Part 4.
2 Weeks have passed in a blur at the Palace, ever since Rupert denied telling Clarisse how their son died, they have avoided each other, barely saying two words when they are together, which Pierre hates. However today is the day that they say their final goodbyes to their son.
Clarisse spent all morning in her suite, alone, at her wishes. Only when it was time to leave it was Pierre who went up to tell her. He knocked on the door and waited for an answer, one didn't come so he knocked again and slowly pushed the door open and noticed the door to the bedroom was open so he slowly walked over where he heard soft music playing in the background.
"Mother" he called out walking to the door and straight away saw her sitting at her dressing table "we have to leave now" he said walking over to her slowly
"I don't want to go" Clarisse replied staring at herself in the mirror brushing her shoulder length hair
"but..." he said looking at her in the mirror as he placed his hand on her shoulder
"if I go" she said sadly while looking down "it will mean he's not coming back and that it really is goodbye" she whispered as she closed her eyes "i'm not ready to say goodbye" she said looking up at him with tears in her eyes "no parent should have to bury their own child"
"I know" Pierre nodded "I know Father hasn't been much help since he died, but you have me and Helen, Mother" he watched as she looked back at her mirror "I can't" he started crying as Clarisse looked up at him "I can't do this without you Mother" he said putting his hands up to his face
"Oh Pierre" she whispered putting her brush on the table and stood up, wrapping her arms around him "I'm sorry I haven't been much help to you have I?" she asked as he cried on her shoulder "I'm so sorry" she cried
After what seemed like a life time to them they came down, Rupert was stood in the hall talking to Helen and Maggie with his hands on his hips and looked when he heard foot steps on the stairs.
"now Maggie" Clarisse said walking over while putting on her black gloves "are you sure your ok to look after Amelia?" she said slowly looking up at her
"I am very sure, Ma'am" Maggie replied "please don't worry, everything will be fine here, I promise"
"Thank you" Clarisse replied putting her hand on Helen's arm "are you ready?"
"I am, but are you?" Helen replied as Rupert stood next to them
Clarisse shook her head "no" she took a deep breath and headed towards the door as Pierre and Helen looked at each other then followed her out as Rupert looked at Maggie then followed them.
Upon arriving back to the Palace after a heart breaking service Clarisse left the guests downstairs and headed up to the nursery to see Amelia. When she closed the door Maggie looked up in surprise.
"Clarisse?" she questioned as Clarisse slowly walked over to the crib
"it's ok Maggie, sorry if I made you jump" Clarisse said standing next to the crib and saw Amelia smiling up at her "You have your father's smile" Clarisse smiled lifting her from the crib "beautiful in every way" she said kissing the side of her head as she held her with one arm and placed her other hand on the back of her head.
Maggie smiled as she watched Clarisse walking over to the rocking chair and sat down resting Amelia on her chest and gently rubbed her back, with that Maggie left them to it and headed out to the hall to give them some time alone.
"Ahh Maggie, have you seen Mother?" Pierre asked seeing her come out the nursery
Maggie nodded "she's in the nursery" she smiled "having some alone time with Amelia" she stood and watched as Pierre sneaked over to the door and had a peek before returning back to her "how did it go today?"
"well Father sat one side of me and Mother sat the other, people are starting to ask questions" he sighed "I don't blame Mother being mad at him for not telling her, I don't even no and it makes me angry"
"I can understand that" Maggie nodded "how is the King holding up?"
"I don't think it's really hit him yet" Pierre said rubbing the back of his neck "I don't think it's hit any of us really" he said looking at her "But I no I am going to try and be there for them both when it does hit them"
"I am sure they will be there for you too" Maggie replied as Joseph appeared
"has anyone seen Clarisse? people are asking for her downstairs" he reported
"she's having some alone time with Amelia, Joe" Pierre replied "and I want her to have that, seeing though they are leaving tomorrow" he sighed "I will go down and just say that she isn't feeling that good, but will be down when she feels up to it"
"I can do that if you like?" Joseph asked
he shook his head "no it's alright, I'm heading back down anyway" he said doing his tie properly "see you later Maggie" she nodded in response and he looked at Joe "are you coming?" Joe nodded and headed down with him
After Clarisse had spent the evening with Amelia and put her to bed for the last time at the Palace, Clarisse went sadly back to her own suite. When she shut the door and flicked the light on she jumped when she saw Rupert sat at the table, where they used to share breakfast.
