Chapter 20
Marie spent the next few days thoroughly enjoying herself. She played around the waterfall, cooked up extra fish and smoked it in the ground for when she would have to return to the castle. She was feeling Francis and his love a little bit more each day and she knew it would be time to return and she knew she had to head back tomorrow. She was really enjoying this time by herself though, no duties, no responsibilities, nobody telling her what to do. She was a good two days ride from the castle and she was not looking forward to the ride back.
Meanwhile back at the Castle Francis was visiting Nostradamus. It had been a few days since their session and he could feel that he had changed, he had not noticed anything unusual yet but he somehow felt things were better.
Nostradamus wanted to put him back into the relaxed state of sleep for the body but mind awake and it was during that time that he could see her. She looked so happy. He could see her splashing and playing near a waterfall. He didn't recognize the area though there were trees around her. He saw that she was happy and safe and that's all that really mattered. He envied her, that she could be so happy while he was so miserable without her but he let the image flow into his heard remembering what Lola had said.
"Can you tell me what you saw?" Nostradamus asked after he'd taken the young prince out of the relaxed state for a few minutes.
"I can see her," he said smiling brightly. "I can see the area she is in and that she is safe." Francis paused for a minute, "does this mean I am a seer like you?" he asked.
"No," Nostradamus smiled, "and thank your lucky stars for that. My visions come and go as they please and I cannot control what I am shown. But for you, you must physically be connected to the person and desire to see or feel them," he told Francis. As the ability grows it may come more naturally. In the future you may know or see that Marie is upset, or in danger or is looking for you. While her ability is more about feelings, yours is more about helping you learn what it is she needs, and later on it will serve you as King and you will be able to distinguish who you can trust and who you need to root out of your council and court."
"Thank you Nostradamus, I need to try and find this spot Marie is in," he told him as he headed for the door.
"No, you should not," he told him. "Marie will return very soon, I have seen it," he promised.
The boy's face lit up excitedly. "Francis, do not try to rush the ability, it must develop in its own time," he cautioned as Francis ran out of the room.
The days passed slowly for Francis but he began to see images at random times of Marie riding. At first he thought they were daydreams but as they continued he began to recognize the terrain and he knew she was headed back to the castle.
It was three days after this that something woke Francis in the middle of the night. He looked around but couldn't figure out what it was. As he lay his head back down he saw Marie again, this time she wasn't on a horse or riding, he saw her sleeping, in the next room!
He dressed and went to check for himself quietly using their adjoining door.
As he approached the bed he almost jumped for joy, she was truly here. She still had her cape on and was fast asleep on top of the covers. Francis could only stare at her for a few minutes and then he unfastened her cape and draped a blanket over her.
He walked around the other side of the bed and got in slowly so as not to wake her. He stayed away for hours just watching her rest, her curls lying wild all around her face. He hadn't realized how much he had missed her, even just looking at her face all of the good memories began to wash over him again. He felt himself getting tired hours later and he connected himself to her by holding her hand as he fell asleep.
"Francis," he heard his name being whispered as he opened his eyes. He saw the chocolate brown eyes he had wanted to see so much last night, now open and looking at him.
"Marie! You're awake!" he said hugging her as she giggled.
"How did you know I was back?" she asked curiously.
"Marie when you left I was so scared and everyone was so mad at me but I think I was mad at myself more than anything."
She didn't say anything, just listened.
"Marie you promised me you'd never leave the castle grounds if you were angry with me. Why did you break your promise? Do you not care for me anymore and so promises don't mean anything? It's okay, you can tell me the truth," he said unable to look into her eyes.
"I didn't leave because I was angry, but because I was hurt. I was drowning in pain and I…it was too much," she whispered. "Too much pain and suffering and I was afraid it was going to consume me….as it has before."
He hugged her close, needing to feel her arms around him. After a few minutes she hesitantly put her arms around him and hugged him back.
"I will always love you," she told him while they continued to hug. "I'm sorry you thought I broke my promise before I don't care for you anymore but you promised to always care for me and to protect me from all harm and when you didn't want to go to the festival or even the ball I knew there was someone else you wanted to go with. So tell me who it is and I will try to bear it if I can," she promised.
He frowned as he pulled back, "Marie I didn't go to the festival or the ball, not by myself and certainly not with anyone else."
"Truly?" she asked in awe.
"Of course, why would I do anything without the one that holds my heart, my joy?" he asked.
"Oh Francis, I'm sorry, we've hurt each other so much. How do we go forward from here?" she asked.
