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Kisses

Maria

After Mr. Peabody left, Joseph and Robert went to the hotel bar, they both knew that Catherine and Clarisse needed some time alone. And after the events of that afternoon, going to Broadway was completely put aside. Joseph was worried about the Queen. As much as she didn't let her fragility show, he knew how much she was suffering. And he also knew that, if this whole situation were made public, it would give her a lot of headaches. Not only from Pamela but also from Parliament. Some of them were true hyenas, waiting for the slightest mistake to attack. And at a time like this, when the only heir to the throne didn't even know she was a Princess, there was a lot to worried about. But Joseph was more worried about Clarisse. The woman who, in the space of a year, lost her husband and her youngest son. The woman who had dedicated her entire life to a country that she loved more than herself. The woman he loved more than life itself. Before joining Robert, Joseph asked Shades to run a background check on Nanny. When they returned to them, Joseph wanted to have as much information as possible.

C/J

"I don't know what to think, I don't even know what to do, Clarisse. How does she know our names? I mean, your name is easy… Just look at the television. But mine…?"

"To be honest with you, I feel lost. The truth is that I believe she really is our real mother." Clarisse put down her cup of tea, got up and went to the window. Central Park at night had a charm that left her captivated. Catherine joined her.

"I would like to talk to her again. I have so many questions…" Clarisse looked at her. Tears threatened to fall down Catherine's face. Clarisse hugged her. She also liked being able to talk to Nanny. Know her version of the story. Understand what makes a mother abandon her daughters. After meeting Nanny, Clarisse felt an even greater revolt. Nanny's sweet expression had led her to think that she would have been a gentle, sweet, attentive, protective mother... Everything that Clarisse had always wanted to have and that Pamela had refused to give. "And, apparently, I'm your older sister…" Clarisse couldn't contain herself and let out a laugh. And Catherine laughed too.

"Oh Clarisse. What a mess. Who would have thought that I had a twin sister… And that my sister is a queen!" Catherine placed her head on Clarisse's shoulder making her smile.

"And I'm so pleased to have you as a sister. And let me tell you that you might have TWO sisters. We cannot forget Frederica. She is also our father's daughter."

"Frederica… Joseph's girlfriend?" Clarisse immediately felt uncomfortable. That knot in her stomach that made itself felt whenever she thought about it, made itself felt again, reminding her that she wasn't just uncomfortable with it, she was jealous, irritated. She tried to hide it but Catherine noticed. "I mean, I think that's what I heard your mom say."

"I'm not really sure. I know they've hung out a few times lately, but according to Joseph, they're not in a relationship at all. But that's their business. I have nothing to do with it." Catherine chose not to speak further on this subject. It was completely normal that Clarisse didn't trust her to the point of confiding in her. But Catherine suspected there was something between her sister and the charming Head of Security. Catherine's thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Joseph and Robert.

"Do you have any news, Joseph?"

"Yes, Clar… Your Majesty." Joseph was visibly flustered by that slip of the tongue. The fact that he felt comfortable with Robert and Catherine did not give him the right to call Clarisse by her first name in front of them. He was the only member of the Royal Household staff who addressed the Queen by name but only in private. This kind of familiarity with the Monarch wasn't good and it could give rise to gossip...

"That's ok, Joseph. Catherine and Robert are family. There is no problem with you using my name in front of them." Joseph nodded and showed Clarisse a folder.

"Elisabeth Marie Woods. Born in 1939 , in Madrid. Her mother was a governess for a wealthy family and Nanny worked in that house until she was fifteen. Between the ages of fifteen and twenty-seven, there is no record of her. It was as if she had disappeared. At the age of 28, she was admitted to a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients in Montreal, Canada. She was there for four years. According to medical records, she was at death's door three times. After that, she lived and worked in Montreal for approximately 20 years. It was at that time that she moved to New York to work as a Nanny. She was married only once, to Sir Wilkes, 17 years ago. Her family is no longer known and she has no criminal record. Her life boils down to this but… Her mother worked for your grandfather…"

Clarisse took a deep breath. If she still had any doubts, they were dispelled now.

