A/N: FINALLY FINISHED! Woohoo!... Although I may have a sequel in the works, but may not be seen just yet, still have another story to finish!
Thank you to all my readers and reviewers- your support and reviews are why I keep writing, and I appreciate you all! I hope that you will continue reading my stories!
The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me!
The next morning, sunlight was beginning to stream through the crack in the curtains when Clarisse rolled onto her side after waking up, for a moment reorienting herself with her suroundings- her Queen sized bed and silk sheets seemed strange after a week sleeping in a slightly bigger double bed and cotton sheets at the beach- before she realized that Joseph wasn't lying beside her.
She was slightly surprised at that- he had promise that he would be at her side whenever possible throughout the day- but before she could consider the matter further, she heard a sound from the doorway and she looked up to see Joseph carefully carrying a breakfast tray into the room.
"Is this going to become a habit?" she asked eagerly as she sat up, pulling the sheet up with her, although she knew she didn't have to be shy or modest around Joseph. "You did this almost every day at the beach... so, are you going to continue doing this?"
"Not necessarily me going to the kitchen personally to prepare this tray, but maybe so... you deserve to be spoiled."
"You've always spoiled me, sweetheart... when do I get to do the same to you?"
"You spoil me by just being here with me," he said simply as he sat on the edge of the bed.
"That's not enough... I want to spoil you in a tangible way."
"I'll let you know about that," before he casually reached into his robe pocket and pulled out a small blue velvet jew box and handed it to her.
"What's this?" she looked at the box and then at him in astonishment but he only smiled mysteriously at her.
"You're just going to have to open the box and find out..."
She slowly and cautiously opened the box, gasping when she saw what was inside- a beautiful, simply cut diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds and sapphires.
"Joseph!" she gasped, looking at it before looking back up at him again with rapidly filling eyes. "Oh darling, it's so beautiful!"
"Do you like it?"
"Of course I do!" she cried- if not for the tray resting on her knees, she would have thrown herself at him. "It's beautiful, it's from you and that's all that matters to me."
"It's beauty outweighs the fact its from me?" he teased, pretending to be hurt but Clarisse, horrified at what she had said, was just about to open her mouth and explain when he rested his fingertips on her lips.
"I was only joking, darling, I know what you meant... I just though you could wear it tonight, even though you will be wearing gloves."
"No," she shook her head definitely and he was surprised and hurt.
"No?"
"No, I won't be wearing it tonight... I'll be wearing it all day today, beginning now... only... do I have to put it on myself?" she looked at him, her head cocked to one side and Joseph's look of disappointment immediately turned into one of joy.
"No, I think I can help," before he took the box away from her, removed the ring and slowly but carefully slid the ring onto the third finger of her left hand, allowing it to come to a stop in front of her wedding band before he thenlifted her hand and kissed her finger.
"Perfect," he almost whispered, their eyes meeting for a moment, her eyes shining happily before he leaned over and kissed her. "So, what are your plans for this morning?"
"Paolo will be coming around ten, I would like to see Mia and Pierre for a little while, if possible, and Sebastian and James will be here just before the ceremony to run through a few things, but there is nothing really pressing..." she paused to sip her tea. "...The real work will begin on Monday... although..." an idea suddenly struck her. "I would like to stop by the throne room for a few moments before Paolo comes... what are your plans?"
"As promised, I'll be staying with you for as long as you need me."
"I thought Shades would need you today..."
"I gave him all the training he needed, I oversaw the plans yesterday and gave them my thoughts and suggestions but now it's all up to him and his team... I am now retired... speaking of," he turned to her with a twinkle in his eye. "What happened to my retirement package? I'm supposed to have been guaranteed a great bonus after so many years of loyal service to the royal family, especially Her Majesty Queen Clarisse..." he trailed off with a suggestive grin and she laughed.
"I would have though you would have realized that you already have your bonus?" she teased with an equally suggestive smile and he chuckled as he set the tray aside and pulled her towards him.