"Just like this," he told her taking her hand. "I knew you were back because I can see you and what you are doing now sometimes," he confessed.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Just like you can feel me, I can see you even if you are not here or even next to me. I'm not sure when it first happened but Nostradamus has been helping me to understand it," he told her. "Earlier this week I saw you near a waterfall, playing and laughing."
She gasped, "How?"
He smiled, "how do you feel me when you cannot even see me?" he asked. "The last two days I've seen you on horseback riding hard. I began to recognize places around you and I knew you were on your way back. Then last night I woke up for no reason and I could see you sleeping in your bed and I had to come see for myself," he said softly.
She smiled, "you did it Francis, you opened your heart again. I started feeling you again a few days ago," she said.
He nodded, "I never meant to do that," he told her fiercely. "I made you a promise Marie that I would never hurt you or let others hurt you and I meant it."
"I know," she told him kissing his hand. "We have to learn we can't fix each other, we can only push each other to be better. But I think this has also taught us that we can't push each other away, if it festers then it makes it worse. Would it not be better to tell each other how we honestly feel in the moment?"
"You are right as usual," he said with a half smile, "I'm not saying I will be perfect at it but I will try harder, for us," he promised.
"Thank you," she said as she laid back down putting her hand over their joined hands and they lay in silence for a moment.
She propped herself up, "how mad is your mother at me?" she asked wincing.
Francis laughed, "You? She's not mad at you, she's worried about you. She's mad at me because I didn't fix things with you a week ago! My mother's never yelled at me until the night you left," he groaned.
Marie laughed, "Well then I don't feel so bad about going down to breakfast now."
"Meet me in my room when you are ready so we can go down together?" he asked.
She nodded, "I would like that very much," she said kissing him on his cheek.
Marie hurriedly changed her dress and put on some jewelry. Luckily her hair braid was still intact so she added some beads to freshen the look up. She joined Francis in his room a few minutes later, finding him reading a book.
"Anything interesting?" she asked as he looked up smiling.
"Father is having me read about French History. It's utterly boring," he said.
"Well perhaps we could read it together so it's not so boring," she offered.
"I would like that very much," he told her. "I love to listen to you when you read for me."
"Shall we?" he asked.
"Of course," she murmured as he led her out of the room.
"First one to break a smile when they realize you're back has to do whatever the other one wants today," he said.
"Deal!" she said as they both put on their stoic faces entering the breakfast room. It was just King Henry and Queen Katherine. The other children must have finished and left already.
"Oh Marie!" Queen Katherine rushed over to her hugging her. "You're back, I've been so worried," she scolded.
Marie kept her straight face, "I'm sorry Katherine, and yes I'm well." She said looking back at Francis who had a huge grin on his face.
She smirked, "you lost Francis!"
"I don't care," he said sitting beside her.
"What did he lose Marie?" Katherine asked.
Marie looked nervous but answered her, "He put up a wager on which of us would crack a smile first when you realized we were back."
"And the winner gets what?" she inquired.
"To choose all of our actives for today," she smiled.
Katherine laughed, "Well Francis, it seems you will be attending needlepoint class and dancing lessons today," she said laughing.
Marie snickered as she looked at Francis' exasperated face.
"Welcome back Marie," King Henry said. "Now that you're back perhaps you can get Francis back to his studies?" he asked.
She nodded, "we're going to read the history book together later," she told him.
"Very good, it's been a month trying to get him to finish that," the King said. "After that, I'd like you two to start on 'Crown History'. He told her. "We'll make the books available," he promised.
"Mother why dancing lessons? I know all of the dances," he asked.
His mother looked at him for a moment, "you're quite right. Marie why don't you ask, oh dear what was his name again….oh yes, that nice young man Julien to partner with you. He's around the same age as Francis and should do nicely," she smiled.
Marie caught on fairly quick as to where Katherine was going with this and she caught King Henry's quick smile. "As you wish Katherine," she said as she finished her breakfast and stood up.
"On second thought I would love to accompany you in your dance lessons Marie if you would allow it?" he asked knowing full well what his mother had done there.
"You know I would love that Francis but the Queen of France has just told me to do otherwise," she said seriously.
Marie giggled as she saw Francis give his mother a stern but pleading look.
Katherine couldn't help it, she laughed. "Oh very well, if you must then I'm sure there is another young lady that will partner with young Lord Julien," she said waving her hands at them.
King Henry laughed, "Well played my dear," he told her.
Katherine shook her head, "your son will never to learn to think about his words before he says them," she sighed. "I expected a reaction out of the needlepoint, not the dance lessons! Lord help us!" she said.