Chapter Two - Clarisses pain

The words rang in Clarisses ears.

"I DONT WANT YOU IN MY LIFE I HATE YOU!"

God what had she done? She hadn't meant to hit her. She loved her with every fibre of her being. As far as Clarisse was concerned Mia was her little granddaughter! She would never intentionally hurt her...Ever!

Clarisse sat with her arms wrapped around herself, sobbing.

"Mia…Mia?"

Joe shouted as she ran past him down the corridor on way to the kitchen. When she didn't answer he went after her. He found her sitting at the table eating out of a tub of Rocky Road ice cream with a rather large spoon and softly crying.

"Oh there you are."

Mia didn't look up from her spoon.

"What's wrong Mia?"

Joe put his hand on her shoulder and rubbed it. Mia cracked into hard sobs again and leaned into him.

"She hit me Joe, she hit me!"

Joe was taken aback by this statement and leaned down to hug her. He held her not saying anything, he just let her cry. Joe knew Clarisse wouldn't hit her on purpose, she wasn't a violent person. He knew this argument must have been a pretty huge one for Clarisse to retaliate like this.

"Joe, I wanna go back to America!"

"Shh, stop for a moment before you make any rash decisions and tell me what happened."

Mia wiped her eyes and told Joe what had happened. He sat and listened to what had been said between the two royals, secretly agreeing with Mia. He didn't want to admit it but Clarisse did have the option, be in your granddaughter's life or don't be, she sadly chose the latter. However, he was the one who saw the pain in her eyes everyday for sixteen years and regretting her decision. But he felt he didn't have the right to agree or disagree with Mia.

"The past is the past, Mia. Your grandmother is trying to make up for it."

"I don't want her to! She abandoned me, why should I forgive her?"

"Because for sixteen years I saw the pain she went through over not having you in her life."

"That was her decision, Joe."

"Yes it was. Come on, Mia, this isn't you. I know you love Clarisse and she would do anything for you."

"It isn't me Joe, she's really blown it this time. My mom has never hit me so why should my grandmother? I'm sorry it's harsh, but I meant what I said to her."

Mia got up and walked out of the kitchen, Joe looked around to make sure none of the kitchen staff was there and took Mia's spoon and the ice-cream. He took a spoonful to his mouth and put them back on the table.

"Yuck! I don't know what Americans find so attractive about this stuff!"

He left the kitchen in search of Clarisse. What had Mia said to her? He didn't want to get himself caught up in the situation but he couldn't help it. He was deeply in love with Clarisse and seeing her hurt was unbearable. But seeing Mia upset hurt him too. He was very fond of this girl.

Joe went straight to Clarisse's suite. The door was closed but he could hear the distinctive sound of Clarisse's sobs from inside the suite and walked inside. The sight he found hit him straight in the heart. Clarisse was on the floor in front of the fire leaning against the arm chair. Her body wracked with every sob that broke out of her. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her pulling Clarisse into his embrace.

"Darling, shhh come on love."

"Oh, Joe! What have I done? Why...I didn't mean to…I"

"I know, you had a fight, it will sort itself out, dear, I assure..."

"NO...IT WON'T!"

Joe just sat with Clarisse holding her as she cried into him.

"She said she hated me Joe, and she didn't want me in her life. How can I get that out of my head!"

"Talk to her, Risse! Tell her how you feel."

"For her to throw me off and insult me again, I can't do it Joe, I think its finally happened."

Joe looked at her with a puzzled look on his face.

"Done what darling?"

"She's broken my heart! I can't have her here anymore, Joe. Please send her back to her mother! I can't look at her now without being hurt!"

"No Risse, you don't mean that, please talk to her. I know she didn't mean it. She was just angry and you retaliated."

"She can't stay here now. I didn't mean to hit her but she insulted me too much and she was hurting me Joe."

"I know she was, but you hurt her too. Find her and talk to her."

"No, she has to return to America"

"But…Christmas…"

"There will be no Christmas in this Palace."