Part Nine
It was much later on in the morning before Clarisse began to stir to awareness. She realized she was still curled up in Joseph's arms, her head resting on his shoulder, the sheet drawn up to their waists. She snuggled closer to his chest, still half asleep. Then, to her horror, she heard Charlotte and Olivia talking in her sitting room and she came fully awake, tensing as she listened to the conversation.
Olivia was saying, "I think it's wonderful how Joe has been watching the queen all these years. You can just SEE that he's in love with her, and yet she hasn't had a clue!"
Charlotte laughed lightly, then said dryly, "It IS his job to watch her, Olivia."
"Oh, Charlotte, you can be so naive! He's crazy about her! It was so obvious to everyone but her! Well, except that I've heard that the Prime Minister caught the two of them kissing last night, so I guess the queen knows how Joe feels now, too. I DO think it's a shame that Queen Clarisse can't abdicate to marry him. Parliament is supposedly going to make her marry Viscount Mabrey. The story is that he was pretty awful before, but the punch Joe gave him the other day has knocked some sense into him. I hope so, for the queen's sake. But I just have to say that if I had the choice between Joe and anyone else, it'd be a cold day in you-know-where before I passed up Joe, even if he IS old enough to be my father! He's something else, isn't he? Well, I guess I should take Maurice for his walk now." The voices were coming closer. "Charlotte, look! The queen's dress is just lying here on the floor ... how strange! She's not usually so careless with her clothes ..."
Charlotte said, "Never mind. She won't be wearing it again anyway. Here, give it to me, I'll put it in the bedroom and get Maurice's lease ..."
Before Clarisse could even pull the sheet over them, the door opened and Clarisse saw Charlotte freeze as she took in the sight of the queen in bed with Joseph. Only a moment passed, but Joseph, too, opened his eyes and tightened his hold on Clarisse. Then Charlotte pushed the dress through the door, uncaring of where it landed, her face scarlet and her eyes averted from the couple as she grabbed the leash from the hook by the door and jerked the door shut again. She said hurriedly to Olivia, "Here's the leash. I'll come with you, Olivia. Come on, Maurice! We have twenty minutes before I have to be back to meet with her Majesty to help with the foreign affairs dispatches that the Spanish delegation is bringing over."
Blessing Charlotte a thousand times over, Clarisse and Joseph waited until they heard the outside door close, then they swiftly rose and dressed, even as Clarisse teased him about Olivia. Joseph just rolled his eyes. He kissed her again, and she clung to him fiercely, blinking back her tears as she realized she could not continue to live without him.
"Oh, Joseph," she whispered. "I had thought that perhaps one night with you could give me the strength to accept another arranged marriage, but I'm now convinced that a lifetime with you would not be enough. I love you."
"I love YOU, Clarisse."
Then, at the same time, they said, "Will you marry me?" and both chuckled even as they embraced yet again.
"I'll come and talk to Sebastian Motaz with you, Clarisse," Joseph said. "I meant what I said last night. I am not letting Mabrey near you. Sebastian called me back from San Francisco, he made sure the motion passed in Parliament that the man you married did not have to be titled ... I am going to marry you, Clarisse."
"I know," Clarisse nodded. "And if Parliament won't let me marry you, I'll ... I'll abdicate."
"No!" Joseph's eyes burned into hers. "You know you can't do that. We'll find a way around it, Clarisse. I know how you feel about your duty to Genovia, and I know how the people of this country feel about you. Mia deserves her chance, as well. You MUST continue to rule ..."
Clarisse heard Maurice's bark down the hallway. "They're coming back. You have to go, Joseph! I'll meet with you later."
Joseph vanished and moments later, Olivia came in with Maurice. "Good morning, your Majesty! You must have had an early start to be gone when I was in earlier! Charlotte has just gone to your office, and will meet you there for the meeting with the Spanish delegation. Oh, and your dress ..."
