A/N: i'm soooo sorry about not updating sooner you guys; I've been super busy with school and soccer, and I've had some pretty bad writers block, but here's the newest chapter. Hope you enjoy!
When I came to, my head was pounding. I groaned slightly as I opened my eyes. To my surprise, I wasn't in my own chambers. Then I remembered what had happened. The weight of it all came crashing down on me and I slid further under the covers of the bed I had been resting in. A selfish part of me wished to be blissfully ignorant for just another hour.
I stayed there, curled up on the bed for a while. I was struggling, my mind caught between trying to escape the thoughts of my meltdown and buckling under the pressure of them. Finally, I rose out of bed; just staying there was getting me no where. As I staggered towards the doorway, I heard angry shouts from the other side.
"What in God's name do you mean you don't understand what's wrong with her?!"
"Please, Your Majesty! We've been examining the possibilities as quickly as possible!" A surge of pity swept though me; I didn't envy the poor man who bore the brunt of my father's anger. Pushing the door open, I stared at the sight before me. My father, the King of England, was looming over a terrified looking man, his face a glowing red shade and his expression a mask of pure, unaltered fury. Beside him was my mother, her eyes full of worry. She was holding Mary's hand as my sister trembled, pressing against the Queen of England's side. But that wasn't what caught my eye. It was the state of disarray that donned all of them; Mary looked tired and haggard and her eyes were red, presumably from tears. My mother's face was taught and her jaw tight, her skin pale and a frown marred her face. And then there was Father. His state of dress was pristine of course, but the fury he showed off, the danger, it made me shiver. It reminded me of what he was to become.
To my surprise, my mother had some of her ladies and maids with her. They, true to tradition, wore only white and black, but one of them noticed me before anyone else. Her eyes widened and she sank into a deep curtsy.
"Your Highness," she said. That got everyone's attention. Heads whipped around to see me. The ladies and maids all copied her and I hurriedly motioned for them to rise. Even after six years of this life, it still felt a bit odd to me having everyone be so-how do I put it?- reverent towards me.
Turning to my family, I smiled weakly. Mary was the first one to react. My sister, bless her, looked to Mother and Father for permission before bolting towards me. I nearly grunted at the force of the impact, but that had been a habit long since trained out of me by our parents and tutors. I buried my face in her hair and hugged her desperately, not wanting to let go. Distantly, I heard Mother dismissing everyone else outside of the room. Mary sobbed into the nape of my neck, her arms tightening around me.
"I was so scared," she said between her tears. "I was terrified that God would call you to Heaven and you'd leave me here." I didn't know what to say to that. Grasping for words, I tried to sooth her with a joke.
"Hey, I'm not going to die yet, Mary. I'm too amazing to go out any time soon!" She glared at me, evidently not amused.
"Not funny," she mumbled.
After a while, I reluctantly wriggled out of her embrace. Before I knew it, Father had swept me up and held me close to his chest. He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. I closed my eyes and pressed closer to him. I could hear his heartbeat and I felt the comforting warmth that was so purely him before something caught my attention. There was a bruise by his collarbone. A bruise. There hadn't been any jousting tournaments yet this spring and no one would have dared strike the King so I knew he could only have gotten it one way; it had been a gift from one of his lovers. Suddenly I felt cold and before my Tudor temper could consume me, I made a wise choice. Squirming from his grip until he let me go, I focused on Mother.
I didn't run to her like I had Mary or Father which I think surprised all of them. To be fair, I'd started to before a throbbing headache formed between my eyes. Clutching my head, I slumped sightly against Father, whom I was still beside.
"Margaret?" Mary asked, her voice trembling. "Are you alright?" I opened my mouth to respond but in an instant Mother was by my side. She put a soft kiss on my temple and lifted me up herself. I was actually rather surprised she had the strength to do so.
"Get the physician," she said softly. "Please Henry, order him back." She carried me back to my bed and placed me there as we waited for the man in question. I was impressed by her calmness and handling of the situation but as my gaze met hers, I saw the panic she was hiding, probably for all our sakes. I touched her cheek, feeling the need to comfort her, before letting my hand drop.
"Rest," she urged me. "Regain your strength." I complied warily, dimly aware of my family around me as I succumbed to sleep once more.