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So obviously it's been a while since I uploaded a chapter, sorry but eventually after re watching S1 and S2 I had the motivation I needed to write this chapter. I can't promise the others will be uploaded soon but they will be eventually. Also a massive shout out to Matharose111612, I really needed your advice thanks for helping :)
I was reading a fan fic a while ago and they did a Q&A, now I'm not sure if you guys have any questions or not but depending on how many questions i get asked I could do one next chapter so please leave a question and I'll answer it.
I think I'm going to loosen the Frary a bit and add some more ships like Kennash and Cleith and that what do you think? I also think it's time for Claude to have a kid what about that?
Okay anyway to the chapter, thanks xx
Oh and please R&R I'm lacking some ideas which is another reason why I haven't been motivated. So give me ideas that could spice up the story a little
The start of the festivities
The darkness of the night crept through Marys dark room. Francis was lying beside her pretending to be asleep. She tossed herself around for a while until Francis finally gave in and turned to face her back.
"Mary. Are you alright. What's wrong?" He asked a little concerned. It was the night before the start of the christening celebrations and a night before James met his three possible brides. Mary thought about staying still and pretending to be asleep. But Francis knew her, and knew when she was lying. She turned to face him.
"I'm alright. I'm just a little restless" She told him.
"Everything will be alright. Anne will be christened, James will meet the princesses and we will have another country to look after. James will be happy just as I was when I first met you." Francis assured her kissing her on the forehead.
"I just don't like the idea of three at the same time it feels picky and unnatural." Mary admitted
"Mary, many countries have done this before. It's a very common thing to do among royal families" He assured her. After a silent 5 minutes of Mary continuously tossing around in the sheets, Francis got up to get Anne from James' old nursery. "Mary come with me, I have an idea"
"What could you possibly be thinking at this hour?" Mary asked stunned that her husband had already gotten out of bed, got James, put his night gown on and chucked her frilly pink night robe to her from across the room. She threw the sheets off and followed him out their chambers.
"We'll get James and then we'll go out to the south lawn." He told her whilst keeping his arms warmly around his infant daughter.
"Francis. You're being ridiculous we can't take our children outside in this weather? They would freeze. "Mary nearly yelled through the halls"
"They'll be wrapped in warm clothes and it's mid-June warm weather" He said making his frustrated and very tired wife stay silent until they reached her sons nursery. Mary woke James and carried him out with Francis onto the middle of the lawn. "Now we wait"
"Wait for what?" She asked. James had already fallen back asleep in Mary's arms and Anne was fighting for her eyes to stay open.
"For the fireflies!" he exclaimed. "Do you remember I was eight and we'd sneak out here to catch them. I thought we should share the memory with Anne and James"
"Francis? I don't know what to say, I..." Mary was lost for words. She leaned in and rested her head on Francis' chest. He pulled her hair back and softly kissed her cheek.
"I love you more than anything. Mary you have given me the children of our dreams, you care and love me like no other person could. I love you Mary because even after everything we have gone through in the end our hearts will always rest with each other. I can't wait until the day we can sit on our thrones and look at each other and know that our kingdoms and our hearts are beating strong" Francis stared down at each of his sleeping children.
"Francis..." Mary said through silent soft tears. "I love you too" The four silently sat on the grass until Mary spotted three yellow glowing lights coming towards them from a large tree. "Francis look" She sat up and pointed towards them.
"James look" He shook his boy softly until his eyes darted awake. "Look" Francis whispered again. James in an instant stood up and tried to catch them. More had shown up and he was jumping and twirling trying to get one in his small hands. As he ran his small blonde curls, identical to his father, were bouncing in the wind. Anne had already woken and was smiling happily at the look of her brother in his pyjamas. She started to let out a soft giggle and afterwards leaving both parents in laughter as well.
"Pa I got one!" He yelled running back. "Look! Look!"
"Very good James!" He said "Here I brought a jar when we left my chambers put it in here and you can keep it" James carefully put his single fly into the jar and then sat down next to his mother who was now holding Anne.
