Mary, Queen of Scots | Ongoing | Book ONE | French Court

Chapter 1

She was to leave.

The carriage was waiting outside for her. The time had come to go back to French court, reunite with her ladies and marry Francis.

The door slowly opened and she stepped out in her finest clothes.

Everyone was there to say goodbye.

She stopped outside the door and held her red cloak close. Mary sighed at the sight.

She realised the true meaning of being a Queen right then.

All her life she had lived in France as an almost normal girl. Now people would be bowing to her.

The crowd parted as she made her way to the beautiful carriage.

The old nun waited beside it.

She walked up to her quickly.

"I don't know if I'm ready," she said, a scared look in her eyes.

"To leave here or to marry the future king of France?" the nun asked.

Mary stood quiet for a moment, thinking.

"Both."

"I hoped I'd get to go back to Scotland one last time," she continued.

"Your friends from Scotland will be there, girls you've known your whole life," the nun smiled, reassuringly.

"You're safer in French court. You're nearly a woman, and Francis is nearly a man."

With that they reached over to embrace.

Mary knew this was the last time she'd see the old woman who had mostly brought her up.

They pulled apart.

"You will wed young Francis someday soon, for your faith, for your people, for Scotland... He will love you," she looked into Mary's eyes.

Mary was overcome by gratitude to this nun suddenly, and tears started to collect along her eyes.

"I'm not sure that matters," she said, solemnly.

"It does to you," the nun smiled.

"Mary," a young girl interrupted. One of her friends.

"Rose," Mary smiled.

"Be careful," the girl warned seriously, she looked scared. "There are ghosts there."

"At the castle?" Mary wondered.

"The halls are filled with them," the young girl confirmed.

"Tortured souls."

Mary sighed and tried to comfort the scared young girl.

"I was at French court before, you know," she grasped her hands.

"And I never saw any ghosts."

The girl looked up into Mary's dark eyes.

"But what if they saw you?" she whispered.

Shocked, Mary leaned back.
Those words haunted her.

"Your grace," a young guard interrupted, telling her is was time to go.

With one last glance behind, Mary ascended the carriage, whilst everyone looked on.

Then they were off to French court.

***

She looked on in awe at the large palace.

Excitement crawled through her abdomen at the thought of finally seeing her ladies again.