Author's Note: FINALLY finished! Thank you so much to everyone who has read and reviewed for this story! Your reviews helped me to keep this story going! Now, onto the next story…
The next few days were perfect and idyllic- they spent much of the time on the beach, but when there was a rainy day, they spent the day inside, curled up in bed and watching DVDs.
"You were right about this- I am enjoying lying here and watching DVDs!" Clarisse laughed when they got up to stretch after finishing their second film, and Joseph joined in the laughter.
"Will you want to do that when we get back to the palace?" he teased, and she nodded.
"I think that might be option I might be willing to explore when we get back!" she said formally, and then grinned at him.
Unfortunately, the honeymoon soon came to an end, and Clarisse was feeling a little sad on their last night there. They had had so much fun, and were even closer than ever, but she really didn't want to go back to the palace- the past four days had shown her that there was more to life than working, parliament, responsibilities and the country…
All that mattered to her now was her life with her husband. She sighed a little sadly, and Joseph instantly was attentive and concerned.
"What's wrong, darling?"
"Nothing… it's just that this has been such a lovely honeymoon… I wish we didn't have to go back to Pyrus," Clarisse said half contentedly and half sadly, as they curled up in bed and watched the star filled night.
The weather had been perfect for almost the entire break, and the last evening was another warm night, and they had left one of the doors open to hear the sound of the sea pounding onto the sand. Joseph smiled understandingly- he could appreciate why she was feeling the way she was, and found it endearing.
"It has been wonderful… But don't forget- you will be only going back for your final few days as Queen, the ending of a chapter so to speak, and then you'll be free to do what you want… Who knows, maybe we'll come back here for a longer holiday if you wish!"
"I know that, darling, it's just that these few days alone with you have been very special to me, the happiest days in my life, and I don't want it to end. Everything I did back at the palace was watched, and everything I did was judged by numerous people… this has been an eye opener for me, of what I can look forward to as a private citizen," she said as she sat up in bed and looked out at the inky evening and listening to the waves.
"I know how you feel, my love," he said comfortingly, sitting up next to her and putting an arm around her. "These few days have been the happiest of my life as well, but we're starting on a journey together, and it doesn't matter where we are or what we do… all that matters is that we're together… Besides, you never know… we might be able to go on a longer honeymoon once the coronation is over and to somewhere more exotic… I'm thinking maybe Africa!"
Clarisse laughed, feeling better after his comforting words- it was rather silly to feel sad about their honeymoon ending when her reign was ending in a few days, and it was true- it didn't matter where they were, it was more important that they were together.
"Africa? I don't know about that!" she laughed easily. "Going on a longer honeymoon somewhere else might be nice, but this is what I will always consider our honeymoon…" she smiled over at him before leaning over and kissing him softly.
Despite Mia's decree that she didn't expect to see them back until that evening, they had decided to leave just before lunch so that they could get back and settle in before Clarisse's work began again the next day.
"I wonder what's been going on in Pyrus while we've been away," Clarisse said thoughtfully as they strolled down towards the shore, ready to have one last swim in the ocean and walk on the beach before leaving at lunchtime.
"I imagine that it has been quite scandal free without us being there," Joseph joked as they sat down on the sand, and she giggled.
"It's been rather isolating not having any phone calls for the last few days… but has been amazing- that was one of the things I haven't missed!" Clarisse said lightly.
"Yes… but I imagine that the Viscount has probably been airing his opinions about everything in the papers- our marriage would be at the top of his list, I assume, as well as his nephew and the Princess…"
"Perhaps," Clarisse said musingly, looking out onto the horizon for a moment, thinking about the Viscount and how unpleasant he had been to her over the years. "But I somehow think that the press wouldn't have given him the time of day after what happened at the palace… I'm sure that he would have lost credibility after that nonsense at the lake, and then with Nicholas…"
"Well, I won't let you worry about him anymore… the throne is secure, and you're finally safe from his lecherous looks!"
Joseph's arm around her shoulder tightened as he remembered the time on the balcony, when he had nearly attacked her, or the scene between them in the stables. Clarisse looked at him curiously for a moment, before asking something she had been wondering about for a while.
"What happened between you and Viscount Mabrey in the stables that day?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said innocently as he playfully squeezed her shoulders once more before standing up to strip off his pants. Clarisse still sat on the sand and looked up at him pointedly.
"You know what I'm talking about… what did you say to him that made him so angry? I'm only asking this because until then, he was always trying to find excuses to talk to me, but after that, it was almost as if he was avoiding me… which I appreciated, but I just want to know what you said to him.
"Alright, I'll tell you what I said," he sighed heavily as he sat back down on the sand next to her, and took her hand in his. "I told him that if he hurt my girl, in anyway, he would answer directly to me, and whatever happened to him, it couldn't be held against me because of my diplomatic immunity," he finished lightly and he looked away for a moment before looking back at her.
To his surprise, she was laughing silently at him as tears simultaneously filled her eyes.
"That's what I suspected all along… I just wish I had been there to see that!" she had said when she finally calmed down, and leaned over to squeeze his hand reassuringly.
"It was actually quite therapeutic to let my true feelings out with him… We had been circling each other for years about you, and just to tell him the truth really felt good… I suspect he was jealous of me, and I think he thought I had some kind of influence over you…."
"Which you did and do," Clarisse smiled tenderly at him. "I always knew that you were my knight in shining armour, and this has only confirmed what I thought… thank you!"
