None of these characters belong to me, they belong to Meg Cabot and Disney, neither does anything else mentioned belong to me. You know, I actually write a lot of Scarlet Pimpernel fan fiction, I just haven't posted it cause it's long and very 'old' English, making it hard to write.
BTW, I suppose I don't get tired of them because they're so cute ( who wouldn't pass of the chance to marry Hector Elizondo? I can totally relate to Queen Clarisse! Lol)
As Clarisse made her way down the stairs, the looks she got from the staff where admirable but a little unnerving. She couldn't cope with everyone knowing their business, speculating about their relationship but now it was different, now she could walk with him, hold his hand, kiss him as his wife. She was sure she was floating, feeling more amazing than she had in years.
Mia smiled wickedly at Charlotte as her grandmother walked into the office, grinning broadly.
"morning Grandma!", she smiled, standing up and descending on Clarisse in a vice like grip.
"ahh, good morning darling", she smiled, kissing her on the cheek, " still nursing a hang over, I see", she continued, motioning towards the headache tablets on Mia's desk.
"yeah, it's what relief does to you", Mia groaned, flopping down on her couch, " and anyways, we defiantly had something to celebrate. Though I don't recall seeing the guests of honour after 8pm".
"oh, don't you?", Clarisse laughed, swatting her on the arm as her face reddened a little.
"no, I don't but we all had an idea that you'd snuck off to-", she paused as a pillow hit her squarely in the face.
"enough, young lady - we have a coronation to plan",Clarisse laughed, looking around the large office, " and where is Lilly?".
"ohhhh, errmm she got totally faced, she was so happy I wasn't getting married but gutted you got Joe", Mia teased, laughing as a rather rough looking Lilly slumped into the room.
"I'm not gutted, just jealous", she said absently as she flopped onto a chair, not registering the presence of Clarisse in the room.
"I'm sure", Clarisse laughed, " Joseph isn't really your type, Lilly". Lilly looked up and felt as if she could perhaps die at that point.
"your Majesty!", she grumbled, straightening up in an attempt to gain some credibility.
"oh calm down Lilly, I was merely teasing", Clarisse smiled, removing her Jacket, " oh damn I can't be bothered organising a coronation just now, why don't we go shopping for our gowns - most important thing first".
"ohhhh, yeah shopping does cure hangovers", Mia smiled enthusiastically, Lilly groaned, not really sharing Mia's enthusiasm for shopping.
"charlotte, let Joseph-", Clarisse faltered in correction, " let Shades and my husband know we're going shopping".
Charlotte smiled, nodding enthusiastically.
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"ahhh, so you're going shopping - not organising the coronation!", Joseph teased, wrapping his arms around her waits as she stood in front of her dressing room mirror.
"but you're planning security, not moving your possessions, which my dear I want in here as soon as possible - so it feels like home", she returned, looking at his reflection behind her in the mirror and holding his hands on her stomach.
"my darling, I promise to move them and make this girly apartment look like home - to me", he smiled, tugging on her ear with his teeth.
"oh no!", she moaned, turning in his arms, " if I come back and there's-", but he cut her off, placing a firm finger on her lips.
"aren't you supposed to be shopping?", he laughed, tightening his grip on her. She smiled, and leaned forward, kissing him on the lips softly.
"yes", she whispered dreamily, pulling away from him, smiling as his face hardened with desire.
"you're not allowed to do that to me", he smiled, his hand squeezing her backside.
"and you're allowed to do that to me!", she admonished, smiling wickedly as she did so.
"ahhh, of course I am - I'm your husband", he smiled, gently undoing the buttons on her jacket.
"no, you're not - not when my grand daughter will walk in here any minute and see you trying to seduce me!", she laughed, placing her hands over his and preventing him from going any further.
"we're adults and I like to seduce you", he complained, kissing her face gently.
"don't you think I know that my dear Joseph but you're acting like a child, but you do a very good job", she teased, reaching over to her dresser, still in his grasp to fetch her scarf.
