~ Josephine ~

I open the front door of the convent and step through, listening to everyone's gasps. I am dressed in the fine clothes that was brought with me here. Every year, new clothes would be sent, according to my size, just in case I had to leave for French Court.

"Look at her."

"She is beautiful."

The girls whisper as I walk through the crowd, who parts for me. A carriage with my belongings is out front, and the men get ready to leave. I look to Sister Margery. "I don't know if I'm ready."

"To leave here or marry the future king of France?"

"Both." I sigh. "I hoped I would get to go back to Scotland one last time."

"Your friends from Scotland will be there. Girls you've known your whole life. Even your sister. You're safer in French Court. You are nearly a woman, and Francis is nearly a man. It's time." Sister Margery still believes I was born first.

She hugs me. "You will wed young Francis, someday soon, for your faith, for your people, for Scotland. He will love you."

"I'm not sure that matters. Mary may wed him instead of me. She is actually engaged to him." I say.

"It does to you."

"Josephine." A girl's voice comes from behind me.

I smile as I turn around. "Marissa."

"Be careful. There are ghosts there." She tells me as she presses a rosary in my hands.

"At the castle?" I ask.

"They say the halls are filled with them. Tortured souls, a girl whose face in s ruin. She hides its."

I smile. "I was at French Court before, you know, when I was your age. I didn't see any ghosts."

"But what if they saw you?" That catches my attention.

"Your Grace." A guard says behind me.

I turn, and step into the carriage.

I arrive just in time. The servants are lining up and I see Mary's carriage has already arrived. Greer, Lola, Aylee, and Kenna are standing outside their carriage, embracing Mary.

The carriage stops, and the door opens, the footman holds out his hand to help me out. I see the girls fussing over Mary, but stop as Mary smiles, seeing me.

I can't help it. I start running and practically jump into her arms. She squeezes me tightly, and I can feel her tears mixing with my own as our cheeks press together.

I kiss her cheek. "Oh, Mary, I've missed you!"

"I've missed you!" She kisses my cheek in return.

I look at her neck. A regular necklace. "Do you still wear it?" I ask, touching my neck.

"Haven't taken it off until today. I wanted to look presentable. What about you?" She asks.

I smile and move my hand out from under my white cloak, to show my silver necklace wrapped around my right hand, the pendant on the back.

Mary smiles and holds up her own right hand, the necklace wrapped around it exactly the same way. We laugh and hug again. I turn to our ladies. "Oh, darling Greer, adoring Kenna, and sweet Lola." I hug each of them. "Beloved Aylee."

Mary and I hug each other close as the trumpets sound. "Look, here they come." Aylee says.

"There's the king." Someone says, but I'm not sure who, figuring that Mary and I are stepping forward.

The King walks out with some other finely dressed people, but none that I recognize.

"That's King Henry, but is that Catherine?" Mary asks, eyeing the woman standing next to the King.

Kenna speaks from behind us. "No. They're still waiting on her. That's Diane de Portiers, the king's mistress."

"So the rumors are true?" Greer asks.

"Unlike her, you'll have no trouble finding husbands here." Lola says, not counting herself in.

"We'll certainly join the hunt." Kenna speaks to Lola. "What about you? Oh, don't tell me. It's about that boy from Aberdeen."

Lola sounds certain. "Colin said he'd wait for me."

"Till when? We might never be back on Scottish soil, not of it all works out and Josie or Mary reigns here." Greer says remembering that one of us are to be betrothed to Francis..

Aylee speaks, sounding surprised at what Greer said. "What do you mean, 'if'?"

"Make no mistake, we're here now to get our young queens in the game. Alliances can shift. Before they do, Mary or Josie needs to win the prince's heart."

A boy our age starts walking towards us, and Kenna rushes to Mary and I. "Is that Francis? He's gorgeous."

"No, that's not Francis. I know it isn't." I say, shaking my head.

"Then that must be Sebastian, the king's bastard; Diane's son. I hear the king favors him." Kenna says.

Fanfare plays, as the Queen approaches them, and bystanders bow to their knees as she is announced. Just then, Francis walks up to us, bowing as the ladies and I curtsy.

I smile. "I don't believe it."

"Your Graces." Francis says as he bows.

"No, call me Josephine, or Josie for short, please." I say.

"Mary, please." My sister, says, curtsying.

The prince smiles. "Francis."

I'm sort of nervous. "The castle seems bigger. Is that possible? And you, too, of course."

Our ladies giggle behind me.