000
It was a few hours before dark when the black sedan pulled into the driveway of the palace but, instead of pulling up in front of the palace entrance, Joseph had called ahead and the secret entrance to the underground garage was open for them, allowing him to drive into the palace without the press suspecting a thing.
They left the luggage to be collected by several guards, and they strolled through a secret entrance to emerge in the hallway near Clarisse's study.
"Let's go and surprise Mia," Clarisse said happily as they walked, hand in hand, towards the open doors of her study. Just as they arrived in the doorway, they almost collided with Charlotte, who was on her way out with a stack of papers.
"Your Majesty… Joe!" she gasped, before quickly recovering with a broad smile. "Welcome back… we didn't expect you back for at least another couple of hours!"
"Thank you Charlotte… we just thought that it might be best if we came back a few hours earlier," Clarisse smiled warmly at the young woman, and Charlotte was struck by how happy they looked together.
When they had left the palace four days previously, they had been together, and had looked comfortable and happy, but still stunned by what they had done the previous day, but now… four days away had given them time to get even closer to each other, fall more in love with each other, and get used to being married. She suspected that they would be, from now on, literally joined at the hip- but who could blame them?
They looked blissfully happy and in love, and she was almost in tears to see happiness and love radiating from them both. Clarisse smiled adoringly over at him for a moment, and Joseph returned the affection equally, and Charlotte was delighted- thank goodness they had finally found each other again!
"Is Mia in my study?" she continued after a moment, and Charlotte nodded silently before they walked past her inside. Mia, true to Charlotte's word, was sitting at Clarisse's desk and perusing papers, but she stood up with a happy grin when she saw her grandmother and Joseph approach the desk. They looked so happy together, and they looked so cute…
"Welcome back, you two! I can't believe you didn't milk all the time for all it was worth, (I would have done that!) but it's still great to see you back again!"
She hugged both of them happily, and grinned as they sank into chairs opposite hers.
"So… how was the honeymoon for Genovia's favourite newlyweds?" she joked as she sat back down again, and both Joseph and Clarisse laughed in disbelief.
"Genovia's favourite newlyweds?" Clarisse repeated incredulously. "I doubt that very much!"
"No, it's true," Mia insisted. "There was a poll conducted in the newspapers yesterday and, would you believe it, 85 percent of the population thoroughly approves of the marriage… the other fifteen percent were indifferent, but who cares?"
"I don't believe it," Clarisse said, stupefied as she exchanged a surprised look at Joseph before grinning and shaking her head, ready to change the subject. "Anyway, the honeymoon was lovely…" she said with a shy smile as Joseph took her hand in his.
"We didn't want to come back when it was over!" Joseph added, and Mia laughed along with them.
"I can imagine that, especially down at the beach house… perfect weather, no one knew where you were, and no one could get in contact with you… what a dream come true! Maybe I should do that sometime!" but they all knew that she was joking.
After a pause, Clarisse decided to change the subject.
"So, what has been going on here while we've been away?" she asked, and Mia shrugged.
"Nothing much, really… Viscount Mabrey tried to freely air his opinions in the papers for the past few days, but there's been nothing in today's paper… I think that press really don't have any time for him anymore and he really doesn't have any credibility anymore with anyone."
"I told you not to worry," Joseph leaned over and murmured into Clarisse's ear. "What about Andrew?"
"He went back to England for a few days, but he will be coming back for the coronation… We had a long talk after you left, and we decided that we'll work better as friends."
"What about Lord Devereux?" Joseph asked keenly, ignoring or not seeing the sharp look Clarisse threw in his direction. He had told Mia the truth at the wedding because he saw something between them, and he wanted it to work out between them… there was something there, in spite of the arguments they had had, and he had the feeling that Mia had fallen for him, and Nicholas for her.
"I haven't heard from him since that incident at the wedding, so who knows what he's up to," she shrugged lightly again, before opening Clarisse's diary and changing the subject.
"By the way, Grandma, I hate to bring you back to reality so quickly, but there are a few meetings that you need to attend in the next two days- two with Sebastian, one with parliament, as well as the last session of parliament, and the coronation rehearsal as well…"
"I don't mind doing all of that," Clarisse said calmly, smiling at her fondly- she really was beginning to sound like a Queen.
"Oh, and I have a surprise for both of you!" Mia swung around in her chair to retrieve something from a nearby cabinet drawer. She handed to Joseph a book sized package, wrapped in silver and white paper with a matching silver ribbon. "This is for both of you."
Clarisse moved her chair closer to Joseph's as he unwrapped it, and it was a white photo album with the words 'Wedding Album' inscribed in gold on it.
"Oh Mia," she said softly, touching the gold writing on the front for a moment before Joseph opened, and they bent over to look… On the front page was the photograph Andrew had taken of them out in the garden, beaming at each other and completely oblivious to the camera…
"It's in black and white," Joseph exclaimed as he looked closely at the photo, and Mia grinned. She loved putting this together with Andrew and Lily, and she was thoroughly enjoying seeing their reaction.
"We thought that a mixture of black and white photos, as well as coloured, would be lovely… but I prefer the black and white pictures- they look so classy!"
She knew that they weren't listening to her as they turned the pages slowly, looking at each of the photographs and smiling at each other tenderly as they remembered each moment of the day.
