Hey everyone, welcome to my new story (don't worry I haven't forgot about my other one, All of Me) and wanted to see how this chapter goes first before I post another chapter. I do hope that all you lovely readers are keeping well during these scary times and that you enjoy this new story? Hopefully visiting Genovia and reading about our favourite couple will help take your mind from whats going on in the real world, even if its for a little while.
Anyway, please enjoy :)
Coming to stand in the Queen's office doorway for another day of duty, not that he ever complained. It was to him the best job in the world and his role? Protecting the Queen of Genovia and making sure that no harm ever came to her or her family. He worked hard and prided himself for keeping them safe over the years. But it wasn't just because it was his job too, it was also because ever since the moment they met when he first came to work at the palace many, many years ago she had stolen his heart without even realising.
And now as he stood at her door preparing for another day, he managed to steal a moment to simply watch her before making his presence known and knock on her door. A moment to simply admire her beauty as she sat at her desk, with one hand up absentmindedly playing with her necklace while reading one of the documents, that she held in her other hand in front of her. A moment to admire her smile as she looked up at her trusted assistant, Charlotte, as she stood beside her at the desk. A moment to simply admire her, like he done, in secret, every day.
Clearing his throat a moment later, Joseph stepped inside the room and knocked on the door as both the Queen, his Queen, and her assistant looked up at him. "Good morning, Your Majesty."
"Good morning, Joseph," she smiled across the office at him, "if you are here now, does that mean that you have just come on duty?"
"I have, Your Majesty," he answered with a simple nod of his head and entered the office as she twisted her wrist and hand that she held the document in to check the time on her watch before looking back up at him.
"It's noon now, which means you are on ball duty tonight?" She asked while looking back up at him and smiled.
"That is correct," he said, bowing his head as he stepped in front of her desk.
"Oh that is good news," she nodded and looked up at her assistant. "Charlotte, can you please hold my calls for the next thirty minutes so that me and Joseph can have our daily security briefing?"
"Of course, Your Majesty," Charlotte smiled as she began gathering up the paperwork on her desk.
"Perfect, thank you, Charlotte," Clarisse smiled as she placed her pen down and slipped her glasses from her face to sit on top of her head. "I will have my lunch after our meeting is finished, then I will continue with the official papers, hopefully getting them finished before my meeting with the prime minister later this afternoon."
"Of course, Your Majesty," Charlotte replied and bowed her head.
"Oh, and can you send tea?" Clarisse asked and placed her hands down on her desk, pushing herself up as she stood to her feet.
"Right away, Your Majesty," Charlotte smiled and left the office, closing the door behind her.
"Shall we have the meeting over on the settee today?" She asked while gesturing over towards the sofa in her office.
"Anywhere you feel comfortable, Your Majesty," Joseph smiled.
"On the sofa it is then," she smiled and looked down at her desk, gathering up her diary and other bits she needed before walking around to Joseph. "Shall we?"
Nodding, Joseph extended his arm out towards the sofa, "after you," he smiled and watched as she smiled in return while tucking her diary in her arms grasp and began to lead the way. Following behind her to the seating area, Joseph watched as Clarisse, while still holding the diary in her arms grasp, smoothed her free hand down the back of her skirt before taking a seat at one end of the sofa, causing her skirt to ride up her thighs a little as she did and his heart to skip a beat.
Taking a seat at the other end of the sofa, Joseph blinked several times to clear his thoughts as she turned in her seat towards him and tucked her foot behind her ankle. "How did the meeting with parliament go this morning," he asked, trying his best to return his focus back to the matter at hand.
"It went quite well, yes," Clarisse nodded as she placed the diary down in her lap and opened it up to the page she needed. "The new guy accompanied me, and although he is getting there, slowly, he is no Joseph," she said with a smile, "that's why I am happy that you are on ball duty tonight."
"I see," he chuckled, "well I certainly try my best."
"Indeed you do," she smiled and removed the lid from her pen, placing it on the coffee table before taking her glasses off her head and slipped them back on her face, "and tell me, did you enjoy your free morning?"
"I did, yes," he nodded, "but like anytime I have time off, I was still awake early."
"That happens to me too," she smiled, "not that I get much free time these days."
"No, I suppose not," Joseph said and watched her as she made a quick note in her diary, "you should though."
"I should what?" She asked as she stopped writing and looked up at him.
"Take some time off," he said and watched as she rested her arms together on top of the diary in her lap, "for you, to relax and get some well earned rest."
"Oh Joseph, that sounds like a wonderful idea but unfortunately I don't have time to 'just' take time off, not when one has so much to do, plan, arrange and when there's places to be," she laughed and shook her head as she looked down to finish writing in her diary. "You know that."
"I know, but you should make time," he said, watching her a moment as she looked back up at him. "You have tomorrow and Sunday free, don't you?"
"Well yes, I do," she nodded, "but where am I going to go at such short notice?"
"I have an idea where you could go, so why don't you leave it to me to sort out?" He said and watched as she laughed.
"I beg your pardon?" She exclaimed, "leave you to plan my break?"
"Well yes," he nodded, "you trust me, don't you?"
"What kind of ridiculous question is that?" She laughed, "of course I trust you."
"Well there you go then, let me plan you a trip for the weekend," he said and smiled as she studied his face for a long, long moment.
"It won't work," she finally said and shook her head while looking back down at her diary, "not with how much planning and arranging it normally needs. And not to mention the staff that will need to be informed, besides it wouldn't be fair at such short notice so please don't worry about it."
"Well, I was thinking a quiet weekend without any staff,"
"Oh, now that sounds like a dream but unfortunately an impossible dream," Clarisse said, interrupting him.
"A dream yes, but not an impossible one," he said and nodded, "and I didn't mean without any staff, you will still have one security guard with you."
"Who?" Clarisse asked.
"Me?" Joseph smiled.
"You?" Clarisse exclaimed in surprise. "But it's your weekend off."
"And?" He said with a shrug.
"Joseph, we may have a rare weekend off at the same time but we can't take a trip together," she laughed with a shake of her head, "that's ridiculous."
"Why is it ridiculous?" He asked seriously, taking her by surprise.
"Well I, I, um... well I'm your boss, I wouldn't want to ruin your weekend plans," she said, struggling to find an answer as the rumours she had heard about him over the years began to swirl around her mind.
"You will not be ruining my weekend, I can assure you," he said as their eyes met, "sure we will be taking a break together, but there will be no work insight, we can both relax and get some much earned rest."
"Joseph, I,"
"Honestly, if I wasn't okay with this I wouldn't have mentioned it," he said, trying to reassure her. "Besides, we are friends, are we not?" He asked and watched as she nodded.
"Well of course we are," she answered.
"And we have already established that you trust me," he smiled.
"Yes, with my life," she nodded and smiled.
"Then why not trust me with this?" He asked and watched her as she looked down at her diary a long moment.
"Alright, why not," she said and looked up at him as the maid with the tea knocked on her office door, "come."
"Leave it with me," he smiled as the maid entered carrying the tea tray.
"Thank you," she smiled with a nod and looked over towards the maid. "Ahh tea, thank you."
"It's no trouble," smiled the maid as she placed it down on the coffee table. "Will there be anything else, Your Majesty?"
"No, thank you, that will be all," Clarisse smiled and watched as she bowed before walking out. "Now then, let's make a start on our meeting, shall we?" She smiled and watched as Joseph smiled and bowed his head in return.
X
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