"The old story… Boss and employee. It never ends well." Clarisse regretted it the second these words left her lips. She glanced at Joseph but his expression remained the same, impassive.

"Clarisse, I'm too tired to even think. I'm old for so much excitement." Catherine smiled but the sadness in her eyes spoke volumes.

"Go rest, my dear. Shall we have breakfast here tomorrow?"

"Of course. Try to rest, Clarisse. I was thinking... Since you still have two days to spend however you want... Wouldn't you consider going back to Toronto and meeting my stepdaughters and grandchildren and spending the rest of the day at our vacation home, as Robert calls it? It's a small cabin, close to town but far enough away to have all the privacy you need."

Clarisse hugged her, grateful for the new feeling of belonging. Everything about Catherine seemed familiar to her. It was almost like she saw herself in the mirror. And the affection they both felt for each other was undeniable. Clarisse now knew that what had connected them from the first moment they saw each other were ties of blood. A tremendously strong bond that Clarisse knew was unbreakable.

"I would love it too. But…" And Clarisse looked at Joseph. How could he refuse her such a thing. Clarisse's life, in the last year, had been a real hell. And he had noticed the contradictory emotions that shook the depths of Clarisse's being, during her little conversation with Nanny. Besides, she was going to need all the rest she could get. In San Francisco were Pamela and Frederica... And a young teenager who had no idea how her life would change. And of course the only thing he could do was agree. Clarisse rewarded him with a touching smile that made him think that, perhaps, there was still hope for them. "It seems my Head of Security agreed."

"I suggest we leave the hotel very early. I think seven in the morning might be a good time. This way, no one notices you leaving. I never thought being a Queen would be so complicated!"

C/J

The day passed too quickly for both women. Taking into account that Clarisse would have to be in San Francisco the next day, they chose to have lunch with Robert's family and spend the rest of the afternoon and night at the cabin. Joseph sent half the men forward to make sure the cabin and the surrounding perimeter were secure. He really needed to be able to rest. The night before, he had barely been able to sleep. In addition to Nanny's situation, Clarisse's words never left her head... 'The old story... Boss and employee. It never ends well.' He loved her unconditionally, he had no doubt about that. And his closeness to Frederica only proved that, for him the only woman was Clarisse. He had let himself be carried away by the attention that Frederica showed him, by the coddling, by the vanity of having the attention of a beautiful woman... But that woman was not Clarisse and he definitely realized that, no matter how much he tried to find someone to share his life with, never could. His heart belonged to Clarisse. His soul belonged to Clarisse. He belonged to Clarisse! And there was nothing he could do about it! He was stuck with her until his heart beat for the last time!

The sun was setting when they arrived at the cabin. Catherine and Robert subtly looked at Clarisse, trying to understand if she didn't feel at ease but, contrary to what they were expecting, Clarisse was perfectly relaxed. Joseph smiled when he saw her happy expression and promised himself to do everything to always see her like this, at ease, happy, calm, comfortable, serene...

"What if, instead of ordering food, we cook?" Robert asked.

"I do not cook!" The two women said at the same time and started laughing.

"Yep… They are sisters! That's for sure!" Robert sighed and the four of them laughed.

"I can help. Men to the kitchen!" Joseph patted Robert on the shoulder and the two went to the kitchen, leaving the two sisters to talk in the living room. Catherine showed Clarisse the entire house and the surrounding area.

"Did he really come back to look for your necklace? This is so romantic!" Clarisse and Catherine walked back to the cabin, arm in arm.

