All of a sudden, they were kissing. Francis wasn't sure who kissed who first, or how they were suddenly on the bed, or even why he was kissing Lola of all people. All he knew is that he was hurt, he wanted to forget Mary and the fact that she had run off with his brother, and the fact that his father was trying to kill his mother. Lola was there and willing. He moved his lips to her neck and imagined it was Mary sighing his name. She ran his hands through his blond curls, and he pictured Mary's hands just like she had the night before their wedding was supposed to take place.

He slipped off her dress, and moved to untie her corset. She arched her back as he kissed her breasts and took a nipple in his mouth. As he sucked, there was one name going through his mind: Mary.

"Francis," Lola moaned and grabbed his hair.

They undressed and kissed, and all of the sudden Francis was inside her. She gasped and moaned his name, and he tried his best to reciprocate, but the only name that left his lips was her Queen's.

He hoped she didn't take it personally. He hoped he understood that he was hurt, betrayed, shattered, broken, and completely torn apart and stomped on. He just needed to let all that out and get it out of his system. He wouldn't ever tell; he had been exiled. He was sure she wouldn't breathe a word either, and Mary would never find out what they had done.

The next morning, he felt sick to his stomach. He can't believe what he had done, alcohol and heartache be damned. He had to go and save his mother, and he wasn't sure how he was going to look Lola in the eye, let alone Mary. His guilt laid over him like a blanket. He tried to look in the mirror but he couldn't. He was absolutely sick with himself and what he had done, but he had to push that aside.

His mother needed him to help her, just as she had helped him many times. He was going to go back to Court, convince his father to let his mother live, see Mary one last time, and then walk out of her life forever. This time, for good.