Disclaimer: I neither own Reign, nor profit from this story.
Ch 29 - Pleasant Times Belay Words of War
At Catherine's bidding the men all made to sit at the table.
Before they were able to comply though Henry interjected, "Gentleman if you would please we do not allow weapons at our table. You are welcome to leave them with your horses around back or to set them by our sparring equipment over there. The stands there are perfectly capable of handling swords."
His directive was met by a steely glare by their leader, but he complied anyway. Followed by his men Munro, as Henry had recently found out he was called.
Once done they sauntered back to the table the leader taking a good long look at Mary, as if considering her worth in this whole ordeal. She had been setting our food on the table at the time and hadn't noticed, but when Henry cleared his throat at the man's stare she straightened up and stared right back at him.
As much as it annoyed her that Bash had made such a scene, in doing so he had also riled her enough to overcome her fear.
The two locked eyes for a moment before Catherine invited them graciously once again to sit. The spell broken everyone complied except for Mary who had to return to the house for one more dish.
This would be a long night.
Once everyone was seated, and Mary far away from the unexpected guests, Henry asked the priest to say grace at which point everyone except Henry, Munro, and Bash bowed their heads.
Catherine noticed the newly renewed tension and took over for her husband in entertaining their guests, and quite the hostess she was.
Light and airy…mesmerizing really, weaving one conversation into the next all the while directing as needed for the food to be replaced or additional items to be added to the table. At one point or other everyone at the table had laughed that evening, though with little surprise Henry and Munro had certainly laughed the least. Even Bash was not unaffected by Catherine's charms despite his overall discontent with the evening.
All in all dinner passed relatively uneventfully for which the entire family was grateful.
"Such a gracious hostess you have been Catherine, and exceedingly Munro. And I see that you will soon be adding another to your large family here."
At the mention of the child still within her Catherine paused almost imperceptibly.
"Yes, Henry and I are happy to be welcoming one more little one into our family. Our children are our pride and joy and we love them all dearly."
Her message clear, and the war drums of a mother if there ever was one.
"You will forgive me for being blunt Henry, Catherine but I must insist that we speak of the business at hand."
"And I must insist," Catherine interjected, "that the cakes i have hot from the oven not be delayed." She began walking away briskly and motioned for Mary to join her. "Business and sweets have no place in each other's presence. We will discuss all matters over mead in due time."
Annoyed, but charmed by her assertion he wished he could have found such a creature for himself.
'Perhaps…' he thought.
'Nevermind' he concluded, mentally shaking his head, 'one abduction at a time was all he should attempt.'
Henry meanwhile was both pleased and amused beyond words are his wife's ability to make her way in and out of such negotiations with such ease. He personally did not want to delay this any longer than was necessary, but he trusted her.
Taking up the burden of maintaining the conversation he began asking after where the men came from.
A bit of information gathering might help later on when they eventually would have to conduct 'business'.
Such a dirty word to describe a life.
-/-/-/-
Catherine's cakes were unsurprisingly a great success, though she became increasingly uncomfortable with he looks Munro was sending her as the evening passed.
Indeed, once desert was finished, the children were sent to their rooms and the adults gathered with a cup of mead each around the kitchen table to discuss matters. Mary and Francis both hesitated, but Henry sent them on their way.
He was not about to give up getting them all out of this without the necessity of a marriage.
"So I understand that it is your desire to bring Mary back with you?" Henry opened up the topic they had been avoiding all night.
"Her family had been searching for her all these years, and they are of course eager to be reunited with the girl. Mary's mother," Munro continued, extending his hand, "sent this to further verify the claim."
Henry reached for the object, a hand sewn doll with hair that nearly matched Mary's.
Once the topic was brought up out of earshot of their children Catherine had grown uncharacteristically quiet.
Henry turned and tried to read his wife as her words remained locked away. Her expression was one of wonder and curiosity, but also hesitance. He passed her the doll and she took it from him with reverence.
"As much as I can see that she has grown quite comfortable as a part of your family, it is the right of her parents for her to be returned to them." Munro added, uncertain of what he was seeing.
"I had noticed tonight that Mary acted and was treated more like a daughter than a maid."
"She may have been paying for her care here in labor, but she is still child." Catherine finally spoke. "We would never expect a child to do the same in labor as one hired as an adult."
