Title: The Heart is Slow to Learn

Author: zephiey

Rating: K

Warning: Tissue warning…angst ahead.

Pairings: Clarisse/Joseph… Mia/Andrew

Reason for Writing:. Part of arla's 5 word challenge.

Disclaimer: Princess Diaries and its characters are the property of Disney, Buena Vista, and Meg Cabot. I make no money from this work of fiction.

Summary: What if Joseph had left after Mia's wedding.

Word: Tomorrow

The Heart is Slow to Learn

The heart is slow to learn
The heart is slow to learn
These feelings that I feel
Are foolish but their real
I'm wise enough to see this love will never be
I'd try to let us know there's still no letting go

I know it's mad and you won't return
But still as I have said
The heart is slow to learn

I'll never love as I have loved you
Why is love cruel I wish I knew
Say what you will, it doesn't matter
Until I die there's only you
Until I die there's only you

The heart is slow to learn
The heart is slow to learn
You'd think there would be a way
To shut out yesterday
Perhaps if I just thought
Of all the times we fought
I'd try to let us know there's still no letting go

I know it's mad and you won't return
But then as I have said the heat is slow to learn

I'll never love as I have loved you
Why is love cruel I wish I knew
Say what you will it doesn't matter
Until I die there's only you
Until I die there's only you
The heart is slow to learn

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Clarisse stood looking out at the garden. The tulips were in bloom and the roses were just beginning to bud. Soon the gardens would be in bloom, a beautiful riotous palette of colours.

Just as it had last year and the year before.

Just as it would be for all the tomorrows.

Life continued.

As it should.

Mia was now Queen.

She was proud of her granddaughter.

She had married Andrew.

She had performed her duty.

Somehow in the midst of that duty Mia and Andrew had fallen in love. They now shared an intense but quiet love, not the hot fleeting kind, that at first burned brightly then slowly died until all that was left were ashes. But the slow burning love that would last for the rest of their lives, and if she were not mistaken even beyond.

The kind of love she still held in her heart for him.

Genovia was now expecting the newest heir to the throne. Clarisse smiled when she thought of how radiant her granddaughter looked, she glowed with life and love.

Clarisse sighed softly.

Life and love.

Oh, how she wished she knew life and love.

But she didn't.

She had at one time.

But that time had passed, and now all that was left was a feeling of emptiness where her true heart had once been.

She tried to forget.

To replace the love she had for him with the love for her country.

To continue to serve her country as she had for years.

But the heart was slow to learn.

Clarisse found she could no longer muster the intense love, and joy she once had for Genovia.

Genovia, and her duty had cost her the only man she ever really loved.

Now the only recipients of her love were her son, her granddaughter, grandson and soon to be great-grandchild. And even they did not receive the love from her true heart.

Her true heart was still held by him, and would be until the day she died.

Clarisse turned from the window.

She pulled the chain that hung around her neck from under her shirt, its locket resting against her heart and opened it. Her fingers traced the outline of his handsome face. The tears spilled over her cheeks and she made no attempt to wipe them away.

Yes, the heart was slow to learn.

The End