I do hope you've all enjoyed this story - - thanks so much for your reviews…. On to the next adventure!!!

Part 15

Clarisse quietly pushed the door open, creeping into the dark warm room and waiting for her eyes adjust to the dusky light. She tiptoed over to the bed, leant over and rested her hand on her husband's forehead and smiled to herself.

They'd been home two days now and Joseph seemed to have done nothing but sleep since they returned. She wasn't sure if it was physical exhaustion or emotional, or perhaps he just wasn't ready to face the world yet. Whatever his reasons she let him rest whilst she returned to work. Mia was beyond grateful to have her grandmother back home, after a month of pretty much coping alone she realised it would be many years before she felt secure enough to really rule 'alone'.

Clarisse lifted the sheets up to cover his bare arm, then turned and walked along the edge of the bed sliding her hand along the shape of his body. As she reached the bottom she was about to leave when Joseph grabbed her waist and brought her down onto the bed engulfing her in his arms and holding her to him.

Her initial instinct was to scream then she began to laugh uncontrollably. He turned her over and tucked her head beneath his chin and closed his eyes contented.

"I thought you were sleeping." She whispered.

"I was, you woke me."

"You're awfully warm." She lifted her arms that were crushed to his chest and slid them over his shoulders.

"Get in..." He murmured.

"Joseph, I'm fully dressed."

"Mmm."

"And I have my shoes on."

"Take them off, get in bed."

She laughed. "No, this was only supposed to be a fleeting visit."

He opened his eyes and smiled at her. "Why?"

"I wanted to check you were alright."

"I'm alright. Just tired." He kissed her forehead. "Are people asking?"

"Only Mia... and Charlotte did enquire."

"Imagine the gossip 'below stairs'."

"I'd rather not."

"The former Queen has already worn her new husband out!"

"Oh goodness no!" She blushed even in the darkness. "Do you think they really could think..."

"I'm sure it's only harmful banter."

"Hmmm." She loosened her hold on him and kissed his cheek. "I have to go."

"Don't."

"It's the middle of the day."

"What time?"

"Almost 3." She ran her finger down his face, beneath his chin until he twitched at the ticklish sensation.

"Are you in the middle of work?"

"Not really, I was giving lessons to Mia this morning on the art of the diplomat." She emphasised her point by elegantly lifting her chin. "And I did have a hair appointment this afternoon."

"Nothing important then, stay here with me." He kissed her head again, closed his eyes and settled back down to sleep.

They lay in silence for a while, Clarisse turned onto her back and Joseph's head dropped to rest on her shoulder. She took his hand, played with his fingers in the darkness, felt the warmth of his skin against hers. The cuts that were so painful only a few days ago were now healing and soon the physical signs of the altercation with his brother would be gone. She doubted whether the emotional affects would be so easy to erase.

He'd hardly spoken about it, only a few words on the flight home. He didn't want anybody to know, he didn't want to see either of them again and he was sorry, again, for ever dragging her into something like that. She couldn't help but feel he had done nothing but continually apologise to her since they'd married, and she didn't mean that in a bad way, she meant she didn't want him to. She wasn't his superior anymore, she doubted whether she ever had been, they needed to really explore these new roles and somehow be once again comfortable in them.

But it was Christmas afterall and whatever troubles had gone before she was determined that this would be the start. This would be a fresh start together, a new year.

The phone rang in the other room and she lifted her head up feeling suddenly sleepy and utterly relaxed.

"Ignore it." He murmured.

"Probably for my hair."

"It's fine… ignore it." He squeezed her stomach.

"I won't be long." She laughed, twisted her head and kissed his mouth. "Dinner later?"

"Of course, I'll even dress."

"Oh how wonderful." She smiled, kissed him once more then got up from the bed. Her head was spinning as she made her way into the lounge and finally answered the private call.

---

Charlotte hadn't said much, that Clarisse had a visitor, that she wanted to meet privately and she was in her office waiting. So she smartened herself up, smoothed the creases in her dress that Joseph's hands had just imprinted and made her way to the office.

