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elder441 [chapter 1]: Some parts will be the same, but I am definitely not going on canon. I hated some of the show if I am honest, especially with the Frary drama. I found it unnecessary but the underlining fact of someone threatening/stalking Mary will be incorporated and dealt with. And dear me, I will definitely keep Lola and Francis away from each other and in this chapter, I have already made moves on that.
BlerBlerBler [chapter 1]: Yes, indeed! A lot of the mysterious revolution will be revealed as time goes on. Mary and her ladies will definitely look into it after finding out bits of information from the staff at the castle and other places. As the security put in place protected Francis since he's the dauphin, he could not make communication via electronic devices outside of France. Inside would be fine as the government could control and protect him, but as the heir, his parents are worried about hacking etc so they were only allowed contact through paper and pen which would be transported through vetted people. I am glad you do!
Mary opened her eyes and smiled. She snuggled deeper into Francis's chest and he planted a kiss on her cheek, tightening his hold on her. It had been ages since they woke up like this, a good few years since they last saw each other. Love letters weren't the same as physically holding each other.
She had studied at university, working day and night to pass her degree prematurely than others. She had known that one day, she would belong to France and had wanted to do something for herself.
"You smell good..." He muttered, his eyes remaining closed. "Can't remember the last time I had one good sniff of you."
Mary laughed. "Are you a dog? You need to constantly sniff your mate for reassurance?"
"Well, when she's as beautiful as you are, then yes," came his reply. "I've really missed you. You have no idea how much."
"I think last night was a clear idea," Mary replied breathily.
Francis smiled, turning to get his phone to check the time. "Shit."
"What?"
"It's seven," he told her, getting out of the bed. "Our interview is in three hours but I should have been awake, since an hour ago."
Mary gasped, getting out of the bed and starting to look for her clothes. "I forgot your family did family breakfast at ungodly hours," she muttered, finding her bra and dress together.
"Your mother is probably screaming the castle down, looking for you," he said lightly. "Dear God, she frightened me yesterday at the press conference."
"I watched it," Mary replied, zipping her dress up as he retrieved a fresh set of clothes. "Your answers were spot on. I could see her facade falter at times."
"I've been taught by the best," Francis said. "My mother."
Mary giggled, coming over to kiss him. "I love you."
"I love you too," he replied. "You need to get going. We'll see each other at the interview."
With one last kiss, Mary left his rooms and headed out into the hallway. She looked left and right before tiptoeing through the halls and upstairs to the guest quarters. When she turned, she saw her mother walking away from their rooms angrily, seemingly looking for her.
Cursing she quickly opened a door and hid into it, sighing in relief when she saw it connected to her room as it was Kenna's room. She went over to the bed and pulled the sheets back but was surprised to see that it was empty.
Frowning, she checked the bathroom and found it empty. She turned and went into the wardrobe and found it also empty, Kenna's outfit for the day already laid out. Mary shook her head in wonder, knowing her friend never was an early riser.
"Mary!"
"Mum!"
"Where the hell have you been?" Marie asked, entering the wardrobe.
Mary looked around for an idea. "I got myself trapped in here whilst I was helping Kenna choose an outfit," she said, gesturing to the clothes. "She got called away for something by her secretary and I haven't seen her since."
Marie narrowed her eyes. "You've been here all night?"
"Yes," Mary said. "Well, not exactly. I've just not gone to my room. I went to sleep in Kenna's bed with her." She was relieved that she pulled the sheets back. "Then we woke up to sort out her outfit an hour ago and well... here we are."
"Then why was the door to the wardrobe open?"
Mary mentally cursed. "I had help. A maid came inside Kenna's room to clean it and I stayed in here to see if I'd borrow Kenna's clothes. I might as well."
Marie shook her head. "Then why is the bed still unmade?"
"I told her to leave. I do not trust the maids," Mary replied easily. "Kenna was saying a pair of her earrings had gone missing by the time we returned from the engagement party. I told the maid that I will clean the room myself."
Marie crossed her arms. "Alright. I will let things slide for now. Find Kenna, get bathed and dressed and meet Lola, Greer and me for breakfast within the hour. Clear?"
"Clear," Mary said.
After her mother left, Mary released a deep sigh of relief. She knew her mother wasn't stupid and she walked over to the bathroom and quickly sort herself out before borrowing one of Kenna's dresses. She might as well stick to her damned story.
