Cathry pairing, what if Catherine was able to reach Henry through his madness? Very angst, so if you're not in the mood for sad stories don't read this, you've been warned.
Rated T for violence
Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Reign.
"Ah, my wife and my son, the closet family I have in this castle. Sharing my home, my blood, this legacy, why would you lie to me?" The King asked.
"What do you mean?" Catherine asked, eyebrows creasing in confusion.
"Don't bother adding more lies to the pile, I know what you've done, you have been deceiving me and placing your paid generals to watch over me." He said sending an accusing glare at Catherine.
"No…no that's not…you don't understand." She said.
"Don't go around blaming mother, she's just trying to help." Francis piped up.
"I've sent three thousand men to attack Cali, you think I'm delusional? Look at the orders!" He threw the paperwork at them.
"What? What happened to general…" Catherine started but Henry cut across her.
"Dismissed, all your little friends were dismissed Catherine!" He spat at her.
"We can never win in Cali! Father we will loose and France will be ruined!" Francis yelled throwing the paper to the ground.
"We cannot loose!" Henry insisted.
"Yes we can and we will!" Francis cried, throwing his hands up in defeat.
"Henry darling you're not well." Catherine insisted, stepping towards him.
"I HAVE HEADACHES!" He screamed at her, "Do you know what else I have?!"
Catherine shook her head, trying to retreat but he snatched her wrist, "I have a annoyingly sly wife who needs to be put in her place!"
"Francis please, talk some sense into your father." Francis suddenly looked thoughtful as if he had an idea.
"No…he's right." Francis agreed, not really talking about his mother being put in her place but rather the advancing armies, "I'll be right back." Francis dashed from the room in search of Mary. He had to use the duke of Guise's army or they would surely loose in Cali. What Francis missed however, was the fact his mother looked scared out of her skin. Henry's gaze was burning into her and she was shaking as he tightened his hold on her small wrist.
"My dear wife, are you cold?"
"N…no." She stuttered, "Let go of me!"
"Why should I do that?" He mused, pulling her trembling person flush against him, one hand tightly wrapped around her waist, the other still holding her wrist. She gasped but didn't struggle for fear it might anger him further.
"Henry…I can explain, I know you've had headaches lately but I was only trying to help." She said, "You just seemed so busy I thought it was the least I could do to help, I never meant to anger you." Her voice was calm but her trembling was worse then ever.
His face seemed to soften a bit but his grip on her stayed firm, "If you were only trying to help then why did you have them defy their king?"
"I…" She panicked, "You're not well Henry! You're going mad! I was worried, for you, for France!"
"I see." He titled his head to look at her, "You didn't trust me, as always!"
"No! No I didn't trust you, you've tried to kill me countless times, you've tried to disinherit my sons, and you're trying to wed Mary. Not to mention you're about to destroy France!" She shrieked.
"Is my Medici bride jealous?" He raised an eyebrow.
"No! Why would I be jealous of anyone you favored? Anyone a mad king favored?" She hissed but despite her stony face and venomous tone her eyes were filled with pain and longing. Longing for his kiss for his touch for his love, her heart was hammering in her chest and she was shaking from rage rather then fear now.
"Don't bother lying, there's a lust in your eyes that will not easily be fulfilled." He smirked.
"Henry I am warning you, stop this madness and let me go! I want nothing to do with your games, let go!" She began to struggle.
"Oh, feisty are we?"
Still being tightly held by him, his chest pressed against hers and his breath on his face made it hard to struggle. Her advantage was she was wearing heels and he wasn't wearing any shoes at all. When Catherine realized this she instantly tried to grind her heel into his feet, unfortunately for her he saw where her gaze fell. Before she could even try to stamp on his foot he swept her off her feet causing her shriek. Now cradled in his arms as if she was light as a feather, their faces were mere inches away, "Henry what are you doing?" Her voice faltered a bit.
"Stopping you from taking off one of my toes with your heel." He answered simply.
"Oh." Was all she could muster, last time he'd held her like this it'd been their third anniversary. They'd spent all day in a hidden meadow with a picnic and laughed together, they'd been so naïve back then.
"I don't want to hurt you." He said suddenly.
"Then don't."
"I wish you could see that…" He said, and for a moment she could see his sanity seeping through.
"Henry…it's hard for me to trust you…I want to."
"I know…I don't blame you, I should have been better." He gazed down on her face, she looked sad but understanding for once.
"I should have been more open…we both should have tried harder." She said, her voice was softer then it had been and she no longer minded being so close to Henry.
"You were only trying to help weren't you?" He asked.
"Yes…I was just worried, you haven't been yourself, I was worried." In truth she'd been scared out of her skin for him for herself for everyone.
"I have had headaches…you know my brother?" He asked, he had to tell her, he trusted her and she was here in his arms looking at him like she had when they'd been married.
