Special thanks to RevSue, PrettyCrazy, NikNik4, mainer2121, ProperlyPrim18 and Modern Millie - your encouragement and kind reviews make it so much fun to write – thank you!

Please note that some of the medical info may not be entirely (or perhaps even at all) accurate – just please play along, ok?

Chapter 5: Soaked

The next morning shone brightly on the happy couple. Neither Clarisse nor Joseph had ever remembered such a feeling of contentment as they awoke.

"Good morning, my love." Joseph said as he leaned over to kiss her.

"Mmm – that sounds sooo nice to hear." She was almost purring.

"Since there's nothing going on around here, what would be on my beautiful wife's agenda for today?" Joseph asked with a smile.

"Oh Joseph, don't tease – you know Mia's coronation is only a week away and there are at least a million things to do. Which reminds me I need to get with Charlotte, there needs to be arrangements made for…" As she continued on – now lost in her own thoughts, Joseph decided to get up and take a shower.

He got out of bed and walked around the room looking for his robe. As he searched for where it had landed when she disrobed him the night before, he could feel her eyes watching him.

"Enjoying the show?" he teased.

"Oh very much so - although I'm sure I might enjoy it more if it were closer to me." She responded in a husky voice.

He looked over and smiled at her. "Let me shower first and then I'll see what I can do about that. How does that sound?"

He decided to leave the robe wherever it was hiding and get about the business of his shower. As he entered the bathroom, he heard her ordering tea for herself and coffee for him.

He was enjoying the feel of the warm water cascading down his skin when he sensed her enter the bathroom. He didn't see or hear her – but rather sensed it. He liked that he could sense her presence – it had proven very useful over the years as it was his job to protect her. He saw her in front of the mirror washing her face and brushing her hair. She was wearing his robe that he had been looking for only moments before, but he was confident that her normal satin pj's were not underneath. He watched for a moment and then a mischievous thought crossed his mind. Stepping quietly out of the shower while it was still running, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back with him under the streaming water.

"Joseph! What on earth are you doing?" She sputtered as the water came down over her head and face.

"Soaking you, my love."

"You do remember what happened to you the last time you soaked me?" She laughed as she questioned him.

Back in time

It had been very tense around the castle for the past several months. There was excitement at first when the King had announced that the Queen was pregnant with another heir. But after the initial excitement had worn off, it was evident that things just didn't seem to be right.

Clarisse continued to spend a great deal of time with Joseph and insisted on long walks in the evening. It was one such evening at about her 8th month. She had been unusually quiet, but Joseph had just walked along with her sensing that she wanted to talk about something important tonight.

"I want you to do something for me Joseph."

"Anything your Majesty – anything." Came his quick response.

"Don't be so hasty, Joseph. You don't know what I'm going to ask and it could cause a conflict of interest – or loyalties should I say."

"You know my loyalty lies only with you, my Queen." He was very serious now but also concerned about what she was going to ask.

She stopped and turned to face him. She cupped her hand against his cheek which was a tender exchange that she shared only with him. Her voice was very serious and her eyes conveyed something…he couldn't quite place it – which disturbed him even more.

"What I am about to ask you is not the Queen asking of her servant, but rather a friend making an urgent request to another friend."

"I understand."

"Rupert is making plans to be present at Phillipe's birth."

He started to say how wonderful (as the King had chosen not to be present at Prince Pierre's birth), but the look in her eyes made him stop.

"Under no circumstances do I want him there." Came her stony reply.

"But your majesty – I would have thought that was what you wanted. I know you were at least somewhat disappointed when he went away the day that Pierre was born – even though you understood it was his duty – nonetheless.." Joseph was truly surprised.

Her expression didn't soften. "Perhaps if I told you the truth about the night Phillipe was conceived, it will help you understand." She took his hand and pulled him down to sit beside her on the bench. Her face had a faraway look as she recounted the events of that night.

"Rupert and I had been arguing earlier in the day regarding his desire to produce another heir…just in case. I was angry because it seemed to me that he believed something would happen to our son – our precious Pierre – and I couldn't bear that. I also knew that my wifely duties would once again be required of me and that thought did not please me either. Please understand that Rupert and I were friends (Joseph noted she said "were") but there was just not a connection between us. While that didn't seem to bother him, it made it difficult for me to "perform" as it were. At any rate, he came to me that night and I explained my position to him and pleaded with him to not make me do this. There was yelling and I struggled."

Joseph broke in now unable to contain himself. "Did he force you?" The anger was rising noticeably in his now taut features.

