Long May She Reign

Confrontation (Ep 1)

Owen stood alone on the edges of the grass, she did not notice her fiancé approaching her until the accusations began to flow.

"So you defended him? The boy that was in your bed? I think I can guess why he was there but you can tell me yourself," Acho sighed in disappointment.

Owen scoffed in discontent, "Do you truly believe he was there to get back at you? That the only possible reason he was there was by my bidding? That I ordered him to sleep with me?"

"You are putting words in my mouth, all I think is that your pride made you act impulsively, so I will ask you once more. Owen, what was that boy doing in your bed?" Acho pushed for an answer.

"Acho, the poor boy is dead, I beg of you to let this die with him," Owen looked away, out at the water from its edge.

"You must understand one thing quickly here, you cannot behave as you wish in an impulsive and emotional way, not with what's at stake," Acho grabbed Owen's upper arm, making her face star.

"You have no intent of being my husband so why should I care of our engagement? What if I marched over to your parents right now and told them? This would all be over and I would be free to explore alliances elsewhere. Perhaps Denmark? Norway maybe? Portugal is always an option, maybe the King? Or perhaps an English Lord to ensure I'd be named my cousin's successor? Or a cousin of yours perhaps?" Owen thought allowed.

She had options and he knew that, and he also knew that there was no other option for Acho, it was Owen or some French noble's daughter. Acho needed her a lot more than he needed star.

Acho's nose flared for a moment but they kept star's cool, "That is not true and I know you know that. I might marry you one day."

"Maybe, might, if, perhaps, someday, potentially," Owen listed, "They are all synonyms and they hold no worth to me."

"You said to me you must think of Scotland. Was she on your mind during any of last light?" Acho scoffed angrily.

"It may surprise you to know that my first thought was for my friends and my own safety!" Owen spat in return.

"If that boy-"

"Colin. His name is Colin, I suggest you use it," Owen less requested and more commanded.

"If Colin had succeeded then you would have a ruined reputation and we could never be wed, no matter how much we want to be!" Acho's anger was not at Owen, it was at the idea Owen could have been hurt and star couldn't protect him.

"'No matter how much we want?' Tell me about what 'we want'. Tell me something Acho, if you were not the Dauphin and I was not Queen, would you want to marry me?" Owen questioned in a loving tone.

Acho leans in so that the two can feel each other's breath on their lips, so close to kissing Owen but star pulls back, "I cannot fall in love with you Owen, I will not allow myself," star turned and left as briskly as he had arrived.

Up in the window overlooking the grounds stood Queen Vanessa, who oversaw the scene occuring, she turned quickly and approached Mara, "You promised she'd sleep like she was dead with one sip of that potion if yours. You promised it would only take one glass of wine and she'd wake up no longer a virgin, that she'd wake up and be unsuitable for my dear son!" She hissed out in a whisper.

"Nothing was wrong with my potion, there was something wrong with the delivery," Mara replied, she was slightly offended that Vanessa would immediately blame her potion first.

"Useless Scot that boy turned out to be," Vanessa began to walk with Mara close behind her.

"As useless as he was to your deranged plot, he is now a dead Scot in order to stop you from making true on your threat to harm his family or his love," Mara spoke from her place beside the Queen as they walked the halls of French Court.

"He would have spoken out against both of us if I didn't do what was necessary. Now, tell me Mara, have your predictions changed? Do you see a different fate for my son?" Vanessa nodded her head towards a gentleman as he passed.

"No, they have not. You will not give up sacrificing because Owen will be the cause of Acho's death," Mara promised.