AN: Okay so the timeline for this story is a little screwed, mostly because this way I can avoid bringing Diane in for a little while longer coz tbh I cant be bothered with her shit rn lol + other reasons that make sense in my mind but basically - instead of being 28 they're somewhere around 19-21 when Francois dies and they take power and Diane doesn't come back to court until after Henry is already King.
It had been five years gone by and still their 'one day' where the pair would bare their souls to one another and reveal the heart ache that accompanied the scars they hid from the rest of the world had yet to come. Both assuming the other had forgotten the promise they'd made, it slipped to the bottom of the ever growing list of priorities the dauphin and his dauphine had to contend with.
Catherine walked up the pew, paying little mind to the lavish display of wealth France didn't really have, her eyes focused on her husbands back as Henry stood over his fathers entombed body. If he heard the click of her heels approaching, he made no move to acknowledge her.
The soon to be Queen hardly knew what to say to him these past days since Francois' death. Henry had completely withdrawn into himself. He hardly spoke, not even to her. Too wrapped up in a hundred memories, a thousand regrets and a million questions that would never be answered.
His relationship with his father had never been great. Their was a lot of anger and hatred between them as well as a lot of pain and remorse, but Catherine knew her husband well enough to know that despite what his words and actions may have conveyed, deep down he had always been a boy that loved his father dearly regardless of his mistakes.
Seeing his grief now over the man he'd never been able to know the way a son should know his father pained her more than she could say. The Duchessina never had the opportunity to know her father either, but the fact that Francois had been alive and for the most part close by the majority of Henry's life made their lack of a relationship far more tragic.
His Medici wife stood by his side in the empty room, the funeral procession having finally moved on to give their new King some time alone with the old. Her worried eyes surveyed him carefully and she could tell just by looking at him he hadn't been eating much, or sleeping for that matter. His tired face telling her everything his words wouldn't.
At a loss for how to reach her beloved and pull him from the depths of his despair, Catherine decided it may be the time to finally fulfil the promise they'd made as newlyweds. The years they'd had together had been happy for the most part, aside from the crippling fear she'd developed at having not yet provided him an heir. Though he did what he could to sooth her worries when he was able. She loved him with every fibre of her being and little by little Catherine had begun to trust him as well. She only hoped it'd be enough.
Deciding it was now or never, the dauphine lifted her husbands hand and bringing it up to just beneath her left ear, guiding his finger along the tiny scar hidden there. "This one is the result of an unfortunate misadventure when I was young" She informed a slight smile gracing her features as she attempted to lighten his mood.
Henry furrowed his brow in confusion for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle as he realised her game. "So today is the day?"
'"It's as good as any other" Catherine smirked, trying to hide her joy at the heavenly sound of his laughter, even if it had only lasted a few moments. It had been much too long since she'd last heard it.
"Very well then." He smiled weakly as he turned to give her his full attention, grateful for distraction. "Tell me, how did my little wife's adventure go awry?" he teased, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him.
"I was climbing a tree and I fell" Henry couldn't help but laugh with a little more mirth at her anticlimactic response. It seemed they would start off small then.
"My Florentine beauty tree climbing? I can hardly imagine it" Try as she might, Catherine couldn't hold back her blush at the affectionate term. Oh how she loved when he would call her that. As always though, the Medici girl recovered quickly with her easy trademark smirk. "Usually I would agree but alas, my pride was on the line"
"Is that so?" Henry grinned, amusement dancing in his dark eyes. Returning his grin, Catherine let out a sigh of relief that his mood seemed to be entirely turned around. Why hadn't she thought have doing this days ago.
"Yes" She chuckled, lifting her chin slightly to replicate the superiority her young self had felt before the incident. "The other children said I couldn't do it and I do hate to back down from a challenge"
Shaking his head at her reasoning, his laughter ensued once more as he imagined his defiant Italian wife, the tiny little thing she was standing up to the other children with a confidence most women twice her age could only dream of. "How old were you?"
"Seven" She answered, poorly hidden amusement shinning in her own eyes.