The door opened and turned to see Kenna entering the room. The brunette jumped at her unexpected visitor and she closed the door behind her before collecting a towel.
"Are you going to ignore me?" Mary asked her.
"I met your mother on the way up," Kenna said. "You're lucky I'm a good liar because it seems like we've both come up with the same excuse."
"Tell me the truth and tell me where you were," Mary replied, taking a seat on the chaise.
Kenna sighed, bowing her head. "I was with... I was with the King all night."
"Kenna!" Mary cried out, standing up in shock. "Like how exactly? Talking, proposing marriage prospects for you or what I think I'll probably throw up imagining."
"The last option," Kenna shakily admitted. "And that's not even the worse of it!"
Mary rolled her eyes hard. "Oh, what could be worse?"
"You know when I got a match on my app?" Kenna asked nervously.
"Yes...?"
"I matched with Baron Sebastian. We... We slept together before the party-"
"Oh my dear God," Mary muttered, sinking onto the bed. "You slept with my fiancé's brother and father on the same day?!"
"I didn't mean to!" Kenna cried out. "It's not like the Baron told me who he really was. I found out at the party. And as for last night... I drank a lot."
Mary wanted to wring Kenna's neck but she kept calm. "Avoid them both. You could get arrested, Kenna! For sleeping with the King of fucking France! Who is married!"
"He had me sign an NDA," Kenna replied dismissively. "It will never happen again."
"And Bash?"
"Sebastian and I... He doesn't want to pursue a relationship with me," Kenna said. "He thinks that me being a countess will look bad on both our parts as he's a baron. Even my parents won't care though and that annoys me because he does. Why does everything need to be about social class? If you took our titles away, we'll still be in the upper echelon."
Mary brought a hand to her head and shook her head. "I-I have no words. Why are you even thinking about a relationship with him when you slept with the man who made him?"
"You know what? I'm not ready for this chat. Can we just attend this stupid breakfast, do your interview and get on with the rest of our day in hopeful peace?"
Mary nodded. "Yes. Yes, we can."
...
"Please, welcome the Dauphin de France and Duke de Anjou, His Royal Highness François and his beautiful bride, Marquise de Moray, Her Ladyship Mary Josephine," the news reporter said as the camera panned over to the couple.
Francis beamed, his hand squeezing Mary's under the desk as she also smiled. They both turned to the interviewer expectantly and Mary couldn't deny that she felt nervous about the whole affair. It was her first public speech of some kind and she felt that the preparation Monsieur Narcisse and her mother had given her wasn't enough.
"May I just say, toutes nos félicitations," the woman, Selena, said. She was going to speak mostly in English, they were told, as it was going to be broadcasted around Europe and English seemed universal enough but the woman still slipped into French for formal reasons such as their names and titles.
"Thank you," Francis said, taking the lead. He was going to be king one day, he had to speak before his beloved despite his dislike for that. She would be just as equal as he was.
"A week and three days until your wedding," Selena said, glancing at the camera. "An event very much looked forward to. The marriage between France and the United Kingdom. I heard that the Marquise was blessed by the Queen of England?"
Francis turned to Mary as she replied, "Yes, I was. She was very happy to see me get engaged to Prince François." Her eyes widened a little. She was supposed to refer to him as the Duke of Anjou. By the squeeze Francis gave her hand, she relaxed. "It is a strong alliance between France and Scotland, hence the United Kingdom overall." France was always mentioned first.
"I am glad," Selena replied. "Tell me, the preparations for the wedding has been very low-key. We have not seen you nor your Bridal Party attending wedding appointments."
"Well, the rehearsal dinner will be two nights before the wedding and the Marquise de Moray and I are very private people," Francis said, showing off an award-winning white smile. "However, expect to see my future wife going to try her dress one last time before the big day, this next coming couple of days."
Selena beamed. "I am excited! We all are!" She said. "There has not been a royal wedding in France since twenty years ago when your parents, King Henry VI de France and Queen Catherine de Italy got married in the Summer. Now, it is just in time for an Autumnal wedding."
"We thought it was time. You can be assured that our wedding will not be the only royal wedding this decade," Francis said charmingly. "My parents did have many children close in age."
"That is true, Your Highness," Selena said. "I talk about us and the King and Queen Catherine, but I did not ask... how are you?"
