Chapter 17: The Lake
June 19, 2006
The next day, the garden party took place in the palace gardens. Joseph was stationed behind the security camera screens. Usually, he would have been there, but since Lionel was in training, he had sent him with Shades. The party had gone well, Joseph was satisfied with the progress and the work of his employees. Lionel had a few small aspects to work on, but nothing major.
In the evening, Joseph was waiting for Clarisse and Mia to finish their discussion in Clarisse's suite. He was on guard in the hallway when he saw the Princess leave, followed by Maurice. He headed towards the double doors of the Queen's suite, then knocked.
"Yes Joseph, you can come in." Clarisse said.
"How can you be sure it was me? We didn't have an appointment." Joseph asked.
"You always come have tea with me before the end of your shift. » The Queen smiled.
"Indeed, but it's usually not so late." Joseph added.
"I knew you'd come. You come all the time." She said, cupping his cheek.
"I'm sorry I'm late, I had to finalize the security arrangements for tomorrow's parade." Joseph said, starting to pour two cups of tea.
"We're lucky, he's forecasting a great day tomorrow." She smiled.
"You really like this kind of event, it shows." He said, handing her a cup.
"Yes, very much. It's a great opportunity to celebrate with the people. They're all happy and smiling. Even though I'm the Queen and marching in the parade, I'm a Genovese just like them. So I really like being part of the festivities. I love Genovia and celebrating it is pure pleasure." Clarisse explained.
"It's so nice to hear you. You are a wonderful Queen." He said, winking at her.
"Hmm, thank you. I'm doing my best." She answered him, smiling.
"You are so beautiful." Joseph said in a low voice.
"Oh Joseph, I'm in my pajamas." Clarisse laughed.
"Your Majesty, even with a simple trash bag as clothing, you would still be the most beautiful woman this earth has ever known." He told her with a slight shy smile.
"Oh Joseph." She told him, cupping his cheek again for a long moment.
"I miss you so much Clarisse. I would so much like to take you and hold you tight in my arms." Joseph almost whispered.
"I miss you terribly too Joseph." She told him softly.
They both finished their cup of tea, chatting about everything and nothing, then Joseph kissed her hand before leaving.
The next morning, Joseph had been posted early to set up and prepare the Queen and Princess' security for the afternoon event. At the appointed time, Joseph went to the Queen's suite to escort her to the car that would take them to downtown Pyrus. In the car, Joseph sat next to Clarisse.
The parade went very well. Back at the palace, he had an aperitif and dinner planned at the palace with the dignitaries of the parliament. Everything went smoothly, but Joseph did not take his eyes off Mabrey, even for a second.
June 21, 2006
The next day, everyone in the palace was busy preparing for Mia's sleepover that evening. Joseph had gone to the Queen's suite, as he did every morning, but she was not there. He had then received the information that she had already gone down to have lunch with Mia, at the Princess's request. He noticed a sealed envelope, with her name on it on the tea service on the coffee table. He took it and opened it. He instantly recognized Clarisse's handwriting.
My dear Joseph,
This afternoon, I would like to go for a horseback ride. I want to enjoy the fresh air before all the hubbub that the royal wedding will bring to the palace in the coming days. I know full well that I cannot go alone, my head of security would not tolerate it. So I suggest you accompany me. The departure is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the stables.
Clarisse
Joseph smiled warmly, then put the letter in the inside pocket of his jacket. He then headed to the large dining room to find the Queen and the Princess. He took his place behind the Queen, in a guard position.
"Grandmother, I don't know if that would be possible, but I really think it would be a good alternative."
"Indeed. I fully support you Mia. We will organize several campaigns and benefit evenings." Clarisse said.
"Do you think the parliament will accept that the winter castle serves as a temporary home for the children?" Mia asked worriedly.
"They have no choice but to accept it. The royal buildings belong to the crown, parliament has no power over their usefulness. If we decide that orphaned children will reside there, they will have no choice but to comply. However, they will most certainly argue a little if we take away their toy. But don't let them walk all over you, my dear." Clarisse told her, smiling.
