It had been several weeks since that fateful night in the alcove of the palace, and Dria had not felt the same since. She hadn't had much of an appetite and her dresses were fitting her a bit tighter. She had chalked it up to pre-wedding jitters as the preparations were taking up much of her day. More than once she had caught the queen mother watching her with keen interest.
She was sitting with Lola, Kenna and Greer one afternoon, looking over some flowers for the arrangements. The smell of the many different cuts were causing her already sensitive stomach to churn even more. She excuses herself and walks behind a wall and empties the contents of her stomach into the bushes. "You are with child." Dria jumps when Lola's voice comes from behind her.
"I'm not sure I know what you're talking about." She says, wiping her mouth on her sleeve.
Lola rolls her eyes. "I think I, better than most, know what it looks like to be expecting. Does he know?"
"Does who know?"
"Narcisse, unless you've been seeing someone else in secret these last few weeks."
Dria lets out a deep sigh. "No, he does not. I wasn't even sure. I've been late on my monthly before, during times of great stress. With the wedding and all of its preparations, I figured that was what was causing it."
"Do you have reason to believe you could be with child?"
Dria turns to her, her eyes welling with unshed tears. "Please, Lola. You can't tell anyone. It will be my ruin. Even when I marry him, if it comes out that I entered into this marriage impure, it will ruin my name and my sister's standing as a Catholic queen. The Vatican will only cause more problems for them." With that said, Alexandria turns and runs back into the castle, needing an escape.
Francis finds her in the library, hours later, pouring over some old book of poetry. "I need you to do something for me." He says quickly and quietly, pulling her further into the secluded area she was reading in.
"What is it?"
"I need you to go to Narcisse's estate today. Feign whatever reason you must, and plant this." He explains, handing her an envelope.
"What exactly is this?"
"You cannot know. If you know, you can be implicated. I must do what I can to protect you, for Mary's sake."
She turns it over in her hands. "If this is my king's command."
…
She stands in the entry room of Narcisse's estate, looking around at the grandeur of it, when he joins her. "Dria, I wasn't expecting to see you today." He says before taking her hand and placing a kiss upon it.
Dria smiles at him before dismissing the guards that accompanied her on the ride over. "There is something I need to discuss with you." He takes her by the hand and leads her to his private study.
"What is it? You look like you've seen a ghost."
She paces, not knowing where to begin. "There is a few things. The first pertains to France. What is going on between you and the king?"
"I'm not sure I know what you're talking about."
"Please. Whatever your motives are, I just want to know the truth."
Narcisse sighs before launching into a tale of regicide and new kings. "Francis killed Henry. I have the knight who was supposed to joust the late king waiting to make this knowledge public… And Francis's confession, though it is merely here-say."
Dria falls into a chair, shock overtaking her. "I can assure you Mary has no idea of any of this."
"I know this. But Francis will not see reason. He means to make peace with the Protestant up-risers, what he will get is a civil war."
"So you use this information to blackmail him into submission."
"I do what I must for the betterment of France."
"He plans to kill you." Narcisse turns to her. "He's given me this." She holds out the envelope. "I wasn't to know what was in it, just to hide it amongst your things here and report back to him." Stephan opens the envelope, revealing an English cypher among its contents. "He was going to accuse you of treason." Dria takes the cypher and tosses it into the fire place, watching as it shriveled and turned to ash. "When his guards come they will find nothing. Francis will believe that you found it. And this next bit of news will ensure that he cannot break this marriage."
"This would almost undoubtedly ruin your sister and brother-in-law's reign. Why are you helping me?"
"I am with child. And before you ask, the only man I've been with is you. This is your heir."