mad queen » reign cw

i.

( fact one! )

isabelle's full name is isabelle
madeleine medici de valois.

— — —

her feet carried her swiftly through the hallow halls of french court.

she completely ignored her name being called behind her. that was her last worry.
she burst into the throne room and all eyes fell upon her.

a sigh fell from the lips of her mother.
"eden, you musn't disru—oh, your majesty i am gravely so—" the nanny was silenced by james stuart, the king consort of france.

"everything is perfectly all right, matilda," james responded, and kneeled in front of his daughter, whom was on the brink of four years old.
"eden, what's wrong?" james questioned.

across the room, isabelle de valois placed her papers into the arms of her advisor, duke arthur.

isabelle walked over to her husband and daughter, looking at the two. james heard his wife behind them, causing him to turn his head and look at her.

"what's wrong, eden?" isabelle asked, waiting for her daughter to answer.
"matilda took me outside to play in the gardens and my flowers were dead, mother!" eden cried out.

"eden, we will replace them, but right now, we are handling very important business." james looked at his daughter.

eden huffed out in defeat, but nodded. james pressed a kiss to her forehead and allowed eden's nanny, matilda, to take over.

eden and her nanny left the throne room, resulting in james walking over to isabelle.
"she's definitely a valois." james teased.

isabelle scoffed, looking at james in disbelief.
"what is that supposed to mean?" she asked.
"nothing, nothing! just that your family is so materialistic." james stated, causing isabelle to roll her eyes.

"could you please just go make arrangements for eden's garden? please and thank you." isabelle commented.

james pressed a kiss to her cheek as the queen walked back over to her advisor.

"arthur, i think i've seen enough maps for today." isabelle commented. duke arthur smiled as he rolled the maps back up.

"walk with me?" she asked, looking at her companion of five years. duke arthur nodded and the two left the throne room.

"i believe that i am ready to move on with my life." arthur commented. isabelle nodded.
"i'd guess so, after three years. have you spoken to marlene?" isabelle asked.

duke arthur shook his head. isabelle glanced up, seeing two servants walking past. one of the servants leaned in close, whispering of the rumors between the duke and the queen.

the rumors had begun the day that isabelle fired sebastian and made arthur her advisor.

people suspected that the queen was bedding duke arthur and that was the reason why the king and the queen only had one child.

"i cannot believe that people actually think that eden is not james's child simply because she has red hair." isabelle rolled her eyes.

"it's absurd that they believe i am the father." arthur commented.

"isabelle! belle!" someone called out, causing isabelle to turn around.
francis ran up to his sister, trying to spread word.

"mother has requested to see you. she's already in your chambers. she claims that its urgent." francis stated. isabelle sighed, knowing that her mother was probably telling a lie.

|||

"isabelle, my dear, sit." catherine instructed. the twenty-three year old queen sat at her vanity, looking at her mother.

"you have not approved your cousin's visit." catherine said, picking up isabelle's brush. she gently brushed through her daughter's hair.

"because i do not want her here, mother." isabelle sassed.
"what? you like alessandra!" catherine was taken aback.

"yes, when we were ten. i do not need any more stress, mother. i have enough of those to go around." isabelle stated.
"what is stressing you, belle?" catherine de medici questioned.

"everything! eden's flowers died, james wants to travel back to scotland to ensure that everything is perfect, francis is asking me to grant him an engagement to mary, i have seen more maps in the past two days than i have in my entire life, and mother....if i have to hear that i need another heir one more time, i will go mad!" belle ranted, groaning out in frustration.

catherine frowned. she hated to see her daughter drowning in queen duties.

"oh my sweet belle. what has your father left you with? let's compromise. francis will take care of the garden. i'll grant his engagement, arthur and i will discuss the travel routes, and perhaps you and james can spend some time together—without politics," catherine advised her daughter.

"oh and i cannot forget! you will approve alessandra's arrival." catherine said, leaving her daughter's chambers.

belle groaned, not wanting to approve the arrival.