A/N: This chapter is dark and angst filled. Thank you for the reviews.
"Madre?" Her soft voice penetrated the consciousness of the prostate figure on the bed.
Clarisse stirred from her drug induced sleep. The voice she hadn't heard for months, bringing life back into her hazy mind. A tear rolled down her cheek as she felt the soft hand caress her hair from her forehead. "I'm alright, Darling," she whispered, slowly opening her eyes.
"Don't cry, Madre."
"Oh my darling. I've missed you so. Your father and I have been so worried for you."
"Padre will find us," the young woman assured her mother.
Clarisse smiled at the lilting voice of her daughter. She spoke perfect English, but used the Spanish names for mother and father. Clarisse presumed it was to please Joe.
"Madre? Why are you smiling?"
Clarisse sat up slowly and pulled her daughter into her arms. "I was just thinking about how very much I love the sound of your voice." She kissed the head that now rested against her chest.
"I've missed you, Madre."
"I know, Love, I know. When we get out of this, you won't have to be kept a secret anymore."
"I won't? But, Madre, I don't understand." She was confused, but didn't look at her mother, she didn't want to leave the soothing comfort of Clarisse's heart beating in her ear.
Clarisse caressed her hand over the silky black hair of her daughter. "You know that we're married now." She felt the young woman's head nod. "Well, some not so nice things have happened in the last few months, and your father and I no longer live in Genovia."
This time the young woman did pull back. "Why? You love Genovia and Amelia."
"Yes, I do, but," Clarisse chewed on the inside of her bottom lip. How was she going to explain this mess to her daughter? It had been hard enough with Mia, but at least she'd had her diaries to help. "It's a long and very complicated story, one that I promise I will tell you, but for right now I'll just tell you the short version."
"Alright, Madre."
"Your father and I came to Spain to try and find you after we received Aunt Maria's letter. When we arrived back in Genovia they arrested your father. An old archaic law states that the reigning monarch, me in this case, could not remarry without Parliamentary approval. Your father, by marrying me, broke that law. Our marriage was made null and void by Parliament and your father was thrown in jail. I bargained with them, and in the process my marriage to your father, the year you were born, came to light. That didn't go over so well. Part of my bargain had been that I would relinquish my title and everything that went with it if they would release your father. They agreed and I was stripped of my title and, along with your father, was exiled from Genovia. Joe was supposed to be released as soon as I left Genovia, but he wasn't. He's only been here in Spain for a little over two months."
"Oh Madre."
"Shh. It's alright. I don't mind living here and being just Mrs. Elizalde. I will miss Mia and many others, but Mia can come here and visit so it isn't like I'll never see her again." She kissed the young woman's forehead. "And I especially don't mind getting to be just your mother."
The young woman smiled, but then a tear rolled down her cheek. "They aren't planning on letting us go, Madre," she whispered.
"Well, my darling, we'll just have to see about that." Clarisse smiled.
"Madre?" The young woman was shocked. Her mother had changed.
"Your father has some people helping him and knows who is behind this. They have a general idea of where we are." Clarisse whispered. "But, I don't intend to stay here any longer than is necessary, so you and I are going to think of a plan to escape."
All the young woman could do was look at her mother and nod.
CnJ
"There's trouble brewing in Genovia, Joe."
"What kind?" Joe asked the man sitting across from him.
"Mabery. It seems he's causing trouble for Her Majesty with Parliament. She's been trying to rid Genovia of that barbaric wedding night ritual, but every time she makes a little headway, he steps in and it's right back to square one. Her Majesty is getting stressed out, and only keeps her temper thanks to Charlotte's constant reminders of what Clarisse asked that she do."
"Damn that man." Joe growled. "Why is he even still a member of Parliament? After what he tried to do, he should be the one exiled, not Clarisse and I."
"Birthright," came the simple reply. "Look, Joe, I came here to warn you. Mabery is here in Spain."
"He has her."