"Yes, I do have a good bonus, I forgot about that," he teased as he nuzzled her neck before turning her face so that he could kiss her lips. "Well, we know where this could go..." he added huskily as she snuggled closer to him, her hands slipping into his robe.
"Yes, I know..." she said with a sexy smile- last night had been one of the most seductive nighs of her life... imagine, the Queen of Genovia undressing her husband (and being undressed herself) in her dressing room while making out like teenagers... she hoped that it would continue... before he pushed her away gently after depositing a kiss on her hose.
"Much as I too want this to continue, we do have other things that need our attention, starting with breakfast!"
She pouted playfully for a moment at his words but she knew he was right- it was going to be a big day and they needed breakfast to get through it!
0
After breakfast, they left the maids to clean up while they strolled arm in arm downstairs to the throne room- the palace was a flurry of activity with palace staff doing last minute cleaning, hastening along the hallways, cleaning up from the guests and finishing setting up for the ceremony. Shades and a couple of his men were in the foyer, talking amongst themselves, but Joseph and Clarisse slipped into the throne room without catching their attention.
To their surprise, they discovered Pierre was there, standing in front of the portrait of him and Phillipe, and while he looked just as startled when he spun around on his heels, his face relaxed when he realized who it was.
"You had the same idea I had," he said warmly as Clarisse moved to join her son, Joseph in her wake, her eyes filling with tears as she looked at the portrait of her boys, her main reason for staying in a marriage that made her miserable. Phillipe... how she missed him... before she realized that she was very lucky in that she still had one son.
"I'm so glad you're here," she cried emotionally as she turned to him. "I'm just sorry I haven't had much time to spend with you since the wedding.
"We've had this discussion before, Mama, and you don't need to worry about me feeling neglected- I've enjoyed catching up with things here AND getting to know my niece... we WILL have a chance to catch up, Mama," he looked at her earnestly. "I'm not returning to my parish for another week, and I will be back permanently before too long!"
"I just don't want you to think..."
"I'm not thinking badly of you at all..." before he hugged her. "We've always been fine, Mama, we don't need to worry... just enjoy today, seeing your granddaughter take over from you, Joseph at your side... we WILL catch up," he finished before kissing her cheek softly and glancing around the room. "I always liked this room, even when I knew I would never fulfill what Father wanted," before he glanced at his portrait again.
"I miss him too, but he would have been very proud of Mia..." before he began strolling towards the door, pausing and glancing at the portrait of Clarisse, captured when she was about 25 or 26.
"You were gorgeous then and you're even more so now.. I can still remember when you were posing for it."
"How can you, you were only three or four!"
"I just do," he said simply before smiling at Joseph. "Take care of her, Joe."
"I will," the older man came to stand at her side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"Good, then I'm happy... and I'll definitely see you two later!"
There was a long silence before Clarisse wandered slowly towards that particular portrait and stood staring at it for a moment- she looked so young, so innocent... yet there was also sadness in her eyes and pain... even then, her marriage was troubled and the artist had managed to capture her anguish at that.
She hoped that Mia would never have the same look in her eyes after a couple of years on the throne- hopefully she would marry someone who would be good to her.
"I also remember you posing for that," she felt arms around her waist.
"Really? I didn't think you were here then."
"I was a very, very new junior night watchman here and while receiving the official palace tour, we looked in here and there you were... you were so lovely then, but little did I know that, one day, would be married to her."
"You were very, very lucky," she said solemnly before she looked at him with a smirk. "VERY lucky," she emphasized and he was about to tease her back when he looked at his watch and realized that they would have to return to the suite as Paolo would soon be arriving, but he didn't get a chance to say anything before...
"Grandma, Joe!" and they turned to see Mia in the doorway, a suit clad Nicholas Devereaux at her side. "I've been looking for you everywhere!"
