addlogcon: Thank you :D- I´m working on that, I have so much stupid school work to do... :(
Prettycrazy: GOOD :) Weeeeeell- we´ll see about that- actually I just wrote something really nice for all your Rupert fans into Little Princess, should be in the part after next- thanks so much for reviewing!
Liesel Meminger: Hey :D Thank you very much- hehe, yeah, there has to be some bantering after all... Our poor girl having a bad day- all that can help is ice cream ;) Well, I absolutely agree with Joe there, the whole king business is a little scary- Well, I´ll post the next part RIGHT NOW, hope you´ll have fun with it as well!
JUJUChick16: I´m afraid it´ll have to wait till the weekend at least, I´m really really busy with school work- but I´m on it- I´ll update this one now, enjoy :D
Captain Weirdo: Good question lol ;) I hope it will get interesting, I´m working on that- thanks again for reviewing!
bluegirl-783: Hm... Probably ;D I like getting those tiny tender moments in here, glad you appreciate it- well yes, she is worried of course but what can she do about it, she´ll just have to wait and see how it will feel...
"Ready?"
The queen looked up from the desk.
"Almost-" she signed the last paper on her desk with a flourish and put her pend down, smiling at Josef.
"That´s it for tonight."
"Good- your maids will serve dinner in fifteen minutes."
"Wonderful, I´m so hungry, do you happen to know what it is?"
"I believe I´ve heard something about salmon, would that agree with Your Majesty?"
"Very much so- has Charlotte gone out? I told her to have some fun but knowing her she won´t listen."
"She did listen actually, she said she´d visit a friend tonight."
"Good for her, I make her work too hard but there´s simply so much to do, I should have two people on the job."
"Charlotte would be highly disappointed."
"I know- come on, let´s go and have dinner- speaking of Charlotte, what have you told her?"
"Oh, nothing too unusual, I said we would talk about the princess´s entrance at the state dinner and then try to work out a seating order- she objected and said that this was part of her job and I reminded her that she hates thinking about seating arrangements and that it was as much my concern who was allowed anywhere near you or the princess, so she went for that."
"Very well, that should do then- did she say when she would be back?"
"I think she will spend the night at her friend´s place- and she assured me it´s a female friend" Josef added as Clarisse looked surprised.
"Oh, well, I suppose I wouldn´t be in any position to say something against it if it was not" the queen mused, then looked apologetically at Josef as he held the door to her room open for her.
"I´m sorry, I didn´t mean for it to sound as though I´d regret it, it´s just a fact."
"I suppose you are right- I´ll alert the kitchen that you are ready for dinner."
Josef reached for the phone on the queen´s bedside table and dialed a number, arranging for their dinner to be brought up, then he hung up again and sat down opposite Clarisse by the small table at the window.
He then spread some papers all over the table and when Clarisse´s maid came in with their food they were deeply immersed in a discussion about the upcoming ball.
The maid had just left when Josef´s cell phone rang and when he picked it up he smiled amusedly at the queen.
"Hello, Charlotte- no, everything is perfectly fine. Yes, she´s sitting right opposite me. Of course I will- so are you having fun? Good- no, that´s perfectly fine- yes, I´ll tell her that- goodnight, Charlotte."
He switched the phone off, then looked up at Clarisse.
"She asked if everything was all right and she wants me to tell you that you can reach her anytime if you need her- oh and she asked if I thought it was really ok if she stayed out tonight and I assured her it was- I think that´s it- oh and she wishes you a pleasant night."
"Thank you- the poor girl, she never stops worrying, does she."
"No, obviously not- now let´s start eating, this looks far too good to let it get cold."
They ate in silence for a while, enjoying the delicious salmon and when they had finished their meal Josef looked at his watch.
"Shall we go for a walk in the garden?"
"That´s a wonderful idea- and we´ll get some tea from the kitchen on the way back upstairs."
"Of course, tea- how could you survive an hour without tea."
The queen smiled as she led the way over to the door.
"I admit it would be hard but I might manage- it would depend on how good the distraction is."
"Your Majesty, I´m surprised at you- I´ve never heard that kind of language from you before."
"Must be your influence" she teased him, her hand lightly brushing against his before she started to walk down the corridor with Josef in her wake.
--
They had just arrived back in Clarisse´s room, both carrying a cup of tea, when Clarisse´s phone rang.
She looked apologetically at Josef before picking up the phone, then she briefly closed her eyes as she heard her husband´s voice.
"Hello, Rupert."
Josef tenses but kept looking down at the magazine he had been flicking through as though Clarisse talking to her husband wasn´t effecting him at all.
"Good evening, Darling- how was your day?"
"It was fine- a little stressful but not too bad- how was your´s?"
"Not bad, just boring- I can´t wait until I board that plane next week."
"Yes- how is Maurice?"
"A little moody, I keep telling him that you will be back soon but he doesn´t seem to believe me- I probably should hold the phone to his ear sometimes."
"That might be a good idea- so what are you going to do tonight?"
"I´ll have dinner with Sebastian, he wants to make sure I won´t forget him till next week."
"Dear Sebastian- I´ll be glad to see him on Friday."
"I will tell him that, he will be delighted- are you going to bed now?"
Clarisse bit her lip, trying desperately to get her racing heart beat back under control until she finally decided to just get it over with.
"Yes, I´m awfully tired, it´s been a long day- I´ll talk to you tomorrow?"
"Of course, Darling- sweet dreams."
"Thank you- have a good day, Rupert."
Clarisse put teh phone back and looked up, meeting Josef´s gaze over his magazine.
"Are you all right?"
He asked, sounding concerned and the queen sighed tenderly back at him.
"I should ask you that, not the other way around- do you want something sweet?
"Are you talking about chocolate?"
Clarisse´s smile widened.
"Actually I was talking about chocolate- but if you have something else in mind I might reconsider."