Chapter 16
October 1549
Marie 7 Years
Francis 9 Years

Marie was really excited and she was up a couple of hours before the light touched the sky! Today was the day of her Charity Ball and the Charity Festival. She had barely slept last night even though everything was ready. She and her Ladies had overseen the large ballroom being decorated last night, she had handed over the running of the different events for the ball and the festival to the court's coordinators and members of the treasury were to track all donations and entry fees tomorrow.

Her and her ladies with the Queen had even commissioned clothes to be made and ready for the orphans today. They were excited about the festival, there were five boys who were old enough to attend the ball though they were resistant and she had tasked Francis with ensuring they would attend and he had promised they would.

Francis woke up hours before he normally would to a bouncy and energetic Marie who couldn't sit still. He looked at her sleepily, 'Marie what time is it?" he asked.

"A few hours before dawn, but I can't sleep," she pouted.

"And what?" he asked dryly. "I'm to be punished and miss my sleep because you are bouncing off the walls?" he laughed. He lay back down, closing his eyes. "Go back to bed," he said as he was almost asleep again himself.

She looked hurt though he didn't see it because his eyes were closed ignoring her, "never mind, enjoy your sleep," she told him as she rushed out of the room.

"Marie!" he gasped as he rolled over watching her flee. He groaned, putting his hands over his face and then shivered when he pulled himself out of bed touching the cool stone of the floor with his bare feet. He dressed hurriedly and went to look for her. She wasn't in her chambers, or any of the rooms in their wing of the castle, she wouldn't have left the castle, she had promised his mother she would not go anywhere alone today. 'Where could she be?'

The last place he checked was the Chapel, where he found her laying in front of the crucifix crying with her hand on it for comfort.

"Marie?" he asked touching her shoulder, jumping back when she flinched.

She looked up at him with a tear stained face. She must have been crying since she had left his chambers. She turned back away from him lying in a ball again.

"Marie," I'm sorry," he whispered not touching her this time though he really wanted to. "I was only teasing you."

She sniffed, relaxing her body a little bit. He was thankful she had quit crying. He never knew what to do when she did that.

"You know you can wake me up anytime you need to, I've told you that many times before," he said softly.

He watched her sit up and wipe her eyes.

"Yes but the one time I do and you get angry with me," she said. "I don't like you angry with me, it feels like a knife in my heart," she admitted.

He touched her hand, relieved when she didn't pull away again, "I wasn't angry Marie, I was teasing you and not fully awake. I would never be angry with you for something as small as waking me up," he assured her.

She gave him a half smile, "are you sure?" she asked placing both of her hands, one into each of his.

"I am positive!" he smiled. "It doesn't matter what you need, I am always here for you," he promised. "If you need to talk, if you are in danger, if you just need to see me, I am here, always."

She smiled brightly, "I want to be all those things for you too," she admitted, "but you don't seek me out like I do you so sometimes I wonder if you really feel the way I do."

"Oh Marie, I thought you knew, I'm sorry. In a few years you will have more things to do like I have now and you'll understand why that happens sometimes but for now I will make more of an effort for us to spend time together," he vowed.

"I'm sorry too," she said, "it's my fault also as I've been planning the charity events and we've hardly seen each other this week. I think perhaps I am overwhelmed and missing you. I think perhaps I took on too much in planning the events and should have let your Mother or Elizabeth delegate some of it as they wanted to."

"Sssshhh, its okay,' he comforted her. "There will be weeks like this where we won't see each other very much but I take comfort in knowing that you are safe and perhaps only a few rooms away from me doing things you need to as well," he told her. "I checked in on you a few times each day just so I could see you and know you were safe," he admitted. "You looked so happy doing things with your ladies and my family that I didn't want to interrupt you."

"You are never an interruption," she giggled. "And I must have been busy because I can usually feel when you are close by."

"Really?" he asked.

She nodded, "it's like a warm feeling around my heart. Almost like you are hugging me," she smiled. "And when you were hurt, I could feel that too, it was like an icy coldness was gripping me there."

"That's amazing Marie!" he said in awe. "It's a special gift to be able to feel that with someone."

"Do you feel it Francis?" she asked curiously.

He shook his head, "no but I think boys are wired a little differently, I've heard my mother talking to a friend who described what you just did."

"Does that mean you are not as connected to me?" she asked. "That you don't love me as much as I do you?"

"Never,' he whispered. "My sister says that girls are more intuitive because men are looked upon as weak if they show it. You are more in touch with your feelings and that allows you to feel things I could only wish for. It is rare gift and I am so pleased you can feel me like that."

He gave her a hug, "I wish I knew how to convey to you how much you mean to me," he whispered in her ear and he could feel her smile.

"We have the whole day to spend together though," he said releasing her. "I am glad you did not leave the castle when you were upset. Please promise me that no matter how angry or upset you are with me, you will not leave the castle grounds, not for any reason! I couldn't bear it if something happened to you because of something I did," he said fiercely.

She nodded, "I promise!"

He smiled, "so what shall we do with all that energy you had awhile ago?" he asked.

"I was hoping you would take me riding. Since it was so early I thought about just taking a couple of guards but I promised your Mother so that is why I woke you today."

"Then riding we will go! We have hours yet before everything starts, and you should be calmer when we join in the festivities. Everyone will be looking to see how the Queen of Scotland composes herself at an event like this."

He laughed when she rolled her eyes, "I don't care what they think today! They'll probably be horrified when I enter the horse races and beat all of the boys," she giggled.

Francis snickered, "we'll see about that!" he said as he chased her out of the castle all the way to the stables making her giggle.

It was too early for the stable hands to be there so Francis saddled their horses. His first and then he started on hers.

