Our challenging Reign ~ Charles Valois

Chapter 14: Odd Behaviour

Charles and I travelled to Paris to celebrate the birth of the baby. And of course we brought James with us. Every since Charles came back from being kidnapped he's been acting strange, sneaking out in the middle of the night and having constant mood swings. But since we have left France, he has been feeling much better and has been smiling frequently. We have been spending a lot of time together with the baby.

But since we have returned to France, his odd behaviour has gone back to how it was before we left. He refuses to speak to his sister Leeza, the Queen of Spain, so now I have to go with her, Catherine and Claude to mass. Fun!

"Another mass." Catherine grunted. We're all getting tired of going but Claude actually thoroughly enjoys it. "God must be drowning in our adoration."

Claude continues in her depressive state, "I like mass, it brings me comfort that Leith's soul can be at peace." I give her a sympathetic smile and rub her back soothingly. I felt like that when Charles went missing.

"Some advice from a caring sister?" I roll my eyes as Leeza says this. I know she couldn't care less about this family, now that she is the queen of Spain. She just wants power. "Don't grieve so openly for a commoner you should have never even considered to marrying. It would hurt your reputation, and for what? He's dead."

I snap at her, "She has lost her lover, I think that she has a right to grieve, whether in public or not. And if you had any decency or compassion for your family you would understand that."

She turns to me with a dirty look and asks me, smugly, "How often is Charles taking the Eucharist? You are both back from Paris with your child, I sent word that we were attending mass; why didn't he join us?"

"The king is a pious but busy man, Leeza." I sigh desperately at her. I'm desperate for her to shut up. Any mention of my husband annoys me. He's been shutting me out now that we have return and has no time for me or James. Today, as this week I have a lot of duties, I have handed James over to the trusted nanny for a while.

"Or should be. The nobles tell me he missed the last two privy council meetings because he'd taken too his bed." I mentally sigh on that. That is true. And I have been attending the meetings by myself. "They lack leadership, especially with the Lord Chancellor stuck in English prison."

"They have me. And I assure you that Lord Narcisse's return is being taken care of. Elizabeth has sent word that the English are willing to release him if France makes monetary reparations."

"Doesn't that recall a King's signature next to yours?" She questions me, cockily. "I don't see that happening anytime soon, what with Charles being so 'busy', admit it Isabella, France needs new leadership." And walks away.

I have never wanted to hit someone so much in my entire life. I go to attack her as she walks away but Catherine quickly grabs a hold of me. "I can't believe it. Charles fires me as his regent so he could rule the country by himself and he's not even ruling it." She tells me.

I roll my eyes at her, she still doesn't see what she did wrong. "Charles and I both fired you because you were a self-serving tyrant who we could no longer trust."

She takes my arm and walks us down the hall speaking quietly so no one here's us. "This is more than my strained relations with you and your husband. If the position of Lord Chancellor remains open, Spain will try to fill it with one of their own, and granting Spain a presence in our government practically makes France a Spanish colony. I will not allow it. Charles can sign those papers in my blood, but I And France need Narcisse!"

Ugh. The one time I actually want Narcisse's presence, he is locked up in a cell in England. Catherine and I walk the halls until we seek out Charles who is carelessly walking, wanting to leave the castle once again. He looks like a walking corpse, but still manages to look attractive.