Chapter 24
"I'm sorry my father has done those horrible things to you. But we aren't like him. We can help you." Francis pleaded with Marceau. Marceau said nothing as he continued to go through the leather pouch. He would lift up different metal tools, examine them, then place them on the wooden desk. Every now and then you could hear the metal clink together when he sat it down. Francis looked at me, he was covered in fear. We both didn't know what was going to happen. We wouldn't be able to save the other if something happened, all we could do is watch.
"Please. Mary is pregnant!" Francis blurted out. My eyes widened at Francis' words. Why would he tell an insane man like Marceau something like that! He didn't care! When I looked over at Marceau I found him frozen with one of the tools lifted in his hand.
Suddenly, the door opened and another man walked into the humid, stone tomb. This man had a wider build than Marceau but he looked a lot like him. They both had black hair and a gruff face. "You got them tied up already?" The man asked Marceau, a hint of surprise in his voice. As the man walked toward Marceau he stopped to examine the ropes that bound us to the chairs. When he was satisfied he made his way to Marceau and placed his hand on him. He patted his shoulder then squeezed in a dignified manner. "Job well done, brother."
Marceau nodded but he stayed quiet as his brother stood next to him. He was still staring at the tool in his hand but he slowly placed it down next to the many other tools. When the tool was down he forced himself out of his daze. "Thank you, Gilbert." It was as if his whole aura had changed so suddenly. Francis looked at me then back at the two men. He must have been confused by the other man, but when you put all the pieces together it all made sense now. When Henry and I left the hall together Francis followed us out of the castle. That's when Marceau attacked Francis, knocking him out. His brother was the one who stabbed Henry and captured me. There would have been no way Marceau could have done all of this by himself.
"My father is ill and has been for some time. His health is declining every day and people are starting to take notice of this. Soon he will be taken off of the throne and I will replace him." Francis claimed. He had a hint of urgency in his voice.
"Your father is dead," Gilbert said bluntly, giving no care to the type of pain that would be created. Francis didn't know that Henry was stabbed and was left there by this man. Francis slightly turned toward Marceau. "What?" He asked in confusion. "I stabbed him. Isn't that right, Queen Mary?" Gilbert slowly turned toward me, a devilish smile covered his face. Francis also turned toward me. They both were waiting for my answer. I hesitantly nodded and watched as Gilbert's smile widened. Marceau turned toward Gilbert. He looked puzzled by this news. Francis' expression never changed. He was confused at first, but then it went back to nothing. He didn't even look disgruntled that his father may be dead. Marceau was the one who looked more shocked than anyone in this room. "Gilbert," Francis began. Marceau turned toward him, but Gilbert was still toying with the tools on the table. "You don't need to do this. I was following Mary and my father because I was going to kill him."
The room fell into silence. I couldn't help but stare at Francis in confusion. What? What was Francis saying? Was he actually planning on killing his father? Gilbert and Marceau looked shocked as well. "Why would you do a thing like that?" Gilbert asked Francis. Francis looked at me, his face covered in guilt. "He was trying to hurt Mary. He wouldn't stop no matter how much I begged him to." He turned back toward the brothers who were watching him intensely. "He is power hungry. That's why he was going after Mary. If he ever got a hold on more countries, he would start countless wars."
Marceau stood there still as he watched Francis. As I watched Marceau I saw something different from before. This man didn't look insane. He looked broken down, tired. Now, it looked as if he was trying to figure out what to do now. Francis was going to kill his own father. There was no pain or agony coming from Francis when he learned that his father may be dead. Marceau acted like he wanted Francis to pay for Henry's mistakes, but now he didn't look too sure. Gilbert didn't look fazed by this. He began shuffling through the tools Marceau had placed neatly on the table. Marceau turned slightly toward Gilbert but kept his eyes on Francis. "You stabbed Henry?"
Gilbert scoffed. "Of course I did. That's what you wanted." He said cockily. Marceau took a step away from Gilbert and put his eyes on him. "I thought we were just going to scare them. Then keep them as hostages until the king gave us enough gold to start over." Gilbert turned toward Marceau with an unamused look. "You mean you're okay with knowing that your son dies while Henry's child lives?" Marceau's eyes widened. He opened his mouth but Gilbert wasn't done. "He ruined your life. You have nothing and It's his fault!" Gilbert pointed at Francis. "I didn't want to hurt anyone. I just wanted to scare them and I did that!" Marceau pressed. Gilbert was getting annoyed by Marceau and it was obvious when he clenched his fingers together into a fist. Marceau saw this and took a step away from Gilbert and put his hands up. "Why do we have to involve Mary then? She hasn't done anything wrong" Marceau was completely changed. What we saw before was only an act. Now, we were truly seeing the person he was. But Gilbert was still on Marceau's fake agenda. Marceau wasn't the insane one, it was Gilbert.
