Catcisse pairing, after telling Narcisse about Leeza's price he follows her back to her chambers only to find her quite devastated.
Collaboration with the amazing CathQueen (:
Disclaimer: I do not own Reign or make any profit off this.
"That is my price." Turning on her heel she marched back into the castle making a straight path back to her chambers. She could feel that all too familiar lump in her throat and her heart beating far too rapidly. She was about to cry and she had to get to the sanctuary of her chambers before she did. Luckily she reached her door with no interruptions and was able to find her solace. Fighting the tears best she could she undid each pin in her hair, letting it tumble down her back. She was visibly trembling from the struggle to hold her emotions in.
He had seen that familiar look in her eyes as she headed back to the castle. The look of complete and utter despair he had seen when she'd thought Francis was dying. He had followed her, desperately trying to catch up with her without breaking into a jog. Alas it was useless her pace was strong and steady not to mention she'd had a head start. He saw her chamber doors swing shut with a bam and he sighed. He hadn't wanted it to come to this but he knew where this depression would lead, he'd seen it play out before.
Reaching her door he took a breath before nodding to the guards and letting himself in. He expected her to be ranting to herself, throwing things, or burning things. However what he did not expect was for her to be letting her hair down. Her gorgeous copper curls toppling down her back as she shook her head. Snapping out of his trance he remembered what he was really here for. Right then he spotted it, the sign he'd been looking for…she was loosing it. All the typical Catherine signs, back shaking, fists clenched, rage and sadness practically radiating off her body.
"Catherine?" Non-threatening voice…non-threatening voice he told himself.
She spun around, tears already glimmering in her hazel eyes, "Stephan!" She squeaked. She was scared…he could tell. She always got scared when any emotion other then rage showed.
"No…hey…it's okay."
"No." She muttered, "It's not okay."
"Catherine everything…" He started.
She rambled over him, "My son is crazy. My sweet baby Charles he's gone mad. Threw me into a wall, left me in the woods." Her hands waved about.
"He did what?!"
She paid his concern no mind, "Tried to kill me…" She nodded, "I probably deserved it."
"Catherine! When did this happen? Are you hurt?!"
She just kept ranting, "Henry…oh sweet Henry. He shouldn't be brought into this. He's happy. No one's ever happy. I'm not happy, Charles isn't happy, Mary isn't happy, Claude isn't happy nobody is happy." She started to pace.
"Catherine, it's not your fault."
"No but it is! My fault Henry died because I wasn't a proper wife and couldn't detect the poison. Therefor my fault Francis became King at such a young age. Both Mary and Francis weren't ready to be rulers, nope, nope, not ready at all. My fault Francis died, so it's my fault Charles is King. He was okay until my enemies the Red knights tortured his friend so it's my fault he's crazy. My fault Leith is gone because I had been thrown into a wall and didn't realize you were locking up Leith. Claude is unhappy because Leith left her, which is my fault too. Mary isn't happy because I couldn't help her and I ruined everything with Leeza and Spain. Now I angered Leeza so one of my son's is going to die. Another son is going to die because of me! ME!" She screamed, launching herself at Narcisse and clamping onto his jacket in an all too familiar way.
Gently he removed her hands from his coat and she took off pacing again. "Catherine. It's not your fault…none of this…" Once more he was cut off.
"My fault…all my fault. Horrible wife, horrible Mother, horrible friend…wait who am I kidding I don't have friends!" She shrieked.
"That's not…"
"Of course there's Jon. Or dear Lord you might as well move away with him I'll probably kill him too. Not to mention you. I'll be the death of you too, I care too much about you…far too much. You'll all end up dead because of me. I'll be here alone, all alone. I care too much. I should stop caring I should just stop caring. Wait!' She seemed to have an idea, "Maybe Leeza will let me die and both Henry and Charles can live. Yes! Yes, that's what I'll do."
"No!" He nearly shouted, catching her shoulders, "Stop it! Snap out of it Catherine, nobody is dying!"
She broke free from his grasp, "Everybody is dying, you, me, everyone. I'm going crazy. Everyone is going crazy. Charles, Henry, now me. Probably for the best so I don't have to watch my children die." Her voice broke at last and her ranting stopped. Pacing rapidly and breathing hard she finally dropped onto the settee, shoulder hunched as she tried desperately to contain tears.
Her back shook with the fretful attempt to keep her tears at bay, her head was down and her hands clamped tightly in her lap. All of a sudden he had encased her small freckled hand in his large rough one, her head snapped up to see him and their eyes locked. Before she knew what was happening he had pulled her into a tight embrace. She tensed, shocked but made no move to push him away she just sat there like a statue in his arms unaware that tears were welling in her eyes. Then it hit her like a tidal wave, one of her sons were going to die, her daughter hated her, France was crumbling, and Narcisse was hugging her.
Slumping into his embrace she let loose, tears rushed down her face, rolling down her cheeks and dripping off her chin onto his coat. She tried to bury the sound of her sobs in his shoulder but in vein. Her form was practically shaking with the force of her cries and it was all she could do not to curl up to herself. "I'm s…sorry." She choked out.
"Hey…" He rubbed her back gently, "It's okay, you're okay." Never before had he seen her this destroyed. Always she had put up a façade around people and they…he would've never guessed that alone she lay here crying. As her sobs became bone-wracking he held her tighter, trying to give her any comfort that he possibly could. She shook violently and he could practically hear her heart breaking inside her chest.
He gripped her with all the force he could muster and she returned the gesture in kind, her sharp nails biting through his coat into his back. While one arm was clutching her around the middle the other held her head, his fingers buried in a waterfall of curls. His fingers drawing circles on her skull, whispering soothing words in her ear, holding onto her as if she was the only thing keeping him tethered to earth.
After what seemed like hours her sobs died down and her grip loosened. Her breathing started to even out and her shaking subsided. Failing to stifle the yawn that crept from her lips he realized how tired she was. He helped to ease her down onto the couch but just before her body could completely leave the safety of his chest she gripped him. A jumbled mix of words left her lips but he caught one 'stay'. He instantly obliged her request, lifting her back to his chest and embracing her in a light hug.
He himself, laid back on the chaise pulling her down with him but she was already asleep. Her warm breath ghosted over his chin and he closed his eyes, holding onto her and swearing to himself to protect her and love her in the way no one else would. Then he followed her off to sleep, but his thoughts never left her.
A/N okay yup lots of angst a little fluff, but I didn't do it alone if you haven't already go check out CathQueen cause she's amazing! (:
