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 8
The King of France walked nervously in his chambers. All depended of this night. His surprise for Catherine had to be perfect. He knew she still had doubts about this. That one mistake would send her running away from him, and this time for good. He had to prove her he was changed. He wanted to change.
All the years they had lost... It wasn't just his fault, but if he paid more attention to his wife than they wouldn't have gotten to this point. Or maybe they would. He didn't know. But he was determined to be a faithfull husband. If Catherine didn't want her revenges, he would have already gotten ride of them. And Bash... What had been in his son's mind when he did those things to his Catherine? Had power gotten to his head so easily? Did he even knew who his son was? Who his children were?
He loved Catherine. But he had refused for so long to akowledge it, that it was refreshing to be a young carefree Dauphine waiting for his bride to show up to their meeting again. Or something like that. God, he was so nervous.
The door swang open and he turned around, thinking that it was Mary or Francis who were there to tell him that Catherine was ready. Of course she didn't know she was. From where he was, he couldn't see who had entered his chambers, so he marched forward to the door.
The person he saw certainly wasn't someone he had been expecting. A beautifull woman closed the door, locking it. She turne around, dark hair framing her face. Seductively, she started walking up to him.
"What are you doing here, Diane?" The King steped back, avoinding her touch. Minuts after he had been thinking about mistakes he could make, his mistress apeared in his bedroom. Did God have something against him?
"I thought you would miss me... can't keep the King of France waiting, can I?" she kept coming closer and closer, and Henry kept backing away from her.
"The King of France is not in the mood. He would apreaciate if Diane left his rooms." How am I supposed to tell that we are not to sleep together anymore? I never had to refuse an offert of sex... If Catherine fidns us here she is going to have a heart atack.
"Oh Henry, relax..." Diane took a step forward and placed her hands on his shoulders. "I know that that de'Medeci can be quite... intensive and with everything that has been hapenning latelly..." Is she really insulting my wife!? Well, I supposed that's my fault too...
"Don't you ever-" he took a step forward" - ever-" another "- insult my wife again."
"Is this our game today? The servant who didn't behave?" the woman didn't seem to be scared. Or understand what was hapenning. "Oh, my king... I apolo-"
"This is not a game! Get out!" Diane didn't move, to shocked to be told off like that "Didn't you hear me?! I told you to get out!"
"Bu-"
"Now!"
Diane looked him in the eye, before turning around furiously and stomping out the door. She might be a problem if she started acting like this in front of Catherine... For one side, it would be better to take care of her now, but for another he had promessed his wife to let her get payback. But if he did, he might fall for one of her tricks... And what if he already had? What if Diane had wanted him to start thinking like this so that he didn't do anything to her... But what if it was the other way around and she wanted him to do something so that Catherine would get mad?
Henry passed throuht his bedroom before finally satting on his bed. What should I do? I can't loose Catherine, not again... No! First I have to think about tonight! I can't anything ruin this.
"Father? Is everything alright?"
The King turned around at the sound of his child voice. Litle Henry and Charles stood at the door, looking at him curiously. Did he said those things out loud? Well, it didn't matter because the youngest jumped to his lap without caring at all.
"So? Is your mama ready?"
"Almost. At least that's what Mary said. " Charles sat next to him, the curiosity on his eyes. "Father, why do women take so long to get ready?" Henry smiled to his boys.
"Well, there is one thing that all men need to know about women: they are very confusing. Sometimes, you won't even understand them at all." he looked at his sons, Henry's mouth open with aw. "But you know, they are like flowers. You need to take good care of them, and that takes time. That's why they take so long to get ready. Because they are the most beautifull creatures on Earth."
"Really?" Henry had to admit that litle Henry was quite funny with those big observant eyes.
"Yes! And they smell good too!" maybe Charles was a litle funnier.
"Well well, you seem to be very entertained. Maybe I should go and tell mama that after all there isn't any problem in the gardens..."
Francis had also entered the room. He had heard his father explanation and even if his trust was still shacky, it made him happy to see his father so determined.
"Don't you dare Francis." the oldest Valois stood up, litle Henry on his arms. He passed him to Francis. "Anyway. I suppose it's time. Please take care of Henry, Charles and Margaret."
And like that, Henry waked out of his bedroom, his incident wit Diane long forgoten. This night was only for him and his Italian wife.
