Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, and I make no money from this work of fiction!

Shades of Joe Cool

"I wanna make it big ... I'm gonna be Head of Security like Joe Cool." he had declared soon after being hired on at the palace in Genovia. When he was a young boy, he had loved the cartoon Snoopy's character 'Joe Cool'. He had changed his name as a teenager, now answering only to "Shades", thinking that made him sound much cooler. Charlie, who had been his best friend practically all his life, had called him that and the name had stuck. When he had first come to the palace over ten years ago as an intern on the royal security team, he had met the man who could have been the prototype for Joe Cool. What made it even MORE fitting was that the man's name was Joseph!

Shades and Charlie had gone through school together, although being a year and a half younger, Charlie was a year behind. Shades had done odd jobs for a year until Charlie finished high school, then the two had headed off to university in America. Charlie had majored in Business Administration, being very orderly and systematic. Shades had tried Political Science, then Engineering, finally majoring in Computer and Communication skills, with courses in law enforcement, justice, discrimination and harassment services, international affairs and safety and security. The two friends had then headed back to Genovia, where Shades was taken on as an intern on the Royal security team at the palace, and Charlie joined the Genovian Attaché Corps.

King Rupert had interviewed Shades himself, after Joseph had screened the various applicants. Shades had declared right after that that he was a King's man all the way. Charlie had looked thoughtful, frowning slightly before announcing that Queen Clarisse would probably be even better at running the country than the King. Shades had laughed, but the two knew that the question was moot. When the present King and Queen had passed on, no doubt far into the future, Prince Philippe would be a marvellous king. He was still getting in and out of various scrapes so needed some guidance, but overall, he was doing a fine job as the crown prince. His older brother had, a few years after attaining his majority, regretfully abdicated. All Genovia had been in an uproar at the time, because Pierre had been the brother who had had no interest in leaving Genovia. Philippe had gone away to university in America just a few years before Charlie and Shades, and hadn't returned. When Pierre had finally acceded to the call he felt to go into the ministry, Philippe hadn't come home immediately. For a time it had seemed as if the Renaldi bloodline might die out after hundreds of years. Then rumours began circulating that Philippe had been secretly married while in university, and even had possibly become a father. The queen had reportedly put her foot down and said he could not come home with his wife, as the American girl simply was not suitable to be a future queen. When Philippe finally HAD come home, and had been accorded the status of Crown Prince, he had been alone. There had been no mention of a wife. Prince Philippe had been seen with many women since then, and his parents had been urging him to settle down and begin his family, but he had declared that he had plenty of time for that.

When he had first started work at the palace, Shades had been bombarded with Charlie's many and varied eager questions about the royal couple. One day Charlie greeted him with a really far out question. "I've heard that King Rupert and Queen Clarisse are great friends, but the love spark isn't there. Is that true?"

Now, Shades knew the king and queen were good friends. That was obvious to anyone who saw them together. But what on earth did Charlie mean by a 'love spark'? What on earth was a 'love spark'? Who needs 'spark' or who cares anyway? No one, except a girl! "Haven't girls anything better to do than talk about love?" he finally asked in disgust.

"We talk about a LOT of things besides love!" Charlie said belligerently, her eyes flashing as she stood glaring at him with her hands on her hips.

"Oh, please, spare me," Shades groaned.

"You know, Shades, your trouble is that you haven't really grown up yet," Charlie said at last. "You've never forgotten that time Freddy accused us of being sweethearts!"

"Have you?" demanded Shades.

"Of course not! That's not the point! The POINT is that I'm interested in OTHER people's love affairs. You and I knew when you were eight and I was seven that WE were never going to be sweethearts!"

Shades grinned reminiscently. "Remember linking our pinkies and vowing that we would never fall in love with each other?"

"I certainly do! And we've KEPT the vow, too, haven't we?" The two nodded emphatically at each other. Then Charlie added, "But I STILL want to know how the king and queen can be married and NOT be in love with each other! I mean, she had two children with him! How could she stand having him make love to her unless she loved him? If they were just friends, it would be ... it would TERRIBLE! It would be like ... like you and I making out! YUCK!" She made a face at the thought.

Shades grimaced as well. "You're right. Okay, so they've got to be in love, which is what everyone thought all along."

