Thanks so much wonderful readers! I've enjoyed reading your comments. Mary and Francis are safe for the time being and although there are plenty of twists and turns left in this story, rest assured it has a happy ending when all is said and done. :) Happy reading! ~ Sweet R.

Chapter Six: Dreaming

As a week passed, things started to calm down at the chateau. Francis ran a small fever off and on and slept much of the day but Nostradamus assured Mary and Catherine that he was on the mend. Mary felt relieved but still fearful about their safety because of the man who'd tried to hold her for ransom.

She sent for additional guards and Bash came with them. After visiting with Francis, he questioned a few people in the village with connections to the criminal. To Mary's relief he found out that the man was just a common thief and had worked on his own. He had not been part of a larger plot by the English or any other groups wishing to harm her or Francis.

Nostradamus, Catherine and Bash stayed at the chateau for a week. By that time Francis had started regaining his strength and urged them to go home. Before they left Mary asked Nostradamus if Francis should go back to the castle as well because of his fragile health.

"No," Nostradamus reassured her. "With so much stress at court I recommend you extend your stay here by a few more weeks. This is the best place for him to recover. Just make sure he gets plenty of rest and takes his medication."

When they were alone in the chateau again Mary moved all her belongings into Francis' chambers and hardly left his side. After all they'd been through, her fears and nightmares from the attack at the castle had vanished. It was nice to be at complete ease with her husband again.

During the day they spent time talking, playing games, and she read books to him. When he took naps, Mary kept busy with needle work and started a tapestry. By the middle of their third week in the country, it was nearing completion.

"Is that our chateau?" Francis asked in the late afternoon as she worked on it.

She turned and smiled at him. "Yes. It is. I thought you were asleep."

He shifted further up on his pillows. "I believe I've slept enough to last a lifetime."

She put her needle and thread away and cuddled up beside him on the bed, pausing to run her fingers through his golden curls. "You know, it's odd…I never intended to make the chateau when I first started. But there it is."

They both looked at the tapestry for a moment in silence. "It's lovely, Mary. And you even added in all the improvements and the extension we want to build in the future."

She nodded, realizing Francis was right. She had added all those things without even realizing. "It's the future that I dream for us," she whispered and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.

That night Mary drifted off to sleep next to Francis thinking about the tapestry and what it meant. In her dreams, she found herself back in the familiar hallway, but the doorway showing Francis' death was closed. She turned toward the other door and unlocked it with ease. Mary stared in wonder at the sight before her. Francis sat by the lake smiling with Stirling by his side and the chateau in the background. A little girl ran across the grass toward them and leapt into his arms. Her curly raven hair flew back in the breeze and when the girl looked up, she noticed her blue eyes—Francis' eyes. Then Mary knew. She was their daughter— the perfect combination of them both.

…

Francis woke up in the early morning light and turned over on his side. A pleased smile spread over his face, seeing that Mary still slept beside him. He watched golden rays of sun glow over her face and marveled at her beauty. Was she real or just a wonderful dream? He still couldn't believe they had found their way back to each other. She smiled in her sleep and Francis smiled too while running one finger over the soft skin on her cheek, wondering what she dreamed about.

Mary sighed contently and her eyes slowly opened. "Were you watching me sleep?"

He swept a few strands of hair off her cheek. "Yes, I was. You looked so peaceful… I couldn't resist. Were you having a good dream?"

Mary's face lit up. "Yes…a perfect dream."

"What was it about?" She hesitated and bit her lip before going on. "We had a daughter.

"A daughter?"

"Yes, and she was so beautiful, Francis. She had my dark hair but your eyes and curls."

He smiled, picturing their daughter. "It sounds like a lovely dream."

She took his hand and kissed it. "It wasn't just a dream, Francis. It was another vision of our future. Except now it's happy instead of sad. It was a vision of Eden…our paradise."

…

That afternoon after much persuasion, Francis convinced Mary to let him go outside. The servants prepared a chair for him in the courtyard with a perfect view of the lake and orchards. Mary fussed for a good ten minutes, making sure he had enough blankets and pillows until Francis could stand it no longer.

"Mary, I'm fine," he reassured her. "Why don't you go enjoy yourself? Go pick some wildflowers in the field to put in our chambers. I know how much you love the smell of them."

"All right," she agreed and kissed him before heading off toward the field.

He smiled and watched her from a distance as Stirling romped around in a circle, thinking her flower picking was some kind of game. It was wonderful to be outside in the fresh air again and being with Mary made it even better.

After a few minutes, she glided toward him again with a heavenly smile on her face and a large bouquet of flowers in her arms. "I'm going to go put these in a vase. Are you tiring? Would you like me to help you inside?"

He shook his head. "No, I'll stay out for a bit longer. The fresh air is lovely."

"All right." She paused and cast an uncertain glance at the guards standing nearby. More had arrived since the incident by the lake and they no longer went off alone, but Mary was still cautious. "I'll be right back.

After Mary went inside Francis sighed, thinking of their conversation that morning. Could it really be true? Would they have a child in the near future? While the thought delighted him, he also worried about Mary and the fact that she kept having visions. He thought only seers like Nostradamus had visions. A few weeks ago, Francis had dismissed it all as superstitious nonsense until Mary's vision changed everything. If she hadn't come with him to the chateau—hadn't been kidnapped, he would have never hit his head and most likely died of brain fever. It was miraculous, but what would people think once they returned to court? Would they accuse Mary of witchcraft? The thought sent shivers down his spine. Until they figured this out, there was only one solution. They'd have to keep Mary's visions a secret.