They were silent for the rest of their walk. Neither really knowing what to say. When they arrived at their destination, Bash looked around shocked at what he saw. It was little more than a cabin. Yes, it was probably the nicest cabin he'd ever seen...but it was a cabin. Catherine was staying in a cabin? She opened the door and let him in.

"And don't bleed all over the floor. I've discovered it's quite difficult to clean." She said remembering the night she and Henry had to scrub it off the castle floor. Well, really more her than Henry. Bash furrowed his brow. He honestly didn't want to know how she discovered that.

"You really are here by yourself. Not even a servant in sight." He noted.

"I have a girl in the village that comes every other day. She helps with the cleaning and she's been teaching me to cook." She said while taking off her cloak and putting it away.

"Forgive me, but I can't picture you cooking...but then again I couldn't picture you hunting until today either." He said as he watched her get a bowl of water and a cloth.

"Yes, well, we all do what we must to survive." She looked sad for a moment and then shook it away. "Sit." she commanded as she set the bowl on a table next to him. He sat and she started to take his cloak off for him and unbutton his tunic. He watched as her movements had him mesmerized. He wasn't sure if it was the strangeness of the situation or that he was seeing such a different side of her.

"If you don't mind me asking yet another question, why not just go back to Italy? Wouldn't the Medici's take care of you?" He said, trying to break out of his trance.

"The Medici's look down on failure. They disowned me when Henry tried to take my head." She said as she slid his shirt off his shoulder and started cleaning his wound. She was focused on the task at hand, but he was focused on her. He couldn't quite figure out why she was helping him. "No matter. I wouldn't have gone back anyway. If I had, there'd be no chance of ever seeing my children again." She said as her movements started to slow a bit. Bash could see in her eyes that she was hurting more than she was letting on.

"I'm sorry. You didn't deserve this." He said. She stopped what she was doing and looked up at him. They exchanged a look, Catherine searching his eyes, trying to understand. What she saw surprised her. She broke eye contact as quickly as she could and shook it off.

"It's too bad Francis doesn't share your sentiments...hold this I'm going to have to bandage it." She said indicating the cloth she was holding to his chest. He reched up to put his hand over it, brushing hers on the way up. She paused at his touch momentarily, then got up to get a longer cloth and some salve.

"I've seen what you're willing to give up to protect him and the rest of your children, he was wrong to say you don't care about him." He said.

"I just wish protecting them didn't cost me their love." She replied sadly.

When she turned back around, she saw the he had removed his shirt completely and she caught herself staring at him. She walked back to him, supplies in hand. He looked at her sympathetically as she began putting salve on the cut.

"You certainly have quite a few scars." She noted, trying to pretend that's why she had been staring.

"Hazard of the job I'm afraid." He said while she started wrapping the cloth around his shoulder. He watched her for another moment before speaking again.

"You know, not all of your children are angry with you." He told her.

"Yes, I get along quite well with the ones who are far away from me." She mused.

"I mean that, well, Charles is back at court and..." he started.

"Charles is back? Is he alright?" She interrupted a little worried.

"Yes he's fine. Francis called him back. He said it was time he learned his duties as Duke of Orleans." He explained.

"He's just a boy. It'll be years before he has to worry about that." She countered.

"We all thought it would be years before Francis would become King as well, things happen." He said.

"Yes I suppose they do." She said as she tied off the cloth.

"My point was that he's been asking for you. Francis still hasn't told him." He revealed.

"I'm sure if he knew the truth, he'd probably hate me too." She still had her hand on his shoulder, but seemed unaware. Bash however, was very aware.

"I don't think that's true at all." They made eye contact again, a strange feeling passed between them, and once again they shook it off. "Why are you doing all of this anyway? Saving me, binding my wound..."

"I suppose I owed you." She said cleaning the bowl and putting it away.

"Is that the only reason?" He asked.

"What other reason would I have?" She asked, hoping he wouldn't actually have an answer.

"None that I can think of, but that would be the purpose of asking." He said while visibly struggling to put his shirt back on.

"Here...let me." She said helping him on with it.

"Thank you." He said. She said nothing. He started to try and put his tunic on next.

"You really should leave that off for the time being. At least until it stops bleeding." She said.

"I know I should, but I have to get back to the castle before it gets dark. I'll never make it if I don't leave now." He answered.

"You're not going to make it anyway. It's already to late. You can stay here for the night if you wish." She offered.

"I wouldn't want to impose." He replied.

"Impose on what? My night alone in an empty cabin?" He raised an eyebrow. "It's fine." She said flatly. "Thankfully I have food left over from yesterday." She added as she started moving around the kitchen and assembling what would have to pass for dinner.

"Is there anything I can help with?" He said after a bit. He felt very awkward just standing there while she worked.

"I think I can manage heating food over the fire an putting it on a plate." She said. She rolled her eyes. "I suppose you can go out back and pull a couple of tomatoes off the plant."

He did as she asked and when he came back in she was already putting the food on the table. They quietly sat down.

"You know, there were rumors you'd gone to England. Obviously, they were unfounded." He said. She stared at her plate as she spoke.

"I did go to England...it's not how it sounds...well it started out how it sounds, but it didn't end up that way. I was furious at Mary. I wanted revenge, but halfway there I realized I couldn't go through with it. I figured since I was on my way there anyway, I would use it to my advantage. I had a plan to to take Elizabeth down, but it backfired when Conde showed up and I had to take off before he blew my cover. He would've surely tried to kill me if he thought I was there to destroy Mary." She explained.

"Conde is in England?" He asked. She nodded. She paused a moment.

"So tell me, what gossip have I missed since I've been gone?" She asked. She desperately wanted to change the subject. He took the hint.

"Gossip? Do I look like a woman to you?" He joked.

"Woman or not, something interesting must have happened. A day doesn't go by without some sort of sandal." She pointed out. He smiled a bit.

"Well I don't know if this passes as gossip, but Lady Astorly finally got rid of that mustache."

"It's about time." She laughed and took a bite of her food.

They spent the rest of the night talking about the goings on at court until it was time to go to sleep.

As Bash was trying to make himself comfortable on the divan, Catherine came out from behind a room divider holding a blanket and wearing a nightgown.

"Here you are." She said handing it to him.

"Th...th...thank you." He stammered as he was now the one staring. He took the blanket and laid down. She nodded and walked across the room and laid down in her bed. He was captivated by her. He fell asleep watching her from across the room.