I awoke to the calling of my name. Heavy French accents shouted my name joyfully. It pleased me to know that even though I wasn't their queen, they still endured having me in their country, and joyfully at that.

I could hear the little children chasing after the carriage. I opened the curtains to the back window directly behind me and smiled. Their little faces were smiling right back at me. I waved to them and let the curtains fall.

To be perfectly honest, I am not as self-indulgent as I may sound. I truly do enjoy hearing people shout my name with high spirits. That's only because I've heard people shout my father's name, Francis' father's name, and many other rulers' names shouted with hatred on their tongues. I indulge in the people's love for me as a way to remind myself that I never want to hear my name shouted in hatred and despair.

As we draw nearer to French Court, more people began to cheer. After all, it is the towns outside any palace I've been to that know me the most.

Much to Catherine's disliking, I have always been one to amerce myself with the common people. I need to know how they work, feed their families, show their love, and how they feel about monarchs. I try to make a connection with everyone I meet. If you are a ruler, shouldn't you at least know who you are ruling?

I hear my guards talk to the French soldiers and we are let in to the courtyard. I wait respectively for my driver to let me out. I can hear the murmuring of the well-dressed crowd none surprisingly outside. Our time in the French country side, gave the people of French Court plenty of time to make preparations for me and my men.

As my name is announced, my driver opens my door and sticks out his hand. I take it as lightly as possible. There is no reason to thrust my weight into his hand when I have a free one myself. I step out of the carriage with the smile I was taught to wear since I was a babe.

The first person I make eye contact is with Catherine. My smile instantly becomes genuine as my eyes see Bash too. I walk much too slowly for my taste, darn stupid formalities. I reach Catherine and say, "Oh, Catherine, it has been much too long." I hug her, though I know I'm not supposed to. She accepts my embrace instead of pushing me away and replies, "It truly has, my dear."

I squeeze Catherine's hand as I turn and walk to Bash. He gives me his true smile as a forcefully pull him into a hug. He hugs me back respectively and laughs, "You always were one to give formalities a kick in the rear."

I smile and say, "And you were always the handsome one. I see time has not taken that away." He laughs again and it makes my heart swell to have this natural friend with me again.

Catherine clears her throat and says, "Your grace, I apologize on behalf of my son's and daughter-in-law's that circumstances made it unable for them to be here. I'm glad to be the one to welcome you to court and tell you that they will both be in attendance to your feast tonight."

I smile and say loudly, "People of French Court, I take no offense to your Graces' absences. I hope that my visit will only strengthen the alliance between our countries. French Court has always been like a second home to me. I thank you in advance for your hospitality and I thank you for this warm home coming in this freezing weather."

Many in the crowd laugh at my statement. I simply smile as I'm supposed to. The truth is I'm hurt by the fact that Francis is not here. I'm worried at the same time that he might not even want me here. Or that he's injured. So many thoughts run through my head as I walk side by side with Catherine inside.

The castle walls are just as I remembered them. The first thing I notice was the HD (Henry and Diane) tiles had been taken off the walls and out if the floors. I looked at Catherine and smiled, she must have been so ecstatic to do that. We had both hated Diane but I had never hated Bash was the difference.

When Catherine left me to my room, I sent all the servants away. Told them I wanted to unpack alone, and that I would send for them if I needed anything. I just needed a moment to myself, in a non-moving area. I did unpack all of my dresses alone much to my servants disliking. I told them not to fret, that I would be a handful for the next couple of weeks, just give me some time. This won me a few giggles and I smiled.

It was time to prepare for the feast when I went out on my balcony to see if Francis had returned home from the Abbey yet. My servants got me dressed and groomed in just enough time for me to be only slightly late to my own feast.

I reacquainted myself with Nobles, met more Nobles, met more Dukes and Duchesses, met more Ladies who were interested in being mine, and met two special ladies of Court.

The first, Lady Lola. Francis had mentioned her in his letters countless of times. Of course what can you expect? She is the mother of his only child. She was more than that though. She had her own mind, her own thought, and that was hard to find in all these feathered filed heads. She spoke what was on her mind, which was extraordinary. Her opinions weren't famous, but they were right. She was absolutely incredible. I made plans to have tea with her the next day.

The second, Lady Kenna. Bash's wife. Anyone could tell you she is beautiful but not just on the outside. She had this light about her. The way she looked at Bash was with such love and devotion. It made my heart swell up with joy that Bash and Kenna had found happiness, even love, out of such a God forsaken wedding night. Kenna spoke to me as though I was an old friend once she got passed her jealous protectiveness. She opened up to me and made me laugh countless of times. Lola came over and I asked if Kenna would join us for tea tomorrow. Kenna smiled genuinely and said yes. She ran off to dance with her husband and left me all smiles.