"What a beautiful…" Clarisse began, realising that Mia was still there, before she saw the final photo… it was the picture of them kissing in the garden, and it was so beautiful, so simple in black and white, that the tears began to fall from her eyes as she smiled down at the picture. It really was a beautiful picture…
She looked over at Joseph, who was clearly stunned at the picture as well, but he grinned, pleased, over at her and squeezed her hand tightly. Clarisse kept her head down as she wiped her eyes with the handkerchief she had managed to get out of her pocket, before looking up at Mia, her eyes still slightly red, but with a wide smile.
"Thank you, darling… this means more to us than you will ever know…" she choked up again with emotion and Mia only smiled gently at her.
"I thought that you might like it, and Andrew, Lily and I really enjoyed putting it together… no one else saw it, I promise!"
Clarisse and Joe continued staring at the final page for a long time before Mia chuckled.
"I hate to break up this special moment, but Charlotte and I have a little more work to do about the children's shelter, so why don't you guys go upstairs and relax?"
"Thank you Mia…" Joseph mumbled a little shyly as they got to their feet, and Mia walked back around the desk to kiss him lightly on the cheek.
"My pleasure, Joe… anything for you two- you've done so much for me, it's the least I can do!"
"Thank you darling," Clarisse said hesitantly before pulling her close for a long hug, and Mia laughed. "I love it, and I love you for doing this for us…"
"No worries… Now, go and settle back into palace life, and I'll see you later!"
000
They walked rather dazedly upstairs and found that their luggage had been brought up from the car, and the maids were busy unpacking them. After a brief curtsey to their mistress and Joseph, they continued with the unpacking as Joseph and Clarisse sank slowly down onto the couch, and looked disbelievingly at the wedding album in Joseph's lap.
"I can't believe they went to so much trouble with this album… it's beautiful," Clarisse said softly as she tenderly turned the pages over in the album, and her eyes almost filled with tears again when she saw a shot Andrew had taken at the reception, when they had been unaware that he had been taking more photos. In fact, there were a few from the reception that she couldn't remember posing for!
"It is fantastic," Joseph admitted with a bashful grin as he looked at the pictures- Andrew had done such a fine job with all of them, and he hadn't realised how many pictures he had actually taken…
The one thing that a stranger would never doubt when looking at the pictures were how much in love they were at that moment… one could even sense the history between them in the way they looked and smiled at each other.
"You know, I'm sure that the press would have a field day if they managed to get access to even one of these pictures!"
"Which they most definitely won't be," Clarisse retorted quietly as she protectively touched the picture of them kissing. "Yes, Andrew did a fine job with them… maybe we should do something for them, as they took so much time and effort in putting this together…"
"Knowing your granddaughter, she won't accept anything for it" Joseph laughed, and Clarisse suddenly thought of something else and abruptly turned away from the album.
"Why did you ask Mia about Lord Devereaux when we were down in the study? Did you something happen that I wasn't aware of?"
"I… nothing important, it was just that I was curious about whether he had got back in touch with her after the wedding… I hope that she took what I told her seriously… Hey, I guess we were both looking out for Mia that day- you told her to follow her heart, and I told her the truth about Lord Nicholas… Still," he said after a pause. "I hope that they manage to work things out… there was something between them, I think."
"I don't think I ever noticed anything between them except mutual dislike," Clarisse furrowed her brow thoughtfully, and he smiled at her.
"You were far too busy with other matters," he teased, and she laughed as she set the photo album aside and leaned over to kiss him. While she was kissing him, something fell from his pocket, and she looked down at it for a moment- it was his wallet.
"I've always wanted to see your wallet!" she cried with delight as she leant down and picked it up, Joseph chuckling at her reaction. She opened it, and laughed at the photograph of him on his driver's licence before flipping through the rest of it before coming across the picture of her in the final pocket.
"What the… you've kept this photo all this time?" she managed to say as she looked at it, and he smiled as he drew her closer to him.
"Yes… well, it's such a good picture of you, and I couldn't resist keeping it…"
"You never showed me when you got it developed, though," Clarisse contradicted with a smile as she still stared at the photo, before making a split second decision to stand up suddenly and walk towards the bedroom.
Joseph curiously followed her, and sat beside her on the bed as she opened her bedside cabinet drawer and withdrew a picture.
"Since I saw your picture of me, I have a little confession of my own… I pilfered a copy of your security picture from your file a couple of years ago…"
She sheepishly handed him the picture, and he laughed out loud when he saw it was one of the more recent pictures of him.
"I guess we both had our little secrets… but that album," he waved back to the living room where the wedding album was sitting. "Is more important- it's the beginning of the record of our life together…"
"That's the most wonderful thing to know," Clarisse said as she leaned her head on his shoulder with a smile.
The days leading up to the coronation seemed to fly by in moments, and the palace was a tumult of emotion and excitement- not only was their beloved Queen happily married to the man they all knew she had secretly adored for years (and vice versa), but it was also the beginning of a new reign with their young, compassionate and pretty young Princess. Celebrations in the country had been going on non-stop since the wedding, and Scott predicted that it would peak on the day of the coronation, if not continue on for at least another week.
Mia was getting very excited about her big day, and her nerves were escalating almost as quickly, but Helen, Lily and Clarisse were all very impressed at how she had managed to keep her emotions under control as she gradually began taking over many of Clarisse's responsibilities. Sebastian was also very pleased with Mia, and had told Clarisse so on more than one occasion.
