Chapter 4

It was her wedding night, and Queen Clarisse Renaldi found herself playing referee in the over-sized conference room in the west wing of the palace. The anger heating in the room kept her mind on her job, when all she wanted to do was think of her husband. Maybe her Joseph was sleeping soundly in their bed tonight. In fact, she knew better. Most likely he was on the other side of the double doors across the room to her right, watching out for her safety. As much as she wanted to leave, the Queen's presence was required now. The security and prosperity of Genovia and its neighboring countries depended on her.

Quite impressed with her granddaughter, Clarisse had bid the Princess goodnight a few hours ago, stating that she would be needed the following day. Neither had no way of knowing how long these negotiations would go on, and one of them needed to be present at all times.

So far the conference table had been used as a conference table, a dining table, a boxing ring, a map, and a card table for the quite bored French ambassador. Negotiations were slow, partly due to the fact that no country wanted to deal with terrorists of any type, however they were finding it difficult to not get involved when they thought about the long term effects on their country. Terrorists were not new to Clarisse, but they were not a scheduled and regular part of her duty either. Rupert had dealt more with those kinds of people, and he had been respected among them. She only hoped she was doing as well.

She had watched the sun set the night before, and now was watching as sunlight made its way through the large windows. Fresh coffee and breakfast had been brought in, rejuevinating even the French ambassador. Soon they would have to take a break, and Clarisse's heart jumped at the thought. Sipping her tea, Clarisse let her mind wander to Joseph for a few minutes. Soon. She would see him soon.

The antique grandfather chimed noon as Joseph slowly made his way to his room. His body was tired, and he was quite sore from standing in one place for so long. As he made his way down the corridor, Joseph came to her doors, and couldn't help but wander in. He glanced around the room, knowing she wasn't there, but needing to be near something of hers, anything. He let his fingers trail along the furnishings as he waltzed about the room, the same room he should have made love to her in last night.

Walking through the open door, Joseph smiled when he saw her bed. He shut the door behind him, and slipped off his shoes. She was his wife, and this was now their bed. He curled up on her side of it, letting himself imagine how she would feel next to him, and what she would say. He had never felt more in love in his life, and it hurt. The pain in his heart soon faded as sleep came upon his tired body.

Exhaustion had settled most of the disputes, and having finally convinced everyone, Queen Clarisse Renaldi declared this meeting over, and the next scheduled for early tomorrow morning when the arguments would resume and the arguers would be fresh to threaten each other. Hastily making her way to the opened doubled doors, Clarisse was quite disappointed when she found her husband not there. Maybe she had been mistaken, maybe he had not been there at all. Maybe it was just wishful thinking on her part, that he would have wanted to be near her. Maybe all this had just been too much. She sighed, making her way to her office.

Her body was betraying her. In the past she had been known to go days without sleep. It had only been one night, and her body felt like it had been three. Her heavy heart made it even worse. Clarisse stumbled in, finding Charlotte reading through a mass of papers.

"Your Majesty," Charlotte stood, but soon lowered as Clarisse motioned for her to sit at ease. "You must be tired..."

"I'm more than tired, Charlotte. I am surly not as young as I use to be. Hopefully this whole mess will be settled sometime tomorrow, we are meeting early. Is there anything I need to do?" Clarisse looked to her aide, hopeful her list was short.

"Nothing I cannot or have not already rescheduled."
"Charlotte, you're a dear. Before I forget, would you inform Mia that the rest of the day is free, except for playing hostess. I need to get some sleep..." Clarisse stood, placing her glasses on her desk and rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"Can I get you anything?"

"No, no thank you Charlotte. Just make sure everyone else is taken care of." Clarisse headed for her door. "Oh Charlotte, you wouldn't happen to know where Joseph is?"

"I do indeed. Joseph was up all night as well. He should be sleeping soundly by now." Charlotte knew it was what her Queen needed to hear, and she was eager to be alone with him for a while.

Clarisse was suddenly rejuvenated at the thought of him. She marched up the stairs, and down the corridor, by passing her own suite while heading for his. He would be there, sleeping. She could picture his form now, ready to reach out and touch it.

Turning the knob slowly, she pushed open the door and walked in. The knob clicked shut behind her, and Clarisse noted the stillness of the room. It was empty. Not even his breathing broke the silence. His bed was neat, and untouched. He had not been here, not to sleep. His tux still lay across it, just as she had found it before.

She couldn't help the tears that trickled down her cheeks. She sat on his bed, wandering where he was, and what was on his mind. Clearly he couldn't sleep, and had opted for something that took him away. Was it the circumstances that had gotten to him? Was he angry, upset, or maybe even confused? It crossed her mind yet again that maybe Joseph had even regretted their marriage. After all, he had several times, and she had declined, broken his heart really. It was sudden, the words from her lips and the service that followed them that had joined the two.

Clarisse felt the heaviness of her body, sitting on his bed, trying to make light of the last two days. She had expected him to be full of joy, an overwhelming joy as she had been. Now she questioned it. It wasn't like Joseph to not be there for her, to not be beside her, to not support her. She had left him standing in the middle of the ballroom floor...

Her eyes became weak as Clarisse sank on his bed, in his bed, in his room, just down the hall from him. Here she slept, as Joseph slept soundly just down the hall from her, in her bed,in their bed.