The Shadows of the Past
A.N.: I sadly don't own any of the characters, netheir do I make proffit out of this.
Chapter 4
Her eyes flutered open, letting the light of day invade her. The room was silent, apart from the snors coming from the man asleep next to her. Henry's hand was holding hers, his head thrown back, mouth open, legs crossed. He looked quite handsome like that.
Catherine didn't remember most of the night, but she was sure it hadn't been easy. She wasn't fully awake, but she knew she had been vomiting quite a lot, and that her husband had been allways there. He still was.
That was something that plaged Catherine's mind. She had always loved him, but after so much, could she trust him? She didn't knew, and as bad as it might feel, she was scared. She hadn't felt like this since Florence... Even thought not all rumors were true. But Henry... She missed him. It had been so long since she last felt loved, and to see him with her cross had really touch her Medeci's heart. She would try. They both would. But if it didn't work, she didn't knew if she could take be left alone again.
"How're you feeling?" the Quenn had been so locked in her mind that she didn't note when Henry woke up and began moving.
"Way better than I thought I'd be, actually. Thank you for last night. Was it very bad for you?"
"I'm happy you feel better. France can't stay long without its true Queen." he squeezed her hand, showing he meant her. "And I'm pretty sure it was worst for you. You wouldn't stop trashing around and shivering. Gave quite the scare when you started chocking on your blood." now that he had said it out loud, he didn't thought it was a good idea to tell an ill patient such a thing.
"I what?!"
"It was nothing really! Nostradumos said it was your body cleaning of whatever you had that made you so ill, or something like that..."
"Hum..." the queen prepared to stand up, but by doing so, she felt dizzy and if it hadn't been for the gentle but strong arms around her she might have hit her head. "I really need to get dressed Henry."
"What for?"
"You're not expecting me to attend to the problems of the Nobles and communers in my nightgown, are you?"
"I'm not expecting to do anything at all today! Or anytime soon for the record!"
"Henry, I'll do as I please! You might be King but I won't take orders from you!" she turned around to face him.
"I'm not telling you what to do, I'm concerned! Someone just tried to kill you and you want to walk around like it was nothing!"
"Exacly! I need to show whoever did this that I'm stronger than he thinks! And if never hapenned anything, why would it happen now?"
"What do you mean with "never hapenned anything"? Are you saying that it wasn't the first time you were poisoned and walked around the day after?"
"Of course it isn't the first time, Henry. It has been happenning since we got married!" and just like that, it came back to his mind. All the times he had gonne to her bedchambers and seen some bloodied gown and thought nothing of it. All the dinners she had just been playing with her food. All the times he had seen her bent over in the gardens... It had been happening all around him, and he never gave a danm! His wife had been in pain and not once had he shown her any care. But was it to late now?
"I'm sorry" he lowered his eyes and hugged her. He smelled her hair, that even a night of struggle hadn't destroied her perfect cooper curls.
"Don't be. You didn't knew." Would he had donne something if he knew? Would he had helped me? All those questions were for no good, but they plaged Catherine's mind.
"What if you spend the day in th Lady's room, resting? How long had it been since you've taken sometime for yourself?"
"I think I haven't donne it since our early years..."
"Then we already have a plan for the day!"
"We?"
"I might have a surprise for you" he winked at her, and left, leaving her to prepare herself for the day.
The first thing he had to do was to talk with Francis. He knew he hadn't been a good father, but he wanted to change. And also, he needed his help with his knew plan... He walked fast to his son study (he had made sure that his eldest had a place of his own to study strategies and others). Henry hadn't felt as nervous has this in a long time... How does it come that a father is nervous to talk to his son?
Nocking on the door, he for once waited the answer to come, and be allawed to enter. It felt weird.
"Francis?" looking up from his papers, the dauphin of France stared at his father.
"Look, father. If you want me to apol-"
"I'm sorry." this made Francis shut. It wasn't often that King Henry would apolegies for something. And he had already donne it twice that day. "I haven't been the Father I wish I was. For any of you. I was never present in your childhood. I was never there for you. I've never shown you how proud I am of the man you became. I know I don't deserve it, but can you please give me another chance?" Henry was staring at his son, who was staring at the papers on the desk, his eyes hidden by his long blond hair.
"I can. But I don't know if I should. I don't kown if I should support this knew attempt of a relatioship between you and Mama. It's true, I've never seen her as happy as she is when she is with you, but I've never seen her so miserable as she is when you choose Diane over her."
"I know. I see it now! I want to change! I want to be part of this family! I wan-"
"You've always been. You'v always been part of us. Mama stills put a plate on the table for you at dinner, even knowing you would be with your mistresses. Charles and Henry keep asking Mama to tell them storys about you. Margary and Hercules keep asking if you would go see them at night, and Mama keep's saying that you're busy and that you will go give them a kiss when they're asleep. And they believe it. They believe it because it hurts to much to be ignore by one of the people who should love you the most."
Silent tears run down the Dauphin face, wetting the papers on the desk. Had they rally missed him that much? Just now Henry realised the full consequence of his actions. He might have had an idea before, but just now, when watching his eldest son crying, he was hit in the face by the hard and cruel truth of his actions. If had thought his father was bad, then what was he? A stranger. The King moved silently to place himself behind his eldest. No! That had been one of his biggest mistakes. He didn't regret having Bash, he couldn't, afterall, but everything around him he did. He was a constant reminder of his Mistress, the living proof of the pain inflicted in his family by him. But it wasn't the boys fault. And most surprising, Catherine had never atacked him. Asides from when she was in the Tower... But that was Henry faults so...
The King placed a hand on his son shoulder, ready to pull away if the act was unwelcome, but what happened next was a surprise. Francis turned around and hugged him. The silent tears turn into loud sobs, and sudendly Henry could see his litle boy again. They said nothing. Just hugged. For the very first time in a very long time. The King might have come back many times for his Queen, but he had never spent a thought for his kids.
"I'm here now." Henry patted Francis blond head.
"Don't leave."
"I won't."
"Promesse?" those pleading eyes took him back to the past. The night of Elizabeth birth, the screams of the Queen could be heard anywhere in the Castle. The King had spent the all time conforting his heir, just like now. And just like now, the litle one had made him promesse he wouldn't leave. But now, he would be truthfull to his word.
"Promesse." a single word, and both of the bravest men ever walking on Earth, who had endured things in their past caused by other mistakes, were crying. Crying for the loss of time. Crying because this time, there was hope.
Soon enough, the crying came to a stop, and both men, wit renwed viwes of each other, sat down and waited the servants to bring them their breakfast.
"How's Mama?"
"Better than yesterday, worst than tomorrow, I hope."
"Any idea of who could be the responsible?"
"Well... if you take out the people she likes, the people who likes her, and the ones loyal to her, it could be anyone asides from us, your sibllings, and her Ladys."
"So not a clue."
"Not a single one. But tell me about you and Mary? How has it been like? Has maried life treated you well so far?"
"Still learning, but it could be defenitly worst. And it might be even better tomorrow!"
"Why you'd say that?"
"Surprise!" Francis lookedat the King with a wolfish grin.
"Could you make the surprise this evening?"
"What for?"
"Well... I have been thinking and..."
TBC...
A.N.: Hey guys! I'm back! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Sorry it took me so long to update, I know it was supposed to be on the seventh day, but I am in a exams period so... It can be really stressful, principaly when your teatchers don't help at all. Any way, sorry for any mistakes, and see you soon I hope!