"It's getting late and we all have a big day tomorrow. Especially you James, you'll be in the company of 3 young princesses. Isn't that exciting?" Mary enthused.
"Am I getting married?" He asked with a soft innocent like voice.
"No son, not yet" His parents said together.
"Phew" He said loudly. "I don't want to get married I'm only f-ree"
"Yes James, only three" Mary said with an agreeable tone. They all got up and went back into the safety of the castle and got at least four hours of good sleep.
Mary woke unexpectedly to the light coming from the window. Her maid was at the end of the bed folding clean linen and clothes.
"Your grace" She bowed her head.
"How late have I slept?" Mary sat up in an instant.
"The king told me to leave you to rest for another half hour, he wants to greet you and your children to a breakfast in the great hall." The servant girl told her.
"Oh I shouldn't have slept so long I need to prepare for breakfast and then meeting the royal families and the christening and I need to hurry" Mary said without taking a breath. She threw the sheets off and turned to the maid. "Can you please get my gown?"
"Of course your majesty" She bowed her head once more and proceeded into the piles of gowns at the end of the room. Mary picked out a black dress that went below her shoulders and had gold embroidery around the chest. After quickly getting her corset on and her dress, Mary sat and quickly put half her hair into a bun and left the other half down. Her servant brought her a gold tiara that went with the gold on her dress.
"Thank you so much Talia, you can be excused" Mary said heading quickly to Anne's nursery, James' old one. She picked up her infant who was already ready in her pink blankets and left the chambers. On the way she picked up James who toddled behind her as she walked towards the great hall. The guards opened the door and Mary and her two children walked in and was greeted by Francis who was sitting at the head of the table.
"Francis? What's all this?" Mary asked astounded looking at the banquet of food evenly spread over the table.
"I decided to treat my son, daughter and beautiful wife to breakfast before the festivities today and this week begin" Francis stood to kiss Marys hand.
"Aren't you a flatterer?" Mary hid the laughter in her voice. A servant came and pulled out her chair. Once she sat she noticed that her one month old daughter was fast asleep. "Can you please take Anne back to her nursery, I think she needs as much sleep as she can get." The maid smiled and walked quietly out of the hall with the little princess.
"She has a long week ahead of her. It's for the best" Francis added. James ran to his chair and drooled at all the food. Without thinking he reached his hand out and took a roll of bread from the plate.
"Now James that's not how a young prince behaves is it?" Mary said. She gently took the bread off the plate and placed it with the others. "First we say a grace to thank our god for our food then we all politely take food from the plates. Okay James?"
"Yes ma" James said with a shaky voice.
"Here come sit beside me." Mary insisted. James smiled and ran around the table. He sat down in an instant.
After they happily ate James' Nanny came to get him ready for the introduction to the princesses. Mry and Francis walked together out into the gardens and took their morning stroll.
"Have you ever realized that we have Anne and James and that is exactly what we wished for that day when I nearly lost you?" Mary asked out of no where.
"It occurred to me but I like both names. Why worry?" He asked.
"Francis Nostrodamus saw that day well and truly before it happened. What happens when we reach that dream of Anne running around and James and his reading? What if..." Mary was interrupted.
"Mary. I am fine, our children are fine, you look extraordinarily fine and that proficy is over there's no more, we have the power to live our own lives. The names of our children was chosen from that day, the day we had a second chance. Stop worrying over nothing" He stroked her cheek.
"We should really get back, they're all waiting for our orders in the throne room." Mary changed subjects quickly.
"We are the king and queen they can wait" He pushed Mary into a tree and kissed her deeper than he had ever done in a long time. "Do you think they could wait just a little longer?" He asked playfully.
"Maybe 5 more minutes couldn't hurt" She loosened herself from her stress.
The two walked back to the throne room and was greeted by a very displeased Catherine.
"Francis, Mary nice to see you" She looked at them with an icy glare. "We have things to discuss, Mary follow me" Without hesitation Mary followed her mother-in-law to the corner of the throne room. She looked back and saw Francis carryng out his job and talking to three noblemen.
"What is it Catherine?" Mary said eagerly waiting to get back to the organizing.
