In Sorrow and In Joy - Part 2.
After (finally) getting showered and dressed into something casual for the time being, knowing she would be soon getting changed for the wedding, Clarisse slipped on her thigh length cardigan and made her way downstairs to find Philippe stood talking to the photographer in the foyer. "Good morning," she smiled and watched as they both looked up at her.
"Good morning, your majesty," the photographer, George, said as Philippe walked over to wait for her at the bottom of the stairway.
"Good morning, mother," Philippe smiled and reached out for her hands as she stepped from the last step and closer to him, to kiss his cheek. "Are you OK, did you sleep well?"
"I did," Clarisse smiled and nodded, "what about you?"
"Not really, no, I didn't sleep a wink," Philippe chuckled, "I've been feeling very nervous about today."
"That's only natural, today is a big day after all," she smiled and studied him a moment as he looked down at the floor between them. "I'm just about to pop over to the cottage, to see Helen and the rest of the bridal party."
"You are?" Philippe said as he looked back up at her. "Are you walking?"
"No, Joseph is driving me over and then I will take a nice slow walk back," Clarisse replied.
"Oh, in that cause can you do me a favour and take my overnight bag with you?" He asked. "So I haven't got to worry about taking it with me later on tonight after the reception."
"Of course I can," Clarisse smiled and clasped her hands together in front of her.
"Oh that's great, let me just run up and get it," Philippe said and looked across the foyer at George. "I'll be right back, George."
"Of course, there's no rush," he smiled and watched as he looked back at his mother.
"I'll be two minutes," Philippe smiled and began to make his way up the stairs, two at a time as Clarisse nodded and turned her head to watch him a moment before turning to George.
"It's so lovely to see you again, how have things been?" She said.
"Likewise your majesty, and yes, things have been pretty good of late," George answered as he slowly made his way over to her. "What about you?"
"That's good, and oh yes things have been wonderful here. We have all been keeping busy, helping plan for the wedding and all," Clarisse smiled and they both laughed.
"Yes, planning a wedding can be quite time consuming," George said and they both laughed once again.
"Hello," Rupert said, entering the foyer as the room suddenly fell silent and both Clarisse and George turned to him.
"Good morning," Clarisse said as her husband made his way over to them.
Looking down at the floor, intuition told him something wasn't right. He could feel the tension between the King and Queen, and he didn't feel entirely comfortable waiting there with them. "Excuse me, your majesty," George said while looking back up at the Queen as she looked back at him, "I need to go and finish setting up my equipment ready for later, would you mind letting Prince Philippe know that I'm out in the garden?"
"Oh of course, I'll let him know," Clarisse nodded, "see you later at the wedding."
"You will and thank you, your majesty," George said and bowed his head to her then to the King before walking out.
"How are you this morning?" Rupert asked as Clarisse turned back to him and crossed her arms.
"Good, yes," Clarisse nodded, "and you?"
"Yes, I'm good too," Rupert said, nodding slightly while momentarily looking across the foyer before looking back at her. "Actually, I'm glad I see you."
"You are?" Clarisse said in surprise while lowering her arms.
"Yes, I need to speak to you about something," Rupert nodded as he studied his wife's face a moment before getting straight to the point. "Listen, I know I made things awkward between us at dinner last night, and I certainly don't want that for today so here I am, apologising for what happened out on the drive yesterday. For what I said… I was drunk and out of order, I shouldn't have said what I did, and for that I am truly sorry."
"It's fine," Clarisse said and glanced down at the floor before looking back up at him, "I figured it was because you were drunk, but I appreciate the apology. Thank you."
"So we are okay?" Rupert said, "no hard feelings?"
"Of course we are okay, and no, no hard feelings," Clarisse said as Philippe began to make his way back down the stairs towards them.
"Thank you," Rupert said softly, feeling relief and like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
"Hello father," Philippe smiled and watched as they both turned to him.
"Hello son," Rupert smiled and glanced down at the bag he was carrying before looking back up at him, "what have you got there?"
"Oh it's my overnight bag, mother is taking it over to the cottage with her for me," Philippe smiled as he stepped from the last step and stood in front of them.
"Ahh I see," Rupert nodded with a smile as Philippe handed his mother his overnight bag.
