My Life As The Dauphin

Des Menaces

I DO NOT OWN REIGN.

The Next Evening.

After Madeline and the English came ashore, King Henry's chamberlain put them all up in what rooms we had to spare. The little lady was allowed to have a day's rest before the engagement celebrations commenced the next evening. When the party finally happened, it was very much in the spirit of the previous party for Leeza's marriage. There were a lot of nobles, decked out in their Sunday best, dancing the night away. Charles and Madeline were praying about as little kids their age were wont to do.

As I was sipping on my goblet of wine, I saw that Mary was being harassed by Simon: the English envoy. By the look on her face, it was clear as day that he was threatening her with the nun they'd poisoned at the convent. That shit wasn't going to fly and it was time he knew it.

"Darling, you're missing the game." I said as I put an arm around my future bride. "Antoine's had seven cups of wine. Every time he hiccups or burps, we must have one ourselves." I then turned to Simon and gave him a death glare.

"Simon, back at court?" I asked with the evil eye.

"And very pleased to be here." He replied with a smirk.

"I'm sure you are...ass eating shit." I muttered through my teeth.

"What was that?" Simon asked as he nearly spit out his wine.

"I said the candles are well lit." I said quickly as I grabbed Mary. "I have another game in mind for you." I pulled her over to a column to speak in private.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Don't move, don't push me away." I cautioned as I held Mary close in my arms. "You're shaking, you can't show these English assholes that you're scared."

"He threatened me here at French court." Mary pointed out as if I didn't know it. "He wanted me to know that they tried to poison me at the convent."

"He's heard things about my father's refusal to set a date for our wedding." I groaned.

"Then they're aware, that I don't have your country's protection here." Mary said as I grasped her hands.

"But you do." I argued.

"There are dozens of English here, hundreds more camped on the coastline."

"I'm at your side." I vowed as I looked into her eyes. "You may not have my father's support or my mother's, but you have mine. We'll prove to them our union is strong."

"But it isn't." Mary pointed out.

"That's on a need to know basis and they don't. We need to show them that we are madly in love." I explained as I held out my hand for a dance. "Can you do it?"

"Absolutely, can you?" She asked in return as I gave her a smile.

"I can do anything...as long as I'm with you." I answered. Perhaps it was a really cheesy thing to say, but the look of relief on Mary's face was well worth it. As we moved into the dance floor, I saw Catherine and Nostradamus out of the corner of my eye. Surely she already suspected that Colin had not date raped Mary. Now, she would know that he had escaped. Luckily, she had no idea that I had aided the boy from Aberdeen.

I tried hard to push the serpent Queen from my mind as I focused on dancing with Mary. As we danced, I couldn't help but feel at home with the Queen of Scots's hands on mine. We didn't say anything as we danced because we didn't need to. Our eyes spoke volumes.

The Next Day.

The next day, a picnic was held for Charles's engagement to Madeline. I honestly wondered why everyone gave such a damn since Madeline would never come back after this episode. But I didn't dare say it. I made sure to sample all of the treats as I walked about. Medieval food was not nearly as hygienic as modern day food, but some of it had the most amazing taste.

Meanwhile, Charles was playing some romantic version of Blind man's bluff. I had to admit that it was a bit entertaining to see. Mary seemed to be getting a chuckle out of it as well as I walked up to her.

"Do you remember this game?" Mary inquired of me.

"Charles!" The girls and Madeline cried out, trying to gain his attention.

"Yes." I lied as I only remembered it from the 1 scene in the show. "And she's getting irritated with him.

"He's not listening. He's distracted by this one and that." Mary argued.

"She's impatient, like somebody else I know." I argued back, quoting lines from the show. "You always were; Never finished a game, never sat through a story." I saw that Mary's smirk had fallen and I knew that the words had hit a nerve with her.

"What is it?" I asked like I didn't know already.

"I wish I could be patient." Mary said wistfully. "My situation isn't easy.

"I know that, you must feel misled." I said as I took a deep breath. I couldn't keep her in the dark about Colin any longer. I didn't know how to say it and Mary could tell that I was conflicted about something.

"Francis, what's wrong?" She asked gently as she took my hand. I had to tell her.

"The reason Colin left...is because I told him to leave France and gave him the funds to do so." I admitted as Mary's eyes went wide.

"You sent Colin away...but why?" Mary asked in shock.

"Because he was forced to take part in a plot against you." I explained quietly, making sure the serpent wasn't in ear shot. "He was ordered to...lay with you; to take your maiden hood so that you would be unfit to marry me." Mary didn't want to believe my words, but I could tell that she did.

"Who would make Colin do this...was it the English?" She asked, assuming that her mortal enemy was behind this. I shook my head as I prepares to drop the bombshell.

"It was Catherine..." I admitted. It was so hard to call that woman mother. Some people came to like her character, but I never could. I loathed her from the first episode to the last.

"Your mother...but I don't understand." Mary whispered as she tried to keep her wits about her. "Why would she do this to me?"

"I don't know." I lied as I looked at Mary with pain for causing her fear. "Colin told me himself that she wants you gone and wants you gone bad. God only knows why. Mary...you can not trust that...woman."

"It seems like I can't trust anyone at French court." She replied solemnly as I used my fingers to tilt her chin up to look in my eyes.

"You can trust me." I whispered as she offered me a smile filled with sorrow.

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