Chapter 1
[Prologue~
Bash and Kenna had been working on their marriage since they had been forced by their mad king to wed. Things had only gotten better since his death and Francis ascended the throne. Kenna was free to walk the halls of court without Bash or herself worrying about her safety. Now it was the two of them, living peacefully in court under the rule of Francis and Mary, King and Queen of Scotland and France. It had been 3 years since Henry's death. Mary was 5 months pregnant with the heir to France and Scotland. Lola and 2 year old John Philip remained at court. Francis granted John the title of Baron on his 1st birthday. Bash had been titled Archduke of Nantes, therefore making Kenna an Archduchess. Francis had changed Bashes duties as his Deputy to keep him in court as much as possible. Leith opted to take on the out-of-court missions.]
Present~
The morning light was streaming in through the glass windows, bathing the bed with the warmth and the brightness of the dawn.
"Kenna?" Bash whispers in her ear. "Kenna, dear, I think it's time for you to get up. I have breakfast here already."Her eyes blink open, while a groan escapes her lips. "There's my beautiful wife."
"Morning Bash." She mumbles.
Bash moves to kiss her lips softly. Kenna pulls him in by her hand on the back of his neck. Bash hovers over her body, bracing himself with his hands and arms on each side of her head.
"Like I said. Breakfast is here already," Bash whispers against her lips, before getting up and off the bed.
Kenna groans. "But Bash…" She pouts at him.
"Your bacon that you love so much is getting cold." Bash teases.
"Why didn't you say that?" Kenna says getting out of bed realizing she was naked.
Bash is right there by her, holding her dusty blue robe open for her. Kenna smiles and moves to stand right in front of her husband before turning around. Bash slips her arms into the sleeves of her robe and peaks his head over her shoulder, wrapping the material around her body and tying it in place with the matching sash, kissing her neck.
The couple sat down to breakfast at the table. Bash chuckled lightly to himself watching her smile while eating bacon, it hadn't taken him long in their marriage to learn that her favorite thing to eat in the mornings was bacon. "It is just about the only thing that motivates me to get out of bed in the morning." Kenna had told him in that first week together.
Mary and her ladies roam around the gardens within the walls of the court. It was cold out. All the girls were dressed in thick dresses as well as thick cloaks. The snow was solid ice and a clean bright white.
"I've decided to send away all of Catherine's wet nurses that she called to Court for me to interview," Mary informs her friends.
"Are you saying that you are gonna be a queen and be your baby's only source of food?" Lola questions a tad critically.
"You think I can't do it?" Mary asks.
"I'm sorry Mary but John kept me busy for over the first year and I'm not a queen… of two countries at that. I mean he still keeps me busy but he's no longer relying on me to feed him." Lola says.
"Also, Mary, Queens don't breastfeed their babies. It's simply not done." Kenna interjects lightly.
"I know, but I want to mother my own children. I want to be just like every other mother in the world. I will parent my children, rather than a governess. Francis and I agree. Just because we are royalty doesn't mean we want to be distant parents. Look at how messed up and distant the Violas' were and are. Claude was sent away for most of her life." Mary rambles.
"Mary we support you. We are just making sure you understand it will be tough." Greer says on behalf of all three of Mary's ladies.
"Yes what Greer said." Lola giggles, making Kenna give a small giggle herself.
"Francis agrees with me. He didn't like how his father was distant but also only ever did real father-son things with Bash. So he promised to treat all his children the same." Mary says, smiling and rubbing her bump.
"Shall we head inside? It's quite cold." Greer suggests.
The other women agree and they all turn, heading towards the doors that lead inside of court.
"Kenna, are you and Bash going to be adding more children to court anytime soon?" Mary teases her best friend and sister-in-law.
"I don't know, we have not ever spoken about kids. Not even while we were taking care of Pascal." Kenna replies.
"You'll be a gorgeous pregnant woman, Kenna." Greer says, "Just like Lola and Mary."
"Kenna and Greer, you're both next." Lola teases.
The ladies disperse and each goes to their own chambers for a warm bath.
—
Bash enters his chambers to wash, dress, and escort his wife to dinner. He finds her laying in a steaming hot bath. Her hair tied with a ribbon to keep it dry and out of the water.
"Care to join me? I just got in." Kenna says lightly.
Bash takes off his clothes, slipping in behind her. Kenna turns around, facing her husband, straddling his hips. She takes the bar of soap, rubbing it on his wet chest. She cups her hand gathering water and dropping it on his shoulders and neck. Bash takes the soap from her and does the same for her.
"We don't have time for much now, but you better know, after dinner, we are not going to sleep." Bash whispers in a deep husky tone, in her ear, knowing that is the voice that turns his wife on.
"You know what your husky deep voice does to me." Kenna groans against his neck.
"Just don't focus on that. We still have to eat dinner with the family." He tells her, beginning to kiss her collarbone.
"You're a sick bastard." Kenna giggles, tightening her grip on his clean hair at the back of his head, pulling him closer to her body.
