I want to apologize for taking so long to upload.
I've lost someone I love unconditionally and a big part of my soul!
Granny Bibi, I miss you terribly!
The breakfast was served at 08. Harry was the last on to arrive.
"Good morning, are you feeling better, Joseph?" Harry asked, sitting down next to Agnes.
"I'm quiet well, Harry, thank you. The only thing I need is to be able to use my arm again. I can't wait to have a little chat with Mabrey!"
"King Mabrey, if you pleased…" Said Clarisse and everyone brush in laugh.
"Grandma, what do we do next? We can't let Mabrey get away with this, he's so…"
"No, we can't Amelia. But we have to be extremely careful. Mabrey is an evil, malicious man and all our steps have to be thought out. Although we all know that he was responsible for all that we have been through, he is now the King." Charlotte entered the room.
"Excuse me Your Majesty, but there is a woman at the North Gate who claims to be the wife of Capt. Michael and demands to be received by Your Majesty." Clarisse looked at Michael and Silvia. "And the press is there too, Your Majesty."
"Very well..."
"No!" Michael got up. "The only thing she wants is to appear in the magazines and newspapers and say she was received by the Queen. I'm sorry, Silvia. I know she's going to give me some headaches, but the last thing I want to do is drag you to my war with her."
"Let me go with you, Michael."
"I don't think is…"
"Excuse me, Your Majesty, I think you should see this." And she turns on the tv screen. Claudia, Michael wife, was giving an interview to a national Tv.
"(…) and I know my husband will not stay if he isn't forced to it."
"Do you believe her Majesty, Queen Clarisse, had something to do with the accusations made by King Artur?"
"Well… I don't know… Maybe… But the only thing that I really care about , is to bring my husband home!" Now Michael was really mad… Silvia was uncomfortable and insecure. Juan Carlos and Sofia looked at each other in silence.
"I'm so sorry, Silvia, this is all a lie, we were going to get a divorce. She's… My God… I don't know what to say… I go there."
"Michael, you don't have to expose yourself to a scandal. Charlotte please, send her in. We will talk to her."
Everyone at the table looked at each other in silence. Clarisse got up and Michael followed.
"I go with you, Your Majesty. After all, this mess is mine"
"Alright, Michael and do not worry, Silvia, we'll figure this out."
Meanwhile, Charlotte sent Claudia in.
"At last, I demand to be received by the queen and where is my husband?"
Charlotte remained silent and led her to Clarisse's office.
"Did not you hear me? The lack of education of the servants ..." Charlotte took a deep breath and remained silent. Education was something this woman had no idea what it was. A few more steps and the Queen herself would get her into her place. Charlotte knocked on the door and opened it, after Clarisse's soft "come in."
"Your Majesty, Claudia Nurmy, she's wife ..." Claudia grinned from ear to ear and almost ran to Clarisse's desk, pushing Charlotte and completely ignoring her husband's presence in the office.
"Your Majesty, you do not know how happy and proud I am to be in your presence, I have always believed that you are alive and I want to tell you that you can count on my full support, I can be very useful to you ..." Clarisse had to make a huge effort not to shut her up. Claudia's sharp, irritating voice was causing him headaches.
"Please, have a seat." Said Clarisse and pointed to the chair in front of the desk. Claudia sat down at once, not waiting for Clarisse. Joseph entered the office quietly but Clarisse saw him immediately. Claudia was so entertained to fawn over Clarisse that she did not even notice that Joseph was with Michael and Charlotte. The three of them looked amused at Clarisse's despair.
"You know, Your Majesty, I'm used to dealing with the press media exposure, after all I'm the wife of Genovia I Commander. So I can help you with the palace's public relations or even your personal assistant ..."
Clarisse was lost amid both nonsense and vanity. She closed her eyes and tried to keep her voice calm.
"Mrs. Nurmy ..."
"No, no, no, let's forget about the formalities, please. Just Claudia…"
"Enough!" Clarisse's sharp, strong tone left no room for doubt ... The Queen was not at all pleased. Claudia looked at Clarisse shocked. As if Clarisse had offended her.
"Your Majesty?"
"Mrs. Nurmy, I ask you to say what you want, as you can calculate, I only received it for being the wife of Captain Nurmy, but I do not want to waste my time, so say what you want." Claudia straightened in her chair uncomfortably. She was expecting Clarisse, a warm welcome. Who knows how to become good friends ...
"Well, Your Majesty ... I was expecting to be received more elegantly. But I will be direct ... I know that my husband is here in the palace and I intend to accompany him. It's not natural for him to be here and me at home." Michael was about to speak but Joseph grabbed his arm and he remained silent, but the fury was more than evident on his face. "I have my car parked outside the palace but I have my bags and Michael's there."
Clarisse got up and went to the window. She took a deep breath, repaired her coat, and calmly turned to Claudia.
"Mrs. Nurmy, Michael is a dear friend and welcome to this palace whenever he wants. For as long as he wants, Captain Michael will stay here, since he doesn't intend to return home, but only him."
"WHAT? He's my husband!" Claudia got up and two seconds later, Joseph was at Clarisse's side. She smiled at him and stood behind the desk. Claudia was getting deeply irritated, and Clarisse was enjoying herself.
"Certainly Your Majesty does not expect us to be apart ..."
"Mrs. Nurmy, spare me the story of the perfect couple, I know you're getting a divorce, and one of the first things I told you was that I was not going to waste my time. Since you came in, you never asked to see him, you did not even notice that he was here when you came in. So now it's my turn to talk ... You're going to be contacted by Michael's lawyer and you're going to sign the divorce. If you tell a single word of what has happened or what you have seen here, to the press, I will personally take care to make you known worldwide but, believe me, for the worst reasons! "
Claudia almost choked with anger, she looked around and saw Michael and Charlotte by one of the office windows. Clarisse stood beside Joseph.
