Disclaimer: I neither own Reign, nor profit from this story.

Ch 25 - The Best Laid Plans of Mice & Men

Catherine and Henry sat down to try to think of all possible scenarios by which this might be resolved.

They had no proof that these men were not related to Mary so it seemed unlikely they could outright refuse them, especially as it seemed they had come well prepared to complete their mission by force.

Catherine had already considered drugging them but it seemed unlikely that it would be a solution that would last any length of time.

Neither she nor Henry would consider a more permanent solution by way of herbs or any other method save self defense. And Catherine wold not even entertain the possibility of her boys taking the initiative in combat or even instigating it knowingly as the possibility of injury was so high.

They could possibly hide her or send her away, but that seemed to be the riskiest solution of all as they would have even less control over what happened to her.

Of course if Mary chose to go with them of her own free will they would not stop her, in that way Catherine had not lied.

It would break their heart, but they would not force her to stay.

And then there was the option of marrying her, or at least pretending to. Though Catherine had already considered having Nostradamus 'marry' them with the understanding that it would be a farce she was not sure it would be believed as the visitors seemed to have been around for some time and likely would have known that Nostradamus was no priest.

No if that was the solution they sought it would have to be real, and likely soon. And there wasn't even a guarantee that they would allow the ceremony to go on and simply steal her away anyway, possibly going as far as widowing her first so that there would be no dispute.

Catherine shuddered at that thought.

"Catherine we must speak with Mary and Francis about this. Though there are no guaranteed solutions, it is their lives we are speaking of and so they should be included in the choice."

Sighing deeply Catherine acknowledged the wisdom in Henry's words, "I know, and though they are not much younger than we were when we were married, it still aches that they have been faced with this so soon. That their innocence is being ripped away when they are both still so tender."

Putting his arm around her shoulders he drew her nearer, "Spoken like a true mother. But have you not noticed how they've grown? How they are already becoming the man and woman they one day will be?"

"I know but…"

"Have faith my love," he cut hr off gently, kissing her hair to try and strengthen his point. "In circumstances like these all we can do is have faith."

-/-/-/-

Bash showed up not long after that but noticed Catherine and Henry sitting outside before they noticed him. Hearing the others inside he once again decided to give them space.

He entered the house and looked around. Everything seemed normal, and he had recently learned that with the advent of pregnancy came quite a bit of emotional upheaval and assumed that Catherine might be experiencing such a moment.

Though the fact that Henry was already home was a bit unusual.

When he looked more closely at Mary she also seemed tense, though nothing was obviously amiss. And Francis was also missing.

"Mary is everything alright?" he finally asked. There was too much not quite right for his liking.

Sighing, she put down her tools and turned around. "I don't know Bash, mother is definitely concerned about something, but she won't say what. And she and father are outside speaking of whatever it is in private, and then there is Francis who has not yet returned from wherever he went after he left to go and get father."

"Why did he need to do that?"

"I don't know," she said, tears beginning to wet up in her eyes. "Mother was speaking to me before very strangely, and nothing is as it should be, and they are being very secretive about whatever is happening, and I have such a abad feeling about this."

By this point tears began rolling down her face and Bash couldn't help but move over to her and wrap his arms around her.

Though they were not nearly as close as she and Francis, he still considered himself a close friend. This was so rare for her that at first he was stunned, but then as she continued and did not seem to be calming down…

Just then Francis came in and asked, "What happened?"

Bash and Mary nearly jumped apart as they hadn't noticed him at all.

Mary wiped the tears away and tried to push aside her emotions as the moment was now over and she began to feel rather silly.

Bash answered instead, "Mary is just worried about whatever it is that your parents won't talk about."

"Well Nostradamus and our priest just went to talk to them, though what all this has to do with mother being so rattled I have no idea."

The three fell into silence.

Eventually Mary turned back to finish cutting the vegetables

All three became lost in their own thoughts until Charles came over to Bash and asked him to join them. Never one to deny such a reasonable request Bash agreed, though with a more subdued presence than usual.

"My herbs are through here." Mary and Francis heard their mother's voice from the doorway.

Clearly in the middle of a conversation, the four adults previously speaking outside all came in still absorbed in what they had been discussing.

Catherine and Nostradamus disappeared into the pantry where she kept the herbs that she collected personally. Part of the fruit of her conversations and friendship with Nostradamus was a moderate understanding of this art, though she was certainly not the expert he was.

Henry meanwhile was relieved to see that Bash had indeed come over so that he wouldn't have to go searching for the boy, or into town himself.

"Bash I have a message for you to carry back to your mother."

And odd request for sure as no one ever asked his mother for anything.

Demanded. yes. Assumed, yes. Asked…no.

"Of course, what am I to tell her?"

Henry motioned for him to walk outside with him as he relayed the request.

Bash was uncertain but it was a reasonable request to be sure and so he agreed and started on his way.

Catherine left Nostradamus in the pantry and came back out again. She sought out Henry's gaze before continuing, though her eyes never left his.

"Father you are welcome to come sit, and Elisabeth can get you something to refresh you if you wish. Otherwise, Mary I need to speak with you, and Francis your father needs to see you as well."

Turning abruptly she called over her other girls. "Claude, Elisabeth, you are in charge of the boys and Margot, while we talk to your siblings."

This did not sit well with Mary, but she obeyed. Walking out with Catherine her stomach felt heavy as her mother seemed quite nervous about whatever it was they would be discussing.

Hopefully she would at least she would find out what this was all about.