"what are you doing here? you scared the hell out of me" she said as she walked over to her bedroom and disappeared.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to, I just wondered if we could talk?" he replied
she stood in the door way "about what?"
he looked over at her "about what happened" he saw her take a deep breath "if you want to know I will tell you"
"you know I want to know, have done for two weeks" she snapped back
"ok, well I will tell you" he watched as she walked over and sat in her seat at the table "but know that I wanted to spare your feelings"
"ok" she said crossing her legs the royal way and watched him
He took a deep breath and continued not looking at her at all "he was out in his car, when a car coming the other way jumped a red light and smashed into him, he died on the way to the hospital" he stopped when he heard Clarisse sobbing "I'm so sorry Risse" he said looking at her to see she had one hand up covering her eyes as she cried "I didn't want to hurt you, that's why I didn't want to tell you" he said with tears in his eyes wanting so much to reach out to her "please let me in Risse" he moved kneeling beside her taking her free hand but she pulled it back "Risse, Please" trying to grab her hand again
"No" she snapped and looked at him "you pushed me away when I needed to know, and when I needed you" she said pushing his hands away "leave me alone" she said getting angry
"I am so sorry" he watched as she sat crying, he started crying himself and got angry grabbing a vase of flowers, Clarisse put her arms up to cover her face getting scared as he threw it against the wall screaming, scaring Clarisse even more as he did and within seconds security had barged in and had him in a grip as he cried and looked at Clarisse and even though she was scared she stood up and looked at him "I didn't want to hurt you" he sobbed "I'm so sorry"
"He Hurt You?" Joseph said looking at Clarisse as he rushed over placing his hand gently on her arm
"No" Clarisse said not taking her eyes from Rupert as Pierre and Helen appeared at the door after hearing him scream and the smash of the vase
"if he hurt you tell us?" Joseph asked again both Helen and Pierre gasped
"has he hurt you Mother" Pierre asked rushing over to her as she broke her gaze from Rupert to him "Mother?" he asked seeing something changed in her eyes "tell them if he hurt you" they all watched as she looked back slowly at Rupert
"let him go" she asked and no one responded "I demand you let him go, NOW" she snapped looking at the guards as they had him in a grip "and leave us alone"
"what?" Pierre gasped "no I am not leaving you alone with him, not if he's hurt you" Pierre said grabbing her arm and shook his head
Clarisse turned to face him "I promise" she looked up into his eyes "he never touched me" he gave her a questioning look "I promise you" she nodded
Pierre found himself nodding with her "ok" he looked up
"now like I said can everyone please leave us alone?" Clarisse watched as everyone left, Joe being the last one out and stood looking at her for a few seconds as she did the same then looked away, he sighed and left pulling the door closed.
Clarisse moved and sat back in her seat and looked at Rupert as he held his head in his hands for a few moments.
"I have never raised my voice at you before, I am so sorry" he said shaking his head
"don't be sorry" Clarisse replied knowing he was hurting too
he looked at her "why aren't you mad, hitting out at me or telling me to leave?" he asked puzzled "why did you tell them to let me go"
"because" she said looking at him and took a deep breath "we are both hurting and I can understand you are angry, you have lost your best friend after all" she watched as he looked back down at the floor
"do you remember the night you had him?" he asked looking back at her
"yes, I do" she nodded "very well actually" she half smiled "do you?" she asked watching him move and knelt beside her
"yes I do too" he nodded "it was a stormy night and I hated it, even though there was Pierre nearly 3 and loved them" they smiled at each other "I really don't know where he got that from" he said looking at her as she put her hand on the back of his head and started playing with his hair
"I believe it was from your Father" Clarisse said looking down at him "that was the day we actually buried your Father, I couldn't be there though"
"I remember" he said looking up at her "you was due any day and we felt it was safer for you to stay here" they both nodded "actually, I remember me sitting here like this with you by the fire that night too and you was playing with my hair then too"
"I was yes, because I knew you hated storms and I learned since we got married that if someone played with your hair it relaxed you" she said watching him rub her fingers softly
"I was crying if I remember correctly, not because of the storm but because we had to say goodbye to my Father" he said looking at their hands together as Clarisse still played with his hair "I remember resting my head on your bump and placing my hand on the side of it" he whispered as he pulled his hand free and gently placed his hand on her tummy as they sat there.
