The ceremony, the celebration...as Marie and Leopold were guided in and out of corridors towards the consummation chambers, it had all become a blur. Though they'd already been secretly intimate, Marie couldn't fathom the idea of people watching them in bed together. She couldn't bear the thought that they'd be surrounded by wandering eyes, including that of the king and the priest. It was all so...bestial and merciless, and she was truly terrified to have to be subject to this—they both were. Leopold was stoic, however, while Marie had it written all across her face. As they filed into the warmly lit chamber, she refused to look around. She couldn't. "They are not here, my love. It is only you and me..." Leopold's almost silent whisper was but little comfort to the nerve wracked girl, but she nodded anyway. More bodies crowded in and Marie held back her tears as desperately as she could. She allowed Leo to gently untie her silk robe and it fell gracefully away from her body. He hovered over her and she continued to swallow back her fear and the lump in her throat. His own eyes were soft and safe and as she peered into them, he softly caressed her cheek. "I love you, Marie." She simply nods again and feels the bulge tickle her core, before he slowly pushes himself into her. Like before, it's tight and it hurts, but she's more afraid of what comes next. Leo watches her carefully, and he hates the look of fear in her eyes. He doesn't want to do this as much as she doesn't want to, but with awaiting glares from the others, including his father and his brother, he knows he must complete the consummation. With a powerful thrust forward, Marie can't help but cry out loudly as tears fall down and across her face. Harry's eyes had been closed for most of the time, but the sound of the girl he loved...the sound of her painful cries gave him no choice but to open them. As Marie's head fell to the side, her eyes found his devastated ones and she felt as though she was going to be sick. Up until that very moment, she had no idea he was set to be amongst the overseers. She truly wanted to die, but instead, she wept silently. She couldn't look away from Harry for what felt like an eternity, though it was only a couple of seconds. The pain from her husband's insertion was nothing compared to the shredding of her heart. Above anything, the last thing she wanted was for Harry to hurt more than he was already hurting. The look in his eyes quite literally broke her. She felt truly broken and as Leo delivered his final thrusts, she was numb to it all. He moaned her name as he erupted inside of her and she continued to cry silently as they began to pull apart. When Leo climbed off of her, he quickly covered her nakedness with her robe and helped her up with him. She watched a tearful and heartbroken Harry push his way out of the room as the sheets were checked for the blood spotted proof.
"Father..." Leo said towards the King while he protectively held onto Marie's hand. "May we retreat to my chambers?" King Francis nods and lets them pass. The newlyweds walk silently and solemnly through the halls until they reach his chambers. Marie still feels...numb. Certainly not emotionless because she felt completely...disheartened and defeated. She never thought this day would be as hard as it had turned out to be. She wanted to disappear completely and without a single trace. She wanted to comfort Harry, wherever he'd run off to. But as Leo pulled her into bed next to him, she knew that was utterly impossible. Everything was different now. They said nothing for a few moments, and Leo gently drug his fingertips up and down her taut belly. "Marie..." He murmurs softly. The simple whispering of her name has her biting her lip as more tears fall from her eyes. She wants to be anywhere but here. "Oh my love...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry." He pulls her into him and wraps her up in a warm and comforting embrace. He rocks his wife to sleep as she weeps softly in his arms.
+
Marie slept briefly at the beginning of the night, but soon after Leopold drifted off, her body woke her. She laid there and her mind played the night over and over. She saw Harry's sad eyes again and again...she could not, for the life of her, rid the anguish and devastation that overtook his face from her mind. She hated it. She did everything she could to think of something else, but to no avail. Harry haunted her all night long and she tossed and turned and cried silently into her pillow while her husband slept soundly beside her. So as the foggy morning light seeped through the window, Marie slipped out of bed. She tied her robe tightly and moved quietly down the hall towards her chambers.
"Good morning, your Highness." Her trusted guards both said in unison. She smiled softly at them.
"Good morning." They open the door for her. "Will you send for my ladies?" They nod and assure her that they'll do so. Her room is quiet and her bed is made perfectly, the way it's made everyday. She finds herself standing there, in the middle of the room. Her mind is elsewhere and her eyes are focusing on nothing in particular. She's just...there. Feeling drained and exhausted for God knows how long. When the four young women step inside her chambers, they all look at her like she's...different. In a good way. She was officially married to the Prince of England. She was part of the English throne, and one day, she'd be their great Queen. But for now, she only wanted to wash herself clean from her traumatic evening. "Please draw me a hot bath." Without anything more than humble obedience, they begin to do so and Marie sits on the edge of her bed. The dull ache between her legs has begun to slowly dissipate and a little while later, they are assisting her into the big silver tub. "I want be alone. I'll call for you if I need you." She says, her voice lacking any and all emotion. The four girls bow timidly and leave her chambers. Marie sinks into the hot water, she's fully immersed for a few moments as she lets it all wash away. When she comes up for air, there's a knock on her door. The guards don't come in, but they call to her. "What is it?" She asks them, feeling agitated by the intrusion.
