Chapter 13

It takes so much courage and love for a man to marry the woman he love and what a dream it is for a woman to marry the man of her dreams. And for Mary, she was living the dream. A dream that was gradually turning into a nightmare if Catherine continued controlling every aspect of her wedding.

"I want the ceremony to take place at Chateau Challain," She said. She wasn't enthusiastic about Francis marrying Mary but if it was what her son truly wanted, she would put up a façade.

"Absolutely not," Henry protested. Dinner with the Valois' always took the term family dinner to a whole new level. "They're getting married at a church. I'm thinking maybe St. Joseph's"

"Henry, you need to contact one of the priests six months in advance." Catherine countered.

"Then we'll find another church!"

"Or maybe we can compromise," Francis cut in. When imagining planning his wedding, he didn't imagine his parents fighting and taking control over it. "Have the wedding at a church and just the reception in Chateau Challain. What do you think, Mary?"

He turned to look at Mary who by this time started drifting her thoughts elsewhere.

"I was actually hoping that the ceremony could take place in Scotland," She said in a soft voice. "St Andrew's Church, preferably."

"Scotland?" Catherine repeated, as if the idea was a horrendous thought. "My dear, majority of your guest will come from France, not Scotland."

"And who said you could invite anyone without my consent?" Mary asked her voice louder this time.

"Enough," Henry's voice was stern enough for the both of them to stop and turn to him. "I've talked to your father; he agrees that the wedding should be here in France."

"What?" Mary asked, confused. "When did you talk to my father?"

"Earlier today." Henry answered.

Mary got an eerie feeling knowing that Henry and her father talked more than her father and herself.

"If that's the case, then we should really start picking a church." Francis said. His hand giving Mary's a reassuring squeeze.

"Moreover, when do you plan on getting married?" Catherine asked, after giving an eye roll at her husband. "Have you set a date yet?"

"No but –"

"We want it to be a summer wedding," Mary interrupted Francis. She wanted – needed her voice to be heard amidst the Valois house.

"Around June next year, then?" Catherine asked for conformation.

"Yes," She nodded

"That's too far," Henry commented, "Why not have it in December? It'll be a winter wonderland thing." He said with the enthusiasm of a snowman in summer.

"But that's too soon!" Francis protested. "It's almost October."

"Francis, your mother and I got married after three weeks of engagement," Henry said, and Mary turned to glance at Catherine who didn't seem bothered by the sudden recollection of their past.

"Henry, let them do what they want," Catherine said in a motherly tone. This was so unusual that everyone else seemed taken aback by it. "It's their wedding."

"Yes and that's why it will be Mary and I who have the final word." Francis declared.

Xxx

"Well, that went well." Francis said to Mary as they enter his room.

"Well?" She mimicked in exasperation. "There's blood in my mouth from every time I've had to bite my tongue trying to keep my cool with them."

Francis gave her a look, "You tried to keep your cool?" He asked, cynical, but with the look Mary gave him, Francis nodded and tried not to smile at her cute glare.

"It's not funny," She said, noticing his expression. She walked towards him and before she could get close, he already had his arms around her waist. "I want our wedding to be about us. Not them. Not the business. Just us."

"It will be," He assured, cheeks dimpled but with the hint of seriousness.

Mary felt that certain rush of contentment and happiness. This was where she was supposed to be, even though she was miles away from home, because in truth, Francis was her home. She belonged to him and he belonged to her.

Xxx

"What do you think?" Mary asked as she looked at herself in a full length mirror.

After a week of trying her best not to wrap her hands around Catherine's neck, Mary finally had a chance to relax with her friends, who traveled to France to help her pick a dress. The store was closed just for them.

"Too many embroideries," Kenna commented, without even eyeing the dress for that long. Her eyes and hands too busy with her mobile.

"Plus, it's not even white!" Lola said.

Mary wore a floor length champagne pink chiffon dress with embroideries and jewels on it. She turned in front of the mirror and tried to look at the back of the gown.

"It hurts my eyes," Aylee said simply from a tablet Greer was holding. She was back in Scotland, too tired to flight out to France because of her physical therapy. Thank goodness for modern technology, though. "Pretty though,"

"Pretty but too many embroideries," Greer agreed with Kenna's previous comment.