Charlotte stood outside with Shades and a new young man that Clarisse hardly knew, Paul something or other. He always blushed whenever his former Queen was in the near vicinity and bent his head in respect. She smiled warmly at him, encouragingly; she could vaguely recall the fear involved in spending your first few months in a royal Palace.

"Charlotte this all seems very mysterious."

"Ma'am, I think…" She stepped closer to her, hushing her voice. "It's Joseph's sister."

Clarisse's head snapped up, Elisa there, now, why the hell?

"She asked to see you, personally, if you could… I didn't think it wise to make her book an appointment."

Clarisse smiled at Charlotte's slight attempt at wit and placed a hand on her shoulder. "No, no I'll see her now. Would you accompany me dear." It was a statement rather than a request.

Charlotte nodded and followed her majesty into the office.

A fire burned in the hearth at the far side of the room and the tall slim lady stood by it, lifting a photo from the mantle piece and staring at it. She didn't notice Clarisse enter the room and stand behind her, hands folded neatly in front of her.

"Excuse me, I don't believe I know you." Clarisse tried to sound calm and full of authority but inside she was shaking.

The lady turned to her, she was beautiful, breathtaking. Huge dark eyes, her skin that same tanned colour as Joseph's and long thick hair carefully arranged in a long plait down her back. There was no mistaking who she was related to.

The lady held out her hand, a large diamond sparkling on her finger.

"We haven't met, Louisa your Majesty, I'm so glad to finally meet you."

Clarisse gripped her hand, she had that same American twang as Mia and she was openly warm and friendly, fresh and her face was one of honesty.

"Oh I'm so glad to meet you too, Joseph has told me so much about you, so much…" She smiled then realised Charlotte was still behind her.

She turned to her, "Charlotte could you arrange for tea."

"Of course ma'am. Right away."

"Thank you."

Charlotte left them alone and Clarisse indicated the sofa waiting for her guest to sit before she smoothed her skirt and sat across from her.

"You seem shocked to see me."

"I have to admit I am a little… concerned."

"I guess there's no point in dragging this on, I spoke to Rico, I know what happened."

"Ahh." She suddenly feared yet another member of her new husband's family was going to hate her.

"And how is he now?"

"Shamed, guilty, Elisa has left him."

"I know. I thought perhaps at some point they might…" she shrugged, "Reunite."

"Possibly, though she seems to have disappeared for the moment."

"Oh goodness, those poor boys."

Louisa smiled. "They're alright, kind of you to care."

"Of course they are part of my family now… afterall."

"And Joseph?"

"I'm not really sure, tired, sleeping at the moment. Would you like me to wake him, he would be overjoyed to see you."

She shook her head. "I can wait."

"You flew all this way, from New York?"

"Non-stop lifestyle as usual, I am planning on going to see Rico, I've invited them to come back to the States with me, for a few weeks at least over Christmas."

Clarisse leant back on the sofa and allowed herself a deep breath. "I can't tell you how relieved am I to finally meet you, I was afraid you would all think me some kind of... I don't know."

"A Royal, we think of you as a royal. And my older brother has been in love with you for as long as I can remember."

Clarisse couldn't help but smile; it didn't shock her that he'd shared this information with his sister. "Joseph said he was always close to you."

"Well out of all the family we were the two who always planned to get out." She leant forward her face taking on a childish look. "When we were kids we used to sit up late at night planning how great our future's were going to be. Who knew he'd go on to marry a Queen?"

Clarisse shook her head. "But you've done very well, obviously." She said indicating Louisa's fine clothes.

"Worked hard, married a businessman."

"So I'm told, why is it we've never met over the years?" She couldn't help but instantly like this woman.

"Well I kinda think my brother was a little embarrassed to perhaps put you on the phone to his sister."

Clarisse smiled sadly. "Yes I suppose so, but now I do know you I must insist that you visit, I want you to be part of the family, all of you."

"Rico?"

"I can forgive, people have done worse to me, over the years."

"You seem such a calm woman."

