Hello everyone, this is just a quick message to all you reading, following, leaving reviews and adding this story to your favourites, thank you so much :) I really really appreciate it all.
Also just wanted to let you know that I am going to focus on my other story All of Me for a little bit now, but I do hope/plan to write a sequel to this story at some point in the (very) near future :) so keep your eyes open.
Day 4 - An Extra Chapter, Enjoy.
Pulling up outside the palace, Joseph shut off the engine, unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to Clarisse sleeping in the passenger seat beside him. Smiling, he reached his arm out and placed his hand on her thigh, giving it a little shake to try and wake her. "It's time to wake up, Clarisse, we're home."
Opening her eyes seconds later, Clarisse slowly lifted her head and looked at him. "Already?" She asked sleepily and sat up straight in the seat as the blanket she was using as a pillow fell down between her and the door. "How long was I asleep for?"
"Well you fell asleep within minutes of us leaving the house," he chuckled with a nod as she put her hands together and stretched her arms out in front of her.
"Oh goodness I'm so sorry," she said while pulling the blanket onto her lap, "it wasn't my intention to fall asleep on the drive home."
"Don't be sorry, it's absolutely fine," he smiled and watched as she unbuckled her seatbelt with a yawn, "must be those two late nights you had."
"Hmm," she smirked while looking at him as he laughed, "it must have been."
"Which I take full responsibility for of course," he said and they both laughed.
"I believe that we are both to blame for our 'late' nights," she laughed and watched as he nodded and turned his head to look out the front window of the car.
"It was nice though, wasn't it?" He asked while looking back at her to find her smiling at him.
"Oh it was more than nice," she smiled and looked down as she pulled her handbag from the footwell onto her lap. "It's just a shame that it's over so soon."
"We can always go back again on your next free weekend?" He smiled as she looked up at him while resting her hands down on her handbag.
"That will be lovely, but what about seeing your family?" She asked as she tilted her head slightly. "Won't they be upset if you cancelled on them again?"
"Oh no of course not, they will understand," he smiled, "and remember my mother is a Royalist and loves the idea of you staying in her home."
"Oh bless her," Clarisse smiled, "well she has such a lovely home, I would certainly love to stay there with you again one day."
"Then leave it to me," he said and they both smiled at one another, "right, we better get you inside so you can get ready for your meeting," Joseph said while opening his door and climbed out of the car as she checked the time on her watch.
"Yes, I suppose we better had," Clarisse said as she climbed from the car and walked around to him getting their overnight bags from the boot. "I didn't realise what the time was, hopefully Charlotte managed to put back my meeting with the prime minister."
"I hope so too," Joseph agreed as he shut the boot before turning to her. "Come on, I'll carry your bag up to your suite for you."
"Thank you," Clarisse smiled and looped her handbag over her shoulder as they started walking up the palace steps together, "oh and remember, we must try and act as normal as possible now we are home."
"I know, but do you have any idea how hard that is going to be?" He said and opened the main door for her as she looked at him, "after you."
"Thank you, and I know it's going to be hard, it will be for me too but we must persevere," she said quietly and lead the way inside to find Charlotte stood waiting for her in the foyer. "Good morning, Charlotte." She smiled.
"Good morning, Your Majesty," Charlotte smiled, "I trust you enjoyed your weekend?"
"Oh I did, thank you," Clarisse smiled as she stood in front of her assistant. "It was just what I needed."
"That's good, Your Majesty," Charlotte smiled. "I have set up everything you need for this mornings meeting on your desk, which I managed to push back to half past nine, Your Majesty."
"Thank you so much, Charlotte," Clarisse smiled, "that will give me plenty of time to get ready."
"Of course, Your Majesty," Charlotte smiled at her, as she began to walk towards the stairway, then at Joseph, "are you on duty today?"
"I am, but not until twelve," Joseph smiled and raised his hand that held Clarisse's overnight bag in his grasp, "I'm just going to help Her Highness with her bag."
"Of course," Charlotte nodded and watched as he followed Clarisse up the stairs before she crossed the foyer to her office.
"Where would you like me to put your bag?" Joseph asked as they stepped into Clarisse's suite.
"Just by the sideboard is fine," Clarisse smiled as she put her handbag down over the back of the sofa and turned to him while leaving one hand on top of the back of the sofa, "thank you."
"You're welcome," he smiled as he put the bag down by the sideboard and pushed up her suite door before moving closer to her, closing the distance between them, "I hope you have a great day today."
"You too," she smiled and put her hands on his sides while looking up into his eyes, "and I'll see you about twelve?"
