The following day, Mary had to be awake bright and early to attend an important royal meeting.

She had previously sent a message to her mother and brother in which she'd shared her concerns about how many people outside of the castle were asking whether or not the matchmaking show would continue, and wondering what the outcome of the show would be, while those who were more politically minded were questioning whether they should soon expect an alliance between Scotland and France, and how that alliance was going to look, and whether it was going to be beneficial to Scotland…or whether Scotland would end up having to consider other possibilities for an alliance, due to recent circumstances.

Both Mary's mother and brother had agreed to meet to discuss what Mary's next steps would be, as they knew that all her upcoming decisions would soon be under even more scrutiny, now that she was going to be Scotland's next queen.

Although they were still in the early days after the attack, and their grief was still raw, and it was still tempting to simply lock the castle doors to keep the world at bay and hide away, Mary's sense of duty was stronger than her sense of fear, and she knew that it was very important for Scotland to start to talk about the future, so that there could be no sense of doubt or uncertainty among its people. Helping with the cleaning and the repairs yesterday had served to remind Mary that it was possible to rebuild the castle, and now Mary wanted to look at the other ways that the royals could move forward.

Now, Mary was looking around the meeting room at the people who were present-her mother, her older brother, a couple of trusted royal advisors, and, much to everyone else in the room's surprise, Catherine was also present, standing in a corner of the room as she stared intently at Mary.

Mary knew that James and Queen Marie had not exactly been thrilled when they found out that Mary had extended the invitation to Catherine to attend the meeting; just like Mary, neither of them had ever really trusted her, and France had for a long time been a rival country, and there was still technically no alliance in place between France and Scotland, and so Catherine owed them no real loyalty…however, Catherine had become something of a confidant to Mary since the events of the attack, providing her with useful advice and guidance, even though her words had been difficult to hear at times.

Some sort of bond seemed to have formed between Mary and Catherine since the attack. Perhaps the seeds of an understanding between them had been planted after the first attack in France, and now those seeds had been allowed to grow after what had happened in Scotland.

Mary had a feeling that Catherine might be able to offer her typically honest and useful advice about the matchmaking process, and what she should do next. Perhaps she would tell Mary things that others were afraid to say to her.

As Mary's mother opened the meeting, updating those present on any recent developments, Mary found her thoughts drifting to Francis. He had left the castle at dawn, after requesting to visit the local prison. He'd told Mary that his advisors had been rather reluctant for the visit to go ahead, as they'd felt that Francis had other, more important matters to focus on, but Francis had been insistent.

Mary knew that this was something that Francis needed to do; she knew he needed to hear first-hand what Bash, Narcisse and Castleroy had to say, so that he could try to discover the full truth and begin to work out what action, if any, he could take.

As Mary had given Francis a quick kiss before he left the castle and then watched from the stairs as he'd headed out the castle's main door, she had hoped for his sake that he would find the answers he was looking for.

Selfishly, a part of Mary had felt relieved that he still had unfinished business in Scotland, as she knew that this way, he would have a reason to stay in Scotland for longer.

Mary brought her thoughts back to the present moment as she became aware of her mother pacing backwards and forwards in front of her before she stopped and turned to face Mary.

"Things are very different with regards to the matchmaking process, now that you are the next in line to the throne," Queen Marie told her daughter. "The expectations about who you will marry have changed somewhat…If you choose to marry as the future queen, there will be much more at stake than if you'd made this decision as the second-born princess. The people of Scotland will be even more reliant on you entering into an alliance that will be beneficial to your country and will keep Scotland secure. If James's future marriage does not bring about any sort of alliance or political benefit, then your marriage alliance will be Scotland's only hope for securing additional support for our country. There will be even more to potentially lose from now on, if your future marriage does not work out, or if the marriage is not beneficial to Scotland."

Mary frowned in confusion, wondering what her mother was trying to tell her…was she trying to talk her out of any possible alliance with France?

