"Because Joseph and I.. we don't want you to feel like you have to start calling him padrastro because he's now my husband, or because Mia is calling him grandpa. We want you to be completely comfortable in doing so, and if you're not comfortable then he's more than happy for you to continue calling him Joseph, or Joe, of course." Clarisse said softly as she studied her son, watching as he looked over her shoulder at his niece a moment. "And Pierre, I owe you an apology. Don't I?"
Looking back at his mother, Pierre raised his brow in confusion. "What for?"
"For not telling you about us before yesterday," Clarisse said softly. "I had every intention of telling you once Mia had taken over, but obviously that plan went out the window yesterday and I can, of course, understand that it would have been a massive shock to you. Seeing us getting married when you knew nothing about us being together in the first place."
"Yes, it was a shock, I'm not going to lie. But I don't blame you for not telling me, especially with you being Queen and me not being around much," Pierre said as he looked into her eyes. "I knew how things were between you and father, and for as long as I could remember I wished you were with someone who made you happy. Treated you with love and respect, something father never did."
The memory of catching his father on more than one occasion making his way to his mother's suite late at night to have his way with her, even though she had done her duty in giving him an heir, came back to the forefront of his mind. He remembered how degrading it must have been for her. Having to continue being there that way for him, knowing there was no real love between them. And he remembered how Joseph had been there for her the next day too. Whether it was a shoulder for her to cry on, or to just sit with her in silence as she tried to process how her life had ended up this way. He had been there for her each and every time.
He remembered on one occasion when he was about eighteen or nineteen, he had stood hiding behind the door, listening to a conversation between his mother and Joseph in her office the morning after one of his father's late night visits.
Sitting on one end of the sofa, Joseph watched his Queen, who was sitting at the opposite end with one leg bent up in front of her, her arms wrapped loosely around her leg as she stared off into space. They had been like that for at least ten minutes when Joseph finally spoke, pulling Clarisse from her thoughts. "What are you thinking?" He asked softly.
"I am thinking back to before I married into this life, and how I had hoped our marriage would be. All the expectations, hopes and dreams we would share. I wanted romance, to be loved, to be wooed," she answered and slowly turned her head to look at her bodyguard. Her best friend. Her confidant. The only man she trusted. Who was always there for her when she needed him. Who, in the last year, she had come to realise was the only man she truly loved, and knew he loved her in return too. "I often think about leaving, you know. What it would be like to start a new life and find someone who would share all those things with me and more."
"Why don't you?" He said, their gaze meeting a moment before she looked away. "I could take you away from all this, all you got to do is say the word."
"Oh Joseph, if only it were that easy I would have left long ago," she said, putting her leg down and slipping on her shoe before standing to her feet. Silence fell between them once again.
Moving over to the window, she folded her arms and stood looking out at her youngest son playing football with several of his friends. She knew in her heart that Joseph would take her away if she asked him, she knew he would be the man she longed for, and had her marriage been a normal marriage instead of a Royal marriage she would have taken him up on it. She would have left. But her marriage was not a normal marriage. It was anything but normal. She was married, albeit unhappily, to the King. She had a duty. She couldn't just up and leave. She had no choice but to stay and continue living this unhappy life.
"I know what happened behind that door when he came to you late at night mother, and how he treated you was cruel," Pierre said and shook his head to rid himself of the memory.
"You know your father never hurt me, don't you? It was never that way, it was never against my will. He always had my consent. He just never loved me like I hoped he would, like I longed for," Clarisse said quietly as she moved her head closer to him, "he just used me whenever he needed his needs met."
"I know," Pierre nodded, "it was always what he wanted. Never taking you, or your feelings, into consideration. That's why I am glad you had a friend in Joseph, that he was there for you when you needed someone to talk to, to vent to. Someone who cared so much about you."
"He was my rock, that's for sure," Clarisse nodded.
"I know, and from what I've heard myself years ago and from Philippe over the years, but ignored obviously, and have seen this last couple days, I know that he would have taken you away from all that had you asked him," Pierre said and watched her expression change. "But I know he couldn't, I know you had to stay, duty and all that, and I also know, even though you were close to Joseph and father treated you the way he did, never loved you, maybe only as a friend towards the last years of his life, you stayed true to your marriage vows. Even when you longed to be loved. You knew you would have got that from Joseph and could have quite easily given in to his charms, to the need, the temptation, but you remained faithful to father. And Joseph, loving you the way he did and would have taken you away at a drop of a hat, the man who would have given you so so much love a very long time ago respected that. He never crossed a line. And stood by you all these years and was there whenever you needed him."
"He was, and I'll be forever grateful to him for that, because yes him being there for me, for loving me all these years and not being able to have me was hard for him," Clarisse said as she studied her son's face. "It was hard for the both of us. We both had feelings for one another for so long and there wasn't anything either of us could do about it. And it broke my heart that I nearly lost him the other day because of this duty I have had hanging over me for most of my life."
"Well I'm so, so glad that you can finally put that duty and what happened between you and father behind you and that you can finally find the happiness you so deserve with Joseph," Pierre said and smiled, "and because of that I will honour Joseph by calling him padrastro."
"Thank you, Pierre," Clarisse said, nodding slightly with a smile. "He will be very honoured."
Smiling, they continued dancing when Pierre turned his head to look at his niece dancing with her friend for a moment. "It's funny, isn't it?"
