Title: OUT FOR THE (VIS)COUNT

Authors: Sue and Susan

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters since Princess Diaries 1 & 2, and its characters are the property of Disney and Buena Vista and Meg Cabot, to a certain extent! I make no money from this work of fiction.

Clarisse tried to focus on her work, but she was finding it most difficult. Charlotte had informed her a few moments ago that Genovia One was halfway home from America, bringing the princess for her first visit to her father's homeland. Clarisse knew she was looking forward to seeing her grand-daughter again, but she was also very aware of the fact that, after six long weeks, Joseph would be back at her side. Ever since their time in America, Clarisse had realized that she was in the grip of feelings that were not sensible nor desirable when it came to Joseph. She was his employer, and that responsibility put her in a position of authority and trust. She wasn't supposed to be thinking about Joseph's eyes or lips or body or overall air of confidence and ... and sexiness! Inwardly groaning, Clarisse pushed that thought out of her mind. She must have been spending too much time with Mia to even be THINKING such a thing.

The fact that Clarisse was a queen heightened her sense of responsibility. She was watched by her family, her staff, the people of Genovia and indeed, the people of the world. Her behaviour had to be above reproach at all times. She had been schooled in this duty since her betrothal to Rupert all those years ago, and although in the beginning she had had occasional lapses, none had been severe enough to have even a touch of scandal attached to them. Now that she was Genovia's reigning queen until Mia came of age, Clarisse could not permit herself to relax, nor could she allow any slips. No matter how tired, pressured or irritated she was, her anger, frustration or impatience must never be revealed. She was very aware that she had a public image to uphold. After years of being tested, Clarisse was feeling that her immense capacity for discipline was near a breaking point.

In America, on more than one occasion, Joseph had acted in such a way that now Clarisse was battling with herself, feeling that her self-control was being threatened. No, she shouldn't just blame Joseph. That would not be fair. She had been the one to ask for his assistance with Mia, and although she had thought at one time that such duties would aid in curbing her growing attraction to the man who was the Head of Security for the Royal Family of Genovia, the result had been, in fact, that they had been thrown together in a more intimate setting, discussing more personal things. Even now, she could feel the warmth of his hands on her properly-clothed body as they danced; indeed, the heat of his body whenever it had pressed against hers on the dance floor.

For the last six weeks, she had missed the feel of his hand on the small of her back as he ushered her through crowds, up stairs or along hallways. She had seen a softness in Joseph's eyes when he had looked at her as they had danced, a softness that had made her feel a longing inside. She had quenched that longing immediately. For her entire marriage, she had longed for happiness despite the fact that the marriage had been arranged. She had known success in making measured decisions for the greater good by weighing and balancing all factors dispassionately. But now, all she seemed able to think about was what it would be like to kiss ... KISS! ... her Head of Security!

"Your Majesty?" Charlotte was suddenly in front of her again.

Clarisse ruthlessly pushed her thoughts into the background, having shocked herself by her inattentiveness. "Yes, Charlotte?"

"The Viscount Mabrey is here. He apologizes for not having made an appointment, but wonders if it would be possible to speak with you."

"Thank you, Charlotte. Yes, I'll see him." Clarisse smoothed a hand over her hair, whilst knowing already that not a hair was out of place. The Viscount had always had that effect on her. He had never said a word nor shown by any of his actions that he was not impressed with his queen, but somehow, Clarisse had always felt ... unfinished ... in his presence. Arthur Mabrey had been very close to King Rupert and Clarisse knew he had sincerely mourned his friend and sovereign's death last year. Since then, his wife had been ailing, and the Mabreys had not been as active around the court as they had been previously.

"Your Majesty ... thank you for seeing me!" the Viscount Mabrey strutted in, and bowed obsequiously before Clarisse, taking the hand she unwillingly held out and kissing it. "I won't take up much of your time, knowing that you are expecting your grand-daughter any moment."

"I expect it will be longer than a moment," Clarisse smiled at him, restraining her urge to tug her hand away from his and wipe the back of it on her jacket as she had when Paolo had kissed it two months ago.

