Chpt.3 / Comfort and Scandals
oO0Oo
Day Three: 1993; Royal Beach House, Genovia
"Are you sure you'll be fine here for a while, darling?" Rupert asked as Clarisse tried to mask her surprise.
It's been exactly a year ago since a man almost took her life. But 365 days ago feels like hours ago to her.
Ever since that day, the King…. her husband…. became more like a husband. The length of his affection surprises her but what surprises her the most is the fact that she can no longer feel his charms.
She's more concerned about someone who warned her about the bullet and took it for her.
Sadly, she didn't see him anywhere after that day. Rupert, Greg and Vincent assured her he's alive so she didn't put up more thoughts of him, or at least she tried.
"Yes I am. With my twenty loyal guards," she forced a smile as she stood up and kissed his cheeks, "Go ahead, you'll keep Portugal and Spain waiting."
"Meet me tonight for dinner?"
"Sure I would."
Rupert walked towards the door and turned to her again, "I love you."
"And I you." Clarisse's smile fell once he shut the door. The last time she heard that word from him was when they agreed it would be the code for 'I'm meeting someone to bed.' And that was when their relationship was still nonmonogamy.
Was it still?
She never gave it much thought since that former housekeeper and former head of security caught her with Chris ten years ago. Now she wondered if Rupert hadn't stopped his after the former butler found out.
Shit- that felt so fresh as yesterday… she thought as she breathed heavily with the realization of her former lover's death.
.
"Is it true that Chris' dead?" she asked as she barged into Rupert's office, "Three months below the ground. How come I haven't heard of it?"
"I don't know either," Rupert said as he removed his glasses, "I spoke to the man who replaced him. He said he died in his sleep."
"Just like that?"
"Cardiac arrest."
"Oh," she breathed as she sat down and caught the breath she realized had been missing since she walked with haste in her heels.
And also because she never realized how life can be tragically funny.
Her mother died of a heart attack and hours after that followed his father and grandmother. Rupert's father died of the same reason and now adds her former lover.
"That bastard," she sighed.
.
Clarisse looked out to the window and closed her eyes as the thought of cardiac arrest reminded her of the conversation she had with Joseph.
On how his mother faked having some until she died on one.
Shaking her head, she gently banged it on the window frame, another thing that reminds her of Joseph.
Why can't she stop thinking about him?
From the pastries, to the couch and a simple window. A thought of him easily distracts her. And she's not blind.
You can't stop thinking about Chris either, she mused, What made you stop again?
She can't really remember.
Letting out a sigh, she opened her eyes and wiggled her nails to the edges of the frame. Wondering if she's going mad for foreseeing the possible future of her falling in-
No! she shouted to herself, Damn it! He's also Chris' lover. Get yourself together Clarisse….
A knock on her door sent her standing erect, fixing her hair and sitting nicely as she turned to see it open. Revealing the same man she can't stop thinking of.
She stared at him with her initial shock as she tried to collect herself with a little remark, "Are you some ghost who only showed up during the Feast of Saint Valentine?"
"Well- what if I am?" Joseph smiled as he closed the door, "I do hope I am welcome here."
"You received a bullet that was meant for me. Who am I to deny your presence?" Clarisse smiled as she stood up to greet him. Surprising both of them when her body moved to hug him.
Thinking quickly for an excuse, she gently patted his back, "Just checking if you're at one piece."
"Awe~ and here I am thinking that now friends." Joseph smirked as he looked at her eyes, "You rarely hug someone unless they're close relatives."
"You would be a friend if you showed up much sooner…. more often," Clarisse mumbled and got lost into his eyes and her forehead wrinkled, "You made me worry."
"Greg told me you're completely satisfied with the thought of me alive?" he squinted as they walked towards the couch, sitting beside each other, "Do I have to show up to ease your worrying?"
"Yes! Uh- I mean… Yes, you are right. You don't really have to show up." Clarisse blurted and murmured as she blinked and distracted herself away from his eyes while looking at his face at the same time, "So that made me wonder, why today?"
