Part Three

"Your Majesty?"

Clarisse looked up from her breakfast and forced herself to smile at Charlotte who was hovering by the door. "Good morning, Charlotte."

Charlotte came closer, studying the queen intently. "Did you sleep well?" she asked.

"Of course," Clarisse lied, confident that her restless night had been hidden by carefully-applied makeup.

"I see." There was a pause, then Charlotte said softly, "Forgive me, your Majesty, but this time I must say that it is YOU who is not very good at lying."

Clarisse stared at the younger woman in surprise, then her face relaxed into a genuine smile of amusement. "And here I thought I was very adept at it."

"Perhaps to most people, but not to those closest to you." was Charlotte's response. Sensing that Clarisse did not want to talk about her night, Charlotte changed the subject. "Have you decided whether or not you are attending the Parliament session in a few minutes? Prime Minister Motaz stopped into the office to suggest once more that you absent yourself this once."

Clarisse put down the toast she had been trying to swallow, and wiped her fingers carefully, her eyes downcast. Finally she looked up. "I will not attend it," she said. "But you and I will watch over the proceedings. I MUST know what is being discussed. After all, it IS my future at stake."

"Yes, your Majesty," Charlotte nodded, but she looked confused.

Laughing softly, Clarisse stood. "There is a secret passageway with an opening into the house of Parliament. You and I are going there."

"A secret passageway?"

"Yes. Do you know where we can find a flashlight?" Clarisse looked vaguely around the dining room.

Suppressing her smile, Charlotte said, "I'll fetch one from the kitchen, your Majesty. I'll be right back."

Sure enough, within a few moments, Charlotte was back with a powerful lantern-type flashlight. The two women walked down the hall, Charlotte concealing the flashlight when they passed a footman. "It's no one's business where we're going," she explained to Clarisse, "and if he doesn't see the flashlight, he won't suspect a thing."

Clarisse directed Charlotte through the small chapel to the entrance of the passageway, opening the hidden door herself. Charlotte stepped into the darkness, shining the light down to guide her steps.

"There are some stairs, here, Charlotte," Clarisse whispered as they turned into another doorway. "Just up on the right. About five, I believe."

There was no need to caution silence, as the voices of the men in the room beyond the wall could be heard quite clearly. The women stepped up to the small metal square at eye level in the wall before them, and Clarisse twisted the knob and carefully lifted the guard up to fasten it above the grate. She motioned for Charlotte to move nearer, and the two, heads close together, looked out on the House of Parliament.

Viscount Mabrey had just stood up to speak. "As you know, I have offered to assist Genovia in this dilemma we seem to have found ourselves in. My sainted wife died many years ago, and I have managed to continue my life without her presence. Although it almost breaks my heart to replace her, especially with someone so much older and someone who does not have the same sweet, biddable spirit my late wife possessed, I am willing to do my duty. I am EAGER to do my duty, you might say. Genovia is a great country, and deserves leadership which is truly inspired."

Clarisse tensed, noting that Charlotte's body had gone rigid as well.

One of the older members of Parliament, Lord Jerome, said dryly, "We really should not force a youngster like Viscount Mabrey to sacrifice his future happiness on an older woman, since that seems to bother him so much. I am older than Queen Clarisse. As far as I am concerned, were I not already happily married and devoted to my task of making my wife happy, I would be delighted to have such a lovely younger woman grace my bed."

The men sitting around the room murmured appreciatively, "oooooh!" and Clarisse relaxed a little, smiling at the thought of Lord Jerome calling her a lovely younger woman. He always had been a gentleman, she recalled, even if he DID think women were not capable of serious thought.

Prime Minister Motaz shushed them. "Gentlemen! Gentlemen, please!"

Lord Jerome begged forgiveness for his frivolous comment. Then Mr. Perez stood up and said that, like Lord Jerome, he, too was older than Queen Clarisse, and since he himself was unmarried, HE would be willing to have his name stand as a possible consort.

Count Vitello stood and said, "I suppose I could marry her, since she's in such desperate need of a husband."

Charlotte caught Clarisse's arm to stop her from crying out angrily that she was NOT in need of a husband. Clarisse took a deep breath and willed herself to calm down, nodding her thanks to Charlotte for the reminder to be cautious.

Lord Fricker took another sip out of the glass which he seemed to carry everywhere, and managed to stutter out that he supposed he would be honoured to take Queen Clarisse as his lawfully wedded wife. Clarisse shuddered.

Another older member of Parliament, Mr. Carlo said he would be more than delighted to marry her, and that he would try to do his best for her and the country.

Viscount Mabrey, a furious and sneering look on his face, said that of COURSE the Prince Consort had to be someone titled. He glared at Mr. Perez and Mr. Carlo, then continued to talk, saying that he had understood that this meeting was not to FIND a husband for the queen, but instead to validate his own offer to marry her and provide the necessary support she needed to rule Genovia. "After all, I AM the most titled of the ... contenders ... for her hand, the proper one to be marrying the queen and take over -- err -- help rule the country. POWER COUNTS, gentlemen! I really feel we have much more important things to discuss, such as a date for the upcoming nuptials, and I do believe it should be immediate. Do let me say, however, that the title Viscount, to which I was born, ensures that the reins of the country are securely in the hands of the rich and powerful!"

