Okay, so here I am with a brand new short story for you, but fear not I haven't forgotten about Married Life, I am still working on it. I just had the need to write this one, too, for a distraction, and here it is. The first chapter for you! Just a small one to begin with, I'm going to see where/how it goes, then I will go from there. Also, you will notice a few lines here and there from both of the movies. I thought they would fit well with the story, so I wanted to include them, too. However, I would like to state that they don't belong to me and I'm making no money by using them.

I really hope that you all enjoy this story ;) and as always, your thoughts are much appreciated!

Thank you x

"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, Your Majesty. Happppy birthday to you!" All the guests sang cheerily.

"Make a wish, mother," fifteen year old Pierre exclaimed happily.

Smiling at him standing tall beside her, Clarisse nodded and looked at her birthday cake, a beautiful three tiered cake - enough for all the guests in attendance to have a slice - with decorative roses made out of frosting covering around the top of each tier, and momentarily closed her eyes while she thought about what she wanted to wish for. "Okay," she smiled, opening her eyes to see a sea of faces looking back at her, "I have one. I know what I want to wish for." She said and blew out all her candles.

"Yay," twelve year old Philippe cheered happily. "What did you wish for, mother?"

"Oh, I can't tell you that," Clarisse smiled and scrunched up her nose while wrapping her arm around his shoulders and playfully pulled him closer to her as he giggled, "or it won't come true," she said and kissed his cheek.

"Oh mother, don't do that," Philippe exclaimed, trying to pull away from her embrace, "it's so embarrassing."

"Since when did you start feeling embarrassed by your mother kissing your cheek," Clarisse laughed and moved her hand onto the back of his head as he looked up at her, "I love you, my sunshine."

"I love you too," Philippe replied as quietly as he possibly could, so no one standing close by could hear him, and watched as his mother put a hand on her stomach while tipping her head back and laughing. A proper belly laugh. One that both he and his brother loved, but very rarely got to hear.

"Oh Philippe," Clarisse chuckled and put her hand up to playfully grip his chin and turning his head playfully a little from left to right - right to left as he giggled, "you make me laugh," she smiled.

"Good," Philippe smiled. He felt proud, being able to make his mother laugh. Something he had done ever since he was a little boy and he first discovered that whenever he behaved in a silly way, or when he came up with a silly joke, it always made her laugh. Even when she didn't feel like laughing.

"Time to cut the cake, mother," Pierre said a moment later and carefully picked up the cake knife from the table beside the cake as she turned to him.

"Thank you, sweetheart," Clarisse smiled as she took the knife from him and glanced around the room at several of the guests before looking back at her cake.

"Remember you need to make sure you cut it evenly so that everyone here gets a slice," Pierre smirked playfully as his mother turned her head to look at him standing beside her and cocked her eyebrow.

"Yes, thank you for the reminder, Pierre," Clarisse smirked and shook her head as he laughed beside her. Smiling, she looked back at the cake and raised her hand with the cake knife in, pressing the tip of the blade into the middle of the cake on the top before pausing to pose for a photo.

After cutting the first slice, which Philippe quite happily claimed, Clarisse let one of the Royal waiters take over cutting the rest of the cake and serving it to all the guests as she turned her attention back to her sons and her mother sitting at a nearby table. Well, at least she tried, too. It wasn't long before she was sought out by the Genovian Prime Minister.

"Your Majesty," the Prime Minister smiled as he stood a foot or so behind her and watched as she turned to him. "Can I steal you away for a moment?"

"Of course," she nodded and turned her head to her mother, who simply bowed her head to her in acknowledgment, before she looked at her sons sitting at the table enjoying their slice of birthday cake. "I'll be back shortly, okay? And I want you both to stay with your grandmother while I'm gone. Understood?"

"Yes, mother," both Pierre and Philippe said in unison.

"Okay," Clarisse nodded and turned to the Prime Minister while clasping her hands together in front of her. "How can I help you, Prime Minister?"

"I just wanted to let you know that with my darling wife, Louise, at home sick, I'll be leaving in a few minutes to get back to her," he said and reached his arm out behind her, putting his hand on her back as they began walking slowly together across the ballroom to a more quieter spot.

"Oh, yes, of course," Clarisse nodded and turned her head to look at him. "How is she feeling now? Better, I hope."

"Well she's still not one hundred percent, but she's getting there," the Prime Minister said, nodding ever so slightly, "she hated that she couldn't be here to help you celebrate your special birthday, but she made me promise that I would ask you when I got a chance, about setting up a lunch date with you once she's better?"

"Yes, absolutely. It'll be lovely to catch up, it seems like forever since we last had a chance to just sit and talk properly," Clarisse nodded as they came to a stop and they turned to one another, "so please do let Charlotte know when she's feeling better and we can get something arranged."

"Perfect, I will most definitely do that once she's feeling better," the Prime Minister smiled.

"Be sure that you do, but in the meantime you must pass on my best wishes to her when you get home, let her know I'm thinking of her," Clarisse smiled and watched as he nodded.

"I will, of course," he said and took a slow step closer to her while slipping his hands in his pants pockets. "Now, Your Majesty. I hate to ask, but have you given much thought to the matter that we discussed earlier this afternoon in your office?"

"Uh I haven't, no," Clarisse said with a shake of her head and glanced down at the floor for the briefest of moments before looking back up at him. The truth was, however, she had thought about it. A great deal, in fact, but she couldn't tell him that. She was still in shock. "But I will, of course."

Her night had been going so well up until that point. He had already ruined her birthday, and he had just ruined her party now, too. Because she hadn't thought about what they had talked about earlier that day in her office once during the course of the evening. She had been, after all, stressing about it all afternoon since he broke the news to her, but she had decided while she was getting ready not to let it ruin her party too and not think about it until tomorrow. When her mind would be a lot clearer and she'd had a chance to sleep on it. But here she was now. Thinking about it. Thanks to the Prime Minister.

"Very well, but we will need to know your decision soon," he said sombrely and nodded ever so slightly. "Get that ball rolling, and all."

"Of course, and you will be the first to know my decision once I have made one," she nodded and forced a smile as he reached out for one of her hands.

"Now I'm afraid, I must bid you goodnight, Your Majesty," he said and bent forward a little while raising her hand up to his mouth, to kiss the back of it, before standing back upright and looking up at her. "I do hope that you enjoy the rest of your night."

"Thank you," Clarisse said as she pulled her hand free from his. "I'm sure that I will."

"Your Majesty," he said, bowing his head to her and turning to leave.

After watching him walk away, Clarisse briefly tipped her head back with a frustrated sigh. She needed to be alone after that, and she knew just where to go. Where she would, hopefully, be left alone. Even if it was for just a few minutes to gather her thoughts before someone came along to stand guard over her, or to join her. She did have a ballroom full of guests, after all.

So, knowing that her sons would be alright with her mother, she grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and turned to walk the opposite way to that of the Prime Minister to do just that. To be alone. And taking a small sip of her drink as she went, she made her way across the ballroom and out of the double doors leading to the back terrace with her head down. Praying that she could leave without being seen.

But she had been seen, trying her best to sneak away.