Just another frary tale...

Another day at french court.

Slowly, she awakened and opened her eyes, looking around the sun lit room..
Soft rays were seeping in through all of the six windows on the left and she watched as shadows bounced off the draping bed curtains.
"You're awake."
Francis said, looking down at Mary on his bare chest.
Mary smiled.
"I am."
She replied, looking up at him and grinning.
She moved her leg and it tickled Francis, making him jump which consequently made Mary laugh.
"You're cold Mary, don't!" He moaned, playfully pushing her away only to pull her in again and kiss her softy.
"You should get dressed."
"Why?"
"Anne wakes up early."
"Would it be so Shocking for Anne and James to toddle in finding their Parents making love?"
"Francis!"
Just as they were about to kiss, Francis's hand placed on Mary's thin waist.. The door opened ajar slightly and a little girl trailing a teddy on the floor with a cheeky smile across her face gingerly stepped into the light.
Mary and Francis jumped, pulling the bed sheets right up to their necks and laughing.
"What were you doing?" The curious little girl asked as she came over to her mama and papa.
"Something fun!" Francis replied cheekily and Mary gasped, kicking him under the covers as she helped Anne up on the bed.
Francis felt for Mary's hand under the duvet, found it and held it on her waist, cuddling closer to her.
"We were doing nothing of the sort!" Mary said, squeezing Francis's hand and trying not to laugh or give anything away.
"Although maybe it was a little bit fun."
"What was fun?" A little boy came hopping along the cold stone floor up to the grand four poster bed and jumping up and down to try and get on the bed.
"James!" Anne squealed, thinking he were still asleep, "and I don't know, they won't tell me."
Francis sighed happily and helped James up into the bed.
"It's cold." James groaned as he sat cross legged at the end of the bed, opposite his parents.
"Can I get in the covers?"
Mary blushed and motioned for Anne to fetch her dressing robe.
"I'm not sure that's too wise... Anyway, you two are not to be sneaking around the castle at such ungodly hours honestly." She mockingly glared from Anne, who was toddling back over with her dressing robe, to James who was fascinated by a light dancing on the stone walls.
"Does everyone not wear clothes in the morning?" Anne pressed on, standing at the edge of the bed with only the top of her golden wavy hair visible and two dark brown curious eyes.
Francis laughed and then kissed Mary on her bare neck, before replying
"Well I'm sure if they do, they don't get interrogated by a little four year Old girl who has escaped from the nursery."
Mary laughed and joined in,
"The nanny will be angry! She might think you are being naughty and come after you!"
Anne and James quickly shot a knowing glance at each other..
"Maybe..." Anne said awkwardly, circling a section of the stone floor with her bare foot,
"We should.. Em.... Get back." She said before grabbing her teddy bear from the top of the bed, tugging at James above her on the silk bed covers and then hopping down the steps which lead up to the bed.
"Maybe I should too.." James said, daringly jumping off the bed which seemed like jumping off a horse to him, and joining his sister.
"We will see you after lunch, oh and Anne don't forget to tell nanny you have singing lessons at half three." Mary called after them as she watched them pop out of the door they came from.
"I am not," Anne said in a whisper as they shut the big oak door behind them,
"Repeat not, reminding nanny of any such things. Singing lessons are so boring." She blabbed on to her little brother as they waddled back the way they came, knowing it off by heart, with their teddies in one hand.
Meanwhile back in the king and queen's bedroom chamber..
Mary and Francis burst out laughing and dived under the covers to muffle their giggles.
"Shhhh.." Francis said in between laughing as he ran his hand up Mary's thigh and kissed her back in between her two shoulder blades..
Mary couldn't help but feel a thrill again as she turned around to face Francis, placed her hand on his cheek and kissed him.
He kissed her back...
"I love you." Francis said, seriously as they both dived back above the covers for air.
"Do you love me a lot?" Mary asked, brushing her hands through his golden curls and smiling mischievously.
"I do, too much." He replied, kissing her neck and moving down across her stomach.
Mary pulled him back up to face her and then slowly leant in to kiss him.
Francis felt the warmth of her lips on his and held her waist before she toppled on top of him and they fell into the secluded world of their bed sheets.
"Where is the king?" Bash asked as he marched through French court with another nobleman, Narcisse.
"Last time I checked he was in bed with mama." Anne declared suddenly appearing from behind a huge elaborately decorated gold vase and beaming up at her uncle Sebastian.
Anne was a smart little girl, always hiding and climbing and wanting to find all the answers in the world. Knowing information made her feel important, which is why she usually found a way to sneak into her papa's courtroom and sit under the table at their meetings.
Her papa had only found her once and that was when her long golden hair betrayed her by trailing out from under the table cloth..
Having said that, he hadn't even said anything of the matter.
As of now, she was standing In front of Bash, fully adorned in a beautiful long black and gold dress which sprang out at the waist in a poof of material. It wasn't the most Practical
Dress for climbing trees, but the nanny had insisted.
Her long golden waves of hair were tied up in a bun on her head which was then circled with two plaits.
A few loose hairs dangled down her back and her eyes were full of radiant light, the light of excitement.
Bash loosed the concerned frown on his face and stepped over closer to Anne.
"Well in that case, if you come across your papa again, tell him uncle Bash can't attend the king's court meetings in his place this time." He said, pretending to be stern but a laugh escaping his lips betrayed him.
"I shall tell him that," Anne said, her back straight, hands behind her back as she circled Narcisse, looking at him critically.
"Papa doesn't like you." She said, out of order but not appearing to care.
Bash stepped forward and tickled Anne as Narcisse laughed and held his hands up in mock surrender.
"Anne don't be so rude!" Said Bash, trying to show discipline.
"It's PRINCESS Anne." She said tartly as she skipped off up the stone corridor, her little heels echoing off the floor as she disappeared.
"I find I'm not the only one at French court with an attitude then.." Narcisse joked, nodding his head in the direction of the young princess as he walked back through the doors they had come from to announce the court meeting had been postponed.
"Indeed.." Bash said laughing to himself and exiting through the nearest door into the west wing of the castle.
James watched in awe as his papa lifted up a loaded bow and shot at the straw target In front of him. He had been admiring his papa for some time now and not once had Francis failed to hit bullseye.
"He's quite good isn't he?"
James jumped as he turned around to find his mama giggling softly behind him. James blushed, having been found staring and replied
"Yes.. Papa said he would teach me when I am five."
Mary smiled, picked James up in her arms and walked over to Francis who lowered his bow and kissed Mary on the forehead.
"You have an admirer." Mary said, nodding at James who was fiddling with his gold embroidered jacket awkwardly.
"A peeping tom if ever there were one!" Francis whispered jokingly, and then giving the bow to his wife and holding James himself.
"Your mama is better." Francis said, admiring Mary.
"Oh nonsense!" She replied but never the less, she raised the bow and hit the target perfectly.
"Only because I taught you." Francis boasted, letting James get back on the ground and moving closer to Mary.
"Only because mama made me go through your tutoring in hope that I'd begin to enjoy your companionship." She teased back.
"Only because she knew you'd love me in the end." He gloated jokingly.
"Only maybe." Mary replied before kissing Francis on the nose and then turning to run after James and play tag.
James squealed when Mary caught up with him and then giggled relentlessly when she tickled him.
Francis watched them happily from a distance in silence... A growing pain in the back of his head because to form.
He remembered watching her.. When they were younger.
She was so beautiful to him.
So impeccable.
Before everything happened, before they had children, before politics took over.
When Conde had been here.