Lola left to go see her baby. Before leaving she said, "Since you are one of Francis's friends and I've met you, perhaps you'd like to come and meet our son sometime." I smiled and said, "If Queen Mary hadn't been named the Godmother I would have said, 'Of course! I'd love to see my Godson again!' But I understand Mary stealing my glory, and yes I would love to meet your son." She laughed and continued her on her way to the nursery.

As Lola left I was starting to feel utterly alone. Catherine was talking to a man, Lord Narcisse. I was confused why she was talking to someone who had betrayed the crown but I felt Catherine knew what she was doing. Bash and Kenna were dancing and laughing; too much happiness that I did not wish to disturb. So my thoughts wondered off to someone that they often do, they went to none other than, Francis.

It had occurred to me that I was surrounded by all those that I loved, except one person was missing; Francis. I'd been at French Court for a full three hours and he had yet to come to me. Catherine told me not to grow distressed, that he'd be here any moment. His much talked about wife had finally made her way to the banquet hall to formally welcome me to French Court.

She had also been away from the castle when I arrived. She apologized for her and her husband's absence at my arrival but, she did these things so by the book. She said what she was supposed to and went to do more things she was supposed to. At French Court I had always been able to relax, this Scottish stranger didn't know how to do that. I'd heard plenty about her from Catherine since being at court. Catherine had told me about how she changed from when she first came to Court.

Bash had written about her a long time ago about how in love he thought he was, now he only wrote about his true love, his wife, Kenna.

From what Francis had written I knew Mary and Francis had once truly loved each other, how he wrote about her now was saddening to hear his hurt in only written words. Staring at this woman hurt me to my very core, knowing she had hurt someone I care about so deeply even if I did not know how exactly.

To make her first impression on me even worse, I saw how she flirted with Louis, the Snake of Conde. I wanted to slap the man who stole my bastard sister's innocence with his charm and lust for a married woman while he had been in Germany. Oh, how I hated him.

I was about to make my snarky remarks to him when the trumpets sounded. "King Francis," the page man announced. The entire room knelt respectably and that's when I saw him. The man I'd loved since I was a child. The new King of France, -and Scotland- my Francis.

Bash had walked in with Francis, I hadn't even realized he'd left to greet his brother. I suppose Bash told Francis I was finally here because Francis scanned the room until his eyes met mine. They seemed to wake up from some sort of sleep. They glowed with what I hoped was longing and love. He stopped at the entrée way and announced his Court and declared his official apology for not being here to greet me when I arrived. I nodded trying to contain myself as I felt blood rush to my cheeks. Oh, how I wanted to jump into those arms that had held me so long ago.

Once the music began playing and people's eyes were somewhat off Francis, I ran to him. He lifted me up and hugged me ever so tightly. I laughed with such pure joy that I didn't care that people were staring at us and whispering. I hadn't seen my best friend, the man I loved, in two years, I just wanted to be with him. And for a moment it truly felt like it was just me and him.

Francis set me down and looked at me the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen. He caressed my check and laughed.

"You and your disobedience to formalities," he said it with a kind humor, not a cruel one that my mother would have surely used on me.

"What about you," I asked. "Not being here when I first arrived. How dare you?"

We laughed and I realized we had started to dance during our time of pure laughing. It looked like he had only now realized it too. Again the air surrounding just us was filled with laughter. When his wife cleared her throat beside us, my spirits instantly fell as I came back to the world of Court. I could see Francis's eyes had lost their light as well.

"I know you all are happy to see each other but you may very well keep in mind the next time you jump on my husband, it should be in private," Mary said in a deadly whisper.

Francis pulled me in protectively behind him and said, just as deadly, "And you should keep in mind that everyone who is in this room, except for you, knows that I have not seen my closest friend in almost two years. You should also keep in mind that Conde looks a little to protective for a man who sleeps with married women." Mary had no response and looked surprised since she had come here to tell someone else off, only to be redirected at herself.

Mary turned around to be met with (surprise, surprise) Louis of Conde. Francis looked hurt by their reunion but smiled when he turned to me as I said, "We have much catching up to do, it would seem."

I looked at him with deep confusion and compassion as he nodded and took my hand. I became sore afraid that maybe I would have to be just a friend to Francis during this visit. I was afraid that all I could do to his heart while here was help it heal instead of fill it with new love.

He wrapped his hand around mine like any other gentleman would and escorted me to his meeting room, but we quickly went through the passage that lead directly to the King's Chambers.

Perhaps my fears were for nothing.