The royal newlyweds, meanwhile, didn't leave each other's sides for a moment unless it was necessary- it was if they were stuck together like glue, but everyone thought that it was adorable. They thought it was cute that Clarisse and Joe also couldn't stop smiling at each other when they were together (and thought no one was looking), as well as wandering around the palace hand in hand.
Clarisse was blissfully happy- she was about to see her granddaughter ascend the throne, and she herself was happily married to the man of her dreams… the papers and meetings she had sign and attend were mere minor details compared to the happiness she had found. Joseph, on the other hand, still had to pinch himself at times to believe that he really was married to Clarisse…
One morning, while Clarisse was in a meeting with Sebastian and going over the details for the coronation, Joseph quietly slipped out to go and find Scott. He felt a little bad that he hadn't had a chance to speak to the new Head of Security and his friend since the wedding, but he was certain that Scott would understand.
He knocked softly and self-consciously on the door frame of the security room, and he was grateful to see that it was empty except for Scott, who grinned and stood up happily as he came in.
"Well, well, well… here finally comes the groom!" he joked jovially as Joseph grinned a little embarrassed, before striding over to shake hands with him. "I was wondering when you would deign to come and visit your old mate from security!"
"I'm sorry about that… I was going to come earlier, but I haven't had the chance…" Joseph began apologetically, ready to explain, but Scott just roared with laughter.
"Not to worry, man! I didn't actually expect to see you at all until after the coronation… I understand that you have a wife now, and she has to come first on your list of priorities… which she has for most of your working life!" he teased as Joe sat down, and Scott retrieved two coffee cups and poured some in each.
"So, how is married life going?" he asked teasingly as he sat down opposite him with a grin. "Wait… we can all see how it's going, but how are you enjoying (or not, if that may be the case) it?"
"I like it very much," Joe said stiffly, before relaxing as he realised that it was only Scott he was confiding in, and he wouldn't tell a soul. "Actually, I love everything about it…"
"Especially being joined at the hip with Her Majesty," Scott added slyly, and Joe only chuckled. "What about the honeymoon?"
"The beach was fantastic, and we really didn't want to come back when the four days were over…"
"I can imagine you wouldn't," Scott said significantly, and Joseph only ignored his comment with a grin.
"So, changing the subject, how is everything going here with you as Head of Security… how's Lionel?"
"Driving me up the wall instead of you," Scott moaned as he rolled his eyes. "I can't believe I'm stuck with him for another month… that wasn't very nice of you to foist him onto me!"
"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll lose interest by the time he returns to school," Joe laughed, relieved that he was no longer in the hot seat. "Anyway, how is everything else going?"
"Everything is going fine here, Joseph…" Scott said seriously, but the grin belied his serious tone.
"However, even if something did go wrong, I was told by Her Highness that, under no circumstances, was I contact you about anything… I suspect that she wanted you two to be completely alone, which you were!"
"You would have handled everything just fine without me… Anyway, I also came here to thank you for everything over the years- not only your discretion about Clarisse and I, but just the fact that you were great to work with, and a good mate in the bargain… particularly lately…" he trailed off as he thought about the days leading up to the wedding.
Scott, also thinking the same thing, smiled gently at Joe.
"Joe, it was an honour and a privilege to be working under and with you, and I know that you will be missed around here… but you will still be coming down here on occasion, won't you?"
"Of course… you don't think I would completely walk away from what I've been doing for the past thirty years or so, do you?"
"Well… I imagine you would have some more interesting distractions… and I'm sure you would much prefer to spend time with your wife rather than a group of men," Scott teased, and Joseph only laughed, knowing that it was true.
"I suppose you're right… incidentally, what happened to that letter I gave you a couple of days ago?"
"Oh, the letter you wanted me to give Her Majesty about your resignation? I threw it away… I wasn't going to let you get away with it that easily, and I'm sure that Her Majesty wouldn't have either!"
"Wouldn't you?" Joseph pretended to act surprised, but was laughing along with him. "I would have liked to have seen you and Clarisse act together to prevent me from leaving… By the way, when I told Clarisse I had been planning on quitting, she told me she wasn't going to let me go without a fight either!"
"I knew I liked that woman for another reason besides the facts that: a) she's so nice and kind; b) she's Queen of Genovia; and c) she's made you happy!"
"Are you trying to bargain your way into a knighthood?" Joe teased, and Scott only laughed.
"No… but Charlotte and I had already agreed that, if you two didn't get back together after the wedding, we were going to have to give you some help in that department… after all, it took you pair over thirty years before you finally, officially, got together!"
000
Clarisse, meanwhile, closed her notebook and smiled half nostalgically and half regretfully at Sebastian and Charlotte sitting opposite her. They had just concluded her final official meeting before the coronation the following morning. The final event on her now almost blank schedule (apart from the coronation rehearsal that evening) was her final session with parliament in two hours, late that afternoon.
"Well, that's it… everything is signed off and finished, and the ceremony for the coronation is ready to go," Sebastian said with a flourish as he shut his notebook, and stood up with a grin. Clarisse followed suit, and composed herself to say what she had planned on saying.
"Sebastian, all I can say is thank you for all your hard work and support over the years, both to myself and my granddaughter… I know that the country will be in good hands with both you and Mia at the helm… I just can't believe that the coronation has finally arrived!"
She wanted to say more, but she somehow couldn't… even though she was looking forward to her new life with Joseph, there was still a part of her that was a little regretful about stepping down, more from the standpoint of having been on the throne for so long. She hadn't imagined what she would do once she stepped down (and now she didn't have to worry), but now that the moment had arrived, she still couldn't believe her new life was about to begin!
