Thank you all for the ongoing support and encouragement to continue this story. Life has been very, busy for me but, I am determined to finish this story. Hope you all enjoy this next chapter.
As always please leave a review, thanks!
Evening….
Everyone was in their suite, awaiting news on Alex and unable to sleep. It had been hours and the fear had set in for each of them. The Palace remained on lock down. Every available security guard that was present, had to have a talk with Joseph, Hans, and the Commander. Once the meetings were over, the Commander retired to his room. Joseph and Hans walked in silence together down the hall.
"What if this is Henry's doing" Joseph asked?
"He will show his hand at some point" Hans said certain.
"I agree on that. My concern is, he is the King's brother. What do we do if it is him" Joseph asked cautiously? He hoped Hans knew what he meant.
Hans stopped walking, looked at Joseph and stated, "I do not think the King has thought that far ahead. As you stated, he is his brother."
"Will you talk to him about it" Joseph asked knowing how difficult a task that was?
"I will" Hans stated reassuring him.
"I am going to check on Her Majesty" Joseph informed him as they came to the end of the hallway needing to decide which wing to enter.
"If she is not there then you know where she will be" Hans added as he walked away not giving Joseph the opportunity to reply.
Joseph sighed as he walked down the hall heading toward Clarisse suite. He knew Hans was not wrong on that. If Clarisse was not in her suite, it meant she was with her husband.
As he walked toward the King suite, Hans thought about how he was going to speak to the King about this. At this point the only thing, he felt good about was that Helena was with Antoinette and not with Henry!
King suite….
"Are you upset with me" Rupert asked from across the sitting room?
"Why would I be upset with you" Clarisse asked as she sat on a chair facing him?
"You seemed upset earlier" He said as he wheeled over towards her.
Her silence made him realize he was right.
"Whatever I said or did, I do not remember so if you could fill me in it would help things along" He said gently as he stopped in front of her.
"It is what you did not say" She admitted.
Rupert looked at her confused.
"You met with her alone, again…" She said as she looked him in the eyes.
"I…yes, she came to see me. Clarisse, are you accusing me of something" He asked surprised that she would think he would want anything to do with Antoinette after all that she has done to them?
"Should I be" She asked before she could stop herself? Realizing a moment later that it did bother her a great deal that he was meeting with her alone. She knew Antoinette was in love with Rupert. She knew that Rupert had once been in love with Antoinette. What if? She did not want to believe it but, trust was a difficult thing to get back once it has been broken and Rupert had broken her trust too many times in the past for her not to think the worse.
Queen suite…
Joseph stood out in the hallway as he realized that Hans was right, Clarisse was not there. Part of him wanted to go to her but the other part of him knew it was not a good idea. The last thing she needed was her husband to be jealous on top of everything else that was already happening. Deciding he would see her tomorrow he shoved his hands in his pant pockets and walked back down the hall. His cell phone ringing made him stop as he pulled it out and answered it.
"Can you come by the room please" Antoinette asked?
"Is everything alright" Joseph asked?
"Yes…but…please can you come" She asked again?
"I will be right there" He replied as he hung up and began to walk faster.
King suite…
"Of-course not! That woman has done nothing but manipulate us every chance she has gotten. I have no interest in her. The only reason I deal with her at all is because of Alex" Rupert said upset. Forcing himself to calm down, he grabbed her hand squeezing it tight wanting her to believe him.
"You need to calm down before you give yourself a heart attack" Clarisse said avoiding everything else he said.
"Do not do that" He begged her.
"Do what" She asked as she pulled her hand back?
"That? Shut me out" He said sadly his feelings hurt by her with drawl after they had gotten so close again. As much as it pained him, he forced himself to continue the conversation. He did not want to lose her again.
"It has been a long night a lot has happened, and you need your rest as do I, so I am going to retire" She replied wanting to escape the conversation as she stood up.
"It has been a long night but, no Clarisse, do not go. Let us talk about this" He tried to get her to change her mind.
"Talk about what? You already told me there was nothing going on" She replied but, he could see she was holding back. He knew her as well as he knew himself.
"And you do not believe me, and I understand why, I do. I have no way of convincing you that I am telling the truth but, I will tell you what we talked about, and I hope that you will come to your own conclusion. She came to ask me a question, but we got into an argument. We both lost our tempers, and we threatened one another. She stormed out after that" He admitted.
