April 19th, 2006

Chapel Royal, Stirling Castle, Scotland

THE VALLEY OF SHADOWS

I: DAWN OF A REIGN

CLARISSE

A low hum of conversation rippled through the chapel, but I ignored it. It would be a short while yet before the royal couple appeared for the ceremony.

I shook my head with a mild sense of disbelief. Never had I thought that I would be witnessing the second marriage of my granddaughter-in-law, a Queen in her own right, to another of my grandsons. After Francis' untimely death just three years before saving Mary from an assassination attempt, I never thought she would find love again; I should have known better.

"What are you thinking of, Mother?" Catherine spoke in an undertone, though it was unlikely anyone would take an interest in our conversation.

"Francis," I said quietly. "He and Mary loved each other." A slight flicker of pain flashed through my daughter's eyes at the mention of her firstborn son, but as quickly as it appeared it was gone and she was once again the composed Queen Mother of France.

"They did," she agreed, "and I know Mary will never forget his love for her, but Alexander has helped her broken heart to heal, and she loves him. Like you, I wasn't certain if she would truly find love again, or settle for a political match to secure her country and her throne." I was somewhat startled to hear Catherine voice what I had only thought, never dared to speak out loud - but then my daughter could always tell what I was thinking, even as a child. "Their marriage was more than just a political alliance, as I realized almost too late." She shook her head slightly. "It took Henry and I until Henry was dying after the joust to admit that we truly loved each other, and some nights I still wonder if he spoke the truth."

"Uncle Henry loved you," Mia said with a shake of her head, as if to deny her aunt's words.

Catherine smiled sadly at our young Queen's statement. "Perhaps. Once."

I had to look away as Catherine's words sent a pang of regret through my heart, both for her … and, if I was honest, for myself. Regret that my daughter's marriage had long collapsed by the time of Henry's death, just as mine and her father's had even before she and Henry wed … and a touch of regret, also, that Rupert and I had never even really attempted to build a stronger foundation for our life together. I had to wonder if our failure was in some way responsible for Catherine and Henry following the same path, though I well knew Henry's womanizing and the birth of his son Sebastian by his mistress Diane played a major role.

"Clarisse?" Joseph's voice jolted me back to reality. I turned to my husband as he took my hands in his, love clear in his eyes. "Don't dwell on the past," he whispered into my ear.

I nodded, blinking back tears that threatened to fall as he slipped an arm around my waist, still holding one of my hands with his other, and was about to say something more … until a brief blare of trumpets announced the arrival of the groom and best man outside the chapel doors. All heads turned in anticipation and I straightened, stepping forward with my family right beside me, as the doors opened and Alexander entered with his half-brother Edmund.

I felt a surge of pride as I watched them walk down the aisle. Alexander reminded me so much of Philippe in his looks and mannerisms, though he had chosen not to grow a beard. He looked more youthful clean-shaven, but I thought it suited him. I was briefly saddened that he wore the uniform of Scotland's Naval Forces, no longer the uniform of Genovia's Navy, but I knew it had been a condition of his betrothal to Mary that he renounce all his Genovian titles and ranks to become King Consort of Scotland. When Alexander had informed me, Joseph, Mia, Nicholas, and Catherine of the Scottish Parliament's demand, I was stung at the news … and not a little angered also, for the Scots had never been so bold as to make such a demand of Francis. However, as Catherine had astutely pointed out later, Francis had been Crown Prince of France and future King, and France's armies were needed to help defend Scotland against the English threat. "Besides," Catherine had said, "had they made such a demand of Henry, he would have laughed at them."

The saving grace was that Alexander still retained the orders and decorations Mia and I had bestowed over the years, which could not be taken away, and entered the Scottish Navy as a Captain, the rank he had held for the last year in Genovia.

Twenty-three year old Edmund Thornton walked steadfastly at Alexander's side in his naval Ensign's uniform. I was pleased that one of Alexander's younger brothers, at least, was still close with him; Christopher Thornton's behavior toward Alexander in recent years - ever since Alexander's investiture as Prince of Genovia, in fact - had degenerated from big brother hero worship and closeness to antipathy and open dislike. The crowning insult was when Alexander's olive branch to Christopher, inviting him to stand beside him as best man - "We're brothers, Chris, and I still love you. Mother wouldn't want us to be estranged" - was coldly spurned, the Duke of Mertz declaring he would not even attend the wedding and forbidding Edmund to do so as well, an action which Edmund promptly defied by declaring he would stand as best man before excoriating his older brother for his behavior. Neither Alexander or Edmund had spoken to the Duke since.