"What? Me? You won't come with me?" Mia asked, visibly frightened.
"My dear, this is an excellent way to break the ice. It's a relatively minor matter, and I think you are the best placed to defend your idea. Look how easily you convinced me." Clarisse replied.
"Do you think I can do it, Grandma?" Mia asked.
"I'm sure of it, my dear." Clarisse told her, smiling.
Later, Joseph headed to the stables. It was finally 1:00 p.m. He entered the building, then saw Clarisse preparing Sally, his mare.
"Hello Majesty." Joseph greeted her.
"Ah Joseph, hello." Clarisse said when she saw him.
"Majesty, you are absolutely beautiful." Joseph told her, looking her up and down. She was wearing dark beige riding pants and a blazer-style riding jacket, English-style, checked green. She was also wearing her riding boots.
"You don't look bad either, you know." She told him, smiling. Joseph was wearing black Capri pants and a black long-sleeved turtleneck sweater.
"Unfortunately, my wardrobe doesn't have any riding clothes." Joseph joked.
"That's okay. I prepared Mystique for you." " She said, pointing to the mare next to her, just before mounting Sally.
"Thanks. So where are we going?" He asked, staying close to her, in case she needed his help.
"I was thinking of going to the lake." She answered.
"Then let's go to the lake." He smiled, mounting Mystique.
The journey to the lake had been pleasant for the two of them. Their horses had traveled side by side, which had allowed them to chat easily. When they reached the lake, they dismounted to contemplate everything.
"I love coming here so much." Clarisse said.
"It's true that you haven't been here for a while now." Joseph said.
"Since Phillip died. He loved coming here so much." Clarisse said.
"His mother too, I remind you." He said to make her smile.
"Um, yes, that's true. I used to come here to be alone. Until you started working at the palace." Clarisse said smiling.
"I was just doing my job." He smiled at her.
"I remember the first time you followed me here." Clarisse told him.
Flashback
May 4, 1994
Clarisse was in her suite. She was pacing. Rupert was out of the country for the week, so she had to take care of the parliamentary session of the month. She hated these sessions. The parliamentarians had been hard on her. It was Viscount Mabrey's fault, that one again. She wanted to establish a sanctuary for the wild animals of Libet. She and Rupert had discussed it together and they had prepared a great presentation speech. Rupert himself was supposed to present the project to parliament during this session, but he had had to rush to England for a last-minute negotiation. So they had agreed that Clarisse would take care of the presentation. Unfortunately, they had not been very receptive. Even Mabrey had managed to convince them that she was taking advantage of the King's absence to present her own whims. She stood in front of the window of her suite and let a few tears flow freely.
Meanwhile, Joseph was having his evening meal in the kitchen. He was chatting with one of the palace maids.
"Do you know if the Queen is better?" the young maid asked.
"What do you mean?" Joseph asked.
"She got demolished by the parliament with the refuge project. It seems that they did not hold back. They were even particularly mean to her." The young girl said.
"That much?" he asked.
"Yes. I saw the Queen when she left the session. I tell you Joe, she had tears in her eyes. I've never seen her so vulnerable." The woman said.
"Rupert had convinced her that she was more than capable of leading the project through parliament. If they tore it down, she must be underestimating herself now. I can't believe they did that. Where is she now, do you know?" He said.
"Following him." The young woman said.
"Okay, thanks." Joseph said as he stood up and headed toward the Queen's suite.
Clarisse hung up the phone with a sigh. She had tried to reach Rupert a few times, but to no avail. She wiped away the few tears that had slipped down her cheeks, then decided to go and take her mind off things. She headed towards the small dresser in her room. At the same time, Joseph knocked on the door of the suite. Realizing that the Queen was not answering, he gently opened the door so he could speak.
"Your Majesty? Your Majesty, I am sorry to disturb you, I just wanted to have a word with you."
