When Bash watched Francis suddenly drop through the ice, the thought never even crossed his mind to leave him there. The thoughts of what he would gain would never outweigh the losses he would suffer, not just that of his brother but also a part of himself, of the good person he wanted to be. With the help of the guards that had accompanied them, Bash managed to get Francis on his horse and the rode as fast as they could back to the castle. Bash and a fellow guard supported Francis' weight as they practically had to drag him through the castle.
"Where should we take him?" The guard asked. But before Bash could answer Francis mumbled something.
"What is it Francis? Bash asked.
"My chambers, take me to my chambers." Francis stuttered from the cold.
"His chambers." Bash said to the guard. Bash didn't even register when they start moving again or in what direction they were going, he was too focused on the fact that Francis had stopped shivering, a worrisome sign. Bash only realised what was happening when he heard the guard helping him address the guard stationed outside Francis' chambers and mention Mary.
"Go find Queen Mary and tell her that His Highness fell into a frozen lake and is gravely ill." The second guard nodded and ran as fast as his armour would allow to find Mary. Bash and the guard took Francis through the parlour of his chambers and into the bed chamber, thankfully both rooms had already been heated in preparation for his evening retirement. The guard ordered the waiting maid to help the prince into some dry clothes and only when Bash had despotised Francis in a chair close to the fire that he finally took a look at his surroundings.
"But these are…" Mary's chambers, Bash had been about to say before he trailed off. As he looked around him he realised this was no longer the case. An extra wardrobe had been brought in and the maid was pulling Francis' clothes out of it. Bash also notice other objects that he recognised from Francis' old chambers, his shaving mirror and bowl on a table, a few pairs of his boots by the door, one of his jackets on the back of Mary's dressing up table chair and when Bash looked back into the parlour he saw that Mary's writing desk had been moved away from the wall and now mirrored Francis' desk in the middle of the room. The chambers reeked of a domesticity that took Bash by surprise. He was under no illusion about Mary and Francis' relationship, they were husband and wife, and he knew that they probably lived as such. But he did not prepare himself for the idea that they did so all the time. After all King Henry made no secret of the fact that he kept his and queens chambers separate and that he shared his chambers with many other women, including Bash's own mother. So when Bash was confronted with the fact that Mary and Francis shared their chambers, it surprised him. However, he was thankfully prevented from thinking any more about what that meant when Mary herself rushed into the room.
"Francis!" Mary said as she rushed to his side, kneeling in front of him and cradling his face in her hands. The fear in her voice was almost tangible.
"Ssshhhh, it's okay, I'm fine." Francis said and Bash noticed that his skin a regained a bit of colour and his finger tips no longer had a blue tinge to them. Francis pressed a hand against Mary's cheek in an effort to calm her but she frowned at the coolness of it.
"You need to get warmer." Mary said standing up and frantically looking round the room, desperately trying to figure out how she could make him warmer. Suddenly she rushed to their bed and started pulling the blankets and pillows off it and depositing them in front of the fire, close enough to get maximum warmth but not at risk of catching fire.
"Come and sit in front of the fire Francis." Mary said holding out a hand to him.
"Mary-" Francis began, ready to tell her to stop worrying.
"Francis." Mary interrupted not prepared to take no for answer. But her firm voice didn't hide the fear on her face. "Please." The husband and wife starred at each other in silent communication that was a mystery to everyone else gathered around them. Eventually Francis just nodded and moved on to the nest of cushions that Mary had created for him, moaning slightly at the increased heat he felt. Mary immediately bent down next to him and draped a blanket round his shoulders and made sure he had enough pillows to support his back.
"What are you doing standing there?" Mary said to the maid that was still stood in the room with Francis' wet clothes. "Go and fetch some mulled wine and some soup, hot porridge, anything!" Mary scream frantically and the maid jumped and quickly disappeared out the room. Bash sat in the chair that Francis had just vacated and watched as Mary continued running round the room looking for more cushions and blankets.
"I would have died under that ice if it wasn't for you." Francis said. "I'm surprised, considering you think I tried to kill you."
