Set in season 2 episode 14 when it is revealed that Bash killed Marcus, Antoine and Louis Bourbon's elder brother. I truly believed that Kenna should have been there to 1) defend her husband - he was 14 as established, 2) see how awful Antoine is, especially to Bash over the situation and be more swayed away from his advances and 3) to comfort Bash and validate him because from what I've delved deep into Bash's character (it's sad, sue me but the show brought up a lot of red flags about him and more or less made him a tortured soul who never managed to get healed and he should have done from Kenna), Bash is a very insecure, abandoned and tortured man. The writers truly did both Bash and Kenna and injustice and there will be more deep diving into their stories within these one-shots. We were deprived of a lot. Just moments that would have made them grow instead of splitting them up for a useless love-triangle storyline we already got with Frary and the other Bourbon brother. I refuse to believe they truly thought that these women would go for the Bourbons over the Valois brothers. The whole of season 2 was a mess, I can't even get into it.

Long note aside, here is how I believe that dinner, where Bash was revealed to have killed Marcus truly, should have gone. Most of the dialogue stems from the show to kick things along and we get self-loathing Bash which hurts my heart.

And just note: I hate the Bourbon Brothers. It's the Valois Boys all day, every day and they are the only ones for Mary and Kenna, I rest my case.

With Francis and Mary ahead of them, Bash entered the dining room with Kenna's hand in his and his other hand firmly on the hilt of his sword. Although it was meant to be a confrontation and as Francis and Mary were present as the King and Queen, he figured his own wife should be there too as a witness. A viable one.

They haven't been around each other much, with his duties to Francis, but this was to kill two birds with one stone. Spend time having dinner with his wife with or without blood spilling and confront the Bourbons over poisoning his and Francis's father.

He and Francis were not blinded by the Bourbon brothers' charms, but their wives were and hopefully, this whole confrontation would put an end to that and absolve the family of their suspicions.

Before Mary and Kenna could consider taking their seats as King Antoine and Condé were already seated, Francis placed Henry's covered Bible onto the table before Condé and said, "Open it up," sat down and continued with, "Read us a passage."

Condé sighed and removed the cloth from the top and gave Francis a look. "A Bible?"

Francis smiled. "My father kept it close and read it often," he said as Mary tentatively took a seat across from him and Kenna sat down beside her on her left side. "As did my mother after he died. Frederic Mazur, my father's valet, poisoned it."

Condé shared a surprised glance with his indifferent brother. "What is this?" He asked before looking around in bewilderment. "Are you making an accusation?"

"Frederic served under your command in Spain," Francis continues. "He returned to your region after my father died where he was murdered." He glared at Condé. "Was it on your orders? To poison the King?"

Condé scoffed as Kenna's brows raised and she sent an alarmed glance up at her husband who didn't look all that surprised. She realised that he knew, and he was standing protectively between her and Mary in case the Bourbons tried anything.

Turning to Mary, Condé said, "So, this is why you wanted to keep me in the castle," he told her. "So you can put me on trial."

Mary gave him a look. "We are asking you directly."

It's more than you deserve, Bash thought as Kenna contemplated reaching out for something to eat, but the air was too tense to even move let alone breathe. So she swallowed her hunger and kept her gaze down on the table.

"Please, tell the truth, Louis," Mary said.

"This is outrageous!" Antoine exclaimed.

"We know you paid off Frederic. His debts, the whorehouse. We have witnesses who will testify," Bash said, gaining a stunned look from his wife but he ignored it.

Not right now, Kenna, he thought. He knew she had millions of questions and in hindsight, using this opportunity to spend time with her when he'd be busy dealing evidence after evidence against Louis was probably not a smart choice. But they needed another witness and well, Kenna must be swayed away from the treacherous Bourbons.

"Do you deny it?" Francis asked Condé as he kept his gaze on Mary and refused to eye the French King. "Did you pay Fredrick to poison my father?!"

