Chapter Two

In all the excitement about being in Genovia for the first time, and working with the queen, Charlotte was almost bewildered to find herself one of the most sought-after young women in the palace in the next three weeks. She was overwhelmed by invitations out and by small attentions from so many of the men on the staff. Claiming newness and a need to acclimatize herself to life in a different country, Charlotte begged for time. By the time Joseph arrived with the princess, she had begun to accept some of the invitations to see more of Pyrus, and had found herself the unwilling and rather embarrassed subject of some of the maids' gossip. She could only hope that the queen never heard some of the wild stories that were being circulated.

It was only a few days after Princess Mia's arrival with her mother and friends that Joseph approached Charlotte and warned her gently and hesitantly about certain men in the palace. "Many of them are good men, but in such a large place, I really can't know everyone. I don't want to see you hurt, Charlotte." he said earnestly.

She smiled softly at him and laid her hand on his. "It's all right, Joseph. I won't get carried away."

"Good," he replied, covering her hand with his. "Because I care about you, you know."

"Thanks," Charlotte said, basking in the feeling of her hand in his. He really was a very dear man, but he wasn't for her. She knew that, now more than ever. He had only been back for three days, but she had already seen some of his interactions with Queen Clarisse, and the connection between the two was very obvious to her, no matter how blind the rest of the populace of Genovia could be! Perhaps it was because she was an outsider, but Charlotte was convinced that Joseph and the queen were more than good friends. Still, it was more than her job was worth to mention anything to anyone.

Although the young princess was to have moved permanently to Genovia to continue her princess lessons, it soon became obvious to everyone that she was unhappy after her friends returned to San Francisco. Her mother didn't appear to be very comfortable either, living in the palace which she had rejected fifteen years earlier.

Charlotte was walking behind mother and daughter one day, and she overheard the woman saying to the princess, "I never wanted to live this kind of life, Mia! That's why your father and I were divorced. He felt that it was his duty to return here, and although he didn't want to leave me, and especially not YOU, his love for Genovia was stronger than his love for one woman."

"That's what Grandma said," Mia said slowly. "Mom? Does this mean you want to go home?"

"I have to, Mia. My life is in San Francisco. I ... well, Patrick is urging me to come back ..."

The princess groaned and covered her face. "I don't want to hear that, Mom! He's my TEACHER!"

"Oh, but Mia, he's so ..." The other woman stopped, realizing suddenly that Charlotte was nearby.

Murmuring an apology, Charlotte hurried past the two. She had heard enough, however, to understand when, one evening a few days later, the queen pushed the papers she was to sign aside and said mournfully, "She's leaving me, Charlotte. She says she wants to return to San Francisco with her mother. Not forever, of course, but until she is twenty-one."

"That seems fair enough," Charlotte commented hesitantly. "You need her here more when she is queen rather than as the princess."

"But how will she learn being so far away?" Queen Clarisse whispered, as if unaware that Charlotte was listening.

"Your Majesty?" Joseph knocked on the office door and stepped in when bidden. "I understand that Princess Mia has chosen to return to America to finish her education. Shall I order security for her?"

Charlotte backed away carefully, trying to efface herself as the queen's anguished blue eyes turned to the compelling figure of the Head of Security.

"Please," the queen requested. Suddenly her gaze was on Charlotte, and Charlotte froze guiltily. "Charlotte? You ... you don't want to leave too, do you? You aren't ready to return home?"

"Oh, no! No, I love it here!" Charlotte assured her majesty.

"From what I understand, Charlotte is finding that her home is here," Joseph smiled.

Charlotte nodded. "Yes. There's nothing for me back in America."

"Have you found family here?" the queen asked with interest.

Charlotte was surprised that the queen knew her story, but when she glanced at Joseph, he had a faint, shame-faced air about him. She smiled to indicate that she forgave his indiscretion, then confessed, "No. I have no way of knowing how to start the search."

"I suspect if we began the search the year you were born, and discovered which young girls left Genovia in the nine months preceding that date, we would have a good idea," Joseph said calmly, "However, that would be something you would need to do carefully, and with a great deal of aforethought. No, what I meant was that Charlotte here is making her mark on the hearts of the male population in the palace right now. I was not speaking of the past at all."

Charlotte flushed when she encountered the queen's surprised look. "Joseph likes to joke around. I think he's very wrong about me. Excuse me, your Majesty," she said hastily, and made good her escape from the office, slipping past the guards who were engrossed in a game.

Early the next morning, Charlotte made her way back to the office, and, seeing that the guards were looking the other way, she went in quietly -- to find Joseph moving quickly away from the queen who was looking a little flustered. Charlotte, wanting to break the tension in the room, said, "I think you had better transfer those two out there."

"Why?" asked Joseph.

Charlotte smiled. "They're not doing their job. They're more interested in their cards. I don't think they saw me leave last night OR return just now! I hope they notice when the queen arrives and leaves, since she is the important one to watch."

"You are important too, Charlotte." Joseph said, and Charlotte felt a pang as she thought of what it would be like to have someone say that to her, and mean it personally, lovingly.

Queen Clarisse passed her the diplomatic envelope, asking for it to be sent off immediately and Charlotte asked if either wanted anything from the kitchen as she was heading that way for breakfast.

"No, thanks," Joseph said, absently.

"Nothing for me, thank you. I must get back to my suite. Olivia and Priscilla will be frantic, not to mention Maurice. I usually take him for a walk early in the morning." Queen Clarisse said.

The guards sprang to attention when Joseph opened the door, and he quirked an eyebrow at Charlotte who merely grinned and rolled her eyes back at him. "I'll get this off right away," she said, waving up the slim envelope, "then have breakfast. I'll see you later."