"so you're actually going to go!", he laughed, pulling her back quickly so she nearly lost her footing.
"Joseph!", she squealed, " don't do that!"
"ohhhh, don't go then!"
"you're such a child!", she laughed, running her finger over his beard, " my childish little Joseph".
"little?", he questioned, raising an assumptions eye brow.
"stop it!", she laughed, as her lips descended on his in a knee bucking kiss. Joseph was amazed at how normal kissing her was, after such a short space of time, he felt as if he had always been married to her. Her kisses where shockingly passionate, as he had always expected they would be and he had always planned to experience one. Now he could kiss her whenever he wanted, and that thought was almost too much to contend with. He closed his eyes, enjoying the way she tasted- the way she responded to him.
Joseph was shaken from his undulated reverie by their door bursting open and a rather bouncy Mia heralding herself with a very un lady like laugh.
Clarisse wouldn't let him pull away as he tried to - she waited until she was quite finished and when she was she smiled against him, kissing the side of his mouth.
"an interruption", she commented in his ear, making him shiver. He could feel her smiling and hear the musical laugh that lace her rich voice.
"hmm, yes. Terribly unfortunate", he answered, looking over her shoulder to Mia and Lilly, winking slyly.
"err, anytime you want Grandma", Mia laughed, winking at Lilly.
"more important matters", Joseph quipped, letting go of a rather red faced Clarisse.
"ha!", she smiled, slapping playfully on the chest with her gloves, " I'm going now and I swear, my darling husband; if I come back and this apartment is painted black and has lots of leather furniture - I'll kill you".
"you wish", he laughed, raising a suggestive eye brow, " showing your dark side my dear, I must admit it does sound interesting!"
"ooh, stop twisting things!", she laughed, making for the door, " love you".
"hmm, me too!", he shouted after her, watching her as she swayed out the door. He was loving this, god he was loving it!
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He smiled as he scanned the apartment, so it still looked like hers but some parts indicated it was theirs - theirs, god he loved the sound of that. Their apartment, their marriage, their dinner reservation. He smiled even broader, fearing he might just dislocate his jaw but the stupid grin, it just wouldn't disappear. Shades and Lionel stood, admiring their handy work - the fourth dressing room that had once been occupied soley by Clarisse's shoes, had been emptied at her approval and now existed as Josephs dressing room. Considering he was a man who rarely wore anything other than black, and didn't care much for fashion it hadn't taken them long to get his stuff tidied away. His guitars where placed nicely in the corner, his Queen and Rolling Stones posters along with "Dirty Harry" hanging on the very feminine, 'Clarisse' wall paper, his enormous C.D. collection collecting dust in the other corner - he could defiantly cope with this.
"so you married her Joe", shades stated, knowingly.
"yes", Joseph said flatly, his tone warning shades to go no further, but shades knew that from the mood Joe was in, no one could spoil it.
"ahhh, finally", he teased, repeating the words on the lips of everyone in the country.
"yeah, finally", Joseph agreed placidly, throwing Shades a little, " now if you'd go and check on arrangements for dinner, everyone is dining in the large dining room this evening and I want everything to be safe, clear?", he questioned dismissively.
Lionel and Shades nodded, grinning - like he really didn't just want rid of them.
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As Clarisse climbed the stairs, she simply could not dismiss the ache in her feet. Felix, Martin, Lionel and Antoine followed Mia and herself, lugging their bags behind them. Clarisse dreaded to think what the palace accountant would make of their little spree, but hell she didn't care - being married had that affect on her. Bending down as she got to her door, throwing all decorum to the wind she finally removed her shoes letting out a very un queenly sigh of relief.
"well grandma", Mia yawned, stretching her hands up in the air, " I'm gonna go get ready for dinner and try and get a nap".
"ok, darling", Clarisse smiled, looking up, "see you at seven and please do not be late, cocktails in the drawing room".