"Thank you for doing this for me, mother," Philippe said and gave her a quick hug, "also, can you tell Helen while you are there, that I love her and can't wait to see her at the altar please?"
"Of course I can," Clarisse smiled as they pulled apart.
"Thank you," Philippe said and leant closer to kiss her cheek. "I love you too of course."
"Well I should hope so," Clarisse smiled as Philippe laughed. "And I love you," she said while raising her hand to briefly cup his face.
"Okay, I need to get on," Philippe said as he looked around the foyer, "where's George gone?" He asked while looking back at his parent's.
"Oh, he said to tell you that he's gone out in the garden to check his equipment," Clarisse said, "or something like that, but he's definitely out in the garden."
"Okay," Philippe laughed and stepped closer to her, "thank you and I'll see you both later."
"You will," Clarisse said as he kissed her cheek before making his way across the foyer. "Well," she said while glancing down at Philippe's overnight bag in her hand before looking back up at her husband, "I best get going or I'll end up running late. I'll see you later too."
"Yes, you will," Rupert nodded and watched as she walked across the foyer and out the door, leaving him stood there on his own.
After spending over an hour at the cottage with her soon to be daughter-in-law and in-laws, Larry and Grace, Clarisse took a slow leisurely walk back to the palace, arriving just in time for the early lunch that they had planned. "Hello," she smiled as she walked into the dining room and over to the table where Rupert and her father were sitting.
"Hello mother," Philippe said as he turned and walked over to the table from where he had been standing with his brother at the open french doors, overlooking preparations going on outside. "Did you pass on my message to Helen?" He asked while taking a seat at the table, opposite his grandfather.
"Mhmm, I did," Clarisse said as she slipped her arm around her father's shoulders and kissed the top of his head, "hello père."
"Hello, bunny," Philippe smiled as he looked up at her and watched her take a seat at the table beside him. "I've been wondering where you had got to."
"Oh, I have been over at Cherry Tree cottage with Helen and her parents,"Clarisse replied while turning her head to look at him before looking at the table as the butler poured her a cup of tea.
"What did she say?" Philippe asked as his mother thanked the butler and stirred a lump of sugar in her tea, "did she give you a message in return?"
"She did," Clarisse said while picking up her teacup and took a sip or two of her tea as Philippe sat anxiously waiting for an answer.
"Mother," Philippe laughed and momentarily tipped his head back before looking back at her as she slowly placed her teacup back down on the table, "you're killing me here. What'd she say?"
"She said," Clarisse began as she looked across the table at her son, "thank you and she loves you too, oh and that she can't wait to see you at the altar either."
"Thank you," Philippe beamed happily, "did you see her dress?"
"I did," Clarisse nodded with a smile.
"What's it like," Philippe asked.
"She can't tell you that," Pierre said as he finally joined them at the table and sat down beside his brother. "It's strictly confidential."
"Your brothers right," Rupert smirked from his seat as Philippe looked at him. "Besides you'll find out for yourself soon enough."
"Did you see mother's dress before the ceremony when you got married?" Philippe asked as he looked from his father to his mother, then back to his father again.
"Oh no no no, it's bad luck," Rupert said with a shake of his head as Clarisse looked at him, studying him a moment as he spoke. "You want it to be a surprise for everyone, including yourself. You need to wait it out, so you can enjoy that special moment when you first see her at the altar and what a moment that is when you first lay eyes on her in her dress."
"Do you remember how mother looked when you first saw her in her dress at the altar?" Philippe asked and smiled at his mother as she averted her gaze to him then back to his father as he began to answer the question.
"As you already know, when we married we hardly knew each other and weren't exactly getting on at that time, and as I stood there with my back to her walking up the aisle all I could think about this woman, my soon to be wife, is giving up her life to marry me and I remember feeling ever so thankful," Rupert said and looked across the table at Clarisse, watching her look down at her hands resting together in her lap as he continued, "but the moment I saw her standing there beside me in her dress, I felt like the luckiest man alive. She looked absolutely gorgeous, and believe it or not, it was in that moment I fell in love with her," he said as Clarisse's head shot back up to look at him.