"I thought Queen Clarisse is the ruler of Genovia ... not her consort." someone muttered, rather loudly.

"Well," Viscount Mabrey tried to smile through his anger at the untimely comment, "We all know how women are about ... business matters, shall we say?"

Mr. Hiller said that personally, he didn't think that it was necessary for the queen's consort to have a title. "After all, titles CAN be bought on the internet, I understand. How could something like that be important in a person who, let's face it, gentlemen, is stepping into a very unimportant position? He will be a few paces behind the queen in all areas of life."

"Except the bedroom," the loud mutterer added, and people laughed.

Clarisse clenched her hands and closed her eyes for a moment, trying to control an angry flush. This was unbearable to hear these men talking like this! Why was Sebastian Motaz not demanding order? He usually was very aware of her feelings ... of course, he had no idea she was listening.

"Speaking of being a few paces behind the queen," someone chuckled, "have you all noticed that the Head of Security for the crown in Genovia has been sniffing ever closer to that very crown?"

Clarisse gasped, and tried to see who had said such an outrageous, patently ridiculous thing, but she couldn't. They were referring to JOSEPH?

"It is obvious to everyone who has eyes to see," Lord Crawley sounded bored. "It is also obvious that Queen Clarisse has no more notion of that than did King Rupert, may he rest in peace!"

"It is MY opinion that King Rupert, may he rest in peace, knew quite well how the gentleman felt, since it has been years," Lord Skylar also sounded disinterested.

"Perhaps Queen Clarisse is as cold in bed as she appears in public, and King Rupert KNEW his honour was safe?" suggested another with a sneer.

"Gentlemen, and I use that term loosely!" Prime Minister Motaz stood up, frowning. "Refrain from making vulgar comments, please!"

Clarisse, furious beyond belief, became aware of Charlotte's restraining hand on her arm again. She glanced at the woman beside her, feeling Charlotte's sympathy.

"Your Majesty?" Charlotte whispered. "Shall we go?"

Shaking her head emphatically, Clarisse turned back to view the scene.

"Perhaps, since Viscount Mabrey seems to find Queen Clarisse so undesirable physically, he means this to be a marriage in name only?" Mr. Bishop suggested with a leer. "After all, we are no longer looking for an heir to the throne."

The Viscount almost snarled at the man, but Lord Palimore had stood. "Should the marriage be one in name alone? A very interesting proposition, Mr. Bishop. That WOULD most certainly ensure that the letter of the law is being met, and that our queen would be bound in matrimony. Or is matrimony without ... bedroom privileges, if you'll forgive my badinage, not a REAL marriage and therefore not satisfactory to anyone concerned ... the Prince Consort, Parliament, Genovia, even the queen herself?" He sat down amid more murmurs.

The Prime Minister banged his gavel for silence, raised his voice and changed the subject. "It appears that whether or not the candidate for the HONOUR," and he emphasized the word, "of marrying Queen Clarisse has a title is not important to most gentlemen here. After all, our motive is to provide her with a helpmeet, a partner, is it not? I would say that the qualities of the MAN chosen are of far more importance than whether or not he is an Earl or a peasant." He sat down with a thump, his displeasure in the proceeding obvious.

Clarisse nodded emphatically, then wondered what she was doing. She did not want or need a partner or a helpmeet or ANYONE!

Mr. Bishop stood up and moved that aristocracy not have any bearing on the suitability of the future consort for the queen. "In short, I move that the gentleman in question does not need to be a titled gentleman."

"I second the motion!" Mr. Perez said quickly.

The motion was fiercely debated for a few minutes, Viscount Mabrey almost apoplectic in his rage, then Mr. Hiller called loudly, "QUESTION!"

Bringing down his gavel with a bang, the Prime Minister called for the vote, and, with just a narrow margin, the motion passed.

Clarisse felt Charlotte smile beside her, and turned to look at her. "What is it?" she whispered.

"Oh, your Majesty, they have just paved the way for J ... oh, never mind!" Charlotte broke off and pointedly looked back out the grate.

Viscount Mabrey grimaced, and everyone heard him mutter, "And there, in a nutshell, we see the problems encountered when certain members of parliament are elected as opposed to those who inherit the position through divine right of birth."

When further murmuring arose, Lord Palimore banged his stick as he rose to his feet. "Honourable Prime Minister, Gentlemen, we will hold the customary coming of age ball for Genovian princesses before being crowned queen, wherein Queen Clarisse will dance with all eligible suitors. This ball will be held Thursday."

A stir of sensation ran through the Parliament, but Lord Palimore ignored it and continued, "Yes, I realize that this is Tuesday, thereby give the palace only two days to prepare. No doubt they are more than capable of rising to the occasion. As I said, at this ball, the queen will dance with everyone and then will be required to make her choice. At that point, Parliament will approve her choice the next day, that being Friday, and the wedding will be set for Saturday."

Clarisse stiffened. So soon? No! Charlotte touched her arm lightly in warning again, and Clarisse bit her lip. She couldn't bear to listen any longer. She turned away, and Charlotte quickly shut the grate and followed.

To be continued ...