"yeah, grandma, go get Joe - keep yourself amused", Mia laughed, running away down the corridor before Clarisse could die of embarrassment.
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Joseph looked up from his spot on the couch as she came in, some of the men lagging behind her - laden down with what he could only assume was her afternoon acquirements.
"oh, hello. I thought you'd never come back", he laughed, standing up and mercifully taking a hat box from Antoine.
"hmm, wishful think darling?", she questioned, walking over to her closet and throwing her shoes in, " I like what you'd done with my shoe cupboard", she continued, noting the change and the fact she could no longer just throw her shoes in.
"yes, no black leather though", he teased, opening his arms as she rested on him, her back against his chest, dropping her shoes beside the couch.
"shame", she smiled sarcastically, "state dinner this evening", she continued absently.
"mhmm", he confirmed, lacing his fingers with hers, " everything's fine with security you know, and charlotte sorted all the seating and dinner - giving you more time with me".
"oh you are selfish", she smiled, turning in his arms to face him.
"can you blame me?", he laughed, kissing her forehead lightly, " I've waited far too long for this!"
"yes", she smiled sadly, " I am sorry", she continued, apologising for the third time in their marriage.
"Clarisse!", he admonished softly, running his fingers gently through her hair, " please stop apologising".
"but don't you hate me for making-", she didn't continue, interrupted as a frantic Mia burst in the door.
"have you guys completely lost track of the time? i have!", she questioned, hands placed with authority on her hips, " it's 6.30 and you aren't ready!". Clarisse almost flew out of josephs lap and into her closet. Joseph sighed, he'd wanted that conversation to continue, unfortunately - it would have to wait.
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He breathed in her scent as she passed by him, she smelled heavenly - everything about her was his idea of heaven. She was flustered, running about a little more than usual.
"calm down", he smiled, looking over his brandy glass from his position on the couch.
"we're late!", she moaned, spraying perfume on her neck.
"you're never late", he mocked, " everyone else is early". she faked her best frown, but it soon turned into a smile.
"ohhhh, come and help me with this zip", she resolved, moving towards her full length mirror and smoothing her dress down. He dutifully and gleefully accepted, coming to join her.
"there", he smiled, zipping it to the top. He stopped for a second, studying her, revelling in her beauty. How could she ever doubt he would not wait eternity for this moment.
"you are so beautiful", he whispered, running his hand gently down her back. He felt her shiver and suddenly realised, after years the power he had over her. It seemed clear that obviously her attraction to him was just as strong as his to her and god, it made him feel good.
"about earlier -", she started, her face suddenly urgent with regret and guilt. He turned her in a simple fluid like movement and placed a finger gently on her lips. Her eyes flickered shut, relaxing under his command.
"later, right now is not the time", he whispered as she nodded gently, accepting his resolve as her eyes opened. They glittered in the dull room, filling him with delight and making him tingle again.
She reached up to his tie, straightened it out a little as only a wife could do - this is what it felt like, having a wife. She smiled as she did it, almost motherly in her actions - but full of passionate love for him at the same time. Her hands grasped his cuffs and cuff links as she straightened up his jacket.
"there", she laughed, taking in the amusement on his face.
"you're acting like a wife now", he noted aloud, kissing the tip of her nose. She smiled, her laugh ringing around their empty chamber. He felt wonderful, the years of waiting seeming merely seconds.
" I think I like it, acting like your wife", she smiled stressing the "your", making it sound like music in his ears. He grinned, unable to suppress it - he reached out for her waist as if he had been doing it for years and lifting her feet off the plush carpet, began to whirl her about. She squealed with delight, forgetting who she was momentarily.
"put me down!", she commanded, laughing with glee. He did so, gripping her hips as he gently lowered her.
"dinner?", he questioned, offering his arm. She nodded mutely, frightened if she spoke their perfect but fragile world might be shattered.
Please R&R, hope you liked it!
Yours,
M