"The expectations of how your marriage will work for Scotland are different now, due to your change in role," Queen Marie continued. "Your choices will reflect on you as queen, and your country. You need to think very carefully about what you want to do next. In many ways, you will have more choice than you did at the start of the matchmaking process for who to establish an alliance with as the future queen, but you will also have a greater responsibility to make the right choice, not only for yourself but for your country, too."

Mary wasn't sure that she liked the idea of her possible future marriage being referred to as an 'alliance', especially when she had dreamed for so long of finding true love, but she knew that this was the way things were for royal families, and this was how many royals viewed marriage. Mary could only hope that she could find a balance between marrying for love, and marrying for the benefit of Scotland.

"You should know," said Queen Marie, after a long pause, "that you have other suitors, now that…rumours that you are going to be queen have started to spread."

Amidst her shock and surprise about what her mother had just said, Mary again felt strongly that the royal family needed to address the rumours soon, so that the people of Scotland could hear the news about the change in the line of succession directly from the royal family.

"There is a prince from Portugal who is interested in meeting with you, to discuss the possibility of a marriage alliance," Mary's mother continued, apparently oblivious to her daughter's complete and utter shock that she was even suggesting any of this as a possibility. "He is second in line to the Portuguese throne; the alliance could be a strong one. There are also several Spanish royals who have asked for your consideration for entering a marriage alliance, as well as several men with links to English royalty. Repairing our strained relationship with England would be beneficial for Scotland, especially in light of James's recent decision to end his engagement with Kenna. Then there's Louis Conde, who I believe you've met before…"

Mary felt a bit uncomfortable, and she wondered just how much her mother knew about her past conversations with Conde.

"A connection with a politician like Conde could potentially result in a strong political alliance between England and Scotland, although any such alliance will also come with risks, and potential accusations about the royals being too involved in politics. It is something we would have to consider carefully, if this is the kind of path you choose to take-"

"I can't believe you are telling me all this," said Mary, as she stared at her mother in disbelief. "I can't believe that you are advising me on all these…other options I could take, when you have been determined for so long that I will follow the rules of the matchmaking process and marry Francis."

Mary felt a bit uncomfortable at the idea of a prince that she had not yet met suddenly showing an interest in her now that the rumours were starting to spread that she was going to be queen. Surely her mother could see that men like that were only interested in her crown, and not her as a person.

As for Conde, Mary now had no interest whatsoever in pursuing anything romantic with him. From the night of the attack, any fleeting attraction that she might have once felt for him had faded to nothing, in the same way that any feelings she might have had for Bash had also gone. She wondered if she had ever truly had feelings for either of them. Looking back, Mary could understand that they had perhaps just been a distraction from all the pressure she had been under; a rebellion against her family's expectations.

After the attack, Mary had emerged from the wreckage of the castle as a different person in many ways, with new hopes and dreams, and she had left a lot of her old interests behind, including any previous attractions for men who were not Francis. She felt that those extreme circumstances had brought her true self to the surface, and now her true self was all she had left.

"Circumstances are different now," Queen Marie repeated, distracting Mary from her thoughts. "This is something I need you to understand, Mary. Of course, I will support you if you choose to continue with the matchmaking show, and if you choose Francis, but you must make this decision as a future queen, and not as a second-born princess who would have had several others in front of her in the line of succession, if James and Kenna and their future children had been on the throne instead. You must also be aware that there will be added complications if a king and a queen from two different countries decide to marry, especially two countries that have been rivals up until recently, and you must consider that. There will also be concerns that someone who is already an established king in their own country could try to usurp you, or have too much of an influence over Scottish policy, and these are concerns that you will frequently have to address. This is why a suitor who is in a position of lesser power is often preferable, for a future queen."

Queen Marie paused for a few moments to look at her daughter, as though ensuring that Mary really was listening, and understanding everything that she had to say.

"You will also be expected to produce heirs," she continued, "or if not, our line of succession may die with you, and the people of Scotland will be very much aware of that, as will our rivals for the throne. You must decide if you and your future husband will be able to cope with that pressure, along with the pressure of ruling a country…two countries, if you choose to marry Francis. Two countries with potentially conflicting goals and priorities. No matter what, you must do what is best for Scotland. Your country takes priority over matters of the heart."

