Authors Notes: So this chapter isn't a really Henry x Catherine chapter but next chapter will be very romantic. Please review I hope that you like it. (:
Disclaimer: Not today; not any day.
Catherine looked out of the window until she could no longer see the carriage; she even looked out a bit longer after she couldn't see Diane. She took a deep breath before returning to the festivities for the evening. Henry and Catherine socialized with all the important men Spanish and French that they should, but they both knew that the party was all for appearances if it were up to them they would just have a small gathering of just the family. Thankfully they had plenty of time for that, Elisabeth would be staying for almost two months, and they even had a picnic planned for tomorrow.
Catherine looked over at her children; Charles and Claude led the dance, Margaret and Hercule were watching the big couples in awe but yawned as the hour grew late, small Henry was with Francis and they looked to be cracking jokes as Elisabeth and Mary threw their heads back in laughter. She then glanced to see Henry with his close group of friends talking to some pretty noble girls, they were laughing a carrying on with drinks in hand. In that moment Catherine decided that it was defiantly time to take the children to bed, and ask Henry to join them so she walked over to the group and grabbed her husband's arm.
"Henry," she said lightly and he turned his head to look at her. His face instantly light with a smile and she returned one back. He looked back at his friends and pulled Catherine to his side to place an arm around her waist possessively and publicly.
"To those of you have haven't been fully introduced this is my dear wife, Queen Catherine," he said and kissed her cheek. The ladies and men dipped their head as a sign of respect but in such an informal situation the need to curtsey was nonexistent. Catherine flashed them a smile to the people she did not know for a few of the men in the circle where Henry's best friends and council members, and she had known them since the beginning of the marriage she even befriended a few of them.
The people all jumped back into conversation quite quickly and she pulled Henry down a bit so she could whisper in his ear, "I'm ready to leave." It was a bit of an odd thing for the queen to tell the king for she usually left on her own accord but when she did occasionally alert him that she was exiting a party he wouldn't go with her.
Henry nodded and spoke to the people, "Well it has been an eventful day and I am tired; it time for my queen and I to retire for the night." They all bid Henry and Catherine a farewell before they walked away and collected their children for the night. Catherine got Elisabeth, Claude, and Charles to take them to their rooms but not before she kissed Francis goodnight and said it to Mary. Henry put Henry on his back for a piggy back and picked Margaret and Hercule up in both arms; he also exchanged a small farewell with Francis. All of the people bowed to the king, two queens, and five princes and princesses.
Elisabeth was a bit confused as to why her father accompanied them, but had heard rumor around court and even saw it in the ballroom that her parents were being much more sentimental towards each other. She would surely ask her mother when they were alone what it was all about. The Valois children hugged each other and went to their separate ways to bed. Elisabeth was joined by her ladies when she entered her room, Claude and Charles went into their rooms where their maids would prepare them for bed, Henry accompanied little Henry and Hercule to their nannies, and Catherine went with Margaret and dismissed her nanny; she could prepare her own daughter for bed.
Catherine's hand was locked with Margaret's and they swung between the two. Before they got into the reached the door Margaret ran and jumped onto her bed and pulled the covers over her head, when Catherine walked into the room she saw the lump on her bed and played along as she always did for it was her youngest daughter's favorite game.
"Now where could she have gone?" Catherine said in a puzzled voice. "Margaret?! Margaret?!" she called out and heard a small giggle from the covers before she popped out from under the covers.
"Boo!" she yelled and Catherine jumped and put her hand to her chest acting as though she was scared.
"Margaret you nearly scared me to death," she said and walked over to sit beside her on the bed. She was still flashing a toothy grin for successfully scaring her mother. Her hair had gotten a bit messy from being under the cover and Catherine brought up her hand to brush some of the hair out of her face, "How can such a pretty girl be so scary? Where'd you get all that beauty from?"
"From you, mama!" she said and moved into her lap. What she said was true as well she had her mother's light hair, full lips, pale skin, and short stature. Catherine laughed before taking the small tiara from her hair and two pins that held out her bangs back.
"So I heard that you haven't been getting along with a child in your class darling."
"Peter; he always picks on me and Marie but Marie never stands up for herself so I did it for her," Margaret said angrily and Catherine began to untie her dress.
"Tell me the whole story darling."
"We were doing our writing activity and Marie and I are the smartest in the class so we took the advanced copy. At first he was just calling us names and tapping on our desk but then we were almost completely done and he spilled the ink all over her paper and almost on my dress. I got really angry and said how my parents are the king and queen of France and I could have him punished but he said father wouldn't do anything and you were just a power hungry Italian with no influence so I grabbed the ink well and threw it on him."
Catherine hit the bottom of her dress, she had already heard the story that morning but she wanted to make sure Margaret would tell her the truth. Catherine knew that she was short tempered like Catherine and Henry but didn't hide it like her mother often did. Catherine took Margaret's remaining jewelry off and walked it over to her vanity; she also grabbed her nightgown lying on the chair. Margaret slipped out of her fancy dress and lifted her tiny arms for her mother to slip her nightgown on over her head.