"No, not everyone."

"Huh?"

Charlie looked around to make sure no one was listening, then leaned forward and whispered, "The rumour is that they're both in love with someone ELSE!"

"Give me a break!" Shades rolled his eyes. "Who?"

"No one seems to really know. You know, Shades, somehow I think it's kinda sad. I mean, everyone knows that their marriage was arranged, and had been practically since Queen Clarisse was born. Since they are second or third cousins or whatever it is, and both had an equal right to the throne, and were more or less the same age, it was decided that they'd get married and rule Genovia together. Sort of. King Rupert does more, I guess."

"How's that sad? I wouldn't mind being king, even if I DID have to marry my cousin! Well ... come to think of it, knowing my cousin, maybe I'd have to think about it." he amended with a grin.

Charlie laughed and teased, "Yeah, knowing your cousin, I'D think about it for a long, long, long time! No, I meant that it was sad because they didn't have a chance to do what we did -- to vow that we wouldn't fall in love. They never had the choice of who they could fall in love with! If they didn't love each other, they could never do anything if they ever DID fall in love with someone else, because they were tied down when they were so young!"

"Okay, enough with the love stuff. Let's talk about something else." All this talk about such an irrelevant topic made Shades uneasy.

When King Rupert first became ill, Joseph came to Shades. "You have a friend in the Attaché Corps, don't you?"

"Charlie? Yeah ..."

"I understand Charlotte took Business Administration at school, is very methodical and organized, and is a whiz at public relations."

Shades stared at Joseph. He knew 'Joe Cool' knew everything, but he hadn't realized just how MUCH of everything he knew! Surely ... surely Joseph wasn't INTERESTED in Charlie, was he? He was too old for her! MUCH too old! Joseph gave a dry chuckle, and Shades wiped the shocked look off his face. "Yes, sir!" he said, quickly, hoping Joseph hadn't really read his mind the way it seemed. "Yes, Charlie's ... ah ... Charlotte is great at all of that."

"Do you think she might possibly be interested in a post here at the palace, working closely with Queen Clarisse?"

"I think she'd jump at it!" Shades said truthfully, remembering the hours of quizzing about palace affairs he'd undergone over the last few years whenever he and Charlie had met.

"I believe we can work something out whereby she remains a member of the Genovian Attaché Corps, on special assignment here. Would you mind if she was asked to work here at the palace? You'd be in much closer proximity that way," Joseph said, then he added, "but Charlotte probably wouldn't have as much time to devote to you as she does now."

"Mind? Uh, no, I wouldn't mind ... but she's just a friend, sir!"

"Just a friend? You're sure of that?" There was a curious smile on Joseph's face as he mused, "Friends can mean so much, sometimes we are not really aware of the depth of our regard." Then his gaze sharpened and he said, "Is it all right if I call Charlotte right now, or should you warn her?"

"Warn her? Uhh, no, sir. Go ahead and phone her, sir." As he left the room, Shades inwardly resolved to keep an eye on Charlie and Joseph. He couldn't think why Joseph might be at ALL interested in Charlie personally, but for some reason, Shades couldn't shake the idea and it didn't please him! After all, he was duty bound as an old friend to look out for Charlie, wasn't he? Joseph had quite the reputation with the ladies! Shades didn't want Charlie weeping all over him when Joseph found someone else, the way she had when other guys had dated then left her before she was ready to end the relationship!

It didn't take long before Charlotte was well and truly entrenched in the Genovian palace. After being called Charlotte by so many people in the first three weeks of her new job, she had finally told Shades that it was time he changed to that as well. "It's more ... refined ... or something. Charlie's a tomboy's nickname, and I think I've grown out of that."

Looking at her, Shades nodded. "You don't look much like a tomboy anymore," he agreed. "Now that you're wearing dresses and putting that gunk on your face, you DO look like a Charlotte. But if I forget once in a while ..."

"I won't break your finger," finished Charlotte with a grin, referring to when she had done just that a long time ago when he had teased her by refusing to use her preferred name of Charlie. "And it's not GUNK! It's referred to as 'make up'. Joseph told me I looked very attractive the other day, and you've never said anything like that."