"Today's the only day available," Joseph spoke as he, also, distracted his eyes away, "Something about security protocols. I am not really allowed to say anything."
Both of their eyes landed equally to the bags under the other's as both wondered where they came from.
Despite her make-up that covers the lump, Joseph could see them straight away. He knew she's tired but what off? He knows she's a queen but watching her from behind for eight years gave him a hint that she does minimal big jobs and has a lot of exhausting encounters that she seemed to enjoy more than just sitting like a doll in her dollhouse.
These past months, due to the attack, she almost did nothing at all. With fewer balls, parties, operas and charities to attend, that gave him enough time to find the culprit and almost killed him with his hands.
Of course he won't tell her that. All of that.
She can't see him yet he sees her everyday. Making him more confused of his own self.
.
"How can you know if you're bisexual?" he asked Chris one day on their vacation, "I mean- you claim yourself to be, aren't you?"
"Do I?"
"Yes you do. You sleep with both sexes." Joseph spoke as he watched Christian flip tha pan, "Isn't that how it works?"
"Oh Joseph… I'll have you know I've only slept with one woman in my entire life." Chris said as he turned off the gas, "Apparently I can't get myself to do it with other women."
"Is she that really attractive?"
"She confuses me," Chris admitted as he sat beside his boyfriend, "About myself and my sexuality. I felt so bad breaking her heart. But I felt like a bastard for showing her the wonders of an open relationship."
"You do love her don't you?" Joseph frowned.
Chris held his hand and smiled, "I do…. But not in the way I do to you."
"You're such a flatterer, charmer…" Joseph smiled as he squeezed Chris' hands, "No wonder why both men and women love you."
.
Joseph slowly nodded as he felt himself agreeing to Chris. Queen Clarisse does make someone feel confused about their sexuality.
Ever since he started working to protect her in the shadows, he felt himself slowly admiring her feminine strength and unending sharp wit.
If they're in a story, he's very sure she'll be the one-liner every viewer worships a lot.
Joseph, too lost for his thoughts, saw Clarisse close her mouth and look at him as if she's waiting.
Or maybe she is waiting.
"What?" he mumbled, face etched with an apology and confusion as she raised her eyebrows.
"What do you mean- argh.. nevermind." she chuckled and shook her head, "I was thanking you for the major sacrifice."
"It's not that major, really.."
"Yes it is!" Clarisse exclaimed, "You almost lost your life. I should have thanked you properly…. if not for these security protocols."
"Well," Joseph said as he gave her a playful glance, "You can always have a chance."
Clarisse nodded as she looked at the clock and smiled, "Always huh…"
"Now what's that look?" he asked as she stood up and straightened her skirt. Bringing his eyes lower than he anticipated as all his blood suddenly came rushing down between his thighs.
Damn it Joe! You're feeling IT from a woman… he groaned to himself, or not just to himself.
Clarisse turned to him when she heard a distinctive sound she hadn't heard for a while, or when she did… they're not entirely provocative.
She can feel the warmth of something, was it her body or his? She definitely has no idea.
She can feel her cheeks turning to the color of the curtains when she recognized his hands covering a lump forming just below his waist. Her heart beat faster and her lips slightly parted. Eyes finding him as she swallowed a lump that continuously held her normal breathing.
Her hands from her back firmly gripped the fabric of her blouse that now felt very thin and light on her touch.
"Clarisse?" Joseph broke the spell as tried to get a pillow from behind. A pillow to hide the obvious boner none of them expected to show up at this moment.
Clarisse blinked and raised her eyebrows as her eyes trained to follow the pillow until it covers the thing she can't decide how to feel about.
Her lecherous self can actually conclude one thing and that's his size.
Damn… you're fifty-seven years old Clarisse and probably is too old enough to lust for somebody…. especially for someone who is your former lover's lover, she scolded herself as she blinked her eyes away to the pillow and landed to his eyes.
His incredibly darkening eyes.