"I am happy," Francis replied. "More than happy. I am blessed and happy."
Selena turned to Mary. "And you, Your Ladyship?"
"Ecstatic," Mary said softly. "It is not every day you have your dreams come true..." She turned to Francis. "We have known each other since we were five years old and I knew that one day, we would belong to each other."
"That is so sweet," Selena gasped out. "You both truly make an attractive couple. I wish you all the best for your wedding and future."
"Thank you," Mary said.
"Yes, thank you," Francis also added.
Selena smiled and turned to the camera. "We have news that has just come through..."
...
"Duke de Anjou!" Marie cried out. "Is it so hard to say?"
"I-"
"This is not the UK," Marie calmly explained. "Things are done differently in France. Trust me, as a French native, I know."
Mary nodded stiffly. "I apologise."
"This is not a Disney fairytale, Mary," her mother continued. "There is no Prince Charming. Only Francis's siblings may be referred to as princes and princesses unless a person of duke ranking and above refer to him as 'prince' as he is above them as the dauphin replaces his 'duke' title. Even then, he will still be the-"
"Duke of Anjou," Kenna cut her off, pulling a face. "We understand, Aunt Marie! Can we go shopping now?"
"Kenna..." Lola said warningly.
Marie's eyes twitched. "Get out of my sight. All four of you," she snapped, walking away herself.
Mary turned to Kenna. "You cannot be picking fights!"
"Yes, you need to keep low," Greer told her. "I can't believe you slept with a prince and the King!"
"Bash is not a prince," Kenna stated.
"But he is still the King's son," Lola said, shaking her head in disbelief. "Have you no shame?!"
Kenna rolled her eyes. "I regret it, I've signed the NDA so can we please, move on? I need new shoes for our trip to the bridal boutique tomorrow."
Mary sighed heavily and collected her handbag. She gestured for the women to stand and follow her as they left their room quarters. Francis had been pulled away for something so their afternoon was now free, not that anything was planned for them in the first place. It was only Mary who needed to be seen here and there strategically. She had to gain French supporters now.
"Mary!" Francis called her when he spotted her and her friends reach the bottom of the stairs. "I was planning to catch the last race of my brother's tournament. Would you like to accompany me? It would be good publicity for both our parts - the future king and queen attending a horse race. That and horse races are pretty much the only sport the people of France love to bet on. Not even cycling. Oh and if I do say so myself, our football national team are the best in the world. Even when we lose..."
"I hate sports," Mary said.
"Not today you don't," Greer told her. "Would we get to sit in a VIP box?"
Francis chuckled. "You three want to come as well?"
"Might as well," Lola replied. "Everywhere Mary goes, we go."
"Alright, Charlie's Angels," Francis said. "Mary, you're outnumbered."
"Fine," Mary said, sending Kenna an apologetic look. "Let's go."
Francis grinned, linking their arms as her friends followed behind. "Great. And yes, we do get to sit in a VIP couch," he said to Greer. "A lot of friends of Bash and I will be there. I've not been going lately, but they do and perhaps some may catch your eye..."
Greer smiled coyly. "Look at your fiancé, helping us secure our futures," she said before the women giggled.
...
"Ladies," Francis began, pointing towards his group of friends. "Meet Lieutenant Leith Bayard, he served in the French military from age sixteen to twenty. Comte Julien Varga, he also served in the army, reaching the rank of Captaine. And his twin brother, Vicomte Remy, he also reached Captaine."
"Army boys," Greer said in surprise, her eyes landing on Leith. "I am surprised that you'd be friends with army men, Your Highness."
Francis blushed. "Leith is Bash's friend originally. One drunken night years ago, he saved me from getting found out by my parents when the three of us decided to bar hop with fake IDs," he admitted. "But Julien and Remy were two years above me at school and always stopped me from getting bullied. I was a bit shorter than the average kid when I was eight."
"Even though you were a prince?" Lola asked, sharing a smile with Remy.
"I attended a private school and studied under my middle name and title," Francis said. "Simon Anjou."
"God, no wonder you were bullied," Kenna muttered, heading over to the bar. "Your name was Simon."
Francis scowled lightly. "I said they stopped me from getting bullied. I never was actually bullied."