He got no answer. He decided to go in. He had just been promoted to head of security, so he had every right to go in if he felt that the Queen's safety was compromised. Since he knew she was sad and he had not had an answer, he thought it was appropriate to check that she was okay. As he entered, he checked the bathroom. She could have simply taken a bath, that would have explained why she had not heard him. The bathroom door was wide open and the light was off. So she was not there. Suddenly, he heard a strange sound, like a piece of furniture sliding on the floor. He saw that it was coming from the Queen's bedroom. He headed there. As he entered, he saw the Queen enter a secret passage behind her dresser.
He wanted to follow her, but he was torn. Maybe it wasn't a good idea. He decided to rush in. He really wanted to make sure she was okay. He loved this woman, even if he didn't have the right, he loved her. So he wanted to make sure she was okay. He let her get a little head start, then he followed her. At the end of the tunnel of the secret passage, he saw the Queen open a wooden door, which obviously led to a corridor in the west wing of the palace. He followed her secretly. He saw her go out through the door reserved for receiving goods. He followed her, still in secret, to the back of the palace. The darkness of the evening was doing him a huge favor. He saw her take the dirt path that led to the small undergrowth after the gardens. Fortunately, the path was lit by lanterns, which made the task of following her easier. He followed her to a small lake. He saw the Queen sit at the foot of the large tree, at the edge of the lake. He saw her, illuminated by the moonlight, wipe a tear or two from her face. He remained motionless, not wanting to disturb her. After about ten minutes, he accidentally stepped on a branch. The Queen's gaze immediately went to him. She could not see him well, since he was hidden by a raspberry bush.
"Who is there?" the Queen asked.
He sighed, disappointed to have disturbed her, then stepped out of the raspberry bush's embrace.
"It is I, Your Majesty, it is Joseph." He said, advancing slowly towards her.
"What are you doing here?" Clarisse asked.
"I um, I'm really sorry, Your Majesty. I saw you going out alone and I wanted to make sure you were safe. I hid because I didn't want to invade your privacy." Joseph explained.
"Oh. You know, I think this is the first time anyone has respected me this much." She said.
"It shouldn't be." Joseph said solemnly.
She answered him with a simple smile, the first of the whole evening.
"At least, if I could make you smile a little." He told her softly.
"Oh, um, yes, I. I had a hard day, let's say." The Queen replied.
"The parliament session was difficult." Joseph added.
"Oh, you know." Clarisse said.
"Yes. They were so horrible to you?" » He asked.
"Long story short, in addition to flatly refusing the project, they questioned my integrity, my ability to rule, and even my honesty." She explained.
"But who do they think they are?" He asked.
"Oh, they just can't conceive of a woman taking the royal seat of parliament. They are extremely old-fashioned." She said.
"There is a fine line between disagreeing and insulting the Queen, their Queen." He said.
"Thank you for putting up with me, Joseph. You see, Rupert out of the country, I feel less alone. I really feel like you understand me."
"And the King, I hope you will tell him." Joseph asked.
"Yes, I can't let it be like this. They really have gone too far." I wish I could have sorted this out myself without needing my husband, but it's the only solution."
"And the King, he's going to put them in their place, isn't he?" Joseph asked.
"Ah, that's for sure. He's going to be red with anger. He can't stand sexist behavior, especially towards me. He's going to call an extraordinary session and he's going to yell at them." The Queen said, now more smiling.
"I hope so." He said.
"Thank you for accompanying me like that and for wanting to preserve my solitude." She said.
"It sincerely pleases me, Majesty. And the next time you feel like running away like that, alone in the middle of the night, let me know." Joseph joked, making her laugh.
"I like it coming take refuge here. It does me a lot of good." She said.
"Do you come here often?" he asked.
"When I feel the need." She replied.
They stayed for a good thirty minutes by the lake, laughing and chatting, before returning to the palace.
Back to the present.
"You were surprised to see me, behind the raspberry bush over there." Joseph said, pointing to the bush.
"It has grown since then." Clarisse said.
"Yes, indeed. I remember, it had been a little less than 6 months since I had been promoted to head of security. I had already fallen in love with my Queen, I knew she was sad and I saw her sneak out, late at night, so I followed her."
"And that's the night a beautiful friendship was born." Clarisse said as she walked towards the tree.