Shades couldn't understand the black cloud that came over him at that statement. He muttered something and stalked out of the room, telling himself it was just a compliment and Charlie ... CHARLOTTE ... was acting too much like a girl all of a sudden. As if he'd ever say anything sappy like that! Tell her she looked attractive, indeed! She was his best friend! HE didn't need to be told he looked good, so why would she think she should be told?

After King Rupert died, Charlotte was busier than ever, but she still found time to visit with Shades frequently. In fact, now she was in touch electronically many times a day. Joseph had outfitted the entire security team with wireless earplugs and microphones so that wherever they were in the palace, they could talk among themselves and keep track of the myriad of activities going on. He had presented Charlotte with a set as well, saying that since she was working so closely with Queen Clarisse, she needed to be included as part of the team.

Less than a year after King Rupert's death, came Prince Philippe's fatal accident, and Shades wondered if life at the palace would ever be the same again. Queen Clarisse, following the second catastrophe in such a short time, actually fell apart for a few weeks. Because of Charlotte and Joseph, her work continued to get done, and between them, the two managed to bring the Queen back to life, as it were. Then came the incredible news that the Prince had fathered a child in that marriage in America so long ago ... a daughter who would be celebrating her sixteenth birthday in four months. Rumour had it that the Queen had known about her all along but had ignored her existence.

"That's garbage!" Charlotte insisted to Shades privately. "I know the queen well, now. She may have known about her, but it was Prince Philippe who was keeping his daughter a secret. It seems his ex-wife had asked that the girl not be told anything about being of royal blood until she was eighteen. How could Queen Clarisse ever be in touch, and not reveal that she was a queen and that the child was a princess? She has been sending detectives all over America looking for the girl, because Prince Philippe left no address or phone number or ANYTHING."

It was only a day or two later when Charlotte could report to Shades that the princess had been located in San Francisco, and that plans were being made for the queen's entourage to travel to America. Prince Philippe's ex-wife had asked for at least a month to get used to the idea. Charlotte said to Shades, "It'll take us at least that long to organize the trip anyway. Her Majesty is anxious to go, but is trying to clear up other affairs which piled up since ... well, which have piled up. You know, she is so lucky she has Joseph to help her."

"Personally, I think she is lucky she has YOU with her! You're the one who arranges her appointments. You're the one who keeps track of her engagements. You're the one who has no life of her own outside of hers. You're the one who ..."

"Shades!" Charlotte was horrified. "What's gotten into you?"

Following Charlotte's lengthy trip to America with the queen to meet the princess, she regaled Shades with lots of stories about Princess Mia, Queen Clarisse, the princess lessons ... and the role Joseph had played. "If it hadn't been for Joseph, Princess Mia would never have made it to the Independence Day Ball that night, and would never have agreed to become the heiress to the throne. He got her there just in the nick of time ... you should have SEEN her! Dripping wet, scruffy clothes ... and yet with the most regal bearing I've ever seen, next to Her Majesty's, of course!" Charlotte then really startled him with her suspicions that Joseph and the queen had feelings for one another.

"Of course they do!" Shades declared. "Any fool can see that! They're great friends ... like you and I!"

"It's more than that," Charlotte insisted. "It has been over a year now since King Rupert died, and their marriage wasn't a real marriage for three years before that."

"What are you talking about?"

"He was sick, Shades," Charlotte said patiently. "They weren't sharing the same rooms, OR bed."

"How do you know?"

She rolled her eyes. "The maids, of course! Stop being so difficult! Haven't you seen how Joseph looks at the queen? Haven't you noticed how she touches him ... discretely, of course, but still ... how many times has she touched YOU? And you're next to Joseph in authority now! I saw them dancing together in America ... oh, it was SO romantic! I expect they're full of frustration because neither will compromise the other in any way, but the truth is in their eyes if not in their actions. They're secretly in love, I tell you!"

Now it was Shades' turn to roll his eyes. "Love? Give me a break, Charlotte! She's the queen. He's ... he's just Joe Cool!"

Charlotte's eyes narrowed. "You may say he's just Joe Cool, but I can tell you that Joseph is one HOT man!"

"He's old enough to be your father, Charlotte!" Shades was furious. "How can you even THINK of him like that? Did he ever do anything to you to ...?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Charlotte snapped. "Of course not! He has eyes for no one but Queen Clarisse, and if you were more alert and open minded, you'd see that for yourself!" Before giving him time to say anything else, she whirled around and stomped out of the room.