Condé sighed. "I swear my hand to God, I had nothing to do with this," he insisted as his brother eyed him with a slight approving smirk. "Yes, Fredrick served under me and he traded with my connection to beg me to relieve his debts and I refused him!" He turned to a disbelieving Bash, someone who could consider a friend as well as a cousin. "He might have been a good man once but he fell into whoring and gambling. His debts were a bottomless pit!"

"I don't believe you," Francis said, eyeing his brother who didn't believe him either.

"Is this some kind of revenge from my talks with the English Queen?" Antoine cut in as Mary bristled at the mention of her paternal cousin and he turned to her. "Are you trying to rid yourselves of us?"

Then before she could speak, Catherine burst in with Narcisse behind her. "It wasn't them, Francis. We uncovered a trail from the bank and it was the Duke of Guise. He paid the debts but that was only to bait the poisoning."

All of that seemed very unlikely to Francis and Bash as Catherine continued on with her bouts of 'evidence'. Kenna could practically feel Mary's relief but discomfort at her uncle's actions from beside her and snuck her hand into hers which didn't go unnoticed by Bash who was very disappointed.

This is all circumstantial, he thought. Very convenient. It was very so, that when they confront the Bourbons, Mary's uncle is conveniently placed into the situation. The man served the Valoises for years, it didn't make sense and from his brother's glances at him, he knew that too.

"The Duke?" Mary breathed out warily. "My uncle poisoned the King?"

"The Duke despised him," Catherine stated, but it was too convenient for Francis and Bash.

Hadn't the Duke offered his services to Francis once? What would he have to gain from this? Although he did want Francis to take the throne, Henry was mad, who wouldn't want a much sane king?

Francis sighed heavily, it was a losing battle. He didn't have enough to contradict this, but as soon as the dinner was over, he'd go and investigate with Bash.

Then Condé spoke up, turning to Mary. "I have done nothing, but be a friend to you and Francis. Doing your bidding no matter the peril or price."

"You must understand-" Francis began but Condé snapped.

"That there is bad blood between our lines?" Condé finished. "You think I don't know that?" He asked as Francis averted his gaze angrily. "You call us murderers?" He turned to Bash. "After all you've done to our family?"

Kenna's heart leapt as she looked up at her husband from beside Condé. What did you do, she asked him with her eyes but his gaze was fixed on Condé warily. She reached up and took his hand, her heart tightening as she feared what was next.

He was using this against them, this reason is exactly why they poisoned Henry. It was de Guise, it was them. He knew it, but they would use it in their favour, not the Valoises'.

"You destroyed our brother-"

"Louis-"

"Maimed him, left him for dead!" Louis cried out and Kenna gasped as Mary turned to Bash, alarmed.

Francis sat forward in his seat, turning to his brother. "Is this true?"

"In the Italian Wars," Condé reminded him and Bash paled as he felt Kenna's hand grow sweaty in his.

Or was his hand growing sweaty in hers?

"Where we fought for the House of Valois," Louis spat, turning to Francis and then Bash. "You stabbed him in the back, you coward!"

Kenna was mortified and she didn't know what to think or say. She couldn't even speak, the table was dominated by kings and queens and...

She knew her husband was a murderer, it was his job to take the lives of others sometimes, she knew that and accepted that. He was still her loving, caring husband at the end of the day and she loved him regardless.

But the Italian Wars... he must have been a child himself.

Tears sprung to her eyes and she felt his grip on her hand loosen. She tried to maintain it but he removed it fully and swallowed hard. Bash, she thought sadly.

"You are the murderers," Louis said, calmer now and Kenna closed her eyes tight, she couldn't hear anymore.

She didn't know how Mary managed to compose herself either. Her lover was condemning her husband's brother. Her lady's husband. And she was calm about it?

Louis stood and left and that is when Bash turned to Antoine in shock.

"Our talk about the villa in Italy..." He said quietly.

"My brother wasn't sure it was you," Antoine replied casually.

"The man I attacked, I didn't know he was a Bourbon," Bash insisted and Kenna sighed in relief.

