Chapter 25

July 1560
Marie 8 Years
Francis 10 Years

Marie had walked outside to escape the noise and chatter. She enjoyed the parties; they were beautiful but tonight had been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. First, the way she and Francis had been ignored and then the inquisition by the King, the accusations against her that would destroy her reputation had there been even a shred of proof. For a second her life had flashed before her eyes on what would have happened if Francis had believed what Lord Hubert was saying. She'd been shocked herself; she'd felt her entire body go numb. She took deep breaths of the fresh air, it was nice and cool now, which was a blessed relief in her state of mind.

Marie walked further than she had intended. She found herself almost down to the river; she had avoided that spot when it was dark since they had been attacked there last year. She quickly turned around and headed for the gardens. It was better lit and more secure and she wasn't yet ready to return to the party. She smiled when she found the gardens; the roses always gave her comfort. She continued walking, looking up at the Moon and the stars that brought a soft glow down on the garden tonight.

"Do you have every male wrapped around your finger?" she heard another female say vehemently.

Marie spun around, she'd thought she was alone but here stood the one that despised her most for reasons unknown. "Olivia! What…Have you been following me?" she asked as she looked around. She didn't see anyone else and she knew she should have not strayed so far from the party now.

Olivia smiled maliciously. "You even have the King wrapped around your finger, what is it about you that that makes you so special to all of them? They were supposed to believe the rumors! They were supposed to send you home and yet here you are."

Marie frowned, "You were in on it? Why, what could you possibly gain from me leaving?" And then the light dawned on Marie and she laughed, "Francis? You did all this thinking he would fall into your arms?" The more Marie laughed, the more Olivia angry she became.

"He will be mine!" she vowed.

"Perhaps you don't understand the way things work for Royals," Marie told her. "We don't marry for love, we marry for alliances and since you don't have a country, you are ineligible to marry him," Marie explained.

"Things change," Olivia told her. "They change all of the time, all I have to do is seduce him once and he will be mine. He'll do whatever I ask at any time just like all of the other boys!"

Marie was beginning to get angry, "You think the Prince of France, the next King of France, is going to give you the time of day?" she asked laughing.

And then Marie's face became serious, "Even if that were true, Francis would never fall for your lies and scheming. Francis has values and morals and he looks for them in the others he allows into his life." She paused, "and you have none!"

"You vile little witch!" Olivia hissed as she lunged for her.

Marie moved too quickly though which only angered Olivia more.

Olivia pulled out a large hunting knife, "I'm going to make you so ugly he won't even be able to stand the look of you!" She promised as she advanced on Marie.

Marie looked shocked, "Olivia think about what you are doing! This is treason, they will behead you!" She tried to reason with her.

"They'll never know it was me," she laughed with an evil hiss, as she lunged at Marie catching her arm with the knife, laughing gleefully at Marie's hiss.

Marie ran down the paths in the garden ducking into an alcove that was not easily seen even in the daylight and one wouldn't know about it unless they visited the garden frequently. She pulled the dagger out of her holster, she'd never had to use it yet but tonight she just may have to.

Marie stayed very quiet, she could hear Olivia walking nearby.

"Oh Marie, come out, come out wherever you are," she sang. "Might as well get it over with, there's no escape. Only one way in and out of here."

She was getting closer and closer and Marie's heart was racing, it felt like it was going to come right out of her chest.

"I know you're here somewhere," she said. "I can feel it, just come out and play, stop being a baby." She tried to bait her.

As Olivia came within range Marie aimed for her thigh. As the dagger went in she rolled out of reach, watching Olivia collapse screaming.

Marie watched her for a minute, she felt naked without a weapon of any kind but she went closer so she could see the girls face. "Why?" she demanded. "Why are you so hateful to me? It's not just Francis, there's something else, tell me!" she commanded.

Olivia looked up at her with murder in her eyes before she swiftly threw the knife towards Marie's heart.

Marie yelped, moving but not before it knicked her shoulder. Marie had had enough, she marched over to Olivia and pulled back her fist hitting her in the eye. The girl fell back onto the ground and didn't move. Marie retrieved her dagger from the girl's leg watching the blood pool out of it even quicker.

"Marie!" Francis yelled having finally found her! He rushed over to her with Bash on his heels and several guards. Marie was frozen in shock though now that she knew she was safe. Her dagger fell out of her hands and she collapsed onto the ground shaking and she began crying. Francis pulled her to him quickly.

"Get her out of here!" he commanded the guards indicating Olivia. They carried her off quickly and Bash followed them.

Marie hardly knew where she was, the world was spinning, when she had collapsed she had felt so cold but now the warmth was coming back. She knew she was safe, she could feel Francis holding her, whispering to her.

"Marie, we need to get you warm and have your wounds looked at," he told her, eyeing her shoulder that was bleeding pretty good.