"Yes?"
"Why are you standing up?" he asked, his eyes avoided hers and unfortunately settled to her exposed legs.
To show you my assets, a mischievous part of her mind spoke as Clarisse deeply breathed and bit her bottom lip as she tried to find some words to tell him her agenda.
Agenda that completely flew out of her mind once a part of her older self awakens.
"To fix my skirt of course…" she whispered as she sat back down, accidentally sitting down very close to him…. to his resting hand beside.
He can see her neck, face and ears going full red as his knuckles felt her bottom, protected by the soft fabrics of her skirt.
His eyes found her wide glimmering ones as her hands found the pillow sitting on his lap. Using it as a leverage to lift herself for a bit.
Without thinking, he brushed his hands to her skirt before setting it somewhere she can't sit on. His cheeks reddening as he can't believe he just did something he thought he would only do to men.
Clarisse smiled and chuckled as she sat back up, playfully smacking his arms, "Quite an awkward pat, Joey."
Her frisky aura surprises him for a bit as he realizes she's not cross or something. She seemed to find it lovely as a matter of fact.
"Quite an awkward anchorage as well, your majesty." he smirked as her smile fell.
"The two of us can reach all scandal sheets in a moment, Joseph. Surely you'll feel comfortable enough to call me by my name.." she smirked.
Joseph smirked back as he brushed some imaginary dust out of her shoulders, "Very well, madame… as long as you stop on calling me Joey."
Rupert rolled over and pumped back faster and harder. Hearing his partner's loud moaning also sent him to the edge as he felt more scratches came in contact to his back.
He soon felt him come and he followed after a second. Immediately falling to the bed, both panting loudly.
"Does her majesty know you were here, your highness?" his partner's deep voice asked as he collected his breath and sat up, also collecting his clothes.
"Her majesty is aware so you are not to talk to anyone about this." he said as he fixed his belt, kissing his cheeks.
"Of course… I love my wife very much, sir," The paramour smiled as he also took his pants and looked for his belt, "And I felt honored to see a carnal side of our dear king."
"There are about three of you that are honored," King Rupert said as he fixed his blouse, "And that doesn't include the women."
"It's a surprise her majesty approves. I hope she's doing well." his companion said while tucking in his shirt, "Same time next week?"
"I have a state visit to Argentina next week," the King spoke as he kissed his other cheek, "Stay and love your family for a while. I'll call you for the next."
The king left the apartment in his incognito and mounted his toyota with no problems as he encountered no cameras or people who recognized him.
Starting the engines, he drove along the streets of his country and parked the car to the beach house beside the one where the royal family resides.
He entered a public bathroom and flipped his jackets and changed his shoe and threw out the wig he used as he entered a secret passage towards the master's bedroom.
He left the room and was greeted by his security men as he walked out of the house and immediately saw his wife walking with Joseph on the shore.
The two seemed to enjoy spending time with each other, especially Clarisse.
He hasn't seen her as Clarisse for a while. After that attack, her security men became more protective of her. For sure, she can make anyone intrigued, care and be in love with her. He doesn't know if she's aware of her charisma but he's sure she's good at using them.
Even Joseph, who's always been in Christian's shadows, seemed to come out to the light and enjoy it with her.
He wondered if Joseph came straight or bisexual for falling to his wife's charms. Or if he is yet to fall from her beauty..
Who am I kidding? Of course he already did, he smiled to himself as he walked towards them, Probably she'll take him to bed sooner or later.
A/N: Henlooo pips! Yes, I really have no idea what the heck am I writing but i don't think it's much of an OOC (?) (Idrk cuz we got so little of what we know abt Joseph, Clarisse and Rupert) and Oop- I wrote some stuff that are probably in the M category *ksksksksks* Believe me I have no idea how scandalous it may be to my reader's eyes but I'll try to add more sense than developments in the next few chapters. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE APPRECIATION! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please r&r, lemme know if I should continue this sheat and lezz see! THANKIE!