I'm so sorry for taking so long to update. I hope you will forgive me and continue to follow, add to favorites and leave a review in "Mine".

Thank you all. You rock!

Kisses

Maria

C/J

Clarisse hung up the phone and sat back, terrified and confused.

"Charlotte, ask Joseph to come here immediately, dear. "

" Yes , Your Majesty !"

"Clarisse, what's wrong?" Agnes asked, approaching her.

"I don't understand anything, but in fact it seemed to me to be Ruth's voice…"

"It's impossible! She was dead! We all saw… " Said Silvia . Joseph arrived at that moment. Clarisse turned and grabbed hir hands.

"Joseph, please sit down."

"Clarisse, what's going on? You're shaking…" Clarisse looked at Silvia and Agnes and then back at Joseph.

"I don't know what's going on, Joseph, but I just got a call ... And it was Ruth's voice ..."

Joseph looked at Clarisse without speaking. It had not been his imagination after all.

"This is terrible! It's not possible. She'll kill us all! " Agnes was hysterical, terrified. Silvia looked at Clarisse and at Joseph but kept silent.

" Agnes , please. No one will kill anybody. Calm down. " Clarisse said holding her hands. "Joseph, please, reinforce Amelia's security. I don't know who is behind this but we won't take any chances. "

"Of course. I'll take care of it now. " But as he was about to get up, Clarisse grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"Don't go yet," she muttered. Joseph smiled. Silvia got up.

"I'm going to look for Michael. I have to explain what is going on. "

"Of course dear. Can we have dinner together? We have to think about what to do . "

"Of course, Clarisse. See you later then. "

Agnes accompanied Silvia , leaving Joseph and the Queen alone.

"Clarisse, I'll ..." But Clarisse interrupted him and looked up at the sky. In the distance there was the sound of engines. Just then, in Joseph's headpiece , there was only the shouting of Shades :

"Code Red! Bring the Eagle to the Palace! NOW! This is not an exercise! Ensure the Eagle security! Code Red"

Joseph was terrified. He immediately got up, grabbed her by the hand and pulled her literally into the Palace. Realizing immediately that something was not right, Clarisse did her best to keep up with Joseph's pace, and seconds later they were both inside the Palace. The noise of the engines intensified more and more. Joseph turned and through one of the windows saw distinctly the cockpit of a small plane. The only thing he had time to do was lay Clarisse on the floor and shield her body with his own, while the force of the impact against the palace walls shattered the windows and a ball of fire and smoke invaded that wing of the palace, starting immediately a fire. One of the guards who had been thrown against the wall with the explosion immediately got up and ran for a fire extinguisher. Joseph lifted his head trying to see if Clarisse was okay. The fire was dangerously approaching them.

"Clarisse, are you ok? We have to get out of here. "

Clarisse opened her eyes and tried to get up.

"A-I think so. And you?"

"I am fine. Now come on, let me help you. We have to get out of here. The fire system has not fired and the flames are advancing rapidly." Joseph lifted Clarisse just as more guards arrived with extinguishers. Clarisse was completely bewildered and confused. The smoke made her cough. Forgetting the guards' presence completely, Clarisse put an arm around his waist and leaned her head against his shoulder. Joseph immediately took her to the doctor's office.

"Call a doctor immediately and locate the other members of the royal family and all the guests of Her Majesty ." Said Joseph, through headpiece . Seconds later, Charlotte entered the waiting room of the doctor's office, confused and frightened .

" Your Majesty ! How do you feel? "

"I'm fine, Charlotte. Thank you dear. Joseph, you can go now, Charlotte keeps me company. "

"Clarisse…" said Joseph, unwilling to leave her. Clarisse got up and approached him.

"You can go, honey." Joseph smiled and Clarisse kissed him lightly on the lips. Charlotte smiled, blushed, and looked down. Joseph took advantage, hugged her around the waist and pulled her to him, deepening the kiss.

"Then I go. I want to know what happened and if they're all fine. "

A knock on the door made him part with Clarisse.

"Come in," Clarisse said, returning to the couch where she was sitting.

Paul and Sofia were the first to enter, followed by Juan Carlos. Agnes , Silvia, and Michael arrived almost five minutes later, but all were well. Despite her fright, Silvia felt fine, but Michael was completely terrified, afraid that something had hurt the baby.

"But what was that?" Sofia asked confused. Before anyone could answer, the doctor called Clarisse to be observed. The rest of the group stayed in the room, waiting. Joseph came in shortly afterwards and explained that an unidentified twin-engine plane took the Palace security off guard and crashed into one wing. The investigations were about to begin now, since the pilot was dead.

"My God, but what else is going to happen?" Sofia said, sitting beside her husband. Juan Carlos looked at her silently and grabbed her hand, but this time Sofia did not withdraw her. Joseph looked at the couple and smiled. He had a great affection for Sofia and knew that his cousin had not been an ideal husband.

" I have no explanation, Sofia. The only thing I know is that this is all very strange. "

"And what do you think about this call from someone saying it's Ruth? And if it's… I'm terrified." Said Agnes . "What if Harry is behind this? What if he wants to depose Clarisse? "

Joseph jumped up and started pacing.

"So it's good that it isn't. Because I'm truly fed up with him, Agnes . "

"Calm down, Joseph." Michael asked. "That wont solve nothing. Harry is an opportunist but also a coward. "

Joseph approached the doctor's office door, trying to hear something. Clarisse was being watched by the doctor for almost an hour, which made everyone very worried.

"I'm worrying about Clarisse. She's there for so long…"

"It's the disadvantage of being Queen, my love." Michael answered, hugging Silvia . "The doctors have to make sure everything is fine with her."

"True, but I also think it's too much time. I think I'll ask to come in." said Sofia. And got up. Joseph looked at her but said nothing. He, too, wanted to go into the office and make sure Clarisse was fine. Sofia knocked on the door and waited a few seconds. When no one answered, she knocked again. The silence inside the office caused everyone to get up. Joseph couldn't take it anymore and entered the office.

" Your Maj .." The blood ran cold in Joseph's veins… The office was empty.

" Your Majesty !" Cried Joseph in panic. Desperate and unable to understand what was going on, he touched every chair in the office and the gurney… Cold. No one was there ... And for a long time.

"No, no, no ! This can't be happening. " Silvia muttered . Everyone stared in terror at Joseph, who was completely terrified, shouting orders to search everywhere for the Queen. Charlotte was crying wildly. Sofia couldn't hold back tears either. Michael Paul, Silvia, and Agnes were torn apart, unsure of what to do. All the guards were called to the palace and there was not a single corner that was not turned over. On the security cameras, the only car that had left the Palace at the time was a security team car. And only about two hours later could they confirm that this was the vehicle the doctor had used to kidnap Clarisse. But even so, he could only have done it with the help of someone from inside the security team or the Palace, since this doctor had only recently been at the Palace's service.

Four hours later, and with no clue to Clarisse's whereabouts, Joseph receives a message on his cell phone: a photograph of Clarisse with a knife to her neck, held by… Ruth. Underneath is a written message: " She's mine!"

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Kisses

Maria