She shook her head and the sobs kept coming.

'Bash!" he called knowing his brother was standing watch for them. He reappeared a minute later. 'She won't move and she is bleeding pretty badly, go and get my mother and Nostradamus discreetly please?" he asked.

Bash nodded, "of course" as he took off.

Five minutes later he heard them rushing in. Marie wouldn't calm down at all, still crying as much as when the altercation had ended, he sat rocking her.

"Francis! What has happened?" The Queen asked, as she tried to look Marie over. Marie clung to Francis even harder, crying more, refusing to move or be parted from him.

"Olivia attacked her," Francis said solemnly. "Marie defended herself but she has some cuts and her shoulder is bleeding badly. Olivia looks much worse," he promised with a half smile.

Katherine smiled, "I imagine she does."

Katherine touched Marie's shoulder, she had her head buried into Francis chest. "Marie we need to tend your wound, could you turn around please? You can stay with Francis, he's not going anywhere," she assured her. "Even if I wanted him to, he wouldn't leave."

It took Marie a moment to calm down before she lifted her head and nodded. She turned around sitting in between Francis legs facing forward now so Nostradamus could look at her shoulder and cuts.

"The wound is not deep," he said but it needs to be cleaned and stitched. I cannot do it here," he told them. In the meantime he pulled out fresh bandages and wrapped one around her shoulder and one around her arm where she had a longer cut.

Marie tried to stand up so they could all walk back but her legs collapsed again. Francis caught her and lifted her shaking form into his arms.

Katherine took off her shawl placing it around Marie who was still shaking, "here my dear, you are in shock," she said worriedly as they began walking quickly to the physician's quarters.

A half hour later Nostradamus had her shoulder stitched, cleaned and bandaged and the same with her arm. Francis had stayed with her throughout the ordeal of course while Katherine had gone to inform the King of the event with a promise she would meet them in Marie's chambers shortly.

Marie felt much stronger now and walked slowly to her quarters but her mind still felt like it was in a fog. Francis left her only long enough for her Ladies to undress her and put her into her bed under extra blankets.

"Francis come lie down please?" she asked when he came back in.

"For a few minutes," he said. He cuddled her to him, telling her she was safe and nothing could hurt her and she knew it was true when he was there with her.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" she asked her bottom lip wobbling.

"Marie, you know Mother said it wouldn't be allowed anymore once I turned 10,' he said regretfully.

"Please," she cried.

"Marie!" Katherine said sweeping into the room. She took the young girls hand as she rolled over to look at her.

"Please Katherine! Please can Francis stay with me tonight? I don't want to be alone!" She cried.

"Oh my dear," the Queen said. "I know you've had a great ordeal tonight but after the accusations tonight at the party we must be very careful," she explained.

Katherine saw Marie, take deep breaths trying to calm herself instead of bursting into tears again. "You are so strong Marie, you're going to get through this. You are safe now, I promise!"

"I know," she whispered as she squeezed Francis' hand.

"I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep tonight," she confessed.

"It will come quicker than you think," the Queen promised. "Your body needs to recuperate from not only your physical wounds but your emotional state as well. It's going to make you crash soon. Francis can stay until you fall asleep," she told her making the young girl smile.

"Thank you!" she told her.

The Queen nodded, "and he may keep his door open between your chambers tonight so you feel safer," she told her smiling and I will put extra guards on both of you."

Marie yawned, nodding.

Katherine smiled as she bent over to kiss her on the cheek. "Get some rest dear and we'll talk tomorrow." She looked at her son, "I'll be checking on you shortly in your chambers," she said. "Don't think you are going to fall asleep here and feign innocence."

He grinned, "It's worked before."

His mother laughed, "Yes well I'm on to you my son," she said as she walked out.

Marie did fall asleep quickly, almost immediately after Katherine had left. Francis stayed for awhile to be sure she was sleep. He enjoyed watching her sleep, she looked so peaceful. He got up a few minutes later and walked to his room, leaving the door open.

He crawled into bed and was almost asleep when he heard his Mother look in on him. It was hours later that he felt her crawling into bed with him. He was half asleep but he knew it was Marie.

"Marie you're going to get us into trouble, are you alright?" he asked, his arms going around her.

"I am now," she said.

He was more awake now, "is this how it's going to be now?" He laughed. "You always sneaking into my bed until we are wed?"

"Sounds good to me," she told him giggling. "I don't see you complaining, other than your Mother finding out."

Francis smiled, he knew she had no idea what crawling into a boys bed meant.

"I'll still crawl into bed with you even when we are wed," she promised with a long yawn as they both fell back asleep.

They both slept longer than normal that morning. He was still dead asleep when he heard his door open and then his mother yell, "Francis!"

