Prologue: Everything has Changed
Old people say that if you think, you actually do exist but what if I tell you sometimes you act without thinking? That if you did, you would waste time, throw your life away and in the cases I'm writing from now on, you could ruin thousands peoples' lives…
I am very sorry for not introducing myself. I've been in every single places, in all ages. I saw everything: since the moment the Universe exploded until the moment you, my dearest reader, are checking on this.
What am I then? I am Time. I never liked formalities as the best occasions always happened when we weren't planning. We always wished for a happy ever after but is that possible after all? Is it really worth only being part of the journey if you are not the destination at the end of the famous train line that is called Life? Gosh! Life and I are good partners, of course we had our tribulations since the first time we met but we need each other. I made Life happen. She needs me. She begs me for more of me. I am not a good trader, not used in giving second chances… Life doesn't give you second changes because pf me, in truth. Oh, you may think I am the villain although right now I am ready to tell you for the first time I've given Miss Life a new shot for someone. You will judge me, you will hate me, you'll want to hug me – yeah, I know – maybe Miss Love has enchanted me so hard that I spared a lucky one. Just this time.
And I'll already warn: if you don't like long stories, you better quit this one before I take away YOUR precious time with my wonderful writing.
The first time I saw Mary Stuart, she was running in a convent while playing with her dear and poor friends – what can I do if they were simple peasants mostly? – She had been sent there when she was only 8 years old in a very traumatic night after a nice play with her betrothed, her best friend, her partner…
"You'll never reach me you stupid Scottish pig!" The little dauphin of France, prince Francis, skipped his steps on the stairs as ran away from the young queen. He would usually tease her because of her skinny and short legs.
"I heard that!" Mary wailed chasing after him "You can't call me that because I am a sovereign (did I tell you she liked difficult words) and you are not YET!" she squealed even more as he giggled with a huge advance from her.
"Once I am the King of France, I'll make sure you turn into bacon, little pig!" the little boy ran in the lawn's direction carrying Mary's favourite book – the reason why the fight started – and made her a funny face. The weather wasn't quite well, dark clouds seemed to approach them and suddenly the water started to fall.
"FRANCIS!" the mini queen shouted as the rain fell on her and instantly making her all wet "FRANCIS THE WATER WILL RUIN MY BOOK! GIVE IT BACK!" he could only squeal more. Mary got a speed impulse out of nowhere and reached him pulling his adorable blond curls making his mood stop immediately and he started screaming falling on the wet grass – the right words are PURE DIRTY MUD – this time, Mary screamed as well as he pulled her into the mud's direction.
"Your fault!" he looked at his friend all mad and handing the ruined book back to her "Mama is going to smash me into pieces!" he gasped staring at his white shirt and green jacket on the worst state possible.
"YOU DRAGGED US HERE!" Mary stomped on his foot making him wail as she obviously got all angry "And it's raining! URGHHH… I hate you!"
"You hurt me first!" he glares at her between clenched teeth before seeing lots of maids along with their nannies approaching them worriedly "You know what, pig? Forget it!" the future king stood up pretending he is all fragile because Mary kinda attacked here "HELP! THE QUEEN HURT MY FOOT!" he yelled making the servants approach them much faster and already doting on him.
"Somebody get Queen Catherine! The dauphin is injured!" as his governess said that taking his hand and whispering everything would be alright as tried to sooth the royal, he turned around facing Mary that was all wet and dirty glaring and him and he showed her his tongue and smirking as she simply shook his head.
"You are a shame as an actor." she whispered rolling her eyes "You know what? Keep it for you!" she threw the destroyed and wet book right on his head.
"Ouch" he grumped as she laughed before the nannies started taking them inside.
"And Lady Margaret: maybe you should send for a physician as the dauphin's brain is hurt probably because of his low acting ability" she teases him without thinking twice to their governess.
The old woman that seemed all concerned for the little one in her arms' sake since he was born, looked at her shocked because of such commentary "The Queen will learn of such things you are inserting in her son's head. These things aren't nice, your majesty. How could you say it to your dear fiancée? He's a small adorable baby boy"
"Dear Lord, he isn't a baby!" her tone stubborn and shocked as always "You raise him inside of a bubble only because he'll be king. Guess what: I am ALREADY queen and NEVER needed that?" her eight year old girl's voice was the cutest, I must confess, as she crossed her arms before walking away back to the castle.