"Mary, why would you pick a dress that's not pink?" Lola asked.

"I don't know," She admitted, "Trying to be different?" She offered.

"Or trying to disobey Mrs. Valois and her mother," Kenna whispered, still not glancing up from her phone.

"I heard that," Mary said, turning to her friend and giving her a soft glare before stepping off the small platform she was standing on. "Who are you texting?" Kenna just shrugged her shoulders not saying anything. "I'm going to try another one." She said, pushing the issue off, before vanishing into one of the dressing rooms.

"I hate that I'm not there," Aylee said.

"It's perfectly understandable, Aylee," Lola replied, looking at her friend on screen. "Besides, you'll be here on the wedding day, right?"

"Of course," She smiled. It was an empty promise. Everyone knew that.

The soft laugh that Kenna let out made the rest of them turn to her.

"Okay, who are you texting?" Lola asked sternly.

"No one," Kenna replied, "And stop pestering me about it. It's just a friend."

"A friend that can make you blush like you had too much sun?" Greer asked.

"Even I can see your blush, Kenna." Aylee commented, which was really saying something considering she was on a screen.

"What do you think?" Mary asked – making them all turn to her, leaving the mystery person Kenna was texting in the shadows for now – as she stepped out of the dressing room, she tried her best not to smile too much but the dress she wore was everything.

It was an ivory bustier style dress with long lace sleeves and a bateau neckline. It hugged her in all the right places but was still classy and conservative.

Mary felt like a princess in that dress.

"Mary, you look amazing." Greer said in awe. The rest of them were in awe as she stepped on to the platform to admire the dress.

"It's beautiful." Lola said, her smile showed no lies.

"I think we just found Mary's wedding dress." Kenna declared.

Mary was too consumed by her reflection to hear the rest of her friend's conversation.

She looked beautiful and the dress looked fantastic. This was it. This was the dress. This was the dress she would marry the love of her life in. Her body felt like lightning, burning with passion and heated desire for the man she was going to marry.

Xxx

"I have good news for you," Narcisse told Henry in his office. "Someone bought the stocks that the board members were selling. I feel that the people trust the company again. Won't be long until the corporation is back to its old health. "

"Of course, my good man." Henry replied, smugness in his voice. "With the Stuart's good reputation people are bound to see that we are a trustable company. Especially now, with my son's wedding to Mary Stuart." He smirked, "Anyways, who's our new investor?"

"Some ridiculously wealthy woman from England," Narcisse said casually, but instantly caught Henry's ear it the mentions of 'wealthy' and 'England'. "Mary Tudor, I believe is her name."

"Tudor?" Henry asked, but of course he knew the name. The Tudors were a rich and well known family. They owned several companies in England and abroad. The fact worried Henry. "How much stock did we sell to the Tudors?"

"Just a small percent," Narcisse now was intrigued with the sudden edge in Henry's voice at the mention of Mary Tudor. "But according to the reports I got, she bought it double the price. Why?"

"Just curios." Lie. "I need to know the shareholders of my company." Lying was easy for a man like Henry Valois.

The Valois once tried to offer a partnership with the Tudors but Mary Tudor refused, saying that the company was going downhill but now, she bought stocks in the Valois Corporation and was now a shareholder.

What was she planning?

Xxx

"I found the perfect dress today." Mary mentioned to Francis over the phone.

She was on her way to a restaurant with her friends for lunch. Her friends were staying in one of the hotels the Valois' managed. She didn't want them staying with the Valois – most especially Catherine – she cared too much about her friends to let them be under Catherine's word.

"Oh, did you?" He asked, his voice light. He was out with Bash, what they were doing unknown to Mary but she trusted him.

"It's lovely, I can't wait for you to see it," She replied. He could hear the grin in her voice.

"About the date," She could hear the hesitation in his voice. "We need to talk about that."

"Francis, what is it?" She asked, nervously.

"Father is relentless," He said, "He wants us to get married in December and my mother is actually on his side this time. I don't think we actually have a choice now."

"Oh," Was the only thing Mary could say.

"I think they actually booked a church now," He said, "I think it was the same church I was baptized at and the reception is going to be held at Chateau Challain. Mary, I'm sorry but please. I know everything is moving quickly but we are getting married, so why not just go with my parents plans? We still have a say in the planning. It's just this one thing. Mary, please. Say something."

