Sorry for the long delay, I was on holiday and now I´m in the midst of graduation- quick question to begin with, would anyone be interested in reading a Victor/Victoria and/or a My Fair lady story because then I´d write something sometime soon- thanks for all the great reviews and please keep reading!
JUJUChick16: There´s nothing like a romantic guy, is there ;) Thank you very much!
addlogcon: Thanks- sorry, in the next part and I think I´ll update Coconut later with some action in it... Just busy with my exam!
bluegirl-783: Thank you- well, up to now Mia is just her usual cheeky self but she´ll start suspecting something soon and I suppose it´ll lead to some nice conflicts... Especially if I should be mean and decide to make Mia get along with her grandfather really well... ;)
LochinbluSpirit: Thank you very much- well, I´m graduating right now- at least I´m trying- so I don´t have enough time, it´ll get better again eventually!
Prettycrazy: Thanks- lol, of course that´s what Joe is doing- naw, Rupert will cause enough trouble once he´s there, besides Sebastian is arriving now and that´ll provide enough complications for one week.
Captain Weido: Thanks- hehe, nothing but cheeeeeeky Mia!
They had arrived in the kitchen and Clarisse started making tea while Josef searched for something to eat.
"You are always hungry, aren´t you?"
The queen asked, sounding amused.
"Obviously- does that mean that you don´t want chocolate cake?"
"Oh well- I can´t let you eat it all by yourself, you might get sick."
"How very thoughtful of you- you should get out of this dress before you start eating sticky cake though, it would be a shame if you smeared chocolate all over it."
"Excuse me? I never smear anything anywhere."
"Ok, ok- you should take it off anyway, if you don´t how are you going to carry the tray upstairs?"
Clarisse glared playfully at him.
"You are so awful- I will hold my dress up on the way, like I always do and you are going to take the tray."
Josef smiled as he opened the fridge and took out a plate with chocolate cake.
"All right, it was worth a try- go on, we have far better chances to get upstairs without being seen if we go separately."
--
"What kept you?"
Clarisse´s innocent question went completely unnoticed by Josef, he was far too busy looking at her sitting on the bed in a pale pink silk dressing gown that had glided off her shoulder far enough to allow a glimpse at the pink lace her lingerie was made of.
Josef put the tray down on the bedside table and sat down next to the queen, still looking at her and he could detect the amusement in her blue eyes.
"Anything wrong?"
"Not at all, quite the contrary- if I´d die right now I´d die a very happy man."
"I never knew you were that easily satisfied" she teased but captured his hands in her´s when he reached for her.
"Don´t even think about it, I want my tea first- and cake."
"Are you sure you don´t want to smear it all over you?"
Josef asked coyly, causing Clarisse to gasp.
"You are such a cad, it´s impossible- you are going to keep those hands of yours in check until I´m finished eating."
"FIne, I´ll do my best."
"How very reassuring- are you sure your best will be good enough?"
"It isn´t?"
"Oh, what am I going to do with you?"
"I have some ideas."
"Don´t act on them- yet."
"Now who is being cheeky now?"
"I never said I wasn´t but I am the queen, so I get to be cheeky, you are supposed to be responsible and serious."
"I see, well, bad luck for me then."
Josef took the platter with cake and put a slice on each of their plates, then picked up his fork.
"Since I am not going to win this argument I´ll be concentrating on the cake" he stated and the queen laughed as she picked up her own plate and fork.
"A smart thing to do if you ask me."
"We have to practice waving?"
The princess asked, sounding incredulous but Clarisse waved the question aside, impatient to get started.
"We do indeed- now sit down."
She exchanged a glance with Josef who looked as though he had to bite his lip to keep himself from smiling, then sat down next to Mia and started to explain the art of waving the right way to her granddaughter.
Josef excused himself some time later to pick up the prime minister and Clarisse turned to her granddaughter.
"That is it for today, Amelia- do you want to stay until Josef comes back with Sebastian or would you prefer to meet him tomorrow at the dinner?"
"If that´s ok I´ll go home, I think I´d rather meet him when I´m all dressed up and all that."
"As you wish- Charlotte will find someone to take you home for you, if you excuse me then, I have to change for dinner- I´ll see you tomorrow at five to get ready for the dinner?"
"Yeah, sure- bye, Grandma."
Clarisse smiled at the girl, then called Charlotte in and asked her to find a chauffeur for the princess before she left the office and went upstairs to her rooms.
She had just finished dressing when there was a knock at the door and when she opened it she found Josef outside.
"Sebastian and Sheila are settling into their room right now, Marissa is out in the garden with Charlotte- is the princess at home already?"
"Yes, she said she´d rather meet them all tomorrow- that probably is a good idea, we can answer all questions tonight without Amelia being present."
Josef closed the door behind himself and sat down on the bed while watching Clarisse put on her lipstick.
"You don´t need any of this, you know- you are perfect without it all."
She smiled at him in the mirror.
"Thank you- I have a feeling you are prejudiced in my favor somehow though."
"How could I not be- it´s pointless to put on lipstick though."
"I´m able to eat and drink without smearing my lipstick all over my fork and glass, Josef."
"That´s not what I meant."
His face was expressionless and it took Clarisse a moment to understand his comment, then she shook her head.
"It´s kiss proofed as well."
"We´ll see about that later- now come on, we´ll be late- just like always."
"Just because I´m deeply and desperately in love with you doesn´t mean you get to be impertinent."
"I am deeply sorry, Your Majesty- is there anything I can do to make it up to you again?"
"Not right now, you will have to wait until later- and we have to be really careful, now that Sebastian and Sheila are here" she added, more seriously.