The next morning, Mary awoke still laying next to Francis. Catherine had woken and left the room long before. She grabbed hold of the blanket over her, wondering where it had come from. She slowly sat up and stared at Francis through groggy eyes. She'd fallen asleep next to him. But how? She laid there all night, hearing his breathing, and still she slept
"What have I done?" She said quietly. All of it had been for nothing
She knew she had to go find Catherine and discuss what to do about England, but she also didn't want to leave Francis's side. She'd been away from him too long already. She held back a tear and kissed his cheek. She stood and straightened her dress and got ready to face the worst trial yet. Her own guilt
Mary looked everywhere for Catherine, but couldn't find her. Instead she found Narcisse in her room. In her desk.
"What are you doing in Catherine's room?" She said as she entered.
"I'm here to see Catherine."
"She is not here and yet you seem to be very comfortable looking through her desk."
"I was simply looking for some paper so that I could leave her a note...since, as you've said, she's not here."
"Well, I am here now why don't you tell me your message and I will relay it to her. I intend to speak to her shortly."
"I'd rather not, as this particular message is that of a more personal matter." He said slyly.
"I'm not sure what your up to, but I don't like it. I'm going to warn you now. Stay away from Catherine."
"I'd say my proximity to her is up to her to decide. Don't you?" He said with a threatening tone. Then he left.
Meanwhile, Catherine paced in front of the stables. Bash had come to her that morning telling her that her daughter, Clarissa, was still alive. She couldn't help but think that was why Francis was dying. After all, that was Nostradamus' prophecy. She'd ordered him to kill her, but he refused. Now she was trying to decide what to do. Should she go and look for her? Do the job herself? Would she be able to kill her own daughter? Regardless of their past, she still loved her to a degree. Not the way she loved Francis or her other children, not even the way she loved Mary. But she did love her. How could she just take her life, especially since it was her fault she never had one.
Mary looked for Catherine all day, still not finding her. Instead she kept running into nobles asking about Francis's condition, which only served to feed her guilt. Guilt which slowly started to strangle her throughout the day. After awhile, she decided she simply couldn't bare speaking pleasantries to one more person. She went back to Catherine's room to wait for her. She would have to come back eventually, and in the mean time she could hide from the questions.
After quite some time had passed, Catherine finally returned to her room. When she opened the door, there was Mary, just standing there, fists clenched nervously to her side.
"Mary." She said cautiously, off the pained look on the girls face.
"I've been looking for you all day. To talk about England..."
"I had some matters to attend to."
"I've been waiting here for you for hours...I've finally had time to myself...to think." Catherine didn't move or make a sound. Something about Mary's demeanor was off, and it was scaring her.
"I've realized you were right...about all of it. About my feelings for Louis. About my betrayal. About me being afraid. I was afraid. I was afraid to face the truth. And the truth is, I've been blaming Francis, blaming Narcisse, blaming you...blaming everyone but the person whose fault this really is...me. I wasn't afraid of facing what happened to me...I was afraid of facing the fact that I caused it." Catherine shook her head a bit, wanting to tell her not to blame herself for her rape, but the words wouldn't come. She was still unsure of what was happening.
"If I had only listened to you...If I had only held my pride...just that once...maybe...and now look at where I have brought us all. Francis is dying. I've hurt the people closest to me. I've destroyed their trust in me. I have lost my country and damaged the safety of another, just so I wouldn't have to face it...And I fell asleep next to him. I pushed him away for nothing. If I had only waited...if I had only given it a chance...Now...no matter what choice I make, I will be bringing Elizabeth's wrath down on us. She will always see me as a threat, and as such, we will never be safe from her...but as I have said, I've had time to think...and I have come up with a solution." Catherine furrowed her brow as if to ask what she meant.
"You don't have to worry anymore." Mary's fist opened up and a vile dropped to the floor, shattering before Catherine could see what it was.
"Oh god." She breathed out.
"France...and this family will be safe now. I won't have anymore lives lost or destroyed because of me." She said as she started to fall. Catherine ran to her and tried to stop her from hitting the floor.
"No! You foolish girl, what have you done?" She said holding her firmly.
"It's alright it'll all be over soon. All the pain...mine, Francis's, yours. The danger we're all in, will be over." She said, a single tear falling from her eye.
"Damn it Mary, what did you take!" She yelled, shaking her. She gently set her down and scrambled to the broken vile. She picked up a piece of broken glass, trying to figure out what it had been before it broke. She looked for a missing bottle on her cabinet. "Tell me what you took!" She yelled again.
"I'm sorry Catherine." Catherine panicked. She sopped up some of the left over liquid with a handkerchief and took a whif of it, trying to determine the poison's origin.
"Hemlock." She said. She started furiously searching for the bottle that held the antidote. Opening and closing bottles. She needed to find it quickly. She had no idea how long ago she'd drank the poison. Finally, she located it and went back to Mary, pulling her into her lap.
"Drink it." She said holding the bottle to her mouth.
"This is the only way." Mary said, barely audible.
"Drink it, damn it!" She yelled and forced it down her throat. Mary started choking and spitting some of it up, but most of the vile's contents reached their destination. Mary continued to cough, as Catherine breathed a sigh of relief. She held her head to her chest and smoothed her hair back.
"Don't you you ever do that again!" She scolded, as she started rocking her back and fourth. She kissed the top of her head. "Don't you ever do that again." She repeated more quietly. They were both crying now. Mary nestled her her head into Catherine's embrace and held onto her for dear life. "It's alright, I'm here. I've got you."
Just then a servant came in. She looked at them strangely, but said nothing.
"Majesties," she said curtsying. "It's the King. He's awake." then she left.
"They breathed a sigh of relief and hugged each other tighter for just a moment.