Later on that same day, by the evening, the dauphin and the young queen were tucked inside of their respective chambers with pillows and layers of blankets covering them as Queen Catherine insisted definitely terrified with the idea of them getting a cold.
"I am not a porcelain doll!" Mary gasped as a nanny slowly fed her with the soup "The dauphin will probably be fed with baby bottles…" she rolled her eyes making Lady Margaret glare at her again.
"You are trying to sound very mature for your age, your majesty, and as you desperately seems to wish to grow up soon, here's my tip: you'll still be the one taking care of him someday once you are wed."
The words sounded as knives making little Mary terrified almost nauseous "Ew! No! We have servants for that!" the servant laughed at the girl's reaction as the governess left to check on the dauphin.
Mary swallowed the soup with some difficulty before starting to cough, she felt her throat being scratched for a thousand times, and then it got hard to breathe as she pushed the soup away and made the nannies jump in a mix of surprise and terror.
"YOUR MAJESTY!" one of them yelled rushing to her aid as another one ran to get a doctor and Catherine. Mary only heard that before everything turned black.
Now, sixteen-year-old Mary was getting ready to come back to French court after a failure assassination attempt that happened soon after the game with her friends. Lots of emotions ran in her head: would she fit there? Would her ladies be nice with her as they were when they were children? Would Francis be even taller?
She couldn't help but smile all nervous with the thought of her dear fiancée and their last goodbye… she didn't know by then that wasn't by far his last. If I am Time, I can predict future, alright? But for my dear reader, we have a long story until you can meet the fates of Francis Valois-Angoulême and Mary Stuart.
Saying goodbye was never meant to be easy. Furthermore, it also depends on the way it sounds. Sometimes it means a "see you soon", or "I'll be right back" but the worst of all definitely means "forever".
Don't consider it a spoiler, but we will taste every kind of goodbyes here, this is just the prologue…
Now it was time for the Queen of Scotland to say goodbye to the place that was her home for half of her life, it was time to go – Life and I are such good partners, aren't we? – It was time to say goodbye to say goodbye to the lovely but strict nuns, the good friends that she could call sisters there, of her small room… of everything. Her life was changing for once and all, there was no way coming back. Mr Fate likes me a lot, although I try to avoid him, he told me it was meant for Mary to go away, it was the start of her journey. I just didn't know he would chase so much after her future beloved but that's a theme for another chapter.
"Oh, thank God she is alive!" Catherine gasped grabbing her rosary tightly between her fingers.
"You are LUCKY she is alive!" King Henry, Francis's father and ruler of France was also in the room by now "You can be sure that if she was dead, I would blame you for not hiring good tasters for her food. Our interests on England would go down the water if I had to send her coffin back to Scotland.
"Henry!" Catherine gasped perfectly noticing the awaking Mary. He then swallowed.
"She is leaving. TOMORROW. That's final. I need this girl alive." He slammed the door as left, Catherine rushing after him.
Mary might have been a child listening to that and wasn't mature enough to perfectly understand that, she felt heartbroken. For the first time in her life and for his tone, she knew deep down why she was there. She learnt in that moment she was an object is Henry's chess game. She was alone there.
"I know what you're thinking." She heard the such familiar voice getting out from under her bed and climbing onto her bed and grabbing her hand.
"Francis." She sniffled. She didn't like to let him see her crying but she had no option so he hugged her best friend.
"I know you think you're alone in here" he whispered all innocent ", but I'm here. I don't want you to go…" It was now his turn to let the tears fall down his cheeks.
"I don't wanna go either." She sobbed "You're my only friend in here!"
They hugged each other for minutes as both of them cried silently completely alone in her chambers. No words needed, they were lost in their own worlds, it was also the first time they felt connected, something that would only happen much time later. Despite their fights and teasingly nicknames, they tried the first experience of childhood love before noticing it. Their hearts were pure. It was the last time they would find each other with such trait.
Mary learned the first meaning of goodbye there, and hopefully, it would be temporary. The next day, they had their formal goodbye. Tears fell there also, but nothing compared on the last night. The next time Mary cried like that, Francis wouldn't dare to seem week as she needed him, her would still be her safe lap.
In the exact moment Queen Mary Stuart stepped out of the carriage, she didn't see her friends, the nobles there or the royal family. She could only see herself there running with Francis and in that time, with the whole peaceful atmosphere reaching her for a second before there "murderers and backstabbing from French court", she knew that was her home. She was fated to be there. After greeting her friends, she saw him coming towards her for the first time. She knew the message Mr Fate was telling her: your journey is saying "hello".