Sebastian grinned as he stepped forward and warmly pressed her hands over the desk- her marriage to Joseph had done wonders for her in only a few days… she had somehow softened more over the past few days, which made her look even younger. He knew that it wasn't fair to expect her to continue to reign over Genovia when she had already given so much up for the sake of her people… He himself, as well as Sheila, was over the moon at her personal happiness, and they knew she would be content with Joseph.
"I'll see you at the parliament session this afternoon… and, although I will be making a speech this afternoon, I must say that it has been an honour and a privilege working for you, Your Majesty… Genovia is going to sorely miss you…"
Sebastian bowed again to both women, before making a quick exit out of the study. Clarisse sat down again with a sigh, and looked over her almost empty desk- the paperwork was almost completed, as was everything she had done during the years… there was very little left to do except preside and close the final session of parliament under her reign, and witness the crowning of a new queen.
"Is there anything else you needed me for at the moment, Your Majesty?" Charlotte asked softly, and Clarisse looked up startled. She had forgotten that Charlotte was still standing there, but she knew there was something she wanted to say to her.
"Actually, there is," Clarisse said as she stood and walked around to where Charlotte was standing, before guiding her over to the couch, where they sat down together.
"Is there something wrong, Your Majesty?" Charlotte asked, a little nervous, and Clarisse smiled warmly at the young woman who had been her assistant for over ten years.
"No, there is nothing wrong, Charlotte…" she broke off for a moment, wondering what she was going to say, before suddenly saying: "I hear that you want to become a member of parliament?"
She hadn't intending on saying that, but it seemed like a good opener for what she really wanted to say.
"Yes," Charlotte blushed modestly. "Lily is planning on returning to Genovia after she finishes graduate school in December, and I think it might be time to begin a new chapter as well…"
"You would do very well in parliament, Charlotte," Clarisse said seriously. "You have a solid knowledge of both palace protocol and Genovia itself… I would be very happy to recommend you to both Mia and Sebastian, if you wish…"
"Thank you, Your Majesty… that would be great," Clarisse said modestly again- she had wanted to ask if Clarisse could do that, but she had been surprised that Clarisse herself had offered to do it.
"Anyway, there is something else…" Clarisse looked down at her hands for a moment before looking up at Charlotte again. "I just wanted to thank you for being there the other night… I know I was dreadfully upset, and probably didn't make a whole lot of sense, but… thank you for just being there and listening to me."
She was a little embarrassed about mentioning that evening- it was an evening she would rather forget, but she didn't want to miss acknowledging Charlotte going beyond the call of duty as a personal assistant… she had been a friend.
"It was a privilege, Your Majesty," Charlotte said quietly, thinking back on that night. She had never seen Clarisse as vulnerable and distressed as she had been that night, and she was pleased that she had helped, even if it was only a little.
"It was nothing just to be there… I have to confess that I've known about the two of you for a long time…"
She then told Clarisse about the time she had seen them looking at each other in a certain way, which had confirmed her suspicions, and Clarisse had only laughed at her in amusement.
"I always suspected that you knew about us… But, anyway, thank you for your discretion and loyalty in that area as well… "
"It made me happy to see how blissful you were and are with him, and if I could have done anything for you, I would have… and now, you're going to have all the happiness in the world with Joseph…"
Charlotte was aware of how dry it sounded, and it didn't seem to capture her feelings so much, but Clarisse smiled understandingly.
"Yes, I will…" she looked away for a moment, a dreamy expression on her face as she thought about the lifetime of happiness she would have with Joseph, before smiling at Charlotte fondly.
0000
The final session of parliament was a bittersweet mixture of happiness and celebration (with the arrival of a new Queen), as well as sadness and reflection as Clarisse ended her long reign. Joseph had wondered how she would feel when it came to this day, and he asked her that when they were getting dressed for the final session.
"How are you feeling?" he asked as he shrugged his suit jacket on, and she smiled at him in the mirror- even though he didn't need to dress up, he had put his best navy blue suit on for the occasion, and looked as handsome as ever.
She turned to give him her full attention, and he whistled- she looked stunning in a blue suit that set off her blue eyes and fair complexion to perfection, and she couldn't help but laugh. She hadn't got all that many compliments from Rupert, but she knew that she would never get a negative comment from Joseph about how she looked- he loved everything she wore- and although it still made her feel a little embarrassed, she did appreciate and love his open admiration and adoration.
"I am a little sad that this, for me, is almost over- I've been Queen for so long that it's going to take a little getting used to not being Queen anymore, but Mia is going to make a wonderful Queen. To think, I won't be Queen this time tomorrow afternoon…" she looked pensively out of the window for a moment, before looking at him with a radiant smile.
"But I am looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you which is, if I say it only to you, even better than being Queen…"
She walked over to smile at him, and brushed her hand against his cheek affectionately.
"I'm looking forward to doing the same with you," he admitted as he kissed her gloved hand and squeezed it gently, before she looped her arm through his. "Are you ready for your last session of parliament… ever?"
"Yes, I am," she returned with a loving squeeze of his arm, before she couldn't resist teasing him. "I assume that you're going to be there as well?"