"My apologies, your Grace, but Queen Louisa is here to see you." At this point, now that the entire crowd of royals and nobles have seen her in her most vulnerably nude moment, she's sure it doesn't matter to the Queen.
"Alright." Her voice is meek, but heard because moments later, the beautiful woman is striding in towards her. "Forgive my state, your Majesty...I just..."
"Darling, I understand." Marie appreciates how soft and kind her tone is. Louisa sits in the quilted chair beside the tub and smiles down at the young woman. Her daughter-in-law. "Are you alright?" Marie nods quickly, but she's too smart to see through the facade. "The official consummation was...my most terrible day. I hardly knew King Frederick, and he was...a very stoic man. He grew to be a kind and loving husband, but I assure you...I thought I was going to have a miserable life, simply based off that one night. We spoke only a few words to one another before our wedding day." Marie watches the Queen carefully as she reaches for her hand. "Marie...I've raised both of my boys to be good, compassionate and gentle men. I pride their kindness and their ability to love. I see the way they look at you." Marie begins to panic. "The way Leopold sees you is truly something I have never witnessed in all of my years. His eyes are so wonderfully alight when he looks at you. And I know that Harry sees you similarly. I know my son." Marie gulps down the bile rising in her throat due to the possibility of the Queen knowing her and Harry's whole truth. "He was...very, very upset last night. And I begged Frederick not to make him participate in the viewing, but he felt it was necessary." She trails off. "Perhaps...we both know our son too well. I suppose my husband truly believed it was the right thing to do." Marie can't help the tears welling up in her eyes. "You've fallen for him, haven't you?" She bites her lip, refusing to answer the Queen's inquiry.
"I love Leopold, your Majesty." Louisa nods.
"Harry's love for you...it's just too much for him. He left this morning, at first light." Marie feels her chest tighten and she lets out an accidental cry before quickly covering her mouth. She composes herself as quickly as she can and tries to blink the tears away.
"Where did he..." She struggles to speak considering the lump in her throat was growing with every painful second. "Where did he go?" Louisa squeezes her hand.
"He's going to travel for a little while. I think it's best for him to be away from the castle for the time being." Marie shakes her head.
"I didn't mean for any of this..." Louisa kneels down now and wraps her arms around the emotional Princess.
"I know, darling. This life is all...it is so much and you were thrust into it, so you found comfort in Harry, and that is not your fault. And my son is...he's truly a good man. But it isn't fair for him to have to see you with his brother." Marie nods as they pull away.
"I'm so sorry. I care about him so..."
"I know you do."
"But I do love Leopold, I do. He is a good man and I know we'll be happy together." She sniffles as Louisa smiles sadly down at her.
"Some women are...able to live their life freely. They..are able to love whomever they want..do whatever they want...but some women, like you and I, Marie, we were meant to be great. We were born into worlds that demand so much from us, but that are so rewarding if executed properly. I see a wildly fortunate future in you. Your marriage with Leopold, I believe will be one for the ages. Our two great countries will be in both of your hands and I trust that you will lead our people justly and fairly..with so much courage and compassion. Now, I don't know your parents well, but I do know that you are terribly strong-willed and so incredibly brave. I know you'll be a fearless and formidable Queen." Marie watches her carefully. "It will take some time, and it will take nothing less than everything that you have. Harry will return at some point and you will not allow yourself to be swayed. You will not fall down before him, you must rise above it. No matter what you feel...no matter what it is that you truly want. We are leaders, Marie. We lead and sometimes that means that our hearts are less than whole. But it is our duty. I wish it wasn't that way but it is." Louisa uses her thumbs to wipe the leftover tears from Marie's cheeks, then she stands up. "I'll send your ladies back in a few minutes to begin packing your things for the voyage to France later this afternoon. Marie nods and begins to quickly wash herself with lavender oils and soap. She knew what she had to do now, and she was entirely grateful for the Queen's kindness and wisdom. It was her time to be truly great, and she believed in herself and in her husband.