Sorry for the delay... Life, ya know. Anyhow, here's the next installment....
Chapter 5
He didn't know how long he'd been sitting in the armchair across from the king sized bed, watching his wife sleep.
His wife. The corners of Joe's mouth lifted slightly in a smile. How long he'd dreamed of this. The smile disappeared. And now to have such perfection marred by this.
Clarisse murmured in her sleep and turned toward his side of the bed, then settled.
Was it possible that Nicholas was correct? Could Clarisse be the true target? But why It always came back to why. In all the years that Clarisse had ruled Genovia, never had something like this happened. Joe wasn't egotistical enough to think that it was because he'd retired; Shades, Landry and the rest of the security team were extremely capable. They should be – he'd trained them. Even Lionel was coming along. No, the threat had to be against Mia. Someone who took exception to the new queen. Some people, Joe knew, didn't take change well. And the fact that Mia was an American, even if she was the former queen's granddaughter, might have pushed someone to try and eliminate her.
He sighed, glanced at his watch; nearly three AM. He should try and sleep. Clarisse would notice if he was exhausted in the morning. More exhausted, he corrected, remembering his talk with Nicholas.
"Joseph, what's wrong?"
He looked up to see her watching him."
"You should be asleep, my dear." He told her gently.
"So should you." She studied his face in the near darkness. "Tell me what's troubling you."
Joe rose and went to sit on the edge of the bed. He took Clarisse's' hand.
"I simply couldn't sleep." He smiled down at her.
"Liar."
He sighed. "I was thinking about what's happened, about the notes." He shrugged. "Trying to make some sense of it."
"Do you want to talk about it?" She squeezed his hand. "Might help."
"No. I'm missing something. I can almost grasp it and then it's gone."
"Perhaps if you slept on it." Clarisse suggested.
"Perhaps." Joseph agreed. He slipped off his robe and crawled in beside her.
Joseph pulled her close and Clarisse rested her head on his chest.
"Good night, Joseph."
He kissed the top of her head. "Goodnight my love."
Joe lay holding his wife for a long time before sleep finally claimed him.
Clarisse looked up at the knock on her door.
"Come in."
Mia stuck her head into the room.
"Hi Grandma."
"Darling! Come in."
The Queen closed the door and came to sit beside her grandmother.
"How are you?"
"I'm fine. You can stop worrying."
"I'm glad." She regarded the other woman. "Your color is back... you do look better.
Clarisse smiled. "Tell me what you've been up to?"
"Well, this morning I opened the new health center and..." She glanced at her watch, "Any minute Charlotte is going to come and get me for the weekly meet and greet."
Clarisse chuckled at her granddaughter's term for holding court with the Genovian people and listening to their problems in hopes of helping.
"Are you feeling more comfortable with that?" She asked.
"Yeah. I don't think I'll ever be as good as you were grandma, but I'm getting the hang of it."
There was a tap at the door and Charlotte stuck her head in.
"Your Majesty, we should go to the throne room in about ten minutes."
"Great." She leaned over to kiss Clarisse's cheek. "I'll see you and Joe at dinner?"
The older woman nodded.
"Is there anything I can get for you, Your Highness?" Charlotte moved to Clarisse's bed.
"No, thank you, Charlotte."
Lionel and Landry sat in the security room in the basement of the palace, watching the throne room as Mia met with the Genovian citizens. Landry turned to look at his young companion as he shook his head slightly.
"What?" The older man asked.
The prime minister's son shrugged. "Nothing. It's just that it still seems to strange to see someone else doing that."
"Someone else doing... what?" Landry asked, confused.
"Being queen." Lionel looked over at him. "I mean, she's nice and everything, but Queen Clarisse was ... well, royal."
"Queen Mia is royal." Landry told him. "She's King Rupert and Queen Clarisse's granddaughter."
Lionel waved it away. "Yes, I know that. It's just ... I mean, she's an American. And so young."
Landry grinned and slapped the young man on the back as he got up. "You're young, my friend. We were all used to Queen Clarisse... she was regal and elegant... but she had a long time to practice and she was raised to be royal." He poured himself another cup of coffee. "And the fact of the matter is, Queen Mia is our ruler now and that's that."
"I know. I was just commenting." Lionel told him, eyes going back to the screen.
Clarisse stood out of sight behind the heavy draperies outside the throne room, watching to her granddaughter, the queen of Genovia, as she listened attentatively to the last of the people waiting to see her.
A wave of nostalgia washed over the former queen, bringing tears to her eyes. She was so proud of how far Mia had come in the short time since she'd learned that she was a princess.
As the session came to an end, Clarisse turned to leave before anyone saw her, and turned into the arms of her husband.
"Oh! Joseph." She ducked her head, blinking at the tears.
Joe tilted her head up to look into her face.
"What's this?" He smiled gently, but there was concern in his blue eyes. "Why the tears?"
"Oh, I'm not crying... not really." She wiped at her eyes, brushing the few tears away. "I'm just so happy that Mia is finally queen and I'm so proud of what she's doing."
He slipped his arm around her shoulders. "You're sure?"
Clarisse nodded. "It's actually a relief to have the mantle of responsibility off my shoulders after so many years." She met his eyes. "To have you." She caressed his cheek.
"Then what?" He persisted.
"I just want the people that I care about to be happy."
Charlotte appeared then, ducking around the curtains.
"Is everything all right, Your Highness?" She cocked her head, studying the older woman. "Can I do anything for you?"
Clarisse smiled fondly at her former aide. "No, Charlotte. We're fine."
Reluctantly, Charlotte nodded and turned to go back to Mia.
