After spending two days debating with herself, Queen Clarisse Renaldi stood before the full length mirror in her suite tidying herself once more before she confronted Parliament. It was barely after 7am, and already she had been up for hours. There was too much leaping and bounding going on in her head this morning. Clarisse could not discern which was excitement and which was nervousness.
"I can do this," she whispered to herself as she played with several strands of hair that refused to lay properly. "You can do this Clarisse. Those people need you. After all, you've sat in the same room with them for years now and argued with them, why is today any different?" Suddenly she knew why. "It is different. It's personal." She gave up on her hair and settled for adjusting the row of gold plated buttons lined down her front.
He had stopped after entering her suite, watching her watching herself. He tried to listen to her words, but they were too softly spoken. It didn't matter, he just wanted to look at her. Her voice was sweet to his ears, but he heard her more often than he could just watch her like this. It was her, Clarisse, in her natural state.
Catching a glimpse of black in her mirror proved her intuition. He was there. She smiled at herself, but for him. Joseph. "Good morning, Joseph"
"Good morning, Your Majesty," he replied as he walked up behind her.
"We're alone. Olivia is off today, and Priscilla has long since finished in here." She turned to him, still smiling but directed it at him this time.
"Did you sleep Clarisse?" She gave him a slight nod, and let herself go just this once. She needed him, his support today, and there was no better time than the present.
Taking a quick step, Clarisse wrapped her arms around him tightly and laid her head against his chest. She didn't know what to say, only that she needed to feel him close to her this morning.
Joseph was quite surprised. He held her there, close to him, and rubbed her back. She would speak if she needed to, he knew that. For now, she needed his love and support more than usual. Joseph loved knowing she needed him, and thrived on times like this, when she actually gave in to her need for him.
She felt like she could stay here forever, never having known a love such as this.
When finally she eased back away from him, her cheeks were quite blushed. It was almost as if she were shy. Joseph took it upon himself to break the silence. "Did you? Sleep"
"Yes...well more than last night, or the night before. I'll be fine." "Good. You look beautiful this morning," Joseph admitted, bringing the smile back upon her face. He could light up her face like a ray of sunshine.
"Thank you," she softly spoke, looking deep into those eyes that always caught her attention. 'Now' kept running through her mind. 'Now' could be the time. Time to tell him. 'Go ahead, tell him'. As the thought kept swirling through her mind, chills ran down her spine. Becoming cold, she turned from him. "Well, if there's nothing else, I have work to do." Joseph turned and quietly left. Left her there alone. "Coward," she called herself out loud.
Banging the gavel before him, Prime Minister Motaz settled the room. "Your Majesty," he nodded to her, "you have the floor." She stood before them, the solemn and cross faces that made up the Genovian body of Parliament. Taking a deep breath, Clarisse reminded herself of the people who needed her. The Millie's of Genovia.
Glancing around the large, formal room, Clarisse's eyes came to rest upon the small and almost hidden vent across the room from her. He was there, watching her. She just knew it. There had never been a time when Joseph had not supported her. He was always with her, whether she could physically see him or not. She had to tell him, and soon.
"It has come to my attention that the monthly meet and greet with the people is not enough. I know it is traditional, and I have no intention of replacing it, however I feel that the majority of Genovian citizens do not have access to voice their needs." Clarisse leaned against the desk before her, staring down the gloomy faces of the mindless jackasses who sat before her. "Sit down Lord Fricker, I'm not done." She continued, "I have every intention of changing a few things. To begin with, representatives from each and EVERY district will be added to Parliament. These representatives will be responsible for voicing concerns as well as needs of their community. I, myself, have witnessed the need for this. The representative will NOT be a member of Parliament. He OR she will be an ordinary citizen, elected to the position by and for their community." Stopping to take a breath, she saw Lord Palimore rise. "Sit down Lord Palimore," she stated forcefully. "I expect, no I require each and every one of you to agree to my demands. This is a demand. As the Queen of Genovia, I do have the authority to make certain demands." Clarisse was now standing erect with flames in her eyes. She scanned the faces before her, not surprised at the few who had steam whistling from their ears. She could surpass their hatred, for she had the love of not only a whole country, but her head of security as well. "As Queen, I will be making appearances with each representative as my schedule will allow. AND it will allow gentlemen. Scheduling time with the citizens of my country will come first from now on. I will not be present for such foolishness as approving tropical vacations for certain members of this body. Gentlemen, my people will come first." Taking a deep breath and glancing once again to the vent far across the room, Clarisse took her seat.
