Replies to reviews:
elder441 [chapter 11]: They are! I think it's because they've longed for them for so long, they cherish them even more.
Guest (1) [chapter 11]: Better things are coming because the family are returning home. I imagine Bash bending to his nieces' every will because they're so demanding haha. Thanks so much, things will get back on track now.
Guest (2) [chapter 11]: Thanks so much and you're welcome! Enjoy the new chapter.
A little drama in this chapter because the family are going home. When they return in the next chapter, we will have more sweet moments with the family.
"Did you stay up all night?" Francis asked Mary as they ate breakfast with the girls.
Mary nodded, covering her mouth as she yawned. "I will be fine. Eat up, the horses will be ready soon."
"Mama, what did you and Papa do?" Anne asked her, stabbing her fruit.
Mary blushed. "We went to see a waterfall."
"Was it pretty?" She asked, looking at her parents in intrigue. "And warm?"
"It was," Francis confirmed, sharing a knowing look with his wife who blushed. "Very warm, indeed."
Mary cleared her throat, hoping her cheeks would return to their usual paleness as she said, "Did you enjoy your day with Robin, Auntie Kenna and Uncle Bash?"
Rose nodded happily. "Auntie Kenna taught us how to make strawberry tarts! We saved some for you to eat for dessert."
"Yes, she did!" Anne added. "And we also made her some pomegranate ones because she said that the baby liked to eat them. The baby is inside her, how can they have an opinion, Mama?"
Mary laughed, brushing some crumbs from Anne's mouth. "Sometimes when mamas have babies in them, the babies really want them to eat something they might not like. Your Auntie Kenna never liked pomegranates, it was always too sour for her, but the baby wants it so she wants it. They are people too, babies."
Anne blinked before accepting her answer with a nod and pushing her plate away.
"Will Auntie Kenna have a girl? I want her to have a girl," Rose said, pushing her own plate away. "So we can play princesses and knights!"
Francis grinned, turning to his wife. "Something tells me that Bash is hoping for another son."
"He can't! He has to have a girl. I want a girl!" Anne replied. "Girls are better than boys."
"Dear Lord," Francis mumbled, chuckling. "Alright my sweetlings, shall we get ready for our horseriding?"
Before he could stand up, his daughters were already running towards the exit, going to change their dresses.
"At least we've raised daughters who will be punctual," Mary told him. "They get that from me."
...
Anne chose a brown horse with a white patch on its nose. It was Robin's horse, but whatever she wanted, she got. She even managed to convince Francis to ride with her.
Rose went for a baby pony, being supported by a walking Mary as she rode near the fences, with Olly walking on a lead with her other hand. Rose clapped her hands when the pony dipped its head to eat at her command.
"Mama, she's eating!"
"I can see, my love," Mary replied proudly. "Do you like your horse, back at the castle?"
Rose shook her head. "I want a pony! Uncle Bash has so many ponies and horses, why can't we?"
Mary didn't know how to explain to a child that their guards and other help needed horses as well as them at the castle. Here, Bash was a keen horse breeder, selling his horses at discounted prices for the townsfolk.
"They do not all belong to Uncle Bash, Auntie Kenna and Robin," Mary finally told her daughter as Francis and Anne caught up with them. "They breed horses for other people."
"Can they for me?" Rose asked politely despite forgoing a 'please'.
Francis gave her a smile. "I can see what your uncle can do."
As Mary led the pony on, she breathed in deeply. She enjoyed the fresh air and wondered how different her life was to her children's lives.
She was brought up as an only child, despite having an older brother. She lived around Scotland, brought up with Kenna and Lola's parents before going to France for a few years and returning to Scotland to be hidden away in a convent.
Her children will never need to hide or cower away or be moved place to place, never knowing if they'd see home again.
She shared a smile with Rose and she grinned back, a gap in her teeth - she had one fall out right after breakfast had been over. The apple did a good job.
"Mama, Papa, can we visit the chapel?" Anne asked. "I want to pray."
Mary and Francis shared a look of surprise. Their daughters listened to their prayers as they prayed before bed, but not once did either girl say a prayer.
"I think you are old enough," Francis said approvingly. "Yes, let's go to the chapel."
When they got there and left their horses and Olly outside, they saw a few farmers kneeling at the front. A few handmaidens were there too and some farmer's wives who made the flour and delivered the eggs every morning.
They all stood and bowed or curtseyed for the royal family before dispersing and heading outside.
They walked towards the front and the couple to lead, kneeling down and bringing a daughter to their lap.
"Anne?" Francis called his daughter softly. "What would you like to say?"
Anne turned to him. "I want to say how much I love you, Mama, Rosie and James."
"Go ahead," Mary replied, proudly. "We love you, too, Annie."
After two more hours of riding after the chapel visit, they headed back to the state. The couple were surprised to see a priest and Nostradamus enter the home.
"Why is Nostradamus here?" Mary asked curiously as they headed to the stables.
"I am asking the same question," Francis replied, giving his wife a comforting smile. "I am sure we have no prophecies to fear."
Her lips quirked upwards nervously and she lifted Rose off the pony as Francis dismounted the horse, bringing Anne into his arms.
They headed inside, leaving the horses to the stableboys and noticed that everything was quiet.
"Robin!" Anne called out, getting out of her father's grip to rush towards him on the main stairs. "We can play princesses and knights!"