"Well, we're here, although we'll have to go upstairs soon... Lord Nicholas, it's a pleasure to see you again," Clarisse smiled warmly at him- after his scene at the church and Joseph explaining that he hadn't been the source of the complications that had occurred in the past month, she was pleased to see him, more so when seeing how Mia beamed at him- he was obviously who she wanted and Clarisse was happy for her.
"Your Majesty, Joseph... it's good to see you both again, and I believe that congratulations are in order," Nicholas stepped forward to kiss her hand and shake Joseph's.
"Thank you," Clarisse almost blushed, embarrassed, before a glance at Joseph brought her back to her senses and the realization that they had to go. "Much as I would like to catch up, I believe that Paolo will be here soon and we have to start getting ready, Mia."
"I know... I wanted to ask if Nicholas could be a guest at the coronation."
"Of course," Clarisse said mildly. "He can stand with Joseph near the stairs," instantly surprising her husband while Mia, gleeful, disappeared out of the room with Nicholas.
"What?" Joseph looked surprised- he hadn't thought about where he would be standing at the ceremony but he had assumed that he would stand with the other guests- obviously he hadn't taken into account Clarisse's plans- but he didn't question her until they were walking upstairs.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you," Clarisse said with a serene smile, sure that he wouldn't mind. "You are going to stand near the podium, very close to the proceedings."
"I... I don't know..."
"You are MY husband, as well as her grandfather," she reminded him,turning to look at him. "I would like you nearby so you can see everything... I know you don't like being the centre of attention, but today... I need you."
"I understand," he said calmly, squeezing her hand. "I just hadn't expected it... but it will be good to see things from a good position rather than from a distance or on screen... hey, I'm discovering that there are more and more advantages to being married to a Queen!" he finished cheekily as he followed her into the suite and her only response was laughter.
0
The rest of the morning flew by, both royal suites alive with activity and people as the Princess and the Queen prepared for one of the biggest days in their lives- one Queen was stepping down while another was being crowned- and while Mia's suite was full of giggling girls, Clarisse's suite was much quieter and calmer, the Queen herself sitting calmly in the midst of the activity, sipping her tea, Joseph at her side and he was the only one who saw the trembling of her hand as she held her cup or the small shiver of her body as she dressed in the gold and green outfit that she had chosen only weeks earlier.
"Are you alright, my dear?" he asked solicitiously once the room had emptied and they were waiting for the signal for everything to begin.
"I'm fine," she said with a small, shaky smile as she stood at the window, her posture straight and the crown sitting on the table beside her, waiting to be put on at the exact moment- she already had a small coronet on her head.
"It's just that... all this waiting... all these years I've been hoping that Mia would do this... it's finally here... I can't believe that..."
"Neither can I," he said calmly as he joined her at the window and reached out to take her hands in his. "You have done so much for us, for our country, it's time for you to be free and to enjoy yourself..."
"With you," she finished softly as she beamed at him, her eyes brighter than ever. "I want that so much... and once Mia has fully settled onto the throne, we will be able to do that... we will be able to travel, to see the world..."
"Or simply just stay quietly in our suite, reading in front of the fire."
"I like that thought," she said softly, hoping that he would kiss her and she could see that he wanted to but... he seemed to hesitate.
"I don't want to ruin your makeup or anything... but may I kiss you?" he asked shyly and she nodded, her eyes shining.
"Of course... please..." before he slowly pulled her towards him, wrapped his arms around her waist and did just that, slowly, softly, romantically... before they were interrupted by a loud knock on the door. "Your Majesty!"
"Time to go," she said with a sigh, pulling away from him reluctantly just before Sebastian and Charlotte stepped into the room.
"I'll see you afterwards," he whispered into her ear, squeezing his wife's hand tightly, she squeezing back just as tightly, before nodding to the other two and quietly exiting the room... the moment they had been waiting for for a long time was almost here...!
