Chapter 5

The grumbling that awoke him told him it had to be well past dinner time, and from the darkness that hovered around the balcony doors, Joseph was right. Hungry or not, as he crawled from the bed, Joseph decided to crash whatever meeting she was in and sweep her in his arms and out the door. It was a mission now, just as his life mission had been to keep her safe.

Duty or not, even the Queen of Genovia needed rest. Joseph was more angry now than anything. He shifted his feet as he shoved his shirttail inside, glancing in her full length mirror only to see his anger reflected. If indeed she was still in meetings, he may need the extra strength his anger brought on to carry her out.

Hearing the doors open, Joseph became slightly hopeful that it was his wife. Seeing Charlotte enter, his hopes fell again, further into the hole in his heart.

"I'm sorry Joseph, I just came to wake Her Majesty, I figured she would be hungry."

"What? Charlotte, Clarisse isn't here. I thought she was still in the conference." Joseph's mind became alerted at once, sending impulse signals through his body that managed to scare the wits out of him. She was missing.

"They called a recess earlier in the afternoon, until tomorrow morning. She stopped by her office on her way up here to get some sleep." Charlotte's eyes showed her worry, and immediately looked to Joseph for help. Joseph took several steps closer, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Charlotte, you're sure she was coming here, no place else."

"Positive. Joseph, she was exhausted."

"You notify Shades, and no one else yet, Charlotte. I'm going to look around, check her little hideaways. Maybe she couldn't sleep after all." Joseph headed out the doors, followed by Charlotte who was already relaying the message to Shades.

The only wish he had ever had in his life was for her. Now they were wed, but had never been so far apart in their lives. He couldn't lose her, not now, not when they had just found one another. Joseph half ran the corridors, not certain exactly where to look. She could be anywhere...it was a palace, for heavens sake...and a grand one at that.

Clarisse knew it like only one other, like him. They both knew the corridors, the short cuts, the adjoining rooms, and the secrets that were but a wall away. It was quite hard to place the security cameras, as they could never cover the entire palace or grounds. Joseph was never more sorry over that than now. He had literally pushed Lionel aside as he entered the main control room, and began surfing over the entire palace.

Quickly becoming impatient as the monitors changed from one view to the next, Joseph grabbed Lionel by his collar, pulling him in his face. "You sit and watch. You cover the entire palace and the grounds. You find the Queen. At the first sight of her, you let Shades or I know. Comprende?" When Lionel began to nod quickly, Joseph dropped the boy, leaving him rather terrified.

Clipping on the earpiece he snagged from the control room, Joseph listened as Shades instructed the men to keep their eyes and ears open, bringing them to full alert without the explanation of her disappearance. Joseph nodded to himself, satisfied that Shades had what it took to be their leader. He could now concentrate on what was most important.

Surly she wouldn't have gone out, not alone in the dark. He knew her, and he knew that she was not fond at all of the dark, not alone. He had always walked with her, hand in hand, gazing at the star studded sky and the foreign moon. It was a sight that made her breathless, and Joseph had always admired the diamond reflections in her eyes, that matched the real stones she wore. As his eyes swept the courtyard, his evil conscience took over, and suddenly Joseph found himself visualizing her with someone else.

He had not stayed to hear Charlotte count off the number of representatives that had arrived. He only knew that the majority were men, well acquainted with his Queen, and quite handsome in any woman's eyes. Knowing the media, Joseph immediately realized that their wedding would have made the headlines around the world, and would be a popular topic even among the rigid UN circles. Yes, they would know of her marriage, only Clarisse could declare it a mistake.

Now the ideas running through his head only caused confusion. Why was it so easy to question their love? It had been present for so long, and it ran so deep within the two. Yet, as he searched for her, the empty gardens reminded him now of his heart, and how empty she had left it on their wedding day. She had just left him, left him standing alone in the middle of the ballroom.

He understood. She was still Queen, and in a way would always be. She would always be needed, always be the center of someones life besides his own. Was he so selfish to want her all for himself? Pondering the question of his selfishness, Joseph ran the vast stone walkway around the palace, and entered through the main doors.

The cigar smoke made him choke as he past the foreign dignitaries, nodding politely to acknowledge their greetings. From the way the liquor was being passed, Joseph figured there was no one there who could give a reasonable reply to their name, much less any other question. He slipped down the east corridor, the main suite of offices ahead, double checking the locks as he passed.

Joseph stopped at hers, dug out his keys, opened the door, and found it empty. He swept through it, looking for any sign she had been there. It was all neat and tidy, surly the way Charlotte had left it for her. He locked up, and returned to the stale smoke and booze party, now overtaking three large rooms of the palace.

Noticing the woman so obviously flirting with him, Joseph realized that she would not be alone in this mass of male progesterone. There were other women, and it was likely she could be here someplace. It was most likely she was, the more he thought about it. Mia would be here. He listened for her laugh, and knew it may just be the key to finding his Clarisse.

Whispering in his microphone, Joseph questioned Charlotte, "Where is Princess Mia?"

"The Princess is in the main library. Have you found her Joseph?"

"She may be with Mia, I'm hoping." Joseph tried to sound convincing, but somehow knew that someone would have spotted her by now.

"Not unless she arrived in the last fifteen minutes. Joseph, it's time..." Charlotte hated to say the words, but it was time to call out the search orders.

"Wait...just a few more minutes Charlotte. Shades you with me?"

"I hear you. Go ahead."
"Let me check here, just to make sure, and I want to sweep back by her suite. Then, well then we'll announce her as missing." For the first time that night, the words really sank in. She was missing.

His heart beat fast, heating his bloodstream like a steam engine. His forehead broke out in a sweat, and his knees had never felt more weak than they did now. Somehow he managed to enter the library. There, beside the portrait of her father, Mia stood, mingling with the small crowd. He was afraid to ask, afraid of the answer, afraid of scaring her. Joseph was afraid.