I DO NOT OWN REIGN.

French Court, Kingdom of France. The Next Day.The next morning, I woke up to find a naked Mary sleeping next to me in my bed. Last night, had been one of the best nights of my life. I couldn't admit it to Mary, but I was also a virgin before last night. I'd dated plenty of chicks before, but I never wanted to get serious with any of them. When you get serious with a girl, you have to open up to her about all your baggage. I wasn't willing to expose an innocent woman to my fucked up family.

Now that I was Francis, my family was still fucked up, but at least I didn't have to fill Mary in on the details. Maybe it was creepy, but for a few minutes, I just laid there, watching her sleep. When I gently touched her face, Mary finally woke up and smiled at me.

"Good morning Francis." She said sweetly as she missed my lips.

"I just...I can't believe this..." I said as I ran my fingers through her luscious hair. "I am yours?"

"Yes, you are." She said as she looked in my eyes.

"And you are mine?"

"Yes, I am."

"Mary, can I say something at the risk of sounding improper?" I asked as she looked at me with a weird smile.

"All right?" She replied with an awkward chuckle as I leaned in close.

"I really hope that I got you pregnant." I whispered as Mary's eyes went wide in shock.

"Why Francis, what a thing to say!" She exclaimed with surprised laughter.

"Think about it, if you were pregnant, the King would be forced to let us marry immediately!" I exclaimed as I ran my fingers over Mary's strong skin. "He would never risk having our child being a bastard."

"You don't think we are being too reckless, seeing as we are not yet wed?" Mary asked tenderly as I pressed my forehead to hers.

"God knows we are married in our hearts, the ceremony will only make it legal." I told my bride to be as I kissed her neck. Mary rewarded me for my efforts by uttering the sweet sound she had made last night.

"I love it when you make that sound, Mary." I said with a smirk as she giggled.

"I love it when you kiss me on that spot." Mary replied as suddenly a knock was heard at my door. Mary quickly concealed herself under the covers as a servant came in.

"Forgive me, but there's word for you from the Holy See." The servant said.

"The Pope?" I asked.

"The cardinal from the Vatican is in the throne room." The servant answered.

"I shall be there presently." I assured the man as he left while my love emerged.

"We are so not finished here." I promised her as Mary laughed loudly as we held each other for a few minutes more.

Later That Day.

Mary and I joined the entire court in the throne room as King Henry got on his soapbox to let everyone know of his desire to take England for his own.

"God bless us all!" Henry declared with glee. "There is news sent to us by Cardinal Tesson, the papal emissary." The Cardinal bowed his head as the King continued on. "In England, the Tudor queen is dying."

"While she has not named her successor.." the Cardinal started to say.

"Many suspect and believe, the rightful heir to the English throne is you: Mary Stuart." Henry continued as he approached my bride to be. "The second England's queen dies, you will make your claim. Your marriage to my son will strengthen that claim, as it will show the world that you have the might of France at your side. France fulfills its promise to Scotland and to you, it's time you and Francis are wed." Mary was stunned into silence as I tried to appear the same, despite knowing that everything that Mary and I had built was sent to crumble. Catherine was pissed at this turn of events as we locked eyes. I tried to put as much strength as I could into my glare, hoping that she would retreat.

"We must celebrate, it's God's will." Henry said as he raised his goblet in a toast. "Do you hear me? It's God's will!"

"Am I understanding this right?" Mary asked as she looked at me nervously. "That a new condition of the alliance, of our marriage, is that I deliver England to you?"

"My father wants it and the Vatican's support makes him think he can get it." I replied on script.

"Elizabeth has support as well; armies she's been gathering for years." Mary pointed out as i took her hand in mine. "You realize what laying claim to England could cost me?"

"If Elizabeth wants your head, she will have to go through me." I assured Mary as I planted a kiss on her forehead. I knew in that moment I meant what I said; I would glad my life for Mary's. She was more important than I was.

"When the English Queen dies, so does Henry VIII's line." Henry II declared in his study where he, Mary, Catherine, and myself had gathered after the refreshments had been consumed. "You are his next relation by blood."

"Elizabeth is Henry VIII's daughter." Mary pointed out.

"By Anne Boleyn, her parents' marriage was never recognized by the Catholic Church. She's illegitimate. Her claim is weak, at best. In God's eyes, she doesn't even exist." Henry pointed out in return.

"How convenient God has this opinion, as Elizabeth happens to be Protestant." Catherine interjected in her typical bitchy way.

"The Pope doesn't want to lose a nation to Protestantism, can you blame him?" Henry shot back in his typical I want what I want way.

"A Scottish queen on the English throne?" the Medici bitch asked in disbelief. "A daughter born of one of Henry's wives, dismissed? There will be uprisings, wars, Catholics against Protestants, neighbor against neighbor."

"England against Scotland." Mary added.

"And Elizabeth against Mary, have you thought about that?" I finished as someone needed to speak for Mary's safety.

"They say she's very cunning, and that she has many followers." Catherine explained.

"And she's always perceived Mary as a threat." Henry claimed as he turned to the woman I loved. "She will come after you, whether you've reached for the crown or not. As for strife, civil wars, England will never be weaker. What better time to strike? If they push back, if there are wars, we will win."

"You hate them." Mary realized as she saw this attempt by Henry as the personal vendetta that it almost certainly was.

"England tore into my country for half a century, they spilled French blood on French soil." Henry spat, justifying his rage. "Yes I hate them, you can make them ours. Together, you will some day rule half of Europe: England, Scotland and France. Don't let fear keep you from greatness. This is your destiny." As Henry went off to threaten his wife, I looked at mine.

"Mary, I swear to you, I will never leave your side, no matter what decision you make." I vowed as I saw nothing but fear in her face for the future to come.

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