A/N: Hi everyone, just a quick note to say thank you to you all for reading and, as always, to bee-327 and Chelsietx for taking the time to leave lovely reviews on the latest chapter for me. I appreciate you both so much. Please do keep them coming :) thank you!
Here's the next chapter for you…
Sitting at the counter a short time later, Pierre took a drink of his water and turned his head back to the patio door as it opened, and expecting to see Joseph walking through it, he was surprised to see his brother pop his head around the door instead. "Hey! What are you doing out there? I thought you had gone to bed?"
"I could say the same thing to you," Philippe said quietly and quickly glanced around the room before looking back at him. "Where's mother?"
"She's gone up to bed," Pierre said as he set his bottle of water down on the counter in front of him.
"Oh, good," Philippe nodded, finally stepping inside and shutting the door behind him.
"So, why are you out there and not up in bed?" Pierre asked.
"Because once I was upstairs and had gotten into bed I started to feel guilty that we had left mother out there on her own, so, I came back down to make sure she was alright and to sit with her, if Joe wasn't with her," Philippe said as he walked over to stand at the end of the countertop and put his hands out onto it.
"But Joe was out there with her," Pierre said, and his brother nodded.
"Yes, I know that now. I went out just as they were saying goodnight to one another, and because I didn't want mother to think that I was out there spying on her I hid around the corner when she started walking back up to the house," Philippe said.
"Ooh, okay," Pierre smirked and picked up his bottle of water. "Why would she think you were spying on her, though? You were going out to make sure she was okay and to keep her company if Joe hadn't been out with her." He asked and took a drink of his water.
"Yes I know, but well they were... oh actually, never mind," he said with a shake of his head, realising that his brother wouldn't believe him even if he did tell him what he saw between their mother and Joseph out by the dock. Instead, he decided to remain quiet and keep what he saw to himself. He had known and seen enough over the years to know that they had something special between them. Even if she was married, he knew in his heart that they would never do anything more than share a kiss or two. Or, at least he hoped that was as far as it ever went between them.
"Do you want to join me for a snack?" Philippe said instead and lifted one hand from the counter to point towards the cupboards.
"Yes, alright," Pierre nodded and set his bottle back down on the counter as he watched him walk into the kitchen. "How come you stayed out there so long, though? Mother came in about half an hour ago."
"Oh, I was just thinking about something," Philippe said, grabbing a share bag of crisps from the cupboard and a bottle of water for himself from the fridge before walking around the kitchen counter and sitting up on the stool beside his brother. "So, when are we going to see you again once we return home tomorrow? Or is this it for another year?"
"I'm not too sure, the summer holidays are usually pretty busy for us at the church, what with all the fetes and other events going on in the village." Pierre replied as his brother opened the crisp bag and took a crisp out before offering him one. "Thanks," he smiled, taking a couple of crisps out of the packet and popping one in his mouth.
"What about for mothers birthday?" Philippe asked, putting the packet down on the counter in front of them and turning his head to look at his brother.
"What day does it fall on this year?" Pierre asked, nodding ever so slightly.
"A Friday, I believe," Philippe replied and watched as Pierre averted his gaze across the kitchen, thinking about it a moment. "I know that she would love getting to see you on her birthday."
"Yeah, I think that should be alright," Pierre said as he looked back at his brother and nodded. "I will double check the diary when I get back home tomorrow, but I think it should be okay."
"Perfect," Philippe smiled and picked up his bottle of water. "Maybe we can do it as a surprise."
"Oh yes, that's a great idea," Pierre nodded as Philippe drank some of his water. "Let's do it that way. I can travel up on the day and surprise her."
"Sounds good, she'll love that," Philippe nodded and drank some more of his water before putting the bottle back down on the counter in front of him and grabbing a crisp from the packet. "And if you come for a couple of nights, I know one of them will be taken because of the birthday ball they throw her every year for her birthday, but on the other night we can have a nice, private family dinner together."
