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elder441 [chapter 7]: Mary will get her wish ;) I feel as calling them pet names as children will be fine, but when they become teenagers, they will shed it off. I personally still have my pet names from when I was a baby and I am an adult now haha. It depends. I believe Queen Victoria and Prince Albert still called their children by their pet names until teenagehood. It's a sweet idea.

Guest (1) [chapter 7]: Those are coming very soon ;) All I'm saying!

Guest (2) [chapter 7]: Awh, thank you so much! I am working on each child's personality and we can see some in this chapter so enjoy :)

Five Years Later

"Auntie Kenna!"

Mary winced when her daughter's voice called out for her aunt. Kenna had been avoiding the child, following a mishap with her sapphire necklace that Bash had got for her on her birthday.

After becoming engrossed by the jewellery, poor Kenna had been followed by the little persistent princess during their short visit to the castle.

"Mama, where is Auntie Kenna?" Anne asked, pulling a face at Rose.

Mary's eyes trailed towards the curtains where Kenna begged her not to say anything. Alarmed, the woman quickly rehid.

"I do not know, my love. Annie, go and find Robin and take Rose with you," Mary told her, getting up with some difficulty.

She was five months pregnant and Catherine had shoved tonic after tonic down her throat to ensure the arrival of a boy.

"But Mama...!"

"Annie, let's go and find Robin!" Rose told her older sister, eyeing her mother's impatient eyes.

Despite being younger by eleven months, Rose was certainly a smarter child than her boisterous older sister. She knew when to be quiet and not make any problems for her parents and other family members alike.

"Alright!" Anne snapped, pulling her sister out of her mother's offices.

As soon as the door was closed behind them, Kenna stepped out of her hiding place. "God," she muttered. "Your daughter is you through and through."

"I resent that!" Mary laughed. "How are you feeling?"

Kenna winced. "The morning sickness is horrible. I know you are happy to be passed that."

"I am indeed happy," Mary replied proudly. "Are you excited about your second child? It does have benefits for the first - Anne and Rose are the best of friends when they are not arguing."

Kenna chuckled lightly, attaching her necklace around her neck. "I do not really know if I am or not. I wasn't so sure about another child... I believed Robin was enough."

Mary nodded. "Doesn't Bash want more?"

"He does and that is fine," Kenna mumbled. "I almost lost my life in the first and second time. The first time being the miscarriage... I do not want to take a chance on anything."

"I am sure you will be just fine," Mary assured her. "I barely spend time with Francis and the girls fight over him. I wonder what it will be like with another child in the situation."

Kenna helped her sit as she said, "I am sure you will be just fine."

"Mimicking my words does not assure me," Mary teased her. "Francis said he had a surprise for me. I feel like a bloated whale, who would want to surprise me?"

"A king who is madly in love-"

"There you are, Auntie Kenna!"

Kenna stilled, turning to see Anne grinning at her from the door. "A-Anne!"

"I left Rosie with Robin. They are playing princesses and knights!" Anne told her, walking up to the women. "And Papa promises to take us horseriding after with Uncle Bash. I don't want to do that, I want to wear that." She pointed at the necklace with longing eyes.

"Marie Anne!" Mary scolded her daughter. "That necklace is a lovely gift from your uncle to your aunt. Also, if your papa wants to spend time with you, you should cherish it."

Anne pouted. "B-B-But-"

"No 'buts', my love," Mary told her softly. "At least Papa sees you more than Mama sees him."

Looking between Kenna and Mary, Anne finally admitted defeat and left to find her sister and half-cousin. The moment the door closed once again, the women burst into laughter.

"Francis can't control her!" Mary confessed. "It is only me she listens to. I especially enjoyed that time when she placed a frog on Catherine's pillow."

"I wish I was here to see that!" Kenna laughed. She stopped laughing when Mary let out a sharp wince. "Are you alright?"

Mary quickly nodded. "He moves a lot."

"He?" Kenna questioned, a smile on her face. "You truly believe it will be a boy?"

"I hope and I pray," Mary said, rubbing her bump. "Francis and I have stayed away from giving him a name. It's superstitious I know. Anyway, I want the children to be as innocent as they can be. The world is a scary place and I want to do all I can to protect them."

Kenna nodded in understanding. "I know what you mean. Robin is interested in swords now and I've begged Bash not to teach him sword fighting. Not until he's thirteen, at least. Bash may have taken the life of a quiet one, but he is still eager to fight battles that aren't his to fight."

"Oh, Kenna..."

"He almost got himself killed. This pagan problem coming back, it's put a strain on our marriage," Kenna confessed.

"Because of his pagan ties?"

"Yes," Kenna whispered nervously. "I just hope my children do not have a trace of pagan in them. It is too dangerous. We should be relieved that the Protestant and Catholic issues have been solved."

Mary nodded. "At least our children are safer. I wish you all the best when you return home. It is a shame you will miss the birth of this child as well."

"I know... Bash and I are taking Robin to meet my family in Scotland. Do you want me to take anything there for you?"