0
The ceremony was everything that Clarisse, Mia, Charlotte and Sebastian had planned and hoped for- while formal and full of the pomp and ceremony that was always part of a coronation ceremony, but there was something more, something special as indicated by the look that Clarisse and Mia shared once the crown had been placed on her head and her grandmother stood back- it was Mia's time now...shortly before she felt Joseph step up beside her and she slipped her arm through his.
She was used to the stares and whispers whenever she made an entrance into a room, but today, she made the entrance simply for Joseph... she could feel his eyes on her as she slowly made her way down the steps, careful not to look anywhere but straight ahead, but she glanced quickly at him before walking towards the podium and the look he gave her... if she wasn't so painfully aware of everyone watching her, and the crown on her head, her knees would have given way underneath her.
She was a very, very lucky woman to have him in her life, to have him love her so much and she loved him too... the thought of the future with him excited her beyond words...she had her work to do in helping Mia settle on the throne, but one day, one day... it would be all about her and Joseph...
She stepped forwards when Mia made her way down the guard of honour, sceptre and orb in her hands, wanting to watch her make her first steps into the life that she had lived for so long, and when one of the guards announced: "Presenting Her Majesty, Amelia Mignonette Thermopolis Renaldi, Queen of Genovia!" she felt a thrill of excitement and pride and, glancing at Joseph, she knew that he was feeling exactly the same way.
It was only once the anthem had been sung and the guard of honour had disbanded as the guests began to mill around that Joseph turned to her with a smile, Nicholas having drifted off into the crowd in search of Mia..
"You both did so very well, I'm proud of you both."
"I'm proud of Mia, she did very well and she's going to do wonderfully well as Queen."
"And you did very well yourself... I'm sure it wasn't easy letting go of the crown and a life that you have been living for so long..."
"I was ready... Mia will need us for some time to come, but I don't need that life anymore..." before she was interrupted by Mia's cheerful voice coming through the crowd and then, suddenly, she was beside them.
"Congratulations Prince... Your Majesty," Joseph bowed formally to her and kissed her hand, and Mia smiled and blushed.
"Thank you... but you can call me Princess... I guess that it will be your nickname for me- but only you can call me that!"
"Alright."
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but Grandma, they have the doors to the front opened and the crowds want to see both of us..."
"Oh," Clarisse looked momentarily startled before looking at Joseph apologetically. "Joseph, I..."
"Go," he pressed her hand firmly. "You still have duties and I'll be waiting here for you..."
"Thank you," her eyes softened as she smiled, wishing she could touch his cheek but instead she squeezed his hand back. "I'll try not to be too long..." before she followed Mia back through the crowd, men and women stopping to bow and curtsey as they passed and Joseph watched her with a smile- she would always be known as Queen, but now she was simply, to him, his wife.
"They both looked beautiful," a voice said at his side and he turned to see Nicholas standing there. "You're a lucky man, Joe."
"As are you, Nicholas, if you and Mia are meant to be..."
"I hope so, Joe, I really do hope so..."
0
The rest of the afternoon flew by incredibly fast, Mia and Clarisse both busy with greeting guests, talking to the press and having pictures taken. Joseph didn't mind not seeing his wife or spending any time with her- after the previous evening's dinner, he had plenty of people to talk to and Nicholas was an extremely pleasant young man, introducing him to those that he didn't know and generally hanging around with him.
It was late afternoon when time seemed to slow and down and the guest disappeared to change for the ball that night, Nicholas sheepishly admitting that Mia, upon discovering that his uncle had thrown him out on the day of the wedding, had insisted that he return and stay at the palace until his life was sorted out again.
"I never really expected her to do or say anything..."
"Amelia is a surprising girl, but when she cares, she will do anything for you... very much like her grandmother."
Their suite was again a hive of activity when Joseph entered to shower and change into his tuxedo, which he did with a minimum of fuss, but he was just about to slip back out the door to go back down to the ballroom- if he couldn't see Clarisse, he would be more than happy to represent her downstairs with the guests- he felt a hand on his arm and he turned to see Clarisse standing there, resplendent in a dark blue ball gown with sapphire jewels at her throat and ears.