Joe guided his wife away from the throne room, toward the foyer. As they walked, he studied her profile, still concerned over her tears.
"So, now, who is not happy?" He asked, watching her closely.
His tone made her meet his eyes, and she saw the uncertainty there. "No, Joseph! I am happier than I've been in my life. And now I have the time to enjoy just being with you!" She paused, "At least when this is over we'll have time again."
"You don't regret giving up the crown? Marrying me?"
"No!" She turned and cupped his face in his hands. "Never think that, Joseph."
He smiled and nodded, just before she pulled him down for a kiss.
The world fell away as he deepened the kiss and they lost themselves in their love for each other. As they finally broke apart, Mia's laughter filled the foyer.
"Get a room you two!"
They turned a little guiltily, both blushing. Mia and Charlotte stood in the doorway, Mia's eyes dancing with humor, Charlotte's shinning with happiness for Clarisse.
"So," Clarisse cleared her throat and moved toward her granddaughter. "You're finished for the day?"
"Yeah." Mia nodded. "Time to attack the never-ending paperwork."
"If you don't need me, Your Majesty," Charlotte spoke up, "I'm going to check on the progress of the waterfall."
"Great. I don't think I'll need anything else."
With a slight bow, Charlotte turned and headed outside.
Clarisse turned to Mia with a puzzled frown. "What waterfall?"
"Oh!" Mia grinned, "I forgot to tell you. I thought it would look nice in that section of the garden where you and Maurice sit and read." She frowned. "Would you rather cancel it? I thought—"
"No, no." Clarisse held up a hand. "You're queen now, Mia. What you want goes."
"No, Grandma—"
"Yes." Clarisse said firmly. "But I think it's a lovely idea. I've always wanted a waterfall and just never seemed to get around to having one made." She kissed the younger woman's cheek. "I think I'll go and see how they're doing."
Still uncertain, Mia stood beside Joe as her grandmother excused herself and headed outside.
"Is she okay, Grandpa?" She asked, eyes still on the door Clarisse had exited through.
"I don't know." He said thoughtfully, "Physically, yes, nearly recovered. But something is troubling her."
"Is it... not being queen anymore?" She was almost afraid to ask.
Joe only hesitated for a moment. "I don't think so, no. She's worried about something.. someone. And I know from experience she'll tell me when she's ready and not before."
Mia laid a hand on his arm. "Let me know, okay?"
He kissed her cheek. "I will."
Mia started up the curving staircase, leaving Joseph standing in the foyer, lost in thought.
It was nearly two hours later that Clarisse and Charlotte returned, talking animatedly about the new project as Nicholas and Mia came into the room.
"You two look like you've been busy." Nick commented with a grin, eyeing their dirt-smudged clothes and faces.
Clarisse beamed, but her companion looked a bit guilty.
"Did you need me for something, Your Majesty?"
"No, we're going in to dinner in a few minutes. All those letters and invitations you left for me are done."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." With a bow, Charlotte hurried upstairs to clean up before she went to dinner herself.
"Well," Clarisse said absently, watching the aide disappear upstairs, "I'd better get cleaned up as well. I'm filthy."
Joseph found her sitting in the gazebo after dinner, gazing at the half finished waterfall. The large white poodle lay at her feet.
"Are you all right?" He asked softly, sitting beside her.
Clarisse smiled at him. "Yes, perfectly all right."
"Oh, I know that look." He said in mock fear. "You are about to meddle."
Clarisse managed an indignant look. "I never meddle, Joseph. However," she allowed, "I do have a plan that, if I'm correct, will make everyone happy."
He pulled her close, kissed the side of her head. "All right. Let's hear this plan."
"Well," Clarisse began, "On Thursday Mia and Nicholas are leaving for America to attend Lily's graduation from Berkley."
Joseph nodded. "True. Lily is Mia's best friend. It is only natural that she would want to attend the ceremony."
Clarisse waved an impatient hand, much to her husband's amusement.
"And they're bringing her back with them to spend the summer with Mia and our Capt. Kelly."
"Yes, I had heard that they became 'friendly' while she was here last year."
Clarisse chuckled. "From what the maids tell me, they're running up a national debt in telephone calls between them."
Joseph grinned. "Ah, young love." He frowned then. "But what has this to do with your plan?"
"I'm getting to that, Joseph, don't interrupt."
Smiling, he settled back to listen.
"Last summer Lily acted as a sort of aide to Mia and she seemed to enjoy it so I thought perhaps Charlotte could train her to become Mia's aide. She'd be living here, where she could continue her relationship with our royal guardsman and—"
Joseph was astonished.
"You're letting Charlotte go?"
"No, Joseph." Clarisse said, patiently, "If Lily was interested in this arrangement, Charlotte would be free to work with me again." She held up a hand as he opened his mouth to speak. "I have far too much to do, you know I've been thinking about hiring someone to help with charitable obligations, palace duties, appearances... this way everyone will be happy."
"And you think she's unhappy working with Mia?" Joseph protested.
"No, she's happy working with Mia... but I believe she's unhappy not working with me any longer."
"Clarisse, she's been the queen's aide for nearly ten years... why would she suddenly be dissatisfied with her work?" Joseph asked gently.
She kissed his cheek.
"No Joseph, she spent nearly ten years a my aide."
"Ahhh." He nodded. "That is a very fine line, my darling Clarisse." He paused. "You're sure it's not you that's unhappy?" He smiled at her, catching her lips in a quick kiss.
"No. And if I'm wrong, that's that. But if I'm right... and I believe I know Charlotte well enough to tell when she's unhappy... this might work for everyone."