"That's practice. I am terrified about meeting Joseph's family, I do care what you all think, he is my husband and I want this to work, he knows that." She shrugged. "Despite recent events." She wondered just how much Louisa actually knew about the troubled start to their marriage.

"It can't be easy, for either of you, Joe has never been one for sitting still and taking it easy."

"Neither am I."

"I did sense that about you." She giggled. "Joe would call with a hundred stories about you, what you were doing, the places you visited… tales of glory."

"He never told me that, I can't imagine him being star struck."

"Oh believe me he was, in the beginning. He never actually thought he was good enough for you."

Clarisse's eyes dropped to her folded hands, that was a conversation she and Joseph had, several times over.

"It took me a while." She admitted.

"Resisting his charms."

The lighthearted nature of her words began to ease Clarisse's worries.

The tea arrived and Clarisse waved the maids away preferring to pour herself and maintain the friendly atmosphere that they had achieved so easily.

"Tell me do you have many stories about Joseph when he was young?"

"Oh many."

Clarisse smiled as she handed the teacup over. "Really?"

"Many, many... Joe was always getting into scrapes, as boys so often do. Most of the time I was usually involved in some way too."

"You were?"

"Of course, and Alita and Izzy too, Rico always tagged along."

"Izzy?" Clarisse prompted.

"Isabel, our other sister, didn't Joe say..."

Clarisse closed her eyes embarrassed, of course she knew. "Yes, yes he told me, I remember of course, how terrible it was when it happened. He insisted on working when quite plainly he needed to grieve."

"But he had you."

She nodded. "In a sense yes, he was certainly my rock when Philippe had that awful accident and ... I'm not really sure I would have got through without him."

"It's so good to finally be face to face with you, surreal yes but good."

"Surreal in what sense?"

"Well it's kind of strange when your brother works with royalty but he's been here for so long I've just grown used to it, I hardly ever thought about it. I got used to seeing him in the background on T.V. or in a newspaper..." she shrugged. "But when he calls me one day to say he's finally bit the bullet and got married I hardly imagined it would be to you."

"But you knew that he, well that we..." Try as she might the subject still embarrassed Clarisse.

"I knew he liked you, years ago yes. I used to tease him in the beginning, then it got serious and he was obviously hurting... I'm sorry this really is none of my business."

"No please carry on, it's good to hear it from another perspective."

"He considered leaving at one point, did you know that?" She knew by Clarisse's expression that she did. "Because, well it wasn't a crush was it?"

Clarisse shook her head slowly.

"Then he just stopped talking about you, he never mentioned you when he called or visited and I assumed he'd gotten over you." She took a sip of her tea. "Quite obviously he didn't."

"I'm sorry, we never did stop and consider the possibilities, the effects on others... if we'd planned it properly of course you would have all been there, my intention was never to shut you out."

"I know, it took us all by surprise. You really don't expect your brother to strike lucky and marry a Queen." She gazed around the huge luxurious room. "All this... well I guess he's lived in this type of luxury for years now anyway."

"Only know it's more his aswell."

"You mean that?"

"Of course, I am not royal by blood but marriage, part luck part planning I guess. All this is Mia's now, and whatever is mine is Joseph's. I believe in marriage, that's the reason we struggled to find a balance in our relationship for so long because I believed in marriage, in the holiness of it."

"And your first introduction to our family finds you witnessing the rather messy break up of one."

"I'm also not blind to the ways of the world. I knew Elisa wasn't happy as soon as I met her."

"She's always had a crush on Joe, part hero worship I think, he was the one who went out and achieved."

"Along with you."

"I didn't marry royal."

Clarisse smiled. "But you married for love."

"Yes, I did."

"Children?"

"No, unfortunately not, never could..."

"Oh I am sorry."

"As it turns out it looks like I'll be spending rather a lot of time with my nephews anyway now."

"I'm so glad they have you."

Louisa reached over and squeezed Clarisse's hand. "And I'm so glad my brother finally has you. I was beginning to think he was destined to never marry and all that love would go to waste."

"Oh it hasn't, believe me. Even if we hadn't married it would never have gone to waste..." She returned the warm squeeze of Louisa's hand. "Stay for a while, I'd be happy for you too."

