An Old Alliance, A Renewed Love

Chapter 1

  A/N: This first chapter is just about getting to know Margareta and the first few paragraphs are a prologue. Hope you enjoy!

I was surrounded by all those that I loved - except one person was missing; Francis. I'd been at Court for a full three hours and he had yet to come to me. Catherine told me not to grow distressed, that he'd be here any moment. His much talked about wife had finally made her way to the banquet hall to formally welcome me to Court; she was also away from the castle when I arrived. She apologized for her and Francis' absence at my arrival, but she did these things so formally. She said what she was supposed to,  gave me a tight smile, and was on her way.

            At French Court I always felt I could relax, this Scottish stranger didn't know how to do that. I'd heard plenty about her from Catherine since being at Court. Catherine had told me about how she changed from when she first came to Court. Bash wrote about her a long time ago, about how in love he thought he was, however now he only writes about his true love, his wife, Kenna. From what Francis had written I knew Mary and Francis once truly loved each other, how he wrote about her now was saddening to hear. Staring at this woman hurt me to my very core, knowing she had hurt someone I care about so deeply even if I did not know how exactly.  To make her first impression on me even worse, I saw how she flirted with Louis, the Snake of Conde. I wanted to slap the man who stole my most beloved sister's innocence with his charm and lust for women of status while he had been in Germany. Oh, how I hated him.

I was about to make my snarky remarks to him when the trumpets sounded. "King Francis," the page man announced. The entire room knelt respectfully and that's when I saw him. The man I'd loved since I was a child. The new King of France, -and Scotland- my Francis.

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         "How long will you be gone?" my sister pleaded to me. I took her hand and responded, "I don't know exactly. Perhaps until something awful happens here, or sooner, seeing as that nothing has happened since I solved the dispute on the borders months ago." Paris didn't take my humor the way I had imagined she would. She was just my bastard sister but we had been raised together and we loved each other dearly. I was proud to be someone she looked up. Of course most of the country did that seeing as that I am the queen. "Margareta, don't play politics with me. How am I going to deal without you here? And you are leaving your mother in charge! She hates me! Everyone does...." I felt bad for Paris, it was so hard to hear her say these things, but sadly it was true. Paris is a constant reminder of Father's one time of infidelity. It had been a time of great loss for Father and Mother, they had just lost the only boy Mother had ever given birth to. My parents didn't see each other for a whole year, when Father returned home he had a babe from Paris in his arms. His babe at that. Mother was heartbroken. Paris' mother died in child birth, Mother pitied her. She tried to raise Paris, she just couldn't look at something that screamed personal betrayal. Mother has hated Paris since she came to Germany and so have many of our people.

"I'm leaving Belliford here to guard you. He has been my guard ever since that night. He is loyal to me, and he will protect you from my mother, the Nobles, and anyone else. Alright?" I looked down at her full of concern. This was the first time since Father's death that she was being left in Germany without a loving monarch to protect her.

          Tanya, my servant, took the last of my clothes that I'd selected and put them in a trunk to be carried to my carriage. "You will meet me at French Court for Charles's festival. If you fear you are in danger tell Belliford, he'll take your three day bag and take the tunnels to the cottage." Paris nodded solemnly. I wrapped her in my arms and squeezed three months worth of love into that hug. I was leaving my sister to the wolves as I tried to go and remember who I was, who I am. Tanya came to tell me that my carriage was ready. I said my goodbyes to Paris and quickly walked past Mother's chambers hoping to avoid any unwanted grand goodbyes. To my disliking, Mother found me before I could get to my carriage. "I hope you weren't planning on leaving before saying goodbye to the woman who gave you life." I smiled and shook my head as I gave Mother a hug. She stroked my hair and told me how much she loved me and hoped I would be safe. I nodded into the embrace seeing how many of her servants and ladies in waiting she had brought out to witness our goodbyes.

          Mother and I looked close to anyone who had ever done just that, looked at us. The truth is Mother and I don't really care carefor each other. We knew it was our duty to look strong and united, loving each other wasn't in the handbook. Don't get my words confused, we didn't hate each other or anything like that. We simply just didn't have love. Mother and Father had truly loved each other, and they loved all my sisters. Father, however, was the only parent I loved. That's why losing him and becoming queen so quickly was the worst time I'd ever experienced.

          Mother knew what going to Court meant to me. It meant I'd be near the people I actually had a familiar love towards. It didn't sadden her to know that I loved Catherine and not her, if anything it made her happy to know I had a mother figure out there somewhere. That's how we were. I guess one could say we did love each other because of that, but that's how far our so called love went.

        "If the Nobles cause any problems you send a messenger to me immediately and I will be here as soon as possible," I told her rubbing her shoulders. I looked her straight in the eye and said, "You will take care of Paris too." Mother opened her mouth to refuse, I assume. I stopped her before she could say anything, "I know you two don't like each other, please be kind to her. If not for me, for Father." That got Mother's attention. She straightened up a little and brushed her perfectly clean dress and said, "Yes, my Queen." I nodded officially.

        Mother walked back to the castle doors, they opened, and she left to go and assume command of my country I'm sure. I saw my little sisters gathered by the window of the nursery that overlooked the court yard. They were weeping and hugging each other. With just the little time I spent with them, we had learned to love each other. I waved to them teary eyed and blew a kiss to all five of them. I gathered up my dress, continued to the center of the courtyard, and took my driver's hand as I stepped into my carriage.

         The inside was a little more extravagant than the exterior. We had made it that way in case of people who hated the Crown found us. We hoped they would think the carriage only had lesser Nobles, they were less likely to be attacked. The interior walls had a beautiful painting of the German country side. Father had it done by one of our most skilled artist. When the carriage became mine after my coronation, I had velvet covered cushions placed on the seats, goose feathered pillows placed inside, and my husband had added a foot ledge to the front of each bench. He had made them himself. He cut holes big enough for heated bricks to go in and raised them to maximize comfort  for me. He had always loved his crafts. How I had loved the man who left me alone in this world only three years ago.

        Tanya got into the carriage and we were on our way. She was a loyal servant that I trusted and adored immensely. I allowed her to ride with me into the village that was on our way to the arranged travel path. It was my trip to see family as well as her own. We chatted about how excited she was to see her younger siblings as she had not been home in quite some time- I know I am to blame, but she never complained. Shortly into the journey the driver halted and informed Tanya that we were near her home. She practically leaped out of the carriage with excitement, gave me a quick curtsey and a thank you before running towards her home. I smiled at the sight of her younger siblings running towards her with equal joy and impatience.

      The difference between being in  town and the woods is extreme when I'm in the carriage. The unmade road is the easiest to notice. Then there's the darkness, though my men have lit torches. Another is that I can tell all my men on horse back are closer to the carriage now, we've reached bandit country. I'm not afraid of these parts of the woods, I know for a fact my mother and sisters are. We've never been attacked and the only people I've ever seen out here are hungry men who have lost work. I usually tell one of my men to take him into town and get him a meal and help him find a job. I was ecstatic that we reached the end of the woods without hearing any hungry moans. I was also very happy that the men were spacing out and that the road was smoother.

The sky had been dark for hours but my men didn't pull into a lodge. I think they were excited for France too. France meant French women for their choosing. I laughed silently to myself as I fell asleep against the carriage's wall.

A/N: Okay, I know nothing really interesting as happened yet, just try to bare through the next chapter, maybe it'll change your mind! Reviews are gladly appreciated but your view is too so thanks anyway!