As usual, nothing looked as bleak in the morning as it had the night before, but Clarisse was still relieved that Joseph came to find her fairly early in the day. She had a free half hour and she retreated to the garden, where he followed her.

"Good morning, my dear," he greeted her.

Clarisse smiled. "I like it when you call me that."

"And believe me, I like saying it. But something's troubling you, Clarisse. Is it just what you told me last night? That you're worried about Mia? Or is there more to it?"

"Everything I said last night was true."

"But?" he prompted.

"But the rest is a little harder to explain."

"Please try."

She nodded. "I worry about Mia, naturally. I love her and I want her to be successful, to lead Genovia confidently into the future. But I worry about my own future, too. I know I won't disappear from public life the moment of her coronation, but I don't really know what it will mean to no longer be the Queen of Genovia. It's who I am and who I have been for a very long time. Once that's gone, I don't know who I'll be."

Joseph took her hand. "I've known you for some time now and I can assure you that you are much more than simply a queen."

Clarisse was uncertain. "I hope so."

"I know so. I remember watching you and Mia learning to love each other in San Francisco five years ago. You weren't just the Queen then. You were a grandmother, a mother, a friend - a woman with her own unique set of flaws and qualities. And you're that same woman now, whether you'll be queen for a few days or a few decades."

"I should have known you would say just the right thing, Joseph."

"I simply pointed out your humanity."

"And that was exactly what I needed."

He smiled. "Well I hope you'll stay and walk with me a little while longer."

"Of course I will. I've been looking forward to a chat with you since before you got back. What's the last film you watched?"

"Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, though I'd seen it before."

"I should hope so! What kind of Almodóvar aficionado would you be if you hadn't?"

"I don't know if aficionado is the right word."

"Well, all I can say is that the title of that movie makes it sound perfectly frightful."

"Do you mean to tell me you've never seen it?!"

"That's exactly what I mean."

"Oh, Clarisse, you must watch it."

"No, thank you."

"It's not as frightful as it sounds. It's quite funny, actually."

"Joseph."

"You may not claim to be an Almodóvar aficionado, but you can't pass this one by, Clarisse. I won't have it."

"Joseph."

"Say you'll watch it when you have the chance."

"Joseph!"

"I'm prepared to dig in my heels on this one."

Clarisse threw up her hands in surrender and laughed. "All right, you win. And let it be noted that I give way, with good grace."

"How else would you give way?"

"I will be doing a lot of things with good grace today."

"Not least being a session of Parliament that starts in fifteen minutes?" he guessed.

"Yes, and I really must go and prepare for it, much as I might prefer continuing our walk."

"Good luck, my dear."

She smiled and left him in the garden. Joseph was always sorry to see her go, but he was satisfied with their conversation. They had really talked about what was bothering her and then they had talked about a film and then he had teased her and she had laughed and, best of all, no one had interrupted them. He straightened his jacket and turned toward the palace. Back to work.

#####

Charlotte, Mia, and Lilly had gone and Joseph and Clarisse were alone. Charlotte had forgotten to turn off the projector and Andrew Jacoby's photo was still displayed on the screen. They stood shoulder to shoulder behind a large chair. Clarisse rested her elbows on the back of it, her expression pensive.

"And so begins an arranged marriage," Joseph observed.

"Yes," she agreed.

"Is something wrong?"

"I don't know. I just wonder if Mia can really be happy in an arranged marriage. I knew from a fairly young age that I would marry a prince, but she grew up very differently than I did."

"If we're lucky, she'll fall in love with Andrew here." Joseph gestured to the screen.

Clarisse brightened. "I hadn't thought of that."

"Were you happy?"

"I was, actually, in spite of the fact that I wasn't in love with Rupert."

"But you're worried that Mia won't be happy with anything less than a marriage full of tenderness and passion?" he suggested.

She turned to face him, recognizing that his words might have more than one meaning. "There's something to be said for that kind of marriage," she murmured, maintaining eye contact.

Joseph nodded. "Absolutely."

"Thank you for joining us this afternoon, Joseph. It can't have been very entertaining for you."

"On the contrary! I found out how much you like Prince William."

She smiled mischievously. "Now you know my dark secret."

He chuckled. "I don't believe that for a second."

"You think I have no dark secrets?"

"No, I just don't believe that Prince William is one of them," he replied enigmatically.

"What about you? Do you have dark secrets?"

"Only one."

"And?"

Joseph simply shook his head.

"You won't tell me?"

"Not now, I won't. Maybe not ever."

"Never? It must be quite dark," Clarisse suggested.

"You're trying to draw me out, my dear, but it won't work."

She sighed. "It was worth the attempt."

He smiled.

She looked at her watch. "I'm afraid I have to go now, Joseph."

"Yes, I know."

"I'll see you soon."

He nodded, she smiled, and she left the room, leaving Joseph to ponder Andrew Jacoby's face on his own.

#####

Joseph approached the palace in a far different state of mind than when he had left. An hour ago, his step was light and he was prepared to meet the world, knowing that his world, this afternoon, consisted of a walk in the garden with Clarisse. Now he strode away from her, his mood grim. He had felt the time was right, and he had thought she would be receptive to what he had to say. How had he gotten things so completely wrong? Oh, she hadn't turned him down - she'd even promised to think about it - but her reaction had disappointed him deeply. He would have been frankly astounded if she had accepted him immediately, but he had hoped that she might seem happy to receive his proposal. He tried to remember everything they had said, but the memories were already growing blurry in his mind...

"...I think it's time we bring our friendship out of the shadows."

Not the most romantic proposal, granted, but their relationship was different than most.

"Joseph, there's a wedding to be planned, Mia needs to win over the people of Genovia, all in less than thirty days." She had been very concerned with all of the reasons they should not move forward together.

He could almost reflect with satisfaction on the end of the conversation. "Perhaps it's time to consider the duty you have to yourself. Clarisse, my darling, please think about it."

She had shown him something like affection, caressing his cheek as she promised that she would.

Joseph's pace slowed as this moment sank in. He turned and glanced back at the garden but he could not see her. Perhaps he was overreacting. He had often thought of this moment as one of joy and hope, but Clarisse had always been more cautious, even hesitant. Perhaps he had taken her by surprise and she had panicked. He should give her time to think about it. They had been friends for a long time and he would give her a chance to keep her promise. There was still hope.

#####

Once Joseph had gone, Clarisse seated herself on a garden bench and tried to consider what had just happened. He had finally come to the point and proposed to her. She had thought it might be coming, with all of their recent talk about Mia's coronation and about marriage, arranged or otherwise, but she hadn't expected it quite so soon. He had caught her unawares and she was afraid she had reacted badly, going on about Mia and the wedding while he was offering her his heart and hand. She hoped she had communicated at least some of the love she felt when she told him she would think about it. She wanted to marry him, but she wouldn't abandon Mia before she was ready. Her duty to family must come first. One thing he had said kept sticking in her mind, however, causing her anxiety to rise. 'In less than thirty days, I will no longer be your head of security.' In less than thirty days. He had told her once that he could be patient, but not forever. Had he reached his limit? She tried not to consider the consequences of such a possibility.

To be continued…

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