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Kisses

Maria

Clarisse was getting ready to go to bed when she heard a knock on her suite door. And, at that time of night, it could only mean one person… Joseph. Clarisse put her robe back on and went back to the living room, torn between yet another argument she expected to have with Joseph and the butterflies which, to her great mortification, insisted on making themselves felt in her belly when he was near.

"Come in."

Joseph came in and Clarisse had never seen him so insecure, so... sad?

" Your Majesty . I ask you to forgive me for disturbing you at this hour but I really need to have a talk with you." Clarisse looked at him in silence for a few seconds.

"Alright. Please sit down."

" Your Majesty , I prefer to stand, if you don't mind. It's late and I don't want to take up too much of your time. I know you need to rest."

"Very well, then."

" Your Majesty , I want to apologize for my behavior this afternoon. it was way out of line . please forgive me. I am your head of Security and behaved like a fool. It will not happen again."

"Joseph, please sit down. I am very tired and I think we really need to talk." Without waiting for his answer, Clarisse sat on the sofa and, seconds later, Joseph sat in a chair, opposite her.

"I know things between us have changed…"

"Joseph, please. It's late and I..."

"Clarisse, let me speak. I beg you." Clarisse took a deep breath and nodded. It was going to be a long night… "Even if you don't believe me, the truth is that I love you. Like I never loved in my life. Frederica was my biggest mistake and I can't even explain why it happened... I don't even feel a physical attraction for her. Anything at all. From the day I first saw you, I knew I was hopelessly lost. That I would never leave you and that, for you, I would give my life without thinking for a second. The day I kissed you was the happiest day of my life." Clarisse was going to speak but Joseph held up his hand, stopping her. "I know I can't change the past, unfortunately. But I'm going to prove to you that what I did was just a mistake, a vanity. I will prove to you that you can trust me, professionally and personally. And I will prove to you that my love for you is much bigger than my life, Clarisse."

Clarisse listened to him, not saying a word and unable to look at him. Her heart was beating wildly and the only thing she wanted was to kiss him, to feel his arms around her. But she couldn't help feeling hurt, betrayed by the only man she had ever truly loved. Joseph rose and bowed.

"I won't take you any longer. Have a good night, Your Majesty ." And he turned, heading for the door.

"Joseph?" Her voice made him stop and immediately turn around. Clarisse rose but faced the couch. "Yes, things have changed between us. Not professionally, of course, not as friends but in the most intimate relationship that, as a matter of fact, never even started. I never thought of getting romantically involved with anyone but the next thing I know I was in your arms being kissed with an intensity I never thought I'd feel. I told you that day that I couldn't have a relationship with anyone and you said you could wait. And I believed... But the wait was short because two months later, you were in my sister's arms. I know I don't have that right, but I felt betrayed." Without thinking twice, Joseph walked over to her and dropped to his knees.

"Please, Clarisse, I only ask that you forgive me. I can't think that I hurt you that way." Clarisse's heart almost stopped when she saw the imposing Head of Security , on his knees in front of her, crying like a child. Instinctively, she knelt down as well and hugged him. Joseph put his arms around her waist and pulled her to him, resting his head on her shoulder. Clarisse let him calm down without saying a word. Joseph was shattered, unable to think. He felt so guilty, so ashamed, that it wasn't until minutes later that he realized that Clarisse was also on her knees and he got up immediately, pulling her up too.

"Oh my God. Clarisse, I'm sorry. You must never be on your knees. Never!"

"My friend needed a shoulder…"

"You are too good for me. Forgive me. I was a real jerk."

"Joseph, please stop. Eventually we'll figure this out. It was a hard blow for me, it's true, but as you said yourself, we can't change the past. Probably, I can forgive… But I'm not sure if I can forget. And now let's have some rest. Tomorrow the trip will be long and we'll have a small change…"

"A change? Like what? What do you mean?" Joseph looked at her in astonishment and mild apprehension. Last-minute changes meant added headaches for him.

"Tomorrow you will know."

C/J

"I still don't understand how you convinced me!" growled Joseph. Clarisse let out a laugh.

"Why, Joseph. I don't understand what your problem is. I agreed with all your impositions, didn't I? You have a frightening contingent of guards here. Nothing will happen."

"Even so… Things have to be scheduled! It is your safety that is at stake!"

Clarisse smiled.

"Will you ring the bell or shall I?"

Joseph muttered something under his breath and rang the bell. Moments later, the door opened.

"Oh… my … God … CATHERINE!"

Clarisse had to make a huge effort not to start laughing. Robert looked at them, stunned.

"I'm going. But what was that scream, Robert? It even seems… Clarisse!"

"Good morning, Catherine. Good morning, Robert."

Catherine felt an impulse to hug Clarisse but Joseph's expression and the amount of royal guards surrounding the house made her change her mind.

"Clarisse… Come in, please. Oh my God. I'm not dressed properly. Oh Robert, please go and put a robe, at least. And my house is not properly tidy. I don't even know if I have anything appropriate for you to drink…" Clarisse couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Catherine, please. Calm down. None of that is needed. I apologize for coming unannounced."

" Your Majesty , you'd better go inside. We are attracting a lot of attention." Joseph started to get worried, because the neighbors started to approach the house, curious about the number of men in black, who surrounded the house.

