingy chasing after his butt. How could creators make such a deadly show for kids?
Rupert turned back to see a black screen as Sonic and Tails appeared on it, "Seriously Clarisse… aren't you gonna tell him?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Ask yourself. Aren't you fond of seeing a certain barmaid lately?"
"Don't change this to me. We're talking about you.."
"You're fond of her because she's different aren't you?" she asked him, ignoring his latest words and she looked down at her cup and downed it's contents, "I see you've found your new match."
"No kidding, Clarisse. Aren't you gonna tell Joe that you see him more than a friend with special benefit?"
"Aren't you gonna tell, what's her name? Matilda? Merida?... that you're seriously committed to her already?"
Rupert groaned in dissatisfaction as Clarisse smirked and stood up, she placed the glass on the table and patted his head, "As I told you, Joseph's gay. We're friends and we share a bed, I like it that way than scaring him off by saying 'damn I'm attractive to gay guys. I was in love with your ex-boyfriend and now I am to you.'"
She kissed his cheeks and patted his shoulders, "Hide the cds. We don't want the staff laughing at us over some overly crime committed, totally 'harmless' and very destructive kid's shows." And with that, she left and headed straight to her room with a carefully stroked bee line.
Once she's in, she lets out a heavy breath she's been keeping in during her small walk. For the first time she didn't lie to Rupert. She does fall in love with Joseph, there's no point denying it. But building a relationship with him will be different, as if she'll be free of these royal duties but she knows she can't show false hope.
Not to mention he's gay, homosexual and your friend… she mused as she sat on her bed, trying to push away the millions of scenarios that could happen if she told him what's in her heart.
Looking at the phone, she wondered if she should call him. And then it rings.
It rings…
Blinking, Clarisse stared at it much longer, It's ringing… Blinking again, she snapped away to her thoughts and jumped straight to it. Clearing her throat before she took the receiver to her ears, "Hello?"
"Is this Queen Clarisse's private bedroom?" a husky voice from the other line spoke, causing Clarisse's mouth to drop and for her heart to skip a beat. Biting her bottom lip, she adjusted the phone and rested comfortably on her bed, "Who is this?"
She tried to sound as equally as husky, or something along the same line, while she fumbled with the phone line.
"Who do you think this is?"
She smiled and sunk deeper into the bed, "How's Italy?"
"Still the same," she can hear the smirk on his words. She closed her eyes, "How's Genovia?"
"Genovia's fine." she grunted as she sat up and sighed, "Why do you call?"
"I'm gonna say something but I need to know something first," he spoke, still husky but slightly off his manly character. Clarisse immediately knew how to act when he's on the 'gay mood' as how she calls it, "Are you alone?"
She sat up and looked around, "Of course you know the answer on that."
"Okay so," he started with a clear of his throat, "Kurt is here beside me." Clarisse raised her eyebrows, wanting to speak but her throat caught her words. She let him continue, "And he wanted to speak to you.."
"Joseph what are you-" Clarisse breathed in. For the first time since she stepped on the throne she felt overwhelmed and- emotional. She can't deny that her son from Chris will always have a special place in her heart, ona that is only for her three beloved sons, "Give him the phone.."
"Clarisse are you sure?"
She gulped and nodded, hesitations compressed at the far back of her mind. Kurt may be an adult now but if he wants to meet his mother then she can not entirely say no to that.
"Your majesty?" a soft voice called out from the other line.
"Kurt…" Clarisse whispered, gaping as she started to feel suffocated. She hasn't felt like this before, nor she knew how to ignore it as she blinked the forming fluid at the corner of her eyes, "I- I heard you want to talk?"
"Yes ma'am."
The way how he formally addressed her sent some piercing feeling down her heart. Does she have a heart? Of course she does and right now it's swelling and hurting at the same time. She knew she deserved it, Rupert offered her an opportunity to live closer to him yet she didn't want to take the risk and sent him away with his father.
"And so…. why don't we talk?" Clarisse asked awkwardly after a long inconvenient pause. She doesn't know why he called, and she doesn't know how to act either. She wanted to build a good image on him, to be genuine and slightly motherly. She hoped neither Joseph nor Chris talked to him about the affairs, since it's hard to establish that image with a 'slutty' background.
"I- Oh gosh this is so awkward… Er- I just want to ask… uh-" she heard a loud hissing breath, and it struck her that her son is equally as nervous and anxious with this call. Maybe it's better if she talked to him in person. How long was the flight from Genovia to Italy anyway? An hour and a half?
"Look, Kurt… listen," she started, slightly proud for her lack of stuttering and not quivering tone. She hoped it doesn't sound so dominant though, "I- I think talking to each other by the phone, at this time is- is not a great idea."
She heard a soft 'oh' and another 'oh' from the background. Joseph, she smiled as she looked at the clock hanging on her room, 12:34 a.m. "I would actually prefer having this talk with you in person."
Another 'oh's and humming of agreement came from the other line. Clarisse smiled as she sighs, "Right now… I ask you to sleep. Whether you're an adult or not, sleeping at this time is not good for you."
Kurt hummed and she could hear his nod, "Yes ma'am."
"Oh and Kurt?"
"Uh- yes?"
"It's Clarisse or anything other than any formalities," there's a long pause from Kurt as he finally nodded.
"Alright, Clarisse.." he said, "Go-Goodnight."
"Goodnight Kurt," she mumbled as she heard murmurs from the other line, then Joseph spoke, "That went well."
"Really?"
"He's smiling throughout the call, can't you see that?"
"Well.., that's good- right?"
"Are you nervous?"
"I was," she smiled, "And I will be."
"Did you really mean what you said? Talking to him in person?"
"Joseph, he's my son."
"And now you're his mother?"
"If he needs me I will be there for him." she mumbled, "He doesn't have to accept me as a mother, but I want him to know- to feel- that I accept him as a son."
She can hear Joseph humm in agreement, "Why are you still awake at his time?"
"I watched cartoons with Rupert."
"You're kidding?"
"No I'm not," she shook her head, "Do you miss me?"
"I missed our fifth anniversary."
She chuckled and smirked, "Have you enjoyed Valentine's?"
"I take it that you don't.."
"How do you know?"
"Charlotte called me, asking for advice." he said, amusement latched with his voice, "She said you scared all of the staff, as if you'll hang them all by their toes in the garden."
"You know I despised this day." she mumbled.
"But you're never been like this before," he mumbled back, "Do you miss me?"
Oh so much…. she thought, "The palace misses you."
"But do you?"
Clarisse gulped audibly and sighed, "Happy Valentine's, Joseph."
"Happy Anniversary, Clarisse." he answered.
"Goodnight." she whispered as she took the receiver away and gently slammed it down, she could have sworn she heard him say three words before she hung up but maybe she's just dreaming it. She brushed her hands across the phone at her bedside table, answering to the words that she hoped came from his mouth and not her imagination, "I love you too Joseph."
A/N: Hello! It's been a while :'))))... I've been so active on social media recently and school's still killing me (rip brain cells) so I kinda felt guilty for having a lazy ass on this one. Anyways, what do you think? Please share it up with reviews since I'm really so worried of this coming down as a flop or smth. Thanks for the reviews and I hope you'll forgive me for being soooo late on this one. Have a nice weekend and stay safe y'all!