Drowning: A Reign Fanfiction

Prologue (THIS IS A CHAPTER!!)

AN: Although short and from the tv show, this scene is crucial to the story. I highly recommend reading it!!

My eyes fell upon the skyline of France, and I stared. Self-deception was far too unkind. Lips quivering, I thought, there is no happiness that can take this pain away. It was a comforting lie, but still, the images remained, ingrained in my mind like a permanent brand.

    "Mary, I've been looking for you everywhere," Francis said from behind me, stepping onto the balcony. "We've caught and executed nine of the conspirators, whose role in the," he hesitated, "attack was confirmed, but Severin—"

    "He is dead," I said, "as are his accomplices. You were wise to use Conde to help me find them."
    His brows furrowed. "You killed them . . . together?"

    "There wasn't time; I had to act. I didn't want them to escape," I said. "But you can release the rest of the prisoners, Francis. It's over." Tears welled up in my eyes, and I choked on a sob. "It's over."

    "Mary." Francis immediately reached for me, but stopped himself when I shrank away from his touch. Instead, he took a seat by my side as tears streamed down my face.

    "This notion that we could," I choked out, "put the pieces back together, I wanted to believe that we could, that we just needed to find these men and punish them. But now I realize," I paused, sucking in a sharp breath as I turned my teary gaze toward Francis.

    His blue eyes grew glassy, and his eyelids fluttered quickly as he looked toward the skyline I had been staring at earlier.

    "You blame me for what happened." The sound of his voice nearly broke me in a way those men couldn't.

    "I know," I said, fighting against tears. "It's irrational, but—it feels forever linked to you." I released a harsh breath, "and to us."

    "Mary," Francis gasped. "I was—desperately trying to save your life. What would we have done differently if you had known the truth? What good would it have done for me to put you in that kind of danger—"

    "I'm not sure." I looked at him with tears in my eyes. "I don't know if it would have gone differently, or better, but you never gave us a chance."

    Francis looked away with tears in his eyes.

    "And now we'll never know." I wiped away my tears with the palms of my hands and stood from the bench. "I've had some time to think," I said. "I believe that we should lead separate lives."

    Francis' eyes dulled with defeat, and he sank back into the bench as his eyes shifted towards the ground. "What does that mean?"

    My eyes glistened. "That we will continue to work together as King and Queen, but that I will be your wife in name only."

    I began walking towards the doorway, but Francis' voice quickly stopped me in my tracks.

    "I can't do that," he said with ferverance. Standing in front of me, he shook his head with defiance. "I won't."

    Sadness rang in my voice as I spoke the words, "We wouldn't be the first people in history to do so."

    "You are talking about my parents. We are nothing like them." He paused, pleading with his eyes. "I would do anything for you, Mary; I love you. And you love me."

    My eyes focused on his face, empty as the virtual space reflected by a mirror."Look where that love has brought us."

    Without another word, I walked away from Francis, leaving him to his own thoughts on the balcony.