Hey gang, this is my entry for the mix and match challenge. I tried to come up with what moved this character to make her choices. In my opinion she needed a push in the right direction and as in real life -- it comes from an unexpected angle. I wrote this one as a one shot but I have to admit that I still have this story in my head. And I know myself, I'll probably won't be able to let this go but I need some time to think about it. Meanwhile, I can only hope that you will like this chapter. Now I will stop babbling and I present you;

Two Worlds.

Every time the car made one of those unexpected dives or climbs her stomach turned and a sudden wave of nausea shot through her, causing her to close her eyes and exhale slowly. No she wasn't fond of this way of driving around, she much preferred a calm and steady road where she could read or at least focus on pressing matters that always were at hand. And yet, there was something appealing about those same sharp turns and unexpected dives. They intrigued her and surprised her and she couldn't help admitting that not knowing what turn lay ahead had a certain form of attraction for her. Too bad she couldn't handle it all that well, the next wave of motion sickness reminded her of that and maybe it was exactly the reason she was sitting in the backseat of her metallic gold Mercedes. Her driver, Sam, had never asked her why on earth she needed to leave the house quite unexpectedly today. Neither had he pushed her to at least wear a warmer outfit when she stepped outside and shivered in her thin black coat and wrapped her scarf closer around her neck. He always accepted her decisions without question and she appreciated that in him, she even considered thanking him for his discretion, although she realized that he had orders from his superior not to criticize or examine. Maybe she should thank the superior in that case. She rolled her eyes when she realized she was back at the beginning of her circle of thoughts. The never-ending circle that drove her insane at unwanted and unexpected moments, at one moment considering one possibility and the next second wondering what on earth she was doing.

She closed her eyes when the car made a final dip and mumbled a word of thanks when the engine was shut off and she heard the familiar sound of Sam's footsteps coming closer. Suddenly a nervous feeling came over her when she realized once again that she was taking a certain risk with this. And yet, when her car door was opened and her shoe touched the solid ground, the nervousness was overshadowed by a deep-rooted desire for the relief of the wind in her hair and mind. She felt it right away as she took a few careful steps as the sand grated under her shoes. A cool salty early evening breeze blew around her and it revitalized her; she blinked a couple of times and inhaled deeply. Oh, how much she loved the ocean and how much she longed to be part of nature if only for a little while. She smiled briefly but gratefully when Sam nodded at her and he took a few steps back, folding his arms in front of his body and striking the comforting pose she knew by heart. He gave her space but he was close at the same time and that was all she needed now.

Carefully and with a happy pounding heart she stepped on the sand of the beach, feeling her heels sink away in the loose sand immediately and she rolled her eyes that it never occurred to her to change her footwear. Frowning impatiently she kicked off her black heels and she kneeled down to pick them up, letting them dangle in her hand while her toes sank deeper in the cool sand. The cool wind blew her hair back as she slowly approached the shore; the mysterious blue mass of the ocean spread out before her eyes and she sighed deeply when she held still. Not a living soul paid attention to her, two young men were jogging along the shore and they didn't even turn their heads when they passed her. Behind her the happy bark of a dog was a vague sound in her ears and its owners amused themselves by throwing a ball back and forth. Nobody seemed to know or wanted to bother her here and a wonderful sensation of freedom tingled through her veins. The glittering surface seemed to wink at her as she gazed into the distance, the last beams of the sun reflected on the water like stars in a clear winter night. When she turned her head to glance at the coastline she saw just a hint of the fog that was so typical of this town, very often the shore wasn't even clearly visible so she considered herself lucky. In the far distance she noticed a little fog though and it prevented her from looking too far ahead and in a way that was a relief. She wasn't in the mood to look far ahead anyway; these tiny little steps were mind blowing enough already and she felt an unbelievable flood of relief enveloping her like a dive in the cold ocean. Slowly she turned, finding a comfortable spot to sink her feet in the loose sand near the water and she started to walk. She enjoyed the exercise, the urge to feel she was alive and fit was unbearable at times and God knew she needed this time alone, every fibre in her body begged for release of at least some of the tension that had possessed her lately. Her neck was tensed constantly, the muscles in her shoulders protested every time she made a sudden movement and a faint headache had been teasing her for so long that she didn't even know when it had started. She couldn't even remember a delightful time anymore, all she did lately was frown and worry, buried in glum thoughts ever since the day the truth had hit her ruthlessly – she was on her own. She alone must make the life changing decisions that had an impact on the entire country and she alone must fulfil the duties and responsibilities that were part of her every day life. But she could handle that if it weren't for the knowledge of being alone in mourning, there was nobody close enough to share it with. And even with so many people surrounding her throughout most of the day, this pain she had to go through alone and she knew it.

