I DO NOT OWN REIGN. I HAD SOME PERSONAL FEELINGS TO WORK OUT IN THIS CHAPTER.
The same day.
It took a few minutes for my anger to subside, but when it did, I felt nothing but shame. I had basically told Mary to eat shit. She had ever right to be mad at me and Olivia both. I was promised to Mary and I had locked lips with another woman. If I was being honest, she should have kicked both out asses and we'd have had coming too. I knew that I needed to apologize and right away. I quickly began to scour the grounds for my betrothed, but I didn't exactly have a map of the castle grounds. After about 15 minutes of aimless wandering, I spotted Mary with Bash on a grassy knoll. They were sharing the flask and most likely bitching about how much of an ass i'd become since Olivia showed up. I started walking towards them until Mary leaned over and planted a kiss on the lips of my false brother. She pulled away for a moment, only to have Bash press his lips to hers once more. It felt as though they had both plunged a knife into my heart. I stumbled away as fast as I could. I didn't want either of them to see me have a royal breakdown. I had to believe that Mary had just kissed Bash because she was drunk and pissed and he's offered her comfort. The idea that she could actually be falling for him wasn't something that I was willing to entertain.
I felt the tears bursting out of my eyes like the Hoover damn had broken. It honestly made me wonder what the fuck I was even doing there. I had been trying to alter the show's timeline, to change things for the better, but it seemed like my efforts were in vain. I felt though I was being pulled in so many different directions. So many people wanted so many different things. Mary wanted this, Olivia wanted that, Catherine, Henry, Leith, Greer, the list went on and on. I just wanted them to understand that I was trying my best.
After I spent about 5 minutes throwing myself a pity party, I heard the trumpet sound and I knew that it was time to launch the boats. I collected myself as best I could and I headed out to the little jetty where everyone was gathered. I wrote down my regret, which seemed superficial, but it needed to be said: I can't please everyone. As I attached the paper to the stern end of the Just Mary, the ship's namesake herself came over to follow suit.
"My regrets are not hard to summon." Mary said in a voice filled with contriteness as she wrote out her note and attached it to her boat. "I'm sorry we fought, i'm sorry I didn't eat more and drink less, and i'm sorry I overreacted. "Perhaps after this we can talk?"
"If we must..." I said quietly as we both sent our boats off. As the current carried them off in 2 different directions, I couldn't help but see it as a bad omen.
After the boats had all been sailed away, Mary and I left the jetty and walked along hand in hand to a secluded spot where we could talk freely.
"You wanted to talk, so talk." I said, sounding more bitter than I meant to.
"Francis...I wanted to apologize for the fight that we had." Mary started to say with pain in her face. "I understand why you feel the need to help Olivia, but you must understand..."
"Do you have feelings for him?" I asked quickly as I could contain myself no longer.
"For who?" Mary asked in confusion as if she didn't know.
"Bash. I saw you kiss him and then he kissed you back." I pointed out as Mary's eyes went wide as dinner plates.
"Francis...I drank too much and I was hurt because you admitted that Olivia kissed you, do you have feelings for her?" Mary asked pointedly as I broke down once more, being confronted by my weakness.
"I...I have lust towards her." I admitted as I could see the heartbreak on Mary's face. "But I don't love her! I love you Mary, you're the one I love!"
"Francis...you just admitted that you have feelings for another woman!" Mary argued as she started to tear up. The pain that I had caused her was overwhelming and I fell to my knees, crying like a baby bitch. Mary was right; even before Olivia had kissed me, I had looked at her with lust. I had already committed the sin of adultery and it tore me the fuck up. As I wept, I felt Mary kneel down and put her hands on me.
"Francis...Francis please get up..." she begged as I threw myself at my Queen to be and held on for dear life.
"I'm so sorry Mary...please don't leave me, You're all that I want, you're all that I have!" I wailed as she pulled me close and began to rock me in her arms.
"Look at me Francis." Mary commanded as she took my face in her hands and forced me to look her in eyes that were just as tear stained as my own. "I love you and I am not leaving you. We are going to get through this together."
"Truly?" I asked as I looked up at my future wife with hope.
"Truly, but you have to be honest with me." Mary pleaded as she wiped my tears away. "If you feel like...you fancy Olivia, come talk to me and I'll try to understand, but the only way we'll endure is if we stay together."
"Mary...can we stay together forever?" I asked as she kissed me deeply.
"I hope so, my love." Mary replied as we embraced each other and enjoyed the safety that we provided each other.
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