Mary and Francis had returned to the castle with the others when word got out that all the men were dead. They had raced to the dining room to find a heap of bloody people every single one of the soldiers were dead. Where was Catherine? She must've escaped or gone back to her chambers, no she wouldn't have left. Then Mary spotted her, in a pool of her own blood, a shining blade was submerged in her shoulder. She was practically soaked in blood, her own and everyone else's, no it couldn't be they had killed her. Mary couldn't hear herself cry out as she fell to her knees next to Catherine not caring that her dress was now soaked in blood as well. "Catherine, Catherine oh Catherine we shouldn't have left you behind." Francis was next to Mary rubbing her back as she cried, he looked at his mother and felt a lump in his throat rise.
"I should've stayed with her, I left behind how could I?! She's my mother the Queen of France! She died to save us. We are both forever in debt to her, I can't believe she's dead." Suddenly he stopped, her chest rising and falling ever so slightly "Mary she's alive!"
Mary stopped crying "What? How?" Then she too noticed Catherine's failing breath, she stood up "Bring her to my chambers, I'll fetch Nostradamus."
Francis scooped Catherine into his arms, trying hard to keep the tears from falling at the sight of her. As he walked down the hall he couldn't help the memories that came back to him.
…
He was seven years old and he was walking hand in hand with his mother, she smiled widely at him as he told her about his new sword.
"Will I ever sword fight with someone mom?" He'd asked.
"Well when you're king someday you will protect us all." She'd told him squeezing his hand.
"I'll always protect you mommy!" He had exclaimed wile hugging her around the knees.
"I would die for you." She had whispered as they hugged.
…..
He snapped back to reality, she would die for him he wouldn't let her he couldn't loose her. They reached Mary's chambers and he opened the door with his foot. The room was cast in golden light from the candles and it was warm from the blazing fire. He lay his mother down on the beige and periwinkle bed, good thing these weren't Mary's favorite sheets. He sat besides her praying she would make it out of this alive.
Mary arrived shortly after Francis accompanied by Nostradamus. Mary's eyes were still red from tears and when she saw the Queen she seemed ready to sob again but luckily held it back. Nostradamus began to mumble things to himself and then looked up at Francis, "I'll have to pull the knife out for her to live but the removal may kill her as well."
Francis looked at Mary then to his mother, this was by far the hardest decision he'd been faced with. If they left the blade where it was she would forever stuck in bed. On the other hand if they pulled it out she was already so weak the pain on top of blood loss could kill her. He knew if she had any chance of a full life if any life at all they would have to remove the weapon. Taking a shaky breath her turned to Nostradamus, "Pull it out." He said stiffly, his breath was choked in his throat.
Nostradamus nodded and placing his hand on the dagger, then pulled it out of Catherine. It made a squelching noise but it was hardly noticeable over her bloodcurdling scream. Francis held Mary as she shut her eyes looking away, blood spilled from Catherine's shoulder. Yet Catherine was still passed out from pain and blood loss. Nostradamus got straight to work, wiping the blood off her shoulder and gently pressing a cloth to the wound to stop the bleeding. It seemed as though everyone was holding their breaths, would the Queen survive this? To everyone's great relief the bleeding subsided and Nostradamus wrapped a bandage around her wound. Mary and Francis stood watching silently not daring interrupt the physician from his work.
After cleaning and bandaging her shoulder he moved to her wrists, first he carefully wiped the blood from her arm. Once the dried blood was removed the wounds were visible on her pale arms. Nostradamus stopped and stared at the wounds that led from her wrist up to right below her elbow a moment before muttering "You poor woman."
Francis and Mary had been watching quietly up to this point, Francis stepped forward "What is it?" He asked Nostradamus.
He pointed to Catherine's freshly etched wounds, Francis tilted his head not understanding but when he did he saw it. The sharp engravings were a word, one on each arm the right arm spelled 'Unloved' and the left 'Heartless'. Francis nearly stumbled backwards in shock this time it was he who had tears stinging in his eyes. "Oh God." He mumbled in shock.
Mary, curios about what they were so anxious about went to Francis's side and it took her a minute to realize what each engraving read. When she did however she looked up at Francis "Oh Francis that's horrible, and the scars oh I hope she doesn't notice."
Francis shook his head "She'll notice trust me."
Nostradamus sighed "I'll bandage them and then she should stay here for a while her shoulder is still raw and any movement will reopen the wound." He said whilst bandaging her arms "I'll check on her tomorrow morning and report anything unusual to me immediately." He added after finishing the bandaging it looked like she had broken both arms. The good thing was her breathing had returned to normal and she looked as though she was sleeping.