So he didn't do it purposefully or with intent, she thought, trying to take hold of his hand again but he wouldn't have it. It was like he was punishing himself and she couldn't bear it. She sent him a pleading look, but as his gaze wasn't on her at all throughout the dinner, it was set on Antoine or the ground.

"All Henry told me was that he was a traitor to France," Bash breathed out shakily. "I did what I was told out of loyalty to my father and king..."

Your father was a horrible, conniving monster, Kenna thought angrily. How could he do that to his own son? Force him to unknowingly commit fratricide? Murder his own cousin? A friend of his? When he was barely a boy?!

"I'm sorry," Bash said softly.

"It was a King's order," Catherine said in Bash's defence and Kenna nodded at that, attempting to once again take Bash's hand and she smiled a little when he finally accepted it.

Antoine shrugged. "My young brother is emotional. He has always suffered from a choleric temperament and he was so very young when our brother died... As were you," he gestured to Bash, "I'm sure. But it was another generation who forced your hand."

And it's this generation who continues the bad blood, Francis thought warily. Their father's life in return for Marcus's and he and Bash would prove it when the guilt over Marcus's death was gone. He mustn't feel the guilt for something their father forced him to do, for something the Bourbons got revenge on in return and were blatantly playing that into their hands, fooling Catherine, Mary and Kenna.

He couldn't let that happen.

"We must not be stained by the crimes of the dead, not when life and peace are so fragile," Antoine continued and Francis wanted more than to ignore the drivel he spewed, the lies and false peace sentiments he fed them, but the damage was done. There had to be another way. "I forgive you."

Francis almost laughed. If he forgave them, Louis wouldn't have murdered his father! But he kept silent and eyed the goblet before him with a heavy sigh.

"For the sake of your soul and peace between our two nations," Antoine told Bash, standing up from his seat. "And my brother will do the same."

Francis planted a fake smile on and nodded. "Let it be so," he said as Mary glanced at him curiously.

What is Francis planning? Did he not believe..., she questioned mentally as Antoine made to leave.

"Let our feuds die with our fathers," Francis continued on, averting his gaze. "Arrest the Duke."

...

"Bash, wait!" Kenna cried out as her husband hurried out of the room and she tried to catch up. "Sebastian!"

He stopped forcefully and turned to her. "Kenna, not now. I have work to do-"

"Bash, it wasn't your fault!"

"Kenna, I need to go," Bash snapped and she didn't even flinch, continuing on as she lifted her skirts and hurried after him.

She glanced through an open door into a storage room and before her husband knew what she was doing, she pulled him into the room, locked the door with a key and chucked it into the bags of flour and whatever else that filled the room.

"Are you mad, woman?!" Bash cried out, starting to search for the key but she stopped him and forced him to look at her with her hands on his cheeks.

She could see the tears in his eyes, the shame and the guilt and... "Bash," she whispered and he averted his gaze.

"I'm not the man you thought I was and I apologise for that," he said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Kenna cried out, resting her forehead against his. "You were a child."

"I should have known better-"

"You did what you did to gain your father's favour," she cut him off, shaking her head. "That was cruel! He made you kill your own blood, for what? A crown?!"

Bash's face broke and he closed his eyes. "Kenna, I don't think I can... I can talk about it." He sighed. "They definitely killed my father. I am certain of that now."

"But wasn't the Duke of-"

Removing her hands from his cheeks and sitting down on a crate, Bash looked up at her. "Francis and I are not stupid to see how convenient this all is. I know the type of people the Bourbons are - the type of man Antoine is." He swallowed hard and bowed his head shamefully. "Yes, I murdered his brother, Marcus's blood is on my hands, but... that stays with you for life. Every man I've killed, I remember. I remember how, when and why. Marcus didn't deserve to be killed by my hand, but he was and..." He blinked back tears. "Why do you stay by my side after all of this?" He laughed self-deprecatingly. "When I have murdered men more times I have laid with you in bed?"