Mary chuckled, rubbing his shoulder. "I am sure you could have defended yourself regardless," she said. "Shall we sit and let them get to know each other properly? I think Bash's race will start in half an hour."
Francis nodded, leading Mary to a seat at the front of the protected box. The windows were tinted and the seats were plush and leather, almost making Mary fall into a deep sleep as she sat down in her seat. She had her feet up and Francis copied, resting his legs on the ottoman in front of him as a waiter presented them with drinks.
"Is anyone joining the VIP box?" Mary asked him, sipping her cocktail.
"I forgot to say. This is the royal VIP box. Platinum experience and all," Francis said. "Only we and our friends are allowed in here. Not even my parents."
"What?"
"I'm joking," Francis said. "About my parents not being allowed. Of course, they are but my mother never comes. She isn't Bash's mother. But my dad does come rarely, now that I think of it."
"How will Bash know we're here? Aren't the windows tinted?"
Francis smirked. "There's this red button that acts like a morse code generator with red coloured light. Five presses mean that I am here and Bash can see it on top of the box, just outside. I think I'll hold off on pressing it as I want to surprise him."
Mary smiled. "What a lovely idea."
At the bar, Julien joined Kenna and ordered her another drink just as she finished hers. She turned to him in surprise and accepted the next drink, taking a sip from it.
"So, what is your name?"
Kenna turned to him, then eyed Lola with Remy and Greer with Leith before turning back to Julien. "My name is... Pandora."
"Pandora?" Julien asked in confusion.
Kenna smirked. "As in, I am a Pandora's box. Open me and you'll be in for a lot."
"I only asked for your name out of courtesy," Julien admitted. "I know who you are."
"I am only here for the drinks," Kenna said. "I am not into horses."
Julien snorted. "Three months ago, in this very box after Bash won his seventeenth gold, we did research into Mary and her friends."
"Oh, just as curious as women," Kenna said, turning away from him. "Go on, what did you find out about me?"
"You're a comtessa. The third child of a Scottish duke and first child of your mother. Your birthday is a day before the Marquise's in January and that puts you both a month older than Francis. You have three brothers and two sisters. Oh, and you are into horses."
Kenna sipped her drink and turned to face him. "Basic things. Everyone knows that about me-"
"You have a tattoo on your right bum cheek."
Kenna smirked. "Of what?"
"A purple rose."
"I never show my arse to just anyone," Kenna told him. "I don't go public with swimwear photos or holiday pictures... So, how did you find that out?"
Julien froze. "Uh..."
"You know, don't you?" Kenna asked, leaning closer to him. "I should have guessed. Men do share stories about the women they slept with."
"I didn't mean to insult you, Comtessa," Julien quickly said as she got off her barstool. "We found him out of focus this morning during his training session. No woman has ever made him feel like that before. Not even Ro-"
"Julien, Mckenna," Francis called them. "Come and sit, they are doing the dressage round."
Kenna narrowed her eyes and shook her head. "Stay away from me, please," she requested softly before joining Francis and Mary.
She sat on Mary's left as Greer and Lola also took seats on her left side. From the corner of her eye, she saw Julien join his twin brother and Leith on Francis's right.
"He's debuting Oakley!" Leith cried out. "Could he take any more risks these days?"
Francis turned to Leith in confusion but didn't bring it up as he reached out for Mary's hand. He smiled when she took it and they both turned to where the judges were going over to Bash to inspect his horse before the race. Blue and gold. The colours of his family. He hoped the judges wouldn't be biased and this would be fair. After their father's stunt last night, Francis hoped it wouldn't affect the results.
...
"Silver," Francis said, eyes wide.
"Bash has never got silver before," Leith said. "He's not even got bronze! It's only ever been a winning streak of gold."
"At least he won the dressage?" Mary tried.
Francis winced. "After you win seventeen times and come second, nothing matters. Dressage is only a courtesy award."
"He's coming upstairs!" Greer announced as they all quickly rearranged themselves to look casual.
The door opened and Bash entered, eyeing them all suspiciously before heading to the bar for a drink already waiting for him. He sipped it and turned to face everyone.
"That was a close race, wasn't it?" Kenna said, looking up from her phone.
"Kenna!" Lola whisper-yelled.
"What?" Kenna asked, turning to Bash. "I do admit, the judges were biased but you lost out on gold by one point. It was a split decision."
