Replies to reviews:

elder441 [chapter 45]: They are :). They would want to reduce tension so separate them before bringing them together to solve things. Yes, Mary and their children will be first in his priority, then France and finally, his extended family, including John. The girls are young, they don't understand nor does John and although Mary may be quick to sweep that under the carpet, Francis acknowledges it and gives himself time to explain how circumstances are so his priorities lay foremost to his wife and the children she gave him.

Guest (1) [chapter 45]: Yes, same here, haha! Anne has always been a little bit of a bully, her ideology of being a princess getting to her head. As much as Frary is the sort to be hands-on parents, they do have other duties and they failed in teaching Anne empathy and compassion or her slight lacking in those qualities. Although she will improve, she as a teenager would be a wild ride. The first bit is for you ;)

Guest (2) [chapter 45]: She is! I love Rose so much as she's a wonderful soul, too bad her sister is jealous of that.

Guest (3) [chapter 45]: This chapter is for you ;)

Next chapter will be Christmas with Frary and family. The aftermath of the plague will be explained in a summary. I'd like to post the Christmas chapter in the spirit of Christmas so just in case this is not released before but after, Merry Christmas!

"Alright, I've fetched water to clean the boys' cloths. Kenna has already changed James's for us," Mary told her husband, placing the bucket down by the chaise where their sons laid kicking and moving about.

Francis winced. "Do I have to?"

"You wanted to!"

"If I recall correctly, it was you who suggested the idea," Francis replied, grinning as he undid the string wrapped around the cloth on Joseph's stomach. He then paled. "Oh, God, the smell!"

Mary giggled. "Keep going."

He pulled back and worked with his hands stretched before him, taking the cloth off and dumping it in the empty bucket. He then lifted the baby up and cleaned his soiled bottom in the bathtub before drying it with a towel and placing the child back beside his twin brother.

"Here is the new cloth," Mary said, handing him the cloth and string.

"He moves a lot," her husband muttered, attaching the fresh cloth nappy and tying a string around it. He fastened the string with bows and clapped his hands in success.

Mary shook her head in amusement. "And do the next one," she said.

Francis gasped. "What?"

"Do Peter's next!"

"Dear God," Francis muttered, moving onto quickly changing Peter's soiled nappy, cleaning his bottom and changing him into a fresh one, the strings tied into secure bows.

Mary clapped in pride. "We are not done."

"We are not?"

"Kenna will look after them as Ana and James sleep," Mary started, getting up from her knees. "We have to get the girls started on their letters and clean these cloths for next time."

Francis let out an exasperated sigh. "Why can't we just have a fresh one for each-"

"Francis, we are not wasteful in this household," Mary tutted. "Come along now, we have to be quick so they dry in time."

Francis lifted both babies into his arms and he entered the next chamber, spotting Kenna reading a book as the other two babies slept and the children were quietly playing with each other.

"I've bought the cots over," Kenna said, getting up to help him place Joseph into one. "How is fatherhood?"

Francis chuckled. "Mary has me on a tight leash. I am learning a lot and surprisingly attracted to her assertiveness and authority."

"Does that mean child number-"

"Don't you say it," Francis cut her off, laughing as he put Peter in the other cot. "Otherwise you and Mary will be having words."

Kenna giggled. "You better get back to your fatherly duties, Your Majesty."

"I really should, otherwise Mary would-"

"Francis?"

"And this is where I leave you and relieve you of your care of Anne and Rose," Francis said, calling his daughters to his sides and entering the chamber where his wife was.

Mary turned to them, her eyes falling onto the girls. "Right, pick up a sheet of paper and a pen and get writing."

Rose frowned. "Writing what?"

"You will know soon," her father said, handing the girls paper each. He then gave them pens. "Listen to your mother for your next instructions."

Mary directed Anne to the desk and Rose to the vanity table. Both girls had their backs to each other and she looked between them.

"I want you to write a list about all the things you dislike about each other," Mary told them.

"What?" Anne asked in surprise.

"Yes, now get writing!"

The Queen turned and faced her husband, pointing to the buckets. She grinned when he rolled his eyes and got to work, cleaning the dirty cloths with lavender. Mary herself sat down on the chaise and pulled her feet up, enjoying the silence.

She fell into a short nap, being awoken twenty minutes later where she found her husband putting up the cloths to dry and her daughters with their pens down.

"Are you done?"

"Yes," the three said before they burst into laughter.

Mary giggled herself. "Well, Francis, you need to prepare James's meal. He will get hungry when he wakes up. And girls, list down all the things you love about each other."

The three got to work and Mary left the chamber to see how Kenna was doing with the boys. She smiled when she saw James in Kenna's arm with his thumb in his mouth. He had woken before Ana and was feeling quite lonely so Mary sat beside Kenna and started pulling faces at her son.

