HERE IT IS!

Bash had eventually managed to calm down his brother and make camp after many frustrating attempts. Now Francis lay down with his head resting against a log soundlessly asleep except from the odd mumbles of words. Mostly Mary brushed his lips, Bash was rather worried himself; they should have found her by now and seeing as they hadn't only the worst was imagined.

A rustling came from the trees alerting Bash as he stood on guard however the hedges revealed Conde strolling into camp.

"What are you doing here?" Bash asked.

"I heard about Mary so I have come to help."

"We don't need your help, but thank you." Bash remained calm.

"If you have any luck at finding Mary; I am it. As you know I am a Protestant so I know where they worship; they may be there." Conde insisted.

Bash knew that they must find Mary for the sake of the alliance and for Francis but letting Conde help it was the first challenge he had faced that involved his personal life and opinion.

"You must let him stay, Brother." Francis got up from his light doze and walked towards Conde. "If I find out you are behind this; I will kill you with my own bear hands." Francis said dangerously quiet.

"I would never betray Mary!"

"But would you betray France?" Bash asked smirking mysteriously.

Conde just stared daggers as his jaw clenched. Francis didn't want to talk of France now; he just wanted to find Mary. "We don't have time for this." Francis sighed tiredly. "We leave at first light."

Francis didn't know where he was wondering of too in particular but when he sat back down he was beside Leith.

"My King" Leith greeted.

"Call me Francis, Leith. We are friends aren't we?"

"Indeed…How are you Francis?" Leith saw the dark bags beneath his blue eyes.

"Tired, exhausted, and worried just the usual. I hope Mary is alright." Francis thought out loud. "What about you? Are you worried about Claude?"

"I am always worried about Claude; always up to mischief. Drives me mad! Why?" Leith hadn't meant to think out loud himself but now he wondered why his dear friend asked of Claude.

"Well when I and Claude take our morning walks she does speak of you often; it's not entirely delusional to how you feel about one another." Francis said. "You do know I can't allow it Leith." Francis felt pity for his friend who had stayed loyal from the beginning.

"I didn't think anything would come of it; I haven't touched her, Francis. I wouldn't, she is a Princess."

"I know. What happened to this lady at court though? I thought you were going to get married." Francis questioned.

"Greer didn't want to marry: in the end it is all about the money and land." Leith said.

"Greer? She was the girl…I am sorry Leith." Francis was reluctant to say what next was said. "As your friend I encourage you to make my sister happy and to be happy but as your King I can't allow it, not because I don't want to but because I have too" Francis said.

"I understand; let's just find the Ladies then we can all go home."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Mary rested her head against the wooden bars as she sat in her cage only it wasn't on the floor but hoisted up balancing on a tree branch in mid-air. The man had kept his promise; they hadn't touched her only pocked and cut her across her legs and arms then chained her up like a wild animal with cloth around her mouth so then they couldn't hear her "useless pathetic voice" as they said so. Catherine and Claude had to watch; this was known as emotional torture; the worst of them all.

Blood. It was everywhere. She had bled and bled and bled until it was enough then they patched her up and hadn't fed her, eventually Mary fell unconscious. Now pain erupted her body all over like water in a bath.

It was mid-morning now nothing was said, nothing could be done in a cage on a branch; the view however was beautiful. If Mary was in any other situation she would sit here forever but the security was gone and she was alone. The worst feelings in the world.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Catherine and Claude were tied up in a small tent; they had been fed the most awful soup of all time and couldn't stand the smell of urine; the Protestants had purposefully done their business of all kinds on their tent and was no longer torture but a smell they had to get used to.

"What are we going to do? We can't sit here forever!" Claude protested.

"Francis shall find us but for now we have to put up with these idiots." Catherine said.

"I hope Mary is okay." Claude thought out loud.

"Yes, because being caged into Royalty isn't enough they humiliate her physically as well; the cretin's!" Catherine ranted.

Minutes passed then more, the two of them lost track of time. Hours turned into two until an up roar outside emerged.

"Long live the Queen!"

WHAT DO YOU THINK?