Francis walked over to Bash. "You can easily contest it. You deserved that gold."
Bash frowned, placing his drink down. "What are you all on?"
"Pardon?"
"You're treating this as if one of my horses died," Bash told them. "It was on purpose."
Francis blinked. "Wh-What?"
"I used Oakley on purpose. I lost on purpose. I was getting bored of winning all the time," Bash said, shrugging. "So I threw the match. And lost some wealthy men a few thousand euros whilst I did so."
Leith started laughing. "Only a prince gets bored of winning all the time," Leith said.
Bash scowled, turning to Francis. "That was why you saw me training with Oakley yesterday. I needed to make sure he'll be stubborn enough for me to lose. I was half-expecting bronze if I'm honest."
"Congratulations?" Mary said, confused.
"Thank you," Bash told her happily. "Why are you guys here? I thought you had your interview?"
"Some big political drama came up so it was rushed," Francis said. "So we came here for the last race which you admitted to deliberately sabotaging yourself."
Bash chuckled, sipping his drink. "I'm bored. I want to go onto the next thing."
"Which is?" Julien asked, coming up to the bar with Leith and Remy.
Bash cleared his throat. "Marriage."
Francis almost spat his drink out. "I told you-"
"Fine," Bash quickly said. "You were right."
He looked over at Kenna and saw her scrutinise him. He didn't expect her to be here, nor did he expect Francis as well. His life was full of surprises lately and he gave his friends and brother a warm smile.
"I need to think about my future and what it holds for me," he said. "Especially as you're getting married soon..."
"Well, we can work on that," Francis told him. "For now, we might as well celebrate your not-so win."
Bash smirked. "I don't know about you gentlemen and ladies, but I need some shots."
"Now, we're talking!" Leith replied.
...
Mary was surprised. When they returned to the chateau, without the other men, she could feel the effects of the alcohol working on her. She never knew that Francis could drink so much, let alone be easily encouraged to drink. Weren't they supposed to be sensible and restrict themselves of this nature?
"Is that how it always is?" Mary asked him as she used him a crutch. Her friends fared better than her although Lola was out of her wits as well as Michel and another guard guided them to their quarters.
"That was nothing," Francis replied lightly. "You should be there when he actually wins first place."
Mary groaned. "Dear God," she muttered. "I never knew my liver could hold that much. I feel for the cleaners of the ladies' bathroom."
Francis laughed. "We're not all uptight like my father and mother are," he told her. "We do let out hair down. I do admit, Leith and the twins are bad influences but I am glad I have them in my life. I'd be boring."
Mary turned to him with a smile. "I can understand that. Kenna parties all day and all night long when we're home in Scotland. She and the other girls are like my sisters."
"You don't talk about your half-brother."
"There's nothing to say about him," Mary said gently. "We don't get along."
Francis frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that."
She waved it off. "It's nothing."
They arrived at the guest quarters and Mary bid her friends 'goodnight' before following Michel and Francis to Francis's rooms. She now had a spare set of clothes so an occurrence like this morning didn't happen tomorrow.
"I need to see my mother about something but you get ready for bed and I will join you very soon," Francis told her, kissing her and then walking back down the hall just as she reached his door.
She looked over at Michel. "So, you follow him everywhere?"
Michel nodded. "My father was his security guard when he was born. I took over five years ago when he became Head of Security," he explained. "Now, I follow you."
Mary gave him a soft smile. "Do you follow him to clubs and the like?"
Michel nodded. "I even make most stories disappear."
"Like what?"
Michel paused. "You know the club scene," was his reply.
Mary didn't know. She suspected that Kenna and Greer did, but her mother was too strict to let her be subjected to clubbing. "No, tell me."
"Your Ladyship-"
"I know that Francis has probably been with other girls, that doesn't hurt me because I've also dated a few guys in the past before now... But does he do anything that I need to be concerned about?"
"Like what?"
"You tell me."
Michel sighed. "Drugs?"
"Yes," Mary said. "From what I saw today, he's good at hiding things. He probably has to with parents like King Henry and Queen Catherine. Does he do them?"
"Once or twice with the Varga twins," Michel admitted. "There were pictures - I made them disappear."
"Do I have to be wary of them? And Leith Bayard?"
