Watching him from atop the stairs, Clarisse felt a surge of anger course through her veins. Anger at him for coming now, anger at the timing, anger at herself for feeling so guilty. Rupert was not someone she could depend on. She had literally begged him to spend this time with his family. He chose something different, and now, after learning his plans had been ruined, now he decides to join them. Her and the boys were only for show to the world, and for the lineage of the Genovian crown. With Joseph just down the hall, she secretly wished Rupert dead. She had never known just how badly Rupert had shamed her until now. Joseph had made her see what love and respect should be. Yet, she shamed herself with the thought of the affair she was having. But was it an affair? True, she had been married in the eyes of the church and the whole country. In her eyes, it was merely an agreement, printed and signed by both parties. There was nothing holy to it, not between herself and Rupert.

"Rupert," she called from above, "may I speak to you alone, please."

"Speak away..." he replied, not even looking up to her.

"I mean in private."

"There's no one in here..." he motioned around the room.

"Rupert, get your sorry ass up and meet me upstairs, now!" She turned, red-faced and fuming, heading to her suite.

"What the hell..." he growled, pulling himself up from a rather warm and comfortable position. "Women are nothing but trouble," he mumbled to himself, stomping up the staircase.

Pouring herself a small brandy, Clarisse reminded herself not to yell. The boys were just down the hall, and this was something she wanted to keep from Joseph. He would worry about her tonight if he heard arguing, and she wanted to prevent that. Joseph, she was worrying about Joseph. It made her smile.

"It can't be all that bad, you're smiling," he said, shutting the door behind him. "Then again, you're drinking. Damn Clarisse, what is it?" He fell back on the sofa in front of the fire.

"Rupert, I ask that you hear me out before you say anything." Clarisse sat next to him, offering him a drink as well.

"Fair enough. I'll keep my trap shut, for now."

"I wanted you to come with us before we left. I really did, not for me, but for the boys. Regardless of how we feel about each other, they are your children. They deserve to know their father, and more than just five or ten minutes a week. I know you are busy, but Rupert, times like now, you could have come, just for them." Clarisse took a drink, summoning up strength. "I don't want you here. You are right, our marriage is nothing other than a political treaty of some kind. Both of us deserve better, I mean it wasn't right to marry like this, because we were forced to do so. Rupert I love you, I love you in the way that I would a brother or a close friend, but no more. I know it's the same for you. I just had never realized before how much it is affecting both of us. I'm not the same person when I'm away from you. I like that person, Rupert."

"Divorce is scandalous, Clarisse..." Rupert began.

"I'm not finished, and I don't mean divorce. I know we can't do that, besides, I promised you that I would be the best Queen I could be, and that includes being your wife. Am I not?" She looked to him to answer.

"Yes, of course. I've never said any differently."

"Good. I will continue to be, but Rupert, you have to pick up your end with the boys. Starting now." Clarisse looked to him, trying to read his expression.

"They are good boys. I suppose you are right. I just have one question, Clarisse." Rupert looked her in the eyes. "Who is he?"

Feeling her heart begin a race throughout her veins, she swallowed hard, trying to remember if it had been in something she said.

"I know what you are getting at, Clarisse. You want us to be married in the eyes of our country, but live separate lives, much like we do now, only the difference is you want me out of your bed completely." He leaned over to her, getting in her face. "You have a replacement. Who is he, Clarisse?"

"Rupert, I..."

"It may be better if you don't tell me. Clarisse, it's different when a King has an affair, it's expected of me, really. You however, are Queen. Personally I don't care if you sleep with one of the gardeners, but don't you dare," he was stressing his point now, "don't you dare let it go public."

"It's no different Rupert." She glared at him, her anger surfacing again.

"Yes it is, very much so. You will not disgrace me..."

"Disgrace you? What do you think you do to me?" It had started. She needed to cool off, taking a rather large drink this time.

"You heard me, Clarisse." He stood up, began walking toward the door. "I'll leave in the morning, and as you suggested, I'll take the boys with me, spend the time with them. If that's okay with you." He looked to her. "You can spend the winter here, as long as you like, doing it with whom-ever you like," he motioned across the room. "Get it out your system. I want you back as my wife and Queen when you return. I'll leave first thing in the morning, if you agree about the boys, have them ready. Otherwise, this is not debatable." Rupert's words were strong and demanding, and Clarisse knew he meant them. She knew when to drop matters. "Understand?" he asked, as he stood at the door.

