Chapter 2

Declaring the emergency Parliament meeting adjourned, Prime Minister Motaz banged his gavel loudly before him. Even before the second crack of the gavel on the wood, Queen Clarisse Renaldi had made her way to the closest exit, quickly escaping the beady eyes that had managed to stare a black hole through her soul for the past hour. "How dare they..," she whispered under her own breath to herself. Making a fast pace for her office, Clarisse could think of nothing but needing her Joseph now. He would ease her mind from their horrid looks and cold stares.

They were that same certain band of animals that were never pleased with anything, any thing she or anyone else had ever done. If not for the few words the Princess had spoke, Clarisse knew for sure it would have gotten worse. Yes, Mia could handle them, and was going to make a great Queen, she knew.

She had left her granddaughter behind to make an excuse for her. Clarisse knew she would have to apologize to her later for that. There would be so many foreign dignitaries to greet right now, over thirty in the past hour alone. There was something the Queen had to do first, and she made it first priority to find him. Anyone else could wait.

"Olivia!" Clarisse called to her befriended and trusted maid, catching her before she disappeared through another door.

"Yes Your Majesty?" Olivia answered, stepping back into the hallway, curtsying.

"Olivia, have you any idea where I might find Joseph right now?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but so much is going on right now, with so many here...I've seen him several times, talking with the guards. I can't really say exactly where he might be...the grounds are extensive." Olivia tried to explain, knowing from her tone that her Queen really needed him at the moment. "I can try and track him down for you?" It wasn't much, and a long shot right now, but it was something.

"Oh, I understand Olivia. I do apologize, I'm under a lot of strain right now."

"I understand." Olivia watched her Queen turn to leave. "OH, Your Majesty!" Clarisse stopped her turn on her heels.

"Yes?"
"Charlotte could find him much faster...," she reminded her, knowing Charlotte had full access to the security radio frequency.

Clarisse nodded, wondering to herself why she didn't think of Charlotte in the first place. Charlotte could always find him quickly. Stepping quickly toward the ballroom, where the festivities were still going in full swing, Clarisse began her search for either of them.

"So far we've received only two bomb threats," Shades stated proudly, knowing it must be a record for the UN. He handed them to Joseph, who took the wrinkled pages to look over. "I've already heightened national security." Joseph nodded, still engrossed in the papers. ""I thought it best to cut the festivities short this evening, Joe." Shades watched as his friend and colleague expressed his grief silently before him.

Joseph fiddled with the band now around his finger as his mind wandered to his new bride; where she might be, who was with her, what was being said, or what was going through her mind. Joseph wanted it to be him.

"You don't have to do this, Joe," Shades startled him.

"I know. I know I do not, but at the same time, I know I do. Besides, Clarisse will be more than busy herself. There's no use in being of no help to you." Joseph stated the obvious, but was thinking more on the lines of keeping her safe. He still bathed himself in the belief that no one could keep her as safe as he.

"Okay, it's settled then."

"I need to change...a tux is not befitting to the security, even here." Joseph looked at his watch, noting the hours of daylight still left. "Give me a few minutes to change and I'll go ahead and cover the grounds once?"

"Sure thing. I'm going to check on the stiffs at the party, see how early I can cut it off. That's not going to be easy with the amount of champagne flowing I saw earlier." Joseph laughed at the look his friend gave him, and headed out the door to his room; his old room that still held his belongings.

"Charlotte, I need to find Joseph." Clarisse had finally managed to cross the room full of guests to her aide. She tried to distract herself from the room full of stares while Charlotte concentrated on finding her husband. It was odd, the whispers, mumblings, and looks that some gave her. Surly someone had to be happy for them, and yet she knew there were many who were. It was just hard to look past those few who were not. She accepted a glass of the bubbly that was floating around on silver trays, and sipped at it. She tapped her foot, impatiently waiting, while smiling to greet a few of the guests.

"Your Majesty, he went to his room to change, but that was more than ten minutes ago."

Clarisse handed her the empty glass, and headed toward the main stairs. It was the quickest route, and she could only hope that she would not be stopped.

Tucking his shirt in, Joseph snatched up his jacket, eager to try and catch at least a glimpse of Clarisse before the hour long tour of the palace grounds ahead of him. He pulled on the jacket while making his way out the door.

Sighing in exasperation at the fight she had literally had to get past Lord Palimore and up the stairs, Clarisse almost broke out into a run toward his door. As she rounded her suite, and into the next corridor, she missed the man in black who turned the corner at the opposite end of the hall.

Clarisse walked in, shutting the door behind her, but somehow already knowing he had left. The room was so empty and quiet, and there, on his bed, lay his tuxedo. She walked over to it, running her hands down the white shirt Joseph had wore only today, on their wedding day. She picked it up, bringing it to her face to inhale him. As the scent hit her, Clarisse could feel the sting in her eyes as they became cloudy.

Deciding to check her suite, Joseph doubled back by his room. He walked softly, but swiftly, eager to check if she, too, needed a change in clothing. Joseph's thoughts ran deep, as deep as his love for her. Rounding the corner to her doors, he nodded to the guards, and went in.

Patting her eyes and shaking off the strong urge to cry, Clarisse shut the door to his room behind her. She glanced in the mirror hanging on the wall across from her, stopping to make sure she was once more presentable. It had been her wedding dress, the one staring at her in the mirror now. Looking at it made her want to cry, made her ache for Joseph. She needed a change, and now was the best time, knowing the next several hours were going to be hectic.

Finding no sign of his wife in her suite, Joseph made a mental note to look for Charlotte on his way out. He had to connect with Clarisse, if only a passing glance now. The urge to see her was more than any force he had ever felt in his life. Joseph walked out with a heavy heart, and headed back downstairs.

Her feet hurt, so she stopped momentarily to slip off her shoes before rounding the corner to her suite, not knowing the man in black had just left from there. Clarisse knew they were waiting on her, and Mia would be upset at her disappearance, but she had to take a few minutes for herself. What she really needed was her husband. She looked down again to her dress, and knew if she did not change it now, it would be the cause of a mental breakdown in an hour or so. Her wedding dress. It had been her wedding dress. She slipped it off, laying it out carefully for the maids to put up later.

Kinda like musical chairs, huh?