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Here's the next chapter for you all, enjoy :)
After slipping on the fitted jacket that went with the trousers Clarisse had chosen to wear, they were both finally ready to make an appearance downstairs, but making their way down they were left surprised at what awaited them in the foyer.
"Oh my goodness, look at all these flowers," Clarisse exclaimed as she walked over to the round table in the foyer.
"It's like a flower garden in here," Joseph said following her, his gaze working its way around the room at all the different flowers. "They are beautiful."
"They are," Clarisse smiled as she placed her hand on her chest, holding her scarf in place as she leant forward to smell the roses.
"And they are all for you," came a voice from behind them.
Turning to see her son walking towards them, Clarisse smiled and held out her hands for him. "Good morning darling."
"Good morning mother," Pierre smiled, taking her hands in his and leaning in close, they kissed each other's cheek before stepping back and looking at Joseph. "Good morning."
"Good morning," Joseph smiled and glanced briefly at the flowers on the table next to them before looking back up at Pierre. "Did you just say that all these flowers were for your mother?"
"And for you too," Pierre nodded, "they are all from members of the public congratulating you both on your marriage yesterday," he smiled.
"Yes, and there's still more arriving," Charlotte said, entering the foyer carrying another vase of beautiful red and white roses as everyone turned to look at her. "Good morning, Your Majesty. Joseph."
"Good morning," Joseph smiled.
"Good morning, Charlotte," Clarisse smiled as she watched her assistant walk over to the table and put the vase down. "There's more arriving did you just say?"
"Yes, at the moment we haven't gone ten minutes without another bunch arriving," Charlotte smiled, "and unfortunately, with the flowers that we already had for Princess Mia and Andrew, we are running out of room."
"Just goes to show how much they love you, mother," Pierre smiled.
"Yes, it does," Joseph smiled as he looked at his wife standing beside him and reached his hand out, placing it lovingly on her back.
"But there's too many, we won't have any room to move if many more arrive," Clarisse said as she clasped her hands together in front of her and thought a moment. "Okay Charlotte, as much as I love flowers and appreciate everyone's generosity, can you please make arrangements for them to be sent to various charities and the local hospital? Like we did with all my birthday flowers last year."
"I'll see to it right away, Your Majesty," Charlotte smiled and began to walk away when she suddenly stopped and turned back to them. "I forgot to say, I have put a stack of cards and several gifts that have also arrived for you in your office, so they weren't getting in anyone's way."
"Thank you Charlotte, I'll.." she stopped, and turned her head to Joseph, smiling at him standing beside her before smiling back to her assistant, "we'll go through them together later on."
Smiling, Charlotte bowed her head to her Queen and her husband and turned to leave.
"As much as I love spending time with you, mother, I'm afraid that I must take my leave. I'm meeting a friend in town for coffee," Pierre said as his mother and Joseph turned back to him, "but we can catch up later, or tomorrow if you're about."
"Of course," Clarisse nodded, "I was meant to ask how long you were staying for the day you arrived but what with all the wedding arrangements and everything else that's happened since it completely slipped my mind."
"Understandable, a lot has happened after all," Pierre smiled from his mother to Joseph then back to his mother, "and I'm staying until the day after Mia's coronation. So plenty of time for us to catch up."
"Definitely, and we will," Clarisse nodded as Pierre stepped closer and lowered his head, kissing each other's cheek once again. "Talking of Mia, is she about or is she still in her suite?"
"No, she's about," Pierre nodded and gestured across the foyer, "she, Lilly and Nicholas are down in the kitchen. All of them slightly hungover," he said and they all laughed.
"Thought as much," Clarisse nodded, "thank you, darling, enjoy your day."
"You too," Pierre smiled and watched as she and Joseph made their way across the foyer, his hand remaining on her back and talking quietly to one another as they went.
Making their way down to the kitchen, they found the three of them all sitting slumped and half asleep at the kitchen table. "Good morning," Clarisse said cheerily and watched as they all raised a hand in acknowledgement.
"They must be feeling a bit worse for wear," Joseph laughed as he stood beside Clarisse and looked at her. "Would you like tea?"
"Please," Clarisse nodded and made her way over to join them at the table.
"Anybody else want tea? Coffee?" Joseph asked and watched as they all shook their heads.
"No thank you, Joe," Lilly answered.
"I'm good with my water, thanks," Nicholas answered, holding his bottle of water up before drinking some.
"I'm good, Joe, I still have some water left," Mia answered. "Thanks though."
"Anytime," Joseph smiled and made his way over to prepare a drink for Clarisse, and himself.
"Have a little too much champagne last night did we?" Clarisse chuckled as she took a seat at the end of the table.
"Something like that grandma, yes," Mia nodded as she sat up and looked at her grandmother. "I wasn't expecting to see you today."
"Why not?" Clarisse asked, folding her arms together on the table in front of her.
"Well because you got married yesterday, I thought you and Joe would have hid away. Spent the day together up in your suite," Mia said with a shrug.
"Oh we would have, had it not been for this meeting I have with the Prime Minister this afternoon," Clarisse replied.
"Oh," Mia nodded before gasping and putting her hand up on her forehead. "Oh god, grandma, do I need to be there too?"
"No, just me," Clarisse laughed, watching her granddaughter slump back in her chair with a sigh of relief.
"Oh I'm so relieved because I don't think I would have managed it today," Mia said and tipped her head back. "Not after last night."
