SILENT PLEAS

After Mary leaves Gideon on the balcony...

Gideon's POV:

As she walked away from his silent pleas he stepped back and leaned against the wall behind him. He looked up at the stars as his fingers felt the place where her lips had touched his only a moment ago. At first he thought she was establishing that it was nothing more than the charade for Elizabeth, and so he apologised for overstepping, but as she went on he realized her protests were about their warring countries, rather than her feelings. From this he realised she must mirror his own feelings to some extent. He had read between the lines of her protests and offered her a knowing smile as he did so.

He may have arrived in France with instructions to seduce the Queen of Scots, but the more time he was around her, attempting to charm her, the more he came to admire her and the way she handled herself given her misfortunes. It was not until she offered her help to deceive Elizabeth that he began to feel his heart reach to her. To offer her help after learning of his true mission in France was shocking to say the least.

He remembered watching as no small value of gold flooded the floor in her chambers. That was certainly unexpected. As his inquisitive mind had begun deducing her clear innocence of knowing that the gold had been there he was caught off guard as he felt her lips crash into his. Her soft lips felt wonderful against his. But just as quickly as she had ambushed his face she withdrew and he was momentarily stunned. As she had asked him if it was convincing enough for their audience he felt a surge of want for the beautiful young Queen in front of him. He could barely keep his wits about him as she described how they would again kiss. And then she had closed the distance between them once more.

Her touch had ignited him body and soul. Even now after her walking away from him he could not curb the intense feelings within him. He rubbed his hand over his face and then set out to his chambers to attend to the soiled shirt he was still wearing.

When he arrived back to his chambers he changed his shirt and got ready for bed. As he lay in bed he thought of the days to come, the impending arrival of his daughter Agatha, and the kind, beautiful woman responsible for the reunion he has been waiting for so desperately.

Mary's POV:

As she walked away from Gideon she heard him call her name. She turned and met his eyes and saw the silent pleas emanating from every inch of him. From the look in his eyes, the way he held his arms at his sides, to the shape of his lips... She had to walk away.

Returning to her chambers she instantly dismissed the servant that was tending to her room. She sat in front of the fireplace and leaned back into the chair, closing her eyes. Oh, for Gideon to cross that line as he had was so unsettling. The other times it was staged. But this was a genuine moment that she did not quite know what to do with.

It seemed like such a short amount of time since Francis had died. The fragile situation she was left in since had barely given her a moment alone during the day, always scrambling to get through the trials her and her country were facing. But during the last few nights she felt acutely alone. She had missed the simple joy of another warm body curled next to her as she slept. Ever since she and Gideon had staged his seduction of her she had felt as if the parts of her that craved the touch of her beloved man had begun to stir.

And tonight... She has been overjoyed to celebrate the success of their charade, she didn't even think twice about coming so close to Gideon in order to assist with the wine he spilt over his shirt in his excitement of hearing her news. She recalled feeling a gentle but firm hand on her neck, and she was suddenly against him, his mouth over hers. For a moment she kissed him back. Feeling the gentle scrape of his facial hair against her face, his warm lips slowly and precisely moving with hers, his body pressed against hers...

She had felt something. And he knew it. That inviting smile played on his lips as she told him they shouldn't. There is too much at stake. But those lips...

Mary stayed up pondering her head and heart until she felt fatigue and retired to her bed. As she undressed she looked at the bed, the side that would remain empty and sighed, climbing in and drifting to sleep holding her hand up to her neck where his hand had been.