Sometimes the hurt and grief overwhelmed her, there were even times in which she couldn't explain to herself how she could carry on but she always seemed to manage; her polite and professional smile seemed to be painted on her face and she allowed no one to rinse it off. And yet, alone at night, she had cried so often that she had come to a point that she couldn't decide what she was crying about. She guessed it was everything combined; the sudden deaths of her son and husband, the worries if the one person that could stop her country from disaster was indeed ready for it – and then there was the main reason she was walking here. Suddenly she stopped in her tracks, feeling the cold sensation of sea water touching her bare feet as the wind blew just a little harder. She dropped her shoes in the cold sand and hugged her small frame, trying to protect herself from the cold that seemed to come from everywhere now and she closed her eyes. She knew all too well that the main reason she couldn't stay in the house today was his presence. His warm eyes that begged her to open up her soul simply by meeting her gaze seemed to follow her everywhere she went and she had always treasured that. His presence was so familiar and so comforting that one night she had realized that she couldn't even imagine living her life without him anymore. And it was exactly that thought that had startled her. The realization that someone was able to knock her off balance caused a chain reaction of confused feelings inside her. In her position she simply couldn't allow anyone to do that, she was supposed to keep control in all circumstances and there was no way she could allow him to break her. Her hands came up to cover her face and she shook her head. His job was to keep her safe but this way she didn't feel safe at all.

"Come on now, it can't be all that bad!"

Within a split second her body froze and her eyes shot open. As if in slow motion she turned around to see an unknown man walking towards her at a slow, easy pace and he was waving with something. For a second she was paralyzed, not prepared for contact so unexpectedly but she collected herself when she recognized what he was holding.

"My scarf… oh my, I never realized I lost it!" she gasped, taking in the man who had now reached her and handed her the soft fabric. He was about her age; about 6 ft tall, his face had a hint of sunburn and two friendly eyes met her inquiring look from underneath a white cap. She hesitated but not long; from the corner of her eye she saw Sam coming closer and instinctively she raised her hand; there was no need for interference or high security actions yet. He stopped.

"I had to jump to catch it, I think I strained a muscle so it better be an expensive one!" the stranger grinned, stroking his back with a painful grimace.

"Oh now I feel bad, does it hurt?" she gasped unsettled but he waved off her concern.

"Nah don't worry, I just thought that you would like to have it back," he said and turned his head to glance at the sparkling sea. "Lovely day isn't it? You came to watch the sunset too?"

She nodded and followed his gaze, blinking happily at the sight. "Yes, I adore the ocean and I try to catch at least one sunset wherever I go." She smiled. "It's like a painting isn't it? Blue, red, yellow… all those warm colours blend to become a dreamy fantasy…"

He chuckled. "My daughter says that when someone is describing something as vividly as you just did, that this person has to be an artist. Do you paint or something?"

"Eh no. Well I…" she started but stopped mid-sentence when he interrupted her.

"I'm sorry, you talk on but I need to sit down for a moment. My back is killing me here!"

He took a few steps back and sat down on the dry sand, wrapping his arms around his knees. Then he looked up at her. "You were saying?"

She chuckled, she couldn't help it. It was such an unexpected event but at the same time something felt familiar about the whole situation. He was acting so free that she was sure that he had no idea who she was and that thought relaxed her. "I eh…used to paint when I was younger, I don't have time for that anymore sadly. But I admire people who do, who take the time to keep doing it really."

"Busy lady huh? Yeah we're all busy these days, it's part of life," he nodded, stretching his back once again. "Ah this is better, I think I'll stay here for a while." For a moment he was silent but then his face lid up. "Hey, come sit down and keep me company! It's the least you can do since I brought back your scarf right?" He patted on the sand next to him and looked up at her again, his eyes had a boyish twinkle she noticed.

"You want me to sit there?" she asked, shaking her head and stroking over the soft fabric of her skirt. "Surely I can't…"

"Why the hell did you wear such a fancy outfit to the beach anyway?" he frowned, pointing at her black dress. "Never heard of slacks and a sweater?"