"Is that such a surprise?" Francis asks.

Mary smiles. "No. Especially since your legs were always longer than ours."

"You know, I hated that when we were young. We were always chasing after you, but, uh, now it suits you." I finish, still nervous as before.

Francis makes a slight gesture towards me, and we walk away together. Mary walks next me, and our ladies stay behind.

Later, in my bedchambers, Mary joins our ladies and I in preparing ourselves for French Court. But before that, our ladies are spoken to about what they should do in being our ladies-in-waiting.

"You have returned to the court at your own queen's bidding. As noble ladies, you must counsel her, prepare her, account for her. For the Princess Elisabeth's wedding, as with any event, you must acquaint yourselves, and Josephine and Mary, with all visiting royalty and dignitaries. Who amongst you is fluent in Italian?" The woman asks.

Everyone looks to Aylee. She shrugs and says apprehensively, "I suppose I am."

"You will sit next to the Pope's cousin. He has no teeth, and speaks very quickly."

We all burst into giggles, and the woman rolls her eyes at our laughter.

The woman leaves us, and we start to get ready. We put on our make up, and are trying on dresses.

"Are these dresses from Paris?" Kenna asks.

"Yes, every one." Aylee answers.

Lola walks forward. "Oh, if Colin could see me, he'd marry me in a second. I look of age now; we all do."

"You know what I'd like to do? Explore. We haven't been here since we were children. Surely the castle's changed. Who's with me?" Aylee asks, and all the girls stand.

"I am!" Kenna announces.

I wave the five of them off, smoothing out my skirt. "Go. I'll find you later. There's something I want to see."

"I'll come with you." My sister says, but I know she's longing to go with the others.

I smile at her. "Go on. Join them."

Mary runs off down the corridor. "Wait for me!"

I laugh.

Walking to where my old rooms used to be, the rooms I shared with Mary, I climb a creaking staircase and start to recall the memories I used to have here. Francis and I would run up the stairs, and I would whisper, "Francis is a girl's name."

We'd laugh and run into either his or my room to jump on the bed and destroy it.

When I reach the top of the stairs, I see various children's toys, but a creak in the distance catches my attention. I walk into my old bedroom to find Francis working around several swords and knives.

He looks up at me. "Josie."

"Francis. Um, I didn't know what you-"

Francis interrupts me. "What are you doing here?"

I start to stammer. "I was exploring. These were mine and Mary's old rooms. Don't you remember?"

"Not anymore. No one comes up here."

I hold my hands together. "Except you."

It's silent.

I look at swords. "What is that? Is all of this yours?"

Francis answers as I walk forward. "I-I make knives, and swords. At least, I'm trying to learn."

"To be a bladesmith? Is that a requirement for future kings now?" I ask teasingly, picking up an unattached sword handle.

"When you say it like that, it sounds ridiculous, yes." Francis says, a bit embarrassed.

"No, no, I think it's fantastic." I say, smiling, reassuring him. "But did you make all these? Why?"

He smiles back. "I can't help thinking that every man, even a king, should have some kind of skill."

"Well, you're going to be a great ruler someday. Isn't that enough?" I ask.

Francis looks at me. "I hope it will be, but I meant real skill. One that I didn't inherit, wasn't given to me, and can't be taken away. My brother- my half-brother, Bash- he has so many. He wants to learn something, he does, he wants to go somewhere, he goes. With my father's blessing. They don't worry about him dying so much that they don't let him live."

"Because he'll never be king." I smile. "I can milk a goat and cut peat for the fire. And I've had a gift for singing. The nuns, you know."

Francis laughs. "Impressive. I suppose if there was ever an uprising that sent my line into hiding, I could always get by as a blacksmith."

"But Mary or I would save you." I say, reminding him that he's to marry one of us. "And we, or you, could go to Scotland and rule there."

"That's a-" Francis clears his throat. "That's a very kind offer. I hope I never have to take either of you up on it."

I smile, and it's silent between us again.

"You know, I do remember that you would always be singing, everywhere you went. It could be little lullabies, or nursery rhymes, and everyone's head would turn. You had a pretty voice." Francis says, looking at me and smiling.

I blush. "Yes, and I would always get in trouble for it. Especially during church."

Francis laughs. "Yes. I remember that, too."

"Well, I suppose I should-" I motion towards the door, and start walking toward it.

Francis clears his throat. "Yes, I probably should get back to work."

I smile at Francis one more time before leaving the room.