Mary couldn't help glancing at Catherine, to see how she was reacting to Queen Marie's words. After all, it did seem as though Mary's mother was trying to talk her daughter out of marrying Francis.

"Your mother is right," said Catherine, surprising Mary all over again. "Circumstances are different, now that you are the next in line to your country's throne, and it's true that you do have other options now, that is only to be expected. Francis will also be aware that the situation is more complicated now."

Mary felt a flicker of fear that Catherine would try to talk Francis out of being with her, as she had done in the past, but she decided not to let this fear consume her; Francis was his own person, with a much greater influence over French rules and policy now, and if he truly wanted to be with Mary, then he would be with her; Mary would have to have faith in this idea.

"You must do what is right for your country," Catherine added, "as Francis will ultimately do what is right for his. But I will add that you must also do what is right for you. You must choose to rule alongside the man who will help you to be the best possible queen that you can be. Consider your options very carefully."


The conversation did not go on for much longer after that, as it seemed that those in attendance at the meeting felt that Mary needed time to consider everything she had been told before she called further meetings to discuss her options and decisions in more detail.

Apparently assuming that the meeting was now over, those in attendance started to rise from their seats. Instantly, Mary held up her hands to indicate to her mother, James, Catherine and the royal advisors that she had not finished speaking; that she had something else important to say.

Mary knew that when she was queen, it would be her duty to dismiss attendees from meetings such as these, but only when she was ready, and when all important matters had been discussed, and Mary wanted to start as she meant to go on.

The small group of people in the meeting room looked at Mary expectantly.

"I'm going to film an episode of the matchmaking show tomorrow," Mary announced, trying to project an air of confidence while also trying to ignore the looks of shock and surprise all around her. "I want to make an announcement on the show about my new role as future queen, and the decisions I want to make, going forward, with regards to my relationship. The viewers of the show deserve that much, at least. I feel it will bring them some closure, as well as bringing the show to a fitting conclusion. And there is a very important question I wish to ask someone…"

As expected, Mary was interrupted by several words of protest from most of the people in the room. Her mother especially looked horrified at how quickly Mary was rushing into making a decision, after everything that she had just said to her.

"I will not be talked out of this," Mary said firmly. "I have made my decision, and I am going to film an episode of the show tomorrow to make my announcement." She turned to her advisors. "Can you see to it that the camera crew is available for filming my announcement from three pm tomorrow, in the Throne Room? That should allow plenty of time to get everything set up…" And time for me to write a speech, she thought to herself, trying not to let her nerves about what could happen tomorrow get the better of her. "We will also need rows of seats to be set up in the Throne Room, in a similar layout to last time, although I want this event to be more low-key; only those currently residing in the castle are to be invited to attend, the staff included, of course, along with only a few trusted journalists and photographers. We will also invite more of the media for a press conference the day after tomorrow, depending on how the announcement goes…"

Mary knew that she was taking such a big risk in doing this-in putting herself out there and facing a possible rejection at the same time as making such an important announcement about the future of her country, but deep down, for some unknown reason, this felt like the right thing to do; the right way to go about it.

The idea to film a final episode of the matchmaking show while announcing her new role as queen, and who she wanted to marry-as she would have been expected to do anyway as part of the show, had the attack not happened-had appeared like a flash in Mary's mind's eye, and she could picture herself standing up on a stage in the castle and facing her audience. The image seemed like a fitting one; the right way to conclude the show, although probably not the easy way. It would be like coming full circle.

She was allowing herself to fall, in the faith that there would be a safety net waiting for her, this time. In her vulnerability, she could be truly honest, and know for sure if her feelings were returned.

Mary's advisors agreed to arrange for the cameras to film an episode of the show tomorrow, and then Mary indicated that the meeting was now over, and those in attendance prepared to leave the room.