Michel shook his head. "They were men who served in the war. Even the Baron did at one point but he was excused when his mother was sent to South Africa. They used drugs to get over their painful memories from their time in deployment."
Mary's eyebrows raised. "Bash was in the Army?"
"Yes, many men of nobility join the French Military Service," Michel said. "I did before I took this job. Although, Francis wasn't allowed to as heir to the throne. Anything could happen to the King's precious son."
"Are you telling me the truth?"
"I can't lie. I can twist the truth, but I can't lie."
Mary blinked. "Are you twisting the truth for me?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Marchioness Mary, the Valoises are powerful people. You need to be as guarded and hardened like the rest of them if you are joining their family. You're meeting Francis's sisters tomorrow. Do not let them break you," Michel said, opening the door for her. "My father knew yours. Before he died, my father promised to take care of you when he was stationed in Scotland. Things happened, he ended up in France and married my mother, in turn adopting me. Now, you're here and we will protect you."
Mary swallowed deeply. "I... I'm too drunk for this," she said quietly. "C-Can you find me tomorrow when I am free? We need to talk about this."
"Of course," Michel said, helping her inside. "Have a good night. I am off now, but there are two guards stationed in the next two minutes."
Mary nodded. "Thank you," she whispered, watching him leave and close the door behind him.
She was so surprised. She already knew about their power in France, but Michel had made it seem more unnerving than ever. Could there be a coup? Mary doubted it, this was the twenty-first century. The last revolution was during Napoleon III times.
She shook her head and turned, gasping when she found a woman standing there. She wore a maid's outfit and she wasn't the most attractive woman in the world. The woman seemed surprised at Mary's realisation that she wasn't alone.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Mary demanded gently, wincing as pain shot through her head. Damn her lack to reject alcohol.
"I-I am sorry. I never meant to... The Dauphin was busy last night so I couldn't..."
"Who are you?"
The woman seemed distressed. "He told me to come tonight. We need to speak. I need to see him, it's important."
Mary was alarmed. Was this one of Francis's former girlfriends? But she was not what men would usually go for... "Who are you?"
"Who are you?"
Mary rolled her eyes mentally. "The Marchioness of Moray, Mary Stuart-de Guise," Mary replied. "Francis's future wife." She held out her ring hand and showed the woman the ring.
The woman sighed in relief. "I'm Clarissa," the woman said. "Francis is my..."
"Your what?" Mary asked fearfully.
"Doesn't matter," Clarissa said softly. "I had some news for him. We're friends, you see. I was going to tell him today but I will leave you to your peace."
Before Mary could speak, Clarissa left and she sat down in confusion. Everything wasn't making sense. Michel, Clarissa, Bash being in the bloody army for some reason... This family had a bunch of secrets and she wasn't sure how she felt about that.
Sighing, she got ready for bed and waited for Francis.
...
Mary sat down at the table and watched as her friends picked and piled their plates full of food. She felt like throwing up, the effects of her hangover still present. She heard Kenna laugh at her.
"No crushed avocado and egg on toast?" She teased her. "It's your favourite."
"Shut up, Kenna," Mary snapped lightly before releasing a smile. "Francis was right as rain this morning. How can you guys do this every day?"
Greer shrugged, sipping her tea. "My liver gave up on telling me what to do a long time ago, love. Hey, I believe we are being joined by Elisabeth, Margaret and Claude?"
Mary nodded. "Elisabeth and Margaret are twins - eleven months younger than Francis. Claude is their younger sister, ten months younger than them. Dear God, I can't imagine popping out human beings so close to each other like that."
"I can't imagine you popping out human beings period," Lola said.
"Yes, with a figure like hers, who would want to ruin that?" Kenna added.
Mary tutted. "You do realise what it means to be the future queen, right? I will need to provide Francis with issues," she said, rubbing her head. "Two should do it, right?"
"No, more like nine," Greer told her. "Queen Catherine will be sure to sing your praises. Make it ten."
The women giggled and Mary looked up to see her mother enter with Michel and another guard. Her eyes met Michel's and she quickly glanced away and began eating her breakfast as her mother took a seat.
"Late, are we, Aunt Marie?" Kenna said teasingly.
Marie glared at her. "Do not test me, child."
Mary rolled her eyes and continued to eat. "Will you be joining us, Mother?"