Clarisse looked down at his hand then looked up "I was in labour then also, to scared to admit it because of the storm raging in the sky" she looked down as he looked up at her "but couldn't keep it a secret any longer and had to tell you"
"and because the lines was dead, I delivered our second perfect boy" he said locking his hand with hers "that was the greatest moment of my life" he said looking up at her "well one of the best, out of three"
"really? what was the other two?" Clarisse asked
"Pierre being born, even though I wasn't allowed to be there with you when you had him but its still one of the best" he smiled up at her "and marrying you was one too"
"really?" she asked as he nodded "well the same to you too, and the birth of our sons too" she nodded
"I just remembered something" Rupert said with a small laugh
"what?" Clarisse asked
"after Philippe was born you swore at me and told me that we are never going to have another child after all the pain you went through that night" he said looking up at her "and we never did"
"I know" Clarisse replied sadly
"would you of had more children with me, given the chance?" he asked "or was you going to stick by that"
Clarisse thought for a second "I would of loved to have another child with you, yes" she half smiled
"maybe the next one could of been a mini Risse" he smiled up at her
"maybe, that would of been nice" she said in thought "I always wanted a girl" she said looking at him "but was content with my beautiful boys" she smiled
"well..." Rupert started then stopped
"what?" Clarisse asked tilting her head a little
"oh it's nothing" Rupert replied "just a silly idea that's all" he said looking up at her
"whats a silly idea?" she asked curious
he wondered if he should say it, then decided too "we are still young enough to have another child"
"what?" she gasped "no we aren't, we are past it"
"no we aren't a lot of people are having kids later in life" he replied looking at her "see told you it was a silly idea"
"yes that was" she said looking at him "it would of been fine years ago when the boys was younger, but not now Rupert" she saw the hurt in his eyes "I'm sorry" she said taking his hand "it would of been nice to maybe have a girl, but Rupert come on the boys are..." she stopped for a second thinking of Philippe, then carried on "in their twenties and we have a Granddaughter now"
"I know forget I said anything" he shrugged and rested his head on her thigh
"I'm sorry" she whispered and started playing with his hair again "it would of been nice in some way" she whispered as he lifted her head "but it's to late"
he nodded "ok" he reached up and softly placed a kiss on her lips then rested his forehead against hers "I love you so much, thanks for giving me two perfect boys"
she smiled "I love you too, and thanks to you too because if it wasn't for you they wouldn't be here" they both chuckled
"it takes two" Rupert chuckled
"indeed" Clarisse replied blushing with a smile
"I see someones blushing" he said putting his hand up onto her cheek "your cute when you blush" he smiled as she put her hand up onto his and they looked into each others eyes for a moment.
A moment passed and Rupert found himself kissing her slowly as he moved his hand to the back of her head, things started to get heated between them as Clarisse put her hand up onto his chest. He moved his kisses to her neck as she bit her bottom lip tipping her head back as she closed her eyes he unbuttoned the button on her trousers and she snapped back to life.
"No" she whispered as she tried to stop him "Rupert No" she opened her eyes as he kissed her neck "not now" she pushed him back a little, feeling a little scared being the first time she's refused him that before "please, not now" she made eye contact with him "its not right" she shook her head as he sighed
"your right, I'm sorry" he kissed her cheek
"no I'm sorry" Clarisse said "I shouldn't of let it carry on" she watched as he stood up "Rupert?"
"I guess we just both got caught up in the moment" he nodded
"yeah" she replied nodding also, relaxing a little
"I'm going to my suite now if anyone needs me" he said and gave her a kiss and left the room
Clarisse sat confused about the whole thing and tried to forget the silly baby talk while wondering if she should go and check to make sure hes ok, however before she could make up her mind though a knock came to her door.