"I had no time to…" She stopped and bit back her remark, why was she giving him an explanation?

"Come and sit down, you can pat the sand right off. You don't know what you're missing!"

Later she wouldn't able to understand why she sat down but she did. It was like the Queen inside her had been called away and an unknown carefree woman had replaced her. It was a part of her that clearly needed more attention she realized.

"That's it, that wasn't so hard now was it?" he grinned and she turned her head to smile at him. Her smile faded when he continued: "Now, what's a lady like you doing on a deserted beach in San Francisco? You live here? You sound European."

"I'm from Europe, yes," she nodded and decided that this answer should be enough. She turned her head to feel the warmth of the setting sun in her face again. The sky was turning into a deep shade of purple now. "And as I said, I like sunsets and try to catch one wherever I go."

"So you travel a lot huh?" he glanced quickly over his shoulder and suddenly his eyes widened. "Now it makes sense to me. That guy with the sunglasses a few feet away from us, is he watching out for you? Are you a celebrity or something?"

She smiled amused and decided to be honest. "Or something," she repeated, hearing how he whistled softly between his teeth but he never showed surprise or excitement. He probably didn't care what or who she was and it was such a relief. "So what about you? What's a man like you doing alone on a deserted beach in San Francisco?"

"I'm visiting my brother," he said, "It's his 65th birthday so I decided to come for a visit with him for the occasion."

"And you were tired of eating birthday cake and having drinks so you decided to take a walk?" she asked while her hands played absentmindedly with the sand around her; letting it slip away between her fingers.

"Bingo. Hey, your guard won't shoot me for talking to you right?"

She shook her head but her eyes twinkled. "Only when I ask him to." When he frowned she couldn't suppress a laugh. "Don't worry, he's harmless when you are."

For a moment it was silent and she breathed in deeply, she was actually enjoying herself. Although the circumstances were rather odd but somehow it seemed to fit perfectly. She was even chatting, it had been ages since she'd been relaxed enough to do that.

Her thoughts wondered off to another place and time again. To the person who had tried so often to get her to stop and talk to him but she never allowed him. But she wanted to, oh how much she longed to talk to him like they used to back in the old days. Back in the time when they could be friends without consequences, when they could talk for hours without hidden meanings or double layers. Back then she had always dared to be honest with him because there was nothing to be secretive about. And now…no matter how many times she thought things over; fact was that something had changed between them and she wasn't just his Queen anymore. She was also a single woman now and that knowledge, whether she acted it out or not, had changed something for the both of them. She had felt it tingling in her veins when they were alone, she had seen a hint of desire in his eyes when he thought she hadn't seen him, she had felt the tension in the air around them. They both knew there was something evolving between them and they also knew that the other felt it too. Yet, not one word regarding that subject had been spoken.

"So, who's the guy?" In a snap she was back in the here and now and she glanced aside, staring at the man next to her confused.

"What did you just say?" She needed to hear it again.

"Come on now. You're a woman, dressed in a fancy outfit, and you were standing in the ocean with your hands in front of your eyes. That means either troubles with a man or loosing a fortune in the casino. But when I look at your necklace I don't think that money is the problem here. So, what did he do?"

She laughed but it didn't sound sincere. "Sir, I have no intention to…" she started but when she met his dark amused eyes she swallowed her sentence and finally sighed deeply. "He didn't do anything." She couldn't believe she was telling him this but she couldn't take back the words that escaped from her lips.

The man nodded. "So you're the problem here?"

"Do you always ask such personal questions when you hardly know someone?" she asked, with a sharp unmistakably present edge in her voice.

He didn't seem to sense the tone and without hesitation he answered. "Yeah I do actually." When she rolled her eyes annoyed he chuckled. "Look, if you don't want to discuss it it's fine by me. You just look like you need someone to talk to."

She blinked and stared at him in absolute surprise. He had taken off his cap now and his dark hair appeared, he tried to comb it with his hands but failed miserably. After a few seconds of silence she opened her mouth to speak again, she couldn't believe she felt the urge to defend herself but she did.

"It's not a matter of who the problem is. What he wants from me is impossible."

"The impossible – what nobody can do until somebody does," he stated. "So you two aren't an item yet?" He frowned now. "Is one of you married?"

She shook her head. "It's far more complicated than that. And no, we're not an item."

