I'll never love anyone as I have loved you.

Mary smiled a smile of relief to Francis. She heaved a heavy sigh,Looking to the ground before looking back to Francis,but she realized immediately that something was wrong. His face...His beautifully,handsome face was frozen in a mixture of fear,pain, and chilling realization . Francis stumbled in place;dropping his sword to the ground before he,himself dropped to his knees upon the damp,leafy ground.

"Francis!"

Mary called out. Panic filled her heart and stomach. It doubled as Francis fell backwards onto his back with a pained grunt.

"Francis!"

Mary called out with even more urgency in her voice as she hiked up her skirt and ran to her fallen love. She dropped to her knees beside him. She looked at his injured arm from where it had been cut from the assassin, before cradling his head in her hands.

"Your head...Can you hear me?"

She asked as panic began to overtake her. She looked over to a guard who approached them.

"Your King has been injured. Go and get help. NOW!"

Mary ordered with her fear showing in her tone.

"We're gonna get the carriage and we're gonna go back to the castle. You're gonna be alright."

Mary told Francis as she stroked his head soothingly. Trying to comfort him as well as herself. Francis shook his head. He knew it was his time. No magic could save him this time. Magic had only given him a little more time with his beloved. Time he was grateful for.

"No I won't."

Francis said with a shake of his head. Panting a little. Mary's face twisted in confusion.
"He can't be giving up...Can he?" Mary though to herself. So many thoughts were swimming around in Mary's head as she held him.

"Francis?..."

Mary questioned him as she ran her thumbs over his cheeks.

"...no.."

Francis said,but it was barley a whisper.

"We were ment to be happy and we were,but I have another fate. Predicted long ago.."

Francis' back arched off of the ground as he gasped for air.

"No,no,no,no. We were given another chance."

Mary pleaded with Francis. She gently brushed his golden curls from his face. Francis swallowed deeply. Closing his baby blues as he tried to steady his breathing and calm his thoughts. He had to be calm for her. For his beautiful wife.

"Well maybe there is no magic for what we make for ourselves."

Francis looked up to Mary. His thoughts coming and going like the wind.

"No,but Delphine..."

Mary started,but Francis gently cut her off.

"...no..."

Francis hissed sharply at the pain that coursed within him.

"No more.."

He shook his head gently within Mary's grasp as a sense of calm washed over him.

"No more..."

He told Mary gently. Mary licked her lips nervously as her mind became cloudy. She couldn't accept this. Her forehead wrinkled in emotional agony. Francis knew his fate and he calmly accepted it.

"Please make sure my son is cared for and that he knows I loved him"

Francis started. He gasped once again in pain before continuing.

"And promise me you will stay in France until the future King..."

Mary gasped as her breathing was uneven as she fought the tears that came,but they passed her barriers.
Francis grunted in his pain,before he spoke again.

"Until he is safe and my mother is secured as Regent."

Tears now fell like gentle rain from Mary's eyes. She licked her lips as her words stumbled forward.

"Please...Francis don't leave me!"

Mary begged him as she leaned closer to her husband.

"Mary..."

Francis' lip quivered from his sadness at leaving his beautiful wife,his friend since childhood,but no...he had to be strong for her. She needed to know it would be okay.

"Promise me. Promise me you you'll stay.."

Mary's body racked with her grief. Her slender body shook as tears fell constantly. She shut her eyes. Trying to make it all go away. Maybe if she couldn't see it, then it would all go away and she would awake in bed beside Francis and it would have all been a nightmare. He would then comfort her with gentle kisses until she fell asleep once more,but Mary did not awake in her warm bed,but to the cold and bitter truth.

"I will. I will,I promise."

Mary said sniffling as she fumbled with the getting a grip on his hand as she looked into the fading light of his eyes.
Francis shuddered,but he smiled his beautiful smile as he looked up to the sky.

"I can see such beauty..."

Francis said with a seemingly painless smile as all the memories of his beautiful Mary came to the forefront of his mind. Visions of them as they were children,when Mary arrived back at court. Dancing with her ladies as feathers fell upon them. Their first kiss,her smile,Their wedding.,Mary announcing she was with child. So many precious and pure memories. He loved her with everything within him. Even memories of them in bed making the most tenderest of love to each other. It all came to his mind. She was beautiful and precious to him. "Mary,His Mary..." He could not help,but smile when he thought of her.

Mary continued to cry for Francis. Damn this day, for she was losing what made her happy. What she lived for. She looked down at Francis as he looked up at her. Even now in her tears she was beautiful to him. Running nose,red faced, and tear stains. She was beautiful. He smiled gently up at her and Mary could not help,but to smile back down to him. He was good at making her smile. Always was.

"Such beauty you have brought me..."

Francis said with a love filled grin. Mary gasped as she sobbed,but a smile still on her face as she looked away as she blinked tears from her eyes before looking back to Francis.
Francis took a deep breath as reality came back to him.

"You must..You must Wed again...You must love again."

Mary shook her head rapidly.

"I can't"

She said brokenly as she looked down at the man she loved.

"I will never...I will never love anyone the way I love you."

She said as if it were a promise she dearly intended to keep.
Francis smiled at her words. They ment a lot to him,but he wanted her to be happy.

"I pray to God that you do..."

Francis said with his final breath and with a final look at his beautiful Mary he drifted into his eternal sleep.

Mary froze as she looked down at Francis. Her heart stopping mid beat. She gasped sharply. Choking on a rising sob as her hands lay limp beside his head. No words came out of her open mouth. Only choked sobs as she looked around,but there was nothing anyone could do. He was gone and none could bring him back. Mary laid her head on to Francis' chest and whimpered his name.

"Francis..."

Mary sobbed into his shirt before gently placing a kiss upon his neck. She did not know what to do. She stroked his hair before laying her head back upon his chest. Sobbing harshly. Her whole world had been shattered. This fairytale she had been living had been shattered like a broken mirror.
Her heart pounded against her chest. She cried for what seemed like days. She did not even notice the returning guards or the ones who left to go to the castle.
Soon a calmness. A numbness washed over Mary. She sat there looking down at Francis. Taking in his face. She did not want to forget it ever. She would never forget his face. It would be forever seared into her memories. She loved him and would always love him until she herself died,but oddly enough it felt like she had died this day, not he. She gently leaned down and kissed his lips. She then leaned down and placed a kiss on his cheeks before whispering into his ear.

"I'll never love anyone as I have loved you."