Angels • Francis de Valois [on hold]

𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓪𝓵𝓴

3rd person POV

"Excuse me." Francis told the people he was talking to, before walking off with mary, whom he had seen walking out the room looking at him. Arabella and Natalia watching them both walk away, from their spots in the room, both girls looking deflated.

"I've been wanting to talk to you."
"There's something I need to say to you." They both spoke at the same time once they were alone.

"When you arrived at your old chambers and found me an Arabella earlier, I-I shouldn't have been so short with you. we were just..." Francis told the queen with a sigh, trailing off and into the next sentence, "There were other ways of handling this."

"Handling what? Me? You do realize that we're going To be married someday, don't you?" Mary asked, her ideas of resolving the situation disappeared.

"Believe me, I know." The boy replied with a sigh.

"I know you had a life Before I got here."

"It's not about that." Francis answered, thinking about the real reason, Arabella.

"Don't you think that we owe it To each other, to our families, To our countries, to give it a chance?" Mary asked in confusion, she was willing to give up the prospect of love for her country, why couldn't Francis do the same.

"It's not that simple." The blonde replied calmly.

"Not that simple?! What's not simple?! We've been engaged since we were six! It's all arranged. How awful must you find me to do this?" Mary asked in anger.

"It's not you. You're-you're beautiful And clever and unpredictable, but it doesn't matter. What matters is what's right for my country. France is not as strong as you might think...or care, Which maybe you don't, but I do. I'm going to be king someday, responsible for my people. And right now, an alliance with scotland could destroy France...We'd be better suited to ally with Ireland"

"You don't want to marry me...You don't want this at all." Mary asked in disbelief.

"Things could change." He stated.

"Well, it isn't your decision, it's your father's." Mary rebuttaled.

"You don't see him pushing a wedding either, do you? All engagements really do is hold alliances. He's betting we might need scotland, I'm betting we'll find more
support elsewhere...I know it's not what
you want to hear."

"But you won't love me. You won't let yourself."

"Love is irrelevant to people like us. We who are so privileged in so many ways with that." Francis told the girl.

"Except it's the reason you wish to marry Arabella is it not?" mary asked, raising her voice at the prince, "not for an alliance, not really."

"All I'm asking you to do is wait, See how things go." The prince replied, in a calmer and quieter voice than the queen, avoiding the question she had asked, knowing she was partly correct, but not wanting to admit it.

In truth, Arabella wasn't the only reason he wished to side with Ireland. Yes she was an added bonus to the alliance, however Francis truly believed an alliance with Ireland would benefit France far better than one with Scotland would, most other alliances would if he was to be honest.

Scotland had England as its enemy, and Francis knew France wasn't on the best of terms with them as it was, the battle over Calis had caused lots of bad blood between the two countries, and even though the two were not officially at war at the moment, an alliance with Scotland could tarnish this already unstable relationship and gain France yet another enemy while they were already quite weak.

Not only this, but Scotland were far weaker than Ireland. They had less soldiers and wealth, and yet Ireland were prospering.

It was true that Arabella was only a princess and yet Mary was a queen, however Francis truly didn't believe that, that would effect the accessibility to her countries power.

Arabella's father loved all his children dearly, and was far more feeling than the boys own father was. Francis knew that just because his own father wouldn't send the help if needed, didn't mean that Arabella's father wouldn't.

"See how things go for France. I guess it is simple after all. But you aren't not the only one with a country to think of." Mary  replied in anger.

Editing this story rn, hoping it leads to motivation to continue but I give no promises 🫣
I've think I've decided to change how the sa scenes happen because it feels wrong just inserting arabella as I had and I think that's probably why I lost a lot of motivation for this book, I just didn't want it to be too Mary based because the show is centred around her. ( 21/05/2023 not from two years ago when I first wrote this lol 😭)
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