"Mary? Mary!" Francis called. I couldn't believe I, Mary, Queen of Scotland, was abandoning the alliance with France that would keep my country safe. Francis, my arranged fiance since I was a child, was running after me as I took off into the woods with his "bastard" brother Bash. "Mary!" Francis screamed one last time before we couldn't hear him anymore.
Five Days Later
"Mary? All you alright?" Bash asked. It had been a hard few days. Between worrying about Scotland without the alliance, and how the King of France would react to me abandoning my future marriage with his son, Francis, I hadn't stopped crying. Bash had tried to cheer me up, and through that I had begun to realize my feelings for him, but that also conflicted with my feelings for Francis. "I'm fine, Bash. Thank you for worrying." I whispered. My voice had been cracking from all the crying, and it had gone away. "We need to get moving, Mary. I'm sorry to do this so soon, but I don't want to stay in these woods too long." Bash was so thoughtful. During these past few days, I had occasionally looked over at him to catch him staring and smiling at me. It made me feel loved, but between everything I had been feeling lately, I wasn't sure exactly how to discern my feelings. They all blended together, and slowly, the pain, rage, and heartbreak had made it's way through. Now all that was left was the anxiety I had for my country. And the lingering feelings for Francis and Bash.
At the end of the day, we finally stopped for camp. Thinking back to my time at the castle seemed like lifetimes ago. I wondered where exactly we were in France, but from the looks of it, Bash didn't seem to know either. "Bash, when you finish setting up the camp, will you sit with me?" I hoped he couldn't hear the fear in my voice. "Of course, Mary," he replied, acting as though he couldn't sense anything. A short time went by, and Bash made his way to me. Sitting next to me, he asked, "What can I help you with, my lady?" I smiled. Bash, always the gentleman, even after everything he had been through. Being called the "bastard" child since he was born to King Henry and his mistress. Francis claiming right to the throne as King Henry's "rightful" heir. Bash was a strong man, and just by looking at him, you'd never be able to tell all he'd been through. "I can tell how upset you are Mary," Bash looked into my eyes. "Is there anything I can do?" This was something new to me, no one had ever offered this much. "Can you just hold me, Bash?" I said as tears filled my eyes. And he did.
"Wake up, Mary!" Bash shouted. "Is everything okay?!" I yelled, frantic. Looking around, I saw and heard nothing coming for us. "Of course, it is Mary," he smirked. "We're just going to have fun today!" A few hours later, we arrived at the lake. "Get in." he commanded. I looked at him wide-eyed. "My lady," he winked. We spent hours swimming in the lake, Bash's body tensed in the cold water made his muscles pop and his lean frame made him much quicker while swimming. "Thanks for that, I actually had fun," I whispered in his ear after we had gotten dressed and I pulled him in for a hug. His body felt warm, and the hug as natural as any. Splitting apart, he held me in his arms a few seconds more. We looked into each other's eyes, and our heads started to come together. Suddenly, it started to rain. Second by second, the rain got harder. "Mary, come! This storm could get bad!" He yelled. Mounting our horses we rode off, trying to find shelter before the sunset.
"Good morning, Bash," I said as I made my way through the cave's opening from which we took shelter. The night before it had been a total downpour, and our normal camp would not do. "Good morning, lady Mary," Bash replied, as he kissed my hand. I couldn't stop myself from blushing. This past day had been one of the best of my life. I couldn't explain exactly how it felt, but the feeling of being relaxed and free from the burden of my entire country on my shoulders just made me feel so free. I knew I couldn't escape for much longer, but I was going to enjoy this freetime, with Bash, as long as I could. "Bash, do you think you could get us something to eat? I'm going to wash myself off in the pond and would like some privacy." I asked, trying to hide that I really wanted him to join me. "Of course, Mary, I will be back soon." he replied, striding over to his horse and mounting, adjusting his body. Slowly, I began to look him over. The way he walked was so graceful, yet powerful. He had gotten that from the King of France, his father. His frame was so lean, yet so strong, the veins in his arms bulging as he held the himself on the horse. I looked at his eyes, the strong turquoise color looking at me clearly.. oh no, he caught me staring. My cheeks flushed and I quickly looked away, now walking to the pond as I heard him ride off.
It had seemed like a few hours before Bash returned to our camp. I had been worried that he had been hurt, or worse, but thankfully he returned unscathed. "Where have you been, Bash?" I said, trying to hide the panic from my voice. "I wanted to get a real dinner for you, and trapping a hare had been much harder than I had anticipated. My apologies," he smirked as he said it, sensing my anxiety. Before I realized what was happening, Bash had made his way to me and was kissing me. His kiss was hard, but there was a tenderness about it that made it the best kiss I had received. Well, I haven't received many kisses, but this one just felt... right. The kiss lasted what seemed like such a short time, but truly was long. When we pulled apart, we saw the sunset through the trees. Bring my hand up and pointing through the trees, I said, "Come, Bash, let's lay in that field." As soon as we got settled in the grass together, Bash reached for my hand. "Your face looks even more radiant in the sunset," he said. And that was when I knew what I wanted. I leaned forward and kissed him again. His lips fit mine perfectly. "Will you stay with me, Bash?" I asked. I looked at him and I saw him smile. "Forever," he replied.