"Such a calm baby," Kenna said. "I feel so winded, watching the children come and go."

Mary grinned. "Sorry about that."

"It keeps me busy."

"Will you consider having more?" Mary asked her. "After this one?"

Kenna felt Mary place a hand on her bump. "I don't know. I think you and Francis are more suited to many children than Bash and I are. With Bash taking up his duties as King's Deputy and me overlooking our assets, I doubt we would have time enough to see the children we do have right now."

"That is fair," Mary said. "Well, I will wait with you until my husband and daughters are finished with their chore or writing."

"How kind of you," Kenna replied. "You and your beloved husband have been spending all this private time in bed as I am here looking after every child under the sun and my husband runs about the castle."

Mary laughed. "Well, what can I say? We missed each other a lot."

...

Mary and Francis sat in between their daughters on the carpet. Each girl had a letter gripped in her tiny hands and their parents shared a nervous glance before turning back to Anne and Rose.

"Who would like to go first?" Francis asked.

Rose raised her hand. "May I go first, Papa?"

"Of course," Francis told her. "Now, tell us all the things you don't like about Anne."

Rose nervously bit her lip before scanning her writing. "Um... S-She pulls my hair. Calls me names. Pinches me. She laughs too loud. She always pulls my arm so I follow her. She doesn't let me speak for myself. She is Papa's favourite."

"Is that all?" Mary asked, mentally worrying about Anne's reaction.

"Yes, Mama," Rose said, placing her paper down.

Mary nodded. "Anne? It's your turn."

Anne looked down at her paper. "She's perfect. She has Papa's blonde hair. Robin likes her more than me. James likes her more than me. She is very pretty. Her smile is annoying. She is too quiet. She cries a lot."

"I do not!" Rose cried out.

"Rose," Francis gently said. "Let your sister continue."

Rose scowled and crossed her arms as Anne cleared her throat and continued to read from her list.

"She doesn't know how to brush my doll's hair. One of her eyes is bigger than the other. Her nose is too small. Oh, and she doesn't like blueberries."

"What's that got to do with...? It doesn't even matter," Mary muttered, placing a hand to her forehead in slight disdain. "Anyway, do you both agree with what the other said about you?"

Both girls shook their heads.

"I don't like blueberries," Rose admitted.

"I do hurt Rose," Anne quietly said.

"Do you both think you could work on those things?" Francis asked them. "Like helping each other with improving the other? No pinching or hair pulling or bossing people about. I am the king, only I can boss people about."

"Ahem?"

"And your mother, of course," he added, giving his wife a smile. "And also being equals. Anne, you may be older but by only eleven months. Rose is your sister, not your subject."

Anne nodded. "I understand," she replied.

"Good," Mary told her. "Now, Anne, tell us all the things you love about Rose."

Anne blushed. "She's kind. She's funny, she makes me laugh. She always plays with me. She can sing really prettily. She's my best friend."

Mary beamed. "And Rose?"

"Anne is very confident," Rose began. "She's friendly. She loves animals! She looks after Olly the Dog really well. She makes me laugh. She said she missed me when... when I was taken with Robin. And she can play the piano well."

Francis shared a bright smile with his wife. "Wonderful. Now, go off and write each other a letter of apology. Your mother and I will wait."

...

Anne was first and she shoved the letter in Mary's hands, the tips of her ears bright red. She quickly sat down and waited patiently for Rose to be done which was that long at all.

"I will read Anne's apology first, shall I?" Mary said, lifting the paper to her eyesight. Reading the letters to the girls was a far better idea than having them read them alone. "'Dear Rosie, I am truly, very sorry for hurting you and your feelings today and every day before. You are the best sister I have ever had, even though you are my only sister, and I love you. I may not say it or show it, but I do. I am scared to lose you and I do not want to argue anymore. You are my only friend, my best friend and there is no one like you. Please, forgive me. Love always, Annie'."

Francis turned to Rose. "Well?"

"Thank you," Rose whispered, handing her letter to Francis.

Francis cleared his throat and began to read. "'Dear Annie, sorry for being annoying and not brushing your doll's hair properly. It is sometimes hard to be your sister because you are mean to me but I love you even though you are. You are my best friend and I hope we can be better from now on. Mama and Papa are always sad when we are not nice to each other and I do not want them to be sad. I want us to be happy and friends. I love you, always. Rosie'."

Anne smiled. "I love you too, Rosie," she said softly, bringing the blonde in for a tight hug. "I will never stop loving you. And I promise to change."

Rose closed her eyes and grinned. "Thank you."

As the girls hugged, Mary wiped a tear from her cheek, resting her head on Francis's shoulder as he wrapped an arm over her shoulders. She was so proud of their girls.

"Look what we did, Francis," she whispered.

"No, this was all you, my love," Francis told her. "All you."