I sit on the rocks near the lake sorting through some pretty rocks and stones I found to give to Francis, so he could decorate his swords. I have a shawl over my shoulders, to keep the wind from biting at my skin.

Mary and I's dog, Stirling, starts to bark at something in the woods, startling me, and I drop the stones. "Stirling, no! Stirling! Come on, boy!"

I pick up the dropped stones, and head back inside to the castle, to give them to Francis. When I reach his room, I don't bother with the page, and knock on the door myself.

Francis opens the door, and looks surprised to see me. "Josie. What is is?"

"Um, I brought you something to decorate your swords with." I say, holding up the stones.

"Now's not a good time."

I drop my hand, disappointed. "Oh."

"Next time, you should be announced. My page is there for a reason." Francis says. He sounds a bit odd.

"I don't understand." I say, because I am confused.

Francis looks around. "You shouldn't be here."

"Why do you sound so-" It hits me. "Are you alone? Are you with someone?"

Francis looks me in the eye. "If you, or Mary, are ever going to be the Queen of France, you both need to understand something: Kings do not answer to their wives."

He shuts the door.

I storm off, infuriated, and Stirling follows me. I go to the lake, and throw the stones in, grunting in the process. Stirling starts to bark, and runs towards the woods.

"Stirling! No, come back!" I shout at him, but he continues to run. "Stirling? Stirling, come back!" I follow him, and don't stop, even when someone is calling my name. "Stirling!"

Someone grabs my arm, and stops me. I turn to see Bash, who has jumped off his horse to stop me.

"Josephine. Young girls- royals, queens- do not leave the castle alone." Bash says to me.

I look towards the woods. "But our dog-"

"Let him go. Do not go into those woods. Do you hear me?" Bash says, trying to get me to listen.

"Why not? What's in those woods? Besides mine and Mary's dog, who I might've caught if you hadn't stopped me." I say, getting a bit angry.

"He'll find his way back. There's food and warmth. Who wouldn't want to be at the castle?" Bash studies my face. "Except, perhaps, you. Rather be at the convent, would you? Eating porridge and trudging through mud?" He releases my arm.

"I quite like the way mud feels underfoot." I say truthfully. Playing outside with the other girls was one of my favorite things to do.

"Maybe you'll be sent back to the nuns. For misbehaving." Bash says cockily.

My mouth opens in shock. "You're cheeky."

"And you're upset about more than your dog taking a little jaunt into the wild. What is it?" Bash asks.

"You should ask your brother." I answer, realizing why I was out here in the first place.

"Ask him what?"

"Why he's such a moody, arrogant ass." I curse.

Bash doesn't seem surprised, and amused. "We're half-brothers, by the way. Nothing in common but our father, really."

"Oh."

"But, I'll mention your discontent to Francis." Bash continues.

I start to walk away. "Don't bother."

"And I'll find your dog."

I look back to Bash, and smile, thanking him.

I walk back to the castle, where last minute decorations are being added for Princess Elisabeth's wedding. I probably should be getting ready with Mary.

I meet up with Aylee and tell her about what happened as comes with me to my room.

"So Bash just happened upon you. You don't believe that." Aylee says, uncertain about my meeting with Bash. "He has a terrible reputation with women, he knows no bounds."

"Maybe it runs in the family." I say, remembering what happened earlier as I take off my shawl.

"Did something happen with Francis?" Aylee asks.

I shake my head. "No, no, nothing."

Alyee looks unconvinced, and starts to say something, but I interrupt her.

"Really, it's fine, and we need to get ready for the wedding." I assure her. "Nothing, so go on."

Aylee has an uncertain look on her face. "I'll tell the servants you're ready to be bathed and dressed."

"Thank you." Aylee walks out as I go over to my dressing table while taking out my earrings, where I see the stones that I had thrown into the lake. I jump back, startled, and pick up one of the stones.

A creaking sound comes from another one of my rooms. I walk over and see a faint shadow behind the changing screen. "Hello? Is anyone here?"

I walk to the screen, and press my hand to look behind it. Then a hand presses against mine, and I pull back, startled. "Taste of love and sorrow, but don't let your sister drink the wine. Don't let her." A raspy female voice says, warning me.

I press my hand against the screen, over the other hand. "Who are you?"

The hand disappears, and another creaking sound comes, and a door creaks open, then shut. I walk behind the screen, to see the wall, but part of it is different. I run my hands along the seams, push against it, and it opens to a secret passageway.

There, I hear running footsteps echoing.