Alright, so he had askde Mary to tell Catherine that a servant had ruined one of the bushes, and with her familly there that would be terrible! The King walked as fast as he could. Servants steped aside for him, some wondering why the hell the King was running, others whispering about what had hapenned during lunch and how their ruler had donne nothing about it. The sun was starting to disapear, leaving an orange and pink sky above them.
The closer he got to where he knew his ife would be, the harder his heart beat. He felt just like a teenager all over again, the same smirk he had when he met her for the first time in his face. As he was just a few steps away, he picked up a tulip.
Catherine had no idea of what was going on. Mary told her that something was wrong with the gardens, but she had been walking around for quite a while and she hadn't seen nothing yet! Dinner was about to start and she would better get back to the castel before the night fell.
Sudendly, she heard a sound behind her. Fear crossed her heart, her mind jumping to the unkown assassins. Had it been all a plot? What I Mary was the one behind them and she had fallen right in her hands. She should start to walk around with a knife or something.
However, the man that came from behind the bushes was nothing of what she expected. In front of her was her husband, a foolish happy smile on his face, just like the one he had in their first dance, his breathing heavy and a flower in hand. There was that twinkle in his eyes that she had missed so much, too. He looked at her and steped forward, extending his hand.
"For you." Catherine was doing everything she could not to laugth.
"I... Henry, I don't know wh-"
"Here, let me just..." He got even closer and gently placed the tulip behind her ear. He let his hand linger on her face, caressing her soft face. He felt himself getting lost in her hazel eyes. "I have a surprise for you. Come with me."
Catherine didn't even say anything. She just followed her husband silently, wondering what was about to happen. Henry could be such a charming man when he wanted to... And he even gave her a flower. Maybe he really was serious about this.
They walked together through the gardens until they reached the lake. Catherine was completely stuned with what was waiting their. She leaned into Henry's chest, who seemed to extremely happy with her reaction.
"Oh, Henry. This is beautifull... it's perfect! When did you plan this?"
"This morning. I had to ask for some help, but everything worked out so..."
Catherine accepted the help Henry gave her to enter the boat. The sky reflected on the water made the place even more romantic, the moon getting high in the sky, the light reflecting in the Queen's beautifull hair.
Henry had no memory of ever being this happy. His wife was beaming with excitement. The boat he had prepared had everything for a romantic picnic under the moon. A nice basket full of her favorites sweets, a blanket in case it got to cold, a candel (of course).
They sat in silence and Henry started rowing until they were in the midle of the lake. None of them knew what to say exacly... so they just ate the food. Henry had forgoten how Catherine looked cute eating sweets.
The Queen knew she was being observed. She didn't like it, could feel herself blushing, but it felt nice to have some attention directed to her.
Meanwhile in the castle, in a dark room (well, actually it was Henry's room), three woman were trying to make a plan.
"And then she told me that the King prepared a surprise for Catherine." Kenna had been telling them what the other servants told her.
"I hate her so much! I am the Queen of France now! She should take my place in the kitchens as a servant! I might sugeste that to Henry, if I don't kill her first!" Penelope had been ranting about her hate for the woman the all time.
Diane knew she had to be clever. Catherine had allways been a problem and she knew Henry had a deep love for her. She had only been able of manipulating him thanks to his insecurities and her hot temper. Now the itlian cow was getting bolder, agresssive. Killing her was not an option, it would be to obvious. And it was very likely that she had paid someone to get revenge in case she was murdered. Kenna wasn't easy manipulated, at least with Mary around, and killing the Scotish queen wasn't that much of a great idea either... So her best plan was to use Penelope. If she could convince hinm that she ws using him to get revenge... Well, the ideal was to make Henry believe Catherine had betrayed him, but that envolved more witnesses, wich meant there was a higher chance it would go wrong. And the Queen was to smart to make the same mistake twice. But Penelope was too possessive. It would be better to share him with Kenna. So Penelope would have to be a small sacrifice. And she could use her to get some information in the relationship of the monarchs.
"You're absolutly right! You're the Queen now, and she only is... What is she?" So easy...
"Ah... if she isn't Queen, she can take my place in the kitchens!" Kenna knew something was wrong, but she had to trust Diane. It was the best thing to do. And also, Penelope was expendable, so... "Or even better! She can become my servant! That way she would learn how to be more humble!"