"Yes, please come in." Robert said. Joseph beckoned and Shades , plus two of the guards, entered first, rummaging through every room in the house, making sure the Queen was in no danger. Robert and Catherine looked at each other but said nothing. Two minutes later, the three men left and Joseph let Clarisse in. Robert immediately went to the bedroom to change his clothes. After all, it wasn't proper to receive a queen in pajamas...

To say that Catherine was surprised was an understatement. She was excited to be able to speak with Clarisse in person again. The connection between the two was really strange. Both were two forces of nature and there, together, they looked like two teenagers. The two women sat down on the sofa in the living room and continued the conversation they had two days earlier over the phone. Joseph was standing by the living room door and watching Clarisse. He had no doubt they were sisters. Clarisse, always so reserved, spoke about aspects of her life with a naturalness that surprised him. Robert's arrival interrupted, for a moment, their conversation.

" Your Majesty , first of all, I want to apologize again…"

"Robert, no apologies are needed for a situation that, in hindsight, turned out to be amusing." Robert brought a hand to his chin.

"I didn't find it very funny…" Clarisse and Catherine burst out laughing and even Joseph had to make a superhuman effort not to smile.

" I'm sorry , Robert. Joseph tends to be overprotective of me and resents anyone getting close to me." Joseph managed a slight smile and Catherine noticed. The fearless Head of Security smiles after all, she thought.

"And call me Clarisse, please. This is not a state visit. I think I can say that we are among friends." Catherine grabbed her hands and squeezed.

"Of course. And I am very sorry that you live on the other side of the Atlantic and I cannot visit you."

"But of course you can visit me. The only problem is that the visit has to be planned. Here, no one knows me but in Genovia everyone knows who I am. As soon as you get on the plane and a Genovian sees you, they'll immediately think you're the Queen. And in Parliament, there are those who don't like me very much... Even I can't please everyone."

"Can we invite you to lunch? There is an excellent restaurant at the end of the street." Robert asked. Clarisse instinctively looked at Joseph. No one knew she was in Toronto and she was delighted to get acquainted with Catherine and Robert. It was as if she were stepping back into the past and experiencing a relationship she had never had with Frederica. Catherine was completely different. She was a woman completely at ease, with a strong sense of responsibility, totally devoted to her family, well-disposed, cultured and with a sense of humor so identical to hers... Joseph perfectly understood Clarisse's look and nodded, subtly. Clarisse smiled.

"We would love it. Thank you!"

Catherine was extremely happy.

"Then it is decided. Are the guards outside going with us, too?" Robert asked slightly concerned.

"No! The guards are here to ensure Her Majesty safety. So as I!" Joseph replied in a formal tone.

"I only asked to know how many seats I should book..."

"Four!" Clarisse responded immediately.

" Your Majesty , I don't know if it will be very wise…"

Clarisse chose to ignore his warning but explained why she wanted Joseph to have lunch with them.

"Apart from my Head of Security and my personal bodyguard, Joseph has been my best friend for years."

"Thirty-six years to be precise, Your Majesty !" Said Joseph without hiding a smile.

"That is almost half of my life!" Catherine said. "Joseph… Can I call you Joseph?"

"Of course, Ma'am!"

"Thank you. But then call me Catherine, please. Ma'am is for the Queen!"

"It is an honor… Catherine."

"And I'm Robert! No hard feelings?" Asked Robert extending his hand to Joseph.

"No hard feelings!"

"Good! So why wouldn't you join us? I'll make us a martini and make a reservation for lunch. Sit down, please." Clarisse watched the interaction between the two men and wished that her relationship with Joseph was more than professional... If only he hadn't gotten involved with Frederica... Joseph looked at her, undecided on whether to sit next to them. He felt like he was invading a private moment, but Clarisse's look made him relax and, minutes later, the four of them were talking animatedly, while they waited for lunch time.

Arriving at the restaurant was, to say the least, awkward. Although Joseph instructed his men to position themselves discreetly, they did not go unnoticed by almost anyone. Robert and Catherine were regular customers, and both the restaurant owner and most of the customers were stunned by the presence of two " Catherine's ". The owner, Mr. Kirk , approached them to say hello.

"Good afternoon Robert, Catherine. It is always a pleasure to welcome you. I beg your pardon but I am astonished…" Catherine didn't know what to say. She suddenly remembered that she hadn't talked with Clarisse, what to say about their resemblance.

"Good afternoon, Kirk . This is…"

"Clarisse. I'm Catherine's sister!" Said Clarisse, extending her hand to a gaping Kirk and leaving Joseph a little irritated..

"Good afternoon, Clarisse. I'm sorry but I didn't know Catherine had a twin sister."

"We haven't seen each other for many years." Catherine said trying to end the conversation there, realizing that Joseph was getting really uncomfortable. Kirk led them to the table, and just as they sat down, Joseph's cell phone rang. He looked at the screen, saw Frederica's name and hung up. Clarisse saw his expression and realized at once that it must be Frederica. Seconds later, the phone rang again. Annoyed, Joseph was about to hang up when he saw Charlotte's name.

" Hello , Charlotte. Did the trip to San Francisco go well?"

"Good afternoon, Joseph. Indeed, yes. I arrived just over an hour ago. Is Her Majesty there? Lady Pamela is here and wishes to speak with the Queen."

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xoxo

Maria