"I thought so too. He melted my heart. And that's when I was absolutely sure that I was in love with him! And you, when did you know for sure that you were in love with Joseph?" Clarisse almost tripped and immediately stopped walking. Catherine smiled.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Clarisse, I'm sorry if I'm overstepping, but it's perfectly clear that you're in love with each other." Clarisse continued to look at her, without saying a word. Was she being that obvious? Did everyone understand their feelings? Catherine noticed Clarisse's panicked look. "It's not that you make it clear when there are more people present, but when you're alone, it's different. Your look speaks volumes. He is absolutely possessive of you. And when we talked to that friend of yours yesterday, the one that we were going to see on Broadway, he was absolutely mad. Just like when we talked about Frederica…"

"Catherine, it's complicated... I'm the widow of a King. I can't get involved with anyone. I can't think about myself. My granddaughter is the center of my life and I have to maintain stability until she is old enough to take the throne… If she wants to take the throne. Poor Amelia. My heart hurts just thinking about the change her life will have. She's so young. She doesn't know she's a Princess. She probably doesn't even know why her father's family has never been present these last fifteen years! How can I allow myself to think about myself?"

Catherine listened to her in silence. Loving someone and pretending that this feeling doesn't exist?

"I don't understand… You can't have a relationship with him? But why?"

"No, I can't. Even though I have a life that everyone thinks is a fairy tale, I am very far from that. There are two gentleman who want the throne of Genovia… Viscount Mabrey and Baron Von Troken. Any one of these men will do whatever it takes to see that the Renaldi line ends here. Mabrey is a member of Parliament and was deeply angry when he learned of Amelia's existence. And the truth is that a scandal like this could jeopardize the Monarchy and take away the throne from my granddaughter. And I will not allow that. Yes, I have feelings for Joseph that I never thought I would feel but I will never put my happiness before my granddaughter!" Catherine hugged Clarisse.

"I wish I was there for you! You're amazing, Clarisse! It takes immense courage to do what you do, lick your wounds, smile and move on, as if it were nothing. I admire you deeply! But you spend the day together and you certainly spend many hours alone…"

"In fact, we spend the day together but there are few minutes when we are alone."

"What happened to Frederica?"

"He got involved with her." Catherine was shocked. "For four months, they hung out together. He swore to me that nothing happened but, for me, it is still a betrayal. He said he loved me, kissed me and two months later, he started dating her. The problem is that my feelings for him are the same. And I had to act like they weren't. My sister was constantly at the Palace, reminding me that the only man I ever truly loved was about to share her bed!" Catherine remained silent and hugged her. Clarisse felt lighter. Being able to share the pain she felt with someone made her feel a huge weight leave her shoulders and she told Catherine everything that had happened.

"It can't be easy to be in love with the Queen of Genovia. Being two steps away every day and not even being able to touch you. But that is no excuse for letting himself be carried away by vanity, as he admitted. But that man worships the ground you walk on, I have no doubt about that! And from what you've told me, he'll do anything to make you forgive him." Clarisse laughed. "Talk to him. Find a little time to spend together, just Clarisse and Joseph. You are human. You miss the affection, the hugs, the kisses, the passion. Even if it's just between the two of you, without anyone else knowing. Try it!"

"Oh Catherine! Why did I only find you now? Thank you for listening to me."

"Thank you for trusting me. And believe that I will always be here for you and that everything you say to me, I will not say to anyone!"

Meanwhile, at the cabin, Joseph was beginning to feel impatient. Clarisse and Catherine had been gone for over half an hour and although his men were around the house, he felt very uncomfortable not being near her. Robert noticed and smiled.

"You're very possessive, aren't you?" Joseph looked at him, with a serious expression.

"That's my job and I take my job very seriously."

"I understand. I feel the same way about Catherine."

"Is not the same thing…"

"Of course it is. It's clear that you like each other."

"Is obvious. Her Majesty…"

"That's not what I meant." Joseph and Robert looked at each other. They both knew Robert was right but neither of them pressed the issue. At that moment, the door opened and two sisters came in laughing. And when they looked at the men, they laughed even more. The image of the two of them, making dinner and wearing an apron… Clarisse almost cried laughing.