"I must go to Rico, this was a passing call if you like."

"Then at least for the night, have dinner, I'll arrange a flight for you tomorrow to Spain."

"There's no need really."

"Please, let me help, I can do that much."

Louisa smiled brightly. "Thank you. That would be wonderful."

"Good, now let me call Charlotte and organise a room, I'm sure you'd like the chance to rest after your journey."

Once again in her element at the chance to offer assistance Clarisse hurried to the phone to start making arrangements.

---

"Tell me about these problems."

"You sound like an agony aunt."

"Perhaps, an agony sister."

"I forget how difficult it is to hide anything from you."

"Then you shouldn't try, why didn't you call me, to talk things over. Why didn't you tell me about Rico before it went this far?"

"I don't particularly want to talk about Rico at all anymore."

"You must, you can't ignore him."

"I can have a damn good try. He had my wife over a table, who knows what would have happened if I hadn't got there Lou. Anything..." His voice trailed off angry, upset. "I can't let that happen, how could he, to her, how could he ever treat her like that?"

"I don't know, but I won't let him turn into Dad. He isn't him, it can't happen."

"I know, I know."

They stopped at the Gazebo and sat on the wall looking out over the frosty garden. Louisa slipped her hand into Joseph's.

"You're lucky you do realise that don't you... you got out."

"I know, and he didn't and the guilt I feel over that is immense. But he brings so much on his self I can't keep bailing him out, not this time, not after what he did."

"I know. I understand. But what I really meant is you're lucky, and not because you've married a Queen but because you waited for so long Joe, I know how long! And you did marry for love, in the end."

He smiled, looked down at their entwined hands. "Yes, I never really believed it would happen. I proposed here you know."

"I thought it was a spontaneous wedding!" She exclaimed.

"It was, she turned me down."

"Oh... oh!"

He laughed. "I guess she had other plans."

"So why this depression?"

"I'm not used to not working, to playing second fiddle. It was a shock, this sudden culture shock to be back here after the wedding and the coronation and then the honeymoon and everything had changed but somehow still the same. Except for me, I felt different, and I didn't know how to deal with that."

"Talking might have helped." She nudged his arm.

"Now you know I've never been very good at that." He smiled. "But I know better now, I could never be without here. The amount of times I considered leaving over the years, when it all got too much and I couldn't stand the jealousy – the loneliness."

"But you always stayed, and look what you bloody got in return you lucky beggar!"

"Now who's jealous?" He teased.

"Don't mess this up, I'm expecting a good yearly holiday out of this."

"Open invitation, always has been, and drag your husband away from his work to join you."

"Oh most definitely." She yawned. "Sorry, long day, heck of a journey."

"Of course, what time will you leave tomorrow?"

"Whenever Clarisse has organised the flight for."

"Then you should speak to Charlotte, I'll speak to her."

"Thank you." She kissed his cheek. "It's good to see you Joseph, I miss you. I never realise how much until I'm sitting talking to you."

"Family bonds…" He mused, then stood up lifting her with him. "Do you need me to show you to your suite?"

"With my memory of course not! I've remembered each step. Besides I was lucky enough to get the grand tour from no other than the former Queen."

"That's more than I got."

"Ahh but you get to share her bedroom."

He smiled, his eyes sparkling. "That I do."

"Like I said, luck, all the luck in the world." She held his hand tightly. "Don't muse on what's gone before Joseph, on the time that's been wasted or the mistakes that have been made. It's too short, enjoy this now."

She hugged him close, her eyes filling with tears; it had been so very long since she'd seen him. So long since she'd had his wonderful company to herself.

"Thank Clarisse for dinner, it was wonderful. Or whoever it is you have to thank around here."

"I'll pass your compliments on to the Chef." He slowly led her through the garden, back up the steps to the patio entrance and into the Palace.

She kissed and hugged him at the bottom of the grand staircase and then made her way up to her room. He stood at the bottom watching until she was out of sight. Then acting on his promise went to the kitchen and passed on her goodwill before locating Charlotte and inquiring about the time of his sister's departure the following morning.