"Margaret you must learn to control your temper, even though Peter did deserve it, you cannot go along throwing ink on people. You are a princess of France and we all have appearances to uphold; have you ever seen mommy throw ink on people?" she asked and Margaret shook her head, "No and many people annoy mommy. You just have to ignore rude people."
"Okay," Margaret said and got underneath the covers. "Will you lay down with me till I fall asleep mama."
"Yes, my dear," she said and crawled in beside her opening up her arms for her little girl to crawl in which she did. It took barely moments for her to drift off to sleep and Catherine gently untangled herself from around Margaret. She blew out all the candles before she left to peek in Claude's room where she wasn't present; she probably went to stay the night with Elisabeth. She then went to Charles' room and found him sitting up in his bed, probably waiting for his goodnight he always got from her. Catherine walked over and sat down next to him, toed off her shoes, and kicked up her feet. She threw her arm over his shoulder and he leaned in against her shoulder.
"I like that father is with us more now," he spoke breaking the silence. He spoke so softly like silk to skin.
"I do too. He's showing you all how much he does really love you."
"It makes me happy," he grinned.
"I can tell. I wanted to ask you first Charles, if I could persuade your father to take you would you want to go on your first hunt?" she asked and his face lit up. She knew how much he enjoyed horseback riding and archery so she knew he would love to go.
"Yes, yes, yes please make him take me mommy."
"I'll do my best but now you have to go to sleep," she said and kissed his head. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she bent down. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight mommy," Charles said and shimmed deeper into the bed. She smiled and walked out of the room shutting the door behind her; little boys and big girls she thought to herself reminding her who she had to kiss goodnight.
It was also quiet dark in Hercule and Henry's room which meant her husband had already said goodnight to the boys. She went over and sat on Hercule's bed, she pulled his tiny body into her lap, little Henry scurried out of bed and jumped up next to her mother. He went to lean against her side and she pulled him next to her. Catherine kissed both her boys head and smelled the mixed scent of his bath oils and sweat; they needed baths soon.
"How are you my little boys," she asked. She knew she had neglected the attention she usually gave her small children because of her planning Elisabeth's arrival and doing all the queen work so she would have the time off for her family when he oldest daughter arrived.
"Happy to see my sister again, it has been so long I barley have any memories of her," Hercules said and snuggled deeper into her lap.
"I'm happy too but my stomach aches mama," Henry said and she felt his forehead with the back of her hand, no signs of a fever so he might just have a small stomach bug or had eaten too much.
"You feel fine but make sure you come and get me if it hurts worse. I'll send your nanny in daily to check if you have a fever," she said and her little blonde boy nodded.
"I'll let you two rest we have a long day tomorrow. We will be together all day," she said and they giggled when she tickled them. She picked up Henry and gave a small groan, "You're getting so heavy Henry!" He laughed again at her words. She set him down and tucked the covers in around him. She kissed him and whispered, "Goodnight Henry please come get me if your stomach gets worse."
He nodded and said, "Love you mama."
She went over to Hercule and tucked him in as well and kissed his cheek. They both said I love you and goodnight before exiting the room. She walked down to the room that Elisabeth was staying in and walked in. Her ladies had left and she saw her two oldest daughters in their nightgown under the covers together chatting as if no time had passed between them. They turned their heads and smiled when they saw her and she went to lie down beside Elisabeth whose side was nearest to the door.
"So, what's the gossip girl's?" Catherine asked.
"We were just talking about how happy my husband and I are of my pregnancy but I would love to discuss you and father," Elisabeth said with a smirk and Claude giggled.
"Yes I should explain that to you shouldn't I?" Catherine asked.
"You better," Elisabeth laughed, "I leave and you two despise each other; I come back and he sends Diane away, comes with you to take us kids to bed, and you guys are treating each other kindly."
"Yes well egerm a lot of stuff has happened but specifically last night he told me he would be an actual husband to me and father to you all so I've decided to give him another chance," Catherine said.
"You're kidding me right? Please tell me you're kidding," Elisabeth said.
"No and please don't try and talk me out of it Francis already did," Catherine said.
"I just, I can't believe it. It just seems so odd," Elisabeth admitted.
"I think that it will be good, but if he breaks your heart I'll break his legs," Claude said and Elisabeth and Catherine laughed.
"Now that's a plan I can get behind," Elisabeth said. "I mean it is your life and you need to live it without me or anyone else interfering and you deserve happiness more than anyone else I know. Plus if it means I don't catch sight of Diane de Poitiers again during my visit I am all for it, although I will be with Claude on the breaking front."
Catherine smiled and though how perfect it was; all of her children knew and didn't completely rebel against the decision. She knew that now was the perfect moment to leave and go to her chambers to meet Henry. She kissed them both and left them giggling and gossiping once again.
TBC