"I think we'll just have dinner together, Joseph. Apparently these two beautiful ladies must not be hungry to risk making fun of us like this."

"I'm sorry, Robert, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine seeing my ferocious Head of Security in an apron." And they laughed even more. Shortly after, the four laughed uncontrollably.

"Please, Clarisse, never mention this to anyone. My men were going to have a field day!"

C/J

At the end of the night, Catherine and Robert went out under the pretext that, whenever they were at the cabin, they went out at night to take a walk in the woods and enjoy the stars. Clarisse immediately realized that it was Catherine's way of leaving her alone with Joseph. The prospect of being able to speak without fear of being interrupted excited and at the same time frightened her. Clarisse knew that after the kisses they shared in her suite, they rarely had the chance to be alone, partly due to her strict schedule and that made her feel partly guilty. However, after that night, Joseph had also made no effort to make this precious time possible. But he had managed to find time to go out with Frederica… And that, in addition to leaving her hurt, made her jealous. How many times had she imagined what had happened between the two of them? How many times had she remembered the soft touch of his lips, how possessively his hands ran over her body... Only to remember that, possibly, he had made Frederica feel that and much more... The movement of the sofa made Clarisse come out of her trance where the memories left her. Joseph sat on her sofa but kept some distance.

"You were miles away."

"I'm sorry. In fact, I was distracted."

"It's great to see you like this… Free, happy, carefree… So different from my Queen!" Clarisse turned slightly so she could look at him straight in the eyes and raised an eyebrow.

"Am I to conclude that your Queen is that bad?" Joseph laughed.

"On the contrary. My Queen is extraordinary… But she is not like you. It has a terrible appearance… Scary…"

"My God. What an evil Queen she must be. I think you should be very careful with her…"

"And I am. I am extremely careful. I heard that her poor Head of Security suffers terribly because of her…"

"Oh… Poor darling. That is wrong. I'm sure he must be a great person."

"It's truth. He's an extraordinary man, a loving person. And who simply idolizes my Queen."

"Then you must speak to her and advise her to treat this gentle soul better!"

"I cannot do such a thing. She is very, very careful about her privacy. If I brought this up to her, she would certainly rip my head off!" Clarisse couldn't take it anymore and started laughing. This was one of the aspects she loved most about Joseph. The ability to make her laugh. To joke about very serious subjects, without taking away their importance.

"How I missed this!" Clarisse said, looking him in the eyes and with a smile that made him feel like he was floating.

"I love you!" And before Clarisse could even think about responding, he stood up and continued speaking. "I'm going to make tea. Do you want some?"

"Yes please."

When Joseph got up, his cell phone fell out of his pocket and ended up on the sofa. Just as Clarisse was about to warn him, the light on the screen started flashing… Frederica. Clarisse couldn't stop looking but seconds later, the call ended and the screen, Clarisse read 'Frederica – 17 missed calls'. But why did Frederica keep calling Joseph? Did they continue to meet? Or talking on the cell phone? Clarisse didn't want Joseph to know that she had seen that Frederica had called him and turned the screen down. Then, she moved closer to the edge of the sofa and turned towards the kitchen, looking at him casually, as if she hadn't even realized that the cell phone was inches away from her... Joseph returned minutes later and the first thing he saw was the phone on the sofa. Regardless of this, he placed the tray on the table in front of her and poured two cups of tea. At that moment, the phone light turned on and off again. Joseph picked up the phone, hung up the call and put the phone back in his pocket.

"You're getting very domestic... First dinner, now tea... I think I'll rethink your employment contract. Maybe I should add some functions."