Mary's brother glanced at her as he prepared to leave, and Mary was reminded that she was due to meet with James in the castle library right after this meeting. She knew that there were still several rules and regulations that she needed to check over before she could go ahead with what she planned to do tomorrow.

Mary nodded at her brother, silently letting him know that she would follow him to the library soon.


Almost everyone had left the meeting room now.

There was a mirror on the wall on the opposite side of the room. Mary walked towards it, before she stopped in front of it to stare at her reflection. She was not gazing at her surface appearance so much as she was trying to see deep within, somehow; to see what was in her soul.

She heard footsteps behind her, and then Mary's mother's reflection appeared next to Mary in the mirror. Mary was not surprised to see her; she'd had a feeling that Queen Marie was going to wait in the room to talk to her daughter, after what Mary had just announced.

"Mary," said her mother, her tone urgent and her facial expression serious, "I want you to think very carefully about what you're about to do. I know that time has seemed like it has been standing still in the aftermath of the attack, forever stuck in the present moment, but the decisions you are now making are not just about getting your subjects from one day to the next; these are decisions that will have a major effect on your future, and Scotland's future! The events of the past few days have been traumatic for us all, and I wouldn't advise making such important decisions while you are still in a state of shock, or out of fear of the unknown. You have more time now to decide, just like you always wanted, and from a position of greater power. There is no need to rush-"

"Mother," said Mary, "I need you to trust me. I know that I have made poor decisions in the past, but I have changed during the matchmaking process, and especially since the attack. For the first time, I feel like I'm seeing things clearly, and thinking with a clear mind. Yes, the attack was awful, but in many ways, it showed me who I really am, and what I really want. And now I know that I need to take these steps to become the person I want to be-the best person I can be-and there are opportunities I need to take before they slip away. Has the attack not proved to all of us that we always have much less time than we think we do?"

Mary's family and her advisors might have thought that she had more time now, but the events of the past few weeks had taught Mary that time was like the water in the stream just outside the village as it ran through her hands-precious, but easily lost. Mary felt like she had to take this opportunity now, to secure her future, and her happiness, while she still could, or circumstances could change again, and her time would run out.

The expression on Mary's mother's face was still doubtful. "I need to ensure that you understand what you are about to do," said Queen Marie, "and what the possible consequences may be. If you make bold declarations involving love and matrimony, and you put yourself out there, in public, in front of the people of Scotland, only to be rejected, it will not only be a personal embarrassment and heartbreak that you will have to face-you will also be potentially humiliating Scotland, and making your country look weak and vulnerable. I fear you are rushing into a closing ceremony for the matchmaking show, when you have no guarantee of receiving the answer you want. Do you really want to risk any sort of rejection during your first announcement that you will be queen?"

It was clear that Mary's mother knew exactly what she was going to do on television tomorrow, as well as most of those who had attended the meeting, Catherine especially. As for James, he seemed to have already worked it out yesterday evening when Mary had asked for his help with the research she had to do. He seemed to be supportive, at least.

"I understand your concerns," said Mary. In many ways, she was appreciative that her mother was being honest with her about just how badly things could go. "And I know that as queen, it will be important to be logical and cautious, and strategic and level-headed…but there will also be times when it will be necessary to act on the spur of the moment; to think quickly and rely on impulse and intuition and courage. I would not have made it through the night of the attack if I hadn't relied on those skills, and I feel like this is another of those moments. We are still fighting a battle, after all."

"Trust me," Mary said again, when she saw that her mother was still looking at her rather dubiously in the mirror. "As unbelievable as it may seem, I know in my heart and my soul that I am about to do the right thing, and I am prepared to face the consequences, if things don't go my way. It will be a good lesson for myself, I think, and for Scotland, too. We need to learn to be brave, to take risks and take a stand, and learn to be resilient when things don't go our way. We have managed to recover from far worse, after all. If the people of Scotland see their future queen being brave, then perhaps they will be inspired to do the same."

Slowly, her mother nodded. "You have my blessing, whatever you decide to do. I only hope that you are making the right decision for yourself, and your country."