"Were you trying to sneak away without me?" she teased as she slipped her arm through his and they walked outside into the hallway together.
"I just thought that you might find me more useful downstairs."
"I find you more useful at my side," she said calmly, squeezing his arm. "I'm sorry about today..."
"Don't be," he said firmly, turning to look at her. "Today belongs to Genovia and to Mia and to you... I'm more than happy to support you and share you with everyone... after today, though, watch out!"
"Is that a threat?" she arched an eyebrow but she didn't look dismayed- she was actuallly secretly delighted at his words.
"Maybe so, maybe so..." he was about to continue walking but he discovered that she wasn't moving as well. "Is something wrong?"
"I have a favour to ask of you..." she looked suddenly shy.
"Oh?"
"Could you kiss me before we go downstairs?"
"That would be my pleasure," he said gently before he did just that, a kiss very similar to the kiss they had shared earlier that day, but with a twinge of passion in there as well.
"Thank you," she smiled dreamily at him. "That told me all I needed to know."
"Which was what?"
"That tonight... I'll be leaving with you..."
0
The evening seemed to fly by- after Mia's first official entrance beside Prime Minister Motez, to the dances she shared with almost all the members of parliament, ending up in Nicholas's arms after Sebastian's speech, she was clearly enjoying herself and everyone around her couldn't help but comment that she was absolutely radiant and looking very much like a Queen.
Clarisse was on the dance floor almost as much as Mia- most of the older men of parliament were feeling nostalgic and as such were feeling pleasant towards her, but she couldn't wait for the moment when she was able to finish her last dance and walk towards the last man who would dance with her that night, and whose arms she wanted to be in for the rest of the evening. He was talking with Nicholas and the Motezes, but his face lit up when he saw her approach.
"Good evening, everyone... I hope everyone is enjoying themselves."
"Absolutely," the group nodded in agreement, before she turned her attention towards Joseph. "I was wondering if I could ask my husband to dance... ladies choice."
"I would love to," he said, taking her hand and leading her out onto the dancefloor, following the dancing etiqutte before, moments after they started dancing, he pulled her close to her, so close that he could hear her heart beating against his chest.
"Am I your last dance partner tonight?" he murmured into her ear and she nodded fervently.
"Absolutely, I've had enough... Mia is the queen of the ball tonight, and I'm more than happy to relinquish that title to her."
They danced in silence for a few moments, enjoying being near each other and not having to stay apart, before Clarisse looked at him with a twinkle in her eye.
"I have an idea...do you think it would be terribly rude of us if we happened to slip out early?"
"I don't think it's at all rude... you were Queen but you can leave whenever you want... did you want to go for a walk in the garden?"
"That would be perfect," she said with a happy sigh. "Mia won't even notice us leaving...I'm glad she's happy and Nicholas is here with her."
"Me too," they watched the couple dance for a moment before he looked back at her again. "Are you happy, my love?"
"I am,"" she said softly, looking away for a moment before looking back at him. "We've been married a week today..."
"Well, that definitely means we can leave early tonight," he said as he lifted her hand to his lips before winding it through his arm.
"A week..." he marvelled as they strolled unobtrusively through the crowd, Mia waving merrily as they did so and, seconds later, they were out on the balcony, the star filled sky above them making the scenery even more romantic.
"Seems longer?" she joked.
"No... it seems like only a minute or two..."
"Life might not always be as easy as this," she said seriously as she leaned against the rail and she nodded. "We may argue..."
"But we can work it out together... that's one of the best things about being married at our age- we know each other so well, we know how we both think and feel."
"But I have a good feeling about us and our future..." she said quietly before she felt herself being turned around and arms around her waist.
"Me too, my darling, me too... to us!" he looked at her calmly, contentedly and she smiled before he pulled her even closer to him and kissed her, long and passionately.
"To us... and to our future!"