He sat straight up, "huh?" he said. He then looked down at Marie sleeping and then at his mother, "uh oh," he said. He lay back down. "Would you believe me if I said I don't know how she ended up here?" he asked wincing.

His Mother raised an eyebrow silently telling him to try again.

"She woke up in the middle of the night crying and came in,' he told her. "What was I supposed to do? And why is it always my fault?" he asked as he moved a curl away from Marie's face who was still pretending to be asleep.

"You are older! You are supposed to be more responsible," she responded. "Marie I know you're awake, no more of those shenanigans," the Queen admonished.

Marie giggled her eyes bright with laughter. "I'm sorry Katherine, it's not Francis' fault. I woke up and I was scared and jumping at every little noise. I couldn't sleep."

"You would say that even if it was his fault!" she told the girl as she opened the curtains.

Marie sighed and lay back down.

"You two are of an age now where this cannot happen. You will ruin your reputation Marie and you can't afford to let that happen. If it does you will not be able to wed Francis, that is why Henry and I worry about this," she told her as she sat on the bed next to them.

"Why my reputation and not Francis'?" she asked confused.

"Because men don't have to worry about their reputation. I know it's vastly unfair but that's the way it is," she told them. "In a few years boys will start to look at you differently Marie. Not Francis," she laughed as the other girl looked at her son, other boys and they will look at you and may try to take things from you that you don't wish to give."

Marie nodded, "you are speaking of rape."

Katherine looked surprised, "I've heard whispers," she told her.

Katherine nodded, "there are evil people in this world and some will try to force things from you just because they think they can and others because it would give them a political advantage – for instance, ruining you so you couldn't marry any royal. I don't tell you this to scare you, I want you to have the facts," she told her. "Both of you are aware of the dangers now."

Marie nodded as she started to get out of the bed and head for her room.

"Marie after you have dressed and eaten we need to speak about what happened last night," she said.

Marie nodded, "of course," but she wasn't looking forward to it.

Later that afternoon Marie was sitting outside. She was trying to get the events of last night out of her mind. She was doing something she had not done since leaving Scotland. She was drawing, trying to distract herself from the attack. The pictures kept flowing through her mind and she felt like she was reliving it over and over. She wanted to replace those memories with happier ones.

She was drawing the scene of the King and Queen on the stairs in the throne room and herself and Francis standing sideways holding each other's hands.

She had felt the strongest urge to get the image down on paper after she had told Katherine everything that had transpired. Her dagger had been returned to her, cleaned and she was wearing it again today. She could still feel and smell the dagger going into the other girl's flesh. It was sickening.

"Marie! I've been looking everywhere for you!" Francis told her as he joined her. She was sitting under their favorite tree.

She smiled at him, "why were you looking for me? I thought you would be busy for at least another hour," she said.

"Because I missed you course, and I was done earlier than expected."

"What are you doing?" he asked trying to look over her shoulder.

She laughed and hid what she was doing. "You'll have to wait and see when it's finished," she teased him.

"Oh fine!" he pretended to grumble. He laid flat on the ground and pulled her shoes off, laying her feet on top of him.

She eyed him curiously and then went back to what she was doing.

He began giving her a food rub and after a few minutes he teased, "are you sure you don't want to show me what you are doing?"

She groaned, "If you keep doing that I might let you do whatever you want for the rest of the day. You don't play fair!" she threw a pinecone at him laughing.

He smirked and kept soothing her feet. He knew her feet hurt a lot because of the shoes she had to wear.

"Alright, I'm finished,' she said. "Don't stop or I might hurt you," she added when he paused.

"So show me then," he said as he tickled her feet making her burst into fits of giggles.

'Francis! Stop!" she said. She pulled her shoes back on regretfully to prevent him from torturing her.

He came over to sit next to her again as she pulled out the paper she had been hiding and she handed it to him.

"Wow, I didn't know you could draw Marie! This is extraordinary!"

She beamed, "I haven't since I left Scotland but today it was calling to me."

"It looks just like it did last night," he said in awe his eyes tracing every detail. After a few minutes he handed it back to her.

She smiled, "if you like it so much you can keep it."

"Really?" he asked. "I love it and I will treasure it because you made it for me."

She smiled brightly. "It helped me to forget about the attack for awhile, it's hard to explain but its soothing to draw, I get lost in it." She admitted.

"We all need activities like that," he told her. "We'll have to get you some better ink for drawing. I'd love to see what else you come up with," he smiled encouragingly.

She stood up, "Come let's swing," she told him giggling, pulling him up as they ran to the other side of the castle grounds. It was a large slab of wood with chains connected around a large tree branch. It was big enough so they both could sit on it at the same time and Marie had taken a liking to it lately.

He knew she needed to laugh and have fun after what happened last night so he was happy to join her in whatever that may be today. Because they never knew what tomorrow might bring.