"A fact which her family will be most appreciative of," Munro answered, though the affection you show her too…"
"As she is a child, she was also in need of a mother, a fact of which I was more than happy to oblige her." Catherine answered his half asked question. "After all she barely remembered her own, I wouldn't doubt in fact if she wouldn't remember her mother even if she saw here again as she was so young."
"Another fact which I'm sure her family…"
"And now sir, it is your intention to take her away from the only family she has even known in conscious memory, for a family who is not even here to meet her, to a land which she does not know, from a family who cares for her deeply already."
By now it was quite evident that Catherine had begun getting upset. Likely a combination of both her motherly instinct and her pregnancy induced state of mind.
Wanting to be discreet but comforting, Henry reach out to grasp her nearest hand in his own.
In response Catherine took a few slower but shaky breaths, relishing the firm and grounding grip of her husband's.
"Though your impassioned words do not fall on deaf ears, madam, she is still a child who has been orphaned from a family that wishes to see her safe return." Munro stated firmly, clearly not ready to let this go.
"And I have confirmed, sir, that part of the reasoning for her service here, under our roof and being raised as one of our own was that she would one day marry our oldest. In fact I have just recently finished an addition on our house so that they would be comfortable, living here with us until they are well enough established and once they feel ready to begin their lives as husband and wife."
Munro began to protest but Henry continued.
"While my wife could care less about the added expense of one more mouth to feed and one more body to shelter in our home here, I am not." This time it was Henry's turn to nearly choke on his own words.
"It has been an expense I did not mind as it was understood that it would result in a marriage, and therefore sons. We have been able to raise her into a young woman fit to be wife to our eldest, willing to do as we and he asks without complaint. It would be a great loss to us now after investing so much in her to lose her to a long lost family seeking her only now, after so many years."
Reaching to remove the doll from his wife's hands, he placed it in the middle of the table.
"I am afraid sir, that the evidence you present and the reality that you recount does not balance out enough for me to agree to such a bargain."
"Then it would appear we stand at a crossroads, sir," Munro answered almost indifferently. "For I cannot live here without a satisfactory answer to her family. You say that she is betrothed to be married, but how do I know this is true, that you will carry out on your promise to her? That you won't just sell her virtue or her person to the highest bidder once she is properly of age?"
Trying to mask his anger as indignation Henry answered, "That is an outrageous claim after you have already is yourself that here she is treated as a daughter more so than a maid."
"And yet there is nothing to say that will not change, perhaps you intend to make her your personal maid when she does come of age…"
"And now you insult me and my honor?" Henry said, standing and resting his hands on the table to emphasize his words."
He was nearly shaking and in response Catherine placed her hand that had previously been entangles with his on his forearm in support, although she hoped it would also prove to be a gentle restraint.
"Then prove your words sir, and have them married, tonight. I will assume that it is why the priest is here?"
The fight leaving him almost immediately, Henry answered, "Yes, we invited him for the possible eventuality that you would not leave here without a marriage or a prize."
"I believe you are misinformed sir, we are merely…"
Henry sat down heavily, "Merely doing your bidding, but for whom? It has been six years gentleman, six years of hearing nothing, which leads me to believe that yours is a farce intended for nothing more than to remove Mary from our grasp,"
Munro's lips turned down into a scowl, but he remained silent.
"But no matter, if it will satisfy you, we will have the wedding tonight, witnessed by you so that you may take this back to her 'family'."
"Agreed providing that I can hear Mary's consent to this marriage from her own lips, and proof of their commitment to this deed in not just word but also action."
Catherine tensed at the implication and was about to answer but Henry beat her to it.
"We will happily call her out here to hear it from her own lips, but under no circumstance will they be consummating the marriage tonight." Henry stated, leaving no room for argument.
Shaking his head slowly Munro answered, "That is unacceptable, in order for this to be finalized…"
"It will be finalized and agreed upon as my husband has said," Catherine said with certainty. "They are too young to be forced into such things, which is why they have not yet been wed."
Gesturing as if to dismiss Catherine's words she continued.
"We were married at fourteen, a quickly arranged marriage and barely able to manage ourselves. Even then we were not given a choice, a circumstances we will not allow to be repeated."