AN: First of all sorry for needing so much time to actually write this chapter here. To be honest, I spent half of my summer holidays rewriting all the chapters which I already wrote and posted in here and I didn't know how to start this one, until I had a faint idea how to continue with this story one morning and began writing this chapter here. I'm sorry for the long delay and I hope you can forgive me. Enjoy the chapter though and feel free to leave a review. Your reviews really encourage me to keep this story updated.
Disclaimer: I do not own 'Reign' or our Queen would have gotten a lot more of screen time, besides I also don't make any profit out of this story.
Enjoy the reading.
Chapter 11
After the dinner, which went wonderful once again, even Francis and Mary got a bit used to Henry eating with the whole family again.
Catherine only remembered one time before Henry's sudden change of behavior where he did ate with them, and this was when Francis was still a very young boy and when Mary was on her first visit to the castle. Now Catherine, Henry and the children, including little Hercule, were walking to the children's bedrooms.
The Children were tired and generally drained after this long and eventful day, the signs of the children's exhaustion were also beginning to show themselves. So Henry offered to carry Hercule in one arm and Margot in the other while Catherine held the hands of her two boys Charles and Henri.
"I think it's time for you kids to go to bed" Catherine chuckled as she saw Hercule and Margot in Henry's arm yawn.
"No! We're-" a yawn interrupted Henri before he could finish
"Ok maybe."
"Henry could you take the boys to their room while I take Margot to her's and bring Hercule to the nursery?"
"Of course Catherine." Henry nodded and gave Little Hercule and Margot to Catherine while he picked Charles and Henri up and began heading toward their room.
"Now let's get you to bed" Catherine smiled at Margot and Hercule as she took them to their rooms.
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"These ones are your rooms correct?" Henry questioned as he opened the door, it was a long time ago since he bought his children to bed.
"Yeah" Charles responded sounding already half asleep.
He placed the two on their respective beds and was about to give little Henri a kiss on his forehead when he felt his hand being tugged.
"Papa?" Charles was out of his bed again.
"Yes my dear" Henry responded to Charles, already having a hint of what the boy could want.
"Could you,uh, possibly tell us one last story about you and mama?" Charles asked, his eyes full of hope.
"Yeah papa, you promised us to tell us one when we go to bed. Margot isn't here but I'm sure she wouldn't mind." Henri added.
"I-" Henry first hesitated
"Do you not want to tell us one ?" Charles and Henri questioned.
"Oh I do want to tell you one, I just need to think of one which isn't too long" Henry responded, feeling a bit bad that he first hesitated.
"How about one when your mother and I were at our first ball?" Henry smiled watching Charles rolling into Henri's bed.
"Yeah! could you please tell us this one?" Charles gave his puppy dog eyes.
"Okay, but only if it'll make you my two boys go to sleep" he smiled at his boys and sat on the edge of Henri's bed.
"So it all happened a very long time ago, your mother and I were only teenagers at this time. We were not married yet but it all happened a few weeks before our actual wedding ceremony.." Henry began, His voice was different than their mother's, deeper but just as comforting, his two boys started listening to every single word he said.
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The chandeliers looked like glittering diamonds, suspended above their heads as if by magic. Their gleams were reflected in the eyes of the dancers as they floated across the ballroom, looking as if their dreams had finally become reality.
Catherine struggled to control her excitement, her heart threatening to burst out of her chest and gallop the circumference of the ballroom twice over.
She took a deep breath and exhaled. No, today she would be calm. She would be a lady.
Her fingers smoothed down the front of her dress, trailing the blue chiffon that gathered under the bust, and fell down in an elegant sheath over her body. Her hair was swept up, tendrils escaping and curling artfully above the capped sleeves of her dress.
The song changed, something sweet and upbeat -How is it my love, Henry thought, and an idea came to his mind. He smiled, wide and toothy.
He watched his soon-to-be-wife the whole night long, humming to the music but nobody asked her to dance yet, however he could see in her eyes that she desperately wanted to dance. He knew she loved music and dancing in particular. So he decided to go to her and ask her for one dance. Henry himself liked dancing too, he didn't do it often but he did like it.
"Catherine, do you dance?"
Catherine seemed a bit shocked, maybe surprised? a second later, she turned to him, a surprised little smile on her face, her eyes shining like the stars in the night sky. She didn't say yes though, she just looked at him seeming very pleased.
