I was absolutely AMAZED by the response I've received, you guys are amazing! hopefully the wait wasn't too long, i've had exam so school comes first before writing unfortunately.

I'm gonna be honest, from now on the story will talk a lot about sex, so expect so underage stuff, although remember this is a different time period and most girls were married by sixteen.

Let me know what you guys think! I personally really like this chapter, from here i think we get into more fun stuff :)

what a way to love

part 3

thirteen

He's thirteen when he starts to feel things for Mary, the cravings to touch her, hold her, and kiss her.

In one of the few rare moments he has with his father when he asks him "Francis, how do you feel about girls lately?"

It's an innocent question, which would sound innocent if his father didn't have a woman, Diane, Bash's mom who his father had sex with. Sex that he never had with Francis's mother, Bash told him that sex was between two people who loved each other. Francis always knew his father never loved his mother. Sex had always been something he knew was supposed to happen when two people got married, when they knew they loved each other or were committed to one another.

Francis wants to have sex with Mary, she's the only girl he'll ever love, he won't do what his father did to his mother.

So in response Francis shrugs his shoulders, beginning to blush slightly when he thinks of Mary, "I don't know, what do you mean exactly?" he asks his father.

"For other girls?"

Francis scrunches his nose, "But I love Mary, why would I need other girls, she's the one I'm going to marry!" he protests, watching the sour look cross his father's face.

"Love has no place in politics" his father simply states, walking away from him, as always his meetings with Francis are brief and short, never with any real meaning or substance.

"Bitterness has no place in this world." He mutters, that's what Mary has always told him anyways.

Two days later the two of them are sitting by the lake, her lithe body leaning against his lean one, her head in his lap while he plays with her hair when he asks her "Do you think it'd be bad if we kissed?"

Mary startles, quickly sitting up, "What?" she quickly spits out, her cheeks flushing a bright red.

Feeling suddenly nervous he looks down at his hands "Well, I just sort of thought- I don't know, I mean we're going to get married one day, and I already know I love you, so we should kiss? It was stupid, I know." Francis mutters, chancing a look at her face.

A smile stretches across her face, shocking Francis, she leans forward slightly "Well are you going to kiss me or not?" Mary asks somewhat hesitantly but brashly all the same.

Shaking his head slightly he mutters yes, he tries hard to fight down the butterflies, it's just Mary after all they've been engaged since they were six! But still, what if it wasn't, you know, good.

But nonetheless he decides to let his instincts take over and leans forward, pushing a black hair escaping her intricate hairdo behind her ear. Before he can close the distance though Mary takes charge, her lips quickly pressing against his, delicate and determined the two quickly fall into a comfortable pattern. It stirs something in his groin and he feels so good. His father was right he thought about a girl, but only one, and she was all his.

It's soft and hesitant and Francis knows that he should pull away, but he doesn't want to. It's Mary who pulls back first. Her eyes bright as her hand lifts up to touch his cheek.

"Finally" she mutters.

"Finally" he agrees.

Francis's kisses with Mary quickly become frequent and even more passionate. Despite their youth the two let things escalate quickly, which both know to be a bad thing, but let it progress anyway.

On her thirteenth birthday he sneaks into her room at night and the two share many kisses as he climbs beneath her covers, Mary even is brave enough to let him touch her breast, and everything feels perfect, to him anyways.

He tells her he loves her, and she giggles and curls into his chest.

It's innocent, but anything but chaste. It's love, and he hopes it never fades.

Sure they often fight and have the stress of the political world on their shoulders, but still before they had those worries, they had each other.

The night lets them forget their future, the shaky alliance that could break their engagement and the idea that tomorrow will always be uncertain.

It's not until the morning when the servant finds Francis in Mary's bed, the two still mostly closed, but still the servant has no choice but to inform the Queen and King.

So the two are brutally awakened, and immediately told to go to the throne room, to which a groggy Mary seems confused, but Francis knows exactly why. Leaving to let her dress he heads to his own quarters to change from his formal wear, or his undergarments which were still on.

He knows it will probably take Mary at least an hour to dress, and he really doesn't wish to brave his parents without her.

As soon as he arrives to his quarters he is shocked to see Bash waiting for him.

"What do you want Bash?" Francis asks stiffly.

Bash snickers "You didn't sleep with her yet, did you?"

Turning bright red Francis shakes his head "She's only thirteen, do you think I'm crazy?" asks Francis.

"No, but I think you are getting in deep. I'm pretty sure a good hour of your day is spent with her lips connected to yours. The King, he's worried, that you're getting in too deep."

Francis scoffs "What do you mean? That I care about Mary, is it so bad the two of us will have a love filled marriage? To me it's wonderful!"

Shaking his head Bash looks at Francis "I mean, that the closer you get, the more he worries you'll only do what's best for Mary, and not for France. Because, Francis, we know that's what you'd do."

Falling back on his bed Francis lets out a groan "I don't even know what to do about this!"

"Here's some advice, just don't sleep with her before you get married because we all know that's really close to happening and-" Bash teases, his words interrupted by a pillow to his face.

"I know that Bash! Now I believe I'll be going, even though this is my room!" he spits, half angrily and half teasingly, his feet carrying him out of the room and to Mary's quarters.

Francis sits on the edge of Mary's bed as her handmaiden finishes curling the last bit of her hair.

"I don't get what's so bad! It's not like we did anything, and we both know better." Mary laments, as she looks at Francis in the reflection in the mirror.

"I know, it's my parents, not us. You know my mother wants to make sure nothing compromises our union, and father, well, he's another matter entirely. But it will be fine." Francis soothes her, as her handmaiden finishes and walks away Francis stands behind her.

Helping her latch a beautiful sapphire necklace on her neck Francis presses a kiss to said area. Smiling he whispers in her ear "There's plenty of things we can do that aren't making love before our marriage, and we have plenty of time." Mary shivers at the sultry tone in his voice.

"Well I guess that's true, but who knows if we'll be able to help ourselves." She teases, worrying her lip between her teeth she sighs "But until I turn at least fourteen, it has to be innocent, you know that." Mary amends.

Francis nods "I know, I want it to be that way as well."

Taking Mary's hand in his the two head to the throne room, off to brave the King and Queen of France, and whatever the two had in store for the young lovers.

things are gonna get excited from here! let me know what you think, you guys have been amazing, and you have know idea how motivated your response has made me! it helps me write a lot quicker!

i'm also on tumblr at stilescavanaugh if you ever wanna chat with me :)