Kenna's face fell and she knelt before him. "You don't kill people for the fun of it, Bash. That is what a murderer is. You are-"

"A murderer, Kenna. For fun or not-"

"No! A murderer doesn't feel remorse, Bash!" She cried out. She thumbed the sides of his eyes. "I see the pain and guilt in your eyes. You killed people for your father and brother's love and favours. And you suffer the consequences as they sleep peacefully without blood on their hands and it's unfair." She could cry and she let a sob escape her lips. "You're not a bad man, you're my husband. My sweet, gentle, loving and caring husband. No matter what, I will be by your side."

Bash took hold of her hands and brought them down. "You deserve better, Kenna. A man who hasn't spilt another's blood, who doesn't frame innocent people, who don't have the darkness and demons inside of him... Who hasn't got pagan blood..." His voice shook. "Who isn't a useless bastard. Who isn't without riches..."

"I don't care for all of that!" Kenna exclaimed, burying her face into his lap and letting out a sob. What can I do to make him see that isn't a bad person? That he's all I want? That he deserves only the best after everything they've put him through on their behalf? "Did I leave you when you revealed that Claude and you were once lovers? O-Or when you branded and framed that man?"

"You should have then," Bash croaked out. "I'm disgusting-"

"I won't allow you to insult yourself or me," she snaps, looking up at him. "When you're ready to talk about anything, just... let me in!" She wiped his tears away. "I love you so much. You don't know how much you've added to my life. I'd die for you."

"I'd die for you," Bash whispered as a sob escaped his lips and he squeezes her hands. "I don't want to grow into a man you'd come to hate."

Kenna shook her head. "I will only hate you if you don't let me privy to your deepest, darkest thoughts and secrets. I need to know. So, we can go through them together. I will brave any storm with you. I have you back, just as you did for me when your father pursued me. I'm your wife."

"I hate myself. The things I've done, the people I've hurt, the families I've destroyed," Bash said quietly. "I have nightmares I never let you in on. And you don't even realise..."

She felt awful and from the look on his face and his fingers brushing against her tears, she knew he must have resented her for that. "I should have."

"I made sure you didn't know," he defended her. "How could I let you know? I wouldn't have been the knight in shining armour you dreamed out. I would have been a great disappointment, I am a disappointment. And a man like me does not deserve a woman like you." He swallowed hard. "I will sign the annulment should you wish to leave me. After everything, I'm sure knowing who I really am has put you off for life."

"If you have been listening to a word I've been saying," Kenna said warningly. "You'd know that I don't care for your past. I only care for your love and life with me. I care for now and our future, together. I once told you that you don't need to slay every dragon or fight every battle to prove yourself... the only battle I care for is your love for me and how you will keep fighting for it as I will fight for yours."

Bash looked at her in disbelief, wondering how his father who probably despised him deep down despite the favouritism, gave him the most wonderful woman in the world?

"Your heart and place are with me," she whispered, brushing her lips over his ear. "My heart and place are with you. You are a good man."

He burst into sobs and buried his face into her shoulder as she held him tightly. His arms wound around her waist tightly and he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He questioned himself every day, his actions, his sins and he prayed for God to absolve him of his sins.

He never realised that he'd also need someone to affirm that deep down, he was a good man despite it all. He made a lot of mistakes, he should be killed on sight in most cases, but they were all for other people and nothing had ever been for himself.

Kenna played with the hair on the nape of his neck and waited until his sobs subsided. "You kill when it's expedient, you lie when it's expedient. That's who you are... And look at me," she whispered, shifting so they looked at each other. "I'll still choose you regardless."

She knew he didn't believe her, but she will make him believe that and when he did, oh she will celebrate the day. Because Kenna knew that deep down, her husband was better than all the men at Court put together.

Loyal.

Kind.

Resilient.

Strong...

"I love you, Bash."

Bash smiled wryly. "I love you too, Kenna," he whispered and he wondered if this was what it felt to be truly in love and in sync.

Because she knew who he was and he knew who she was.