"... But where my liege?" the gruff voice of Nostradamus asked in a boring, uninterested tone. "Wherever you have to! Far away from this castle, far from Francis!" The voice of Catherine Medici- Valois said in a harsh whisper "to the forest? Shall I let the Pagans bleed her dry?" Nostradamus asked his gaze flickering to the pale body of the sleeping queen. "I care not where she is placed you imbecile, just remove her from my son's life and you shall get the payment you wish for."
With that the queen turned on her heel exiting the darkened chamber of the seer's room in a swish of expensive cloth and sparkling jewels. Nostradamus sighed and began to mix together various powders and liquids before opening the queen's mouth and pouring the substance into it. Mary coughed and choked on the putrid mixture that she had been forced to swallow "Who are you?" She asked of the bearded man her arms crossed defensively over her chest "more importantly who are you?" He questioned swirling the substance around in the flask he'd mixed it in. "Why, you silly man, I am Mary, Queen of Scott, and I have asked you a question" "I am Nostradamus, milady" Mary stood on shaky legs gripping various abnormalities for support, "How pray tell did you enter the convent Nostradamus?"
The man raised his eyes, the potion in which he gave her was to induce a wave of memory loss, it had worked exceptionally. "The... nuns, allowed me to examine you, you were sickly" the man lied easily. Mary raised a brow backing against the cool, stone wall of his chambers "I've never been in this part of the convent before, surely the nuns would have sensed my misgivings" The man looked around avoiding the Queen's penetrating gaze not realizing that she had grabbed a particularly sharp object and was now barreling towards him. Mary jabbed the weapon into his shoulder causing him to gasp in agony as he fell to the floor.
She bolted from the dreary chambers as he bled on the ground and raced into the open air, "Mary?" A voice called the girl ran towards the boy who sat atop a black horse. "Mary what the heavens are you doing by the forest how many times must I-" "Who are you?" She asked in a panic "Where am I?" She demanded her eyes trailing up the path towards the magnificent castle ahead. "Mary, it's me, Sebastian" his piercing blue eyes studied her frazzled form "Mary, are you alright?" "I'm sorry sir, I do not, know you" Sebastian offered her his hand and lifted her to his horse "but you do, Mary, you truly do, do not fret I shall take you to Francis."
The horse galloped quietly to the castle and the pair was greeted by the smiling face of Francis who ran to Mary and swung her around in a hug, much to Francis' confusion she screamed and demanded to be put down. "How dare you?" She raged straightening her skirts and smoothing her hair "Sebastian, was it? Please tell me how far away I am from the convent" she said glaring at the appalled Francis, "she's acting strange brother, found her by the wood's edge" Sebastian relayed to his half brother Francis nodded.
"Mary, Mon Cheri, where were you?" Mary looked around at her surroundings as if indulging in them for the first time before answering. "This is the Castle Valois," she whispered her gaze falling upon Francis, a perfectly groomed eyebrow rising to her hairline "Francis?" she asked in a hoarse whisper "my have you grown," she said with a gentle smile " Mary, Mary darling, what's happened? Have you taken a fall?"Francis asked concern shining in his eyes Mary just looked with a confused game "I'm sorry Dauphin, I can't seem to remember much of... of anything really" she whispered in a dazed sentiment. "Sebastian, go back to where you found her take other guards with you something terrible has been done to her and I'd like to know who is responsible" Sebastian nodded, turning on his heel and mounting the black stallion.
Francis grasped Mary's pale hand in his own leading her into the castle, "I've no idea what's been done to you love, but we will prevail" he promised gripping her hand before pausing in their journey and dropping to his knees before her. "Mary, the- please tell me that whoever has thrown this curse upon you did not harm our- our child?" Mary's face crinkled in genuine confusion "Francis that is impossible, we haven't... Why, I've only just arrived from the nunnery" Francis pressed his cheek against her belly trying in earnest to seek out the child within, Mary stiffened, "Francis would you mind stepping away? This... intimacy shan't be felt until our marriage" Francis cleared his throat stood from his position and led her towards the throne room.
Catherine DE' Medici's eyes widened in a frightened panic, what was the girl doing in her court? And why was she... alive ? "Impossible" Catherine hissed her voice steely and cold "mother, father, something terrible has happened with Mary" Frances implored leading his betrothed before his parents she gave a low curtsey before speaking "nice to see you again your grace" King Henry laughed "dear girl, we saw you just this morning at breakfast" Mary frowned "I am afraid you are mistaken my liege, I've just come from the nunnery" Henry raised a brow. "She can't remember anything, Bash found her in the woods stumbling about" Henry scratched his beard, "so the girl has gone insane! Understandable the pressures she is under would have made me contemplate sanity" Catherine spoke loudly Henry ignored the queen.
"Mary, do you recall who you were with?" Mary nodded "I... woke up, and there was a man, a ragged man, he called himself... Nostradamus" Catherine turned Ashen and Henry's nostrils flared "Guards!" He yelled, four came bursting into the throne room, "venture into the woods, find Nostradamus and bring him to me, alive and do not-" "I'm afraid that will not be necessary your highness," came the gruff voice of the man in question. Nostradamus hobbled the the center of the throne, "The queen ordered the... removal of Queen Mary, I could not bring myself to harm her so instead I concocted a forgetful serum" "Seize him!" Henry yelled as Francis shouted "Seize her!"
Catherine was uprooted from her throne and placed in a bind next to her accomplice "I have brought her the remembrance potion" he said gravely holding out a sparkling blue flask to which the guard sniffed, tested on himself and handed to the queen. "Drink this darling," Francis cooed Mary obliged taking a gulp of the liquid she stumbled on dizzy feet before steadying herself with Francis. "What is going on? Francis?" She asked in a panicked whisper "are we under siege?" Francis only hugged her tightly and pecked her forehead.
"It seems that in our bliss we seem to have forgotten to stay weary of the enemy, my mother, the Queen" Francis glared at Catherine who began to pathetically beg for forgiveness "Dear! Please! I was trying to save you! From death!" "take her away!" Francis commanded and the guards complied, dragging Nostradamus in stride. "Mary, Queen of Scotts, I assure you this act will not go unpunished, I will have her head" Henry announced "no, solitary confinement will suffice" Mary assured Henry scratched his beard "we shall see" he said before he called a maid and told her to summon Diane. He needed council.
Once in the safety of Francis's chamber Mary grasped him in a crushing embrace molding his body to hers. "You a never to be out of my sight again, do you understand?" Francis demanded fear shining in his blue eyes, Mary nodded before lying herself down on the bed the effects of dizziness re awakening. " I'm worried for you," he whispered retrieving a damp cloth from the water basin on his dresser and placing it across her forehead. Mary gave a weak grin "We're okay," she whispered tugging him to lay with her and forcing him to place his hands across her abdomen, "we'll be fine" she reassured with a giant yawn. "Sleep my love, it's been a trying few hours, which you should ever again have to endure" she fell into a fitful sleep. Francis watched as she dozed on making sure she was completely unconscious he slipped from the chambers and stormed to the dungeons vengeance gleaming in his eyes. "Mother!" he called into the largest cell, Catherine looked through and smiled "darling i-" "enough with the pleasantries you are going to tell me what stirs you're ill will towards Mary" Catherine sighed "have a seat love, it will be... difficult to process."