Joseph was about to respond when he felt a very slight vibration in his leg. Frederica was calling again, for sure. And no matter how much he tried to hide it, it irritated him tremendously. Especially because Clarisse was mere centimeters away from him and he did not want, in any way, to ruin the calm and relaxed atmosphere between them. But it became difficult to ignore the constant calls. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"What's wrong, Joseph?" What he feared happened. Clarisse read him like a book.

"Let's say my phone is particularly active."

"And why don't you answer her? It's late and I have to rest…"

"Oh no. No, no, no! I have no problem answering the call. I didn't do it because I'd rather have a minute with you than a lifetime with her. Oh Clarisse, you can't imagine how much I missed our companionship. I feel at ease when I'm with you. I love you more than life itself, Clarisse. And the last thing I want is to bother you with your sister's calls. I swear, on my life, that nothing happened between us and that I feel nothing, but absolutely nothing for her. I mean, I feel. To be perfectly honest with you, I feel angry that I let myself be manipulated. Anger because of my vanity, I lost you. And for that I will never forgive myself. I spent years imagining what it would be like to touch the velvet of your lips, what it would be like to feel your skin, what it would be like to feel your body mold to mine and then…" Clarisse placed a finger on his lips, stopping him from continuing. She approached him slightly, placed one of her hands on his face and kissed him. Joseph didn't need a second to put an arm around her waist and pull her towards him. The kiss that started as a feathery touch on his lips immediately escalated into uncontrollable passion. Which none of them wanted to hide. Clarisse had never imagined herself as a woman capable of igniting a man's passion. She had never imagined that a simple kiss could be so overwhelming, capable of making her forget the world. Joseph wasn't going to miss the opportunity to once again hold in his arms the woman who was more precious to him than the very oxygen he breathed. He wasn't going to miss the opportunity to show her what a fool he had been. And he put all the love he felt into that kiss. They both broke the kiss because they needed to breathe.

"Oh my…"

"I love you, Clarisse. Please forgive me."

Clarisse looked at him intensely and kissed him again. And Joseph lost the ability to think. She felt so good, leaning against him. And suddenly, the phone started vibrating again. Joseph just wanted to kill Frederica. Clarisse pulled away from him slightly and looked into his eyes.

"I love you, Joseph… But answer that damn phone."

Clarisse was about to walk away but he put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards him. With his other hand, he took the phone out of his pocket and answered it. Clarisse rested her head on his shoulder and, to her surprise, Joseph put the phone on speaker.

"What do you want, Frederica?" His voice was colder than ice and Clarisse smiled.

"Oh my… But is that a way to answer the phone?"

"Frederica, tell me what you want."

"Talk to you."

"I already told you that we have nothing to talk about."

"But who do you think you are to tell me whether or not we have anything to talk about?" Frederica was livid.

"As for you, I don't know. But I have nothing to talk to you about. And I would really like it if you would stop calling me."

"You are my boyfriend. And I tell you what, you will not be alone with my sister again. Is that understood? She doesn't have anyone who wants to share her bed and she's trying to get you into her sheets. Stay away from her, do you hear me?" Frederica shouted. Now it was Joseph who was furious.

"I beg your pardon? I am NOT your boyfriend. And don't you ever refer to Her Majesty in those terms again. Did you hear me? Never! Or I won't answer for myself. Her Majesty is more of a lady on one nail than you are on your whole body. I have nothing to do with you, never have and never will. And now I'm the one saying, stay away from me. And don't ever call me again!" Joseph hung up the phone. He felt tightness in his chest, he was shaking, afraid to look at Clarisse for fear of her reaction. But why had he answered? Clarisse straightened up and sat back down on the couch, a few inches away from him. Joseph's heart almost stopped. Then she picked up the cup of tea and brought it to her lips. She put the cup back on the table and, without looking at him, said, with a very slight smile on her lips.

"Joseph?... I think you upset Frederica, dear!" And without holding back, she let out a laugh. Joseph felt so relieved that he didn't kiss her again because Catherine and Robert entered the cabin.

Soooooooo?

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xoxo

Maria