"No. Not physically anyway. He waited for me to stop struggling and then told me that I would accept him willingly. I not so gently told him that wasn't the case. He then whispered in my ear a threat so terrible that I couldn't bear the thought of it."

Joseph was very confused. If he hadn't raped her, what could he have possibly threatened her with? He knew that Rupert would never use Pierre in that manner – besides their son – what or who else was there?

Before his mind could finish that thought through to the only logical answer, she broke in.

"He threatened to send you away." The tears were flowing freely now. "Oh, Joseph, I'm so sorry, but I couldn't have that. I couldn't bear the thought of my life without you in it every day. You are my rock to keep me grounded and the wind that lets me soar and you always know which it is I need."

Her statement hit Joseph like a slap across the face. Although, in reality, he hadn't heard anything past "he threatened to send you away." His anger rose unabated now. He was angry that Rupert had played such an emotional card on her; angry that she had played into his hand; but most of all, angry with himself for allowing their relationship to grow and be noticed to such a point that the King saw it and used it as a tactical advantage to get what he wanted from his wife – mainly sex. Joseph thought he was going to be sick.

He fought to control the feelings that were raging inside of him. He looked over to her. She was still sitting there – tears rolling down her face, but she was quietly waiting. She was waiting for him to get through the emotions that she herself had dealt with months ago. The emotion was gone; she now just wanted Joseph to help her with ensuring that Rupert would not be there for the birth. Once she sensed he had regained at least a bit of control, she spoke quietly, "So will you help me?"

He took a few deep breaths. "Just tell me what you want and it shall be done."

They spent the next hour or so devising a plan that would require Joseph to make some secretive arrangements with his contacts from other countries which would result in a matter of national importance (or at least have the appearance of national importance) which would require no one less than the King himself be in attendance to try and resolve.

Once they formulated the details of the plan, Joseph looked directly into her eyes. "Your Majesty…Clarisse…I fear that my friendship with you has put you at a direct disadvantage in your dealings with the King. I could never bear the thought that someone was able to hurt you because of me. It is my duty to protect you. Please promise me that you will never let that happen again – for if it does, I will have no choice but to leave of my own accord as I will not nor cannot bear that kind of guilt and responsibility."

"Joseph!"

"Promise me."

"I promise."

Their plan had gone off perfectly and Rupert was planning to leave soon as it was just a couple of weeks before her due date. However, he stopped by to pay Clarisse a visit before he left.

"I promise to be back as soon as I can. I'm so sorry Clarisse – I really wanted to be here for you. I know we haven't always seen eye to eye on the issue of having another child…"

She broke in - not letting him finish. "Eye to eye! You forced me to have sex with you by threatening me – I guess you could say that we didn't quite see eye to eye on that issue!" She was barely containing her anger at that point.

He sighed, not wanting to fight anymore. "I'm sorry that it had to come to that and I'm sorry that I've failed to find a way to make us closer. But I felt it my duty to Genovia to ensure the future of the throne; and, if that meant a second heir, than so be it."

The fight had left her as well. "And your duty to me?"

He shook his head and with sadness in his eyes replied, "Will, unfortunately, never be as important to me as my duty to my country. Hopefully some day you will understand. I assumed you knew that went with the territory when you agreed to marry me."

She didn't know what to say at that point. She just knew her head hurt, her body hurt and her heart hurt. She just looked up at him, tears glistening in her eyes, "Then, my King, you go do what you must and, while you are gone, I will do my duty to you and to Genovia by producing another heir to the throne. Please know, though, when you return I will serve as your Queen – for I do understand the concept of duty – despite what you may believe. However, my duty as your wife will be concluded upon the birth of your son. And while we will not share a bed again, I promise to never betray you as I understand the risk that poses to the crown. You must promise, however, to never, ever threaten to send Joseph away again. Give me your oath as King that you will never do that again."

He looked at her intently and saw, for a moment, the same young girl that he had been betrothed to many years ago – the bright blue eyes, the beautiful heart; and at the same time, he saw that she had become a formidable woman who did, in fact, know her duty and was prepared to do it. He also knew that, despite her best efforts, she could never love him as a wife should love her husband nor he as a husband should love his wife.

"We will be friends then?"

"Your oath, my King."

He paused, looking at her intently before responding. "You have it. As King of Genovia, I swear it to you this day."

A look of relief crossed her face. "Then, after some time has gone by and my heart has time to heal, we will be friends."