Robin shook his head sadly, sitting down on the steps. "My mama is hurting," he said sadly, much to Mary and Francis's alarm. "Papa said I have to wait outside because of her screaming. I've been waiting for hours now."
"Screaming?" Mary repeated in confusion. Her eyes widened in realisation soon after. "Is your mama giving birth?"
"I don't know," Robin replied, shrugging his little shoulders. "Papa was scared though."
Mary nodded, heading up the stairs. "It's too soon," she told Francis as a governess headed down beside them to tend to the girls and Robin. "Just as the first time with Robin."
"I have every hope that she will be-"
They stopped when they saw Bash sitting down on the ground against the wall. He looked up when he heard their footsteps.
"Bash?" Mary asked breathlessly.
"They told me to wait outside," he told them. "Then the priest came and..." He covered his face, sighing heavily.
"Francis, why don't you and Bash take a walk? I will see to Kenna," Mary suggested softly, bending down to squeeze Bash's shoulder before she headed inside.
Mary's heart leapt as she walked inside. The bed was caked with blood and her friend, her dear friend was in the middle of it, worn-out, pale and weak.
Mary turned to the side, a small baby swaddled up and already feeding from a wet nurse's chest.
"Y-Your Majesty," the priest breathed out, noticing her sudden appearance. "The Duchess asked if I could read her the last-"
"No," Mary whispered, shaking her head. "That won't be needed - Nostradamus-"
"My Queen," Nostradamus said softly. "She has lost too much blood and-"
"Rest. She needs rest, so let's get these sheets replaced so she can..." Mary trailed off, her eyes watering in premature grief.
She hurried to Kenna's side, holding her hand tight in hers as she brushed her hair back and whispered sweet nothings to her.
"A-Ana..." Kenna whispered, eyes wide. "Mary, I... I don't think I will make it. If I don't, tell them how much I love them..."
"Kenna, don't be stupid," Mary said shrilly. "You will be fine, you have to be. Robert and this baby need you. Bash needs you. Without you, they can't... they won't..." I won't cope.
Kenna smiled sadly, her smile weak. "Anastasia. Bash's grandmother who used to own my ring, she was Jeanne Anastasia. Mary, you have a niece, Anastasia Joanna."
Mary turned to look at the newborn. "Kenna, you will be fine. I am certain that in a few months, you will be reading Robin to sleep and holding Anastasia in your arms and you will feel alive."
"I hope for that," Kenna whispered. "I really do."
...
Dinner was quiet and as she ate, Mary couldn't help but stare at her daughters intently.
They had come on time, never too early or too late. They were living, breathing, walking, feeling people and they had their own personalities that reflected on them both.
As the girls shared a tart, Mary turned to Francis. "We should cut our trip short," she said quietly so the girls couldn't hear.
He looked up in slight agreement and slight disagreement. He was conflicted and he knew she was feeling that too.
"We need to tread carefully," she continued, sipping her wine. "I highly doubt us being here will allow Kenna to rest properly. Perhaps, we can take Robin with us. As much as we don't want to think about it but we should start sealing the girls' futures with marriage proposals. I spoke to Kenna about finding a suitable match for Robin as well."
"Has Bash agreed to it?" Francis asked, frowning slightly. "I know my brother, he does not care for the duties of a royal - he isn't one nor does he want to follow them."
"I think Kenna just wants the best for their son," Mary replied, shrugging. "Her and Bash were forced to wed, she at least wants Robin to have a say in his future. There would be many lovely girls attending. Just as you and Lola did for John's future. Also, you can't deny that even though he is the bastard brother of a king, he is still a royal person."
Francis smiled wryly. "I doubt he sees it that way, Mary. And I agree, we should go back to the Court. Although a few days, can we agree that they were well spent?"
Mary grinned. "I can. Some moments more than others..."
"I am glad you see it that way. I most certainly enjoyed our daughters praying in the chapel as well," Francis replied, receiving a light hit from his wife. "Oh, you meant the waterfall?" He asked coyly.
"You are such a tease!" Mary told him, giggling. "You should tell Bash of our plans to leave. We wouldn't want to get in their way."
"I will, right now," Francis told her, kissing her forehead as well as the girls'.
She smiled at him, watching as he left before turning to see Anne doing Rose's hair.
They were so innocent and sweet and she was proud of them. Each time she gave birth, she came back fighting fit.
Shortly after giving birth to Robin, Kenna had fallen ill and had been confined for two weeks. Something told Mary that it would be longer this time, the woman couldn't even get off from the bed like she could the first time after Mary found out she was expecting Rose.
"Anne, Rose?"
"Yes, Mama?" They asked.
"Would you like to help me make a flower crown for Auntie Kenna? She is very unwell and we should make her feel better," Mary said to them.
Rose nodded. "Can Robin join us?"
Mary beamed. "Of course, he can."
Even though she wished and prayed for a son, she loved her girls very dearly. Her girls, who would become powerful women in the future. Her legacies.
"Girls? I love you very much, I want you both to know," Mary told them. "We may spend a lot of time with your brother, but never forget that Papa and I love you too."
She smiled when her daughters planted kisses on her cheeks, her arms squeezing them tight against her frame. Another thing she was glad for every time she gave birth, was her ability to return to her usual figure.
Not that Francis did not love her gaining weight.
"Alright, let us find Robin and cheer him up too," she said, standing up and reaching her hands for them to take.
Mary smiled to herself. They were her little princesses.