"Well, Joseph, I really think you are wrong. I didn't do absolutely anything against the law. But… Could you say the same?" Mabrey smile…
"What? You are out of your mind!" Joseph walked toward Mabrey but Clarisse grabbed his arm.
"Don't do it, Joseph. Please."
"I have evidences that this man and Princess Ruth, planned to hijack the plane, killing all the occupants for the Princess Ruth could occupy the throne. What my dear Members of Parliament do not know, is this man kept a loving relationship with Princess Ruth for over forty years! I venture to think ... Have the death of our highly esteemed King Rupert and the crown Prince Philippe even been a fatality? Or have had a help of this despicable man? "With a leap, Joseph went from the gallery to the front of Mabrey and this time, no one could prevent him to almost kill Mabrey with blow. No element of the Royal Guard move. Although Mabrey be the King, the loyalty of these men was with Clarisse and Joseph. However, Gotho, the Captain of the Mabrey Personal Guard shot Joseph in the back. Joseph fell to his knees, looked at Clarisse and fell to the ground. The silence after the shooting was interrupted by Clarisse cries. The man in black of the gallery (personnel Queen Sofia Guard) immediately surrounded the group and suddenly three armed groups wielded weapons against each other. Shades, now responsible for the Royal Guard, pointed his gun to capital Gotho.
"We'll take Joseph from here and if you make some attempt to stop us, I will not hesitate to shoot you."
"This is not over, Shades! Phil, call immediately an ambulance. Our King was attacked!"
Shades and the other guards immediately took Joseph to the palace. Clarisse and the rest of the group had been immediately removed from Parliament by the Spanish Guard and already were at the palace. Charlotte immediately called the doctor and prepared the medical interventions room.
"How is he, Shades?" Clarisse asked by telephone.
"Barely breathing, Your Majesty. We are entering the gates. I will give the order to completely close the palace and not to let anybody in. I will also cancel the holiday and leave of all the guards. When Viscount Mabrey recover, this will get ugly , Your Majesty. "
"The important thing now is Joseph, Shades. He can not die ..."
Shades looked at the bloody shirt of Joseph and closed his eyes.
Joseph was operated for three hours. Harry, Sofia and Clarisse were talking along the room door. Charlotte, Olivia and Priscilla brought tea and coffee to all.
"Grandma, was something wrong? He is inside for three hours…"
"I do not know, honey. I do not know what to think ..." Sofia hugged Clarisse.
"Clarisse, Your Head of Security is one of the strongest men I knew. Is not a bullet fired by a coward, that will kill him." Harry said.
"Baron Von Troken ... You really changed!" Mia said "If I did not see with my eyes, I did not believe It!"
Clarisse and Agnes let out a laugh and at that moment, the door opened and the doctor came out. Clarisse approached and everyone stood.
"Your Majesty ... The operation went well and Joseph is out of danger ..." The doctor looked down and paused.
"What is it, doctor? Tell me!" Clarisse was getting very scared.
Unfortunately, we do not know if he returns to walk and see ... "
"No ... No, no, no! This can not be true. But how?" Sofia and Clarisse did not control the tears.
"The bullet hit the column, but we do not know whether the damage is permanent ... I suppose when he fell and hit his head, made a head injury ... and this injury may have reached the view ... We just have certainty when he regained consciousness. At this point we can not do anything else, Your Majesty. I'm sorry! "
"I want to see him!"
"Of course. But remember that he is unconscious ... We can only hope and pray!"
Clarisse walk into the room, pulled out a chair and sat beside him. She wiped her tears and asked the nurse to leave her alone. Then, she kissed him on the lips, grabbed his hand and sat with him in silence.
Almost an hour later, Clarisse left the room, her eyes red from crying. Mia hugged her.
"He'll be fine, Grandma! I'm sure!"
"I know, dear! Now we can only hope ... Charlotte, asks Olivia to prepare rooms for all, please. Maybe they want to rest before dinner?" Clarisse asked.
"Do not worry about us, Clarisse. We do not want to give you work." Said Helena and George agreed.
"Not at all, my dear! I only wish your first time at Genovia was for more pleasant reasons." Clarisse hugged Helena.
"I think I'll lie down a bit. I'm very dizzy." Silvia said.
"I'll go with you, dear. Clarisse, if you need anything, or if there are any changes about Joseph, let us know immediately, please."
"I will call you, Michael. And rest, Silvia."
Shades enters the room.
"Your Majesty, the helicopter of His Majesty, King Juan Carlos, just land. Do you want to welcome him here?
"My husband here?" Sofia was truly amazed.
"He was worried about you." Clarisse said.
"The King worried about me? No, honey ... He doesn't worried about me for so many years!"
Clarisse looked at her but didn't say a word.
"Shades, I will meet His Majesty at my office. Sofia, will you came with me?"
"Yes, thank you!"
Clarisse and Sofia walk toward the office in silence. Once inside the office, Clarisse asked Sofia:
"Can I ask you something very personal?"
"Of course."
"Did you and the King sleep together?"
"Only when we are out of the palace, on official visits. It's ridiculous but it's true. I think he should have a lover!"
Clarisse looked down, surprised at the confidence that the Queen Sofia reposed in her.
"Did you prefer that I arrange two bedrooms?"
