A Frary Tale

Love Like This

Mary entered her room smiling. Then she found a note. ‘Drink this’ she smiled thinking it was from Francis. She then untied her clothes and cleaned herself before she changed to her nightgown. She picked a light rose off shoulder silk dress. While she was combing her hair someone traced her arms using its finger, she turned around, “Francis” she gasped. “Hi ‘darling’” he teased then kissed her lightly on her forehead. Then she stood up and they kissed until they reach the bed. They lay under the sheets and kissed and touch until they heard something. “Sshhh” she shush him. “Get down the bed, someone’s entering the chamber” she added. A figure of a man entered, she pretended to sleep while he docked beside her bed. The man crept to her sheets then rubbed her leg. She was shocked and said “Who are you?” Then the man was surprised but still he tried to force her. “Somebody help” she yelled and the man covered her mouth then Francis stood up and punched the man, he pushed him out of the room and beat him. Mary was in shock. Guards came in as soon as they heard some shouting. Francis questions him of who sent him while beating him. King Henry then appeared and said “Francis stop! You’ll kill him before we even get answers from him.” “Francis, where’s Mary?” Queen Catherine asked. Francis then stood up and ran to Mary’s side. Mary’s shaking still shocked from nearly being violated. “Francis.” She said crying. Francis hugged her tightly and he never lets go of her, soothing her by rubbing her hair and back. “Sshh. It’s alright, I’m here. You’re safe now.” Francis said. Then he leads her standing up and leaving her chamber. Catherine tries to console her and she shivers. “I’m sorry Catherine.” Mary said. “It’s alright, did he…” Catherine asked. “No. But he scared me.” Mary said. “Where are you two going? It’s late, it’s not proper for you two to be seen together in your sleeping clothes at this hour” Catherine asked. “Mother, do you really think I will try to have sex with her tonight after what happened here? If you want us to leave my door open while we’re inside my chamber then do so, but there’s no way in hell that I’m letting her stay in her room alone!” Francis glared at his mother. Then Mary’s ladies came and ask how she was, she just buried her face to Francis’ neck. Lola, one of Mary’s ladies then ran to the attacker. “Colin? What happened to you my dear?” Lola asked the attacker. Apparently the attacker is Lola’s lover back in Scotland, Francis overheard this as Aylee whispered to Kenna and Greer. “You know him? Are you his accomplice?” Francis yelled at Lola. “Accomplice?” She muttered. “Lady Lola this man just tried to rape YOUR queen.” Henry pointed out. Lola was shocked then she asked him. “Why Colin?” “I have too. She was supposed to be sound asleep, I was suppose to stop when I saw her awake, but I can’t. She’s beautiful and” “AND YOUR QUEEN!” Catherine emphasized. “Take off his head!” Catherine added. Lola pleaded to Mary “Please Mary help him.” She was about to speak when King Henry spoke. “You can’t Mary. You know the rules, it is only I who can pardon him.” Mary then spoke with her voice shaking “I know, but if you will execute him bring his body back to Scotland, if you plan for confinement, you can do that in Scotland as well.” “My queen, this is not the first time SHE neglected her job.” Marcus, her secretary, said. “I know. You’ll receive the orders tomorrow, so stop, I know you want her gone the first and second time. Just give me time to clear my head” Mary said. Marcus bowed as acknowledgement. Francis then lead Mary away from the commotion and straight to his chambers they walk along the hall with Francis’ arms around Mary’s body that seems like his protecting her and Mary’s head still on Francis’ chest.

They reached his chambers and climbed to bed. Mary’s head still in Francis’ chest and her body to his embrace.

“Francis?” “Yes?” “Are they sending me away again? You see I was nearly raped when I was young after that they sent me here, then before I left for the convent I was nearly attacked like this then I was gone the week after, so Francy, am I leaving? Was Spain right when they canceled my engagement to them before you? Am I too hostile?” “Love, they are NOT sending you away. Not on my watch. I don’t know if I can handle that.” “What if they do?” “Then they should find another person who’ll do my job around here, because I’m going to follow you wherever you go. I am not letting you go again! I promise. I love you so much to lose you” “And I you.”

