´I'm glad David talked you out of that silly joke with the sheep,´ Pilar told her youngest son as they waved goodbye to the rear-lights of the bride and groom's car.

´If you like to think so…´

Alarmed, Pilar looked into Fernando's teasing eyes.

´Oh you!´

´Elena,´ Fernando cried out as his sister walked by, ´Why didn't you try to catch the bouquet?´

Elena pretended not to hear. Fernando chuckled.

´It would have been great if Malou had caught it,´ he told his mother, ´Bound to be prophetic right?´

´Hm. Where's your uncle?´

With Malou having been mentioned, Fernando didn't doubt which uncle his mother was referring to.

´Maybe he's making a call, see if everything is all right with Queen Clarisse.´

Nadine joined them. ´Looking for Joseph?´

´Yes. I haven't seen him in a while.´

´Just before Carlos and Raquel got into their car I saw him walk inside.´

Pilar raised her eyebrows.

´With Malou,´ Nadine added in an audible whisper.

OoOoOoO

In the deserted hall where the banquet had been served Malou wandered to some huge ferns. She was babbling about how warm it was for the time of year.

´Malou…´

Malou kept her mouth shut but she still didn't look at Joseph. She stopped molesting a brownish leaf and her hands joined on her belly.

Her vulnerability moved Joseph and her insecurity made him feel composed. The lines he had come up with in the men's room came out rehearsed nonetheless.

´A child deserves to have a father. If you want me, I'm yours.´

It wasn't quite the proposal women dream of but Malou ignored the lack of romance. The tension she had felt fell off her.

´Yes,´ she said, smiling and crying simultaneously. ´Yes, with all my heart! Oh Joseph, you've made me so happy!´

She dried her cheeks with the back of her hand and used her thumbs to tenderly wipe away Joseph's tears.

´You will be a wonderful father. You'll see! You shouldn't worry about that.´

She took his hand and placed it on her belly. Joseph swallowed hard.

Malou kissed him.

When Joseph broke the kiss they were surrounded by Romeros. Malou threw them a radiant smile and they burst out in hurrahs.

As he, no, as they were being congratulated, part of Joseph was grateful to still have the love and support of his family. He knew that he should smile now and when he pictured raising his child, it was not hard to do so.

OoOoOoO

On his way back to Pyrus Joseph started shaking so badly that he had to stop the car at a road-house.

´Are you all right sir?´ the waiter asked.

´Yes I'm fine. I'd like a glass of water please.´

Joseph wiped his brow. He was engaged to be married while two days ago he'd had a future with Clarisse. He had shattered that. Or had he? Was there a way he wouldn't have to tell her?

He would need the afternoon before the wedding off. Then the wedding day and the morning after. A short break, nothing remarkable. He would tell Malou that a honeymoon was not possible. She had said that she would like to move to his village but what if she changed her mind and wanted to live in Pyrus? He would find some excuse to make sure she wouldn't come to Genovia. What if Malou would contact him and he wouldn't be available? She would ask the telephone operator at the castle to leave him a message saying that he should call his fiancée. Clarisse would find out within half an hour. Joseph immediately sent text messages to his family and Malou to inform them that for security reasons they were not to contact him.

Could he keep the truth from Clarisse?

The truth.

I had a drink too many and I slept with a woman I barely know. She is with child. I am expected to do the honourable thing and marry her.

You bastard! Joseph scolded himself. Admit the ugly truth, at least to yourself!

I got drunk. I got someone pregnant. I don't love her but I will marry her for I long to raise my child.

Traidor!

´Sir, are you sure you are all right?´

Joseph nodded. In a flash he pictured himself telling the waiter about the dilemma he had faced and about the difficult task that lay ahead of him. The man would offer him wise advice that would allow him to have the best of both worlds.

OoOoOoO

By the time Joseph had arrived at the castle his imagination had calmed his nerves.

Clarisse, after being upset at first, would conclude that since she had repeatedly forgiven the King for being unfaithful to her, she could forgive Joseph his one mistake. She, caught more than anyone by the shackles of convention, would understand that the rules of society bound Joseph to marry the mother of his child. She would bring up the fact that if it hadn't been for her position, Joseph could have told his relatives and Malou that he was already in a relationship and she'd allow him to have a family and to remain her employee, friend and lover.

OoOoOoO

For a day Joseph was fooled by his fantasies as well as distracted by his duties. Then Clarisse returned from Finland. The way she smiled at him made him feel sick with self-disgust and he barely knew how to answer her interested questions about his nephew's wedding.

After a sleepless night he finally acknowledged that he would lose his beloved. He studied his men to see whom he would recommend as the new second-in-command. He added his final notes to the guards' personnel files. Over the years he had made protocols to secure the Queen's safety. He checked them for flaws. While Her Majesty was attending a concert he ordered Teballi to organise a bomb drill, with the housekeeper acting as the Eagle. The operation went smoothly.

There was nothing left to do but to create the right moment to tell her.