Up All Night - Part 5.
"Yes I have," Pierre nodded. "I saw his parent's first, they explained to me what happened with his car and the injuries he sustained as a result," he said as Clarisse nodded slowly while looking down, "then I went in to speak to him, I apologised and told him that I was out of order for what I said and hoped that he could forgive me."
"I appreciate that you went to see him and apologised too," Clarisse said as she looked back up at her son with tears in her eyes, "but whatever possessed you to even tell him what you did in the first place?" She asked and watched as he looked down a moment, thinking back to what he had said to his aunt, grandpère and Joseph in the foyer, and to what his father had said to him, about being honest with her too.
Standing to his feet, he moved to stand next to the balustrade and put his hands down on top of it as he looked out over the garden a moment before turning back to his mother and finally answering her question. "I guess because I wanted so much for it to be true, I mean you are my parent's. It's only natural to want you back together," he replied and watched as his mother shook her head while putting her hands up to cover her face in frustration. "But then father spoke to me this morning, after I ducked out of sight, and told me to look at your relationship from a different perspective and that's exactly what I did."
Lowering her hands from her face, Clarisse looked across at her son, "how did he tell you to look at it?" She dared to ask, almost fearing the worst.
"To not look at you as being in an open marriage anymore, to look at you more as being separated," Pierre said and watched as his mother nodded and looked down at her hands now resting together in her lap. "Because that's what you are now. You are technically over and there's no going back."
"Yes that's right, we are technically over," Clarisse said as she looked back up at her son, "we are still married for the monarchy and of course it will stay that way. But that's as far as our relationship goes now."
"Yeah, he said there's no romance between you anymore. And In father's own words, those days are over between you both now, and they have been for sometime." Pierre said and watched as his mother nodded once again.
"That's right, they have been," Clarisse said as she watched her son walk back over to the lounger and sat down opposite her. "And yes I know how your father feels about me, he told me everything in the library yesterday when you left us, but we talked and we agreed that we are simply better as friend's now."
"Yes, and even though I still don't like what father did, letting you go so easily, you do deserve happiness and that special someone to make that happen," Pierre said as his mother gasped in surprise.
"Does this mean you have finally accepted me and Joseph?" Clarisse asked with bated breath as she studied her son's face.
"I haven't yet, no, but I'm certainly going to try," Pierre said softly as his mother took a deep breath.
"Ok," Clarisse nodded, "I wish you could see that he makes me so happy Pierre, and it would mean so much to me, to us both, if you could find it in your heart to finally accept us."
"I know he does, I can see that now," Pierre said as he moved to sit on the lounger beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "and I'm certainly going to do my best in accepting your relationship, I promise."
"Thank you," Clarisse said tearfully and nodded before resting her head on her son's shoulder. Praying silently to herself that he will be able to move forward and accept her relationship with Joseph. Finally.
Later that evening, after getting changed for dinner Rupert made his way to Clarisse's suite, to see if she was ready to walk down with him. But after knocking and not getting an answer, he decided to try the handle to check her suite, in case she was in her bedroom and didn't hear him knocking, before leaving and making his way down alone. But opening the door and stepping inside, he was surprised to discover that the room was dark, with the only light in the room coming from the television and the drapes were still open, and he began to panic.
"Clarisse, are you alright?" He called out, his voice full of concern as he turned to walk towards her bedroom door, but catching a glimpse of her on her sofa he stopped and turned back to look at her. There, he found her fast asleep on her side with one arm hanging over the edge of the seat and he let out a sigh of relief.
It was a rare occurrence, her sleeping on her sofa, but she looked so peaceful and knowing she hadn't had much sleep this past weekend, he didn't want to disturb her, so he decided to leave her there to sleep and made a mental note to himself to let the chef know that she may require dinner later. And not wanting her to catch a chill he looked around the suite for the blanket she normal had draped over the back of one of the armchairs. But unable to see it anywhere, he walked through into her bedroom and took the throw from the foot of her bed instead.
Coming back into her suite a moment later, he walked over to the sofa and carefully covered her over with the throw before bending over and lifting her arm up onto the sofa, so it was no longer hanging over the edge, and brushed her hair back out of her face, a move that surprised him, before turning off the television and leaving her to rest.
Closing the door behind himself, he stood thinking a long moment. It had been a long time since he had seen her this way, it stirred a lot of old feelings and he began to wonder if he had made the right decision over their relationship. He knew he still loved her and had the power to change things if he wanted too, but was he in love with her, or was he in love with the idea of simply having her? Shaking his head, he began to walk down the hall towards the staircase, knowing that they were better as friend's now and he didn't want to ruin that, or like he had told her just the day before, her relationship with Joseph.
