Chapter 9

"Oh Sebastian, I'm so glad this whole mess is over." Queen Clarisse sat next to her friend, offering tea.

"I'm so happy myself, that everything has worked out, Clarisse. Still she has not been told of her lineage."

"No, no not yet. I promised Helen I would wait for her 16th birthday. That gives me another year to find the best time and words to tell her. Helen may even want to do it. Sebastian, she is my only heir, my only grandchild, and I haven't even met her." Clarisse pointed to the picture of her sons.

"I understand, it has not been easy on you, this whole mess. I wish I could have done more for you."

"Sebastian, you did all you could, and that was enough." She rested her hand on his and smiled politely at him. He nodded to her in return. "Do you think we can keep this out of the media?"

"I'm already a step ahead of you on that. Parliament was a 'closed door' meeting this morning, and I'm sure the members would like to elude any kind of scandal. Mabrey is a different matter. You never know what is on his mind."

"I agree with you there. " Clarisse turned to face him. "Thank you for your support. It means alot."

"Your welcome, Your Majesty. You always have my support Clarisse." They drank their tea and exhausted themselves with issues not covered by Parliament that morning. Clarisse was just thankful she could sit and enjoy her good friend, feeling very well for the first time in months.

"Leave those stitches IN, please, Joseph. Last time you took them out before the laceration was healed properly. Remember?" Dr. Jaqueas was drilling the stubborn Joseph. "I remember, it was knocked back open again, and it became infected. That was a nasty cut to deal with then. Took almost three months to heal. I know you think you are above God sometimes when it comes to your health, but please take my advice this time. Next time you may not be so lucky, hey."

Joseph was just nodding at the man who was finishing dressing the wounds on his right hand. They had been deep cuts, two of them needing stitches. He felt the pain, but it was not in comparison to the pain in his heart.

"Joseph, Joseph, are you listening to me?"

"Yes, I heard every word."

"And then some, I bet." Joseph smiled, knowing he had been caught.

"Sorry, other things on my mind."
"I understand. Just take it easy with that hand, and let me take the stitches out, say in two weeks." Joseph nodded, flexing his mummified hand.

"It's okay. Thank you."

"Everyone should be thanking you. If not for those cuts, it would have never crossed my mind this morning that Amelia could be a carrier of the disease."

"No one else thought of it either, of those of us who knew about it. I'm not all that knowledgable of genetics, but I did know it could be passed along. The Queen knew as well."

"Clarisse I can understand, after all she had been in a great deal of pain, and all the worry and frustration clouded her thinking. Yes, well we all have our downfalls. The one thing that keeps us going is knowing that they cannot hold us back, they can try, and do a damn good job of it, but eventually we all overcome them. Espically if it's something we want very badly."

Joseph knew he was right, he was an intelligent man, and Joseph always heeded his advice.

"Thank you again, Dr."

"You're very welcome Joseph."

"Helen, it's Clarisse, I just wanted to make sure you recieved word."

"Oh yes, and it made me so happy, Clarisse. I am concerned over this disease though. I have been doing some research this morning. It seems Mia will be fine, but any grandchildren, well a boy could have it?"
"That's right. Amelia is just a carrier, as am I. If Amelia marries a man who has this disease as well, any male heirs will have it. Girls, due to sexual genes, are just carriers. Don't let that worry you, Helen. My boys did fine. Rupert had a hard time when he was younger, but medicine has come so far these days. Philip and Pierre did well, having to have only a few injections their whole lives because of it. Of course, they had to be careful, and couldn't play as rough as they would have liked when they were little, but they never had a problem. Now I, like you, worried myself. I always have. Now I see how much time I wasted doing just that."

"Thank you, Clarisse." Clarisse smiled as though she could see her. "I have been thinking also, I think you should tell Mia who she is, who her father was."
"Are you sure?"

"Yes, it would be right. I don't know how she'll take it, she is a very stubborn teenager now." Clarisse laughed at that, thinking how stubborn she use to be as well.

"So she already fits her title then. I will wait a little while longer, until I know exactly what to say and when to say it. I really am looking forward to meeting her."

"I know."

She spoke to Helen a little while longer, stretching her legs out as a yawn came from out of nowhere. She was a little tired. Last night had been hard, and if not for Dr. Jaqueas putting her to sleep early this morning, she wouldn't have slept at all. She clicked the phone off, laying her head to the side on a soft pillow. She never got this tired in her office, which is why she always got more done when she was in it. It wasn't this quiet in her office either. She could keep her mind occupied on her work, instead of the ache in her heart for Joseph.

On the floor ahead of him was his two bags, right where he left them early this morning. They had not been moved, anything of Joseph's was never moved. He always scared the staff, so they more or less left him and his belongings alone. They did what they had to, but that was all.

"You're still leaving?" Charlotte had walked up silently behind him, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"I was just trying to think of reasons to stay." He looked at her, thankful for someone to confide in that he could trust.

"I want you to stay, for what it's worth. I know she wants you here."

"Charlotte, do you know what happened last night, with...him?" Joseph was clearly uncomfortable with this.

"I was afraid to ask last night when the doctor was here, but she did leave me a note. It said where she had gone, and not to expect her until mid-morning at the latest. She had decided to go to him, it was the only way to keep things quiet, or so he had convinced her. It was very early this morning when she was literally pushed out of a car at the main entrance. That's when Shades called you. What happened in-between, well there's only one way to find out. She is full of bruises, Joe."

"I don't know if she'll tell me the truth. She don't trust me."
"She's scared when she keeps things hidden."

"Charlotte, you know her as well as I. Still it doesn't change the fact that she doesn't trust me. She don't even trust her own doctor."

