Rebirth

Chapter 30

"It's okay, my loves." she said, seeing her other children come to her. "I've done my job, raised you well. You don't need me anymore."

"We do, mother! We do," Edward said, his voice adamant. "Please, there's still so much we need you for!"

"You're alright. You're all going to be okay. It's a long road we've walked together. So many bumps and twists and turns. I'm just sorry, that you'll have to carry on without me," she whispered, looking at the son who looked just like her, but addressing all of her children.

They were going to be alright. They had to be, and they were going to be.

John, the young King's deputy and right hand, married a rich noblewoman, the Baroness of Farell, adding to the alliance between France and Spain, something his brother had added to when he slowly was gifted power by the Queen Regent, and slowly took over France under the watchful eye of his mother. Although not acknowledging his Flemming family and only his younger half brother from the Valois family, he considered Mary his mother and nothing was changing that. He had told his mother, just before she had started to get ill, that should his with child wife ever bear a daughter, she would be named after the woman that adored and raised him. He was happy, and he was going to be, long after Mary left the world.

James was a ruling King, adored by his people and maintaining religious tolerance between Protestant and Catholic France. He was happily married to his childhood betrothed, Anne of Denmark. They had three children together, he the exact replica of his father in his love and patience for the woman he loved and their young offspring who were little more than babies. He had added to his alliance and upcoming empire, marrying for his people and loving only his wife, just like his long dead father had. He was about to embrace more power than he ever thought possible, and Mary knew he'd to great things, although he had told her in their meetings about the transition of power once Mary had told her children she was going to die, that he'd never do anything better than her unification of the countries and creating the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Wales being included into the empire soon after Francis' sixth birthday. She was religiously tolerant and peaceful, somehow managing to stifle the rage of her people and acting in their best interest, always. This was the lifelong lesson James was to learn, and Mary watched happily as he did so in France. And he'd to great things for the united Kingdom. Of this, she was sure.

Edward, the one who resembled her most of all would watch over his siblings. He was the sibling that learned some of the things James did, should something ever happen to him, but due to the fact the French King had heirs, he was the eldest son who was reponsible for the royal family, more than the elder two. John was to help James. James was to work on his countries. Edward was to maintain the peace between alliances and to maintain his siblings' happiness, for he would not rule France or the empire, but he had power and was going to use it to benefit his family and people. He had long been put in charge of managing the crowns' affairs and making sure they benefited the people first of all. He was wed and had twin sons with his Princess for a wife, the eldest of Mary's grandchildren. They were settled. They were happy. And, he'd be happy after grieving for his mother.

Her eldest Princess held her title in both the empire and Germany, for, in an act of religious tolerance and peace, she had married her childhood love, a German Prince, of which they were soon to produce children. Her son in law made her eldest Princess happy. Although she had lesser responsibilities than her brothers, she was happy caring for her people managing the money for disaster reliefs all around the countries. She had a future, stability. She would grieve. She would break. But she would mend. She would go on. She would show her mothers' strength. She would survive.

Her youngest princess had married an Italian Prince, the first of her daughters to be wed, the Italian Prince matched her fiery spirit and her whit and charm. They made each other happy and enjoyed their blissful years of marriage. Although at first, they had problems conceiving, her princess had one of her own, the newborn Aylee rested comfortably in British court, looking every inch the perfect mix of her mother and father. She would be graced with her mothers love of dance and music. She would have an income by her mothers' work with trade all around the world, her father would watch her in fascination, just like Francis had watched his own young wife give one of her first speeches to her Scotsmen, all those years ago. He made her daughter blissfully happy. Mary was content to leave her youngest princess in the capable hands of her husband. They would grieve, but they would survive. She simply had to. She simply would.