AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope you like this chapter ... TENSION!
Please read and review!
DISCLAIMER: PRINCESS DIARIES AND CHARACTERS OWNS TO DISNEY
Charlotte left her suite and got back upstairs not really looking where she was going and she bumped into a figure clad in black, "I'm sorry" she said before looking up "Shades!" she cried in surprise, he raised his eyebrow "sorry … I mean Scott"
"That's alright … Charlie" he teased
"Scott" she grumbled shaking her head
"Anyway, Clarisse and Joe has already arrived and Her Majesty is looking for you"
"What!?"
"I think you better be off Char"
"Thanks, Scott," she said rushing
"There you are Charlotte," Mia said once Charlotte popped into the room
"I apologize for my tardiness," Charlotte said blushing
"It's alright, we've all been there before"
"did you want me?"
"I just wanted to check that my schedule is clear"
"It has been cleared, except you have lunch with the Motazes today"
"Thank you, Charlotte, that is all. You may resume whatever you were doing before"
"Thank you, Your Majesty" Charlotte thanked before she almost bumped into Joseph and Clarisse when she was leaving the room. When she almost bumped into the couple her mind and thoughts were already racing. "Your Majesty, Joseph" she curtseyed but her mind was still somewhere else
"Good day Charlotte" Clarisse greeted noting that Charlotte looked very pensive but there was something else, 'could it be? Pain?' she questioned in her mind
"Hello Charlotte" Joseph greeted before Charlotte popped out.
Earlier that day (Mia)
'That was strange' Mia thought once she escorted her uncle to his suite after greeting him at the doors of the palace. Mia was well aware of the tension between her personal assistant and her uncle had shared 'It was almost awkward … no, it was awkward. But why? Could there have been something between them before? No … no, not Charlotte and Uncle Pierre … right?' her mind suddenly questioning their history.
She arrived in her study, she needed to know if it was truly tension between them, she needs to see Charlotte.
"Excuse me your Majesty" Scott her HOS said breaking her thoughts
"oh, yes, Scott"
"Her Majesty and Joseph has arrived; I'm sorry Charlotte isn't here to tell you"
"That's alright, do you know where she is? I would like to see her"
"I don't know where she is but I'll inform her that you would like to see her if I find her"
"Thank you, Scott"
After seeing Charlotte, it confirmed that there had been tension because Charlotte seemed to have been hiding her true feelings but she couldn't think much of it since her grandma and grandpa had arrived.
"Grandma, Grandpapa!" Mia greeted
"Mia, my dear" Clarisse said hugging Mia briefly
"Ah Mia, my girl" Joseph greeted also hugging Mia briefly
"You're doing such a great job as the reigning monarch" Clarisse said, she had been very proud of her granddaughter, she was doing a stupendous job.
"Thank you Grandma," Mia said blushing, "I'm so glad I get to spend Christmas with my family," Mia said and on que, Pierre entered the room after Scott informed him as well of his mother and step-father's arrival
"Mama," Pierre said hugging his mother
"Oh, Pierre there you are!" Clarisse greeted hugging her only alive son.
After they all greeted each other Mia had to go for lunch with the Motazes and Pierre wanted to get some rest from his plane ride, so Clarisse and Joseph took a walk in the garden arm in arm like they used to do before they moved.
"Oh darling, I'm glad that Mia has her family to celebrate her first Christmas as the reigning queen," Clarisse said looking at the garden that Mia made sure was kept perfectly maintained like Clarisse did before
"I am too, my dear this Christmas may be a memorable Christmas for her"
"It may be, but I do wish her entire family was…"
"Now Clarisse, don't start thinking like that though we all do wish he was here too" Joseph interrupted
"Yes I know I shouldn't, but I wish Phillipe was here for her"
"We all do wish he was here for her but if he was here Mia wouldn't have been crowned Queen of Genovia"
"Mm… I do suppose so" She looked up at his face to see him smiling sympathetically "I also suppose I should change the subject before you have to chide me" She teased, making him chuckle
"yes, but I wouldn't chide you"
"but you've never been afraid to tell me when I'm doing something wrong"
"If it concerned your safety or your and Mia's happiness" he protested, making Clarisse laugh
"Yes, but I'm glad you were and have always been concerned" She smiled, then her thoughts turned sober. She turned and looked at him seriously "Was it just me or did Charlotte seem a little bit different"
"Hmm … How so"
"She looked pensive when we almost collided into her"
"Isn't she supposed to be filled with thoughts since she is the queen's personal assistant"
"She is but I could sense a twinge of … of … pain"
"That is strange … but perhaps it's Pierre's presence … you do remember the history they have"
"Oh yes, how could I forget"