"That can be worked out, Joe."
"I know I'm angry, I just don't know who to be angry with."

"Dr. Jaqueas told me about the cup."

"Ahh, well at least I broke it at the right time."

"You have to stay long enough to apologize to her for breaking her one of her favorite teacups." Charlotte got a slight smile out of him. Joseph put his arm around her and squeezed.

"Tell you what, I'll stay for right now, but I'm not unpacking. I'll see how things go from here. I love her Charlotte, with everything that I am, but I can't go on being so close to her and recieving hardly nothing in return."

"I understand, I really do."

Joseph resigned to Charlotte's plea, and took his bags back to his suite. He dropped them on his bed, not understanding himself as to why he needed to stay.

Viscount Mabrey paced his dining room. His lunch had long been served, but he could not seem to gain his appetite. The Queen's head of security was on his mind. Mabrey knew it was he that caused him to lose this round. Somehow, he had been responsible, disease or no disease. He hated that man in black. He hated him almost as much as he had Rupert. He smiled to himself, knowing he had gotten back at both of them last night. He had taken her, just as he had planned. He might not have gotten the crown away from her, but he took something better. He would use it, too. Every chance he could get. It was a mighty shame that Rupert was dead now, but he could still wound her security. Hell, she came to him last night. Maybe she already wounded Joseph for him.

He had knocked on her door, but no answer came from inside. He was sure Olivia said she was in her room. She had not been up to working in her office, and Charlotte had rescheduled alot of her day. He took a few steps in, just enough to see inside. There, on the sofa, she had fallen asleep. She was so beautiful. Her chest rose and fell in slow motion. It was then that it hit him the hardest. There on her chest, right above the cut of her blouse, a dark red and purple loudly cried out. If she had not been asleep, she would have never let it show. Anger rose inside him again. He was angry at her for not trusting him. He was angry at her for going to Mabrey. He was angry at her for making love to him the same evening. He was angry at Mabrey for ever starting this whole damn mess, for using her, for hurting her so badly. He was head of palace security, bodyguard to the Queen of Genovia, and he had been powerless. He still felt powerless. He was going to run away last night. For the first time in his life, he was going to run away. What had happened to him? He was no different than she. Both of them turning the opposite direction, taking the easy way out. It was time for him to find himself, to be the man he once was. He walked to her desk, scribbled a note, and left it for her.

Storming through his own bedroom door, he stripped his clothing off. He rummaged through his luggage, chosing his old comfortable black leather jeans. He pulled a black tee over his head, and slipped on his leather jacket. He pulled out his boots, and slid his feet inside. He opened his small gun safe, pulled out his .32, loaded it, and made sure he had plenty of extras. A shiny silver switchblade caught the light as he moved back and forth, and Joseph grabbed it, shoving it in his pocket. Zipping his wallet in the inside hidden pocket of his jacket, he noticed the large bandage on his hand. Standing over the sink, he ripped it off. He took another roll of gauze and wrapped it twice around his right hand, then taped it securily on. "Much better," he muttered to himself as he worked at flexing the muscles there. Pain was no object now. He looked in the mirror, happy with the reflection he saw.

The doors opened before him. He took the stairs two at a time.

"Hey, Joe, where you off to?"

"Shades, take care of her. I have some business of my own to take care of." Shades shook his head, knowing just what business his friend had.

"You need some help?"

"No, not this time. It's my fight, but thank you, my friend." Joe put his hand on his friend's shoulder. The two men made eye contact, which said more words between them than their mouths ever would.

Trying to sit up, she let out a loud moan. Her body hurt, much more than this morning. Even her stomach burned a little. It was the bruising that ached. Her eyes opened slowly, focusing on Olivia, who had brought her up some lunch and tea.

"I'm sorry to wake you, Your Majesty, but the Dr. said to make sure you eat and take your medicine on time."

"Yes, thank you Olivia."

"Can I get you anything else?"

"What are all those pills?"

"Two for your stomach, and one is pain medication, which he thought you'd need."
"Oh yes. That sounds wonderful right now. Olivia, could you get Charlotte for me?"

"Of course."

Clarisse sipped her tea, somehow managing to swallow the meds left for her. She had took a few bites of her lunch, but just couldn't manage anymore. She stood, stretched, and walked over to her desk. Sitting her tea down, she caught sight of it.

My darling Clarisse,

You look beautiful while you sleep. You know I cannot let this go. My love for you is a most amazing thing, it overpowers even the worst of circumstances. Whatever you chose to do last night, he had no right to hurt you. I cannot live with that. It is now that I ask you to understand my reasoning.

All my undying love, Joe

"Mabrey here."

"I am just outside your home. You and I have unsettled business. I suggest you run." The line clicked, and the call was lost.

Mabrey looked around him. He knew who it was. He never considered not being safe at home. He pickup up the phone again, dialing for help. No dial tone, there was no dial tone! He had cut his phone line. Damn time to think about getting a cellular one. He ran to the windows, scanning the grounds. Nothing. Surely he wouldn't come, not in the middle of the day while people were around. Mabrey became nervous. Joseph was a great enemy. It would not be easy to fight him. He could run, but Joseph would follow. He could hide, but Joseph would find him. The only thing to do was to try and outsmart him. Yet he wasn't prepared for anything like that. He had to arm himself. He had to do it now.

Joseph laughed as he held the cut line outside of Mabrey's home. He had taken care of the vehicles first, making sure each would need at least a week in a shop someplace. Mabrey only had one employee, and he wanted to be careful not to scare her.Joe crawled up the front entrance, knowing it would be the last place Mabrey would expect him to enter.

He fiddled with his pocket knife to pick the lock, but the door swung open welcoming him. Joe slid inside, quiet as cotton.