"Okay," She breathed out in reply.

But, something Francis said caught Mary's attention.

Why didn't she want to get married sooner? She loved Francis. Maybe it was the thought of giving the thing her family has worked all their lives for to someone else on a silver platter.

Xxx

"What are we doing, brother?" Bash asked Francis as he watched his brother continue to browse in a jewelry shop. They've been there for the past thirty minutes and people were starting to give them a strange look.

"I'm looking for a present for Mary," Francis explained, eyeing a necklace from one of the cases inside the shop. "I think she's too stressed about the preparations for the wedding and I think I should give her something to say thank you, you know, for tolerating our family."

"But mostly Catherine?" Bash teased.

"Yes, mostly." He admitted, "But still, our family."

"Of course."

Francis continued to look around until he found a silver chain with a teardrop charm on it.

"Do you think she'll like this?" He turned to look at Bash, who was looking down on his phone, typing away. "And who are you texting? Your eyes have been glued to your phone since we got here."

Bash glanced at him with a cheeky grin, "None of your business. It doesn't matter." He said before putting his phone in his coat. "And I don't know if Mary will like that, because, I don't know her taste – but seeing as she is marrying you, I'm questioning her taste."

"Bash, I'm serious," Francis said, "I don't want Mary to feel pressured about this whole thing. I want her to know that I'm still on her side."

"By showering her with expensive jewelry?"

"Yes." He nodded.

Xxx

"So, how are you and Francis?" Greer asked Mary while they all sat at a restaurant in Paris for lunch.

"We're fine," She replied with a confident smile.

"Fine how?" Kenna asked, "Have you done it?"

"It?" Lola repeated as Mary blushed, "What are we, in eight grade?"

"Sorry, but look at her," She said, pointing at Mary, "She's blushing like a little girl."

"Um, Kenna. We're fine," Mary said, trying to control the heat in her cheeks.

"You didn't sound fine when you were on the phone with him," Lola commented.

"It's nothing," Mary waved off, "It's silly."

"Mary, tell us." Lola said, giving Mary's hand a squeeze.

"It's just, Francis' parents want us to get married sooner than we originally planned," She explained, "They want us to get married in December."

"That soon?" Kenna asked, eyes wide.

"Why?" Greer asked.

"I don't know and I'm just not sure how I feel about it," Mary said, her voice wavering.

"What's the problem with that?" Lola asked, "You love Francis and he loves you. Why not marry him sooner?"

"Unless you're having second thoughts." Kenna declared.

"No!" She defended. "It's not like that."

"Then what?"

Mary thought for a moment. She could tell her friends what was plaguing her mind, couldn't she?

"Okay, but please, don't tell anyone." She pleaded, and all of her friends nodded. "There's this contract that states that when me and Francis get married, my father's company will be handed over to the Valois'."

"Oh my god," Kenna said.

"Why?" Greer asked. "How could've your father possibly agreed to that?"

"I don't know!" Mary exclaimed, "I want to marry Francis but I don't know if I want to give the Valois' everything our family has worked for."

"Mary, relax," Lola's voice was soothing. "You love and trust Francis, right?" Mary nodded, "Then you can trust him with your company."

"I trust him, it's just –"

"You don't trust his family." Lola finished.

Mary just looked at her and slowly nodded as if the fact was shameful.

"I don't know what to do," She confessed.

"Mary, you're going to marry the man you love," Lola said, "You and Francis will run your families company's and –"

"Be one of the most successful companies in the world." Greer finished with enthusiasm.

Mary was thankful for her friend's words but she wasn't sure if a pep talk could instantly take away her uncertainty, but for now, all she could give them was her best smile.

Xxx

"How was your time with your friends?" Francis asked Mary. Francis had waited for Mary to get back from her lunch with her friends.

"It was wonderful," Mary smiled brightly, "The dress we found was beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you, I bet." He said.

The smile on her face was

They entered the house and made their way to the living room to greet Catherine but both of them stopped in their tracks when they saw who was sitting next her. Blonde hair and long legs, Olivia D'Amencourt.


I'm sorry for the long wait.

School has been really stressing me out and there's not internet connection here and I just want to cry.

Anyways, enjoy!

R&R