"I found it. Thank you, Olivia," and Clarisse made her escape, thankful to not have been questioned as to her whereabouts that morning and extremely thankful that, if anyone had to walk in on them, it had been Charlotte instead of Olivia. Olivia was nice enough, of course, but like most maids, she was a little inclined to gossip. Imagine, being caught en flagrante delecto with Joseph at their age! Should that fact be spread about by the maids, she would not be able to hold her head up in public again for a long time. A faint smile curved her lips as she thought of some probable reactions to her impropriety. Clarisse wondered at her mood, being more than a little surprised that she wasn't feeling ashamed of herself, or more shocked by her scandalous behaviour. She definitely would have preferred that no one caught them, certainly, but never having had much of a private life, she could have expected it. Thank goodness it had been Charlotte who had discovered them! As Clarisse walked into the office, however, she still had to brace herself mentally, feeling quite awkward about the morning's revelations to the younger woman.
"Your Majesty," Charlotte greeted her, and her face was flushed as much as Clarisse felt hers to be. "I ... I'm really terribly sorry about this morning ... I didn't mean to catch your ... indiscretion ..."
"Oh, Charlotte, I would hardly call it an indiscretion! That is far too mild a term for highly improper behaviour!" Clarisse had to laugh. Then she continued, "I want to thank you for how you handled it, and for keeping it to yourself." Putting her hands over her cheeks, she said wryly, "I am most embarrassed at having been caught, as you may imagine."
Charlotte opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, a knock came at the door, and the Spanish delegation was announced. As usual, Charlotte took notes during the meeting, and Clarisse was very business-like. Still, they both drew a breath of relief when at last the small group bowed itself out.
"Well, that's that," Clarisse said, going over to the sofa and sitting down. "I'm not sure why it was so important to be quite clear in my demands, however. Come, Charlotte," she said, pointing to the chair opposite her. "We must have a talk."
"Why is it not important?" Charlotte asked, obediently perching where Clarisse had indicated.
"Because what happens next will be out of my hands. I'm going to abdicate the throne this afternoon."
"WHAT?" Charlotte was staggered. "But, why?"
"You saw us this morning, Charlotte. How can you ask that?" Clarisse leaned forward, speaking earnestly and openly to someone other than Joseph about her love life for the first time ever. "You know I love Joseph. I want to spend the rest of my life openly loving him and being married to him. I married Rupert as arranged and didn't love him, but I had hopes that love would grow since I did not love anyone else. However, now ... I simply cannot accept a loveless arranged marriage again. Not now that I have known love ... not now that I have ... been with Joseph. I know you are shocked and that I should be ashamed, but ..."
"Your Majesty, I would never presume to question your behaviour." Charlotte assured her, then added, "Besides, I've never seen you happier ... OR Joe!"
Clarisse smiled slightly, but added defiantly, "Well, I'm NOT ashamed of myself. I did not betray anyone. I never thought of such a thing while Rupert was alive, and I am not married again yet. And when I DO marry, it will be to Joseph. I had never realized it before, but marriage to anyone other than Joseph is quite out of the question."
Charlotte nodded silently, then, after a moment said quietly, "That's how Philippe felt, too. He couldn't accept a loveless marriage either, not after knowing love."
"You?" Clarisse dared to ask.
Charlotte's smile was sad. "No. Helen."
"REALLY?" Clarisse was startled. After all these years ... "Oh, Charlotte, I'm so sorry for you ..."
"Your Majesty, Philippe and I were ... friends." Charlotte sensed the queen's skepticism and seemed to decide it was time to tell her story. Looking down at her feet, she continued softly, "Just friends. He needed someone to talk to, and I was convenient, available, and willing to listen. He soon discovered that I, too, had lost a ... a spouse and a child. That similarity brought us even closer together. Philippe had fallen in love with Helen the moment he met her, he said, and although they were divorced, he never stopped loving her. He talked about her all the time. That's why he wouldn't marry Lady Eloise when King Rupert, may he rest in peace, wanted him to settle down. To be perfectly honest, Philippe pretended to be a playboy, and went out with all those other women simply to annoy the king. Last Christmas, he kissed me ... as a sort of thank you for all the advice and the hours of listening I had given him. He said I had helped him decide to follow his father's wishes and marry Lady Eloise, even though he didn't love her. At the time, he said something I hadn't understood -- that that sort of marriage must run in the family. I realize now he was, forgive me, talking about your marriage, your Majesty. At any rate, as Lady Eloise has since married, it's obvious SHE was not set on marriage to Philippe nor heartbroken at his death. I ... I think I could have come to love him, in time, had I ever had the right, but he never thought of me that way." She looked up, her eyes filled with unshed tears, and said sincerely, "Your son did not break my heart, your Majesty, but I truly DID love him as a very dear friend, and I still miss him a great deal."