"If her birthday is on a Friday, I'll have to travel up on the Thursday and leave on the Saturday, so I'm back in the village ready for church on Sunday," Pierre said and drank a little of his water before lowering his bottle and turning his head slowly to look at his brother. "Can you…"
"Yes I can," Philippe said and nodded as he looked at his brother. Knowing exactly what he was about to ask him. "What even is that?"
"I don't know, it kind of sounds like a…" Pierre said, his words trailing off when the penny suddenly dropped for the both of them and they both slowly lifted their heads to look up at the ceiling as it got louder. "I was going to say it sounds like a bed," he said, laughing in embarrassment.
"Oh no, no, no," Philippe exclaimed and shook his head. "This can't be happening! You told me this morning that that ship had sailed between them. Said that they are more friends than anything now."
"Hey, it was just a guess. You're the one who lives with them, not me," Pierre exclaimed with a shrug as Philippe covered his face in his hands. "I obviously got it wrong."
"Yes I do live with them, but you no what, it's a hell of a lot quieter at the palace. You don't know what goes on back home, unlike here. You can hear everything. Oh my god." Philippe exclaimed and shook his head as it started getting a little quicker. "Please Pierre can we go talk somewhere else because listening to our… this, listening to this is not how I expected to spend my night." He said as he stepped from his stool.
"Oh yes, please, let's go to one of the other rooms," Pierre said and stepped down from his stool as Philippe grabbed his bottle of water and the crisp packet from the countertop.
"Seriously though, at their age," Philippe said and shook his head as they began making their way towards the door.
"Well, it is their anniversary," Pierre quipped and started laughing as they both stopped walking and looked at one another.
"That's not even funny, Pierre," Philippe exclaimed and glared at his brother when the noise suddenly stopped. "Have they finished?" He whispered.
"I don't know," Pierre whispered and shrugged in reply. "But why are we whispering now?"
"I don't know," Philippe replied quietly while looking back up at the ceiling.
"I think they have finished," Pierre said and watched his brother look back down at him, just as the noise started up again. A slow pace to begin with, but soon became much quicker. "Or, maybe not…"
"Nope, I'm going," Philippe exclaimed and walked out of the kitchen into the foyer as Pierre started laughing and followed him. "Oh wait a minute," he said, suddenly stopping when he remembered what he had seen out by the dock between their mother and Joseph, and turned around to face his brother.
"What is it?" Pierre asked, trying to compose himself when he saw the seriousness on his brothers face.
"Is that mothers or fathers suite above the kitchen?" Philippe asked anxiously as he tried to work it out in his head.
"Fathers, why?" Pierre replied as his brother turned to lead the way into the smaller sitting room and flicked on the light as they passed through the doorway.
"Are you sure?" Philippe asked as he glanced back at his brother over his shoulder before stopping in the middle of the room and turning to him.
"Yes, just think when you go up the stairs, you follow the landing around to the left a bit, and the door on the right, is fathers bedroom suite door, which is over the kitchen, and the door on the left-,"
"Is mothers suite, which is over this room," Philippe finished and nodded slightly as he looked across the room. Feeling instant relief that the noise was coming from their fathers suite, and not from their mothers like he feared it was. Especially after what he had seen by the dock. "Yes, of course it is. Okay, that's alright then."
"Why did you ask that?" Pierre asked, completely puzzled, and watched as Philippe looked back at him.
"Oh no reason," Philippe said with a shake of his head and sat down on one end of the settee. "I'm actually quite surprised that fathers still got it in him, not only because of his age and what with him being a fair few years older than mother, but also because of what they told us earlier."
"Hmm," Pierre replied, contemplating a moment as he sat down the opposite end of the settee. He realised many years ago what his father had been like when it came to that part of their parents' relationship, ultimately using their mother for his own needs. What he did and how he treated her was cruel.
