"Mama, look!" James squeals as he wiggles in delight atop his new white pony. It's not a startling beast, nor it is an imposing one, but it's just the stride for a four year old Prince of Scotland and France.
At equal height with her little son atop his little horse, The Queen of Scotland and it's isles and Dauphiness of France smiles at the beautiful dark haired boy with bright blue eyes and Catherine's dimples. Her stomach is so prominent nowadays that she cannot stand directly in front of her firstborn boy, and the future Queen of France takes up every moment she can to be with her children now that her confinement looms.
"I can see, my Darling." she smiles, reaching over the significant swell of her abdomen to brush his curls away from his face in the gentle breeze of the autumnal air. "The bravest little knight in the land."
"Mama, I want a ride. Papa, please!" Annaliece Elizabeth Catherine de Valois-Angouleme-Stuart whines from her place atop a plush pink pillow, one that matches her dress, trying her best to get up off the seat to wrap her little arms around Francis' leg.
"When you're James' age, my little dove." Francis reasons, leaning down to pluck her from the dusty floor and to settle her on his hip, awkwardly balancing baby Francois-Jacob in one arm, and she upon the other side.
The Dauphin of France flicks his long curls from his face when the stubborn girl with her mothers spirit and his own's charm begins to tug.
"But why?" Anne wines. "Just 'cause he's a boy, he gets to ride? Like he gets to be King?"
"Not at all, Princess. Just because he is older, his legs can reach the stirrups, yours cannot. We do not want you to be unsafe, hmm? Nor hurt a foal because he isn't big enough to hold you yet." Francis tries his best to reason with his stubborn girl, while the source of that stubbornness watches with a barely contained smile.
"I suppose so." she sighs. Little fingers pick at his doublet. "Next spring, then?"
"Not until your little legs get longer." Mary helps out her husbands struggle, picking her up off her fathers' hip and standing her on the floor. "You must stretch, my girl. So your legs get long enough to stride a horse."
"I'll stretch to be as tall as the trees, mama!" Anne grins in delight, showing off the new gap in her teeth.
"Good girl." Mary walks over towards James again. "How does it feel, little King?"
"When Monsieur Apples runs, I'm going to fly!"
"Are you now?" Mary touches his hair again. "Fly fight like a bird?"
"Yes! Going to fly over to Scotland and drop nasty Elizabeth in the sea, so you can have England, Mama!" James squirms excitedly, dropping the reigns to point at the direction of Callais, and such, England.
"Now, now, no need to get Elizabeth all wet and slippery, little one. We're already going to get England when she goes to heaven, she agreed to it after you were your brothers age." Mary reasons with her fierce little knight. "It's why Anne's named after her."
"But still, Pere Henry dislikes her so!"
"Pere Henry dislikes a lot of people, it's why your Grandmere spends her time yelling in Italian, he frustrates her so." Mary pokes his cheek, making him giggle. "When you have a wife and baby of your own, we'll have England, my little one. Elizabeth is much older than me, you see."
"With Anna?"
"Yes, love. With Anna. She's going to come to you when you're six, in two winters. But that's a while away, a baby of your own even further. For now, you just enjoy Monsieur Apples."
"Oh, I will mama. I love Monsieur Apples. An' I love you and Papa for giving him to me."
"And we love you too."
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We were all overdue some fluffy Frary family content!
YOU ARE READING
You Are My Light Part II
Historical Fiction-Reign Oneshots/Taking Requests- The world can be dark, Mary, and uncertain and cruel. The only thing that matters is that we face it together. No matter what happens, you are my light. Part 2! -Read TEML first!-