Mary spent the rest of the morning in the library with James, the two of them looking up the key points that Mary wanted to research. The wooden tables in front of them were covered in piles of old books and paperwork, as well as a couple of laptops.

Mary was still slightly troubled by her mother's doubts as to whether Mary was walking the right path into her future, but still she would not be deterred from her plan. She hoped that if things worked out, her mother would eventually understand her decision process.

After a couple of hours of research, Mary was distracted when one of Francis's advisors walked into the library. He walked towards Mary and handed her a note from Francis.

Mary opened Francis's note eagerly-already, she was missing him after he had spent the morning away from the castle. She still couldn't think about how she would cope when Francis was away from the castle for longer periods of time, when he returned to France.

Francis had written his note in fancy handwriting, asking Mary if she would like to join him for lunch on the castle rooftop in half an hour.

Mary's heart started to beat a bit faster in her happiness at getting to spend more time with Francis. Just before he had left the castle earlier in the morning, Francis had hinted about the two of them spending some time alone together at some point during the day, even making it seem like this would be some sort of date, and Mary felt a thrill at the thought that this lunch on the rooftop could be that date.

Mary felt that she had done all the research that she needed to do, and so, after thanking her brother for his help, she went to go and get ready for her lunch with Francis.


Francis had suggested in his note that Mary should just wear casual clothes for their rooftop lunch together, and so Mary opted to wear a simple long-sleeved white shirt and jeans with flat shoes, thinking about how rare it was that she was dressing in such a casual outfit for lunch with a king. As she tied her hair up in a loose bun, Mary thought about how she couldn't remember the last time a lunch with a visiting royal at the Scottish castle had been so informal.

Francis might have wanted the lunch on the rooftop to be as casual as possible, but still protocol had to be followed. Mary was escorted up the stairs by two guards, as she knew that Francis would have been, too. The guards would be present throughout the meal, Mary was aware of that, trying to keep a subtle distance, and Mary's mother and brother would be informed about exactly where she was, as would a few of the senior staff members at the castle, as an extra precaution.

The rooftop would no longer be a private sanctuary where Mary could go to be alone with her thoughts. She knew that this private space was something else that had been taken from her, since the attack. She was sad about this, but still she was looking forward to spending time there with Francis.


Francis was waiting for Mary when she arrived on the rooftop. He was seated at a table that had apparently been brought up to the rooftop for the occasion. He stood up from his seat to greet Mary.

Mary's breath caught as she took in his loose golden curls and his casual-but-still-smart jeans and jumper.

He looked so handsome, especially with the warm smile that he directed at Mary when she caught his eye, and Mary couldn't believe that she hadn't realised long ago that she was in love with him.

Francis smiled again at Mary as she approached him.

"What's all this?" Mary asked him with a smile of her own, her eyebrow raised in curiosity as she gestured from the table to the small team of staff surrounding them on the rooftop who were holding silver trays with plates on top.

"I was thinking," said Francis, "that for the next couple of hours at least, we could take a brief break from our duties and just pretend to be a normal young man and woman enjoying something as close to a date as possible in our current circumstances. I think it's maybe what's needed, after the past few days…"

"I agree," said Mary, as she took a deep breath. "That sounds perfect."

Already, she couldn't wait to sit down at the table with Francis and get started on their almost-date. She was of course taking her royal duties very seriously, especially now that she was going to be queen, but a brief break was exactly what she needed right now to clear her thoughts, and Francis seemed to have picked up on what Mary needed before she had.

Francis pulled out a chair at the table for Mary so that she could sit down, and then he returned to his seat to sit down opposite her.

Francis had requested the typical 'fast food' that he and Mary had enjoyed as children to be served for their meal, which made the fact that the food was being served on fancy silver plates even more amusing. Mary took Francis's choice of food from their childhood-food that they hardly ever got to eat as adult royals-to be yet another statement that he wanted the two of them to be very much off-duty while they were out on the rooftop.