"You certainly will," he smiled while putting one of his hands up onto the side of her neck, resting his thumb against her jaw as he kissed her a couple times.
Pulling her head back a moment later, Clarisse put one hand up to brush her forefinger down over her top lip before looking up into his eyes, "we must persevere," she smiled.
"You're right," he nodded and gave her one more quick kiss before walking over to the door. "I'll let you go to do what you need to do, and I will see you later."
"Alright," she smiled while leaning back against the sofa and watched as he opened the door before looking back at her, "see you later."
Smiling, he left her suite and made his way to his own suite with a sigh. After having a magical few days together he hated that their weekend was so short, that they had to return to the palace this morning and most of all he hated having to leave her.
Late Afternoon.
Standing just inside the door of Clarisse's office, where he had been stood for the last hour as she sat on the edge of the settee, with her legs turned towards him and one foot tucked behind her ankle, finishing the last of the days paperwork, Joseph watched as she took a deep breath while unbuttoning the two buttons on her jacket and pushed the edges to the sides before continuing with reading the document sitting in her lap.
"Are you alright?" He asked softly and watched as she looked up at him.
"Yes, I was just getting a bit warm," she smiled and looked back down at the document in her lap to sign her name before looking back up at him, "that's all."
"I see," he smiled as someone knocked on the door.
"Come in," Clarisse called out and averted her gaze to the door as it opened and Charlotte appeared. "Ahh Charlotte, I was going to call you in a few minutes to let you know that I was nearly done."
"That was good timing then, Your Majesty," Charlotte smiled as she walked over to her sitting on the settee.
"Yes, it was," Clarisse smiled as she placed her hands down together in her lap and averted her gaze towards Joseph.
"I have just one more document for you to read and sign, Your Majesty." Charlotte smiled as she pulled it from the folder in her arms grasp and handed it to her.
"Okay," Clarisse smiled and took it from her, "thank you."
Looking down at the document in her hand she began to read it while absentmindedly smoothing her other hand up and down the front of her knee until she had finished. Placing the paper on her lap, Clarisse signed on the dotted line and handed it, as well as several other documents, back to Charlotte as she smiled up at her.
"There, that's me done for the day," Clarisse smiled as she put the lid back on her pen and placed it down in her lap while removing her glasses from her face with her other hand. "Oh, one more thing, can you make sure the letter for Lord Palamore is sent out in this evenings post please?"
"Of course, Your Majesty," Charlotte smiled and walked over to the door as Clarisse leant forward, placing her glasses and her pen on the coffee table, "are you joining Pierre and Philippe for dinner in the dining room this evening?"
"Um..." Clarisse said and thought about it a moment before stretching her arm out and placed her hand on the back of the settee, "no, not this evening. I think I am just going to go straight up to my suite, so please can you let cook know that I'll send for my dinner after I have had a bath."
"Of course, Your Majesty," Charlotte smiled and bowed her head, "have a good evening and I will see you in the morning."
"You too Charlotte, thank you," Clarisse smiled as she watched her assistant leave her office and close the door up behind her before she looked over at Joseph. "Is it just me, or has today gone extremely slow?" She asked while resting back against the cushions on the settee with a small sigh and stretched out one of her legs in front of her.
"It has, its gone very slow," Joseph nodded in agreement and walked slowly over to stand behind the settee, amused at how she was sitting with some of the papers still in her lap and on the seat beside her. "But it's over now so you can go and relax up in your suite for the rest of the evening."
"With you?" She smiled and tipped her head back to look up at him to see him shaking his head while placing his hands on the back of the settee, "you're still on duty, aren't you?"
"Until midnight, unfortunately," he said and looked down at her, "but what happened to us acting as normal as possible?"
"Oh, I know, I know," she said and let out a sigh as she sat up and turned to look at him with a shrug, "I can't help it, you're addictive."
"I see," he laughed as she stood to her feet with a smile and began gathering up all the papers, "well if it helps, I'm standing guard on your door this evening."
"Not really, no," she shook her head and walked over to her desk, placing the papers down before smiling over at him, "it's not the same than having you beside me."
"I know it's not, I feel the same way," he said and looked across at her standing behind her desk, "come on, I'll run you a lovely hot, bubble bath."
"Oh now that sounds lovely," she smiled as she slowly walked around her desk and over to him now standing by the door, "thank you."
"That's all ready for you," Joseph said as he walked from her bathroom into her bedroom after running her a bubble bath.
"Alright, thank you," Clarisse smiled as she moved to stand in her closet doorway while doing up the sash of her robe and watched as he turned to her.
"You're welcome," he smiled while walking over to stand in front of her and placed his hands on her sides, "I hope you manage to relax."
