mad queen » reign cw

xv.

( fact fifteen! )
francis wants to have many kids
with mary, his fiancée.

—

isabelle de valois turned to glance at her stomach in the mirror. the french queen was now six months pregnant with her second heir. everyone believed that the second heir was a boy.

"this child is literally in my ribs!" belle complained, sighing.
"i do not understand why we have to have children! all they do is cry and poo! sometimes, they aren't even cute." claude de valois ranted, upset with the society's expectations with women.

"hush, claude!" catherine scolded. catherine put isabelle's necklace on, and smiled at her daughter in the mirror's reflection.

"you look marvelous, my dear. surely the most beautiful pregnant queen ever." the queen's mother cooed. the compliment put a smile on belle's face.

there was a knock on belle's chamber door.
"you may enter!" the queen called out. the doors opened and sebastian entered the room.

"bash, hi! what are you doing here?" isabelle smiled warmly at her younger brother. sebastian walked over to his sisters and step-mother.

"james asked me to escort you to the ball, he told me that he would be late." bash revealed, causing belle to furrow her eyebrows.

"why?" the queen inquired. deep down, she had feelings that james was bedding another woman. she knew that she wasn't supposed to feel jealous, considering that she was bedding arthur, but it secretly hurt her feelings.

sebastian was well aware of why james would be late. he looked at his sister, simply shaking his head, confirming her theory.

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isabelle's hands rested against her stomach as she greeted royals.

"godspeed, your grace!" the duke of florence smiled at his neice. his wife furrowed her eyebrows at the queen.
"and....where is king james? we wish to give him our blessings as well." the florentine duchess inquired.

"i am as curious as you are, aunt margaret. he has been absent the whole evening," isabelle pointed out, trying not to sound disappointed. she knew that she would need to change the subject. "and how is alessandra? i hear that her voyage to paris did not go well." isabelle successfully shifted the topic.

duke alessandro scoffed at the mention of his daughter. alessandra de medici had left french court after arthur confessed his love to belle. the lady fled to paris to meet with her lover, only for italian guards to order her back to the country.

"she has been hostile these days. she claims to have been in love with her lover in paris, genevieve. we have directed many....male suitors her way, but she will not accept!" duchess margaret revealed.

"it sounds as if alessandra is in love." a familiar voice sounded beside isabelle. the queen glanced beside her, seeing arthur.

"good evening, duke arthur." the florentines greeted. arthur offered a gentle smile and looked towards his queen.

"sebastian has requested your presence, your majesty." arthur's blue eyes stared down into isabelle's eyes. the queen looked back towards her uncle and aunt.

"if you shall excuse me." belle smiled warmly as arthur walked with her out of the ballroom.

the two stood in the hallways of french court.
"where is bash?" isabelle questioned, looking around the halls.

"i lied, belle. may i say that you looked ravishing. our child is definitely making you glow." arthur complimented, resting his hand against the queen's cheek.

her lips turned up into a smile.

"our child." isabelle repeated, loving the sound of their combined responsibilities of parenthood.

with eden, isabelle always felt that the heir was more james's than her's. the initial heir was born in scotland, in the scottish castle, under james's rule, eden had a deeper bond with james—with scotland. however, with her second heir, it was different.

the heir felt like an equal share between her and arthur.

"you should go back in there. after all, it is a celebration for you." arthur said, beginning to let go of isabelle's hand.

"it's a celebration for us. well, technically, for james and i, but no one knows where he is. please, don't leave." isabelle sighed.

"i have to, my love, but only for a moment. i shall come back. i promise." arthur said, pressing a kiss to the queen's hand.

the couple separated, resulting in belle going back into the intimidating ballroom and arthur going to do some work.

from down the hallow halls of french court, the two left claude de valois wishing for more drama.