"Mary, like you I married the dauphin of France. Henry and I had six children that would all need to wed a wealthy, powerful noble or a royal. With the arrangements we made with your mother about you and Francis I felt off, I didn't want to think about marrying my child away and the feeling never left with Elisabeth. But when he first met you I knew straight away that it would be okay, and the joy I felt on your wedding day is unexplainable." Catherine started. "What I'm trying to say is that no one in this castle understands what you feel better than me. I know you don't tell anyone that you're scared for the following week, I know that you keep it to yourself because I have gone through it. In the end it's worth it"
"Thank you Catherine? Yes I feel off about it and yes I haven't told Francis but I'm not worried. Francis has gone out of his way to make sure everything works out okay. I couldn't ask for anything more assuring." Mary told her in response.
"Well now to the next thing. Who have you chosen as god parents for Anne?" Catherine asked.
"Francis and I have spent the last week discussing it and since a lot of my family have died and there isn't much of them left we chose Francis' younger sister Elisabeth. Unfortunately she couldn't be here because of being near her birth but she has agreed as well as her husband Phillip who will be here."
"She can't be a god mother if she's not here at the christening Mary." Catherine explained
"No only if we have someone do it that is related to her." Mary started walking back to the middle of the room and Catherine followed.
"And who would that be?" Catherine asked a little annoyed.
"Well Claude is Elisabeth's sister and we have Phillip so we have it all planned." Mary stopped at two servant girls. "Can you please decorate the tables with red roses. It's James' favorite color." The girls nodded
"Well I was just making sure everything was going as planned. Seems like it is" Catherine turned and started walking away.
"What is it you really wanted to say Catherine? I know you didn't come here just to ask who the god parents of my child is."
"Fine. Mary everyone thinks I'm a heartless person, which don't get me wrong is mostly true but I have most of my children thinking I'm cruel I don't want my grand children thinking I'm horrible as well. I need to spend time with them. I love children" Catherine told her. She wasn't begging that isn't like Catherine but she was asking sincerely like she really meant it.
"Catherine you can spend time with them they're your grand children I just don't want them under your influence." Mary told her. "Alright well I need to find Francis I'll see you in the courtyard when they all arrive"
"King Charlie XI of Sweden and his daughter princess Elise" The announcer called. Mary, Francis, Catherine, James and little Anne were all patiently waiting in the courtyard. A man with a ginger beard and a big body stepped out of the carriage with a young governess walking with a small child. Francis had met him once before when his father as king. Mary stepped forward with Francis.
"Your majesty a great pleasure to be here" The Swedish king bowed. He lifted Marys hand and gave a small greeting kiss. "Your portrait my grace in comparison does not compete with your bewitching beauty. You are a lucky man King Francis"
"Thank you King Charlie" Francis bowed slightly. "I'll have the guards escort you and your daughter to your rooms to freshen up before the feast tonight"
"Well I'm looking forward to it then. Thank you for having us" In a split second the king was gone and they stood for another half hour until finally the Italian and Portuguese royals had arrived. They arrived together in two separate carriages. The families both came together and stood there while Francis and Mary introduced themselves.
"King Umberto and Queen Margaretta, rulers of Italy and their daughter Princess Rosalia" The same announcer called through the courtyard. "King John III and Queen Maria II rulers of Portugal. And their daughter Isabella."
"King Francis, Queen Mary what an honor to be in the presence of such amazing rulers" Queen Margaretta greeted. "You must excuse my husband he doesn't know proper French yet, I'm teaching young Rosalia but he isn't as focused."
"Thank you Margaretta. It's an honor to finally meet you after our many conversations through letters" Mary thanked. Meanwhile Francis was greeting the Portuguese king and queen. Before they knew it both families were in there rooms preparing for what they all hoped an exciting evening. Now the next part the feast...
Okay wow me again.
A. Who do u want James to be betrothed too?
B. Is this story worth continuing or should I start fresh?
C. The next chapter will be a week later with the answers to all your questions
Don't forget to leave questions for a Q&A!
Thanks guysss!