A/N: Mary and Francis had a rough road with lots of issues even before all of the events o later season 2. A Tower fic.

"Francis! Francis! FRANCIS!" Mary's voice grew hoarse as her husband rounded a corner. She sat down in a huff, barely holding back tears. They were supposed to be married. They were husband and wife, equals. They were a prince and a queen. Were they in Scotland, she would pull rank on him. As it was, here she was his consort and his guards were surely not listen to her. It would be too late to go to Scotland with her brother by the time Francis returned.

She abruptly stood and went to grasp the bars on the door. She summoned a guard to make eye contact with her. She used her most regal voice. The same voice she had used with the men she thought would be going to Scotland to fight for her. If this failed, she didn't know how to sound firmer or more threatening. "Fine, the dauphin has made his point. Take me back to our chambers now. I won't be going anywhere for now. Unlock the door and escort me or you will surely face his wrath for denying me. For denying the Queen of Scotland."

The guard looked shaken at the order, and his reply was anything but sure, "I'm sorry, your Grace, but we were given very strict orders to only let you out on orders from the King, the Dauphin, or Sebastian."

Sebastian? Bash? Why would Francis leave them with instructions to allow Bash to let her out? Mary tried to hide the shock on her face. She had to find a way to use this information to her advantage. She couldn't go to Scotland, but she could feel like she had some bit of control over her life if she could make it back to their chambers without Francis' help.

Fear clearly wasn't working on this guard, so she needed to switch tactics. Well, men had no inkling of women's problems, she could try an old idea that had worked previously, "I must leave this room." She repeated, knowing that the guard wasn't going to budge.

"I'm sorry, your Grace, but I cannot let you out." He looked to be softening to her and to be sympathetic to her, but he was more afraid of Francis than to let her out.

Sighing loudly, theatrically, Mary slumped against the door and adopted a voice that suggested she was embarrassed to say the next words aloud, "If you won't allow me to leave, you must send for one of my ladies. I need" she paused again, for effect, to seem as though she was struggling with her words. "I require assistance." The guards had both turned to look at her at the change in her tone. The two exchanged glances with one another. They clearly weren't too attuned to what a woman could need help with. That helped her even more. "I require a certain item that one of my ladies can bring me and help me with. You must understand."

The two guards both blushed a deep red, the one she hadn't yet spoken directly to began to back down the corridor. "I shall fetch one of your ladies right away, your Grace."

"Thank you!" Mary called after him and then turned around, a triumphant smile upon her face that she was careful to conceal from the remaining guard.

Some time passed, but eventually Kenna came walking up to the door of the tower, carrying a basket and a mug. She was wearing a smile, but as soon as the door was opened for her to enter, she dropped it to wear one of confusion. Dropping her voice to something barely higher than a whisper, she questioned Mary, "I'm happy to help when you need this, but I know that you needed this two weeks ago. It's highly unlikely that you actually need the ginger tea right now. Or did I misunderstand that guard? He was mumbling something about women's problems and said that you required the assistance of one of your ladies and a special item. Honestly, why men can't handle talking about monthly bleeding is beyond me. They're all so interested in that part of our anatomy any other time of the month."

Mary smirked. She normally would have reprimanded Kenna for speaking so openly, but she needed the help. Keeping her voice as low as Kenna's Mary revealed her plan to Kenna, "I was being as nonspecific as possible. I just needed one of the guards to get one of you. You're correct, this did come two weeks ago. I'm not in need of this type of help, but what men assume is up to their minds. I need you to go fetch Bash."

Kenna interrupted her friend and queen, "Bash? My husband? Why do you need him?"

The jealousy Mary heard warmed her heart. She was happy that the two of them could find companionship together. "For some reason, Bash is on the short list of people to whom these guards can release me. Francis trusts Bash and I'm guessing he's allowed to get me out of here if he thinks his negotiations will take too long."

Kenna smiled brightly, "I love it. I'll go and find him right away. Then you must tell all of us why you're being hidden away in here."

Arms crossed tightly and with all of the anger appearing once again on her face, Mary promised that she would as Kenna rapped on the door to let the guards know to let her out.

Waiting for the guard to get Kenna had seemed like an eternity compared to how quickly Bash appeared at her door. Unsure of how much Kenna would have told him, Mary was expecting him to be let in and for her to have to explain the plan again. Instead, to her surprise, his voice rang out sure and strong, "I am here to escort the Queen Mary back to the chambers she shares with the dauphin. Open the door." The tower's barrier swung open and Mary stepped lightly out of it.

Once they were safely out of the earshot of the guards who were now dismissed for the night, Mary clutched Bash's arm, "Oh, Bash thank you. Thank you so much for coming to get me."

Bash looked angry, but his face softened at her apology. "It's really not fair for my wife and you to conspire against my better judgment. I just started to get along with my brother again and now I've freed you from where he obviously wants you. I'm not leaving you alone without his approval. Come, we're going to meet Kenna at your chambers and she and I will stay with you until Francis returns."

All too happy to have the company instead of being left alone in her anger, Mary sauntered ahead of him to collect Kenna and to share the whole tale of how she came to be a prisoner at her husband's hand.