Authors Note: Okay, so think of this as like a prologue to explain how everything fits together in this ..reality? I guess lol. It covers everything up to where I've decided to start from but after this chapter the structure will change to include dialogue etc more like my other story; Our Toxic Love (which I will be updating shortly). Anyways, this idea just sort of came to me so I thought I'd give it a shot, let me know if you guys like the concept or whatever so I can decide whether or not it's worth continuing, okay? Alright then haha enjoy, love you all xx
Based in Staten Island the name Valois became almost as feared as that of Medici during the late 80s to early 90s. Starting from nothing, Francis ( aka: Frankie/ Frenchy) a boy of french origin, living in an the streets of a city dominated by Italian blood he had faced many hardships and tribulations that turned him into a force to be record with. He was still young when he rose to the top creating an empire out of nothing but cunning ambition and ruthless aggression. A heartless son of a bitch willing to do whatever was necessary to stay on top, even trading in his own sons in order to get ahead when captured by his enemies, as an insurance means to protect the alliance between them. Little did his Spanish rivals know, he cared so little for his children's safety that he would go on to attack them at full force, massacring all of them regardless of his boys predicament or the threats being made against their lives. 'The thing about sons kid is you can always have more.' He told them upon their rescue, which of course was merely good fortune and not something he'd necessarily strived to achieve.
Henry, learnt from his father that in order to survive you had to be hard and cruel, a lesson his older brother never quite grasped. He was weak and foolish, yet somehow managed to stay his fathers favourite. As the years went by jealousy would eat up the younger of the two until one day he decided it was he that was more suited to being his fathers successor and killed Frank Junior along with any other contenders, enlisting many of his fathers men and recruiting some of his own, preparing for his own rule years ahead of his time and so when the day came where his father died he had many loyal soldiers ready to follow his lead without question. They worked to coexist with the Medici clan and other powerful factions without incurring their wrath and were thus able to grow quickly and without opposition.
The Medici's were largest crime family in the country, only spoken of in hush tones, their reputation demanded respect. They never convicted, mostly because they never got caught. They were some of the best killers ever known, with roots dating back centuries and connections all over the globe in all walks of life. Drug lords, politicians, doctors, teachers, lawyers, police, secret servicemen, assassins, they had in with each and more. Nothing was out of their reach. Their underworld dealings leaving them with more cash amongst them than they knew what to do with, more than most had ever seen, enough to rival the richest men in all the world. Though they were notoriously stingy, cautious about parting with every dollar, for one does not become as wealthy as the Medici's by being careless with their coin.
It was rare that anyone ever crossed the Medici's, but on occasion it did happen. The murder of Madeleine and Larenzo being one of those few times. Killed like animals in the street by an ambitious drug dealer who's body now rots at the bottom of the Philadelphia surge dump. Leaving their only child, Catherine an orphan before she could even walk. Luckily her godfather, Clement, a formidable King Pin situated on the north side, loved her dearly. Calling her his duchessina, a nickname that followed her through much of her childhood, she became known by title more than her own name. She didn't mind of course, once upon a time it made her feel special but it was destroyed forever when a rebel gang kidnapped her and held her for ransom. What happened to her in that storage cellar before she was rescued was something no one living knew..but whatever it was, when she came out the word, even when spoken with the deepest of affections made her skin crawl.
Diane was one of the many women Henry's father enlisted to entertain him after the death of his mother and was quite a lot older than Henry, but she had a warmth and a kindness he was attracted to from an early age. They started sleeping together when he'd just turned 16 and she was in her early 30s, whilst his father is still alive. She treated him with a tenderness that made him love her as much as his young heart was capable, but her intentions were never as pure as he thought. Diane de Poitiers was a woman of ambition and knew he was the best way for her to gain influence and money as his father was much too wise for her tricks.