She gasped when his lips took her nipple into his mouth. He indulges in her until he feels her ground her hips down into him.
"We need to dry off," Bash says as if he hadn't been leading her on and kissing her body.
"You better put on a good show for me tonight," Kenna whispers in his ear, gripping his erection in her hand, stroking her hand up and down his length slowly, making Bash gasp.
Kenna gets out of the tub, drying off her body with her husband's gaze on her as she does so. He pulls himself out as well, getting dressed. Bash comes over to stand behind his wife, taking the ribbon of her corset from her struggling fingers, lacing it up for her.
Once her heels are on, Kenna meets him at the door, taking his arm in her hands.
"Mary, how could you send all those wet nurses away? Catherine exclaims.
"Catherine, I am going to be feeding my baby. That is my decision to make." Mary says.
"Mary, you are a queen you can't-" Catherine tries to reason.
"She can and will." Francis interrupts his mother. "Mary and I will be very present in raising our children. End of discussion."
Kenna and Bash share a look. Bash places his hand on the back of her chair and leans over to her ear whispering "At least Catherine can't tell us what to do with our children."
Kenna's heart flutters at his mention of them having children. "Our children?" Kenna stutters out quietly to him.
"Well yeah. … you do want children with me, right?" Bash asks her, suddenly feeling nervous. They had never actually discussed it.
"Of course I do, Bash. I was worried that you didn't because you never brought it up before."
"Well looks like we have some talking to do." Bash tells her, looking at her plate to make sure that she had eaten enough before standing and taking his wife's hand, pulling her up to stand with him. "Your Majesties would you please excuse my wife and I, she's not feeling very well this evening," Bash says to his brother and sister-in-law.
"Oh, Kenna," Mary says sadly hearing that her friend and sister-in-law is unwell.
Francis takes over from Mary in saying "You are both excused. Feel better, Kenna."
Kenna put on a weak smile, seeing what her husband was doing. Bash led her away from the table, his left hand in her left and his right arm on her lower back. They turn the corner out of the dining hall, once they are closer to their chambers, the couple starts to giggle. Bash ushers her into their chambers, kissing her.
"We agreed to talk Bash, not kiss and… other things."
"You're right. I can't believe that we never discussed this in our... what 4 years of marriage?" Bash says.
"Should we even count those first few months? We didn't act married for most of that first year." Kenna says. "Anyway…" Kenna says, trying to redirect the conversation.
"So… babies? We want 'em'?" Bash says casually.
"I do. Maybe like 2-3?"
"I agree with you perfectly, except maybe 4-5?" Bash says. "It's really on you Kenna. It's your body… but even though I only have half-siblings, I like having many siblings to go to them with anything and being there for them."
"How about we start with one, and see how that goes, and then we'll decide as we go," Kenna says smiling.
"Should we get started on that first one then?" Bash says leaning over Kenna while she sits on the bed.
She kisses her husband, struggling to wipe the smile off of her face. Kenna walks Bash backward towards the bed. She pushes him down onto the bed on his back, staring up at her, Kenna starts hiking up the skirt of her dress, climbing up to straddle his hips.
Kenna leans down to kiss him and moves her lips along his jaw and down to his neck. She sucks, licks, bites, and kisses his neck and begins undressing her husband. Bash made quick work of unlacing her corset.
—-
Bash held Kenna close, watching his wife sleep on his chest. Her beauty was unmatched in his eyes. He hopes for a daughter. A baby girl that he hopes will look just like her mother.
He can imagine a toddler with dark brown hair like his but Kenna's nose and captivating smile. Bash closes his eyes, trying to see the image clearer in his mind.
Soon he falls asleep, holding his wife, his hand on her lower back and hip.
They were going at it at every opportunity they had. Bash found himself distracted during his meetings with Francis and the nobles. Kenna kept the excitement alive. She whispered words of longing in his ear just before chastely kissing his cheek, as he left for his workday.
Before Bash can rush out the door, Francis calls him back to talk privately.
"What is it, Francis?" Bash asks politely.
Francis watches as the last noble left the room, the door closing behind them, leaving him and his brother alone.
"Would you join me tomorrow for a hunting trip?" Francis asks.
"I would love to, brother. I just have to talk with my wife first before I can say yes for sure." Bash replies.
"I understand. Mary wants this to be my last trip before the baby is born. She doesn't want me to be far from her, or miss anything, or risk injury- let's just say that Mary is growing anxious, the farther along she gets." Francis says.
Kenna responds to Bash's plans with his brother by kissing his lips and saying "Go. Have fun. Who knows when the two of you will get to go out again?"
"What do you mean?" Bash asks.
"Well, you said that Mary wants this to be Francis' last trip before the baby is born. He probably won't be rushing out of court as soon as his child is born. It'll be a few months before he is willing to leave Mary and the baby alone for the night. And on top of all that I might become pregnant soon, and I agree with Mary, I wouldn't want you running around the woods, unable to be contacted while I am heavily pregnant." Kenna says.
"A vicious cycle." Bash mutters.