They both agreed that as far as they could do so, they should talk about topics that were not related to their royal duties, or the events of the attack, and Mary was grateful to talk about other things, if only for a little while.

As Mary and Francis enjoyed their food, they talked about the kind of things that young couples whose lives were not built around royal duties would perhaps have talked about while on a date…

They talked about the places that they had enjoyed visiting, and the cities and countries that they would still like to visit.

They talked about their hobbies, and all the things they liked to do when they were not doing royal duties, including their favourite songs to listen to and their favourite television shows to watch during their rare moments of free time.

They talked about childhood memories of their summers in France.

They shared memories of their school days in London, and what their classmates had been doing since they left school.

They talked about anything and everything, from Mary's favourite shops to visit in the local village, to Francis's favourite places to visit in Paris; from their fondest memories of their time spent with their siblings, to their hopes and dreams and ambitions.

Occasionally, their hands brushed as they talked, and they shared shy smiles, their glances at each other definitely flirtatious. In this moment, Mary felt like they were just like any young couple on a date, in the early stages of romance, full of hope for the future and enjoying the flirting and the conversation as they learned more about each other.

Mary had never thought that she would ever get to experience anything like this as a princess.

As they talked, a violinist who Francis had hired to play music during the rooftop lunch played songs on his violin a few feet away from the table, adding to the romantic atmosphere.

The rooftop location felt like their own personal sanctuary for a little while; a welcome escape in the fresh air, where Mary felt that she finally had the space and the distance from her advisors to gather her thoughts and think more clearly about how she wanted things to go tomorrow.


It was only towards the end of their meal that Mary and Francis felt that they should return to more pressing matters relating to their royal duties…

Francis updated Mary on his morning visit to the local prison. "I spoke to Bash first," he told Mary. "After hearing what he had to say, I really do think that he and I could be half-brothers-his recollections of his time spent in France with his mother seem to match the vague memories I have of the time when it was rumoured that my father had a mistress. A DNA test would easily prove or disapprove this, if Bash consents to it. My father would no doubt have tried to prevent such a thing, but now I have the authority to authorise it, and I can make this decision for myself."

Mary looked intently at Francis. She could see the pain in his eyes, but also the look of determination on his face.

"I know a positive DNA result will be difficult to process," Francis added, on seeing the look on Mary's face, "and I know that it will bring up painful memories of the past, but I feel like it is the right thing to do, no matter what Bash's fate may be. I feel like he and I will both understand our history better, if we find out the truth. As for the rest of Bash's story, I am not sure what to think, Mary. There is perhaps a strong case for him being coerced, manipulated and badly influenced from a young age by adults with bad intentions who should have cared better for him. There is also evidence that he had started to have a change of heart as an adult and question the acts and motivations of the rebels…But perhaps I am only seeing what I want to see, trying desperately to see the potential good in him due to our possible family ties…"

Mary could tell from Francis's words and the conflicted expression on his face that he still had a lot to think about when it came to Bash. She wondered if it would be best to wait for the results of the DNA test before taking any further action.

"I also spoke to Narcisse," Francis continued, with a pained expression on his face. "He is still as hateful as ever, but I do feel that he was not directly involved in the attack-mainly because it does not seem to have been in his own personal interest to fund or incite an attack in Scotland-I can't see what he would have had to gain from it-and he does not seem to have any direct links or history with the Scottish rebels. It seems his priority all along was to find his son, while antagonising the French royal family as a form of revenge along the way. Of course," Francis added quickly, "this will all have to be proved or disproved in court, and it will be your decision, and Scotland's, as to the justice he should face, depending on the crimes he has proven to have committed. I can use my connections in France to find out more about Narcisse, but only with your permission, of course. He is in Scotland now, and he will be tried by the Scottish system. I don't want to interfere, if that's not what you want, and I know you are perfectly capable of handling these situations yourself."

"Thank you," said Mary, nodding her head in acknowledgement of Francis's words. She was grateful that he was offering his assistance, without taking over the process or insisting that she had to follow his guidance or accept his help.