---

Mia and Clarisse had been in the library for the past hour or so, supposedly discussing the fact Mia had her first public meet and greet tomorrow morning. Only when he got there he found Clarisse seated in the large chair in front of the fire and Mia sitting at her feet with a Santa hat propped on her head.

She turned and smiled at him over her shoulder when he entered the room.

"Ahh sleepy head I was beginning to think you may never resurface again."

He lifted the hat from her head. "And this is our Queen." He smiled meeting Clarisse's gaze.

"Everything alright?" She asked lightly.

"Fine, everything's fine. Lou passes on her regards for your hospitality."

"But of course." She said smiling.

Mia jumped to her feet. "Off to bed, sensing serious talk." As she reached the door she turned back. "You know now I know about Louisa that means I have a friend to visit in New York."

Clarisse glared. "You have no time for visiting friends."

"Grandmother, potential shopping trip!" She said gleefully before leaving the room.

"You know sometimes I think she's regressing rather than getting older."

"Perhaps it's a good thing, the weight of running a country isn't dampening her enthusiasm for life."

"True." She looked up at him as he stood staring into the fire. "So really, everything is alright?"

He closed his eyes and shook his head before looking at her. "Everything is wonderful." He placed the stolen Santa hat on her head. "Pretty cute."

"Joseph." She admonished snatching it from her head. "Your sister is lovely, very much like you."

"Better than me, thinks things through more than I ever do."

"What do you mean by that?" She stretched her legs out in front of her and moved to stand in front of her holding his hands out.

"Meaning she knew how much I loved you all those years ago, and she knows now that whatever happens I could never be without you."

She accepted his hands and stood close to him. "She's a very intelligent lady."

"Yes." He kissed her gently. "All these problems we've had, these last few months I expected blissful happiness, not soul searching and broken hearts."

"You can't plan for all eventualities. I never expected Mia would be Queen, I never expected to marry again, or ever feel this way. But after all this Joseph, I still haven't answered your original request, to give all this up and simply be with you."

"And I would no longer ask you too. This is you, maybe at some point you'll feel confident enough to retire completely but not now, you love it too much."

"I love you more."

"Then my only request is one day a week put aside, every week, for you and I to spend time alone together."

She leant forward and kissed his mouth just like she did on their wedding day. "Two days."

"From January?"

"From January."

"Thank you."

"Oh no, thank you, for understanding… as you always do. And have you decided what you would like to do?"

"Not yet, perhaps I should take up writing, I do have plenty of stories to tell."

"Gardening would be a better idea." She squeezed his hands.

"I have something for you."

"Oh?"

"Come." He led her through the library to the private room and instantly her heartbeat sped up.

She must act surprised, he mustn't know she'd already found it.

"I tried to give you this once before." He said gently.

Now she was surprised. "You did?"

"Yes, our anniversary, one month anniversary but, well things happened as they do and I never got the chance" He dropped her hand and pulled the album out from the shelf, reaching behind it for the small box. "I know we said we'd choose together but I got impatient, and this seemed perfect."

She smiled as he opened the box and looked hopefully at her. "Clarisse, my darling, I've never loved anyone but you and I want the honour of spending the rest of my life with you."

She gulped back her tears; there was no need to pretend how she was feeling. "I love you to and yes, of course yes, a thousand times over."

She threw her arms over his shoulders and held him tight to her.

"Do you want to try it on?"

"It fits… I mean I'm sure it fits." She held out her hand and he slipped the ring in place next to her wedding band.

"Perfect." He said contented.

"As I expected." She smiled. "Whatever happens, whatever has happened, never let usbe apart again."

"Never. I'm not that stupid."

He brought her close to him for a long lingering kiss, felt her heartbeat in time with his, her warm hands, the pulse at her wrist. He must share everything with her; tell her every little detail about his life, every moment of joy and pain. Because if she didn't know, if she couldn't share in those memories with him then somehow they would seem less important. Without her being part of his life he would be incomplete.