He met Catherine a year or so later when they were both 17 and in the same History class. She was a hell of a lot smarter than he was which both irritated and attracted him. It all started though when they were assigned to work together on a project about the French Revolution, as no one else was brave enough to even speak to the children of the two most dangerous families this side of the country. They fought like crazy at first , ready to tear each other's heads off at every second glance but slowly they became aware that it wasn't hate that was between them
but something else that had been hiding beneath their hostility..something heavily encouraged by his father and her uncle, as their union was a great way to bridge the two factions and begin a steady business.
Despite the pressure placed on their backs the two managed to find a love in each other that was unmatched by any they would ever again experience. The bond they formed was a result of a unique understanding, both having grown up surrounded but alone, used as pawns, basically having to raise themselves in the absence of parental figures. They were abandoned by those meant to love them most, left with an emptiness that only the other could fill. For a while they were blissfully happy, married at 19 with the whole world at their feet.
Their happiness however was short lived as it seemed the one thing Catherine wanted more than anything else in the world was the one thing they couldn't have; Children. For as long as she could remember Catherine desired nothing more than to be a mother. One of her first memories was being in kindergarten and being asked what she wanted to be when she grew up.. in the midst of all the future princesses and astronauts the young mafia princess was the only one to answer 'a Mommy'.
She did everything she could possibly think of to get pregnant , saw every doctor, ate all the right foods, took extra hormones everything. Her obsession became a real strain on their relationship, her badgering and their constant failure to conceive making him feel less of a man which he didn't appreciate, especially after taking over his late fathers empire. So much so in fact that he returned to the comforts of Diane's bed, for the first time in years. Allowing her to stroke his ego, silence his insecurities and surprise them all when, at close to 40 she fell pregnant with his child.
Catherine was beyond devastated. At first her husband had been remorseful, hearing from others how hurt she had been at hearing the news, he had gone to her in attempt to fix what he broke but she was not a mild tempered woman and the sight of him merely had her lashing out. Being young and childish he took this as permission to continue his dalliances as according to her words, he was nothing to her anyway. Quickly he developed a habit of sleeping with any young thing that threw themselves at him, a vice not uncommon to Kings, mostly Henry did it just to see how she'd react, for that first moment when she'd see them together and her guard would drop for just a fraction of a second and he'd see her pain and know that she still cared, that she loved him even when she hated him. He lived for that look in her eyes, as sick as it may sound, for it was the only moment she would let him see how she truly felt. They used to trust each other with everything but since his betrayal she barely spoke a word to him that wasn't completely necessary or filled with snark.
For a year after Sebastian was born she couldn't bare to look at him she was so deeply destroyed. He had taken her avoidance as her cold hearted nature finally coming to light, chalking it up to yet another sign that they were never meant for each other in the first place. Alone and vulnerable Catherine found herself engaging in his best friend, Richie. The man always lusted after her and had been waiting on such an opportunity since the day they met, watching her like he were predator and she were his prey. She loved what he offered her, the attention, the affection, the promises and devotion but when he asked her to run away with him she ended things.
She regretted it in the days after for quite a while, as at that point she couldn't have cared less about her money or position. Being Queen of the underworld meant little to her when she was young. Leaving Henry however was something she could never bring herself to do. Despite all the pain he'd caused she loved him with every fibre of her being and couldn't bare to let go of the dream she had for them, happy with children of their own.
Though being the stubborn independent woman she was, it was a long while before she allowed herself to give Henry anything that even resembled a second chance. It took the death of her uncle to weaken her resolve enough to even let him touch her again. Upon hearing of Clements passing he had rushed to be at her side, knowing how much she adored him, her husband put aside all the animosity between them and going to be with the one he loved. That night resulting in her first pregnancy and the beginning of one of the few periodic happinesses in their marriage.
Though of course, with the constant stress and danger they both faced on a daily basis their happiness was always short lived. At this point Catherine's heart had been broken so many times over she was practically numb to the pain, though the burden of being abandoned yet again whilst her husband gallivanted around with all his whores was now eased by three beautiful angels that were all her own, each filling her with an indescribable joy just by breathing...and tomorrow she would have another.
TBC..?