Author's Note: I'm kind of a roll, so here's another chapter & the next will probaby be soon. There are two parts to this chapter, but the second part is shorter than this one!
I'm so glad that you all like this so far and a BIG thank you to: Captain Weirdo, Gynji, addlogcon, tabby-fanny, Kristi-Julie, Zsulie & anyone else who reads it! You guys are all awesome!
The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me.
Joseph was awake first the following morning, and when he looked over at Clarisse, asleep beside him, he smiled- he really didn't want to wake her, despite the plans they had made. He really liked watching her sleep, although it had perturbed her slightly.
"I'm asleep! How can you enjoy watching someone who's unconscious?" she had asked once, upon waking and finding him watching her.
"I just do, that's all," he had said simply.
He had noticed a difference in her in the past year, as compared to the time when Phillipe died. Then, while the cares of the world were temporarily erased from her face in sleep, there was still something troubled in her expression- it was if she was still suffering, even in sleep.
Now, however, there was nothing etched on her face, and she didn't look troubled… she looked happy and content…
Just then…...
"I know what you're doing," she mumbled, her eyes still closed, and Joseph jumped, startled. "You just can't help yourself, can you?" she teased, opening her eyes and looking directly at him.
"No, but if you want to avoid it, you know what the alternative is," he joked as she sat up, and looked at him quizzically. "Wake up earlier and look at me instead!"
"I do," she caressed his cheek gently as they both laughed. "But it's a little hard to do when you always seem to be awake so early… and I'm not going to wake up any earlier…"
"So you might as well just put up with me staring at you!" Joe finished with a grin. "Anyway, good morning my love," he said tenderly, leaning over to kiss her, and she smiled in reply.
"Good morning darling. I suppose we're going to have to get up soon if you want to be there by lunchtime."
"True… I wonder if your maids have brought the papers in," he said thoughtfully as they climbed out of bed.
"Why? I thought you didn't like the publicity, or being referred to as a newlywed," she teased, and Joseph shrugged.
"Just curious," he replied as she, laughing, walked out to retrieve the papers in the living room.
A few seconds later, she came back with a pile of papers, which she placed on the bed, and began perusing the front pages of each.
"What do they say?" he asked as he stepped closer, and she silently passed them to him. He almost growled when he saw the headlines- while their first wedding had generally received positive acclamation, some journalists seemed to feel that they were trying to attract more attention for themselves.
Some of the headlines read: "MARRIAGE ON THE ROCKS- REASON FOR SECOND WEDDING?'; 'WHO WEARS THE PANTS?'; 'ALREADY BORED OR ATTENTION SEEKING?'
Only one headline was supportive; 'A HAPPY ANNIVERSARY SURPRISE- CONGRATULATIONS!'
"Why were they all so negative?" he asked as he tossed the final paper down on the bed in disgust. "They were all begging for confirmation a week ago, and now they decide to do this?"
"Headlines only sell when it's about people that are unhappy," Clarisse said calmly, standing in front of her wardrobe.
"You aren't upset by any of this?" he waved at the papers, and she turned to smile at him warmly.
"No, I'm not- none of this has ever really mattered to me, and I know that there are more important things in life that the press… All that matters is that the people were told, and they can interpret that in any way they wish… Why, are you upset about it?"
"Only on your behalf," he said, a little bashfully, and she walked over to give him a warm hug.
"That is sweet, but I don't really care about this anymore…"
0
After a brief breakfast, they left the suite and discovered that the hallways were still very quiet, but they both knew it wouldn't be long before the halls would be stirring with life. The sun was just over the horizon when they drove out of the palace gates and, thankfully, there were no press position outside the gates.
"It won't be long though," Joe said wisely as they headed north. "I suppose that, despite those negative headlines, they'll be expecting more details from us… Actually, thinking about that, that's maybe why they were so nasty in the headlines- they probably all expected exclusive invitations… But, poor Mia!"
"Yes, but she always likes to take them on…" Clarisse said meditatively, and it was true- in the past year, Mia's confidence had increased greatly, and she was no longer intimidated by the press or their silly innuendos. She knew that it was all nonsense. "I say she'll be rather displeased when she sees those headlines."
"So she will be," Joe said, still indignant at how nasty and cavalier they had been about their special day.
"I only hope that she doesn't decide to fire off a statement in retaliation," Clarisse bit her lip, still deep in thought, and he couldn't help but laugh.
"Believe me, my dear, she may have a temper, but she wouldn't do anything that would embarrass you!"
A little while later, further down the road, Clarisse spoke again.