He had just placed her saddle upon the horse when she came around to where he was. "Will you teach me how to fasten the saddle?" she asked. "I know it's too heavy for me to lift, but I would like to know how it works," she told him.

He smiled, most girls would think it beneath them to saddle their own horse or even try but that was one of the things he admired about Marie. She sought out how to do everything herself or to at least know how to do it in case she needed to someday.

He showed her how the buckles needed to be tight and let her help buckle them while he held them fast. He told her to make sure she ran her hands over the horses back before placing the saddle so nothing would poke it causing it to throw her. He let her put on the bridle, showing her how it fastened.

"The saddle will be heavy for you even when you are grown," he told her. "I've seen some women unable to lift them, but if you want in a few years we'll saddle our own horses until you are comfortable knowing you can do it," he promised.

She nodded eagerly as he helped her into the saddle. "Someday perhaps I won't be so short and need your help on the horse," she commented.

She swung into his saddle, "it is proper for a lady and a queen to always be helped into and out of their saddle and you know it,' he laughed. "You might as well get used to it, it's a pleasure to be able to help you Marie."

She made a face, "I know, I just want to learn to be independent too, my own person."

They started off a slow trot, the guards Francis has brought with them following behind. "Marie, accepting help from those you love doesn't make you any less independent or strong and trust me; nobody is ever going to accuse you of being spoiled and lazy."

She giggled, "and what if they do?" she demanded.

"Then I'm sure you're going to put them in their place, and if for some reason you are unable to, I'll take care of it."

They took off at a steady speed after the horses had warmed up and soon they were racing across the beautiful green acreage of France, the sun just starting to peek over the horizon. They rode for a long way until they came to the base of a large hill. They left the guards with the horses, only two of them following discreetly behind them as they climbed up it and sat down.

"It's beautiful!" Marie said, her smile reaching her eyes. I've never seen such fantastic colors!

"It is pretty," Francis agreed, "but not beautiful as you are,' he complimented.

She blushed and he couldn't help laughing. "Well at least I will know if there are other boys complimenting you by the shade of your face," he teased.

Marie rolled her eyes at him as they watched the sun change the color of the sky until it was fully up. "Perhaps I will like it more if other boys compliment me," she said sticking her tongue out at him. She did it so rarely that she surprised him. She knew it wasn't lady like.

He sighed, "Then I guess I shouldn't tell you about all of the compliments I get each day from the Noble girls."

He took her hand when he saw her look down for a few minutes, "we will both receive compliments Marie, we are royalty and whether those compliments are said genuinely or for political purposes, it matters not. It only matters if the people we love say those things and if they are said from the heart."

"I don't like that the other girls try to take you away from me just because I am younger."

"They wish they could take me away from you,' he told her, 'it's not possible. We are engaged, we are best friends and someday we will be wed. Mother says our bond is already much stronger than any she has ever seen in a royal couple so you have nothing to worry about."

"When Bash or one of the other noble boys tells you, you are pretty, does it feel the same as when I tell you the same thing?" he asked.

"No of course not," she said, "I can feel my heart squeezing when you tell me. I don't feel anything when others say it."

"Then that is how you know who you love and who you do not," he explained. "When the other girls tell me things like that I don't feel anything for them, it only makes me wish you were beside me so they would not try it."

"You think they would not compliment you if I was there?" she acted surprised.

"Most would not," he smiled. "You are fierce and protective and a force of nature when you are riled and most noble women would not even think of riling a queen. You have yet to realize just how much power you have already!"

She smiled brightly, "so do I have your permission to protect you when I see other girls trying to get your attention," she teased.

"That is a dangerous question," he laughed. "If I say yes, any girl that talks to me will be subject to your wrath, and if I say no, you will think I want their attention."

Her eyes twinkled, 'I almost had you, admit it!"

"Almost but not quite he said tickling her. "Let's make a deal, if I am having a hard time getting rid of a girl's unwanted attention, then I will rub my ear and you can come rescue me and I will do the same for you if some poor fool decides to corner you."

She nodded as she stood up, "It's a deal your highness," she curtsied mocking him.

Francis ignored her yelling; "race you back to the horses," as he began running.

He saw her roll herself down the hill to catch up and laughed when she ended up right next to him, both of them reaching the horses at the same time.

They rode fast to get back to the castle in time for breakfast with his parents. They walked in to join them chattering excitedly with rosy cheeks when they heard King Henry clear his throat to get their attention.

Good Morning they both said giving both the King and Queen a kiss on the cheek.

"And where have you two been this morning?" the Queen asked. "Neither of you were in your chambers this morning and nobody knew where you were," she said, pointedly looking at her son.

"Marie was up before the sun and wanted to go riding," he explained. "You should have seen her bouncing off walls like the time she ate too much of that candy at Michaelmas," he teased.

"I'm sorry Katherine, we forgot to leave a note," she told her.

"You better have taken guards with you," she said. "And don't lie to me Francis because I will inquire."

Marie giggled, "We had 6 of them with us," she told her 2nd mother. "We rode to the mountain and watched the sun paint colors across the sky. It was marvelous!"

"You went that far? Just how early were you up?"

"About 2 hours before the first rooster," Francis said dryly as he finished his breakfast.

Katherine shook her head looking at the King who was laughing as well.

"Marie remember, you need to have someone with you at all times today if Francis is not with you," she reminded her.

"My Ladies have said they will be nearby and two of them will be with me if Francis wishes to desert me," she teased him.

Francis stood up, "well I can just feel the love today, perhaps I should desert you all day,' he teased back, "especially since you had me awake before the crack of dawn."

She stood up finished with her breakfast as well; she gave Katherine and Henry each a farewell hug. She wouldn't see them again until this evening at the ball most likely.