Mary knew that she would have to consider her options, when it came to Narcisse. She had a feeling that it could be useful, to have Francis use his connections to find out inside information about him from his time spent in France, as well as using the possible bargaining chip of helping Narcisse to find his son, in order to keep France and Scotland out of any of Narcisse's future schemes and manipulation.

"As for Lord Castleroy," said Francis, after a brief silence, "he seems genuinely remorseful for any part he might have played in the events of the attack, either directly or indirectly, but it is not my place as the King of France to get involved in his case. The crimes he is accused of are not connected to France, and his fate will be up to the Scottish court."

Mary nodded. She was relieved to hear that no matter what happened over the next few days, Francis was not going to try to take over or overrule her, when it came to matters that affected Scotland.

"I know Aloysius will have to face the justice process like the others," she said, "but I feel I should perhaps ask the court to be more lenient with him, for the sake of Greer and his children…"

Francis nodded. "I understand," he said. "I will support whatever decision you make."


A little later, when Mary and Francis were preparing to leave the rooftop, and the staff who had served their food had moved to the other side of the rooftop to give them a little privacy, Mary turned the conversation to something very important that she'd been wanting to talk to Francis about. She had enjoyed the more relaxed atmosphere during their meal, but she knew that she had to talk seriously to Francis and at least hint at what she was going to do tomorrow, in case they did not get a chance to talk again for the rest of the day when they both returned to their work.

"Can you stay in Scotland, for another day at least?" Mary asked Francis, hoping to convey in her facial expression just how important this was to her; that she would not be asking him to stay for longer unless she urgently needed him to be here.

"I think so," Francis replied. "I am under pressure from my advisors to return to France, but they have been understanding so far about the circumstances in Scotland, and the fact that it would be difficult to travel with my injuries. I think I could stay a little longer…"

Mary breathed a sigh of relief before her nerves set in all over again about what she was going to say next…

"I have requested that plans be made for an episode of the matchmaking show to be filmed tomorrow. I don't want to reveal too much, but I have a couple of important announcements to make to the public with regards to the future, and I feel that both our kingdoms require some sort of closure on a story that they have been following closely. I would really like for you to be in the audience when we film tomorrow's show."

Francis was watching Mary closely, as though trying to work out what she was really saying, and what she was going to announce tomorrow.

"If for any reason you do not think filming the show tomorrow would be a good idea," said Mary, "or if you do not think it would be wise to use the television show to make such important announcements, then now is your chance to let me know, while we are here, just the two of us. Speak now, or forever hold your peace," Mary added, with an attempt at a smile. She was trying to lighten the mood a little, but she could see that Francis understood just how serious this was; she knew that it was written all over her facial expression just how crucial she believed the events of tomorrow would be.

Francis sat in silence for a few moments, his facial expression intense. He looked right into Mary's eyes, as though trying to understand exactly what Mary was asking of him before he gave his answer.

Finally, Francis spoke…

"I think the timing is just right to film another episode of the show tomorrow," he said.

Mary breathed a sigh of relief. She had Francis's blessing for tomorrow's show, at least.


After her time spent with Francis on the rooftop, Mary attended another brief meeting with her advisors to discuss the logistics of filming another episode of the show at such short notice, and then she returned to her room, asking not to be disturbed unless something urgent happened.

In her room, she sat at her desk with her laptop open, surrounded by various notebooks, and several books from the library that she had requested to be sent to her room.

Mary took a deep breath as she stared at the blank document open on her laptop, fully understanding the importance, and the risk, of what she was about to do.

The outcome of tomorrow's episode of the show would decide Mary's future, one way or the other.

For now, she had a very important speech to write.


The next day, Mary sat in front of a mirror in the television room, staring at her reflection.

She felt that she looked different, somehow, since the early days of the matchmaking show, when she had been looking in this same mirror as she got ready for filming, but she couldn't quite explain this change, as she was sure that many would say that she had not changed in appearance at all, and hardly any time had passed, really, since the first day of the matchmaking show, even though Mary sometimes felt as though years had passed since the crew had first started filming, as so much had happened.