"She's a Queen, Marceau. She deserves anything that happens to her." Gilbert acted as if it was an obvious answer, but Marceau looked over at me. Suddenly, he slammed his hand down on the table causing all of the tools to jump up from the sudden shock. They fell back down onto the wood, leaving the order they were in just moments ago. "This wasn't the plan, Gilbert. Henry got what he deserved. These are just kids, we can't hurt them." Gilbert quickly turned toward Marceau and grabbed onto his shirt collar. He pulled Marceau into his face and glared. "Have you no brain? These are not kids. She is a queen and he is a prince. They do not care about us! They let your wife and son die!" Marceau stared at Gilbert in horror. Gilbert threw Marceau back and grabbed onto a metal tool from the leather pouch. Then he walked toward Francis, ignoring his brother's troubled face. Francis attempted to get away from Gilbert as he got closer even though he was held down by the ropes. "Don't hurt him!" I pleaded. Gilbert overlooked my plea and grabbed onto Francis' arm. Francis tried to pull away from Gilbert but failed. Gilbert pushed Francis' shirt sleeve up as far as it could go.
"Please don't do this. We can forget that this ever happened-" Gilbert shoved the scalpel tool into Francis' skin and moved down his arm. Francis groaned in pain as the small knife cut into his skin. He clenched his fingers tightly into a fist and tensed his body up. I couldn't do anything but watch all of this unfold. I looked over to Marceau to find he was watching in bewilderment. "Stop him! Henry is dead. Francis has done no wrong!" I pleaded to Marceau over Francis' cries. I looked back at Gilbert who was still cutting into Francis' arm. If he continued Francis could lose too much blood. "Marceau, stop this!" I shrieked. Gilbert quickly paused and slammed his fist into the chair's armrest. "Quiet her!"
Marceau reluctantly grabbed onto a piece of cloth that sat on the wooden table, then began walking toward me. He was about to put the cloth in my mouth and tie it around my head, but I quickly inched back. "Gilbert, you are completely demented! You are determined to get revenge for someone who does not want it. You will die for this-" Before I could finish Marceau forced the cloth into my mouth. Marceau wanted to silence me before I said anything that would make Gilbert upset. It seemed though, that my words had gotten to Gilbert. He slowly moved away from Francis' arm and turned toward me. "She doesn't know what she is saying." Francis was panting and trying to catch his breath. "I think she does." Gilbert walked toward me and kneeled down in front of me. His smile returned and he put his hand on top of my own. He examined my face for a moment with a creepy smile on his face. "If we are discussing facts about each other I think I would like to add one." Gilbert patted my hand then grabbed onto of my fingers. Suddenly, he began pushing my finger back. I shrieked as a shocking pain went up through my arm. "Stop!" Francis begged.
"You are a pathetic queen who has absolutely no power. You are a chess piece in a game that you can not control." Gilbert laughed madly. I didn't care what he was saying about me. He was still pushing my finger back and the pain was unbearable. I couldn't focus on anything else.
"Gilbert, stop this." Marceau took a step toward Gilbert. "We can still get a good amount of gold from them." Gilbert didn't look at Marceau when he spoke. He was too concentrated on me and making me feel this pain. "It isn't about gold anymore." Gilbert pushed my finger back even further. I could feel my bones crying in pain. All I could do was scream as loud as my lungs would allow.
"Gilbert, she's pregnant!" Marceau shouted over my screams. Gilbert released my finger suddenly and let it fall back down to its proper place, but I couldn't feel it. It had gone numb. "What?" Gilbert asked. "Francis told me that Mary is pregnant," Marceau said. I watched as Gilbert's lips curled into a wicked smile. "That's wonderful. We can kill the unborn child. The heir to Scotland and France!" Gilbert said in delight. "Can you imagine the message that would send to the royals?"
I could only stare at Gilbert in terror. My whole body tensed up in fear. Gilbert placed his hand on my flat stomach and looked into my eyes. "Don't fucking touch her!" Francis shouted in anger. He threw his body back and forth in the wooden chair, trying anything to get free.
"Gilbert, you can't be serious," Marceau said in disgust. "This is for your family, Marceau." Gilbert turned toward Marceau. "Hand me one of those bigger knives, will you?"
"I'll kill you!" Francis shouted loudly. The room was small, so any loud noise would make your ears ring. Gilbert ignored Francis' threat as he stared at my stomach. Marceau slowly walked over to the wooden table. It took him quite some time to pick a tool, but when he finally did he turned back toward Gilbert and walked over to us. As he walked he stared down at his own feet with wide eyes. "Marceau, I'm so sorry for what happened to you. My father was a cruel man. He toyed with people's lives with no consequences. But he's gone. That man that made you suffer is dead!" Francis cried out. He was panicking, you could hear it in his voice. He was watching in terror as Marceau walked. When Marceau got to Gilbert he was frozen stiff as he stood next to Gilbert, but Gilbert didn't notice he was there. He was still looking at me.
Without warning, Marceau lifted the tool as high as he could and slammed it as hard as he could into the back of Gilbert's head.