"So you've been headstrong for a long while then?" Henry teased, kissing the tip of her nose lightly.
"Only since birth" Catherine smirked, her hands coming to rest on his chest. Shaking his head at her as he held back another laugh, Henry picked up on her subtle cue that it was now his turn. Taking a step back the dauphin unfastened the buttons on the front of his outer garment before pulling his shirt from his pants and placing his wife's hand against his bare skin. Her eyebrow quirked questioningly when he first started to undress and she was about to tell him that this was hardly an appropriate place for such things when she felt it. He'd put her hand right over the scar on his ribcage that she'd wondered about for years.
"Hunting accident. I fell from my horse" He confessed, embarrassment colouring his cheeks just a little.
"Now that, I can imagine quite easily" His wife laughed heartily, having imagined the story behind that particular scar would've been much more heroic. Saving the life of another man in battle or something of the like. She might've guessed it'd be some sort of accident though. Henry's riding skills were considerable but next her he always managed to look an uncoordinated fool.
"Aye! you aren't that much better than me you know, wife" He defended, his offence only half feigned as she continued to mock him with her laughter.
"If believing so helps you feel better, my love, I wont stand in your way" She grinned, not even attempting to appear sincere. Narrowing his eyes at her Henry was suddenly struck with an idea to punish her for her mockery. The corners of his mouth curled up into a wicked grin and guessing his thoughts before he even made a move to grab her the auburn haired beauty attempted to run from his reach, but unfortunately for the dauphine, as always, her husband was faster on his feet.
Grabbing her round the waste he pulled her into him and began tickling her sides mercilessly until she squealed with laughter. Over their years together Henry had mapped out her body a thousand times over and knew exactly where to touch to illicit such a reaction from his usually composed Medici bride.
"Henry! No, Stop it!" Catherine cried breathlessly as she tried to wriggle free of his grasp to no avail. "Admit that I am an equally talented equestrian and perhaps I will" He smirked in response, as he triggered another fit of giggles, knowing she would have no choice but to comply if she wanted her freedom.
"Henry, someone will hear!" She tried to reason. "Then perhaps you should relent, little wife" He replied with a devilish grin as he continued his assault. "Dear lord, fine have it your way" Catherine huffed defeatedly.
"Yes?" Henry drawled in amusement, ever the arrogant victor. Letting his grip on her loosen as he waited for her response, though not enough that he couldn't immediately pull her back to him if she changed her mind about giving in.
"Henry" She sighed after a moment, trying to sound perturbed merely to keep up appearances as her heart swelled with joy at her playful, lively Henry that had eluded her as of late was finally returned to her. "My handsome, kind, loyal husband- " Catherine began over dramatically, only to be rudely interrupted said husband.
"You forgot charming and brilliant, but do go on." Rolling her eyes at his antics, the dauphine continued to feed the new King's ego. "You are by far one of the most talented riders in all of Europe, with skill that could have only been gifted to you by God himself"
"And your equal" He pushed, grinning from ear to ear knowing she'd likely rather eat dirt than say as much. Though to his surprise she stopped resisting completely, instead turning in his arms and kissing him softly before whispering against his lips.
"In every way"
Looking at each other with loving eyes, the next King and Queen of France lost themselves for a moment, their surroundings seemed to melt away as they both gazed deeply into the eyes of the one person that meant most to them in all the world.
But their peace only lasted a few moments before they seemed to remember, almost simultaneously, where they stood. Catherine was suddenly hit once more by her own grief for the only parent she'd ever known. "He was the father I never had" the blonde whispered after a while, breaking the silence that had befallen them as her hand traced the stone of Francois statue.
"Funny, I was about to say the same" Henry replied harshly, avoiding her eyes.
Realising her mistake, Catherine took his face in her hands and tried to turn him back to her "Henry-"
"What about this one" He interrupted, catching her hand and pointing to a scar on her wrist trying to change the subject. Looking down at the mark in question, the dauphine's breath caught in her throat as she tried to find the words to explain all the nightmares and sleepless nights the tiny little scar was responsible for.