They had never referred to that conversation again, but during the next five years, Shades realized that Charlotte had been right. He had followed Charlotte's advice, been more alert and open minded, and had realized that Joseph did indeed harbour feelings deeper than friendship for Queen Clarisse. Shades had never heard him say anything untoward, however, and Joseph had never given himself away by his actions. It was more the look in his eyes sometimes that had Shades feeling sorry for his boss. HE would hate to be in hopelessly in love with someone who was not free to return his love! To be honest, he'd hate to ever be hopelessly in love, period! His mother had been hinting lately that he was getting older, and now that he was in his thirties, it was time to settle down, marry and raise a family. Shades was not interested in anyone like that. He couldn't imagine actually having to LIVE with any of the ladies he took out. They'd drive him crazy in a week! No, he prided himself on acting the part of 'Joe Cool' -- debonair, a ladies' man, charming to all but never tied to one. He secretly modelled himself after Joseph. At any rate, Shades had never seen anything other than friendliness in the queen's eyes or actions with regards to Joseph, but he hadn't really expected to. She was much too circumspect to be carrying on a clandestine love affair. No, he was convinced that Joseph was not secretly making time with the queen. That would NOT be a 'Joe Cool' kind of thing to do!

Princess Mia came to live in Genovia just before her twenty-first birthday, the day she became eligible to assume the throne. Queen Clarisse threw a big birthday party for her, inviting all the eligible bachelors in Genovia for the traditional dance with the Princess who had now come of age. Charlotte had been almost frantic for the last few days before the party, trying to organize the party as well as co-ordinate the Princess' return from America. Joseph had flown over for the Princess' graduation from college, and returned with her the afternoon of the party.

The evening of the party, Shades stood where Joseph had directed him, in the hallway before the doors where Queen Clarisse planned to make her entrance. Then he was to move to the upper doors and let Joseph know when the princess was ready to make her own entrance. For now, he leaned against the wall, idly contemplating the shine on his shoes.

Suddenly he heard Charlotte saying, "The queen is coming! Here she comes!" As she swept past him, Charlotte touched his hand and flashed him a smile. "Look alive!"

He straightened up, staring straight ahead and studiously ignoring her as she sailed on past to Joseph. When the queen walked past him, Shades turned enough so that he could see her greeting Joseph. Joseph kissed her hand, and Queen Clarisse touched his cheek gently with her hand. Shades saw Charlotte looking down and smiling secretly. Oh, good grief, she was thinking about LOVE again!

Then Shades really noticed Charlotte. She was wearing a lovely blue satin dress with a deep v-neck which showed off her cleavage. Shades straightened up even more. This was CHARLOTTE, for heaven's sake! He wasn't supposed to notice that she even HAD cleavage! It was definitely time to get a grip. All this talk of love was wearing on him.

A new intern was brought in to work in palace security for the summer -- the Prime Minister's nephew, Lionel. His first day was the day after the party. It was at the meeting of Parliament that morning that things REALLY began to happen in the Genovian palace. The news spread quickly that there was another aspirant to the throne, a young man just a few months older than Princess Mia. It was also revealed that Princess Mia would not be eligible to ascend the throne unless she was married. Joseph told Shades and Lionel grimly that Queen Clarisse had invited Lord Nicholas to stay at the palace, and that he would need to be closely watched. Viscount Mabrey had declared that having turned twenty-one, his nephew Lord Nicholas was ready to assume the throne right away, there being no marriage law with regards to kings. As well as Lord Nicholas now living at the palace, another young man and his parents had flown from Britain to Genovia. Rumour had it that the princess was shopping for a husband. To his dismay, after the first couple of days when Lionel had been shadowing Joseph, Shades had been assigned to 'look after' the intern most of the time.

Shades had to 'babysit' Lionel when the court went to the seaside village of Mertz on the first public outing when Andrew and his parents had arrived to visit with Queen Clarisse and Princess Mia. He found himself thinking 'just three more months' when Lionel stood close and asked questions when all Shades wanted to do was keep watch so that nothing went wrong on the outing. Shades hid a grin when he saw Charlotte trying to run along at the queen's side, slipping awkwardly in the sand. The queen pointed down, and Charlotte took her shoes off, hopping along as she did so. Remembering when they used to spend hours on the beach at home, Shades determinedly tore his eyes away from his best friend and concentrated on the Princess and her escort, studiously ignoring Lionel at his side.