"Charlotte, I ... I never knew. How could I have been so blind? Poor Philippe! And you lost a husband and child? Oh, Charlotte!"
"I was seventeen." Charlotte spoke quickly, turning her head away again from the queen. "We had eloped, but after only two weeks our families found us and split us up and the marriage was dissolved. We were both underage, and had both lied about it, so the union was declared null and void. Then I found out that I was pregnant. My parents insisted I put my little boy up for adoption, and I had no choice as I was still in school and dependant upon them. Philippe ... Philippe was trying to trace my baby when he was killed ..." Tears clogged Charlotte's voice at that point, and it trailed away.
"Your son would be about Mia's age now, wouldn't he?" Clarisse asked.
"He is fourteen years, six months and eleven days old." Then Charlotte pulled herself together. "But please, your Majesty, forgive me for burdening you with my problems when you have your own to deal with."
"Oh, tosh!" Clarisse scoffed.
"I just can't believe you're thinking of abdicating! You can't, you just CAN'T!"
"I'm not sure that I have any other choice," Clarisse sighed. Then she cleared her throat and straightened her jacket, becoming very business-like once more. "Sebastian Motaz will be here in about an hour. Show him in as soon as he comes, please."
Accordingly, Charlotte ushered the Prime Minister into Clarisse's office when he arrived, then slipped out to give them some privacy.
"Ah, Queen Clarisse!" Sebastian Motaz bent over the hand she proffered, and kissed it lightly. Then he continued holding it while looking at her with a twinkle in his eye. "I trust you had a good night last night?"
Feeling colour seeping into her cheeks as though she were a naughty schoolgirl, Clarisse gently disengaged her hand and turned away, ostensibly to offer the Prime Minister some tea. He accepted a cup and sat down after she had seated herself.
"Your Majesty," Sebastian continued, "may I correctly assume that I was right last night and that you were indicating by your actions that Joseph is the man you wish to marry?"
"Sebastian," Clarisse hesitated, then continued in an even, composed voice, "I AM going to marry Joseph."
"If that meets Parliamentary approval, yes, and ..."
"You are mistaken," Clarisse interrupted him, softly. "I am marrying Joseph, with or without approval from Parliament."
He looked a little bewildered, then said, "But ... but, your Majesty, if they do not approve, I am afraid that the requirement ..."
"If the Parliament of Genovia does not approve of my choice of husband, and makes the attempt to have me marry someone else, then I will ... abdicate." Clarisse said firmly.
"WHAT?" Sebastian exclaimed, much as Charlotte had.
"NO!" The two were startled when the door burst open and Joseph appeared, followed closely by Charlotte. "No, Clarisse, you cannot abdicate! I am not asking that of you."
Clarisse looked down to hide the tears in her eyes. "No, but I am not willing to do anything else."
"Your Majesty," Charlotte said earnestly, "Think of your duty to Genovia ... to yourself. You owe it to yourself and to Mia to see this through with Parliament! Oh, if only they let women be members of Parliament! I would soon set those men straight if I were there!"
"Charlotte, may I say that I very much look forward to the day when you join the ranks! It cannot come too soon for me!" Sebastian smiled at her and she blushed a little at her forwardness. Then Sebastian turned to Clarisse again. "Your Majesty, it is my hope that such drastic action on your part will not be necessary. I will put this matter of your abdication before Parliament if you wish, but I say we should leave it until we hear what they have to say about your marriage."
"Marriage to WHOM?" Clarisse almost whispered. "I will not even consider marrying the Viscount!" She gripped Joseph's hand. "I'm going to marry Joseph. I love him."