"Probably so, but it's not just him. Baron Von Troken was also seen boarding a flight to Spain."
"There's more."
"Yes, I'm afraid so. Prince Pierre is also missing. He hasn't been seen in several months."
"Do you know where Von Troken and Mabery went once they arrived?"
"Yes, and it's not going to be easy to get in."
"I'll get in." Joe's voice was hard. His wife, and most likely his daughter, had to be wherever Mabery and Von Troken had headed, and he intended to get both of his ladies back home. Come hell or high water.
CnJ
Clarisse stood, her back rigid and her eyes unfocused, as Baron Von Troken walked around her. His eyes were roaming over her body, seeing more than he should due to her thin night gown. She could only sigh mentally and be thankful that she wasn't naked or wearing one of her barely there negligees that Joe was so fond of.
"I've wanted you for so long, Clarisse. And, I'll have you soon."
"Baron, you are a married man."
"Yes, I am a married man, but that old crow is nothing more than a formality. She's too ugly to satisfy my desires." His finger drew a trail down her cheek. "Where as you, you are most exquisite and very capable of satisfying my needs."
"You may not care about your marriage, but I'm a married woman and I care very much about the vows that I took."
"Ah, but when I'm through," his grin was evil as he stepped closer, his fingers brushing against her breast. "Joseph won't want you."
"You'll never have me," she breathed as she tried to stop the bile that had risen in her throat at his touch.
"Oh, but I will, and it will be in front of your daughter if you do not co-operate."
"Leave her out of it. She has nothing to do with any of this."
"Oh, but she does. She is my insurance. As long as you know that I have her, you'll do as I wish."
"Madre."
"Shut up." Baron Von Troken growled at the young woman.
"I'm alright, Darling." Clarisse assured her daughter with a calmness she didn't feel.
"So touching." Baron Von Troken spit in the floor. "Utterly disgusting. She's a bastard child."
"No, she isn't. Joseph and I were married when she was born."
"How does he know she's his? A common whore like you can't be trusted." He moved closer, brushing his body against hers. "Look at how you're dressed. Only a whore wears nothing but a thin gown to bed."
Clarisse gritted her teeth. "I have more than just the gown on, but I wasn't expecting to go anywhere. If I had known I would be chloroformed and dragged from my bed, I would have dressed for the occasion," she spat.
The sound of the baron's hand connecting with Clarisse's cheek, rang through the room.
"Madre!" the young woman cried as she moved toward her mother.
"I said, shut up!" Baron Von Troken yelled as he glared at the young woman. "I suggest you go back to where you were."
"Do as he says, Darling." Clarisse whispered as she fought to keep her voice steady.
The baron turned his attention back to Clarisse. Grabbing her hair, he yanked her back against him. "I warned you what would happen."
Clarisse closed her eyes, images of Joe's smiling face with eyes full of love, giving her the strength she needed to endure what was happening without begging her tormentor to stop. She knew that even though he had threatened it, Von Troken wouldn't do more than use his hands and fully clothed body to violate and abuse her because he was too much a coward to expose himself completely in front of a witness.
CnJ
"Momma! Momma!" the young woman screamed, her voice sounding like it had when she would get hurt as a small child and cry out to the woman now being flung across the room to land in a heap at her feet.
"Tell your Madre when she wakes, that she had better be more co-operative when I return or you'll be the one to pay," the baron hissed at the young woman before banging on the door to leave.
"Momma," a soft plea using a name that had been used when her child was but a babe. It pulled at Clarisse, rousing her from her unconsciousness.
Clarisse groaned as she pulled herself up onto the bed and curled her knees up close as she could to her upper body trying to ease the pain she was in. "We have to get out of here, now."
"How?" the young woman's voice trembled as she spoke.
Clarisse pulled her daughter closer and whispered the plan. Caressing the girl's cheek, she wiped at her tears. "Remember who your father is and draw from his strength. We'll make it and be safe in his arms by tomorrow."
"I'll try, Momma," she whispered.