"I did think that didn't I?" Bash mused, that thought hadn't even crossed his mind either in the seconds he watched Francis fall.
"Why then?" Francis asked. Bash mused for a moment before stating the only answer he could come up with, which happened to he the truth.
"You're my brother." Bash said simply, smiling slightly at Francis. Francis smiled back in return before turning to face the fire again and pulling the blanket tighter round his shoulders, shivering slightly. Mary rushed in from the parlour carrying yet more cushions and noticed Francis' shiver.
"Is the chill still with you?" Mary asked rushing down to Francis' side. But before he could answer, Mary pressed her ear to his chest and listened to his breathing.
"You have a wheeze in your lungs." She said quickly standing up and suddenly unlacing the front of her dress as fast of her shaking fingers would allow. She managed to get her outer dress off without assistance leaving her just in her under dress and petticoats.
"Mary?" Francis asked confused and slightly weary knowing that his brother, who was probably still in love with her, was still in the room with them.
"Take your shirt off." Mary ordered, but when Francis made no movement she bent down and started tugging it off herself.
"Mary, what are you doing?" Francis asked catching her wrists in his hands.
"I'm trying to share my body heat with you, now hurry up and take your shirt off so you can help me take the rest of my dress off." Mary said turning around so her back laces were within Francis' reach.
"I'll go check on the mulled wine." Bash said quickly standing up and walking out the room. Mary didn't react, her attention solely focused on Francis. Bash realised that not only had Mary failed to acknowledge him, she had failed to notice him entirely. Bash tried to ignore the ache in his heart and rushed out their parlour shutting the door behind him, but not before he saw through the doorway into the bedchamber that Francis had already taken his shirt off and was unlacing rest Mary's dress.
Francis moaned at the warmth of Mary's chest as it pressed against his own. Mary rested her head on his shoulder and ran her hands up and down his back to try and generate more heat.
"mmhmm, if I'd known I'd get this treatment," Francis said wrapping his arms around her, "I'd have fallen into a frozen lake ages ago." Francis laughed until Mary pulled away from him sharply and he groaned at the loss of her warmth and touch.
"Don't ever say that! Don't even joke about it." Mary said hysterically, stroking his face and hair repeatedly. "Don't ever think of leaving me. I don't..I can't even…just please…don't" Mary said as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Shush, it's okay." Francis said pulling her back into his arms and stroking her hair. "I'm fine, I'm here and I'll never leave you."
"Promise."
"I promise." Francis said pulling her face to his and placing a soft kiss on her lips before pulling her back into a hug.
Meanwhile Bash was walking aimlessly towards the kitchens in search of the mulled wine Mary had ordered. He only noticed the servant walking towards him when he was right in front of him and saw that he was holding a tray with a steaming jug and some goblets. The servant moved out of Bash's way and continued walking towards Francis and Mary's chambers. Bash quickly realised that the servant was going to walk in on Francis and Mary, and Bash didn't relish the thought of the male servant seeing Mary without clothes on.
"Hold a moment." Bash called to the servant, jogging slightly to catch up with him. "I'll take that for you, you go and check on the soup." Bash said taking the try off the servant and hurrying away before they could say anything. When Bash arrived back at their chambers her knocked on the door to alert them to his arrival, waited a moment and then headed in side, trying his best to keep his eyes off the open doorway that led to the bedroom. However, once he set the tray down his eyes unconsciously flickered to the doorway and he just caught sight of Mary's bare back as she pulled her robe.
Tying her rode securely around her waist, Mary rushed into the parlour to grab the jug Bash had sat down, she quickly poured some into the goblet and took a sip.
"This is barely above tepid." Mary said angrily, rushing back into the bedchamber and setting the jug down by the fire. She quickly got back under the covers with Francis and gave him the goblet of wine to drink.
"Is it helping?" Mary asked taking the now empty goblet from Francis.
"Honestly Mary, I'm fine. I feel so much better now than I did earlier, so please stop worrying." Francis said as he extended the blanket that was draped around his shoulders to Mary so she could snuggle up to his side.