"Well done, Your Majesty," Prime Minister Motaz whispered to her from his seat beside her. "That will be all for now. I will be calling sessions to update you on the finalization of my plans." She leaned back against the cold leather, feeling quite proud, but nevertheless drained and a little scared. It would happen, but she had no idea at what cost several members of this Parliament would put upon it. Those elite few would always be against her.
"I call this meeting adjourned." The gavel banged, and echoed off the walls. Clarisse rose and made a hasty exit, needing a strong tea today.
She picked up the single mauve rose and brought it to her nose, inhaling its sweet scent. "Joseph." She looked around her formal office, grateful to find herself still alone. Smiling at the thought of him, she held the rose against her heart. Sitting, she noticed the paper that lay before her.
What passion seeped through the walls of your heart today. What else is in your heart?
A surge of pain ripped inside it now. He didn't hurt her with his words, no. It was she that hurt herself with the words she could not speak. How she wanted to tell him, how she needed to admit the love in her heart was all for him. It was just difficult. It was as if she had locked her feelings away with national secrets, never to be spoken of.
"Being Queen has its disadvantages," she spoke aloud to no one, yet looking at the portrait of her late husband hanging beside her. Thinking back, she realized that even then, as Rupert's wife, she had trouble relating any feelings to him. Even as a young girl...'Oh tush'. She could go on blaming her whole world, but sooner or later she would have to accept the fact that she had a problem. Facing it would come, and she would have to either give in to it, and risk losing the only man she ever really loved, or she would have to break through the cold walls of her own heart to tell him of her love.
Risking having to battle once more with several Parliament members, Clarisse looked over the last of the finalized documents and signed her signature at the bottom, in clear, bold handwriting. She dotted the i's quickly, leaving a heavy ink stain. She was proud of these documents, and intended on her signature being there for centuries to come.
The roads were being repaved, and the children's playground was under way. She had little opposition with those. It was the representative elections that were giving her a state of panic. Quite a few Parliament members had came forward, declaring the representatives should be someone of "stately value". Of course, it was the same few who Clarisse had expected to oppose her, so it was nothing surprising. However they were giving her a run on procedure and age old Genovian laws that were put into the books back when men ran around carrying a club and wearing animal skins. Snickering to herself, Clarisse decided some of those asses just might be that old.
"Well, that's it." Clarisse handed the documents across her desk to Sebastian Motaz, who had to sign also. "Elections will be held in two months time. Any Genovian citizen can sign up to run for that office. Sebastian," her voice becoming softer, "I need for these representatives to be ordinary citizens. I need to know what is going on in my own country."
Finishing with his signature, Sebastian handed it back to her. "I know, Clarisse. You are doing the right thing here. I am behind you one hundred percent. Now, the documents have been drawn, finalized, and signed by us both. It's all done. You have done a marvelous thing here." He stood, waiting for his Queen to follow. "Don't let those few ruin this for you. They can say what they will, but they can do nothing." He took her arm and headed for the nearest sitting room where tea awaited them both.
"I hear you signed the documents today," Joseph walked up behind her as she stood staring out the large, glass doors to the east gardens. "Yes," she answered, turning to see him. "It's all done"
"I'm very proud of you. I hear the playground will be finished in a few days as well." She turned to look out the glass again.
"It's one playground, Joseph. Just one. There needs to be so much more done. For the life of me, I just do not understand how so much has gone overlooked."
Seeing the distressing look upon her face, Joseph knew what she needed. "It all begins with the number one. You have made it begin, Clarisse. What was in the past, you cannot change. You can, and are, changing their future. I'm proud of you." He stood beside her, pretending to enjoy the view of the full moon as well.
Pondering his answers, she knew he was right. He always was. Joseph, the head of security for Genovian royalty, was in the wrong profession. He should have been Joseph, King of Genovia.
'That could be arranged', she thought to herself. Here he was, right beside her, alone again. Clarisse wanted to, and it was on the tip of her tongue. All she had to do was let it roll off, out into the free air between them.
"Goodnight Clarisse." Before she could process his words, he was gone again. She closed her eyes, damning herself for letting him leave again without knowing, without hearing what he needed to hear.