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Chapter 6: Daydreaming

Mia waited impatiently outside her Grandmother's office. Joe had told her to wait there, while he briefly described his little trip to London. It was turning out that he wasn't so brief.

Mia was tired and ornery. She wanted to get this little discussion with her Grandmother over as quickly as possible. She knew her Grandmother would never actually yell at her, but she would give the whole 'very disappointed' speech. This wasn't the first time Mia had gotten this particular lecture. Her Grandmother had been 'very' disappointed with her more than once over the last couple of years, since they had first met. Mia hated that speech, it made her feel like she had failed.

Finally Joe emerged, a grim look on his face. He nodded curtly for Mia to enter. She cautiously opened the door. She could see her Grandmother sitting at her desk. She looked upset.

"Hello." Her Grandmother turned around, slowly as if afraid of what she would see. As always she was perfectly groomed.

"Hello, Amelia. I suppose we do need to talk, but this really isn't the best of times. We can get together around tea, Ok? I've got a lot of ermmm... press control to do. You can unpack before that." Clarrise said all of this as if she were afraid someone would cut her off. She smiled at Mia, and turned back around. "I'll meet you in your sitting room for tea in two hours."

Mia left, feeling even worse. Had this whole situation really gotten that bad? She wandered down the hallway, back towards her suite. The young princess failed to notice the head of security slip back into her Grandmother's office.

"You Majesty?" Joseph spoke so suddenly it startled Clarrise. "We need to talk."

"Joseph, must I ermm... remind you to always knock, in order to avoid unpleasant situations like yesterday."

"Clarrise, you know full well that isn't what this is about. You're mad at me. Because I went to London without telling you."

"I'm not mad, just startled, because you would breach my trust like that."

"Trust is a two way street, your majesty."

"What are you insinuating?"

"That perhaps your Majesty, never really trusted me in the first place."

"Joseph, I trust you..." She sounded startled at the thought, maybe he had over stepped his boundaries. He continued on more cautiously.

"Your majesty, I don't believe you have really trusted me since the little incident after our trip to San Francisco."

"I trust you..."

"Clarrise, if you trust me, why won't you look at me?"

"I could ask you the same question!" she was getting angry "Why did you leave, anything could have happened while you were away."

"There were plenty of people around to protect you. You are safe when someone knows where you are, but I wouldn't suggest roaming the halls at night, or sleeping in other peoples beds." He left. He knew full well he had crossed the boundaries, but he was tired of only being her guard. He wanted something more. They were friends, but only on a safe level. A level where she let no one really get to know her. A level where she could laugh but no cry. Joseph had wanted to be her true friend and confidant.

He had seen the look in her eyes some nights, when her and Rupert had fought. He had wanted to rush after her, comfort her. But she never let him. After Rupert died, nothing had really changed. He was expected to be near her more often, but she seemed to guard her emotions even more closely.

Then in San Francisco, Mia had brought them together. The Queen had let down her guard, and allowed him to see Clarrise. He had felt his world turn upside down. And it wasn't until the night of the 'Wango' that Joe had figured it all out. He was head over heels in love with Clarrise, not the Queen, just Clarrise.

But then someone had caught them together. The story had been a national scandal. A Queen and her bodyguard were simply not an acceptable pair. Clarrise, always the monarch, had put her country first. And all that loving had been for nothing. They were back to the way they had always been, friends, but not true friends.

He shook his head. He would have to apologize for the way he had acted. But first he needed to cool down.

Clarrise hadn't moved since Joseph had left. She was shocked. Her head of security had overstepped his boundaries. And all she wanted to do was hold him. Not only that but her knew about her midnight rendez-vous. How did he know? She buried her head on the desk and started to cry. When had she become this emotional basket case? She never cried, and here she was sobbing for the third time in 24 hours.

She would expect Mia to act this way, but it was her acting like the hormonal teenager. She needed to get going it was nearly tea time. She needed to talk to Mia. And there was nothing at all that she wanted to do less. What was she to say?

Mia waited impatiently. Her Grandmother was late, it must be really bad, she was never late. She drummed her fingers on the table. Mia was tired, hungry and cranky. She knew she needed to keep her temper with her Grandma, but it was going to be difficult. She couldn't understand how Grandmother always kept her temper. She never cried, never showed any true emotion. It seemed these days all Mia could do was act like a hormonal teenager. And true, she was a hormonal teenager, but she was also the heir to the crown, and Queen's don't act like hormonal teenagers. Or at least her Grandmother never did.

And then suddenly her Grandmother was there, gliding in as she always did. But something was different she looked flustered and anxious. Not at all like her usual self. But Mia didn't notice, she was too busy reciting the apology that she had prepared in her head. And the moment her Grandmother sat down, she barreled right into it.

"Grandma, I'm so sorry, umm I don't know what came over me. And I promise I will never act like that again. Ever. I'll remember what you taught me in Princess lessons. And I'll never go anywhere without an bodyguard. Ever ever again.

Not to say it was Lars fault. I mean any self acutilized competent teenager could have found there way back. But I am none of those... and are you listening?" Her Grandmother was staring off into the distance, past Mia's shoulder. Mia spun around to see what was there. Joe. Figures the two of them had some secret language. They always knew what the other was thinking. Plus anyone with eyes could tell that they were totally in love.

"Amelia, I don't blame you at all." said her Grandmother, still not really looking at her, "You can go know."

"What that's it?"

"Yes, unless you have something else to say." Her Grandmother was trying to pay attention to her, and failing completely. Her eyes kept going back to where Joe was standing. Or had been standing. He was gone now.

"Ummm no, bye, Oh wait. Can Lily and Micheal come stay here in a few weeks? They're on summer vacation too."

"Whatever you want Amelia." Her Grandmother was totally preoccupied, there was no point in staying around any longer. So Mia left. Maybe there would something on Genovian TV. Not that any of it was in English. She needed to get someone to install cable, or she was going to miss the end of American Idol.

Clarrise rose from the table several minutes after Mia had left. She realized that they hadn't actually had tea. She decided to wander down to the kitchen. Alonzo the chef always had something cooking. And his wife Maria was always happy to see her.

She wandered towards the kitchen, consumed in her thoughts. But her mind didn't make any sense. Her thoughts were scattered. She tried to concentrate on the media situation on hand, but it really didn't seem to matter anymore. After all, Mia was here. She decided to ask Charlotte tomorrow whether she thought just ignoring it from here on out would make it disappear faster. Probably not, things like this haunted you for years. Sometimes even life.

She remembered once her eldest son Pierre had been the center of such unwanted attention. Someone had gotten a picture of him talking to his pretty female cousin. By then he had released his decision to abdicate the thrown and join the church. The press had come out with some outrageous story about his final affair, before taking his oaths. How this was his true love, but he couldn't have her because she was married, and that was why he had abdicated. Even after they had proved it was his cousin the news had continued. Suddenly all the tales of incest in the Genovian Royal Families heritage had come out. It was really quite ridiculous.

Clarrise sighed. She tried not to think about things like that. Times when her family had been together. That had been about a year before Rupert had died. She remembered how devastated Rupert was when Pierre had announced his decision. But it had all turned out fine, because of Phillipe's willingness to take the throne. She was glad Rupert hadn't been around when Phillipe died. He would have been absolutely devastated. He had loved his sons so much. Rupert had been a very good father. Just not a very good husband...