War of Hearts || Reign || REWRITE

28- The coronation

March 25th,1563

Today Ottavio was due to come to France and I dreaded it. Not only did this mean I couldn't be alone with Francis anymore, but it also meant I had to be careful again.

After the conversation with Francis our 'relationship' had improved but we spent little time alone. He was married and a king and I was married too. We couldn't bear anyone thinking we were having an affair.

~

I stood in the courtyard, dressed in a simple green dress, waiting for Ottavio. When I saw him riding his horse, I took a deep breath before walking over to him.

"Good morning, Husband. How was your trip?" I asked after kissing him on the cheek. He had an exhausted expression on his face "Okay, is there a place where I can rest".

"You can rest in my room, do you want something to eat?" I pretended to be an honorable woman, but if I could I would have killed him on the spot.

I escorted him into the room and helped him take off his clothes. When he was in bed I quietly left the room and walked into the hallway.

I walked to Mary's room. She probably needed help for the coronation.

Mary's rooms had been moved to the royal wing of the palace. This is where the king, the queen, their children and Diane, the king's mistress, resided.

Diane had now been banished from court by Catherine and the two eldest daughters had married and now lived outside the palace. Only Charles still lived in the palace (Catherine and Henry had several children in real life but they don't exist in the story because that ruins the storyline).

The door to Francis's room opened and he walked out. Immediately a smile broke on my face "Hello Francis" I said, he smiled "Hello, I just saw you in the courtyard with your husband, are you happy to see him again"

My smile faded again "Not really, I'm looking forward to going to Italy with him tonight. He's crazy in his head and wants to control everything about my life"

Francis kept smiling "Don't worry, everything will be fine"

I looked at him incomprehensibly. What did he mean?

~

When it was time for the coronation, I walked with Ottavio to the throne room and we stood in the designated spots.

I was wearing a gray dress decorated with pearls and my hair in a braided bun.

"Make way for the King and Queen!" cried the lackey. We all made a curtsy and bow as Francis and Mary walked into the hall, followed by Catherine.

When they stood at the altar, Francis knelt first. The Archbishop prayed over him and then smeared the holy oil on his forehead "I anoint thee king with holy oil in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit"

"Amen" we said in unison

Francis got up and walked to his throne. The Archbishop walked over to Francis with the coronation crown and held it over his head. Then he handed him the scepter and coronation orb.

"I Crown, Francis Valois. As king of France. God save the king!"

"God save the king!" We cried in unison.

Mary now walked to her throne and took her place. The Archbishop walked up to her with a crown much like Francis's and placed it on her head.

"God save the queen!" he cried, "God save the queen!" We cried in unison.

I looked proudly at Francis and he smiled at me briefly before looking across the room.

I felt Ottavio stiffen next to me and when I looked at him I saw an angry expression on his face.