Mary blinked several times, trying to bring herself back to the present moment. It wouldn't be long before a member of the television crew knocked on the door to let her know that they were ready for her in the Throne Room.

Mary looked over her hair, makeup and dress in the mirror, double checking that the right combination of outfit and hairstyle had been chosen for the speech that she was about to deliver.

It was strange, she admitted to herself-however reluctantly-to be getting ready for such an important event without the help of Narcisse and his team.

Mary was no longer under any illusions-she had sensed all along that there was something suspicious about Narcisse, and these suspicions had recently been confirmed. She knew exactly who Narcisse was as a person now, but still that did not change the idea that there had been a certainty about his presence when Mary had been preparing for big events. He had always seemed to know exactly what he was doing; he'd always seemed confident in Mary's success, as misguided as his plans had been. When Narcisse had been advising her, Mary had often felt like she was playing on the winning team, even though he had employed under-handed tactics to score points in whatever game they had been playing.

Mary had never trusted Narcisse, but she had grown used to him being there as part of the matchmaking process.

Now, even the rest of Narcisse's PR team was not allowed to be present in the Scottish castle while an investigation into the attack was underway, as an extra precaution due to their links to Narcisse. The royal family would have to be sure that nobody else who had been working in the castle over the past few months had been plotting behind the royals' backs before they were allowed to work closely with the royals again.

A team of hair and makeup artists who had occasionally helped to style Mary's mother for events had been called in to help Mary get ready for today's episode of the show, but everything had been scaled back since the attack on the castle, including the hiring of stylists, makeup artists and PR assistants.

Everything was much less extravagant now, and Mary knew that this was the way things would be for the foreseeable future…which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, when she thought about it, as the royal family had been struggling financially for a while now, before the matchmaking show had started, and Mary knew that she would have to do everything she could to help the royal family overcome its financial difficulties, as Scotland would be much more stable if the country could become more financially secure.

However, Mary felt more alone now, as she sat by herself in front of the mirror without Narcisse and his team, mentally preparing herself to film the final segments of the show. She tried to remind herself that there were some benefits to this sense of isolation-she had felt rather stifled at the beginning of the matchmaking show, being surrounded by so many people with their own plans and agendas for the process. Now, Mary had more freedom to stand on her own two feet and carve her own path.

She did not need Narcisse's help.

Mary sat up a little straighter before she glanced in the mirror again. On the first day of the matchmaking show, she had chosen to wear black, with the colour of her dress reflecting a sense of mourning over the fact that she had believed her life as she knew it was over.

Now, Mary had chosen to wear a flowing red dress that looked much more regal, and more vibrant.

In many ways, her life as she knew it had been over, the moment she'd signed up for the matchmaking process, but she was no longer grieving the loss of the person she used to be. Now, she felt as though she'd been reborn from the flames that had engulfed the castle on the night of the attack; reborn as a stronger and better person, and she hoped that the colour of her dress reflected this sense of rebirth.

He hair had been pinned up with golden hair pins, and Mary had chosen to wear a golden tiara for today's show, instead of her usual silver one.

Mary adjusted her tiara a little, before she nodded, finally satisfied with her reflection in the mirror.

She looked like a queen.

She was suddenly distracted by the sound of knocking on the television room door.

"Enter!" said Mary, just before a television crew member peered around the door.

"Your Highness," said the crew member, "they're ready for you now."

Mary nodded. "I'll be right there," she replied. Her heart was racing, but her hands were steady.

Mary was about to make one of the most important speeches of her life; she was about to ask a very important question which would decide her future, one way or another, while the cameras filmed it all, at the same time as an audience viewed her moment of vulnerability, and silently scrutinised her, too, no doubt, judging whether she really would be a capable and suitable queen, but, as Mary stood up from her seat and held her head high, she knew that not only were the people of Scotland ready for her, but after everything she had been through, she was ready to face the people of Scotland, too.