No one has to know

Chapter 19

Catherine stood outside Mary's room, the guards weren't at their post at the moment and she stared at the door, not sure how she should approach the situation without getting thrown out before she even had a chance to speak. She sucked in a breath and decided to just play it by ear and hope for the best. She opened the it slowly and stood in the doorway. Mary was seated at the mirror, brushing her hair, when she noticed Catherine's reflection in the background.

"I'm not interested in hearing any more of your arguments and threats, so you might as well just go now." Mary said without even turning around.

"I'm not here to argue." Catherine said. "May I come in?"

"Since when do you ask? Usually you just barge in. What's stopping you now?" Mary said flatly. Catherine wasn't sure how to take that, so she took a step forward and closed the door but didn't venture further into the room.

"I just wanted to apologize..." Catherine began carefully.

"Apologize?" Mary turned around in her chair. "You actually changed your mind about the Duke?"

"Not about the Duke. That's something I stand by. I mean, I wanted to apologize about what I said. It was said in anger and I didn't mean it...I don't blame you for not trusting me. Too much has happened between us for you to do that, but you were wrong when you said I don't really try protect the ones I love. I would do anything to protect my family, and even though you would probably never believe me...that includes you." She said sincerely.

"You're right, I don't believe you. With all the things..." Mary started. Catherine put her hand up to signal her to stop speaking.

"How could you? I know. I've been thinking on that actually. Those things I did to you, most of them were necessary to prevent even worse things, but I know that doesn't make it feel any better. I would take it all back if I could, do it differently, but words can't change the past. I know." Catherine said.

"You're just trying to play to my sympathies, hoping I'll change my mind." Mary said turning back around.

"I figured you'd think that. Especially since I'm not the type to bring up the past. I don't see the point, seeing as it can't be changed. But on this matter, I'm hoping to change the future instead." Catherine said.

"If you're about to tell me Nostradamus had another vision, I don't want to know, from now on I'm letting my future stay unknown. Prophecies cause nothing but trouble." Mary said.

"No. This has nothing to do with Nostradamus, or the Duke, or Francis, or anything else. What I'm trying to say is...we...well...we used to be close, you and I, when you were young...and now...well I...I know I'm mostly responsible for that and I..." Mary cut her off.

"Stop. You've tried some awful forms of manipulation before, but this is low even for you." She said slamming the brush down on the desk. "Just leave. I've heard enough."

"I am sorry Mary, I really am. I hope you can see that one day. You should have this."Catherine said. She then pulled the little chunk of glass out of her pocket and placed it on the desk beside Mary. Mary stared down at it as Catherine began to walk away, her heart filling with sadness knowing she'd failed. Just as she reached the door, Mary spoke.

"You kept this...You held onto a meaningless piece of glass...all these years." She said picking it up and turning around as she stood. Catherine swallowed and turned to face her.

"It wasn't meaningless to me." She said simply and left.

That night, Catherine was sitting in her room staring blankly into the fireplace contemplating the days events, when Bash peeked in from the passageway.