"Do you still remember the time you brought me here, after…"
"Yes I do, but, if I do remember correctly, you were the one that asked me to bring you out here…"
"I want to go away, Joseph," she suddenly said to him after returning to her study after another interminably long parliament session. It was two weeks after Phillipe's death, and while she had gone back to work a few days after the funeral, it hadn't dimmed or assuaged her grief and pain. She didn't understand why- when Rupert had died, it had helped her greatly, but this time…
The only thing that had seemed to help, even just a little, was the week Joseph had been with her all the time, but even that had ended two days after the funeral, when Joseph had moved back into his own room.
"People will talk even more if I stay any longer, and I don't want you hurt, or your reputation compromised in anyway… but, one day…"
"One day," she repeated softly as he left- they had a secret between them that they would be able to talk about again, when (not if) they were married…
Still, that thought didn't comfort her when he left, and she cried herself to sleep that night, feeling more alone then ever.
"Where would you go?" Joseph suddenly asked, forcing her to collect herself.
"The beach house," she said simply as Joseph raised an eyebrow- it had been Phillipe's, and while it had been bequeathed to Clarisse, he didn't think that it was a good idea- she was still very, very raw…
"Are you sure you really want to go there?"
Clarisse smiled gently at him, knowing what he meant and loving his concern.
"I know what you're thinking, but it's just so quiet and peaceful out there- and the ocean usually has a calming affect on me."
"It's going to be hard," he warned her gently.
"I know, but… would you come with me? I only want you," she looked at him shyly, and he smiled.
"Of course I will."
0
It was a quiet trip out the beach house, and Joe kept looking over at her (she had insisted on sitting in the front seat with him- I'm usually not allowed to, but I'm sure you'll make an exception' she had joked weakly), with concern.
As they got nearer to the beach, he noticed that she was very pale, and kept dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief.
"At least you drove like a civilized person," she murmured as he drove up to the house after re-locking the gates behind them.
She didn't say another word as he helped her out of the car, but she stood, staring at the house, memories almost overwhelming her- it only been a few years since Phillipe, standing almost on this very spot, had shown her this house…
She almost jumped when Joseph appeared at her side, and murmured into her ear:
"Are you alright?"
When he saw that she was weeping quietly, he didn't hesitate to pull her into his arms, allowing her to cry on his shoulder. They had promised to never mention the 'special' night again, but it hadn't changed his feelings for her- in fact, he was more in love and more protective of her than ever.
"I'm sorry…" she finally pulled away, wiping her eyes, and giving him a weak smile.
"It's alright," he said comfortingly. "Do you still want to be here?"
"Yes, I was just remembering when he showed me this place," she explained, before looking at him in a panic- was he going to insist they leave?- but he was quick to reassure her.
"Don't worry, we're not going anywhere- I just wanted to make sure you were still alright about staying here… Come on, let's go in and I'll fix you a cup of tea, although I'm not quite sure HOW tea is going to help you!"
"It seems to solve all problems," she joked weakly as he guided her into the kitchen, and she sat down at the table while he prepared the tea.
"Would you like me to stay in the cottage?" he asked as he sat down opposite her, and she winced slightly. The guest cottage had been built a year back, for the security guards that usually accompanied Phillipe, and Joseph wanted to know if he should stay there, not that he was sure she should stay in the house alone…
"No, I would like you to stay here, in the house- there are two big bedrooms upstairs for your choosing… I feel better knowing that you're near…"
"I am your friend," he began, resting a gentle hand on top of hers.
"Best friend," she interrupted with a warm smile, and he nodded.
"And your bodyguard and no matter what else is happening, you are my priority."
She smiled over at him- she was more in love with him than ever, particularly after that night (which she thought about more often than she would ever admit, even to Joseph), but the most important thing was that he knew that she loved him, and vice versa.
"So…" Joseph said after they had drunk their tea in silence. "Fancy a walk on the beach?" and she smiled at him, relief clearly etched on her face. She had made it over the first hurdle- coming back to the house- and now she was ready to relax.
"I thought you would never ask!"
0
It was only four days, but it definitely helped her to be away from the palace, and the stresses there. They spent half the time talking, mostly about menial things, and half the time in silence, but he didn't care. All that mattered was that he was there for Clarisse. Clarisse, on the other hand, was grateful that he was there…
Joseph was also becoming aware that she was becoming more dependent on him (more than she normally did, as Queen), and he was a little concerned. It wasn't that he didn't like her depending on him, but it also worried him… she was still so vulnerable…
"Clarisse," he began awkwardly on their third day there. "I was just thinking…should you be so dependent on me?"
"Probably not," Clarisse sighed heavily. "Most people made sure to tell me to never completely trust my bodyguards, but you are all I have…"
"You have Pierre," he began, but Clarisse glared at him.
"Pierre!"
"And a granddaughter you haven't met yet…"
"Yes, but it's you that has always been there for me," Clarisse protested, before she realised something- maybe he didn't want her to depend on him… "But, don't you want me to…"
"It's not that… I like it… but I just don't want to see you hurt…" he trailed off as Clarisse smiled over at him trustingly.
