Sorry for the delay! It's my older brother's birthday soon and since he hasn't gone back home or isn't out of the house a lot, it's hard planning a party right under his nose haha. Also, been buying stuff for my new house share at university so making sure that my stuff from last year can be used for this year as well. Life is hectic, but relieved to get back into the swing of things!

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Guest (1) [chapter 23]: He is :)

Guest (2) [chapter 23]: Awh, he is amazing! I am working on Mary appreciating her husband, might need some ideas for that!

Guest (3) [chapter 23]: Here it is ;)

"Now that you are feeling better, I was thinking that we could go to the races."

Mary stopped brushing her hair, turning to her husband. "The races?"

"Yes," Francis replied. "Why, is there something wrong with the races?"

Mary chuckled to herself, turning back to face the mirror. "Men with money go to the races obviously. Never kings or queens - it's a prince thing."

"Is it?"

"I've heard princes before my time taking women there to do all sorts of things, other than watch the actual races. It's a glorified whorehouse in Scotland," Mary explained, patting some rouge to her cheeks. "We can go to the races."

"There's two?" Francis asked, eyes wide.

"It's how you say it," Mary told him. "The races, the glorified whorehouse. The races, the elegant horse betting house. Nobles rub shoulders there and you must make reservations."

Francis nodded. "I see. Would they accept their queen and king to show up unexpectedly?"

"Why shouldn't they? I'll get dressed."

After eating breakfast and getting ready, Mary settled herself in the carriage as Francis spoke to the driver.

Their plans were made out of the blue and they needed to be sure that security and guards would be present and tight. She had not been planning to leave the palace during their short stay.

"Alright," Francis told the driver, finally getting into the carriage. He turned to his wife. "I promise I won't spend that much."

"How about none at all?" Mary teased lightly. "We didn't come to Scotland to lose all our wealth on horses."

Francis smirked. "Glad I have the best advisor one can buy when it comes to horses."

"What do you mean?"

"Bash is coming along and so is Kenna, so you won't feel bored."

Mary sighed. "Francis! They're supposed to be enjoying their honeymoon and we're supposed to be spending time with each other."

"It's a shame we didn't choose to go to the races," he replied coyly, kissing her cheek. "Don't worry, I've read the itinerary. It's a four-hour event and three of those hours are used to wine and dine. We can sneak out then."

"Then, it's a plan."

...

By the time the horse events were over and Francis had a bit more money than he started with, he led Mary to their carriage.

As they left, Mary felt overwhelmed by the amount of awe and attention she got from her subjects. Duchesses, countesses and the like all courtesied and gushed over her as their daughters courtesied sweetly and wished their queen well.

Times like these made Mary miss Scotland very much.

"I thought my people would hate me," Mary said softly when they got into their carriage. "For the longest of times, Scotland has been in relation to France and our marriage caused upset in both countries. Now... Now they all accept us and they root for us."

"Why did you fear they won't accept us?" Francis asked her.

Mary shrugged. "Because I let Scotland go. I remained in France whenever she really needed me and we shan't forget the time you locked me up in a tower," she said, the last bit teasingly. "It's nice to see that I still have support."

"Even if you don't have that from Scotland, you sure as hell do, from France," Francis promised her, kissing the side of her head. "Shall we return to the palace?"

"We shall."

It was late afternoon when they returned to the palace, Mary already making her way up to their bedchamber.

She felt tired from the day's events, bemoaning that it wasn't as fun as she thought it would be with Kenna. Especially watching their husbands try and catch onto the next win.

She couldn't deny Francis anywhere that he wanted to visit. He was trying to make Scotland his home, trying to be like their people, trying to fit in.

According to some nobles who sat around them, Bash was more Scottish at this rate than Francis much to her amusement.

Kenna has Bash whipped, Mary thought happily.

By the time she reached the doors, she felt her husband's arms wrap around her waist.

"Are you annoyed?"

"With what?" She asked him, turning around to face him properly.

"With the races or however you say it," he said lightly.

She shook her head. "No, it's just that I had plans to remain in bed all day. Do things I couldn't do when I was emptying my guts every hour."

Francis grinned. "And what are they?"

Mary blushed, tilting her head. "I don't know... things we can't do when we have children burst through the doors every night as well."

"Do these things lead to a baby by chance?"

"I am already expecting a baby," Mary said, laughing. "But I believe so."

She looked down, sliding his hand to rest on her non-visible bump. She was excited, but she had plans to treasure every moment she had with her husband before the baby came. Before they went back to Castle Barton.

"Open the doors," Francis whispered into her ear.

Curiously, Mary turned around and opened the doors. She stepped inside and gasped when she saw that the room had been transformed into a scene from a fairytale.

Roses wrapped around the bedposts, candles were lit and formed in heart shapes on the dressers, the tables by the chaises and sofa as well as the dining table.

