A/N: Hello all, I just wanted to say a quick thank you to everyone for reading the latest chapter (and all previous chapters if you've just discovered this story) and an even bigger thank you to DW.618, Chelsietx, bee-327, Mari and the two guests for taking the time to leave me such lovely reviews for chapter 7. Thank you so very much, I really do appreciate them and your continued support!

Here's the next chapter for you all :) enjoy…

Just a few moments later, they were walking into the empty kitchen. "Why don't you go and sit down while I get you an ice pack," Clarisse said, gesturing to the kitchen table and chairs before walking over to the smaller freezer where they kept the ice packs in case of emergencies and one of her sons needed one in a hurry.

Walking over to the table, Joseph pulled out one of the chairs and turned it around before sitting down in it and looking over at her as she opened the freezer door and bent forward slightly to retrieve an ice pack from one of the drawers. Averting his gaze down to the perfect curve of her bottom, he noticed that when she fell backwards onto the grass, it had stained the skirt of her dress, and he felt absolutely awful. "I'm really, really sorry, Clarisse."

"Whatever for?" She asked while turning to look over at him and closing the freezer door.

"Well for not only letting my guard slip out there and allowing myself to get punched, but for knocking into you and sending you flying onto the grass," Joseph said and gestured to the skirt of her dress as she walked over to him, "and ruining your dress."

Stopping a few feet away from him, she twisted the top part of her body a little and lowered one hand to try and twist the skirt of her dress around to check it. "Oh," Clarisse said and turned back to him with a shrug, "it doesn't matter. I didn't really like this dress anyway."

"It still shouldn't have happened, I should have been more alert," Joseph said sombrely as she moved a chair closer to his and sat down in it.

"These things happen, Joseph. No real harm was done, so please don't beat yourself up over it," Clarisse said as she held the ice pack in both of her hands and rested it down in her lap as she watched him a moment.

"But you could have been seriously hurt out there," he exclaimed, annoyed with himself, and shook his head. "And at my hands too."

"Yes, but I wasn't. I know you're worried, but I was only winded. That's all," Clarisse said as she studied him. "Nothing got broken."

"Thank god," Joseph nodded and looked up at her.

"You on the other hand, are gonna have a shiner tomorrow," Clarisse said softly. Feeling guilty that he'd been punched defending her. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Clarisse, but there was no way I was going to stand back and let him carry on the way he was going. No one touches the Queen without good reason," Joseph stated defensively and once again shook his head. What he really wanted to say was 'no one touches the Queen but him,' but he felt that would be crossing the line if he did. So he remained quiet instead.

"My knight in shining armour, what would I do without you," Clarisse smiled, her heart skipping a beat as she had to resist the urge to bite her bottom lip. Never before had she felt this way over him being so protective of her. What on earth was going on? Why was she suddenly feeling this way over him.

"You know I would never let anyone hurt you," he said, and she nodded.

"I do," she smiled and watched as he extended his hand out towards her lap. To take the ice pack from her hands. "Oh, I'm sorry," she exclaimed, realising she still had it in her grasp.

"That's okay," Joseph chuckled and held up the ice pack against his cheekbone while grimacing in pain. "Tell me, how was the date going before that?" He said while looking back at her.

"Not good, actually," Clarisse said with a sigh and looked down at her hands resting together in her lap. "He didn't tick any of the boxes."

"I'm sorry," Joseph said as she looked back up at him.

"Don't be sorry, he's a pompous ass who drinks too much, loves himself, and was an old friend of Rupert's. Definitely not someone I want in mine and my sons lives." Clarisse said and looked across the kitchen a moment. "No, I need a caring man. Someone smart, attractive, and compassionate. Nothing like him. I need a real man, oh do I need a man," Clarisse said, getting distracted with thoughts of him suddenly being 'her man' and averted her gaze to him when she realised what she had said, to find him smirking at her. "Oh god, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to say that out loud," she laughed nervously and looked back down at her hands.

"No, don't be silly. You have nothing to be sorry for," he said with a small laugh, watched as she blushed while putting one of her hands up to cover her eyes in embarrassment. He loved it when she blushed. How her cheeks turned a beautiful rosy red. "So it's back to the drawing board then?" He asked a moment later and watched as she looked back up at him with a small laugh.

"Yes," she nodded, trying to remain hopeful that the next one she was to meet would be better than Lord Durand. "It's back to the drawing board, and who knows, the next one might be better."

"I'm sure he will be because let's face it, anyone's gotta be better than someone who's an old friend of Rupert's, right?" He said softly and reached his free hand out to take hold of one of her hands resting in her lap.

"Yes, you are right," Clarisse nodded and looked down at their hands, resting together in her lap a long moment. A nervous knot tightened in the pit of her stomach as she finally got up the courage to ask him the most important question she would ever have to ask him. "Um.. Joseph," she began, her gaze remaining down on their hands. "I know this probably isn't the best time, what with what's happened. But there's someth-,"

"Marry me," Joseph suddenly blurted, interrupting her, and watched as she looked up at him in surprise.