Awaking later that night, Clarisse rolled onto her back and just laid still for several moment's as she remembered the dream she'd had when a thought struck her. Sitting up, she pulled the blanket that was covering her to one side and put her legs over the edge of the sofa.
Checking the time on her watch, she stood to her feet and left her suite to make her way to the palace store room where they kept most of her previously worn ballgowns, dinner dresses and other items of clothing that had sentimental value, along with Rupert's and previous King's and Queen's attire too, and after searching racks of her dresses she finally found the one she was looking for and she made her way to Sabrina's suite.
"Clarisse," Sabrina said as she opened the door to her friend's frantic knock, "is everything alright?"
"I need to speak to you about something, and I'll need your help too," Clarisse said as she walked into the suite and turned to her friend as she closed the door.
"Of course, what's going on," Sabrina said as she turned to her friend.
"Where do I start?" Clarisse said as she walked over to the bathroom door, opened it a little and hung the dress still in it's garment bag up on the door before turning back to Sabrina. "Well as you know I need to get a new dress for this special night Joseph wants to do for me when we are away."
"Yes," Sabrina said and nodded while folding her arms.
"Well I have the dress already, and I have had it for years," Clarisse said and watched as Sabrina raised her eyebrow in confusion.
"I'm confused," Sabrina said and shook her head slightly. "What do you mean that you've had the dress for years?"
"I had a dream, it was lovely, it was about mine and Joseph's first date all those years ago," Clarisse said with a smile.
"Oh, in New York?" Sabrina said and Clarisse nodded, "aww that's a lovely dream to have," she smiled.
"Yes, it really was lovely, us living recklessly without a care in the world," Clarisse smiled, "but it was bizarre too."
"How so?" Sabrina asked.
"Because even though it was a dream about our very first date, my mother was there too," Clarisse said.
"Really, but she wasn't even in New York when you went on your date, was she?" Sabrina asked and Clarisse shook her head.
"No she wasn't, but she was there in my dream," Clarisse smiled, "pointing to the dress I was wearing."
"Ooh," Sabrina said and watched as Clarisse turned back to the garment bag hanging on the back of her bathroom door and began to unzip it.
"This is the dress I wore all those years ago and had completely forgot about until my dream," Clarisse said as she lifted the white and turquoise floral dress on it's hanger out of the garment bag and turned back to her friend.
"Oh I remember, you looked absolutely amazing in this dress," Sabrina smiled as Clarisse held it up to herself and pressed her hand, and the dress, against her stomach. "Really set of your eyes."
"It holds sentimental value to me, that's why I kept it," Clarisse said while holding it up in front of her and looked down at it a moment, "I not only wore it on our first date, but I wore it again on the night when we, uh," she stopped and averted her gaze from the dress before looking back up at Sabrina to find her smirking at her, "well you know when."
"Yes, I know," Sabrina smirked and watched as Clarisse blushed. "The night you first slept together too."
"Yes, then," Clarisse smiled, "anyway, I remembered that the last time I tried it on it was a little tight around the waist and bust area, and I hate to think how tight it would be now," Clarisse said as she looked at the dress then back up at her friend, "but this is where I will need your help. Can you try and fix it for me, and possibly give it straps instead of the halter neck it has at present?"
"I would love to," Sabrina nodded as she looked at her friend and watched as she smiled at her before looking back at the dress. "Why don't you try it on now so I can have a look, see what I need to do and make plans."
"Okay," Clarisse smiled as she looked back at her, "thank you."
"It's my pleasure," Sabrina smiled as they embraced in a quick hug.
"I'll be right out," Clarisse said as she made her way into the bathroom and pushed up the door behind her.
Several moments later, Clarisse stepped back into the room and watched as Sabrina, who was now sitting on the edge of the bed, rose to her feet. "It has been years," Clarisse said as she looked down at herself, "but I don't think much needs doing."
"No, you're right. Not much needs doing at all," Sabrina said as she studied the front of the dress, before moving around to look at the back of it. "I was thinking about putting a corset style back in, but that might be a mistake as it wouldn't be a quick removal if you have that," she said and they both laughed as Clarisse put her hands up to cover her face.
"I like corset style dresses, but perhaps not on this occasion," Clarisse said as she moved one hand to brush her hair back behind her ear while lowering her other hand and pressed it to her stomach.
"No, especially when one is caught up in the throes of passion, which I'm sure you would both be, given everything's alright by then of course," Sabrina said and they both laughed once again, "now may I make a suggestion about the straps?" She asked, on a more serious note, and Clarisse nodded. "Ok, instead of altering it to have straps, why don't you have it strapless instead?"
"Hmm," Clarisse said as she looked down at her dress a moment, trying to imagine the dress without straps before looking back up at Sabrina. "I think that would work."
"I do too," Sabrina nodded and smiled, "leave it with me, and I'll sort it for you."
"Thank you so much," Clarisse smiled.