Welcome to another Reign Fanfiction :). This story takes place in 01x14 "Dirty Laundry". Mary and Francis are not married yet and I changed some other things (I can't even remember which lmao). I hope you like it anyways! Have fun reading this!
Major ship: Catherine x Henry
Minor ship: Mary x Francis
"Queen Catherine?" a servant poked his head into the royal chambers, where Catherine was about to prepare some tinctures for Mary.
"What is it?" She wanted to know while frowning at a bottle with clear liquid in her hand, before putting it away.
"You are needed in the boardroom of the Privy Council." Catherine raised her right eyebrow in astonishment. Normally she was not welcome there from Henry's side and she avoided arguing with him. It was tiring. The servant disappeared and Catherine got up from her chair, sighing. She walked briskly through the corridors and pushed the door open vigorously.
Henry was sitting in a chair, his royal looseness almost completely gone. He looked ... scared. Francis stood behind him, worried and serious while Mary paced restlessly.
"What's going on?" the queen asked, but only looking at Henry. Mary stopped her silly pacing and Francis put a hand on her back.
"Did someone follow you? Has anyone seen you?", her eldest son wanted to know and Catherine shook her head in confusion.
"What's going on?" She stepped to the table, propped herself on the palms of her hands and looked Henry in the eyes.
"I... I was with the Bohemian Countess in my chambers and ... well," Henry finally began to tell under the piercing eyes of his wife. Bored, she sat down on a chair opposite him.
"And that's why such an uprising is made here? That's more of a political benefit."
"No, you don't understand Catherine," Henry said, panic written in his face, "she fell out of my window. She is dead."
"While you ...? Henry! Do you realize what that means?" Catherine jumped up again, circled the table and grabbed the king by the shoulders, "We are trying to prevent a war with these people!"
"I'm well aware of that!", he answered and violently shook off his wife's hands.
Francis went between the two. "Mary and I have a plan."
"Oh yes? And what do I have to do with it?", Catherine was visibly dissatisfied with the situation and didn'thesitate to show it.
"Well, it's less a plan, more like a ... stopgap," Mary said, looking at Catherine uncertainly. "The duke has already gotten wind of it, and he withdraws the war declaration on only one condition."
"Which one?", Catherine grabbed Mary by the shoulders, which flinched slightly, "WHICH ONE?"
"You have to disappear. Henry will resign and give the crown to Francis. You're taken to a safe place that- "
"WHAT?!" Catherine exclaimed, "Because of HIM, I have to give my crown away? I wouldn't have anything left! What about my other children, Francis, your younger siblings?"
"Don't forget, you have your crown because of me" Henry interjected, looking at her.
"How could I? You always like to remind me, "she hissed back.
"Catherine, they'll think you're involved," Mary's voice gained strength, "We'll find a reason for the resignation and your disappearance, but you must leave here as soon as possible."
"You can't possibly be serious ... no ... what about Charles and Henry and ...?"
"Catherine", Mary interrupted her mother-in-law again, "we'll take good care of your children."
"Oh yes? Will you do anything for their protection? Will you die to protect them?"
"That's enough," Francis touched his mother's arm. "Yes, we will. But only if you both disappear on the spot!"
Henry got up unexpectedly powerful and took Catherine by the arm and pulled her along. "Where exactly are you going to send them?" Mary wanted to know when both were gone.
"In a small village called Cherrueix. Nobody will know them there."
"And what do we invent for a story why the royal couple suddenly disappears and you are now regent? Francis, that won't look good for us" Mary worriedly took his hand.
"Well, we'll come up with something suitable," Francis answered absent-mindedly, looking after his parents.
As Catherine and Henry watched the courtyard from the shadows, they noticed an inconspicuous carriage. Leith sat on the wagon seat and signaled to the royal couple. Catherine hurried towards the young man, followed by Henry.
"Your Majesties," he whispered, "please get on the carriage. You can find clothes on the benches."
Despite his position, his tone was very firm and tolerated no contradiction. Catherine, who had no energy left to fight back, allowed Henry to push her in the carriage and prayed to God and all the saints that their children would be well.
She climbed into the rickety carriage and felt a bundle of clothes in the dark. Henry must have found something too, because he threw her shortly thereafter some of the coarse material.
"That's yours," he said, groping his way forward to take the other bundle out of Catherine's hand.
"Don't you dare!" irritated, she slapped his hand away as his fingers stroked her décolleté. Henry bit back a laugh and stretched out his hands, on which Catherine put the clothes a few seconds later.
The moon came out from behind the clouds and shone cold on the bumpy carriage. Henry had already changed his pants and shoes, now he was sitting with an unclothed upper body and grinned cheekily. Catherine, however, was anything but good-humored, she took the shirt next to Henry and pressed it to his chest. Her husband kept grinning until she squeezed her fingernails through the fabric into his skin. He grimaced.
"You took everything I had when you desecrated our marriage again, whorebuck. Just don't think that I'll ever forgive you for that" she snarled in his ear and sat back down on her seat. Henry was too tired to argue with Catherine. He took the shirt, ignored the marks she had left and pulled it over. He put his crown and the precious clothing in the storage space under his seat.
Catherine stared out the window, not moving an inch. Henry looked the other way until he fell asleep. Before Catherine got rid of her clothes as well, she made sure that Henry was still asleep. She undid the closure of the overcoat and stripped it off. To their luck, it was warm and they didn't have to worry about freezing.
Catherine pulled a coarse tunic over the peasant undergarment and removed both earrings and her precious necklace, which she also hid under her bench, along with the crown and her robe. The former queen untied her gem-set hair clips from her curls and with a narrow red cloth, she tied them together. Finally, Catherine replaced her precious shoes with some basic leather shoes.
"Oh, Henry," she said softly, looking at herself and her husband, "what did we become?"
The village they're going to didn't exist at that time, well I don't think anyone cares XD