A/N Hey guys. So this chapter is going to be a sweet one. Something like a transition from one problem to another. Just let me know what you thing. It is really really important.

Chapter 9

Two weeks later, Scotland:

Queen Catherine de Medici was in her bedchambers. It had been two weeks after Nostradamus departure and she still didn't have a word from him. The unknown was killing her and he knew it. So why wasn't he doing anything about it? She was crossing the room back and fort when the door suddenly open and a servant walked in.

"Your Majesty there is a man who wants to see you. I told him it is too late and to come tomorrow but he insisted. He demanded you to be informed that he is a French."

"Good then. Let's hear what this compatriot has to say, shall we?" Catherine said hoping it was the man she was waiting for two weeks. Fortunately her hopes were true. "What did it take you so long? It was just a simple task!"

"There is no simple task coming from you, Catherine. We both know it!" Nostradamus said when he sat on the chair across her desk.

"So what did you find? Is everything alright?" The Queen asked impatiently.

"Nothing is alright here. I am starting to think nowhere is everything alright. But that's not a surprise to you, is it? Otherwise I wouldn't be here." Nostradamus said puring himself a drink.

"Stop this games, now and tell me what you have learned!" Catherine demanded "Did you have another vision?"

"No, I haven't had in a long time actually. But I have good ears and I learned a few things." he answered her demand his glance not meeting her determined one.

"Speak, Nostradamus, speak! You are driving me crazy!" Catherine almost screamed.

"Your fears are real. A civil war can start every moment now and we have to be very careful not to be the cause for it." Catherine was silenced by once. Once she was able to overcome her shock she said:

"A civil war? But why would they want revolution?"

"They believe that Mary is incapable of ruling. Francis too. The people don't look good on the alliance. They want some Stevenson on the throne. I don't know who he is but there are rumors he can ally with England. This is a very popular idea in the villages who seemed to think that England will protect them better than France.

"Foolish people! Can they see what is France doing for them? The half of the French court is here for their Queen along with the Dauphin himself! Don't they care that they are in war with England at right this moment?" she started to cross the room again "And Stevenson! Of course, is going to be Stevenson! The other advisers follow him as he is God himself!" suddenly she stopped and said against her desk "Thank you for the information, Nostradamus. You are free to go now. I will let you know when I need you. Don't look for me before that." she continued in very calm voice.

"But.. what are we going to do, My Queen?" Nostradamus asked confused.

"We? There is no we, Nostradamus! And even if I was going to do anything, I would need proofs. Something more than village rumors. So for now I will late. Soon or later something will happen. I can feel it coming." Catherine finished looking out of the window. She was so absent-minded in that moment that she didn't notice when he left the room leaving her alone with her thoughts.

…..

Lady Lola was travelling for almost a week and a half. She was inpatient to reach the Scottish court and see the reactions of everyone there. Mostly Mary and Francis's.

Lola constantly thought of Diane de Poitiers and her words. Why did she even go talk to Lola? What was her point? The young woman couldn't understand. But one thing was sure - Lola would not be the second Diane. She swore to that. Whatever it takes or costs her, she will not be like Diane de Poitiers.

Lola watched through the window of the carriage. She was impressed by the beauty of her homeland. She smiled. Sometimes Lola thought that she would never come back her and see all the beautiful fields and places where she grew up. This felt like an amazing dream that will end. But it didn't.

"Excuse me, my lady. Do you want to have a last break before entering Edinburgh?", the lady who accompanied her got her out of her thoughts. Lola just nodded.

"How far is Edinburgh from here?", Lola asked.

"Around 10 leagues", the lady answered and smiled a little.

"Very well! We will take a break and leave tomorrow morning. I want you to be ready at 6.", Lola informed before the carriage stopped in front of a rest house.

"Yes, my lady."

…..

The Queen and King of Scotland were riding. They wanted to get away from the drama at court. The last two weeks their relations got warmer and warmer. After a twenty minutes ride they stopped near a beautiful garden.

"It is a beautiful day, is it not?", Francis asked and smiled at his wife while he was getting off of his horse. He helped Mary to get down and they sat on the grass.

"Indeed it is", Mary answered. She was looking at the sky wondering about it. All this beauty... What was it made of? Where does it end? Does it end at all? "Francis...", Mary continued after a long silence. "So many things happened between us. Why? Why did we let them happen? Why did we let some nonsense ruin our marriage, hurt us?"

"We should not think of it, Mary. We are stronger than that. Our love is stronger than anything and nothing can separate us. At least not for a long time. We proved it.", Francis put his hand on Mary's cheek. "Trust me, Mary. I won't let you down. No more."

