A/N: Thanks to my readers and reviewers, you all rock!

The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me

Joseph showered as quickly as he possibly could, feeling nervous and guilty (his feeling of relaxation long since dissipated, probably since he had seen Her Majesty waiting by his doorway) and knowing what the inevitable result was going to be for leaving the palace when he was supposed to be on duty.

He shouldn't have let the palace, he shouldn't have left Her Majesty in the lurch (even if she hadn't had anything on her schedule for the day) and, judging by her demeanour (while calm, even and neutral, he could sense something underneath), he knew that she was angry and she was going to be dressed down severely, if not fired. Her Majesty very rarely lost her temper- the angrier she got, the calmer and more composed she became, and at this moment, her calmness was an indicator that she was very, very angry.

As he dressed, Joseph wondered how his 'firing' was going transpire- would Clarisse… Her Majesty be abrupt and to the point, the meeting over in less than ten minutes or would she give him a lengthy lecture about his conduct and THEN demand his reputation.

From past observations, she was usually of the former technique while her husband was of the latter- either why, a dismissal from the royal couple could be brutal.

He also couldn't help but wonder what he would do once he was forced from the palace (and Joe knew he was being oddly distant and unbothered by his potential unemployment, he was more bothered about the fact that he probably wouldn't see her again)- he knew he would have a good pension, of course and probably a grace and favour house in Pyrus (courtesy of the royal family) but suddenly it didn't seem as appealing as he imagined…even envisioning the moment of truth didn't seem as appealing…

"Joseph?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"You have been a dedicated and hardworking member of staff, but due to your recent behaviour, I have no alternative but to terminate your employment. Of course, you will have your retirement package…."

He hastily dressed in his usual black, black trousers and shirt, and examined himself in the mirror, dreading what was going to happen but he knew it was justified…

Not much use keeping her waiting, he told himself- the more time he kept her waiting, the more difficult the situation was going to be, the angrier she was going to be….

0

Meanwhile, Clarisse was sitting in her study and trying desperately not to pace, as she had been doing since seven o'clock when young Scott had come into her study and informed her that Joseph still hadn't returned or turned on his phone. It was then that she came to her decision that they had decided on earlier in the day….

"What shall I tell my men? What do you want us to do now?" Scott inquired.

"What we had discussed earlier," Clarisse said firmly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Scott, 'm sure- this will work… do I have your support?"

"You do, ma'am, as well as my men… do I have your permission to inform them of… the plan?"

"Yes, I've already informed Charlotte so everything is prepared… will you be alright in our absence tomorrow?"

"We'll be more than alright, Your Majesty- with your absence, the pressure on us will be less than usual…" before Scott mentally kicked himself- he was talking to the Queen and, as usual, his big mouth had led him into trouble…

"It's alright, Scott, I understand… you all need a break as well," the Queen said reassuringly- he had more than rose to the call of duty and she appreciated his efforts. Yes, he was usually in Joseph's shadow (which was to be expected) and yes, he had a way of 'putting his foot in it' (Joseph and Charlotte regularly complained about him, Joseph more than Charlotte) but he also knew what he was doing and she couldn't fault him for that.

Either way, he was a model employee and protected her to the best of his ability… only one man beat him in that ability- Joseph…..

Suddenly, a knock on the door broke into her thoughts, almost exactly fifteen minutes after she had made her request and there was a momentary pause… why exactly was she nervous about facing him?

"Come in," she said finally, standing up and facing the door as it slowly opened and Joseph stepped into the room, looking cautious.

"Thank you for coming," she said politely as he closed the door behind him and moved slowly towards her.

"I didn't really have a choice," he said simply and she nodded.

"No, you didn't. Please, sit," she waved toward the sofa nearest her desk and he cautiously sat down on it, Clarisse following seconds later.

"I suppose you have no choice but to terminate my employment," he almost mumbled, ready to face the music as soon as possible.

"Why would you say that?" Clarisse was surprised, but not as surprised as Joseph as he looked up to discover her watching him, her expression a little warmer than before.

"I left my post and neglected my duty to you, that is instant dismissal right there."

"Maybe in Rupert's time, but I'm a little more tolerant than he was," she shrugged and Joseph suddenly looked puzzled.

"But…"

"Do you WANT me to fire you, Joseph?" she asked, her tone a little sharper but her expression still warm and kind.

"No, no I don't, ma'am… but…."

"Then stop mentioning being fired and terminated. Would you like a drink?" she stood up and strolled towards the small bar that was in the corner of the room.

"No, thank you, ma'am."

"I think you need one, and I'll join you… although I don't usually drink Scotch," before she expertly mixed up two drinks and returning to the sofa, handing one to him as she sat down.

"Thanks," he muttered before taking a sip, still aware that she was watching him closely.