"Ah, Catherine, it's fun! And this is such a lovely song, you know," Henry said, gesticulating with his hands until he came a step closer to her, taking a loose strand of hair with his finger.
"Mmhmm," Catherine hummed, still not saying yes.
Well, that won't do! Henry huffed, bounded over and tugged on his beloved's arm.
"It is! Let me show you! Please, won't you honor me with one quick dance, Caterina?"
Puppy eyes didn't work on Catherine, but a slinky smile, smoldering eyes, and her actual birth name did, besides he loved calling her by her birth name.
Henry amped up the charm as he remained bowed, extending a hand in invitation.
Catherine turned back to the several dishes before her, but her cheeks had started to flush a pretty pink. It was working.
"I'm busy." She said.
"Yes, yes, choosing what you want to eat and then keep watching people dance. You want to dance too, I see it in your eyes Caterina."
"It's stupid."
"So are all the best things in life."
Catherine scowled daggers in Henry's direction. "You're not going to quit, are you?"
"Never!" Henry chirped.
There was a pause as the two stared at each other. At last, Catherine's shoulders drooped. Henry's soul sang with victory.
"Fine," Catherine mumbled, faking that she wasn't happy that he kept asking her. She took Henry's outstretched hand, and Henry gave the warm, well formed fingers a reassuring squeeze.
Catherine's expression remained hard and distant as Henry gently pulled her to the dance floor, drew her close, until he could see the light flush that betrayed Catherine's nerves. Henry carefully rearranged their hands until they were in correct form; he could feel Catherine's other hand squeezing Henry's arm tightly, like she was bracing for impact. His sweet Italian friend could be so shy.
"Follow my lead," Henry said, his voice quieter but no less warm.
Catherine gave a short, sharp nod of her head as if to say get on with it , but what Henry knew to mean I will follow where you go - because that was always what it came down to in the end with them, wasn't it?
To heaven, to hell, to anywhere in the world - as long as they were together, always.
Henry started slow, allowing Catherine to watch and copy his movements. It was the french way of waltz they danced so Catherine didn't knew it that well, but she was sharp and quick to learn. After only some minor fumbling (and it took all of Henry's self-control not to break into the widest grin at the sight of Catherine frowning in concentration as she learned the steps), they moved in tandem, sweeping across the large and elegant ballroom.
"See? You're a natural," Henry murmured with a warm laugh as they twirled.
Catherine hummed at the compliment. "You've done this before."
"Many times," Henry agreed.
Catherine's finger tightened on Henry's arm again, and this time Henry didn't fight back his smile and his overlapping feelings, he knew Catherine saw him only as a friend and he did it too at first but he couldn't hold all of those feelings which threatened to overflow him back, not since the one night at the balcony a few weeks prior, he loved her even if she saw him only as a friend as for now.
He leaned in close, brushed his lips against Catherine's cheek in a phantom kiss.
"But never with a partner as beautiful as my fiancé~"
Catherine huffed, but her fingers relaxed their ironclad grip. Henry knew it was the reassurance of where his affections lie, not the flattery, that soothed his beloved. For one who seems so unattached, Catherine's jealousy ran as deep as Henry's, a fact that never failed to darkly please him.
The song came to an end, and they slowed to a halt in the middle of the room. Their hands still entwined, neither moved to part from the other. Instead, Catherine drew herself closer until their cheeks pressed together, and Henry went lightheaded, his face burning.
"Not so bad, right?" Henry chattered, laughing breathlessly, nervously.
Catherine pulled back an inch, wine-stained eyes half-lidded, soft around the edges.
"Not so bad."
Henry all but purrs and leaned in to nuzzle against Catherine's neck. He pressed a kiss to her pale neck, delighted when Catherine shivered, and drew Henry in closer.
There was a whole crowd watching them, one that would surely whisper how much in love the two finally were- but Henry had all the world he needed right here, right now.
It was still a strange consept to grasp but the boys were already getting used to having another parent there with them.
"And after this I still believed that your mother saw me as just a very good friend. Luckily it all changed but this is a story for another time."
Henry finished still reliving a part of his refreshed memories.
"I thought you said that would make you go to bed" he fake coughed and looked over to Charles trying to seem as he didn't get into the story.
Charles went to his bed, and Henry tucked him in once again.
Little Henri was fast asleep, Henry's voice was so calming that he fell asleep midway through the story.
"I'm like half asleep now…." Charles responded as he was struggling to keep his eyes open.