"I'm sorry, what?" She exclaimed, her gaze meeting his.

"I asked you to marry me," Joseph said, gazing into her gorgeous sparkling blue eyes as it fell silent between them. His heart was in his mouth as he anxiously waited for her response.

"Are you serious?" She laughed a moment later, thinking that he was joking, that was until she realised from the expression on his face, as he looked down at their hands together in her lap, that he wasn't joking at all. "You're being serious, aren't you?"

"Yes, I'm being very serious," Joseph nodded and looked back up at her as she pulled her hand free from his and slowly rose to her feet, "Clarisse, I love you. I have done for such a long time, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, not only as your best friend, but your husband too."

"I, um," she said, taking a few steps forward in complete and utter shock and put one hand up briefly onto her forehead before turning back to look at him. A million thoughts were now going around her head. Just a few moments earlier she was ready to ask him if he would give up his life for her and her sons to become her husband, to help her keep the crown, but instead he had asked her to marry him and had declared his love for her at the same time. Something she wasn't expecting, and it had thrown her. "I…. I have to go, I'm sorry," she exclaimed and turned to hurry from the kitchen.

"Clarisse, wait," Joseph exclaimed and got to his feet to chase after her, but dropping the ice pack on the floor slowed him down. After picking it up and putting it on the table, he finally hurried out of the kitchen and into the foyer after her. But she was nowhere to be seen.

"Everything alright, boss?" asked Lars as he stood by the main doors.

Turning, Joseph looked over at him and nodded. "Yes, but tell me. Have you seen Her Majesty?"

"Yes boss," Lars nodded, "she ran into the ballroom just a moment before you came rushing in."

"Thanks," he said and realising that she was taking the quicker route to her suite, Joseph began hurrying up the stairs, taking two steps at a time, and when he reached the top, he ran as fast as he could to get to her suite door. Reaching it just seconds before she did.

"Oh Joseph, no," Clarisse exclaimed breathlessly as she came to a stop and pressed a hand anxiously against her stomach while looking up at him before continuing on into her suite with a shake of her head, "please leave-,"

"No, Clarisse," Joseph interrupted, following her into the room and pushing the door closed behind them, "please, we need to talk about this."

"I can't," Clarisse said as she began pacing her suite, her hand still pressed firmly against her stomach. "I can't do this, not tonight."

"Why ever not?" Joseph asked softly as she stopped pacing and turned to him. Taking a deep breath, he made his way slowly over to stand in front of her as her gaze remained on him. "I just told you that I loved you, that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. Why can't we talk about it now?"

"Because, I..." she said, trailing off with a small shake of her head and closed her eyes. Suddenly, everything made sense. How she felt when he protected her against Lord Durand earlier. All the stolen glances and secret smiles they shared when no one was looking, and the way her tummy would flutter whenever he was close, just like he was now, or over the smell of his aftershave and when he flashed her his gorgeous smile. Even the way he said her name would cause her heart to skip a beat.

Opening her eyes a moment later, she looked up at him and slightly shook her head. "You need to leave." She said, coming to the realisation that she loved him too and obviously had done for some time. She had just never realised it until now, and it scared her. He was, after all, her best friend.

"Clarisse," Joseph said softly and reached his hands out onto the tops of her arms as she shook her head again while putting one hand up, brushing it back and forth across her forehead.

"I need to...um," she said and lowered her hand while looking back up at him. "I need time to think. Get my head around all of this."

"Of course, I understand. It is a lot to take in," he nodded and lowered his hands down from her arms. He understood she was shocked over his confession. But he didn't want to push her. He knew she needed time. "I'll be in my suite if you need me."

"Yes," she nodded and loosely crossed her arms as he turned to make his way over to the door to leave. "thank you."

After watching him leave and close the door behind himself, Clarisse walked over to the sofa in a daze and slowly sat down on the edge of it before raising her hands up to cover her face in them. She was in shock and wasn't sure what she was going to do.

She had no choice but to get married, having so many days to find someone and to do so. But could she really marry Joseph? He wasn't considered a suitable husband for someone in her position, and he didn't have a title or nobility. But they did know each other very well. They were best friends and had so many things in common. They both loved one another, too, she now knew. And her mother and both of her sons have already made it clear that they think she should marry him. But what would her country think? Would they allow it?

Or, should she just forget the idea and ignore not only her feelings but Joseph's too, and consider one of the other candidates that she had already picked out. Maybe if she were to have dinner with a few more of them, she might find one much more suitable than Lord Durand. But no one, she realised as she got to her feet and began to make her way over to her bedroom door, would compare to her best friend and she felt torn. Marry someone she actually loved, or marry someone she barely knew for the sake of her country, and pray that it wouldn't be like her first marriage to Rupert.