"As if I would be anywhere else when my wife and Queen is farewelling her parliament…" She smiled affectionately at him- she really loved it when he said 'wife' before Queen, because she now felt more of a wife than a Queen…
000
And so, Joseph found himself standing in the public gallery, along with Mia, smiling proudly as Clarisse (after the guards announced her arrival) walked calmly up to her seat. Almost all of the members of parliament were there (Viscount Mabrey conspicuously absent) She greeted the Prime Minister with a smile, sat down and indicated that everyone else could do the same.
"How on earth am I going to be able to follow a class act like her?" Mia murmured next to him, and he turned to her with a smile.
"You won't be following 'an act like her' as you call it, but making your own legacy… and, in case you hadn't noticed, you are more like her than you realise," he murmured in return, and Mia only blushed before they turned back to watch the proceedings.
After the normal business part of the session, Sebastian stood up and, in his capacity as Prime Minister of Genovia, gave Clarisse a warm farewell speech, indexing everything she had done within her reign, both as Rupert's consort, and as Queen in her own right. Joseph had known about a lot of what she had done, but even he was stunned to realise how much she had actually done in her years, and Mia was almost open mouthed with awe.
Clarisse, meanwhile, sat calmly in her chair, slightly embarrassed at having all her accomplishments read out… she almost laughed when she saw the awe and admiration on both Joseph's and Mia's faces, but she managed to contain it.
"…So, on behalf of both the members of this honoured body, as well as the people of Genovia, I would like to thank you for your dedication and devotion to Genovia over the years, and we wish you all the happiness in the world," Sebastian finished before leading the room in a standing ovation, including the public gallery.
Clarisse bit her lip hard, tears welling in her eyes, as she smiled around at the people she had worked with for so long. It was going to be strange to not be doing this any more, but she knew she was ready…
After the applause died down, she stood up, ready to give them a simple speech… she was almost overwhelmed with emotion… so much had happened in the past week that she hadn't had time to think about, but she would eventually think about it.
"All I can say is," she began after taking a deep breath, allowing herself to cool her emotions down. "It has been my privilege and honour to work with such a distinguished and dedicated group of parliamentarians, and I have enjoyed every moment of working with you all, and ruling the country I love so much. I wish you all the best for the future, but I know that you will be in safe hands with Amelia…" she paused, looking directly at her granddaughter for a split second, who blushed hotly.
"Thank you very much," Clarisse finished with a soft smile as everyone started clapping again.
After Sebastian pressed her hand warmly one time, she slowly made her way off her podium and through the crowd of parliament members, smiling at them, and allowing them to press her hand. When she finally made it where Joseph and Mia were standing, beaming proudly, and Mia clapping loudly, Joseph was ready, as had been his habit for so long, to follow her out of the room, but when she looped her arm through his, he knew where his place would be from now on… right next to her.
They walked quietly out of the parliament, the sound of applause ringing in their ears, and Joseph waited until they were walking upstairs before he moved his arm down to her waist, pulling her closer to him.
"You were magnificent, sweetheart… you had all of them eating out of the palm of your hand today… just like you have had them doing for your entire reign!"
Clarisse laughed quietly and looked over at Joseph with a slightly pointed look.
'Not for my entire reign… and I'm sure there are still a few people in there who are on Arthur Mabrey's side!"
"Don't think about that," Joseph said sensibly as the guards opened the door to their suite, and they walked inside. "Who cares about that at all…Mia's got a great deal going for her, and she's going to do great… So, how are you feeling now?"
"Honestly, darling, I may be a little nostalgic about finishing this, but it's more in terms of having done it so long that I can't imagine what I'll do now… but I'm actually rather relieved. I did enjoy what I did, but just dealing with all of those men all the time was just…" she rolled her eyes exasperatedly at the memory.
"I'm just a little concerned that Mia might be intimidated by them at first."
"We both know she's going to do fine… So," he said, changing the subject. "What are we going to do now? The rehearsal for the coronation isn't for a couple of hours… we could go for a walk or…"
"I'm sure we'll think of something," Clarisse said laughingly as she lightly tossed her gloves and jacket onto her empty desk and, taking him by the hand, lead him towards the bedroom…
The morning of the coronation dawned bright and clear, and Joseph was awake early, thinking about what was about to happen that day. He glanced over at Clarisse, still asleep, who was snuggled up next to him, and wondered how she would feel at the end of the day… although she had been Queen Consort for a good many years of her life, she had been Queen for seven years, which was a long time as well…
The coronation rehearsal the previous evening had been uproariously funny- excitement at the coronation was at fever pitch both inside and outside the palace, and it was hard to keep a smile off anyone's face that evening. Clarisse and Mia had rehearsed for almost two hours, and Clarisse finally decided to finish when Mia slipped off the bottom step and fallen onto her backside. Before anyone could run over to check and see if she was alright, she was laughing almost too hard to be able to stand up, and everyone relaxed when they realised she wasn't hurt.
"I think we've done it enough," Clarisse chuckled as Mia, playing the clown, pretended to limp up the stairs, holding her back and an expression of mock pain on her face. Joseph had been laughing softly from his position, but was relieved when the rehearsal was over. He needed to ask Clarisse about his position close to the podium.
"Why do I have to stand there?" he finally asked when they went back upstairs, and Clarisse beamed happily at him, but there was a slightly puzzled look in her eyes. "I would have been much happier in a corner somewhere, away from the crowd."
"Oh darling, I wouldn't have let you hide in the corner… you are standing in the second most important position in the ballroom because you are one of the most important people in both mine and Mia's lives… You are my husband, and you deserve to have a good spot… And," she added with a sly grin at him. "I may need you to hold me up after the ceremony… I suspect I may need it!"