"And I fell at least a thousand times more in love with you that night. In fact, that night, I hoped for the first time, to have you for myself one day, that you would be mine." He told her as he approached her gently.
"Really?" Clarisse asked.
"Yes, really. We talked at length that night. We hadn't talked so much before. That night we got to know each other better. I really enjoyed our conversations. I discovered a part of you that I didn't know yet. And I really liked it." He said, kissing her hand?
She looked him in the eyes and gave him a sweet smile.
"Clarisse, my darling, don't look at me like that." Joseph said softly.
"And why is that?" Clarisse asked.
"Because I really want to take you in my arms and kiss you." He replied lovingly?
"And you think I brought you here why?" She asked him.
Without saying anything, he took her in his arms and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around him and deepened the kiss. After a few moments, she moved away a little to talk.
"I brought a big blanket and some red wine." She told him with a wide smile.
"So you're telling me I'll be able to have you in my arms and hold you tight?" He said.
"That's exactly it." She smiled at him.
"Clarisse, you never cease to amaze me." He told her before kissing her with a few soft kisses on her lips.
Quickly, they were settled on the blanket, at the foot of the tree. Joseph was leaning against the trunk of the tree and Clarisse against Joseph's chest. They were talking and kissing.
"I love you so much." Simply said Joseph.
"I love you too, Joseph." She replied, smiling.
Joseph was struggling with himself to ask her if she had thought about his proposal. He didn't want to rush her. He still had a lot to prepare for the upcoming royal wedding. This wasn't the right time. He was pulled out of his reverie when he noticed Clarisse smiling delicately.
"What's making you smile like that?" he asked.
"I can hear your heart beating." She replied, raising her head to face him.
"It's beating for you." He said before leaning his head down to kiss her tenderly.
She cupped his cheek, smiling at him before speaking.
"I brought something else." Clarisse said, stretching towards the bag lying next to them.
"Oh yeah? Another surprise?" Joseph asked.
"Yes." She replied, smiling.
She took out a small battery-powered radio and placed a record in the compartment. She put the radio next to them and adjusted the volume to a background music level. She pressed play and settled back into Joseph's arms, her head against his chest. The first notes of the song The Power of Love could be heard. Joseph recognized it instantly. He had listened to it very often since Clarisse had given it to him.
"Our song." Joseph said simply.
"Our story." Clarisse added.
"Have I ever told you that you make me extremely happy?" He told her tenderly.
"Yes, often." She replied, smiling.
Clarisse raised her head towards him for a kiss. They kissed for a long time. During the kiss, Joseph ran his hands over Clarisse's body. She greatly appreciated the moment. With one hand, he unbuttoned the only button of his riding jacket. She grabbed the back of his neck to deepen the kiss. He then began to unbutton the first three buttons of Clarisse's blouse, to have more access to her skin. He put a hand inside her blouse for more touches. Clarisse, meanwhile, took the sweater out of Joseph's pants, so that she could slide a hand inside and feel the contact of the flesh of her torso. Joseph's lips quickly moved to her neck, while his hand entered her bra. The kiss was becoming more and more heated. Clarisse noticed the bulge in Joseph's pants. She knew that they had to reduce their ardor, but she did not have the strength to stop. She grabbed his bulge through Joseph's pants, which made him moan. Joseph pulled one of Clarisse's breasts out of the cup of her bra. Instantly, like a magnet, he took her nipple in his mouth then applied a sweet torture to Clarisse. She moaned at the sensation. Suddenly, one of the horses and began to neigh, which brought them out of their trance.
"That's the call to reason, I think." Joseph joked, delicately replacing Clarisse's breast in her bonnet.
"Oh, indeed." Clarisse laughed a little, before closing her blouse.
"Come, come back into my arms, we still have a little time." Joseph said, returning to his initial position.
"Why aren't we in Rocabruna?" Clarisse lamented, repositioning herself, leaning against Joseph's chest.
"I know. I ask myself the same question, believe me." Joseph laughed.
They remained silent, in each other's arms, sipping their wine and simply listening to the song, their song, which played continuously. They stayed at the lake for almost an hour more, before returning to the palace.