Hello!!! This story is a "where they could have gone on Honeymoon & what they may have got up to..." type thing. I'm not sure where it's going but it's fun to write.
Part 1
It had been Clarisse's suggestion to take a trip, but with all that was going on around them at the moment Joseph never dreamed she would tear herself away from her duties. So it was with a steady smile that he nodded his appreciation to her suggestion they take a honeymoon, fully expecting the idea to have slipped from her mind in the following days.
Yet the next morning, over breakfast in the garden, she'd raised the subject again. So serene in the mid-morning sun, more than once he'd found himself staring at her and she'd smiled warmly, shook her head and refilled his tea cup or squeezed his hand across the table. Still discreet under the gaze of the staff but one step at a time. After all they'd not even been married twenty-four hours yet, he may have to pinch himself again later just to make sure it really did happen. That yesterday wasn't a product of his imagination, that last night wasn't a remnant of one of his many dreams about her.
No it couldn't have been a dream, he knew the feel of her skin, the curve of her waist in his arms, the smoothness of her back as she lay against him, the incomparable scent of her skin. He'd hardly slept last night; it was late when he'd gone to her room anyway, they'd made love – though he had to admit that first time was something of a rush, frantic and full of nerves. After they'd lain wrapped together, speaking in hushed tones of their love, want, need – Clarisse desperate to make-up for the pain of the previous week. But he silenced her with kisses and they'd made love again, this time slower, deeper, and that was it, that was when it became real for him.
"Joseph, are you listening to me?"
"Oh, not that." She put down her teacup agitated. "Honeymoon, any ideas?"
"I thought you might have, well, conveniently forgotten."
"Forgotten? What do you take me for," she took his hand and folded her fingers with his. "It might take a couple of weeks but we will have time, alone, together. Even if it's only for a few days."
Hearing a polite cough behind her she released his hand and turned her head slightly, holding up her hand to shield her eyes from the sun. "Good morning Charlotte."
"Good morning your Majesty, Joe." She nodded towards him.
"Charlotte, how you feeling this morning?" He asked.
"Very well, thank you." She smiled at him.
"Always the diplomat, I bet you've been up since the crack of dawn fending off journalists and press calls." He laughed.
"Not to mention organising the tidy up after last night's events." She quickly added then remembered it wasn't just Joe she was talking to and straightened her shoulders again. "Erm, your Majesty I was just wondering, how would you like to handle today?"
"Dear Charlotte." She stood and took the young woman's arm. "I think we should sit down and plan this one together, don't you. Let's go have tea in the office and talk it through. Tell me, is Mia awake yet?"
"I doubt that very much." Joe said to himself as he watched the two ladies walk away.
"How do you do that?"
"It's simple really."
"Tell me, a trick right."
"Not really, I'm just a better player."
Mia giggled and playfully hit Joe's arm.
"Another game Princess?"
She bit her lip, he only ever used her title to tease, he knew she hated the formality. "Yes. Only if you teach me how to win."
He scooped the cards up from the table and swiftly shuffled them. "You know after tomorrow they'll be no time for playing games." He smiled.
"Don't tell her things like that." Clarisse glided into the room carrying a large file under her arm, Joseph stood immediately and caught her arm as she passed kissing her cheek.
"Do you want to join the game?"
"I think not, you know I'm not very good at it." She settled herself in a chair nearby the pair.
"Good then play, he's been winning all evening. I think he cheats."
"Most probably he does." Clarisse slid her glasses on and began flicking through a file of letters Charlotte had handed her earlier that day.
"I resent the implication."
Mia laughed and shuffled through the cards in her hand, watching as Joseph laid his first card down on the table.
"Perhaps we should start playing Monopoly or something instead, I'm good at that." She complained hesitantly choosing a card to place atop of his.
Clarisse laughed across the room. "He'd still win. Must be a gift."
"Hmm, we'll see."
All three were silent for a while, Clarisse engrossed in her letters and Mia and Joseph in their game. The silence was broken by a shriek from Mia.
"I've won, haven't I, I've won!!"
Joseph shook his head and dropped his remaining cards on to the table. "Yes I suppose you have."
"You see, Grandma see, I told you I'd get him – gift or not."
"Alright, no need to rub it in."
"Ha!"
"Well done dear." Clarisse smiled removing her glasses and indicating the seat next to her. "Mia, I wanted to say, tomorrow..."
"It's alright Grandma, I'm fine really. Terrified but fine." She laughed folding her legs beneath her as she sat down. "It's not as if I'll be alone, you're here."
"I am, but if at anytime you feel I'm doing too much or stepping on your toes you will say."
She kissed her Grandmother's forehead. "Yes, but I don't think that will be for many years yet."
"And you really don't mind my," she looked toward Joseph. "Our, disappearing next week?"
"No, you should have a honeymoon, everybody does. It'll be cool."
"Well, I'm not quite sure how 'cool' it will be, but it will certainly be a surprise." She shot Joseph a harsh look.
He held up his hands innocently. "You said I could choose, you never said I had to tell you the destination."
"As long as you call me sometime, just in case." Mia said getting up.
"I will, there are telephones right?"
"Of course, and if you really need it, use of the Internet." He decked the cards and replaced them in their box.
"You know I loathe using those machines. They don't like me."
Mia giggled. "How can they not like you, they're machines?"
"Machines or not, we don't get on."
"But if you used it I could e-mail you."
"And I'll show her how to reply." Joseph said patting Mia's shoulder.
"Excellent, I'm off to bed."
"It's not even 10." Clarisse said.
"I know, but I want to get comfy and watch a movie. It might help me sleep."
"Order warm milk." Clarisse put the letters on one side and got up taking hold of Mia's hands. "Do try and sleep dear."
"I will."
"You do know how proud I am of you don't you." She said bringing her close for a hug.
"Yes Grandma, I know." Lately her Grandmother seemed to be getting more and more sentimental, it was either a result of stepping down as Queen or marrying Joseph, though she suspected the latter was more likely the cause of her now permanent smile.
"Now let me go to bed."
"Alright, goodnight, I'll see you bright and early in the morning." Back to business Clarisse returned to her chair and replaced her glasses.
"Oh thank you for that. Night Joe. Another game soon, so I can kick your ass again."
"Hmm, we'll see about that." He waved her off, giving the guard outside the door instructions then returning to Clarisse.
She watched over the rim of her glasses as he removed his tie and shoes then settled across from her on the couch. After almost two weeks of marriage she was beginning to get his routine down.
"You let her win didn't you?"
"Maybe..." he smiled. "Call it a morale building exercise."
"I call it kindness."
She leant across and kissed him.
"I'm still going to tell you where we're going next week."
"Oh..." She sat down with a huff and ignored his wicked smile.