"It is hard to win someone's broken trust again", Mary answered. She saw that the joy in Francis' eyes disappeared. He moved his look away from Mary's direction. "I love you, Francis, that is why I cannot forgive you so quickly. I believe you but I don't trust you."

"And you should, Mary!", Francis got up. "I am your husband and your King! If we don't trust each other, who would we trust?"

"No one but ourselves.", was the simple answer of Mary. She looked at him and found her husband very handsome. His blonde hair looked like made of gold, his stand determined. Like a God on Olympus. Like Zeus.

"And still... It is a beautiful day", Francis looked down at his wife and smiled. He sat next to her. A breeze was blowing. Mary laughed a little. "What is it?"

"I imagined us... Old and tired, sitting on this meadow while our children and grand-children are ruling the country and we are taking a break, waiting the real break to come."

"But there are so many years in front of us before this to happen, my love! One thing is sure - we will have many children, grand-children, great grand-children - all of this!", Francis said passionately waving with his hands in the air. Mary laughed harder.

"Indeed they are", he didn't expect the kiss that she got. Her husband layed her on the grass keeping the kiss.

"I love you", Francis said as he started to take the clothes off of Mary's body.

...

Mary and Francis were just going back in the castle when they saw their friends running in the gardens. From what they saw it seemed like Bash was running after Kenna and Leith was tickling Greer so hard that it seemed like she was going to die from laughing.

"Guys, what are you doing?" Mary said as they approached them hand in hand.

"We are playing of course." Bash screamed as he finally caught Kenna and started tickling her.

"Yes" Leith agreed "And these two just lost."

"Can we join?" Francis asked after receiving a nod from his wife.

"NO!" Kenna and Greer both screamed at the same time "We are changing the game!"

"There is one game played in France.." Francis started "I don't remember the name. The one we played as children, Bash."

"The one with the hiding?" Francis nod to that "I don't remember the name but the rules are simply."

"And what are they?" Greer asked wanting for them to start sooner.

"Well you have a minute to hide as best you can. We have to find you. If we do we win. If we don't you win."

"And what's the prize for the winner?" Kenna asked.

"I believe you can think of a prize while hiding." Bash winked at her.

Fife minutes later the boys were opening their eyes only to see that there is sight of any girl. Obviously they had done their job pretty well not leaving any leads. They decided that it would be better to separate because there wasn't chance the girls to be together at one place. So Leith turned towards the river, Bash back to the castle and Francis took the direction of the woods. He had purposely chose this direction knowing Mary's love for trees and feeling that it would be the most natural direction she would have held to hide well. However, the moment he entered it, he realized he didn't have any idea where to search for her. He just started walking further into it when he heart a sound from above. It wasn't a bird but there didn't seem to be anything else too. That's when an old memory came into his head. In it Greer was telling a story about the little Mary, still a child, climbing the trees better than monkeys. He pick then the highest tree around and climbed almost to the top of it. He stopped when he spotted a familiar looking skirt on the next tree. He carefully choose a branch and sat on it with his hands crossed.

"It is a relaxing up here, isn't it?"

"Francis!" Mary almost fell of the tree from the shock and had to actually pull her arms all around the tree to stay there "You almost gave me a heart attack!" Francis only smiled and said:

"Forgive me, my dear. But I believe I won the game. So where is my price?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Why don't you come up here and take it yourself?" was the his wife's immediate answer.

Leith was almost reached the river when he noted a golden curl from behind the near tree. He slowly approached her from behind and kissed her cheek.

"I found you." He said. Greer looked at him and giggled:

"Yes you did. And now what award will you expect for that."

"I was thinking for something like this." Leith said before starting tickling her again.

Bash walked between the castle's columns. He could swear that only seconds ago there was a so familiar blue dress. And now it was gone. Like disappeared. He looked around only to see it again behind another column. He ran towards there only to see that it had disappeared again before he reached it. However he saw his wife running and hiding behind another one. He started running behind her, screaming:

"This isn't fair! You shouldn't be moving!" In answer Kenna only giggled and continued running. When he finally catch up with her she still haven't stopped laughing.

"So it is funny?" he started pretending to be mad "You do understand you have to be punished about that, right?" Kenna nodded not stopping laughing. He then lift her up which caught her by surprise and she let a small scream which was replaced with giggle soon enough when she realized he was heading to their chambers.

A/N So the next one will be more intense one but I want to know your opinion. After all it is you who I am writing this for. :))