"Her most royal majesty, Queen Alaina of Egypt, Poland, Denmark, and Finland, and Princess of Spain!"
"Is that Bash?" Lady Kenna may have been naive, but she was not blind. She was most certain that was her husband at the side of the visiting Queen.
"Yes," replied Mary, "I do believe that is him."
"They were once lovers, said to be married until she went off to become Queen." Said a male voice from behind them.
"Louis, how do you know this?" Inquired Mary as she and her ladies turned to face the Prince.
"The whole court knows this, your Grace."
"I see," said Mary as she turned back to see both Bash and Alaina approaching them. She had also noticed the way her people bowed for Alaina as if Alaina was their one true Queen, and not her.
"My Queen," said Bash as he approached Mary and bowed respectfully to her. "May I present, Queen Alaina?"
"I've heard much about you, young Queen," said Alaina with a kind smile as she bowed her head as a sign of respect. And that was all she would get until she proved herself, thought Alaina.
"And I, so little about you, it seems." said Mary in return.
"Bash, Darling, may I speak with you in private?" Kenna placed a hand on Bash's free arm and smiled sweetly at both him and Alaina.
"You must be the Lady Kenna, Sebastian's wife, Francis has told me about you."
"Yes, well it seems my husband has failed to inform us, properly, on you." Alaina turned her head toward Mary, her smile no longer a kind one, least not to the eyes of those who knew her.
"Momma!"
"Lizzie!" All attention was turned to the young Princess in the arms of the young blond haired French King as he and Elizabeth's ladies made their way over to the two Queen's. "Darling, you haven't been troubling your uncle, have you?"
"No, not at all," said Francis as he handed Elizabeth over to her mother. "We've just come from visiting her baby cousin, John."
"Oh, I do hope to meet my darling nephew before I leave."
"Don't worry," Francis smiled, "You will be sure to meet him, and I know you will love him. Shall we head inside? I am certain you'd like to come in and warm up after such a long journey. Horseback, no doubt?"
"Oh, you know me well, dear Francis. As does Sebastian, since he found me in the stables."
"Yes, well, you have yet to change, Alaina." said Bash, with Kenna now holding on to his arm as if to she'd pull him at any second, away from Alaina.
"It seems your wife has discovered the truth," Alaina said with a smirk before turning away from the two to take Francis' arm, that he offered for Alaina, and started to head inside the castle.
"I must ask you to behave yourself," whispered Francis once they were some distance away from Mary and her ladies. "Mary is, after all, still my wife and I do love her."
"Yes, well perhaps it is your wife, you should be talking to. I was on my best behavior until she decided to get cheeky with me. The nerve of that girl, honestly Francis, control your wife."
Although he chuckled at Alaina's comment, he was very much serious when he spoke, "Mary is no animal to control, she is a Queen." he said.
"A married queen," she muttered under her breath, although Francis still heard it. "Francis, she has the potential to be a great ruler, I can see it."
"And I know it, I've seen it."
"Then why does she just, cast it away?"
Francis said nothing as the two entered the castle, servants and nobleman alike, stooping low into curtsies and bows as the foreign Queen and their King walked along the corridor in silence.
"Mary has been through a great deal, Alaina," he finally said once they stopped in a large room with two thrones seated alongside a wall. "Do be kind to her, not for her sake, but for mine."
Alaina smiled softly as she looked into Francis' blue eyes, "Alright," she said softly. "But if she provokes me, there is no telling what I will do to make her life hell."
"Yes, well if she provokes you, not even I can save her."
"But you can warn her," said Alaina. "That much you can do."
"I doubt she will heed my warning, but it is worth a shot. For the sake of peace between our countries," He turned away from Alaina to welcome a woman much older than them, and shorter too. "Mother, look who's just arrived."
"Alaina," gasped the Queen Dowager as she quickened her strides, her arms held out wide so that she could embrace Alaina. "Oh, how I've missed you! How have you been?" she asked, now holding Alaina at arms length to examine her. "My how you've grown into such a beauty. Oh, if only Francis could have married you!"
"Mother!"
"I see, the same old Catherine as usual," joked Alaina, "I wouldn't have you any other way. And tell me, how do they treat you, dearest mother?"
"Oh quite dreadful," she said with a playful laugh as she intertwined her arm with Alaina's.
"Mother," his tone warning the Queen Dowager to watch herself. "Do not go filling Alaina's head with nonsense, and Alaina, do not spend too much time around my mother, I fear it will further taint you even more."
Both Catherine and Alaina laughed, "Do not worry, darling Francis, your mother could do no harm." Francis scoffed at the mere comment of his mother doing no wrong, but he still smiled since he knew Alaina was not naive to believe her comment to be true. Both were well aware of what Catherine was capable of doing, for not only power but her children as well.
The two Queens, old and new, walked away from the French King to continue catching up, leaving Francis alone and approachable by both his wife and one of her ladies.
"It seems you have a lot of explaining to do," she said while maintaining a fake smile to keep up the appearance she and Francis were in good spirit. "What else about myself and my ladies does she know?"
Francis turned to Mary, her smile fading when she saw that he looked annoyed. "I hate that I must ask this of you, but if you wish to secure a strong ally for Scotland, then I ask that you be on your best behavior while she is here."
"Yes, Bash has already done well to inform me," she muttered, her gaze drifting to the Queen and Catherine. "And you're aware she is in an alliance with England?"
"Yes," replied Francis, which caught his wife's attention. "She is also our ally and will not stand idly by if England was to ever launch an attack on French soil. This is her home too. Which is why I am no longer asking but begging, please do not cross her. I can not save you if you get on the wrong side of her, and neither can the Pope. With half of the world backing Alaina, you are doomed to not only lose your country but your head as well.
"Mary, Alaina is a powerful woman. She may be called a Queen, but this is not her true title. She is more my equal than she is yours."
"I couldn't help but notice her daughter," Lola had seized Mary's silence as an opportunity to speak to Francis. "If she has never been wed, how does she have a daughter and why does she look so much like Bash?"
"Because Bash is Elizabeth's father," he replied.
"So it's true, they were to be married."
"Yes, but things between Bash and Alaina became complicated once she discovered she was a queen. None of us, except our parents, knew the truth about Alaina until it was too late. She was very fortunate her people were desperate enough to have her as their Queen or else she would have been ruined. As for Bash and Alaina, it was his decision to end things between them. So if you can, warn Kenna to be careful as well."
"To be careful? Why? Is she going to go after my lady too?"
"Not directly," he replied, "But she will face some difficulties during Alaina's visit, that I am sure of."