BOOK 3: One True Destiny

Chapter 14

                                                                                          Intuition

"Mary my love, please come back to me. I am waiting." Says Francis. These words woke Mary up in the middle of her sleep! The Scottish Queen just dreamt about her former fiancé begging for her to return. She immediately lifts her head as her heart beats faster and faster. She can feel the sweat forming in her forehead. "It is just a dream." She whispered as she calms herself down. It is near midnight and the castle seems quiet. There is no sound at all. She hear no footsteps from the guards outside her chamber like she used to. Mary is mentally exhausted. In her dream she clearly saw Francis back in France waiting for her near the lake, where they had spent their time together. He is lonely and in pain... She saw the longing in his eyes and she felt the sincerity in his words that he wants to restore their relationship that he abruptly ended the night she was abducted. Mary knows that it is just a dream... Francis may have forgotten about her the minute she went missing. After all, royalties can get disengage anytime and considering that she's been gone for so long, chances are Francis have already been promised to another. Mary needs to prepare herself for the worse, when she will be finally released by her captors things might  be different... Francis may have already moved on with another woman and Bash may have already married Lizzy. She must accept the possibility that she may have already lost the two most important men in her life because of her unwilling absence. Her intuition is dictating her heart to believe her dream that indeed, the princes of France are desperately searching for her, but her mind says otherwise. It makes more sense to move on and leave the past behind... To allow herself fall in love ones again. Mary considers all possibilities as  she rests her head to the pillow. "I will always love Francis, but now it is time to move forward." She then closed her eyes and went back to sleep.

Meanwhile, same thing is happening to Francis. The French prince is dreaming about running after Mary at the garden of Spain, trying to catch her. She's running too fast and he cannot keep up! "Mary! Mary! Wait for me!" He exclaimed. But it seems like Mary did not hear him. The queen continued to run faster and faster and then she disappeared! Francis suddenly woke up trying to catch his breath! Tears started to fall in his cheeks as a result of his dream. "No! Oh please no!" He whispers as he wipe off his tears. It has been months since her abduction.... Months of longing and agony! He cannot take this anymore! He can no longer bare the pain of not knowing how she is doing or if her captors are treating her well! The prince immediately stood up, put his robe on and walk toward Mary's former chamber. Upon opening the door he cannot help but remember the moments that they had shared. He recalled the time when he had to sleep over to keep Mary safe from Tomas. The prince walk towards the bed and sits down. He begins to ask himself. "Why did I allow things to get out of hand?! If only I was man enough that night to accept that Mary's in love with Bash as much as she is in love with me. If only I handled the situation differently, with an open mind and understanding... Then maybe, just maybe Mary would still be here!" These thoughts are torture! Francis knows that if he cannot retrieve Mary soon, he will completely lose his mind! His poor soul is full of guilt, begging for some form of redemption. If the French spies cannot help, then perhaps it is best if he will search for Mary on his own. If he will be able to put up a good disguise, it is much easier to remain undetected and free to explore territorial enemies like Italy or Portugal. Perhaps Mary's captors are hiding in a location that no one would suspect. If The Order is truly as cunning as they think, then their best move is to secure Mary in an area that neither France or Scotland cannot travel through. Francis must decide if he is to leave the French court before sunrise. The darkness will allow him to cross the French border without being recognized. Not all soldiers know how he look so he can easily deceive them. Francis  firmly believes that this is the best way to look for Mary! He then begins to write a note addressed to his father trying to explain the reason for his absence. He reassures King Henry not to worry and that he will send word as soon as there is news or if ever he gets in trouble. He apologize for this sudden decision and explains that he must do this not only for himself, but also for France and Scotland. Francis went back to his chamber and packed the necessary things that he will need and wore a hooded cloak.  Then he walk towards King Henry's chamber and leaves the sealed note in front of the door.  Without making any sound, he successfully avoided the guards who are on their rounds. The prince runs to the stable taking the fastest horse. On his way to the nearby forest Francis briefly stops and turns around to look at the French Palace, making a promise to himself that he will return with Mary by his side. The prince rode off and disappeared as the sun begins to rise.