"Aww what a time to fall in love," Philippe smiled and picked up his glass of orange juice as his brother looked at their mother and studied her a moment before shaking his head and looking towards the open french doors.
After lunch Clarisse made her way up to her suite to start getting ready for the wedding, and after getting changed into the rose gold knee length dress, with a shirring waist and portrait collar, that she had chosen to wear for her son's big day, Éloise carefully put the Queen's tiara in her hair and styled it into a french twist before Clarisse made her way to Philippe's suite. "Philippe?" She called out while opening the door and stepping into the room.
"I'll be right out, mother," Philippe called out from his bedroom.
"Alright," Clarisse smiled as she shut the door behind her and walked further into the room when she spotted a photo of Philippe and Helen together from her very first visit to the palace three years ago. Smiling, she walked over to the side table beside the sofa and picked it up as just Philippe appeared in his bedroom doorway.
"Mother," he said softly and watched as she turned to him with the photo frame in her hands and for the briefest of moments she saw him stood in front of her as a young boy. Her young boy. Her baby. Looking down at the photo, she couldn't believe that in just a few hours he will be a married man. "You look beautiful, but what's with not wearing any makeup?" He asked as he slowly walked over to stand in front of her.
"Well I have a good reason for that," she smiled up at him then back down at the photo as she sat it back on the side table. "I remember when this photo was taken."
"Me too," Philippe smiled as she looked back up at him, "it was yours and father's 25th wedding anniversary," he said while looking down at the photo. "That was a good day, you were both so happy."
"Yes, we were," she nodded as Philippe looked back up at her. "Anyway, today's a big day for you," she said while reaching out for his hands, "and a day that I have waited for ever since you were born and placed in my arms. I just can't believe how quickly it's come around, my baby's getting married."
"Oh, mother," Philippe chuckled and crouched a little to wrap his arms around her, giving her a hug as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "No matter how old I get, I'll always be your baby." He whispered as he held her.
Nodding, Clarisse pulled back and cupped her son's face in her hands. "Watching you grow into the responsible, caring young man that you have become makes me so so proud and here you are, about to start the next chapter of your life." She said tearfully. "I'm so glad that I can be here to celebrate your big day with you and my future daughter-in-law."
"Aww mother I'm glad too and to be honest, we wouldn't want it any other way," Philippe said and watched as she brushed her tears away before taking hold of his hands once again. "Now I know why you haven't had your makeup done yet."
"See," Clarisse laughed through her tears as she looked up at him and shrugged slightly, "I told you I had a good reason."
"You did," he nodded and watched as she looked down at their hands between them.
"Now, I know that your father has already given you advice," Clarisse began as she looked up into her sons eyes, "but I have some to give you myself."
"Alright," Philippe nodded with a smile. "What advice do you have for me?"
"Life can get really busy, especially with you being a Prince, and sometimes your lives can, and will at times, start to go in different directions, so always make each other a priority and make sure you check in with each other, she is the most important person in your life and you need to know how she is feeling," she said while studying his face, "and you must always make each other laugh. When you laugh together you are sharing an intimate moment that will bring you closer together."
"Oh, I will," Philippe nodded, "definitely."
"Good," Clarisse smiled and gave his hands a small squeeze, "now this one's important, you must also respect her. In everything. Her feelings, her space…which leads me to tonight-"
"Oh mother," Philippe laughed, a slight blush spreading across his features as he looked down at their hands between them.
"No, you may find this embarrassing, but I need to tell you from a woman's point of view, to try and prepare you a little bit because I know your father won't tell you," Clarisse said, taking a slight pause to take a deep breath before continuing, "I know you will be too, but Helen will be more nervous about tonight than you will be because it's different for us women. So, take your time, go slow and have fun. That's what it's about, getting to know one another and enjoy the experience. You have the rest of your life's together, so why rush?" She said and watched as her son laughed.
"Oh god, mother," Philippe laughed and covered his face with one of his hands.
"Ok, I'll stop now," she smiled and watched as he shook his head while looking back at her. "I am so proud of you, darling, and I honestly can't wait to see you become a husband."
"Thank you," he said and gave her a hug. "I love you, mother."
"I love you too," Clarisse said as they pulled apart and she briefly cupped his cheek.