"If you read your itineraries, you'd find out that no, I will not be joining you," Marie replied. "Too busy getting drunk with bastards and Army clowns, were we?"
The younger women dropped their cutlery and turned to Marie in shock, annoyance or fear. Marie looked at their reactions and nodded, taking a sip from her coffee.
"Show them the newspaper," she said to Michel.
Michel handed Mary a newspaper of the 'French Times' and she gasped when she saw the headline.
'Alcoholic Future Queen'
"Oh, my God," she whispered, showing the girls the newspaper as she covered her face.
"'The future Queen of France and her betrothed, His Royal Highness, the Duke of Anjou, were seen acting shockingly at the French Equestrian Games Association yesterday morning. It seems that our future monarchs are day drinkers with no respect for the public. They were joined by the Dauphin's close friends, Comte & Vicomte Varga, Lieutenant Bayard and seventeen-time champion of the FEGA, Laurent Avoné as well as the Scottish ladies, Comtessa de Barton, Lady Seton-Norwood and Lady Flemming. Is this who will be making decisions for our country in the future? Drunk, party people? It is obviously the influence of the Scots. The Scots must go.'," Greer read. She turned the newspaper around. "There's a lovely picture of you both groping each other and a lot of PDA."
Mary got up and threw up in the nearest potted plant. "We're in so much trouble."
"These pictures were photoshopped," Michel said, turning to Marie. "I was there. There was no shocking behaviour. Yes, their party were drinking and celebrating but the PDA was strictly prohibited."
Marie nodded curtly. "Is this true?" She asked Lola.
Lola nodded firmly. "We were waiting for the cars to arrive. And as you can clearly see, the writers have made the pictures very grainy to hide the fact that they doctored the pictures."
"The King and Queen won't believe that," Marie said, shaking her head. "Michel, can-"
"I find out the people who wrote this and confront them?" Michel finished for her. "Yes, yes I can."
He gave Mary a look and at that point, Mary knew what this was. This was to tarnish her name. Perhaps it was Queen Catherine. She acted cordially but only when necessary. Perhaps she didn't like Mary more than she was letting on.
"As you are going to the boutique appointment today, I have asked the best to follow you," Michel said. "That and he will hold any shopping that you may buy."
Kenna grinned. "That's nice. And he's attractive as well-"
"Avert your eyes, Countess," Lola teased her.
"Fabian, these lovely ladies are in your hands now," Michel said to him. "I will get to the bottom of this newspaper article. Enjoy your day, ladies."
He left and Mary returned to her seat, taking a sip of water. She didn't know what was going to happen. She was embarrassed enough and she should probably cancel today's plan.
"Ignore the newspaper," her mother finally said. "Focus on the dress fitting. I will have a photographer to take pictures of you that we can spin into good publicity. Apparently, Monsieur Narcisse is good with things like this. I hope we do not have to pay that security guard extra for his efforts on catching who wrote the slander."
Mary nodded obediently. "Yes, Mother."
"Just... try and enjoy today. And no more drinking with random men."
"They are not random men," Greer said. "They are the Dauphin's close friends and his half-brother."
Marie cleared her throat. "Ah, yes. The Baron. Stay away from him too. I've heard that he likes the company of women too much."
"Is that a bad thing?" Kenna asked, licking some yoghurt from her teaspoon. "He's a good man. Very friendly and interesting."
"You are just saying that because you were all over him at the engagement party," Marie replied. "Mary, darling, just do not get yourself in any more unfavourable situations. I wouldn't want a love triangle on my hands."
Mary almost choked. "There won't be."
"Oh, not with you," her mother said, waving her hand as she slid her reading glasses on to the top of her head. "Your ladies. I know that Mckenna is prone to ménages à trois. They could blow onto you and leave you in a shitstorm."
Mary sighed, leaning back in her seat. "I can assure you that Kenna hasn't slept with anyone since we've arrived."
Kenna rolled her eyes. "Yes, I have not slept with anyone since I have arrived in France," she said. She did sign an NDA and the other man didn't want to pursue her. Technically, she was in the clear.
"Good," Marie said with a smile. "Cheer up, ladies. We won't back down easily. We're fighters, we will take everything that France throws at us in our strides."
Mary smiled. "We will."
When her mother looked away, her smile disappeared and she stared at the ring on her finger. She sure hoped that she could be able to deal with all of this drama in her life.