He grinned as he thought of what had happened the previous evening, and he wouldn't blame her in the slightest when she got emotional… He grinned at her sleeping form for a moment before realising the surprise he had organised for her… He carefully slipped out of bed, before padding quietly out into the living room where the maids had already set up their breakfast on a tray, as well as the vase of red and white roses he had requested, and he slipped a small jewel box onto the tray near the vase.
When he walked back into the room, he found that she was now awake, and sitting up in bed. Her eyes widened with surprise as he carefully put the tray on the bed, and sat the vase of roses on the bedside table next to her.
"What are they…" she began before he leaned over and kissed her good morning.
"Good morning, my love… don't you usually begin your day with a 'good morning'?" he teased when they broke apart, and she blushed even more… she still had to get used to the fact that she was married to him (finally), and she still wasn't used to the intensity of her feelings for him..
"Yes… good morning, darling… but, what are they for?" she turned to look at the roses sitting innocently on the bedside cabinet, and leaning forward to smell them.
"I just thought that I would give you some flowers…" he shrugged carelessly, and she smiled at him.
"Thank you… I love them, and I love you…" she leaned forward to kiss him. She looked down at their breakfast tray, and she then spotted the small black jewel box sitting between their tea cups.
"What's that?"
"Why don't you open it and find out?"
She picked the box up, and slowly opened up and gasped when she saw a small diamond ring, encircled with even smaller diamonds, and a white gold band.
"Joseph… this is beautiful!"
"I know it's rather backwards- we've been married a week, and had our honeymoon, and now I'm giving you an engagement ring… I was going to give it to you that night, but… I thought that I could give it to you now… I know it's not as big as the one Rupert gave you, but…"
"I don't care… I love it more than anything- it's exactly what I wanted!" Clarisse, almost crying with joy, leant over and hugged him, before kissing him.
"Are you going to put it on?"
"I'd be happy to do that…" he replied teasingly as he slipped it on next to her wedding band, and she gazed at the two rings tenderly for a moment, before Joseph changed the subject.
"So… today is the big day… in a few hours, you will no longer be Queen… how does that make you feel?" He pretended to sound like a reporter, waving a pretend microphone in her face, and she waved it away with a smile.
"It feels… wonderful," she said slowly after a moment. "I was ready to leave all of this behind a long time ago, and I can't believe this moment has finally arrived… alright, I'm a little sad, but I'm happy as well… Mia will be a wonderful Queen, and it's time to move on… I just thought that, although I won't be Queen anymore, I will still have a title… your wife!" she beamed happily at him, and he chuckled as he leaned over and nuzzled her neck.
"Much as you wish it was only that, you will always be Queen… and you will always be a Queen to me!"
"Maybe so, but being your wife, and Mia's grandmother, means more to me now than anything else," Clarisse said softly as she stroked his face affectionately.
0000
The morning seemed to fly by in moments as both present and future Queens spent the morning in their respective suites, preparing for the biggest moment in both their lives. Joseph had disappeared while she was getting ready, just to help Scott with a few minor issues regarding the coronation, and he had been stunned into silence when he had come back into the room and saw her. She spun around flirtatiously on the spot for him, and then asked:
"What do you think?" in a flirty tone, and he had just stared at her for a moment before striding over and kissing her decisively. "I guess you like it then," she joked lightly after they broke apart, and Joseph only nodded silently. To him, she was the most beautiful woman in the world…
"I wonder how Mia is feeling," Clarisse said thoughtfully as she sat gingerly down in her chair, now ready to have the crown put on her head. She wished she had had time to see her granddaughter for a few moments before the coronation, but there simply hadn't been any time…
"I'm sure she's fine… but how are you?" he asked as he pulled a chair to face hers, and took her hands in his.
"I'm ready… I want this all to be over so that I can get on with my life… with you," she said softly as she squeezed his hands in return. He was about to lean over and kiss her again when there was a discreet knock on the door, and Charlotte entered when bidden.
"Your Majesty…it's time to get into position."
"First, I'll need to have the crown put on," she pointed over to the crown sitting on a velvet cushion on her desk. "And I would like my husband to put it on," she smiled up at Joseph with a smile, and chuckled when she saw the stunned and nervous expression on his face.
"I don't know, Clarisse… surely there would be someone else who could… maybe Charlotte?" he stuttered, a little unnerved by putting the crown on her head.
"Joseph…" Clarisse took both his hands in his, and pressed them against her warm cheek, looking up at him with her big blue eyes. "I want you do this… I want you to finish this journey with me… you're one of the few people I love more than anything, and I want you to be involved in this…" she looked at him with pleading eyes, and he knew that he couldn't resist her.
"Alright…"
He carefully carried the crown with both hands across to where she was sitting, and he gently placed it on top of the tiny coronet that was already there. "Does that feel alright?"
"Perfect," Clarisse said with a smile as she gently touched it before holding her hand out to his, and he helped her up from the chair. "I just forgot how heavy it could be… Charlotte, could you meet me outside?"
After Charlotte disappeared, she smiled at him happily, and he longed to take her into his arms and kiss her again, but he was more than a little nervous about the crown.