"Yes…"
"There's something I have to tell you, but you have to promise me you'll keep it to yourself." She nodded her head and he continued, "I always thought my brother wasn't fit to run France, I thought he was weak…so I…"
"Father I have a solution to Cali, the duke's…MOTHER!" Francis gasped as he entered the room. He'd been reasoning with Mary, trying to make her understand that France needed the duke's army for Cali but nonetheless she'd been furious. Now he came back to tell his father that they would use the duke's army for Cali only to find him carrying his mother like she was a small child. It was quite startling to find his parent's like that, Francis instantly figured that his father had been about to hurt his mother and panicked. He rushed forward but something dark passed through Henry's eyes and he gripped Catherine tighter then before, holding her close like she was his most precious possession.
The instant Francis spoke she saw Henry's eyes darken back to madness and fear gripped her heart. Her son looked frightened out of his head to see them like that and she understood for fear was starting to fill her once more. She felt Henry's hold tighten to an almost paining point and she winced, not taking her eyes off Francis for a second.
"I know you're mad at her but you mustn't hurt her, you'll never forgive yourself if you do. I know you love her, she only wants the best for all of us, for all of France." Francis said slowly, eyeing his mother and father carefully.
Henry's eyes flashed to Catherine and she saw no trace of the man she'd seen in the previous minutes. She had been able to break through to him, he had about to tell her something, she had almost gotten there. All she saw now was blame, hatred and insanity, she tried her best not to begin shaking again but despite her efforts she could see her hand trembling. She was not just worried for her safety but for her son's as well, the small reassurance she had was that as long as Henry had her in his arms he could not fight.
"Yes, but she needs to be put in her place, she doesn't know who's king, she thinks she can do what she pleases." He said.
"Henry…I said I was sorry, I won't do it again."
"Let's hopes not for you don't want to be punished twice do you?"
"P…punished?" She stuttered.
"Father! Put her down at once, she's my mother and your wife not to mention the Queen of France!" Francis demanded, putting one hand on the hilt of his sword.
"I'll put her down." Henry spat and with that she dropped Catherine onto the desk where she landed with a yelp of pain. She felt a wooden soldier under her back and her head had hit rather painfully. She tried to scramble off the desk but he pushed her back down with a hand on her stomach, not harsh but steady. He stood beside her looking at Francis, who, now looked more horrified then before.
"Don't do this…she didn't do anything to you…" Francis said carefully, approaching them both slowly.
"You don't even know what I'm going to do yet, why so worried?" Henry smirked.
"What are you going to do?" Catherine asked from the desk, where she still lay face up and embarrassed.
"I'm going to give you a taste of your own medicine Catherine dear." He said putting a bit more pressure on her stomach.
"What?" Both Francis and Catherine asked.
Henry whipped a small bottle out of his jacket and Catherine immediately screamed at the sight of it. Francis, having no idea what it was only guessed it was not a something his mother would like to be given.
"How did you get that!?" She demanded.
"I stole it, lucky for me you're not the only one who knows what it is."
"Mother, what is that?"
"Poison, it'll slowly freeze her to death from the inside." Henry answered.
Francis looked at his mother for confirmation and she nodded, her lips sealed as if she would never open them again.
"Though, I will spare your mother if you agree to my conditions." Henry said, twiddling the bottle in his fingers.
"What? I'll do anything." Francis rushed.
"Divorce your wife and marry her to me."
Francis's jaw fell open, "You can't be serious."
"Dead serious." Henry said indifferently.
Francis looked from his father to his mother in confusion and fear, "Mother would never let you get an annulment."
"Well, I'll trade my wife for yours." He said as if it was a simple trade.
"I can't marry Mother!" Francis argued.
"By order of the King you won't have a choice." Henry shrugged.
"You're going to steal my wife and force me to marry my mother or you'll kill her and get my wife some other way." Francis growled.
"Well aren't you clever." Henry smiled.
"I won't let you!" Francis unsheathed his sword and pointed it at his father.
Henry took hold Catherine's neck and uncorked the bottle of blue liquid, "If that's your choice."
"NO!" He dropped his sword and Henry let go of Catherine.
"Francis don't agree." Catherine begged, "Don't let him have Mary, protect her, I'll be okay."
"She won't be." Henry stated, "She'll be dead."
"Please, don't hurt her." Francis pleaded.
"You're running out of time." Henry said.
"You won't hurt Mary if she marries you?" Francis asked.
Catherine couldn't believe what she was hearing, she would not let her husband hurt the Scottish Queen or her son. She would not let him ruin their lives even if it meant ending hers. "Henry kill me." She demanded.
"Shut up Catherine he's considering." Henry ignored her. "I won't hurt her."
"You won't hurt mother once she's married to me?"
"No."
"Then I…I…" Before he could finish Catherine snatched the bottle from Henry's hands and drank it without second thought. A screaming pain shot through her and she blacked out. The last thing she saw was Francis, his face pale and running towards her, she knew he would never agree to Henry now. If anything her son would cling to Mary even tighter then before.
"NO!" Francis screamed and Henry looked infuriated, now that Catherine had drank the poison Francis would never agree to hand over Mary.
Francis grabbed his sword off the floor, "Get away from her!" He hissed.
"She's all yours." Henry shrugged and walked away.
Oooooh Cliffhanger, yes I know I'm a wicked little thing (;