"Well I better make myself scarce before a guard or servant remembers that I'm not actually supposed to be here." Bash said.
"Yes of course Bash, I will talk to the guard's tomorrow about organising a search of that entire area. You can leave the castle knowing that I will not stop until I find that monster." Francis said. "And you can go and live your life in peace, away from here."
"Thank you Francis, that means a lot." Bash said before quickly departing. Not long after, a servant arrived carrying a bowl of soup which Francis quickly ate, before turning to Mary.
"You know what would make me feel better?" Francis asked trying to maintain an air of nonchalance.
"What? I'll do whatever I can." Mary said eagerly.
"I'd feel a lot better if this robe of yours came back off." Francis said cheekily, reaching a hand out to try and untie the front. Mary pulled away laughing.
"I think you are sufficiently warm enough now that you do not require my body heat." Mary laughed, covering the knot of her robe from Francis' hand.
"But why take the chance?" Francis asked. "I can practically feel the chill returning; you'd better take it off quick." Francis said reaching again for her robe, but she quickly rolled out the way and stood up.
"I am only taking this off for your health." Mary said as she untied the robe and let it fall off her shoulders but folding her arms to keep it from completely falling. "So don't go getting any ideas."
"Whatever you say my dear, but please hurry, I don't think my health can take much more of your teasing." Francis said holding the blanket up for her and patting the space beside him. Mary just laughed at his eagerness, but let her robe fall and climbed into the nest of cushions beside her husband. Not long after Mary was lulled to sleep by the warmth of her husband skin and the strong beat of his heart.
-x-
Mary awoke suddenly the next morning, the memories of her fears from yesterday flooded into her mind. The cold ice that gripped her heart when a guard came rushing to her saying that Francis was gravely ill. Mary lifted her head from Francis' chest and looked down at his sleeping form. Suddenly Mary had to be sure that he was still with her. Even though she could feel the warmth of his skin, the rise and fall of his chest and the beat of his heart, she needed to see the life in his eyes. Only the unconditional love in his eyes would chase away her fears.
"Francis." Mary said shaking him slightly. "Francis, please wake up." His eyes slowly fluttered open, hazy and unfocused, momentarily confused as to what had woken him.
"Mary? What is it? What's wrong?" Francis said sitting up and quickly looking around the room for anything that could have upset Mary.
"No, nothings wrong. I just…I had to be…I needed to hear your voice." Mary said cupping his cheek in her hand and stroking it with her thumb.
"Oh Mary." Francis sighed, shaking his head slightly before lacing his hand with her own and bringing it to his mouth, placing a gentle kiss in her palm.
"I'm sorry for waking you. It's just when I woke up, all my fears from last night were swirling around in my head and I just needed to be sure you were still with me." Mary leaning forward and wrapping her arms around him.
"It's okay," Francis whispered in her hair." I'm here, I'm alive." They held each other for a few moments, content that they were both alive and in no immediate danger.
"In fact," Francis said pulling away from Mary, a smirk playing on his lips. "There is one part of me that is feeling very alive at this moment." Mary looked confused for a moment before she felt what he was referring to against her stomach.
"Francis!" Mary gasped in mock outrage. "How can you be thinking of that when you nearly died yesterday?"
"Well for starters," Francis said pulling Mary back towards him and sweeping her hair off her shoulder and placing gentle kisses along it. "I am a man, if I'm awake chances are most of the time I'm thinking about that." Mary giggled as Francis gently brushed his lips up and down her neck. "Second, I have my beautiful wife sat naked in my lap." One of Francis's hands cupped her breast as if the emphaise his point, causing Mary to gasp. "And thirdly, as you so correctly pointed out, I could have died yesterday. So right know, I want to live." Francis said as he quickly rolled them over, taking Mary completely by surprise, until he was hovering over her. He quickly captured her lips and kissed her deeply as she wrapped her arms and legs around him. Francis eventually pulled away for air and gazed at his wife's flushed face and swollen lips.
"I love you, Mary Stuart. And no matter what the world throws at us," Francis said as he gently swept some hair off Mary's face and behind her ear. "I will continue to do so until my dying breath."
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