The next few days seemed to have paid off when Andrew and Princess Mia announced their engagement. Shades had directed Lionel to oversee the princess and Andrew, so hadn't really paid much attention to them. When the time came for the public announcement and presentation, Shades heard via the security communication system Charlotte say, "Fly the love birds!" He wondered what Charlotte really thought of this engagement. It had been what, a mere three days since Andrew and the Princess had met? Love birds. Hah! Not too likely! But that's how girls thought!

He found himself puzzling over the engagement himself in the next while, with various incidents happening involving Princess Mia and Lord Nicholas. If she seemed to be in the company of Lord Nicholas all the time, why on earth had the princess become engaged to Andrew? When he asked Charlotte about it, she was scandalized. "She can't marry Lord Nicholas! He's trying to steal the throne from her!"

"From what I understand, it's not him pushing that, it's his uncle, the Viscount Mabrey."

"Well, you're right about that," Charlotte agreed. "But Andrew is really her choice. I KNOW that. He wasn't picked for her, so it's, well, not REALLY an arranged marriage."

"Sounds like it to me. What if she finds out later that she thinks she's in love with Lord Nicholas? She'll be in the same situation you claimed Queen Clarisse was in."

Charlotte had no answer for that.

After the Independence Day parade, when Princess Mia had charmed most of the people in Genovia by having the orphans march with her, Charlotte found Shades and admitted that she had been a trifle scared when handing out the flags before the parade.

"YOU?" Shades laughed.

But Charlotte was solemn. "I mean it, Shades. I think you should keep your eye on the Viscount AND Lord Nicholas. They must be up to something. Do you know, when I asked if he wanted a flag, the Viscount first said no, then he changed his mind and grabbed my hand really tightly and said he WOULD wave the flag when a true Genovian king once again sits on the throne. King Nicholas! Look at the bruises on my hand!"

Shades was furious with the Viscount, but what could he do? He agreed to pay close attention to the two men. Lionel had come in at that point, and Charlotte had gone on her way. Shades was irritated with Lionel, but by inwardly chanting "just two and half more months", he managed to smile at the youngster and agree to a chess tournament. Lionel talked of nothing but Queen Clarisse. He was so head over heels in a crush for the queen that it was almost laughable! Shades once more was thankful that HE hadn't been bitten by the palace love bug!

When Miss Lilly had suggested a pyjama party as a bridal shower for Princess Mia, Charlotte had, of course, been the one to organize it and send out the invitations. The day after the party, Shades managed to corner Charlotte in a quiet place and ask about the mattress surfing and how the Queen had been brave enough to actually go down STANDING UP! Charlotte laughed and said the whole evening had been wonderful. "Queen Clarisse even sang again. Remember the song she sang three years ago for Princess Mia's birthday? Well, the princess had had a CD made of the music. You should have seen the queen's face when it suddenly took off with a different beat. She almost panicked! But the princesses all had a marvellous time dancing."

At that, Shades grinned. "So did Felix. Lionel and I saw him on the camera."

"Felix? The footman outside Princess Mia's suite?"

"Yup. For about five minutes, he was having a great time by himself! I thought I'd split my gut laughing at his antics!"

Charlotte laughed too. "I wish I'd seen that! I don't suppose you captured it on tape, did you?"

"Well, as a matter of fact ..."

"Show me!" Charlotte demanded. "Right now!"

"Okay, but don't tell anyone." Shades led the way to the security room and put in the tape. He had to laugh again himself as he watched Felix grooving in the hall to the music from inside the Princess' suite.

When Charlotte could stop laughing, she wiped her eyes, then said, "I'm going to miss all this so much."

"What do you mean?" Shades was puzzled. "Miss what?"

"Palace life. My job finishes when Princess Mia is crowned queen, you know. Queen Clarisse won't need me any more."

Shades stared at her, unable to say anything. It had never occurred to him that Charlotte would lose her job! What would she do? What would HE do without her at the palace?