O o O o O o

Arthur Mabrey, a Viscount in Genovia in his own right, and married to a woman directly descended from King Chevalier of Genovia, eyed Queen Clarisse surreptitiously, wondering a little at the rush of adrenaline that had caught him somewhat by surprise when his lips touched her hand. He had known the woman for years, of course, and remembered her well from the days before King Rupert's death. She had always appeared to be encased in ice, he had secretly thought, showing no emotion, no passion and no fire. A few times, Arthur had found himself wondering how the King had stood having the woman near him! Arthur firmly believed that it was the woman's duty to please her husband in every way, and such passivity and control would not have pleased HIM. It was no wonder the King and Queen had only had two children ... and such children! One had been basically disowned and sent away, Arthur believed, not trusting the veracity of the official statement from the throne that Prince Pierre had abdicated in order to pursue a career in the church. The CHURCH? If Arthur hadn't suspected that Queen Clarisse was frigid, he would have thought that perhaps the oldest prince was really someone else's child, otherwise, why would he have been allowed to abdicate for no good reason? Certainly religion was NOT a good reason in the Viscount's eyes!

The younger son, Prince Philippe, had been a weak fool to have been taken in by an American woman, saved by King Rupert when forced to give up that woman and returned to Genovia where he had played at being the crown prince. Obviously the prince had never quite lived up to his calling in his mother's eyes, since she had refused to allow him to be crowned King at his father's death. Arthur was disgusted that Parliament had agreed to wait for a year before crowning Prince Philippe king, and then the idiot had gone and gotten himself killed before the year was up! Of course, that HAD paved the way for the brilliant plan that had suddenly appeared on the horizon of his mind, and was even now being meticulously organized.

"Viscount Mabrey? You wished to say something?" Queen Clarisse's cool voice broke into his thoughts, and he realized he was still holding her hand.

Quickly disentangling his hand from hers, Arthur fought to keep his body from further reacting to the woman before him. One look into her deep blue eyes had had him rising to the occasion, so to speak! Even as he spoke quickly and passionately about a minute point in Parliament he believed should be overturned, he found himself pondering whether he was attracted to Queen Clarisse for her womanly body or for the power and prestige she wielded as the queen. He just KNEW it wasn't because he LOVED her, or any such nonsense as THAT! Why, he couldn't even say he loved his own WIFE! He had married her for her lineage, and because her sister had married his own brother and had birthed a son before dying.

When Arthur's brother had died, Arthur had offered marriage to the boy's aunt, and a home for the child ... knowing that the boy was in line for the throne of Genovia. Not that there had been any likelihood at the time of such an occurrence, of course, given that King Rupert seemed hale and hearty, as did the Crown Prince Philippe. There was no point in not being prepared, however. Now his nephew, and therefore himself as regent, was second only to the American grand-daughter who had just been discovered. No, he was not in love with his wife, but she had finally proved useful. How foolish were men who allow their hearts to rule their heads! That toadying Head of Security was a prime example! It was obvious to the entire country that he doted on the queen, and had done so since Rupert's death. That meant, to Arthur's mind, that the lovesick idiot had to have felt the same way for years. Arthur shook his head in disgust. HE would never be such a fool!

"You don't agree?" Clarisse's icy voice broke into his thoughts and Arthur inwardly berated himself as he was forced to pay attention to the subject at hand and placate the woman before him. After all, for the moment she DID hold the throne of Genovia! And power, for Arthur, was a very potent aphrodisiac.

Finally taking his leave, Arthur strode out to his limousine, snarling at the oafs who couldn't get the doors open fast enough for such an important personage as himself. Seated in the back seat as he was whisked home, he pondered the transformation of the queen in the few months since he had last seen her. She wasn't even wearing BLACK any more! That horrified Arthur. Yes, it had been fifteen months since the King's death, but only four since the Crown Prince had been killed in that accident. Something else had changed her from a rather tart, hard and almost disillusioned old woman into a woman whose passion was beginning to come to life ... and more, a very, very attractive woman! Women were such weak creatures that he assumed it was probably her grand-daughter's assumption of the role as Princess of Genovia that had effected the metamorphosis, but he wondered if it were something or indeed someONE more. What or whoever had caused the difference in her bothered him, because now he was feeling a sexual attraction to her which he had not really ever felt before, and which annoyed him intensely. Suddenly he leaned forward and barked a new order to his driver, then sat back, rubbing his growing erection as he thought about Queen Clarisse and cursed himself for such weakness.