"Well it's a good job you're not required to attend then, isn't it?" Clarisse smiled and thought a moment as her granddaughter looked back at her. "Do you remember yesterday, when we were talking about making mistakes?"
"Yes, you said about making my own mistakes, because there'll be plenty of them," Mia answered with a nod, remembering their conversation from the previous day.
"Well, this is one of them times, one I learned myself many years ago. You can't get drunk then expect to be okay to run the country the next day." Clarisse said. "You learn to have one, maybe two glasses of champagne in an evening. Nothing more."
"Oh trust me, after last night I won't even be having that next time," Mia said and laughed a little before grabbing her head. "Ouch."
"Have you taken anything?" Clarisse asked.
"Yes, but it hasn't done much," Mia nodded with a sigh.
"It will soon enough," Clarisse said and looked up at her husband as he stood beside her and put her cup of tea down on the table in front of her. "Thank you," she smiled.
"You're most welcome," Joseph smiled while putting his cup of coffee down on the table and sat down opposite Mia.
"Anyway, talking about drinking last night. You both missed a fabulous party, I just wish you could've stayed, we all missed you." Mia said before taking a sip of her water.
"I know, but that's not my scene anymore. I would much rather sit in front of the fire with a good book, it's much more relaxing than being in the same room with lots of people and the music so loud you can't hear yourself think," Clarisse said and took a sip of her tea.
"I know, but it was your wedding reception. You should have been there," Mia said, trying to reason with her grandmother about why she should have been there.
"I did try to get her to change her mind, when we heard the party was still in full swing later that night," Joseph smirked as both Clarisse and Mia looked at him. "But she wasn't having any of it."
"And if I remember correctly, you didn't need much persuasion to stay upstairs, did you?" Clarisse smirked and took another sip of her tea as Joseph laughed with a shake of his head.
"That's okay, maybe we can celebrate with you both another time," Mia said, an idea forming in her head, as she watched Joseph look at her grandmother with a mischievous smile on his face. Closing her eyes, she shuddered at the thought of the possible meaning behind it and what they were really up to instead of being at the party.
"Glad you all enjoyed our wedding reception though," Clarisse smiled, pulling her granddaughter from her thoughts, as she looked at Mia, Lilly then Nicholas.
"Oh yeah, grandma, I just remembered," Mia said as she looked back at her grandmother. "I hope you don't mind, but I said that Nicholas can stay in one of the guest rooms until he can get somewhere else to stay sorted. After what happened at the church with his uncle yesterday, he didn't want to go back to the house."
"I don't blame him, I wouldn't want to go back there either," Lilly said.
"Oh, of course," Clarisse nodded and looked to Nicholas sitting beside her granddaughter, "you can stay however long you need to. It's not like we don't have the room."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Nicholas smiled.
"You're welcome," Clarisse smiled and looked down at her cup sitting on the table in front of her as she wrapped her hands around it.
"See, I told you that she would be alright with it," Mia smiled at Nicholas. "Now we just got to get your stuff."
"I'll head over later sometime," Nicholas said as Clarisse looked back up at him. "I just need to do it when my uncle isn't going to be there. Because I really can't deal with him today."
"I'll take you if you like," Joseph said as everyone looked at him. "He doesn't like me and wouldn't dare say anything if I'm there with you."
"Would you really take him?" Mia asked in surprise.
"Yeah, absolutely," Joseph nodded. "I have a couple of errands that I gotta do this afternoon, so if you don't mind coming along I'll be happy to take you to get your stuff then."
"Yeah," Nicholas nodded, "that'll be great, and I don't mind tagging along with you."
"That's settled then," Joseph smiled as Mia jumped up from her seat and hurried around to him.
"Thank you so much," Mia exclaimed happily, hugging him from behind as Clarisse slumped back in her chair with a smile. Watching them together.
"You know I would do anything to help if I can," Joseph replied as he patted her arms wrapped around his shoulders.
"I owe you one," Nicholas said as Mia stood back up straight and moved back around the table.
"It's no trouble, honestly," Joseph smiled and looked to Clarisse as she put her hand up to briefly cup his face. Closing his eyes, he put his hand up onto hers and turned his head, kissing the palm of her hand. Openly, as Mia and Lilly smirked at one another, and it felt good. No more hiding.
"Your Majesty, Joe," Shades said as he entered the kitchen and watched as everyone turned to him. "There's a man here to see you, said you're expecting him."
"Is it that time already?" Clarisse asked as she checked the time on her watch. "Gosh, it is."
"Can you show him to Clarisse's office and let him know that we will be right there?" Joseph asked as he got to his feet.
"Sure," Shades nodded and turned to leave as Clarisse stood to her feet.
"What's that about?" Mia asked as she sat back down in her seat.
"Oh, we are seeing a man, a friend of Joseph's actually, about wedding rings," Clarisse said as she tucked her chair under the table and picked up her cup of tea.
"Ooo you getting a different ring?" Mia smiled, folding her arms around her stomach as Joseph picked up his coffee.
"We are looking, yes," Clarisse nodded and looked at Joseph as he slipped his free hand in the opening of her jacket and onto her side. "Ready?"
"Yep," he nodded and looked across the table at Nicholas. "I'll come and find you when I'm ready to go."
"Great, I'll see you then," Nicholas nodded.
"See you both later," Mia smiled.
"Bye darling," Clarisse said and made her way towards the door with Joseph, his hand now on her back under her jacket.