"Uncle Pierre?" Mia said softly and watched her uncle slowly come out of the daydream she had found him in in the library and look up at her. "Are you okay?"
"Oh yes, forgive me. My mind was a million miles away," Pierre said and glanced down to the open photo album sitting on the table in front of him before looking back up at his niece. "What may I do for you?"
"I have come to apologise about my ignorance this morning, with all what has been going on with grandma, and with all the new responsibilities I have now since becoming Queen, it completely slipped my mind what day it is today," Mia said and her uncle nodded, "it wasn't until Charlotte came to my office to confirm the time with me for the laying of the flowers at grandfather's memorial tomorrow that it clicked, and for that I am truly sorry."
"Oh Mia," Pierre chuckled and watched as she moved to sit at the top of the table next to him, "you don't have to apologise to me, I completely understand you have other things on your mind."
"Thank you," Mia said, giving him a small smile before looking down at the photo album on the table in front of him. "When are these from?"
"Oh, these are from mother and fathers last anniversary together from six years ago at the Royal lodge by the lake," Pierre said and reached his hand out to the photo album and turned it towards his niece so she could see the photos. "Some are from throughout the day, then the last one on the page is from after dinner, just before father retired for the evening. Quite surprisingly, it was a lovely evening. He was actually nice, chatted with us, and took an interest in what we had to say. About what we had been up to in our everyday lives, as such."
Looking up at her uncle, Mia studied him a moment as he spoke before looking back down at the open album now in front of her and studied each photo intently. One in particular of her grandmother sitting on the armrest of the chair her grandfather was sitting in down by the dock, he had a blanket wrapped around his legs and her grandmothers arm was wrapped around his shoulders while her father and her uncle stood behind them, all smiling for the camera. It was a poignant moment captured for the camera, given the circumstances of the next day.
"To this day I still find it hard to get my head around the fact that right after this photo was taken," Pierre said as he leant forward to point to the photo of them all sitting down by the dock, "they sat your father and I down to tell us that your grandfather didn't have much longer left, and the very next morning he was gone."
"Was you with him when he died?" Mia asked as she rested her elbows on the table in front of her and raised her hands up, tucking them together under her chin.
"No we weren't, unfortunately," Pierre paused with a shake of his head, his gaze remaining down at the photo album, before continuing, "he passed sometime during the night. Your father and I found out when we returned from our run."
"Oh uncle Pierre, that's so sad and such a shame," Mia said softly, and her uncle nodded.
"Well good morning," Philippe smirked from where he was sat at the counter when he saw his mother walking through the door.
"Morning mother," Pierre smiled as he closed the fridge door and turned back to the counter where he had set his glass down moments before and poured himself a glass of orange juice.
"Good morning, to you," Clarisse smiled as she walked over to Philippe, sitting up on the stool, and kissed his cheek before walking around the counter to Pierre standing in the kitchen. "And good morning to you, too."
"You're up early," Pierre said, setting the juice carton down next to his glass before they kissed each others cheeks.
"Yes, I have a few things that I need to do this morning," Clarisse smiled up at him then across at Philippe before turning to the teapot that the maid had left for them on the counter along with two cups, like she did every morning. "And I wanted to be up and ready to see you both a little before you head back to the palace."
"About that," Pierre said and turned to her as she poured herself a cup of tea. "I was wondering, would it be alright if I hung around for a few extra days?"
"Oh of course," Clarisse exclaimed happily as she set the teapot back down on the counter in front of her and turned to him. "But don't you need to get back to the church?"
"I did, but I've managed to clear my diary for a few extra days," Pierre said as he watched his mother nod slowly. "I just thought, after what you and father told us yesterday that I might spend some time with him. Seeing as I'm not around much."
"Oh yes, he will love that," Clarisse nodded and turned back to her cup of tea on the counter.
"I wish I could stay too, but I have a meeting with the Prime Minister that I need to attend in the morning," Philippe said as his mother stirred a spoonful of sugar in her tea and looked over at him. "But I can return tomorrow afternoon once it's finished."