All too soon, despite scandal and uproar, Princess Mia's wedding day arrived. Shades had been drafted into carrying the ring bearer up the aisle, and no amount of protesting had managed to get him out of the vile job. He had tried to find Joseph to weasel out of it, but Joseph was nowhere around. The maids in the kitchen had giggled and told Shades that Joseph was retiring. Shades hoped they were wrong. He had no idea how the palace security could be run without Joseph, let alone how they were to deal with Lionel for the rest of the summer until he finally returned to school!

The ring bearer, Andrew's nephew, was an eight month old baby with the ridiculous nickname 'James of the Cherub Cheeks'. Too bad the kid wasn't older so that Shades could have had a man-to-man talk with him about the necessity of assuming appropriate names! To make matters worse, once they got to the front of the church, where they were in full view of the entire huge congregation, the stupid kid kept trying to pull off his sunglasses. It was hard to juggle his shades, the pillow with the rings AND the baby without dropping something.

Right after Princess Mia started up the aisle, then changed her mind and went out again, the kid started fussing. Seeing the queen and then Joseph head out of the church, Shades went over to the kid's mother and dumped him in her lap, citing security reasons. Then he headed for the back as well, and for Charlotte who would be able to tell him what the queen had said before she left. Before he could reach her, however, the doors opened, and the Princess re-entered. Figuring it was too late to run up to the front and grab the kid back, Shades just stood at the back, not far from Queen Clarisse and Joseph and Charlotte, and watched the proceedings. And they were something to behold.

The Princess started out by saying she was not going to get married, but that she was ready to take over the throne from her grandmother, who had been ruling for quite some time without a man at her side. Shades inwardly begged to differ at that point. Queen Clarisse may not have had a man in her BED, but certainly Joseph had been at her side forever! Viscount Mabrey had stood up and ranted at the poor princess, then declared that fortunately there was another heir, at which point Lord Nicholas caused a stir by declining the kingship and throwing his support fully behind Princess Mia. When Lord Nicholas departed calmly, his uncle angrily stormed after him, shouting loudly. Queen Clarisse stepped forward and quietly told Joseph to shut the doors, which he obligingly did.

The Prime Minister went up to Princess Mia and, at his prompting, she made a motion to abolish the marriage law for queens. Shades nodded, impressed, when the Parliament unanimously voted in favour of the motion. Princess Mia would become Queen Amelia without having to take a husband solely for the purpose of being eligible to rule. Then Shades frowned again when the Princess beckoned to Lionel and used his security communication device, asking Charlotte to hold her earphone out so she could speak with her grandmother.

The entire security team heard the Princess' statement that maybe the queen could have her fairy tale ending. Shades had no idea whatsoever what the princess was talking about, and by the look on Joseph's face, knew the other man was just as clueless. But when Shades looked over at Charlotte and saw her smiling even while she was blinking back tears, he figured something was up. He knew that all girls seemed to cry at weddings, and he knew HE might even consider it at his own wedding, should that un-awaited day ever arrive! But Charlotte didn't usually get all teary! He thought the princess' wedding had been cancelled and that everyone would be happy now! What did Charlotte know?

Queen Clarisse softly called Joseph to her, and Shades watched as his boss faced the queen. Then Shades heard the queen ask Joseph to accept her hand in marriage. Shades' mouth fell open. WHAT? MARRY her? Joseph's answer was so fitting for Joe Cool. "I thought you'd never ask." Then Shades found himself the recipient of Joseph's top hat and security equipment and Joseph was telling him that HE was in charge now, good luck with Lionel. Just two more months, Shades inwardly and automatically chanted, then he almost reeled as his mind registered Joseph's words. WHAT? HE was now Head of Security? Forever? Or just for now while ... while ... Joseph's final words sank in to Shades' brain. While Joseph married Queen Clarisse!

Shades looked over at Charlotte as Joseph and Queen Clarisse started up the aisle. Charlotte was blinking tears back furiously now, but her face was beaming. He supposed that he should let her know he realized she had been right all along about Joseph and the queen, but he didn't think she was in any mood to listen to him now. He walked over and silently handed her a hanky, then retreated to his place by the door.

At the reception that night, he asked Charlotte to dance. He really wanted to discuss the day's events with her. He grinned when she asked how he liked being Head of Security, and said, "If today's event is a perk to this job, I'll really like it! You gotta admit, Joe Cool had quite the retirement incentive and received a very, very nice severance package!"