"I love you," Clarisse murmured, softly stroking his cheek with her hand. "In just over two hours, I will be Mrs Joseph Bonnell, and that's who I will be forever…"
"I love you too," Joseph said as he pressed her hand to his lips for a moment. "You may be Mrs Bonnell, but you will also be a Queen, no matter what you say…"
00
The coronation was a wonderful moment, and Clarisse was incredibly proud of Mia's poise and lack of nervousness as she descended the stairs, and then sat on the throne with no disasters whatsoever. Clarisse herself was self conscious as she walked down the stairs, careful not to slip at all, but when she finally made it to the bottom, she threw a look at Joseph, who smiled proudly back at her. To her surprise, Lord Nicholas Devereaux was standing beside him, his eyes on Mia…
She felt lost, momentarily, when the Archbishop removed the crown off her head, and she hadn't realised that she had been holding her breath until she let it out… but when she stepped back to watch the ceremony, she knew it was the right moment and the right time…. As Mia walked down through the guard of honour, Clarisse blindly grappled for Joseph's hand and squeezed it tightly… she was finally free…
"You were wonderful," he murmured into her ear as Mia moved to greet the parliamentarians, and Clarisse beamed at him with a broad smile. She had been rather lost for a moment, but Joseph's proud smile made her feel better as Joseph beamed at her, prouder of her than she would ever know.
"Thank you," she replied softly before they stood back and watched Mia greet her people…
The rest of the day seemed to slip by in moments, but Clarisse was more than happy for Mia to have all the attention, but Mia wouldn't allow that… when she went out onto the balcony to greet her people, she insisted that Clarisse be at her side.
"Why…" Clarisse began as Joseph gave her an encouraging nudge in the right direction, and Mia only grinned at her.
"You're still a Queen too, and this is your day as well…"
Mia disappeared soon after to meet with the press, and pose for more photographs before the celebratory ball that night. Clarisse was feeling a little drained as she and Joseph headed upstairs, but as she looked out her windows at the garden, she suddenly felt better… She had liked her life as Queen, but she was looking forward to living her own life, with Joseph…
The ball that night was a wonderful success, and while Mia, with Nicholas at her side, was definitely the centre attention, Clarisse and Joseph managed to attract a fair few curious glances of their own.
"I would have thought that they would have accepted our marriage by now," Clarisse murmured into her ear as they sat at their table, sipping champagne and watching Mia dance with Sebastian Motez.
"Ah, but most of them haven't had a chance to see us as a couple… we've been a rumour for many years, and they still can't believe their eyes that we're actually together!" Joseph pretended to sound wise, and Clarisse chuckled along with him.
"By the way…" she lowered her voice as she looked at Mia, and Nicholas who was watching from the sidelines. "Is it just me, or is Mia in love with young Lord Devereaux?"
"No, it's not your imagination… they really do care about each other, and I'm glad for them."
"Me too," Clarisse said thoughtfully. "I just hope that the press leaves them alone…."
After the dance, Mia immediately came and sat down next to Joseph with a tired grin.
"So, what did you think of the entire day?" she asked as a waiter came over with a glass of champagne for her, and she accepted it gratefully.
"It was a wonderful day… I was very proud of both you and your grandmother…" Joseph squeezed Clarisse's knee affectionately under the table, and Clarisse blushed.
"You were both so beautiful, I think it would be very hard to say who was more beautiful…"
"Don't worry, Joe, I know who you think is beautiful… and I have to agree with you there," Mia said slyly. "Grandma really did look beautiful today, but it's also mostly because of you…"
"Mia!" Clarisse exclaimed, blushing, but Mia only laughed at her reaction. "You were beautiful as well today, darling, and you're going to make a fantastic Queen…"
"All because of you two," Mia leaned over and squeezed their hands. "If you hadn't come to San Francisco to tell me the truth 6 years ago, and if you hadn't been so wise and never gave up me, I wouldn't have had all this… it's been hard, but things that are hard are often the most worthwhile… so, thank you… both of you!"
She glanced over to where Nicholas was grinning at her, and she turned back with a sheepish grin.
"I'd better go… I'll see you later…"
They watched as she dashed over the dance floor to where Nicholas was waiting, and the look they gave each other told both Clarisse and Joe what they had suspected.
"So… would you like to dance?" Joseph asked as he looked around the dance floor- they had already danced several times that night. Clarisse glanced at her watch for a moment, and then smiled tiredly at him.
"I would love to, but I think I may be a little too tired for that…. But thank you anyway…"
"Did you want to sneak out here?" he asked, and the mischievious smile that answered his question told him what she wanted to do.
With very little fanfare, and no one noticing them, they quietly snuck out of the room and the door closed behind them with a quiet snap.
"We did it!" Clarisse cried victoriously as they began walking down the hallway towards the stairs, and she cuddled up close to him.
There was a long pause before Joseph asked:
"So…. What are we going to do now?"
"Anything we want, darling," Clarisse said with a happy laugh as she led him into the suite, rejoicing over the fact that there was no more restrictions on her time, and no one that she had to please anymore, except Joseph. They really were going to live happily ever after, even though they had never imagined it could happen to them… "Anything we want!"
"All I want is to be with you," Joseph murmured as he encircled her waist with his arms, and she put her arms around his neck.
"That's all I want too… so that's all that matters…. Do you think we're going to live happily ever after?"
"I think… no, I know, we will, Mrs Bonnell… I know we will… FINALLY!" he added with a grin, and they both laughed at the memory of them at the altar, James murmuring that under his breath.
"Finally!" Clarisse murmured happily as he bent down slightly and began kissing her softly.
"Finally," he finished with a smile as he led her towards the bedroom…