As they passed by, Alexander briefly turned his head to look directly at me. I smiled and gave him a nod, hoping he could read in my eyes what I could not say. I am proud of you.

A slight smile twitched his lips and his gaze shifted momentarily to find Mia before he looked away as he and Edmund continued to the altar and stopped.

Another blare of trumpets and the doors opened once more. I clearly heard Alexander's breath catch as Mary entered with her lady-in-waiting Greer behind her. Though Mary had asked Mia to consider being her maid of honor, but Mia had regretfully declined due to both her pregnancy (four months in and battling occasional severe bouts of morning sickness, though she had barely begun to show) and her own status as a Queen; as Joseph advised, "If you were her maid of honor, Mia, security would have to be tightened even more." Though disappointed, Mary had accepted Mia's decision and the reasoning behind it, reassuring her soon to be sister-in-law that she well understood Joseph's concerns.

I'll have two great-grandchildren to meet before another year passes, I thought as I watched Mary reach the altar, Alexander extending his hand to her, which she took with a smile.

Of course, very few knew about Mary's pregnancy aside from her personal physician: Alexander, Mia, Nicholas, Catherine, Joseph, and myself. None of the Scottish nobles knew, not even Mary's brother Lord Moray, and I wasn't certain if Alexander had told Edmund. Christopher definitely would not be told yet.

If Christopher or anyone highly placed in the Scottish court even suspected that Mary and Alexander had conceived a child before their marriage, the fallout would be catastrophic. Catherine and Mary herself both said as much the night Mary had broken the news to them in private: "You will be disgraced."

"And my child rendered a bastard -" I couldn't hide a wince at the term " - ineligible to rule."

I suppressed a sigh as I watched Mary and Alexander kneel before the Archbishop. It would be difficult for them to pretend that their child was eight weeks premature when Mary's time came in seven months, but something would have to be done.

The ceremony passed quickly, and in no time at all Alexander and Mary shared their first kiss as husband and wife. I blinked back tears at the sight. A pair of faint sniffs to either side of me confirmed Mia and Catherine were similarly touched.

Once the Queen of Scotland and her consort signed the wedding registers I expected they would come back down the aisle arm in arm … but instead Mary leaned forward to murmur something into Alexander's ear, too low for anyone to hear, then turned and went up the steps to the dais behind the Archbishop to sit in one of the two thrones. I was puzzled as to why; I had seen the thrones on my entrance into the chapel with Joseph, it was impossible not to, but had not thought they would be utilized today … what is going on?

Then two young pages emerged from the shadows carrying velvet pillows with … despite myself, my breath caught in my throat as Alexander knelt before the Archbishop and I realized what was about to happen. I turned to Joseph and saw the look of surprise in his eyes before a proud smile crossed his lips. Catherine, on the other hand, did not seem at all surprised, and I wondered if she had already known. I glanced over at Mia and Nicholas; the identical looks of surprise on their faces told me they had not known either.

I forced my attention back to the ceremony as Lord Moray stepped forward and declared, "By the wish of Queen Mary and with the consent of Scotland's parliament, her consort is granted the Crown Matrimonial of Scotland, to rule equally with the Queen as King Alexander IV of Scotland."

Mary met my eyes as Moray finished, and from the smile she gave me, I knew that she had done this not only because it was permitted by Scots law (with Parliament's consent, of course), but because she wanted Alexander to rule beside her as King in his own right the same way Rupert had arranged to have me crowned not merely as Queen Consort, but Queen in my own right.

A third page stepped forward to drape a velvet furred coronation mantle around Alexander's shoulders. The Archbishop invested Alexander with the sovereign's ring, scepter, and orb before lifting the crown high.

Alexander inhaled as the Archbishop lowered the crown onto his head. After a moment he stood and proceeded slowly up the steps to the second throne, turned to face the crowd, and sat down. Mary looked over at her husband with a smile that he returned.

As the call rang out in the chapel, I could not help but mouth the words myself, so proud I was in that moment:

"Long live the King!"