Chapter 3

Coming to a rather large puddle from the rain the previous day, Clarisse stopped before it. She looked at her heels, no longer sparkling white, but rather two-toned white and mud. Wading across a puddle wasn't exactly Queen-like, and she couldn't remember a time when she had even wanted to. Sometime in her youth maybe, but the desire had escaped her long ago.

Joseph just smiled at the expression on her face. There was only one option, and if there had been more, he still would have chosen this one. Before Clarisse knew what was happening, Joseph had swept her up in his arms, cradling her like a newborn baby.

"Joseph, really! Put me down!" She squirmed in his arms, not thinking of the demands she lay down before him.

"Your Majesty, I think you should reconsider that. You do want to get across that puddle, without getting wet and muddy?" Joseph had a point, a good point. To be honest, she rather liked being in his arms. She could feel their strength around her.

"What will these people say?"

"Well, they might think you have a chivalrous head of security. Does that bother you?" Joseph sat her down on the opposite side, avoiding the glares and stares from the public that had come out of hiding at the rumors.

"No, not in the least. Ah, thank you, Joseph. I just had not been picked up in rather a long time," she confessed. Clarisse straightened her skirt and jacket before pressing on to meet with her people up ahead.

"Pity, you need picking up sometimes," Joseph whispered, barely audible to even Clarisse. He had just made her fall in love with him once again.

She swallowed back the desire for him, for now, and concentrated on what she needed to do. It wasn't easy with him being so close and smelling so damn delicious. However the public awaited her, and there would be infinite time this evening for delicacies.

The gravel scraped against her heels as she headed directly for the tire fortress they passed earlier. Children scurrying about them made her laugh, and she stopped to watch for a few minutes. She met several inspiring young gentlemen, which graciously shook her hand before disappearing again inside the mound of rubber.

"Your Majesty." Two men now stood at her side, she recognized them as well.

"Good day gentlemen," Clarisse gave them the brightest smile and motioned for them to rise before her. "Tell me, these old tires..." she pointed across the expanse of the back of the garage, "what are they used for?"

"Well, ma'am, nuttin but hold'n down tha pa'ment. Tha young'ns here get a mess'n in 'em like now, s'bout all they's good fer.

Queen Clarisse Renaldi stood before her subjects, totally clueless to what had just been said. She recognized a few words, but had the rest been another language? Trying to maintain a relaxed expression, she turned to Joseph, who was trying his best not to laugh out loud.

"If you have no use for them, I believe our Queen has an idea of what should be done with them?" Joseph took over, covering for her the best he could while relaying the meaning for her. With a sigh of relief, Clarisse regained her composure.

"Since the children love to play on them, they should be cleaned up and properly made into a playground of some sort. I take it they belong to you? I would be willing to buy them outright from you for the children."

"Yes'm they do. No need for a buy'n, we'd be a'more tha happy ta get rid 'em. Costs us mo'ny to a'have 'em hauled 'way."

"Excuse us for a moment gentlemen, I'd like to discuss this with my security."

Clarisse pulled Joseph over to the side, showing him her lost look. He snickered, covering his mouth with his hand, trying to hide it from public view.

"What was that about? Please Joseph, now is not the time for laughs." It was funny, she even had a sense of humor.

"They would be more than willing to give them to you if they would be used for the children. It costs them to have the old tires removed, so you would be saving them some money."

"Mmm, indeed."

Walking back over to the two men, Clarisse put together a proposal, greatly benefiting the neighborhood. "I would like to have those used for a playground for the children. I understand it will save you from having to have them removed, but, I also feel the need to pay you something for them. After all, they do belong to your establishment here. Would you be willing to negotiate an offer with me?"

"Whya yes ma'am we would." The two men nodded, clearly excited about profiting from the deal even more.

"Good. Then it's settled. I'll have someone contact you tomorrow on the details. Good day gentlemen." Clarisse bid them goodbye, and accepted Joseph's arm, once more taking to the back roads of Genovia.

"Howard and Millie did not talk like that!" She needed a release, an excuse of some sort.

"No, they did not. They are originally from here, Pyrus. Whereas the other gentlemen are from deeper in the mountains, I believe, Clarisse. There are quite a few with accents such as theirs." Joseph tried to explain. As he did, Clarisse tried to figure out just when Joseph knew more about these people, her people, than she did.

He smelled so good, and his voice was so soft. Maybe it just sounded like that to her. She felt his shoulder rubbing against hers, sending shivers of excitement deep in her body. She was proud to be on his arm. If only all of Genovia would see him in the same light as she. These people would, and they did. She could tell they were at ease with Joseph, and they admired him. It was her class of people who disgraced Clarisse. It was they who could find nothing good in these people. Clarisse could see it, she could see it and feel it. Walking next to Joseph gave her the insight she had needed for some time now.

"I know those folks, the ones who live over there. Charlie and Robin. They run that little upholstery shop downtown. They redid the two chairs in the downstairs library not too long ago." Joseph pointed to the little white house with a mass of children's toys in the front yard. No one seemed to be home, only a spotted white dog standing on the front porch.

"I remember. You know some of these people?"

"No, only Charlie and Robin. Charlie and I met at the diner next door to their shop years ago. He's a good man, and his wife is a hard worker. They have three children, all under the age of ...5 I believe. I'd like to know more of them, but I spend most of my time with you or downtown, sometimes even the docks. You know that." Joseph looked to her, watching the wind blow softly through her hair.

"Why the docks?" She held his hand while stepping over a large crack in the highway. "That needs to be repaired."

"Most of your requested items are shipped. Then there is the customs office that you insist I look over."

"Right. I had forgotten. I had really forgotten just how much you do." Clarisse waved at several more folks who had come out to see their Queen.

Joseph stood a small distance behind her and scanned the area as she was caught up in conversation with several women. "This could take hours," Joseph whispered under his own breath. Still, he admired her for this, for making an attempt to actually go to her people. They loved her, and now she had just put herself on an even higher pedestal.

As their words carried along with laughter in the wind, Joseph realized that even more people were beginning to come, the news traveling by far faster than any concord jet. He realized the paparazzi would soon show, along with that damn Kentworthy woman. Yes, they were sure to rain on her parade. It was a shame, for Clarisse was meant to be here today, she was meant to talk with these folks. She was meant to be part of them, to know them, to be able to understand their wants and needs like no other ever could.

"Excuse me, Your Majesty, but we must press on. With the amount of people drawing to the area, I'm beginning to worry about your safety." Joseph tried to persuade her without sounding too harsh.

"I understand, Joseph. If you'll excuse me, ladies, I must be going." Clarisse continued to apologize for leaving so abruptly long after she was out of earshot. She enjoyed the conversation, the freedom of it all.

Joseph had called for the limo, and Clarisse eyed it as it approached. Somehow she felt new, inspired to do just more than the things she had done in the past. These people counted on her for their livelihood. Howard and Millie, Charlie and Robin, and the swarms of children she could still hear playing in the neighborhood, had all given her inspiration. Maybe a new tradition was in order, a more personal and deeper insight into her people. People like Millie.

A/N- I think I killed my spell checker w/this chapter. All misspellings are deliberate. Laura