"What's wrong, Joseph?" Clarisse finally asked- it was clear that he had convinced himself that he was going to be fired and was behaving as such, but she had no intention of doing so.

"There's nothing wrong, Your Majesty," Joseph kept his eyes down on his glass, not wanting to meet her eyes- suddenly, being alone with her and she wasn't angry but concerned, made him feel ashamed, not only for his behaviour for today but for his behaviour for the past couple of months.

"Joseph. Joseph, look at me," she said gently and he finally looked up to meet compassionate blue eyes. "I don't believe you."

"There is nothing wrong, Your Majesty. I'm fine."

"Really? If you were fine, you wouldn't have lost your temper this morning and stormed out of the palace, leaving and allowing no contact for the entire day. I don't think that's normal behaviour from you, Joseph, and you know that it isn't normal for you either. Now, we are not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on," she said, her expression still warm but her tone was sharp and commanding, suddenly becoming Queen again rather than being just Clarisse.

"Alright. Alright," he repeated, letting out a long, slow sigh and sitting back on the sofa. "I guess it's all just built up over the past few months… things haven't necessarily worked out very well in the security hub…."

"It was hardly your fault that the intern wasn't the cleverest boy on the team," Clarisse knew what he was referring to. "Neither you or Shades were to know what he was like, nor while I'll admit that there were several occasions when he really pushed the boundaries…"

"Don't remind me," he growled.

"I also know that he was very young and relatively inexperienced- but that wasn't your fault. What else is bothering you?"

"Your schedule…."

"Oh well, that happens from time to time. It happened to Rupert as well."

"I can recall how he reacted when there were problems in his schedule…" The King's temper was famed and furious and he had been an eyewitness to it on several occasions.

"That was Rupert, I'm me… and while I wasn't particularly pleased when it happened, it was all amended and that was what mattered. You handled the issue quite well."

"Still…."

"Joseph, you don't have to keep reliving these over and over again- it's not healthy and I have a feeling that you have been working overtime for quite some time and haven't had a break… until today, that is."

"Which was a mistake. You could have been in a danger."

"I could have, but thankfully I didn't have to leave the palace today and Scott and the rest of the men handled things quite well. You don't have to oversee everything, you know."

"I am your Head of Security…"

"I know that, but I also know that my Head of Security needs a break some time. When is the last time you actually had a weekend off?"

"Sometime last year," he shrugged- to be honest, he really hadn't had a weekend off in at least a year.

"More like the November before last," Clarisse said calmly and he looked at her, surprised. "You knew that….?"

"I had Scott look it up for me. Joseph," she moved closer to him and rested a hand gently on his knee. "That is NOT healthy, you need a break… a longer break than a day or two. You need a holiday."

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" he tried to joke but he was painfully aware of her hand resting on his knee and her proximity to him.

"No, never," she said firmly. "But for the sake of your health and sanity, you need some time off."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I don't think Scott is up to becoming acting HOS."

"He did quite well today, and he IS your second in command."

"I know that, he's quite competent in most aspects, but he's not me."

"Yes, we both know that he's not you, but I'm sure he would be able to handle a week without you here."

"No," he said flatly and defiantly and Clarisse threw her hands up in exasperation.

"You are the most exasperating man I've ever met! I offer you time off but you turn it down! I could insist on you having time off!"

"Sorry," he shrugged with a grin. "I'm fine, today really helped me get things back into perspective. Besides, it would be a little…. semi nepotism if you INSISTED your HOS had time off… there would be questions, stories, rumours….and I don't want your reputation ruined by that."

"So what?" she tried to shrug flippantly but he saw right through it.

"You care and I care too… you don't need any additional problems at the moment. So, I will be back again tomorrow, and I'm sure I will let you know if I need a break," he said as he stood up, setting the glass down on the table and turning back towards her. "I'll report to you about nine o'clock tomorrow…"

"I think that might be a bit late in the day," Clarisse almost smirked as she stood up.

"What do you mean? That's the usual time we have a meeting."

"Yes, but we're not having a meeting tomorrow," she was enjoying his confusion, although she was looking forward to telling him what they were actually planning to do tomorrow.

"So… what are we doing?" Joseph was suddenly wondering whether she wasn't going to fire him, although she usually didn't play games like that.

"Can you be ready by 7 in the morning?"

"Seven in the morning? What for?" his confusion was heightened.

"I have a surprise for you, but you're just going to have to wait and see what it is… so, can you be here at seven tomorrow morning?"

"Yes, I can be… but…."

"Joseph, you're just going to have to wait and see," she gave him a coy smile reaching out and caressing his cheek with her hand before moving towards the door, Joseph in her wake.

"You do trust me, don't you?" she turned to give him a meaningful look and he nodded.

"I do."

"Then you're just going to have to wait and see… Good night, Joseph."

"Good night, Your Majesty."