Mary frowned. Her mother was dead, her half-brother and she were not on the best terms and the only family she had was here with her, in France.

"No," she told Kenna. "Only my love for Uncle Robert and everyone else."

Kenna smiled brightly. "Mary, I promise you that this baby will be the one you have been waiting for."

Mary decided that this promise was enough for her to accept her wishes would come true.

...

30th January.

Mary stared at the baby in disbelief.

Was this real?

He let out a wail and it confirmed her suspicions.

"Dear God," she breathed out, turning to face Francis. "Francis, we have a son!"

Francis laughed, pressing kisses on her face, her sweaty face. God, he did not care.

"I have a surprise for you," he whispered into her ear.

"Francis, let me rest first!" Mary giggled. "I can't leave the bed and do anything just yet."

Francis shook his head, heading towards the windows. "You do not even have to get up, my love."

He opened the windows up to the dark sky and revealed many fireflies floating in lanterns in the sky. He turned to his wife, spotting her watering eyes.

It was exactly like all those years ago, she thought to herself. After she had her first miscarriage and believed she could not bear her husband's children. After she had lost hope.

"F-Francis," she croaked out, getting out of the bed with their new son still in her arms.

Her eyes were transfixed on the glowing orange sky. Then she looked down and saw her name in bright lights. Something Henry had done for Kenna many years ago as well.

Here, it was nothing like Henry's gesture. Her daughters squealed happily when she noticed them down below, pointing up at their new sibling.

"Anne, Rose!" Mary called out. "Come and meet your new brother!"

She turned to Francis, placing a soft kiss on his lips in gratitude. She honestly could not have asked for a better husband, for a sweeter and caring husband.

"Francis James Valois-Angouleme-Stuart," she quickly said. "I know we were scared to think of names, but now he is here... It fits perfectly. I am sure he won't mind sharing your name with his cousin." She looked down, pressing a kiss on her son's head.

"It does fit perfectly," Francis replied happily. "And he won't. He will be a giver and not a taker. He will rule France and Scotland with a kind soul and just attitude-"

"Where is he?"

Mary's face fell at the sound of Catherine's voice.

"We will always have tomorrow," Francis promised his wife before taking their son from her arms and introducing the grandmother to her grandson.

Mary smiled despite her annoyance. We will have tomorrow and forevermore, she thought.

...

A week later, Mary received letters from Lola and Kenna. Both letters were filled with happiness and joy for the new arrival.

Thinking about Lola, Mary felt slightly guilty. It was the third sibling John had yet to meet. It seemed that he was happy in Italy though and Francis nor Mary had ever brought him up to their daughters.

"We should tell the girls about John," Mary told her husband as she opened another letter, this time from her brother, James.

"Are you sure?" Francis asked, rocking their son in his arms. He didn't turn to look at her, his eyes trained on their sleeping child.

Mary nodded. "I am," she whispered. "I miss Lola, I miss Kenna and I miss Greer. I understand why Greer and Aloysius had to take their family to Scotland and change their identities, but I do not have friends to support me."

"Mary, once they find out, the girls will want to know him. Are you sure you can handle that?" Francis asked her firmly.

"I am. Now, you won't have to disguise your trips to Italy as business deals. You can invite John here - Francis, we have a son and we will have another one, one day," Mary told him, willing him to look at her.

He looked up to reach her eyes. "Mary, you said it yourself - you felt threatened by-"

"When I was not able to bear your son. Now, I have, I feel at peace. John and Lola are coming home and that is the end of it," Mary replied, turning back around.

"As you wish. Bash and I are going to Calais next month," he said, moving the conversation along. "An English envoy was spotted."

"Do you have to go?"

Francis shook his head. "I want to, though. Bash, I can't take any chances of losing my brother. My orders almost got him killed, the most I can do is go with him and Leith. We will return as soon as possible. Perhaps even visit his land mine."

"We barely spend any time together," Mary said softly, starting to write out replies to her friends. "When you return, we will take the children to visit Avon."

"Why?" Francis asked her with a frown.

"We need to spend time together as a family, my love," she said, getting up to stand in front of him. "Kenna has prepared the household for our arrival then. We can take them to the lake, teach the girls how to swim..."

"T-That's a lovely idea," Francis said with a bright smile. "Maybe they will be too interested in James so we can be alone."

Mary giggled. "Oh, we could go horseriding!"

"Yes," Francis replied. "I wonder if you can still mount a horse."

"I think I can!" She laughed. "We should get a dog for the children - Robin got one for his birthday. I am sure the girls will adore a dog. Teach them about responsibility."

"Can one even teach Anne anything? She will dress the dog in dresses and tell us that is her part done," Francis said, making them laugh. "She is your daughter."

Mary gasped. "Who do you think she gets those manipulative blue eyes from?"

Francis blushed. "Well, let's agree that she is our daughter."

Next chapter will be Frary bonding time and Frary & family bonding time :) Not only that, some sibling rivalry!