It was the day after Princess Mia and her mother left Genovia that Charlotte realized the queen had NOT been seen leaving the office that one night. The guards hadn't even seen her entering, and had assumed that Charlotte had been alone until Joseph had shown up. As far as the guards were concerned, Joseph and Charlotte had spent the entire night in the office alone, with not much paperwork to show for it. The maids were all agog with the information when Charlotte arrived in the kitchen for her breakfast one morning a few days later. Carla teased her about being with Joseph despite the obvious age difference, while Priscilla giggled and said that she was with Charlotte -- Joseph was HOT! His age didn't matter in the slightest!

Rather startled, Charlotte began, "But that was the night he was with ..." then she stopped abruptly. With the comments being made, the last thing she should do was to say that it had been the queen who had been alone with Joseph!

Carla nodded knowingly. "I know, you don't want it to be known that you and he are an item. I won't say a thing. You have my word."

Priscilla nodded. "Mine, too," but her grin was mischievous. "More power to you if you CAN bring Joseph up to snuff and slip a leash over him! It isn't fair that the best fish in the sea get away! You go, girl, and I hope you hook him!" she urged as she left the kitchen.

Somehow, Charlotte was not surprised when she heard the ensuing rumours circulating that she and Joseph were having an affair. She said nothing to either deny or confirm it when asked, merely saying, "No comment." The only thing she hoped was that neither the queen nor Joseph would hear about the ridiculous accusation. She wondered vaguely if she might lose her job over it, then dismissed the thought. Nonsense!

That afternoon, Charlotte realized that surmising that Joseph wouldn't hear something that affected him so directly was a silly assumption. He confronted her in the hallway when no one else was around. His scowl was ferocious, but thankfully it was not directed at her.

"Really, Joseph, it's all right with ME if people think that about us," she said, her face lightly flushed when he demanded if she had heard the gossip and why she hadn't denied it. "Actually, I, well, there's a bit of ... safety, I guess you could say. Other men aren't bothering me as much. I ... I don't mind. But of course I understand if YOU ..."

"Silly child! You could do far better than ME if looking for a protector! I DO hope you don't fancy yourself in love with me or anything as foolish as that!" The fury in his eyes had died, and his intent gaze was suddenly kind as he held her hands tightly.

Surprising both him and herself, Charlotte stretched up and kissed his cheek. "Dear Joe, I really like you. But you're safe from me, too. I'm NOT in love with you, or anyone else."

As she turned away from him, she caught sight of one of the maids from the kitchen that morning as she whisked out of sight, and Charlotte sighed. Really, scandals and rumours were so easy to start, and so often very, very wrong! A sudden thought made Charlotte look back at Joseph, her eyes wide. "The queen hasn't heard these rumours, has she?"

"I am unable to answer that right now," he said gravely. "However, she does not listen to idle talk willingly."

"Oh dear. You think she HAS heard. Are you going to be able to talk with her? I won't see her until late this afternoon."

"I regret to say that she is presently occupied with the envoy from Denmark, and then Sebastian Motaz has requested an audience. I will not likely be in the position to speak privately with her today."

Charlotte sighed. She could hope the queen wouldn't hear, but she was afraid it was a vain hope. Sure enough, that afternoon as they were working in the office and the queen was signing the innumerable papers Charlotte had received from the newest diplomatic pouch, Charlotte realized Queen Clarisse was uncharacteristically silent and rather abrupt. Charlotte hesitated, then daringly asked if the queen was behaving differently because of what she had heard. Queen Clarisse tried to dissemble, but Charlotte, not wanting to make the queen admit anything aloud, quickly explained that Joseph had merely been helping her sort out some things. "I'm really NOT in love with him, nor he with me. It's all crazy! There's nothing between us like that!"

Queen Clarisse's smile was rather crooked. "You know, I have heard that Americans can be called crazy at times. Obviously Genovians are the same."

Wanting desperately to clear the air, to make sure the queen realized how impossible the rumours were, Charlotte spoke even more daringly, "Besides, the night that they were saying I spent with Joseph? He actually has the best alibi of all. You, your Majesty."

"What? Oh, no, Charlotte, I ... oh. Oh, I see. THAT was the night in question? But you were here, weren't you, Charlotte? You were with us."

"Yes, I was. The guards saw me coming the first time in the evening and going the second time, the next morning."

"The second time? I'm afraid I don't understand." Queen Clarisse looked bewildered. "Why are people saying you and he are an item, and that you were ... well, TOGETHER that night? Why does everyone ...? Just because they didn't see you leave that evening, and assumed you had stayed?" Suddenly she understood. "They didn't see ME come in that evening, did they? And if I remember correctly, they were rather occupied with something when I left. So they assumed that you and Joseph ... Oh, Charlotte, you took the blame on purpose, didn't you? You allowed everyone to think that you and Joseph are having an affair ... to cover for me! Why?"

"Well, my reputation doesn't matter, does it?"

"Oh, Charlotte!"

"It certainly doesn't matter as much as yours does, your Majesty."

For a moment there was silence, then the queen said carefully, "Are you saying that you think my reputation would be compromised had people known I was in the office that night? Charlotte, I DO work there often at night, as you well know, and Joseph IS my Head of Security. There are times we have business to discuss."

"I'm not saying anything, your Majesty," Charlotte said quickly, blushing furiously. "I was just explaining myself."

"Hmmm." The queen's murmur of agreement was speculative, then she shook herself. "Well, no matter. There is much to be done, and we simply cannot waste any more time on such nonsense!"

To Be Continued ...