"You would never hurt me… I trust you with my life…" before she walked over and hugged him.
0
Later that night, Clarisse was still lying awake, thinking about what he had said earlier, before she decided to see if he was still awake. She stared at his closed door for a moment before she let herself in.
The room was dark, and his steady, even breathing told her that he was asleep, which made her feel relieved as she sat down beside his form on the bed. She stared at his dark shape for a moment, wondering what she could say, before she decided to speak from her heart.
"Joseph… thank you for everything you have done for me," she whispered as she stroked his cheek gently. "You have been my rock for the past few weeks… and the years before that… and I don't know what I would have done without you…. You are my best friend, and I love you…" before she kissed him softly on the cheek.
She looked at him for another moment, wishing that they were together… it would be a dream come true… before she crept out of the room, hoping that he hadn't heard her… It had only been for her alone…
Little did she know… in the darkness of the room, Joe opened his eyes and grinned- he had not been asleep, and it touched him to realise that she appreciated him so much…
"How come you didn't tell me that you heard that?" Clarisse looked mortified.
"I didn't tell you because I knew it was probably something that you didn't want to remember with much affection, and I didn't want to embarrass you by telling you that I had heard you."
"You're always thinking of me, aren't you?" she smiled as she leant over and stroked his hand affectionately. "I would do the same for you…"
"I know you have, and you always will…" Joe returned with an affectionate, loving smile in her direction, and she blushed.
It was lunchtime when they drove into the village closest to the beach house, and Joseph pulled up in front of a grocery store.
"We need to get a few extras…"
"Shall I wait here?" Clarisse asked expectantly.
"Do you want to wait here?" he asked, surprised- he thought it would be fun to do some shopping together, but he didn't want to press.
"Maybe next time I'll come with you, but I'll just wait here this time."
"I won't be long…"Joseph laughed, but he hurried through the shopping, and Clarisse was surprised when he was back in less than ten minutes.
"That was quick… but I'm still here!" she said cheekily as he got back in the car. "But I'm rather pleased to see that you're still acting like my bodyguard," she teased.
"I can't help it, it's built in!" he mock protested.
0
When they finally arrived at the beach house, Joe looked over at Clarisse anxiously, but was happy to see that she didn't look unhappy or troubled- rather, she looked happy and excited.
"It still looks as wonderful as ever!" she said enthusiastically as she surveyed the house, still thinking of Phillipe, but she knew that he would be happy at how everything had turned out.
"Shall I stay in the guest house?" Joseph teased as he unloaded the luggage, as well as a few boxes, from the boot, and Clarisse spun around, horrified.
"Don't you dare, otherwise I'll be coming with you," she joked, winding her arms around his waist playfully as he unlocked the door, and began taking the luggage inside. He was surprised to see Clarisse grab his two suitcases and happily carry them in, and she laughed at his expression.
"I'm not completely useless, Joseph!"
They went upstairs first, carrying some of the suitcases (the others, as well as their lunch waiting downstairs), and entered the main suite.
"It's about time I stayed in the main suite!" Joe joked as he set down the suitcases. "I always thought that this was the best bedroom… not that I'm complaining about the room I stayed in before…" he added hastily as Clarisse looked at him, but she then laughed as she walked over to open the curtains, and the double glass doors.
"I suppose the size of the suite is alright, but there's something else that attracts me," she said before she stepped out onto the balcony, breathing in the scent of the ocean.
"I just love the view…."
"Almost as much as me?" Joseph teased as he joined her on the balcony, and she smiled as she looped her arm through his.
"Almost… but you win out- just," she teased, before leaning over and kissing him on the cheek.
"So… should we have lunch first, or go for a swim?"
"Lunch… I can see that you're just trying to get out of the unpacking," she joked as she followed him downstairs, and he retrieved the white parcel of fish and chips, before they went into the kitchen.
"No, we're not going to need any plates," he said as she opened a cupboard door, and she froze, before giving him a puzzled look.
"Then… what?" she asked as he placed the parcel on the table, on top of two placemats, and began to unwrap it.
"This is something I did when I was a kid… and when I didn't want to wash up," he added slyly as he spread the paper out. "I thought- instead of using cutlery and plates, we should eat with out fingers, and use the paper as a plate."
He chuckled when he saw Clarisse's doubtful expression- she was the epitome of elegance, good manners and being ladylike- and this would be the opposite of what she usually did.
"But, we can use plates," he added as she continued to look doubtful, before she gave a start and smiled at him.
"No, this is fine… I was just thinking about the reactions I would receive if I had insisted on this format at formal dinners!"
