The Queen of France sat uncomfortably in her carriage. Nerves cut her insides to the point of pain, and it wasn't because of the rather substantial bump clinging to her skin. Just three months after Catherine's decision to take over the spying issue with Romania, the Medici Queen Mother of France had been suspiciously quiet. And a silent Catherine de Medici was usually more deadly than a loud and proud one. But many things had been happening in the lives of the young royalty that ruled upon France and Great Britain.
Most notably, the bump that was kept not even a little hidden underneath Mary's pretty dress. Physicans had been correct in their suspicions of pregnancy within the Empress. But the bump was growing at a somewhat alarming rate, giving the implication that the child growing inside of her wasn't all alone inside his mother's womb. It was comforting, albeit alarming for the young Scottish Queen, who was well aware that multiple children births and pregnancy were even more dangerous than a single birth, when single births were already dangerous enough as it was.
But that wasn't the only cause for anxiety. Today, something just felt a little different. She knew there wasn't much cause for concern. After all, there were almost thirty French guards surrounding the carriage of the Queen and Princes and Princesses of France, and Kenna and Bash and Amia and Meredith and Phillip were only just a half mile away. But still, Mary felt unsettled.
Her white satin gown clung a little too tightly to her body for Mary's liking, the extremely intricate gold satin embroidery -a gift from Catherine- covering the bardot cut, long sleeved piece. The gems sparkled along her stomach, a rose petal like piece holding skirt to bodice. A floor length, white lace, high neck housecoat was placed over her, underneath a fur lined silver satin cape. Long black hair was pulled into a rose braid, half of Mary's thick raven sea pulled up into the rose-appearing braid, the other long and loose, the ends curled. Small flowers were placed all over the braid, a high tiara of teardrop cut diamonds settled at the front. Long chandelier earrings skimmed her bare shoulders, a necklace of pearls and diamonds glittering upon her chest.
The Queen of France looked down at the sleepy thirteen month old baby boy, every inch his father. He reminded her a lot of little Prince Henri or Hercules since she hadn't ever seen her husband at this age, and even if she did, she was younger than him, so she wouldn't remember. All done up in ivory satin and dusty blue silk, the young, fair haired, blue eyed bundle of love and happiness for the Queen and King of France sat in his mothers lap, fiddling with a small toy that Greer had gifted him a few months previous.
Beside her, Princess Anne de Valois. Green velvet covered the little girls' neck, chest, arms and shoulders, whilst a high wasted skirt of teal green covered by a layer of black organza covered her legs. The small girls' hair was pulled up in a tight braided updo, a small silver and emerald tiara carefully balanced upon her head. Anne loved her mother's jewels, so was carefully making sure not to jostle one of her very first crowns of her own.
On the other side, the Princes Lucien and James. Her Dauphin was donned in the black leathers like his father used to wear as a child. But her little Lucien was in his blues and blacks and whites, fiddling with a small gadget gifted to him by his godmother upon his last birthday. James, proving himself Francis' son, looked out of the window, taking in each and every detail of the outside world away from him, whilst her little boy fiddled with his small gadget. Like his father, Lucien was enamoured with astronomy, so he had been enthralled with this small gadget ever since it had been gifted to him.
Mary inhaled, pressing a hand upon her growing baby bump, the anxiety within her growing and growing. Her breath shook, and she subconsciously held the youngest of her children closer, the one inside of her and the one upon her lap. The Empress couldn't explain this feeling, but she knew it wasn't a positive attribute and knew that it had to be a negative aspect. Mary placed a hand to her lips, biting her nails as she glanced out of the window. Why was she panicking so much? They had just left Ambérieu-en-Bugey and were on their way back to court.
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Tampered Beauty
Historical Fiction~Reign AU~ It's been two years since the death of King Henry, a year after the death of King Francis. French court thrives, however, with empire, a powerful, resilient regent and a healthy, young king. However, is everything as it seems with the dea...