He kissed his wife on the head and then on the lips, one last time. She didn't fight him but rather accepted it as a way of saying goodbye to their marital relationship and welcomingwhat she hoped would eventually be a good friendship.

A week or so after the King had left, Joseph was standing guard outside her room. He wanted to be nearby should she need anything or should the baby decide to make his entrance into the world. He was calmly standing guard when he got an uneasy feeling. Only a moment later he heard the scream, "Joseph!"

He ran into the room as quickly as he could. The site before him caused his heart to stop with fear. Clarisse was lying curled upon her bed and he could see blood on her nightgown. She looked pale and frightened. After a moment had passed, he sprang into action – yelling for Charlotte and Olivia he instructed them to call the doctor and advise him of the situation at once. They, too, bolted into action and began getting the necessary help. Joseph laid Clarisse back on the bed and propped her feet up and then placed himself behind her and just held her trying to say words of comfort while they waited for the doctor to arrive.

By the time the doctor arrived, Clarisse had lost a decent amount of blood and was feeling very weak. The doctor confirmed that she was, in fact, bleeding (it took everything Joseph had not to punch the doctor for stating something that was so painfully obvious) and that she needed to move to the hospital right away as she was ready to give birth and needed special attention.

"No" came the quiet but determined statement. "I shall give birth here."

Joseph tried to reason with her, but she had made up her mind. Before he could argue with her any further another contraction hit and it was time to push. After a few times of this, her strength was gone and she grew still. Joseph panicked as her hold on his hand slipped away.

"Clarisse, dammit – you wake up right now and deliver this baby."

There was no response.

The doctor looked to Joseph and said, "Without being at the hospital, I'm afraid there's little I can do to assist her. I can try to give her something to force her to wake up, but medicine will take time."

Joseph had a thought. He whispered to Charlotte who looked at him and said, "You've got to be kidding!"

"Now Charlotte!"

She ran away quickly to do as he requested.

Only moments later (though it seemed a lifetime to Joseph) she returned with a very large pitcher of ice water.

"Forgive me, my queen." And with that, he unceremoniously dumped the ice cold water on her.

She awoke with a start, "What the hell!" She was sputtering and spewing and trying to figure out what in the world had just happened. She looked up and saw Joseph with the pitcher.

"I don't know who in the hell you think you are, but when I finish delivering this baby, I'm going to make you regret what you just did!" Her anger was very evident, but to Joseph's relief, she was awake and full of a renewed energy.

"As you wish, your majesty. But for now, please focus your anger at me towards delivering that baby and then you can do whatever you feel necessary to me." If he wasn't so concerned about her, he would have been laughing at the sight she now made, but that would come another time – now it was time to work.

And work she did. With her renewed sense of purpose, Clarisse made short order of giving birth. Once she heard Phillipe's first cries, the adrenalin left and she sank back against Joseph and drifted into unconsciousness once again. The doctor attended to her and to the baby and then Joseph held her while the maids changed the bedclothes, sheets – well everything as it had been soaked through with Joseph's remedy.

Joseph slept in a chair next to Clarisse that night – holding her hand throughout the night. He had wanted to stay awake and keep vigil should she awake and need anything. The doctor had assured him that she would be alright now – she just needed her rest, but he was still worried. However, the adrenalin from the day had left him as well and he succumbed to the tiredness in his body.

He continued to sleep soundly until he was awakened by a large pitcher of ice water being dumped on him.

He shot up from the chair, "What the hell!"

"Doesn't feel too great does it mister?" Clarisse was laughing wholeheartedly at his expense. The cold water had certainly brought him fully to his senses and, after the initial shock, he noticed that she had been the one holding the pitcher!

A smile shot to his face as he realized that she must be feeling much better and then he joined her in her laughter. "No, you are right it doesn't. But it did do the trick, didn't it?"

"While that may be the case, I don't think you should quit your day job anytime soon to become a doctor as your methods are quite unorthodox!"

He reached over to her to take her hand and kissing it gently he said, "I would never, ever, dream of quitting my day job. The fringe benefits are great and it is by far too interesting to ever dream of quitting for something as boring as being a doctor!"

"Do you forgive me for soaking you?" He asked.

She reached up and touched his cheek and softly replied. "Of course, my dear. Of course."

Present time:

"Do you forgive me for soaking you?" Joseph asked as he undid the belt of his now soaked robe and removed it from her body.

One arm went around his neck and the otherwent to his cheek as the warm water coursed down their now heated bodies.

As she moved her lips in for a kiss, she softly replied, "Of course, my dear. Of course."

As always, your feedback is appreciated!