O o O o O o

Clarisse had always thought herself to be a strong person, a woman who knew what was required of her by her marriage and by her loyalty and allegiance to Genovia. She had done everything that had been asked of her, including her participation in a marriage that had been arranged for the greater good of Genovia and other nations, a marriage that had had nothing to do with people's hearts. At the time of the wedding, she had felt it right, as had Rupert. Already schooled in duty, time and patience had ensured that their relationship, if not real romance, had grown to the place where they had been best friends and companions.

Now, after Rupert's death, she found that questions never before asked were raising themselves in her mind. Was she owed anything? Did she have any rights? Did she have the right to a life beyond the role she had been raised to play? Was she entitled to know the fire of a man and a woman who felt passionately about each other? And the question foremost in Clarisse's mind was: how could she, in her position, even explore these questions without being discovered and disgraced, thereby endangering the already fragile succession of Mia to the throne of Genovia – especially if the person with whom she wished to do her exploring was her Head of Security! She sighed. Sometimes being strong was not about doing what one wanted, regardless of others. Rather, it was about acknowledging what one could never have and being faithful to that to which one had sworn allegiance despite the cost.

She signed the final papers dealing with the national pear orchard's lease on crown land and put the completed folder on the stack to her right. Then she checked her watch. Charlotte noticed the movement and jumped to her feet.

"Your Majesty! I'm sorry, I wasn't watching the time! They should be here any minute!"

"That's what I was hoping to hear," Clarisse smiled. "These are all finished." She stood up. "I'm just going to freshen up ..."

"I'll let you know when the limousine passes through the gates," Charlotte promised.

"Thank you, Charlotte," and Clarisse retreated to her private rooms to peer anxiously into the mirror and realize she looked as worn out as she felt.

Knowing she hadn't left herself much time, Clarisse feverishly changed from one outfit to another, trying to tell herself that it was completely normal to be fussing about her clothes before seeing her grand-daughter. After all, this was a monumental occasion ... Mia's first visit to Genovia! And it had been six weeks since she had seen him ... HER! Although she was alone, and not speaking audibly, Clarisse's cheeks reddened slightly at her mental slip. That's all it was, of course. She was not in here primping before seeing JOSEPH, for heaven's sake! Finally she left on a vivid blue outfit, excusing her choice of Joseph's favourite colour on her by reason of lack of time. And the ONLY reason she knew that Joseph liked seeing her in it was that previously he had commented when she had worn the outfit that she looked exceptionally beautiful.

"Your Majesty, the limousine is here," Charlotte's soft voice penetrated Clarisse's thoughts, and she jumped before realizing she was still alone.

"I'll be right out, Charlotte. You go on down to meet them ..."

Hearing Charlotte's rapid footsteps retreating, Clarisse took a deep breath and willed her excitement to subside. He was home at last! Throwing up her hands in disgust that her willful desires remained fixated on her Head of Security rather than more properly on her newly-discovered grand-daughter, Clarisse made her way downstairs. Before announcing herself, she paused at the top of the flight of stairs and studied the girl below. Mia, looking very lovely and so very different from young frizz-topped girl of two months ago, was gazing around open-mouthed at the splendour of the palace while Charlotte was welcoming her. Joseph was ... Joseph was staring up at Clarisse as if sensing her presence and even at that distance she could almost feel the sparks passing between them. Then he looked away quickly.

Fastening a smile of welcome on her face, Clarisse came down the stairs smoothly, greeting Mia cordially. "Amelia, I'm so happy to welcome you ..." she began, but then her emotion overwhelmed her, and after a slight hesitation, she pulled her grand-daughter into a tight embrace, then released her with a faint laugh.