Flower petals littered the floor randomly and Mary sniffed, smelling the soft and sweet aroma of fruit and lavender.

"H-How?"

"I had to get you out of this bed somehow!" Francis told her, closing the doors behind him and locking them. "This trip is making you lazy, dear wife."

"Lazy?" Mary cried out, turning to him with a light scoff. "Don't think all of this will let you have all of this..." She gestured to her body. "If you call me 'lazy' again."

Francis chuckled, walking up to her to kiss her softly. "You've been feeling down."

"It's the baby. The sickness was never like this with the first three."

"My mother always said that to be a sign that it would be a son," Francis said. "But I don't mind, either way, you do know that?"

Mary nodded. "Actually, I would prefer a son though." Her conversation with Catherine sprung to mind. "You will never know what could happen in the future..."

"No," Francis said. "We will not. Anyway..." He trailed off, beginning to undo her laces blindly. "I figured the live adaptation of the puppet show wouldn't be enough to lighten your spirits."

"You shouldn't have..." Mary said, her lips curling into a pleased and satisfied smile as her corset loosened.

She stepped back from his embrace and shed her remaining clothes off, giving him a look to do the same as she sauntered towards the bed.

"I don't think I've ever done something as romantic for you," she told him, sighing wistfully. "Even after I had James, you had fireflies in the sky for me. God, Francis! Let me catch up and-"

She squealed, arms lifting her up and gently throwing her onto the bed. She gasped mockingly and turned to give Francis an annoyed look.

"I was talking," she said.

"You talk too much," was her husband's reply as he hovered over her and planted kisses on her jawline.

"Dear God," she breathed out, placing her hands on his shoulders.

"Praying now?" He teases against her skin, moving downwards to her collarbone and sucking at the skin there.

Mary bit her lip, the bottom of her stomach twisting into knots. "Should I be?"

His lips moved up to hover over hers. "By the time I'm done with you, you'll be singing."

Mary let out an amused scoff. "So sure of yourself?" She asked, playfully rolling her eyes. "I never knew my husband was so arrogant."

"I never knew my wife talked too much," Francis retorted, grinning as he moved down and kissed the valley between her breasts. "I never knew she was also so rebellious as a child..."

"Now who's talking too..." Her eyes fluttered closed and she lost her words, the feeling of her husband's breath on the most private feature on her body. "F-Francis?"

"Yes?"

Mary let out a sharp gasp, feeling the warmth of his breath teasing her. "C-Can you...?"

"Can I what?"

Mary's eyes snapped open and she used her elbows to sit up slightly to glare at him. "Francis!"

"Mary!" Her husband laughed, kissing the inside of her thigh. The kiss lasted a good few seconds before he continued to trail downwards.

"You're evil," she mumbled, covering her face as she laid back down.

It wasn't long after until she felt something slide in her tantalisingly slow and her breath hitched in her throat, her eyes screwing shut.

"Am I still evil?"

She couldn't even speak as she shook her head. "N-No."

She tried initiating more movement, quicker movement, but her pelvis was pushed down and she whined, her husband's finger again, slowly pulling out. It was all to slow for her liking as she wanted to reach her climax.

"Did the bloody book tell you to be so slow?" She asked, groaning in annoyance.

"It told me to make you work for it," he replied making her gasp.

"Darn you, Francis!"

"Let me enjoy my sweet, sweet revenge."

Mary allowed him to have his fun, he had been really sweet lately and she had kind of left him hanging that night a good few times. He deserved a reward and if he wanted it to be him pleasuring her, then she'll receive her punishment.

Sometimes queens needed to relax.

He replaced his finger with his mouth and she let out mewls, gripping onto his curls tightly as he moved quicker now, her hips bucking and being pressed back down every now and then.

When she let go, she sighed happily and opened her eyes just in time for her lips to connect with his. He always treated her, she ought to think of something that could outdo his lovely gestures, sexual or otherwise.

"You're still quaking," he teased and she laughed, noticing that she still felt the tingles from what he'd done to her.

"Well, give me more reasons to quake until tomorrow."

"How about I give you reasons for your legs to stop working?"

She laughed. "I dare you to try."

He flipped her over on all fours, entering her from behind. He kissed her back as she reached back to press him further into her. Slowly, he began to move. In and out, in and out...

"Y-You're only giving me reasons to fall asleep," Mary jested, turning her head to their lips met and battled against each other.

"I'm still relieved that I can try so many positions with you because our child inside you is not yet huge," he said, disregarding her quip. "I'll give you reasons to feel so satisfied, you'd be begging for me to bed you over the dinner table as we sit across from other people. We gave people a show once, what's another?"

Mary let out a breathy chuckle as sweat began to form on her head. "Dear God, what have I got myself into?"