"What is?" Clarisse asked as she glanced at her granddaughter and Lilly before looking back up at her son.
"Well ever since your surprise wedding yesterday I have been trying to think of memories with my father, but they all seem to be with you or Joseph, or with you both. I have hundreds and hundreds of those memories, but only a handful with father," Pierre said as he looked back down at his mother, "all fun memories like the one with the gold rose we spoke about earlier when Joseph was our mountain."
"Well he has been part of our life since before you were born," Clarisse said. "He was always about and loved spending time with you and your brother. Even taking you out on adventures around the palace grounds on his days off."
"Yes, I remember," Pierre nodded. "But surely I should have hundreds and hundreds of memories with father, not just a handful."
"You should yes, but your father was a King, he was a busy man," Clarisse said as they stopped dancing. "He wasn't always free."
"The same could be said for you, you were busy too, but you always made time for us. And so did Joseph. Sure he wasn't King, but he was just as equally busy as father was but yet he was always there for us, like you. He was actually more of a father figure to Philippe and I than our own father was," Pierre said and thought a moment. "You know what, I'm not going to call Joseph padrastro I'm actually going to call him padre instead."
Knowing the word padre stood for father in Spanish, Clarisse smiled with tears in her eyes. "That will mean the world to him, Pierre, but are you sure? Because he isn't here, and has never tried, to replace your father in any way. Your father will always be your father."
"Oh I know that, and of course I'm sure. Philippe would agree with me too," Pierre said, quickly placing a kiss on her cheek before lowering himself a little and wrapping his arms around her, giving her a long hug. "Now come on don't cry, all tears are done with now. It's time now to celebrate and enjoy the rest of your party."
"Yes, it is," Clarisse nodded and they stepped apart.
"Are you okay?" Pierre asked as he stood back up properly.
"I'm just wonderful," Clarisse smiled with a nod. She was elated, knowing that her son, who she had been so worried to tell about her and Joseph, had accepted their marriage.
"Good, now let's finish our dance shall we?" He asked and held out his hand for hers before they started dancing again.
Coming back in a short time later, Joseph closed the balcony door behind him and turned back to find everyone up dancing, including Clarisse, who was dancing with Pierre. Slipping his hands in his pants pockets, he watched a moment as Pierre raised their hands up above them and she spun away from him, and leaving their hands in the air they placed their other hand on their stomachs and swayed their hips to the song.
And seeing her husband stood watching with his gorgeous smile, Clarisse excused herself and made her way over to him. Her hips swaying as she went. "Hello you," she smiled and put a hand up onto the side of his neck as she reached up to kiss the corner of his mouth before whispering in his ear. "If anyone asks, you were on a call with your sister."
"What do you mean?" Joseph asked and put his hands on her sides as she pulled back to look up into his eyes. Her hand now going to his shoulder.
"Well I had to think of something when Mia asked why you weren't coming back in with me," Clarisse said quietly, "and because I couldn't really tell her the real reason why, that was the first thing that popped into my head, that you were in a call with your sister."
"Ahh I see, okay," Joseph laughed.
"She did question why it was so late, but I told her there was a time difference between us and you usually got off work around this time," Clarisse smiled, "she seems to have bought it."
"At least I know, if she asks," Joseph laughed and Clarisse nodded.
"Anyway," she said, smoothing her hand down his arm while taking a slow step back and taking his hand in hers. "Come and dance with us," she smiled with a twinkle in her eye and turned to lead him over to where everyone was dancing.
"Hey grandpa," Mia smiled as she watched her grandmother leading him over to them all just as the song changed to a different one.
"Oh hey, I love this song," Joseph smiled. "It's actually one of my favourites."
"I didn't know you loved reggae, grandpa," Mia smiled, watching her grandmother stop and turn back to her husband as he closed the distance between them and wrapped his arm around her waist, his hand instinctively going to her lower back.
"Oh I do," he smiled at her then at Clarisse as she put her arm up around his shoulder, her hand going to the back of his neck as they started dancing close together a moment before Joseph took a step back, to watch her dance and the sway of her hips, when, and while still holding onto his hand, Clarisse turned so her back was to him. "God I love you," he whispered huskily in her ear when he stepped closer to her, their hands still together against her stomach as she bit her bottom lip and turned her head to the side. "I love the way you move. It's so sexy."
Noticing the surprise move her grandmother made as she danced with her friend, Mia couldn't tear her gaze away from them as her grandmother put her free hand up, brushing her finger's under his chin before cupping his face and closing her eyes as they continued to dance. And for the first time that night, she discovered what the big fascination was with her scarf tonight.
And when the song changed a moment later, to a more lively one, a song for the younger lot of the group, Joseph let go of Clarisse's hand and raised his arm up above her shoulder, while placing his other hand on her hip and danced behind her, making everyone laugh.
"Go grandpa, go grandpa, go grandpa," Mia laughed as her grandmother turned to her husband and put her hands up to frame his face in them as he laughed and leant closer to kiss her.
"Come on, let's go and take a break, leave this lot to dance," Joseph smiled, his eyes twinkling mischievously as he took one of Clarisse's hands in his and brought it up to his mouth, to kiss the back of it, before stepping closer and giving her a quick kiss.
Thoughts? Please do let me know what you think, especially my wonderful guest reviewers who seem to have disappeared. It's always much appreciated :) thank you.