"Yes, I can imagine that there would be quite a few horrified expressions," Joseph agreed, laughing along with her. "But you don't have to do this…"
"I want to," Clarisse said honestly, and she did- it was just that she had been told that it was bad manners to eat like that- except for nuts, and fruit.
"Yes, my mother told me that too," Joseph said when she told him, as he held out her chair, and sat down next to her.
"It's hot!" she winced after she picked up her fish carefully and dropping it quickly after that, causing it to crumble into pieces.
"Take only small pieces, so then you don't burn your fingers," he advised as she blew on her fingers.
"Alright," she said cautiously, taking a smaller piece of fish, and blew on it for a long time before eating it. Joseph grinned as he watched her- she was determined to do this, but it was also clear that she wasn't particularly comfortable with it.
"So… how did you enjoy eating with your fingers?" he asked afterwards, and she looked pensive for a moment.
"It's different," she began honestly. "My fingers are a little hot, greasy and salty… it was fun, don't get me wrong, but I don't think I could do it all the time, especially not with hot food… You aren't disappointed, are you?" she looked at him anxiously, and he grinned.
"No, my dear, I suspect that you wouldn't like it."
"I don't understand it- Mia seems to do it all the time, and enjoy it… so much so that I often have to remind her to use her cutlery," she chuckled, but she was also a little confused.
"It's because you're from a different generation, probably one where manners were really more emphasised than now… besides, imagine how it would have looked if the Queen ate with her fingers all the time!" and Clarisse began laughing along with him.
0
After they unpacked- Joe making another smart comment about the amount of luggage Clarisse had brought- Clarisse turned to him with a grin.
"Now we can go swimming."
"Are you going to wear your infamous blue bathing suit?" he inquired, remembering that the last time she had worn it, she had pushed him into the lake.
"Maybe," she replied teasingly, before disappearing into the bathroom to get changed.
As usual, Clarisse looked stunning, but she gave him an approving whistle when he stripped off his pants and shirt down at the beach. He had always had a good physique (maintained by years of going to the gym), but he looked fantastic in his swimmers.
"Why is it," Clarisse began flirtatiously as she walked over to him, and ran a hand down his bare chest. "That, until now, I've never seen you in a bathing suit?"
"I'm modest," he joked, and she laughed. "No… I've just never really liked swimming that much."
"Would you have rescued me if I had been drowning?" she asked playfully, and he nodded as he took her hand and pressed it to his lips.
"Of course I would have… I would have lost my job, otherwise, and that would not have looked good on my CV- letting the Queen drown!"
"Why you…" Clarisse began, laughing, before he ran down to the water's edge, Clarisse hot on his heels.
They spent a while swimming and splashing around in the ocean, before they ended up sitting on the sand, huddled under their towels. They had noticed that the ocean was beginning to get rather choppy, and Clarisse didn't want to get caught up in a current.
"It's not that I don't like swimming, I love it," she explained as they dried off. "But I got pulled out to sea when I was a child, and I've always been much more careful then… But the boys were always so reckless… I was always worried that they might get pulled out, but it never bothered them at all."
"But I can understand your concern… I never had that happen to me, but I think it happened to BJ once…."
Clarisse shivered slightly- there was a slight cool change in the wind, and she reached for her shirt as Joseph looked up and saw grey clouds forming the horizon.
"It looks like it's going to rain later," he said as he stood up. "Maybe we should go back to the house."
Clarisse pretended to pout and look disappointed, but she stood up without a complaint.
"Don't tell me it's going to rain on our first night here!" he mock complained as they walked back inside, and went upstairs to change.
"Actually, it might be rather cosy, watching movies and listening to the rain on the roof," Clarisse said calmly after they hung their towels in the bathroom.
"Besides, the beach will still be waiting there tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that…"
"I get the point… but you just don't want to do anything this afternoon!" he crowed triumphantly, and Clarisse only crossed her arms, amused.
"No… but there's nothing we have to do… and we don't have any washing to do, so I guess we could do nothing this afternoon… unless you have any objections… I'm sure I could find something for you to do…"
"And let you have the afternoon off? I think not!" as they collapsed on the bed, side by side, laughing happily.
There was a silence before Clarisse suddenly remembered something that Mia had mentioned the previous afternoon.
"By the way… did you bring any brightly wrapped packages in when you were unpacking the car?"
"No," he frowned, suddenly realising what she was talking about, before he brightened up. "Wait a minute… I did bring in a couple of large brown boxes, but I thought that they had stuff that I borrowed…
"Borrowed?" Clarisse looked at him, amused, and he laughed.
"Yes, borrowed- they knew what I was doing when I took them… anyway, before you interrupted me, I took some boxes into the kitchen, but I didn't look in them…."
They looked at each other for a moment, both thinking the same thing, before they hurried towards the door, very curious to see what they had been given…