Clarisse sighed as she sat back down stating, "you should stop antagonizing her."
"Me? She is the one that starts arguments and then tries to be the saint" He replied bothered.
"She starts arguments with you because she wants your attention, she is in love with you Rupert! How many ways does she have to show it for you to open your eyes? You need to talk to her about that otherwise, this will never end because she wants you, this life…Alex is her means of trying to get it" she said losing it for a moment. She was tired of this cycle that never seems to end.
Rupert stared at her for a long moment before replying, "she will never have me or this life because I do not love her. And I already told her that I love you and that this is your home. She and Alex cannot stay."
"I see. She threatened to stay here with Alex with the hopes that I will leave" She realized as she shook her head.
"Clarisse, you know that she says things to try and upset me, to come between us. We cannot let her win. We must be united in any decision we make regarding her or Alex, they must go" he said hoping she would agree.
"Yes, you asked me to support you on this and I said that I would. And I have. Believe me, as much as I want her out of here, I want this country secure more. How are we going to make that happen when Alex is your son? She wants you to love her, choose her, choose the son you share. She is not going to leave on her own" she said truly at a loss on what to do.
"Which is why we are going to have to make it happen. She can want what she wants but, I meant what I told her, this is not going to end the way she wants. She is trying to force my hand by using Alex, but it is not going to work. Alex cannot stay, he can never be my son" He said with an honesty that broke both of their hearts.
"Please do not make that decision based on me. I was wrong for keeping him from you. I would never ask you to turn your back on him now" she said hoping he believed her.
"I know, I do but, you were not wrong. You did it to protect our son and Genovia. I must do it to protect all of you and Genovia" He tried to reassure her.
Clarisse sighed as she nodded her head in agreement.
Rupert took her hand again and held it.
"Can we talk about your recovery now" She asked hesitantly?
"There is nothing to talk about. I am not getting out of this chair" He said in a way that broke her heart.
She looked down at their hands.
"I have accepted it" He tried to reassure her.
"How can you? This is my fault" She blurted out as tears came out of her eyes.
"No, it is not. Someone tried to take you from me and I, I stepped in front of you, and I would do it again" He said as she looked up and into his eyes.
"How did you know it was meant for me" She asked hoping he would be honest with her? She knew there was more going on. He knew something, something he was not sharing.
"I felt it" He replied as he kept her gaze.
"I know there is more to this. You said before that you believe Henry was a part of the attempt. Please tell me what made you suspect him" She asked hoping he would open- up to her?
"I need you to trust me Clarisse. I know that I have not made that easy but, I need you to try. No matter what happens next, I will always love you" He vowed.
Her eyes teared as she looked into his eyes as she asked, "what are you saying to me? Rupert, please, if you want me to trust you than I need you to trust me too. Tell me what is going on?"
"The only thing that matters is that you know that I love you and I always will" He said as he reached out and pulled her to him, kissing her lips for a moment before letting her go.
Clarisse looked at him more confused.
"Go and rest now" He said in a tender way.
Clarisse did as he asked although part of her did not want to leave him.
Pierre suite….
Joseph arrived quickly. Antoinette was there alone when he arrived.
"Where is your mother" He asked curiously?
"She went with Henry for a walk" She admitted.
"You wanted to see me" He asked?
"Yes, thank you. Joe, I am really, scared for Alex. Why have they not called" She asked in tears?
"Sometimes they do this on purpose, to make you scared. They will call" He said certain.
" And when they do? What do you think they want" She asked terrified?
"I do not now but, I am sure they will make their demands clear" He replied knowingly as he had been through this sort of thing before.
"I have to get my son back" She said with desperation.
"I know" He replied as he thought about what she would do or agree to make that happen.
Rose Garden…
"Thank you for this" Helena said as she walked admiring the night sky.
"Thank you for agreeing" Henry replied.
"I am worried about Alex" She admitted.
"As am I" He reassured her.
"Do you think Arthur is behind this" She asked?
"I would not put anything past Arthur but, I would think he would have called us by now if it was him" He said honestly.
"That terrifies me. Who else could have him" She asked as she faced him?
King suite….
Hans arrived at the same moment Clarisse exited.
"Your Majesty" Hans bowed to her.
"Tell me, any news on Alex" Clarisse asked?
"Nothing yet" Hans admitted.
Clarisse nodded her head in understanding.
"Is the King awake" Hans asked knowing they needed to talk sooner rather than later?