"Of course you must marry Joseph," Sebastian beamed at Joseph, then at Clarisse. "Why else do you think I recalled him from America, against your specific instructions to continue with Princess Mia until her school year was finished? Naturally I knew he was in love with you, and Sheila told me she believed by your actions towards Joseph that you either already loved him, or would soon realize you did. Of course, we could have done nothing without Charlotte." Then his face became solemn again. "But I do not wish to hear any more about abdication. That is out of the question!"
"Clarisse, think about it! Think about Mia! If you are not allowed to continue to rule unless you marry someone approved by Parliament, you MUST follow their dictates ..." Joseph tried to convince her.
"Are you trying to tell me you don't want to marry me?" her voice was small and uncertain.
"Of course not!" Joseph almost snapped. "But I KNOW how you feel about Mia, and about the country, and I KNOW you must continue as queen for the next five years ... Charlotte tells me there was some mention of this arranged marriage being one in name only. If that is the case, we COULD wait for five ..."
"How did you hear that?" Sebastian turned to Charlotte, astonishment in his face.
Charlotte looked uncomfortably at the queen and her face flushed again.
"That has no bearing on this discussion," Clarisse said firmly. "Sebastian, about Parliament ..."
"Your Majesty, I beg of you, let me talk with them first. If you wish, you may absent yourself ..."
"No, thank you. It IS my life, and I intend to fight for the right to live it as I see fit, for the first time ever." Clarisse tightened her lips. No longer unsure of herself, her regal bearing had returned with a vengeance. She loved Joseph, knew her love was returned, and now had the assurance to claim her own future rather than allowing herself to be manipulated by others.
Joseph kissed her swiftly, and she clung to him briefly before stepping back and flashing a smile at Sebastian and Charlotte. "I'm ready."
O o O o O o O o
"Parliament is now in session, Prime Minister Motaz presiding."
"Viscount Mabrey, you have the floor," Sebastian nodded gravely to the Viscount.
"First, may I say, your Majesty, you are looking particularly enchanting this afternoon, considering the fuss you made last evening at the conclusion of the Betrothal Ball ..."
Clarisse merely inclined her head composedly, not deigning to answer.
"Viscount," Lord Crawley, who had sat beside the Viscount on the bench for longer than he cared to remember, began his usual heckling routine. "Get to the point. We all were there last evening, and all saw that no fuss was made whatsoever."
"On the contrary," the Viscount glared at his seatmate, then his gaze swept around the room before fastening again on Lord Crawley. "The queen may have seemed acquiescent at the start of the evening, but she DID have a moment of rebellion near the end which you quite possibly missed, being otherwise occupied at the buffet table."
"Oooh," came a chorus of voices.
"Gentlemen! Gentlemen, please!" Sebastian banged his gavel. "Viscount Mabrey, did you have anything further to say?"
"I only wish to reiterate that I am fully prepared to do what I perceive is my duty. I will marry Queen Clarisse, thus providing her with the husband she needs to fulfill the requirements long demanded by our great country of Genovia." The Viscount bowed regally before Clarisse, then, with a great deal of ceremony, took his seat.
"Thank you. Does anyone else have anything to add before I continue?" There was silence, and Sebastian nodded in satisfaction. "Very well. As you all are no doubt aware, I met with her Majesty this afternoon just prior to this session. May I say," and he smiled at Clarisse, "the Queen has made her choice of a husband known to me."
The men's eyes all turned expectantly towards Clarisse. She noticed that the Viscount Mabrey was almost preening, obviously quite sure he was about to be chosen. Her eyes dropped and she clenched her hands in her lap. She would NEVER have married him, even had there been no Joseph in the picture ... even had her life depended upon it.