"Great idea, Penelope! I'm sure Henry would be delighted to know!" Diane's words made Diane more sure in her assumptions.
"Then it is decided. Catherine de Medici will be my servant."
With that, each of them left to go their own way. Penelope couldn't wait to put her plan in practic, Kenna was curious to know what would happen and Diane... Diane hadn't like one bit the way Henry had treated her today, and she would make sure Catherine would be the only one treated like that.
Back in the lake, things were going very diferently. Catherine and Henry had already eaten all the cakes and were watching the stars. They couldn't lay down, because there wasn't enough space for that, but their hands were intwirled.
"Remember what hapenned the first time I invited you for a picnic?" Henry leaned closer to his wife.
"How could I forget? You decided to show me your fisical abilities and clamb to a tree an-"
"Ended up falling and broke my arm an-"
"And I couldn't speak french so it took an eternety to get someone who could help an-"
"And my father and you're uncle completely freaked out!"
They both laugth good heartedly remembering their first moments as a couple. Of course it had been awfull and both were terribly scared of what would happen, but now it was easy to laugth.
Henry could see the hapinnesse in his Caterina's eyes. He was so happy! He leaned closer and closer, until she could feel his hot breath in her face. The King looked right in his Queen's eyes and joined their lips. How he loved her soft lips, her small hands on his body, her hair on his face, her smell all over him.
Catherine placed her hands on his shoulders, trying to get impossibly closer as their lips moved together. His mouth tasted of strawberries and cream, and she loved it. She had been enjoying their talk so much that she hadn't seen him getting closer.
Their kiss was gentle and soft, none of them wanting to scare the other way, but it soon became something more. All the love they had kept hiden came to surface. Henry let his hands travel down her body, feeling it, mapping it. All her attention was on the man in front of her, the man she had wished to be held by for so long.
With all the movement the frail boat started to shake, but none of them noticed. However, it didn't take long until the boat flipped. Catherine fell to the lake with a scream, taking Henry with her. He tried to hold to the boat, but doing that and trying to protect his wife didn't work quite well and he ended up falling on top of her.
Henry didn' let go of her, scared that with all the clothes she wore she would be dragged down. His perfect night had been ruined by some stupid mistake and now the Queen of France was completely soaked and very likely furious. He looked at her expecting screams and glares.
And once again that was not what happenned. Catherine threw her arms around his neck and kept kissing him. To be honest, it had been a long time since she had had this fun, and who cared if they were soaked?
"You're not mad?" Henry held her close to him, his noses almost touching.
"Of course. After all the work you had to plan this... How could I be?" she laugthed quitely before giving him a peck on the lips.
"You should be resting not swimming around in a lake." both had closed their eyes.
"Since when do I do what people tell me to?"
"Caterina de Medici, you're the most amazing woman I have ever seen, and I couldn't wish for a better wife." he huged tighter and placed her wet hair behind her ear.
"I can't say I'm disappointed with my husband either. He sure can be gentleman when he wants." She had that loving haze in her eyes, just like she used to.
They swimmed to the coast, the boat forgoten in the midle of the lake. Tomorrow some servant would take care of it.
It was late and the castle was dark. Being the gentleman his wife thought him to be (and kind of childish too), he carried her all the way to her bedroom. Catherine felt great being treated like that, like a real queen.
He didn't know if she wanted him to enter her room and he wouldn't refuse to spend the night with her. But has he openned the door for her, she turned around and placed a hand on his chest.
"Henry, I... thank you for everything, really, but I don't... I'm no-"
"I know." he kissed her head and caressed her cheek. "Goodnight, Caterina."
With that, he left. He knew he would have to wait, it was normal. Soon, Catherine. Soon I will be with you again like husband and wife. You and you're precious brea- no! Not now! Well, why not? I don't have anything to do now.
Catherine was glad Henry had respected her wishes. It was kind of a first, but it was good. Maybe soon she would feel like they were a real couple.
To be continued...
A.N.: Hey everyone! I'm so sorry for the time it took to for the update! This chapter is slitghly bigger, so I hope it compensates. But anyway, we are getting to the real plot, so don't worry. Anyway, tell me about any sugestions and opinions you have. See you soon. Adeus.