"That will be lovely," Clarisse nodded as she picked up her cup of tea and turned to them. Resting back against the counter, she held the cup in both of her hands up near her mouth and blew gently on the hot liquid.
"You look tired, mother," Pierre said and watched as she took a small sip of her tea before looking up at him.
"I am a little, yes," Clarisse nodded as she lowered her cup down a little in front of her. "When I left you down here last night to go up to bed, I ended up sitting with your father talking until the early hours."
"Oh, really?" Philippe smirked, and he and Pierre exchanged a knowing look before looking back at their mother. "That's funny because Pierre and I were sat talking too. In here, actually."
"You were sat in here last night?" Clarisse asked while removing one hand from around her cup and pointed down to the floor as she spoke.
"Yes, in here. I came in a little while after you had gone up," Philippe nodded with a mischievous smirk on his face as his brother shook his head.
"Oh, right," Clarisse said with a nervous laugh and looked down at the cup in her hands a moment. Realising from the mischievous look on her younger sons face that they knew she had spent the night with their father up in his suite, and that they had done more than just talking.
"Anyway, what did you and father talk about?" Pierre asked, to change the subject, after a long, awkward silence between the three of them, and watched as his mother looked up at him. Her cheeks slightly flushed with embarrassment.
"Well we had a long conversation about our marriage, made peace over a few things and then we went on to talk about you both, and how incredibly proud of you we are," Clarisse nodded and smiled as she averted her gaze to her youngest son. "We even talked about Amelia too," she said, watching him look over at her in surprise. "Your father hopes, when the time comes, that she will make a fine Princess."
"Oh she most certainly will," Pierre nodded as Clarisse moved across the kitchen to stand next to him. "With you as her grandmother, she will make a wonderful Princess indeed."
"Yes, she will," Philippe nodded, and his mother gave him a small smile before taking another sip of her tea and setting her cup down on the counter in front of her. "Anyway, are we going to go for that run?" He asked, looking now at his brother.
"Oh, you're going for a run?" Clarisse asked and bent forward slightly, to lean on the countertop as Philippe stepped from the stool.
"Yes, then I'm going to shower and head back to the palace, alone now, obviously," Philippe smirked and looked over at his brother.
"Is it just you two going out?" Clarisse asked as Pierre put the carton of juice back in the fridge before turning to them.
"No, my bodyguards will be joining us, and I think fathers is too," Philippe said as Pierre walked around the counter to him. "Are you going to be alright while we go?"
"Yes, of course," Clarisse nodded and stood back upright. "I'm going to go and take a cup of tea up to your father. Wake him up so that he can see you before you head home."
"Alright," Philippe nodded, "we won't be long."
"Okay," she smiled and picked up her cup of tea from the counter as they both turned to walk out of the kitchen together. "Go careful, please."
"We will," Pierre called back.
Smiling to herself, Clarisse took another sip of her tea before setting her cup back down on the counter in front of her and turned to grab a cup from the cupboard for Rupert's tea. "Good morning," Joseph said cheerfully as he entered the kitchen a moment later and saw her standing at the counter.
"Oh, good morning," Clarisse smiled as she turned her head to glance over at him over her shoulder before looking back down at the teapot in her hands and set it down. "If you give me ten minutes to take this up to Rupert, we can sit and do our quick security briefing before Pierre and Philippe get back from their run."
"Yes of course," Joseph nodded as she stirred some sugar into the King's cup of tea before picking it up and turning to him. "Take as long as you need."
"Thank you, but I'll only be a few minutes," she smiled and began walking towards the door, "I'll be right back."
"Okay," Joseph said, watching her make her way out of the room before turning to the fridge and getting the carton of juice out.
"JoooSEPH!" Clarisse exclaimed a few moments later.