"Yes, yes." She hung her head, not sure if she had done the right thing or not. "I'll have the boys ready after breakfast."

"Good. And Clarisse, I believe I already know who. I'll leave him with you, and take the rest." He shut the door loudly, putting an end to more than just their conversation.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Clarisse Renaldi stood just outside the door, waving to the two small hands jutting from a window of one of the limos. True to his word, Rupert had taken the boys, and the rest of the staff back with him. He had left Clarisse with one security guard and a whole lot of thinking. She had spent the majority of last night doing just that. When the line of cars disappeared around the mountain bend, she went back in.

"How did he know?" Clarisse whispered to herself in thought, still pondering the question she had spent most of the night on. She stood in front of the fire, watching the flames.

"The paintings..." he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You heard?" She turned to look at him, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Yes. I'm sorry, but I had to know what was going on behind that door yesterday," trying to offer some sort of explanation.

Nodding her head, she turned away from him, giving up on the fire and retiring to the large sofa. "How long, Joseph?"

"I say he suspected I had a thing for you, I don't know for sure. Ever since I've been at the palace..." He came to sit beside her, offering her some comfort.

"That long?"

"Yes. Besides, being here, well, I am the only logical choice, Clarisse." It dawned on her, yes Joseph was. He was the only male here, besides the two boys. She had spent the night wondering what it was she had let slip from her own mouth, but in reality it had been nothing she had said. It had been the combination of a few things he saw, and pieced together during her speech yesterday.

Clarisse turned to him, looking in the depths of his dark eyes. "Joseph, I cannot just stop this. I mean we can sleep together, or not, but I cannot stop...I love you."

"I know, I love you too. It's much more complicated than just an affair. We have found what most people look for all their lives, and yet there is something stopping us..."

"No, it will not stop us. I don't want it to stop us, Joseph." She leaned into him, pressing her lips to his, and the kiss became heated, it also became the seal of a great promise.

Kissing her was a great pleasure. It ranked above the greatest pleasures in the world that he could think of. Her arms wrapped around him, held onto him for life. Temptation overcame Joseph, and he pulled back from her.

"Joseph..."

"There was something I wanted to do...we can do now." Joseph took her hand, pulling her up and into his arms. He placed another kiss on her soft, warm and wet lips as he headed out the door.

"Joseph! You are NOT throwing me into the snow again! Joseph, please!" Clarisse yelled in his ear as she tried to squirm out of his arms.

"SHUT up!" With those words he placed his mouth to hers again, silencing the steady rummage of noise. Shifting her a little, he headed back to the snow drift, piled even higher now with the white stuff. Joseph sat her down on the blanket of ice, still holding his mouth to hers. He fell backward, pulling her on top of him as he landed. As their lips broke apart, she squealed something delightful. His mouth assaulted her this time, yearning for the passion that would heat his body from the freezing bed he lay on.

Slowly building to great proportions, the friction between the two had melted a hole in the ice. Clarisse had succumbed to his fantasy, making it one of her own as well. There in the snowdrift, they made love to each other. While the flakes layered them in frosting, they tasted each others, sucking the fluid to support their eternal thirst for each other.

The sound of clapping echoed off the rock and through the valley below them. Startled, Joseph and Clarisse spun their heads about, seeing that it came from one man. Joseph quickly made the arrangements to hide themselves from his view, but it was too late. He had been watching.

"So I was correct. I hope you don't mind, but I just had to see for myself. I have to admit, I didn't expect any action until tonight." Rupert stood before them, a smug grin on his face as he spoke. "My, my Clarisse, I didn't know you had it in you. If I had known sooner, I would have been rougher with you all along." He noticed Joseph's maddening expression. They started to get up. "No, no don't stop on my account. I'll be leaving now, really leaving. I sent the rest ahead of me to the hotel in town." He turned to leave, but stopped in his tracks. Looking back, he spoke, "Nothing to say, my dear? Funny thing, when it was I who was playing the field, you had plenty to say. And now, now you can't find one word?" Rupert's smug grin became one of laughter. He was enjoying himself.

"Your Majesty..." Joseph began, knowing something had to be said, but wasn't sure of what would come to him.

"No need, Joseph. I understand totally, and will not hold it against you. You are a good man, an even better one to put up with my wife's advances. Have fun with her for while. Although I warn you, when she comes back from this trip, she belongs to me again." He left, stomping through the ice, heading back to the limo waiting several hundred feet down the icy mountain road, to the gate.

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