Charlotte glared at him, completely exasperated. "Well, you and I aren't getting any younger, either, Shades! Just remember that!" and she walked off the dance floor.

Shades went over in his mind what he had said, but couldn't figure out why she had taken exception to it. WOMEN!

In the few days after the wedding, Shades heard rumours that Princess Mia, when she became queen, planned to pass a law declaring that women could be members of Parliament. Not sure how to go about it, but wanting to do all he could to further Charlotte's career now that he had fulfilled HIS dream, Shades wrote a personal letter to the princess. He then drafted a petition and secretly took it around to everyone he could think of to sign, asking that Charlotte be the first woman in Parliament. The Princess privately accepted both the letter and the petition and agreed to keep the plan quiet until the first meeting of parliament, which would be the day after her coronation. Although she could not do anything right at the moment, the princess left Shades with the impression that she was very pleased with the suggestion and would do all she could to make sure it came about. She also told Shades that she had begged Charlotte to stay and work for her, but that Charlotte hadn't given her an answer yet. Shades found that very strange. He was sure Charlotte wanted to stay at the palace! Why hadn't she accepted Princess Mia's offer immediately?

When he spoke with Charlotte about the shadow he had seen in Princess Mia's eyes, she didn't ask him why he had met with the princess. Instead, she sighed. "I think she is feeling let down now. MY guess is that she is really in love with Lord Nicholas ... and he seems to have vanished. No one has seen him since he left the church after saying he refused to be king."

"Can't you think of anything but LOVE?" Shades asked.

"Can't you start thinking about it?" Charlotte retorted. "Your mother said you're getting to that age, you know!"

"I know, I know," he grumbled. "It's just so ... unpredictable! So uncomfortable!"

"THAT'S true!" Charlotte agreed.

When Mia managed to shoot the flaming arrow through the coronation ring the night before the coronation, everyone went crazy for a second. Shades happened to be standing beside Charlotte at the time, and in the excitement Charlotte hugged him, kissed him, then was gone before he could even move. When he went to look for her, she was nowhere to be found. Shades had trouble getting to sleep that night.

The next day, at Mia's coronation, he was with Princess Mia while Charlotte was with Queen Clarisse. The shadow he had seen early in her eyes was absent, and the Princess was ... was GLOWING! When she was ready, Shades said over the security device, "The Sparrow is taking off."

Charlotte's voice, full of tears, trembled as she replied, "The Eagle is flying for the last time."

Shades forgot about history in the making. All he could think of was finding Charlotte to try to comfort her. Unfortunately, it took a while for him to get downstairs, and by the time he emerged on the one side of the room, he could see her standing by Lord Nicholas. LORD NICHOLAS! Now he understood that the glow in Princess Mia's eyes had not been just because of her excitement in being crowned Queen! He would bet anything that she had known that the young Lord had returned.

That afternoon, the palace was filled with music, laughter and celebration. Eventually Shades managed to track down Charlotte and ask her for a dance. He steered towards a secluded corner, then drew her into the shadows. "You were crying today, weren't you, Charlie?" He wasn't even aware he had used her old nickname.

Charlotte smiled shakily. "Oh, Shades ... you know me too well!"

That was when Shades lost his head and kissed her. To his enormous surprise, he enjoyed it, and she didn't even fight him. In fact, she kissed him back! He wanted her. He NEEDED her! Whatever else he may continue to deny, there was no denying this. Need could be stronger than reason. The two strained closer together.

Suddenly Joseph and his bride were there, and Shades and Charlotte sprang apart guiltily. Both Queen Clarisse and Joseph chuckled, then the queen took Charlotte's hands and said she was so happy for her. Joseph said to Shades, "Just as I told you -- friends can mean so much and sometimes we are not really aware of the depth of our regard. I know. It was that way for me." and he took his bride's hand again as they walked away.

If Joe Cool could do it, so could Shades. "If we break our childhood vow together, Charlotte," he said, "does that mean it's all right?"

"If we make NEW vows, maybe ..." Charlotte whispered.

Shades took Charlotte's hand, she willingly came into his arms again, and their lips met as their love for each other overflowed.