Mary and Francis agreed as Nostradamus left them alone with Catherine. She was sleeping and looked like a wounded lioness. Mary settled down in a chair next to the fireplace and let Francis have the couch next to the bed. Sure Catherine had tried to kill her but she meant a great deal to Mary and she would be lost without her. As for Francis she was his mother after all, she had done whatever possible to protect him even if it had seemed wrong in his eyes it had always been for him. Mary drifted off after a half hour but Francis stayed up all night watching his mother breathe softly. Every time his eyes began to droop he remembered that in the morning she could be long gone.
As the sun peaked over the mountains Mary awoke, yawning she looked over to Francis temporarily forgetting the previous nights events. When she saw Catherine she screamed then covered her mouth "Sorry, I just…I forgot." Nostradamus was already there and both him and Francis standing next to Catherine. Mary got up heading to join them and when she did Catherine opened her eyes to look up at them wearily. Mary held breath, Francis watched intently and Nostradamus reached for some water.
She had been awoken by someone's scream for a moment she thought she was back in the dining room with the Italians. Then she saw three people looing over her "Who are you, where am I?" She murmured her vision was still unfocused.
"Catherine, it's just us Mary, Francis, and Nostradamus." Mary told her softly.
Catherine breathed in relief and blinked a few times before everything cleared and she was able to see. "Mary! Francis! Oh you're safe!" She exclaimed voice filled with relief.
"Thanks to you." Francis said looking at her shoulder.
Her shoulder was stinging rather badly but Nostradamus had given her some medicine to help with the pain. The thing that really hurt were her arms they were itching and felt as heavy as rocks. "I would do anything for you." She smiled at Francis fondly.
Then she turned her head to look at Nostradamus, "Thank you Nostradamus for helping me." She said sincerely.
"It was Mary who fetched me I think it is her whom you should thank." The seer replied.
Catherine looked over to the young Queen "Thank you Mary, truly I would be dead without all of you. I thank God we're all safe. That reminds me how are little Henry and Charles?"
"They're perfectly fine thanks to you." Francis replied.
She nodded feeling a weight lift off her chest everyone was safe. Well everyone but her, at least she was alive.
"How is your shoulder feeling?" Nostradamus inquired.
"It stings is all but what really hurts are my arms." She said while tracing the bandage with her fingers. She seemed rather dazed for a moment before snapping out of it and plastering a smile on her lips. "When do you think I'll be able to get up?" She asked Nostradamus.
"In a day or two but don't attempt to lift anything, or do much with your arms for that matter." The physician answered.
She nodded before closing her eyes again "I killed him…I killed them all" She murmured.
Francis and Mary exchanged a look, "We didn't want to ask but what happened last night?"
Catherine didn't open her eyes and there was a long pause before she finally spoke, "After you left it only took them a few minutes to realize you were up to something. They sent men after you but thankfully you'd already escaped, the men were enraged and naturally they blamed me. For information on your whereabouts the Count was going to cut off my finger but the poison kicked in at the last minute."
"The poison!?" Mary and Francis exclaimed together.
"Yes I poisoned the gold and being the greedy Italians they were they stuffed their pockets with it. The only reason I didn't tell you because I wasn't sure it would work. Luckily for me it did, unfortunately the Count didn't take any of the gold so when all his men fell dead you can imagine he was rather enraged. Me being the last royal in the castle I naturally tried to escape but he…" She stopped taking a breath before continuing "He smashed me into the table and then…he took out his dagger and told me I would be begging for death before he was through with me." She refused to look at any of them, "Then he carved each agonizing shape into my arm I have no idea how long it lasted but…then he decided torturing me wasn't enough." She heard Mary and Francis inhaled sharply.
"Catherine you don't have to say anything else it's okay.." Mary told her quickly.
"No, it's okay." She had to tell them, "Yes Mary he was going to rape me."
"I can leave." Nostradamus cut in.
"Don't…it's okay." She reassured him, "He was pulling up my skirts but I grabbed a steak knife and I stabbed him in the heart. Before he fell off the table he pierced me in the shoulder, I tried to get out of the dining room but I passed out. Thank heaven you found me." She finished seemingly unfazed but Francis thought he saw her wipe away a tear.
"I'm so sorry Catherine." Mary choked out who had tears of her own.
Francis was staring at her astonished and frightened he was rendered speechless. Nostradamus was looking rather awkward but Catherine just smiled sadly.
Nostradamus picked up on Catherine's faraway gaze and realized she needed some time to deal with her emotions, "I think Catherine should get some rest now but I'll be in to check on you later tonight." He told and she sent him a thankful gaze.
Mary and Francis nodded and went to follow Nostradamus out but Francis stopped, "I love you mom." He said softly.
She smiled at him "I love you too Francis."
They smiled at each other for a moment before Francis, Mary, and Nostradamus left Catherine to her thoughts.