It is not necessary, dear. I'm sure the bed is huge! "Clarisse smiled.
Charlotte knocked at the door.
"Come in."
"Your Majesty, the King Juan Carlos is here."
"Thank you, Charlotte. Please come in." Juan Carlos entered the office and looked at his wife and then to Clarisse.
"Your Majesty, still one of the most beautiful women in the world!" And he kissed her hand.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. But call me Clarisse, please!" Juan Carlos nodded and turned to Sofia and kissed her hand.
"How are you? I was getting worried about the lack of your news. Especially after seeing on television what happened in Parliament. How is Joseph?"
"It's still unconscious but is out of danger." Clarisse said almost in despair. "But the bullet hit the column and he also has a head injury ... only when he regains consciousness do we know if he will return to walk and see."
"My God!" Said Juan Carlos.
"I'm going back there now. Do you want to accompany me?"
"Of course, Clarisse. We'd like to see him. Can we?"
"Follow me, please."
Shortly after, they all went to the rooms before dinner, except Clarisse how was still with Joseph. Harry and Agnes were in separate rooms. Paul was in a room next to Agnes. He escorted her to the door, kissed her hand, winked and went to his room. Agnes smiled and entered the room.
Mia, Clarisse, Charlotte and Shades were in a meeting, until the dinner hour, to discuss the next steps and to try to understand what Mabrey could do.
"It was a huge mistake to have brought Mia here." Clarisse said.
"Grandma..."
"Sorry Princess, but Her Majesty is right. Mabrey is a very dangerous man. Before midnight we have all the guards back to the palace, but he's the king now. He can call the police, the army, wherever he want's. and even most of the man are loyal to you, there are a few…"
"I understand, Shades. Thank you so much for all your support. What the press says? "
"Most rejoices in your return, Your ... Clarisse. But there are two or three television stations faithful to Mabrey ... And Elsie Kentworthy repeat over and over again that Joseph tried to kill Mabrey ..."
"That cow! I'm sorry… I should not have said that ..." Clarisse was embarrassed, Mia laughed and Charlotte and Shades tried to stifle a laugh.
"I think we should give the opportunity to those who want to, to leave the palace. We have to think of a way to hide Mia ... Maybe at the Vatican ..."
"No, Grandma. I do not leave you again! I stay here and there is nothing that you do that can convince me to leave you! Neither you nor my country! This is my people, my heritage, my soul!" Clarisse began to cry and hugged her.
"My dear ... You are, already, a real queen!"
The dinner took place calm. No one wanted to leave the palace and Juan Carlos and Sofia decided to stay a few more days.
And as they returned to the rooms for a well deserved night's rest, Clarisse returned to be with Joseph. She asked the nurse to leave, pulled the chair beside him, kissed him on the lips, grabbed his hand and sat beside him.
"Joseph?" She muttered "My love, wake up. You have to wake up, I need you. You can not leave me alone now. You let me get used to you, so now you can not leave me! I need your arms around me, your lips against mine, I need your hands, your warm in my skin ... I need you, my love! Wake up!" The nurse was leaning against the door, outside the room, listening to the words of Clarisse. Tears ran down her cheeks. Without thinking twice, she entered the room and knelt beside Clarisse.
"But what is it?" Clarisse asked, still slightly frightened.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty. I have to tell you something very serious. I can not keep doing this and if they kill me, at least I know I did something decent!"
"I do not understand ..."
"Your Majesty, Joseph is not blind and the bullet did not hit the column ..."
Clarisse jumped up, grabbed her by the arms and forced her to get up too.
"Do you care to explain? Now?"
"Your Majesty, Captain Gotho paid the doctor for him to incapacitate Joseph until King Mabrey be recovered. But it could not be anything permanent because the King will accuse Joseph of attempted murder and execute him in the public square."
"I do not believe this..."
"The bullet did not touch any vital organ. The only thing he'll have when he wake up are some pain in the shoulder blade ..."
"I think I need a tea ... no ... Anything much stronger!"
"Your Majesty, please hear me to the end, if the doctor listen to us, he kills me. At this moment, Joseph is under the effect of a massive dose of sedative. The alleged operation was done, the doctor put a plate thin between the vertebrae, causing temporary paralysis. This plate has to be removed now! "
"And you know how to remove it?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. But if the doctor sees me, kill me ..."
"And if you do not remove it, without any consequences for Joseph ... I Kill you myself! Guards!" Shouted Clarisse and the two guards entered immediately. "Call Shades, now!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" And two minutes later, arrived Shades.
"Shades, when the doctor arrives, I want him arrested immediately and incommunicado."
"I will do it, Your Majesty. If I may ask, how's the Boss? "
"He will be fine, Shades." And she told him all that nurse Sarah had said. "Once the doctor is arrested, I want to know. Now the nurse will do a small procedure to Joseph. As soon as she's done, I want him to be taken to my room."
Sarah, with the help of Shades and Clarisse, turned Joseph aside, removed the patch and with a scalpel, reopened the blow. Then with forceps and very carefully, removed a thin plate. Clarisse was grounded. How was it possible that such a small thing could ruin someone's life?
"It's done, Your Majesty. Now I just need to give four points to close the wound and we can transfer him!"
"Good!"