The Prime Minister then launched into a brief dissertation, restating the qualities necessary in the Prince Consort, and saying that no one would be able to dispute that the Queen's choice met all the requirements. "In conclusion, it seems only fitting to reward this man for having served Genovia and Genovia's queen faithfully for so many years." Sebastian cleared his throat. There was complete silence in the house of Parliament. "However, before presenting this man's name for your final approval, I feel that I must ask you to consider very seriously releasing Queen Clarisse from this forced union." Sebastian said. A murmur arose, and Sebastian held up his hand for silence again. "It has been pointed out to me, and very forcibly, I might add, by my wife and others that what we are requiring the queen to do for Genovia is far more than we ourselves would be willing to do. We have already, at the queen's request, overthrown the old law requiring queens to marry before taking the throne. She offered to still follow through with the marriage requirement for the next five years, and we accepted that offer. Now, however, I do think we should re-examine our motives for doing so. I also do not think we have given this matter nearly the amount of thought necessary ..."
The Viscount stood, unable to restrain himself any longer. "This has already been decided, Prime Minister. We would look like fools if we change our minds yet again! I would like to point out that the vote the other day to abolish the marriage law was made without a full complement of members of Parliament, but no one is complaining about that. I say, give her to me in marriage, and let us try to keep this country as stable as possible without benefit of a king."
"We can't GIVE the queen away!" Lord Fricker got to his feet, swaying slightly. "Such ridich ... er, preposter .. er ... foolishness ..."
"Fricker, sit down before you fall down," Mr. Hiller grumbled, tugging at the Lord's coat-tails and almost causing him to topple over.
"Lord Fricker is right," Mr. Perez jumped to his feet. "I say we do NOT give the queen to the Viscount."
"The point is moot, as she has already chosen, according to the Honourable Prime Minister," Lord Harmony said mildly.
"Personally, I'd like to hear her choice ..." Mr. Carlo grumbled.
Sebastian banged his gavel again, and stood up. Everyone looked at him. "I am asking you to reconsider this requirement. Will anyone make a motion?"
There was silence for a long moment. Clarisse kept her eyes in her lap, and twisted her hands together almost savagely.
Then, ponderously, Lord Palimore stood up. "I move that we rescind our requirement for Queen Clarisse to remarry."
"I second the motion," Lord Crawley was on his feet in an instant.
Viscount Mabrey was scowling, but he stubbornly said nothing. Nor did anyone else, when Sebastian called for any debate.
The motion was passed. Clarisse almost sagged with relief, but held herself together.
Sebastian continued speaking. "I thank you for the vote, and may I say now that Queen Clarisse informed me earlier that, had you not rescinded that requirement, she would have abdicated."
There was an uproar when the members of Parliament realized what might have happened. Although he said nothing, Viscount Mabrey's face was a mask of tamped-down fury, and Clarisse suspected they would hear from him again in the future.
"May we not hear who Queen Clarisse might have married had she been required to do so?" asked Lord Jerome.
Sebastian smiled and said, indicating the doors which were opening, "Your Majesty, gentlemen, this man had presented himself as a suitor for Queen Clarisse's hand before this requirement was repealed, and she has shown no objection. On the contrary, from what I was privileged to view last night, I do believe ..."
The members of Parliament all turned in their seats to see who was coming in. Seeing Joseph smiling at her from the door, Clarisse stood up, unable to stay in her seat.
Speaking quickly, Sebastian said, "Joseph Elizondo has won Queen Clarisse's hand and heart."
In the uncharacteristic yet complete silence that descended upon Parliament, Clarisse broke her "don't ever hurry" rule and ran to the man she loved. He caught her in his arms and gave her a hard kiss before facing the now smiling men seated around the room. "I am here before you, not only because the honourable Prime Minister has convinced me that it is my duty but because I love Queen Clarisse more than I ever believed possible to love another human being. I would ask for your approval, but frankly, since I obviously have Queen Clarisse's approval and since you've abolished that requirement, I simply ask for your attendance at our wedding tomorrow and for your support in our future life together ..." His words were drowned out by the applause.
Smiling and glowing with happiness, Clarisse heard a squeal of joy from high up, and knew that Charlotte was watching from the secret passageway. Then Joseph's lips were on hers again, and nothing else mattered, knowing that she would be marrying her love on the morrow! This would be a marriage arranged in heaven, supported by the country and eagerly anticipated by Joseph and his Queen!