With that Mary smiled and kissed his jaw and he answered by kissing her forehead. They fell into sleep, without knowing that the King and Queen of France were eavesdropping through the door. “Hostile?” King Henry muttered. “Maybe we should ask her secretary” Queen Catherine suggested.

“Sir Marcus, a word” Henry said. “Your highnesses, what can I do for you?” “Well tell us about those attacks to violate the queen of Scots.” Henry said in a straightforward manner. “Why do you want to know? Will it change how you’ll deal with Scotland?” Marcus asked. Henry looked at Catherine then he spoke "No. We were just curious, as to why they were just attempts, but the moment Catherine and her ladies touched her she shivered and as to why Francis was the only one she’ll hold. “Very well. There has been multiple attempts on her. As you know she was first engaged to the late King Edward of England when she was 6 mos old, but that didn’t work out, King Henry then proclaimed war. When she was 3 an engagement to Don Carlos was placed on the table, it was going well when one man, a very large man, cornered Mary’s ladies, he scared them to telling him where the queen was. They were already lectured that they always have to put the queen first, since she cannot put herself first, and that that was their only job, to put her first. All her ladies didn’t speak of where little Mary was, except for one, Lola, she even walked with the man and opened the door for him. The man held the queen’s legs and she was screaming, I heard her scream and I ran to her room, I saw Lola there by the door watching, I grabbed the vase you gave her for her birthday and hit the man in the head. I was only 6 when that happened, she was 3. The man was not even stunned but the queen, she grabbed a broken piece of the vase and” Marcus paused for a while, “and she stabbed the man in eye. The guards caught up. King Philip of Spain decided that an engagement with the queen cannot be made at this moment, she’s dangerous and hostile.” He pointed out. “The queen then shivers at any attempt to touch her, with that at a very young age she learned how to feed herself, clothe herself, bathe herself and do other things on her own. Then her mother Marie de Guise, decided to just let her be at the moment, but on the day of the trial she locked down the trial room and brought the young queen, she made her 3 year old daughter watch a Scottish trial, do you know what happens in a Scottish trial?” Marcus asked and the king and queen shook their heads. “Criminals are tortured until they admit to their crime or die. The little queen watched as the man who tried to violate her was tortured and then his fingers cut until he doesn’t admit his sins, who sent him, why did he do such a thing. Until he died of torture, and since his crime was attempted rape, his manhood was cut off” he explained. The King and Queen doesn’t have a response to what they heard. “You see, your highnesses, we Scots are known to be barbaric.” “But, why does she allow Francis to hold her? I don’t understand.” The queen asked. “It is because I believe she has confided this with the dauphin a long time ago. I overheard them before in their playroom. As I remember after she told the dauphin everything, she asked if will he let her go now, just like Spain? And he said ‘Why would I let you go? You are my friend and I already know that I love you.’ Maybe that’s why, and he asked her, ‘why hasn’t your lady punished’ she just said that ’she’s only a girl, I don’t blame her” Marcus concluded.

“That girl, isn’t she the same lady who tripped Mary in the gardens before?” Catherine asked. “Yes. Francis slapped her before running to Mary. I was there taking the King of Germany into a tour of our court.” Henry said. “Yes, she’s that Lady. The young Francis and Mary went to yelling when Lola was unpunished, Mary said she didn’t mean too and that they were just playing. After that, he never let Mary to be alone with Lola ever again, it’s either he’s there too or her maids and other ladies where there too.” Marcus said. “And now this? She put that rapist’s well being before her queen, can I behead her?” Catherine pointed out. “As much as we want that we can’t behead her for that alone, you see his father is supplying the military. We just have to wait with Queen Mary’s decision tomorrow.” Marcus said. “If Mary doesn’t dismiss her, mark my word Sir Marcus, I’m gonna destroy her.” Catherine promised. “I consider your queen as my own daughter, she’s the only daughter who will not
leave me.” She added. “I treat the queen as my little sister, because she needed me to be, I will help you at all cost your highness.” Marcus assured them.