"WOW, Grandma, this place is COOL! I can't wait until Lily gets here next month and we can explore! And Mom'll die when she sees it!"

Biting back the comment that Helen had obviously not wanted to see the palace sixteen years ago when she had decided to divorce Prince Philippe rather than live here in Genovia, Clarisse made a non-committal sound, then said, "How was your flight?"

"Long. But I wrote in my diary and talked to Fat Louis ..."

"Fat Louis?" Clarisse raised her eyebrows.

"Of course! He had to come with me to see his new home. Well, holiday home for now," Mia amended quickly, looking anxious and beginning to bite her thumbnail. "Joe DID talk to you about that, didn't he?"

Clarisse's eyes met Joseph's again for a very brief moment, and again felt a sizzle of heat shiver over her. She had to force herself to look back at Mia. "Yes. I received verbal reports once a week ..." and she had found herself longing for more, trying to decipher each of his words and tone to see if he had missed her as much as she had missed him. "We'll discuss that matter later, perhaps when your mother arrives."

"Okay, but there's not a lot to discuss ..." Mia began, looking mutinous. She subsided at a quick look from Joseph.

"If you will excuse me, your Majesty, I'd best check in with Shades," Joseph said formally.

"Shades?" Clarisse repeated blankly. The security team in Genovia employed someone called SHADES? "I thought Scott was your second in command!"

"Shades?" Mia swung around. "You actually work with a guy called SHADES? I LOVE it, Joe!"

"So does Charlotte, your Highness," Joseph permitted himself a slight smile at Charlotte's instant protests and added, glancing at Clarisse, "and Shades is Scott's nickname, your Majesty." Then he bowed before taking his leave.

"CHARLOTTE? Charlotte LOVES ...?" Mia stared at Charlotte, who was flushed. Then Mia grinned. "Cool! Your boyfriend works with Joe, and you work with Grandma! Sounds like you guys have it made!"

With visible strain, Charlotte changed the subject. "Your Majesty, Joseph informed me that the paper AND the television reporters were on hand at the airport today."

"I was looking all over for you, Grandma! I thought you'd meet us there!" Mia cried, remembering the crowds at the airport.

"Queens never wait around airports," Clarisse said, coolly. "I had far too much to do. As it is, I just finished signing all my papers before you got here. You will find, Amelia, that such duties will take up a great deal of your time when you are queen."

Mia made a face, then said, "Oh well, that won't be for a long time yet!"

"I assume you are tired after your flight. Charlotte will show you your room. I am meeting with delegates from the Belgian Trade Group in two hours and will be discussing the issues that arise from that with Sebastian Motaz. I don't expect to be free to see you again until tomorrow morning, when I have set aside a half an hour for your princess lessons."

"Well, I'm really not ti..." Mia's voice trailed off as she caught Clarisse's slight frown and the barest movement of Charlotte's head in a negative motion. "Okay ... lead on, Charlotte," she quickly said. "Tell me about your boyfriend."

"He's not my ..." Charlotte began indignantly before stopping herself and, once more appearing calm and in control, bowed to Clarisse and said, "Your Majesty, I will have tea sent up to your suite at once, and will be in your office in an hour with the papers necessary for your meeting."

"Thank you. Good night, Amelia." Clarisse was about to turn away when she suddenly caught a glimpse of uncertainty in her grand-daughter's eyes. In that moment, she realized anew how very like her father the young girl was. Philippe would never allow anyone or any situation to cause him to display his fear openly. He faced it like the courageous prince he was ... and now his daughter was valiantly doing the same thing. "Mia," Clarisse said abruptly, not sure why she was about to say the following, but unable to stop herself, "would you care to join me? If you're not too tired, that is ..."

"Are you kidding?" Mia beamed. "Princesses NEVER get tired! They have too much to do!"

Charlotte smothered her amusement, but Clarisse allowed a tender smile to slip out as she said, "NOW you are learning, my dear. NOW you are behaving like the true princess you are!"

O o O o O o to be continued