"I'm coming," he exclaimed while setting his glass of juice down on the countertop before hurrying from the kitchen, into the foyer and up the stairs to find her stood leaning back against the wall on the landing. Her face deathly pale, like she had seen a ghost. "What is it? What's happened?" He asked, standing in front of her and putting his hands up onto the tops of her arms as she put her hands out onto his chest.
"I went to wake Rupert to give him his morning tea," she said quietly, her voice shaky and broken, and watched as he nodded. "But he's.." she paused and shook her head as tears filled her eyes.
"Take a deep breath," he soothed while moving his hands from the tops of her arms to cup her face in them and watched as she closed her eyes while doing as he said. Taking a deep, shaky breath in an attempt to calm herself.
Opening her eyes a moment later, she looked back at Joseph and slowly shook her head. "He's gone, Joseph."
Realising what she meant, Joseph turned his head to glance across the landing towards the King's open bedroom door before looking back at her. "Stay here, okay?" He said softly, and Clarisse nodded.
Lowering his hands from her face, Joseph made his way to the King's suite as Clarisse turned away. Raising her hands up, she anxiously brushed her hair back behind her ears before resting against the sides of her neck as she began pacing back and forth on the landing.
"I'm so sorry," Joseph said, returning a moment later and watching as she slowly turned to him. "It looks like he passed in his sleep."
Unable to stop herself from crying, she nodded and removed one hand from her neck and pressed it to her mouth. "Come here," Joseph said softly and stepped closer to her. Embracing her in a hug to comfort her as she cried a moment against his chest.
Shaking her head, Clarisse pulled away. "I shouldn't be like this, not after how he treated me," she exclaimed while brushing her tears away and looking up at Joseph. "Why am I like this? I shouldn't be crying like this over someone who didn't even love me, couldn't love me and certainly didn't care," she sobbed and covered her face with her hands before letting out a gut wrenching scream.
"Shh, it's okay," Joseph soothed while taking hold of her wrist and gently pulling her closer to him as he stepped closer to her and once again embraced her in a hug. Where they stood for some time. Comforting her as she cried against his chest.
A short time later, as Joseph stood leaning against the banister half way up the stairs and Clarisse sat in a daze on the top step, her feet on the step below with her legs bent up in front of her and her arms wrapped around them, Pierre and Philippe returned from their run.
"Mother, are you okay?" Pierre asked as he and his brother looked up at them, watched as Joseph turned and began making his way down to join them at the bottom of the stairs. "What's happened?"
"Your Highnesses," Joseph began as he stopped in front of them. "It's about your father.."
"Don't say it," Philippe interrupted coldly, a feeling of dread forming in the pit of his stomach as he studied his mother's bodyguard and long-time family friend a moment. "You do not say what I think you're about to say. That's an order." He snapped.
"Philippe, let him speak," Pierre said softly, putting his hand on his brothers back while looking to Joseph and nodding for him to continue.
"I'm so sorry," Joseph said and watched as Philippe looked up the stairs to their mother, "but it looks like he passed away sometime during the night."
"Mother?" Philippe exclaimed and watched as she averted her gaze down to them with a small shake of her head. And for the first time since they returned a few moments before he saw her red puffy, tear stained face, and he knew what Joseph was telling him about his father was true. "No, you have it wrong. He can't be... no!" Shaking his head in denial, he started hurrying up the stairs and past his mother still sitting on the top step to get to his fathers bedroom.
"I'm sorry, Pierre," Joseph said as he turned to look back at him.
Okay, everyone, I'm really, really sorry. I really hoped that it wouldn't come to this, but I'm going to be taking a short break from this story. I still have lots of ideas for it and do hope to be able to write them and share them with you all soon, but it's hard when I don't have much motivation. I know there's people clicking to read this story, and I appreciate as always those who do leave me reviews. But they have been lacking lately, and it's disheartening. Especially when I have worked so hard to share this story with you all.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy your summer holidays. I will be back soon, hopefully.
x