He Took My Heart
"I would have stayed in France for the rest of my life, but you brought me here. You took my heart. And now I've come to repay you."
"These men don't just hate my regime. These are the ones who tried to assassinate me and killed Francis instead." Mary's voice broke as she nudged her horse and began to move forward, her gaze fixed on the path ahead. She could feel Bash's gaze fixed on her for a long moment but she didn't look up, her expression blank. She was numb.
"We have to escape. When you're safely on your throne, we'll rain hell down on them."
"I can't wait until then!" she retorted, frustration seeping into her tone. Bash had to understand. She could explain to him until she was blue in the face, but she could not make him understand if he didn't want to. Keeping her voice low, she tried to explain the details, rolling her eyes at his protest. She wasn't going to have no for an answer. Bash knew her better than most - he should know that by now.
"The leader, a man named Munroe, ordered my murder. Senneck said that the chief of the Wolvers has pillaged so many of his own countrymen that he has to remain in hiding. We must trick his followers into thinking we are such valuable prisoners that they must take us to their leader."
"Mary, if they find out that the Queen of Scotland, a woman they want dead, is traveling in their midst -"
"I've been assured that no one in this region has seen my portrait," she insisted.
He had to see her reasoning. These men, this Munroe, had taken Francis from her. From Bash. How could he not understand? Francis, who was so very precious to her, the man she had truly loved. He was her king, her husband, her best friend. He was Bash's brother. She couldn't let his death go unavenged.
She was going to kill Munroe. She would do it herself - this was one last stop she had to make before she continued to her castle and it was too late. For Francis. For herself. For all that this man had taken from her.
Her tone hardened to steel as she spoke, never once looking up at Bash.
"We will continue with our cover story, they will escort us to Munroe, and I will rip out his heart as he did mine."