"I just … wanted to say. You and mama should get along like this more often *yawn* and I'm glad that I have you as my papa…" and with that finally sentence Charles fell asleep. He was really just trying to hold on long enough to say that.
Henry was a bit shocked to hear those words from his son but even more pleased and happy. He slowly and silently went to the door, looking back to the now sleeping boys before closing the door.
His life really had changed. From a King who didn't take time for his children because he rather spent time with his mistresses and whores to a man who still was a king but tried to be a better husband and father for his own family. His personal life also changed a lot.
From solitude in that castle of his to living with his family who are sweet ,wild, and full of joy. He finally gave his children the attention he, as a child, never really got.
He swore himself when he was a lot younger that he never wanted to become like his father and only now did he realize that he was on a good way to become like him before his change of behavior three weeks ago.
'Who'd ever believe a story like that'
He gave a brief huff before leaving to make his way to the Margot's rooms and the nursery.
Catherine gave her youngest son a kiss on his forehead, whispering a 'I love you' and 'Good night my angel' to him before tucking him in and stroking his hair one last time before he fell asleep.
With slow steps the Queen of France went out of the Royal nursery into the rooms of her youngest daughter which where luckily attached to the nursery.
"Now did all the walking wake you up? Do you need something to make you fall asleep again? " Catherine asked her daughter with a smile.
"Yeah I guess I'm still tired so that's a good thing" Margot gave a giggle before getting into her bed.
"Ok...soo..how do you feel about a lullaby? I mean I know you might be a little too old but " Catherine sat on the edge of Margot's bed.
"YES please mama!" Margot smiled. She loved lullabies,and with the soft and calming voice of her mother, it was the best mixture to fall asleep. She had heard her mother sing it to the boys when they were slightly younger than now and she had to admit, since the first time she heard it, she loved that lullaby.
"Bask in the light of all those stars above ~"
It was different. The tune was still the same and her mothers voice was still beautiful but she didn't understand why the lyrics changed,
"Aren't they wonderful? Imagine the adventures~"
This was nice. It felt special.
"Face each new sun filled with peace and love ~
And let your fears just fade away
Cause,my darling girl you'll save the day~"
This song was her's . Not the boy's. A song made for Margot.
It was a good thing that her mother wasn't directly looking at her because if she was, she'd see the tears that had formed in Margot's eyes from the happiness.
"You know my sweetheart… I wrote that part of the song down after I came here to France,when I realized that someday when I would have children, I wanted to sing it to them…" Catherine smiled and looked back to Margot who's eyes were starting to close and who still had tears in her eyes.
"I love you mama-thank you mama. You are the best and I am so glad to have you as my mama" Margot turned over to look into her mothers eyes and Catherine couldn't help but smile.
Margot chucked
"I love you too my darling" Catherine smiled and began to stroke her daughters hair, until she fell asleep.
In the meantime Henry had made his way to Margot's chambers and stood in the doorway to listen to Catherine's beautiful voice, he had recognised her voice as soon as her heard it from a faint distance.
When Catherine finished her lullaby for Margot and the little girl was fast asleep, she stood up from the child's bed to leave the room and saw her husband's tall and smiling figure standing in the doorway. She couldn't help but feel a bit shocked even though her expression changed after a minute into a slight smile. She hated how her body betrayed herself as soon as she was near her husband..
"How long were you standing there?~" she asked, walking towards the exit of the room.
"Oh, not that long, I came when you were in the middle of the lullaby, I didn't hear you sing for a long time, you have such a wonderful voice Catherine" Henry answered, smiling faintly.
"You just weren't there when I sang lullabies to our other children Henry, you preferred to stay out of the parenting side…or you were distracted with other things. In the last years I sang for every one of our children lullabies. You just never heard them. And that brings me to the question why are you doing all of this now? What changed that you suddenly care when you didn't care for the last decade and a half.." She couldn't stop herself from saying it...even if it hurt her and her husband.
She looked at her husband, who had a guilty look on his face now.
At first nobody said anything, they just looked at each other, Catherine waiting patently for an answer.
"Because…" Henry finally stammered, he felt like this teenage boy he once was again.
"Because what Henry?!"
AN: Kind of a Cliffhanger? Well stay tuned to see what comes next. What will Henry say and how will Catherine react? Do you have a idea, let me know. Besides that feel free to leave any sort of review if it's criticism or any other thing. Let me know.
Thank you for still being here and again, I'm so sorry for only posting now. I hope you are all save and healthy.