Francis paced the floor of his private chambers. This sort of situation was just the sort of thing that could drive a man to too much wine and that he had seen enough of to know what it can lead too. It was no wonder that he rarely had seen Bash touch the wine even at dinner. The excuse given had always been that he was a fighter and hunter and needed to maintain his clear mind so he would not be taken unawares. There had been one exception to this, and that had been the day that they had almost lost Mary. Sebastian had been beside himself with no authority of his own to order the troops that Mary desperately needed at the time. They had both already succumbed to the sorrow that Mary would be leaving for Portugal with their father so unwilling to spare the men. So, it was sight he was unused to that he came upon, as his brother sat the spot where he had first seen the woman who Mary on her own not in formal reception. He had taken to drinking, having consoled himself for loving Mary from afar as she was to be his brother's wife, but with Mary leaving even that chance to love her and serve her from afar was gone.

When Francis shared the news that their father had relented on issue, Bash had practically leapt to conduct the message and get those men to port. He had not been in his best condition, but well enough to ride, and neither brother had expected the ambush that awaited on the road. The whole drama that had unfolded since had been a source of great amusement, he was sure of the courtiers. There was indeed gossip among the servants and courtiers as events followed. He needed to confirm if in fact what Sebastian had said was true. He was correct though he had not realized it back then, that Bash had his own reasons for helping Mary by replacing him on throne to stop Nostradamus's prophecy. Mumbling to himself, the young Daulphine asked, "How, could I have not seen it? How did I not recognize that he was in love with her then?"

Words of fear and realization of what had all really taken place over the past few months Francis began to pen his own letters. One of which went to Rome, and the other to Scotland. He needed answers before he made a single move here. Being rash and working from assumptions was what had gotten him here. It was time to listen with his head, the one on his shoulders anyway. He had nearly ruined his relationship with the young Queen of Scots on more than a couple of occasions. This made the current predicament even worse, and more dire than anything previously. He knew that Mary held no desire for a marriage like his parents. She had seen the unhappiness that it had brought for everyone in the household.

Francis would not forgive himself at all if he found out that it was. Nor could he forgive himself if he found out that it was not and yet he allowed his marriage to Mary be destroyed. So, that was how Mary would find him sitting at his desk in his private chambers. Realizing that Francis needed time with his thoughts. She turned and left, returning to her own chambers.

Mary too upon returning to her chambers began to pace. She needed to continue planning and she needed word from Rome before she could move forward. His Eminence had been no fan of her father nor her mother for that matter. Though, she doubted that Catherine or Henry was much higher on his list now. It would be a long night while they awaited word, and hoped his Eminence ruled swiftly and decisively. That was always questionable as the will of God placed people on the thrown and that meant his Holiness, and so the Medici family had room to maneuver here whereas she did not, she had done what she could. She would have to accept his Holiness and his Eminence's ruling in the matter of Lola and her child and her marriage. With those thoughts the young Queen finally allowed herself to try for the first time in years.

Mary was not surprised when she opened her eyes again to face the bright light of the sun. She dressed and began to brush her hair . Looking up she saw a Paige standing in the outer chamber, "your messenger had returned mam and with word." The young Queen of Scots nodded, "send him in." The messenger bowed swiftly and handed her an envelope with the seal of the Pope. It was rare to hear back this quickly and it unnerved Mary. This meant it was a matter settled by president and that she had to question what way that would go. There had been cases in the past that had favored firstborns born of a previous experience, and ones that absolved marriage for precontract and false knowledge. There were so many ways that this could go. It would depend as to what way the wind was currently blowing and how strong the Medici hold on the Papacy was. She could not bring herself to open it so great were her nerves and so she spent the day in her room not feeling strong enough to look at it alone but trusting almost no one in the court.

Finally, she felt her nerves settle after dinner, and she gained enough strength to read the missive. Papal pal as they called it, was a direct verdict by the Vatican. Therefore, Papal pal was seen as the will of God, and so Mary faced her fate. Reading what it said, the young Queen Mary needed to get out of the castle .

The raven-haired Queen of Scots was not overly fond of her Mother-in-law and needed time away from the politics and mechanizations of court to get herself and her heart squared away as she prepared for whatever response she may receive from Rome. It was not her preference to remain and wait for Catherine to make more moves and if she caught even the slightest whim of what had occurred it was sure to be a long couple of weeks. So, she lit her candle and placed it into the window. Sebastian smiled as he saw the golden glow that illuminated Mary's window.