He smiled briefly. "I think we're at a certain age that no relationship comes without complications. You could consider it as a challenge to make it work. Is he a good guy?"

Blood rushed to her cheeks. "Yes, but…"

"Are there feelings involved?"

She couldn't even answer that question to herself and she turned her head towards the ocean again. The sun was almost gone now.

"Of course there are feelings involved, otherwise you wouldn't be here," he stated and she sighed deeply in response to that, she couldn't even deny it.

"Look, are you married?" she asked, glancing at his folded hands but she saw no wedding ring.

"I have been, yes. My wife died a few months ago," he answered. He ignored her inquiring look and stared straight ahead.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "My husband passed away last year too and my son just recently. I know what it's like."

His eyes widened and turned his head towards her again but this time she ignored him by staring in the distance. "Oh god, I'm sorry to hear that," he said, "Nobody should have to go through that, it's unnatural to outlive your child."

She nodded and swallowed with difficulty. "I know." It was right there that she realized that, although on a different level, her life wasn't as different than anybody else's.

"This guy you were talking about…" he said in a serious tone as she turned her head to meet his gaze again. He wasn't smiling anymore.

"Yes?"

He seemed to think for a while before he spoke again. "Does he make life easier for you?"

Lots of images shot through her mind in the few seconds she considered his question. Images of countless cups of tea, even in the middle of the night, snippets of conversations when nobody was around, his warm hand on her back as he guided her through an intimidating crowd and at last she saw his warm eyes. The same eyes she had run away from today gave her a warm sensation in the cold solitude of the beach right now. Suddenly she felt the urge to talk to him as soon as possible. When she blinked she saw a different pair of eyes staring at her, the stranger was waiting for an answer.

"Yes," she said but her voice came out like a hoarse whisper. "Yes he makes it easier."

He shrugged. "Then why not let him?"

"But…" She shook her head and he lifted his hand to stop her.

"Look," he said, "there will always be reasons that will hold you back from making a choice. It's easier not to act than to act, especially at our age. There are always other people to consider, other interests to be taken at heart or circumstances to be altered and yet, at the end of the day they don't matter anymore." He smiled now. "It seems to me that you've been given the chance for a little happiness again, all you have to do is take it."

"I wish it were that easy," she said softly. "I really wish it were that easy."

He smiled at her. "It is. Believe me, I've been there."

For a moment they glanced at each other and she smiled at him, wanting to say so much but somehow it felt that everything was said already. He seemed to feel the same way because after a quick glance on his watch he got up and she followed his example. It was getting dark fast now. Her hands brushed her dress, trying to leave all the sand on the beach and not take it home with her.

When she was done he extended his hand at her. "Well I gotta go. Maybe we'll meet again some day, another place, another sunset. Who knows?"

She accepted his hand, not knowing how to act all of a sudden. But his hand felt warm and comforting and she shook it without hesitation.

"Thank you," she muttered and to her embarrassment she felt that she was blushing. "For my scarf and eh…everything."

He nodded in a friendly manner. "Take care famous lady, don't keep your guard waiting." He glanced aside and waved at Sam who clearly decided that enough was enough and he came walking into their direction now. She only had a few minutes before she would be forced back in her role as the queen.

"Wait," she said when the man turned around. She smiled at him. "You never told me your name, when we meet at another sunset I'd like to be able to address you properly."

He smiled back and folded his arms. "I'm Robert Woodward, at your service ma'am. What about you?"

She hesitated, immediately regretting that she had asked his name but then she inhaled deeply. "I'm Clarisse," she said, "just…Clarisse."

He raised a brow but accepted her answer with twinkling eyes. With a nonchalant gesture he put on his cap again and nodded at her, extending his hand for the last time. "Well just Clarisse, I wish you the very best. Be careful with your scarf next time."

Sam was almost there, she had to hurry. "I will. Goodluck with your back!"

"Thanks… Clarisse."

With that he smiled one last time and finally turned around and walked away from her, saluting at Sam when he passed him. She picked up her shoes and straightened her back when her driver approached her and she felt the expression on her face change. The Queen was back.

"You majesty, is everything all right?" Sam asked, stepping aside to let her pass in the direction of the waiting car.

She turned her head one last time to see a lonely figure slowly disappearing in the foggy darkness and she smiled. She threw her scarf closer around her neck and started to walk. "Not yet but it will be. Take me home Sam, I need to talk to someone."

TBC.. I think...