Hello everybody. Thanks for the great reviews. Yes I realize the last chapter was like uber short, but meh. So now I will give you a long chapter hopefully I don't drag on about how sad it is. Maybe I'll even make things happen. Who knows. Well continue to enjoy the story. . Hangs upside down. Okay the Shakespeare thing meant absolutely nothing. And I give credit to Evanescence for the song My Immortal.

Joe stared blankly into the fountian. Its dragon form glared down at him. The water was new from the rain that continued to fall around him. Though he was not in this place. His mind was on last week. He had kissed her again.

He tilted his head to the side and heard a small crack. One he heard too often when he thought of her. The frustration of not having her had finally caught up. He pulled out his knife and looked at the blade. Its serrated tip shone in the lamplight.

Joe took it to his arm and let the cool blade rest on the flesh. The pain inside of him was too real. The wind blew up against his face. Whipping him with the rain, warning him of his actions. Suddenly rage burst through him and let the blade pierce the skin.

He cried out to the heavens, but no reply came. He went down onto his knees and slammed the knife into the ground. The fresh wind began to sting the cut. A drop of blood fell to the wet ground. He stared at the cut on his arm. With its bright red liquid, it eased something inside him.

Slowly he came back to reality. Peace flooded through his body and pulled the knife out of the ground. Now laughing at his insanity he sheathed the knife at his side. From his pocket he pulled out a bandage. He wrapped his wound tenderly.

The cut wasn't deep but it would be noticeable. So in his mind he made the excuse that a branch caught his arm when he was walking in the forest. Suddenly he found guilty and shame of such a lie. Only if Clarisse asked for the truth would he tells her the truth. Even so lying to his queen and loved one made the emotions broil beneath his skin.

He slowly made his way back to the castle. He put his coat on to hide the bandage on his forearm. He swiveled his head around and cracked his neck. As he walked through the front door, a maid approached him.

"The Queen wishes to see you, sir." She said quietly.

"He looked at her with compassion. It felt like he could see her pain. Maybe not recent pain, but there was some. He nodded and she continued her way. He closed his eyes, how was he to continue to hide? He shook his head and headed to the queen's chambers.

He knocked on the door and waited an answer. One of the queen's maids smiled and curtseyed him inside. He walked to the middle of the room and stood in front of the queen.

"You two are excused." She directed at the two handmaids. They nodded, curtseyed and left. Clarisse then turned her attention to Joe. "Look at you Joe, soaking wet. Take off your jacket I'll fetch you a towel.

She shook her head at him and he hesitantly took off his jacket. Clarisse obviously wanted to talk about something important otherwise she would not have thrown the towel at his face. He caught it and began to dry his face. He in haled the towel and felt her scent fill him.

"Joe! Your arm! What did you do to it?" She noticed.

"A tree branch caught me on my way back." He lied.

He saw her eyes shift to the blade at his side, then look back at his eyes. He saw her searching for the truth. He knew she did not believe him, though she hated to doubt him. Nor did she like him to think she didn't trust him.

"A tree branch? Well come with me we better clean it up."

Joe followed her into the bathroom. Clarisse sat him down on the tub edge. Taking out a first aid kit she looked at his bandage. Only a thin line of blood had stained it but, still, it looked pain full.

I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
'Cause your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone

She untied the bandage and applied some soap. He winced at the sting. Clarisse looked up into his eyes as she washed out the soap. "You wince at a cut and you call yourself a body guard. Are you going to cry if you take a bullet for me?"

"It depends on if you notice."

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

She glared at him slightly and put polysporne (something that keeps it from getting infected) on the wound. Then she tenderly put a fresh bandage on it. "There, you would like me to kiss it better now?"

"That would be nice."

She smiled at him and kissed the bandage on top of the wound. He put his hand on her cheek and brought back to eye contact. He knew she felt just as much pain around him, otherwise that single tear would not be there. She turned away from his touch.

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me

"This isn't right. I can't do this, Joseph. It's killing me."

"I do not know why I continue to pursue, I guess its killing me too."

"Joseph, I do love you, but I, I'm afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"I don't know I just have a fear."

You used to captivate me
By your resonating light
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts
My once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away
All the sanity in me

"You know I remember a time a fearless queen ruled my world. Where every time I was near her I knew that she was the one. Now I realise that perhaps I dreamt to much because you haunt my every moment." Joe softly whispered as he took her hand.

She turns to him and placed her hand on his cheek. Then she let her self fall onto his shoulder. He embraced her and felt his warmth and her warmth join as one. Suddenly all the insanity and pain he felt drained away. He kissed her and she let a small smile leak out.

For the moments that they stood there, it felt like time stood still. Nothing in the palace or in the country or even the world could continue. They stood there in the frozen time they had. They felt each other love and pain comfort them. And then all darkness was gone.