Chapter 3

Two fort nights she waited. She waited for her father's response. Would he let her escape to England? Or would she have to beg her cousin to let her live in Spain? Mary hoped that her father loved her enough to let her and her children live in England, and let them their proper take English names. She and her maids waited. She let Juan play with her children and show his "Victory" over her, but he did not know what was coming for him. As soon as that letter from her father came, the children would be hers. She stayed away from any Borgia contact and kept herself to her maids. She even went as to change her confessor from the Borgia pope to a simple priest. He would give her mass and communion every morning and evening, and she would confess her sins every Saturday. Her maids even told her that her former husband forbade her any contact with their children. Her resentment toward him started to boil over. Her anger was fierce; he was like her father who had forbidden her any contact with her own sainted mother. She will have her vengeance, and it will be sweet.

Giovanna was running, not for herself but for her mistress. A letter and a pouch had been sent for her mistress by the King of England, her mistress father, and she knew what it meant. They would leave the sin of Rome; they would leave the corruption of the house Borgia. Giovanna pushed and shoved to get to her mistress' chambers. She barged in without knocking and saw her mistress alone, looking out her window and waiting for a letter to come and take them from this hell.

"My lady, you have received a letter and gift from your father." Giovanna said to her mistress. Her mistress snapped her finger which meant for Giovanna to bring the pouch and letter.

Mary opened the letter. Her father was agreeing with her and allowing her and the children escape into England. She was relieved. She opened the bag to see how much money was in the bag. Her father had sent her enough for a ship. Ten sovereigns, he even gave her the name of an English captain who would take them at night. He told her the money was a late birthday gift. How could she resist.

"Giovanna" She said calling most trusted maid. "Tell the children's nurse to pack both their belongings and hers then pack your own. We are leaving for England."

Late at night she woke her children from their slumber. Giovanna took Filippo while she held Alessandra and they headed for the docks. While her grooms took her bags and that of her children they ran towards ships. They were all cloaked, for if they were caught they servants would be executed while Mary would be imprisoned for the rest of her life.

"Where are we going, mama?" Filippo cried.

"Home" Mary said

"But mama, I am home."

"Please this is for your good."

"What about papa?"

"Auntie Sancia has turned him evil. He no longer loves us like he used to." With that response the boy gave no question. They headed for their ship and she paid the captain. She and her children were headed to a better life.

Juan woke up excited for a new day with his son. He and Sancia had enjoyed a perfect night and he would accompany that with the perfect day. He would get his sweet son to love Sancia more his wretched mother. She had locked herself away from all of them in weeks even got a lowly priest to be her confessor. She had private mass and confession in her room. He was jealous of said lowly priest, another man in her rooms. He felt mad, betrayed, hurt. Is that how she felt when he flaunted his whores in front of her. By the time he started to feel remorse over his failed marriage he at his children's room and excited to see them. He opened the door without knocking, but no one was there. He saw a form in his son's bed. He began to shake it.

"Filippo!" he yelled. When his son did not reply he pulled back the covers. There was not sleeping child just pillows. Then he went to his daughter's crib. He pulled the blankets from her and saw only a doll. He panicked. He ran to Mary's room hoping it was a sick joke. But when he arrived he opened the door to find the room perfectly empty. No Mary, no clothes, there was only a perfectly made bed inside the room. That and the furniture. On the vanity was a note, he observed. He opened it carefully and read her perfect script. The note read "Goodbye, Borgia."

He screamed. The woman that he loved yet he hated was gone, and she took his children. All along he thought he was winning but it was really her. She had this planned. She had given him four weeks of happiness only to smash his world into pieces. His screams turned into sobs, and his sobs turned into cursing her name. He tore he room apart.

Lucrezia was in the halls harmlessly flirting with Ceasare when she heard screams and curses, bangs and sobs. She looked at her older brother and they both followed the noises. Along the way they met along with their mother and father, even their youngest brother and his whore of a wife. Sancia, the name alone disgusted Lucrezia. She loves Mary, and Sancia tore apart the marriage that had held Mary and Juan together. As they neared the sound they notice it coming from Mary's chambers. It was Juan.

"Juan, dear what is wrong?" Vannozza, mother of the Borgia children, asks.

"That fucking bitch." Juan responded with tears in his throat and it was rasped for his screams.

"Who?" She asked earnestly.

"Mary, she took my children, that fucking bitch!" He yelled as he threw his head in a pillow and started crying. Ceasare knew his brother had this coming, but he did not know her plans about it would be cruel.

"I guess she does know this game."Sanica said as she left the room. Joffre followed his wife and the rest tried to console the crying man who had just lost his children.