September 1999 - In a world where King Rupert sadly passed away five years ago, leaving his wife, Queen Clarisse, to rule their small country of Genovia alone. Their eldest son, Pierre, had abdicated and was now a priest, while their youngest son, Prince Philippe, prepares to one day take over from his mother…
Day 1.
Popping his head around the bedroom door, Prince Philippe watched, while going surprisingly unnoticed, as his mother turned away from her bed and made her way into her closet. He could tell from the suitcase sitting on her bed, that she was in the middle of packing for her trip to England to see his grandmère for her 85th birthday.
Stepping into the room, Philippe walked over to the bed and watched as his mother came back into the room a moment later carrying two dresses up in front of her. He could tell that her mind was a million miles away as she looked from one dress to the other. "Morning mother," Philippe smiled as she lowered her arms and looked up at him.
"Good morning," she smiled and laid the dresses out on the bed in front of her as her son moved around the bed to her, to kiss her cheek.
"I see that you've decided to go to grandmère's party," Philippe smiled.
"Yes, I have," Clarisse nodded and took a deep breath while clasping her hands together in front of her, "unless you need me here, because I can sta-"
"Oh no no," Philippe said, interrupting his mother, "you go and spend time with your mother for her birthday. It's been a long time since you last saw one another. So go and enjoy yourself."
"Are you absolutely sure?" Clarisse asked, hoping that he would say that he would need her to stay.
"Mother, everything will be fine here, I promise," Philippe smiled while putting one hand up onto the top of his mother's arm, "I'm just sad that I can't be there myself, but I have explained the situation to grandmere on the phone this morning and she completely understood."
Nodding, Clarisse turned to her bed and momentarily looked at the dresses she had laid out. "In that case, which one should I wear for the party tomorrow?" She asked while grabbing both of the hangers and held them up to show him.
"Oh no, don't make me choose," Philippe said and put his hands up in front of him, waving them as he laughed. "I like them both."
"Hmm, so do I," Clarisse said as she moved her arms forward, to hold the dresses so she could see them both and looked from one to the other before looking back up at her son. "I'll take them both and choose tomorrow."
"Maybe that would be best," Philippe laughed, knowing how undecided his mother actually was when it came to choosing what to wear, and watched as she laid the dresses back on her bed. "Have you packed grandmère's present? You don't want to forget that."
"Oh no, because I was undecided on whether I was going this weekend or not I sent it to her last week," Clarisse said while turning to her son. "Just in case I couldn't have been there."
"Ahh," Philippe nodded and slipped his hands in his pants pockets. "Is Joseph going with you?"
"Yes, he is," Clarisse replied as she turned and walked back into her closet. "Andre and Scott are travelling with us and will accompany us to your grandmère's, but then they will be staying in a nearby hotel while Joseph stays at the manor with me," she said while rifling through her cloths hanging up in her closet, to see if she needed anything else to take with her.
"I see," Philippe nodded and moved to sit on the bedroom bench that sat at the foot of his mother's bed, "I honestly thought you weren't going to go, you know, and yesterday you weren't."
"I know, and I wasn't going to go," she replied as she walked back into her bedroom and over to her bed with a few other items of clothing that she had picked out, "and if I am honest, I'm not even sure if I want to go now I have said that I would be there."
"Why?" Philippe asked as he turned on the bench to look over at her standing next to her bed.
"I am just feeling really nervous about seeing everyone again," she replied while placing the items she had brought out of her closet with her down on the bed. "I haven't seen your aunt and uncle since before your father died, it's going to be odd seeing them again after all this time."
"Well that has been a while, but I am glad that you are going," Philippe said as he watched his mother folding up her cloths and place them carefully in the case.
"Hmm, are you trying to get rid of me?" Clarisse teased as she turned her head slightly to the side and eyed him suspiciously.
"No," Philippe laughed with a shake of his head, "I just think that the break would not only do you some good, but seeing your family would do you some good too," he said while standing to his feet and moving around the bed to stand in front of his mother, "besides, you haven't been away, only on royal business, since before father died and you need it. You need a break, and while you are there you need to shut off your work brain and not think about any of it. That's why I am here for after all, to do what needs to be done in your absence, so you don't need to worry about it upon your return."
"Thank you Philippe," Clarisse said sincerely, knowing that he was right. When her husband died she had thrown herself into keeping the monarchy safe and secure until Philippe was ready to take over, that she'd had no time to herself since.
"You're welcome, mother," Philippe smiled and stepped closer to hug her. "And I mean it while you are away, don't be stressing yourself out with how things are here. I got it all under control."
"I don't doubt that for a minute," Clarisse said as they pulled apart and looked at one another.
"Your Majesty," the Queen's Head of Security, Joseph, called out from her suite.
"I'll be right there," Clarisse called out and looked back up at her son, "I best get on and finish packing or we will miss our take off slot."
"Okay, I'll leave you to get on with that then," Philippe smiled and walked over to the door as his mother turned back to her suitcase and pile of cloths sitting on her bed, "come find me before you leave."
"I will," Clarisse nodded while looking over at him, "please can you inform Joseph that I am just finishing the packing and I'll be out."
"Sure," Philippe smiled over at her and walked out the bedroom door, closing it up behind him while looking over at Joseph still standing by the main suite door. "Mother's just finishing her packing and will be out as soon as she's done."
"Alright, Your Highness," Joseph said and bowed his head to the Prince as he walked over to him.
"Can we talk a moment, before mother comes out?" Philippe asked as he came to a stop in front of his mother's Head of Security.
"Of course, Your Highness." Joseph nodded.
"Mother, she's a bit nervous about this weekend and being away from the palace. Because as you know it's her first time away since before father passed away, well that wasn't Royal business of course," Philippe said and watched as Joseph nodded. "And I have told her not to worry about anything back here and to just enjoy herself, but you have worked here long enough to know what mother is like."
"Yes I do, Your Highness," Joseph said and they both nodded.
"And I wanted to ask, if mother mentions anything about calling home, or starts to talk about anything to do with, well you know, can you distract her?" Philippe asked. "I want her to go away and not have to worry about how things are here."
"I'll try my best, of course Your Highness," Joseph said.
"Brilliant, thank you Joseph," Philippe said and smiled as Joseph simply bowed his head in response.
Philippe knew he had done the right thing, asking for Joseph's help in trying to distract his mother if she so much as mentions anything to do with home and if he was honest, he was glad that Joseph would be staying at the manor with her too. He had known for some year's now how Joseph felt for his mother, he had seen how he looked at her when he thought no one was looking, and how close they had become of late, even if his mother was completely oblivious to his feelings.
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