"Knowing you are at my door, I will," she smiled and snaked her arms around his shoulders as she looked up into his eyes.
"I'm going to kiss you now, is that okay?" He asked and watched as she glanced down at his lips before looking back up into his eyes.
"Please do," she smiled and closed her eyes as he pressed his lips to hers while wrapping his arms around her back, holding her against his body for a long moment.
Pulling his head back a moment later, he turned his head slightly to the side and smiled. "I have fantasied about doing that all day."
"Have you?" Clarisse smiled while smoothing one hand to the back of his head and her other hand down over his shoulder, coming to rest on his chest as she looked back up into his eyes.
"I have," he nodded with a smile and kissed her a couple more times before taking hold of her hand resting on his chest, "and as much as I would love to stay in here with you, I really must take my position on your door before Shades, or one of the others notices that I am not there."
"If you must," she said and took a deep breath as he kissed the back of her hand.
"I must, but I don't want too," he said as they began walking through her bedroom and into the suite hand in hand.
"I know," she said sadly as they come to a stop and turned to one another, "it's only day three of us being a couple and we are already having trouble persevering."
"I know," he laughed as he looked away momentarily before looking back into her eyes. "But it will get easier, I promise."
"I know it will," she said and watched as he stepped closer while putting his hand up onto the side of her neck.
"Anyway, I should really go," he said while smoothing his thumb lovingly over her jaw before leaning closer to give her one last lingering kiss before taking his place at her door.
"Ok," she nodded as he reluctantly stepped back a moment later and turned to the door, "thanks again for running me a bath, I shall enjoy it more knowing you done it for me."
"You're welcome," he smiled back at her and opened the door to find Pierre stood with his hand up, about to knock, with Philippe standing beside him.
"Pierre? Philippe?" Clarisse said in surprise as she looked from one to the other. "What are you doing here?"
"We came to talk to you," Philippe said as he looked at her then at Joseph, "and you too actually, so I'm glad you are here."
"Well I was actually just about to take my position at your mothers door," Joseph said as he glanced back at Clarisse.
"And I was just about to take a bath, to try and relax after a busy day," Clarisse said as she loosely folded her arms.
"Honestly, it won't take long," Pierre said as be entered the suite and walked over to the settee before turning back to them.
"It's really important we talk about this," Philippe said as he entered the room and took the door handle from Joseph while motioning for him and his mother to join Pierre over on the settee.
"Okay," Clarisse said suspiciously and looked up at Joseph before walking over to the settee with him.
"What's this about?" Joseph asked as Clarisse sat down beside Pierre.
"You two," Philippe said as he sat on one of the armchairs arm rests.
"Us two?" Joseph asked with a raised eyebrow.
"What about us two?" Clarisse asked with a nervous laugh.
"We know something happened between you while you were away, and we wanted you to know that both me and Philippe are absolutely fine with it," Pierre said as both Clarisse and Joseph laughed.
"As long as you are happy, and having observed you throughout the day and seen the way you have been towards one another when you think no ones around I can tell that you are," Philippe said as Clarisse slowly stood to her feet and moved to stand behind the sofa.
"This is absurd," she exclaimed while turning back to them, "nothing happen-"
"Mother, we know you are lying," Philippe said, interrupting her and pointed to Pierre, "which isn't good in front of the priest in the family."
"Yes, mother," Pierre smirked and watched as she put her hands up to cover her face while shaking her head. "Honestly mother, we want you to be happy and we both know you were far from happy with father."
"You deserve all the happiness in the world," Philippe said as he watched his mother lower her hands to look from Pierre to him, "and if Joseph can give you that then so be it."
"We are actually quite happy for you," Pierre said while standing to his feet and walked back over to the door.
"I agree," Philippe said as he stood to his feet and looked at Joseph, "as long as he doesn't hurt you or he'll have me to deal with."
"Philippe," Pierre exclaimed as Clarisse and Joseph moved to stand beside one another.
"What? I'm just letting him know not to hurt our mother," Philippe shrugged as he walked over to his brother standing by the door. "Oh, one more thing."
"Yes, one more thing," Pierre said as Philippe turned back to them, "your secret is safe with us."
"Goodnight, mother," Philippe smiled over at her and walked out with Pierre.
Standing in shock, Clarisse watched as both of her sons walked out of her suite and closed the door behind them before she turned to Joseph. "Uh... what just happened?"
"I think your sons just gave us their blessing?" Joseph said as Clarisse smiled and started nodding.
"Yes, I think so too," Clarisse said and laughed out as Joseph wrapped his arms around her, spinning her around before standing her back on her feet and kissing her.