Fic: 'Heavy Is the Head That Wears the Crown' (Princess Diaries, gen, G, 1/1) Title: Heavy is the Head That Wears the Crown Fandom:Princess Diaries Characters: Clarisse Renaldo, Prince Rene, Mia Thermopolis Word Count: 419 Rating: G Spoilers: N/A Challenge: Leap for Prompts (15/29): Princess Diaries, Rene Disclaimer: No one mentioned belongs to me. Summary: It is not an easy task, ruling Genovia.
Heavy is the Head That Wears the Crown
In the moments where she was grooming him to be the dowager prince of Genovia, Clarisse Renaldo tried to impose upon Prince Rene the same lessons as she attempted to teach her own granddaughter. These lessons, though vital not only for the future of Genovia, but for Rene's entire future as any sort of person of royal heritage, seemed to go, as the saying went, in one ear and out the other. Rene was not in the habit of cultivating an air of unattainable mystery as a regal should. Rather, he tried to broadcast his availability whenever possible, whether it be flashing his buttocks at the paparazzi in a passing vehicle, or gleefully requesting that the Genovian royal portrait artist depict him in the nude, with a peaceful jaguar at his feet. Clarisse was fortunate enough to get wind of that particular event in time, and had nipped the project in the bud before it had gotten too far, although not before catching a distressing eyeful of Rene, who insisted on posing as au naturale as the painting would require.
The most frustrating aspect of his antics, however, was his flair for adopting to the certain... dramatics his heritage entailed. Juvenile to a fault though he was, he possessed a natural poise that Amelia lacked, not to mention an abundance of necessary self-confidence, and the ability to carry himself without nervous foolishness at a gathering of more than four people. If she were to combine the best qualities of Rene and Amelia, she thinks she could possibly sculpt someone worthy of succeeding the throne. Which was one of her main motivations in attempting to match the two, hoping Amelia's timidity might cancel out Rene's more distressing habits, and that Rene's flamboyance might bring Amelia further out of her shell and be comfortable with the spotlight. Like many of Clarisse's best-laid plans since meeting her unusual granddaughter, the match itself went horribly awry, and Rene continued to be a disgrace to the dignity of his position, though he thrilled the public with the dementia of his exploits. Amelia continued to be somewhat blundering, prone to girlish theatrics, and like Rene, refused to achieve adulthood in any respectable measure. A relationship with that Moscowitz boy hardly counted. Rene, for his part, chose his many floozies at least from richer blood.
Still, they were both family. Family that with time, and considerable grooming, and an unearthly patience borne of God, Clarisse thought could one day be worthy of pride. Although not today.