"I think we understand each other perfectly! Charlotte!"
"Yes, Your Majesty?"
"Please, dear, ask Shades to personally accompany this lady to the gate of the palace and make sure she does not come back in."
"Yes, Ma'am!"
Clarisse left the office without a word and Joseph followed her.
As the door closed, Claudia turned to her husband.
"You bastard, now that you're living in the palace do you want a divorce?"
"What? Claudia, I've been asking you to sign a divorce for more than two years, that's enough, I do not want this life anymore."
Claudia decided to change tactics, threw herself into his arms and began to cry.
"Michael, why are you doing this? We said we'd try again."
"That's a lie, Claudia." Michael grabbed her arms and pulled her away from him. "There is not even going to be anything between us. Goodbye, Claudia." And he left, leaving her on the edge of a fit of nerves.
When Clarisse re-entered the living room, Silvia could not hide her nervousness.
"Where's Michael?" Clarisse was about to answer when Michael came in.
"Here, my dear!" Silvia looked down began to cry.
"What's up?" Michael hugged her and kissed her forehead.
"Nothing. I'm a little nauseated ..." Michael grabbed her hand.
"I'll take you to the room and I'll tell you everything"
C&J
Later that day, Clarisse met with Sebastian, Joseph, and Shades to decide what to do with the doctor. He had been in jail for two days in a palace cell, and everyone knew that this would start to raise suspicion. Joseph continued with his left arm to his chest, without moving it, in an attempt to heal the wounds as quickly as possible.
"Your Majesty, we all know that once we form a formal charge, Mabrey's men will release him immediately and they will try to make everyone think we've kidnapped the doctor." Said Sebastian.
"In order to be accused of abduction, you have to accuse us for any reason..."
"You're right Joseph, and I do not believe they will tell the truth." Clarisse said getting up. Everyone stood up.
"Please, let be seated, I need to walk, I need to think, I feel caged."
"I understand, Your Majesty, but we have to act quickly. Mabrey is recovering well and, as far as I know, wants Joseph's head ..." Sebastian looked at Joseph and then at Clarisse.
"Over my dead body, Sebastian, just over my dead body!"
"The first thing we have to do, is restore the order. You have to return to the throne, Your Majesty. Parliament is awaiting the reinstatement of Mabrey to resolve this matter. No one has doubts but everyone is counting on the problems that Mabrey will surely create. "
"I know, Sebastian but ..." Suddenly the internal alarm sounded and Clarisse's office was overrun by guards. Tomas, the most graduate called Joseph.
"Sir, the palace is surrounded by troops. No one has yet said anything, but I think it would be better to activate the emergency protocol."
"You did very well. Guards, take them all to the bunker. Shades, get the princess and the Kings of Spain. Tomas, you're in charge of the other guests of Her Majesty. We have ten minutes, men and everyone knows what to do! " Clarisse stretched her back and shoulders and, despite the fear that chilled her inside, followed Joseph with an almost frightening calm as he went through the headpiece, arranging the troops in defense of the palace.
The bunker, as it was called, was situated in the subsoil and reached the whole area of the palace. It was divided between an emergency room, used to control all internal and external movements to the palace, kitchen, bedrooms, living and dining rooms, a gymnasium, an infirmary, an operating room and the so-called engine room, used for debugging Water and air renewal. The electrical energy was supplied by underground cables and whose origin was unknown, to avoid acts of sabotage.
Less than ten minutes later, the bunker doors were closed. Mia ran to Clarisse.
"Grandma, what's wrong? I'm so scared." Clarisse hugged her.
"My dear, this is only a precaution. I do not want anything to happen to you, and at this moment, our friend Mabrey is deeply upset."
The truth is that everyone was scared. As long as there was memory, this was the first time the emergency protocol was activated. Sophie was visibly trembling, Juan Carlos patted her arm and Clarisse went to her.
"I'm very sorry, my friends. I do not know what's happening, but we will do everything we can to ensure a safe way to return to Spain."
"Clarisse, this is not your fault."
"Your Majesty, I think you should see this ..." Charlotte said. Clarisse closed her eyes and turned to the television.
"And so, my dear Genovians, it is with great regret that I tell you: we were deceived, used ... My heart is torn at the thought that our beloved King Rupert ..." Mabrey paused and everyone answered :
"King Rupert, may he rest in peace!"
"And our beloved prince Philippe was killed by the miserable Head of Security Joseph: We tried, in all the ways that the widow of our late King, to turn him over to the authorities, so that justice could be done but this lady not only refused to deliver him as she also forbade the entrance and exit of any person in the palace. As your King, it is my duty to enforce the Law and avenge our beloved King Rupert and Prince Philippe! The palace is surrounded and will remain so until this or these criminals are tried and condemned. "
The silence in the room was total. Clarisse turned to Joseph and laid a hand on his cheek.
"I am so sorry that you have to go through this Joseph, but you know that anyone who knows you does not believe in a single word."
Mia hugged Joseph and kissed him on the cheek.
"Don't listening to him Joseph, he only wants revenge on you. Remember, you have a very special place in the heart of each one of us."
The rage against Mabrey, mixed with Clarisse's love and Mia's affection, was too much for Joseph and he let a tear roll down his face. The minutes that followed were a mixture of emotions that served to reinforce the ties that united from the smallest employee to the Queen.
